g Republican candidate recaptures White House by securing more than the required 270 Electoral College votes
g Republicans won a US Senate majority, but neither party appear to have an edge in House of Representatives RAWALPINDI
highlighted that smog drifting from across the border in India has intensified pollution in Multan, Lahore, Kasur, Sheikhupura, and Gujranwala A letter addressing these concerns will be sent to the Foreign Office today with the objective to push Delhi take measures for addressing pollution sufferings” she informed “The provincial government has also launched online classes to ensure students education continues and has implemented a 50% remote work policy for both public and private sector employees in affected regions, she emphasized
General Syed Asim Munir NI(M) Chief of Army Staff (COAS), is currently on an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, called on Crown Prince and Prime Minister His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman and discussed a range of issues of mutual interest including regional peace, defence and security cooperation, and strategies for enhancing bilateral relations The Crown Prince extended a warm
project which has encountered multiple setbacks including funding challenges, security concerns, and political instability Turkmenistan also requested legislative protection for its investment in Pakistan through the FIPPA 2022 However Pakistan has declined instead offering sovereign guarantees under the Host Government Agreement India in response has shifted focus toward other energy solutions such as LNG imports, renewables, and alternative regional energy projects, citing stability and security This shift reflects India s growing preference for secure energy options over large-scale transnational projects casting further uncertainty over TAPI s future
TSenate panel pushes for transparency in higher education amid fraud concerns
Senator Bushra Anjum Butt emphasizes need for timely allocations for HEC ’s IRSIP Program
s ta f f r e p o r t Senator Bushra Anjum Butt emphasized the need for timely allocations for the HEC’s International Research Support Initiative Program (IRSIP) noting that a final decision is anticipated by the end of December She was chairing the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training in Islamabad Currently, 266 out of 515 candidate reviews have been completed, and the Chair stressed the importance of documenting this timeline to ensure results are released as scheduled During the meeting Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan also highlighted the issue of retired college teachers from FUUAST University Karachi who are not receiving their due pensions and other allowances It was directed that the matter be discussed in detail at the next meeting and the Ministry will provide detailed information on the matter The issue of derogatory remarks about Pashtuns in an O-Level Urdu book, raised by Senator Bilal Ahmed Khan during the Senate sitting on October 18, 2024, was thoroughly discussed It was reported that actions have been taken to ban the book and the author has submitted a written apology The Secretary of Education noted that while language is regulated, content varies by province Senator Bilal expressed frustration over the book’s continued availability Chairperson Senator Bushra emphasized the federal government’s role in overseeing educational content and called for the publisher and author to attend the next meeting She highlighted that such content promotes hate speech and negatively impacts children, recommending that the Ministry of Education issue a directive to all provinces to withdraw the book from circulation This action she stated would serve as a warning to other writers and publishers against harmful content She also recommended that the author must provide explanations, offer an apology, and be held accountable in the next meeting The meeting also addressed the Calling Attention Notice from Senators Aimal Wali Khan and Hidayatullah Khan regarding the hunger strike of academic and teaching staff at Balochistan University due to unpaid salaries Senator Hidayatullah stressed the need to allocate 4% of GDP to education, given the deteriorating state of education in Balochistan The HEC Chairman agreed, noting that insufficient funding for higher education has led to a reliance on private institutions and that poor governance has
recruitment in grades BS-1 to BS-16, with exceptions only for the Armed Forces, Civil Armed Forces and other securityrelated agencies Recruitment for these posts now requires prior approval from the Austerity Committee constituted by the Finance Division Finance Minister Mohammad Aurangzeb previously announced the federal cabinet’s plan, approved in September to dissolve one ministry merge two others and eliminate
150 000 vacant positions as part of an extensive rightsizing initiative This rightsizing decision, approved by the federal cabinet, includes the dissolution of the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) and a 60 percent reduction in vacant government positions to reduce operational costs significantly The Finance Division s latest memorandum, issued through its Expenditure Wing has been circulated to all relevant federal entities including the President s Office Prime Minister s Office Auditor General of Pakistan and other key government departments These offices have been directed to ensure compliance with the cabinet’s cost-cutting mandate to streamline operations and reduce fiscal pressures
Punjab shuts schools as L ahore gasps in deadly smog, alarming AQI
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The senior minister told the press conference that burning of crop residue is contributing significantly to the smog While there is a ban on plastic bags, violations continue to occur She mentioned that despite schools being closed for primary-level students, parents are taking children to shopping malls and entertainment areas She also announced that the use of masks would now be mandatory
Maryam Aurangzeb explained that winds from India s Rajasthan and other regions have affected Multan and Gujranwala The Air Quality Index in Lahore was recorded above 1 000 today and the intensity of the smog is expected to continue for the next 10 days
The senior minister also confirmed that 50% of staff in government and private offices would work from home, with all government meetings now taking place via Zoom To combat the issue all relevant departments have been given specific targets and a Smog War Room has been set up at the Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency to monitor air pollution levels
In response to a question, Maryam Aurangzeb clarified that Maryam Nawaz Sharif had undergone throat surgery last year and six months ago she experienced a reoccurrence of an infection Maryam Nawaz Sharif is now in Geneva for treatment and will return to Pakistan on November 12 She emphasised that despite her health challenges, Maryam Nawaz Sharif had continued to serve the people of Punjab She also clarified that the notion that Maryam Nawaz Sharif had gone to London due to smog was incorrect
Air pollution levels in Lahore hit a record high on Saturday with officials warning that the city s air quality is nearly 80 times above the World Health Organisation s (WHO) deemed dangerous limit
The level of deadly PM2 5 pollutants – fine particulate matter in the air that causes the most damage to health
Donald Trump Trumps Harris
UNPRECEDENTED CAMPAIGN:
Two months after Trump s conviction in the hush money case, a would-be assassin’s bullet grazed his right ear during a July campaign rally in Pennsylvania exacerbating fears about political violence
Another assassination attempt was thwarted in September at his Florida golf course Trump blamed both attempts on what he claimed was the heated rhetoric of Democrats including Harris Barely eight days after the July shooting Biden 81 dropped out of the race, finally bowing to weeks of pressure from his fellow Democrats after a poor performance during his debate with Trump called into question his mental acuity and the viability of his reelection bid Biden s decision to step aside turned the contest into a sprint, as Harris raced to mount her own campaign in a matter of weeks, rather than the typical months Her rise to the top of the ticket reenergized despondent Democrats and she raised more than $1
peaked at 610 with a reading above 15 in a 24-hour period considered unhealthy by the WHO For days, the city has been enveloped by smog a mix of fog and pollutants caused by low-grade diesel fumes smoke from seasonal agricultural burning and winter cooling The air quality index, which measures a range of pollutants, spiked at 1,067 – well above the level of 300 considered ‘dangerous’ – according to data from IQAir FACE MASK ADVISORY: The Punjab government also issued an advisory to the general public to wear face mask in open public spaces of Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Multan divisions till January 31, 2025 The notification issued in this regard mentions of the “recent spike in respiratory diseases due to smoke dust etc advising that prevailing air pollution is posing a serious and imminent threat to public health It is imperative to take all possible safety measures for prevention of morbidity and disease caused by deteriorating air quality ” the notification read
billion in less than three months while erasing what had been a solid Trump lead in opinion polls Harris’ financial advantage was partly countered by the intervention of the world s richest man Elon Musk who poured more than $100 million into a super PAC mobilising Trump voters and used his social media site X to amplify pro-Trump messaging As the campaign drew to a close Harris increasingly focused on warning Americans about the perils of reelecting Trump and offered an olive branch to disaffected Republicans She highlighted remarks from several former Trump officials, including his former chief of staff and retired Marine Corps General John Kelly who described Trump as a fascist Trump s victory will broaden the fissures in American society, given his false claims of election fraud, anti-immigrant rhetoric and demonization of his political opponents, said Alan Abramowitz a political science professor at Emory University who studies voter behavior and party politics
COMMENT
IT is always possible for a one-term President of the USA to make a comeback and be re-elected, to the extent that the two before Donald Trump, Jimmy Carter and George Bush, didn t even try But Donald Trump, after his loss in 2020, kept his hat in the ring, and got another chance in 2024 However, he didn’t square off against his nemesis Joe Biden but against his Vice-President Kamala Harris who lost There will be speculation for years to come about whether she lost the election, or whether Mr Trump won it, but the polls reflected a nation divided strongly She did get a large proportion of the votes of the American people, and though the Republicans have won both Houses of Congress, it is not by that much Mr Trump may console himself that he won a majority of the popular vote something he failed to do even when he won in the electoral college in 2016
Does he have a mandate for his agenda? He might, because his party won control of both Houses of Congress Perhaps more importantly, his control over his party will be greater than Presidents usually enjoy He will also manage to shut down the federal criminal investigations against his and it has now become unlikely that he will be sentenced to jail in the sentencing hearing he faces on November 26, though the felony for which he was convicted, diverting campaign funds to pay off a stipper with whom he had an affair, will remain on the books That conviction symbolizes much of what is wrong with Mr Trump: sleaze His critics accuse him of having demeaned the Presidency by his antics They accuse him of racism and misogyny He was congratulated for his victory, even before it had been declared by the media by Russia s President Vladmir Putin and Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu That symbolizes how both expect the wind to blow: for Trump to end the support Biden was giving to Ukraine and for the USA to give Israel an even freer hand in Gaza and against Lebanon Pakistan can expect Trump to be even harder on Pakistan because of the strength of his opposition to China Mr Trump is not really a unifying figure, and his victory speech, while free of any of the bloodcurdling calls for revenge that have been a characteristic of his campaign speeches it did not reach out to the losing party either The next years may well be interesting; they will not be peaceful
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
TH E world is evolving rapidly Resultantly, new world order and modern state ideas are emerging The traditional divisions are diminishing Politics demography economy security geography and peace all together form an organic mix Today the world is the centre of major powers rivalries and new readjustments are taking place in response to rising traditional and nontraditional threats and challenges, particularly in the economic and security realms Africa is considered as an important territory and it is the centre of focus particularly that of middle and major powers It is a continent comprising 1 3 billion people and 54 sovereign states Most African countries are expected to reach the middle-income status by 2025 as per the World Bank estimates The African region has a vast import market, and rich mineral resources and has observed positive growth patterns in recent years in terms
ing progress and would continue doing so in the near future Hence it is rightly seen as the continent of the future The UN sub-region of North Africa is a dynamic region that comprises seven countries, that is, Algeria, Sudan, Western Sahara, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia Geographically the UN sub region of North Africa positions itself between the Mediterranean and Sahel region This region has been the focus of numerous cultures religions and civilizations The Romans, Greeks, Christians, Turks, and Arabs all left significant marks in this region This region has the commonality of a Muslim majority population Arab lineage and a progressive and liberal outlook It is considered to be one of the wealthiest regions of the African continent both due to its natural resources and closeness to the European market and its proximity to international trade routes It generates one-third of Africa’s total GDP Each region or coun-
Choked by smog: Solutions for a healthier tomorrow
Ltry establishes its relations based on certain interests and these interests are mainly economic and geopolitical in nature Although Pakistan has been regularly interacting with African countries on a broad range of regional and global challenges, yet a vast potential of mutual trade remains mostly untapped Particularly the bilateral trade and economic potential on both sides has not been fully explored The level of trade and economic cooperation is far below the potential
The diverse economies of North African countries and Pakistan provides an opportunity to take full advantage of economic trade, and economic potential on both sides Though each country has its own unique economic features, there are numerous areas where joint collaboration can lead to valuable results The diverse economies of North African countries and Pakistan with particular strengths in textile agriculture services infrastructure development manufacturing pharmaceuticals defence equipment and tourism, provide promising prospects for cooperation and its expansion can boost the economic growth on each side and can create mutually valuable outcomes for their economies Pakistan has vast opportunities and potential in the investment trade import and export areas with North African countries There are also some challenges in this aspect as well North Africa is economically, strategically, and politically closely linked to the EU Therefore, it is difficult for exporters
Africa offers a lot of oppor tunities, but PakistanÊs expor t potential cannot be utiliz ed unless the issues of supply capacity, trade policy and facilitation are first addressed. It has been the norm to send uninvited and incapable diplomats, missions, and personnel to African countries These diplomats then perform their duties with disinterest Pakistan needs to send competent trade missions to these countries so that a profound representation and cooperation on both sides could be ensured up to the potential
the smog The burning of crop residues, particularly rice paddies, releases harmful gases, including carbon monoxide and volatile
diseases
compounds that
are
The consequences of this
Lahore s smog
organizations have proposed solutions for
jab government s Smog Control Action Plan regulates industrial emissions and promotes clean energy while the Ministry of Climate Change’s Clean Air Action Plan establishes air quality monitoring and vehicle emission stations Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) like the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have planted thousands of trees to combat air pollution LWMC also explores waste-to-energy initiatives to reduce waste and generate clean energy whereas WWF Pakistan conducts research and advocates for policy changes to address smog The private sector including Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan Limited (HACPL), is introducing electric vehicles
Some organizations are funding smog mitigation efforts The Punjab government allocated Rs 5 billion for the Smog-less Punjab initiative while the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) provided Rs 1 5 billion for green infrastructure development NGOs have also contributed, including
Dust y despair
l s c a n c o n t r i bu t e by u s i n g p u bl i c t r a n s p o r t a t i o n , c a r p o o l i n g , r e d u c i n g e n e
Exam credibilit y issues
Endless office referrals
Shari Wahid
S
Muneeb ur rahMan
Trump Trumped Harris
TH
This created an atmosphere of global uncertainty and
While absentee and mail-in ballots are still being counted, a reversal appears almost impossible Importantly the election process has been deemed fair by 83 percent of surveyed voters minimizing any doubts about potential manipulation Overall, Harris s campaign appears to have underperformed across multiple states, highlighting the effects of a perceived lack of effective campaigning Notably her projected support among women and Black voters did not meet expectations reflecting a broader struggle to resonate with key voter demographics Trump was successful in swaying male voters, securing 54 percent of their support by focusing on issues like abortion rights, economic challenges inflation and job losses In contrast Harris garnered 44 percent of the male vote Among new and younger voters many of whom recently entered the job market, discontent with the Democrats economic performance led to a shift toward Trump, with 55 percent favoring him compared to 44 percent for Harris White voters heavily supported Trump with 72 percent aligning with him on issues related to immigration white identity concerns, and opposition to legalized abortion Although Harris won 66 percent of the female vote driven by strong support for abortion rights this was insufficient to swing the election in her favour There was a notable alignment among white men aiming to prevent a Black and South Asian woman from ascending to the presidency and becoming the commanderin-chief of the US Armed Forces, one of the world’s most powerful positions Confidence in Trump’s crisis-management abilities was also higher with 50 percent of voters believing he could handle crises better than Harris who received 48 percent in this regard In Washington, DC, a large crowd of Dem-
ocratic supporters had gathered outside the party’s headquarters, hoping for a decisive win However, as the night wore on, disappointment set in as they watched the election slip away Meanwhile a jubilant crowd at the Republican headquarters in New York celebrated noisily ready to welcome Trump s expected victory Disappointed, Harris postponed her planned address to supporters In contrast, Trump prepared to give a victory speech, laying out his vision for the next four years for one of the world’s most powerful nations Trump skillfully dismantled the Democrats election agenda which had centred on promises to reduce food prices, support working families, provide $25,000 to first-time homebuyers, and cut tax rates for middle-class households However, public sentiment leaned heavily toward scepticism Many questioned how the Biden Administration with Kamala Harris as Vice President could fulfil these promises now when they had struggled to deliver on similar commitments while in power This perception further strengthened Trump’s position as voters viewed the Democrats’ pledges as hollow given their track record over the past term The post-midnight results stunned Democrats In Arizona, Trump led Harris narrowly at 49 7 percent to 49 5 percent, with abortion rights proving pivotal Harris won her home state of California with a strong 61 2 percent securing 59 electoral votes However Trump claimed Florida with 56 2 percent over Harris s 42 9 percent and took Georgia (50 7 percent) and Iowa (55 1 percent) due to strong rural support In Idaho, Trump led with 59 1 percent, while North Carolina also went to him with 50 7 percent over Harris’s 47 8 percent Harris won Oregon comfortably at 59 2 percent yet underperformed in Pennsylvania a critical swing state where Trump led 50 8 percent Trump also led in Wisconsin, 51 percent to 47 3 percent, cementing his edge in key battlegrounds
Economically, Trump is likely to prioritiz e policies aimed at GDP growth, possibly including tax cuts and reducing regulations on fossil fuels to spur energy independence . However, these moves could risk higher inflation if not carefully balanced with monetar y policy. The overall impact on inflation, jobs, and GDP growth would depend heavily on his administrationÊs ability to navigate international uncer tainties while managing domestic economic pressures effectively
This created an atmosphere of global uncer tainty and concern While absentee and mail-in ballots are still being counted, a reversal appears almost impossible Impor tantly, the election process has been deemed fair by 83 percent of sur veyed voters, minimizing any doubts about potential manipulation
Now it is not rocket science that Donald Trump has won the 2024
Economically
for greater burden-sharing among member countries potentially affecting NATO’s united front against Russia In the case of Russia-Ukraine Trump has shown interest in swiftly negotiating an end to the conflict, which may lead to a pressured peace deal that could favour Russia or at least reduce US military aid, drawing criticism
How Trump will change the world
Athat data, it s possible make some predictions about what Trump will try to do in his second term The known unknown is how the rest of the world will react and what the ultimate outcome will be
Two main things are clear First as in Trump’s first term (and as in all presidential administrations) personnel will shape policy and various factions will jockey for influence some with radical ideas about transforming the administrative state and American foreign policy, others with more conventional views This time around, however, the more extreme factions will have the upper hand and they will press their advantage to ice out more moderate voices hollow out the ranks of civilian and military professionals they see as the deep state and perhaps use the levers of government to go after Trump s opponents and critics
Second, the essence of Trump s approach to foreign policy naked transactionalism remains unchanged But the context in which he will try to carry out his idiosyncratic form of dealmaking has changed dramatically: the world today is a far more dangerous place than it was during his first term Trump s campaign rhetoric painted the world in apocalyptic terms, portraying himself and his team as hardnosed realists who understood the danger But what they offered was less realism than magical realism: a set of fanciful boasts and shallow nostrums that reflected no genuine understanding of the threats the United States faces
THE PERSONNEL IS POLITICAL: The first task Trump faces will be the formal transition Even under the best of circumstances, this is a difficult bureaucratic maneuver to execute, and it is doubtful it will go smoothly this time Trump has already registered his disdain for the process and to avoid being subject to stringent ethical constraints has refused so far to cooperate with the General Services Administration which provides the infrastructure that allows a government in waiting to garner the information it needs to be ready on day one
The transition will be even less consequential if the Trump team follows through on its plans to forgo FBI background checks and instead have the president grant security clearances solely on the basis of internal campaign vetting allowing Trump to prevent his preferred personnel choices from being blocked by any skeletons in their
positions in a normal Republican administration albeit probably a couple of levels below the ones they came to occupy in Trumpworld They tried to implement the president s agenda as best they could amid the chaos, and most of the good things that happened can be credited to them: for example, the effort to turn former President Barack Obama’s rhetorical “pivot to Asia” into a reality with meaningful strategic partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region mostly happened below Trump s radar and continued along similar tracks in the Biden administration, advanced by like-minded strategists
A smaller but vastly more influential group was made up of veteran senior officials who had fixed ideas about where national security policy should go and believed they could engineer those outcomes despite Trump’s hypertransactionalism by emphasizing how the alternative policy would signal weakness Examples include H R McMaster and John Bolton, who served as Trump s second and third national security advisers, respectively In their memoirs, they point to what they considered to be genuine policy achievements: McMaster got Trump to agree to a surge of U S troops into Afghanistan in 2017 and Bolton got Trump to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 But McMaster Bolton and every other senior figure who took that approach wound up leaving the administration after recognizing that Trump would always find a way to slip loose from the harness and bolt, undercutting whatever policy good they otherwise thought they might achieve Even some of those who made it to Biden’s inauguration in 2021 without quitting have offered me remarkably candid assessments in private that confirm the picture of Trump as reckless and anything but a national security mastermind regardless of what they have said publicly
The third category was a small but influential group of MAGA true believers and chaos agents who sought to carry out Trump’s whims without any clarification or regard for the consequences They had a cramped view of loyalty believing that the boss should get what he appeared to ask for and not hear about the unintended consequences of those moves lest he change his mind when fully apprised of the facts For instance, the risky attempts to retreat from Afghanistan and other NATO commitments in the waning days of the first term were engineered by junior staffers who were left in charge after more senior leaders had cleared out and who sought to prevent Trump from being fully advised on what his directives would actually yield
In the coming Trump administration, there will still be the conventional Republicans seeking a once-in-alifetime career opportunity and willing to risk the selfimmolation that might befall them if they somehow run afoul of Trump No one should denigrate their service since without them Trump will not be the best president he can be There will still be the ideologues who think they know the right strategy to follow and believe they can channel Trump into doing what they consider to be the right thing for example, abandoning Ukraine to the predations of Russian President Vladimir Putin while stiffening U S deterrence of China an approach that might seem clever in an academic seminar or a newspaper op-ed but likely will not work in real life And thanks to the Heritage Foundation and the America First Institute, there will be plenty of chaos agents for whom de-
stroying the existing system of national security policymaking which has preserved American interests for 80 years, will be a feature of Trump 2 0, not a bug The difference is that this time, the third group will be larger and more influential than last time This poses a serious challenge to the custodians of the existing system of national security policymaking: the uniformed military and the civil service that make up the vast majority of people tasked with overseeing any president s agenda Trump and his team have made it clear that they prioritize loyalty above all And they may have the simplest of loyalty tests: ask any individual in a position of authority whether the election of 2020 was stolen or whether the January 6 assault on the U S Capitol was an act of insurrection As Trump’s running mate JD Vance has demonstrated there is only one way to answer those questions that Trump will accept A litmus test like that could allow Trump to politicize the senior ranks of the military and the intelligence services by promoting only individuals he believes are “on the team ” Members of the civil service would enjoy more job security and insulation from political pressure unless the Trump team pursues its plan to reclassify thousands of professional civil servants as political appointees who serve at the pleasure of the president thus making them relatively easy to remove for political reasons
The military and the civil service are unlikely to take any provocative action that would trigger, let alone justify such a purge They understand that they are not the “loyal opposition” a role reserved for the minority party in Congress and watchdogs in the media and the policy commentariat But Trump may decide he can get the cooperation or capitulation he seeks simply by leaving the threat of a purge hanging in the air and he would be right At a minimum, he is likely to fire some senior figures, in an echo of Voltaire’s advice to eliminate some French generals to strike fear into the hearts of others The question is whether high-level career officials will follow the best practices of civil-military relations and give their candid advice to Trump and his senior political appointees even when that advice is unwanted If they do, they can help him be the best commander in chief he is capable of being If they do not, it may not matter whether they are purged or kept in place since they will not be effective either way
ALLIES AND ADVERSARIES: American voters made their choice, and the machine of government in Washington will now accommodate itself to Trump one way or another But what about the rest of the world? Most U S allies viewed a Trump victory with dread, believing that it would be a decisive nail in the coffin of America s traditional global leadership There is plenty to criticize about American
Qamar Bashir
The American people have spoken
H AT T R U M P ’ S 2 0 24 V I C
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UNJAB Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday declared that the Punjab's first unique Livestock Card would be launched on December 15, directing the authorities concerned to finalise all-out preparations to the ‘unique initiative that would revolutionise lives of the livestock farmers She added, Punjab Farmers will be on the path of development and progress after the launch of this unprecedented project ” She highlighted that registration for the Chief Minister Livestock Card has started which would benefit 80 000 farmers across Punjab The Punjab CM said Through the CM Livestock Card one can purchase Wanda
Maritime Sector facilitated impor ts of 430,000 metric tons used clothing in F Y 2023
2024: Qaiser Ahmed Sh
Qaiser Ahmed Shaikh, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs while addressing a conference National Policy Dialogue on Circularity and Used Textile Trade in Pakistan acknowledged the support of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the European Union (EU) for their collaboration in the Circularity and Used Textiles Trade Project The Minister emphasized the vital role of Pakistan s maritime infrastructure in facilitating the import of second-hand textiles He added that more than 430,000 metric tons of used clothing arrived in Pakistan in FY202324 with the support of our port and shipping infrastructure He recognizes that the efficient handling of these imports is essential for supporting local economies job creation and textile recycling efforts The Federal Minister further said that the ministry is focused on improving port efficiency and container management to streamline the processing of these goods, ensuring that shipments are processed in a timely and cost-effective manner
FC A reviews preparations for Rabi Season
ISLAMABAD
s ta f f r e p o r t
Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA)’s meeting for Rabi Season (2024-25) has been held on 29th October 2024 under the Chairmanship of Rana Tanveer Hussain Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research at Community Centre of NARC Chak Shahzad Islamabad The meeting had participants from Provincial Agriculture Departments, State Bank of Pakistan, ZTBL, National Fertilizer Development Center (NFDC), Pakistan Meteorological Department, Indus River System Authority and senior officers of the M/o National Food Security & Research Chairman PARC and heads of Ministry s attached departments viz Agriculture Policy Institute Federal Seed Certification & Registration Department Pakistan Oilseed Department, Department of Plant Protection, Federal Water Management Cell and Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) also participated in the meeting physically as well as virtually 2 The Committee reviewed the performance of the Kharif Crops (2024-25) and Production Plan for Rabi Crops (2024-25) The Committee also discussed the situation of inputs for Rabi Crops (2024-25) The Committee was informed that Sugarcane production for 2024-25 is provisionally estimated at 85 5 million tons from an area of 1 193 million hectares showing an increase of 4 3% and 11 5% in area and production respectively over the targets fixed by the FCA Rice production for 2024-25 is estimated at 9 079 million tons from an area of 3 630 million hectares showing an increase of 18 5% in area 4 0% in production over the targets fixed by the FCA Mash for 202425 is estimated at 5 77 thousand tons from an area of 7 48 thousand hectares showing an increase of 6 6% and 3 3% in area and production respectively over the last year
3 The Committee has fixed the crop’s production targets for Rabi 2024-25 Keeping in view the last year achievement (Area 9 74 million hectares; Production 31 81 million tons), and national requirement for food year 2025-26 (33 58 million tons), Federal Government proposed the Wheat production target at 33 58 million tons from the target area of 10 368 million hectares to attain self-sufficiency However the provinces came up with lower targets of production According to provincial governments
proposals the target area for wheat will be 9 263 million hectares with production of 27 92 million tons The FCA urged the provincial governments to make utmost efforts to achieve the sowing and production targets proposed by Federal Government to meet the wheat consumption requirements next year Whereas, the production targets for Gram Potato Onion Tomato and Chillies are fixed 419 4 6829
4 The seed availability for Rabi Crops was also discussed in the house and DG FSC&RD informed that availability of certified seed for the Rabi, 2024-25 will remain satisfactory
5 For Rabi 2024-25, IRSA Advisory Committee has anticipated shortage of water to the extent of about 16% for Punjab & Sindh during the Rabi season Provinces are allocated 31 136 MAF of water subject to review in the 1st week of November 2024
6 Metrological Department informed that overall, normal to below normal precipitation is expected in most parts of the country particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, upper/central Punjab, Gilgit Baltistan, Kashmir and upper/central parts of Baluchistan However slightly above normal rains are expected in Sindh southern parts of Punjab and Baluchistan However near to normal rains are expected in October and December in the country
7 The house was informed that to stabilize food security situation in the country, the Government is making utmost arrangements to facilitate the farming community by providing inputs at affordable price on one hand and taking steps to ensure better price of their produce to bridge the gap between cost of production and output price in favour of farmers
Ch Salik meets Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan to strengthen Pakistan-Bangladesh relations
GENEVA s ta f f r e p o r t
Chaudhry Salik Hussain Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, met with Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan, Adviser on Labour and Employment and Youth and Sports in the Ministry of the Bangladesh Interim Government During the meeting Minister Hussain expressed that Pakistan greatly values its
Leaders highlight need for immediate ac tion to tackle Pakistan’s economic and environmental challenges
Synergy Group wins AFAA Award for S tate Bank of Pakistan’s A saan Mobile Account c ampaign
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Caught in the Crossfire
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Tufail Anjum and Secretary Zakat Nazar Hussain Shah and relevant stakeholders participated in the meeting The meeting was informed that under the interest-free Ehsaas loan scheme, loans will be provided for
to five years while interest-free loans will be given for small business and house building purposes Speaking at the meeting, Advisor on Finance Muzammil Aslam said that Ehsaas Loan Scheme will create new business opportunities while making the people employed and poverty eradication will be possible in the province He said the Akhuwat Organization was supporting the provision of
seven-judge constitutional bench in the Supreme Court This decision was made by a majority vote of seven to five with Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi among those dissenting This bench brings together judges from each of Pakistan s four provinces: Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Ayesha A Malik from Punjab; Justices Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Naeem Akhtar Afghan from Balochistan; Justices Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Hassan Azhar Rizvi from Sindh; and Justice Musarrat Hilali from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Justice Aminuddin who is fourth in seniority among Supreme Court justices was chosen to head the bench for a term of 60 days as per recent legislative amendments which also raised the total number of Supreme Court judges from 17 to 34 The decision-making process was led by CJP Afridi, who discussed the composition of the bench under Article 175(A) of the Constitution suggesting a set term for the bench’s mandate The session included a thorough exchange of views ultimately leading to the approval of the seven-member bench with representatives from all provinces The minority, which included CJP Afridi, senior puisne judge Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, and opposition leaders Shibli Faraz and Omar Ayub, argued that the CJP should lead the constitutional bench
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced that all members of parliament and provincial assemblies must submit their annual statements of assets and liabilities by December 31 This submission also includes details for their spouses and dependents As part of the yearly requirement, all MPs are expected to provide their
ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T Pakistani snooker star Mohammad Asif on Wednesday secured the IBSF World Snooker Championship title for a third time defeating Iran s Asian champion Ali Ghareghozlou 5-3 in a thrilling final Held in Qatar, the 9-frame final saw Asif maintain his exceptional form, dominating throughout and claiming the prestigious title once again His victory brings him level with India s Pankaj Advani who has also won the World Snooker Championship three times Asif, 42, from Faisalabad, has had a remarkable journey in snooker He first won the title in 2012, followed by a second victory in 2019 and now his third triumph further solidifies his place in the sport s elite Throughout the tournament Asif showcased his prowess with six century breaks, setting a new record He reached the final after defeating Cyprus’ Michael Georgiou 5-3 in an exciting semi-final In response to his win, Alamgir Sheikh, Chairman of the Pakistan Snooker and Billiards Association, along with other officials, praised Asif ’s exceptional achievement calling it a moment of great pride for Pakistan They expressed their hope that like Arshad Nadeem s gold medal at the Paris Olympics, Asif s third world title would be celebrated with deserving recognition and accolades
