NIAS Area Studies
PAKISTAN READER
Photo : Dawn
JUDICIARY
Supreme Court amends Mubarak Sani case verdict on ulema’s advice
On 22 August, the Supreme Court ordered that paragraphs from the Holy Quran would not be cited in the Mubarak Sani cases, after a meeting between clerics and the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Faiz Isa. Mufti Taqi Usmani argued that the citations were taken out of context. The hearing was attended by the leader and scholars of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F). The previous hearing took place on 24 July, on the basis of review petitions on the 6 February which led to a campaign against CJP Isa. On 19 August, protestors approached the Supreme Court building to challenge the ruling. The latest verdict seeks to leave out certain portions of the Mubarak Ahmad Sani case, and even the parliament has expressed unanimous resolution in this regard. The Supreme Court stated that the government has cited numerous ulemas in its application, asking the former to look through their perspective and omit certain paragraphs from the last judgement. In a statement CJP Isa said: “I don’t want to say but am helpless; I pray in every prayer that may God prevent me from making any wrong decisions.” (“SC amends controversial order on ulema’s advice ,” Dawn, 23 August 2024)
ECONOMY
The situation is depressing, comments an editorial on the delay over IMF bailout
On 23 August, an editorial in the Express Tribune, “IMF bailout delay" was critical over the delay in Pakistan getting a bailout from the IMF. Responding to a decision by the IMF to remove the discussion on Pakistan from the agenda of the meeting scheduled on 30 August, the editorial considers that it would add the economic woes of a decline in exports and production and an escalating energy cost. The editorial forecasts that "it is going to be tough to make ends meet."
The editorial refers to the existing tightrope walking by Pakistan over delay in rescheduling Chinese loans and support from friends in the Middle East. According to the editorial, "this inability of Islamabad to procure a firm understanding of $12 billion seems to have provided the IMF with the excuse to delay the hard-earned understanding for more loans." The editorial concludes that the delay would "rupture sovereign deals" and Pakistan's "commitments with the lenders." ("IMF bailout delay," The Express Tribune, 23 August 2024)
Web management system upgrade, Under-sea cable and the VPNs: Where is the problem, asks an editorial in The News International
On 23 August, in an editorial titled “It’s not our fault” During the last few days, there have been statements from different agencies of the government providing reasons for the internet disruptions. A statement from Pakistan's IT minister informed the use of VPN as a reasons for the internet slowdown. Another statement from the PTA chairman blamed it on undersea cable failure. The editorial, referring to a discussion on a third reason - a firewall, asks where the problem is. According to the editorial, "the digital firms that stand to lose an estimated $300 million to the slowdown, the online students whose classes have been disrupted, those who look for news on X (formerly Twitter) and even those trying to send or receive Whatsapp messages for work or maybe to just stay in touch with their loved ones are all still in limbo.” ("It’s not our fault," The News, 23 August 2024)