IMF demands elaborate report on digitalization plans I Beijing urges Pakistan to allow Chinese boots on the ground
In Brief
POLITICS
PTI divided over call for an “all-out protest”
On 13 November, The News International reported that there are two divergent views regarding the call for an “all out protest” within the PTI. PTI founder Imran Khan is pushing the party towards finalizing a date when party workers would come out for a “do or die ultimate protest.” Most of the party leaders who are vouching for an “all out protest” are either not in Pakistan or are in an undisclosed location. Few among them are those who did not manage to secure victory in the February 2024 elections. The opposition to this idea comes from several party leaders in the PTI who believe that going for an “all out protest” might lead them to face severe repressive consequences which they had to undergo in the past. Some believe that even if the ruling coalition allows the PTI to hold a protest, it is unlikely that it would lead to Imran Khan’s release. This group is in support of the idea of fighting the battle in court for securing Khan’s release. (Ansar Abbasi, “Imran wants do or die protest; senior PTI leaders fear it may backfire,” The News International, 13 November 2024)
Police detains PTI leaders assembled outside Adiala jail
On 13 November, Dawn reported that the Police, on the charges of violating “section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), has detained a number of PTI leaders who had assembled outside Adiala jail to hold a meeting with the imprisoned PTI founder Imran Khan. The list of leaders who were detained for a short period included PTI’s Asad Qaiser, Omar Ayub Khan, Shibli Faraz and SIC Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza. Asad Qaiser lashed out at the present government and compared the present law and order situation in Pakistan to “law of jungle.” He pointed out that Islamabad High Court had given them permission to hold a meeting with Imran Khan. Police officials argue that the PTI leaders were detained as they did not heed attention to the instructions about “prohibition of gatherings” under Section 144. PTI’s Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas informed that the arrest took place when the PTI leaders who had waited but eventually were not permitted to meet Imran Khan started going back to their vehicles. Sheikh Waqas claims that his party leaders were pulled out of their cars and detained. (Ikran Junaidi, “PTI livid after leaders arrested from outside Adiala,” Dawn, 13 November 2024; Khalid Iqbal and Mumtaz Alvi, “Section 144 violation: PTI leaders briefly detained outside Adiala jail,” The News International, 13 November 2024)
JUDICIARY
PTI lodges “curative” petition to overturn the decision its “bat symbol”
On 12 November, PTI lodged a “curative petition” with the aim to repeal the Supreme Court’s 13 January and 21 October decision. Both the rulings backed Election Commission’s verdict on not allowing PTI to use its “bat symbol.” The lawyer representing PTI contended that the verdict is “per incuriam” and pointed towards the 22 Aug Mubarak Ahmed Sani casewhere the Supreme Court had rectified its earlier verdict. Previously, the Supreme Court (SC) headed by former chief justice Qazi Faez Isa had dismissed the petition lodged by PTI that had demanded that the SC’s 13 January order be revisited. Senior Counsel Hamid Khan who represented PTI targeted former chief justice Isa by saying that he possessed a “bias” against the party and therefore he did not wish to indulge in an argument with a bench which was led by him. (Nasir Iqbal, “PTI files curative review with SC in ‘bat’ symbol case,” Dawn, 13 November 2024)
Justice Khan aims to clear backlog cases that fall under constitutional bench jurisdiction
On 13 November, The News International reported that the newly appointed Justice Aminuddin Khan who heads the Constitutional Bench is set to hear all those cases which have not been resolved earlier and that comes under the ambit of constitutional bench. He is set to hear these on 14 and 15 November. The court would be prioritizing earlier dated cases. The constitutional bench which will be looking at the pending cases would include all “available judges,” with an exception of Justice Ayesha A Malik. Justice Khan has instructed the office of registrar to list/notify all such cases which are yet to be resolved and that falls under the jurisdiction of the bench. (Sohail Khan, “Constitutional bench to hear pending cases on 14th-15th ,” The News International, 13 November 2024)
Lahore High Court directs government to do more for combating smog
On 13 November, Dawn reported that Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court was not satisfied with the government’s efforts towards combating the problem of smog and pollution. He suggested that the Punjab government must be assisted by the federal government as well. Though, he took note that the present government’s efforts were more substantial than the previous ones, he believes a lot more needs to be done and suggested that the government consider implementing a “10 year policy” for reducing the problem of smog. Justice Karim emphasized on drawing lessons from Beijing where the administration had directed that all the industries be shifted outside the city. He accused the present government of not implementing the suggestions which came from Beijing to resolve the problem of smog. Replying to this, Advocate General of Punjab (AGP) Khalid Ishaq, clarified that there were several issues in implementing the advice received from China and the same would be informed to the court. AGP revealed some of the proposals by the Punjab government where it would dedicate a budget that would be used for combating the problem of smog and putting restrictions on organizing weddings in the months from October till December. Justice Karim, however, advised that instead of putting a complete ban during these months, the government must restrict the weddings to just one day affair. Justice Karim advised the government to draw plans regarding combating the smog problem for the next year in advance. (Wajih Ahmad Sheikh, “LHC seeks long-term policy to control smog,” Dawn, 13 November 2024)
ECONOMY
IMF demands an elaborat report on digitalization plans for the revenue system
On 13 November, Dawn reported that the International Monetary Fund(IMF) has demanded an elaborate report on the country's “digitalization plans” which is set to be used for its “revenue system.” It also seeks to know the government's plans on utilizing Artificial Intelligence to widen the tax base and increase tax collection. The IMF team, headed by Nathan Porter, which is currently in Pakistan has met Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb among many other key ministers. It is also holding respective meetings with the Federal Bureau of Revenue, power and petroleum divisions, and energy sector regulatory authorities. It remains to be seen whether the meetings would lead to “policy-level discussions.” The tax authorities of the country have established in front of the IMF team that there is a fall in the collection of taxes despite the spike in tax rates. Despite this, the IMF team and Ministry of Finance might consider increasing the Petrol tax by PKR 10. (Khaleeq Kiani, “IMF seeks update on revenue system’s digital overhaul,” Dawn, 13 November 2024; Mehtab Haider, “Higher rates resulted in less tax revenue, IMF told,” The News International, 13 November 2024)
“IMF seems worried over the government missing critical targets,” says an editorial in Dawn
On 13 November, an editorial titled “Unscheduled visit,” discussed the recent International Monetary Fund team’s visit to Pakistan, before its performance review meeting scheduled around the first quarter of 2025. The international lending agency expressed concern over the fact that Pakistan was going off-course under its USD 7 billion Extended External Funding (EEF). In the meanwhile, the mission is also set to discuss the progress on overcoming the external financing gap, including retailers and agriculture under the tax net and privatization of State-Owned enterprises. In this regard, the editorial observed how both the IMF and the government authorities are holding back from imposing new conditions and requesting the “lender to scale down taxes or change other loan targets,” respectively. The editorial also noted that the unannounced visit by the IMF team has made it clear that there will be close monitoring of every action of the government to ensure that it does not go off course. Therefore, it is the great responsibility of the government to implement the reforms under the programme to protect the interest of the masses. (“Unscheduled visit,” Dawn, 13 November 2024)
SOCIETY
“The state may well find itself in an analogous position, guarding the security of a barren digital landscape that no individual user or business trusts,” suggests an editorial in The News International
On 13 November, an editorial titled “ Virtual, Private, Not-working,” in The News International outlined the recent internet disruptions in Pakistan on 10 November. Many Virtual Private Network (VPN) users complained that they were unable to connect to the internet amid a ban on social media platform, X. This is not an isolated incident, as many Pakistanis complained of slow internet speed and blackouts this year. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority argued that the recent disruption was due to a technical glitch. As a result, it has asked the IT sector to register all of its overseas customers to protect consumer interests and even public security. In this regard, the editorial observed that this may not necessarily be bad as it could help “encourage greater compliance with internet laws and regulations in the long run.” But these actions are being carried in an environment where there is little to no transparency in the internet regulations, thereby making one question the government’s credibility. The editorial argued that currently, many citizens are unable to function on their own without the constant feeling that the government is overlooking each and every activity. The editorial also shed light upon a major issue in Pakistan: problems such as misinformation and fake news which are yet to be addressed effectively. Disrupting the internet and blocking access to the internet only makes it seem as if the government seeks to control people. (“Virtual, Private, Not-working,” Dawn, 13 November 2024)
ENVIRONMENT
To tackle the persisting smog problem, “preparations must begin well in advance,” suggests an editorial in The Nation
On 13 November, an editorial titled “Smog in 2025” in The Nation suggested a list of measures for the government to implement amid a warning from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) stating that the smog issue is likely to persist in November and December, particularly, in Punjab and Hyderabad. The editorial called for penalizing stubble burning and replacing it with other waste disposal methods, conducting a review on all industries to determine those that add to the smog situation. It also called for the introduction of hybrid models which was adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic as schools, offices, and institutions play a part in vehicle emission and traffic congestion. In the long-term the government may incentivize the use of electric vehicles via tax breaks and subsidies and consider cloud seeding and artificial rain when the situation gets worse. (“Smog in 2025,” The Nation, 13 November 2024)
SECURITY
“The government must revive and reinforce NAP’s counter-extremism measures as a long-term strategy to secure the nation,” suggests an editorial in The Nation
On 13 November, an editorial titled “Countering Ideology,” in The Nation discussed the infiltration of extremist elements in the police forces as was seen in the 2023 Peshawar Police Lion’s Mosque. Here, a police personnel was suspected of conspiring with the Afghanistan-based terror group, Jamaat ul-Ahrar. Extremism is also witnessed in other colors where police authorities have abused their power and carried out extrajudicial killings in blasphemy cases. The editorial underlined how this poses a “threat to the public trust and complicates counter-terrorism efforts” across Pakistan as it questions the credibility of the institutions. The editorial revisited the National Action Plan’s measures to counter-terrorism after the Army Public School Attack in Peshawar in 2014. The measures were “aimed to prevent ideological radicalization and foster a more moderate society,” however, the lack of initiative by relevant authorities and “faded” “public discourse” has pushed Pakistan’s security situation to the state it is today. (“Countering Ideology,” The Nation, 13 November 2024)
EXTERNAL
PM Sharif calls on developed countries to contribute to climate funding
On 12 November, while speaking at a climate finance roundtable hosted by Pakistan in Baku, Azerbaijan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for USD 6.8 trillion in climate funding for developing countries by 2030. On the sidelines of the 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP29), PM Sharif expressed that developing countries were significantly vulnerable to climate change, but their resources were inadequate for them to overcome the challenges. He cited Pakistan’s challenges with floods and explained that the country had to face problems while rebuilding itself. He further added that “Developing countries require USD 6.8 trillion in financing by 2030 to manage the impacts of climate change effectively.” (“PM Shehbaz calls for $6.8 trillion in climate funding for developing nations at COP29,” Dawn, 12 November 2024)
Beijing urges Pakistan to allow Chinese boots on the ground
On 12 November, a report in Dawn outlined that China is seeking to station its security staff to protect Chinese nationals operating in Pakistan. The development comes on account of the Karachi airport attack that took place last month, where two Chinese nationals were killed. Foreign Office sources have revealed that though this has not been officially confirmed, both sides have agreed upon establishing a collaboration in their security management systems. However, there was no consensus on introducing security arrangements on the field. Reuters reported that based on anonymity, security, and government officials from Pakistan revealed that a written proposal was sent by Beijing seeking permission to dispatch its security personnel in both countries to counter terrorism and conduct joint military strikes. Contrary to the Foreign Office’s claim, a comment from China’s foreign ministry divulged that it was not aware of the joint security collaboration. The ministry’s spokesman said: “China will continue to strengthen cooperation with Pakistan and make joint efforts to do its utmost to maintain the security of Chinese personnel, projects, and institutions.” (“Beijing pushes to join security efforts for citizens in Pakistan, sources say,” Dawn, 12 November 2024)
Nawaz Sharif calls upon India to send its cricket team to Pakistan
On 12 November, according to The Express Tribune Ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed that the diplomatic deadlock between India and Pakistan could be resolved by the latter sending its cricket team to Pakistan. This statement comes as India recently announced that its team would not participate in the Champions Trophy. He commented: “That time will come when the cricket team will visit too.” Besides, he also spoke of maintaining “good” relations with the US as President Donald Trump was recently voted back in power. He emphasized that both countries have shared “strong” relations. “But there is a need for further improvement,” he added. (Murtaza Ali Shah, “Nawaz for better relations with US, India,” The News International, 13 November 2024; “Nawaz Sharif advises India to send cricket team to Pakistan in bid to improve relations,” The Express Tribune, 12 November 2024)
WORLD VIEW
“Peace-making will not be a priority unless this ‘peace’ entails total capitulation of the Arab side,” suggests an editorial in Dawn
On 13 November, an editorial titled “United stance” in Dawn discussed the breakthrough in the recent Organization of Islamic Countries summit. The editorial noted how all parties collectively denounced the ongoing violence taking place in Gaza. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s announcement of standing with Palestine and Lebanon and warning Israel of threatening to harm Iran’s sovereignty was another significant development. The editorial called this display of solidarity “creditable.” However, it is not enough. The editorial argued that the bloc should have announced “measures to punish Israel and its supporters.” In the backdrop of this, the newly appointed foreign minister of Israel declared that there would be no prospect of a Palestinian state. He called it a non-“realistic” option. The editorial highlighted that “peace-making will not be a priority, unless this ‘peace’ entails total capitulation of the Arab side” as the Trump administration employs “pro-Israel: and “anti-Iran” representatives in the State Department and the UN. (“United stance,” Dawn, 13 November 2024)
|
Nawaz Sharif, who preaches ethics, did not remember ethics when he stole the mandate of a cancer patient in jail and took away the seat she won. "You did not feel ashamed while giving a victory speech on a fake mandate, you did not feel ashamed when you made absurd cases like Iddat"
Imran Riaz Khan
- PTI
The current rulers are not at all serious to deal with the alarming situation of smog, it was only Imran Khan who took measures first in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and then in the whole country to deal with the situation caused by climate change, the cause of smog in Multan was trees. It is to cut and build a housing society for DHA, this system is such that no one is thinking for the people except the prisoner number 804 sitting in Adiala.
Rizwan Ghilzai
- PTI
The culture of misbehavior was promoted by PTI in their government and today they are promoting it even more in the opposition. It is very unfortunate to have such a culture.
President Muslim League-N Muhammad Nawaz Sharif
- PMLN
|
|
|
|
"We still have individuals and organizations investing in Pakistan’s future."
- An opinion in Dawn, ‘Finding inspiration.’
|
|
|
