Wood ton sets up record total to keep Derbyshire quarter-final hopes alive

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Tom Banton 84 Matt Henry four-for keep Somerset clear at the top

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England frustrated after Ollie Pope forced to field with injured shoulder

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6 terrorists killed in Tank North Waziristan operations: ISPR

Six terrorists were killed by security forces in separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank and North Waziristan districts, according to a press release from the military’s media wing issued on Friday.

The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that on the night of June 29/30, “a fire exchange took place between own troops and terrorists in general area Manzai, Tank district. Own troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location. Resultantly, three were sent to hell,” adding that weapons and ammunition were also recovered from them.

It further said that in another “fierce encounter” between troops and terrorists in North Waziristan’s general area of Razmak, “three more terrorists were sent to hell.”

The ISPR said the slain militants were actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces and killing innocent citizens.

It added that sanitisation of the areas was being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists found in the vicinity.

“Locals of the area appreciated the operation and expressed their full support to eliminate the menace of terrorism,” the press release reads.

On Tuesday, a terrorist commander was among three killed in an intelligence-based operation in the general area of Inayat Qilla in Bajaur district.

On June 20, two soldiers were martyred in a blast from an improvised explosive device in the Spinwam area of North Waziristan district.

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Public transport curtailed in France after rage over shooting

France asked all local authorities to halt public transport on Friday in a desperate attempt to restore order after rioters torched buildings and cars during a third night of rage sparked by the police shooting of a teenager.

Violence flared in the cities of Marseille, Lyon, Pau, Toulouse, Strasbourg and Lille as well as Paris where 17-year-old Nahel M — of Algerian and Moroccan descent — was shot dead on Tuesday in the working class suburb of Nanterre.

His death, caught on video at a traffic stop, has ignited longstanding complaints among poor, racially mixed, urban communities of police violence and racism.

“The next hours will be decisive and I know I can count on your flawless efforts,” Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote to police officers and firefighters seeking to quell the unrest.

He asked local authorities to halt all bus and tram traffic from 9pm across the whole of France.

With some 40,000 police officers deployed, more than 200 of them were injured and 875 people were arrested overnight into Friday, authorities said. Buildings and vehicles were torched, and stores were looted.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said the government would consider all options to stop “intolerable” violence.

President Emmanuel Macron left a European Union summit in Brussels early to attend what was the second cabinet crisis meeting in two days. He has asked social media to remove “the most sensitive” footage of rioting and to disclose the identities of users fomenting violence.

In the southern city of Marseille, France’s second-largest, authorities banned demonstrations set for Friday and encouraged restaurants to close outdoor areas early.

They said all public transport would stop at 7pm.

For Mohamed Jakoubi, who watched Nahel grow up as a child, the rage was fuelled by a sense of injustice in the suburbs after incidents of police violence against minority ethnic communities, many from former French colonies.

“We are fed up, we are French too. We are against violence, we are not scum,” he said.

Macron denies there is systemic racism inside law enforcement agencies. In 2020 his government promised “zero tolerance” of racism within law enforcement agencies.

Flashpoint Nanterre

Videos on social media showed urban landscapes ablaze. A tram was set alight in the eastern city of Lyon and 12 buses were gutted in a depot in Aubervilliers, northern Paris.

In Nanterre on the capital’s outskirts, protesters torched cars, barricaded streets and hurled projectiles at police following an earlier peaceful vigil.

Looters ransacked shops, including an Apple store in the eastern city of Strasbourg, a local official said. A source told Reuters that several Casino supermarkets had been looted.

The energy minister said several staff of power distribution firm Enedis were injured by stones during clashes. The interior ministry said 79 police posts were attacked overnight, as well as 119 public buildings, including 34 town halls and 28 schools.

Concerts by French singer Mylene Farmer were cancelled at the Stade de France on Friday and Saturday.

In the Chatelet Les Halles shopping mall in central Paris, a Nike shoe store was broken into, and several people were arrested after store windows were smashed along the adjacent Rue de Rivoli shopping street, police said.

Some tourists were worried and others were supportive of protesters.

“Racism and problems with the police and minorities is an important topic going on and it’s important to address it,” American tourist Enzo Santo Domingo said.

Some Western governments warned citizens to be cautious.

In Geneva, the United Nations rights office emphasised the importance of peaceful assembly and urged French authorities to ensure that the use of force by police was non-discriminatory.

“This is a moment for the country to seriously address the deep issues of racism and racial discrimination in law enforcement,” spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said.

The policeman whom prosecutors say acknowledged firing a lethal shot at the teenager is in preventive custody under formal investigation for voluntary homicide — equivalent to being charged under Anglo-Saxon jurisdictions.

His lawyer Laurent-Franck Lienard said his client had aimed down towards the driver’s leg but was bumped, causing him to shoot towards his chest. “Obviously [the officer] didn’t want to kill the driver,” Lienard said on BFM TV.

The unrest has revived memories of three weeks of nationwide riots in 2005 that forced then-president Jacques Chirac to declare a state of emergency.

That wave of violence erupted in the Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois following the death of two young men electrocuted in a power substation as they hid from police.

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Pathirana joins Bravo at TKR; Barbados Royals pick Athanaze Theekshana

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Two tribesmen killed in armed clash in Balochistan

DERA MURAD JAMALI: Two people were killed and two others were injured in an armed clash between tribesmen of two tribes in Jhal Magsi area on Tuesday night.

Levies officials said that armed people of Khanjani and Judhani tribes took positions against each other and opened fire using automatic weapons in Seed Form area of Jhal Magsi.

In the exchange of fire, two people of Khanjani tribe were killed and two others were injured.

Those killed were identified as Muhammad Usman Lashari and Ai Asghar. Two other people, Suleman and Qadeer Hussian, suffered injuries and were admitted to district hospital.

Police have registered a case against people of Judhani tribe.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2023

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GB Budget 2023-24: GB assembly passes Rs116bn tax-free budget

• Heated exchanges witnessed as treasury benches criticised for not prioritising region’s issues
• Rs28.45bn allocated for development, Rs74bn set aside for non-development expenditure
• Rs51bn earmarked for salaries; education sector to get Rs1.57bn

GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan Assem­bly passed the tax-free budget for the next fiscal year 2023-24, with a total outlay of over Rs116 billion.

After a two-day debate session, the budget was approved by the majority members of the assembly, chaired by Speaker Nazir Ahmed.

GB Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid, addressing the session, stated that Rs51bn would be allocated for employees’ salaries and Rs28bn for development projects. He emphasised the government’s focus on the health and education sectors.

However, opposition members in the assembly criticised the GB government for not prioritising GB issues in the current budget.

Harsh words were exchanged between GB Chief Minister and opposition leader Amjad Hussain Advocate during the budget debate.

In his speech, the opposition leader criticised the GB government for not effectively utilising the funds provided by the federal government.

He specifically targeted the GB Chief Minister and cabinet members for prioritising their own privileges in the budget. He further stated that a significant portion of the GB budget has been proposed for their own luxury activities, including the purchase of vehicles.

Mr Hussain also criticised GB Chief Minister for allegedly possessing a fake law degree. The case regarding the alleged fake law degree of GB Chief Minister is currently under trial in the GB Chief Court.

While the opposition leader was delivering his speech, the Chief Minister interrupted to defend himself against the allegations. This led to a heated exchange of words between the Chief Minister and the opposition leader. However, Speaker Nazir Ahmed instructed the assembly members to refrain from using harsh language during the proceedings.

Later, both the opposition leader and the Chief Minister apologised to the assembly for their remarks.

Allocation

Earlier, GB Finance Minister Javed Ali Manwa, presented the budget in the House. In the budget of Rs116.15bn for the new financial year, Rs74bn allocated for non-developmental expenditure, while Rs28.45bn allocated for development projects.

The finance minister said that Rs13.7bn were proposed for the subsidy on wheat, while Rs7.95bn allocated for PSDP projects, Rs298m for the development of mineral sector.

The finance minister announced a 35pc increase in the salaries of government employees up to grade 16, and a 30pc increase in the salaries of employees from grades 17 to 22.

In detail, the budget includes allocations such as Rs28m for the information technology sector, Rs1.37m for the health sector, Rs72m for rural development, Rs9m for forests and wildlife, and Rs17m for the development of the culture sector. Additionally, Rs25m has been proposed for the irrigation sector and Rs18m million has been allocated for social welfare projects.

Moreover, Rs1.57bn allocated for education, Rs350m for the appointment of 1,000 IT teachers in the schools.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2023

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IMF deal expected in next 24 hours: Ishaq Dar

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has said a staff level agreement for a crucial bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was “very close” and expected in the next 24 hours.

The government is racing against time to unlock at least $1.1 billion under the lender’s ninth review of a $6.5-billion Extended Fund Facility agreed in 2019. The programme expires on Friday.

“We are very close to signing a staff level agreement with the IMF,” Dar told Reuters late on Thursday.

“I think it should come some time tonight or maximum within 24 hours … We have finalised everything.”

READ: Ishaq Dar loses his cool with reporter over question on IMF programme

A source familiar with talks told Reuters that Pakistan and the IMF were also in discussions for the release of the full $2.5 billion pending under the IMF programme.

The source said the staff level agreement was to set to initially unlock around $1.1 billion and then be followed by a “standby agreement” which could release the rest after the programme finishes on Saturday.

A representative for the IMF in Pakistan did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

The agreement, which would be subject to approval by the IMF board, has faced an eight-month delay.

The funds under discussion would offer some respite amid an acute balance of payments crisis and falling foreign exchange reserves.

A total of $4 billion have already been released. Dar had earlier told media the government was working on a mechanism to try to unlock the full $2.5 billion pending under the IMF programme.

It was unclear what portion of the funds would be released in the announcement he expected in the next 24 hours.

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Strategy in place to check fuel hoarding says Musadik

LAHORE: There will be no shortage of petroleum products in the country again as the government has introduced a “bonded bulk storage policy (BBSP)” to deal with the hoarding menace, says Minister of State for Petroleum Musadik Malik.

“The world’s biggest traders will now come here because of this policy and set up bonded storage facilities and it will address the problem of petroleum products shortage once for all. The step will also help end the monopoly of local storage houses and ensure uninterrupted supply of petroleum products,” Mr Malik told a presser on Wednesday.

The minister said BBSP would address another issue — opening of Letter of Credit (LC) for acquiring petroleum products.

“The international LC confirmation bar will be over by this step. Transac­tions by international traders may also be done in local currency thus reducing burden on foreign exchange,” he added.

The minister revealed that bidding process for drilling of 16 to 24 wells in the sea had also been initiated. He said the government was making all out efforts to stabilise economy and provide relief to the masses.

In response to a question about import of petrol from Russia, he said, “The second shipment of Russian oil has also reached Pakistan”. He chided the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) for doing politics on the Russian oil.

Earlier, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said in a tweet: “ECC approved Bonded Bulk Storage Policy 2023 for petroleum products. Another Govt’s commitment was fulfilled with the people of Pakistan that was made through Budget FY24 speech of 9June23 in the National Assembly of Pakistan.”

Mr Malik said the government was taking appropriate and comprehensive measures to maintain or gradually lower prices of energy, including petroleum, gas and electricity, adds APP.

He expressed the hope that foreign companies, which stored petrol and diesel in bonded warehouses, would definitely get themselves registered in Pakistan and open business accounts in local commercial banks. Consequently, he explained, it would resolve the issue of LC’s confirmation as these companies would make business transactions in dollar or in rupee directly through banks and in a way, it would also release pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves and create a little bit space for the government in making payments. He further said that this initiative would also do away with LC charges, which so far were being passed on to the end consumer.

The minister asserted that it would be a great relief for the small filling stations which faced even more problems during shortage of oil as now they would be able to continue their business after buying oil from the bonded warehouses.

Dr Malik said that on behalf of the prime minister “I am giving this good news to people as this is Eid festivity so we should set aside political talks for a while. Today, I will not speak about whatever the PTI is doing or had been doing to bring the country on the verge of collapse. It’s Eid gala, so it is responsibility of the government to give hope to people”.

He, however, pointed out that all the criticism by PTI regarding Russian oil agreement and its shipment died down as the second oil shipment from Russia has reached Pakistan.

He said the coalition government had also made a deal with Azerbaijan, on its own terms and conditions, for inexpensive gas. Under this deal, he added, Azerbaijan would offer a gas tanker every month and it would be up to Pakistan whether to purchase it or not.

“We will purchase this gas if it will be on favourable price. This deal will also help end gas shortage in the country during winter,” he stated.

Besides, he said, as per the government commitment that renewable energy will be promoted, the PM had launched four solar energy projects with an accumulative capacity of 10,000 megawatts. The premier issued directives for working out a comprehensive plan to divert the petroleum companies to renewable energy, green hydrogen and green ammonia, he added.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2023

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David Warner battles badly bruised hand for half-century

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Pieces of shattered Titanic submersible brought ashore in Canada

A Canadian-flagged ship on Wednesday brought ashore debris from the Titan submersible that imploded while on a voyage to the century-old wreck of the Titanic earlier this month, killing all five people, including two Pakistanis, on board.

Video from the Canadian Broadcast Corporation showed what appeared to be the nose of the submersible and other shattered fragments wrapped in a white tarp pulled up by a crane off the Horizon Arctic vessel at the St John’s harbour in Newfoundland on Wednesday morning.

The debris is expected to shed more light on the cause of the catastrophic implosion that killed everyone on board — OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush; British billionaire Hamish Harding; Pakistani-born businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son, Suleman; and French oceanographer Paul-Henri Nargeolet.

It was not immediately clear where the debris was headed.

In the past week, Canadian and US authorities have announced investigations into the incident, which has raised questions about the unregulated nature of such expeditions.

The deep-sea submersible operated by OceanGate Expeditions was discovered in pieces on the seabed some 488 metres from the bow of the Titanic by a robotic diving vehicle last week, ending a multinational five-day search for survivors.

“Our team has successfully completed off-shore operations, but is still on mission and will be in the process of demobilisation from the Horizon Arctic this morning,” Pelagic Research, which operates the robotic vehicle, said in a statement. It declined to comment further, citing confidentiality reasons.

Footage also showed a shattered part of the hull and machinery with dangling wires being taken off the ship at St John’s, where the expedition to the Titanic had set off from.

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Smith Head and Warner give Australia opening-day honours

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SC rejects plea to structure SJC discretion

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a plea to structure the discretion of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) with an observation that the propositions advanced were not tenable or had merit.

On June 13, a two-judge SC bench consisting of Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar had reserved its ruling on a petition moved by Advocate Hina Jilani representing a number of civil society activists namely Afiya Shehrbano Zia, Afrasiab Khattak, M. Ziauddin, Farhatullah Babar, Nighat Said Khan, Farida Shaheed, Rubina Saigol and Bushra Gauhar.

The counsel had argued before the Supreme Court that a judge accused of misconduct was a burden on the exchequer if he finally reached superannuation despite the fact that the SJC was seized with a complaint against the judge.

On Oct 10, 2018, a total of 98 citizens, including the petitioners, had filed a complaint against then chief justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar under Article 209 of the Constitution over alleged breach of the judges’ code of conduct.

The original petition pleaded that at the time of its filing, the petitioner remained in dark about the status of the reference, but the judge against whom it was instituted got retired on Jan 17, 2019.

Now in the verdict, Justice Akhtar observed that it was necessary for the SJC, if it forms the necessary opinion, to report to the president that a particular judge be removed from office and on such report the president may do so. “Thus, the only action permissible to the SJC and hence the president, is the removal of the errant judge from office,” the verdict said, adding that if this was not possible, then Article 209(6) would have no application.

“Obviously, this outcome is impossible in relation to a judge who has already retired or resigned and, therefore, the proposition being advanced was with respect, constitutionally erroneous,” Justice Akhtar emphasised.

Even otherwise, the judgement said, it was clear that the Constitution draws a distinction between a person who, at the relevant time, holds office as judge and one who, having held that office in the past, does not. Article 209 applies only to the former and not the latter, it emphasised.

Finally, the verdict said, it must be noted that if accepted the logic of the proposition of the petitioners, a complaint could even be filed under Article 209 against a judge who has retired or resigned after he has left office, in relation to allegations of misconduct while in office.

“This is so because the petitioners advance the proposition on the basis of what they regard to be a matter of principle. If such a principle exists then arguably its application cannot be limited to the fortuitous circumstance as to whether there was a complaint pending against the allegedly errant judge as on the date he retired or resigned,” the verdict said.

“On the logic of the proposition, such a complaint could conceivably be filed even years after the retirement or resignation (i.e. the alleged misconduct). Such an outcome is quite obviously beyond the contemplation of the Constitution,” the judgement explained.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2023

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PM Netanyahu says invited to China with US-Israel ties tense

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday he had been invited to China and his office had informed close ally the United States about the planned trip to Beijing.

The announcement comes during tense ties between Israel and the US, whose President Joe Biden failed to invite Netanyahu for a visit after the Israeli’s re-election in November.

“The projected visit will be Prime Minister Netanyahu’s fourth visit to China,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement, noting “the American administration was updated one month ago.”

It said the premier had also informed a bipartisan Congressional delegation about the trip, and told the Congress members that the “US will always be Israel’s most vital and irreplaceable ally.”

A spokesman for Netanyahu when contacted by AFP could not provide further details on the planned trip or when it was expected to happen.

Tensions have arisen over the Biden administration’s consistent calling for a two-state solution with the Palestinians, and also criticising settlement expansion under Netanyahu.

He returned to power in December in a coalition between his Likud party and extreme-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish allies, including hardline settlers. Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations have been stalled since 2014.

Biden has also called on Netanyahu to reach a compromise on his controversial legal reforms, denounced by critics as a threat to democracy, and which the government has vowed to advance after mediation efforts collapsed.

China has been on a diplomatic offensive in the Middle East, brokering the restoration of ties in March between Iran and Saudi Arabia — rivals in a region where Washington for decades has been the main diplomatic powerbroker.

Earlier this month, Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas visited China, and in April China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang held telephone talks with top Israeli and Palestinian diplomats, telling them that Beijing was ready to help facilitate peace talks.

Washington’s top diplomat Antony Blinken last week made a rare visit to Beijing, where Chinese leader Xi Jinping said he saw headway in the strained relationship with the United States.

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Israeli Palestinian ministers discuss West Bank violence

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and a senior Palestinian official discussed violence in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, with Gallant’s office saying he offered reassurance about Israel’s intention to crack down on Jewish settler riots.

Both the phone call and the announcement that it took place were unusual for Israel’s religious-nationalist government and followed mounting expressions of US concern about the situation in the West Bank, among areas where Palestinians, with foreign backing, seek statehood.

The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday “called on all parties to refrain from unilateral actions that further inflame tensions” and urged restraint to reduce tension and prevent further escalation.

During a council meeting on Tuesday, Deputy US Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood said Washington would work with Israel and the Palestinian Authority to lower tensions and restore trust in a bid to create conditions to bring them back to talks.

“We call on all parties to refrain from unilateral actions, including settlement activity, evictions, and the demolition of Palestinian homes, terrorism, and incitement to violence, all of which serve to only further inflame the situation,” Wood said.

A gun attack that killed four Israeli civilians outside a West Bank settlement sparked days of violent incursions into Palestinian villages and towns by groups of Jewish settlers. Twelve suspects have been arrested in the latter incidents, Israeli police said.

“Israel views with gravity the violence inflicted upon Palestinian civilians in recent days by extremist elements”, Gallant’s office quoted him as telling Hussein Al-Sheikh, an official in the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organisation.

“Israel would exact the full penalty of the law from the rioters,” Gallant added, according to the statement.

There was no immediate comment from Al-Sheikh’s office.

Israeli forces, which intensified raids against Palestinian over the last 15 months, will continue to operate “anywhere required”, Gallant said, while describing a calming of the West Bank as his common interest with Al-Sheikh.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial, also spoke with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday for the occasion of Eidul Azha, a statement from Herzog’s office said.

Herzog “underlined his unequivocal denouncement of the recent assault on innocent Palestinians by extremists”.

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Calls for probe into Indian soldiers allegedly forcing villagers to chant Jai Shri Ram in occupied Kashmir mosque

Two former chief ministers of India-held Kashmir have demanded an investigation into an alleged incident of Indian soldiers forcing Muslim worshippers in a mosque in the valley’s Pulwama area to chant Hindu slogans, the Indian media has reported.

“Shocked to hear about army troops from 50 RR (Rashtriya Rifles) storming into a mosque at Pulwama and forcing Muslims inside to chant ‘Jai Shree Ram’. Such a move when [Home Minister] Amit Shah is here and that too ahead of yatra (a Hindu pilgrimage) is simply an act of provocation,” said former CM Mehbooba Mufti in reaction to the reports.

She requested Indian Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, who recently took command of India’s Chinar Corps in the area, to “immediately set up a probe” into the reported incident.

Similarly, former CM Omar Abdullah termed the reports “deeply distressing”.

“It’s bad enough they entered but then forcing people to chant slogans like ‘Jai Shree Ram’ as reported by the locals there, is unacceptable,” he said, referring to a Hindu religious slogan.

He expressed hope that Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh would issue instructions for the reports to be investigated in a “timely and transparent manner”.

The incident

According to Indian news website The Wire, the residents of Zadoora — a village in occupied Kashmir’s Pulwama area — said the alleged incident took place on June 24 around 1:30am when soldiers of Rashtriya Rifles, a counter-insurgency force, arrived at the village, reportedly along with an unidentified officer.

“While the officer was sitting on the bonnet of one of the vehicles, the soldiers asked me to come out,” Mohammad Altaf Bhat, a Zadoora local and chairman of the Zadoora Civil Society group, told The Wire.

“I thought that they were looking for some suspects in the village,” he said, adding that the soldiers told him that a new team was being posted in the area and it was conducting a mock drill in the village to teach recruits how to carry out counter-insurgency operations.

“I told them that the operation could have been carried out during the day also and it was wrong to disturb villagers in the middle of the night,” the report quoted Bhat as saying, who said the villagers were kept awake till dawn.

Then around dawn, Bhat told The Wire, Indian army soldiers followed the muezzin (one who makes call for prayers). “In the middle of the azaan (call to prayer), the soldiers forced him to chant ‘Jai Shree Ram’ slogans,” he alleged.

According to the report, area residents alleged that Indian army soldiers detained at least 10 villagers during their exercise and five of them were beaten up, including Bhat’s son.

“They (soldiers) forced the detained youngsters to chant ‘Jai Shree Ram’ slogans in chorus behind him also,” Bhat further claimed.

Moreover, The Wire quoted local sources as alleging that the army also vandalised the Jamia Masjid Zadoora.

Meanwhile, Indian news website Scroll.in reported that a similar incident reportedly took place in at least one other mosque in the area.

The Wire quoted a senior army officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, as saying that the incident had “come into their notice”.

“We are ascertaining the facts. Once we have clarity about what has happened, we will share the details,” the report quoted the officer as saying.

Meanwhile, The Telegraph quoted Bhat as saying that high-ranking army officials had apologised to the villagers on Sunday, adding that the officials had said that an army major involved in the incident was also removed.

“We are satisfied with the army’s action but we don’t want a repeat of such incidents,” he said.

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Court acquits Nawaz in plot allotment case from 1980s

LAHORE: An accountability court on Saturday acquitted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a reference about alleged illegal allotment of plots in 1986 to the owner of a media house.

Judge Rao Abdul Jabbar passed the order on applications filed by Yousaf Abbas, a nephew of Mr Sha­rif, and others challenging the auction of the properties supposedly owned by Nawaz Sharif. They claimed ownership of the assets ordered to be auctioned by the court after the former premier was declared a proclaimed offender for his constant absence in the trial proceedings.

The applicants who obj­e­cted to the auction said the assets had been transfer­red to them being lawful legal heirs of the owners.

Their counsel Qazi Misbahul Hassan argued before the court that the principal accused (the media owner) and two former Lahore Development Authority (LDA) officers had already been acquitted in the reference of 37-year-old ‘illegal’ land allotment. He said the acquittal of the principal accused proved that no offence was committed.

Therefore, he argued that keeping the proceedings pending against any other accused including a proclaimed offender after the acquittal of the prime accused would be of no use.

The judge admitted the arguments of the counsel and acquitted Nawaz Sharif in the reference.

The trial court had acquitted a media house owner, former director general of LDA Humayon Faiz Rasool and its former director of land development department Mian Bashir Ahmad on Jan 31, 2022.

The NAB had alleged that the media owner illegally obtained exemption of 54 plots, each measuring one kanal, situated in Johar Town’s Block-H. It said the land had been allotted in connivance with then chief minister Nawaz Sharif against the exemption policy and the laws for monetary gains. It alleged the accused caused a loss of Rs143.53 million to the national exchequer through the allotment in violation of exemption policy.

Acquitting the principal accused, the court in its decision observed that the media owner got plots in 1986 and the LDA, as per the prosecution, pronounced a policy of requiring payment of excess plots at the market price in 1990. The court ruled that the policy had no retrospective effect and was applicable for future cases.

The court concluded that no loss was caused to the LDA from any act of the accused or his co-accused persons as the prosecution admitted that the reserved price was paid in time.

UAE tour

Meanwhile, PML-N chief organiser Maryam Nawaz reached Dubai to spend Eid with her father and party’s supreme leader Nawaz Sharif who landed there from the UK.

A party huddle on issues ranging from elections to caretaker setup and his (Nawaz) return is expected to be held during their stay in the UAE, as a PML-N insider told Dawn that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and some senior party leaders were also expected to reach the UAE to attend the party meeting on the issue of holding elections and the caretaker set-up after the completion of the coalition government term on August 13.

“The other important agenda of the huddle will be the return of the elder Sharif to Pakistan ahead of polls and steps being taken to secure court relief in the cases he is convicted of,” he said.

Mr Sharif may also visit Saudi Arabia en route to London.

Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb did not respond to Dawn’s query regarding the party meeting details in Dubai, though she tweeted that Maryam Nawaz left for Dubai (from Lahore) on a private visit. “Nawaz Sharif is already in Dubai along with the other family members,” she wrote.

Currently, he said, names of those close to the establishment were doing the rounds for being favourite candidates for the caretaker premier.

Zulqernain Tahir also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2023

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Power outages galore as shortfall exceeds 6000MW

• Parts of country face up to 12 hours of loadshedding, ‘brownouts’
•Officials say system ‘ill-equipped’ to bear ‘huge load’ as demand reaches 30,000MW

LAHORE: People across Pakistan have been hit by a double whammy of extremely hot weather and prolonged power outages, with many distribution companies (Discos) resorting to observe loadshedding after the power shortfall crossed 6,000 megawatts on Saturday.

In urban areas, three to six hours of loadshedding was reported while rural areas of the country experienced up to 12 hours of outages.

In addition to scheduled outages, brownouts (tripping, fluctuation, low voltage etc) caused by the overloaded transmission and distribution system also forced load management.

Similarly, shutdowns on the pretext of maintenance also continued, making people’s lives miserable as they braved the hot and humid weather. As reliance on air conditioners increased amid intense heat, the power demand touched 30,000MW during peak hours — the highest demand in the country’s history so far.

Officials say system ‘ill-equipped’ to bear ‘huge load’ as demand reaches 30,000MW

“On Friday, the peak demand touched 30,000MW,” a senior official told Dawn on Saturday. “Our shortfall, if we deduct the deficit on which we observe loadshedding in areas falling within service jurisdiction of high-loss electricity feeders (power theft areas), reaches 2,500MW maximum,” the official maintained.

According to another official source, the total shortfall the country has been facing for the past week, especially since Thursday onwards, ranges between 5,000MW and 6,000MW. However, the demand reached 6,300MW on Saturday.

“In fact, as a policy matter, the loadshedding being observed on the high-loss feeders (category 1 to 6), is not considered as loadshedding. Actually, it is considered a punishment for power thieves. That is why, a major chunk of power shortfall affects such areas under this policy,” he maintained.

Amid such a major shortfall, regions with no or minimal losses get electricity for most hours, he said, adding that areas falling in service jurisdiction of less-loss or no-loss feeders are facing load shedding for [up to] three hours in urban areas,“ he clarified.

But the primary issue is the increased demand caused by the excessive use of air conditioners and the overloading of the system especially when it was “weak to bear such a huge load”. He said during the previous government, Discos could not procure material in time which was the reason the power system could not work smoothly in such hot weather.

“This is why the system is facing stress, leading to brownouts in major cities, including Lahore. The situation is worst in rural areas where residents are facing 12 to 16 hours of load shedding,” he added.

When contacted, an official of the power division said the total generation on Saturday remained at 22,930MW, including 6,200MW generated by hydropower, nuclear 3,100MW, thermal 12,800MW, and 830MW generated by wind projects.

Gas-fired plants active

According to a source in the petroleum ministry, all gas-fired plants were working to meet the shortfall. “The SNGPL is supplying 700mcfd to all state-owned gas-fired power plants, including Bhikki, Haveli Bahadur Shah and Balloki thermal power plants. Some private plants are also being supplied gas,” the source claimed.

The official said the shortfall was due to the plants operated on diesel and furnace oil which were not operational at present for being the “last category of merit order” for the power generation in the country.

According to a source in Wapda, the total hydel generation in peak hours remained at 6,000M: over 2,800MW, 1,210MW, 1,150MW, 230MW by Tarbela, Tarbela-4th Extension, Ghazi Barotha, and Mangla hydel power stations, respectively. “There is no generation by the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project due to rehabilitation works.”

Mangla’s power generation is low at the moment because the water was being used by Irsa for irrigation, he added.

When contacted, a spokesperson for the Power Division declined to share any data related to the demand, generation, and shortfall.

“It is difficult to tell about the shortfall as it is a ‘sensitive figure’ as well as [it is] quite fluctuating. She said the data would be shared with Dawn after getting it from the departments concerned.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2023

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DHA Karachi bars entry of non-residents inside Phase IVs Nisar Shaheed Park

Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) on Friday barred entry of non-residents inside the Nisar Shaheed Park located in the locality’s Phase IV.

In a tweet from its official Twitter account, the DHA issued a number of procedures for entrance into the park, saying that they were aimed at ensuring a “smooth and enjoyable experience for all visitors”.

The entry guidelines listed by the authority said residents could only visit the park with their family members while individual entry was not permitted.

“Residents of DHA who wish to visit the park for a walk must be appropriately dressed in a sports kit, or at the very least, joggers paired with a shalwar kameez or pant shirt,” the DHA said.

It added that the entry of non-residents into the park was not allowed “with or without family”.

It must be noted that Nisar Shaheed Park is managed by the DHA.

When Dawn.com reached out to the DHA spokesperson Farrukh Rizvi for further details, he briefly replied that the decision was taken “in the best interest of the society’s residents”.

“Rest [of the] details will follow,” he added.

The DHA spokesperson also did not specify how the authority planned to filter residents from non-residents.

Mohammad Naveed, a resident of Karachi’s Saddar, objected to the authority’s decision. “I often used to take my children to the park on weekends. Why is the park suddenly being closed only for us? Are we any less of Pakistan’s citizens?” he asked.

Meanwhile, a lawyer Dawn.com talked to, who wished not to be named, said access to any public space could not be restricted and questioned how the authority planned on stopping non-residents from entering the park.

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Defence critical tech on agenda as Indias Modi heads to US for landmark visit

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads to the United States this week for a visit billed as a turning point for bilateral relations, with deeper cooperation in defence industry and sharing high technology in sharp focus.

According to Indian media reports, Modi is scheduled to land in New York tomorrow (Tuesday).

The visit is expected to give India access to critical American technologies Washington rarely shares with non-allies, strengthening a new bond that is underpinned by not just global politics but also business and economics.

Washington and New Delhi, whose relationship was marked by mutual suspicion during the Cold War, have been moving closer for over two decades now with successive US presidents displaying bipartisan support for stronger ties with the emerging Asian economy and regional power.

President Joe Biden has built on that legacy and expanded cooperation as the United States sees India as a vital partner in its efforts to push back against China’s expanding influence worldwide and strengthen security in the Indo-Pacific.

Washington also wants to wean India away from its traditional defence partner Russia. New Delhi continues to do business with Moscow and has increased its purchases of cheap Russian oil in the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine, much to the frustration of the West.

India too has overcome its “hesitations of history” — as Modi put it in a 2016 address to US Congress — and looked West amid its own military tensions and fraying ties with China.

Though Modi has made several previous visits to the United States, this will be his first with the full diplomatic status of an official state visit, just the third of Biden’s presidency and third by any Indian leader.

“It’s a milestone in our relationship … It is a very significant visit, very important visit,” India’s Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra told reporters on Monday.

A key achievement expected to be showcased is in the area of defence cooperation, especially between military industries of the two countries, Kwatra said, as India seeks to produce more weapons and equipment at home for itself and also for export.

Jet engines, drones, semiconductors

Major announcements expected during Modi’s visit are US approval to General Electric to manufacture engines in India for its domestically produced fighter jets, India’s purchase of 31 armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones made by General Atomics worth $3 billion, and removal of US obstacles that prevent smoother trade in defence and high technology.

“People will be looking back on this visit by Prime Minister Modi as a real springboard for the US-India relationship, as it relates to defence … issues in particular,” Ely Ratner, Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Affairs, said at a June 8 event.

A stronger India that can defend its own interests and can contribute to regional security is good for the United States, he said, adding that there is an aspiration to see India as an exporter of security in the region.

Cooperation in semiconductors, cyberspace, aerospace, strategic infrastructure and communication, commercial space projects, quantum computing and the use of artificial intelligence in industrial and defence fields, will also be discussed, a senior Indian official said.

During the three-day visit that begins in New York on June 21, Modi will be hosted by President Biden for a state dinner and a private family dinner, attend lunch with Vice-President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and address a joint session of Congress for the second time in nine years.

Modi will also meet American CEOs and lead an International Yoga Day event at the UN headquarters.

“This is not a routine visit, this is a fundamental turning point between India and the US,” said C. Raja Mohan, senior fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute in New Delhi.

“This is not a question of containing China or anti-China. This is about producing a new balance of power in Asia, which is a multipolar Asia, where there is no single power dominating it,” he said.

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FM Bilawal cautions budget approval linked with govts allocation of funds for flood victims

PPP Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday made it succinctly clear that his party’s approval of the budget for the fiscal year 2023-24 depended on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s decision to allocate funds for flood victims that were promised last year.

Addressing a rally in Swat, FM Bilawal said: “If the PML-N wants the PPP to vote on the budget then this cannot happen without [funds] for flood reconstruction expenditure and we hope that our demands and reservations about this budget will be soon addressed by [Finance Minister Ishaq] Dar and his team.”

The PPP chairman expressed concern about the lack of allocated funds for flood victims in the budget. He urged the prime minister to fulfil his promise regarding flood aid and monitor the ministers in his cabinet who failed to comply in enabling to premier to live up to his commitments.

Underlining the need for the allocation of funds for the reconstruction of flood-hit areas in the budget, Bilawal said the PPP strongly believed in people’s well-being and welfare.

The PPP chief apprised the people that his party sent a high-level delegation to the prime minister on June 16 to relay concerns over his party having little input in the budget.

Bilawal said he was surprised to know that no funds were allocated for any province for flood reconstruction, emphasising that the rehabilitation of flood victims was inevitable for economic growth.

“I don’t doubt the premier’s intention,” he said. “Members of his team are not fulfilling their promises.”

The foreign minister has previously raised his reservations as well against the federal government over the issues of funds for flood affectees and their relief and rehabilitation.

Fissures within the ruling coalition were visible in the National Assembly on Friday when lawmakers belonging to the PPP, while taking part in the debate on the federal budget, assailed the ruling PML-N for not providing promised funds to the Sindh government for rehabilitation and reconstruction of the flood-affected areas and “denying” the province its due share from the tax amount.

The PPP lawmakers in their speeches had blamed the PML-N for not taking sufficient measures to provide relief to the poor, reduce prices and resolve the energy crisis and expressed concern over the ambiguity regarding the allocation of development funds.

Holding the PML-N responsible for all the ills and defects in the budget, the PPP lawmakers had claimed that the credit for the increase in salaries and pensions of government employees went to former president Asif Ali Zardari upon “whose insistence the government agreed to give the raise”.

Similarly, a number of PPP MNAs had praised FM Bilawal for a “successful” foreign policy and for getting assistance for the flood-hit areas while effectively raising the climate change issue at the international forums.

No one from the PML-N, however, had given a direct response to the PPP members, but in their speeches, they had kept on praising PM Shehbaz and Dar for presenting the “best possible budget” under the prevailing economic conditions.

Commends Swat’s resistance against terrorism

FM Bilawal also asserted that PPP had successfully eradicated terrorism and extremism from the country but the “selected rulers” once again handed over the country to terrorists after calling them back.

“I salute the resilience of Swat’s residents during the period of terrorism, at that time, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto had said that some people wanted to remove the flag of Pakistan from Swat, but she said she would never allow it to happen,” he said.

Bilawal commended the people of Swat for their unwavering resistance against terrorism, which led to lasting peace in the valley. He assured the Swati people that the PPP would stand with them and never abandon them.

Highlighting the importance of peace in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, Bilawal stated that the PPP was in contact with Afghanistan and emphasised the benefits of peaceful coexistence and increased trade between the two nations.

He called upon terrorists to surrender to the law, emphasising that those who had killed innocent people would not be spared. He vowed to establish lasting peace and remain steadfast against terrorism, emphasising the unity between the people of Swat and the PPP in this fight.

“Terrorism was already a problem in Pakistan, but now political terrorism has been started. Workers of PTI attacked institutions, monuments of our heroes, and GHQ (General Headquarters). If we forgive them, then there will be political terrorism in Pakistan and not politics,” he said.

He recalled that when Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was hanged, Benazir could have directed the workers to attack national institutions but she was a patriot and refrained from doing so. “PPP jails burnt themselves but did not attack our national assets,” he said.

The PPP chief further said that when Benazir was assassinated, people in the country were so angry that whatever the party leadership wanted to incite them, they would have done it. “At that time, I was only 19, but I said democracy is our only revenge,” he said, adding that PPP always chanted the slogan of that democracy because they were peaceful.

He added that PTI chief Imran Khan had incited his workers to attack military installations after his arrest. “PPP demands that strict legal action be taken against the political terrorism of PTI,” he said.

‘Prepare for elections’

Regarding recent governments, Bilawal contrasted the rule of Zardari, Nawaz Sharif, and Imran. “While Imran Khan had caused chaos and darkness in the country, Zardari had provided jobs and prosperity to the poor,” he said.

He said that the elections should be held on time and the people of the country, especially the youth, would be ready to vote for PPP.

“I also ask the other political parties to prepare for the elections, and when the elections are held, the political party that wins will have the right to rule the country,” the foreign minister said, adding that PPP understood that its manifesto was the only solution of the people of Pakistan as it addressed the issues of poor people.

Bilawal called on the people of Swat to start the election campaign for the elections immediately without any delays.

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Greece boat disaster: A Pakistani fathers anguish over his missing son

Shahid Mehmood, a retired Pakistani civil servant, tried his best to persuade his son not to make the trip to Europe in search of a better life.

But 25-year-old Shehryar Sultan was determined to go.

Now, the father fears his son was among those lost in a disastrous boat capsize off Greece on Wednesday in which hundreds of people are thought to have died, among them Pakistanis. The family were praying for him to be recovered alive but by Friday evening had started to lose hope.

Mehmood, 60, said a local travel agent had charged Rs2.2 million for his son’s trip, with the promise he would earn well in Europe.

“I tried to stop him; told him to forget the whole thing. But the travel agent had totally brainwashed him, telling him: ‘You will only be on the way for two to three days,’” the father said. “My son was gullible, so he went along with them.”

He did not name the agent.

The economy is suffering record-high inflation and an economic slowdown compounded by last year’s devastating floods.

Mehmood said his son did not have any travel documents or an identity card or passport but the people who organised the trip flew him off from Faisalabad.

Mehmood said his son stayed two days in Dubai, then six days in Egypt, before boarding a plane to Libya that was so crammed it had people sitting on the floor.

Sultan spent roughly four months in Tripoli before setting out to sea, living in what the father said were squalid conditions. Mehmood said he tried to get the agent to send his son home when he heard about the conditions in Libya, but nothing came of it.

He said he last heard from his son when Sultan got on a boat, which he believes was the doomed vessel.

“He sent a [text] message saying that he was sitting in a boat with around 400-500 people. And they were expected to be at sea for five or six days,” recalled Mehmood.

On Friday, the family was able to confirm that a companion of Sultan was among the dead, said Sultan’s cousin, Adnan Iftikhar.

‘Very wrong’

The death toll from Wednesday’s disaster could run to many hundreds as witness accounts suggested that between 400 and 750 people had packed the fishing boat that sank about 80 kilometres from the southern Greek town of Pylos.

Greek authorities have said 104 survivors and 78 bodies of the dead were brought ashore in the immediate aftermath. Hopes were fading of finding any more people alive.

Twelve Pakistanis were among the survivors of the boat capsize, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday, but it did not have numbers for how many Pakistanis died, or their identities.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families who lost their loved ones in the unfortunate ferry disaster in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Greece,” Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif also tweeted.

Most of the people on board the capsized boat were from Egypt, Syria and Pakistan, Greek government officials have said.

“All this is very wrong. The government needs to crack down on all these types of [travel] agents,” said Mehmood. “This is cruelty. Sheer cruelty that gives heartache to parents which they will never get over all their lives.”

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Life residents returning to Sindhs Keti Bandar after threat of Cyclone Biparjoy subsides

The residents of Keti Bandar, a small city in Sindh’s coastal district of Thatta, began returning to their homes on Friday after as the risk of it being hit by Cyclone Biparjoy subsided.

The cyclone made landfall in India’s Gujarat near Pakistan’s border on Thursday and had been losing intensity since then, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

“So yes, people are returning now, and we are trying to provide conveyance to those wo had to shift to relief camps” due to the danger posed by the cyclone, Keti Bandar union council chairman Wahid Memon told Dawn.com during a visit to the city on Friday.

“The city is gradually opening,” he said.

Residents stand at along the coastline in Keti Bandar on Friday. — Umair Ali

Alongside him, Thatta district council’s vice-chairman Mumtaz Ali Jalbani agreed. “Since the threat [of the cyclone] has subsided, people are ready to return,” he said.

Away from their hometown, which was not directly hit by the cyclone but had to witnessed torrential rains and strong gales under its impact, the residents had escaped a disaster, according to Memon.

Recalling the destruction caused under the influence of the cyclone, he said, “Bodies were hanging from trees and forceful tides tossed boats faraway into the sea. Everything was gone and the losses were colossal.”

The residents had to be evacuated. “Evacuation was both voluntary and forced”, he said, adding that authorities ensured that the entire population left the area when the cyclone neared Sindh’s coastline before the landfall.

Two boys lug a can at the seashore in Keti Bandar on Friday. — Umair Ali

Meanwhile, empty boats lined the jetty in the area, with no fishermen onboard.

In Keti Bandar, people mostly fish for livelihoods, Memon told Dawn.com.

Among them is Mir Mallah, who said he had moved to the Miprur Sakro town with his family due to the threat of the cyclone.

A man stands by a dilapidated boat in Keti Bandar on Friday.— Umair Ali

On his return to Keti Bandar on Friday, he told Dawn.com that he had not been able to earn a single penny in the last few days as he was not able to fish at all.

“Until fishing is allowed, I will certainly look for some other menial labour work,” he said.

On Friday, Zarif Khero, a chief engineer and acting Sindh irrigation secretary, also visited Keti Bandar and oversaw the strengthening of dykes.

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Pakistan's participation at World Cup in India subject to government approval

"First it will be decided whether we are going or not, then the government decides where we will go," PCB chairman says

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SBP reserves up by $107m to $4bn

KARACHI: Foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) increased by $107 million to $4 billion during the week ending June 9, 2023.

However, Pakistan reportedly paid $1bn to China on Monday, which brought down the SBP reserves to $3bn. The finance ministry neither confirmed nor denied the media report.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has expressed disappointment over the way the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is dealing with Pakistan vis-à-vis the bailout package, saying the lender is wasting his time.

The time to complete the $6.7bn loan programme will expire on 30 June, while the country was to receive two installments of about $2.2bn before this date. The IMF has raised questions about the budgetary measures for the financial year 2023-24, while rating agencies warned that time is running out for Pakistan to convince Fund for the much-needed bailout package.

Analysts said the country faced the deep trouble of poor foreign exchange reserves during the entire FY23 and could do so in FY24 as well, with or without the IMF support.

The SBP reported the total foreign exchange reserves of the country at $9.378bn, including $5.359bn held by the commercial banks.

Exchange rate

The poor forex reserves have negative impact on the exchange rate. The country has reserves hardly enough for two weeks’ imports. The tight control over imports has heavy cost on the economy.

The State Bank permitted importers to arrange dollars on their own, which led to escalation of its rates in the open and grey markets.

Currency dealers in the open market quoted the dollar rate at Rs295 on Thursday, against Rs294 a day before. The State Bank reported the closing price of dollar in the interbank market at Rs287.37, an increase of 19 paise from a day earlier.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2023

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PC board suspends Peco transaction

ISLAMABAD: The Privatisation Commission (PC) on Thursday temporarily suspended the divestment process of Pakistan Engineering Company Ltd (Peco).

A meeting of the PC board presided over by Abid Hussain Bhayo was briefed on the current status and asked the Ministry of Industries and Production (MoIP) to take immediate actions to address the issues before proceeding further on the Peco transaction.

The board decided Peco’s privatisation could be considered when the entity is free from the issues and encumbrances.

The board also decided to refer the matter to the Cabinet Committee on Privatisation (CCoP) to direct MoIP, the administrative ministry, to pursue the resolution of Peco-related issues before its privatisation.

In pursuance of the decision by the CCoP, the Privatisation Commission initiated the process and selected Peco from the approved list in 2018, and CCoP a year later endorsed the implementation of Peco divestment.

Some details made available showed that accumulated Government of Pakistan receivables are over Rs7.2 billion from Peco as of June 2022.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is investigating into disposal of Peco shares by NIT whereas the Public Accounts Committee has referred the matter to the Auditor-General Pakistan for a forensic audit.

The PC board also approved the recommendations put forth by the Transaction Committee concerning the House Building Finance Company Ltd (HBFC), marking a positive advancement in the privatisation process.

It also endorsed the organisational arrangement of PC, which includes conducting in-house due diligence on entities proposed for privatisation to enhance the effectiveness of the transaction process.

Additionally, the commission will present meticulously researched policy proposals to the federal government to foster an enabling environment for the privatisation of state-owned enterprises, in line with the functions outlined in the Privatisation Commission Ordinance.

In addition, the meeting also approved the budget estimates of the Privatisation Commission for 2023-24, amounting to Rs1248.8m.

These estimates, categorised under various heads of expenditure, will undergo further approval by the federal government as required by PC Ordinance 2002.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2023

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Dar blames geopolitics for stalled IMF loan

Senator Saleem Mandviwalla chairs a meeting of the Senate’s standing committee on finance on Thursday. — Photo courtesy: Senate website

• Claims foreign powers want to drive Pakistan to default like Sri Lanka, then negotiate
• Says country will meet international obligations, with or without Fund’s help

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minis­ter Ishaq Dar continued with his ‘contradictory’ approach with the IMF, alleging on Thursday that geopolitics was behind a stalled loan programme as global institutions wanted Pakistan to default like Sri Lanka and then enter negotiations, but also insisting that negotiations with the Fund were ongoing and the ninth review would be complete this month.

Testifying before the Senate’s standing committee on finance, he once again stressed that the country would meet its obligations with or without the Fund’s bailout package.

He said no reason had been given by the IMF for the “unnecessary delay” behind the ninth review, which has been pending since November. “IMF or no IMF, Pakistan will not default,” he added.

At the same time, he told journalists after the meeting that “everything is in order” and there was no need to worry as “everything is arranged”.

In fact, he said, the IMF’s ninth review would be completed this month as negotiations were ongoing and not over yet.

Recalling the concerns raised by the credit ratings agency Fitch in late April that how Pakistan could arrange $3.7bn repayments, Mr Dar said: “We did and it’s one-and-a-half months since then.”

In Senate, responding to a query from the panel’s chairman Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Mr Dar said the IMF’s demand for $6bn guarantee on external resour­ces was unjustified and said the Fund’s delaying plan apparently suggested a political agenda.

He explained that although demands for arranging guarantees for $3bn from friendly bilateral partners — Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — had been met as committed earlier and the remaining $3bn had been assured by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

The minister said China realised the politics behind the unnecessary delay and its commercial banks agreed to roll over loans to Pakistan.

He argued that the financing gap for the country was projected at $6 billion when the staff-level talks were concluded in February based on a $7bn current account deficit estimated by the IMF.

Now when the deficit had been projected to be $4bn by the end of June, the financing gap also should have been brought down accordingly to $3bn, but the IMF remained stuck to the $6bn financing requirement.

He said the assurance of $3bn was given by the Saudi Arabia and UAE to the Fund besides $400 million World Bank RISE project and $250m by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

He told the committee that he was not ready to consult the budget with the IMF unless it completed the ninth review and started a discussion on the 10th, but the prime minister intervened a few days before the budget and provided the budget to the IMF.

The finance minister said the government restricted imports to meet external obligations as the country’s foreign exchange reserves were fast depleting and the top priority was to ensure all external payments on time.

He said no payments, including international bonds, were delayed and no foreign payment would be deferred in the months ahead. He said the government was considering lifting restrictions on imports and soon there would be good news, most probably by the end of this month.

He said wheat, fertiliser and hard currency were being smuggled to Afghanistan and this had to be stopped.

Responding to a question, Mr Dar said IMF’s reservations on the current budget might be valid, but the IT, agriculture and Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sectors were the “drivers of growth” and exemptions given to these sectors were inevitable to ensure the country’s economic growth, which currently stands at 0.29pc. “How can we achieve growth without facilitating certain areas of the economy?” he wondered.

On a suggestion from the committee for giving tax exemption for freelancers to retain their revenue, Mr Dar said freelancers had been allowed to retain 35pc of their revenue and those earning $2,000 were exempted from sales tax and they could also procure duty-free hardware.

He said a return of $2.5bn was expected from the IT industry this year, which would increase to $4.5bn next year. He said exemptions had been given by keeping in view the potential growth of the IT industry.

Senator Irfan Siddiqui apprised the committee about the employees of Radio Pakistan who have not been paid pension and proposed a 5pc radio fee in the annual vehicle registration fee to curb the financial crunch of Radio Pakistan.

He also suggested that a PTV fee, which was being charged to consumers in electricity bills, should be raised from Rs35 to Rs50 and the additional amount should be given to Radio employees.

The Senate committee acknowledged the proposal and referred it to the finance ministry for consideration. However, Senator Saadia Abbasi opposed the proposal.

Meanwhile, Mr Dar on Thursday announced payment of salaries to the government employees for the current month on June 23, enabling them to meet the needs of their families ahead of Eidul Azha, APP reported.

Speaking at the National Assembly, the minister said he had consulted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is currently in Azerbaijan on an official visit, in this regard and directed the finance secretary to ensure the salaries are issued.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2023

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Conway Santner Rayudu reunite with coach Fleming at Texas Super Kings

South Africa internationals David Miller and Gerald Coetzee will also be part of the Dallas-based franchise

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Manchester United negotiating exclusivity with Qatars Sheikh Jassim in $6 billion-plus sale talks: sources

English football club Manchester United is negotiating to grant exclusivity to the consortium led by Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani in talks to sell itself for more than $6 billion, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

While a deal remains uncertain, the development represents a major milestone in the efforts of Sheikh Jassim — the son of Qatar’s former prime minister who is one of the richest men in the Gulf state — to take over the iconic sports brand.

Members of the Glazer family, which own minority stakes in Manchester United and control it thanks to a dual-class share structure, would be cashing out as part of the proposed deal, one of the sources said.

The Qatari offer is currently viewed by the Glazers more favourably than a bid from British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, founder of chemicals producer INEOS, the sources added. Ratcliffe’s offer envisions that the Glazers would keep some interest in Manchester United.

Manchester United would not be allowed to negotiate with any bidder other than Sheikh Jassim for the exclusivity period. It could not be learned how long this period may last. The sources cautioned that the situation remained fluid and a new bid from Ratcliffe could prevent Sheikh Jassim from securing exclusivity.

The sources requested anonymity because the matter is confidential. Representatives for Manchester United and Sheikh Jassim did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Shares of Manchester United jumped as much as 15 per cent on the news, and were trading up 10pc at $25.53 in afternoon trading in New York on Thursday.

A $6 billion-plus deal for Manchester United would be one of the biggest ever in the sports world, following a similarly-sized sale of the National Football League’s Washington Commanders earlier this year.

It would also represent a significant premium to other soccer deals. Last year, the $3.1 billion acquisition of Chelsea Football Club by an investment group led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital valued it at 5.7 times revenue for its last financial year.

A sale for more than $6b would value Manchester United at more than 10 times last year’s annual revenue, according to Refinitiv data.

Record 20-time English champions, Manchester United has over 650 million fans worldwide, according to market research firm Kantar. A large number of them have been clamoring for a change of ownership.

That is because the Glazers have overseen a significant downturn in the club’s fortunes, with the club winning just the last of their 20 top-flight titles in former manager Alex Ferguson’s final season in charge in 2012-13.

Manchester United won the League Cup under Erik Ten Hag this season, but their third-place finish in the league, 14 points behind local rivals and treble winners Manchester City underscores the scale of the turnaround required.

While a section of supporters may view the deep pockets of a new Qatari owner as the quickest way to shrink the gap between United and Abu Dhabi-backed Manchester City, others have expressed “deep concern” at Qatar’s human rights record.

Several Middle Eastern nations have made huge investments in sports in recent years, leading to criticism that they are trying to “sportswash” their images.

Qatar hosted football’s showpiece event, the World Cup, in 2022, while state-run Qatar Sport Investments (QSI) owns Ligue 1 club Paris St Germain.

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) bankrolls the breakaway LIV Golf Series, which recently agreed to merge with the PGA Tour, as well as Premier League team Newcastle United.

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Ashwin reviews the review in bizarre incident in TNPL 2023

Trichy batter Rajkumar had successfully overturned an on-field caught-behind decision before the bowler asked for another review

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At least 79 drown countless missing in migrant shipwreck off Greece

At least 79 migrants drowned early on Wednesday and hundreds more were feared dead or missing after their overloaded boat capsized and sank in open seas off Greece, in one of Europe’s deadliest shipping disasters.

As a painstaking search for survivors continued, a European rescue support charity said it believed around 750 people were on board the 20 to 30-metre-long vessel, while the United Nations’ (UN) migration agency cited an estimate of up to 400.

Greek authorities said it was too soon to speculate on the total number.

Greece is one of the main routes into the European Union for refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Most cross over to Greek islands from nearby Turkey.

But since the previous conservative government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis introduced tougher surveillance at the country’s migrant camps, increasing numbers have chosen to make a longer, more dangerous journey from Turkey to Italy via Greece.

Greek state broadcaster ERT said the boat that sank was en route for Italy, having set sail from the Libyan town of Tobruk, which lies south of the island of Crete. Greek authorities did not confirm the vessel’s departure port.

Alarm Phone, which operates a trans-European network supporting rescue operations, said it received alerts from people on board a ship in distress off Greece late on Tuesday, but subsequently lost contact.

“According to the people, there were 750 people on board … We now hear reports of a shipwreck and fear they are true,” it said on Twitter.

Greek authorities said it remained unclear how many the vessel was carrying when it went under, and that 104 people had been rescued by midday.

“It is not safe to give a number. We do not know how many people were in the hold,” Greek coast guard spokesperson Nikos Alexiou told Greece’s MEGA TV. “… There were too many people on the outer deck. It was full.”

Late on Tuesday, a few hours before the boat capsized, the boat’s occupants refused an offer of help, insisting on continuing their journey, the coast guard said.

The shipwreck is the deadliest off Greece this year and among the worst in Europe. In February, 96 people died when their wooden boat smashed into rocks on Italy’s Calabrian coast during a storm.

The Greek migration ministry blamed international smuggling networks for putting migrants’ lives at risk, while Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, called on governments to work together on creating safe pathways for people fleeing poverty and war.

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Worcestershire fall five runs short in thrilling draw at Sussex

Azhar Ali century helps visitors to within one hit of target, but Sussex bowlers hold out

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Darfur cities under fire as Sudanese war spreads

Fighting rocked several vulnerable cities in western Sudan on Wednesday in an expansion of the country’s almost two-month-old war as the number of people who have fled their homes rose above two million.

The war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has caused a humanitarian crisis in Khartoum, as well as other cities, including El Obeid, Nyala, El Fashir, and El Geneina, where more than 1,100 people have been killed.

Speaking to Al-Hadath TV from El Geneina as gun and artillery fire could be heard, Khamis Abbakar, the governor of West Darfur state, called for international intervention in what he described as a “genocide”.

“Civilians are being killed randomly and in large numbers,” he said. While the RSF and allied militias had originally targeted areas of El Geneina where members of the Masalit tribe lived, these attacks had now spread to the entire city, he said.

“We haven’t seen the army leave its base to defend people,” he added.

The Darfur region of Sudan has seen periods of conflict since the early 2000s when millions were displaced and 300,000 killed by attacks from Arab militias known as the Janjaweed. The RSF evolved out of those groups, becoming a legalised governmental force in 2017.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres “is highly worried about the increasing ethnic dimension of the violence, as well as by reports of sexual violence”, a spokesperson said on Tuesday. His special representative to Sudan, Volker Perthes, blamed the fighting in West Darfur on “Arab militias and some armed men in RSF’s uniform”.

In a statement, the RSF called the fighting in El Geneina a tribal conflict, blaming the country’s former regime for fanning the flames. It said it had been making efforts to get aid into the city.

Diplomatic efforts led by the United States and Saudi Arabia have faltered, as numerous ceasefires have been violated. On Tuesday, senior US State Department officials said they were considering a new approach for the coming days.

Fighting across Darfur

The Darfur Bar Association, a local group monitoring the fighting, said on Wednesday that artillery strikes had hit civilian homes in Nyala, capital of South Darfur and one of Sudan’s largest cities, and added that RSF soldiers had complained of not receiving salaries.

“The assault could start again at any moment, we don’t feel safe,” said Salah Alamin, 39.

The city of Zalingei, capital of Central Darfur, was under siege, the Darfur Bar Association said. The city of El Fashir, capital of North Darfur, has been quieter but has seen a wave of displacement from RSF-controlled Kutum.

Meanwhile, in El Obeid, a hub between Khartoum and Darfur, residents said the army had begun launching air and artillery strikes against RSF positions. The RSF has controlled the roads branching out from the city and has agreed with local tribal leaders to secure the area from armed gangs.

Within Khartoum, residents reported air and artillery strikes in the southern and eastern districts of the city on Wednesday.

The UN said late on Tuesday that some 1.7 million people had been displaced internally and more than 500,000 had left the country.

One of the destinations for people fleeing their homes has been Port Sudan on the Red Sea, which has remained peaceful under army control.

There, on Wednesday, middle school students began taking exams, while pilgrims to Makkah began their Haj journeys, as some Sudanese attempted to find some normality in a conflict that has upended their lives.

The Sudanese Doctors Union said that 958 people have been killed since fighting began on April 15, over the integration of the RSF into the military, but said the number was definitely undercounted.

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In pictures: Pakistan India brace for Cyclone Biparjoy

Biparjoy, a very severe cyclonic storm, has been hurtling towards the coast of Pakistan and India for days and is expected to make landfall between Keti Bandar in Sindh and Kutch in Indian Gujarat on Thursday evening.

On Wednesday night, the cyclone was about 310 kilometres south of Karachi, the financial hub that is not likely to be hit directly by Biparjoy but has been anticipating havoc due to expected rains under this weather system.

Meanwhile, authorities have moved to evacuate the residents of vulnerable areas in Sindh.

And the situation is not too different across the border.

Roads could be flooded along parts of India’s western coast, crops could be damaged and some houses destroyed when Biparjoy makes landfall, the country’s weather department said on Wednesday, as heavy rains pounded coastal regions and authorities evacuated thousands of people.

Here are scenes from both countries as they prepared for the cyclone to hit their coasts.

A man with a mobile phone takes a picture of rising waves before the arrival of the cyclonic storm Biparjoy over the Arabian Sea in Karachi on June 14, 2023. — Reuters

A deserted view at Zero Point, Golarchi in Sindh on Wednesday, ahead of Cyclone Biparjoy making landfall. — Photo by Umair Ali

A deserted view of fish shops at Zero Point, Golarchi in Sindh on Wednesday, ahead of Cyclone Biparjoy making landfall. — Photo by Umair Ali

A deserted view at Zero Point, Golarchi in Sindh on Wednesday, ahead of Cyclone Biparjoy making landfall. — Photo by Umair Ali

A policeman patrols a closed beach at Zero Point, Golarchi in Sindh on Wednesday, ahead of Cyclone Biparjoy making landfall. — Photo by Umair Ali

A view of fishery houses at Zero Point, Golarchi in Sindh on Wednesday, ahead of Cyclone Biparjoy making landfall. — Photo by Umair Ali

A deserted view at Zero Point, Golarchi in Sindh on Wednesday, ahead of Cyclone Biparjoy making landfall. — Photo by Umair Ali

A view of a fishery house at Zero Point, Golarchi in Sindh on Wednesday, ahead of Cyclone Biparjoy making landfall. — Photo by Umair Ali

Evacuees look at the camera as they take shelter at a government camp in Golarchi, Badin district on Wednesday. — Photo by Umair Ali

A medical examination at a government camp in Golarchi, Badin district on Wednesday. — Photo by Umair Ali

A deserted view at Zero Point, Golarchi in Sindh on Wednesday, ahead of Cyclone Biparjoy making landfall. — Photo by Umair Ali

A view of fishery houses at Zero Point, Golarchi in Sindh on Wednesday, ahead of Cyclone Biparjoy making landfall. — Photo by Umair Ali

A medical worker provides assistance at a medical camp in Golarchi, Badin district on Wednesday. — Photo by Umair Ali

A general view of the deserted Mandvi beach after it was shut because of cyclone Biparjoy in the western state of Gujarat, India, June 14, 2023. — Reuters

People arrive at a shelter in Naliya after they were evacuated from their homes before the arrival of cyclone Biparjoy, in the western state of Gujarat, India on June 14, 2023. — Reuters

People evacuated from Kandla port sleep inside a classroom in a school converted into a shelter, before the arrival of cyclone Biparjoy, in Gandhidham, in the western state of Gujarat, India on June 13, 2023. — Reuters

Boys watch waves hit the shore in Mumbai, India on June 12, 2023. — Reuters

People evacuated from Kandla port are seen inside a port authority multi-purpose hall converted into a shelter, before the arrival of cyclone Biparjoy, in Gandhidham, in the western state of Gujarat, India on June 13, 2023. — Reuters

A view of rain clouds before the arrival of cyclonic storm Biparjoy, in Karachi on June 14, 2023. — Reuters

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Header image: People gather near the rising waves, before the arrival of the cyclonic storm, Biparjoy, over the Arabian Sea, at Clifton Beach in Karachi on June 13, 2023. — Reuters

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