PNS Babur and PNS Hunan to be inducted on Defence Day I Gas reserves in Waziristan to overturn concerns of depletion
In Brief
POLITICS
Senate Standing Committee approves bill on peaceful assembly
On 3 September, the Senate Standing Committee on Interior approved a private member bill, “Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill 2024” which had been referred to it a day earlier. The bill streamlines the procedures involved in permitting gatherings of political and non-political nature, designate specific areas for gatherings and penalize illegal congregations. It primarily aims at controlling peaceful assemblies. In his statement, Senator Saleem Mandviwala said, “Besides, getting permission for any political or non-political gathering is the prerogative of the administration. If people do not get it, they approach court and again it becomes the prerogative of the judiciary.” An official from a law division maintained that there is no existing law on peaceful assembly in the capital, and the authorization of Non-Objection Certificates (NOC) was within the executive magistrate’s discretion. The law was met with opposition from the Committee Chairman Faisal Saleem Rehman and Senator Saifullah Abro. The former inquired about the purpose of the bill, in the presence of existing laws. Senator Mandviwalla retorted: “On Monday, Kashmir Highway was blocked and we could not attend the Senate session as only 25 people had also blocked the Srinagar Highway.” He stated that the bill was an attempt at regulating protests. The Secretary interior, Chief Commissioner of Islamabad, Mohammad Ali Randhawa, with other officials informed the committee that currently Non-Objection Certificates were being granted by the district administration to conduct rallies and gatherings. They argued that there are no allotted places for protests and sit-ins, thereby posing a nuisance to the residents. They said: “We want to earmark a designated place at the outskirts of Islamabad and after consensus it was noted that such a place would be at the entry points of the federal capital.” (Kalbe Ali, “Senate body approves bill on peaceful assembly in Islamabad amid opposition uproar,” Dawn, 4 September; Asim Yasin, “Divided Senate panel passes ICT public order bill,” The News International, 4 September)
BNP leader resigns from National Assembly over lawmakers’ apathy towards Balochistan
On 3 September, the chief of the Balochistan National Party Akhtar Mengal resigned from his National Assembly position. He complained of the lack of freedom within the parliament and lawmakers’ apathy towards the security concerns in Balochistan. He announced his resignation to media persons outside the Parliament after the lower house session was adjourned due to a lack of quorum. He said that the legislature was being run by “Form 47.” He said: “All sides agreed to adjourn the session for one day — because they cannot listen to the ground realities in Balochistan.” He lamented the fact that despite the country’s “daughters and elderly women” “spending nights in the open only to highlight their concerns,” none of the lawmakers are interested in raising this matter in the house. He said: “I do not see any point to remain in the assembly where we cannot speak against the system that is breeding terrorism in Balochistan.” In a written resignation letter the BNP leader said: “It has become increasingly clear that our attempts to speak or protest are met with hostility, our people are either silenced, labeled as traitors, or worse, killed. Under such circumstances, I find it impossible to continue in this capacity, as my presence here no longer serves any purpose for the people I represent.” (Kalbe Ali, “Akhtar Mengal ‘quits’ NA over apathy towards Balochistan ,” Dawn, 4 September)
Imran Khan seeks Islamabad High Court against court martial trial
On 3 September, Imran Khan expressed apprehension over an FIR filed against him in Rawalpindi in connection with the 9 May violence and petitioned the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against his possible court martial. In his petition to theIHC , he voiced concern over the recent arrest of Lt Gen Faiz Hameed.The petition read, “It has been widely speculated and reported in the media that he will be made an approver against the petitioner in cases pertaining to May 9 and 10, 2023 and the petitioner will be transferred to military custody on this basis.” Khan expressed skepticism that the court martial’s verdict would be contradictory to the five-member Supreme Court bench’s judgment in the “Jawwad S. Khawaja versus Federation of Pakistan” case. In the trial, the court had maintained that trying civilians in the military court is unconstitutional. Khan’s worries have been fueled by a statement made by the Federal government’s Barrister Akeel Malik who had stated that he could be tried in the military court and that the Pakistan Army Act 1952 would be applicable. On the other hand, rumors about Imran Khan being handed over to military authorities have been making rounds in journalistic and political circles further heightening the former premier’s worries. (Malik Asad, “Rumours swirl after Imran moves IHC against ‘possible military trial’ ,” Dawn, 4 September)
Bills introduced and passed without “a concern for democratic process and procedures” are case studies of “political lawfare,” argues an editorial in Dawn
On 4 September, an editorial in Dawn titled “Political lawfare” lamented the manner in which bills have been introduced in the parliament and passed without “a concern for democratic process and procedures” in the last few years. The editorial pointed out most of the bills introduced and passed in “august houses” were seldom aimed at bettering the life of the people but can be termed as “case studies of political lawfare being taken to extreme levels.” Additionally, this often took place at the cost of the “sanctity and stature of parliament as well as the delicate balance of state power.” In this regard, the editorial referenced the two bills introduced in the Senate on 2 August: one aimed at regulating public gatherings and protests in Islamabad and the other at increasing the strength of judges in the Supreme Court. The editorial argued that the former bill would curtail the constitutional right to protest peacefully without the district magistrate’s permission and agreed with the PTI’s allegation that the law seems to be a “PTI-specific law’” as it was introduced on the heels on announcement of protests by the PTI in Islamabad. As regard to the second bill, the editorial is of the opinion that it would add judges to “an increasingly restless Supreme Court” and the timing of it also seems suspect. The editorial suggested that if pendency of cases is the issue then the new judges must be mandated to only look at the backlog cases for the first six months. The editorial emphasized that these actions by the government is “projecting desperation, not power.” It also lamented that the government could have refrained from a “needlessly confrontational stance.” It also cautioned that the in order to avoid chaos the judiciary must be allowed to remain independent as “repeated government intervention in judicial affairs is giving rise to serious and valid concerns.” (“Political lawfare,” Dawn, 4 September)
SECURITY
PNS Babur and PNS Hunain to be inducted on Defence Day
On 3 September, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) revealed that two warships- the Pakistan Navy Ship (PNS) Babur and PNS Hunain- are set to be inducted into the national navy fleet on the occasion of Defence Day on 6 September. PNS Babur with a vertical launching system was launched in August 2023 and commissioned in September 2023. It is being built in Turkey. Four Babur class ships will be inducted in the Pakistan Navy. Additionally, three Babur class vessels, namely PNS Badr, PNS Tariq and PNS Khyber are still in the process of preparation. The Babur class ship will be able to fight on surface, underwater and air at the same time. Besides, this the PNS Hunain built in Romania comes under the Yarmouk class ships, which fall under the Guided Missile Corvettes status in the Pakistan Navy. Ships of this class are useful for air and surface warfare and even in conducting search and rescue operations. The PNS Hunain will have the ability to launch surface-to-air missiles. (“PN to induct Babar, Hunain ships in its fleet on Defence Day ,” The News International, 4 September)
PROVINCES
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Gas reserves in Waziristan to overturn concerns of depletion
On 3 September, The Express Tribune reported that significant deposits of gas “estimated at 351.2 billion cubic feet (BCF)” have been found in the Shewa fields of North Waziristan district in KP. The discovered deposits are estimated to last for around 17 years. According to an annual report released by exploration and production company Mari Petroleum, it is ready to connect 70 mmcfd of gas from Shewa-2 into the national grid via a pipeline recently constructed by Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL). This development is projected to help Pakistan increase its indigenous gas supply by 3 per cent on a daily basis. An improvement in domestic gas production will help reduce import bill and preserve its foreign exchange reserves . However, gas will be injected into the system only after the Early Production Facilities are commissioned followed by a ramp-up. Research analyst Sunny Kumar noted a surge in share prices of Mari Petroleum by 1.93 per cent inthe Pakistan Stock Exchange and the prices are expected to further rise to PKR 60-65 per share. There have also been plans to optimize Waziristan’s hydrocarbon potential through appraisal and exploration wells. (Salman Siddiqui, “Significant gas reserves discovered in North Waziristan ,” Dawn, 4 September)
ECONOMY
Finance Minister expresses hope that the IMF bailout will be approved soon
On 3 September, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in a televised speech revealed that discussions are on with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and that Pakistan was in “advanced stages in terms of getting assurances around our external financing.” This statement comes a day after the IMF published the executive board meeting’s schedule till 13 September without Pakistan finding a mention. Despite this, the Finance Minister said he was “hopeful” that the IMF board would approve the External Financing Fund (EFF) package worth USD 7 billion programme. The minister also spoke about the Federal Board of Revenue’s failure to meet its two-month tax collection target worth PKR 98 billion. He urged protesting traders to assist with the tax collection via the traders’ scheme. He said: “I want to be clear that this is not going to be taken back.” He maintained that 43 per cent of the sectors in the economy “pay less than 1 per cent tax” and that the salaried class and manufacturing industry has been “paying way above what they are contributing to the GDP.” Additionally, referring to the improvement noted by the economic indicators, he said: “The inflation rate has reduced to 9.6 per cent in August 2024 from 27.4 per cent in the same period last year. As the inflation rate is gradually reducing, the policy rate is coming down gradually, which is aiding the economy, especially the industrial sector.” He also claimed that the all arrears in foreign credit, contracts, profit remittances and dividends have been cleared. (Shahbaz Rana, “Not on IMF agenda, but Pakistan hopes to secure bailout ,” Dawn, 4 September)
CDWP receives approval of eight development projects worth 144 billion
On 3 September, the Central Development Working Party approved five development projects valued at PKR 15.35 billion at a meeting led by Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal. An additional three projects worth PKR 129 billion were also put forward for formal approval from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec). The CDWP presented a health sector project to the Ecnec, with a budget of PKR 52.772 billion. The project is called ““Establishment of Nawaz Sharif Institute of Cancer Treatment & Research, Lahore.” The project will be financed by the annual development plan and also pushes for a low cost and comprehensive cancer treatment at the Institute of Cancer and Research in Lahore. It plans to assist terminally ill patients and even involve professionals from the medical and engineering professionals, technologist and administrative workforce. Another project recommended for approval was the “Sindh Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Project (SFERP) Phase-II,” while will come under the purview of the transport and communication sector. It aims at assisting the Sindh government with rehabilitation of important infrastructure which was damaged by the 2022 floods. (Khaled Kiani, “CDWP clears eight projects worth Rs144bn ,” Dawn, 4 September)
“The ‘victory statement’ against inflation by the prime minister is a little premature,” argues an editorial in Dawn
On 4 September, an editorial in Dawn titled “Inflation decline” reviewed the recent decline in inflation to a 34 month low in August and the responses to this development. The editorial highlighted that even though the CPI inflation has dipped below 10 per cent due to decline in prices of non-perishable goods and “a high base effect from last year,” this does not indicate that prices of goods have decreased or that prices are not rising. The editorial also highlighted that the year-over-year CPI has “massively fallen” but the month-over-month CPI has increased compared to July. Further, the core inflation is still in “double-digits,” and its deceleration is a result of falling food prices in both urban and rural areas. The editorial cautioned that this trend is in no way indicative of respite from inflation for the common people. The declining trend in inflation has given the Central Bank of Pakistan space to ease monetary policy and a reduction in interest rate might ease debt servicing burden on the government. Though the fall in inflation is a positive development, “its future trajectory largely depends on how the authorities manage their fiscal house.” There is no indication that the government is planning to reduce its expenditure and the tax revenue collection has also not shown an increasing trend. Thus, the “victory statement” by the prime minister regarding declining inflation is a “little premature.” (“Inflation decline,” Dawn, 4 September 2024)
EXTERNAL
US ambassador and Foreign Minister discuss bilateral and regional matters
On 3 September, the US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar discussed bilateral and regional issues in a meeting. The discussions were focused on the “protection of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers, economic cooperation, security and counterterrorism and regional cooperation.” This engagement comes in the backdrop of Pakistan’s plan to implement its second round of repatriation of Afghan refugees who do not have sufficient identity proof. Earlier, Islamabad had complained of security concerns arising out of illegal migrants living in Pakistan, especially Afghans and ordered their deportation. However, after the country was criticized by the UN and human-rights groups, a year’s extension was granted to all Afghan refugees who held the Afghan Citizenship Card. Separately, after the meeting, the US embassy said: “The ambassador welcomed the opportunity to hear from the Deputy Prime Minister on Pakistan’s priorities in the lead-up to the UN General Assembly as Pakistan prepares to begin its term as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.” A statement released by the Foreign Office said: “The discussion covered various aspects of Pakistan-US bilateral relations including avenues for enhanced cooperation in diverse fields. They also discussed matters relating to the upcoming session of the UN General Assembly.” (Mariana Baabar, “Dar, US ambassador discuss bilateral, regional issues ,” The News International, 4 September)
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Whenever you talk about Balochistan, the media is blacked out. If you are not allowed to talk about Balochistan in the parliament, then what is the point of sitting in this parliament?
- Hamid Mir
Why distribution of education on the basis of wealth? Jamaat-e-Islami gave free IT education to 45000 students.
- Jamaat e Islami Pakistan
The government claims that the electricity production in the country is more than the consumption, but still why are the citizens of Pakistan facing long hours of load shedding? First Lady and Member of the National Assembly Bibi Asifa Bhutto Zardari's question in the National Assembly
- PPP
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"How will more of the same in Balochistan help for the future?"
-An opinion in Dawn, ‘Course correction’
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