g Senate passes bill with two-third majority after cabinet ’s approval; PTI refrains from voting
PTI boycott voting for ‘controversial and non-transparent’ constitutional amendments ISLAMABAD S TA F F
Broke fangs of black snake concer ning constitutional amendment: Fazl
The political committee asserted that the current regime has no moral democratic or constitutional justification for altering the constitution The statement accused the ruling coalition of imposing the law of the jungle through amendments, which the party believes undermines democracy
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday decided against becoming part of the voting process for constitutional amendments though later attended the sessions in both the houses of the Parliament – Senate and National Assembly – with few members to express their concerns During a meeting chaired by Barrister Gohar the PTI s political committee decided not to participate in what they deemed a highly controversial and non-transparent amendment process According to the statement issued after the political committee meeting the PTI will fully boycott the voting on constitutional amendments in both the Senate and the National Assembly The party also decided to protest vigorously against any PTI members who would violate party policy by participating in the voting process
26th amendment sets Jan 2028 deadline to end Riba, paves way for interest-free banking
Islamic and interest-free banking system in the country as the economic system of an Islamic country like Pakistan should be free of interest Justice Dr Syed Muhammad Anwer read out the verdict that was reserved by a three-member bench of the Federal Shariat Court The verdict stated that abolition of Riba is fundamental for an Islamic system adding that any transaction involving Riba is wrong
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F)
chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday stated that the coalition had effectively neutralised opposition to the constitutional amendment Speaking to the media alongside Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan he remarked “Overall we have broken the fangs of the black snake
areas this year
According to the PEI officials in Islamabad, Sindh is experiencing an increase in virus transmission, particularly after multiple environmental samples from Mirpurkhas tested positive for WPV1 earlier this year After Balochistan recorded 20 cases Sindh has now confirmed 12 while five have been diagnosed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and one each in Punjab and
Islamabad At least three children have also died due to the disease this year in Pakistan according to National EOC sources These victims belonged to Karachi and Balochistan The NEOC officials said the child Abdullah, who died of poliovirus hailed from Karachi s Bin Qasim Town in the Malir district while the other two children belonged to Balochistan’s Killa Saifullah and Quetta
On the other hand a nationwide polio vaccination drive is set to commence on October 25, aiming to immunize over 4 5 million children across Pakistan
According to sources, the campaign will be conducted in three phases, starting from Sindh province The first phase will begin on October 25 in Sindh followed by the second phase on October 28 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa The third phase will commence on November 11 in Punjab Balochistan and
concerning the constitutional amendment Fazl expressed his support for the PTI’s decision to abstain from voting due to the alleged mistreatment of its members stating “If PTI is not participating in the vote because of violence against its members, I stand with them He also extended his gratitude to PTI for their cooperation, adding “We have worked together with great effort but we cannot impose decisions on
ness also plays a
Earlier Rehman had assured the government that his
would support the constitutional amendment in parliament
K I S TA N , U N A G E N C I E S J O I N H A N D S A G A I N S T F O O D I N S E C U R I T Y
traders will be discussed to amicably solve the same Jalil Jan said the SCCI delegation would present effective suggestions and recommendations for solutions to the traders problems
for a free wheat market: Agriculturalists push for
mechanism
M o N i to R i N g D e s k
Agriculturalists and business leaders are urging the government to establish a free market for wheat to eliminate confusion and enable farmers to receive fair prices for their harvests Ahmad Jawad Chairman of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry s (FPCCI) Central Standing Committee on Agriculture, noted that the food department recently informed the Punjab government that a support price of Rs3 000 per maund (40 kg) was deemed viable and could stabilize flour prices in the province Jawad warned If this occurs farmers may take to the streets again The Punjab government should avoid announcing an unrealistic support price for the upcoming wheat crop ” He emphasized that the support
price represents a costly subsidy, draining hundreds of billions of rupees each year Introduced in 1968, this system benefits banks the government and flour mills but often neglects the average farmer Describing the wheat support price as a larger issue than commonly understood, he explained that government procurement is intended to encourage farmers to grow this essential crop by offering them a price higher than the market rate However provincial governments frequently resort to borrowing from commercial banks to finance these operations Jawad called on the Punjab government to provide seeds and fertilizers at competitive prices to small farmers with landholdings of up to 10 acres suggesting that this would incentivize increased wheat production to meet the needs of a growing population instead of relying on unrealistic support prices
Floods destroy 1.1mn tonnes of rice in Bangladesh
He also stressed the importance of strengthening the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFSR) stating that although agriculture is a provincial matter the ministry plays a vital role in managing imports and exports including wheat
Recent crises in the wheat market have revealed the ministry s limitations, leading to adverse effects for both producers and consumers
Strengthening the ministry will facilitate better management of essential agricultural resources and create more stable markets, Jawad stated Despite the immense growth potential of Pakistan’s agricultural sector, it remains hindered by inefficiencies an outdated product mix and significant losses during transportation storage and marketing Fortunately both domestic and international technologies are available that could rapidly enhance productivity
him white-ball captain Mohsin Naqvi, though, won t last as long as PCB chief So long as Mian Shehbaz Sharif is PM, there he is, but as soon as he is not out he goes And he’d better make sure he remind on the same page Of course one of the problems is that we have the wrong man behind the stumps Instead of Rizwan, we should have Azam Khan He might compete with Shan for being on the same page if Pakistan ever needed two or three PMs, but
otherwise he would be happy enough just to be in the team You see if Azam Khan could be persuaded to jump up and down while appealing and then told to appeal for everything, there would soon be huge cracks on the pitch, and even part-time spinners could get enough turn to bamboozle the Englishmen With him around, you
PUNJAB CM GREENLIGHTS ESTABLISHMENT OF THREE PROVINCIAL AUTHORITIES
LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t
PU N J A B Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Sunday approved the establishment of three provincial authorities to govern development water and sanitation and horticulture sectors
Presiding over a special meeting, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said that these authorities will be formed after proper legislation These authorities will be responsible for finalizing plans and policies at the provincial level while development water and sanitation and horticulture agencies will ensure the implementation of these
JI accuses PML-N of seeking judiciar y control through amendment
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman criticized the ongoing political tussle over the 26th constitutional amendment, suggesting that the central government s real aim is to control the judiciary In a pointed message on social media platform X the JI emir sarcastically commended all political factions writing well done all in reference to their united efforts Naeemur Rehman remarked that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman of the Pakistan People s Party (PPP), claimed to have secured full agreement from Maulana Fazlur Rehman on the constitutional amendment The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman similarly declared consensus with the Maulana while PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah stated that Maulana Fazlur Rehman endorsed the government’s draft of the proposed amendment Hafiz Naeemur Rehman interpreted these developments as an orchestrated effort to ensure that Justice Mansoor Ali Shah the most senior judge would not be appointed as the next Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) He criticized all involved parties, sarcastically concluding that the government’s actions revealed an intention to control the judiciary Meanwhile the PTI has announced its decision to boycott the voting process for the constitutional amendment Despite this the coalition government remains determined to pass the amendment, no matter the opposition, in today’s session
NA speaker bans mobile video recording in press gallery ahead of key session
ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t
National Assembly (NA) Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has imposed a ban on recording mobile videos from the press gallery just ahead of a crucial session of the house The ruling announced on Sunday, prohibits journalists from using cell phones to capture videos during the assembly proceedings from the gallery During the session Speaker Sadiq directly addressed the press stating Please refrain from making mobile videos from the press gallery as part of the newly enforced restrictions Both the Senate and National Assembly sessions are scheduled to resume today at Parliament House, Islamabad The ongoing constitutional amendments which were initially set for presentation during the delayed sessions have been deferred to Sunday (today) On Saturday JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman s residence became the hub of political activity, with high-profile visits from Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and BNP (Mengal) leader Akhtar Mengal The National Assembly session, which commenced after a significant delay, lasted only a few minutes, while the Senate session started three hours late, with several key government lawmakers notably absent
plans and policies of these authorities
The meeting reviewed proposals for the establishment of Governing Boards and Director Generals for the provincial authorities along with the appointment of Management Boards and Managing Directors at the local level During the meeting Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz directed to switch streetlights to solar energy on a priority basis Prominent among those who attended the meeting included Provincial Ministers Bilal Yaseen, Zeeshan Rafiq, the Punjab chief secretary, principal secretary, relevant secretaries and other provincial government officials Punjab Secretary for Housing and Horticulture attended the meeting via video link
‘PUNJAB
PREPARING FOR ARTIFICIAL RAIN TO COMBAT SMOG’
7
PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah Khan has stated that dialogue is not aligned with the political approach of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) emphasizing that the party has consistently avoided consensus-building efforts Speaking as the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs, Sanaullah remarked, It is my firm belief that the PTI cannot be convinced Dialogue and consensus are simply not part of PTI s politics He further criticized the PTI s behavior over the past decade suggesting
The Punjab government has finalized preparations for inducing artificial rain in a bid to tackle the growing smog crisis as winter approaches, announced Punjab’s senior minister Marriyum Aurangzeb She stated that resources have been allocated for this initiative under the direction of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz A single session of artificial rain will cost between 5 to 7 million rupees, Marriyum shared, adding that the rain will be induced with the assistance of the Meteorological Department The artificial rain process will adhere to international standards, and Marriyum urged the public to participate in the collective effort to successfully mitigate the smog issue It s important to note that on December 16 2023 the Punjab government conducted a trial for artificial rain through cloud-seeding over a limited area in Lahore to reduce smog The experiment carried out with the help of the UAE resulted in rainfall over approximately 10 percent of Lahore At that time, the caretaker CM Mohsin Naqvi reported that 48 flares
they have been disingenuous in their political engagements “They are saying one thing publicly and pretending to be consulting but their actions suggest otherwise Sanaullah said highlighting the inconsistency in their approach Sanaullah also expressed support for JUI-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman though he hinted that the PTI may be deceiving him in negotiations I pray for Maulana s success but they are tricking him he added Meanwhile, JUI-F has reportedly asked for additional time to carefully review the proposed constitutional amendments Sources revealed that the party has expressed concerns about
pushing the amendments through too hastily advising the government to avoid making any rushed decisions During a recent meeting the final draft of the amendment was presented to Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who suggested that more time was needed for thorough consultation on the implications of the changes In a related development the PTI s Political Committee has announced its decision to boycott the voting process for the constitutional amendments in both the National Assembly and Senate According to an official statement, the party also intends to protest against any PTI lawmakers who participate in the voting process
‘Much-touted’ 26th constitutional amendment bulldozed through Parliament with ‘two-third majority ’
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01
Therefore, we have instructed PTI members not to become part of this process he said S E
T Y: After many rounds of talks over the proposed constitutional amendment package the senate finally passed all the 22 clauses of the 26th amendment bill with a two-third majority As many as 65 votes were cast in favour and four against the 26th constitutional bill presented by Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar in the session, chaired by Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani Tarar said all political parties including the opposition were consulted over the constitutional amendment bill
In his speech, Law Minister Tarar said that a committee was formed on the speaker's direction to review the constitutional amendment bill and it was thoroughly examined The bill has been included in the supplementary agenda so it should be taken up He then explained that the procedure for appointing judges was introduced in the 18th Constitutional Amendment to ensure transparency in the appointment of judges to the higher judiciary and a parliamentary committee was formed for this purpose He added that the parliamentary committee was given the authority to block any nomination A petition was filed in the Supreme Court regarding this and the 19th Amendment was hastily introduced changing the composition of the commission resulting in members leaning toward a particular institution
Meanwhile seven PTI supported Independent MNAs reached the National Assembly session to support the constitutional amendments Bill 2024 The lawmakers include: Zain Qureshi, Zahoor Qureshi, Aslam Ghuman Usman Ali Riaz Fatyana Mukhtar Hussain Chaudhry Ilyas Au-
rangzeb Kachhi Murad Zeeshan Khan and Aniqa Mehdi PTI has reportedly lost contact with 11 of its lawmakers including 2 senators and 9 members of the National Assembly (MNAs) Opposition leader Omar Ayub had confirmed yesterday night that “they have lost contact with 7 lawmakers while PTI chairman Barrister Gohar stated that he has lost contact with 2 Senators Earlier, PTI Political Committee announced boycott of the voting process for constitutional amendments in both houses
F: JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman termed the passage of the 26th Constitutional Amendment was the result of a month-long struggle Speaking to the media outside Parliament he said that there was a significant difference between the earlier and final drafts of the Amendment He was of the view that consensus had been reached through dialogue in the Constitution (Twenty Sixth Amendment) He explained that the objective of the Amendment was to strengthen the Constitution and the legal framework
In response to a question, the JUI-F chief said all judges are respectable to us, and we do not aim to make anyone
AMENDMENT: Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Akhtar Mengal has instructed the party's two senators to resign immediately after they voted in favour of the 26th Constitutional Amendment in the Senate Mengal warned Senator Naseema Ehsan and Senator Qasim Ronjho of expulsion from the party if they fail to tender resignations by Monday (tomorrow) The two BNP-M senators had supported the government s amendment which passed with a two-thirds majority gaining 65 votes Senator Ehsan arrived in the Senate wearing a face mask, while Ronjho was brought in a wheelchair Although ef-
forts were made to seat them with government members they returned to the opposition benches Earlier, Speaking informally to reporters at the Parliament House, Mengal said his party has lost contact with its senators "We are here to find our senators We ve checked their lodges but they are not there he stated Mengal speculated that his party s two senators might be at Jati Umra, Bilawal House, or Aabpara, adding, "But they certainly can’t be in Bani Gala " The comments came as Pakistan's federal cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved the draft of the 26th constitutional amendment Speaking to the media outside Parliament House after session, Mengal stated, "What you have witnessed today is a disgraceful joke, played with the country’s parliament and constitution " He questioned the motive behind the amendments asking Which forces are being appeased by these changes? Will these amendments improve Pakistan’s economic situation? Will they address the longstanding injustices faced by the smaller provinces?"
Former Federal Minister and Senator Faisal Vawda on Sunday hailed the passage of the 26th constitutional amendment as a “historic success” and expressed satisfaction over the high number of votes it received
Speaking to the media outside Parliament House, he revealed that he had refused to meet PTI founder following the events of May 9 in Lahore He said that the people of Pakistan would now witness progress prosperity and development as a result of the amendment He also criticized the current PTI leadership for leading the party s founder into its present difficulties, adding, “Had Imran Khan listened to me at that time, he would be in a much better position today instead of being in jail In response to a question about PTI s founder Vawda expressed skepticism about the possibility of any relief for him
task today under any circumstances Earlier in the day, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said that proposals of JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman have been incorporated in the draft which was presented to the cabinet for approval Talking to media along with Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, the Law Minister said he apprised the Federal Cabinet about the threadbare discussion on the constitutional amendment He said the stance of the allied parties was also presented in the cabinet meeting
development, the proposed draft of the 26th constitutional amendment by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUIF) has been made public introducing significant changes to the appointment of the Chief Justice of Pakistan According to the draft the most senior judge will automatically assume the position of Chief Justice, eliminating the need for a panel of judges The 27-point JUI-F draft does not mention the establishment of a 12-member parliamentary committee for judicial appointments It also removes the concept of a panel of three judges, instead stating that the senior-most judge will be appointed as Chief Justice Under Article 175A, the draft proposes that the Chief Justice of Pakistan will chair the Judicial Council with three senior Supreme Court judges the Law Minister and the Attorney General as members Additionally, the Supreme Judicial Council will include four members of parliament and one female or non-Muslim member JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in a media briefing yesterday said that opposition parties including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have requested time until tomorrow to present their response Afterward, the constitutional amendment will be presented in parliament for approval
04
COMMENT
Change of strategy
TH E Federal Board of Revenue has made a major change in the Tajir Dost scheme, and has decided to end its registration of all traders, focusing on wholesale and posh markets This actually makes a certain amount of sense, allowing an optimized application of resources It raises the question of why this approach was not made in the first place or is it that the naysayers and the pessimists had called for a general scaring of all traders in all markets all over the country, so that the International Monetary Fund could be satisfied that the FBR was making every effort to extract every last bit of revenue so that it could meet its targets
It is perhaps of some significance that the CBR has missed it revenue target of late and is behind on the fiscal year someone must have realised that unless the CBR does something different it will not be able to meet those targets
The CBR intends to use the data that will accrue for further tax collection This will work best for wholesale traders, who will have to provide information about whom they sold their goods to The taxmen will be able to check whether the buyer paid general sales tax and what he did with the goods Presumably any goods not in store would have been sold Was GST paid? Posh markets should also be covered All shopkeepers there should be filing both income tax and GST returns However, there is a problem Detecting non-filers has been the duty of the CBR even before Pakistan came into existence It has refrained not because of laziness or incompetence or because of any sympathy for the potential taxpayer but for a straightforward consideration CBR officials have here potentially given shopkeepers an out, and will miraculously miss seeing them when they go for inspection
The political masters of the CBR must be wary of this They will have to be particularly wary, because the shopkeepers most affected are likely to have been age-old supporters who have looked to the ruling PML(N) to safeguard their interests in which evading registration, let alone paying any tax, takes pride of place The motivation might indeed be pressure from the IMF to meet the revenue collection target, but the government must not forget that traders’ tax evasion has come at the cost of the salaried class which the CBR has squeezed as if by reflex whenever pressure has come from above
these countries but also gap between developed and developing word or between rich and not so rich countries increased over time
IN their landmark book ‘Why nations fail: the origins of power prosperity and poverty published a little more than a decade ago the authors, Daron Acemoglu, and James A Robinson, pointed out an important reason in the shape of institutional quality, to highlight why countries in general had differences of wealth, and prosperity They linked that to whether colonizers of that area found it conducive on account of a number of factors including the climate of that region to stay there and develop determinants of institutional quality, like level of democracy, rule of law, and economic freedoms This type of colonization they indicated as ‘settler colonialism’, and the institutional design was inclusive in nature both in terms of political institutions and economic institutions On the other hand they pointed out areas which were not supportive of colonizers like India which had densely populated areas, and a difficult climate overall, and which saw colonizers develop extractive political, and economic institutions, which allowed and supported extraction of local resources, and wealth to the home countries of the colonizers
In this for instance institutions did not favour participatory democracy or upheld rule of law among other determinants needed for enhancing institutional quality An important determinant of perpetuating this design required gaining support of a number of local people who worked for implementing their designs and in support of which they were given a share in wealth and power Hence there was a wrong distribution of property rights among those who connived with them
After independence of these colonies, like in India, and Pakistan after independence, these political, and economic elites, which gained their wealth and power on the initial wrong distribution of property rights perpetuated their wealth and power and in a conducive environment of weak institutional quality; in turn inequality not only increased within
In this regard, the writer in his (2016) Springer published book ‘The economic impact of International Monetary Fund programmes: institutional quality macroeconomic stabilization and economic growth pointed out This initial distribution of property rights was artificially done since the recipient of such property rights did not otherwise have any natural claim (in terms of inheritance or personal monetary means) to justify such a grant of rights This distribution put in place not only too much land in the hands of few individuals or families which after the independence from British (resulting in the formation of Pakistan) were left with a lot of control and power in society to manipulate institutions so as to perpetuate their power ever further In an independent Pakistan, these powerful political and economic elites colluded together to evolve political- and economic institutions in an extractive way [transferring resources from the many (the masses) to the few (the elites)] and hence achieved greater perpetuation of their power and reaped larger material gains over time On account of their work, as highlighted in this book, the authors, Daron Acemoglu, and James A Robinson, along with Simon Johnson, with whom they also collaborated in other works over the years have received the prestigious Nobel prize in economic sciences for 2024 Here it needs to be pointed out that not only did they primarily highlighted why colonizers developed a certain type of colonization experience –settler colonialism, or extractive colonialism –but also pointed out that better quality of institutions or lack of such quality determined how countries developed before and
 J o h n s o n , g i v i n g a p r e s s c o n
Pashtuns in the crossfire of conflict
of provinces over their natural resources Thus this decision is fully compliant with Pakistani law The demand to set electricity prices at Rs 5 per unit and provide free electricity to tribal areas is grounded in economic rights within constitutional boundaries Opening of the Durand Line: The Jirga resolved to open the Durand Line which could reduce border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan and provide economic benefits for the entire region An interdependent economic relationship would likely improve security conditions along the border, as open borders enhance trade benefiting the economies of both countries
zations: The Jirga granted a two-month ultimatum for military and terrorist organizations to leave the region The Pashtun nationalist majority views the military and the Taliban as two sides of the same coin militarization breeds terrorism and vice versa The Pashtuns have now realized they are merely fuel for international conflicts leading to a severe loss of trust in security institutions especially the military Rights to Resources: The demand for rightful access to resources in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is legitimate under Articles 172 and 158 of the Pakistani Constitution, which prioritize the
In conclusion the Pashtun Jirga s resolutions reflect a collective demand for justice accountability, and an end to the suffering inflicted by decades of conflict and instability The Pashtun community is determined to reclaim their rights and secure a peaceful future for themselves and the generations to come
The writer is Mphil scholar of International Relations at the School of Politics and International Relations (SPIR) at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad
Approximately 370,000 homes, mosques, and markets have been completely destroyed, including 150,000 homes in South Waziristan alone . The economy has been severely impacted, with the destruction of 35 major markets leading to the loss of 25,000 shops, exacerbating the hardships faced by local communities Currently, 5 7 million individuals have been rendered homeless, with 2 3 million still displaced, indicating a significant humanitarian crisis in the region
The spor ts mafia in Pakistan
dr Omer JAved
Some lessons
AbdullAh IqbAl
Pakistan’s struggle for sovereignt y
SI N C E the creation of Pakistan in 1947, it has experienced a lot of threats to its sovereignty Geographically, the country is surrounded by India in the south and east Afghanistan in the north-west Iran in the west and China in the south and thus occupies a very strategic position regionally and internationally Historically, the sovereignty of Pakistan has been threatened from outside, especially from the USA and the USSR during the Cold War Making Pakistan join alliances with the USA such as CENTO and SEATO made it have enormous interference from the outside in terms of foreign policy
The 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh from Pakistan was a major setback to the sovereignty of the country The reasons for the war were thus internal almost civil strife and external with India mainly playing this role The resulting mass withdrawal of Pakistani forces as well as the emergence of Bangladesh can also be viewed as manifestations of Pakistani territorial and sovereignty shrinkage Balochistan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) now part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province have posed serious issues that raise questions about the sovereignty of Pakistan Baloch separatism caused constant unrest and conflicts Few factors have altered Pakistan s sovereignty and territorial integrity than its hosting militant organizations which have transformed into terrorist organizations like Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan Pakistan also started its nuclear programme against India and this has also created so many concerns also reigniting old ones The relations between the USA and Pakistan have put much pressure on the nuclear policies of Pakistan, as a result of which Pakistan has faced many bans and restrictions over its nuclear policies The Belt and Road Initiative with its special focus on the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor has sparked fear about the sovereignty of Pakistan Though the CPEC is capable of revolution-
izing the Pakistani economy, it has introduced Chinese dominance in the Pakistani decision-making processes both economically and politically
Pakistan s sovereignty too has been violated by regional and world powers especially India and the USA India is playing an increasing role in Afghan affairs and has been accused of backing militants against Pakistan It can however be said that the US pivot-to-Asia policy also concerns the sovereignty of Pakistan The USA has compromised the sovereignty of Pakistan through enhancing its military presence in the region and backing up India s regional expansionism
There is also a need for Pakistan to engage diplomatically in its unstable relations with two of its neighbouring countries firstly India and secondly Afghanistan In our case it means that the enhancement of regional organizations, for example, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), would foster regional stability and sovereignty and to echo these ideas Pakistan s foreign policy must uphold sovereignty and independence Therefore the country has to avoid forming alliances with any outside powers and instead encourage other regional partners to embrace peace
Pakistan’s sovereignty has been threatened pretty actively since the time of the state being established Solving these problems implies using a complex approach based on the internal consolidation economic stability and development of the economies of the South Asian countries
The international community must also respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan Other big powers cannot intervene in Pakistani politics and rather should encourage policies that contribute to the formation of a healthy regional environment It becomes evident that the sovereignty of Pakistan is essential to world and regional security The sovereignty of Pakistan could be tested in the future on a number of occasions due to internal regional and international factors The social constructs of geography nuclear power and animosity with its neighbors will also help to mold the sovereignty of the country The development of nationalist and extremist movements in Pakistan will also put the sovereignty of the country to test These movements pose a great threat to the country as well as its solvency since they might bring about insecurity in the sovereignty The country has to achieve economic independence by extending material base diversifications and industrializations International and regional organizations like the SCO and the United Nations will also have vital roles in determining the sovereignty of Pakistan In this respect Pakistan needs to deal with all these institutions for the sake of regional integration and cooperation Therefore in the long term the sovereignty of the country is determined by its relations to regional and global powers For this reason the country needs to concentrate on internal consolidation economic autarchy, and institutional
cooperation in the region in order to be sovereign Sovereignty and independence should be two guiding principles of Pakistan’s foreign policy The country cannot have a foreign axis of moderation and must shift to supporting and fostering regional partnership and stability The world also has to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan as acknowledged by the United Nations It is clear that external actors must not impose their influence on Pakistan’s internal affairs but contribute to positivity in the region as well as harmony for cooperation In the near future Pakistan s sovereignty will involve India Afghanistan and other neighbouring states The remaining issue of the Kashmir territory with India and the Taliban fight in Afghanistan will remain main concerns The CPEC, again the BRI project, will also decide the sovereignty of Pakistan in days to come Although CPEC can offer a great deal to the Pakistani economy it has also created a great deal of controversy over the sovereignty of Pakistan Thus, Pakistan needs to follow a correct internal/external balance and economic dependency free strategy for its sovereign integrity Enhancing its technological endowment especially in AI cyber security and space technology so as to achieve technology self-sufficiency necessary in the current world
Democracy, the judiciary and civil-military relations must first be enhanced within the country to keep the internal systems responsive to people s needs and wants The government must concentrate on economic nationalism by diversification and industrialization in order to avoid over reliance on
Democracy, the judiciary and civil-military relations must first be enhanced within the country to keep the internal systems responsive to peopleÊs needs and wants. The government must concentrate on economic nationalism by diversification and industrialization in order to avoid over reliance on donor funds, grants and loans. It must help build regional cooperation institutions to include; the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) among others. Understanding must be built through exchanges of people and interchange of culture: cultural diplomacy for regional integration.
This year’s Nobel prize exposes economics’ problem with colonialism
donor funds grants and loans It must help build regional cooperation institutions to include; the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) among others Understanding must be built through exchanges of people and interchange of culture: cultural diplomacy for regional integration Pakistan also faces the issue of rather challenging regional context, the nature of the relations with India, Afghanistan and China, in particular including the reunification Kashmir with Pakistan we can bring the issue with the Indians into diplomatic negotiations through regional diplomatic relations Promoting stability of Afghanistan through economic cooperation and building up an effective system of security and improving its geopolitical role through extending cooperation with China through CPEC and BRI Such goals as initiating and participating in efforts for the promotion of peace and cooperation and strengthening cooperation with the United Nations and other internationally oriented organizations and financial institutions Hence, for Pakistan, sovereignty and independence are cardinal points of reference for its foreign policy and refraining from entangling
Histor y and power
Dlongterm effect on economic prosperity Indeed these institutions are today found primarily in high-income countries in the west
A huge problem with this analysis, however, is the claim that certain institutions are a precondition for economic development Mushtaq Khan a professor of economics at Soas University of London has analysed Acemoglu Johnson and Robinson s work extensively He argues that it mainly shows today s high-income countries score higher on western-based institution indexes, and not that economic development was achieved because states first established inclusive institutions In fact history is rife with examples of countries that grew rapidly
on China’s development process have laid out in detail how China was riddled with corruption during its growth process In the wake of this year s Nobel award Ang went as far as saying that the laureates theory not only fails to explain growth in China, but also growth in the west She points out that institutions in the US were smeared with corruption during the country’s development process
Congrats to AJR! They are brilliant But I don t agree with their idealized portrayal of institutions in Western development It is historically inaccurate, if not ideologized Thus, not only do they struggle to explain China they also can’t explain why Western economies https://t co/6VZkwRdsId Yuen Yuen Ang (@yuenyuenang) October 14 2024
IGNORING THE BRUTALITY OF COLONIALISM: Nations are not wrong to pursue some of the inclusive institutions outlined in Acemoglu Johnson and Robinson’s work But another worrying part of their analysis is that it legitimises the supremacy of western institutions – and, at worst, processes of imperialism and colonialism Their work has, indeed, been criticised for not paying attention to the brutality of colonialism We need to dig a bit deeper into their methods to understand this criticism
The laureates establish their claim by looking at long-term development in settler colonies versus non-settler colonies In settler colonies, such as the US, Canada and Australia, Europeans established inclusive institutions But in non-settler colonies which include large parts of Africa and Latin America Europeans established extractive institutions
Acemoglu Johnson and Robinson point out that, over time, settler colonies perform better European institutions are thus better for development, they argue But, considering that the process of colonisation is a central method of their paper it’s a mystery that the laureates do not discuss the costs of colonialism more broadly Even in settler colonies where inclusive institutions were eventually developed, years
of violence – in many cases verging on the genocide of native populations – predated the development of such institutions Should this not be factored into the development process?
After receiving the award, Acemoglu said that normative questions of colonialism didn’t concern them: “Rather than asking whether colonialism is good or bad we note that different colonial strategies have led to different institutional patterns that have persisted over time
This statement might come as a shock to some people – why is Acemoglu not concerned about whether colonialism is good or bad? But for those familiar with the inner workings of the economics discipline this statement doesn t come as a surprise
It has sadly become a badge of honour in mainstream economics to analyse the world without a normative lens or value judgments This is a broader issue with the discipline and, in part, explains why economics has become increasingly insular and distant from other social sciences The Nobel prize in economics which actually wasn t among the five original Nobel prizes also illustrates this problem The list of past winners is narrow in geographical and institutional scope, mainly consisting of economists based at economics faculties in a small number of elite universities in the US
Furthermore a recent study found the institutional and geographic concentration of awards in economics is much higher than in other academic fields Almost all the winners of major awards have had to journey through one of the top US universities (limited to less than ten) in their career
This year ’s Nobel prize in economics is no exception Perhaps this is why it feels like every year the prize goes to someone who asks how does a change in variable X affect variable Y , rather than asking difficult questions about colonialism, imperialism or capitalism – and daring to question the supremacy of western institutions
Jostein Hauge Assistant Professor in Development Studies University of Cambridge
defining the past George Orwell wrote those who control the past control the future and those who control the present also control the past Thus, controlling the past has direct political bearing on the present Politics is largely about power Those who wield power tend to control history in real time Eric Wolf s famous book: Europe and the People Without History published in 1982 shows how the mainstream social science knowledge denied the history of the people outside of the West Wolf criticized Eurocentric history With imperialism and colonial expansions imperial powers denied the colonized people their past their history By denying their past, the imperial powers could impose their own categories, their own viewpoints of history, and even their methods of writing history By denying their past you can throw the subjugated in a vacuum Without the past people lose their sense of identity and such people are easy to dominate Jack Goody s book Theft of History (2006) is another critique of Eurocentrism Goody’s writings simply illustrate how the West stole the history of the East with the dominant Western narratives that include the uniqueness of the West which serves a double purpose On the one hand, it gives the Western people a false sense of superiority, and the people of the East a sense of inborn inferiority
But it is not so recent that the traditional history has been questioned History is not the story of the kings and queens and their exploits wrote Karl Marx History Marx and Engels wrote is the history of the class struggle And following Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci, the Subaltern studies group in India under the legendary Ranajit Guha began to write the people’s history the history as seen and experienced by the subalterns or the subordinates In the West especially in Britain, E P Thompson and others began to tell the history of the common people, especially the working class, from the early 1960s
Questioning the dominant narratives of history is common among historians thus we see a variety of historical expositions from the history of sugar or coffee to the history of coziness to the history of underground literature in pre-revolutionary France There
a
syed laique Haider
DHAKA TRIBUNE
Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James A Robinson
Leaked US intelligence doc uments reveal Israel ’s preparations for attack on Iran: NY T D E A D LY I S R A E L I A I R S T R I
I N B E I T
A H I YA , S AY S G A Z A ’ S H E A LT H M I N I S T R Y
Abubakar Talha, Bismel win titles as cur tain falls on Aitchison College Junior Tennis C’ship
LAHORE S TA F F R E P O R T
Abubakar Talha and Bismel Zia clinched the boys and girls U-18 titles at the Aitchison College Junior Tennis Championship 2024 held at Aitchison College Mall Road here In the Boys U-18 final Abu Bakar Talha, student of Federal Government Educational Institutions (FGEI) and sponsored player of SA Gardens clinched the double crowns in the prestigious event as he first won the U-18 singles title and then doubled it by winning the U-18 doubles title In the boys U-18 singles final, Abubakar overpowered Asad Zaman 6-2, 6-3 to secure the championship title Abubakar later teamed up with Haider Ali Rizwan in the boys U-18 doubles final, where they dominated Kashan Tariq and Yafat Nadeem with a convincing 6-2 6-2 title win On the girls side Bismel Zia, being sponsored by Ali Embroidery Mills and coached and mentored by renowned coach Rashid Malik, delivered a stellar performance in the girls U-18 final, defeating Romaisa Malik 6-2, 6-3
Two highly classified
S intelligence documents detailing Israel’s preparations for an attack on Iran were leaked online on Saturday The New York Times reported The documents from the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA), responsible for analyzing images and information collected by US spy satellites, provide information on Israeli military exercises and the operational readiness Marked top secret the documents were posted online to Telegram an instant messaging (IM) service, and then reported widely by American print and electronic media
“We are looking into these reports a senior U S defence official told ABC News when the American television network asked about the purported intelligence documents
The documents provide detailed analysis of satellite images showing Israel military exercises which appear to be in preparation for a attack on Iran
One of the documents is titled Israel: Air Force Continues Preparations to Strike Iran and describes
recent Israeli exercises that appear to rehearse a possible military operation against Iran These preparations reportedly include air-to-air refueling operations, search and rescue missions and the repositioning of missile systems in anticipation of possible Iranian attacks
The second document reveals Israeli efforts to move munitions and other military assets to strategic locations
While the documents describe Israeli military movements and exercises, they do not provide satellite imagery US intelligence gathered from these images suggests that Israel is preparing for an attack but it is unclear whether these documents reveal the full extent of Israel plans for Iran
The leaks have reportedly raised immediate concern within the US government US officials are divided over the severity of the leak, with some downplaying its impact as the documents do not reveal new US capabilities Others, however, are alarmed by the exposure of Israel sensitive military plans especially at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East President Joe Biden when asked during a recent trip to Germany if he was aware of Israel planned attack on Iran and its targets, responded with a curt Yes and yes but declined to give further details Although the exact source of the leak is unknown early indications suggest that the documents may have been taken by a lowlevel US government employee
be the final chapter of their amazing rivalry on the court through the years Don t leave tennis, man, said Djokovic in an on-court interview after beating Nadal in straight sets 6-2 7-6 (7/5) at the “Six Kings Slam” exhibition in Saudi Arabia He added that their battles over the years had been very intense and told Nadal he hoped they could one day sit on a beach somewhere” and have a drink The Serbian player ’s remarks follow Nadal s October 10 announcement where he said that he would bid farewell to the game after the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga next month Organisers of the Saudi event billed Saturday’s match as perhaps Nadal’s last singles contest as a professional Earlier the Spanish player on Thursday said that he was unsure whether he would be fit enough to play singles in Malaga Djokovic and Nadal two of the sport s famed Big Three along with Roger Federer had faced each other 60 times on the main tour prior to Saturday’s exhibition match with Djokovic holding a narrow 31-29 edge Their last encounter came during the Paris Olympics on the same Roland Garros courts where Nadal won 14 French Open titles, though Djokovic triumphed easily 6-1, 6-4 Djokovic has racked up 24 Grand
Slam titles in his career two more than Nadal Saturday s match was mostly one-sided, with Nadal spraying errors and Djokovic wrapping up the first set in just 31 minutes Feeding off the support of the partisan crowd who openly cheered Djokovic s double-faults Nadal rallied to push the second set to a tiebreak reeling off winners and even treating fans to one last iconic fist pump before succumbing to Djokovic “It’s great to see him still fighting even though he’s had injuries and struggles ” Djokovic 37 told a post-match press conference It was a very emotional day special day because it was the last time I play my biggest rival, Nadal,
Ex-S pecial Forces
CORPORATE CORNER
Pa aPam seeks for withdrawal of affidavit requirement for member firms
sakhiullah and shamlan gul reach finals al baraka bank Jahangir
Under Seventeen semi-final While Ubaidullah won against Mubeen Khan In the under-thirteen quarter-finals Raed bin Zeeshan defeated Ian Javed two games apiece after an exciting contest In the under-11 semi-final, national champion Army's Harmas Ali Raja defeated Sindh's Fazlur Rahman by 11-1, 11-1 and 11-2 in just fifteen minutes Anas Rehman defeated Moeed Arsalan by eleven eight eleven five and eleven seven All finals of the event will be played on Monday Chief Executive Officer of Al Baraka Bank Muhammad Atif Hanif will be the chief guest of the closing ceremony While the ceremony will be presided over by former world champion Jahangir Khan
nabahat Lotia unveils her first book ‘Potter y Traditions of Pakistan’
S TA F F
Meanwhile, the
has widened by
69% compared to
2023's deficit of $1 52bn Exports increased by
82% to
compared to $2 76bn in August 2024 Likewise imports in September 2024 also rose 3 61% to $4 67bn compared to
$4 51bn in the previous month
According to the provisional figures compiled by PBS, in Pakistani rupees terms, exports from Pakistan during September 2024 amounted to Rs790 12bn as against Rs769 4bn in August 2024 and Rs735 69bn during September 2023 showing an increase of 2 69% over August, 2024 and of 7 40% over September, 2023 Main commodities of exports during September 2024 were Knitwear (Rs124 743bn) Readymade garments (Rs94 151bn) Bed wear (Rs80 751bn), Cotton Cloth (Rs55 93bn), Rice others (Rs51 93bn), Towels (Rs25 2bn), Oil seeds, Nuts & Kernals (Rs24 92bn) Madeup articles (excl towels & bedwear) (Rs19 94bn) Basmati rice (Rs19 63bn) and Cotton yarn (Rs14 47bn)
Punjab Finance M inister k icks of Retail Summit and Expo
The Chainstore Association of Pakistan (CAP) on Sunday announced the successful conclusion of the 4th ‘Future of Retail Business Summit and Expo’ held here at a hotel In collaboration with TerraBiz this year’s
Farrukh, Senior Vice Chairman Ahsan Mehmood Vice Chairman Altaf Hashwani Secretary General Malik Asim Dogar CAP
Executive
The main event partners included IMARAT TCS Stylo, Bank Alfalah, The Grand Central Mall Faisalabad, Capcon, Dolmen Mall and many others including leading retail brands of Pakistan The event was graced by Chief Guest Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman Provincial Minister of the Finance Department of Punjab Special guests included Shaikh Muhammad Tanveer former Minister of Commerce & Industries Punjab Zaki Aijaz Regional Chairman of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry and Engr Khalid Usman, Senior Vice President of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry
PM SHEHBA Z CANCELS TRIP TO SAMOA
AMID PREVAILING ‘POLITICAL SITUATION’
Bilawal Bhutto to leave for D ubai af ter passage of 26th constitutional amendment
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is expected to travel to Dubai following the approval of a key constitutional amendment sources revealed on Sunday
His trip, initially delayed due to ongoing work on the amendment, is now scheduled to take place today During his stay in Dubai Bilawal is expected to meet his sister Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari and remain there for a few days Sources indicated that the passage of the constitutional amendment had been a crucial factor delaying his travel plans With the matter now cleared Bilawal is set to proceed with the visit In a separate development
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
cancelled his scheduled visit to Samoa Meanwhile Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar announced that the draft of the constitutional amendment package would be formally presented before the federal cabinet for approval today (Sunday) Speaking to the media in Islamabad alongside Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, the law minister confirmed that input from JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had been incorporated into the draft
The law minister further noted that the federal cabinet had been briefed in detail on the discussions surrounding the constitutional amendment The views and positions of allied parties were also shared during the cabinet meeting Saturday saw a flurry of political activity centered around JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman s
Historically October has been a hot and humid month second only to May and June in terms of heat with temperatures gradually cooling down from early to mid-November This year s weather pattern, however, has added to the discomfort in an already smog-choked city
ECP to hear PTI intra-par t y election and LG polls delay cases tomorrow
ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has set Tuesday October 22 for hearings on several key cases including the PTI intra-party election case delays in local government elections in Punjab and Islamabad, and a contempt case against the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) The ECP has issued notices to various individuals involved in the PTI intra-party election case including Barrister Gohar Ali Rauf Hassan Akbar S Babar and others Additionally the Chief Secretary of Punjab, the Secretary of Local Government Punjab, and the Federal Secretary of Interior have been summoned to address the delays in local body elections in both Punjab and the federal capital The ECP will also hear the contempt case against the PTI founder on the same day This development follows a decision by the Lahore High Court (LHC) to temporarily restrain the ECP from delivering a verdict on PTI’s intra-party election case A full bench of the LHC led by Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza issued the ruling after hearing two petitions filed by PTI and its chairman, Barrister Gohar Khan The petitions challenged the ECP’s inquiry into the party’s intra-party elections and the non-allotment of PTI’s electoral symbol “bat ” The LHC s written order noted that the ECP had
residence in Islamabad After several meetings held at his home the presentation of the constitutional amendments draft was postponed to Sunday High-profile figures, including Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and leaders of various political parties such as Bilawal Bhutto Zardari PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, and Balochistan National Party (Mengal) leader Akhtar Mengal, visited Rehman’s residence throughout the day
The delay in the National Assembly and Senate sessions on Saturday further heightened anticipation surrounding the constitutional amendment s presentation All eyes are now on Sunday’s proceedings as the federal cabinet prepares to give the formal goahead to the amendment package
At global Palestine conference, Mushahid urges Erdogan to spearhead ac tion on Palestine
Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed has proposed a 3point Action Plan on the Palestine issue and called upon Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to take the lead in global efforts for Palestinian rights
Speaking at the Global Palestine Conference in Turkey s capital, which was hosted by Erdogan s AK Party, Mushahid delivered a keynote address, urging the Muslim world to unite under Erdogan’s leadership on this critical issue President Erdogan was the chief guest at the conference according to a news release Senator Mushahid, who serves on the Executive Board of the Istanbul-based Al Quds Parliament and as Co-Chair-
man of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), praised the resistance of groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran in opposing Israeli aggression and Zionist expansion
He described their efforts as models of the principle that Right is Might not Might is Right
During his address Mushahid lauded President Erdogan s leadership calling him the Lion of the Muslim World and congratulated him on his recent electoral victory
He also condemned Israel for what he described as the first “televised genocide” in history sharply criticizing Western double standards and complicity in Israeli actions Mushahid further added that many Muslim regimes had failed to stand up to these injustices due to either fear or expediency g
Vawda hints at for ward bloc in PTI, accuses members of sabotaging par t y
ISLAMABAD
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Barrister Ali Zafar raised concerns in the Senate over the government s increasing control over the formation of the Constitutional Bench, claiming it allows the government to appoint its favored judges to critical judicial roles During the Senate session, Zafar explained that the original plan for a Constitutional Court had been scrapped and replaced with a bench that now gives the government more power over the selection process Barrister
Zafar highlighted that while seniority traditionally plays a key role in appointing the Chief Justice, the government has created a pathway to bypass senior judges and appoint those who align with its interests He warned that this could result in the judiciary being stacked with government-preferred judges, ultimately compromising the independence of the judicial system Reflecting on a meeting with PTI’s founder Zafar shared that the party leader emphasized the need for consultation regarding constitutional amendments However PTI has decided to
abstain from voting on the amendments due to concerns about the lack of transparency and democratic process involved Zafar expressed his frustration that many lawmakers had not even read the proposed bill arguing that passing it without proper scrutiny would undermine democracy and the legislative process Meanwhile, in the same Senate session, MQM-P Senator Faisal Subzwari called for empowered local governments or the creation of new provinces to address the lack of authority granted to local bodies
New Zealand ends 36-year wait for test match win in India
