Saturday, January 25, 2020
EDITORIAL: #Pakistan - Shocks to textile sector
Pakistan’s continuous struggle for increase in exports is often marred by inconsistent government policies, mostly about taxes. Export-oriented sectors have faced increase in power tariff by 35 per cent, impacting industries’ competitiveness and investor confidence. Industry is demanding the withdrawal of a Power Division’s notification issued on January 13, 2020 directing the power distribution companies to include additional charges like financial cost surcharge, Neelum-Jhelum Surcharge, taxes, fixed charges, quarterly tariff adjustment and fuel price adjustment, in addition to 7.5 cents to power bills to the industries entitled for zero-rated tariff.
All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) censured the Power Division’s notification, saying the government had taken U-turns on its commitment to provide electricity to export industry at a fixed rate of 7.5 cents per unit to compete in the global market with India, Bangladesh and others. There is confusion on the notification of the Power Division, as its officials say that all committed concessions are in place as only the subsidy to exports sector was allowed to the extent of ‘base tariff’ and other factors and surcharges would have to be borne by the industry.
The Power Division, led by Energy Minister Omar Ayub Khan, issued a notification on February 8, 2019 that under an Economic Coordination Committee decision, zero-rated industry would be charged 7.5 cents per unit only and all other elements such as financial cost surcharge, Neelum-Jhelum Surcharge, taxes, fixed charges, quarterly tariff adjustment and fuel price adjustment would not be charged to them but would be part of the subsidy claim to be picked up by the government. The decision was dubbed as a game-changer by the industry and stakeholders. The textile industry set a target of $26 billion exports by 2023. The recent power shock, however, shook exporter confidence.
Apart from APTMA, Pakistan Business Council has also shown its anger on the power shock. “Policy U-turns, especially with retrospective effect do not bode well for export competitiveness, import substitution, investment or employment”, the PBC said, adding all these factors were critical for Pakistan’s economy. “How are Pakistan’s exports when subjected to 13 cents/KWh expected to compete with those from India and Bangladesh at 7-9 cents/KWh and China between 7.5-10 cents/KWh”. The government needs to evaluate its budgetary constraints before granting concessions to industries. Now, both sides should sit together to talk out the issue. If there is misunderstanding on the notification that can be handled, but if the notification swells mills’ power bills that issue should be addressed.
https://dailytimes.com.pk/545820/shocks-to-textile-sector/
US Prelate Urges Pakistan PM To Foster Religious Freedom
An American archbishop has called on Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to encourage a culture of religious freedom in the Muslim-majority country.
Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia wrote to Khan on Jan. 21 to urge him to secure the full rights of all Pakistani citizens of every religion.
He highlighted the abuse of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, economic disadvantages for religious minorities and attacks on minority places of worship.
“Of particular worry — as I’m sure you’re aware — is that Pakistani Christians are vulnerable to the misuse of blasphemy laws and are at risk of false accusations and wrongful criminal prosecution,” Archbishop Chaput wrote.
“Neighbors can settle ordinary disputes by leveling a charge of blasphemy against a Christian citizen who is then arrested and jailed. Even worse, the charge of blasphemy can sometimes lead to a mob attack on the one accused, and violence against that person’s family and property.”“Those falsely accused of blasphemy have been murdered with little serious effort by the government to bring such killers to justice. A reform of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, and its investigation and prosecution procedures, is thus urgently needed.”
Pakistan’s blasphemy laws impose strict punishment on those who desecrate the Quran or insult the Prophet Muhammad. Many Pakistanis accused of blasphemy are murdered, while those who call for reform of the laws are often victims of violence.
The letter, published in First Things, encouraged Khan to “work urgently to assure true religious liberty for all citizens of Pakistan, especially for members of minority faiths.”Archbishop Chaput added: “I believe in the honest intentions of many in the Pakistani government to assure full religious freedom for their nation. But Pakistan still does not fully protect the religious liberty of all of its citizens.”He cited reports that Pakistan’s religious minorities face “chronic hostility, harassment and persecution” and that the government “seems to do little to ensure their personal safety and their full participation in public life.”
This situation is both unjust and aggravates misunderstandings and resentment of Islam among American Christians, he said.
Archbishop Chaput said that the government had failed to keep promises to provide quotas for public and education sector jobs for Christians and other religious minorities.
“Christian and other non-Muslim houses of worship, as well as homes and businesses, have many times been attacked and destroyed. This is repugnant in any civilized society. But police too often fail to protect non-Muslim sacred spaces. And little effort is made to prosecute and bring to justice the perpetrators of this religious hatred,” the archbishop wrote.
“I do believe in the goodwill of many citizens of Pakistan and many members of your government. I also know that Pakistan faces many economic and social challenges, and you have the difficult task of managing them. I respect the demands of your office, and I gladly pray for both justice and success in your public service.”
https://www.eurasiareview.com/25012020-us-prelate-urges-pakistan-pm-to-foster-religious-freedom/
Chinese belt and road workers could spread coronavirus, Pakistanis fear
Kaswar Klasra
Pakistan has alerted hospitals and clinics across the country to the threat posed by the Wuhan coronavirus, amid fears that the thousands of Chinese and Pakistani nationals who travel between the two countries every month could help spread the disease.
A letter issued by Pakistan’s health ministry on Wednesday said that following a report by the China National Health Commission that the virus could be transmitted between people, it was directing the Disease Surveillance Division and Central Health Establishment to “monitor, direct and exercise the highest level of vigilance”.The virus, which originated in Wuhan, China, has already killed 17 people in China and infected more than 541 and reports of it spreading to other Asian countries have also begun to emerge.
Doctor Allah Bakhsh Malik, the Federal Secretary Ministry of the National Health Services Regulations and Coordination department, said Pakistan was prepared to deal with the virus if needed.“Hospitals and other departments have been put on standby to deal with the coronavirus. So far, not a single case has been detected in Pakistan,” he said.Thousands of Chinese nationals who are working on projects in various cities as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) regularly travel between the two countries, raising fears they could spread the disease. The CPEC project is part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s signature Belt and Road project.
- Pakistan has put hospitals and clinics on alert after a report that the Wuhan coronavirus can be transmitted between people
- The move comes amid fears that the thousands of workers who regularly travel between the countries could spread the disease.
Documents seen by the South China Morning Post suggest that before 2013 there were 20,000 Chinese expatriates living in Pakistan, but that figure had risen to 60,000 by 2018 in large part due to the economic corridor project. More than 400 Chinese companies are currently involved in projects in Pakistan.On top of this, up to 500,000 Pakistani students visit China every year, with 22,000 of them studying on scholarships. Officials say Pakistani authorities have stepped up screenings at air and sea ports, checking people for symptoms of the disease. New Islamabad International Airport, Lahore International Airport, Gwadar International Airport and Jinnah International Airport have all announced they will screen passengers arriving from China. “Passengers will be screened and examined for symptoms of the coronavirus,” said a Civil Aviation Authority official. Reports of the virus have led to unease among some Pakistanis working on CPEC. “If the reports about the coronavirus are to be believed, people like me [who are working with Chinese nationals] in Pakistan will be more at risk of getting this disease. I’m worried,” said Iqbal Hussain, 38, a civil engineer working on the Multan-Sukkar section of the Karachi-Peshawar Motorway, a CPEC project.Some Pakistanis working at Chinese restaurants and franchises of Chinese companies also said they were worried.“Our Chinese national supervisors frequently travel between Pakistan, China and the Middle East and many of our Chinese colleagues have travelled to China on vacation,” said an electrical engineer working in Huawei’s Islamabad office. “God forbid they encounter the coronavirus and transmit it to Pakistan.” Sign up now for our 50% early bird offer from SCMP Research: China AI Report. The all new SCMP China AI Report gives you exclusive first-hand insights and analysis into the latest industry developments, and actionable and objective intelligence about China AI that you should be equipped with.
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3047144/no-chinese-allowed-japanese-shop-criticised
The Imran Khan government has all but surrendered to Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan by telling producer Sarmad Khoosat to delay release of ‘Zindagi Tamasha’.
Making a film about social hypocrisy can turn life into a circus in Pakistan simply because the protagonist sports a beard, and a religious party saw it as an insult to Islam. The Imran Khan government has all but surrendered to the Islamic far-Right group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan by announcing that it has advised the producer of the film Zindagi Tamasha to delay its release. The film won the prestigious Kim Ji-Seok Award at the Busan International Film Festival last year, the first Pakistani film to do so.
Director-producer Sarmad Khoosat has been receiving threat calls ever since the promo of the film was released on YouTube. The Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) immediately launched a social media campaign against both the film and Sarmad, labelling them as disrespectful of Islamic traditions and values.
Zindagi Tamasha had already been unanimously reviewed and approved for release on 24 January by all three censor boards of Pakistan, but the decision was suddenly reversed Tuesday. This came in the wake of TLP threatening to launch a country-wide protest, in addition to releasing Sarmad’s phone number and national ID card.
Is this new in Pakistan? No, the country has, time and again, shown its double face went it comes to religious extremism.
A manufactured campaign
An important fact is that the TLP’s campaign against Khoosat and the film was a classic campaign of manufactured outrage. Only film celebrities and progressives responded to it. Unlike the usual Islamist storms whipped up in Pakistan, the vast majority of Pakistanis did not jump on the outrage bandwagon and remained aloof. Those who spoke out, have expressed their exasperation at ‘Mullahs’ being foisted upon their freedoms.
Instead of providing protection to the producer and allowing the release of Zindagi Tamasha on time, the Imran Khan government has chosen to appease and preserve the extremist assets that it may need later. This tragic episode also shows that Pakistan, while showing the ability to crush terrorism when it wants to, still values and nurtures extremism that is the bedrock of terrorism.
A true Zindagi Tamasha
According to Khoosat, and many others I spoke to who have seen the film in private screenings, Zindagi Tamasha does not contain even a hint of disrespect for Islam. The protagonist is a religious ‘good enough Muslim’ man who is also fond of reciting naats (hymns in praise of Prophet Muhammad). A real estate agent by day, with a wife and daughters, he is a hard-working, kind and gentle soul.
Khoosat was shocked that a film unique in depicting the softer and more humane side of a conservative and religious member of society, should be accused of being disrespectful. The film is also a commentary on the hypocrisy of society.
To add insult to his injury, the federal information minister announced that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has decided to consult the obscurantist government body Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on the film. The Tribune reported that the TLP representatives would also sit in on the screenings. Needless to say, they have no legal right to sit in or dictate decisions to a government body.
This has generated disgust and anger among the public, with some calling the capitulation itself a ‘zindagi tamasha (circus of life)’.
#Breaking: One representative of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and one representative of information ministry will participate in the second preview #ZindagiTamasha
tribune.com.pk/story/2141568/…
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A double game
Remember how the Imran Khan government came down hard on the TLP when the party challenged its writ over the release from prison of blasphemy accused Asia Bibi, just over a year ago?
At the time, the TLP had called for the resignation of Prime Minister Khan, killing of judges and mutiny within the army to overthrow General Qamar Javed Bajwa. For this and their violent protests, 86 TLP members, including leader Khadim Rizvi’s brother and nephew, were handed 55-year prison sentences last week.
But when it comes to people’s freedom to choose what they want to watch, Imran Khan’s government goes right back to appeasing and allowing extremists to be a nuisance.
According to acclaimed novelist Mohammed Hanif, “On the one hand, we are told that we are past the war on terror, and we have sacrificed tens of thousands of lives in this war, and on the other, the state is allowing the Ulema to tell us what we can watch. Why have the censor boards then, why not just leave it all to the Ulema? Unhin ko dikha kar ijaazat le liya karenge (We will show it to the Ulema only and take permission).”
It is clear that this particular group can be controlled at will, and unleashed when required. In late 2017, the TLP was allowed to hold the Shahid Khaqan Abbasi government hostage through violent protests and blockade of the arterial road between the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad for three weeks. And when the interior minister at the time called the Rangers for help, the army chief refused flatly.General Bajwa instead suggested that the “government should determine the responsibility and punish those involved in the legislation regarding Khatm-e-Nabuwat oath”. After an agreement was brokered between the TLP and the government to end the protest, an ISI general was filmed purportedly distributing reward money to TLP activists and saying, “Are we not with you?”
Pakistan not meeting FATF obligations would be devastating for its economy, says US diplomat Alice Wells
- Not meeting the obligations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) would have a devastating impact on Pakistan''s economic reform program, a top US diplomat said
'Obviously, if Pakistan were not to meet FATF obligations or were to fail and be blacklisted, that would be devastating for Pakistan''s economic reform program and for its ability to attract investors,' Wells told reporters
She was responding to a question if the funding by the International Monetary Fund could get affected if Pakistan does not meet the FATF regulations or the rules.
- Not meeting the obligations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) would have a devastating impact on Pakistan''s economic reform program, a top US diplomat said.
Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia made the comments on Friday, a day after Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the country should be taken off the FATF''s ''grey list'' as it has made considerable progress on the requirements of the international terror financing watchdog.“Obviously, if Pakistan were not to meet FATF obligations or were to fail and be blacklisted, that would be devastating for Pakistan''s economic reform program and for its ability to attract investors,” Wells told reporters.
“We've been pleased to see progress by Pakistan towards fulfilling FATF obligations,” said Wells, who has just returned from her trip to the region, including a visit to Islamabad.
She was responding to a question if the funding by the International Monetary Fund could get affected if Pakistan does not meet the FATF regulations or the rules.“There is a meeting underway currently in Beijing where Pakistan is presenting its actions to the task force. So I defer to that task force to make its evaluation,” she said.
“But the more evidence of Pakistan''s seriousness in both documenting its economy and in shrinking the space for militants to be able to take advantage of Pakistan''s either banking system or territory, the more confidence that the international community and business community will have in working with Pakistan,” Wells said.
A Pakistani delegation led by Minister for Economic Affairs Division Hammad Azhar is in Beijing to brief the financial task force about the steps taken by Islamabad to implement the recommendations made by the FATF.The FATF in October last decided to keep Pakistan on its ''Grey'' list for failure to curb funnelling of funds to terror groups Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and others.If not removed off the list by April, Pakistan may move to a blacklist of countries that face severe economic sanctions, such as Iran.Observing that FATF is a technical process, Wells said that there has been an action plan that was presented to Pakistan.“It’s a question of fulfilling the requirements that have been spelt out and that are asked of all countries in the international system. So it’s not a political process, but we certainly support and stand ready to assist Pakistan as it implements these obligations,” she added.The US, she said, welcomes efforts by Pakistan to meet its counterterrorism financing obligations under FATF.
“We strongly encourage Pakistan to work with FATF and the international community to fully satisfy its action plan commitments,” she said.
Completion of the FATF action plan is critical to Pakistan''s economic reform efforts, including its IMF program, as well as for demonstrating sustained and irreversible action against all militant groups based in Pakistan without distinction, she added.
“We've seen obvious progress in our relations with Pakistan, from the high-level engagement such as the President''s (Donald Trump) warm and constructive meeting with Prime Minister (Imran) Khan at Davos to the restoration of the International Military Education and Training programs,” she said.
Wells during her trip to Islamabad had extensive conversations on how the two countries can bolster their economic partnership where the US is Pakistan''s largest export market, largest trade partner, and historically one of its most significant investors.
There are obvious synergies in energy and agriculture, and opening Pakistan''s markets to American investments creates jobs and wealth without sacrificing standards or fuelling corruption. “We' 're looking forward to welcoming 10 Pakistani buyer delegations to the US and five regional trade shows in 2020, which will build deeper relationships between US and Pakistani firms. Prime Minister Khan's economic reform efforts contributed to the World Bank identifying it as one of the top 10 reformers globally in 2019,” she said.
Responding to a question on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), she said Pakistan needs to adhere to the “buyer beware.”
“That Pakistan is a buyer, these are not – this is not granted assistance from China, it’s loans, often not with concessional financing. And Pakistan should beware of the terms, to make sure that they''re getting the most for their money, that brings the greatest economic prosperity,” she noted.
“This is Pakistan''s sovereign right to decide what investment it seeks and on what terms. And a friend of Pakistan, we certainly urge that they take on investment projects that create wealth, generate employment, and are sustainable, and think we have great options for the Pakistani market,” she said in response to a question.
https://www.firstpost.com/world/pakistan-not-meeting-fatf-obligations-would-be-devastating-for-its-economy-says-us-diplomat-alice-wells-7955041.html