Pakistan says Indian claims over J&K are “unfounded”; Senior journalist Khalil Jibran killed by unknown assailants in Khyber
In Brief
POLITICS
Planning minister accuses “political party” of spreading misinformation on Pak-China ties
On 19 June, the Federal Minister for Planning, Ahsan Iqbal, accused a “political party” of spreading misinformation regarding Pak-China relations in recent days, adding that a smear campaign was reportedly underway to sabotage long-standing bilateral ties. He claimed that “Trolling is being used to put pressure on critics, subjecting them to harassment.” Acknowledging that “differences exist between the government and opposition,” he argued that “state institutions should not be targeted” since “weakening these institutions jeopardises the stability of the state.” Iqbal highlighted how, for the first time, “cooperation with China has also expanded into the space sector,” and noted that “China's participation will elevate the space programme to new heights.” Emphasizing that “no country or state formulates policy based on articles,” he asserted that after “hearing joint statements” from both countries and in light of recent engagements, only a “fool would claim that relations are deteriorating.” He expressed confidence that their ties would only grow stronger and said that any attempt to toy with the state’s interests would be dealt with iron hands. (“Propaganda against Pak-China ties to be dealt with iron hand, says Ahsan Iqbal,” The News International, 19 June 2024)
PPP undecided on participation in budget debate due to discontent with the government
On 19 June, Dawn reported that with the National Assembly (NA) set to meet to begin a general debate on the budget for FY25, the PPP is wavering on whether to engage in the proceedings due to differences and discontent with the ruling coalition. These have stemmed from the government’s decision to announce the budget without consulting the PPP first. According to Dawn’s sources, since the PML-N had not made any serious effort or “substantial progress” to address the PPP’s grievances, the party had not committed to participating in the debate. A senior PPP leader told Dawn that the PML-N violated a written agreement between both parties that had been made during the formation of the government, by announcing the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) without consulting the provinces. He added that the party would make a final decision before the start of the NA sitting, but it did not want to destabilize the government or Pakistan at this time. (Amir Wasim, “PPP wavers as NA set to begin budget debate today,” Dawn, 20 June 2024)
EXTERNAL
Pakistan’s UN ambassador concerned about acquisition of modern weapons by terrorists groups
On 18 June, while speaking at the UN’s Fourth Review Conference of the Programme of Action (PoA) on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), Pakistan’s Ambassador Munir Akram called on the UN for a “concerted campaign” to recover weapons from terrorist groups. He expressed the country’s “grave concern over the acquisition and use of modern and sophisticated small arms by terrorist groups,” including the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). In a statement issued by the Pakistani mission to the UN, Akram pointed out the importance of having a “concerted campaign to recover all weapons from terrorist groups like the TTP,” and called for a probe into how such groups can acquire advanced weapons. He contended that since “terrorists and criminals do not manufacture these arms,” these groups acquire the weapons from “illicit arms markets or receive them from entities that want to destabilise a particular region or country.” Thus, conflicts are being exacerbated by this “illicit proliferation, excessive accumulation and misuse of SALW.” He also noted how the advancement of technology which has led to the use of unmanned aerial vehicles and drones has deepened “challenges in combating the proliferation of increasingly lethal small arms.”
Akram stressed that it was the responsibility of the UN and its member states to take action to prevent this. Reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to the UN PoA and the International Tracing Instrument (ITI), he stated: “We have strengthened our legislative frameworks, enhanced transfer controls and implemented robust measures to prevent the diversion of SALW to unauthorised users.” Claiming that a supply-side approach to tackling SALW challenges would be limiting in nature, he called for a more strenuous effort to “resolve and end conflicts in various regions and sub-regions, end terrorist activities, and eliminate organised crime.” Akram also spoke on the importance of using a balanced approach between the concerns over arms’ illicit proliferation and the legitimate security concerns shared by states. (“At UN, Pakistan calls for ‘concerted campaign’ to recover arms from terrorist groups like TTP,” Dawn¸ 19 June 2024)
SECURITY
Senior journalist Khalil Jibran killed by unknown assailants in Khyber
On 19 June, police in the Landi Kotal tehsil of the Khyber district stated that senior journalist Khalil Jibran had been killed by unidentified gunmen while travelling with friends a day earlier on 18 June. Both police and family sources detailed that two armed men ambushed his car, before dragging him out and ordering the other three occupants to get out as they were not the targets. Jibran was then shot and killed on the spot, and as per doctors in the District Headquarters Hospital in Landi Kotal, he bore 19 bullet wounds. Upon arrival, the police filed a First Information Report (FIR) against the assailants and claimed that they immediately began investigations into the incident. Jibran, who began working as a journalist in 2001, had worked with local dailies and a Pashtu language private TV channel. He was also the president of the Landi Kotal Press Club for two terms. In response to the incident, on the morning of 19 June, residents and local journalists staged a protest demonstration, blocking the main highway and accusing law enforcement agencies of failing to launch an immediate search operation in spite of information about the presence of a group of TTP activities in the area. Other journalists’ organizations and press clubs throughout Khyber Pakhtunkhwa staged protest demonstrations. The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) issued a strong condemnation of the murder, and the union’s leaders in a joint statement said that in spite of many journalists being targeted, the government had not arrested a single murderer. They stated: “This shows that the government is not interested in providing protection to those who are on the hit list of terrorists.” (Ibrahim Shinwari, “Journalist Khalil Jibran gunned down in Landi Kotal,” Dawn, 20 June 2024)
INDIA VIEW
Pakistan says Indian claims over J&K are “unfounded and misplaced”
On 19 June, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to India’s statement on references made to Jammu and Kashmir during the Pakistan-China joint statement that had been issued after talks between Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Premiere Li Qiang on 8 June. The Foreign Office (FO) stated: “It is an established fact that Jammu and Kashmir is an internationally-recognized disputed territory. The dispute has been on the agenda of the UN Security Council for over seven decades. The relevant Security Council resolutions clearly stipulate that the final disposition of the State of Jammu and Kashmir will be made in accordance with the will of the people expressed through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under the auspices of the United Nations. In that backdrop, the Indian claims over Jammu and Kashmir are totally unfounded and misplaced.” Earlier, India rejected “unwarranted” references to Jammu and Kashmir in the joint statement and also remained critical of the mention of projects under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). It asserted that New Delhi would reject any move to legitimize Islamabad’s illegal occupation of the region. India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, asserted that the “Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh have been, are, and will always remain integral and inalienable parts of India.” To India’s criticism of CPEC, Pakistan’s FO spokesperson maintained that “instead of making baseless claims about CPEC, India should implement, at the earliest, the relevant UN Security Council resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.” (“India has no right to object to Pak-China joint statement on Kashmir: FO,” The Express Tribune, 20 June 2024)
SOCIETY
Freedom Network issues call to Pakistan and the world to help Afghan journalists
On 19 June, the national media watchdog Freedom Network urged the government of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, along with the international community and the UN, to help support Afghan refugee journalists. The appeal for these journalists, who are facing challenges since they left after the Taliban took over in 2021, comes as the world observed World Refugee Day on 20 June. Freedom Network’s Executive Director, Iqbal Khattak, called on the world to “join hands to help and assist these refugee journalists, who are cramped by a host of issues and challenges.” He added: “Helping these refugee journalists is a pledge we need to make to support free media in Afghanistan.” Noting how the media in Afghanistan vanished after the collapse of President Dr Ashraf Ghani’s government in 2021, he detailed that most journalists fled to take shelter in other countries, choosing mainly to transit through Pakistan. Khattak said that challenges faced by these journalists include “Pakistani visa, job, police-linked harassment, no access to public sector healthcare and education for these refugee journalists and their children, long wait for interviews with western embassies for third resettlement.” He also lamented that the “UN refugee agency is not able to register these Afghan journalists as Islamabad is not allowing their registration to discourage a fresh wave of new arrivals in the country where Afghan nationals are still living in thousands without much support from the international community.” Khattak acknowledged the role played by international media rights organizations in “supporting these journalists by extending them humanitarian assistance and support letters to recommend them for western and non-western embassies in Islamabad to help them resettle in third countries.” However, while many left Pakistan after getting visas, “there are some less than 200 journalists still waiting.” (“Govt, international community urged to come forward to support Afghan refugee journalists,” Dawn, 20 June 2024)
PROVINCES
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: CM Gandapur storms power station in DIK, issues warning to federal government
On 19 June, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (KP) Chief Minister, Ali Amin Gandapur, stormed a grid station to restore power in parts of Dera Ismail Khan (DIK) and laid down his outage plan amid a worsening load-shedding row in KP. He stated: “No area will face load-shedding beyond 12 hours. Assembly members should visit grid stations in their respective areas to ensure compliance with the load-shedding schedule.” Earlier, Gandapur had accused the federal government of withholding PKR 1,600 billion in dues and revenues owed to KP. He said that while the government had said “it needs some time to review the power system” and asked for the provincial government’s support, “the timeline to the Centre has expired.” He added that he did not receive any response from the Federal Minister for Energy, Awais Leghari. Urging everyone to follow his policy, he asserted: “This means you (the people) and we are free. No one should damage any Wapda asset because it is our asset, made with our tax money.” Gandapur also detailed that he had “informed the KP police chief that no cases should be registered against anyone at Wapda’s request. This is KP’s police. It is not bound to Wapda.” He argued that since “Wapda is commuting injustice” and KP is not receiving its “dues,” the police will “have to act justly.” Calling on the administration to follow his directives and ensure personnel accompany lawmakers to oversee grid stations, he announced plans to curtail national power supply from the province. Addressing the government of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, he stated: “The prime minister called and spoke about the province’s support to secure a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). I first want my province’s money; otherwise, I will clearly tell the IMF that they are taxing our people and taking money in our name.” Gandapur claimed that Sharif’s “behaviour and actions” had forced KP to “push” his government aside. He warned Sharif that those who “brought him to power will not be able to save” him. (Abubakar Saddiq, “Gandapur storms grid station, restores power amid KP loadshedding crisis,” The News International, 19 June 2024)
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There was a time when the sisters of youths used to be eager to see Shahid Afridi's six.
-PPP
Delighted to speak with His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and share warm Eid ul Adha greetings on telephone. Discussed deepening of our bilateral ties, economic cooperation & people-to-people exchanges. Our nations proudly share a strong bond of friendship, trust & mutual respect.
- Shehbaz Sharif
Shahid Afridi sir, you have crossed the line of personal attack. Now wait for the answer.
-Imran Khan
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Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, ‘Climate-smart finance bill’
Dawn, 20 June 2024
“The Planning Commission has still not embedded adaptation and mitigation in PC-1s that are the backbone of annual public sector investments. The finance ministry has not initiated the tracking of climate expenditures, despite attempts over the years by several development partners. The office of the Accountant General Pakistan Revenues has not climate-proofed reporting of federal transactions, nor has the Auditor General upgraded its auditing standards and disclosure rules. The FBR is not tracking and reporting climate-related tax expenditures, nor has it supported the development of climate-resilient infrastructure by ensuring that tax policies and regulations promote investments in climate-resilient projects and infrastructure. In fact, none of the major government players have strengthened climate-smart budgeting by embedding climate considerations into their processes. These lacunae are mirrored in the provincial budgets.”
Zamir Akram, ‘Talking to the enemy’
The Express Tribune, 17 June 2024
“Even so, there is new optimism among some in Pakistan that a post-election weakened Modi government would be chastened to pursue more conciliatory polices, towards Indian Muslims and Pakistan. This is flawed thinking. A weaker Modi will be even more reliant on the Hindutva agenda and to manipulate the Pakistan bogey, especially in times of domestic political crises. The reasons are obvious. Since the age of eight, Modi has been a RSS ‘Kar Sevak’ or voluntary worker steeped in supremacist Hindu ideology which he has incessantly promoted. As Chief Minister of Gujarat, he was responsible for the massacre of Muslims following the Godhra incident in 2002. As Prime Minister since 2014, he has promoted a fascist Hindu ideology, giving free rein to Hindu fanatics to target Indian Muslims as “infiltrators”; passed laws to discriminate against them; build a Ram Mandir on the site of the destroyed Babri Masjid; and changed the status of the so-called only Muslim-majority state of (occupied) Kashmir. Externally, Modi and his minions have relentlessly demonised Pakistan as a sponsor of terrorism, a failed state and an arch-enemy that occupies Indian territory which must be snatched by force. Such Pakistan bashing is central to Modi’s Hindutva creed since Pakistan represents the break-up of ‘Akand Bharat’ that exists in RSS mythology. Dialogue with Pakistan is, therefore, anathema to Modi. Any change in this policy will come at a huge political cost, especially now.”
Dr Ayesha Razzaque, ‘Pakistan and the skills report’
The News International, 20 June 2024
In the Asia-Pacific region, Pakistan placed 15 out of 23 countries. It has been classified as lagging (the lowest of four possible categories), both globally and regionally. The skills rankings are broken down across three areas – business, technology, and data science. One thing that stood out to me is that Pakistan scored modestly higher in business skills and modestly lower in the two other technical skill categories relative to immediate neighbours India and Sri Lanka. Also, interesting (but unsurprising) is where Pakistan does not appear in the report – in the top-20 list of countries by percentage of labour force who are active learners on the Coursera platform (active learners are defined as learners who have started at least one course in the last year). Most learning materials are free to browse but unless a learner has access to Coursera through a government, employer, or university programme, earning a verifiable certificate requires a subscription usually paid by credit card. That is a significant barrier for many in our country.
Editorial, ‘Kindness needed’
Dawn, 20 June 2024
“Focusing on Pakistan, we see the complexities of hosting large refugee populations. For over four decades, we have provided sanctuary to Afghans, the largest refugee population globally. According to UNHCR, over 6.4m Afghans were hosted in 108 countries last year, with Pakistan alone providing refuge to nearly 2m. The government puts the total at nearly 4m. In October 2023, the government began the process of repatriating Afghan refugees, sparking much debate. While Pakistan has shown immense generosity, hosting millions of refugees for decades has placed a considerable financial burden on the country. The strain on resources, coupled with valid security concerns, underscore the intricacies of the issue. The threat of militants crossing borders and the challenges of integrating a large refugee population into local communities cannot be ignored.”
Editorial, ‘Cruelty crisis’
Dawn, 20 June 2024
“If there were a list of countries with the highest number of incidents of animal cruelty, surely Pakistan would have been among the top 10 (if not at the top). Barely a few weeks after the heart-wrenching dog incident where a puppy was thrown off from a high-rise apartment’s balcony in Karachi, another equally bloodcurdling video surfaced on social media – this time from Sanghar. According to the details, a landowner chopped off the leg of a camel that had mistakenly entered the owner’s fields. For days, the image of a teary-eyed and wailing camel – named ‘Cammie’ by social media users – dominated people’s timelines on almost every social media platform. People had barely come to terms with the tragedy when news outlets reported yet another gruesome case of animal abuse – someone chopped off a donkey’s ears over a land dispute in Rawalpindi. For how long do we have to keep reminding people that we have to respect animal rights and that we should not see them as soulless props? We were reminded that all hope was not lost when we saw how after the 2022 floods, locals and rescuers put their lives in danger to rescue the stranded animals – and yet we come across such cases where people show zero empathy.”
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“There is a call for a paradigm shift in carbon credit”
-An opinion in Dawn, ‘Blood carbon'
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