Fazl lashes out at ‘inept’ govt, ‘confused’ PTI

ISLAMABAD: Taking on both the government and opposition parties, the mercurial Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday said that the incumbent government was incapable of allaying their concerns about the Feb 8 polls, while the PTI appeared confused about the way forward.

Addressing a press conference after a meeting of his party’s Majlis-i-Shura, which spanned two days, the JUI-F chief demanded snap elections without the interference of the establishment.

The Maulana said his party had reached the conclusion that the government was incapable of addressing the concerns of the JUI-F and other political parties.

He also alluded to a resolution recently passed by the US House of Repre­sentatives about free and fair polls to support his call for fresh elections.

Opposes ‘Azm-i-Istehkam’; says govt blaming Kabul to cover ‘own failures’

According to the Maulana, the JUI-F was also concerned about the intentions of the PTI and the Sunni Ittehad Council; therefore, it has decided to push for snap elections in the country on its own.

He, however, said that the doors of dialogue were open for the PTI.

He said the PTI appeared confused about the way forward and had failed to make a decision regarding its campaign for snap polls, adding that the former ruling party did not even form a committee for talks with the JUI-F. Likewise, the SIC head was also not ready to launch a movement alongside the JUI-F and his statements were quite clear, he claimed.

During his media talk, Maulana Fazl also took potshots at the coalition government for allegedly failing on the diplomatic front. The JUI-F leader said the government also failed to gain the confidence of China for investments in Pakistan.

Azm-i-Istehkam

The JUI-F leader also opposed the Azm-i-Isteh­kam action, saying that various institutions were not on the same page regarding the planned campaign, and questioned why there was a significant increase in terrorism after every military operation.

In a comment on a statement by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif that hinted at the possibility of cross-border strikes to eliminate militants harboured by Afghanistan, the JUI-F chief said such statements were being given to cover-up the failure of anti-terrorism operations in the country.

In a recent interview, the defence minister had said that under the planned operation, Pakistan could take out militant havens in the neighbouring country — a statement that did not sit well with the JUI-F, the PTI, as well as other political parties. In response, the Afghan Taliban warned of consequences in case of any such attack and said they would not allow anyone to violate their sovereignty.

Replying to a question, Maulana Fazl alleged that everyone knew that in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 10pc of the development fund was being given to terrorists.

“Are you helpless in front of terrorists? I have many questions but I don’t want to create problems for the state,” he warned. Replying to another question, he said that Defence Minister Khawaja Asif claimed that the opposition was the “ally of terrorists”.

While talking about the armed forces, he said the people of Pakistan cared about the armed forces and advised the army to care about the masses as well. He said that terrorism was increasing in the country and the trust of the masses in the institutions was decreasing. He said that all institutions, including the army, should remain in their domain as interference in politics was a violation of the Constitution.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2024

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No chance of Imran getting out of jail under current PTI leadership: Fawad Chaudhry

Former information minister Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday said that he did not see any chance of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan being released from Adiala Jail as long as the current party leadership is in charge.

His remarks were the latest in a series of broadsides launched against the present PTI leadership over the past week.

Chaudhry, who left the PTI in the aftermath of the state’s crackdown against the party following May 9 riots, said earlier this month that the current PTI leadership had badly failed to provide a political strategy due to which problems were exacerbating for the party despite enjoying massive public support.

“The real focus of the PTI should be on building an opposition alliance with Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and Jamaat-i-Islami,” Chaudhry had said while speaking to journalists at his residence in Ladhar.

Separately, in a private conversation with Dawn on Thursday, Chaudhry said no one in the current party leadership had the “political stature” or the ability to mobilise the masses as Imran did. .

Chaudhry had even claimed there were people in the party who did not want to see Imran Khan out of jail as that would spell the end of their political careers.

In a fresh video message on his account on X today, Chaudhry said a number of people advised him not to criticise the leadersip as it would weaken the party. However, he said, he did not see even “1 per cent” chance that Imran would be released from prison as long as the present leaderhip takes strategic decisions.

He said he was criticised for “returning” now that the “good times” were back but wondered if the current situation can be regarded as such.

“There are 47 cases against me which are ongoing,” he said, adding that “bad times” had not ended for leaders who were still in prison or facing charges.

He said that a large number of PTI leadership was still in prison. “The bad times have probably [only] ended for the people who did not face any difficulty,” he said.

“There is not even 1pc chance that the current leadership can bring Imran out [of jail],” he said.

He said that the current party leadership neither had any political strategy, nor the capacity to create one.

Without naming anyone, he accused the PTI’s secretary information of charging money to the party for his services, accusing the party leadership of running “their own economies”.

He said that the veteran members of the party should be included in the decision making so that a political plan could be created.

Later in the day, while speaking to Geo News TV, Chaudhry said that the present PTI leadership should also allow others to approach Imran in jail.

“This leadership is not letting access to Imran Khan so that their ‘business model’ keep working,” he said.

While responding to the party’s counter accusation that Chaudhry was “desperate” to come back, he said: “Of course, I am desperate, I am desperate because i can see how these people are sinking the ship […] They don’t have any political strateygy.”

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Opposition in Punjab holds ‘parallel session’

LAHORE: Amid escalating tensions with the treasury, the opposition in the Punjab Assembly held its own session on Saturday, pledging not to accept “fake Form-47” Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, even if the speaker suspended all its lawmakers.

Opposition lawmakers from the PTI (Sunni Ittehad Council) and ruling PML-N lawmakers had been at loggerheads after 11 opposition members were suspended for 15 sittings due to “rowdyism” during Maryam Nawaz’s speech on Friday.

The government further escalated the situation by stripping opposition leader Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar of his perks and privileges and closing his chamber in the assembly.

A heavy contingent of police and a prisoner van were stationed outside the Punjab Assembly as the session began on Saturday, with orders to prevent the 11 suspended lawmakers from entering.

Expressing solidarity with their suspended members, the opposition lawmakers held their own session outside the assembly gate and made fiery speeches against CM Maryam and the PML-N leadership.

“The government wants to silence us through civil dictatorship, but we will never accept fake Form-47 CM Maryam Nawaz,” Mr Bhachar declared to the charged MPAs, who chanted slogans such as “mandate thieves” and accused CM Maryam’s father, former premier Nawaz Sharif, of corruption.

A privilege motion was also moved against Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan for “submitting to CM Maryam’s pressure” to suspend opposition members.

Lawmaker Sheikh Imtiaz even presented a resolution demanding that the name of the Nawaz Sharif Cardiology Hospital be changed.

MPA Mohammad Naeem said it was the first time in the country’s history that the government had shut down the opposition leader’s chamber.

Budget passed

Inside the House, Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan proceeded with the budget 2024-25 debate. Around 10 to 12 opposition members, led by Rana Aftab, entered the House to participate.

However, as Mr Aftab rose from his seat to talk on the matter, the treasury members paid him in the same coin.

Mr Aftab urged the chair to now act against those treasury members involved in rowdy behaviour, questioning whether they, too, would be suspended. The opposition members later walked out of the House.

Information Minister Azma Bokhari, who spearheaded the treasury protest against the opposition, maintained that if the leader of the house’s speech was interrupted by the opposition, its members will also not be allowed to speak.

Meanwhile, the House passed the budget and the speaker adjourned the proceedings indefinitely.

US Congress resolution condemned

The Punjab Assembly also adopted a resolution condemning the US Congress’ demand for a Feb 8 polls audit. The resolution urged the Shehbaz Sharif government to take up the US Congress resolution matter and lodge a protest with the American government.

Bhachar stripped of privileges

Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan also withdrew all privileges from Opposition Leader Bhachar, including office, staff and official vehicle.

Mr Bhachar claimed the withdrawal of his privileges was retaliation for leading a protest against the “TikToker chief minister”.

“This is the first time in Punjab Assembly history that the opposition leader’s office has been locked, and he was not allowed entry,” Mr Bhachar asserted.

He emphasised that the opposition would not be intimidated by government tactics and vowed that PTI members would continue supporting party founder Imran Khan.

He said PTI members would continue calling Maryam Nawaz Sharif a “TikToker and mandate-thief chief minister”.

Mansoor Malik also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2024

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Dar-led Ecnec okays Rs411bn projects

• Approves realignment of Karakoram Highway between Thakot, Raikot
• Green-lights revised PC-I of new Gwadar airport
• Upgrade of Railways ML-1 project fails to get nod

ISLAMABAD: The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Saturday approved 19 development projects worth Rs411.01 billion in various sectors, especially in Sindh and Balochistan.

The Ecnec meeting, presided over by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, also approved a multimillion-dollar World Bank project for the realignment of Karakoram Highway (KKH) between Thakot and Raikot, costing 13.067 billion yuan.

The meeting considered 21 agenda items recommended to it in various meetings of the Central Develop­ment Working Party (CDWP) and accorded approval to 19 projects.

On June 15, Prime Minis­ter Shehbaz Sharif decided to remove Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb from his position as Ecnec chairman. In his place, Mr Dar, who also holds the portfolio of foreign minister, has been appointed as the alternate chairman of Ecnec, which is responsible for making decisions on economic and development plans.

An official announcement said the meeting was led by Mr Dar due to the prime minister’s hectic schedule, and it was attended by the finance minister, planning minister, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, representatives from provincial governments, and other senior officials.

Among the projects falling under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the forum cleared the realignment of KKH between Thakot and Raikot at the cost of 13.067bn yuan as well as the revised PC-I of New Gwadar International Airport.

The new Gwadar airport is scheduled to become operational within the calendar year.

The forum, however, did not clear the re-modified PC-I for the upgrade of Railways main line-1 (ML-1) and advised the Pakistan Railways to consider preparing smaller projects and packages specific for financing and implementation.

Ecnec approved several projects being undertaken in Sindh, including the revised Flood Response Emergency Housing Project, costing Rs296bn. The cost will include Rs50bn committed by the federal government. An amount of Rs30bn has been allocated in PSDP 2024-25 as federal share for housing reconstruction in Sindh.

Mr Dar informed the forum that the federal government remains committed to providing its share in housing reconstruction efforts in Sindh. Other Sindh projects that were approved included the Karachi Water and Sewerage Services Improv­ement Project Phase-II and Comp­etitive and Liveable City of Karachi.

The forum also cleared revised PC-I of operationalisation of Green Line BRTS in Karachi at the cost of Rs13.502bn, while observing that the Sindh government should consider increasing the fare to reduce subsidy being borne by the federal government. It also cleared the National Highway Authority-executed rehabilitation and reconstruction of a 86km stretch of the N-5 national highway between Moro and Ranipur.

To expedite the reconstruction and rehabilitation of flood-affected areas in Balochistan, Ecnec approved four sub-components of $400 million World Bank-funded Integrated Flood Resilience and Adaptation Programme.

This included $155m housing reconstruction and restoration sub-component, $50m road infrastructure sub-component, $40m livelihoods component and $30m irrigation infrastructure component.

An amount of Rs11.2bn has been allocated in PSDP 2024-25 for reconstruction projects in Balochistan. The forum directed that reconstruction activities in Balochistan be undertaken expeditiously while ensuring top quality.

Other projects approved by the forum included electrical and mechanical works and allied buildings as well as access roads of Lowari tunnel at the cost of Rs33.25bn and 48-megawatt Jagran hydropower station at Rs13.99bn so that the project is completed by December 2024.

Ecnec also extended the Sehat Sahulat Programme until end-December with the direction to Ministry of National Health Services to submit by Sept 15 its recommendations regarding shifting the programme to the current budget, improving its fiscal sustainability and reforming the regulatory and monitoring framework.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2024

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LHC admits plea challenging PIA’s privatisation

RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Rawalpindi bench has admitted a petition challenging PIA’s privatisation process and also asked the top law officer to respond to the questions raised in the plea.

Justice Jawad Hassan issued the order on Friday on a pro bono petition filed against the procedure adopted to privatise PIA.

The judge also expressed his intention to examine the law introduced by the previous caretaker government to set up an appellate tribunal for privatisation disputes.

The petition stated that the government issued an advertisement to privatise the national carrier without properly evaluating its local and foreign assets as required under the Privati­sation Commission Ordinance, 2000.

When the judge questioned the petitioner’s counsel over the plea’s maintainability, he argued the requirements in Section 23 of the Privatisation Commission Ordinance, 2000 have not been met.

While proceeding with the privatisation process, principles already settled by the Supreme Court were also ignored, he argued, adding that the bench could take up this case.

Justice Hassan recalled a judgement authored by Justice Syed Man­soor Ali Shah in a case titled ‘Arshad Waheed versus Province of Punjab and others’ where he detailed the high court’s powers in such matters.

According to Justice Hassan under Article 199 (jurisdiction of the high court) of the Constitution, the high court is empowered to examine administrative actions from the touchstone of violation of law and breach of the Cons­titution. He, however, added that the power of judicial review is regulated by the principle of judicial restraint.

“[J]udicial restraint encourages the judges to exercise their powers with restraint and wisdom and to limit the exercise of their own powers to intervene in the matters relating to [the] policy of the Statutory Bodies/Board having financial perspective and outcome and exercise.”

The petitioner’s counsel argued that his client is only challenging PIA’s privatisation process because the mandatory requirement of advertisement, as given in Section 23 (advertisement of privatisation) of the Privatisation Commission Ordinance, 2000, has not been fulfilled.

He also drew attention towards the amendment introduced by the caretaker government in Section 28 of the Privatisation Commission (Amend­ment) Ordinance, 2023, whereby an appellate tribunal was constituted.

He stated that there is no need for any such tribunal when the high court is empowered to hear such cases.

The court order said that cases regarding PIA’s privatisation are already pending before the Sindh High Court (SHC) and also argued before a single-member LHC bench.

But on the criteria laid down by the SHC in the case of the KESC Labour Union and the fact that certain provisions of the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (Conversion) Act, 2016 needed to be interpreted, “subject to maintainability of this petition notice be issued to the Respondents,” said the court order.

The court also directed the law officer to seek instructions from the relevant authorities and ensure that para-wise comments are submitted by the respondents in four weeks.

The court also issued notice to the at­­torney general to respond to legal qu­­es­tions raised in this petition and adj­ou­r­ned further hearing till September 12.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2024

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Four Pakistanis storm into squash finals at Asian Juniors

Pakistan clinched four spots in the finals of the Asian Junior Squash Championship at the Mushaf Sports Complex in Islamabad after a grueling round of semi-finals on Friday.

Saturday’s finals will see Pakistani teammates Huzaifa Shahid and Sohail Adnan battle it out for the Boys U-13 title, while Abdullah Nawaz faces Malaysia’s Nikhileswar Moganasundharam in the U-17 category at the 31st edition of the championship.

Last year’s world champion Hamza Khan will face off Malaysia’s Harith Danial in the U-19 category.

Not a single Pakistani girl advanced to the semi-finals in the tournament, which has featured some 200 players from a dozen countries across the U-13, U-15, U-17 and U-19 categories.

Earlier this month, the Ali sisters fueled Pakistan’s medal rush at the PBA 20th Penang Malaysia Junior Open.

Sohail had a clean win over Malaysia’s Muhammad Ifwat Zulkifli, beating him 11-8, 11-6, 11-2 to advance to the finals.

The Malaysians lost another spot in the Boys U-13 final as Huzaifa thrashed Julius Tan 11-2, 11-8, 11-5. Huzaifa has dominated the global U-13 field this year as he took home the title at the Australian Junior Open in April.

Malaysia and Pakistan continued their semi-final rivalry as Muhammad Raziq Razi clinched his spot in the U-15 finals over Pakistan’s Abdullah Zaman in an easy 11-7, 11-8, 11-6 win.

Pakistan’s Nouman Khan started the other U-15 semi-final with a solid win over India’s Shiven Agarwal before being thrashed 5-11, 9-11, 0-11 to bow out of the championship.

U-17 was another Pakistan-Malaysia showdown as Abdullah Nawaz knocked out Altamis Aqhar Sallam 11-4, 14-12, 11-6. while Malaysia’s Nikhileswar Moganasundharam took revenge with an easy win over Azan Ali, who lost 6-11, 6-11, 8-11.

Hamza outclassed compatriot M Ammad 11-6, 11-5, 11-0 to secure his spot in the finals where he faces Malaysia’s Harith Danial, who advanced to the finals over South Korea’s Jooyoung Na in a thrilling win 11-9, 6-11, 11-6, 12-10.

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Unbeaten India and South Africa ready to end glory waits in T20 World Cup final

Unbeaten throughout almost a month of cricket across the USA and the Caribbean, India and South Africa will face off at the Kensington Oval on Saturday in the T20 World Cup final both looking to end long waits for glory.

A tournament which has been a mixed bag in terms of quality, entertainment and attendance, has certainly succeeded in setting up a final between the two best teams in the shortest format.

India crushed defending champions England by 68 runs in Guyana on Thursday, the day after South Africa thrashed Afghanistan by nine wickets in Trinidad to end a long and agonising wait for a title game.

This will be South Africa’s first senior men’s final since the inaugural Champions Trophy in Bangladesh in 1998 when the Proteas beat the West Indies in the title match.

Over the years they have been labelled ‘chokers’ by their critics and had many questions about how a nation that has produced so many talented players, hasn’t been able to make a final for 26 years.

Skipper Aiden Markram was part of the team which were beaten by Australia in the ODI World Cup last year but says the players haven’t reflected much on the years of near-misses and disappointments.

“We haven’t spoken about it to be honest. I think it’s a personal and individual motivation that you get to a final; to earn the opportunity to hopefully lift the trophy,” he said after the win over the Afghans.

“So you reflect back to five months ago we couldn’t get over the line in that semi-final and you look at (here) a few things went our way. We managed to win the game and we found ourselves in the final.”

Certainly, there has been no hint that South Africa have lacked belief in this tournament — they topped Group D with a 100 per cent record including wins over Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Then in the Super Eights, they won all three games with victories over England and co-hosts West Indies and the USA.

Belief

“This team’s been together for a long time now as a whiteball group, both formats. We feel and we believe that we can compete with the best in the world and we can win trophies. And it’s nice for us to now have that opportunity,” Markram said.

“You do get belief though from winning close games and potentially winning games that you thought you weren’t going to win. It does a lot for your changing room and the vibe in the changing room. So, we’ll take a little bit of confidence from that and see if we can put it to any use in the final,” he added.

India have the chance to banish the memory of their loss to Australia in the final of the 50-over World Cup on home soil last year.

Despite India being the epicentre of the T20 game, through the hugely successful Indian Premier League competition, their only triumph in this competition came 17 years ago.

India’s last trophy of any kind was the Champions Trophy in 2013.

But the team have taken care of their business with little drama, beating arch-rivals Pakistan in New York and going on to win their group before a key win over Australia in the Super Eights.

“We’ve been very calm,” said captain Rohit Sharma.

“We understand the occasion of the final. It’s important we stay composed because that helps you make good decisions. We have been very steady, and calm, and that has been the key for us,” he added.

It was India’s spinners who were the heroes against England with left-armers Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel taking three wickets each.

But they also possess one of the most effective quick bowlers in the format in Jasprit Bumrah.

Rohit, 37, and fellow opener Virat Kohli, 35, came into this tournament looking for glory in what could well be their final tournament.

While Rohit has made more runs, 248, than any player in the final, Kohli has disappointed with just 75 runs in seven innings but has the perfect stage on which to make that form irrelevant.

The historic home of West Indies cricket should produce the right atmosphere with a large contingent of Indian supporters, as always, expected at the game.

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Omar Ayub resigns as PTI’s secretary general

ISLAMABAD: In a significant development, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan resigned from his party positions, lending credence to reports of fissures within the party ranks.

Sources in the PTI told Dawn that Omar Ayub, who is also leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, submitted his resignation on June 22, which has been accepted by founding chairman Imran Khan.

The move came as a surprise, even for some PTI insiders, who said they thought the founder would not accept the resignation and ask Omar Ayub to continue in his position.

In his resignation, shared by Omar Ayub on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Mr Omar wrote that it was not possible for him to continue working as the party’s secretary general and also justify his job as opposition leader in the National Assembly.

He also indicated that he would be stepping down as chairman of the PTI’s Central Finance Board, but maintained that he would continue as a party worker.

“I tried to perform to the best of my abilities during very tumultuous times and learnt a tremendous amount under your dynamic leadership… PTI family members have endured tremendous hardships in the last 2 years but have not flinched,” he stated in the resignation add­ressed to Imran Khan, a copy of which was also sent to party chairman Barrister Gohar Khan.

“I feel that I cannot do justice to the office of the secretary general as I have [also] been nominated by you as the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly. Both positions demand complete attention and given the parliamentary workload in addition to the commitments of the constituency I represent in the National Assembly, I feel that another person should be the secretary general to organise the party structure and work under your guidance to prepare PTI for the elections in the near future,” he wrote.

Omar Ayub, who was re-elected as secretary general of the PTI last month, has quit at a time when the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has yet to declare its latest intra-party elections ‘legitimate’. Moveover, the Supreme Court is still hearing a case regarding the allocation of reserved seats to its lawmakers in the national and provincial assemblies.

The development also follows media reports that a forward bloc, consisting of party dissidents in the National Assembly, may be in the offing.

In recent weeks, party leaders such as Shahryar Afridi, Shandana Gulzar and Sher Afzal Marwat and even former PTI spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry have gone public with their grievances against the party’s leadership, especially their inability to secure the release of Imran Khan.

Talking to Dawn on Thursday, Mr Chaudhry said no one in the current party leadership had the “political stature” or the ability to mobilise the masses as Imran Khan did. Moreover, he said, the present leadership had failed in its efforts to form an alliance with other opposition parties, such as the JUI-, PkMAP, GDA or Jamaat-i-Islami.

He opined that the new party leadership had failed to fill the vacuum left by the incarceration of leaders such as Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Parvez Elahi. He also criticised them for opposing the return of party old guard, such as himself, by labelling them “traitors”.

Mr Chaudhry claimed there were people in the party who did not want to see Imran Khan out of jail as that would spell the end of their political careers.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2024

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Biden and Trump lock horns in high stakes debate

Joe Biden and Donald Trump square off in a crucial US presidential debate that carries enormous stakes for both candidates as they battle for the approval of undecided voters and any slim advantage in their neck-and-neck race for the White House.

Millions of Americans will tune in to the highly anticipated clash that fires the starting gun on what promises to be a bruising summer of campaigning in a deeply polarised country still scarred by the chaos and violence that accompanied the 2020 election.

With only two debates this election cycle and national polls showing the pair locked in the tightest of contests, Thursday’s event at CNN headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia takes on heightened significance.

For many voters, the choice between President Biden, the oldest ever incumbent, and Trump, now a convicted felon, is an uninspiring one — a dynamic both candidates need to counter as they go head to head.

For Trump, an instinctive political pugilist, the challenge will be to rein in the aggressive tendencies he unleashed — to his detriment — in their first chaotic debate four years ago.

The 81-year-old Biden will be desperate to avoid any major gaffes that could underline concerns about his age, and to focus on his key campaign message that Trump poses an existential threat to US democracy.

There is certainly no love lost between the two candidates and both sides have agreed to a series of debate rules aimed at minimising the prospect of a shouting match.

There will be no studio audience, depriving candidates of the momentum that comes from ginning up supporters, and microphones will cut out when a candidate’s speaking time is over.

To coincide with the debate, both camps unleashed a series of fresh attack ads, with Trump’s team taking out TV spots accusing Biden of mismanaging the economy and encouraging illegal immigration.

In a morning post on his Truth Social platform, Trump argued that Biden was the real threat to democracy, “and a threat to the survival and existence of our country itself.”

The Democratic Party, meanwhile, paid for five massive billboards in Atlanta trolling Trump over his legal woes.

“Donald, welcome to Atlanta for the first time since becoming a convicted felon. Congrats — or whatever…” the signs said.

Trump enjoys a slight advantage in the all-important swing states but the overall polling looks extremely close in an election likely to be decided by a few photo finishes in a handful of battlegrounds.

The latest Quinnipiac University poll shows Trump edging ahead of Biden nationally, 49 per cent to 45pc.

The rivals both step onstage for the 90-minute debate seeking to allay fears about serious political liabilities.

Biden faces the most concern about his mental sharpness, with voters much more likely to bring up his age than Trump’s, despite the Republican being just three years younger.

Ahead of the debate, both Trump and Biden have had missteps, stumbling over words or appearing muddled.

Trump is also engulfed in controversy over his inflammatory rhetoric, his recent conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records, and fears he would weaponize the presidency to settle personal scores.

Fine-tuning or freewheeling

Biden has spent the last week off the radar at the Camp David retreat near Washington, fine-tuning his attack lines in mock debates under real TV lighting.

Trump’s preparation has been more relaxed, eschewing dress rehearsals in favour of informal policy roundtables and workshopping debate strategy with rally crowds.

Aides have encouraged him to focus on his perceived strength on the economy and crime, while Biden will seek to paint Trump as unhinged and unfit for office.

The Trump campaign has repeatedly characterised Biden as feeble and incompetent but changed tack in recent days following warnings that setting low expectations for the Democratic president would only help him.

“We know that Joe Biden, that after taking an entire week off, will be ready for this,” senior Trump campaign advisor Jason Miller told reporters.

One of Biden’s biggest vulnerabilities is border security, with Trump promising to combat an influx of undocumented migrants from Mexico with mass deportations and repeatedly bringing up killings by migrants.

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Two FC men martyred in Kalat attack

QUETTA: Two security personnel were martyred in a gun attack on a post guarding the Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) oil and gas exploration site in the Iskalku area of Kakat district.

Officials said around 50 armed men attacked the PPL project area and the Frontier Corps (FC) post in the wee hours of Tuesday.

“In a heavy exchange of fire, two FC soldiers lost their lives,” Home Min­ister Ziaullah Langove said, adding that the attackers wanted to take all those deputed at the post hostage. Acting on the information soon after the launch of the attack, he said, more troops rushed to the site and foiled the attempt of the militants.

“As many as 20 FC men at the two posts were guarding the PPL exploration project site. After gun battles lasting several hours, 18 FC personnel were recovered from the check posts while two martyred,” Minister Langove said, adding that the militants first attacked an FC camp in the Khaliqabad area of Kakat district and fired rockets. There was no loss of life.

Just two hours later, some 50 militants attacked the FC post protecting the PPL gas exploration project site. However, PPL employees were not there as they had left the area some two years ago after the previous attack.

A spokesman for the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2024

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GB protests to KP over ‘unilateral’ move to put off polo festival

GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan administration has protested to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the latter’s “unilateral decision” to postpone the Shandur polo festival.

The three-day festival was scheduled to begin on Friday (tomorrow).

On Monday, the KP government announced the postponement of the event due to “inclement weather”.

Criticising the move, the deputy commissioner of Ghizer, a district in Gilgit-Baltistan, said in a letter to his Chitral counterpart that it was “extremely disappointing and shocking for us in GB” to learn that the Shandur polo festival had been postponed.

“This event is a cornerstone of our cultural heritage and a symbol of our districts’ friendship and cooperation. It is astonishing that the tourism department of KP has taken a decision without consultation, despite the fact that Shandur is a historic area of Gilgit-Baltistan,” said Habibur Rehman, the deputy commissioner.

He said such decisions were always taken after consultations between the two administrations.

“Since we had invested considerable resources and efforts in preparing for the Shandur event, I record protest, on behalf of the GB government, over the unilateral decision.

“The postponement will not only lead to waste of resources but also cause inconvenience to the thousands of fans who were looking forward to watching the contests.”

The festival is held once a year at the world’s highest polo ground in Shandur, at 12,000 feet above sea level. It has been organised jointly by the governments of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the last several years.

Freestyle matches between Gilgit and Chitral are the event’s major attraction.

Shandur Pass strad-dles Chitral district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Ghizer district of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2024

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ICC issues arrest warrants for Russian army chief, ex-minister

THE HAGUE: The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday said it had issued arrest warrants for Russia’s army chief and ex-defence minister over strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure that constituted alleged war crimes.

The ICC warrants are the latest in a series of actions by the court over the Ukraine war, including an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. The warrants, issued on Monday but made public on Tuesday, concerned the Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, and former defence minister Sergei Shoigu.

The pair are accused of the war crimes of directing attacks at civilian targets and causing excessive incidental harm to civilians, as well as the crime against humanity of “inhumane acts” in Ukraine, the ICC said in a statement.

ICC judges said there were “reasonable grounds to believe that the two suspects bear responsibility for missile strikes carried out by the Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from at least October 10 2022 until at least March 9 2023.”

The court said these strikes were “directed against civilian objects” and even when targets could be considered military, civilian damage “would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage”.

Ukraine reaction

Ukraine hailed the “important” decision, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying Kyiv hoped to see the pair “behind bars”. “This decision is a clear indication that justice for Russian crimes against Ukrai­nians is inevitable,” Zelensky said on social media. Russia dismissed the warrants as “insignificant”.

The pair are accused of war crimes and causing excessive incidental harm to civilians

The country’s security council said: “It’s all hot air since the ICC’s jurisdiction does not cover Russia” and the decision was taken “as part of the West’s hybrid war against our country”.

The ICC, based in The Hague, does not have its own police force to enforce arrest warrants. It relies on the justice systems of its 124 members to carry them out. In theory, anyone under a warrant is prevented from travelling to an ICC member state for fear of arrest.

Putin himself has travelled abroad, notably to Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — none of whom are ICC members.

However, he did skip a meeting of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) group in South Africa, which would have been expected to carry out the warrant.

“As I have repeatedly emphasised, no individual, anywhere in the world, should feel they can act with impunity,” said ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan, who pressed the charges. “And no person, anywhere in the world, should feel they are deserving of less protection than others.”

“Historic first”

Moscow lashed out at the warrant against Putin, calling it “void” and issuing its own warrant against the ICC’s president in response. Putin replaced Shoigu as defence minister last month in a major shake-up to Russia’s military leadership more than two years into its Ukraine offensive.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2024

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Gaza Project exposes Israel’s systemic killing of journalists

WASHINGTON: In what has become the deadliest period for journalists since records began in 1992, the UN and independent observers are reporting a “systemic pattern” of targeting journalists and media workers in the Israeli-occupied territories.

A major global cross-newsroom collaboration produced a series of reports this week on the systematic targeting of journalists by Israel. The reports also highlight how journalists in Gaza are defying death threats to perform their duty.

According to the reports, surviving Gazan journalists have long known that their “press vests do not protect them. Worse, the protective gear might further expose them”.

Local reporters know, too, that “they are on their own, with the Israeli authorities banning foreign journalists from entering the Gaza Strip”, the report adds.

Guardian says military views journalists working for Palestinian media outlets as ‘legitimate targets’

“Those who are still there have been injured, detained, lost their family members, lost equipment, and fear working publicly,” says Hoda Osman, executive editor at Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ) and member of the Gaza Project.

The Gaza Project is a collaboration of 13 media organisations coordinated by Forbidden Stories, a Paris-based non-profit continuing the work of journalists under threat.

UK publicaton Guardian, which is also associated with this project, noted that the Israeli military views journalists working for Palestinian media outlets ’to be legitimate military targets“.

Fifty journalists worked together on the Gaza Project to investigate the killing of journalists in Gaza and the alleged threats, and targeting arrests made in the West Bank.

Prohibited from entering the Gaza Strip, they analysed thousands of hours of images and sound to determine precise GPS positions, ballistic trajectories, and the chronology of events.

The project also continued the work of some of the reporters killed, harmed, or arrested by the Israeli army.

The journalists demonstrated that the tower housing the AFP offices in Gaza was the target of two direct strikes on November 2, 2023 — despite assurances from the Israeli military that it had classified AFP premises as “not to be targeted”.

The same day, the premises of the Palestinian Media Group, a production company that broadcast live images from the Gaza Strip, were also targeted by the Israeli military. A journalist was injured in the attack.

The Press House, a sanctuary for Gazan journalists, was destroyed in February by the Israeli military. Its director was killed by shrapnel while trying to flee to the south of the Gaza Strip with his family.

One project report details how Samer Abu Daqqa, a Palestinian journalist, was killed while filming near the Farhana School in Khan Younis.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2024

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Dagestan attack toll hits 20 as Russia launches terror probe

THIS screengrab from officially released footage shows Dagestan region governor Sergei Melikov (third from right) inspecting the synagogue which came under attack, on Monday.—AFP

MOSCOW: The Kremlin on Monday dismissed fears Russia’s historically restive North Caucasus region faces a wave of violence after a series of coordinated weekend attacks on churches, synagogues and police killed at least 20 in the southern Dagestan region.

The attacks on Sunday came just three months after the militant Islamic State (IS) group fighters killed more than 140 in a Moscow concert hall, the deadliest attack on Russia for almost 20 years.

Moscow said on Monday it had concluded an “anti-terrorist operation” and killed five of the assailants behind the attacks in the cities of Makhachkala and Derbent.

The incidents had echoes of the kind of insurgent violence that struck the North Caucasus during the 1990s and 2000s, but the Kremlin on Monday dismissed fears of a renewed wave of attacks.

Governor calls attacks a bid to ‘destabilise’ region; health ministry says of the 26 injured, some are in serious condition

At least 20 people were killed and another 26 injured in the attacks, Dagestan’s regional health ministry said.

Fifteen of those killed were law enforcement officers, according to Russia’s federal Investigative Committee.

“In the course of suppressing the criminal actions, five people involved in committing the crime were liquidated,” the Investigative Committee said.

It was unclear how many had taken part in the attacks, and investigators said they were still working to “identify other persons involved”.

The attackers had targeted two Orthodox churches, two synagogues and a police checkpoint in the regional capital Makhachkala and Derbent, a historic city on the coast of the Caspian Sea.

Asked whether Moscow feared a possible return of such violence, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “No. Now there is a different Russia. Society is consolidated and such terrorist manifestations are not supported by society in Russia or in Dagestan.”

Russia’s Investigative Committee said it had launched criminal probes into “acts of terror”, while Dagestan Governor Sergei Melikov called the attacks an attempt to “destabilise” his region.

“We know who is behind these terrorist attacks and what objective they are pursuing,” he added, without providing specific details but making references to the conflict in Ukraine.

“We must understand that war comes to our homes too. We felt it but today we face it,” he said, adding that authorities were hunting for “sleeper cells” that had trained the attackers with assistance from abroad.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2024

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Dera Bugti police book tribesmen for killing endangered leopard

DERA GHAZI KHAN: Local police have registered a case against seven tribesmen for killing an endangered leopard in the Dera Bugti district of Balochistan.

According to sources, the tribesmen killed the leopard to protect their livestock in Zain area of the district.

Dera Bugti Deputy Commissioner Ejaz Khan that the district administration has re­­g­­­istered a case under The Balochistan (Wil­d­­­life Protection, Pre­s­e­rvation, Conser­va­t­ion and Management) Act 2014 and initiated legal proceedings against the tribesmen.

He also called for commencing awareness campaigns by wildlife organisations to educate the tribesmen about protecting endangered species.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti has also taken notice of the incident and directed the authorities to take stern legal action against the accused.

Former WWF Pakistan activist Umer Waqas identified the leopard as a Persian Leopard (Panthera pardus tulliana).

This species is native to the Iranian Plateau, including the southwestern region of Balochistan.

These Persian Leopards typically inhabit rugged ravines at elevations ranging from 600 to 3,800 metres and primarily prey on ungulates found in these habitats.

The leopard population in this region is currently estimated to be fewer than 1,100 adults.

Due to the scarcity of leopards’ natural prey, conflicts between leopards and hum­ans have increased, prompting them to exp­lore new areas and chase alternative prey.

Persian Leopards are threatened by habitat fragmentation caused by land use changes, poaching, loss of wild prey species, and retaliatory killings for preying on livestock.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2024

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Atrocities in Gaza trigger more resignations in Biden administration

WASHINGTON: Three more US officials, including two from the military, have resigned this week in protest against Washington’s support for Israeli military operations in Gaza, US media reported on Sunday.

Larry Hebert and Juan Bettancourt announced their unwillingness to continue serving in light of the US military’s role in the conflict.

The development follows the resignation of Andrew Miller, a senior official at the US Department of State and an expert on Israeli-Palestinian affairs. Miller expressed his discontent with the Biden administration’s policies amid the eight-month-long conflict in Gaza.

The death of six-year-old Hind Rajab in February, after she was trapped under Israeli fire in Gaza, prompted Larry Hebert Jr., an active-duty US airman, to seek conscientious objector status from the US military.

Some officials say Israeli actions in enclave amount to ‘genocide’

“She looks almost just like my daughter, and that was something that was extremely hard to grasp, is that all these children that have aspirations and dreams and lives that many of us are living and want, and it’s wholly unjustified to support what’s happening,” said Hebert. He revealed in an interview with NBC News that he worked directly on a US operation to provide weapons sales to Israel.

Similarly, after witnessing footage of the death and destruction in Gaza, senior US Airman Juan Bettancourt stated he could no longer ignore the US government’s role in the conflict, including its supply of weapons, diplomatic support, and intelligence.

“I see the slaughter of thousands of innocent civilians, all while the world watches through their smartphones,” Bettancourt told NBC News.

Both Hebert and Bettancourt said the scale of atrocities pushed them to question their participation in a military system that they believed was perpetuating the heavy death toll. They referred to Israel’s attack on Gaza as “genocide” and noted that the footage coming out of the region was weighing heavily not only on them but on many Americans.

The number of US officials resigning has now reached approximately a dozen. Among them are Josh Paul, Harrison Mann, Tariq Habash, Annelle Sheline, Hala Rharrit, Lily Greenberg, Alex Smith, and Stacy Gilbert. Their disagreement with the US policy highlights the growing dissent within the ranks of the government.

The issue gained global attention in February when Aaron Bushnell, a member of the US Air Force, set himself on fire in a dramatic protest against the administration’s support for Israel. Bushnell later succumbed to injuries in the hospital.

As the conflict in Gaza continues, the internal opposition within the US government underscores the increasing controversy and division over America’s foreign policy in the region.

Miller was sceptic of President Joe Biden’s “bear hug” approach towards Israel’s government, The Washington Post reported. He played a key role in the executive order issued in February, which imposed sanctions on several Israeli settlers for attacking Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank, according to CNN.

Previously, he served as a senior policy adviser to the US ambassador to the United Nations and as the director for Egypt and Israel military issues on the White House National Security Council during the Obama administration.

In May, Major Harrison Mann announced that he had resigned from the US Defence Intelligence Agency because of his country’s “unqualified support” for Israel’s aggression in Gaza. He quit in November.

In February, Airman Bushnell set himself on fire in protest outside Israel’s embassy in Washington and later died from his injuries.

The Biden administration has yet to respond to these recent resignations and the broader criticism of its support for Israeli military actions.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2024

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Interior Minister approves deployment of FC in AJK at request of premier Haq

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday approved the deployment of the Frontier Constabulary (FC) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) at the request of Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, in a decision that raised eyebrows in the region given the recent incidents that had led to three deaths in state capital Muzaffarabad allegedly at the hands of a paramilitary force.

The deployment comes on the heels of a warning by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) that the activists of the rights movement would stage “peaceful sit-ins” at AJK’s entry and exit points with Pakistan if the authorities did not honour the pledges made to the alliance leadership and released the detained activists by June 25.

According to a press release issued by the AJK government, the meeting between Haq and Naqvi, held in the latter’s office in the federal capital, focused on the law and order situation and overall security in the liberated territory.

Both leaders also discussed the political climate and AJK’s upcoming budget for the new financial year, the press release added.

“In response to a request by the prime minister, the federal minister approved the deployment of the Frontier Constabulary in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, assuring Haq that all possible cooperation would be extended to maintain peace and improve security in the region,” it said.

While renewing the government of Pakistan’s support for the progress and development of the AJK territory, the federal minister reiterated their commitment to fulfilling promises made to the AJK people in this regard.

On his part, Prime Minister Haq expressed his gratitude to the Federal Minister for taking immediate steps to address the issues facing AJK.

However, the news of the deployment of the paramilitary force — which the AJK government has been asserting would be restricted to some important hydropower projects in the territory — was met with scepticism by many.

As the news was aired by TV channels, former AJK premier and regional president of the PTI, Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi, submitted a calling attention notice in the Legislative Assembly secretariat for a debate on the issue on Monday when the house would resume its sitting.

“Speaker, currently there is no law and order situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir that warrants the deployment of the FC in the territory,” he said in the notice, addressed to Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar.

Niazi recalled that the situation in AJK had become tense previously due to the deployment of the FC and Rangers, among other factors, and a failed attempt was made to create a rift between the people of AJK and the people of Pakistan.

“Now, once again, with the deployment of the FC, the situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir will further worsen,” he warned.

While questioning what concerns were prompting the AJK premier to recurrently invite the FC to the state, Niazi said that it was essential that the House held a debate on the important issue.

Hafeez Hamdani, a spokesperson for JAAC, told Dawn.com from Mirpur, where the core committee meeting of the alliance was in progress, that they had given the government the deadline of June 25 for the fulfilment of all of the demands.

These demands included the establishment of a judicial commission, consisting of the judge(s) of the AJK High Court, to investigate all violent incidents, withdrawal of all cases against the activists and unconditional release of the detained persons.

“If the government fails to meet the deadline, people will peacefully march towards their concerned entry point on the given dates and stage a sit-in there,” he said, warning that any attempt to stop the peaceful march would result in an indefinite lockdown across the state.

Hamdani said the JAAC core committee had decided on June 27, 28 and 29 for sit-ins at the entry points in Poonch, Mirpur and Muzaffarabad divisions, respectively.

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IHC orders spy agencies to file reports on missing citizen

ISLAMABAD: Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has sought reports from sector commanders of Inter-Services Intellige­nce and Military Intelli­g­ence deputed in Rawal­pindi, Islamabad and Azad Jammu and Kashmir on a petition seeking the whereabouts of a citizen.

Mr Khursheed, a resident of Neelum Valley, went missing on June 7, according to the petition filed by Khaleeqa Khursheed. She stated Mr Khursheed was in Rawal­pindi and went to G-13 sector of Islamabad, but did not return home.

The petitioner’s counsel informed the IHC that Mr Khursheed’s brother had lodged a complaint with local police but he could not be traced.

In its order on Saturday, the court noted that deputy attorney general submitted written reports on behalf of FIA and CTD in compliance with June 14 direction to the government. Both FIA and CTD reports have denied custody of Mr Khursheed.

The defence ministry’s law officer asked Justice Kayani for more time to file reports on behalf of the intelligence agencies.

“The sector commanders of ISI and MI of Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Azad Jammu and Kashmir are directed to submit their reports in writing with their own signatures,” the judge ordered. The next hearing is set for June 24.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2024

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T20 World Cup: Kuldeep, Pandya lead India to 50-run rout of Bangladesh

Leg-spinner Kuldeep Yadav took three key wickets while Hardik Pandya blasted an undefeated half-century as India moved to the brink of the T20 World Cup semi-finals with a 50-run rout of Bangladesh on Saturday.

Chasing 197 for victory, Bangladesh lost three of their top five batsmen to Kuldeep who removed Tanzid Hasan (29), Towhid Hridoy (four) and Shakib Al Hasan (11).

Kuldeep finished with an impressive 3-19 from his four overs.

India now have two wins from two Super Eight games and will be guaranteed a semi-final spot if Australia defeat Afghanistan later tonight and also make the last four from Group 1.

Pandya, who had made 50 when India batted, began the slide when he took the first Bangladesh wicket, tempting opener Liton Das (13) to sky a chance.

Once skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto fell to Jasprit Bumrah for a 32-ball 40, Bangladesh’s hopes went with him.

Bumrah also ended Rishad Hossain’s brief 24-run cameo as the veteran seamer enjoyed figures of 2-13 in four overs before the Tigers finished their 20 overs on 146-8.

Put in to bat, 2007 champions India saw five of their top six batsmen reach double-figure scores.

All-rounder Pandya top-scored with an undefeated 50 off just 27 balls with four boundaries and three sixes.

India had raced to 71-1 in seven overs with skipper Rohit Sharma making a rapid 23 and Virat Kohli hitting his tournament-best 37 off 28 balls with one four and three sixes.

The only blip was Suryakumar Yadav, who had made back-to-back fifties in his last two innings, scoring just six.

Those runs came off the first ball he faced before falling to Tanzim Hasan Sakib who had dismissed Kohli in the same over.

Rishabh Pant cracked 36 off 24 balls with Shivam Dube making 34 — 18 of those runs coming from three sixes.

India beat Afghanistan by 47 runs in their Super Eight opener in Bridgetown while Bangladesh lost to Australia by 28 runs in a rain-hit clash in Antigua.

India have now won all five T20 World Cup clashes against Bangladesh and taken their overall head-to-head record to 13-1.

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KP govt challenging state writ, Kundi tells PM

ISLAMABAD: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi met Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Rana Sanaullah on Friday to convey that the provincial government was challenging the writ of the state by forcibly entering grid stations and restoring power supply to many areas.

According to a statement issued by the PM Office, PM Shehbaz said the federal government would provide utmost assistance and resources for the welfare of the people of KP.

A row between the Centre and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on loadshedding, which had ostensibly been settled last month, was resurrected on Wednesday after KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur issued another ultimatum, telling the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) to reduce outages on all grids to 12 hours a day.

Pesco is among those distribution companies whose power losses are as high as 60 per cent and last month, Energy Minister Awais Leghari had explained that those feeders where losses were between 20 and 80 per cent would face 15-16 hours of outages. Against this backdrop, an agreement was reached at the end of May, with both sides agreeing to address the issue ‘soon’.

Then, KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur apparently reneged on the deal when he led a group of protesters and entered a grid station in Dera Ismail Khan on Wednesday, issuing his own loadshedding schedule.

A statement posted on the KP government’s X account said no area would suffer power outages for more than 12 hours.

In a separate meeting with Governor Kundi, Minister Rana Sanaullah discussed matters related to KP province.

The minister said the federal government would provide full support to the KP provincial government, adding that all issues can be resolved amicably through dialogue and mutual consultation.

He said staging protest was a fundamental and constitutional right of every citizen, but no political agenda could be allowed to be pursued under its cover. “The writ of state will not be allowed to diminish anywhere in the country,” he added.

He said anarchy and chaos would prevail if crime of challenging state writ goes unpunished. “Action should be taken against those who are trying to stand against the state,” he adedd.

Gandapur meets Imran

Meanwhile, sources said that KP CM Gandapur also called on his party founder Imran Khan at the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi on Friday. According to sources, the meeting started at about 3:15pm and lasted for more than one hour. In the meeting, Mr Gandapur informed Mr Khan about his meeting with the federal government regarding massive loadshedding in the KP.

In the meeting, Mr Gandapur discussed with Mr Khan the national political situation and the KP government’s political strategy, the sources said.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2024

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Swat police register 2 FIRs over man’s lynching in Madyan; arrests yet to be made

The Swat police on Friday registered two first information reports (FIRs) over the previous night’s lynching of a man in Madyan with arrests yet to be made.

A mob had brutally lynched a man — who had been detained for the alleged desecration of the Holy Quran — inside the Madyan police station on Thursday evening. The mob then set fire to the suspect’s body, the police station and a police vehicle.

This was the second incident of someone being lynched on suspicion of blasphemy in recent weeks; a man was killed in Sargodha last month over similar allegations.

According to locals, some individuals announced in a market that a man had committed blasphemy, leading others to apprehend him and hand him over to the police. But shortly afterwards, announcements were also made from mosques in Madyan, a known tourist destination in Swat, mobilising the people towards the police station in anger.

According to witnesses, the mob asked police to hand over the suspect to them, and on their refusal, forced their way into the police station. Police officials had to flee to save themselves, while more reinforcements were called in to deal with the tense law and order situation.

Videos of the incident circulating on social media made for macabre viewing: some clips showed the Madyan police station on fire, while in other clips, a large crowd can be seen surrounding the motionless body of the deceased before it is doused with fuel and set on fire.

Talking to the media today at the Madyan police station regarding the incident, Regional Police Officer Muhammad Ali Gandapur said: “We have launched an inquiry into the incident to gather information. The police have filed two first information reports, one against the deceased and the other against the mob for breaking into the police station, breaking and torching records, and vehicles.”

He added that further information would be shared with the public after the investigation was completed.

Madyan Station House Officer (SHO) Islamulhaq told Dawn.com that the FIRs were sealed for “security purposes” and no arrests had been made so far.

The SHO added that the investigation process was still ongoing and any arrests would be made after that.

The SHO further said the deceased had identified himself as a Sunni Muslim when he was brought to the police station and denied committing the alleged act. The SHO identified the man as Mohammed Suleman, a resident of Sialkot.

He said that a mob arrived at the police station a few moments after the man was brought.

“When I sensed the danger, I shifted the man to a police servant quarter but the mob managed to enter the police station and after searching for him, came to the quarter and took him,” the SHO added.

He said that at least nine vehicles, including a police van, and ten motorcycles were torched in the incident.

Meanwhile, Swat District Police Officer (DPO) Dr Zahidullah Khan said that the situation in Madyan and in Swat was “completely normal and peaceful”.

“We have deployed additional security in the area and life is normal. Luckily, tourists are still coming from different parts of the country,” he told Dawn.com.

While speaking to the media, he said the markets in Madyan were open and roads were clear for transport as well. Terming the incident an “unfortunate and isolated” one, he said no other tourists were injured.

The DPO said as per the preliminary information available with the police, 11 people and five police officials suffered minor injuries.

Meanwhile, the president of the Malakand Division Traders’ Federation, Abdur Rahim, termed the incident a “pre-planned project to sabotage” the peace of Swat and disrupt tourism.

“We ask people from across the country to come to Swat without any fear, and the people of Swat will protect them,” he told Dawn.com, adding that locals would never allow negative elements to sabotage peace in the valley.

The deceased stayed at Skyways Hotel near Madyan Bridge on the Swat River. According to the owner of the hotel, Haider, the man checked into the hotel on June 18 and two days later, some other guests alleged they had seen burnt pages of the Holy Quran in his room.

He said that the hotel management called the police and handed the man over to them.

The Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) strongly condemned the incident and emphasised that neither Islamic law nor the Constitution and laws of Pakistan permitted the killing or immolating of any human being.

A joint statement by PUC Chairman Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi and others expressed deep regret over the increasing frequency of such incidents.

The PUC said that it was the responsibility of the state and judiciary to administer punishment to a suspect of blasphemous actions and condemned the ongoing trend of individuals taking the law into their own hands, acting as judge, jury, and executioner, as “wholly unacceptable”.

The council urged the government and all state institutions, particularly the police and judiciary, to handle such cases decisively and without any compromise, vested interests or fear.

PML-N stalwart and former federal minister Khawaja Saad Rafique harshly condemned the incident and called on the KP government to identify and arrest all perpetrators.

He warned that the issue could spread like fire across the whole country and said any ignorance would be an injustice against the religion and the state.

Fuelled by an extremist religious worldview, violence against non-Muslims in Pakistan has escalated rapidly ever since Gen Ziaul Haq made blasphemy punishable by death. Between 1927 and 1986, only 14 incidents of blasphemy were reported in what is now Pakistan. But after the changes were made in the law, the number surged quickly.

At least 2,120 persons are reported to have been accused of committing blasphemy between 1987 and 2022.

---

Additional reporting by Murad Ali Khan and input from APP.

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Surveillance system launched for facial, number plate recognition at toll plazas

KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday inaugurated the Sindh Smart Surveillance System (S4) project aimed at providing a comprehensive and integrated security solution for all major entry and exit points connecting all major cities in the province.

Officials have said that the system would enable effective monitoring of entry and exit points and ensure security through the integration of advanced technologies such as facial and number plate recognition at 40 toll plazas, including 18 in Karachi.

They said that the project also aimed at enhancing security responses and seamlessly integrating with the existing command and control centre at the Central Police Office (CPO).

The inauguration ceremony of the first of the Sindh Safe Cities-related project was held at the CPO.

CM Murad says project will help arrest over 80,000 absconding criminals, reduce vehicle theft and snatching

Speaking on the occasion, CM Shah hoped that the S4 project would facilitate the arrest of over 80,000 absconding criminals and reduce the crime of vehicle theft and snatching as the system was designed to have the capabilities for crime prevention and deterrence.

He stated that the system would assist the police in identifying suspects and criminals, locating stolen vehicles, and conducting surveillance and investigations.

“This will enhance public safety, and improve traffic management, and overall efficiency. Additionally, it will help the police in analysing crime patterns,” he said.

Mr Shah said he approved Rs1.567 billion in 2022-23 to procure the ANPR Camera System by direct contract with the National Radio Telecommunications Corporation (NRTC).

He said his government was duty-bound to establish a crime-free society in the province.

In the early 1980s, people used to travel in police squads but when the PPP government came into power it improved overall law & order in the province and made the highways safe and secure, he said.

“The Sindh police have started a well-coordinated targeted operation against dacoit gangs in the riverine area,” he said and added that the dacoits who had killed five policemen in Ghotki district had been killed in an “encounter”.

Criticising what he described as a “social media brigade” that spread fake news to misguide people, he said the social fabric was being torn apart due to that.

Later, the CM visited the command & control centre where he was given a detailed briefing by Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon.

The CM was informed about the implementation of automatic number plate recognition and face recognition-based smart surveillance on all listed toll plazas in Sindh with central monitoring at CPO Karachi.

He was told about the main components that included capturing and recognition of authorised number plates through nine-megapixel night vision cameras installed close to toll plazas; capture and recognition of drivers’ and co-drivers’ faces through eight-megapixel night vision cameras installed at all listed toll payment booths; installation of a complete solar-powered solution at each toll plaza with eight to 10 hours of battery back-up; deployment of the latest AI and analytical tools for actionable intelligence, etc.

Provincial ministers, Saeed Ghani and Zulfiqar Shah, Principal Secretary to CM Agha Wasif, provincial secretaries, senior officers of Pakistan Rangers and NRTC, and members of civil society also attended the ceremony.

Health insurance scheme for cops

The CM announced that 127,482 police employees and jawans were now covered by a comprehensive health insurance scheme, with a total outlay of Rs4.9 billion. Under the scheme, each family will have a basic hospitalisation limit of Rs1 million.

The insurance plan covers pre-hospitalisation charges (30 days before admission), post-hospitalisation charges (30 days after discharge), normal and C-Section delivery charges, and includes spouses, sons/daughters, and parents as dependents.

The scheme, titled Behbood-i-Jawan Health Insurance Plan, offers equal coverage to employees of all grades and includes all treatments, medications, and investigations during hospitalisation, as well as coverage for emergency room treatment.

Special investigations are covered across Pakistan without any restriction on the number of family members.

IGP Memon stated that each employee will receive a health insurance card.

Earlier, Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar thanked the chief minister for providing funds for the installation of the S4 system.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2024

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Man killed by mob in Swat’s Madyan over alleged Quran desecration: DPO

A man was killed by a mob over alleged desecration of the Holy Quran in the Madyan area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat district on Thursday night, police said.

Eight people were injured in the unrest, according to Swat District Police Officer (DPO) Dr Zahidullah Khan.

He said the police had moved the suspect of the alleged desecration incident to the police station but a charged mob “attacked the police station and took the suspect away”.

“People set fire to the police station and a mobile vehicle,” the DPO said, adding that the suspect was “torched”. More details are awaited while an investigation is underway.

DPO Khan said a heavy police force was deployed in Madyan and was trying to control the tense situation.

Madyan is one of the famous tourist spots of Swat Valley apart from Kalam, Bahrain and other sites. It is around 245 kilometres from the provincial capital of Peshawar.

A statement posted by the PTI said KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur took notice of the “unfortunate” incident and contacted the provincial police chief on the matter.

Summoning a report, he ordered the police chief to take measures on an emergency basis to control the situation. Expressing regret over the incident, the chief minister appealed to the people to remain peaceful.

“And the madness continues … We are hellbent to commit suicide as a society,” rued former information minister Fawad Chaudhry.

Fuelled by an extremist religious worldview, violence against non-Muslims in Pakistan has escalated rapidly ever since Gen Ziaul Haq made blasphemy punishable by death. Between 1927 and 1986, only 14 incidents of blasphemy were reported in what is now Pakistan. But after the changes were made in the law, the number surged quickly.

At least 2,120 persons are reported to have been accused of committing blasphemy between 1987 and 2022.

Last month, police rescued a Christian man from enraged mobsters in Sargodha on allegations of desecration of Holy Quran.

In 2022, a middle-aged man was stoned to death by a mob over alleged desecration in a remote village of Khanewal district.

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Donald Sutherland, star of ‘Hunger Games’ and ‘Ordinary People’, dead at 88

Donald Sutherland, one of Canada’s most versatile and gifted actors, who charmed and enthralled audiences in films such as “MAS*H,” “Klute,” “Ordinary People” and the “Hunger Games” films, has died at the age of 88.

The Canadian actor, whose lengthy career spanned from the 1960s into the 2020s, died on Thursday, his son, actor Kiefer Sutherland, said on social media.

The tall actor with a deep voice, piercing blue eyes and mischievous smile managed to switch effortlessly from character roles to romantic leads, opposite the likes of Jane Fonda and Julie Christie. He also played his share of oddballs and villains during a career that began in the 1960s.

One of the biggest stars in Hollywood in the 1970s, he remained in demand for film and TV projects into his 80s. Known for his unconventional looks and his versatility as an actor, Sutherland played a wide range of memorable characters.

These included a rascally Army surgeon in “MAS*H” (1970), a quirky tank commander in “Kelly’s Heroes” (1970), a small-town detective in “Klute” (1971), a stoned and libidinous professor in “Animal House” (1978), a local official facing an alien presence in “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1978) and a despairing father in “Ordinary People” (1980).

He won a new generation of fans with his glorious portrayal of a despotic president in “The Hunger Games” (2012) and its sequels.

“I wish I could say thank you to all of the characters that I’ve played, thank them for using their lives to inform my life,” Sutherland said in his speech accepting an honorary Academy Award for lifetime achievement in 2017.

Sutherland was born on July 17, 1935, in Canada’s New Brunswick province, and was raised in Nova Scotia. He performed in school productions in college, moved to Britain to hone his craft, then moved to the United States, where his first big break came as a member of a top-notch ensemble cast in the war film “The Dirty Dozen” (1967).

He rocketed to fame three years later playing nonconformist surgeon Hawkeye Pierce in director Robert Altman’s Korean War satire “MAS*H” (1970). The film — later spun off into a TV series — depicted hijinks at a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, tapping into the anti-war sentiment among many Americans during the Vietnam War era.

Also in 1970, Sutherland starred alongside Telly Savalas and Clint Eastwood in “Kelly’s Heroes” as Sergeant Oddball on a mission to steal gold from the Nazis.

The following year, he was paired with Fonda, one of Hollywood’s luminaries, in “Klute,” and then in 1973 played a grieving father in “Don’t Look Now” that included a sizzling sex scene with Christie. “Klute” sparked a romance with Fonda, with whom he was active in the anti-Vietnam War movement.

His 1978 films could not have been more different. In the uproarious comedy “Animal House,” Sutherland played a professor who sleeps with the girlfriend of a fraternity member.

“Invasion of the Body Snatchers” was a successful sci-fi remake of a classic 1956 original, telling the story of alien pods that take over human beings.

Sutherland’s performance in “Ordinary People,” Hollywood superstar Robert Redford’s directorial debut, helped the 1980 film win four Academy Awards including best picture.

Sutherland starred alongside Mary Tyler Moore and Timothy Hutton in this exploration of the splintering of a Midwestern family.

In the 1990s he appeared in films including “JFK” (1991), “Backdraft” (1991), “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1992), “Outbreak” (1995), “A Time To Kill” (1996) and “Instinct” (1999) and won an Emmy Award for his performance in the 1995 HBO TV movie “Citizen X.”

In the 2000s, he appeared in the acclaimed “Cold Mountain” (2003) and “Pride & Prejudice” (2005).

In the “Hunger Games” films in the 2010s about a dystopian future in which teenagers are sent into a deadly competition as mass entertainment, he revelled in playing the villainous President Coriolanus Snow.

“The reality was he had a country to run. At least he was running it, which is more than you can say for some people,” Sutherland told the Los Angeles Times in 2017.

“It was funny at the beginning with ‘The Hunger Games’ to walk through an airport and suddenly you feel this tug and you look down and it’s some young person — always a girl, never a boy,” Sutherland said.

“And her mother is standing there and they say, ‘Could you take a photograph with my daughter?’ And we’d be standing beside each other and I’d be looking at the camera and the girl would say, ‘Could you look mean?’”

Sutherland was considered among the best actors to never receive an Academy Award nomination for any of his roles. He was married three times and had five children, including Kiefer.

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FBR devises new appeal system for tax disputes

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has extended the deadline to September 16 for transferring pending cases involving multi-billion tax amounts to the Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue (ATIR) to expedite the resolution.

The tax disputes pending before the Commissioner Inland Revenue-Appeal (CIRA) involving more than Rs20 million in income tax or refund, more than Rs10m in sales tax and Rs5m in federal excise duty would be moved to the newly established ATIR.

The CIRA will hear cases below the ATIR’s threshold. The new appeal system was implemented through the Tax Laws (Amendment) Act 2024, which was not part of the Finance Bill 2024.

The new appeals will also follow the threshold to determine whether ATIR or CIRA will file the case, and the decisions of these bodies can be contested before the high courts by the aggrieved persons.

According to the new amendment, the commissioner will not recover any tax for 30 days from the date of communication of the CIRA or ATIR order. The commissioner begins collecting taxes from individuals shortly after the order is issued, even if the aggrieved party still needs to receive a copy of the decision.

Extends deadline to Sept 16 for transferring pending cases to ATIR

The ATIR will decide appeals within 90 days of filing, except those pending at the beginning of the Tax Laws (Amendment) Act 2024, which must be resolved within 180 days. If a decision is not reached within these time frames, the minister of law and justice must issue a condonation that cannot exceed 90 days.

The ATIR has decreased the maximum term of stay granted from 180 days to 90 days; nevertheless, if the tribunal does not consider the appeal within the statutory time limit, the stay will remain in place until the decision is made.

The ATIR is required to inform the taxpayer of the opportunity to pursue the matter in the Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee (ADRC), and if the taxpayer chooses to proceed with the appeal, a date for hearing and determination will be established.

The federal government has the authority to designate the chairman and members of the ATIR. Previously, such powers belonged to the prime minister. The eligibility criteria for becoming an ATIR member have been amended to erode the distinction between judicial and accountant members.

On an application based on a specific reference, the high court may issue a stay of tax collection conditional on the deposit of at least 30 per cent of the ATIR-determined amount. The stay order will expire in six months unless the reference is decided or the court withdraws it.

State-owned enterprises, defined by the State-Owned Enterprises (Governance and Operations) Act 2023, must first apply to the board to create a committee to resolve disputes. If the committee does not reach a decision, an appeal can be made with the ATIR, the High Court, or the Supreme Court, as the case may be.

The ADRC provisions have been updated to include tax disputes of Rs50m or more for non-SOE taxpayers. Furthermore, ADRC decisions will be binding on taxpayers.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2024

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Temperature likely to drop till June 22

RAWALPINDI: As Pakistan continues to face sizzling heat, weather experts have expected that western winds and rains in upper parts of the country will bring down the temperature by a few notches till June 22.

“The country is facing a transition period of weather pattern…we do not call it pre-monsoon rains as rains are expected due to the winds coming from the west. The pre-monsoon rains will likely start from July 1,” said a Met Department official.

The monsoon season will run from July 15 to Sept 15 across Pakistan.

He said intermittent rains were expected in the upper parts of the country. “Weather will remain warm in the afternoon, but cool breeze and rain are expected in the evening or night till June 22,” he elaborated.

The official said that moist currents from Arabian sea were penetrating upper or central parts of the country, adding that a shallow westerly wave is also present over those regions.

He said that windstorm/thunderstorm coupled with rain is expected at isolated places in Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad and upper Punjab.

Windstorm/thunderstorm-rain (with isolated heavy falls) is expected in lower KP, northeast Balochistan and central/south Punjab during evening or night, while a hot and dry weather is expected in other parts of the country, he added.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2024

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Journalist Khalil Jibran gunned down in KP’s Landi Kotal by unknown assailants: police

Journalist Khalil Jibran was gunned down in the Landi Kotal area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Khyber district on Tuesday night, the police said.

According to a statement from District Police Officer (DPO) Saleem Abbas, unknown assailants in a vehicle pulled the journalist out of his car near his home and fled the scene after shooting him dead.

DPO Abbas said the body was moved to a local hospital for a postmortem examination.

He said the deceased was associated with Khyber News for a long time and was also a former president of the Landi Kotal press club, adding that Jibran had received threats from terrorists before as well.

The DPO said a case was registered on the complaint of Advocate Sajjad, who was with Jibran and a witness to the crime.

The first information report, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, was registered at the Landi Kotal police station under Sections 302 (intentional murder) and 324 (attempted murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The journalist’s funeral prayers were offered at his ancestral village today and were attended in large numbers by locals, journalists, political figures and social workers.

Condemnations poured in for the murder from the highest levels of government.

“Every effort must be made to bring the killers of Khalil Jibran to justice,” said President Asif Ali Zardari in his condemnatory message.

He added that steps needed to be taken to protect journalists in the country.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and relevant authorities to arrest the perpetrators and hold them accountable.

He reiterated the government’s resolve to take all-out measures to protect the lives and freedom of the media community.

KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi expressed regret over the loss of life and extended his condolences to the deceased’s family while offering prayers for Jibran.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also called for the immediate arrest of the culprits and for the KP government to ensure the safety of journalists.

Pakistan reports three to four murders of journalists each year, as per the 2024 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters With Borders. In fact, this year the country dropped two places to rank 152 out of 180 on the index, highlighting the threats under which journalists in Pakistan work.

Journalist Nasrullah Gadani, who was shot at and wounded by armed assailants in Mirpur Mathelo on May 21, died at a private hospital in Karachi three days later on May 24.

On May 3, Maulana Muhammad Siddique Mengal, the president of the Khuzdar Press Club, was killed in a bomb blast. The murder coincided with World Press Freedom Day, a day dedicated to the importance of journalism and freedom of speech, according to the United Nations.

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Additional input from APP.

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