North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wrapped up the year with fresh threats of a nuclear attack on Seoul and orders for a military arsenal build-up to prepare for a war that can “break out any time” on the peninsula, state media reported on Sunday.
Kim lambasted the United States during a lengthy speech at the end of five days of year-end party meetings that set his country’s military, political and economic policy decisions for 2024.
The meeting announced plans for further military development in the coming year, including launching three more spy satellites, building unmanned drones and developing electronic warfare capabilities, as well as strengthening nuclear and missile forces, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
This year, Pyongyang successfully launched a reconnaissance satellite, enshrined its status as a nuclear power in its constitution and test-fired the most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in its arsenal.
Kim accused the United States of posing “various forms of military threat” and ordered his armed forces to maintain the “overwhelming war response capability”, according to KCNA’s account of the meeting that ended on Saturday.
The meeting concluded that it is a “fait accompli that a war may break out on the Korean peninsula any time due to the enemies’ reckless moves for invading the DPRK”, KCNA said, using the acronym of the North’s official name.
In an effort to deter Pyongyang, Washington deployed a nuclear-powered submarine in the South Korean port city of Busan this month and flew its long-range bombers in drills with Seoul and Tokyo.
The North has described the deployment of Washington’s strategic weapons, such as B-52 bombers, in joint drills on the Korean peninsula as “intentional nuclear war provocative moves”.
The military “should rapidly respond to any possible nuclear crisis and put continuous spurs to the preparations for a great event to suppress the whole territory of south Korea by mobilising all physical means and forces including nuclear forces in contingency”, Kim said.
‘Uncontrollable crisis’
Kim told the meeting he would no longer seek reconciliation and reunification with South Korea, noting the “uncontrollable crisis” that he said was triggered by Seoul and Washington.
Inter-Korean relations have deteriorated to a low point this year, with Pyongyang’s spy satellite launch prompting Seoul to partially suspend a 2018 military agreement aimed at defusing tensions.
Kim said it would be a mistake to regard South Korea “who publicly defined us as the ‘principal enemy’ […] as the partner of reconciliation and reunification”, according to KCNA.
Kim also ordered the drawing-up of measures for reorganising departments handling cross-border affairs to “fundamentally change the principle”.
Leif Easley, a professor of international relations at Ewha University in Seoul, said the emphasis on North Korea’s “significant military capabilities” was likely aimed at hiding its poor economic achievements this year.
“Much of what state-controlled media publishes is recycled propaganda,” he said, adding “Pyongyang’s bellicose rhetoric suggests its military moves are not only about deterrence but also domestic politics and international coercion.”
Pyongyang declared itself an “irreversible” nuclear power in 2022 and has repeatedly said it will never give up its nuclear weapons programme, which the regime views as essential for its survival.
The United Nations Security Council has adopted many resolutions calling on North Korea to halt its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes since Pyongyang first conducted a nuclear test in 2006.
The year 2023, on the news front, was dominated by former prime minister Imran Khan, his arrest, the subsequent events of May 9, and the consequent crackdown on the PTI that led to a switching of political loyalties.
Throughout these events, one question persisted on the media’s minds: will the elections take place? When will they be held?
But surprisingly, only a few of these events garnered the attention of Dawn.com’s avid readers.
Instead, it was topics like the Khalistan Movement, the IMF-dictated bill being passed by the National Assembly, an opinion piece on the criticism of the country’s elite class, a take on the Pak-India World Cup fixture, and PIA flight attendants slipping away in Canada that captivated the interest of readers in 2023.
Scroll down to find out more about the 10 stories published on Dawn.com that attracted the highest digital traffic in the outgoing year.
10. Two more PIA flight attendants vanish in Canada
Published November 14
Over the past three years, it has almost become a trend for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight attendants to slip away, particularly in Canada.
Last month’s escape brought the total number of PIA crew members who have successfully slipped away upon arrival in Toronto to four this year. But what’s alarming is the fact that four PIA crew members slunk away last year too.
A still image of a PIA plane. — File
And a year prior in 2021 as well. The incident even prompted PIA to confiscate the passports of cabin crew on arrival in a bid to control the incidents but to no avail as aforementioned.
In the latest incident, two senior flight attendants, Khalid Mehmood and Feda Hussain, reached Canada from Islamabad by PIA flight PK772 and slipped away.
Finding this on the list pointed out that the article did end up answering the question asked in the headline succinctly.
It discussed the multifaceted interactions between Islam and the South Asian region during the golden age of Islam apart from talking about the Indus Valley’s role in enriching the Muslim world with scholars.
Illustration. — Sheece Khan
The article challenges the stereotypical narrative that portrays Islam’s advent into South Asia as one-sided, asserting that the exchange of knowledge and cultural influences was reciprocal.
Take a delve into history by reading more about it here
8. If Pakistan defaulted…
Published on February 6
The “what if” question and the potential repercussions also captivated our readers considering the economy’s troubled state with sky-rocketing inflation and a stalled at the time International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.
The IMF executive board approved the much-needed nine-month standby arrangement (SBA) with Pakistan in June “to support its economic stabilisation programme”.
In the latest developments, the Fund reached a staff-level agreement with Pakistan on the first review of a $3 billion bailout where the country will receive $700 million after approval.
This article by an Islamabad economist namely Asad Ejaz Butt shed light on the consequences Pakistan had to face if it defaulted with the IMF.
Former prime minister Imran Khan’s first arrest on May 9, from the premises of the Islamabad High Court can be termed, one of the biggest political events of 2023.
The details about the Al Qadir Trust case in which the PTI Supremo was arrested for the first time resonated profoundly with Dawn.com readers.
Shehzad Akbar, Imran Khan and Malik Riaz. — File
He was later released by the Supreme Court but the events that took place between Imran’s arrest and release will haunt the officious corridors of power and also PTI for a long time.
After three months, the star cricketer-turned-politician was nabbed again after a lower court found him guilty of “corrupt practices” in the Toshakhana case and sentenced him to three years in prison.
Details surrounding the Al Qadir Trust case can be read here
6. Why the TTP is undefeatable?
Published on Jan 7
Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror activities in recent months, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, after the banned militant Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government last year.
Pervez Hoodbhoy. — File
The question posed in the article engaged our readers through the insights of Islamabad-based physicist and writer Pervez Hoodbhoy.
He talks about how the Pakistan Army “with its tough professionalism and experience in non-conventional warfare could have conclusively defeated a ragtag terrorist militia” but that did not happen.
Read more about the tactical and strategic missteps that strengthened the enemy here
5. Cartoon
Published on Nov 16
The cartoon by Muhammad Zahoor published in Dawn newspaper secured the fifth spot in terms of digital traffic.
It depicted PML-N Supremo Nawaz Sharif standing in the middle of a herd of sheep with a signboard labelled “Balochistan”.
This cartoon was published a day after Sharif’s first visit to Balochistan following his return. He managed to rope in over two dozen electables from the country’s largest province ahead of the forthcoming general elections on Feb 8.
4. Pakistan take on India in World Cup as clear underdogs
Published on October 13
Taha Anis’ take on the year’s most anticipated cricket fixture, detailing how the home team stood little chance against their arch-rivals, also captured the attention of Dawn.com readers.
Pakistan huddle during practice at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on October 12. — Reuters
The prediction turned out to be correct as India steamrolled Pakistan by seven wickets in a lopsided blockbuster match.
Pakistan were bowled out for 191 in the 43rd over after their batting line-up collapsed characteristically in the face of disciplined Indian bowlers.
Writer and physicist Hoodbhoy takes another spot on the list with his opinion piece discussing elite bashing, which he terms the “newest sport” initiated by the country’s masses.
He beams a spotlight on the comparison between the Pakistan and world’s elite class, highlighting that the Pakistani elite also “spits on the law just like the common man”.
2. NA passes IMF-dictated finance supplementary bill
Published on Feb 21
The government’s imposition of an additional Rs170 billion in taxes, at the insistence of the IMF, took the country’s middle class by storm.
The then Finance Minister Ishaq Dar speaks in the National Assembly session. — DawnNewsTV
Despite clearly lacking quorum, the National Assembly (NA) passed the bill with the then finance minister Ishaq Dar pinning the blame on PTI for being solely responsible for this economic burden on the masses.
Read more on the lackluster debate here as NA passed the bill
1. What is the Khalistan movement and why is it fuelling India-Canada rift?
Published on September 19
Tensions between Canada and India escalated when the Canadian government expelled an Indian diplomat who was “the chief of India’s intelligence agency” in the country over the murder of a Sikh leader in British Colombia.
Sikh separatists demand that their homeland “Khalistan”, meaning “the land of the pure”, be created out of Punjab.
Representative image. — WION
The demand has resurfaced many times, most prominently during an insurgency in the 1970s and 1980s that paralysed the Indian Punjab for over a decade.
Read up more on the Khalistan Movement which is considered a security threat by the Indian government
Our top 11-15
The next five most-read pieces of 2023 (numbers 11-15) are:
Russia launched fresh strikes against Ukraine at dawn on Sunday, a day after vowing to retaliate for what it called a “terrorist attack” on the city of Belgorod.
Several Iranian-made “Shahed” drones targeted Ukraine’s northeastern city of Kharkiv overnight, according to local authorities, as the two sides have taken turns accusing each other of pummelling civilian areas of their shared frontier over the weekend.
“As a result of the night attack of Russian drones on Kharkiv, buildings in the city centre were damaged. These are not military facilities, but cafes, residential buildings and offices,” the city’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov, wrote on Telegram, without mentioning casualties.
“On the eve of the New Year, Russians want to intimidate our city, but we are not scared.”
The strike follows the deadliest attack on civilians in Russia since the start of the conflict in February 2022.
At least 22 people were killed and dozens more wounded on Saturday in Belgorod, a Russian city just 30 kilometres (19 miles) from the border that has been repeatedly struck by what Moscow says is indiscriminate shelling.
Moscow said Saturday’s attack included the use of controversial cluster munitions, and told an emergency meeting at the UN Security Council that Kyiv had targeted a sports centre, an ice rink and a university.
Russian envoy Vasily Nebenzya called it a “deliberate, indiscriminate attack against a civilian target”.
Ukraine’s allies countered that responsibility ultimately lay with Russian President Vladimir Putin for invading the neighbouring country two years ago.
“If Russia wants someone to blame for the deaths of Russians in this war, it should start with President Putin,” said British envoy to the UN Thomas Phipps.
Both Putin and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky are due to give New Year’s Eve speeches on Sunday, as the conflict between their countries approaches its second anniversary in February.
January 1, day of mourning
In Belgorod, footage posted online showed a street strewn with debris and smoke billowing from burned-out cars in the city’s centre. AFP was not able to immediately verify the circumstances of the strike.
Authorities in Belgorod said the 22 dead included at least three children, with 109 people wounded.
The attack came a day after Ukraine said a barrage of Russian missile strikes on several cities, including the capital, had killed at least 40 people.
Schools, a maternity hospital, shopping arcades and blocks of flats were among the buildings hit in Friday’s barrage, one of the most violent attacks since the start of the war.
Ukraine was still sifting through the rubble on Saturday when fresh strikes hit the regions of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Chernigiv, according to local authorities.
Three more people were killed by Russian strikes across Ukraine on Saturday, the officials said.
The prosecutor’s office said Russian rocket attacks on Kharkiv on Saturday evening had wounded 26 people after hitting a range of buildings, including a hotel, a kindergarten, shops and restaurants.
The casualties included a British national, initially identified as a journalist, who was in fact a security adviser to a German media team, the statement added.
January 1 will be declared a day of mourning in the capital Kyiv, where at least 17 people were killed, city officials said.
Russia’s army said it had “carried out 50 group strikes and one massive strike” on military facilities in Ukraine over the past week, adding that “all targets were hit”.
The United Nations condemned the attacks and said they must stop “immediately”.
Appeal to Western allies
In the face of sustained Russian assaults, Ukraine is urging Western allies to maintain military support.
“Next year will be a time of many decisions — global decisions. And Ukraine needs to be able to influence them to be able to achieve its goals,” Zelensky said in his evening address on Saturday.
“We will fight for our influence, for justice for Ukraine, and I am grateful to all the leaders who help, who have been with us since February 24th and will be with us in 2024.”
Britain announced it would send hundreds more air-defence missiles to Kyiv, after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared: “We must continue to stand with Ukraine — for as long as it takes. “
Veteran politician and senior lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan has predicted that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif would leave the country before elections and watch the results unfold from there.
“He lives abroad anyway,” said Ahsan in an interview on DawnNewsTV programme “Doosra Rukh” on Friday night.
In the interview, the PPP stalwart also claimed that JUI-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman was “retreating [from elections]”, claiming that from the two drums that are beaten — either of victory or retreat — Rehman seemed to be “beating the drum of a retreat”.
Previously, the lawyer had also called Sharif a “ladla”(favoured) and had claimed that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the caretaker government were trying to ensure Nawaz Sharif wins a two-thirds majority in next year’s general elections.
Nawaz, who had returned to Pakistan on October 21 after spending four years in self-imposed exile, said he had “no wish for revenge” and stressed on beginning a “new journey” towards growth.
‘Bat symbol’
As far as the PTI’s on-going tussle with the election commission goes, Ahsan said it would be unwise for the election watchdog to pursue this matter any further.
The ECP and the PTI have been exchanging blows over the past few days. The controversy stems from the electoral watchdog’s earlier decision to strip PTI of its symbol following the annulment of its intra-party elections for not complying with the Elections Act and the party’s own constitution.
PTI’s new chairman, Gohar Khan, had also claimed there was a conspiracy brewing against the party to snatch its electoral symbol ‘bat’ and exclude it from the upcoming elections.
“Is the election commission conducting elections or contesting them?” Ahsan asked, adding that the Ccommission cannot — and should not — go to high court regarding the bat symbol against PTI as it will show its bias against the party.
The lawyer was referring to the ECP’s decision to challenge the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) order reinstating the PTI’s election symbol. Sources familiar with the matter told Dawn the ECP initially considered appealing directly to the Supreme Court but ultimately opted for a review petition with the PHC, which is scheduled to revisit the case on Jan 9. The ECP is also on notice to appear before the bench on the date.
The commission has yet to adhere to the PHC’s specific directives, including publishing PTI’s intra-party elections certificate on the ECP’s official website and reinstating the party’s election symbol.
Ahsan further added that disputing a judgment would create a chain, “If the High Court reverses the decision of the District Court, should the District Judge go to the Supreme Court to ask why the High Court has given a decision against his decision?”
Despite having little in common, even our political parties could agree on one thing: Pakistan’s economic situation was dire in 2023. The year saw Pakistan go through a long and rocky road to finding some semblance of economic stability — if it can even be called that — while weathering political and social turmoil. Pakistanis also experienced a double whammy this year: the one-two punches of the worst economic crisis in decades and all-time high inflation. Add to that the gut punch of the aftermath of the catastrophic floods of 2022 began to settle in.
Flood victims receive boiled rice from relief workers, after taking refuge on a motorway, following rains and floods during the monsoon season in Charsadda, Pakistan on August 27, 2022 — Reuters
In 2023, according to the World Bank, over 39.4 per cent of the population fell below the poverty line, which means over 12.5 million people are living in meagre conditions. Additionally, 8.5 million people face acute food insecurity due to high inflation and the balance of payments crisis, effectively making the country one of the worst in terms of food security on the Global Hunger Index.
Those who could leave just up and left the country. Several of my close friends moved abroad too because of the uncertainty. They were not alone. More than 450,000 people left Pakistan in the first three months of 2023 because of a lack of employment opportunities and the consensus that Pakistan was on the brink of default.
A default, according to Faisal Mamsa, the chief executive of Tresmark, is the culmination of a series of events. The primary cause is that outflows of cash are consistently more than inflows, and you need to borrow to fund that mismatch.
The risk of Pakistan’s defaulting reared its ugly head throughout the year, enough to drain the optimism out of the best of us. According to the US Institute of Peace, Pakistan owes its creditors over 77.5 billion dollars in the next three years.
The debt servicing to government revenues ratio has inflated to a point which has left a big, red question mark on the nation’s economic future.
Pakistan’s debt servicing to government revenues ratio as compared to other countries — Reuters
An almost dystopian picture was painted especially by citizens on X when they thought of Pakistan actually defaulting, perhaps even worse than Sri Lanka’s economic crisis the previous year. A person on X pointed out that the state could lose its legitimacy if Pakistan truly ran out of basic imports. Another pointed out that a state of lawlessness would ensue if Pakistan went through a default, which let’s face it, the country is no stranger to.
Demonstrators move away from tear gas used by the police near Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s residence during a protest against him as many parts of the crisis-hit country faced up to 13 hours without electricity due to a shortage of foreign currency to import fuel, in Colombo, Sri Lanka on March 31, 2022 — Reuters
Consequently, even the harshest critics of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreed that it was necessary for Pakistan to safely navigate its default risks.
When talking about the IMF, economic liberals such as Miftah Ismail paint a rosy picture of the institution, as they talk about adhering to its conditions, words such as ‘privatisation’ and ‘trade liberalisation’ are presented as answers to Pakistan’s challenges.
While the Dars of our time built up the notion that the dollar can be controlled through artificial means. But even they were forced to put their pride aside to assuage the Bretton Woods institution.
Putting those who claim to be economic oracles aside, it does ring alarm bells when you think about the country having to constantly battle the risk of default for the better part of the year amid political upheaval with political members more concerned with slinging mud at one another than with the average man’s plight.
With elections around the corner, let’s take a journey — a very bitter and hard-to-digest one — at the number of times Pakistan has come close to default this year.
January
In January, the dwindling foreign reserves raised alarm bells, even to those who did not pay attention to the economy, as it reached $4.6 billion — barely enough to cover three weeks’ worth of imports.
Inflationary pressure was building and the State Bank was forced to raise its monetary policy rate to 17pc to rein in high inflation, taking the country’s key policy rate to its highest level since 1997.
Dread over default rose as Pakistan failed to placate the IMF due to differences. Funding from other multilateral and bilateral institutions also got jammed, raising questions of how the country will meet its external finances of over $30bn which include energy imports and debt financing.
February
Pakistan’s economic crisis reached its boiling point in February as the rupee underwent its biggest devaluation in history — of 15pc. This exacerbated fears that Pakistan was heading towards a default without a comprehensive IMF programme to prop it up.
The State Bank’s foreign exchange reserves shrunk to a meagre $3.7bn, which wasn’t enough to last a month’s import bill.
Pakistan and IMF held virtual talks in hopes of unlocking the $1.1bn tranche as part of a $6.5bn bailout signed in 2019 to no avail. The delay in talks also made government bond prices plummet.
However, China stepped in with a life-saving $700m loan, effectively becoming Pakistan’s biggest creditor.
By the end of February, Moody’s — a credit rating agency in the US — downgraded Pakistan’s credit rating to Caa3, citing Pakistan’s dismal liquidity raising the risk of default as Pakistan continued to fail to negotiate with the IMF. It further added that it saw no clear visibility of Pakistan’s future funding needs apart from the IMF, and warned that “weak governance and heightened social risks impede Pakistan’s ability to continually implement the range of policies that would secure large amounts of financing”.
March
In March, China came to the rescue again, providing respite to the country with a $2bn loan as Pakistan’s negotiations with the IMF stalled; its dire balance-of-payments crisis continued despite the government removing artificial caps on the exchange rate and raising fuel prices to meet IMF requirements.
Moreover, inflation in the country hit a record 50-year-high at over 30pc. It got worse.
April
Inflation hit another historic record at 36.4pc as Pakistan’s acute balance of payments crisis continued in April. This time, Saudi Arabia stepped in with some relief as it pledged over $2bn to help finance Pakistan’s essential imports.
Saudi Arabia’s role was deemed an important step to unlocking the $1.1bn tranche from the IMF, as one of the lender’s requirements was for Pakistan to provide financing assurances from bilateral creditors.
May
The IMF was brought to the negotiating table once again to conclude the ninth review of its programme, as the sword of default continued to hang above Pakistan.
The IMF, quickly raised the issue of fiscal reforms and measures to straighten Pakistan’s fiscal structure so it could improve its finances.
June
Pakistan’s risk of default continued as the question of how it would go on about its debt servicing went unanswered, with central bank reserves hovering around $3bn. Hopes were minimal as IMF talks continued.
The IMF raised concerns over a new tax amnesty in the federal government’s budget as it was against the institution’s conditions and governance agenda.
The government then responded by increasing taxes, slashing subsidies and stopping artificial control of the rupee.
And just when things were getting worrisome on the import side, China came to the rescue yet again with the roll over of $1bn as the gruelling negotiations with the IMF continued.
July
In July, Pakistan rejoiced at securing the $3bn dollars staff-level arrangement, however, the country still hovers on the edge of default as reserves remain dismally low. The road to unlocking the tranche remains full of obstacles as Pakistan waits for IMF orders and adheres to its conditionality, which includes difficult decisions of increasing taxes and cutting subsidies, in addition to letting the rupee freefall against the dollar.
Subsequently, the rupee continues its depreciation against the dollar by 1.34pc in July.
In addition, China coame to rescue yet again with $600m in financing as the country anxiously waits for the tranche release by the IMF. This brings China’s loans to the country to around $5bn in three months just to help Pakistan avoid default.
August
Inflation remained sky-high at 27.4pc in August as the government sought to meet IMF conditions, making it all the more difficult to focus on inflationary pressure and rupee depreciation.
Additionally, the rupee depreciated around 6.2pc against the greenback in a month.
September
Against the backdrop of the administrative clampdown against the black currency market, the rupee improved its standing against the dollar, as stakeholders held their breath for the IMF review.
According to a Bloomberg report, the rupee becomes the best performing currency in September, appreciating by more than 6pc.
November - default averted?
In November, the IMF review concluded successfully, unlocking a better-than-expected $700m out of the $1.1bn tranche of the ninth month package, as agreed in July. The IMF stressed on a market-oriented currency rate and warns of rising geopolitical tensions in the near future. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Current scenario
Accordingly, Khurram Schehzad, chief executive of Alpha Beta Core, emphasised on Pakistan’s economic scenario being inextricably linked with global geopolitics.
He stated that even though commodity prices have adjusted downwards, continuity of wars such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Palestinian question will continue to keep a check on commodity prices, and therefore will continue to pose threat to Pakistan external account as it is an import-based economy.
Yousuf M. Farooq, director of research at Chase Securities, observed that the global market had considerably tightened, making it a challenge to finance deficits and roll over debt with higher interest rates.
Additionally, he noted that small current account surpluses were imperative to halt the accumulation of debt and demonstrate to creditors the country’s commitment to resolving its issues; in particular there is a need for “continued fiscal consolidation”.
Tahir Abbas, head of research at Arif Habib Limited, noted that the economic situation of Pakistan has improved significantly post signing of the IMF Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) facility back in July.
Abbas noted that the crucial element of getting the disbursement was the fact it helped in securing rollovers from friendly countries. In addition to making sure there were multilateral inflows which are characteristics contingent on the IMF program.
Khurram Schehzad echoed the same sentiments, stating that the active IMF programme had led to relatively stable macroeconomic factors.
Way forward
To minimise the risk of default in the future, Schehzad stresses on prioritising several key areas for sustainable growth:
Reforming the energy sector
Fiscal reforms with lower taxes, broadening tax base and rationalisation of expenditures
Debt restructuring and reprofiling
Restructuring and privatisation of SOEs
Devolution of finance, administration and management to local government
He further asserted on the need to invest in, encourage, support and diversify exports while becoming more indigenous and self-reliant on food and agriculture through modern technologies. Additionally, there should also be a focus on renewable energy sources to power.
Abbas recommended several ways that could help curtail the risk of defaulting going forward, such as enhancing the country’s dollar earning capacity through exports diversification, specifically in areas such as:
Mining and minerals exploration in Balochistan
Seed enrichment, efficient water allocation and technological enhancement in agriculture
Information technology
He also added that broadening the tax net including tax-to-GDP ratio and introduction and rationalisation of taxation of different sectors including agriculture and retailers could further could help the depleting fiscal revenues of the government.
Moreover, major reforms in the energy chain including the power and gas sector are needed to properly address the long-term and underlying issue of lack of liquidity in the country.
End note
It won’t be an exaggeration to say that 2023 was the year in which the years of delaying difficult reforms caught on. There is a saying which goes procrastination is like a credit card; a lot of fun until the bill arrives. Unfortunately, this year, Pakistan had to foot the bill.
What this year proved is that there is no-one-size-fits all solution to Pakistan’s multipronged challenges. An amalgamation of climate change, food insecurity, inflation, poverty, and sky-high unemployment has made it difficult for people to not take whatever the political parties are saying with a pinch of salt — if they can afford it.
However, as we leave the year behind, let’s remember its one important lesson when it comes to economic policies; it is a marathon not a race.
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday dismissed a petition seeking criminal proceedings against the lawmakers who did not disclose Toshakhana gifts in their statements of the assets and observed that the petitioner should avail the first remedy provided in the law.
Justice Raheel Kamran Sheikh also rejected a challenge by the petitioner against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for acting in discriminatory by proceeding only against former prime minister Imran Khan, who has been convicted in the Toshakhana case.
Petitioner Tanvir Sarwar pleaded through his counsel, Nadeem Sarwar, saying the concealment of purchased Toshakhana articles constituted an offence under section 137 (4) read with section 167 (a) of the Election Act 2017.
He said the ECP acted in a discriminatory manner in violation of Article 25 of the Constitution by filing a complaint against Imran Khan only. He pointed out that no complaint had been filed by the ECP against any other legislator who failed to disclose the Toshakhana articles they purchased under the law.
He asked the court to order the ECP to initiate proceedings against all those parliamentarians found guilty of not disclosing the gifts in their income tax returns.
The ECP through its counsel contended that the petition was not maintainable as the complaint against former prime minister Imran Khan was filed in response to a reference sent by the National Assembly speaker under Article 63(2)(3) of the Constitution whereas no such reference had been forwarded against any other legislator.
The judge appointed Advocate Faisal Siddiqi as amicus curiae (friend of court) for his assistance on the matter.
Mr Siddiqi argued that the petition was not maintainable for the reasons that firstly, the allegations levelled by the petitioner were vague and unsubstantiated and secondly, not a single document was furnished in support of such allegations.
In his verdict, Justice Sheikh observed that the jurisdiction of the LHC under Article 199 of the Constitution is subject to certain limitations.
He emphasised that a high court may exercise its jurisdiction where it is satisfied that no other adequate remedy is provided by law to any aggrieved party for redressal of its grievance raised in his petition.
The judge noted that in the instant case, the applicable law i.e. section 190 of the Election Act 2017 provides remedies of complaint before the sessions judge and appeal before the high court.
“Thus, adequate alternate remedy of complaint is available to the petitioner because of which this writ petition is not maintainable,” the judge maintained.
Regarding the allegation of discriminatory action by the ECP, Justice Sheikh observed that validity of prosecution and conviction of the former prime minister is a matter for consideration of the court of competent jurisdiction where his appeal against conviction and sentence is pending.
“As far as this court is concerned, in view of the adequate alternate remedy of complaint provided by law to the petitioner under section 190(2) of the Act, there exists no occasion for this court to issue a writ in the nature of mandamus on any ground whatsoever,” the judge concluded the judgement.
India has formally requested Pakistan to extradite Hafiz Saeed, suspected of involvement in the 2008 attacks on Mumbai, for trial in India, foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told reporters in a briefing on Friday.
“We have conveyed a request along with relevant supporting documents to the government of Pakistan,” Bagchi told reporters.
Dawn.com has reached out to the Foreign Office (FO) for comment on the matter.
Questioned about the extradition request during her weekly press briefing on Thursday, FO Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch had said: “This question is based on speculative reporting and we would not like to comment on speculative reports.”
Saeed, a hardline cleric accused by the US and India of orchestrating the 2008 Mumbai attacks, has been a well-known, albeit shadowy, figure in Pakistan since the 2000s.
Though his media presence has dwindled over the years, the past decade has seen Saeed in and out of the limelight owing to crackdowns by the government on his organisation Lashkar-i-Taiba (LeT) and its charity wing, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), due to mounting international pressure.
According to the BBC, Saeed founded the LeT in the 1990s; when it was banned, the revival of Jamaat-ud-Dawa wal-Irshad — a much older organisation — was witnessed in 2002 when it was renamed Jamaat-ud-Dawa.
Though the JuD leader insists his organisation has worked for Islamic welfare, especially in the aftermath of natural disasters, the United States has maintained that the group is a front for militant activities.
In early 2017, the federal government launched a crackdown against the JuD, placing Saeed under house arrest. However, Saeed was released in November 2017 after the Lahore High Court refused to extend the period of his confinement.
In 2018, Pakistan endorsed the United Nations’ list of banned terrorist organisations by extending the ban on the outfit in Pakistan as well. Prior to this, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan had barred JuD and several other such organisations named in a list of banned outfits by the United Nations Security Council from collecting donations in the country.
The country-wide ban was imposed after former president Mamnoon Hussain amended the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997 and issued the amended Anti-Terrorism Ordinance, 2018.
The JuD chief was arrested once more by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in July 2019, while he was travelling from Lahore to Gujranwala. Prior to his arrest, 23 first information reports were registered against JuD leaders, including Saeed and JuD Naib Emir Abdul Rehman Makki, at police stations in Lahore, Gujranwala, Multan, Faisalabad and Sargodha.
An anti-terrorism court awarded him a combined sentence of 33 years imprisonment in April 2022 in two cases of terror financing registered by the CTD.
Former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday called for teamwork and collective efforts to end the period plaguing Karachi, highlighting that the upcoming elections would determine the city’s fate.
The PML-N president arrived in Karachi on Thursday evening to meet MQM-P leaders to finalise a deal on an electoral alliance between the two parties. In November, the parties had announced their decision to jointly contest the upcoming polls in Sindh and strengthen local governments nationwide through constitutional cover.
In the run-up to polls, the PML-N has set its sights on the port city. Last week, Shehbaz filed his nomination papers from Karachi National Assembly constituency NA-242 (Baldia Town) — the same seat that he had contested in the 2018 elections. However, that time around, he had lost to then-PTI leader Faisal Vawda in NA-249, which has now been renumbered to NA-242.
Earlier, party sources had toldDawn that one of the main reasons why Shehbaz was contesting from Karachi was to negate the impression that the city has never been important for the PML-N.
His candidature was one of the points agreed upon with MQM-P leaders during a recent meeting. The party had planned to field Mustafa Kamal from the same constituency but reportedly backed down after it emerged that Shehbaz was seeking to contest from there.
In a press conference alongside MQM-P leaders today, Shehbaz highlighted the collective achievements both parties had achieved through their partnership during the Pakistan Democratic Movement-led government.
“I want to say this without any fear that I found MQM-P leaders very enthusiastic,” he said.
Shehbaz highlighted that the upcoming elections would decide if Pakistan wanted to embark on the development path but at the same time warned that some elements sought to see division in the country.
“There is only one solution to this […] these elections have to prove whether the political leadership can resolve this situation with mutual consultation,” he stressed.
Addressing the ladla (blue-eyed) label pinned to PML-N Supremo Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz questioned whether a ladla was someone who had been arrested in front of his daughter and stripped of premiership.
“No, a ladla is the person who is greeted in courts with ‘good to see you’,” he said.
Shehbaz highlighted that untiring efforts were required to give Karachi its due share. “Undoubtedly, I am sure this city’s fate will change after these elections, but this requires teamwork. No single person can handle these changes alone,” he added.
Earlier in the day, while speaking to media persons, the younger Sharif promised to put an end to the water tanker mafia in Karachi, develop public infrastructure and empower the youth with technical skills to accelerate Pakistan’s development.
He praised residents for forging an honest living for themselves and making Karachi the highest tax-paying city in Pakistan.
At the same time, Shehbaz lamented the unrest that had befallen the city in the past and led to its downfall, referring to target killings and extortion.
“When Nawaz Sharif was elected prime minister in 1998, he had put an end to all of this by working with various law enforcement agencies,” the PML-N leaders recalled, adding that Nawaz had always prioritised Karachi while in power.
“Had he not been deprived of the premiership, the Hyderabad-Karachi motorway would have been completed by now, alongside various other projects in rural Sindh,” Shehbaz said.
He also expressed the PML-N’s intent for strong election campaigns in Karachi, other parts of Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Shehbaz acknowledged that Pakistan was far behind other countries when it came to public welfare projects, infrastructural development and public transport, promising that the PML-N, under the leadership of Nawaz, would bridge this gap.
“Public transport is the backbone of any country’s development, and PML-N will bring that to Karachi as best as we can,” he said, praising Nawaz for laying the foundation for Karachi’s Green Line in 2016.
Shehbaz emphasized that the PML-N would work collectively with all stakeholders to improve Karachi’s situation.
The office of the provincial election commissioner in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has asked returning officers in different districts to ensure the recovery of unpaid fines from political leaders, including former premier Imran Khan, who owes Rs200,000 to the electoral watchdog, during the scrutiny of their nomination papers for Feb 8 elections, it emerged today.
According to a letter to returning officers dated Dec 28 issued by the provincial election commissioner — which Dawn.com has seen — it is disclosed that a total of 62 political figures from KP and Punjab are indebted to the ECP with fines ranging from Rs5,000 to Rs50,000. The fines are contingent on the severity of the committed violations.
As per the letter, Imran allegedly committed four separate violations, and each time, he received a fine of Rs50,000, which he has yet to pay. All these violations occurred in March 2022, just a month before his ouster through a parliamentary vote.
In the ECP’s list, the largest outstanding amount is attributed to Imran, with a total of Rs200,000 owed. Following him is the former chief minister of KP, Mahmood Khan, who has a fine of Rs150,000 for three violations, and ex-federal minister Murad Saeed with Rs100,000 for two violations.
Among other notable figures on the list are PTI’s Azam Khan Swati, Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Kamran Bangash, Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, and JUI-P’s Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, each having outstanding amounts of Rs50,000 owed to the ECP.
“Candidates and public office holders [in the past] violated code of conduct during election campaigns of various previous elections to National Assembly, provincial assembly and local government elections. Accordingly, the DMOs imposed fines upon them under Section 234 sub-section (3) of the Election Act 2017 and the said persons failed to deposit the same and some of them filed appeals before the ECP which were rejected being devoid of merit,” reads the ECP letter.
The letter further adds: “It has been desired by the competent authority that the said list/detail of defaulters be shared with the returning officers appointed for general elections to the constituencies of National Assembly/provincial assembly and recovery of unpaid fines may be ensured during scrutiny of nomination papers of said defaulters.”
According to the election schedule, the last date to scrutinise their nomination papers would be Dec 30. The process had started on Dec 24.
The last date for filing appeals against the RO’s decisions on rejecting or accepting nomination papers is January 3 with the last date for deciding the appeals by an appellate tribunal on Jan 10.
The revised list of candidates will be published on Jan 11 and the last date for withdrawing one’s candidature is Jan 12. The polling day will be Feb 8.
Israeli high tech firms raised $1.5 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023, preliminary data showed on Thursday, in a sign that foreigners are still investing in Israeli startups despite Israel’s war.
The Israel Venture Capital (IVC) Research Centre and LeumiTech said fundraising in the quarter up until Dec 26 dipped 15 per cent from the third quarter but 75 deals were done. The war began on Oct 7.
Early stage “seed” funding was $220 million in 31 rounds.
The report said that foreign participation rose in the fourth quarter after a decline earlier in 2023, saying “the presence of foreign investors is a significant indication of the availability of funds for investments”. Last week, a group of 70 US tech executives came to Israel in a show of support.
LeumiTech CEO Mia Eisen-Tzafrir said the fourth quarter data, were “an indication of the high durability of the Israeli high-tech industry and an important reminder of the role this sector in the Israeli economy has especially these days”.
High-tech accounts for 12pc of employment, more than half of Israel’s exports, 25pc of income taxes and nearly a fifth of its overall economic output.
At least 15pc of the tech workforce has been called up for military reserve duty.
Overall, Israeli startups raised about $7bn in 2023 versus close to $16 billion in 2022 — mainly in the first half of the year before the global economy began to slow.
In addition to a drop in funding due to the economy, foreign investors were spooked by Israel’s plan to overhaul its judicial system, a proposal that has since been shelved.
Eisen-Tzafrir said that 2023 reflected a return to the levels of investment and volumes of activity from 2018 and 2019 - before the peak years of relative anomalies in 2020 to 2022. Tech fundraising in Israeli startups reached $26 billion in 2021 in 779 rounds.
IVC CEO Ben Klein said 2023 was challenging for the Israeli economy and high-tech.
“The results of the entire year, especially the fourth quarter, support an optimistic approach towards the local industry,” he said. “Despite the complexity, foreign investors’ participation level is a clear sign of the attractiveness of Israeli high-tech companies, even in difficult times”.
India may be forced to forfeit a Davis Cup play-off hosted by rival Pakistan, with the local tennis association saying on Thursday that the team was waiting on government approval to travel.
The All India Tennis Association (AITA) asked the sports ministry for approval to travel to Pakistan after a request to shift the fixture to a third country was rejected by the International Tennis Federation tribunal.
“The proposal is still pending with the ministry and we are awaiting a decision,” AITA secretary-general Anil Dhupar told AFP.
The World Group 1 clash is scheduled for February 3-4.
New Delhi last hosted the Pakistani tennis team in 2006 and the Indian Davis Cup team last travelled to Islamabad in 1964, according to news outlet India Today.
Local media reports said a 2019 match was moved to Kazakhstan, with the AITA citing political tensions as the reason for the request.
Sports matches between Pakistan and India are rare owing to decades of hostility between the two nations.
They share one of the world’s great sporting rivalries in cricket, by far the most popular sport in both countries.
But their teams have not played a bilateral series in more than a decade, and typically only face each other in larger tournaments.
India refused to travel to Pakistan for the 50-over Asia Cup in September, a move that forced its neighbour to partially relinquish hosting duties to Sri Lanka.
Pakistan travelled to India the following month for the World Cup after its request to stage some matches in a third country was rejected.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday rejected a petition seeking the removal of caretaker Federal Minister for Privatisation and Inter-Provincial Coordination Fawad Hasan Fawad from the caretaker cabinet, deciding that the official would remain in his position.
The petition was filed in October seeking the removal of “biased” members of the federal cabinet to ensure the conduct of free, fair and transparent general elections in February next year.
The verdict of the electoral watchdog comes days after the ECP ordered the removal of Adviser to the Prime Minister on Establishment Ahad Cheema from his post in the same case.
Fawad was principal secretary to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, while Cheema was an aide to Shehbaz Sharif when the latter was premier.
In the short order issued last week, the ECP had said the petitioner’s request for Cheema to be removed was “reasonable and is accepted” on the basis that the latter was a part of the previous government and could thus “influence the holding of free, fair and transparent elections” if he continued in his post.
The ECP had directed that Cheema be removed from his position and ordered the Cabinet Division secretary to immediately issue the notification in this regard.
The petition had noted that transparency of elections was not possible due to certain persons being in the caretaker government.
“If the government wants a transparent election, these people should be removed from their positions,” the petition had said.
Today, the ECP pronounced its reserved verdict, stating that Fawad’s role could not exert influence on the elections.
The watchdog noted that the respondent’s role as a minister for privatisation did not have a significant impact on the electoral process.
The ECP observed that Fawad had previously held government positions, suggesting that the plea against him appeared to stem from a “personal vendetta”.
Fawad has served as principal secretary to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. He had also faced NAB investigation for several years in an alleged white-collar crime case but was acquitted of all charges.
Over the last 14 years, I have travelled to Islamabad many times, holding a framed picture of my father, Dr Deen Mohammed Baloch, and screaming my heart out, demanding to know his whereabouts. Each time I have come to Islamabad, it is with the hope that one day, the authorities will listen to me and give me back my father.
Or at the very least, give me some answers as to where he disappeared.
You see, my father was abducted from Ornach hospital in Khuzdar, Balochistan, on June 28, 2009. I was a little girl of hardly 10 years old. Two years after his abduction, in April 2011, I participated in a train march along with seven other families, followed by another train march in 2013.
Sammi Deen Baloch sitting outside the Frere Hall in Karachi on August 30, to mark the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.— Photo: Anushe Engineer/ Dawn.com
In 2014 came the most difficult journey of my life — the long march to Islamabad — when I, along with relatives of other missing persons, marched on foot for 116 days from Quetta to Islamabad — a journey of almost 2,000 kilometres. I was 15 years old then. By the time we reached the capital, my body was shattered and my feet were completely swollen, but I was hopeful that this time, those in power would show some mercy and release our loved ones.
I was so wrong.
Fighting for hope
Each time I come to Islamabad, my sorrows seem to intensify, and the pain becomes more pronounced. I feel increasingly isolated and abandoned — as if I am an alien, a terrorist, or an immigrant in my own country. Journalists and media workers bombard us with countless painful questions, demanding that we condemn armed groups in Balochistan as if I am not a victim but a decision-maker of this country.
Politicians and bureaucrats appear exhausted and fed up whenever we come to Islamabad to meet them. From being subjected to media trials to our pleas being turned a deaf ear, all of this hurts and reopens our wounds each time.
Families like ours live in an unending trauma with this uncertainty. With each passing day, the feeling of hopelessness sinks in even further, and yet we try different ways to keep the hope alive. I often wonder if the authorities know how many times over the last 14 years I have talked myself out of giving up hope. Infinite.
As a young girl, I did not fully comprehend what enforced disappearance meant or the pain associated with it. Following my father’s abduction, I started organising and participating in protests. When I took to the streets, I mainly observed men, much older than me at the time, participating in the demonstrations. There were hardly any younger people at the protests. Unfortunately, this has changed now.
Today, protest camps are filled with infants and their mothers, school-going kids, newborns, and children who haven’t even seen their fathers yet. These children deserve a better life, but it is their fate to grow up in a protest camp, just like me and my younger sister.
Like all other young girls, I should have dreamt about a career, to get married and raise my own children one day, to live a fulfilled life and grow old in peace — but the only dream I have is to see my father one day. To realise this dream, I have been marching, organising protests, staging sit-ins, and moving from one office, court, and commission to another for the last 14 years.
Dead or alive
My mother, who does not know if she is a widow or if her husband is alive, accompanied me in the 2011 train march. She has joined me again for the current march. Last Friday night, she said to me: “I wish we would not have come here for the protests only. I wish one day, we can come here as tourists with your father.”
People ask us why we come to Islamabad to protest. I explain to them that our loved ones are missing, and that we are helpless; we can’t do anything else but come to Islamabad, where important decisions are made for the entire country. We come to Islamabad to plead to the rulers to give us answers that we can’t get in Balochistan. You took them alive, we want them back alive. We don’t want them in coffins; hundreds of families live with this hope that their loved ones are alive, even if they are behind bars.
Over the last 14 years since I have been coming to Islamabad, three governments have changed and various commissions have been formed, but each of their promises are yet to be fulfilled.
Haseeba Qambrani came to Islamabad for the first time with us in 2021; she was lucky the authorities heard her and released her missing brother and cousin. I did not see her in any protest after that. None of us would protest if our loved ones are released. Who would like to sleep under the open sky in the freezing cold weather? We are helpless.
I have lost all hope in Islamabad now, especially after the recent unpleasant events, when the police fired tear gas and doused us in ice-cold water using a water cannon on the frosty night between Wednesday and Thursday [December 20 and 21]. Subsequently, the police arrested 283 peaceful protesters, including 47 women and five children; 87 are still in their custody. They then bundled us into buses and attempted to send us back to Quetta as if we were illegal immigrants who had crossed the border illegally.
Baloch protesters stage a sit-in on a cold December night outside the National Press Club in Islamabad. — Photo courtesy BYC/X
But what else can we do?
Peaceful protests and marches are our only option. We cannot sit silently at home. The only thing left for us is to protest and march. If we could forget and ignore our loved ones, we would not even protest. However, moving forward and forgetting our loved ones is difficult and painful, especially when you don’t even know if they are alive or not.
All families of missing persons, including my own, see no future. The state has stolen our childhood. We are broken from within, helpless, and our desires and wishes have died. Our only option is to raise our voices peacefully, but even that is intolerable and unacceptable for the state.
The state behaves like a stepmother. Instead of paying heed to our concerns and listening to our justified demands, it launches propaganda campaigns against us through its ministers and lodges fake and fabricated cases against us.
The catalyst
As victims and helpless citizens, we have to live in this system and fight. As children, sisters, and mothers, we have a responsibility to raise our voices. This is why, when Balaach Mola Bakhsh, a young man in his 20s, was taken from his home, then presented before a court by the Counter Terrorism Department, before being killed in an alleged encounter, his family decided they would not remain silent. The whole of Turbat — people from all walks of life, irrespective of caste, creed, social status, political ideology, and religious beliefs — stood with Balaach’s family.
When I traveled to Turbat, I encountered dozens of low-income families from the remote areas of Kech district who could barely afford to travel to the district headquarters. Their loved ones had gone missing unnoticed. Their cases were undocumented. Some poor families did not even own mobile phones; several said their loved ones had been killed during extrajudicial encounters. They had just collected the bodies and returned home.
But Balaach’s case changed everything. The court took up his case in the last week of November. Scores of families of missing persons just like mine marched with his lifeless body outside the court premises. It was a unique case where a deceased individual was presented in court. It was then that we decided to travel across Balochistan, visit families, document their cases, and take them to Islamabad — where decisions are made.
This time, I did not come alone. We are not a dozen or a hundred; instead, hundreds of mothers, wives, children, brothers and fathers of missing persons have come to Islamabad to be heard, healed and helped.
Baloch protesters continue a sit-in outside the National Press Club in Islamabad on Saturday. — Baloch Yakjehti Committee/ X
We reached Islamabad on Wednesday after sunset, but were not allowed to march to the National Press Club. The state welcomed us with baton charges, sprayed cold water on aged mothers, young students and children and dragged them on the roads before shifting them to prisons. The next day, screaming women and young girls were dragged out of the women police station and forced into buses to send them back to Quetta.
But why? To not allow us to protest and ask questions about our loved ones who have been forcibly disappeared?
Over 14 years, I have taken the path of peaceful activism and I will always opt for that. All the families have come to Islamabad with the hope that they will be heard and healed. But the state’s attitude towards them has made many angry and despondent. The least the authorities can do is hear them out instead of inflicting violence upon them and rubbing salt on their wounds.
Politicians, journalists and civil society resoundingly lambasted the manner of former foreign minister and PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s re-arrest from outside Adiala Jail on Wednesday in a case yet to be disclosed.
Footage shared by the PTI on Instagram showed Qureshi, clad in a cardigan and a shalwar kameez, attempting to speak to police personnel gathered outside the jail while he remained inside its premises. However, an official wearing the Punjab police uniform refused to listen and proceeded to shove Qureshi out the gate and toward an armoured police vehicle.
“Look at this. What is this?” Qureshi said as he was pushed the entire way to the van while the crowd urged the officials to be careful.
President Arif Alvi denounced the incident, saying that the treatment meted out to a former foreign minister “in an undignified manner must draw the attention of the authorities”.
He said Pakistan should not become a state where human rights and dignity are “trampled upon with impunity”, adding that “Pakistan must change, and if we as a nation agree, there is no better time than starting now.”
Kasim Gillani, son of Yousuf Raza Gillani, also condemned the incident. He said that having suffered the consequences of state violence himself, he would never support such actions.
“Such attitude of the administration is never acceptable,” he said in a post on his X account.
“Acts of violence and aggression have no place in civil discourse and we stand united against any form of harm towards public figures,” said Fiza Batool Gilani, daughter of Yousuf Raza Gillani.
Qureshi’s daughter Gauhar Bano questioned how a “man in solitary confinement be a threat to the nation?”
Lawyer and human rights activist Jibran Nasir said the Supreme Court should take cognisance that such actions were not merely against the individual but had also violated the apex court’s order.
“This is not an arrest. It is an abduction in broad daylight by a gangster state,” said academic and activist Dr Ammar Ali Jan.
Senior journalist Mubashir Zaidi termed the incident “fascism at its peak.”
Journalist Absa Komal said it was “sad to see how a two-time foreign minister is being treated.”
Mosharraf Zaidi, CEO of advisory services firm Tabadlab, questioned how the incident served the country and rued how a former foreign minister was treated.
Lawyer Khadija Siddiqi said that how Qureshi, a senior politician and an elderly man, was “manhandled” for the “despicable purpose of re-arrest shows the desperation”.
“Court orders are flouted every minute, constitutional guarantees buried. But who cares. Pre-poll rigging first,” she said.
PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan termed the Punjab police actions “sheer thuggery”.
Qureshi’s lawyer Barrister Taimur Malik said his client was arrested in the “most despicable manner by pushing and shoving him into an armoured vehicle”.
“Why are the authorities bent upon making a mockery of the justice system!” he questioned
He added that Qureshi’s entire immediate family had “witnessed SMQ being treated in this inhumane, immoral and unlawful manner. Shameful!”
PTI Senior Vice President Sher Afzal Khan Marwat called for active resistance and advocacy.
“Use your voting power to support policies and leaders committed to ending cruelty,” he said
PTI leader and former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa finance minister Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra said the only path left for Pakistan was to heal and move forward.
“It is the only path that works, and it is one that involves holding the constitution supreme,” he said.
Jhagra said that if the country treated its dignitaries in such a manner then what respect could it expect from others.
Former special assistant to the prime minister, Sayed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari, called the arrest “outrageous and unacceptable”.
“This is a blatant violation of justice and the rule of law. It must be condemned by all.”
