SECURITY
23 travellers from Punjab were shot after identity checks in Mushakhail
On 26 August, at least 23 people mostly from Punjab were reported dead after they were offloaded by armed men from buses and trucks. They were shot after the latter checked their identities in the Mushakhil district. The Mushakhail Assistant Commissioner, Najeeb Dakar, informed that the men had blocked the highway in the district’s Rarasham area and set 10 vehicles on fire. The AC noted that among the 23, three were from Balochistan. A similar incident occurred about four months ago. Nine people were shot dead after their ID cards were checked by gunmen, near Noshki. In October 2023, undesignated gunmen shot down six labourers from Punjab in the Kech district of Balochistan. While police believe these murders were targeted, the victims were from south Punjab, linking the reason to their ethnic background. Condemning the terrorist attacks, both President, Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, lamented the death of innocent lives. The PM promised: “The terrorists responsible for this incident will be severely punished.” (Abdullah Zehri, “23 travellers from Punjab shot dead in Balochistan’s Musakhail after identity check: official ,” Dawn, 26 August 2024)
An abducted constable from the rocket attack incident in the Katcha area rescued
On 25 August, the abducted constable from the rocket attack in the Machka riverine area was rescued. This development follows attacks instigated by a gang of dacoits, destroying two police vehicles and murdering 12 personnel. It was during this incident that Constable Ahmed Nawaz was abducted by the perpetrators. Speaking on the occasion, District Police Officer Rahim Bar Khan assured that: “The police department is working with full strength in the riverine areas.” The Punjab Chief Minister, Maryam Nawaz hailed the DPO Gondal and his team’s efforts. Though many operations have been conducted to dismantle these criminal groups in the riverine areas of Sindh and Punjab, they keep cropping up. (Sher Ali Khati “Punjab police rescue abducted cop from Katcha dacoits in RYK,” The News International, 26 August 2024)
POLITICS
Maritime Minister announces abolishment of non-strategic enterprises
On 24 August, the Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh informed government’s plan to shut down or privatise state owned enterprises (SOEs) and ministries on a TV programme. He said: “They bring no benefit and people aren’t satisfied with their service.” When he was asked to name some of the SOEs and ministries that would be closed, he informed that they would either be shut down or merged with others. The Minister stated that this will not only alleviate the burden on the government but also help it focus on “good governance” and benefit from their “strategic purpose.” The government has stopped offering jobs to reduce expenditure, he added. He also mentioned that the cabinet members “will not take additional salary and will pay their own utility bills.” (Nadir Guramani, “Govt to abolish all ‘non-strategic’ ministries, says federal minister,” Dawn, 25 August 2024)
Pakistan to dissolve PakPWD; PM wants e-offices
On 25 August, at a meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reviewed the procedures related to the closure of the Pak Public Works Department (PakPWD). He ordered financial packages to those who will laid off due to the dissolution and those guilty of corruption shall not receive anything. All ongoing projects under the PakPWD will be transferred to the provinces and relevant departments. The PM also called for the implementation of an age relaxation strategy, to re-employ all sincere and hardworking individuals who hold a short-term contract with the PakPWD. Additionally, the PM ordered the Ministry of Information and Technology and relevant departments to implement an e-office system or paperless office work in a month. He emphasised that e-office is necessary to strengthen governance and encourage digitization. Any delay would not be tolerated as it is required to accelerate the integration of transparency within the system, he said. (“PM sets one-month deadline for govt offices to go paperless,” The News International, 26 August 2024)
ECONOMY
Auditor General report highlights poor financial management
On 26 August, Dawn reported that the Auditor General of Pakistan’s report on fiscal 2023-2024 revealed serious issues in the federal government’s financial management in fiscal 2022-2023. It concerned “unnecessary” distribution of supplementary grants “without need assessment leading to the surrender of budget, lapse of funds due to non-surrendering of funds in time and non-recording of commitments.” Additionally, the report stated that despite parliamentary sanction, the government granted 93 per cent of supplementary grants during the financial year 2022-2023. The AGP also expressed concern over the rise of debt servicing costs. The government’s socio-economic spending was compromised as it was diverted to fulfil rising debt servicing costs. The AGP’s annual report said costs rose by 37 per cent within a year and its total expenditure share climbed by 7.5 per cent. The AGP noted that the federal government was left with 12 per cent of total expenditure in 2023, lower than the previous year, at 16.07 per cent. (Khaled Kiani, “Auditor general concerned over poor financial affairs ,” Dawn, 26 August 2024)
The 2022 Karandaaz Financial Inclusion Survey highlights financial disparity across provinces
On 26 August, an article in Dawn discussed the state of financial inclusion across Pakistan. Data from the Karandaaz Financial Inclusion Survey (2022) provides a glimpse of the prevailing disparities. 30 per cent of Pakistanis, 47 per cent of males and 13 per cent of females have an account registered in a formal institution. Respondents from provinces said that only 14 per cent from Balochistan and 29 per cent from Sindh had registered with a financial institution. The highest registrations were from Islamabad at 45 per cent. The survey index comprised of six indices: financial accounts registration, access points, underserved markets, capabilities, diversified usage, and trust levels. The national average is at 0.77. Islamabad scored 0.93, while Balochistan lags at 0.54. Looking at the statistics on access to financial services provides a better understanding concerning deposit mobilisation. Data from 31 March reveals that Islamabad accounts for 6.4 per cent while Balochistan makes up only 2.1 per cent. (Mutaher Khan, “Regional disparity — eating financial dust,” Dawn, 26 August 2024)
ENVIRONMENT
Climate action initiative aims at cutting the telecom sector’s carbon footprint
On 25 August, an event organised by the Brilliant Group, in partnership with Pakistani companies and supported by the Ministry of Climate Change, launched the Energy Storage as a Service (ESaaS) project. It is a low-carbon initiative, aimed at cutting the telecom industry’s 58.3 kiloton carbon footprint. This numerical is equivalent to planting about 2 million trees. Minister in charge of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Romina Khurshid Alam welcomed the project where technology and innovation are in tandem with climate action. She emphasised that it aligned with the country’s broader climate action vision and would improve Pakistan’s environmental capabilities. Co-founder and Chief Executive of Brilliant Group, Bilal Qureshi remarked that the project had the potential to bring about transformative change and “sustainable innovation.” He said: “It’s more than an investment; it’s a commitment to reducing over 21 million litres of diesel consumption in Phase I, translating into significant cost savings of over Rs5 billion and environmental benefits.” (“Pakistan's first low-carbon ESaaS project launched ,” The Express Tribune, 25 August 2024)
NDMA warns of floods and landslides in low-lying and hilly areas across Pakistan
On 25 August, the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) forecasted more rains and thundershowers to hit various regions across Pakistan between 26 to 29 August. Provinces reported to be affected in the first phase include Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan (GB). Sindh and Balochistan are set to experience torrential rains after them. The rainfalls are likely to affect low-lying areas such as Gujranwala division, Lahore division, Sahiwal divisions and so on of Punjab, Malakand, Hazara, Kurram Waziristan and other parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. The NDMA has warned officials and civilians to take precautions as flooding in low-lying and hilly areas will significantly impact. It also directed related departments to mobilise resources and alert emergency teams. (“NDMA issues flood, landslide alert as more rains forecast ,” Dawn, 26 August 2024)
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Deeply saddened by the loss of precious lives in Balochistan. The morale of the nation cannot be lowered by such brutal acts. My sympathies are with the family in this hour of sorrow. May Allah grant the deceased a place in His mercy and give patience to the bereaved. Amen.
- Nawaz Sharif
Musharraf put me in jail for a few days. I did not see any big bandits there. All were poor people. And when I went to the National Assembly, I saw big robbers there.
Founder Chairman PTI Imran Khan
- PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
On August 28, God willing, there will be a nationwide historic strike. All shops will be closed, there will be a shutdown. Traders and industrialists should show solidarity to get rid of expensive electricity.
- Jamaat e Islami Pakistan
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