Punjab doubles wheat subsidy, incentives

The Punjab government has almost doubled the subsidy facility and incentives to farmers to increase wheat production per acre this year. This was stated by Director General Agriculture (Extension) Punjab Dr Ishtiaq Hassan while addressing a one-day wheat seminar for farmers in Hazro on Tuesday. The seminar organised by the agriculture department was aimed at educating the farmers to achieve a full yield of wheat. On this occasion, many stalls were also set up for the awareness of the farmers, while representatives of many banks were also present on the instructions of the State Bank, where loans were offered to the farmers on easy terms and conditions. Attock Deputy Commissioner Rao Atif Raza, Hazro AC Kamran Ashraf, Attock Deputy Director Agriculture (Extension) Shakeel Ahmed, Rawalpindi Deputy Director Agriculture (Extension) Sadia Bano, Hazro Assistant Director Agriculture (Extension) Dr Javed Ahmed, Hazro ADA Samina Fatima, Chief Coordinator Attock Press Club Regd Nisar Ali Khan and a large number of agricultural scientists and farmers were also present. Dr Ishtiaq Ahmed said at least 1.2m certified wheat seed bags, each weighing 50kg, will be provided to the farmers at the subsidised rate of Rs1,500 per bag. He said last year, Punjab achieved an average per acre wheat yield of 33.1 maunds and agriculture authorities hope to take the average to 40 maunds per acre for the next crop. While addressing the event as guest of honour, Attock DC Rao Atif Raza said that wheat is the staple food in Pakistan and its production plays a significant role in the country's economy. He said the government is trying to increase agricultural production through modern technology while digitising cultivable land. Speaking on the occasion, Director Agriculture (Extension) Shahid Iftikhar Bukhari said that a vigorous campaign is being launched to increase wheat production in the Rawalpindi division. He said farmers are being made aware through farmer days and meetings.   Published in The Express Tribune, October 5th, 2023.

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PPP, JUI-F in bitter spat over poll timing

In an escalating feud, the once-close allies Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Wednesday found themselves embroiled in a bitter dispute and traded verbal blows as they took the rhetoric over the election’s scheduling a few notches up. The JUI-F, igniting the fray, accused the PPP of "running away from elections” on the pretext of its narrative on timely elections. Reacting acerbically, the PPP called into question Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s “anxiety” over the prospects of elections. Faisal Karim Kundi, secretary information of the PPP, promptly responded to the attack by questioning Maulana’s hesitations towards electoral demands.  He said that his party made its own political decisions “unlike those who yield to somebody else’s instructions to start or end sit-ins”. Taking a swipe at JUI-F for approving the notorious LFO (Legal Framework Order), Kundi stated, "PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto endorses a level playing field, while those who benefit from the LFO are afraid of such fairness." He further expressed confidence that, with the support of the people, Bilawal Bhutto would be elected as prime minister. The war of words came just days after Bilawal Bhutto condemned the JUI-F for supporting a potential delay in elections. The PPP chairman had criticised the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for allegedly favouring the postponement of the general elections by more than three months. However, his disapproval was not solely reserved for the PML-N; he also took issue with Maulana Fazlur Rehman's questioning of holding elections in winter. During a speech in Karachi, Bilawal had voiced his concern, saying, "One [PML-N] says that fresh delimitation is crucial for the next elections, and the other [JUI-F] questions the possibility of polls in January and February due to harsh winter. The people of Pakistan now should know and identify all those who are running away from elections."‘Ruckus to avoid participation in polls’In its response on Wednesday, the JUI-F spokesperson asked the PPP to reveal its true agenda and stop attacking its coalition partners. He questioned the hurry in Bilawal's actions. “Why this haste? May Allah bless Bilawal with long life; eventually, he will become the prime minister,” he stated. The spokesperson claimed that the PPP won a seat in Larkana during the 2018 elections as a result of a “level playing field”. Furthermore, the spokesperson stated that they supported the census because they saw a potential advantage in it and asserted that the “ruckus” surrounding early elections was merely a pretext to avoid participating in them. The JUI-F spokesperson also pointed out the astonishment at the irritability displayed when requesting fairness and expressing concerns about weather conditions. “This irritability over demanding a level playing field and raising concerns over weather conditions is astonishing,” the JUI-F spokesperson said. The spokesperson further suggested that the PPP should start its election campaign early to avoid any future complaints about insufficient time. ‘Pakistan needs Bilawal’ Meanwhile, in a separate media talk held earlier in the day, PPP leader Sharjeel Inam Memon asserted that his party was the only viable solution to the multitude of crises currently burdening Pakistan. "Pakistan needs PPP... Pakistan needs Bilawal Sahab," Memon stated confidently during the press conference. Memon went on to claim that, unlike other political entities, the PPP does not possess a solely selfish agenda and genuinely desires to work for the betterment of the general population. To support his claim, Memon recalled various development projects initiated during his party's past term, applauding the exceptional performance of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the PPP's prominent figure and former foreign minister. He demanded that elections should immediately be held in the country. “The public should be given the right to use their mandate and elect a political party which should then steer the country out of crises,” he added.  

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May 9 attacks aimed at removing army chief, reveals Usman Dar

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Usman Dar while sharing shocking details of May 9 incident has said the planning for the May 9 events unfolded at PTI Chairman Imran Khan's residence in Lahore's Zaman Park, and Khan himself directed strategies, including targeting sensitive installations, in the event of his arrest. He asserted that the primary aim of the May 9 attacks was to exert pressure on the military to remove Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir from his post. Dar, who had gone into hiding following the tragic events of May 9, said in his first interview with a private TV channel on Wednesday that October 2022 long march was also organised by his party to prevent the appointment of General Asim Munir as the army chief. He revealed that Khan employed PTI workers as human shields to evade arrest and manipulated them into avoiding law enforcement. Dar emphasised that the subsequent incidents at the Judicial Complex in Islamabad and Zaman Park were direct outcomes of this mindset. Moreover, Dar disclosed that in the event of Imran Khan's arrest, instructions were issued to attack sensitive installations within the country. Astonishingly, it was Imran Khan himself who provided these directives, he added. Also read: JIT finds Imran ‘mastermind’ of May 9 riots Dar further claimed that PTI workers from all over the country were gathered outside Zaman Park to brainstorm and strategise for this purpose. He also accused PTI Chairman Imran Khan of supporting an anti-state narrative, adding that Khan bears personal responsibility for the current situation within the PTI. In the aftermath of Khan’s arrest on May 9, 2023 in Al-Qadir Trust case, a wave of protests stared and continued for three consecutive days. The PTI workers on the direction of the PTI leadership attacked the Jinnah House, GHQ building, Core Headquarters, ISI offices, airbases, state installations, monuments of the martyred, Askari Tower, Military Library, residences of the armed forces officers, army selection centre, petrol pumps, set ablaze public properties and attacked several other sensitive places of the armed forces. A joint investigation team (JIT), constituted to probe into the May 9 incidents under the supervision of DIG Investigation Imran Kishwar, submitted its finding before an anti-terrorism court last week, declaring Imran Khan and the top PTI leadership guilty of May 9 incidents by inciting people through a fake stance. “Imran Khan, with the cooperation of central, provincial and local leaderships, constituted this plan to push Pakistan towards civil war and the public was incited through fake and self-created stories,” the JIT report revealed. The PTI used public power for its vested interests so that the then top military officers, federal, and provincial governments could be forced to tender their resignations.

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IHC restrains police from arresting Marwat

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has prohibited authorities from arresting Sher Afzal Marwat, a member of the PTI party’s legal team, without prior approval of the court. IHC Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir issued this order on Tuesday while hearing a petition of the lawyer who appeared in the courtroom along with his counsel, Adil Aziz Qazi. While accepting the lawyer’s plea, the court also asked the capital’s police to present details of the cases registered against the lawyer. The court also inquired whether the petitioner's name had been added to the Exit Control List (ECL). The court later adjourned till Friday On September 30, PML-N Senator Dr Afnan Ullah Khan got a first information report (FIR) registered against Marwat for allegedly physically assaulting him during a live television show on September 27. Islamabad’s Aabpara Police Station registered the FIR under Section 352 and 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). PPC’s Section 352 deals with unprovoked use of assault or criminal force while Section 506 deals with criminal intimidation. In his complaint also shared on social media, the senator alleged that at Express News talk show Kal Tak, the PTI’s lawyer assaulted him, slapped him thrice and beat him while he was “nearly unconscious on the floor.” “I received medical treatment for my injuries, including swelling and bruise marks on my head,” the complainant said, urging the police to promptly initiate an investigation against this act of violence “against a sitting senator.” A viral video clip of the incident, widely circulated on social media, captured Marwat launching an attack on Afnan, with the senator responding by pushing the PTI lawyer out of the camera's view. Supporters from both the PML-N and the PTI camps sought to claim victory for their respective representatives in the skirmish, despite the major portion of the fight remaining obscured in the available video clips. Both Senator Khan and PTI lawyer Marwat had later taken to X (formerly known as Twitter) to present their accounts of the incident. Senator Khan had asserted that Sher Afzal Marwat had initiated the attack, but he had responded appropriately.

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ECP asks MoFA to invite international observers

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday dispatched a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), urging them to take the essential measures to invite international observers to monitor the transparency of the upcoming general elections, which are scheduled to take place in the last week of January 2024. This decision to seek international observers comes in response to the European Union's previous announcement that it will not be sending an election observer mission to Pakistan for the forthcoming parliamentary polls. Michael Gahler, member of the EU Parliament, had told a group of Pakistani journalists visiting Brussels in July this year that the EU’s decision was based on certain internal constraints as well as a non-invitation from Islamabad by then. Gahler, who had led the EU's observer missions to Pakistan for the past three elections held in 2008, 2013, and 2018, revealed the decision. However, he emphasized that the destiny of any political party or leader must not be decided by a ‘third force’. He reiterated that the EU's approach for the upcoming general elections in Pakistan would involve sending experts rather than an observer mission. At the time of his statement, Gahler mentioned that the EU had not yet received an invitation from Pakistan, even for the deployment of experts. On Tuesday, during the meeting at ECP, which was headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and attended by senior officials, it was decided that MoFA should immediately be instructed “to take all necessary steps to invite international observers to observe the transparency of the upcoming general elections.” A statement from ECP also stated that it was decided that the case of the international observers who have requested the electoral watchdog to observe the election process during the upcoming general elections should immediately be processed. The electoral body has also approved the code of conduct for international observers and allowed it to be immediately published. In addition, it said, the commission has directed to convene an Inter-ministerial meeting on October 16 under the chairmanship of secretary ECP, saying senior officers of MoFA, the ministry of interior and other institutions will participate in it and the future course of action with reference to international observers will be decided. “ECP believes in an open-door policy and welcomes observation missions for the upcoming general elections at the earliest as required,” read a letter that ECP wrote to MoFA. It said that MoFA’s advice containing such invitation to international observers for the upcoming polls in shaping clear policy guidelines and SOPs is deemed welcome in this regard. Read also: ECP mounts defence of seat distribution The MoFA is also requested to provide a list of organisations that will observe upcoming general elections in order to streamline the process of observation. A meeting in this regard under the secretary ECP is also scheduled in the coming days for which MoFA will be duly informed. Meanwhile, ECP has also asked for the details of focal persons from all stakeholders including MoFA, interior and other institutions. Apart from that, the ECP has appointed the joint provincial election commissioner (admin) as the focal persons in the four provinces by ECP at the provincial level. ECP also reviewed the arrangements for the upcoming general elections and expressed satisfaction with them and ordered that all matters related to the elections be completed as per the schedule. Following the meeting, Additional Director General (MCO & M&E), Haroon Khan Shinwari, wrote a letter to MoFA, stating that he has been directed to convey that ECP intends to send invitations to international observers & media through the (MoFA) in terms of Section 238 of the Elections Act 2017. Section 238 (1)(Election observers) states that the commission, at its own motion or upon an application made on this behalf, may allow any domestic or international election observation organization to observe the process of conduct of the election, having access to the polling station, counting of votes and consolidation of results. Section 238 (2) says that no person shall be allowed to observe the process of conduct of election if he is not accredited as an observer by the commission or its authorised officer; is affiliated with any political party; has been involved in activities prejudicial to the peace and tranquillity of the people of a constituency; or has not obtained security clearance from the government, among other things. Subclause 4 states that every observer or, as the case may be, organisation may submit a report to the commission highlighting the electoral irregularities which were noticed during observation relating to the conduct of the election, with recommendations, if any. After the 2018 elections, Gahler revealed, that the EU observer mission had made 30 recommendations to Pakistan to ensure transparency in future elections but only two to three were implemented, expressing concerns over the state of democracy in Pakistan. Separately, ECP will take up that matter seeking the removal of ex-premier Imran Khan’s name as PTI chairman on October 10. Also, ECP will conduct a hearing of contempt cases against PTI chairman, Asad Umar and Fawad Chaudhry on the same date. The ECP will also hear an application seeking the removal of caretaker federal cabinet members, including Fawad Hasan Fawad, Ahad Cheema, and PM’s principal secretary, Tauqeer Shah, on October 10.

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Security forces kill 10 terrorists in Tank operation

Security forces on Tuesday killed ten terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district, the military said in a statement. According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operation was conducted in the Pezu area of the district during which intense fire exchange took place between own troops and terrorists. The statement said that the terrorists remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against security forces as well as extortion and killing of innocent civilians. It added that a large cache of arms, ammunition and explosives were also recovered during the operation. Read also: Mastung blast toll hits 60 as suspicion falls on RAW The locals of the area also appreciated the operation. “Security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country,” it further said. A report published by an Islamabad-based think tank, earlier, said that terrorist attacks in Pakistan increased, with 136 people killed in 65 militant attacks across the country in September. According to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) monthly report, 144 people were injured, including civilians and security personnel, with the organisation also including the number of militants injured last month. Read: Afghan Taliban arrest 200 terrorists after Chitral attack There was a noticeable 34% decrease in the number of attacks compared to August, but there was a 21% increase in the number of deaths and a significant 66% rise in injuries, the data shows. "Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) emerged as the most targeted region, with 23 attacks resulting in 34 deaths and 78 injuries. Balochistan, on the other hand, saw a substantial increase in fatalities, primarily due to a single attack in Mastung," it said. "Among those killed across the country, civilians accounted for 62%, while 19% each were security forces personnel and attacking militants. Among the injured, 53% were civilians, 29% were attacking militants, and 17% were security forces personnel," according to the report.

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Nawaz poised to set the tone at homecoming rally

As the PML-N fires up workers to prepare for party supremo Nawaz Sharif’s homecoming, the leadership has decided that only the former prime minister will address the highly-anticipated rally at Minar-e-Pakistan. The strategy was proposed by the party's chief organiser Maryam Nawaz and was agreed upon by other party leaders, according to insiders. No other leader, including party president Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, and Hamza Shehbaz, will get to deliver speeches at the event. The purpose behind the sole focus on Nawaz Sharif is to allow him to set the tone for his narrative and effectively convey it to the PML-N workers in his address. To further emphasise this approach, the party has directed that only Nawaz's picture be prominently displayed on all welcome posters, banners, and flexes. Read More: Nawaz decides to end London exile Meanwhile, Shehbaz Sharif, during an important consultative meeting with former members of the national and provincial assembly, expressed his belief that October 21 will be a historic day in Pakistan's history. Presiding over the meeting, he praised Nawaz Sharif as a symbol of bravery, courage and progress, and emphasised that the former premier had endured the hardships of imprisonment for the sake of the people. He criticised the lack of development during the years 2018 to 2022, claiming that Pakistan had regressed. Read More: Nawaz to galvanize party election drive He further stated that unity, peace, and development are the national agenda, which will be implemented under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif. Shehbaz declared that on October 21, the people and party workers will eagerly welcome their leader “as the entire nation awaits his return”. Former PML-N lawmakers, attending the meeting, highlighted Nawaz’s ability to achieve the impossible, stating that it was always under his leadership that the country managed to overcome difficult challenges. The consultation meeting also reviewed preparations for welcoming Nawaz Sharif. As the PML-N fires up workers to prepare for party supremo Nawaz Sharif’s homecoming, the leadership has decided that only the former prime minister will address the highly-anticipated rally at Minar-e-Pakistan. The strategy was proposed by the party's chief organiser Maryam Nawaz and was agreed upon by other party leaders, according to insiders. No other leader, including party president Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, and Hamza Shehbaz, will get to deliver speeches at the event. The purpose behind the sole focus on Nawaz Sharif is to allow him to set the tone for his narrative and effectively convey it to the PML-N workers in his address. To further emphasise this approach, the party has directed that only Nawaz's picture be prominently displayed on all welcome posters, banners, and flexes. Meanwhile, Shehbaz Sharif, during an important consultative meeting with former members of the national and provincial assembly, expressed his belief that October 21 will be a historic day in Pakistan's history. Presiding over the meeting, he praised Nawaz Sharif as a symbol of bravery, courage and progress, and emphasised that the former premier had endured the hardships of imprisonment for the sake of the people. He criticised the lack of development during the years 2018 to 2022, claiming that Pakistan had regressed. He further stated that unity, peace, and development are the national agenda, which will be implemented under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif. Shehbaz declared that on October 21, the people and party workers will eagerly welcome their leader “as the entire nation awaits his return”. Former PML-N lawmakers, attending the meeting, highlighted Nawaz’s ability to achieve the impossible, stating that it was always under his leadership that the country managed to overcome difficult challenges. The consultation meeting also reviewed preparations for welcoming Nawaz Sharif.

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