AMENDMENT BILL AIMING AT INCREASING SC JUDGES TABLED IN SENATE
SENATOR QADIR
Law minister rebuffs speculations on extension in CJP Isa tenure
top judge of the country Senior Puisne Judge Mansoor Ali Shah is next in line to become the country s top judge
The speculations about CJP Isa s extension gained attraction after the PTI sought an early issuance of notification regarding the next chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) last month
PTI to oppose any amendment regarding judiciar y
ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said that the party has decided to oppose any amendment bill regarding the judiciary and all their members of parliament have been officially notified about it “None of our MNA or senator will vote in the favour of the proposed amendments Every MNA has been individually instructed in this regard in the light of Article 63 of the Constitution,” Gohar said while speaking to the media on Monday It may be noted that the controversial apex court judgment of July 2022 on former Punjab chief minister Pervaiz Elahi s petition prevents lawmakers from defying party lines in constitutional votes, effectively limiting the government’s ability to secure additional votes through defections Moreover speaking about the matter of parleys between the opposition and the government, the PTI chairman said that a dialogue should be held The PTI chief said his party has also clarified with whom the talks should be held PTI founder has given the mandate to hold the talks with political parties to Mahmood Achakzai and it is his prerogative to decide the point which should be talked on,” he added Gohar further stated that if the party will consider any suggestions presented by the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chairman
seeks enhanced collaboration with China in key sectors
such as information technology artificial intelligence modern agriculture and other sectors
In a conversation with Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong, the prime minister remarked that the friendship between Pakistan and China has endured and remained strong throughout the years He stated that the friendship between Pakistan and China has withstood the test of time, with China providing unwavering support to Pakistan during every challenging period
The prime minister praised the Chi-
nese leadership's vision to consistently enhance Pakistan-China strategic relations and collaborate on upgrading the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) He emphasized that the friendship between Pakistan and China is essential not only for both
ISLAMABAD S TA F F R E P O R T
Coordinator to the Prime Minister on National Health Services Regulations, and Coordination, Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmed has said that the Ministry of Health Serv-
ices has chalked out a complete action plan for prevention of Mpox (monkeypox) and the advisory will be issued soon Talking to private news channel here on Monday, he said that advisory will be issued with the support and coordination of the Ministry of Foreign
(MoFA) and the Ministry of Religious Affairs
Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmed said that through these ministries the overseas Pakistanis and pilgrims will be informed about the complete guidelines of this virus
Pakistani expor ters showcase textile offerings at
istani exhibitors in showcasing the best of Pakistani textiles,” said assistant manager marketing from Kohinoor Mills “This fair is an
regions to its 240,000square-meter venue for this edition
“We are proud to be back at Intertextile Shanghai joining fellow Pak-
CCI REJECTS PETROLEUM DIVISION'S PROPOSAL TO SECURE $5B INVESTMENT IN E&P SECTOR
pointed Director General of Petroleum Concessions Riaz Ali was recently hospitalized due to acute stress and exhaustion reportedly linked to the harsh management style of Minister of Petroleum Musadiq Malik According to sources, Minister Malik s aggressive behavior, including shouting, throwing files, and erratic scheduling of meetings has demoralized ministry staff and stalled progress on key energy policies It is pertinent to mention that these internal issues have raised concerns about the ministry s ability to effectively implement the CCI’s decision and other critical energy policies
Sanaullah urges Mohsin Naqvi to choose between PCB and interior ministr y roles
n e w S d e S k
Economist Kaiser Bengali has urged the government to prioritize reducing the fiscal deficit, suggesting that shutting down inefficient institutions could lead to savings of PKR 30 billion Speaking at a press conference in Karachi Bengali also announced his resignation from the High-Powered Committee for Rightsizing, expressing concerns that the restructuring burden is unfairly falling on lower-income segments Bengali highlighted the bloated structure of the federal government noting that there are 40 divisions in total with recommendations to review five at a time He advocated for interviewing the heads of institutions under each division to assess their effectiveness He pointed to inefficiencies within government bodies using three population-related institutions as examples of entities that have failed to control population growth Bengali also questioned the rationale behind maintaining organizations like the Pakistan Gems and Jewellery Development Company and the Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Au-
thority noting that they have been inexplicably placed under the Ministry of Petroleum instead of being shut down Bengali expressed disappointment over the government s reluctance to cut expenses He revealed that the committee had identified 70 state-run institutions for potential closure but recommended shutting down only one Additionally the committee suggested privatizing 17 commercial entities while retaining 52 others Bengali challenged the committee s proposal to eliminate 150,000 positions in grades 1 to 16 and to privatize the Utility Stores Corporation arguing that 17 government divisions do not align with the Constitution and should be eliminated He criticized the committee s composition, which includes political figures rather than technical experts, accusing these politicians of having pre-determined agendas Bengali also questioned the effectiveness of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA), which has existed for 40 years yet has not been able to prevent the decline of small industries
Bengali urged the government to focus on reducing expenses pointing out that high-interest rates and electricity costs are stifling industrial growth He warned that the nation is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, with no external loans or investments forthcoming In a symbolic gesture of protest, Bengali announced that he would file his income tax return one day late on September 20th
might emerge, revealing communications between him and others on May 9th, with further details potentially coming to light from those who facilitated these exchanges
n e w S d e S k Apple has officially announced
KARACHI
COMMENT
Is the government serious about rightsizing?
TH
The
Balancing Act: Maximising rooftop solar benefits in Pakistan
devolution to
these
to
subjects have been suggested Without getting into the merits or demerits of such suggestions, one must question whether or not the government is even serious in its efforts The resignation of Dr Kaiser Bengali from the austerity committee, the rightsizing committee, and the government expenditure committee came on Sunday, and by Monday it was clear he had done so in protest The government is not serious about rightsizing and would rather protect jobs for bureaucrats according to the economist
Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
The resignation marks a scary moment Pakistan is currently mulling over rightsizing because the IMF wants it to But this isn’t the first time a government has considered such proposals Every time however it seems the interests of politicians and bureaucrats overrules the dire need to clean up the federal government This time around, one had hoped the discerning eye of the fund would have been enough to get the job done as it has proven to in the case of privatisation Unfortunately, it seems the government might be more interested in giving the IMF the runaround M A Niazi
To leave or not to leave
Mahpara Mangi
The real solution to PakistanÊs energy challeng es lies in embracing solar energy. Solar power not only reduces dependency on costly IPPs but also offers long-term price stability and democratises energy access for all, making it a sustainable and equitable choice for the nationÊs future .
Three years ago, I moved to Islamabad for work, chasing oppor tunities and dreams that seemed just out of reach in my small hometown. The initial excitement was exhilarating the chance to car ve out a new life in a city full of possibilities. But that excitement has slowly been replaced by a persistent ache , a longing for the familiar comfor ts of home My family is back in another province , where life moves at a more leisurely pace , and ever yone knows ever yone I used to think that being in Islamabad, with its oppor tunities and charm, would make the distance easier to bear
Faiza
d e c i s i o n t h a t c o s t $ 2 . 5 6 b i l l i o n
Ivividly recall that the decision to use imported coal in Sahiwal power plant was made as part of the agreements under CPEC The project was initially agreed upon in 2013 during the visit of the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to China, where various energy projects, including the Sahiwal plant, were included in the CPEC framework The construction began in 2015 and it started production in May 2017 with a total capacity of 1 320 MW incurring a cost of $1 8 billion Being one of the most efficient plants, its levelized tariff (the average cost over the life of the plant) is around PKR 8-9 per kWh (approximately USD 0 05-0 06 per kWh) Interestingly the plant from the conception to completion was during the period when Mian Nawaz Sharif was in power in the center and Shahbaz Sharif was the Chief Minister in the province of Punjab This decision to use imported coal was made by both the leaders with stark awareness and knowledge that the indigenous and much cheaper Thar coal was available for power production
The decision by the Sharif brothers not only surprised me but also baffled many national and international analysts and power experts Another surprising decision was selecting Sahiwal as the project site, despite it being far from major consumption centers like Lahore Karachi and Faisalabad as well as distant from the Karachi or Gwadar ports
This location inevitably led to additional costs for transporting imported coal from the ports to Sahiwal and transmitting electricity from Sahiwal to the country s main consumption areas
Despite these clear disadvantages both Sharifs stubbornly pursued the Sahiwal plant without any sound economic or financial jus-
tification The project’s objectives and scope were finalized agreed upon and signed fully aware that the Sahiwal project was fraught with uncertainties and was primarily driven by the desire to gain political capital resulting in high transmission and distribution costs and the expense of imported coal Now, in a sudden and characteristic move, Mr Shahbaz Sharif has abruptly decided to change the direction of the Sahiwal coal power project without proper consideration or consultation with stakeholders putting the entire project s fate in jeopardy In project management terms, this change of scope is akin to initiating another capital-intensive undertaking and a nightmare for engineers and technologists Once a project is completed and handed over to the investing party any change in scope becomes a separate exclusive and independent undertaking
It would involve a comprehensive project initiation, starting with the development of a project charter, stakeholder identification and a feasibility study to assess technical economic and environmental viability
The planning phase would include defining the project scope developing a detailed work breakdown structure (WBS), scheduling, cost estimation, resource allocation, risk management, and establishing a communication plan During execution the focus would be on detailed engineering design procurement of necessary equipment logistics planning for Thar coal transportation and retrofitting the plant Quality control measures would be implemented throughout construction and installation The project would proceed with rigorous testing commissioning and ongoing monitoring to ensure the plant s efficiency and compliance with standards The project would conclude with final inspections, handover, post-implementation re-
view, and formal closure, followed by postproject support and continued performance monitoring to ensure the long-term success of the plant s operation with Thar coal
If the Sharif Brother could have taken the right decision to use Thar coal from the very start of this project, it would have provided significant long-term benefits, including lower initial capital costs by eliminating the need for later retrofitting and reducing fuel costs through the use of a domestic coal source It would have enhanced Pakistan s energy security by decreasing reliance on imported coal, providing a stable and predictable supply chain, and fostering local economic development by boosting the Thar coal industry and creating jobs
Environmentally the plant would have minimized transportation emissions and could have incorporated advanced emissions control technologies tailored to Thar coal Operationally, the plant would have been optimized for Thar coal’s specific properties, improving efficiency and long-term reliability Strategically this early adoption would align with Pakistan s sustainable energy goals driving innovation and contributing to a more self-sufficient energy future If the Sahiwal Coal Power Plant had utilized Thar coal from the beginning, Pakistan could have potentially saved approximately $2 058 billion over seven years from 2017 to 2024 These savings would stem from the lower cost of Thar coal which is domestically sourced and significantly cheaper than imported coal, as well as reduced transportation and handling expenses due to the proximity of the Thar coalfields By avoiding the higher costs associated with importing and transporting coal the country would have benefited from substantial economic advantages contributing to greater energy independence and overall cost efficiency The conversion of the Sahiwal Coal Power Plant from
In conclusion, consumer groups, industrial consumers, and chambers of commerce should urg ently seek judicial inter vention to hold accountable those responsible for these financially and commercially unviable decisions The National Assembly and Senate committees must also take action against the reckless misuse of the nationÊs resources, ensuring those who caused this economic harm are held to account
An always- on, 24/7 work culture is inefficient and unhealthy And for many, workaholism is an insidious imposition, not a choice
and discrimination might be less visible online, and so harder to prevent Remote working is part of a broader casualisation of the labour market, where one person’s welcome flexibility is another ’s stress-inducing insecurity From a commercial perspective, there is a loss of positive network effects when workers are dispersed away from a central hub Veterans are less able to share expertise with newcomers That is just one reason why many bosses lamented the hollowing out of offices by the pandemic
There are many jobs that can only be done in a specific location within fixed, regular hours Analogue work, whether as manual labour or face-to-face services, is not going away But the definition of what it means to be at work is evolving rapidly Politics has been slow to respond to this question The last government did not engage with it seriously As a minister in the business department Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg took to leaving sarcastic notes on the desks of civil servants who had opted to work from home The pathological habit of sneering condescension might explain why Sir Jacob’s constituents subsequently ejected him from parliament The push to get workers rest relaxation and recreation is part of the UK s history The weekend was born in Victorian Manchester when a campaign was launched to give factory workers half a day off on Saturdays and enable them to be fresh for work on Monday morning It succeeded, and the idea spread By 1850 it became law A five-day week has become the norm in many rich countries In a modern sense taking a break allows for reflection and distance from tricky tasks leading to
H o w G e r m a n y b u r n e d i t s ‘ b r i d g e t o t h e I s l a m i c w o r l d ’
IN March 2003, the German Foreign Office established an online platform, named Qantara, which means “bridge” in classical Arabic, in response to the 9/11 attacks in the United States and the hostility they triggered in the West against Muslims The declared aim of the independent portal run by German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle, was to bridge cultural differences between the West and the Islamic world and provide a neutral platform for interreligious dialogue
The portal which publishes content in English German and Arabic operated successfully for more than 20 years seemingly with no editorial guidance from the German government This changed however, when it began publishing content critical of German debates on anti-Semitism in the context of the Gaza genocide Earlier this year, it was announced that Qantara would be restructured, and its management would be transferred from Deutsche Welle to the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen – IFA) which is affiliated to and funded by the Federal Foreign Office
The ministry claimed the move was purely structural and unrelated to the editorial direction and output of the site German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock however contradicted this claim suggesting in an interview that concerns about content published by Qantara particularly content on anti-Semitism were a factor in the decision
Following the announcement, 35 members of Qantara s editorial staff published an open letter addressed to Baerbock, expressing doubt that the IFA possessed the editorial capacities needed for the successful continuation of this complex project which had been painstakingly built over many years and has proved to be a great source for those interested in the Middle East and Europe s relationship with it The letter had no effect, and all editorial staff resigned in protest On July 1, the management of Qantara, which no longer had any editorial staff members was transferred from Deutsche Welle to IFA IFA said the portal will remain under its editorial control until the new editor-in-chief Jannis Hagmann forms a new editorial board and officially begins work sometime in the coming weeks
This transitional period at Qantara represents a unique opportunity to observe and assess the true views of the German government about the Middle East and its peoples given that state officials are now openly editing a platform advertised as Germany s bridge to the Islamic world
Before the change in management Qantara was respected for its objective, informative, in-depth reporting and analysis on the Middle East and the wider Islamic world, both in Germany and the region itself
This is no longer the case Right now under the
editorial direction of the Foreign Office-affiliated IFA Qantara appears focused not on initiating intercultural and interreligious dialogue and discussion but on confirming the German government s biases and prejudices about Muslims specifically Palestinians through poorly researched and edited opinion articles
Perhaps the best example of Qantara’s new editorial stance – and by extension the German government’s true views on the Middle East and its peoples – is an opinion piece titled Crisis Communication and the Middle East: Like and Share published on July 25
The op-ed, supposedly analysing the media coverage of Israel s war on Gaza, by MoroccanGerman author Sineb El Masrar, frames Palestinians as an inherently violent and anti-Semitic people who are lying about their suffering their history their culture and their political motivations to malign Israel and destabilise Western democracies
It authoritatively states, without evidence or anything that resembles a supporting argument, that Palestinian journalists reporting on genocide are Hamas operatives in disguise, that images of death and suffering from Gaza are “staged” that Palestinians hate Zionist occupiers on their land solely because of Islamic anti-Semitism that there is actually no famine in Gaza and the international media are intentionally not publishing photos of full market stalls and barbecue stations in the Strip
The author claims, for example, famine in the Gaza Strip “according to the recently published Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Report did not and does not exist Of course the report linked in the article clearly states: While the whole territory [of the Gaza Strip] is classified in Emergency (IPC Phase 4), over 495,000 people (22 percent of the population) are still facing catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 5) ” The IPC defines Phase 5 in its fact sheet as “famine” and says this ranking is only attributed to an area when it has at least 20 percent of households facing an extreme lack of food at least 30 percent of children suffering from acute malnutrition, and two people for every 10,000 dying each day due to outright starvation or to the interaction of malnutrition and disease”
It seems according to Qantara and the government officials currently controlling it even famine as confirmed by the IPC is not really famine when it is happening to Palestinians and is facilitated by Israel
The blatant distortions of fact in the article do not end there The author also argues that Islamic anti-Semitism” was the reason why Muslims in Palestine resisted the Zionist takeover of their lands She adds “Unlike Germany the Middle East itself has never come to terms with its Nazi past
This is obviously an Orwellian lie that has no place being repeated in any serious journalistic publication What suggests that the Middle East actually has a Nazi past that it needs to come to terms with? Of course, nothing Nazism is an exclusively Western – and specifically German – ideology with no basis in or connection to the Middle East and Muslim populations living there Muslims in the region are prejudiced against not Jews and Judaism – which was itself born and codified in the Middle East and prospered under Muslim rule in various countries across the region for centuries – but the Zionists ruling Israel, who have been killing their loved ones stealing their land and confining them in heavily policed ghettos for decades The Palestinian issue
QaMar bashir
china, mali elevate ties to strategic par tnership as leaders meet in Beijing
public could damage prospects for engagement with foreign nations and international organizations Deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat was responding to comments by a spokesman for the UN secretarygeneral assuring continued engagement with the Taliban authorities after Afghanistan’s morality ministry said it would no longer cooperate with the UN mission in the country UNAMA over criticism of the law Fitrat said the authorities were committed to positive interactions with all the countries and organizations in accordance with Islamic law ” in a voice message to journalists on Saturday Interaction is the only way to achieve solutions to problems and for the progression and expansion of relations, he said, urging nations and organizations to engage positively with the Taliban authorities
Since taking power in 2021 no state has recognized the Taliban government but it has made diplomatic inroads recently, including attending UN-hosted talks on Afghanistan in Qatar On Friday the spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said We will continue to engage with all stakeholders in Afghanistan, including the Taliban
“We have always done so following our mandate and I would say impartially and in good faith always upholding the norms of the UN pushing the messages of human rights and equality said Stephane Dujarric We would urge the de facto authorities to, in fact, open more avenues for diplomatic engagement he added Earlier Friday the morality ministry had said it would no longer cooperate with UNAMA over its criticisms of the Law on the Promotion of Virtue
and the Prevention of Vice which was ratified last week
The law, which includes rules on many aspects of Afghans’ lives according to the Taliban’s strict interpretation of Islamic law sparked concern among Afghans various countries human rights advocates UN agencies and the EU It prohibits women from raising their voices in public and requires them to cover their entire body and face if they need to leave the house out of necessity
Men s behavior and dress are also strictly regulated by the law which gives morality police powers to warn and detain people for non-compliance UNAMA head Roza Otunbayeva said last week that the law offered a distressing vision for Afghanistan s future adding that it could set back cooperation efforts, a warning echoed by the EU
he hopes Mali will provide security guarantees and policy convenience for Chinese enterprises China always supports the African people in independently determining their future and destiny and stands ready to collaborate with Mali and other African countries in pursuing modernization paths tailored to their respective national conditions, said the Chinese president The upcoming FOCAC summit aims to draw up a new blueprint for China-Africa cooperation in the new era jointly advance modernization and build a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future Xi said adding that China is ready to work with Mali and other African countries to make the summit a complete success Goita felt gratitude for the warm and friendly reception in Beijing The two peoples enjoy a brotherly friendship and bilateral cooperation is sincere and pragmatic Goita said Mali hopes to further consolidate the friendship with China, upgrade the strategic partnership, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in agriculture, energy, mining and security, Goita added There is only one China in the world and
KABUL S TA F F R E P O R T
Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah
Akhundzada
PUNJAB GOVERNMENT L AUNCHES INNOVATIVE ‘SMART CL ASSROOM’
PROJECT WITH HUAWEI
N D E A D L I E S T A U G U S T O F 2 0
R abi-ul-Aw wal moon sighting meeting set for S ep 4
ISLAMABAD
The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will convene on September 4 to sight the Rabi-ul-Awwal 1446 AH moon at the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony with Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad presiding over the session Key figures involved include Director General Syed Mushahid Hussain Khalid responsible for coordination and Zain-ul-Abideen from the Ministry of Science and Technology Technical assistance will be provided by Chief Meteorologist Dr Sardar Sarfaraz of the Pakistan Meteorological Department and Ghulam Murtaza from SUPARCO who will participate via telephone Prominent members of the
Central and Zonal Ruet-e-Hilal Committee including Mufti Zameer Ahmed Sajid, Mufti Muhammad Iqbal Naeemi, Mufti Abdul Salam Jalali, and other religious scholars, will attend the meeting Zonal committees across the country will also hold meetings at their
respective headquarters in Lahore Karachi Quetta and Peshawar Maulana Syed Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad, Chairman of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, will announce the final decision regarding the sighting of the Rabi-ul-Awwal moon
MIANWALI
S TA F F R E P O R T
Police successfully repelled an attack by Khawarij terrorists on the Qabul Khel Checkpost in Mianwali’s Isa Khel area late Sunday night, forcing the assailants to flee after an effective counter-operation A Punjab Police spokesperson stated that 12 to 14 terrorists launched the attack using rockets and hand grenades, resulting in two officers sustaining minor injuries
Despite the nighttime assault the police personnel stationed at the checkpost were on high alert and retaliated with heavy gunfire driving the attackers into retreat Following the incident, District Police Officer (DPO) Mianwali, Akhtar Farooq arrived at the scene to commend the officers’ bravery The Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Isa Khel and Station House Officer (SHO) also rushed to the checkpost with additional forces A search operation has been
launched to capture the fleeing terrorists who are believed to have suffered significant losses during the skirmish This marks the ninth terrorist attack on Punjab Police in recent months that has been successfully thwarted Inspector General (IG) Punjab Dr Usman Anwar praised the Qabul Khel checkpost officers for their courage and emphasized that police will continue to stand as a strong defense against terrorists at inter-provincial border posts
S TA F F R E P O R T The judicial remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi has been extended until September 16 in the new Toshakhana reference case The decision was made by Judge Nasir Javed of the Islamabad Accountability Court during a hearing on Monday Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi appeared in court alongside their legal team The court granted the remand extension after reviewing the arguments presented by both parties During the hearing the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor requested the judicial records of the old Toshakhana reference However the court dismissed the request after considering the arguments The court will also hear the bail applications of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi on September 6 in connection with the new Toshakhana reference The accountability watchdog has arrested the PTI supremo and his wife in a new Toshakhana reference earlier in July this year In the new NAB reference, the couple is accused of purchasing a jewelry set from the Toshakhana and selling it The set is valued at Rs75 million
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Sher Afzal Marwat has declared that the rally scheduled for September 8 will proceed as planned regardless of the circumstances In an interview with a private TV channel, Marwat confirmed that he would return to Islamabad to finalize preparations for the rally He criticized the repeated delays stating that PTI’s founder had emphasized the rally’s success as crucial
Marwat also disclosed that after Barrister Gohar ’s statement on his re-inclusion in PTI, he was re-added to a WhatsApp group He stressed the importance of following the PTI founder s directives
A movement focused on the release of the PTI founder and reclaiming the party’s mandate is set to begin soon Marwat said starting in Punjab with marches and protests aimed at eliminating fear and intimidation He reiterated that this movement is for the people of Pakistan
Marwat affirmed that whenever Imran Khan calls for protests, the leadership will respond, undeterred by
deep regret and urged against further escalation He also warned that if Maulana Fazlur Rehman were to join the government it would come with significant political costs
