No ‘attacker’ to be allowed from KP in future, says Asif

DEFENCE Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif addresses a presser, on Saturday.—APP

SIALKOT / ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Mohammad Asif has said in categorical terms that from now onwards, “no attacker” will be allowed from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to enter Islamabad, describing the recent PTI’s protest in capital as part 2 of May 9 tragedy. “We have to destroy the evil intentions of our enemies,” he told a press conference at his residence in the cantonment on Saturday.

He said PTI always practised the politics of chaos and was still spreading false propaganda about the bodies. “Everyone knows what the PTI did on Nov 24. It is spreading false propaganda on bodies. It martyred police and Rangers personnel whose funerals were also held. The PTI should not spread false propaganda on the bodies of its workers. We pay tribute to all the martyrs, including Rangers and police, who did not hesitate to sacrifice their lives for our beloved homeland.

“I should make it clear that no attacker will come from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa now. Those who made big claims left the field and ran away at the first obstacle,” he said, adding that the way KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur and Imran Khan’s spouse Bushra Bibi left the party workers and fled had no example in the past.

“We’d offered them to sit and hold a rally at other places, yet this lady did not accept. Latif Khosa and other PTI leaders are giving different numbers of their ‘martyrs’, initially in thousands, then in hundreds and now 10 or 12. But no testimony has been received from grieving families in this regard,” he added.

The defence minister said PTI leader Omar Ayub, who claimed he was shot in the chest, was fit to hold a press conference. He reiterated the PTI had always done politics of chaos. “It held its first sit-in in 2014, resulting in the cancellation of the visit of the Chinese premier to Islamabad. Then they announced a sit-in to sabotage the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Islamabad, but by the grace of Allah, the meeting took place and now, during the visit of the president of Belarus, the PTI tried to hold another sit-in in Islamabad. This shows their ‘anti-nationalism’. Gandapur ran away from Islamabad and now he is shouting and saying that the sit-in is still going on. It is beyond understanding what kind of sit-in is this?” the minister wondered.

Tarar says the man reportedly pushed off container was injured but is now ‘completely fine’

‘PTI is a facilitator’

On the other hand, Mr Asif said that attackers from Afghanistan were crossing the border and coming to KP. “Taliban are crossing the border. All this is part of a conspiracy that Pakistan’s enemies have dreamed of [a bid] to separate KP from Pakistan and PTI is the political facilitator of this conspiracy. This situation is unacceptable and intolerable,” he said.“Nov 24 [protest] was actually May 9 [violence], which was thwarted by our defence agencies,” he added.

Separately, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar regretted that the PTI was resorting to a “false narrative of dead bodies and firing” to cover up the embarrassment of fleeing from Islamabad.

In a media talk regarding ‘fake photos and posts’ being uploaded by PTI on social media, he said the party had failed to produce even a single video of the firing in the past three days. Instead, they were uploading old photos and AI-generated images on social media, even those of Gaza victims and a 2019 incident when PTI itself was in power, he said.

On the contrary, he said, the PTI protesters used weapons against security personnel and inflicted damage on public property.

He questioned why the PTI did not post the photos and footage of martyred personnel of police and Rangers.

Instead, he added, the PTI uploaded a fake image, showing an entire road in Blue Area covered in blood. Such posts were being ‘stamped as fake’, as a cell has been set up to check them, he said.

Mr Tarar said those who had shared wrong data about dead bodies on social media accounts would have to give evidence or face the music.

In fact, the minister said, a power struggle was going on in the PTI rank. The absence of leadership during the protest was its manifestation, he said.

He also condemned the harsh words used by Bushra Bibi against senior lawyer Salman Akram Raja and Sahibzada Hamid Raza.

He demanded that PTI pay compensation to the traders and entrepreneurs who had suffered Rs190 billion losses per day due to the protest.

He said CM Gandapur had run away twice. Such people should be ashamed before instigating the people to take to the streets, he said, adding that their anti-national agenda had been exposed.

Mr Tarar said a man who was reportedly pushed off a container during the PTI protest was injured but “completely fine”, refuting claims circulating online about his death, Dawn.com reported.

‘Man on container’

In the wake of the protests, a video was widely circulated online, which showed uniformed men, who appeared to be security personnel equipped with riot control gear, shoving a man off a stack of three shipping containers that had been placed to block D-Chowk.

A picture captured by an AFP photographer showed the man hanging off a corner of the container as the uniformed men stood on top of the container. Various posts on social media claimed the man had died.

Apparently referring to the incident, Mr Tarar said: “Propaganda was done that a person was offering prayers and was killed by pushing him down.

“He is a resident of Mandi Bahauddin and is completely fine. His video has emerged, he got hurt on the arm and has bandages,” the minister confirmed.

Mr Tarar went on to claim that the person was recording a TikTok video as he had “challenged his friend”, and was not offering prayers in reality.

He said it was decided in a meeting on law and order that no one would be allowed to create chaos and indulge in violence.

“When we came to power, Pakistan was on the verge of default, but we did not accuse anyone and worked day and night for the betterment of the country,” as Prime Minister Shehbaz’s mission was to restore the country’s economy first, he said.

He quoted the IMF managing director as saying Pakistan would have defaulted if Shehbaz Sharif had not been there.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2024

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Lahore ATC observes Imran Khan ‘guilty’ in May 9 case

The Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has said PTI founder and ex-prime minister Imran Khan was “guilty” in a case related to the May 9 riots, it emerged on Saturday.

Following the arrest of the ex-premier on May 9, 2023, from the Islamabad High Court’s premises, riots erupted across the country and went on for at least 24 hours.

The state subsequently launched a crackdown against him and his party, filing several other cases against Imran since the events of May 9, in many of which he has been acquitted.

The ATC on Wednesday had dismissed Imran’s petitions seeking post-arrest bail in eight May 9 cases, including an attack on the corps commander’s residence.

ATC-I Judge Manzer Ali Gill had reserved a verdict after hearing the final arguments of the lawyers for the petitioner and the prosecution, which he announced later in the evening.

In a written order issued today, available with Dawn.com, for one of the petitions regarding a case registered at the Mughalpura Police Station about an attack on a police official’s vehicle, Judge Ali Gill observed: “It is not an ordinary case of abet ment, instigation or conspiracy.”

He said that as per the case record, Imran was alleged to have plotted a “conspiracy” at his Zaman Park residence with other party leaders for the public and party workers to “attack upon the state machinery as well as military installation throughout Pakistan and also attack upon police officials, jam the state machinery by overawe the law enforcement agencies.

“Same directions and instigation was complied with not only by the other senior leadership but also the general worker and supporters.”

The order said the statements of prosecution witnesses were available on the record regarding the allegation of conspiracy and “the prosecution has also other audio-visual evidence to prove the instigation, abetment of the petitioner and the commission of offence by other leadership and workers.”

The order said that Imran’s role in the conspiracy was also discussed in detail by the Lahore High Court while deciding the post-arrest bail of PTI leader Ejaz Chaudhary.

It added that the offences fell within the prohibitory clause of Section 497 (when bail may be taken in ease of non-bailable offence) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Section 497 gives the right to apply bail on the ground of statutory delay provided that delay in the trial has not been occasioned by an act or omission of the accused or any other person acting on his behalf.

“Petitioner was found guilty. It is also in the mind of this court that the petitioner is not an ordinary man. He is chairman of PTI and his directions and communication carries weight to the workers, other senior leaders, voters and supporters. None from the other leadership of PTI even think about to deny or reject the directions and command of the petitioner being chairman/founder of the party.

“As per police the incident in hand as well as dozens of other like nature episodes took place on the same day. In all the such like incidents only the army installations, government institutions and police officials were under attacks by the protestors. No independent or private property was damaged or attacked,” the order reads.

The judge said he found no merit in Imran’s bail petition and dismissed it.

Imran’s lawyer Salman Safdar told Dawn.com that the legal team would approach the high court next for bail.

The post-arrest bail petitions were filed after the Lahore High Court on July 25 quashed Imran’s physical remand in 12 cases.

ATC-III Judge Arshad Javed on Nov 8 granted post-arrest bail to Imran in four cases, including burning the PML-N office in Model Town, a container near Kalma Chowk, police vehicles in Gulberg, and violence at Sherpao Bridge during the May 9 riots.

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Incarcerated PTI leaders call for suspending protests

LAHORE: While incarcerated leaders of the PTI have sought to suspend the ongoing protest movement, a message shared on “Islamabad massacre” from party founder Imran Khan’s X handle called Nov 26 a black day in the history of Pakistan.

The protest movement was abruptly suspended after the state machinery pushed the PTI protesters away from Islamabad’s D-Chowk, but Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Min­ister Ali Amin Gandapur announced, “Our sit-in at D-Chowk will continue until our leader Imran Khan will call it off.”

Incarcerated leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed, Omar Sarfraz Cheema and others in Kot Lakhpat jail, through an open letter delivered to media persons on Friday, called for suspending the protest movement and urged the party leadership to announce a countrywide mourning.

They said condolence meetings should be organised across the country for recitation of Holy Quran, while party leaders visit the bereaved families and offer fateha at the graves of ‘D-Chowk martyrs’.

They also suggested sharing of authentic details of the massacre with the people through ‘social media with full force’. According to them, the mourning and condolence references could be developed into a united public force venting their anger against the state action.

The incarcerated leaders also suggested that the party set up Shuhada Fund for the bereaved families after getting a nod from Mr Khan.

Meanwhile, PTI secretary-general Barrister Salman Akram Raja visited the grave of Anis Satti in Alipur union council of Islamabad, offered fateha and condoled with the bereaved family.

The barrister, whose resignation from party position was not accepted immediately, tweeted that Anis Satti sitting on the pavement, carrying Mr Khan’s portrait, near D-Chowk was shot in the abdomen.

The PTI has already established a crisis cell to collect details of those killed and injured during the protests. It has also advertised four WhatsApp numbers, urging the people to share information of those still missing as well as videos and photos to prove ‘fascism unleashed by the state machinery’ at D-Chowk on Nov 26.

The PTI has also offered legal aid to the protesters.

Thread to draw attention

Meanwhile, a message from Imran Khan’s X handle on ‘Islam­abad massacre’ called Nov 26 as a black day, when brute force and war-grade weapons were allegedly employ­ed against “peaceful citizens” exercising their right to protest.

“The exact number of casualties and injuries remain uncertain, as the area of the ‘operation cleanup against civilians’ was wiped out overnight, and hospital records have been tampered/blanketed to cover up and obfuscate the truth about the horrifying incident,” it said.

“For the last three days, families, lawyers, local and international journalists are being denied access to the hospitals. We are drawing the world’s attention by starting this thread to share video evidence of those who have been pronounced dead so far,” it added.

Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2024

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Saudi Arabia abandons pursuit of US defence treaty over Israel stalemate

Saudi Arabia has abandoned its pursuit of an ambitious defence treaty with Washington in return for normalising relations with Israel and is now pushing for a more modest military cooperation agreement, two Saudi and four Western officials told Reuters.

In a drive to get a wide-ranging mutual security treaty over the line earlier this year, Riyadh softened its position on Palestinian statehood, telling Washington that a public commitment from Israel to a two-state solution could be enough for the Gulf kingdom to normalise relations.

But with public anger in Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East at fever pitch over Israel’s military actions in Gaza, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has again made recognition of Israel conditional on it taking concrete steps to create a Palestinian state, two Saudi and three Western sources said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still eager to secure normalisation with the Saudi powerhouse as a historic milestone and a sign of broader acceptance in the Arab world, Western diplomats said.

However, he faces overwhelming opposition at home to any concessions to the Palestinians following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks and knows any gesture in the direction of statehood would fracture his ruling coalition, they said.

With both leaders shackled for now by their domestic powerbases, Riyadh and Washington hope a more modest defence pact could be sealed before US President Joe Biden leaves the White House in January, the sources said.

A full-blown US-Saudi treaty would need to pass the US Senate with a two-thirds majority — and this would be a non-starter unless Riyadh recognises Israel, the six sources said.

The pact now under discussion would involve expanding joint military exercises and drills to address regional threats, mainly from Iran. It would foster partnerships between US and Saudi defence firms, with safeguards to prevent collaboration with China, the sources said.

The agreement would promote Saudi investment in advanced technologies, especially drone defence. The US would increase its presence in Riyadh through training, logistics and cyber security support, and may deploy a Patriot missile battalion to enhance missile defence and integrated deterrence.

But it would not be the kind of binding mutual defence treaty that would oblige US forces to protect the world’s biggest oil exporter in the event of foreign attack.

“Saudi Arabia will get a security deal which will allow more military cooperation and sales of US weapons, but not a defence treaty similar to that of Japan or South Korea as initially sought,” said Abdelaziz al-Sagher, head of the Gulf Research Institute think-tank in Saudi Arabia.

The Trump dilemma

The picture is complicated further, however, by the impending arrival of Donald Trump in the White House. While Trump’s plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict excludes any provisions for Palestinian statehood or sovereignty, he is a close ally of the Saudi crown prince.

Palestinian and some Arab officials worry that Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner — architect of the “Deal of the Century” and also a close ally of the crown prince — may ultimately persuade him to support the plan.

How the prince reconciles Saudi priorities with this shifting diplomatic landscape will be pivotal, defining both his leadership and the future of the peace process, diplomats said.

The current US administration has not given up hope for a deal on security guarantees before Biden leaves office in January, but a number of obstacles remain. One person in Washington familiar with the talks said there was reason to be sceptical about whether there was enough time to strike a deal.

US President Donald Trump speaks with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a photo session at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka in this file photo from June 2019. — Reuters

US officials are mindful that the kingdom is still interested in formally cementing the guarantees it has been seeking, especially to gain access to more advanced weapons, but are uncertain whether it would prefer to get it done under Biden, or wait for Trump, the source said.

“We continue to discuss and have many lines of effort on the table [with the Saudis],” the US official said.

The White House National Security Council declined to comment when asked about efforts toward reaching a deal on US security guarantees for Saudi Arabia.

A defence treaty giving Saudi Arabia US military protection in exchange for recognising Israel would reshape the Middle East by uniting two long-time foes and binding Riyadh to Washington at a time when China is making inroads in the region.

It would allow the kingdom to shore up its security and ward off threats from Iran and its Houthi allies, to avoid a repeat of the 2019 strikes on its oil facilities, which Riyadh and Washington both blamed on Tehran. Iran has denied any role.

A senior Saudi official said the treaty was 95 per cent complete but Riyadh opted to discuss an alternative agreement, given it was not doable without normalisation with Israel.

Netanyahu’s office did not comment when asked about the Saudi position on Palestinian statehood.

Depending on the format, a scaled-down cooperation agreement could be approved without going through Congress before Biden leaves office, two of the sources said.

There were other stumbling blocks in the negotiations to secure a mutual defence treaty. For instance, there was no progress in the talks about civil nuclear cooperation because Saudi Arabia refused to sign a so-called 123 Agreement with the US that would have denied Riyadh the right to nuclear enrichment, the six sources said.

Saudi objections to articles related to human rights proved to be another area of disagreement, one Saudi source close to the talks told Reuters.

‘The big prize’

While the Saudi leadership strongly advocates Palestinian statehood, it remains uncertain, according to diplomats, how the crown prince would respond if Trump revives the deal he floated in 2020 to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The plan marks a dramatic shift in US policy and international agreements by overtly aligning with Israel and deviating sharply from the long-standing land-for-peace framework that has historically guided negotiations.

It would allow Israel to annex vast stretches of land in the occupied West Bank, including Israeli settlements and the Jordan Valley, and recognise Jerusalem as the “undivided capital of Israel” — effectively denying Palestinian claims to East Jerusalem as their capital, a central aspiration in their statehood goals and in accordance with UN resolutions.

By legitimising Israeli annexations, the Trump plan is viewed by many as a severe blow to the two-state solution and Palestinian hopes of statehood. Saudi officials insist that the creation of a Palestinian state in accordance with previous international agreements, including East Jerusalem as its capital, remains an essential condition for long-term regional peace and stability.

Without it the cycle of violence will continue to jeopardise any normal relations, they say.

“How can we imagine a region integrated if we sidestep the Palestinian issue?” a senior Saudi official said. “You can’t prevent the Palestinian right to self-determination.”

In some of the harshest criticism of Israel since the start of the Gaza conflict, Crown Prince Mohammed called Israel’s military actions in Gaza “collective genocide” in his address to an Arab and Islamic summit in Riyadh this month.

Palestinians inspect the destruction as displaced residents return to Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on November 29. — AFP

The potential for Saudi normalisation with Israel, however, could be revisited in the future, perhaps once the dust settles after the Gaza conflcit — and possibly under a different Israeli government, diplomats said.

Fawaz Gerges, a Middle East expert at the London School of Economics, said Trump would leverage all possible avenues to secure historic normalisation between Saudi Arabia and Israel. “For Trump, Saudi Arabia is the big prize,” said Gerges.

“As to how normalisation could happen despite repeated Saudi leaders’ insistence they will not recognise Israel until a real path to a Palestinian state is set, Trump could promise a ceasefire in Gaza in return for normalisation and tentative promise to support a Palestinian state, without obliging Israel to make any real concessions to the Palestinians.”

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Air pollution from fires blamed for 1.5m deaths a year

PARIS: Air pollution caused by fires is linked to more than 1.5 million deaths a year worldwide, the vast majority occurring in developing countries, a major new study said on Thursday.

This death toll is expected to rise in the coming years as climate change makes wildfires more frequent and intense, according to a study in The Lancet journal.

The international team of researchers looked at existing data on “landscape fires”, which include both wildfires that rage through nature and planned fires such as controlled burns on farming land.

Around 450,000 deaths a year from heart disease were linked to fire-related air pollution between 2000 and 2019, the researchers said.

A further 220,000 deaths from respiratory disease were attributed to the smoke and particulates spewed into the air by fire.

From all causes around the world, a total of 1.53m annual deaths were associated with air pollution from landscape fires, according to the study.

More than 90pc of these deaths were in low and middle-income countries, it added, with nearly 40pc in sub-Saharan Africa alone.

The countries with the highest death tolls were China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Indonesia, and Nigeria.

A record amount of illegal burning of farm fields in northern India has been partly blamed for noxious smog that has recently been choking the capital New Delhi.

The authors of the Lancet study called for “urgent action” to address the huge death toll from landscape fires.

The disparity between rich and poor nations further highlights “climate injustice”, in which those who have contributed the least to global warming suffer from it the most, they added.

Some of the ways people can avoid smoke from fires — such as moving away from the area, using air purifiers and masks, or staying indoors — are not available to people in poorer countries, the researchers pointed out.

So they called for more financial and technological support for people in the hardest-hit countries.

The study was released a week after UN climate talks where delegates agreed to a boost in climate funding that developing countries slammed as insufficient.

It also came after Ecuador declared a national emergency over forest fires that have razed more than 10,000 hectares in the country’s south. The world has also been battered by hurricanes, droughts, floods and other extreme weather events during what is expected to be the hottest year in recorded history.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2024

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About 7 out of 10 Pakistanis facing health issues due to smog: survey

About seven in 10 people in the country are facing health issues because of smog with the most common symptoms being cough, flu and breathing difficulties, according to a report by international insights firm Ipsos.

The recent smog situation was declared a “calamity” in Punjab last month. According to the international Air Quality Index Scale, an index value of 300 or higher results is “hazardous” to health and Pakistan has regularly tipped over 1,000 on the scale.

Around two million people visited medical facilities across Punjab with breathing problems and other respiratory diseases in a month as record-breaking smog choked the province.

The Ipsos survey, titled “Smog in Pakistan: Awareness, Perceptions and Practices” and dated November 26, was conducted from Nov 18 to 22 using computer-assisted telephone interviews with a sample of 1,000 people from all four provinces and Islamabad.

Screenshot taken from IPSOS survey report.

In its first section on people’s awareness and experience with smog, data showed that eight in 10 people, around 79 per cent of the sample size, experienced smog over the last month, with 100pc of the sample in Lahore experiencing it.

It also revealed that 68pc people reported having smog-related health issues with 71pc in urban areas and 67pc in rural.

Screenshot taken from IPSOS survey report.

The survey also highlighted the effect of smog on daily life, stating, “Over one-third Pakistanis found their daily household activities, work life, and social events being affected by smog.”

It further said that Punjab was the worst hit among all provinces, adding that Lahore and Rawalpindi were most affected.

Screenshot taken from IPSOS survey report.

Screenshot taken from IPSOS survey report.

According to the second section on people’s beliefs and perceptions, when asked about the primary cause of smog, 70pc of respondents said vehicular emissions, 63pc said industrial smoke and 37pc said waste burning. About 31pc chose brick kilns and 30pc crop burning, followed by one in five who believed it was the “wrath of God”.

The data showed that 44pc of the people saw a lack of public cooperation and 37pc believed enforcement of law as the barriers in combating smog and air pollution.

Screenshot taken from IPSOS survey report.

Screenshot taken from IPSOS survey report.

In the last section on actions and behaviours, the data showed that eight out of 10 people agreed that they needed to play their part in combatting smog. It also said that men, elderly and highly educated Pakistanis were more willing to cooperate, indicating that those who were more informed were likely to take responsibility.

Screenshot taken from IPSOS survey report.

When asked to choose personal actions to reduce smog, 48pc said they were ready to switch to walking, 31pc chose public transport, 29pc chose bicycles and 10pc opted for new/hybrid electric vehicles.

The report stated that out of 796 people who owned vehicles, “nine in 10 Pakistanis are ready to cooperate if they were asked to repair their vehicles and get certification from the government — a clear sign for the government to play its part in this regard.”

Screenshot taken from IPSOS survey report.

Screenshot taken from IPSOS survey report.

According to the survey, three in five people were satisfied with their provincial government’s approaches to battling smog. However, it found that satisfaction decreased as the education level increased, which raised concerns about the relevance, priority and effectiveness of the government’s strategies in addressing smog.

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Chinese envoy asks govt to take ‘targeted security measures’ for safety of workers

The Chinese consul general has stressed that China firmly supports Pakistan’s efforts in combating terrorism and asked the federal government to implement targeted security measures to protect Chinese personnel, projects and institutions working in the country.

Counter-terrorism efforts remain a key topic of discussion between the two countries due to the rising frequency of attacks targeting Chinese nationals working in Pakistan.

While there have been media reports that Beijing is seeking a more proactive role in ensuring the safety of its citizens in Pakistan, the Foreign Office has emphasised that counter-terrorism cooperation between the two countries is based on mutual respect for each other’s sovereignty.

During a media briefing at the Consulate General of China in Karachi on Wednesday, Chinese Consul General Yang Yundong said that the China-Pakistan ironclad friendship was everlasting and ever-refreshing.

“It is expected that the Pakistani side will improve its business environment and provide a favourable policy framework for Chinese investment,” he said.

“The Pakistan-China relationship is of strategic significance,” the official said. “Both sides firmly support each other’s core interests and development paths. The China-Pakistan relationship has always been a priority in China’s foreign relations. Any attempt to disrupt or undermine Pakistan-China cooperation is bound to fail.

“The two sides will continuously strengthen practical cooperation across various fields, jointly upgrade the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and accelerate the construction of major projects in railways, highways, and ports,” Yundong added.

He said that the two nations would work together to refine and optimise the construction plan of the Karachi-Hyderabad section and formulate financing and implementation plans that were feasible and sustainable at the earliest.

They would actively seek financial support for the Karakoram Highway (Raikot-Thakot) realignment project under the terms of the Framework Agreement of the project and facilitate the project’s early execution.

Yundong added that they would speed up the development of Gwadar Port’s auxiliary infrastructure, steadily attract more cargo shipments to the port, find a solution to inadequate water and power supply at an early date, accelerate the development of the port’s industrial zone, and solidly enhance connectivity between the port and other parts of Pakistan.

The New Gwadar International Airport project aided by China has been completed, he said.

“Our two sides are also deepening cooperation in agriculture, mining, information technology, energy, trade and culture. China supports its companies to invest in Pakistan’s Special Economic Zones in line with the market and commercial principles.

“China will continue [to] support Pakistan to improve the well-being of its people, aiming to ensure that development benefits reach all regions and communities. Under the framework of the CPEC Working Group on Socio-Economic Cooperation, the two sides will strengthen their cooperation particularly in areas such as healthcare, agriculture, education, climate response and disaster prevention, while continuing to promote projects that improve people’s livelihoods,” he added.

Highlights China’s role in pushing for world peace, development

Yundong said that China was one of the most peace-loving countries in the world, saying it had left no record of colonisation and invasion of other countries.

“China’s adherence to the path of peaceful development is an inheritance and development of the peace-loving cultural tradition of the Chinese nation over thousands of years.”

The consul general said that since its founding, the People’s Republic of China remained firm in pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace, and was always committed to emphasising its foreign policy goals of upholding world peace and promoting common development.

He said that even as China grew stronger today, it had no intention of turning itself into an American-Soviet-style super-hegemony. “China does not pursue the path of great power rivalry, nor does it follow the traditional approach of emerging nations challenging established powers,” he pointed out.

“It does not engage in colonialism or enslave underdeveloped countries. It does not undermine the existing international political structure, challenge the international order or pursue spheres of influence. Instead, China advocates for the principle of peaceful coexistence and strives to live in harmony and develop together with all countries in the world,” he added.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Over the past 75 years, especially after the launch of the reform and opening-up policy in 1978, China has achieved remarkable economic and social development.

It has maintained an average annual economic growth rate of 8.9 per cent for 45 consecutive years, increasing its economic scale by 47 times. It has become the world’s largest industrial manufacturer, largest trading nation, largest foreign exchange reserve holder and the second-largest economy.

As a large developing country and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China made positive and significant contributions to world peace and development over the past several decades.

In the 1960s and 1970s, despite its own limited wealth and resources, China helped build some major infrastructure projects such as the Karakoram Highway and Tanzania Zambia Railway, which vividly illustrated the “true friendship in times of need” between China and Pakistan, as well as other countries.

From 1979 to 2023, China contributed 24.8pc annually to global economic growth, ranking first in the world. China has taken the lead in achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and has contributed over 70 per cent to global poverty reduction.

“As the largest contributor to the G20’s Debt Service Suspension Initiative, China accounts for over 40pc of the global debt relief totally. China is now the second-largest contributor to the UN budget and the second-largest contributor to United Nations Peacekeeping Forces. China is actively advancing a low-carbon transformation and is a key force in global green development and addressing climate change,” the consul general said.

In 2013, President Xi Jinping proposed the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and more than 150 countries and over 30 international organisations have signed the BRI cooperation agreements with China for now.

Over the past 10 years, under the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefit, the BRI has mobilised nearly one trillion US dollars in investments worldwide, initiated over 3,000 cooperative projects and created 420,000 jobs for BRI partner countries.

According to the World Bank, the BRI has led to a 4.1pc increase in trade, a 5pc increase in foreign investment, and a 3.4pc rise in GDP for low-income countries. By 2030, the BRI is expected to generate $1.6 trillion in global benefits annually, accounting for 1.3pc of global GDP, helping nearly 40 million people get rid of poverty around the world. The BRI has become a platform for global cooperation and a breakthrough for the world economy to overcome low growth.

The Chinese consul general also said that for the past several years the world had entered a new period of turbulence and transformation.

“Some countries are recklessly pushing forward geopolitical competition.

“The world economy is becoming more fragmented, with its weak growth and spreading unilateralism and protectionism. Economic globalisation has faced headwinds and counter-currents, and the world openness index is declining. Today, humanity has once again come to a historical crossroads,” he said.

“But no matter how international and regional situations evolve, China will continue to advance high-quality development under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China to build a great country and move toward national rejuvenation on all fronts through Chinese modernisation,” he said.

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Chinese defence minister faces probe for corruption

BEIJING: Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun has been placed under investigation for corruption, a report said on Wednesday, which would make him the latest official to fall in a sweeping crackdown on graft in the country’s military.

Citing current and former US officials familiar with the situation, British newspaper the Financial Times said the investigation into Dong was part of that broader probe into military corruption.

If confirmed, Dong would be the third Chinese defence minister in a row to fall under investigation for corruption.

Asked about the report at a regular briefing on Wednesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said it was just “chasing shadows” and did not offer further information.

A former navy commander, he was appointed defence minister in December following the surprise removal of predecessor Li Shangfu just seven months into the job. Li was later expelled from the ruling Communist Party for offences including suspected bribery, state media said. He has not been seen in public since.

His predecessor, Wei Fenghe, was also kicked out of the party and passed on to prosecutors over alleged corruption.

Beijing has deepened a crackdown on alleged graft in the armed forces over the past year.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2024

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Trump team reports bomb threats to cabinet nominees

Several members of US President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration have received threats, including bomb alerts, a spokesperson for the president-elect said Wednesday.

“Last night and this morning, several of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees and Administration appointees were targeted in violent, un-American threats to their lives and those who live with them,” said transition team spokesperson Karoline Leavitt in a statement.

Without saying who was targeted, Leavitt said these incidents ranged from bomb threats to “swatting”, a practice in which police are summoned urgently to someone’s house under false pretences.

Elise Stefanik, a Trump loyalist congresswoman tapped to be UN ambassador, said her residence in New York was targeted in a bomb threat. In a statement, she said she and her husband and small son were driving home from Washington for the Thanksgiving holiday when they learned of the threat.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it was aware of “numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents” and that “we take all potential threats seriously.”

As he prepares to return to the White House in January, Trump has already swiftly assembled a cabinet of loyalists, including several criticised for severe lack of experience.

The Republican, who appears set to avoid trial on criminal prosecutions related to attempts to overthrow his 2020 election loss, was wounded in the ear in July in an assassination attempt.

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Three terrorists killed trying to cross into North Waziristan: ISPR

PESHAWAR: Three terrorists were killed when security forces foiled their attempt to infiltrate from Afghanistan in the Hassan Khel area of North Waziristan district on Tuesday, the military said.

According to an ISPR statement, security forces detected the movement of armed gunmen attempting to infiltrate through the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the Hassan Khel area on the night between Nov 25 and 26. The forces engaged the attackers and killed three of them.

“Pakistan has consistently been asking interim Afghan government to ensure effective border management on their side of the border. Interim Afghan government is expected to fulfil its obligations and deny the use of Afghan soil by Khwarij for perpetuating acts of terrorism against Pakistan,” the ISPR said.

It added that that security forces remain determined and committed to securing the borders and eliminating terrorism in the country.

Attack on police station, check post in South Waziristan foiled; peace committee member escapes bomb attack

Meanwhile, security forces and police successfully repelled attacks on a police station and a check post in tehsil Birmal of Lower South Waziristan district on Monday night.

According to police officials, the assailants first attacked the Raghzai police station in Birmal, leading to an hour-long exchange of gunfire with security forces. Officials said this was the sixth attack on the Raghzai police station in the current month.

In a separate incident, terrorists targeted a security checkpoint in the Ghorlama area of Birmal with a rocket. However, prompt action by security forces repelled the attack and forced the militants to flee.

Bomb blast

A member of a local peace committee narrowly escaped injury when a remote-controlled bomb exploded near his vehicle on the Wana-Kari Kot Road in Lower South Waziristan on Tuesday.

The bomb targeted the vehicle of Saifur Rehman Wazir. A colleague traveling with him sustained minor injuries in the blast.

Sources said the bomb was planted on a dirt road near the Baghicha post in Wana. Saifur Rehman and his colleague Ajaz were traveling from the Talabani area of tehsil Wana to Rustam Bazar Wana when the bomb exploded near their vehicle.

After the explosion, police arrived at the scene and collected evidence.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2024

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Judicial independence’s essence in resisting authoritarian overreach at time it occurs: Justice Shah

Supreme Court’s Justice Mansoor Ali Shah on Tuesday said that the essence of judicial independence was found in “resisting authoritarian overreach” at the time of its occurrence.

The judge’s observation was made in his detailed additional note on the court’s March 6 ruling on the murder trial of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

The Supreme Court had observed that the trial under the 1979 judgment that sent the PPP founder to the gallows did not meet the requirements of a “fair trial and due process”. Headed by then-chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, a nine-judge bench announced its much-anticipated opinion on the long-pending presidential reference to answer whe­ther the Supreme Court could revisit its verdict, which the PPP and jurists regard as historical wrong.

In Tuesday’s additional note, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, Justice Shah said: “The independence of the judiciary is the cornerstone of justice, and its true test lies in a judge’s ability to stand firm under authoritarian regimes.

“The essence of judicial independence is not found in passivity or retrospective correction but in resisting authoritarian overreach at the time it occurs.”

He called the judiciary a “resilient institution, endowed with the remarkable ability to recover and rise above the shadows of authoritarianism”.

Justice Shah said this resilience was not accidental but rather “deeply rooted in the courage and integrity of those judges who refuse to compromise and have the courage to speak truth to power”.

Judges serving under authoritarian regimes must remember that their true strength lay not in holding office but in steadfastly upholding their independence and principles, the Supreme Court’s senior puisne judge said.

“Judges must act as the first and last line of defence for the rule of law, refusing to compromise even under duress, so that societies do not have to rely on transitional processes to correct the damage inflicted by judicial capitulation,” he said, adding that while transitional justice was important, it should serve as a “sobering reminder” to judges that justice delayed by decades was justice diminished.

“Let the lesson of transitional justice be clear — judges must uphold their oaths with courage in the face of oppression, for only then can the judiciary truly safeguard democracy and the rights of the people.

“Transitional justice, however, often becomes necessary because, during oppressive rule, some judges fail to uphold their constitutional duty, succumbing to the pressure of illegitimate authority. This failure not only enables violations of due process and fair trial rights but also erodes public trust in the judiciary,” he said.

Praising Justice Dorab Patel for his dissent in the Bhutto case and giving up his tenure as the chief justice, Justice Shah said his example showed that that losing a position was a “small sacrifice compared to compromising one’s integrity or leaving behind a legacy of submission or compromise”.

“Judges must always bear in mind that a judge’s valour is measured by his courage to resist external pressures, stand firm against interference and safeguard the independence of the judiciary without fear or favour.”

Justice Shah warned that any delay in confronting authoritarian inroads could “prove fatal” to the rule of law, adding that such incursions must be “resisted and rectified immediately” for the judiciary’s role was to defend justice, not enable its erosion.

“In the annals of judicial history, there are turning points when the judiciary is bold enough to confront its past mistakes and chart a course for a better future. Today marks one such moment — a testament to the judiciary’s unwavering commitment to justice and the rule of law.”

The remarks come against the backdrop of the recently passed 26th Constitutional Amendment that was criticised for the haste with which it was passed.

Some of the major changes made to the Constitution included changing the process of the chief justice of Pakistan’s appointment, taking away the high courts’ suo motu powers, formation of constitutional benches, and performance evaluations of high court judges.

The International Court of Jurists derided the “blow to judicial independence” when the 26th Amendment was signed into law.

Justice Shah was originally set to be the country’s next top judge but changes in the recent amendment led to the position going to Justice Yahya Afridi.

Earlier this month, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan appointed Justice Aminuddin Khan as head of the seven-judge constitutional bench by a majority vote of seven to five, with CJP Afridi among the dissenting members.

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A capital lockdown

COVID-19 may be a thing of the past for the rest of the world but in Pakistan, the lockdowns are here to stay. Lockdowns to control the smog and lockdowns to control demonstrations — the state has tried and tested all. One could perhaps argue that the internet is also in lockdown but for the fact that its slow speed and blocked apps are a constant state of affairs, while the notion of a lockdown is temporary, with an end in sight.

The lockdown is here because the PTI is on its way again from KP to Islamabad with a crowd. Its size varies on social media, depending on who is commenting, while mainstream media too is in lockdown. On the latter, while discussions about the protest are aplenty, there is little to no reporting. And there are no visuals. In a way, it’s like the smog in summer — everyone knows it’s still there but it doesn’t need to be addressed because it’s less visible.

No one can say whether the protest will end with Ali Amin Gandapur and Arif Alvi dancing to the tune of The Final Countdown, with parliament in the backdrop. But there is merit to the argument that the lockdown in itself is a defeat for the government for it shows not just nervousness but also puts paid to its claims of a healthy economy with interest from investors abroad.

The PTI understands this even better than it did in October. Its journey to Islamabad is making leisurely progress, and it is comfortable in the knowledge that the government is scoring an own goal by locking up half the country, leading to economic losses as well as running the risk of shortages of necessities in urban centres. At the same time, the slow march is tiring out police which was deployed days earlier. In a vlog on Sunday night from D-Chowk, Asad Toor reported that Sindh Police recruits were without warm clothes as they patrolled on a cold winter night.

The PTI is comfortable in the knowledge that the government is scoring an own goal.

But this is not to say the PTI faces no risks. Those in government in KP and others who are part of one assembly or another also do not want to upset the applecart too much, despite the pressure from Imran Khan and the workers. This was evident not just in the constant reports of PTI leaders who wanted to delay the protests; in addition, the criticism being directed at Gandapur since his disappearance at the previous protest in Islamabad from the party base also shows the pressures the KP government has to juggle.

At the same time, the crowds accompanying the KP rally shows that the party workers and supporters are not sufficiently disgruntled by the leadership to stay at home.

However, it is still worth asking what the PTI hopes to achieve. Overthrowing the government as an aim is great for rhetoric but it is doubtful if even the party ideologues believe it. Second, in Pakistan, protests usually set the stage for a weakening of a government rather than prove to be the final blow. But in this specific case, the PTI might be more interested in using it as a bargaining chip. There is now a strong perception that the release of Imran Khan’s wife was a result of the previous protest. This time around too the reports of the negotiations held before this protest point to this; the PTI asked for the release of Yasmin Rashid and other prisoners in Lahore as a confidence-building measure.

If the demand is (or isn’t) conceded, this game of cat and mouse can be played again and again.

Perhaps, though, it is also important to understand why the PTI can play this game repeatedly, considering it has a government in KP and the province’s short distance from Islamabad.

It appears there was some understanding at the time of election that depriving the PTI of forming a government in KP would perhaps lead to far too much instability. And this is why the party now has the ability to march in large numbers to Islamabad. While there are constant threats to impose governor’s rule in the province, this would be a foolhardy step. The already volatile situation in KP will simply worsen.

However, even this would not have been enough for the PTI to mount such shows of power were it was not for the fragile economic situation.

Despite the non-stop repression in Punjab, each such occasion allows young men to play a cat-and-mouse game with the police for hours. It may not show that Pakistan is at the cusp of a revolution but the possibility of violence on the streets cannot be discounted. With Pakistan’s demographic numbers and the economy, this is a risk no one can calculate accurately, regardless of the multiple analyses about Punjab’s DNA of subservience.

This is what PTI and Khan are counting on. And not a revolution.

Postscript: Perhaps this is a good time to ask what the state plans to do with the PTI prisoners. It has been over a year since these people were detained — in jails as well as military custody — without any kind of trial. We are told via trusted journalists and tajziakaars (analysts) that they cannot be freed, cannot be forgiven, for the ‘crime’ was so great. And that this is also to create deterrence.

Indeed, Pakistan society has always been big on deterrence — if we hanged a few thousand in the streets, corruption would stop, or if a rapist was hanged, the crime would stop. But thankfully, for reasons of incompetence, we have rarely managed such events of brutality, though it has allowed the myth to continue. Still, it needs to be pointed out that at times a state needs to calculate if the deterrence it creates at the cost of people’s anger and hatred is worth the risk. The prisoners need to be released, all of them, and especially the women. The trials can continue but without this endless incarceration. It is time to send Yasmin Rashid home.

The writer is a journalist.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2024

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AJK court remands 2 suspects in police custody in woman’s harassment case

A judicial magistrate in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJK) Sudhnoti district on Monday remanded two suspects into police custody for a week following their arrest in a case of allegedly blackmailing and extorting money from a married woman.

A first information report (FIR) was filed at Baloch Police Station on Saturday under Sections 292 (obscene material), 322 (manslaughter), 384 (extortion), and 489-Y (related to harm to privacy of and reputation) of the Azad Penal Code as well as section 10(3) of the Offence of Zina (Enforcement of Hudood) Ordinance, 1979.

Complainant Arshad Mahmood, a resident of Kehala village currently working in Saudi Arabia, reported that he was informed by his brother-in-law on November 15 about his wife’s sudden hospitalisation due to a critical health issue. He said that hours later, he received another call from his brother-in-law about her death and returned home the following day for her burial.

He said that while investigating the circumstances surrounding his wife’s sudden death, he discovered that two men had developed illicit relations with his wife over the past two months.

According to the FIR, the accused recorded compromising footage of the woman during video calls and used it to blackmail her into giving them money and other valuables.

Mahmood said that his wife handed over more than Rs3 million to the suspects, including Rs976,000 from selling her jewellery. Despite meeting their repeated demands, she continued to face blackmail and threats, ultimately leading her to consume poison, he said, urging strict legal action against both suspects and any accomplices.

Baloch Station House Officer (SHO) Waqar Azeem told Dawn.com that both suspects were apprehended the same night after police used local intelligence and technology to track their whereabouts.

He said preliminary investigation revealed that the first suspect, a neighbour of Mahmood, had allegedly shared the woman’s contact details and other information with the second suspect, asking him to trap her to fulfil their demands.

SHO Azeem said the second suspect reportedly initiated contact with the victim and recorded compromising video calls, which he later used for extortion and exploitation. He added that on October 19, the second suspect impersonated a third blackmailer, using an unknown SIM card and a local dialect to demand Rs2m, threatening to leak the footage if his demands were not met.

Azeem said that under duress, the woman sold her jewellery and handed over Rs 976,000 to the second suspect, who kept his face hidden, at Kehala Chowk on October 20. Days later, continuing to impersonate a third party, he demanded an additional Rs1.5m, which the woman was unable to arrange, the SHO added.

Azeem said that unable to fulfil the demands, the woman sought financial help from relatives under the pretext that her husband needed the money in Saudi Arabia and allegedly died by suicide when her efforts failed.

The SHO said the police had recovered incriminating evidence, including the compromising material, from the suspects’ mobile phones and booked them under the FIR’s sections.

“More disclosures will come up during further investigation, on the basis of which we will definitely ensure justice for the victim and her family,” the SHO said.

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Three more cases of poliovirus in Balochistan, KP take year’s tally to 55

ISLAMABAD: The government’s efforts to curb the spread of poliovirus appear to be failing as three more cases have been reported from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The new cases were reported days after a Global Polio Eradication Initiative delegation met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other officials to discuss “strategies to combat the poliovirus outbreak and to address emerging challenges”.

Pakistan has now reported 55 cases of poliovirus in 2024. The widespread detection of cases and indication of the virus’ presence in several cities depict the immunity gap among children.

The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health has confirmed the three wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) cases.

A lab official told Dawn that new cases were reported from Dera Ismail Khan, Zhob and Jaffarabad. The victims were female children aged 8 and 20 months and a five-month-old male child.

All three districts have already reported a case of poliovirus this year.

D.I. Khan has been one of the seven polio-endemic districts in southern KP South KP, where routine immunisation programmes have faced significant challenges in accessing all vulnerable children during the last three years. D.I. Khan has now reported six polio cases.

Similar challenges are prevalent in Balochistan, where Zhob and Jaffarabad districts have reported three and two cases, respectively, in 2024.

The districts form part of central Pakistan, another epidemiologically important zone that has been detecting the virus repeatedly for over a year, linked to core reservoirs of Quetta block as well as Karachi,“ he said.

Of the total 55 cases reported so far, 26 have been reported from Balochistan, 14 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 13 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2024

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Developing nations blast $300bn COP29 climate deal as insufficient

Countries at the COP29 summit in Baku adopted a $300 billion a year global finance target on Sunday to help poorer nations cope with the impacts of climate change, a deal its intended recipients criticised as woefully insufficient.

The agreement, clinched in overtime at the two-week conference in Azerbaijan’s capital, was meant to provide momentum for international efforts to curb global warming in a year destined to be the hottest on record.

Some delegates gave the deal a standing ovation in the COP29 plenary hall. Others lambasted wealthy nations for not doing more and criticised the Azerbaijan host for hurriedly gavelling through the contentious plan.

“I regret to say that this document is nothing more than an optical illusion,” Indian delegation representative Chandni Raina told the closing session of the summit, minutes after the deal was gavelled in. “This, in our opinion, will not address the enormity of the challenge we all face. Therefore, we oppose the adoption of this document.”

Chandni Raina of India attends a closing plenary meeting at the COP29 United Nations Climate Change Conference, in Baku on November 24. — Reuters

United Nations climate chief Simon Stiell acknowledged the difficult negotiations that led to the agreement but hailed the outcome as an insurance policy for humanity against global warming.

“It has been a difficult journey, but we’ve delivered a deal,” Stiell said. “This deal will keep the clean energy boom growing and protect billions of lives.

“But like any insurance policy, it only works if the premiums are paid in full, and on time.”

The agreement would provide $300 billion annually by 2035, boosting rich countries’ previous commitment to provide $100 billion annually in climate finance by 2020. That earlier goal was met two years late, in 2022, and expires in 2025.

The deal also lays the groundwork for next year’s climate summit, to be held in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil, where countries are meant to map out the next decade of climate action.

The summit cut to the heart of the debate over the financial responsibility of industrialised countries — whose historic use of fossil fuels has caused the bulk of greenhouse gas emissions — to compensate others for worsening damage from climate change.

It also exposed divisions between wealthy governments constrained by tight domestic budgets and developing nations reeling from the costs of storms, floods, and droughts.

Negotiations had been due to finish on Friday but ran into overtime as representatives from nearly 200 countries struggled to reach consensus. Talks were interrupted on Saturday as some developing countries and island nations walked away in frustration.

“We are leaving with a small portion of the funding climate-vulnerable countries urgently need. It isn’t nearly enough, but it’s a start,” said Tina Stege, Marshall Islands climate envoy.

Nations have been seeking financing to deliver on the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5° Celsius above pre-industrial levels — beyond which catastrophic climate impacts could occur.

The world is currently on track for as much as 3.1°C of warming by the end of this century, according to the 2024 UN Emissions Gap report, with global greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel use continuing to rise.

Sunday’s deal failed to set out detailed steps for how countries will act on last year’s U.N. climate summit pledge to transition away from fossil fuels and triple renewable energy capacity this decade. Some negotiators said Saudi Arabia had attempted to block such a plan during the talks.

“There’s definitely a challenge in getting greater ambition when you’re negotiating with the Saudis,” said US climate adviser John Podesta.

A Saudi official did not immediately provide comment.

What counts as a developed nation?

The roster of countries required to contribute — about two dozen industrialised countries, including the US, European nations and Canada — dates back to a list decided during UN climate talks in 1992.

European governments have demanded others pay in, including China, the world’s second-biggest economy, and oil-rich Gulf states. The deal encourages developing countries to make contributions but does not require them.

The agreement includes a broader goal of raising $1.3 trillion in climate finance annually by 2035 — which would include funding from all public and private sources and which economists say matches the sum needed to address global warming.

Countries also agreed on rules for a global market to buy and sell carbon credits that proponents say could mobilise billions more dollars into new projects to fight global warming, from reforestation to deployment of clean energy technologies. Securing the climate finance deal was a challenge from the start.

Donald Trump’s US presidential election victory this month has raised doubts among some negotiators that the world’s largest economy would pay into any climate finance goal agreed in Baku.

Trump, a Republican who takes office in January, has called climate change a hoax and promised to again remove the US from international climate cooperation.

President Joe Biden congratulated the COP29 participants for reaching what he called a historic agreement that would help mobilise needed funds but said more work was needed.

“While there is still substantial work ahead of us to achieve our climate goals, today’s outcome puts us one significant step closer. On behalf of the American people and future generations, we must continue to accelerate our work to keep a cleaner, safer, healthier planet within our grasp,” Biden said in a statement.

Western governments have seen global warming slip down the list of national priorities amid surging geopolitical tensions, including Russia’s war in Ukraine and the expanding conflict in the Middle East, and rising inflation.

The showdown over financing for developing countries comes in a year scientists predict will be the hottest on record. Climate woes are stacking up, with widespread flooding killing thousands across Africa, deadly landslides burying villages in Asia, and drought in South America shrinking rivers.

Developed countries have not been spared. Torrential rain triggered floods in Spain last month that left more than 200 dead, and the US so far this year has registered 24 billion-dollar disasters — just four fewer than last year.

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Situationer: Is ADR tax distorting banking market?

COMMERCIAL banks have been busy lending large amounts of money at below-the-market rates these last few weeks. They aren’t doing so because they suddenly find themselves flushed with excess liquidity. Nor has the economy turned a page, spurring demand for credit for investments in productivity. There is a method to this madness.

The banks are on a lending spree to increase their advance-to-deposit ratio (ADR) — a measure of the proportion of a bank’s total deposits that are given as loans or advances — above 50 per cent to avoid a punitive FBR tax of up to 16pc on the lenders with an ADR under 50pc.

The banks are lending to both large public and private entities at discounted rates, which are then investing this money in government debt, earning a spread of 2-4pc. This allows the lenders to avoid the ADR tax but only after forgoing a significant portion of their revenues to the borrowers. The entire lending is for the short term, and the money will return to banks after Dec 31, the tax deadline.

The banking industry sources claim that most lenders have already managed to achieve the targeted ADR of above 50pc. Overall, the industry ADR is said to have already shot up to 44pc from 39pc on Sept 27. Banks’ lending surged by Rs1.1 trillion in October, marking a record-breaking increase.

Critics argue the policy fails to boost private-sector lending and undermines savings

However, heavy, short-term cheaper lending is not the only strategy being pursued by the banks to avoid the ADR tax; they are also discouraging deposits to ensure that those don’t bring down their advance-to-deposit ratios, exposing them to the tax payment they have painstakingly been striving to dodge the FBR.

Most banks have notified their clients that they will charge a monthly fee of 5pc on high-balance accounts ranging from Rs1bn to Rs5bn and above, with each bank setting its own minimum threshold according to their respective customer profiles, to hedge against incoming large deposits and upending the ADR before the tax deadline.

This applies to both rupee and foreign currency accounts and has led the bank deposits to fall from Rs31.14tr on Sept 30 to Rs30.4tr by Oct 25. Some banks have also app­lied maximum daily credit balance limits on the checking accounts.

“The bank has the right to refuse and/or to return the amount over and above the said limit,” according to a notice sent out by an Islamic bank to its customers.

“This signals growing tensions between regulatory policies aimed at encouraging lending to the private sector and operational strategies of the banks seeking to safeguard their profitability,” an analyst wrote recently.

Media reports suggest the amount of cash deposits could be further slashed in case the ADR remains below 50pc at the end of the calendar year.

Thwarting FBR

That’s not the only strategy being adopted by the banks to thwart the FBR. Several banks have already sought and received court injunctions preventing the FBR from collecting this levy unless the cases are decided. Banks have taken the stand that it’s beyond the FBR’s mandate to dictate how banks deploy their deposits or how their balance sheets should look, as it is the prerogative of the industry regulator: the State Bank of Pakistan.

A petition highlights that the FBR is seeking to tax the income earned by banking companies from investments made in government securities by prescribing the tax rate based on the gross advance-to-deposit ratio.

“In doing so, the FBR is seeking to regulate the banking business, which falls beyond the scope of a Money Bill and is consequently ultra vires (beyond the scope of) Article 73 of the Constitution,” reads the petition filed with the Islamabad High Court.

The ADR-linked tax was levied ostensibly to encourage banks to provide financing to the private sector borrowers to spur growth rather than “funnelling liquidity only into government debt to make easy bucks”.

The SBP report in 2022, however, indicated that banks’ incentive to enhance deposit mobilisation and asset and liabilities management strategy could also have been affected by the ADR-linked tax policy.

“This forced lending approach significantly impairs and undermines the credit underwriting standards of banks,” the CFO of a major bank argues.

ADR tax in totality is meaningless, he argues. The way it is structured “is flawed when you talk about ADR taxation… You are taking refuge behind that you want to encourage private sector lending, but this needle has not moved even an inch,” he says.

“The banks can at the end of the year move deposits to ensure their ADR remains above the tax threshold, and public sector companies, etc., are also part of the private sector lending for ADR calculation,” he adds.

‘Market distortions’

Speaking with Dawn, Pakistan Banks’ Association Chairman Zafar Masud highlights several market distortions created by the contentious tax. “The lenders are ready to pay their taxes; in fact, they are already in the highest tax bracket in the country, and in the region. The problem arises when you start charging us for something not related to income,” he says.

“The ADR tax is proposed to be imposed on banks’ balance sheet items and not income. It is very much possible that a bank is making losses but will have to pay this tax because of lower ADR. This is unjustified.

The bankers are willing to sit across the table with the government to contribute to the public exchequer in the largest interest and benefit of the economy as long as it’s related to their income but not on the balance sheet,” Mr Masud says.

Moreover, he explains that since it is calculated at the end of the year, the banks discourage deposits or increase their lending assets through pyramiding by giving money to large firms at below-the-market rates to maintain their ADRs to avoid this tax. “This benefits the borrowers while banks take losses.

This does not serve the purpose as it doesn’t increase private sector borrowing,” he says.

Mr Masud points out that it’s not just the ADR calculation but what constitutes ‘private sector lending’. “The public sector entities, microfinance institutions, asset managers, state-owned enterprises, and so on also fall in this category. In fact, banks manage their ADR through lending to these big borrowers. If the objective was to prompt banks to boost private credit, the policy is clearly not working.”

This year, a new problem has arisen for banks due to excessive government borrowings, reducing their ADRs. On top of that, the implementation of the MDR (Minimum Deposit Rate) condition — implemented by the SBP in 2008 to encourage private savings — is restricting the lenders from deploying their assets due to higher returns than interest rates. “Consequently, banks are refusing deposits, so your objective of increasing savings is also defeated,” Mr Masud adds.

Lack of reliable data

Mr Masud also contends that systemic issues hinder private-sector lending. With over half of the economy undocumented, banks lack reliable data to assess borrowers’ creditworthiness. “Proxy data from telcos and utilities also doesn’t exist to help us assess incomes of borrowers,” he says. “First, businesses must be prepared to document themselves, and then we will see a massive shift in financing, perhaps.”

Responding to banks’ appetite for risk-free lending to the government, he replies that nearly 85pc of the budget deficit is being financed by banks. “Actually, this is a big service we are doing… Instead of appreciating us, you are penalising us. The day the government fixes its deficit problem, banks will automatically be forced to lend to the private sector.”

An official of a multinational bank argues that “banks are not trying to be cute” by demanding the removal of the ADR tax. “We want to pay taxes. But it should be on our income. We are very happy to sit with the government and discuss the issue so that its side effects and distortions in the market are removed.”

Banks say they are not asking to revoke MDR altogether but want it to be rationalised by taking corporates, state-owned enterprises, and financial institutions out of its regime to force them to reinvest their liquidity rather than take advantage of MDR rules to earn profits.

“The banks are totally in favour of keeping MDR on individuals to promote a culture of savings and investment in the country.

While hedging against incoming deposits, the banks have taken care that only large customers — government and public and private corporations — are levied fee while small savers are kept protected,” the CFO quoted above argues.

Bankers say that at the end of the day, the government will be unable to collect tax, increase savings or boost private lending. But it will end up distorting the market, choking the balance sheets of banks and pushing up borrowing costs through such regulatory measures as ADR and MDR.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2024

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3 terrorists killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa engagements: ISPR

Three terrorists were killed in two separate engagements with security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Khyber and South Waziristan districts, the military’s media wing said on Saturday.

A statement from the Inter Services Public Relations issued today said that an intelligence-based operation was conducted in Khyber’s general area of Bara.

“During the conduct of operation, own troops effectively engaged” the location of the terrorists and eliminated two, Haqyar Afridi alias Khyberay and Gulla Jan.

The ISPR said that in another incident, the movement of a terrorist group that was trying to infiltrate through the Pakistan-Afghanistan border was detected by security forces in South Waziristan.

“Own troops effectively engaged and thwarted their attempt to infiltrate,” the ISPR said, adding that one terrorist was killed while three were injured.

It said the two engagements took place on Thursday and Friday.

“Pakistan has consistently been asking Interim Afghan Government to ensure effective border management on their side of the border,” the ISPR said, adding that Afghan authorities were expected to fulfil their obligations and deny the use of their soil by terrorists for perpetuating terrorism against Pakistan.

“Security forces of Pakistan are determined and remain committed to secure its border and eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country.”

President Asif Ali Zardari praised security forces for the successful operations.

“The nefarious intentions of the enemies of humanity will continue to be crushed in the same way. The entire nation stands with the fearless youth of the security forces in the war on terror. The government is active for the complete elimination of terrorism from the country,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a statement paying tribute to the security forces.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also congratulated the security forces and said terrorism would be wiped out from the country.

The country has lately witnessed a sharp uptick in the number of attacks targeting security forces, other law enforcement agencies, and security checkpoints, particularly in Balochistan and KP, with at least 55 security personnel being martyred in the first three weeks of November, according to a think tank.

Attacks escalated after the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan terrorist group broke a fragile ceasefire agreement with the government in 2022 and vowed to target security forces.

The Foreign Office on Thursday expressed grave concern over the growing threat posed by terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil, urging the Taliban administration in Kabul to take decisive action against militants sheltering in Afghanistan.

Speaking at the weekly media briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch had emphasised the regional and global ramifications of unchecked terrorism from Afghanistan.

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Global South ‘rubbishes’ new climate finance offer

• Developing countries’ demand for $1.3 trillion reduced to paltry sum of $250 billion; fresh text expected today
• Pakistan pitches regional diplomacy for glaciers’ sake

A NEW draft of the climate finance goals failed to elicit an agreement between the developing and developed world, as Pakistan joined other countries to trash the suggestion to offer an annual $250 billion by 2035.

“The demand of $1.3 trillion has been reduced to $250 billion only, which is unacceptable,” Arif Goheer told Dawn in response to a question about the new collective quantified goal. He, however, said the adaptation of the ‘Baku Adaptation Roadmap (BAR)’ was welcomed by Islamabad.

Before the release of the draft agreement in which the developed world finally agreed to put forth the quantum of finance, a press conference by the South Asia civil society criticised the attitude of the Global North, saying no deal was better than a bad deal.

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Before the new text was issued, Dr Abid Sulehri of the Sustainable Policy Development Institute termed the current deadlock a “collective suicide”, saying the anticipated withdrawal of the US might push the Global North to think of some sort of a compromise. He added that in case the developed world failed to deliver and the US also walked away that would probably be a collapse of the Paris Agreement.

Pakistan’s diplomacy to save glaciers

As the Hindu Kush and Himalaya region reels from flash floods and rapid melting of glaciers, Pakistan has pitched a joint front to address challenges in the cryosphere, advocating a ‘climate diplomacy initiative’ to save the third pole.

Due to climate-induced heat waves, glaciers are disproportionately affected, particularly in the HKH region which includes Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Bhutan among other countries. The HKH region is warming at an alarming rate, losing glaciers at twice the speed compared to other mountain ranges due to its proximity to the tropics.

“Glaciers in some regions, such as the tropical Andes, or the Indus and Tarim basins in High Mountain Asia, contribute a high proportion of seasonal water supplies…” the 2024 report on the ‘State of Cryosphere’ said, adding that in the current emission scenario, the Hindu Kush and Himalayas are going to lose 80 per cent of their snow. This will lead to food and water insecurity as well as loss of livelihoods in the region.

Against this backdrop, Romina Khurshid Alam, the prime minister’s climate change coordinator, pushed for a ‘mountain agenda’ at the COP29 focusing on the “unique vulnerabilities” these mountain ranges faced due to climate change. The minister, speaking at an event hosted by Kyrgyzstan last week, said over “13,000 glaciers” were a vital source of the region’s water supply for agriculture and catered to the needs of millions across South Asia.

Joint push: a regional approach

In another event, hosted by Bhutan in the first week of COP29, Ms Alam floated a similar proposal, giving the importance of these glaciers for the region. Pakistan was open to climate diplomacy because disasters did not differentiate between nation-states, she said, advocating a regional approach to resolve this issue.

Pakistan asks the world to do more as climate justice is linked to climate diplomacy, the PM’s aide told Dawn at the Pakistan Pavilion.

“Mountainous countries like Pakistan, Nepal, and even India, we are the most vulnerable mountainous communities. We are losing our culture, and livelihood [due to global warming],” said Maheshwar Dhakal, joint secretary at Nepal’s Ministry of Forest and Environment in his comment to Dawn.

He endorsed the idea of regional diplomacy, saying Nepal wanted all mountainous countries to come to an understanding.

Bangladesh’s Sanjay Kumar Bhowmik, a former additional secretary at the climate ministry, said that all HKH countries were working together under the umbrella of the Nepal-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) to save glaciers.

He said Bangladesh’s hilly region comprises one-fourth of the country. One of the adaptation projects in the country is being run by ICIMOD, he told Dawn at Bangladesh Pavilion in Baku. On the other hand, Bhutan also pushes for the mountain agenda at high-level ministerial meetings, demanding a goal fit for purpose.

Safdar Mirza, an environmental activist from Gilgit-Baltistan, said there was a disconnect between the community and measures taken by the government for adaptation, such as early warning systems. He said the GB Environmental Protection Agency recently wrote a letter about GLOFs seeking details about the installation of early warning systems.

On global forums, such as climate conferences, a joint push will be a good idea, according to Dr Miriam Jackson, an experienced glaciologist working for the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative.

“I think it is a very good idea for mountain countries to work together,” she said, adding that a separate negotiation bloc, however, could stretch resources.

This story was produced as part of the 2024 Climate Change Media Partnership, a journalism fellowship organised by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Centre for Peace and Security.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2024

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