Kurram violence continues unabated I NAB team dispatched to arrest Bushra Bibi from KP
In Brief
POLITICS
PM Sharif calls for the formation of an anti-riot force
On 28 November, during a law and order meeting in the wake of the 24 November protest by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) protests, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered authorities to establish an anti-riot force to tackle similar episodes in the near future. The PM also emphasized the need to hold those who caused damage to public and private property legally accountable. He denounced the PTI for taking to the streets by saying: “Those involved in historical corruption and conspiracies to bankrupt the country to save their government have been caught by the law. Instead of taking the legal route, attempts were repeatedly made to spread chaos across the country by marching on Islamabad.” At the meeting, one of the federal ministers suggested imposition of the governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the provincial Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has been accused of mobilizing state resources to target the capital. However, this proposal did not gain much traction. (Syed Irfan Raza, “Premier wants dedicated riot force to tackle violent protests,” Dawn, 29 November 2024)
PTI protests results in resignations and intra-party faultlines
On 29 November, The News International reported that the recent PTI protests have resulted in resignations coming from top brass of the party. Salman Akram Raja, who is the Secretary General of PTI, resigned from his post on 28 November. Sahibzada Hamid Raza who is a Member of the National Assembly and belongs to Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) has also resigned from his position. He was a member of SIC’s central committee. There are speculations that PTI might see a new face for chairmanship, however, current chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has dismissed such reports. Rumors have indicated that Asad Qaiser might take over as the new chairman of PTI, however, he has rejected these reports. It is reported that PTI’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter was not happy with the top brass of the party leaders in Punjab. PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shaukat Yousafzai questioned the non-attendance of PTI Punjab leaders in the protest. Salman Akram Raja blamed it on the government closure of roads for his inability to reach D-chowk. (Mumtaz Alvi, “PTI reels from post-rout turmoil,” The News International, 29 November 2024)
NAB team dispatched to arrest Bushra Bibi from KP
On 29 November, The News International reported that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi has dispatched a team to arrest the former first lady of Pakistan Bushra Bibi from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. She is being charged by the NAB in the “GBP 190 million reference case.” NAB KP has assured the team coming from Rawalpindi of full assistance. NAB Rawalpindi team would also require the assistance of KP police force to arrest Bushra Bibi. It is to be noted that the accountability court had sent out “non-bailable arrest warrants” against Bushra Bibi for not complying with court’s orders and missing court hearings eight times in a row. Bushra Bibi attempted to seek relief from coming to the court, however, her request was dismissed by Judge Nasir Javed Rana. (Asim Yasin, “NAB to send team to KP to arrest Bushra Bibi in £190m case,” The News International, 29 November 2024)
“A commitment to dialogue, restraint, and respect for democratic norms will pave the way for a more stable and inclusive political future,” emphasizes an editorial in The Nation
On 29 November, an editorial in The Nation titled “The Way Forward” discussed the conflicting death tolls being projected following the PTI’s recent protest that had turned violent. The editorial pointed out that while the claim of 200 deaths is “clearly exaggerated,” claims that no death occurred are “equally misleading and an attempt to obscure the truth.” Further, the editorial argued that revisiting the event is futile but “the path forward is clear”: efforts should be made to prevent protest from turning into violent confrontations. The editorial stressed that the right to protest which is constitutional should be recognized and political parties must be given the space to peacefully demonstrate their dissent “without undue interference.” One way in which this can be done is by designating areas for protests. Drawing examples from other countries, the editorial also suggested that both the government and political parties should work in tandem to prevent any untoward incidents during the protests. In addition, PTI should also make sure that it does not “encroach upon sensitive areas housing vital state institutions.” Acknowledging that the absence of an effective opposition has “reduced parliament to a rubber-stamp body,” the editorial emphasized that the “final goal” should be to bring PTI back into the parliamentary system. Additionally, the editorial also emphasized that “compromise” is the need of the hour for “an inclusive political future.” (“The Way Forward,” The Nation, 29 November 2024)
ECONOMY
Lockdown and PTI protest lead to shortfall in revenue collection
On 29 November, The News International reported that as per the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR), tax revenue collection remained at PKR 700 billion for the month of November. However, the target for November was PKR 1003 billion. The deficit in the revenue is due to the enforced lockdown which resulted in shutting down all businesses for five days. For the months from July to October, the deficit in the revenue amounts to PKR 189 billion. National exchequer is experiencing massive losses because of the unstable political situation in the country and the topmost authority working in FBR are running out of ways to increase revenue collection. Some of the high-ranking officials working in FBR conveyed that they can push towards collecting PKR 840-850 billion for November. This means they would still fall short of achieving the targeted revenue collection by PKR 150-160 billion. As per the International Monetary Fund agreement, the government aims at collecting PKR 12913 billion for the annual accounting period. However, it looks like the government will miss this target as it is anticipated that it will short by PKR 230 billion during the October to December months. (Mehtab Haider, “Disruption in economic activities: FBR so far faces over Rs 300bn shortfall in November,” The News International, 29 November 2024)
Surge in petrol and diesel rates from December
On 29 November, The News International reported that prices of petrol are likely to increase by PKR 3 from the month of December. This increase in the petrol prices will remain effective for 14 days from 1 December. The increase in petrol prices is due to the surge in international petrol rates in the past 12 days. However, it is being anticipated that the international prices of petroleum, oil, and lubricants would come down due to the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The price of Petrol after the surge will cost at PKR 251.38 per litre. Diesel prices will be hiked by PKR 2.87 per litre and the new price after the surge will come to PKR 258.01 per litre. Kerosene oil and Light Diesel Oil prices would be slashed by PKR 0.11 and PKR 0.04 respectively. (Khalid Mustafa, “Hike in petrol price by Rs3, diesel Rs2.86/litre worked out from Dec 1,” The News International, 29 November 2024)
“While the PSX’s latest milestone is a sign that the country is on the right path, it must stay on it for quite a while longer before victory can be declared,” argues an editorial in The News International
On 29 November, an editorial in The News International titled “PSX boost” discussed the PSX crossing the 100,000 mark milestone. According to the editorial, this is a “60 per cent year-to-date gain, driven by a mix of 47 per cent capital gains and 13 per cent dividend yields.” The sectors that have contributed to this surge are “banking, oil and gas exploration, and fertilizers.” Anticipated investments in equities by mutual funds have also fuelled this surge. The IMF deal and the government’s commitment and success at adhering to the IMF’s conditions are also underlying factors for this historic performance by the PSX. Acknowledging that stock market performance is not necessarily reflective of the health of the economy in developing countries like Pakistan, the editorial pointed out that this “stock market boom coincides with a steadily improving economic landscape.” Inflation has declined, the rupee has stabilized and policy rate has been reduced. These along with the IMF deal have boosted investor confidence and have “led to a shift in investment from fixed-income assets like bonds towards equities.” The editorial pointed out that the IMF deals remains the “linchpin” of this stability and improvement and one must recognize the “political fallouts” for the government for adhering to IMF’s conditions. Further, the government has achieved this stability amid a season of protests and its ability should be recognized. The editorial suggested that it is important that the country does not stray of “the IMF path” as it could unravel the progress achieved so far. (“PSX boost,” The News International, 29 November 2024)
“The pace of increase in prices may have come down but the cost of living remains steep,” highlighted an editorial in Dawn
On 29 November, an editorial titled “Little relief for public” discussed how living costs continue to be steep despite a significant reduction in inflation rates. It cited a recent economic report published by the Finance Ministry which stated that inflation levels had reached 8.7 per cent, a figure that is pretty close to the State Bank’s inflation target of 7 per cent. However, this has not entailed a drastic shift in the cost of living. In fact, the people are “worse-off” as their purchasing power has fallen to a great extent, driving them to lower their standards of living. Additionally, reports from multilateral agencies claim that Pakistan is not going to escape its current low growth situation anytime soon. In this regard, the editorial suggested that Pakistan address it’s debt issue by slashing off unnecessary expenses, imposing larger taxes and executing structural reforms. The editorial asserted that the government ought to carry out structural reforms in order to reap benefits and uplift people’s lives. (“Little relief for public,” Dawn, 29 November 2024)
SOCIETY
"Government must act swiftly to ensure financial barriers do not extinguish the hopes of its youth," argues an editorial in Dawn
On 29 November, an editorial in Dawn titled “Right to education” discussed the surge in cost of pursuing and pointed out that education has added to the distress of the student and what the government must do to ease the burden on them. The editorial cited that more than 16,500 students studying in the University of Karachi alone are not able to pay their fees in a timely manner. The editorial highlighted how the advent of covid-19 had put an extra financial burden which has compelled students to quit studies in order to sustain themselves. The editorial suggested that the government must utilize the funds allocated in the budget for education towards creating a wholesome “financial aid system” to assist students who are undergoing financial difficulties. Further, the government must offer a range of scholarships so that education is accessible to all sections of the society and not only the rich. (“Right to education,” Dawn, 29 November 2024)
SECURITY
Kurram violence continues unabated
On 29 November, Dawn reported that as of 28 November, number of people who lost their lives in the Kurram violence had touched 90. Additionally, The News International reported that the death toll on 29 November has reached 122. Further, the number of injured had climbed to 168. The government-facilitated ceasefire agreement has not been able to contain the violence in the region. The violence in Kurram began when a caravan of passenger vehicles was fired upon on 21 November. It was reported that the warring parties belonged to “Jalmay and Chaderwal villages and Talo Kunj.” On another note, Bassau Camp of Frontier Constabulary in Upper Kurram was struck with a mortar shell. The Deputy Commissioner of Kurram, Javedullah Mehsood, in addition to police forces and elders in the region, had put “white flags” on their conveyance as an attempt to put an end to the violence. The efforts put in by police forces and elders to achieve a ceasefire have gone in vain as the violence went on uninterrupted in Bagan, Alizai, Khar Kalay, and Baleechkhel. The rival parties have, however, released the held hostages. (Javid Hussain, “12 more dead in Kurram as ceasefire fails to stop hostilities,” Dawn, 29 November 2024; Ali Afzal Afzaal “Death toll from Kurram clashes reaches 122,” The News International, 29 November 2024 )
Four terrorists and one security personnel killed in separate incidents
On 28 November, an operation launched in the Bagh area of Khyber district led to the neutralization of four militants. A notification from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated that the security forces were able to discover the terrorists’ hideout and kill the ringleader of the group while the remainder three sustained injuries. In a separate development, an improvised explosive detonated as a bomb disposal squad surveyed for landmines. It resulted in the demise of a security personnel while two others sustained injuries in the Absar area, Turbat. Additionally, armed persons shot at a barber shop located in Door Ghati area, Gwadar. Besides damage to property, there were no casualties. (Ibrahim Shinwari & Saleem Shahid, “4 terrorists killed in Khyber, says ISPR,” Dawn, 29 November 2024)
PROVINCES
Balochistan: Provincial Assembly passes resolution on PTI ban
On 28 November the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan approved a ban on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf in the aftermath of the Islamabad protests. Amid unclear hospital records pertaining to the casualties during the three-day protests, the Balochistan Minister for Communications and Works and other secretaries moved a motion against the PTI’s activities. The party was accused of taking the form of a “political anarchist group” and “committing acts of violence.” The resolution observed how the protests led by Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa against the federation amounted to a display of an anti-national position. It stated that the demonstration was an open attack on the state machinery and its resources. In this regard, the petition urged the federal government to ban the PTI for pitting the security personnel against the people of Pakistan. Separately, while speaking in an interview on GeoNews, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs, Rana Sanaullah declared that since it is a provincial matter the federation is considering the imposition of a governor’s rule. He further stated that there may be political and legal implications and that the government would consult with its ally, the Pakistan People’s Party regarding this matter. In other news, the PTI released a list of protesters who went missing after the police personnel clamped down the demonstrations. The listed alleged that 39 participants have gone missing.
Separately, a similar proposal for ban on the PTI has been submitted in the Punjab Assembly by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) Rana Muhammad Fayyaz.(Abdullah Zehri, “Balochistan Assembly passes resolution demanding PTI ban; Sanaullah says room still for talks,” Dawn, 28 November 2024; “PTI ban proposed in Punjab Assembly resolution,” The News International, 29 November 2024)
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Provincial Assembly declares three day mourning
On 28 September, during an emergency session summoned in the Khyber Pakhtukhwa provincial assembly, the government declared a three-day mourning period across the province for the death of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf workers. These workers lost their lives while protesting for the release of Imran Khan. Responding to the federation’s crackdown which led to the halt in demonstrations, KP Assembly Speaker, Babar Saleem Swati said: “The Constitution guarantees the citizens right to express themselves and protest peacefully, but these rights have been snatched by the institutions and powers that be.” He added political leaders who raised their voices against unconstitutional practices were “massacred mercilessly.” He compared the recent Islamabad fiasco to the time when West Pakistan lost East Pakistan and even the Palestine and Israel dispute. (Umer Farooq & Saleem Shahid, “KP declares three-day mourning over PTI workers’ deaths,” 29 November 2024)
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There was a murderous attack on Bushra Bibi and Ali Amin Gandapur, Bulletproof vehicles used to hit, I condemn - I demand a judicial inquiry from Chief Justice Yahya Afridi.
Omar Ayub Khan
- PTI
According to the eyewitnesses, many people who were injured by bullets on the spot did not go to any hospital in Islamabad but instead went to their own areas by making temporary bandages. Still, according to the doctors, they have performed surgeries on more than 50 injured people in Islamabad hospitals.
- Imran Riaz Khan
"I testify that two people from my constituency and one from Mardan, a total of three individuals whom I personally know, were killed by gunfire during the Islamabad protest. Under the cover of darkness, with the electricity cut off, people were fired upon. And now the government has the audacity to claim that no one died. Then why don't you provide the hospital records and let the doctors speak?"
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi
- PTI
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"The precarious state of the health of women in Pakistan is evident throughout their life course."
- An opinion in Dawn, ‘Women’s health.’
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