Fafen raises issue with population variation in ECP’s preliminary delimitation

By: Inter News on September 30, 2023 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

The monitoring group Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) on Saturday raised an issue with the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) list of preliminary delimitations issued this week, saying that over one-fifth of the constituencies exceeded the 10 per cent population variation.

The ECP had published the list on Wednesday, rearranging electoral districts across the country in light of the 2023 digital census, clubbing dozens of districts to rationalise the population of constituencies, as well as reshuffling the number of national and provincial assembly seats allocated to various districts.

The ECP decision was termed as a significant step towards the conduct of general elections, likely to be held in the first month of the next year.

The delimitation of constituencies follows recent amendments to the Elections Act, 2017, including the insertion of a new proviso to Section 20(3), which now does not require the ECP to “strictly adhere” to the existing district boundaries if doing so causes the variance in the population of constituencies of an assembly to surpass 10pc, to ensure fairer elections.

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How is population variance calculated?

According to Fafen, the difference among constituency populations can be calculated and pointed out by comparing a constituency’s population with the average population per seat of an assembly or quota per seat.

Fafen said the quota is calculated by dividing a province’s population, as determined by the last officially published census, by the number of seats of that province in the national or provincial assemblies, as provided in the Constitution.

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Fafen had urged the electoral watchdog last month to strictly ensure each constituency had roughly the same number of residents.

In a press release issued today, Fafen said as many as 180 constituencies of the National and provincial assemblies did not meet the legal preferability of a 10pc variation in the population, thus undermining the “principle of equal suffrage” that was otherwise upheld by Parliament through the latest amendments in the Elections Act.

“According to the amendments enacted on August 4, 2023, after parliamentary approval, the ECP was expected to disregard district boundaries to ensure that the variation among the population of an assembly’s constituencies does not ordinarily exceed 10pc.”

The monitoring group said the quota for each National Assembly (NA) constituency for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was calculated at 907,913, 787,954 for the Islamabad Capital Territory, 905,595 for Punjab, 913,052 for Sindh and 930,900 for Balochistan.

Similarly, the provincial assembly (PA) seat quota for KP was established at 355,270, 429,929 for Punjab, 428,432 for Sindh and 292,047 for Balochistan.

“An analysis of the preliminary report of delimitation 2023 and draft lists of constituencies reflects that the parliamentary emphasis on minimising the population variation was not extensively used to ensure the equality of votes in constituencies of an assembly,” the press release reads.

It added that the Election Act change was only used in delimiting 11 NA constituencies — six in KP, three in Punjab and two in Sindh — and one Punjab Assembly constituency.

“As a result, the number of constituencies with more than 10pc variation in population went up from 170 — 82 NA and 88 PAs — in 2022 delimitation to 180 — 83 NA and 97 PAs — in the 2023 draft lists of constituencies.

“This means that more than one-fifth of the total constituencies demarcated do not comply with Section 20(3) of the Elections Act, 2017. The proposed NA constituencies with more than 10pc population variation included 35 constituencies in Punjab, 22 in Sindh, 21 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and five in Balochistan.

“Similarly, the PA constituencies included 30 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 26 in Punjab, 25 in Balochistan, and 16 in Sindh,” Fafen said.

It explained that the issue of inequality among constituency populations continued because the ECL did not update the Election Rules to reflect Section 20(3) of the Elections Act.

This, Fafen said, had resulted in the following scenarios:

• The largest NA constituency, NA-39 Bannu, has a population of 1,357,890, nearly three times bigger than the smallest constituency, NA-1 Chitral Upper-cum-Chitral Lower, with a population of 515,935
• The largest proposed NA constituency in Punjab is NA-49 Attock-I with a population of 1,126,142, against the smallest NA-61 Jhelum-II having a population of 690,683.
• Sindh’s NA-209 Sanghar-I is proposed to have a population of 1,172,516, while NA-221 Tando Muhammad Khan is carved out with a population of 726,119.
• Balochistan’s NA-255 Sohbatpur-cum-Jaffarabad-cum-Usta Muhammad-cum-Nasirabad has a population of 1,124,567 in contrast to NA-261 Quetta-I’s population of 799,886.

For the provincial assemblies, KP’s largest constituency PK-93 Hangu (528,902) hosts almost three times the population of the smallest, PK-1 Upper Chitral (195,528); the largest PA constituency in Sindh, PS-75 Thatta-I, has a population of 556,767, while PS-79 Jamshoro-II is the smallest with a population of 354,505; Punjab’s largest PA constituency, PP-177 Kasur-III, has a population of 510,875, while the smallest PP-84 Khushab-IV has a population of 359,367 and Balochistan’s PB-51 Chaman with a population of 466,218 is the largest constituency, two and a half times bigger than the smallest constituency, PB-23 Awaran, with a population of 178,958.

“Such inequalities in the constituencies’ population may potentially result in a greater number of representations by voters,” Fafen cautioned.

It urged the ECP to enhance the voter-friendliness of the process of filing representations on the draft constituencies and consider allowing their submission at its district, regional, and provincial offices. It added that hearings on these representations could also be arranged at the provincial level.

“Currently, every voter seeking to file a representation on delimitation has to travel to Islamabad for its submission and subsequently for hearings at the ECP Secretariat, which bears additional costs and efforts,” Fafen pointed out.

It further urged the ECP to direct the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics to promptly publish the census block-wise data of the population on its website as under Rule 12(2), voters would require this data for filing representations.

According to the ECP, the publication of the preliminary constituencies will continue for 30 days from September 27 to October 26. It had said objections (representations) to the preliminary constituencies could be made by the voters of the concerned constituency.

The representations, the ECP stated, should be addressed to the commission’s secretary and be submitted to the ECP Secretariat in Islamabad by Oct 27. “The ECP will take decisions on these representations from Oct 28 to Nov 26 after hearing the positions of the respective parties.”

Listing the procedure of submitting representations, the commission said they should be submitted by a voter of the concerned constituency in the form of a “memorandum” and entail the signatures of the voter. It said eight copies of the representations and constituency maps were required to be submitted. “Representations by courier, post and fax etc. will not be accepted,” the commission had added.

Under the original delimitation schedule issued by the ECP on August 17 — ten days after the notification of census results — the initial delimitation exercise was to be completed on Oct 7 and preliminary proposals for delimitation along with the report were to be published on Oct 9.

However, on Sept 1, the ECP had announced squeezing timelines of the delimitation exercise by 14 days to complete the process on November 30, instead of the scheduled December 14.

The completion of the delimitation brings ECP closer to holding polls by the last week of January, as planned by the body. A specific date for the elections is yet to be announced.

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PML-N Senator Afnan Ullah lodges FIR against PTI lawyer Sher Afzal after talk show brawl

By: Inter News on September 30, 2023 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

PML-N Senator Afnan Ullah Khan has registered a first information report (FIR) against former prime minister Imran Khan’s lawyer Sher Afzal Khan Marwat on charges of assaulting him on a live media show, it emerged on Saturday.

Afnan and Marwat had engaged in a brawl on Wednesday after a heated argument on Express News show ‘Kal Tak with Javed Chaudhry’. The viral clip of the fight doing the rounds on social media showed Afnan and Marwat shouting at each other before the latter got up and hit the PML-N senator.

In the next few seconds, the senator could be seen pushing Marwat away from him before they both disappeared from the camera’s angle. However, the anchor could be heard telling others at his studio to stop Afnan and Marwat from hitting each other and break up the fight.

The FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, was registered at the Aabpara police station on Friday under Sections 352 (punishment for criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation) and 506ii (criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

The FIR said the senator was invited to the TV show, along with the PTI lawyer, to discuss the current political situation. “During the heated debate, Sher Afzal Marwat suddenly attacked me and tried to hit me and also threatened that I will face the consequences and he will not spare me and gave life threats,” the FIR said.

It added that Marwat had admitted to “the fact that he attacked me” in a tweet. The senator said it was thus necessary to register a case against the lawyer and requested action against Marwat.

Talking to Dawn.com, Afnan vowed to “fully pursue” the matter. “If we allow physical assaults on each other in TV talk shows then imagine what the future will be like,” the senator said.

Marwat says will file own FIR

Meanwhile, Marwat told Dawn.com that he will apply for pre-arrest bail at the relevant court in the FIR registered against him.

Marwat said he also submitted a request to register an FIR against the senator at the Margalla police station under Sections 25D of the Telegraph Act and PPC 506.

He added that he would refer to the courts if the report was not lodged by Sunday.

“First Afnan said he had hit me … but in the FIR it was stated that he was hit and he fainted,” Marwat added, saying that there were contradictory messages from the senator.

He also alleged that Afnan made the request on the official Senate letterhead. “He tried to influence the case. He sent the Senate director to the police station.”

Marwat accused the PML-N leader of abusing his office which was “unbecoming of any parliamentarian”.

“I will refer to the Election Commission of Pakistan and constitutional courts pertaining to his disqualification according to Article 62,” he concluded.

However, the senator rejected the allegation when talking to Dawn.com, saying that he had submitted an ordinary application for an FIR instead of through the Senate letterhead.

Later, Marwat posted on X that he had “left Islamabad to avoid arrest”.

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‘Darkest chapter’: Ex-PM Abbasi on 2017 Faizabad sit-in

By: Inter News on September 30, 2023 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has spoken at length about his time as premier during the Faizabad protests of 2017 and how he navigated the government through what he said was the “darkest chapter” in the country’s history.

Daily life in Islamabad was disrupted for 20 days (from Oct 2 to Nov 27, 2017) when protesters belonging to religiopolitical parties — including the TLP, Tehreek-i-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYRA), the Tehreek-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwwat, and the Pakistan Sunni Tehreek — occupied the Faizabad Interchange which connects Rawalpindi and Islamabad through the Islamabad Expressway and Murree Road, both of which are the busiest roads in the twin cities.

The agitators claimed that during the passage of the Elections Act 2017, the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat oath was deliberately modified as part of a larger conspiracy. The amendment to the oath was deemed a ‘clerical error’ by the government and was subsequently rectified through an act of Parliament.

The government had attempted to negotiate in vain with the protesters to end the sit-in several times. Finally, it launched an operation to disperse the protesters, in which at least six people were killed and scores others injured. After the botched operation, the government decided to call in the army for help.

Negotiations were undertaken with protesters once again, and the government accepted a number of their demands in return for ending the protest. The agreement document bears the signatures of then interior minister Ahsan Iqbal, TLP chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi, and Gen Faiz Hameed, who was a major general at the time, among others.

Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’ on Friday night, the senior PML-N leader advised the PML-N to lodge a formal complaint against former army generals — provided that the party was serious in pursuing the matter — “instead of delivering speeches and making statements against them”.

He said action could not be taken against one person or officer but rather the entire matter surrounding the Faizabad sit-in needed to be reviewed.

“You will have to review the entire matter. Whose responsibility was it? Who did what was not supposed to be done and who did what was supposed to be done?” Abbasi said, adding that he was in complete support of a probe into it.

The former prime minister highlighted that the PTI ruled for at least three years after the Faizabad sit-in while the PML-N for around 16 months, but neither of them investigated the matter.

“Now we have an interim government,” he said. “They can investigate it too.”

Ex-PM Abbasi said Ahsan Iqbal and Marriyum Aurangzeb were ministers during the time when the Faizabad sit-in was staged. Iqbal was the interior minister and Aurangzeb was the information minister.

“We are ready to present ourselves [to any investigative body]. We will come and tell the facts of whatever we remember.”

“See it’s about facts and the law. If someone has done something, there is a complaint and a complainant against them, then there is evidence, then you have to register a case, and you have to cite the law through the inquiry that takes place. Then things move forward.”

When asked if this statement — to move on from speeches and statements and register a case — was his advice to the PML-N, the former PM said, “Yes, absolutely they will have to do it.”

“If the party has evidence — or if I have it — it is your responsibility to present that evidence and become a complainant and file a case. Then the investigation will take place.”

Later in the show when Abbasi was asked about former finance minister Ishaq Dar’s statement on moving on from the matter, he said, “Perhaps leaving everything up to Allah is the [appropriate] way to end the matter and move on.”

“What the country needs is to set these issues aside but to also learn from them and think about the country’s future,” he added.

The PML-N leader was of the view that such matters should not be discussed on television, reaffirming that if he was summoned, “I will lay before them all the facts and so will Ahsan Iqbal”.

Abbasi termed it the party and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s choice in pursuing the matter.

“This started in the 2021 Gujranwala rally. If we want to pursue this, a formal complaint should be registered,” he maintained.

Sit-in ‘humiliated’ sitting govt

Reminiscing over the Faizabad sit-in, Abbasi said his government had to face a lot of humiliation over it as the then finance minister Miftah Ismail was abroad for a fundraising campaign and he used to face many questions about the situation back home.

“Roads connecting Islamabad to Pakistan remain blocked. People were unable to reach airports or travel back and forth. Even lawyers were not able to reach courts. It was chaos.”

“As far as I remember, there were two separate sit-ins at Faizabad and when I was PM, it was the second sit-in. Some people converged on a bridge and we spoke to them. But talks would continue,” he said.

“CCTV cameras were even disconnected. That was not possible without expertise. We had planned that we would block the supply of food to them. But a petition was filed the next day and the IG and other officials were summoned.

“We had decided to settle the matter amicably. I am a witness to all this. The way the police launched action was commendable. I saw everything from a helicopter. Punjab police had 30,000 officers at their disposal but they did not have a single vehicle there. There were only 250 officers. I went to Lahore from there.”

The former PM was of the view that the government was paralysed that day and was not in a position to take any action.

“I saw that the capital police were not ready to take any action and paramilitary forces were not available,” he said. “We had a talk with [then army chief] Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and he pointed out that the army was not meant to handle such matters. They only have guns. The matter was settled somehow later but the writ of the state was affected.”

Abbasi said that later it had become a tradition to paralyse the capital of the country “for your own ulterior motives”.

He said the Punjab police refrained from action fearing any loss of lives.

“When Islamabad police came for action, they had come with ill intent. Demonstrators in fact had chased the capital city police away,” Abbasi said, highlighting that a court order was issued to disperse protesters by the beginning of the next week which was not the wish of the government.

“When Ahsan Iqbal asked the commissioner and IG Islamabad, they said we have to take action otherwise we will face contempt,” he added.

“Then we held a meeting and decided to limit the protests. But the next day a petition was filed, and an order was issued followed by police action. I am witness to how ill-intent action was taken by the police.”

The former premier said he had asked then-minister Iqbal to not sign the agreement, warning that it would turn into a tradition later. “Then they (army and Iqbal) had a discussion [and] after he talked to me, Iqbal signed the agreement as he felt it necessary to sign it at that time. If you go deep down, the situation was quite difficult.”

Abbasi said the Inter-Services Intelligence (IS) — the country’s premier intelligence agency — was also part of the negotiations and all the signatures were approved by them.

“It was unusual for them to sign the agreement, especially from top officials,” he said. “Usually an officer like the district commissioner signs such accords.”

Abbasi also shed light on how former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar’s home was attacked by the sit-in protesters but the Rangers and police personnel posted there repulsed it.

Dark chapter

“There were National Security Council meetings, and it was decided in one of the meetings that the then-law minister Zahid Hamid’s resignation would be forwarded,” he said. “I won’t say it was at anyone’s behest. But it was said that the resignation was necessary to settle this matter. It was an unfortunate thing that we had to do. This was one of the black chapters in our history.”

Abbasi said initially, Hamid had offered him his resignation himself in a bid to diffuse the matter.

“I wouldn’t say it was someone’s desire but after consultations, it was said that the resignation was necessary to finish the matter and that it won’t end before that.”

In reply to a question, he said it would be hard to say after the passage of six years whether it was pre-poll rigging or someone conspired. “Khadim Rizvi is not amongst us now. He would know what actually happened.”

Shutting news channels during sit-in

Ex-PM Abbasi made it clear that he did not have any knowledge of the shutting down of TV channels during the sit-in.

“When channels are closed down in Pakistan, Pemra or the government isn’t behind it,” he said. “You even know on whose directions they are closed.”

He added that he never took part in shutting down or for that matter the opening up of channels as well. “Marriyum Aurangzeb was the minister then it was her job, not mine.”

PML-N future strategy

When asked about the PML-N’s future strategy, Abbasi said he could not defend the party’s position and only the party president would be liable to do that.

“He should give an answer. If our narrative has changed why has it? These things are serious. If yesterday we had a narrative and today we changed it, we will have to tell the public why we drifted away from it.”

He said all the dots connected to one point which was the “theft of the 2018 elections”, concluding that the 2018 elections were the reason where the country is currently standing today.

The PML-N leader said his party’s 16-month performance would definitely have an impact on its vote. “The voter asks us questions that we don’t have answers to and definitely this will affect the elections.”

Gen Bajwa

Ex-PM Abbasi also shed light on how retired Gen Bajwa had himself acknowledged that they (the army) had created a hybrid system. “He even said he got Imran Khan’s government the required numbers for the confidence motion and all these things are on record.”

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PKR ends week on positive note, gains by 1.4pc

By: Inter News on September 30, 2023 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

The Pakistani rupee appreciated throughout the outgoing week, seeing an improvement of 1.4 per cent against the USD in the interbank market, and is on track to be the best-performing currency this month.

By closing time on Thursday, the dollar stood at Rs287.74, a decrease of 4.02 or 1.4 per cent from last week, according to the State Bank of Pakistan. The previous week it had closed at Rs291.76. The rupee saw consistent gains against the dollar from Monday.

The rupee had hit a record low of 307.1 against the dollar on Sept 5 but has made a sharp recovery since the country’s financial regulator and security agencies began taking action the next day to curb black market operations.

The crackdown on black market operators against the informal market resulted in tens of millions of dollars pouring back into Pakistan’s interbank and open markets, dealers said.

The local currency has seen gains of around 6.1 per cent so far.

“The government’s stern administrative action against the unlawful foreign exchange dealers and hoarders in commodity markets is stabilising the exchange rate, providing a respite to the imported inflation and easing out commodity prices,” the finance ministry had said in its monthly report.

Before the crackdown, the dollar was trading at Rs332 in the open market. The open market saw the dollar depreciate to Rs288.5 on Thursday according to the Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan (ECAP), a trend that continued throughout the week.

However, for the upward trajectory to be sustained, experts advise “attracting foreign direct Investment (FDI) into export-oriented sectors”.

“The rupee has indeed performed well, but this data does not reflect the sharp depreciation preceding this performance. Pakistan’s currency has been one of the worst-performing in recent years,” Fahad Rauf, Head of Research at Ismail Iqbal Securities, told Reuters.

Samiullah Tariq, the head of research and development at Pak-Kuwait Inves­t­­ment Company, expressed optimism over a strengthening rupee but stressed the need to ensure a consistent inflow in the coming months to solidify the PKR’s position. He noted that while sentiments have positively changed, the rupee remains weak year-on-year.

Topline Securities CEO Mohammed Sohail expec­ted the rupee to strengthen in the short run due to regulatory actions. However, he said that the fate of the currency in the medium run hinged on economic fundamentals, especially the foreign exchange reserves and the outcome of the IMF loan review in November.

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Regional countries call upon Afghanistan to prevent becoming a ‘terrorism hotspot’

By: Inter News on September 30, 2023 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

A regional security meeting on Afg­han­istan, hosted by Russia with participation from other regional countries including China and India, has called upon the interim Afghan government to take effective measures to “dismantle” all sorts of terrorist groups based in the country and to ensure that their territory no longer serves as “terrorism hotspot”.

The call for enhanced security measures arose during the fifth Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan, which gathered high-ranking officials from Pakistan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Representatives of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Turkiye also attended the audience as guests of honour.

The meeting took place in the city of Kazan, Russia on Friday.

Islamabad has repeatedly raised concerns over the use of Afghan soil by militants for cross-border terror­­ism. In a recent statement, Pakistan Army had blamed Kabul for the uptick in militancy, saying that “safe havens and liberty of action”, along with the latest weapons available to militants from Afghan­istan enabled them to carry out attacks inside Pakistan.

The military had said it expected the government in Afghanistan to take action against militants and abide by the Doha agreement.

“The sanctuaries and liberty of action available to the terrorists of proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and other groups of that ilk in a neighbouring country and availability of latest weapons to the terrorists were noted as major reasons impacting [the] security of Pakistan,” a statement issued by the ISPR had said.

In a statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry after the meeting concluded, the participants of the meeting expressed deep concern over the challenging security situation in Afghanistan, “primarily due to the intensified activities of terrorist groups, particularly ISIS”.

The countries called on the current Afghan authorities to take effective measures to “dismantle, eliminate and prevent placement of all sorts of terrorist groups based in Afghanistan and to prevent the country from being the terrorism and instability hotspot and spreading to the regional states”.

They also stressed the importance of continuing “real and its effective anti-drug policy, including against industrial drug production”, which indicated a serious and dangerous increase.

The attendees urged the present Afghan authorities to strengthen their collaboration with regional nations in combating the challenges posed by terrorism and drug trafficking originating from Afghan soil.

“Most participants stressed their opposition to the support for terrorism in Afghanistan by external forces,” the statement added.

The meeting noted that there had been “no progress in forming a truly inclusive government in Afghanistan, reflecting the interests of all ethno-political groups of the country”.

Although certain individuals from diverse Afghan ethnic backgrounds were appointed to positions within the Kabul administration, the parties noted a lack of political pluralism within it.

The meeting urged Afghan authorities to establish “a practical, outcome-oriented dialogue with the representatives of alternative ethno-political groups with a view to completing the process of peaceful settlement and forging a balanced, more broad-based, inclusive, accountable and responsible government in Afghanistan”.

The participants also called upon the current Afghan authorities to provide the necessary conditions to improve the welfare of the Afghan people, prevent their further migration and provide conditions for the return of the refugees.

They advocated for the promotion of fundamental rights and freedoms within the country, emphasizing the importance of equal access to employment, education, and justice for all individuals, irrespective of gender, ethnicity, or religion.

The meeting stressed upon their concern about imposed restrictions on women’s employment and girls’ education and urged the current Afghan authorities to promote the modern education in the schools conforming to international standards.

The parties, attending the meeting, advocated for Afghanistan as an independent, united and peaceful state. “They underscored the unacceptability of deployment of military infrastructure facilities of third countries in Afghanistan and its neighboring states under any pretext.”

While appreciating the prospects for the development of regional economic projects with participation of Afghanistan, the countries emphasised the need to strengthen bilateral and multilateral economic ties.

The meeting reaffirmed the opposition to attempts at politicizing humanitarian assistance and highlighted the importance of continuing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

It also acknowledged Iran’s proposal to enhance regional cooperation on Afghanistan through the creation of a regional contact group dedicated to discussing shared areas of interest.

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Koreas clash at Asian Games as arch-rivals Pakistan and India take centre stage

By: Inter News on September 30, 2023 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

North and South Korea clash on the football pitch and India do battle with Pakistan in hockey as fierce rivalries take centre stage at the Asian Games on Saturday.

The men’s and women’s 100m sprint titles will also be contested on the athletics track in Hangzhou, where the rain fell steadily in the early afternoon.

With the Games approaching their halfway point, hosts China have raked in 107 gold medals, far ahead of the rest, with Zhang Zhizhen doing his part on Saturday by winning the men’s tennis crown.

The 60th-ranked Zhang made a slow start and fell 4-1 behind in the first set of the final against Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki.

But with the home crowd roaring him on, the 26-year-old from Shanghai battled back to win 6-4, 7-6 (9/7) and become the first Chinese men’s singles tennis champion at the Games since 1994.

“It’s been a very, very tough week, not just this match, but very tough for the whole week actually, from the first match onwards,” said Zhang.

“But I’m super-happy that from the beginning of the first match, step by step, I’ve played better and better tennis.” Earlier in the day, Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Chang Yung-jan won gold in women’s doubles. The second-seeded pair beat fellow Taiwanese Lee Ya-hsuan and Liang En-shuo 6-4, 6-3.

Rising Chinese star Zheng Qinwen won the women’s singles title on Friday. Some of Saturday’s most mouthwatering match-ups come later in the day.

North Korea and South Korea face off for a place in the semi-finals of the women’s football, with local and regional bragging rights at stake between two countries that are still technically at war.

Also in the last eight, holders Japan play the Philippines, China face Thailand and Taiwan meet Uzbekistan.

Towards the end of another packed schedule, arch-rivals Pakistan and India face off in a men’s hockey group match, in what is sure to be another fierce encounter between neighbours with fraught ties.

Gold medals will be won on Saturday in other sports, including weightlifting, diving, shooting, table tennis and eSports.

Diving, which is expected to be dominated by the home nation’s world-class squad, and weightlifting get under way for the first time at these Games. The drizzle could be a factor in the outdoor sports.

As well as the 100m titles, five other golds will be snapped up on the second day of track and field.

EJ Obiena of the Philippines, the world number two, will be hot favourite to clinch a first Asian Games gold of his career in the pole vault.

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Caretaker FM confirms arrest of 200 ‘TTP fighters’ in Afghanistan

By: Inter News on September 30, 2023 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

• Defends action against Afghan refugees
• Rules out possibility of ‘recognising Israel’
• Asks PCB to take up fans’ visa issues with BCCI

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani confirmed the arrest of around 200 alleged fighters of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) by the Afghan government.

The confirmation came after some media reports, citing unnamed Pakistani officials, said the Taliban regime in Kabul has captured suspected militants who had staged cross-border attacks in Pakistan.

Addressing a press conference on Sep 28 after his return from New York, the minister said the interim Afghan government has informed Pakistan about the arrests.

He said the government will not demand their handover if they are Afghan nationals, “but [we] want an action against them”.

The caretaker foreign minister expressed the hope that the Afghan government will respect their commitment made to the international community and not allow the use of its soil for terrorist attacks against any country.

It was the responsibility of the Afghan government to stop any such attacks and act against terrorists operating from its soil, he added.

‘No plan to recognise Israel’

The minister once again ruled out any plan to recognise Israel even if other Muslim countries do so.

He said Pakistan’s stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict “is and will remain” the same as in the past.

Pakistan wants a viable and independent Palestine, with pre-1967 borders and Jerusalem as its capital, said Mr Jilani.

“May it be Palestine or Kashmir, Pakistan has always called for honouring people’s right to self-determination.”

‘Across-the-board operation’

The foreign minister said the ongoing operation against “illegal immigrants” in Pakistan “was not Afghan-specific”.

He said the federal cabinet had approved a policy to expel all illegal foreign nationals, and the decision “will be strictly implemented”.

He rebuffed the impression that the crackdown had been launched only against Afghan nationals and said action would be taken against all illegal immigrants, irrespective of their nationalities.

He, however, made it clear that registered Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan will not be affected.

Answering a question on speculations about the rollback of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the minister said there was “absolutely no question” of any such action.

“As a matter of fact, we have entered the second phase of CPEC, which will involve a lot of things, including the upgradation of railways, agriculture, technical and information technology cooperation.”

Dispelling the impression of any slowdown in the execution of CPEC projects, he added there was no need for any doubts over the project and the coming years “will only witness the CPEC progressing”.

India-Canada spat

Replying to a question regarding the Indian government’s involvement in the killing of a Sikh activist in Canada, FM Jilani said Pakistan has long been raising its voice against New Delhi’s role in assassination, espionage, and terrorist activities in South Asian countries and around the world.

He also called out New Delhi on the human rights violations in held Kashmir, saying peace in South Asia will remain obscure till the resolution of the Kashmir issue as per the UN Security Council resolutions.

In reply to another question, the minister said India could not deny visas to Pakistani cricket fans as the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) rules bind the host nation to allow spectators from countries part of the tournament.

He said the matter would be taken up with India through diplomatic channels and advised the Pakistan Cricket Board to “play an active role” by talking to the Board of Control for Cricket in India. “Pressure should be mounted on India for implementation of [ICC] rules.”

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2023

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Rizwan ton fires Pakistan to 345-5 in World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand

By: Inter News on September 29, 2023 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

Mohammad Rizwan smashed a century to help Pakistan score 345-5 against New Zealand in a World Cup warm-up match on Friday.

Rizwan, a wicketkeeper-batsman, retired on 103 and skipper Babar Azam hit 80 in a run-feast at Hyderabad.

The match was played behind closed doors due to a Hindu festival and security issues in the southern Indian city.

The 50-over World Cup begins October 5 in Ahmedabad with holders England taking on New Zealand.

Pakistan lost two early wickets on Friday after electing to bat first, but Rizwan and Azam rebuilt the innings and attacked the New Zealand bowling with regular boundaries.

Azam hit eight fours and two sixes before he fell to Mitchell Santner but Rizwan stayed on to complete his century in another key stand with Saud Shakeel, who made 75.

Rizwan struck nine fours and two sixes in his 94-ball innings and said: A “hundred is hundred in any conditions. I feel proud and satisfied.”

Agha Salman remained unbeaten on 33.

The Pakistan innings saw eight New Zealand bowlers used by stand-in-skipper Tom Latham.

Regular captain Kane Williamson is playing only as a batsman in a game that is not an official one-day international.

Pakistan’s 15-member squad for the mega tournament was announced last week by Cricket Chief Selector Inzamamul Haq. It notably includes bowler Hasan Ali, and excludes star pacer Naseem Shah, who was injured in the Asia Cup.

Other notable exclusions are bowlers Faheem Ashraf, who was part of the Asia Cup squad, and Mohammad Hasnain.

Squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imamul Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, (wicketkeeper) Mohammad Wasim, Agha Salman, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama Mir

Reserves: Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khan

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PM Kakar wants ‘law to take its course’ on Nawaz’s return to Pakistan

By: Inter News on September 29, 2023 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has said he wanted the law “to take its course” when PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif returns to Pakistan, adding that the interim government has contacted the law ministry to plan for the ex-premier’s arrival.

Earlier this month, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif had announced that his elder brother would return to the country on October 21. Nawaz was convicted in the Al-Azizia Mills and Avenfield corruption cases in 2018. The cases are still sub judice.

He had left the country in November 2019 on medical grounds following his conviction but never returned. He was deemed an absconder the following February. Later in 2020, courts declared him as a proclaimed offender.

On August 10, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif was asked about the possibility of the caretaker government “creating any issues” for Nawaz upon his return, to which he had replied that the elder Sharif would “face the law”. “Nawaz Sharif will, God willing, come to Pakistan and face the law, there are no two opinions on it,” the PML-N president had said in London later the same month.

In an interview with BBC Urdu today, the interim premier said: “We have asked the law ministry as to what should be the caretaker government’s position in terms of administrative measure [on Nawaz’s return] … as soon as I reach the country, we will call a meeting in that regard.”

PM Kakar further stated that the decision regarding the arrest of the former prime minister would be taken by the courts as the judiciary had provided relief to the PML-N supremo and enabled him to leave the country.

“A convicted person was allowed by the courts to leave, not by the executive. This is a question for the courts, not for the executive,” he said.

Speaking about PTI Chairman Imran Khan release, the interim premier stated that if Imran’s “judicial remedy” did not work for him and if he was not able to get relief from the courts then he would have to face the consequences.

“I mean that whatever opportunities he [Imran] has in the judicial system, if even after using those opportunities he is not allowed to contest elections according to the law, then it would be outside our mandate to provide him relief,” Kakar said.

He went on to say that “no harshness” would be adopted towards the PTI but at the same time maintained that “the people who were involved in the activities against the state would be dealt with according to the law”.

“And these are specific people, who amount to 1,500 or 2,000 in the population of 250 million people … linking them with the PTI is not a fair analysis,” he added.

In response to a question regarding the political crisis in the country and whether it could escalate if certain political leaders were not allowed to contest in the run-up polls, the interim premier stated: “We cannot be speculative as to what would be the outcome as this is beyond our mandate.

“As far as my government is concerned, our goal is not to stop the crisis or to birth it, our role is to go into the elections according to the law and if the decision of the election creates another crisis then it is a question for the society and the state, it is not for the caretaker government.”

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Pakistan inks preliminary deal on free trade agreement with Gulf Cooperation Council

By: Inter News on September 29, 2023 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

Pakistan and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have concluded the final round of negotiations and inked a preliminary deal on a free trade agreement (FTA) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, it emerged on Friday.

Pakistan and the GCC finalised the FTA on Thursday after the final round of talks was held from September 26-28, 2023 at the GCC headquarters in Riyadh, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Commerce today.

Interim Commerce Minister Gohar Ejaz and GCC Secretary General Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi signed the joint statement.

“Both parties looked forward to the expeditious signing, ratification, and implementation of the agreement, which will mark a new chapter in the economic relations between our parties,” the statement reads.

It will be followed by an internal administrative and approval process before the signing and entry into force of the agreement.

The GCC secretary general said the preliminary deal was a “recognition of the importance of strengthening trade relations and economic cooperation with countries and international blocs”, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

He noted that the “historic economic agreement” represented an “important turning point” in cooperation between the two sides and would contribute to growth and prosperity in a way that “serves the common interests of both sides, as it emphasises the vital importance of close cooperation between countries to strengthen economic relations”.

Ejaz said it was a “significant development” since the FTA is the GCC’s first with any country since 2009 and marks a milestone in both sides’ economic cooperation.

“We have excellent relations with all the countries of the GCC, and this FTA will ensure that our economic ties are commensurate with these excellent relations,” the commerce minister said.

Pakistan has been seeking an FTA with the GCC since at least 2005.

In January last year, the two sides finalised the Joint Action Plan for Strategic Dialogue (2022-26).

The plan, in line with a memorandum of understanding on strategic dialogue, provided for an institutional approach to deepen cooperation in various fields, including political, security, trade and investment, agricultural and food security, transportation, energy, environment, health, culture and education.

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Blinken raised Sikh separatist murder with India’s Jaishankar, US official says

By: Inter News on September 29, 2023 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged India to cooperate with a Canadian investigation into the murder of a Sikh separatist during a meeting with Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Thursday, a US official said.

Speaking in Quebec earlier on Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has alleged an Indian role in the killing, said he was certain that Blinken would broach the issue with Jaishankar.

India has dismissed Canada’s allegations as absurd, and ties have become strained with both governments expelling a diplomat in a tit-for-tat move.

“Blinken raised the Canadian matter in his meeting, (and) urged the Indian government to cooperate with Canada’s investigation,” the US official said, though a State Department statement made no mention of the issue.

Trudeau told parliament earlier this month that Canada suspected Indian government agents were linked to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in the province of British Columbia in June.

Nijjar was a Canadian citizen but India had declared him a “terrorist”. He supported the cause of Khalistan, or an independent homeland for Sikhs to be carved out of India.

Traditional Canadian allies, including the United States, have appeared to take a cautious approach to the matter. Political analysts have said this is partly because Washington and other major players see India as a counterweight to the growing influence of China.

Blinken met Jaishankar on Thursday afternoon in Washington. Asked directly whether Blinken would bring up the case, Trudeau replied: “The Americans will certainly discuss this matter with the Indian government.”

The US State Department’s formal statement on its website after Blinken met his Indian counterpart made no mention of Nijjar’s murder or of Canada as a whole.

A short State Department summary of the issues discussed in the meeting between Blinken and Jaishankar, formally called a readout, listed points like India’s G20 presidency, the creation of an India-Middle East-Europe corridor and topics like defense, space and clean energy.

Jaishankar said on Tuesday that New Delhi has told Canada it was open to looking into any “specific” or “relevant” information it provides on the killing.

Trudeau, who is yet to publicly share any evidence, said last week he has shared the “credible allegations” with India “many weeks ago.”

Blinken and US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said last week the United States was “deeply concerned” about the allegations raised by Trudeau.

The US ambassador to Canada told Canadian television that some information on the case had been gathered by the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which includes the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK.

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Injuries feared in explosion inside mosque in KP’s Hangu

By: Inter News on September 29, 2023 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

An explosion was reported inside a mosque located in the Doaba police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Hangu on Friday afternoon, according to police.

Hangu Station House Office (SHO) Shabaz Khan told Dawn.com that the explosion took place during the Friday sermon. “Thirty to 40 worshippers were present inside the mosque,” he stated, adding that multiple injuries were feared.

According to District Police Office Nisar Ahmed, the roof of the mosque caved in after the explosion. “There are reports that 30 to 40 people are stuck under the rubble.”

The official added that heavy machinery had been called to retrieve the bodies and wounded persons.

Meanwhile, Dawn.com correspondent present at the site said Rescue 1122 teams and locals in the area leading the rescue operation.

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This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.

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At least 6 killed, 30 injured in blast in Balochistan’s Mastung

By: Inter News on September 29, 2023 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

At least six people were killed and 30 were injured in a blast near a mosque in Balochistan’s Mastung district on Friday.

Mastung Assistant Commissioner Attahul Munim confirmed the casualties to Dawn.com. He added that the explosion took place when people were gathering for an Eid Miladun Nabi (PBUH) procession near Madina Masjid at Alfalah Road.

The nature of the blast is not clear yet.

Balochistan interim Information Minister Jan Achakzai said rescue teams have been dispatched to Mastung. He added the critically injured persons are being transferred to Quetta and that an emergency has been imposed in all the hospitals.

“The enemy wants to destroy religious tolerance and peace in Balochistan with foreign blessings,” Achakzai said. “The explosion is unbearable.”

He further said caretaker Chief Minister Ali Mardan Domki has directed authorities to arrest those responsible for the blast.

PTI leader Imran Ismail strongly condemned the blast, saying that those who “end innocent lives are oppressors and terrorists”. He hoped that law enforcement agencies would soon catch the culprits.

Earlier this month, at least 11 people, including Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Hafiz Hamdullah, were injured in a blast in the same district.

A week prior to that, a Levies official was gunned down at a bus stand by unidentified men, while two others who were passing by were injured.

In May this year, unidentified attackers targeted a polio vaccination team in the Killi Sour Karez area on the outskirts of Mastung, resulting in a policeman being martyred.

In October last year, three people were killed and six others were injured in a bomb attack targeting two vehicles in the mountainous area of Qabu in Mastung.

In July 2018, at least 128 people, including politician Nawabzada Siraj Raisani, were killed and more than 200 were injured in a deadly suicide blast in the same district.

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This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.

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Dew factor to make World Cup interesting: India coach Dravid

By: Inter News on September 28, 2023 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

Excessive moisture on the field at the Cricket World Cup will make the top-flight ODI competition all the more interesting, India coach Rahul Dravid said.

The 50-over tournament kicks off next Thursday across 10 cities, and all but six of the 48 matches will be day-night contests.

In India that usually means high moisture on the field after sunset, which makes the ball moist and difficult to grip.

“India is a big country and there are many venues so it’s hard to say it (dew) is going to be the same everywhere,” Dravid said after India’s 66-run loss to Australia in their third and final ODI in Rajkot on Wednesday.

“Each venue and each day will be different. It’s one of the hardest things to predict with dew,” he said.

Dew mainly affects bowlers and fielders as day-night matches progress, with most captains opting to bowl first after winning the toss as a result.

But whether it will be a factor at all is in itself unpredictable.

Dravid, a former India captain, said he had played games on fields where the ground would be “soaked” the day before but bone-dry by match time.

“As the tournament goes on, at some venues it will be a factor and at some it may not. It’s going to make it more interesting,” the 50-year-old said.

India, the top-ranked team across all formats, begin their World Cup campaign against Australia on October 8 followed by their hotly anticipated clash against Pakistan.

They will also play two warm-up matches beginning with England in Guwahati on September 30.

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Experts urge social protection for gig workers amidst growing digital economy

By: Inter News on September 28, 2023 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

Till the world comes up with a perfect definition for gig work, experts at the Asia-Pacific Social Protection Week organised by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), between September 26-28 in Manila, Philippines, were of the opinion that it would do well to take care of gig workers. Not only it is the smart thing to do; they were sure it was the right thing to do.

From delivering food (think Foodpanda), to driving you around (like Careem), to working remotely from your home in Karachi and providing a service in another part of the world, gig workers, referred to variously as “platform workers” or “digital gig workers” are different from traditional informal workers due to their reliance on digital platforms.

The rise of gig work makes it important that workers be given social protection since they may not have access to traditional forms of social protection like pensions, health insurance or unemployment benefits as was seen during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Because of the nature of the beast — informal and flexible, providing opportunities as well as challenges, it may be difficult to design a one-size-fits-all mechanism for protecting the gig workers.

And yet, as pointed out by Yesim Elhan-Kayalar, adviser to ADB’s Economic Research and Development Impact Department, many platforms were looking for protection mechanisms that emulate the formal work because it makes smart economic sense and is financially sustainable.

She further said these social safety measures are not just demanded by workers but often come from consumers who will refuse to get the service if the workers are treated unfairly.

Some companies are already doing it. For example, Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading superapp (combining multiple services into one platform).

Brendan Chai, head of regional public affairs and policy, at Grab Singapore, talked about the six guiding principles that they follow to keep their workers (they call them their partners) happy. These include flexibility in work (the reason why most people joined in the first place); protection in case of work-related injury, paying for medical expenses and compensation for disability; sustainable earning by keeping themselves abreast with the market and what regular taxi and other ride-hailing drivers are earning or that they earn at least the rate of local minimum wage; ensuring they save in the long term. In addition, said Chai, they believe in workers’ representation so they can communicate their concerns and engage with the company officials. And because they know this job is just a “stepping stone” they have started a Grab academy where the drivers can learn skills in digital literacy and data analytics to improve their livelihood and job prospects.

“If we don’t keep our workers happy, they will go elsewhere,” Chai pointed out, but added it would help if there was some government oversight when mechanisms for social protection are put in place. A complete policy followed by legislation around gig work would be a good first step, he said.

One of the biggest drivers for why Gen X in Pakistan are turning to “online portals, learning a few skills and putting themselves up for grabs as freelancers at different marketplaces because the government has been unable to create formal jobs. In addition, there is this attraction of earning in dollars,” said Hisham Sarwar, CEO of Infomist Services. Still there is room to take the gig economy to scale by providing high-speed internet penetration across the length and breadth of Pakistan, Sarwar added.

And when that happens, Pakistan should be ready with a plan to protect this young and robust workforce from being exploited.

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Header photo by @Laura_WIEGO/X

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Warehouse blast near Tashkent airport kills one, injures over 160

By: Inter News on September 28, 2023 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

An overnight explosion at a warehouse near the airport in Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent, killed one person and injured more than a hundred, authorities in the Central Asian country said on Thursday.

“A teenager born in 2006 died,” the Uzbek health ministry said on Telegram, adding that a further 162 had been injured.

The emergency situations ministry said powerful lightning had caused “an explosion, then a fire, which is still burning” in a warehouse in the airport zone.

Of those hurt in the accident, 138 sustained minor injuries and a further 24 were still in hospital in a more serious condition, the health ministry said.

Videos circulating on social media showed a column of flames and smoke rising into the night sky.

The blast blew out the windows of several houses in the surrounding area and damaged their interiors.

Explosions continued to ring out in the hours after the blaze broke out as emergency crews tackled the fire and ambulance staff worked to evacuate those injured, an AFP journalist at the scene witnessed.

“I woke up at night. I thought it was an earthquake,” said Moustafo Kutepov, a 72-year-old retiree who lives nearby and whose house was affected.

“Then I saw the fire. My son was injured in the leg,” he told AFP.

“I am asking the authorities to compensate for the damage as winter approaches, as I do not have the means to repair it on my own,” he added.

The country’s biggest airport is functioning normally, according to the Uzbek national news agency UzA.

Uzbekistan is the most populous of the Central Asian former Soviet republics. Fires attributed to outdated equipment and non-compliance with safety standards are a regular occurrence.

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Analysis: Revisiting the Faizabad Dharna case

By: Inter News on September 28, 2023 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

In the intricate web of Pakistan’s legal landscape, few cases have left as profound an impact on the nation’s judicial and political narrative as the Faizabad Dharna case. As the review petition is finally taken up by the Supreme Court, it is essential to revisit the unprecedented nature of this case and explore the potential consequences and pathways it may lead to.

The Faizabad Dharna case emerged from the prolonged and contentious sit-in staged at Islamabad’s Faizabad interchange in 2017. The protest itself started out as a political stand-off, but soon evolved into a litmus test for the resilience of democratic institutions, the sanctity of the Constitution, and the boundaries of freedom of expression.

In the wake of the stand-off, the SC initiated a case under its suo motu jurisdiction, which allows the court to take cognisance of matters on its own volition, usually in cases of public importance or violation of fundamental rights. In such cases, however, the review jurisdiction before the SC is exceedingly limited, and the judgement is unlikely to be substantially altered or overturned.

Unprecedented aspects of the Faizabad Dharna case

A judge takes on the establishment

The political context of the Faizabad Dharna case cannot be overstated.

At the time, Nawaz Sharif, a three-time elected prime minister, had been disqualified, and preparations were underway for his imprisonment. Political parties were undergoing significant changes, with one being dismantled and another, the PTI, enjoying robust support.

Much of the superior judiciary and media had largely aligned with the establishment’s narrative. Even the elected governments at the time of the Dharna, led by Shahid Khaqan Abbasi at the Centre and Shehbaz Sharif in Punjab refrained from challenging the establishment’s dominance, which extended to religious extremists.

Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s verdict came at the peak of this hybrid experiment, with a new prime minister cementing the ‘same page’ between the executive and the establishment. The judiciary itself had become an active participant in this collaboration. Notably, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, a high court judge, had previously been removed from office by his peers when he exposed pressure from the establishment and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

In this charged atmosphere, religious extremists affiliated with the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) roamed the streets, inciting and committing acts of violence. Under these circumstances, taking a stance against the establishment, questioning the executive, critiquing mainstream political parties, including the PTI, and even scrutinising the judiciary was an extraordinary act of courage, given the formidable forces aligned against such dissent.

Judgement against generals in power

Unlike previous cases where judgements against military generals came after they were removed from power, this verdict targeted the current dispensation of the military establishment.

Previous cases, such as the declaration against Yahya Khan in the Asma Jillani case, the judgement against General Aslam Baig in the Air Marshal Asghar Khan case, and the direction for initiating a treason trial against General Musharraf in the PCO judges case, had all been heard after the military officials’ respective tenures.

In contrast, this decision was delivered while the military had become an even more dominant force in Pakistan’s political landscape, and the generals had been promoted, marking a significant departure from established norms of holding generals accountable only after their removal from office.

Tackling the role of armed forces and intelligence agencies

One of the most striking aspects of the judgement was its unflinching examination of the roles played by the armed forces and intelligence agencies, including the ISI and Military Intelligence (MI). The judgement did not shy away from these critical issues and addressed them head-on.

Justice Isa questioned the role of state agencies, particularly the ISI, in failing to counter the threat of violent extremism posed by groups like the TLP and others. He expressed disappointment in the alleged interference of ISI in matters of political significance, highlighting that military agencies should never be seen as supporting any particular political party. The judgement underscored the importance of armed forces adhering to their constitutional role and maintaining their integrity.

Additionally, the judgement provided specific directions for initiating action against members of the armed forces who had violated their oaths and ventured into political activities. It also called for bringing intelligence agencies under legal frameworks.

Support for civilian institutions

The Faizabad Dharna case judgement extended support to civilian institutions, such as the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) and the Election Commission of Pakistan. It aimed to shield these institutions and the media from undue influence by intelligence agencies. This emphasis on safeguarding a free press and independent institutions is crucial for upholding democratic principles.

A direct challenge to religious extremism

The judgement took a bold stance against religious extremism and bigotry propagated by groups like the TLP. It did not mince words and issued strong directives to counter religious extremism. This resolute approach highlighted the judiciary’s commitment to curbing radicalism and preserving social harmony.

Consequences and potential pathways

The Faizabad Dharna case and its subsequent developments have far-reaching consequences for Pakistan’s judicial, political, and broader landscape.

Impact on Justice Isa and the judiciary

It is no secret that Justice Isa and his family went through a tough time, courtesy of the establishment, sometimes with a little help from his fellow judges. Even Prime Minister Imran Khan eventually admitted that the reference against Justice Isa was a mistake pushed by the establishment’s agenda. But what’s even more striking is the massive split it caused within the apex court.

This internal bickering seriously dented the SC’s reputation and authority. To put this into perspective, by the end of Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial’s term, he found it increasingly challenging to enforce his orders related to the general elections.

These divisions didn’t just stay within the court’s walls — they had significant consequences for civil liberties in Pakistan, especially post-May 9. Today, court orders are often brushed aside, and even the most ancient legal safeguard, habeas corpus, doesn’t hold much weight in politically charged cases. This erosion of the court’s authority and the impact on civil liberties paints a vivid picture of how the Faizabad Dharna case left its mark on Pakistan’s legal and political landscape.

Implementation of the judgement: Confrontation with the establishment

One possible path forward involves Justice Isa insisting on the implementation of his judgement. This would entail taking action against members of the armed forces who violated their oaths. Such a move could lead to a direct confrontation with the establishment.

However, direct confrontation may jeopardise Justice Isa’s ability to address other critical matters and pursue his reform agenda effectively. It could also provide opportunities for the establishment to find collaborators within the judiciary. This path is rife with challenges, as it could lead to a protracted and divisive battle.

Navigating the complexities of holding generals accountable

The Musharraf treason trial serves as a poignant reminder of the intricate and multi-faceted consequences that pursuing accountability, particularly involving retired generals, can entail for politics, democracy, and the judiciary.

This watershed moment in Pakistan’s history, where a former military ruler was held accountable for subverting the Constitution, resulted in significant political upheaval, including the removal of prominent figures like Nawaz Sharif from office and the mysterious demise of a high court judge, Chief Justice Waqar Seth, involved in the trial.

As discussions about holding retired generals like General Bajwa and General Faiz Hamid accountable persist, the Musharraf trial offers valuable insights into the complexities and potential risks associated with such endeavours, emphasising the need for a cautious and transparent approach to safeguard democratic principles and the rule of law.

Balancing act: Avoiding confrontation

On the other hand, if Justice Isa opts to not push the matter to its ultimate conclusion, he may face accusations of compromising or backing down. This approach may seem pragmatic, as it avoids a direct clash with the establishment, but it risks undermining the pursuit of justice, accountability, and the credibility of the judiciary.

The imperative of truth

Regardless of the path chosen, Pakistan faces an undeniable imperative — the need for an honest reckoning or some form of truth and reconciliation. Addressing the underlying issues and acknowledging the proverbial elephant in the room — the military’s undue influence in politics—is crucial for Pakistan’s democratic progress.

Without such a reckoning, Pakistan’s democratic process will continue to face challenges, and civil liberties will remain at risk. It is a crossroads where Pakistan must choose to confront its past and chart a course towards a more accountable and just future, where institutions operate within their defined roles, and the rule of law prevails.

In the words of the founding father, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan was envisioned to be based on “fundamental principles of democracy, not bureaucracy or autocracy or dictatorship.”

The Faizabad Dharna case judgement provides an opportunity for Pakistan to reaffirm its commitment to those principles and pave the way for a brighter, more accountable future. It is a moment of reckoning that cannot be skirted around, for the nation’s progress depends on addressing the principle contradiction it faces. All else is secondary.

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Header image: Protesters hurl back a tear gas shell fired by police during a clash in the 2017 Faizabad Dharna. —AP

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CJP-led SC bench hears review pleas against Faizabad sit-in verdict

By: Inter News on September 28, 2023 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

The Supreme Court is hearing a set of review petitions challenging the court’s verdict on the 2017 sit-in by the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) at Faizabad in Islamabad.

A three-member bench — including Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Athar Minallah — have taken up the pleas today.

Authored by Justice Qazi Faez Isa years before he took oath as the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP), the searing judgement had instructed the defence ministry and the tri-services chiefs to penalise personnel under their command who were found to have violated their oath.

It had also directed the federal government to monitor those advocating hate, extremism and terrorism and prosecute them in accordance with the law.

Adverse observations were also made against several government departments for causing inconvenience to the public as the 20-day sit-in paralysed life in both Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Pleas were subsequently moved against the verdict by the Ministry of Defence, the IB, the PTI, the Pemra, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the Mutta­hida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid and Ejazul Haq.

However, earlier this week, the Intelligence Bureau and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) approached the apex court, seeking the withdrawal of their review petitions in the case, stating that they did not wish to pursue the matter further.

Meanwhile, Rashid, via Advocate Mehr Khan Malik, had also requested the Supreme Court to adjourn the hearing.

His plea stated that since the AML chief’s counsel, Amanullah Kanrani, had taken over the charge of the law minister for Balochistan, he was not in a position to appear before the apex court.

Prior to the hearing, when asked by a reporter if the PTI intended to withdraw its plea as well, Barrister Ali Zafar replied in the affirmative: “We do not wish to pursue the review petition.”

The MQM’s counsel was not present when the hearing began.

The hearing

At the outset of the hearing, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan began his arguments in the case.

CJP Isa observed that Rashid’s counsel had been appointed as a minister, therefore he should have arranged another lawyer in his place.

He then noted, “I want to make a few things clear. This is a regular bench, not a special bench. Review petitions are immediately fixed [for hearing] but these were not fixed for four years.

“One of the judges who pronounced the verdict has retired, therefore, this case was not fixed before that bench,” he clarified.

At this point during the hearing, AGP Awan informed the court that the federal government wished to withdraw its review petition.

Upon the CJP inquiring if there was a reason to do so, the AGP responded, “There is no specific reason. We only want to withdraw the review petition.”

The pleas

The IB’s review petition had urged the court to set aside the adverse observations made against the department, adding that it was a premier civilian intelligence agency which was responsible for state security.

It had contended that the impugned order created a “bad impression” on the public that the IB was involved in unlawful activities and politics, after transgressing constitutional boundaries.

It had said the observations made in the verdict were based on “vague facts” and that during the sit-in, the department was in close contact with the federal and Punjab governments and forewarned them about the plans and intentions of the TLP, with a view to foiling their attempt to storm/lockdown Islamabad.

Meanwhile, In response, the defence ministry had requested the court to set aside the explicit or implicit observations about the armed forces and/or the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

The ministry’s petition had said that a host of factors may affect morale. However, it said, what was fatal was the belief amongst the rank and file that their officers while acting like “self-proclaimed saviours” were violating the fundamental rights of citizens and instead of serving “Pakistan and thus all its citizens”, supporting a “particular political party, faction or politician”.

“…When the source of such remarks is the highest court in the land, it can promote fissiparous tendencies and has the capacity to destroy the ability of the armed forces to act as a cohesive fighting force,” the review petition had argued.

It had further said there was no evidence before the court to suggest that the armed forces or ISI were, in any manner, involved with either the sit-in or a particular outcome of the general elections of 2018 or the abridgement of free speech or intimidation or censorship of the press.

In its petition, the ECP had contended that it had comprehensively applied and enforced the Constitution, law and code of conduct by issuing a letter to the TLP on Aug 16, 2017, asking the party to provide details of its bank account and even had issued notices to it with a warning to cancel its registration.

Meanwhile, the PTI had questioned the mention in the verdict of the 2014 joint sit-in organised by it and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek in Islamabad, and had said the impression one gets from it was that the party conducted an illegal protest for publicity and deliberately made wrong allegations.

The petition contended that the party had nothing to do with the TLP Faizabad sit-in and therefore the remarks should be expunged.

Rashid had approached the court to remove his name from the judgement. In his petition, the AML chief pleaded that if the words concerning him in para-4 of the judgement were not expunged, he would suffer adversely in his life.

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Sri Lanka cricketer Gunathilaka cleared of sexual assault in Australia

By: Inter News on September 28, 2023 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka was cleared of sexual assault in Sydney on Thursday, saying outside the court that he “can’t wait” to play again.

The 32-year-old batsman was arrested in November last year just hours after his country lost to England in their final Twenty20 World Cup match in Australia.

He was initially accused of four counts of sexual intercourse without consent after arranging to meet a woman at a bar near the Sydney Opera House through a dating app.

Three of those charges were dropped in May.

On the remaining count, Judge Sarah Huggett found him not guilty, according to a document provided by the New South Wales District Court in Sydney.

“The last 11 months have been really hard for me,” Gunathilaka told reporters outside the court.

“Everyone believed me, so that means a lot to me,” he said.

“I am happy that my life is normal again so I can’t wait to go back and play cricket,” he added.

Prosecutors had argued he removed a condom during sex without telling the woman, who had only agreed to protected sex, according to a report by Australian public broadcaster ABC.

But the judge said the woman did not have a clear memory of what happened at the time, it said.

Gunathilaka made his international debut in 2015 and has played eight Tests, 47 ODIs and 46 T20s. Sri Lanka Cricket suspended him after he was charged.

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Perpetual arrest warrants issued against PTI leader Azam Swati in offensive social media posts case

By: Inter News on September 27, 2023 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

The Special Judge Central — FIA’s special court — in Islamabad issued perpetual arrest warrants on Wednesday against PTI leader Azam Khan Swati over his controversial posts on social media platform X (then known as Twitter) about senior military officers including the then-army chief in October last year.

Swati was arrested twice last year — in October and in the following month — after the FIA booked him in Islamabad for posts that were allegedly against state institutions.

His arrest on November 27, 2022, and subsequent detention stretched for over a month. He was released from an Islamabad sub-jail in January this year after he secured post-arrest bail from the Islamabad High Court. In his petition for bail, he had denied making the offending posts.

There were three previous hearings of this case, in April, May and June, all of which Swati skipped. In the May hearing, non-bailable arrest warrants were issued against him, and in the June hearing, he was declared a proclaimed offender.

Today, Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand issued a perpetual arrest warrant for the PTI leader over Swati’s repeated failure to attend hearings.

Judge Arjumand ordered the FIA to arrest him on sight and present him before the court.

It should be noted that Swati was implicated in the May 9 violence in the law enforcement crackdown against the party and was among the party leaders declared proclaimed offenders.

Arrests over posts

Swati was first arrested by the FIA on charges of posting controversial posts about the armed forces in October and was later released on bail.

The senator had alleged that he was tortured in custody and demanded the removal of two military officials, one of whom he used foul language against in his tweet on November 26.

On November 27, the FIA arrested Swati for the second time over a “highly obnoxious campaign of intimidating tweets […] against state institutions”.

The arrest came after an FIR was registered by the FIA on the complaint of the state through Islamabad Cyber Crime Reporting Centre Technical Assistant Aneesur Rehman.

The complaint was registered under Section 20 of Peca as well as Sections 131 (abetting mutiny or attempting to seduce a soldier from his duty), 500 (punishment for defamation), 501 (defamation and printing of content deemed defamatory), Section 505 (statement conducing to public mischief) and 109 (abetment) of the PPC.

Following his arrest in November, the Pakistan Electronic Media and Regulatory Authority prohibited Swati’s media coverage on all satellite TV channels.

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Pan helps China light up pool after first eSports medals

By: Inter News on September 27, 2023 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

HANGZHOU: Teen sensation Pan Zhanle swam a freestyle leg at world record pace to drive China to the men’s 4x100 metres medley relay gold at the Asian Games on Tuesday after the hosts claimed the first title at eSports’ official debut in the multi-sport event.

Two nights after becoming the first Asian swimmer to break the 47 seconds barrier in the 100 metres freestyle, 19-year-old Pan clocked an incredible 46.65 as China threatened the United States’ world record.

Pan’s time was 0.21 seconds faster than the 100m world record held by another 19-year-old wunderkind, Romanian David Popovici.

With world champion Qin Haiyang swimming the breaststroke leg in 57.63 seconds — faster than the Asian record — China won in three minutes 27.01 seconds, just outside the US world record of 3:26.78 from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

“We thought we would have to wait until next year to come close to the world record, so tonight we put in a really good performance,” said Qin, who owns the 50, 100 and 200 breaststroke world titles. “There must be a higher goal. Our goal has always been to win the gold medal at the Paris Olympics next year.”

China have ruled the Hangzhou pool — and the Games in general. Olympic bronze medallist Li Bingjie won the women’s 400m freestyle to add to the medal haul.

However, Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey has been a bulwark of resistance to China’s dominance.

The former British colony’s first Olympic swimming medallist stormed to victory in the blue riband 100m freestyle with an Asian record swim of 52.17 seconds, a day after taking the 200 title.

“I haven’t swum a [personal] best time since Tokyo,” said 25-year-old Haughey, who took the 100 and 200 silvers at the Olympics. “It just proves that I’m not at my peak yet.”

China took four of the six golds on the night. The other went to Tomoru Honda, who stunned exhausted Japanese team-mate Daiya Seto in the 400m medley.

CHINESE GAMERS RULE

Gaming is making its debut as a medal event in Hangzhou in what is seen as a major step towards Olympic status one day.

Audiences of overwhelmingly young spectators have packed out the 4,500-capacity Hangzhou Esports Center in the hope of catching one of their heroes, especially South Korea’s Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok.

He will lead the Koreans in League of Legends — and controversially earn an exemption from military service if they win gold.

Medals are up for grabs in seven gaming titles, with China grabbing the first gold when they defeated Malaysia in the final of smartphone game Arena of Valor. Malaysia take home silver and Thailand bronze

“The audience who loves eSports and the veterans in the eSports industry have been looking forward to this for a long time,” China’s captain Luo Siyuan said after his team’s historic victory. “I believe that eSports will develop more and more in the future.”

Underlining just how popular eSports is at the Games, it is the only competition in Hangzhou where tickets were allocated through an initial online lottery.

China’s place in the Games record books helped the home nation stretch their lead atop the medals table with golds in their usual strengths of gymnastics, table tennis and shooting to increase their overall tally to 53 at the end of three days of action.

They are way ahead of South Korea (14 golds), Japan (eight) and Uzbekistan and Hong Kong (both five).

SECOND GOLD

China’s all-powerful table tennis squad swept past rivals Japan 3-0 in the women’s team final. They also claimed men’s team gold over South Korea by the same scoreline.

In artistic gymnastics, home favourite and twice world champion Zhang Boheng grabbed his second gold, adding the all-around individual title to his men’s team triumph on Sunday.

Unbeaten in every rotation, Zhang stuck the landing in the horizontal bar to finish with a total score of 89.299, over two points clear of Japan’s runner-up Takeru Kitazono.

But China were dethroned by Japan in the men’s team sprint at the Chun’an Jieshou Sports Centre Velodrome on the first day of action on the cycling track.

Japanese rider Yoshitaku Naga­sako said his team thrived on the partisan crowd. “When I heard ‘China’ I just thought ‘Japan’. So the crowd was amazing,” he said. “I’m really proud to win this one.”

China’s women made no mistake in their team sprint final, beating South Korea to the title.

In other action, Hong Kong retained their men’s rugby sevens title when they beat South Korea 14-7 in the final, as hosts China won the women’s gold.

ROYAL TOUCH

The Games had a royal touch when Thailand’s Princess Sirivannavari Mahidol rode in on a horse named ‘Es Fangar’s Samba King’ in the dressage team event.

With Thailand finishing fifth — behind gold-winning India — the 36-year-old daughter of King Vajiralongkorn was unable to add a medal to the crown jewels

“Luckily our father is supporting us,” said the princess, who pla­yed badminton at the 2006 Asian Games and competed in equestrian at the 2014 edition. “He knows that what drives my heart is horses and badminton.”

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2023

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