Monsoon rains: 19 more perish, hundreds marooned in Balochistan, KP

Heavy rains and floods have unleashed devastation in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, leaving 19 more dead and hundreds of others stranded in both provinces, disaster management authorities said.

Relentless monsoon rains have pummeled the country and spelled disaster in towns, cities and villages alike.

The Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps have been aiding the civil administration in rescue and relief operations in the provinces.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed for Balochistan to visit the flood-affected areas of the province and review the rescue and relief operations in the province, Information Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Saturday.

She tweeted that the premier had reached Jacobabad where he was briefed by officials of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the chief secretary of Balochistan.

After Balochistan, he will also visit Punjab and Sindh.

Balochistan in particular has seen uncharacteristically heavy rains during the monsoon season this year. In the last 24 hours, nine of a family drowned after they were swept away by the floods, the PDMA said in an update.

The deceased include seven children and a woman.

According to Balochistan Chief Secretary Abdul Aziz Uqaili, since June 1, rains have taken the lives of 124 people and damaged 10,000 houses in the province.

At a press conference on Friday, he revealed that floods damaged approximately 565 km of roads and 197,930-acre of agricultural land while 712 livestock also died.

He said 17,500 people affected by heavy rains and flash floods were rescued while the federal and the provincial governments have announced Rs1 million compensation for the deceased.

Section 144 has been enforced in the province and the citizens have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel for 10 days, Uqaili added.

Meanwhile, the road link of Balochistan with Sindh was completely cut off after a bridge and a road connecting the two provinces were damaged in Lasbela and Khuzdar, respectively.

Traffic on the Quetta-Karachi highway was still suspended due to collapsing of major bridges and sweeping away of big portions of the highway.

Separately, trade between Pakistan and Iran was suspended after rains and flash floods washed away Quetta-Zahedan rail track at various points

A rescue operation by the PDMA and the Pakistan Army is underway in the province. On Saturday, relief goods were sent to flood-affected people in Quetta, Nasirabad, Jaffarabad, Dera Bughti, Khuzdar, Noshki and Kila Saifullah.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, at least 10 people were killed and 17 injured in floods and roof collapses, according to a report issued by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).

It said that in the last 36 hours, nearly 100 houses were completely damaged in the floods leaving residents stranded in waist-high water and no roof. The most-affected areas include Khyber, Mansehra, Lower Dir, Buner, Swabi and Dera Ismail Khan.

The PDMA has warned that there were high-level floods in the Kabul and Jandi rivers and instructed administration to relocate people living in neighbouring areas.

It added that the public could reach out to 1700 in case of an emergency situation.

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British climber Adriana Brownlee scales K2

Adriana Brownlee, a 21-year-old British climber, has further improved her record of being the youngest climber to have summited most peaks of over 8,000 metres by scaling K2 — her 10th peak of over 8,000 metres — two more than Pakistan’s Shehroze Kashif.

Adriana has also become the youngest ever British climber to summit K2.

Her team confirmed that Adriana, along with Gelje Sherpa, summited K2 at 6:30am yesterday. She had attempted to summit the peak with supplementary oxygen but changed the plan.

 “She went to C4 without O2 and plan was to summit with no O2 — but overnight snow meant Adri and Gelje had to trailblaze the route from C4 to the summit — so long and difficult,” Adriana’s team informed this correspondent.

“Gelje and I were actually going to attempt a summit without O2, however, after reaching 8,000 metres without sleeping, the snow in the night just didn’t stop and it was then impossible for us to trailblaze without O2. But now I know I can do it,” Adri posted on her social media.

Adri had earlier summited The Broad Peak and Nanga Parbat in Pakistan but it is unlikely she will summit Gasherbrum I and II this season.

The 21-year-old wants to become the youngest mountaineer in the world to summit all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres.

Gasherbrum I (8,080 metres) and II (8,034 metres) in Pakistan, Cho Oyu (8,188m) in Nepal and Shishapangma (8,027m) are the remaining mountains for her to achieve the title.

Pakistan’s Shehroze Kashif — who is one year younger than Adriana – has so far summited eight peaks of 8,000 metres and is currently on route to summit GI and GII.

If Shehroze manages to summit both this season, he will be able to surpass Adriana’s record of the youngest mountaineer to summit most eight-thousanders.

Like Adriana, Shehroze is also aiming to become the youngest mountaineer in the world to summit all the 14 peaks of over 8,000 metres in the world.

Adriana has climbed Everest, Kangchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Annapurna 1, Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak and K2 whereas Shehroze has scaled Everest, K2, Kangchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Manaslu, Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak and Nanga Parbat.

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PM Shehbaz, Hamza to be indicted on Sept 7 in money laundering case

A special court in Lahore on Saturday fixed September 7 for the indictment of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, his son Hamza Shahbaz, and others, for their alleged involvement in money laundering of Rs16 billion in the sugar scam case.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) booked Shehbaz and his sons Hamza and Suleman in November 2021 under sections 419, 420, 468, 471, 34 and 109 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and r/w 3/4 of the Anti Money Laundering Act. Suleman Shehbaz is absconding in the UK.

During the hearing today, property details of Suleman, who was declared a proclaimed offender in the multi-billion-rupee money laundering case, were submitted in the court.

In December 2021, the FIA had submitted the challan against Shehbaz and Hamza before the special court for their alleged involvement in laundering an amount of Rs16 billion in the sugar scam case.

According to the FIA report submitted to the court, the investigation team has "detected 28 benami accounts of the Shehbaz family through which money laundering of Rs16.3bn was committed during 2008-18. The FIA examined the money trail of 17,000 credit transactions."

The report added that the amount was kept in "hidden accounts" and "given to Shehbaz in a personal capacity".

This amount (Rs16 billion) has nothing to do with the sugar business (of Shehbaz family), it claimed. The money received from the accounts of low-wage employees by Shehbaz was transferred outside Pakistan via hundi/hawala networks, ultimately destined for the beneficial use of his family members, the FIA had alleged.

"Eleven low-paid employees of the Sharif group who 'held and possessed' the laundered proceeds on behalf of the principal accused, are found guilty of facilitating money laundering. The three other co-accused of the Sharif group also actively facilitated the money laundering," the agency had said.

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No political party can use foreign funds as per law: Musadik Malik

Minister of State for Petroleum Dr Musadik Malik said as per law of the land, no political party could get funds from other than Pakistani citizens.

“If anyone has to do politics in Pakistan, funds can only be received from Pakistani citizens, not anyone else you cannot take funds from any foreign state or its cabinet member, if taken, it will not only be considered illegal but the party will also be ceased as per Pakistani laws ” he said while addressing a news conference.

He said an international newspaper had narrated the story of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s foreign funds, which the party leadership received from Arif Naqvi, chief executive of a foreign company, ‘Abraj Capital’, which was being run with foreigners’ investment.

He said Arif Naqvi, working as the ‘fund manager’ of foreign investors, was now facing jail in the United Kingdom on charges of fraudulent activities and for involvement in different ‘black money schemes’.

Musadik Malik said a cricket club was established abroad for sending funds to the PTI and in that regard the first payment of $1.2 million was received from the Abraj Investment. The PTI also got £2 million from the cabinet member of a foreign country, he added.

He recalled that Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz leader Nawaz Sharif was disqualified lifetime by the apex court for just holding an ‘Iqama’ (residential permit) of his son’s company.

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PM lauds security forces for successful operation against terrorists

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday lauded the security forces for carrying out a successful operation against terrorists in district Kech, Balochistan.

The prime minister also condoled the death of Havaldar Hidayatullah from Lakki Marwat, who embraced shahadat during the operation. The entire nation saluted the sacrifices of its shuhada, he added.

He also prayed for the speedy recovery of Naek Wazir Muhammad who was injured during the operation.

On Friday, Inter-Services Public Relations said that security forces killed six terrorists during an operation conducted by security forces in the general area of Hoshab, district Kech of Balochistan.

In a brief statement, the military’s media wing said the operation was conducted on information regarding the movement of a terrorist group on motorcycles towards Panjgur from Kech.

"Security forces immediately cordoned the area and started a search operation to apprehend the terrorists," the ISPR said, adding that once surrounded, the terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on security forces.

The ISPR mentioned that a heavy exchange of fire took place between terrorists and security forces and a large cache of arms and ammunition has been recovered.

"During engagement, Havaldar Hidayat Ullah embraced shahadat while Naik Mir Muhammad got injured," the military’s media wing added.

 

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Pakistan has no plans of holding bilateral meeting with India: FM

Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Bilawal Bhutto asserted that Pakistan has no plans of holding any bilateral meeting with India.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto, who is currently attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Uzbekistan's capital, on Saturday said that the government was taking measures to improve its ties with all the counties, including the United States.

Bilawal held six bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of Central Asian countries on the sidelines of the conference which is being held in connection with preparations for the SCO Heads of State meeting scheduled to be held in September.

Bilawal held meetings with his counterparts from Afghanistan, China, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

“There are no plans of any meetings between Indian and Pakistani prime ministers in September,” Bilawal said, adding that both India and Pakistan are part of the SCO and the two countries are only engaged in the context of the broad-based activities of the organisation.

The foreign minister said: “India is our neighbouring country. While one can decide on a lot of things, one cannot choose its neighbours, therefore, we should get used to living with them.”

Bilawal recalled that after 2019, constructive dialogue with India became difficult, while statements based on Islamophobia by Indian officials are further creating hurdles in dialogue.

Reacting to Imran Khan’s criticism that said relations between Pakistan and the US weaken during the tenure of the coalition government, the foreign minister said, “There is no truth in Imran Khan’s claims.”

Khan tried to strengthen relations with Washington when he was in power, he said and asked what was their fault if he failed to boost ties with the US.

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Mazari loses no-confidence motion

Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari on Friday lost the no-confidence motion passed by the provincial assembly, after he annulled 10 votes during the polls, a move which was deemed to be “unconstitutional.”

On Friday, after PTI’s Sibtain Khan took charge as the new speaker of the House, former law minister Raja Basharat presented a resolution seeking permission to initiate no-confidence proceedings against Mazari as the deputy speaker. The resolution was approved for voting.

After midnight, the voting began in the Punjab Assembly on the no-trust motion against Mazari through a secret ballot in which 186 lawmakers voted against Mazari, bringing his term as the deputy speaker to a premature end.

The newly-elected Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan announced the result after vote count. The opposition alliance did not take part in the voting process.

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Daughter of Afghan refugee becomes Australia’s first hijabi senator

Fatima Payman, 27, made history this week after becoming the first hijab-wearing Senator in Australia’s parliament.

Payman broke down a few minutes into her first speech in Parliament when thanking her father for his sacrifices who arrived in Australia as an Afghan refugee and died in 2018.

“Who would have thought that a young woman born in Afghanistan and the daughter of a refugee would be standing in this chamber today?” said Payman.

“Knowing the sacrifices that my dad went through as a taxi driver and security guard to ensure he saved up enough money to make ends meet, to support his family, and to ensure my siblings and I had the future he wasn't able to secure for himself.”

Payman was eight years old when she arrived in Australia in 2003 with her mother and three younger siblings.

She attended Australian Islamic College in Perth and went to university to become a doctor, but got involved in politics instead.

Payman's father died of leukaemia in 2018 at the age of 47 and unfortunately never lived to see her become a senator.

She also addressed concerns about her hijab, emphasising that wearing it was her choice.

“For those who choose to advise me on what I should wear, or judge my competency based on my external experience, know that the hijab is my choice,” Payman said. “I am young, I am progressive, and my family were born overseas - I am a representative of modern Australia.”

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Israeli lobby behind propaganda against Arif Naqvi: PTI

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has defended Arif Naqvi, the Pakistani businessman who is facing corruption charges in the United States, as the government criticised PTI Chairperson Imran Khan for receiving funds from the Abraaj Group founder after a damning Financial Times report.

As the country awaits the verdict reserved by the Election Commission of Pakistan into the PTI's prohibited funding, an expose by the Financial Times has blown the lid off Pakistani tycoon Arif Naqvi's involvement in the party's finances and how a significant portion of its funding in 2013 was of foreign origin.

According to the report, "Naqvi transferred three instalments directly to the PTI in 2013, adding up to a total of $2.12 million".

In response, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry asked local media not to portray "our people as villains", as when a Pakistani Muslim's influence crosses a certain benchmark, it is not welcomed by the "Israeli lobby".

"Arif Naqvi's Abraaj Group became a $14 billion company. And when any Muslim and especially a Pakistani Muslim's influence crosses a certain limit, then it isn't welcomed by the Israeli lobby".

"Why should we become part of a propaganda campaign when we know it's Israel-backed?"

In a separate statement, Fawad said that the PTI demands that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should announce the verdict in all three parties' — PTI, PML-N, and PPP — funding case be announced at the same time.

"The PTI has submitted the details of more than 40,000 donors to the ECP. Overseas Pakistanis, just like they support Pakistan, they also support PTI," he said.

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Govt working to improve education standard: Rana Tanveer

Federal Education Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain says the government is working to improve education standard in the country in accordance with international standard.

Talking to media persons in Karachi on Friday, the Minister said a new system of training for teachers is being introduced.

Rana Tanveer Hussain said Higher Education Commission has been asked to introduce Ranking for universities at national level. He said skill based education will help youth to get job opportunities abroad.

The Minister said all education boards are being linked for integrated policies and steps are being taken to increase enrollment.

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PDMA Issues Alert Of High Level Flood In River Chenab

Provincial Disaster Management Authority has issued alert for high flood in Chenab river.

The high flood in the river is expected at at Marala Headworks in Sialkot district, Khanki headworks in Gujranwala district and Qadirabad headworks in Mandi Bahauddin district within next 24 to 48 hours, PDMA has warned.

The PDMA has advised all concerned departments to get completely prepared to tackle any emergency situation. The authority has also advised for cancellation of the leaves of staff and getting heavy machinery prepared to tackle any contingency.

Flood Forecasting Division has reported that water flow in River Chenab at Akhnor has reached 273,950 cusec and is rising continuously.

All relevant departments have been directed to remain alert and complete their preparation.

PDMA has advised all the authorities concerned to take all-out measures for evacuation of people.

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Punjab Assembly to elect new speaker today

The election for the Punjab Assembly speaker will be held today.

The Punjab Assembly is all set to elect a new speaker on Friday to fill the position left vacant by Pervaiz Elahi who has become the province’s chief minister. 

Tough contest is expected between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz . PTI and PML-Q have jointly fielded Sibtain Khan whereas Malik Saif ul Malook Khokhar of PML-N is the opposition’s candidate.

Meanwhile, no confidence against Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Mir Dost Muhammad Mazari was also moved on Thursday and voting in this regard is also expected today.

Parliamentary Leader in the Provincial Assembly Raja Bisharat submitted no-confidence motion against Dost Muhammad Mazari, which was passed by the house’s majority.

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NA speaker accepts resignations of 11 PTI MNAs

National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf accepted the resignations of 11 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf members exactly 109 days after they resigned from their seats.

The NA speaker accepted the resignations of several key PTI leaders, including former human rights minister Shireen Mazari, ex-interior minister Ijaz Ahmed Shah, ex-state minister for parliamentary affairs Ali Muhammad Khan and ex-state minister for information and broadcasting Farrukh Habib.

The other PTI lawmakers whose resignations have been accepted are Fazal Muhammad Khan, Shaukat Ali, Fakhar Zaman Khan, Jamil Ahmed Khan, Muhammad Akram Cheema, Abdul Shakoor Shad and Shandana Gulzar Khan. Mazari and Shandana were elected on the reserved seats for women from Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, respectively.

All of the lawmakers had resigned on April 11 when former premier Imran Khan was being ousted through a no-confidence motion by the then united opposition and the incumbent ruling alliance.

اسپیکر قومی اسمبلی @RPAPPP نے پی ٹی آئی کے 11 مستعفی ممبران قومی اسمبلی کے استعفے قبول کر لیے۔

قومی اسمبلی سیکرٹریٹ کی جانب سے استعفوں کے نوٹیفیکیشن جاری۔

اسپیکر قومی اسمبلی نے استعفے آئین پاکستان کی آرٹیکل 64 کی شق (1) کے تحت تفویص اختیارات کو بروئے کار لاتے ہوئے منظور کیے۔ https://t.co/oOOxPuqyyb

— National Assembly of Pakistan?? (@NAofPakistan) July 28, 2022

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Xi warns Biden over Taiwan question

Chinese President Xi Jinping has warned his US counterpart Joe Biden against “playing with fire” over Taiwan, as the pair held their fifth call as leaders at a time of simmering economic and geopolitical tensions.

International media reported that Xi told Biden that the United States should abide by the “one-China principle” and stressed that China firmly opposed Taiwanese independence and “interference” by external forces.

According to international media The White House said in a statement that Biden told Xi that US policy had not changed and Washington “strongly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait”.

Most recently, Beijing has issued escalating warnings over a potential visit to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, saying it would view such a trip as a provocation.

The self-governing island receives informal defensive support from the US, but Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve its goals.

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Pakistan Army assisting civil administration in rescue & relief efforts in flood affected areas

Pakistan Army and FC troops are assisting civil administration in rescue and relief efforts in the flood affected areas of Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh.

Two army aviation helicopters have been flown from Karachi to Othal, Lasbella. The helicopters will now shift stranded people to safer places and also transport necessary relief items.

General Officer Commanding at Gwadar visited Othal area to oversee rescue and relief efforts.

Ground rescue and relief teams are busy in Othal and Jhal Magsi to shift people to safer places and providing food and water to local residents.

Doctors and paramedics are providing medical care to the affected people.

The coastal highway has been opened for all types of traffic.

Efforts are being made to repair the damaged communication infrastructure and restore utilities.

Protection bund in Turbat which was breached has been repaired.

In Punjab, troops are assisting civil administration in relief efforts in DG Khan. Two medical camps have been established by Army to provide medical care to local people affected by the floods.

Apart from dewatering efforts in Karachi, troops are busy in relief efforts in Jamshoro and Gharo areas.

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Met Office Predicts More Rain In Various Parts Of Country

More rain, wind/thundershower is expected in upper and central Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, north and eastern Balochistan, Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan on Thursday.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department forecast, isolated heavy falls are likely in Kashmir, upper Punjab, Islamabad, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northeastern Balochistan during the next 24 hours.

The Met Office has also warned that heavy rains may generate urban flooding and flash flooding in local Nullahs of Karachi, Dadu, Sukkur, Larkana, Kalat, Khuzdar, Zhob, Loralai, Barkhan, Kohlu, Musa Khel, Sherani, Sibbi, Bolan, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan during the period.

The rainfall may trigger landslides in Kashmir, Galiyat, Murree, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Chillas, Diamir, Gilgit, Hunza, Astore and Skardu during the forecast period. Travelers and tourists are advised to remain more cautious during the forecast period.

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Pakistan detects another polio case

Pakistan reported another wild poliovirus case in the North Waziristan district, taking this year’s overall tally to 14, the Ministry of Health confirmed on Wednesday.

Following the virus paralysing another child in North Waziristan, the district’s tally reached 13, while the only case apart from the area has been reported from Lakki Marwat which was registered last week.

The Pakistan Polio Laboratory at the National Institute of Health said that the eight monthold girl who is the fresh victim was suffering from polio induced disabilities. All the 14 cases, the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination said, were reported in children under two years of age.

 

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Bangladesh seeking IMF loan but economy not in trouble

Bangladesh has asked to start talks on a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) but will take it only if conditions are favourable, the finance minister said on Wednesday, adding its macroeconomic conditions were fine.

The country’s $416 billion economy has been one of the fastest-growing in the world for years, but rising energy and food prices because of the Russia-Ukraine war have inflated its import bill and the current account deficit.

“A letter was sent to the IMF seeking assistance, but we have not mentioned how much we want,” Minister A.H.M. Mustafa Kamal told reporters.

“We are waiting to see their conditions. If the IMF conditions are in favour of the country and compatible with our development policy, we’ll go for it, otherwise not. Seeking a loan from the IMF does not mean Bangladesh’s economy is in bad shape.”

A senior IMF official had told Reuters on Tuesday that Bangladesh had asked it to start talks on a new loan under the global creditor’s Resilience and Sustainability Trust. Such funds are capped at 150 per cent of a country’s quota or, in Bangladesh’s case, a maximum of $1 billion.

Bangladesh’s Daily Star newspaper reported on Tuesday that the country wanted $4.5bn from the IMF.

Bangladesh’s economic mainstay is its export-oriented garments industry, which could suffer if sales fall in its main markets in Europe and the United States because of a slowdown in the global economy.

After garments, remittances are the second highest source of foreign currency for Bangladesh.

The South Asian country’s foreign exchange reserves fell to $39.67bn as of July 20 — sufficient for just over five months worth of imports — from $45.5bn a year earlier.

Its July to May current account deficit was $17.2bn, compared with a deficit of $2.78bn in the year-earlier period, as its trade deficit widened and remittances fell.

Sri Lanka and Pakistan are the other two South Asian countries to have sought IMF support this year.

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Bad light stops play with Pakistan chasing 508 in second Test against Sri Lanka

Bad light stopped play in the second Test in Galle with Pakistan on 89-1 in their mammoth chase of 508 against Sri Lanka on Wednesday.

Left-handed opener Imamul Haq, on 46, and skipper Babar Azam, on 26, were at the crease with more than 90 minutes and 26 overs of play left in the final session on day four.

Spinner Prabath Jayasuriya sent back first-match hero Abdullah Shafique for 16 with debutant Dunith Wellalage taking a good running catch at mid-off.

Dhananjaya de Silva hit 109 before Sri Lanka declared their second innings on 360-8 in the second session.

Tourists Pakistan, who won the first match of the two-Test series, face an almost impossible task if they are to make it 2-0.

They need to bat out over three sessions for a draw.

The West Indies hold the record for the highest-ever successful Test chase, 418 against Australia in 2003 at Antigua.

Sri Lanka had declared their second innings on 360-8 in the second session after resuming on 176-5.

De Silva made 109 before being run out at the non-striker’s end and skipper Dimuth Karunaratne called his batsmen back to the pavilion.

De Silva put on a key stand of 126 with overnight partner Karunaratne, a left-handed batsman who battled back pain during his knock of 61.

Beginning the day on 27, De Silva reached his ninth Test hundred with a cracking boundary off Mohammad Nawaz and raised his bat to the applauding dressing room.

Karunaratne fell in the first session after he escaped two close calls, which were unsuccessfully reviewed by Pakistan, off Nauman Ali’s left-arm spin.

Nauman finally got Karunaratne, caught at short leg, where Shafique took a sharp reflex catch.

Karunaratne, who had back spasms and did not field in the Pakistan innings, got help from the physio during his two hours and 45 minutes at the crease as he went past 6,000 Test runs.

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Haleem Adil Sheikh Arrested From Jamshoro

Opposition Leader in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh has been arrested by a team of anti-corruption establishment from Jamshoro.

The PTI leader Haleem Adil Sheikh went to an anti-corruption court in Jamshoro to appear before it, however, the ACE team arrested him from outside the premise.

An associate of the PTI leader accompanying him at the time of the arrest said that they went to the court to file their replies in the case. “We went to join the probe but they arrested him in another case registered against him,” he said.

He added that Haleem Adil is currently being kept at a police station and the police have shown them a letter from anti-corruption East Karachi on which orders the arrest was made.

 

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Banning me from Punjab will result in governor’s rule: Sanaullah

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that any ban on his or other ministers’ entry into Punjab would lead to governor rule in the country’s most powerful province.

Sanaullah warned of imposing governor's rule in Punjab after the Supreme Court removed Hamza Shahbaz as the chief minister and instated Imran Khan-backed Pervez Elahi to the top office.

"The summary to impose governor's rule is being drafted, and I personally have started work on it," Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah told a press conference.

The interior minister said if his entry into Punjab is banned, it might lead to the imposition of the governor's rule in Pakistan's most populated province as PTI leaders had suggested prohibiting his entry in Punjab.

The interior minister’s statement came in response to reporters’ query over the new Punjab government’s apparent plans to impose an embargo on a few federal ministers including Rana Sanaullah in an effort to pressurise the federal government to call early elections.

The interior minister said that the SC's decision will lead to further deterioration in the political arena which is a major reason for the rupee's fast depreciation.

Sanaullah added that after the no-confidence motion against former prime minister Imran Khan was successful, the PML-N opined for moving towards snap polls, indicating that the coalition partners did not agree.

He also added that once general polls take place, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif will come back to the country and lead the election campaigns.

"But now, the federal government is a government of coalition partners, and this coalition has formed governments in Sindh and Balochistan. The federal government has its own significance," he said.

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Hina to represent Pakistan at D-8 CFMs meeting

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar will represent Pakistan at 20th Developing-Eight Council of Foreign Ministers meeting to be hosted by Bangladesh.

With intra-D-8 trade target of five hundred billion dollars conceived under Decennial Road Map 2020-30, the Minister of State would be encouraging D-8 countries to swiftly implement the existing Preferential Trade Agreement.

Besides, prospects and implementation of D-8 Payment Card System, D-8 Barter Trade System and promotion of D-8 Creative Economy such as halal food will also come under discussion.

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President Alvi administers oath to Pervez Elahi as CM Punjab

Hours after the Supreme Court struck down Punjab Assembly deputy speaker’s ruling, President Dr Arif Alvi administered the oath of Punjab chief minister to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf candidate Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi at the President House.

Earlier, it was decided to host the swearing-in ceremony at the Governor House but to the Punjab governor's dismay, the ceremony was shifted to President House, Islamabad following his refusal to administer oath.

Elahi reached Islamabad at 1am on Wednesday morning to take the oath of office via a special flight from Lahore. Elahi was declared the chief minister elect by a Supreme Court ruling on Tuesday, which said that he should take oath of office by 11:30pm. The ruling said that if the Punjab governor did not administer the oath, Elahi would be sworn in by the president.

On the journey from Lahore, Elahi was accompanied by Zain Qureshi, Mian Mahmoodur Rashid, Murad Ras and Chaudhry Wajahat.

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Constitution's rule accepted, people's mandate respected today: Qureshi

Following the verdict of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to instate PTI's candidate Pervez Elahi as the chief minister of Punjab, the party's senior vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that "today, the Constitution's rule has been accepted and the Pakistani people's mandate has been respected".

"On July 17, the people of Pakistan accepted Imran Khan's narrative wholeheartedly and we reject this imported government," the ex-foreign minister said in a press conference.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court today declared Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari's ruling in the Punjab Chief Minister election "illegal" and ruled that Pervez Elahi will be the new CM of the province.

The Supreme Court's short order declared Pervez Elahi as the duly elected chief minister of Punjab as it ruled that he had obtained 186 votes compared to Hamza's 179.

The order also declared that the oath of office administered to Hamza was "without lawful authority and of no legal effect".

Berating the deputy speaker's ruling, Qureshi said Mazari "trampled the Constitution and did not follow the principles", adding that he did not care about the law.

He said that the judiciary tolerated the criticism with patience and fulfilled its responsibility. "The coalition government tried to employ delaying tactics to intimidate the judiciary."

Qureshi said that the decision has proved that Pakistan's judiciary is independent.

Former minister for planning and development Asad Umar said that Pakistan's politics has taken a new direction.

"There was a foreign conspiracy, however, Imran Khan did not bow before anyone or tolerate anyone's dictation," he said.

PTI's Senator Faisal Javed termed the decision as Imran Khan's victory and said that the decision was according to the law and Constitution, adding that the party wants the general elections to be announced immediately.

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PDMA issues alert on opening of Tarbela Dam spillway

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa disaster management authorities have issued a warning to take preventative action against flooding before opening the spillway of Tarbela Dam to flush out extra water and make room for fresh inflow.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) issued a warning that the spillway gates of the dam would be opened in the following 24 hours due to rising water levels, which could result in a lower-level flood in the Indus River.

It asked the district administrations in Swabi, Haripur and Nowshera to adopt precautionary measures for the safety of life and property.

The current water inflow in Tarbela Dam was recorded at 243,000 cusecs while the outflow was 136,800, adding that the water level at the dam had surged to 1,511 feet.

The authority also asked people residing alongside the banks of the Indus River to stay vigilant and observe water’s flow in the river, advising them to relocate their animals and essential household items to safer places in case of a water surge.

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Rescue operations underway in Karachi’s rain affected areas

Rescue and Relief operations are underway in rain affected areas of Karachi and civic agencies are busy in draining stagnant rain water from low-lying areas.

According to media reports staff of different departments including local bodies is busy in ensuring cleanliness in affected areas.

Most of the roads and areas have been cleared by civic agencies by using machinery and de-watering pumps.

Meanwhile complete ban has been imposed by commissioner Karachi on swimming in the sea due to on-going rains and high tides in the sea.

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CM punjab election: SC reserves judgement

The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its verdict on PML-Q leader Chaudhry Parvez Elahi’s petition challenging the deputy speaker’s ruling in the recently held re-election for the Punjab chief minister, which led to Hamza Shehbaz’s victory.

A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and Justices Ijazul Ahsan and Munib Akhtar is expected to announce the decision today evening.

Earlier today, the counsel for Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari, Irfan Qadir, informed the Supreme Court that his client had instructed him not to participate further in the case proceedings and he would instead file a petition for review of the court’s decision not to constitute a full bench.

PPP counsel Farooq H. Naek also declined to participate in the court proceedings. However, they both stayed in the courtroom and watched the proceedings.

During the election, Mazari had decided against counting the votes of 10 PML-Q lawmakers, which were cast in Elahi’s favour, citing a letter written by party President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain in which he had instructed them to vote for Hamza instead.

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Coalition Govt to boycott court proceedings

Leaders of the coalition government announced to boycott the court’s proceedings after the Supreme Court rejected the plea seeking the formation of a full court bench in petitions related to the Punjab chief minister’s re-election.

The coalition parties opted to boycott the court’s proceeding after a three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, and Justice Munib Akhtar turned down the government’s request for constituting a full court to hear the pleas regarding election of the Chief Minister of Punjab.

The PDM chief said that they would not appear before this bench for this case and will boycott it.

“If the full court is rejected, we also reject this decision of the judiciary, we will not appear before this bench and we will boycott the case,” he added.

Fazl said that the coalition govt did not want any interference in its affairs that impacts the administrative functioning, adding that the incumbent government, given mandate by the people, was not being allowed to function properly.

The PDM chief said that the proposal for the formation of the full bench was given to restore the public’s trust in courts but the courts should also assess their role and hold themselves accountable as well.

Fazl said the government wanted to fortify the judiciary but the decisions should speak themselves.

Speaking on the occasion Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stressed that only three judges could not decide the destiny of the nation.

Former prime minister and PML-N Vice President Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, while addressing the press conference, said it was a “test” for the Supreme Court as it was a requirement of justice that a judge or bench recuse themselves from a case in which fingers were raised on them.

“This is done in every court in the world where there is rule of law and the constitution,” he said.

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China launches second of three space station modules

China on Sunday launched the second of three modules needed to complete its new space station, state media reported, the latest step in Beijing’s ambitious space programme.

The un-crewed craft, named Wentian, was propelled by a Long March 5B rocket at 2:22pm (0622 GMT) from the Wenchang launch centre on China’s tropical island of Hainan.

A quarter of an hour later, an official from the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) confirmed the “success” of the launch.

Hundreds of people gathered on nearby beaches to take photos of the launcher rising through the air in a plume of white smoke. After around eight minutes of flight, “the Wentian lab module successfully separated from the rocket and entered its intended orbit, making the launch a complete success,” the CMSA said.

Beijing launched the central module of its space station Tiangong — which means “heavenly palace” — in April 2021.

Almost 18-metre long and weighing 22 tonnes, the new module has three sleeping areas and space for scientific experiments.

It will dock with the existing module in space, a challenging operation that experts said will require several high-precision manipulations and the use of a robotic arm.

“This is the first time China has docked such large vehicles together, which is a delicate operation,” said Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

He said until the next module arrives, the space station will have a “rather unusual L-shape” which will take a lot of power to keep stable.

“These are all technical challenges that the USSR pioneered with the Mir station in the late 1980s, but it’s new to China,” he said. “But it will result in a much more capable station with the space and power to carry out more scientific experiments.”

Wentian will also serve as a backup platform to control the space station in the event of a failure. The third and final module is scheduled to dock in October, and Tiangong — which should have a lifespan of at least 10 years — is expected to become fully operational by the end of the year.

Under Chinese President Xi Jinping, the country’s plans for its heavily promoted “space dream” have been put into overdrive. China has made large strides in catching up with the United States and Russia, where astronauts and cosmonauts have decades of experience in space exploration.

“The CSS (Chinese Space Station) will complete its construction... in one and half a year which will be the fastest in history for any modular space station,” said Chen Lan, analyst for the site Go-Taikonauts.com, which specialises in China’s space programme. “In comparison, the constructions of Mir and the International Space Station took 10 and 12 years, respectively.”

China’s space programme has already landed a rover on Mars and sent probes to the Moon. In addition to a space station, Beijing is also planning to build a base on the Moon and send humans there by 2030.

China has been excluded from the International Space Station since 2011, when the United States banned NASA from engaging with the country.

While China does not plan to use its space station for global cooperation on the scale of the ISS, Beijing has said it is open to foreign collaboration.

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Volcanic eruption triggers highest-level alert in Japan

A volcano on Japan's major western island of Kyushu, called Sakurajima, erupted at about 8:05 p.m. (1105 GMT) on Sunday, the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) said, but media said there were no immediate reports of damage.

"Eruptions are continuing, with another massive one reported early on Monday morning. Volcanic smoke reached a height of 2,200 meters (7,218 feet)," the weather officials said.

There were reports of volanic stones raining down at a distance of 2.5 km (1.5 miles) from the volcano, NHK public television had earlier said, adding that the eruption alert level had been raised to 5, the highest, with some areas advised to evacuate.

Sakurajima is one of Japan's most active volcanoes and eruptions of varying levels take place on a regular basis. In 2019 it spewed ash 5.5 km (3.4 miles) high.

Video footage from Sunday's eruption showed what appeared to be a red mass flowing down one side of the volcano, with red projectiles shooting out while smoke, hard to see in the darkness, billowed up.

Most of the city of Kagoshima is across the bay from the volcano but several residential areas within about 3 km (1.9 miles) of the crater may be ordered to evacuate, NHK had said.

Officials at Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's office were gathering information about the situation, it was quoted as saying.

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Russian FM reassures Egypt on grain delivery

Russia’s top diplomat reassured Egyptian leaders on Sunday that their orders for Russian grain would be met as he began a tour of African countries dependent on imports for their food supply.

“We confirmed the commitment of Russian exporters of cereal products to meet their orders in full,” Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a news conference after talks with Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry.

“President Vladimir Putin stressed this during a recent telephone call with Egyptian President (Abdel Fattah) al-Sisi.” Lavrov’s visit comes hot on the heels of a landmark deal Russia and Ukraine signed on Friday with the United Nations and Turkey aimed at relieving a global food crisis caused by blocked Black Sea grain deliveries.

Between 20 million and 25 million tonnes of grain have been blocked in Ukrainian ports since Russian troops invaded in February, as Ukraine has laid naval mines to prevent an amphibious invasion of its coast.

The deal provides for the creation of safe corridors for grain exports from three Ukrainian ports, and also seeks to facilitate Russian grain exports by removing them from the scope of Western sanctions.

“The (UN) secretary general (Antonio Guterres) took responsibility for lifting these illicit restrictions, imposed by the United States and the European Union against (Russian) financial and supply chains,” Lavrov said.

Ukraine, the two countries accounted for 85 percent of wheat imports to Egypt, which has been heavily impacted by what

Lavrov called “the so-called world food crisis” in an address to the Arab League in Cairo later Sunday.

Lavrov met Arab League head Ahmed Aboul Gheit and representatives of the 22 nations that make up the pan-Arab bloc.

The United States has sought to isolate Russia on the global stage over its invasion of Ukraine, but has faced less success in the Arab world, where many countries are hesitant to strain relations with Moscow.

Many such as Egypt have not clearly sided with either Russia or Ukraine, leading Lavrov on Sunday to praise Arab countries’ and the League’s “balanced, fair, responsible position”.

Several member states are heavily dependent on wheat imports from Ukraine and have been reeling from food insecurity, which Lavrov said Sunday had been “bluntly, unconditionally” blamed on Russia, “as if the food crisis started on the day we launched our special military operation in Ukraine”.

In addition to the coronavirus pandemic and supply chain problems, the diplomat said the crisis “was aggravated by the illegal Western sanctions against the Russian Federation”.

Despite a Russian strike on Ukraine’s port of Odessa Saturday, which Kyiv called a “spit in the face” to the freshly inked deal with Turkey and the UN, Lavrov lauded the agreement Sunday.

He told Arab leaders it will compel “Western countries to lift limitations and stop preventing Russian grain from being delivered to the buyers”.

After Egypt, Russia’s top diplomat is to visit Uganda, Ethiopia and Congo.

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Diamer's progress, prosperity lies with learning art of freelancing and IT literacy: Chief Secretary GB

A one-day seminar on "Learning the Art of Freelancing " held in Chilas by District Administration in collaboration with the Medio-Tech.

Chief secretary Gilgit Baltistan muhiyuddin Ahmed Wani and CEO GBRSP, Mr. Abdul Latif graced the ceremony with their presence, and distributed certificates among the trainees of 'Digital Diamer ' project.

In his speech, the CS GB, affirmed that the progress and prosperity of Diamer was lie with learning the art of freelancing and IT literacy.

He expressed his heartfelt felications to the organizers for introducing IT literacy in Diamer.

Further, he reaffirmed his support and patronage to the cause of 'Digital Diamer' as he has keen interest in boosting IT related skills in Gilgit Baltistan.

Chief Executive officer of GBRSP, Mr. Abdul Latif appreciated the cause of ' Digital Diamer ' and promised of his support for the next phase as well.

He said his organization was eager to work with enthusiastic and capable youth who came with sustainable ideas among the local community.

A large number of people, students, notables, head of departments and Ulma-e - Karam attended the seminar and expressed their immense gratitudes to the Medio-Tech in introducing IT literacy in Diamer.

 

 

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SC resumes hearing Pervez Elahi's petition on CM Punjab election

Supreme Court Monday resumed hearing the petition on Speaker Punjab Assembly Pervez Elahi's petition on the election of the province's chief minister — where he was defeated after PML-Q's votes were rejected.

Last week, the top court asked Chief Minister Punjab Hamza Shahbaz to stay "trustee" CM till Monday (July 25) and limited his powers, noting that if he appoints someone against merit, it will be considered null and void.

A three-member bench — headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, and comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar — is holding the hearing at the Supreme Court's room number 1.

Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari had dismissed PML-Q's 10 votes after party head Chaudhry Shujaat asked them to vote in favour of Hamza, but they did not follow his instructions.

But the PTI and Elahi did not accept this and approached the top court.

Today's hearing

At the outset of today’s hearing, Advocate Latif Afridi — the former head of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) — came to the rostrum and pleaded to the court on behalf of lawyers’ bodies, saying the system is facing dangers as there are numerous challenges.

“The review petition in the Article 63(A) case should be fixed before a full court,” Afridi said, as he noted that the political crisis in the country was deepening over time.

At this, CJP Bandial said that he was honoured that the former SCBA chief had put the matter before him, but noted that the court would take a decision after hearing all parties in the case.

CJP Bandial said that he did not want to issue a one-sided order and neither would he arrive at a decision under the advice of 10 former presidents.

"We need to hear the other side of the story as well," he said. At this, Afridi said that a full bench should be constituted and the available judges should be included.

Moving on, PPP lawyer Farooq H Naik said that he has requested to become a party in the case, at which the CJP told him that let the initial matters be wrapped up first.

"We will hear you, but let the proceedings move in line with the order. Please sit, I hope that your seat will be vacant," the CJP told Naik.

In response, Naik told him that "seats come and go".

During the proceedings, SCBA President Ahsan Bhoon said that he could not "imagine" pressurising the court, but noted that the review petition on Article 63A should be heard.

"What's the hurry Bhoon sahab, let us hear this case first," CJP said.

Barrister Ali Zafar — who is representing Elahi in the case — said that he has also remained the president of the bar. "The bar presidents should not be involved in such matters."

Deputy Speaker Mazari's lawyer, Irfan Qadir, too, when he came to the rostrum, said that since there are several confusions over the matter, a full bench should hear the case.

Then, Mazari's counsel read out the court's order issued on July 23. At this, the CJP asked the lawyer how the deputy speaker arrived at the conclusion that the court's order on Article 63 (A) gives the impression that it speaks about the party head.

"This question is for you [and] that is why a special bench has been formed. The question here is what happens when the party head and the parliamentary party's decisions differ?"

Qadir said that it was not his job to define what questions arise here, but it was the court's task. At this, the CJP asked him to read out Article 63 (A).

The CJP then said that the article mentions the party head and the parliamentary party.

"I am extremely confused as to what the question is here? I cannot understand what's the question?" he asked.

The CJP then said that maybe the lawyer was having trouble hearing the judges and warned him that he would be asked to sit at his seat if he cuts off any judge while they are speaking.

Justice Ahsan asked if the same person can issue declarations and instruct a parliamentary party at the same time. At this, Qadir said that the political parties' rights have been mentioned in the constitution.

Justice Akhtar then said that the deputy speaker issued the directions — during the Punjab CM election on July 22 — under the SC's ruling in the Article 63(A) case.

"There is no confusion in this case anymore, let someone else speak now," Justice Akhtar added.

 

Hamza submits plea to form full court bench

Earlier today, Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz filed a petition in the apex court to constitute a full court on the issue of the election of a CM for Punjab.

In the petition, it has been stated that the ruling given by Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari on July 22 is valid, while Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain's letter to his lawmakers is in accordance with the Constitution and the law.

The petition further stated that the Election Commission of Pakistan had upheld the instructions given in the letter written by Imran Khan against the defecting members.

Hamza requested in the plea to hear the appeals of the defected members against the ECP.

Govt sticks to full court hearing ask
The coalition government rulers held a press conference hours before the hearing started and demanded that a full court hear the case, not three judges.

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz said that "bench-fixing" is a crime similar to "match-fixing" and suo motu notice should be taken over it as she criticised a "specific" anti-PML-N bench being constituted for one-sided decisions.

PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto, too, reiterated that the coalition government only has one demand: the formation of a full bench to hear the case related to the Punjab CM’s election.

“This cannot happen that three people decide the fate of this country. Three people cannot decide on whether this country will run on a democratic, elected or selective system,” he said.

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Ruling coalition demands full SC bench for Punjab CM election case

The government and its allied parties have decided to file a writ petition in the Supreme Court for the formation of a full court bench regarding the Punjab Chief Minister’s election case.

PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz, along with other Pakistan Democratic Movement members addressed a press conference on Monday centred on the prevailing political situation that took a tailspin after Hamza Shahbaz’s election as the chief minister of Punjab.

Bilawal Bhutto said that these political parties want all the judges of the Supreme Court, as a full court bench, to hear the petition on the Punjab chief minister election. This would defeat conspiracies against democracy. Currently, a three-member bench is hearing the case.

Maryam Nawaz went over the details of the lead-up to the Punjab chief minister election and what happened after. Ever since Hamza was made chief minister he has not been allowed to work, she said. He is bouncing from court to parliament and parliament to court.

Analyst Shaukat Paracha of Aaj News explained that this press conference was a show of political strength on a legal matter in the Supreme Court. Maryam Nawaz was referring to judicial intervention during the time of the previous chief justice but the matter of interest is what the Supreme Court announces as the verdict in the Punjab Deputy Speaker case. That is due later today.

It is serious that Maryam talked about match-fixing and bench fixing, said Paracha. Bench fixing implies that a bench is fixed to favour one party or the other. “Her talk was hard-hitting,” he said. The PML-N used the strongest language.

According to Paracha, Bilawal Bhutto spoke more about democracy, which is a standard PPP line. Fazlur Rehman referred to a hidden hand. All parties with the exception of TLP and Jamaat-e-Islami were present. It is s powerful message that these are far-reaching decisions that a full bench should make, he said. They spoke not just about the Punjab Assembly matter, but older verdicts, such as the count of 25 votes.

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FO rejects baseless comments by Indian defence minister

Pakistan completely rejected and strongly condemned the unwarranted and totally unacceptable comments made by the Indian Defence Minister at a recent event in Jammu, the Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement.

The minister in his remarks distorted the well-established historical facts about the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, leveled baseless allegations and hurled threats against Pakistan, he added.

This is not the first time that a senior Indian politician has tried to cast aspersions on the legitimate, indigenous and just freedom struggle of the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir. However, provocative statements by Indian political figures cannot alter the reality of IIOJ&K, says a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Spokesperson said, “India needs a reminder from history that the Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally recognized dispute that remains on the agenda of the United Nations and its solution lies in the implementation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. Pakistan will always continue to lend all possible support to the people of IIOJK in their just struggle to attain their right to self-determination.”

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Despite global inflation, Pakistan not as vulnerable as people think: SBP

State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Acting Governor Dr Murtaza Syed has refuted talk that the country was headed towards an economic catastrophe, saying “Pakistan is not vulnerable as [is] being assumed amid burgeoning global inflation”.

Dr Syed made this observation during a podcast conducted by the SBP on Saturday discussing the overall economic situation. This is the second time within a span of 24 hours that the SBP acting governor addressed the economic situation.

Fears have risen about Pakistan’s stuttering economy as the rupee fell nearly eight per cent against the US dollar in the last trading week, while forex reserves stand below $10 billion with inflation at the highest in more than a decade.

Yesterday, he told Reuters that Pakistan’s s $33.5 billion external financing needs were fully met for financial year 2022/23, adding that “unwarranted” market concerns about its financial position will dissipate in weeks.

In the podcast, the SBP governor underlined that Pakistan was not vulnerable “because it has the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cover”.

He shared the examples of countries like Ghana, Zambia, Tunisia and Angola, saying they would suffer economically owing to their not being in an IMF programme.

“Other countries having no IMF programme will suffer badly in the next 12 months due to rising global inflation,” he said.

He insisted that the IMF programme was “on track” as the staff-level agreement had been received, which according to Dr Syed, was a significant milestone.

“We achieved the agreement on July 13 which means the IMF staff is satisfied with our measures to complete the review.”

He added that Pakistan’s debt-to-GDP ratio was 70 per cent, which is lower than Sri Lanka, Ghana and other countries whose comparisons were being drawn with each other.

He explained that short-term debt had to be looked into. “In our case, it is 7pc [of total external debt].”

“It is also important to see on what terms borrowing is made. Mere 20pc of our external debt is based on commercial terms, while the rest is concessional, which is easier to return.”

Underlining measures taken by the SBP and the government to streamline the economy, he stressed the need to analyse the adjustment of policies.

“In Pakistan’s case, since our growth rate is doing well, we can afford to slow the economy and work is underway [on it],” he added, and mentioned the recent interest-rate hike as one of those measures.

Dr Syed said the next 12 months would be “difficult” for global economies in view of the “inflation supercycle”.

In response to a question, he said the acting governor has all authorities as that of a governor, except “signing on currency notes”.

SBP Deputy Governor Dr Inayat Hussain said the country’s reserves were sufficient enough to carry it through the next few months.

He also informed the host that the country had gold worth $3.9 billion which was in addition to the overall reserves of over $9 billion.

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Hundreds protest Tunisia constitution ahead of vote

Hundreds of people protested Saturday in Tunis against a draft constitution put forward by President Kais Saied, demanding his resignation before Tunisia votes on the disputed charter.

The referendum will take place a year to the day after Saied sacked the government and suspended parliament in a decisive blow against the country’s often chaotic young democracy.

“Get out”, the demonstrators yelled as they waved Tunisia’s red-and-white flag at a gathering on Habib Bourguiba Avenue in the capital.

“The people want the fall of Kais Saied; the people want the fall of the constitution,” chanted those who rallied in response to a call by the National Salvation Front (FSN) opposition alliance.

Tunisia is preparing to vote tomorrow on a draft constitution that would enshrine the vast powers that Saied has exercised since he sacked the government and suspended parliament on July 25 last year.

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Arshad Nadeem secures 5th place at World Athletics Championships with season's best throw

Pakistani Olympian Arshad Nadeem secured fifth place in the men's javelin throw final at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, United States. It was his best throw of the season.

The athlete had secured his spot in the final on Friday by throwing at a distance of 81.71 metres during his group B qualifying round to finish ninth overall.

In the final, Nadeem threw at a distance of 86.16 metres, his season best, despite not being fully fit.

Meanwhile, India's Neeraj Chopra got the silver medal with throw of 88.13m.

Participation in the World Athletics Championship was Arshad's first major international event since Tokyo Olympics. He is the first Pakistani to have qualified for the World Athletics Championships.

Neeraj, meanwhile, played three events only in June this year.

The 25-year-old Pakistani javelin thrower rose to prominence last year when he qualified for the final of the Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first Pakistani athlete to compete in the final of any track and field event in Olympic history.

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Imran feels noose around him tightening in foreign funding case: Ahsan

Planning minister Ahsan Iqbal, in reaction to a news report of a national reconciliation in the works, has attributed it to PTI Chairman Imran Khan feeling the "noose around him tightening" in the foreign funding case.

"Perhaps Imran Khan feels the noose around him tightening in the foreign funding case and so he has suggested such talks take place," Iqbal said.

The PML-N leader warned that no dialogue can be held for an "NRO" in the foreign funding case.

He said he is unaware of any plans for general elections to be held in October.

The establishment is considering a "soft intervention" under which it may mediate between PTI Chairman Imran Khan and the coalition parties — comprising PML-N, PPP, JUI-F, and others.

Sources said that there are chances of a "grand dialogue" between the Opposition and the government with the intervention of the establishment.

The development comes as the Pakistani rupee continues its downward trend against the US dollar and the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) also witnessing constant plunges in recent sessions — both markets recording historic lows.

Not only this, but there has also been persistent political instability since Khan's ouster from power with political parties in a tug of war over Punjab.

Hamza Shahbaz of the PML-N, a candidate of the present coalition government, took oath twice as Punjab chief minister in the last four months but with his appointment challenged time and again in the courts, the matter has now gone to him being appointed a trustee chief minister until Monday.

The situation has given way to the likelihood for the next general elections to take place soon, with the sources putting the time frame at October.

 

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Heavy rain expected in Karachi

Pakistan Meteorological Department forecast heavy rain in the metropolis today.

According to chief meteorologist Sardar Sarfaraz, the monsoon system is affecting Sindh and heavy rain is expected in Karachi between 8 and 9am today while heavy rain may continue intermittently throughout the day.The highest amount of rainfall received during the last 24 hours was in Quaidabad (4.5mm), followed by Saddar (4mm), Korangi (3mm), Gulshan-i-Hadeed (3mm), PAF Masroor base (2.4mm), Orangi Town (2mm), University Road (1.5mm), PAF Faisal base (1.5mm), Keamari (1.4mm), Jinnah Terminal (0.8mm), DHA Phase 2 (0.6mm), North Karachi (0.6mm) and old airport area (0.6mm), data from the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) showed.

Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab said it had been "raining constantly" in Karachi since early morning.

"However, the situation so far has been under control. All main roads and underpasses remain clear for traffic. Water piled up on the side of the roads will be brushed out," he said.

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WHO declares global health emergency over monkeypox

The World Health Organization on Saturday has activated its highest alert level for the growing monkeypox outbreak, declaring the virus a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

The decision was made after WHO's expert team held a second meeting to discuss the situation, though the Emergency Committee didn't reach a consensus.

"In short, we have an outbreak that has spread around the world rapidly, through new modes of transmission, about which we understand too little," Tedros said.

Tedros also made it clear that for the time being the monkeypox outbreak is "concentrated among men who have sex with men, especially those with multiple sexual partners."

"That means that this is an outbreak that can be stopped with the right strategies in the right groups," he added.

Tedros called for all countries to "work closely with communities of men who have sex with men," and protect both the health, human rights and dignity of affected communities.

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