Bob Fernley, who has died aged 70, led Force India to some great Formula 1 underdog achievements and was a passionate champion of independent teams. And his route to F1 began at Stockport railway station [...]
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Bob Fernley, best known for effectively running the Force India Formula 1 team for much of the 2010s, has died at the age of 70 [...]
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France asked all local authorities to halt public transport on Friday in a desperate attempt to restore order after rioters torched buildings and cars during a third night of rage sparked by the police shooting of a teenager.
Violence flared in the cities of Marseille, Lyon, Pau, Toulouse, Strasbourg and Lille as well as Paris where 17-year-old Nahel M — of Algerian and Moroccan descent — was shot dead on Tuesday in the working class suburb of Nanterre.
His death, caught on video at a traffic stop, has ignited longstanding complaints among poor, racially mixed, urban communities of police violence and racism.
“The next hours will be decisive and I know I can count on your flawless efforts,” Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote to police officers and firefighters seeking to quell the unrest.
He asked local authorities to halt all bus and tram traffic from 9pm across the whole of France.
With some 40,000 police officers deployed, more than 200 of them were injured and 875 people were arrested overnight into Friday, authorities said. Buildings and vehicles were torched, and stores were looted.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said the government would consider all options to stop “intolerable” violence.
President Emmanuel Macron left a European Union summit in Brussels early to attend what was the second cabinet crisis meeting in two days. He has asked social media to remove “the most sensitive” footage of rioting and to disclose the identities of users fomenting violence.
In the southern city of Marseille, France’s second-largest, authorities banned demonstrations set for Friday and encouraged restaurants to close outdoor areas early.
They said all public transport would stop at 7pm.
For Mohamed Jakoubi, who watched Nahel grow up as a child, the rage was fuelled by a sense of injustice in the suburbs after incidents of police violence against minority ethnic communities, many from former French colonies.
“We are fed up, we are French too. We are against violence, we are not scum,” he said.
Macron denies there is systemic racism inside law enforcement agencies. In 2020 his government promised “zero tolerance” of racism within law enforcement agencies.
Videos on social media showed urban landscapes ablaze. A tram was set alight in the eastern city of Lyon and 12 buses were gutted in a depot in Aubervilliers, northern Paris.
In Nanterre on the capital’s outskirts, protesters torched cars, barricaded streets and hurled projectiles at police following an earlier peaceful vigil.
Looters ransacked shops, including an Apple store in the eastern city of Strasbourg, a local official said. A source told Reuters that several Casino supermarkets had been looted.
The energy minister said several staff of power distribution firm Enedis were injured by stones during clashes. The interior ministry said 79 police posts were attacked overnight, as well as 119 public buildings, including 34 town halls and 28 schools.
Concerts by French singer Mylene Farmer were cancelled at the Stade de France on Friday and Saturday.
In the Chatelet Les Halles shopping mall in central Paris, a Nike shoe store was broken into, and several people were arrested after store windows were smashed along the adjacent Rue de Rivoli shopping street, police said.
Some tourists were worried and others were supportive of protesters.
“Racism and problems with the police and minorities is an important topic going on and it’s important to address it,” American tourist Enzo Santo Domingo said.
Some Western governments warned citizens to be cautious.
In Geneva, the United Nations rights office emphasised the importance of peaceful assembly and urged French authorities to ensure that the use of force by police was non-discriminatory.
“This is a moment for the country to seriously address the deep issues of racism and racial discrimination in law enforcement,” spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said.
The policeman whom prosecutors say acknowledged firing a lethal shot at the teenager is in preventive custody under formal investigation for voluntary homicide — equivalent to being charged under Anglo-Saxon jurisdictions.
His lawyer Laurent-Franck Lienard said his client had aimed down towards the driver’s leg but was bumped, causing him to shoot towards his chest. “Obviously [the officer] didn’t want to kill the driver,” Lienard said on BFM TV.
The unrest has revived memories of three weeks of nationwide riots in 2005 that forced then-president Jacques Chirac to declare a state of emergency.
That wave of violence erupted in the Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois following the death of two young men electrocuted in a power substation as they hid from police.
DERA MURAD JAMALI: Two people were killed and two others were injured in an armed clash between tribesmen of two tribes in Jhal Magsi area on Tuesday night.
Levies officials said that armed people of Khanjani and Judhani tribes took positions against each other and opened fire using automatic weapons in Seed Form area of Jhal Magsi.
In the exchange of fire, two people of Khanjani tribe were killed and two others were injured.
Those killed were identified as Muhammad Usman Lashari and Ai Asghar. Two other people, Suleman and Qadeer Hussian, suffered injuries and were admitted to district hospital.
Police have registered a case against people of Judhani tribe.
Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2023
• Heated exchanges witnessed as treasury benches criticised for not prioritising region’s issues
• Rs28.45bn allocated for development, Rs74bn set aside for non-development expenditure
• Rs51bn earmarked for salaries; education sector to get Rs1.57bn
GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly passed the tax-free budget for the next fiscal year 2023-24, with a total outlay of over Rs116 billion.
After a two-day debate session, the budget was approved by the majority members of the assembly, chaired by Speaker Nazir Ahmed.
GB Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid, addressing the session, stated that Rs51bn would be allocated for employees’ salaries and Rs28bn for development projects. He emphasised the government’s focus on the health and education sectors.
However, opposition members in the assembly criticised the GB government for not prioritising GB issues in the current budget.
Harsh words were exchanged between GB Chief Minister and opposition leader Amjad Hussain Advocate during the budget debate.
In his speech, the opposition leader criticised the GB government for not effectively utilising the funds provided by the federal government.
He specifically targeted the GB Chief Minister and cabinet members for prioritising their own privileges in the budget. He further stated that a significant portion of the GB budget has been proposed for their own luxury activities, including the purchase of vehicles.
Mr Hussain also criticised GB Chief Minister for allegedly possessing a fake law degree. The case regarding the alleged fake law degree of GB Chief Minister is currently under trial in the GB Chief Court.
While the opposition leader was delivering his speech, the Chief Minister interrupted to defend himself against the allegations. This led to a heated exchange of words between the Chief Minister and the opposition leader. However, Speaker Nazir Ahmed instructed the assembly members to refrain from using harsh language during the proceedings.
Later, both the opposition leader and the Chief Minister apologised to the assembly for their remarks.
Allocation
Earlier, GB Finance Minister Javed Ali Manwa, presented the budget in the House. In the budget of Rs116.15bn for the new financial year, Rs74bn allocated for non-developmental expenditure, while Rs28.45bn allocated for development projects.
The finance minister said that Rs13.7bn were proposed for the subsidy on wheat, while Rs7.95bn allocated for PSDP projects, Rs298m for the development of mineral sector.
The finance minister announced a 35pc increase in the salaries of government employees up to grade 16, and a 30pc increase in the salaries of employees from grades 17 to 22.
In detail, the budget includes allocations such as Rs28m for the information technology sector, Rs1.37m for the health sector, Rs72m for rural development, Rs9m for forests and wildlife, and Rs17m for the development of the culture sector. Additionally, Rs25m has been proposed for the irrigation sector and Rs18m million has been allocated for social welfare projects.
Moreover, Rs1.57bn allocated for education, Rs350m for the appointment of 1,000 IT teachers in the schools.
Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2023
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has said a staff level agreement for a crucial bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was “very close” and expected in the next 24 hours.
The government is racing against time to unlock at least $1.1 billion under the lender’s ninth review of a $6.5-billion Extended Fund Facility agreed in 2019. The programme expires on Friday.
“We are very close to signing a staff level agreement with the IMF,” Dar told Reuters late on Thursday.
“I think it should come some time tonight or maximum within 24 hours … We have finalised everything.”
READ: Ishaq Dar loses his cool with reporter over question on IMF programme
A source familiar with talks told Reuters that Pakistan and the IMF were also in discussions for the release of the full $2.5 billion pending under the IMF programme.
The source said the staff level agreement was to set to initially unlock around $1.1 billion and then be followed by a “standby agreement” which could release the rest after the programme finishes on Saturday.
A representative for the IMF in Pakistan did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
The agreement, which would be subject to approval by the IMF board, has faced an eight-month delay.
The funds under discussion would offer some respite amid an acute balance of payments crisis and falling foreign exchange reserves.
A total of $4 billion have already been released. Dar had earlier told media the government was working on a mechanism to try to unlock the full $2.5 billion pending under the IMF programme.
It was unclear what portion of the funds would be released in the announcement he expected in the next 24 hours.
SAKINA Fatima used to think her path to the Haj and Umrah was forever blocked.
“If I don’t have a mehram, why can’t I come to see Allah’s house and do sajdah on the floor of Haram?” the 40-year-old orphan from India, wondered. “Why do I have to pay the price for a decision that’s not mine?” she asked, fighting back tears.
Then in the Haj 2020, during the height of the Covid pandemic, she made a fervent plea as the sight of an almost empty Kaaba pierced through her heart — “Oh Allah, call me once.”
The prayer was answered.
In October 2022, she and countless other women were granted permission to travel for Haj and Umrah without male guardianship.
“It’s not about money or status or anything else. Once Allah has decided to call you, He will make ways,” Sakina told me during an Umrah earlier this year. She was finally in the holy city of Makkah, seeing the Kaaba with her own eyes. The dream had come true.
This year, thousands of women from across 160 countries participated in the Haj pilgrimage, the biggest since the start of the pandemic.
On Wednesday, vast crowds of robed worshippers hurled pebbles to stone the devil as the biggest Haj pilgrimage since the start of the pandemic draws to a close in intense Saudi Arabian heat.
More than 1.8 million people — including over 875,000 women, or 47pc of the total — are taking part in the first unrestricted Haj since Covid, before which about 2.5 million joined the pilgrimage in 2019.
In the 2020 Haj, which came after the pandemic struck, only 1,000 Saudis performed the annual Islamic ritual. The figure rose to 60,000 Saudi pilgrims in 2021, and then to around 900,000 — including some 780,000 foreigners — in 2022.
The Saudi decision to remove the requirement for women to be accompanied by a male guardian heralds a historic shift. Countless Muslim women worldwide are fulfilling their spiritual yearning to visit the holy mosques of Masjid Al-Haram and Masjid Al-Nabawi, independently.
Among them was Hibu from Somalia, who never had the opportunity to perform Haj or Umrah due to the absence of a male guardian.
“I don’t have a brother, nor have I got married. My father passed away long ago… but thanks to Allah that now I came here and saw His house,” she told me during the Umrah in April.
“We are an all-women group. Most of us either didn’t have a mehram or enough money that we could travel along with them. They then sent us for the pilgrimage,” she said.
Fatima Bibi, from Lahore and in her 70s, also had a tale to share. The family’s limited financial resources led her husband to make the difficult decision to send her alone for the Umrah.
“He (her husband) saved all his life for two things only, to do Umrah with me and gold earrings for me… Unfortunately, we couldn’t make this wish [Umrah together] come true. But I am grateful to him that he finally forced me to come here and perform Umrah,” she said. “We can do it together again someday if we stay alive.”
Pakistan’s Council of Islamic Ideology also endorsed this change, allowing women earlier this year to travel for Haj without a male guardian, acknowledging provisions for it in Maliki, Shafi’i and Jafria schools of thought.
The council’s spokesperson noted that a woman who enjoyed the company of reliable women and did not feel insecure while travelling or during the pilgrimage could perform Haj without a mehram, provided her parents or husband allowed her to do so.
Just next door in India, more than 4,300 Indian women registered to perform Haj on their own. An all-women Air India flight took off from Kozhikode, a southern state of Kerala, to Saudi Arabia, carrying 145 pilgrims — the crew and the passengers, all women.
As Wednesday’s sun sets and the Haj 2023 draws to a close, it also signals a new dawn for Muslim women. Amid the echoing prayers and the hum of a million footsteps, one thing is clear: a new chapter has begun.
And it’s a chapter written by the hands — and feet — of millions of Muslim women.
Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2023
LAHORE: There will be no shortage of petroleum products in the country again as the government has introduced a “bonded bulk storage policy (BBSP)” to deal with the hoarding menace, says Minister of State for Petroleum Musadik Malik.
“The world’s biggest traders will now come here because of this policy and set up bonded storage facilities and it will address the problem of petroleum products shortage once for all. The step will also help end the monopoly of local storage houses and ensure uninterrupted supply of petroleum products,” Mr Malik told a presser on Wednesday.
The minister said BBSP would address another issue — opening of Letter of Credit (LC) for acquiring petroleum products.
“The international LC confirmation bar will be over by this step. Transactions by international traders may also be done in local currency thus reducing burden on foreign exchange,” he added.
The minister revealed that bidding process for drilling of 16 to 24 wells in the sea had also been initiated. He said the government was making all out efforts to stabilise economy and provide relief to the masses.
In response to a question about import of petrol from Russia, he said, “The second shipment of Russian oil has also reached Pakistan”. He chided the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) for doing politics on the Russian oil.
Earlier, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said in a tweet: “ECC approved Bonded Bulk Storage Policy 2023 for petroleum products. Another Govt’s commitment was fulfilled with the people of Pakistan that was made through Budget FY24 speech of 9June23 in the National Assembly of Pakistan.”
Mr Malik said the government was taking appropriate and comprehensive measures to maintain or gradually lower prices of energy, including petroleum, gas and electricity, adds APP.
He expressed the hope that foreign companies, which stored petrol and diesel in bonded warehouses, would definitely get themselves registered in Pakistan and open business accounts in local commercial banks. Consequently, he explained, it would resolve the issue of LC’s confirmation as these companies would make business transactions in dollar or in rupee directly through banks and in a way, it would also release pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves and create a little bit space for the government in making payments. He further said that this initiative would also do away with LC charges, which so far were being passed on to the end consumer.
The minister asserted that it would be a great relief for the small filling stations which faced even more problems during shortage of oil as now they would be able to continue their business after buying oil from the bonded warehouses.
Dr Malik said that on behalf of the prime minister “I am giving this good news to people as this is Eid festivity so we should set aside political talks for a while. Today, I will not speak about whatever the PTI is doing or had been doing to bring the country on the verge of collapse. It’s Eid gala, so it is responsibility of the government to give hope to people”.
He, however, pointed out that all the criticism by PTI regarding Russian oil agreement and its shipment died down as the second oil shipment from Russia has reached Pakistan.
He said the coalition government had also made a deal with Azerbaijan, on its own terms and conditions, for inexpensive gas. Under this deal, he added, Azerbaijan would offer a gas tanker every month and it would be up to Pakistan whether to purchase it or not.
“We will purchase this gas if it will be on favourable price. This deal will also help end gas shortage in the country during winter,” he stated.
Besides, he said, as per the government commitment that renewable energy will be promoted, the PM had launched four solar energy projects with an accumulative capacity of 10,000 megawatts. The premier issued directives for working out a comprehensive plan to divert the petroleum companies to renewable energy, green hydrogen and green ammonia, he added.
Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2023
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IndyCar has a great on-track product right now but there are some easy fixes that could help boost its popularity further in the short term as our American Editor Jack Benyon explains [...]
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ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a plea to structure the discretion of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) with an observation that the propositions advanced were not tenable or had merit.
On June 13, a two-judge SC bench consisting of Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar had reserved its ruling on a petition moved by Advocate Hina Jilani representing a number of civil society activists namely Afiya Shehrbano Zia, Afrasiab Khattak, M. Ziauddin, Farhatullah Babar, Nighat Said Khan, Farida Shaheed, Rubina Saigol and Bushra Gauhar.
The counsel had argued before the Supreme Court that a judge accused of misconduct was a burden on the exchequer if he finally reached superannuation despite the fact that the SJC was seized with a complaint against the judge.
On Oct 10, 2018, a total of 98 citizens, including the petitioners, had filed a complaint against then chief justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar under Article 209 of the Constitution over alleged breach of the judges’ code of conduct.
The original petition pleaded that at the time of its filing, the petitioner remained in dark about the status of the reference, but the judge against whom it was instituted got retired on Jan 17, 2019.
Now in the verdict, Justice Akhtar observed that it was necessary for the SJC, if it forms the necessary opinion, to report to the president that a particular judge be removed from office and on such report the president may do so. “Thus, the only action permissible to the SJC and hence the president, is the removal of the errant judge from office,” the verdict said, adding that if this was not possible, then Article 209(6) would have no application.
“Obviously, this outcome is impossible in relation to a judge who has already retired or resigned and, therefore, the proposition being advanced was with respect, constitutionally erroneous,” Justice Akhtar emphasised.
Even otherwise, the judgement said, it was clear that the Constitution draws a distinction between a person who, at the relevant time, holds office as judge and one who, having held that office in the past, does not. Article 209 applies only to the former and not the latter, it emphasised.
Finally, the verdict said, it must be noted that if accepted the logic of the proposition of the petitioners, a complaint could even be filed under Article 209 against a judge who has retired or resigned after he has left office, in relation to allegations of misconduct while in office.
“This is so because the petitioners advance the proposition on the basis of what they regard to be a matter of principle. If such a principle exists then arguably its application cannot be limited to the fortuitous circumstance as to whether there was a complaint pending against the allegedly errant judge as on the date he retired or resigned,” the verdict said.
“On the logic of the proposition, such a complaint could conceivably be filed even years after the retirement or resignation (i.e. the alleged misconduct). Such an outcome is quite obviously beyond the contemplation of the Constitution,” the judgement explained.
Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2023
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday he had been invited to China and his office had informed close ally the United States about the planned trip to Beijing.
The announcement comes during tense ties between Israel and the US, whose President Joe Biden failed to invite Netanyahu for a visit after the Israeli’s re-election in November.
“The projected visit will be Prime Minister Netanyahu’s fourth visit to China,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement, noting “the American administration was updated one month ago.”
It said the premier had also informed a bipartisan Congressional delegation about the trip, and told the Congress members that the “US will always be Israel’s most vital and irreplaceable ally.”
A spokesman for Netanyahu when contacted by AFP could not provide further details on the planned trip or when it was expected to happen.
Tensions have arisen over the Biden administration’s consistent calling for a two-state solution with the Palestinians, and also criticising settlement expansion under Netanyahu.
He returned to power in December in a coalition between his Likud party and extreme-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish allies, including hardline settlers. Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations have been stalled since 2014.
Biden has also called on Netanyahu to reach a compromise on his controversial legal reforms, denounced by critics as a threat to democracy, and which the government has vowed to advance after mediation efforts collapsed.
China has been on a diplomatic offensive in the Middle East, brokering the restoration of ties in March between Iran and Saudi Arabia — rivals in a region where Washington for decades has been the main diplomatic powerbroker.
Earlier this month, Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas visited China, and in April China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang held telephone talks with top Israeli and Palestinian diplomats, telling them that Beijing was ready to help facilitate peace talks.
Washington’s top diplomat Antony Blinken last week made a rare visit to Beijing, where Chinese leader Xi Jinping said he saw headway in the strained relationship with the United States.
KARACHI: In a surprise move on Monday, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) increased the benchmark interest rate by 100 basis points as the country looks forward to the completion of the ongoing International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.
The decision by the SBP’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) marks a change in its monetary policy stance within a couple of weeks. In the preceding meeting held on June 12, the MPC was of the opinion that the economy was unable to bear the burden of another interest rate hike. Thus, it kept at the time the interest rate unchanged at 21pc.
While most financial sector experts believe the SBP’s latest action fulfils another demand by the IMF, the central bank also hinted at the same in the monetary policy announcement.
After an emergency meeting, the MPC announced an increase in the policy rate by one percentage point to 22 per cent, effective June 27.
‘Unscheduled’ increase fulfils yet another IMF condition for loan programme revival, analysts say
The committee said it has noted two important domestic developments since the last meeting (June 12) that have slightly deteriorated the inflation outlook and can potentially increase pressure on the already stressed external account.
First, there are certain upward revisions in taxes, duties and the petroleum development levy (PDL) rate in the 2023-24 budget as approved by the National Assembly on June 25. Second, the SBP withdrew on June 23 its general guidance for commercial banks on the prioritisation of imports.
“While the MPC views these measures as necessary in the context of completion of the ongoing IMF programme, they have increased the upside risks to the inflation outlook,” said the SBP.
“Everyone’s holding their breath for an IMF deal, and this unscheduled interest rate hike seems to be a step towards fulfilling yet another condition. An IMF deal at this time will be a huge confidence booster for Pakistan as it will catalyse other inflows from multilateral sources, including the World Bank and Islamic Development Bank,” said Komal Mansoor, head of research at Tresmark, a terminal for capital markets data.
Two days ago, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said at the National Assembly that Pakistan agreed to Rs215 billion taxes after three-day parleys with IMF officials to complete the ninth review under the Extended Fund Facility, which is pending due to the country’s external financing gap.
“The MPC views this action as necessary to keep the real interest rate firmly in the positive territory on a forward-looking basis. This would help further anchor inflation expectations – which are already moderating over the last few months, and support bringing down inflation towards the medium term target of 5-7pc by the end of 2024-25, barring any unforeseen developments,” said the SBP.
In the statement issued after the MPC meeting on June 12, the committee viewed the then monetary policy stance as appropriate to achieve the objective of price stability “barring any unexpected domestic and external shocks”. The MPC further noted that the outlook was “contingent on effectively addressing the prevailing domestic uncertainty and external vulnerabilities”.
The MPC said that the June 26 decision would help in addressing external sector vulnerabilities and reduce economic uncertainty along with the expected completion of the ongoing IMF programme and the government adhering to the target of generating a primary surplus in 2023-24.
“The committee reiterated that it would continue to carefully monitor evolving economic developments and stands ready, if necessary, to take appropriate action to achieve the objective of price stability over the medium term,” said the SBP.
Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2023
Two former chief ministers of India-held Kashmir have demanded an investigation into an alleged incident of Indian soldiers forcing Muslim worshippers in a mosque in the valley’s Pulwama area to chant Hindu slogans, the Indian media has reported.
“Shocked to hear about army troops from 50 RR (Rashtriya Rifles) storming into a mosque at Pulwama and forcing Muslims inside to chant ‘Jai Shree Ram’. Such a move when [Home Minister] Amit Shah is here and that too ahead of yatra (a Hindu pilgrimage) is simply an act of provocation,” said former CM Mehbooba Mufti in reaction to the reports.
She requested Indian Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, who recently took command of India’s Chinar Corps in the area, to “immediately set up a probe” into the reported incident.
Similarly, former CM Omar Abdullah termed the reports “deeply distressing”.
“It’s bad enough they entered but then forcing people to chant slogans like ‘Jai Shree Ram’ as reported by the locals there, is unacceptable,” he said, referring to a Hindu religious slogan.
He expressed hope that Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh would issue instructions for the reports to be investigated in a “timely and transparent manner”.
According to Indian news website The Wire, the residents of Zadoora — a village in occupied Kashmir’s Pulwama area — said the alleged incident took place on June 24 around 1:30am when soldiers of Rashtriya Rifles, a counter-insurgency force, arrived at the village, reportedly along with an unidentified officer.
“While the officer was sitting on the bonnet of one of the vehicles, the soldiers asked me to come out,” Mohammad Altaf Bhat, a Zadoora local and chairman of the Zadoora Civil Society group, told The Wire.
“I thought that they were looking for some suspects in the village,” he said, adding that the soldiers told him that a new team was being posted in the area and it was conducting a mock drill in the village to teach recruits how to carry out counter-insurgency operations.
“I told them that the operation could have been carried out during the day also and it was wrong to disturb villagers in the middle of the night,” the report quoted Bhat as saying, who said the villagers were kept awake till dawn.
Then around dawn, Bhat told The Wire, Indian army soldiers followed the muezzin (one who makes call for prayers). “In the middle of the azaan (call to prayer), the soldiers forced him to chant ‘Jai Shree Ram’ slogans,” he alleged.
According to the report, area residents alleged that Indian army soldiers detained at least 10 villagers during their exercise and five of them were beaten up, including Bhat’s son.
“They (soldiers) forced the detained youngsters to chant ‘Jai Shree Ram’ slogans in chorus behind him also,” Bhat further claimed.
Moreover, The Wire quoted local sources as alleging that the army also vandalised the Jamia Masjid Zadoora.
Meanwhile, Indian news website Scroll.in reported that a similar incident reportedly took place in at least one other mosque in the area.
The Wire quoted a senior army officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, as saying that the incident had “come into their notice”.
“We are ascertaining the facts. Once we have clarity about what has happened, we will share the details,” the report quoted the officer as saying.
Meanwhile, The Telegraph quoted Bhat as saying that high-ranking army officials had apologised to the villagers on Sunday, adding that the officials had said that an army major involved in the incident was also removed.
“We are satisfied with the army’s action but we don’t want a repeat of such incidents,” he said.
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The government of Sindh intends to spend Rs6.9 billion on the agriculture sector in FY24 out of an estimated Rs700bn budget for development expenditure.
Overall, the agriculture sector’s development budget, including foreign project assistance, stood at Rs11.9bn. These development allocations included funds for new and ongoing schemes. Many schemes that were reflected in the FY23 budget books but could not be worked upon are now part of the budget.
The FY23 budget estimates were revised at Rs5.5bn after an initial Rs7.5bn estimation, according to government officials dealing with these numbers. Until June 16, the provincial finance department’s official figures put expenditure at Rs4.9 million for the agriculture department. These expenses will increase slightly when the current fiscal year ends on June 30 and district treasuries process the bills of vendors.
A breakdown of the agricultural development budget includes the following: research wing (Rs387m), extension (Rs396m), marketing (Rs125m), Sindh Seed Corporation (Rs50m), training and research (Rs25m), supply and prices component (Rs25m), agricultural mechanisation (Rs2.7bn), and water management (Rs3.3bn).
Amid limited resources, the province hopes to tackle ambitious projects such as vertical farming and drainage improvement
The total Rs11.9bn has Rs4.9bn worth of foreign assistance from the Sindh Water and Agricultural Transformation (SWAT) project funded by the World Bank. The Sindh agriculture extension department has a share of Rs4.9bn after irrigation.
Many new schemes, in addition to ongoing ones, have been included in the FY24 budget. The Agriculture Department will try to address the drainage issue, perhaps for the first time, in Sindh’s farm sector, which will be connected to a contiguous irrigation landscape.
Sindh’s farmlands were badly hit by the drainage factor, which was evident in the 2022 province-wide flooding, triggered by torrential rains, which caused large-scale displacement and inundation of productive agricultural land.
While major drain networks, like the Left Bank Outfall Drain, exist in the lower Sindh region and there are drain networks in the right bank area as well, farmland-level drainage remains nonexistent.
“Growers or farmers whose lands are located close to [major] drain networks have the luxury of disposing of their wastewater into those drains. But those who don’t have this facility end up as sufferers,” says Ejaz Mahesar, Sindh Secretary of Agriculture.
That’s why, he said, the government has planned a pilot project to be executed as an on-farm water management project in the new fiscal year at an estimated cost of Rs330m. An allocation of Rs82.5m has been made in the FY24 budgetary estimates starting with a scheme titled ‘Pilot Project regarding On-Farm Water Management’.
Major landowners have built a network on their farmland for dewatering the land during rainfall, but small- and medium-size farmers manage it without a system. Resultantly, the soil fertility of their land is diminished, or the land falls prey to salinity and water-logging. Projects like Salinity Control and Reclamation Project were designed to help but subsequently became dysfunctional.
The Lower Sindh region was hit by such a massive problem. “We had planned the introduction of this drainage scheme before the floods of 2022, but requirements didn’t lead to its finalisation. It will be executed now,” said an official. He said these drains would be constructed on farmlands under the pilot project to connect them with the main drainage network.
A 2013 report on the Regional Master Plan for the Left Bank of Indus, Delta and Coastal Zone stated, “Due to an inadequate drainage network and flat topography of basin, nearly one-fifth of canal command area is affected by water-logging and salinity.”
It had proposed that a regional master plan is urgently needed to reduce flood damage and loss of lives by improving the disposal of drainage and floodwater in the Indus River left bank area.
A multi-billion rupee Sindh Irrigated Agriculture Productivity Enhancement Project (SIAPEP), funded by World Bank and launched in 2015-16, was going to be completed this year for Rs30.1bn — an ongoing project for which Rs968m were earmarked.
SIAPEP was launched at a cost of Rs18bn, however, inflationary pressure caused an escalation in its cost that shot from Rs18bn to Rs30bn in the current year. SWAT is another foreign-aided development project with an FY24 allocation of Rs4.9m. It has been launched in Sindh’s farm and irrigation sectors.
Solar panels would be provided for Rs244.6m out of a total cost of Rs999.3m to a high-efficiency network which had been availed by farmers under SIAPEP. Water storage tanks were built by growers to provide water to land through a drip irrigation system. This scheme remained unapproved in the FY23 budget with a revised allocation of Rs124.8m but zero releases.
The FY24 budget allocates Rs99m for a vertical farming scheme, of which Rs45.6m was reserved for the water management wing of the department. It remained unapproved in the last budget though it aims to enhance the productivity of vegetables, according to officials, especially in Karachi, which remains dependent on supplies from the rest of Sindh.
Subsidies in the form of seeds, material for tunnels, green net, and bed formation would be provided to growers for a two-acre plot. Vegetables would be grown in a controlled environment that has the potential to give better yields.
The research wing would be spending Rs25m out of an estimated cost of Rs100m for “vertical development of wheat through speed breeding” in the Hyderabad and Shaheed Benazirabad divisions.
An unapproved Rs2.8bn scheme of installation of “pulp processing units for fruits and vegetables in Sindh” was mentioned in this year’s budget with an allocation of Rs713m. An engineering department official said it was to be used mainly in tomato-producing areas for pulp processing.
Sindh Abadgar Board leader Mehmood Nawaz Shah complains the budgetary development proposals were not discussed with stakeholders. “We have been crying about how the research wing has been performing. It might be getting lower allocations, but outcomes of it should be shared,” he remarked.
He pointed out that amidst limited resources, the focus should be on the current agricultural practices that farmers have been following and concepts like vertical farming should be reserved for areas where fertile land is unavailable, unlike the countryside.
Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, June 26th, 2023
The province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been facing a severe cash crunch for the last year because the centre is not fully paying its net hydel profits (NHP) and has also stopped funds committed for the erstwhile tribal areas.
The previous government of PTI in the province was forced to borrow Rs285 billion from the State Bank of Pakistan under the ‘Ways & Means’ facility to pay salaries and pensions to its employees on time. It had repeatedly accused the PDM coalition led by the Noon League of ‘victimising’ the PTI administration by stopping funds for political reasons.
The situation has somewhat changed since federal assistance seems to have increased. It is evident from the fact that the caretaker setup hasn’t borrowed any money from the central bank to pay its salary and pension bill after March.
Still, the central government owes the province a hefty Rs55bn in net hydel profit arrears as it has received only Rs5bn in the outgoing fiscal year. Hence, the caretaker setup in the province has authorised conservative expenditure of Rs462.4bn for a four-month period from July to October to manage the province in the run-up to the next national elections.
Mass regularisation of employees due to the Fata-KP merger and payments to project employees has resulted into massive wage spending
Like Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has also chosen to breach the provisions of the Elections Act, 2017 and Article 126 of the Constitution, which drastically curtails the administrative and financial powers of the caretaker governments to maintain the credibility of the elections.
“The caretakers have cut the government expenditure (for four months) by another 25 per cent (from the outgoing year),” Himayatullah Khan, the adviser to the chief minister on finance, claimed at a press conference to announce authorised expenditure.
He said the caretaker government had also taken strict austerity measures in view of the crunch. All posts lying vacant for the past three years would be abolished, and there would be a total ban on new development projects, he added.
Besides, the government also banned the purchase of physical assets, new vehicles and renovation of government offices and residences; participation in seminars abroad on government expenses, and medical treatment abroad on government expenses. The budget also seeks to streamline the necessary payments and release of funds during the next four months.
However, the restrictions on caretakers as well as the financial crunch, didn’t keep the temporary, unelected setup from announcing a hefty Rs112.4bn development stimulus for the interim period leading to elections.
This includes allocations of Rs20.3bn for the merged districts of erstwhile Fata. The remainder of Rs350bn has been set aside for current expenditure, including Rs40.5bn for the merged districts.
That’s not all. In line with the federal decision, the province has also announced 35 per cent ad hoc relief in the salaries of provincial employees from grade one to 16 and 30pc ad hoc relief for grade 17 to 22 officers. An increase of 17.5pc in the pension was also approved. This will burden the province’s resources by over Rs40bn, including an increase of Rs29.7bn in the salary bill and Rs5bn in the pension bill.
Alongside the pay raise, the budget also increased the travelling and deputation allowance by 50pc, doubling the special conveyance allowance for disabled employees and the secretariat performance allowance.
It is not justified for an unelected setup to make such decisions that would be difficult for the elected government to reverse.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s wage and pension spending has grown outrageously in the last 13 years, with the salary bill going up by 541pc and pension by 951pc between FY12 and FY24.
The figures in a spending plan presentation given to the caretaker cabinet by the finance department revealed that the province’s pay bill stood at Rs86bn in FY12 and would reach Rs487bn next year. The province’s wage bill grew by Rs40bn in FY22 and by Rs58bn last year. It is projected to rise by Rs115bn next fiscal. As for the province’s pension bill, it was Rs16bn in 2011-12 and will reach Rs126bn next year.
Mass regularisation of employees due to the Fata-KP merger, as well as payments to project employees, is the major contributor to the massive wage spending. In 2021, around 2,200 Levies and Khasadar personnel were absorbed into the province police, while 4,079 people working on 136 projects in tribal districts were regularised in January last year.
In July last year, the government had regularised 56,000 teachers and 700 ad hoc doctors. Overall, some 229,837 posts have been created and 258,887 upgraded since the PTI came to power in the province in 2013.
Against the expenditure of Rs462.4bn, the caretakers expect a total income of Rs442.6bn, showing an operational shortfall of nearly Rs20bn.
It hopes to receive over Rs249bn from federal transfers, Rs29.9bn from the 1pc share in the divisible pool on account of the war on terrorism, Rs13.2bn from straight transfers, Rs10bn in net hydel profits, and Rs18.3bn in NHP arrears during the four-month period.
The own provincial receipts are expected to generate Rs28.8bn in tax and non-tax revenue of Rs18.8bn and Rs9.5bn, respectively. The foreign funding for development projects has been pitched at Rs37bn, and the receipts for merged areas are projected at over Rs42bn.
Overall, the government expects to receive 871bn from the centre in the full next fiscal year, which also includes Rs84bn in terms of hydel profit and arrears and Rs90bn for the war against terrorism in its share in taxes and others.
Besides, the provincial government also expected to receive Rs93bn in foreign assistance for the purpose of development works during the next financial year, the financial adviser said.
In pursuit of the election laws and the constitution, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa caretakers must revise the large expenditure that can be a burden on the provincial resources and impossible for the next elected government to reverse.
Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, June 26th, 2023
LAHORE / QUETTA: Eight people lost their lives after they were struck by lightning in Punjab as many areas in the province received heavy rain with strong wind, on Sunday.
The extreme weather also caused infrastructure and livestock losses in parts of Punjab and Balochistan.
Deaths were reported in Narowal, Sialkot and Sheikhupura districts.
According to a rescue official, five people were killed in Narowal district. “The lightning strikes occurred in four areas, including the villages of Ratia Khurd and Mengra, of Narowal district,” said Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hurmat Ali.
In Changovali village, two people working in a field fell victim to lightning strikes. They were identified as Mohammad Siddique, 60, and Mohammad Naseer, 30. One Abdul Rehman was moved to hospital in serious condition.
Downpours, hailstorm batter parts of Balochistan
In a similar incident, 20-year-old Mohammad Bilal was killed in Kanogo village as were Mohammad Asad and Mohammad Saqlain in nearby areas.
Narowal Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ashraf said there were reports of loss of livestock as well.
“The district administration is compiling a damage report,” DC Ashraf said, adding that the thunderstorm also damaged power pylons, plunging many areas into darkness.
Two incidents of lightning were reported from Sheikhupura, killing Mohammad Atif, 37, and leaving Mohammad Shafiq severely injured.
Both the injured and dead were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital.
Lightning also struck a transformer at the Sharaqpur Road grid station resulting in a fire which suspended power supply to the area.
Mohammad Kashif, 16, and Waqar Ali,18, lost their lives due to lightning strikes in tehsil Pasrur’s Thatta and Chondah villages, respectively.
Rain, hailstorms in Balochistan
Many areas of northern and central Balochistan, including the provincial capital Quetta, also received heavy rain and hail storms on Sunday.
The extreme weather disrupted life as it caused damage to homes and other infrastructure. The rain led to flash floods in Ziarat with water entering residential areas in the valley.
According to officials, Ziarat and its adjoining areas have been receiving heavy pre-monsoon rains for the last week. However, on Sunday heavy rains caused flash floods as seasonal streams carried heavy floodwater from nearby mountains.
The traffic between Ziarat, Quetta and other areas was suspended as roads were inundated by floodwater. Several tourists have been stuck in the valley with long queues of buses and other vehicles on both sides of the Quetta-Ziarat road.
Officials said departments concerned were making efforts to open the road and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority staff was present on the ground to help people whose homes have been flooded.
Heavy rainfall was also reported in Loralai, Duki, Harnai, Sibi and Bolan areas. Quetta also received heavy rain with thunderstorms which dropped the mercury.
More rains predicted
Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman has urged caution as the Met department has predicted more rainfall in Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab.
According to the advisory, rain and thunderstorm with strong winds are forecast for Lahore, Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Sargodha, Mianwali, Sheikhupura and Faisalabad districts of Punjab.
Dust and thunderstorms were also expected in Bhakkar, Sahiwal, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar districts.
In a tweet, Ms Rehman said pre-monsoon rains from June 25 to 30 will subside the prevailing heat wave in many areas.
“Heavy rains may cause urban flooding and trigger landslides in vulnerable mountainous areas such as Murree, Galliyat, Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”
Flash floods were also expected in D. G. Khan and adjoining areas of northeast Balochistan, the minister warned. “All relevant local [departments] have been instructed to stay alert and tourists are advised to exercise caution. Citizens are requested to stay away from weak infrastructure, power poles, and watercourses during strong winds and rains to avoid any untoward incidents,” she added.
Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2023
ISLAMABAD: In a bid to “sensitise” the seven-member bench seized with petitions against trials of civilians in the military courts to the gravity of May 9 violence, the federal government is “seriously considering” playing footage of violent attacks on military and government buildings in Courtroom No 1.
“We want to sensitise the court to the gravity of the situation for which it is essential to show the video footage,” said Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan while talking to Dawn. He said the government intended to run the clips of violent incidents, which occurred following the arrest of PTI chief Imran Khan on May 9, inside Courtroom No 1.
The government is likely to play different clips showing attacks in cantonments of Lahore, Mianwali, Rawalpindi, and Mardan, particularly attacks on the Lahore corps commander’s house and the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.
It is likely that the footage would be shown on Tuesday when it will be the government’s turn to advance arguments through AGP Awan.
Aitzaz argues military trials beyond scope of Article 175
Meanwhile, Aitzaz Ahsan furnished additional documents before the Supreme Court, pleading that trials of civilians in military courts violated fundamental rights and go beyond the scope of Article 175 of the Constitution — a provision that deals with the superior judiciary.
The additional document mainly contained a number of previous judicial precedents through different judgements of the apex court to conclude that the principles of a fair trial, due process of law, and natural justice enshrined in articles 4 and 10A of the Constitution cannot be abridged by an ordinary statutory legislation.
The document also contained a copy of Pakistan Vision Volume 21 No 2 on the establishment of military courts in Pakistan and its effect on the trichotomy of powers, as well as a copy of a briefing paper on ‘Military Injustice in Pakistan’.
About Article 10A, the additional document argued that fair trial meant the grant of a proper hearing to an accused person by an unbiased competent forum and that justice should not only be done but seem to be done.
The document cited a verdict of Justice Qazi Faez Isa in which the apex court had held that the expression “civil rights/obligations” used in Article 10A was of wide and expansive amplitude. In its comprehensive connotation, everything that affects a citizen in his civil life inflicts a civil consequence, the judgement had stated.
Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2023
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• Parts of country face up to 12 hours of loadshedding, ‘brownouts’
•Officials say system ‘ill-equipped’ to bear ‘huge load’ as demand reaches 30,000MW
LAHORE: People across Pakistan have been hit by a double whammy of extremely hot weather and prolonged power outages, with many distribution companies (Discos) resorting to observe loadshedding after the power shortfall crossed 6,000 megawatts on Saturday.
In urban areas, three to six hours of loadshedding was reported while rural areas of the country experienced up to 12 hours of outages.
In addition to scheduled outages, brownouts (tripping, fluctuation, low voltage etc) caused by the overloaded transmission and distribution system also forced load management.
Similarly, shutdowns on the pretext of maintenance also continued, making people’s lives miserable as they braved the hot and humid weather. As reliance on air conditioners increased amid intense heat, the power demand touched 30,000MW during peak hours — the highest demand in the country’s history so far.
Officials say system ‘ill-equipped’ to bear ‘huge load’ as demand reaches 30,000MW
“On Friday, the peak demand touched 30,000MW,” a senior official told Dawn on Saturday. “Our shortfall, if we deduct the deficit on which we observe loadshedding in areas falling within service jurisdiction of high-loss electricity feeders (power theft areas), reaches 2,500MW maximum,” the official maintained.
According to another official source, the total shortfall the country has been facing for the past week, especially since Thursday onwards, ranges between 5,000MW and 6,000MW. However, the demand reached 6,300MW on Saturday.
“In fact, as a policy matter, the loadshedding being observed on the high-loss feeders (category 1 to 6), is not considered as loadshedding. Actually, it is considered a punishment for power thieves. That is why, a major chunk of power shortfall affects such areas under this policy,” he maintained.
Amid such a major shortfall, regions with no or minimal losses get electricity for most hours, he said, adding that areas falling in service jurisdiction of less-loss or no-loss feeders are facing load shedding for [up to] three hours in urban areas,“ he clarified.
But the primary issue is the increased demand caused by the excessive use of air conditioners and the overloading of the system especially when it was “weak to bear such a huge load”. He said during the previous government, Discos could not procure material in time which was the reason the power system could not work smoothly in such hot weather.
“This is why the system is facing stress, leading to brownouts in major cities, including Lahore. The situation is worst in rural areas where residents are facing 12 to 16 hours of load shedding,” he added.
When contacted, an official of the power division said the total generation on Saturday remained at 22,930MW, including 6,200MW generated by hydropower, nuclear 3,100MW, thermal 12,800MW, and 830MW generated by wind projects.
Gas-fired plants active
According to a source in the petroleum ministry, all gas-fired plants were working to meet the shortfall. “The SNGPL is supplying 700mcfd to all state-owned gas-fired power plants, including Bhikki, Haveli Bahadur Shah and Balloki thermal power plants. Some private plants are also being supplied gas,” the source claimed.
The official said the shortfall was due to the plants operated on diesel and furnace oil which were not operational at present for being the “last category of merit order” for the power generation in the country.
According to a source in Wapda, the total hydel generation in peak hours remained at 6,000M: over 2,800MW, 1,210MW, 1,150MW, 230MW by Tarbela, Tarbela-4th Extension, Ghazi Barotha, and Mangla hydel power stations, respectively. “There is no generation by the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project due to rehabilitation works.”
Mangla’s power generation is low at the moment because the water was being used by Irsa for irrigation, he added.
When contacted, a spokesperson for the Power Division declined to share any data related to the demand, generation, and shortfall.
“It is difficult to tell about the shortfall as it is a ‘sensitive figure’ as well as [it is] quite fluctuating. She said the data would be shared with Dawn after getting it from the departments concerned.
Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2023
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ISLAMABAD: Malik Riaz, owner of Bahria Town, on Friday skipped a second call-up notice of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) that insiders said had been under immense pressure for summoning ex-premier Imran Khan but not calling the real estate tycoon in Al Qadir Trust case.
According to NAB rules, the anti-graft watchdog could arrest any suspect who ignores three call-up notices and does not appear before its investigation officer.
However, there is also a likelihood that Mr Riaz had sent a written reply to NAB’s notices and avoided his personal appearance.
The property tycoon is said to be one of the main suspects in the high-profile Al Qadir Trust case in which the PTI chairman and his wife were facing charges of obtaining billions of rupees and hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town for a deal during the previous PTI government.
Last month, NAB arrested Mr Khan in the same case that triggered protests by PTI supporters who torched and ransacked public and private properties, including military installations.
In the case, NAB also served two notices on former aide to prime minister Azam Khan, but he did not turn up before the bureau on June 6 and June 19.
Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2023
WASHINGTON: The joint US-India statement has not only urged Pakistan to take ’immediate action“ against all terrorist groups, but also left open the option of asking the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to further tighten its anti-money-laundering and terrorism financing standards.
The statement, issued after a White House meeting between President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, said the two leaders “called upon the FATF to undertake further work identifying how to improve global implementation of its standards to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism.”
Uzair Younus, a South Asian scholar with the Atlantic Council, Washington, said this should be a cause of concern for Pakistan because “there’s evidence that when pushed on the FATF side, Pakistan does comply with specific demands like this.”
He referred to the Sajid Mir case, adding that in the fall of 2021, “Sajid Mir was brought back from the dead” when Pakistan faced similar pressures.
Opens up possibility of Indian-influenced ‘designations’ to press Islamabad into action
Mir was on the FBI’s list of most-wanted terrorists, and was wanted by both the US and India over the Mumbai attacks. Although it was initially claimed that he was dead, he was arrested by Pakistani security agencies in 2022 and subsequently convicted.
The statement also underlines the cooperation between the US and Indian governments on “counterterrorism designations and homeland security cooperation,” including in intelligence sharing and law enforcement cooperation.
This gives them the option of joint designations, further increasing pressure on Pakistan to go after those declared terrorists by the Indian government.
The statement “called on Pakistan to take immediate action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for launching terrorist attacks” and called for “the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks to be brought to justice.”
At their White House meeting, Biden, and Modi reiterated the call for concerted action against all UN-listed terrorist groups including Al-Qaeda, the so-called Islamic State (IS), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Hizb-ul-Mujhahideen.
“This means that the US is now aligning itself with India to push Pakistan to take verifiable actions against groups that in the past have received sanctuary or patronage,” said Shuja Nawaz, a Pakistani-American scholar.
“Significant that nothing is said about Indian repression in Kashmir or Manipur or curtailing Gandhi from parliament,” he noted.
Mr Younus, however, pointed out that the message from the US “has been loud and clear for a while: act against terrorists that have found a safe haven on Pakistani soil, especially those linked to LeT and responsible for terror attacks in Mumbai and Pathankot.”
Asked why Washington was supporting an Indian demand, he said: “The US has a long history of supporting this demand, and for valid reasons as US citizens also died there.”
The joint statement stressed that the United States and India “stand together to counter global terrorism and unequivocally condemn terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations.”
The two leaders strongly condemned cross-border terrorism, the use of terrorist proxies and “they noted with concern the increasing global use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones and information and communication technologies for terrorist purposes and reaffirmed the importance of working together to combat such misuse.”
Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2023
Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) on Friday barred entry of non-residents inside the Nisar Shaheed Park located in the locality’s Phase IV.
In a tweet from its official Twitter account, the DHA issued a number of procedures for entrance into the park, saying that they were aimed at ensuring a “smooth and enjoyable experience for all visitors”.
The entry guidelines listed by the authority said residents could only visit the park with their family members while individual entry was not permitted.
“Residents of DHA who wish to visit the park for a walk must be appropriately dressed in a sports kit, or at the very least, joggers paired with a shalwar kameez or pant shirt,” the DHA said.
It added that the entry of non-residents into the park was not allowed “with or without family”.
It must be noted that Nisar Shaheed Park is managed by the DHA.
When Dawn.com reached out to the DHA spokesperson Farrukh Rizvi for further details, he briefly replied that the decision was taken “in the best interest of the society’s residents”.
“Rest [of the] details will follow,” he added.
The DHA spokesperson also did not specify how the authority planned to filter residents from non-residents.
Mohammad Naveed, a resident of Karachi’s Saddar, objected to the authority’s decision. “I often used to take my children to the park on weekends. Why is the park suddenly being closed only for us? Are we any less of Pakistan’s citizens?” he asked.
Meanwhile, a lawyer Dawn.com talked to, who wished not to be named, said access to any public space could not be restricted and questioned how the authority planned on stopping non-residents from entering the park.
KARACHI: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Thursday forecast pre-monsoon rains with dust thunderstorm in upper and central regions of the country from June 25 to 30.
According to the PMD, under the influence of moist weather condition, rain and wind-thundershower with isolated heavy falls are expected in the upper and central regions.
The areas forecast to receive rain with occasional breaks include Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Galliyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral, Swat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Haripur, Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Kurram, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Kohat, Mianwali, Sargodha, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, Jhang and Toba Tek Singh.
Meanwhile, Sukkur, Jacobabad and Larkana may receive rains and wind-thundershowers from June 27 to 28.
Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2023
ISLAMABAD: Firebrand PML-N stalwart and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday assailed the judiciary for taking up the petitions challenging civilians’ trial in the military courts over the May 9 incidents, stating that the “politically-motivated” petitions had been filed by some “discarded politicians” who wanted to seek public attention.
Speaking on a point of order during the budget debate in the National Assembly, the defence minister regretted the judiciary had taken up the pleas despite the fact that it had validated such trials in the military courts in the past.
The minister recalled that under the rule of the PTI, military courts not only tried the civilians but also convicted 25 of them. Without naming anyone, he urged petitioners not to compromise on the country’s dignity for “political gains”.
The minister urged the state institutions to work within their constitutional domain, alleging that the judiciary had encroached on parliament’s jurisdiction.
Dar promises master plan for rehabilitation of flood-hit areas by July 15
“Protect your turf, otherwise you will not be able to retrieve it. The judiciary has already encroached on our territory. We must reclaim it,” he declared while pointing towards other members.
“I appeal to those who have taken this matter to the court as well as to the judiciary, leave some legacy so that you can be remembered, You are about to leave and history may delete you,” said Khawaja Asif in an apparent reference to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, who is set to retire in September this year.
He said never in the past had they witnessed such attacks on the monuments of martyrs and military installations. He claimed that he knew the name of those who were behind the attack on the army’s General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi in the aftermath of the arrest of PTI chief Imran Khan on May 9, stating that these attackers deserved to be dealt with sternly.
The minister was on his legs when he was informed by PPP MNA Ghulam Ali Talpur that the two Supreme Court judges had refused to become a part of the bench.
Master plan for flood-hit areas
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar briefed the house about the agreement reached between the PPP and the PML-N over the issue of the non-release of funds for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the flood-hit areas. He said the leadership of the two parties had had two rounds of talks and they had decided that a master plan for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the flood-hit areas in Sindh would be prepared by July 15.
According to the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), the planning ministry after the budget’s passage would finalise the $16.3 billion master plan for reconstruction and rehabilitation of the flood-affected areas.
The minister said immediate rescue and relief work had been done throughout the country with a disbursement of Rs80 billion through the BISP programme, adding almost Rs100 billion had already been spent in addition to the assistance extended by the National Disaster Management Authority.
On an urgent basis, he said the relief goods had been taken from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) store, and the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet recently approved Rs12 billion to replenish its stock, keeping in view the predicted threats of the monsoon and the cyclone.
He said a comprehensive report had been prepared in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Union, and the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives. The report calculated that Pakistan collectively suffered over $30 billion in economic and physical loss.
He said funds amounting to $16.3 billion were required to execute the physical work like repair of damaged houses and infrastructure, under the 4RF strategy i.e. resilient recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction. The estimate was for the projects to be completed in up to five years, he added.
Ishaq Dar clarified that 50 per cent expenses of reconstruction and rehabilitation work would be borne by the federal government and 50 per cent by the respective province.
Under the 4RF policy, roughly $11 billion, out of $16.3 billion, would be spent in Sindh, and the rest in the flood-affected areas of Balochistan and south Punjab in light of losses, he added.
In the Geneva Donors Conference, the minister said pledges to the tune of around $8 billion were made but they lacked details that which donor would provide assistance in what field.
Sharing details of the urgent nature of projects to be carried out in Sindh, he said a flood emergency housing scheme in Sindh would be executed at a cost of $727 million, for which Rs500 billion had been earmarked in the next fiscal year, out of which Rs25 billion each would be provided by the federal government and the Sindh government.
Similarly, Rs6 billion were required for the water supply projects and the federal and Sindh government’s share would be Rs3 billion each. Likewise, the finance minister said Rs11.9 billion were required for the construction, repair and rehabilitation of 1,800 schools affected by the flood and its expense would be equally shared by the federal and provincial governments.
Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2023
• Says Pakistan offered loans, not aid, while billions spent defending other nations
• Meets French president, Saudi crown prince and UN chief on sidelines
• Briefs IMF chief on country’s economic outlook, hopes for loan deal soon
ISLAMABAD: Developed countries should distribute resources fairly to help mitigate the suffering of developing nations and ensure world peace, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told a gathering of some 40 world leaders in Paris on Thursday, at a summit aimed at charting a fresh approach to tackling poverty and climate change.
The two-day New Global Financial Pact Summit, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, seeks to improve the lending system for developing countries.
It comes amid growing recognition of the scale of the financial challenges ahead, with warnings that the world’s ability to curb global warming at tolerable levels relies on a massive increase in clean energy investment in developing nations.
Before the summit, PM Shehbaz met several world leaders and heads of the United Nations and International Monetary Fund (IMF) and highlighted the challenges faced by developing nations, particularly because of climate change.
During his speech at the event, the premier stressed the need for a fair and equitable formula for the distribution of financial resources in the world. He decried the response of international institutions to Pakistan’s appeals for funds after floods in 2022, saying that it was offered loans whereas billions were being spent on the defence of “a country or countries”.
“Of course, we are very grateful to our friendly countries across the globe for their valuable and timely contribution, but largely, the cash amount had to be generated from our own resources,” he said.
“And when we approached international institutions, they said, ‘Well, we can give you loans.’”
“We know that there are tensions around the globe and billions and billions of dollars are being spent over there to defend this [country],” he said in an apparent reference to Ukraine.
“On the one hand, you are ready to provide everything for the defence of a country or countries — that is perfectly okay — but when it comes to the question of saving thousands and thousands of people from dying, then [one has] to borrow money at a very high cost. Then you have to … beg and borrow and further deteriorate your already very precarious financial situation,” he said.
He stressed the need for a “fair, equitable and judicious” formula for the distribution of financial resources. Otherwise, he said, “this world will never live in peace”.
“Unless we come forward in generous terms to provide an opportunity and a system, and a mechanism which will satisfy the most vulnerable at a bare minimum, and which will create harmony in terms of economic justice and fairness, this world shall always be in trouble.
“It’s never too late. Let’s stand up and say no to injustice,” he said.
PM meets Macron, IMF chief
In a meeting with the French president on the sidelines, PM Shehbaz said the disastrous impacts of climate change had exacerbated the difficulties of the already suffering developing states, APP reported,
He appreciated the French president for hosting the summit and inviting him to the event as well as for the warm hospitality.
He paid tribute to Mr Macron for taking a bold step towards the development of a system based on financial equity for the developing world faced with the challenges like the dearth of resources, debt burden, interest payments, and stalled development.
Both leaders also discussed other matters of mutual interest and agreed to keep up the contacts.
In a separate meeting, the premier briefed IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on the country’s economic outlook, hoping for the release of critical stalled funds.
The meeting came with about a week left before the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility agreed in 2019 expires on June 30.
Under the $6.5bn programme’s ninth review, concluded earlier this year, Pakistan has been trying to secure $1.1bn of funding that has been stalled since November.
The PM Office said in a statement he hoped that the funds would be released “as soon as possible”.
The IMF chief later tweeted the two had a “fruitful discussion” on how the IMF could continue to work closely with Pakistan on policies to maintain macroeconomic stability and advance inclusive growth for the Pakistani people.
PM Shehbaz responded by saying that Pakistan keenly looked forward to IMF board’s approval for the ninth review at the earliest.
Meeting with MBS, Kerry
The premier also met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman. Both leaders agreed to expedite collaboration to bolster bilateral cooperation.
The premier’s office said in a statement the two leaders also exchanged views on matters of bilateral interest and PM Shehbaz extended best wishes to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz. In return, the crown prince expressed goodwill for the government and the people of Pakistan.
Later, the prime minister met US climate envoy John Kerry and both extended good wishes to each other, according to an update on the PML-N’s Twitter account.
“Developed nations, in particular, should play a role in helping developing countries deal with the negative effect of climate change on economic growth,” the PM said.
He said after establishing the Loss and Damage Fund at COP27, promises of the provision of resources would have to be realised.
Mr Kerry agreed with the premier on climate change increasing “risks” for developing countries, the PML-N statement said. Both leaders agreed to proceed on the matter with consultation.
UN chief
In a meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines, the premier discussed the challenges of climate change being faced by the world, especially Pakistan.
He told Mr Guterres that he considered him the benefactor of Pakistan as “we cannot forget your help during the last year’s floods”.
He said the UN Secretary General himself was a witness to the devastation caused by climate change in the country.
The prime minister also informed the UN chief about the measures taken by the government for rehabilitation and reconstruction of the flood-hit areas.
“Reconstruction of the infrastructure affected by the floods and rehabilitation of the flood-affected people is the government’s top priority,” he added.
The prime minister also met Egypt President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and the two leaders agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in multiple fields.
Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2023
ISLAMABAD: The Cabinet Division has revised the Eidul Azha holidays notification, adding June 28 to the list. As a result, federal government employees will have three holidays in addition to their two weekly days off.
The notification, reissued on Thursday, states that Eid holidays will start from Wednesday, June 28, to Friday, June 30, for offices that observe a five-day working week.
While, for offices that observe a six-day working week, the Eid holidays will be from Wednesday, June 28, to Saturday, July 1.
The government has withdrawn the earlier notification, which was issued on June 20, announcing that the Eid holidays would commence from June 29 for both categories.
Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2023
• SFIC to focus on leveraging key sectors, attract investment from friendly countries
• PM says body’s immediate task will be to boost FDI to $5bn
• Arrives in Paris to attend two-day summit on new global financial pact
ISLAMABAD: The government has set up a new body to frame economic policies that “ensure policy predictability, continuity and effective implementation to revive the economy”, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday as he stressed the need for “creative ideas” to solve economic problems.
The new forum, the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), will serve as a top decision-making body to push through fundamental reforms in the economy’s structure, the premier tweeted.
It would focus on “leveraging key sectors such as IT, agriculture, energy, minerals and mining, and defence production”, he said.
Later in the day, PM Shehbaz arrived in Paris to attend an international conference for a new global financial pact.
A key goal of the SIFC, he said, was to attract investment from friendly countries. “The immediate task is to increase FDI (foreign direct investment) to $5 billion,” he said.
His statement came a day after central bank data showed that the FDI in July-May dropped 21 per cent over the past year to $1.32bn.
The prime minister said the need for a representative forum like the SIFC had long been felt because of the scale of economic challenges caused by internal and external factors.
“The textbook approach to deal with a unique set of problems is not workable anymore,” he said. “Hence all the more reason to leverage collective wisdom to kick-start the economy to make it self-reliant, export-driven, and robust, capable of withstanding external shocks and upheavals.”
He added: “Creative ideas offer the solution to our economic problems.”
PM arrives in Paris
Later on Wednesday, Prime Minister Sharif arrived in Paris at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron to attend the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact on June 22 and 23.
Mr Sharif was received by Pakistan’s ambassador in France and diplomatic officials, besides senior French government authorities.
Federal ministers Sherry Rehman, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Marriyum Aurangzeb, and premier’s special assistant Tariq Fatemi are part of the delegation.
The summit’s objective is to set the foundations for a new global financing architecture beyond the Bretton Woods system to simultaneously address climate change, biodiversity and development challenges and help all countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
The prime minister will attend the two-day event along with heads of state and delegates from over 50 countries. He will also join the world leaders at a dinner reception hosted by the French president for the participating dignitaries. He will also hold bilateral meetings with different heads of state.
“During my visit to France, I will present Pakistan’s position on the need for restructuring of international financial institutions to fight the contemporary challenges facing humanity,” Mr Sharif tweeted on Wednesday.
“As a leading stakeholder in G-77 plus China grouping and also as a country adversely hit by climate change threat, Pakistan is better positioned for this role,” he said.
The reform of international financial architecture, he said, had long been a key demand relentlessly made at different forums by public policy scholars, policy practitioners and world leaders, especially from the Global South. He said the grave nature of challenges, such as climate change, natural disasters, environment, rising levels of debt and energy transitions, had rung alarm bells.
Learning Conference
Separately, in Islamabad, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training opened the two-day Pakistan Learning Conference 2023 on Wednesday.
PM Shehbaz said he was looking forward to the conference’s recommendations for “building a resilient and happy future for our children”. However, he said he couldn’t attend the event “due to my commitment to represent Pakistan at a global financial moot in Paris”.
Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2023