In Brief
POLITICS
Federal cabinet approves of new Hajj policy
On 5 November, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a federal cabinet meeting to discuss the Hajj Policy of 2025. At the meeting, it was briefed that the scheme would be carried out via a computerized balloting process. According to the policy, a specific number of seats will be alloted to hardship cases, laborers and low-income workers registered under the Employees Old-Age Benefit Institution or Workers Welfare Fund. Additionally, the heirs of those who die during Hajj will receive a compensation of PKR 2 million from 1 million and for those who sustain injuries will receive a compensation of PKR 1 million. The cabinet emphasized on giving preference to those who were not selected from the balloting in the previous year. (“Cabinet greenlights new Hajj policy ,” The Express Tribune, 6 November 2024)
PTI and JUI-F to jointly oppose the government
On 6 November, The Nation reported that the PTI and JUI-F have decided to bring all opposition parties on a shared stage to rally against the current government against its “alleged ‘unconstitutional’ decisions.” JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman also demanded that Imran Khan must be freed. Both parties have confirmed that are unhappy with the hasty passage of the 26th amendment and termed it “a betrayal of the Constitution and a violation of democratic principles.” Further, they criticized the dictatorial nature of the government.) (Shafqat Ali, “JUI-F, PTI decide to launch joint struggle against govt,” The Nation, 6 November 2024)
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto unhappy with the ruling PML-N
On 6 November, The News International reported that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardar is unhappy with the limited space given to the party by the government in the decision-making process. He is also miffed about the lack of consultation. Bilawal is set to deliberate upon the same in the Central Executive Committee. The PPP Chairman had earlier backed out from becoming a member of the judicial commission expressing the dissatisfaction of his party with the government’s conduct towards it. (Asim Yasin, “PPP top panel to discuss Bilawal’s ‘grievance’ against govt,” The News International, 6 November 2024)
Rana Sanaullah claims that ATA amendments may resolve missing persons issue
On 6 November, The News International reported that Adviser to Prime Minister on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah has opined that by granting Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) the power to detain people suspected of terrorism for a period of three months, may partially help resolve the missing persons issue. While speaking about the proposed amendments to the Anti Terrorism Act (ATA) of 1997, he referred to a conversation he had with the former army chief Gen (R) Qamar Javed Bajwa. The latter had stated that the non-provision of the legal rights to security personnelto detain suspects leads to the issue of missing persons. Sanaullah stated that during his time as the interior minister it was discussed that by allowing the security personnel to arrest suspected persons and interrogating them, it would impede terrorists and their networks. Ultimately, it would also help overcome the threat to national security. (Ansar Abbasi, “Amendments to ATA will partially resolve missing persons issue, says Sanaullah ,” The News International, 6 November 2024 )
JUDICIARY
Justice Aminuddin Khan to lead the constitutional bench
On 5 November, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) appointed Justice Aminuddin Khan as the head of the newly constituted constitutional bench. This was decided by a majority of seven to five votes in its first meeting. The recently approved 26th Constitutional Amendment led to the constitution of the JCP which will be responsible for taking up cases from the Supreme Court that require constitutional interpretation. Chief Justice Yahya Afridi was among the dissenting minority, along with Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf's Senate and National Assembly members Shibli Faraz and Omar Ayub, and Justice Munib Akhtar. The JCP approved a seven-member bench consisting of representation across all four provinces and will function for 60 days. During the discussion that led to the appointment of Justice Khan, Pakistan Bar Council member Akhtar Hussain pitched the idea of appointing judges to the constitutional bench based on seniority. However, the minority group, whose plea was rejected, argued that the JCP should lead the bench. (Nasir Iqbal, “Justice Aminuddin Khan to head new constitutional bench in SC,” Dawn, 6 November 2024; Umer Mehtab, “JCP approves 7-member constitutional bench with representation from all four provinces,” Dawn, 5 November 2024 )
“The judiciary’s credibility suffers each time political undercurrents pull it into public view,” suggests an editorial in The News International
On 4 November, an editorial in The News International titled “Reforms or expediency?” discussed the federal government’s hasty passage of six bills that were aimed at reforming the judicial system. The editorial highlighted that such amendments related to increasing the strength of Supreme Court (SC) and Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges may have an ulterior motive. The editorial argued that these acts may have been aimed at “tightening executive control over the judiciary.” The legislative claims that the reforms were made to relieve the SC and the IHC from the burden of backlogs, however, the “real burden lies” of pendency lies in the lower courts. The editorial deemed these reforms to be “cosmetic” changes made by the government, to not solve the glaring issues but to favor “political expediency.” The editorial referred to the recent letter penned by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi where he called upon the entire court to hear petitions filed against the 26th Amendment. This also reflects upon the “lingering factionalism,” greater internal conflict within the judiciary and even a threat to the principle of judicial autonomy. (“Reforms or expediency?,” The News International, 6 November 2024)
“It is hoped that the effort to formulate a jail reform policy is successful in coming up with progressive recommendations that can change the grim state of our prisons,” states an editorial in Dawn
On 6 November, an editorial titled “Jail reform policy,” in Dawn discussed the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi’s push for national jail reforms. The reforms aim at creating a “humane and effective prison system.” The editorial revealed that the present state of correctional facilities consists of poor living conditions as they are overcrowded, unsanitary, and even overcrowded. Additionally, most of these inmates are held as under-trial prisoners waiting for their cases to be heardfor more than a year. The editorial called for earnest efforts to help reform those serving time within Pakistani prisons. It urged the judiciary to explore ways avoid delays and ensure speedy justice. These delays simply add to the prison’s overpopulation. The editorial also emphasized the CJP’s suggestion of looking at “alternative sentencing options, such as community service and probation” to tackle overcrowding.
ECONOMY
Remittances surpass USD 3 billion in October
On 5 November, Dawn reported that the State Bank of Pakistan Governor Jameel Ahmed has confirmed that remittances in October have surpassed USD 3 billion. Ahmed pointed out that this will give a boost to the proposed plan of building foreign currency reserves to USD 13 billion by the end of the financial year 2025. In addition to that, the Governor of SBP conveyed that the country expects to receive another USD 500 million from the Asian Development Bank. He further confirmed that Pakistan has already paid USD 5.7 billion out of the total debt of USD 26 billion. He expects USD 14.1 billion worth of debt to be rolled over. However, he did not disclose any plans for the repayment of the remaining USD 6.3 billion. It is speculated that the country might have to approach international banks for debt servicing which would come at steep interest rates. The governor also appreciated the government for introducing measures to reduce its dependency on taking debt from the bank. (Shahid Iqbal, “Remittances cross $3 bn in October: SBP chief,” Dawn, 5 November 2024)
Energy Task Force seeks to negotiate with 18 IPPs
On 5 November, while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Power, the Task Force on Energy announced that it had begun its negotiations with 18 independent power producers (IPPs). This is an attempt to help the economy from getting into an energy crisis. The Task Force said: “We are also assessing state-owned generators and expanding focus to solar and wind power projects. The negotiation process will be completed in the next three to six months.” After the committee panel reviewed the current agreements, potential future measures, and profit margins, Special Assistant to Prime Minister, Muhammad Ali, raised concern over how the IPP’s profit margins rose beyond 27 per cent when no heat rate was taken into account to understand the efficiency of the tariffs granted by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra). At the meeting, the committee also noted the PKR 60 billion savings acquired from the termination of five IPP contracts and the government’s plan to negotiate to secure some savings back from the IPPs. (“Energy task force targets more IPPs in reform push,” The News International, 6 November 2024 )
HEALTH
Polio toll reached 46 in 2024
On 6 November, Dawn reported that another case of polio was detected in Balochistan’s Qila Saifullah district. The province has seen a total of 23 cases of poliovirus in 2024, making it the worst-affected province. An official of the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication in Islamabad pointed out that vaccination efforts in the province have suffered due to protests and militant attacks. The recent case from Balochistan was identified after many positive sewage samples from the area were found. (Ikram Junaidi, “Year’s 46th polio case reported,” Dawn, 6 November 2024)
SECURITY
Security guard injures two Chinese nationals in Karachi
On 5 November, two Chinese nationals were reported to have sustained injuries in Karachi after a security guard opened fire at them. A Reuters report stated they were shifted to the Liaquat National Hospital, and one of them is in critical condition. An official statement from the Sindh Home Department states that there was an altercation between security guards stationed at a police station in the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) area and the foreigners. Separately, the Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar called upon the authorities to arrest the security guard and asked the South deputy minister to provide more information on the incident. He ordered a crackdown on unregistered security companies and even called for companies hired to provide security to Chinese visitors or foreigners. (Imtiaz Ali, “Two Chinese nationals injured in Karachi shooting,” Dawn, 5 November 2024)
“Karachi airport has long been a target for nationalists and foreign-backed separatists intent on destabilizing Pakistan,” says an editorial in Dawn
On 6 November, an editorial in The Nation titled “Securing Karachi Airport” discussed the problem of providing security to foreigners in Karachi. The Sindh Government has recently formed a committee which would inspect the security situation at Karachi airport after a recent spike in the number of attacks against Chinese nationals. The recent attacks on Chinese citizens have sparked tensions between the two countries. The editorial alleged that the attacks witnessed in Karachi were coordinated by separatist militants who were backed by foreign governments. The editorial underscored the importance of providing security to Chinese nationals for Pakistan’s economy. It argued that the security contracts for protecting foreign citizens cannot be left to unprofessional and untrained people who are not aware of the importance of the job. It also suggested that to secure airports the security must go beyond the boundaries of it. Further, it argued that until the security situation in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa improves, Karachi cannot have full proof security. (“Securing Karachi Airport,” The Nation, 6 November 2024)
“Pakistan must put greater emphasis on homegrown weapon system,” argues an editorial in The Nation
On 6 November, an editorial in The Nation titled Indigenous Weapons discussed the importance of developing homegrown weaponry. Pakistan has recently tested its ballistic missile which can be launched from ships. The editorial argued that other than the missile having a range of 350 kilometers, the positive side of this development is Pakistan does not have to depend upon foreign countries for its military armament. An example of foreign dependence which the editorial mentioned is the procurement of F-16 jets from the US and consequently, Pakistan has to depend on the former for its upkeep and spare parts. To reduce its dependency on the US, Pakistan has manufactured its very own JF-17 Thunder with assistance from China to replace its old fighter jets. The editorial suggested that important lessons can be drawn from the recent Russia-Ukraine war and developing indigenous weaponry must be prioritized. (“Indigenous Weapons,” The Nation, 6 November 2024)
EXTERNAL
Iran and Pakistan pledge to tighten security at border
On 5 November, The Express Tribune reported that Pakistan and Iran have expressed their mutual consent over resolving the deteriorating security situation at their common border. This was announced at a joint press conference between the Pakistani Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, in Islamabad. Iran has pledged that it will take measures to avert the occurrence of cross-border terror incidents and affirmed that it would not let its land be used for terrorism against Pakistan. Araghchi also met Chief of Army Staff Asmir Munir during his two-day visit to Islamabad. The discussion between the two countries also took note of the security challenges in the region that involved deliberation upon Israel’s attack in Gaza and Lebanon. Pakistan and Iran maintain a similar aggressive stance towards Israel’s aggression in the neighboring countries. Foreign Minister Aragchi hinted at a link between the recent terrorist occurrences at the border and Israel’s recent assault on it. He claimed that foreign countries were involved in destabilizing the security situation of both countries. Further, he confirmed that Iran was ready to rework the agreement on the Iran-Pakistan pipeline and circuitously pointed at the US for its failure. (“Pakistan, Iran agree to jointly tackle border security challenges,” The Express Tribune, 5 November 2024; Baqir Sajjad Syed “Iran, Pakistan agree to improve border security,” Dawn, 6 November 2024)
|
It is clearly written in the constitution that the legislation of the Parliament cannot be challenged.
Adviser to Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah
- PMLN Digital
“The nation must stand up for itself, get organized, and peacefully protest, because until there is a ‘Revolution of Justice’ in the country, democracy cannot prevail. To bring about this revolution of justice, everyone must come forward.
This is not an issue of any one person or party; it is a matter of Pakistan’s survival and integrity.”
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan in his conversation with the media and his lawyers in Adiala Jail
- PTI
Hastily enacted legislation, very bad legislation, poorly drafted, how can you set up a judicial commission which is still incomplete?
Meher Bano Quresh
- PTI
|
|
|
|
"The government’s controversial actions in parliament will only weaken democracy."
- An opinion in Dawn, ‘The extension game’
|
|
|
