ILF concludes, leaving capital starving for more

The third and final day of the 8th Islamabad Literature Festival (ILF) concluded with stimulating debates and book launches. The event took place virtually but was peppered with a few face-to-face sessions attended by a select audience observing full Covid-19 protocol. The day started with a session on ‘Cartooning: No Laughing Matter.’ The famed cartoonists Nigar Nazar, creator of ‘Gogi,’ and Shaukat Mahmood, creator of ‘Maxim’ along with Ricardo Martinez Ortega and Mahnaz Yazdani shared how creating wit and humour in pictures was indeed, no laughing matter. The panel of speakers in ‘Yaad-e-Raftagan’ featured Fateh Muhammad Malik, Asghar Nadeem Syed, Najeeba Arif, Harris Khalique and Hameed Shahid. They paid tribute to those who had passed away but left behind a rich legacy of their literary works. The morning session also featured Kishwar Naheed, the matriarch of resistance writing. She launched her book, ‘Buri Aurat ki Doosri Katha’ (The Bad Woman’s Second Story)—a sequel to her autobiography, ‘Buri Aurat Ki Katha’ (The Bad Woman’s Story). Naheed remains one of Pakistan’s most prolific Urdu poets and newspaper columnists. There were two book launches in the morning hours. The first was ‘Dying to Serve: Militarism, Affect and the Politics of sacrifice in the Pakistan Army,’ where author Maria Rashid spoke about the morale and commitment of Pakistan's military culture in a compassionate way. The second was the autobiography of ‘Bacha Khan: My life and struggle’ – a lucid and historic English translation from the original Pukhto. Also featured in the morning discussion was ‘Changing landscapes: Climate Conversation in Literature and Society’ curated by an expert panel of Ahmad Rafay Alam, Elizabeth-Jane Burnett and Bilal Zahoor. The afternoon session ‘Hairat ka Bagh’ featured author Hameed Shahid. He discussed his collection of short stories and a novel, imbued with the mysteries and wonders of life. Also included in the session was Omar Mukhtar Khan’s ‘Once upon a time in Murree’ that captured the writer's nostalgic love for the hill station. An ILF panel with Vaqar Ahmed, Ashfaq Yousuf Tola, Aliya Hashmi Khan discussed the impact of offshore tax havens in the session: ‘Panama, Pandora and Pakistan.’ Then, the session on ‘Digital Education: A new Normal’ talked about a new global report that explored the digital divide in education, following the shift to digital learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was followed by a panel discussion between Tallah Munir Khan, Nusrat Baquee, Sarah Farooq that highlighted trends shaping the digital learning landscape globally and in Pakistan. The book launch of ‘Womansplaining: Navigating Activism, Politics and Modernity in Pakistan,’ edited by Sherry Rehman, shed a light on the potential of Pakistani women and their commitment to activism. Another book launch of the ‘Marginalization, Contestation, and Change in South Asian Cities,’ edited by Nida Kirmani discussed the struggles over space, resources, identities, and meaning taking place within South Asian cities. Late afternoon sessions included Pakistan: Current challenges and Priorities with Maleeha Lodhi and Owen Bennett-Jones in conversation with Arifa Noor on Pakistan’s current challenges. This was followed by a session on ‘We the people: What the Constitution says?’ where distinguished panellists, Wasim Sajjad, Raza Rabbani and Ahmer Bilal Soofi laid forth facts contained in the 1973 Constitution. Read More: 28 foreign language books translated into Urdu The Web Series ‘Future of Digital Entertainment’ boasted entertainment personalities, Beo Zafar, Mehreen Jabbar and Sania Saeed and discussed the scope and scriptwriting for web series in the Digital Age. The ILF concluded with keynote speeches by Francis Pritchett, Najiba Arif and Owen Bennett Jones.     Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2021.

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Hospitals get notices over poor disposal of waste

The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) has served strict notices to 66 public and private hospitals for flouting Hospital Waste Management Rules, 2005. The EPA has summoned chief executive officers of these hospitals to appear before the director-general and explain their position. .The hospitals found violating the regulations included Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Shifa Medical Center, NORI Hospital, PNS Hafeez, Naval Hosptial, KRL Hospital, Ali Medical Centre, MAROOF International Hospital, SARF Hospital, Get Well Medical Centre, Life Care Hospital, Maryam Hospital, PAEC General Hospital, Naqaish Hospital, Ali Hospital, CDA Hospital, Islamic International Dental Hospital, Fatima Medical Laboratory, Excel Laboratories, Islamabad Health Complex, Pak Hospital, Khan Medical Centre, Asif Medical Centre, Abbas Medical Centre, Gul Hospital and Maternity Home, Alam Medical Centre, Islamabad Dental Hospital, Federal General Hospital, Shafi Hospital. Read More: Disposal of medical waste Similarly, the EPA has served notices on Maryam Hospital, Begam Jan Hospital, Rawal Medical & Dental Hospital and Islamabad Medical Complex.   Published in The Express Tribune, November 1st, 2021.

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Stakeholders reject HEC’s new PhD policy

Stakeholders including academics and administrations of the public and private sector universities have strongly rejected the controversial new PhD policy of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for its unilateral and arbitrary nature. In a Vice Chancellors Committee meeting held on Friday in collaboration with British Council, 178 out of 180 participants rejected the undergraduate and PhD policies introduced by the authority earlier this year. The vice chancellors expressed reservations and bemoaned the commission’s refusal to pay heed to recommendations suggested by the stakeholders. They urged the HEC to drop its plans to put the policy into effect and recommended removal of certain features from the policy. One of the public university administrators present at the meeting voiced concerns that the undergraduate policy stipulates internship as a mandatory requirement, pointing out the students would be reluctant to adhere to any such changes. “They are not even willing to attach their pictures on the admission form,” he said. Responding to the sharp criticism, Shaista Ikram, executive director of the HEC, assured that the policy would be resubmitted to the commission as per the demands of the stakeholders, following which universities in Sindh may get the nod to continue with the old policy for admission to programmes in the academic session 2022. Similarly, the Association of Private Sector Universities of Pakistan (APSUP) also welcomed the rejection of new undergraduate and PhD policies. According to a press release, APSUP had similarly conveyed reservations to senior management of HEC about the new undergraduate and PhD policies in a letter on 14 December 2020. “Based on seven countrywide consultation sessions, which were attended by 190 vice chancellors, senior academics and experts, recommendations were also communicated to HEC,” the release read. However, the association lamented that instead of paying attention all these important recommendations were ignored, adding that the unilateral policies were not aligned with ground realities, and were not able to yield a positive impact. It cautioned that unless end-users and relevant stakeholders were involved from policy formulation to implementation process, the policy will not produce the desired results. “It is quite a misfortune that instead of reviewing and updating existing policies, after ten years, new policies are being introduced in the higher education sector by hired consultants without any proper consultation process, homework and provision of required resources and training,” the APSUP added. The changes to the existing mechanism for PhD admission have been eliciting widespread sharp criticism from students as well as academic circles. In a historic first, the HEC’s policy now stipulated that students will be able to pursue a PhD degree in another discipline if the policy makes the cut. A major aspect of the new policy is that it enables candidates to undertake PhD studies directly after four years of the BS programme. Moreover, the policy removes the requirement to send PhD dissertations to foreign experts for review and dissertations can now be sent to Pakistani experts too for the purpose. The maximum duration of a PhD degree will be eight years, with the minimum being three years.

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Exporters uncertain on trading with Afghanistan

  As Afghanistan’s new administration looks to overcome economic instability by normalizing trade relations with its neighbors, questions are being asked regarding the legality of this. Amidst the financial hardships for the country, all eyes are on Pakistan as it is still trading with its Afghan neighbor whereas the rest of the world is yet to recognize the new government. A Peshawar based exporter, who regularly deals with Afghanistan, told the Express Tribune that the little trade happening between the two countries was legal. “We are trading with Afghanistan under the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement 2010, an agreement which cannot be affected unilaterally and it requires both the country’s consent to end the agreement,” he said. However, another trader requesting anonymity due to security concerns, while talking to the Express Tribune, inquired, “our agreements were with the previously politically elected and recognized government. Now when they do not have a globally accepted setup in Afghanistan, who do you deal with?” Citing recognition as the most important factor while dealing with the global community, the trader said that since the Taliban government had not been recognized by the world, the trade currently going on between Pakistan and Afghanistan was illegal. Currently, Pakistan exports chicken, cement, fresh and vegetables, meat, maize, and other daily commodities to its neighbor.The trade between the two is estimated to be between 2 to 4 billion dollars and some traders state that if the current Taliban setup was legitimized by the globe it could grow to around 10 billion dollars per year. READ Traders ask govt to control inflation “There is a clear policy of the State Bank of Pakistan that importers will have to pay in dollars but since Afghanistan’s dollar accounts are frozen how can we term this trade as legitimate,” the trader questioned. However, a senior Customs official, while talking to the Express Tribune said that all such trade illegality claims were nonsense. “Afghanistan has always been extended special treatment and we have traded with them in local currency before which was once questioned by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB),” he informed, “NAB was later informed that it was the ministry of commerce which decided terms and conditions for trade and the case was later dismissed.” The customs official was of the view that even though Afghanistan’s accounts were frozen, there were no United Nations (UN) trade sanctions on the country so nothing was illegal. “In August or September, I don’t remember the exact dates but Taliban stressed upon deals in local currency until their banking sector developed further and since there were no UN sanctions on them it was mutually agreed to trade in local currency,” the senior official informed. Other experts weighing in on the matter believe that since Afghanistan is a landlocked country with only two border crossings mostly used for trade and it would lead to a human catastrophe if bilateral agreements, like Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement, were withdrawn and the country was forced to trade in dollars.

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Completion of CPEC will boost economic activity: Qaiser

National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser stated that the completion of projects initiated under the auspices of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will increase economic activities and people will get employment opportunities. He further said that Pakistan is playing a crucial role in the establishment of durable peace in Afghanistan and urged the global community to promote cooperation with the nation in all sectors, including trade. Addressing a public meeting at Marghuz in district Swabi on Sunday, Qaiser maintained that the restoration of peace in Afghanistan will usher in progress and development for the whole region, adding that our businessmen will get access to Central Asian markets. The NA speaker said a new era of progress and development has begun in the country and that Pakistan will give a changed look. He maintained that under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan the country has been put on the track of development. Qaiser said that during the present government district Swabi has been given unprecedented funds. He added that the district has been given such important representation. He said that he had remained the speaker of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly for five years and served as Speaker of NA for the last three years, stating that for the first time Pakhtuns have been given major posts. The speaker maintained that the journey of the development of Pakhtuns has begun and now they are not behind anyone in any sector, adding that his objective is to serve his people and the district.

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Two killed, three injured in roadside blast in Panjgur

At least two civilians were killed and three paramilitary troops injured in a remote-controlled blast in the Balochistan province on Sunday, officials said. The blast, the latest in a series of terrorist attacks targeting security forces in the mineral-rich province, occurred in Panjgur district, located some 570 kilometres (354 miles) from Quetta. The bomb, according to the police, was planted on a motorbike parked near a security forces vehicle in a crowded area and detonated through remote control. Terming the attack a "cowardly act,” the newly-elected Chief Minister of Balochistan Abdul Qudus Bazinjo said the culprits will be brought to justice. Read more: Four die in Karachi fuel station blast The large Balochistan province, which is also considered to cover parts of neighbouring Iran and Afghanistan, is strategically important due to its rich copper, zinc, and natural gas reserves. The province is also a key route of the $64 billion mega project China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which aims to connect China's strategically important northwestern Xinxiang province to Balochistan’s Gwadar port through a network of roads, railways, and pipelines for cargo, oil, and gas transportation. Also read: Two soldiers martyred in Afghan border clash With its 600-kilometre long coastline, Gwadar is an important deep seaport currently operated by China, which aims to attain direct access to the Indian Ocean via this seaport. The economic corridor will not only provide China cheaper access to Africa and the Middle East but will also bring billions of dollars to Pakistan in the form of transit fees from the world’s second-largest economy.

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‘Your time is up’, Shehbaz tells PM Imran at DG Khan rally

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif has once again lashed out at Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government over rising inflation in the country, saying that “sea of people is ready to overthrow his government”. “The sea of people is a testament that your [PM Imran] time is up..You have made the lives of masses miserable with the back-breaking inflation and rising poverty,” Shehbaz said while addressing a rally at DG Khan in South Punjab on Sunday. https://ift.tt/2Y56khS The anti-government rally was organised under the umbrella of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), a joint opposition alliance. Shehbaz, while comparing the last PML-N’s tenure with the incumbent government, said former premier Nawaz Sharif built a number of public welfare projects in South Punjab. Also read: PDM announces ‘grand rally’ against rising inflation “We built Danish schools across South Punjab under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif.” Shehbaz – who is also the Opposition Leader in National Assembly – said that hospitals and universities were also built in various districts of the southern region of the province. The PML-N president said during the three-year tenure of the PTI government not a single project has been established in South Punjab. Shehbaz said prices of essential commodities have increased manifold and the poor are unable to afford one square meal a day. Quoting the Transparency International report, Shehbaz said that corruption has increased in the country during the tenure of the PTI government. He said PM Imran would label former rulers as “thieves” when prices of petrol and other commodities were increased. “But now petrol and electricity bombs are being dropped on people frequently…” Shehbaz while rejecting the government’s claims that the economy of the country is progressing said that the rate of inflation is highest in Pakistan compared to the other countries in the region. “The PTI government has handed over Pakistan to the IMF,” he added. “This night is not long... stand up and under the leadership of Maulana Fazlur Rehman [PDM chief] take to the streets against inflation and remove the incumbent government,” Shehbaz also said.

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FIA rounds up five officials, books two OMCs for 2020 oil crisis

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested five men – including officials of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) -- and registered two separate cases against two oil marketing companies (OMCs) -- Fossil Energy Pvt Ltd and Askar Oil Services Pvt Ltd -- for their involvement in the fuel crisis of June 2020. The agency rounded up Fossil Energy CEO Nadeem Butt, Ogra Member Gas Amir Naseem, Ogra Member Oil Abdullah Malik, Energy and Petroleum Ministry DG Oil Shafiullah Afridi and Assistant Director Oil Imran Abro. The Ogra officials face charges of illegally issuing licences to OMCs. The officials of the Energy and Petroleum Division are accused of issuing illegal quota of petroleum imports. The FIA claimed that the OMCs, in connivance with Ogra, had set up a network of illegal petrol pumps across the country. The suspects have allegedly caused a loss of billions of rupees to the national treasury by issuing OMCs illegal licences and import quotas and buying and selling petroleum imports in violation of the law. The profits earned through this illegal way have been laundered out of the country, the FIA maintained. The FIA has obtained physical remand of the arrested men and started interrogating them. Read FIA cracks down on TLP’s social media accounts A commission of inquiry formed in July last year to probe into a sudden shortage of fuel in the country had held the OMCs primarily responsible for the crisis, noting that they had deliberately stopped supplying petroleum products to pumps despite having considerable stocks at their disposal. It said in its report that the OMCs had made from Rs6 to Rs8 billion during the June oil crisis by committing every illegality in “business as usual” manner. It said as the OMCs would incur a substantial Inventory loss by free sale in June, they took the easy way out to simply slow down or dry out supplies, against all legal and moral norms. “Consequently, the shortage of petrol began to surface across Pakistan and the filling stations gradually became dry, denying the public at large to reap the benefit of this substantial price cut.” It said the OMCs, in contravention of licence conditions, slowed down the supply of petrol to their filling stations. On a lesser scale, the filling stations also held back on whatever stock they had in their tanks. “All OMCs [other than the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and Shell] proportionally held on to their stocks with knowledge of anticipated rise in prices. This has been proven during ground check of filling stations and records submitted by the OMCs with affidavits,” the report read. It said the PSO, being a state-owned entity, could not follow this illegal suit due to the prevailing situation. Consequently, its market share in the period of shortage increased by nearly 20% and consequently, it sustained a loss of Rs7-8 billion in the process.

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Is there any stopping the supply chain reaction?

As the world braces up to normalise following a year and a half of severe battering from the Covid-19 pandemic, the after effects of the malady on the global economy continue to emerge in different forms. While the early days of the pandemic saw major world economies impose lockdowns, close borders and reduce business activities, the latest problem concern a disruption in the global supply chain of a majority of commodities. Many of these items are also of daily use. One year ago, the breakthrough in development of a Covid-19 vaccine renewed hopes putting an end to the pandemic by the mid of the ongoing year. However one year later, the world economy continues to suffer despite widespread vaccination campaigns in many countries including Pakistan. One of the major after effects of the pandemic has been the disturbance in the global supply chain which has slowed down the global recovery from the pandemic. Speaking to The Express Tribune, cotton trader Saad Ahmed said that the supply chain crisis was being faced due to a cascading impact of Covid-19. “We all know that the pandemic hit China much earlier [end of 2019] than the rest of the world,” he said. “However, due to stringent lockdowns and strict mobility restrictions, Chinese economy began recovering much earlier than the rest of the globe as well.” Uneven recovery   The cotton importer stated that last year Beijing recorded a nationwide recovery in the beginning of the second quarter (April-June) of 2020 while the earliest rebound witnessed in many other countries, including Pakistan, was in the middle of third quarter (July-September). Right after the economic revival was evident, China began producing merchandise for the world however demand was low so it was able to supply commodities to the rest of the world. At the same time, scarcity in demand of a number of non-essential items forced major logistics and transportation companies to scrap their containers and carriers. “The shipping companies began selling their fleets and containers due to which, congestion at the scrap yard mounted,” he said.“The plunge in demand was seemingly long term therefore the companies had no incentive to pay wear and tear of their assets without utilising them.” Moreover, majority of these companies were on the brink of bankruptcy due to virtually no business hence they decided to sell few of their containers and carriers to keep the business afloat. Towards the end of 2020, a breakthrough in vaccine trials partially turned the market sentiment around and signaled an end to the pandemic in early months of 2021. In addition, in order to stimulate a turnaround in the economy, a handful of first world countries announced relief for their residents. The US, for instance, paid a cumulative $2,000 (in two installments of $1,200 and $800) to its citizens. This liquidity injection coupled with the upbeat newsflow of discovery of Covid-19 vaccine significantly boosted the demand of all products across the globe. “At this moment, people began spending,” Ahmed said.“Most of the people were still working from home so they bought a lot of a new stuff including home renovation products, technology gadgets (such as laptops) and other essential products.” The demand in the global economy began recovering but bear in mind that at the same time, the supply was limited. Port problems   Due to Covid-19 restrictions, ports were not fully functioning at that time, he said. Ahmed added that many ports were still taking less traffic but a lot more ports had restrictions in place towards the end of 2020 and the start of 2021. In the initial months of 2021, a handful of unprecedented events further aggravated the situation. “Occasional outbreak of the virus in China hindered the production process, the spread of delta variant saw most countries impose stringent lockdowns again and majority of the carriers were shipping Covid-19 vaccines to the nations” he said. “At such a point, the Ever Given obstructed the Suez Canal and paused the flow of logistics from one of the most important shipping routes in the world.” The giant ship go stuck in the Suez Canal on March 23 and blocked the movement of any traffic from the route till March 29, 2021. During this time, an estimated $9.6 billion worth of trade was lost. Moreover, US began experiencing conflicts at its ports, he said. “The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are highly desired routes from Asia to continental US and these two placed began recording a huge influx of ships that they were unable to handle,” he said. “The port companies began implementing wait times for incoming ships which has now growth to 10 days.” The average wait times, which was non-existent before the pandemic surfaced in the world and stood at 7.5 days in August 2021. There were hundreds of ships lined up to offload their containers however, ports are unable to process them despite the fact that they have implemented round the clock operations. “Earlier, ports had set timings during which they operated,” stated the importer. He detailed that a port consists of main area where ships are docked and there is a separate area known as outer anchorage where they wait for being berthed. Outer anchorage in ports in most parts of the world has been filling up because while there was no notable expansion in shipping lines, the scrapping of containers and carriers contracted this segment. Today, the global supply chain is far from normal because suppliers are unable to meet demand due to a host of factors other than the ones already mentioned. Other factors?   The official stated as soon as lockdowns began easing and the recovery of global demand began, the freight companies jacked up prices partly to erase the losses borne during lockdown and partly because of the huge influx of export and import orders. Arif Habib Corporation Managing Director and CEO Ahsan Mehanti said that Covid-19 is still raging in many parts of the world and lockdowns are in effect in a few countries. “The manufacturing sector in these countries is working at half or reduced capacity due to the pandemic induced restrictions,” said Mehanti. “Low amount of workforce translates to drop in production while demand is stable. This has created a wide gap between the demand and supply of products in the world.” Few days back, China shut a terminal for two weeks due to rise in virus infections, he said. This took place in the world’s third busiest port and this was the second time in 2021 when the operations at the port were suspended. On one hand, some countries are unable to absorb the traffic on the port while on the other hand, frequent closure of port operations is being witnessed. This has also alleviated the supply crunch, he said. “These are the after effects of the pandemic,” Mehanti said. “Furthermore, the clearance of goods is also consuming a large window of time compared to the pre-Covid era.” Moreover, many countries are not issuing business visas either which can help resolve this issue to some extent. During business-to-business meetings with their foreign counterparts, traders ink agreements to switch trade routes to less congested passages that could reduce traffic at busy ports. Moreover, cross border trade is also blocked in many areas. Giving the example of Pakistan, he said trade is largely suspended with Afghanistan and India. Input scarcity   The supply chain crisis has lately evolved into a raw material shortage for the global manufacturing sector. What was termed as a temporary phase is not expected to improve for a long time. Few months ago, the world witnessed a shortage of semi conductors that threatened entire digital manufacturing base as well as automobile production. Now, this problem has evolved further. Alpha Beta Core CEO Khurram Schehzad said that the outbreak of Covid-19 forced suppliers to limit production because there was no demand for their products. “Back in March 2020, the malady was expected to continue for a few years and demand was not projected recover over the next one to two years,” he said. In April 2020, oil fell below $0, which signaled excess supply and virtually no demand. This dampened sentiment of producers because up till that moment, oil was considered a necessity and was supposed to remain unaffected by any crisis, he said. Keep the oil price dip in view, producers had little incentive to continue on with production. Therefore inventories of factories shrank and now the world faces a deficit of inputs for the production process even for essential commodities. Sometime, an input has to undergo manufacturing process to act as raw material for manufacturing of another product such as semiconductors. They undergo massive manufacturing processes only to act as inputs for automobiles, laptops, mobiles and other digital gadgets. Now, raw material for daily use items such as cooking oil and ghee is also in a deficit and this has triggered a crisis for factories all across the world. “World demand is recovering and the supply is not ample to fulfill demand therefore prices of commodities and raw material are soaring,” he said.   Inflationary pressure While the supply is limited on one hand and prices are rising, the logistics industry also has a deficit of containers therefore their rates are also surging. The global supply chain is experiencing a multifaceted challenge. The number of containers with logistic firms remained limited hence the companies were unable to absorb the sudden rise in demand. “As a result, they raised the per container cost,” said Schehzad. “Right now, the demand is high, and a shortfall is being witnessed in raw material, commodities, inputs, transport and logistics.” One can say that world does not have enough supply to meet the recovering demand even if logistic and transport issues are resolved. Coal and oil prices are soaring primarily due to reopening of economies and jump in energy demand stemming from planned revival of manufacturing base. Resultantly, the energy prices are skyrocketing as well. The cost of finished products and intermediary goods is climbing due to hike in input costs. “Prices of metal, particularly steel is on the rise,” he said. “A massive chunk of world demand came from China as it opened.” Schehzad said that China is dependent on coal and while, Australia is huge exporter of the fossil fuel, Beijing refrains to buy from it due to geo-political problems. “Hence, change in geo political situation is also contributing to global supply crunch,” he said. “China has supply of products but most western countries refrain from trading with it.” Holiday season Cotton importer Saad Ahmed said that holiday season is kicking in around the world and demand for all products ticks up during October to December every year. There is not doubt that things have started to improve in many countries but the world has a long way to resolve the supply crunch issue. “US and Latin and America are facing shipping problems but things are improving in other nations,” he said. “US port congestion is not expected to normalise atleast until March 2022. It can prolong far more than that but March is the earliest estimate.” Ideally, the port condition of US is expected to normalise at the beginning of 2023. This has created a huge export backlog for companies all around the world and shipping firms are taking back empty containers with them. He detailed that earlier, the containers would be filled with merchandise destined for other parts of the world. “Importers and export-oriented industries in Europe and US are operating below capacity.,” he said. “Railway, trucks and air cargo have no capacity either to facilitate exporters in delivering merchandise by the deadline.” He was of the view that there were low chances of resolution of the problem in the short run   How is Pakistan faring? Ali, who supplies raw cotton to textile mills in Pakistan, revealed that raw cotton imports to the country are facing delays and the problem is expected to persist until the middle of 2022. “Raw material is a bit harder to secure right now and due to this, the domestic cotton prices are at a historic high,” he said. “Freight rates, applicable on valued added exports, have soared as well.” The gap between receipt of export orders and final delivery has expanded to six months. He detailed that when the orders were registered, the rise in freight costs was not taken into account and the sudden hike in fares is mounting losses for exporters. According to him, shipment delays were being experienced on the export side as well which has sparked liquidity issues among exporters. The working capital cycle for exporters has risen from one month in pre-Covid times to two to three months now. Furthermore, the global supply chain disruption has triggered a slowdown in Pakistan’s exports. “At present, the textile sector has the capacity to fetch $1.8-1.9 billion per month in exports however it is only able to bring in $1.5 billion in revenue under this head,” he said. “Overall due the supply crunch, profits of companies have been impacted and costs have risen therefore they have jacked up prices and this is impacting the overall competiveness of the country in the export arena.” He revealed that Pakistan’s export share is increasing amid US-China trade war while the country also managed to secure a massive amount of export orders in the previous months as the malady battered the regional economies.   An import dependent nation Schehzad stated that Pakistan was facing grave spillover effects of the global supply crunch because the country is dependent on imports. “Energy commodities in Pakistan are mostly imported and prices of oil, coal and LNG are scaling new peaks,” he said. On the other hand, machinery worth millions of dollars is being imported by businessmen of Pakistan under the State Bank of Pakistan’s Temporary Economic Refinance Facility (TERF). The facility aimed to boost expansion of companies and plants to accelerate economic activity. With freight costs surging around the world, the imports under TERF will become more expensive, said Schehzad. He lamented that for every $1 earned through export by Pakistan, $3 were spent on imports. Mehanti noted that Pakistan depended on export earnings for foreign exchange however 60% of the inputs in local exportable merchandise were imported. “The increase in freight prices amid Covid-19 has significantly surged the input cost as well,” he said. “Our import volume has declined but not import bill because of uptick in raw material prices.” Due to low imports, the exports of Pakistan are declining. On the other hand, they have turned expensive as well and the country is not getting as many export orders as it did in previous months, he regretted. The supply crunch is also impacting rupee and triggered volatility in local currency against the US dollar.   Import substitution When asked whether it was a good opportunity to steer import substitution in the economy, Mehanti was of the view that foreign Investment was needed for it and investors were not moving around due to travel curbs. “The supply crunch has impacted our FDI as well,” he said. “However, our relations with Middle Eastern nations are improving and we can ink oil facilities on deferred payment basis to reduce fuel price inflation. Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE can help Pakistan in this regard.” This however, is a short term solution, he stated. In the long term, the investment environment has to improve and tax incentives have to be offered to foreigners to steer local production Schehzad stated that Pakistan had a golden opportunity to steer import substitution however there were a lot of structural issued that were difficult to resolve. “The governance is weak, and provincial and federal governments are not cooperating,” he lamented. “Hardcore reforms are needed.” The state-owned entities are denting public finances of the country while Pakistan’s inclusion in the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list is discouraging foreign investors to build plants in the country. He criticised the economic managers for not importing energy when it was being offered on cheap rates in 2020.   Views of global agencies The International Monetary Fund has stated that supply chain disruptions have become a major challenge for the global economy since the start of the pandemic. Shutdowns of factories in China in early 2020, lockdowns in several countries across the world, labour shortages, robust demand for tradable goods, disruptions to logistics networks, and capacity constraints have resulted in big increases in freight costs and delivery times. Suppliers’ delivery times in the United States and the European Union have hit record highs since late 2020. The recent sharp drop in the delivery times reflects surging demand, widespread supply constraints, or a combination of both. During such times, suppliers usually have greater pricing power, causing a rise in prices. Moreover, these supply chain delays can reduce the availability of intermediate goods which, combined with labor shortages, can slow down production and output growth. Once the number of new Covid-19 cases starts to decline, capacity constraints and labour shortages should ease, taking some of the pressure off supply chains and delivery times. However, some experts believe that there is unlikely to be swift relief from supply chain disruptions. Elevated demand during the holiday season in some of the world’s largest economies, another wave of new Covid-19 cases, and extreme weather events, if they materialise, could cause further supply chain disruptions. The World Economic Forum said that as the coronavirus crisis is wearing off in many parts of the world, supply chain troubles are increasing once more for many companies, mainly concerning the US and the Eurozone. Supply chain disruptions have developed during the pandemic, spiking in early 2020 and picking back up over the course of 2021 as the new normal causes all types of goods to become more sought amid a more permanent reopening. The supply chains in China and emerging markets, on the other hand, are less affected. Still reeling from lockdowns and restrictions as well as the loss of manpower due to illness or travel restrictions, many suppliers had to restrict their production and were no longer able to meet their delivery obligations in full. And as even a single missing supply part can quickly affect production processes in a massive way, the complex structure of global supply chains can quickly fold. According to the IMF, supply chain disruptions together with increasing raw material prices are also a reason for the rise of consumer prices. The IMF expected this global inflation to reach its peak at the end of 2021 and return to pre-crisis levels in many countries by the middle of 2022. On the other hand, a recent report from the European Central Bank stated that shipping disruptions and input shortages are leading to considerable bottlenecks in global supply chains. “During the recovery phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, households increased their purchases of certain products, such as electronics and home improvement equipment, which caused a stronger-than-expected surge in demand, especially in some sectors,” it said. “This rise in demand coupled with events beyond the reasonable control of suppliers (owing to force majeure), such as coronavirus outbreaks in ports, accidents at plants and adverse weather conditions, led to bottlenecks in the transport sector and caused shortages in specific inputs such as plastics, metals, lumber and semiconductors.” As inventories fell at the onset of the pandemic owing to the running-down of stocks and shortages of inputs resulting from closures and conservative inventory policies, companies struggled to keep up with the swift rise in demand and the replenishing of depleted stocks. This demand and supply imbalance is evidenced by the unprecedented lengthening of suppliers’ delivery times, especially in sectors relying on transportation and inputs from sectors experiencing shortages, namely computer and electronic equipment, machinery and equipment, wood products, motor vehicles and chemicals. Shipping volumes have recovered since the trough in mid-2020. In the first half of 2021, temporary disruptions, such as the Suez Canal incident in March, led to severe strains in global shipping but did not halt the positive growth dynamics, as reflected in the global (total) and European North Range ports’ throughput indicators. European air cargo traffic was more severely affected by the pandemic as a result of the unprecedented reduction in passenger flights, which decreased cargo capacity. However, by the start of 2021 air cargo traffic had once again reached its pre-crisis level thanks to firms partly switching from sea freight to air transport. The shipping routes experiencing the most severe strains are those from Asia to North America and from Asia to Europe, leading to extraordinary increases in shipping costs. Shipping capacities on the Asia to North America route rebounded more strongly from the pandemic than on the Asia to Europe route, partly on account of increased capacity driven by the robust recovery pattern observed in the United States. Given the relatively inelastic supply of shipping capacity and disruptions in the transport sector, spot (short-term) container freight rates for Asian outbound routes have soared to record levels, particularly for routes to North America. This has also led to a redirection of capacity towards this more lucrative route at the expense of other routes. The shipping business relies mainly on fixed long-term contracts. In the current environment, the negotiation of new long-term contracts has probably been affected, resulting in a remarkable, albeit less strong, increase in freight rates for long-term contracts than for contracts based on spot rates. EU countries are among those countries most affected by the shipping and input-related bottlenecks. Suppliers’ delivery times remained lengthy in almost all countries in August, with EU countries, the United States, the United Kingdom and Taiwan being particularly affected. In the euro area, export sectors that experienced the fastest recovery are facing higher supply shortages. In particular, exports of motor vehicles, electronics and fabricated metals, which had expanded considerably up to the first quarter of 2021 compared with the first quarter of 2020, were affected by supply constraints which slowed the continued expansion of these sectors. This underlies the role played by strong demand in the lengthening of suppliers’ delivery times. The delays also extended to the machinery sector, which relies on electronic equipment and fabricated metals as inputs.

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Cybercrime 101: What you don’t know can hurt the most

The Internet, like all technologies, is a double-edged sword. Where it empowers us to pool our efforts and maximise our potential by interconnectivity and greater convenience, it offers these same boons to criminal elements and predators. Advances and increase in user bases around the world have been matched by a proportional increase in online crime around the world. On the financial front, costs inflicted globally cybercrime are increasing by roughly 15 per cent year on year. Enabled by the Covid-19 pandemic, online criminal activities increased by up to 600 per cent in 2020 and 2021, and are expected to cost $6 trillion by the end of this year. By 2025, a report by Cybersecurity Ventures estimates the figure to rise to a staggering $10.5 trillion. But finance is only one part of the equation. Much of cybercrime leaves in its wake a human toll that is immeasurable by its very nature. As predators, harassers and stalkers prey on the must vulnerable, the damage they leave behind often lasts a lifetime for their victims. When it comes to Pakistan, what is even more tragic is how preventable much of cybercrime is. Unlike their counterparts in many developed countries, criminals and predators here don’t even require that sophisticated a toolkit as they find greater opportunity in exploiting victims’ lack of awareness and knowledge. Speaking to The Express Tribune, a senior anti-cybercrime officer of the Federal Investigation Agency underscored this very point. All around us   “The first thing I think people need to realise and be aware of is that cybercrime is taking place all the time and that it is taking place in a whole host of different ways,” said the head of FIA Cyber Crime Zone Sindh Imran Riaz. “There is a sense among people, perhaps, that it is not as severe or that it is rare and cannot happen to them.” But this lack of awareness is not limited to victims or potential victims of cybercrime alone. Riaz shared that in many cases of cybercrime, the perpetrators themselves were unaware that the activities they were carrying out online constituted cyber offences. Speaking about the need for greater awareness, the FIA official pointed out that most people tend to unaware what risks exist on the various platforms they use. “People do not know, for instance that cybercrime is taking place on gaming platforms – or how is it taking place on gaming platforms? What risks exist for them or in the case of parents, for their children? What features enable such criminal behaviour and what features are provided by the creators of that platform or app to prevent them.” Highlighting the vulnerability children are exposed to online, he said that it is very important that parents thoroughly learn, use and explore an app or platform before allowing their children to use it. “If they play any games online, it is important, the parents sometimes play those with them to understand the risks and the controls they can enable to mitigate them.” Risks for children   According to Riaz, the risks on gaming platforms exist broadly in two ways. “There is a financial element. Many games encourage in-app purchases of various items. These are bought using real money,” he said. “So, on one hand, with children especially, they can either duped by scammers into giving them money by offering to purchase items for them.” He added that there is a second, more alarming risk. “The graver danger children face online is cyber-grooming. Strangers may offer to buy items or provide other services or favours in exchange for explicit photographs, for instance,” the regional FIA cybercrime head explained. “Predators could lure children into meeting them in person. Or, certain twisted individuals may try to share explicit or gory content with young kids, which can be very traumatising. These risks exist on all online platforms for kids, beyond games as well.” As such, Riaz said it is very important for parents to be aware of such risks and also for them to be able to speak candidly and frankly about them with their children. “Parents should be the first line of defence. In order to be that, they need to meticulously research any platform, app or game before they install it into their children’s devices or allow their children to use it,” he advised. After doing their research, parents should sit their children down and tell them about the potential threats that exist and how they can avoid them, he added. “They should tell them how predators operate and how to identify phishing links.” “In the 90s, there was a massive effort on television to inform kids that they should not trust strangers. That if a strangers offers them treats, they should refuse and report it to their parents. I think this attitude needs to be extended to cyberspace, when it comes to children,” the FIA official suggested. According to him, parents must tell children to never accept in-app purchases from anyone other than their parents. “They should be told that they should only contact online close friends who they know in person. Not just that, children should be told to report any account that is behaving irresponsibly or in a sexually enticing manner to their parents. Even if the account seemingly belongs to a friend, relative or loved one.” Another thing parents must learn about are any controls or features that apps and platforms provide to safeguard children. “Most mainstream platforms nowadays do have child safety features, like keyword filtering, that can be enabled to protect children from traumatising or explicit content,” he shared. He added that on a wider level, we need a cultural transformation where parents give their children the trust and confidence to be able to share anything or talk about anything. “We need to be able to break some taboos about conversation in order to do so.” Beyond parents, Riaz said teachers too need to be especially aware of the latest developments in cyberspace. “They should be trained on the risks that exist on popular platforms so that they can raise awareness in the classroom. They should be able to take a proactive approach.” Of fraud and scams   Speaking about financial crimes, the senior FIA official said the biggest issue is a lack of awareness about how credible organisations and institutions – both government and private sector ones – contact people and what procedures when they do so. “As a rule of the thumb, no organisation, government or otherwise, will call a person and ask them for information over the phone or through email,” he shared. “No bank will do that and neither will the FIA or FBR, or other government bodies. If your account has been blocked or if a certain notice has been issued to you, credible organisations will not ask you to verify your identity over the phone.” Riaz said most victims of online financial fraud are unaware of this allowing fraudsters to take advantage. Likewise, many people are unaware of how phishing links and malware works, and what links, platforms or sites to avoid in order to stay away from them, he pointed out. “For adults, the first thing they should be aware of are what procedures and protocols credible organisations use to contact people,” Riaz said. “Scammers will often mask their phone numbers or emails to appear credible, so if you do get a suspicious email, call or text message, you need to contact the organisation they are impersonating yourself before exchanging any information.” He added that adult users must also learn to identify phishing links and emails, and avoid any websites, accounts or platforms that can expose them to malware risks. On social media, he suggested it is best to keep one’s account private and to disable comments for anyone you don’t personally know. Unwitting criminals   In Pakistan, it is not only the victims of cybercrime who suffer from a lack of awareness. Riaz pointed out that in many cases, the perpetrators of certain cyber offences were unaware that their actions were criminal. “Take the case of these recent posts on social media concerning Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan. We have been conducting raids against those behind accounts that have been sharing sectarian, anti-state or hate speech posts, and many of them are shocked to discover that they have carried out what essentially is cybercrime or even cyberterrorism,” he shared. “People share hate speech online without batting an eye. They re-tweet a hateful or inciting post and don’t even know they have committed a crime. In fact, they can’t even identify the content they are sharing and re-sharing as hate speech. Some of the accounts involved in such posts are run by people as young as 14 years of age.” Cyber-bullying and cyber-harassment is another area where those involved are many times unaware that these actions are criminal ones, according to Riaz. “People will share posts or images that defame someone, or they will share images or video of a sexually-enticing nature. They will doctor images and with deepfake technology, even footage to show their victims in explicit situations. And people will have a laugh about it and treat it as something normal. They need to be made aware that this too is a crime.” The same, he said, goes for cyber-stalking. “If you are trying to add someone or contact someone online, and they have made it clear that they would not like to be contacted by you, but you still persist with your efforts and keep sending messages, what you are carrying out is cyber-stalking. And that is a crime under Section 24 of PECA 2016.”   Cybercrime trends According to the FIA official, cybercrime had been on a steady rise in Pakistan since roughly 2015. “But in 2020, with the advent of Covid-19, it skyrocketed,” he shared. “At present, we have noticed a decreasing trend, but we are expecting it to increase again.” “The thing is, cybercrime is much easier than physical crime. It is inherently less risky,” he explained. “If you rob someone, for instance, there is a chance you can be hurt. This contributes to the allure of cybercrime.” Providing a breakdown of offences, Riaz said the highest ratio of cybercrime in Pakistan is taken up by financial fraud. “In Pakistan, most of this is taking place through illegal SIMs and through spoofed email addresses and phone numbers,” he explained. According to data provided by the FIA, financial fraud constituted 23 per cent of cybercrime complaints in 2021. Hacking complaints formed the next highest chunk of complaints with 12 per cent, followed by harassment complaints with 10 per cent. “Harassment, bullying, blackmailing and stalking online, in many cases, takes place using the same tools as financial crime – namely spoofed numbers and emails, and fake social media handles and accounts,” Riaz shared. He added that most Pakistanis may be unaware but online impersonation and identity theft is also quite prevalent in the country. Raising awareness   According to Riaz, the FIA has several initiatives in the pipeline, many of which will be rolled out very shortly. “One effort we are involved in is the development of an e-booklet that pictorially explains the various forms of cybercrime taking place in Pakistan,” he shared. “We plan to roll this e-booklet out in private schools in Sindh in the first stage. In the second, we will translate it into the Sindhi language and roll it out in government schools with the help of the Sindh government.” He added that the agency is also working on collaborating with teachers training institutes on courses on cybercrime and online risks in the due course of time so that teachers can make cybercrime awareness a part of their curriculum. “There is also a cybercrime awareness animation campaign in the works which will be rolled out with the help of celebrities and social media influencers to hit 50 to 60 million people across Pakistan.” Beyond high profile media campaigns, the agency is also working on other outreach efforts by setting up dedicated Zoom communities and social media accounts to provide a direct line of communication with the public, Riaz shared. The future of anti-cybercrime   “One measure we are heavily engaged in at the present is cyber-patrolling. We scour cyberspace – social media and other websites – to identify and take appropriate action against online vices, like with hate speech enabling trends at present,” Riaz shared. “We can identify who his behind provoking trends that foster hate, sectarianism and violence. It helps us track other criminal activities, such as gambling and sale of drugs, calling data records, fake Covid certificates and PCR tests, that have migrated online as well. For the future, we are in the process of increasing our cyber-patrolling capacity.” Another plan in the works is the setting up of a Cyber Emergency Response Team, the FIA official noted. “The idea is to have a team that can take immediate action on complaints, particularly of online harassment, or if anything comes up during routine cyber-patrolling, such as a suicide announcement or a heinous offence like child porn or cyber-grooming.” Speaking about current legislation, Riaz explained that it deemed only cyber-blackmailing, child porn and cyber-terrorism cognizable offences. “What this means is that we can register an FIR immediately, apprehend suspects immediately and start our proceedings immediately. For all other offences noted in PECA, we need the court’s permission to proceed ahead,” he said. “This is my personal opinion, but I believe some more crimes – electronic fraud, electronic forgery, glorifying crime, impersonation and hate speech – need to made cognizable offences as well.”

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In conversation with Hina Rabbani Khar

In February 2011, Member of National Assembly Hina Rabbani Khar was appointed the 26th foreign minister of Pakistan in the Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) government. Khar, then 33, was the youngest person to serve as Pakistan’s foreign minister. The appointment also made her the first and so far, the only female foreign minister of Pakistan. The three-time MNA Khar has also served as Minister of State for Economic Affairs and Minister of State for Finance. Khar as foreign minister focused on building and strengthening Pakistan’s relations with its neighbours, giving a ‘Regional Pivot’ to Pakistan’s foreign policy: “Normalisation of trade relations with India; a policy of reaching out to all political parties and ethnicities in Afghanistan; an active role in an Afghan-led and Afghan owned process of reconciliation; and cementing of ties with Iran in a difficult time of increasing economic sanctions.” I have always found the charismatic Khar to be articulate, composed, dignified—some of the most important qualities for the highest office of foreign office. To me as a woman in a patriarchal Pakistan, her achievements symbolise the best of Pakistan’s empowerment of its female politicians. I asked three ambassadors—one serving, two retired—about their assessment of Khar’s work as Foreign Minister from February 2011-March 2013 in PPP’s governmental term, (2008-2013) during one of the most precarious and complex periods of Pakistan’s history in terms of its relations with the US, the countries in the region, and the world in general. The first ambassador was succinct: “Quite good.” The second ambassador said: “I worked closely with her [Khar]. She can be counted as one of the best Foreign Ministers we have had. Clear headed, mature, hardworking, and someone who understands the nuances of foreign policies. During her tenure, we never faced a situation where we had to retract or clarify a statement given by her. [She] would always come up with innovative ideas. [She] was taken seriously by her interlocutors and remains well respected in the international circuit.” The third ambassador stated: “She [Khar] was one of our best foreign ministers. Her formidable strengths were her clarity of vision and the indefatigable energy to realise Pakistan’s diplomatic objectives. Indubitably, she did full justice to the very demanding portfolio.” I asked the former Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar a few questions:   MT: What are your thoughts on the state of play in Pakistan-US relations? HRK: It goes without saying that the US will continue to be an important force not only within the region but in the overall world order. Pakistan-US relations have suffered from becoming a by-product of whatever has happened in Afghanistan post 9-11, and that obviously has been a big problem in the last decade and a half. Pakistan, I think, now needs to concentrate on trying to get back on the bilateral track, which is reasonable and realistic in its expectations of the US. And the same goes for the US. Hopefully, the US will resist the temptation of continuing to blame Pakistan for many of the wrongs that took place in Afghanistan. I fear that as the situation in Afghanistan may not stabilise any time soon, the US and many other western powers will once again be encouraged to put the blame on what is considered to be Pakistan’s role.   MT: Do you see any prospect of a Pakistan-India thaw? HRK: The simple answer is no. I don’t see any possible thaw in the Pakistan-India relations, and the reason for that is very simple: India under Modi is persistently going on the track that is extremist in nature and un-secular, and on which India and its leaders currently feel that they gain by propagating hatred, mistrust, and extreme antagonistic words and behaviour against Pakistan. When a country feels that its in its interest to be antagonistic towards another country, and if a leader feels that it is in his public interest to propagate antagonistic behaviour and feelings toward another country, the chance of a real thaw that leads to some real gains is clearly very low. Yes, a thaw was visible when we saw peace on the LoC. That means that tension has reduced considerably, but will we be able to normalise [our relations], I would not say that. I would also say that perhaps for the first time in my 44 years I’m seriously concerned about another escalation of a level that we previously saw, and like any other time we do not know where that escalation ladder can lead us. In the last many decades I think we have been living in the most dangerous times when it comes to the subcontinental rivalry.   MT: Are today’s Taliban actually different from the old ones? HRK: I don’t know, really. I mean, I refuse to believe that somebody saying they are different makes them different. As the drama of August 15 unfolded in front of our eyes, many of us—I think almost the entire world, including the Taliban themselves—could not believe what was happening, and the pace at which it was happening. Immediately after that we heard some very encouraging words. Even at that time, I kept saying to whoever asked that I would be waiting for the Taliban to walk the talk because the talk looked pretty good. They talked about an inclusive government that is open to everyone, and takes care of the minorities, education for women on all levels, women given the opportunity to pursue their careers. Now when you see the first few weeks of the Taliban regime, I think the world has not helped by ensuring that the Taliban don’t have access to their own country’s reserves, as that doesn’t give them a fair chance to be able to even have a modicum of order within Afghanistan, and therefore becoming a security threat for its neighbours. Having said that, I’m particularly concerned that the [option of] education for girls, even the young ones, is not there yet. I’m particularly concerned that many professional women are being denied the chance to work. And I’m particularly concerned about a general lack of space for cultural and other events. I feel very strongly that in the absence of an inclusive government—currently, Taliban are calling it an interim government—in the medium or long run, we might see a situation that is similar to what we experienced many decades ago, which is a reversion to a civil war-like situation.   MT: Can Pakistan be a bridge between Saudi Arabia and Iran? HRK: I remember we worked very hard on this [Pakistan and its ties with Saudi Arabia and Iran] when PPP was in government, and I was in the foreign ministry. We took a very strong stance that Pakistan has strong ties with both the countries. With Saudi Arabia we have had long strategic relations, and Iran also happens to be the country that is exceptionally important to us. We put its importance back on track by saying Iran’s our neighbour. Pakistan’s stance is equally positive and friendly towards both the countries. It is in our interest to pursue good, brotherly, strong relations based on mutual trust and respect with both the countries. We said that we would not be part of this game of making a choice and that we would strive to strengthen relations with both countries at the same time. Pakistan should stop looking to act as a bridge between different countries, as a solver of problems of different countries, and as a giver of goodies to different countries. Pakistan has to concentrate inward to strengthen itself to be in a position to be able to play any of those roles with more credibility. Right now, Pakistan’s interests should be more local; they should be entirely concentrated on making Pakistan an independent country that is able to make its economic, political, and diplomatic choices on its own terms.   MT: If you were the foreign minister, would you have done anything differently? HRK: I think I would have done everything differently! The reason for that is simple. I think a foreign minister’s job, and for that matter, anyone’s job in the foreign ministry, requires less talk and more action. I think we have to be very careful with our choice of words. I think we have to be very careful when and with whom those words are used. I have a serious problem with many people in the Pakistani government right now becoming spokespersons for the Taliban. I have a serious problem with Pakistan for not stating to the world Pakistan’s concerns on the security situation that is currently becoming a challenge for us because of what has happened in Afghanistan, about Pakistan not making a stronger case of how irresponsible the exit of the western forces from Afghanistan was, and how that has had repercussions for the entire region that we may have a very long time trying to get out of. I would never talk about the Pakistani prime minister not receiving a call or even the need for a call. I think diplomacy needs to be conducted less aggressively and much more maturely. And we have to be very, very careful with our choice of words. Speak less and do more.  

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Not used to victory, are we?

Pakistan won against India in a World cup match with 10 wickets in hand. Seems like stuff dreams are made of, doesn’t it? Ask anyone how they felt immediately after the victory sunk in and they will tell you they felt numb. This was not a typical Pakistani game. The notoriously “mercurial” side seemed like a whole different team throughout the game. Usually, Pakistan tend to lose the script when it comes to high pressure matches against India, with the batting line-up infamously falling like dominoes by the middle of the innings. Not in this game though. There was no last-minute meltdown, no frenzied self-sabotage, no slapdash field decisions. Pakistan secured a win for the ages by winning the match in the most unpredictable way - by playing better cricket on the day. Chasing a target of 152, the formidable opening partnership of Mohammad Rizwan (78*) and captain Babar Azam (68*) enabled Pakistan to hammer their arch rivals by 10 wickets, marking the end of a 29 year losing streak against India in a World Cup match. This loss is also India's first ever 10 wicket defeat in t20 internationals. The jinx has lifted and that too, at a time when the whole nation needed some uplifting. The odds were stacked high against us. Pakistan had a turbulent run-up to the World Cup, with eleventh-hour management changes and team reshuffles, besides England and New Zealand unceremoniously withdrawing from tours of the country. In such circumstances, the emphatic win left cricket fans dumbfounded. In the 17th over, the Men in Green required only 2 runs from 14 balls with 10 wickets in hand. Fans of any other team would have started the celebrations. Not Pakistani cricket team fans though. Years of having their hopes thrashed due to their side inexplicably losing after having the game in the bag had primed them to always be mentally prepared for a loss. After Babar finally hit the winning run, the fans went into a meltdown but it was interesting to see the contrasting reactions. While the fans in the street resorted to celebrating in the only way they know how - by causing traffic jams and aerial gunshots, Twitteratis were absolutely stumped to see their team actually win. Usually during a big stage game, they are prepared with memes in their arsenal to counter trolls or as their go-to coping mechanism in case of a soul-crushing defeat. Not having to use that defence mechanism left many with existential crises. Did that actually happen? Is this reality or am I on a weird trip? Several Green shirts fans on Twitter were left numb or at a loss of words that their team delivered a strategically sound win. The icing on the cake was that a mere 48 hours later, Pakistan continued their winning streak by beating New Zealand. This win was less perfect due to our wobbly middle order. This match was standard fare with the green caps clinching the game in the last overs. This victory was particularly heartening because of the crushing blows Pakistan received recently after an eleventh hour tour cancellation from the Black Caps, citing security concerns. The decision left many fuming, with millions of cricket fans disappointed and Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ramiz Raja threatening to take the matter before the ICC. Earlier England’s Cricket Board had also cancelled its men’s and women’s white-ball tours of Pakistan due to concerns over “mental and physical wellbeing”. These were crushing blows to Pakistan’s aspirations of having cricket at home, which had been rekindled by hosting international players in PSL. Therefore, beating New Zealand in a high-stakes game felt like redemption. Jibran Nasir, activist and lawyer tweeted "Dear world you can try [to] keep the game out of Pakistan but you can't keep Pakistan out of the game. Pakistan is Cricket. Cricket is Pakistan.” The winning streak of Pakistan had cricket legends cheering them as the favorites of the tournament. "What a statement Pakistan just made in the #ICCT20WorldCup2021. Now favourites in my opinion after that emphatic win over India. Just a super all round & impressive performance," Shane Warne tweeted. Michael Vaughan tweeted, “Pakistan are looking exceptional .. They will reach the Semis .. all other teams will will hope to avoid them & pray that whoever gets them knocks them out before the final .. Love watching them play Cricket .” Each country has its own unique brand of national sense of humor. The British are known for their razor sharp sarcasm and irony, Americans are great at physical comedy and Japanese enjoy puns and wordplay. Arguably, Pakistanis revel in mordant, self-deprecating humor, grounded in stark reality. Whenever there is any sort of a crisis whether it be torrential rain and urban flooding in Karachi, a political clash or a nationwide power blackout, memes salvage the day by making light of our collective misery. I remember seeing a handful of “Pakistan loses the match but wins the internet” articles on the web the last time we lost a crucial match. In the case of the Kiwi’s win, there was a deluge of memes on the theme of “security” which ranged from funny to downright brutal. Psychologists regard humor as the highest adaptive defense mechanism to ward off aggression or hostility. Luckily for us, we have it in spades. That being said, here’s hoping that we do not have to utilize this defence mechanism for the remainder of this tournament.    

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Devoutness cuts across gender

Most people don’t take the transgender community seriously as many of the transgender people earn their livelihood through entertainment and begging or selling their bodies for money. Ranked so low on the human denomination scale that violence against them or mistreatment of them often doesn’t inspire much sympathy either. In this landscape of pigeonholing of the transgender community, Nanni Jameela is the ultimate anomaly. She is a Quran teacher and so far has taught Quran to more than hundred thousand boys and girls during last more than 45 years of her life. Born a transgender, she says she is contended with the creation of Almighty Allah and states, “What if I was born a dog or cat or any other animal? I am thankful to Almighty Allah for making me a human being. I was not born as transgender by choice, rather it was the will of the creator and I am happy with it,” she says adding, “I am teaching the Holy Quran to the children and I think it’s a big reward for me by Almighty Allah.” Though heartbroken due to the negative attitude of the people quite close to her, the 80-year-old transgender Jameela, most popularly referred as Amma Jameela, Nani Jameela or Nani Madrassa Wali, lives in Sukkur and teaches the Holy Quran to children. Born in March 1941, in Syed Mohammad Yakoob Shah’s household in Pishin Balochistan, Jameela never fit in at home or at school, as she neither felt comfortable at home with her siblings who had the society’s accepted genders of boy and girl and nor at school because her class fellows and school fellows used to mock the way she used to walk and talk. So when an elderly eunuch, Pasham Fakir, offered her a different life, she ultimately yielded and followed him. Jameela continued to live in what she now describes as ‘sin’ until May 1970, when one of her elder brothers died while offering resistance to the robbers. “This proved to be a turning point in my life after which I started learning the Holy Quran from my neighbor,” said Jameela. She told that, “my father had two wives: my mother was from a Syed family, while my stepmother was from a non-Syed family,” she said. “My mother died when I was four and my aunt looked after me for two years after which my father sent me to live with my stepmother in Ranchore Lines, Karachi.” Jameela’s stepmother sent her to an all-girl middle school near their house, but the young eunuch left school when she was in grade three. After dropping out of school, she helped her stepmother with domestic chores. “When I was 10 years old, a eunuch named Pasham Fakir came to our house and asked my mother to hand me over to him but my mother refused.” She said that Pasham kept coming back for her and they used to talk outside the house. “Then one day I just went with him without telling my mother,” she said dolefully. Pasham took Jameela to his house in Garhi Yaseen near Shikarpur and she began her ‘training’ as a eunuch. “I lived with him for three years but I wanted to get away because I didn’t like his company,” said Jameela. “Luckily, the fakir took me to Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai’s shrine for the annual Urs celebrations, where eunuchs come together from every part of the country.” This is where Jameela met her new guru, Fakir Ameer Zadi, also known as Saboo. “He looked quite decent so I told him I wanted to go with him,” she said. Saboo talked to Pasham and after paying Rs5,000, Saboo adopted Jameela. Saboo took Jameela to Sukkur, where he lived in a double-storey house in Makrani Muhalla. After sometime with Guru’s permission Jameela purchased a house at Takkar Muhalla Sukkur for Rs4,000 in 1970. “I knew how to read Urdu, even though I had dropped out of school. One day I was reading the newspaper when I came across news of my elder brother Syed Muhammad Rasool’s death,” she recalled, her eyes filling up with tears. Rasool used to run a car showroom on Tariq Road, Karachi, and was murdered during a robbery. Jameela said she rushed to Karachi to reunite with her family but they had left with her brother’s body for Pishin. “His death proved to be a turning point in my life. Afterwards, a neighbour taught me how to read the Holy Quran. With Allah’s grace, things just fell into place for me after this.” In 1973, Jameela began teaching Quran to her neighbour’s child, four-year-old Aasia. “Since she proved to be a brilliant student, other neighbours started sending their children to my house to learn,” she said. The number of students grew day by day and went up to 450, who she used to teach in seven different shifts without any charge. “I started teaching when I was 32 years old and at that time people used to call me Khala Jameela. Then it became Amma Jameela and with my growing age, people started calling me Nani Jameela”, she said. Jameela added that her neighbours have always respected her, irrespective of their age or gender. A student’s mother sends Jameela two meals a day and offers to wash and iron her clothes. Since she teaches her students free of charge, their parents give her money and clothes as gifts. Jameela said she was lucky enough to perform Hajj four times and Umrah once. According to her, she had seven siblings, out of which her younger sister died at the age of four, while her six elder brothers died one after the other. “My nephews are well settled in Pakistan and abroad and use to send money from time to time, which I spend on the welfare of elderly transgender, besides helping out poor and needy neighbors”, she said. She further said that, she also give gifts to her girl students at the time of their marriage. “It would be safe for me to say that I have taught the Holy Quran to three generations and will continue till the last day of my life,” she says while thanking Almighty Allah for choosing her for this noble cause. “I teach in groups for an hour each and the children start coming at 10 am until 5:30pm,” she said. There is no age limit for female students but Jameela said that she does not take boys older than 10 because she does not believe in intermingling of “older boys and girls.” “Allah created me the way I am, but nowadays being a eunuch has become a profession,” she regretted, adding, “teenage boys turn into fake eunuchs by taking hormonal injections and this is a big sin.” If you meet thousand eunuchs, Jameela added, you will seldom find a real fakir. The most disturbing part in Amma Jameela’s story is the girl, whom she adopted at the age of five, brought her up, educated and married her off and so much so that, transferred one of the portions of her two storey house in her name. That girl, after marriage, fraudulently sold the house without even informing Amma Jameela and thus rendered her homeless. However, one of my neighbours provided me space in her house, where I started living, besides teaching the Holy Quran to the children, she told. “I don’t know how my nephew come to know about my problem and visited Sukkur, met me and bought me a plot measuring 120 square yards in Mustafa Colony at Bhutta Road Sukkur and constructed ground plus one house and handed it over to me,” she said. “Now, I am living in this house and performing my duty of teaching the Holy Quran to the children but now due to my old age and some ailments I cannot sit for a long time and therefore, have reduced the number of children to 40 and shifts to three only.” “One of my neighbours sends me breakfast, lunch and dinner, while the parents of the students, who complete the Holy Quran give me new clothes and money,” she said. “Besides this, if I fall sick, the doctors in the neighborhood visit my house, give me a check up and give medicines free of cost, what else I need in this old age, she asked. Talking about her new house, Amma jameela said that she has officially transferred it to the Edhi Foundation, who will take over it after her death. While I was sitting with her, one of her old students Bano came to visit her from Shaheed Benazeerabad along with her three children. Talking about Nanni Jameela she said that, she used to learn the Holy Quran from her in the mid 1990s and was married in 2008 and went to Shaheed Benazeerabad. “Nanni Jameela loves every student of hers like a loving and caring mother and I have never seen her become angry with any one”, she said adding, “I remember clearly Nanni Jameela gave me gift of washing machine on my marriage. Bano handed over a shopping bag full of fruits and some money to Nanni Jameela, which she accepted with thanks. Another student Rafia, who is learning the Holy Quran for last four months says, “Nanni teaches us with utmost dedication, never scold any students on their repeated mistakes, rather hold them in her arms and repeats the word many times. “Now a days Nanni is not feeling well and is under treatment, but still she gives us her full time”, she said. Her neighbors including, Noor Mohammad, Ayaz Ali, Khan Mohammad and others when asked about Nanni Jameela they said, “she is no less than a blessing for our neighborhood. She is so loving and caring that, our children feel more than safe with her and keep visiting her even after their time is over. She always helps poor and needy without even letting others know.” Yet another student of her, Yousuf Ali is learning the Holy Quran with her for the last six months and is revising it, after completing once. “Nani Jameela is very loving and caring and never beats us when we make any mistake, he told. She never gets irritated, even if we keep on asking same word many times,” he said. Another student Abdul Qayoom has started to learn the Holy Quran couple of days ago. “Nanni Jameela is teaching the Holy Quran to my elder sisters and now I have joined them, too,” he said. When asked about the number of her students throughout those 45 years, Nanni Jameela said, “I don’t remember the exact number, but am sure that it might have crossed one hundred thousand and is still going up. I am proud that my students are spread throughout Pakistan and almost all of them keep in touch with me from time to time.”  

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Govt enters into talks with march leaders

The government on Saturday entered into negotiations with the top leadership of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) to resolve the issue of long march on Islamabad peacefully, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said late on Saturday. The minister said that one round of talks between the two sides was completed and the next round began late in the night, and continued well after midnight. In the meanwhile, the participants of march stayed at Wazirabad on the direction of their leadership. The TLP leadership had told the marchers to wait near Wazirabad till the outcome of their talks with a 12-member government team. The government side was represented by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan. The TLP delegation was led by its chief Saad Hussain Rizvi. The TLP delegation also included Pir Syed Zaheerul Hassan Shah, Dr Shafiq Amini, Mufti Ghulam Ghous Baghdadi, Engineer Hafeezullah Alvi, Allama Farooqul Hassan Qadri, Allama Ghulam Abbas Faizi and Mufti Muhammad Umair Al Azhari. Earlier in the day, the government and the TLP delegations had held their first round of talks. After the talks, the government delegation called on Prime Minister Imran Khan and briefed him on their talks. Later the prime minister met with various religious scholars. In the meeting with religious scholars, Imran refused to accept the demand for the release of the TLP chief, saying that the matter was in court. Sources quoted the prime minister as saying that he would not set a wrong precedent as it would encourage others to take to the streets for the release of their leaders. Read Rangers draw ‘red line’ for marchers About the demand for the expulsion of the French ambassador, PM Imran said that the expulsion of the envoy would shut the European markets on Pakistan, which could lead to the closure of export industries and increase inflation and unemployment. The country could not afford such a situation, he added. Imran told the Ulema that he wanted a peaceful solution to the issue, stressing that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had raised the issue of Islamophobia, internationally and established the Rehmatul-lil-Alamin Authority to familiarise the world with the personality of the Prophet (PBUH). “I am also a true lover of the Prophet (PBUH),” Imran said, adding that everyone should have strengthened his government, when it raised the voice on such issues. He regretted that the protests were portraying a bad image of the country before the world. The Ulema and scholars who met the prime minister included Sunni Tehreek President Sarwat Ejaz Qadri, Sunni Ittehad Council President Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Jamatul Saaleheen Chairman and Pir of Sultan Bahu (Quetta) Pir Khalid Sultan Bahu, Pir of Bhrchundi Sharif (Ghotki) Pir Abdul Khaliq, Milli Yakjehti Council Chairman Dr Abul Khair Muhammad Zubair, Ex MNA (Multan) Hamid Saeed Kazmi, Pir of Manki Sharif (Nowshera) Pir Muhammad Amin, Pir of Kot Mithan (Rahimyar Khan) Pir Khawaja Ghulam Qutb Fareed, Pir of Siyal Sharif (Sargodha) Pir Nizam Siyalvi, MLA from AJK Sahibzada Hafiz Hamid Raza, Mufti Wazeer Qadir, Pir of Sharaqpur (Sheikhupura) Mian Jalil Ahmed Sharaqpur, Pir of Bangali Sharif (Gujjar Khan) Pir Makhdoom Abbas Bangali, Pir of Basahan Sharif (Kahuta, AJK) Pir Syed Ali Raza Bukhari, Wafaqul Madaris Al Islamia President Sahibzada Hussain Raza, Pir of Sundar Sharif (Lahore) Pir Habib Irfani, Pir of Sodhra (Wazirabad) Syed Zain Noor Shah, Pir of Siyal Sharif (Sargodha) Pir Qasim Siyalvi and Pir of Sultan Baho (Jhang) Sahibzada Sultan Ahmed Ali. After the meeting, Religious Affairs Minister Noorul Haq Qadri told reporters that a 12-member committee of Ulema had been formed to hold talks with the government and the TLP. The minister added that the prime minister was aware of all the agreements reached with the TLP and all those who were saying that the prime minister was unaware were wrong. “How dare could I reach an agreement without informing the prime minister,” Qadri said. He added that the prime minister reiterated that serious talks to sort out the issue were always welcomed. Qadri maintained that Imran knew how to get out of crisis and stressed that the prime minister was optimistic that a way would soon be found. He said that the state was standing with the police martyrs, and it had the clear stance on establishing the writ of the state. Read more NSC firm on establishing state’s writ Leader of the Sunni Ittehad Council Sahibzada Hamid Raza also spoke to the media along with Qadri and said that the prime minister had said that he did not want any bloodshed. Raza added that Imran also told the Ulema that the national security and the writ of the state could not be compromised, adding that the protesters are requested not to resort to violence. Wait for talks outcome As the dialogue between the government and the march leaders continued, the marchers stayed at Wazirabad on the direction of their top leadership. The TLP leadership had told the marchers to wait near Wazirabad till outcome of their talks with a government team. The authorities have put their utmost efforts to construct a “choke point” for the marchers at the Chenab bridge near Wazirabad to stop their movement towards Islamabad. On Friday, the Rangers put up a warning banner to the marchers not to cross the “red line” near the river. The Rangers have been given the lead, along with thousands of policemen on Saturday to stop the march. A 100-feet long, 10-feet deep and 12-feet wide trench was dug in front of the bridge and filled it with water on Saturday to prevent public movement on foot. The main procession was inside the Wazirabad city. But a few groups of the marchers tried to go near the bridge. According to reports, a few skirmishes took place. Reportedly, they were countered by the law-enforcement agencies (LEAs) with tear gas shelling and baton charge.

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Lahore world’s most polluted city

With a change in the weather, smog has once again engulfed Lahore. The US Air Quality Index (AQI) is showing the provincial capital’s air as the most polluted in the world with AQI rating of 195. The latest air pollution ranking shows Lahore’s air quality is the worst in the world, followed by Delhi, India and Wuhan, China. Other polluted cities included Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina; Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; Karachi, Pakistan; Kolkata, India; Beijing, China; Zagreb, Croatia; and Shenyang, China. Data highlights that the highest level of pollution is being observed in the industrial of Kot Lakhpat with a hazardous AQI level of 338 as a large number of industrial units are burning coal to fulfil this energy needs. It also highlights fire burning incidents in Indian Punjab as another reason for high levels of smog in the city. Meanwhile, Punjab Minister for Disaster Management Mian Khalid Mahmood underscored that smog is a natural phenomenon created by the combination of smoke and fog in the atmosphere. Smog in Pakistan is usually caused by a mixture of smoke in the fog caused by a change in the humidity ratio in the air at the beginning of winter. The complete elimination of smog as a natural phenomenon cannot be claimed, but the intensity of smog can be reduced by controlling human activities that increase the amount of smoke in the atmosphere. He highlighted that as part of the government’s strategy, the Punjab Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has already banned all activities that could increase the intensity of smog due to climate change. Top of the list is smoke from vehicles and industries, solid waste disposal, especially the burning of old crop residues for the cultivation of new crops. In addition to smoke, dust, dirt and other construction materials including sand, gravel, cement, etc. cause air pollution, he said and added that the authority has been continuously monitoring all such activities. For this purpose, a regular cell has been set up in PDMA which is operational 24 hours a day. It is also taking legal action against those elements. About 100% of the kilns in Punjab have been converted to zigzag technology, he disclosed. He also highlighted Pakistan was not informed in advance about the pollution caused by the burning of crop residues in India and there was no such agreement between the two countries. He also directed DG Provincial Disaster Management Authority to set up a task force to look into the complaints of fire incidents in different districts and also perform supervisory duties. Punjab Environment Department has also been activated to rein in causes of smog. The department has imposed a fine of over Rs2.5 million during the inspection of over 1,400 brick kilns across the province. It has also registered over 360 FIRs and sent around a dozen people behind bars for violating environmental laws. Punjab’s capital is struggling with another season of hazardous air quality. Despite measures by the provincial administration, parts of Lahore remain engulfed in a thick blanket of smog. According to IQAir, a portal that provides a real-time pollution map, the average daily air quality in parts of Punjab’s capital hovered between unhealthy and very unhealthy over the past week. The quality of air in the city usually worsens between October to February, which is also known as the smog season. Environmentalists believe the pollution in Lahore can easily be linked to a number of sources. A combination of vehicle and industrial emissions, smoke from brick kilns and dust have resulted in creating what residents of Lahore experience as smog. “Government’s efforts are inadequate,” said Aleem Butt, a Lahore-based environmentalist. According to Butt, more than 60% of the city’s pollution is generated by vehicles. Published in The Express Tribune, October 31st, 2021.

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GT Road blockade, internet outage irk residents

People of the provincial capital and adjoining districts have been facing inconvenience since a banned group started a march from Lahore on October 22. On October 22 and 23, entry to several parts of the city was blocked, leaving citizens stranded at their homes. It is estimated that over 2.5 million people leave or enter the city daily. In addition, millions of people travel on the GT Road every day. The highway connects the provincial metropolis with the federal capital besides serving as a major trade route housing several industrial hubs and cities along it. Since October 23, the transport on GT Road has come to a halt. Train operations have also been disrupted amid the situation. The authorities have also suspended internet service in Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Jhelum, Gujrat and other adjacent districts. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, a lot of educational and economic activities had been shifted online. Therefore, the citizens, particularly students, deprived of the service in the affected areas complained over the move. The internet service providers in the areas say that the service would be restored on government’s instructions. However, there was not clear response from the official quarters about how the situation escalated to this point. When asked, government and police officials blamed each other for the difficulties faced by the people. Reportedly, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday expressed his annoyance over Punjab Police top brass for their failure to prevent the aggravation of the situation. However, on the other hand, police officers were wary of an “unclear” government policy vis-a-vis dealing with the protesters. They said that the government’s policy had oscillated between resorting to the use of force and “peaceful negotiations”. Published in The Express Tribune, October 31st, 2021.

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Govt-TLP dialogue to yield positive result: Sarwar

Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar has indicated that dialogue between the government and the banned outfit is expected to yield positive result. Speaking to the media persons after inaugurating art exhibition at Alhamra Art Gallery on Saturday, Sarwar said dialogue was being held between the federal government and the representatives of banned religious outfit. “People from both sides were very responsible and I am hopeful that the dialogue would remain fruitful,” he added. As far as the demands of banned outfit were concerned, he said, all of their demands could not be accepted. Some of the demands could be agreed upon while some could not be accepted. Protection of lives and property of people is the top priority of the government. Police and all other departments concerned are playing their role for this, he disclosed. He said the government does not want confrontation with anyone. Politics of confrontation is not in the national interest. “The government is tackling multiple challenges, including economic and others. All Pakistanis should keep national interest supreme.” Sarwar said no foreign investor shows interest to invest in any country until the law and order situation is satisfactory. “Sacrifices rendered by the Pakistani nation against terrorism are unprecedented. Maintenance of law and order is imperative for the economic development and stability of the country,” he added. Read Sedition case sought against TLP The governor, during his visit to the art exhibition said Pakistan has got the best talent in the world. He appreciated the calligraphy paintings made by Farzana Waqas. He said it is the responsibility of the government and all concerned to promote such artists who bring honour to the country through their work. In his concluding remarks, he said that art and culture is the identity of any country and it should be promoted. Meanwhile, presiding over a high-level meeting to review the law-and-order situation in the province Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar directed officials concerned to take all possible measures for safeguarding the life and property of the people as it is the topmost responsibility of the state. The chief minister warned that its policy of tolerance should not be considered the weakness. “Our religion gives us a lesson of peace as there is no room of torturous and violent behaviour in it. The government will fulfil its responsibility to maintain the law-and-order situation in the province. He gave necessary instructions to the concerned authorities for keeping the law-and-order situation normal. Provincial Minister Prosecution Chaudhry Zaheeruddin, SACM for Information Hasaan Khawar, Chief Secretary, IG Police, Additional Chief Secretary Home, Principal Secretary to CM and concerned officials were present on this occasion. Published in The Express Tribune, October 31st, 2021.

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DIG strives to boost Lahore police’s morale

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Sohail Chaudhry has been spotted flaunting Lahore police’s superiority over the force in other districts, including Faisalabad, Khushab and Mianwali, amid questions being raised about the handling of recent protests. The Lahore DIG has over 30,000 police personnel at his disposal. Clad in anti-riot gear and escorted by a senior superintendent of police (SSP) and SPs at Sadhoki, Chaudhry reportedly commented that Lahore police had been summoned amid the ongoing situation because they were “good” and trust worthy. He compared the provincial capital’s police with those of Khushab, Mianwali and Faisalabad, stating that they had not been summoned. Ironically, Chaudhry served as Faisalabad city police chief before being appointed as the Lahore DIG Operations. In addition, the district police officers (DPOs) of Mianwali and Khushab are among the officials whose services were placed at the disposal of the Rawalpindi regional police chief after Lahore police failed to halt the marchers. The orders to the DPOs and two other officials to report to Rawalpindi along with their force were issued by Inspector General Rao Sardar after he reportedly had given a dressing down to the Lahore police top brass. Prime Minister Imran Khan is also reported to have expressed his annoyance over the performance of senior officers of Punjab Police. Published in The Express Tribune, October 31st, 2021.

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Rawalpindi remains under virtual siege for fourth day

Major parts of Rawalpindi remained almost sealed for the fourth consecutive day as the city administration closed major arteries to stop the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) marchers from entering the garrison city. The closure of businesses for the last 10 days on Murree Road has cost millions of rupees to the traders. The metro bus service and public transport remained shut for the last four days and commuters continued to face extreme hardships. The Faizabad Interchange, where the banned TLP is expected to stage a protest sit-in, remained sealed with containers for the past 10 days which has also barred the entry of goods vehicles in the city. A citizen Muhammad Yamin said that he had to travel from Sadiqabad to Kutcheri for work but the traffic movement had been restricted completely. Yamin said he had never seen such a state of affairs in Rawalpindi before as the administration has vanished after sealing the entire city. A 70-year-old asthma patient, Tariq Javed, said that all roads leading to the Benazir Bhutto Hospital from Murir Chowk were blocked by placing containers. He said that no rickshaw was allowed to go to the hospital while he could not walk on foot due to his health condition. A furniture businessman Muhammad Taj said he had been doing business on Murree Road for four decades. During all these years, he said, he had never seen Rawalpindi in such a state of siege. Read Sedition case sought against TLP Taj said that numerous markets from Murir Chowk to Faizabad were closed for the past four days and the traders were facing a loss of millions of rupees every day. Many motorcyclists were seen lifting their bikes up to the footpaths to find a way to reach their destinations. Roads leading to hospitals have also been blocked leaving the ailing patients in the lurch, who were left with no option but to wait for the situation to normalize. Meanwhile, the National Highway and Motorway Police said that GT Road was blocked at 10 spots from Gujjar Khan to Wazirabad. They asked motorists to use alternate routes. Meanwhile, the closure of businesses has also aggravated the problems of daily wagers and labourers who depend on daily earnings to make a living. The Rawalpindi administration said the Murree Road will remain sealed until the orders of the Punjab government. Police detain 10 more TLP members Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi police arrested 10 more members of the banned TLP during a crackdown. So far, the police have booked 127 TLP workers and officials ahead of the banned organisation’s march on Rawalpindi. The Saddar police said that 10 TLP workers were rounded up from Adiala Road and adjoining areas and shifted to an unknown location. Around 117 activists and workers of the banned party were detained in Adiala jail for almost a month. The Rawalpindi police also conducted raids in areas along the Service Road adjoining Islamabad Expressway. The police booked four suspects for having weapons in their possession. Published in The Express Tribune, October 31st, 2021.

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