Ex-IHC judge tells CJP he’s facing ‘financial constraints’

Former Islamabad High Court judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui on Tuesday wrote a letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, requesting that his case be disposed of as quickly as possible as he was facing “financial constraints”. “I hope to see a verdict in my case during my lifetime,” he added. Siddiqui had moved the Supreme Court against his removal from the post of an IHC judge. President Arif Alvi had ousted Siddiqui as a judge on Oct 11, 2018 after the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) recommended his removal for being guilty of misconduct over a speech he delivered in July that year before the Rawalpindi District Bar Association. While speaking at the Rawalpindi bar, Siddiqui had reportedly claimed that personnel of the country’s premier intelligence agency were manipulating judicial proceedings. In November last year, the enrolment committee of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), led by Justice Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Syed Qalb-e-Hassan and Azam Nazeer Tarar, considered the application of Siddiqui and decided that the applicant was entitled to have his licence restored. According to a letter written to Siddiqui, the committee had noted that the former judge was not removed by the SJC on account of corruption or an offence involving moral turpitude, which might have disentitled him from the restoration of his licence. It noted that Article 18 of the Constitution also guaranteed that every citizen had the right to enter any lawful profession or occupation. “Therefore, the licence of Advocate Supreme Court of Mr. Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui is restored with immediate effect," the committee’s letter had read. Siddiqui wrote in the letter to the CJP that his case should be heard on a daily basis. Also read: PBC restores practising licence of ex-justice Siddiqui “It is painful for a person, who spent his whole life for court and advocacy, to approach the judiciary time and again for justice.” The former IHC judge noted that his petition had been pending for a long time. “Delay in justice is justice denied. If I am not receiving justice, then what will happen to the common man?” He added that he also facing financial difficulties. Siddiqui pointed out that courts were having a summer vacation from June 13, during which two judges would retire, resulting in the dissolution of the bench. “I wish that the oppression and abuse that happened to me in my life would be remedied.” The former judge wrote that he sought justice so that he could rid of himself of the misery that had been going on for four years. In June last year, Siddiqui had told the apex court that the objective behind his controversial speech – which led to his sacking – was to remove the “undue pressure” from the security establishment on the judiciary. “Through that speech, I wanted to remove the security apparatus’ pressure on courts. However, my dilemma was that two senior Supreme Court judges – Mian Saqib Nisar and Asif Saeed Khosa – were against me since 2015.”

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NA seats reduced by six in ECP initial survey

The total number of seats in the National Assembly has been reduced from 342 to 336 after a decrease in the constituencies in erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Area by six, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) preliminary delimitation report. Similarly, the number of general seats has fallen from 272 to 266. The commission has said the voters of the relevant constituencies could file their objections on the preliminary report till June 30. The ECP would decide on the objections from July 1 to July 30. It added that the objections would have to be submitted in the form of a memorandum to the ECP secretary. Eight copies of the objections and maps would have to be submitted to the commission. Objections by courier, post or fax would not be accepted. According to the commission, the final results of the delimitations would be published in the second week of August. The ECP had expressed satisfaction over the progress made so far on the delimitation of constituencies. It has directed that all the work be completed on merit and in accordance with the schedule fixed by it in accordance with the law. Punjab will have 141 general seats in the NA, Sindh 6, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 45, Balochistan 16 and three will be from Islamabad. Women will have 60 reserved seats while minorities will have 10 seats. An NA constituency in K-P has been demarcated at 788,933 people, Islamabad 667,789, Punjab 780,069, Sindh 784,500, and Balochistan 77,946. Punjab's constituencies will start from Attock's NA-49 and end at NA-189 in Rajanpur, while those of Sindh will start from NA-190 Jacobabad and continue till NA-250 Karachi. Similarly, K-P's NA seats will begin with Chitral from NA-1 to NA-45 and Balochistan's constituencies will be from NA-251 to NA-266. Seats from Islamabad will be from NA-46 to NA-48. Also read: Delimitation process to continue uninterrupted till August 3: ECP As for provincial assemblies, the commission said Punjab would have 371 seats of which 297 will be general seats. Sindh would have 168 seats of which 130 will be general seats. The Balochistan Assembly will have 65 seats of which 51 will be general seats. The K-P Assembly will have 145 seats of which 115 will be general seats. The ECP said that a constituency of the Punjab Assembly would comprise of 308,713 voters, Sindh Assembly 368,112, K-P Assembly 370,336 and Balochistan Assembly 241,864. An ECP official said the provisional results of the 6th national census conducted in 2017 were published on January 3, 2018. Accordingly the delimitation of national and provincial assemblies was carried out by the commission on the basis of these results as a one-time dispensation granted by the amendment made to Article 51(5) of the Constitution for general elections 2018 for National Assembly and provincial assemblies. He added that under Article 51(5) of the Constitution and Section 17 of the Elections Act 2017, delimitation of constituencies was conducted on the basis of population in accordance with the last census officially published. He noted that under the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, the erstwhile FATA was merged with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. The 12 seats allocated to FATA were abolished and six seats were allocated to K-P on the basis of population. Therefore, the number of seats in the National Assembly was reduced to 266 from 272. On April 11, the commission had announced the delimitation schedule for constituencies of the national and provincial assemblies for the next general elections, days after declaring that it would not wait for the fresh digital census.

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Lahore man gets e-ticket for his bike stolen eight years ago

Imagine getting fined for a traffic violation pertaining to a motorcycle that was stolen no less than eight years ago. That's what exactly happened to a resident of Lahore when he received an electronic challan also called e-ticket. To make matters worse, Imran – the victim – found out that his long lost bike was being used by police officials themselves in the Sabzarar neighbourhood. Imagine getting fined for a motorcycle that was stolen 8 years ago. A man named Imran from Lahore shared how his motorcycle was stolen years ago and to make matters worse, according to the report police officials were allegedly driving it in Sabzarar. #etribune #news #lahore pic.twitter.com/V0lTPpNR54 — The Express Tribune (@etribune) May 31, 2022 The surprising discovery made the man file a complaint with the Chief Civilian Personnel Officer (CCPO), asking for his bike's recovery from the cops using it. According to a report released in March, the scourge of street crimes in the provincial capital seems to have spiralled out of control. A copy of the e-ticket available with The Express Tribune According to police records, during the last two days of February, more than 300 incidents of looting by robbers and thieves were reported in the city while the month of March started with about 350 incidents in the provincial capital. In the first two months of this year, people lost millions of rupees in cash, gold jewellery, vehicles and motorcycles. According to records, goods worth more than Rs10 million were looted in 209 robberies, while 59 cases of motorcycle theft were registered at the time.

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Lahore man gets e-ticket for his bike stolen eight years ago

Imagine getting fined for a traffic violation pertaining to a motorcycle that was stolen no less than eight years ago. That's what exactly happened to a resident of Lahore when he received an electronic challan also called e-ticket. To make matters worse, Imran – the victim – found out that his long lost bike was being used by police officials themselves in the Sabzarar neighbourhood. Imagine getting fined for a motorcycle that was stolen 8 years ago. A man named Imran from Lahore shared how his motorcycle was stolen years ago and to make matters worse, according to the report police officials were allegedly driving it in Sabzarar. #etribune #news #lahore pic.twitter.com/V0lTPpNR54 — The Express Tribune (@etribune) May 31, 2022 The surprising discovery made the man file a complaint with the Chief Civilian Personnel Officer (CCPO), asking for his bike's recovery from the cops using it. According to a report released in March, the scourge of street crimes in the provincial capital seems to have spiralled out of control. A copy of the e-ticket available with The Express Tribune According to police records, during the last two days of February, more than 300 incidents of looting by robbers and thieves were reported in the city while the month of March started with about 350 incidents in the provincial capital. In the first two months of this year, people lost millions of rupees in cash, gold jewellery, vehicles and motorcycles. According to records, goods worth more than Rs10 million were looted in 209 robberies, while 59 cases of motorcycle theft were registered at the time.

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SC directs DG FIA to present list of all 'high-profile' cases

The Supreme Court has summoned Director General Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) along with a list of all 'high-profile cases' on June 3. The apex court issued the order while hearing a suo motu case regarding alleged political interference in prosecution and investigation branched in high profile cases. The bench is headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, and comprises Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar. The notice was taken on May 18 amidst allegations levelled by the PTI that soon after coming to power, the present coalition government allegedly started influencing different cases and transferring investigators or officers supervising cases, especially related to corruption allegations. Earlier, in its report, the FIA had stated that no government institution including the interior ministry tried to interfere in the independent prosecution of the high-profile case being heard in different courts. It stated that Farooq Bajwa had been appointed as the prosecutor at the request of the FIA. It added that the names of the suspects are put on the exit control list (ECL) on the recommendations of the government, courts and other institutions. On Tuesday, the top court said that the report provided by the FIA dealt with the security and protection of record in one case only whereas the court's last order issued directions for ensuring that for all high-profile cases. Also read: Rana Sanaullah to be indicted in drugs case on June 25 "A list of all high-profile cases in the charge of FIA shall be provided to the court," the judgement ordered. Furthermore, the Director General and the Director Law FIA shall attend sourt on the next date of hearing. The court observed that the amendments made in the Exit From Pakistan (Control) Rules, 2010  have been enforced retrospectively. "This appears to have been done without the necessary authorisation for giving such an effect to the amendments in the rules." The judgement said it was also not clear whether the rules have been approved by the federal cabinet and, if so, whether beneficiaries of the amendments recused themselves from attending the relevant meeting. "In this regard it has to be shown whether avoidance of conflict of interest was duly catered for; data regarding the names of the beneficiaries of such relief who have left Pakistan also needs to be provided. The foregoing information shall be supplied by the learned attorney general." The order said that the names of 174 persons who are accused in NAB cases have been removed from the Exit Control List (ECL). "This was done, prima facie, without consulting the NAB authorities and as a result of retrospective implementation of the amendments," it said. The order said that attorney general shall apprise about the grounds that prevailed for dispensing with consultation before passing the orders. "On their part the NAB authorities shall specify the nature of offences under the NAB Ordinance alleged against those accused persons whose names have been removed from the ECL," the judgement said.

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PM Shehbaz arrives in Turkey on three-day official visit

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, along with a high-level delegation, on Tuesday arrived in Ankara on a three-day official visit. He was warmly received by Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar and senior government and diplomatic personnel at the Ankara Esenboga Airport. A smartly turned-out contingent of the Turkish Army presented a salute to the prime minister, who is on his maiden visit to Turkey after assuming the office on April 11, this year. وزیرِ اعظم شہباز شریف تین روزہ سرکاری دورے پر اعلی سطحی حکومتی وفد کے ہمراہ ترکی پہنچ گئے۔ ترکی کے وزیر قومی دفاع عزت مآب حلوصی آقار اور اعلی افسران و سفارتی عہدیداران نے وزیرِاعظم اور پاکستانی وفد کا ائیر پورٹ پر استقبال کیا۔#PMShehbazInTürkiye#پاک_ترک_دوستی_زندہ_باد pic.twitter.com/kWmTHClb8X — Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) May 31, 2022 PM Shehbaz is accompanied by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Information and Broadcasting Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Minister for Investment Board Chaudhry Salik Hussain, and PM’s special assistants Tariq Fatemi and Fahad Hussain. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will also join the delegation. During his visit, the prime minister will have a tete-a-tete with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which will be followed by the delegation-level talks. Live 🔴 وزیرِ اعظم شہباز شریف تین روزہ سرکاری دورے پر اعلی سطحی حکومتی وفد کے ہمراہ ترکی پہنچ گئے۔#PMShehbazInTürkiye#PakTürkiye_Friendship_Zindabad#پاک_ترک_دوستی_زندہ_باد https://t.co/3ArL3IfZSA — Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) May 31, 2022 Besides discussing the Pakistan-Turkey bilateral relations, the two leaders will also exchange views on regional and international issues. They will also address a joint press stakeout after the meetings. As both countries are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two leaders will jointly unveil a logo, marking the commencement of the celebrations. PM Shehbaz will have extensive interaction with leading Turkish businessmen and potential investors from diverse sectors. He will also attend a Pakistan-Turkey Business Council Forum, hosted in collaboration with DEIK (Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board). The business delegation from Pakistan comprising representatives of leading companies across various sectors will also participate in the business engagements. Pakistan-Türkiye Bağları Şanlı Geçmişten Parlak Geleceğe 🇵🇰 🇹🇷 #PMShehbazInTürkiye#PakTürkiye_Friendship_Zindabad#پاک_ترک_دوستی_زندہ_باد pic.twitter.com/ZX4p2m1amc — Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) May 31, 2022  

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Swati seeks registration of FIR against PM, others

PTI Senator Azam Swati has filed a police complaint seeking the registration of an FIR against Premier Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, IG Police Islamabad Dr Akbar Nasir and others over "police brutality and unreasonable use of force" against PTI supporters during the Azadi March last week. The complaint was filed at Islamabad’s Secretariat police station and also named DIG operations Sohail Zafar Chattha and Rangers operations head. Authorities had invoked Section 144 during PTI’s Azadi March on May 25 while containers were placed on major thoroughfares to block the ways. In the complaint filed, Swati said, "multiple waves of police brutality and unreasonable use of police force was applied in different parts of the country, including D-Chowk Islamabad, with one objective to seriously impede the fundamental rights of protesters." He maintained that the right to protest was protected under the Constitution of Pakistan. Swati said he was injured during the march because of the "illegal baton charge conducted by Rangers [personnel]" deputed at D-Chowk and the "attack of CS gas by Islamabad police that continued for 12 hours". Read More: Shahwani defends FIR against opposition He added that he suffered "serious breathing issues and pain from extreme exposure to CS gas" because of the shelling and was taken to the Polyclinic Hospital. The senator said his vehicles were "severely damaged" because of continuous firing of rubber bullets, shelling and stone-pelting by Islamabad police. "Police violence such as the type used on May 25 is illegitimate use of authority bestowed in the security forces. Politicians in power such as the names referenced above are notorious for always trying to control and run public officers and civil servants as per their own interests and for the fulfilment of personal or their political party interests," he noted.

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Pakistan condemns killing spree in IIOJK

Pakistan on Monday strongly condemned the extra-judicial killing of two more Kashmiri youngsters in a staged “cordon-and-search” operation in the Pulwama district of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on Sunday. In a statement, the Foreign Office spokesperson (FO) said that the martyrdom of nine Kashmiris in the last four days — including two in Anantnag, three in Baramulla district, and four in Pulwama districts of IIOJK — was highly condemnable and part of the unabated brutal campaign of oppression against the Kashmiris. “More than 609 innocent Kashmiris have so far been martyred by the Indian occupation forces in staged encounters, since India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August 2019,” he remarked. The spokesperson said that the intensified killing spree in IIOJK was a clear manifestation of India using state-terrorism as a policy tool against the Kashmiris. The Indian occupation forces have stepped up extra-judicial killings of Kashmiris, particularly targeting Kashmiri youngsters, following the malafide conviction and sentencing of Hurriyat leader Yasin Malik in a grossly suspicious and contrived case, he added. Read More: NA passes resolution denouncing BJP's demographic engineering in IIOJK He further said that the Indian occupation forces continued to operate with complete impunity under draconian laws such as Public Safety Act (PSA), Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). “Pakistan reiterates its call on the international community to hold India accountable for its gross and systematic violations of human rights in IIOJK,” the spokesperson said. “India must allow an independent investigation by a UN Commission of Inquiry as recommended by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in its 2018 and 2019 Kashmir Reports.” He also urged the international community to play its role in facilitating a just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people, for durable peace and stability in South Asia.

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PM vows to boost trade with Turkey

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has vowed to transform Pakistan into a self-reliant and politically stable one while assuring to work towards boosting bilateral trade with Turkey. Ahead of his three-day official trip to Ankara, Shehbaz told Anadolu Agency in an exclusive interview that while Islamabad wishes to deepen and widen engagement with the United States, it also focuses on infrastructure building under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Commenting on the bilateral relations between the two countries, he said that they are grounded firmly in common religious, cultural, and linguistic links and transcend political changes on either side. “In these seven and a half decades, the two sides have always stood by each other in the face of all changes,” the premier said. “Pakistan and Turkey support each other on all issues of core national interest – whether it is Jammu and Kashmir or Northern Cyprus.” Expressing his desire to boost economic cooperation, he said, “The current level of bilateral trade is still not a true reflection of the excellent state of our relationship. This is also an area where immense opportunities exist for both countries.” He added that he will encourage Turkish businesses to invest in various fields, including energy, infrastructure, e-commerce, municipal agro-based industry, and IT sectors, etc. Regarding Pak-US relations, Prime Minister Shehbaz said that both sides have a longstanding and broad-based relationship in various areas of mutual interest. “We believe that our continued constructive engagement can promote peace, security, and development in the region,” he said. “We wish to deepen and widen our engagement with the US, which remains Pakistan's biggest export market and a major source of FDI and remittances.” He also revealed that Pakistan has instituted dialogues with the US in various areas, including climate change, health, energy, trade, and investment, adding that this year they are celebrating 75 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties. Read More: Pakistan-Uzbekistan free trade deal on the cards Responding to a question about CPEC, he said, “As the earliest proponent of President Xi's visionary BRI (Belt and Road Initiative), Pakistan firmly supports the BRI's five-pronged emphasis on physical connectivity, financial cooperation, trade facilitation, policy consultation, and people-to-people linkages.” “With the CPEC, we have successfully realised our two countries' shared vision and the BRI's ideals,” he added. He further said that with CPEC entering a new phase of high-quality development, Pakistan’s Belt and Road cooperation will accelerate its industrial and economic modernisation. Answering a question about India, in the aftermath of the August 5, 2019, move, Shehbaz said that as part of its shift from geo-strategy to geo-economics, Pakistan is looking to forge partnerships, especially within the region, based on connectivity. “Pakistan and India have a lot to gain from mutually beneficial trade,” he said. However, he added, given the ongoing situation in Kashmir, “it is hard to imagine that progress can be made on the trade front”. “For normalisation of relations, India must revisit its actions of Aug. 5, 2019, and not seek further division, bifurcation, and demographic changes in the occupied territory to perpetuate its illegal occupation,” the premier said. “In order to accrue the utmost benefit from mutually beneficial trade, the onus lies with India to create a conducive environment for dialogue and engagement.” Regarding Afghanistan, he said that the world cannot abandon the Afghan people. It must shoulder the responsibility to immediately address the country’s humanitarian crisis and fragile economy, he added. In response to a question about his domestic policies, Prime Minister Shehbaz said, that the first and foremost challenge is to revive the economy that lost steam during the past four years.

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Boy ‘kidnapped by stepgrandmother’ for Rs100m ransom recovered from Lahore

The Anti-Organised Crime Cell of Punjab on Monday rescued a five-year-old boy kidnapped for ransom and arrested two suspects allegedly involved in the abduction. Addressing a presser, DIG Investigation Kamran Adil said that the boy was rescued from Sarai Alamgir area. DIG Adil, during the news conference, was accompanied by SP CIA Asim Iftikhar, SP Operations Saddar Hassan Javed Bhatti and other officers of the CIA. A young boy was kidnapped from a gated community in Lahore on the behest of his stepgrandmother and was ransomed at a hefty Rs100 million. Anti-Organised Crime Cell recovered the child from abductors in Sirai Alamgir. Two suspects have been arrested.#etribune #news #Lahore pic.twitter.com/8USwmSmyxp — The Express Tribune (@etribune) May 30, 2022 He added that two prime suspects, identified as Sajjad and Akram, had been taken into custody along with two Kalashnikov and 1,000 bullets. The duo together with Owais, had executed the plan. The DIG added that police teams were conducting further raids to arrest the absconding accused, namely Mehwish, Shahbaz and Owais. The boy's stepgrandmother is also said to be involved in providing information about the victim's family. The accused had kidnapped the boy for a hefty amount of Rs100 million. Also read: Court seeks report on kidnapping case Detailing the incident, police officials said that the accused abducted the victim on the evening of May 13 from the Sundar Police Station Private Society Park where he was playing. The suspects, riding a motorbike, travelled through nearby streets before shifting the boy to a hideout in the said area. Covering their faces, the suspects forcefully attempted to silence the victim. As the child went missing, his father Ahmad Yar registered an FIR at Sunder police station on May 13. Special teams were formed to arrest the suspect and recover the child. The suspects who had custody of the child had been constantly changing their locations, making it hard for the police to reach them. The DIG vowed to arrest the remaining suspects soon and punish them as per the law. Talking to media persons, the boy's father thanked the chief minister, inspector general and the CCPO Lahore and their team.

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Maryam slams Imran for spreading 'lies' about 'Israel visit'

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz on Monday took former prime minister Imran Khan to task for his "lies" about a Pakistani-American delegation's recent visit to Israel. A day earlier, while addressing a public gathering in Charsadda, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran had criticised the rulers for the said visit, going as far to suggest that the incumbent government is planning to "recognise Israel". According to the former premier, "The imported government is going to compromise with America on the blood of Palestinians and recognise Israel." "After the fake letter, foreign conspiracy, and fake life threats, the man who spreads chaos, after the history's biggest long march failure, had resorted to the fake Israel visit narrative," Maryam said in a Twitter post. جھوٹے خط،جھوٹی عالمی سازش، قتل کا جھوٹا ڈرامہ فیل ہونے کے بعد، تاریخ کے سب سے ناکام Long March کے بعد اب اسرائیل وفد بھیجے جانے کی انتشار خان کی ایک اور دو نمبری! pic.twitter.com/n6ec9UVURh — Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) May 30, 2022 The PML-N stalwart went on to tell Imran that he is the only person in the entire country to have 'family terms' with Israel. Alleging that the PTI chief had in the past supported Zac Goldsmith, his former wife Jemima Goldsmith's brother for London mayoral elections, Maryam said: "I warn you to stop lying or you won't be able to avert embarrassment." Maryam also added photos to her tweets suggesting the deposed premier's support for Zac and his government's alleged plans to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. Earlier today, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the Pakistan Television (PTV) had terminated the services of its anchorperson who was a part of a Pakistani-American delegation that visited Israel earlier this month. The removal of the anchorperson came a day after the Israeli president confirmed a meeting with the delegation of Pakistani expatriates which he termed “an amazing experience”.

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Independents take lion’s share in Balochistan LG polls

Independent candidates took the lion’s share in the local government elections in Balochistan, dealing a major blow to the mainstream as well as the local parties and groups active at the grassroots level in the province, according to the unofficial and unconfirmed results compiled on Monday. Elections were held in 32 districts on Sunday. Despite threats and fears of violence, the polling remained by and large peaceful. So far, the results of more than 3,000 constituencies were compiled, including over 1,500 unopposed, depicting victories of 1,487 independents. Polling was held in all districts of the province, except Quetta and Lasbela because of delimitation issues. During the voting process, one person was died in an exchange of fire between rival groups in Chaghi district, while more than three-dozen people were injured in clashes elsewhere. Over 17,000 candidates were contesting for 4,456 seats of councillors in the election. A total of 1,584 councillors had already been elected unopposed. Election officials had said on Sunday that the compilation of complete results might take some days. Read more: Independents in the lead in Balochistan LG polls According to the results compiled so far, the Jamiat ul Ulema e Islam (JUI) followed the independents, securing 469 seats. The religious group won most of the seats in Ziarat, Loralai, Pishin, Killa Abdullah, Chaman, Khuzdar, Mastung, Kalat. The ruling Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) won 303 seats so far. The National Party (NP) got 145 seats and the Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party got 139 seats. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which had no seat in the last local elections, made a strong comeback in the province, winning 130 seats. The other parties on the victory table are Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) with 102 seats, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) with 71 seats and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 20 seats. The results also showed a surprise rise of the newly-formed Gwadar Rights Movement (GRM), which swept the elections in the port city of Gwadar. Out of 39 councillor seats, the GRM – led by Maulana Hidayatur Rehman – bagged 27 seats. The GRM defeated a four-party alliance, comprising the BNP-M the NP, the JUI, and the Pakistan National Party (PNP). “This is the success of people of Gwadar,” GRM chief Maulana Hidayatur Rehman, told The Express Tribune. Officials from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said that the results of around 1,500 constituencies had yet to be announced. “We will finalise the results by June 3rd”, an ECP official told The Express Tribune. No serious allegations of fraud were reported from any part of Balochistan during the polls, which were held after a gap of nine years. Almost all political parties claimed victories in the polls conducted in a comparatively peaceful atmosphere.

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When will President Alvi face impeachment?

The constitutional crisis induced by the political earthquake last month, whose epicentre was the National Assembly, is over. But the aftereffects continue to convey tremors down to the “Aiwan-e-Sadr” that’s bracing for upheaval. However, the ambitious 'clean slate' that the opposition parties had sought in order to re-author the political logics to preempt any resistance to their script is facing a hitch. In the presence of President Arif Alvi who continues to hold the office of state’s head, the government, led by a rainbow alliance, feels it is still facing ‘vestigial’ rivalry from the PTI. Dr Alvi stayed in the shadows since the ouster of the former prime minister Imran Khan-led PTI government until he was forced into the limelight to carry out his constitutional duties to which he had excused himself from, citing illness and did not administer the oath to the newly inducted cabinet in the first phase. Read more: President Alvi not to opt for resignation following Imran's ouster He, however, made himself readily available to carry out his aforementioned duties in the second phase of the coalition cabinet’s induction. A move, that did not surprise many, but did instil in people the urge to ponder over whether President Alvi had a sudden change of mind or was urged to do so by the officious “corridors of power”. The question lingering in the minds of people who have been paying close attention to the unfolding political saga is when the president will be impeached? The coalition partners have on occasions signalled the possibility of it if the PML-N-led government senses it is being hobbled by the president -- something it had to experience in Punjab where the governor stonewalled Hamza Shehbaz's election. The impeachment of President Alvi will be unprecedented like the success of the noconfidence motion against ousted PM Imran. No president of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has ever been impeached to this date. Many have, however, resigned. Voluntarily or forcefully, resides only with history. The process of impeachment The process to impeach the president has succinctly been laid out in the Constitution but is a difficult task as it requires the votes of parliamentarians from both the Upper and Lower Houses. According to Article 47 (1), “the President may, in accordance with the provisions of this Article, be removed from office on the ground of physical or mental incapacity or impeached on a charge of violating the Constitution or gross misconduct.” Also read: Govt gears up for Alvi’s impeachment after Eid For the coalition government to begin the process of impeachment, a notice of impeachment needs to be sent to the NA speaker or the Senate chairman. It is imperative for the notice to be signed by at least one-half of the relative House ie: 50 members of the Senate or 171 members of the NA. “Not less than one-half of the total membership of either House may give to the Speaker of the National Assembly or, as the case may be, the chairman written notice of its intention to move a resolution for the removal of, or, as the case may be, to impeach, the President,” reads out Article 47 (2). If senators have sent the notice to the chairman, then he will forward it to the NA speaker, defines Article 47 (3). Once the speaker receives the impeachment notice, he is bound by Article 47 (4), to send a copy of the notice to the President. Now the following actions dictated by Article 47 (5), clearly state that it is mandatory for the speaker to summon a session of the both the Houses “to meet in a joint sitting not earlier than seven days and not later than fourteen days after the receipt of the notice by him.” According to Article 47 (6), “The joint sitting may investigate or cause to be investigated the ground or the charge upon which the notice is founded.” The power of Article 47 (7) gives President Arif Alvi every right to attend the joint sitting debate or investigation. In agreement with Article 47(8), if a resolution is passed by two-thirds of the combined majority of the both the Houses (Senate and NA), then “the President shall cease to hold office immediately on the passing of the resolution.” The Senate has a total number of 100 seats whereas the National Assembly has 342. Two-thirds of 442 which is 296 (votes) will be needed to impeach the President. Currently, the Senate has a full membership with 100 sitting senators but the NA has 174 sitting MNAs while 135 belonging to PTI have tendered their resignations which are yet to be accepted.

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Institutions will get 'exposed' if they don't do their job now: Imran

Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman has said that if the institutions do not perform their job, they will expose themselves in front of the masses and become "naked". "Where our country currently stands, these are defining moments for Pakistan. If institutions do not do their job now, they will expose themselves. They are becoming naked," he said during an interview with a private TV channel on Monday. Imran said that if the Supreme Court does not protect the fundamental rights of the people then there will be no democracy in the country. "The Constitution gives us permission to move, to protest and right to speech. This is also a trial for the Supreme Court as well." Lashing out at the incumbent government for use of force against the 'Azadi March' "peaceful" protesters, the former premier said that the government defied the apex court's orders. Struggle against govt 'real jihad' "I have never seen this amount of torture meted out to women. Sharifs have appointed criminals in the Punjab police," he said and added that Pakistan is being ruled by criminals and those who are struggling against them are committing real jihad. Talking about the unruly incident in Prophet's (PBUH) mosque, he said that they did not even know about the incident. "Who can think of doing such a thing in Madina but they registered FIR against us for blasphemy. Let me tell them one thing, wherever they will go, they will listen to these two words: traitors and thieves." Read more: ‘Will come fully prepared this time’: Imran seeks SC’s protection for march The former prime minister claimed that if the government had not stopped them, the PTI would have brought over two million people to the capital for the long march. To a question about choosing only Islamabad for protest and not choosing other cities as protests can be held in other parts of the country as well, Imran said that the protest in the capital has the most impact. "When two million people protested against the Iraq war in London, it created a major impact." He said that 60 per cent of people in the current government are on bail. "They have brought an artificial government after conspiracy but the nation does not accept them. I want their voices to be heard." Plans after long march Saying that a long march to Islamabad would be the first step in their agitation against the government, the PTI chief said that they are considering other measures as well including strikes. "We will use all the non-violent and democratically allowed tools but we will never accept them," he added. "They have made a mockery of democracy here. The basis of democracy is based on morality. Whenever martial laws are imposed in Pakistan, the government is sacked on the basis of corruption," he added. He said that it was a joke that one of the dissenting PTI MNA was made leader of the opposition, adding that the government had appointed its own people in FIA and NAB so it can get out from all the cases. "They have always fixed matches by getting umpires on their side. They won election in 2013 because of some brigadier," he added. He said that when he met the Nigerian defence minister, he asked why Nigeria was a poor country despite having vast amounts of oil reserves. Imran said that the Nigerian official told him that it was due to corruption. "Musharraf's biggest crime was giving NRO to these people... even bigger crime than the dictatorship," he added. He said that what the government is doing now is even more damaging than "dropping an atomic bomb on the nation". Also read: ‘Azadi March’: Government had the last laugh "When you cannot hold accountable powerful people you become a banana republic. When you give licence to people to do corruption, a nation gets destroyed." 'Punjab prosecutor was told to go slow with corruption cases' Imran Khan also revealed that during the tenure of his government, someone gave a message to the Punjab prosecutor to go slow on corruption cases against Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz. "If he [Shehbaz] had been convicted, he would not have been able to become prime minister. Those who gave the message knew about the foreign conspiracy as well. This was all planned. The ones who were about to get convicted were made prime minister and chief minister." To a question about approaching former allies including Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), the ousted premier said that they have a strategy in place for both Centre and Punjab but he cannot reveal it at the moment. 'Top court's protection first' Imran said that they are waiting for the Supreme Court's verdict which they expect to give cover to the protesters. "I want to get this protection because during the long march, women children and common people come out to protest. I want the Supreme Court gives us protection so we can exercise our right to protest. If we don't get it, we have another strategy in place. We will deal with the situation accordingly after the Supreme Court's ruling," he added. The former prime minister also said that even during General (retd) Pervez Musharraf's dictatorship, he did not see the level of violence conducted by the police on the instructions of the government to stop the long march. "They didn't even care about women and children or the elderly. They detained everyone. Rana Sanaullah is a murderer. They killed 14 people in Model Town and injured so many others." He said that the PTI got relaxed after the Supreme Court's ruling as it did not expect the government to take such harsh steps. To a question about how he would deal with Western countries if he ever gets into power after his anti-Western rhetoric, Imran said that he knows the West best and they will respect his take after knowing that the stand he took was for the benefit of the people. "Look at India why do they respect them? Because they have an independent foreign policy. I met Rahul Gandhi at a conference. He said it is unimaginable that someone carries out drone attacks on India. We were their allies but we suffered 400 drone attacks. It was because we had corrupt leaders. We lost 80,000 lives but they did not even thank us," he added. 'Had a great relationship with Trump' Imran Khan went on to say that he had a very good relationship with former US president Donald Trump despite a Twitter spat. "He accused us on Twitter but what I replied was based on facts. But despite this episode, I had good relations with him. When I went to Washington he gave me tremendous respect. Ask anyone did any Pakistani prime minister or president got that sort of respect in Washington? I am not against anyone but I want to lead with dignity," he added. Regarding relations with India, he said that the day Pakistan forgets about Kashmir, relations will normalise with the neighbouring country. "If you accept the August 2019 move, the relations would get better. If you want to compromise on the blood of Kashmiris then your relations with India will improve," he said. To a question about Pakistan's relationship with China during the PTI's tenure, he said that he had a great relationship with President Xi Jinping. "It was simply that we talked about Pakistan's interest and they respected that. We had a great relationship with China. The Chinese president was due to arrive in Pakistan but the coronavirus pandemic happened," he added. He said that the CPEC Authority was created so things don't get stuck in the rotten bureaucratic system. "That was its only objective. We lost two years due to Covid-19. Otherwise, the things would have become even smoother." The PTI chairman said that he would have let the current government rule if did not have Pakistan's interest in mind. "I know they will expose themselves before the people." Another Sri Lanka? "If I don't think about Pakistan's interest, I would've just simply let them govern as they will expose themselves in front of the masses. See how they have messed up the economy. We had left the industrial growth level which was only seen in Ayub's era. We had record exports and remittances. We increased IT exports by 75 per cent. When our government was removed, all the indicators were positive." The former prime minister feared that "if we let the current rulers govern, Pakistan could become another Sri Lanka", therefore, he is emphasising conducting a free and transparent election as soon as possible. He said that the government had increased the petrol prices but more such increases are due to come. "They have increased Rs30 on petrol but this will not stop here they will increase even more. We had made a deal with Russia for cheap oil. They will bring down the economy even more if they remain in power for long," he added. To a question about how he would govern differently if given another chance, Imran Khan said that PTI's performance had been good in the last two years but they faced challenges in governance. "We have realised that if we do not have a real local government system we cannot progress. We have realised that if we do not give a functional local government system to the people, we won't be able to deliver," he further said. https://ift.tt/hkKuXwa  

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FWCCI to organize conference on women’s empowerment

The Faisalabad Women's Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FWCCI) will organize a conference on the role of women in the national economy and womens’ economic empowerment on May 30th in Islamabad. The one-day conference, on the theme of “Womens’ Economy-Empowering World,” will be attended by the presidents of 24 Women's Chambers across the country, members of the Executive Body, Foreign Ambassadors and key members of the Government. President FWCCI Nighat Shahid said that the Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Miftah Ismail would be the chief guest at the conference and Federal Minister for Commerce, Syed Naveed Qamar would also attend the session. President FWCCI said that the conference will focus on the role of women in the national economy, women's business, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), trade and taxes and business facilitation for women, which will be attended by experts in their fields. She added that the conference would aim to highlight the problems faced by women in the economy and bring these issues before the higher authorities. Nighat Shahid stressed the importance of professional training of women in the e-commerce and IT sector to excel in modern business environments. “We need government support so that we can train women in this regard and connect them to the international market.” Currently, the volume of e-commerce and online business markets in the world is $7 trillion, where there are vast job opportunities for women. She said that women in this sector could introduce domestic products to the global market and offset the trade deficit. She added that at present, women have a vital role in every sector of the country, including business, especially considering women constitute 51% of Pakistan's population. The advancement of women in economic activities and business is essential for the strengthening of the national economy, President FWCCI concluded. Published in The Express Tribune, May 30th, 2022.

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Three of a family among seven killed in accidents

Seven people, including three of a family, were killed while four others sustained injuries in traffic accidents. The family were returning from the airport in Lahore when their car collided with a truck four kilometers off the interchange on the Motorway. Nuzhat Bibi, 48-year-old Naimat and her 18-year-old daughter Iram died on the spot while Mariza and Muhammad Nasir sustained injuries. The latter were shifted to a hospital. In another accident, a tractor-trolley knocked off a motorcycle near 240 GB on the Jaranwala Road, killing the motorcycle riders, 14-year-old Irfan and 26-year-old Gulnaz, on the spot. In yet another accident, 18-year-old Owais riding on a motorcycle died on the spot after being hit by a truck near the Education Board Office off Jhang Road. In the first week of this month, eight members of a family were killed when their car collided head-on with a coaster in Vehari. The deceased were identified as Abdul Hameed, 60, his son, Sajjad Hussain, 33, daughter-in-law, Sanam Naz, 27, and granddaughters Sahil Umer, 15, Mashal, 7, and Mishal. They died on the spot while two other grandchildren of Abdul Hameed, five-year-old Arsalan and 16-year-old Lubna, who had sustained serious injuries, died in the hospital. Published in The Express Tribune, May 30th, 2022.

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Police arrest four drug dealers

Police claimed to have arrested four alleged drug dealers and recovered nine kilograms of charas, two kilograms of heroin and half-a-kilogram of opium. Police said that among the suspects, a drug dealer had been allegedly supplying drugs to college students. According to the police report, the SHO of Madina Town Police Station, Rana Maghfoor Ahmed, was informed that a resident of 30 GB Narwala Road, Raza, had arrived at the gate of a university in Madina Town on a motorcycle with a large consignment of drugs. The SHO, along with ASI Muhammad Asif, conducted a successful raid and arrested the accused along with four-and-a-half kilograms of charas, two kilograms of heroin and half-a-kilogram of opium. The accused was sent behind bars. According to police, the accused used to supply drugs to boys and girls of different universities and colleges. The SHO of Saddar Police Station, Iram Raza Shah, raided 228 RB and 215 RB and arrested two alleged drug dealers, Ghulam Mustafa and Aftab Javed, and seized 3.75 kilograms of charas and registered cases them. ASI Maqsood Ahmed raided Juranwala Road and arrested an alleged drug dealer, Ismail, with 1.25 kilograms of charas and locked him up in jail. Published in The Express Tribune, May 30th, 2022.

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Marriyum urges journalists to adopt modern technology

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Sunday urged the journalist community to adapt to the modern requirements of the profession. She expressed these views while addressing the participants of a two-day training workshop on mobile journalism at the Information Service Academy (ISA). The information minister highlighted the ways in which electronic and social media have changed and emphasised that ‘mobile journalism’ has assumed more importance as it has sped up the news coverage. Organisations affiliated with the information ministry including PTV, APP and Radio Pakistan were taking steps to bring their reporters in line with modern requirements, she added. “In 2018, we created the entire curriculum of the Information Service Academy,” Marriyum said, adding it was the need of the hour to equip the ISA with modern technology. There should be virtual training for the officers of the Ministry of Information and Pakistani missions abroad, the minister remarked. She said she was glad to see a large number of women in the mobile journalism training workshop as women were in no way behind male journalists. "Women should be encouraged in every field." A two-day training workshop on 'mobile journalism' was organised by the press information department. The closing ceremony was attended by Principal Information Officer Mubashir Hassan, Director General Information Service Academy Saeed Javed, press club officials and a large number of journalists. Marriyum Aurangzeb also distributed certificates among the participants of the training workshop.

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Musharraf, his successors face notices over ‘enforced disappearances’

The Islamabad High Court has directed the federal government to issue notices to former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf and all his successive chief executives of the country including incumbent PM Shehbaz Sharif as to why proceedings should not be initiated against them for subversion of the Constitution in context of the state policy on enforced disappearance. "The Federal Government shall issue and serve notices on General (retd) Pervez Musharraf and all other successor Chief Executives i.e. the former Prime Ministers, including the incumbent holder of the office. They shall submit their respective affidavits explaining why the Court may not order proceedings against them for alleged subversion of the Constitution in the context of the undeclared tacit approval of the policy regarding enforced disappearances and thus putting national security at risk by allowing the involvement of law enforcing agencies, particularly the Armed Forces. The onus is on each Chief Executive to rebut the presumption and to explain why they may not be tried for the offence of high treason", read an order authored by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah in a matter related to missing persons. Read more: IHC issues notice to NAB chief in Musharraf assets case The court also said that perception of the involvement of law enforcement agencies, particularly the armed forces, in this grave crime against humanity was the most profound violation of public interest and policy. The order read that the federal government shall consider the proposals and recommendations submitted by rights activist Amina Masood Janjua, the amicus curie appointed by the court, and furnish a report. "In case the missing persons are [neither] recovered nor effective and demonstrable actions/decisions are taken by the Federal Government then the current and former Ministers of Interior shall appear in person to explain why the petitions may not be decided and exemplary costs imposed upon them for the unimaginable agony and pain suffered by the petitioners on account of lack of response and empathy while dealing with their grievances." The court further noted that the attorney general for Pakistan (AGP) would satisfy it that in case of alleged disappearances in the future, why criminal cases might not be ordered to be registered against the chief executives of the federation and the provinces concerned. The court directed its registrar to send a copy of this order to the interior secretary for compliance. “The latter [interior secretary] is directed to place a copy of this order before the worthy prime minister and members of the federal cabinet." The order read that the existence of the phenomenon of “enforced disappearances” was intolerable and, more so, when overwhelming evidence manifested that it had remained and continued to be an undeclared tacit policy of the State. “The Armed Forces have and continue to render sacrifices for the security and integrity of the country. They ought to be respected by every citizen otherwise the security and integrity of the country and its people is exposed to being jeopardised. The involvement or even a perception of the involvement of the Armed Forces in acts amounting to violation of human rights and freedom of the citizens weakens and undermines the rule of law. It definitely puts national security and integrity at risk.” The court observed that the Constitution did not contemplate the existence of a “state within a state” and the framers had unambiguously intended a scheme of civilian control and oversight through chosen representatives. “Any other form of governance would amount to subverting the scheme of the Constitution and thus exposing the perpetrators to be accountable under the high treason offence described under Article 6." The order read that the federal government should take appropriate measures so as to enable the family members of the missing persons to inform the public regarding their grievances. “It shall also be ensured that there is no undeclared censorship observed by the print and electronic media."

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Massive turnout in Balochistan LG polls widely hailed

Balochistan's local body elections on Sunday proved that the people of the province stand with the state, as massive numbers turned up at polling stations today (Sunday), analysts said. In the polls, held after a lapse of nearly 10 years – in 32 out of 34 districts – 17,000 people exercised their right to vote to endorse their preferred candidates. Some 132 women candidates contested for the general seats, which is significant given the number of both the female candidates and the voters. A large number of young people also took part in the electoral process and proved that the threats of the anti-state elements were futile. Men and women queued to cast their votes in the local bodies’ elections in Quetta, Balochistan on Sunday. Polling process continued from 8am to 5pm. For more: https://ift.tt/R7nPj8I #news #Quetta #balochistan #elections pic.twitter.com/vvDCzDz37k — The Express Tribune (@etribune) May 29, 2022 In the Turbat division alone, the turnout remained 61 per cent, which was equivalent to that of any large city in the country. The voter turnout was estimated to be the highest in the province since the year 1988. The credit for the successful local body polls goes to the brave people of Balochistan, its administration, law enforcement agencies and hundreds of men who sacrificed their lives for peace in the province, according to the political pundits. Also read: Independents lead local body polls in Balochistan The successful election actually marks the beginning of the province's inclusion in the national mainstream and is a befitting response to India and all other negative forces in the region, they added. As per the unofficial and initial results, independent candidates have won 1,058 seats followed by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) securing 98 seats and Balochistan Awami Party's (BAP) 71 seats. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had declared over 2,000 polling stations sensitive and the provincial government has enhanced security to avert any untoward incident during polling.

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Water talks between Pakistan, India to begin tomorrow in New Delhi

A five-member Pakistani delegation, led by Indus Water Commissioner Mehr Ali Shah, left for India via Wagah Border on Sunday to discuss issues pertaining to sharing of water resources under the Indus Water Treat. Speaking before his departure, Mehr Ali Shah said the two-day talks would begin in New Delhi on Monday, which would focus on issues of sharing flood data in the upcoming monsoon season. In addition, deliberations and aftermath strategy to be formulated while assessing the forecast information regarding floods in rivers coming from India are also the part of meeting’s agenda. The commissioner also apprised that Pakistan would raise objections before Indian authorities over New Delhi’s attempt to construct three mega hydel projects on River Chenab. Also read: Pakistan-India water talks likely to be delayed A three-day meeting of water experts from both countries was held on March 1 in Islamabad. According to sources, it was agreed in that meeting to hold talks in New Delhi in May. Islamabad has objections over New Delhi’s plans to build projects on Chenab River in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), sources added. They said that India had also approved the launch of illegal water projects on the Indus River. The construction of water projects by India will reduce the flow of water in Pakistan’s rivers. In March, Islamabad and New Delhi reiterated their desire to implement the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) following the 117th meeting of the India-Pakistan Permanent Indus Commission. Under the relevant provisions of the IWT 1960, the meeting takes place alternatively in Pakistan and India annually. (With additional input from News Desk)

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President congratulates newly-elected body of CPNE

President Arif Alvi on Sunday felicitated the newly-elected President of Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) Kazim Khan and other officials after being elected as its office-bearers for the year 2022-23. The president hoped that the newly-elected leadership of CPNE will play its role in curbing the publication and promotion of fake and unverified news. He stressed that the youth needed to be made aware of the positive use of social media and recognition of fake news, adding that the people needed moral training to deal with social evils. President Alvi said that the media should promote high moral values and Islamic teachings to eradicate social evils. He hoped that the CPNE's new leadership would fulfil its social responsibility to the fullest. Read more: CPNE elects office-bearers for year 2022-23 On Saturday, CPNE on Saturday elected its office-bearers for the year 2022-23. Daily Times Lahore Group Editor Kazim Khan was elected as the president, Daily Express Lahore Group Editor Ayaz Khan as the senior vice president, Monthly Kiran Digest Karachi Chief Editor Aamer Mahmood as secretary-general, and Pakistan Today Editor Yousaf Nizami was elected as the deputy secretary-general. 92 News Lahore Editor-in-Chief Muhammad Haider Amin was elected as the Punjab vice president, Nawa-e-Waqt Islamabad Editor Salman Masood as the Islamabad vice president, Awami Awaaz Karachi Editor-in-Chief Dr Jabbar Khattak as the Sindh vice president, Ittehad Peshawar Editor-in-Chief Tahir Farooq as the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa vice-president, Daily Balochistan Express Quetta Editor-in-Chief Arif Baloch as the Balochistan vice president. These officials were elected at a meeting of the newly elected standing committee. Forty-four new people, including President Khan, were elected as members of the standing committee for this year.

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Russia wheat to be imported against cash

Pakistan on Saturday decided to directly import two million metric tonnes of wheat from Russian on cash while dropping a barter trade plan, as it also approved Rs160 billion supplementary grants to ensure uninterrupted supply of food, fuel and electricity. The decisions were taken by the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet that approved Rs62.3 billion more for payments of fuel subsidies, Rs50 billion to reduce power outages and over Rs36 billion for giving targeted subsidies to the poorest families and paying for the subsidised essential commodities at the Utility Stores. The ECC also temporarily waived off additional customs duties on import of edible oil to incentivise the suppliers to fast track the shipments in June. Finance Minister Miftah Ismail presided over the ECC meeting. “The ECC allowed import of two million metric tonnes of wheat on a government-to-government basis'' from Russia, stated the finance ministry. The Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (Passco) will be the recipient agency for the imported wheat from Russia as per the existing arrangement. The Ministry of National Food Security had proposed that the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Commerce should jointly explore the possibility of barter trade with Russia due to sanctions imposed by the West. However, there are no sanctions on the import of grains from Russia but the government would have to work out a mechanism to make the payments after Moscow has been thrown out of the global payments clearing system –the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (Swift). This month the federal cabinet had allowed import of three million metric tonnes of wheat, including one million metric tonnes, through international open tenders. The wheat output decreased by one million metric tonnes to 26.4 million metric tonnes this year but the consumption is estimated at 30.4 million tonnes. Pakistan faces four million metric tonnes of wheat shortage, as global prices soar due to the Russia-Ukraine war. Accordingly, the first international tender for import of 500,000 metric tonnes of wheat was issued on May 16 for shipments in June-July 2022. As per bid evaluation committee report, the lowest responsive bid came from M/s Falconbridge Resources at the rate of $515.49 per metric tonne. As per the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS),the per 40kg cost of domestically available wheat is Rs2,511 or Rs63 per kilo – whereas the estimated landed cost at port of imported wheat offered comes to Rs4,618 per 40kg or Rs115 per kilo, which is Rs2,106.88 per 40kg higher than the domestically available wheat. The ECC also approved Rs7.3 billion bridge financing for supply of wheat flour at Rs40 per kilo in Punjab. The Punjab government cannot approve any subsidy amount at this time in absence of a provincial cabinet. The ECC decided that in case subsidy is not approved by the Punjab cabinet, the shortfall will be bridged by the federal government but the Punjab government will ensure that the provincial cabinet approves the package as soon as its meeting is convened. The ECC approved Rs62.3 billion for making payment of price differential claims to oil marketing companies and refineries for the second fortnight of May 2022 to pay for the fuel subsidies. This has brought the total subsidies to Rs211 billion for three months – far higher than Rs110 billion initially estimated by the last PTI government for a four-month period. The subsidies’ amount would reduce next month due to the government’s decision to increase the prices by 25% from May 26. The ECC also approved Rs24 billion supplementary budget to pay for the cost of Rs28.6 billion PM’s targeted subsidy package for the poor to offset the impact of increase in fuel prices. The ECC approved Rs50 billion subsidy to clear the dues of the power sector aimed at reducing the unannounced power outages period. At present, there is load-shedding of around eight to 10 hours a day due to the government’s inability to run the power plants owing to resource constraints. The ECC also approved a summary submitted by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission for grant of extension in the construction period of K-2 from November 20, 2020 to May 21, 2021 and K-3 from September 30, 2021 to April 18, 2022 for ensuring disbursement of pending loan of $383 million before expiry of loan availability on June 3, 2022 from Exim Bank, China to the contractor, who has already completed the project. The Ministry of Industries and Production submitted a summary on the continuation of the PM relief package – 2020 for the months of May and June, 2022 through the Utility Stores Corporation. The ECC after deliberation allowed continuation of existing subsidy for two weeks on essential commodities (atta, sugar, rice and pulses), and Rs100 per kilo subsidy on ghee at the USC. The Finance Division will also release the outstanding amount of Rs11 billion on account of subsidy under the PM relief package – 2020 approved by the ECC for the previous months. It also allowed additional subsidies for a two-week period. The ECC allowed import of 200,000 metric tonnes of granular urea from China on government-to-government basis on deferred payment basis within 90 days. The country will pay 4.35% interest rate on the $120 million amount, as it does not have money for import. The ECC did not exempt Rs2.5 billion tax on about $600 million being executed by the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD). In Pakistan, the SFD is providing assistance for various projects including energy, health, education and infrastructure projects. The ECC, considering the comments of the Federal Board of Revenue on the subject, suggested that a tax-exemption clause for the SFD may be inserted in the money bill, considering strong and strategic relationship between Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, encompassing economic cooperation and investment. Saudi Arabia has conditioned the $845 million loan payments’ suspension with tax waivers. The Ministry of Commerce submitted a summary on duty structure on import of edible palm oil. The ECC allowed removing 2% additional customs duties on import of palm oil for shipments originating from all sources except Indonesia for June10-20, 2022, subject to approval of the federal cabinet. The ECC approved Rs7.6 billion supplementary grant for the Federal Directorate of Immunisation (FDI). It gave another Rs2.44 billion to the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony for grant of one-time support of Rs150,000 per pilgrim under the government Hajj Scheme. This will bring down the cost for 32,453 pilgrims to Rs700,000 for this year’s Hajj.

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Suspected murderer of trader held

Police arrested a suspect in the murder of a shopkeeper reportedly over business rivalry. According to officials, Hafeezullah, a resident of the 150EB area, had gone with shopkeeper Noor Muhammad to purchase buffaloes. However, he stabbed Noor, as well as his father and brother, over a business-related grudge. The injured shopkeeper was shifted to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Burewala and later referred to Nishtar Hospital due to his critical condition, where he succumbed to his wounds. Saddar police arrested the suspect Hafeezullah on the complaint of Muhammad Majeed, the son of the deceased. A case was registered. The deceased and suspect reportedly had grocery shops in the village.   Published in The Express Tribune, May 29th, 2022.

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Farmers advised on lumpy skin disease

The Livestock Department continued its awareness campaign to sensitize farmers on how to protect their cattle from Lumpy Skin disease (LSD). Deputy Director Livestock Dr Jamshed Akhtar said that livestock teams were travelling to different villages across the province to convey to farmers the importance of keeping their cattle pens clean to provide a healthy atmosphere for animals. During an on-farm briefing to cattle farmers at Jalalpur Pirwala, Dr Akhtar said that the disease is transmitted by flies, mosquitoes, and ticks and advised farmers to apply pest sprays to kill them. Upon noticing symptoms, cattle farmers must quarantine the sick animal in a separate pen from healthy ones, to avoid spreading LSD to other cattle pens. He added that LSD does not transmit to humans from animals and their meat and milk is safe for human consumption. Dr Akhtar also said that while cattle farmers were being approached by livestock officials, it would be appropriate for them to remain in contact with veterinary hospitals to ensure timely treatment of their animals. LSD was discovered in October 2021, with symptoms being reduced production of milk, loss of appetite as well as the appearance of skin protuberances that give the illness its name. Published in The Express Tribune, May 29th, 2022.

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UN report highlights Afghanistan-based TTP threat to Pakistan

A new United Nations report has once again highlighted the threat posed to Pakistan by the Afghanistan-based Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the terrorist group which has conducted numerous deadly “cross-border” attacks and operations. The report — 13th in the series — by the UN Security Council Monitoring team on Afghanistan states that the that TTP remains focused on long-term campaign against the Pakistani state with its several thousand fighters in Afghanistan. “TTP constitutes the largest component of foreign terrorist fighters in Afghanistan, with their number estimated to be several thousand, according to the report released on Friday. “TTP has arguably benefited the most of all the foreign extremist groups in Afghanistan from the Taliban takeover. It has conducted numerous attacks and operations in Pakistan…” “The presence of ‘several thousand’ TTP fighters in Afghanistan, as stated in the latest UN report, quite understandably poses a serious and credible threat from Pakistan’s perspective,” a European diplomat told APP on the condition of anonymity. The UN Monitoring Team’s earlier report had focused on the global threat posed by al Qaeda, Da’esh and related groups as well as the one before that had also underlined increasing cross-border attacks by TTP from the Afghan soil as result of the reunification of the terrorist group in Afghanistan. Also read: TTP extends ceasefire till May 30 after 'successful' talks On its part, Pakistan had shared a dossier with the UN Security Council, containing evidence of financial and material support provided by Indian intelligence agencies to TTP to conduct cross-border terrorist attacks against Pakistani military and civilian targets. TTP was also responsible for the heinous attack on Army Public School in Peshawar in which over 150 children were killed. Separately, quoting information provided by a “Member State,” the Monitoring Team report mentions the presence of defunct Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Afghanistan, something its several previous reports did not have. However, ever since becoming a member of the UN Security Council in January 2021, India has been repeatedly criticising the UN Monitoring Team in public as well as reportedly in the closed meetings of the UN for not including specific references to these groups in the UN reports. On February 14, 2022, during a public meeting of the Counter Terrorism Committee (CTC), which India currently chairs, it’s representative publicly slammed the UN Monitoring Team on the same issue, stating that the UN reporting mechanism was “plagued by political biases.” While the reference to LeT and JeM in the latest report appears to be an attempt to respond to the Indian pressure and criticism, diplomatic observers say that the Monitoring Team has apparently steered clear of owing any evidence of the presence of these defunct groups in Afghanistan by ascribing the information to a certain Member State. At the same time, the report also anonymously mentions another Member State according to which “there is no evidence of the presence of LeT and JeM in the region.” According to diplomats familiar with the work of the UN Security Council sanction committees, India’s efforts to push its domestic political agenda in the technical work of the committees, including by pressurising members of the UN Monitoring Team, is a cause of concern for many Council members, including India’s close allies. Such politicised measures, according to these diplomats, are undermining the credibility of the UN bodies, impacting their work, and diverting attention from the real terrorist threats being faced by the region. Some analysts also say that Indian tactics were part of a broader strategy to deflect increasing criticism aimed at India’s atrocities, and gross violations of human rights abuses in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK) as well as mainstreaming of Islamophobia in its political discourse. Also read: Pakistan asks Afghan Taliban to take TTP ‘as test case’ India has repeatedly used the bogey of terrorism to divert attention away from its domestic persecution of Muslims as well as state terrorism in IIOJK, it was pointed out. India’s strong opposition to the UN initiatives aimed at addressing the issue of Islamophobia as well as terrorist attacks being carried out against Muslims and their places of worship on that basis, shows that the agenda of India’s supremacist terrorist organisations like RSS has become a foreign policy priority for India, analysts say. Because of its domestic political environment, India tried to block consensus in the United Nations General Assembly on the 7th Review of the UN Global Counter Terrorism Strategy (GCTS) which called upon member states to take appropriate measures to address Islamophobia as well as terrorist attacks on the basis of Islamophobia, and xenophobia. Despite Indian opposition, the UN Strategy was adopted by the UN General Assembly by consensus.

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UN honours fallen Pakistani peacekeepers

The United Nations honoured on Thursday 117 military, police and civilian personnel from 42 countries, including six Pakistani peacekeepers, who lost their lives serving under the UN flag last year, at a solemn ceremony at the UN headquarters. The ceremony, presided over by Secretary General Antonio Guterres, marked the annual International Day of UN Peacekeepers in which the Dag Hammarskjold Medal was awarded posthumously to the peacekeepers, who made the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of peace, during the preceding year. Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Munir Akram, accepted the awards on behalf of the families of the fallen Pakistani peacekeepers—Police Lance Corporal Tahir Ikram, Police Lance Corporal Adil Jan, Havildar Muhammad Nil Naeem, Havildar Muhammad Shafeeq, NCE Tahir Mehmood and Abrar Sayed. “I feel deeply honoured and proud on receiving these awards on behalf of six fallen Pakistani peacekeepers,” Ambassador Akram told APP after the ceremony. “There is a steadfast resolve on Pakistan’s part to build upon the glorious past to achieve shared goals of peace and security,” he added. Read More: UN to honour six Pakistani peacekeepers tomorrow In his message on the occasion, the UN chief pointed out that the world body was honouring more than one million women and men, who had served as UN peacekeepers since 1948. “We pay tribute to the nearly 4,200 heroes and heroines, who sacrificed their lives in the cause of peace,” he said. “And we are reminded an age-old truth: Peace can never be taken for granted. Peace is the prize,” he said. “We are deeply grateful to the 87,000 civilian, police and military personnel now serving under the UN flag, who are helping to realise the prize of peace worldwide.” The theme for this year’s observance of the day is “People. Peace. Progress. The Power of Partnerships”. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, said the UN peacekeepers worked on a daily basis to protect vulnerable people in the world’s most fragile political and security situations. “The dangers they face are greater than ever, with increasing global tensions, ever-more complex threats from terrorist attacks to organised crime and the use of improvised explosive devices as well as a surge in mis- and disinformation targeting our missions and the communities we serve,” he said. The UN General Assembly designated May 29 as the International Day of UN Peacekeepers in commemoration of the day in 1948 when the UN’s first peacekeeping mission began operations in Palestine. Since then, more than one million women and men have served in 72 UN operations.

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Tareen group to move SC against ECP verdict

Beleaguered Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz and the Jahangir Khan Tareen group on Friday decided to move the Supreme Court against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision that de-seated 25 dissident lawmakers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf who defected in the CM’s election. The decision to head to the top court was taken during a meeting Punjab CM Hamza held with the members of the disgruntled faction of the PTI, party sources revealed. Former lawmakers of the Punjab Assembly who were de-notified by the ECP earlier this month were also in attendance. The sources added that in order to salvage the uncertain political future of the disqualified lawmakers, the two sides deliberated upon ways in which legal nuts and bolts could be tapped into, particularly the observations made by the CJP during the hearings of presidential reference on the interpretation of Article 63-A. The de-seated MPAs belonging to Jahangir Tareen, who feel aggrieved by the ECP’s decision, were of the view that the decision of the electoral watchdog was arbitrary in nature, underscoring that the apex court had held a completely different opinion in the matter. “Most of the members in the Tareen group had won the election as independents,” Faisal Hayat Jabboana, dissident PTI member of the Tareen group, said. Meanwhile, observers point out that in case the PML-N decides to go to a fresh election, the allocation of five vacant reserved seats will assume an important role. Of the 25 de-seated PTI MPAs, five were elected on reserved seats, which would be distributed among parties on the basis of their current strength in the PA. The Punjab Assembly’s current strength is 346 members: the PTI has 158 lawmakers, its ally PML-Q 10, the PML-N 165, PPP seven, five independents and one Rah-i-Haq Party. The ECP’s verdict, following the apex court’s majority opinion on defection, had thrown the fate of the newly elected chief minister Hamza Shehbaz, who clinched the power by peeling off lawmakers from the PTI, into a new chapter of uncertainty. It is pertinent to recall that earlier on Monday, the PTI had approached the ECP to stop Hamza Shehbaz from working as the Punjab chief minister after the poll supervisor de-seated 25 dissident members of the Punjab Assembly. “Deciding on the reference, the election commission has terminated the membership of 25 dissident members,” PTI’s counsel Faisal Chaudhry wrote in a letter to the CEC. “Hamza Shahbaz has lost the majority in the Punjab Assembly after the decision of the election commission,” it added.

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Three handed down double death penalty

An Anti-Terrorist Court (ATC) in Abbottabad on Friday handed down the double death penalty to three accused and imposed a fine of Rs1.5 million on each for murdering a WAPDA official in 2016. The convicts Shahzad Kiyani, Taimour Fareedon and Khalid Omer, who belonged to a proscribed organisation, were handed down the penalty in the killing of former WAPDA XEN Muhammad Yousuf on sectarian grounds in 2016 in Abbottabad. The victim was deputed in Hangu while his family was residing in Abbottabad. He was killed in an attack when he was going home after parking his car in WAPDA Colony Abbottabad. Later, police arrested Taimour Fareedon, Raja Mustafa, Omer Khalid and Shahzad Kiyani in 2017. Later, they were handed over to Shangla police and they confessed to the killing before the court. The case was later transferred to the ATC Abbottabad which had released the accused initially on bail. However, during the trial, the prosecution succeeded in proving its case against the three convicts who were awarded the double death penalty by ATC Abbottabad Judge Sajjad Jan Khattak. With additional input from APP One killed, two injured on road in Haripur Meanwhile, a man named Farooq Khan was killed and his two friends were injured in a road accident on the motorway on Friday. Police said that the deceased was a government college teacher. Earlier on Thursday, at least four children died and 19 others were injured when a loaded truck fell into a deep gorge at Pind Kargo Khan Sherwan while taking a sharp turn. According to the Rescue 1122 sources, a loaded truck which was carrying wheat flour picked 23 children from a private school of Pind Kargo Khan Sherwan and fell into a deep gorge while taking a sharp turn. Rescue 1122 shifted the injured children to the Ayub Medical Complex Abbottabad while the bodies of the four children were handed over to the families. The injured children who were shifted to ATH included Tashfeen Masood son of Masood, Naqash, Hamza son of Sadique, Waqas, Tanzeela Sidique, Saad Basharat and Hamza. Hareem Fatima, Ahsan son of Arif. Uraid Ahmed, Ramsha Bibi, Zohaib, Almughanya, Naveed, Anam, Danyal, Muqaddas and Inaya. Published in The Express Tribune, May 28th, 2022.

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Int’l Fistula Day observed in Abbottabad

An estimated 2 million women in developing countries suffer from obstetric fistula, said Fistula Centre Abbottabad in charge Dr Azizun Nisa Abbasi. She said this infliction happens when patients sustain damage to the urinary bladder from a difficult delivery or gynaecological operations by untrained gynaecologists and surgeons. Dr Abbasi was speaking at an event organised in connection with International Obstetric Fistula Day at Fistula Centre Abbottabad the other day. A large number of doctors, paramedics and other health personnel attended the event. She advised the patients who develop dribbling of urine to have trained/skilled gynaecologists to perform repair operations; otherwise, the failure rate is quite high, leaving the woman to live with this crippling problem their whole life. Recognising the gravity of the condition, UNFPA and Fistula Foundation celebrate this day every year. The purpose of this day is public awareness to end fistula by 2030. Abbottabad Fistula Centre was established in 2012 in collaboration with PNFWH and International Fistula Foundation. During this period, many women benefited free of cost operations by a team of renowned gynaecologists. Published in The Express Tribune, May 28th, 2022.

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FO doesn’t rule out oil, wheat import from Russia

The Foreign Office on Friday did not rule out the possibility of Pakistan importing oil and food products from Russia, saying the country has an “open policy” driven by national interest to expand economic and trade relations. “Our policy is clear, you know in terms of expanding economic and trade relations, we have an open policy, driven by national interest. Wherever we see there is national benefit, we pursue those options and avenues,” FO spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said at a weekly news briefing. He was responding to a question that whether or not Pakistan was considering importing oil and food grains from Russia, Neighbouring India had reduced oil prices after importing oil at discounted rates from Moscow. The government on Thursday increased the oil prices by Rs30 per litre in order to meet a key International Monetary Fund (IMF) condition to revive the loan programme. PTI chief and former premier condemned the oil price hike, repeating his claims that if he was in power, he would have reduced the prices as he was negotiating a deal with Russia to buy oil at discounted rates. The current government, however, insisted that there was no written agreement between Pakistan and Russia to confirm the former premier’s claim and reports also suggest that Islamabad did not have the capacity to refine Moscow’s crude oil. With Pakistan facing wheat shortage this season, there is a possibility that the government might import it from Russia, which is one of the top producers of the food grain. The FO spokesperson confirmed that Pakistan was in contact with Russia and other countries on the subject. “There is a shortage of food grain in Pakistan,” Iftikhar said, adding that there was a decision to import a certain quantity of wheat utilising various ways, international bidding and G2G options. “The government is in touch with its friends and partners, and we are also in consultation with the Russian side with on this subject.” Responding to a question about the press conference of Secretary Anthony Blinken where he talked about the threat posed by China, the spokesperson said Pakistan wanted a balanced relationship with all major powers. “We want objective and balanced and broad-based relations with major powers and this includes the US and China and others, and we will continue to pursue that policy. So it is in that context, you see that we engage closely with China.” The spokesperson added that Islamabad and Beijing were strategic partners, citing the examples of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). “The recent contacts with the US, the engagement between the two foreign ministers is also indicative of the same desire of Pakistan. I would say both the countries [wish] to expand our relations on those lines – broad-based, mutually beneficial and based on mutual respect, and I believe we will continue this policy, we think that this is in the best interest of Pakistan.” The spokesperson concluded by saying in principle, Pakistan had always encouraged major powers to adopt policies that were cooperative rather than confrontational.

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Govt jacks up flour prices by 22.5%

A day after dropping a petrol bomb on the people by increasing fuel prices by Rs30, the government on Friday jacked up the prices of flour at Utility Stores by 22.5 per cent. Following the issuance of a notification in this regard, flour is being sold at higher prices at Utility Stores across the country. The price of a 20kg bag of flour increased by Rs180, and it is now being sold for Rs980, while the price of a 10kg bag has increased by Rs90, and it is being sold for Rs490. The government has directed officials to personally visit the warehouses and stores to oversee the price variation and stock availability. It has warned that it would hold officials concerned responsible if any discrepancy or insufficiency was found. These price hikes come as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) made it clear that it wants the withdrawal of subsidies for the resumption of its loan facility. Soon after coming to power, the incumbent coalition government faced a difficult choice – withdraw subsidies and bear a political cost or run the risk of default amid dwindling foreign reserves. While the government has acknowledged that these measures would lead to inflation, it cites them as a necessary measure to stabilise the economy.

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Prolonged load-shedding adds to people’s miseries

Prolonged load-shedding coupled with high temperatures in the country on Friday continued to wreak havoc on people’s lives with electricity shortfall reaching 5,018 megawatts. With sky-rocketing fuel prices, most people found using generators run on petrol and diesel hard to use. As if inflation had not burdened the people enough to meet their daily needs, the government on Thursday jacked fuel prices by up to Rs30 per litre to meet the International Monetary Fund’s condition for releasing the $1 billion loan tranche. Staying indoors in the scorching hot day was no more an option for the people of Karachi as they tried to beat the heat at Sea View. Several families were seen bathing in the sea while others were sitting on the benches enjoying the breeze. The situation in Lahore was no different. The youth were seen swimming in canals while families thronged parks and spots surrounded by greenery. The twin cities – Islamabad and Rawalpindi – also witnessed up to eight hours of load-shedding. According to the Power Division, the country was generating 19,982MW against a total demand of 25,000MW as load-shedding of six to eight hours continued across different parts. Sources told The Express Tribune that currently 5,262MW was being generated from hydropower sources while government thermal plants were generating 1,317MW. They added that the nuclear power plants were generating 2,280MW of electricity, wind power plants 1,011MW, biogas power plants 149MW, and solar power plants were not generating anything. According to the sources, the total output of private sector power plants was 9,963MW. While the country struggled to meet its power needs, load-shedding of six to eight hours continued in different parts of the country, making the lives of people miserable. The sources said that the duration of load-shedding was longer in areas with high power losses, which means that people in those cities avoid paying inflated bills as they find it difficult to make ends meet.

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Germany’s support for GSP-Plus status hailed

Federal Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar on Friday hailed Germany for its continued support to Pakistan for the ongoing Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP-Plus) status. Federal Minister for Commerce and Investment Syed Naveed Qamar is on an official visit to Berlin as a part of his EU Outreach mission. He visited the German Federal Foreign Office, where he was received by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Tobias Lindner, according to a statement issued here. The state minister extended a warm welcome to the commerce minister and his delegation. He hoped that the visit would further strengthen and diversify the bilateral relations, especially in the trade and investment area between the Pakistan and Germany. The two sides had an exchange of views on various aspects of bilateral relations, with a special focus on enhancing trade and economic cooperation to sustain economic growth in a post-Covid pandemic world.

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'Massive funding cut to drastically affect higher education in Pakistan, AJK'

The drastic cut in recurring grants for the higher education budget for the fiscal year 2022-23 has posed a serious threat to the survival of 141 public sector universities in the four provinces of the country, including five in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The finance ministry has proposed only Rs30 billion for higher education’s recurring grant against the rationalised demand of Rs104.983 billion. The allocation is 45 per cent less even than the current year’s allocation which was Rs66.25 billion. After the shocking decision, over 120 heads of public sector universities, who attended a virtual meeting from across the country urged the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail and others to urgently look into the matter and enhance the budget as per rationalised demand, to avoid the subversion of long-term socio-economic goals of the country, and save the higher education sector from total chaos and collapse. Read more: HEC asks govt to reconsider plan to reduce budget by 50% "There is a danger of closing the doors of higher education to the majority of students as all the universities across the country depend on HEC [Higher Education Commission] funding." They expressed their apprehension that the cut would make it impossible for universities to pay salaries and pensions let alone meet the overall expenses needed to run the universities. Addressing the meeting, HEC Chairman Tariq Banuri emphasised: “It must be realised that education is as much important as the country’s defence and security.” He expressed his apprehension that the budget cut, if materialised, would land the higher education sector in a severe crisis. He stressed the need for collectively and clearly making out a case to the government about the loss and consequences of the unprecedented reduction in higher education funding. HEC Executive Director Dr Shaista Sohail underlined the challenges of the higher education sector, especially in the face of the proposed budgetary cut. Also read: VCs concerned over cut in budget for higher education She regretted that the recurring grant allocated to HEC since FY2017-18 has almost been stagnant and its share as a percentage of GDP kept on declining to the level of 0.14% in the current fiscal year. She highlighted that the higher education sector has witnessed tremendous growth during the last five years through the establishment of the number of new universities/HEIs by the federal and provincial governments, while the students’ enrolment has also remarkably increased. In his speech, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Prof Dr Muhammad Kaleem Abbasi said that the public sector universities of AJK have been facing a continuous financial crisis since the 18th amendment. As a result of this amendment, he added, all the provincial governments provide grants to the universities established in their respective provinces whereas the universities in AJK get very meagre grants from the government. All the universities of AJK depend on the Higher Education Commission for their financial resources and if the budget of the HEC is reduced, it will have adverse negative impacts on the universities of Azad Kashmir. He demanded Azad Kashmir President and Chancellor of the universities Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry and Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas take up the issue with the federal government at the highest level to save the universities in Azad Kashmir from any possible financial crisis.

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PTI chief Imran Khan, top party leaders booked

Islamabad police on Thursday filed separate cases against 150 people including PTI Chairman Imran Khan, Asad Umar, Asad Qaiser and other leaders of his party over allegations of arson and vandalism in the federal capital a day earlier. The footage of the Safe City cameras as well those from private TV news channels have been included in the challans of the cases as evidence. At least 39 people have been taken into custody so far after identifying them from the footage. Two FIRs were registered at Kohsar police station over the complaint of Sub-Inspector Asif Raza and Sub-Inspector Ghulam Sarwar under Sections 109 (abetment), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public service), 188 (disobedience), 353 (assault on public servant), 427 (causing damage) and 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage) of the Pakistan Penal Code. SI Raza stated in his FIR that he was patrolling with his other police personnel near Jinnah Avenue's China Chowk when at 11pm, around 100-150 people with PTI flags suddenly moved towards Express Chowk. He added that the police tried to stop the PTI supporters due to the imposition of Section 144 in Islamabad but they did not listen and instead pelted stones at the police officers and also set fire to trees. The SI said 36 individuals, who were acting at the "behest of Imran and other PTI leadership", were "brought under control". In the other FIR, SI Sarwar stated  that he and other police officers were on duty at Express Chowk when at 12:30am, around 100-150 PTI protesters, equipped with rods and inflammatory material, chanted slogans, incited people and set fire to the trees and Metro Bus station near Geo Chowk. He added that the protesters also smashed the mirrors of the office of a private TV news channel. He further stated in the FIR as the police tried to disperse the crowd, the PTI activists resorted to pelting stones and also damaged a government bus. He added that 39 individuals were later arrested. The FIR filed on SI Sarwar's complaint named the PTI chief as well as Asad Umar, Imran Ismail, Raja Khurram Nawaz, Ali Amin Gandapur, Ali Nawaz Awan and other party leaders. The FIRs stated that the PTI activists invaded Blue Area and D-Chowk and injured several policemen by pelting stones. A gun was also recovered from the vehicle of a PTI activist. A senior police official told The Express Tribune that although protest is a democratic right of everyone, there were clear and strict orders from the federal government not to ignore the process of challenging the writ of the State under its guise. He added that damaging public property and attacking security staff was a very dangerous phenomenon which must be stopped at all costs. The official said provisions had been added to the cases for each offense, which has irrefutable evidence in the form of videos. “They [videos] are being made part of the challan of the cases and they will be presented in the court.”

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Govt plans to 'dodge' president for approval of Elections Amendment Bill

The federal government on Thursday managed to get the approval of the National Assembly over the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which removes the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and disallows overseas Pakistanis from voting in the next general election. However, getting a nod from the presidency, needed for the implementation of the legislation, remained an obstacle for the government. But, according to insiders, in a stroke of genius, the government has found a way to overcome the hurdle. Read more: Electoral reforms: NA passes 'Elections Amendment Bill, 2022’ Sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune that President Arif Alvi has already convened parliament's joint session which the government can extend as per its wish so that it can get approval from it if the presidency creates any hurdle for the legislation. They said that the president had been obstructing the work of the government and not carrying out his constitutional responsibilities, including the change of Punjab governor. The sources also said that the bills that were approved today (Thursday) in the National Assembly, will be needed to be ratified by the president to become a law. But the president has the constitutional right to take up to 10 days to consider it and can send it back for revision if he deems misfit. In such a scenario, they added, the bills would be needed to be tabled in a joint session of parliament. The government think tank, during its deliberation, came to the conclusion that if the joint session is asked from the president in such a case, it is likely he would not call it. Read More: Electoral reforms — by the elites, for the elite To avoid such a scenario, the insiders revealed, the government had asked the president to call a joint session of parliament, citing discussion on the prevailing economic situation in the country and global security and economic environment. The president, after mulling over it for eight days, finally convened the session but he cannot adjourn it as it is the domain of the NA speaker who has adjourned the ongoing session till Tuesday and can further extend it if needed. The government now plans to continue this session as it anticipates resistance from the president to the ratification of the bills but it will have the option of getting them approved by the joint session of parliament. As per law, the president can only adjourn the session if the government asks. Now, the government will send both the bills to the president for ratification who can either approve them immediately or can continue to create obstacles in the legislation and send it back to the government. In this case, the government will get approval from parliament's joint session for the bills to become law.

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