‘ICE MELTING’: PTI, GOVT SHOW WILLINGNESS TO RESTART DIALOGUE PROCESS
a day that began with the events of February 8 “Before the elections we were stripped of our election symbol but despite that the public voted for us Our mandate was stolen he said He also accused the government of using live ammunition
still ready to engage in discussions ” He reiterated PTI’s willingness to negotiate with the government Meanwhile Senator Shibli Faraz another senior PTI figure said that the opposition s negotiating committee is prepared to engage with all parties We have formed a serious and senior committee for talks, and we are ready to engage with everyone,” he said While speaking in the Senate the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate has blamed the government for the violence that took place in the aftermath of a final protest call by PTI for November 24, claiming that 13 PTI members were killed in the clashes
Despite the tragic events, Faraz stated that PTI’s committee remains open to negotiations with all parties involved Faraz labelled the government reaction as a black day in Pakistan s political history, adding that it would be remembered as
suppress the protest The bullets were not intended to scare, but to kill,” Faraz added
The Senate opposition leader detailed the toll of the protests claiming 13 fatalities over 200 missing activists and more than 5 000 PTI supporters in jail He also pointed out the absence of medical records for those who were hospitalised after the violence “We have not been given any records for the dead, and the Interior Minister had said that they would shoot for 5 minutes and no one would be seen he alleged Faraz also spoke about the political crisis in Pakistan, calling it the most dangerous turning point in the country s history He accused the current ruling party of attacking the Supreme Court, highlighting how video clips were shown at Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) rallies with explicit threats But we did not do that, Faraz emphasised He demanded an independent inquiry into the incidents of May 9 and November 24, calling for a commission led by three senior judges of the Supreme Court “We want an investigation into what happened on November 24 and May 9 ” he said stressing that a fair investigation would require senior judicial oversight Faraz also criticised the response from other political parties, expressing disappointment at their stance on the matter What is happening to us today, will happen to
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PAKISTAN EYES UK FLIGHT RESUMPTION BY EARLY 2025 AFTER BRITISH INSPECTION
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including high transmission and distribution (T&D) losses and low recovery rates, were cited as the main contributors Nepra’s annual performance report highlighted that none of the distribution companies (Discos) including K-Electric met their targets for reducing transmission and distribution losses
covery target Punjab-based companies such as IESCO GEPCO FESCO LESCO and MEPCO had recovery rates between 96% and 97% Peshawar and K-Electric crossed 90%, while Hyderabad, Quetta, and Sukkur-based firms posted troubling rates of
Rs47 5 billion, Rs37 billion, and Rs28 7 billion, respectively Discos’ T&D losses rose to 18 08% in FY24 exceeding Nepra’s target of 12 15% and up from 16 38% in FY23
Revenue collection also fell short with no Disco achieving the 100% re-
While IESCO, FESCO, LESCO, and MEPCO showed slight improvements others including PESCO GEPCO
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In a direct address to Khawaja Asif, Gohar remarked, “As a leader with years of experience is it appropriate for you to claim that no bullets were fired? You should have called for an investigation into the deaths The PTI leader also referenced global incidents where governments used force against protesters, asking rhetorically, “Did anyone fire at protesters in India Brazil or Sri Lanka?”
Despite the tension surrounding the issue PTI members opted for a subdued approach during the session, choosing to engage in dialogue instead of disruption This was a departure from their previous behavior, which often involved loud protests and disruptions over key issues
Earlier in a statement the PTI had indicated that it would stage a strong protest in the National Assembly over the govern-
ment’s alleged use of excessive force against the party s workers during the November protests In the Senate PTI leader Shibli Faraz raised the death toll to 13, claiming that the majority of the deceased were from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa He also alleged that around 200 PTI workers remain missing following the violent crackdown Meanwhile Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar commended the opposition for choosing to discuss the matter within the parliamentary framework, emphasizing the importance of constructive dialogue He urged lawmakers to engage in healthy debate which he described as essential to democracy
As the PTI calls for an impartial judicial inquiry, the issue continues to provoke strong reactions from both sides of the political spectrum The debate over accountability and transparency in the handling of the protest deaths remains unresolved
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $330 million in additional financing to strengthen Pakistan s federally administered social protection programs and services
According to a statement issued by the Manila-based regional development bank, the result-based loan for the ongoing Integrated Social Protection Development Program (ISPDP) will help expand grassroots-level social protection to alleviate poverty among poor women and their families
The program will enhance the institutional capacity of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Pakistan’s flagship social protection agency to transition to adaptive and climate-resilient social protection This will include enhancing access to education pathways for children
COMMENT
Piecemeal approach being adopted
TH E approval by the Cabinet of the settlement agreements with eight Independent Power Producers paves the way for a reduction in tariff The reduction is because these power purchase agreements will allow conversion from the present capacity charge model where the IPP is paid for its capacity, as well as reimbursed for its fuel, to a produce-and-pay model, where these units will only be paid for the power they produce The approval allows the Central Power Purchasing Authority to ask the National Electricity Power Regulatory Authority to change the tariff accordingly This means that the government is not going for one great tariff reduction after all the negotiations are concluded, but going for piecemeal and immediate reductions as soon as the review process by the National Task Force an ad-hoc body set up by the Energy Minister is completed
Apart from the burden on the electorate another consequence of the Task Force’s work has been the uncovering of much corruption in the setting up of IPPs, in the form of over-invoicing and over-pricing, among other abuses It has been that past corruption that has allowed the revision of the agreements, presumably granting IPP officials immunity against prosecution, as well as their accomplices in the Energy Ministry The Task Force is going on an examination of thermal plants set up by WAPDA Perhaps similar misdeeds will be uncovered Indeed, it is likely Will the government deal as benignly with its own officials? Apart from the issue of accountability the question is what to do about the loss of credibility that has occurred because of the revisions One way out is to ensure that the country does not fall in the loadshedding trap again That implies encouraging the solarization process not just following in its wake It is time for WAPDA to think up a new business model, for the old one of centralized generation is going to disappear There is still dispatch and transmission, but it may find this very different in a solarized environment It has to work out how it will get the consumer to pay for sending his surplus production elsewhere, and drawing power when the panels are not producing There are technical developments afoot that make oil-fired generation look outdated What price ambient electricity? What about night-time solar generation? Or fusion reactors? Science fiction? Or merely ideas in which recently there have been developments?
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
M A Niazi Editor Pakistan Today Babar Nizami Editor Profit
TTHAT which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet So says Shakespeare, who usually knows what he is talking about People keep repeating one paraphrase of it or another mindlessly in many cases In fact there is a characteristically beautiful context to the Romeo and Juliet quote which I will leave the reader to find out and savour for himself Taken as a general statement too, there is no disputing the fact that the names of things do not affect what they really are But this chain of thought can easily be misused by some to justify extreme laziness and carelessness on their part The fact that calling a man a pumpkin will not bestow on him the attributes of a pumpkin by no means justifies calling him one Most reasonable men would agree with this Calling a human being a pumpkin would be warranted only if the man is guilty of unmistakeably pumpkin-like behaviour, or he has explicitly expressed his desire to be referred to as a pumpkin But many apparently rational folks think nothing of misspelling people s names taking refuge in the What s in a name? cop-out if necessary
and
that
Names
names If I had a hundred rupees every time my name was misspelled, I would be an extremely rich man today While I got my name spelled correctly on all important formal documents (thanks to not a little quantum of effort on the part of my father and myself) there is no way I can prevent it from being misspelled on a daily basis when it comes to correspondence and comparatively less important documents When I was younger, I used to take exception to the double-s in Hassan because it put stress where none existed I have since come to believe that there is a lot more wrong with it than that What this sort of oversight demonstrates is absence of an eye for detail and a characteristic carelessness that cannot help manifesting itself in problems of much more consequence as well People are so lax in their attitude that
they cannot even copy from documents accurately It seems that they do not even notice when they add their biases to anything they approach A friend who spells his name Arsalan reports that his name is invariably spelled Arslan on one of the PTM WhatsApp groups he is part of He says he does not mind that at all However, on the very same group another parent who spells his name ‘Arslan’ (and who is rather particular about it) is often spelled Arsalan Despite his having made frequent entreaties people keep referring to Arsalan as Arslan and Arslan as Arsalan If somebody points out such errors, the usual retort is a self-righteous and condescending, All right, all right But what difference does it make?’ This “Butwhat-is-the-harm?” argument is invariably a bad one no matter what position it is employed to support Here are some observations pertaining to names: Custom of the language sees to it that there are few disagreements when it comes to how indigenous names are spelled in the original language The variants in such cases (if any) are, for the most part, matters of script rather than spelling disagreements Problems arise when names are transliterated into other languages Here it is best to stick as closely as possible to the sound the name makes But there will be the inevitable disagreements with no grounds for settling the issue any which way A fair and useful rule of thumb in such cases is that a name be spelled as the individual in question wants it to be spelled The
This must not be thought of as mere pedantr y When actress Aiman KhanÊs parents decided to christen their daughter Aiman (a distinctly male Arabic name) instead of Yumna (its female counterpar t), they did a disser vice to languag e , yes But that is not all For any man named Aiman would tell you that, once she acquired fame , ever ybody star ted considering it his duty to point out to him (with all the confidence associated with ignorance) that Aiman was a female name . This is akin to a man driving on the wrong side of the road lecturing somebody driving correctly on the ride side
C o u n t e r i n g P T I p r o p a g a n d a Truth behind alleged Islamabad massacre of November 26
potent tool for stirring up emotions and furthering the narrative of victimhood In the age of social media it is increasingly difficult to separate fact from fiction and PTI s ability to flood platforms with emotionally charged content has been a key factor in shaping public perception PTI s response to events of November 26 cannot be viewed in isolation The party is currently embroiled in a fierce political struggle, particularly with the ruling coalition led by PML(N) and PPP PTI under Imran Khan s leadership has repeatedly accused the government of unfairly targeting its leaders and supporters while using state institutions to undermine the party s political agenda In this context, the alleged massacre in Islamabad serves as a rallying cry for PTI’s supporters reinforcing the narrative that the party is the victim of a political conspiracy
The use of violent rhetoric and accusations of state-led oppression helps to maintain PTI’s image as a party that is fighting for the common man against a corrupt and oppressive elite However the political motivations behind such narratives should not be overlooked PTI s leadership benefits from keeping its supporters in a state of constant agitation, fueling the belief that they are fighting a battle against injustice This tactic, while effective in consolidating political power does little to address the underlying issues facing the country and often distracts from the real problems that need to be addressed Pakistan s media civil society and international organizations must play a key role in holding all parties accountable and ensuring that the public is informed of the reality behind these claims Given the high stakes in Pakistan’s current political climate where violence and unrest threaten to destabilize the country it is vital that the truth not propaganda prevails In the aftermath of the alleged Islamabad massacre, it is critical to recognize that political propaganda has a significant role in shaping public perception While PTI’s claims of state repression may resonate with their supporters they must be carefully scrutinized in light of the evidence The truth about the events of November 26 can only be established through an independent investigation Until then, the public must be wary of political narratives being pushed by the PTI and its allies The writer is a freelance columnist
Addicts’ refuge
Gaming gone wrong
Going downhill with democracy
TThe same platform cut a deal with Turkish president Erdogan who demanded X for censoring and blocking his political opponents and the platform complied with it Similarly, The Government of India’s, request for removing a controversial documentary of BBC on Narendra Modi was also accepted and all the accounts of the critics were blocked
All these are blunt attacks on the freedom of speech strangling the political debate, essential for nurturing mature political culture Democracy’s promise of giving
s meddling with people s voting behaviour in the Project Alamo for the Trump presidency and the Cambridge Analytica s venture for BREXIT that rattled the political pundits all over the world Things have changed exponentially since then Think beyond that what if a single person who is CEO of an online media platform could determine if a certain candidate will be allowed to use his platform for his campaign or not? Or maybe influence masses using this platform? No need to think further, our wildest dreams are reality now It’s not Facebook but rather X (formerly called Twitter) that has raised hackles in the political community now While Elon Musk claims to be a free speech absolutist he turned out to be a selective absolutist; only for those who share his ideology After Trump s election as the new president, the platform X has complied with 83 percent of requests made by the governments for censoring or surveilling accounts of the critics
equal grounds to everyone in the electoral process is doubtful today Even in the USA, the First Amendment put restrictions on the Government against it suppressing or putting any restriction on the freedom of speech but none on individuals or the corporations that have so much power and influence over the political behaviours of the masses, capable of determining the outcome of the elections Disinformation is like dandelion dust, you put something on social media and it goes to places and countries you haven’t even heard of And there s virtually no way of determining its authenticity and neither does one go through the hard task of filtering Moreover, these media corporations decide themselves what is hate speech’ and every now and then a person becomes a victim of this Cancel culture and when this particular person decides to speak against all that he gets blocked by X (Twitter) or Facebook
From men of deeds to men of clicks: Another problem that has emerged due to social media is political impassivity; democracy is not a spectator sport but rather requires the
Why bitcoin is booming
tions
to support candidates across the country seen as friendlier to
active participation of each and every individual What these Social media platforms have done is that they have taken away the avenue of any’ concrete action’ from the people and replaced it with a fake self-defined sense of achievement and satisfaction associated with posting status tweets on X or liking a particular post You go on to your social media account and post something against racism, liked a tweet against Extremism you have stroked your ego and feel selfconceited that you have
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an economics professor at Colorado State University who has been critical of crypto “The nomination of crypto-enthusiasts for administrative posts is a clear signal of the embrace of bitcoin and crypto triggering the flood of money into these markets Bitcoin s rally is also a product of its increased legitimacy Trump s election may have sparked its rally, but the financial establishment s embrace of the asset in recent months provided the tinder While bitcoin was once a niche curiosity, it is now a mainstream digital currency that everyday Americans can now buy through reputable retail investment accounts Even if bitcoin ultimately turns out to be a bubble as many economists have argued it may these investment vehicles have assured it some staying power THE POLICIES OF THE INCOMING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ARE FUELING OPTIMISM: Trump has been an ardent cryptocurrency supporter throughout his most recent presidential campaign and his choices to lead key government agencies related to its regulation reflect that enthusiasm Bitcoin hit its highest valuation ever following the nomination of Paul Atkins on Wednesday to head the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which is in charge of regulating tradable securities like stocks Atkins was previously an SEC commissioner for six years during former President George W Bush’s administration Atkins is “not necessarily the sort of burn-it-all-down type of nominee that Trump has decided upon for other positions ” Molly White a cryptocurrency researcher and critic told Vox He s fairly establishment; he has the SEC background but he also was a very strong
is rumored to be one of Trump’s top picks for another key position: head of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) which makes rules around the trading of futures and commodities Currently, cryptocurrency is under the purview of the SEC, but the Trump administration is
All of that likely means that the regulatory landscape under a Trump administration will be much friendlier for crypto following heavier regulations and a slew of lawsuits against crypto companies during current SEC chair Gary Gensler ’s tenure “The recent wave of investment in the crypto space is largely driven by the growing belief that years of regulatory uncertainty and lawfare may finally be giving way to clarity said Christian Catalini founder of the MIT Cryptoeconomics Lab Gensler s SEC cracked down on trading platforms like Coinbase, Binance, and Kraken, arguing that the buying and selling of cryptocurrency should have the same oversight as something like a stock or bond, and that investors should have access to the same kinds of information about crypto companies as they would have about a company that they are buying stock in Crypto trading platforms and associated companies however argue that crypto tokens aren t the same as stocks and therefore shouldn t have the same regulations applied The SEC has brought lawsuits against several major crypto platforms, including Coinbase, which are ongoing But they could be dropped under the Trump administration, and regulation around bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies is likely to change significantly under Trump Under a Trump regulatory regime cryptocurrency exchanges like Binance and Coinbase could operate with less threat of litigation making it easier for people to trade on their platforms Enthusiasts say this will spur innovation in the industry, but it could also mean that individual traders using such platforms are more exposed to fraud, theft, and the volatile nature of the currency O
touted more as an investment instrument rather than a form of currency that can be used like cash, White said And that pivot is also helping its valuation In January, the
Hezbollah
latory environment and the possibilities it is opening for new products and funds that can draw in more and more people into these markets, Vasudevan said
ON Sunday, December 8, after over a week of intense fighting between the Syrian government and the terrorist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allied factions who gained control over key cities in the country Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fled Syria The news was announced by the Russian Foreign Ministry which also informed that with his resignation, al-Assad instructed his prime minister to stay in charge of the state to oversee a peaceful transition of power to opposition forces The development happens 14 months into Israel s genocide in Gaza, and weeks after signing a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah
1 The Syrian state had been devastated by the war which began 2011 and then by the sanctions placed on the country by the United States and its allies The Syrian Arab Army (the official state army) had never fully recovered in the aftermath of the major fighting and was incapable of taking back the main cities of Hama, Homs, and Aleppo
2 The Israeli bombardment of Syrian military facilities had weakened the Syrian armed forces logistical and ordinance capabilities These attacks had been sustained and painful for the Syrian armed forces
3 Israeli invasion of Lebanon and the assassination of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had weakened the ability of Hezbollah to operate even within Lebanon s south, which forced the recent ‘ceasefire’ agreement with Israel This demonstrated that Hezbollah was not in any position to enter Syria again to defend the Syrian government against any armed incursion on the Hama to Damascus road (highway M5)
9
8
5 The nearly three years of conflict in Ukraine had certainly denied Syria the ability to call upon further Russian assistance for the protection of Damascus or for the Russian naval base in Latakia
6 Therefore Syria s government no longer had its Iranian and Russian military allies for assistance against the reinforced rebels
7 The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formed in 2017 out of the al-Qaeda formations drew together various military forces from Turkey to the Uyghurs – with a large number of other al-Qaeda influenced fighters – and built up its forces in Idlib
10
4 The attacks on Iranian supply depots and military facilities in Syria as well as the attacks by Israel on Iran had prevented any build up of Iranian forces to defend the Syrian government The weakening of Hezbollah also weakened Iran s role in the region
TIntl Uni strengthens global par tnerships through academic leadership at
tional
inDrive S ees Tripling of B2B Deliveries in Pak istan Amid Growing Demand
stances of unique deliveries, including wedding cards,
B2B deliveries tripling in 2024 compared to the previous year
This surge reflects a significant shift in the logistics landscape, driven by a rising demand for swift and reliable courier solutions across diverse industries
An in-depth analysis of 5 000 user comments about delivery experiences has unveiled key insights into the evolving needs of Pakistani consumers Among the most requested delivery categories food and beverages lead the list at 27% closely followed by clothing and accessories at 24% Medicine, electronics, and documents also emerged as notable categories, accounting for 13%, 12%, and 8% of deliveries, respectively The findings underline the extensive role inDrive plays in catering to varied consumer and business needs
Retail businesses in particular are leveraging inDrive s services extensively with nearly a quarter of all deliveries made on their behalf This trend underscores the platform s growing significance in supporting local commerce The analysis also revealed intriguing in-
Bank Alfalah
KARACHI S TA F F R E P O R T
On the occasion of International Day for Persons with Disabilities Bank Alfalah one of Pakistan s leading commercial banks in Pakistan has partnered with Deaf Reach s flagship programme of the Family Educational Services Foundation (FESF) to establish satellite schools in flood-impacted areas of Pakistan
The partnership will facilitate the creation of three satellite schools in flood-affected areas of Sindh and Balochistan emphasising Bank Alfalah s focus on inclusive education and community growth Through its satellite school model, Deaf Reach will repurpose under-utilised spaces to educate children in remote areas, as less than 5% have access to education This collaboration aims to address the educational gap for over 1 million deaf children in Pakistan empowering communities and promoting inclusivity For over 30 years the Deaf Reach Program has been Pakistan s only school network for the Deaf, addressing the educational and vocational needs of deaf children and youth It operates eight campuses and over 20 satellite schools, offering a well-rounded curriculum, vocational training sign language and job placement
The partnership in observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities reinforced the crucial need for equal opportunities for individuals with disabil-
FETEX’24
surgical instruments, and even a balloon machine, highlighting the adaptability of the service to meet the diverse demands of its customers Urban centers like Karachi Lahore and Islamabad have witnessed a marked preference for food delivery fueled by an increasing appetite for both local and international cuisines These cities remain at the forefront of the delivery boom, reinforcing the urban-driven nature of the service’s growth
Committed to ensuring the safe and efficient transport of items inDrive has introduced a series of practical delivery tips accessible via its app These tips emphasize proper labeling clear communication of special needs and the use of eco-friendly packaging materials Users are also encouraged to document the condition of their packages, review courier ratings, and select suitable vehicles for fragile items
“At inDrive we are dedicated to providing a reliable and user-friendly delivery service tailored to meet the needs of both businesses and everyday users This year we have significantly enhanced our app s design and usability, making it easier for users to order and track deliveries, said, Sidra Kiran, Spokesperson for inDrive
ities Bank Alfalah has pledged PKR
as part of this initiative a series of science festivals under the banner Science in Sindh is being organized to inspire and engage students in scientific learning and innovation The MagnifiScience exhibition featured over 30 innovative science projects presented by local students from government and private schools, along with exciting exhibits by renowned institutions like Aga Khan University Pakistan Science Club WonderTech Essential Elements and Sabza Hydroponics The educational event focused on captivating themes including "Brainstorming", "Animal Superpowers," "The Mind s Eye," and "Physics in Action" Amir Iqbal, CEO of SECMC
PM SHEHBA Z REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO GOVERNANCE REFORMS ACROSS ALL SECTORS
FinMin denies plan to lower retirement age to 55
stated that the port can accommodate vessels of up to 50 000 DWT and is equipped with the necessary infrastructure to handle
