IHC issues notices to former generals Bajwa, Faiz over ‘misleading interviews’

Petitioner alleges that interviews tainted reputation of state institutions

October 9, 2023

PM Kakar urges India to keep politics away from sports

“We would have issued visas to Indians if the World Cup was held in Pakistan," premier says

Imran Khan protests ‘poor’ jail conditions during cipher case hearing

Special court announces to indict Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi in cipher case on Oct 17

Parliament passed law to regulate top judge powers with 'good intentions,' CJP Isa observes

Full court resumes hearing petitions challenging Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023

PM Kakar appoints PTI's former aide as special assistant on investment

Tahir Javed donated money to and campaigned for Imran Khan and PTI in US when party was in power

Forces gun down terrorist involved in targeting civilians, LEAs in North Waziristan: ISPR

ISPR says the militant was involved in terrorist activities targeting security forces and civilians

Ashrafi urges enhanced Pak-Afghan relations

PUC chairman says move important for maintaining peace in region

Political manipulation is now more pervasive than ever.

Scholar Prof Dr Hassan Askari says ‘maltreatment’ of PTI ‘surpassed all limits of past’

Pakistan provides assistance for Afghan earthquake survivors

Pakistani leadership expresses sorrow over loss of lives in Herat province

Prince Harry disloyalty crime than Prince Andrew sex offense

King Charles has soft corner for disgraced Prince Andrew over own son Prince Harry, insider

Travis Kelce disappointed over new lover Taylor Swift absence at NFL game

Travis Kelce won the game despite injury but Taylor Swift wasn't there to cheer him on

Meghan Markle, Prince Harry get a great new opportunity

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will return to New York on Tuesday

Prince William feels ‘tied up’ by Prince Harry

Prince Harry allegedly makes Prince William feel ‘entirely tied up’

Fact-Check: Unproven, false claims about cancer treatment reappear on social media

There is no scientific evidence to suggest that alleged treatments suggested in viral posts can cure or prevent cancer

Meghan Markle won’t lose royal title despite King Charles humiliating new label

Meghan Markle urged to ditch her Royal title after King Charles disrespectful move

World Cup 2023: Zainab Abbas leaves India after propaganda over her social media posts

ICC spokesperson confirms departure but states Zainab Abbas left due to "personal reasons"

Prince William hit with new challenge ahead of major event

Prince William faces another challenge as he prepares to fly solo for Earthshot Prize awards

Test match approach in ODI: What advice did Virat Kohli give to KL Rahul?

A simple advice from Virat Kohli may have helped team India smash team Australia on Monday

Netflix’s list of Top 5 trending dark thriller K Dramas to binge & stream

Netlfix unveils its ultimate of all horror K Dramas that are not for the faint of heart

Bella Hadid father shares heartfelt birthday note as she turns 27

“Bella my baby birthday week. Here she is at one of her first wins"

Top 5 must watch miniseries on Netflix to add to your list

These Netflix miniseries included a variety of genres including period romances to real crime stories

Sarah Ferguson faces backlash over latest move to support Prince Andrew

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, despite being divorced, still live together on the Windsor estate

Kim Kardashian ‘annoyed’ at ‘dishonest’ Kanye West over his marriage confirmation

Kim Kardashian reacted after Kanye West marriage to Bianca Censori was confirmed

Prince William points out ‘biggest challenge’ of future

Prince William encourages young people to think optimistically about the future of the planet

Meghan Markle spending more time away from family home?

Meghan Markle is reportedly planning her return to Hollywood

How David Beckham, Victoria Beckham marriage stood the test of time

David Beckham, Victoria Beckham tied the knot in 1999 and share four kids, Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz, Harper

Shahrukh Khan's life in danger after mega success of 'Jawan'

Shahrukh Khan informed the Maharashtra police about the threats in written complaints

Simon Cowell thrashes former BGT judge David Walliams ‘embarrassing’ accusations

Simon Cowell unfollows former BGT judge and best pal David Walliams' ‘embarrassing’ accusations

Pak vs SL: Abdullah Shafique likely to replace Fakhar Zaman against Sri Lanka

Former cricketers have been advising PCB to consider giving rest to Fakhar Zaman as he is unable to perform

Greta Gerwig recalls 'sneaky behavior' during release of 'Barbie'

Greta Gerwig called the filmmaking of 'Barbie' 'the most fun experience'

Travis Kelce makes impressive comeback amid Taylor Swift's absence

Taylor Swift skipped Travis Kelce's game against Minnesota Vikings despite attending the previous ones

OGDCL finds indicators of heavy reservoirs of shale gas in Hyderabad

Over 3,000 TCF shale gas resources exist in various shale horizons of Pakistan

Ben Affleck mocked by celeb pals Matt Damon, Bradley Cooper over word game

Ben Affleck spills details of his secret celebrity group with Matt Damon, Bradley Cooper

Decoding Christian Bale's cinematic odyssey: Read More

The actor has always successfully maintained a private, tabloid-free mystique

Kim Kardashian's casual Harvard remarks ignite online firestorm

Kim Kardashian is getting labelled as 'jealous' and 'green with envy'

Matty Healy's unconventional move into girlfriend's LA home

Matty's new girlfriend is also a singer, and was a member of the band Nasty Cherry when she was known as 'Gabi'

Prince Harry was 'offended' when Meghan Markle called his family 'medieval'

Prince Harry took offence after Meghan Markle mocked the Royal Family

Prince Harry, Meghan Markle titles could change in 'royal shuffle'

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could experience a change of titles

Dwayne Johnson's 'Secret Clause' in movie contracts unveiled: Read More

Dwayne collaborates with fight coordinators to ensure that he always gives as good as he gets

James Webb Telescope reveals new insights on Orion Nebula

The experts also identified brown dwarfs — too small to start the nuclear fusion at their cores to become stars

Prince William talks about 'racing' competitions with aunt Princess Anne

Prince William talks about competing against Princess Anne in Balmoral Castle

Taylor Swift's absence from Travis Kelce's NFL game leaves fans puzzled

Taylor was also absent from the celebrations of Travis's birthday

Meghan Markle 'sets up shop' in Beverly Hills hotel to work away from home

Meghan Markle is living away from home during WME work meetings

Kanye West eyes to surprise world on upcoming Friday in Italy: report

Kanye West appears to be set to perform in Italy next Friday, as per one Italian report

Ariana Grande's ex Dalton Gomez makes out with New Flame

Ariana and Gomez still respect each other and possess no hard feelings

Prince William avoided 'pressure' wedding to Kate for sake of Princess Diana

Prince William and Kate Middleton tied the knot in Wesminster Abbey

Greta Gerwig's mysterious nightmare: What's haunting the director?

Greta appeared at the 'London Film Festival' on Sunday

PDM parties doing ‘drama’ over election date: Pervez Khattak

“What have these parties served the country in the last 35 years?" asks PTI-P top leader

October 8, 2023

Climate change ‘decreasing bird population at alarming rate’ in Pakistan

"One-eighth of species of birds have a high level of danger of extermination," says Dr Muhammad Azhar

Pakistan calls for international intervention to protect Palestinians against Israeli oppression

FM Jalil Abbas Jilani stresses need for establishment of sovereign Palestinian state as per UN resolutions

No restrictions on PTI as political party: caretaker govt

Caretaker information minister says interim setup has nothing to do with Nawaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan

Pakistan vows all-out support for Afghanistan earthquake victims

FO says govt in contact with Afghan authorities for a first-hand assessment of urgent needs

Nimra Salim illuminates Pakistan's name globally

Nimra Salim says her childhood dream of venturing among the stars has come true

PTI leaders record video statements to avoid 'nefarious plan' against Imran Khan

PTI leaders were abducted and forced to record statements of abductors' choice under duress and coercion

Rupee to gain strength vs dollar with expected IMF tranche, trade surplus

Local currency continued to rise and reached 282.69 on Friday

Fazl censures political parties for opportunism amid sinking economy

“The country’s overall administrative structure is on the decline," Maulana Fazl says

Two terrorists killed in Balochistan’s Kech: ISPR

“Terrorists had been actively involved in multiple terrorist activities against law enforcement agencies,” says ISPR

IHC to consider Imran’s post-arrest plea today

Special court to hear cypher case against PTI chief, Qureshi as well

JI urges Muslim countries to back Palestine

Siraj says US supported Israel and Muslim world remained silent spectator

The FSC Recognizes Women’s Right to Khula as Unconditional

Rules that a woman's right of khula cannot be denied by the court of law

NIH Assesses Low Risk of Nipah Virus Outbreak

NIH expert terms awareness about mitigating measures key to reduce NiV transmission

Pakistan to attend UNHCR conference today

Refugee agency’s meeting taking place in Geneva amid country's push for eviction of illegal immigrants

CAA to Construct New Runways at Karachi Airport

Both the runways at the airport, 25 Right and 7 Left, will be reconstructed

Security forces eliminate militants in North Waziristan

Azeem Ullah remained involved in terrorist activities against security forces and killing of civilians, says ISPR

PBC’s JCP member’s stance on interviewing candidates

SBC representative writes to CJP that he backs idea

Exploring Pakistan’s Trade Opportunities with Europe

There must be a roadmap for reforms to remove bottlenecks

Exploring the Agricultural Industry

Reforms are required to improve competitiveness, productivity and exports

Public sector effectiveness: A billion-dollar challenge

There is a need for a paradigm shift in the operating modalities of SOEs

Time to Maximize Profits for Local USD Investors

Higher returns will offer investors protection from currency free fall plus nominal profits

'Concerned' Pakistan calls for ending hostilities between Israel and Palestinians

Pakistan says it is concerned about the human cost of the escalating situation

October 7, 2023

Man arrested for harassing female university students in Karachi

During body search, the police also recovered drugs from his possession, say officials

PPP welcomes Nawaz Sharif's return to Pakistan: Bilawal Bhutto

"It has been PPP's long-standing demand that Nawaz should return," ex-foreign minister says

'Free Rano': Activists stage art protest for release of captive bear in Karachi zoo

Bear suffers from zoochosis as she has been seen pacing relentlessly on same side of her cage for years: activist

Rejects protocol request for judge’s son

Senior additional LHC registrar sent a letter to the FO to provide protocol facilities to the son of a sitting judge

The World Bank has retracted a statement it made regarding taxes, citing a lack of sufficient evidence to support its claims. The statement, which was made earlier this week, had suggested that taxes should be increased in order to fund development projects. The World Bank has since clarified that it does not have a position on the issue of taxation and that it was not advocating for any particular policy. The Bank has also apologized for any confusion caused by its initial statement.

Admits mistake as data shows salaried workers outpay richest sectors

Punjab targets abundant cotton harvest

Caretaker chief minister says collective efforts from all sectors required

SNGPL Imposes Rs30m in Penalties for Gas Theft

Uncovers 55 illegal connections across various regions

PSX benefits as GSP+ extension is extended

Deliberations for privatisation of loss-making SOEs lifted market’s sentiment

The Financial Crisis Impacts KP Universities

Report shows that budgets of Rs6.56b in 2021-22 were slashed to Rs4.74b in 2023-24.

10-year agricultural strategy to be revealed

Minister mentions Greater Thal Kanal project; activation of 58 small dams in Potohar region

Pakistan poised to receive second installment from IMF

Despite missed targets, research house projects positive outlook

frostnnFarmers urged to ready for mid-October frost

Varieties approved by ministry are Chakwal-50, NARC-2009, PARC-2009, Dharabi-2011, Pakistan-2013, among others

Power companies take action against electricity theft

Billions recovered as Hesco, K-P Task Force, and Lesco recover dues

Minister confirms expediting CPEC projects

Saeed highlights that Gwadar is being transformed into a world-class port and logistics hub

October 6, 2023

Panel alarmed by Rs320m corruption

Notes employees of state units continued to work despite getting golden handshake

Exports to China rise by 5.16%

Reach $350.297 million in first two months of FY24

The economy loses $23 billion annually

On black market currency trade, oil and gold smuggling, import controls

Developing nations confront challenges as IMF, World Bank convene

Pakistan’s finances also under scrutiny during meetings next week

Weekly inflation rises

Rises by 0.11% due to food and fuel price increases

Rupee strengthens in open market

Gains Rs2.50 vs dollar after govt slapped ban on over 200 ATT goods

Transit commerce widely misused

Analysis shows some of goods imported under ATT smuggled back to Pakistan

October 5, 2023

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) guarantees the safety of bank deposits. All deposits made in banks licensed by the SBP are protected and insured up to a certain amount. The SBP also ensures that banks comply with the regulations and laws that protect the interests of depositors.

Clarification comes as media reported risks for deposits exceeding Rs500,000

Experts seek appropriate energy infrastructure

Underscore urgency of data-driven approach to expedite transition

October 4, 2023

Suspects behind substandard injections that led to patients’ loss of vision arrested

Model Town SP Ammara Sherazi says suspects manufactured substandard injections at a private hospital in Lahore

September 27, 2023

Initial report on delimitation of constituencies issued as ECP inches towards elections

Voters can approach ECP if they have objections to delimitation of constituencies

Next year’s Hajj operations to be 'fully digitised': IT minister

Dr Umar Saif says system will help pilgrims to give their feedback digitally regarding Hajj operations, facilities

Weather update: Last monsoon spell to hit country from tomorrow

Met office predicts significant drop in temperature after rain as monsoon withdraws from country

Faizabad sit-in: Pemra files plea to withdraw review petition after IB

SC has fixed September 28 for hearing of review petitions against Faizabad sit-in

Punjab announces 4-day school holiday due to conjunctivitis outbreak

Decision comes after caretaker CM spots virus-affected children during a visit to government school

Imran Khan surpasses political rivals in popularity survey: Miftah

Former finance minister says he along with Abbasi, Khokhar mulling launching a new political party

Five children among 8 killed in rocket launcher shell explosion in Sindh's Kandhkot

Interim CM Maqbool Baqar takes notice of incident, seeking detailed report from IG

What will happen when Nawaz Sharif lands in Pakistan?

"An appeal is pending before a court and Nawaz Sharif will pursue it upon return," Khurram Dastagir says

Abbasi disapproves of Sanaullah’s ‘warning’ to interior minister over Nawaz’s arrest remarks

Senior PML-N leader also opposes caretaker PM ‘s minus-Imran Khan fair elections statement

Senate committee recommends ECP hold polls within 90 days

ECP official explains panel about need for approximately 60 days for filing and disposal of representations

Non-bailable arrest warrants issued for Moonis Elahi in graft case

NAB urges accountability court to declare PTI leader a “proclaimed offender”

NAB 'reopens' assets beyond means case against Ishaq Dar

Move comes after SC declared NAB laws amendments null and void and ordered restoring all graft cases worth less than Rs500 million against the political leaders

No exclusive treatment to be given to Imran Khan, PTI on May 9 cases: PM Kakar

'We commit to fair election that includes giving PTI space in those polls on an equal basis,' says premier

After much drama, Imran Khan finally moved to Adiala jail

Development comes a day after Islamabad High Court ordered to shift PTI chief from Attock to Adiala jail

ECP issues preliminary constituency delimitation list

Electoral watchdog says number of seats in the national and provincial assemblies will remain the same

‘It’s not a Cold War’: PM calls out West’s ‘obsession’ to contain China

Pakistan has been treated unfairly by the West in the last 30 years, says Kakar

After IB, PEMRA withdraws plea against Faizabad sit-in case judgement

Civil review petition by PEMRA was scheduled for a hearing on September 28

SC moved to determine army chief’s role in affairs of state

Senior lawyer Raja Irshad files petition in apex court under Article 184 (3) of Constitution

Govt to offer interest-free loans for establishing 5,000 E-Working Centers: IT minister

Government plans to aid freelancers with interest-free loans for E-Working Centers, bolstering IT sector's potential

Pakistan Army will continue to play role in ensuring peace, stability in KP: COAS

<p>Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir on Wednesday said the Pakistan Army would continue to play its role in upholding peace and stability in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and facilitating a “secure environment for economic development”.</p>n<p>The army chief made this statement during his address at the provincial Apex Committee meeting in Peshawar.</p>n<p>His remarks come on the heels of an increase in terror attacks in KP. On September 6, four security personnel <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1774386">embraced</a> martyrdom and over 16 militants were killed in an operation to repulse militants from the Chitral district.</p>n<p>The pre-dawn attack had targeted check posts in Astui Pass and Jinjiret Koh situated in the south of Lower Chitral, bordering the Afghan province of Nuristan.</p>n<p>During the Apex Committee meeting today, the army chief was briefed about the overall security situation in the province, including initiatives against smuggling, hoarding and drug trafficking, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).</p>n<p>It said the participants of the meeting affirmed that state institutions and people were united for the protection of life and property of citizens.</p>n<p>The participants also paid rich tribute to the Shuhada and their families.</p>n<p>“We have to synergise our efforts for the peace and prosperity of our beloved country,” the ISPR statement quoted the army chief as saying.</p>n<p>He underlined that the Pakistan Army would continue to play its role in ensuring peace and stability in KP to provide a secure environment for economic development.</p>n<p>Earlier, Gen Munir also engaged in an interactive session with the women of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the “KPK Women Symposium 2023”.</p>n<p>In his address to the symposium’s participants, the COAS emphasised the constructive and pivotal role women have played in Pakistan’s historical development.</p>n<p>He underscored that women’s contributions to the progress and advancement of Pakistan are of utmost significance.</p>n<p>The army chief acknowledged that the women of KP have confronted multifaceted challenges due to the enduring battle against terrorism, but he praised their resilience, dedication, and courage in the face of adversity.</p>n<h2><a id="terrorist-attacks" href="#terrorist-attacks" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Terrorist attacks</h2>n<p>Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities in recent months, especially in KP and Balochistan, after the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1723647">ceasefire</a> with the government in November last year.</p>n<p>In July, as many as <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1764380">12 soldiers</a> of the Pakistan Army embraced martyrdom in separate military operations in the Zhob and Sui areas of Balochistan.</p>n<p>That was the military’s highest single-day death toll from terrorist attacks reported this year. Before this, 10 personnel were martyred in a “fire raid” in Balochistan’s Kech district in February 2022.</p>n<p>Earlier this month, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1773696">data</a> compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) said the number of militant attacks in August was the highest tally for monthly strikes in almost nine years.</p>n<p>There were 99 attacks across the country, the highest number in a single month since November 2014, the report had said.</p>

ECP issues preliminary delimitation report in significant step towards polls

<p>In a significant step towards upcoming polls, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday published the lists of preliminary delimitation of constituencies.</p>n<p>Under the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1770761">original delimitation schedule</a> issued by the ECP on Aug 17 — ten days after the notification of census results — the initial delimitation exercise was to be completed on Oct 7 and preliminary proposals for delimitation along with the report were to be published on Oct 9.</p>n<p>However, on Sept 1, the ECP had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1773455">announced</a> squeezing timelines of the delimitation exercise by 14 days to complete the process on Nov 30, instead of the scheduled Dec 14.</p>n<p>The completion of the delimitation brings ECP closer to holding polls by the last week of January, as planned by the body. A specific date for the elections is yet to be announced.</p>n<p>In a press release issued today, the ECP said the report of preliminary delimitation, along with the lists (Form 5), has been uploaded on the commission’s website and can be accessed by the public. Maps of the initial delimitation are also available on the website.</p>n<p>“The publication of the preliminary constituencies will continue for 30 days from Sept 27 to Oct 26,” it said, highlighting that objections (representations) to the preliminary constituencies can be made by the voters of the concerned constituency.</p>n<p>The representations, the ECP stated, should be addressed to the commission’s secretary and be submitted to the ECP Secretariat in Islamabad by Oct 27.</p>n<p>“The ECP will take decisions on these representations from Oct 28 to Nov 26 after hearing the positions of from the respective parties,” the press release said.</p>n<p>Listing the procedure of submitting the representations, the commission said it should be submitted by a voter of the concerned constituency in the form of a “memorandum” and entail the signatures of the voter. It said eight copies of the representations and constituency maps were required to be submitted.</p>n<p>It said the district maps can be obtained from the ECP for a “small fee”.</p>n<p>“Representations by courier, post and fax etc. will not be accepted,” the commission added.</p>n<h2><a id="preliminary-report-of-delimitation" href="#preliminary-report-of-delimitation" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Preliminary report of delimitation</h2>n<p>Based on the initial delimitation, the population distribution in the National Assembly constituencies is as follows: Balochistan has 930,900 voters, followed by 913,052 voters in Sindh, 907,913 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 905,595 in Punjab, and 787,954 in Islamabad.</p>n<p>The National Assembly consists of 266 general seats and 60 seats reservednfor women. Ten seats have also been reserved for non-Muslims. Punjab holds the majority of 141 seats in NA, followed by Sindh with 61, KP with 45, Balochistan with 16, and Islamabad with 3.</p>n<p>In the provincial assembly constituencies, the figures show Punjab leads with a total population of 429,929, followed by Sindh with 428,432, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 355,270, and Balochistan with 292,047.</p>n<p>As per the delimitation report, a copy of which is available with <em>Dawn.com</em>, the share of seats in the national and provincial assemblies have been worked out on the basis of the final results of the 2023 census.</p>n<p>“The population of the province/area has been divided by the total number of general seats and the average population or quota per National Assembly seat was obtained. Similarly, the population of a province was divided by the total number of general seats allocated to the provincial assembly to obtain a quota per seat.</p>n<p>“In calculating the total number of seats, a fraction of 0.5 and above was generally taken as one seat and a fraction below 0.5 was ignored. Due to the peculiar situation in Balochistan, more than one district has beennclubbed. Similarly, few clubbings have also been made in other provinces where necessary,” it said.</p>

Senate panel summons foreign ministry, AGP to explain &amp;lsquo;US objections&amp;rsquo; to Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline

<p>The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat has summoned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) to brief the panel on objections reportedly raised by the US on the multi-billion-dollar Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project.</p>n<p>Tehran has been <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1768769">claiming</a> to have completed its side of the 1,150-kilometre pipeline for which a groundbreaking ceremony was jointly conducted by then presidents Asif Ali Zardari and Dr Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the Iranian site of Gabd, near Chahbahar in March 2013 with an estimated cost of $7.5bn at the time.</p>n<p>Pakistan had committed to complete its side of the project by January 2015. However, in February 2014 then petroleum minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi told the parliament that the Iran-Pakistan project was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1089254">“off the table”</a> due to international sanctions.</p>n<p>Earlier this year, former petroleum minister Musadik Malik explained that despite being fully committed to its contractual obligations under the Gas Sales and Purchase Agreement (GSPA), the Government of Pakistan had been unable to start construction of the pipeline due to US sanctions on Iran.</p>n<p>Officials said Pakistan had requested Washington earlier this year for a solution for the project to help overcome energy shortages but had not yet received any response.</p>n<p>In August, Pakistan <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1768769">issued</a> a notice of ‘Force Majeure and Excusing Event’ to Iran to suspend its contractual obligation on completion of the gas pipeline. Simply put, Pakistan had expressed its inability to pursue the project as long as <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1733334">US sanctions on Iran</a> remain in place or Washington tacitly green lights Islamabad to go ahead with the project.</p>n<p>The matter came under discussion today during the Senate panel today.</p>n<p>Petroleum Additional Secretary Hassan Yousafzai briefed the committee that a deadline for 2024 had been given by Iran regarding the completion of the gas pipeline and failure to meet it would lead to fines.</p>n<p>“We are trying to renegotiate the matter with Iran,” he said, adding that efforts were being made to find out other ways of obtaining gas.</p>n<p>The secretary further expressed concerns that Pakistan could be subject to “liabilities of $20 billion”. The issue, he went on to say, was also raised with the US.</p>n<p>“Laying the gas pipeline till Gwadar will cost us $2bn,” he told the panel, adding that reneging on the deal with Iran could lead to a whopping $18bn penalty.</p>n<p>Commenting on the matter, Senator Mushtaq Ahmed called for summoning the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to “find out why can’t we purchase cheap gas from the neighbouring country”.</p>n<p>“We should know the reason behind the obstruction,” he said.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, the chairperson of the Senate committee, Sadia Abbasi, highlighted that India never faced such restrictions. “How was the agreement even signed amid these restrictions?” she asked.</p>n<p>Here, PPP Senator Waqar Mehdi said the agreement was signed under the government of ex-president Zardari.</p>n<p>The Iranian pipeline was aimed to supply 750 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) of gas, although it was vehemently opposed publicly and diplomatically by the US authorities, particularly when Pakistan and Iran signed framework agreements and GSPA in 2009 and 2010 respectively.</p>n<p>Pakistan signed the pipeline agreement in 2014, which included a condition that Islamabad will pay billions of dollars in penalties if it abandons the project.</p>

&amp;lsquo;90pc of beggars&amp;rsquo; arrested abroad are of Pakistani origin, Senate body told

<p>The Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis was informed on Wednesday that a growing number of beggars from Pakistan were moving abroad, which has spurred “human trafficking”.</p>n<p>Overseas Ministry Secretary Zulfikar Haider made this disclosure during a discussion in the Senate panel on the issue of skilled and unskilled labour leaving the country.</p>n<p>In a startling revelation, Haider informed the committee that a staggering “90 per cent of beggars” arrested in foreign countries were of Pakistani origin.</p>n<p>He explained that many beggars exploited pilgrim visas to travel to Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq.</p>n<p>The official further revealed that a significant number of pickpockets apprehended in holy sites like Haram were also Pakistani nationals.</p>n<p>During the discussion, Haider also noted that Japan had emerged as a new destination for such visitors.</p>n<p>He emphasised Pakistan’s historical role in exporting skilled labour and expressed optimism that the country’s foreign remittances would increase when professionals went abroad. He added that Saudi Arabia now preferred skilled labour over untrained individuals.</p>n<p>Senator Rana Mehmoodul Hasan highlighted Japan’s demand for skilled workers from different countries, with India, Nepal, and Pakistan sending varying numbers of individuals.</p>n<p>Hasan also mentioned that as many as 50,000 engineers in Pakistan were unemployed.</p>n<p>“<em>India chand par pahonch gaya hai, aur hum rozana koi chaand charha dete hain</em> (India has reached the moon, while we stumble every day),” the senator added.</p>n<p>“Our people are now ready to work on wages lower than those of workers of Nepal and India.”</p>n<p>Regarding the Middle East, he mentioned that approximately three million people were in Saudi Arabia, 1.5m Pakistanis were in the UAE, while 0.2m were in Qatar.</p>n<p>Haider acknowledged that Bangladesh and India had surpassed Pakistan in this aspect, citing concerns about the skills and trustworthiness of Pakistani workers in the eyes of foreign employers.</p>n<p>On the other hand, Senator Sherry Rehman pointed out that Pakistan was witnessing an influx of skilled mountaineers from Nepal, emphasising that “Pakistan’s own people generally lacked the same level of expertise in mountain climbing.”</p>

Met Office forecasts rain, snowfall in upper parts of country from tomorrow

<p>The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Wednesday announced the arrival of another rain spell, accompanied by snowfall, in upper parts of the country from Sept 28 to Sept 30 as the monsoon season withdraws.</p>n<p>In a forecast issued today, the PMD said a westerly wave was likely to enter the upper parts of the country on Thursday (evening or night) with rain-wind/thunderstorms (moderate to isolated heavy falls) expected in Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Mansehra, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Neelum valley, Muzaffarabad, Poonch, Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Sudhanoti, Kotli, Bhimber, Mirpur, Diamer, Astore, Ghizer, Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, Ghanche and Shigar) from Thursday to Saturday.</p>n<p>It said rain-wind/thunderstorms with hailstorms at isolated places were also expected in Kohat, Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Haripur, Kurram, Waziristan, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Murree, Galliyat, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Mianwali, Sargodha, Khushab, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Kasur and Sheikhupura on Thursday night and Friday.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/pmdgov/status/1707016433664991719"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Moreover, rain-dust/thunderstorms were expected in Zhob, Barkhan, Layyah, Bhakkar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Okara, Pakpattan, Sahiwal, Multan, Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar during the period.</p>n<p>The department said snowfall was expected over high mountains in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan during the period.</p>n<p>Regarding the rain’s impact, the PMD warned that wind thunderstorms may damage loose structures such as electric poles, solar panels, billboards etc.</p>n<p>“Temperatures are likely to drop significantly” during and after the rain spell, it said, adding that farmers were advised to manage their crop activities accordingly.</p>n<p>Tourists and travellers were also advised to remain cautious to avoid any untoward situation during the period.</p>n<p>“The general public is advised to stay at safe places during windstorms/lightning/moderate/heavy rains,” the PMD said.</p>n<p>It recommended all concerned authorities to remain vigilant during the forecast period.</p>

Over half of all polling stations deemed &amp;lsquo;sensitive&amp;rsquo;

<p>ISLAMABAD: Around 55 per cent of the polling stations to be established for the upcoming general polls, planned to be conducted in the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777085">last week of January</a> next year, have been identified as ‘sensitive’, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Secretary Omar Hamid Khan told a Senate panel on Tuesday.</p>n<p>Moreover, the ECP secretary said the preliminary delimitation would be published on Sept 27. However, a period of approximately 60 days would be required for filing and disposal of representations.</p>n<p>Appearing before the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, the ECP secretary said that some 91,809 polling stations are to be established out of which 49,919 have been designated as ‘sensitive’ or ‘highly sensitive’.</p>n<p>He said 17,411 of these have been categorised as highly sensitive and another 32,508 as sensitive while 41,809 (around 45pc) are designated as ‘normal’.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Election commission to publish preliminary delimitation today; secretary says no ban on uplift schemes approved before Aug 15</p>n</blockquote>n<p>The meeting of the standing committee was held with Senator Taj Haider in the chair and was briefed on the preparations for the upcoming general elections.</p>n<p>ECP Secretary Khan told the panel that the general elections would have 266 National Assembly constituencies and 593 provincial assemblies. The meeting was informed that around one million polling staff would be required for the upcoming general elections.</p>n<p>The committee inquired about the methods for the consolidation of results in the upcoming general elections.</p>n<p>Mr Khan said that electronic devices carrying the software developed by ECP would be used to send snapshots of Form-45s to the returning officers, and the software was also equipped to keep track of time and place of snapshots in order to ensure the legitimacy of elections.</p>n<p>The Senate committee recommended that the time period for filing of representations should be curtailed from 30 days to seven days in order to ensure that the general elections were held without delay.</p>n<p>The committee also drew attention of the ECP towards the constitutional obligation to conduct general elections within 90 days after the dissolution of the national assembly. It however, recommended the ECP to announce the election schedule at the earliest to remove any uncertainty regarding the conduct of elections in the country.</p>n<p>While discussing the funds of development schemes, Senator Taj Haider emphasised that the funds should be allocated to approved schemes.</p>n<p>The ECP secretary said that there was no ban on development schemes approved prior to August 15.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Punjab govt announces 4-day school closure over eye virus outbreak

<p>The Punjab government on Wednesday announced that all public and private schools in the province will remain closed from September 28 to October 1 due to the outbreak of conjunctivitis (pinkeye).</p>n<p>Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the transparent membrane that lines the eyelid and eyeball. The disease <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777879/experts-call-for-preventive-measures-against-rising-eye-infection-cases">continues to infect</a> and has hit Punjab hard, with state-run hospitals across the province reporting 500-600 patients.</p>n<p>The highest number of infections in the province was reported in Lahore. The alarming surge in cases has had a noticeable impact, as evidenced by emerging reports indicating that the infection is affecting people of all age groups.</p>n<p>A large number of school-going children have been complaining of eye infections, primarily because they are not adhering to precautions at school. There have also been reports that school administrations are allowing students to stay home as soon as they contract the virus and are advising parents to take special care of their children.</p>n<p>Medical experts say pinkeye is spreading rapidly in densely populated cities where people are exposed to unfriendly environments, such as factories, bazaars, markets, and shopping plazas.</p>n<p>In light of the rise in cases, the Punjab School Education Department issued a notification today announcing four-day holidays.</p>n<p>It said all schools would reopen from Monday (Oct 2) and would observe the standard operating procedures issued by the department to curb the disease’s spread.</p>n<p>It directed all chief executive officers in the province to ensure compliance with the order.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/cmopunjabpk/status/1706967677313679649"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Separately, in a video message issued today, interim Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the holidays were announced to curb the average spread of the disease, estimating that the move would lead to a 50 per cent reduction in cases.</p>n<p>He said there would be eye inspections for students at educational institutions across the province when they reopened.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/GovtofPunjabPK/status/1706974508538876080?s=20"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Meanwhile, caretaker Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Dr Jamal Nasir said eye surgeons in government hospitals across the province were directed to stay alert throughout the day.</p>n<p>He said an ample supply of eye drops was provided to hospitals, adding that special arrangements were made to treat conjunctivitis patients at Rawalpindi’s Holy Family Hospital, Lahore’s Mayo Hospital and Multan’s Nishtar Hospital.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/PTVNewsOfficial/status/1707001243435249750"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>

After IB, Pemra approaches SC to withdraw review plea against Faizabad judgement

<p>The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on Wednesday filed an application in the Supreme Court to withdraw its review petition against the court’s <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1462170">verdict</a> on the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1373274">2017 sit-in</a> by the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) at Faizabad in Islamabad.</p>n<p>The media watchdog’s decision comes just a day after the Intelligence Bureau also <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1778112">filed an application</a> in the apex court to withdraw its petition against the verdict.</p>n<p>Authored by Justice Qazi Faez Isa years before he took oath as the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP), the searing judgement had instructed the defence ministry and the tri-services chiefs to penalise personnel under their command who were found to have violated their oath.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1462177"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>It had also directed the federal government to monitor those advocating hate, extremism and terrorism and prosecute them in accordance with the law.</p>n<p>Adverse observations were also made against several government departments for <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1372392">causing inconvenience</a> to the public as the 20-day sit-in paralysed life in both Islamabad and Rawalpindi.</p>n<p>Pleas were subsequently <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1476828">moved against the verdict</a> by the Ministry of Defence, the IB, the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1476504">PTI</a>, the Pemra, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the Mutta­hida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed and Ejazul Haq.</p>n<p>Headed by CJP Isa, a three-judge bench, which includes Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Athar Minallah, will take up the review petitions tomorrow (Thursday).</p>n<p>However, the Pemra filed an application today in the apex court, saying that the body’s chairman, via a letter dated September 26, had desired that the review petition be withdrawn and that the authority did not wish to pursue the matter further.</p>n<p>The application requested that the petitioner may be allowed to withdraw the review petition.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1372805"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>While the IB had sought to withdraw its review petition, Rasheed, via Advocate Mehr Khan Malik, had also yesterday <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1778112/intelligence-bureau-has-second-thoughts-on-faizabad-case-review">requested</a> the Supreme Court to adjourn tomorrow’s hearing.</p>n<p>The plea stated that since the AML chief’s counsel, Amanullah Kanrani, had taken over the charge of the law minister for Balochistan, he was not in a position to appear before the apex court.</p>n<p>The Lahore High Court, after being told that Rashid was not in police custody while his counsel claimed he was arrested, has <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1778098/lhc-directs-authorities-to-provide-better-facilities-to-parvez-elahi-in-jail">ordered</a> the police to make an all-out effort for his recovery.</p>n<h2><a id="the-pleas" href="#the-pleas" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>The pleas</h2>n<p>The IB’s review petition had urged the court to set aside the adverse observations made against the department, adding that it was a premier civilian intelligence agency which was responsible for state security.</p>n<p>It had contended that the impugned order created “bad impression” on the public that the IB was involved in unlawful activities and politics, after transgressing constitutional boundaries.</p>n<p>It had said the observations made in the verdict were based on “vague facts” and that during the sit-in, the department was in close contact with the federal and Punjab governments and forewarned them about the plans and intentions of the TLP, with a view to foiling their attempt to storm/lockdown Islamabad.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, In response, the defence ministry had requested the court to set aside the explicit or implicit observations about the armed forces and/or the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).</p>n<p>The ministry’s petition had said that a host of factors may affect morale. However, it said, what was fatal was the belief amongst the rank and file that their officers while acting like “self-proclaimed saviours” were violating the fundamental rights of citizens and instead of serving “Pakistan and thus all its citizens”, supporting a “particular political party, faction or politician”.</p>n<p>“…When the source of such remarks is the highest court in the land, it can promote fissiparous tendencies and has the capacity to destroy the ability of the armed forces to act as a cohesive fighting force,” the review petition had argued.</p>n<p>It had further said there was no evidence before the court to suggest that the armed forces or ISI were, in any manner, involved with either the sit-in or a particular outcome of the general elections of 2018 or the abridgment of free speech or intimidation or censorship of the press.</p>n<p>In its petition, the ECP had contended that it had comprehensively applied and enforced the Constitution, law and the code of conduct by issuing a letter to the TLP on Aug 16, 2017, asking the party to provide details of its bank account and even had issued notices to it with a warning to cancel its registration.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, the PTI had questioned the mention in the verdict of the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1129984">2014 joint sit-in</a> organised by it and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek in Islamabad, and had said the impression one gets from it was that the party conducted an illegal protest for publicity and deliberately made wrong allegations.</p>n<p>The petition contended that the party had nothing to do with the TLP Faizabad sit-in and therefore the remarks should be expunged.</p>

Death toll rises to 9 after &amp;lsquo;rocket launcher&amp;rsquo; ordnance explodes in Sindh&amp;rsquo;s Kandhkot tehsil

<p>Nine people, including four children, lost their lives while a woman was injured on Wednesday when a “rocket launcher’s” ordnance exploded in a house in Mehwal Shah area of Kashmore district’s Kandhkot tehsil, police said.</p>n<p>Kashmore-Kandhkot Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rohail Khoso confirmed the casualties to <em>Dawn.com</em>, specifying that the deceased included five children, two women and two men.</p>n<p>He further said that the injured woman was referred to a Larkana hospital from Kandhkot, while the bodies of the deceased had been brought to the Kandhkot Civil Hospital.</p>n<p>The official said that the house — located in the limits of Goghat police station — belonged to Ali Nawaz Sabzoi, and that all the deceased and injured belonged to the same family.</p>n<p>SSP Khoso stated that the police had arrived at the site of the incident and had surrounded the area.</p>n<p>According to him, children found a rocket while playing and brought it home where it exploded, due to which eight people were killed. The SSP said further investigation was under way and an emergency had been declared at the Kandhkot Civil Hospital.</p>n<p>In a statement, Sindh Chief Minister Justice Maqbool Baqar took notice of the incident and sought a report from the provincial inspector general on “how a rocket launcher reached the Zangi Subzwai Goth”.</p>n<p>“Was any stock of weapons being smuggled to the <em>kutcha</em> (riverine) areas? Are there enablers of the dacoits present in the goth (village)?”, the statement quoted him asking.</p>n<p>He wondered how the rocket launcher shell exploded, leading to a “loss of lives to this extent”.</p>n<p>Expressing his grief on the incident, he directed the IG, “A detailed report shall be submitted to me.”</p>n<p>Last week, the Sindh Apex Committee — a forum of civil and military officials — reviewed the law and order situation in the riverine areas of the province, and <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777409">approved and finalised</a> details of a massive operation to be launched by police and Rangers against dacoit gangs in affected districts of upper Sindh.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1776661"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The SAC was told that Rangers had been deployed along with police in upper Sindh districts and a crackdown on organised weapon smuggling had resulted in the seizure of the first cache of military-grade weapons in Ghotki.</p>n<p>The approval of an operation has been given multiple times. First, the then Murad Ali Shah-led cabinet had in March <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1741351">approved a grand operation</a> clean-up in riverine areas.</p>n<p>Later, the caretaker cabinet took up the matter in its meeting on September 14 and <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776661">decided</a> to launch a massive operation in the riverine area and shut down the internet services.</p>n<h2><a id="previous-similar-incidents" href="#previous-similar-incidents" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Previous similar incidents</h2>n<p>Incidents where people were said to be “playing with” similar dangerous objects have also occurred in the past.</p>n<p>In April this year, a shepherd was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1748615">killed</a> in a grenade blast on the outskirts of Chaman when he found the hand grenade and started playing with it.</p>n<p>Two days prior to that, three children were killed in an explosion in an abandoned compound in the same region while playing with an object they had found inside the compound.</p>n<p>In January last year, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1670100">two children were killed</a> and another was critically wounded in an explosion when the grenade they were playing with went off.</p>n<p>In June 2021, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1627327">three teenage boys died</a> and two others suffered injuries in a hand grenade explosion in Quetta. The children were playing with the hand grenade “after mistaking it for a toy” when it exploded.</p>n<p>In January of the same year, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1600120">three bro­thers were killed</a> and two others injured when a grenade that they found in the fields and were playing with went off in Peshawar.</p>n<p>In a similar incident in January 2019, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1455454">three children were killed</a> and another sustained injuries in Balochistan’s Washuk district after they had found an unexploded grenade and were playing with it when it exploded.</p>n<p>In April 2013, a toy bomb exploded in Buner District, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/803702/toy-bomb-kills-two-children-woman-in-buner">killing two children and a woman</a> after the rocket-like shell they were playing with exploded.</p>n<p>The same month, at least <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/803665/rockets-attack-at-political-rally-in-waziristan-injures-two">two people were injured</a> when a rocket landed from an unknown direction at a political gathering in South Waziristan’s Wana area.</p>n<p>Local political admin sources had said that children had found a toy-looking explosive device which exploded after they had brought it home and were busy playing with it.</p>

Assets reference against Ishaq Dar revived

<p>ISLAMABAD: The assets-beyond-means reference against former finance minister Ishaq Dar has been revived and an accountability court on Tuesday summoned him for October 10.</p>n<p>Accountability court judge Mohammad Bashir will take up the case.</p>n<p>The same court had on Nov 22 last year <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1722463">closed the proceedings</a> on the reference and returned the case file to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).</p>n<p>The accountability court also revived the references against former National Bank of Pakistan president Saeed Ahmed, Naeem Mehmood and Mansoor Raza Rizvi.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Accountability court summons ex-finance minister on Oct 10</p>n</blockquote>n<p>The references against the accused were closed pursuant to <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1711341">amendments</a> to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) introduced earlier last year.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1712534"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The court had on Dec 11, 2017 <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1376074/court-declares-dar-proclaimed-offender?fromNewsdog=1&amp;utm_source=NewsDog&amp;utm_medium=referral">declared</a> Ishaq Dar a proclaimed offender and attached his movable and immovable properties. It had also cancelled his perpetual arrest warrant upon his surrender on October 10.</p>n<p>A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court had on July 28, 2017, while taking up petitions filed by PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid, disqualified then prime minister Nawaz Sharif for not disclosing his salary that he did not draw from his son’s company, and constituted a joint investigation team (JIT), headed by then additional director general of the Federal Investigation Agency Wajid Zia, to probe the assets of the Sharif family and Ishaq Dar.</p>n<p>The JIT prepared four references — three against the Sharif family and one against Mr Dar — and filed them in the accountability court that year.</p>n<p>As per the prosecution, Mr Dar’s assets had grown manifold from Rs9.1 million in 1982-83 to Rs831.6m in 2008.</p>n<p>An SC bench, headed by former chief justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, had on Sept 15 <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776008/sc-orders-restoration-of-corruption-cases-against-public-office-holders">declared</a> the amendments to the NAO void ab initio, paving the way for revival of dozens of references closed in pursuant to the amendments.</p>n<p>The Supreme Court directed NAB to revive the closed cases in seven days.</p>n<p>NAB sources said the cases disposed of under the amended law have been returned to the accountability courts of Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Quetta.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1776174"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>In addition to the reference against Ishaq Dar, the cases transmitted to the accountability courts included the Park Lane case against former president Asif Ali Zardari, the Universal Services Funds case in which former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and others were the accused, the case of rental power projects against ex-PM Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, and against former chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Programme Farzana Raja.</p>n<p>The reference against former PM Shaukat Aziz and fake accounts case against Mr Zardari and Omni Group’s directors have also been revived.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Perpetual arrest warrants issued for PTI leader Azam Swati in offensive social media posts case

<p>The Special Judge Central — FIA’s special court — in Islamabad issued perpetual arrest warrants on Wednesday for PTI leader Azam Khan Swati over his controversial posts on social media platform X (then known as Twitter) about senior military officers including the then-army chief in October last year.</p>n<p>Swati was arrested twice last year — in <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1714819">October</a> and in the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1723554/swati-held-by-fia-for-defamation-imran-terms-move-fascism">following month</a> — after the FIA booked him in Islamabad for posts that were allegedly against state institutions.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/AzamKhanSwatiPk/status/1580196735288107010"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>His arrest on November 27, 2022, and subsequent detention stretched for over a month. He was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1729731">released</a> from an Islamabad sub-jail in January this year after he secured post-arrest bail from the Islamabad High Court. In his petition for bail, he had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1728095">denied making</a> the offending posts.</p>n<p>There were three previous hearings of this case, in April, May and June, all of which Swati skipped. In the May hearing, non-bailable arrest warrants were issued against him, and in the June hearing, he was declared a proclaimed offender.</p>n<p>Today, Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand issued a perpetual arrest warrant for the PTI leader over Swati’s repeated failure to attend hearings.</p>n<p>Judge Arjumand ordered the FIA to arrest him on sight and present him before the court.</p>n<p>It should be noted that Swati was implicated in the May 9 violence in the law enforcement crackdown against the party and was among the party leaders declared <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775650">proclaimed offenders</a>.</p>n<h2><a id="arrests-over-posts" href="#arrests-over-posts" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Arrests over posts</h2>n<p>Swati was first arrested by the FIA on charges of posting controversial postsnabout the armed forces in October and was later released on bail.</p>n<p>The senator had alleged that he was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1717339">tortured in custody</a> and demanded the removal of two military officials, one of whom he used foul language against in his tweet on November 26.</p>n<p>On November 27, the FIA arrested Swati for the second time over a “highly obnoxious campaign of intimidating tweets […] against state institutions”.</p>n<p>The arrest came after an FIR was registered by the FIA on the complaint of the state through Islamabad Cyber Crime Reporting Centre Technical Assistant Aneesur Rehman.</p>n<p>The complaint was registered under Section 20 of Peca as well as Sections 131 (abetting mutiny or attempting to seduce a soldier from his duty), 500 (punishment for defamation), 501 (defamation and printing of content deemed defamatory), Section 505 (statement conducing to public mischief) and 109 (abetment) of the PPC.</p>n<p>Following his arrest in November, the Pakistan Electronic Media and Regulatory Authority prohibited Swati’s media coverage on all satellite TV channels.</p>

No institution will favour one group or other in polls: PM Kakar

<p>LONDON / ISLAMABAD: There would not be any organisational or institutional involvement, either in favour of one political group or the other in the upcoming elections, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has said, as his remarks regarding the possibility of elections without PTI chief Imran Khan drew widespread criticism.</p>n<p>On Tuesday, the prime minister was in the UK, where he <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://radio.gov.pk/26-09-2023/anwaar-ul-haq-kakar-interacts-with-students-at-oxford-union">addressed</a> the Oxford Union and held a presser at the Pakistan High Commission where he fielded several questions from journalists; key amongst which were queries about the treatment of the PTI chief, whether he will be allowed to participate in elections, and whether his transfer from Attock Jail to Adiala has any deeper meaning.</p>n<p>He said his words about Imran Khan’s prospects of contesting the next election were being twisted, and that the law will decide whether he will contest or not.</p>n<p>“What people aren’t understanding is that it is not political. Whatever happens will be under law and due process. I cannot change it even if I wanted to.”</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Caretaker PM says PTI not playing ‘parliamentary politics’, those who didn’t participate in May 9 violence free to take part in elections</p>n</blockquote>n<p>Earlier, in an <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.trtworld.com/video/tv-shows/exclusive-interview-with-pakistans-caretaker-pm-anwaar-ul-haq-kakar-on-pakistans-turbulent-journey-15123259">interview</a> with <em>TRT World</em>, when the caretaker PM was asked what would happen if PTI supporters did not accept that Imran Khan is not on the ballot and took to the streets to protest, he said: “As far as the protest is concerned, if [it] remains peaceful, it is their basic and democratic right. The government will try to protect the democratic right of any political party… but any kind of vandalism in the name of protest would not be allowed.”</p>n<p>Later, at the press conference, he said: “It is part of our political culture that various parties cry foul, but if international indicators and observers say it is a free and fair election, then it is.”</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1777956"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Speaking to <em>TRT</em>, he said the ouster of Imran Khan was “lawful” as it was carried out constitutionally and without a military coup.</p>n<p>Asked about the alleged involvement of the United States in the ouster of Imran Khan, he called it a conspiracy theory that was used for public consumption.</p>n<p><strong>Oxford Union</strong></p>n<p>At the Oxford Union, PM Kakar was asked by members about Mr Khan’s incarceration, the cases against PTI workers, as well as the military’s overbearing presence in Pakistan.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/RadioPakistan/status/1706714219176247534"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>In response, he said that people were in prison over different charges, ranging from vandalism, arson, destruction of public property, and that they would face such charges in any civilised society.</p>n<p>“Why should an exclusive approach be applied to Imran Khan,” he asked.</p>n<p>He said the government commits to a fair election that includes giving PTI space. “PTI is not playing parliamentary politics… if they were… Imran Khan would be the current opposition leader.”</p>n<p>When asked about the army intervening in politics, Mr Kakar said, “There is some civil and military imbalance. But the larger criticism of the Pakistan army is not valid and is out of proportion. A lot of critics rely on hearsay these days.”</p>n<p>Regarding the upcoming elections, Kakar said whatever support is required will be provided by the caretaker set-up, be it “military or paramilitary”.</p>n<p><strong>Out of context</strong></p>n<p>Separately, the caretaker government <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777996/pm-kakar-irked-at-media-misquoting-statement-on-elections-minus-imran">said</a> that PM Kakar’s <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777637/fair-elections-can-take-place-without-imran-jailed-pti-leaders-pm-kakar">remarks</a> during a recent interview to the <em>Associated Press</em> had been “misunderstood and misreported”.</p>n<p>Issuing the original text of the <em>AP</em> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-elections-sharif-khan-kashmir-afghanistan-a81c125c0abe3bc963294733a15ef7b0">interview</a>, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting reproduced the premier’s statement thus: “Kakar said fair elections can take place without Khan or hundreds of members of his party who are jailed because they engaged in unlawful activities including vandalism and arson, a reference to the violence that rocked the country following Khan’s initial arrest in May.”</p>n<p>“We are not pursuing anyone on a personal vendetta. But yes, we will ensure that the law is appropriate. Anyone, be it Imran Khan or any other politician who violates, in terms of their political behavior, the laws of the country, then the restoration of the law has to be ensured. We cannot equate that with … political discrimination.”</p>n<p>The caretaker prime minister said thousands of people in Mr Khan’s party who didn’t engage in unlawful activities “will be running the political process, they will be participating in the elections.”</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

LHC directs authorities to provide better facilities to Parvez Elahi in jail

<p>RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court (LHC), Rawalpindi bench, on Tuesday disposed of the petition of PTI president Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, with the direction to the Punjab home secretary to redress the grievances of the former chief minister of Punjab.</p>n<p>Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan was hearing the petition of Mr Elahi seeking better facilities for himself as per his entitlement.</p>n<p>During the hearing of the case, the counsel for Mr Elahi, Sardar Abdul Raziq Khan, argued that the petitioner was not only a former chief minister and also previously held the portfolio of deputy prime minister. He appri­sed the court that the jail administration had constructed a wall along the window of his client’s barrack, allegedly to suffocate the environment.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1778101"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>He said the PTI leader also complained that a stranger had been deployed outside his cell to breach his privacy.</p>n<p>The court directed the home department to provide the facilities Mr Elahi was entitled to under the Prison Rules and sought a compliance report within a fortnight.</p>n<p><strong>Sheikh Rashid not in police custody</strong></p>n<p>Meanwhile, the same bench directed the police to find the whereabouts of former minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed.</p>n<p>The counsel for Mr Ra­­shid, Sardar Abdul Raziq Khan, argued before the court that his client was arres­­ted by Rawalpindi police.</p>n<p>However, when the police denied that the former federal minister was in their custody, Justice Khan asked the law enforcement agency to make all-out effort for the recovery of the politician.</p>n<p>Further proceedings were later adjourned till Oct 2.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Karachi &amp;lsquo;most polluted city&amp;rsquo; for second day

<p>KARACHI: The metropolitan city of Karachi made a shocking distinction by becoming the most polluted city in the world for two successive days, Monday and Tuesday, in terms of air quality, followed by New Delhi, on the Air Quality Index (AQI), according to the Swiss company IQAir that monitors air quality. </p>nn<p>The concentration of PM2.5 (particulate matter) in Karachi exceeded the WHO’s annual air quality guideline value by a staggering 20.3 times. </p>nn<p>The concentration of pollutants in Karachi was recorded at 175 AQI on Tuesday evening. </p>nn<p>It’s worth noting that an AQI reading in the range of 151-200 is considered unhealthy, while an AQI reading between 201 and 300 is even more detrimental to health. </p>nn<p>Karachi’s air quality continued to remain in an unhealthy state on second consecutive day as indicated by the air quality index. </p>nn<p>The city earned the shocking distinction of being the most polluted city globally. </p>nn<p>Over the past few years, according to the yearly report issued by IQAir, it is evident that pollution levels in Karachi have not improved but have, in fact, worsened.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Gwadar port will be functional soon: CM Domki

<p>GWADAR: The Gwadar port will be operational soon and its commissioning will give a fillip to business and trade activities, Balochistan’s caretaker Chief Minister Mir Ali Mardan Domki said on Tuesday.</p>n<p>Talking to journalists during his visit to Gwadar, he said the port was already being used for Afghan transit trade thanks to its strategic location.</p>n<p>The chief minister said a below-average rainfall this year had accentuated the problem of drinking water in Gwadar.</p>n<p>“The administration and the public are consuming drinking water with extreme care,” he said.</p>n<p>About power supply from Iran, Mr Domki said the arrangement malfunctions only for two months. “It works smoothly the rest of the year,” Mr Domki added.</p>n<p>The chief minister later chaired a meeting to review the pace of work on development projects. He visited the GDA hospital and the Fisheries Department.</p>n<p>Referring to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Mr Domki said work was in full swing on all projects so that they could spur economic activities.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Police guarding house of Wana journalist: official

<p>DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Commissioner Zafarul Islam Khattak has said that police have been deployed to guard the house of journalist Miraj Khalid in Wana, South Waziristan tribal district, after his expulsion from the area by a local jirga.</p>n<p>Talking to journalists here on Tuesday, he claimed that administration provided complete security and cooperation to Miraj Khalid. He said assistant commissioner of Wana and police were sent immediately for the safety of Miraj Khalid after the jirga asked him to pay fine or leave the area.</p>n<p>The commissioner said that the administration sent a message to the journalist to avoid paying any fine to the jirga or vacating his house. However, he said that Miraj Khalid left for Islamabad although a message was sent to him to come to Dera Ismail Khan where two rooms were booked for his family at Circuit House so that they could stay there for two to three days and then return to Waziristan.</p>n<p>He said that administration in Wana was taking all possible measures to maintain the government’s writ and ensure the safety of the lives and property of the residents.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Miraj Khalid was expelled from Waziristan by a local jirga</p>n</blockquote>n<p>SEIZED: Police claimed to have seized non-custom paid (NCP) items worth more than Rs2.4 million during checking of several vehicles on bypass road.</p>n<p>They said that they recovered 92 sacks of plastic bags, 105 cartons of bubblegum, 145 cartons of milk cream and other items from different vehicles during checking. The estimated worth of the recovered goods was around Rs2,433,000.</p>n<p>ACCIDENT: Two men were killed when a car hit their motorcycle near Kulachi Morr on Daraban road here on Tuesday.</p>n<p>Haji Munawar Din Chughtai told Daraban police a car hit the motorcycle of his son Mohammad Huzaifa and his friend Shahid Khan near Kulachi Morr. As a result, Huzaifa died on the spot while Shahid received serious injuries. The body and injured were shifted to Mufti Mahmood Hospital where Shahid also succumbed to his injuries.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, police claimed to have arrested 286 drug peddlers and recovered more 141 kilograms of drugs, eight bottles of liquor and non-custom paid (NCP) items worth around Rs694.7 million during the last month.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Over 500 tourism projects recorded in Asia-Pacific region between 2018-2022: report

<p>ISLAMABAD: The World Tourism Organisation (WTO) of the United Nations has said 517 tourism foreign direct investment projects were recorded in the Asia-Pacific region between 2018 and 2022, representing $65.1 billion capital investment and creating more than 105,600 jobs.</p>n<p>The <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.unwto.org/news/new-data-shows-investment-returning-to-global-tourism-sector">‘Tourism Investment 2023’ report</a> released to mark World Tourism Day being celebrated on Wednesday says following a decline in 2020 and 2021, the number of announced projects in the region increased marginally by 2.4pc to 42 projects in 2022.</p>n<p>Job creation in the region peaked in 2018, with more than 49,000 jobs created and fell to its lowest in 2021, when approximately 4,300 jobs were created through tourism FDI. The number of jobs created from tourism-related investments increased by 6pc from 2021 to 2022.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/UNWTO/status/1702262968388342260"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>China attracted the highest number of tourism FDI projects between 2018 and 2022, receiving 79 announced projects – 15pc of the total market share in the region. China peaked for tourism FDI in 2019, with 30 announced projects, yet inbound project numbers have steadily declined since then.</p>n<p>India attracted three times more tourism FDI projects in 2022 than it did in 2021, and ranked as the top destination country in the region last year.</p>n<p>Foreign investors announced a total of 2,415 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in the tourism cluster between 2018 and 2022. These projects involved a total capital investment of $175.5 billion and created an estimated 388,000 jobs.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/UNWTO/status/1704420381900300725"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>While international travel continues to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic, the number of greenfield foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in the tourism cluster started its tentative recovery in 2022 after posting declines in both 2020 and 2021.</p>n<p>FDI project numbers and job creation in the tourism cluster grew by 23pc from 286 investments in 2021 to 352 in 2022. Job creation in tourism FDI over the period also increased by 23pc to an estimated 36,400 in 2022.</p>n<p>As one of the areas of FDI most affected by the coronavirus pandemic, tourism has taken a long time to recover from the initial shock of 2020 – when the sector experienced a 59pc year-on-year decrease in the number of projects, dropping to 312. Capital investment in the sector also experienced a 70pc decrease, with estimated capital investment dropping from $60.9 billion to $18.2 billion.</p>n<p>The US was the largest recipient of tourism FDI between 2018 and 2022 with 198 projects, followed by the UK (160), Spain (133) and Germany (133). The top 10 countries for tourism FDI attraction accounted for nearly half (47pc) of all announced tourism projects globally between 2018 and 2022.</p>n<p>Capital investment in the sector totalled $175.5 billion between 2018 and 2022 with Spain being the leading recipient ($19.4 billion), followed by China ($11.5 billion) and the Philippines ($11.1 billion). Job creation in tourism FDI was highest in Mexico between 2018 and 2022 with an estimated 31,000 jobs created in the sector, followed by China (22,130) and Spain (20,590).</p>n<p>The hotel and tourism sector accounted for almost two-thirds of all projects in the tourism cluster between 2018 and 2022. Foreign direct investment (FDI) project numbers increased by 25pc from 2021 to 2022. However, capital investment in the hotel and tourism sector declined from $48.9 billion in 2018 to $7.8 billion in 2022.</p>n<p>Between 2018 and 2022, accommodation remained the largest sub-sector of tourism FDI globally, accounting for more than half (51pc) of all FDI projects. More than 70pc of capital investment ($126.8 billion) and job creation (270,000) in the tourism cluster was generated by the accommodation sub-sector during the same period.</p>n<p>Software and IT services were the second-largest sector for tourism FDI projects between 2018 and 2022. Its share of global FDI tourism projects grew from 10pc in 2018 to 16pc in 2020, 22pc in 2021 and 28pc in 2022, indicating the sector’s resilience and its ongoing shift towards digitisation.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

CJP Isa seeks details of IIUI ahead of board meeting

<p>ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa has sought details of various offices of International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), apparently to keep himself updated about the affairs of the university ahead of a meeting of the Board of Trustees (BoT) expected to be held after a few months.</p>nn<p>The CJP by virtue of his position, is a member of the board. An official of the university said that the registrar of the Supreme Court, through an official letter asked the IIUI to provide details of various offices for information of the top judge. </p>nn<p>The letter dated September 22 asked the IIUI to provide details, such as when was the last meeting of the BoT held along with its minutes.</p>nn<p>Similarly, the registrar’s office also directed the IIUI to provide a “detailed chart”, including names, qualifications, date of appointment, and the tenure of IIUI vice presidents, director general, deans, chairperson of departments, directors, additional directors, deputy directors and assistant directors in administration.</p>nn<p>It further directed the IIUI to provide details of the budget for the years 2022-23 and 2023-24, details about students in the last five years, showing numbers of male and female students, including foreign students. </p>nn<p>The university was directed to submit details by today (September 27).</p>nn<p>An official of the IIUI told Dawn that the CJP was collecting the details of the varsity for his better understanding as he will attend the next meeting of the IIUI board as its member.</p>nn<p>Recently, the CJP attended a meeting of the Quaid-i-Azam University syndicate wherein he “surprised” the participants with his comprehensive knowledge about the varsity, particularly the agenda item of the syndicate.</p>nn<p>The board of trustees meeting of the IIUI is supposed to be held at least once a year, but since June 2020, the board has not convened. </p>nn<p>Sources in the IIUI said that the university was planning to convene a board meeting within a few months; however, there has been no official announcement in this regard.</p>nn<p>The IIUI Board of Trustees is headed by President Dr Arif Alvi and comprises at least 50 members hailing from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other Islamic countries. </p>nn<p>The university, which is being run primarily with public funding has more than 30,000 students, making it one of the largest universities in the country. </p>nn<p>A faculty member of IIU said: “The CJP is also a member of the Board of Trustees, the apex body of IIUI which appoints the president of the university; hence, as a member of BoT, he has every right to know about the varsity affairs.”</p>nn<p>“Our BoT is an international body comprising members from many member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). It is not like the syndicate of any university headed by the VC, as the IIUI board is chaired by the president of Pakistan as its chancellor,” he added. </p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Arrest warrants for Moonis Elahi in graft case

<p>LAHORE: An accountability court on Tuesday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for former federal minister Moonis Elahi in a case pertaining to alleged corruption in different development projects.</p>nn<p>Moonis Elahi is facing allegations of billions of rupees of corruption in development projects.</p>nn<p>Accountability Court Judge Naseem Ahmad Virk hearing the case issued the arrest warrants which are valid till Oct 5.</p>nn<p>On July 22, 2023, the Lahore district court had declared Moonis Elahi, son of PTI President and former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi, an absconder for his continued absence in the money laundering case. Mr Moonis is currently living in Spain.</p>nn<p>The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had also pleaded to declare Moonis an absconder for not appearing before it despite issuance of non-bailable arrest warrants against him.</p>nn<p>The court also started the process to freeze his assets, bank account and cancel his computerised national identity card (CNIC), passport, and bank accounts.</p>nn<p>The FIA had lodged a case against Parvez Elahi and his Moonis for money laundering in the Panama Scandal last month.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Lesco to crack down on power theft in lawyers&amp;rsquo; chambers

<p>LAHORE: The Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) is set to investigate power theft on several court premises.</p>n<p>With 2,600 connections installed in lawyers’ chambers being flagged for inspection, Kasur leads among all districts served by Lesco, <em>Dawn</em> has learnt.</p>n<p>“While we have initiated inspections of lawyers’ chambers nearly every Sunday, formal operations are yet to commence,” Lesco Chief Executive Officer Shahid Haider told <em>Dawn</em>.</p>n<p>“Nevertheless, we have shared the lists with district administrations to secure their support in these operations. Our efforts will extend to all Kutcheries in Lahore, Kasur, Okara, Nankana Sahib and Shiekhupura.”</p>n<p>According to an internal report, Lesco’s northern circle has identified 34 chambers in Lahore and Ferozewala kutcheries where lawyers get power through direct lines, resulting in a monthly loss of Rs1.61 million.</p>n<p>The company’s central circle has identified 490 chambers in the kutcheries of high and supreme courts where power supply continues illegally through direct connections, estimating losses of up to Rs3.53 million per month.</p>n<p>Lesco’s south circle, which covers Model Town and Cantt kutcheries, has identified 203 chambers.</p>n<p>Teams report losses of up to Rs4.58 million. Okara Circle, which includes Renala Khurd, Okara and Depalpur kutcheries, has 410 chambers where power pilferage is underway by lawyers, leading to reported losses of Rs17.41 million.</p>n<p>Sheikhupura Circle has identified 140 chambers where electricity supply is being carried unlawfully, with an estimated monthly financial loss of Rs5.4 million at the Sheikhpura kutchery. Kasur Circle has four kutcheries: Kasur, Chunian, Pattoki and Kot Radha Kishan where 1,321 of 1,387 chambers are receiving electricity illegally, resulting in losses of up to Rs22.34 million.</p>n<p>Nankana Sahib Circle covers Nankana, Shahkot and Sangla Hill, with reported power theft worth Rs3.65 million. However, the report does not mention the number of chambers receiving power directly from the main lines.</p>n<p>Lahore Bar Association President Rana Intizar Hussain said he supported anti-power theft operations, saying that no one, including lawyers, should be allowed to steal electricity in any way.</p>n<p>“I believe that whoever is involved in power theft, whether lawyers or otherwise, must be dealt with in accordance with the law,” he added.</p>n<p>Also, the Lesco administration plans to intensify the anti-power theft campaign in hard areas, such as Sharaqpur, Ferozewala, Kala Khatai Road, Ali Park, Burj Attari, Bund Road, Mohallah Kakkayzai, Saggian, Niaz Beg, Dubanpura, Shahpur, Bagarian, Shadewal, Samsani, Sundar, Mohlanwal, Sattokatla, Kharak, Lakhudair, border areas (Burki, Hadiara, Ghurki, etc.), Sitara Colony, and Shah Di Khui, as well as various unelectrified housing societies.</p>n<p>Other areas targeted include Ravi Belt Area, Renala, Sher Garh, Hujra, Depalpur Road in the Okara circle, border areas of Narang, villages in the vicinity, and Khanqa Dogra in the Sheikhupura circle, Ravi belt area, Bucheki, and Syed Wala in the Nankana circle, and Pattoki, Chunian, Kanganpur, Phool Nagar, Kot Radha Kishan, border area, Lalyani in Kasur.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Demonstrators in Lakki Marwat seek internet restoration

<p>LAKKI MARWAT: A group of youths demonstrated for the restoration of the internet service in Titterkhel town here on Tuesday.</p>nn<p>The rally was staged along the Bannu-Dera Ismail Khan section of the Indus Highway with participants carrying placards and shouting slogans.</p>nn<p>Local body members also joined them. The speakers said the suspension of the internet service had caused problems for residents, especially youth and businessmen.</p>nn<p>“The internet shutdown has affected both regular and online business, while the students can’t apply online for admissions to educational institutions,” a protester said. </p>nn<p>Meanwhile, the UK-based charity Ansar Foundation distributed food items to more than 100 families in Serai Gamila town here on Tuesday.</p>nn<p>Naurang tehsil council chairman Haji Azizullah Khan gave away “ration packages” to poor and deserving families.</p>nn<p>Country director of the foundation Kifayatullah, former chairman of the district zakat committee Maulana Asadullah and Al-Khidmat Foundation district president Irfanullah were also present on the occasion.</p>nn<p>Mr Kifayatullah said thousands of families had been provided with food items in the southern district. </p>nn<p>He said the foundation had also launched 25 water schemes in the area besides the construction of mosques and houses for widows.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

PHC reserves judgement on petition against police seniority list

<p>PESHAWAR: A bench consisting of Justice Abdul Shakoor and Justice Syed Arshad Ali heard arguments of the counsel for petitioners – seven police officers – as well as the representatives of the federal and provincial governments.</p>nn<p>The petition was jointly filed by superintendent of police (security) Salahuddin Khan and six other police officers seeking the court to declare the impugned seniority list issued on June 28, 2022, by the police’s additional inspector general (establishment) unconstitutional and against Articles 142, 240 and 260 of the Constitution.</p>nn<p>The petitioners also challenged the “intended” promotions through the provincial selection board of officers of BPS-17 and above, questioning whether the provincial government was competent to promote such officers or it was the domain of the federal government.</p>nn<p>They requested the court to direct the respondents, including the provincial government and provincial police officer, to restore an earlier seniority list of DSPs (BPS-17) issued on Feb 21, 2022, insisting it was based on the relevant laws and rules.</p>nn<blockquote>n <p>Officers insist dept revised list in violation of law and rules</p>n</blockquote>nn<p>The petitioners’ counsel, Anwarul Haq, highlighted the Police Service of Pakistan (Composition, Cadre and Seniority) Rules, 1985, and said those rules declare that promotions to BPS-18 should be made on the basis of 40 per cent quota reserved for the provincial police cadre.</p>nn<p>He requested the court to direct respondents to prepare a joint seniority list of senior officers in BPS-17, including ASPs and DSPs, in light of those rules before making promotion to BPS-18 on the basis of a 40 per cent quota of provincial police officers.</p>nn<p>The lawyer said his clients served as senior police officers (BPS-17) in the police department.</p>nn<p>He added that the petitioners, who were promoted as DSPs, had successfully undertaken various obligations and missions.</p>nn<p>Mr Anwar said a seniority list meant for DSPs was issued on Feb 21, 2022, but the AIG (establishment), violating different procedures and rules, revised it and issued the impugned list in June 2022 without citing any cogent reason.</p>nn<p>He said under Police Service of Pakistan (Composition, Cadre and Seniority) Rules, 1985, 40 per cent quota was reserved for promotion and ‘encadrement’ for officers of the police cadre of the province for which joint seniority list had to be prepared.</p>nn<p>The lawyer added that the respondents had never followed the criteria and rules.</p>nn<p>He argued that the petitioners were entitled to promotion since 2015 and they had performed in exemplary manner during the war against militancy.</p>nn<p>Mr Anwar said an identical claim of promotion and ‘encadrement’ was raised before the Sindh High Court, which decided the same in favour of petitioners in 2014 and that judgement was later upheld by the Supreme Court.</p>nn<p>Deputy attorney general Altaf Khan and lawyerSangeen Khan appeared for the federal government.</p>nn<p>The DAG contended that the petitioners were provincial cadre officers and it was the domain of the provincial government to give them seniority.</p>nn<p>The bench wondered when the relevant rules were related to the federal government, then whether the federal or provincial government was empowered to issue the seniority list for police officers.</p>nn<p>The DAG said he would submit some relevant documents to “clarify” the situation.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

&amp;lsquo;Haj policy 2024 to be presented in 10 days&amp;rsquo;

<p>ISLAMABAD: Care­ta­ker Minister of Religious Affairs Aniq Ahmed has announced that Haj Policy 2024 has been prepared and will be presented to the federal cabinet within 10 days. </p>nn<p>Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Mr Ahmed acknowledged that numerous challenges had arisen as a result of delay in the Haj policy last year. </p>nn<p>He added that the policy would include 40-day Haj, as well as a short-term pilgrimage options. </p>nn<p>“Haj pilgrims will be given two suitcases of specific colour and design with a QR code on them so that they are not lost,” Mr Ahmed said, adding that the name, passport number, residence, school number and other information will be fed into the suitcases. </p>nn<blockquote>n <p>Pilgrims will be given suitcases of specific colour and design with a QR code on them</p>n</blockquote>nn<p>Mr Ahmed further mentioned that, for the first time, Haj pilgrims will receive a special mobile package. </p>nn<p>The caretaker minister of religious affairs confirmed that a contract has been formally concluded with a mobile phone company in Saudi Arabia, allowing Pakistani pilgrims to utilise mobile phones for audio and video calls without incurring roaming fees. </p>nn<p>He specified that an extra fee of Rs4,000 would be applied for the mobile package. </p>nn<p>“Haj pilgrims will now be able to stay in touch with their families in Pakistan at all times,” he added.</p>nn<p>“The overall cost of the Haj package will be deci­ded later,” he concluded.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Three women injured in gas leak fire in Attock

<p>TAXILA: Three women received serious burn injuries in fire caused by gas leak in village Bahadur Khan in the limits of Hazro Police station in Attock on Tuesday, police and hospital sources said.</p>n<p>According to sources, due to gas load-shedding in the area, the gas stove remained open in the kitchen and when the gas returned it filled the house.</p>n<p>As soon as the wife of Khan Nawaz tried to light the stove, the fire engulfed the house inflicting burn injuries to three women. All the injured were rushed to the district headquarters hospital Attock, from where one of them was shifted to Holy Family Hospital due to her critical injuries.</p>n<p>In a separate incident, a motorcyclist was crushed to death on GT Road near Asifabad in the limits of Wah Saddar Police Station on Tuesday.</p>n<p>Police sources said that 35-year-old Farhan Latif, an employee of a sensitive organisation, was going on his motorcycle when a speedy dumper bumped into him, resulting in his death on the spot.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Four women among PTI activists sent to jail in arson attack case

<p>LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday sent eight Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) social media activists, including Sanam Javed, to jail on a six-day judicial remand while allowing investigating officer’s request for their identification parade in an arson attack case.</p>n<p>The suspects, including Sanam Javed, Afshan Tariq, Asheema Shuja, Shah Bano Gurchani, Mohammad Qasim, Ali Hassan, Mohammad Mubin Qadri and Syed Faisal Akhtar, were presented before the court on charges of attacking police near Rahat Bakery Chowk and setting fire to a police vehicle on May 9.</p>n<p>The PTI women activists, including Sanam Javed and Shahbano Gurchani, were rearrested by the investigation police on Monday night, shortly after they had been <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777487">released</a> from the Kot Lakhpat jail on court order in Jinnah House attack case.</p>n<p>Investigating Officer Naveed Anjum Awan requested for judicial remand to facilitate their identification in connection with the police vehicle arson case.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>ATC allows IO’s request for identification parade</p>n</blockquote>n<p>Judge Abher Gul Khan, who was presiding over the proceedings, approved the six-day judicial remand of all the suspects and subsequently sent them to jail.</p>n<p>Earlier on Saturday, another anti-terrorism court had ordered the release of nine PTI members, including its women activists, in connection with the Jinnah House attack case. Besides Sanam Javed and Shahbano Gurchani, Robina Jameel, Afshan Tariq, Ashma Shuja, Faisal Akhtar, Qasim, Ali Hasan and Hussain Qadri had secured bail against surety bonds worth Rs100,000 each, paving the way for their release.</p>n<p>While talking to <em>Dawn</em>, a police official claimed the police re-arrested Sanam Javed, Shahbano, Afshan Tariq and Ashma Shuja from outside Kot Lakhpat jail soon after their release.</p>n<p>He explained that the women were arrested in another case pertaining to May 9 violent attacks, which was registered with the Sarwar Road police station.</p>n<p>The PTI activists were rearrested and shifted from the jail to the police station for further investigations, the official confirmed.</p>n<p><strong>PTI for contempt proceedings against police</strong></p>n<p>A PTI spokesperson on Tuesday also decried the re-arrest of party activists and workers and demanded Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa initiate contempt proceedings against the officials involved in making “mockery of the law” of the land.</p>n<p>In a statement in reaction to the re-arrest of PTI male and female workers soon after being released from prison on court order, a PTI spokesman termed the practice of repeated arrests of the party workers and leaders despite clear court orders as “a slap in the face of the justice system”.</p>n<p>He said the arrests of activists after being released on bail by court was a ‘sheer fascism’ and oppression, adding that all limits of cruelties and barbarities were crossed to subject PTI’s affiliated male and female citizens to ‘vindictive’ political retribution.</p>n<p>The spokesperson went on to say that innocent mothers, sisters, daughters were being subjected to oppression and fascism in total disregard of Islamic values and law of the land.</p>n<p>“Chief Justice of Pakistan should take immediate notice of the brutality of the state machinery in the country and ensure protection of the basic constitutional rights of the citizens, especially of PTI workers, leaders and their families,” the statement added.</p>n<p><strong>Spokespersons nominated</strong></p>n<p>Also on Tuesday, PTI nominated the party’s official spokespersons who will give the official version on legal and political issues relating to PTI as well as party chairman and former prime minister Khan.</p>n<p>PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan notified PTI senior leaders including Farrukh Habib, Shoaib Shaheen, Raoof Hasan, Ali Mohammad Khan and Barrister Gohar Khan as the party’s official spokespersons.</p>n<p>“The designated official spokespersons will give the official version on legal and political issues relating to PTI and former prime minister and chairman [of] PTI,” the notification stated.</p>n<p><em>Syed Irfan Raza in Islamabad also contributed to this report</em></p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

PML-N &amp;lsquo;backtracks&amp;rsquo; on call for generals&amp;rsquo; accountability

<p>LAHORE: With the PML-N seemingly undecided what its narrative would be in the upcoming elections, a close aide of PML-N sup­remo Nawaz Sharif has claimed the party was not “demanding accountability of former army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and former ISI head Gen Faiz Hamid.”</p>n<p>His statement coincided with reports from London that Mr Nawaz was having second thoughts to his stated position on his <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776664">demand</a> for accountability of ex-generals and judges.</p>n<p>Addressing a press conference at the party’s office in Model Town on Tuesday, Javed Latif said, “We [PML-N] do not demand accountability of Gen Bajwa and Gen Hamid but only those characters and facilitators involved in May 9 events and mutiny against the head of the institution.” He was referring to attacks on military installations in the wake of PTI chief Imran Khan’s arrest.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/pmlndigitalpk/status/1706607785767760299"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Mr Latif’s remarks have raised more questions over the party’s narrative as he is considered close to the elder Sharif and had been quite vocal in his demand to make former generals and judges an example for “conspiring against the ex-PM’s Sharif government” in 2017.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Javed Latif says party seeking action against May 9 perpetrators; leaders see statement as ‘signal of new plan’</p>n</blockquote>n<p>“Although 90 per cent in the PML-N think that Gen Bajwa and Faiz Hamid were responsible [for Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification], we are not demanding any action whatsoever against them.”</p>n<p>Referring to those who attacked military installations on May 9 as “terrorists”, Mr Latif said they should not be allowed to take part in politics.</p>n<p>The PML-N leader added that Mr Sharif has advised against any grand reception upon his return on Oct 21 “because of the problems faced by the nation”.</p>n<p>Mr Sharif will give a plan to make Pakistan economically strong in his address at Minar-i-Pakistan, he added.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed '>n <div class='media__item media__item–youtube '><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/H38zICrBMOk?enablejsapi=1&controls=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0' allowfullscreen='' frameborder='0' scrolling='no' width='100%' height='100%'></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p><strong>‘Changed line’</strong></p>n<p>Mr Latif’s “softer stance” on the issue is being interpreted as a ‘clear signal’ of the party leadership’s thinking about a new str­a­tegy after the ex-PM’s onslaught on former generals and judges.</p>n<p>PML-N senior leader Khurram Dastgir also indirectly confirmed the party was looking to eschew the “accountability narrative”.</p>n<p>“We had tried [former] general Musharraf under Article 6, but what happened afterwards is before everyone,” Mr Dastagir told a private TV channel on Tuesday. “I believe we should not repeat this episode.”</p>n<p>Similarly, PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah, who of late called the ex-generals “national criminals” and demanded action against them, also appeared cautious in targeting them further.</p>n<p>Commenting on the situation, a senior PML-N leader from Punjab told <em>Dawn</em> Mr Latif’s remarks were a “clear hint” that the party’s supreme leader has accepted the request of his younger brother and others to “not declare war on the former generals”.</p>n<p>On Sept 18, the elder Sharif went on a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776664">tirade</a> against the former general and chief justices — Asif Khosa and Saqib Nisar — while addressing the party’s ticket holders.</p>n<p>His demand for strict accountability left many in the party in a precarious position as the leaders became wary of a possible backlash if the elder Sharif continued with such statements.</p>n<p>This prompted his younger brother, Shehbaz Sharif, to skedaddle back to London within 48 hours of his return.</p>n<p>He tried to convince his elder brother to “tone down” his stance, saying that this narrative might draw the ire of the powers that be, who have otherwise been quite friendly to the party during the previous government’s tenure.</p>n<p>Reports suggested that some members of his family were trying to prevail upon Mr Nawaz to revisit his strong position on the accountability of former generals and judges.</p>n<p>Asked about such re­ports, Mr Latif said Shehbaz Sharif could “only give suggestions” to his brother, but once the latter took a decision, “everyone in the party had to follow it”.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

CM Baqar suspends director general of colleges, two others over negligence

<p>KARACHI: Caretaker Chief Minister retired Justice Maqbool Baqar on Tuesday suspended the director general (DG) of colleges, and the principal and vice principal of a girls’ college in district Central for their alleged negligence, lack of interest and failure to promote educational activities.</p>n<p>The action was taken following a surprise visit to the Government Girls Degree College, Al-Noor, where the CM found empty classes with desks, laboratory and washrooms in a dilapidated condition.</p>n<p>He also found that not a single lab in the college was functional.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/SindhCMHouse/status/1706755720111439977"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Justice Baqar asked DG-Colleges Shadab Hussain if he had ever visited the said college. Upon which Mr Hussain replied in the negative.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Decision taken after CM found staff absent, lack of facilities at Govt Girls College Al-Noor</p>n</blockquote>n<p>The CM asked him as to how students would come to a college where washrooms lacked doors and running water.</p>n<p>College principal Zahida Begum informed the CM that 300 students were enrolled in the college, but record showed that the number of students was 390.</p>n<p>The principal also had no knowledge of the sanctioned strength of the teaching staff and when the vice principal was called she also expressed ignorance about the total number of the staff.</p>n<p>While most of the staff members were found absent, the chief minister was told that a teacher of Islamic Studies, Ishratul Ain, had not come to work for the past one year.</p>n<p>The CM went from class to class and found that out of the 390 students, only 40 or 50 were present. Only an English teacher was seen taking a class. The CM appreciated and lauded her method of teaching.</p>n<p>He came to know that it was a degree college, but education was imparted up to the intermediate level.</p>n<p>Later, the chief minister ordered the suspension of the services of the DG-Colleges, principal and vice-principal.</p>n<p>He also suspended the services of the Islamic Studies lecturer who was absent from duty for the past one year.</p>n<p><strong>Inaugurates education facility</strong></p>n<p>The chief minister inaugurated House of Education School established for free education of children by the JDC Foundation.</p>n<p>Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, he said that JDC and its head Zafar Abbas had valuable services in the field of education. “JDC is equipping children with the jewel of education through free IT course,” he said, adding that he was happy to learn that absolutely free education was being imparted here.</p>n<p>Also on Tuesday, the CM visited two parks — Bagh-i-Saman and Noorani Park — in district Centra and directed the authorities to develop and open the facilities for public at the earliest.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, on way back to CM House, the chief minister visited the Sindh Govt Hospital Liaquatabad where he found comparatively better hygienic conditions.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/SindhCMHouse/status/1706754146198864004"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The CM took round of the old Covid-19 wards and directed the hospital officials to utilise the wards for other patients.</p>n<p>He went to the kitchen where food was prepared for 100 patients twice a day. He directed the administration to renovate it and keep it clean properly.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Armed citizens gun down three &amp;lsquo;muggers&amp;rsquo; in city

<p>KARACHI: Three alleged robbers were shot dead while two others were wounded by citizens in the Korangi and New Karachi areas on Tuesday, police and rescuers said. </p>nn<p>In Korangi, two suspects were gunned down by a robbery victim. </p>nn<p>According to Korangi SSP Hassan Sardar, the robbers had snatched valuables from a citizen within the remit of the Zaman Town police station. When they were fleeing, a citizen, who happened to be carrying his licensed pistol, chased them, upon which an exchange of gunfire took place, in which both the suspects were gunned down. </p>nn<p>The bodies were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre to fulfil medico-legal formalities. </p>nn<p>The police claimed to have recovered arms, cash, mobile phone and motorbike from them. </p>nn<p>In another incident, one suspect was gunned down while two others were wounded by a citizen in New Karachi. </p>nn<p>Police said four suspects riding two motorbikes arrived at Azam Bakery with the intention of committing a robbery. </p>nn<p>They snatched valuables from youths sitting there. In the meantime, an armed citizen, identified as Faizan, opened fire on them from his licensed pistol, killing one suspect on the spot and wounding two others.</p>nn<p>The deceased was identified as Yaseen and the injured as Kashif Ramazan. </p>nn<p>One injured suspect fled with their fourth accomplice. </p>nn<p>Later on, the police arrested the escaped injured suspect, identified as Ali Raza. </p>nn<p>The dead and injured suspects were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Dog culling by CBC draws Karachi DHA residents, animal lovers&amp;rsquo; ire

<p>KARACHI: Concerned residents of Defence Housing Authority (DHA), who care for animals, have reported that the Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC) has started culling stray dogs in their area.</p>n<p>Many of the dogs that have vanished were being fed and cared for by the residents, who also claim that the poor animals were also guarding their neighbourhoods against burglars.</p>n<p>“They are no particular breed, just stray animals but they remained alert at night, which gave us a lot of peace of mind,” a resident of DHA Phase VIII told <em>Dawn</em>.</p>n<p>“In return for their loyalty and love we would offer them some leftovers. Everything was fine until the CBC decided to catch them and kill them,” the resident added with a lump in his throat.</p>n<p>So many areas of DHA have been cleared of stray dogs, who were quite friendly. “Many of them were spayed, neutered and vaccinated too,” said another concerned resident and animal rights activist Haniyeh Shaikh.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Cantonment board says it has invited concerned residents and members of animal rights organisations for a meeting tomorrow</p>n</blockquote>n<p>“My own pet dog Crystal was taken away by the CBC. When I found out and located her, they took Rs6,000 from me for releasing her. My dog was even wearing a collar,” Haniyeh informed.</p>n<p>“So many of these dogs that they are taking away are old and quite helpless. The poor creatures are very friendly, too. The animals are not wild but the CBC staff responsible for all this are quite wild. They are inhumane. A few days ago when they were taking away little puppies from the Creek Vista Apartments area, they were stopped by a housewife but instead of listening to her reasoning they pushed and beat her up for coming in their way,” said Haniyeh.</p>n<p>“Last Friday, many of us residents visited the CBC office to speak to them. We were very polite and civil towards them but they sounded so rude and angry. They told us that they were going to wipe out the population of dogs from DHA. Then when some residents also looked unhappy they told us that they were not culling the dogs but relocating them, which is a bunch of lies. We don’t believe that because there is no place for relocating the dogs here,” she said.</p>n<p>Jude Allen — who started ‘I am Noor Jehan Movement’ after watching the zoo elephant suffer so badly due to sheer incompetence and lack of empathy by the government — was also at the CBC office with the others on Friday with a plea to not hurt the stray dogs.</p>n<p>“We went there in a group. We met several high-ups there, who didn’t look impressed at all,” he said.</p>n<p>“At first they denied everything. But we had photographic and video evidence of their activities. Even the person in those videos we saw at the CBC office. So they had to admit. After much effort to make them understand that the dogs were harmless, they told us to keep them in our houses. But we already have made many of them our pets and are taking care of them. We can’t possibly keep them all,” he said.</p>n<p>“Then we were told by a Mr Najeeb there that if we are serious about this issue, we should work on a trap, neuter, spay and release roadmap. We have called a meeting at Aunty Park on Tuesday to discuss this with all those who care about these poor dogs because our next meeting with CBC is to take place on Thursday [tomorrow],” he added.</p>n<p>Jude said that the movement he had started itself is to raise awareness about how governments exploit animals for money. “The movement also covers senseless killings of innocent street animals by the CBC and KMC, who have absolutely no shame or fear of God for their actions,” he said.</p>n<p>Mahera Omar, the co-founder of the Pakistan Animal Welfare Society (Paws), was also very sad about what has been going on. “Albert Einstein once defined insanity as ‘doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.’ Such is the case with municipal authorities in Karachi, who continue to mercilessly kill dogs in an attempt to eradicate them from the city,” she said.</p>n<p>“What the authorities should have been implementing by now is a humane citywide mass vaccination drive to control rabies in street dogs. With the disease in check in the animal reservoir, chances of transmission to humans decreases considerably. And if they engage with local communities to educate them on dog behaviour and bite prevention, it can reduce the incidences of dog bites across the city.</p>n<p>“Cleaning up the mounds of garbage in our neighbourhoods will also eventually see an overall decline in the street dog population. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix, and dealing with the situation requires political will and a sustained multi-pronged approach,” she explained.</p>n<p>“Shooting and poisoning dogs is not only cruel and barbaric, but it does not decrease their population as dogs from other areas move in to fill the void. Killing dogs also does not prevent the spread of rabies. When dogs are removed, their population is continuously changing. They may be unstable or aggressive and multiply at a high rate while carrying rabies,” she said.</p>n<p>On being approached by <em>Dawn</em>, a CBC spokesperson acknowledged that they have been receiving lots of complaints about stray dogs and also accusations about culling dogs.</p>n<p>“Therefore, we have invited all the animal rights organisations and concerned residents to the CBC office on Thursday [tomorrow] to further discuss the matter and chart out a way forward,” the spokesperson said.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

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Touchdown Hyderabad: Pakistan squad lands in India for World Cup

<p>The Pakistan squad landed in India’s Hyderabad on Wednesday to participate in the ICC World Cup 2023.</p>n<p>The national team flew to India via Dubai and landed at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. A video shared by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) showed the squad exiting the plane.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/GhaffarDawnNews/status/1707049795016359978"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Confirming the development, the Press Trust of India said this is Pakistan’s first visit to the neighbouring country in seven years. The Green Shirts previously traveled to India in 2016 for the T20 world cup.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/PTI_News/status/1707052337850642653"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The Indian government had on Monday <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777813">issued visas</a> for the Pakistan squad after multiple delays. The development came after the PCB wrote a letter to the International Cricket Council expressing concerns over the visa issue.</p>n<p>The World Cup is scheduled to take place from Oct 5 to Nov 19 in India. Pakistan’s opening match in the tournament is set for Oct 6 against the Netherlands in Hyderabad, while the highly anticipated match against arch-rivals India will take place in Ahmedabad on Oct 14.</p>n<p>The national team will play two warm-up matches — against New Zealand on Sept 29 and Australia on Oct 3. Earlier, the team was scheduled to leave for Dubai on Sept 25 and stay there for two days.</p>n<p>The 15-member squad for the mega tournament was announced last week by Cricket Chief Selector Inzamamul Haq. It notably <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777274">includes</a> bowler Hasan Ali, and excludes star pacer Naseem Shah, who was injured in the Asia Cup.</p>n<p>Other notable exclusions are bowlers Faheem Ashraf, who was part of the Asia Cup squad, and Mohammad Hasnain.</p>n<p><strong>Squad:</strong> Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imamul Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, (wicketkeeper) Mohammad Wasim, Agha Salman, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama Mir</p>n<p><strong>Reserve Squad:</strong> Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khan</p>

India would look into any &amp;lsquo;specific&amp;rsquo; info on Sikh separatist killing in Canada: Jaishankar

<p>India’s foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Tuesday that India has told Canada it was open to looking into any “specific” or “relevant” information it provides on the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/20/advocate-separate-sikh-state-india-shot-dead-canada-hardeep-singh-nijjar-temple">killing</a> of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.</p>n<p>Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last week that Ottawa had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777075">credible intelligence</a> linking Indian agents to the murder, prompting an angry initial reaction from New Delhi, which denies the allegation.</p>n<p>Asked about the allegations at a Council on Foreign Relations event in New York, Jaishankar detailed India’s response in diplomatic engagements.</p>n<p>“One, we told the Canadians that this is not the government of India’s policy,” he said. “Two, we told the Canadians saying that look, if you have something specific, if you have something relevant, you know, let us know — we are open to looking at it.”</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1777230"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>India last week suspended new visas for Canadians and asked Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence in the country, citing what it called a deteriorating security environment.</p>n<p>India had been “badgering the Canadians” about its claims that organised criminals are based there, a reference to separatists like Nijjar, he said, adding that India had made “a large number of extradition requests”.</p>n<p>“The picture is not complete without the context,” he added. “You also have to appreciate that in the last few years, Canada actually has seen a lot of organised crime, you know, relating to, you know, the secessionist forces, organised crime, violence, extremism, they’re all very, very deeply mixed up.”</p>n<p>Allies of Canada, including the United States, have cautiously <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776905">expressed</a> concern over the claims and urged India to cooperate with Canada’s investigation.</p>n<p>The US ambassador to Canada told Canadian television that some information on the case had been gathered by the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which includes the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.</p>

Iraq wedding fire kills over 100 as relatives identify bodies

<p>A fire ripped through a packed wedding hall in northern Iraq late on Tuesday, killing more than 100 people in a Christian town that had survived occupation by the militant Islamic State group as authorities announced an investigation into the blaze.</p>n<p>Firefighters searched the charred skeleton of the building in Qaraqoush into Wednesday morning and bereaved relatives gathered outside a morgue in the nearby city of Mosul, wailing and rocking in distress.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/TRTWorldNow/status/1706890155519308064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1706890155519308064%7Ctwgr%5Ec73e7388506158bb3d9481bcfd55d1b9495805d6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dawn.com%2Fnews%2F1778138"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>“This was not a wedding. This was hell,” said Mariam Khedr, crying and hitting herself as she waited for officials to return the bodies of her daughter Rana Yakoub, 27, and three young grandchildren, the youngest aged just eight months.</p>n<p>Survivors said hundreds of people were at the wedding celebration, which followed an earlier church service, and the fire began about an hour into the event when flares ignited a ceiling decoration as the bride and groom danced.</p>n<p>Nineveh province Deputy Governor Hassan al-Allaq told <em>Reuters</em> 113 people had been confirmed dead, with state media putting the death toll at least 100, with 150 people injured.</p>n<p>The fire tore through a large events hall in Hamdaniya after flares were lit during the celebration, causing a fire in the ceiling, Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari said according to state media.</p>n<p>A video of the event, posted on social media but not yet verified by <em>Reuters</em>, appeared to show the flares suddenly catching a glittering ceiling decoration that burst into flames, as sounds of excitement turned rapidly to panic.</p>n<p>Another video that <em>Reuters</em> has not yet verified showed a couple dancing in wedding clothes as burning material begins dropping to the floor.</p>n<p>Most residents of Qaraqoush, which is mostly Christian but also home to some members of Iraq’s Yazidi minority, fled the town when IS seized it in 2014. But they returned after the group was ousted in 2017.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch '>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class='media__caption '>Soldiers and emergency responders gather around ambulances carrying wounded people after a fire broke out during a wedding at an event hall, outside the Hamdaniyah general hospital in Al-Hamdaniyah, Iraq on September 27. — AFP</figcaption>n </figure></p>n<h2><a id="charred-wreckage" href="#charred-wreckage" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Charred wreckage</h2>n<p>The Interior Ministry said it had issued four arrest warrants for the owners of the wedding hall, state media reported, and President Abdul Latif Rashid called for an investigation.</p>n<p>In a brief statement, Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani called on the health and interior ministers to “mobilise all rescue efforts” to help the victims of the fire.</p>n<p>“We saw the fire pulsating, coming out of the hall. Those who managed got out and those who didn’t got stuck,” said Imad Yohana, a 34-year-old who escaped the inferno.</p>n<p>Video from a <em>Reuters</em> correspondent at the site showed firefighters clambering over the charred wreckage of the building, shining lights over smouldering ruins.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch '>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class='media__caption '>A view of the damage at the site following a fatal fire at a wedding celebration, in the district of Hamdaniya in Iraq’s Nineveh province, Iraq, September 27. — Reuters</figcaption>n </figure></p>n<p>Preliminary information indicated that the building was made of highly flammable construction materials, contributing to its rapid collapse, state media said.</p>n<p>Eyewitnesses at the site said the building caught fire at around 10:45pm local time (1945 GMT).</p>n<p>“I lost my daughter, her husband and their three-year-old. They were all burned. My heart is burning,” a woman said outside the morgue, where bodies lay outside in bags as vehicles came to collect those that had been identified.</p>n<p>A man called Youssef stood nearby with burns covering his hands and face. He said he had not been able to see anything when the fire began and the power cut out. He had grabbed his three-year-old grandson and managed to get out.</p>n<p>But his wife, Bashra Mansour, in her 50s, did not make it. She fell in the chaos and died.</p>n<p>Safety standards in Iraq’s construction sector are often disregarded, and the country, whose infrastructure is in disrepair after decades of conflict, is often the scene of fatal fires and accidents.</p>n<p>In July 2021, a fire in the Covid unit of a hospital in southern Iraq killed more than <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1634860">60 people</a>.</p>n<p>And in April of the same year, exploding oxygen tanks triggered a fire at a hospital in Baghdad — also dedicated to Covid patients — that killed <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1620286">more than 80 people</a>.</p>n<p>Like many Christian towns in the Nineveh Plains, northeast of Mosul, Qaraqosh was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1120811">ransacked</a> by jihadists of the Islamic State group after they entered the town in 2014.</p>n<p>Qaraqosh and its churches were slowly rebuilt after the group’s ouster in 2017, and Pope Francis visited the town in March 2021.</p>

2 men arrested in connection with Avastin eye injection scam, says Punjab health minister

<p>Punjab interim Health Minister Dr Javed Akram said on Wednesday that two men had been arrested in connection with the Avastin injection scam. The eye drug is allegedly responsible for causing vision loss in diabetic patients across the province.</p>n<p>“No leniency will be shown to any suspect in the case,” he vowed.</p>n<p>Several diabetic patients in Lahore, Kasur and Jhang districts were administered Avastin injections to address retinal damage, but the doses led to <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777732">severe infections</a>. The issue first surfaced when several cases of the drug’s reaction were reported from the Kasur district.</p>n<p>According to doctors, the patients developed a life-threatening disease, endophthalmitis, an inflammation of the inner coats of the eye, which led to loss of vision.</p>n<p>Official figures revealed that the purported contaminated drug severely affected the vision of 68 patients in the province since the scam surfaced. The Punjab government has <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777629/punjab-govt-bans-injection-allegedly-responsible-for-loss-of-vision-in-patients-announces-free-treatment">slapped a ban</a> on the eye drug for an indefinite period across the province, besides launching a portal to collect data on the patients affected by the drug and provide them with treatment.</p>n<p>A high-level inquiry was also under way to find out the prime factors leading to vision loss among patients administered the injection in Punjab.</p>n<p>During a media talk today, the provincial health minister told journalists that two culprits had been arrested in connection with the injection scam but didn’t give details of the suspects.</p>n<p>He said the incident was being probed from all angles and vowed to bring all elements involved in the scam to justice. “The Punjab government is under no pressure in this investigation,” Dr Akram clarified.</p>n<p>He went on to say that surgeries of 15 patients out of the 68 cases surfaced so far had been conducted and the authorities were determined to bring back the vision of the patients.</p>n<p>Dr Akram further stated that all points of sale of the allegedly adulterated eye drug had been sealed.</p>n<h2><a id="special-inspections-of-hospitals-using-avastin-ordered" href="#special-inspections-of-hospitals-using-avastin-ordered" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Special inspections of hospitals using Avastin ordered</h2>n<p>A day earlier, the Board of Commissioners of the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1778052/avastin-use-banned-for-indefinite-period">directed</a> the senior management of the commission to be prepared for special inspections of the hospitals where eye infection cases were reported due to the administration of Avastin injection to the patients.</p>n<p>The directions were issued in an emergent meeting of the PHC Board of Commissioners (BoC) headed by chairperson retired Justice Muhammad Bilal Khan.</p>n<p>A representative of the PHC, who had attended the meeting of the recently formed committee by the government also attended the BoC meeting.</p>n<p>He briefed the BoC regarding the proceedings of the meeting convened by both interim provincial health ministers — Prof Javed Akram and Dr Jamal Nasir.</p>n<p>The BoC was informed that the issues related to import, compounding and dispensing of the dosage for eye patients will be investigated by the committee, while the PHC was asked to investigate the practices in the hospitals where the injection was administered.</p>n<p>After deliberations, the BoC directed the PHC senior management to make preparations for any action, especially, the inspections of the hospitals where the infections have been reported.</p>n<p>The BoC also ordered inspections of these healthcare establishments to ensure implementation of the minimum service delivery standards, especially pertaining to infection protection and control, medication management, qualifications of the medics, and sterilisation of operation theatres.</p>n<p>The BoC also ordered the issuance of an advisory for the affected patients to initiate complaints about these incidents. For this, they can also WhatsApp their complaints at 0306 0843500, for initiation of investigation by the PHC.</p>

Pakistan receives first shipment of Russian LPG: embassy

<p>Pakistan has received its first shipment of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) from Russia, Moscow’s embassy in Islamabad said on Tuesday, marking the South Asian country’s second major Russian energy purchase.</p>n<p>The shipment, which the embassy said was delivered with Iranian help, comes after Pakistan <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1759184">received</a> its first-ever delivery of Russian crude under a deal struck between the two countries earlier this year.</p>n<p>In January 2023, a Russian delegation <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1732784">arrived</a> in Islamabad for talks to finalise the deal. During the three-day meeting, the countries decided to address all technical issues — insurance, transportation and payment mechanisms — to sign an agreement by late March this year.</p>n<p>“After consensus on the technical specifications approved, the oil and gas trade transaction will be structured in a way it has a mutual economic benefit for both countries,” a joint statement issued by the two sides had then stated.</p>n<p>In a post on social media today, the Russian embassy said Russia delivered 100,000 metric tons to Pakistan through Iran’s Sarakhs Special Economic Zone.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/RusEmbPakistan/status/1706706533495480562"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The embassy said consultations on a second shipment were under way. It did not provide details on Iran’s involvement, and it was not immediately clear how much the LPG cost or if it was discounted.</p>n<p>Pakistan has said it had paid for the Russian crude in <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1759360">Chinese currency</a> but the value of the deal was never disclosed.</p>n<p>Energy imports make up the majority of Pakistan’s external payments and discounted imports from Russia offer a respite as Islamabad faces an economic crisis with an acute balance of payments problem, risking a default on its external debt.</p>

InDrive expands operations to five new cities across Pakistan

<p>Leading ride-hailing service InDrive on Wednesday announced that it is expanding operations to five new cities across Pakistan.</p>n<p>“In a move set to redefine the transportation landscape, InDrive is thrilled to announce its expansion into five new cities, including Larkana, Kāmoke, Sheikhupura, Hafizabad, and Okara,” it said in a press release.</p>n<p>The company said the expansion would look to provide “seamless, convenient, and reliable mobility solutions” to a broader audience across the country.</p>n<p>InDrive further stated that it was dedicated to bringing innovative transportation options to both urban centres and suburban areas.</p>n<p>“The launch of InDrive in these cities marks a significant milestone, further solidifying the company’s position as the go-to choice for modern, efficient, and budget-friendly mobility,” the press release said.</p>n<p>It quoted the company’s public relations manager Sidra Khan as saying: “Our new service offers city residents the convenience of accessing transport from their homes, eliminating the need to venture out in search of it.</p>n<p>Both drivers and passengers stand to gain significant benefits, including time saved and the elimination of challenges associated with street hailing. This service addresses issues such as locating rides during odd hours like early mornings or late nights.“</p>n<p>She added that the ride-hailing service presented numerous benefits to drivers in small cities, including flexible opportunities, reduced unemployment, supplemental income, enhanced community connection, and positive contributions to the local economy.</p>n<p>“This expansion follows InDrive’s mission to connect people and places, while also contributing to the growth and development of the people in the region,” the press release concluded.</p>

Indian great-grandmother, 92, finally goes to school

<p>An Indian great-grandmother aged 92 has learned to read and write after going to school for the first time and inspiring others to join her, media and officials said on Wednesday.</p>n<p>Salima Khan, born in around 1931 and who was married at the age of 14 — two years before the end of British colonial rule in India — had a lifelong dream of being able to read and write.</p>n<p>Khan, from Bulandshahr in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, said there were no schools in her village when she was a girl.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/timesofindia/status/1706953734151172149?s=20"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Six months ago, she began studying alongside pupils eight decades younger than her, and she is accompanied on her way to class by her grandson’s wife.nHer story emerged after a video of her counting from one to 100 went viral on social media.</p>n<p>“My grandchildren used to trick me into giving them extra money as I couldn’t count currency notes,” she was <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/meerut/khan-chachi-learns-to-read-at-92-inspires-a-village/articleshow/103970281">quoted as saying</a> by the <em>Times of India</em>.n“Those days are gone.” India’s literacy rate is around 73 per cent, according to the 2011 census.</p>n<p>“Her story reinforces the belief that the pursuit of knowledge is not limited by age,” local education officer Lakshmi Pandey told <em>AFP</em>.</p>n<p>Volunteers from a government education initiative had identified Khan as a potential student and encouraged her to go to school, Pandey said.</p>n<p>School headmistress Pratibha Sharma said teachers had been initially “hesitant” about embarking on teaching Khan but were won over by her “passion” for studying.</p>n<p>“We didn’t have the heart to refuse her,” Sharma told the <em>Times of India</em>.</p>n<p>Since she went to school, 25 women from her village have also started literacy classes, including two daughters-in-law, Sharma told the daily.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1706957010665877626?s=20"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Guinness World Records <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/oldest-person-to-begin-primary-school">lists</a> the late Kimani Ng’ang’a Maruge from Kenya as the oldest person to complete primary school, having enrolled in 2004 when he was 84.</p>n<p>A former Mau Mau guerilla fighter against British colonial forces, Maruge started school wanting to count money and read the Bible, and was later appointed “senior head boy”.</p>

Rupee upswing against dollar continues

<p>The rupee maintained its momentum against the dollar in the interbank market on Wednesday, increasing by Rs1.06 according to the State Bank of Pakistan.</p>n<p>The rupee has seen an upsurge in confidence as news of stringent administrative measures taken against black market dollar outflows to Afghanistan and Iran came to light.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1777784"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Trade for the dollar closed at Rs288.75 in the interbank, 0.36pc lower than yesterday’s close of Rs289.80.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/StateBank_Pak/status/1706992724828966953"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The rupee appreciated in the open market as well, rising by Rs1 against the greenback. The dollar was being traded at Rs290, according to the Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan.</p>n<p>Komal Mansoor, head of strategy at financial services platform Tresmark, credited the appreciation of the rupee to the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775848">unchanged interest rate</a> by the State Bank of Pakistan in the recent monetary meeting despite expectations of an increase in interest rate by 200 basis points.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed '>n <div class='media__item media__item–youtube '><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/zzTeefikXIM?enablejsapi=1&controls=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0' allowfullscreen='' frameborder='0' scrolling='no' width='100%' height='100%'></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>She said, “Significant correction in swaps, especially in the short tenors, has led to premiums declining from 18 per cent to near zero.”</p>n<p>This, she added, sent exporters into a flurry “to sell-forwards in response to an appreciating rupee.”</p>n<p>Furthermore, banks engaged in forward-selling transactions to realise their own goals, “however, the bulk of the decline in swaps came from banks engaging in buy-sell transactions to generate dollar liquidity to fulfil import demand”.</p>

India resumes internet ban in restive Manipur after protests

<p>India has reimposed an internet ban on the restive Manipur state after violent protests erupted following the circulation of photographs of two dead students killed during the months-long conflict, officials said.</p>n<p>More than 150 people have been killed in the remote northeast state since armed clashes <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1750880">broke out in May</a> between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the mainly Christian Kuki community.</p>n<p>The far-flung state has fractured on ethnic lines with rival militia groups setting up blockades.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1770980"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>A nearly five-month-long <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1751022">internet ban</a> was <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://m.timesofindia.com/india/manipur-internet-ban-to-be-lifted-from-today-says-cm-biren-singh/articleshow/103882336.cms">lifted</a> last week, but was reimposed late Tuesday after dozens were injured during violent protests in the state capital Imphal.</p>n<p>On Tuesday, police fired tear gas as hundreds of angry students marched following the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://twitter.com/ManipurTimes/status/1706362876469055764">release of photographs</a> of two dead bodies on social media, a 17-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man from the Meitei community, local media reported. The pair went missing in July.</p>n<p>The internet was then cut to curb the “spread of disinformation, false rumours, and other types of violent activities through social media platforms”, a government order read.</p>n<p>Biren Singh, the state’s chief minister, said on late Tuesday that officers were investigating the deaths.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1765987"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been criticised for his administration’s failure to end the violence in the state, which is governed by his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).</p>n<p>Human Rights Watch has accused the Manipur authorities of facilitating the conflict with “divisive policies that promote Hindu majoritarianism”.</p>n<p>Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of the opposition Congress party, on Wednesday accused the ruling party of turning Manipur “into a battlefield”, in a post on X.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/kharge/status/1706877810625671434"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>

Avastin use banned for indefinite period

<p>LAHORE: The Punjab government has slapped a ban on the use of Avastin injection for eye patients for an indefinite period across the province, besides launching a portal to collect data of the patients affected by the drug and provide them treatment facilities.</p>n<p>The data collection through the portal launched by the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department will help the government prepare a policy regarding the use of the injection.</p>n<p>Provincial health ministers Dr Jamal Nasir and Dr Javed Akram said this while addressing a joint press conference here on Tuesday.</p>n<p>They said the ban was imposed as a high-level inquiry was underway to find out the prime factors <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777732">leading to vision loss</a> among patients administered the injection in Punjab.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>68 affected patients have surfaced in Punjab so far</p>n</blockquote>n<p>They asked the affected patients to provide necessary information on the portal to get treatment and help the government in assessing the true impact of the drug’s reaction.</p>n<p>They said that so far 68 patients affected by this injection have been reported in the province, for whom special beds have been allocated in the Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi, Mayo Hospital, Lahore and Nishtar Hospital, Multan.</p>n<p>The ministers said a new 10-member committee has also been constituted by Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi to analyse the situation caused by Avastin injection’s reaction.</p>n<p>The committee will point out deficiencies and weaknesses at various levels in handling and use of the injection and prepare a comprehensive action plan to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future.</p>n<p>Primary Healthcare Minister Dr Jamal Nasir said this injection, available in the market in 100mg pack, was primarily meant for the treatment of colon cancer and its use for the treatment of eyes in diabetic patients falls under the category of “off-label” use, adding that the injection was neither fake nor locally manufactured.</p>n<p>“The diabetes patients require only 1.2mg dose and some people sell this injection in small syringes for this purpose,” Dr Nasir said.</p>n<p>He said the injection should be kept at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius temperature and administered to the patient within six hours of opening the pack. However, he said, apparently due to increase in temperature its chemical composition changed and this might have happened because of not maintaining the required temperature during its transportation.</p>n<p>Dr Nasir said that efforts were under way to arrest those who sold this injection in small syringes illegally, adding that the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) has also been directed to trace the doctors and hospitals involved in this issue.</p>n<p>The minister said that 11 drug inspectors in eight cities of Punjab have been suspended from service and an inquiry has been ordered against them for failing to check the illegal sale of the injection in small doses.</p>n<p>Punjab Specialized Healthcare Department Minister Dr Javed Akram said new members have been added to the committee constituted by the chief minister, including Professor of Microbiology Dr Sidra, Professor of Ophthalmology Dr Moin and Professor of Forensic Medicine Dr Allah Rakha.</p>n<p>He said the committee would also inspect the premises where the injection was being packaged in small syringes and determine whether those places were suitable for the process or not.</p>n<p>Apart from this, he said, the record of temperature maintained during shipment, off-loading and transportation etc of the “contaminated” lot of the injection would also be sought from Switzerland-based company.</p>n<p>Dr Akram apprehended that it seemed good clinical practices had not been taken into account while using this injection for eye treatment. He said it was mandatory to seek consent of the patient in local language before administering the injection, adding that those responsible for this episode would be held accountable without any leniency.</p>n<p>PHC: The Board of Commissioners of the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) has directed the senior management of the commission to be prepared for special inspections of the hospitals where eye infection cases were reported due to the administration of Avastin injection to the patients.</p>n<p>The directions were issued in an emergent meeting of the PHC Board of Commissioners (BoC) headed by chairperson retired Justice Muhammad Bilal Khan.</p>n<p>A representative of the PHC, who had attended the meeting of the recently formed committee by the government also attended the BoC meeting.</p>n<p>He briefed the BoC regarding the proceedings of the meeting convened by both interim health ministers – Prof Javed Akram and Dr Jamal Nasir.</p>n<p>The BoC was informed that the issues related to import, compounding and dispensing of the dosage for eye patients will be investigated by the committee, while the PHC was asked to investigate the practices in the hospitals where the injection was administered.</p>n<p>After deliberations, the BoC directed the PHC senior management to make preparations for any action, especially, the inspections of the hospitals where the infections have been reported.</p>n<p>The BoC also ordered inspections of these healthcare establishments to ensure implementation of the minimum service delivery standards, especially pertaining to infection protection and control, medication management, qualifications of the medics, and sterilisation of operation theatres.</p>n<p>The BoC also ordered issuance of an advisory for the affected patients to initiate complaint about these incidents. For this, they can also WhatsApp their complaints at 0306 0843500, for initiation of investigation by the PHC.</p>n<p>In a related development, the Lahore police arrested a suspect, Bilal, from Arifwala, in connection with Avastin injection scam.</p>n<p>The police said a case had been registered against the suspect by Faisal Town police.</p>n<p>A special police team investigating the case traced the location of the suspect at Arifwala and arrested him in a raid on a premises, with the help of local police, sources said.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Former world sprint champion Schippers announces retirement

<p>AMSTERDAM: Two-time world champion sprinter Dafne Schippers, known as the “Flying Dutchwoman”, announced her retirement on Tuesday, telling her social media followers “the race stops here”.</p>n<p>The 31-year-old from the Netherlands won gold in the 200m at the 2015 World Championship in Beijing and again in London two years later. She was also the silver medallist in the 200m at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro as she was pipped at the line by Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah.</p>n<p>“The race stops here. As an athlete, you always know this day will come, that at one point, your career will be a moment in time,” Schippers wrote on Instagram.</p>n<p>“Today, I have decided to take my life off track to pursue and embrace whatever comes next, but not without saying a massive thank you for all the endless support. It has been a journey without regret.”</p>n<p>Schippers was never able to keep up her place among the top sprinters after being plagued by injuries. Persistent back problems bothered her in recent years and because of her injuries, she has not competed for a year.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Pan helps China light up pool after first eSports medals

<p>HANGZHOU: Teen sensation Pan Zhanle swam a freestyle leg at world record pace to drive China to the men’s 4×100 metres medley relay gold at the Asian Games on Tuesday after the hosts claimed the first title at eSports’ official debut in the multi-sport event. </p>nn<p>Two nights after becoming the first Asian swimmer to break the 47 seconds barrier in the 100 metres freestyle, 19-year-old Pan clocked an incredible 46.65 as China threatened the United States’ world record. </p>nn<p>Pan’s time was 0.21 seconds faster than the 100m world record held by another 19-year-old wunderkind, Romanian David Popovici. </p>nn<p>With world champion Qin Haiyang swimming the breaststroke leg in 57.63 seconds — faster than the Asian record — China won in three minutes 27.01 seconds, just outside the US world record of 3:26.78 from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. </p>nn<p>“We thought we would have to wait until next year to come close to the world record, so tonight we put in a really good performance,” said Qin, who owns the 50, 100 and 200 breaststroke world titles. “There must be a higher goal. Our goal has always been to win the gold medal at the Paris Olympics next year.” </p>nn<p>China have ruled the Hangzhou pool — and the Games in general. Olympic bronze medallist Li Bingjie won the women’s 400m freestyle to add to the medal haul. </p>nn<p>However, Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey has been a bulwark of resistance to China’s dominance. </p>nn<p>The former British colony’s first Olympic swimming medallist stormed to victory in the blue riband 100m freestyle with an Asian record swim of 52.17 seconds, a day after taking the 200 title. </p>nn<p>“I haven’t swum a [personal] best time since Tokyo,” said 25-year-old Haughey, who took the 100 and 200 silvers at the Olympics. “It just proves that I’m not at my peak yet.” </p>nn<p>China took four of the six golds on the night. The other went to Tomoru Honda, who stunned exhausted Japanese team-mate Daiya Seto in the 400m medley. </p>nn<p><strong>CHINESE GAMERS RULE</strong></p>nn<p>Gaming is making its debut as a medal event in Hangzhou in what is seen as a major step towards Olympic status one day. </p>nn<p>Audiences of overwhelmingly young spectators have packed out the 4,500-capacity Hangzhou Esports Center in the hope of catching one of their heroes, especially South Korea’s Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok. </p>nn<p>He will lead the Koreans in League of Legends — and controversially earn an exemption from military service if they win gold. </p>nn<p>Medals are up for grabs in seven gaming titles, with China grabbing the first gold when they defeated Malaysia in the final of smartphone game Arena of Valor. Malaysia take home silver and Thailand bronze </p>nn<p>“The audience who loves eSports and the veterans in the eSports industry have been looking forward to this for a long time,” China’s captain Luo Siyuan said after his team’s historic victory. “I believe that eSports will develop more and more in the future.” </p>nn<p>Underlining just how popular eSports is at the Games, it is the only competition in Hangzhou where tickets were allocated through an initial online lottery. </p>nn<p>China’s place in the Games record books helped the home nation stretch their lead atop the medals table with golds in their usual strengths of gymnastics, table tennis and shooting to increase their overall tally to 53 at the end of three days of action. </p>nn<p>They are way ahead of South Korea (14 golds), Japan (eight) and Uzbekistan and Hong Kong (both five). </p>nn<p><strong>SECOND GOLD</strong></p>nn<p>China’s all-powerful table tennis squad swept past rivals Japan 3-0 in the women’s team final. They also claimed men’s team gold over South Korea by the same scoreline. </p>nn<p>In artistic gymnastics, home favourite and twice world champion Zhang Boheng grabbed his second gold, adding the all-around individual title to his men’s team triumph on Sunday. </p>nn<p>Unbeaten in every rotation, Zhang stuck the landing in the horizontal bar to finish with a total score of 89.299, over two points clear of Japan’s runner-up Takeru Kitazono. </p>nn<p>But China were dethroned by Japan in the men’s team sprint at the Chun’an Jieshou Sports Centre Velodrome on the first day of action on the cycling track. </p>nn<p>Japanese rider Yoshitaku Naga­sako said his team thrived on the partisan crowd. “When I heard ‘China’ I just thought ‘Japan’. So the crowd was amazing,” he said. “I’m really proud to win this one.” </p>nn<p>China’s women made no mistake in their team sprint final, beating South Korea to the title. </p>nn<p>In other action, Hong Kong retained their men’s rugby sevens title when they beat South Korea 14-7 in the final, as hosts China won the women’s gold. </p>nn<p><strong>ROYAL TOUCH</strong> </p>nn<p>The Games had a royal touch when Thailand’s Princess Sirivannavari Mahidol rode in on a horse named ‘Es Fangar’s Samba King’ in the dressage team event. </p>nn<p>With Thailand finishing fifth — behind gold-winning India — the 36-year-old daughter of King Vajiralongkorn was unable to add a medal to the crown jewels </p>nn<p>“Luckily our father is supporting us,” said the princess, who pla­yed badminton at the 2006 Asian Games and competed in equestrian at the 2014 edition. “He knows that what drives my heart is horses and badminton.”</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

First 5G Innovation Hackathon launched

<p>ISLAMABAD: Jazz, Pakistan’s largest digital operator, launched Pakistan’s first 5G Innovation Hackathon on Tuesday in collaboration with the National University of Sciences and Technology (Nust), NITB, and Code for Pakistan (CfP).</p>n<p>The groundbreaking initiative aims to harness the immense potential of 5G technology and other cutting-edge innovations to address critical challenges in Pakistan’s key sectors, including health, education, financial services, disaster management and climate change, agri-tech and industry.</p>n<p>The 5G Innovation Hackathon underscores the critical importance of fostering innovation and talent in the realm of 5G technology.</p>n<p>By bringing together bright minds, developers, and entrepreneurs, the hackathon serves as a breeding ground for groundbreaking ideas and solutions that will shape the future of telecommunications in Pakistan.</p>n<p>The event not only empowers local talent but also ensures that Pakistan remains at the forefront of the digital revolution, paving the way for a more connected and innovative future.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/CodeforPakistan/status/1706591635487002984"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Chief Regulatory Affairs Officer, Jazz, Syed Fakhar Ahmed said: “Today, solutions to the longstanding challenges that face developing countries like Pakistan lie in technology.”</p>n<p>He said the country’s first 5G hackathon will help create viable solutions to key challenges while putting Pakistan on the global map of 5G innovation.</p>n<p>NITB CEOBaber Majid Bhatti said: “NITB sees the 5G Innovation Hackathon as a catalyst for Pakistan’s e-governance evolution. This event unites technology and governance, paving the way for tailored solutions that will enhance citizen services. By harnessing 5G’s potential, we’re nurturing a digitally connected Pakistan, building capacity, and fostering innovation. Together, we’re redefining e-governance for a brighter future.”</p>n<p>The National Information Technology Board (NITB) is a consulting team of coordinated designers, developers, engineers, research writers, and management experts who bring design-led innovations and solutions to help government departments thrive.</p>n<p>The NITB develops and delivers sophisticated IT services, technologies, and apps for public departments.</p>n<p>Dr Hammad Cheema, Principal and Dean, SINES, Nust, said the event brought together the brightest minds in innovation and technology to ignite creative sparks that would shape the future.</p>n<p>He lauded Jazz, NITB and CfP for collaborating on this initiative as the country prepares to embark on breakthrough 5G-powered solutions that could reshape lives and livelihoods.</p>n<p>Code for Pakistan’s Chief Executive Officer Shaji Ahmed expressed excitement about the upcoming event, saying, “The 5G Innovation Hackathon represents a significant step towards harnessing technology for the betterment of society. By partnering with Jazz and Nust, we aim to create a platform where innovation can thrive and where solutions to pressing challenges in Pakistan can emerge. We believe this hackathon will serve as a catalyst for innovation, where diverse minds converge to address Pakistan’s most pressing challenges.”</p>n<p>The 5G Innovation Hackathon invites talented individuals, researchers, students, and professionals from various backgrounds to collaborate, innovate, and address critical challenges specific to Pakistan’s context.</p>n<p>He added that the project will leverage the power of technology to create real impact and drive positive change.</p>n<p>Code for Pakistan is a civic tech nonprofit leveraging technology and innovation to create accessible and citizen-centred governance solutions that serve all Pakistanis.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Pakistan down India in Asiad volleyball but fall to arch-rivals in squash, tennis

<p>HANGZHOU: Murad Khan starred as Pakistan crushed India in their Asian Games volleyball fifth-place match on Tuesday but that was the only discipline where they got joy against their arch-rivals.</p>n<p>India had the upper hand against Pakistan in squash and tennis on the third day of action at the Games when the national hockey team extended their winning start in the hockey competition.</p>n<p>Murad scored a game-high 20 points at the China Textile City Sports Centre Gymnasium as Pakistan secured fifth place with a 3-0 romp past India.</p>n<p>In an utterly dominant performance, the Indians were routed 25-21, 25-20, 25-23 in an hour and 14 minutes.</p>n<p>The tables were quicky turned on the tennis courts where India’s Yuki Bhambri and Ankita Raina delivered a double-bagel thrashing to Aqeel Khan and Sarah Ibrahim in their second-round mixed doubles match.</p>n<p>Pakistan’s other team in the same event, comprising Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Ushna Sohail fared better but lost 4-6, 1-6 to Thais Pruchya Isaro and Peangtarn Plipuech.</p>n<p>Pakistan’s journey in the men’s and women’s doubles competitions also ended in round two.</p>n<p>Aqeel and Aisam lost 6-7 (3/7), 4-6 to Taiwan’s Jason Jung and Yu-Hsiou Hsu while Sarah suffered a second double-bagel hammering on the day when she and Ushna fell 0-6, 0-6 to Indonesia’s Jessy Priskila Rompies and Beatrice Gumulya,</p>n<p>There were contrasting fortunes for Pakistan’s men and women squash teams. While the men won both their matches, their female counterparts lost both their Pool ‘B’ ties, opening with a 3-0 defeat against India.</p>n<p>Sadia Gul was beaten by Anahat Singh 6-11, 6-11, 3-11, Noor-ul-Huda Sadiq lost to Joshana Chinappa 2-11, 5-11, 7-11 while Noor-ul-Ain Sadiq fell to a 3-11, 6-11, 2-11 loss to Tanvi Khanna.</p>n<p>The women suffered another 3-0 loss against Malaysia in their second game later in the day.</p>n<p>Noor Zaman clinched the decisive point for Pakistan in their opening Pool ‘A’ tie against Qatar, securing a 2-1 win for the side when he overcame Syed Amjad 12-10, 11-7, 11-9.</p>n<p>Nasir Iqbal had given Pakistan the lead when he dispatched Salem Almaki 11-5, 11-5, 11-6 but Qatar had levelled the tie through Abdulla Altamimi, who beat Mohammad Asim 11-4, 11-5, 9-11, 11-6.</p>n<p>The trio then cruised to a 3-0 win over Nepal in their second match.</p>n<p><strong>WINNING START</strong></p>n<p>Having opened with a thumping 11-0 win over Singapore, Pakistan’s hockey team notched their second straight victory in Pool ‘A’ when they overwhelmed Bangladesh 5-2 at the Gongshu Canal Sports Park Stadium.</p>n<p>Having fallen behind after Bangladesh converted a penalty corner in the 19th minute, Pakistan levelled the contest at the whistle of the second quarter when Afraz netted a field goal.</p>n<p>Two goals in three minutes put Pakistan on top as Shahzeb Khan scored with a field goal in the 40th with Mohammad Imad getting on the scoresheet soon after.</p>n<p>Milon Hussain pulled one back for Bangladesh in the 46th only for Sufyan Khan to restore Pakistan’s two-goal advantage with a drag-flick two minutes later. Arbaaz Ahmed added more gloss to the scoreline with another penalty corner conversion with three minutes to play.</p>n<p>Over at the Hangzhou Gymnasium, Pakistan boxer Mohammad Qasim advanced to the last 16 of the men’s 51-57kg competition with a 5-0 points win against Nawwaf Alzahmi of the United Arab Emirates.</p>n<p>There was no such luck for fencer Mujaded Awan who lost all his five pool matches of the men’s individual epee at the Dianzi University Gymnasium.</p>n<p>Pakistan’s shooters fared better with Kishmala Talat in 12th place after the precision round of the women’s 25m pistol competition with a score of 289. The top eight will qualify for the final after Wednesday’s rapid round.</p>n<p>In the men’s skeet competition, Usman Chand was pla­ced 10th after the first stage with a score of 72. The top six after Wednesday’s second stage will make the final.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

NZ skipper Williamson targets World Cup return

<p>WELLINGTON: Less than six months after knee surgery threatened to rule him out of next month’s ODI World Cup, the goal of captaining New Zealand in India has been the key driver in getting Kane Williamson through his recovery.</p>nn<p>The 33-year-old tore the cruciate ligament in his right knee playing for Indian Premier League side Gujarat Titans in April, which looked to have scuppered his chances of making the showpiece tournament.</p>nn<p>However, intense rehab work has meant a speedy recovery.</p>nn<p>Williamson hopes to be ready for the Black Caps opening game against defending champions England on October 5, a repeat of the 2019 final his side narrowly lost. </p>nn<p>“It would be great. Naturally, you want to be back playing when you are fit and ready, sooner rather than later,” he said. “You hope that ends up being around that World Cup time, but I’m still being very focused on the rehab day-to-day and not wanting those targets to stretch it to a point where you take a backward step.” </p>nn<p>Williamson is already batting in the nets again, which the injured knee can handle. </p>nn<p>“For running, it’s not quite 100 percent, but making good progress,” he added.</p>nn<p>Black Caps coach Gary Stead said there was no fixed date for when Williamson will play again.</p>nn<p>But his return will be a big boost. He was player of the 2019 tournament with centuries against South Africa and the West Indies in leading New Zealand to the cusp of lifting the trophy. </p>nn<p><strong>‘LITTLE STEPS FORWARD’</strong></p>nn<p>Williamson, who has chalked up over 6,500 runs in ODI cricket, is desperate to appear in a fourth World Cup, admitting the prospect “keeps you in the gym every day and working hard”. </p>nn<p>“It’s been really pleasing to see the progress and keep taking those little steps forward,” he added.</p>nn<p>While New Zealand have warmed-up for the World Cup with tours of England and Bangladesh, Williamson’s injury has limited his preparations.</p>nn<p>But he is not overly concerned. </p>nn<p>“Naturally, it isn’t ideal, but I didn’t get too much of a say in it. It’s the only option I have in front of me and the prospect of playing another World Cup is really, really exciting,” he said. </p>nn<p>“It’s something you always want to be a part of but I didn’t want that to dictate my rehab. At the same time, having a carrot at the back of your mind is helpful.” </p>nn<p>Despite a burning desire to play, the New Zealand skipper said he would have no problem withdrawing from the squad if the injury flared up. </p>nn<p>“I only want to be there if I can add some value and I’m fit and ready to go,” he said, Williamson already knows about spending time on the sidelines after returning last year from a lengthy spell out with an elbow injury. </p>nn<p>“Working through injuries are part of the job, so being ready for whatever’s next is the goal,” he said.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Algeria withdraws from race to host Cup of Nations tournament

<p>ALGIERS: Algeria has pulled out of the running to stage the Africa Cup of Nations in either 2025 or 2027, the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) said on Tuesday, a day before the announcement of the host nation for each of the two tournaments.</p>nn<p>The FAF said in a statement that it had “sent a letter to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) informing it of its decision to withdraw its bids to host the Africa Cup of Nations” in 2025 and 2027.</p>nn<p>Algeria was due to come up against its North African neighbour Morocco as well as Zambia and a joint Nigeria-Benin bid for the hosting of the 2025 tournament.</p>nn<p>It had also entered the 2027 contest, up against Botswana, Egypt, Senegal and a combined Kenya-Tanzania-Uganda challenge.</p>nn<p>“This withdrawal can be explained by a new approach from the FAF related to its strategy for developing football in Algeria,” the federation added.</p>nn<p>The announcement came on the same day as a new president, Walid Sadi, took over the running of the FAF.</p>nn<p>It was understood that Algeria, like its political rival Morocco, would have preferred to host the 2025 AFCON.</p>nn<p>Earlier this year, leading Moroccan and CAF official Fouzi Lekjaa caused a stir when he told local politicians that the kingdom would be chosen for 2025.</p>nn<p>Algeria had successfully staged the African Nations Championship, for which only domestically-based players are eligible, at the beginning of this year.</p>nn<p>CAF’s executive committee will meet in Cairo on Wednesday when it will announce the hosts of the two editions of the Cup of Nations in question.</p>nn<p>Earlier, CAF president and South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe has hailed the organisational abilities of both countries, who have each staged the Cup of Nations once with Morocco doing so in 1988 and Algeria two years later.</p>nn<p>“Morocco has often flawlessly hosted major competitions while the CHAN in Algeria this year was the best ever,” he said.</p>nn<p>During the CHAN, Motsepe said he wanted each region to host the Cup of Nations: “We cannot assign the organisation of the CAN successively to the same region.”</p>nn<p>However, several months later, CAF secretary general Veron Mosengo-Omba said regional rotation may not always be possible.</p>nn<p>“Today, only five or six countries out of the 54 CAF members are able to apply to host the African Cup. Consequently, it will not be possible to make this alternation,” he said.</p>nn<p>The next AFCON will be held in the Ivory Coast in January and February 2024, after it was postponed from June and July this year in order to avoid the West African rainy season.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Afghan economy&amp;rsquo;s revival to benefit Pakistan, says envoy to UN

<p>UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan told the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday that the massive smuggling of dollars to Afghanistan has had a devastating impact on its economy and currency, calling upon the world body to help revive the Afghan economy and the banking system.</p>nn<p>At the special UNSC session, UN Special Representative for Afghanistan Roza Otunbayeva urged the international community to hold talks with the country’s de facto rulers because “dialogue is not recognition” attitude was needed to resolve various issues. </p>nn<p>But the representative of the former Afghan government opposed the UN suggestion and instead urged the council to “sustain pressure on Taliban” to make them end “the apartheid” they have imposed on women and girls. </p>nn<p>“The massive smuggling of dollars from Pakistan to Afghanistan has had a devastating impact on Pakistan’s economy and currency,” UN envoy Munir Akram told the council. </p>nn<p>The ambassador pointed out that the rupee “stabilised” and regained some of its strength after Pakistan launched a crackdown on money smuggling. </p>nn<p>Underlining the impact of a weak Afghan economy on Pakistan, Ambassador Akram urged the world body to help revive the banking system in Afghanistan, release and return the country’s assets held abroad and provide financial support for development projects. </p>nn<p>“We look forward to early implementation of the shovel-ready regional connectivity projects between Pakistan-Afghanistan-Central Asia as well as Pakistan-China and Afghanistan,” he said. </p>nn<p><strong>TTP threat</strong></p>nn<p>The ambassador argued that for Pakistan, the “immediate and major threat” was posed by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as it was behind a series of cross-border terrorist attacks.</p>nn<p>“We have been assured that action has been taken against TTP elements involved (in recent attacks) and further steps will be taken to prevent TTP terrorism against Pakistan,” Munir Akram said. “Pakistan will welcome these steps once credibly implemented.”  </p>nn<p>Ambassador Akram argued that unless the TTP, and other terrorist groups, were neutralised, they would continue to pose a threat to Afghanistan’s neighbours and the international community. </p>nn<p>Otunbayeva, the UN Special Representative, told the Security Council that the international community must continue to engage with Taliban in Afghanistan despite “deep disagreement” with their approach to women’s rights and inclusive governance. </p>nn<p>She cited a UN report based on more than 500 interviews with Afghan women, 46 per cent of whom said the Taliban should not be recognised under any circumstances. </p>nn<p>“The question, however, is whether to continue engaging with the de facto authorities despite these policies, or to cease engaging because of them,” she said. </p>nn<p>“Dialogue is not recognition. Engagement is not acceptance of these policies. On the contrary, dialogue and engagement are how we are attempting to change these.” </p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

&amp;lsquo;Amazon running illegal online retail monopoly&amp;rsquo;

<p>WASHINGTON: A top US antitrust regulator sued Amazon on Tuesday, accusing the online retail behemoth of running an illegal monopoly by strong-arming sellers and stifling potential rivals.</p>nn<p>The highly anticipated lawsuit is another test for the Biden administration as it tries to curb the power of big tech in the face of pushback from US courtrooms.</p>nn<p>“Our complaint lays out how Amazon has used a set of punitive and coercive tactics to unlawfully maintain its monopolies,” said Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan.</p>nn<p>The FTC, which was joined by 17 US states in the case, said Amazon broke antitrust laws in two ways, both involving its “marketplace” which links outside sellers to buyers through its platforms.</p>nn<p>In the first instance, the case alleges Amazon punishes companies using its platform that sell items elsewhere at lower prices by downranking their products on the site.</p>nn<p>It also coerces sellers into signing on to Amazon’s “costly” logistics service to be exposed to Prime customers who are the site’s biggest and most catered-to users, the FTC said.</p>nn<p>“Amazon is a monopolist that uses its power to hike prices on American shoppers and charge sky-high fees on hundreds of thousands of online sellers,” said John Newman, Deputy Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition.</p>nn<p>“Seldom in the history of US antitrust law has one case had the potential to do so much good for so many people,” he added.</p>nn<p>Amazon said it firmly rejected the premise of the case.</p>nn<p>“Today’s suit makes clear the FTC’s focus has radically departed from its mission of protecting consumers and competition,” said David Zapolsky, Amazon’s Senior Vice President of Global Public Policy.</p>nn<p>“The lawsuit filed by the FTC today is wrong on the facts and the law, and we look forward to making that case in court,” he added.</p>nn<p>Small business groups backing the case, hailed the lawsuit.</p>nn<p><strong>‘Utterly dominated’</strong> </p>nn<p>“E-commerce should be a dynamic sector with numerous marketplaces vying to attract both sellers and shoppers. Instead, it’s utterly dominated by a single firm,” said Stacy Mitchell, Co-Executive Director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.</p>nn<p>The FTC has had Amazon in its sights for a few years.</p>nn<p>Last June, the FTC filed a complaint against Amazon for “entrapping consumers” with its Prime subscription, which renews automatically and is complicated to cancel.</p>nn<p>The FTC has also attacked the group over its respect for data confidentiality, and last May Amazon agreed to pay more than $30 million over allegations of snooping on its security camera Ring.</p>nn<p>The case is hugely symbolic for Khan, who made her name in academia for questioning whether antitrust laws were fit for purpose in the digital age in a paper titled “Amazon’s Antitrust Paradox”.</p>nn<p>Her celebrated paper was a retort to a seminal work by conservative scholar Robert Bork that said enforcers of fair competition should stand down unless a clear risk of higher prices and a threat to consumers could be proven.</p>nn<p>Written in the 1970s, that philosophy guided the government’s attitudes and influenced the judges to decide the biggest cases today.</p>nn<p>US President Joe Biden in 2021 picked Khan to lead the agency in charge of safeguarding the interest of consumers and preserving a level playing field for businesses.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

25 killed in Damascus clash between Syrian, Kurdish forces

<p>BEIRUT: Fighters loyal to the Syrian government clashed with Kurdish-led forces in a mainly Arab district of eastern Syria, leaving 25 people dead in two days, a war monitor said on Tuesday.</p>nn<p>The Kurdish-led Syrian Demo­cratic Forces (SDF), who are backed by Washington, said they had “driven out the regime gunmen who had infiltrated the Dheiban area” of Deir Ezzor province in the gun battles which erupted on Monday.</p>nn<p>Earlier this month, the same area saw 10 days of fighting between the SDF and armed Arab tribesmen in which 90 people were killed.</p>nn<p>Britain-based monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the latest clashes erupted when pro-government fighters crossed the Euphrates river, which separates pro-government forces in south-western Deir Ezzor from the SDF in the northeast.</p>nn<p>It said 21 of the dead were Damascus loyalists and three were SDF fighters. A woman was also killed. The SDF said the loyalist fighters had crossed the Euphrates “under cover of an indiscriminate bombardment” of its positions.</p>nn<p>The SDF riposted by bombarding the right bank of the river which is controlled by government troops with support from Iran-backed militias, the Observatory said.</p>nn<p>The clashes earlier this month erupted after the SDF’s arrest in late August of a local Arab military commander who had previously been an ally. The SDF said at the time that it had driven out the detained commander’s supporters among the area’s Arab tribes.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Draft tax treaty with Germany signed

<p>ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Germany on Tuesday signed the first draft of an agreement for the elimination of double taxation on income and the prevention of tax evasion between the two countries.</p>nn<p>The delegates of both countries met here for the first round from Sept 18-22 to reach broader parameters of the re-negotiations of the treaty.</p>nn<p>An official announcement said that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) initiated re-negotiations on the agreement and reached a mutual agreement on key articles of the draft agreement. </p>nn<p>The existing agreement for the avoidance of double taxation between Pakistan and Germany was signed in 1994 and requires revision to cater to changing tax rules and regulations as per international and domestic needs.</p>nn<p>The revised agreement once finalised will not only strengthen the existing safeguards against double taxation on the income of the residents of both countries without creating opportunities for non-taxation or reduced taxation through abusive arrangements.</p>nn<p>It will also promote economic cooperation, strengthen the existing bilateral economic relations and enhance investments in both countries while ensuring adequate certainty for taxation rules applicable to cross-border business transactions.</p>nn<p>Taxpayers of both countries will get relief from double taxation resulting in boosting the trading activities in both countries.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Trump &amp;lsquo;liable for fraud&amp;rsquo; for lying about net worth

<p>NEW YORK: Donald Trump and his family business were found liable for fraud on Tuesday by a New York judge in state Attorney General Letitia James’ civil lawsuit, accusing the former US president of illegally inflating his assets and net worth.</p>nn<p>The decision was issued by Justice Arthur Engoron of the New York state court in Manhattan.</p>nn<p>James sued Trump in Sept 2022, accusing him and the Trump Organisation of lying for a decade about asset values and his net worth to get better terms on bank loans and insurance.</p>nn<p>She has said Trump inflated his net worth by as much as $2.23 billion, and by one measure as much as $3.6 billion, on annual financial statements given to banks and insurers. The attorney general said the assets whose values were inflated included Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, his penthouse apartment in Manhattan’s Trump Tower, and various office buildings and golf courses.</p>nn<p>Lawyers for Trump and the other defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment.</p>nn<p>A Trump spokesperson also did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling.</p>nn<p>Engoron said James had established liability for false valuations of several properties, including Mar-a-Lago and the penthouse, and chided Trump for offering defenses in a deposition that were “wholly without basis in law or fact.”</p>nn<p>“He claims that if the values of the property have gone up in the years since the (financial statements) were submitted, then the numbers were not inflated at that time,” Engoron wrote.</p>nn<p>“He also seems to imply that the numbers cannot be inflated be-cause he could find a ‘buyer from Saudi Arabia’ to pay any price he suggests.”</p>nn<p>A trial is scheduled for Oct 2, and could last well into December. The ruling by Judge Engoron is being seen a setback for the former president ahead of the trial, due to begin on Monday.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Social protection through the lens of digitisation

<p>MANILA: If we have learnt one lesson from the Covid-19 pandemic, it is that the world must “find ways to preempt pestilence and natural disasters” as more are to be fought, Poverty Allevi­ation Secretary Yusuf Khan said on Tuesday.</p>n<p>He was speaking at a discussion held as part of Asia-Pacific Social Protection Week, organised by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).</p>n<p>But it is not just Covid-19; the world has had to face other challenges — the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the economic down-turn with rising fuel and food prices, earthquakes and climate-related disasters like hurricanes, floods, forest fires and droughts — that have reinforced vulnerabilities and weakened the resilience of the people.</p>n<p>It has plunged 162 million newly poor people to the pool of already poor, which in 2017 was already more than 200 million, most of them in South Asia.</p>n<p>But through all these, as pointed out by Fatima Yasmin, vice president for Sectors and Themes at the ADB, social protection has emerged as a vital instrument to prop up not just livelihoods but lives.</p>n<p>“Social protection also has immense potential to contribute to climate change action and to support achieving a just transition to more sustainable and green economies,” she told the audience.</p>n<p>But with so much chaos, it means finding newer and out-of-the-box ways of protecting not just the vulnerable and the marginalized but also a rapidly ageing population. By 2050 there will be 1.3 billion people or one in four person over the age of 60.</p>n<p>For Rex Gatchalan, social welfare and development secretary for the Philippines, digitisation is the key. Poverty can be humiliating, especially when one has to stand in line to wait for cash dole outs.</p>n<p>“We need to go online rather than in line,” he said, adding that his country wanted to ensure that all financial assistance programmes become digital and to do away with physical vouchers and cash.“</p>n<p>Digitisation has also helped Pakistan with its social protection programme — the Benzair Income Support Programme.</p>n<p>Talking to <em>Dawn</em>, Secretary Khan explained that in the past, the programme updated its national socio-economic registry by carrying out an expensive and periodic house-to-house census.</p>n<p>“This collected information remained static till [the exercise] was repeated, often after a lapse of many years. Now, instead of going house-to-house collecting information, the beneficiaries are requested to come to their nearest BISP office and get their details revalidated, every three years.”</p>n<p>Or, in case there is death or birth in the family, they can immediately report that and get their poverty score adjusted. If any disaster has struck in their district, they can report their changed socio-economic situation.</p>n<p>“This process has eliminated the need for an expensive, house-to-house carpet sweep of the entire country, and the data remains dynamic and responsive to changes being reported by the people themselves,” he said.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Israeli minister makes first public visit to S. Arabia

<figure class='media sm:w-11/12 w-full media–center media–uneven media–stretch'>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n n <figcaption class="media__caption ">Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas receives the credentials of Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Palestine Nayef bin Bandar al-Sudairi, on Tuesday.—AFP</figcaption>n </figure>n<p> </p>nn<p>JERUSALEM: Israel’s Tourism Minister Haim Katz arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for the first such high-level public visit to the country amid talks to secure bilateral ties.</p>nn<p>“Katz is the first Israeli minister to head an official delegation in Saudi Ara­bia,” his ministry said in a statement, adding he would attend a United Nat­i­ons World Tourism Organ­i­sation event in Riyadh.</p>nn<p>During the two-day visit he is due to hold meetings “with his counterparts”, Katz’s office said, without specifying which countries will be represented in such talks.</p>nn<p>The landmark visit comes as Saudi Arabia’s first ambassador to the Palestinians described a decades-old Arab land-for-peace offer as a pillar of any normalisation of ties with Israel, an apparent attempt to signal that Riyadh has not abandoned the Palestinian cause.</p>nn<blockquote>n <p>Riyadh sends envoy to occupied West Bank with assurance it has not abandoned Palestinian cause</p>n</blockquote>nn<p>Expectations of a landmark US-brokered Saudi-Israeli deal have grown over the last week, though the timing and terms remain murky.</p>nn<p>Nayef al Sudairi, who was appointed non-resident ambassador to the Palestinian territories last month, held talks with senior Palestinian officials, including President Mahmud Abbas.</p>nn<p>The diplomatic travels come as the United States presses its allies Israel and Saudi Arabia to normalise ties.</p>nn<p>Such a move would break Riyadh’s decades-long stance against recognising Israel before it resolves the conflict with the Palestinians.</p>nn<p>Among complicating factors are calls by Riyadh and Washington for the Palestinians to make diplomatic inroads as part of any deal — a prospect unpalatable to Israel’s har­dline coalition government.</p>nn<p>Saudi Arabia’s non-resident ambassador to the Palestinians _ a role it unveiled last month _ made a first visit to their seat of government in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, presenting credentials also designating him “consul-general in Jerusalem”.</p>nn<p>That title is touchy as Israel considers all of Jeru­salem its own capital and rejects the Palestinians’ claim on East Jerusalem as capital of their hoped-for future state.</p>nn<p>The ambassador, Nayef Al Sudairi, told reporters in Ramallah his visit “reaffirms that the Palestinian cause and Palestine and the people of Palestine are of high and important status and that in the coming days there will be a chance for a bigger cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the state of Palestine”.</p>nn<p>Referring to the prospect of normalisation with Israel, Al Sudairi said: “It is the normal thing among nations to have peace and stability.</p>nn<p>“The Arab initiative, which Saudi Arabia presented in 2002, is a fundamental pillar of any upcoming agreement.”</p>nn<p>That referred to a proposal aired by Riyadh, and later adopted by Arab states widely, under which Israel would get pan-Arab recognition only if it quit territories captured in the 1967 war, including lands where the Palestinians want their state.</p>nn<p>Israel has been keen to pursue more deals with Arab states without giving up land, having won normalisation from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and upgraded ties with Morocco and Sudan, in 2020 despite talks with the Palestinians having been frozen for years.</p>nn<p>Dismayed at being sidelined in the 2020 diplomacy, the Palestinians have taken a more active role in the Saudi talks.</p>nn<p>In a statement published by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, President Mahmud Abbas said Al Sudairi’s visit “will contribute to reinforcing the strong ties between the two countries and the two fraternal peoples”.</p>nn<p>Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told a radio network on Tuesday that any Saudi normalisation deal “will be one supported by the right wing” — a reference to religious-nationalist parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netan­yahu’s coalition that refuse to cede occupied West Bank land to Palesti­nians.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023</em></p>

Law clipping CJP&amp;#039;s powers curtails judicial independence unconstitutionally: SCBA

Top lawyers body says parliament by enacting law violated principle of access to justice as a fundamental right

September 26, 2023

PTI free to take part in polls, clarifies minister after PM Kakar&amp;rsquo;s &amp;lsquo;minus Imran Khan&amp;rsquo; remarks

Murtaza Solangi says though all parties are free to participate in elections, punishment for crimes remains legal

Pakistan to take up issue of Afghan nationals&amp;#039; involvement in extortion

CTD arrests two TTP militants involved in extorting politicians; says they have 10 extortion-related WhatsApp groups

IHC to hold open court hearing on Imran Khan&amp;#039;s bail plea in cipher case

Court instructs FIA prosecutors to submit a separate petition for in-camera proceedings in next hearing

Intelligence Bureau moves SC to withdraw Faizabad sit-in review plea

CJP Isa-led bench to hear petitions contesting SC judgment on Faizabad sit-in case

Poliovirus found in Karachi, Hangu sewage samples

Pakistan has reported two cases, 27 positive environmental samples so far

QR-coded suitcases to ensure pilgrims&amp;rsquo; safety

2024 Hajj policy envisages roaming-free calls via special mobile package

Farrukh appointed as PTI&amp;rsquo;s spokesperson

Party condemns re-arrests of party workers

NORI Cancer Hospital gets IAEA &amp;#039;Anchor Centre&amp;#039; status

PAEC Hospital NORI is designated as IAEA 'Anchor Centre' to enhance member state’s capabilities in cancer research

Petroleum crisis looms as prices soar globally

90% petroleum products imported, with only 10% production taking place domestically

Kanye West hides &amp;#039;marital issues&amp;#039; with new wife Bianca Censori via indecent PDA

Kanye West 'overcompensating' with his 'lewd behaviour' to hide marital issues with Bianca Censori

Fiscal consolidation of Rs3.2tr sought

For this, govt aims to increase taxes on key sectors, return govt funds

P2M option deployed on Raast

Person-to-merchant payments will reduce use of cash, document economy

Rupee breaches Rs290 mark against US dollar

Hits Rs289.80/$, marks fifteenth consecutive working day of gains

&amp;lsquo;CPEC&amp;rsquo;s Suki Kinari project progressing fast&amp;rsquo;

China Energy Group MD says 884MW project will be completed by mid-2024

Call for &amp;lsquo;export raw material authority&amp;rsquo;

Businessmen say govt could generate revenue via export taxes, royalties on raw materials

Cartoon: 26 September, 2023

Ogra cautions against &amp;lsquo;jumping the gun&amp;rsquo; on petroleum prices

<p>ISLAMABAD: In an unusual public rebuke, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) has advised against speculation on petroleum prices, which could “disrupt” the smooth supply chain.</p>n<p>In a public statement on Monday, the petroleum regulator emphasised “the importance of avoiding speculations regarding the prices of petroleum products”.</p>n<p>Even though the statement excluded any explicit reference, the caution was apparently in response to the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777467">statements</a> by two caretaker federal ministers, who had hinted at a reduction in prices in the next fortnightly review, due on Sept 30.</p>n<p>Their optimism was based on the improved value of the rupee, which has gone up by Rs16.24 against the dollar since hitting a record low of 307.1 in the inter-bank market on Sept 5.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Regulator’s ‘unusual’ warning comes on heels of optimistic statements by two members of caretaker cabinet</p>n</blockquote>n<p>On Monday, Ogra pointed out that the prices are determined on the basis of international market prices and the exchange rate.</p>n<p>While the exchange rate “has shown improvement”, there is still one week remaining before the announcement of new prices.</p>n<p>It also added that there has been a surge in international prices recently, implying that it could offset the anticipated relief.</p>n<p>“Therefore, any speculation about price increases or decreases during this period is highly speculative and could potentially disrupt the smooth functioning of the oil supply chain.”</p>n<p><strong>Price reduction ‘not guaranteed’</strong></p>n<p>An official involved in the pricing process said the international prices are going up while the exchange rate is slowly coming down, but there are also some outstanding adjustments that may need to be allowed to oil marketing companies (OMC).</p>n<p>“Price movement could go either way over the remaining five days.”</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed '>n <div class='media__item media__item–youtube '><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/x__n2f-WuN0?enablejsapi=1&controls=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0' allowfullscreen='' frameborder='0' scrolling='no' width='100%' height='100%'></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Similar views were expressed by the caretaker petroleum minister, Muhammad Ali, who said at a news conference that it was very premature to predict prices as the rupee had strengthened while international prices had appreciated.</p>n<p>In the past, the regulator routinely urged journalists not to speculate on petroleum prices even when it formally sent working papers to the government a day before the announcement of new prices.</p>n<p>However, this time, the federal cabinet ministers started the speculations a week after the government increased the prices by Rs26 per litre. The massive surge came on the back of cash flow constraints, dwindling foreign exchange and high financing costs.</p>n<p>Between August 15 and September 15, petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) prices have increased by Rs58.43 and Rs55.83 per litre, respectively.</p>n<p>Interestingly, the hints at price reductions were <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777467">made</a> by caretaker Commerce Minister Gohar Ejaz and caretaker Information Minister Murtaza Solangi, both of whom have no role in determining the prices.</p>n<p><strong>Regulator’s role</strong></p>n<p>While the regulator, Ogra, is independent under the law, its role in pricing is also very limited, so much so to the extent of being ‘an accountant’.</p>n<p>It merely calculates the landing cost — provided by Pakistan State Oil — of products along with the exchange rate, adds taxes and commissions for dealers and OMCs, and presents a working paper to the Ministry of Finance.</p>n<p>The ultimate decision is made by the Ministry of Finance after the prime minister’s nod.</p>n<p>At present, the general sales tax is zero on all petroleum products, but the government is charging Rs60 and Rs50 per litre petroleum development levy on petrol and HSD, respectively. The prices also include about Rs18 to Rs22 per litre customs duty.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023</em></p>

Imran still in Attock Jail despite orders to the contrary

<p><strong>• Legal team, jail officials at odds over ex-PM’s shifting to Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail<br />n• IHC reserves order on plea seeking in-camera proceedings of cipher case<br />n• Jail officials don’t allow PTI chief to be produced in court over ‘security concerns’</strong></p>n<p>TAXILA / ISLAMABAD: Des­pite <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777797/ihc-cj-orders-imran-be-shifted-to-adiala-jail">directions</a> from the Islamabad High Court, PTI Chairman Imran Khan was not shifted to Rawal­pindi’s Adiala Jail until late on Monday, mainly due to two reasons; security concerns and the absence of a written order.</p>n<p>However, one of his lawyers claimed that the former prime minister had indeed been transferred to the Adiala Jail, triggering confusion on social media platforms.</p>n<p>While hearing petitions seeking Mr Khan’s transfer to Rawalpindi, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq observed that under-trial prisoners (UTPs) of all the courts in the federal capital were kept at Adiala and issued directions to shift Mr Khan to that prison.</p>n<p>The direction followed arguments by Mr Khan’s counsel Sher Afzal Khan Marwat, who said the court had suspended Mr Khan’s sentence in the Toshakhana case and the ex-PM was facing a trial in the cipher case before a special court in Islamabad. As a UTP from the federal territory, Mr Khan must be kept in Adiala Jail, he argued.</p>n<p>Justice Farooq remarked that pursuant to suspension of the sentence, Mr Khan’s status had also changed.</p>n<p>Addressing AAG Barrister Mun­a­war Iqbal Duggal, he inquired about the status of other UTPs.</p>n<p>Mr Duggal replied that all UTPs of Islamabad’s courts are kept in the Adiala Jail. Justice Farooq ord­ered that Mr Khan shall be shifted to Adiala and further directed the jail administration to provide all facilities to which he is entitled.</p>n<p>Mr Khan, however, could not be shifted to Adiala Jail until going to print as Justice Farooq did not issue a written order due to other engagements at the Federal Judicial Academy.</p>n<p>Later, Mr Khan’s lawyers, quoting authorities, claimed the court’s directions had been implemented. Barrister Naeem Panjhota, a prominent member of Mr Khan’s legal team, claimed that Mr Khan had indeed been shifted to Adiala Jail.</p>n<p>However, the Attock Jail administration refuted the claim, saying Mr Khan had not been shifted due to security reasons, and they were still “hosting” him.</p>n<p>In his message on X, Mr Panjhota said he had been informed that Imran Khan had been shifted to Adiala Jail but “it is beyond understanding that Attock Jail [authorities] are also saying that they have PTI chairman”.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/NaeemPanjuthaa/status/1706292069155893315"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p><strong>Cipher case</strong></p>n<p>Meanwhile, IHC Chief Justice Farooq reserved verdict on an FIA application seeking in-camera proceedings of the cipher case.</p>n<p>The application came up when the chief justice was hearing a petition seeking post-arrest bail for Mr Khan in the case.</p>n<p>FIA prosecutors argued that since the cipher case had been registered under the Official Secrets Act, the hearing of petitions related to this case should be held in-camera.</p>n<p>However, Mr Khan’s counsel argued that a notification issued by the law ministry had cited security reasons for holding the ex-premier’s trial inside the jail.</p>n<p>He requested the court to grant post-arrest bail to Mr Khan.</p>n<p>According to the law ministry’s notification, the judge of Special Court (Official Secrets Act) had requested for conducting Mr Khan’s trial inside the prison due to security reasons.</p>n<p>The law ministry stated it had no objection on the trial being conducted inside the jail.</p>n<p><strong>Marriage case</strong></p>n<p>A court in Islamabad had also summoned Mr Khan in a case pertaining to his alleged ‘un-Islamic’ marriage to Bushra Bibi, but Attock Jail officials expressed their inability to produce him, citing security risks.</p>n<p>A contingent of Islamabad Police comprising 13 vehicles, including an APC, scores of policemen and elite force officials led by DSP Qasim Khan, arrived at Attock Jail in the morning, but jail authorities did not hand over custody of Mr Khan to them.</p>n<p>In the evening, a helicopter was seen hovering over the Attock Jail at low altitude, raising speculations that Mr Khan would be shifted to Adiala Jail by air, but the helicopter was not seen landing on jail premises.</p>n<p>Earlier, the superintendent of Attock Jail, in a letter addressed to senior civil judge Qudrat Ullah, had expressed apprehensions that potential security risks could arise during Mr Khan’s journey to Islamabad.</p>n<p>Mr Khan was shifted to Attock Jail on Aug 5, after being convicted in the Toshakhana case. His conviction also resulted in him being barred from contesting elections for five years. On Aug 29, the IHC suspended his prison sentence, but he remains in custody due to the cipher case.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023</em></p>

Situationer: Is Canada becoming &amp;lsquo;the new Pakistan&amp;rsquo; for India?

<p> <figure class='media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch media–uneven media–stretch'>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class='media__caption '>OTTAWA: Demonstrators gather in front of the High Commission of India, on Monday.—Reuters</figcaption>n </figure></p>n<p>THE <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776704/indian-envoy-expelled-as-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-deathhttps://">revelation</a> by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of ‘credible allegations’ that agents of the Indian government were behind the June 18 killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar has sent shockwaves all around the globe, with Canada being the epicentre.</p>n<p>The announcement dominated media headlines here all of last week, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776725">adding chill</a> to an already strained relationship between the two countries. While in India, for the G20 summit a few days earlier, Trudeau brought up the issue in his discussions with PM Modi, ‘directly and in no uncertain terms’.</p>n<p>The cold shoulder and the snub the Canadian PM received there is also attributed to the raising of the allegation during a bilateral ‘side meeting’.</p>n<p>It seems that in a bid to paint a macho and muscular image of himself, India’s Narendra Modi may have triggered some landmines.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>At home, Trudeau’s handling of spat with India is seen as ‘weaker’ than his response to allegations of Chinese interference in elections</p>n</blockquote>n<p>In the process, to borrow a phrase from Shekhar Gupta of <em>The Print</em>, Canada has been transformed in India, into the ‘new Pakistan’ or even a Pakistan Plus — responsible for everything from aiding terrorism and harbouring criminals to supporting organised crime. What a transformation!</p>n<p>But at home, it seems that Canadians stand united on the issue. Such a killing is ‘entirely unacceptable’, was the loud message from the House of Commons.</p>n<p>Immediately after the announcement by Trudeau, the leader of the opposition in the House, Pierre Poilievre of the Conservative Party, in a calibrated statement called on parliament to “put aside our differences, to stand up for the rule of law. If these allegations are true, these represent an outrageous affront to Canada’s sovereignty, he underlined.</p>n<p>Poilievre’s statement was significant. The previous Conservative go­­vernment in Canada under Prime Minister Stephen Harper had pursued strong bilateral relations with India. Under his leadership, ties between the two countries blossomed and Poilievre was twice a cabinet member in the Harper government.</p>n<p>But Trudeau’s speech in the House of Commons was not authoritative and the way he has played his cards has been questioned by some at home.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed '>n <div class='media__item media__item–youtube '><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/T_jgZ2rsdDU?enablejsapi=1&controls=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0' allowfullscreen='' frameborder='0' scrolling='no' width='100%' height='100%'></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>It seems the prime minister wasn’t prepared to put all of Canada’s cards on the table and his statement accusing India of involvement in the killing “was carefully crafted, to say just enough but not too much,” wrote <em>Toronto Star</em> columnist Andrew Phillips in an <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/hardeep-singh-nijjar-s-murder-now-a-balancing-act-for-justin-trudeau/article_606ee73c-9edf-57ab-b1b3-f51f05db1325.html">opinion piece</a>.</p>n<p>Judging from the breakneck pace at which events are unfolding, however, it seems more revelations could be in the pipeline.</p>n<p>“We have to assume the government knows an awful lot more than it has been prepared to reveal up to now, given how far it has gone in putting relations with India in jeopardy,” Mr Phillips stressed.</p>n<p>While striving to tread a very fine line on the issue, the vagueness of Trudeau’s revelations continues to be debated. Just a day after showing complete unity with the government in the House of Commons, opposition leader Poilievre urged the Trudeau government to “come clean” with more information about the (Nijjar) case.</p>n<p>The reaction of its close allies on this issue is also being closely watched here. The vagueness of the allegations is aiding allies, including the US, to take a comparatively softer line on the issue, as compared to the harsh stance they took on China when it was revealed that Beijing has attempted to influence the outcome of Canadian elections.</p>n<p>To counter the impression, in a press interaction before leaving the annual UN summit in New York on Thursday, PM Trudeau had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777275">stressed</a>: “I can assure you the decision to share these allegations on the floor of the House of Commons … was not done lightly.” Cabinet ministers also have been underlining that the situation is still evolving.</p>n<p>Some here feel the Canadian response to the issue of possible Chinese interference in Canadian politics was slow. Trudeau and his governing Liberals were raked over the coals by their political rivals for having intelligence that included suggestions MPs were being targeted, but doing nothing with that information.</p>n<p>The issue became a political firestorm, lasting several months and cooled down only a couple of weeks ago, when the government finally agreed to a public inquiry into foreign interference. Many here believe that on India, the government didn’t want to be seen through the same prism.</p>n<p>But not everyone was surprised by the explosive revelations, as the development had been on the radar for ‘some weeks now’. A couple of media outlets had been circling around these allegations — at least one of them — for several weeks through the summer.</p>n<p>The <em>Globe and Mail</em> had also caught wind of the allegations, says Susan Delacourt in her <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.thestar.com/politics/political-opinion/here-s-why-justin-trudeau-went-public-with-an-explosive-allegation-against-india/article_0eac7d09-3ca7-5924-9c12-f2ce8e54a7e8.html">opinion piece</a> in the <em>Toronto Star</em>. <em>Globe</em>‘s bureau chief Robert Fife later gave the government 24 hours’ notice of his intent to publish the India story. Some believe this may also have spurred the government into action.</p>n<p>The issue is delicate.</p>n<p>Repercussions of this evolving crisis would have reverberations for long. <em>Globe and Mail</em>, Canada’s only national newspaper, says there is also the need to keep the peace domestically.</p>n<p>There will be many Sikh Canadians who will be left shaken by Mr Nijjar’s killing; some will be enraged, and some of them may be tempted to engage in reprisals of some kind. The risk of ethnic and sectarian bloodshed in Canada is real, the newspaper said in one of its reports.</p>n<p>On Sunday, Chandra Arya, the lawmaker from Trudeau’s Liberal party, slammed his own government for inaction against Khalistan extremists. While talking to <em>CBC News</em>, he asserted that Hindu Canadians were fearful after reprisal threats issued to them.</p>n<p>There could be some economic consequences too. Already, trade talks with India have been suspended. As per some estimates, there are some 250,000 to 300,000 Indian students in Canada, among some of the largest avenues of funds for educational institutions in the country.</p>n<p>A lack of oversight on the issuance of visas to many of them has already been under the spotlight here for the last few months and the fresh episode with New Delhi may further impact the flow of Indian students to Canada.</p>n<p>Immigration is also an important source of labour here and Indian immigrants are the largest source of immigrant labour reaching Canada. All these could now be up for review.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023</em></p>

Party pressing Nawaz to revisit &amp;lsquo;accountability&amp;rsquo; narrative

<p><strong>• Insiders say Shehbaz, sons are trying to talk the elder Sharif down<br />n• Ex-PM says no changes to elder brother’s homecoming plan</strong></p>n<p>LAHORE: With his <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776664">aggressive stance</a>, demanding the accountability of former generals and judges, making some within the party uneasy ahead of his planned return to Pakistan on Oct 21, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif is giving his stated position “a second thought”, party insiders told <em>Dawn</em> on Monday.</p>n<p>“Although the elder Sharif had refused to accept the request made by his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif to shun the ‘anti-generals narrative’ during a huddle in London last week, it seems he has now agreed to review his stated position,” said a party insider privy to developments.</p>n<p>Another source said the party’s so-called ‘narrative committee’, which consists of senior leaders, had also asked the elder Sharif not to be a ‘prisoner of the past’.</p>n<p>“Mr Sharif has been asked to present himself in his speeches as the hope of the future and assume the role of the statesman,” the source said.</p>n<p>When contacted, senior PML-N leaders Rana Sanaullah, Marriyum Aurangzeb, and Attaullah Tarar did not confirm or deny the development.</p>n<p>The unease within party ranks over the seeming ‘war of narratives’ between the elder Sharif and his younger brother came to a head recently when former PM Shehbaz Sharif rushed back to London a mere 48 hours after returning to Pakistan from the UK.</p>n<p>It was widely believed that the reason for his swift return to the UK was to convince his elder brother to tone down his demands for the accountability of judges and generals, which were not finding favour with power corridors that had otherwise been quite friendly to the party during the previous government’s tenure.</p>n<p>The bone of contention was Nawaz Sharif’s recent outburst against former COAS Qamar Javed Bajwa, ex-spymaster Faiz Hamid, and former CJPs Asif Khosa and Saqib Nisar during an address to party ticket holders.</p>n<p>The elder Sharif has refused to budge from his demand, but his brother, sons, and party leaders have apparently been trying to convince him otherwise.</p>n<p>“Shehbaz… some other party leaders… and his sons are trying to persuade the elder Sharif to revisit his strong position on the accountability of former generals,” the source said.</p>n<p>The narrative committee has also asked the supremo to talk about the promotion of regional peace, constitutionalism and the rule of law, the constitution of a truth and reconciliation commission for national reconstruction, and economy. “This is the time for reforms, not slogans and confrontation,” insiders said.</p>n<p><strong>Homecoming plan ‘final’</strong></p>n<p>As the rumour mills continued to churn and anticipation built around the return of Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif told reporters on Monday that the programme for his return was final.</p>n<p>“The programme is final for October 21 and Mian Nawaz Sharif is returning to Pakistan,” the former PM said in a brief media interaction outside Stanhope House after meeting the elder Sharif.“I appeal to PML-N representatives to pause international travel till October 21 and prepare for a resounding welcome… There are many who wish to meet their ‘Quaid’ in London, but now they should plan to meet him in Pakistan.”</p>n<p>When asked what the party’s narrative would be ahead of elections, he reiterated what he said a few days earlier about the achievements of the government in Nawaz’s last term, saying the ex-PM had ended 20-hour loadshedding, facilitated billions in investment into CPEC, and boosted employment and exports. “In Nawaz Sharif’s term, inflation was low, GDP was higher than 6.5pc…he is returning to continue that journey for prosperity in the country.”</p>n<p>Monday marked yet another day of heightened activity at Stanhope House, the de-facto headquarters of the PML-N in London, where the party’s senior leadership met and deliberated on the logistics and preparations for Nawaz Sharif’s return.</p>n<p>Maryam Nawaz is set to leave London for Pakistan via Dubai on Monday evening, and has been tasked with supervising all the arrangements and preparations for Nawaz’s return. Shehbaz is also expected to leave London in the next few days to return to Pakistan ahead of his brother’s arrival.</p>n<p>Similarly, the PML-N issued directives for all its senators, former lawmakers and ticket-holders on Monday to make sure that they remain in the country and those abroad should return within three days to consume their energies only for mobilisation of the people for ‘historic homecoming’ of their self-exiled leader Nawaz Sharif.</p>n<p>“All party senators, former MNAs and MPAs and ticket-holders must remain in country and those abroad return within three days, and all those planning to go to London to meet Nawaz Sharif drop their programme and only focus on mobilisation of the people in their constituencies to accord historic welcome to him,” said the president’s directive.</p>n<p><em>Atika Rehman in London also contributed to this report</em></p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023</em></p>

Free and fair?

<p>IS it possible to hold ‘free and fair’ elections with a widely popular political leader facing disqualification by the courts? Should such an election be morally acceptable? And can a government formed through such an election ever make a legitimate claim on the public’s mandate?</p>n<p>In a country as full of internal contradictions as Pakistan, there are no easy answers to these questions.</p>n<p>Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar recently <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777637/fair-elections-can-take-place-without-imran-jailed-pti-leaders-pm-kakar">made a statement</a> suggesting that ‘free and fair’ elections are possible even if former prime minister Imran Khan and other PTI leaders are not allowed to participate.</p>n<p>He argued that all politicians who violate the law must pay for their transgressions. In technical terms, he is correct, and if Pakistan were a country where institutions abided by the law, no one would disagree, since the continuity of the democratic process can never be dependent on the legal status of a handful of its leaders.</p>n<p>However, we are clearly not such a country, and, therefore, the PM’s position needs greater debate.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1774736"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>In recent months, the state has applied overwhelming force against Mr Khan, his party, its loyalist leaders, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1755411">their supporters</a>, and even some supporters’ families.</p>n<p>From <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1773448">refusing to obey release orders</a>, to outright disappearing people; from <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1771196/human-rights-lawyer-imaan-mazari-ex-lawmaker-ali-wazir-arrested-islamabad-police">breaking into suspects’ homes</a>, to kidnapping their family members to forcing them to surrender — the authorities have ridden roughshod over fundamental rights and legal norms in their effort to cut the PTI to size.</p>n<p>Even the ECP has repeatedly violated the Constitution to deny the party the advantage of having public opinion on its side. This excessive action against the PTI has placed it at a considerable disadvantage compared to other parties.</p>n<p>It is therefore disingenuous, given this context, to suggest that the freeness and fairness of any eventual polling exercise should be considered without regard to all that has preceded it.</p>n<p>The lesson that the establishment should have learnt by now from the suppression of the PPP in the Zia era, and PML-N’s persecution in the Musharraf and Bajwa eras, is that thwarting the public will by artificial means only creates long-term instability in return for short-lived gains.</p>n<p>Banning parties, disqualifying key leaders, forcing politicians to switch allegiances, restricting candidates from campaigning, and queering the pitch in other ways just to secure an electoral outcome that is favourable to a handful of powerful individuals has caused demonstrable and lasting harm to Pakistan’s political structure.</p>n<p>One should, therefore, reasonably expect that removing Mr Khan from the political equation now will do as much good as removing Nawaz Sharif did for the country in 2017-18.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1777782"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Pakistan’s <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777782/editorial-the-economic-quandary-that-pakistan-finds-itself-facing-today-is-of-its-own-making">precarious present condition</a> should be warning enough against repeating these failed past experiments. If this cycle is not broken, we will be doomed to repeat it.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023</em></p>

Initial probe finds Avastin repackaging problems behind contamination

<p>LAHORE: The initial investigation has reportedly detected the chronic problems in repackaging (compounding) the Avastin drug and its supply and the maintenance of the cold chain that led to the outbreak of the disease in Punjab.</p>n<p>The official figures unveiled that the contaminated drug has <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777801/punjab-cm-says-seized-injection-that-affected-vision-being-examined-to-trace-culprits">severely affected</a> the vision of 68 patients in the province since the scam surfaced.</p>n<p>Of the total patients, 25 were reported in Lahore, 19 in Multan, five in Bahawalpur, four each in Kasur, Rahim Yar Khan, Sadiqabad and Khanewal while three patients were reported in Mian Channu, according to the official figures.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1777926"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>There are reports that more cases are surfacing across the province and the health authorities are assessing them to make them a part of the government data.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Swiss company says cancer drug wasn’t approved for diabetes-related eye conditions; govt sacks 12 officials over negligence</p>n</blockquote>n<p>According to senior doctors, including the eye specialists, the diabetic patients who were administered the drug may develop a life-threatening disease, endophthalmitis, an inflammation of the inner coats of the eye and the experts fear that the patients may face more severe impact in the coming days.</p>n<p>According to the initial inquiry, the injection was to be used within six hours of its repackaging, also called compounding.</p>n<p>Quoting the inquiry, an official says, the owners were repackaging (compounding) the drug/injections in a highly unsterilized environment at a laboratory situated in the basement of a private hospital in Model Town, Lahore. He says the health department teams have sent the samples of the suspected drug from the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Saira Memorial Hospital to the Drug Testing Laboratory and added that the staff assigned with the task was neither wearing gloves, nor kits designated for manufacturing of drugs. He further lamented that the drug was being compounded in the unsterilized environment of operating theatre.</p>n<p>The official reveals that the drug in question needs to be strictly kept at -2ºC to -8ºC while stocking and transporting it to the destinations with caution to be used within 24 hours.</p>n<p>The experts in their inquiry report, however, claimed that the drug was to be administered within six hours of its drawing from the vial. Unfortunately, the employees were transporting the drug on motorbikes in ice packs to maintain cold chain in Lahore and there were also reports that the same was being sent to the distant cities, including Multan, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Sadiqabad and Mian Channu, probably by passenger buses.</p>n<p>The official says 25 injections were sent to Multan alone and other cities of south Punjab where the cases of adverse reactions to the drug surfaced. The experts have suggested to the government to ban transportation of such drugs from one city to another if the duration of the distance is more than three hours. They have recommended that the affected patients should immediately be treated with intravitreal antibiotics with and without core vitrectomy accordingly.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, the Punjab health department has suspended from service 12 drug inspectors, deputy drugs controllers and drugs controllers over negligence related to manufacturing, distribution and sale of injection Avastin (bevacizumab) that has led to the vision loss of patients.</p>n<p>The action was initiated against them a day after Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi ordered the health authorities to initiate action against the drug inspectors and other officers concerned for not ensuring the manufacturing, supply and safe use of the drug.</p>n<p>According to a notification issued here on Monday, the officials placed under suspension included former drug inspector of Allama Iqbal Town Dr Danyal Elahi, present drug inspector of Allama Iqbal Town Sher Mohammad Zaman, former drug controller of Gulberg Town Rana Muhammad Shahid from Lahore, drug controller Jhang Atia Nawaz, drug controller Bahawalpur Ali Raza, deputy drug controller tehsil Bahawalpur Saddar Amjad Farooq, drug controller Rahim Yar Khan Ameer Shahid, deputy drug controller Sadiqabad Farrukh Saleem, drug controller Kasur Sanaullah, former drug controller Bahawalnagar Rao Sajid, drug controller Khanewal Rana Mohammad Akram and deputy drug controller Multan Mehmood Khan.</p>n<p>These officers have been directed to report to the primary and secondary healthcare department.</p>n<p><em>Reuters</em> adds: On its website, Swiss pharmaceutical company, Roche, said its Avastin was approved in more than 130 countries, including the United States, to treat several types of cancer.</p>n<p>“Roche strongly condemns this criminal act of counterfeiting and is doing everything in its power to cooperate with the authorities to protect patients from counterfeits,” said Roche in a statement to <em>Reuters</em>.</p>n<p>“In Pakistan, the vision loss from Avastin has been identified by the authorities as a case of contamination by a third-party supplier,” it added.</p>n<p>The regulator said, in its statement, that in the cases concerned Avastin had been used off-label, meaning outside its approved use, to treat diabetes-related eye conditions.</p>n<p>Cancer drug Avastin, when used at much lower doses, is similar to eye drug Lucentis and is used in many countries as a low-cost option to treat certain blindness-causing conditions.</p>n<p>Roche added: “Avastin is not approved for any use in the eye. Counterfeit medicines pose a health risk to patients because their content may be ineffective and contain harmful ingredients.”</p>n<p>Alam Sher, Punjab’s deputy drug controller who filed the police complaint against the distributors, told <em>Reuters</em> that some companies buy Avastin and repackage it in smaller doses to make it more affordable for patients.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023</em></p>

Haq Do Tehreek leader hints at &amp;lsquo;armed struggle&amp;rsquo; if demands not met

<p>QUETTA: Haq Do Tehreek Chairman Maulana Hidayatur Rehman has warned if Gwadar’s issues are not addressed, they would not hesitate to initiate an armed struggle.</p>n<p>Addressing a press conference on Monday, he said the demands for which they held <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1728490">extended sit-ins</a> in Gwadar remain unresolved.</p>n<p>He claimed the “trawler mafia” continued to operate in the province’s waters, resulting in a loss of livelihood for local fishermen.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1728328"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Mr Rehman, who is also the Jamat-i-Islami Balochistan general secretary, emphasised that this situation continues despite the presence of fisheries and other relevant officials.</p>n<p>He cautioned that they would resort to “an armed struggle” if their peaceful efforts were overlooked.</p>n<p>“We have organised extended sit-in demonstrations at approximately nine areas of Gwadar and various other cities. These protests aim to prevent the intrusion of the trawler mafia into Balochistan waters, address the issue of drug smugglers, eliminate unnecessary checkpoints, and address various other concerns,” Mr Rehman said.</p>n<p>He added that former chief minister Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo had signed an <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1664172/gwadar-protesters-end-sit-in-after-govt-accepts-all-demands">agreement</a> and pledged to curtail the trawler mafia’s fishing activities and abolish unnecessary check posts. “However, no concrete action has been taken to date.”</p>n<p>“We will continue our peaceful, democratic struggle within the Constitution as it directly concerns the survival of the local population,” he said.</p>n<p>According to Mr Rehman, he conveyed these demands to the caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar and Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, “but unfortunately, no measures were taken”.</p>n<p>He pointed out that both previous and present governments have shown indifference to the trawler mafia and accused the Fisheries Department of accepting bribes from each trawler.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023</em></p>

PTI women activists rearrested in Lahore soon after their release

<p>LAHORE: The investigation police re-arrested the prominent women activists of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), including Sanam Javed and Shah Bano, shortly after they were released from the Kot Lakhpat Jail here on Monday night.</p>n<p>An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday last had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777487">ordered the release</a> of nine members of the PTI, including its women activists, in connection with the Jinnah House attack case.</p>n<p>This decision had come after legal proceedings surrounding the incident that took place earlier this year.</p>n<p>Others who secured bail included Robina Jameel, Afshan Tariq, Ashma Shuja, Faisal Akhtar, Qasim, Ali Hasan, and Hussain Qadri.</p>n<p>The court approved their bail pleas against surety bonds worth Rs0.1 million each, paving the way for their release.</p>n<p>A police official confirmed to <em>Dawn</em> that the investigation police re-arrested Sanam Javed, Shah Bano, Afshan Tariq and Ashma Shuja from outside the Kot Lakhpat Jail soon after they were released.</p>n<p>He said the women have been arrested in another case related to May 9 attack, which was registered with the Sarwar Road police station.</p>n<p>The PTI activists have been shifted to the police station for further investigations, the police official said.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023</em></p>

Babar Azam says Pakistan focused on giving their best to all World Cup matches, not one

<p>Pakistan skipper Babar Azam on Tuesday said the national side was focused on winning all the matches during the World Cup and not just one.</p>n<p>“As a team, we play match-to-match and we are eying the World Cup … we have nine matches to win before we can win the World Cup,” he said.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–instagram media__item–relative'><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxpsMG8o0pr/" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% – 2px); width:calc(100% – 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxpsMG8o0pr/" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxpsMG8o0pr/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank"></a></p></div></blockquote><script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The national squad is set to depart for India for the tournament tomorrow. The team is due to travel to Dubai from Lahore before flying to Hyderabad, India, to play two warm-up matches — against New Zealand on Sept 29 and Australia on Oct 3.</p>n<p>The team’s World Cup campaign will officially kick off in Hyderabad on October 6 against The Netherlands. Their second match will be against Sri Lanka at the same venue on Oct 10.</p>n<p>The national side’s third fixture will be the high-octane encounter against arch-rivals India at Ahmedabad on October 14 before they go on to play Australia next and the remaining matches against other sides, ending their league stage with the game against England in Kolkata on November 12.</p>n<p>During a press conference in Lahore today, Babar said the team’s morale was high and appealed to the nation to pray for them.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1706583466450813055"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The skipper admitted that Pakistan’s performance during two key Asia Cup matches were “not the best”. However, he said the team had learnt from its mistakes and would “give its best” during the World Cup.</p>n<p>“We will go, see the conditions and will opt for a combination that is best for the team,” he said. “I’m not worried about my performance. I always try to perform in a manner that suits the team.”</p>n<p>In response to a question on the October 14 clash with India, Babar said: “I’m very excited to play in Ahmedabad. It is the biggest stadium in the world and will be jam-packed for the India-Pakistan clash.</p>n<p>“Although we have not played in India before, we are not taking too much pressure.”</p>n<p>Babar maintained that the squad was focused on winning all the nine matches and eventually picking up the trophy.</p>n<p>Questioned about the performance of spinners in the squad, Babar said, “No player is ordinary … it is very difficult to play in the Pakistan team, that only happens with performance and their performance is good.”</p>n<p>“They will do good in the World Cup as well,” the skipper added.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–instagram media__item–relative'><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cxpx9-coPKp/" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); 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Haris sees &amp;lsquo;Pakistan in the World Cup final&amp;rsquo;

<p>LAHORE: Pakistan paceman Haris Rauf, on the eve of the national team’s departure to India, has made a bold claim even before the showpiece, that he sees Pakistan in the final of the ICC World Cup.</p>nn<p>“I don’t know which teams will be the semi-finalists of the World Cup but I see Pakistan in the final,” Haris said while addressing a press conference arranged by the Pakistan Cricket Board ahead of the squad’s departure to India scheduled for Tuesday-Wednesday via Dubai. </p>nn<p>Two other members of the World Cup squad, namely Abdullah Shafique and Salman Ali Agha, also addressed press conferences separately.</p>nn<p>It may be mentioned here that earlier the PCB had announced that Imam-ul-Haq, Hasan Ali, Haris and Salman will address the pressers. However, neither Imam nor Hasan turned up as Haris, Abdullah and Salman came up to answer the questions.</p>nn<p>The media personnel had to wait for more than an hour for the players who came late because of the shooting for the ICC in connection with the World Cup promotional campaign.</p>nn<p>Haris at the presser said there would be different playing conditions at various World Cup venues in India but added “nothing is a big change as far as cricket is concerned because all of it would be white-ball cricket”.</p>nn<p>He said the team management would plan and strategise after watching the playing conditions in India.</p>nn<p>Saying that he had not set any individual target for the World Cup, the 29-year-old Haris insisted cricket was a team game and he would try to give his best at the global event.</p>nn<p>According to Haris, pacer Hasan, who has featured in just a few ODIs during the past couple of years and played his last ODI back in June 2022, would produce a good show.</p>nn<p>“He [Hasan] is an experienced bowler who in the past played cricket alongside the current pace attack [of Pakistan team], and so hopefully he will perform well.”</p>nn<p>To a question, Haris dispelled the impression that the Pakistan bowlers were not performing well in big matches. </p>nn<p>“In cricket, performance can be up or down on a given day,” he said.</p>nn<p>Meanwhile right-handed batter Abdullah who was selected as third opener, said if he got a chance to play he would try to give his best.</p>nn<p>“The selection is not in my hands, but if I get a chance I will try to do my best for the team,” the 23-year-old Abdullah said.</p>nn<p>Underlining that not just India but all the teams were Pakistan’s opponents at the showpiece, Abdullah said the green-shirts would have to play their best game in every match.</p>nn<p>“The team management will chalk out a plan [for the World Cup] and the boys will act according to it,” he stated.</p>nn<p>Speaking on the occasion, Salman said Pakistan would have to look ahead after the Asia Cup disaster in Sri Lanka.</p>nn<p>“We have to move forward for the World Cup after ignoring that [Asia Cup failure],” the 29-year-old told reporters.</p>nn<p>The all-rounder said competing in a World Cup was a dream for every cricketer </p>nn<p>“[For me] it is coming true and I am very happy.”</p>nn<p>He said both batting and bowling in the middle overs were important phases during the World Cup.</p>nn<p>“I know the importance of this fact and will try not to disappoint the team,” Salman said.</p>nn<p>“In India, there is always extra pressure for players but I will control it in order to do well.”</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023</em></p>

Qin breaks Asian Games record as North Koreans snub South on podium

<p>HANGZHOU: Swimming sensation Qin Haiyang added another title to his name to inflate China’s already bulging gold-medal haul and North Koreans stirred up drama by snubbing their South Korean rivals on the podium on day two of the Hangzhou Asian Games on Monday. </p>nn<p>The hosts enjoyed success in gymnastics, fencing, rowing, shooting, tae­k­wondo and mountain biking to top the medals table in Hangzhou with 39 golds at the end of the second full day of action. South Korea and Japan are their closest competitors with a distant 10 and five golds respectively. </p>nn<p>India won their first golds while a nine-year-old skateboarder melted hearts at the Games in the eastern Chinese city, which were delayed by a year due to Covid-19 measures. </p>nn<p>China romped to all seven titles on the opening day of swimming on Sunday in an ominous display ahead of next summer’s Paris Olympics, but they did not have it all their own way a day later. </p>nn<p>South Korea’s Ji Yu-chan set a new Asian Games record in the men’s 50m freestyle of 21.72secs in a shock win ahead of Hong Kong’s Ian Ho (21.87) and teenage Chinese star Pan Zhanle (21.92). </p>nn<p>Olympic silver medallist Siobhan Haughey clinched Hong Kong’s first Asian Games swimming gold ever with an emphatic victory in the 200m freestyle in a sizzling 1min 54.12sec, another Games record. </p>nn<p>“I guess I was hoping for a little faster time, but it’s not too far off my best time, so I’m still happy with it,” she said. </p>nn<p>South Korea’s night got even better when they took gold ahead of the hosts in the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay in another surprise. </p>nn<p>The other four races all went the way of China’s swimmers, with the hulking 24-year-old Qin adding Games 100m breaststroke gold to his recent world title. </p>nn<p>Qin, also the 50m and 200m world champion, romped home in a new Games-record time of 57.76secs, a gaping 1.33sec ahead of team-mate Yan Zibei. </p>nn<p>But don’t call him the “Breas­tstr­oke Prince”. “Maybe just call me a breaststroke swimmer,” he said modestly. </p>nn<p>The hosts rounded off another dominant day with gold ahead of Japan in the women’s team event of the artistic gymnastics. </p>nn<p>“Whilst in the match we both cheered each other on and we respect each other,” Chinese gymnast Zhang Xinyi said of regional rivals Japan. </p>nn<p>India’s first gold came in the men’s 10 metre air rifle team before their women’s cricketers beat Sri Lanka by 19 runs to clinch a second gold, the country’s first in cricket since the sport joined the quadrennial Asian Games in Guangzhou in 2010. </p>nn<p>“It’s a gold medal for the whole of India,” said batter Richa Ghosh. </p>nn<p>Cricket, which has hopes of becoming an Olympic sport, returned to the Asian Games this year after being omitted from the last edition in Indonesia in 2018. </p>nn<p>World records fell in shooting with India and China both displaying pinpoint precision. </p>nn<p>The Indian trio of Divyansh Panwar, Rudrankksh Patil and Aishwary Tomar blew away the field with a new world best to win the team event. </p>nn<p>Three North Korean marksmen refused to join their South Korean rivals in a group photo of medal winners after narrowly missing out on gold in men’s team 10m running target competition. </p>nn<p>Uzbekistan stole some of China’s thunder by pipping the hosts to gold in the men’s four and women’s single skulls. </p>nn<p>The single skulls winner, Anna Prakaten, came into the event with some pedigree having won silver at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 whilst representing the Russian Olympic Committee. </p>nn<p>Another who upset China’s party was Thailand’s Panipak Wongpa­ttanakit who leapt for joy after beating local fighter Guo Qing 2-1 in a tight and dramatic contest in the women’s -49kg taekwondo final. It was Thailand’s first gold of the Games. </p>nn<p>“My dad and my whole family are very happy,” said Olympic and former world champion Wongpattanakit following a fight that included a delay in the final round whilst officials debated a points decision and a late comeback to snatch the victory. </p>nn<p>The youngsters stole the show at the skate park, including nine-year-old Mazel Paris Alegado from the Philippines, who is reported to be the youngest athlete at the Games. </p>nn<p>“It was really fun,” she said after her seventh-placed finish in the women’s park. “I’m really proud that I got here.” </p>nn<p>Japan’s Hinano Kusaki, a comparative veteran at 15, won gold. China’s Chen Ye, who is the same age, won the men’s event. </p>nn<p>Esports, which is huge in China, is a medal event at the Asian Games for the first time and the participation of Lee Sang-hyeok — known by his gaming handle ‘Faker’ – has given the competition’s profile a big boost. </p>nn<p>The South Korean did not disappoint his legions of fans on Monday, helping his Korean team beat Kazakhstan 1-0 in one of the preliminary matches in the ‘League of Legends’ category.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023</em></p>

Pakistan women go down to Bangladesh in bronze medal playoff

<p>HANGZHOU: Pakistan missed out on a first medal at the Asian Games on Monday when their women’s cricket team lost to Bangladesh in a low-scoring third-place match. </p>nn<p>Elsewhere, Pakistan suffered losses in singles mat­ches but won their doubles ties in tennis while shooter Ghulam Mustafa Bashir finished last in his final. </p>nn<p>At the Zhejiang Univ­ersity of Technology Cricket Field, Bangladesh took the bronze after restricting Pakistan to 64-9 and crawling to their target of 65 in 18.2 overs. </p>nn<p>It meant Pakistan, who won the gold on both previous occasions that cricket was played in the Asian Games, return home empty-handed. </p>nn<p>Aliya Riaz was the Pakis­tan’s top-scorer with 17 runs while the skipper Nida Dar got 14 as Bangladesh’s </p>nn<p>Shorna Akter (3-16) ripped through the lower middle-order. Shorna’s 14 not out then got Bangladesh home despite Nashra Sandhu’s 3-10. </p>nn<p>Over at the HOC Tennis Centre, Pakistan’s Ushna Sohail and Sarah Ibrahim suffered double-bagel losses to China’s Lin Zhu and Eala Alex of the Philippines respectively in their women’s second-round matches. The duo, however, won their first-round doubles tie 6-1, 6-1 against Mongolia’s Yesugen Ganbaatar and Sonom-yanzum Enkhjargal. </p>nn<p>Aqeel Khan and Aisam-ul-Haq advanced into the men’s doubles second round with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Timor-Leste’s Antonio Mendes and Agapito Guterres Ferreira.</p>nn<p>In the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol, Mustafa became the first out of six shooters to be eliminated in the second round, exiting with a total of 13 hits. </p>nn<p>At the LA Sports Centre, Pakistan’s Haroon Khan exited the men’s taekwondo -58kg competition in the last-16 stage after falling 2-1 to Kyrgyz Aidin Altybaev. Haroon won the opening round 10-5 but lost the last two 10-9 and 15-12. </p>nn<p>Pakistan also suffered three defeats in the wushu sanda quarter-finals at the XSG Sports Centre. </p>nn<p>Abdul Rehman was knoc­ked out by Kazak­hstan’s Abdusamat Ashirov in the men’s 65kg contest, Abdul Khaliq was beaten on points by China’s Xuetao Wang in the men’s 60kg match while Maria Kara­mat also lost on points to Thuy Thu Thi Nguyen of Vietnam in their women’s 60kg clash.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023</em></p>

Hasaranga doubtful for World Cup

<p>COLOMBO: All-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga is “highly unlikely” to play in the 50-overs World Cup in India despite Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) making every effort to aid his bid to recover from a hamstring injury, according to media reports citing a team doctor.</p>nn<p>The spin-bowling all-rounder sustained the injury during the Lanka Premier League last month and missed the Asia Cup, where Sri Lanka finished runners-up behind India. </p>nn<p>“We are consulting foreign doctors to see whether he needs surgery or not,” SLC medical panel chief Arjuna de Silva told the Sunday Times newspaper. “If he does, he will be out for at least three months. </p>nn<p>“At the moment, the situation is not that great and its highly unlikely if he can play the World Cup.” </p>nn<p>Hasaranga’s absence would be a major blow to the 1996 champions considering the 26-year-old was the leading wicket-taker in the last two T20 World Cups.</p>nn<p>Sri Lanka have until Sept. 28 to announce their 15-member squad for the World Cup, which begins on Oct. 5.</p>nn<p>De Silva said the SLC were doing everything possible to try to get Hasaranga fit to play some matches in the World Cup. </p>nn<p>“Since he is a key weapon in our attack, we are looking at other options to see how best we can get his services at least for important games. All that depends on the opinions of the consultant to whom we are trying to show his reports.” </p>nn<p>Fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera also risks missing the World Cup with a pectoral muscle injury. </p>nn<p>“Chameera is bowling at the moment but still complains of pain,” de Silva said. “We have consulted a doctor in the United Kingdom to see how best we could treat him.”</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023</em></p>

New Zealand eye Bangladesh series win ahead of World Cup

<p>DHAKA: New Zealand wrap up preparations for the upcoming World Cup hoping to achieve a rare series win in Bangladesh in their third and final one-day match on Tuesday. </p>nn<p>“When we came into the series, it was always a goal to win every match you play, and we certainly hope so,” Kiwi batsman Henry Nicholls told reporters in Dhaka on Monday. “It’s an exciting opportunity for the group to have an opportunity to win a series here”.</p>nn<p>The series is the last for both teams ahead of the World Cup in India, which opens on October 5.</p>nn<p>The Kiwis lead the hosts by 1-0, and their 86-run win in the second match on Saturday was the side’s first win against Bangladesh in the country in nearly 15 years. The first match was washed out by rain.</p>nn<p>The Kiwis last beat Bangladesh in their own backyard in October 2008. They then lost the next two series in 2010 and 2013, respectively, by 4-0 and 3-0.</p>nn<p>Lockie Ferguson will lead the Kiwis in Bangladesh, where they brought only five members of the World Cup squad, including the stand-in skipper, pacer Trent Boult, all-rounder Rachin Ravindra, spinner Ish Sodhi and batsman Will Young.</p>nn<p>Bangladesh initially rested key players, but with the series at stake, they brought back stalwarts Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam.</p>nn<p>Najmul was named captain of the side for the series decider, as regular captain Shakib Al Hasan took a break.</p>nn<p>Liton Das, who led in the first two matches, is being rested. </p>nn<p>“If we win this game, definitely it will give the team a good feeling,” Najmul said. “But in case of a bad result, I don’t think it will affect our World Cup form much”.</p>nn<p>Bangladesh were unbeaten at home in ODI series for nearly seven years until they lost to England and Afghanistan this year.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023</em></p>

Israeli minister makes first public visit to Saudi Arabia amid talks to secure bilateral ties

<p>Israel’s Tourism Minister Haim Katz arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for the first such high-level public visit to the kingdom amid talks to secure bilateral ties.</p>n<p>“Katz is the first Israeli minister to head an official delegation in Saudi Arabia,” his ministry said in a statement, adding he would attend a United Nations World Tourism Organisation event in Riyadh.</p>n<p>During the two-day visit he is due to hold meetings “with his counterparts”, Katz’s office said without specifying which countries will be represented in such talks.</p>n<p>The landmark visit comes as Riyadh sent its first delegation to the occupied West Bank in three decades.</p>n<p>Nayef al-Sudairi, who was appointed non-resident ambassador to the Palestinian territories last month, held talks Tuesday with senior Palestinian officials including president Mahmud Abbas.</p>n<p>The diplomatic travels come as the United States <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1579852">presses</a> its allies Israel and Saudi Arabia to normalise ties.</p>n<p>Israel has moved closer to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco following a US-driven diplomatic initiative in 2020 which pushed for normalisation of relations.</p>n<p>Establishing ties with Saudi Arabia — home to some of Islam’s holiest sites — would be the grand prize for Israel and change the geopolitics of the Middle East.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1777627"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Last week, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said “six or seven” Muslim countries could “make peace” with Israel if it signed a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia.</p>n<p>He also stated that “peace with Saudi Arabia means peace with the greater Muslim world”.</p>n<p>“There are at least another six or seven countries that I have met with —significant Muslim countries with which we do not have relations — that are interested [in peace],” the minister added.</p>n<p>Normalisation with Israel, however, would break Riyadh’s <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1732775/saudi-arabia-links-israel-normalisation-with-two-state-solution">decades-long stance</a> against recognising Israel before it resolves the conflict with the Palestinians.</p>

Swedish police open arson case after mosque fire

<p>Swedish police said on Tuesday that they were investigating whether a fire that reduced a mosque to rubble the previous day in central Sweden was arson.</p>n<p>“The investigation into the fire is continuing. Police will question witnesses and verify whether there were security cameras in the area,” the police said in a statement on their website.</p>n<p>The fire broke out on Monday around noon in Eskilstuna, a town of 108,000 people 150 kilometres (93 miles) west of Stockholm, causing no injuries, a police spokesman told AFP.</p>n<p>There are no suspects and no arrests have been made.</p>n<p>“The mosque is almost completely destroyed, nothing can be saved,” mosque spokesman Anas Deneche told <em>AFP</em>.</p>n<p>Deneche said the mosque had been the target of several acts of violence in the past year and his family had been threatened.</p>n<p>“But it’s still too early to draw any conclusions (about the cause of the fire), we’ll have to wait for the police to do their work,” he said.</p>n<p>Police said they were investigating several leads but provided no other details.</p>n<p>Between 15,000 and 20,000 Muslims live in Eskilstuna.</p>n<p>The mosque fire coincides with a spate of public desecrations of the Holy Quran in Sweden in recent months. The burnings have sparked widespread outrage and condemnation in Muslim countries.</p>n<p>The country has condemned the desecrations of the Holy Quran but <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1766185#:~:text=freedom%20to%20demonstrate%E2%80%9D.-,Limited,-political%20support%20in">upheld its laws</a> regarding freedom of speech and assembly.</p>n<p>The government has <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1767672">vowed to explore legal means</a> of stopping protests involving the desecration of holy texts in certain circumstances, though a majority appear to be opposed to such a change.</p>n<h2><a id="call-to-ban-acts-displaying-of-religious-hatred" href="#call-to-ban-acts-displaying-of-religious-hatred" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Call to ban acts displaying of religious hatred</h2>n<p>In July, the United Nations Human Rights Council <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1764319">approved</a> a resolution on religious hatred, which was introduced by Pakistan on behalf of the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.</p>n<p>The resolution called for the UN rights chief to publish a report on religious hatred and for states to review their laws and plug gaps that may “impede the prevention and prosecution of acts and advocacy of religious hatred”.</p>n<p>The same month, the UN General Assembly <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1766974">adopted</a>, by consensus, a Moroccan resolution, co-sponsored by Pakistan, calling for countering hate speech and strongly deploring attacks against places of worship, religious symbols and holy books.</p>n<p>The resolution, titled ‘Promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance in countering hate speech’, won the approval of the 193-member assembly and stated: “Strongly deploring all acts of violence against persons on the basis of their religion or belief, as well as any such acts directed against their religious symbols, holy books, homes, businesses, properties, schools, cultural centres or places of worship, as well as all attacks on and in religious places, sites and shrines in violation of international law.”</p>

Indian nationals who &amp;lsquo;illegally&amp;rsquo; entered Pakistan say &amp;lsquo;ready to go to jail&amp;rsquo; but not home country

<p>Two Indian citizens, who purportedly illegally travelled to Karachi last week, said on Tuesday that they were “ready to go to jail” but did not want to return to their home country.</p>n<p>According to the Karachi police, Mohammad Hasnain and Ishaq Ameer allegedly entered Pakistan through the Pak-Afghan border in a bid to seek asylum over threats to their lives due to religious persecution in India. They then reportedly found their way to Karachi.</p>n<p>Karachi Deputy Inspector General of Police (South) Asad Raza told <em>Dawn.com</em> that the father-son duo “were not suspected of being spies but were considered victims of religious bias and persecution in India”.</p>n<p>The official said both the Indian nationals had “temporarily been housed in an Edhi Shelter home”, adding that “it looks like they want to seek asylum here”.</p>n<p>Separately, a statement issued by the Artillery Ground police station today said the two men staged a protest outside the Karachi Press Club on September 25 (Sunday) against atrocities faced by Muslims in India.</p>n<p>“We are ready to go to jail but not back to India,” they were quoted as saying in the police statement. “We will be killed as soon as we step on Indian land if we are deported.”</p>n<p>“If you want to kill us, kill us in Pakistan. At least we will get some land (for burial). In India, we won’t even get that,” the statement quoted them as saying.</p>n<p>The statement further quoted them as saying that they had visited the Sindh police chief’s office but their concerns were not addressed.</p>n<p>“Edhi gave us shelter for four days and will shift us somewhere else today. Our official Indian documents are with the Edhi staff,” the father-son duo were quoted as saying.</p>n<p>The statement added that the Indian nationals undertook a 14-day journey from their residence in the Gautampuri area of New Delhi before entering Pakistan.</p>n<p>The statement also shed light on how they travelled from India to Pakistan. It said both of them were facing legal issues.</p>n<h2><a id="this-is-my-story-indian-nationals-narrate-their-journey" href="#this-is-my-story-indian-nationals-narrate-their-journey" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>‘This is my story’: Indian nationals narrate their journey</h2>n<p>Speaking to media outside the press club yesterday, Hasnain had said he and his son had left New Delhi on September 5 for the UAE from where they reached out to the Afghanistan embassy for a visa.</p>n<p>“Then we travelled to Kabul from where we flew to Kandahar,” he had said. “Kandahar has a soft border through which people cross across into Pakistan. We spent one night at the border town and then continued our journey to Pakistan.</p>n<p>“This is my story.”</p>n<p>Hasnain had added that after entering Pakistan, they paid a man Rs60,000 to transport them to Karachi.</p>n<p>“The atrocities being inflicted on Muslims in India are not reported there,” he continued. “Since the Modi government came into power, newspapers, electronic and print media all have sided with Modi.”</p>n<p>Hasnain said there was a very small section in the media that highlighted the problems being faced by Muslims. “Their way is that if a Muslim is caught over something, even while protesting, they bulldoze his home saying that it is built illegally.</p>n<p>“I am not the first person to leave the country. Many have before me. But they were rich and could afford foreign citizenship in Europe, America, Britain, Germany, or Canada,” he said.</p>n<p>“Those who are well off migrated to Turkey, Azerbaijan, or Malaysia. I did not have that stature. I had less money.”</p>n<p>In reply to a question, Hasnain added that he was denied a hotel room in Karachi because he did not possess an identification card.</p>n<p>Hasnain’s son Ameer also spoke to the media. “My father is 70 years old and my age is 31. When we reached Karachi, our first stop was Orangi Town after which we directly went to the office of IG Sindh.</p>n<p>“As soon as we reached there, we kept our baggage on the side, raised our hands, and said we are here to surrender. When we were asked what are we surrendering for, we said we have fled India and come here.”</p>n<p>Ameer confirmed that they requested the police to give them refuge after telling them the entire story of how they travelled illegally into Pakistan. The police directed them to go to an Edhi shelter home.</p>n<p><em>Dawn.com</em> has reached out to the Foreign Office for comment.</p>

Anti-Muslim hate speech in India concentrated around elections, report finds

<p>Anti-Muslim hate speech incidents in India averaged more than one a day in the first half of 2023 and were seen most in states with upcoming elections, according to a <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://hindutvawatch.org/hate-speech-events-india/">report</a> by Hindutva Watch, a Washington-based group monitoring attacks on minorities.</p>n<p>There were 255 documented incidents of hate speech gatherings targeting Muslims in the first half of 2023, the report found. There was no comparative data for prior years.</p>n<p>It used the United Nations’ <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.un.org/en/hate-speech/understanding-hate-speech/what-is-hate-">definition</a> of hate speech as “any form of communication… that employs prejudiced or discriminatory language towards an individual or group based on attributes such as religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, colour, descent, gender, or other identity factors”.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1665804"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>About 70 per cent of the incidents took place in states scheduled to hold elections in 2023 and 2024, according to the report.</p>n<p>Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat witnessed the highest number of hate speech gatherings, with Maharashtra accounting for 29pc of such incidents, the report found.</p>n<p>The majority of the hate speech events mentioned conspiracy theories and calls for violence and socio-economic boycotts against Muslims.</p>n<p>About 80pc of those events took place in areas governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is widely expected to win the general elections in 2024.</p>n<p>Hindutva Watch said it tracked online activity of Hindu nationalist groups, verified videos of hate speeches posted on social media and compiled data of isolated incidents reported by media.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1748285"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Modi’s government denies the presence of minority abuse. The Indian embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.</p>n<p>Rights groups allege mistreatment of Muslims under Modi, who became prime minister in 2014.</p>n<p>They point to a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1521685">2019 citizenship law</a> described as “fundamentally discriminatory” by the United Nations human rights office for excluding Muslim migrants; an <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1597938">anti-conversion legislation</a> challenging the constitutionally protected right to freedom of belief, and the 2019 <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1498227">revoking of held Kashmir’s special status</a>.</p>n<p>There has also been <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1694558">demolition of Muslim properties</a> in the name of removing illegal construction and a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1741201">ban on wearing the hijab</a> in classrooms in Karnataka when the BJP was in power in that state.</p>

Anti-Covid drug may have led to virus mutations: study

<p>PARIS: An anti-Covid drug widely used across the world may have caused mutations in the virus, researchers said on Monday, but there was no evidence that the changes had led to more dangerous variants.</p>nn<p>Pharmaceutical giant Merck’s antiviral pill molnupiravir was one of the earliest treatments rolled out during the pandemic to prevent Covid becoming more severe in vulnerable people.</p>nn<p>The drug, which is taken orally over a five-day course, works mainly by creating mutations in the virus with the goal of weakening and killing it. However, a new UK-led study has shown that molnupiravir “can give rise to significantly mutated viruses which remain viable,” lead author Theo Sanderson said.</p>nn<p>Sanderson, a geneticist at London’s Francis Crick Institute, emphasised that there is no evidence that “molnupiravir has to date created more transmissible or more virulent viruses.” None of the variants that have swept the world were due to the drug, he added. But “it is very difficult to predict whether molnupiravir treatment could potentially lead to a new widely circulating variant which people don’t have prior immunity to,” he added.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023</em></p>

General Milley regrets being &amp;lsquo;lightning rod for politicisation of US military&amp;rsquo;

<figure class='media sm:w-11/12 w-full media–center media–uneven media–stretch'>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n n <figcaption class="media__caption ">A June 1, 2020, file picture shows ex-US president Donald Trump walking with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark A. Milley (right) and others to visit St. John’s Church in Washington after the area was cleared of people protesting the death of George Floyd.—AFP</figcaption>n </figure>n<p> </p>nn<p>WASHINGTON: General Mark Milley faced repeated crises at home and abroad during a tumultuous term as America’s top military officer, becoming one of the most well-known and controversial people to hold the position in years.</p>nn<p>Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Donald Trump’s refusal to accept his presidential election loss and nationwide protests against police brutality are just some of the events that defined his time as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which ends on Friday.</p>nn<p>“It was one crisis right after another, so we were constantly absorbed with what I would call current operations,” Milley said in an interview last month.</p>nn<p>“The challenge for me is I didn’t devote enough time — because I couldn’t — to the challenge of… reforming and modernising the military,” he said. Milley — a gregarious 65-year-old history buff — was commissioned as a US Army officer in 1980 and deployed to countries including Iraq, Afghanistan, Panama and Haiti. He served as chief of staff of the US Army before becoming chairman of the Joint Chiefs in October 2019.</p>nn<p><strong>‘Lightning rod’</strong></p>nn<p>Milley infamously found himself in the political spotlight less than a year into his term as chairman. He was sharply criticised for participating in what was widely seen as a political show by Trump, who walked with Milley and other officials from the White House to pose with a Bible in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church in June 2020.</p>nn<p>Just before he did so, police and National Guard troops fired smoke bombs and pepper balls at people in the area who were protesting the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white police officer in Minnesota.</p>nn<p>“I should not have been there. My presence in that moment and in that environment created a perception of military involvement in domestic politics,” Milley said days later. He also had to contend with the chaotic end of the Trump administration, with the president refusing to concede he lost the 2020 election.</p>nn<p>He was also in contact with China before and after the 2020 election — calls his spokesman said were in keeping with his duties to convey “reassurance in order to maintain strategic stability.” But Republicans accused the general of undermining civilian control of the military and unsuccessfully pushed for him to be fired.</p>nn<p>Milley is popular with many US liberals, who credit him with helping protect the country from Trump.</p>nn<p>But he is a bete noire for various conservatives, including Trump, who recently said Milley’s retirement would be “a time for all citizens of the USA to celebrate.” Milley told lawmakers in 2021 that he had become a “lightning rod for the politicisation of the military,” despite advocating for America’s armed forces to be apolitical.</p>nn<p>“There is a deliberate attempt, in my view, to smear the general officer corps and the leaders of the military and to politicise the military,” he said.</p>nn<p>Another defining event of Milley’s tenure was the 2021 American withdrawal from Afghanistan, which saw Taliban fighters sweep aside Western-trained Afghan troops, forcing the last US military personnel to mount a desperate evacuation from Kabul’s airport.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023</em></p>

Kosovo calls upon Serbia to hand over escaped gunmen after shootout

<figure class='media sm:w-11/12 w-full media–center '>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n n <figcaption class="media__caption ">A VIEW of weapons and military equipment displayed by Kosovo police. The weapons were seized during the police operation in Banjska village, on Monday.—Reuters</figcaption>n </figure>n<p> </p>nn<p>MITROVICA: Kosovo called on Serbia on Monday to hand over ethnic Serb gunmen it said had escaped after a shootout with Kosovar police that killed four people in the restive north of the country, aggravating tensions between Pristina and Belgrade.</p>nn<p>The gunmen stormed the village of Banjska on Sunday, battling police and barricading themselves into a Serbian Orthodox monastery. Police retook the monastery late on Sunday, after three attackers and one police officer were killed.</p>nn<p>The United States condemned attacks on police and urged the governments of Kosovo, an ex-Serbian province with a 90 per cent ethnic Albanian majority, and Serbia to defuse decades of antagonism.</p>nn<p>Armed police on Monday searched houses in Banjska for any of the estimated 30 gunmen who might not have fled, a police source said. The village remained sealed off to journalists.</p>nn<blockquote>n <p>US condemns attack on police, urges govts to defuse hostility</p>n</blockquote>nn<p>Kosovar authorities said later in the day that some of the gunmen were believed to have escaped to nearby Serbia.</p>nn<p>Kosovo Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla said six wounded members of the armed group had been hospitalised in the southern Serbian city of Novi Pazar, near Kosovo’s northern border.</p>nn<p>“We are demanding from Serbia to hand these men over to Kosovo authorities as soon as possible, to face justice for their terrorist acts,” in addition to any others who had escaped to Serbia, Svecla told reporters.</p>nn<p>In the northern town of Mitrovica, Kosovar police showed reporters around 20 SUVs and an armoured truck they said were used by the gunmen. Three of the vehicles were painted with the KFOR logo — the Nato peacekeeping mission in Kosovo.</p>nn<p>Police also displayed an array of weapons and ammunition they said had been seized, including former Yugoslav army assault rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, mortars, anti-tank rocket launchers, hand grenades, land mines and drones.</p>nn<p><strong>Lingering stand-off</strong></p>nn<p>While ethnic Albanians comprise the great majority of Kosovo’s 1.8 million people, 50,000 Serbs in its north reject Kosovo statehood and see Belgrade as their capital, 15 years after Kosovo declared independence following a guerrilla uprising. Serbia does not recognise Kosovar independence.</p>nn<p>“From yesterday, nothing can be the same anymore,” Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said at a ceremony on Monday honouring the police officer who was killed in the incident.</p>nn<p>“Afrim Bunjaku was killed during an attack on Kosovo policemen and on our state itself by a group of heavily armed and heavily equipped, professionally trained and planned, politically supported, materially financed and logistically supported by Serbia,” Kurti said.</p>nn<p>Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has denied Kurti’s allegations that Belgrade orchestrated the attack. He accuses Kurti of inciting violence by blocking the creation of an association of Serb municipalities to give more autonomy to Serbs — approved by an earlier Kosovo government in 2013 — and by launching frequent police raids in the north.</p>nn<p>Kurti has said granting northern Serbs significant autonomy would effectively partition Kosovo along ethnic lines.</p>nn<p>In a statement, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called on the Kosovar and Serbian governments “to refrain from any actions or rhetoric which could further inflame tensions”.</p>nn<p>Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia, Serbia’s traditional main ally, was monitoring the “tense and potentially dangerous” situation in Kosovo.</p>nn<p>Vucic had talks on Monday with Russian Ambassador Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko in Belgrade.</p>nn<p>“I have informed Botsan-Kharchenko that a brutal ethnic cleansing with the help of the international community is being conducted by Albin Kurti,”</p>nn<p>Vucic wrote on his Instagram page.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023</em></p>

Cuban embassy in US attacked with Molotov cocktails

<p>HAVANA: Cuba’s embassy in Washington was attacked by a man using two Molotov cocktails on Sunday night, the country’s foreign minister said, describing the incident as a “terrorist attack”.</p>nn<p>“The Cuban embassy in the US was the target of a terrorist attack by an individual who launched 2 Molotov cocktails. The staff suffered no harm,” said Bruno Rodriguez in a post on social media platform X. This was the second attack against the Cuban mission in Washington in recent years, after a man opened fire on the building in April 2020. There were no injuries from that attack.</p>nn<p>The Sunday night attack took place hours after Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel returned to Havana after attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York and other activities with Cubans in the US.</p>nn<p>In New York, there had been demons­trations by Cubans resident in the United States against Diaz-Canel’s presence at the UN.</p>nn<p>“The anti-Cuban groups resort to terrorism when feeling they enjoy impunity, something that Cuba has repeatedly warned the US authorities about,” said Rodriguez after Sunday’s attack.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023</em></p>

Thousands of ethnic Armenians flee Nagorno-Karabakh

<figure class='media sm:w-full w-full media–center '>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n n <figcaption class="media__caption ">Khankendi (de jure Azerbaijan): In this videograb released by the Russian Defence Ministry, Russian peacekeepers help evacuate refugees from this town, also called Stepanakert. Thousands of ethnic Armenians fled the breakaway region on Monday after their fighters were defeated by Azerbaijan in a military operation.—AFP</figcaption>n </figure>n<p> </p>nn<p>GORIS: Thousands of refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh streamed into Armenia Monday as a deadly blast rocked a fuel depot in the rebel enclave and Azerbaijan and ally Turkey hailed Baku’s victory over the majority ethnic Armenian area.</p>nn<p>Meanwhile, Russia hit back at embattled Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan after he blamed Moscow for the swift defeat of the breakaway territory.</p>nn<p>Several days after the fighting, the first refugees arrived in Armenia on Sunday and 6,650 people have so far entered, Yerevan said on Monday.</p>nn<p>Reporters saw the refugees crowding into a humanitarian hub set up in a local theatre in the city of Goris to register for transport and housing. “We lived through terrible days,” said Anabel Ghulasyan, 41, from the village of Rev, known as Shalva in Azeri.</p>nn<blockquote>n <p>Over 200 injured in fuel depot explosion</p>n</blockquote>nn<p>She arrived in Goris with her family by minibus, carrying her belongings in bags.</p>nn<p>An explosion at a fuel depot wounded more than 200 people, according to Armenian separatist authorities which have been supplying those seeking to leave the territory with petrol and diesel.</p>nn<p>“As a result of the explosion in the fuel warehouse, the number of injured exceeds 200. The health condition of the majority is severe or extremely severe,” the region’s rights ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan said on social media.</p>nn<p>“The medical capacities of (Nagorno-Karabakh) are not enough,” he added, calling for air ambulances to be allowed to land.</p>nn<p>An official had earlier indicated there were fatalities without giving a toll.</p>nn<p>Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars in the last three decades over Nagorno-Karabakh, a majority ethnic Armenian enclave within the internationally recognised border of Azerbaijan.</p>nn<p>Azerbaijan launched a lightning operation on September 19 to seize control of the territory, forcing the separatists to lay down their arms under the terms of a ceasefire agreed the following day.</p>nn<p>It followed a nine-month blockade of the region by Baku that caused shortages of key supplies.</p>nn<p>The separatists have said 200 people were killed in last week’s fighting. Baku announced two of its soldiers also died when a mine hit their vehicle on Sunday.</p>nn<p>Azerbaijan’s state media said officials held a second round of peace talks with Nagorno-Karabakh’s ethnic Armenian community aimed at “reintegrating” them.</p>nn<p>But on the road heading to Armenia, more and more residents from the region appeared to be trying to get out as the witnesses said cars were snarling up in traffic.</p>nn<p>At the refugee centre in Goris, Valentina Asryan, a 54-year-old from the village of Vank who fled with her grandchildren, said her brother-in-law was killed and several other people were injured by Azerbaijani fire.</p>nn<p>“Who would have thought that the ‘Turks’ would come to this historic Armenian village? It’s incredible,” she said, referring to the Azerbaijani forces.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023</em></p>

Saudi Arabia plans tougher IAEA checks

<p>VIENNA: Saudi Arabia said on Monday it has decided to end light-touch oversight of its nuclear activities by the UN atomic watchdog and switch to full-blown safeguards, a change the agency has been demanding for years.</p>nn<p>Saudi Arabia has a nascent nuclear programme that it wants to expand to eventually include activities like proliferation-sensitive uranium enrichment. It is unclear where its ambitions end, since Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said for years it will develop nuclear weapons if regional rival Iran does.</p>nn<p>Riyadh has yet to fire up its first nuclear reactor, allowing its programme to still be monitored under the Small Quantities Protocol, an agreement with the Internatio­nal Atomic Energy Agency that exempts less advanced states from many reporting obligations and inspections.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023</em></p>

Taliban looking to emulate US mass surveillance network

<p><strong>• Consult with Chinese telecom equipment maker Huawei on potential cooperation<br />n• Rights groups fear resources will be used to crackdown on protesters</strong></p>n<p>KABUL: The Taliban are creating a large-scale camera surveillance network for Afghan cities that could involve repurposing a plan crafted by the Americans before their 2021 pullout, an interior ministry spokesman said, as authorities seek to supplement thousands of cameras already across the capital, Kabul.</p>n<p>The Taliban administration, which has publicly said it is focused on restoring security and clamping down on the militant Islamic State group that has claimed many major attacks in Afghan cities, has also consulted with Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei about potential cooperation, the spokesman said.</p>n<p>Preventing attacks by international militant groups — including prominent organisations such as IS — is at the heart of the interaction between the Taliban and many foreign nations, including the US and China, according to readouts from those meetings. But some analysts question the cash-strapped regime’s ability to fund the programme, and rights groups have expressed concern that resources will be used to crackdown on protesters.</p>n<p>Details of how the Taliban intend to expand and manage mass surveillance, including obtaining the US plan, have not been previously reported.</p>n<p>The mass camera rollout, which will involve a focus on “important points” in Kabul and elsewhere, is part of a new security strategy that will take four years to be fully implemented, Ministry of Interior spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani told <em>Reuters</em>.</p>n<p>“At the present we are working on a Kabul security map, which is (being completed) by security experts and (is taking) lots of time,” he said. “We already have two maps, one which was made by USA for the previous government and second by Turkiye.”</p>n<p>He did not detail when the Turkish plan was made.</p>n<p>A US State Department spokesperson said Washington was not “partnering” with the Taliban and has “made clear to the Taliban that it is their responsibility to ensure that they give no safe haven to terrorists.”</p>n<p>A Turkish government spokesperson didn’t return a request for comment.</p>n<p>Qani said the Taliban had a “simple chat” about the potential network with Huawei in August, but no contracts or firm plans had been reached.</p>n<p><em>Bloomberg New</em>s <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-08-25/taliban-says-huawei-to-install-cameras-to-locate-militants">reported</a> in August that Huawei had reached “verbal agreement” with the Taliban about a contract to install a surveillance system, citing a person familiar with the discussions.</p>n<p>Huawei told <em>Reuters</em> in September that “no plan was discussed” during the meeting.</p>n<p>A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said she was not aware of specific discussions but added: “China has always supported the peace and reconstruction process in Afghanistan and supported Chinese enterprises to carry out relevant practical cooperation.”</p>n<p><strong>Rights concerns</strong></p>n<p>There are over 62,000 cameras in Kabul and other cities that are monitored from a central control room, according to the Taliban. The last major update to Kabul’s camera system occurred in 2008, according to the former government, which relied heavily on Western-led international forces for security.</p>n<p>Rights advocates and opponents of the regime are concerned enhanced surveillance might target civil society members and protesters.</p>n<p>Though the Taliban rarely confirm arrests, the Committee to Protect Journalists says at least 64 journalists have been detained since the takeover. Protests against restrictions on women in Kabul have been broken up forcefully by security forces, according to protesters, videos and Reuters witnesses.</p>n<p>Implementing a mass surveillance system “under the guise of ‘national security’ sets a template for the Taliban to continue its draconian policies that violate fundamental rights,” said Matt Mahmoudi from Amnesty International.</p>n<p>The Taliban strongly denies that an upgraded surveillance system would breach the rights of Afghans.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023</em></p>

Sikhs protest outside Indian missions in Canada over leader&amp;rsquo;s murder

<p>TORONTO: Canadian Sikhs staged protests outside India’s diplomatic missions on Monday, a week after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776704/indian-envoy-expelled-as-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-deathhttps://">said</a> there may be a link between New Delhi and the murder of a Sikh separatist advocate in British Columbia.</p>n<p>Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a week ago stood in parliament to say that domestic intelligence agencies were actively pursuing credible allegations tying New Delhi’s agents to the shooting of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, in June.</p>n<p>About 100 protesters in Toronto burned an Indian flag and struck a cardboard cut-out of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a shoe. About 200 protesters also gathered outside the Vancouver consulate.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right '>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class='media__caption '>Demonstrators use their shoes to hit a placard depicting Indian prime minister Narendra Modi during a Sikh rally outside the Consulate General of India, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on September 25, following the murder of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.— AFP</figcaption>n </figure></p>n<p>In Ottawa, fewer than 100 people gathered in front of the Indian High Commissioner’s office (embassy) in the capital. They waved yellow flags marked with the world “Khalistan”, a reference to their support for making India’s Punjab region an independent state for Sikhs, a cause Nijjar campaigned for.</p>n<p>“We are really thankful to Justin Trudeau… We want no stone left unturned to get to the bottom of this cowardly act,” protester Reshma Singh Bolinas said in Ottawa. Canada should put pressure on India to “stop the killing of innocent people in future.”</p>n<p>Canada is home to about 770,000 Sikhs — the highest population of Sikhs outside their home state of Punjab — and in recent years there have been many demonstrations that have irked India.</p>n<p>India labelled Trudeau’s allegations “absurd”. It <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776905/us-urges-india-to-cooperate-with-canada-in-sikh-leaders-murder-probe#:~:text=India%2C%20Canada-,update,-travel%20advisory">warned</a> travellers last week that there were growing “anti-India activities” in Canada, urging “utmost caution” but did not provide evidence or details of specific incidents.</p>n<p>The allegations have put a spotlight on Canada’s Sikh community. Sikhs make up just two per cent of India’s 1.4 billion population, but they are a majority in Punjab, a state of 30 million where their religion was born 500 years ago.</p>n<p>“The Indian government used dirty tactics and compromised the sovereignty of Canada,” said Kuljeet Singh, a protester in Toronto and a member of the group Sikhs for Justice.</p>n<p>Canada’s accusations have sparked <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776725">tit-for-tat retaliation</a>, with each nation expelling diplomats and New Delhi suspending visas for Canadians.</p>n<p>Some of the protesters in both Toronto and Ottawa called for the expulsion of the Indian High Commissioner (ambassador) to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma, who earlier said authorities have been informed of the protests and were providing security.</p>n<p>Nijjar, who worked as a plumber, left the north Indian state of Punjab a quarter-century ago and became a Canadian citizen. He has supported the formation of an independent Sikh homeland. India designated him a “terrorist” in July 2020.</p>n<p>The Canadian government has amassed both human and signals intelligence in a months-long investigation into the Sikh separatist leader, <em>CBC News</em> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/sikh-nijjar-india-canada-trudeau-modi-1.6974607">reported</a> last week, citing unidentified sources.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023</em></p>

Baku, Ankara eye land route via Armenia

<p>Baku: Azerbaijan Presi­­dent Ilham Aliyev hosted talks on Monday with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan at which he hinted at the prospect of creating a land corridor between their two countries via Armenia, which opposes the idea.</p>nn<p>Erdogan flew into Azerbaijan’s autonomous Nakhchivan exclave, a strip of territory nestled between Armenia, Iran and Turkiye that Ankara and Baku want to link up with rump Azerbaijan by carving out a land corridor that would run thro­ugh southern Armenia.</p>nn<p>Aliyev in 2021 threatened to create such a corridor — that would create a contiguous land bridge between Turkiye and Azerbaijan and deprive Armenia of a land border with Iran.</p>nn<p>At a joint presser, Aliyev lamented that Soviet-era authorities had deemed part of what should have been territory belonging to the Azerbaijani Soviet repu­blic as land belonging to the Armenian Soviet republic.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023</em></p>

Sicilian Mafia boss dies, taking his secrets with him

<figure class='media sm:w-3/5 w-full media–center media–uneven media–stretch'>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n n <figcaption class="media__caption ">Messina Denaro</figcaption>n </figure>n<p> </p>nn<p>ROME: Sicilian Mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro, captured in January after three decades on the run, died on Monday in hospital in central Italy, taking to the grave the secrets of his brutal reign.</p>nn<p>The 61-year-old had been treated for colon cancer while detained in a high-security jail in L’Aquila but was moved last month to hospital after his condition deteriorated.</p>nn<p>L’Aquila mayor Pierluigi Biondi confirmed the mobster’s death in hospital overnight “following a worsening of his illness”.</p>nn<p>His death “puts the end to a story of violence and blood”, Biondi said and thanked prison and hospital staff for their “professionalism and humanity”.</p>nn<p>It was “the epilogue of an existence lived without remorse or repentance, a painful chapter in the recent history of our nation”, the mayor added.</p>nn<p>Messina Denaro was one of the most ruthless bosses in Cosa Nostra, the real-life Sic­ilian crime syndicate depicted in the Godfather movies. He was convicted of involvement in the murder of anti-mafia judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino in 1992 and in deadly bombings in Rome, Florence and Milan in 1993. One of his six life sentences was for the kidnapping and subsequent murder of the 12-year-old son of a witness in the Falcone case.</p>nn<p>“No-one should be denied prayers. But I cannot say I’m sorry,” Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said of the mobster’s death. Messina Denaro disappeared in the summer of 1993 and spent the next 30 years on the run as the Italian state cracked down on the Sicilian mob.</p>nn<p>But he remained at the top of Italy’s most-wanted list and increasingly became a figure of legend.</p>nn<p>It was his decision to seek treatment for his cancer that led to his capture. He was arrested on Jan 16, 2023, when he visited a health clinic in Palermo.</p>nn<p>He was initially treated in his jail cell, but was moved to the inmates’ ward of the hospital in L’Aquila in August, where he remained under heavy security.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2023</em></p>

New Hajj policy to offer shorter stays in holy land

Minister tells Senate panel Karachi will be added to Road to Makkah project next year

September 25, 2023

COAS commends Christian community&amp;#039;s contribution to national development

Gen Asim Munir lauded the efforts of Christian community in strengthening defence of the country, says ISPR

UK investors show keen interest in Pakistan

Interim PM Kakar apprises them of FDI potential in key sectors

Minister calls for unified supply chain

Stresses to establish robust regulatory framework to combat artificial price hikes in food items

Health ecosystem faces critical issues

Roche MD says people with rare diseases often find themselves outside of healthcare system

Govt mulls privatisation of 10 Discos

Explores full privatisation, management transfer as solutions to sector’s woes

Govt warned of rise in rebar prices

Steel producers seek review of surging energy tariffs to save industry from collapse

Minister urges strict price control measures

Expresses zero-tolerance policy towards hoarding and profiteering

UK companies keen on investing

PM assures global firms of fulfilling IMF commitment

Import substitution should be integral part of industrial policy, says Dagha

SBP should fix the exchange rate of the Pakistani rupee from time to time, says minister

TV anchor Imran Riaz Khan &amp;lsquo;safe at home&amp;rsquo; after being missing for over 4 months

<p>Anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan — who had been <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1753583">missing</a> for more than four months — is now “safe at home”, Punjab Inspector General (IG) Dr Usman Anwar confirmed to <em>Dawn.com</em> on Monday.</p>n<p>Sialkot District Police Officer (DPO) Hassan Iqbal and Riaz’s lawyer, Mian Ali Ashfaq, also confirmed the development to <em>Dawn.com</em>.</p>n<p>Riaz — a YouTuber and television anchor — was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1753179/lhc-to-resume-hearing-petition-against-anchorperson-imran-riazs-arrest-tomorrow-as-his-whereabouts-remain-unknown">arrested</a> two days after <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1752003">violent protests</a> broke out across the country following PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1751782">arrest</a> on May 9.</p>n<p>He was last known to be taken to Cantt police station after his arrest and later to the Sialkot prison. On May 15, a law officer <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1753583">told the Lahore High Court</a> (LHC) that the anchorperson was released from jail after taking an undertaking in writing.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1776706"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>On September 20, the LHC had given the Punjab police chief a “<a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776891">last opportunity</a>” to recover Riaz by September 26 (tomorrow). During the hearing, LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti had stated that his patience was “running out”.</p>n<p>In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) during the early hours of Monday, the Sialkot police said, “Journalist/anchor Mr Imran Riaz Khan has been safely recovered. He is now with his family.”</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/DpoSialkot/status/1706099599172096256?t=xGGgsffZK1y9Ucka3oAFaQ&amp;s=19"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Separately, his lawyer Ashfaq, said in a post on X, “By God’s special blessing, grace, and mercy, I have brought back my prince.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MianAliAshfaq/status/1706111828630151524"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>“It took a lot of time due to the mountain of difficulties, the last limit of understanding of the matter, a weak judiciary, and the current ineffective public constitution and legal helplessness,” he said.</p>n<p>In another post on X in the afternoon, Ashfaq shared a photo with Riaz, the latter’s first since his disappearance.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MianAliAshfaq/status/1706227164100583490"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<h2><a id="weak-not-in-the-best-of-health" href="#weak-not-in-the-best-of-health" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>‘Weak, not in the best of health’</h2>n<p>Journalist Wajahat S Khan said that he had spoken to Riaz’s family, adding that the anchorperson was “weak and not in the best of health but he’s back”.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/WajSKhan/status/1706127982341820612"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>PTI leader Hammad Azhar said that the entire nation was rejoicing over Riaz’s return.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/Hammad_Azhar/status/1706140615543534023"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Lawyer Khadija Siddiqi termed the development a “positive sign”.</p>n<p>“Latest modus operandi of brazenly silencing voices of dissent seems to have failed miserably! Citizens of Pakistan must not be antagonised by our own state!” she said.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/khadijasid751/status/1706145543578173714"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The PTI, meanwhile, called for the release of all political prisoners under “illegal incarceration”. “Law and sense must prevail,” the party said.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/PTIofficial/status/1706132283231551830"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>PTI leader Asad Qaiser termed his return a “good move” and demanded that other PTI leaders also be produced before courts so they “could decide what their crime was”.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/AsadQaiserPTI/status/1706235024930980035"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Former senator Advocate Babar Awan said the “ordeal of Imran Riaz, his family, friends and the citizens of Pakistan” had ended.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/BabarAwanPK/status/1706231089663230179"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<h2><a id="timeline" href="#timeline" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Timeline</h2>n<p>Imran Riaz — a YouTuber and television anchor — was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1753179/lhc-to-resume-hearing-petition-against-anchorperson-imran-riazs-arrest-tomorrow-as-his-whereabouts-remain-unknown">arrested</a> two days after <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1752003">violent protests</a> broke out across the country following PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1751782">arrest</a> on May 9.</p>n<p>He was last known to be taken to Cantt police station after his arrest and later to the Sialkot prison. On May 15, a law officer had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1753583">told the LHC</a> that the anchorperson was released from jail after taking an undertaking in writing. His whereabouts however remained unknown.</p>n<p>Subsequently, a first information report (FIR) of Riaz’s alleged abduction was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1753691">registered</a> with Sialkot Civil Lines police on May 16 on the complaint of the anchorperson’s father, Muhammad Riaz.</p>n<p>The FIR was registered against “unidentified persons” and police officials for allegedly kidnapping Riaz, invoking Section 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person) of the Pakistan Penal Code.</p>n<p>The journalist’s father had also filed a plea in the LHC for his recovery.</p>n<p>During a May 19 hearing of the case, the anchorperson’s father had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1754354">become teary-eyed</a> in the LHC, pleading for mercy, as the whereabouts of his son remained unknown. The next day, the LHC chief justice had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1754596">ordered</a> the police to recover and present the anchorperson by May 22.</p>n<p>On that date, the LHC had directed the ministries of interior and defence to “discharge their constitutional duties to effect the recovery” of the anchorperson after IG Anwar <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1755001">revealed that there was no trace</a> of the journalist at any police department across the country.</p>n<p>The LHC was subsequently <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1755705">informed</a> that both the Inter-Services Intelligence and the Military Intelligence had said the anchorperson was not in their custody. On May 26, the high court had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1755976">directed “all the agencies”</a> to work together to find the anchorperson and produce him in the court by May 30.</p>n<p>When that date arrived, IG Anwar had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1756838">told the LHC</a> that phone numbers that had been traced back to Afghanistan were involved in the case.</p>n<p>The anchorperson’s lawyer had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1758272">contended</a> in the June 6 hearing that their patience was “wearing thin” even as the Punjab government had informed the high court that efforts to find the journalist were underway.</p>n<p>During the July 5 hearing, the LHC had established a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1763122">deadline of July 25</a> for the police to locate the missing journalist. However, no hearing could be held on the designated date due to the bench’s unavailability.</p>n<p>In that particular hearing, retired Brigadier Falak Naz, representing the Ministry of Defence, had informed the court: “We are working on tracing locations and other issues. We are trying to recover Imran Riaz as soon as possible.”</p>n<p>On September 6, IG Anwar had told LHC that the police <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1774366">would deliver “good news”</a> in the next few days, following which he was granted time till September 13.</p>n<p>However, failing to deliver any major “good news”, the IG on September 13 had assured the court that the probe was “<a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1774366">going in the right direction</a>”.</p>n<p>On September 20, the LHC had given the Punjab police chief a “<a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776891">last opportunity</a>” to recover Riaz by September 26, adjourning the proceedings in a petition demanding his recovery till then.</p>

HRCP says PM Kakar&amp;rsquo;s statement on elections sans Imran &amp;lsquo;anti-democratic and ill-judged&amp;rsquo;

<p>The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Monday took “strong exception” to caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar’s <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777637/fair-elections-can-take-place-without-imran-jailed-pti-leaders-pm-kakar">remarks</a> that “fair elections” were possible even without PTI Chairman Imran Khan and other jailed party workers.</p>n<p>Imran, who was originally <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1768528">jailed</a> for “corrupt practices” in the Toshakhana case — although his conviction has since been <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1772860">suspended</a> — is currently on <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775787">judicial remand</a> in the cipher case.</p>n<p>In an <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-elections-sharif-khan-kashmir-afghanistan-a81c125c0abe3bc963294733a15ef7b0">interview</a> with <em>The Associated Press</em> over the weekend, the prime minister had said that “fair” polls were possible without Imran and his party leaders, who were jailed as part of a state crackdown in the aftermath of violent riots across the country on May 9.</p>n<p>PM Kakar had also stated that thousands of PTI members, who were not a part of “unlawful activities”, “will be running the political process” and “participating in the elections”.</p>n<p>The interim prime minister’s statement came days after the Election Commission of Pakistan finally <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777085">announced</a> that polls in the country would be held in January next year. Subsequently, major political parties in the country began preparations for elections.</p>n<p>During the interview, the prime minister had also dismissed the possibility of the military establishment manipulating the election results to ensure the PTI doesn’t win as “absolutely absurd”.</p>n<p>In a statement issued today, the HRCP reminded the prime minister that courts were yet to establish guilt in the cases against Imran and his party leaders. “Mr Kakar’s claims are anti-democratic and ill-judged,” it stated.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/HRCP87/status/1706277280300032295"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>“The prime minister should be aware that it is not for him or his government to decide unilaterally what constitutes a ‘fair’ election,” the commission highlighted.</p>n<p>It noted that the “systematic way in which the PTI leadership has been dismantled — in the shape of mass arrests and rearrests — forced disassociation from the party, the disproportionate number of cases filed against political leaders and workers (including in military courts), and curbs on their freedom of expression and assembly — has not produced a level playing field”.</p>n<p>The HRCP said this was a cause for concern because it perpetuated a “pattern of pre-election manipulation that was also visible in 2018”.</p>n<p>The commission also condemned the treatment meted out to former chief minister and PTI president Parvez Elahi, who has been <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776380">arrested and rearrested</a> a number of times against the directives of the high court.</p>n<p>“HRCP reminds the government that responsibility for ensuring free and fair elections falls on the Election Commission of Pakistan.</p>n<p>“The caretaker government must desist from making irresponsible, partisan statements on matters not within its mandate. Instead, it must ensure that an environment conducive to free, fair, credible and inclusive elections is created and maintained,” it added.</p>

COAS Munir lauds Christian community for &amp;lsquo;outstanding&amp;rsquo; role in defence of Pakistan

<p>Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir on Monday commended the Christian community’s contributions to Pakistan’s national development and praised their “outstanding” role in defending the motherland.</p>n<p>The army chief made these remarks during a meeting with President Bishops (Church of Pakistan and Bishop of Raiwind) along with a 13-member delegation of the Christian Community who called on him at the General Headquarters, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.</p>n<p>The meeting comes a month after a violent mob of hundreds <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1770582/5-churches-many-homes-ransacked-in-faisalabads-jaranwala">ransacked and torched</a> nearly two dozen churches, attacked the residences of members of the Christian community and the office of the local assistant commissioner in Jaranwala, sparking nationwide outrage and condemnation.</p>n<p>COAS Munir had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1770733">denounced</a> the attacks on churches a day later and vowed no leniency for “intolerance and extreme behaviour”.</p>n<p>“It’s imperative for the people to discern the difference between truth, half-truth, lies, misinformation and disinformation,” he had said.</p>n<p>In a more recent development on Saturday, two human rights activists, who were part of the Christian community and had travelled from Karachi to Faisalabad, were reportedly subjected to a brief <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777458">detention and alleged mistreatment</a> by the police. In response, police countered the claims, accusing the duo of misconduct.</p>n<p>The incident was brought to light by lawyer and human rights activist Jibran Nasir on Friday through a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter).</p>n<p>Today, the Christian community delegation called on the army chief and discussed matters of “mutual interest, religious and inter-faith harmony”, according to the ISPR.</p>n<p>The ISPR quoted the army chief as lauding “the contributions of the Pakistani Christian Community in national development, including promotion of quality education, healthcare and philanthropic services and the outstanding role played by them for the defence of the motherland”.</p>n<p>While expressing “deep respect” for the Christian community, the army chief stressed the need to promote greater interfaith harmony in society in order to “follow Quaid’s true vision of a united and progressive Pakistan”.</p>n<p>“Islam is a religion of peace and there is no space for intolerance and extremism in Islam and society. No one can be allowed to take law into his own hands in a civilised society,” COAS Munir remarked.</p>n<p>In response, the visiting delegation acknowledged the Pakistan Army’s efforts in combating terrorism and providing a secure environment for the minorities in the country.</p>n<p>“They appreciated the army chief’s gesture as an inspiration for Pakistani minorities to take greater and more active part in nation building and in restoring their faith in a cohesive and tolerant society,” the ISPR added.</p>

On the brink

<p>IT is Pakistan’s moment of reckoning. <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777422/pakistans-economy-on-edge-of-precipice-warns-world-bank">Words of warning</a> are pouring in to remind the leadership and the people that the country continues to face existential challenges.</p>n<p>The other day, the IMF chief <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777063/imf-chief-urges-pakistan-to-tax-the-rich-protect-the-poor-on-sidelines-of-unga">urged</a> the caretaker prime minister and Pakistanis to collect taxes from the wealthy and subsidise the poor, who are being crushed under the soaring cost of living.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1774316"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>On Friday, Najy Benhassine, World Bank country manager for Pakistan, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777422/pakistans-economy-on-edge-of-precipice-warns-world-bank">underscored</a> that the state was at a crucial juncture where it must decide whether it wants to continue with 40pc of its population living below the poverty line, with policy decisions being driven by a military, political and business elite that has vested interests, or to change direction towards a better future.</p>n<p>“This may be Pakistan’s moment in making policy shifts,” he argued, while releasing a set of policy notes — <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2023/09/21/world-bank-launches-reforms-for-a-brighter-future-time-to-decide-to-contribute-to-the-public-debate-on-development-polic">Reforms For a Brighter Future: Time to Decide</a> — to be discussed and finalised before a new government takes over after elections, due to be held in the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777085">last week of January</a> next year.</p>n<p>He pointed out that states with steady and higher economic growth, such as India, Indonesia and Vietnam, were able to fend off similar difficulties as they tackled their respective crises through making the right decisions.</p>n<p>The economic quandary that a country of 240m people finds itself facing today is of its own making. Stuck in the midst of grave human resource and financial troubles, Pakistan is contending with complex challenges that need to be addressed and tackled simultaneously if it is to extricate itself from the current crisis and move forward.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1776498"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>One cannot expect to <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1773388">collect more taxes</a> and to grow economically without improving sound public services such as education, healthcare and drinking water.</p>n<p>Likewise, balance-of-payments issues cannot be resolved without boosting productivity, and investing in an educated and healthy labour force as well as in climate-resilient infrastructure. Everyone and every sector has to rise together, in sync, if this country is to put itself on a progressive trajectory.</p>n<p>This is not the first time that global lenders such as the IMF and World Bank, which we <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777260">always lean on</a> for help during what seem to be perpetually hard times, have advised us on what we should do. And it is not as if our ruling classes and policymakers are unaware of the problems or their solutions.</p>n<p>Yet these constant reminders underline how the vested interests that the World Bank country chief alluded to are impeding much-needed reforms to restructure the economy.</p>n<p>If we are to revive the economy, every stakeholder that Mr Benhassine has mentioned should ask themselves whether they want short-term gains at the expense of the country and its people, or longer-term stability that can allow us to function and have a future to look forward to.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2023</em></p>

India&amp;rsquo;s overreach

<p>INDIA is having its moment in the sun; the economy is booming, it has <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1771717">landed on the South Pole of the moon</a> and New Delhi just <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775114">hosted the G20</a>, which was a massive coming-out party for Modi. Earlier, Modi had the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1761117">red carpet rolled out for him in Washington</a> where the administration fawned over a man who, up until fairly recently, was barred from entering the US due to his complicity in the Gujarat massacres in which over 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed and countless women raped, often in front of their families.</p>n<p>However, times change, and India’s burgeoning economy and its value as a hedge against China meant that Modi must be courted and the performative pearl-clutching over the usual Western obsessions with human rights and such was to be dispensed with. That’s not a complaint; that’s realpolitik.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1777621"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>But the thing with having your moment in the sun is that it can go to your head; as Washington was finalising the menu and selecting silverware, an Indian intelligence operation was underway in America’s ally Canada. There, a pro-independence Sikh leader and Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was gunned down outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia on June 18.</p>n<p>Some months later, and conveniently right after the G20 summit had concluded its speeches and photo-ops, came <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776704/indian-envoy-expelled-as-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-death">Justin Trudeau’s bombshell</a> where he accused India’s intelligence agencies of being behind the attack. What followed were furious, tit-for-tat <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776725/in-tit-for-tat-move-india-expels-canadian-diplomat-after-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-murder">expulsions and exchanges</a>, with the accused mastermind, Pavan Kumar Rai, being compelled to leave Canada. India, in its typical style of accusing others of what it itself is guilty of, warned its citizens to “exercise caution” when visiting Canada due to “growing anti-India activities and politically condoned hate crimes and criminal violence” there. After this spectacular example of a pot calling the kettle black — most hate crimes in Canada are committed against Jews, Muslims and Catholics, in that order — India then suspended the processing of visas for Canadians, which is terrible news for the millions of Canadians presumably queuing up to visit India. Diplomatic presence is also being cut back by both countries.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>New Delhi believes it can get away with murder abroad.</p>n</blockquote>n<p>Meanwhile, India is reacting with typical narrow-minded nationalist bravado, with its media thumping its chest over the ‘muscular new India’ and pointing out the examples of Gen Suleimani and Osama bin Laden while also fervently denying the accusation. Indian social media, in its usual toxic manner, is heaping abuse upon Canada and Trudeau for ‘sheltering terrorists’ while celebrating the fact that along with yoga, assassination is also one of India’s exports. This sells well in the domestic Indian market, where the populace has been fed a daily diet of hate and religious supremacy which often translates into state-condoned violence against Muslims and other minorities.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1777453"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Seemingly secure in its Western alliance, India has taken the world’s silence as a signal that it can get away with murder abroad, as it has within its own borders and in the region. Unsurprisingly, no one is questioning the possible fallout for fear of being labelled traitors. So in that scenario, any indications of India projecting its power is appreciated, and certainly the more robust the Indian diplomatic offensive is, the better it’ll play in the upcoming Indian polls, especially with the INDIA alliance trying to take the BJP down a peg.</p>n<p>For Canada, taking a soft line would be suicidal; home to many diasporas and dissidents due to its liberal immigration policies, allowing an India-ordered assassination to take place without a reaction would mean there would be no stopping other countries with equal or greater capabilities from doing the same. What if, for example, China were to start eliminating Tibetan, Uighur or Falun Gong activists in Canada? So, as India escalates, Canada has started to drip out information and as per a report in the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Ottawa is in possession of intercepted communications by Indian officials regarding the murder, along with intelligence provided by another member of the Five Eyes network, of which Canada is a part. They have receipts, and will show them in due course.</p>n<p>This places the West in a tight spot, having to balance between India and their old ally Canada. So far, the responses have been muted amid diplomatic calls for the investigation to be completed, but among analysts, think tanks and influential media outlets, the mood seems to be changing amid a realisation that the Indian alliance carries unexpected costs, among which is giving New Delhi the impression that it can do as it likes, and can use the same tactics and policies it uses in the subcontinent, in their own countries as well. While realpolitik will eventually prevail, the mask is well and truly off.</p>n<p><em>The writer is a journalist.</em></p>n<p><em>X (formerly Twitter): <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://twitter.com/ZarrarKhuhro">@zarrarkhuhro</a></em></p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2023</em></p>

CJP Isa says trend of seeking another date for hearing will no longer fly

<p>With the Supreme Court (SC) facing a significant backlog of cases, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa remarked on Monday that the trend of seeking another date for hearing would no longer fly.</p>n<p>The CJP made the remarks as a three-member SC bench heard a case related to a land dispute, during which one of the lawyers sought to adjourn the hearing for a later date.</p>n<p>In response, CJP Isa reprimanded the lawyer and told him to forget the idea of seeking a later date.</p>n<p>“Through you, this is also a message for everyone that the trend of seeking adjournments will no longer fly. The number of cases pending before the apex court is quite high,” he said.</p>n<p>He further said that “notice [should be issued] during one hearing while arguments should be heard at the next”.</p>n<p>He said that in other courts, another date was given for the hearing in order to furnish more documents. “If a case comes to the SC, then all the paperwork should be complete,” he said, as the court rejected the lawyer’s plea.</p>n<p>Last week, CJP Isa had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777039">constituted</a> a committee of judges on case management that will also determine the fate of complaints against judges, pending before the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).</p>n<p>The committee, which will also include representatives of premier bars, namely the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), has been tasked with coming up with guidelines on how to clear a whopping backlog of 57,000 cases pending before the top court, speedy administration of justice and fixation and hearing of cases etc, PBC Vice Chairman Haroonur Rashid and PBC Executive Committee Chairman Hassan Raza Pasha told reporters after attending an over two-and-a-half-hour-long session called by the CJP to deliberate on a mechanism for case management.</p>n<p>Subsequently, the apex court had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777550/sc-orders-weekly-updates-on-cases-filed-disposed-of">decided</a> that details of the number of cases filed each week and disposed of by the court would be issued regularly on a weekly basis. In a statement, the top court said the decision to share weekly details of cases was taken to ensure transparency.</p>

Indian govt grants Pakistan squad visas for World Cup, PCB confirms

<p>After multiple delays, the Indian government on Monday issued visas for the Pakistan squad, enabling them to travel to the neighbouring country for the World Cup, Pakistan Cricket Board spokesperson Umar Farooq Kalson confirmed to <em>Dawn.com</em>.</p>n<p>“Finally received a call from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to collect the passports,” he said.</p>n<p>The team is due to travel to Dubai from Lahore on Sept 27 before flying to Hyderabad, India, to play two warm-up matches — against New Zealand on Sept 29 and Australia on Oct 3.</p>n<p>Today’s development comes hours after the PCB approached the International Cricket Council (ICC) with concerns regarding “extraordinary delays” in the issuance of Indian visas.</p>n<p>“We have written to ICC raising our concerns about inequitable treatment towards Pakistan and reminding them of these obligations towards the World Cup,” Farooq said.</p>n<p>“It’s a matter of disappointment that the Pakistan team has to go through the uncertainty ahead of the major tournament.”</p>n<p>Farooq said the board had been reminding the ICC about obligations for the last three years but it had all come down to the last two days with the national team’s first warm-up game scheduled on September 29.</p>n<p>“We were forced to cancel our original plan to organise team-building exercises in Dubai on the way to India. We have had to rework our plan and book new flights, but these plans are subject issuance of visas,” the spokesperson added.</p>n<p>According to <em><a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/pakistan-change-plans-pre-world-cup-dubai-trip-indian-visas-delay-1399636">ESPNcricinfo</a></em>, the application for visas was rep­o­rtedly made over a week ago.</p>n<p>Due to visa delays, the team had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777488">cancelled</a> its pre-World Cup team bonding event in Dubai.</p>n<p>Earlier, the team was scheduled to leave for Dubai on Sept 25 and stay there for two days. Pakistan will play their first match against the Netherlands on Oct 6.</p>n<p>Fans and journalists who intended to attend the tournament had to apply for visas through the Indian High Commission’s website.</p>n<p>The portal, however, remained inaccessible, leaving the aspirants dismayed. Expressing concerns over visa hiccups, a Lahore-based journalist said he and his fellow sports reporters had to get the online forms filled through agents and paid them for a simple process.</p>n<p>Owing to issues with the accessibility of the high commission’s website, visa seekers said they had been advised to use a VPN while accessing the site.</p>n<p>Earlier, the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Sports Journalists Association issued a statement, saying that even media persons accredited with the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the national governing body of cricket in India, and the ICC were facing difficulties.</p>n<p>The association appealed to the Indian High Commission to accept hand-filled visa applications if the issue persisted. The media persons should be facilitated as limited time was left at the start of the mega event, the statement added.</p>

Leather, willow and sunflowers: China gets to grip with cricket

<p>There’s a reverential hush from the respectful crowd as Pakistan’s Sadia Iqbal opens the bowling to Bangladesh’s Shathi Rani in the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777651/pakistan-women-knocked-out-of-asiad-cricket-by-sri-lanka">Asian Games women’s bronze medal match</a> in Hangzhou.</p>n<p>The sound of leather on willow echoes around the purpose-built cricket ground, which until recently was full of sunflowers.</p>n<p>The atmosphere is more village green than the fever pitch of, say, Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, but the few hundred spectators are fully engaged — even if many admit to never seeing the game before.</p>n<p>Almost entirely Chinese, the crowd “oohs and aahs” and clap when a wicket falls, cheer every boundary and then look bewildered when a loud lbw appeal pierces the serenity of the Zhejiang University of Technology (ZJUT) Cricket Field.</p>n<p>“I didn’t ever see cricket before so I was interested to know more about this sport,” said spectator Huang Dapeng, who runs his own business in Hangzhou.</p>n<p>“I’m starting to understand it a little, but I am really enjoying it anyway.” A few have some knowledge of the game and seem captivated.</p>n<p>“I travelled to Sri Lanka before and a friend invited me to watch cricket, so I became interested,” said Liang Xiaoqian, a travel agent.</p>n<p>“When I heard it was in the Asian Games I wanted to learn more about this game,” she added, ahead of Monday afternoon’s final between India and Sri Lanka.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right '>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class='media__caption '>.A general view of the Zhenjiang University of Technology Cricket Stadium is pictured during the 2022 Asian Games women’s third-place playoff cricket match between Bangladesh and Pakistan in Hangzhou, in China’s eastern Zhejiang province on September 25, 2023. — AFP</figcaption>n </figure></p>n<p>“I am enjoying watching. I will be supporting Sri Lanka in the gold medal match.” Others are there just because it is the Asian Games and they want to watch sport, any sport.</p>n<p>“It’s the only Asian Games tickets we could get,” said a smiling Jeff Wang, an engineer who was sitting in the stand with his father Wang Hang.</p>n<p>“It’s my first time to watch cricket. It’s unknown to me before, I don’t really know what is going on.</p>n<p>“But I did hear this game is very famous in South Asia.”</p>n<h2><a id="remain-forever" href="#remain-forever" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>‘Remain forever’</h2>n<p>Looking out over the near-circular ground, it is hard to believe that before the Asian Games the pristine mowed grass was a field of sunflowers.</p>n<p>It won’t be getting overgrown after. The newest of the ZJUT campus’s sporting facilities will have life after the Asiad.</p>n<p>“It will remain forever,” venue manager Li Danlin told <em>AFP</em>. “There will always be cricket played here from now on.”</p>n<p>The university has more than 20 colleges and 80,000 students. They will be taught about the game and encouraged to play, according to Li.</p>n<p>“We hope that cricket clubs will form and use the venue,” she added.</p>n<p>Pakistan head coach Mohtashim Rasheed said it was vital to spread cricket to new territories.</p>n<p>“Very exciting to see the crowds here coming to watch, all Chinese people, that is a very healthy sign for developing cricket in China,” Mohtashim, the brother of Pakistan Test player Haroon Rasheed, told <em>AFP</em>.</p>n<p>“It is a complicated game so we have to develop in China and other countries. The most important thing is to get it into schools.</p>n<p>“I would love to do an exchange programme here to help boys and girls learn the game. They can start small, a shorter version like six-a-side,” added Mohtashim.n“If you could get under-10s playing, then in five years you would see a difference,” he added.</p>n<p>“For the older-age kids we could bring it with baseball. I think they like playing baseball and it is similar.</p>n<p>“Swing a bat and hit a ball. That’s a translation that could be made. “</p>

India fires first world record of Asian Games as Japanese teen dazzles

<p>India claimed the first world record of the Hangzhou Asian Games on Monday as hosts China snapped up more gold medals and 15-year-old skateboarder Hinano Kusaki triumphed for Japan.</p>n<p>The Indian trio of Divyansh Panwar, Rudrankksh Patil and Aishwary Tomar blew away the field with a new world-best 1,893.7 points to win the men’s 10m air rifle team event on day two of the multi-sports extravaganza.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1777494"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>They beat the previous mark of 1,893.3 set by China last month in Baku.</p>n<p>In doing so they won India’s first gold of a Games where the hosts have <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777650/china-rule-in-pool-and-beyond-on-first-day-of-asian-games">swept</a> 28 of the 44 titles decided so far.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1706189235072725392"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>“In the 10m event they are both perfect athletes,” Tomar said of his teammates.</p>n<p>“Playing with them is huge, it’s really good,” he added.</p>n<p>Another shooting world record fell to China’s Sheng Lihao in the men’s 10m air rifle with his 253.3 points surpassing teammate Yu Haonan’s 252.8 from Rio four years ago.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/19thAGofficial/status/1706198433894482060"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>“I had good luck in the final. I did quite well today, I was basically smooth,” said Sheng.</p>n<p>Like India, Macau clinched its first gold in Hangzhou, with wushu athlete Li Yi winning the changquan title to become the first woman in history from the Chinese territory to earn an Asian Games gold.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/19thAGofficial/status/1706150981136945638"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>“I’m really proud. This one completes the process so I feel really fortunate,” said the 31-year-old.</p>n<p>“This maybe brings my 20 years as an athlete to a perfect end,” she said.</p>n<p>In other early action on day two, Kusaki dazzled in skateboarding to easily win the women’s park final at Qiantang Roller Sports Centre.</p>n<p>“I am very happy with how everything went,” said the teenager.</p>n<h2><a id="qin-targets-breaststroke-gold" href="#qin-targets-breaststroke-gold" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Qin targets breaststroke gold</h2>n<p>After winning all seven gold medals in the swimming pool on the opening day, China are primed to dominate again on Monday night, spearheaded by breaststroke world champion Qin Haiyang.</p>n<p>The Chinese star caused a major upset at the world championships in Fukuoka in July when he won the 100m gold in 57.69 ahead of a stacked field and in the absence of British great Adam Peaty.</p>n<p>He went on to complete an unprecedented clean sweep of the breaststroke titles, an achievement he is aiming to match at his home Asiad as he builds towards next year’s Paris Olympics.</p>n<p>Qin, the second-fastest ever over 100m after Peaty, was in a class of his own in the heats, touching in 58.35 to better the previous Games best set by Japan’s Yasuhiro Koseki in 2018.</p>n<p>South Korea’s Choi Dong-yeol came in second — a gaping 1.55 seconds behind Qin.</p>n<p>Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey could prevent another Chinese clean sweep when she lines up in the women’s 200m freestyle final.</p>n<p>Haughey did not compete at the 2018 Asiad due to a nagging foot injury but has since become one of the top freestyle swimmers in the world.</p>n<p>After earning silver behind Australian star Ariarne Titmus at the Tokyo Olympics, she narrowly missed the medals at the July world championships.</p>n<p>But she reinforced her credentials with a silver in Fukuoka over 100m.</p>n<p>Haughey qualified fifth-fastest in 2:00.75 in the 200m freestyle, conserving energy while capable of swimming a lot faster. China’s Li Bingjie was quickest through the heats.</p>

Gill, Iyer belt tons as India crush Australia to clinch ODI series

<p>INDORE: India batsmen Shub­man Gill and Shreyas Iyer scored centuries to lay the platform for a 99-run win over Australia in their rain-hit second One-day International in Indore on Sunday that sealed a 2-0 series victory ahead of the World Cup.</p>n<p>A revised victory target of 317 in 33 overs following a rain interruption left Australia facing a daunting task and they ran out of steam after David Warner’s departure for a defiant half-century, as India prevailed via the Duckworth-Lewis method.</p>n<p>Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, playing in only his second ODI this year, got rid of Australia’s dangerous batsmen to end with 3-41 after pace bowler Prasidh Krishna’s early double strike.</p>n<p>Asked to bat first on a good Holkar Stadium wicket by stand-in Australia captain Steve Smith, top-ranked India posted a huge 399-5 in 50 overs as opener Gill continued his superb form with a fifth ton this year and sixth overall.</p>n<p>The 24-year-old began cautiously but built momentum to make 104 off 97 balls, with six fours and four sixes, while Iyer gave him good company with 105 from 90 balls as the pair tore into the Australian attack without rested skipper Pat Cummins.</p>n<p>Iyer missed much of India’s triumphant Asia Cup campaign with a back spasm but showed he was in fine fettle heading into the World Cup on home soil next month, with 11 fours and three sixes in a controlled 200-run second-wicket stand with Gill.</p>n<p>Home skipper KL Rahul made a steady 52 in the middle overs before Suryakumar Yadav heaped the misery on Australia, striking four consecutive sixes off Cameron Green in the 44th over en route to a 37-ball 72.</p>n<p>Australia started shakily as Krishna removed Matthew Short and Smith off successive balls before rain briefly halted play with the tourists mounting a fightback at 56-2.</p>n<p>Left-hander Warner went on the offensive after play resumed and displayed his ambidexterity by batting right-handed against Ashwin, but was trapped lbw for 53 as he looked to switch back and raise the scoring rate.</p>n<p>Warner bizarrely did not review the umpire’s decision as television replays showed he edged the ball onto his pad.</p>n<p>Ravindra Jadeja (3-42) then got in on the act as Australia fizzled out for 217 after a battling 54 by Sean Abbott.</p>n<p>India, who rested several frontline players for the first two games, will eye a clean sweep when the teams meet in Rajkot on Wednesday.</p>n<p><strong>SCOREBOARD</strong></p>n<p><strong>INDIA:</strong></p>n<p>R. Gaikwad c Carey b Hazlewood8</p>n<p>S. Gill c Carey b Green104</p>n<p>S. Iyer c Short b Abbott105</p>n<p>K.L. Rahul b Green52</p>n<p>I. Kishan c Carey b Zampa31</p>n<p>S. Yadav not out72</p>n<p>R. Jadeja not out13</p>n<p>EXTRAS (NB-1, W-13)14</p>n<p>TOTAL (for five wickets, 50 overs)399</p>n<p>FALL OF WICKETS: 1-16 (Gaikwad), 2-216 (Iyer), 3-243 (Gill), 4-302 (Kishan), 5-355 (Rahul)</p>n<p>DID NOT BAT: R. Ashwin, S. Thakur, M. Shami, P. Krishna</p>n<p>BOWLING: Johnson 8-0-61-0 (1w, 1nb), Hazlewood 10-0-62-1 (2w), Abbott 10-0-91-1 (4w), Green 10-0-103-2 (2w), Zampa 10-0-67-1, Short 2-0-15-0</p>n<p><strong>AUSTRALIA:</strong></p>n<p>M. Short c Ashwin b Krishna9</p>n<p>D. Warner lbw Ashwin53</p>n<p>S. Smith c Gill b Krishna0</p>n<p>M. Labuschagne b Ashwin27</p>n<p>J. Inglis lbw Ashwin6</p>n<p>A. Carey b Jadeja14</p>n<p>C. Green run out19</p>n<p>S. Abbott b Jadeja54</p>n<p>A. Zampa b Jadeja5</p>n<p>J. Hazlewood b Shami23</p>n<p>EXTRAS (B-1, LB-3, W-3)7</p>n<p>TOTAL (all out, 28.2 overs)217</p>n<p>FALL OF WICKETS: 1-9 (Short), 2-9 (Smith), 3-89 (Labuschagne), 4-100 (Warner), 5-101 (Inglis), 6-128 (Carey), 7-135 (Green), 8-140 (Zampa), 9-217 (Hazlewood)</p>n<p>DID NOT BAT: S. Johnson</p>n<p>BOWLING: Shami 6-0-39-1, Krishna 6-0-56-2 (2w), Ashwin 7-0-41-3, Thakur 4-0-35-0 (1w), Jadeja 5.2-0-42-3</p>n<p>RESULT: India won by 99 runs (DLS Method).</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2023</em></p>

Bezzecchi wins Indian MotoGP, Bagnaia crashes

<p>GREATER NOIDA: Pole-starter Marco Bezzecchi won India’s inaugural MotoGP in a near-flawless race on Sunday, but world champion Francesco Bagnaia crashed out after slipping on a turn.</p>nn<p>Jorge Martin, who won Saturday’s sprint race, just held on for second spot with Fabio Quartararo a close third at the Buddh International Circuit.</p>nn<p>Italy’s Bezzecchi, on a Ducati-VR46, won his third race of the season in 36 minutes, 59.157 seconds.</p>nn<p>But it was heartbreak for Bagnaia, who lost control of his Ducati and the bike went for a somersault.</p>nn<p>The Italian still leads the world championship with 292 points but saw his lead cut in the 13th race. Martin is on 279 points followed by Bezzecchi on 248.</p>nn<p>Spain’s Martin, Bagnaia’s nearest challenger in the title tussle, was given a scare by Quartararo in a dramatic last lap that had the number two and three fighting hard.</p>nn<p>Martin had a strong start to the race, jumping into the lead from his second position on the grid, with Bagnaia second and Bezzecchi third.</p>nn<p>Bezzecchi soon went past Bagnaia with a clean overtake at a corner and kept up the pace to increase the gap to more than three seconds in the first five laps.</p>nn<p>Martin edged out Bagnaia as the competition for second and third spot remained tight. Bagnaia found space on lap 13 and squeezed past Martin, before his race met a premature and painful end.</p>nn<p>But by then the race belonged to Bezzecchi, who came in as one of the favourites after he scorched the track in qualifying.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2023</em></p>

Bangladesh name Najmul captain for third NZ ODI

<p>DHAKA: Bangladesh on Sunday named batsman Najmul Hossain Shanto captain for the third One-day International against New Zealand and brought several senior players back.</p>nn<p>Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, and Shoriful Islam would join Najmul for the must-win contest at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Tuesday.</p>nn<p>New Zealand are leading the three-match series 1-0 thanks to their 86-run win in the second match on Tuesday, the side’s first win against Bangladesh in the country in nearly 15 years.</p>nn<p>The first match was washed out by rain.</p>nn<p>The Kiwis last beat Bangladesh in their own backyard in October 2008.</p>nn<p>They then lost the next two series in 2010 and 2013, respectively, by 4-0 and 3-0.</p>nn<p>Over that period, New Zealand’s only ODI victory in Bangladesh came against South Africa in the 2011 World Cup quarterfinal.</p>nn<p>Bangladesh rested Liton Das, Tamim Iqbal, Khaled Ahmed, Soumya Sarkar, Mustafizur Rahman, and Tanzim Hasan, who all played in the second match against New Zealand.</p>nn<p>Regular captain Shakib Al Hasan did not play any part of the series.</p>nn<p>In the absence of Shakib and Liton, Najmul is now set to become the 16th ODI captain for Bangladesh.</p>nn<p>The series is the last for both teams ahead of the upcoming World Cup in India, which opens on October 5.</p>nn<p>Squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Zakir Hasan, Anamul Haque, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Rishad Hossain.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2023</em></p>

Verstappen victory secures team title for Red Bull

<p>SUZUKA: Formula One leader Max Verstappen ran away with the Japanese Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday as his dominant Red Bull team secured the constructors’ title for the second year in a row.</p>nn<p>The victory at Suzuka was the Dutch driver’s 13th in 16 races this season and left him on the brink of a third world championship after team-mate Sergio Perez, his closest rival, failed to finish.</p>nn<p>McLaren’s Lando Norris and Australian rookie Oscar Piastri, on a grand prix podium for the first time, finished second and third, respectively.</p>nn<p>Verstappen, who also took the fastest lap bonus and now leads Perez by a massive 177 points, can seal his third drivers’ title in a row with five rounds to spare at next month’s Qatar Grand Prix.</p>nn<p>Verstappen now has 400 points to the Mexican’s 223 while Red Bull have an unassailable lead of 318 points over Mercedes.</p>nn<p>Constructors’ title was Red Bull’s sixth since they entered the sport in 2005.</p>nn<p>Verstappen took the chequered flag 19.387 seconds ahead of Norris, whose second place was the Briton’s fourth in seven races.</p>nn<p>McLaren’s first double podium of the season, with team orders ultimately deciding the positions on strategy, cemented their growing status as Red Bull’s closest challengers on track.</p>nn<p>Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished fourth with Lewis Hamilton fifth in a bouncing, sliding Mercedes that he said left him exhausted.</p>nn<p>Carlos Sainz finished sixth in his Ferrari.</p>nn<p>George Russell took seventh for Mercedes after letting Hamilton through, reluctantly, on team orders and then being passed by Sainz.</p>nn<p>Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was eighth, ahead of Alpines Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2023</em></p>

Son double holds Arsenal, Liverpool cut City&amp;rsquo;s Premier League lead

<p>LONDON: Son Heung-min’s double earned Tottenham Hotspur a point from a pulsating 2-2 draw against Arsenal, as Liverpool moved into second in the Premier League with a 3-1 win over West Ham United on Sunday.</p>nn<p>Brighton &amp; Hove Albion climb up to third after beating Bournemouth 3-1, but Chelsea still cannot buy a goal as Mauricio Pochettino’s men lost 1-0 at home to Aston Villa.</p>nn<p>Spurs have still won just once in their last 31 away league meetings with Arsenal, but the optimism garnered under Ange Postecoglou’s early weeks in charge was not punctured at the Emirates despite twice falling behind in the north London derby.</p>nn<p>Arsenal’s bright start was rewarded when Bukayo Saka’s strike was deflected into his own net by Cristian Romero.</p>nn<p>But for the fifth time in seven games under Postecoglou, Tottenham fought back from a goal down.</p>nn<p>David Raya has displaced Aaron Ramsdale as Arsenal’s number one goalkeeper as he was selected for the third consecutive game by Mikel Arteta.</p>nn<p>The Spaniard justified that decision with a stunning save to deny Brennan Johnson his first Tottenham goal.</p>nn<p>However, the visitors were not denied for long as James Maddison’s cross was swept home by Son at the near post three minutes before half-time.</p>nn<p>Romero’s afternoon went from bad to worse when he was harshly penalised for handball and Saka stroked home the resulting penalty to restore Arsenal’s lead.</p>nn<p>But the Gunners lost record signing Declan Rice at half-time to injury and that proved costly as an error from his replacement Jorginho gifted Tottenham an equaliser just a minute later.</p>nn<p>Maddison was again the creator as he robbed the Italian midfielder and teed up Son for a cool finish into the far corner.</p>nn<p>Meanwhile, Liverpool cut Manchester City’s lead at the top to two points as Jurgen Klopp’s men showed more promising signs of getting back to their best.</p>nn<p>The Reds sank to fifth last season, but have the firepower that could make them the biggest threat to City’s throne as champions.</p>nn<p>Mohamed Salah opened the scoring from the penalty spot after he was upended in the box by Nayef Aguerd.</p>nn<p>West Ham’s only previous defeat this season came at home to City last weekend and they bounced back to fully merit their equaliser before half-time when Jarrod Bowen’s diving header found the far corner.</p>nn<p>However, the Hammers were undone by a moment of magic when Alexis Mac Allister’s inch-perfect chip picked out Darwin Nunez, who volleyed into the far corner.</p>nn<p>Diogo Jota then came off the bench to make it 3-1 five minutes from time.</p>nn<p>Brighton took advantage of dropped points for both north London sides to move up to third after coming from behind to beat Bournemouth 3-1.</p>nn<p>Roberto De Zerbi made nine changes from the side that started the Seagulls’ first ever European game in a 3-2 defeat by AEK Athens and paid the price in a slow start.</p>nn<p>Dominic Solanke fired Bournemouth in front after a glaring error from Brighton ‘keeper Bart Verbruggen.</p>nn<p>Milos Kerkez’s own goal brought Brighton level in first-half stoppage time, but that did not stop De Zerbi sending on Kaoru Mitoma at the break.</p>nn<p>The Japanese winger took just 16 seconds to put Brighton in front with a precise finish and Mitoma made sure of the points when he headed home Pervis Estupinan’s cross 14 minutes from time.</p>nn<p>In Sunday’s other fixture, Chelsea’s disastrous start to Pochettino’s reign goes on as the toothless Blues failed to score for a third consecutive game.</p>nn<p>Malo Gusto’s straight red card for a lunge on Lucas Digne on the hour mark gave the home side a mountain to climb at Stamford Bridge.</p>nn<p>Villa made their man advantage count when Ollie Watkins’ powerful strike beat Robert Sanchez from a narrow angle.</p>nn<p>Despite spending more than any other Premier League club in the summer transfer window, Chelsea have taken just five points from Pochettino’s first six league games in charge.</p>nn<p>On Saturday, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes struck a sublime volley to earn a 1-0 victory at Burnley as Erik ten Hag’s side ended a three-match losing streak in all competition while Everton registered their first league victory of the season, producing an impressive display to triumph 3-1 at Brentford whose home struggles continued.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2023</em></p>

China rule in pool and beyond on first day of Asian Games

<p>HANGZHOU: China won the first gold medal of the Hangzhou Asian Games and then cleaned up in the swimming events on Sunday, breaking several records in the process.</p>nn<p>By the end of a highly successful day one for the hosts, they had pocketed 20 of 31 golds while their nearest challengers South Korea had five.</p>nn<p>China’s medal rush began when Zou Jiaqi and Qiu Xiuping dominated the women’s lightweight double sculls rowing for the first gold of the Games, finishing almost 10 seconds ahead of Uzbekistan.</p>nn<p>It was especially satisfying for Zou, who hails from Hangzhou.</p>nn<p>“I am very excited as it’s my first Asian Games,” she said, clutching her gold medal.</p>nn<p>The home nation won six of the seven golds at the Fuyang Water Sports Centre rowing venue with only Hong Kong’s Lam San-tung and Wong Wai-chun getting in on the party by winning the men’s pairs.</p>nn<p>More golds rolled in for China in shooting, modern pentathlon, wushu and artistic gymnastics, in which they triumphed in the men’s team event ahead of Japan.</p>nn<p>But they saved the best for last in swimming, in what is always one of the most prestigious events at the Games and has extra significance with the Paris Olympics less than a year away.</p>nn<p>Olympic champion Zhang Yufei, China’s “Butterfly Queen”, was among the winners as the hosts romped home in all seven races on the opening night in the pool, smashing a slew of Asian records.</p>nn<p>Zhang successfully defended her 200m butterfly crown, cruising to victory ahead of team-mate Yu Liyan in a new Games-record time of 2min 05.57sec.</p>nn<p>That has been bettered this year only by Canadian star Summer McIntosh and Australia’s Lizzie Dekkers, then Zhang claimed a second gold of the night in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay.</p>nn<p>“I felt I could have gone even faster,” she warned.</p>nn<p>“My first mission was to take the gold for China. Next was to beat Jiao Liuyang’s Games record, and I also did that.</p>nn<p>“I actually felt the pool was a little slow for me and I told my coach that I wasn’t feeling in good form.”</p>nn<p>The first official day of the 19th Asian Games also saw medals handed out in fencing, judo and taekwondo.</p>nn<p>Hong Kong’s Edgar Cheung, already a hero to many in the southern Chinese city, added Asian Games gold to the one he won at the Tokyo Olympics two years ago in the men’s foil.</p>nn<p>Two of South Korea’s five golds came in taekwondo, with Kang Wan-jin winning the men’s individual poomsae and Cha Yea-eun doing likewise in the women’s event.</p>nn<p>North Korea, returning to major international sport for the first time since the Covid pandemic, got on the medals table when Chae Kwang Jin took bronze in the men’s -60kg judo, which was won by Taiwan’s Yang Yung-wei.President Xi Jinping opened the Games on Saturday night after a delay of a year because of China’s now-abandoned zero-Covid policy.</p>nn<p>With more than 12,000 competitors from 45 nations and territories, the Asian Games has more participants than the Olympics.</p>nn<p>They will battle for medals in 40 sports across 54 venues.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2023</em></p>

OpenAI&amp;rsquo;s ChatGPT will &amp;lsquo;see, hear and speak&amp;rsquo; in major update

<p>OpenAI’s ChatGPT is getting a major update that will enable the viral chatbot to have voice conversations with users and interact using images, moving it closer to popular artificial intelligence (AI) assistants like Apple’s Siri.</p>n<p>The voice feature “opens doors to many creative and accessibility-focused applications”, OpenAI said in a <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt-can-now-see-hear-and-speak">blog post</a> on Monday.</p>n<p>Similar AI services like Siri, Google voice assistant and Amazon.com’s Alexa are integrated with the devices they run on and are often used to set alarms and reminders and deliver information off the internet.</p>n<p>Since its debut last year, ChatGPT has been adopted by companies for a wide range of tasks from summarising documents to writing computer code, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1773372">setting off a race</a> amongst Big Tech companies to launch their own offerings based on generative AI.</p>n<p>ChatGPT’s new voice feature can also narrate bedtime stories, settle debates at the dinner table and speak out loud text input from users.</p>n<p>The technology behind it is being used by Spotify for the platform’s podcasters to translate their content into different languages, OpenAI said.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1775773"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>With image support, users can take pictures of things around them and ask the chatbot to “troubleshoot why your grill won’t start, explore the contents of your fridge to plan a meal, or analyse a complex graph for work-related data”.</p>n<p>Alphabet’s Google Lens is currently the popular choice for gaining information on images.</p>n<p>The new ChatGPT features will be released for subscribers of its Plus and Enterprise plans over the next two weeks.</p>

In a first, Nasa capsule brings major asteroid sample to Earth

<p> <figure class='media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch media–uneven media–stretch'>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class='media__caption '>This shot off a Nasa live feed shows the organisation’s safety team working beside the capsule that brought the asteroid sample, on Sunday.—AFP</figcaption>n </figure></p>n<p>DUGWAY: A seven-year space voyage came to its climactic end on Sunday when a Nasa capsule landed in the desert in the US state of Utah, carrying to Earth the largest asteroid samples ever collected.</p>n<p>Scientists have high hopes for the sample, saying it will provide a better understanding of the formation of our solar system and how Earth became habitable.</p>n<p>“Touchdown of the Osiris-Rex sample return capsule!” a commentator said on Nasa’s live video webcast of the landing, as engineers and team members applauded at a nearby mission control center.</p>n<p>Completing a 3.86-billion-mile (6.21bn-kilometre) journey, it marked the United States’ first sample return mission of its kind, the US space agency said in a post on X, the former Twitter.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1706082527809540448"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Scientists say 250 grams of dust will give insight into formation of solar system</p>n</blockquote>n<p>Nasa (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) chief Bill Nelson hailed the mission and said the asteroid dust “will give scientists an extraordinary glimpse into the beginnings of our solar system”. The Osiris-Rex probe’s final, fiery descent through Earth’s atmosphere was perilous, but Nasa managed to engineer a soft landing at 8:52 am local time (1452 GMT), in the military’s Utah Test and Training Range.</p>n<p>Four years after its 2016 launch, the probe had landed on the asteroid Bennu and collected what Nasa estimated is roughly nine ounces (250 grams) of dust from its rocky surface.</p>n<p>Even that small amount, Nasa says, should “help us better understand the types of asteroids that could threaten Earth”. The sample return “is really historic,” Nasa scientist Amy Simon said.</p>n<p>“This is going to be the biggest sample we’ve brought back since the Apollo moon rocks” were returned to Earth.</p>n<p>Osiris-Rex released its capsule early Sunday from an altitude of more than 67,000 miles.</p>n<p>The fiery passage through the atmosphere came only in the last 13 minutes, as the capsule hurtled downward at a speed of more than 27,000 miles per hour, with temperatures of up to 5,000 Fahrenheit (2,760 Celsius).</p>n<p>Its rapid descent was supposed to be slowed by two successive parachutes as it made its way to the 37-mile by nine-mile landing zone.</p>n<p>The main chute, however, deployed “much higher than was originally anticipated,” at about 20,000 feet (6,100 metres) rather than 5,000 feet, Nasa said.</p>n<p>Nasa images showed the tire-sized capsule on the ground in a desert wash, with scientists approaching the device and taking readings.</p>n<p>Eventually they concluded the capsule was not breached, meaning its all-important air-tight seal remained intact, avoiding any contamination of the sample with desert sands.</p>n<p>The team then lifted the capsule by helicopter to a nearby “clean room”.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, the probe that made the space journey fired its engines and shifted course away from Earth, Nasa said, “on its way” for a date with another asteroid, known as Apophis. Scientists predict that asteroid will come within 20,000 miles of Earth in 2029.</p>n<p><strong>Japanese samples</strong></p>n<p>On Monday, the sample heads to Johnson Space Center in Houston for additional study, and Nasa plans to announce its first results at a news conference on Oct 11.</p>n<p>Most of the sample will be conserved for study by future generations. Roughly one-fourth will be immediately used in experiments, and a small amount will be sent to mission partners Japan and Canada.</p>n<p>Japan had earlier given Nasa a few grains from asteroid Ryugu, after bringing 0.2 ounces of dust to Earth in 2020 during the Hayabusa-2 mission. Ten years before, it had brought back a microscopic quantity from another asteroid.</p>n<p><strong>Earth’s origin story</strong></p>n<p>Asteroids are composed of the original materials of the solar system, dating back some 4.5 billion years, and have remained relatively intact.</p>n<p>They “can give us clues about how the solar system formed and evolved,” said Osiris-Rex program executive Melissa Morris.</p>n<p>“It’s our own origin story.” By striking Earth’s surface, “we do believe asteroids and comets delivered organic material, potentially water, that helped life flourish here on Earth,” she said.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2023</em></p>

Hundreds dead from dengue fever in war-torn Sudan: medics

<p>Outbreaks of dengue fever and acute watery diarrhoea have “killed hundreds” in war-torn Sudan, medics reported on Monday, warning of “catastrophic spreads” that could overwhelm the country’s decimated health system.</p>n<p>In a statement, the Sudanese doctors’ union warned that the health situation in the southeastern state of Gedaref, on the border with Ethiopia, “is deteriorating at a horrific rate”, with thousands infected with dengue fever.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1776395"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Though Gedaref has been spared the direct effects of the brutal war between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, it has nonetheless been impacted by mass displacement and other humanitarian crises.</p>n<p>Over five months into the war, 80 per cent of the country’s hospitals are out of service, according to the United Nations.</p>n<p>Even before the war, Sudan’s fragile healthcare system struggled to contain the annual disease outbreaks that accompany the country’s rainy season starting in June, including malaria — endemic in Sudan — and dengue fever.</p>n<p>This year, with Gedaref hosting over 250,000 internally displaced persons according to the UN, the situation is much worse.</p>n<p>“The hospital’s beds are all full but the cases keep coming in, particularly children,” a medical source told <em>AFP</em> from Gedaref Hospital, requesting anonymity out of concern for his safety.</p>n<p>“But the number of those receiving treatment at home is much more than those at the hospital,” he continued.</p>n<p>Gedaref resident Amal Hussein told <em>AFP</em> that “in each home, there are at least three people sick with dengue”.</p>n<p>Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease that causes high fever, headaches, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain and, in the most serious cases, bleeding that can lead to death.</p>n<p>Medics and the UN have repeatedly warned that the violence in Sudan, combined with the rainy season and devastated infrastructure, would cause disease outbreaks across the country.</p>n<p>More than 1,200 children have died in refugee camps since May due in part to a measles outbreak, according to the UN refugee agency.</p>n<p>In El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, “13 cases of malaria were reported in one week”, according to the health ministry.</p>n<p>In the capital Khartoum, “three people died of acute watery diarrhoea” —suspected cases of cholera — in the Hajj Youssef district in the city’s east, the local resistance committee said Monday.</p>n<p>“Take precautions to avoid infection,” urged the committee — one of many that used to organise pro-democracy demonstrations before the war and now volunteers to help those caught in the crossfire.</p>n<p>By early September, the conflict between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, had killed nearly 7,500 people, according to a conservative estimate from the Armed Conflict Location &amp; Event Data Project.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1751964"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Dozens of hospitals have been bombed or occupied by fighters, in what the UN has called “cruel disregard for civilians”.</p>n<p>The medics and aid workers that remain are themselves regularly targeted and their stocks looted, as more people demand help.</p>n<p>Even before the war, one in three Sudanese needed to walk more than an hour to get medical care, where less than 30 percent of vital medicines were available, according to the UN.</p>

&amp;lsquo;Deeply offensive&amp;rsquo;: Pakistan condemns fresh act of Holy Quran desecration in Netherlands

<p>Pakistan on Monday strongly condemned yet another incident of the desecration of the Holy Quran in The Netherlands, calling upon the European country to take swift action against such “hateful and Islamophobic acts”.</p>n<p>“Pakistan condemns in the strongest terms the latest senseless and deeply offensive act of desecration of the Holy Quran that took place in The Hague, the Netherlands in front of some embassies of OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) member countries, including Pakistan,” the Foreign Office (FO) said in a press release issued today.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/ForeignOfficePk/status/1706350260623183918"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Turkish newspaper <em>Daily Sabah</em> had <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.dailysabah.com/politics/diplomacy/dutch-pegida-leader-rips-quran-in-front-of-turkish-embassy">reported</a> on Saturday that Dutch far-right activist Edwin Wagensveld, who leads the Dutch branch of the far-right group Pegida, had desecrated the Holy Quran in front of the Turkish, Pakistani and Indonesian embassies in the Hague and “insulted Islam and Muslims”.</p>n<p>The FO said the “deliberately provocative and Islamophobic act” hurt the sentiments of Muslims around the world and such actions could not be condoned under the “guise of freedom of expression, opinion and protest”.</p>n<p>It added that Pakistan had conveyed its concerns to the Dutch authorities, urging them to be “mindful of the sentiments” of the people of Pakistan and Muslims around the world and take active steps to prevent such “hateful and Islamophobic acts”.</p>n<p>“Pakistan believes that freedom of expression comes with responsibilities. National governments should actively prevent racist and Islamophobic acts, which incite religious hatred.</p>n<p>“It is important for the international community to raise its voice against Islamophobia and work in concert to promote interfaith harmony. That was the spirit behind the resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2022 to mark March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia,” the FO said.</p>n<p>Separately, Saudi Arabia also issued a condemnation and denounced the incident in a statement posted earlier today on the social media platform X.</p>n<p>“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterates the Kingdom’s strong condemnation of these reprehensible and recurring acts that cannot be justified under any circumstances. Such acts clearly promote hatred, exclusion, and racism, and directly contradict international efforts to promote values of tolerance, moderation, and the rejection of extremism,” the country’s foreign ministry said.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/KSAmofaEN/status/1706021794451181585"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Meanwhile, Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi called for “urgent and effective international steps to confront these aggressive and provocative actions against Muslims.”</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/GCCSG/status/1706069869332963657"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The OIC also criticised the “provocative act” in a <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.oic-oci.org/topic/?t_id=39613&amp;t_ref=26654&amp;lan=en">statement</a> issued a day ago.</p>n<p>It had called on the Dutch authorities to take necessary measures against such provocative acts and prevent their recurrence.</p>n<p>Last month, Wagensveld had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1771028">trampled on and tore up</a> a copy of the Holy Quran at a demonstration outside the Turkish embassy in The Hague, infuriating dozens of counter-protesters.</p>n<p>The Dutch government had already condemned the holding of the demonstration ahead of the event but said it had no legal powers to prevent it.</p>n<p><a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1767672">Similar incidents</a> of the Holy Quran’s desecration have taken place in other European countries recently. In late July, two men set fire to a copy of the Quran in <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1767775">front of the Swedish parliament</a>, and similar incidents have taken place in Denmark this year.</p>n<p>Such demonstrations have provoked <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1769424">anger and condemnations</a> and sometimes unrest in several Muslim countries.</p>n<p>Muslim leaders addressing the United Nations General Assembly last week had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777016">berated</a> the West over torchings of the Holy Quran.</p>

Canadian Sikh group urges followers to protest outside Indian embassies

<p>A Canadian Sikh group has called on its members to protest outside the Indian diplomatic missions of main Canadian cities on Monday, a week after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised the prospect of New Delhi’s involvement in the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/20/advocate-separate-sikh-state-india-shot-dead-canada-hardeep-singh-nijjar-temple">murder of a Sikh separatist</a> leader in British Columbia.</p>n<p>Trudeau said last week Canada was pursuing <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777075">“credible allegations”</a> that Indian government agents may be linked to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was shot dead outside a Sikh temple on June 18 in Surrey, a Vancouver suburb with a high Sikh population.</p>n<p>India swiftly denied any role in the killing and described the allegations as “absurd”. The accusations have sparked tensions between the two countries, with each nation expelling diplomats, and New Delhi <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777230">suspending visas</a> for Canadians.</p>n<p>Jatinder Singh Grewal, a director for Sikh for Justice in Canada, told <em>Reuters</em> on Sunday that his organisation will lead the demonstrations outside the Indian embassies and consulates in Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver to increase public awareness about Nijjar’s killing.</p>n<p>“We are asking Canada to expel the India ambassador,” Grewal said.</p>n<p>Representatives for India’s diplomatic missions in Ottawa and Toronto were not immediately available for comment.</p>n<p>The Toronto Police Department said it was aware of the planned demonstrations on Monday but declined to disclose details of the security preparations or potential response to any violent situations that may arise during the protest.</p>n<p>Nijjar, who worked as a plumber, left the north Indian state of Punjab a quarter-century ago and became a Canadian citizen. He has supported the formation of an independent Sikh homeland, called Khalistan, to be created out of Punjab. India designated Nijjar a “terrorist” in July 2020.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1776744"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The Canadian government has amassed both human and signals intelligence in a months-long investigation into the Sikh separatist leader’s murder, <em>CBC News</em> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/sikh-nijjar-india-canada-trudeau-modi-1.6974607">reported</a> last week, citing unidentified sources.</p>n<p>The report said the intelligence included communications of Indian officials present in Canada, adding that some of the information was provided by an unidentified ally in the Five Eyes alliance.</p>n<p>Canada is home to about 770,000 Sikhs — the highest population of Sikhs outside their home state of Punjab — and the country has been the site of many demonstrations that have irked India.</p>n<p>Sikhs make up just 2 per cent of India’s 1.4 billion population but they are a majority in Punjab, a state of 30 million where their religion was born 500 years ago.</p>n<h2><a id="punjabs-sikhs-fear-row-threatens-them-at-home-abroad" href="#punjabs-sikhs-fear-row-threatens-them-at-home-abroad" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Punjab’s Sikhs fear row threatens them at home, abroad</h2>n<p>The bitter row between India and Canada is being felt in Punjab, where some Sikhs fear both a backlash from India’s Hindu nationalist government and a threat to their prospects for a better life in North America.</p>n<p>In the village of Bharsinghpura, there are few memories of Nijjar, but his uncle, Himmat Singh Nijjar, 79, said locals “think it was very brave of Trudeau” to accuse Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of potential involvement in the killing.</p>n<p>“For the sake of one ordinary person, he did not need to take such a huge risk on his government,” the uncle told <em>Reuters</em>, sitting on a wooden bench by a tractor in his farmhouse, surrounded by lush paddy fields and banana trees.</p>n<p>Still, though, the elder Nijjar said he is worried about deteriorating diplomatic relations with Canada and declining economic prospects in Punjab.</p>n<p>The once-prosperous breadbasket of India, Punjab has been overtaken by states that focussed on manufacturing, services and technology in the last two decades.</p>n<p>“Now every family wants to send its sons and daughters to Canada as farming here is not lucrative,” said the elder Nijjar.</p>n<p>India is the largest source for international students in Canada, their numbers jumping 47 per cent last year to 320,000.</p>n<p>“We now fear whether Canada will give student visas or if the Indian government will create some hurdles,” said undergraduate Gursimran Singh, 19, who wants to go to Canada.</p>n<p>He was speaking at the holiest of Sikh shrines, the Golden Temple in Amritsar, where many students go to pray for or give thanks for student visas.</p>n<p>The temple became a flashpoint for Hindu-Sikh tension when then prime minister Indira Gandhi allowed it to be stormed in 1984 to flush out Sikh separatists, angering Sikhs around the world. Her Sikh bodyguards assassinated her soon afterwards.</p>n<p>Ties between Sikh groups in Punjab and Modi’s Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government have been strained since Sikh farmers led <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1663201">year-long protests</a> against farm deregulation in 2020 and blocked the capital, forcing Modi to withdraw the measure in a rare political defeat for the strongman.</p>n<p>Modi’s government has created “an atmosphere of fear”, especially for young people, said Sandeep Singh, 31, from Nijjar’s village.</p>n<p>“If we are doing a protest, parents wouldn’t like their child to participate because they are afraid their children can meet the same fate” as Nijjar in Canada, he said.</p>n<p>Kanwar Pal, political affairs secretary for the radical separatist Dal Khalsa group, said, “Whosoever fights for Khalistan fights for the right to self-determination, rights for plebiscite in Punjab. India perceived those Sikhs as their enemies and they targeted them.”</p>n<p>A BJP spokesperson declined to comment on the accusations.</p>n<p>Senior BJP leaders have said there was no wave of support in Punjab for independence and that any such demands were a threat to India. At the same time, the party says no one has done as much for the Sikhs as Modi.</p>

16 killed in fire at coal mine in China

<p>BEIJING: At least 16 people were killed in a coal mine fire on Sunday in southwest China’s Guizhou province, local officials said.</p>nn<p>The fire broke out at the Shanjiaoshu Coal Mine at around 8:10am, the Panzhou City government said in a notice posted to its website on Sunday night.</p>nn<p>“It was preliminarily determined that the conveyor belt caught fire, causing 16 people to be trapped,” it added, with no further details on what was damaged or how the fire began.</p>nn<p>Emergency personnel extinguished the blaze and temperatures at the site returned to normal, but “after preliminary verification, 16 people have no vital signs”, the notice said. The Panzhou City mine is about 3,600 kilometres southwest of the capital Beijing.</p>nn<p>China — the world’s biggest emitter of the pollutants driving climate change — operates thousands of coal mines, even as Beijing has pledged to peak greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.</p>nn<p>While safety standards in the country’s mining sector have improved in recent decades, accidents still frequently plague the industry, often due to lax enforcement of protocols, especially at the most rudimentary sites. Last year, 245 people died in 168 accidents, according to official figures.</p>nn<p>An explosion at a coal mine in Shaanxi province in northern China last month killed 11 people, nine of whom were trapped inside. Another two people managed to make it to the surface before they succumbed to their injuries, according to state media reports at the time.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2023</em></p>

Is the worst behind Pakistan&amp;rsquo;s economy?

Caretakers’ groundwork for addressing challenges will help incoming govt

September 24, 2023

Other biogas uses: fertiliser and cold chain

In addition to meeting energy needs, biogas has other benefits as well that can boost both rural and urban economy

Revamping power sector with deregulation

In Pakistan, problems in one sector can lead to circular debt in another

Conflicting forestry, wildlife management paradigms

Policies are conservative that do not consider sustainability aspects of forests, ecosystem

Husband-wife duo become first Pakistani couple to summit world&amp;rsquo;s 8th highest peak Manaslu

<p>Lahore-based Ahmed Uzair and Anum Uzair have become the first Pakistani couple to summit the world’s eighth-highest peak Mt Manaslu — 8,163 metres tall — in Nepal.</p>n<p>According to mountaineering company Seven Summit Treks, which spearheaded the climb, the husband-wife duo successfully climbed the peak today along with three Sherpas.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/sst8848/status/1705758989894758641"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Alpine Club of Pakistan Secretary Karrar Haidri told <em>Dawn.com</em> that the couple “have created history” by becoming the first Pakistani couple to summit the peak.</p>n<p>“Pakistan feels incredibly proud of this outstanding accomplishment by Ahmed and Anum,” he said.</p>n<p>Pakistani climber Shehroze Kashif, who himself <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776981/pakistan-climber-scales-manaslu-peak-in-nepal">summited Manaslu recently</a>, also congratulated the couple.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/Shehrozekashif2/status/1705763119132533104"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>On Thursday, Pakistani climbers <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777222">Naila Kiani and Sirbaz Khan</a> had also successfully completed the ascent of Manaslu peak.</p>n<p>The two climbers had commenced their summit attempt on Wednesday from camp 3.</p>n<p>Kiani had achieved the milestone of becoming the first Paki­stani woman to conquer nine out of the 14 highest mountains in the world with her Manaslu summit.</p>

Sri Lanka beat Pakistan to set up women&amp;rsquo;s cricket final with India at Asian Games

<p>In-form Sri Lanka, fresh from a stunning Twenty20 series victory in England, beat Pakistan by six wickets on Sunday to reach the women’s cricket final at the Asian Games and set up a clash with India.</p>n<p>Pakistan never got going on a difficult batting surface affected by days of rain at the Zhejiang University of Technology ground in Hangzhou, and could only muster a below-par 75-9 in their 20 overs.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1705870872152789118"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Left-arm medium pace bowler Udeshika Prabodhani led the Sri Lankan attack with three wickets and Kavisha Dilhari took two with her off-spin.</p>n<p>Sri Lanka sauntered to their target with 21 balls to spare to spark wild celebrations as their players ran onto the field to high-five and hug each other.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialSLC/status/1705873587134169301"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Earlier, the Indians routed Bangladesh for 51 on the same ground with all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar, only drafted into the squad as a last-minute replacement, taking four wickets.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://x.com/BCCIWomen/status/1705785525519736961?s=20"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>They wasted no time in racing to an eight-wicket victory with more than 11 overs remaining as Jemimah Rodrigues top-scored with an unbeaten 20.</p>n<p>Rodrigues is yet to be dismissed in the Asian Games, scoring 47 not out in the quarter-final against Malaysia, which was later abandoned because of rain.</p>n<p>It was the second time in just over a week that Sri Lankan cricketers had proven party-poopers by preventing a Pakistan-India major cricket final.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1777084"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The country’s men’s team <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775838">beat</a> Pakistan in the semi-final of the 50-over Asia Cup in Colombo to prevent a final showdown against their fierce rivals India.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1708747"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Earlier this month, Sri Lanka’s women secured a historic first-ever white-ball series triumph over England, winning 2-1.</p>n<p>Pakistan and Bangladesh will face off for bronze on Monday before India takes on Sri Lanka in the gold-medal match.</p>

Asia Olympic council &amp;lsquo;looking into&amp;rsquo; Indian athletes&amp;rsquo; China visa issue

<p>The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and Asian Games organisers are examining the issue of three Indian athletes unable to join the games in China due to a visa problem, acting OCA President Raja Randhir Singh said on Sunday.</p>n<p>“OCA is looking into it, definitely,” as well as organisers and the government, Singh told a press conference in the eastern Chinese host city, Hangzhou.</p>n<p>“Since it’s a diplomatic issue, they’re looking into it. And hopefully, let’s see, (whether) something good comes out of it,” he said.</p>n<p>The three wushu fighters from the state of Arunachal Pradesh were issued stapled visas instead of stamped ones, India’s foreign ministry said. India does not accept stapled visas as valid.</p>n<p>Wei Jizhong, chairman of the OCA’s ethics committee, told reporters last week that China did not refuse entry to the athletes.</p>n<p>The practice of issuing visas on loose sheets of paper has been seen as China’s way of <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/219065/china-reiterates-its-claim-to-arunachal-pradesh">questioning</a> India’s sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh, a region near the China-India border that Beijing claims as part of Tibet.</p>n<p>New Delhi <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1772898">vociferously</a> rejects the claim, saying Arunachal Pradesh has always been part of India.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1705896028065726520"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Beijing and New Delhi <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1726149">fought</a> a war over the disputed Himalayan frontier in 1962 and have been uneasy neighbours ever since. Relations nosedived in 2020 over a border clash in which 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed.</p>n<p>At the Asian Games, delayed by a year due to COVID-19, some 12,400 athletes from 45 nations are competing for 481 gold medals across a huge programme of 40 sports.</p>

Arthur to join Pakistan team in Hyderabad on Sept 30

<p>LAHORE: Team director Mickey Arthur will join Pakistan cricket squad on Sept 30 in Hyderabad where the green-shirts will play their opening match of the ICC World Cup against the Netherlands on Oct 6.</p>nn<p>The Babar Azam-led Paki­stan are scheduled to play their first warm-up of the mega event in Hyderabad on Sept 29 against New Zealand.</p>nn<p>The South Africa-born Arthur was appointed as team director in April this year. </p>nn<p>The 55-year-old, who has functioned as Pakistan team dire­ctor from England whe­re is coaching Derbyshire, had agreed in his contract to remain with the Pakistan squad during the recent Asia Cup and the World Cup.</p>nn<p>Arthur’s hand-picked coaching team led by head coach Grant Bradburn is looking after the coaching affairs of the Pakistan team.</p>nn<p>Player support personnel: Rehan-ul-Haq (team manager), Mickey Arthur (team director), Grant Bradburn (head coach), Andrew Puttick (batting coach), Morne Morkel (bowling coach), Aftab Khan (fielding coach), Abdul Rehman (assistant coach), Dr Sohail Saleem (team doctor), Drikus Saaiman (strength and conditioning coach), Cliffe Deacon (physio), Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi (media and digital content manager), Usman Anwari (security manager), Maqbool Ahmad Babri (psychologist), Talha Ejaz (analyst), Malang Ali (masseur).</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 24rd, 2023</em></p>

India reach top spot in all three formats

<p>NEW DELHI: India have become only the second team in men’s cricket history to occupy the number one spot across all three formats after defeating Australia in the first ODI on Friday.</p>nn<p>The Indian team moved past arch-rivals Pakistan to take the top position in the One-day International rankings as a result of their latest victory, just before they host the World Cup.</p>nn<p>They were already number one in Tests and T20 Internationals.</p>nn<p>Only South Africa in 2012 have previously achieved the feat, according to the International Cricket Council.</p>nn<p>India’s five-wicket victory over Australia in Mohali took them to 116 rating points, one ahead of Pakistan.</p>nn<p>But the hosts could slip down the table if Australia — on 111 points — win the remaining two matches in the series, a warm-up for the World Cup.</p>nn<p>If India win the series, they will head into the showpiece tournament as the world’s top-ranked ODI team.</p>nn<p>India, who last week won their eighth Asia Cup title by handing a 10-wicket thrashing to Sri Lanka in the final, were in top form as they registered a comfortable win over Pat Cummins’s team. </p>nn<p>Meanwhile, Indian seamer Mohammed Shami said the </p>nn<p>team’s rotation policy is working well and will prevent players from being overloaded as they prepare for the World Cup on home soil next month.</p>nn<p>Shami took career-best One-day International figures of 5-51 in Mohali on Friday but with India likely to pick Mohammed Siraj to partner pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, and Shardul Thakur offering additional batting support, Shami knows he is not guaranteed a place in the team for every game.</p>nn<p>“When you build a team, the coach plays an important role in rotating the players depending on the conditions, the situations or the opposition,” Shami told reporters.</p>nn<p>“We’ve had good results in the last few series and the rotation policy is working well. I don’t think we need to take on a big load playing back-to-back games before the World Cup.</p>nn<p>“It’s good for us because rotating pace bowlers is key in such conditions. It’s more important for bowlers, not that it’s easier for batters but still. Rotation is important before ICC tournaments. It helps players who need to get into rhythm.”</p>nn<p>India begin their World Cup campaign on Oct 8 against Australia in Chennai.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 24rd, 2023</em></p>

Sodhi&amp;rsquo;s six-for spears NZ to victory over Bangladesh

<figure class='media sm:w-2/5 w-full media–center media–uneven media–stretch'>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n n <figcaption class="media__caption ">NEW ZEALAND spinner Ish Sodhi celebrates after taking the wicket of Bangladesh batter Soumya Sarkar during the second ODI at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Saturday.—AFP</figcaption>n </figure>n<p> </p>nn<p>DHAKA: Ish Sodhi became the first New Zealand spinner to claim six wickets in a One-day International, guiding the Black Caps to an 86-run victory in the second match of their three-match series in Bangladesh.</p>nn<p>Sodhi contributed a crucial 35 with the bat as well to go with his career-best 6-39 as New Zealand registered their first victory in Bangladesh since 2008 on Saturday.</p>nn<p>After the first match had been washed out, the Kiwis took the chance to get into winning ways with the World Cup looming.</p>nn<p>In the 46th over, pace bowler Hasan Mahmud ran Sodhi out as he was backing up at the non-striker’s end when on 17, but Bangladesh captain Liton Das called him back.</p>nn<p>Sodhi, who went on to help the side post 254 in 49.2 overs, then ran through Bangladesh’s top order in a superb display of leg-spin.</p>nn<p>Wicket-keeper Tom Blundell made a team-high 68 off 66 balls, with six fours and one six, and Henry Nicholls scored 49. They put on a 95-run partnership for the fourth wicket to set the platform.</p>nn<p>Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman had reduced New Zealand to 2-26 after the visitors opted to bat first. He removed Will Young, who made 58 in the first match, for a duck and then claimed the wicket of Finn Allen for 12.</p>nn<p>Debutant Syed Khaled Ahmed (3-60), got into the act with the wicket of Chad Bowes for 14, as New Zealand slumped to 3-36 before Nicholls and Blundell got them back on track.</p>nn<p>Sodhi propelled the side past 250, hitting three sixes in his knock before being the last batter out.</p>nn<p>With Tanzid Hasan finding the boundaries with ease, Bangladesh appeared to be the clear favourites until Sodhi sparked the collapse, doing most to reduce them to 92-5 from 60-1 in just eight overs.</p>nn<p>He started with the wicket of Tanzid (16) and then got the key scalp of Tamim Iqbal, who was out for 44 when trying to sweep against a googly.</p>nn<p>Sodhi also removed Soumya Sarkar, who played his first match in two years, for a duck and Towhid Hridoy for four.</p>nn<p>Mahmudullah and Mahedi Hasan resi­sted, sharing a 42-run stand before Sodhi knocked out the latter for his maiden five-for. Offspinner Cole McCo­nchie had Mahmu­dullah caught by Finn Allen at short fine leg after he made a team-best 49.</p>nn<p>Nasum Ahmed scored 21 but that only reduced the margin of the defeat as the teams head for the third and final ODI on Tuesday.</p>nn<p><strong>SCOREBOARD</strong></p>nn<p><strong>NEW ZEALAND:</strong></p>nn<p>F. Allen c Sarkar b Mustafizur 12</p>nn<p>W. Young c Liton b Mustafizur 0</p>nn<p>C. Bowes c Towhid b Khaled 14</p>nn<p>H. Nicholls c Liton b Khaled 49</p>nn<p>T. Blundell b Hasan 68</p>nn<p>R. Ravindra lbw Mahedi 10</p>nn<p>C. McConchie lbw Nasum 20</p>nn<p>I. Sodhi c Liton b Khaled 35</p>nn<p>K. Jamieson c&amp;b Mahedi 20</p>nn<p>L. Ferguson st Liton b Mahedi 13</p>nn<p>T. Boult not out 1</p>nn<p>EXTRAS (B-4, LB-2, NB-1, W-5) 12</p>nn<p>TOTAL (all out, 49.2 overs) 254</p>nn<p>FALL OF WICKETS: 1-15 (Young), 2-26 (Allen), 3-36 (Bowes), 4-131 (Nicholls), 5-157 (Ravindra), 6-166 (Blundell), 7-187 (McConchie), 8-219 (Jamieson), 9-240 (Ferguson)</p>nn<p>BOWLING: Mustafizur 10-1-53-2; Hasan 10-1-46-1 (5w, 1nb); Khaled 9.2-1-60-3; Mahedi 10-0-45-3; Nasum 10-0-44-1</p>nn<p><strong>BANGLADESH:</strong></p>nn<p>Tamim Iqbal c Blundell b Sodhi 44</p>nn<p>Liton Das c Ravindra b Jamieson 6</p>nn<p>Tanzid Hasan c Ferguson b Sodhi 16</p>nn<p>Soumya Sarkar c&amp;b Sodhi 0</p>nn<p>Towhid Hridoy b Sodhi 4</p>nn<p>Mahmudullah c Allen b McConchie 49</p>nn<p>Mahedi Hasan b Sodhi 17</p>nn<p>Nasum Ahmed c Boult b Jamieson 21</p>nn<p>Hasan Mahmud b Sodhi 0</p>nn<p>Mustafizur Rahman not out 2</p>nn<p>Khaled Ahmed b Ferguson 1</p>nn<p>EXTRAS (B-1, LB-2, NB-1, W-4) 8</p>nn<p>TOTAL (all out, 41.1 overs) 168</p>nn<p>FALL OF WICKETS: 1-19 (Liton), 2-60 (Tanzid), 3-60 (Sarkar), 4-70 (Towhid), 5-92 (Tamim), 6-134 (Mahedi), 7-149 (Mahmudullah), 8-153 (Hasan), 9-167 (Nasum)</p>nn<p>BOWLING: Boult 8-0-37-0 (1w); Jamieson 7-1-32-2 (3w); Sodhi 10-1-39-6; Ferguson 6.1-1-28-1 (1nb); Ravindra 8-0-26-0; McConchie 2-1-3-1</p>nn<p>RESULT: New Zealand won by 86 runs.</p>nn<p>MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Ish Sodhi</p>nn<p>SERIES: New Zealand lead three-match series 1-0.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 24rd, 2023</em></p>

Hi, Robot: machines take over at China&amp;rsquo;s Asian Games

<p>HANGZHOU: From autonomous bug zappers to android pianists and driverless ice-cream trucks, machines rule the world — at least at China’s Asian Games.</p>nn<p>The Games after a one-year delay because of Covid with about 12,000 athletes and thousands of journalists, technical officials and spectators descending on Hangzhou.</p>nn<p>The city is the unofficial home of China’s tech industry and robots and other mind-boggling gadgets are set to serve, amuse and police visitors.</p>nn<p>An automated mosquito trapper roams the vast Games Village, zapping the pests after luring them in by mimicking a human’s body temperature and breathing.</p>nn<p>Robot “dogs” that can run, jump and flip over patrol power-supply facilities. Smaller versions dance while a bright-yellow android plays the piano. Driverless minibuses are set to shuttle visitors through the nearby city of Shaoxing, where baseball and softball venues are located. Athletes can put their reflexes to the test against a table-tennis playing “Pongbot”.</p>nn<p>At the massive media centre, a blushing plastic-and-metal receptionist with a number pad and card slots built into its torso greets customers at a makeshift bank. Even venues were built with the help of construction robots which organisers say are “very cute, with unique skills”.</p>nn<p>Summing up how keen China is to push the theme at the Games, the mascots are three humanoid robots — Congcong, Lianlian and Chenchen, whose smiling faces adorn massive signs across Hangzhou and other nearby host cities.Hangzhou, a city of 12 million people in China’s east, has built up a reputation as a home for tech startups. That includes a thriving robotics sector eager to close the gap on industry-leading rivals in countries such as the United States and Japan.</p>nn<p>At a business park, staff from DEEP Robotics put some of their most advanced models through their paces, commanding one four-legged bot to walk through construction rubble and sending another up a nearby pedestrian bridge slick with rain.</p>nn<p>At one point, a real dog turns up and sniffs its robotic equivalent curiously. Elsewhere, office workers pick up lunch from vending machines that can steam the food and, according to maker Kuaie Fresh, check the temperature so the meal is just right. The machine also collects data on customer preferences.</p>nn<p>In some countries, that would give rise to concerns about where their personal information is going and how it will be used.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 24rd, 2023</em></p>

Nasa&amp;rsquo;s asteroid sample on track for parachute landing

<p>LOS ANGELES: A Nasa space capsule carrying a sample of rocky material plucked from the surface of an asteroid three years ago hurtled towards Earth this weekend headed for a fiery plunge through the atmosphere and a parachute landing in the Utah desert on Sunday.</p>nn<p>Weather forecasts were favourable and the robotic spacecraft OSIRIS-REx was on course to release the sample-return capsule for final descent as planned, with no further adjustments to its flight path needed, Nasa officials said at a news briefing on Friday.</p>nn<p>Mission managers are expecting a “spot-on” touchdown on the US military’s vast Utah Test and Training range, west of Salt Lake City, said Sandra Freund, programme manager at Lockheed Martin, which designed and built the spacecraft.</p>nn<p>The round, gumdrop-shaped capsule is scheduled to land by parachute at 10:55am, about 13 minutes after streaking into the top of the atmosphere at roughly 35 times the speed of sound, capping a seven-year voyage.</p>nn<p>If successful, the OSIRIS-REx mission, a joint effort between Nasa and scientists at the University of Arizona, would mark the third asteroid sample, and by far the largest, ever returned to Earth for analysis, following two similar missions by Japan’s space agency over the past 13 years.</p>nn<p>OSIRIS-REx collected its specimen from Bennu, a carbon-rich asteroid discovered in 1999 and classified as a “near-Earth object” because it passes relatively close to our planet every six years. </p>nn<p>Bennu is small as asteroids go, measuring just 1,600 feet in diameter.</p>nn<p>It holds valuable clues to the origins and development of rocky planets such as Earth.</p>nn<p>OSIRIS-REx launched in September 2016 and reached Bennu in 2018, then spent nearly two years orbiting the asteroid before venturing close enough to sink its robot arm into the loose surface on Oct 20, 2020, in a grab-and-go maneuver.</p>nn<p>The spacecraft embark­­ed on a 1.2-billion-mile cruise back to Earth in May 2021.</p>nn<p>The Bennu sample is estimated at 250 grams, far surpassing the amount of material carried back from asteroid Ryugu in 2020 and asteroid Itokawa in 2010.</p>nn<p>On arrival, the new sample will be flown by helicopter to a “clean room” set up at the Utah test range.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 24rd, 2023</em></p>

Karachi weather to remain hot, humid for next 3 days

The maximum temperature can go up to 36°C today in Karachi, says PMD

September 23, 2023

QAU decides to revive students&amp;rsquo; union as CJP attends syndicate meeting

CJP Isa expressed his displeasure over the presence of armed police and Rangers in the university, say sources

IHC CJ to hear Imran Khan bail plea in cipher case on Monday

PTI chief has filed post-arrest bail application after special court rejected plea

Not accountable to any govt Kakar on alleged human rights violations in Pakistan

"Country's laws are impartial, not favouring any gender, and apply to all citizens equally," says PM at UN presser

No change in Nawaz Sharif&amp;rsquo;s homecoming plan, says Shehbaz

PML-N president says he had arrived in London to discuss Nawaz’s legal, political steps ahead of his return

Jahangir Tareen advises Nawaz Sharif not to create narrative based on individuals

IPP chief says if PML-N supremo “wants to settle his matters with someone” then he should return to Pakistan

Army chief discusses defence, security affairs with Saudi counterpart

Saudi Gen Fayyadh Bin Hamed Al Ruwaili, led by high powered military delegation, calls on Gen Asim Munir

Army, Rangers to launch joint operation against dacoits in Sindh katcha area

Eight forward base camps being established in Ghotki, Kashmore, Shikarpur and Sukkur districts

Parvez Elahi advises &amp;lsquo;all politicians&amp;rsquo; to get protective bail ahead of elections

PTI president also says that the delay in general elections has stopped the country’s system from working

95m Pakistanis live in poverty: World Bank

Urges govt to tax agriculture, real estate, cut wasteful expenditure

Muttahida governor, JI decide to shun differences

<p>KARACHI: In a surprise move, the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, who is the nominee of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, on Friday agreed to “move forward”, ignoring “bitterness” for the development of Karachi.</p>n<p>The governor visited the JI headquarters Idara Noor-i-Haq on the invitation of party’s city chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman and held a detailed discussion and shared brief details with the media about the motive of their meeting and points of their conversations.</p>n<p>The two sides surprisingly preferred to pick a reconciliatory tone after recent allegations against each other, calling it “nothing personal” but a line they toed over some “misunderstanding and confusion.”</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/KamranTessoriPk/status/1705162940771385525"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The meeting between the two sides came against the backdrop of the growing criticism of the MQM-P that had ensued after the recent verdict of the Sindh High Court which upheld the death penalty handed down to two MQM workers in the Baldia factory fire case. Among others, senior MQM-P leader Mustafa Kamal was found more aggressive against the JI who had called it a “party of hypocrites”.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Tessori visits JI headquarters on Hafiz Naeem’s invitation</p>n</blockquote>n<p>However, unlike his party’s stance, Governor Tessori called it “a confusion and misunderstanding” as reason behind his recent disagreement with the JI.</p>n<p>The same gesture was showed by JI’s Hafiz Naeem, who welcomed the governor and thanked him for visiting the party headquarters over his invitation.</p>n<p>They were found in agreement that the recent “bitterness” and “unpleasant situation” between the two sides over the Jafco Ground in North Nazimabad emerged due to “misunderstanding and communication gap.”</p>n<p>“Now the issue has been resolved amicably,” said Mr Tessori while talking to reporters after the meeting.</p>n<p>“The country has set its goals and soon you would see things happening. Let me share with you that around US $30 billion foreign investment is expected in Pakistan in the days to come and 30 percent of them would be spent on Karachi. So we cannot afford any political disagreement that causes instability at this moment,” he added.</p>n<p>Hafiz Naeem, while thanking the Sindh governor for his goodwill, appealed him to play his due role in uprooting corrupt system in the country and put an end to the so called transition period.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23th, 2023</em></p>

NAB approaches courts for reopening 115 references

<p>LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has approached the accountability courts of Lahore for reopening of as many as 115 references, including those against former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza, former federal minister Khwaja Saad Rafiq and his brother Salman and Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan. </p>nn<p>The courts had returned these references to the NAB chairman in the light of now defunct amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance 1999 for sending them to the courts of relevant jurisdiction. </p>nn<p>The scrapped amendments had clipped the jurisdiction of the bureau to take cognisance of any alleged financial corruption involving money less than Rs500 million. Whereas the NAB in the Ramzan Sugar Mills reference against Shehbaz and his son made a case of alleged corruption of Rs213 million.</p>nn<p>In the mills reference, the NAB had arrested Shehbaz on Oct 5, 2018, and the Lahore High Court had released him on bail on Feb 14, 2019.</p>nn<p>The LHC in its bail granting order observed that prima facie, allegations about gratification, corrupt practice, abuse of authority, kickbacks and commission required further probe during trial as at this stage cogent evidence was not available.</p>nn<p>The NAB alleged that Shehbaz being chief minister and his son Hamza with the abetment and connivance of each other caused a loss to national exchequer of Rs213 million by committing the offence of misuse of authority.</p>nn<p>It said Shehbaz had issued a directive for the construction of a drain in Chiniot district primarily for the use of Ramzan Sugar Mills owned by his sons — Hamza and Suleman.</p>nn<p>The NAB is also likely to approach the accountability court for the reopening of Paragon reference against former federal minister for railways Khwaja Saad Rafiq, his brother Khwaja Salman Rafiq and others.The court on March 29, 2023, returned the Paragon reference to the NAB chairman against Saad, Salman and others.</p>nn<p>Another accountability court on Oct 6, 2022, returned to the NAB a reference of corruption in Chiniot minerals contracts against PA Speaker Sibtain Khan and others.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

400,000 dementia patients in Pakistan

<p>LAHORE: Punjab observed the World Alzheimer’s Day to increase public awareness about the disease and its consequences.</p>nn<p>Dr Hussain Jafri, secretary-general of Alzheimer’s Pakistan, said currently an estimated 55m people worldwide were living with this neurological condition.</p>nn<p>He said according to estimates, there are over 400,000 people with dementia in Pakistan. Research indicates that people can develop dementia for decades before symptoms become apparent. However, reducing exposure to risk factors, both before and after diagnosis, can delay, slow progression, or even prevent projected dementia cases.</p>nn<p>Dr Jafri said the importance of clear and understandable information and advice, as well as making lifestyle changes accessible and affordable for everyone.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23th, 2023</em></p>

26 teams formed to enforce 10pm shop closure in Lahore

<p>LAHORE: Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rafia Haider has taken action to ensure shops in the city close at 10pm by forming 26 teams.</p>nn<p>Teams sealed 72 shops across various markets in the city and imposed a Rs160,000 fine on shops that violated the closure orders.</p>nn<p>These teams will inspect different markets throughout the city to enforce the shop closure orders.</p>nn<p>Additional Deputy Commissioner General Zeeshan Nasrullah Ranjha oversaw the market situation in Raiwind, while the Model Town assistant commissioner (AC) sealed 28 shops. The Cantonment AC sealed 23 shops in DHA phase-III and VI, as well as Bedian Road. Warnings were issued to shopkeepers in DHA-B, III, and X.</p>nn<p>The City AC visited The Mall and imposed fines on shopkeepers found in violation of the closure time.Three weeks ago, the Lahore High Court also expressed its disappointment over the failure of the DC to ensure the market’s closure at 10pm.</p>nn<p>The environment department officials and members of the Environmental Commission submitted a report on the implementation of the court’s previous orders.</p>nn<p>The commission’s members pointed out that the markets were not being closed on time despite notifications from the DC’s office.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

Pregnant woman tortured to death by in-laws in Chichawatni

<p>SAHIWAL: Torture by in-laws allegedly claimed life of a pregnant woman at 112/12-L village of Chichawatni tehsil late on Thursday.</p>nn<p>As per police and locals, Asia Bibi, a resident of 112/12 L village, married Imran, of the same village some 18 months back.</p>nn<p>Asia had good relations with her husband but developed differences with her father-in-law Shaban, brother-in-law Rizwan, and mother-in-law Sugrain Bibi.</p>nn<p>On Thursday, some hot word were exchanged between Asia and Rizwan, who started beating her with a bamboo stick, and was joined by his mother and father.</p>nn<p>The locals said Sughra Bibi also hit Asia with a brick, leaving her critically injured.</p>nn<p>Asia’s husband came to her rescue, but was also tortured by his brother and father.</p>nn<p>On hearing Asia’s cries, local intervened and rescued the injured woman.The critically injured woman was shifted to Chichawatni Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.</p>nn<p>On the complaint of Asia’s brother, Noor Samanad, Chichawatni Sadar police have registered a murder case (FIR No 1035/23) against Shaban, Sughra and Rizwan under sections 302 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code. </p>nn<p>NOTICES: The owners of 107 commercial building were served notices for not getting clearance certificates for their building plans and no-submission of conversion fees to the Sahiwal Metropolitan Corporation (SMC).</p>nn<p>The notices were issued by Commissioner Shoaib Iqbal, as SMC administrator.</p>nn<p>According to Additional Commissioner (Coordination) Shafiq Dogar, out of the total 107 buildings which were served notices, 61 are being used as schools and 46 as commercial banks.</p>nn<p>He directed the corporation staff to take legal action against the building owners who fail to submit the SMC dues.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23th, 2023</em></p>

PHC allows remission to prisoners convicted in drug cases before Sept 2022

<p>PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court has ruled that the amendment made in the relevant law last year prohibiting remissions to convicts in narcotics cases could not be applied retrospectively to persons convicted prior to it.</p>nn<p>A bench consisting of Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Sahibzada Asadullah accepted three petitions filed by convicts challenging withholding of remissions to them by the authorities of respective prisons in the light of amendments made in the Control of Narcotics Substance Act (CNSA), 1997, last year.</p>nn<p>One of the petitioners three petitioners, Ajab Khan, contended that as he was convicted in 2020, prior to the said amendments, therefore, those changes in the law could not be applied with retrospective effect to him.</p>nn<p>Advocate Noor Alam Khan and Fawad Afzal Safi appeared for the petitioners and contended that the Control of Narcotics Substance (Amendment) Act 2022 was passed by the Parliament and published in the official Gazette on Sept 6, 2022.</p>nn<blockquote>n <p>Court rules Control of Narcotics Substance (Amendment) Act 2022 can’t be applied retrospectively</p>n</blockquote>nn<p>They stated that through the said amendments a new section 9(A) was incorporated in the CNSA which provided that no remission in any sentence should be allowed to a person, who was convicted under this Act. They added that the said section further provided that neither probation in any sentence should be allowed nor any accused convicted under the Act should be released on parole.</p>nn<p>Noor Alam stated that his client Ajab Khan was arrested on Sept 18, 2019, on charges of smuggling 11kg heroin and was charged under section 9-C of the CNSA.</p>nn<p>He stated that the petitioner was convicted by the trial court on Nov 13, 2020, and was sentenced to life imprisonment with fine of Rs100,000. He added that the court had also extended benefit of section 382-B of the Code of Criminal Procedure to the petitioner, under which his period of detention prior to his conviction, had to be counted in his prison term.</p>nn<p>He stated that his appeal was partially accepted by the high court in Oct 2022 and his prison term was reduced to eight years, whereas the fine was maintained.</p>nn<p>The counsel stated that before the amendments made in the law, several remissions permissible under the prison rules and announced by the government from time-to-time were granted to the petitioner. However, he stated that after the said amendments the prison authorities had withdrawn the remissions from the petitioner.</p>nn<p>Moreover, he added that the petitioner was a first time offender and because of his good conduct he was also entitled to be released on parole under the Good Conduct Prisoners Probational Release Act, 1926.</p>nn<p>He contended that under the Constitution of Pakistan these amendments could not be applied retrospectively. He added that as the petitioner was arrested in 2019 and convicted in 2020, therefore, the law introduced in 2022 could not be applied to him as well as other prisoners convicted before it.</p>nn<p>The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had opposed the contention of the petitioners stating that under the CNS (Amendment) Act 2022, they were not entitled to remissions.</p>nn<p>The government adopted the plea that in a similar nature case the director reclamation and probation had stated that prisoner convicted under section 9 of the CNSA was not covered/eligible under the Good Conduct Prisoners Probational Release Act.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

PIC introduces cutting-edge technology to protect heart patients from stroke

<p>PESHAWAR: The Peshawar Institute of Cardiology (PIC) has achieved a significant milestone by successfully performing a groundbreaking procedure with the help of a cutting-edge technology device to protect heart patients from strokes.</p>nn<p>Dr Mohammad Waleed, an interventional cardiologist specialising in structural heart diseases, led the procedure, the first of its kind in the country, saying it will provide a lifeline to patients at risk of stroke due to irregular heart rhythms.</p>nn<p>Dr Waleed is an assistant professor at the PIC, who received training from heart specialist Professor David Hildick-Smith at Sussex Cardiac Centre, Brighton, England.</p>nn<p>In the pioneering operation, Prof Hildick-Smith joined the PIC team and implanted the innovative device in a 71-year-old woman cardiac patient at the institute.</p>nn<blockquote>n <p>Doctor says initiative to save lives</p>n</blockquote>nn<p>Prof Hildick-Smith expressed his both astonishment and honour at the initiative in a Pakistani public hospital and said the technology could potentially save countless lives in the country, representing a new dawn for Pakistan’s healthcare.</p>nn<p>Assistant Professor Dr Mohammad Waleed, a cardiologist at the PIC, said patients with irregular heart rhythms faced the constant threat of blood clot formation in the left atrial appendage (LAA) that could lead to a stroke.</p>nn<p>He said traditional blood-thinning medications carried the risk of bleeding in various sensitive parts of the body.</p>nn<p>“The LAA closure device offers hope to these patients by reducing the risk of stroke without the need for systemic blood thinners,” he said.</p>nn<p>PIC CEO and medical director Prof Shahkar Ahmad Shah appreciated the “efforts and dedication” of his medical team and administrative staff members over the accomplishment and said the institute was committed to “connecting international technology and treatment methods” to benefit patients not only in the province but in other parts of the country as well.</p>nn<p>“We [PIC] aspire to be a centre of excellence providing state-of-the-art health facilities to people in line with international standards. We will continue integrating cutting-edge technologies into the healthcare system ensuring patients in Pakistan have access to world-class care without the need to seek treatment abroad,” he said.</p>nn<p>Prof Shahkar said the achievement represented a remarkable leap forward in the field of cardiology and underscored the PIC’s dedication to improving the lives of cardiac patients in the country.</p>nn<p>He added that the introduction of the LAA closure device set a precedent in the country’s healthcare landscape offering hope to countless people with heart conditions,” he said.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

North Waziristan tribesmen protest delay in repatriation

<p>LAKKI MARWAT: Madakhel tribesmen of North Waziristan tribal district demonstrated in Bannu on Friday against delay in their repatriation and suspension of cash assistance.</p>nn<p>The protesters took out a procession from Fazal Qadir Shaheed Park and converged outside the press club, carrying banners and placards highlighting their demands. </p>nn<p>Tribal elders, including Malik Sharope Khan, Fatehullah, Usman and others, said militancy and military operations had displaced thousands of tribesmen in 2014, who had since been living in Bannu as temporarily displaced persons. </p>nn<p>They said the government initially facilitated each displaced family with Rs20,000 cash assistance, which was stopped later.</p>nn<p>The elders said non-provision of assistance amid backbreaking inflation had added to their troubles, and demanded of the government to repatriate the displaced families and restore payments.</p>nn<p>Separately, a resident of North Waziristan tribal district was killed over a family dispute in Bannu, the police said on Friday.</p>nn<p>They said Bakhta Noor and Payan attacked Janwaz Khan with daggers, killing him on the spot in Nawa Kallay Nar Jafar area. </p>nn<p>The police said the attackers also belonged to North Waziristan. The body was shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital for postmortem. The police registered a case against the suspected killers on the complaint of the deceased’s widow. </p>nn<p>Also, unknown assailants killed Shafiullah, a resident of Naurang town of Lakki Marwat district, with a firearm and a dagger in Hujramkhel Mandori area of Mirakhel.</p>nn<p>The police said the body was taken to the DHQ Hospital for autopsy. </p>nn<p>The police registered a case on the complaint of the victim’s uncle, Samiullah.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

Khattak claims his party to form next govt in KP

<p>SWAT: Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-Parliamentarians Pervez Khattak on Friday claimed that his party would form the next government in the province after winning elections and would address the “wrong” policies of the previous rulers. </p>nn<p>He said his party’s primary agenda revolved around peace, development, and prosperity.</p>nn<p>Addressing a gathering of party workers in Odigram area here, Mr Khattak said political parties lacked a concrete programme for national development and people’s welfare and therefore, he formed a new party to steer the country to development.</p>nn<p>He said as the chief minister, he initiated large-scale development projects in the province.</p>nn<p>The PTI-P leader said his party was open to honest and patriotic politicians to bring about a tangible improvement in people’s life.</p>nn<p>He welcomed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz district general secretary Syed Habib Ali Shah to the party.</p>nn<p>PTI-P vice-chairman Mehmood Khan told participants that as the CM, he approved billions of rupees worth of development projects for Swat, work on which was still under way.</p>nn<p>He said during his tenure as the CM, his administration undertook such an extensive range of development projects that there won’t be any need for more schools, water supply and roads in future.</p>nn<p>Mr Khan said had his government not ended prematurely, all development projects executed by it would have been completed by now.</p>nn<p>He claimed that his government’s record mega projects in Swat even surpassed the development work done during the times of the wali (ruler) of the formerly Swat state.</p>nn<p>The speakers criticised PTI chairman Imran Khan and his party over “failure” to deliver on their promises and slogans, especially in Punjab province.</p>nn<p>They said the “true faces” of all political parties had been exposed to the people, who understood that those parties wouldn’t resolve their issues.</p>nn<p>The speakers said the 15 months long tenure of the Pakistan Democratic Movement government was detrimental to the country’s economic stability.</p>nn<p>They urged people to reject corrupt politicians in the upcoming elections and vote for the well-wishers of the country.</p>nn<p>The speakers criticised the caretaker government in the province over “record corruption.” Noted among participants were former provincial minister Mohibullah Khan, former woman MPA Nadia Sher Khan and former lawmaker Ziaullah Bangash.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

&amp;lsquo;Mastermind&amp;rsquo; among seven held over MDCAT cheating scandal

<p>PESHAWAR: Police on Friday claimed to have arrested seven people for “facilitating” cheating in the recent Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT).</p>nn<p>In a statement issued here, the city police said the department received complaints about cheating in the MDCAT across the province revealing that the candidates were receiving answers to questions through electronic gadgets, including Bluetooth devices, from outside examination centres.</p>nn<p>They added that police arrested 74 candidates, including men and women, over exam cheating, while 19 cases were registered at eight police stations in the provincial capital.</p>nn<p>The police said after the formal start of the investigation, a joint operation by the Peshawar and Kohat police led to the arrest of Zafar Khattak, the alleged mastermind of the scandal.</p>nn<p>It said further investigation led to the arrest of a brother of Khattak as well as Fahad, Fazal Subhan, Arshad, Fazl Wahab and Aminullah, who all were well-trained and highly-educated people.</p>nn<blockquote>n <p>Police say 74 candidates in custody; FIA to examine seized devices</p>n</blockquote>nn<p>“During the joint operation, police recovered electronic devices from the arrested men. The devices will be sent to the Federal Investigation Agency for forensic examination,” the police said, adding that they were also working on the call detail records of the employees of the Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency as well as the arrested students.</p>nn<p>They said during the initial investigation, the accused revealed that a centralised system was in place so that all candidates stay in contact at the same time.</p>nn<p>The police said besides Peshawar, the police in other districts, too, recovered 44 electronic devices, including microphones, mobile phones and a smart watch.</p>nn<p>Meanwhile, officials privy to the development said a joint investigation team constituted by the home and tribal affairs department declared in its report that the ETEA’s mechanism to check cheating in the test as well as its information technology system were not up to the mark.</p>nn<p>They said the men behind the cheating scam had fixed rates with over Rs2 million per case, including the device and facilitation in the test.</p>nn<p>The officials said the police were investigating the scandal and had so far registered over 200 FIRs.</p>nn<p>“The mastermind was earlier kicked out from the Public Service Commission for such acts and then arrested multiple times,” an official told Dawn.</p>nn<p>On Sept 10, the Khyber Medical University (KMU) said ina statement that it had adopted the zero tolerance policy regarding the use of electronic gadgets by candidates inside testing centres.</p>nn<p>“Candidates were searched in three steps at the time of entry besides inside the centres with the help of metal detectors,” it said.</p>nn<p>The KMU said 46,612 candidates sat the admission test for public and private medical and dental colleges in the province and that the test was organised by it and the ETEA at 43 places in 11 cities of the province.</p>nn<p>“In light of the directions issued by the government, it has been decided to take legal action against the candidate who brought electronic devices to the centre,” KMU vice-chancellor Prof Ziaul Haq said in the statement.</p>nn<p>He said papers of the candidates caught for cheating would be deemed canceled and that they would be banned from sitting any ETEA test for the next two years.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

Parvez Elahi&amp;rsquo;s remand extended in Judicial Complex attack case

<p>ISLAMABAD: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Friday extended the judicial remand of former Punjab chief minister Punjab Pervaiz Elahi in a case registered against him for allegedly inciting violence outside the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC).</p>nn<p>Mr Elahi was produced before ATC Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, who remarked that the court had granted post-arrest bail to the ex-CM and inquired whether his surety bonds were deposited or not.</p>nn<p>Mr Elahi’s counsel Sardar Abdul Raziq Khan told the court that since his client was arrested in another case by the Punjab Anti Corruption Establishment, the bail bonds have not been submitted yet.</p>nn<p>Mr Elahi informed the judge he was suffering from digestive disorder and was not allowed homemade food.</p>nn<p>He further claimed the jail administration had constructed a wall along the window of his barrack to suffocate the environment. </p>nn<p>The PTI leader also complained that a stranger had been deployed outside his cell to breach his privacy.</p>nn<p>The judge remarked that he would seek a report from jail authorities on his complaints.</p>nn<p>The court adjourned the proceeding till October 13.</p>nn<p>Later, talking to the media, Mr Elahi said PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif were responsible for the hike in electricity costs.</p>nn<p>He said skyrocketing inflation has broken the backbone of the middle class.In response to a question as to whether he would be released before the elections, he replied that only Allah knows when he will get out of jail and said that in the current situation, every politician should obtain the pre-arrest bail.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23th, 2023</em></p>

Kakar reminds world of unkept flood aid pledge

<p>• Points out India is trying to impose ‘final solution’ of Kashmir dispute<br />n• Cautions against attempts to selectively provide climate funds on basis of geopolitical considerations<br />n• Says Pakistan’s shift to geo-economics is underway</p>n<p>UNITED NATIONS: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar urged the global community on Friday to fulfil the commitments they made to Pakistan after last year’s devastating floods and help implement its recovery plans.</p>n<p>Mr Kakar, who is the first interim leader to address the UN General Assembly, used his maiden UN speech to highlight the country’s efforts to revive its ailing economy but also talked about the threat of terrorism confronting Pakistan and Islamabad’s efforts to improve ties with all neighbouring states.</p>n<p>He also touched on issues of peacekeepers facing challenges from terrorist groups, Islamophobia, etc.</p>n<p>At a UN-sponsored conference in Geneva in January, dozens of nations and international institutions had pledged more than $10 billion to help Pakistan recover and rebuild from the last year’s floods that the UN called “a climate disaster of monumental scale”.</p>n<p>“Pakistan is gratified by the commitments of over $10.5 billion for its comprehensive plan for recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction,” PM Kakar told the UNGA on Friday.</p>n<p>“Specific projects are being submitted to ensure timely funding and execution of the plan,” he said. “I hope our development partners will accord priority to allocation (release) of funds.”</p>n<p>Mr Kakar pointed out that recovery efforts had already cost Pakistan $13bn.</p>n<p>The epic floods submerged a third of the country, killed 1,700 and displaced over 8 million people, destroyed vital infrastructure, and caused over $30bn in damage to Pakistan’s economy.</p>n<p>But UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric told a news briefing in March that only 40 per cent of the pledges were fulfilled, as donor-fatigue prevented greater contributions.</p>n<p><strong>Triple challenge</strong></p>n<p>PM Kakar, however, called for a better understanding of Pakistan’s problems.</p>n<p>“Pakistan’s triple —food, fuel and finance — challenge, is a prime illustration of the impacts of Covid, conflicts and climate on developing countries,” he said. “Pakistan is also one of the worst affected countries from the impacts of climate change.”</p>n<p>The prime minister recalled that far-reaching commitments were also made at Thursday’s UN-sponsored summit on sustainable development goals (SDGs) in New York. But “we must ensure” that those pledges are fulfilled, he stressed.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–instagram media__item–relative'><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxgD9uQos7E" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% – 2px); width:calc(100% – 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxgD9uQos7E" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxgD9uQos7E" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank"></a></p></div></blockquote><script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>He highlighted several key pledges that must be fulfilled: implementation of the SDG stimulus; the re-channeling of unused Special Drawing Rights (finances) for development; the expansion of concessional lending by Multilateral Development Banks; and resolution of the debt problems of the 59 countries in debt distress.</p>n<p>Mr Kakar said Pakistan was also looking forward to the fulfillment of the climate change commitments made at COP28 by the developed world: to provide over $100bn in annual climate finance.</p>n<p>He suggested allocating at least half of such finance for adaptation in developing countries; opera­tionalising the Fund and funding arrang­ements for loss and damage; and accelerating the carbon emission mitigation targets to “keep alive” the goal of restricting global warming to 1.5 degrees centigrade.</p>n<p>“Attempts to selectively provide these funds on the basis of geo-political considerations should be resisted,” he warned.</p>n<p><strong>Economic recovery</strong></p>n<p>The caretaker premier also underlined Pakistan’s commitment to rapid economic recovery.</p>n<p>“We will stabilise our foreign exchange reserves and our currency; expand domestic revenues and, most importantly, mobilise significant domestic and external investment,” he said.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/PakPMO/status/1705271515728769069"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Pakistan has established a Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to expedite investment decisions. Twenty-eight projects have been identified in priority sectors — agriculture, mining, energy, and IT — for implementation in collaboration with Pakistan’s partners.</p>n<p>“Pakistan’s long-term shift to geo-economics is well underway. The second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been initiated covering railway, infrastructure, and manufacturing projects,” Mr Kakar said. “Pakistan also looks forward to the early implementation of the connectivity projects with Central Asia.”</p>n<p>Noting that development depends on peace, he said Pakistan was situated in one of the least economically integrated regions in the world.</p>n<p><strong>‘Key to peace’</strong></p>n<p>“Pakistan believes that regions develop together. Therefore, Pak­is­tan desires peaceful and produ­ctive relations with all our neighbours, including India. Kashmir is the key to peace between Pakistan and India,” he said,</p>n<p>The prime minister, however, reminded the UN community that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was one of the oldest issues on the agenda of the Security Council.</p>n<p>Since August 5, 2019, Delhi has deployed 900,000 troops in India-held Jammu and Kashmir to impose the “final solution” for the disputed region.</p>n<p>“The UN Security Council must secure the implementation of its resolutions on Kashmir. The UN Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan should be reinforced. Global powers should convince New Delhi to accept Pakistan’s offer of mutual restraint on strategic and conventional weapons,” Mr Kakar said.</p>n<p>The prime minister assured the international community that peace in Afghanistan was a strategic imperative for Pakistan and Islamabad shared their concerns with respect to Afghanistan, particularly the rights of women and girls.</p>n<p>“Yet, we advocate continued humanitarian assistance to a destitute Afghan population in which Afghan girls and women are the most vulnerable,” he said.</p>n<p>Mr Kakar also called for the revival of Afghan economy and implementation of the connectivity projects with Central Asia.</p>n<p><strong>Terrorism condemned</strong></p>n<p>“Pakistan’s first priority is to prevent and counter all terrorism from and within Afghanistan. Pakistan condemns the cross- border terrorist attacks against Pakistan by the [banned] TTP, Daesh and other groups operating from Afghanistan,” he said,</p>n<p>“We have sought Kabul’s support and cooperation to prevent these attacks. However, we are also taking necessary measures to end this externally encouraged terrorism.”</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

Six booked under ATA over attack on Fesco office

<p>LAHORE: In a major development, a team of the Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco) got a case registered against two brother lawyers and four others under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and other charges for attacking and ransacking the office of the company’s Kamalia City Sub-Division, threatening and harassing staff after a team raided a spot, detected electricity pilferage and disconnected power supply.</p>n<p>“They (accused) also slapped the Lesco officials, including the SDO, after entering the office. Carrying guns, they also ransacked the office, besides hurling threats to the staff,” said Fesco CEO Bashir Ahmad while talking to <em>Dawn</em> on Friday. “The case has been registered against the accused,” he said.</p>n<p>The accused, however, rejected the Fesco officials’ stance. “I challenge Fesco officers, police and others concerned to hold an impartial inquiry.</p>n<p>And if it (the inquiry) finds us guilty, the government can impose a fine of Rs500,000 on us and may try us under the 7 ATA,“ advocate Khalid Imran Bhagila told <em>Dawn</em>.</p>n<p>According to the FIR registered by Saddar Police Station (Kamalia) under section 7 ATA, 353, 186, 440, 506, 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), SDO Zulifqar Kathia and other officers were busy in a meeting on Thursday evening when the armed accused namely Khalid Imran, Abid Imran, Mudassir Alam and three unknown entered the office and started ransacking the office doors, windows and other furniture with their guns.</p>n<p>They, while doing so, also kept using abusive language, tore up official files, besides attacking sensitive portions of the office and threatening and harassing officers as well as their staff. They later fled, hurling life threats.</p>n<p>The FIR states that the Fesco team had detected power theft at the premises of accused Mudassair Alam Bhagila and his uncle Mazhar Iqbal a day before. The team also removed meters from their premises due to which the accused attacked the Fesco office.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, a Faisalabad ATC granted on Friday bail before arrest till Oct 4 to the two lawyers and their accomplice Mudassar in a case of 7-ATA registered by Kamalia City police.</p>n<p>The Kamalia Bar Association observed a strike on Friday. They also warned the Fesco officials to withdraw the FIR, failing which no one from Fesco area offices would be allowed to enter the bar premises.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) claimed that the lawyers in various cases also threatened Lesco teams, beside thrashing them.</p>n<p>“Though we have so far not seen any case where we got FIRs lodged against lawyers or anyone under 7-ATA, the lawyers in various cases are doing wrong with us,” he added.</p>n<p>Sharing detail, he said in Okara, some lawyers got a power thief released from the police lockup forcibly. “Our XEN (Sha­limar Division, Lahore) was also thrashed by some lawyers recently. In Nankana Sahib, some lawyers offered resistance,” he explained, adding that last night, some lawyers offered resistance when a team captured a Samanabad car dealer association office-bearers on account of power theft.</p>n<p><em>Tariq Saeed in Toba Tek Singh also contributed to this report</em></p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

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<p>PPP leader Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah has advised the PML-N against seeking action against former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and ex-spymaster retired Lt-Gen Faiz Hamid and not to engage in such confrontations.</p>n<p>The remarks from the senior PPP leader come in the backdrop of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s recent hard-hitting <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776664">statement</a>, in which he held the two officials responsible for his <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1348191">removal from power</a> in 2017 and the country’s ongoing crises.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1348191"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>“(Former) chief justices Saqib Nisar and Asif Saeed Khosa were tools [of the former army chief and his spy chief]. Their crime is bigger than a murder offence. Giving them pardon will be an injustice to the nation. They don’t deserve pardon,” Nawaz said, vowing to hold them accountable.</p>n<p>“These ‘characters’ who unleashed economic misery on the people of Pakistan will have to face accountability,” he added while delivering an address via a video link from London earlier this month.</p>n<p>Likewise, PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777248/pml-n-voted-for-extension-in-return-for-help-with-imran-problem-rana-sanaullah">assailed</a> former generals Bajwa and Hamid earlier this week, declaring them “national criminals” and demanding action against them.</p>n<p>“The way the PML-N brought Gen Pervez Musharraf to justice, it will do the same to [both men],” he said.</p>n<p>Sanaullah sought “strict accountability” of former generals and judges, saying that it was a policy statement on behalf of the party.</p>n<p>In an interview on <em>DawnNewsTV</em> show ‘<em>Doosra Rukh</em>’ on Friday, Khursheed Shah was asked about Nawaz’s statement, to which he said the materialisation of the PML-N’s plan of going after the two former military leaders seemed “very difficult”.</p>n<p>“Did anyone touch the man who was sentenced under Article 6 of the Constitution? He was later hospitalised, and subsequently transferred to Dubai,” Shah remarked, referring to late military dictator Musharraf.</p>n<p>“Let’s refrain from engaging in such conflicts,” he advised the PML-N, further noting that “politicians often find themselves entangled in such situations”.</p>n<p>He stressed the need to direct attention towards guaranteeing fair elections, managing increasing inflation, adhering to the Charter of Democracy and establishing good governance traditions.</p>n<p>He expressed the PPP’s ongoing interest in cooperation and institution-building, emphasising that all institutions upheld the primacy of parliament.</p>n<p>“We should refrain from emotionalism or resorting to political invective,” he added.</p>n<p>He also claimed that the PPP had faced “significant pressure” to join the erstwhile ruling coalition led by the Pakistan Democratic Movement.</p>n<p>“Initially, we proposed that we would vote [in favour of the no-confidence motion against ex-PM Imran Khan] but won’t join the government thereafter. But we were told [by the then-opposition] that if we won’t become part of the government, they wouldn’t proceed with the vote of no-confidence,” he said.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1777037"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>On the PPP <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775477">demanding a level playing field</a> in elections from the PML-N, Shah maintained that some of those associated with Nawaz’s party were part of the incumbent caretaker government. “That is why we made this demand on them.”</p>n<p>He also said it seemed the “actual prime minister” was the Establishment Division’s secretary, not caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar. “The one who runs the Establishment Division, he is the prime minister”.</p>n<p>Asked whether the impression was right that the announcement of Kakar’s appointment as the interim PM was made after then-PM Shehbaz and former opposition leader Raja Riaz were “handed chits” with the caretaker premier’s name written on it, he replied in the affirmative.</p>

PM Kakar in US calls for world alliance to keep in check & rough behaviour & of India

<p>Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has called for the formation of an international alliance to keep in check the “rough behaviour” of India after the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/20/advocate-separate-sikh-state-india-shot-dead-canada-hardeep-singh-nijjar-temple">murder</a> of a Sikh leader in Canada <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777275/canada-has-indian-diplomats-communications-in-sikh-leaders-murder-probe-report">left relations</a> between New Delhi and Ottawa in tatters.</p>n<p>Addressing a news conference at the Pakistan Mission in New York on Friday, the prime minister gave examples of how Pakistan had been a victim of such <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1590333">state-sponsored terrorism</a> and had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1726154">shared evidence</a> at different global and multilateral forums about the role of the Indian state.</p>n<p>Terming it as a first-of-its-kind event after World War I, Kakar said an Asian country staged a murder on Canadian soil and its impacts were being felt across the Western countries who now realised how India was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1674696">persecuting</a> its minorities like Christians, Sikhs, and Muslims.</p>n<p>He also gave an example of how the state of Pakistan ’effectively responded“ to the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1770582">Jaranwala incident</a> but a similar incident like the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1767774">Manipur violence</a> saw the Indian state act as a “spectator” and “accomplice” in the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1768523">violence</a> that killed hundreds of people.</p>n<p>The premier added that he as well as Chief justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa who was yet to assume the role, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1771008">visited</a> Jaranwala and tried to mitigate the situation.</p>n<p>PM Kakar stated that the persecution of Muslims being carried out in India-Occupied Kashmir was aptly described as “genocide”, which he also <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777295">mentioned</a> in his address at the 78th UN General Assembly a day ago.</p>n<p>He stated that thousands of Kashmiris had been killed and women were raped, besides the extrajudicial killing of innocent Kashmiris.</p>n<h2><a id="imf-very-appreciative-of-govts-steps" href="#imf-very-appreciative-of-govts-steps" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>IMF ‘very appreciative’ of govt’s steps</h2>n<p>PM Kakar also termed his discussion with the IMF managing director <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777063/imf-chief-urges-pakistan-to-tax-the-rich-protect-the-poor-on-sidelines-of-unga">very constructive</a>, adding that he hoped that the upcoming mandated government would carry on the economic plan.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1777449"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>To another query, he said the caretaker government had conducted an administrative intervention against the sugar and wheat mafias with effective measures.</p>n<p>“There was no dearth of these commodities in the country as different edible items were readily available,” he said, adding that prices of certain commodities were linked with international prices and that the caretaker government was striving to provide relief to the masses.</p>n<p>“The IMF was very appreciative of the interim government’s <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1474211">steps</a> over illegal trade of dollars,” he added. “IMF did not demand anything, rather the caretaker government was giving them confidence and would abide by the agreements.”</p>n<p>The premier said the newly elected government would further negotiate with the IMF according to their manifesto.</p>n<h2><a id="meetings-with-business-community-in-us" href="#meetings-with-business-community-in-us" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Meetings with business community in US</h2>n<p>Shedding light on Pak-US ties, PM Kakar said both countries had very constructive historical ties which would be further strengthened. “The Pakistani diaspora was contributing to the US and playing their role in community building.”</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/PakPMO/status/1705093697606488131"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The prime minister stressed that Pakistan had an exclusive identity and it should be seen through its prism rather than any regional or other contexts.</p>n<p>In reply to a question, the interim premier said that he also held meetings with different business bodies in the US that showed interest in the economic revival plans in Pakistan, including privatisation and the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1774983">Special Investment Facilitation Council</a>.</p>n<h2><a id="afghanistan-iran" href="#afghanistan-iran" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Afghanistan, Iran</h2>n<p>The interim prime minister said they had multifaceted engagements with the Afghan interim government and hoped the outcome of these engagements would be beneficial for the two countries.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1773093"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>In reply to a question, PM Kakar said Pakistan would take all steps to protect its territory and people whenever any need arose. He further said Pakistan respected the territorial sovereignty and integrity of Afghanistan.</p>n<p>To another question, the premier stated that there were around five million refugees in Pakistan, out of which around 2.8m were legal while the rest were without any legal document.</p>n<p>Therefore, the government had decided to repatriate them and an administrative intervention was being made for the purpose, the prime minister added.</p>n<p>Rubbishing the notion of an isolated Pakistan, PM Kakar said that during his interactions with world leaders, they had found a growing interest in Pakistan. He also highlighted his engagements on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, about his <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://twitter.com/PakPMO/status/1704183935482351816">meeting</a> with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the premier said both leaders discussed mutual priorities and held beneficial negotiations.</p>n<h2><a id="ecp-did-not-ban-any-party" href="#ecp-did-not-ban-any-party" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>‘ECP did not ban any party’</h2>n<p>To another question, PM Kakar replied that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was mandated to hold the general elections and the final date would be announced soon.</p>n<p>He said all registered political parties had the right to take part in the polls as the ECP did not ban any party from the process. The prime minister assured that the caretaker government would carry out fair treatment to all the political parties.</p>n<p>Rubbishing the notion of any victimisation, the premier said anyone involved in the violence against the state would be dealt with under the law of the land as Pakistan was a sovereign state.</p>n<h2><a id="russia-ukraine-war" href="#russia-ukraine-war" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Russia-Ukraine war</h2>n<p>On the matter of the Russia-Ukraine war, PM Kakar said Pakistan wanted constructive engagement with Russia and both countries had immense potential for enhanced economic cooperation.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1766112"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>However, he highlighted that Pakistan did not favour a military solution to any conflict and instead advocated dialogue for settlement.</p>

US presses India to cooperate on Canada killing probe

<p>The United States made clear on Friday that it expected the Indian government to work with Canada on efforts to investigate the possible involvement of New Delhi agents in the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776704/indian-envoy-expelled-as-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-death">murder</a> of a Canadian citizen in June.</p>n<p>Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday that Ottawa had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777275/canada-has-indian-diplomats-communications-in-sikh-leaders-murder-probe-report">credible intelligence</a> linking Indian agents to the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, prompting an <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776725">angry reaction</a> from New Delhi, which denies the allegation.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/ashoswai/status/1705338126338503126"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>“We are deeply concerned about the allegations that Prime Minister Trudeau has raised,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in a press briefing. “It would be important that India work with the Canadians on this investigation. We want to see accountability.”</p>n<p>The White House has <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776905">spoken</a> of its concerns over the allegations, but Blinken is the most senior US official to have commented thus far.</p>n<p>Traditional Canadian allies, including the United States, appeared to take a cautious approach to the matter earlier this week. Political analysts said this was partly because the United States and other major players see India as a counterweight to the growing influence of China.</p>n<p>“We have been consulting throughout very closely with our Canadian colleagues, not just consulting but coordinating with them on this issue,” Blinken said.</p>n<p>During a press conference, Trudeau was asked about the allegations, and he repeated his call for the Indian government to cooperate.</p>n<p>“We are there to work constructively with India. We hope that they engage with us so that we can get to the bottom of this very serious matter,” Trudeau said.</p>n<p>On Friday, Trudeau also said Canada shared its concerns with New Delhi some time ago.</p>n<p>“Canada has shared the credible allegations that I talked about on Monday with India. We did that many weeks ago,” Trudeau told reporters.</p>n<p>The Canadian government has amassed both human and signals intelligence in a months-long investigation into the Sikh separatist leader’s murder, <em>CBC News</em> reported separately on Thursday citing sources.</p>n<p>The report said the intelligence included communications of Indian officials present in Canada, adding some of the information was provided by an unidentified ally in the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://privacyinternational.org/learn/five-eyes">Five Eyes alliance</a>.</p>n<p>Five Eyes is an intelligence-sharing network that includes the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.</p>n<p>However, Trudeau has not provided any details about what Canada’s spy agencies have collected, and his office has not confirmed or denied the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777275"><em>CBC report</em></a>.</p>n<p>Senior Canadian government sources have said that Trudeau would not have spoken publicly without having a high level of confidence in the intelligence.</p>

IHC to hear PTI chief&amp;rsquo;s bail plea in cipher case on Sep 25

<p>The Islamabad High Court has fixed for hearing the post-arrest bail plea filed by PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1771179">cipher case</a>, in which he is currently incarcerated at the Attock jail, it emerged on Saturday.</p>n<p>The court will take up the petition on Sep 25 (Monday), and IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq will preside over the proceedings.</p>n<p>The court has issued a notice to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to present arguments in the case.</p>n<p>The PTI chief was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1768528">arrested</a> in the Toshakhana case on August 5, and while his detention was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1772860">suspended</a> by the IHC on August 29, he remains incarcerated in the cipher case, bringing his days in jail to a total of 50 so far.</p>n<p>Imran had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776210">approached</a> the IHC after the special court — established to hear cases filed under the Official Secrets Act — <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775831">rejected</a> the ex-premier’s plea seeking the same.</p>n<p>The cipher case pertains to a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1769320/leaked-cipher-hints-at-us-pressure-over-russia-visit">diplomatic document</a> which reportedly went missing from Imran’s possession. The PTI alleges that it contained a threat from the United States to oust Imran from power.</p>n<p>Imran and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had been attending hearings in the case, while PTI leader Asad Umar’s and former principal secretary Azam Khan’s involvement was supposed to be determined during the course of the investigation.</p>n<p>While Umar was granted pre-arrest bail last week, Imran and Qureshi were denied post-arrest bail, and their judicial remand — which was extended — will complete on September 26.</p>n<h2><a id="imrans-petition" href="#imrans-petition" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Imran’s petition</h2>n<p>Imran had on Sep 16 filed the petition, a copy of which is available with <em>Dawn.com</em>, through his lawyer Barrister Salman Safdar.</p>n<p>The state and Interior Ministry Secretary Yousuf Naseem Khokar are respondents in the case.</p>n<p>The petition urged the IHC to grant Imran post-arrest bail till the final disposal of the cipher case “to meet the ends of justice”.</p>n<p>The plea claimed that nearly 200 criminal cases have been filed against the former premier, out of which “almost 40 cases are [on] charges of corruption, murder, sedition, mutiny, foreign funding, NAB (National Accountability Bureau) reference and Toshakhana reference”.</p>n<p>It argued that the PTI chief could not avail remedy under section 498 (power to direct admission to bail or reduction of bail) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).</p>n<p>The petition alleged that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) operated at the behest of the then interior ministry. It added that the matter of the case not being registered by the foreign ministry had gone unnoticed by Special Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain.</p>n<p>“Never before, history has witnessed the ‘arrest’ and ‘prosecution’ of a former prime minister (Imran) and a former foreign minister (Qureshi) under this law (Secrets Act),” the plea stated.</p>n<p>It went on to cite past verdicts to argue that “straightaway arrests have been condemned in landmark authoritative judgments”. The petition asserts that the Secrets Act was “originally enacted to hold members of the armed forces (air, navy, army) accountable for violations and breaches of the law”.</p>n<p>It contended that neither section 5 (wrongful communication, etc of information) nor section 9 (attempts, incitements, etc) of the Official Secrets Act were applicable in the cipher case, and neither does the law have “any remote relevance to the allegations detailed in the FIR”.</p>n<p>The petition further stated that former interior minister Rana Sanaullah and the FIA have made “contradictory statements”, according to which, the “original cipher document is securely held in the custody of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs”.</p>n<p>“The petitioner’s primary concern was to prevent foreign interference in domestic political affairs,” it said.</p>n<p>The plea went on to allege, “This is another like attempt, made by the state functionaries, to secure the straightway arrest of the petitioner after suspension of his sentence in Toshakhana reference.”.</p>n<p>It further said that the respondents’ acts depict “clear mala fide, hostility, and vindictive motives to harm the petitioner in his office, career, person, reputation, and dignity”.</p>n<p>The plea stated that the petitioner was ready to furnish reasonable surety to the entire satisfaction of the court and also undertook “not to abscond or tamper with the prosecution witnesses”.</p>n<p>Asserting that the PTI chief is “one of the few honest and dignified statesmen of Pakistan”, the petition recalled Imran’s cricket career and philanthropic contributions.</p>n<p>It went on to contend that his “mandate and growing popularity it got from the masses became a threat to the already well-established political forces”. The plea added that state machinery was being misused with the sole objective of “political victimisation and score-settling”.</p>n<h2><a id="the-cipher-case" href="#the-cipher-case" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>The cipher case</h2>n<p>According to the FIR, a case has been registered against former prime minister Imran Khan and Qureshi under sections 5 and 9 of the Official Sec­rets Act, 1923, read with Section 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).</p>n<p>They have been accused of wrongful communicat­ion/use of official secret information and illegal retention of a cipher telegram (an official secret document) with mala fide intention, whereas the roles of former SPM Muha­m­mad Azam Khan, former federal minister Asad Umar, and other involved associates will be ascertained during the course of the investigations.</p>n<p>It said former PM Imran, former FM Qureshi and their other associates are involved in communicat­ion of information conta­ined in secret classified document (cipher telegram received from Parep Washington dated March 7, 2022 to the Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Aff­airs) to the unauthorised per­sons (i.e. public at large) by twisting facts to achieve their ulterior moti­ves and personal gains in a manner prejudicial to the interests of state security.</p>n<p>They held a clandestine meeting at Banigala on March 28, 2022 to conspire to misuse the contents of the cipher in order to accomplish their nefarious designs.</p>n<p>The accused, Imran, with mala fide directed the former principal secretary, Azam Khan, to prepare the minutes of said clandestine meeting by manipulating the contents of the cipher message to use it for his vested interest at the cost of national safety.</p>n<p>Moreover, the numbe­red and accountable copy of the cipher telegram sent to the PM Office was deliberately kept by the former PM, with mala fide intention, and was never returned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.</p>n<p>The said cipher telegram (official secret document classified as such) is still in the illegal possession/retention of the accused Imran, the FIR claimed.</p>

India confiscates properties of top Sikh separatist in Punjab

<p>India’s top investigation agency confiscated on Saturday the properties of a prominent Sikh separatist and close ally of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whose <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/20/advocate-separate-sikh-state-india-shot-dead-canada-hardeep-singh-nijjar-temple">killing</a> has sparked a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776725/in-tit-for-tat-move-india-expels-canadian-diplomat-after-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-murder">diplomatic row</a> between India and Canada.</p>n<p>Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a lawyer believed to be based in Canada, was designated as a terrorist by Indian authorities in 2020 and is wanted on charges of terrorism and sedition.</p>n<p>He is also the founder of the US-based group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), whose Canada chapter was headed by Nijjar before he was gunned down by masked assailants in June near Vancouver.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1776744"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The group, which has been banned by India, has been a vocal advocate for the creation of an independent Sikh homeland called Khalistan.</p>n<p>A diplomatic firestorm erupted this week with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying there were “credible reasons to believe that agents of the government of India were involved” in Nijjar’s death.</p>n<p>New Delhi dismissed Trudeau’s allegations as “absurd”, tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions followed, and India has <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777075/india-stops-processing-visas-in-canada-service-provider">stopped processing visa applications</a> by Canadians.</p>n<p>Pannun jumped into the raging row and issued a <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOuzhdRTtyA&amp;ab_channel=WION">video</a> telling Canadian Hindus to “go back to India”, claiming they had adopted a “jingoistic approach” by siding with New Delhi.</p>n<p>In an interview with an Indian news channel, Pannun said Nijjar had been his “close associate” for over 20 years and was like a “younger brother” to him. He also blamed India for Nijjar’s killing.</p>n<h2><a id="heinous-crimes" href="#heinous-crimes" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>‘Heinous crimes’</h2>n<p>Soon after his interview was aired, the Indian government issued an <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://new.broadcastseva.gov.in/digigov-portal-web-app/Upload?flag=iframeAttachView&amp;attachId=140712323&amp;whatsnew=true">advisory</a> to news networks asking them to refrain from giving a platform to people accused of “heinous crimes”.</p>n<p>Armed with court orders, officials of India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday confiscated Pannun’s house in Chandigarh, the capital of the Sikh-majority state of Punjab, it said in a statement.</p>n<p>The NIA also confiscated agricultural land belonging to him in Amritsar, it added.</p>n<p>It accused Pannun of “actively exhorting Punjab-based gangsters and youth” on social media “to fight for the cause of independent state of Khalistan, challenging the sovereignty, integrity and security of the country”.</p>n<p>Sikhism is a minority religion originating in northern India that traces its roots back to the 15th century and drew influences from both Hinduism and Islam.</p>n<p>The Khalistan campaign was largely considered a benign fringe movement until the early 1980s, when a Sikh fundamentalist launched a separatist insurgency.</p>n<p>It culminated with Indian forces storming the Golden Temple, the faith’s holiest shrine in Amritsar, where separatists had barricaded themselves.</p>n<p>India’s then-prime minister Indira Gandhi was subsequently assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards.</p>n<p>The insurgency was eventually brought under control and the Khalistan movement’s most vocal advocates are now among the large Sikh diaspora, particularly in Canada, Britain and Australia.</p>n<p>But memories of the violence — in which thousands died ù still haunt India, which has outlawed the Khalistan movement and listed several associated groups as “terrorist organisations”.</p>

Christian human rights activists &amp;lsquo;briefly detained, tortured&amp;rsquo; by police in Faisalabad

<p>Two human rights activists visiting Faisalabad from Karachi were allegedly briefly detained and tortured by police, it emerged on Saturday, following which police accused the duo of misbehaviour in its rebuttal.</p>n<p>The incident was raised by lawyer and rights activist Jibran Nasir on Friday in a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter.</p>n<p>In a post about what he dubbed “extremely alarming and condemnable action by Punjab police”, Nasir said two prominent human rights activists from Karachi, Pastor Ghazala Shafique and Luke Victor, were visiting Faisalabad to help Reverend Father Eleazar Sidhu.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MJibranNasir/status/1705236098056704202"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Christian priest Sidhu was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1774049">shot at and injured</a> on September 3, according to the first information report (FIR) of the incident available with <em>Dawn.com</em>. The FIR stated that Sidhu — who served at Myong-Sang Naserth church in Jaranwala tehsil — was returning home from the church in the evening when an unidentified bearded man shot and injured him.</p>n<p>The FIR also mentioned that he was leading prayers in the church on August 28 when someone wrote objectionable religious slogans against him on the outer wall of the church, which were whitewashed by police on his complaint.</p>n<p>A few days prior to the alleged incident, when he went to drop his son off at school, a few bearded people threatened him, saying, “As our written slogans have been deleted from the wall of the church, soon you will also be deleted,” the FIR said.</p>n<p>According to Nasir’s posts on social media, Sidhu was arrested, “unlawfully kept captive by local police and subjected [to] torture, being forced to state that the deadly attack on him after the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1770582/5-churches-many-homes-ransacked-in-faisalabads-jaranwala">Jaranwala incident</a> was self-inflicted”.</p>n<p>He alleged that Sidhu was forced into giving a statement that he “shot himself so real culprits could remain safe”.</p>n<p>In a subsequent post, he said Pastor Ghazala Shafique had been released but alleged that her phone was withheld by police.</p>n<p>“She contacted her family from someone else’s phone,” he said, adding: “She revealed that the police put a black cloth on Luke Victor’s face and took him and Pastor Vicky (Sidhu) away beating them both.”</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MJibranNasir/status/1705243632457191643"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>In a third post, Nasir alleged that police personnel at Saddar police station in Faisalabad had “badly beaten up Luke Victor”.</p>n<p>Nasir went on to say: “The interim Punjab chief minister, the interim prime minister, and the incumbent chief justice of Pakistan all visited Jaranwala to help victims. Luke did the same, but he wasn’t powerful and influential so Punjab police got to torture him.</p>n<p>“Pastor Ghazala is afraid that if only Luke is allowed to leave then police might torture and harm Pastor Vicky further.”</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MJibranNasir/status/1705260301975724367"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1770582/5-churches-many-homes-ransacked-in-faisalabads-jaranwala">Jaranwala incident</a> referenced here took place on August 16, during which a violent mob of hundreds ransacked and torched nearly two dozen churches and attacked the residences of members of the Christian community and the office of the local assistant commissioner in the area. As per police and local sources, the violence erupted after some locals alleged that several desecrated pages of the Holy Quran were found near a house at Cinema Chowk in Jaranwala, where two Christian brothers resided.</p>n<p>In yet another post, Nasir shared a video of Victor saying: “Video made of Luke Victor at Sadr Thana Faisalabad after his release. He had bruises all over his body. His crime is to help find the truth about Pastor Eliezer alias Vicky’s case who got shot a few days after the Jaranwala incident.”</p>n<p>Victor can be seen with welts on his neck and face.</p>n<p>Nasir urged interim Punjab CM Mohsin Naqvi to launch an inquiry into the matter.</p>n<p>“It only highlights how vulnerable the Christian community is and how they are completely at the mercy of the state authorities. While Luke and Pastor Ghazala have been released Pastor Vicky has been reportedly arrested by transposing him from complainant to accused in the very FIR Pastor Victor got registered against the attack on him,” he wrote on X.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MJibranNasir/status/1705298689730683009"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>In the early hours of Saturday (today), Nasir shared a video statement by Pastor Ghazala Shafique on X, wherein she said the clip was recorded in Saddar police station.</p>n<p>Shafique said Sidhu had been detained and that he and Victor were allegedly tortured by police. She further claimed that her and Victor’s phones, too, had been taken from them.</p>n<p>“Our only demand is that if there’s any case against him (Sidhu), tell us about it,” she said.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MJibranNasir/status/1705300307377377607"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The timing of the video’s recording is not clear.</p>n<p>When Faisalabad City Police Officer Usman Akram Gondal was asked about Nasir’s allegations, he said: “It is absolutely wrong.”</p>n<p>The official claimed that Sidhu had shot himself during the September 3 incident, saying that an FIR had been filed against him. “He has submitted a confessional statement and is on remand,” CPO Gondal told <em>Dawn.com</em>.</p>n<p>As for Shafique and Victor, he said: “The two reached there and were trying to get him (Sidhu) out of there. They misbehaved with [police] and threatened the SHO (station house officer). The police had no choice but to stop them.”</p>n<p>The police’s claim was reiterated in Sidhu’s termination letter issued by the Presbyterian Church of Pakistan (PCP) on September 13.</p>n<p>“This letter is to inform that as of September 13, 2023, you, Mr Eleazar Sidhu s/o Bashir Masih Sidhu … are no longer employed by the Presbyterian Church of Pakistan [henceforth referred to as PCP]. This decision is because of the facts that came to light during your conversation with multiple colleagues, friends, and family members regarding the incident of alleged shooting on your right arm dated September 3, 2023, in which you voluntarily confessed that this was a self-inflicted injury and you admitted to planning this whole act without any fear, duress or pressure.</p>n<p>“While we are refraining from jumping to any conclusions since the matter isnsub-judice, we reserve every right to sever your employment and to cut off any professional ties until the matter comes to its logical conclusion,” the letter, a copy of which is available with <em>Dawn.com</em>, read.</p>n<p>A press statement issued by the PCP on the same day, cited the findings of Sidhu’s first medical report and said: “It was revealed that the injury was likely self-inflicted based on the angle/trajectory of the bullet, bare minimum damage to skin, injury etc.”</p>n<p>The PCP also raised multiple questions regarding the September 3 incident based on Sidhu’s “contradictory statements”.</p>n<p>The PCP called on the “highest authorities”, including all the investigative agencies, to bring all the facts pertaining to the matter to light.</p>n<p>“Any person can lie or make up stories. However, facts and science do not lie. We demand that one black sheep should not spoil the reputation of the whole flock. Not every pastor or Christian desires to apply for asylum and leave his/her country. We demand that an open, fair and independent investigation be carried out and if Mr Sidhu, as per his initial confession, circumstantial evidence, witness corroboration, and contradictory statements regarding the whole incident is found guilty, he should be meted an exemplary punishment,” the PCP press statement said.</p>n<p>It further said the “organisation or the leadership cannot and must not be held responsible for any ‘lone wolf’ or rogue actions of an employee that were not within the scope of his employment nor in furtherance of his job description”.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, a video of Sidhu has surfaced, which according to details collected by <em>Dawn.com</em>, was recorded two days ago — after he was allegedly forced into giving his confessional statement.</p>n<p>In the video, a weeping Sidhu with a sling on his right arm, is seen claiming four of his associates, including a 15-year-old boy, had been detained by police and were being persuaded into giving statements that his injury was self-inflicted.</p>n<p>He denies shooting himself and writing objectionable religious slogans on the church’s wall. Sidhu further claims that he was tortured by police and three police personnel have been staying inside his house all day long.</p>n<p>Sidhu also alleged that he was not provided food and water in police custody.</p>

Pakistan&amp;rsquo;s economy on edge of precipice, warns World Bank

<p>ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is in its tipping point crisis where it should decide to remain a laggard with 40 per cent population living below the poverty line under elite capture and policy decisions driven by strong vested interests of military, political and business leaders or change course to take off for a brighter future.</p>n<p>This candid warning came from the World Bank ahead of the new election cycle for the upcoming government to make early choices while making it clear that international lenders and development partners could only advise with international experiences of successes and some financing but hard choices and course correcting decisions could only be taken within the country.</p>n<p>The good sign, however, is that the countries with higher sustainable economic growth like India, Indonesia and Vietnam also made the right decisions at the time of crisis and were able to overcome similar challenges. “This may be Pakistan’s moment in making policy shifts,” said Najy Benhassine, Country Director for the World Bank in Pakistan, at a news briefing while <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/pakistan/brief/reforms-for-a-brighter-future-time-to-decide">releasing</a> a set of policy notes for debate and discussions for finalisation before the new elected government comes in.</p>n<p>He said Pakistan was in the middle of a human resource capital and economic crisis. “Policy decisions are heavily influenced by strong vested interests, including those of military, political and business leaders,” reads an overview of the Reforms For a Brighter Future: Time to Decide“ that Mr Benhassine released. He said Pakistan had been facing numerous economic hardships including inflation, rising electricity prices, severe climate shocks, and insufficient public resources to finance development and climate adaptation — when the country was among the most vulnerable to climate change impacts.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Says current model can’t reduce poverty as Pakistan has lowest per capita income in South Asia and highest out-of-school kids in the world</p>n</blockquote>n<p>“It is also facing a ‘silent’ human capital crisis: abnormally high child stunting rates, low learning outcomes, and high child mortality,” Mr Najy said, adding that Pakistan’s economic model no longer reducing poverty and it was very concerning that poverty reduction successes until 2018 had been reversed since.</p>n<p>Another World Bank official said Pakistan’s poverty rate for the middle-income line of $3.20 per day had declined to 34.3pc by 2018 from 73.5pc two decades earlier but had since increased to 39.4pc according to the bank estimates. Also, over 12.5 million people had additionally fallen below the poverty line measures by $3.65 per day income.</p>n<p>The bank said Pakistan’s average real per capita growth rate was just 1.7pc between 2000 and 2020 — less than half the average per capita growth rate (4pc) for South Asian countries over the period and well below the average of comparator countries with similar economic structures. As a result, Pakistan’s per capita incomes have fallen behind. “While Pakistan’s per capita income was among the highest in South Asia during the 1980s, it is now among the lowest in the region.”</p>n<p>Pakistan’s human development outcomes lag well behind the rest of South Asia and are roughly equivalent to those in many Su-Saharan African countries with the costs disproportionately borne by girls and women while close to 40pc of children under five years of age were stunted and had the largest number (20.3m) of out-of-school children in the world. Its growth model has resulted in periodic balance of payments crises driven by unsustainable fiscal and current account deficits that necessitated subsequent painful contractionary adjustments, slowing growth, reducing certainty and undermining investments.</p>n<p>The bank proposed enhancing revenue mobilisation potential at 22pc of GDP against the existing rate of 9-10pc and said about 3pc of GDP could be immediately recovered by properly taxing properties and agriculture which could contribute 2pc and 1pc of GDP respectively. Simultaneously, expenditures could be reduced through reforms by 1.3pc immediately and about 2.1pc over the medium term and the funds so generated should be utilised in health, education and sanitisation outcomes.</p>n<p>Mr Najy said the heavy government reliance on bank borrowing at high interest rates for deficit financing was also one of the key factors behind high inflation and should be arrested by reducing the government footprint in public sector entities that account for over 45pc of GDP, most of them loss-making and needing public money to stay afloat.</p>n<p>The World Bank proposed shifting policies from underfunded, inefficient, and fragmented service delivery and social protection systems towards coordinated, efficient, and adequately financed service delivery, targeting the most vulnerable — in particular, to reduce abnormally high child stunting rates and to increase learning outcomes for all children, especially for girls.</p>n<p>It also advised a shift from wasteful and rigid public expenditures benefiting a few, towards tightly prioritised spending on public services, infrastructure, and investments in climate adaptation, benefiting populations most in need.</p>n<p>Mr Najy responding to a question on a common charter of economy among the political parties said while such a way forward could be welcome there was reasonable consensus on priorities and challenges among all stakeholders. These policy shifts with wider stakeholder support should be implemented by the new government in the first year in office for a base to build upon in subsequent years.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23th, 2023</em></p>

Shehbaz downplays speculations around London trip

<p>• Mystery still surrounds ex-PM’s abrupt visit<br />n• Says Nawaz will unveil plan to tackle poverty, improve economy at a rally upon return</p>n<p>LONDON: A day after <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777043/shehbaz-rushes-back-to-london-within-48-hours">arriving in London</a> on a visit seen as sudden and rushed, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif met with his brother Nawaz Sharif and other N-league representatives at Stanhope House, and later said the meeting was called to discuss Mr Nawaz’s next legal and political steps.</p>n<p>Speaking to reporters after a huddle with Mr Nawaz, party Vice President Maryam Nawaz and former finance minister Ishaq Dar, Mr Shehbaz said, “Nawaz Sharif will return to a resounding welcome in Lahore, and will then address the nation at a rally at Minar-i-Pakistan where he will present the party’s plan to tackle poverty, unemployment and improve the economic situation.”</p>n<p>When asked whether he had come to London to “give a special message” to Mr Nawaz as was widely reported in the media a day earlier, Mr Shehbaz said. “Our meeting discussed the legal and political next steps for Mian sahib.”</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/pmln_org/status/1705265050435379437"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>He said the country should look at the party’s performance from 2013 to 2017 “when Nawaz Sharif ended 20 hours loadshedding, mainstreamed CPEC, and invited billions in investment”.</p>n<p>He said inflation in Mr Nawaz’s term was low, GDP growth was 6.5 per cent, and industries were flourishing.</p>n<p>“What happened in 2018<a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1390816"> [Nawaz’s removal]</a>… the nation saw what a joke was played. The country was thwarted from racing to new heights and Nawaz’s mandate was stolen.”</p>n<p>“A poison was injected into our national discourse, which normalised the abuse of colleagues and mentors — it was taken to an unprecedented level.”</p>n<p>Ahead of Mr Shehbaz’s London visit, which was planned a mere 48 hours after he got to Pakistan from a near one-month-long UK trip, it was speculated that Mr Shehbaz is returning to London to reportedly do damage control as the question why he dashed back to the UK was left unaddressed.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1777263"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>His visit comes days after videos of Mr Nawaz <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776664">calling for the accountability</a> of former army chief and ISI chief Gen Bajwa and Gen Faiz, repectively, were published by the London party headquarters on social media, with Mr Shehbaz’s visit being framed by some as carrying a message from the establishment to Mr Nawaz that such a stance was unacceptable.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1776664"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Though Mr Nawaz clearly named the former generals, as well as former judges in his video clips, Mr Shehbaz at the presser did not take any names when he spoke about the “joke that was played on the nation” while referencing the removal of Mr Nawaz in 2017.</p>n<p>Earlier on Friday, during a meeting with party representatives Abid Sher Ali, Talal Chaudhry and Javed Latif, sources said discussions took place about the preparations and logistics of Mr Nawaz’s return, with the party being given instructions to focus its attention on a historic welcome.</p>n<p>The subject of why Mr Shehbaz returned was raised by one party leader at the meeting, but sources said it was not given much importance by the Sharif brothers.</p>n<p>After the meeting, Maryam Nawaz Sharif spoke to the media and said, “It will be a historic reception.”</p>n<p>When asked if there is any truth to rumours that Mr Nawaz will perhaps not return, she said, “This happens in politics, and these rumours will die. I don’t pay much attention to rumours.”</p>n<p>She said Mr Nawaz is in a very good mood that he is returning after nearly four years in exile. “In his 40-year career he has spent 11 in exile. I hope this is the last time he has to live in exile.’’</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

Nepra allows Rs3.28 tariff hike for six months

<p>ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Friday allowed the federal government to increase electricity rates by Rs3.28 per unit for all consumers across the country for six months — October 2023 to March 2024 — with additional revenue impact going beyond Rs200bn.</p>n<p>The increase has been allowed under quarterly tariff adjustment (QTA) mechanism to finance the additional impact of capacity charges due to currency devaluation, interest rate hike and other factors.</p>n<p>The power division of energy ministry had originally sought Rs6.20 per unit adjustment for the fourth quarter of 2022-23 fiscal year for ex-Wapda distribution companies (Discos) to fill a Rs146bn financing gap within three months but later sought its staggered recovery at the rate of Rs3.55 per unit in six months amid public protests against skyrocketing tariff hike.</p>n<p>Subsequently, the power division also asked Nepra to allow application of similar rates on K-Electric consumers to ensure uniformity and reduce subsidy payable against them.</p>n<p>The Nepra after public hearings and examination of data, however, “determined a positive adjustment of Rs135.584bn on account of variation in capacity charges, variable O&amp;M, additional recovery on incremental sales, use of system charges, market operator fee and FCA impact on T&amp;D losses for the fourth quarter of FY 2022-23”. It said its determination sent to the power division for formal notification and application of revised rates of Rs3.2814 per unit with effect from October 1, 2023.</p>n<p>With the application of 18pc GST, the additional impact on Discos’s consumers would thus work out at about Rs160bn at the rate of Rs3.87 per unit. While the government or Nepra did not disclose the financial impact of application of same power rates on KE consumers, an official said that it would be little over Rs40bn, thus taking the total financial impact beyond Rs200bn.</p>n<p>The regulator, however, made it clear that no quarterly adjustments would be passed on to Bl, B2, B3 and B4 industrial consumers to the extent of incremental sales till continuation of the package.</p>n<p>This QTA additional charge is on top of up to Rs7.5 per unit increase in electricity rates that came into force with effect from July 1, 2023 with a financial impact of Rs890bn excluding 18pc GST and subsequent monthly fuel price adjustments.</p>n<p>One of the key factors for the additional quarterly cost, according to distribution companies (Discos) and the power division team, was the 13pc lower electricity drawn by Discos than estimated by relevant authorities while setting the reference rates. It was reported that sale of 37,645 gigawatt hours (GWh) had been estimated for April-June 2023 period but only 32,661 Gwh could be sold.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

With another wicket down, PTI fate hangs in balance: Tareen

<p>LAHORE: Imran Khan’s PTI lost another wicket, this time a former member of the National Assembly from Punjab and party’s women wing president Munazza Hassan who joined Istehkham-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) and made the decision public at a joint presser with IPP patron and former confidant of the PTI chairman, Jahangir Khan Tareen, on Friday.</p>n<p>About PTI’s future, Mr Tareen said: “It will be premature to say whether the PTI will be in elections or not. Certain things are being worked out in this regard and they will come to the fore very soon.”</p>n<p>Some senior leaders of PML-N, including former opposition leader Raja Riaz, believed PTI’s election symbol, bat, would not be on the ballot papers in upcoming elections.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/istehkamPK/status/1705202989110071513"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Mr Tareen, during the press conference, attempted to dispel the impression that his party was ‘king’s party’.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Munazza Hassan joins Istehkham-i-Pakistan Party</p>n</blockquote>n<p>“The establishment does not interfere in politics. We don’t need the support of the establishment but the people,” he said in reply to a question whether the military establishment would help the IPP win seats in polls. He, however, sounded confident regarding the polls taking place in January 2024. “Elections are indispensable for Pakistan and its economy. I am sure elections will be held and new government will remain in power for five years,” he said.</p>n<p><strong>Disqualification</strong></p>n<p>Responding to a question about his life-time disqualification, he said he was eligible to contest polls as he was disqualified “only for an election term of five years”.</p>n<p>“The limit of disqualification of [PML-N supreme leader] Nawaz Sharif and mine was that of five years which have been completed,” he asserted.</p>n<p>So far, he added, his party did not have any complaint against the ECP about level playing field, but the IPP wanted that it should be equal for all political players.</p>n<p>While the IPP has yet to be registered with the ECP despite being the new home of most PTI deserters, Mr Tareen said his party was doing homework and would contest election “with full preparations”.</p>n<p>Asked for reasons to part ways with Mr Khan, Mr Tareen said: “I got along with Imran Khan because he was working for Pakistan. Now my party will meet the expectations which the people had from him.”</p>n<p>The IPP leadership says it has an agenda to give a new direction to politics and take the country forward with a strong economy.</p>n<p>Since his party also has an ‘excellent relationship’ with the Sharifs, Mr Tareen has yet to explain which party will be its rival in Punjab.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, he asked Mr Nawaz not to target former army chief (Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa) and chief justice of Pakistan.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23th, 2023</em></p>

Student union set to be revived at Quaid-i-Azam University

<p>• Dictator Zia banned student unions in 1984 to quell uprisings<br />n• CJP Isa lends support to syndicate’s decision</p>nn<p>ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa on Friday lent his support to a decision to revive the Quaid-i-Azam University’s (QAU) students’ union, a move that, it is hoped, will pave the way for the revival of student unions in other universities as well. </p>nn<p>The decision was taken during a syndicate meeting chaired by the university’s Vice Chancellor, Niaz Ahmad Akhtar, and attended by the chief justice of Pakistan, who is a member of the forum by virtue of his position. Justice Isa is the second CJP, after former chief justice Rana Bhagwandas, to have attended a QAU syndicate meeting.</p>nn<p>Student unions were banned in 1984 by the dictator Ziaul Haq in an effort to quell student uprisings against his oppressive policies. The decision had left a significant vacuum in Pakistan’s political land­scape. Four decades thence, the students at QAU seem poised to be the first to get their democratic rights back.</p>nn<p>According to a statement issued by the QAU, the syndicate had been discussing the engagement of students in positive and healthy activities when the matter came up. The Federal Education Secretary, Waseem Ajmal Chaudhary, expressed an opinion in favour of reviving the student unions. He was seconded by the chief justice, who observed that Gen Zia’s Martial Law Order had been repealed by an Act of Parliament in 1989. He also pointed to a 1993 Supreme Court judgement which, though it had disapproved of students’ indulgence in politics, also allowed for and appreciated the existence of elected bodies which address students’ issues and arrange co-curricular activities for them. The syndicate also factored in a unanimous resolution passed by the Senate in 2017 on the same subject into its decision. </p>nn<p>After discussion, the syndicate unanimously decided to revive QAU’s students’ union, which is an elected body representing all students of the university. A committee was also constituted to come up with a detailed proposal on the modalities of elections and other relevant issues. It will comprise a representative of the education ministry, the QAU Registrar, as well as the director of the university’s School of Law. The committee will study earlier practices and rules, as well as contemporary best practices from the wider world. It will submit its report to the syndicate in two weeks.</p>nn<p>Informed sources said that the chief justice had also urged that the union not be allowed to seek support on any ethnic, religious or political basis; rather, it should be a platform for the welfare and excellence of students and for the flourishing of democratic culture.</p>nn<p>He also recommended that the union be modelled around Oxford Univer­sity’s student union, which has graduated a number of world leaders. </p>nn<p>Though successive governments made several commitments for the revival of student unions, no practical steps were ever taken to this effect. </p>nn<p>In 2017, the Senate, then headed by Mian Raza Rabbani, had approved a resolution and recommendation of the Senate Committee of the Whole for the revival of student unions, but the matter fizzled out. </p>nn<p>Later, during the PTI regime, then prime minister Imran Khan also expressed support for the restoration of student unions following protests across the country. However, once again, no practical step was taken in this regard.</p>nn<p><strong>Environment and other concerns</strong></p>nn<p>Sources said that, during the meeting, the CJP emphasised environmental sustainability and directed the management to finalise a comprehensive environment management plan, which should include effective waste management and the sustainable consumption of water resources. </p>nn<p>The CJP asked that the QAU be made a plastic, weapon and drug-free institute and also sought a report from the university administration on gender equality on the campus. Justice Isa also reportedly expressed concerns for the longstanding land issues plaguing the QAU and instructed the syndicate members to prioritise and expedite the resolution of all land-related challenges. </p>nn<p>The sources said that the syndicate also discussed the use of unfair means by some students. University representatives also told the meeting participants that the university had sometimes faced political interference. </p>nn<p>The sources said that the CJP had recommended that the administration should consider lodging police reports against such elements.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

Weekly inflation hits 38.6pc

<p>ISLAMABAD: The short-term inflation hit a new high for the third week in a row as the retail price of petroleum products soared, according to official data released on Friday.</p>n<p>The short-term inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), saw a year-on-year increase of 38.66 per cent for the week ending on Sept 21. This is the highest increase in three weeks because things are getting expensive every week.</p>n<p>After all, the oil price is going up. Oil prices have surged for the third consecutive fortnight under the caretaker government, triggering a hike in transport fares. The cost of moving goods has also risen due to the higher fuel prices.</p>n<p>The retail price of petrol was increased by 8.51pc and diesel by 5.54pc during the week under review.</p>n<p>To meet the local demand, Pakistan has been relying on imports of essential vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, potatoes and various others from Afghanistan. However, some relief was seen in the prices of tomatoes, and a few vegetables after the Torkham border with Afghanistan was reopened.</p>n<p>The short-term inflation remained elevated. It, however, rose 0.93pc from the preceding week.</p>n<p>Of the 51 items in the SPI basket, prices of 22 goods soared, 11 dropped and 18 remained unchanged compared to the previous week.</p>n<p>During the week under review, the items whose prices increased the most over the same week a year ago were: electricity charges for Q1 (118.16pc), gas charges for Q1 (108.38pc), cigarettes (94.69pc), rice basmati broken (88.43pc), chillies powder (84.84pc), sugar (81.98pc), rice Irri-6/9 (81.04pc), wheat flour (73.70pc), gur (72.86pc), tea Lipton (65.28pc), gents sponge chappal (58.05pc), salt powdered (56.48pc), gents sandal (53.37pc), powdered milk (43.33pc) and garlic (43.10pc).</p>n<p>The biggest rise week-on-week was in the price of chicken (8.49pc), garlic (5.19pc), onions (3.02pc), shirting (1.81pc) and matchbox (1.42pc).</p>n<p>In May, the SPI stayed above 45pc for three weeks after hitting an all-time high at 48.35pc on May 4.</p>n<p>The rupee depreciation, rising petrol prices, sales tax and electricity bills are among the key contributors to this inflationary trend. According to the latest IMF forecast, the average Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the current fiscal year is projected to be 25.9pc from the previous year’s 29.6pc.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, a decrease was also observed on a week-on-week basis in prices of tomatoes (11.11pc), sugar (3.57pc), bananas (2.03pc), potatoes (1.89pc), wheat flour (0.77pc), gur (0.62pc), mustard oil (0.45pc), vegetable ghee 2.5 kg (0.31pc), cooking oil 5 litre (0.20pc), pulse gram (0.18pc) and tea Lipton (0.17pc).</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23th, 2023</em></p>

UK police seek more information in Sara Sharif case

<p> <figure class='media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch media–uneven media–stretch'>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class='media__caption '>AN undated photo of Sara Sharif released by the Surrey Police in London, on Friday.—AFP</figcaption>n </figure></p>n<p>LONDON: Surrey Police on Friday released two images of 10-year-old Sara Sharif taken prior to her <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1770731">death</a> with the hope that “more people will come forward with information”.</p>n<p>The images show Sara, who was found dead in her family home in Woking, Surrey, wearing the hijab. One appears to be a passport style photo, with the other an image of the young girl outdoors.</p>n<p>The photos show how investigators believe she may have been dressed in the months before she died.</p>n<p>A month earlier, it was reported that, according to her stepmother Beinash Batool, Sara was pulled out of school after being “bullied for wearing the hijab”.</p>n<p>Detective Superintendent Mark Chapman of Surrey Police said: “We have released these new images this week in the hope that it will prompt more people who knew Sara and her family to come forward.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/SurreyPolice/status/1705157211738030557"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>“We are grateful to everyone who has already contacted us, and I would like to stress that any information, no matter how insignificant it might seem, is reviewed by the investigation team and further enquiries carried out if appropriate.</p>n<p>“I would urge anyone who may have information and hasn’t yet come forward to reach out to us.”</p>n<p>According to news reports, flyers have been put up in Woking train stations and taxi stands with regard to Sara Sharif, the information police are seeking.</p>n<p>A court was informed on Tuesday that 10-year-old Sara Sharif suffered a “constellation” of injuries, culminating in her untimely death.</p>n<p>Sara’s father Urfan Sharif, aged 41, her stepmother Beinash Batool, 29, and her uncle Faisal Malik, 28, made their appearance at the Old Bailey in London on Tuesday following their return from Pakistan on Sept 13, when they were apprehended at Gatwick Airport.</p>n<p>The trio will face a six-week trial for her murder next year, with a date provisionally set for Sept 2, 2024. A plea hearing will take place on Dec 1. The charges against them include the murder of Sara and causing or permitting the death of a child.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

Third daughter&amp;rsquo;s birth: Woman jumps off LGH second floor

<p>LAHORE: A distressed woman jumped off the second floor of the Lahore General Hospital (LGH) on Friday morning, days after she delivered a baby girl. </p>nn<p>The initial inquiries suggested that it was the birth of the third daughter of the woman, Sidra Afzal (22), and she took the extreme step to avoid ‘comments or taunts’ of her relatives for not giving birth to a boy. </p>nn<p>The LGH admin officials said the incident took place when Sidra was under treatment at the labour room of the hospital. They said she jumped from the window, received critical injuries and was shifted to the Punjab Institute of Neuro Sciences (PINS) in critical condition. </p>nn<p>An LGH official said Sidra had given birth to her girl on Sept 18 in a private hospital of Kasur and it was her third daughter born through C-section. He said she was brought to the LGH by her family members when her condition got critical. Early on Friday, he added, Sidra went to use the washroom from where she jumped down from the window and got multiple critical injuries. </p>nn<p>LGH Medical Superintendent Prof Nurdat Sohail said after coming from Kasur, the doctors had got her tests done and reached a decision to reoperate her at the LGH. He said around two-litre water and blood was sucked from her belly during a procedure. Keeping in view her health conditions and complications, she was shifted to intensive care unit where two women attendants were also allowed to stay with her for her care. </p>nn<p>The MS said Sidra was again shifted to the labour room when her health improved on Sept 20. </p>nn<p>Quoting sources, he said because of the birth of third consecutive daughter, Sidra was depressed and she took this extreme step and jumped off from the window. </p>nn<p>Postgraduate Medical Institute (PGMI) Principal Prof Al-Fareed Zafar formed a five-member committee, headed by Prof of Urology Dr Khizar Hayyat Gondal, to probe into the matter and bring the facts to the public. </p>nn<p>He said police were being engaged to further investigate the matter.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

Sharmeen&amp;rsquo;s project gives 19 filmmakers wings to fly

<p>KARACHI: The 10 films of 20 to 30 minute duration had their own merit, but getting to know the stories, challenges and struggles of the 19 talented female filmmakers, who so beautifully brought their subjects to the big screen, also deserve thunderous applause.</p>n<p>All of them stole the show at the closing ceremony celebrating the successful conclusion of Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s Patakha Pictures’ largest filmmaking grant and mentorship programme ‘Stories from Southern Pakistan’, here on Friday.</p>n<p>This Rs10 million project, supported and funded by a grant from the US Consulate General in Karachi, aimed to empower, uplift and encourage the next generation of Pakistani women in film to create documentaries that push boundaries and start important conversations.</p>n<p>It was a project very dear to the two-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker’s heart, who shared how she also used to dream of becoming a filmmaker back in 2002, just like the emerging female filmmakers. “Patakha means firecracker. Through the venture I wanted to give others the wings to fly,” she said about Patakha Pictures.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Documentaries made by female filmmakers from Sindh, Balochistan captivate audience</p>n</blockquote>n<p>Having a baby, dealing with the death of an uncle, overcoming personal misfortunes, and what not? Nothing could come in the way of the 19 very driven and aspiring women from Sindh and Balochistan as they went about shooting their films. Working in pairs, over several months, they also honed their skills and crafted their documentaries while also attending online filmmaking workshops, and in-person editing sessions with Noé Mendelle and Jesse Ericka Epstein.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://images.dawn.com/news/card/1188258"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The former is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences, and Director of the Scottish Documentary Institute and the latter, a Sundance Award-winning documentary filmmaker, and VMA Affiliated Faculty, at Emerson College.</p>n<p>The two-minute excerpts of the films had the audience captivated with their compelling subjects, unique perspectives, filming and clever editing.</p>n<p>Niswan-Nama by Zehra Nawab and Mariam Paracha explored the work of Tehrik-i-Niswan, a female-led performing arts troupe using theatre as a tool of activism. The story of this group is told through its members, including its founder, the graceful classical dancer Sheema Kermani.</p>n<p>Talking about her experience, one of the filmmakers, Zehra Nawab, said they were initially looking to tell the story of the artists and theatre performance. “But as we entered their space we gained a better understanding of the organisation and its work,” said Zehra, who in her beautiful green sari and a flower in her neatly tied bun, also looked like she had become a big fan of Ms Kermani.</p>n<p>Equipped with the tools and techniques to film their documentary, Nayyar – An Art Story, it was very clear from the start for Ayessha Quraishi to use her art teacher as her subject. Her partner here was also none other than Shalalae Jamil, the daughter of the subject Nayyar Jamil. Together they very ably traced the artistic career of Nayyar Jamil who had begun her journey as a painter and continued on to become a teacher, shaping and guiding innumerable students over multiple decades.</p>n<p>Of them Rani Wahidi, the filmmaker of Sculpted Defiance with her partner Mashal Baloch, had the audience in utter awe when she announced that she was entirely self-taught. “I never went to school because I am from Afghanistan where the Taliban were not in favour of educating girls. I taught myself the alphabet from hearing other children recite ABC. I taught myself how to read from pieces of newspaper, which I found in the trash, but I educated myself,” she beamed.</p>n<p>The rest of the 19 women filmmakers included Alina Rizwan, Alina Azhar, Aqsa Abdul Qadir, Amatullah Saeed, Kainat Thebo, Ayesha Abro, Zainab Asif, Aimen Khan, Mahwish Saeed, Saira Baloch, Rani Wahidi, Mashal Baloch, Yamna Waqar, Nafeesa Ali and Zainab Younas.</p>n<p>Speaking on the occasion, US Consul General Conrad Tribble said that he felt honoured to meet the filmmakers. “We are immensely proud to have supported this filmmaking project and to have helped in bringing the ambitions of the filmmakers to life,” he said.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23th, 2023</em></p>

ML-1 cost being revised as officials head to Beijing

<p>ISLAMABAD: China is reported to have agreed to a revised cost of $6.6bn for Mainline-1 (ML-1) — the 1,872km Karachi-Peshawar railway track — and would submit a modified design plan for the project to Pakistan latest by October 31.</p>n<p>Informed sources told <em>Dawn</em> that Communications Secretary Khurram Agha who heads the Pakistani side of CPEC’s Joint Working Groups (JWG) of Aviation, Railways and Infrastructure and Railways Secretary Mazhar Ali Shah would travel to Beijing at the weekend to attend the JWG meeting on Monday for finalisation of the cost estimated and associated matters.</p>n<p>Formal announcement for the agreement is expected when caretaker prime minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar visits China on October 18 to attend annual events relating to One-Belt and Road Initiative. The sources said ML-1 costs were estimated at around $9.8bn previously but the Chinese side had shown some flexibility and some design changes had helped reduced costs and some other portions of the project would be developed by the Pakistani side itself in due course.</p>n<p>During the upcoming visit of PM Kakar, the two sides are also expected to take up four proposed projects for implementation that had been delayed between 2018 and 2022. Formal negotiations on the four projects including Mirpur-Muzaffarabad-Mansehra Motorway, Zhob-Dera Ismail Khan Motorway and Babusar Top would also be held during the JWG meetings next week.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Modified design to be shared with Pakistan by end of October</p>n</blockquote>n<p>Informed sources said the then prime minister Shehbaz Sharif had persuaded the Chinese leadership for revival of these projects last year as the latter also had agreed to fast-track processing of ML-1 project. However, since no significant progress could be achieved since then, these projects would now be processed through the Special Investment Facilitation Committee (SIFC) — a civil-military forum on investment — and would be taken to maturity stage by the caretaker government.</p>n<p>The developments were discussed at a meeting held on Friday to review work on CPEC projects. An official statement said caretaker minister for planning and development Mohammad Sami Saeed, who presided over the meeting, asked all the ministries and divisions “to expedite the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects”.</p>n<p>The minister was apprised about progress on CPEC projects, particularly since July when the 12th JCC meeting was held. Representatives of various ministries and divisions gave detailed briefings about work on projects in energy, infrastructure, IT sectors, Gwadar international airport, special economic zones (SEZs) and other key areas.</p>n<p>In the early harvest projects of CPEC, six mega infrastructure projects including Havelian-Thakot section of KKH, Multan-Sukkur (M-5) Motorway, Hakla-D.I.Khan Motorway, Optical Fibre Cable, Eastbay Expressway &amp; Orange Line Metro Train, were completed. Also, work on different sections on the western alignment of CPEC is under implementation, which is expected to be completed by next year.</p>n<p>The meeting was informed that the JWG on infrastructure would meet next week to review the projects.</p>n<p>The minister asked the relevant ministry to expedite work on Rashakai, Dhabeji, Moqpondass and Bostan special economic zones; Allama Iqbal Industrial City; ICT Model Industrial Zone; Industrial Park on Pakistan Steel Mills land; Mirpur Industrial Zone; Mohmand Marble City and special economic zone.</p>n<p>Also at the meeting, a briefing was given on the upcoming Belt and Road Forum to be held in China.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

Asian Games: Pakistan reach volleyball quarter-finals

<p>HANGZHOU: Pakistan overwhelmed South Korea in straight sets to advance to the quarter-finals of the Asian Games men’s volleyball competition on Friday.</p>n<p>Pakistan recorded nine blocks and three aces in a 25-19, 25-22, 25-21 win in their round of 12 match at the China Textile City Sports Centre Gymnasium in Shaoxing on the western outskirts of Hangzhou.</p>n<p>Pakistan will now face Qatar in their last-eight clash with the winner advancing to a semi-final against Iran.</p>n<p>Pakistan had a height advantage against the Koreans as they took a 9-5 lead early in the first set, the middle-blockers shutting their opponents’ spikes and helping them seize the initiative.</p>n<p>Pakistan middle blockers’ quick hits and cross-court shots shook up Korea’s defence in the second set. South Korea pulled even at 14-14 on Pakistan’s turnovers, but ended up dropping the set after failing to cut off Pakistan’s assaults.</p>n<p>The third set was tighter affair but Pakistan eventually took an 11-7 lead and eventually sealed the tie.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23th, 2023</em></p>

Seven Caribbean nations to host T20 World Cup

<p>LONDON: Seven Caribbean countries will host matches at next year’s T20 World Cup, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, the ICC announced on Friday.</p>nn<p>The ICC awarded the hosting of the event, to be held in June 2024, to the West Indies and the United States in November 2021.</p>nn<p>Dominica, Guyana, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines have also been named as hosts.</p>nn<p>“The matches will again give cricket fans the unique experience of enjoying cricket in the Caribbean,” said ICC chief executive Geoff Allardice.</p>nn<p>Next year’s tournament will be the first edition of the event to include a record 20 teams.</p>nn<p>Matches will also be held in New York, Florida and Texas.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23th, 2023</em></p>

China all set to open biggest-ever Asian Games in post-Covid era

<p>HANGZHOU: After a year’s delay due to Covid-19, the biggest Asian Games in history, boasting about 12,000 competitors — more than the Olympics — officially open in Hangzhou on Saturday with hosts China eager to lift a country mired in economic gloom and athletes hoping to lay a marker before next year’s Paris Olympics. </p>nn<p>With athletes including world and Olympic champions competing across a whopping programme of 40 sports from athletics, swimming and football to eSports and bridge, the Games will be China’s first mega-event since last year’s Beijing Winter Olympics, which were held under strict Covid protocols. </p>nn<p>Following the scrapping of China’s “zero-Covid” policy in late-2022, Hangzhou promises to be a more festive event and a welcome diversion from the property market woes and high youth unemployment that have dogged the domestic economy. </p>nn<p>Fans, athletes and officials will move freely between shiny, new stadiums in Hangzhou and five other Yangtze River Delta cities in one of the country’s most prosperous regions. </p>nn<p>Like the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, local organisers will hope Hangzhou can showcase the nation’s strength and that home athletes will put China top of the medals table as they have done at the last 10 editions. </p>nn<p>Given the quality throughout China’s 886-strong delegation, there should be little doubt of the latter, at least. </p>nn<p>The Games’ novelty factor will instead lie in new competitions, even if some stretch the definition of sport to its limits. </p>nn<p>Organisers have jumped aboard the Olympics’ youth push, adding breakdancing — or ‘breaking’ — to the programme a year out from its Olympic debut at Paris. </p>nn<p>Esports will be a medal event for the first time after being a demonstration event at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. </p>nn<p>Celebrity gamers like South Korea’s Lee Sang-hyeok, better known as ‘Faker’, will compete for seven esports golds across seven titles, including ‘League of Legends’ and ‘FIFA Online 4’. </p>nn<p>The Games will be staged at 54 venues — 14 newly constructed — mostly in Hangzhou but also extending to cities as far afield as Wenzhou, 300 kilometres (180 miles) south. </p>nn<p>The centrepiece is the “Big Lotus” Olympic stadium with a capacity of up to 80,000 where athletics and the opening and closing ceremonies will be staged. </p>nn<p>President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony and meet Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad there, along with other visiting leaders. Assad is making his first visit to ally China since the war erupted in Syria in 2011 </p>nn<p>Though organisers scrapped a controversial plan to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at Hangzhou, the continental bloc is riven with geopolitical tensions that could spill over in competition and in the stands. </p>nn<p>Relations between Japan and China have plunged since Tokyo released treated radioactive water from a wrecked nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, and the Japanese Olympic Committee said it hopes its athletes will “avoid any trouble”. </p>nn<p>North Korea is sending a nearly 200-strong team to Hangzhou, ending its isolation from global sport since the Covid-19 pandemic. </p>nn<p>Though women’s sport is effectively banned in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, the nation will be represented by 17 female athletes in cycling, volleyball and athletics, funded by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). </p>nn<p>Nine of the sports come with the additional prize of qualification for the Olympics incl­u­ding archery, boxing, breaking, hockey, sailing, tennis and water polo. </p>nn<p>Hosts China have topped the medals table at every Asian Games since 1982 and are expected to do so again by the time the curtain comes down on October 8. </p>nn<p>They should reign in swimming, with Qin Haiyang fresh from his heroics at the world championships, where he announced himself as the new undisputed breaststroke king. The 24-year-old swept all three men’s events and set a new world record in the 200m. </p>nn<p>China’s butterfly queen Zhang Yufei will bid for a fourth gold in the pool at her third Asian Games to add to her two Olympic and two world titles. </p>nn<p>The hosts’ newly crowned women’s world number one golfer Yin Ruoning will tee off in the individual and team events, five years after taking a team bronze for China at Jakarta. </p>nn<p>In athletics, another of the most closely watched sports, India’s Olympic and world champion Neeraj Chopra will defend his Asian Games javelin crown. </p>nn<p>His nearest competitor should be world silver medallist Arshad Nadeem from arch-rivals Pakistan and the countries are also on a collision course in cricket and hockey. </p>nn<p>A feature of the Asian Games is that it includes sports that are a little more quirky than the Olympics. Xiangqi — also known as “Chinese chess” — and the ancient wrestling discipline of kurash are also on the menu. </p>nn<p>Hangzhou, a city of 12 million people an hour’s bullet train from Shanghai, is famed in China for its ancient temples, gardens and its beloved West Lake. </p>nn<p>It is also the unofficial home of China’s tech industry, notably the birth place of Jack Ma’s Alibaba. The Games will showcase some of the latest tech to come out of the city, including driverless buses, robot dogs and facial recognition.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23th, 2023</em></p>

ICC 2024 U-19 World Cup schedule announced

<p>DUBAI: The matches schedule for the 15th edition of the ICC U-19 Men’s World Cup 2024 has been revealed as hosts Sri Lanka prepare to welcome the future stars of world cricket to the island nation for the first time since 2006.</p>nn<p>A total of 16 teams were set to compete for the silverware across 41 matches from Jan 13 to Feb 4, comprising 11 best-placed full member teams at the last edition and five teams who earned their World Cup spot through qualification — Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Scotland and the US, said a press release issued by the ICC.</p>nn<p>On the first day, Sri Lanka face Zimbabwe at the R. Premadasa Stadium, England play Scotland at the Colombo Cricket Club and New Zealand clash with Nepal at the P. Sara Oval.</p>nn<p>Reigning champions India commence the defence of their crown against Bangladesh on Jan 14 at the R. Premadasa Stadium.</p>nn<p>In a revised format, teams progressing from the group stages would enter a new Super Six stage, starting on Jan 24, where two groups of six teams will clash to determine the semi-finalists.</p>nn<p>In the group listings, India are joined by Bangladesh, Ireland and the US in Group ‘A’; Group ‘B’ consists of England, South Africa, West Indies and Scotland; Group ‘C’ features Australia, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Namibia while Group ‘D’ is made up of Afghanistan, Pakistan, New Zealand and Nepal.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23th, 2023</em></p>

Sindh apex body finalises nitty-gritty of operation in riverine area

<p>• 18 forward base camps, 400 check posts being set up<br />n• Corps Commander Iftikhar asks Rangers to provide security for Ghotki-Kashmore bridge construction<br />n• CS told to approach interior ministry for military-grade weapons</p>n<p>KARACHI: The Sindh Apex Committee — a forum of civil and military officials — on Friday reviewed the law and order situation in riverine areas of the province, approved and finalised details of a massive operation to be launched by police and Rangers against dacoit gangs in affected districts of upper Sindh.</p>n<p>The approval of an operation has been given multiple times. First, the then Murad Ali Shah-led cabinet had in March approved a grand operation clean-up in riverine areas. Then, the caretaker cabinet took up the matter in its meeting on Sept 14 and decided to launch a massive operation in riverine area and shutdown of internet services.</p>n<p>And on Friday, the 28th meeting of the Apex Committee approved yet another time a comprehensive joint operation with army and Rangers against dacoits in the riverine areas. However, this time the meeting had an in-depth discussion on the plan of the operation in the riverine area.</p>n<p>Talking to <em>Dawn</em> after the meeting, caretaker Home Minister retired Brigadier Haris Nawaz hoped that the operation would formally begin “within a week”.</p>n<p>The meeting was chaired by caretaker Chief Minister retired Justice Maqbool Barar. It was attended by Corps Commander Lt Gen Babar Iftikhar, Chief Secretary Dr Fakhre Alam, Rangers director general Maj Gen Azhar Waqas, Inspector General of Police Riffat Mukhtar, caretaker law minister Omer Soomro, Home Secretary Iqbal Memon and others.</p>n<p>It was told that the Rangers had been deployed along with police in upper Sindh districts and a crackdown on organised weapon smuggling had resulted in the seizure of the first cache of military-grade weapons in Ghotki.</p>n<p>The IGP shared a comprehensive joint operation plan to clear hideouts in the riverine area in which army troops would provide aerial support.</p>n<p>The meeting was told that 18 forward base camps were being established with 50 personnel each in the riverine areas of Ghotki, Kashmore, Shikarpur and Sukkur. Around 400 police check posts were being established, while 3,200 policemen had already been deployed at 210 such posts.</p>n<p>The CM was disappointed to know that dacoit gangs had stopped work to construct the Ghotki-Kashmore bridge. Upon which, the corps commander instructed the Rangers and police to reach the spot immediately and provide security to construction workers.</p>n<p><strong>Military-grade weapons</strong></p>n<p>The apex body was told that sophisticated military-grade weapons such as sniper rifles, grenade launchers, mortars, night vision devices, and drones were required for the operation.</p>n<p>However, it was disclosed in the meeting that a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the purchase of such weapons was pending approval with the interior ministry.</p>n<p>The corps commander informed the meeting that the defence ministry had already given clearance for the provision of military-grade weapons to police and the interior ministry had to issue a formal NOC.</p>n<p>Justice Baqar directed the chief secretary to approach the interior ministry for the NOC on procurement of military-grade weapons from the army.</p>n<p><strong>Operation against street crime</strong></p>n<p>The meeting was informed that 39,884 cases of street crime had been reported in 2013 which kept increasing to 85,502 in 2022, while 61,098 cases were reported this year.</p>n<p>After a thorough discussion, the apex body decided to launch a joint operation of police and Rangers against street criminals and drug mafia in the metropolis.</p>n<p>While the chief executive officer of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation was present in the meeting, the Rangers director general briefed the apex body about an ongoing operation against illegal hydrants in the city.</p>n<p>He said that 27 operations had been conducted across the metropolis in which 27 illegal hydrants had been dismantled and 43 persons were arrested.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23th, 2023</em></p>

Students suffer as academic activities at Karachi University come to a halt

<p>KARACHI: Academic activities came to a complete halt at Karachi University (KU) on Friday amid a stand-off between the administration and teachers over a prolonged delay in payment of the evening programme’s dues.</p>n<p>Sources said no evening classes had been held on the campus for nine days while teachers decided to extend their boycott to the morning classes in a general body meeting of the Karachi University Teachers’ Society (Kuts) held a day earlier.</p>n<p>According to university officials, there are more than 46,000 students enrolled at the university right now.</p>n<p>In a late evening development, the caretaker chief minister took notice of the KU teachers’ strike and directed boards and universities secretary to present a report on the matter. “The chief minister has asked KU teachers to continue academic activities on the campus. He has expressed willingness to resolve their grievances on a priority basis,” a CM House spokesperson said.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Caretaker CM intervenes, asks protesting teachers to resume classes</p>n</blockquote>n<p>Earlier in the day, several students shared their reservations over the situation and said that teachers’ strikes would greatly harm their studies if allowed to continue.</p>n<p>Speaking to <em>Dawn</em>, they said the time was crucial, especially for the students enrolled in the morning programme who were about to finish their last semester.</p>n<p>“We won’t be able to complete our courses in time, which might force many of us to stay at the hostel for a longer period. That would mean an increase in out-of-pocket expenditure that we have to manage and a delay in finishing our degrees and applying for the job,” a science student said, adding that it was a hard time for the majority of KU students representing the lower middle class.</p>n<p>Sources said these concerns were raised during the Kuts general body meeting, and a few teachers suggested against opting for a complete strike or holding it for the time being. However, the majority opinion for a complete strike prevailed.</p>n<p>In a press statement, Kuts stated that the classes’ boycott would continue if the problems were not sorted out.</p>n<p>“Teachers are forced to opt for the boycott. They have been telling the administration about their concerns over non-payment of the evening programme’s dues since February this year,” it said.</p>n<p>According to teachers, the total pending amount pertaining to the evening programme, which is run on a self-finance basis, is around Rs80 million. In addition, they are also deprived of their enhanced salaries.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, teachers’ associations across Sindh, including the Quaid-i-Awam Teachers’ Association (QUTA) Sindh, have extended their support to KU teachers.</p>n<p>In a statement, the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) Sindh chapter stated that it had called for a meeting on Tuesday on the KU campus.</p>n<p>“We strongly support all the demands of Kuts and condemn the university administration for its continued failure to disburse due remuneration to its academic staff,” says the statement.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23th, 2023</em></p>

Work on Rawalpindi Ring Road launched without funds

<p>RAWALPINDI: Though about two-third of the land required for Rawalpindi Ring Road is yet to be acquired, the construction work on the Rs30 billion project was on Friday morning startedby the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO).</p>n<p>Interestingly, Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has no funds for the construction work and has requested the caretaker Punjab government to release Rs4 billion. However, Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Liaquat Ali Chatha said he was confident that the amount will be released in a day or two.</p>n<p>The total length of the road is 38.3 kilometres, but the district administration has so far acquired land from Chak Beli Khan to Adiala, which is 12km. Land for the 26.3km portion of the road is yet to be acquired.</p>n<p>The commissioner visited Gorakpur near Adiala and reviewed the work speed plan. Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue Nabil Sindhu, Assistant Commissioner Cantonment Qandeel Fatima, RDA Director General Saif Anwar Jappa and Nespak representatives were present on the occasion.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>RDA requests Punjab govt to release Rs4bn, two-third of land yet to be acquired; commissioner says CM wants road ready in six months</p>n</blockquote>n<p>Talking to <em>Dawn</em>, Mr Chatha, who is also the project director, said the construction work had been started and FWO mobilised its heavy machinery.</p>n<p>“Though the completion time was set as one year, caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi has directed to complete the project within six months,” he said.</p>n<p>About the land acquisition, he said the district administration had already acquired land from Chak Beli Khan to Adiala Road which was 12km, and the remaining land will be acquired next week.</p>n<p>“We have Rs6.7 billion which the Punjab government had released last year and this amount would be used to acquire the remaining land,” he said.</p>n<p>However, he said the caretaker government had been requested for funds for the construction work, which will be released in a day or two.</p>n<p>“We imposed section 17(4) of the Land Acquisition Act in the areas from Baanth to Thalian near the motorway and the acquisition of land will be started from Monday. We will purchase land from the locals at the market rate and 15 per cent extra amount will be given to the owners,” he said.</p>n<p>He said the Land Acquisition Act’s section was imposed when the government wanted to get land for a public interest project and the landowners were compensated at the market rates. “We will compensate all the landowners at handsome rates,” he said.</p>n<p>To a question about election commission’s restriction on new projects, the commissioner made it clear that the project was started last year but work on it could not be started.</p>n<p>“So, it is not a new project but an ongoing one and there is no restriction on such schemes before general elections.”</p>n<p>The commissioner the Ring Road was a very important public welfare project. “Elements who were saying that the project had been canceled will be disappointed today. The RDA has a key role in the implementation of development projects,” he said.</p>n<p>He said the mega project will reduce traffic gridlocks and facilitate movement of the residents of adjacent areas.</p>n<p>The 38.3km Ring Road will have five interchanges at Baanth, Chak Beli Khan, Adiala Road, Chakri Road and Thalian. An industrial zone will also be established around the road.</p>n<p>The total cost of the project is Rs31.7 billion – Rs23 billion for construction and Rs6.7 billion for land acquisition.</p>n<p>During the PTI government, two routes were planned for the project and later work was started on the main carriageway from Baanth on Grand Trunk Road to Thallian on the motorway.</p>n<p>Former prime minister Imran Khan laid the foundation stone of the road at Thallian in March 2022. The FWO was awarded the contract.</p>n<p>The PDM government temporarily halted the project and gave the go-ahead after carrying out a third-party validation of the route.</p>n<p>Former prime minister Shahbaz Sharif had directed the authorities to seek a third-party consultant for validating the optimal route.</p>n<p>A joint venture of Turkish and Pakistani firms was tasked with selecting the route from Baanth to Thallian.After getting its report, Mr Sharif also laid the foundation of the road at Rawat on August 8 this year.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

Thousands of ancient clay tablets returned from US to Iran

<p>TEHRAN: Iran has received thousands of Achaemenid-era clay tablets from the United States in the fifth such instalment, following a drawn-out legal effort to repatriate the antiquities, said a statement posted on the presidency’s website late on Thursday.</p>nn<p>“After the two-year follow-up of the government… the Achaemenid tablets confiscated by the American government were returned to the country,” the statement said.</p>nn<p>The 3,506 tablets were repatriated on the plane that also brought home the Iranian delegation from New York after it attended the United Nations General Assembly.</p>nn<p>This is the fifth batch of such antiquities returned to Iran.</p>nn<p>“We hope that the rest of these tablets will be returned as soon as possible”, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Thursday night after returning from New York.</p>nn<p>Found at the ruins of Persepolis, the capital of the Persian Achaemenid Empire which ruled from the sixth to fourth centuries BC in southern Iran, the repatriated tablets display how ancient society was organised and its economy managed.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

Ukraine attacks Russian navy&amp;rsquo;s HQ in Crimea

<p>SEVASTOPOL: At least one Ukrainian missile struck the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea naval fleet in the Crimean port of Sevastopol on Friday, and a major cyber attack interrupted internet services on the peninsula.</p>nn<p>Russia’s defence ministry said one serviceman was missing after the attack, revising its earlier statement that the man had been killed. Air defe­nces had downed five missiles, the ministry said.</p>nn<p>Ukraine’s military confirmed it had attacked the Russian Black Sea fleet’s headquarters.</p>nn<p>“On Sept 22 close to 12 noon (0900 GMT) Ukraine’s defence forces successfully struck the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea fleet command in the temporarily occupied Sevastopol,” it said on the Telegram messaging app.</p>nn<p>The Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said the attack had caused a fire and people were being urged to avoid the city centre where the navy building is located, with firefighters working and some roads closed.</p>nn<p>Razvozhayev said there were no civilian casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure in his report on the incident on Telegram.</p>nn<p>Ukraine has intensified attacks in the Black Sea and Crimea, which was seized and annexed by Russia in 2014, as Ukrainian forces press on with a nearly four-month-old counter-offensive.</p>nn<p>Ukrainian officials have described attacks on Russian military targets in Russian-held territory as legitimate.</p>nn<p>Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine’s security council, said there were two options for the future of Russia’s Black Sea fleet — voluntary or forced “self-neutralisation”.</p>nn<p>If it did not choose the voluntary option, it “will be sliced up like a salami”, he said on X.</p>nn<p>Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said Crimea “will definitely be demilitarised and liberated”. </p>nn<p>Moscow says it will never give up the peninsula. Russian authorities said air defences downed another missile on Friday near the town of Bakhchysarai.</p>nn<p>Separately, Oleg Kryuchkov, an aide to Crimea head Sergei Aksyonov, said internet service providers on the peninsula were under an “unprecedented cyberattack”, leading to interruptions in service. </p>nn<p><strong>Zelensky in Canada</strong></p>nn<p>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy started an official visit to close ally Canada on Friday and got a warmer welcome than he received from some US politicians sceptical about providing more military aid.</p>nn<p>Canada is one of Kyiv’s staunchest supporters in its war with Russia, and is set to announce during the visit that it is sending more weapons to Ukraine, accor­ding to a government official.</p>nn<p>In public remarks ahead of a bilateral meeting in Justin Trudeau’s office, the prime minister told Zelensky the visit was “an opportunity for Cana­dians to express directly to Volodymyr, and through him to the Ukrainian people, how strongly and unequivocally we stand with Ukraine”.</p>nn<p>In return, Zelensky said he had “a lot of warm words and thanks” from Ukraine for the military and huma­nitarian aid Canada had supplied.</p>nn<p>The Ukrainian leader earlier said he would be talking to Trudeau about defence cooperation, and would sign treaties to strengthen economic ties.</p>nn<p>Dozens of extra police were on duty on Friday in central Ottawa, and roads leading to Parliament Hill were blocked off.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

US Senator Robert Menendez faces bribery charges over Egypt ties

<p>NEW YORK: US Sena­tor Robert Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey, and his wife have been charged with bribery offences in connection with their relationship with three New Jersey businessmen, federal prosecutors said on Friday.</p>nn<p>The US Attorney’s office in Manhattan accused the defendants of accepting thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for using Menendez’s power and influence as a senator to seek to protect and enrich the businessmen, and benefit the government of Egypt.</p>nn<p>Prosecutors said the bribes included cash, gold, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a job with minimal requirements, a luxury vehicle and other things of value.</p>nn<p>Menendez, the chair of the influential US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and his wife Nadine Menendez, who has been married to the senator since 2020, face three criminal counts each.</p>nn<p>Menendez has been an important ally to fellow Democrat President Joe Biden as he has sought to reassert US influence on the world stage, something particularly crucial as Biden rallies support for congressional aid to Ukraine and Washington looks for ways to push back against a rising China.</p>nn<p>Menendez and his four co-defendants are expec­t­ed to appear in Manh­attan federal court on Sept 27, a spokesman for the attorney’s office in Man­hattan said. Menendez is up for re-election next year, and an investigation could complicate Democrats’ effort to expand their slim 51-49 seat majority in the 100-member Senate.</p>nn<p>Menendez and his wife face three criminal counts each: conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

UN calls upon Iran to drop &amp;lsquo;demeaning&amp;rsquo; law on Hijab

<p>GENEVA: The UN called upon Iranian authorities on Friday to scrap a new law that dramatically increases penalties for women who flout strict Islamic dress code, describing it as “repressive and demeaning”.</p>n<p>The United Nations rights office said it deeply regretted the passage of the Chastity and Hijab Bill, which threatens Iranian women who flout the strict Islamic dress code mandating head coverings and modest clothing with up to 10 years behind bars.</p>n<p>The law “vastly increases jail terms and provides for crushing fines on women and girls who do not obey the compulsory dress code”, spokeswoman Ravina Sham­dasani told reporters in Geneva. In addition to long jail sentences and heavy fines, those found in breach could under the same bill be flogged and face travel restrictions.</p>n<p>UN rights chief Volker Turk reiterates that this draconian bill flagrantly flies in the face of international law, and that it must be shelved“, Shamdasani said.</p>n<p>The push in Iran to step up penalties comes a year after a wave of protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly breaching the rules.</p>n<p>Since then, a growing number of Iranian women have been seen in public without hijab head scarves or observing the rules against clothes that are deemed too tight-fitting or otherwise revealing.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

IHC suspends FIA notice to Bushra Bibi

<p>ISLAMABAD:The Islam­a­bad High Court has suspended FIA’s notice to former first lady Bushra Bibi in connection with the audio leaks probe.</p>nn<p>The notice was issued to Ms Bibi after she purportedly featured in a telephonic conversation, the recording of which was leaked on social media. She was asked to appear before a JIT to confirm if it was indeed her voice in the audio.</p>nn<p>On Friday, Justice Babar Sattar took up the petitions of Ms Bibi against the order.</p>nn<p>Sardar Latif Khosa, Ms Bibi’s counsel, argued that the FIA had summoned the former first lady for a voice match test.</p>nn<p>He pointed out that since the matter was sub judice, the FIA’s summons might be suspended.</p>nn<p>Justice Sattar perused the reports filed on behalf of the interior ministry, defence ministry and the PTA.</p>nn<p>“[N]one of the divisions of the Federal Gover­nment or Pak­istan Telec­ommu­nication Autho­rity (PTA) have addressed all the questions posed to them, including … as to which agencies possess the capacity to undertake electronic surveillance…” the judge observed.</p>nn<p>The court gave “one more opportunity” to the Prime Minister’s office, interior and defence ministries to file reports, warning that in case of failure, the court will “implead intelligence agencies and telecom operators to seek respo­nses from them”.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23th, 2023</em></p>

SC orders probe into &amp;lsquo;fake&amp;rsquo; appointments in Sindh Education Department

<p>ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court ordered the Sindh chief secretary on Friday to constitute an inquiry committee within 10 days to investigate an alleged fake appointment scandal in the Sindh Education Department (SED).</p>nn<p>The committee will scrutinise the entire recruitment process of the provincial education department while verifying the authenticity of appointment letters issued to 56 petitioners whose jobs were subsequently revoked by the department shortly after their hiring.</p>nn<p>“In our considered view, before declaring the appointments illegal or taking any action against the petitioners, a drastic action should have been taken against the responsible persons who committed illegality, if any, at the departmental level,” observed Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar in a judgement he wrote.</p>nn<p>Justice Mazhar was a member of a three-judge Supreme Court bench, which also consisted of Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Musarrat Hilali that had taken up an appeal against the Nov 28, 2022, Sindh High Court (SHC) judgement.</p>nn<blockquote>n <p>Instructs Sindh chief secretary to form inquiry committee within 10 days</p>n</blockquote>nn<p>The SHC had rejected the petitioners’ plea on the grounds that they had failed to prove their appointments were made through a competitive process and their documents were also not found to be genuine. Moreover, the petitioners were employed on a contractual basis; therefore, the principle of master and servant applies and they have no right to approach the court.</p>nn<p>During the hearing, the SC was told that the appointment letters of all the petitioners were found to be forged in an earlier inquiry. Besides, no record of the petitioners was available in the concerned office since these were made without the approval of the district recruitment committee (DRC). The former district education officer (DEO) managed these illegal appointments.</p>nn<p>In response, the SC set aside the high court verdict and ordered the chief secretary of Sindh to appoint an inquiry committee comprising additional secretary of Education Sindh, additional secretary of SGA&amp;CD Sindh and deputy secretary (law) of the School Education and Literacy Department Sindh within 10 days.</p>nn<p>In the judgement, Justice Mazhar observed that the beneficiaries of the appointments cannot be blamed alone because primarily the authority who issued appointment letters in the recruitment process was bound to be punished first instead of the petitioners who commenced their duties after receiving appointment letters.</p>nn<p>The judgement obligated the inquiry committee to issue notice to all 56 petitioners, as well as departmental representatives, for joining the inquiry proceedings.</p>nn<p>The committee will allow the petitioners to produce relevant documents so that it may be verified whether the petitioners joined the appointment process in terms of the advertisement and after appearing and qualifying the aptitude test, the appointment letters were issued to them after complying with codal formalities.</p>nn<p>If the appointment letters are found to be fake after due satisfaction, then what punitive action was taken against the person responsible for the fake recruitment process and how the petitioners who joined recruitment process in response to the advertisement are responsible.</p>nn<p>The committee will also call for the entire record of recruitment process questioned in the present proceedings to examine the authenticity of appointment letters issued to the petitioners. The committee will complete the inquiry within 90 days from the date of constituting the inquiry committee, the result of which will be communicated to the petitioners in writing. The petitioners may avail appropriate legal remedy in accordance with the law if found to be aggrieved and dissatisfied with the result of inquiry, the judgement said.</p>nn<p>Referring to the complaint that no salary has been paid to the petitioners after joining service for the period they actually performed their duties, the committee will also examine this aspect and if salary is found due during the period the petitioners actually served, the same will be paid after fulfilment of requisite codal formalities within a month of the conclusion of the inquiry.</p>nn<p>The SC also ordered its office to send a copy of the order to the Sindh chief secretary and advocate general for compliance.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23th, 2023</em></p>

Britain set to clear biggest-ever gaming deal

<p>LONDON: Microsoft’s restructured $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard “opens the door” to the biggest ever gaming deal being cleared, Britain’s antitrust regulator said on Friday.</p>nn<p>Microsoft announced the deal early last year, but it was blocked in April by Britain’s competition regulator, which was concerned the US tech giant would gain too much control of the nascent cloud gaming market.</p>nn<p>Last month, Call of Duty maker Activision agreed to sell its streaming rights to Ubisoft Entertainment in a new attempt to win over the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).</p>nn<p>The CMA said on Friday that the Ubisoft divestment “substantially addresses previous concerns”.</p>nn<p>“While the CMA has identified limited residual concerns with the new deal, Microsoft has put forward remedies which the CMA has provisionally concluded should address these issues,” the regulator said.</p>nn<blockquote>n <p>Microsoft revises plan on Activision acquisition to address regulator’s concerns</p>n</blockquote>nn<p>Microsoft said it was “encouraged by this positive development in the CMA’s review process”.</p>nn<p>“We presented solutions that we believe fully address the CMA’s remaining concerns related to cloud game streaming, and we will continue to work toward earning approval to close prior to the October 18 deadline,” Microsoft President Brad Smith said.</p>nn<p>Activision, which also makes World of Warcraft, Overwatch and Candy Crush, said the preliminary approval was great news for its future with Microsoft.</p>nn<p>Shares in Activision rose 1.6 per cnet and Microsoft inched up 0.3 per cent in US pre-market trading, while Ubisoft gained 3.6 per cent in Paris.</p>nn<p>The European Union waved the deal through in May after accepting Microsoft’s commitments to license Activision’s games to other platforms, the same remedies that Britain had rejected.</p>nn<p>The US Federal Trade Commission also opposes the deal, but it has failed in its attempts to stop it.</p>nn<p><strong>Late solution</strong> </p>nn<p>The CMA’s decision to reopen the case after its block was a radical departure from its play book, but it said on Friday it had been consistent and Microsoft had “substantially restructured the deal” to address its concerns.</p>nn<p>“It would have been far better, though, if Microsoft had put forward this restructure during our original investigation,” CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell said.</p>nn<p>“This case illustrates the costs, uncertainty and delay that parties can incur if a credible and effective remedy option exists but is not put on the table at the right time.” </p>nn<p>Equity analyst Sophie Lund-Yates at Hargreaves Lansdown said the loss of the cloud gaming rights was not an ideal concession for Microsoft to have to make, but it was necessary collateral if the deal were to be waved through.</p>nn<p>“This looks to be the final bump in the road,” she said.</p>nn<p>The CMA said there were “residual concerns” around the Ubisoft deal, but Microsoft has offered remedies to ensure the terms of the sale were enforceable by the regulator.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2023</em></p>

Garcia, Kenin reach Guadalajara Open semis

<figure class='media sm:w-1/4 w-full media–center media–uneven media–stretch'>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n n <figcaption class="media__caption ">FRANCE’S Caroline Garcia competes during the Guadalajara Open quarter-final against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus at the Panamerican Tennis Center.—Reuters</figcaption>n </figure>n<p> </p>nn<p>GUADALAJARA: France’s Caroline Garcia overpowered Victoria Azarenka in straight sets to reach the semi-finals of the WTA 1000 Guadalajara Open on Thursday.</p>nn<p>Third-seed Garcia was always in control against her 10th-seeded opponent from Belarus, winning 6-3, 6-4 in 1hr 37min.</p>nn<p>The 29-year-old Frenchwoman will face Maria Sakkari in the last four on Friday after the second seed from Greece eased past Colombia’s Emiliana Arango 6-3, 6-4.</p>nn<p>Garcia, who is chasing the 12th title of her career, used her powerful serve to gain the upper hand on Azarenka, slamming down 10 aces during the match.</p>nn<p>Garcia was also able to save no fewer than 11 break points to deny Azarenka any chance of an opening.</p>nn<p>“It’s always tricky,” said Garcia. “She had a lot of break point opportunities, but I served really well at those points, so I guess I have to thank my serve.”</p>nn<p>The win ensured that Garcia, the world number 11, will move into the top 10 at the end of this tournament.</p>nn<p>In other quarter-final action on Thur­sday, former Austra­lian Open champion Sofia Kenin’s recent resurgence continued as she overpowered 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez of Canada 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 6-1 to reach the last four.</p>nn<p>Kenin, 24, has gradually worked her way back up the rankings after tumbling to 426th in the world last year following a slew of injuries and upheaval in her coaching set-up.</p>nn<p>She has won 14 of her last 17 matches on the WTA Tour since July, and is poised to climb back into the top 30 after this tournament.</p>nn<p>On Thursday, she secured her latest semi-final berth the hard way, advancing despite coughing up 14 double faults, with Fernandez racking up 15 aces.</p>nn<p>Kenin, who also rea­ched the semi-finals in San Diego last week, will face unseeded Am­­e­rican Caroline Dole­hide in the last four.</p>nn<p>Dolehide defeated Italy’s Martina Trevisan 3-6, 7-6 (11-9) 6-3 in their quarter-final.</p>nn<p>The American battled into her first WTA 1000 semi-final after saving four match points in the second set before winning the deciding set.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 23th, 2023</em></p>

China&amp;rsquo;s President Xi declares biggest-ever Asian Games open

<p>Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the 19th Asian Games in a colourful ceremony in Hangzhou on Saturday, launching a two-week sporting extravaganza that boasts more athletes than the Olympics.</p>n<p>After being delayed by a year because of China’s now-abandoned <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1725127/china-announces-nationwide-loosening-of-covid-19-restrictions">zero-Covid policy</a>, more than 12,000 competitors from 45 nations and territories will battle it out in 40 sports.</p>n<p>In front of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and other visiting leaders, Xi officially opened the Games at the 80,000-capacity Hangzhou Olympic stadium, also known as the “Big Lotus”.</p>n<p>Xi was given a rapturous reception by spectators waving mini Chinese flags.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/XHNews/status/1705573653226926218"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Assad, on his <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777282">first visit</a> to ally China since the civil war erupted in Syria in 2011, stood up and applauded as his country’s team entered the arena and the crowd cheered when his image flashed up on a big screen.</p>n<p>International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach was also among the dignitaries. Leaders from Cambodia, Kuwait and Nepal, among others, had all been expected to attend.</p>n<p>“Finally we can gather for the 19th Asian Games,” Raja Randhir Singh, acting president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), told the crowd to more cheers. “The one-year postponement was unprecedented in OCA history,” he added.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/XHNews/status/1705562043728966056"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The theme of the ceremony was water and it also celebrated Hangzhou’s ancient history and landscape, while giving a nod to the city’s reputation as the unofficial home of China’s tech industry.</p>n<p>A “digital torch bearer” strode into the stadium and was projected onto a large screen behind the Games cauldron at the climax.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/SpokespersonCHN/status/1705605557607141686"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/AsianGamesOCA/status/1705575194130039053"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>“I feel very happy and excited,” a 35-year-old woman spectator surnamed Zhang said. “I feel it’s a great honour for the city.”</p>n<p>Jung-Woo Lee, sport policy expert at the University of Edinburgh, told <em>AFP</em> that the Games were “China’s post-pandemic soft-power exercise”.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1688262"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>China’s status as a sporting and business destination took a severe hit during the pandemic, when snap lockdowns and strict travel rules saw almost all international events <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1571050">cancelled</a> in the country.</p>n<p>The event has been rocked by a row between New Delhi and China over three Indian martial arts fighters, with a trip to the city by India’s sports minister <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777288">cancelled</a> on Friday. China denied Indian claims that the trio had been barred from entering the country.</p>n<h2><a id="open-to-all" href="#open-to-all" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>‘Open to all’</h2>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch '>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class='media__caption '>Members of Pakistan’s delegation take part in the athletes’ parade during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Asian Games at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium in Hangzhou, China on September 23. — AFP</figcaption>n </figure></p>n<p>North Korean athletes, who like those from Taiwan were given loud cheers as they entered the ceremony, are contesting their first major international competition since the pandemic.</p>n<p>But the biggest cheer of all was reserved for hosts China, who are overwhelming favourites to top the medals table, with Japan and South Korea battling for second.</p>n<p>Games athletes will fight for medals in Olympic staples such as athletics, swimming, football, gymnastics and cycling.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1745521"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>ESports will make its debut as a medal event at the Games, in what is seen as a step towards inclusion in the Olympics. There will also be regional specialities, including dragon boat racing, the Chinese martial art wushu and kabaddi.</p>n<p>Nine sports — among them boxing, break dancing and tennis — will serve as Asia qualifiers for next year’s Paris Olympics.</p>n<p>A sprinkling of world and Olympic champions adds some stardust, including <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1772716">India’s javelin king Neeraj Chopra</a>, Qatari high jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim and Chinese swimming royalty Qin Haiyang and Zhang Yufei.</p>n<p>Olympic Council of Asia honorary life vice-president Wei Jizhong said having so many sporting disciplines was about giving opportunity to as many athletes as possible.</p>n<p>“We are open to all. This means our Games are not concentrated only for elite sportspeople,” he said.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1705598681595183196"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/zhang_heqing/status/1705565876496564673"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Although the Games officially opened on Saturday, sports such as football, cricket, volleyball and table tennis had already begun.</p>n<p>A day ago, Pakistan had overwhelmed South Korea in straight sets to <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777385/asian-games-pakistan-reach-volleyball-quarter-finals">advance to the quarter-finals</a> of the men’s volleyball competition.</p>n<p>India and Pakistan’s women’s cricket teams had on Thursday <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777084/india-pakistan-women-reach-asian-games-cricket-semis-after-day-of-washouts">reached the cricket semis</a> of the Asian Games despite their matches being washed out in Hangzhou.</p>n<p>The Games will be staged at 54 venues — 14 newly constructed — mostly in Hangzhou but also extending to cities as far afield as Wenzhou, 300 kilometres south.</p>

Shehbaz declares victory over cancer

In 2000, former PM was diagnosed with an extremely rare and perilous form of cancer known as Adenocarcinoid

September 22, 2023

Pakistan urges world to convince India of its offer to shun arms race

PM Kakar says Islamabad believes nations develop together and it desires peaceful ties with all neighbours including New Delhi

India&amp;rsquo;s Hindutva agenda now hitting Western capitals: PM Kakar

“We will raise the issue to expose the reality hidden behind the face of Hindutva’s political agenda,” says premier

PPP suspends senior leader Latif Khosa&amp;#039;s party membership

Secretary General Nayyar Bokhari also suspends Khosa's membership in Central Executive Committee

PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar to address UNGA session today

Premier to share Pakistan’s perspective on relevant regional and world issues as well

Shujaat &amp;#039;advises&amp;#039; PML-N, PPP to avoid conflict

Asif Zardari says PPP doesn't want confrontation with anyone; Shujaat to speak to Nawaz as well

Ban on pillion riding announced in Karachi, other Sindh districts

Pillion ban, however, will not be applicable to women, children below the age of 12 years

PM Kakar criticises West for dismissing India&amp;#039;s &amp;#039;reality&amp;#039; for &amp;#039;economic, strategic reasons&amp;#039;

"Many players in the Western capitals chose to ignore this fact and reality," caretaker prime minister says

KU teachers boycott classes from today over financial, administrative crisis

Teachers’ strike in the evening programme has been ongoing since September 14

CJP Isa-led bench to hear Faizabad sit-in review pleas on Sep 28

In 2019 ruling, SC had ruled that intelligence agencies must not exceed their respective mandates

At UN, PM warns against &amp;lsquo;Hindutva fascism&amp;rsquo;

Kakar urges UNGA to adopt indiscriminate approach towards countering all terrorists

No change in Nawaz&amp;rsquo;s travel plan: PML-N leaders

Former PPP leader says trying to convince Abbasi, Ismail to form new party

PM&amp;rsquo;s &amp;#039;Israel-US comparison&amp;#039; ignites social media outcry

Leaders, social media criticise 'shockingly poor language'; slam PM for comparing Pak-China with Israel-US alliance

PML-N &amp;lsquo;supported Bajwa&amp;rsquo;s extension&amp;rsquo; to tackle Imran

Sanaullah says decision was part of strategy at that time

Bahria Town launches free petrol initiative to alleviate inflation woes

Impoverished bikers will be given free petrol worth Rs1,000 on directives of Malik Riaz Hussain

Obtain bail before election, Elahi advises politicians

Ex-Punjab CM says system is at a standstill in absence of election; Nawaz has changed

Afghan refugees urged to abstain from political activities in Pakistan

Afghan consul general says they will not be able to defend any refugee who comes under criticism by Pakistani govt

Pakistan pushing for $10b flood-relief fund disbursement

We're trying to ensure that amounts promised and pledged to us are dispersed to Pakistan, says PM Kakar

Journalist Khalid Jamil held for spreading &amp;lsquo;anti-state narrative&amp;rsquo;

Bureau chief of a private news channel was taken into custody by FIA from his residence last night

Shehbaz says deliberated on &amp;lsquo;administrative, legal affairs&amp;rsquo; in London meeting

<p>PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday that he had arrived in London to participate in a party meeting to discuss “legal and administrative” matters, emphasising that decisions regarding all the issues had been taken.</p>n<p>Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Shehbaz conveyed that he had arrived in the city on the directives of the party supremo and his brother, Nawaz Sharif, to participate in the party huddle.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/pmln_org/status/1705265050435379437"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Shehbaz headed back to London on Thursday merely 48 hours after he returned to the country from the UK, sparking surprise among several quarters.</p>n<p>The former prime minister had left London earlier in the week after <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1771284">spending several weeks</a> there, but upon reaching Lahore, made a sudden plan to return in order to have a face-to-face meeting with his elder brother.</p>n<p>The party chief had already spent nearly a month in London for his medical check-ups, as well as holding discussions with his elder brother.</p>n<p>It was Shehbaz who, flanked by Nawaz, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775482">told reporters</a> outside Stanhope House that the elder Sharif is set to return to Pakistan on October 21.</p>n<p>His visit coincided with the London trip of party vice-president Maryam Nawaz, who also landed in London just before her uncle arrived, on a separate flight.</p>n<p>Sources had told <em>Dawn</em> that the former PM returned to discuss important matters with his elder brother, adding that there were “important discussions regarding the return of Nawaz” that were due to take place.</p>n<p>However, during his talk with reporters in London today, Shehbaz chose not to delve into the specifics of the meeting. Instead, he mentioned that his elder brother was returning to the country to “pick up the threads of development progress from where he had left off in 2018 after his mandate was snatched”.</p>n<p>He stated that the alleged destruction of the four years of development starting from 2013 had seemingly occurred overnight, and he emphasised that “such an example is not evident elsewhere”.</p>n<p>Shehbaz pointed out that Nawaz had made a commitment in 2013 to resolve the load shedding crisis, a promise he fulfilled. He further claimed that Nawaz aimed to steer the country once again toward the path of progress.</p>n<p>He also emphasised that Nawaz’s return aimed to put an end to the “trend of hatred and disrespect” that, according to him, was allegedly propagated among the youth by former premier Imran Khan.</p>n<p>In recent weeks, PML-N leaders Mohammad Zubair, Abid Sher Ali and Khawaja Asif have all met Nawaz in London, and conveyed their messages surrounding the plan for his return.</p>

Zardari-Shujaat meet sparks guessing game

<p>LAHORE: Hours after the ECP set last week of January for holding polls in the country, PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari met PML-Q president Chau­dhry Shujaat Hussain at his residence on Thursday and discussed plans for elections, including a proposal to make an alliance and go for seat adjustment in Punjab.</p>n<p>The current political situation remained the focus of the around 40-minute-long meeting, during which Mr Zardari also inquired after the veteran politician’s health.</p>n<p>While there was no official word on the details of the discussion between both leaders, PPP’s central media cell tweeted that Mr Zardari visited PML-Q President Shujaat Hussain and discussed with him the current political situation in the country.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MediaCellPPP/status/1704888005784166666"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Since the PPP’s central executive committee has empowered Mr Zardari to meet top leadership of political parties for striking seat adjustments to get his party a share of seats in the province, the former president has stationed himself in Lahore and launched efforts to get the job done.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Hunting for an alliance, former president parks himself in Lahore</p>n</blockquote>n<p>On the other hand, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777043/shehbaz-rushes-back-to-london-within-48-hours">rushed to London</a> on Thursday to discuss the political situation with party supremo Nawaz Sharif. It may be recalled that Mr Shehbaz had returned from the UK only a few days ago. PML-N Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz has also gone to London to attend the huddle which aims to make plans for the elections.</p>n<p>Sources said PPP wanted to go for seat adjustment with both PML-N and PML-Q, with its second-tier leadership also hinting at a similar arrangement with the PTI.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1776820"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Though senior PML-N leaders are silent on entering into an alliance with PPP, its second-tier leadership is vocal enough to express its opposition to such an alliance. They say PDM was made only to oust Imran Khan from power and complete the remaining period of the previous government’s tenure.</p>n<p>Thursday’s meeting was also attended by former federal minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain and PML-Q Punjab President Chaudhry Shafay Hussain.</p>n<p>At a time when Mr Zardari is on a hunt for alliance, PPP General Secretary Nayyer Hussain Bukhari has declared that the party will not enter into any electoral alliance with any party because it simply does not want such an arrangement.</p>n<p>Speaking at a cake-cutting ceremony to mark the 35th birthday of party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, he said PPP did not wish to engage in a bitter rivalry with any party, adding that its workers would hold their ground instead of fleeing any electoral contest.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MediaCellPPP/status/1704880695716532407"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Welcoming the announcement of the election timeline by the ECP, he said if people were allowed to freely use their right to franchise, they would elect Mr Bhutto-Zardari as the next prime minister.</p>n<p>Amid sloganeering, he urged party’s die-hard workers to work hard like in 1970, 77 and 88 for bringing the party to power. He said that mere raising slogans or taking selfies with the party leadership would not serve the purpose.</p>n<p>PPP leader Aslam Gill, who chaired the ceremony, expressed the hope that people would vote for Bilawal to elect him as the next prime minister in the coming polls.</p>n<p>Former MNA Musa Gilani said PPP suffered damage in Punjab because of its policy of reconciliation. He said if the party wished to play the role of a real opposition, then it would have to come out on the streets for the cause of the masses.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2023</em></p>

Journalist Khalid Jamil arrested for spreading &amp;lsquo;anti-state&amp;rsquo; narrative, remanded in FIA custody

<p>An Islamabad district and sessions court on Friday remanded journalist Muhammad Khalid Jamil in the custody of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for two days after he was arrested last night.</p>n<p>According to the FIA, the journalist was detained on charges of spreading “provocative narrative” against state institutions through social media posts.</p>n<p>A photo of Jamil is also doing the rounds on social media, showing him holding a piece of paper with a case number written on it.</p>n<p><em>ABN News</em>, the TV channel with which Jamil is affiliated, posted a message at 11:18pm last night on X (formerly Twitter), confirming that the journalist had been arrested.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/abnnewspk/status/1704923151950659794"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The first information report — a copy of which is available with <em>Dawn.com</em> — registered by the agency said Hussain was “found sharing and propagating highly intimidating content/tweets on social media/Twitter” (now X).</p>n<p>It invoked Section 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca), which states: “Whoever intentionally and publicly exhibits or displays or transmits any information through any information system, which he knows to be false, and intimidates or harms the reputation or privacy of a natural person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine which may extend to one million rupees or with both.”</p>n<p>The FIR also included Section 505 (statement conducing to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code.</p>n<p>“The accused had knowingly misinterpreted and disseminates anti-state narrative by sharing false misleading and baseless information which are also likely to cause fear in the public and may incite anyone to commit an offence against the state or the state institution or public tranquility,” it said.</p>n<p>It added that the “accused persons including Muhammad Khalid Jamil propagated, promoted and glorified anti-state, provocative and hatred narrative against the state institutions.” The FIA, however, did not name other individuals involved in the alleged crime.</p>n<p>The agency said such intimidating content of blaming and naming through social media accounts, is a mischievous act of subversion to create a rift between general public and state institutions to “harm the state of Pakistan”.</p>n<p>It went on to say that through such intimidating content including videos, the accused “attempted to provoke the general public against the state institutions including judiciary, by trying to create a feeling of ill-will among pillars of the state”.</p>n<p>“The competent authority has accorded the permission for registration of FIR so the case is registered,” the FIA added.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, the journalist community strongly condemned the arrest of Khalid Jamil and called for a clear explanation for the action taken.</p>n<p>Journalist Maria Memon expressed concern about the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) swift action in Jamil’s case, highlighting the inconsistency in their response to other online harassment cases.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/Maria_Memon/status/1705121669684347293"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Journalist and columnist Nusrat Javed questioned the basis for Jamil’s arrest, suggesting that the government needed a thoroughly credible narrative to justify the detention.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/javeednusrat/status/1704942992673702161"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Mubashir Zaidi, another experienced journalist, joined the chorus of condemnation against the arrest and urged for Jamil’s immediate release.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/xadeejourno/status/1705098142750773624"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Meanwhile, commenting on Jameel’s arrest during a press conference today, interim Information Minister Murtaza Solangi said arrest and search warrants had been issued for the journalist by a court, which he stated was “mandatory as per the law”.</p>n<p>He said he could not comment on the charges on which the journalist was arrested.</p>n<p>“If law enforcement agencies … do any injustice then the matter should go to court. We would not want to interfere in court procedures. If there has been any injustice with him (Jamil) and it comes in my knowledge, then we will address it while remaining within the law,” Solangi added.</p>

PPP suspends lawyer Latif Khosa&amp;rsquo;s party membership

<p>The PPP on Friday suspended the party membership of disgruntled leader Sardar Latif Khosa and also ousted him from its central executive committee (CEC).</p>n<p>PPP Secretary General Nayyar Bukhari confirmed the development to <em>Dawn.com</em>. He said the decision was taken after lawyer Khosa failed to reply to the show-cause notice issued to him by the party last week.</p>n<p>On September 14, Khosa was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775950">issued a show-cause notice</a> for “defending/pleading and representing [the] head of another political party without prior approval of [party] leadership”.</p>n<p>Although the letter did not mention anyone by name, it was a clear reference to PTI Chairman Imran Khan — who was arrested last month in the Toshakhana case. Khosa has been representing the PTI chief in several cases registered against him.</p>n<p>The ex-premier is also facing a case under the Official Secrets Act which pertains to a diplomatic document which reportedly went missing from Imran’s possession. The PTI alleges that it contained a threat from the United States to oust Imran from power.</p>n<p>The show-cause notice issued for Khosa said: “You being member of central executive committee are defending/pleading/representing a head of another political party without prior approval of leadership …while delivering a speech in lawyers function you criticised the state policy regarding [the] cipher.</p>n<p>“You are hereby through this show cause notice asked to explain why disciplinary action not be taken against you for working against the party policy; the reply should reach the undersigned within seven days, failing disciplinary action will be taken against you by withdrawing your membership…”</p>n<p>Previously, Khosa had also been served a show-cause notice for giving a statement in favour of the PTI chief.</p>

&amp;lsquo;Shockingly poor language&amp;rsquo;: PM Kakar pilloried over comparison of Pak-China ties to Israel-US ties

<p>Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar was on Friday censured — mostly by PTI activists — for using “shockingly poor language” while describing China’s strong ties to Pakistan by apparently referring to the US support enjoyed by Israel.</p>n<p>The social media criticism comes a day after the premier made the said comparison when speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations on his visit to the US to attend the 78th United Nations General Assembly.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed '>n <div class='media__item media__item–youtube '><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/RIuVp7j-WnY?enablejsapi=1&controls=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0' allowfullscreen='' frameborder='0' scrolling='no' width='100%' height='100%'></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>In the interview (time stamp 55:30), PM Kakar said, “Pakistan enjoys a strategic relationship with China. We are very clear that there are people who would qualify Pakistan as China’s Israel.</p>n<p>“It is probably a more good analogy for [the] American audience because you do understand and appreciate the value of Israel for the United States.”</p>n<p>He made the remarks in response to one of the questions from the attendees of the talk — “What the relationship is now between Pakistan and China?”</p>n<p>He then went on to highlight how both neighbours “have a lot in common in terms of the emergent crises within the region” and “commonalities on certain issues”, citing the One-China policy and <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1702924">China’s stance on Taiwan</a>, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1749760">Tibet</a> and <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1708727">Xinjiang</a> issues.</p>n<p>As some have pointed out, the statement could be a possible reference to Chinese General Xiong Guangkai’s quote cited in the introduction of Andrew Small’s <em><a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.google.com.pk/books/edition/The_China_Pakistan_Axis/KscdCwAAQBAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=0">The China Pakistan Axis: Asia’s New Geopolitics</a></em>.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch media–uneven media–stretch'>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n n </figure></p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/bookscache/status/1704929413295460861?s=20"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>PTI ex-MPA Taimur Khan Jhagra asked in a post on X (formerly Twitter): “Why would I want my country to be like ‘China’s Israel’? Why can we not just define Pakistan as Pakistan itself, and make it a prosperous example for the world to follow?”</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/Jhagra/status/1705011711110004972?s=20"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>“Shockingly poor language to compare Pakistan with an apartheid state [that] Pakistan doesn’t recognise,” he added.</p>n<p>PTI’s Faisal Amin Khan, brother of party leader Ali Amin Gandapur, said, “Comparing your country to a bully like Israel isn’t very smart.”</p>n<p>Pointing out the possible reference to Small’s book, he said it seemed like the prime minister read the book “on his way to New York”.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/FaisalAminKhan/status/1704923788813418673"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Simplifying PM Kakar’s remarks, PTI activist Virk Shahzaib posted on his X account, “The caretaker PM believes Pakistan is China’s Israel… He claims Pakistan is to China what Israel is to the US.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1576183"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>“To use any analogy that compares Pakistan and Israel is beyond condemnable and not understandable for any point of view,” he asserted.</p>n<p><a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775902">Absconding</a> PTI leader Hammad Azhar <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://twitter.com/Hammad_Azhar/status/1704926234025529423?s=20">demanded</a> that the premier apologise and “take back his words”, adding, “To compare Pakistan with Israel that established itself by forcibly taking possession of another peoples’ land and sustained itself through nothing other than oppression and violence is an insult.”</p>n<p>Meanwhile, journalists and lawyers also chimed in on the ongoing discourse.</p>n<p><em>Dawn’s</em> US correspondent Anwar Iqbal asked on X: “What does he want to say?”</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/Anwardawn/status/1704931431879704979"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p><em>DawnNewsTV</em> host Adil Shahzeb, while using the original quote from the book, expressed surprise at PM Kakar’s words.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/adilshahzeb/status/1705108907771781475?s=20"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Supreme Court lawyer Zahid F. Ebrahim said, “I did not expect better from Mr. Kakar. But, I did expect better from [Foreign Minister] Jalil [Abbas] Jilani.</p>n<p>“The caretaker FM (foreign minister) should have vigorously opposed this outrageously wasteful foreign jaunt by a caretaker PM,” he wrote.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/zfebrahim/status/1705137461481840913?s=20"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Another lawyer, Dr Alizaan, clarified, “He is not talking about the responsibility of any state (Israel or Pakistan); rather, he is trying to establish that just as Israel is a blue-eyed child to the US, Pakistan is to China.”</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/YourLegalPals/status/1705053638694248915?s=20"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>

&amp;lsquo;Interim govt&amp;rsquo;s measures will stabilise economy&amp;rsquo;

Akhtar assures PBC of reducing power tariffs, establishing independent tax policy unit

Nepra approves Rs3.28/unit hike

New quarterly adjustments will add burden of Rs135.5 billion on consumers

&amp;lsquo;Elites struggle to capture resources&amp;rsquo;

British economist says status quo is untenable, harmful to Pakistan

Govt debt securities to be listed on PSX

Caretaker finance minister says listing will foster credit market’s growth

SIFC sparks Iranian interest

Envoy says expansion of border markets, barter trade mechanism will bolster bilateral ties

PML-N voted for extension in return for help with Imran problem: Rana Sanaullah

<p>LAHORE: As the top leadership of the PML-N continues to <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776664">rail against</a> the former generals, in an apparent bid to reclaim their “<em>vote ko izzat do</em>” narrative before going into elections, a key leader confessed on Thursday that the party had supported an <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1500427">extension</a> for former army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa in order to contain PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s onslaught.</p>n<p>“Voting for Gen Bajwa’s extension [in 2020] was a tactical move by the party to fight the fitna (anarchy),” former interior minister Rana Sanaullah said during an appearance on <em>Samaa TV</em> on Thursday, using a term he frequently employs to refer to the PTI chief.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/ianumofficial/status/1704979274590199873?"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The former army chief’s extension became a bone of contention between the judiciary and the PTI regime in 2019 when the top court suspended then-PM Imran Khan’s notification, granting Gen Bajwa an extension. After much legal wrangling, the court had allowed the general to continue in office for six months after the government assured it that it would legislate to provide legal cover to this ‘grey area’.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1519792"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Eventually, in early 2020, parliament had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1525766">unanimously passed</a> <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1527033">amendments</a> to the Army Act that cemented the extension, with the PML-N being among the parties that voted for it.</p>n<p>This was Mr Sanaullah’s second outburst against the former top brass in as many days. A day earlier, he had assailed former generals Bajwa and Faiz Hameed, declaring them “national criminals” and demanded action against them. “The way the PML-N brought Gen Pervez Musharraf to justice, it will do the same to [both men],” he had said on Wednesday.</p>n<p>He had also reinforced party supremo Nawaz Sharif’s <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776664">recent statement</a>, seeking ‘strict accountability’ of former generals and judges, saying that it was a policy statement on behalf of the party.</p>n<p>In an online address to party ticket holders in Lahore a couple of days ago, the elder Sharif had said: “(Former) chief justices Saqib Nisar and Asif Saeed Khosa were tools of former army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and his spy chief Gen Faiz Hameed. Their crime is bigger than a murder offence. Pardoning them will be an injustice to the nation. They don’t deserve a pardon.”</p>n<p>However, it should be noted that on the same day, the elder Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776949">tried to walk back</a> some of the venom in her father’s comments by saying that “neither he nor she believed in taking revenge”.</p>n<p>Sources told <em>Dawn</em> that the party supremo had told the leaders to adopt “an aggressive stance” against both Gen Bajwa and Gen Hameed and some former and incumbent judges.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, a leader from the Shehbaz camp, while talking to <em>Dawn</em>, said that after Mr Nawaz’s outburst, some quarters advised the party not to take an extreme position on the matter.</p>n<p>Mr Shehbaz, who <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777043/shehbaz-rushes-back-to-london-within-48-hours">left for London</a> on Wednesday, might talk to his brother and convince him to dilute his tone.</p>n<p>“Mr Shehbaz never uttered a word against Gen Bajwa since he assumed the prime minister’s office and even after leaving the position, showing how careful he is in such matters,” the leader said.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2023</em></p>

Cartoon: 22 September, 2023

Faulty refrigeration system blamed for UAE meat ban

<p>LAHORE: A faulty refrigeration system of the shipping line has been blamed for the fungus detected in the fresh chilled meat shipment of a Pakistani company to the United Arab Emirates that prompted the Gulf state to <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777025/uae-bans-meat-imports-from-pakistan-via-sea">ban imports</a>, at least for the time being, and bringing a bad name to Pakistan.</p>n<p>The ban follows the arrival of several containers of substandard fresh beef in Dubai, as reported by the Dubai Municipal Authorities. Some local companies, however, claim that their organic chilled meat exports have escaped the restrictions.</p>n<p>“Initial investigations have revealed that the substandard quality of meat was allegedly due to inefficient/non-functioning refrigeration system installed in the reefer containers, which is a responsibility of the shipping lines,” says the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), claiming it is actively addressing the recent ban imposed by the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment on the export of fresh chilled meat by sea from Pakistan effective Oct 10.</p>n<p>A press release issued by TDAP says that the exporters concerned have filed a damages petition against the shipping line, while the Pakistani Consulate in Dubai has engaged with stakeholders to ascertain the reason for this unfortunate event.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Exporters file a damages petition against shipping line</p>n</blockquote>n<p>A request for a formal meeting with the UAE ministry has also been made to present Pakistan’s viewpoint, assuaging UAE concerns and advocating for vacation of the ban, it adds.</p>n<p>The Organic Meat Company Ltd (TOMCL), a Pakistani meat processor, has said that it will continue to export frozen and vacuum-packed chilled meat products to its market in the UAE via sea route.</p>n<p>The company, which exports meat products to the GCC market, shared the development in its filing to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Thursday.</p>n<p>Referring to the UAE ban, it said there are no restrictions on frozen or vacuum-packed fresh chilled meat shipments via sea and the restriction is only on fresh chilled meat exports and shipments via sea.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 22th, 2023</em></p>

Caretakers will only rescue viable SOEs, says Shamshad Akhtar

<p>ISLAMABAD: Care­taker Finance Minister Dr Shamshad Akhtar said on Thursday the government would prioritise the impro­vement of 85 out of some 200 state-owned entities (SOEs) which had the capa­city to pay dividends, and were either profitable, or could become profitable.</p>n<p>Speaking at a hurriedly-called news conference, the minister said caretakers have decided to review the draft policy on SOEs circulated by the previous government and carry forward the “good work it had inherited”.</p>n<p>She said it had been decided to provide another opportunity for the ministries and other stakeholders to come up with their views on the draft policy which could then be presented to the federal cabinet for approval.</p>n<p>She said the ministry had finalised a list of top 10 profitable entities and top 10 loss-making companies, which could be turned around and taken up for privatisation.</p>n<p>She said the majority of the bad performers had been marred over the years by inefficiency, misgovernance and external interference but the SOE’s Governance and Opera­tions Act of 2023 passed in February could not be implemented.</p>n<p>But these decisions have been taken on the basis of three-year-old financial results, showing over Rs500bn in annual losses in FY2020.</p>n<p>The interim minister said the performance of the SOEs deteriorated because of a lack of autonomy, external interference, appointment of inappropriate boards of directors and CEOs who did not meet the proper criteria, leading to a decline in their service quality and a massive drain on public resources.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed '>n <div class='media__item media__item–youtube '><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/M4h-asFxdQI?enablejsapi=1&controls=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0' allowfullscreen='' frameborder='0' scrolling='no' width='100%' height='100%'></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>She said a central monitoring unit (CMU) had been created in the finance ministry that would collect and update the financial results of all SOEs within two months and act as a hub for coordination with and monitoring of SOEs. The CMU will not interfere in the day-to-day affairs of the SOEs but take up issues with the cabinet committee on SOEs or the cabinet and maintain comprehensive data on financial, commercial and operational matters.</p>n<p>Under the SOE’s Governance and Operations Act, the majority of the members on the boards would be appointed on independent nominations and would be given security of tenure. The board would then be responsible for the selection of CEOs without any interference from the ministries concerned or the government except the policy guidelines approved by the federal cabinet.</p>n<p>The government would retain strategic SOEs but phase out non-strategic entities. Under the draft SOE policy, the government will not set up new SOEs in future unless required for strategic reasons or under an agreement with any country and gradually off-load the majority of the existing lot of 200 entities mostly operating in losses. All this is required under the IMF programme.</p>n<p>The only exemption where the federal government could consider establishing a new SOE would be if there is no private sector firm operating within the relevant sector providing the goods and/or services that the new SOE will provide and that the government wants to establish a particular market in any sector of the economy which will be supported by the creation of an SOE, provided that such SOE shall under no circumstances be given exclusivity in provision of services or goods and shall strictly adhere to the principle of competitive neutrality.</p>n<p>In case, a new SOE has been formed through the corporatisation of an existing government function, the new SOE will be clearly categorised as either commercial or non-commercial and should be created if required under the law or the services could not be procured through any private sector firm due to a legal restriction. The exemption for new entities would also be there if SOE is required under any government-to-government agreement with another sovereign nation.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2023</em></p>

&amp;lsquo;Resurrected&amp;rsquo; graft cases back in court

<p>ISLAMABAD: Cases that were closed as a result of <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1703176/nab-wont-be-able-to-probe-graft-cases-below-rs500m">amendments</a> made in the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) by the PDM government have been revived by accountability courts after the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776105/cjps-parting-shot-opens-new-can-of-worms">set aside</a> the amendments last week.</p>n<p>An apex court bench, headed by former Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, had on Sept 15 declared the amendments void and directed the NAB to revive the closed cases within seven days.</p>n<p>NAB sources said that the cases had been returned to the accountability courts of Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Quetta.</p>n<p>NAB prosecution submitted the record of 80 cases to the accountability court, Islamabad.</p>n<p>It may be mentioned that the judges of two accountability courts were transferred as the amended law curtailed the NAB’s jurisdiction.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Zardari, Gilani, Shaukat Aziz among those who will be facing cases</p>n</blockquote>n<p>The cases transmitted to the local accountability court included the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1733675">Park Lane case</a> against PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1498507">Universal Services Funds</a> in which former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani and others are suspects, the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1565158">Rental Power Projects case</a> against NA speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, and the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1628135">case</a> of Benazir Income Support Programme’s former chairperson Farzana Raja.</p>n<p>The references against former prime minister <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1471288">Shaukat Aziz</a> and fake accounts cases against Mr <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1717291">Zardari</a> and <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1654040">Omni Group’s directors</a> also stand revived.</p>n<p>The Supreme Court in its ordered had directed: “The NAB and/or all other fora shall forthwith return the record of all such matters to the relevant fora and in any event not later than seven days from today, which shall be proceeded with in accordance with law from the same stage these were at when the same were disposed of/closed/returned.”</p>n<p>It explained that Section 3 of the Second Amendment pertaining to Section 5(o) of NAO sets the minimum pecuniary threshold of NAB at Rs500 million and Section 2 of the 2022 amendments pertaining to Section 4, which limits the application of the ordinance by creating exceptions for public office-holders, were declared void ab initio.</p>n<p>Likewise, Section 3 of the Second Amendment and Section 2 of the 2022 amendments pertaining to Section 5(o) and Section 4 of the NAO were declared to be valid.</p>n<p>Under this provision, the persons in the service of Pakistan have been omitted from the NAO since these persons can still be tried under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1947 for the offence of corruption and corrupt practices even if they stand excluded from the jurisdiction of NAB.</p>n<p>The phrase “through corrupt and dishonest means” inserted in Section 9(a)(v) of the NAB ordinance along with its Explanation II was also struck down from the date of commencement of the First Amendment for references filed against elected holders of public office. Similarly, Section 14 was also omitted, which allowed the accountability court to draw different evidentiary presumptions against the suspects.</p>n<p>Likewise, Section 21(g) of NAO was restored from the date of the commencement of the First Amendment. The amendment had omitted this provision, which allowed evidentiary material transferred by a foreign government through Mutual Legal Assistance as evidence. Consequently, Sections 10 and 14 of the First Amendment are declared void.</p>n<p>Therefore, “all orders passed by the NAB and/or the Accountability Courts placing reliance on the above sections are declared null and void and of no legal effect”, the judgement said.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2023</em></p>

Pre-partition Ahmadi worship place threatened in Punjab&amp;rsquo;s Daska

<p>LAHORE: Tension gripped Daska on Thursday as the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) threatened to raze the minarets of a historic worship place of the Ahmadiyya community.</p>n<p>The worship place, located in the old Daska city, was built before Partition by Sir Zafarullah Khan, a member of the Pakistan Movement and the first foreign minister of the independent nation.</p>n<p>According to the district police, the wor­ship place was next to Mr Khan’s house and its minarets were hardly visible. There is no board or inscription of a mos­que on the worship place — an act outlawed in the Pakistan Penal Code.</p>n<p>Concerns have been raised after TLP announced a rally for Friday (today) over alleged desecration by Ahmadi community members of Islam’s Holy figures and the non-cooperation of authorities over the issue.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>TLP says it will demolish minarets of building built by Sir Zafarullah Khan</p>n</blockquote>n<p>Banners have been put up across the city while videos being shared on social media urged people from all walks of life to join the rally.</p>n<p>Scores of TLP supporters gathered on Thursday and threatened to demolish the minarets of the worship place.</p>n<p>They claimed the minarets were illegal and in violation of laws introduced during the military government of Gen Ziaul Haq in 1984.</p>n<p>Earlier, the party also filed a complaint with the Daska police, demanding action against the administration of the worship place.</p>n<p>The police suggested the party take up the matter with the assistant commissioner as the issue was the district aut­h­ority’s domain and only it could make a decision about the legality of the minarets.</p>n<p>However, the TLP on Thursday called upon its members to gather at Daska to “decide the issue”.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MonaChaudhryy/status/1704576430749720830"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Some users on X, previously Twitter, claimed the district police had decided to demolish the minarets. However, talking to <em>Dawn</em>, Sialkot District Police Officer (DPO) Hassan Iqbal denied the reports.</p>n<p>He said the structure was intact and police had increased security in and around the worship place following TLP’s threats.</p>n<p>“No one so far has demolished the minarets of the Ahmadi worship place at Daska”, he said, adding negotiations were underway with both sides for a peaceful resolution of the issue.</p>n<p>About the claim of the TLP regarding the illegal construction of minarets, he said according to initial inquiries, the worship place was old and didn’t violate any law.</p>n<p>The DPO added that the Lahore High Court had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775742">issued an order</a> last month, declaring the minarets on Ahmadiyya co­mmunity’s worship places, raised before the 1984 law, can’t be razed or altered.</p>n<p>Members of the minority community reserved the right to practise their faith safely at the worship site, the DPO said, while assuring complete security.</p>n<p><strong>Repeated attacks</strong></p>n<p>Despite the LHC order, several worship places of the Ahmadi community have been attacked and vandalised in recent months.</p>n<p>According to Amir Mehmood, a spokesman for the Jamaat Ahmadiyya in Pakistan, five such attacks on Ahmadi worship places have taken place in the span of nine months.</p>n<p>The actions attracted the ire of the UN, prompting its Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to express concern over the treatment of Ahmadis.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 22th, 2023</em></p>

Double standards

<p>THE US-led West does not tire of telling the rest of the world to abide by the so-called rules-based world order. But while doing so, Western countries conveniently omit explaining that this order was established in the aftermath of World War II primarily for legitimising and maintaining their own global hegemony.</p>nn<p>The architecture of the political, security and economic institutions established under the UN or under the Bretton Woods system to regulate the post-World War II international security and economic system was, in the ultimate analysis, aimed at securing this overarching goal of the West. This is particularly true about the UN Security Council as well as the IMF and World Bank where no decision can be taken without the approval of the US and its Western allies.</p>nn<p>Before World War II, there were numerous examples of Western countries blatantly flouting recognised principles of international law, or interpreting them to suit their convenience. This was particularly true during the colonial era, which witnessed the cruel subjugation of the people of occupied lands and the ruthless exploitation of their resources.</p>nn<p>Even the establishment of the post-World War II global order did not prevent predatory Western nations from violating the recognised rules of interstate conduct to impose their will on the weaker nations. The invasion of Egypt by Great Britain and France in 1956 in league with Israel, and the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 were clear examples of the violation of the UN Charter. </p>nn<blockquote>n <p>Western nations have often violated the rules of interstate conduct.</p>n</blockquote>nn<p>In the sphere of international economic, commercial, and financial exchanges, the US-led West has exploited its powerful positions in such institutions as the IMF and World Bank to impose its own choices and preferences on economically weaker nations.</p>nn<p>It is also ironic that the US, which used to champion the cause of free trade, has now started imposing economic and technological sanctions against China to slow down the latter’s economic and technological progress, especially in such fields as semiconductors, AI, and quantum computing. But this is nothing new. As pointed out by Kishore Mahbubani in his book, Has China won?, in the face of the tough competition given by the Japanese automakers to their American counterparts, “President Ronald Reagan had to twist the arms of the Japanese to agree to a voluntary export restraint.”</p>nn<p>The double standards of the Western cou­ntries are also exposed by their positions on such subjects as the situation in Hong Kong, Palestine, occupied Kashmir and Taiwan. When Hong Kong was being governed by the UK, Western concerns about democratic values in the territory were non-existent even though colonial rule is the very anti-thesis of a truly representative form of government. But this issue became a major source of concern for the West once Hong Kong reverted to Chi­n­ese sovereignty. Since Israel is a virtual Western outpost in the Middle East, its excesses against the national rights of the Palestinian people in violation of UN resolutions are generally ignored by the US-led West.</p>nn<p>The same conclusion applies to the treatment of the UN-recognised right of self-determination of the Kashmiri people by the Western countries because of their desire to cultivate India as an emerging Great Power and build it up as a bulwark against China. Taiwan is recognised by the international community, including even the US, as part of China. But that has not prevented Washington from offering political and military support to Taiwan’s adm­inistration to encourage separatist tendencies in the territory, even though it is internationally recognised as an integral part of China.</p>nn<p>Repeated calls by the US-led West on China and others to abide by the rules of the global order established by it in the aftermath of World War II are aimed at protecting its own security and economic interests. Therefore, whenever these rules come into conflict with the Western countries’ own narrow national interests, they have no hesitation in ignoring them. Logically, China and other emerging major powers can be expected to insist on rewriting these rules to make them equitable for global security and economic progress, rather than solely promoting Western interests.</p>nn<p>In light of the foregoing, the coming decades will witness growing tensions between the established and the emerging major powers. Pakistan and other countries of the Global South need to navigate carefully in the unfolding turbulent global scenario. This scenario is marked by multipolarity and by the primacy of national power over recognised principles of interstate conduct.</p>nn<p>The writer is a retired ambassador and author of Pakistan and a World in Disorder — A Grand Strategy for the Twenty-First Century.<br />n<a href="http://mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 22th, 2023</em></p>

Lawless city

<p>A GRIM milestone has just been passed in Karachi. The recent death of a teenage robbery victim brings the number of people killed in street crime incidents in the city between January and September 2023 to 100. To put things in perspective, the total number of people to have died in incidents of terrorism across Sindh during the first six months of the current year is 19. This once again underscores the unsettling fact that Karachi is a deadly city for its people, where armed killers have complete freedom to take citizens’ lives. From posh neighbourhoods to teeming slums, no area of this forsaken metropolis is safe. Muggers strike whenever they can and are ready to kill their victims at the slightest resistance. Figures compiled by the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee illustrate just how large the epidemic of street crime is. According to the CPLC, over the past nine months, some 60,000 incidents of street crime have taken place in Karachi. The figure for all of 2022 was 85,000. Police say between 50 to 60 gangs are active in this deadly business, while mobile-snatching and motorbike-lifting top the list of crimes.</p>nn<p>Various factors are fuelling high street crime rates, including inflation, joblessness, and the lure of easy money. People often resist parting with their hard-earned cash or valuables, with the result that they end up paying with their lives. However, addressing the underlying factors behind crime is a long-term project; the immediate need is to quell the deadly wave of killings. Here, the Sindh government has failed miserably. The PPP, which has been ruling the province since 2008, has much to answer for where law and order goes. The caretaker government can only do so much, and it is hoped that the next elected government that takes power in Sindh has solid proposals to beat crime. Otherwise, precious lives will continue to be snuffed out by trigger-happy criminals.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 22th, 2023</em></p>

India cancels minister&amp;rsquo;s trip to Asian Games in China&amp;rsquo;s Hangzhou in visa row

<p>New Delhi cancelled on Friday a trip by its sports minister to the Asian Games in Hangzhou, saying that Chinese authorities had denied accreditation and entry to Indian athletes from a region claimed by Beijing.</p>n<p>According to Indian media reports, three women martial arts fighters from the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh were approved to take part in the sports extravaganza by the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee.</p>n<p>But the wushu fighters were unable to download their accreditation cards, which act as visas to enter China, the <em>Hindustan Times</em> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/others/asian-games-arunachals-wushu-players-unable-to-travel-to-china-101695316129314.html">reported</a>.</p>n<p>The northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh is claimed almost in full by Beijing, which calls it “South Tibet”.</p>n<p>China had discriminated against some of the Indian athletes “in a targeted and pre-meditated manner”, India’s foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said in a statement.</p>n<p>“China’s action violates both the spirit of the Asian Games and the rules governing their conduct, which explicitly prohibits discrimination against competitors from member states,” he added.</p>n<p>A “strong protest” had been lodged in both New Delhi and Beijing against “China’s deliberate and selective obstruction of some of our sportspersons”, he said, and a trip by the sports minister to the event had been cancelled.</p>n<p>Wushu, or kung fu, is a multi-disciplinary martial art originating in China.</p>n<p>The rest of the 10-member Indian squad along with the coaching staff left for the Games in Hangzhou on Wednesday, according to reports.</p>n<p>Before the Indian foreign ministry statement, senior Olympic Council of Asia official Wei Jizhong had insisted that the trio had been issued visas and were not barred.</p>n<p>“I make it very clear: the Chinese government gave them a visa, they can enter China,” he told reporters. “But unfortunately these athletes didn’t accept the visa.”</p>n<p>Asked about the trio at a regular foreign ministry briefing in Beijing, spokeswoman Mao Ning said that China welcomed “athletes from all countries with legal documents” to take part in the Asian Games.</p>n<p>“The Chinese government does not recognise the so-called Arunachal region that you mentioned,” she added. “South Tibet is part of China.”</p>n<p>Indian spokesman Bagchi retorted: “Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India.”</p>n<p>In a similar incident in July, the Indian wushu team did not travel to the Chinese city of Chengdu for the World University Games after the same three athletes were issued stapled, rather than pasted, visas — an indication that Beijing does not recognise India’s territorial claim over Arunachal Pradesh.</p>n<p>On that occasion the foreign ministry in New Delhi called the move “unacceptable”.</p>n<p>Arunachal Pradesh is on the other side of the Himalayas from Tibet and shares a common Buddhist cultural heritage with its northern neighbour.</p>n<p>The Dalai Lama fled through the state in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in his homeland and has lived in India ever since.</p>n<p>China briefly occupied most of the territory in a bloody conflict three years after the Buddhist leader’s flight.</p>n<p>Earlier this year, India reacted strongly after China renamed 11 places in the disputed region.</p>

Hasan Ali returns as Pakistan squad for World Cup 2023 announced

<p>Cricket Chief Selector Inzamamul Haq on Friday announced the 15-member Pakistan squad for the ICC World Cup 2023 on Friday, which notably includes bowler Hasan Ali, and excludes star pacer Naseem Shah, who was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776219">injured</a> in the Asia Cup.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1705105237298847784"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The World Cup, hosted by arch-rivals India, will begin on October 5. Pakistan’s first match is on Oct 6, against Netherlands at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in the Indian city of Hyderabad.</p>n<p>Pakistan had a disappointing end to the Asia Cup with defeats to India and Sri Lanka. India went on to win the tournament.</p>n<p>Ali was included in Shah’s stead after the latter injured his shoulder in the Asia Cup tie against India. Haris Rauf, who was also injured in the same match, is part of the squad. Shaheen Afridi the pace spearhead of the side is in the squad.</p>n<p>Notable exclusions are bowlers Faheem Ashraf, who was part of the Asia Cup squad, and Mohammad Hasnain.</p>n<p>While answering a question regarding the selection of Ali, who has not played an ODI <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/pakistan-world-cup-2023-squad-hasan-ali-replaces-naseem-shah-1399458">since June 2022</a>, Inzamam stated that the medium-paced bowler was picked because of his experience with a new ball.</p>n<p>“Since Naseem is out, we needed a bowler who could bowl with a new ball and I think Hasan Ali is a very good choice in that regard.”</p>n<p>He added that Ali was a “team man” and his inclusion in the side would bring energy to the team.</p>n<p>Shedding light on Shah’s injury, the chief selector said the reports received by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) so far indicated that Shah would be on the sidelines even after the World Cup, which is why the pacer could not be picked.</p>n<p>The former skipper said the team composition is largely the same.</p>n<p>“I have not made any such changes. The team has been playing with this combination for the last two years and if I tried to disrupt the team within three weeks of my appointment that would not be okay,” Inzamam stated.</p>n<p>He added that the selection committee tried to pick experienced players “who can handle the enormity of the event”.</p>n<p>“We were looking for a player who has performed at the highest level and has played international tournaments, on that basis we picked Hasan Ali,” he said.</p>n<p>He stated that the board “has not shut the doors” for any player and anyone could be selected for the team given that they “perform well in the domestic circuit”.</p>n<p>“Pakistan’s domestic cricket performance is the main [criteria] for the selection,” Inzamam said.</p>n<p>“They played a test series there, then the Lankan Premier League, a series against Afghanistan and also Asia Cup matches. We wonder if spending such a long time in such conditions led to injuries to our bowlers as well as some batters,” Inzamam said.</p>n<p>“Pakistan was the number one ODI team before the World Cup. We have to keep our trust on these players.”</p>n<p>The pacer, Naseem Shah, took to his X account to confirm that he would not represent Pakistan in the World Cup.</p>n<p>“With a heavy heart, I’m sharing that I will not be part of this amazing team that will be representing our beloved country,” Naseem said.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/iNaseemShah/status/1705111197408772492?s=20"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>“While I’m disappointed, I believe everything is in Allah’s hands. Inshallah will be on the field very soon,” he added.</p>n<p><strong>Squad:</strong></p>n<p>Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imamul Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, (wicketkeeper) Mohammad Wasim, Agha Salman, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama Mir</p>n<p>Reserve Squad:nMohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khan</p>n<hr />n<p><em>Additional input by Reuters</em></p>

Naseem doubtful, Haris likely to be in Pakistan World Cup squad

<p>LAHORE: Pakistan are highly likely to fly to India for the upcoming World Cup without pace sensation Naseem Shah, while fellow fast bowler Haris Rauf may make the cut when the team’s squad for the 50-over showpiece is announced on Friday.</p>n<p>Naseem picked up a shoulder injury during Pakistan’s Asia Cup Super Four match against India and <em>Dawn</em> has learnt that the 20-year-old’s medical reports have recommended him an extensive rest from cricket.</p>n<p>Haris, who complained of side strain also during the India clash, meanwhile, has regained full fitness and is set to be included in the Pakistan roster for the World Cup.</p>n<p>Zaman Khan, who made his One-day International debut in Pakistan’s Asia Cup Super Four match against Sri Lanka, is being touted as Naseem’s replacement.</p>n<p>Pakistan will go into the World Cup with a forgettable Asia Cup campaign, which saw the side — regarded as favourites to win the tournament — end up at the bottom of the Super Four standings after getting subjected to a 228-run drubbing by India and an agonising two-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka.</p>n<p>The absence Naseem and Haris’ — who walked out midway during the India fixture — was dearly felt by Pakistan, whose title chances, as it turned out, were heavily dependent on their star-studded pace attack, spearheaded by Shaheen Shah Afridi.</p>n<p>The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in a review of the team’s performance in the Asia Cup on Wednesday, concluded that Naseem and Haris’ injuries were a result of mismanaged workload, mainly due to the players featuring in franchise T20 leagues.</p>n<p>The PCB, currently being led by its interim Management Committee chief Zaka Ashraf, blamed the board’s “previous management” for allowing that to happen.</p>n<p>“Discussion revealed that the previous management had allowed a lot of players to play league cricket which caused them to fatigued ahead of their national duty,” Zaka was quoted as saying in a PCB statement on Thursday. “But going forward we have agreed to form a proactive approach to tackle players workload and give national duty a priority.”</p>n<p>The review meeting was attended by Pakistan captain Babar Azam and head coach Grant Bradburn in person. Vice-captain Shadab Khan, team director Mickey Arthur, bowling coach Morne Morkel and batting coach Andrew Puttick joined on video link.</p>n<p>Pakistan team doctor Sohail Saleem, who was rehired by the board earlier this year after being sacked two years ago, was also present along with former captains Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez — who constitute the PCB’s Cricket Technical Committee (CTC).</p>n<p>“In a robust analysis, every aspect of recent team performance, player fitness, and future plans came into discussion with a view to bringing improvement to the side,” said the PCB statement. “There was an agreement on making a better approach and strategy on players’ workload.</p>n<p>“The importance of strengthening the bench was also emphasised.”</p>n<p>Pakistan chief selector Inzamam ul Haq, who the PCB said couldn’t make into the meeting due to a “medical emergency”, met Zaka on Thursday afternoon to share his input.</p>n<p>“After the completion of the review, Inzamam has finalised the Pakistan squad for the ICC World Cup, which will be announced on Friday morning in a press conference,” said the board’s press release.</p>n<p><strong>HAFEEZ RESIGNS</strong></p>n<p>Hours after Inzamam’s meeting with Zaka, Hafeez announced his resignation from the CTC, which was formed in July. Hafeez, along with Misbah, had been appointed as the members of the committee on honorary basis and were assigned to advise Zaka on cricketing affairs.</p>n<p>The committee played a crucial role in restoring the departmental and regional domestic cricket structure according to the PCB’s 2014 constitution, which was brought back following the revoking of the 2019 charter earlier this year.</p>n<p>“I decided to quit from the Pakistan cricket technical committee,” Hafeez wrote on X on Thursday night. “I served as an honorary member. I would like to thank Zaka Ashraf for giving me this opportunity.</p>n<p>“My best wishes for Pakistan cricket as always. Pakistan Zindabad.”</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 22th, 2023</em></p>

Federer hopes to captain Team Europe in Laver Cup one day

<p>BERN: Roger Federer said he enjoys being a part of the tennis community after his retirement last year and expressed an interest in captaining Team Europe at the Laver Cup, though the Swiss has no immediate plans to replace Bjorn Borg.</p>nn<p>Federer, who helped Team Europe claim three Laver Cup titles by beating Team World, will be present at this year’s edition in Vancouver where a celebration is planned on Friday to mark the first anniversary of his final competitive match.</p>nn<p>The 42-year-old had played alongside his great rival Rafa Nadal in that clash, losing to Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe as Team World went on to capture the title.</p>nn<p>“There’s something in me that’s Team Europe,” Federer said. </p>nn<p>“I’m happy if World wins, don’t get me wrong, but somehow I can feel it deep inside, I want Europe to win.</p>nn<p>“I like being in the tennis sphere. Maybe one day I’ll be the captain of the team,” the 20-times Grand Slam champion said.</p>nn<p>“There’s no plans as of now, but I think that could be quite nice.”</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 22th, 2023</em></p>

Top seed Jabeur crashes out of WTA Guadalajara Open

<p>GUADALAJARA: Top seed Ons Jabeur was sent crashing out of the WTA 1000 Guadalajara Open on Wednesday, losing a grueling three-hour battle to Italy’s Martina Trevisan.</p>nn<p>Tunisian star Jabeur, the losing finalist at Wimbledon for the past two years, was downed 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 6-3 by the unseeded Trevisan, currently ranked 54th in the world.</p>nn<p>Jabeur looked to have taken a grip on the match after taking the first set on a tie-break and then surging into a 30-0 lead as she served for the match at 5-4 in the second set.</p>nn<p>But the world number seven was left stunned after Trevisan battled back to break twice in quick succession to take the set and level the match.</p>nn<p>The 29-year-old Italian, who is chasing only the second WTA title of her career this week in Mexico, then broke for a 5-3 lead in the decider before holding to clinch victory.</p>nn<p>Trevisan will face unseeded American Caroline Dolehide in the quarter-finals. Dolehide advanced with a 6-1, 6-2 thrashing of Russian eighth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.</p>nn<p>In other matches on Wednesday, Sofia Kenin’s impressive return to form continued as the unseeded American upset sixth seed </p>nn<p>Jelena Ostapenko to reach the last eight.</p>nn<p>Former Australian Open champion Kenin, who last reached the quarter-finals of a WTA 1000 event in 2019, booked her place in the last eight with a 6-4, 7-5 win in 1hr 44min.</p>nn<p>The Moscow-born Kenin, whose ranking plunged to 426th last year, will face Canada’s 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez in the last eight. </p>nn<p>Fernandez defeated unseeded American Emma Navarro 6-2, 6-3 in her last 16 clash.</p>nn<p>Third seed Caroline Garcia of France sailed into the quarter-finals with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Hailey Baptiste of the United States. Garcia will face 10th seed Victoria Azarenka in the last eight.</p>nn<p>Azarenka cruised into the quarter-finals with a 6-2, 6-1 defeat of seventh seed Veronika Kudermetova.</p>nn<p>Second seed Maria Sakkari of Greece, meanwhile, romped into a quarter-final meeting with unseeded Colombian Emiliana Arango after a 6-2, 6-2 dismissal of Italy’s Camila Giorgi.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 22th, 2023</em></p>

Cummins sees India ODIs as key World Cup preparation

<p>MOHALI: Australian captain Pat Cummins said on Thursday he had fully recovered from a wrist injury and hoped to play all three One-day Internationals against hosts India starting Friday.</p>nn<p>While Cummins returns, Australia still won’t have the services of pacer Mitchell Starc and all-rounder Glenn Maxwell for the first match in the northern Indian city of Mohali. </p>nn<p>“I am feeling pretty good, pretty much 100 per cent, and hope to play tomorrow and play all the games,” Cummins told journalists.</p>nn<p>But the Australian pace spearhead said Starc, who is recovering from a groin injury, and Maxwell, from an ankle injury, won’t play “but will be available later in the series”.</p>nn<p>Most of Australia’s top players are also key members of different franchises in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament, and Cummins said they “have pretty good information” about the local conditions.</p>nn<p>He said they hoped to try different team combinations and players against India to prepare for the all-important World Cup in India next month. “Hopefully we will get a few answers in the next few games,” Cummins said.</p>nn<p>Australia, along with India and England, are seen as three top contenders going into the ODI World Cup.</p>nn<p>India have rested captain Rohit Sharma and batting superstar Virat Kohli for the first two ODIs and also hope to try different players before the tournament.</p>nn<p>India will be led by KL Rahul in the absence of Sharma, who returns with other key players for the final match of the series.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 22th, 2023</em></p>

Kohler-Cadmore called up for Ireland ODIs

<p>LONDON: Joe Root is being rested for the remainder of England’s One-day International series against Ireland, with wicket-keeper-batter Tom Kohler-Cadmore replacing the former captain, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Thursday. </p>nn<p>“In preparation for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India starting next month, Yorkshire and England men’s batter Joe Root is to be rested for the remaining matches in the ODI series against Ireland,” ECB said in a statement. </p>nn<p>“The national selectors have added Somerset batter Tom Kohler-Cadmore to bolster the England ODI squad.” </p>nn<p>Kohler-Cadmore, who plays for Somerset, will join the England set-up after the conclusion of the County Championship match against Kent, the ECB added.</p>nn<p>The second ODI in the three-match series will be held at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Saturday. The first match at Headingley on Wednesday was called off without a ball being bowled due to rain.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 22th, 2023</em></p>

Israel on cusp of region-reshaping peace with Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu says

<p>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday he believed his country was on the cusp of peace with Saudi Arabia, predicting it could be clinched by US President Joe Biden and reshape the Middle East.</p>n<p>Yet, amid urging by Riyadh and Washington that the Palestinians be included in the diplomacy, Netanyahu told the United Nations General Assembly in New York that Palestinians should not be allowed to veto the regional dealmaking.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1696911"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Expectations that Israel might normalise relations with Saudi Arabia, the home of Islam’s two holiest shrines, have been ratcheted up this week. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said a deal was getting closer by the day and Netanyahu and Biden held a long-awaited meeting to discuss the prospects.</p>n<p>Netanyahu described as a precursor the 2020 normalisation accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, known as the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1663330">Abraham Accords</a> and sponsored by then-US President Donald Trump.</p>n<p>“There’s no question: The Abraham Accords heralded the dawn of a new age of peace,” he said. “I believe we’re on the cusp of a more dramatic breakthrough: A historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia.”</p>n<p>Such a deal would likely require broad support among US lawmakers — a tall order with a presidential election in 2024.</p>n<p>While crediting Trump for the previous deal, Netanyahu made clear he hoped the current administration would clinch this one.</p>n<p>“I believe we can achieve peace with Saudi Arabia with the leadership of President Biden,” he said.</p>n<p>Though he voiced willingness to seek some accommodation with the Palestinians — whose statehood goals are ruled out by his hard-right government — Netanyahu said: “We must not give the Palestinians a veto over new peace treaties with Arab states.”</p>n<p>On Thursday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told the same forum: “Whoever thinks peace in the Middle East is possible before our people achieved their full right is delusional.”</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1777217"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Netanyahu, who has often used the UN podium to warn against Iran, described his country’s arch-foe as the “fly in the ointment” that would try to wreck a deal with Saudi Arabia.</p>n<p>But he cast normalisation as already in the works, citing the now three-year-old air corridor for Israeli carriers over Saudi territory and an ambitious plan, announced by Biden this month, to make both countries part of a rail and shipping network that would run from India to the Mediterranean Sea.</p>n<p>He illustrated the latter with a red line he drew across a regional map — a play on a 2012 UN speech in which he used a marker to draw a proposed “red line” for Iran’s nuclear drive.</p>n<p>“Today I bring this marker to show a great blessing,” he said, deeming normalisation with Saudi Arabia “an extraordinary change, a monumental change, another pivot of history.”</p>

India frees Kashmiri leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq after 4 years

<p>The Indian government freed Kashmiri chief cleric and Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday after more than <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1437419">four years of house arrest</a>.</p>n<p>The 50-year-old was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1437419">detained</a> along with other political leaders and thousands of residents when the government cancelled held Kashmir’s constitutional semi-autonomy and <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1498227">imposed federal rule</a> in 2019.</p>n<p>A months-long internet shutdown followed as India bolstered its armed forces in the region to contain <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1514652">protests</a>.</p>n<p>Most detainees were subsequently released, but Mirwaiz remained unable to leave his residence, down the street from his Jamia Masjid mosque in Srinagar.</p>n<p>Thousands of worshippers gathered to see him lead Friday prayers for the first time in 218 weeks, with women showering him with sweets and religious slogans resounding around the 14th-century building.</p>n<p>Last week, a court asked authorities to explain his continued detention and he told the crowd that police informed him on Thursday that officials had decided to release him.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1666414"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>“This period of my house arrest and separation from my people has been the most painful for me since my father’s death,” he said, breaking down.</p>n<p>The mosque has historically been a centre of separatist politics and anti-India protests.</p>n<p>“God willing, you might think our spirit is low. No, our spirit is high,” the Mirwaiz said, calling the constitutional changes by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government “unacceptable”.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1741527"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Modi “said about Ukraine that this is not the time for war. He is right,” he added.</p>n<p>“Disputes and disagreements should be resolved by talks rather than using power or unilateralism.” He called for the release of “numerous political prisoners”.</p>n<p>Held Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, with both countries claiming the Himalayan territory in full and fighting two wars over it.</p>n<p>A violent insurgency beginning in 1989 killed tens of thousands of people, including Indian troops, militants and civilians.</p>n<p>Heavy security, including counter-insurgency police and commandos, were deployed around the mosque on Friday.</p>n<p>“Our beloved and our king of hope has returned to this mosque after so long,” regular worshipper Bashir Ahmed told <em>AFP</em> after the prayers.</p>n<p>“How can I not be weeping with joy?” Since the imposition of direct rule, authorities have curbed media freedoms and public protests.</p>n<p>Moves aimed at bringing “peace and prosperity” to the region also allowed Indians from elsewhere to buy land and claim government jobs in the territory, a policy denounced by critics as “settler colonialism”.</p>n<p>Armed clashes between Indian soldiers and freedom fighters demanding independence for the disputed region or its merger with Pakistan have significantly reduced.</p>n<p>But this month saw an uptick in violence leaving at least 14 dead, including eight security personnel.</p>

China&amp;rsquo;s Xi meets Syria&amp;rsquo;s Assad, declares new &amp;lsquo;strategic partnership&amp;rsquo;

<p>Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad on Friday, and said the two leaders would unveil a new “strategic partnership”.</p>n<p>Assad is on his <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777219/assad-in-china-seeks-end-to-diplomatic-isolation">first official trip to China</a> in almost two decades as he seeks financial support to rebuild his devastated country, as well as rehabilitation for his regime from years of isolation over Syria’s civil war.</p>n<p>He will attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou on Saturday.</p>n<p>Xi and Assad met in the eastern Chinese city on Friday afternoon, state media said.</p>n<p>“Today, we will jointly announce the establishment of the China-Syria strategic partnership, which will become an important milestone in the history of bilateral relations,” Xi told Assad, according to a readout from state broadcaster <em>CCTV</em>.</p>n<p>“Faced with an international situation full of instability and uncertainty, China is willing to continue to work together with Syria, firmly support each other, promote friendly cooperation, and jointly defend international fairness and justice,” he added.</p>n<p>Relations between the two countries “have withstood the test of international changes”, Xi said.</p>n<p>“And the friendship between the two countries has been strengthened over time,” he added.</p>n<p>The leaders were each flanked by nine aides at a large rectangular wooden table, a <em>CCTV</em> video clip showed, as two flags from each country were set in front of a Chinese painting in the meeting room.</p>n<p>China is one of only a handful of countries outside the Middle East that Assad has visited since the 2011 start of a civil war that has killed more than half a million people, displaced millions more, and battered Syria’s infrastructure and industry.</p>n<p>China’s foreign ministry has said his visit will take ties to a “new level”.</p>n<p>“China and Syria have a traditional and deep friendship,” foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular briefing.</p>n<p>“We believe that President Bashar Al-Assad’s visit will further deepen mutual political trust and cooperation in various fields between the two countries,” she added.</p>n<p>Assad’s visit is his first to China since 2004.</p>n<p>Analysts expect Assad’s visit to China will focus, in part, on funds for reconstruction. It also comes as China’s influence in the Middle East grows.</p>n<p>This year Beijing brokered a deal that saw longtime regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Damascus-backer Iran <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1741433">agree to restore ties</a> and reopen their respective embassies.</p>n<p>The detente was followed by Syria’s return to the Arab fold at a summit in Saudi Arabia in May, ending more than a decade of regional isolation.</p>

Canada has Indian diplomats&amp;rsquo; communications in Sikh leader&amp;rsquo;s murder probe: report

<p>The Canadian government has amassed both human and signals intelligence in a months-long investigation of a Sikh activist’s murder, which it has <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776725">alleged</a> was done by India, <em>CBC News</em> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/sikh-nijjar-india-canada-trudeau-modi-1.6974607">reported</a> on Friday.</p>n<p>The unprecedented tensions flared up on Monday after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776704/indian-envoy-expelled-as-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-death">said</a> Ottawa was “actively pursuing credible allegations” linking Indian government agents to the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/20/advocate-separate-sikh-state-india-shot-dead-canada-hardeep-singh-nijjar-temple">murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar</a>, 45, outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia in June.</p>n<p>The two countries, whose relations have been fraying in recent years over the issue of Sikh separatists, have since announced tit-for-tat <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776725">expulsions of senior diplomats</a> and issued tit-for-tat <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776905/us-urges-india-to-cooperate-with-canada-in-sikh-leaders-murder-probe#:~:text=India%2C%20Canada-,update,-travel%20advisory">travel advisories</a>.</p>n<p>Indian PM Narendra Modi’s government denied any links to the alleged murder. While calling on India to cooperate with the investigation into the murder, Canada <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/canadas-trudeau-wants-india-cooperate-murder-probe-wont-release-evidence-2023-09-21/">said</a> on Thursday it would not release its evidence.</p>n<p>Traditional Canadian allies have so far taken a relatively cautious approach to the matter. Analysts say this is partly because the United States and other major players see India as a counterweight to the growing influence of China.</p>n<p>Today, quoting Canadian government sources, <em>CBC News</em> said the “intelligence includes communications involving Indian officials themselves, including Indian diplomats present in Canada”.</p>n<p>It added that the intelligence “did not come solely from Canada” and some was also provided by “an unnamed ally in the Five Eyes” alliance — an intelligence-sharing network that includes the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/CBCNews/status/1704978707343974827"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The Canadian publication went on to add that the slain Sikh leader “reportedly had been warned by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service that he was at risk”.</p>n<p>The report further said that “in a diplomatic crisis that unfolded progressively behind the scenes, Canadian officials went to India on several occasions seeking cooperation” in the investigation of Nijjar’s death.</p>n<p><em>CBC News</em> said that Canada’s National Security and Intelligence Adviser Jody Thomas was in India over four days in mid-August. Another five-day visit this month overlapped with a “<a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775114">tense meeting</a>” between the two countries’ premiers, it added.</p>n<p>The report quoted Canadian sources as saying: “When pressed behind closed doors, no Indian official has denied the bombshell allegation at the core of this case — that there is evidence to suggest Indian government involvement in the assassination of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil.”</p>n<p>“I can assure you that the decision to share these allegations on the floor of the House of Commons … was not done lightly,” <em>CBC</em> quoted Trudeau as stating yesterday after attending the 78th UN General Assembly in New York. “It was done with the utmost seriousness.”</p>n<h2><a id="not-some-special-exemption-for-india-us-says" href="#not-some-special-exemption-for-india-us-says" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>‘Not some special exemption’ for India, US says</h2>n<p>Meanwhile, the US is in touch with Indians at high levels and Washington is giving India no “<a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2023/09/21/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-and-national-security-advisor-jake-sullivan-8/#:~:text=is%20not%20some-,special%20exemption,-you%20get%20for">special exemption</a>” in the matter, its national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Thursday.</p>n<p>The United States has been seeking to strengthen its relationship with India. President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1761117">hosted Modi</a> for a state visit at the White House earlier this year.</p>n<p>Asked whether US concern over the incident could disrupt that process, Sullivan said the United States would stand up for its principles, regardless of what country is affected.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1704915153857433893"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>“It is a matter of concern for us. It is something we take seriously. It is something we will keep working on, and we will do that regardless of the country,” Sullivan <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2023/09/21/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-and-national-security-advisor-jake-sullivan-8/">told reporters</a> at the White House.</p>n<p>“There’s not some special exemption you get for actions like this. Regardless of the country, we will stand up and defend our basic principles and we will also consult closely with allies like Canada as they pursue their law enforcement and diplomatic process.”</p>n<p>Sullivan noted that the United States was in touch with both countries about the topic. “We are in constant contact with our Canadian counterparts … and we have also been in touch with the Indian government,” Sullivan said.</p>n<p>Earlier, John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council (NSC) had said it supported Canada’s efforts to investigate the killing and <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776905/us-urges-india-to-cooperate-with-canada-in-sikh-leaders-murder-probe">encouraged India</a> to cooperate in the probe.</p>n<p>Separately, another NSC spokesperson, Adrienne Watson, had denied reports that the US had “rebuffed” Canada over the matter.</p>n<p>Australia had expressed “deep concern” over Canada’s accusations while Britain said it was in close touch with its Canadian partners about the “serious allegations”.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1777104"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar had a day ago <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777104/rising-wave-of-hindutva-a-matter-of-deep-concern-for-international-community-pm-kakar">termed</a> the rising wave of Hindutva or Hindu nationalism a “matter of deep concern” for the international community.</p>n<p>The Foreign Office had also <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.radio.gov.pk/20-09-2023/indias-network-of-extra-territorial-killings-has-now-gone-global-fo">said</a> the accusation showed that New Delhi’s “network of extra-territorial killings” had gone global while Foreign Secretary Syrus Qazi said Pakistan was not surprised by the Canadian accusation.</p>

COAS Munir meets Saudi counterpart, discusses bilateral security matters

<p>Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir met the army chief of Saudi Arabia, General Fayyadh Bin Hamed Al Ruwaili, on Friday and discussed various areas of mutual interest.</p>n<p>According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Gen Ruwaili and his high-powered military delegation called on Gen Munir.</p>n<p>“During the meeting, both sides deliberated upon various areas of mutual interest, bilateral cooperation including defence and security matters,” the military’s media affair wing said.</p>n<p>It added that the delegation also met Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad Mirza at the Joint Staff Headquarters earlier today.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/PTVNewsOfficial/status/1705154136252273025"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The Saudi delegation’s visit to Pakistan comes days after COAS Munir had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1774148">apprised</a> the business community of Saudi Arabia’s decision to invest $25bn in Pakistan under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) aimed at attracting investment in the agriculture sector by offering land and ensuring exports.</p>n<p>Earlier this year, the army chief had also <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1730745">visited</a> Madina where he met the Saudi crown prince and discussed ways to improve bilateral ties between the two countries.</p>n<p>During the visit, Gen Munir had also met Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1730050/coas-asim-munir-saudi-defence-minister-discuss-military-cooperation">discussed</a> the ways of strengthening cooperation between the two countries.</p>n<p>The leaders had discussed military and defence cooperation, and ways to support and enhance them, along with important regional and international issues of common interest.</p>

Zelensky wins US air defence arms, but faces aid battle

<p>WASHINGTON: Ukrai­nian President Volodymyr Zelensky won a promise of “significant” new air defence weapons from the White House on Thursday but he warned Kyiv could lose the war with Russia if Republican lawmakers cut the flow of billions of dollars in US military aid.</p>n<p>Zelensky, wearing his trademark olive green military-style shirt on his second wartime visit to Washington, also failed to get the coveted long-range US missiles that Ukraine has been seeking in the effort to beat back President Vladimir Putin’s forces.</p>n<p>The Ukrainian leader faced a vastly different political landscape compared to his first visit in December 2022, when he received a hero’s welcome and gave a speech to a joint session of Congress.</p>n<p>This time a grim-faced Zelensky met Republican and Democratic leaders locked in a bitter spending battle that could spark a US government shutdown, with a $24 billion aid package for Ukraine at risk.</p>n<p>The hard-right faction dominating the Republican Party is increasingly adamant that the aid spigot should be turned off, with Congress having already approved $100bn in aid to date, including $43bn in weaponry.</p>n<p>“To win, we must all stand together and work together,” Zelensky said on social media, adding that he counted on “constant support” from the United States against Russia.</p>n<p>The Ukrainian leader arrived right after another wave of Russian missile strikes. The attacks — hitting cities across the country — killed at least three people in Kherson and wounded many in other areas Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer, a major supporter of President Joe Biden’s pro-Ukraine policies, said Zelensky had told him “if we don’t get the aid, we will lose the war.”</p>n<p><strong>‘Significant’</strong></p>n<p>As part of his bid to win over Washington, Zelensky also went to the Pentagon where he laid a wreath at a memorial for victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks and will visit the White House later on Thursday.</p>n<p>White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said he was confident that the deep US political divide would not stop the flow of aid to Ukraine.</p>n<p>“I continue to remain of the view that when all is said and done… there will be strong bipartisan support to continue funding Ukraine,” Sullivan told reporters.</p>n<p>Biden was set to announce a major new arms package including “significant air defence capabilities to help Ukraine,” Sullivan added.</p>n<p>But in a blow to Zelensky, he said Biden had rejected for now a request for longer-range ATACMS missiles that can strike up to 300 kilometres away.</p>n<p>Zelensky said he had “great dialogue” on Capitol Hill earlier, despite the lack of fanfare compared to his visit nine months ago. He got a discreet welcome from the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, who is having trouble keeping a lid on internal party squabbling over US spending in Ukraine.</p>n<p>Some Republicans say the money could be better spent on US border security, while there are also concerns about the pace of Kyiv’s counteroffensive and that corruption in Ukraine means the money will go to waste.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2023</em></p>

High seas treaty moves closer to reality with first signatures

<p>UNITED NATIONS: Nearly 70 countries at the United Nations on Wednesday signed a first-ever treaty on protecting the international high seas, raising hopes that it will come into force soon and protect threatened ecosystems vital to the planet.</p>nn<p>“It’s an amazing moment to be here and see such multilateral cooperation and so much hope,” actor Sigourney Weaver said in New York as the signatures opened.</p>nn<p>The treaty marks change in “the way we view the ocean, from a big garbage dump and a place where we can take stuff, to a place that we take care of, that we steward, we respect,” she said.</p>nn<p>Sixty-seven countries signed the treaty on the first day, including the United States, China, Australia, Britain, France, Germany and Mexico as well as the European Union as a whole, according to the UN.</p>nn<blockquote>n <p>After 15 years of discussion, nearly 70 countries including US, China, UK and EU states signed the treaty</p>n</blockquote>nn<p>But each country must still ratify the treaty under its own domestic process. The treaty will come into force 120 days after 60 countries ratify it.</p>nn<p>“It is clear that the ocean is in urgent need of protection,” said Belgium’s deputy prime minister, Vincent van Quickenborne. Without action, “it’s game over,” he said.</p>nn<p>After 15 years of discussion, the United Nations sealed the first treaty on the high seas in June by consensus, although Russia said it had reservations.</p>nn<p>The start of signatures marks “a new chapter” of “establishing meaningful protections” for the oceans, said Nichola Clark of the Ocean Governance Project at The Pew Charitable Trusts.</p>nn<p>The high seas are defined as the ocean area starting beyond countries’ exclusive economic zones, or 370 kilometres off coastlines — covering nearly half the planet. Nonetheless, they have long been ignored in discussions on the environment.</p>nn<p>A key tool in the treaty will be the ability to create protected marine areas in international waters — only around one percent of which are now protected by any sort of conservation measures.</p>nn<p>The treaty is seen as crucial to an agreement to protect 30 per cent of the world’s oceans and lands by 2030, as agreed by governments in a separate historic accord on biodiversity reached in Montreal in December.</p>nn<p><strong>‘Race to ratification’</strong></p>nn<p>Mads Christensen, interim executive director of Greenpeace International, voiced hope that the treaty would come into force in 2025, when the next UN oceans conference takes place in France.</p>nn<p>“We have less than seven years to protect 30 percent of the oceans. There is no time to waste,” he said.</p>nn<p>“The race to ratification has begun and we urge countries to be ambitious, ratify the treaty and make sure it enters into force in 2025.” But even if the treaty draws the 60 ratifications needed to come into force, it would still be well below the universal support for action sought by environmental defenders.</p>nn<p>Oceans are critical for the health of the whole planet, protecting often-microscopic biodiversity that supports half of the oxygen breathed by land life. The oceans are also critical to limiting climate change by helping absorb greenhouse gas emissions.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2023</em></p>

Saudi ties with Israel will betray Palestinians, fears Raisi

<p>UNITED NATIONS: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has accused regional rival Saudi Arabia of betraying the Palestinians by seeking to normalise relations with Israel.</p>nn<p>“We believe that a relationship between regional countries and the Zionist regime would be a stab in the back of the Palestinian people and of the resistance of the Palestinians,” he said.</p>nn<p>“The initiation of a relationship between the Zionist regime and any country in the region, if it is with the aim to bring security for the Zionist regime, will certainly not do so,” Raisi told a news conference on Wednesday as he attended the UN General Assembly.</p>nn<p>Saudi Arabia and Israel have bonded in part over shared hostility to Iran’s clerical state, although Riyadh has moved to ease tensions with Tehran through talks brokered by China.</p>nn<p>US President Joe Biden is hoping to transform the Middle East — and score an election-year diplomatic victory — by securing recognition of the Jewish state by Saudi Arabia.</p>nn<blockquote>n <p>Tehran has ‘no problem’ with IAEA inspections</p>n</blockquote>nn<p>On Wednesday, Biden met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Biden quipped that he had “Irish optimism” on securing a deal with Saudi Arabia.</p>nn<p>“If you and I, 10 years ago, were talking about normalisation with Saudi Arabia,” Biden told Netanyahu, “I think we had to look at each other like, ‘Who’s been drinking what?”</p>nn<p>Netanyahu, who has had rocky relations with Biden, said he believed a deal was “within our reach” and credited him. “I think that under your leadership, Mr President, we can forge a historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia,” Netanyahu said.</p>nn<p>Saudi Arabia’s de factor ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has said that US-brokered talks are moving forward on normalisation with Israel.</p>nn<p>In an interview with Fox News, MBS said talks were moving forward with Israel, denying a media report that the process was suspended. “Every day we get closer,” the prince said. “For us, the Palestinian issue is very important. We need to solve that part,” he said. </p>nn<p>“We need to ease the lives of the Palestinians”, he added.</p>nn<p>Iran has no issue with the UN nuclear watchdog’s inspection of its nuclear sites, Raisi said on Wednesday, days after Tehran barred multiple inspectors assigned to the country. </p>nn<p>“We have no problem with the inspections but the problem is with some inspectors … those inspectors that are trustworthy can continue their work in Iran,” Raisi told media.</p>nn<p>Iran’s move was a response to a call led by the United States, Britain, France and Germany at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Gover­nors earlier this month for Tehran to cooperate immediately with the agency on issues including explaining uranium traces found at undeclared sites.</p>nn<p>“Tehran’s decision was in reaction to some unfair statements by the Western members of the IAEA,” Raisi said. UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi has condemned Iran’s “disproportionate and unprecedented” move.</p>nn<p>Tehran’s move, known as “de-designation” of inspectors, is allowed; member states can generally veto inspectors assigned to visit their nuclear facilities under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and each country’s safeguards agreement with the agency governing inspections.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2023</em></p>

UK to charge five Bulgarians with spying for Moscow

<p>LONDON: Five Bulgarian nationals suspected of spying for Russia will be charged with conspiracy to conduct espionage, UK prosecutors said on Thursday.</p>nn<p>Three men and two women “will be charged with conspiring to collect information intended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy for a purpose prejudicial to the safety and interest of the state”, the Crown Prosecu­tion Service said in a statement.</p>nn<p>The charges relate to alleged offences that took place between August 2020 and February 2023, the CPS added.</p>nn<p>Orlin Roussev, 45, Bizer Dzhambazov, 41, Katrin Ivanova, 31, Ivan Stoyanov, 31, and Vanya Gaberova, 29, will appear at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on Tuesday.</p>nn<p>Three of them — Roussev, Dzhambazov and Ivanova — were charged in February with “possession of false identity documents with improper intention”, the CPS said.</p>nn<p>The trio appeared at London’s Old Bailey court in July to face those charges.</p>nn<p>“The charges follow an investigation by the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command,” said the CPS.</p>nn<p>Prosecutors warned that in order to conduct a fair trial “it is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2023</em></p>

West&amp;rsquo;s &amp;lsquo;plundering&amp;rsquo; of Africa blamed for migrant crisis

<p>UNITED NATIONS: The head of the Central African Republic on Thursday accused the West of triggering the migration crisis on his continent by pillaging its natural resources through slavery and colonisation.</p>n<p>Taking the podium at the UNGA, Faustin Archange Touadera <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://twitter.com/Journal_UN_ONU/status/1704860558795678093">addressed</a> the migrant crisis on the Italian island of Lampedusa, where thousands of African migrants arrived last week.</p>n<p>“This escalation of the migrant crisis is one of the appalling consequences of the plundering of natural resources of countries made poor by slavery, colonisation and Western imperialism, terrorism and internal armed conflicts,” he added.</p>n<p>Touadera lauded the “solidarity and the incredible efforts” by the countries hosting the migrants, but said that Africa must be given a greater say in solving the migrant crisis.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Italian PM urges UN to wage ‘war without mercy’ on human trafficking</p>n</blockquote>n<p><strong>‘Without mercy’</strong></p>n<p>Touadera’s statement contrasted sharply with comments on Wednesday by Italy’s right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who blamed the crisis on migrant smugglers and charged that Africa was in fact a rich continent.</p>n<p>Meloni urged the UN to launch a “global war without mercy” against migrant smugglers while addressing at the UNGA.</p>n<p>She said that Italy, which next year heads the Group of Seven wealthy democracies, was ready to lead efforts against the “slave traders of the third millennium.” “Can an organisation like this which reaffirms in its founding document the faith in the dignity and worth of human beings turn a blind eye to this tragedy?” she asked.</p>n<p>“I believe it is the duty of this organisation to reject any hypocritical approach to this issue and wage a global war without mercy against the traffickers of human beings,” she said. Meloni put the blame on human traffickers, calling them a “mafia”.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2023</em></p>

Rupert Murdoch steps down as chair of Fox, News Corp

<p> <figure class='media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch media–uneven media–stretch'>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class='media__caption '>Lachlan and Rupert Murdoch.—Reuters/file</figcaption>n </figure></p>n<p>NEW YORK: Rupert Murdoch has stepped down as the chairman of Fox Corp and News Corp, ending a more than seven-decade career during which he created a media empire spanning from Australia to the United States.</p>n<p>His son, Lachlan Murdoch, will become the sole chairman of News Corp and continue as the chair and CEO of <em>Fox</em>, the companies said on Thursday. The transition solidifies Lachlan’s role as the leader of the media empire, putting to rest questions of succession within the Murdoch family.</p>n<p>In a <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/rupert-murdoch-steps-down-fox-chairman-1235595815/">memo to staff</a> on Thursday, Murdoch wrote: “Our companies are in robust health, as am I.”</p>n<p>The executive transition coincides with the annual meeting of shareholders for <em>Fox</em> and News Corp in mid-November. It also comes just months after Murdoch, 92, scrapped a plan that would have reunited his media empire by merging <em>Fox</em> and News Corp, after several top shareholders rejected the proposal on the grounds that it would fail to realise the full value of the company.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>In his seven-decade career, he created a media empire stretching from Australia to US</p>n</blockquote>n<p>Murdoch, who has near-controlling stakes in both companies, will be appointed chairman emeritus of both the companies.</p>n<p>Lachlan takes over the Murdoch empire as the media industry is battered by challenges ranging from the decline in traditional television viewership, to news organisations battling tech companies over alleged copyright theft in the age of artificial intelligence.</p>n<p><em>Fox News</em> continues to be the number one US cable news network, playing an influential role in US politics.</p>n<p>Earlier this year, <em>Fox</em> settled a defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million, averting a trial in which Murdoch, his son Lachlan and Fox executives and hosts were expected to testify.</p>n<p>The trial would have put <em>Fox</em> in the crosshairs over its amplification of false vote-rigging claims in the 2020 US presidential election. Legal experts said the settlement was the largest ever struck by an American media company.</p>n<p><em>Fox</em> still faces a lawsuit from voting technology firm Smartmatic, which in 2021 sued <em>Fox</em> for $2.7 billion over similar claims, as well as shareholder lawsuits accusing Fox Corp officers and directors of breaching their duties by allowing the company to become mired in defamation claims.</p>n<p>“Many of his enterprises still produce a lot of important news which helps keep the world informed in ways that might not have occurred were it not for his leadership,” said Brian Wieser, media analyst at advisory firm Madison &amp; Wall.</p>n<p>“But it’s impossible to ignore the other side of that, where <em>Fox News</em> amplified toxicity in the US political environment, and other properties similarly impacted other territories.”</p>n<p><strong>Succession</strong></p>n<p>Murdoch, who has six children, has long desired his children to eventually take the reins of the empire. His son James had been CEO of Twenty-First Century Fox before the company’s decision to sell its film and television assets to Walt Disney Co for $71.3bn, a deal that closed in 2019.</p>n<p>James then channelled proceeds from the deal into a private investment firm, Lupa Systems. Lachlan was appointed CEO of the new Fox Corp.</p>n<p>Upon Murdoch’s death, his other children could challenge Lachlan’s power. Murdoch controls News Corp and Fox Corp through a Reno, Nevada-based family trust that holds a roughly a 40 per cent stake in voting shares of each company. He also holds a small number of shares of the companies outside the trust.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2023</em></p>

First Ukraine grain ship since Russian blockade reaches Istanbul

<p>ISTANBUL: The first grain ship to sail from Uk­raine since Russia re-imposed its Black Sea blockade in July reached Istanbul on Thursday, marine traffic monitors said.</p>n<p>Ukrainian officials said the Palau-flagged Resilient Africa vessel was carrying 3,000 tonnes of wheat when it left Ukraine’s Chornomorsk port on Tuesday.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed '>n <div class='media__item media__item–youtube '><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/b7Cfv7JZ2x4?enablejsapi=1&controls=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0' allowfullscreen='' frameborder='0' scrolling='no' width='100%' height='100%'></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>It was destined for Israel, according to marine traffic websites, representing the first successful Black Sea voyage since Russia pulled out of a UN-backed deal to export Ukrainian grain.</p>n<p>Ukraine is testing a new sea route that avoids international waters and follows those controlled by Nato members Bulgaria and Romania.</p>n<p>It had earlier successfully sent several cargo ships along that route that were not carrying Ukrainian grain.</p>n<p>These voyages became safer after Russia was forced to pull back its warships following a series of successful Ukrainian missile strikes on the Kremlin-controlled peninsula of Crimea, where Moscow’s Black Sea fleet is based.</p>n<p>Russia also stepped up attacks on Ukraine’s Black Sea port infrastructure after abandoning the grain deal.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2023</em></p>

EU refuses to send observers for Bangladesh polls

<p>DHAKA: The European Union will not deploy a full election observer team to Bangladesh citing a lack of “necessary conditions”, and prompting the opposition on Thursday to declare the polls would not be fair.</p>nn<p>Bangladesh is set to hold its general election by the first week of January, and several Western governments have expressed concern over the political climate, where the ruling party dominates the legislature.</p>nn<p>The South Asian nation’s opposition has staged a series of protests demanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resign and let a neutral caretaker government hold the vote.</p>nn<p>Hasina’s Awami League has ruled the world’s eighth-most populous country since 2009 and has been accused of human rights abuses and corruption.</p>nn<p>EU ambassador Charles Whiteley said the bloc would not deploy a “fully-fledged” observer mission, according to a copy of a letter sent to Bangladesh’s election commissioner on Wednesday.</p>nn<p>Whitely said that while the EU took into account budget constraints, the decision also “reflects the fact that at the present time, it is not sufficiently clear whether the necessary conditions will be met”, without giving further details.</p>nn<p>It added that the EU is “exploring other options to accompany the electoral process”.</p>nn<p>Bangladesh Election Commission Secretary Jahangir Alam said on Thursday the EU’s decision was due to a “budgetary reason”. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party welcomed the move, saying the EU decision highlights that “there is no environment for elections” in the country.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2023</em></p>

Imran Khan &amp;#039;shocked, worried&amp;#039; on change of judge in Judge Zeba Chaudhry case

PTI chief’s lawyer says his client was extremely hopeless after he failed to get bail in the cipher case

September 21, 2023

Court summons Imran in &amp;#039;un-Islamic&amp;#039; marriage case

Superintendent Attock Jail has been directed to produce the PTI chief before the court on Sept 25

Carateker govt sees dollar at Rs260 soon

Commerce minister urges people holding dollars to release them into the open market

Ahmadi worship place vandalised by unknown men in Karachi

Spokesperson claims eight to 10 people damaged property inside their place of worship in Martin Road area

Forex reserves rise by $56.4m to $7.7b

No reason cited for increase in foreign currency assets

Govt vows to break nexus of cartels

Underlines the need for developing strong coordination between federal and provincial governments

Plants accused of overcharging for low-quality coal

Revelations emerge at public hearing sparking concerns over quality, transparency

Rupee reaches 5-week high

Stands at 292.78/$, gaining almost 5% in the past 12 consecutive days

Change in gas prices to be announced soon: energy minister

<p>Caretaker Minister for Energy Muhammad Ali on Thursday said gas prices in the country had consistently been a matter of concern, underlining that forthcoming announcements would detail the impending changes in the price of the commodity.</p>n<p>The minister made these remarks during a visit to the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI). Caretaker Federal Minister for Commerce, Industries, and Production, Gohar Ejaz, was also attended the event.</p>n<p>The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) had in June this year <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1757641">asked</a> the government to increase gas tariff by 45 per cent to 50pc for all consumer groups across the country to meet revenue requirement of two gas utilities — Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) — during fiscal year 2023-24.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1777063"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The government is yet to take a formal decision on the matter.</p>n<p>During a visit to the LCCI today, Ali addressed the issue of gas prices, emphasising regional disparities “The price of gas varies between regions, with the North having higher prices than the South,” he said.</p>n<p>He also highlighted the challenge of insufficient long-term LNG contracts and ongoing efforts to combat electricity theft.</p>n<p>During the meeting, he conveyed that measures were being taken to reduce the disparity in energy prices, but cautioned that “reducing energy prices overnight was not possible” due to the country’s commitment to the International Monetary Fund programme.</p>n<p>“We are under the IMF programme and all steps have to be taken carefully in this regard.”</p>n<p>Speaking at the meeting, Commerce Minister Ejaz underscored the ongoing efforts to address issues related to Afghan Transit Trade (ATT), stating, “Only essential goods will be allowed under ATT to curb dollar flight and smuggling.”</p>n<p>He drew attention to the substantial impact of the Afghan transit trade on the surge in the dollar rate, which had risen from Rs160 to over Rs300 in the past months.</p>n<p>The minister also highlighted the vulnerability of industry inputs, raw materials, and energy prices to international market fluctuations, which posed challenges to exports due to currency devaluation.</p>n<p>However, he noted that recent measures to stabilise the exchange rate had yielded positive outcomes.</p>n<p>Furthermore, he pointed out that the devaluation of the local currency had hindered export growth and underlined how disparities in gas supply and prices had impeded development efforts across the country.</p>n<p>Ejaz stressed the importance of unity and collaboration, saying “traders are the country’s assets, and everyone needs to work together for the country’s strength and prosperity.”</p>n<p>It is pertinent to mention here that the caretaker government had on Sep 16 pushed through another hike in the prices of petrol by Rs26.02 per litre and high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs17.34 per litre.</p>n<p>The increase brought the price of petrol to Rs331.38 per litre while HSD is Rs329.18 per litre. The increase sparked widespread criticism across the country, with sporadic <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776753">protests</a> erupting in various cities due to the substantial price surge amidst already soaring inflation.</p>

What next?

<p>A CRACK of the whip was all that was needed. The dollar, which had lately been racing to a new high each day, has now reversed course thanks to an <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775014">army-sanctioned operation</a> against hoarders and black marketeers.</p>n<p>Local media <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776858">reports</a> that confidence in the rupee has strengthened and that now there are more sellers than buyers in the market.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, social media has been flush with <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://twitter.com/FIA_Agency/status/1702716051845521564">accounts</a> of unscrupulous elements being <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://twitter.com/FIA_Agency/status/1703999473377239188">arrested</a> with breathtaking <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://twitter.com/FIA_Agency/status/1703999106560176390">stashes</a> of foreign currencies, which have subsequently been confiscated by the state.</p>n<p>It remains difficult to sift truth from fiction, however: after all, the state has not shared how this crackdown was planned and executed, who was targeted, and precisely what role the suspects arrested so far played in manipulating the exchange rate.</p>n<p>While the sharp improvement in exchange rates cannot be denied, the citizenry also deserves to know how and why the market was rigged in the first place.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1769661"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>One wonders that if administrative measures were all that were needed to arrest the rupee’s sorry slide, why were they not taken sooner? Why did the finance minister in the PDM government not consider this option as he struggled and failed for months to keep the exchange rate in check?</p>n<p>After all, the cost to the country of rounding up a few dozen big fish involved in the currency market racket would have been far lower compared to the lasting cost of creating distortions in the economy by placing artificial and unsustainable controls on the exchange rate.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1728433"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The same question can also be extended to ask why the civil administration was never utilised during the PDM era to control market manipulation in other segments of the economy either. Why were the country’s regulatory authorities not mobilised to safeguard the interests of common citizens pleading for support under record inflation?</p>n<p>It seems that when economic historians sit down to reflect on the PDM era, they will find themselves hard-pressed to say anything charitable about the competence of the people at the helm during one of the country’s worst crisis periods.</p>n<p>That is not to say that the current lot offers much hope. The country is presently managed by a caretaker set-up, but its ministers’ promises seem to betray a wider mandate. Yet they seem to be in very little hurry to take the ‘difficult decisions’ that are supposed to justify them overstaying their welcome.</p>n<p>Successful though it may be, a crackdown against currency dealers can only create limited breathing space. The situation demands that an empowered government, elected by the people, take over post-haste so that responsible decisions can be taken to protect the public’s interests.</p>n<p>Alas, this more permanent solution seems to be unacceptable to the wise souls managing Pakistan’s affairs these days.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2023</em></p>

UAE bans meat imports from Pakistan via sea

<p>LAHORE: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has banned the import of frozen meat from Pakistan through sea route after allegedly finding fungus in a consignment of meat.</p>nn<p>The meat consignment had been sent by a Karachi-based company by sea and the whole shipment was destroyed by the UAE authorities, while a ban was imposed on all further imports of frozen meat from Pakistan through maritime channels at least up till Oct 10.</p>nn<p>However, meat exports by air will continue without any break.</p>nn<p>Pakistan exports meat worth around $144 million per year to the UAE.</p>nn<p>Naseeb Ahmad Saifi, a meat exporter, explains that it is not a ban rather the UAE authorities have put an embargo until Pakistani frozen meat exporters start following the protocol prescribed by the destination country for future shipments.</p>nn<p>Under the protocol, the exporters are required to vacuum-pack their products before shipping them in a refrigerated container by sea, he says. The company in whose consignment fungus was allegedly detected had shipped the meat by wrapping it in cloth, he said, regretting that negligence while sending the export consignment has brought a bad name to the country. He confirmed that the ‘embargo’ on meat exports is only on the sea route, while the exports by air will continue without any interruption.</p>nn<p>The country produces around 4.9 million tonnes of meat and of it exports only 95,991 tonnes or around 2pc of the total production. Gulf Cooperation Council states and some Far East countries are its major markets, while meat exports to China, Egypt and Indonesia have also started a few months ago.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2023</em></p>

Shehbaz rushes back to London within 48 hours

<p>• Ex-PM had only returned on Tuesday; ‘N’ leader says issues ‘that can’t be discussed over the phone’ on the table<br />n• Maryam holds meeting with uncle, will also arrive in UK today by separate flight for pre-planned visit</p>n<p>LONDON / LAHORE: Merely 48 hours after he returned to the country from the UK, former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif is heading back to London today (Thursday), a development that has raised many eyebrows.</p>n<p>The former prime minister left London earlier in the week after <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1771284">spending several weeks</a> here, but upon reaching Lahore, made a sudden plan to return in order to have a face-to-face meeting with his elder brother, party supremo Nawaz Sharif.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/Marriyum_A/status/1704546915164057860"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>His visit will coincide with the London trip of party vice-president Maryam Nawaz, who is expected to land in London just before her uncle arrives, on a separate flight.</p>n<p>Party insiders said on Wednesday that the two leaders would hold an “important huddle” with Nawaz Sharif regarding his planned return to Pakistan.</p>n<p>Sources told <em>Dawn</em> the former PM is returning to discuss important matters with his elder brother, adding that there are “important discussions regarding the return of Nawaz” that must take place in person.</p>n<p>A party insider said the discussions are going to be about the prevailing political situation, as well as the party’s plan for the upcoming general election.</p>n<p>“Obviously it is something urgent that cannot be discussed over the phone,” the party leader said, on condition of anonymity.</p>n<p>Another party insider told <em>Dawn</em> that Shehbaz Sharif had also held a one-on-one meeting with Maryam Nawaz in Lahore on Wednesday, where matters related to the elder Sharif’s return were discussed.</p>n<p>They also discussed the situation arising out of the reopening of accountability cases against him and other members of the Sharif family in the light of the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the NAB amendments, and legal implications they could face in its aftermath.</p>n<p>Sources say the question of who would be the party’s pick for the PM’s slot in the next government was also on the table.</p>n<p>Unlike Shehbaz Sharif’s rushed return, Maryam Nawaz’s trip to the United Kingdom holds no surprises, as the party had already announced she was headed there to sort out her daughter’s admission, and see her father.</p>n<p>A party insider said Maryam’s trip was scheduled long ago and was for family reasons, adding that it will be a short trip as Nawaz wants her to return to Pakistan and make preparations ahead of his planned arrival on October 21.</p>n<p>The former premier’s return to London comes as a surprise to many, even within the party. The party chief had already spent nearly a month in London for his medical check-ups, as well as holding discussions with his elder brother.</p>n<p>It was Shahbaz who, flanked by Nawaz, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775482">told reporters</a> outside Stanhope House that the elder Sharif is set to return to Pakistan on October 21. The brothers held several discussions with each other during his last trip, with other party members also dropping in. In recent weeks, Mohammad Zubair, Abid Sher Ali and Khawaja Asif have all met Nawaz in London, and conveyed their messages surrounding the plan for Nawaz’s return.</p>n<p>Sources said that in order for his return to go smoothly, the elder Sharif needed to secure protective bail in the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1510190">Chaudhry Sugar Mills</a> case.</p>n<p>However, he would have to surrender before the court in the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1452815">Al-Azizia case</a>, in which he was convicted for seven years and was serving his sentence at Kot Lakhpat Jail before he was allowed to leave the country on ‘medical grounds’ in 2019.</p>n<p>“Will NAB oppose Nawaz’s protective bail in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case… this remains to be seen when the party chief applies for it ahead of his planned return,” the insider said, adding that the Sharifs were looking for ‘certain guarantees’ to be in place before Nawaz’s arrival.</p>n<p>Under the reopened cases, Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif will mainly have to contend with cases regarding the allotment of plots and the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1659203">Ramzan Sugar Mills</a>, respectively.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2023</em></p>

&amp;lsquo;A sick organisation&amp;rsquo;: Khawaja Asif suggests PIA be shut down, replaced by new airline

<p>PML-N leader Khawaja Asif has termed the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), which is facing financial difficulties, a “sick organisation” and suggested that the national carrier should be shut down.</p>n<p>“It should have been privatised 30 to 35 years ago. It’s a sick organisation that is haemorrhaging,” he said while speaking to <em>DawnNewsTV</em>, adding that it was “criminal” to even say that the flag carrier should not be sold to private parties.</p>n<p>“It owes around Rs700 billion in loans on which Rs86bn are paid annually in interest,” the ex-defence minister highlighted, adding that the airline should be shut down.</p>n<p>“Its operations should be closed, and it should be replaced by a new airline. As for its employees, they should be given golden handshakes,” he said.</p>n<p>Asif added that any new airlines replacing the PIA should not be operated by the government but the private sector.</p>n<p>On September 6, the Cabinet Committee on Privatisation (CCoP) had decided to form a technical committee for the resolution of bottlenecks in the way of privatisation and restructuring of the PIA, and had asked the aviation division to work with the privatisation commission to present a detailed action plan to the CCoP with clear timeline framework in a sequence.</p>n<p>Around a week later, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775966">tasked</a> newly appointed Privatisation Minister Fawad Hassan Fawad with expediting the PIA’s privatisation of process.</p>n<p>And as recently as yesterday, the Privatisation Commission <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776844">agreed</a> on a clear timeline for the PIA’s privatisation. However, no details of the proposed timeline have been shared by the commission yet.</p>n<p>These developments came against the backdrop of the PIA’s increasing financial woes.</p>n<p>In August, a <em>Dawn</em> <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1771459">report</a>, citing sources, said the PIA had reportedly resorted to ground several aircraft as it struggled to secure funds to maintain its operations for the next few months. Some <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.geo.tv/latest/509664-pia-on-verge-of-collapse-as-funds-shortage-risks-flights-suspension">media reports</a> also claimed that the operations would be ceased by Sept 15, evoking a strong response from the airline’s management and lawmakers in the Senate.</p>n<p>The Ministry of Aviation, while seeking a cash injection of Rs23 billion, had also informed the government that Boeing and Airbus — two of the leading commercial jet manufacturers — were on the verge of discontinuing spare parts’ supply by mid-September, according to reports.</p>n<p>Last week, PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez Khan <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776100/no-threat-of-imminent-closure-pia-spokesperson">refuted</a> reports of the flag carrier’s closure as baseless and said the flight operation was continuing. He added that the airline was also disbursing most urgent domestic and international payments.</p>n<p>Later, the airline <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776394">said</a> it had managed to get Rs17bn loan, after which salaries of employees had been paid and the flight operation was running smoothly.</p>n<p>It stated that PIA was releasing funds and fulfilling its national and international obligations and payments would be made to fuel companies. Spare parts of the aircraft for immediate repair would also be purchased.</p>n<h2><a id="pias-woes" href="#pias-woes" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>PIA’s woes</h2>n<p>Regrettably, PIA serves only a fraction of the country’s population, accounting for less than 3pc of citizens using air travel while consuming significant public funds. This stands in stark contrast to the highly criticised and loss-making power companies that cater to nearly 80pc of the population with electricity.</p>n<p>The government of Pakistan holds a 92pc share in PIA, which was once known for its slogan “Great People to Fly With”. However, since the late 1990s, the airline has faced mounting losses, attributed to competition from emerging regional airlines, a lack of entrepreneurship, external influences, internal mismanagement, and insufficient funding for fleet expansion, as highlighted by the Aviation Division.</p>n<p>To cope with its financial losses, PIA accumulated significant debt, which has now reached unmanageable levels. As of Dec 31, 2022, PIA’s debt and liabilities stood at Rs743bn — five times more than the total value of its assets, the Aviation Ministry said, adding that its total losses for the last financial year (2022-23) stood at Rs86.5bn, out of which Rs11bn were operational losses.</p>n<p>“If the situation continues as such, PIA’s debt and liabilities will rise to Rs1,977bn and its annual losses will rise to Rs259bn per annum by 2030,” it put on record, warning that Rs383bn of the current debt liability of PIA stood underwritten by the government of Pakistan and being 92pc owner, the responsibility for the remaining payables also ultimately rested with it.</p>n<p>Several attempts were made in the last decade or so to make PIA sustainable. These attempts followed two basic approaches. The first approach mainly focused on turning the PIA around by cutting down cost, improving internal management and increasing fleet size with capital investment from the government. However, several attempts of this nature failed to make any headway.</p>n<p>The second approach focused on financial, legal, operational, commercial and human resources restructuring of PIA to clean its balance sheet, aiming to attract private investment through divesting government shares. This approach was identified first in the Dubai Islamic Bank Consortium Report of 2017 that was engaged by the Privatisation Commission and later in Dr Ishrat Hussain Report on PIA Restructuring Plan in 2020.</p>n<p>PIA also carried out a study to formulate a sound business plan to make it profitable by engaging IATA, which also recommended a similar approach while indicating a capital injection of $3.5bn over a period of five years to enhance fleet size from 29 aircraft in 2021 to 49 in 2026. However, none of these reports could be implemented for various reasons.</p>n<p>In view of the continued deterioration of the financial condition of PIA, in June 2023, it was decided to restructure PIA broadly on the lines recommended by the Dubai Islamic Bank Consortium Report. To steer this process, a committee under the then finance minister was constituted to steer and guide the restructuring effort.</p>n<p>Under the directives of this committee, the PIA’s board of directors approved a plan on July 25 this year to restructure PIA in light of the aforesaid report by incorporating a new holding company to retain legacy loans, non-aviation assets and existing PIACL subsidiaries (PIA-IL, Skyrooms Limited, and Saber Travel Network), with PIACL as its wholly owned subsidiary retaining aviation assets and relating liabilities.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1762313"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Another major hurdle in that direction has also been removed since then. The previous provisions of PIACL Act, 2016 did not allow the transfer of management control and more than 49pc shares of PIACL to a private entity and hence were not conducive for attracting private investment. However, an amendment act was promulgated on Aug 12 and these restrictions have now been removed and PIACL was included in the privatisation list of the Privatisation Commission with the approval of the cabinet on Aug 7.</p>n<p>The restructuring plan is yet to be approved by the government. The Aviation Division last week asked the government to inject Rs23bn funds to cover the markup payment, suspend Rs1.3bn and Rs700m to the FBR and the Civil Aviation Authority, respectively, and defer loans and markup till restructuring is complete in about eight months.</p>n<p>This did not impress Caretaker Finance Minister Dr Shamshad Akhtar at the back-to-back meetings of the ECC and the Cabinet Committee on Privatisation.</p>n<p>The two committees then decided to form a separate panel to assess PIA’s restructuring plan and directed the finance ministry and the State Bank of Pakistan to support the airline to tackle its financial challenges after a concrete plan of restructuring had been finalised.</p>

Ahmadi worship place vandalised in Karachi for second time in 9 months

<p>A group of people vandalised an Ahmadi place of worship in Karachi’s Martin Road area for a second time in a span of nine months, police and spokesperson for the community said on Thursday.</p>n<p>Jamshed Quarters Superintendent of Police (SP) Farhat Kamal told <em>Dawn.com</em> that around 20 to 25 persons broke into the building and damaged minarets and window before fleeing the scene.</p>n<p>According to the official, the police rushed to the spot and obtained information from the watchman about the incident.</p>n<p>SP Kamal added that the police were trying to obtain CCTV footage to ascertain identity of the suspects. “But there was no power in the locality at the time of the incident,” he regretted.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, Amir Mehmood, a spokesman for the Jamaat Ahmadiyya in Pakistan, said the same worship place was also attacked in January 2023. A first information report was registered but no arrests were made.</p>n<p>Providing details of today’s attack, he said the incident took place around noon when a group of eight to 10 “extremists” entered the premises of the worship place using a ladder.</p>n<p>“The attack has resulted in massive damage to the belongings of Ahmadis inside the worship place, including windows, glass doors, wooden door, cameras, LED, tables, chairs etc.</p>n<p>“They also damaged and humiliated pictures of the founder of the Ahmadiyya community and its head,” he told <em>Dawn.com</em>. “The remaining two minarets at the worship place were also demolished.”</p>n<p>Mehmood added that the police was immediately informed about the attack but they arrived after the suspects managed to escape. “Efforts are underway to register a first information report of the crime.”</p>n<p>Today’s attack, the spokesperson added, was the fifth such attack on a Ahmadi worship place in the span of nine months. He highlighted that such incidents could be prevented if stern action was taken against the attackers.</p>n<p>Earlier this month, the Karachi police <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1774097">booked and arrested</a> three persons for vandalising a place of worship of the Ahmadi community in Saddar.</p>n<p>A case was registered against the suspects at the Preedy police station under Sections 186 (Obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 382 (Theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint in order to the committing of the theft) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.</p>n<p>Around Eidul-Azha, several <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1762197">complaints</a> and <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1762570">cases</a> were filed with police in Punjab to restrain the Ahmadi community from sacrificing animals and seeking action against them for performing the ritual.</p>

Zaka Ashraf says previous PCB management responsible for players&amp;rsquo; fatigue during Asia Cup

<p>Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Interim Management Committee head Zaka Ashraf on Thursday attributed the national team’s dismal show in the recently-concluded Asia Cup to the previous board management, accusing them of allowing players to participate in league cricket, which he said resulted in fatigue before national duty.</p>n<p>“Discussion revealed that the previous management had allowed a lot of players to play league cricket which caused them fatigue ahead of their national duty,” Ashraf told the important meeting ahead of the announcement of the national team’s squad for the World Cup.</p>n<p>The meeting was convened to assess the team’s subpar performance, marked by significant losses to <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775278">India</a> and <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775838">Sri Lanka</a>, ultimately resulting in the national side’s <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775838">exit</a> from the tournament, according to a PCB statement.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1704862260709994649"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>On Dec 20 last year, Ramiz Raja was the chairman. He was removed by then prime minister and PCB patron Shehbaz Sharif, who had named an 11-member IMC headed by Najam Sethi, which worked till June 20. Subsequently, another interim committee, a 10-member body, was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1763276">formed</a> on July 5 with Zaka — a Pakistan People’s Party leader — as its chairman.</p>n<p>Ashraf chaired a meeting today, attended by the national coaching staff under Mickey Arthur, captain Babar Azam, vice-captain Shadab Khan, and former captains Misbahul Haq and Mohammad Hafeez, to conduct a thorough review of the team’s performance in the 2023 Asia Cup.</p>n<p>The discussion, according to the PCB, encompassed a wide range of topics, including recent team performance, player fitness, and future plans, all with the overarching goal of elevating the team’s overall capabilities.</p>n<p>“There was an agreement on making a better approach and strategy on players’ workload. The importance of strengthening the bench was also emphasised.”</p>n<p>Addressing the meeting, Ashraf said the philosophy behind the review was to create an atmosphere of open discussion and develop consensus.</p>n<p>“We have to debate strengths and weaknesses so that we are clear about what and where we need to invest for the betterment of our team.”</p>n<p>While placing blame on the previous management for burdening the players, he added that going forward the board had agreed to form a proactive approach to tackle players workload and give national duty a priority.</p>n<p>“I am glad we had a good positive review session and are on the same page. We are confident that the experience gained in the Asia Cup was a learning curve and will help prepare for the ICC Men’s World Cup,” he added.</p>n<p>Ashraf said the Pakistan team had the capability to compete and win at the highest level.</p>n<p>We have world-class batters and bowlers and are committed to providing them with the necessary support and resources to ensure they are well-equipped ahead of the mega event, the interim board chief said.</p>n<h2><a id="world-cup-squad-to-be-announced-tomorrow" href="#world-cup-squad-to-be-announced-tomorrow" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>World Cup squad to be announced tomorrow</h2>n<p>According to the PCB statement, chief selector Inzamamul Haq has finalised the Pakistan squad for the World Cup, which will be announced at a press conference at 11:15am on Friday in the Gaddafi Stadium.</p>n<p>It said Inzamam also held a meeting with Ashraf earlier today wherein he shared his input on the matter. The statement added that the chief selector finalised the squad after discussion with the board chief.</p>n<p>The World Cup is scheduled to take place from Oct 5 to Nov 19 in India. Pakistan’s opening match in the tournament is set for Oct 6 against the Netherlands in Hyderabad, while the highly anticipated match against arch-rivals India will take place in Ahmedabad on Oct 14.</p>

India, Pakistan women reach Asian Games cricket semis after day of washouts

<p>India and Pakistan’s women’s cricket teams both reached the last four of the Asian Games on Thursday despite their matches being washed out in Hangzhou.</p>n<p>India batted first in the Twenty20 encounter against Malaysia and piled up 173-2 in their rain-interrupted 15 overs.</p>n<p>Malaysia faced just two balls and were 1-0 in reply when the rain returned and the match was abandoned with no result.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCIWomen/status/1704725801915252842"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>India progressed to the semi-final because of their higher world ranking.</p>n<p>The incessant showers meant Pakistan went through for the same reason against Indonesia in the later game without a ball being bowled as the covers remained on at the Zhejiang University of Technology Pingfeng Cricket Field.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1704769555929891229"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>India will face the winner of Friday’s quarter-final between Bangladesh and Hong Kong for a place in the final. Pakistan will play either Sri Lanka or Thailand in the last four.</p>n<p>Jemimah Jessica Rodrigues scored an unbeaten 47 off 29 balls for India and star batter Shafali Verma smashed 67 off just 39 with five sixes and four fours as Malaysia were given the runaround in the field before the washout.</p>n<p>“The partnerships we had with everyone ticked off at the right time,” said Rodrigues.</p>n<p>“It gives us a lot of confidence. And we take it from here into the semi-finals. So it’s a big, big plus point for us,” she said.</p>n<p>Malaysia coach Thusara Kodikara said it was a shame that his batters did not get the chance to test themselves against India’s bowling attack.</p>n<p>“We are very disappointed because we wanted to play and give our best in this tournament,” said the Sri Lankan-born coach.</p>n<p>“We are here to learn a lot of things from this kind of team (but) we can’t do anything because of the rain. It was out of our control,” he said.</p>n<p>Pakistan won gold on both previous occasions women’s cricket featured at the Asian Games, at <a href="https://www.dawn.com/2010/11/19/pakistan-beat-bangladesh-in-womens-cricket-for-first-asian-games-gold/">Guangzhou</a> 2010 and <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1134491">Incheon</a> 2014. The sport was not played at the Jakarta Asiad five years ago.</p>

Pakistan-NZ World Cup warmup game in India to be played behind closed doors: reports

<p>The warmup game for the cricket World Cup 2023 between Pakistan and New Zealand at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in the Indian city of Hyderabad on September 29 will be played behind closed doors, according to local media reports.</p>n<p>According to <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/no-fans-to-be-allowed-for-pakistan-vs-new-zealand-world-cup-warm-up-game-hyderabad-8946667/"><em>The Indian Express</em></a>, the match would be played with no fans in attendance after the police had asked the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) to postpone the tie due to security concerns because the police would focus on religious festivals that culminate on September 28.</p>n<p>With the schedule being rigid, the officials decided barring the entry for the spectators, the publication reported.</p>n<p>Those who hold tickets for the match will be issued refunds, according to the <em>Indian Express</em> report published on Monday.</p>n<p>“The game will be played without spectators and those who have booked their tickets, their money will be refunded,” a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official told <em>The Indian Express</em>.</p>n<p>“Discussions have been going on for the last few days regarding the security arrangements for the warm-up match on September 29 as it is coming on the heels of the two festivals. The police have said that they will be hard-pressed to provide security for that game because of the Ganesh immersion. After much thought, it was decided to play the match behind closed doors,” Kode Durga Prasad, an official linked to the Hyderabad Cricket Association, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://m.timesofindia.com/sports/cricket/icc-world-cup/pakistan-new-zealand-world-cup-warm-up-to-be-closed-door-game/articleshow/103788175.cms">told</a> <em>The Times of India</em> on Tuesday.</p>n<p>Prasad confirmed that Pakistan’s other warmup game against Australia will be played in front of spectators.</p>n<p>The schedule for the World Cup has gone through <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1769296">many changes</a> after nine matches, including the high-voltage tie between India and Pakistan, were rescheduled by the ICC last month.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1689291533529313280"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The overhaul of the schedule came after the BCCI said foreign teams had requested changes.</p>n<p>Indian media <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/web-stories/india-pakistan-clash-among-9-odi-world-cup-2023-fixture-changes/etphotostory/102600514.cms?from=mdr">reports</a> said Ahmedabad officials had also raised concerns about their ability to provide adequate security because the match was originally scheduled at the start of a nine-day Hindu religious festival.</p>n<p>Security concerns were also reported on back-to-back matches on October 9 and 10 in Hyderabad by the police <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1767933">last month</a> after the rescheduling was announced.</p>n<p>The match on October 9 will be played between Netherlands and New Zealand whereas Pakistan and Sri Lanka will go up against each other the following day after the tie was brought forward by two days.</p>n<p>The tie between Pakistan and England was also rescheduled to November 11 from November 12 which coincided with the Kali Puja festival.</p>

Pakistan women eye third gold at Asiad

<p>HANGZHOU: Pakistan will being eyeing their third women’s cricket Asian Games gold medal when they take on Indonesia in the event’s quarter-final on Thursday.</p>nn<p>The Nida Dar-led side qualified directly for the last-four being one of the top four sides in the International Cricket Council’s T20 rankings.</p>nn<p>Pakistan’s form in the format is exceptional and they go into the Games with the recent series sweep of T20 World Cup finalists South Africa on their back. </p>nn<p>During the series played at the National Bank Stadium here, right-handed opening batter Sidra Amin top-scored for the hosts, scoring 133 runs across the three matches at an average of 44.33. Meanwhile, left-arm spinner Nashra Sundhu topped the bowling charts alongside fellow left-armer Sadia Iqbal with four wickets apiece.</p>nn<p>The national side have previously won gold medals in the 2010 and 2014 iterations of the Asian Games.</p>nn<p>“After practicing for two days here in Hangzhou, we are all set to play Indonesia tomorrow,” Nida said in a statement on the eve of their match. “The Asian Games hold a special place in our hearts, and we are determined to bring home another gold medal. </p>nn<p>“That we enter this tournament after having beaten South Africa comprehensively in the T20I series will certainly help us and we look forward on carrying that momentum. The players are up for showcasing their skills on the field again.”</p>nn<p>The semi-finals will be played on September 24, while the final and the bronze medal fixture will take place on the next day. </p>nn<p>Squad: Nida Dar (captain), Aliya Riaz, Anoosha Nasir, Diana Baig, Muneeba Ali, Najiha Alvi, Nashra Sundhu, Nataliya Parvaiz, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah and Umm-e-Hani.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2023</em></p>

Pakistan down Chinese Taipei at Asian Games volleyball

<p>HANGZHOU: Pakistan secu­red an impressive victory against Chinese Taipei in the second and final pool match of the Asian Games at the Linping Sports Centre Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China on Wednesday.</p>nn<p>Pakistan won the match with set scores of 25-18, 25-20, and 25-19.</p>nn<p>In their previous pool match, Pakistan had triumphed 3-0 against Mongolia.</p>nn<p>The Chinese Taipei team, which held the second position in the 2018 Asian Games, faced a formidable challenge from Pakistan.</p>nn<p>The Pakistan team, previously ranked eighth in the Asian Games, have shown tremendous improvement and determination in their recent outings.</p>nn<p>Meanwhile, Pakistan volleyball team’s manager Naseer Ahmed sounded optimistic and hoped that his players’ skills and unwavering determination would lead them to greater successes in the upcoming matches of the Asian Games.</p>nn<p><strong>JAPAN LAUNCH BID FOR FOOTBALL GOLD</strong></p>nn<p>Meanwhile, Japan began their bid for a first Asian Games men’s football gold since 2010 with a 3-1 win over Qatar, as Syria and Afghanistan pulled out.</p>nn<p>Japan were cruising 2-0 at half-time after goals by Teppei Yachida and Kotaro Uchino, before Qatar hit back in the 79th minute through substitute Abdulla Al Sulaiti.</p>nn<p>But just as the Qataris threatened to grab a point in the group-round match, defender Taichi Yamasaki popped up to make the game safe for Japan in the closing minutes.</p>nn<p>The Games in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou do not officially open until Saturday, but several sports are already under way.</p>nn<p>On Tuesday, the first day of action, South Korea launched their quest for a third men’s football gold in a row with a 9-0 demolition of Kuwait.</p>nn<p>The men’s football competition has been hit by withdrawals, however, with Afghanistan and Syria pulling out on Wednesday from Group ‘C’.</p>nn<p>That means group opponents Hong Kong and Uzbekistan are into the last-16 without kicking a ball.</p>nn<p>India were thrashed 5-1 by China in football on Tuesday but coach Igor Stimac said he was just pleased to be able to field a team.</p>nn<p>“I’m happy because I see that some teams pulled out at the last minute [because] they couldn’t get enough players,” said the former international defender for Croatia.</p>nn<p>“It’s a big problem for the whole tournament now.”</p>nn<p>The Asian Games are outside FIFA’s international window so clubs are not compelled to release players.</p>nn<p>Asian Games football teams are made up of under-23 squads but they can have three overage players.</p>nn<p>Football, beach volleyball, cricket, modern pentathlon, rowing, sailing and volleyball will all take place at the Games on Thursday.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2023</em></p>

Root denied World Cup prep as rain washes out Ireland ODI

<p>LEEDS: England’s opening One-day International against Ireland was abandoned without a ball being bowled on Wednesday, denying Joe Root a World Cup warm-up.</p>nn<p>With the rest of England’s first-choice squad rested ahead of next week’s departure for India, Root requested to be included for the first of a three-match series after a lean return with the bat in four matches against New Zealand.</p>nn<p>However, he never got on the field at his home ground as heavy rain prevented even the possibility of a 20-over-a-side game at Headingley.</p>nn<p>Even after the rain subsided, the umpires were concerned for the players’ safety on saturated areas of the outfield and the bowlers’ run-ups.</p>nn<p>The sides will try again at Trent Bridge on Saturday.</p>nn<p>England begin their defence of the World Cup against New Zealand on Oct 5 in Ahmedabad.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2023</em></p>

Bangladesh, New Zealand rest key players ahead of World Cup

<p>DHAKA: New Zealand and Bangladesh will both rest their captains and several other key players in their three-match One-day International series starting Thursday ahead of the World Cup.</p>nn<p>Instead of Kane Williamson, Lockie Ferguson will lead the Kiwis, who included only five members of their World Cup squad for the series at Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.</p>nn<p>Tim Southee — who is to have a thumb operation — and Tom Latham are the highest-profile other Kiwi absentees.</p>nn<p>But pacer Trent Boult, all-rounder Rachin Ravindra, spinner Ish Sodhi, and batsman Will Young are included. </p>nn<p>“This is a big series for us and a very challenging one,” Ferguson, who is on his maiden tour of Bangladesh, said Wednesday. “From our point of view, it’s good build-up for a World Cup,” he added. </p>nn<p>“We know how strong Bangladesh are on their home conditions, so it’s a good challenge for us.” </p>nn<p>The Kiwis will be looking to win their first ODI series in Bangladesh in 15 years, having lost all seven matches to the hosts in the previous two series respectively in 2010 and 2013.</p>nn<p>Bangladesh spinners also tested New Zealand in a 3-2 win of a five-match series in 2021, but Ferguson said they were ready to face the challenge. </p>nn<p>“But our batters have been preparing,” he said. “They’re used to spinning tracks, having played around the world.” </p>nn<p>Bangladesh have yet to name their World Cup squad but rested regular captain Shakib Al Hasan along with all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz, batsman Mushfiqur Rahim, and pace trio Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud and Shoriful Islam.</p>nn<p>Stand-in Bangladesh captain Liton Das said the series would be a great opportunity for his team-mates to stake a claim to the World Cup squad. </p>nn<p>“The players who will play have been out of international cricket for a long time,” he said. “Everyone has a chance.” </p>nn<p>Bangladesh have recalled senior campaigner Mahmudullah Riyad for the series, with the right-hander last playing an ODI in March against England.</p>nn<p>Veteran opening batsman Tamim Iqbal also returned after his retirement U-turn and injury layoff that forced him to miss the recent Asia Cup.</p>nn<p>Bangladesh failed to reach the Asia Cup final but defeated ultimate winners India in their last match to finish the tournament on a high.</p>nn<p>The second and third ODIs will be held at the same ground on September 23 and 26.</p>nn<p>The series will be the last for both teams before the World Cup starts in India on October 5.</p>nn<p><strong>Squads:</strong></p>nn<p><strong>BANGLADESH:</strong> Liton Das (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Anamul Haque, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Zakir Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Khaled Ahmed</p>nn<p><strong>NEW ZEALAND:</strong> Lockie Ferguson (captain), Finn Allen, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Chad Bowes, Dane Cleaver, Dean Foxcroft, Kyle Jamieson, Cole McConchie, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Will Young.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2023</em></p>

OpenAI sued over copyright

<p>NEW YORK: A trade group for US authors has sued OpenAI in Manhattan federal court on behalf of prominent writers including John Grisham, Jonathan Fra­nzen, George Saunders, Jodi Picault and Game of Thrones novelist George R.R. Martin, accusing the company of unlawfully training its popular artificial-intelligence based chatbot ChatGPT on their work. </p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2023</em></p>

Rising wave of Hindutva a matter of &amp;lsquo;deep concern&amp;rsquo; for international community: PM Kakar

<p>Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Thursday termed the rising wave of Hindutva or Hindu nationalism a “matter of deep concern” for the international community, including the United States.</p>n<p>Addressing the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on the sidelines of UN General Assembly, the premier linked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ideology of Hindu nationalism with Canada’s recent allegations against India pertaining to the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/20/advocate-separate-sikh-state-india-shot-dead-canada-hardeep-singh-nijjar-temple">killing of a separatist Sikh leader</a> on its soil.</p>n<p>“These ideologues of Hindutva, they are becoming emboldened in a manner that they are now going beyond the region,” PM Kakar said, highlighting that the “unfortunate killing” of the Sikh leader “is a reflection of that ominous tendency”.</p>n<p>“But for obvious economic and strategic reasons, many players in the Western capitals chose to ignore this fact and reality.”</p>n<p>PM Kakar also emphasised Pakistan’s continued desire for peaceful relations with India, underscoring that “our quest requires reciprocal sincerity by the Indian government”, according to state-run <em><a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.radio.gov.pk/21-09-2023/pakistan-ready-to-work-with-us-all-partners-for-prosperous-future-caretaker-pm">Radio Pakistan</a></em>.</p>n<p>However, he said <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1498227">measures taken by India in 2019</a> in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir had pushed the entire region into a dark alley.</p>n<p>Kakar expressed the concern of both the government and the people of Pakistan regarding the worsening human rights situation in held Kashmir, which includes attempts by the BJP government to alter the demographic landscape of the occupied region.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/GovtofPakistan/status/1704925841300267100"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The prime minister urged the US administration to use its influence with the Indian government, emphasising that the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, was indispensable for liberating South Asia from perpetual instability.</p>n<h2><a id="not-desirous-of-any-camp-politics" href="#not-desirous-of-any-camp-politics" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>‘Not desirous of any camp politics’</h2>n<p>PM Kakar also reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to maintaining robust relations with both the United States and China, while emphasising the country’s steadfast refusal to engage in any camp politics.</p>n<p>The prime minister underscored Pakistan’s firm belief in the imperative connection between peace and stability in its neighbourhood and the advancement of economic prosperity and social development.</p>n<p>He stated, “In this vein, our earnest desire is to foster peaceful relations with all neighboring countries and those beyond the region.”</p>n<p>He also asserted Pakistan’s readiness to collaborate with the United States and all like-minded partners who share the vision of a harmonious and prosperous world, where cooperation prevails over conflicts.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed '>n <div class='media__item media__item–youtube '><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/RIuVp7j-WnY?enablejsapi=1&controls=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0' allowfullscreen='' frameborder='0' scrolling='no' width='100%' height='100%'></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>He mentioned that Pakistan had instituted a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1760909">Special Investment Facilitation Council</a> with the aim of transforming the country into an appealing hub for investment and innovation.</p>n<h2><a id="concerns-over-rise-of-terrorism" href="#concerns-over-rise-of-terrorism" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Concerns over rise of terrorism</h2>n<p>Discussing the terrorism challenge, PM Kakar expressed deep concern over the resurgence of terrorist threats posed by dangerous groups such as the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), emphasising its gravity not only for Pakistan but also for the global community.</p>n<p>He called upon the international community to unite in the face of the emerging threat, highlighting past collaborative efforts aimed at ensuring the safety and security of people. He reiterated that maintaining a stable Afghanistan remained a crucial foreign policy objective for both Pakistan and the United States.</p>n<p>PM Kakar welcomed the direct engagement between the US and the Afghan government and affirmed Pakistan’s commitment to encourage Afghan authorities to fulfill their obligations, including safeguarding women’s rights, promoting girls’ education, and preventing Afghan territory from being used as a base for terrorist activities against other nations.</p>

Pakistan special envoy meets Afghan foreign minister in Kabul

<p>Pakistan’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan Ambassador Asif Khan Durrani visited Kabul on Thursday and held talks with the Taliban administration’s acting foreign minister, according an Afghan foreign ministry statement.</p>n<p>Durrani, along with a high-level delegation, met acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul on an unannounced visit.</p>n<p>The visit comes amid tensions between the neighbouring countries over an uptick in terrorist attacks by the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan in the country.</p>n<p>Earlier this month, the Pakistan Army said the TTP used Afghan soil for <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1774386">attacks on check posts</a> in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chitral.</p>n<p>According to the military, four security personnel were martyred when a large number of the TTP fighters launched an attack on two border posts on Sept 6. During the exchange of fire, 12 TTP terrorists were killed.</p>n<p>The same day, Pakistani and Afghan forces also <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1774518/torkham-crossing-shut-as-border-forces-exchange-fire">traded fire</a> at Torkham border after a controversy surfaced over construction of a check post. The escalation had resulted in the closure of the border for nearly nine days.</p>n<p>It is believed that Pakistan has sent the delegation to Kabul to ease the tensions.</p>n<p>In a statement posted on social media platform X, Afghan Deputy Spokesman Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal said it was decided during today’s meeting that joint committees should solve security issues between Pakistan and Afghanistan while major routes should not be closed due to security and political problems.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/HafizZiaAhmad1/status/1704857903407198543"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>“Pakistani special envoy and Afghan foreign minister underlined the need to take urgent measures for the solution to the problems and to prevent untoward incidents in future,” he said.</p>n<p>“Being neighbours and Muslim nations, Pakistan and Afghanistan must avoid issuing statements against each that create a gap between the two sides,” the Afghan spokesman added.</p>n<p>He quoted the Afghan foreign minister as saying that his government would not allow anyone to spoil relations between the two countries, adding that the policy of the Islamic Emirate was based on goodwill and sincerity.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, Durrani called for both countries’ cooperation in connection to the security problems, according to the Afghan spokesman.</p>n<p>He said Pakistan would find a solution to the cross-border movement of passengers, bilateral trade and transit.</p>n<p>Pakistan, Durrani was quoted as saying, was ready for cooperation with Afghanistan in many areas. He informed the Afghan side that Islamabad would resume scholarships for the Afghan students.</p>n<p>The statement said both sides discussed security problems and arrests of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, treatment of Afghans at Chaman-Spin Boldak border and transit trade.</p>n<p>Pakistan is yet to issue a statement regarding the visit.</p>n<p>Commenting on the meeting, Pakistan’s former ambassador to Kabul Mansoor Ahmad Khan highlighted that today’s visit was the first after recent incidents of TTP attacks on army posts in Chitral and closure of Torkham crossing.</p>n<p>“Hopefully, the visit will provide an opportunity for direct interaction with Afghan government leaders and officials with a view to reach some understandings on bilateral issues, particularly cooperation in dealing with TTP fighters based on Afghan soil,” Mansoor Khan told <em>Dawn.com</em>.</p>

Canada&amp;rsquo;s Trudeau wants India to cooperate in murder probe, declines to release evidence

<p>Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday called on India to cooperate with an investigation into the murder of a Sikh separatist leader in British Columbia and said Canada would not release its evidence.</p>n<p>Trudeau said on Monday that Ottawa had credible allegations linking Indian government agents to the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/20/advocate-separate-sikh-state-india-shot-dead-canada-hardeep-singh-nijjar-temple">murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar</a> in June, prompting an angry reaction from New Delhi. Nijjar, 45, was a Canadian citizen.</p>n<p>Traditional Canadian allies have so far taken a relatively cautious approach to the matter. Analysts says this is partly because the United States and other major players see India as a counterweight to the growing influence of China.</p>n<p>“There is no question that India is a country of growing importance and a country that we need to continue to work with … and we’re not looking to provoke or cause problems,” Trudeau said in a press conference in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1704891689746461124"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>“But we are unequivocal around the importance of the rule of law and unequivocal about the importance of protecting Canadians.”</p>n<p>“That’s why we call upon the government of India to work with us to establish processes to discover and to uncover the truth of the matter.”</p>n<p>The Indian foreign ministry said Canada had not shared any specific information about the murder. Nijjar supported a Sikh homeland in the form of an independent Khalistani state and was designated by India as a “terrorist” in July 2020.</p>n<p>“As a country with a strong and independent justice system, we allow those justice processes to unfold themselves with the utmost integrity,” Trudeau replied when asked when Canada would release the evidence it had.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1704892818987397198"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<h2><a id="india-suspends-visas-for-canadians" href="#india-suspends-visas-for-canadians" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>India suspends visas for Canadians</h2>n<p>Earlier today, India suspended new visas for Canadians and asked Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence in the country.</p>n<p>The Indian foreign ministry said Canada has not shared any specific information in connection with the allegations Trudeau made and that New Delhi was willing to look at it if provided.</p>n<p>A blanket suspension of new visas by India for a Western country is unheard of and marks the lowest point of India-Canada relations.</p>n<p>The announcement came hours after Canada’s high commission in India said it would temporarily “adjust” staff presence in the country after some diplomats received threats on social media platforms.</p>n<p>But Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said Ottawa had been asked to reduce numbers at its diplomatic missions in India to bring parity between the missions of the two countries.</p>n<p>Bagchi said India suspended issuing new visas to Canadian citizens due to “security threats” to its staff in its consulates in Canada.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1704811820094259561"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>India has not provided any evidence or given details of the nature of such security threats, and Canada’s public safety minister Dominic LeBlanc said in response on Wednesday that Canada was a safe country.</p>n<p>“You are aware of the security threats being faced by our high commission and consulates in Canada. This has disrupted their normal functioning,” Bagchi told reporters at a weekly briefing on Thursday.</p>n<p>“Accordingly our high commission and consulates are temporarily unable to process visa applications,” he said, adding that the security situation would be reviewed regularly.</p>n<p>Canada is the fourth largest source of foreign tourists with 350,000 visitors in 2019, a number which fell following the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Indian government data.</p>n<h2><a id="risk-to-reputation" href="#risk-to-reputation" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>‘Risk to reputation’</h2>n<p>The unprecedented tensions flared up on Monday after Trudeau said Ottawa was investigating “credible allegations” about the potential involvement of Indian government agents in the June murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.</p>n<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government denied any links to the alleged murder.</p>n<p>Canadian officials have so far declined to say why they believe India could be linked to Nijjar’s murder.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1776905"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The two countries, whose relations have been fraying in recent years over the issue of Sikh separatists, have since announced <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776725">tit-for-tat expulsions</a> of senior diplomats and issued tit-for-tat travel advisories.</p>n<p>Bagchi said India was “willing to look at any specific information, we have conveyed this to the Canadian side, made it clear to them…but so far, we have not received any such specific information”.</p>n<p>Canada has discussed the issue with key allies such as the Five Eyes intelligence sharing alliance, which includes the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand, with Washington, London and Canberra expressing concern.</p>n<p>Asked if any of these countries, with whom India also enjoys close ties, had raised the issue with New Delhi, Bagchi said: “We have been discussing with them, we have conveyed our position how we see these developments.”</p>n<p>Bagchi also said Canada should be worried about damage to its reputation and not India, when asked about the risk posed by the row to New Delhi’s global standing.</p>n<p>“If there is any country that needs to look at it, it is Canada, its growing reputation as a safe haven for terrorists, extremists and for organised crime,” he said, adding that India had in vain sought action against more than 20 individuals.</p>n<h2><a id="threat-to-trade-ties" href="#threat-to-trade-ties" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Threat to trade ties</h2>n<p>Canada has the largest population of Sikhs outside the northern Indian state of Punjab, with about 770,000 people reporting Sikhism as their religion in the 2021 census.</p>n<p>A bloody Sikh insurgency in the 1980s and 1990s in Punjab killed tens of thousands of people before it was suppressed. The separatists wanted the creation of an independent Sikh state called Khalistan.</p>n<p> <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1776744"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Although there is hardly any support for the insurgency left in India, small groups of Sikhs in Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States support the separatist demand and occasionally stage protests outside Indian embassies.</p>n<p>New Delhi, which remains wary of any revival of the insurgency, has long been unhappy over Sikh separatist activity in Canada.</p>n<p>Some Indian analysts say Ottawa does not curb Sikh protesters as they are a politically influential group.</p>n<p>The spat is also threatening trade ties, with talks on a proposed trade deal frozen last week.</p>n<p>Canada is India’s 17th largest foreign investor, while Canadian portfolio investors have invested billions of dollars in Indian financial markets.</p>n<p>Since 2018, India has been the largest source country for international students in Canada, with their numbers rising 47 per cent in 2022 to nearly 320,000.</p>n<p>Industry estimates show the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Canada and India could boost two-way trade by as much as $6.5 billion.</p>

Libya flood disaster displaced over 43,000 people: IOM

<p>Libya’s flood disaster, which killed thousands in the city of Derna, also displaced more than 43,000 people, the International Organisation for Migration said on Thursday.</p>n<p>A tsunami-sized flash flood broke through two ageing river dams upstream from the coastal city after the Mediterranean Storm Daniel lashed the area on September 10.</p>n<p>It razed entire neighbourhoods, sweeping untold thousands of people into the sea.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/ajplus/status/1704783273220849911"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The official death toll stands at more than 3,300 — but the eventual count is expected to be far higher, with international aid groups giving estimates of up to 10,000 people missing.</p>n<p>“An estimated 43,059 individuals have been displaced by the floods in northeastern Libya,” the IOM said, adding that a “lack of water supply is reportedly driving many displaced out of Derna” to other areas.</p>n<p>“Urgent needs include food, drinking water and mental health and psychosocial support,” it said.</p>n<p>Mobile and internet services were meanwhile restored after a two-day disruption, following protests on Monday that saw angry residents blame the authorities for the high death toll.</p>n<p>Authorities had blamed the communications outage on “a rupture in the optical fibre” link to Derna, but some internet users and analysts charged there had been a deliberate “blackout”.</p>n<p>Tripoli-based Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah announced that communications had been restored in the east, in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/Dabaibahamid/status/1704558018136838354"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>War-scarred Libya remains split between Dbeibah’s UN-backed and nominally interim government in the west, and another in the disaster-hit east backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar.</p>n<h2><a id="suspects-identified" href="#suspects-identified" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Suspects ‘identified’</h2>n<p>The dams that were overwhelmed by the torrential rains of September 10 had developed cracks as far back as the 1990s, Libya’s top prosecutor has said, as residents accused authorities of negligence.</p>n<p>Much of Libya’s infrastructure has fallen into disrepair in the chaos since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi.</p>n<p>Haftar’s forces seized Derna in 2018, then a stronghold of radical Islamists, and with the reputation as a protest stronghold since Kadhafi’s days.</p>n<p>The demonstrators had gathered on Monday outside Derna’s grand mosque and chanted slogans against the parliament in eastern Libya and its leader Aguilah Saleh.</p>n<p>In a televised interview Wednesday evening, Libya’s prosecutor general Al-Seddik al-Sour vowed “rapid results” in the investigation into the cause of the tragedy.</p>n<p>He added that those suspected of corruption or negligence “have already been identified”, without naming them.</p>n<p>Survivors in have Derna meanwhile faced new threats.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1704864055037497779"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The United Nations warned this week that disease outbreaks could bring “a second devastating crisis” to the flood-hit areas.</p>n<p>Local officials, aid agencies and the World Health Organization “are concerned about the risk of disease outbreak, particularly from contaminated water and the lack of sanitation”, the UN said.</p>n<p>Libya’s disease control centre has warned that mains water in the disaster zone is polluted and urged residents not to use it.</p>

TTP creating &amp;lsquo;a lot of bad blood&amp;rsquo; between Pakistan, Afghanistan: FM Jilani

<p>Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Thursday urged the interim Afghan government to take “solid practical steps” against the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), saying it was “creating a lot of bad blood between the two countries”.</p>n<p><a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKgXZzmqz7Q">Speaking</a> to <em>TRT World</em> on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Jilani said it was unfortunate that attacks inside Pakistan continued to emanate from Afghanistan as he urged the Afghan authorities to fulfil commitments made to Pakistan and other countries.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed '>n <div class='media__item media__item–youtube '><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/uKgXZzmqz7Q?enablejsapi=1&controls=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0' allowfullscreen='' frameborder='0' scrolling='no' width='100%' height='100%'></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>“They are committed to not allowing Afghan soil to be used against other countries,” he said, adding that the TTP attacks taking place in Pakistan emanating from Afghanistan “remains a major concern for us”.</p>n<p>The FM added that the matter was a dilemma for Pakistan as it would like to see Afghanistan as a stable and prosperous country, “but then the presence of a large number of terrorist groups whether it’s TTP or ISIS-K and other organisations which are based in Afghanistan”.</p>n<p>“They are a major concern not only for Pakistan but other regional countries as well.”</p>n<p>He said the government has a dialogue with the Taliban rulers in Afghanistan and Kabul was told that “they have to fulfil the commitments that they have made to Pakistan as well as the international community whereby they are committed to not allow Afghan soil against other countries”.</p>n<h2><a id="economy" href="#economy" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Economy</h2>n<p>The foreign minister said that the economy was linked to everything, including the prosperity of the people and a stable political environment. He expressed hope that the steps taken by the government would lead to economic and political stability.</p>n<p>“And the kind of reforms being introduced by Pakistan in different sectors is also something that offers a promising future for the people of Pakistan,” FM Jilani continued.</p>n<h2><a id="fuel-prices" href="#fuel-prices" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Fuel prices</h2>n<p>He said rising fuel prices had created inflationary pressure within the country and that in his opinion no government could do anything about it.</p>n<p>“But at the same time, people do realise that the fuel price is also linked to international gas prices. Obviously, when world gas prices come down that benefit will obviously be passed on to the people.”</p>n<h2><a id="foreign-investment" href="#foreign-investment" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Foreign investment</h2>n<p>Interim FM Jilani boasted about the “tremendous and close cooperation” of Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar with Pakistan in economic, defence, and political related matters apart from people-to-people contact as well.</p>n<p>“We have recently announced a new initiative. It’s the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1770727">Special Investment Facilitation Council</a> (SIFC). The main purpose is to attract investments from the world to Pakistan,” he said.</p>n<p>“It’s like facilitating the investors and this is the kind of initiative taken by the government and the GCC countries that you mentioned have shown a lot of interest in Pakistan under the SIFC.”</p>n<p>The minister said there were five major areas of investment that were being talked about including agriculture which had a lot of interest among Gulf states, the IT sector in which many investments were expected, and also the mine and minerals area.</p>n<p>“As a matter of fact, we have already received expressions of interest from GCC countries about investment in energy, mines, and minerals. We are sitting on the seventh largest reservoir of shale gas in Pakistan which is again something.”</p>n<p>Terming the investment climate bright, FM Jilani said they were expecting representatives of Gulf countries to visit Pakistan this month from Saudi Arabia, UAE, and others.</p>n<p>“A number of MOUs are likely to be signed. From that point of view, the situation looks extremely good. It’s certainly going to be a great partnership between Pakistan and GCC countries.”</p>n<p>He said the kind of environment that was being created in Pakistan revolved around a lot of focus being given to good governance, ending smuggling and corruption within the country.</p>n<p>“So I think the situation looks very good. As far as fund managers are concerned because a lot of these investors are looking at Pakistan and the SIFC, I think probably there will be a very conducive atmosphere for all those stakeholders.”</p>n<h2><a id="russia-ukraine-war" href="#russia-ukraine-war" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Russia-Ukraine war</h2>n<p>Interim FM Jilani called for the war to be settled through peaceful negotiations, adding that Pakistan’s position on the crisis was very clear.</p>n<p>“That’s something we have always advocated. With regard to this specific conflict which has been going on for almost two years. This is something that has created nervousness in almost every country. In terms of the economic crisis being faced by many countries in terms of fuel shortages, food shortages, etc.”</p>n<h2><a id="un-reforms" href="#un-reforms" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>UN reforms</h2>n<p>The caretaker foreign minister concluded that UN reforms have been on the agenda for a very long time.</p>n<p>“Our position remains constant, consistent, there should be a criteria-based approach according to which this membership should be enlarged and it should be through a democratic process,” he said.</p>n<h2><a id="india-violating-resolutions" href="#india-violating-resolutions" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>India violating resolutions</h2>n<p>He made it clear that the emergence of an elite member of the UNSC would not be tolerated as “India has violated most of the UNSC resolutions including the one on Kashmir which is a long-standing issue on the UNSC agenda”.</p>n<p>“We would like the implementation of those UNSC resolutions calling for the holding of a fair and free plebiscite and that is something that has not taken place.</p>n<p>“And Kashmir as you are aware has been turned into a prison for the last several years. Massive human rights violations are taking place. That is something that we would expect the world community to take notice of.”</p>n<h2><a id="caretaker-govt" href="#caretaker-govt" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Caretaker govt</h2>n<p>To explain the caretaker government in Pakistan, Jilani said that the country had a democratic process in which an interim government was installed after the parliament’s term ended, as required by the constitution.</p>n<p>“Our main task is to hold free and fair elections and that is something that will take place when the Election Commission of Pakistan announces the date for polls,” he said.</p>

Syria&amp;rsquo;s Assad visits China seeking funds

<p>Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad on Thursday began his first official trip to China in almost two decades, state media reported, where he will ask a longtime ally for financial support to help rebuild his devastated country.</p>n<p>China becomes one of only a handful of countries outside the Middle East that Assad has visited since the 2011 start of a civil war that has since killed more than half a million people, displaced millions more, and battered Syria’s infrastructure and industry.</p>n<p>Assad also becomes the latest in a string of leaders ostracised by the West to be feted by Beijing, with Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1736891">visiting</a> this year, as well as top Russian officials.</p>n<p>He arrived Thursday in the eastern city of Hangzhou, where he will attend the opening ceremony of the Asian Games on Saturday.</p>n<p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/FrontlineBJ/status/1704737756730228933"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The Syrian president’s Air China plane was greeted on the tarmac by jubilant music and rows of performers wearing colourful costumes, as Chinese and Syrian flags flapped in the sky, footage from state broadcaster <em>CCTV</em> showed.</p>n<p>He and other foreign leaders will meet in Hangzhou with Xi, <em>CCTV</em> said.</p>n<p>According to the Syrian presidency, Assad will also travel to Beijing.nThe visit will be his first to China since 2004.</p>n<p>Beijing has long provided Damascus with diplomatic support, particularly at the UN Security Council where it is a permanent member.</p>n<p>Officials from both countries have also made visits over the years.</p>n<p>“This visit represents an important rupture in the diplomatic isolation and the political siege imposed on Syria,” Damascus-based political scientist Oussama Dannoura told <em>AFP</em>.</p>n<p>“China has been breaking Western taboos that seek to prevent a number of states from dealing with countries that Washington considers isolated,” he added.</p>n<h2><a id="growing-presence" href="#growing-presence" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Growing presence</h2>n<p>The visit comes as China expands its engagement in the Middle East.</p>n<p>This year Beijing brokered a deal that saw longtime regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Damascus backer Iran agree to restore ties and <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1758105">reopen their respective embassies</a>.</p>n<p>The detente was followed by Syria’s return to the Arab fold at a summit in Saudi Arabia in May, ending more than a decade of regional isolation.</p>n<p>In 2019, top diplomat Wang Yi told the country’s then-foreign minister Walid Muallem that China “firmly supports Syria’s economic reconstruction” and its efforts to “combat terrorism”.</p>n<p>Syria’s war began after Assad’s repression of peaceful pro-democracy protests escalated into a deadly conflict that pulled in foreign powers and jihadists.</p>n<p>Assad’s regime has branded all opponents — from non-violent activists to armed rebels and jihadists — as “terrorists”.</p>n<p>“Assad intends for his trip to China to convey a sense of international legitimacy for his regime and paint a picture of looming Chinese support for reconstruction in Syria,” said Lina Khatib, director of the Middle East Institute at SOAS University in London.</p>n<p>Khatib noted that the timing is significant, with Assad now facing protests calling for regime change in southern Syria.</p>n<p>“It is unlikely that either (intention) will be convincing to an increasingly restive population in Sweida,” added Khatib, referring to a Syrian city where protests are ongoing.</p>n<h2><a id="economic-aid" href="#economic-aid" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Economic aid</h2>n<p>Recent months have seen Beijing roll out the red carpet for a string of autocrats, from Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko to a delegation of officials from Afghanistan’s Taliban government.</p>n<p>And foreign minister Wang is this week in Moscow, which faces a raft of Western sanctions over its war in Ukraine.</p>n<p>After welcoming Xi in Moscow earlier this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning a visit to China in October, the Kremlin has said.</p>n<p>Analysts expect Assad’s visit to China will focus, in part, on funds for reconstruction.</p>n<p>Syria signed up for China’s vast Belt and Road trade and infrastructure initiative in January 2022.</p>n<p>Haid Haid, a consulting fellow at London’s Chatham House, wrote on X that “the focus of this meeting is expected to revolve around convincing China to aid Syria’s economic recovery”.</p>n<p>China pledged $2 billion in investments in Syria in 2017, Haid noted — funds that have “yet to materialise”.</p>n<p>For Syria, joining the initiative “hasn’t resulted in significant Chinese investments in Syria, either from the Chinese government or the private sector”, he said.</p>

Saudis, Houthis hold talks to end Yemen war

<p>RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels put a positive spin on historic but <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1746880/saudi-team-in-yemen-for-peace-talks-with-houthis">inconclusive talks</a> in Riyadh on Wednesday as diplomatic efforts increased to end Yemen’s bitter war.</p>n<p>The five days of talks were “positive”, Saudi officials and a senior Houthi said, after the rebel delegation ended the first public visit to the Saudi capital since hostilities broke out between the two sides.</p>n<p>Underlining the change in atmosphere, the delegation included Hosain Homood Ala’zi, who in 2017 appeared on a Saudi list of wanted Houthis with a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest.</p>n<p>Riyadh mobilised an <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1608175">international military coalition</a> against the Houthis in March 2015, months after the northern fighters with links to Tehran had seized the capital and threatened to overrun the country bordering southern Saudi Arabia.</p>n<p>Hundreds of thousands have died in the fighting or from its impacts, including famine, and millions have been displaced in what the United Nations calls one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.</p>n<p>As the Houthis left, the top diplomats of the United States, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — a key coalition member, and influential in Yemen’s government-held south — met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.</p>n<p>US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in his meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and the UAE’s Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, welcomed the Riyadh talks “aimed at achieving a roadmap to end the conflict through a Yemeni-led political process under UN auspices”.</p>n<p>“The secretary and the foreign ministers agreed that cooperation among the three governments and Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council is essential to advancing UN-led peace efforts,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.</p>n<p><strong>Ray of light</strong></p>n<p>Separately, Sheikh Abdullah met the chairman of the Yemen government’s Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, discussing “international efforts made to reach a political solution to the Yemeni crisis”, the UAE’s official <em>WAM news agency</em> said.</p>n<p>The Saudi-Houthi talks were the latest ray of light for Yemen, which has endured decades of instability and where three-quarters of the population is dependent on aid.</p>n<p>Optimism has increased since Saudi Arabia and Iran ended a seven-year rupture in ties in March, with nearly 900 prisoners released in an exchange deal soon afterwards and a Saudi delegation holding talks in Sanaa in April.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, a UN-brokered ceasefire is largely holding, despite officially expiring last October.</p>n<p>Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdel Salam, who led the delegation, indicated both sides were looking for solutions to problems that were raised in the Yemeni capital in April.</p>n<p>“We discussed some options and alternatives to overcome the issues of disagreement that the previous round touched upon,” he said on X, formerly Twitter.</p>n<p>Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, younger brother of de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said he “reaffirmed our commitment… to reach a comprehensive political solution under UN supervision” in talks with the Houthis.</p>n<p>“We look forward to the success of these critical discussions,” Prince Khalid wrote on X.</p>n<p>The process appears to have snagged on Houthi demands which include payment of their civil servants’ salaries by the displaced Yemeni government, and the launch of new destinations from Sanaa airport.</p>n<p>Ali al-Qhoom, a member of the Houthis’ political council, said “There will be a new round of negotiations”, but he also made no mention of any concrete achievements out of Riyadh.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2023</em></p>

SC asks govt to expedite release of prisoners on probation

<p>ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has asked the federal and provincial governments to expedite the release of prisoners on probation who are eligible to enjoy the benefit.</p>n<p>The court has also directed the governments to implement laws relating to the release of prisoners on probation.</p>n<p>In an order released on Tuesday, Justice Athar Minallah said the governments’ refusal to release prisoners on probation violated the fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 9, 10-A, 14 and 25 of the Constitution.</p>n<p>Under the law, a prisoner can be released on probation if they demonstrate good behaviour during detention.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Justice Minallah says judicial system allows itself to be exploited by the privileged</p>n</blockquote>n<p>In 2015, the court sought reports from federal and provincial governments over the implementation of laws relating to the release of inmates on probation.</p>n<p>Subsequently, the respective governments submitted reports, which were taken up by a two-member bench comprising Justice Minallah and former chief justice Umar Ata Bandial. The bench has now disposed of the matter and issued a written verdict.</p>n<p><strong>‘Exploitation of justice system’</strong></p>n<p>The order, written by Justice Minallah, said the reports submitted to the court demonstrated that “grave conditions affecting the fundamental rights prevail in prisons across the country”.</p>n<p>“It is an undeniable fact that living conditions and the treatment of prisoners in overcrowded and inadequately equipped prisons profoundly affect the constitutionally guaranteed rights.”</p>n<p>The judge said “weak and vulnerable” citizens are denied justice because the prevailing system “allows its exploitation by the privileged and those who wield influence”.</p>n<p>“Most of the victims of a non-functional criminal justice system are those who belong to economically and socially marginalised sections of society. They do not have the means to access the courts nor has the state fulfilled its constitutional obligation to ensure inexpensive and expeditious justice…</p>n<p>“In the circumstances … the benefit of enjoying release on the basis of probation is of pivotal importance and thus the enforcement of the laws relating to probation become crucial,” the judge said, adding it is the right of every eligible prisoner to be considered for release on probation.</p>n<p><strong>‘Constitutional right’</strong></p>n<p>While explaining the purpose of detention, Justice Minallah wrote: “The object of undergoing a sentence pursuant to being convicted by a competent court of law is to make the convicted person and others realise that what the former has done or his/her acts, omission, and conduct which have led to the conviction or handing down of the sentence were unacceptable.”</p>n<p>The judge added that prisoners, whether convicted or non-convicted, have “no choice but to place reliance for [their] right to life and other needs, such as medical attention, solely on the authorities holding [them] in custody.</p>n<p>“This reliance gives rise to a duty of care on the part of the state and its functionaries,” he said, adding this binds the state, under Article 9 of the Constitution, to ensure that every incarcerated person is treated “in a manner that does not expose [them] to harm”.</p>n<p>During incarceration, only the right of free movement is curtailed and not the constitutional rights to life and dignity.“The neglect of the executive authorities to perform their obligations and duties imposed by law and to give effect to the enforced laws, particularly relating to the inmates of prisons, amounts to a breach of the duty of care that is owed to the incarcerated prisoner.”</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

September 20, 2023

Marginalised groups must be brought into political mainstream: HRCP

<p>ISLAMABAD: A national conference on Tuesday called for extensive reforms to improve the political and electoral participation of marginalised groups, including women, transgender persons, persons with disabilities and religious minorities.</p>n<p>The conference was organised by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) in partnership with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom – Pakistan (FNF).</p>n<p>HRCP secretary-general Harris Khalique emphasised that all marginalised groups must be brought into the political mainstream to move towards empowerment. He also underscored the necessity of a level playing field for voters as well as candidates.</p>n<p>Birgit Lamm, head of FNF’s Pakistan office, introduced the conference by highlighting the importance of free and fair elections to underpin the legitimacy of governments.</p>n<p>In the first session, representative of a minority community, Amir Mahmood, highlighted the faith-based discrimination embedded in separate voters’ lists, undermining their right to vote on the basis of citizenship.</p>n<p>Transgender rights activist Dr Mehrub Moiz Awan said that electoral participation for marginalised groups must be grounded in genuine solidarity rather than in the politics of sympathy.</p>n<p>Former speaker of Balochistan Assembly Rahila Durrani recommended special political academies to empower women to contest general elections and encourage political engagement.</p>n<p>In the second session, former HRCP chairperson Afrasiab Khattak, shed light on the duality in Pakistan’s constitutional and legal frameworks regarding marginalised groups, where the principle of equality was contradicted by laws that undermined it.</p>n<p>Researcher Dr Naazir Mahmood, explained the role of educational curriculums in peddling skewed perspectives of Pakistan’s political history, thus steadily depoliticising the electorate.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/HRCP87/status/1704080560845697078"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Discriminatory laws must also be revoked and constitutional guarantees instituted for marginalised groups to be adequately represented in parliament.</p>n<p>The panelists agreed that linking the right to vote with the possession of national identification cards effectively disenfranchises marginalised groups by shifting the burden of responsibility from the state to citizens.</p>n<p>Peshawar High Court lawyer Sangeen Khan recommended progressively increasing the minimum 10 percent stipulation of women’s votes in a constituency’s total polled votes, compelling political parties to increase women’s representation in their own ranks to secure more votes. Checks and balances must also be imposed to ensure the 5 per cent quota for women legislators is not misused.</p>n<p>In the final session, the panelists discussed the impact of elite capture on marginalised citizens. Academic Dr Asim Bashir Khan pointed to the indirect gerrymandering of constituencies through overinflated population figures, effectively discounting constituents’ interests.</p>n<p>Ewajee Alliance chair Sana Durrani and former finance minister Aisha Ghous Pasha also recommended extensive political reforms and a new social contract that safeguards citizens’ rights.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/HRCP87/status/1704100308971143392"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>In his concluding address, HRCP council member Farhatullah Babar criticised the depoliticisation of the electorate, stating that the demonization of politics had effectively diminished the political will to engender change.</p>n<p>Reforms must be brought about by politically engaging young activists, he said.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

ECP allows Sindh to continue building houses for flood-hit

<p>ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has allowed Sindh to continue with projects to build two million houses swept away by floods and install solar panels at 2.1 million houses to rid them of frequent load-shedding and exorbitant electricity bills.</p>n<p>“There is no ban on the World Bank assisted projects which are ongoing and are under execution in various stages … There is no ban on Sindh Solar Energy Project, which was approved on 14th November, 2018, by Ecnec.</p>n<p>“There is no ban on Sindh Flood Emergency Housing Reconstruction Project, which was approved by the Ecnec in January, 2023, and under these projects multiple activities are currently being carried out in phases. There is no ban on other foreign-funded projects like World Bank, USAID or any other development partners’ project including Multilateral Banks ADB, AllB etc. which are duly approved by the competent forum,” the ECP clarified in a letter written to the Sindh chief secretary, a copy of which is available with <em>Dawn</em>.</p>n<p>“It is expected that after this clarification there remains no ambiguity as far as the execution of the development projects is concerned. However, in case of any question, the Sindh government may approach the Election Commission of Pakistan any time,” the letter issued with the signatures of the ECP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan read.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Says no ban on World Bank-assisted projects being executed in province</p>n</blockquote>n<p>Earlier this month, while terming the ECP’s decision to freeze all development funds, including that for Peoples Housing Scheme in Sindh illegal, unconstitutional and anti-people, PPP had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1773866">asked the ECP</a> to immediately unfreeze funds for the project.</p>n<p>“Orders of the Election Commission of Pakistan to freeze development funds in the province of Sindh, including those allocated in the provincial budget for providing flood-resistant houses to families devastated in last year’s floods and for solar panels to provide relief to the poorest of the families from hours of load-shedding and exorbitant electricity bills are shocking to say the least,” in-charge of PPP election cell Senator Taj Haider said in a letter written to Chief Election Commi­ssioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.</p>n<p>He said that during the discussions on amending Section 230 of the Election Act, 2017, by the parliamen­tary committee on electoral reforms, both the secretary and special secretary of the ECP were present as witnesses. During those discussions, the committee members had unanimously agreed that caretaker governments should not have the authority to obstruct or modify policies or halt ongoing development projects in Sindh.</p>n<p>Mr Haider recalled that he had voiced serious concern during this discussion that the caretaker administration might potentially impede the progress of the two initiatives designed to aid families in distress.</p>n<p>“Little did I suspect that while we were stopping the caretakers, it would be the honourable ECP itself who would take this illegal, unconstitutional and anti-people step,” he wrote.</p>n<p>The PPP leader said a technical and financial model based on the concept of reconstruction of Ger­many after World War II had been designed and was being implemented for reconstruction of two million houses swept away by floods in Sindh.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Motorway police make exorbitant increase in fine amount

<p>RAWALPINDI: The National Highway and Motorway Police (NHMP) have announced a significant increase in fines for drivers of motorcars, jeeps and sports utility vehicles (SUVs). The updated fine amount will come into effect from October 1.</p>nn<p>The increase in fine was approved during a recent meeting presided over by the federal minister for communications at the Central Police Office Headquarters, NHMP, Islamabad to ensure implementation of the revised fine.</p>nn<p>Under the latest decision, a driver exceeding the speed limit would be fined Rs2,500 instead of Rs750 and those overtaking will have to pay Rs1,500 fine from the existing Rs300. Similarly fine for failing to yield the right of way to other vehicles has been increased to Rs1,000 from Rs300.</p>nn<p>On the other hand, a person driving a vehicle without licence will be fined Rs5,000 instead of Rs750; those driving an unregistered vehicle will have to pay a penalty of Rs2,000 instead of Rs500 while drivers parking on a bridge would be fined Rs750 instead of Rs300.</p>nn<blockquote>n <p>New penalties to come into effect from Oct 1</p>n</blockquote>nn<p>The fine for interfering with an emergency vehicle has been increased to Rs5,000 from Rs500; fine for driving at night without proper lights has been raised to Rs5,000 from Rs1,000 and fine for driving on the wrong side of the road has gone up to Rs2,500 from Rs500.</p>nn<p>Similarly, fine for ignoring the stop sign has been increased to Rs3,000 from Rs500; fine for following too closely or cutting in too sharply has been hiked to Rs1,000 from Rs300; fine for driving with the rear screen covered has been increased to Rs750 from Rs300. A person jumping the traffic queue will have to pay a fine of Rs1,000 instead of Rs500.</p>nn<p>Fine for obstructing traffic has gone up to Rs2,000 from Rs500; penalty for failing to observe slow signs has been increased to Rs2,000 from Rs200 and fine for prohibited lane changing has gone up to Rs1,000 from Rs200. Fine for careless driving has jumped to Rs1,500 from Rs300 and for opening doors dangerously, it has been increased to Rs1,000 from Rs200.</p>nn<p>The NHMP has revised the fine for improper turn from Rs300 to Rs2,500, for improper lane usage (lane straddling), from Rs200 to Rs1,000; for driving a vehicle emitting smoke, ashes or oily substances, from Rs500 to Rs1,250. Fine for driving a vehicle producing unduly harsh, shrill or alarming noise has gone up to Rs1,000 from Rs300 and fine for improper U-turn has been raised to Rs1,000 from Rs300.</p>nn<p>A person using any kind of mobile phone in a vehicle would be imposed a fine of Rs500 and anyone driving a vehicle without fastening seat belts or travelling in a vehicle that does not have seat belts will be fined Rs1,500. Fine for driving a vehicle without side mirrors or with bad mirrors will be Rs500 and the fine for driving a vehicle with the installation of unlawful police lights will be Rs5,000.</p>nn<p>Fine for driving a vehicle with a fancy registration plate will be Rs1,000; Rs2000 for using high-intensity discharge lights that disrupt other drivers’ vision and Rs1,000 for evading the law by improvised tinting of glass.</p>nn<p>All regional commanders, zonal commanders and field formations have been directed to launch briefing campaigns and ensure the distribution of pamphlets and brochures regarding the implementation of the revised fine amount on a priority basis for the awareness and sensitisation of drivers, commuters, passengers and the public.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Man dies, 20 others injured as groups clash in Harihar village

<p>KASUR: A man who was injured along with at least 20 people in a clash between two groups at Harihar village on Sunday died at a Lahore hospital on Tuesday. </p>nn<p>The clash had started weeks back in the jurisdiction of the Saddar Police Station over fixing of a flex, expressing gratitude to two local PML-N politicians for the construction of a village road. </p>nn<p>Two groups, led by Akram and Tariq alias Daman Masih, both landlords with huge tracts of land in the village, were involved in the dispute. Both the groups are supporters of the PML-N. </p>nn<p>Sources say the actual cause of the clash was that both groups wanted to fix flexes first to please the politicians. </p>nn<p>According to police, more than two weeks back, on Aug 30, Haseeb, the son of Akram, and his friends were fixing a flex on the wall of the house of one Rasheed Masih which led to an exchange of harsh words between Haseeb and Rasheed. However, they reconciled after the intervention of the village elders. </p>nn<p>On Saturday (Sept 16), Rasheed Masih, Tariq Masih and others allegedly intercepted Haseeb and tortured him. On Sunday, according to the FIR, registered on the complaint of village UC Councillor Yaseen, a brother of Akram, he along with his nephew Jamil was on his way to Kasur when Rasheed Masih, Tariq and 55 unidentified members of their group tortured him and his nephew. </p>nn<p>Meanwhile, members of Akram group arrived there and the village roundabout turned into a battlefield as both groups attacked each other with guns, clubs and axes. As a result, at least 20 people of both the groups suffered injuries. </p>nn<p>A heavy contingent of police reached the village and the injured were shifted to the DHQ Hospital. Ten people from each group were reportedly injured and the same number of people were arrested by police. </p>nn<p>One of the injured, Javaid, was referred to the Lahore General Hospital in a critical condition where he succumbed to his injuries. </p>nn<p>Police also lodged a cross FIR on the complaint of Tariq Masih, stating that 11 people, nominated in the application, attacked him and his brother. Tariq said Haseeb had gone to the roof of his house to commit robbery and not to fix the flex. </p>nn<p>Police beefed up the security in the village to avoid any untoward situation. </p>nn<p>District Police Officer Tariq Aziz claims the situation is under control.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

CDA to scrutinise private schools&amp;rsquo; applications seeking plots on rent

<p>ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is all set to scrutinise on Wednesday (today) over 200 applications submitted by owners of private schools for plots on rent from the civic agency, instead of getting in auction.</p>
<p>The CDA, after being failed to shift private schools from residential areas, has introduced new policy to give plots to private parties on rent. </p>
<p>In response to advertisement, the CDA received 245 applications from across the country and now a five-member committee headed by DG Planning will meet on Wednesday to scrutinise the applications.</p>
<p>A CDA official said that the civic agency allots plots for government schools on subsidised rates but ideally private schools should be allotted plots after competitive process. </p>
<p>In 2019, CDA after holding a series of meetings with stakeholders had finalised a policy regarding private schools, proposing various steps to handle private schools particularly operating in residential areas and submitted its report in the Islamabad High Court. </p>
<p>It was proposed that three years should be given to private schools operating in residential areas for relocation and Montessori and daycare centres should be opened in every sector. The policy also recommended that private schools should be allowed in Zone 2, 4 and 5 on private land. </p>
<p>In this regard, bylaws have been formulated which have to be followed for construction of schools in these areas and CDA will facilitate the managements of such schools in obtaining NOC and in approval process. In the policy, however, there was no mention of renting out plots. </p>
<p>In 2008, the CDA had allotted plots to private schools but that scheme was highly dubious and scandalised. The CDA allotted 19 plots and out of them only three were declared legal by courts. Resultantly, the civic agency had to cancel allotment of 16 plots.</p>
<p>In that scheme, the CDA as per advertisement, was supposed to deal with only Islamabad-based schools, but it allotted plots mainly to schools operating in other cities. The CDA also entertained applications after deadline and the civic agency was also accused of allotting plots in various sectors on pick and choose basis.</p>
<p>CDA officials said that there are around 100 plots available, which could be given on rent lease.</p>
<p>In April this year, the CDA board had approved a policy to give plots to private schools on rent lease. The meeting decided that its financial model will be finalised later. </p>
<p>It was decided that plots will be rented out to private schools in accordance with a 100 marks formula – 20pc marks fixed for schools operating in houses and 25pc marks for schools charging Rs5,000 to Rs15,000 fee. The board had also decided that the schools will be bound not to enhance fee by more than five per cent per year.</p>
<p>Member planning CDA Waseem Hayat Bajwa said that the committee will scrutinise the application in its meeting on Wednesday. </p>
<p>He said plots will be rented out in transparent manner. The member said, as per existing regulations, there is no mention of selling out private schools plots on commercial rate. </p>
<p>“Therefore, we are going for rental model. The schools owners who will be given plots on rent can’t increase fee unilaterally, rather before getting plots, they will have to ink agreement with CDA and fee could not be increased beyond the set limit,” he said and added that nothing is final yet as only technical evaluation of the applications will be finalised by the committee.</p>
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<em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em>
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Pakistani climbers pursue Nepal&amp;rsquo;s Manaslu summit quest

<p> <figure class=’media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch media–uneven media–stretch’>n <div class=’media__item ‘><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class=’media__caption ‘>Shehroze Kashif</figcaption>n </figure></p>n<p>GILGIT: Three climbers from Pakistan, have successfully made to the camp during two separate attempts to summit the Manaslu peak in Nepal, which stands at 8,136 metres.</p>n<p>Naila Kiani and Sirbaz Khan, who were a part of the Imagine Nepal expedition team, have reached base camp one, while Shehroze Kashif, who is part of the Seven Summit Trek, has reached base camp three.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch media–uneven media–stretch’>n <div class=’media__item ‘><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class=’media__caption ‘>Naila Kiani</figcaption>n </figure></p>n<p>Ms Kiani told <em>Dawn</em> that they anticipate reaching the summit on Sept 21.</p>n<p>If everything proceeds as planned, this will mark her 9th successful ascent of an 8,000m peak. So far, she has ascended eight of the 14 eight-thousanders, including Ever­est, K2, Nanga Parbat, Lhotse, Annapurna, Gasher­brum-I, Gasher­brum-II and Broad Peak.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch media–uneven media–stretch’>n <div class=’media__item ‘><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class=’media__caption ‘>Sirbaz Khan</figcaption>n </figure></p>n<p>Mr Khan, 32, who hails from the Aliabad area of Hunza, began his climbing career in 2016. He climbed 12 peaks out of 14 eight-thousanders. In 2019, he became the first Pakistani to summit Mount Lhotse, the world’s fourth-highest mountain at 8,516m in Nepal, without the use of supplementary oxygen.</p>n<p>Moreover, Mr Khan summited the 8,125m-high Nanga Parbat in 2017, 8,611m-high K-2 in 2018 and Broad Peak, which has a height of 8,163m, in 2019. Earlier this year, he climbed the 8,091m-high Anap­ur­na mountain, 8,848m-high Everest and 8,035m-high Gasher­brum II.</p>n<p>In a separate expedition, Mr Kashif, the youngest climber hailing from Lahore, is embarking on a re-summit of Manaslu. He plans to ascend the peak on Sept 20 (today).</p>n<p>Mr Kashif, 19, reached the summit on Sept 25. However, it became known two days later that the summit point was not the true summit; the “actual summit” was located 10 metres further ahead and, therefore he decided to re-summit.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Controversy surrounds auction of new TMA shops in Landi Kotal

<p>KHYBER: A controversy has surfaced over the auction of the newly-constructed shops in Landi Kotal Bazaar with local shopkeepers and traders rejecting the auctionand rent policy devised by the tehsil municipal administration.</p>
<p>Addressing a news conference at the Landi Kotal Press Club here, elected representatives of the tehsil council AbudardaShinwari, Haji Aziz Khan, Gul Zamin, Muhibullah, Azizullah and Rehman Khan said the TMA had completely “bypassed” the tehsil council in formulating the auction and rent policy for the newly-constructed 92 shops in Rangarrh Street of Landi Kotal Bazaar.</p>
<p>They insisted the TMA could onlydetermine the auction policy and set the rent limit when such a policy was duly passed with majority by the tehsil council as per its rules of business and bylaws.</p>
<p>They alleged that the TMA had “fraudulently” devised minutes of a council meeting, which informed higher authorities that the Landi Kotal tehsil council had unanimously passed the auction and rent policy a few weeks ago.</p>
<p>“We reject this TMA stand as no such meeting ever took place nor did we pass any bill regarding the renting out of the newly-constructed shops in Rangarrh Street,” an official said. He added that a local court had already granted a stay order against the auction.</p>
<p>Anjumane TajiranLandi Kotal president Jafar Shinwari told <em>Dawn</em> that the TMA had assured traders that those possessing old shops at the site would be given preferencefor new shops but it broke its promise and unilaterallyannounced the auction plan without taking them into confidence. He said the TMA had fixed a very high price for both pagreeand monthly rent of new shops, which was unaffordable for most traders. </p>
<p>Rejecting allegations of councillors, council chairman Shah Khalid told <em>Dawn</em> that there was no requirement of devising new bylaws for auction and determining the rent of newly-constructed shops as the provincial government had already devised modellaws for the purpose and the local councils were only supposed to implement these model laws. </p>
<p>He said 92 shops were constructed at the Landi Kotal Bazaar’s Rangarrh Street under an umbrella scheme, devised by the provincial government for the entire merged districts for construction of fruit and vegetable markets with itsrevenue to be collected by the TMA.</p>
<p>Mr Khalid said under the rules, a committee was formed under his chairmanship with tehsil municipal officer, TOR, tehsil officer, technical engineer, revenue officer, regulation, finance representatives and three senior members of the elected council were included to get their input on the implementation of model bylaws for rent and auction of the new commercial building.</p>
<p>The chairman said the auction was announced through an advertisement in local newspapers under the rules, while bids were invited for shops afterwards.</p>
<p>When contacted, TMO Abdul Samad denied any violation of rules and said the TMA had yet to announce the auction date and finalise rent.</p> <p>He added that the TMA had given no assurance to old shopkeepers as the land on which new shops were built was the government’s property and no individual could lay claim to it.</p>
<p>“I’m in contact with my high-ups. We will devise the final policy for shops auction and rent soon and will advertise it in local newspapers for the information of all and sundry,” he said.</p>
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<em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em>
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4 arrested for killing public service commission director in Peshawar

<p>PESHAWAR: The police have arrested four people, including an employee of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission, here on the charge of killing director (admission) of the commission Arshad Khan last July.</p>nn<p>Addressing a news conference at the Police Lines here, SSP (Operations) Kashif Aftab Abbasi said the arrested men included the main accused, Miran Jan, and his accomplices including KPPSC assistant Mohsin Ali, Syed Noman Shah and Sajid, while another accused, Hafeez, was at large.</p>nn<p>He said the police were searching for the fugitive.</p>nn<p>Mr Abbasi said the police had recovered a motorcycle and weapons used in the murder of Mr Arshad on July 24 in the limits of the Shahpur police station.</p>nn<blockquote>n <p>Police say search for fifth accused under way</p>n</blockquote>nn<p>He said the accused tried to show the murder as a targeted killing.</p>nn<p>The SSP said accused Syed Noman Shah applied for the assistant director’s position and used to visit KPPSC offices to build rapport with officials to claim the post but Mr Arshad, an honest person, turned out to be a hurdle.</p>nn<p>He added that KPPSC assistant Mohsin Ali suggested Mr Arshad’s murder insisting it would help him land the job.</p>nn<p>“Mohsin Ali also promised Noman Shah Rs450,000 cash for the murder and provided him with the phone number of the director and registration of his car. Noman Shah called his friend, Hafeez of Tirah area in Khyber tribal district, to Peshawar for the murder. He also roped in Sajid,” he said.</p>nn<p>The SSP said the accused visited the Malik Saad Town in Doranpur area four or five times for the murder but they couldn’t target him due to CCTV cameras installed there and decided to kill him behind the wheels.</p>nn<p>He added that the accused hired shooter Miran Jan for the murder and purchased a motorcycle for him.</p>nn<p>Mr Abbasi said on July 24, Miran Jan went to the Ring Road Chowk in Pishtakhara area on the motorcycle, collected Noman Shah and the pistol and left for Doranpur, while Hafeez reached the crime scene in a rickshaw.</p>nn<p>“Noman Shah did a recce of the director’s movement and phoned Hafeez after the director left for office in his car. When the car reached the area, Miran Jan shot him dead and escaped,” he said.</p>nn<p>The SSP said the accused later gathered at a hostel in Gharibabad area before Sajid took away the weapon and motorcycle used in the attack.</p>nn<p>He said three days after the attack, Noman Shah paid Rs250,000 to Hafeez, who asked for Rs250,000 more.</p>nn<p>Mr Abbasi said the investigation into the matter was under way and the police would go after whosoever was involved in it. He said the police would produce the accused in a local court to claim their physical custody.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

KP govt to cut funding of medical teaching institutions

<p>PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to slash its funding for the province’s medical teaching institutions in line with their earnings from the Sehat Card Plus health insurance programme.</p>n<p>“The cabinet decided in its last meeting that the finance department would halve budgetary allocation for MTIs. From now on, each of them will have to surrender 50pc of their income generated from the free healthcare initiative,” an official of the health department told <em>Dawn</em>.</p>n<p>Officials said the income of public sector hospitals, including 10 MTIs, from the SCP had been rising but they continued to get money from the finance department at the same time, so the slashing of their budget on the basis of their income from the SCP won’t affect their operations and would rather save the government millions of rupees.</p>n<p>They said initially, public sector hospitals lagged far behind private hospitals as the latter outweighed the former regarding their income from the SCP, but lately, the earnings of private hospitals surged, so the government wanted to slash their budget in line with their income from the cashless healthcare programme.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Official says budget to be slashed after examining MTIs’ earnings from Sehat Card Plus</p>n</blockquote>n<p>The officials said the government’s health facilities got 11pc of their earnings from the SCP in 2016, 14pc in 2017, 19pc in 2018, 23pc in 2019, 27pc in 2020, 33pc in 2021 and 44pc in 2023 until now, but despite an increase in their share in the money generated by the programme, they still received regular budget from the government.</p>n<p>They said the caretaker government faced a shortage of funds and had already decided to limit free healthcare services to 65pc population instead of the entire household of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.</p>n<p>The officials said among public sector hospitals, MTIs received a lion’s share in the income from the SCP due to which the finance department would retain half of their budget which they earned from the SCP.</p>n<p>They said the MTIs had so far been distributing the SCP’s income on the basis of a formula under which the people involved in the services got the amount along with administrative, maintenance, repair charges.</p>n<p>Under the ‘Fund Retention and Utilisation and Distribution Formula’ from SCP’s income, the hospitals were spending 25pc of their SCP earnings to improve patient care and do repairs and maintenance, give 30pc to doctors and 15pc to nursing and paramedical staff, and spend 20pc on consumables and 10pc on administrative matters.</p>n<p>Officials said most MTIs hadn’t enforced the formula due to which they received fewer patients on SCP but after its enforcement the number of people and income has kept rising due to which the government wanted to cut their budget on the basis of their income from the SCP.</p>n<p>They said the doctors and other staff would continue to draw their share from the SCP’s income but additional budget wouldn’t be offered for maintenance, repair and administrative charges, which they had already been receiving from the finance department.</p>n<p>Officials said it had been proposed to the PTI’s government in 2017 to cut the budget of the MTI on the basis of their income from the SCP but the suggestion wasn’t accepted.</p>n<p>They said the PTI, which pioneered the programme in the province from covering three per cent population in four designated districts in the province in 2016, extended it in a phase-wise manner to the entire population in November 2019.</p>n<p>The officials said since the installation of the caretaker government, the SCP continued to restrict free health services and had already stopped liver and kidney transplants of its beneficiaries.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

School, college teachers in Sindh may get 15-day training during summer vacations

<p>KARACHI: The steering committee of the Sindh education department has suggested 15 days of training for school and college teachers during the June and July summer vacations and the next educational session to commence from April. </p>nn<p>Caretaker Education Minister Rana Hussain chaired the meeting, which was attended by School Education Secretary Shireen Mustafa Narejo, College Education Secretary Safad Anis Sheikh and other members of the committee. </p>nn<p>The meeting discussed that due to the late start of the educational session every year, the results of intermediate exams were also announced late because of which the students had to face challenges in getting admissions to universities. Therefore, it was suggested that the session for the year of 2024-25 should begin in April. </p>nn<p>It was also said that school and college teachers should undergo training to keep themselves abreast with new teaching methods and techniques. So it was suggested that there should be a provision of at least 15 days of training during the summer vacations in June and July to keep schools open for the teachers to enrol themselves in such training courses. </p>nn<blockquote>n <p>Students of classes 1 to 3 to be promoted without exams; steering committee decides winter vacation to begin from Dec 20</p>n</blockquote>nn<p>It was also suggested that the summer vacations for the next year should start from June 1 and conclude on July 31 while winter vacations this year should begin from December 20 to end on Dec 31. </p>nn<p>The regular local holidays in the coming year would include Kashmir Day, Shab-i-Mairaj, Pakistan Day, Youm-i-Ali, Shab-i-Qadr, Labour Day, Eidul Fitr, Eidul Azha, Ashura, Independence Day, Chehlum, Eid-i-Milad-un-Nabi, Youm-i-Shah Abdul Latif and Quaid-i-Azam Day. Holidays at the district level should also be notified in advance by the local administrations. </p>nn<p>It was also discussed whether it would be better to have holidays in the name of people from history or if it would be better to call children to school on the days and teach them about such worthy individuals who had left their mark in history. </p>nn<p>Suggestions regarding examinations included that children of classes one to three should be easily promoted based on their classwork while students of classes four to class eight should undergo examinations. And these examinations should be held from March 20 to March 31.</p>nn<p>Sports and other extracurricular activities should also not be ignored and there should be a proper timetable for sports and co-curricular activities in all schools throughout the year, the education minister said.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Sindh&amp;rsquo;s school dropout rate stands at 54pc, CM Baqar told

<p>• Officials say only 46pc of women in province are literate<br />n• Interim CM pays surprise visit to Qatar Hospital</p>n<p>ARACHI: Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister retired Justice Maqbool Baqar was informed on Tuesday that the school dropout rate stood at a whopping 54 per cent in the province where more than 50pc of women were illiterate.</p>n<p>He was given a briefing by officials of the planning and development department at a meeting held here at the CM House.</p>n<p>The chief minister was informed that 72pc of the 55.69 million people of the province had access to potable water.</p>n<p>As for literary rate in the province, the CM was informed that the male literacy ratio was 71pc whereas it was only 46pc in the case of females.</p>n<p>Justice Baqar said that he wanted education to be given importance, as no nation could develop without it.</p>n<p>The CM was told that Rs2 billion had been earmarked for the construction of school buildings this year.</p>n<p>He directed the departments concerned to complete the construction and rehabilitation of the flood-affected school buildings across the province.</p>n<p>The meeting was attended among others by Chief Secretary Dr Fakhar Alam, Chairman P&amp;D Shakeel Mangrijo, Principal Secretary to CM Hasan Naqvi, Finance Secretary Kazim Jatoi and other relevant officers.</p>n<p>The chief minister directed the planning &amp; development department to work in close coordination with Wapda so that the K-IV project could be completed.</p>n<p>The CM was told that the K-IV Phase-I for 260 MGD would cost around Rs126bn and the Wapda authorities were executing it. It was further informed that the federal government had allocated Rs15bn in its Public Sector Development Programmes (PSDP).</p>n<p><strong>Inquiry into Qatar Hospital affairs ordered</strong></p>n<p>The CM ordered an overall inquiry and audit to ascertain the reasons behind the shortage of medicines, off-road ambulances, out of order lab machines and unsanitary conditions in the Qatar Hospital.</p>n<p>During his surprise visit to the hospital, he expressed his displeasure over the unsanitary condition of various wards where stretchers had dirty stained bed sheets and bad smell could be felt everywhere.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/SindhCMHouse/status/1703999779095957682"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The CM noticed that some private medical stores were functioning inside the government hospital. He was told that the hospital administration had issued them vacation orders, but they had got a stay from the court.</p>n<p>The CM ordered the health department to pursue the case and vacate the stay so that their position could be taken over by the hospital.</p>n<p>The interim CM also visited the fleet of ambulances but most of them were found out-of-order and off-road. He expressed displeasure over the unhygienic conditions of the hospital, its streets, wards, corridors, machines, pharmacy, and ambulance service and directed the health secretary to conduct an inquiry and report him.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

PTI seeks probe into Pakistan&amp;rsquo;s alleged role in Ukraine for IMF deal

<p>ISLAMABAD: The PTI core committee on Tuesday expressed apprehensions over <em>The Intercept</em> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://theintercept.com/2023/09/17/pakistan-ukraine-arms-imf/">report</a> alleging Pakistan’s involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict in lieu of securing the IMF deal, and demanded a judicial commission for a thorough fact-check of the news story along with the one previously published containing alleged text of the ‘cipher’.</p>n<p>The core committee in its meeting termed the content of the latest news report alarming’, a day after Pakistan’s foreign office <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776567">rejected</a> it as ‘baseless’ and ‘fabricated’.</p>n<p>The PTI leaders said that after publishing the alleged text of the ‘cipher’, the latest news report warranted immediate attention of the judiciary.</p>n<p>According to a statement, the committee noted that PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s assumptions about the regime change conspiracy and its motives appeared to be true, as Pakistan’s economy, politics, governance, state structure and society had only declined since April 2022, exposing competence of the decision-makers.</p>n<p><strong>Blome-IGP meeting slammed</strong></p>n<p>Meanwhile, PTI Sec­retary General Omar Ayub Khan criticised a meeting of US Amba­ssador Donald Blome with Punjab IGP Dr Usman Anwar.</p>n<p>Mr Khan said, “Each one of the Punjab policemen and policewomen who sat across the table from you [the US envoy] in the meeting has a long rap sheet of human rights abuses that I am sure the folks on Capitol Hill would be absolutely delighted to read and commend you and your team for reaching out to meet.”</p>n<p>He asked the IGP if he talked about the alleged enforced disappearances and torture of PTI activists.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Detained brigadier&amp;rsquo;s wife pleads for relief from LHC

<p>ISLAMABAD: The wife of a serving brigadier, who was working as a director in Defence Housing Authority, Quetta and is said to be in the custody of military authorities, has asked the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench to declare her husband’s detention illegal.</p>nn<p>Ummaira Saleem, wife of Brigadier Akhtar Subhan, said her husband was taken into custody by officials of Special Investigation Branch of the Military Police on June 22, 2023.</p>nn<p>The case was fixed for hearing on Sept 13 and Justice Jawad Hassan of the Lahore High Court had initially raised objections during the hearing of the case that the petitioner could not seek relief from the high court as Article 199 (3) of the Constitution barred the high court from taking up the matter related to personnel of armed forces.</p>nn<p>The petitioner’s counsel, Advocate Inamur Rahim, however, cited a number of cases in which the superior courts entertained such petitions and also set aside the orders of the military authorities.</p>nn<p>The LHC then issued notice to the defence ministry and other respondents, and sought their replies and adjourned the hearing till Sept 14 since it was a habeas corpus petition. However, in the written order, the date of the next hearing was mentioned as Oct 6.</p>nn<p>The petitioner filed another application on Tuesday, seeking an early hearing of the case. She cited sections 74 and 75 of Pakistan Army Act, 1952, read with Rule 23 and 24 of the Pakistan Army Act Rules, 1957, and claimed that the arrest and custody of Brig Subhan was illegal.</p>nn<p>The petition said that the burden of the proof in a habeas corpus matter is always on the detaining authority to prove that the detention is lawful. </p>nn<p>It requested the court to decide the case as quickly as possible. The Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench will now hear the petition on Wednesday.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Bushra meets Imran in jail for 7th time

<p>TAXILA: Former first lady Bushra Bibi met her incarcerated husband Imran Khan in Attock Jail on Thursday. </p>nn<p>According to jail sources, Bushra Bibi came along with the PTI’s legal team to meet the former prime minister. While the PTI lawyers were not allowed to interact with Mr Khan, authorities permitted Bushra Bibi to meet her husband. </p>nn<p>The private meeting between the couple lasted approximately an hour. Security was heightened outside the jail following the arrival of PTI chief’s wife. </p>nn<p>The sources said that upon their arrival at the jail, both Bushra Bibi and the PTI legal team encountered a brief setback when they were halted at the gate. However, while the legal team remained outside the jail premises, Bushra Bibi was eventually permitted to enter the facility. </p>nn<p>It was Bushra Bibi’s seventh meeting with her husband in Attock Jail since his arrest on August 5 in the Toshakhana case. Following the meeting, Bushra Bibi left the jail premises under police escort.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

COAS Munir praises army&amp;rsquo;s junior leaders in Rawalpindi

<p>RAWALPINDI: Chief of the Army Staff General Asim Munir on Tuesday said Pakistan Army’s standard of professionalism and leadership was par excellence compared to any modern army of the world. </p>nn<p>However, the junior leaders of Pakistan Army have proven their mettle in the fields of training, operations and world-class competitions across the world, the COAS said at the opening ceremony of “Multi-National Special Forces Exercise Eternal Broth­erhood-II” held at Barotha.</p>nn<p>Special forces contingents from Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Turkiye and Uzbekistan are participating in the two-week-long exercise, an Inter-Services Public Relations press release said. </p>nn<p>The army chief visited the Barotha garrison and interacted with the participants. He was briefed on the scope and conduct of the exercise by the general officer commanding of Special Service Group.</p>nn<p>The exercise is aimed at further harnessing the historic military-to-military relations among friendly countries, including nurturing of joint employment concept, while identifying areas of mutual interest for future military collaborations and benefiting from each other’s experience against terrorism.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

CDA to scrutinise private schools&amp;rsquo; applications seeking plots on rent

<p>ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is all set to scrutinise on Wednesday (today) over 200 applications submitted by owners of private schools for plots on rent from the civic agency, instead of getting in auction.</p>nn<p>The CDA, after being failed to shift private schools from residential areas, has introduced new policy to give plots to private parties on rent. </p>nn<p>In response to advertisement, the CDA received 245 applications from across the country and now a five-member committee headed by DG Planning will meet on Wednesday to scrutinise the applications.</p>nn<p>A CDA official said that the civic agency allots plots for government schools on subsidised rates but ideally private schools should be allotted plots after competitive process. </p>nn<p>In 2019, CDA after holding a series of meetings with stakeholders had finalised a policy regarding private schools, proposing various steps to handle private schools particularly operating in residential areas and submitted its report in the Islamabad High Court. </p>nn<p>It was proposed that three years should be given to private schools operating in residential areas for relocation and Montessori and daycare centres should be opened in every sector. The policy also recommended that private schools should be allowed in Zone 2, 4 and 5 on private land. </p>nn<p>In this regard, bylaws have been formulated which have to be followed for construction of schools in these areas and CDA will facilitate the managements of such schools in obtaining NOC and in approval process. In the policy, however, there was no mention of renting out plots. </p>nn<p>In 2008, the CDA had allotted plots to private schools but that scheme was highly dubious and scandalised. The CDA allotted 19 plots and out of them only three were declared legal by courts. Resultantly, the civic agency had to cancel allotment of 16 plots.</p>nn<p>In that scheme, the CDA as per advertisement, was supposed to deal with only Islamabad-based schools, but it allotted plots mainly to schools operating in other cities. The CDA also entertained applications after deadline and the civic agency was also accused of allotting plots in various sectors on pick and choose basis.</p>nn<p>CDA officials said that there are around 100 plots available, which could be given on rent lease.</p>nn<p>In April this year, the CDA board had approved a policy to give plots to private schools on rent lease. The meeting decided that its financial model will be finalised later. </p>nn<p>It was decided that plots will be rented out to private schools in accordance with a 100 marks formula – 20pc marks fixed for schools operating in houses and 25pc marks for schools charging Rs5,000 to Rs15,000 fee. The board had also decided that the schools will be bound not to enhance fee by more than five per cent per year.</p>nn<p>Member planning CDA Waseem Hayat Bajwa said that the committee will scrutinise the application in its meeting on Wednesday. </p>nn<p>He said plots will be rented out in transparent manner. The member said, as per existing regulations, there is no mention of selling out private schools plots on commercial rate. </p>nn<p>“Therefore, we are going for rental model. The schools owners who will be given plots on rent can’t increase fee unilaterally, rather before getting plots, they will have to ink agreement with CDA and fee could not be increased beyond the set limit,” he said and added that nothing is final yet as only technical evaluation of the applications will be finalised by the committee.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Controversy surrounds auction of new TMA shops in Landi Kotal

<p>KHYBER: A controversy has surfaced over the auction of the newly-constructed shops in Landi Kotal Bazaar with local shopkeepers and traders rejecting the auctionand rent policy devised by the tehsil municipal administration.</p>n<p>Addressing a news conference at the Landi Kotal Press Club here, elected representatives of the tehsil council AbudardaShinwari, Haji Aziz Khan, Gul Zamin, Muhibullah, Azizullah and Rehman Khan said the TMA had completely “bypassed” the tehsil council in formulating the auction and rent policy for the newly-constructed 92 shops in Rangarrh Street of Landi Kotal Bazaar.</p>n<p>They insisted the TMA could onlydetermine the auction policy and set the rent limit when such a policy was duly passed with majority by the tehsil council as per its rules of business and bylaws.</p>n<p>They alleged that the TMA had “fraudulently” devised minutes of a council meeting, which informed higher authorities that the Landi Kotal tehsil council had unanimously passed the auction and rent policy a few weeks ago.</p>n<p>“We reject this TMA stand as no such meeting ever took place nor did we pass any bill regarding the renting out of the newly-constructed shops in Rangarrh Street,” an official said. He added that a local court had already granted a stay order against the auction.</p>n<p>Anjumane TajiranLandi Kotal president Jafar Shinwari told <em>Dawn</em> that the TMA had assured traders that those possessing old shops at the site would be given preferencefor new shops but it broke its promise and unilaterallyannounced the auction plan without taking them into confidence. He said the TMA had fixed a very high price for both pagreeand monthly rent of new shops, which was unaffordable for most traders.</p>n<p>Rejecting allegations of councillors, council chairman Shah Khalid told <em>Dawn</em> that there was no requirement of devising new bylaws for auction and determining the rent of newly-constructed shops as the provincial government had already devised modellaws for the purpose and the local councils were only supposed to implement these model laws.</p>n<p>He said 92 shops were constructed at the Landi Kotal Bazaar’s Rangarrh Street under an umbrella scheme, devised by the provincial government for the entire merged districts for construction of fruit and vegetable markets with itsrevenue to be collected by the TMA.</p>n<p>Mr Khalid said under the rules, a committee was formed under his chairmanship with tehsil municipal officer, TOR, tehsil officer, technical engineer, revenue officer, regulation, finance representatives and three senior members of the elected council were included to get their input on the implementation of model bylaws for rent and auction of the new commercial building.</p>n<p>The chairman said the auction was announced through an advertisement in local newspapers under the rules, while bids were invited for shops afterwards.</p>n<p>When contacted, TMO Abdul Samad denied any violation of rules and said the TMA had yet to announce the auction date and finalise rent.</p>n<p>He added that the TMA had given no assurance to old shopkeepers as the land on which new shops were built was the government’s property and no individual could lay claim to it.</p>n<p>“I’m in contact with my high-ups. We will devise the final policy for shops auction and rent soon and will advertise it in local newspapers for the information of all and sundry,” he said.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Delhi finds few friends in furore over Sikh leader&amp;rsquo;s death

<p>• India expels Canadian diplomat in tit-for-tat move; US, UK, Australia call for thorough investigation of Ottawa’s claim<br />n• Washington ‘closely involved’ with gathering intel • Ex-Pakistan FM says India stands exposed</p>n<p>WASHINGTON: India on Tuesday <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776725/in-tit-for-tat-move-india-expels-canadian-diplomat-after-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-murder">expelled</a> a Canadian diplomat, a day after after PM Justin Trudeau <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776704/indian-envoy-expelled-as-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-death">accused</a> New Delhi of being involved in the assassination of a Sikh activist on Canadian soil.</p>n<p>“The concerned diplomat has been asked to leave India within the next five days,” it said in a statement. “The decision reflects Government of India’s growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities.”</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/1704000754783265107"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The tit-for-tat actions sent relations between the two otherwise friendly nations plunging, even as Canada insisted it was not trying to provoke India, rather it wanted the issue to be addressed properly.</p>n<p>“The government of India needs to take this matter with the utmost seriousness. We are doing that; we are not looking to provoke or escalate,” PM Trudeau told reporters on Tuesday.</p>n<p>Asked why Ottawa had spoken out now, Mr Trudeau said: “We wanted to make sure that we had a solid grounding in understanding what was going on … we wanted to make sure we were taking the time to talk with our allies.”</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed ‘>n <div class=’media__item media__item–youtube ‘><iframe src=’https://www.youtube.com/embed/T_jgZ2rsdDU?enablejsapi=1&controls=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0′ allowfullscreen=” frameborder=’0′ scrolling=’no’ width=’100%’ height=’100%’></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p><strong>US ‘closely involved’</strong></p>n<p>But since the Canadian PM’s speech before parliament on Monday, new information has come to light suggesting that the United States was ‘very closely’ involved in intelligence gathering that led authorities in Ottawa to conclude that Indian agents had been potentially involved in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia earlier this year.</p>n<p><em>Reuters</em> quoted a senior Can­adian government source as saying: “We’ve been working with the US very closely, inc­luding on the public disclosure yesterday,” the source said.</p>n<p>The evidence in Canada’s possession would be shared “in due course”, the official said.</p>n<p>In Washington, US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson told journalists the United States was “deeply concerned about the allegations referenced” by Prime Minister Trudeau.</p>n<p>“We remain in regular contact with our Canadian partners. It is critical that Canada’s investigation proceed and the perpetrators be brought to justice,” she added.</p>n<p><strong>Response from world capitals</strong></p>n<p>But while New Delhi looked to go on the offensive against Canada, the response from other world capitals was measured and more pro-Ottawa than India would’ve liked.</p>n<p>British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Tuesday his government backs a Canadian investigation to determine whether India was involved in Nijjar’s killing.</p>n<p>“I think it’s incredibly important that we allow the Canadian authorities to conduct their investigation,” said Cleverly, adding it would be “unhelpful” to speculate on their outcome.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesCleverly/status/1704160204739272930"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>In Canberra, a spokesperson for Australian foreign minister Wong said Australia is “deeply concerned by these allegations and notes ongoing investigations into this matter”.</p>n<p>“We are closely engaged with partners on developments. We have conveyed our concerns at senior levels to India,” said the Australian official.</p>n<p>Australia &amp; Canada are members of Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group, along with US, UK &amp; New Zealand.</p>n<p><strong>Centre-stage at UNGA</strong></p>n<p>Nijjar, 45, was <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/20/advocate-separate-sikh-state-india-shot-dead-canada-hardeep-singh-nijjar-temple">shot dead</a> outside a Sikh temple on June 18 in Surrey, which has a large Sikh population. He supported a Sikh homeland in the form of an independent Khalistan state and was designated by India as a “terrorist” in July 2020.</p>n<p>Michael Kugelman, a scholar of South Asian affairs at Wilson Center, Washington, said the UN General Assembly, which is currently holding its 78th session in New York, “could become centre-stage for the India-Canada crisis”.</p>n<p>He noted that PM Trudeau is scheduled to address the session later this week. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, is not attending the session.</p>n<p>“We’ll see if Trudeau repeats his allegations against India. Though the UNGA meetings also provide an opportunity for backchannel talks to try to ease tensions,” he said.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelKugelman/status/1704172775672312168"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Murtaza Haider, a professor of management at the Toronto Metropolitan University and an active member of Canada’s South Asian community, said the rift with India has more to do with Canada’s domestic politics than anything else.</p>n<p>“Trudeau is battling a declining approval rating and a rise in the popularity of Pierre Poilievre, the opposition leader.</p>n<p>The Punjabi Sikh community in Canada is a vibrant and sizeable community that exercises significant power in Canada’s electoral politics.“</p>n<p>“This may be an attempt to protect some swing ethnic ridings in the next elections, which are still a couple of years away,” Prof Haider added.</p>n<p>Tensions between India and Canada have been simmering over the unsolved slaying, and Indian unhappiness over how Ottawa has handled Sikh separatists.</p>n<p>Trudeau was in New Delhi last week for the G20 summit and met privately with his Indian counterpart, but his visit was a testament to the strained ties between their countries.</p>n<p>Canada also recently suspended negotiations for a free-trade agreement with India.</p>n<p><strong>India exposed, says Bilawal</strong></p>n<p>Commenting on the issue during an interaction with the media on Tuesday, former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776740/time-for-world-to-accept-india-is-rogue-hindutva-terrorist-state-bilawal-on-sikh-leaders-killing-in-canada">pleased</a> that India’s crimes on the international stage had been laid bare.</p>n<p>“India has been exposed before the world. How long will the international community, especially the West, continue to ignore such incidents and actions of India?</p>n<p>’’It is time for the international community to accept that India has become a rogue, Hindutva terrorist state,“ he said.</p>n<p>“Not only have we caught spies who were involved in terrorism in our country, they [India] have now been caught violating the sovereignty of a Nato-member state.</p>n<p>’’This is not only a violation of Canadian sovereignty, but international law and norms,“ Mr Bhutto-Zardari said.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–instagram media__item–relative’><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxX14CwihKR/?hl=en" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxX14CwihKR/?hl=en" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank"></a></p></div></blockquote><script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>n n </figure></p>n<p><em>Amjad Mahmood in Lahore also contributed to this report</em></p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

CJP Isa meets lawyers today for strategy to clear backlog

<p>ISLAMABAD: Chief Jus­tice Qazi Faez Isa will meet representatives of the Pakistan Bar Cou­n­cil and the Supreme Court Bar Association on Wednesday (today) to deliberate on how to clear the bac­klog of thousands of cases pending in the top court.</p>n<p>PBC Vice Chairman Haroon Rashid confirmed that CJP Isa, who assumed office on Sunday, is convening a meeting on Wednesday (today) to deliberate upon issues related to the administration of justice.</p>n<p>According to the sources, the agenda of the meeting includes a discussion on the formation of benches, pending cases, speedy administration of justice, and fixation and hearing of cases. Besides, the proposals for early hearing of cases that are urgent in nature have also been sought. At present about 57,000 cases are pending before the Supreme Court.</p>n<p>Previously, the Law and Justice Commission of Pa­k­istan regularly upda­ted the statistics of the pending cases. However, during the tenure of former CJP Umar Ata Bandial, who was also the chairman of the Law and Justice Commission, the statistics regarding the backlog of the judiciary were removed from the website.</p>n<p>The judiciary is criticised for a huge backlog of cases the number of which has surpassed two million in superior and lower courts.</p>n<p>PBC Vice Chairman Rashid said that the apex court can clear the backlog by constituting more benches. He pointed out that at present there are two or three regular benches to hear the cases.</p>n<p>“Sometimes, four and very occasionally, five benches had been formed,” he said, adding that with the existing strength, the CJP could form six regular benches to hear the cases which would reduce the backlog. He further said that the Supreme Court in the past wasted much-needed time on political cases.</p>n<p>“The political cases could be disposed of in a couple of hearings as the apex court has to interpret the question of law,” he said, adding that the Supreme Court took months to decide even simple matters. He hoped Justice Isa would streamline the affairs of the apex court for expeditious disposal of the cases.</p>n<p>Separately, the Pakistan Bar Council also condemned the registration of a case against advocate Akhtar Hussain.</p>n<p>According to a statement issued by the PBC, Mr Hussain has been charged with protesting against state institutions. The statement said that the senior lawyer participated in a peaceful protest, which was organised against massive inflation. “The registration of FIR against him is illegal and unlawful…” the statement added.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Bilawal blames PML-N for lop-sidedness of election arena

<p>• PPP chairman says PDM should have resolved the issue themselves;<br />n• Khursheed Shah takes aim at ECP over wholesale transfers in all provinces, except Punjab</p>n<p>LAHORE: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday spoke in no uncertain terms when he said that his party’s complaints regar­ding an ‘uneven playing field’ were directed at its erstwhile ally, the PML-N.</p>n<p>“Our demand for a level playing field is from the PML-N. We have empowered President Zardari to address the complaint and he must be given time for this purpose,” Mr Bhutto-Zardari told the media after condoling with senior journalist Imdad Soomro over the death of his father.</p>n<p>He added that it would be better if this issue is resolved by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) parties between themselves.</p>n<p>Regarding the Election Commission’s (ECP) alleged discrimination in allowing development projects in Punjab, but banning the same in Sindh, he said the law was clear on development funds, federal, provincial and local budgets.</p>n<p>“If schemes have been approved and are budgeted, they should be allowed to continue. Perhaps it [the ECP’s ban] would not have been so concerning had it been a question of 90 days only, but the election date has not even been announced yet,” he said.</p>n<p>“It cannot be so that budgeted schemes are not allowed to continue in Sindh while federal projects are,” he said.</p>n<p>“The caretaker government in Punjab has even taken a new initiative, which is to provide interest-free loans to judges so that they can buy plots. This puts a moral, legal and constitutional obligation on the ECP to ensure that there is a level playing field in the centre as well as the provinces.”</p>n<p>The PPP chairman said that if there is to be no further development on new or ongoing schemes in Sindh, then it should be the same in other provinces as well.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, in a related development, the ECP wrote to the Sindh chief secretary yesterday to clarify that it had not placed any bar on key projects that had been approved before the dissolution of the provincial assembly.</p>n<p>Answering a question about the impact of PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s arrest on elections, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said the common man is concerned only with the historic price hikes and not with who is behind bars and who is not.</p>n<p>“They have to choose between sending their kids to school, acquiring healthcare for their elders or paying power bills,” he said. “They need hope and to know that their vote will truly be counted and that their true representatives will be negotiating with the IMF in an effort to provide them relief.</p>n<p>“When it comes to the question of the PPP being able to achieve this feat, the party’s history has proved that it is able to do so. The PPP helped the country not only stay afloat but prosper during the global recession of 2008,” Mr Bhutto-Zardari said.</p>n<p>As regards PML-N chief <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775482">Nawaz Sharif’s return</a> to the country, Mr Bhutto-Zardari told a questioner that this had been a longstanding demand of the PPP and that if a date has now been announced by the PML-N, his party welcomes it. “As far as legal cases are concerned, we are ready to face ours and we are sure they are too,” he added.</p>n<p><strong>Gripe over wholesale transfers</strong></p>n<p>After the PPP chairman’s diatribe against their erstwhile coalition partners, senior PPP leader Syed Khursheed Shah also blamed both the PML-N and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for not providing a level playing field to the PPP.</p>n<p>“We are not being given a level playing field and without it, the supremacy of parliament is impossible,” Mr Shah said during an appearance on <em>Geo News</em> on Tuesday.</p>n<p>He reiterated the party’s gripe that certain bureaucrats with close affiliations to the PML-N had been inducted into the caretaker cabinet. “Everybody knows who is Ahad Cheema and Fawad Hasan Fawad,” he added.</p>n<p>Mr Shah also lamented that wholesale postings and transfers had been made in Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Paktunkhwa, but nothing similar had happened in Punjab. “Removed chief secretaries and inspectors general of police of the three provinces have so far not been posted anywhere. But the ECP is turning a blind eye,” he added.</p>n<p>PML-N leader Khawaja Asif, however, claimed that reports suggested the Sindh chief secretary was taking directions from the PPP, and several officials had been transferred on the party’s diktat.</p>n<p>He also tried to dispel the impression that senior bureaucrats who had previously worked with the PML-N necessarily had leanings towards the party.</p>n<p>“Ahad Cheema and Fawad Hasan Fawad were senior bureaucrats who had served not only the PML-N government, but many other regimes as well,” he said.</p>n<p><em>Syed Irfan Raza in Islamabad also contributed to this report</em></p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Washington, Riyadh exploring mutual defence pact: New York Times

AMERICAN and Saudi officials are discussing the terms of a mutual defence treaty that would resemble military pacts that the US has with allies such as Japan and South Korea — in a bid to get Saudi Arabia to normalise relations with Israel, the
New York Times

Under the agreement, both sides would pledge to provide military support if the other country is attacked, either in the region or on Saudi territory.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is also asking the Biden administration to help his country develop a civilian nuclear programme, which some US officials fear could be cover for a nuclear weapons program to counter Iran, according to an NYT report.

Any treaty with Saudi Arabia that is similar to the American pacts with other allies is sure to draw strong objections in Congress, since some lawmakers, including top Democrats, see the Saudi government as unreliable partners who care little about US interests or human rights.

n

Move part of Biden’s gambit to secure ‘normalisation’ of ties between Israel, S. Arabia

An agreement would also raise questions about whether President Biden is getting the United States more militarily entwined with the Middle East, and would contradict his administration’s stated goal of reorienting American military resources and fighting capabilities away from the area and towards China.

Discussions between the US, Saudi Arabia and Israel have mainly revolved around MBS’ demands, and that diplomacy is expected to come up on Wednesday, when Biden meets with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

During his speech at the UNGA on Tuesday, the US president mentioned the benefits of nations normalising ties with Israel.

The US military has bases and troops in both Japan and South Korea, but American officials say there are currently no serious discussions about having a large contingent stationed in Saudi Arabia under any new defence agreement

The separate defence treaties that the United States has with Japan and South Korea were forged after devastating wars in the mid-20th century and as the Cold War was intensifying, compelling the United States to stitch together alliances around the world to counter a global Soviet presence.

The Pentagon has just under 2,700 American troops in the kingdom, according to a letter the White House sent to Congress in June.

The US president’s push for a Saudi-Israel deal is a gambit that, not long ago, would have been hard to imagine. He pledged during his 2020 presidential campaign to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah”.

But American officials have said a diplomatic agreement would be an important symbol in the defusing of Arab-Israeli tensions and could also have geopolitical significance for Washington. Bringing Saudi Arabia closer to the United States, they argue, could pull the kingdom farther from China’s orbit and blunt Beijing’s efforts to expand its influence in the Middle East.

In a public appearance last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel would be a “transformative event in the Middle East and well beyond.” But he said that getting the parties to an agreement “remains a difficult proposition” and that a deal was far from certain.

The State Department declined to comment on details of the discussions for this article, NYT said.

In recent months, White House officials have given briefings about the negotiations to influential Democratic lawmakers, whom the administration needs to persuade to approve the treaty.

A majority of Senate Democrats have voted on multiple occasions to restrict Washington’s arms sales and other security cooperation with Riyadh, objecting to the Saudi bombing campaign in Yemen and the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, a murder that American spy agencies have judged was ordered by MBS, even though the crown prince has denied direct involvement.

The Saudi-led war in Yemen, which began in 2015, resulted in mass killings of civilians and what the United Nations called “the worst man-made humanitarian crisis in the world”.

Democratic lawmakers are also pressing the Biden administration on reports that Saudi border forces recently killed hundreds or thousands of African migrants who were trying to cross from Yemen. Human Rights Watch released a report in August on the atrocities. Saudi Arabia maintains the reports are “unfounded”.

Michael Green, a former director at the National Security Council under President George W. Bush, told NYT the treaties with Japan and South Korea were “pretty ironclad” in terms of a US military commitment in the event of hostilities.

The arrangement with Japan is more straightforward — being a defeated and demilitarized nation from World War II when the treaty was signed, American officials at the time did not envision another country attacking Japan or vice versa, Mr Green said.

Because of the constant tensions in the Middle East — and the fact that Saudi Arabia is involved in a war in Yemen — getting a Japan-style treaty approved would probably involve clearing “a much higher political bar,” he added.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

Timeline for PIA privatisation agreed

ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the Privatisation Commission on Tuesday discussed privatisation of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and agreed a clear timeline for the purpose.
The meeting, presided over by Minister for Privatisation Fawad Hasan Fawad, was held to meet the target set by the caretaker prime minister and the federal cabinet for PIA’s privatisation.
The privatisation minister held detailed discussions with different stakeholders, including the PIA management and the aviation division focusing on restructuring of PIA leading to the privatisation process.
However, no details of the proposed timeline, were mentioned in the press release issued by the Privatisation Comm­ission.
Earlier, Mr Fawad held a meeting with Finance Minister Dr Shamshad Akhtar and discussed important economic and fiscal matters and exchanged valuable insights and ideas on the privatisation agenda.
The Cabinet Committee on Privatisation (CCoP) at its meeting on September 6 had decided to form a technical committee for the resolution of bottlenecks in the way of privatisation and restructuring of PIA, and had asked the aviation division to work with the privatisation commission to present a detailed action plan to the CCoP with clear timeline framework in a sequence.
The PIA is fully dependent on the government, the finance ministry and credits from the financial institutions to meet its operational requirements.
The airline has recently negotiated fresh credit facilities from financial institutions under the government of Pakistan guarantee limit.
Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023

Heavy rain in Lahore causes urban flooding again

<p>LAHORE: Lahore received hours of heavy rain on Tuesday, resulting in urban flooding across the city. The downpour, which began at about 5am disrupted daily life for residents, leading to school closures, office delays and transportation chaos. </p>
<p>While the rain brought a change to the weather, it simultaneously posed challenges, bringing the city to a standstill in some areas. </p>
<p>The Met Office data showed that the highest rainfall was recorded in the airport area, with 193mm of rainfall while Tajpura received 190mm, Nishtar Town 174mm, Gulshan-i-Ravi 162mm, Gulberg 158mm, Johar Town 135mm and Iqbal Town 126mm. </p>
<p>The heavy rain led to inundation of low-lying areas, impeding the movement of citizens. Neighborhoods like Gulberg, Barkat Market, Kalma Chowk, Model Town, Faisal Town, Johar Town, Garden Town, and Township experienced severe flooding. The road from Barkat Market to Kalma Chowk remained closed for traffic for hours. Additionally, major arteries of the city, including Lower Mall, Jain Mandir, Anarkali, Mall Road, Walton Road, MG Chowk, GC University turnaround, Data Sahib, Timber Market, GPO Chowk and Lytton Road, were submerged under water, leading to severe traffic congestion. </p>nn <p>The rainwater entered homes and shops and about 100 electricity feeders of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) tripped, leaving many areas without power for hours. </p>
<p>The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and the district administration officials claimed that rainwater had been drained from most areas of the city. </p>
<p>Wasa MD Ghufran Ahmad said the officials were working to clear some of the low-lying areas while the commissioner was visiting different areas to monitor working of disposal stations. </p>
<p>Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Imran Qureshi issued directives to all deputy commissioners across the province, urging them to be vigilant. </p>nn <p>Rescue 1122 reported three people, including two women, sustained injuries when the roof of their two-storey house collapsed near Old Airport due to the rain. Furthermore, during the past 24 hours, Lahore saw 304 traffic accidents, resulting in injuries to 317 individuals. </p>nn <p>Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Mustansar Feroze stated that additional traffic police personnel were deployed on the roads to assist citizens during the rain. </p>
<p>Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi issued directives to ensure the drainage of rainwater from low-lying areas. </p>
<p>The Met Office has predicted more rainfall for Punjab in the next 48 hours.</p> <p>
<em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em>
</p>

11.7m women added to voter list, but vast gender gap remains

<p>ISLAMABAD: The gender gap among voters has reduced with the addition of 11.74 million, compared to 9.28m male voters, to the electoral rolls since 2018 general elections, bringing the total number of registered voters in the country to around 127m from the erstwhile 106m.</p>n<p>The latest statistics <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://twitter.com/ECP_Pakistan/status/1703997055847588193">released</a> by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday showed that the difference between men and women of voting age stands at around 10m in country where women make up 49pc of the population.</p>n<p>More than 21m voters have been added to the ele­c­toral rolls since the last ge­n­eral elections, as the number of women jumped from 46.73m in 2018 to 58.47m at present and the number of men swelled from 59.22m in 2018 to 68.50m, according to the data collected till July 25, 2023.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch media–uneven media–stretch’>n <div class=’media__item ‘><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class=’media__caption ‘>Total voter count as of July 25, 2023. — ECP data</figcaption>n </figure></p>n<p>The official data shows the number of registered voters in the country in 2018 was nearly 106m, inc­luding 59.22m men and 46.73m women voters. This difference of 12.49m, however, further increa­sed to an all-time high of 12.72m next year when 62.55m men and 49.83m women were eligible to cast vote.</p>n<p>A major drop in the gender gap was witnessed last year when the total number of registered male voters fell from 66.50m to 66.40m, while the number of women jumped from 54.69m to 55.78m.</p>n<p>According to latest data the gap has slid further to touch 10.03m, with the number of men and women increasing to 68.50m (54 per cent) and 58.47m (46pc), respectively.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch media–uneven media–stretch’>n <div class=’media__item ‘><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class=’media__caption ‘>Gender-wise breakdown of voter count as of July 25, 2023. — ECP data</figcaption>n </figure></p>n<p>An age-wise comparison of the latest figures shows there are around 57.1m youth aged between 18 and 35, making up 45pc of those who are eligible to vote. In addition, the number of voters in the age bracket of 36 to 45 years comes to 27.79m (21.88pc). If seen together, the two age groups comprise 84.81m voters, or two-thirds of the total 127m.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch media–uneven media–stretch’>n <div class=’media__item ‘><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class=’media__caption ‘>Age-wise breakdown of voter count as of July 25, 2023. — ECP data</figcaption>n </figure></p>n<p>Punjab residents make up the largest chunk of eligible voters — 72.31m (56.9pc) of all voters — while Balochistan with 5.28m makes up 4.2pc of all registered voters.</p>n<p>Sindh ranks second, contributing 26.65m voters — 21pc of the total. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which now includes the merged districts of erstwhile Fata, is not far behind with almost 21.69m voters, who amount to almost 17.1pc of the total voters. Islamabad has slightly more than a million voters.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch media–uneven media–stretch’>n <div class=’media__item ‘><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class=’media__caption ‘>District-wise breakdown of voter count as of July 25, 2023. — ECP data</figcaption>n </figure></p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Burnley earn first point in draw at Forest

<p>NOTTINGHAM: Bur­nley earned their first poi­nt since returning to the Premier League but were left frustrated by a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest on Monday after having a late goal ruled out.</p>nn<p>Vincent Kompany’s side soaked up some early pressure and then took the lead after 41 minutes with a superb finish by Zeki Amdouni after good work by Luca Kolesoho.</p>nn<p>Burnley grew in confidence and looked comfortable in the opening stages of the second half but were rocked when Callum Hud­son-Odoi curled in a superb 61st-minute equaliser.</p>nn<p>Forest sought to maintain the momentum but it was Burnley who thought they had re-taken the lead when Lyle Foster slotted in Sander Berge’s low cross but the goal was disallowed for a harsh-looking handball against Berge.</p>nn<p>There was worse to come for Foster who was sent off in stoppage time for an elbow.</p>nn<p>The draw lifted Forest to eighth place in the table with seven points from the­ir five games while Bur­nley are 19th with one point from their four games.</p>nn<p>Burnley will feel they should be celebrating their first win as the decision to disallow Foster’s goal looked harsh, with referee Robert Jones deciding to rule it out after being invited by VAR to look at the pitch-side monitor.</p>nn<p>Berge had brushed off Forest defender Scott McK­e­nna all too easily before cutting the ball back for Foster but his arm has brushed against the ball as he raced into the area.</p>nn<p>“Even the defender who was in the duel with Sander didn’t see anything,” Kompany said as he watched back the incident.</p>nn<p>“What do you want me to say? I really can’t do anything about it, I don’t feel anger I’m just proud of the team.”</p>nn<p>Forest began the game full of confidence after their impressive start to the season and pinned Burnley back in the opening stages with Hudson-Odoi forcing a save from visiting keeper James Trafford.</p>nn<p>It was Burnley who went ahead though and it was no surprise that the pacey Kolesoho who was the creator, racing past Gonzalo Montiel down the left and pulling the ball Amdouni to smash home a low shot from the edge of the area.</p>nn<p>Kolesoho set up another chance for Burnley early in the second half but Charlie Taylor volleyed off target.</p>nn<p>Forest’s equaliser was worth the wait as Hudson-Odoi, making his Premier League debut for Forest, picked the ball up on the left and cut in before curling a right-foot shot into the net off the inside of the far post to give Trafford no chance.</p>nn<p>Both sides had chances for victory but a draw was just about the right result, although Burnley’s frustration was underlined by Foster’s elbow into the chest of Ryan Yates which resulted in him being shown a red car after a VAR check.</p>nn<p>“It’s a moment of inexperience and something you can’t excuse, but at the same time he has played his heart out for the team,” Kompany said.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

ANP leader found dead in Balochistan&amp;rsquo;s Kuchlak

<p>QUETTA: The central leader of Awami National Party (ANP) and provincial president of National Lawyers’ Forum, Advocate Arbab Ghulam Kasi, was found dead in Kuchlak area, some 25 kilometres from the provincial capital, on Quetta-Chaman Highway, on Tuesday night.</p>n<p>Officials said the body of the ANP leader was found in an abandoned area of Killi Sheikh Jamal Atozai in a mysterious condition.</p>n<p>The people of the area spotted the body and informed the Kuchlak police about the presence of the body.</p>n<p>After receiving the information, police rushed to the area and took the body of the ANP leader into custody and shifted it to Quetta Civil Hospital.</p>n<p>“The body was lying near an abandoned gas station while a pistol was also found near the body of the ANP leader,” Abid Mengal, a senior police officer, said.</p>n<p>Hospital sources said the deceased suffered a bullet injury close to his ear that proved fatal.</p>n<p>Police officials were in a fix over the cause of the ANP leader’s death, saying that “it seems to be a case of suicide”.</p>n<p>However, family sources said it was not a suicide case and told police that Arbab Ghulam Kasi left the house around 4pm, saying he was going to Quetta.</p>n<p>“Arbab Ghulam Kasi cannot commit suicide,” the family members told police. They said that Arbab Ghulam Kasi was receiving threats from unknown people.</p>n<p>“We are investigating the incident and will reach a conclusion after completing the investigation,” a police officer told <em>Dawn</em>, adding that the body of the ANP leader had been handed over to his family members and party leaders.</p>n<p>Arbab Ghulam Kasi is the second ANP leader who was killed in Kuchlak area.</p>n<p>Two years ago, another senior leader of ANP, Obaidullah Kasi, was killed by unknown armed men after kidnapping him and his body was found in the Kuchlak area. Mr Obaidullah Kasi was a close relative of Arbab Ghulam Kasi.</p>n<p>Meanwhile, ANP’s provincial president Muhammad Asghar Achakzai and other party leaders have strongly condemned the killing of Mr Kasi and demanded immediate arrest of his killers.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Spain&amp;rsquo;s World Cup-winning rebels report for training under sanctions threat

<p>MADRID: Some of the rebel players from Spain’s World Cup-winning women’s squad who had threatened to boycott the national team in a push to stamp out sexism at the football federation (RFEF) on Tuesday reported for training under the threat of being sanctioned.</p>n<p>Misa Rodriguez, Olga Carm­ona, Oihane Hernandez, Eva Navarro and Tere Abelleira, who had previously said they would not play for the team until further changes were applied at the Spanish football federation (RFEF), arrived at a hotel near Madrid’s airport and were seen departing by coach for the airport to travel for a training camp near Valencia.</p>n<p>The five were named in the squad ahead of a Women’s Nations League match against Sweden on Friday by new coach Montse Tome despite signing a statement last week calling for more heads to roll at the RFEF beyond former President Luis Rubiales and former manager Jorge Vilda.</p>n<p>Jenni Hermoso, the player at the centre of the scandal, after Rubiales grabbed her head and kissed her on her lips, sparking fury over sexist attitudes toward women footballers, on Monday, accused the RFEF of trying to divide and manipulate the players.</p>n<p>She said they did this by threatening them with legal and economic consequences if they refused to play.</p>n<p>Should they refuse the call-up, the players could face fines of up 30,000 euros ($32,000) and the suspension of their federation license for two to 15 years, according to Spain’s Sports Act.</p>n<p>Two sources close to players said they were expecting the whole squad to report in view of the threat of sanctions.</p>n<p>Asked as she arrived at the hotel whether she was happy to have been selected for the team, Misa Rodriguez replied: “No.”</p>n<p>Players including Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas on Monday shared a statement on social media platform X that said the players had told the RFEF they did not want to be considered for selection and that they were “studying the possible legal consequences we are exposed to by the RFEF by putting us on a list to which we had asked not to be selected.”</p>n<p>Hermoso was not on the squad list announced by new coach Montse Tome on Monday, which included 15 of the 23 cup-winning players.</p>n<p>Twenty of those on Monday’s squad list had signed a statement on Friday saying they were not satisfied with the departure of Rubiales and coach Vilda and called for more sackings at the federation.</p>n<p>Hermoso, who according to Tome was not selected in order to protect her, on Monday offered her support to team-mates “who have been caught by surprise and forced to react to another unfortunate situation caused by the people who continue to make decisions within the RFEF.”</p>n<p>Victor Francos, head of the state-run national sports agency, said on Monday the government would have no option but to apply the sanctions as stipulated in the law.</p>n<p>“If the players do not show up, the government must apply the law. I’m sorry to say so, but we must do what we have to do,” Francos told <em>SER</em> radio station.</p>n<p>Spain is set to make its debut in the Women’s Nations League against Sweden in Gothenburg on Friday before playing against Switzerland in Cordoba on Sept 26. The Nations League will determine which teams from Europe qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.</p>n<p>The government supports the players’ push for changes in the RFEF but also wants Spain to qualify for the Olympic Games, spokesperson Isabel Rodriguez said on Tuesday.</p>n<p>“We want there to be chan­ges, for them to be quick, for the confidence of the players to be restored and, most importantly, what we want is to see them play and see them win,” Rodriguez said.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Aamir says lack of planning hurt Pakistan in Asia Cup

<p>KARACHI: Emphasising that lack of planning led to disaster for Babar Azam and his men in the Asia Cup, former Pakistan captain Aamir Sohail on Tuesday said the green-shirts must develop the habit of striking the iron while it is hot.</p>n<p>“Lack of planning dented Pakistan’s campaign in Sri Lanka for which the captain and the entire team management should share the blame equally,” Aamir said while talking to <em>Dawn</em> from Lahore.</p>n<p>“We should have won the [close] Super Four match against Sri Lanka. At the same time, we should acknowledge that India played outstanding cricket throughout the Asia Cup and were well-deserved winners.”</p>n<p>Moreover, Aamir insisted, Pakistan must develop the acumen to strike at the right time to win big contests.</p>n<p>“Pakistan missed the killer instinct in the Asia Cup. After restricting India to 66-4 [in group stage match], our team should have gone for the kill but unfortunately our spinners stru­ggled to make inroads,” he recalled. Openers and spin bowling, Aamir reckoned, were the areas which Pakistan needed to work on.</p>n<p>“Our openers and spinners could not do well in the Asia Cup for which the support staff should be held responsible. The spinners, particularly in the middle overs, should have given the team breakthroughs, which they could not,” he said.</p>n<p>Aamir, who worked as a TV commentator during the Asia Cup, said spin would determine Pakistan’s position in the World Cup starting in India on Oct 5.</p>n<p>“Spinners will have a major role on most Indian pitches during the World Cup,” the former left-handed opener underlined. “Therefore, I think how our spinners bowl, mainly during the middle overs, plus the way our batters handle the opponent team’s spinners will specify Pakistan’s position at the World Cup.</p>n<p>“In this regard, the way the available resources are utilised timely will be the key. Our batters and spinners should complement each other; both should know their targets whether the team is chasing a target or defending a total,” the 57-year-old stated.</p>n<p>According to Aamir, Pakistan were definitely among the World Cup favourites along with England, Australia, India and Sri Lanka, and need no major overhaul before the ODI showpiece. “No wholesale changes [in the team] are required. Having said this, it will be a matter of managing the first-choice players and the bench players who will be required in case frontline campaigners fail to click at the big stage.”</p>n<p>When asked to comment on all-rounder Shadab Khan who has been criticised widely for a string of poor shows particularly with the ball should be retained for the World Cup, Aamir, who also worked as national chief selector, said the leg-spinner required guidance.</p>n<p>“Shadab has performed well for Pakistan and should not be replaced in haste [just before the World Cup],” he said. “If he could not bowl well in the Asia Cup [or before that], the root cause of the dip in form be looked into and he should be guided by the support staff accordingly.</p>n<p>“To me, Shadab is gripping the ball very tightly which is locking his wrist and as a result he is not getting the spin and delivering [unintentional] full-pitched balls,” Aamir, a member of the 1992 World Cup-winning team, highlighted.</p>n<p>Commenting on Pakistan’s struggling batting department, the former Test cricketer agreed new faces in ODIs were required.</p>n<p>“Yes, both [Test batters] Abdullah Shafique and Saud Shakeel should be selected to the World Cup squad; both of them possess solid technique.”</p>n<p>On whether wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan should be kept at number four in ODIs, Aamir said, “Yes, he is doing a fantastic job at this position, tackling spinners smartly in middle overs. There is no need to change.”</p>n<p>Injuries have hit the Pakistan camp badly recently, frontline fast bowlers Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf being the prime victims.</p>n<p>In this regard, Aamir feels Dr Faisal should be brought back by the PCB.</p>n<p>“Dr Faisal, who is a very efficient physio and holds vast experience, should be recalled by the PCB. He can definitely handle the matters better. Players in the past were also satisfied with his work,” Aamir said.</p>n<p>On being asked to comment on Babar’s leadership which was slammed — at times strongly — during crucial stages of the Asia Cup, Aamir had his own view.</p>n<p>“Babar was made [national] captain prematurely, but cannot be abruptly removed from the position. Now after a couple of years, he at a crucial stage needs help and guidance,” he said. “On his part, Babar as a leader must be proactive to overcome the challenges at the big stage.”</p>n<p><strong>‘PAKISTAN LACK TECHNICAL ACUMEN’</strong></p>n<p>Meanwhile, another former Test skipper and batting legend Javed Miandad said Pakistan cricketers lacked basic techniques due to which they struggled in tough competitions, including the Asia Cup.</p>n<p>“The current Indian team played very well to win the Asia Cup. Most of their cricketers have better techniques which they acquire at club and academy levels which their system working on solid footing provides. Whereas in Pakistan many players at the top level lack in technical sphere,” Miandad said when he was approached by <em>Dawn</em> for his comments on Pakistan team’s dismal show in Sri Lanka.</p>n<p>“Same is the case with England which made overhauled their cricketing system in recent years, and it is now producing top-class homegrown players.”</p>n<p>On current Pakistan batters’ frailty against top-level spin, Miandad, the master of Pakistan’s victory in the 1992 World Cup, said the country must improve its grassroots cricket to overcome this fault.</p>n<p>“As I said, we are currently short of technically sound players. School, college, university and club cricket produced world-class players in Pakistan for decades. These levels simply no more exist in our system. As a result, our players at the international stage struggle to perform.”</p>n<p>Responding to a query on Pakistan’s World Cup prospects, Miandad had a brief but clear response: “The players need to be strong [mentally]. This will help them a lot.”</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Pakistan open volleyball campaign at Asian Games with victory

<p>HANGZHOU: Pakistan’s volleyball team opened their Asian Games campaign with a credible straight-sets win over Mongolia in Hangzhou on Tuesday.</p>n<p>While the opening ceremony of the Games — taking place from Sept 23-Oct 8 — does not take place until Saturday, several sports began on Tuesday, including football, volleyball, beach volleyball and cricket.</p>n<p>Pakistan won their opening Pool ‘D’ tie 25-17, 25-19, 25-20 with Murad Khan Junior playing an influential role with his powerful serves and strong attacks at the net. They face Chinese Taipei next on Wednesday.</p>n<p>The first event of the day was a clash between Indonesia and Mongolia in the women’s T20 cricket competition, which Indonesia won by 172 runs after bowling out Mongolia for just 15 runs.</p>n<p>Mongolia’s women were making their debut at an international tournament and were given a harsh lesson as Indonesia made 187-4 in the Twenty20 preliminary-round match.</p>n<p>Indonesia’s total included 49 extras, 38 of them wides by the Mongolian bowlers. In reply, an outclassed Mongolia were out for 15 in 10 overs.</p>n<p>Mongolia’s coach David Talalla said he was proud of his young team — their average age is just 19 — given their very limited resources and experience of the sport.</p>n<p>More than half of his players had never even left Mongolia before and this was their first experience of a grass wicket, having been used to an artificial pitch at home.</p>n<p>Mongolia’s kit is second-hand from Australia, and their four bats donated by a French ambassador whose wife is English and a cricket fan, said Talalla, who is working for free.</p>n<p>“I know we’ve only made 15 runs but none of our girls have played the game for longer than two years and we know what a technical game it is,” said Talalla.</p>n<p>“We’ve only got a squad of 12 — that’s all we could afford to bring,” added Talalla, saying all of his players were in tears afterwards.</p>n<p>“The whole idea is the longer picture — cricket in Mongolia, who would have thought it?” he said. “Even myself, I’ve only been in the job here for five weeks as a high-performance coach but six months ago, I didn’t even know they played cricket in Mongolia. I think most of the world didn’t.”</p>n<p>In men’s football, North Korea returned to major international competition for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic with a 2-0 win over Taiwan. North Korea closed its already tight borders in early 2020 following the Covid outbreak and skipped the Tokyo Olympics, which were pushed back to 2021 because of the pandemic. The country was then banned from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics for failing to take part in Tokyo.</p>n<p>But North Koreans are competing at its first multisport event since the Asian Games in Jakarta in 2018.</p>n<p>Rivals South Korea began their quest for a third men’s Asian Games gold in a row with a 9-0 demolition of Kuwait. Attacking midfielder Jeong Woo-yeong, who plays for Stuttgart in Germany, hit a hat-trick.</p>n<p>There was home delight as China began their Games football campaign with a 5-1 thumping of India.</p>n<p>Asian Games men’s football squads are made up of under-23 players but teams are allowed three older players.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Root to get World Cup practice against Ireland

<p>LONDON: England batsman Joe Root will face Ireland in Wednesday’s One-day International series opener as he eyes extra practice ahead of the World Cup.</p>nn<p>With England’s World Cup defence set to get underway in India on October 5, Root is the only member of the World Cup squad taking on Ireland.</p>nn<p>Root asked to be added to the squad at his home Headingley ground, targeting one more innings to find the form that eluded him in the recent matches against New Zealand.</p>nn<p>He scored 39 runs in four innings against the Black Caps, who will also take on England in the opening game of the World Cup in Ahmedabad.</p>nn<p>Root’s presence is welcome for Zak Crawley, standing in as white-ball captain for the Ireland series in place of the resting Jos Buttler.</p>nn<p>“I love spending time with Rooty. To have him in the side as a batsman and former captain is going to be tremendously useful for me and the team,” he said.</p>nn<p>“It’s great having him here. Especially so for me as captain, because I can lean on him for that kind of stuff. I played under him for a long time and stood next to him at slip when he was Test captain.</p>nn<p>“It’s great to have him in the team and I will look to him. He’s a great cricket brain and experienced guy.</p>nn<p>“No-one works harder than Joe, that’s why he’s the best. We all try to emulate him as much as we can. He’s a great person to learn from and a role model for us all. I hope he gets what he needs from it too.”</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Indian govt tables bill to reserve 33pc of Lok Sabha seats for women

<p>NEW DELHI: The Indian government on Tuesday moved a bill to reserve a third of seats in the lower house of parliament and state assemblies for women, reviving an old proposal expected to boost the standing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party among women.</p>nn<p>The contentious legislative proposal has been hanging for decades due to opposition from some heartland political parties and needs the approval of both houses of parliament and a majority of state legislatures to become law.</p>nn<p>Its revival comes months before general elections are due by May 2024 when Modi seeks a third term. Analysts say the chances of the bill getting passed in parliament have brightened as opposition to it has shrunk over the years.</p>nn<p>It is the latest in a series of moves by the government that the ruling nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has projected as “pro-women” “We want more and more women to join the development process of the country,” Modi told a special five-day parliamentary session.</p>nn<p>Women make up almost half of India’s 950 million registered voters but only 15 per ment of parliament and about 10pc of state legislatures, pushing the world’s largest democracy to the bottom of global rankings on gender parity in legislatures.</p>nn<p>The 33pc reservation for women will not apply to the upper houses of parliament and state legislatures.</p>nn<p>Opposition lawmakers welcomed the revival of the proposal but pointed out that implementing it could take years as it requires boundaries of constituencies to be redrawn, which in turn can only be done after a population census.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

UN suggests reparations for Africans over slavery

<p>GENEVA: The United Nations said on Tuesday countries could consider financial reparations among the measures to compensate for the enslavement of people of African descent, though legal claims are complicated by the time passed and the difficulty in identifying perpetrators and victims.</p>nn<p>A report of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said no country had comprehensively accounted for the past and addressed the contemporary legacy of the violent uprooting of an estimated 25 million to 30m people from Africa over more than 400 years.</p>nn<p>“Under international human rights law, compensation for any economically assessable damage, as appropriate and proportional to the gravity of the violation and the circumstances of each case, may also constitute a form of reparations,” the report said.</p>nn<p>“In the context of historical wrongs and harms suffered as a result of colonialism and enslavement, the assessment of the economic damage can be extremely difficult owing to the length of time passed and the difficulty of identifying the perpetrators and victims.” </p>nn<p>The report stressed, however, that the difficulty in making a legal claim to compensation “cannot be the basis for nullifying the existence of underlying legal obligations”.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Communications cut to Libya&amp;rsquo;s ruined city

<p>DERNA: Telephone and internet links were severed on Tuesday to Libya’s flood-hit city of Derna, a day after hundreds protested there against local authorities they blamed for the thousands of deaths.</p>n<p>A <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775484">tsunami-sized flash flood</a> broke through two aging river dams upstream from the city on the night of September 10 and razed entire neighbourhoods, sweeping untold thousands into the Mediterranean Sea.</p>n<p>Protesters massed on Monday at the city’s grand mosque, venting their anger at local and regional authorities they blamed for failing to maintain the dams or to provide early warning of the disaster.</p>n<p>“Thieves and traitors must hang,” they shouted, before some protesters torched the house of the town’s unpopular mayor.</p>n<p>On Tuesday, phone and online links to Derna were severed, an outage the national telecom company LPTIC blamed on “a rupture in the optical fibre” link to Derna, in a statement on its Facebook page.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Climate change, conflict made floods more likely, says study</p>n</blockquote>n<p>The telecom company said the outage, which also affected other areas in eastern Libya, “could be the result of a deliberate act of sabotage” and pledged that “our teams are working to repair it as quickly as possible”.</p>n<p>Rescue workers have kept digging for bodies, with the official death toll at around 3,300 but many thousands more missing since the flood sparked by torrential rains from Mediterranean Storm Daniel.</p>n<p>‘Humanitarian disaster’</p>n<p>Climate change made torrential rains that triggered deadly flooding in Libya up to 50 times more likely, new research said on Tuesday, noting that conflict and poor dam maintenance turned extreme weather into a humanitarian disaster.</p>n<p>Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group said a deluge of the magnitude seen in north-eastern Libya was an event that occurred once every 300-600 years. They found that the rains were both more likely and heavier as a result of human-caused global warming, with up to 50 per cent more rain during the period.</p>n<p>In a report looking at floods linked to Storm Daniel that swept across large parts of the Mediterranean in early September, they found that climate change made the heavy rainfall up to 10 times more likely in Greece, Bulgaria and Turkiye and up to 50 times more likely in Libya.</p>n<p>But researchers stressed that other factors, including conflict and poor dam maintenance, turned the “extreme weather into a humanitarian disaster”.</p>n<p>To unpick the potential role of global warming in amplifying extreme events, the WWA scientists use climate data and computer modelling to compare today’s climate — with roughly 1.2 degrees Celsius of heating since pre-industrial times — to that of the past. WWA scientists are normally able to give a more precise estimate of the role climate change has played — or its absence — in a given event.</p>n<p>But in this case they said the study was limited by a lack of observation weather station data, particularly in Libya, and because the events occurred over small areas.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Scientists warn entire branches of the &amp;lsquo;Tree of Life&amp;rsquo; are going extinct

<p>WASHINGTON: Humans are driving the loss of entire branches of the “Tree of Life,” according to a new study published on Monday which warns of the threat of a sixth mass extinction.</p>n<p>“The extinction crisis is as bad as the climate change crisis. It is not recognised,” said Gerardo Ceballos, professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and co-author of the study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). “What is at stake is the future of mankind,” he said.</p>n<p>The study is unique because instead of merely examining the loss of a species, it examines the extinction of entire genera.</p>n<p>In the classification of living beings, the genus lies between the rank of species and that of family. For example, dogs are a species belonging to the genus canis — itself in the canid family.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Study finds 73 genera have disappeared in five centuries</p>n</blockquote>n<p>“It is a really significant contribution, I think the first time anyone has attempted to assess modern extinction rates at a level above the species,” Robert Cowie, a biologist at the University of Hawaii who was not involved in the study, said.</p>n<p>“As such it really demonstrates the loss of entire bran­ches of the Tree of Life,” a representation of living things first developed by Charles Darwin. The study shows that “we aren’t just trimming terminal twigs, but rather are taking a chainsaw to get rid of big branches,” agreed Anthony Barnosky, professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley.</p>n<h2><a id="73-extinct-genera" href="#73-extinct-genera" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>73 extinct genera</h2>n<p>The researchers relied largely on species listed as extinct by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They focused on vertebrate species (excluding fish), for which more data are available.</p>n<p>Of some 5,400 genera (comprising 34,600 species), they concluded that 73 had become extinct in the last 500 years — most of them in the last two centuries.</p>n<p>The researchers then compared this with the extinction rate estimated from the fossil record over the very long term. “Based on the extinction rate in the previous million years we would have expected to lose two genera. But we lost 73,” explained Ceballos.</p>n<p>That should have taken 18,000 years, not 500, the study estimated — though such estimates remain uncertain, as not all species are known and the fossil record remains incomplete.</p>n<p>The cause? Human activities, such as the destruction of habitats for crops or infrastructure, as well as overfishing, hunting and so on. The loss of one genus can have consequences for an entire ecosystem, argued Ceballos. “If you take one brick, the wall won’t collapse, he said. “You take many more, eventually the wall will collapse.</p>n<p>“Our worry is that … we’re losing things so fast, that for us it signals the collapse of civilisation.”</p>n<p>All experts agree that the current rate of extinction is alarming — but whether this represents the start of a sixth mass extinction (the last being the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago) remains a matter of debate.</p>n<p>Scientists broadly define a mass extinction as the loss of 75 per cent of species over a short period of time. Using that “arbitrary” definition, Cowie said, a sixth mass extinction has not yet occurred.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Michael Jackson moonwalk hat up for auction

<p>PARIS: Just before performing his famous moonwalk dance for the first time, Michael Jackson tossed his hat to the side of the stage. Four decades later, it’s up for auction in Paris.</p>nn<p>The sale at the Hotel Drouot in Paris takes place on September 26. The black fedora is expected to fetch between 60,000 and 100,000 euros ($64,000-$107,000).</p>nn<p>Though it is the star among some 200 items of rock memorabilia, organiser Arthur Perault of the Artpeges gallery admitted that valuations for Jackson items had fallen lately due to “the sale of fakes and the accusations against him”.</p>nn<p>Jackson has long been accused of child abuse, which his heirs still contest and which the singer denied up to his death in 2009 at the age of 50.</p>nn<p>The King of Pop whipped off the hat while breaking into his hit “Billie Jean” during a televised Motown concert in 1983, at the height of his fame.</p>nn<p>Moments later, Jackson showed off what would become his trademark move — the moonwalk — a seemingly effortless backwards glide while appearing to walk forwards.</p>nn<p>A man named Adam Kelly picked up Jackson’s hat, “thinking the singer’s staff would come to collect it but they didn’t”, said Perault.</p>nn<p>He held on to it for several years but it has since passed through a couple of private collectors on its way to Paris.</p>nn<p>Also being auctioned are a guitar owned by the legendary bluesman T-Bone Walker that could fetch up to 150,000 euros; a suit worn by Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore; and one of Madonna’s gold records.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Pakistan Business Council seeks a strategy to bolster competitiveness

<p>ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Business Council (PBC) has called upon the commerce ministry to devise a comprehensive package aimed at streamlining crucial factors such as electricity, gas, and labour to bolster the overall competitiveness of local industries.</p>nn<p>In a high-level meeting chaired by Caretaker Commerce Minister Gohar Ejaz, the PBC put forth its demands and a comprehensive discussion took place regarding the strategies and initiatives aimed at bolstering international trade, fostering export growth, and enhancing the overall business environment in Pakistan.</p>nn<p>An official announcement issued after the meeting said that the PBC proposed recommendations to tackle crucial challenges and capitalise on potential opportunities in the country’s economic sphere. The PBC highlighted various measures to address the prevailing issues in Pakistan’s economic landscape.</p>nn<p>The PBC underscored the significance of streamlining vital factors such as electricity, gas, and labour to boost the overall competitiveness of industries. The PBC emphasised the significance of the IT sector and urged shifting focus from commodities to value addition and branding.</p>nn<p>During the meeting, the participants delved into the topic of enhancing international trade and facilitating business operations.</p>nn<p>The minister Mr Ejaz expressed his unwavering commitment to fostering economic growth and facilitating trade. He assured that regional trade would be facilitated through proper channels to bolster regional economic ties. He called on the members of PBC to come forward and play their due role in formalising the economic activities. Mr Ejaz also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to combating smuggling activities, ensuring a level playing field for legitimate businesses. “I will visit every industrial city and make every industry functional,” he said.</p>nn<p>The commerce minister also outlined his commitment to opening up new markets, increasing IT exports, and promoting e-commerce to boost Pakistan’s GDP. He also mentioned plans for organizing trade exhibitions and securing concessions from trade partners.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Delhi finds few friends in furore over Sikh leader&amp;rsquo;s death

<p>• India expels Canadian diplomat in tit-for-tat move; US, UK, Australia call for thorough investigation of Ottawa’s claim<br />n• Washington ‘closely involved’ with gathering intel • Ex-Pakistan FM says India stands exposed</p>n<p>WASHINGTON: India on Tuesday <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776725/in-tit-for-tat-move-india-expels-canadian-diplomat-after-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-murder">expelled</a> a Canadian diplomat, a day after after PM Justin Trudeau <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776704/indian-envoy-expelled-as-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-death">accused</a> New Delhi of being involved in the assassination of a Sikh activist on Canadian soil.</p>n<p>“The concerned diplomat has been asked to leave India within the next five days,” it said in a statement. “The decision reflects Government of India’s growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities.”</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/1704000754783265107"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The tit-for-tat actions sent relations between the two otherwise friendly nations plunging, even as Canada insisted it was not trying to provoke India, rather it wanted the issue to be addressed properly.</p>n<p>“The government of India needs to take this matter with the utmost seriousness. We are doing that; we are not looking to provoke or escalate,” PM Trudeau told reporters on Tuesday.</p>n<p>Asked why Ottawa had spoken out now, Mr Trudeau said: “We wanted to make sure that we had a solid grounding in understanding what was going on … we wanted to make sure we were taking the time to talk with our allies.”</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed ‘>n <div class=’media__item media__item–youtube ‘><iframe src=’https://www.youtube.com/embed/T_jgZ2rsdDU?enablejsapi=1&controls=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0′ allowfullscreen=” frameborder=’0′ scrolling=’no’ width=’100%’ height=’100%’></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p><strong>US ‘closely involved’</strong></p>n<p>But since the Canadian PM’s speech before parliament on Monday, new information has come to light suggesting that the United States was ‘very closely’ involved in intelligence gathering that led authorities in Ottawa to conclude that Indian agents had been potentially involved in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia earlier this year.</p>n<p><em>Reuters</em> quoted a senior Can­adian government source as saying: “We’ve been working with the US very closely, inc­luding on the public disclosure yesterday,” the source said.</p>n<p>The evidence in Canada’s possession would be shared “in due course”, the official said.</p>n<p>In Washington, US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson told journalists the United States was “deeply concerned about the allegations referenced” by Prime Minister Trudeau.</p>n<p>“We remain in regular contact with our Canadian partners. It is critical that Canada’s investigation proceed and the perpetrators be brought to justice,” she added.</p>n<p><strong>Response from world capitals</strong></p>n<p>But while New Delhi looked to go on the offensive against Canada, the response from other world capitals was measured and more pro-Ottawa than India would’ve liked.</p>n<p>British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Tuesday his government backs a Canadian investigation to determine whether India was involved in Nijjar’s killing.</p>n<p>“I think it’s incredibly important that we allow the Canadian authorities to conduct their investigation,” said Cleverly, adding it would be “unhelpful” to speculate on their outcome.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesCleverly/status/1704160204739272930"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>In Canberra, a spokesperson for Australian foreign minister Wong said Australia is “deeply concerned by these allegations and notes ongoing investigations into this matter”.</p>n<p>“We are closely engaged with partners on developments. We have conveyed our concerns at senior levels to India,” said the Australian official.</p>n<p>Australia &amp; Canada are members of Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group, along with US, UK &amp; New Zealand.</p>n<p><strong>Centre-stage at UNGA</strong></p>n<p>Nijjar, 45, was <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/20/advocate-separate-sikh-state-india-shot-dead-canada-hardeep-singh-nijjar-temple">shot dead</a> outside a Sikh temple on June 18 in Surrey, which has a large Sikh population. He supported a Sikh homeland in the form of an independent Khalistan state and was designated by India as a “terrorist” in July 2020.</p>n<p>Michael Kugelman, a scholar of South Asian affairs at Wilson Center, Washington, said the UN General Assembly, which is currently holding its 78th session in New York, “could become centre-stage for the India-Canada crisis”.</p>n<p>He noted that PM Trudeau is scheduled to address the session later this week. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, is not attending the session.</p>n<p>“We’ll see if Trudeau repeats his allegations against India. Though the UNGA meetings also provide an opportunity for backchannel talks to try to ease tensions,” he said.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelKugelman/status/1704172775672312168"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Murtaza Haider, a professor of management at the Toronto Metropolitan University and an active member of Canada’s South Asian community, said the rift with India has more to do with Canada’s domestic politics than anything else.</p>n<p>“Trudeau is battling a declining approval rating and a rise in the popularity of Pierre Poilievre, the opposition leader.</p>n<p>The Punjabi Sikh community in Canada is a vibrant and sizeable community that exercises significant power in Canada’s electoral politics.“</p>n<p>“This may be an attempt to protect some swing ethnic ridings in the next elections, which are still a couple of years away,” Prof Haider added.</p>n<p>Tensions between India and Canada have been simmering over the unsolved slaying, and Indian unhappiness over how Ottawa has handled Sikh separatists.</p>n<p>Trudeau was in New Delhi last week for the G20 summit and met privately with his Indian counterpart, but his visit was a testament to the strained ties between their countries.</p>n<p>Canada also recently suspended negotiations for a free-trade agreement with India.</p>n<p><strong>India exposed, says Bilawal</strong></p>n<p>Commenting on the issue during an interaction with the media on Tuesday, former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776740/time-for-world-to-accept-india-is-rogue-hindutva-terrorist-state-bilawal-on-sikh-leaders-killing-in-canada">pleased</a> that India’s crimes on the international stage had been laid bare.</p>n<p>“India has been exposed before the world. How long will the international community, especially the West, continue to ignore such incidents and actions of India?</p>n<p>’’It is time for the international community to accept that India has become a rogue, Hindutva terrorist state,“ he said.</p>n<p>“Not only have we caught spies who were involved in terrorism in our country, they [India] have now been caught violating the sovereignty of a Nato-member state.</p>n<p>’’This is not only a violation of Canadian sovereignty, but international law and norms,“ Mr Bhutto-Zardari said.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–instagram media__item–relative’><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxX14CwihKR/?hl=en" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; 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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxX14CwihKR/?hl=en" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank"></a></p></div></blockquote><script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>n n </figure></p>n<p><em>Amjad Mahmood in Lahore also contributed to this report</em></p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Washington, Riyadh exploring mutual defence pact: New York Times

<p>AMERICAN and Saudi officials are discussing the terms of a mutual defence treaty that would resemble military pacts that the US has with allies such as Japan and South Korea — in a bid to get Saudi Arabia to normalise relations with Israel, the <em>New York Times</em> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/19/us/politics/biden-saudi-defense-treaty.html">reported</a>.</p>n<p>Under the agreement, both sides would pledge to provide military support if the other country is attacked, either in the region or on Saudi territory.</p>n<p>Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is also asking the Biden administration to help his country develop a civilian nuclear programme, which some US officials fear could be cover for a nuclear weapons program to counter Iran, according to an <em>NYT</em> report.</p>n<p>Any treaty with Saudi Arabia that is similar to the American pacts with other allies is sure to draw strong objections in Congress, since some lawmakers, including top Democrats, see the Saudi government as unreliable partners who care little about US interests or human rights.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Move part of Biden’s gambit to secure ‘normalisation’ of ties between Israel, S. Arabia</p>n</blockquote>n<p>An agreement would also raise questions about whether President Biden is getting the United States more militarily entwined with the Middle East, and would contradict his administration’s stated goal of reorienting American military resources and fighting capabilities away from the area and towards China.</p>n<p>Discussions between the US, Saudi Arabia and Israel have mainly revolved around MBS’ demands, and that diplomacy is expected to come up on Wednesday, when Biden meets with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.</p>n<p>During his speech at the UNGA on Tuesday, the US president mentioned the benefits of nations normalising ties with Israel.</p>n<p>The US military has bases and troops in both Japan and South Korea, but American officials say there are currently no serious discussions about having a large contingent stationed in Saudi Arabia under any new defence agreement.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–newskitlink ‘> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+’px’;}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1770922"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The separate defence treaties that the United States has with Japan and South Korea were forged after devastating wars in the mid-20th century and as the Cold War was intensifying, compelling the United States to stitch together alliances around the world to counter a global Soviet presence.</p>n<p>The Pentagon has just under 2,700 American troops in the kingdom, according to a letter the White House sent to Congress in June.</p>n<p>The US president’s <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1758215/s-arabia-israel-should-normalise-ties-blinken">push for a Saudi-Israel deal</a> is a gambit that, not long ago, would have been hard to imagine. He pledged during his 2020 presidential campaign to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah”.</p>n<p>But American officials have said a diplomatic agreement would be an important symbol in the defusing of Arab-Israeli tensions and could also have geopolitical significance for Washington. Bringing Saudi Arabia closer to the United States, they argue, could pull the kingdom farther from China’s orbit and blunt Beijing’s efforts to expand its influence in the Middle East.</p>n<p>In a public appearance last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel would be a “transformative event in the Middle East and well beyond.” But he said that getting the parties to an agreement “remains a difficult proposition” and that a deal was far from certain.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/AlArabiya_Eng/status/1703023427332768190"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The State Department declined to comment on details of the discussions for this article, <em>NYT</em> said.</p>n<p>In recent months, White House officials have given briefings about the negotiations to influential Democratic lawmakers, whom the administration needs to persuade to approve the treaty.</p>n<p>A majority of Senate Democrats have voted on multiple occasions to restrict Washington’s arms sales and other security cooperation with Riyadh, objecting to the Saudi bombing campaign in Yemen and the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, a murder that American spy agencies have judged was ordered by MBS, even though the crown prince has denied direct involvement.</p>n<p>The Saudi-led war in Yemen, which began in 2015, resulted in mass killings of civilians and what the United Nations called “the worst man-made humanitarian crisis in the world”.</p>n<p>Democratic lawmakers are also pressing the Biden administration on reports that Saudi border forces recently <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1771383">killed hundreds</a> or thousands of African migrants who were trying to cross from Yemen. Human Rights Watch released a report in August on the atrocities. Saudi Arabia maintains the reports are “unfounded”.</p>n<p>Michael Green, a former director at the National Security Council under President George W. Bush, told <em>NYT</em> the treaties with Japan and South Korea were “pretty ironclad” in terms of a US military commitment in the event of hostilities.</p>n<p>The arrangement with Japan is more straightforward — being a defeated and demilitarized nation from World War II when the treaty was signed, American officials at the time did not envision another country attacking Japan or vice versa, Mr Green said.</p>n<p>Because of the constant tensions in the Middle East — and the fact that Saudi Arabia is involved in a war in Yemen — getting a Japan-style treaty approved would probably involve clearing “a much higher political bar,” he added.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Timeline for PIA privatisation agreed

<p>ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the Privatisation Commission on Tuesday discussed privatisation of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and agreed a clear timeline for the purpose. </p>nn<p>The meeting, presided over by Minister for Privatisation Fawad Hasan Fawad, was held to meet the target set by the caretaker prime minister and the federal cabinet for PIA’s privatisation. </p>nn<p>The privatisation minister held detailed discussions with different stakeholders, including the PIA management and the aviation division focusing on restructuring of PIA leading to the privatisation process. </p>nn<p>However, no details of the proposed timeline, were mentioned in the press release issued by the Privatisation Comm­ission.</p>nn<p>Earlier, Mr Fawad held a meeting with Finance Minister Dr Shamshad Akhtar and discussed important economic and fiscal matters and exchanged valuable insights and ideas on the privatisation agenda.</p>nn<p>The Cabinet Committee on Privatisation (CCoP) at its meeting on September 6 had decided to form a technical committee for the resolution of bottlenecks in the way of privatisation and restructuring of PIA, and had asked the aviation division to work with the privatisation commission to present a detailed action plan to the CCoP with clear timeline framework in a sequence.</p>nn<p>The PIA is fully dependent on the government, the finance ministry and credits from the financial institutions to meet its operational requirements.</p>nn<p>The airline has recently negotiated fresh credit facilities from financial institutions under the government of Pakistan guarantee limit.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Heavy rain in Lahore causes urban flooding again

<p>LAHORE: Lahore received hours of heavy rain on Tuesday, resulting in urban flooding across the city. The downpour, which began at about 5am disrupted daily life for residents, leading to school closures, office delays and transportation chaos. </p>nn<p>While the rain brought a change to the weather, it simultaneously posed challenges, bringing the city to a standstill in some areas. </p>nn<p>The Met Office data showed that the highest rainfall was recorded in the airport area, with 193mm of rainfall while Tajpura received 190mm, Nishtar Town 174mm, Gulshan-i-Ravi 162mm, Gulberg 158mm, Johar Town 135mm and Iqbal Town 126mm. </p>nn<p>The heavy rain led to inundation of low-lying areas, impeding the movement of citizens. Neighborhoods like Gulberg, Barkat Market, Kalma Chowk, Model Town, Faisal Town, Johar Town, Garden Town, and Township experienced severe flooding. The road from Barkat Market to Kalma Chowk remained closed for traffic for hours. Additionally, major arteries of the city, including Lower Mall, Jain Mandir, Anarkali, Mall Road, Walton Road, MG Chowk, GC University turnaround, Data Sahib, Timber Market, GPO Chowk and Lytton Road, were submerged under water, leading to severe traffic congestion. </p>nn<p>The rainwater entered homes and shops and about 100 electricity feeders of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) tripped, leaving many areas without power for hours. </p>nn<p>The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and the district administration officials claimed that rainwater had been drained from most areas of the city. </p>nn<p>Wasa MD Ghufran Ahmad said the officials were working to clear some of the low-lying areas while the commissioner was visiting different areas to monitor working of disposal stations. </p>nn<p>Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Imran Qureshi issued directives to all deputy commissioners across the province, urging them to be vigilant. </p>nn<p>Rescue 1122 reported three people, including two women, sustained injuries when the roof of their two-storey house collapsed near Old Airport due to the rain. Furthermore, during the past 24 hours, Lahore saw 304 traffic accidents, resulting in injuries to 317 individuals. </p>nn<p>Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Mustansar Feroze stated that additional traffic police personnel were deployed on the roads to assist citizens during the rain. </p>nn<p>Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi issued directives to ensure the drainage of rainwater from low-lying areas. </p>nn<p>The Met Office has predicted more rainfall for Punjab in the next 48 hours.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

UN chief Guterres wants institutional reform to cope with changing world

<p>• In ‘Ukraine-centric’ opening, Biden and Zelensky call on nations to deter Russia’s aggression<br />n• PM Kakar meets Iranian president, attends GDI forum</p>n<p>UNITED NATIONS: Antonio Guterres had some strong words for participating nations as the United Nations General Assembly got under way on Tuesday, calling for sweeping changes to multilateral institutions, including reforms in the UN Security Council, and a restructuring of global financial systems.</p>n<p>Although major figures such as US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zele­nsky focused primarily on Russia’s war in Ukraine, the focus on the war has also drawn criticism from developing countries who believe it has distracted the West, especially from other urgent priorities.</p>n<p>“Our world is becoming unhinged. Geopolitical tensions are rising. Global challenges are mounting. And we seem incapable of coming together to respond,” the UN secretary-general said.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/antonioguterres/status/1704160396112810001"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>He opened the General Assembly with a bleak speech highlighting the recent floods that killed thousands in Derna, Libya.</p>n<p>“The world has changed. Our institutions have not. We cannot effectively address problems as they are if institutions don’t reflect the world as it is. Instead of solving problems, they risk becoming part of the problem,” he said, calling on world leaders to show and not merely more words to deal with the worsening climate emergency, escalating conflicts, dramatic technological disruptions and a global cost-of-living crisis that was increasing hunger and poverty around the world.</p>n<p>In his speech, US President Joe Biden focused on Russia’s war in Ukraine, warning the world: “If we abandon the core principles of the UN Charter to appease an aggressor, can any member state in this body feel confident that they are protected? If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure?”</p>n<p>“We must stand up to this naked aggression today to deter other would-be aggressors tomorrow,” he said, calling on nations to stand with Ukraine against Russian invaders.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1704204019437089024"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Wearing his trademark military fatigues, Volodymyr Zelensky also joined the annual UN General Assembly and said that Moscow had to be pushed back so the world could turn to solving pressing global challenges.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1704196787727216825"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p><strong>Pakistan contingent</strong></p>n<p> <figure class=’media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch media–uneven media–stretch’>n <div class=’media__item ‘><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class=’media__caption ‘>Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, US climate envoy John Kerry and Secretary of State Antony Blinken are seen in the audience during US President Joe Biden’s speech; while (right) caretaker PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar sits alongside the Pakistan contingent.—AFP/INP</figcaption>n </figure></p>n<p>Meanwhile, the Pak­istan contingent at the UN, led by caretaker PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar, held a number of meetings on the sidelines of the UNGA.</p>n<p>According to the PM Office, he held a bilateral meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, where the two discussed the possibilities of enhancing cooperation in the economic domain.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/PakPMO/status/1704183330961510486"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Separately, the caretaker PM also participated in a high-level meeting on Global Development Initiative Cooperation Outcomes.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/PakPMO/status/1704191990269665526"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Michael Jackson&amp;rsquo;s moonwalk hat up for auction

<p>PARIS: Just before performing his famous moonwalk dance for the first time, Michael Jackson tossed his hat to the side of the stage. Four decades later, it’s up for auction in Paris.</p>nn<p>The sale at the Hotel Drouot in Paris takes place on September 26. The black fedora is expected to fetch between 60,000 and 100,000 euros ($64,000-$107,000).</p>nn<p>Though it is the star among some 200 items of rock memorabilia, organiser Arthur Perault of the Artpeges gallery admitted that valuations for Jackson items had fallen lately due to “the sale of fakes and the accusations against him”.</p>nn<p>Jackson has long been accused of child abuse, which his heirs still contest and which the singer denied up to his death in 2009 at the age of 50.</p>nn<p>The King of Pop whipped off the hat while breaking into his hit “Billie Jean” during a televised Motown concert in 1983, at the height of his fame.</p>nn<p>Moments later, Jackson showed off what would become his trademark move — the moonwalk — a seemingly effortless backwards glide while appearing to walk forwards.</p>nn<p>A man named Adam Kelly picked up Jackson’s hat, “thinking the singer’s staff would come to collect it but they didn’t”, said Perault.</p>nn<p>He held on to it for several years but it has since passed through a couple of private collectors on its way to Paris.</p>nn<p>Also being auctioned are a guitar owned by the legendary bluesman T-Bone Walker that could fetch up to 150,000 euros; a suit worn by Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore; and one of Madonna’s gold records.</p>nn<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Delhi finds few friends in furore over Sikh leader&amp;rsquo;s death

<p>• India expels Canadian diplomat in tit-for-tat move; US, UK, Australia call for thorough investigation of Ottawa’s claim<br />n• Washington ‘closely involved’ with gathering intel • Ex-Pakistan FM says India stands exposed</p>n<p>WASHINGTON: India on Tuesday <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776725/in-tit-for-tat-move-india-expels-canadian-diplomat-after-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-murder">expelled</a> a Canadian diplomat, a day after after PM Justin Trudeau <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776704/indian-envoy-expelled-as-pm-trudeau-links-delhi-to-sikh-leaders-death">accused</a> New Delhi of being involved in the assassination of a Sikh activist on Canadian soil.</p>n<p>“The concerned diplomat has been asked to leave India within the next five days,” it said in a statement. “The decision reflects Government of India’s growing concern at the interference of Canadian diplomats in our internal matters and their involvement in anti-India activities.”</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/1704000754783265107"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The tit-for-tat actions sent relations between the two otherwise friendly nations plunging, even as Canada insisted it was not trying to provoke India, rather it wanted the issue to be addressed properly.</p>n<p>“The government of India needs to take this matter with the utmost seriousness. We are doing that; we are not looking to provoke or escalate,” PM Trudeau told reporters on Tuesday.</p>n<p>Asked why Ottawa had spoken out now, Mr Trudeau said: “We wanted to make sure that we had a solid grounding in understanding what was going on … we wanted to make sure we were taking the time to talk with our allies.”</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed ‘>n <div class=’media__item media__item–youtube ‘><iframe src=’https://www.youtube.com/embed/T_jgZ2rsdDU?enablejsapi=1&controls=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0′ allowfullscreen=” frameborder=’0′ scrolling=’no’ width=’100%’ height=’100%’></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p><strong>US ‘closely involved’</strong></p>n<p>But since the Canadian PM’s speech before parliament on Monday, new information has come to light suggesting that the United States was ‘very closely’ involved in intelligence gathering that led authorities in Ottawa to conclude that Indian agents had been potentially involved in the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia earlier this year.</p>n<p><em>Reuters</em> quoted a senior Can­adian government source as saying: “We’ve been working with the US very closely, inc­luding on the public disclosure yesterday,” the source said.</p>n<p>The evidence in Canada’s possession would be shared “in due course”, the official said.</p>n<p>In Washington, US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson told journalists the United States was “deeply concerned about the allegations referenced” by Prime Minister Trudeau.</p>n<p>“We remain in regular contact with our Canadian partners. It is critical that Canada’s investigation proceed and the perpetrators be brought to justice,” she added.</p>n<p><strong>Response from world capitals</strong></p>n<p>But while New Delhi looked to go on the offensive against Canada, the response from other world capitals was measured and more pro-Ottawa than India would’ve liked.</p>n<p>British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Tuesday his government backs a Canadian investigation to determine whether India was involved in Nijjar’s killing.</p>n<p>“I think it’s incredibly important that we allow the Canadian authorities to conduct their investigation,” said Cleverly, adding it would be “unhelpful” to speculate on their outcome.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesCleverly/status/1704160204739272930"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>In Canberra, a spokesperson for Australian foreign minister Wong said Australia is “deeply concerned by these allegations and notes ongoing investigations into this matter”.</p>n<p>“We are closely engaged with partners on developments. We have conveyed our concerns at senior levels to India,” said the Australian official.</p>n<p>Australia &amp; Canada are members of Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group, along with US, UK &amp; New Zealand.</p>n<p><strong>Centre-stage at UNGA</strong></p>n<p>Nijjar, 45, was <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/20/advocate-separate-sikh-state-india-shot-dead-canada-hardeep-singh-nijjar-temple">shot dead</a> outside a Sikh temple on June 18 in Surrey, which has a large Sikh population. He supported a Sikh homeland in the form of an independent Khalistan state and was designated by India as a “terrorist” in July 2020.</p>n<p>Michael Kugelman, a scholar of South Asian affairs at Wilson Center, Washington, said the UN General Assembly, which is currently holding its 78th session in New York, “could become centre-stage for the India-Canada crisis”.</p>n<p>He noted that PM Trudeau is scheduled to address the session later this week. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, is not attending the session.</p>n<p>“We’ll see if Trudeau repeats his allegations against India. Though the UNGA meetings also provide an opportunity for backchannel talks to try to ease tensions,” he said.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelKugelman/status/1704172775672312168"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>Murtaza Haider, a professor of management at the Toronto Metropolitan University and an active member of Canada’s South Asian community, said the rift with India has more to do with Canada’s domestic politics than anything else.</p>n<p>“Trudeau is battling a declining approval rating and a rise in the popularity of Pierre Poilievre, the opposition leader.</p>n<p>The Punjabi Sikh community in Canada is a vibrant and sizeable community that exercises significant power in Canada’s electoral politics.“</p>n<p>“This may be an attempt to protect some swing ethnic ridings in the next elections, which are still a couple of years away,” Prof Haider added.</p>n<p>Tensions between India and Canada have been simmering over the unsolved slaying, and Indian unhappiness over how Ottawa has handled Sikh separatists.</p>n<p>Trudeau was in New Delhi last week for the G20 summit and met privately with his Indian counterpart, but his visit was a testament to the strained ties between their countries.</p>n<p>Canada also recently suspended negotiations for a free-trade agreement with India.</p>n<p><strong>India exposed, says Bilawal</strong></p>n<p>Commenting on the issue during an interaction with the media on Tuesday, former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776740/time-for-world-to-accept-india-is-rogue-hindutva-terrorist-state-bilawal-on-sikh-leaders-killing-in-canada">pleased</a> that India’s crimes on the international stage had been laid bare.</p>n<p>“India has been exposed before the world. How long will the international community, especially the West, continue to ignore such incidents and actions of India?</p>n<p>’’It is time for the international community to accept that India has become a rogue, Hindutva terrorist state,“ he said.</p>n<p>“Not only have we caught spies who were involved in terrorism in our country, they [India] have now been caught violating the sovereignty of a Nato-member state.</p>n<p>’’This is not only a violation of Canadian sovereignty, but international law and norms,“ Mr Bhutto-Zardari said.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–instagram media__item–relative’><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxX14CwihKR/?hl=en" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; 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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxX14CwihKR/?hl=en" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank"></a></p></div></blockquote><script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>n n </figure></p>n<p><em>Amjad Mahmood in Lahore also contributed to this report</em></p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>

Washington, Riyadh exploring mutual defence pact: New York Times

<p>AMERICAN and Saudi officials are discussing the terms of a mutual defence treaty that would resemble military pacts that the US has with allies such as Japan and South Korea — in a bid to get Saudi Arabia to normalise relations with Israel, the <em>New York Times</em> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/19/us/politics/biden-saudi-defense-treaty.html">reported</a>.</p>n<p>Under the agreement, both sides would pledge to provide military support if the other country is attacked, either in the region or on Saudi territory.</p>n<p>Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is also asking the Biden administration to help his country develop a civilian nuclear programme, which some US officials fear could be cover for a nuclear weapons program to counter Iran, according to an <em>NYT</em> report.</p>n<p>Any treaty with Saudi Arabia that is similar to the American pacts with other allies is sure to draw strong objections in Congress, since some lawmakers, including top Democrats, see the Saudi government as unreliable partners who care little about US interests or human rights.</p>n<blockquote class="blockquote-level-1">n<p>Move part of Biden’s gambit to secure ‘normalisation’ of ties between Israel, S. Arabia</p>n</blockquote>n<p>An agreement would also raise questions about whether President Biden is getting the United States more militarily entwined with the Middle East, and would contradict his administration’s stated goal of reorienting American military resources and fighting capabilities away from the area and towards China.</p>n<p>Discussions between the US, Saudi Arabia and Israel have mainly revolved around MBS’ demands, and that diplomacy is expected to come up on Wednesday, when Biden meets with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.</p>n<p>During his speech at the UNGA on Tuesday, the US president mentioned the benefits of nations normalising ties with Israel.</p>n<p>The US military has bases and troops in both Japan and South Korea, but American officials say there are currently no serious discussions about having a large contingent stationed in Saudi Arabia under any new defence agreement.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–newskitlink ‘> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+’px’;}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1770922"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The separate defence treaties that the United States has with Japan and South Korea were forged after devastating wars in the mid-20th century and as the Cold War was intensifying, compelling the United States to stitch together alliances around the world to counter a global Soviet presence.</p>n<p>The Pentagon has just under 2,700 American troops in the kingdom, according to a letter the White House sent to Congress in June.</p>n<p>The US president’s <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1758215/s-arabia-israel-should-normalise-ties-blinken">push for a Saudi-Israel deal</a> is a gambit that, not long ago, would have been hard to imagine. He pledged during his 2020 presidential campaign to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah”.</p>n<p>But American officials have said a diplomatic agreement would be an important symbol in the defusing of Arab-Israeli tensions and could also have geopolitical significance for Washington. Bringing Saudi Arabia closer to the United States, they argue, could pull the kingdom farther from China’s orbit and blunt Beijing’s efforts to expand its influence in the Middle East.</p>n<p>In a public appearance last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel would be a “transformative event in the Middle East and well beyond.” But he said that getting the parties to an agreement “remains a difficult proposition” and that a deal was far from certain.</p>n<p> <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘><span>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/AlArabiya_Eng/status/1703023427332768190"></a>n </blockquote>n</span></div>n n </figure></p>n<p>The State Department declined to comment on details of the discussions for this article, <em>NYT</em> said.</p>n<p>In recent months, White House officials have given briefings about the negotiations to influential Democratic lawmakers, whom the administration needs to persuade to approve the treaty.</p>n<p>A majority of Senate Democrats have voted on multiple occasions to restrict Washington’s arms sales and other security cooperation with Riyadh, objecting to the Saudi bombing campaign in Yemen and the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, a murder that American spy agencies have judged was ordered by MBS, even though the crown prince has denied direct involvement.</p>n<p>The Saudi-led war in Yemen, which began in 2015, resulted in mass killings of civilians and what the United Nations called “the worst man-made humanitarian crisis in the world”.</p>n<p>Democratic lawmakers are also pressing the Biden administration on reports that Saudi border forces recently <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1771383">killed hundreds</a> or thousands of African migrants who were trying to cross from Yemen. Human Rights Watch released a report in August on the atrocities. Saudi Arabia maintains the reports are “unfounded”.</p>n<p>Michael Green, a former director at the National Security Council under President George W. Bush, told <em>NYT</em> the treaties with Japan and South Korea were “pretty ironclad” in terms of a US military commitment in the event of hostilities.</p>n<p>The arrangement with Japan is more straightforward — being a defeated and demilitarized nation from World War II when the treaty was signed, American officials at the time did not envision another country attacking Japan or vice versa, Mr Green said.</p>n<p>Because of the constant tensions in the Middle East — and the fact that Saudi Arabia is involved in a war in Yemen — getting a Japan-style treaty approved would probably involve clearing “a much higher political bar,” he added.</p>n<p><em>Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023</em></p>