India’s Election Commission said on Thursday it sought responses from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress on alleged violations of poll rules by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and opposition leader Rahul Gandhi.

India is holding the world’s largest election over seven phases, with votes due to be counted on June 4.

In their complaints to the commission, the BJP accused Gandhi and Congress accused Modi of making divisive speeches on religion, caste and linguistic issues, notices from the panel said.

Modi, who is seeking a rare third consecutive term, referred to Muslims as “infiltrators” and “those who have more children” during a campaign speech on Sunday, drawing widespread criticism from opposition groups and a complaint from Congress to the poll panel.

The BJP has said in its complaint that Gandhi sought to create divisions based on linguistic and cultural issues.

The election panel has sought responses from BJP president JP Nadda and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge by April 29.

India sieves online deluge to stamp out disinformation

As nearly a billion voters head to the polls, officials like Indian Forest Service official Surya Sen counter rapidly spreading online misinformation from election cells that also monitor television and public camera images.

“Social media is the primary ground for misinformation,” said Sen, whose team monitors social media from an office in India’s Silicon Valley city of Bengaluru.

Sen works with an external agency, where 30 people use keyword-tracking software and monitor high-profile influencers around the clock. His operation is one of hundreds nationwide coordinating with India’s election commission.

At the same time, Sen’s in-house team of 40 sifts online posts by political parties to detect everything from hate speech to fake news that violates polling rules.

Just last week, two AI-generated deepfake videos of Bollywood stars criticising Modi and asking people to vote for the opposition Congress went viral, drawing half a million views.

Many were deleted but some are still online, despite two police investigations in the financial capital of Mumbai.

In a statement, the Election Commission said its officials across India had received “instructions to be proactive in scotching fake news on social media”.

Sen showed Reuters his messaging app WhatsApp, which was constantly buzzing with alerts from the external agency flagging content that could disrupt public order or violate election rules, such as the use of hate speech.

These were among the results of online searches for terms such as “Modi” and “democracy”.

Sen did not identify the external agency, which also tracks posts from a private list of social media influencers with numerous followers, giving them an increasingly louder voice in shaping the public narrative in India.

“We cannot do this job ourselves,” Sen said, explaining why the work had to be outsourced. “We do not have the expertise and resources … [It] is a very, very difficult job.”

Suspect posts are flagged to senior election officials for further action, such as directives to Facebook or X to remove content, or legal action against users.

Sen added that 36 such cases have so far been registered in Karnataka, the southern state that houses Bengaluru.

Since the last general elections in 2019, the number of internet users in India has swelled 43 per cent to about 820 million, fed by the growing use of smartphones and Facebook, WhatsApp and X.

In a similar office in northern Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state with 240m people, Reuters encountered just two people working on laptops amid rusting metal racks, tracking online posts by repeatedly refreshing pages.

The team manually reviewed all posts on X that tagged the state election panel’s account, ran keyword searches every 20 minutes and used tools such as Google image search to run authenticity checks before flagging controversial content.

“We were not given any formal training or any specialised software,” said one of the invigilators, Harsh Vardhan Singh. “We keep an eye on every post.”

The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday ordered private entities and government authorities, provincial and federal, to remove all encroachments made on pavements for security purposes within three days.

A three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa alongside Justices Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Naeem Akhtar Afghan was hearing a 2010 petition filed by former Karachi mayor Naimatullah Khan seeking the SC’s intervention to get amenity plots vacated from “land mafia and political parties” in the city, as well as around 145 other related cases regarding encroachments on public spaces, illegal constructions and conversion of residential properties into commercial ones.

After the proceedings of the Gujjar, Orangi and Mehmoodabad nullah cases concluded for the day, Justice Isa remarked that the government had greater responsibility to answer for any encroachments by it.

He said pavements outside the Governor House, Chief Minister House, Naval Headquarters, rangers headquarters and the SC were all encroached on by the government, adding that he had gotten all such constructions removed from outside the apex court’s Karachi registry.

“Do you have a right to close off the pavements?” CJP questioned an additional advocate general of Sindh to which the latter replied: “No, but these [encroachments] are made to ensure security [of these offices and buildings] from threats of bombs.”

Justice Isa next asked, “So the public can be attacked but you should remain safe. What kind of law is this?”

The chief justice subsequently directed that all pavements outside provincial and federal government authority offices and private entities should be cleared or the court would issue contempt notices to those who blocked them.

He said that pavements were meant for pedestrians and if the authorities wanted to barricade access to their buildings then they needed to do it inside their premises.

“They do it outside because how can they let anything happen to their lawns,” CJP Isa remarked.

He emphasised that barricading around the world was done inside buildings while “pavements are for the public”. “If law enforcement agencies are so scared then they should leave these places and make their offices in remote areas,” CJP Isa added.

The Sindh advocate general assured the court that the government would remove all encroachments from pavements.

Addressing the advocate general and the federation, CJP Isa said, “It is unfortunate that encroachments are made by those who are paid by the public exchequer. You are here to serve the people, not protect yourself.”

Dictating the order of the day, Justice Isa, directed all land-owning agencies to remove all encroachments from pavements within three days.

After three days, he said encroachments should be demolished by the relevant authorities, adding that the cost of that exercise would be paid by the most senior officer in the building at fault.

Karachi Metropolitan Corporation counsel Umar Lakhani assured the court that all encroachments on pavements alongside the 106 roads under the body’s jurisdiction would be cleared.

The case was subsequently adjourned for tomorrow.

Amidst the controversy over alleged interference by intelligence in judicial affairs, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa on Thursday said he had received no complaints of meddling during his tenure so far as the country’s top judge.

“Since I’ve been chief justice, I have not received a single complaint from any high court judge that there has been interference in their work. If there has been interference in their work, it has not been reported to me,” he said while addressing the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA).

The top judge’s remarks come amid the situation revolving around the allegations made by six Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges against interference in judicial affairs by the country’s intelligence apparatus. On March 25, six IHC judges — out of a total strength of eight — wrote a startling letter to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) members, regarding attempts to pressure judges through abduction and torture of their relatives as well as secret surveillance inside their homes.

The letter was signed by judges Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Babar Sattar, Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Saman Rafat Imtiaz.

A day later, calls had emerged from various quarters for a probe into the investigation, amid which CJP Isa summoned a full court meeting of the Supreme Court’s (SC) judges.

After a meeting between CJP Isa and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on March 28, the duo decided to form a commission to investigate the concerns of interference in judicial affairs following the cabinet’s approval. However, former CJP Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, who was appointed to head the commission, subsequently recused himself from the matter, leading to the apex court taking a suo motu notice of the issue.

On April 3, CJP Isa asserted that “any attack” on the judiciary’s independence would not be tolerated as he hinted at forming a full court to hear a suo motu case pertaining to allegations of interference in judicial affairs.

The chief justice addressed the issue today during his SHCBA address, saying that the incidents mentioned in the IHC letter were from before his tenure as the top judge began.

“Interference is not acceptable, but at the same time, nothing has been reported to me during my watch.”

Reminiscing about his time working at the Sindh High Court building, the CJP said: “I have many memories of this building and the one next to it,” adding that the high court building is “indeed an architectural gem”.

Marine wildlife experts were frantically trying to rescue some 140 pilot whales stranded on Thursday in the shallow waters of an estuary in the southwest of the state of Western Australia.

The whales are stranded at Toby Inlet in Geographe Bay, the Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions said.

The area is near the town of Dunsborough in a region popular with tourists, and about 236 kilometres south of the state capital Perth.

“We understand there are four pods of up to 160 pilot whales in total spread across about 500 metres. Unfortunately, 26 whales that stranded on the beach have died,” a department spokesperson said in a statement.

“A team of experienced staff, including wildlife officers, marine scientists, veterinarians are on site or on their way.”

Based on previous strandings, “these events usually result in the beached animals having to be euthanised as the most humane outcome,” the spokesperson said.

Photos posted on Facebook by the state’s Parks and Wildlife agency showed a crowd of people near several beached whales.

Ian Wiese, from whale conservation group Geographe Marine Research, said more than 100 volunteers were at the scene.

“They were trying to comfort them and make sure that their heads were out of the water so they could breathe,” Wiese told Australian Broadcasting Corp television from the estuary.

In July last year, more than 50 pilot whales died after stranding on a remote Western Australia beach. The state experienced its largest whale stranding at Dunsborough in 1996 when 320 pilot whales beached themselves.

Pilot whales are known for their tight-knit social bonds, so when one gets into difficulty and strands, the rest often follow, according to the University of Western Australia.

ISLAMABAD: Amid continuously rising domestic prices, the government on Thursday decided to import at least 200,000 tonnes of urea to meet ongoing kharif requirements.

Subject to the proverbial endorsement by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet in its upcoming meeting, a decision to import urea was taken at a meeting of the Fertiliser Review Committee (FRC) presided over by Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain.

In recent days, the local producers have increased the urea prices, one after the other, by Rs500 to Rs700 per 50kg bag during the current month alone without any noticeable movement in input costs amid estimates that urea consumption could be 18-20pc higher this season.

The relevant authorities are already reported to have sought explanations from the urea producers, who have also been holding back hundreds of billions of rupees collected from consumers on account of Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC) for more than a decade.

The Ministry of Industries and Production said in a statement that it had “recommended the import of 200,000 tonnes of urea to stabilise prices and supply in the country during kharif.”

It said the decision was taken in the FRC meeting after analysing consumption patterns, available stock, and future needs during the kharif season.

The meeting was told that demand for urea increased by 3.6 per cent compared to the previous year. The anticipated demand for the kharif season is approximately 3.442 million tonnes. The available stock in the country stood at approximately 3.192m tonnes. The shortfall will be met by importing 200,000 tonnes, and the rest will be met by increasing production in the local fertiliser plants.

“All local urea plants will remain operational at full capacity to meet the demand,” the statement said, adding that the government was ensuring smooth gas supply to the fertiliser industry.

The minister said the timely arrival of imported urea would help ensure food security by increasing farmers’ productivity and stabilising local prices.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2024

KARACHI: March emerged as the most beneficial month of the current financial year for the country, as inflows from all sources increased, along with a 29 per cent rise in receipts through Roshan Digital Accounts (RDA).

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reported that inflows through RDA increased by $182 million in March, up 29pc from $141m in February, bringing the total to $7.660 billion, compared to $7.478bn in the previous month. This growth is encouraging for both the SBP and the government, as they struggle to improve their payment capacity for imports and debt servicing.

The breakdown of inflows in March, as reported by the SBP, shows that out of the total inflow ($182m), $17m has been repatriated so far. The amount utilised locally during the same month was $135m, resulting in a net liability to be repatriated of about $30m.

The country has received a total amount of $7.66bn under RDA so far. This is encouraging for the government, as out of these total inflows, $4.8bn has been utilised locally. This indicates that the inflow under RDA has reduced the burden on the SBP to provide more dollars. The SBP reported that $1.576bn under RDA has been repatriated so far, leaving $1.283bn to be repatriated.

In the same month, March, the government received $3bn in remittances, much higher than February, which supported the declining foreign exchange reserves and helped the central bank maintain a stable exchange rate. Another positive report was about the inflow of foreign investment in treasury bills, which exceeded the inflow for the record-breaking equity market, reaching $20m in the first nine days of April.

The number of accounts under RDA also increased in March to 679,792 from 668,701 the previous month.

The highest amount, $840m, came for the Naya Pakistan Certificates (NPCs). According to the SBP website, $312m was in conventional NPCs and $528m in Islamic instruments.

RDA was launched to bring back the outflow of foreign investments from domestic bonds after the emergence of Covid-19. While it succeeded in attracting dollars, it did not do so at the rate or frequency with which foreign investors had turned towards treasury bills and Pakistan Investment Bonds before Covid-19. The country received more than $4.5bn in domestic bonds, but more than 90pc left the country within a few months of Covid-19.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2024

ISLAMABAD: The World Bank projects that global commodity prices will fall 3 per cent in 2024, but the conflict in the Middle East could halt the inflationary decline.

“The World Bank commodity price index is expected to fall 4pc in 2024, following a projected decline of nearly 24pc in 2023, the sharpest drop since the pandemic”, noted the latest Commodity Markets Outlook (CMO) released on Thursday.

Energy prices are expected to decline by almost 5pc in 2024 and remain relatively stable in 2025. Agriculture prices are expected to decline over the forecast period, while metal prices are set to fall in 2024 but see a 6pc uptick in 2025, the CMO forecast assuming that the conflict in the Middle East will have a limited impact on commodity prices, though geopolitical risks remain high.

On the other hand, disappointing global growth presented a downside risk, especially for industrial commodities, the CMO said. Additional trade restrictions and intensification of El Niño could push food prices higher, it warned.

Warns ME tensions could hit global progress on inflation

The report said global commodity prices were now leveling off after a steep descent that played a decisive role in reducing overall inflation last year. This could make it harder for central banks to cut interest rates quickly.

The World Bank’s forecasts call for a decline of 3pc in global commodity prices in 2024 and 4pc in 2025. That pace will do little to subdue inflation that remains above central bank targets in most countries. It will keep commodity prices about 38pc higher than they were on average in the five years before the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Global inflation remains undefeated,” said Indermit Gill, the World Bank Group’s Chief Economist and Senior Vice President. “A key force for disinflation — falling commodity prices — has essentially hit a wall. That means interest rates could remain higher than currently expected this year and next. The world is at a vulnerable moment: a major energy shock could undermine much of the progress in reducing inflation over the past two years.”

Persistently high geopolitical tensions over the past two years have propped up the price of oil and many other critical commodities even as global growth has slowed. The price of Brent crude oil, for example, surged to $91 per barrel earlier this month — nearly $34 per barrel above the 2015-2019 average.

The CMO projected that Brent prices will average $84 per barrel in 2024 before declining to an average of $79 in 2025, assuming no conflict-related supply disruptions.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2024

KARACHI: Faysal Bank Ltd (FBL) continued its growth stride during the first quarter of 2024, with a profit after tax doubled to Rs6.5 billion compared to Q12023.

Earnings per share increased from Rs2.12 to Rs4.29, while the bank also declared an interim cash dividend of Re1 per share.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2024

LOS ANGELES: Pro-Palestinian protests spread to more college campuses in the United States on Thursday as authorities appeared to be running out of patience and police carried out large-scale arrests.

Students at some of the country’s most prestigious universities have staged occupations over the growing human toll of Israel’s aggression in Gaza. Sit-ins and boisterous demonstrations, including a new one that sprung up at the University of California, Los Angeles, are calling for colleges to sever ties with Israel and with companies they say profit from the conflict.

“For 201 days, the world has watched in silence as Israel has murdered over 30,000 Palestinians,” said a message posted online by organisers of the UCLA protest.

“Today, UCLA joins students across the country in demanding that our universities divest from the companies which profit off of the occupation, apartheid and genocide in Palestine.” More than 200 protesters were arrested on Wednesday and early Thursday at universities in Los Angeles, Boston and Austin, Texas, where a fresh rally was scheduled for midday.

Over 200 protesters arrested at universi­ties in Los Angeles, Boston and Austin

Photographs and video from Emory College in Atlanta showed police wrestling with protestors on neatly manicured lawns. The spreading protests began at Columbia University in New York, where a midnight deadline was approaching for students to remove an encampment that has become the epicentre of the movement.

Visiting the campus on Wednes­day, top Republican leader House Speaker Mike Johnson condemned the nature of the protests and suggested it could be necessary to bring in the National Guard — a controversial statement in a country that saw Guardsmen shoot and kill protesters at Kent State University in 1970.

Arrests and campus closures

The protests pose a major challenge to university administrators who are trying to balance campus commitments to free expression amid complaints that the rallies have crossed a line.

Student protesters say they are expressing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where the death toll has topped 34,305, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

Demonstrators, including a number of Jewish students, have disavowed instances of anti-Semitism and criticised officials equating it with opposition to Israel.

Demonstrations also flared at the University of Southern California’s (USC) Los Ange­les campus, where 93 people were arrested for trespassing on Wednesday and at the Uni­versity of Texas (UT) in Austin, where 34 were arrested, according to authorities.

USC said on social media site X at around midnight that the protest had ended and the campus would remain “closed until further notice.” “Students, faculty, staff and people with business on campus may enter with proper identification,” the university said.

Los Angeles police officers went to the campus on Wednesday afternoon and “assisted the university in effecting trespass arrests” when protesters refused to leave, Captain Kelly Muniz told reporters. The LAPD said there were no reports of injuries and patrols would remain in the area on Thursday.

At Emerson College in Boston, local media reported that classes were cancelled on Thursday after police clashed with protesters around 2am, tearing down a pro-Palestinian encampment and arresting 108 people.

Coast to coast

In Washington, students from Georgetown and George Washington University (GW) established their own solidarity encampment on the GW campus on Thursday morning, the Georgetown Voice student publication reported, with a walkout planned at Georgetown.

Protests and encampments have sprung up at universities from coast to coast, including at New York University and Yale — both of which also saw dozens of students arrested earlier this week — Harvard, Brown University, MIT, the University of Michigan and elsewhere.

On Sunday, US President Joe Biden denounced “blatant anti-Semitism” that has “no place on college campuses.” But the White House has also said that the president supports freedom of expression at US universities.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2024

JIFTLIK: While feeding his sheep pricey fodder, Palestinian farmer Talib Edais wistfully glanced at the hills where his herd used to graze for free. This was up until an Israeli decision, last month.

“Do you see these troughs? We had to sell some sheep to feed the others. Within a year, we will not have any sheep left,” the 65-year-old told journalists at his farm, in the village of Jiftlik, near the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank.

Israeli authorities declared 8,000 dunams (800 hectares), as state land in March. The land in question is adjacent to Edais’s home and is an area that includes his sheep’s grazing grounds. These moves often lead to restrictions placed on Palestinians’ access to the lands.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 and established settlements deemed illegal under international law and has for decades, seized land in the Palestinian territory.

According to Israeli settlement watchdog, Peace Now, this year has already broken a record for most ‘land grabs’, which often lead to the expansion of settlements.

The advocacy group revealed that 10,971 dunams of land in the occupied West Bank, have been seized by Israel, this calendar year. This has occurred as the world’s attention has been focused on the devastating Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip, which began on October 7. The previous yearly record, according to Peace Now, was 5,200 dunams seized in 1999.

When an area is declared as state land, it makes the Israeli government its owner. Technically, this should not affect farming or other uses of land, until the lot is reallocated for development or handed over to private owners.

However, Peace Now found in 2018 that “99.76 percent of state land allocated for any use in the occupied West Bank, was allocated for the needs of Israeli settlements”.

From the land near the Jordanian border that Edais and 50 of his relatives have resided on since 1976, the farmer can see the nearby settlement of Masua and an Israeli army base. Before the Israeli order to seize the land had even taken effect, he said settlers ‘captured’ his sheep, claiming the animals had entered an ‘off-limits area’.

To retrieve them, his family was made to pay 150,000 shekels (about $39,500), to the Jordan Valley Regional Council. This is an administrative body of about two dozen settlements, including Masua.

Rights groups have denounced the increasing use of such tactics, ‘encouraging’ Palestinian displacement from lands, yearned for by settlers.

The Israeli defence ministry body responsible for Palestinian civil affairs, COGAT, and the office in charge of state lands, did not respond to repeated requests by reporters for comment.

Hamad Audi, a 55-year-old construction worker living in Jiftlik, told reporters’, what happened to Edais, came as ‘no surprise’. “The law is in the hands of the settlers, and the state (Israel) stands with them,” Audi said.

According to him, plenty of houses in the village have been ‘handed’ demolition notices by Israeli authorities, with one already demolished.

In March, 206 dunams (51 acres) bordering Jiftlik, were declared as a state-owned archaeological site and placed under the authority of the Jordan Valley settlement council.

The area is a rocky mound, where a former British Mandate-era prison and an Ottoman-era building stand. It is now inaccessible to Palestinians, living right next to it.

Around 490,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, alongside three million Palestinians. While settlements have consistently expanded under successive Israeli administrations, “in the last year we’ve seen a lot of developments”, said Yonatan Mizrahi, director of settlement watch for Peace Now.

Israel’s government, formed less than a year before the Gaza debacle began, includes extreme-right parties that support settlement expansion and politicians who call for the annexation of the West Bank.

To Audi, Palestinian life in the area is in danger.“I expect that the population of the entire Jordan Valley area will be displaced,” he said.

According to Mizrahi, many Israelis believe that “the Jordan Valley should be in Israeli hands no matter what”, owing to its geographical location as a buffer zone between the West Bank and Jordan. It is important to note that Israel had penned a peace deal with Jordan, in 1994.

Palestinian communities in the Jordan Valley, many of them farm-based, “have very little power”, Mizarhi added.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2024

VENICE: Venice launched a new scheme on Thursday to charge day-trippers for entering the historic Italian city, a world first intended to ease the pressure of mass tourism — but many residents are opposed.

Visitors entering the Unesco World Heritage site for the day have to buy a five-euro ($5.3) ticket, with inspectors carrying out spot checks at key entry points.

Considered one of the most beautiful cities on the planet, Venice is one of the world’s top tourist destinations — but is drowning under the weight of the crowds.

Around 10,000 tickets had been sold by the time the scheme began at 8:30am on Thursday, according to Simone Venturini, the local councillor responsible for tourism.

Under a trial system, the “Venice Access Fee” is being introduced on 29 busy days throughout 2024, mostly weekends from May to July. Thursday is a public holiday in Italy. There is no limit to the number of tickets available. Instead, the goal is to try to persuade day-trippers to visit during quieter times.

“I think it’s good, because it will perhaps slow down the numbers of tourists in Venice,” said Sylvain Pelerin, a French tourist who has been visiting for more than 50 years. Overnight visitors, who already pay a tourist tax, will be exempt, as will minors under the age of 14 among others.

But not everyone is happy, with some residents set to protest against a measure they say curbs fundamental rights to freedom of movement.

“This is not a museum, it’s not a protected ecological area, you shouldn’t have to pay — it’s a city,” Marina Dodino from the local residents association ARCI, said.

Luigi Brugnaro, the mayor of Venice, has said the new scheme is “an experiment”, monitored with “very soft controls” and “without queues”.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2024

PARIS: The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has accused Apple of using “illegally exploited” minerals extracted from the country’s embattled east in its products, lawyers representing the African country said on Thursday.

The DRC’s lawyers have sent Apple a formal cease and desist notice, effectively warning the tech giant it could face legal action if the alleged practice continues.

The Paris-based lawyers for the DRC accused Apple of purchasing minerals smuggled from the DRC into neighbouring Rwanda, where they are laundered and “integrated into the global supply chain”.

Contacted by AFP, Apple pointed to statements from its 2023 annual corporate report regarding the alleged use of so-called conflict minerals that are crucial for a wide range of high-tech products, “Based on our due diligence efforts… we found no reasonable basis for concluding that any of the smelters or refiners of 3TG (tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold) determined to be in our supply chain as of December 31, 2023, directly or indirectly financed or benefited armed groups in the DRC or an adjoining country,” it said.

Tech giant warned of legal action by DRC if practice continues

The DRC’s mineral-rich Great Lakes region has been wracked by violence since regional wars in the 1990s, with tensions reheating in late 2021 when March 23 Movement (M23) rebels began recapturing swathes of territory.

The DRC, the UN and Western countries accuse Rwanda of supporting rebel groups, including M23, in a bid to control the region’s vast mineral resources, an allegation Kigali denies.

“Apple has sold technology made with minerals sourced from a region whose population is being devastated by grave human rights violations,” the DRC’s lawyers wrote.

Sexual violence, armed attacks and widespread corruption at sites providing minerals to Apple are just some of the claims levelled in the letter.

Macs, iPhones, and other Apple products are “tainted by the blood of the Congolese people”, the DRC’s lawyers said.

Formal notice

French lawyers William Bourdon and Vincent Brengarth sent the formal notice this week to two Apple subsidiaries in France and lawyer Robert Amsterdam to the tech company’s US headquarters.

“Apple has consistently relied on a range of suppliers that buy minerals from Rwanda, a mineral-poor country that has preyed upon the DRC and plundered its natural resources for nearly three decades,” they wrote.

The DRC is rich in tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold - often referred to as 3T or 3TG - all minerals used in producing smartphones and other electronic devices.

The tech giant’s efforts to ethically source its minerals are “notoriously insufficient”, said Bourdon and London-based Amsterdam.

“Apple seems to rely mainly on the vigilance of its suppliers and their commitment to respect Apple’s code of conduct,” reads the official letter.

But both their suppliers and external audits appear to rely on certification from the Tin Supply Chain Initiative (ITSCI), “which has been shown to have numerous and serious shortcomings,” said the formal notice.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2024

NEW YORK: Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified at Donald Trump’s criminal trial on Thursday that he worked out a deal that would allow Trump to buy the silence of a former Playboy model who said she had an affair with him, but called it off.

Pecker, 72, said he signed an agreement with Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, to assign the rights to former model Karen McDougal’s story to a shell company that would hide the fact that Trump was paying for it. He said he called off the deal after speaking with a company lawyer.

“Michael Cohen said, ‘The boss is going to be very angry with you.’ And I said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m not going forward, the deal is off,’” Pecker testified. “He was very angry, very upset, screaming, basically, at me,” Pecker said of Cohen.

Pecker is a key witness in the case against the former US president, who is accused of falsifying business records to cover up a hush-money payment to another woman who said she had a sexual encounter with Trump, porn star Stormy Daniels.

Pecker testified that he told Cohen that Daniels was looking to sell her story in the weeks before the November 2016 election. He said he was frustrated that the Enquirer’s parent company, American Media, had already paid thousands of dollars to bury other stories that were unflattering to Trump.

“I thought it should come off the market, and if anyone was going to buy it, Michael Cohen and Donald Trump should buy it,” Pecker said.” Pecker said Cohen pressed American Media to buy Daniels’ story, but Pecker testified he did not want to be involved with a porn star.

Prosecutors say Pecker, who has not been charged with a crime, engaged in a conspiracy with Trump and Cohen to corrupt the 2016 election by suppressing unflattering stories that might hurt Trump’s candidacy. Pecker testified that after McDougal told his editor that she had a yearlong affair with Trump in 2006 and 2007, he advised Trump to buy her silence.

Pecker said he told Cohen he did not want the Enquirer to pay for the story, as it had already paid $30,000 to buy the silence of a Trump Tower doorman who claimed Trump had fathered a child of out wedlock, which turned out not to be true.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2024

Experienced allrounder Jimmy Neesham kept his cool to defend six off the last ball to clinch a four-run victory for New Zealand on Thursday in the fourth Twenty20 international against Pakistan in Lahore.

Pakistan needed 18 off the last over in their chase of 179 but Neesham came out in flying colours despite being hit for a boundary off the first ball, giving a packed Gaddafi Stadium crowd heartbreaks.

Opener Tim Robinson hit a maiden half-century to lift New Zealand to 178-7 in 20 overs before pacer William O’Rourke claimed 3-27 to keep Pakistan down to 174-8.

Returning allrounder Imad Wasim (22 not out) managed to hit the last ball for a single as New Zealand took an unassailable 2-1 lead in the five-match series with the last game on Saturday, also in Lahore.

Pakistan also lost the third match by seven wickets after winning the first by the same margin while the first match was abandoned after just two balls — all three in Rawalpindi.

The defeats are a jolt to a full-strength Pakistan side in their preparations for the Twenty20 World Cup to be held in the United States and the West Indies in June.

New Zealand, missing a host of players due to Indian Premier League, injuries and unavailability, can feel elated at their bench strength going into the World Cup.

Pakistan sensed they were in with a chance when Fakhar Zaman, who made 45-ball 61 with three sixes and four boundaries, lifted Pakistan from 79-4 with a 59-run stand for the fifth wicket with Iftikhar Ahmed who made a 20-ball 23.

But O’Rourke, playing only his fourth T20I, dismissed Ahmed to add to his wickets of Babar Azam (five) and Saim Ayub (20) to give New Zealand a boost. Fellow pacer Ben Sears (2-27) claimed Zaman’s wicket with 33 needed off 14 balls.

Earlier, Robinson batted with aggression.

Robinson’s 36-ball 51 with two sixes and four fours lifted New Zealand — who were sent in to bat — to 93-1 in 10 overs before Abbas Afridi’s career-best 3-20 helped Pakistan pull back.

New Zealand started briskly with Robinson and Tom Blundell, who made 28 off 15, putting on 56 for the opening stand in five overs.

But from 94-1 New Zealand lost three wickets, including that of dangerman Mark Chapman for eight, as Pakistan’s fielders held catches to back some good bowling by Abbas.

Dean Foxcroft chipped in with 34 off 26 deliveries and skipper Michael Bracewell added 27 to keep the scoreboard ticking as New Zealand managed 43 in the last five overs.

Pakistan were forced to make five changes as wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and Muhammad Irfan Khan were injured while they rested Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed.

PPP Senator Sherry Rehman on Thursday said that although her party had offered the PTI to form the government together, the latter did not “take the responsibility”.

In a video statement issued today, Rehman said: “PPP had offered them (PTI) to hold talks […] this has been said repeatedly. They were also told ‘come, form the government and take responsibility’ but they always step back from taking responsibility.”

The senator’s statement echoes those made by PPP leader Nadeem Afzal Chan in a TV interview this week, where he said his party approached the PTI but the latter refused to hold talks.

PML-N leader and former interior minister Rana Sanaullah had also stated the same earlier this month.

Recalling President Asif Ali Zardari’s parliamentary address a week ago — where he had called for moving on from the polarisation plaguing the country’s politics — Rehman reiterated that the PPP wanted to “take the country forward by holding dialogues with everyone”.

She stressed that “everyone will need to take responsibility at the moment.”

The PPP leader’s call for reconciliation and dialogue with the PTI comes after repeated sloganeering seen in recent National Assembly and Senate sessions, where the opposition lawmakers have protested against alleged rigging in the general elections and Imran’s detention.

In her statement today, Rehman said: “So, we say again that come and make the Parliament functional, especially the Senate. […] We want to accommodate everyone and also have the courage to listen to everyone’s valid demands.

“This was also President Zardari’s message and I think that it should be everyone’s message. If you deviate from it, then you are giving Pakistan a clear message, which is ‘we just want incitement. If I am, no one else exists. My way or the highway’,” she added.

The senator said the PPP was trying to “make the entire Parliament functional” so there could be a “new beginning”.

Highlighting that Parliament was the basis of democracy where “legislation [and] accountability” took place, she warned that not making it functional would lead to “further prolonged incitement”.

“Do not add fuel to the fire,” the senator advised, adding that it was imperative to “find the solution in tough times and not talk of only one’s own point”.

Regarding the PTI’s allegations of rigging in the February 8 general elections, the PPP senator noted that her party had also filed more than 50 complaints in election tribunals and there was a procedure to follow for everything.

“They say that scandalous level of rigging has been done against us. How many complaints have you filed in the tribunals then? 22? But not more than that,” she said.

Rehman called on the PTI to not turn Parliament into a “battleground” and to give a “message of maturity” that the party understood the challenges faced by the nation and prioritised them.

“If you want to prioritise the Constitution, the people and the public, then instead of movements — which failed badly in the past and only put your economy in further crisis — protest in a [proper] manner, for which parliamentary instruments exist,” Rehman said.

She urged the PTI lawmakers to perform their duties in the relevant committees, emphasising that “keeping the country at a boiling point was to no one’s benefit, especially an opposition party’s”.

The PTI, in collaboration with five other opposition parties, is set to launch a mass protest movement against what it calls the “worst-ever rigging” in the general elections and subsequent by-polls, on Friday.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday accorded formal approval to reform the National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) and formed a “special cell” to ensure their implementation.

In a meeting on the reforms in the electricity sector, the premier also directed the authorities to chalk up a comprehensive plan for the provision of power-efficient fans to the needy at affordable prices, according to a statement issued by the PM’s Office.

The meeting was informed in detail about issues and reforms and recommendations were also presented regarding the power distribution companies, their losses, privatisation, and outsourcing.

It was also informed about tariff rationalisation and power tariffs for industries and domestic consumers.

PM Shehbaz also asked the authorities to prepare a comprehensive plan to supply electricity to the industrial sector at a low cost to improve the performance and efficiency of industries. He said that industries should be provided electricity at lower tariffs to ensure economic progress and increase exports.

In a separate event, PM Shehbaz expressed the government’s commitment to empowering the youth with modern knowledge and vocational training to make them a valuable asset for the country.

The prime minister also met a delegation led by APM Terminals CEO Keith Svendsen. During the meeting, Mr Svendsen expressed interest in the first green transhipment terminal of Pakistan in Karachi.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2024

ISLAMABAD: Expressing grave concern over the security situation and rise in street crimes in various parts of Sindh, members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in the National Assembly on Thursday sought the federal government’s help to control the situation.

“If the Sindh government has failed to establish its writ, what role is the federal government playing?” asked MQM’s Sabheen Ghouri while speaking on a calling-attention notice regarding an increase in “incidents of suicide bombings in different parts of the country and incidents of snatching and gunshots in Karachi, Hyderabad and Kashmore”.

The MQM members protested against Information Minister Attaullah Tarar’s response when he termed the matter a provincial subject under the 18th Amendment and asked them to raise the issue in Sindh Assembly where the party has significant representation.

The minister, however, said the federal government was determined to eradicate terrorism and help the provinces improve their capacity-building to counter the menace as well as in the implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) which was finalised after the terrorist attack on Army Public School in Peshawar in 2014.

NA witnesses protest over minister’s claim that issue comes under province’s purview; Tarar says draft of National Counter Violent Extremism policy ready; PTI members outraged over travel bar on colleagues

Mr Tarar, who was responding on behalf of the interior minister, said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during his visit to Karachi on Wednesday had discussed the Safe City project with Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and the latter had assured him that the provincial government would soon establish a Safe City camera network across Karachi.

The minister disclosed that a draft of the National Counter Violent Extremism 2024 policy had already been submitted to the federal cabinet for approval.

Pandemonium

The house saw a rumpus due to the PTI members’ protest over the minister’s remarks when he accused the previous government of preferring talks with the Taliban militants, instead of implementing NAP.

He held the previous PTI governments in Punjab and KP responsible for the resurfacing of terrorism in the country.

Opposition Leader Omar Ayub took the floor and lodged a protest over the minister’s remarks, stating that people of KP had suffered the most because of terrorism. He recalled that the decision to hold negotiations with the militants was taken during an in-camera joint sitting of parliament which was also attended by the top military officials.

Mr Tarar said following the 18th Amendment, it was the provinces’ responsibility to improve law and order, adding that the federal government was ready to assist them in this regard.

Raising the issue, MQM’s Nikhat Shakeel regretted that several young people lost their lives during mobile phone snatching incidents in Karachi. If the Sindh police had failed in performing their duties, then what role the federal government was playing, she wondered.

MNAs Rana Ansar and Sabheen Ghouri asked the federal government to announce a policy of paying compensation to the victims of street crimes.

Syed Waseem Hussain, an MNA from Hyderabad, said 60 to 70 people lost their lives in three months during street crimes in Karachi. He said in the past, too, they had witnessed the prime ministers’ visits, formation of committees and JITs, but there was no improvement. He said the federal government could not absolve itself by merely declaring it a provincial subject.

Travel bar

The PTI members also protested over the inclusion of party legislators in the exit control list (ECL) and no-fly lists and asked the government to remove their names. They also protested over the information minister’s reply when he asked them for a list so that he could provide information to them.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan was of the view that instead of seeking the list, the minister should have provided them the required information.

He said it was not difficult for the government to search the names of parliamentarians in the lists and remove them.

The minister pointed out that the ECL contained the names of 4,842 people whereas 1,926 people had been placed on the PNIL (Provisional National Identification List) and both the lists had been prepared by the departments concerned following the legal procedure.

The PTI members accused the government of placing their names on the ECL as part of the alleged ongoing political victimisation.

Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah was apparently unable to run the house smoothly as on a number of occasions he was found helpless when lawmakers simultaneously started speaking, creating a fuss in the house.

At the outset, the treasury and opposition members protested over the absence of ministers, particularly Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, as the house was to take up the issues related to his ministry.

The NA will meet again on Friday morning.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2024

WASHINGTON: Following Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb’s extensive visit to Washington, the United States and Pakistan renewed a key framework on Wednesday to promote bilateral trade.

The Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), signed in 2003, is a vital platform for addressing bilateral trade issues. The US and Pakistan concluded the 9th TIFA meeting in February 2023. The last intersessional talks were held in Islamabad in May 2019.

The talks also followed Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi’s significant visit to Pakistan, during which the two sides explored various options for boosting trade to $10 billion over the next five years.

When asked for comments on the proposed deals between Pakistan and Iran a day after President Raisi’s visit, a US State Department spokesperson, Vedant Patel, said: “We advise anyone considering business deals with Iran to be aware of the potential risk of sanctions.”

On Wednesday, Thomas Montgomery, the acting spokesperson at the US mission in Islamabad, told journalists that officials from both nations deliberated on various avenues to bolster their trade and investment relationship.

The dialogue encompassed a wide array of topics, including good regulatory practices, digital trade, intellectual property protection, women’s economic empowerment, labour standards, textiles, investment, and agricultural issues,” he added.

The US embassy official also mentioned that ‘progress was made on crucial matters,’ such as access to US biotechnology products and beef within Pakistan.

During his visit, Finance Minister Aurangzeb also met US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu, a prominent figure in the so-called ‘cipher controversy’ that led to the ouster of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Washington denies any involvement in the parliamentary move to remove Mr Khan.

A statement issued after the Lu-Aurangzeb meeting said their discussions underscored ‘the political will in Washington’ to strengthen Pak-US ties.

The Iran-Pakistan joint statement emphasised the importance of cooperation in the energy sector, including trade in electricity, power transmission lines, and the import of Iranian natural gas through a long-delayed pipeline project linking Pakistan and Iran, without sharing further details.

However, the United States has repeatedly warned Islamabad against joining the pipeline project with Tehran, citing sweeping sanctions on Iran’s energy sector over its nuclear programme.

The recent developments underscore the complex dynamics at play in the region as nations navigate economic partnerships amidst geopolitical considerations and international sanctions.

The timing of the TIFA engagement is particularly significant, as such interactions are essential in advancing mutual objectives and strengthening economic relations.

The statement also emphasised the current status of economic ties, pointing out that the US stands as Pakistan’s largest export market, with ample potential for further expansion.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2024

ISLAMABAD: Amid supply chain challenges leading to the closure of refining units and storage constraints, the government has asked the Mini­stry of Interior and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to start immediate operations against oil smuggling with the support of other stakeholders.

Informed sources told Dawn the prime minister had also taken up the matter with the defence authorities to extend maximum support to the civil agencies concerned in eradicating smuggling, which causes annual losses of hundreds of billions of rupees and negatively affects the smooth functioning of the petroleum supply chain, including refineries and marketing companies.

Separately, the Ministry of Interior and the FBR have been directed to take “appropriate and immediate action to address this critical issue”, according to a communication of the petroleum division based on a complaint by the Oil Companies Advisory Cou­ncil (OCAC) to the Special Investment Faci­litation Council (SIFC) and the Prime Minister’s Office.

Interestingly, all the five domestic refineries jointly, individually and as part of the OCAC — an umbrella organisation of about three dozen refineries and petroleum marketing companies — have been writing almost daily to the petroleum division and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) about the challenges to their survival and threat to about $6 billion worth of upgradation plans because of the massive influx of smuggled oil products in the market.

Referring to letters to the SIFC, the petroleum division said the OCAC had highlighted the issue of petroleum smuggling, which posed a grave threat to the forthcoming investments in refinery expansion and upgradation projects under the Oil Refining Policy for Upgradation of Brownfield Refineries, 2023.

“This illicit activity not only bleeds the economy but also jeopardises the opportunity for substantial investments in refinery upgradation,” the petroleum division wrote to the interior ministry and the FBR on Thursday. “The ramifications extend beyond the refinery sector, impacting the profitability of oil marketing companies (OMCs), dealers, and disrupting the white oil pipeline operations.”

The petroleum division said the refineries were currently carrying huge stocks of high-speed diesel (HSD) due to the availability of smuggled fuel in the market. This reduced refinery throughput and production of other petroleum products.

“This situation is disturbing the entire oil supply chain and needs immediate correction,” the Ministry of Interior and FBR were told.

On the same day, the OCAC again reminded Ogra and the petroleum division that HSD stocks had reached a “critically high” level, enough for 44 days of consumption cover.

This posed “significant challenges to the sustainability of the oil industry. The alarming disparity between the high stocks of HSD (650,000 tonnes in storage) and the persistently low sales (14,700 tonnes against the planned 23,000 tonnes) is primarily attributable to the rampant smuggling of POL (petroleum, oil and lubricant) products from Western borders, has started to exert adverse effects on the refineries and OMCs”, the advisory council said.

The OCAC reminded Ogra that extensive deliberations on strategies to address the issue in many monthly product review meetings had been unsuccessful due to the pervasive influence of smuggled products.

“Demand destruction and surplus inventory have created a vicious circle, wherein the industry is struggling to maintain operational viability.”

The oil industry urged Ogra and the petroleum division to “recognise the cascading implications of this challenging situation, exacerbating financial strain throughout the supply chain”.

While the OMCs legitimately sold HSD during the peak agriculture season, suppressed market demand impacted their cash flows, rendering the oil marketing companies unable to fulfil their financial obligations to refineries and simultaneously retire letters of credit (LCs) for imported products.

Consequently, refineries’ ability to make timely payments for crude oil imports will be compromised. Because of these issues, the oil industry will again face similar challenges as encountered in 2022, when establishing LCs became an uphill task due to the country’s rating in the international market.

Due to high HSD stock levels, refineries were also constrained from curtailing their throughput, which also impacted the production of petrol and jet fuel.

The OCAC called upon the government institutions to “take immediate and decisive actions to restore market equilibrium and save the refineries, white oil pipeline and OMCs from collapse. The refineries also warned of “a serious threat to the opportunity of huge investment in the country due to the staggering influx of smuggled petroleum products from Iran”.

“It would, therefore, be most unfortunate if the planned upgradation projects are dela­y­ed or abandoned due to continued illicit activity which is already bleeding the economy and has disrupted the entire supply chain of petroleum products, adversely affecting the refinery health, white oil pipeline operations, and the profitability of oil marketing companies and dealers,” the council warned.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2024

LAHORE: Aiming for a 50-50 ratio of men and women in the police force, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif caused quite a stir on Thursday when she arrived at a passing-out ceremony for women constables and traffic assistants decked out in a Punjab police uniform.

Addressing the graduating class at Police Training College Chung, the chief minister said she envisioned a time when women would constitute half the police force, adding that she had directed the Punjab inspector general to increase the number of women police officers, who currently number around 7,000.

She expressed satisfaction that the training of women police constables had been conducted in line with best international practices and modern requirements, and told the graduating policewomen to always “take care of the oppressed and dispense justice”.

“After wearing the police uniform for the first time, I have realised that being a police officer or being sworn in as a CM is a very responsible job. In the chief minister’s office, we take decisions and you get them implemented,” she mused.

Opposition criticises move; Punjab police say rules allow chief ministers to don uniform for formal occasions

But the chief minister’s decision to attend the ceremony in full police regalia rubbed many the wrong way, especially the opposition PTI.

Opposition leader in National Assembly Omar Ayub, Yasmin Rashid, Moonis Elahi and Shahbaz Gill all criticised CM Maryam’s decision to don a police uniform.

The issue also remained among the top trends on social media, with many users questioning the logic behind the move.

However, others recalled that her father, Nawaz Sharif, had also made a similar gesture in the past when he was at the helm of affairs in the province.

A Lahore-based lawyer even went to the trouble of filing a petition before a sessions court, seeking the registration of a case against the Punjab chief minister for ‘impersonating’ a police officer.

But in the face of the criticism, both the PML-N and Punjab police defended CM Maryam’s actions.

“In the whole world, the head of the states can wear the uniform of their forces to enhance their respect. Nawaz Sharif did the same when he was in power and CM Maryam has followed him,” Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said in a statement.

Ms Bokhari said that by donning the police uniform, the chief minister had, in fact, increased the res­p­ect of the Punjab police, and advised her detractors not to be jealous.

In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), the Punjab police shared a copy of the relevant rules that govern how governors and chief ministers can dress on formal occasions.

As per the amended Punjab Police Dress Regulations, “chief minister may wear uniform on formal occasions like review of parades, while addressing police darbars, visiting police establishments or any such occasion as specified, for encouraging the police personnel and troops.”

“This has been widely celebrated by the police personnel, who view it as a commendable show of solidarity. The Central Police Office has received hundreds of messages in which police personnel have lauded this step. Female police officers are celebrating the event and have shared various pictures of Madam CM Punjab in uniform,” the police department tweeted.

Talking to Dawn, a former inspector general of police also said that the chief minister had not committed any violation of the law by donning the police uniform.

“There has been a practice of nominating someone like cricketers, children etc as goodwill ambassadors of police, and that person also wears the uniform. Similarly, a DPO is authorised to declare anyone a special police officer,” he said, adding that only someone was liable for prosecution only if they put on a police uniform with the intention to deceive or defraud.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2024

WASHINGTON / ISLAMABAD: The US State Department emphatically declared on Thursday that there’s ‘absolutely no’ undercurrent of discord between the United States and Pakistan, despite recent sanctions imposed on companies allegedly supplying missile components to Islamabad.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office on Thursday dismissed the assessment of Pakistan’s human rights situation in the recently launched US State Department’s Human Rights Report as “unfair and politically motivated” and criticised it for lacking objectivity.

“Pakistan continues to be one of our most important partners in the region,” Principal Deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said, addressing concerns about potential tensions arising from the sanctions, during the daily news briefing.

Responding to queries, Patel said: “There continues to be a lot of cooperation that we have with the government of Pakistan, especially in the security space and trade sector.”

Foreign Office dismisses US report on human rights situation in Pakistan

He recalled that the Pakistani finance minister was in Washington last week and held consultations with members of the State Department. “This is a robust relationship, and we look to continue strengthening it,” he added.

Last week, the Biden administration imposed sanctions on three Chinese and one Belarusian companies for allegedly supplying dual-use components for Pakistan’s missile programme, a charge Islamabad rejected as incorrect.

However, on Tuesday, Patel clarified during his daily briefing that the sanctions were imposed because these entities were “proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and the means of their delivery”.

He said that on October 23, the United States had also designated three Chinese entities for allegedly supplying components to Pakistan’s missile programme.

“We’re going to continue to disrupt and take actions against proliferation networks and concerning weapons of mass destruction procurement activities wherever they may occur,” he declared.

FO rejects US report

The 2023 US Human Rights Report on Pakistan underscored a concerning status quo in human rights violations, with no notable improvements. The report alleged a range of serious issues, including unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, torture, harsh prison conditions, arbitrary arrests and a lack of fair public trials, all indicative of a broader culture of impunity.

In its response on Thursday, the Foreign Office said: “The US State Department’s annual exercises of preparing such unsolicited reports lack objectivity and remain inherently flawed in their methodology. These reports use domestic social lens to judge human rights in other countries in a politically biased manner.”

The report alleges that government forces were frequently implicated in abuses, along with severe restrictions on freedoms of expression, assembly, and media — manifested through censorship and violence against journalists.

The FO criticised the report for exhibiting double standards, arguing that such attitude undermined the discourse on international human rights.

“It is deeply concerning that a report purported to highlight human rights situations around the world ignores or downplays the most urgent hotspots of gross human rights violations such as in Gaza and Indian Occupied Jammu & Kashmir,” the FO stated, emphasising that only a report with political motivations could neglect the grave conditions in Gaza, including the weaponisation of humanitarian aid and the killing of over 33,000 civilians.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2024

ISLAMABAD: The first regular session of the Senate after its most recent election turned out to be hot and cold where opposition and treasury benches traded barbs but also agreed on working together to pull the country out of the economic quagmire.

The session on Thursday started with 11 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa seats vacant since the election wasn’t held there over the delay in the administration of oath to KP assembly members elected on reserved seats.

As the first order of business, Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani took oath from Faisal Vawda and Maulana Abdul Wasay, who became Senate members after winning the election on April 2.

Their oath taking was delayed as the two senators were not present in the house’s opening session on April 7.

Dar seconds Shibli’s offer for reconciliation to tackle challenges; bipartisan committee to examine tax amendments

In a fiery speech after the oath, the newly appointed opposition leader, Shibli Faraz, questioned the legitimacy of the present assemblies and demanded a thorough investigation into the discrepancies in Form-45 and Form-47 of the recently held general elections.

He regretted that general elections were not conducted in Punjab and KP within the constitutional deadline of 90 days after the dissolution of provincial assemblies.

“The Constitution was violated in the same way in the case of the National Assembly.”

The PTI was “deprived” of its election symbol and “ridiculous and confusing symbols” like brinjal and pumpkin were allotted to its candidates, Mr Faraz said.

The majority of voters “gave the mandate to PTI” which was “stolen through wide-scale manipulations in the Forms-47”.

“We are a reality. You cannot set us aside”, he remarked.

The PTI leader claimed that at present, the country had “the highest number of political prisoners, with 99.9 per cent of them belonging to PTI”.

He ended his speech with an offer of reconciliation, underlining the need for collective efforts to address Pakistan’s enormous challenges.

‘Let us work together’

His view was endorsed by Leader of the House Ishaq Dar from across the aisle.

“Let us work together. Let us get Pakistan out of the quagmire”, he said while offering an olive branch to the opposition.

Mr Dar said the task was “doable” and “it all depends on how we act”.

“Let us bury the past”, he remarked and underlined the need to bring the blame game to an end and stop the distortion of facts.

Both the government and the opposition would have to work together on the privatisation process, energy sector reforms and other issues while sitting in standing committees, Mr Dar added.

Before his offer of reconciliation, Mr Dar had chided the PTI for its alleged involvement in May 9 attacks. “You committed a blunder. You challenged the state itself and endangered it.”

“You should not have gone to this extent in politics”, he remarked and asked the PTI leaders to prove their innocence before courts of law.

The house leader also rejected criticism over election rigging and questioned: “How elections were fair in KP and unfair in Punjab?”

Mr Dar also rejected other accusations levelled by the opposition leader, including the delay in the release of funds for general elections.

He said that the previous Pakistan Democratic Movement government had “released every penny” for general elections, as mentioned in the 2023 budget.

On the issue of Senate elections in KP, the house leader said it was a matter between the ECP, provincial government and courts.

Former caretaker prime minister and now senator Anwaarul Haq Kakar also replied to the opposition leader’s comments about the delay in holding elections.

He said the 90-day limit was a constitutional requirement, but so was holding a census every ten years.

The caretaker government had no desire to extend its stint but it was a compulsion to carry out fresh delimitation, Mr Kakar reasoned.

‘Generals, judges should sign affidavit’

Mr Vawda, in his first speech on the floor of the house, said the affidavit about dual citizenship submitted by lawmakers should also be submitted by all generals and judges.

Asserting the supremacy of the parliament, the former PTI leader said the two houses legislate laws, and they should have the right to interpret them as well rather than allowing others to interpret them as per their will.

New bills introduced

The government also introduced three bills: the Election (Amendment) Bill, 2024, the Motion Pictures (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Establishment of Special Court (Overseas Pakistanis Property) Bill, 2023, during the session, APP reported.

Chairman Gillani referred the bills to the standing committees concerned for detailed deliberation.

Since the standing committee on finance was yet to be formed, the Tax Laws (Amendment) Bill 2024 was referred to a special committee formed earlier by the chairman.

The three-member committee comprising Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, PTI’s Barrister Ali Zafar and PPP’s Farooq H. Naek will submit its report to the house on Monday.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2024

ISLAMABAD: The Ele­c­­tion Commission of Pak­istan (ECP) on Thursday restored victory notification of PTI’s Chaudhry Bilal Ejaz as MNA from NA-81, Gujranwala.

Bilal Ejaz won in the general elections with a clear margin of 8,000 votes, but lost in a controversial recount.

The ECP issued the victory notification pursuant to orders passed by the Lahore High Court.

Last week, the LHC had set aside the victory notification of PML-N leader Azhar Qayyum Nahra from NA-81 and restored the membership of Bilal Ejaz as MNA.

Justice Shahid Karim had passed the orders while allowing a petition filed by Bilal Ejaz challenging the notification for Azhar Qayyum’s victory.

The petitioner had approached the court against the ECP’s decision to declare Azhar Qayyum as the successful candidate from NA-81.

He submitted that he was declared successful from NA-81 by a margin of 8,000 votes, but the ECP illegally declared Azhar Qayyum successful in a vote recount.

He alleged that the returning officer had reduced his 2,500 votes in the recount.

He said the ECP could not order a vote recount after the formation of the election tribunal and requested the court to set aside the victory notification of Azhar Qayyum.

According to original results, Bilal Ejaz was declared winner with 117,717 votes, while the PML-N candidate finished as runner-up, securing 109,926 votes.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2024