NAB has no objections as Nawaz requests bail through the IHC; PIA flights to return after fuel finance confirmed
In Brief
EXTERNAL
Japan provides fourth grant aid project worth JPY 794 million to schools in Sindh
On 19 October, The Express Tribune reported that Japan has announced that it will provide grant assistance worth JPY 794 million to help the reconstruction of educational facilities in the flood-affected areas of Sindh. There was a signing ceremony for the same in Islamabad, which was attended by Pakistani and Japanese officials, including the Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, Wada Mitsuhiro. Mitsuhiro stated that Japan was committed to supporting education in all flood-prone areas of Pakistan, saying that he is hopeful that the grant would allow children to continue studying. The Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Kinoshita, who was also in attendance, explained that the aid was intended towards building a brighter and more resilient future generation of Pakistan. (“$5.3m Japanese grant for Sindh’s schools,” The Express Tribune, 19 October 2023)
Pakistan Refinery Limited strikes long-term oil deal supply with Russia, secures Chinese investment
On 18 October, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the United Energy Group of China and Pakistan Refinery Limited, for investment worth USD 1.5 billion in Pakistan’s petroleum sector. Furthermore, signed a significant long-term oil supply contract with Russia, marking a significant development in Pakistan's energy sector. These agreements connect the refinery with two major countries, Russia and China, strengthening its position in the international energy landscape. The expansion project aims to double PRL’s refining capacity, focusing on producing cleaner and environmentally compliant fuels while eliminating the production of loss-incurring furnace oil. (Zafar Bhutta, “PRL clinches long-term oil supply deal with Russia,” The Express Tribune, 19 October 2023; “Petroleum sector: Pakistan, China sign MoU on $1.5bn investment,” Business Recorder, 19 October 2023)
Committee to investigate 12,000 fake Pakistani passports to Afghan citizens
On 19 October, The News International reported that Saudi Arabia had sent 12,000 false Pakistani passports belonging to Afghan citizens to the Pakistani Embassy. A five- member committee to look into the allegations of these fake identity cards being issued has been formed. The committee, which is being headed by the Passport and Immigration Directorate DG Mustafa Jamal and includes senior ministry, Nadra, and FIA officers, will give recommendations in 15 days on how to prevent this issue from recurring. (“Saudi Arabia sends 12,000 passports of Afghan citizens to Pak embassy,” The News International, 19 October 2023)
POLITICS
NAB has no objections as Nawaz requests bail through the IHC
On 18 October, Nawaz Sharif, the party's supreme leader, was granted protective bail in the Avenfield and Al-Azizia cases by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in advance of his return from London on Saturday. A NAB counsel said that the accountability watchdog had no objections to the pleas made by elder Sharif. As a declared offender in the Toshakhana automobile case, Mr. Sharif also asked the accountability court to suspend the perpetual arrest orders that had been issued against him. Much sooner than the PML-N legal team, NAB Special Prosecutor Afzal Quershi entered the courtroom. The prosecutor responded when the bench questioned him about the NAB's position on these petitions by saying that the NAB had "no objections" if Mr. Sharif decided to pursue the charges. ( ‘No objections’ from NAB as Nawaz moves IHC for bail,” Dawn, 19 October 2023)
ECONOMY
Cotton production rises by 22 per cent to approximately six million bales
On 18 October, according to data from the Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association, cotton production had climbed by 22 per cent as of 15 October compared to the crop's overall production the year before. However, Sindh saw an unprecedented 84 per cent gain in cotton production during this time, whereas Punjab saw a 16 percent decline. 5.99 million bales of cotton, or 1.08 million more than the total production of the previous cotton season, had arrived in the nation's ginning plants by 15 October. 3.45 million bales of cotton arrived in Sindh, which is 84 per cent greater than the province's whole lint production for the previous year. According to the Cotton Ginners Forum chairman Ihsanul Haq, heavy whitefly attack on the crop, which caused cotton production to remain significantly below expectations and raise concerns that this year's total domestic production of cotton will be 9 million bales rather than the revised target of 11.5 million bales, was to blame for the decline. According to him, the primary cause of this reality is the persistent decline in the value of the dollar over the past month, together with the ongoing rise in the cost of electricity and gas, while reimbursements for textile exporters totalling more than Rs700 billion remain unpaid despite numerous assurances. ( “Cotton production jumps 22pc to almost 6m bales,” Dawn, 19 October 2023)
PIA flights to return after fuel finance confirmed
On 18 October, after acquiring funding for the purchase of gasoline, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) declared that the severely disrupted flight schedule had returned to normal. After securing funding for fuel provision, a PIA official said that the flight schedule is gradually returning to normal. He said that the airline was able to raise money on its own, and that as of today, 19 October, flights should resume as usual. In the upcoming days, he noted, it is anticipated that the flight schedule will continue to improve. The flawless operation of flights on international major routes, including those to Toronto, Saudi Arabia, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur, and Dubai, is PIA's main priority. According to the official, the PIA expressed apologies for the difficulty that recent flight delays had caused to its passengers. ( Mohammad Asghar, “PIA flights start operating after fuel funding secured,” Dawn, 19 October 2023)
DEFENCE
Successful flight test launch of Ababeel weapons system conducted in Pakistan
On 18 October, Pakistan successfully conducted a flight test of the Ababeel weapon system to revalidate designs, technical parameters, and performance evaluations of the system’s sub-sections. The Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) stated that the test also served the objective of “strengthening deterrence and enhancing strategic stability in the region through the operationalisation of Full Spectrum Deterrence in the overall construct of Credible Minimum Deterrence.” The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, senior officers of the Strategic Plans Division and Strategic Forces Command, and other scientists were in attendance for the launch. The members of Strategic Forces were also commended by the President and Prime Minister of the country. (Iftikhar Shirazi, “Pakistan conducts successful flight test of “Ababeel” weapon system,” Dawn, 18 October 2023)
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“13 Days Left Millions of illegal immigrants living in #Pakistan have been ordered by the government of Pakistan to voluntarily evacuate by November 1. After November 1, legal action will be taken against such immigrants. Taking advantage of this respite, millions of illegally residing Afghans are returning to Afghanistan rapidly.”
– Amna Aman
“Vladimir Putin’s meeting with Acting Prime Minister of Pakistan Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar. Putin noted that trade turnover between Russia & Pakistan has increased. The partnership between Russia & Pakistan is friendly and the focus is on ensuring regional security, the head of Russia emphasized.”
– Maria
“On 18th October we are reminded of martyrs who lost their lives to the devastating bombings during a historic rally led by the courageous SMBB. We are also reminded of the courage &commitment with which she continued her mission for restoration of democracy in Pakistan.”
– Shazia Atta Marri
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Khurram Husain, ‘Playing for pennies’
Dawn, 19 October 2023
“That was a strategy the Israelis referred to as ‘mowing the lawn’, which meant going in after a gap of a few years and taking out a large number of the fighters, bomb-makers, financiers and other skilled individuals working with Hamas, to degrade the organisation’s ability to wage conflict. Hamas would rebuild this capability in a few years, and the Israelis would come in a few years later and ‘mow the lawn’ once again.”
Navaira Ali Bangash, ‘Pink battle’
Dawn, 19 October 2023
“Meanwhile, a study conducted by Zunaira Shoukat and other researchers indicated that a staggering 63.2pc of its participants lacked knowledge about breast cancer and 64.7pc were ignorant about mammography screening. For a country with such a high incidence count, these figures are shocking and point to the need for greater awareness and information about the disease. It was also noted that the lack of knowledge is not due to poor education alone as many educated patients of a higher socioeconomic status displayed negligible understanding about the malady, and more so about the means and importance of reporting it in time.”
Durdana Najam, ‘Khan’s lacklustre era’
The Express Tribune, 19 October 2023
“However, many of his supporters had become disenchanted with him early on as they listened to his speeches filled with hatred for his opponents. A new culture of hate-mongering and character assassination of those who criticised Khan or his party was introduced on social media. Parallel to that, an aura was built around Khan of a person fiercely opposed to Islamophobia and having an unwavering and unparalleled devotion to Islam. Religion was invoked time and again to support arguments and build narratives. Unfortunately, that was all Khan had in his armour to meet governance targets. It was no sooner that Pakistan started slipping into a diplomatic and economic crisis that exacerbated during the pandemic.”
Beenish Mahmood, ‘Biodiversity is all inclusive of the effects of climate change’
The Express Tribune, 19 October 2023
“Highly and moderately vulnerable birds may lose more than half of their current range of geographic areas where they live; they are forced to search for suitable habitat and climate conditions elsewhere. The connections between climate change and birds are becoming increasingly clear. Warming temperatures are changing where birds live, the timing of their migration patterns and egg laying, and even the sizes and shapes of their bodies.”
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“One myth restricting Pakistan's access is that its climate vulnerability is so high that the world community is obligated to help,”
-An opinion in Dawn, “Accessing climate finance”
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