Chinese company demands revival of Kohala hydropower project in PoK; Pakistan and Kuwait agree to sign USD 25m loan agreement
In Brief
POLITICS
PTI ‘owns’ recent post on Imran Khan’s X account
On 31 May, PTI “owned” the recent post on Imran Khan’s X account after having disassociated from it earlier. Earlier on 26 May, a post along with a video was shared from Khan’s official X account. It stated: “Every Pakistani should study the Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report and get to know who was the true traitor, General Yahya Khan or Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.” The video contended that the former military dictator was behind Pakistan’s breakup, and also included images of the current civil-military leadership, alleging that they stole the PTI’s mandate. After the PTI owned the post, it then reiterated the post’s message, calling on the public to read the Hamoodur Rehman Commission report and the military to work within its constitutional limits. Earlier, most of the PTI leaders claimed that the post was put by “someone else.” This was contradicted when the song of former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Zain Qureshi, claimed that no content was uploaded on Khan’s account without his consent. Meanwhile, several leaders of PML-N urged Khan to “stay quiet” if he wanted to de-escalate the situation. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated: “Imran Khan should keep his mouth shut if he wants to de-escalate the situation.” He accused Khan of wanting to recreate a 9 May-like situation. Senator Irfan Siddiqui also demanded Khan to answer for what he had posted. Additionally, after the core committee meeting, the party claimed that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was hell-bent on making another case against Imran Khan. (Syed Irfan Raza, “PTI twists itself into knots over Imran’s ‘1971 tweet’,” Dawn, 1 June 2024)
EXTERNAL
Azerbaijan’s foreign minister holds talks with Pakistani officials on matters of mutual interest
On 31 May, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, who was on a two-day visit to Pakistan, lauded Pakistan for its crucial role in maintaining regional stability during a meeting with the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir. Bayramov also appreciated Pakistan’s continuous support to his country. Munir endorsed the long-standing ties between Azerbaijan and reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering support in the spheres of defence and security. Earlier on 30 May, Bayramov met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. With Dar, he discussed the multidimensional bilateral and regional agenda. Both sides decided to strengthen the cooperation in trade, investment, energy, and connectivity. They also agreed to enhance parliamentary exchanges, strengthen cultural cooperation, promote people-to-people exchanges, identify news of economic cooperation, and bolster climate change, renewable energy, and the energy sector. (“In meeting with COAS, Azerbaijan FM lauds Pakistan for maintaining regional stability,” The News International, 31 May 2024)
US says it will “deepen cooperation” with Pakistan in areas of economy and security
On 30 May, the US reiterated its policy to continue working on counterterrorism issues in Pakistan, following concerns about Pakistan’s security situation and its fight against terrorism. US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel highlighted that the US is in regular communication with Pakistani leaders on counterterrorism issues. To a question about the Pakistani military’s operations along the Afghan border, Patel responded: “We’re going to continue to discuss regional security in detail including through high level engagements, working level engagements and other extensive bilateral consultations.” This question was in light of the Pakistani Army’s intelligence-based operations against terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which resulted in the death of five soldiers. Patel went on to reaffirm the US’ “deep relationship” with Islamabad in key areas of economy and security. He said that the US will “look for ways” in which it can “continue to deepen cooperation.” (“US to continue working with Pakistan on counterterrorism issues,” The News International, 31 May 2024)
Pakistan and Kuwait to sign USD 25m loan agreement following two-day meeting
On 1 June, The Express Tribune reported that Kuwait and Pakistan will sign a loan agreement worth USD 25 million, intended for the Mohmand Dam, on 3 June. This decision came following the fifth session of the Pakistan-Kuwait Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC), held from 28 May to 30 May, during which progress was said to be made in strengthening bilateral ties. The session was chaired by the Minister for Privatization Abdul Aleem Khan, and the Minister for Commerce and Industry of Kuwait, Omar Saud Al-Omar. The proceedings resulted in the signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in various fields, including industrial cooperation, engineering councils, and news exchange. During the session, the Kuwait Fund expressed willingness to potentially finance Pakistan’s Kachhi Canal project. Both sides agreed to establish Joint Working Groups for trade, investment, visa, and consular affairs. Khan praised Kuwait for streamlining visa procedures for Pakistanis, promoting economic partnership, and invited Kuwaiti investors to utilize Pakistan’s SIFC and identify key sectors for investment. (“Pakistan, Kuwait to sign $25m loan agreement,” The Express Tribune, 1 June 2024)
AF-PAK
Afghanistan denies involvement in Bisham attack, says it will not help Pakistan
On 31 May, the interim Taliban government of Afghanistan declined Pakistan’s request to find the perpetrators of the 26 March terrorist attack in Bisham, saying it had nothing to do with the incident. Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had sent the interior secretary to Kabul to seek assistance from Afghanistan in the probe into the attack on Chinese engineers. Interior Secretary Muhammad Khurram Agha shared evidence linking the attack on the engineers with Afghan territory. Further, the Foreign Office in a statement noted: “The Afghan side reiterated its commitment to prevent the use of their soil for any terrorist activity against other countries, including Pakistan.” Despite this, the spokesperson for the Afghan Taliban government, Zabihullah Mujahid, rejected the statement and alleged that Pakistan was trying to create distrust between Kabul and Beijing. He argued that the “issue has nothing to do with Afghanistan and Pakistan should ensure its own security.” He added: “Targeting Chinese nationals in Pakistan is related to Pakistan and has nothing to do with Afghanistan. The report published by Pakistanis is an attempt to create distrust between China and Afghanistan. We have repeatedly denied this, and it is also illogical.” (Kamran Yousaf, “Kabul backtracks on Besham probe assistance,” The Express Tribune, 31 May 2024)
SECURITY
Two suspects allegedly involved in killing workers in Gwadar arrested, says Balochistan government
On 31 May, the Balochistan government announced that two suspects allegedly involved in the killing of seven laborers in Gwadar were arrested. On 10 May, unidentified men killed the workers in the Surbandan area of Gwadar when they were sleeping in a rented room. These labourers belonged to different cities of Punjab. Balochistan’s Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove detailed that the suspects were from Gwadar city and belonged to the banned outfit Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). He asserted: “Terrorism will not be tolerated in the province and the provincial government is taking all possible steps to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the province.” The press conference was also attended by the Counter Terrorism Department’s provincial chief Aitzaz Ahmed Goraya, who provided details of the arrest and separately added that investigations into the incident at Noshki were also underway. (Saleem Shahid, “Two involved in killing of workers from Punjab held: Balochistan home minister,” Dawn, 1 June 2024)
ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT
Chinese company demands revival of Kohala hydropower project in PoK
On 31 May, the Chinese sponsors of the USD 2.5 billion Kohala Hydropower Project in Pakistan, China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG), raised multiple demands regarding the project, which is set to be built on River Jhelum in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). Despite efforts to revive the 1,124MW project which is a part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the relucatance of the China Export and Credit Insurance Corporation (Sinosure) to provide insurance cover caused delays. This reluctance was amid dues of over PKR 550 billion that the Pakistani power companies had to pay to Chinese independent power producers (IPPs). However, CTG demanded that the letter of support and financial close deadline be extended to 30 September 2027. The CEO of the Kohala Hydro Company, Liu Yonggangm, demanded the managing director of the Private Power Infrastructure Board to keep the previous bank guarantee unchanged instead of doubling it, while also waiving the extension fee.
This letter claimed that the KHPP was “fully geared to achieve financial closing in December 2018.” It also noted that Chinese and local workers were on-site and had begun preliminary construction activities when the project was “unexpectedly halted” by the PoK government “due to environmental concerns wrongly associated with the Neelum-Jhelum Hydro Power Project.” Even though most of the key issues were resolved, due to the disruptions, “lender interest in the Kohala HPP waned, and China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation’s (Sinosure) interest in providing insurance to the lenders diminished.” Since there is a “notable disinterest among lenders” in PoK, the company asked for additional time for alternative funding sources. Additionally, the Chinese side has raised “several outstanding key issues, with technical, financial, and environmental implications,” including the need for 8,600 kanals of land. (Khaleeq Kiani, “Chinese firm seeks revival of Kohala Hydropower Project,” Dawn, 1 June 2024)
PROVINCES
Punjab: Provincial government accuses Sindh of drawing more than its share of river water
On 31 May, Punjab accused Sindh of claiming more than its share of river water and underreporting water measurements at its reservoirs. A spokesperson for the Punjab Irrigation Department claimed: “Sindh has drawn 3.560-million-acre feet (MAF) against its allocated share of 2.773 MAF during the period from 1 April to 20 May, 2024, which is 20 per cent more than its due share allocated by the IRSA (Indus River System Authority) for the whole kharif 2024 season.” On the same day, the maximum share of Sindh under the Water Apportionment Accord was 98,700 cusecs, but it had placed its indent of 140,000 cusecs, and against this demand, Irsa was releasing 190,000 cusecs, more than double the actual share of Sindh. The spokesperson argued that due to a shortage of supplies, Irsa had planned zero flows downstream of Kotri Barrage till June 2024. However, after meeting its canal water requirements, Sindh has released 0.062 MAF or 32,000 cusecs below Kotri so far, in violation of the decision taken by the Irsa Advisory Committee (IAC) on 2 April. He claimed that increasing water losses in Taunsa-Guddu reach were solely due to underreporting of discharges at Sindh barrages. The spokesperson also pointed out that the actual discharge measurements by various independent teams during 2022 and 2023 revealed that Punjab had been reporting discharges correctly at all of its barrages, including Taunsa Barrage. He also urged the concerned authorities to take notice of the underreporting to protect the share of the provinces. (Amjad Mahmood, “Sindh accused of drawing more than its share of river water,” Dawn, 1 June 2024)
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Reduction in prices of petroleum products
The price of petrol has been reduced by Rs 4.74 (per litre) while the price of high-speed diesel has been reduced by Rs 3.86 (per litre).
- PML-N
A truck crushed and killed the child - the heirs of the child caught the driver and stoned him to death - Unfortunately, in our country, people's faith and trust in the law has been lost and people have started making decisions on the road.
- Reham Khan
In front of everyone's eyes, we won on February 8, the entire media showed my results, the results stopped coming after four o'clock in the night. Shoaib Shaheen went
- Tehreek-e-Insaf
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Aqdas Afzal, ‘Money and man’
Dawn, 1 June 2024
“No one has specifically connected the present political instability with this inflation, as the recent political upheaval is seemingly driven by structural factors of the political system itself. Still, the political crisis’ persistence and unending social unrest make a convincing case for attributing some causal power to two-plus years of very high inflation. In a sense, this backbreaking inflation is reminiscent of Weimar Germany of the 1920s, when facing the mother of all inflations, Germany veered to the extreme right, opening up space for Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, enabling them to seize power democratically, but then turning Germany into a fascist-totalitarian state.”
Masud Khan, ‘Rising armed resistance in Afghanistan’
The Express Tribune, 1 June 2024
“Afghanistan has become a hotbed of terrorist organisations like Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Al-Qaeda Core, Al-Qaeda in Subcontinent (AQIS), Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), Tehrik-e-Taliban Tajkistan (TTT) and Islamic State of Khorasan (IS-K). These terrorist outfits are posing a serious threat to Pakistan and the region, and beyond. TTP is carrying out cross-border attacks into Pakistan from their safe havens in Afghanistan. IS-K is a threat to Afghanistan itself, besides being a global threat. The Moscow concert attack in March shows its reach.”
Abdul Sattar, ‘Time to reconcile’
The News International, 1 June 2024
“But soon after this meeting, the chief executive of KP started sending confusing messages that may not go down well with those who are seeking cordial ties between Peshawar and Islamabad. This is not the first time that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has allegedly sent confusing signals. It has done so several times during the past two years. Sometime back, former prime minister Imran Khan expressed his willingness to talk to the establishment for the greater good of the country, dispelling the impression that his party is against the army. Similarly, some other PTI leaders have also expressed a desire to have cordial relations with the establishment.”
Editorial, ‘Torching girls’ schools’
Dawn, 1 June 2024
“What will be the likely fallout of such attacks? Families will keep their children at home, and once again, access to schooling and empowerment will elude thousands of girls in the tribal belt and Balochistan. Moreover, the ban on female education and businesses by the Taliban government in Afghanistan has given new strength to primitive attitudes. This is further complicated by the state’s timidity towards extremist elements, which amplifies all expressions of zealotry and its devastating impact on the country’s social, political and economic growth.”
Editorial, ‘CII suggestion’
The News International, 1 June 2024
“In the aftermath of the May 25 events in Sargodha, where an angry mob took the law into its own hands, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has raised its voice against the alarming culture of mob vigilantism in Pakistan. In a meeting on Wednesday, the CII reiterated its past recommendation that special courts should be established to prosecute criminals involved in such crimes. The CII is not wrong in pointing out how mobs take the law into their own hands when religious sentiments are fanned. We are not just talking about private property being damaged but about people being killed as well. In December 2021, a Sri Lankan factory manager, Priyantha Kumara, was lynched to death in Sialkot and his body burnt by a violent mob. And we remember all too well the tragedy of Mashal Khan.”
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“Each generation seeks to interpret the meaning of Pakistan anew.”
-An opinion in Dawn, ‘Jinnah’s children’
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