Profits and dividends reaches 237 per cent in eight months; Defence minister accuses Afghanistan of not showing any progress in eliminating terrorism
In brief
POLITICS
Maulana Fazlur announces countrywide protest against the poll results
On 27 March, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman announced to launch a protest throughout the country against the results of the recently concluded elections. According to Rahman, the first gathering will be held in Pishin, Balochistan on 15 April. He further said that JUIF would not field its candidates for any elections in the country. Rejecting the results of the 8 February elections, he said that the “public mandate” which was snatched in 2018 was once again repeated in 2024. Rahman said: “We believe this parliament is a representative of the establishment, not the people of the country.” He further asserted that people will have to bring unity in their ranks so that they can safeguard their votes. He said that the protests would be called the “Awami assembly.” On 9 May, a gathering called “people assembly” will be conducted in Karachi, Sindh and Peshawar of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Speaking about the institutions, the JUIF chief said that they were making “blatant interference” in the constitutional powers of bureaucracy. Rehman said: “Even the judges of high courts have started speaking up against the intervention in their matters and have expressed their inability to provide justice to people under such pressure.” (“JUIF announces countrywide protest schedule,” The News International, 28 March 2024)
Islamabad High Court questions probing Imran Khan and Qureshi, and not others
On 27 March, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) was surprised to know why the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was examining the former Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi for not giving back the diplomatic cipher, while it had spared other people who committed the same. A Member of the IHC division bench, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb made the aforementioned observation during the hearing of the petitions filed by Imran Khan and Qureshi in their Cipher case. Khan’s attorney Barrister Salman Safdar asserted that the diplomatic cable was sent to eight top offices including the “president, PM’s principal secretary, foreign secretary, army chief, director general of Inter-Services Intelligence, chief justice of Pakistan, and cabinet secretary.” Despite the arguments put forth, the counsel asserted that FIA could have issued notifications to the previous army chief, senate chairman and others. Meanwhile, Barrister Safdar said that FIA was required to issue call-up notices to all recipients. Justice Aurangzeb asked the FIA to provide reasons for selective investigation. Safdar responded that it exhibits “selective prosecution, political victimisation, colourable exercise of power and defective investigation”. (Malik Asad, “IHC asks why Imran, Qureshi ‘singled out’ in cipher case,” Dawn, 28 March 2024)
SECURITY
Criminal gang kills a Levies officer
On 27 March, a levies officer was killed and three soldiers were injured in a confrontation with a criminal gang who were also involved in terrorism in Pishin district. The security forces launched an operation after the incident and seized two dozen of suspects. The officials said that the confrontation left four Levies injured. Deputy Commissioner Pishin Capt (retd) Jumma Dad Mandokhail said: “Levies Force arrested 24 suspected criminals who were also involved in terrorist activities.” He further added that protractors were involved in serious crimes. (Saleem Shahid, “Levies officer martyred, 3 soldiers injured in Pishin,” Dawn, 28 March 2024)
PROVINCES
Punjab: The federal government pushes strategic projects along with the provincial government
On 28 March, Dawn reported that the federal government is pushing for “strategic nature projects” along with the provincial government besides the formation of “synergies among the provinces through an integration of provincial projects.” This move comes as the provincial projects dries up from the national kitty in January. A working paper for the forthcoming meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) ahead of next year budget read: “Federal and provincial projects in sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, urban services, agriculture, industries, etc., are generally implemented in isolation. There is no cross-learning between provinces and federal government and between provinces themselves that, reduces the efficiency of such investments when viewed with a lens focused on national economic growth goal.” It states that similar projects are implemented using different methodologies with different funding sources. It further argued that “Integration of such projects can help the provinces achieve economies of scale and optimise public investment spending.” Dawn further reported that the draft National Development Framework (NDF) will be taken up by the NEC in two months for financing of strategic projects. (Khaleeq Kiani, “Centre eyeing provincial kitty for ‘strategic projects,” Dawn, 28 March 2024)
ECONOMY
Profits and dividends reaches 237 per cent in eight months
On 28 March, Dawn reported that the recovery of profits and dividends in the first eight months of the present fiscal year have crossed 237 per cent, heading close to the inflow of “foreign investment.” According to The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) the central bank has relaxed the outflow of profits and dividends on foreign investments. Despite the criticism by investors for poor outflow of profits in FY23, nevertheless, economists have termed the policy as an “anti-investment strategy”. According to Dawn, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was unsure about SBP’s policy of restricting the “outflow of profits and dividends on foreign investments.” However, both previous and present governments tried to meet all the conditions put forth by the IMF with regards to economic recovery. As per SBP data, the total outflow of the profits is estimated to be USD 759.3 million compared to USD 225 million in the previous fiscal year with an increase of USD 534.2 million. The data, however, shows that the outflow of profits and dividends was lower than the FDI inflow of about USD 820 million in the same period. (Shahid Iqbal, “Profit outflows jump by 237pc in eight months,” Dawn, 28 March 2024)
ON AFGHANISTAN
Defence minister accuses Afghanistan of not showing any progress in eliminating terrorism
On 27 March, the Defence Minister Khawaja Asif accused Afghanistan of not making any move to eradicate terrorism and not securing the borders. In his social media post he said: “In view of the increase in terrorist incidents, there is a need for a fundamental change in the border situation. The source of terrorism in Pakistan is in Afghanistan and despite our efforts, Kabul is not making any progress in this direction.” He further asserted that the Taliban government being aware of the hideouts of the militants, had led the terrorists to move freely and target Pakistan from their place. He said: “Cooperation from Kabul (for tackling terrorism threat) is not available.” His remarks came along the sidelines of the recent Gwadar port attack and suicide attack that targeted Chinese officials. Describing the complexity of the borders he said that security challenges in the border are different from the international borders. He added: “Pakistan will have to enforce all international laws and traditions on this border and the traffic of terrorists will have to be stopped. In this way, both countries can promote their relations like traditional good neighbors. Travel facilities can be continued through passport and visa.” (“Asif terms Afghanistan source of terror,” Dawn, 28 March 2024)
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“Pakistan stock market hits a record high making it one of the world's greatest performers in a run that began when #Pakistan managed to avoid defaulting last year. ”
- Dukhtar E B
“3 Million Pakistanis Left The Country At a Rate Of 1650 Per Day, In 5 Years..”
-Abdul Azis
“When big criminals of the country sit on top of positions, Country will go bankrupt.”
- SheikhNabeel
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Parvez Rahim, ‘Domestic workers’
Dawn, 28 March 2024
“On assuming power after his landslide victory in West Pakistan in the 1970 elections, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto introduced five labour welfare laws and brought in amendments in other laws applicable to industrial and commercial establishments. These laws pertained to the education of workers’ children, the constitution of a workers’ welfare fund, cost of living relief, rules on workers’ participation in company profits, and old-age pension for retired employees. In 1972, an amendment to the Provincial Employees Social Security Ordinance, 1965, ensured that full-time ‘domestic servants’ were brought within the law’s fold. It became mandatory for every employer of a domestic servant to provide the latter with comprehensive medical care. This included in-patient and out-patient treatment, essential drugs supplies prescribed by a doctor, hospitalisation, including in cases related to pregnancy. However, such medical treatment, though on the statute books, has not been implemented.”
Khurram Husain, ‘The stone in the shoe’
Dawn, 28 March 2024
“One of these was the Cabinet Committee on Privatisation (CCoP), and the other was the crucial Economic Coordination Committee (ECC). This is not just some bureaucratic wrangling. These are vital decision-making centres, especially considering that the areas they will be dealing with have direct bearing on the successor IMF programme. In the first draft, the prime minister appointed himself the chair of the ECC, but then a day later issued a new notification appointing the finance minister instead. The position is usually held by the finance minister so it was only natural that questions arose when the prime minister appointed himself in that seat.”
Editorial, ‘New terror wave’
Dawn, 27 March 2024
“Security must immediately be beefed up for all foreigners working in the country, particular Chinese nationals. The civilian and military leadership must work closely together to uproot the terrorist infrastructure without delay. If malign foreign actors are involved in subterfuge, diplomatic channels need to be used to communicate to them that their facilitation of terrorist violence will be exposed before the international community. For the government, the honeymoon is over, and the time has come for decisive action against militancy.”
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“The laws demand dignified working conditions.”
-An opinion in Dawn, ‘Domestic workers’
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