Smog continues to choke Punjab, KP joins the list I PM Shehbaz Sharif to attend Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh
In Brief
POLITICS
Government seeks to abolish current pay and pension system
On 11 November, Dawn reported that the government is planning to eliminate the basic pay scale system by first replacing non-gazetted staff as a part of its public sector reformation initiative. In order to reduce the budgetary burden, the staff will be replaced by a contract-based workforce. Another proposed reform aims to bring all public sector medical facilities under the Private-Public Partnership model to facilitate medical tourism and even generate government revenue. Also, the government has announced reforms to the current pension system, which will be replaced by a contributory pension scheme for both security personnel in the military and the civil domain. (Khaleeq Kiani, “Abolition of basic pay system, new plan for hospitals part of reform agenda,” Dawn, 11 November 2024)
“If the bureaucracy is not getting the prime minister’s message it is because it has not been conveyed with the kind of force that is needed to put it across,” suggests an editorial in Dawn
On 11 November, an editorial titled in Dawn titled “Smaller government,” discussed the current bureaucratic inertia prevailing within the government structure. In order to achieve the targets set by the International Monetary Fund programme, the government embarked on rightsizing various departments under it. This plan was aimed at cutting costs within a short period. However, the entire process is moving at a sluggish pace. According to a report, out of 40 ministries and divisions, only 15-16 have begun preparing lists of temporary posts, laying off employees with a severance, and outsourcing non-core operations. The editorial observed how history has repeated itself as the government in 1997 had sought to carry out the same reforms based on a plan chalked by the planning minister. However, the editorial reminded that nothing had happened then too.A senior economist observed how the total number of employees in the federation was 829,000 in 2011 and suddenly rose to 966,000 after 2017. The editorial spoke of the lack of bureaucratic initiative as it was apparent by their non-inclination to implement the economic restructuring programme approved by the last government led by the Imran Khan administration. In its conclusion, the editorial said: “Downsizing the government without a responsive bureaucracy is difficult” and they “seldom act” unless the politicians ask them to. (“Smaller government,” Dawn, 11 November 2024)
ECONOMY
State-owned enterprises reported to cause USD 20 billion losses to Pakistan
On 11 November, an article in The News International highlighted the extent to which the State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) have drained the country’s economy through cumulative losses worth USD 20 billion. Among these 23 state entities are the National Highways Authority (NHA), Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Pakistan Railways, and power distribution companies (Discos) and generation companies (Gencos) of Quetta, Peshawar, Hyderabad and Sukkur. These organizations alone have created a USD 15.84 billion loss, making up for 80 per cent of the total losses.
Despite close to no returns, the government has continued to support SOEs. Even though they were allocated PKR 1.02 billion and were granted an increased sovereign guarantee, they still managed to record to 4.22 per cent debt in fiscal 2023. It was double the GDP rate. This is a result of overstaffing, government patronage, and misaligned priorities which have caused the state budget to run dry and is also an indication of systemic failures. Though privatization has been largely touted, the recent auctioning of the Pakistan International Airlines says a different story. The PIA failed to meet the investor interests as they have been pushed down with legacy costs, inherent inefficiencies, and debt. Hence, the article suggests a mixed reforms approach. One with strict financial monitoring, decreased political intervention and a robust accountability system. (Israr Khan, “Pakistan’s SOEs: A $20bn hole in economy,” The News International, 11 November 2024)
PSX breaches 94,000 threshold
On 11 November, the Karachi Stock Exchange index climbed up by 0.78 per cent, reaching 94,020.02 points for the first time. The bullish momentum in the market is due to two major factors, the first one being the larger-than-predicted monetary policy rate cut and positive data on the economy. The director of research at Chase Securities stated that currently, there is a conversion of mutual funds to equities being carried out, and it's likely to persist if the economic data reflects positive outcomes. He said: “The total Assets Under Management (AUM) in mutual funds currently stands at approximately PKR 2.8 trillion, with equity funds comprising only PKR 98 billion." Separately, the research director at AKD Securities stated that the Prime Minister's ongoing dialogue with Saudi Arabia is one of the main contributors to driving investor interest in Pakistan Petroleum Ltd (PPL) and Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL). (Mahira Sarfaraz, “PSX crosses 94,000 barrier during intraday trade,” Dawn, 11 November 2024)
“The country’s leaders have two very unattractive options before them: a mini-budget that hikes tax rates on different sectors or reducing expenditures to strike a balance,” suggests an editorial in The News International
On 11 November, an editorial titled “Correcting course” in The News International discussed the recent notification regarding the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) “SOS” mission visit and how it could shape the economic trajectory of Pakistan. This development comes less than two months since the IMF granted Pakistan a USD 7 billion bailout under the Extended Facility Fund (EFF). It is worth noting that this team will be visiting Pakistan before the first review under the EFF, which is scheduled to take place around the first quarter of 2025. There is a question of whether the public authorities and the IMF are on the same page. In this regard, there are very few options available to the country to bring about “course correction.” The editorial stated that the IMF team may present unpopular options to the government, which would be to either enforce a mini-budget or slash its expenditures. The former might not find favor with the common man as they are already “struggling with painfully high utility bills, tariffs, generally high prices, and stagnant incomes.” The increase in taxation rates in the June budget was against a backdrop of a brain drain as many Pakistanis migrated to foreign countries. The editorial highlighted a paradox where despite a fall in inflation rates, the country “has been a chronic patient of the IMF for decades.” It owes the international lending agency more than 20 loans thereby dampening potential optimism. (“Correcting course,” The News International, 11 November 2024)
SOCIETY
VPN disruption reported to be a glitch
On 10 November, several internet users reported experiencing poor internet connection and “restricted access” to the Virtual Private Network (VPN). This development comes as the government has sought to curb VPN usage, especially in a bid to restrain people from gaining access to X. VPNs are used to access restricted content in one’s country. In the case of Pakistan, individuals use VPNs to access the already banned X, formerly known as Twitter. Earlier in September, the Information Minister announced that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority had not blocked the VPNs in Pakistan. On the contrary, on 10 November, the outage tracking website reported an outage on various VPN service providers. According to a Digital rights activist, “This is in line with the state’s plans to clamp down on VPNs and enforce strict censorship and surveillance over citizens.” This, in turn, has an unfavorable impact on businesses, particularly those in the financial and IT sectors. In response, the state authorities announced that the recent disruption was due to a “glitch.” An industry source told Dawn: “We have been told by officials that access to VPNs was briefly disrupted for 30 minutes to an hour due to a glitch in the system.” Mikail Ahmed Shaikh, “Reports emerge of nationwide VPN access ‘restrictions, throttling’,” Dawn, 10 November 2024; Abul Moiz Malik, “‘Glitch’ blamed for VPN disruption,” Dawn, 11 November 2024)
“Lawyers, activists and government representatives must join forces” to “save women from becoming casualties of male avarice,” suggests an editorial in Dawn
On 11 November, an editorial titled “Unsafe inheritance” in Dawn, discussed the current issues faced by Pakistani women as mental health laws are being used to appropriate their inheritance. The editorial highlighted how the current mental health law is being misused by kin to “limit women’s agency.” A recent petition by a male heir revealed how the forced hospitalizations and ill-treatment in private institutions pushed the National Commission for Human Rights to pay heed to the issue. The editorial outlined that the primary issue behind it is the existing patriarchy and the lack of legal education. While the former factor cannot be dealt with directly, the existing gap in transferring legal information to women can be overcome via outreach initiatives in communities. Besides existing laws in place for women’s rights, the editorial noted the recent Enforcement of Women’s Property Rights Act, 2020. It was a major leap forward as it protected women’s ownership and possession of property and even provided them protection from harassment, force, and fraud. The editorial observed that though the law may look favorably on paper, its enforcement will be a challenge, until the judiciary is “more sensitized to women’s security.” (“Unsafe inheritance,” Dawn, 11 November 2024)
HEALTH
“The repeated health emergencies underscore the need for robust, continuous planning and execution, not just ad-hoc measures,” argues an editorial in The Nation
On 11 November, an editorial in The Nation titled “Crisis mode” discussed how Pakistan is suffering from multiple health emergencies such as an increasing number of dengue cases in Rawalpindi, a spike in polio detections, and the smog problem in Punjab. Contrasting the situation with other countries, the editorial highlighted how the problem of air pollution has been successfully tackled in China, the complete eradication of polio has been achieved in India and Singapore’s approach towards restricting the spread of dengue. The editorial further suggested that if the Government wishes to secure the lives of “vulnerable” population, it must stick to uninterrupted “planning and execution” to tackle the spread of ailments that lead to “health emergencies.” (“Crisis mode,” The Nation, 11 November 2024)
ENVIRONMENT
“Never has it been more urgent to take climate actions” says an editorial in Dawn
On 11 November, an editorial in Dawn titled “Time to deliver” discussed the urgent need of finances to tackle the problem of climate change. The editorial informed that Pakistan would need USD 348 billion by 2030 to build resistance against the impacts of climate change, given that the country contributes minuscule amounts to the “global emissions.” The present smog situation in Punjab and the catastrophic floods in 2022 serve as a testimony to showcase the country’s susceptible state. The COP 29 which began on 11 November in Baku, Azerbaijan is expected to deliberate upon increasing the “climate financing” from a previous USD 100 billion which was committed during the last “Paris Agreement.” Developing countries are expected to lobby for procuring “climate finance” as “grants” as opposed to “loans” to reduce the debt deficit. The editorial predicted that eventually, the country would also need assistance from its “private sector” in addition to the government’s initiatives to fight against climate change. (“Time to deliver,” Dawn, 11 November)
SECURITY
10 terrorists neutralized, eight injured: ISPR
On 10 November, a press release from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), announced that the security forces had neutralized 10 terrorists and inflicted injury on eight others on separate occasions in the North of the Waziristan district. The ISPR reported that an intelligence operation was launched in the Spinwam area, where six Khawarij or terrorists were killed and six others were injured. The security personnel recovered many weapons and ammunition from the terrorists. In another incident, the security forces were able to intercept Khwarij trying to cross the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, and two khawarij were killed while other two were injured. This development comes as recent operations have been launched in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Since the beginning of November, the armed forces eliminated more than 12 terrorists. (“10 terrorists killed, 8 injured in North Waziristan operations: ISPR,” Dawn, 10 November 2024)
PROVINCES
Smog continues to choke Punjab, KP joins the list
On 11 November, The News International reported that several places in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are facing the effects of smog in addition to the dire state in Punjab, where the capital city Lahore topped the list of most polluted cities in the world. The Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded on the 11 November morning stood at 613 in Lahore, whereas the concentration of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 pollutants was noted as 382.2, which is more than 70 times higher than the desirable air quality as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). In terms of air quality, Lahore was followed by Multan, which had an AQI of 587 on 10 November, and Peshawar where AQI was noted as 587. Smog in the country has led to poor visibility which has in turn led to a spike in the number of road accidents. Punjab government intends to introduce its “16 point Action Plan” that would ban the use of more than “20-year-old” automobiles and uninterruptedly keep track of air pollution. An Electric Vehicle policy is also sought which would require finances worth billions in order to substitute the existing vehicles with electrically powered vehicles. The execution of the plan, however, has been unsatisfactory that has resulted in the dire state of air quality in the cities of Punjab. (“Smog crisis intensifies as toxic air from India engulfs Punjab, KP districts,” The News International 11 November 2024)
Balochistan: Government commits to fighting terrorism with full force
On 11 November, Dawn reported that governments both at the provincial and the federal level, have expressed commitment to tighten the security apparatus for combating terrorism. A case has been filed against the “suicide bombing” incident that killed 26 people at the Quetta Railway Station. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti deliberated upon the same and took an assessment of the present state of “law and order” in the province. It was decided that there would be an increase in the number of intelligence-based operations and the availability of capital for the capacity development of the security officials in Balochistan. The Interior Minister reassured CM Bugti of the federal government’s full assistance in helping the province to fight the menace of terrorism. (Saleem Shahid, “Balochistan ups security, anti-terror resolve,” Dawn, 11 October 2024)
Punjab: Legislation aimed at taxing big landlords to be introduced in the assembly
On 11 November, The News International reported that a bill to levy “super tax” on landlords who own huge chunks of land will be put forward in the Punjab Assembly on 11 November. The bill is termed as “Punjab Agricultural Income Tax (Amendment 2024)” would be put forward by Punjab’s Finance Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman. (Asif Mehmood Butt, “Bill to impose super tax on agriculture to land in Punjab PA today,” The News International, 11 November 2024)
EXTERNAL
PM Shehbaz Sharif to attend Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh
On 10 November, Dawn reported that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was on his way to Riyadh to attend the “Arabi-Islamic Summit.” It is anticipated that PM Sharif will be having one-to-one meetings with various world leaders on the “sidelines” of the summit. The summit would involve deliberation on the present state of affairs in Palestine and other important issues in the Middle East region. Leaders from the Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation are expected to attend the meeting. Separately, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar emphasized establishing an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza and stressed the need to adopt “UNGA resolution ES-10/24” which would grant Palestine the status of “full member” in the United Nations. (“PM Shehbaz departs for Riyadh to attend Arab-Islamic Summit,” Dawn, 10 November 2024; Syed Irfan Raza, “Dar hopes new US admin will end war in Middle East,” Dawn, 11 November 2024)
SPORTS
Pakistan wins series against Australia after 22 years
On 11 November, The Nation reported that Pakistan defeated Australia in the third ODI at Perth by eight wickets, settling the series by 2-1. The series win comes after Mohammad Rizwan was handed over captaincy who managed to lead the team to two victories after suffering loss in the first match. Batting first in the last ODI, Australia managed to put up a mere total of 140 in 31.5 overs which was chased down by Pakistan with a loss of two wickets in 26.5 overs. The chase was led by opening duo Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique who put up 84 runs. Thereafter, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan guided Pakistan to victory with their “58-run partnership.” In bowling, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi picked up “three wickets each” while Harris Rauf dismissed two batsmen,
(“Pakistan end 22- year wait with ODI series triumph over Australia,” The Nation, 11 November 2024)
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There is the worst smog in Punjab at the moment, while the Minister of Environment and the Minister of Environment are traveling in the airy valleys of Switzerland and sitting there advising the people to wear masks and protect themselves, just sit at home. Where to earn and where to eat, there is no plan!
Samina Pasha
- PTI
PTI also says absolutely not and is ready to hold Trump's feet.
Senior Analyst Talat Hussain
- PMLN Digital
Landed in Riyadh where I will join the leaders of the Muslim Ummah at the Joint Arab Islamic Summit being convened to discuss the rapidly deteriorating situation in Gaza and speak with one voice for the rights of the Palestinian people and reaffirm our collective call for regional peace
- Shehbaz Sharif
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"Air quality is an issue that cannot be privatized beyond the mere use of air purifiers in private spaces."
- An opinion in Dawn, ‘An unwanted fifth season.’
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