PUKHTUNKHWA TIMES: 07/10/22

Sunday, July 10, 2022

Video Report - President Biden Visits Japan Ambassador After Killing of Former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe

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Pashto Music - اختر دے مبارک شا - Humayun Khan Aw Sumaira Iqbal

Video - سابق چئیرمین نیب جسٹس ر جاوید اقبال کے کرتوت اور آئینی اداروں کی شرمناک خاموشی

Pakistan - China: CPEC resumption

IT appears that a recent counterterrorism breakthrough has greatly helped restore Chinese confidence in Pakistan’s security apparatus and paved the way for the restoration of bilateral ties as well as CPEC-related activities, which had been on ice since late April.

Work has reportedly resumed on the Main Line 1 (ML-1) upgradation project, the largest component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Pakistan and the centrepiece of the second phase of CPEC.The importance of what this breakthrough represents cannot be overstated. Beijing — an all-weather friend and one of our strongest allies — had all but pulled the plug on its development activities in Pakistan after a brazen terrorist attack on the grounds of Karachi University left three Chinese teachers dead. It was well known that Beijing had been quite upset for some time at the impunity with which its people were being attacked on Pakistani soil. After the KU attack, it simply suspended all work on the CPEC front till the time those responsible were nabbed and security for its personnel in Pakistan assured.

The gravity of the situation can be judged from the fact that recently army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa himself had to travel to Beijing with guarantees in a bid to win the Chinese over.

It is unclear what the army chief offered to the Chinese authorities, and what terms were set for the future.

The recent busting of a terrorist cell linked to Baloch extremists BLA and BLF, however, has thawed the ice considerably. The operation reportedly came in coordination with a group of Chinese investigators who had arrived here and were working with the Pakistani team tasked with the case.

This unusual arrangement reflects a lack of faith on the Chinese side. It would have been much better had there been more clarity about the role of this team and whether we should expect similar arrangements in the future, as has been rumoured in some quarters. Be that as it may, it appears that Chinese authorities are for now satisfied with the progress made and wish to resume their work. It is now up to our government and security forces to make sure there is no further incident which may imperil goodwill between the two countries again. However, there also needs to be greater transparency in our dealings with Beijing so that there is greater visibility of the progress being made under CPEC and how the project may affect the security of both foreigners working in Pakistan and the Pakistanis living here.

It is irregular for so much to continue to be negotiated behind closed doors while such a major, transformational project is being executed on our soil. Bilateral relations between Pakistan and China are not the exclusive domain of just one branch of the state that terms continue to be negotiated by it at the exclusion of all others.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1699156/cpec-resumption

Pakistan’s $1 Billion Gas Tender Flop to Worsen Energy Crisis

ByStephen Stapczynski

Request for LNG received not a single offer from suppliers.Nation already grappling with blackouts due to fuel shortage.

Pakistan’s energy crisis looks set to drag on for months after another failed attempt by the nation to import gas.

In an unusual development, state-owned Pakistan LNG didn’t receive a single offer in a $1 billion liquefied natural gas purchase tender, according to traders with knowledge of the matter. That illustrates both the extent of the global fuel shortage, and also the reluctance of suppliers to sell to a country in the depths of an economic crisis.It’s the fourth time in roughly a month that Pakistan -- which is already suffering frequent blackouts -- has failed to complete an LNG purchase tender. The relatively poor country is reliant on energy imports, meaning it’s been hit especially hard by soaring prices. Inflation has topped 20%, and the government is negotiating with the International Monetary Fund on a financial rescue package.

Europe’s Plan to Quit Russian Fuel Pushes Pakistan Into Darkness

Already elevated Asian gas prices started rising further over the last few weeks on increasing supply disruptions from Russia to the US. Global LNG flows are being redirected to energy-starved Europe, where utilities are willing to pay more than emerging markets. Thailand and India have also been curbing purchases due to the high prices, but they’re not in as perilous a situation as Pakistan. The world’s fifth-most populous country was looking to buy 10 LNG cargoes from the spot market for delivery from July to September via the tender that closed on Thursday. Pakistan bought almost half of its LNG on the spot market last year, with the rest coming under long-term deals, according to data compiled by BloombergNEF.

Even if Pakistan’s tender had garnered offers from suppliers, the traders said it wasn’t clear that the government would have been able to make any purchases due to the soaring prices.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-07/pakistan-s-1-billion-gas-tender-flop-to-worsen-energy-crisis

ہم نے ملک کو بچانے کیلئے سخت فیصلے کیے، یوسف رضا گیلانی

سابق وزیر اعظم یوسف رضا گیلانی نے کہا ہے کہ ہم نے ملک کو بچانے کے لیے سخت فیصلے کیے۔

یوسف رضا گیلانی نے درگاہ موسی پاک شہید پر نمازِ عید ادا کی جس کے بعد اُنہوں نے میڈیا سے گفتگو بھی کی۔

میڈیا سے گفتگو کرتے ہوئے پیپلز پارٹی رہنما یوسف رضا گیلانی نے کہا کہ سابقہ حکومت نے آئی ایم ایف سے معاہدے کیے۔

یوسف رضا گیلانی نے کہا کہ ساری حکومتوں کو مدت سے پہلے ہٹایا گیا۔

اُنہوں نے مزید کہا کہ کسی نے عدلیہ اور فوج کے خلاف بات نہیں کی، اگلے الیکشن کا انتظار کیا۔

https://jang.com.pk/news/1109824

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