ECP postpones senate elections in KP following opposition members plea; Terrorism would continue until Kabul shut down camps of TTP, says Defence Minister Asif
In Brief
POLITICS
PTI intends to form a grand opposition alliance
On 02 April, Dawn reported that The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is set to hold a meeting of opposition parties to form a ‘grand opposition alliance’ in order to launch a countrywide protest against the newly elected government. PTI leader Asad Qaiser will chair the meeting of the opposition parties. However, it is unclear of the participation of opposition parties. According to a PTI source, Qaiser has urged all the parties to join the opposition alliance, including Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F). On the other hand, according to Dawn, PTI leader Omar Ayub Khan will likely be the declared leader of the opposition of the National Assembly (NA). On 01 April, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said: “Under rule 39 (2) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly 2007, the count of the members voting for the opposition leader will be held.” As per Rule 39, the speaker shall appoint a member as the leader of the opposition. (Syed Irfan Raza, “PTI leader launches bid to form ‘grand opposition alliance,” Dawn, 02 April 2024)
ECP postpones senate elections in KP following opposition member's plea
On 02 April, The News International reported that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had postponed the senate elections in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly following the petition submitted by the opposition members amid their stand-off with the provincial government on the oath taking of MPAs for the reserved seats. Meanwhile, as the country’s ruling alliance sees a majority in the upper house of parliament, polling at NA and Punjab and Sindh assemblies are underway on the remaining vacant seats. Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) member Ahmad Karim Kundi, in the petition asserted that 25 of his party's members are yet to be sworn in and thus requested that the polls should be postponed. Upon the request, “KP Speaker Babar Saleem Swati filed a review petition with the court on the eve of the polling.” A senior official at the ECP said: “All arrangements are in place to hold the electoral process. Regarding the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Election Commission will closely watch the related developments today prior to deciding the future course of action.” The official said that the ECP’s stance in delaying the polls is to fill the Senate’s vacant seats in KP. He further said that this is the first time that the ECP faced such scenario. (Daniyal Aziz and Nausheen Yusuf, “ECP postpones Senate elections in KP,” The News International, 02 April 2024)
PML-N leader Nawaz co-chairs public meetings alongside his daughter CM Maryam Nawaz
On 01 April, despite criticism, the PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif held meetings along with his daughter CM Maryam Nawaz. To review the issues faced by Punjab’s agriculture sector, Sharif co-chaired the meeting. Nawaz had kept a low profile since the recently concluded elections, however, presiding over public meetings along with his daughter has sparked criticism as he did not hold any official position except being the member of the National Assembly. While addressing the meeting, Nawaz asserted that “lack of availability of quality seeds even after decades is a matter of grave concern”. In order to protect 37 million acres feet (MAF) of water from being wasted, Nawaz urged to take “effective steps”. He highlighted the need to use advanced irrigation methods to save water. In the meeting, to save 1.7 MAF of water about 7,300 water courses across Punjab was highlighted. The rate of farm mechanization from 35 to 60 per cent was also discussed. It further discussed about granting PKR 150 billion loan to farmers for Rabi and Kharif crops. Nawaz issued directive to formulate the eligibility criteria for the farmers to avail the loans. Furthermore, Punjab CM approved research fund of PKR 500 million in the Agricultural Research Institute in Faisalabad. (Zulqernain Tahir, “Despite flak, Nawaz chairs another government meeting,” Dawn, 02 April 2024)
INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES INTERVENTION IN THE JUDICIARY
PR UPDATE #04
PTI demands a general debate on the issue of the letter by IHC judges regarding the intervention of intelligence agencies
On 01 April, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) members protested in the National Assembly (NA) demanding a debate on the issue of the six judges of Islamabad High Court (IHC) letter regarding the interference of intelligence agencies in the judicial matters as the treasury benches and speaker subjected it as “sub judice matter.” PTI members carried placards seeking bail for their leader Imran Khan. PTI leader Omar Ayub Khan asserted that the opposition members had submitted an adjournment motion to the “NA Secretariat on the judges’ issue and asked him to allow a general debate on this matter, declaring that the agenda that had been issued by the secretariat “does not reflect the reality”. Khan further said that the letter had revealed the “role of agencies” and their interference in the case against the former PM Imran Khan. Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar said that the Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa had taken a “suo motu notice” and has scheduled a hearing as the matter had become “sub judice” and could not be debated in the assembly. (Amir Wasim, “Chaos in NA as opposition stopped from debating letter,” Dawn, 02 April 2024)
ECONOMY
Government to avail USD 500 million from ADB
On 01 April, the government approved the acquisition of a USD 500 million loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) which aims to foster an “enabling environment to attract private investment.” Although this move helps in addressing fiscal requirements, nevertheless, it drives Pakistan into a debt trap. According to the Planning Ministry, the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) highlighted the “concept proposal” for the USD 500 million loan under the “Promoting Sustainable Public-Private Partnership Programme.” The Express Tribune reported that the loan will be taken for budget support, in return Pakistan has revised its existing policies, formulated new policies and will establish two funds. ADB is expected to present this for the approval of the initial USD 250 million tranche if the conditions are met. According to the decision, Pakistan is anticipated to receive loans in two installments with an interest rate from 2 per cent to 6.5 per cent. The duration of the majority of loans is seven years. The Express Tribune stated: “ADB will finance the loan using its regular Ordinary Capital Resources (OCR) and Concessional Ordinary Capital Resources (COL).” (Shahbaz Rana, “Govt okays expensive $500m ADB loan,” The Express Tribune, 02 April 2024)
JUDICIARY
IHC rules out PTI leader Imran Khan and his wife Bushra's sentences in the Toshakhana case
On 01 April, suspending their sentences in the Toshakhana case, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted relief to the PTI leader and former PM Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi. IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq asserted that the appeal against the conviction would be fixed post the Eid holidays. About the Toshakhana case, the accountability court’s judge Muhammad Bashir sentenced Khan and Bushra to 14 years in prison. The judge further disqualified Imran Khan and handed PKR 1.57 billion to both of them. During the hearing, IHC CJ Farooq asserted that the “cipher case would be completed in a few days. Also, we cannot fix the Toshakhana case for hearing the very next day after holding a hearing on it today.” (Awaid Yousafzai, “IHC suspends Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi’s sentences in Toshakhana case,” The News International, 02 April 2024)
SECURITY
Terrorism would continue until Kabul shut down camps of TTP, says Defence Minister Asif
On 01 April, speaking to journalists in the Parliament House the Defence Minister Khawaja Asif asserted that Afghanistan was the source of resurfacing of terrorism in Pakistan. He cautioned that this would continue until Afghanistan formally halts the training camps of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The minister said that the Pak-Afghan border should be the same as the other international borders around the world. He said: “People come to Pakistan from Afghanistan on visas and do business here. He added that this international status of the border was “not being respected by Afghanistan.” Addressing a question regarding the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the minister said: “We have the means to provide relief to the people but tax cases worth PKR 2,700 billion were pending in courts. Thousands of billions is being stolen in taxes, electricity, gas, if these things are corrected, the people will get relief.” (Khalid Mahmood, “Terrorism to end if Kabul shuts TTP havens: Asif,” The Express Tribune, 02 April 2024)
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“The recent attacks on Chinese infrastructure in Pakistan have once shed light on the challenge of the Baloch insurgency that the country faces. But the insurgency began decades ago. What fuels BLA's attacks on Pakistani forces and Chinese-invested projects”
- Zirnoor Baloch
“We often hear ‘justice delayed is justice denied’ but in Pakistan ‘justice’ is cancelled. ”
-Imaan Zainab
“No matter how hard they try to remove him from the political arena, the fact is that he IS the entire political arena of Pakistan now!”
- PTI
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Arifa Noor, ‘The IHC six’
Dawn, 02 April 2024
“Letters are the new black in Pakistani politics. If the week before it was about the letters related to Aitchison College, more recently, pen was put to paper in the Islamabad High Court. Off went the letter from the black-robed men to other black-robed men but on the way, it also appeared in many a social media inbox. It’s hard to keep secrets, especially the written kind, in Pakistan. And especially not when it concerns judges. Who would know this better than the Supreme Court residents? The letter was a charge-sheet, no doubt, with its detailed account of intimidatory tactics, from kidnapping and violence to secret recordings. The shadowy figures who carry out such acts were evident to all who read the letter.”
Dr Niaz Murtaza, ‘Pro-poor reform’
Dawn, 02 April 2024
“New set-up must quickly undertake substantial reforms to save our moribund economy and ensure durable economic stability, productive growth, equity and sustainability. The IMF, think tanks, business groups, etc. mainly propose technical reforms, such as deregulation and privatisation, to loosen the hold of an elite-run state on markets, assuming — against global evidence that unbridled markets can ensure progress. However, the elites that run our state run markets too. Thus, many state ills actually stem from market ills — twin deficits exist partially as businesses seek endless subsidies and engage in tax evasion and can’t compete globally. The outcome is that one can’t reform the state without reforming markets as market elites will soon recapture it.Reforms in which the bulk of the populace barely figures will produce an elite-run market that fails on all four aims mentioned above. With the Soviet state-monopolist model proved infeasible, the way forward is a welfare-cum developmental state that mainly serves the interests of the poor and also ensures that markets provide fair avenues to them. Such reforms must target the state and market, make masses their focus and use their political mobilisation as the key force to unleash reform.”
Editorial, ‘Letter inquiry’
Dawn, 02 April 2024
“There has been a twist in the tale. After the Supreme Court last week deferred to the federal cabinet, asking it to deal with a disturbing letter six Islamabad High Court justices had addressed to the chief justice, observers had worried that a government-sponsored inquiry into intelligence operatives’ alleged interference in judicial affairs would prove to be a non-starter. Even as voices from within the legal community were still criticising the Supreme Court for neglecting its responsibility and ceding full control over the inquiry to the government, a respected former judge, retired chief justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, was duly appointed to head the inquiry commission tasked with looking into the judges’ letter. By Monday, however following an open statement from more than 300 lawyers, amidst whispers that the six IHC justices may be considering directly petitioning the Supreme Court, and a polite ‘no, thank you’ from Mr Jillani the scheme seemed to have fallen apart.”
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“Poor progress on SDGs is bad news for the marginalised..”
-An opinion in Dawn, ‘Autism and SDGs’
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