Friday, 20 May, 2022 I 18 Shawwal, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 320 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition
PM iMPoses econoMic eMergency to tackle dollar’s flight g
Luxury items’ banned to save precious foreign exchange
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rime minister shehbaz sharif on thursday said that the decision to ban the import of luxury items will save the country’s precious foreign exchange, vowing to take similar measures to overcome the economic challenges at hand. “We will practice austerity and financially stronger people must lead in this effort so that the less privileged among us do not have to bear this burden inflicted on them by the pti government,” pm shehbaz said in a twitter post. he added: “together we will overcome all the challenges with resolve and determination, inshaallah!” the banned items included mobile phones; home appliances; fruits and dry fruits (except from afghanistan); crockery; private weapons & ammunition; shoes; chandeliers & lighting (except for
energy savers); headphones & loudspeakers; sauces, ketchup etc.; doors and window frames; travelling bags and suitcases; sanitary-ware; fish & frozen fish; carpets (except from afghanistan); preserved fruits; tissue paper; furniture; shampoos; automobiles; confectionary; Luxury mattresses & sleeping bags; Jams & jelly; cornflakes; bathroom-ware/toiletries; heaters/blowers; sunglasses; Kitchen-ware; aerated water; frozen meat; Juices; pasta etc.; ice cream; cigarettes; shaving goods; Luxury leather apparel; musical instruments; saloon items such as hairdryers etc.; chocolates, etc ‘ECoNoMIC EMERgENCy’: addressing a press conference, minister for information and broadcasting marriyum aurangzeb said the government has banned import of non-essential and luxury items to control surging inflation, stabilise depleting foreign exchange reserves, strengthen econ-
omy, and reduce the country’s reliance on imports. she said that import of luxury items, including vehicles, mobile phones, home appliances, dry and fresh fruits, crockery, private weapons, decoration items, preserved and frozen food items, sanitary ware, doors and windows, and beauty and confectionary items, has been banned. “this is an emergency situation and pakistanis will have to make sacrifices under the economic plan. this will have a quick impact on foreign reserves. the ban will have an impact of $6 billion,” the information minister said. she said it will also help reduce the current account deficit. she said the prime objective of these measures is aimed at reducing reliance on imports and introducing export-oriented policy to promote local industry in the country. she said a plan is also being prepared to promote local manufacturers so that people will be provided employment opportunities. the minister said that prime minister shehbaz sharif is making strenuous efforts to provide relief to the common people. she said those who are questioning the performance of a four-week government, should be ashamed of this approach. she said the dollar rate had been rs115 when the pmL-n left the government in 2012, claiming the last government of pti took this price to rs189. she said it was former prime minister nawaz sharif who successfully completed the imf programme in 2015 and included pakistan in global emerging markets. the information minister noted that the pti government went against the agreement it had made with the international monetary fund (imf) by subsidising the price of petroleum products.
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ECP decision on disqualification of Punjab defectors of PTI today g
hamza shehbaz's future as punJab chief minister hangs in the baLance ISLAMABAD staff report
the election commission of pakistan (ecp) will announce its verdict on a reference seeking the disqualification of 25 pakistan tehreek-i-insaf (pti) lawmakers who crossed the floor and voted for pakistan muslim League-nawaz (pmL-n) vice president hamza shehbaz during the election for the office of punjab chief minister. the top election agency was scheduled to deliver its verdict on Wednesday but postponed it after the supreme court, while announcing its verdict on a presidential reference seeking its interpretation of article 63-a of the constitution, ruled that votes cast by lawmakers against the instructions of their parliamentary party cannot be counted and must be disregarded. the commission reportedly approached the supreme court to secure a copy of the verdict to decide on the reference. chief election commissioner sikandar sultan raja also chaired a meeting where the apex court’s verdict was mulled over. shehbaz was elected as the province’s new chief executive on april 16 after a chaotic session of the punjab assembly where legislators of the pakistan tehreek-iinsaf (pti) and pakistan muslim LeagueQuaid (pmL-Q) scuffled with one another.
Apex court bans transfers, appointments in high-profile criminal cases ISLAMABAD inp
the supreme court on thursday prevented the government from making new appointments and transferring officials involved in “highprofile” and national accountability bureau (nab) cases as well as those being heard by special courts. the directives came as a fivejudge larger bench took up the suo motu case on the apprehensions that criminal justice might be undermined by people in positions of authority. the bench comprised chief Justice umar ata bandial, Justice ijaz ulahsan, Justice munib akhtar, Justice sayyed mazahar ali akbar naqvi and Justice mohammad ali mazhar. the court also issued notices to the federal investigation agency (fia) director-general, the nab chairman and the interior secretary. the court asked the parties concerned to give an explanation as to why there was “interference” in criminal cases.
notices were also issued to all the provincial prosecutor generals and the fia’s legal director. during the hearing, Justice bandial observed that there should be “no interference in the prosecution process or the prosecution wing”. the judge also said that fia’s for-
mer director mohammad rizwan, who was probing the money laundering charges against prime minister shehbaz sharif and his son punjab chief minister hamza shahbaz, was also transferred and later died of a heart attack. “We are concerned over these
developments,” Justice bandial said. Justice bandial also stated that according to news reports, “thousands” of people had benefitted after their names were removed from the no-fly list. “We have been seeing such news reports for the past one month. this has an effect on the rule of law,” Justice bandial said, adding that it was the court’s responsibility to maintain peace and trust in society under the constitution. Justice bandial also stated that the suo motu was not meant to embarrass or hold anyone responsible. “it is meant to protect the criminal justice system and the rule of law,” he observed. the court wants the implementation of article 10-a (right to a fair trial) and article 4 (due process), he said, adding that notices were being issued to the parties concerned. he also expressed the hope that the federal government would cooperate in providing an explanation.
he polled 197 votes — including from 24 pti parliamentarians, two independents and the lone rah-i-haq party lawmaker — while his opponent, speaker chaudhry pervaiz elahi, a joint candidate of the pti and Q League, failed to secure a single vote from the assembly since the two parties boycotted the voting process. punjab assembly speaker chaudhry pervaiz elahi on Wednesday sent to the election commission of pakistan (ecp) a reference against 26 pakistan tehreek-iinsaf (pti) lawmakers seeking their lifetime disqualification on charges of violating party discipline. pti lawmakers who voted in favour of shehbaz included abdul aleem Khan, asad Khokhar, nauman Langrial, ejaz alam augustine, ajmal cheema, saeed akbar, faisal Jawana, and zawar Warraich, among others. the reference, however, couldn’t be applied to independent lawmakers including chaudhry nisar ali Khan, ahmed ali, Jugnu mohsin, bilal asghar Warraich and raja sagheer. subsequently, on april 20, speaker elahi forwarded to the commission the reference against the defecting lawmakers seeking their lifetime disqualification under article-63 of the constitution on charges of violating party discipline.
more inside
PTI challenges Hamza’s election as Punjab CM in LHC STORY ON PAGE 02
pm, european council president discuss relations, afghanistan STORY ON PAGE 03
PM Shehbaz reaffirms resolve to bringing perpetrators of Karachi attack to justice STORY ON BACK PAGE
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Friday, 20 May, 2022 | IsLAMABAD
news
PTI chAllenges hAMzA’s elecTIon As PUnjAb cM In lhc
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HE Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday filed a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC), requesting it to declare Hamza Shehbaz’s election as the Punjab chief minister “illegal”. Hamza was elected as the Punjab CM on April 16, during a provincial assembly session that was marred by mayhem and violence. The petition, filed by PTI MPAs Mohammad Sibtain Khan, Zainab Umair, Mian Mohammad Aslam Iqbal, Syed Abbas
Ali Shah and Ahsan Saleem Baryar, stated that the session held for conducting the election witnessed “immense chaos and most unfortunate events”. Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Mohammad Mazari took “unlawful” aid from the police and provincial officials for holding a “sham and fraudulent” election, following which he communicated that Hamza had won, the petition said. It noted that votes of 25 dissident PTI MPAs were also counted in the final tally for Hamza. While the then governor Cheema had refused to accept the election results, Hamza was administered the oath
Afghanistan’s Taliban mediate ceasefire between Pakistan, TTP kABuL ReuteRS
The Taliban have mediated a temporary ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan-based Tehreek-eTaliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group following talks between the two sides in Kabul, an official said. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has carried out some of the bloodiest attacks inside Pakistan since 2007. It is not directly affiliated with the Afghan Taliban but pledges allegiance to them. The spokesman for the militant group, Mohammad Khurasani, said the talks between the TTP and Islamabad were being facilitated by Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers. The Taliban in Kabul confirmed the talks and the extension of the cease-fire. Their spokesman, Bilal Karimi, said they are doing their “best for the continuation and success of the negotiations.” “During the talks, in addition to significant progress on related issues, a temporary ceasefire was also agreed upon,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter. Khurasani, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman, said the group agreed to extend the cease-fire, which began on May 10, at the request of a delegation of the tribal elders from Pakistan who separately met with the militant group this week. He provided no further details. Pakistan carried out a number of operations against the TTP, but, despite reducing the militant group’s footprint, it has not been able to fully stop attacks, which, in recent months, have begun to rise again along its western border. It was unclear who represented the TTP or Pakistan at the talks. There was also no immediate comment from Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) or the government, although officials earlier acknowledged dispatching a delegation to Kabul for talks with the Tehreek-eTaliban Pakistan. Islamabad says the TTP have been able to find safe haven in Afghanistan over the years — a charge both the Taliban and the previous Westbacked governments have denied. Analyst Imtiaz Gul said Islamabad had demanded firm action from the Taliban in Kabul to prevent Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants from using Afghan territory to stage cross-border attacks against Pakistan — even threatening counter-attacks into Afghanistan and “pursuit by Pakistani security forces.” “These talks are the result of Pakistan’s highest-level tough messages, which were conveyed to the Afghan Taliban” following a surge in TTP’s cross-border attacks on Pakistan Army troops, he said. Last month, Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan, killing dozens of civilians, according to witnesses. The strikes were a dramatic escalation, followed by Pakistani calls on the Taliban to stop sheltering militants. The TTP held similar talks with Islamabad last November at the request of the Afghan Taliban. Those talks led to a month-long ceasefire and more talks, held with the government of then-prime minister Imran Khan, but the truce was not extended at the time and eventually violence resumed. Pakistan is also currently dealing with a surge of attacks by Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) militants in Balochistan which also borders Afghanistan.
due to “judicial overreach”, it contended. “As per the investigation conducted by the [then] honourable governor of Punjab, the respondent secretary of the provincial assembly has tendered a report detailing the various dimensions of the election held on 16.04.2022 and has categorically informed the [then] honourable governor that the referred elections were/are unlawful; thus consequently the certificate issued by the respondent deputy speaker/acting speaker was/is without any lawful sanction/legal authority,” the petition reads. After assuming office, Hamza had
launched a campaign of “extreme vengeance against the petitioners as well as all those who are politically aligned with them,” the petition claimed. According to the petition, Hamza’s election was in violation of the Constitution and the Rules of Business of the Punjab Assembly. It recalled that Hamza had approached the LHC for holding the election, adding that he treated it as an urgent matter because he had the support of 25 dissident PTI MPAs, which was a violation of Article 63 of the Constitution. The petition also referred to the Supreme
Court’s interpretation of Article 63-A, related to the disqualification of lawmakers over defection, in which the apex court said the vote of defecting lawmakers would not be counted. An analysis of the Supreme Court’s interpretation would lead to the conclusion that the chief minister’s election was unlawful, it stated. “On this ground alone and keeping in view the scope and intent behind Article 63A of the Constitution, the election held on 16.04.2022 [should] be declared as being without lawful authority and consequently be struck down.”
SHO’s target killing fuels terror resurgence concerns newS DeSk SHO Peshawar Shahpur Police was gunned down in an “apparent target killing” incident by unidentified terrorists on Thursday, giving rise to the concerns about resurgence of terrorism in the province. SHO Shakeel Khan was fired upon and killed by unidentified attackers on the motorway bridge in Chamkani area of Peshawar. According to investigator, SHO Shahpur Police Shakeel Khan was on the way to the police station when his vehicle was targeted by terrorists from a short distance. The SHO was alone in his car when he came under the attack. According to Peshawar Capital City Police Officer
(CCPO) Ijaz Khan, the assailants were not motorcyclists but came in a white car, got out of the vehicle with Kalashnikovs and 9mm pistols and attacked the SHO’s vehicle. The attackers fired multiple gunshots on the vehicle, leaving SHO Shakeel dead on the spot. It is to be recalled that on Tuesday, another similar major attack took place in Peshawar Sarki Gate in the inner city area within the limits of Yakatoot police station where an inspector of Intelligence Bureau (IB) was killed and two other IB personnel were injured. According to police, Inspector Najeeb, Assistant Sub-Inspector Amanullah, his brother Junaid Khan and his sister-in-law were in the vehicle when the unidentified gunmen opened indiscriminate fire on
them from inside their vehicle. Amanullah and Junaid were critically injured and were rushed to the hospital whereas Inspector Najeeb succumbed to his injuries instantly. Condition of the injured inspectors is said to be stable. After the incident, a large contingent of local police, Counter-Terrorism Department Police and intelligence personnel reached the spot and cordoned off the area and launched a search-and-rescue operation. In an another similar attack that took place a couple of days ago, two shopkeepers belonging to the Sikh community in Sarband area, on the outskirts of Peshawar, were shot dead by terrorists on motorcycles in Battatil Bazaar.
Hamza says will remain in office ‘as long as Allah wills it’ LAHore Staff RepoRt
Hamza Shehbaz, who many believe ceased to be Punjab chief minister after a verdict of the Supreme Court on the status of turncoats, said he would stay in the office “as long as Allah wills it”. The apex court ruled on Tuesday that dissident lawmakers could not cast their vote as it interpreted Article 63-A of the Constitution which relates to the disqualification of parliamentarians for voting, or abstaining from voting, against the party guidelines. Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will also announce its verdict on a reference seeking the disqualification of 25 Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf (PTI) lawmakers who crossed the floor and voted for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president during the election for the post of provincial chief executive. Those defecting lawmakers’ votes were instrumental in getting Shehbaz elected as chief minister. At a press conference in Lahore on Thursday, Shehbaz recalled that from the day he was appointed the chief executive of Punjab, numerous hurdles and roadblocks were created for him by the PTI. “The way these people are creating problems in Punjab, whether it is the former governor [Omar Sarfraz Cheema] or the president [Arif Alvi] … The
way they are spreading propaganda among the public … I have decided not to waste a second in making things easier for the people,” he promised. He also announced relief for the people of the province and reduced price of 10 kilogrammes flour bag from Rs650 to Rs490. The people will not have to stand in queues for flour in Punjab now, he said. While attacking the government of Imran Khan, he said the former prime minister played with the people of Pakistan. He further claimed that PTI government has destroyed the economy. “They are not doing politics but spreading anarchy,” he said. Shehbaz went on to say that Khan wants anarchy and chaos in the country. “He talks about revolution now but he has destroyed the country from his tsunami.” He also said that the economy is on ventilator while political turmoil is on the rise. Talking about enemies of Pakistan, he said that the enemy is trying to harm the country while Khan is trying to divide Pakistan Army with his conspiracies. “Imran is trying to destroy the institutions,” he said. He also attacked Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi, saying he is the custodian of the Parliament but he used hooligans in uniforms to attack the House. He further lamented that it has been over a month but I still don’t have the cabinet.
KP LG members to receive Rs2.8bn for annual expenditure Aziz Buneri Over 25,000 elected local government representatives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) will receive more than Rs2.8 billion annually in terms of salaries, travel expenses and various allowances, including entertainment. The KP LG Department has proposed an estimate of elected members salaries, travel expenses, fuel, assembly session allowance, entertainment and telephone allowances of the elected representatives of the province. A monthly salary of Rs50,000 has been proposed for 131 Tehsil Chairmen and City Mayors and Rs30,000 for 4,212 Village and Neighborhood Council Chairmen. Similarly, a daily session allowance of Rs1000 has been recommended for 6,290 members elected Tehsil
members while session allowance of Rs500 has been recommended for 25,272 Village and Neighborhood Council members. The number of elected local body representatives in the province is 25,403. However, the Chairman of Village and Neighborhood Council would also receive allowance for participation in his council while as a member of Tehsil and City Council, he will also be entitled to session allowance. Similarly, Youth, Women, Minority and Labour and Farmers Councilors of Village and Neighborhood Council will also receive allowance for attending session of the Village and Neighborhood as well as Tehsil and City Councils. It is recommended to provide Rs10,000 Entertainment Allowance, Rs5,000 Travel Out-of-Tehsil Allowance.
Upcoming budget will be business-friendly, says Miftah StAff report Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail has said that the upcoming budget will be business-friendly and will contribute to the promotion of exports and business in the economy. He said this while meeting with Shini Yanagi – Vice Chairman of Indus Motor Company at the finance division. Ali Asghar Jamali-CEO of Indus Motor Company and senior officers from the finance division and FBR were also present during the meeting. CEO of Indus Motor Company Ali Asghar Jamali briefed the Finance Minister on the performance of the company and its contribution to the revenue of Pakistan. They also presented some proposals concerned with the auto industry for the upcoming budget. They requested support from the government for the auto industry in the upcoming budget in order to sustain the consumer prices and sales of cars. The Finance Minister welcomed Shini Yanagi and said that the present government is cognizant of the issues of the business community and hurdles in the expansion of business activities in the country. He said that the present government is committed to providing a conducive and friendly environment to the investors and businessmen for the growth of economic activity and enhancement of exports. He further said that the upcoming budget will be business-friendly and will contribute to the promotion of exports and businesses in the economy. The Finance Minister further assured Shini Yanagi – Vice Chairman of Indus Motor Company of the government’s full cooperation and support.
Govt to support telecom sector expansion in Pakistan iSLAmABAD Staff RepoRt
Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Dr Aisha Ghous Pasha has said that government will provide maximum possible support for the expansion of the telecommunication sector in the country Held a meeting with Jorgen C. Arentz Rostrup, EVP and Head of Asia, Telenor Group at the Finance Division today. Irfan
Wahab Khan, CEO of Telenor Pakistan and senior officers also participated in the meeting. The Telenor team briefed the Minister of State about the vision and mission of their telecommunication business. It was shared that Telenor has a huge role to play in Pakistan’s next phase of digital growth and harnessing new opportunities in the telecommunication sector. EVP and Head of Asia, Telenor Group Jorgen C. Arentz Rostrup, shared that
Telenor is proud to serve Pakistan’s people and be part of its digital journey. Connectivity is an enabler of economic activity and will be an important driver of Pakistan’s next phase of digital growth. Therefore, it is integral to ensure a conducive business environment for bringing tremendous progress to the country and building a resilient digital economy. However, Telenor is facing various operational issues relating to spectrum range
and taxation rate, he added. The Minister of State for Finance and Revenue welcomed the Telenor team and appreciated their efforts in the provision of quality services in Pakistan and in contributing to the revenue of the country. It was also shared that the government is in the transitory stage but tough decisions are in the pipeline for reducing the economic bottlenecks and for ensuring stability in the economic growth. This stability would bring
in greater benefits for businesses as well as the masses of the country. In conclusion, the Minister of State for Finance and Revenue acknowledged and commended the role of the telecommunication sector in growth of the digital economy of Pakistan. Also, she assured the team that the maximum possible support will be provided by the government for the expansion of the telecommunication sector in the country.
Friday, 20 May, 2022 | IsLAMABAD
PM, eUroPeAn coUncIl PresIdenT dIscUss relATIons, AFghAn sITUATIon iSLAmABAD
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RIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif has discussed by phone with European Council President Charles Michel bilateral relations, the situation in Afghanistan and the conflict in Ukraine. During the telephone conversation on Wednesday, Sharif stressed the importance Pakistan attaches to its relationship with the European Union (EU) and reiterated his desire to deepen and broaden the already existing bilateral cooperative ties with the EU member states, the Prime Minister’s Office said later in a statement. He recalled Pakistan’s long-standing and fruitful economic and trade cooperation with the EU, including
through the application of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Plus trade facility, which has
new Us ambassador to assume charge on Monday newS DeSk Donald Armin Blome, a career member of the senior US Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor, will take charge as the new American ambassador to Pakistan on May 23, a news outlet reported on Thursday. US President Joe Biden had recommended Blome to be the new US ambassador to Pakistan last year. Blome is an expert on the Middle East, and is currently the US ambassador to Tunisia. He has also worked in Kabul, Jerusalem, Cairo, Baghdad, and Kuwait. He has long experience in the Middle East region. Meanwhile, the United States has announced that it will continue to help Pakistan rebuild its economy. A State Department spokesperson assured Pakistan of strong US support for their efforts to rebuild the Pakistani economy. The United States “will continue to work bilaterally on ways to grow investment and trade opportunities to build a prosperous and stable Pakistan,” the spokesperson said in Washington. The United States also “welcomes the ongoing International Monetary Fund (IMF) deliberations with Pakistan,” the spokesperson added.
govt imposes ban on import of 38 luxury items SHAHzAD pArAcHA The federal government has imposed a ban on the import of 38 non-essential and luxury items to curtail the rising import bill. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb in a press briefing informed that the government has banned the import of 38 non-essential and luxury items to curtail the rising import bill. The items included mobile phones, home appliances, fruits and dry fruits (except Afghanistan), crockery, private weapons & ammunition, shoes, chandeliers & lighting (except energy savers), headphones & loudspeakers, sauces, ketchup, doors and window frames, traveling bags and suitcases, sanitary ware, fish & frozen fish, carpets (except Afghanistan), preserved fruits, tissue paper, furniture, shampoos, automobiles, confectionary, luxury mattresses & sleeping bags, jams & jelly cornflakes, bathroom ware, toiletries, heaters, blowers sunglasses, kitchenware, aerated water, frozen meat, juices, pasta, ice cream, cigarettes, shaving goods, luxury leather apparel, musical instruments, saloon items like hairdryers and chocolates. The information minister said that the government is working on an emergency fiscal and economic management plan with an annual impact of $6 billion. She said that the steps taken by the government will also help reduce the growing current account deficit. She added that the key objective of these measures is to reduce the country’s reliance on imports and introduce an export-oriented policy to promote the local industry in the country. The minister announced that the government is preparing a plan to promote local manufacturers so that employment opportunities are generated.
enabled Pakistan to enhance its trade with the EU. The prime minister also said the Pakistan-EU Strategic
Engagement Plan, which has been an important mechanism between them, would help deepen engagement between the two sides, especially in the fields of trade, development and climate change. In the telephone conversation, Sharif also stressed the importance of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan, while highlighting the importance and urgency of taking necessary steps to avert humanitarian and economic crises in the country. Regarding the Ukraine issue, he spoke of his concern that the ongoing conflict has implications for the developing countries, the statement said. The prime minister also urged the international community to remain engaged in finding a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine issue in accordance with relevant multilateral agreements, international law and the UN Charter.
IHC tells Cheema his petition against sacking comes under LHC jurisdiction iSLAmABAD Staff RepoRt
Former Punjab governor Omer Sarfraz Cheema on Thursday moved Islamabad High Court (IHC) against his removal by the federal government against the will of the president. The federal government notified in a mid-night announcement on April 10 that Cheema ceased to hold office on the advice of the prime minister sent to the president on April 17 and reinforced on May 1. Arif Alvi twice rejected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s advice to remove the governor — dampening the hopes of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) that the office will be vacated in a day or two. Alvi rejected the prime minister’s summary using Article 101(3), which says the governor shall hold the office “during the pleasure” of the president (for as long as the president pleases). The petition, submitted to the IHC, says Cheema’s sacking is illegal and Sharif made the move to benefit his son and Punjab Chief
Minister Hamza Shahbaz. The plea also asks the court to take action against those in the Cabinet Division who issued the notification which he said violated the Constitution. However, the registrar’s office at the court raised objection to the petition saying the matter comes under the jurisdiction of the Lahore
High Court (LHC) therefore, the plea is not maintainable. The move comes as the country’s most populous province is without a governor for over a week now and oath-taking of the provincial cabinet is experiencing delays after the Punjab Assembly speaker refused to take oath as acting governor.
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bilawal, Turkish FM vow to strengthen trade, relations new York Staff RepoRt
In a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari expressed commitment to work with Ankara to enhance economic cooperation and unleash the full potential of Pakistan-Turkey trade relations. This was agreed upon on the sidelines of a ministerial-level meeting on the Global Food Security Call to Action held in New York, the Foreign Office said. The two diplomats agreed to remain in close contact to maintain the upward trajectory and add momentum to the friendly ties between Pakistan and Turkey. Expressing satisfaction over the excellent bilateral partnership between the two countries, Zardari reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to further enhance its wide-ranging cooperation with Turkey. He noted that in November, the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Turkey would be celebrated in a befitting manner. Zardari also thanked Ankara for its steadfast support and principled position on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. He also briefed his counterpart on the so-called “Delimitation Commission” and India’s illegal steps in the occupied region. Views were also exchanged on various international issues. He appreciated Turkey’s role and contributions toward the promotion of peace and stability in the region. He appreciated Turkey’s support to address the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Address to ministeriAl conference: Later, in his address to the ministerial conference, Bilawal lauded the initiative to unite and mobilise the global community to respond to the urgent food security and nutrition needs of vulnerable people across the planet. He highlighted the existential threats of climate change, the Covid pandemic and poverty faced by developing countries. Bilawal called for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve disputes peacefully and work together to ensure that humanity was fed. On Thursday, Bilawal also met US Congressman Ami Bera, Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee on Asia and the Pacific. The foreign minister said Pakistan and the US had a mutual desire to further strengthen their partnership and promote frequent exchanges between the lawmakers of the two countries. “The foreign minister said that sustained engagement with the US Congress was essential for giving support to Pakistan-US ties, which had stood the test of time,” the FO said. Bilawal said that recent re-engagement between the two countries had opened new doors for a broad-based relationship, especially in the areas of trade and investment, education and people-to-people contacts as well as enhanced parliamentary exchanges. Congressman Bera appreciated FM Bilawal’s proactive outreach to enhance relations and thanked Pakistan for facilitating evacuations from Afghanistan. “He said that a stable Afghanistan was in the mutual interest of both the US and Pakistan. The foreign minister highlighted the urgency of addressing the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan,” the FO said.
Gauss auto group announces establishment of eV plant in Pakistan GHuLAm ABBAS Gauss Auto has announced to establish an Electric Vehicle (EV) Plant in Pakistan’s Special Economic Zone. According to official sources, the plan is to enter into a Joint Venture (JV) with AKD Group Holdings (Pvt.) limited and set up the plant near Port Qasim, Karachi on around 1000 acres of land. Gauss Auto is an enterprise focusing on the innovation and development of automobiles and the integration of resources. It is registered in Silicon Valley, California, and operates in Shanghai, China. The development was made during a meeting between a delegation led by Chen Feng, CEO Gauss Auto Group and CEO AKD Group Holding with Nasir Rizwan at Board of Investment on Thursday. The delegation held a meeting with Federal Minister Board of Investment Chaudhry Salik Hussain and Secretary BoI Fareena Mazhar to finalize plans. According to officials, the delegation also highlighted their intention to export their locally produced EVs from Pakistan to other countries. Earlier the organization delivered a comprehensive presentation of their production plant and apprised BoI leadership on the variants of the vehicles
they are already producing. Secretary BOI briefed the delegation about Pakistan’s recently launched Electric Vehicle policy which offers benefits to both; existing and new manufacturers. The delegation was also informed about Pakistan’s liberal investment regime, which treats foreign and local investors equally and where all economic sectors are open to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) except a few specified restricted industries like arms and ammunition, explosives, radio-active substances, currency etc. BOI leadership encouraged Gauss Auto Group to invest in auto sector of Pakistan and extended maximum support and facilitation to the company. In order to cater to their technical queries about Government’s EV Policy and to subsequently materialize their manufacturing plant on AKD Holding’s land in Karachi, BOI has scheduled a meeting with CEO Engineering Development Board on 20th May. As per documents Gauss Auto is an enterprise focusing on the innovation and development of automobiles and the integration of resources. It is registered in Silicon Valley, California, and operates in Shanghai, China. Their partner is the British CCA company that provided engines for the First World War 120 years ago. RML, German EDAG, Italian IDG
and other well-known vehicle styling design, engineering development and manufacturing companies, as well as engineers, designers and marketing experts in the field of new energy vehicles from Audi, Ford, Tesla and the US Department of Energy. It is committed to creating a “global new energy vehicle industry
ecosystem” oriented by global users and becoming a global leader in new energy smart vehicles. The AKD Group is a major force in Pakistan’s real estate market with extensive interests in numerous residential and commercial real estate projects all across the country.
Friday, 20 May, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
04 NEWS
ITAly orderS murder TrIAl In cASe oF mISSIng PAkISTAn Teen ROME
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JUDGE in Italy ordered a trial for several family members of an 18year-old Pakistani woman who disappeared last year after refusing an arranged marriage and was allegedly slain, according to authorities. The Italian news agency ANSA said
Judge Dario De Luca, at the end of a preliminary hearing, set trial on murder charges to begin in the northern town of Reggio Emilia in February 2023. Saman Abbas, 18, had refused to be married to a cousin in Pakistan as her parents, immigrants to Italy, insisted she should. She disappeared on April 30, 2021, after telling her boyfriend in Italy that her family was talking about killing her.
Abid Sher returns after four years in self-exile LAHORE Staff RepoRt
Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) vice president Abid Sher Ali returned from London on Thursday after living in self-exile for more than four years. Ali, who faces a slew of corruption charges, landed in Lahore early morning and headed to Faisalabad after holding a series of meetings with party leadership in the provincial capital. Party workers, who had gathered at Allama Iqbal International Airport, shouted slogans to welcome him. Talking to reporters on his arrival, Ali said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who fled to the United Kingdom in November 2019 on the pretext of medical treatment, will also return soon. Recalling the conviction of the party’s supreme leader, Ali claimed Sharif was given a sentence on fabricated charges. Ali returned days after the prime minister directed the Ministry of Interior to issue a diplomatic passport to Sharif. After assuming charge of his office, Shehbaz Sharif received a briefing from the Foreign Office about the issuance of a passport to his brother. Pakistan’s mission in London was directed to issue passports to Sharif and former finance minister Ishaq Dar. Ali alleged that during the tenure of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), efforts were made to turn Pakistan into a banana republic but the PML-N has now taken the wheel.
For two months, some 500 Italian police officers, aided by dogs and drones, searched farm fields near the town where her parents lived, before ending the effort to find her body which Italian authorities suspected was buried in a field. Ordered to stand trial are an uncle who was extradited from France earlier this year, two cousins, and her parents, who flew to Pakistan from Milan on May 1, 2021. The
parents were seen on a video camera as they hurried to a check-in counter at Malpensa airport. They will be tried in absentia after failing to respond to appeals from Italian authorities. A separate video showed the uncle walking with a shovel and a pitchfork in the countryside near the family’s home in Novellara. Interrogated by prosecutors after his extradition, the uncle has denied any role in his niece’s disappearance.
In Italy, suspected accomplices to a slaying can face murder charges. Children of immigrants who grow up in Italy can request Italian citizenship when they turn 18, but Abbas had apparently not done that. Growing up in northern Italy, Abbas adopted Western-style dress, abandoning the robes and scarves that her mother wore, and dating a Pakistan youth in Italy who, like her, had also adopted Italian ways.
Pak Army soldier martyred in South Waziristan IED blast RAWALPINDI Staff RepoRt
A Pakistan Army soldier embraced martyrdom in an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in the South Waziristan district, the military said in a statement on Thursday. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the IED blast targeted the military convoy when it was passing
through the Makeen area of the South Waziristan district. As a result, 39-yearold Havaldar Muhammad Sanwar, a resident of Jhelum, lost his life. “The area clearance operation is being carried out to eliminate terrorists in the area,” the ISPR added. Meanwhile, a terrorist was gunned down during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan.
Three FIA staff dismissed on misconduct, corruption charges ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) dismissed from service three members of its staff, including one inspector and two sub-inspectors, on charges of misconduct, misuse of power and corruption. Those whose employment has been terminated include Inspector Shabbir Ahmed Chandio of Karachi Zone, Sub-Inspector Gulzar Ahmad of Faisalabad Zone and Sub-Inspector Uzma Aslam of Lahore Zone, said an FIA spokesperson. Similarly, disciplinary action was also taken against Sub-Inspector Sanjay Kumar who has been awarded the punishment of forfeiture of one year of service while the appeal of Constable Tauqeer Abbas has been rejected, the spokesperson said.
Imran’s ouster more disastrous than Balakot strike: Asad Umar ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
Senior PTI leader and former planning minister Asad Umar on Thursday questioned whether the airstrike by India in Balakot in 2019 was more damaging to Pakistan or the no-confidence vote that saw Imran Khan ousted as prime minister, an event he said led to the country’s dire economic straits. “I was asking people. Tell me whether the strike by India in Balakot — in which a crow and 12 trees were hit — caused more damage to Pakistan or the no-confidence motion which was introduced through foreign interference and caused political instability?” he asked during a press conference in Islamabad. Umar, who was speaking alongside PTI leaders Ali Zaidi and Omar Ayub Khan — both former cabinet members — and went on to describe the country’s dismal economic situation, linking it with the no-confidence motion. He pointed out the persistent decline in the rupee’s value over the past week, saying that it had led to a significant increase in Pakistan’s external debt. “Since the day the no-confidence motion was filed, our foreign debt has increased by Rs2,860 billion till date,” he claimed and added that this is the damage that has been caused to the country. ElEctions only way to End uncErtainty: Earlier, in the press conference, the former minister compared the country’s economic situation during the PTI’s tenure with the present state of the economy, referring to a National Accounts Committee report issued yesterday that said Pakistan’s growth rate had neared six per cent. He linked the growth to measures
Two policemen killed in KP firing ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
Two policemen including an officer were killed in a terrorist attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday, police and rescue teams said. Shahpur police station Station House Officer (SHO) Shakeel Khan, along with another policeman, was on his way to work when unknown gunmen sprayed bullets at his vehicle in the provincial capital of Peshawar, a statement said. Following the attack, rescue teams hurried to the scene and found the dead bodies of the two policemen. No one has claimed responsibility for the incident yet, and police have sealed off the area to conduct investigations. It was the third terrorist attack in the provincial capital since Sunday. In earlier attacks, two traders and a government official were killed in target killing incidents. Police believed Thursday’s attack was another attack by persons on law enforcement’s hit list amid a series of intelligence-based operations against terrorists across the country.
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The military’s public affairs wing said the security forces faced resistance from terrorists as they launched the IBO in the area, and resultantly, one terrorist was killed during an exchange of fire. The slain terrorist was identified as Muhammad Altaf, the ISPR said. “Weapon and ammunition were also recovered from the terrorist. He was actively involved in terror activities against security forces,” the ISPR statement added.
taken by the PTI government, saying that a “broadbased recovery was witnessed” during the last government’s tenure. It was in this situation that Imran Khan’s government was toppled through a “foreign conspiracy” and the Pakistani nation is still paying its price, Umar added. He termed the move an “attack on Pakistan’s stability”. All the economic improvement that was taking was “sabotaged”, the PTI leader said. In a tweet afterwards, Umar quoted Benjamin Franklin and said: “Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Umar said without naming anyone that “it is being said they will use force and see how Imran Khan comes out [for his march on Islamabad]. [It is being said] that they will see who comes out”. Listen carefully, Umar said without addressing anyone in particular, the PTI’s ongoing “struggle” is not that of Imran’s or the party’s alone. “This nation has decided that it will not accept slavery. If someone believes that they can suppress this decision through force, violence and the use of weapons, then it is their misconception.” “And we have seen such misconceptions in the past as well,” he said, as he went on to recall the incident of veteran Baloch nationalist leader and former chief minister of Balochistan, Akbar Bugti. Bugti was killed, along with 37 armed tribals, in a military operation in the Chalgri area of Bhamboor hills of Balochistan’s Dera Bugti district. “You might still remember the day when it was announced that Akbar Bugti was killed — and killed in such a manner that he didn’t even realise from where he had been attacked,” Umar recalled.
Friday, 20 May, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
NEWS
05
RiSing tEMPERatuRES tRiggER watER, food inSECuRity in PaKiStan, india
Six shops gutted in Kashmir fire KAHUTA: Goods worth millions of rupees stored in six shops were destroyed after a fire ripped through a market in Halan Shumali, a suburban village of Haveli Kahuta in Azad Jammu and Kashmir region on Thursday. While the fire brigade vehicles reached the site of the fire on time, they weren’t able to immediately put out the blaze. The shopkeepers had also to make efforts to extinguish it. Later, Haveli Kahuta’s deputy commissioner, superintendent of police, and tehsildar reached the site to monitor the relief and rescue efforts. staff report
PM imposes economic emergency to tackle dollar’s flight cOntinuEd fROm pAgE 01 “Now, we cannot come out of the conditions put forth by the IMF for Pakistan. But despite that, instead of shifting the burden of conspirators on Pakistanis, the PML-N and its allies do not plan on doing this as it has never been their manifesto,” Aurangzeb said. She said the last government gave an unfunded subsidy on petroleum products to paralyse Pakistan’s economy. Marriyum Aurangzeb said the government is also taking measures to improve the energy situation in the country. Berating the PTI for calling out the incumbent government on the economic turmoil, Aurangzeb said the Imran Khan-led government hiked inflation, took historic loans, committed “economic terrorism”, and played with the country’s economy by subsidising petroleum prices. The information minister said that the previous government did not have an economic plan. “[Ex-prime minister] Imran Khan would often say that he wasn’t in power to know about the rates of tomatoes.” “They [PTI] first exported sugar, then imported it and sold it at Rs120, whereas, during the PML-N’s tenure, it stood at Rs62 per kg. And during their tenure, women stood for a kilo of sugar in long queues. Don’t they have any shame? Do they think that the people of Pakistan have forgotten all this?” Responding to the PTI and Imran Khan’s repeated demands of snap polls, Aurangzeb said it is the government’s job to conduct elections across the country, whether the party “cries or shouts”. “If your [PTI’s] objective was to conduct snap polls, you would have done it during your tenure and dissolved the assemblies. But since you thought that the allies would stand by you, you stuck on to the seat of power.” Aurangzeb said the government will hold elections “when it wishes to”. The information minister, in response to Khan’s question of why did courts open at midnight, said the courts had opened their doors to stop a person from violating the constitution. She said the previous government did not have a plan and would abuse the institutions. “But this government will take the country out of the crisis.” In response to a question, the information minister said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will address the nation in a couple of days.
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ISING temperatures, a direct result of climate change, are aggravating water, food, and biodiversity insecurity in Pakistan and India, which may worsen in years to come, said environmentalists based in the region. An intense heatwave is currently sweeping through the two nucleararmed neighbors with temperatures hitting 51 degrees Celsius (123.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in Pakistan and 49 degrees Celsius in India. With forecasts predicting that the wave will keep up the heat through the coming days, environmentalists caution that the soaring temperatures will speed up the melting of glaciers, which would ultimately damage crops and pastures while further shrinking wetlands. “Already melting glaciers are the primary target of climate change, mainly the rising temperatures, which will lead to acute water shortages and subsequently, hit agriculture and biodiversity in the region,” Ashiq Ahmad Khan, an environmentalist based in Peshawar, northwestern Pakistan, told Anadolu Agency. Apart from that, he went on to say, millions of people in the region, mainly in mountainous areas, who rely on livestock, are taking a toll due to the climate-induced destruction of pastures. Mahesh Palawat, the head of India’s private weather agency Skymet, told Anadolu Agency that events like unusual temperatures in the country are the result of climate change. “Now, because of the western disturbances, there has been some relief,” he said, adding that pre-monsoon weather activities are expected to start soon. Palawat said India’s northwestern and central regions were badly impacted due to the heatwaves, which also triggered power outages and a water crisis in many parts.
In the capital New Delhi, lakes and other bodies of water have started drying up, leading to complaints of a water shortage. WArmesT mArcH And April: Sardar Sarfraz of the Meteorological Department of Pakistan said the ongoing heatwave was “unusual” due to its early arrival. “It came over two weeks before the expected arrival because of climate change, in the larger picture,” said the chief meteorologist. Speaking to Anadolu Agency, he noted that, March and April had seen historically high temperatures with respectively 62 per cent and 72 per cent less rainfall than usual. Pakistan and India are among the top 10 most vulnerable countries to climate change. The severity of sea storms and cyclones has also increased in both countries due to climate change over the past 10 years. Apart from water stress and glacial melting, he said, the monsoon season is shifting, directly impacting South Asian countries’ agricultural output. India, the second-largest wheat producer in the world, banned staple exports last week, citing a risk to food security and soaring prices. Despite having one of the world’s largest irrigation systems, Pakistan is an importer of wheat, lintels, and other staples as its agricultural lands shrink due to a string of factors ranging from massive floods to drought, as well as the country’s increasing housing crunch. In Punjab and Sindh provinces, increasing populations and housing needs have in recent years turned large swathes of green lands into concrete jungles, not only in the big cities but in small districts as well. Both regions are considered the country’s two main bread baskets. Also, more than 2 million people
were displaced by floods that inundated a fifth of the country in 2010, triggering mass migration to cities from rural Pakistan. Of that figure, almost 70 per cent did not return to their towns and villages, permanently settling in the big cities to make a living as their old homes and farmlands were destroyed, according to the Ministry of Climate Change. In India, massive rains and floods displace tens of thousands of people every year, in addition to damaging large swaths of agricultural lands. more HeATWAves expecTed: A State of the Climate report from the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has warned that the region should now expect a heatwave that exceeds record temperatures seen in 2010 once every three years. Without climate change, it added, such extreme temperatures would occur only once every 312 years. Heatwaves are common across the two countries in May, June, and July. But, summer came early this year, bringing temperatures to new highs in March. According to the UN report, climate change is driving the intense heat, making record-breaking temperatures 100 times more likely. The report is based on a heatwave that hit northwestern India and Pakistan in April and May 2010, when the region saw its highest average temperatures since 1900. If climate change follows the trends predicted in the study, India and Pakistan can expect similarly high temperatures virtually every year by the end of the century. According to Ravindra Khaiwal, an environmentalist from the northern city of Chandigarh, the WMO study raises the urgency for climate change adaptation and mitigation, specifically
Sindh police get two-day remand of marriage witness in Dua Zehra case nEws dEsk The Sindh police investigating officer of the Dua Zehra case on Wednesday implicated the witness in the teenager’s marriage from Lahore, who will be brought to Karachi for a two-day transitory remand. In a video posted on Twitter, an official of the Sindh police stated that Asghar Ali, a witness to the marriage between the teenager and Zaheer Ahmed, had been apprehended by the Punjab Police and handed over to the IO in the case. He also claimed that an investigation was conducted into the validity of the marriage certificate, verifying it as fake. The official added: “Asghar’s remand will be ex-
tended and we will arrest everyone involved, a 14-year-old girl cannot consent to marriage.” He furthered that the accused had “misused the honourable court’s authority.” The police also stated that the accused will be transferred to Sindh where he will be tried for Zina amongst other crimes. “We will not spare them,” he said, adding that they will also trace Dua Zehra and recover her soon. The accused is to be tried in Sindh, where the legal age for marriage is 18 under the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act passed in 2014. On May 13, the Sindh High Court (SHC) had directed Dua Zehra to appear at the next hearing while issuing a written order on her father, Mehdi Ali Kazmi’s, request regarding alleged kidnapping and child marriage. It was stated that police protection should be given to Dua and her family, and her wedding with Zaheer Ahmed on April 17 should be declared illegal.
Pollution behind 1 in 6 global deaths during 2019: study LAHORE afp
Pollution caused some 9 million people to die prematurely in 2019, according to a new global report published Wednesday, with experts raising alarm over increasing deaths from breathing outside air and the “horrifying” toll of lead poisoning. Human-created waste in the air, water and soil rarely kills people immediately, but causes instead heart disease, cancer, respiratory problems, diarrhoea and other serious illnesses. The Lancet Commission on pollution and health said the impact from pollution on global health remains “much greater than that of war, terrorism, malaria, HIV, tuberculosis, drugs and alcohol”. Pollution is an “existential threat to human health and planetary health, and jeopardises the sustainability of
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modern societies,” it added. In general, the review found, air pollution — accounting for a total of 6.7 million deaths globally in 2019 — was “entwined” with climate change because the main source of both problems is burning fossil fuels and biofuels. “If we can’t manage to grow in a clean and green way, we’re doing something terribly wrong,” said the report’s lead author Richard Fuller, of the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution, adding that chemical pollution also harms biodiversity — another major global threat. “These things are terribly connected and strategies to deal with one have ripple effects all the way through,” he said. Overall, one in six premature deaths globally — or nine million — were caused by pollution, a figure unchanged since the last assessment in 2015.
in emerging economies like India. Speaking to Anadolu Agency, he said that despite relatively high economic growth, New Delhi still needs work to do on achieving “zero hunger.” “Under the changing climatic condition, food security should be the top priority for the country’s development efforts and to reduce hunger and malnutrition,” he said. Some evidence, he suggested, highlights that rice and wheat in the Indo-Gangetic lowlands, sorghum and potato in West Bengal, and sorghum, potato, and maize on the southern plateau would see diminished productivity in the coming years. However, he added, soybean, groundnut, chickpea, and potato yields may increase in Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh. AdApTATion: The Indian Health Ministry has already released a health adaptation plan for heat and pollutionrelated illnesses. These efforts were part of the country’s national action plan on climate change and human health. “India is doing reasonably well in the prediction of heatwaves. However, considering its large population living in rural areas, we need to focus on them, including the marginalized and vulnerable population,” Khaiwal said. “Countries like Pakistan, which have a very minor share in the destruction of the environment, cannot do much to minimize its impact. What we can do is to prepare for adaptation,” said Khan, the Peshawar-based forester, for his part. “It means we should reduce and manage the consumption of food to cope with food security in the near future or equip ourselves to handle the diseases caused by intense heat and other climate change effects,” he maintained. aNaDolu ageNcy
ECP begins countywide survey of polling stations ahead of elections The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has kicked off a countrywide survey of polling stations ahead of holding general elections. As per details, the ECP while gearing up preparations for the upcoming general elections has sought reports from the district officers regarding required funds, while the fresh delimitations in the national and provincial assemblies constituencies is also underway. The ECP is carrying out delimitations as per the 2017 census results and in this regard, the body has started preparing the initial lists regarding delimitation. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has set a Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) plea against fresh delimitations to be carried out by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for hearing from June 6. The court has also directed the PTI to submit a plan of fresh delimitations from the ECP. The Supreme Court of Pakistan has previously returned the plea from the PTI against delimitations from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). News Desk
06-07 Comments - 20th May 2022_Layout 1 5/20/2022 12:29 AM Page 1
Friday, 20 May, 2022
06 COMMENT
All roads lead to London?
Political uncertainty persists A threat to economic stability
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HE opposition alliance displayed haste in bringing down the PTI government despite sharp differences over how to deal with the issues emerging in the post-Imran Khan scenario. The PPP supported the idea of forming a government for the interim period that would remain in power till October 2023. A strong group within the PML(n), headed by Supremo nawaz Sharif, advocated fresh elections soon after the goverment’s fall. The two sides meanwhile concentrated their energies on winning over PTI’s legislators and allied parties. The day the opposition tabled the no-confidence move, Mr Khan announced that his government would cut petrol and diesel prices and electricity charges. The move was designed to claw back some political space in the face of mounting threats from the opposition and to let the opposition face the financial consequences if it managed to come to power. The opposition is now paying the price for its failure to prepare a post Imran strategy. The PML(n) leadership lost four days in discussions in London that should have taken place in March or early April without evolving any line of action other than reaching out to the establishment to allow the coalition government a life span of 15 months. It would then take the tough decisions and also lay grounds for improving the people’s livelihoods that it could claim as credit. The establishment is meanwhile giving out signals that worry the ruling alliance, particularly the PML(n). Early this week former Finance Minister Hafiz Sheikh made a mysterious entry while he was provided VVIP protocol at Karachi airport. A day after a gleeful Sh Rashid claimed that interviews were being held in Rawalpindi and Islamabad for the post of an economist to be appointed caretaker PM. The country faces a highly uncertain situation. Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, who is virtually leading the country’s economic team, has just cleared uncertainty on two counts. First that the new coalition government would stay in office and take tough decisions. Second, it would undertake reforms committed in the original IMF programme and complete structural benchmarks. It is anomalous that the country has a PM for over a month now but political uncertainty stops him from delivering his maiden address to provide a direction to the people and spell the future plans for their good.
No decisions seem to have been taken At Penpoint M A NIAZI
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T was an elaborate ritual, meant to bring some closure, but it didn’t, because no conclusions were reached. The meeting of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PML(n) supremo nawaz Sharif, along with leading Cabinet members, was perhaps not the inevitable and necessary, but clear decisions it did not lead to. Most of all, there was no real decision on what was going to happen to the petrol subsidy. Removing it would not just be a shattering blow because of the heightened inflation that would be caused by it, not just in terms of moving persons, but moving goods and electricity tariffs. no one seems to have considered what would have happened if the government had not inherited it. It is highly unlikely that the government would have imposed it after its takeover. not removing it means that the negotiations with the IMF are dead in the water before they start. That apart, with all the consequences that carries with it, continuing the subsidy can bring the entire country to a grinding halt. The prospect exists of the government running out of money, of its being unable to pay salaries. With the new autonomy given to the State Bank of Pakistan, it is not that easy to simply print more money to meet the deficit. Even if that were possible, what would be the political effects of the inflation caused by printing more money? The absolutist position of ‘no retreat’ has been diluted, and now a middle way is being spoken of, of removing part of the subsidy, which is a tacit admission that it is unaffordable in its entirety. The problem is that while the oil price hike is an act of God is there ever was one, there is no predicting when the RussoUkrainian War, which caused the current spike, might come to an end. Instead of the swift victory sought by Russia, the war shows every sign of settling into the protracted and indecisive grind that had been predicted before the conflict even started. This uncertainty is perhaps the main reason the Shehbaz coalition has come under fire, first from the ousted PTI, but now increasingly from its supporters, for not delivering. Perhaps it is paying the price of exaggerating its competence. The government cannot work miracles. But that is precisely what it promised. There is the argument that Imran would also have been as hapless had he been allowed to remain in office, but that does not really wash, because the present government’s inability to meet the crisis means that there was no point in re-
Yasin Malik’s conviction A new method of oppression may have been launched
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HE conviction of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chief Yasin Malik on terrorism-related charges may mean life imprisonment at the sentencing hearing for him later in the month. Mr Malik has been imprisoned in Tihar jail since 2019, despite his deteriorating health, and his conviction on trumped-up charges reflect the uncomfortable reality that new Delhi, under the BJP and its RSS-influenced mindset, has become ever more aggressive in its attempts to suppress the Kashmiri people and deny them their inherent right of self-determination. It is a reflection of a new overall strategy, which was reflected in the 5 August 2020 takeover of Indian-held Kashmir, splitting it into two union territories and opening them up to settlement by other Indians. The target now seems to be the Kashmiri leadership, so that no one will be ready to take up the responsibility of leading the freedom struggle. The inherent problem seems to be that the rest of the world seems to have given India the freedom to do its worst in Kashmir. The world is acting with such irresponsibility because they all know that India is a huge market with more than a billion consumers, and offending its government would have consequences. This was why hen a foreign firm joined in Pakistan’s marking of Kashmir Solidarity Day, there were loud squawks from new Delhi, and the corporation had to face threats against its Indian operations. no corporation or country has interests only in Kashmir, which would oblige it to speak out against the Indian oppression, which is backed by more than a million occupiers. The Indian government, ever since Partition, has tried its best to prevent the Kashmiri people from exercising their right to self-determination, first because the nehruGandhi nexus leading the Congress had an ancestral link to the state, and then because the BJP sees Kashmir as an important part of the Hinduism myth it promotes through Hindutva. Pakistan continues to offer its moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people, but it is unlikely that the matter will move closer to settlement, despite an unlimited number of the kind of demarches that Pakistan made to protest the fakeness of the charges against Mr Malik. India will not be impressed, nor the world swayed, by any number of speeches at the Un. Kashmiris are in a terrible place, and need Pakistanis to help them.
Dr SAIrA ASAD
I
n the 2018 elections, the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaaf (PTI) was termed by opposition political parties as a ‘selected’ government. In 2022, the same situation is seen where 13 parties made every effort to oust the PTI government, and eventually, after a vote of no-confidence, a coalition government under the premiership of Shahbaz Sharif is formed. Here, the term ‘selected’ takes a different interpretation by the current government. The new government is taking the meaning of enjoying the mandate of the majority people, whereas, in ‘naya’ Pakistan, the Army was claimed by the opposition to be a part in the formation of the government back in 2018. PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, after winning the no-confidence vote in Parliament, welcomed all by saying ‘welcome to purana Pakistan’. The discussion required here, is why go back to old situations again. Every new day is there to correct oneself and think better than the past. My apologies for this statement as I don’t agree with this. May Allah bring prosperity and peace to the country with healthy political competition without personalizations. The push and pull can be witnessed in the current political situation, where simultaneously three major parties, the PTI, PML(n), and PPP can be seen addressing large gatherings in different cities to prepare their voters. The atmosphere of an election campaign is being made which is a positive sign for expected upcoming elections. As such, the elections are not announced officially. According to PML(n) Vice President Mariam
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One issue that everyone seems to be ducking is that both Mian Nawaz and Imran are not young men. Mian Nawaz is 75, while Imran turns 70 next March.
Ideological differences between Naya and Purana Pakistan
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moving incompetent failure if all that would replace it was another failure, no matter how competent. This might be unfair to the present government, first because it may not have known how big was the problem the PTI was leaving behind, and it would have been subject to the occupational disease of politicians, optimism (just ask Imran if he would be able to handle Pakistan’s problems if brought back to power; he would never say no). However, there is little evidence that the government, when in opposition, had a radical plan. After taking office, the government has not taken any steps to reduce inflation or any of the deficits it faces, which would give the impression that when in opposition, it had formulated a plan to handle the situation. Any plan unveiled now would be ascribed to Mian nawaz, and also Ishaq Dar. That would only emphasize the problem of having a sort of shadow government in London. Mian nawaz does not seem to have a shadow Interior Minister, unless it is Abid Sher Ali, and he does seem to lack even a hint of a Foreign Minister, that department seemingly definitively handed over to the PPP. However, these days, it seems, Finance is making the running, and may play a decisive role in the other two questions that were put to Mian nawaz: the fate of Imran Khan, and the timing of fresh elections. While Imran’s fate is not linked to the economy except insofar as he is disturbing the economic environment, the timing of elections has to do with the economy. Imran’s fate has to do with how far he sails close to the wind in his attacks on the military collectively, and the COAS individually. His claims that his references to Mir Sadiq are actually to the Sharif brothers are unconvincing, to say the least. If he is seen as trying to cause disaffection within the ranks of the military, then problems will arise. Ever since the time of the Rawalpindi Conspiracy in 1951, there have been attempts to have what in Spain was known as a grito: a coup attempt not involving the chief, at a level even of lieutenant-colonel. no grito has even taken place, because the authorities have always found from some conspirator getting cold feet. However, there is a tremendous strain placed on the Army’s discipline because of support for the PTI. The PTI was somehow identified as the Army’s own
party, and not just as a party to be supported as a matter of individual choice. This cannot be ignored by the military leadership. It is no longer a question of the military’s political role, but of preventing a vital national institution losing its cohesion. Some commentators across the border have noted with ill-concealed glee that the PTI has got crowds chanting slogans against the military. This is a problem that tilts the balance against Imran. There are too many signals emanating to ignore that there are plans from Imran to be picked up. However, whether it will be because of his tirades against the establishment, or because of corruption cases, depends on the competence of the investigators. Whatever the charge, it will be because of the Army, not any other institution. An arrest might also serve to put paid to any call for a log march on Islamabad, to be followed by a sit-in. The PTI’s own announcement of a plan to mobilize if he is arrested indicates an expectation that this may happen, and may also be a warning of the consequences of doing so. However, the consequences of an election in which the PTI is deprived of its most effective campaigner must tempt the government to delay until it has announced elections. The PML(n) has also got its own legal troubles, preventing its most effective campaigner from campaigning. The speed with which Mian nawaz can get rid of the restrictions on his movement will determine when the government goes for polls. The situation is now the most favourable for him to handle the various difficulties he faces. However, there has been no indication of a timeframe other than a mention of the constitutional limit, which prescribes that the elections be held 90 days after its five-year term expires on 17 August 2023, which means the new House should meet by 29 november 2023, 14 days after the polling, due by 15 november. This would allow Mian nawaz about a year and a quarter to come back and wind up his legal cases, to the extent that he can campaign with freedom. Of course, he has less time, for he would want to be free for the election, not for the meeting of Parliament. Of course, electoral reforms are also sought after, though the requisite legislation has not been moved, let alone passed. One issue that everyone seems to be ducking is that both Mian nawaz and Imran are not young men. Mian nawaz is 75, while Imran turns 70 next March. Therefore, neither can afford to wait, and are both in a hurry. This will lead both of them to the sort of hurry that will make mistakes. And neither can afford to wait out the other, as Bilawal Bhutto Zardari can.
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nawaz, the elections will be decided by nawaz Sharif from London. It is seen recently that PML(n) key leadership also visited London on an official trip to discuss the political situation with their leader nawaz Sharif. It was expected the new government would announce its policies and relief packages for the citizens to give a little comfort from inflation instead of visiting abroad. The goods’ prices are seen rising day by day, and comfortable relief packages are not seen to be introduced soon. The focus is seen on campaigns instead of releasing any firm policies and packages. Is the current situation heading towards the formation of an interim government? If this happens, it will be good to blow out the fire and take the country to a neutral stance through the election via an interim neutral government. In fact, Pakistan has inherited a democratic political system from its past but has been unable to show or adopt a democratic culture. The reason behind this is injustices and authoritarian policies where the questioning of democratic values, and policies are weakened behind the powerful voices. It’s a tug-of-war culture in Pakistani politics and whosoever puts his effort or raises his voice, the continuous struggle will be required to take the stance forward. The new government is seen taking aggressive steps against criticism through journalists who have raised their voices in favor of Imran Khan’s step not to bow in front of outsiders on receiving an official letter from the USA. In the current situation, the prominent issues that emerged and should be tackled immediately are political polarization, press freedom, and rights, institutional harmony, performances, policymaking, directiveness, national security, peace, and perceptiveness instead of serious personal characterization. It is seen that the current dollar rate is Rs.194.7 after the change of government in the inter-
Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545
bank market which was Rs. 184 in April in the last government, according to the State Bank of Pakistan. However, the raised charges are seen for freight, petroleum, and food items especially wheat, sugar, oil, spices, tea, pulses, and so on. The recent war of Ukraine-Russia in this regard has left a deep impact on food items as South Asian countries are mostly dependent on staple food that is wheat from Ukraine and due to blockage of routes, the delivery is disturbed. The new government has serious issues to deal with and has to introduce relief packages for the masses. Worldwide food prices are raised and also affected the domestic prices such as soybean oil import increased by 101.96 percent in value and 9.30 percent in quantity in 10MFY22 within a year, and wheat import fell 19.12 percent to 2.206 million tons in 10MFY22 which was 3.61 million tonnes in 10MFY21. In April, there was no wheat import due to the war crisis. On the political front, the recent energetic crowds at Imran Khan’s gathering show the support worldwide for his stance and no compromise on the national security and involvement of external forces in the internal politics of Pakistan. There is appreciation for his straightforwardness and no compromise on these terms. A popular slogan ‘absolutely not’ has become widespread. All political parties must undertake a healthy competition without compromising national integrity and security. Additionally, the Pakistan Army has always been a strong pillar for our country and from time to time releases statements asking to be kept away from politics. Prayers for this institution’s stability and status as it always has been and will be there in future also.
All political parties must undertake a healthy competition without compromising national integrity and security.
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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk
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The writer is an Adjunct Assistant Professor. at Riphah International University, Islamabad, Pakistan. She can be reached at saira.asad2011@gmail.com.
Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk
06-07 Comments - 20th May 2022_Layout 1 5/20/2022 12:29 AM Page 2
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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
Modern age
India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh can exchange regional strategic advantage The Bangledesh-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor is part of China’s BRI
MehjAbIN bhANu
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HE northeastern part of India, as well as the surrounding countries of Southeast Asia, is a fascinating seismotectonic zone. The region is bordered on the north by the eastern and northeastern Himalayas, on the east by the Indo-Burma ranges/Myanmar, on the south by Bangladesh, and on the southeast by the Andaman-Sumatra region. Bangladesh’s southeast has a land border with Myanmar of 210 kilometers (130 miles) and India of 330 kilometers (205 miles). According to an analyst, insurgents such as Myanmar’s Arakan Army have slipped through the porous borders, attacking Bangladeshi border police on at least one occasion. The three bilateral ties have enough content and context to begin working on potential trilateral cooperation initiatives. This would not only benefit all three nations participating, but it will also encourage increased cooperation in broader setups like the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) or the Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIMEC), as these three countries serve as the geographical fulcrum for the other frameworks. Bangladesh and Myanmar are two of India’s most important potential economic partners, but non-trade obstacles such as connectivity, investments, infrastructure, logistics, and technical capacity have prevented them from realizing their potential. In recent years, there has been a lot of talk in Indian policy circles about expanding regional cooperation with India’s eastern neighbours. Although politically difficult, the concept of more commerce, investment, and connection among Bangladesh, Myanmar, and India’s north-Eastern states is worthwhile to pursue, especially given that this region, one of the least integrated in the world, is home to some of the world’s poorest people. The recent economic and political changes in Myanmar, as well as the Modi government’s ‘Look East’ economic policy, highlight the critical need to integrate one of South Asia’s least developed regions, namely India’s north eastern states, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, which share borders. According to media reports, Bangladesh has already announced that a road-building project in the remote Chittagong Hill Tracts and Cox’s Bazar will be extended until 2024, claiming that the increased infrastructure would help to combat smuggling across the nearby Myanmar and India borders, among other things. The amended proposal for the road system in the steep and generally inaccessible southeastern region was approved by the national Eco-
nomic Council Executive Committee, led by the Bangladesh prime minister. The roads and highways department plans to construct a 317-kilometer (197-mile) border road in three Chittagong Hill Tracts districts – Rangamati, Khagrachhari, and Bandarban – as well as Cox’s Bazar district, which will run along Myanmar’s and northeastern Indian states’ borders. Border Guard Bangladesh’s operations are hampered by the region’s hills and dense vegetation. For the first time in 2020, the government purchased two helicopters for the BGB along the southeastern border. The construction of the border road would make it easier for the soldiers to get from one outpost to another, making border patrol more efficient. Arms and narcotics smuggling would be prevented. Improved communication linkages in the districts of Rangamati, Bandarban, Khagrachhari, and Cox’s Bazar, as well as “government control in the bordering areas through increased security measures” can help to tackle some problems common to all three countries, along the India-Bangladesh-Myanmar border smuggling of illegal weaponry, narcotics, and human trafficking would be thus combated. The rugged and inaccessible terrain has been exploited by separatist movements. A group of Arakan Army militants from the Myanmar side attacked the BGB in Bandarban area on 25 August 2015, and wounded two soldiers. The terrain in Chittagong Hill Tracts and Cox’s Bazar along the border has been extremely difficult and impassable. Cross-border criminal syndicates use this rugged hilly terrain to smuggle arms, narcotics, and other goods, while different separatist factions travel freely between countries. The Arakan Army frequently enters Bangladesh territory from Myanmar because BGB members are unable to patrol all of the time, and anti-Bangladesh forces readily cross into Myanmar Once the route is finished, criminals and separatist organizations will be unable to move. India suggested a India-MyanmarBangladesh Gas pipeline in the early 2000s, but the Bangladeshi government rejected it. In 2015, during talks between Indian Prime Minister narendra Modi and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a pipeline was once again suggested. It was included in India’s Hydrocarbon Vision 2030 plan, which was published in 2016. India’s Minister of Petroleum and natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan, claimed in December 2018 that India was still looking on ways to expand its gas network to Bangladesh via Myanmar. However, no updates on the resuscitation of this trilateral pipeline arrangement are publicly available as of August 2021, hence the project is presumed cancelled. But this trilateral project will benefit India-Bangladesh-Myanmar if the project can be implemented successfully. Thus, all need to think about the revival of the project. Bangladesh has always shown interest in joining the India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) trilateral expressway to improve connectivity with Southeast Asia, which would usher in a new age of Indo-Pacific trans-border corridors. During Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s virtual summit with her Indian counterpart narendra Modi in 2020, Dhaka showed interest in joining IMT, despite the fact that BCIM has made little progress. According to the joint statement issued at the end of the summit, she requested India’s assistance in enabling Bangladesh to join the effort. The higher connectivity of India’s north-Eastern states with Bangladesh and Myanmar can benefit the region. The Rohingya refugee crisis destabilizes the
whole sub-region which needs to be resolved as soon as possible. India should and must help solve this long-pending refugee crisis for the greater interest of the three sub-regional countries. It is unnecessary to mention that India would be one of the beneficiaries if a fruitful and sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis could be found. India should make Myanmar understand about this issue. After coming to power in January 2009, Sheikh Hasina adopted the policy of regional peace and stability and is taking action against Indian insurgents’ groups who have been using Bangladeshi territory. It is Sheikh Hasina who would never allow any kind of support towards the extremist and separatist groups from Myanmar and India. Thus, it is India and Myanmar’s responsibility to cooperate with Bangladesh to keep the region peaceful. India, Myanmar and Bangladesh must work trilaterally in combating these common threats. In the case of Myanmar, after 1962, there was some confusion in Indo-Myanmar ties. Myanmar responded by allowing Indian militants to operate on its soil. Furthermore, India’s border with Myanmar is largely forested, and rebels exploit it without the Myanmarese authorities’ knowledge. However, the Myanmar government has recently made various moves to combat Indian rebel groups. Bangladesh shares a land border with India, which is strategically located in the Bay of Bengal. Greater connectivity amongst India, Bangladesh and Myanmar via India’s north east and Bangladesh would be strategically vital. Any trilateral initiatives to strengthen links will benefit the north East, and it will be interesting to see how the region evolves. The improvement of political relations between Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar, as well as the resolution of long-standing maritime territorial issues in 2012 and 2014 respectively, present an ideal opportunity to explore trilateral cooperation in resource sharing, inter-linking connectivity, and combined security measures. Even though bilateral security cooperation has grown over time, new forms of collaborative security activities between the three countries can be explored. Similar to the trilateral maritime security cooperation between India, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka, India can establish trilateral naval security cooperation with Bangladesh and Myanmar. India already conducts joint military exercises with Bangladesh and Myanmar, which might be expanded into trilateral drills to counter transnational security issues in the Bay of Bengal region. All three stakeholders should ensure proper utilization of the blue economy collectively. Collaboration between the three countries can maximize the region’s abundant natural resources. The BoB’s maritime border disputes between Bangladesh and India, as well as between Bangladesh and Myanmar, provide an opportunity for the three nations to begin collaborative natural resource development. Bangladesh shares a border with the five Indian states of West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura, and also with Myanmar. This provides the three countries a number of interesting opportunities to work closely together. As the world ‘pivots to Asia’ and the Indian look East policy transforms to the Act East policy, Bangladesh, Myanmar and India have the potential to be an important part of the great endeavour of greater trade in the region. The writer is a freelance columnist
LOnG ago, the world was in the lap of peace, comfort and love. Spirituality was the chief trait of the age. The age was not digital but stone. People were in unity. They considered the sufferings of other people as their own suffering. Frankly speaking, the world was not in the trap of glimmer and glitters of modern equipment. People were pure, they were unaware of the conspiratorial tricks. They used to live meaningful lives. They used to spend quality time. The evening used to bring clouds of happiness to them. However, with the new dawn of the digital world, man corrupted his soul. History can never forget the brutality inflicted on African land by Europeans in the name of the Berlin conference. This shows, that with modernity, man has turned into a hollow man. He has lost the essential component of sympathy. The man of the present age is nothing but a cannibal. Alas! The age of fragrance turned into the age of bombing. It is a modern age where humans are divided. The socio-economical and religious fabrics of humanity are set ablaze by the modern age. The conflict of giant countries is forthcoming evidence that the world has lost its peace and purity. The modern age has snatched the value of relations. T.S Eliot the renowned poet and critic of the modern age has truly called this world a wasteland. He believes we are in rat’s ally. FAROOQUE PANHWAR SUkkUR.
The menace of air pollution AIR pollution is a major problem confronting Pakistan, with cities like Lahore and Karachi ranking among the most polluted worldwide. The greater level of air pollution is a danger to human health. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), air pollution is responsible for millions of deaths worldwide every year. An estimated 128,000 Pakistanis die annually from air pollution-related illnesses (GAHP). Mostly transportation and the widespread use of low-quality fuel are the biggest factors contributing to air pollution. Many vehicles in Pakistan still use a type of highly polluting Sulphur-laden gas, which is compounding the problem of air pollution. Transportation alone is responsible for 25% of carbon emissions in Pakistan. not only that industrial policies and practices in Pakistan also compound the problem. Burning of tires to power factory units and brick kilns, and exposure to smoke from factories also pollute the air mostly. To control air pollution and improve the quality of life we can switch to Euro 5 emissions standards for all new vehicles although the share of such vehicles in the country is still very low. Heavy taxes on the use of such vehicles are discouraging people from buying and using them. Urging factories to install new technologies to lower air pollution is the only option we can move fastly. MOHAMED SAJIDH LAHORE
Buffalo shooting IT is tragic that a gunman has killed 10 innocent people at Buffalo Supermarket in USA. Buffalo is the second-largest city in the US State of new York. It’s a bare fact that two industries are much more flourishing in the USA without much due consideration by the government of the USA in reference to public rights vulnerability. The flourishing industries are arms and pharmaceutical companies. There is an easy way to know the true picture of the current status; just a simple Google search will show how much business in billions of billions of US Dollars is being done by these two industries only. The business is expanding with huge increases on annual basis. A law-abiding citizen all over the world will always like to have an arms-free society, with less dependency on medicines. We really condemn the ruthless attack in Buffalo and wish to see the state policies in and outside the USA in the best interest of the public at large. kHALID MUSTAFA ISLAMAbAD
Verdicts in history SOME judicial decisions are not the verdicts of history. History often differs from the court orders. Greek ancient philosopher Socrates had to drink a cup of poison (Silver Salva) to comply with the judgment of the death sentence passed by the Court, but he was regarded as a benefactor of mankind in history. Similarly, Hussain Bin Mansoor Hallaj and Sarmad were awarded death punishment by the respective courts of their time, but history remembers them as heroes and not as culprits. MAHFOOZ UN NAbI kHAN kARAcHI
The purpose of education EDUCATIOn is a vital asset to distinguish between right and wrong, good and bad, moral and immoral, vices and blessings. The key purpose of education is to educate the ignorant, the unwise and common people about how to live a simple, but nice life and how to treat people; and how to attain huge milestones in life. Likewise, education makes us aware of upcoming dangers and provide viable solutions to resolve them. Education delivers all these factors and edifies us to the proper way to accomplish our desired goals. Additionally, education is the only tool that significantly supports transforming the lives of the backwards nation into progressive nations. It is witnessed that a country, whose literacy ratio is greater than others, exhibits unprecedented advancement in any sector. In a nutshell, education is a substantial agent to secure peacae, progress and development. It is the only instrument which we can use to improve the living standards of people and better their negative sides. MUHAMMAD AFZAL SHAIkH GAMbAT
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08 WORLD VIEW
AS InflAtIon breAkS recorDS, MoDI govt plAnS to counter crItIcISM AheAD of AnnIverSAry & pollS Print nEElam PandEY and SHuBHam Batra
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possible cut in import duties on edible oils and base metals, the ban on wheat exports, and a campaign to highlight pro-poor policies while downplaying price rise — these are the weapons the narendra Modi government is readying in its armoury to counter the growing pressure and criticism over runaway inflation as it nears its eighth anniversary in power. There is an urgency in the government to push its line on an electorally sensitive issue as Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh go to the polls in the second half of 2022, and inflation is sure to be one of the main issues for the ruling BJP’s rivals in both states. At a press conference on 14 May, Congress leader and former finance minister P. Chidambaram had attacked the Modi government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for being “behind the curve” in taming inflation and preventing outflow of funds from the country. He had further said that the government cannot use the Russia-Ukraine conflict to justify the rise in retail and wholesale inflation. While retail inflation hit an 8-year high of 7.8 per cent in April, wholesale inflation surged to a 9-year high of 15.08 per cent on the back of elevated food and energy prices in the same month, according to data released by the commerce ministry Tuesday. Sources in the finance ministry indicated that the government is toying with several options on curbing inflation, includ-
WHILE RETAIL INFLATION HIT AN 8-YEAR HIGH OF 7.8% IN APRIL, WHOLESALE INFLATION SURGED TO A 9-YEAR HIGH OF 15.08% ON THE BACK OF ELEVATED FOOD AND ENERGY PRICES IN THE SAME MONTH ing cutting taxes on the import of edible oils, which were a major contributor to the rise in inflation in April, and an excise duty cut on petrol and diesel. The BJP, meanwhile, said a plan is in place with respect to import duty on commodities like base metals, with leaders also talking about efforts to highlight the “propoor policies” brought in by the party’s governments at the Centre and in states. Modi first took his oath as Prime Minister on 26 May 2014, after the BJP swept that year’s general elections. His second term started on 30 May 2019, following a second consecutive landslide in the Lok Sabha elections. GOVT’S STEPS TO CURB INFLATION: BJP national spokesperson on economic affairs Gopal Krishna Agarwal told ThePrint that the Centre is looking at rationalising import duty on commodities like base metals so that input costs can be reduced for the manufacturing sector. He further said that global fuel prices are expected to fall in the “near future”, once the Russia-Ukraine war, which has completed 12 weeks, is over. “On fuel prices, our expectation is that with the government’s focus on renewable
biden desperately needs more oil, so why is he cancelling leases? THE CURRENT RECORD-HIGH PRICES FOR GASOLINE REFLECT INCREASING DEMAND AND THE GRADUAL CUTOFF OF RUSSIAN OIL FROM MAJOR INTERNATIONAL MARKETS Washington ExaminEr Editorial
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n multiple recent appearances, President Joe Biden has knowingly repeated an untruthful statement about the amount of oil being produced in the United States at this time. Over and over again, he has said either that the U.S. is producing record amounts of oil per day or that it is “approaching” record levels of production. Both of these statements are false. Both are intended to mislead. Both are intentionally deceitful. Both are very Joe Biden. The truth is that the U.S. was producing significantly more oil in 2019 than it is currently. The most recent production number available, 11.3 million barrels per day in February, was well below the record for the month of February (12.8 million barrels per day in 2020) and far below the monthly record (12.97 million barrels per day in november 2019). In fact, the U.S. is not even projected to return to that record level for the year 2023, according to projections from Biden’s Energy Information Administration. Prices, as economists know, are signals. The current record-high prices for gasoline reflect increasing demand and the gradual cutoff of Russian oil from major international markets. Such high prices scream out to producers to find and refine more crude oil. Current conditions, in other words, justify much higher levels of production than at any recent time in U.S. history. This is a historic moment when all the stops ought to be pulled out and record levels of production attained. When even Democratic members of Congress feel the need to demand disingenuously more production from oil company executives, it is clearly a sign from the heavens to ramp up production. So why does production lag? The answer lies in Biden’s White House. A sensible president who put people’s needs ahead of ideology would have rec-
ognized this several months ago and sped up all of the many related permitting processes. He would have expanded the number of leases available for oil services firms too. Unfortunately, Biden is not such a sensible president — he is too much of a hostage to the extremists in his party. Instead of ramping up production, Biden is, incredibly, cancelling lease sales. This week, Biden cancelled leases in both the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska’s Cook Inlet. His minions disingenuously cited a lack of industry interest, even though the industry did express interest and companies had no opportunity to express interest by bidding. Meanwhile, his administration continues to drag its feet on granting the additional permits required to make the most of existing leases and permits. He, or whoever makes these decisions for him, does this all to satisfy a radical faction of environmental extremists within his increasingly radical party. The results are bad both economically and for national security. For example, the premier of Alberta, Canada, testified to the Senate this week that Biden’s cancellation of the Keystone pipeline eliminated the ability to move 25% more oil per day than the 670,000 daily barrels the U.S. imported from Russia in 2021. Given the current state of affairs in the U.S. and in Europe, Biden’s conduct is inexcusable. The Biden administration does not possess enough rainbows or unicorns to get Europe through its current crisis while helping it to keep up a much-needed hard line against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s wanton aggression. For that, a massive infusion of oil and natural gas is needed. So far, prices are showing that U.S. production is not nearly at the levels required to meet demand. Biden, or at least someone in his administration, knows what that means. The fundamental question is whether any partisan Democrat is still capable of acting in the national interest at a moment when national security conflicts with the party’s extreme climate alarmism.
energy sources, like solar power and new hydrogen energy, as well as electric vehicles, fossil fuel prices will come down,” he added. “And once the Russia-Ukraine war ends, the global fuel prices will further fall in the near future. Ultimately, this will help the economy manage inflation.” According to data prepared by the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell of the Union Ministry of Petroleum and natural Gas, the price of India’s crude oil basket rose to an over seven-week high of $112.21 per barrel Tuesday. Agarwal said the government had taken pro-poor measures in the past, which will help people cope with high inflation: “Our government has taken up several welfare schemes to directly help the people with a low income and those below the poverty line. Free distribution of food to 90 crore people has been hailed as one of the most effective welfare schemes by the World Bank. “The PM has said he will ensure that social welfare schemes such as PM Awas Yojana (low-cost housing), Ayushman Bharat (health insurance), PM Kisan Samman nidhi (cash aid for farmers), Ujjwala Yojana (free gas cylinders and stoves), Mahatma Gandhi national Rural Employment Guarantee (unemployment allowance) etc cover 100 per cent of our population.” These steps, Agar-
wal said, “will help poor people cope with inflation and empower them”. In a 14 May notification, the Centre banned the export of wheat due to factors such as lower wheat production and a sharp rise in its global prices because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The domestic prices of wheat have risen by over 19 per cent in the past year due to unregulated exports even when there has only been a slight fall in output, Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey said at a press conference last Saturday. A senior government official told ThePrint on condition of anonymity that while the government is mulling over several possible ways to curb inflation, the two main options it is working on are “cutting import duty on edible oils, and an excise duty cut on petrol and diesel”. In the national capital, petrol is currently being sold at Rs 105.41 per litre, and diesel at Rs 96.67 per litre. The effective duty on crude edible oil imports stands at 5.5 per cent. The basic customs duty is zero for all crude variants of edible oil. It actually constitutes two cesses — the agricultural infrastructure development cess, and social welfare cess. BJP TO HIGHLIGHT PRO-POOR POLICIES, PLAY DOWN INFLATION:
As the Modi government completes eight years in office, BJP leaders ThePrint spoke to said that, from 30 May, the party will list out policies of the government that “have had a positive impact on the poor”. On the issue of inflation, though, party leaders have been asked to share expectations of a reduction going forward, they added. “The idea is to highlight all that the government has done and how far we have come. There are so many pro-poor policies, and implementation has been the key,” a senior BJP leader who did not wish to be named told ThePrint. “As far as price rise and fuel prices are concerned, they are all related to global changes. We are hopeful that things will improve in the coming few months, and there’s quite some time for the (Himachal and Gujarat) assembly elections,” the leader said. All states, the leader added, have been asked to prepare a comprehensive “report card” in the form of a booklet and make the public aware of what all was promised and how much the government has delivered. “As far as poor sections of society are concerned, the Centre as well as BJP-led state governments have taken a number of welfare measures. People understand that the Russia-Ukraine war has had an impact on the economy, too, and it’s just a matter of months before the situation improves,” the BJP leader said. He added that the upcoming assembly elections will be fought on “brand Modi” and the work done by the Centre and state governments, and “temporary” issues like fuel price hike will not have a big impact.
Social media influencers are causing anxiety and depression among some of their followers
ConvErsation Samira Farivar and Fang Wang and oFir turEl
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O you follow influencers on social media? Do you always check their posts? Do you find you are spending too much time or becoming obsessed with checking influencers’ accounts? And when you cannot check in, do you feel disconnected or lost? If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may have what is known as “problematic engagement” with social media influencers. But do not blame yourself too much. You are among the many who have been swept away by dazzling social media influencing. And this can be attributed to many features and tactics social media influencers employ that help keep them influential – like live streams and polls on Instagram. As experts in social media and user behaviour, we recently published a paper that looks at followers’ problematic engagement with influencers on social media. Our paper is among the first to study which aspects of social media influencing may lead to followers’ problematic engagement. It is important to examine this context considering the significant volume and revenues of social media influencing – it is a $13.8 billion industry. PROBLEMATIC ENGAGEMENT: In the age of social media, most people know of or follow some social media influencers. Social media influencers are users who have a significant number of followers with established credibility. Whether you are a fashion fan or want information on health and fitness – there is an influencer to follow. And followers often gravitate towards them for their authenticity and content creation. Inside the big business of being a social media influencer by ABC news. But less focus is put on the dark side of social media influencing. Influencers are motivated and often incentivised (through product and brand endorsement) to increase their power on social media and many are becoming more proficient in attracting and engaging followers. Followers, on the other hand, can easily become attached and obsessed with influencers and their engagement can often become excessive and unhealthy. Problematic engagement with social media influencers is common among followers, but not well known or understood.
OUR RESEARCH: We recently examined the factors and mechanisms that lead to problematic engagement. We focused on three influencer characteristics (physical attractiveness, social attractiveness and self-presence) and two follower participation attributes (participation comprehensiveness and following length) to explore their effects on the development of problematic engagement through the formation of follower attachments. Based on attachment theory, we studied two types of attachments – parasocial relationship and sense of belonging, both of which are key in social media influencing. Parasocial relationship is followers’ perception of their one-sided relationship with an influencer and sense of belonging refers to the feeling of being an integral member of the influencer’s community. We conducted an online survey of 500 Instagram users. The results showed that when followers develop attachments both to influencers (parasocial relationship) and their community (sense of belonging), this can lead to problematic engagement. We found that influencers’ social attractiveness has a stronger effect than other factors in building followers’ attachments. Following more influencers could reduce the impact of attachment to the community (sense of belonging) when it comes to problematic engagement, but not the effect of attachment to the influencer (parasocial relationship). IMPLICATIONS FOR FOLLOWERS: Our study warns of and explains problematic engagement to social media users. We argue that social media users who are attracted to influencers can become easily attached and engage excessively. Users need to be aware of, watch out for and exert self-regulations to manage their interactions with influencers. For example, participation comprehensiveness – which refers to the reasons for following and extent of followers’ participation (like watching, liking, commenting, sharing) – can lead to attachment development. This, however, can be consciously managed by followers themselves. One way of doing this is by making use of the phone’s functions and tools like setting daily time limits on Instagram or turning off notifications for the app. Social media influencers should also be aware of followers’ problematic engagement. Although it may be in contrast with their goal of increasing follower engagement, they can focus on creating a healthy relationship with their followers. For instance, influencers can openly talk about the issue of problematic engagement and show care for their followers’ well-being. This will help with the sustainability of the relationship because studies have shown that social media users with problematic behaviour are more likely to stop using platforms after a while. More research on the dark side of social media influencers is needed and we call for future research to focus on additional negative consequences such as followers’ anxiety, depression and the impact of following influencers on followers’ well-being. Samira Farivar is Assistant Professor, Information Systems, Sprott School of Business at Carleton University. Fang Wang is Professor at Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University. Ofir Turel is Professor at School of Computing and Information Systems at University of Melbourne.
Friday, 20 May, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
NEWS corporate corner Mastercard and opay announce strategic partnership KARACHI: Mastercard and fintech giant OPay today announced a strategic partnership, which marks a significant boost for wider financial inclusion and economic prosperity by opening up digital commerce to millions of people across Middle East and Africa region including Algeria, Morocco, Egypt, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Pakistan, South Africa and the UAE. Mastercard’s emerging market strategy where the technology company is collaborating with growing Fintech’s such as OPay to expand access to digital payments, financial inclusion and support the next generation of super-apps. In the initial phase of this partnership, OPay customers will benefit from the Mastercard virtual payment solution linked to their OPay wallets, to shop at well-known global brands for leisure, travel, accommodation, entertainment, streaming services and more. The service is available regardless of whether or not the customer has a bank account. It also allows small business owners to purchase from suppliers abroad and pay with the secure virtual payment solution. pr
unauthorized civil works compromise personal safety & Ke infrastructure KARACHI: KE Spokesperson shared serious concerns over the dismal lack of safety protocols during civil works across the city, where laborers and excavators are digging roads in close proximity to KE’s underground infrastructure. In the month of April alone, an alarming 26 incidents were reported across Karachi where unauthorized civil works were carried out resulting in damage to KE’s high voltage electricity lines. These included the industrial zones of Korangi and Bin Qasim, as well as residential and commercial areas across Shahra-eFaisal, Surjani, Baldia and Gulshan. Between 2021 and 2022, 818 cases involving pickaxes or damage due to excavation have been documented by KE. Commenting on the gravity of the situation, Director Communications and Spokesperson K-Electric Imran Rana stated, “As a responsible corporate entity, KE extends its fullest cooperation to ensure the functionality of the city’s infrastructure. These unfortunate incidents could have been easily prevented if proper protocols were followed and KE was intimated prior to the commencement of any civil work. We strongly urge all civic agencies to cooperate with us, so that we can ensure the safety of the laborers engaged in civil work alongside maintaining the integrity of our network for continued supply of reliable and uninterrupted power.” pr
blood donation campaign 2022
Under CSR, Pak Suzuki Motor Co. Ltd. successfully organized a Blood Donation Campaign in collaboration with Indus Hospital on the 13th & 16th of May 2022 in which 107 employees voluntarily donated their blood. Mr. Omer Butt, Head Supply Chain Pak Suzuki & member of the CSR Managing Committee visited the Camp and appreciated the contribution of donors. pr
Minister for privatisation Meets pre-Qualified bidders for psM revival Federal Minister for Privatisation Mir Abid Hussain Bhayo chaired meetings with pre-qualified bidders of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSMC) today in Islamabad. Chairman Privatisation Saleem Ahmad, Federal Secretary, senior officials and Financial Advisors were present. The prequalified bidders who attended the meeting were: Bao Steel Group Xinjiang Bayi Iron & Steel Co. Ltd, Tangshan Donghua Iron and Steel Enterprise Group Co. Ltd, and Maanshan Iron and Steel Co. Ltd. Federal Minister in his welcome address to the investors, said that the Government of Pakistan is keen to share with our timetested Chinese friends the advantages accruing from the strategic position of Pakistan. The pre-qualified parties are among the leading global manufacturers and Pakistan is offering these pre-qualified bidder access to a huge market of steel with a potential for exports across the globe. Federal Minister further added that the biggest advantage for the potential bidder would be the encumbrances free entity as the company (Steel Corp) has been insulated from all legacy issues including financial and HR liabilities. In the meeting Federal Minister, Chairman, Secretary and FAs responded to the queries/enquiries from the pre-qualified bidders. The Prequalified bidders inquired about the potential time line for the approval of scheme of arrangement (included in the transaction structure of PSMC), valuation procedure, likely dilution of GoP shares, utility connections and use of jetty and land lease agreements. pr
09
Moot for strong Judicial response to cases of sexual, gender-based violence
a
national judicial conference facilitating discourse on recently passed Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Act of 2021 was held in a collaborative effort by the Federal Judicial Academy (FJA) and the Legal Aid Society (LAS) with the aim of strengthening judicial cognizance on the operationalization of gender-based violence (GBV) courts across Pakistan. The Conference was graced by the esteemed judiciary of Pakistan, including retired judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts, as well as the sitting judiciary of the district courts across the country. A national judicial conference on ‘Judicial Response to Cases of Sexual and Gender Based Violence across Pakistan’ was held in a collaborative effort by the Federal Judicial Academy (FJA) and the Legal Aid Society (LAS) in Islamabad, with the objective of shedding light on the recently passed AntiRape (Investigation and Trial) Act 2021 and Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2021. The conference was attended by the sitting judiciary of district courts across the country, including District and Sessions judges of the Special Gender Based Violence (GBV) courts. The discussion was enriched by the contributions of Mr. Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, retired Chief Justice of Pakistan; Mr. Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid, ex-Chief Justice Sindh High Court and retired judge of the Federal
Shariat Court of Pakistan and the Supreme Court of Pakistan; Justice Nasira Iqbal, retired judge of the Lahore High Court; Mr. Justice Mushir Alam, ex- Chief Justice Sindh High Court and retired judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan; Mr. Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, retired judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan; Mr Hayat Ali Shah, Director General FJA; Mr. Justice Qazi Faez Isa, ex-Chief Justice Balochistan High Court and sitting judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan; and Mr. Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmad, retired judge of the Lahore High Court and sitting judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Representatives from the High Courts of Islamabad, Punjab, KPK, and Balochistan also shared their insights, allowing a glimpse into the ground realities.
The judges in attendance had been specially nominated by the FJA to participate in the conference, and their keen interest in understanding the Anti-Rape Act 2021 furthered the conference’s aim of providing strategic, concrete knowledge on the operationalization of GBV courts. The conference’s central aim to strengthen the criminal justice system by building the capacities of the judges with regards to the law and special interventions is in sync with key aims of FJA and LAS. With an emphasis on datadriven policy advocacy and reform, LAS has delved into the identification and examination of the current gaps and lacunas that restrict the delivery of justice in matters pertaining to gender and sexual violence in a speedy an efficient manner. pr
telenor group evp visits pta
Federal Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar holds a meeting with British High Commissioner Dr Christian Turner. Secretary Commerce & Deputy High Commissioner are also present. pr
NH&MP, PTA sign MoU for collaboration National Highways & Motorway Police (NHMP) and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) jointly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at PTA Headquarters Islamabad. The cooperation and collaboration between the two organizations in areas of mutual interest will have a resounding impact at national level especially where high speed connectivity and quality digital services throughout motorways of Pakistan is concerned. The areas of collaboration include establishing a coordination mechanism enabling smooth working relations,
enhancing voice and data connectivity and coverage on motorways; knowledge sharing regarding optimum use of future technologies and latest developments in the telecom sector. It also includes capacity building on the experience and knowledge available to both organizations and conducting sessions/ discussion forums/training on relevant issues and technological advancements. The event was attended by Inspector General NHMP, Khalid Mahmood, Chairman PTA, DIG (Operations), DIG (Hqrs.) NHMP, Member Compliance & Enforcement (C&E) PTA
and senior officers of PTA and NHMP. Speaking at the occasion, IG NHMP, Khalid Mahmood said that better and faster connectivity and innovative technological solutions hold tremendous potential for highways and motorways as well as in promoting tourism in the country. Chairman PTA, Maj Gen Amir Azeem Bajwa (R) said that PTA is working to ensure that Pakistanis have access to high quality services and benefit from ubiquitous coverage. The collaboration with NHMP presents opportunities to enable better connectivity on Motorways and National Highways. pr
FBR intelligence investigates fake supplies case In the instant case, the Complainant voluntarily filed his return of total income for tax year 2021 declaring taxable income Rs.745,254/and showing withholding tax deduction Rs.263,201/- . Reportedly the return was filed by a tax practitioner on his behalf. Then he came to know that M/s. Nadeem Corporation, bearing NTN 5991359-5 had shown supplies in his name amounting to Rs.26,319,955/- on which tax @ 1% under Section 236H of The Ordinance, 2001 was deducted. He sent an application to chairman FBR and requested to
initiate action against M/s. Nadeem Corporation for recording fake supplies against his name. When complainant received no response from FBR, he approached Federal Tax Ombudsman. Federal Tax Ombudsman recommended FBR for detailed investigation of sales tax of M/S Nadeem Corporation. Sales Tax returns as well as comprising details of domestic supplies of M/S Nadeem Corporation revealed that the registered person did not pay tax against its supplies to un-registered persons under section 3(1A) of the Sales Tax Act,1990. pr
Islamabad: Chairman PTA, Maj Gen Amir Azeem Bajwa (R) met with Executive Vice President and Head of Asia, Telenor Group, Jørgen C. Arentz Rostrup and CEO Telenor Pakistan, Irfan Wahab Khan at PTA Headquarters, Islamabad. During the meeting, the two sides discussed the future plans of Telenor Pakistan for enhancing connectivity, introducing new technologies and improving digital infrastructure. There was an agreement on continued mutual collaboration in new opportunities pertaining to realizing the vision of ‘Digital Pakistan’. pr
pakistan keen to benefit from eu expertise in food security
Islamabad: Ambassador of Germany to Pakistan Bernhard Stephan Schlagheck called on the Federal Minister of National Food Security Tariq Bashir Cheema on Thursday. The meeting was also attended by the Secretary National Food Security Capt (r) Muhammad Asif, SJS Javed Humayun and Technical Adviser Dr. Akmal Siddique. Tariq Bashir Cheema said that Pakistan needs to benefit from the experience of EU with respect to modernization of agriculture and upgradation of value addition in agricultural products. Tariq Bashir Cheema told the ambassador that Pakistan is importing 3 MMT wheat to ensure ample supply of wheat for local consumption. He said that every possible measure is pre-emptively being taken to ensure that wheat is adequately available in the country. Federal Minister welcomed the Ambassador and praised the status of European Union (EU) as a leading region of the world. He said that EU has only 5.8% of the world’s population and yet they generate 18% of global GDP which stands at US $17 trillion. pr
Chief of Naval Staff visits Egypt Islamabad: Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi is on official visit to Egypt. During the visit Naval Chief Called-on Commander-in-Chief of Egyptian Navy. Upon arrival at Egyptian Naval Headquarters, the Admiral was received by Commander in Chief of Egyptian Navy and was presented Guard of Honour. During Call-on with Egyptian Naval Chief, matters of bilateral naval collaboration and regional maritime security were discussed. Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral
Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi underscored Pakistan Navy’s initiative for ensuring maritime security in the region through Regional Maritime Security Patrols (RMSP) and participation in Combined Maritime Force. Naval Chief highlighted importance of enhancing cooperation between the armed forces of both the countries through bilateral exercises and training programs. The dignitaries acknowledged the importance of strong military cooperation among the two countries. Chief of the Naval Staff was given detailed briefing
on roles and capabilities of Egyptian Navy. The Admiral also visited onboard Mistral Helicopter Carrier and ENS BERNEES. It is expected that
visit of the Naval Chief will further augment and expand defence ties between the two countries in general and navies in particular. pr
Friday, 20 May, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
10 FOREIGN NEWS
XI UrgES BrICS COUntrIES tO rEjECt COld War mEntalIty, BlOC COnfrOntatIOn
C
sTAff REpORT
HINESE President Xi Jinping on Thursday called on the BRICS countries to reject Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation. He made the appeal when delivering a video address at the opening session of the foreign ministers’ meeting of the emergingmarket bloc that groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Xi noted that the impacts of major changes and a pandemic unseen in a century are being combined, and factors of instability, uncertainty and insecurity are increasing in the international situation. “Despite it, peace and development remain the unchanging theme of the times,” he said. “The aspiration of people across coun-
tries for a better life remains unchanged, and the historical mission for the international community to pursue solidarity and win-win cooperation remains unchanged.” The Chinese president hailed the group of BRICS as a positive, inspiring and constructive force in the international community. Xi said the BRICS countries need to firm up belief, brave the storms and waves, and take real action to promote peace and development, uphold fairness and justice, and advocate democracy and freedom. By doing so, they can inject stability and positive energy into international relations in a period of turbulence and transformation, he said. Xi also warned against attempts of seeking one’s own security at the expense of others’, saying that will only create new
tensions and risks as both history and reality have proved. The BRICS countries need to strengthen
political mutual trust and security cooperation, and maintain close communication and coordination on major international and re-
Pakistan hopes Afghan regime will help control terror: Bilawal WAsHiNgTON StAFF RePoRt
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that Pakistan has not only been constantly monitoring the situation in Afghanistan but working on its side to ensure that they could “try to tackle the threat of terrorism. He said: “We hope that the regime in Afghanistan lives up to their international commitment to not allow their soil to be used for terrorism”. “Pakistan is looking towards the Taliban regime in Afghanistan to play its role in discouraging the increase of terrorist activity at the border of the two countries.” Foreign Minister Bilawal BhuttoZardari expressed the views during an interview with CNN’s Christiana Amanpour. The foreign minister reiterated that Pakistan is to not only keenly monitoring the situation but works on its side to “try to tackle the threat of terrorism.” Replying to a question regarding what
it will take for Pakistan to accept the current administration in Kabul, the FM said that any decision in this would be taken in line with the discussions with the international community. “We continue to advocate for engagement, particularly in the light of the humanitarian crisis developing in Afghanistan”, he further added. To a question if Islamabad had engaged with the Afghan Taliban on how Muslim countries can give rights to women, Bilawal declared that the issue was not of the West. “I see women’s rights or women’s rights to education as rights granted to us in Islam. We’ll be emphasising that the Taliban keep their international commitments and ensure rights to the women of Afghanistan,” he said. After the interviewer’s remark that the US believed Pakistan had played a “very dangerous role” in supporting the Afghan Taliban over the decades, the minister maintained that Pakistan had consistently engaged with Afghanistan regardless of
who was in power. “We have always been advocates of the fact that alongside action against terrorist activity, the resolution of the dispute was in dialogue and diplomacy and ultimately, despite Pakistan being at the receiving end of criticism for maintaining and sustaining this position, the international community went down that route while resolving the conflict and issues in Afghanistan.” He furthered that the advances in Kabul have had a direct impact on the lives of the people of Pakistan. “We must prioritise, alleviate the humanitarian crisis, ensure there’s no economic collapse and hold the Taliban regime to the international commitments. It was not Pakistan, but the US who had direct communication with the Taliban regime before their takeover of Kabul. Pakistan and international community believe it will not serve any of our interests if we abandon the people of Afghanistan once again,” he said.
WHO authorises China’s CanSinoBIO Covid-19 vaccine AgENciEs The World Health Organization on Thursday authorised the use of Chinese manufacturer CanSinoBIO’s singleshot Covid-19 vaccine — the ninth jab to get the WHO green light. The WHO granted emergency use listing (EUL) to the Tianjin-based firm’s Convidecia vaccine as China battles a resurgence of the virus triggered by the Omicron variant. It is the third Chinese-made vaccine to be approved by the WHO, after Sinovac and Sinopharm. Convidecia was found to have 64 percent efficacy against symptomatic disease and 92 percent efficacy against severe Covid-19, the WHO said. “The vaccine meets WHO standards for protection against Covid-19 and … the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh risks,” the UN health agency said in a statement. The WHO’s vaccine experts recommended it for people aged 18 and above. The jab has already been rolled out in China, Argentina, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico and Pakistan. The WHO has now given EUL status to nine Covid-19 vaccines and variations thereof — Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Janssen, Moderna, Sinovac, Sinopharm, Bharat Biotech, Novavax and now CanSinoBIO. The UN health agency began reviewing rolling data on the CanSinoBIO vaccine in August.
Ex-US president Bush calls Iraq invasion ‘unjustified’ in ‘brutal’ faux pas AgENciEs Former US President George W Bush mistakenly described the invasion of Iraq as “brutal” and “unjustified” before correcting himself to say he meant to refer to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Bush made the comments in a speech during an event in Dallas on Wednesday, while he was criticizing Russia’s political system. “The result is an absence of checks and balances in Russia, and the decision of one man to launch a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq,” Bush said, before correcting himself and shaking his head. “I mean, of Ukraine.” He jokingly blamed the mistake on his age as the audience burst into laughter. In 2003, when Bush was president, the United States led an invasion of Iraq over weapons of mass destruction that were never found. The prolonged conflict killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced many more. Bush’s remarks quickly went viral on social media, gathering over three million views on Twitter alone after the clip was tweeted by a Dallas News reporter.
gional issues, Xi said. They need to accommodate each other’s core interests and major concerns, and respect each other’s sovereignty, security and development interests, he added. The five countries should also oppose hegemonism and power politics, reject Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation, and work together to build a global community of security for all, Xi said. On Thursday, the BRICS foreign ministers also had a dialogue with foreign ministers of emerging markets and developing countries in the “BRICS+” format. Noting that development is a common task for emerging markets and developing countries, Xi said it is more than ever important for them to strengthen solidarity and cooperation. The five BRICS countries need to engage in dialogue and exchanges with more emerging markets and developing countries to increase mutual understanding and trust, tighten the bond of cooperation, and deepen the convergence of interests, he said. By doing so, they can make the pie of cooperation bigger and the force for progress stronger, and contribute still more to the lofty vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, said Xi.
‘Transmitting violence’: Livestream video’s dark side NEW YORK AFP
A gunman’s livestream of a mass killing in New York state was taken down in a matter of minutes — but even that was not fast enough to prevent those images from becoming effectively impossible to erase from the internet. Posting horrific clips like those is not barred by US speech laws, experts told AFP, so the decision on whether to keep them online is largely left up to individual tech companies. But even the sites that want them taken down say they struggle to do so, since once unleashed onto the internet, the videos can be edited and shared again and again. In the case of the Buffalo shooting that killed 10 African Americans at a grocery store on Saturday, it’s particularly chilling because writings attributed to the suspect noted he was in part inspired by another mass shooter’s livestream. “If (companies) are going to commit to live streaming, you are committed to transmitting a certain number of rapes, murders,
suicides and other types of crimes,” said Mary Anne Franks, a professor at University of Miami school of law. “That’s just what comes with that territory,” she added. The live feed of the killing on Amazon’s Twitch platform was pulled down within two minutes, the company said — far quicker than the 17 minutes New Zealand mosque militant attack convict Brenton Tarrant’s shooting was streamed on Facebook in 2019. Social media firms say they fight hard to keep these types of images off their platforms, with automated and manual efforts by workers to squelch video of the Buffalo attack and similar horrors. But the images can be edited, titles or names changed and then re-posted on sites that are happy to have the traffic that others have decided is beyond their limit. One tweet on Wednesday cited the Buffalo suspect’s name, 18-year-old Payton Gendron, and included a link to a video about the attack, but did not show the killing. However, once on the site viewers were offered additional videos, including one showing over 90 seconds of the attack and which said it had nearly 1,800 views since Sunday.
Friday, 20 May, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
SPORTS 11
NZ CriCket pAyS CompeNSAtioN to pCB for tour ABANdoNmeNt
N
AgENciEs
EW Zealand Cricket (NZC) has reportedly paid monetary compensation to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the losses incurred due to its national team’s last-minute abandonment of the Pakistan tour last year citing a “security threat”, it emerged on Thursday. A source within the PCB said the NZC also agreed to play five additional Twenty20 internationals and five oneday internationals in May next year. “These 10 matches are in addition to the two Tests and three ICC Super League ODIs, which will be played in December-January,” the source added. The New Zealand cricket team had arrived in Pakistan on September 11 last year after 18 years to play three ODIs and five Twenty20 Internationals.
The Kiwis had, however, devastated Pakistan’s cricket fraternity on Sep 17 by opting out of their tour of Pakistan minutes before the first ODI was to be
played. They had cited a ‘security threat’ as the reason without divulging any further information. The tour cancellation was followed by England also deferring
their tour. The PCB had in December announced that the “NZC has confirmed to tour Pakistan for two Tests and three ODIs in December-January 2022-23 as part of the Future Tours Programme and will return in April 2023 for 10 whiteball matches to make up for the September 2021 abandoned tour.” In a briefing to Senate Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination in October last year, PCB chief Ramiz Raja had said: “I have written a strongly-worded letter to the International Cricket Council chairman where I mentioned that the ICC has become a political wing of the Western bloc and has been reduced to a mere events management company.” Ramiz had added that he felt the decision by New Zealand was politically motivated.
Verstappen targets title initiative at scene of teenage triumph MONTMELO AFP
Sui Northern Gas Annual Sports Gala commences in Lahore Pr Sui Northern Gas's three-day Annual Sports Games began in Lahore last night. The games were inaugurated by Managing Director SNGPL Ali J. Hamdani at a prestigious opening ceremony held at WAPDA Sports Complex, Lahore. Speaking on the occasion, MD SNGPL Ali J Hamdani said that sports are important for mental and physical wellbeing and to keep us active. He said that sports taught us to accept our success and failure, and to keep moving ahead in life. The Managing Director appreciated women athletes for participation and expressed hope that participation of women in the games will keep on increasing every year. He said that the company should support and promote similar activities at regional level also. Teams representing Head Office of the company and 16 Regional Offices located at Abbottabad, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Islamabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Multan, Peshawar, WahCantt and Projects Headquarters are taking part in the annual games. 305 men and women athletes belonging to the 16 teams will be competing in the annual games. Women athletes will take part in Single and doubles events of badminton and table tennis while men will compete in athletes, table tennis, badminton, volleyball, athletics, shot put, high jump, long jump and tug-of-war.
Max Verstappen returns to the scene of his stunning teenage maiden Formula One triumph at the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend as a battle-hardened world champion in the pursuit of his second title. After his tumultuous title victory in Abu Dhabi last year, the 24-year-old Dutchman has become one of the world’s highest-paid sports stars and a leading figure in F1’s new generation of drivers. But this Sunday, as always, he will shut out all distractions as he bids to complete his second hattrick of consecutive wins for Red Bull on a Montmelo circuit where 2021 title rival Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes has reigned supreme. Six years on from his debut victory with Red Bull in Spain, when he became the youngest driver to claim an F1 win, Verstappen is seeking to trim 2022 series leader Charles Leclerc’s early-season advantage and to take the initiative in the title race. “I have a lot of good memories at this track from my first win, when I was 18,” he recalled of the first of his 23 F1 wins. “Hopefully, we can keep the momentum we have built up in the last few races and have a clean start to the weekend. “We had an incredible week in Miami. I’ve had some time to rest with my family since then and now I’m looking forward to driving again. Like Verstappen, Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez has also been home, but not for a rest. He returned to Mexico, for the arrival of baby son Emilio — a reason, he said, to register a memorable personal result on Sunday. After a faltering start to the season, when Red Bull were hit by reliability issues, the team has recovered and, following successive wins in Imola and Miami, the Dutchman has cut Leclerc’s lead to 19 points after five of this year’s 22 races. He has only once before delivered three straight
wins – at last year’s French, Austrian and Styrian Grands Prix, a run that gave him title-winning momentum, albeit that the latter two races were both held at the team’s home Red Bull Ring circuit. The 2016 Spanish race was notable also for the opening lap collision between Mercedes’ title rivals Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton that effectively gifted Verstappen his maiden win. ‘DID we get It wrong?’: If not for that crash, Mercedes may well have won, as they have at every other race held at the Circuit de Catalunya since 2014, seven-time champion Hamilton reeling off the last four to total five in seven visits. This year, however, it is expected to be very different as Ferrari, hoping to recover their early dominance, aim to wreck Red Bull’s hopes and revive Leclerc’s title challenge. Both teams, like the rest, will arrive in Catalunya with a major raft of upgrades to reduce weight, improve performance and help overcome the ‘porpoising’ that has hampered many drivers’ efforts. Ferrari have reportedly made significant changes to the floor of their F1-75 while Red Bull have lost a reported seven kilos. Mercedes, most afflicted by the bouncing sensation, may be set to revise their ‘no sidepods’ car design in a bid to revitalise Hamilton and maintain George Russell’s promising progress. Team boss Toto Wolff has stressed the team will remain faithful to the radical W13 design concept this weekend. After Barcelona, he said, “we’ve got to look in the mirror and say ‘did we get it wrong?'” Hamilton may also hit trouble again if he insists on challenging the ‘bling’ ban that distracted many in Miami where he was forced to remove most of his jewellery when racing. The president of the ruling body, the International Motoring Federation (FIA), Mohammed Ben Sulayem has made clear he wants the 37-year-old Briton to obey the rules.
‘Next messi’ Bojan learned, suffered in itinerant career TOKYO AFP
Former Barcelona prodigy Bojan Krkic is playing in his seventh country and “would not change anything” about a career that started with him labelled the next Lionel Messi and now sees him in Japan. Many young forwards have been hyped up as the new Messi, but Bojan — who even had the same floppy hair as the Argentine — genuinely looked destined for the very top. At 17 years and 19 days, the Spaniard in 2007 became the youngest player to represent Barcelona in La Liga, taking the record previously held by Messi. Bojan went on to score 41 goals in 163 games for the club. Fast forward and Bojan, now 31, has been reunited with former Barca team-mate Andres Iniesta in Japan after joining Vissel Kobe last summer following stints of varying success in Italy, Holland, England, Germany and Canada. “All the situations, all the experiences that you have — not only in football but in life — everything can be better and everything can be worse,” he told AFP of his wandering path since leaving the Camp Nou in 2011. “I’m playing my 15th year as a professional footballer at a high level in the big leagues, big clubs. I’m really proud of everything that I did.” Bojan said he was “living a dream” after breaking into Barcelona’s first team as a teenager and playing alongside club legends such as Ronaldinho, Xavi and, of course, Messi. He won two Champions League and three Spanish league titles with the club he joined as a nine-year-old, but his time there came to an end when he was sold to Italian side Roma. He said he “didn’t realise that there was a world behind the Barcelona door” until he left Camp Nou, but he is glad that he broadened his horizons. “I realised that there are many clubs, many countries, many places to live and learn. Thanks to football, I had this opportunity,” he said. “In every place that I’ve been, I learn, I enjoy, I suffer. I grow as a person and as a footballer, and I’m really proud of that.” premIer LeAgue success: Bojan failed to make an impression during stints with Roma, AC Milan and Ajax, but he says he played “probably the best” football of his career during three and a half seasons in England with Stoke City. He is still fondly remembered there. He helped the Potters finish in the top half of the Premier League every season from 2013 to 2016 under manager Mark Hughes and says the club will “always be in my heart”. “The Premier League is for me the best league in the world, it’s where you enjoy real football, proper football,” he said. “In all the stadiums where you play, you can smell the history, you can smell the respect for the sport and for the players.” Now Bojan is in Japan playing alongside Iniesta, who is still going strong despite turning 38 earlier this month. Bojan says that the World Cup-winning Spain legend has not given him any indication of when he will retire and that the pair “only speak about the moment”. Xavi, a former Barcelona team-mate of both players, returned to the Camp Nou last year to take over as manager.
Amnesty says FIFA should pay $440mn to ‘abused’ migrant workers in Qatar DOHA AFP
Rights group Amnesty International on Thursday urged football’s governing body FIFA pay compensation equal to the total 2022 World Cup prize money for migrant workers “abused” in host nation Qatar. The call, backed by other rights organisations and fan groups, follows allegations that FIFA was slow to safeguard against the exploitation of workers who flooded into the tiny Gulf state to build infrastructure in the years leading up to the tournament that starts November 21. “FIFA should earmark at least $440 million to provide remedy for the hundreds of thousands of migrant workers who have suffered human rights abuses in Qatar during preparations for the 2022 World Cup,” Amnesty said in a statement accompanying a report. The London-based group urged FIFA president Gianni Infantino “to work with Qatar to establish a comprehensive remediation programme”. It alleged that a “litany of abuses” had taken place since 2010, the year FIFA
awarded the 2022 tournament to Qatar “without requiring any improvement in labour protections”. “Given the history of human rights abuses in the country, FIFA knew — or should have known — the obvious risks to workers when it awarded the tournament to Qatar,” said Agnes Callamard, Amnesty’s secretary-general. Amnesty said some abuses persist and described $440 million as the “minimum necessary” to cover compensation claims and to ensure remedial initiatives are expanded for the future. The sum is roughly the total prize money for this year’s World Cup. Amnesty’s call was backed in an open letter to Infantino also signed by nine other organisations, including Migrant Rights and Football Supporters Europe. FIFA ‘AssessIng’ report: When asked for comment, FIFA said it was “assessing the programme proposed by Amnesty” for Qatar, highlighting that it “involves a wide range of non-FIFA World Cup-specific public infrastructure built since 2010”. Qatar’s World Cup organisers said they have “worked tirelessly” with international groups for the rights of workers on stadiums
and other tournament projects. Much of the criticism has however been directed at construction outside the official tournament where hundreds of workers are said to have died in the past decade. “Significant improvements have been made across accommodation standards, health and safety regulations, grievance mechanisms, healthcare provision, and reimbursements of illegal recruitment fees to workers,” said a spokesperson for the organisers, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy. “This tournament is, and will continue to be a powerful catalyst for delivering a sustainable human and social legacy ahead of, during, and beyond the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.” Workers’ claims range from unpaid salaries, “illegal” and “extortionate” recruitment fees averaging $1,300 to secure jobs, and compensation for injuries and deaths. Amnesty welcomed initiatives by FIFA and Qatar, including improvements made on World Cup construction sites and labour legislation reforms introduced since 2014. Qatar in 2017 introduced a minimum wage, cut the hours that can be worked in extreme heat, and ended part of a system which
forced migrant workers to seek employers’ permission to change jobs or even leave the country. Workers can go to labour tribunals and more government inspectors have been appointed. Foreign workers, mainly from South Asia, make up more than two million of Qatar’s 2.8 million population. But
Amnesty said only about 48,000 workers have so far been green-lighted to claw back recruitment fees. It said the requested $440 million represents only a “small fraction” of the $6 billion in revenues FIFA is expected to make over the next four years, much of it from the World Cup.
Friday, 20 May, 2022
prayer tiMings
NEWS
PM ShehBAz reAFFIrMS reSolve to BrINGING PerPetrAtorS oF KArAchI AttAcK to jUStIce
ISLAMABAD
P
Mian abrar
RIME inister Shehbaz Sharif Thursday reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to thoroughly investigate the Karachi attack against Chinese nationals, apprehend the perpetrators at the earliest, and bring them to justice. The prime minister’s commitment was expressed during a meeting with a Chinese delegation led by China’s External Security Commissioner
Cheng Guoping, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said. Referring to his telephonic conversation with Premier Li Kequiang on 16 April 2022, the prime minister affirmed that Pakistan was committed to providing the highest level of safety and security to all Chinese nationals and institutions working on projects in the country. For his part, Guoping appreciated the measures taken by the Government of Pakistan, under the guidance and direct supervision of the prime minister, to carry out thorough investigations of the terrorist at-
tacks and enhance measures for safety and security. He underscored that terrorism was the common enemy of both Pakistan and China, and the two sides shared a firm resolve to eradicate this menace. Guoping said that Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership was a model of inter-state relations and a pillar of stability at a time when the international situation was in flux. PM Shehbaz reaffirmed the government’s resolve to further deepen the partnership with Beijing, underlining the significance of China in Pakistan’s foreign policy. The prime minister affirmed the government’s firm resolve to fast-track both the ongoing as well as new projects under the transformational China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which had immensely contributed to the socio-economic development of Pakistan, and also realise its high-quality development. He expressed his commitment to working with renewed zeal and enthusiasm, in concert with China, especially on projects of strategic significance for both the countries, such as the ML-1 project. The prime minister said that China-Pakistan relations were based on mutual trust, mutual respect, and cooperation. The premier appreciated that Pakistan and China had always stood by each other to overcome every challenge with solidarity and mutual support. PM Shehabz reiterated his strong condemnation of the Karachi terrorist attack and stated that the entire Pakistani nation grieved with the families of the victims and the people of China at the loss of precious lives, and offered his heartfelt condolences.
Karachi blast perpetrator received instructions from Iran: CTD KARACHI staff report
Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on Thursday claimed the suspect who orchestrated the remotecontrolled blast in Saddar neighbourhood of Karachi was trained in Iran, a claim vehemently rejected by the Embassy of Iran. The roadside bombing on Thursday targeted a van carrying security forces, killing a passerby and wounding 13 people. The CTD also revealed that the suspected terrorist received instructions and money from the head of the proscribed Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army (SRA), Asghar Shah, who is residing in Iran. According to Sajjad Khan, a local Station House Officer (SHO), the militant group subsequently claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it targeted the Coast Guards’ vehicle. The prime accused, Allah Dino, and his accomplice, Nawab Ali, were killed in ensuing encounter with intelligence and CTD personnel in Karachi in the wee hours of Wednesday. The two agencies conducted a joint operation in Maripur village during which terrorists, who were present in the locality, opened fire. The security men returned the fire which killed both the terrorists. Addressing a joint press conference with Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab, CTD Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Khurram Ali
said Dino was an expert of making IEDs and had been involved in terrorist activities at different levels, including attacking railway tracks. “He went to Iran and was trained there,” he disclosed. The top cop also shared evidence of Dino’s involvement in the explosion. Multiple closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showing Dino carrying the motorcycle used in the attack was shared with the press. The accused could be further seen sitting at a hotel and later apparently pushing the remote-control device inside his pocket to cause the blast which resulted in the death of a woman and injured many others. DIG Ali detailing the entire incident said that Dino was killed in Wednesday’s raid and was living in the Gizri area of Karachi along with Ali. “We had clear evidence pointing towards his involvement in the blast,” he said and added that he was also arrested previously and a case was registered against him for his role in militant attacks. He said Dino was trained in Iran as an improvised explosive device (IED) expert and was involved in multiple attacks on railway tracks. His financial accounts revealed that he had recently received a sum of Rs200,000 from abroad. “He remained in touch with his handlers abroad,” he said. Later in the presser, an audio clip was also played wherein Shah, the SRA boss, was heard speaking to Dino and conveying that his identity
could be revealed after multiple video footage played on the television showed his face. Shah could also be heard admonishing him for not wearing a facemask during the attack and further said his possible arrest and confiscation of explosive material by law enforcement could lead to a disaster for the militant group. Later speaking during the press conference, Wahab appealed to the courts to refrain from giving immediate relief to the suspects in the terrorism cases and shared how Dino, who was previously released from prison, later carried out multiple attacks in Karachi. IranIan Embassy rEjEcts allEgatIons, sEEks EvIdEncE: A spokesperson of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran Thursday rejected allegations of the use of its soil to launch a terrorist attack in Karachi. In response to questions from some respected Pakistani media reporters about allegations that the perpetrators of the Karachi terrorist bombings may have links to Iran, the spokesperson categorically rejected and denied the allegations; stressing that the allegations were made in public and in the media without providing any evidence, proof or documents to the government of Iran through official means which is completely unprofessional and unacceptable.
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New US ambassador to assume charge on Monday Donald Armin Blome, a career member of the senior US Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor, will take charge as the new American ambassador to Pakistan on May 23, a news outlet reported on Thursday. US President Joe Biden had recommended Blome to be the new US ambassador to Pakistan last year. Blome is an expert on the Middle East, and is currently the US ambassador to Tunisia. He has also worked in Kabul, Jerusalem, Cairo, Baghdad, and Kuwait. He has long experience in the Middle East region. Meanwhile, the United States has announced that it will continue to help Pakistan rebuild its economy. A State Department spokesperson assured Pakistan of strong US support for their efforts to rebuild the Pakistani economy. The United States “will continue to work bilaterally on ways to grow investment and trade opportunities to build a prosperous and stable Pakistan,” the spokesperson said in Washington. The United States also “welcomes the ongoing International Monetary Fund (IMF) deliberations with Pakistan,” the spokesperson added. news desk
Fuad Asadullah Khan appointed as DG IB ISLAMABAD staff report
Federal Government Thursday appointed Mr Fuad Asadullah Khan as Director-General of Intelligence Bureau (IB). Per notification, Mr Fuad, a BS-21 officer of the IB, presently working as Commandant, IB Academy, has been posted under section 10 of the Civil Servants Act, 1973, with immediate effect and until further orders.
Indian court convicts Kashmiri leader Yasin Malik of ‘terrorism’ An Indian court on Thursday convicted top Kashmiri leader Mohammed Yasin Malik in a terrorism-related case that carries a maximum sentence of the death penalty or life imprisonment. Malik had been charged with ‘terrorist acts’, illegally raising funds, being a member of a ‘terrorist’ organisation and criminal conspiracy and sedition. Judge Praveen Singh set May 25 for hearing arguments from both sides on sentencing, the Press Trust of India news agency reported. The judge also directed Malik to provide an affidavit regarding his financial assets. During the trial, Malik protested the charges and said he was a freedom fighter. “Terrorism-related charges levelled against me are concocted, fabricated and politically motivated,” his organisation, the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, cited him as telling the court. “If seeking azadi (freedom) is a crime, then I am ready to accept this crime and its consequences,” he told the judge. The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front was one of the first armed freedom fighting groups to come into existence in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK). It supported an independent and united Kashmir. Led by Malik, the group gave up armed resistance in 1994. A resistance movement broke out in IoK in 1989 with fighters demanding an independent Kashmir or its merger with Pakistan. India accuses Pakistan of arming and training rebel groups to fight Indian forces, an allegation Pakistan vehemently opposes and denies. Islamabad says it provides only moral and diplomatic support to insurgents. ‘Hero always’ PTI Vice President Fawad Chaudhry strongly condemned the development. He said Malik would always remain Pakistan’s “hero”. agencies
Maryam urges PML-N to quit govt rather flooding country with inflation SARGODHA staff report
PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Thursday said it was better to quit the government than burden people with more inflation, which she underlined, was compounded by the previous Imran Khanled government in the last four years. Addressing a rally in Sargodha, Maryam said it was easy for Nawaz to “prostrate before the IMF and consent” to withdrawal of subsidies that would lead to another round of sharp inflation, but “he (Nawaz) prefers to relinquish the charge rather than burden people with a further price hike.” “I am with you,” she told her supporters. “I believe it’s better to say goodbye to the government than” bury the public under more inflation. She asked the rally participants whether they would give her party a two-third majority to fix the problems faced by the country in the next five years. To this, her supporters responded in the affirmative.
Maryam said the government was being asked why it chose to come to power for “only a month or so”. “We assumed the charge because Imran was prepared to rig the next elections as well. We toppled his government and failed his plan that he had made for the next 12 years,” she alleged. Imran must realise that his game is now over, the PML-N leader said. She also took exception to Imran’s linking of chicken meat price hike to Hamza Shehbaz’s poultry farms, saying “the prices of chicken actually surged when tons of chicken meat was burnt on the roof of his Bani Gala residence.” Maryam branded Imran a “snake”, accusing him of biting the hand that fed him. She hailed the Supreme Court’s setting aside of former deputy speaker Qasim Suri’s ruling “a historic decision” and said that it “protected the Constitution”. “Since that day, he (Imran) is running a campaign against the top court on social media and cursing them.” However, she said that now that the apex court has taken a suo motu notice,
Imran was now heaping praise on the courts. She was referring to the notice taken by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial on the “perceived interference” by “persons in authority” in investigation and prosecution of criminal matters against government officials. “I am thankful to the court for taking the notice against Shehbaz Sharif. But, one suo motu notice should also be taken against ex-FIA head Bashir Memon for his criminal activities,” she appealed the court. Maryam went on to say that a couple of suo motu notices must also be taken against former accountability head Shehzad Akbar as well as the foreign funding case against the PTI that has been pending for seven years. Commenting on Imran’s statement wherein he said families of army personnel would also attend his planned Islamabad march, Maryam wondered if the invitation was issued so “they have to listen to his swearing against their chief”. The PML-N leader accused Imran of also abusing the media, whom she credited for “making him what he is today”.
“He is criticising media channels except ARY News, which attacks state institutions because his close friend — ARY owner Salman Iqbal — is a gold smuggler… and Imran gave him a benefit of up to Rs 40 billion [while in power], and therefore, both of them are protecting each
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other,” she claimed. Maryam said Pakistan can never progress until Imran was present in the country. She insisted that it was incumbent upon all stakeholders, including the army, the judiciary and the media to stop this “curse whose name is Imran Khan”.