In Brief
EXTERNAL
“It is very unacceptable for us to be attacked twice in only six months” says Chinese envoy to Pakistan
On 30 October, The Express Tribune reported that Chinese envoy to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong attended a seminar at the Pakistan-China institute Lahore where he had expressed China’s dissatisfaction with Islamabad’s inability to thwart terrorists targeting Chinese nationals working in Pakistan. The seminar was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan Ishaq Dar. He claimed Chinese leadership in a conversation with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, acknowledging Pakistan as an exception when it comes to sending Chinese nationals where security is an issue. Post this, surprisingly, the Ambassador used his right to reply where he said that “Beijing hoped that the Pakistani side could further strengthen the security measures to protect Chinese personnel, institutions and projects.” Ambassador Jiang had also expressed President XI’s concerns regarding the security of Chinese nationals working in Pakistan. Dar had reassured the Chinese envoy of taking appropriate measures to increasing security and the same would be shared when President Zardari meets President Xi. (Shahbaz Rana, “Chinese envoy miffed at CPEC security lapses,” The Express Tribune, 30 October 2024)
Russia and Pakistan to increase bilateral cooperation in security matters
On 30 October, The News International reported that Pakistan’s General Head Quarters hosted the Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation who met his counterpart Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir. The Russian Minister acknowledged the efforts put by Pakistan’s army in thwarting the threat of terrorism and stressed the significance of a collective approach in fighting against the same. Issues of common interests and the situation of regional security were also discussed between the two.
Separately, the Russian dignitary held a meeting with Pakistan’s Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, and Chief of Air Staff Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu. The two sides deliberated upon matters related to maritime security and issues of common interests. The Naval Chief of Pakistan had vehemently expressed his country’s wish to establish an all-round long-drawn partnership with Russia. The discussion also looked at coordinating bilateral naval exercises.
On another note, the Ministry of Defence, Pakistan hosted the fifth Pakistan-Russia Joint Military Consultative Committee in which issues of common interests were deliberated upon including how bilateral cooperation between the two countries could be expanded. The two sides also discussed matters related to training and bilateral visits and pledged to increase cooperation in defence and security-related matters. (“Pakistan, Russia vow to boost security collaboration,” The News International, 30 October 2024)
Eighth Financial Investment Initiative at Riayadh: PM Sharif meets Saudi Crown Prince
On 29 October, PM Shehbaz Sharif and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) met during the latter’s visit to Riyadh. to attend the eighth Financial Investment Initiative (FII). PM Sharif stated that the Kingdom was a part of Pakistan’s future economic plans. He even appreciated and supported Saudi’s efforts in endorsing regional stability and peace within the Middle East. Separately, X posted: “During our very productive talks we reviewed the progress in Pakistan-KSA relations across multiple sectors and reaffirmed our commitment to strengthening bilateral ties, particularly in areas such as trade and investment, culture, innovation, technology, and beyond.”
At the FII session, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of establishing an economy driven by knowledge, which is possible through innovation in the domains of education, health, and artificial intelligence. Speaking about Pakistan’s journey towards stability and the economy’s resilience, the PM invited investments into the country. He said: “AI is more than a trend; it’s a force revolutionizing economies, societies, and industries. At this critical juncture, Pakistan is not just embracing AI, we are committed to excelling in it.” In his speech, he mentioned that just like other minded countries such as Saudi, Pakistan too believes that AI is free from biases and good. He spoke of the need to harness AI’s potential to uplift empower and even address issues related to climate change, agriculture, and misinformation (“Shehbaz, MBS meet in Riyadh: Saudi Arabia’s role central to Pakistan’s economic plan, says PM ,” 30 October 2024; Syed Irfan Raza, “Riyadh central to Pakistan’s economy, PM tells MBS,” Dawn, 30 October 2024)
JUDICIARY
“The judiciary is perhaps facing its toughest test in defending its independence as the government plans to further distort the Constitution,” suggests an opinion in Dawn
On 30 October, an opinion titled “The battle ahead,” by Zahid Hussain in Dawn discussed the speculation of a 27th Amendment. He believes that the proposed amendment is likely help the government double-down its control over the already reformed judicial system. This urgency may arise from the fact that some of the proposed clauses of the 26th Amendment had to be left. He opines that there must be a “growing concern that despite the passage of the 26th Amendment, the government may not be able to fully control the apex court.” The new law may aim to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court to overcome all the backlogs in the court. However, there may be an ulterior motive behind this. Given the newly constituted Judicial Commission is now dominated by members of the National Assembly, the author believes that the court may become filed with judges of their choice. The author fears: “It’s a dangerous game that will have long-term implications not only for the country’s judicial system but also for the democratic process, which is based on the trichotomy of power.” On the contrary, the recently appointed Chief Justice, Yahya Afridi chose to include Justice Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar in the Practice and Procedure Committee and the Supreme Judicial Council. This development has hampered the government’s quest to exert control over the judiciary. The author observes that the full court meeting in the Supreme Court has set the record of the top court’s priorities, which is to “unite a fragmented court and improve the delivery of justice.”
The Chief Justice has to take on the daunting task of not just upholding the Constitution but also correcting the previous wrongs made by the judiciary. (Zahid Hussain, “The battle ahead,” Dawn, 30 October 2024)
“Long-standing power struggles often derail national progress” comments an editorial in The News International
An editorial in The News International titled “Time for Stability” discussed the move by the Federal Government to increase the number of judges in the courts for solving pending cases. It notes that there are a total of 59,151 cases in the Supreme Court which are yet to be resolved which justifies the move. It also mentions the murmurs revolving around the Government's plan to introduce the 27th amendment that would aim to empower local governments. However, the editorial suggests that the current political environment is not suitable for the government to introduce any further amendments to the judiciary. Instead, the Government should direct their efforts to further strengthen Pakistan’s economy, given that the country has witnessed recent economic recovery. The editorial highlights how the release of Bushra Bibi could be seen as the Government's effort to lessen their involvement in quarrelsome matters with other opposition parties. The editorial recommends that the government should work on capitalizing on the economic gains so that it reaps benefits for the public and must not enter into any new political confrontation that could backtrack the progress made. (“Time for stability,” The News International, 30 October 2024)
Judges of superior judiciary do not seem to be harbouring personal grudges” suggests an editorial in Dawn
An editorial in Dawn titled “Court business” discussed the display of unity when the newly sworn Chief Justice of Pakistan called upon a meeting which had the presence of all the judges of the Supreme Court. The editorial mentions that it was expected that Justice Mansoor Ali Shah might express his dissatisfaction over bypassing him for the position of CJP, however, he had shown full cooperation in addressing the new CJP’s concern to reduce the backlog of pending cases. The editorial aspires to see that the judiciary under the new leadership would soon be back on its feet and rectify the wrongdoings of the past. (“Court business,” Dawn, 30 October 2024)
SECURITY
Five private security guards killed in Balochistan
On 30 October, Dawn reported that five security guards who were guarding a project site of a dam in Panjgur, Balochistan were martyred in a militant attack whose responsibility was claimed by Baloch Liberation Army. The militants who were reportedly more than 12 in number were armed with automatic weapons. The Chief Minister of Balochistan expressed his sympathy for the victims and further said “Terrorists will not be spared, unjust bloodshed must be accounted for”. The attack also received condemnation from the President and Prime Minister. (Saleem Shahid and Behram Baloch, “Militants gun down five security guards in Panjgur,” Dawn, 30 October 2024)
SOCIETY
Pakistan’s polio count touches 42 in 2024’; two policemen accompanying polio workers killed in KP
On 30 October, The News International reported that the 42nd case of polio this year was confirmed from Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa(KP), making it the first case from the town in 2024. Separately, four armed militants killed two policemen who were accompanying the vaccinators to ensure their security in Orakzai, KP. FC with other policemen immediately reached the site and neutralized three of the militants while one was captured. The Police however managed to thwart the attack on three women polio workers in Kohat, KP. However, the militants had managed to escape. (M Waqar Bhatti, “Tally reaches 42 as polio cripples another child,” The News International, 30 October 2024)(“Polio teams attacked in Orakzai, Kohat, North Waziristan,” Dawn, 30 October 2024)
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There is a need for diplomacy with India to eradicate smog as it is a humanitarian problem.
Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif
- PMLN Digital
In this country, everyone flees the country as soon as they get out of power, but there is one Imran Khan who said, 'This is my country, why should I leave it?'
- PTI
Imran Khan’s message: “I was tortured by being confined in a cage and treated worse than animals. This was an extremely vile act. Electricity to my cell was shut off for five days, leaving me in complete darkness. I was confined to the cell for ten days. For several weeks, any visits by family members, doctors, or lawyers were blocked”
- PTI
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"The new CJP’s challenges are many given the government’s actions to curb judicial autonomy."
- An opinion in Dawn, ‘The battle ahead’
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