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TALKS THROUGH ‘BACK AND FRONT DOORS’ CAN’T BE HELD SIMULTANEOUSLY : SIDDIQUI Sunday, 19 January, 2025 I 18 Rajabul Murajjab, 1446

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Rs 20.00 | Vol XV No 194 I 8 Pages I Lahore Edition

g ACHAKZAI OPPOSES TALKS WITH GOVT, PML-N SENATOR STRESSES PTI SHOULD ABANDON NEGOTIATIONS IF PARTY HAD SAYING COMMON CITIZEN REALLY ENGAGED MILITARY IN TALKS CONSIDERED GOVT TO BE ‘ILLEGITIMATE’ g PPP’S SHAH SAYS PTI SHOULD PUBLIC IF THEY’VE HAD A MEETING WITH ARMY CHIEF g

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ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

ML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui on Saturday rebuked the PTI for claims on engagement with the ‘military leadership’ in talks amid ongoing negotiations with the government, saying that simultaneous talks could be held at “multiple doors.” In a post on X on Saturday, Siddiqui criticised the development, claiming to know all about the “details and conversations of Barrister Ali Gohar’s ‘meeting’ with the army chief”.

He said that if the PTI leadership thought it could continue talks through both the “backdoor and front door,” negotiations through “two to three doors” could not continue at the same time.

The PML-N senator said if the party had really engaged the military in talks then it should tell its negotiating team for the talks with the government to abandon the effort since there was no point to it.

The PTI and the government are currently engaged in talks to bring down political temperatures. After two rounds of meetings, the third round was held on Thursday in which

Democracy moves forward with dialogues, not deadlocks: Sanaullah ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

Prime Minister’s Advisor on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, emphasized on Saturday the importance of dialogue in democracy, saying it is the only way to resolve political issues and move forward.

Talking to a private news channel, he stated that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had submitted written demands that will be responded to in writing after consulting with our allies, he said.

During the meeting, PTI’s negotiation team was asked to continue the talks once they received the government’s response, however, Rana

Sanaullah said that they turned down the suggestion by saying that further discussions would not be possible without the approval of the former chairman of PTI. “The PTI leadership insists that negotiations can only move forward if there is a guarantee that their demands will be met,” he explained.

Criticizing PTI’s demands, Rana Sanaullah said they were self-serving, while the country needs dialogue to achieve a broader consensus among political forces. “The focus should be on ensuring incidents like May 9 never happen again, as this will help the country move forward,” he added.

the PTI formally presented its demands in writing.

The same day, the issue of a meeting between Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir and PTI leaders Ali Amin Gandapur and Barrister Gohar Ali Khan came under intense scrutiny but the agenda of the rendezvous remained shrouded in mystery, amid conflicting claims from both sides. Initially, the interim PTI chairman had denied a meeting took place, but on Thursday, he confirmed a meeting with the army chief, where he claimed to have “received a positive response”. A statement attributed to security sources, however, denied any political aspect of the gathering, saying the contents of the meeting were being reported out of context.

The meeting was also confirmed by former prime minister Imran Khan, who is incarcerated in Adiala jail, saying if talks had started between the two sides, then it was indeed a step in the right direction.

Senior PPP leader Khursheed Shah raises concerns about the meeting as well.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

Dialogue with govt to go on despite AlQadir Trust case verdict: Gohar ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

Pakistan Tehreeek-e-Insaf Chairman Ali Gohar Khan stated that the ongoing talks the government will continue despite the conviction of PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife in the AlQadir Trust case.

“Talks with the government would continue and the PTI would wait for the government to constitute a judicial commissions on May 9 and Nov 26 incidents”, the PTI chief said.

“The PTI has submitted its charter of demands; and it will wait to see how the government responds to the de-

mands,” Gohar said.

He said Imran Khan is in high spirits and not afraid of the conviction. The sentence awarded in Al-Qadir reference will soon be overturned by the higher judiciary, he claimed.

The PTI chairman recalled that Imran has constantly been saying to the higher judiciary that people do not get justice from lower courts and this leads to shattering nations’ trust in judiciary. “[Talks] will not be aborted because of this [judgment],” Gohar quoted Imran as saying soon after an accountability court sentenced the former PM to 14 years in prison in the £190m AlQadir Trust corruption case.

PTI decides on moving IHC against Al-Qadir Trust case verdict tomorrow ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has decided to challenge the Accountability Court’s verdict announced in Al-Qadir Trust case on Monday (tomorrow).

The was made during a meeting of political committee of the PTI held under the chairmanship of Barrister Gohar Khan and was attended by Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz, Ali Amin Gandapur, Asad Qaiser, Salman Akram Raja and others. According to PTI insiders, matters related to Al-Qadir Trust case verdict and ongoing dialogues with the government were discussed at length.

On the occasion, the PTI legal team briefed the leadership on Al-Qadir Trust case and its different aspects. After brainstorming session, PTI’s political committee o decided to challenge the Al-Qadir Trust case verdict on Monday (tomorrow).

An Accountability Court (AC) on Friday announced verdict, sentencing PTI founder Imran Khan to 14 years in jail and his wife Bushra Bibi to seven years in the graft reference about a 190 million pound scam (Al-Qadir Trust case). AC Judge Nasir Javed Rana announced the reserved verdict — delayed thrice — in a makeshift courtroom at Adiala Jail. The court also imposed fines on Imran and Bushra, amounting to Rs1 million and Rs500,000, respectively. Failure to pay the fines would result in an additional six months in jail for Imran and three months for Bushra, the court said.

According to the verdict, property of the “sham trust ‘Al-Qadir University Project Trust’ is hereby forfeited to the Federal Government within the meaning of Section 10(a) of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999”.

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WORLD BANK MISSION TO REVIEW DASU HYDROPOWER PROJECT PROGRESS FROM FEBRUARY 10

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sunday, 19 January, 2025 | LAHORe

news

Delays tied to security, transportation issues, and PC-1 approval stalls $1b financing deal PROFIT

STAFF REPORT

HE World Bank will dispatch its Implementation Support and Progress Review Mission from February 10 to March 5, 2025, to monitor the Dasu Hydropower Project-stage 1 and assess its progress.

The 242-meter (794 ft) tall dam, supporting a 4,320 MW hydropower station, is being built in two stages of 2,160 MW each. The plant’s first power generation is slated for July 2027. However, progress has slowed considerably due to transportation restrictions for international workers and a shortage of armored vehicles for their movement within project areas.

Last month, the Ministry of Economic

Affairs raised concerns about delays in implementing the project. Formal signing of an additional $1 billion financing agreement remains pending due to the Water and Power Development Authority’s (Wapda) failure to secure approval for the revised PC-1.

A World Bank mission in September 2024 expressed dismay over the slow pace of the multibillion-dollar project. The upcoming mission will hold meetings with the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Energy (Power Division), Wapda, National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC), local officials, and the Project Implementation Units (PIU) for DHP-1.

Led by Task Team Leader Gunjan Gautam, the mission will include World

Bank specialists in energy, social development, procurement, and environmental management, alongside financial analysts participating remotely.

Meanwhile, a separate World Bank mission visited Pakistan from January 1517, 2025, to discuss potential program support for power transmission infrastructure. The Transmission System Expansion Programme (TSEP) identified four high-priority transmission projects, for which the Power Division sought assistance from development partners, including the World Bank, ADB, ISDB, and USAID. The mission addressed several objectives, including reviewing USAID’s techno-economic studies on priority projects, discussing the Matiari-Moroline feasibility study, and advancing preparation

for the Reactive Compensation Devices (STATCOMS) project to stabilize northsouth power flows.

The mission team, led by Waleed Saleh, included energy specialists, infrastructure

PIA apologises for Eiffel Tower advertisement PROFIT

STAFF REPOERT

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) apologised on Friday for an advert of a plane flying at the Eiffel Tower, published to mark the first flight to Paris after a safety ban was lifted.

The image posted by PIA to social media showed a plane aimed at the French landmark with the caption “Paris, we’re coming today”.

In thousands of comments online, users drew comparisons with the 2001 Al-Qaeda attacks on New York’s Twin Towers, when two planes were hijacked and flown into the skyscrapers, killing nearly 3,000.

Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed in Abbottabad by US special forces in 2011, while a Pakistani militant currently held in Guantanamo Bay is considered the chief mastermind of the attack.

“Unfortunately, this was blown out of proportion with connations and perceptions that were not intended,” PIA spokesman Abdullah Khan told AFP. “It might have triggered some negative emotion, for which we truly apologise.” He said there were around

60,00 to 70,000 negative reactions online or less than 10 per cent of engagement.

“Is this [an] advertisement or threat?” said one post under the advert, which has not been taken down.

“I’d have a word with your marketing department on this one chief,” said another. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said in Tuesday’s Senate session that the prime minister ordered an inquiry into the advert which “shows stupidity”.

But the spokesperson said the response to PIA’s return to Europe was “extremely positive”, with flights so far operating at more than 95pc capacity.

FBR urged to establish tax office in Gwadar amid rising economic activity Pakistan Tax Bar Association highlights growing taxpayer needs and strategic importance under CPEC PROFIT

STAFF REPORT

A similar statement “PIA’s Paris campaign involved multiple mediums.

We ran TV commercials, radio ads and a print ad (this one). All were received extremely positively resulting in great reach and consequently, our loads have picked up on the Paris sector.

“The total collective reach of this ad alone is 30 million now with 755,000 reactions out of which only 10pc were negative. The negative were triggered by a smear campaign that was started from across the border, concocting a connotation which was and can never be intended.” It added that the connotations and perception that arose “quite frankly

were never perceived in that way by anyone. However still, if it has triggered any negative emotions, we would like to sincerely apologise”.

Debt-ridden PIA was banned in June 2020 from flying to the European Union, United Kingdom and the United States, a month after one of its Airbus A-320s plunged into a Karachi street, killing nearly 100 people. The disaster was attributed to human error by the pilots and air traffic control and was followed by allegations that nearly a third of the licences for its pilots were fake or dubious. In 2016, a PIA plane burst into flames after one of its two turboprop engines failed during a flight from the remote north to Islamabad, killing more than 40 people. In November, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency announced it had lifted the ban, however, it remains barred from flying to the United Kingdom and the United States.

At the time, it said it had “reestablished sufficient confidence” in the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority’s oversight capabilities.

The airline flies to multiple cities domestically, including the mountainous north, as well as to the Gulf and Southeast Asia.

ECC approves electricity tariff rebasing from January to ease summer burden g

New timeline aims to mitigate consumer protests over high summer bills from tariff adjustments PROFIT

STAFF REPORT

The Pakistan Tax Bar Association (PTBA) has called on the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to set up a dedicated tax office in Gwadar, citing increased economic activity and mounting compliance challenges faced by local taxpayers. In a letter to FBR Member IR (Operations) Hamid Ateeq Sarwar, the PTBA emphasized that the current facilitation center in Gwadar is inadequate to address the region’s expanding tax requirements. The region includes Gwadar, Turbat, and other neighboring cities, all of which are seeing a rise in business activity tied to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The PTBA noted that taxpayers currently endure lengthy 5-6 hour road journeys to attend case hearings due to the lack of a local tax office. The request followed a recent tax awareness seminar in Gwadar and the establishment of the Makran Tax Bar on a provisional basis. The letter argued that Gwadar’s strategic role in CPEC necessitates stronger tax administration and facilitation for businesses and individuals in the area. The PTBA proposed several benefits of establishing a full-scale FBR office in Gwadar, including improved revenue collection, streamlined tax compliance for local businesses, and enhanced investor confidence. It added that a robust local tax administration would further align with the government’s vision of developing Gwadar as a regional economic hub.

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on Friday approved a revision in the electricity tariff rebasing timeline, directing that annual rebasing be notified from January 1 each year, starting 2025, after regulatory proceedings are completed.

The decision, made during a meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, aims to address consumer grievances linked to overlapping tariff adjustments in summer months. The ECC discussed and approved the Power Division’s proposal, which argued that high Fuel Charges Adjustments (FCAs) and Quarterly Tariff Adjustments (QTAs) during peak consumption months often lead to unaffordable electricity bills, public dissatisfaction, and nationwide protests.

Policy guidelines were also approved for the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority

program leaders, and social development experts. Collaborative efforts with NTDC aim to enhance the country’s power transmission capabilities and improved system reliability.

FDI declines 32% in December 2024 despite strong first-half growth First-quarter FDI rises 20% to $1.33b, driven by improved investor confidence PROFIT

STAFF REPORT

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Pakistan experienced a 32% decline in December 2024, with inflows falling to $170 million compared to $252 million in December 2023, according to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). Despite the December setback, FDI surged by 20% in the first half of FY25, with total inflows reaching $1.33 billion between July and December, up from $1.11 billion during the same period last year. The $221 million increase highlights improved investor confidence, even as portfolio investments faced significant challenges. During the first half of FY25, total FDI inflows amounted to $1.88 billion, with outflows recorded at $554 million. However, portfolio investments saw an outflow of $222 million during the same period, reflecting ongoing challenges in equity markets. The SBP also reported that overall foreign investment, which includes FDI, portfolio investment, and foreign public investment, recorded a modest 5.8% increase, reaching $1.247 billion in the first half of FY25 compared to $1.18 billion in the corresponding period of FY24. While FDI performance remains a bright spot for Pakistan’s economy, policymakers are expected to focus on addressing the challenges in portfolio investments to sustain overall foreign investment growth.

World Bank refutes claims of criticism against Pakistan’s Uraan Plan

Najy Benhassine clarifies reports misinterpreted Country Partnership Framework document PROFIT

STAFF REPORT

(Nepra) to amend its legal and regulatory framework to align with the new rebasing timeline.

However, Nepra noted that the rebasing process effective from July 2025 is already underway, requiring nine months for regulatory approvals under existing guidelines. The regulator expressed reservations over making January 2025 the effective start date but acknowledged the long-term advantages of shifting rebasing to

winter months.

The Power Division highlighted that a January timeline would help stabilise electricity prices year-round, alleviating financial pressure on consumers during high-demand summer periods.

The ECC directed the Power Division to collaborate with Nepra to ensure the implementation of the revised timeline and address any regulatory challenges.

World Bank Country Director Najy Benhassine dismissed reports suggesting that the international financial institution had criticised Pakistan’s Uraan Plan, terming the claims a “false interpretation.” In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), Benhassine addressed confusion caused by articles published earlier that day. He clarified that the reports misinterpreted a specific sentence in the newly released World Bank Group Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Pakistan. He emphasized that the referenced sentence in the document did not constitute an assessment of the Uraan Plan or any of its components. “We are engaging with the government of Pakistan to ensure the implementation of the new partnership framework is fully aligned with Pakistan’s home-grown national plans at all levels of government,” Benhassine stated. Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal also addressed the issue, rejecting any criticism from the World Bank. He reiterated that the Uraan Plan and the 5E Framework had been integrated and supported by sectoral targets. The World Bank’s CPF report, released on Wednesday, stated: “A national vision, the 5E Framework to Turnaround Pakistan, has been developed but is yet to be translated into clear sectoral plans shared by all tiers of government, including provincial governments.”

ECC waives requirement of bank guarantees for Afghan transit cargo g

Waiver of bank guarantees applies solely to DAP urea imports PROFIT

STAFF REPORT

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Federal Cabinet waived the requirement for bank guarantees on Afghan transit cargo of imported urea passing through Gwadar Port, replacing it with insurance guarantees.

This decision aims to facilitate transit trade while maintaining oversight, according to the Ministry of Finance.

This initiative is being implemented under the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), signed in 2010,

as the bank guarantee requirement has posed significant challenges for the movement of goods between the two countries, especially for bulk cargo imports such as wheat, sugar, and fertilizers.

The recent waiver of bank guarantees applies solely to urea imports, a critical agricultural input for Afghanistan, which imports approximately 900,000 tons annually.

Pakistan had previously imposed stricter transit trade conditions in October 2023 to counter smuggling and exert economic pressure on Afghanistan to address the threat posed by banned militant

groups. According to reports, investors in Gwadar, along with the Port Operator and Gwadar Port Authority, repeatedly called for the removal of the bank guarantee requirement and the introduction of an insurance guarantee instead.

The Ministry of Commerce had previously allowed the import of Afghan bulk cargo at Gwadar Port, with the onward transit to Afghanistan using bonded, insured, and sealable trucks equipped with tracking devices. This was aimed at improving efficiency and transparency in transit trade and was initially introduced under Customs Rules 2021 (Rule 471,

clause-xi). The Insurance Guarantee for Afghan transit goods was later replaced with SRO No.1402(1)/2023 on October 7, 2023.

The Ministry of Maritime Affairs also

termed the requirement for bank guarantees a major hurdle, particularly for bulk cargo imports, which negatively impacted the ease of business.

03

US SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS LAW BANNING TIKTOK

sunday, 19 January, 2025 | LAHORe

news

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PROFIT

STAFF REPORT

HE US Supreme Court ruled against TikTok on Friday in its challenge to a federal law that would have required the popular short-video app to be sold by its Chinese parent company ByteDance or banned in the United States on January 19. The justices ruled that the law, passed by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in Congress last year and signed by Democratic President Joe Biden, did not violate the US Constitution’s First Amendment protection against government abridgement of free speech. The justices overturned a lower court’s decision that upheld the measure after it was challenged by TikTok, ByteDance and some of the app’s users.

The Supreme Court acted speedily in the case, having held arguments on January 10, just nine days before the deadline set under the law. The case pitted free speech rights against national security concerns in the age of social media.

TikTok is one of the most prominent social media platforms in the United States, used by about 270 million Americans — roughly half the country’s population, including many young people. TikTok’s powerful algorithm, its main asset, feeds individual users short videos tailored to their liking.

The platform presents a vast collection of user-

submitted videos, often under a minute in duration, that can be viewed with a smartphone app or on the internet.

China and the US are economic and geopolitical rivals, and TikTok’s Chinese ownership for years has raised concerns among American leaders.

The TikTok fight has unfolded during the waning days of Biden’s presidency — Republican Donald Trump suceeds him on Monday — and at a time of rising trade tensions between the world’s two biggest economies.

The Biden administration has said the law targets control of the app by a foreign adversary, not protected speech, and that TikTok could continue operating as-is if it is freed from China’s control.

During arguments in the case, Justic Department lawyer Elizabeth Prelogar said Chinese government control of TikTok poses a “grave threat” to US national security, with China seeking to amass vast quantities of sensitive data on Americans and to engage in covert influence operations.

Prelogar said China compels companies like ByteDance to secretly turn over data on social media users and carry out Chinese government directives.

TikTok’s immense data set, Prelogar added, represents a powerful tool that could be used by the Chinese government for harassment, recruitment and espionage, and that China “could weaponise TikTok at any time to harm the United States”.

The law was passed last April and Biden’s administration defended it in court. TikTok and ByteDance, as well as some users who post content on the app, challenged the measure and appealed to the Supreme Court after losing on December 6 at the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Trump’s opposition to the ban represents a reversal in stance from his first term in office when he aimed to prohibit TikTok. Trump has said he has “a warm spot in my heart for TikTok”, opining that the app helped him with young voters in the 2024 election.

In December, Trump asked the Supreme Court to put the law on hold to give his incoming administration “the opportunity to pursue a political resolution of the questions at issue in the case”. But while Trump has vowed to “save” TikTok, many of his Republican allies supported the ban.

Mike Waltz, Trump’s incoming national security adviser, said a day ago the new administration will keep TikTok alive in the United States if there is a viable deal.

Waltz said the incoming administration would “put measures in place to keep TikTok from going dark” and cited a provision in the law allowing for a 90-day extension if there is “significant progress” toward a divestiture.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said a day ago that TikTok should be given more time to find an American buyer and that he would work with the

wave IV: Committee picks five more ministries for rightsizing examination ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb on Friday said that during the fourth wave, five ministries including Communications, Railways, Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Revenue Division, Petroleum Division and their attached departments would be examined for rightsizing, as per the committee’s mandate.

He made this announcement while chairing a meeting of the Committee on Rightsizing the Federal Government

(Wave-IV), a news release said.

Among others, the meeting was attended by Minister for Communications, Abdul Aleem Khan, Members of the National Assembly and federal secretaries of the relevant ministries and divisions.

At the outset, the Finance Minister highlighted and appreciated what he called a “whole of government” approach adopted by the ministries and their in-charge ministers for successfully completing the first three waves of the rightsizing exercise. This initiative aims to examine 43 ministries and nearly 400 attached departments of the federal

British HC calls on Planning minister; Pak-UK ongoing, future collaboration discussed ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

British High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott Saturday called on Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal and discussed ongoing and future collaborations between the two countries. During the meeting, Ahsan Iqbal reflected on the Vision-2025 initiative which served as a strategic roadmap for Pakistan's economic and social development, a news release said. He also highlighted efforts to eradicate basic education deprivation through public-private partnerships, provincial cooperation to enhance capacity in education, health, and human resources, besides significant budget increases for higher education. The minister said that the government was committed to modernizing the higher education curriculum and skilling university students. Jane Marriott congratulated Ahsan Iqbal and commended the efforts of his entire team for preparing Uraan Pakistan National Economic Transformation Plan to address key economic challenges through the targeted framework of 5Es. Ahsan Iqbal said the economic strategy was aimed at rejuvenating Pakistan’s economy, promoting sustainable development, and driving inclusive growth.

He stressed on the importance of the five critical areas that the strategy aimed to address including exports, ePakistan, environment and climate change, energy and infrastructure, equity and empowerment. He also emphasised the crucial importance of financial sector in promoting export growth, enhancing agricultural exports, fostering industrial development, and advancing critical areas such as IT, services, mining, workforce export, the blue economy and innovation.

government before the end of the financial year. Aurangzeb said the implementation of the decisions taken by the committee and subsequently endorsed by the Federal Cabinet so far would be followed up by the subcommittee of the Rightsizing Committee, with the main body intervening only in matters requiring escalation.

During the subsequent proceedings, the Ministry of Communications gave a detailed presentation to the Cabinet body on the functions, organizational structure, and possibilities of semi-privatization and PPP models for various projects and initiatives of the ministry.

The committee was informed that, in the spirit of rightsizing, the Ministry of Communications had already abolished all redundant posts.

Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan also provided a perspective on the core functions of the ministry and how its departments, particularly the National Highway Authority (NHA), could be made profitable.

He suggested that the NHA could become a major revenue generator for the government if its resources were redirected toward the construction of revenue-based motorways, such as the M-6, which links Sukkur to Karachi port.

Talks through ‘back and front doors’ can’t be held simultaneously : Siddiqui CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

In an interview to a private TV a day ago, Mr Shah said, “The army chief is the country’s supreme commander.

There is no need to hide meetings with him. “If they (the PTI) are hiding that they met him, then something is not ringing true.” He had added that “if they’ve had a meeting, it should be made public.”

Shah had called the situation “upsetting”. In response to a question about how the meeting would affect the ongoing negotiations, Shah refused to comment. “You do not approach the army chief with political demands,” Shah said. However, the PPP leader explained that the party was not against the PTI “meeting with anyone”.

“Whether anyone sees it as good or bad does not matter,” he said. “We (the PPP) are not against dialogue, parties are free to meet with anyone. If dialogue can happen between warring countries, then it can happen between enemies within the same country.”

Shah had said the country was in a bad state and its politics was very complicated. “We all need to come together to try and improve the state, whether it is the government or the opposition.”

He continued, “We believe that there are problems, but Pakistan’s politics will only be successful if all of our politicians come together and understand both the country’s politics and the issues Muslims face on the international stage. We are not doing that, we are stuck in our own problems.”

Shah had also said that the vote of no confidence that ousted Imran in 2022 was “not right” and that the PTI should have been allowed to complete its tenure in government. The PPP leader noted that many of the problems being faced today stemmed from the PTI’s

term in office. “I am not levelling allegations, this is the truth — the issues we face today were set in motion during the three-and-a-half-year tenure of Imran Khan,” Shah stated. “We met with the government in parliament frequently during that time to find a solution for the economy. “We engage in politics for the people, not for ourslves,” the PPP leader continued, adding that Imran was unable to keep his promises and his government “engaged a reverse gear” on the economy, which “is still going backwards”.

The PPP leader also criticised the PTI for not accepting the consequences of siding with the establishment. “They did it, they should deal with the consequences. Why did they choose to side with them?” he asked.

Speaking about the 2022 vote, Shah said he was not in favour of it even today. “He should have been allowed to complete his term,” Shah said, referring to Imran.

“We should have let him run, he would not have been able to win four seats.”

PTI ALLY MAHMOOD ACHAKZAI OPPOSES TALKS WITH GOVT Meanwhile, PTI ally and president of opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan, Mahmood Achakzai, opposed the talks currently being held with the government.

In an interview to a private TV that will air tonight, Achakzai said that no common citizen considered the government to be legitimate and questioned how talks could be held with an illegitimate entity.

“If any talks are held with an illegitimate, illegal and unelected government then they will be on how to make it legitimate.”

Trump administration “to keep TikTok alive while protecting our national security”.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday, seated among other highprofile invitees.

TikTok has said the law endangers the First Amendment rights not only of it and its users but also of all Americans. TikTok has said that the ban would hit its user base, advertisers, content creators and employee talent. TikTok has 7,000 US employees.

Noel Francisco, the lawyer for TikTok and ByteDance, told the Supreme Court that the app is “one of America’s most popular speech platforms” and said that the law would require it to “go dark” unless ByteDance executes a qualified divestiture.

TikTok plans to shut US operations of the app on Sunday barring a last-minute reprieve, people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.

Francisco said the US government’s real target with this law is speech — specifically a fear that Americans could be “persuaded by Chinese misinformation”. But the First Amendment leaves that up to the people of the United States, not the government, Francisco said.

The law bars providing certain services to TikTok and other foreign adversary-controlled apps, including by offering it through app stores such as Apple and Alphabet’s Google, effectively preventing its continued US use absent divestiture.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia advance towards finalising multibillion-dollar Reko Diq deal: report

KSA to acquire 10% stake initially; foreign exchange agreement reached PROFIT

STAFF REPORT

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are nearing the finalisation of a multibillion-dollar agreement on the Reko Diq project, with key details expected to be resolved in the coming months. The News reported, citing official sources, that revised project valuations have been completed, and both sides are negotiating the finer points of the deal. Saudi Arabia is set to acquire an initial 10% stake in the Reko Diq mining project, with the possibility of increasing its share in the future. A major hurdle in the negotiations was recently resolved, as Saudi authorities had initially requested that a foreign exchange account for machinery procurement be maintained outside Pakistan. Both sides have now agreed that the foreign exchange will be brought into Pakistan, and a broader agreement has been reached on this matter.

PIA to launch inaugural flight to Gwadar airport on January 20 The project aims to make Gwadar an important hub in Balochistan, supporting CPEC’s goals of better connectivity and economic growth PROFIT

STAFF REPORET

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will operate its first-ever flight to the New Gwadar International Airport on January 20, 2025, marking a significant milestone in the country’s aviation history. “A proud step towards connecting Pakistan like never before,” PIA announced on social media, celebrating the historic event. The New Gwadar International Airport, the largest in Pakistan, is set to officially begin operations the same day, as confirmed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Covering 4,300 acres, the state-of-the-art facility features a 12,000-foot-long runway capable of accommodating large aircraft such as the Airbus A380. According to the CAA, PIA will operate the initial flights, with national and international

04 COMMENT

US funding to Taliban government

GDP growth prediction

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IMF shrinks its forecast prediction just ahead of 1st review

Using terror for regional chaos

HILE the International Monetary Fund had already forecast a mere 3.2 percent GDP growth figure for the country in its previous World Economic Outlook, its latest edition downgraded this to 3.0 percent. Unlike credit agencies’ ratings, the GDP growth figure is not negotiable, being an objective quantity. However, the IMF should review its own failings rather than use this figure as a sword to wave over Pakistan’’s head when going into a review of its current EFF package, for which the review period is to begin in the current quarter. It should be noted tht the government has not just negotiated this EFF, but also the earlier StandBy Arrangement, and it was the meeting of the SB conditions which laid the basis for the current EFF. The IMF should consider why the country’s economy, which has been under its tutelage for so many years, has been unable to achieve the sort of growth it needs. Clearly, there is something wrong with its economic prescriptions. Part of the problem lies with those prescriptions, which are not designed to grow the economy, but to make sure that Pakistan avoids the sort of loan repayment difficulties that would cause it foreign echnge difficulties. As a result, while it might be enthusiastic about the improvement in the current account, as it recorded a surplus of 1.21 billion in it in the first half of the current financial year, it will be unconcerned that the growth it predicts is anaemic, not that its earlier prediction was anywhere near the 6 to 7 percent needed to keep pace with the growing population, as well as the expectations of an impoverished citizenry.

The government has made an attempt with its recently launched Uraan Pakistan programme to get the economy moving in the right direction, and it seems to have realized that IMF prescriptions are not designed to help it overcome its debt trap, but repay its loans, and has declared that it intends the current IMF programme to be the last. The IMF may not be able to go beyond make prognostications, and gloomy ones at that. Unless the government can come up with a viable plan to jumpstart the economy, it will not be able to get rid of the IMF’s shackles. The latest prediction should show that these predictions are shackles to be used at the next negotiation. The only solution is to prevent their being another negotiation.

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AST week Elon Musk who has been nominated by US President-elect Donald Trump to lead a new department of Government Efficiency expressed a sense of shock to learn that the USA was providing $40 million to the Taliban government per week.

His attention to this fact was drawn by a former CBS journalist. The journalist while posting a letter written by a senior Republican lawmaker remarked “Imagine giving these terrorists $40 million of your tax money every week? Sounds crazy? Because it is-- pure insanity” Elon Musk also posed the question “Are we really sending US taxpayers money to the Taliban?”

A US lawmaker, Tim Burchett, has also written a letter to Donald Trump expressing concern over the foreign aid being given to the interim government in Kabul saying” The USA should not fund its enemies abroad” He further said that it was how the Taliban were being funded and how it planned to fund terrorism around the world.

The foregoing revelations leave no doubt about the USA being a devious superpower. On the one hand it poses as the biggest enemy of terrorism and on the other it supports and finances terrorism to achieve its strategic objectives. The new wave of terrorism against Pakistan is a consequence of the nexus between Indian RAW, TTP and-BLA supported by the Taliban government with possible backing of the USA to sabotage the CPEC. It is part of the ‘Contain China’ policy of the USA with India playing a supportive role. These apprehensions have proven right.

The USA is not funding terrorism emanating from Afghanistan only, but along with its allies it is also responsible for the creation of Daesh also known as IS, which they have been using to promote their strategic global interests. Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai and other authentic sources at the global level have also been mentioning US backing for IS. Kevin Barrett, editor of Veterans Today, in an interview with Press TV on 23 November 2016 said “West has created the terrorist groups for strategic reasons, mainly to destabilize the Middle East in service to the geo-strategic interests of Israel. This has been going on for a long time. The plan for it was laid at the Jerusalem Conference on International Terrorism (JCIT) in 1979 which was convened by Ben-

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Malik MuhaMMad ashraf

jamin Netanyahu. It was also participated by a host of high-level Americans . In that conference, they decided that they were eventually going to replace the lost Cold War enemy of communism, which was going to collapse in about a decade, with the civilizational enemy of terrorism. So they went about laying the groundwork for creating this wave of so-called Islamic extremist terrorism and it is really largely made in the USA. The so-called Arab Spring uprisings were “manufactured” at a certain time in order to take advantage of the terrorist groups in Libya and Syria that Western intelligence services had prearmed and organized in an attempt to destabilize and overthrow the governments of those countries. The uprisings during the Arab Spring were not just popular peaceful demonstrations against unpopular leaders, rather they had been planned in advance to set off the armed conflicts that exist today”.

Former US Army Psychological Warfare Officer Scott Bennett in an interview with Press TV on 14 September 2014 confirmed that Daesh terrorists from North Africa and Persian Gulf countries went into Syria on the checks and dollars, planes and Humvees that the US and Great Britain provided. Referring to the bombing of Daesh by US planes, he said “Now the USA senses the world opinion being turned against it with regards to its interventionism, its policies of militant interventionism are beginning to blow back on them. The USA is taking a quick desperate action to try to obliterate the evidence and destroy everything that may be linked back to them.”

The US patronage of Daesh is also evident from the statement of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassam reported in the media on 9 October 2017 in which he said that USA was serving the interests of Islamic State by preventing the Syrian Army and its allies from advancing in the areas controlled by the IS. The US-Indian nexus in sabotaging The CPEC is also part of the strategy to check burgeoning Chinese influence in the region and beyond, and offers adequate explanation for Indian refusal to join this mega-economic initiative that seeks to orchestrate shared economic prosperity for the entire region, notwithstanding the fact that both China and Pakistan have invited her to join it.

If ever there was any doubt about this nefarious nexus between the USA and India it was removed by the statement of former US Defense Secretary James Mattis before the Senate Armed Services committee in which he reportedly said “The One Belt, One Road of which CPEC is flagship also goes through disputed

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QaMar Bashir

T the confirmation hearing for Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth on January 10, he and the senators painted a stark picture of the challenges facing the US armed forces. A recruitment crisis, with a 42,000-person deficit, has left the military struggling to meet its personnel needs. Meanwhile, costs continue to rise, readiness declines, and morale falters.

Hegseth highlighted the Pentagon's systemic failures, including its repeated inability to pass audits— a glaring inconsistency when compared to the stringent standards imposed on businesses seeking to contract with the Department of Defense. A deeply concerning issue also emerged during the hearing regarding the treatment of service members under the Biden Administration. Hundreds of thousands of military personnel who refused experimental and under-trial COVID-19 vaccine mandates were discharged, while those who experienced harmful side effects were left without compensation or support for themselves or their families.

These vaccines, which would typically have undergone extensive animal trials under controlled conditions, were fast-tracked and wrapped in secrecy, with trial data hidden for 75 years.

Pete Hegseth describes how he was banned from serving with his National Guard unit for a tattoo of the Jerusalem Cross, the same Christian symbol that was on the floor of the National Cathedral during Jimmy Carter's funeral. In a powerful rebuttal to criticisms and personal attacks that he fathered a child out of wedlock only two months ago, Hegseth reinforced his outsider status as an asset, not a liability. "For decades,

we’ve placed individuals with perfect résumés atop the Pentagon, and where has that gotten us?" he asked, pointing to inefficiencies and weakened readiness as evidence of the need for change.

He added, nearly every major defence weapons system suffers from excessive costs, underperformance, and significant delays, eroding the military’s competitive edge. Stagnant innovation and weakened standards have devalued meritocracy, while divisive policies like Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) have further undermined morale. This environment has emboldened adversaries like China and Russia, increasing global instability.

He referred to the "valley of death" in the defence industry, identifying a critical gap where new companies struggle to transition innovative technologies from prototypes to deployment. This challenge arises from funding shortages, complex procurement processes, and uncertainty about military adoption, compounded by rigorous testing requirements and competition from established contractors.

He also alluded to the nuclear triad, a threepronged military strategy designed to ensure a nation's nuclear deterrence and survivability in the event of an attack, comprising land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) for rapid response, submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) for stealthy and survivable retaliation, and strategic bombers that provide flexibility and recall capability. He said that the nuclear triad fell far short of its lethality, sustainability and efficacy compared to what it is being perceived by the adversaries. During his speech he expressed his resolve to tackle the 42,000 recruitment deficit, end the divisive DEI, fight for service members wrongfully purged by Biden’s unconstitutional vaccination mandates, and restore the lethality in the armed forces.

Hegseth outlined a clear vision to revitalize the US military, emphasizing three core objectives. First, he pledged to restore the warrior ethos within the Pentagon which was based upon unwavering commitment to mission success, perseverance in the face of adversity, loyalty to comrades, and integrity in action. Key principles include always placing the mission first, refusing to accept defeat or quit, never leaving a fallen comrade, and upholding the values of honour, courage, and resilience. This ethos fosters trust, discipline, and unity, ensuring readiness and effectiveness in all situations.

It is crucial to recognize that the combined destructive power of all nations is sufficient to annihilate the planet many times over. This stark reality underscores the urgency of ending the cycle of creating enemies, which invariably leads to conflict and instability. Instead, the focus should shift toward fostering cooperation, addressing shared challenges ensuring a brighter, more prosperous future for all. By embracing collaboration over confrontation, the USA can lead the way in shaping a world where security and growth are achieved not through dominance, but through interdependencies, unity and shared progress

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

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Karachi – Ph: 021-32640318 I

Second, he committed to rebuilding the military by aligning capabilities with modern threats. This includes revitalizing the defense industrial base, reforming the acquisitions process to eliminate inefficiencies like the "valley of death" for new defence companies, modernizing the nuclear triad, and ensuring the Pentagon passes audits. Rapid deployment of emerging technologies was also a key priority.

Third, Hegseth stressed the need to reestablish deterrence through the defense of US borders, skies, and homeland, while strengthening partnerships and deterring aggression in the Indo-Pacific, particularly from Communist China. During the hearing, the testimonies given by him primarily focused on making the military machine effective and lethal and partially expressed foreign ambitions of the USA. He emphasized an AmericaFirst approach to national security, achieving peace through strength while responsibly ending conflicts to focus resources on larger threats.

Pete specifically highlighted persistent and robust aggression in the Indo-Pacific, identifying Communist China as the primary adversary.

Notably, he referred exclusively to China, seemingly downplaying Russia or any other nation as a significant threat. This focus reflects a broader strategic shift in US defence policy, where China has been elevated to the position of the primary geopolitical competitor.

China's rapid military modernization, economic expansion, and pursuance of its economic interests in the Indo-Pacific perhaps have positioned it as a more comprehensive and longterm rival to US global influence. China has repeatedly declined this "No. 1 enemy" designation, instead emphasizing cooperation, shared prosperity, and a mutually beneficial future— rhetoric that contrasts sharply with US perceptions of its strategic ambitions.

Ideally, the USA should reconsider its defence policy, which has long relied on identifying adversaries as a catalyst for building its military-industrial complex and pursuing global dominance. This strategy, aimed at maintaining unrivaled military, economic, and geopolitical superiority, needs to evolve in the face of a rapidly changing world. Now is the time to reassess this approach and collaborate with global partners to establish a foundation for permanent peace, built on shared values, equitable distribution of resources, and mutual prosperity.

It is crucial to recognize that the combined destructive power of all nations is sufficient to annihilate the planet many times over. This stark reality underscores the urgency of ending the cycle of creating enemies, which invariably leads to conflict and instability. Instead, the focus should shift toward fostering cooperation, addressing shared challenges ensuring a brighter, more prosperous future for all. By embracing collaboration over confrontation, the USA can lead the way in shaping a world where security and growth are achieved not through dominance, but through interdependencies, unity and shared progress.

The writer retired as Press Secretary the the President, and is former Press Minister at Embassy of Paikistan to France and former MD, Shalimar Recording & Broadcasting Company Limited Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

territory and I think it itself shows the vulnerability of trying to establish that sort of diktat.”

The emerging scenario in the region is not very encouraging and Pakistan might have to bear the consequences of continued instability in the region and foreign sponsored terrorism within its borders.

Under the circumstances putting our own house in order is absolutely imperative to ward off external dangers. To fight the external dangers, internal unity and solidarity is indispensable. Putting the house in order actually means sorting out internal rifts among the political elements and subduing the anti-state elements through collective efforts and impregnable unity. That is what the National Action Plan (NAP) envisaged. It was devised with the consensus of all the political forces, government and the military establishment.

Instead of indulging in political wrangling and bringing each other down, the political leadership should support the government and the security establishment in putting our own house in order by implementing the NAP. The burgeoning phenomenon of terrorism can only be eliminated with impregnable national unity and unqualified support to the armed forces and law enforcing agencies which are rendering unparalleled sacrifices to curb this menace. That is how we can thwart nefarious designs of the enemies of the country.

Malik Muhammad Ashraf is an academic. He can be contacted at: ashpak10@gmail.com.

The burgeoning phenomenon of terrorism can only be eliminated with impregnable national unity and unqualified support to the armed forces and law enforcing agencies which are rendering unparalleled sacrifices to curb this menace. That is how we can thwart nefarious designs of the enemies of the country

USA Boosts Military, Names China Top Adversary Defence under Hegseth takes shape

Sunday, 19 January, 2025

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A loan for some

THE government has announced a loan scheme, offering a two per cent interest rate exclusively to officers from the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and the Provincial Management Service (PMS). The decision has raised significant questions about fairness, equality and the principles enshrined in the country’s Constitution.

The government appears to have disregarded the contribution of officers from other crucial cadres, including academicians, who are equally committed to serving the people and ensuring the effective functioning of the state. Excluding them from such a vital benefit is unfair to them, and undermines the spirit of equality and justice that the Constitution guarantees to one and all without exception. Does the government consider officers from other services to be any less deserving of support? This kind of division among the civil servants only fosters resentment, and undermines the morale of dedicated individuals who work tirelessly to cont-ribute to the nation’s progress. The preferential treatment shown to a selected group of officers, at the expense of others, blatantly contradicts the principles of equality. Such actions run contrary to the rules of justice and fairness.

The public service is a collective effort, and the success of the government’s policies and programmes depends on the concerted efforts of officers from all services. It is imperative that the govern-ment reconsiders this decision and extends similar opportunities to all civil servants, regardless of their service cadre.

PROF ABDUL GHANI SOOMRO SUKKUR

Vigilance against viruses

AS concerns rise over the new respiratory virus emerging from China, it is important for Pakistan to be vigilant. The human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a significant yet often overlooked virus that poses risk to public health. The HMPV spreads through respiratory droplets and close contact. Its symptoms include fever, cough and breathing difficulty that can lead to severe respiratory illnesses, like pneumonia, in vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly and those with weak immune systems.

In densely populated countries, like Pakistan, the virus has the potential to spread rapidly, burdening already overs-tretched healthcare systems.

The key challenge with HMPV, as with any emerging virus, is the absence of a vaccine or targeted treatment. Prevention is our best defence. As we brace ourselves for the potential spread of the new virus, it is crucial to adopt measures that protect us from all respiratory infections, like frequent hand-washing, mask-wearing, avoiding crowded spaces, and seeking medical care promptly when symptoms surface. Pakistan must also strengthen its surveillance systems, and ensure that the healthcare sector is prepared to handle an outbreak. Public health awareness campaigns are critical in educating people about such threats and encouraging preventive practices.

The emergence of new viruses reminds us of the need for constant vigilance. By learning from past experiences and preparing for all sorts of threats, Pakistan can better safeguard its population.

FATIMA BILAL ISLAMABAD

Chill of neglect

THE winter crisis looms over Pakistan. As temperatures drop, the country faces a multitude of challenges, including gas shortages, water scarcity and food insecurity. Many Pakistanis across different regions suffer immensely each winter due to the lack of essential resources. Last winter, many lives were lost, and others still suffer lingering health impacts. If the government takes early action this year, these hardships can be alleviated, and lives saved. As October draws to a close and November ushers in the cold, it is clear that Pakistan remains largely unprepared.

ALI HASSAN BALOCH HUB

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COMMENT 05

US strategy and Iran’s nuclear programme Sunday, 19 January, 2025

The USA must tread carefully

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Dr MuhAMMAD AkrAM ZAheer

OR over two decades, certain factions within Washington’s political and strategic circles have advocated for preemptive military action against Iran’s nuclear programme.

However, these propositions have consistently been rejected. The rationale for this rejection was straightforward: Iran’s nuclear capabilities were underdeveloped, and the international community was united in demanding Tehran demonstrate the peaceful nature of its nuclear ambitions.

When Iran failed to do so, global consensus facilitated the imposition of significant economic sanctions, which pressured the Iranian regime into negotiations. These measures highlighted the effectiveness of multilateral diplomatic efforts. Today, the arguments against military intervention remain compelling.

A military strike on Iran would likely exacerbate the already fragile security landscape in the Middle East, consume considerable US resources at a time when attention is pivoting to other global regions, and potentially undermine US credibility if the mission were to fail. Furthermore, even the most meticulously planned attacks might achieve only a temporary delay in Iran’s nuclear progress.

A sustainable solution to this issue still hinges on diplomatic engagement, underscoring the enduring value of negotiated agreements over unilateral military actions.

However, the case against military action has become increasingly complex. Iran’s nuclear programme has advanced significantly and now possesses many of the essential components for developing a nuclear weapon. Concurrently, Tehran’s geopolitical position has

weakened, as evidenced by the deteriorating state of its regional alliances and its vulnerability to repeated Israeli strikes within its borders in 2024.

The international consensus on pressuring Iran has also fractured. Although sanctions remain in place, they are routinely circumvented by nations such as China, India, and Russia. Full enforcement of these sanctions would necessitate robust cooperation from these states, especially China, at a time when US-China relations are characterized by mutual hostility. Additionally, Iran’s strategic ties with Russia have deepened, marked by mutual defense agreements, further complicating efforts to isolate Tehran.

In light of these developments, the USA must make a final, concerted effort to negotiate a halt to Iran’s nuclear programme.

While diplomacy is the preferred course, Washington must concurrently prepare for the possibility of military action. It is imperative to convey to Iran the seriousness of this potential course of action while actively pursuing a diplomatic resolution.

The necessity of exhausting diplomatic avenues is underscored by the uncertainties surrounding the efficacy of military action.

While the USA and its allies may possess the technical capability to target Iran’s principal nuclear facilities, the complete eradication of all nuclear material and infrastructure is far from assured. Iran could preemptively relocate or conceal highly enriched uranium, ensuring the preservation of critical components for bomb production. Moreover, a military strike by a declared nuclear power like

The USA faces a complex and precarious dilemma regarding Iran’s nuclear programme. While the risks and costs of military action are substantial, the consequences of inaction could be equally dire.

Diplomacy remains the most viable path forward, offering the potential for a sustainable resolution that addresses both nuclear and regional security concerns. Nevertheless, Washington must simultaneously prepare for the eventuality of military action, ensuring that it is both strategically sound and ethically justifiable. By balancing these approaches, the USA can navigate the intricate challenges posed by Iran’s nuclear ambitions and contribute to broader regional and global stability

The new Syria, as Israel wants it It is mainly based on the theory that Israel’s security in the long term depends on fragmenting and dividing Syria and playing the minorities card, as well as perhaps creating states representing the Alawites, Druze and Kurds

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It is very sad that Israel has taken control of the vital water resources of Jordan and Syria in the Yarmouk Basin MIDDLE EAST MONITOR

Dr MohAMMAD Abu ruMMAn

INCE the fall of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime over a month ago, Arab and regional powers are primarily worried about the Iranian agenda, as Iran is unlikely to accept the bitterness of defeat in Syria and may instead attempt to support internal chaos and play the sectarian card. Another major concern is Turkiye’s agenda, as many Arab countries view Turkiye with suspicion due to its continued support of political Islamic movements both in Syria and across the broader region, despite Turkish regional policies’ major transformations. However, we do not see any real apprehension by the Arabs towards the ruling Israeli right’s agenda and its real visions for the new Syria, or in more precise terms, the geopolitical shift required by Israel on the level of the entire region.

What all Arabs should be concerned about, along with Iran and Turkiye’s agendas, is the right-wing Zionist vision of Syria and the region, especially with the return of Donald Trump and his right-wing team that will be complicit. As for Iran, it has no real cards left to play in Syria, is currently in a phase of its regional influence being torn apart and is in a state of defence and concern about the existence of an American-Israeli agenda for a direct and indirect attack on Tehran. As for Turkiye, it has a strategic agenda and interests with the new Syria, but they are shared, and Turkiye will be a sponsor and supporter of the new regime. There is no real concern about Turkish influence, but it may be very positive in light of the economic conditions, the destroyed infrastructure and the absence of the army and security in Syria.

On the other hand, why should we worry about the Israeli agenda? In short, it is mainly

Israel’s intentions are to maintain control over approximately 15 kilometres and an intelligence distance of up to 60 kilometres in Syria. This would mean it is imposing a strategic and security occupation and almost absolute control over the southern region

the USA could inadvertently legitimize Tehran’s pursuit of its own nuclear deterrent, further escalating regional tensions. Historical precedents reinforce the limitations of military interventions in curbing nuclear proliferation.

For instance, the 1981 Israeli bombing of Iraq’s Osirak reactor did not terminate Iraq’s nuclear ambitions; instead, it intensified the country’s efforts in subsequent years. Similarly, although the 2007 bombing of Syria’s al-Kibar reactor may have delayed its nuclear programme, the ongoing Syrian civil war complicates any assessment of the strike’s long-term efficacy. Iran’s extensive expertise in nuclear technology means that even a comprehensive attack would at best achieve a temporary setback, necessitating repeated strikes to maintain pressure.

To effectively dismantle Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the United States would likely need to expand its military objectives to include targeting Iran’s broader security infrastructure or even pursuing regime change.

Such endeavours would demand a sustained commitment of resources and political will, raising significant questions about the feasibility and ethical implications of such actions.

Furthermore, initiating military strikes could foreclose future diplomatic opportunities, particularly if the Iranian regime interprets these actions as an existential threat. A military campaign against Iran would impose significant economic and strategic burdens on the USA.Current reports of ammunition shortages and strained missile defense systems underscore the challenges

based on the theory that Israel’s security in the long term depends on fragmenting and dividing Syria and playing the minorities card, as well as perhaps creating states representing the Alawites, Druze and Kurds. This agenda has been in place since the moment the Al-Assad regime fell, seen through Israel’s haste to destroy the entire military structure of the former Syrian army, destroy weapons depots, expand into southern Syria in the forbidden zone, and declare the ceasefire in 1974 invalid. It also includes control of Mount Hermon, which represents a strategic line of defence for both Syria and Lebanon and with Israel’s control over it, southern Syria and even Damascus have become strategically exposed.

Israel did not wait for the world’s approval or international resolutions but rather moved quickly within a few hours to control the area, and Netanyahu even went to visit.

Yedioth Ahronoth recently revealed, quoting Israeli officials, Israel’s intentions to maintain control over approximately 15 kilometres and an intelligence distance of up to 60 kilometres in Syria. This would mean it is imposing a strategic and security occupation and almost absolute control over the southern region, initially, and in preparation for widening the scope of the occupation army’s strategic operations in the event of chaos in the south to expand the buffer zones.

Could Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) have stopped the Israeli project? Certainly not, especially since US interests in Syria are linked to Israel, and there is no equating the HTS and the occupation. This is in addition to the fact that the HTS priorities today are much more treacherous in dealing with unity, security, stability and many challenges, but what happened reveals the real difference between countries (and regimes) that have real strategic visions and the Arab environment that is still stumbling, differing and confused about how to deal with the new Syrian reality.

It is very sad that Israel has taken control of the vital water resources of Jordan and Syria in the Yarmouk Basin, which could have solved a major problem for Jordan, and that the Israeli army has set out to threaten the people and villages in Syria and disarm them. Israel has seized this opportune moment to redraw the region’s map in its favour, leveraging its clear security objectives and strategic interests to impose its agenda on the international community.

Mohammad Abu Rumman is Associate professor of politics at the University of Jordan and an academic advisor at the Politics and Society institute.

This article first appeared in Arabic in AlArabi Al-Jadeed.

of sustaining another major conflict. These resource constraints are further exacerbated by ongoing geopolitical crises, including Russia’s war in Ukraine and escalating tensions over Taiwan. Additionally, a unilateral US strike on Iran might alienate key allies and partners, particularly in Europe and the Global South, as well as within the Middle East itself.

The absence of broad international support would complicate efforts to manage the conflict’s aftermath and mitigate its broader regional implications. Despite the challenges, there are reasons for cautious optimism regarding the potential for a diplomatic resolution. Historical instances, such as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), demonstrate the capacity of negotiations to effectively constrain Iran’s nuclear program.

The JCPOA imposed stringent limits on Iran’s nuclear activities and established robust monitoring mechanisms, resulting in substantial curbs on Tehran’s capabilities.

Although the agreement’s collapse was precipitated by the Trump Administration’s withdrawal, its initial success highlights the potential efficacy of negotiated agreements.

Rebuilding trust and crafting a new agreement would require significant diplomatic effort and creative problem-solving. Key issues to address include the scope of constraints on Iran’s nuclear program, the inclusion of provisions related to Iran’s regional behavior, and the nature of sanctions relief and security assurances. Multilateral negotiations involving additional stakeholders may enhance the agreement’s legitimacy and durability but would also introduce complexities, particularly given current global tensions.

If diplomatic efforts fail, the USA must be prepared to confront the implications of a nuclear-armed Iran. Although Iran’s nuclear weapons would not pose an immediate existential threat to the USA, their proliferation could destabilize the region, triggering arms races and increasing the likelihood of nuclear conflict. Moreover, the potential for nuclear technology to fall into the hands of non-state actors or terrorist groups amplifies the risks associated with Iran’s nuclear ambitions. A targeted military campaign could yield strategic benefits by depleting Iran’s resources and limiting its ability to threaten US interests. However, such action would need to be part of a broader strategy to ensure regional stability and prevent further escalation. Measures to mitigate civilian casualties and unintended collateral damage would be critical in maintaining international legitimacy and minimizing backlash.

The USA faces a complex and precarious dilemma regarding Iran’s nuclear programme. While the risks and costs of military action are substantial, the consequences of inaction could be equally dire. Diplomacy remains the most viable path forward, offering the potential for a sustainable resolution that addresses both nuclear and regional security concerns. Nevertheless, Washington must simultaneously prepare for the eventuality of military action, ensuring that it is both strategically sound and ethically justifiable. By balancing these approaches, the USA can navigate the intricate challenges posed by Iran’s nuclear ambitions and contribute to broader regional and global stability.

The writer has a PhD in Political Science and can be reached at akramzaheer86@yahoo.com

‘Main tum hoon, tum main ho’: Revisiting partition horrors through Hindi literature A recent event attempted to address how we can grapple with the historic pain etched in the birth of the Indian nation, and make sense of the collective violence that continues to be our most painful national memory

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THE WIRE

AlishAn JAfri

HE stories of the wanton mass violence – mob killings, loot, arson and rape – that accompanied the partition of India are at times so gut-wrenching that we tend to avoid revisiting them. Yet, as this historical chapter is being increasingly weaponised to create new communal conflicts, it has become futile to point out that killings were witnessed on both sides of the divide, that neither the perpetrators nor the victims belonged only to one community. What purpose does it serve anyway, except a crude acknowledgement that we can all be savages as much as we can be human?

More importantly, this response does not address how we should look at the violence itself, and the lessons we can take away from it as a society. Then there are moral questions around collective violence whose scope often marches beyond the ambit of historiography.

This, perhaps, is where literature steps in.

If history is a record of events, literature is a document of emotions. A recent literary recitation event at the India International Centre in New Delhi called ‘Main Tum Hoon, Tum Main Ho (I Am You, You Are Me)’ attempted to address how we should grapple with this historic pain etched in the birth of our nation, and make sense of the collective violence that continues to be our most painful national memory.

Through stories and poetry by four prominent Hindi authors from Punjab – which saw intense violence in 1947 – the performance explored the anguish and pain people went through, and the reactions writers had to the time. The performative readings featured five stories: Bhisham Sahani’s Amritsar Aa Gaya Hai, Mohan Rakesh’s Malbe Ka Malik, Krishna Sobti’s Sikka Badal Gaya Hai, and two poignant stories penned by the legendary Agyeya, Sharandata and Badla.

The script of the performance was prepared by writer Purwa Bharadwaj, and the literary works were presented by Professor Apoorvanand, Alka Ranjan, Bharadwaj and Raza Haider. Each story

brought with it a different emotion that people felt at the time of partition. The performance began with Bhishma Sahani’s Amritsar Aa Gaya Hai and ended with Agyeya’s Badla. Both are stories of refugees in a train in 1947. They are suspicious of each other, and justifiably so.

However, the two stories have sharply different character arcs, pointing out how the violence affected different people differently, and changed them in myriad ways, good and bad.

The sardar in Agyeya’s Badla defends a Muslim woman from the taunts of another passenger who mocks her, who had assumed that the Sikh man would join him since he is a refugee. He openly condoned the retaliatory violence against Muslims in Delhi’s Karol Bagh.

While the burkha-clad woman had initially doubted the Sikh man’s intentions, he is the one who ended up escorting her safely to Aligarh. On the other hand, in Sahani’s depiction of a train to Amritsar, we witness Babu change from a timid and scared refugee to confronting abusive Pathans and stopping other Muslims from boarding the coach once he reaches India.

The sequence, Purwa told The Wire, was made to fit the tight one-hour timeline. “We didn’t want to cover specific timelines of the violence but rather reflect on the processes that informed the choices made by people who committed violence or saved the lives of others.”

Apoorvanand said, “We wanted to present the audience with the different choices available at every step to the people who faced the horrors of partition.” The circumstances, he added, “were different for different individuals but as these stories show, it was always possible to act with compassion.” The characters of Rafikuddin, Budhiya, or Zaibu don’t take extraordinary measures, but they still manage to cling on to their humanity, he said.

Between Amritsar Aa Gaya Hai and Badla, the narrators retold Mohan Rakesh’s Malbe Ka Malik, Krishna Sobti’s Sikka Badal Gaya Hai and Agyeya’s Sharandata. In Malbe ka Malik, through Rakkha Pehelwan’s change, we see how opportunism and greed takes over human relations in times of communal conflicts. Similarly, we witness Shera contemplating killing

Shani in Sikka Badal Gaya Hai. Agyeya’s Sharandata offers a peek into how two people in the same family showed compassion and depravity, becoming killers and saviours of their compatriots from the other faith. The woman who saved the Hindu man just had one request, “To remember that there will be minorities in his country who will go through the same treatment.” She wants him to save them not because they’re Muslim but because he is a human. The event ended with the recital of Amrita Pritam’s Waris Shah sung by Yusra Naqvi.

The performance was a probe into questions around violence which we often shy away from as a society: “What distinguishes courageous violence from cowardly violence? What violence is an act of revenge? When a person participates in collective violence, do they absolve themselves of responsibility?”

Apoorvanand feels that it’s important to revisit this history through literature written by those who felt the pain of partition, especially in the light of the events of the last decade, if we really want to reconcile with our past. Since 2014, a significant majority of Indians have been warned by an overbearing friend or family that they must understand that secularism is a “myth”, and learn from India’s “real” history. This specifically refers to divisive retellings of partition history – now extensively available as WhatsApp fiction. The sinister intent of this WhatsApp-driven political propaganda disguised as “real untold history” is to weaponise the past and incite fresh violence by scratching old wounds.

We must not forget the stories of partition, even when bad faith actors force us to revisit partition violence again and again to serve their political agendas.

But how we understand that violence and what we learn from it, is up to us.

In that sense, Main Tum Hoon, Tum Main Ho was an honest attempt at revisiting the horrors of partition. The spellbound audience in the packed hall proved that literature can humanise history and explain troubling truths about human choices.

Alishan Jafri is an independent journalist.

“What distinguishes courageous violence from cowardly violence? What violence is an act of revenge? When a person participates in collective violence, do they absolve themselves of responsibility?”

06 NEWS

Two Iranian Supreme ISRAEL SAYS 737 PRISONERS TO BE Court judges shot FREED IN FIRST PHASE OF GAZA TRUCE dead, another injured

I

Sunday, 19 January, 2025 | LAHORE

GAZA

AGENCIES

SRAEL’s justice ministry has said 737 prisoners and detainees will be freed as part of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal approved Saturday.

It said in a statement on its website that “the government approves” the “release (of) 737 prisoners and detainees” currently in the custody of the prison service.

Israel’s cabinet voted to approve the ceasefire deal early Saturday, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, ending days of uncertainty about whether the truce would go into effect this weekend.

Those named by the ministry include men, women and children who it said will not be released before Sunday at 4:00 pm local time (1400 GMT).

It had previously published a list of 95 Palestinian prisoners, the majority women, to be freed in exchange for Israeli captives in Gaza.

Among those on the expanded list was Zakaria Zubeidi, a chief of the armed wing of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas’s Fatah party.

Zubeidi escaped from Israel’s Gilboa prison with five other Palestinians in 2021, sparking a days-long manhunt, and

is lauded as a hero.

Also to be freed is Khalida Jarar, a leftist Palestinian lawmaker whom Israel arrested and imprisoned on several occasions.

Jarar is a prominent member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a group designated a “terrorist

organisation” by Israel, the United States and the European Union.

Detained in late December in the West Bank, a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967, the 60-yearold has been held since then without charge.

Two sources close to Hamas told AFP that the first group of hostages to be released consists of three Israeli women soldiers.

However, since the Palestinian Islamist movement considers any Israeli of military age who has completed mandatory service a soldier, the reference could also apply to civilians abducted during the attack that triggered the war.

The first three names on a list obtained of the 33 hostages set to be released in the first phase are women under 30 who were not in military service on the day of the Hamas attack.

Justice ministry spokeswoman Noga Katz has said the final number of prisoners to be released in the first swap would depend on the number of live hostages released by Hamas.

AMAN Exercises: Pakistan Navy’s Role in Ensuring Maritime Security for a Safer Indian Ocean Region ANOSHKA JOHUM

The sea has always been crucial to Pakistan's economic security and development. As a maritime nation with a vast coastline along the Arabian Sea, Pakistan’s strategic location places it at the heart of one of the busiest and most critical maritime routes globally. The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is strategically significant due to its location and its role in global trade and energy transit. The region extends from the eastern coast of Africa to the Middle East and South Asia, covering critical areas for global trade, including the Strait of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb, and the Mozambique Channel. These chokepoints are crucial for oil and goods transit between continents.

About 40% of the world’s oil supplies transit through this region, particularly via the Strait of Hormuz. Additionally, 60% of global maritime trade flows through the Indian Ocean, making the IOR essential to international economic stability.

This is particularly true with the country's dependency on its seaports for trade and economic activity, as about 95% of Pakistan’s trade is conducted through the sea. With key seaports such as Karachi, Port Qasim, and Gwadar, the country’s maritime sector is responsible for

facilitating trade and ensuring energy security. Notably, the Gwadar Port—a focal point of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)—offers immense potential as a hub for regional trade and energy transit, with the potential to transform Pakistan into a major regional player. Gwadar's strategic importance is underscored by its proximity to the Persian Gulf, allowing for quick access to the world’s energy markets.As global trade flows grow increasingly interconnected, the importance of ensuring the security of sea lanes and the safety of maritime assets cannot be overstated.

However, economic prosperity through maritime trade and energy transit is only achievable if the maritime routes remain safe and secure. This region’s connectivity and resources render it a focal point for global economic flows, but they also expose it to a range of security threats and vulnerabilities. IOR has increasingly become a site of competition and potential conflict, with numerous traditional and non-traditional security threats endangering the free flow of commerce.

For instance, the ongoing militarization of the Indian Ocean by regional and global powers has increased tensions, particularly with regard to disputes over maritime boundaries and access to strategic chokepoints. Furthermore, piracy, human trafficking, drug smuggling, illegal

fishing, and terrorism are just a few of the dangers that threaten maritime security in the region. These threats have the potential to disrupt trade, endanger human lives, and destabilize the region’s fragile economies.

Pakistan's economic security, therefore, is inextricably tied to the stability of the Indian Ocean and its ability to maintain control over its own waters. The country’s economy, especially in terms of energy imports and exports, is largely dependent on these maritime routes being open and secure. Moreover, the fishing industry and offshore resources—including potential oil and gas reserves—are key sectors of Pakistan's economy that depend on maritime security.

In the face of these challenges, the Pakistan Navy has consistently demonstrated its commitment to ensuring maritime security, not just for Pakistan but for the entire region. A significant manifestation of this commitment is the AMAN Exercises, which Pakistan Navy has been organizing since 2007. The AMAN Exercises are a clear demonstration of Pakistan Navy’s leadership in promoting multilateral maritime cooperation.

Since their inception, these exercises have become a biennial event, growing in scale and participation. In previous iterations, the Aman Exercises have attracted the participation of over 50 countries, including major naval powers such as the United States, Russia, China, and the United Kingdom, as well as regional players like Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Iran. This broad-based participation reflects the importance of the IOR to both regional and extra-regional powers and underscores Pakistan Navy’s capability to convene such a diverse group in the spirit of collaboration. Till to date eight exercises have been conducted and 9th is scheduled in 2025.The goal is to promote regional cooperation, enhance interoperability with regional and extra regional navies, foster a shared commitment to peace and security in the maritime domain, by hosting these exercises, Pakistan has been able to bring together navies from all corners of the globe, creating a platform for enhanced interoperability, information-sharing, and joint training.

The AMAN Exercises focus on a wide range of naval activities, including anti-piracy operations, counterterrorism drills, search and rescue missions, and humanitarian assistance exercises. Participating countrieswill conduct joint drills aimed at countering piracy, ensuring freedom of navigation, and enhancing disaster response capabilities. These scenarios simulate real-world challenges that require multinational cooperation to address effectively. Importantly, these exercises also emphasize the importance of safeguarding the SLOCs, which are the arteries of global trade.

Chinese premier chairs State Council executive meeting, calling for increasing employment BEIJING

STAFF CORRESPONDENT

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Friday presided over a State Council executive meeting, which called for stepping up proemployment policies.

During the meeting, Li was also briefed on efforts to optimize the layout of healthcare institutions at the primary level.

Noting that employment is crucial to people’s wellbeing, the meeting called for efforts to promote highquality and sufficient employment.

It also urged tapping the potential to create jobs in areas including advanced manufacturing, services and consumption, as well as sectors related to people’s well-being.

Efforts will be made to increase the credit limit for special loans aimed at stabilizing and boosting employment, alongside large-scale vocational skill training programs.

TEHRAN

AGENCIES

Two Supreme Court judges were shot dead in Tehran on Saturday, and another judge was wounded, the judiciary’s Mizan news website reported.

It said the attacker killed himself after opening fire at the judges outside the Supreme Court. Iranian media said a bodyguard of one of the judges was also wounded. The motive for the assassination was unclear. The judiciary identified the judges who were killed as ayatollahs Mohammad Moghiseh and Ali Razini. Opposition websites have in the past said Moghiseh was involved in trials of people they described as political prisoners.

Xi extends Spring Festival greetings to military veterans BEIJING

STAFF CORRESPONDENT

Chinese President Xi Jinping has extended Spring Festival greetings to the country’s military veterans.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), extended the greetings while attending a gala held by the CMC for retired military officers of Beijing-based troops on Friday.

Xi joined the veterans to their warm applause, asking them about their health and living conditions. They looked back together on the extraordinary journey of the Party, the country and the military over the past year and major achievements.

The veterans vowed to rally more closely around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, resolutely follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and implement Xi Jinping’s thinking on strengthening the military.

They pledged to carry on fine traditions, maintain political integrity, and make new contributions to building a strong country and realizing national rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. This year’s Spring Festival, also referred to as Chinese New Year, falls on January 29.

WHO calls for international support to fund relief aid in Gaza after ceasefire deal UNITED NATIONS APP

Amid reports that Israel’s security cabinet has given the green light to a ceasefire deal with Hamas, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) expressed cautious optimism on Friday over the potentially major boost to aid relief in the devastated enclave.

“The target is to get between 500 and 600 trucks in per day over the coming weeks,” said Dr Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative in the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT). This would represent “a huge increase” from the 40 to 50 lorries reaching Gaza in recent months and be similar to the level of aid reaching Gaza before war erupted on 7 October 2023, drastically reducing relief deliveries.

Speaking from Jerusalem, the WHO medic described the ceasefire announcement as “a sign of hope” but warned that the challenge is massive and daunting, because of chronic and severe shortages of food, fuel and medical supplies. Plans are in place for deliveries to begin on Sunday, the veteran humanitarian said, adding: “We have ordered temporary prefabricated clinics and hospitals which we will integrate into the existing facilities…integrating existing health facilities as part of that, to expand some needed bed capacity, address urgent health needs and health service delivery.”

Sunday, 19 January, 2025 | LAHORE

CORPORATE CORNER

Alkhidmat Foundation Launches ‘Rebuild Gaza’ Initiative Worth Rs15b

LAHORE STAFF REPORT

The Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan has announced the launch of the “Rebuild Gaza” initiative, worth rupees 20 billion, focusing on relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction efforts for the victims of Gaza over the next 15 months. This announcement was made during a press briefing held at the Alkhidmat Foundation’s head office, attended by Dr. Hafeez Ur Rehman, President of the Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan, along with Secretary General Syed Waqas Jafri, Vice Presidents, and other key officials.During the briefing, Dr. Hafeez Ur Rehman outlined the details of the initiative, stating that Alkhidmat Foundation had already carried out relief activities worth Rs. 5.5 billion over the past 15 months in Gaza. Building on these efforts, the new plan aims to provide temporary shelters, essential supplies including food and medicines, mobile health units and ambulances, education facilities, rehabilitation of one hospital, reconstruction of five partially or fully damaged schools, and rebuilding of 25 mosques.Additionally, over 100 clean water projects will be launched, a residential tower will be constructed to provide housing, and 3,000 orphaned children will receive long-term sponsorship.

Technocrats unanimously reject anti people projects of new canals and corporate farming: AT conference ISLAMABAD

A nationwide conference organized by Awami Tahreek in Islamabad brought together active and pro-public politicians, intellectuals, technocrats, water experts, scholars, scientists, engineers, environmentalists, hydrologists, writers, journalists, and social activists from across Pakistan. The attendees unanimously rejected the construction of six new canals on the Indus River, the IRSA amendments, and corporate farming, labeling them as anti-state and anti-people projects.The conference criticized the Shahbaz-Zardari government for pursuing policies detrimental to the country's agriculture, environment, and local communities.Notable speakers included Advocate Vasand Thari, Ms. Umrah Samo, Engineer Naseer Memon, Jami Chandio, Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy, Dr. Farzana Bari, Dr. Hassan Abbas, Advocate Akhtar Hussain, Senator Jan Buledi, Khawaja Ghulam Farid, Senator Hidayatullah Khan, Rahab Khan Buledi, Imdad Qazi, Sadia Kamal, Dr. Muhammad Azeem, Fazul Ullah Qureshi, Dad Qadir Ranto, Rehana Shaikh, Advocate Sajjid Mahesar.

STAFF REPORT

OGRA holds meeting with LPG bowzers, storage tanks manufacturers to strengthen safety standards LAHORE

STAFF REPORT

A high-level meeting with Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) bowzers, storage tanks, and bullet manufacturers was convened today at the Regional Office of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) in Lahore. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Zain Ul Abideen, Member Oil, OGRA, and attended by senior directors and officers from the LPG and Enforcement departments.During the meeting, the authorized manufacturers of LPG bowzers were directed to ensure compliance with critical safety standards, emphasizing that no LPG bowzer should be manufactured with a capacity exceeding 30 metric tons, exclusive of the 15% allowance.

Manufacturers were further instructed to adhere strictly to established safety regulations to mitigate risks and ensure the safe handling and transportation of LPG.

CDA chief visits model jail ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

Chief Commissioner Islamabad and Chairman CDA, Muhammad Ali Randhawa, visited the Islamabad Model Jail on Saturday, accompanied by Member Engineering and other relevant officers.

During the visit, the Chief Commissioner reviewed the progress of construction work on various components, including road infrastructure, boundary wall, the administration block, hospital, and barracks. Chief Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa was apprised on the ongoing construction progress. He was briefed that the construction of the administration block and the boundary wall of the Islamabad Model Jail is expected to be completed by next month. The briefing further infomed that over 88% of the construction work on the barracks has already been completed, while the hospital's construction is nearing completion. Additionally, work on the jail's road infrastructure is progressing rapidly and is expected to be finished soon. Chief Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa expressed satisfaction with the progress made so far on the Islamabad Model Jail's construction and directed that the remaining work be completed as soon as possible.

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ALL FACILITIES, PROTECTION TO BE PROVIDED TO JAPANESE INVESTORS IN PUNJAB: CM MARYAM NEWS

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PUNJAB CM MEETS JAPANESE AMBASSADOR, DISCUSS BILATERAL COOPERATION AND INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN VARIOUS SECTORS LAHORE

STAFF REPORT

UNJAB Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Saturday stated that Pakistan attached importance to relations with Japan and both countries have deep friendly relations, noting that Japan has always supported Pakistan in difficult times and is grateful to the Japanese government and people.

“All possible facilities and protection will be provided to Japanese investors in Punjab, Maryam Nawaz said during a meeting with Japan’s Ambassador Akamatsu Shuichi who called the former to discuss bilateral relations, trade cooperation, and investment opportunities in various sectors.

The meeting emphasized on promoting mutual relations, trade cooperation, and investment in various sectors.

Both the leader also agreed on the

need for finding new ways to increase economic cooperation between the two countries during the meeting.

CM Maryam Nawaz expressed gratitude for Japan’s support during the 2022

floods and acknowledged their assistance in Pakistan’s times of need.

Maryam Nawaz reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to fostering strong ties with Japan, highlighting the deep and friendly

PTI founder reaping what he had sowed, say Punjab ministers LAHORE

STAFF REPORT

Punjab Minister for Information and Heritage Azma Bokhari on Saturday said that January 17, 2025 was a different day for Pakistan as on this day a former prime minister was awarded jail imprisonment for misusing of his official authority, and not for taking formal salary from his son, iqama or hijacking.

Speaking at a press conference here in Lahore, Azma Bokhari said that “Tehree-e-Fasad” is now saying that verdict was pre-planned, while a non-political lady committed jewellery and diamond robbery worth Rs6 billion.

Azma Bokhari further said that even National Crime Agency (NCA) of Britain expressed their concerns over not using the returned amount on welfare of people of Pakistan instead the PTI founder and his wife used this amount by themselves. The minister said that the case was concluded after more than 100 hearings and the court granted time to the accused to

relationship between the two nations.

She assured Japanese investors of full support and security in Punjab, particularly in sectors like agriculture, minerals, IT, artificial intelligence, robotics, and energy, where enhanced collaboration with Japan was desired.

The Japanese Ambassador invited the Chief Minister to visit Japan, which she accepted. He also appreciated Maryam Nawaz’s development initiatives and her continuation of the public welfare agenda established by Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.

CM Aggrieved Over Death of Presidential Award-winning musician Zulfiqar Ali Atre Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif expressed grief over the death of Presidential Award-winning musician Zulfiqar Ali Atre. She offered condolences and extended her heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family.

PNS Rah Naward conducts joint sailing with Italian Navy Ship Amerigo Vespucci

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

record their statements.

During 35 hearings of the case the NAB investigation officer was allowed time for cross-examination.

She said that Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was smiling after listening to the verdict which no one could imagine and that his leader was awarded jail term. Azma Bokhari said that chief organizer of Al-Qadir University obtained approval of this issue in sealed envelope from his cabinet members.

His (PTI founder) cabinet

members openly saying that they were allowed three minutes time to approve the issue.

She said that Mirza Shahzad Akbar and Farrah Gogi finalized the deal and concluded it. Mirza Shahzad Akbar was caught receiving cash briefcase in London.

Shahzad Akbar is already proclaimed offender. Farrah Gogi was saying that diamond should not be less than 5-carat then the sealed envelope will be opened, Azad said.

Pakistan Navy Sail Training Ship RAH NAWARD successfully conducted joint sailing operations with Italian Navy Sail Ship AMERIGO VESPUCCI in the Gulf of Oman. The exercise was part of RAH NAWARD’s overseas deployment to Oman, aimed at fostering goodwill and providing practical training to cadets from Pakistan Naval Academy.This collaborative exercise with Italian Navy Sail Ship AMERIGO VESPUCCI offered valuable opportunities for cadets to enhance their skills in joint sailing operations. While International Tall Ship Regattas are more common, such coordinated maneuvers between Tall Ships are rarely witnessed.

Punjab Police gear up for guarding matches of Champions Trophy 2025 LAHORE

STAFF REPORT

Punjab Police have started preparations for making foolproof security arrangements for Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to start in Pakistan from February 22, 2025, according to the Police spokesperson. According to the police’s spokesperson, 12,564 officers and personnel will be deployed for the Champions Trophy matches in Lahore and Rawalpindi.

Around 7618 policemen including officials and officers will be deployed for matches in Lahore, while 4535 cops will perform duties for matches in Rawalpindi, while 411 officers and personnel of special branch will be appointed during the events

in Lahore and Rawalpindi.

The matches of the Champions Trophy will also be monitored from the air and the support of the army and the

Rangers will also be sought. All players will be given security like state guests and the security plan will be finalized soon.

All routes will be monitored by Safe City

cameras. The residences and routes of the players will also be monitored with cameras. The first match in Lahore will be played on February 22, while the first match in Rawalpindi will be played on February 25, police officials said.

IGP chairs an important meeting Meanwhile, Punjab IG Police Dr Usman Anwar chaired an important meeting Central Police Office to review the security arrangements for the ICC Champions Trophy matches, Chinese and foreign nationals, embassies, and financial institutions, as well as the rate of challan cases, key performance indicators (KPIs), hardcore policing, traffic management, and the performance of khidmat centers.

PAKISTAN FIRST COUNTRY TO IMPLEMENT DIGITAL FDI UNDER WEF: PM SHEHBAZ NEWS

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LAHORE

STAFF REPORT

RIME Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said on Saturday Pakistan is the first country to implement the Digital Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Initiative, launched by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Digital Cooperation Organisation (DCO).

According to a spokesperson, the premier said Pakistan’s first Digital FDI project had been making significant efforts to identify targets and promote digital progress. He elaborated that Pakistan’s Digital FDI project was a framework aimed at implementing digital infrastructure, digitization and export of digital services. It would focus on sectors likely to attract foreign investment into the country, he added.

“It is an important milestone towards creating an investment-friendly environment in the country,” the premier said,

adding that the country was heading towards a vibrant digital economy, which was a vital step in achieving sustainable progress and prosperity.

PM Shehbaz Sharif remarked that the initiative reflected the government’s com-

mitment to fostering economic growth.

‘Installation of modern cargo scanning system to curb smuggling’ Meanwhile, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif directed the relevant authorities to install international stan-

dard cargo scanning system in Karachi and other key trading hubs to tackle the issue of smuggling in the country.

“The old systems of tracking, tracing and scanning in the trading hubs must be replaced with the new systems equipped with modern technology,” the prime minister said while chairing a review meeting regarding transit cargo and tracking system.

He also issued directives to ensure the third party validation of quality of the cargo tracking services providing entities.

The prime minister noted that with the improvement of the tracking system, smuggling had significantly reduced.

He highlighted that due to steps taken to stop smuggling, sugar export worth US$211 million to Afghanistan became possible. PM Shehbaz pointed out that Pakistan would become center of transit trade for other regional countries due to an integrated communication system and improved cargo tracking,.

Sunday, 19 January, 2025

PRAYER TIMINGS FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

6:30

1:30

4:00

PTI founder neither worried nor discouraged by recent court verdict: Sh Rashid 7:05

Awami Muslim League (AML) Chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that PTI founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan is neither worried nor discouraged by the verdict in the 190 million pound case. Speaking to the media outside Adiala Jail, Sheikh Rashid said that he visited the jail in connection with the May 9 case, where he met PTI founder Imran Khan in the courtroom.

“The meeting took place in a pleasant atmosphere.

Today, I kissed Imran Khan, and he hugged me,” he shared. Sheikh Rashid further revealed that Imran Khan told him, “You understand all the rules of politics. Allah is the Greatest, and He alone will help us,”. He added that he reassured Imran Khan that the high court would soon grant him relief.

“This hardship is meant to elevate you,” he remarked, emphasizing that Imran Khan remained completely unbothered by the upcoming verdict.

When asked about the negotiations, Sheikh Rashid stated that if a judicial commission is not formed,

KARACHI STAFF REPORT

ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

The Ministry of Law and Justice appointed two additional judges to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) after the approval of President Asif Ali Zardari.

The ministry notified Muhammad Azam Khan and Inaam Ameen Minhas as additional judges of the IHC. The two new additional judges will take oath on Monday. IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq will administer oath to Azam Khan and Inaam Ameen Minhas in a ceremony set to be held at the IHC. Earlier the Judicial Commission of Pakistan held two meetings on January 17. One for considering the nominations for the appointment of Additional Judges in the Islamabad High Court and the second for considering the nominations for the appointment of additional judges in the High Court of Balochistan.

Govt to close six departments of Ministry of Science ISLAMABAD

The post-mortem examination of Sarim, a young boy whose body was discovered in an underground water tank near his home, has been completed at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

According to Police Surgeon Dr Samia Syed, injuries were observed on various parts of the child’s body. Samples have been collected for further analysis, but the exact cause of death will be determined after the chemical examination report.

Following the recovery of Sarim’s body, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) member of the Sindh Assembly, Abdul Waseem, visited the apartment building where the incident occurred.

His arrival sparked outrage among residents, particularly women, who accused him of exploiting the tragedy for political gain. The angry residents also criticised the apartment union for its alleged negligence.

In response to the backlash, Abdul Waseem expressed solidarity with Sarim’s grieving family, acknowledging their anger as justified.

“The police failed to locate their child for several days. The truth about what happened will only come to light through investigations.

Interim bail of Aleema, Uzma Khan extended in Jinnah House attack case

STAFF REPORT

The federal government’s Rightsizing Committee has approved the closure of six institutions under the Ministry of Science and the merger of four others.

The decision aims to streamline operations and reduce the ministry’s workforce, the Rightsizing Committee decided to retain only six of the ministry’s institutions with a reduced workforce.

The remaining entities will either be closed or merged.

A report on the implementation of these recommendations is due by July 20.

Documents reveal that the Council for Works and Housing Research, Pakistan Council for Science and Technology, and the Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technology will be shut down. Additionally, the National Institute of Electronics may either be merged or closed, while the Scientific and Technological Development Corporation will be dissolved.

The committee has also instructed a third-party evaluation of the Pakistan Halal Authority, and has directed the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) and Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) to undergo digitalisation. The National University of Science and Technology (NUST) has been asked to propose a plan to enhance its standards and secure placements for 100 universities.

The National University of Technology is required to submit a five-year plan for self-sustainability, while the Pakistan Council for Scientific and Industrial Research will undergo a third-party performance review. The committee also called for a 50% reduction in the staffing levels at the Ministry of Science and Technology.

7:00

RAWALPINDI

STAFF REPORT

Post-Mortem reflects injuries on body of young Sarim

Two more additional judges appointed to IHC

5:20

LAHORE STAFF REPORT

The Lahore Anti-terrorism Court (ATC) has extended the interim bail of Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan, and other nominated accused in the Jinnah House attack and October 5 arson cases. The hearing was conducted by Judge Arshad Javed of the Lahore ATC, where PTI leaders faced multiple charges.

Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan, sisters of former prime minister Imran Khan, appeared in court as their interim bail period ended.

PTI leaders Ali Imtiaz and Nadeem Abbas Bara also marked their attendance, while PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja submitted a request for exemption from appearance, which the court approved.

The court directed the investigation officer to complete the inquiry and present a report at the next hearing. The interim bails were extended, and the hearing was adjourned until February 15.

It is worth noting that the accused face charges in cases registered at the Islam Pura, Lari Adda, and Masti Gate police stations.

Published by Asad Nizami at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk