Friday, July 12, 2019
ملک میں نالائق وزیراعظم کو مسلط کردیا گیا ہے #Pakistan -
انہوں نے کہا کہ سابق صدر آصف علی زرداری کے دور میں معاشی بحران تھا، دہشت گردی تھی، بدترین سیلاب کا سامنا کیا، لیکن ا س کے باوجود ملک کے غریبوں کا خیال رکھا۔ تمام تر مشکلات کے باوجود ہم نے تنخواہوں میں اضافہ کیا۔ فوجی سپاہیوں کی 175 فیصد تنخواہوں میں اضافہ کیا یہ کام فقط پاکستان پیپلزپارٹی ہی کرسکتی ہے، کوئی آمر نہیں کرسکتا۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ ملک میں نالائق سلیکٹیڈ وزیر اعظم کو مسلط کردیا گیا ہے، جو ملک کا حشر سلیکٹیڈ نے کیا ہے وہ سب کے سامنے ہے۔ عمران خان سلیکٹیڈ ہے، سلیکٹیڈ ہے، سلیکٹیڈ ہے۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ عمران خان نے اپنا ایک وعدہ بھی پورا نہیں کیا، وہ جھوٹا ہے۔ بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے کہا کہ عمران خان نے آئی ایم ایف کے سامنے سرجھکایا اور بجٹ سیشن میں جنوبی وزیرستان کے دو اراکین کو آنے نہیں دیا اور سلیکٹیڈ اسپیکر نے بجٹ کی ووٹنگ تک نہیں کرائی۔ عوام کو معلوم نہیں کہ بجٹ کے حق میں کتنے ووٹ آئے تھے، یہ دھاندلی زدہ بجٹ ہے، جو دھاندلی سے پاس کرایا گیا۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ نااہل حکومت کی وجہ سے ٹیکس کلیکشن کم ہوا ہے، جس کی وجہ سے صوبائی ترقیاتی کام رک گئے ہیں۔ انہوں نے تاجروں سے مخاطب ہوکر کہا کہ آپ کا پیسہ ہے، جیسے چاہیں خرچ کریں اگر آپ کے پاس 50 ہزار ہیں تواس کا بھی حساب دینا ہوگا۔ انہوں نے کہا کہ جس غریب نے زندگی بھر جوڑ جوڑ کر پیسہ کمایا، اس کو بھی حساب دینا ہوگا۔ یہ ظلم کی انتہا ہے، اب غریب کو منی ٹریل دینا ہوگی۔ جو ٹیکس نہیں دے گا، وہ جیل جائے گا۔ بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے کہا کہ تھر کول منصوبہ سندھ کا ہے، جس سے پوراملک فائدہ اٹھائے گا، لیکن اس پر بھی 15 فیصد ٹیکس عائد کر دیا گیا ہے تاکہ منصوبہ ناکام ہو۔ یہ نیاپاکستان نہیں ہے 15 روپے روٹی اور 20 روپے کا نان یہ ہے نیا پاکستان۔ یہاں دالیں، سبزی، چینی دودھ، ادویات مہنگی، جینا مہنگا، مرنا مہنگا، خون سستا اور پانی مہنگا یہ ہے نیا پاکستان۔ واہ رے عمران خان واہ رے عمران خان۔ بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے کہا کہ سید خورشید احمد شاہ نے 14 نکاتی ایجنڈا دیا ہے ہی آپ کے سامنے رکھتا ہوں۔ بلال بھٹو زردری نے کہا کہ را کے ایجنٹ کلبوشن، انڈین پائلٹ اور کالعدم تنظیموں کے
دہشت گردوں کے تو انٹر ویو چل سکتے ہیں لیکن اگر نہیں چل سکتا تو آصف علی زرداری کا انٹرویو نہیں چل سکتا۔
Rewards For Pakistan, Punishment For Afghans – Analysis
By Seema Sirohi
While the old thinking on Pakistan is back in the US, the Afghan government is being seen as a hindrance in US’ South Asia policy.
President Donald Trump’s South Asia policy will be two years old next month. It was seen as radical at the time for its tough stance on Pakistan and for trying to change the dynamic in Afghanistan in favour of the government.
But two years on, the policy seems to have done a 180-degree turn on some key aspects while the main objective has changed from finding a just peace to finding the quickest way out of Afghanistan.
Old thinking on Pakistan is back while the Afghan government is being treated as a hindrance. US Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, is negotiating with the Taliban without preconditions despite a constant string of brutal attacks and no ceasefire.
Pakistan has dealt itself into the game with a little give here and there. The American hope – once again – is that Pakistan will deliver what they haven’t for decades.
Trump’s original South Asia policy had stipulated a “conditions-based” approach for maintaining US troops in Afghanistan, instead of a deadline-driven policy of the previous administration. The conditions haven’t improved, only worsened and the Taliban are ascendant on the ground and in meeting rooms of Doha.
The original policy had also addressed Pakistan’s duplicity head on — of providing safe havens to terrorists while playing victim. Trump’s famous New Year’s Day tweet in 2018 where he accused Pakistan of giving “nothing but lies an deceit” in exchange for more than $33 billion in aid over 15 years had created waves all around.
But on July 22 Trump will receive Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan in the White House. The distance between condemnation and invitation was indeed short. Even if the visit is mere optics with nothing of substance on the table, it is a public “thank you” from Washington, which serves the Pakistan army’s purpose just fine.
Army chief Gen. Qamar Bajwa’s recent trip to London seems to have helped. The British, ever ready to prove they still matter in the subcontinent, were persuaded by Bajwa to intervene with the Americans to ease up. Pakistan was under tremendous pressure from cuts in US security assistance, the grey listing by the Financial Action Task Force, constant focus on its terrorist proxies and India’s campaign.
But Bajwa and company used their cards deftly with Khalilzad who himself was under great pressure to deliver a deal. Once the talks began and there was faint progress, he felt the need to reward Pakistan, the very state he had once advocated should be declared a state sponsor of terrorism.
To further sweeten the pot, the State department has designated the Balochistan Liberation Army a terrorist organisation ahead of Khan’s visit to the White House. It is an old Pakistani request, which was resurrected and granted. Since the BLA had been targeting Chinese interests in Pakistan of late, the terrorist designation gives Washington plus points in Beijing as well.
Besides approving a visit for the Pakistani prime minister, Washington also gave a green signal for a $6 billion IMF bailout for the cash-strapped country. Only last July Secretary of State Mike Pompeo seemed to oppose a bailout because he didn’t want IMF money going to pay off Chinese loans. US’ Pompeo warns against IMF bailout for Pakistan that aids China.
But Pompeo has been quiet lately about Pakistan’s extreme indebtedness to China. Pakistan’s current financial crisis is at least partly due to the growing burden of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
The costs of CPEC, the largest single component thus far of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, have sky rocketed — Pakistan is among eight countries with extremely high levels of debt to China. Will the CPEC books be opened to IMF officials? And how will the IMF ensure the money is not going into Chinese banks since money is fungible.
Yes, the IMF conditions are relatively tough this time and promises made by Pakistan in turn on revenue collection are unrealistic. It would appear the IMF has accepted the promises purely for political reasons — for the 13th time from Pakistan since the 1980’s.
The change in the US stance on Afghanistan is equally noteworthy. The Trump Administration seems to have decided that the pressure it put on Pakistan by cutting off security assistance has already delivered results – the Afghan peace process is in its seventh round. It’s time give Pakistan a break.
But a lot remains to be seen. Will Khalilzad be able to get a framework agreement in place by Sept 1 – the deadline set by Pompeo? If so, does it leave enough time to hold elections later in September? International donors are yet to commit any real funds for holding the elections. Getting the election machinery in place to conduct the polling also requires time.
If elections are postponed beyond a point, the legitimacy of President Ashraf Ghani’s government will come into question. Ghani wants elections sooner rather than later for obvious reasons. But he doesn’t have a firm commitment from the US on the issue.
Pakistan, of course, wants an interim government, which will include their Taliban friends. Imran Khan actually said so in March and suffered severe push back from the Afghans and even the US ambassador to Afghanistan. But it should surprise no one if the Taliban’s tactics in Doha are aimed at ensuring a result to Pakistan’s liking.
Interestingly, Khalilzad went to China after the latest round of peace talks and not Kabul. Is China playing guarantor and is that the agreement he has worked out in his shuttle diplomacy?
For India the latest developments will be sobering, if not alarming. Despite being the largest regional donor to Afghanistan, India seems out of the picture except for a couple of briefings by Khalilzad under duress.
#Pakistan - Sheikh Rashid must go home
A probe ordered into the incident will ascertain the cause for the deadly collision, but initial report suggests that the accident happened due to human error in fixing the line signals. The manual signal system, called Kanta in the railway jargon, determines the track for a train, and it is all done manually. In the age of artificial intelligence when the sensor technology has the ability to intercept and thwart the imminent danger, it is quite criminal to rely on the outdated system at the cost of the passengers’ lives.
The political nature of governance in the Pakistan Railways never makes the passengers’ safety a priority. The minister, instead of making the railway journey a safe and happy experience, always showed his inclination towards initiating more number of trains.He gleefully referred to the number of trains he started during his tenure. During a Question Hour in parliament, it emerged that out of the 10 trains he initiated, six were running in losses. But who can question the powerful minister and who does care about the losses? Prime Minister Imran Khan, who often talks of loot and plunder as a result of arbitrary powers by previous rulers, has chosen not to take any action on the railway losses and spree of accidents. He tweeted offering his condolences to the families of the victims of the Rahim Yar Khan incident. “Have asked Railways Minister to take emergency steps to counter decades of neglect of railway infrastructure [and] ensure safety standards,” he wrote. Minister Sheikh Rashid, who earlier offered apology on a similar train accident near Hyderabad the last month, also expressed grief over the loss of precious lives caused by the Rahim Yar Khan accident. He announced compensation of Rs 1.5 million for the families of the deceased and Rs 500,000 each for the injured.
Thank you, Sheikh Rashid, for your condolence message. Now, resign and go home.
#Pakistan - Attacks on press freedom - International observers aren’t blind
The utility of avoiding attacks on press freedom, and instead promoting it, was to be seen in London when Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi found himself at the receiving end of a Canadian who had had his Twitter account closed down in Pakistan. Mr Qureshi had gone to attend a seminar on press freedom in London, where he had gone to attend the Commonwealth meeting. Mr Qureshi found himself defending the Pakistani press as free around the same time as a news channel was forced to pull an interview of PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz. Though the channel and interviewer were different, in much the same fashion, the interview was stopped by the channel just as that of PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari’s was. This must be seen along with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s avowed distaste for TV channels interviewing those under trial or in jail. It would perhaps be quibbling to note that Ms Maryam is not either, being bailed in a case, or that Mr Zardari is not even under trial, and has been arrested so that a case might be built against him; but the principle of innocence being presumed until proof of guilt, seems to be going out the window.
Journalists are directly under attack with the latest online and offline threats being brought to the notice of the government, in the shape of a delegation which called on Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari. The delegation included women journalists from the Coalition for Women in Journalism, and highlighted not just the threats being made on a website, but which they were also receiving individually on social media. That the issue is being internationalised was shown by this, for the delegation was a local chapter of an international organisation.
All of this presents an ugly picture of media where dissenting voices are not argued with, but threatened and silenced. It should be understood by the government that the days of keeping things under wraps are gone. The entire world listens in, and there are keen observers. For one, such strong-arm tactics will drive away the foreign investors so greatly desired by the government. The government should not bother praising Pakistan’s democratic credentials, when they are potentially so vulnerable to criticism.
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2019/07/12/attacks-on-press-freedom/
#Pakistani Regime and the Military curbs press freedom under guise of democracy
By IMAD ZAFAR
The famous English novelist George Orwell once said, “Freedom of the press, if it means anything at all, means the freedom to criticize and oppose.” Freedom of the press is considered vital for strengthening democracy and pointing out the flaws in the system.
However, in Pakistan, the journey for the press has always been a difficult one. From the era of General Ayub Khan to General Pervez Musharraf and then the transitional face of democracy, when first the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPPP and then the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) ruled, there have been invisible curbs on the freedom of press. We saw how journalists who did not buy self-created “patriotic” ideologies were termed traitors and accused of taking bribes from external hands.
However, since Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) assumed power, curbs on freedom of press and expression have been imposed on a large scale. Recently 21 news channels were issued notices by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) and three were taken off air without being given the opportunity to plead their case.
An interview of the former president of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, was taken off the air after three minutes. There has been a complete ban on showing the narrative or viewpoints of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM). Even Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s speech at a workers’ convention in Sukkur, Sindh, on Wednesday was not aired live by many television channels amid a backlash by the government and powers that be.
It appears that only positive things about the incumbent government are allowed to be aired or published in the newspapers, and criticism is taken as an attack on PTI
It appears that only positive things about the incumbent government are allowed to be aired or published in the newspapers, and criticism is taken as an attack on PTI. It is strange that a party that came to power on the back of the media is now trying to curb the freedom of the press. PTI during the five-year tenure of PML-N was the blue-eyed party for some media groups. It was given unprecedented coverage during that time, and it has to be accepted that a few media groups actually maligned journalism by becoming allies of PTI. In any case, PTI leaders’ speeches were never censored nor were television channels taken off the air, and circulation of newspapers was never interrupted during the tenures of the PPP and PML-N. There were a few cases of TV channels being taken off air or newspaper circulations being disturbed, but those measures were taken by the powers that be and neither the PPP nor PML-N governments anything to do with that. But now, PTI is openly saying that it will not allow any leader of the opposition to go on television who has been convicted or is facing trial. This seems to be a threat to crush dissent, as if this logic is accepted, the question arises why Bilawal’s speech was not aired, as he is not facing any trial in the court. And how, by this logic, can business magnate Jahangir Tareen, who has been disqualified by the highest court of the country on charges of corruption, hold press conferences and appear in the media on a regular basis? Tareen was declared corrupt and dishonest but because PTI is in the good books of the establishment, he was not sent to prison. However, on the same charges, Nawaz Sharif was put behind the bars. Imran Khan himself is facing an inquiry, and a case involving his party regarding a foreign funding case is also pending in the Election Commission of Pakistan, so this should mean that even the prime minister cannot appear in the media. Then there are serious questions being raised on cases made against members of the opposition, and the recently released video of Accountability Judge Arshad Malik by the PML-N has raised serious questions about the judicial system of Pakistan. https://www.asiatimes.com/2019/07/opinion/pti-curbs-press-freedom-under-guise-of-democracy/
#Pakistan - Traders to observe nationwide strike from 13th
The business community has announced to observe countrywide shutter down strike on July 13 (Saturday) against hike in sales tax.
The All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran (APAT) announced a nationwide shutter-down strike from July 13. A strike was underway in Gujranwala by the Anjuman-e-Tajran Cloth Board, while the association’s president announced that they would keep all shops and markets closed on Tuesday as well. Markets and shops would remain closed in Saeed Nagri Bazaar, Urdu Bazaar, Thakur Singh Bazaar, and Sarafa Bazaar for two days. The association’s president threatened that the strike might continue indefinitely if the additional taxes are not withdrawn.
http://www.thesindhtimes.com/pak/traders-observe-nationwide-strike-13th/
The All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran (APAT) announced a nationwide shutter-down strike from July 13. A strike was underway in Gujranwala by the Anjuman-e-Tajran Cloth Board, while the association’s president announced that they would keep all shops and markets closed on Tuesday as well. Markets and shops would remain closed in Saeed Nagri Bazaar, Urdu Bazaar, Thakur Singh Bazaar, and Sarafa Bazaar for two days. The association’s president threatened that the strike might continue indefinitely if the additional taxes are not withdrawn.
http://www.thesindhtimes.com/pak/traders-observe-nationwide-strike-13th/
#Malala celebrates her 22nd birthday in Ethiopia
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai is celebrating her 22nd birthday today (Friday, 12th July 2019).
Pakistani activist for female education took to twitter to show gratitude to all those who wished her on her auspicious day.
“Thank you for all the birthday wishes! I'm spending the day with young activists in Ethiopia, learning about their work for education and equality.”
Thank you for all the birthday wishes!I'm spending the day with young activists in Ethiopia, learning about their work for education and equality.
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Birthday girl, Malala wishes to live in a world where every girl can choose her own future. She took this day as an opportunity to ask her followers to support her cause of female education.
We wish Malala a Happy Birthday and success in all her future endeavors.
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