Saturday, March 6, 2021
Divided Senate Passes Biden’s Pandemic Aid Plan
The chamber approved the package after a grueling marathon of amendment votes and last-ditch negotiations. The measure must now clear the House a second time.
President Biden’s sweeping $1.9 trillion stimulus bill passed a deeply divided Senate on Saturday, as Democrats pushed through a pandemic aid plan that includes an extraordinary increase in safety net spending in the largest antipoverty effort in a generation. The package, which still must pass the House before it heads to Mr. Biden’s desk to be signed into law, is the first major legislative initiative of his presidency. The measure seeks at once to curtail the coronavirus pandemic, bolster the sluggish economy and protect the neediest people within it. Republicans voted unanimously against it and assailed it as unnecessary and unaffordable. It would inject vast amounts of federal resources into the economy, including one-time direct payments of up to $1,400 for hundreds of millions of Americans, jobless aid of $300 a week to last through the summer, money for distributing coronavirus vaccines and relief for states, cities, schools and small businesses struggling during the pandemic. Beyond the immediate aid, the bill, titled the American Rescue Plan, is estimated to cut poverty by a third this year and would plant the seeds for what Democrats hope will become an income guarantee for children. It would potentially cut child poverty in half, through a generous expansion of tax credits for Americans with children — which Democrats hope to make permanent — increases in subsidies for child care, a broadening of eligibility under the Affordable Care Act, and an expansion of food stamps and rental assistance. Its eye-popping cost is just shy of the $2.2 trillion stimulus measure that became law last March, as the devastating public health and economic impact of the coronavirus crisis was coming into view. It is the sixth in a series of substantial spending bills Congress has enacted since then, and the only one to pass without bipartisan support, although it is broadly popular with members of both parties outside Washington. “Today I can say we’ve taken one more giant step forward in delivering on that promise, that help is on the way,” Mr. Biden said in remarks at the White House. “It wasn’t always pretty, but it was so desperately needed, urgently needed.”Yet with Democrats newly in control of both houses of Congress and Mr. Biden embarking on his first major legislative push, the party-line vote was an early indicator of the Republican opposition that threatens the new president’s agenda in a 50-50 Senate.As leading Democrats raced to avoid a lapse in unemployment benefits set to begin on March 14, a bleary-eyed Senate approved the package 50 to 49, with one Republican absent. Final passage came after a grueling 27-hour session in which Democrats beat back dozens of Republican efforts to change the bill, and scaled back the jobless aid to placate moderates in their own ranks who were concerned that an overly generous federal payment would keep Americans from returning to work, stifling the recovery. The marathon session featured the longest vote in modern Senate history, as Democratic leaders stalled for time during last-ditch negotiations with Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, a moderate holdout, to trim the unemployment benefits so the measure could proceed. The resulting package was a narrower version of Mr. Biden’s original plan, with major progressive priorities either dropped or curtailed to accommodate Mr. Manchin and other moderate Democrats. Unlike the president’s proposal and a version passed by the House last weekend, it omits an increase in the federal minimum wage to $15. It also narrows eligibility for stimulus checks and reduces weekly unemployment payments, which Mr. Biden and Democrats had hoped to increase to $400. Still, the pandemic aid bill was one of the most far-reaching federal relief efforts ever to pass Congress, and represented a bid by Mr. Biden to use the power of the government to tackle the pandemic and invigorate the economic recovery by pouring immense amounts of money into initiatives to help low-income Americans and the middle class. “The most important thing is what we delivered for people,” Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, said in an interview. “The danger of undershooting is far greater than the danger of overshooting, and this may have been our last chance.” The legislation would send another round of direct payments to American taxpayers making $75,000 or less and extend weekly unemployment benefits through Labor Day, making a large portion of jobless aid from last year tax-free. It would provide $350 billion for state, local and tribal governments, $130 billion to primary and secondary schools, $14 billion for the distribution of a vaccine, $12 billion to nutrition assistance and money for reopening businesses around the country. It would also provide a benefit of $300 per child for those age 5 and younger — and $250 per child ages 6 to 17, increasing the value of the so-called child tax credit in an effort to significantly reduce child poverty. The bill also includes $45 billion in rental, utility and mortgage assistance, $30 billion for transit agencies, and billions more for small businesses and live venues. The measure also would provide federal subsidies for people to keep the health insurance they had from work if they lost their jobs.
Researchers at Columbia University project the overall package will lift more than 13 million people from poverty this year, including nearly six million children, and estimate that a permanent program of children’s payments would decrease child poverty nearly in half. “Not since Social Security have we made that kind of commitment to cut poverty,” said Christopher Wimer, a co-director of the university’s Center on Poverty and Social Policy.The legislation remains broadly popular across the country, with state and local officials in both parties joining the chorus of industry groups, advocacy groups and voters calling for the federal government to provide additional relief. But congressional Republicans rallied against the plan, arguing that it was far more than what was needed and could overheat the economy. They cited a steady increase in vaccinations and more than $4 trillion allocated over the last year. “The Senate has never spent $2 trillion in a more haphazard way or through a less rigorous process,” Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the minority leader, said Saturday morning as he urged his colleagues to vote against the bill. They charged that in passing the pandemic relief package without their support or input, Mr. Biden had already failed to adhere to the promises of unity that carried him through the 2020 election and served as a cornerstone of his inaugural address. But Democrats scoffed at the complaints, noting that Republicans had not shown a willingness to negotiate a compromise that met the challenges the country faced. Newly empowered in the Senate, Democrats instead chose to bypass Republican opposition and the risk of a filibuster — which takes 60 votes to break — and pass the legislation using a fast-track process known as reconciliation, which only requires a majority. But the strict budgetary rules governing the process forced Democrats to curtail their ambitions for the legislation, as did the competing factions of moderate and liberal lawmakers unafraid to wield their influence given the slim margins of control. Even with changes, the bill remained more than than double the size of the roughly $800 billion stimulus package that Congress approved in 2009, when Mr. Biden was vice president, to counter the toll of the Great Recession. Top Democrats, many of whom voted to pass that bill and recalled winnowing down the package to appease Republicans, who still opposed it almost unanimously, said they were determined not to make the same mistake again.
Because the Senate package differs from the House version, it now returns to the House for a final vote, expected on Tuesday. Frustrated progressives could revolt and try to block it, but given the wide array of liberal priorities it addresses, leading progressives including Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, the chairman of the Budget Committee, signaled they were satisfied.“Despite the fact that we believe any weakening of the House provisions were bad policy and bad politics, the reality is that the final amendments were relatively minor concessions,” said Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington, the chairwoman of the Progressive Caucus. The struggle to push the measure through the Senate included two consecutive overnight sessions. First, Senator Ron Johnson, Republican of Wisconsin, registered his objections by forcing the chamber’s clerks to read the entire 628-page bill aloud, a 10-hour-and-44-minute oration that began Thursday and ran into the early hours Friday. When the Senate reconvened in daylight, Mr. Manchin ground Senate action to a halt for more than nine hours as he successfully sought more reductions to the unemployment benefits. Republicans then forced nearly three dozen amendment votes, a process that stretched until noon Saturday, in an effort to prolong an outcome they could not stop. The rejected changes included scaling back the entire plan to about $650 billion, conditioning school funds on the number of in-person classes, and reallocating state and local government funds elsewhere.
“Regrettably, there was no interest from Democratic leadership in negotiating a targeted, bipartisan relief package that meets the challenges at hand,” said Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine. “Our country is at its best when we come together as Americans to overcome the challenges we face.”The effort also highlighted divisions among Democrats about how aggressive to be in tackling liberal priorities. The minimum wage increase fell out of the measure after a top Senate official determined that it did not comply with the strict budgetary rules that apply to reconciliation bills. Mr. Biden, who worked in recent days to maintain Democratic support for the measure in a series of phone calls, also agreed to lower the income cap that determines who could receive a stimulus payment to $80,000 for individuals, $120,000 for single parents and $160,000 for households. He had proposed income levels $20,000 higher. Under the bill, the full $1,400 check would go to Americans earning $75,000 or less — or $112,500 for single parents and $150,000 for couples. The size of the stimulus payments would fall gradually for those with incomes above those thresholds and disappear altogether for those earning more than the income caps. Hoping to win over Mr. Manchin and other moderates, Democrats scaled back their hopes for raising the federal weekly unemployment payment to $400 and instead proposed keeping it at $300 but lengthening the duration of the program, until early October — about a month longer than Mr. Biden’s original plan. But even that solution proved unsatisfactory to Mr. Manchin, who insisted that the payments lapse sooner. After hours of haggling, Democrats bowed to his wishes and agreed to forgo both the increase in payments and most of the additional extension. The resulting deal sets the expiration date for jobless aid at Sept. 6, just a week after the date Democrats had initially wanted. But Democrats agreed to include a tax sweetener that would make the first $10,200 of unemployment payments from 2020 tax-free, in a bid to ensure that unemployed workers were not hit with an unexpected tax bill. After negotiations with Mr. Manchin, they limited it to those earning less than $150,000. The legislation also would allocate $50 billion to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to bolster vaccine distribution and help support struggling families across the country, and send $49 billion for testing and tracing.
Why Pakistan's influence in the Gulf is waning
By Arhama Siddiqabsp
@arhama_siddiqa
As India gains a greater foothold, Islamabad needs to step up and build fresh political and economic linkages with Gulf states.
Pakistan’s army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, paid a two-day visit to Qatar in late January. Although it was showcased as a routine visit, the trip comes after a tense year in Pakistan-Gulf relations, suggesting that Islamabad is concerned about the country’s diminishing role in the Gulf’s security architecture.
Pakistan and the Gulf countries have long shared a bond, which was initially premised on religion and strategic ties, and has grown to include economic relations. The military relationship includes training and security cooperation, while economic relations are largely tied to the Pakistani migrant worker community, a significant presence in the region.
For some time, Pakistan’s Gulf policy has largely focused on upholding cultural and religious ties, rather than building sustainable economic linkages. Islamabad has offered to mediate tensions between Riyadh and Tehran, while avoiding becoming enmeshed in various ongoing wars. Though energy resources have been prioritised, overall efforts towards improving economic ties with the Gulf have been lacklustre.
Security patron
Pakistan has long styled itself as a security patron of Gulf countries, and owing to familial ties between Gulf regimes and various Pakistani leaders over the years, Islamabad has generally been perceived as a dependable ally when it comes to defending Gulf interests. But in 2015, when domestic political considerations stopped Pakistan from sending its troops into the Yemen war, relations adopted a downward trend - particularly when it came to the Saudis and Emiratis. This allowed India, Pakistan’s arch-rival, to gain a greater foothold in the Gulf.
Simply trying to maintain relevance by acting as an arbitrator between Saudi Arabia and Iran will get Islamabad nowhere
Indeed, the Modi government has sought to strengthen links with the Gulf, which has borne fruit through heavy Saudi investment in infrastructure and oil projects in India, as well as cooperation in counterterrorism efforts. It is increasingly evident that India is replacing Pakistan in arenas where Pakistan previously had a stronghold, such as the export of manpower. The Indian army chief’s “historic” Gulf visit last year also highlighted India’s growing military role.
The changing attitudes of Gulf countries towards Israel is also indirectly affecting Pakistan-Gulf relations. The Pakistani leadership has outrightly refused to recognise Israel, despite pressure by various influential countries. In this respect, the strong relationship between India and Israel - which share ties in sectors such as IT, along with defence and intelligence - is an elixir for Gulf countries officialising ties with Israel.
Another reason for deteriorating Pakistan-Gulf relations is that Islamabad feels the Gulf countries are not vocal enough in condemning Indian atrocities in Kashmir. Last August, Pakistan openly criticised the Saudi-led Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on this matter.But while Pakistan has focused on rhetoric and oratory, India has moved in, making itself more strategically and economically important for these states. Migrant workers Amid the changes taking place in the Gulf, particularly the recent Gulf-Israel rapprochement, Pakistan has less to offer. The space for competition in the Gulf is rapidly disappearing, and Pakistani officials need to realise this. Above all else, Pakistani authorities should focus on making the country’s migrant class more relevant in the Gulf, as these states comprise a very important stream of remittances. The most practical way to do this is to closely assess the national rejuvenation plans of Gulf countries - such as Saudi Vision 2030, Kuwait Vision 2035 and Oman Vision 2040 - and train workers in skills suited for the attendant projects. This would ensure their competitiveness in Gulf labour markets. Secondly, Pakistani officials must study and identify potential economic niches in the Gulf. One avenue is agro-cooperation: arid conditions, coupled with water scarcity in the Gulf region, make food security a constant concern. Since the agriculture sector is a strong export area for Pakistan, serious investments in agriculture research and improvement of crop yields should be made, in order to tap into the Gulf food industry. Beyond looking at traditional partners, Pakistan should continue to expand and revisit other bilateral relations in the Gulf, such as with Oman and Kuwait. Positive steps in this regard were reflected in a July 2020 agreement under which Pakistan sent health workers to Kuwait to help fight the Covid-19 pandemic.Pakistan’s foreign policy, until recently, did not take into account strengthening economic ties with all Gulf countries. But initiatives such as the recent establishment of a Pakistan-Arab federation show that the Pakistani leadership is serious about reversing past mistakes. Foreign investment Pakistan’s biggest window of opportunity currently lies in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the flagship project of China’s massive Belt and Road Initiative. Gulf countries have already expressed their desire to be part of this project, as it ties in with their non-oil sector economic growth plans. Through incentives such as tax exemptions in CPEC’s special economic zones, Gulf countries can be encouraged to bring foreign direct investment into Pakistan - something it desperately needs amid the present economic downturn. Various forums, including the OIC meeting of foreign ministers in Islamabad later this year, offer a platform and should be utilised by the Pakistani leadership. Simply trying to maintain relevance by acting as an arbitrator between Saudi Arabia and Iran will get Islamabad nowhere. It is high time that practical steps are implemented. The door to change is always open for those willing to use it.https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/pakistan-india-gulf-influence-waning-why
#Pakistan - One Senate seat has shown who is pulling strings: PDM leaders
The Pakistan Democratic Movement leaders have criticised Prime Minister Imran Khan and his party for the way they conducted the confidence vote in the National Assembly on Saturday.
They asked the premier to condemn the attack on the PML-N members outside Parliament. Marriyum Aurangzeb was attacked by a group of men, while someone hurled a shoe at Ahsan Iqbal.
Yousaf Raza Gillani, Maryam Nawaz, and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari spoke to the media at Sindh House. Here is what they had to say.
Maryam Nawaz
PML-N vice-president Maryam Nawaz said that she wasn’t shocked by the results of PM Imran Khan’s confidence vote.
The result was not unexpected and they have shown what is happening in the country, she remarked. “There is no denying the fact that PTI is on its way out.” The party has suffered its political death and someone just needs to bury it now.
PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz speaks to the media at Sindh House on March 6, 2021.
She claimed that Imran Khan took votes at gunpoint from the same party members he accused of corruption. Imran Khan is the first certified leader who stole votes. “Once the fog clears, the reality that will become visible. In fact, the nation is empowered now and can see everything now,” Maryam said. It will be better for Imran Khan to leave now. “Just accept the public’s decision and leave.”
The people who saved Imran Khan today will have to tell the nation why they saved a robber, she remarked. “The nation’s verdict was given the day Yousaf Raza Gillani won, and nothing in the world can change that.”
What happened today is a repeat of the time Donald Trump was ousted in the US. “This Pakistani Trump will face a similar fate. Just make sure you pack everything when you leave Prime Minister House.”
“The way you [PTI] attacked Marriyum Aurangzeb is shameful. The way your goons attacked her was seen by the nation,” she remarked.
A shoe was hurled at Ahsan Iqbal. “You [Imran Khan] will have to pay for it. Your security should be taken away from you. If you go out in public now then the nation will attack you.” We believe in politics of decency, but you should know that PML-N workers wear shoes too.”
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
PPP’s Bilawal Bhutto Zardari speaks to the media at Sindh House on March 6, 2021.
Yousaf Raza Gillani’s win has proven the prime minister has lost votes in the National Assembly,” PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said.
Even the president has accepted that the PM has lost Parliament’s support. “You can’t call your supporters in the Parliament and say you have won.” The PM has lost the support of both the National Assembly and party members.
“Now the decisions of the country will be taken by the PDM,” the PPP scion said, pointing out that PDM will strategise to topple this “puppet” government.
“Every province is with PDM and not with Prime Minister Imran Khan and we condemn the fascist policies the PTI government has implemented,” Bilawal said, adding that all politicians should understand that the precedent of attacking women politicians is non-democratic, non-political, and is against Pakistan’s culture and traditions.
“I am shocked that the prime minister, who claims that he is the leader of the nation, didn’t condemn or even bring up this attack. This just shows that he has the same mentality as goons.” This only happens when you know you are about to be ousted.
“The prime minister should learn from Gillani, the way he gives respect to people,” Bilawal said. “Can the PM spend 13 years in jail without any conviction the way Asif Ali Zardari did?”
The 18th Amendment is the struggle of PPP. Zardari worked for this for years and passed it.
“We have been in politics for years. We engage in politics for the nation, for the poorer segments of the society,” he remarked. “We will never take seats through backdoors. We have proven this by winning just one Senate seat.”
We will take revenge on Imran Khan for the economic terrorism he started, Bilawal said. “I hope that if we continue this hard work and move forward by finding political solutions, we will succeed.”
And this success will be of every Pakistani, he concluded.
Fazlur Rehman
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at a media talk in Sukkur.
“The PDM does not accept the result of the confidence vote,” JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said in a media talk in Sukkur.
According to Pakistan’s law, if the president believes that the prime minister does not have the support of the majority in Parliament, then it is his responsibility to call a session of the National Assembly,” he said. But today’s session was called by the PM.
“We all know how this PM called the MNAs in the session today,” Rehman said. “We know how agency members were stationed outside every member’s house and they were dragged to the assembly.”
The leader expressed displeasure over PM Khan’s statement of making Pakistan a Riyasat-e-Madina. “How can a corrupt person like him take the name of a holy place?”
Rehman blamed PM Khan of repeatedly changing his statements. “Where was your Islamic state when you fired government employees and then baton-charged them?” This man has always lied to the nation and didn’t fulfill even a single promise.
“If you have the guts, take the confidence vote from the public and everything will become clear to you,” he added.
Imran Khan’s vote of confidence
One hundred and seventy-eight MNAs voted in his favour. According to National Assembly speaker Asad Qaisar PM Khan had received 176 votes when he was elected PM after the 2018 General Election.
The PM decided to hold a confidence poll after PTI’s candidate Abdul Hafeez Shaikh lost the Islamabad Senate seat to PDM’s Yousaf Raza Gillani by a difference of five votes.
On Saturday, the opposition boycotted the National Assembly session.
https://www.samaa.tv/news/2021/03/pti-is-on-its-way-out-says-maryam-nawaz/
#Pakistan - 'Your days are numbered': PDM rejects PM Imran Khan's trust vote win
- PML-N's Maryam Nawaz says vote of confidence "false", alleges it was secured at "gunpoint".
- PPP's Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari regrets PM Imran Khan did not condemn the violence that broke out outside the parliament between govt and opposition lawmakers.
- Says Opposition nominee Yousuf Raza Gilani's victory in one Senate seat has "exposed the puppet system".
PTI supporters accused of manhandling PML-N leaders during scuffle in Islamabad's red zone
Shoe thrown at Ahsan Iqbal; Marriyum Aurangzeb manhandled.
PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb accused PTI workers of verbally abusing her and was also reportedly manhandled by the supporters of ruling party.
"We will not let this hooliganism continue," she said addressing the media after the incident.
Expressing her resolve she added that "we will continue to fight these power, sugar and wheat thieves".
PML-N’s Musadik Malik asked whether this was the state of Medina PM Imran had promised where women were not safe.
“Marriyum Aurangzeb was attacked and abused,” he lamented.
“Where was the police of the state of Madina when all this was happening,” he questioned. He said these hooligans have fled and left the puppet premier on his own.
Earlier while addressing the media, PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that Prime Minister Imran Khan cannot deceive the people of Pakistan by calling an ‘unconstitutional and illegal’ National Assembly session.
While talking outside the Parliament Lodges in Islamabad along with former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal and Marriyum Aurangzeb, the former prime minister said that "we have to fight these thieves on every forum".
“President Alvi should tell if he told Imran Khan that he lost his majority and advised him to take a vote of confidence,” he said. “People of Pakistan have given the mandate. This is an unconstitutional session”.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2287802/pml-n-leaders-manhandled-during-scuffle-with-pti-supporters-in-islamabads-red-zone
#Pakistan - Chairman PPP says grumpy old man is frustrated over Gillani’s win
He said that the puppet is not been able to run Pakistan for the last three years. Media is in chains and there is pressure on the judiciary for the last three years. During the last three years political leaders, members assembly and their families are being pressurised and victimized. The puppet has been given an impression that they are on one page and he is here to stay not only for 5 years or ten years but forever. Due to the Charter of Democracy signed by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, the peaceful transfer was made possible.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that now an authoritarian government is in place but we played a political card and exposed this fascist and puppet. Today, on one hand, the entire Pakistan is witnessing this victory event and on the other a grumpy old man who can clearly see his end in sight. His frustration is apparent for all to see. This one win exposed this fascist and puppet. The members have proved that Imran Khan has lost majority in the National Assembly. Now, the President of Pakistan has also said that Imran Khan has lost his majority. Imran Khan cannot prove his majority by inviting a procession of his party goons to the parliament. Now Imran Khan does not have the support in the Parliament neither in the public.
Chairman PPP once again said that now we, the PDM will decide where and when the no-confidence will be tabled against Imran Khan, against his Speaker or against puppet chief minister. This puppet cannot compete against the plan of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, President Zardari and Nawaz Sharif. He said that the PDM in a short time took big decisions. Imran Khan has degraded the National Assembly. There was a very small space for PDM but it was enough for us to expose this puppet. Every province in Pakistan is with the PDM and the PDM won bye-elections in all four provinces.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that this government is a threat for the system. It is unfortunate that Imran Khan did not condemn the attack on PML-N parliamentarians. This attitude tells that Khan is neither a democrat nor political. Using foul language and leveling accusations is the practice of Imran Khan. He said Imran Khan should have learned how to be a prime minister from Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani.
Chairman PPP said that President Zardari has spent 13 years in jail on trumped up charges and 99 per cent cases have been proved false and the courts have exonerated him but whatever Imran Khan has done to the nation in three years cannot be exonerated by the people of Pakistan. President Zardari restored the constitution in its original form and given the provinces their rights. He said that his maternal and paternal sides of families are in politics for generations. His grandfather was among the founder and the president Sindh chapter of Awami National Party. We take pride that we have never come to power from any backdoor and will never do so.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that for the last three years our laborers, growers and traders are being economically murdered by Imran Khan. They all celebrated our win in Islamabad. If we in PDM continue our struggle with the same hard work then the success will continue to be ours. This success will not be of any one party rather the entire people of Pakistan.
عمران خان سیاسی شکست پر بوکھلاہٹ کا شکار ہوچکے، آصف زرداری
سابق صدر آصف علی زرداری نے کہا ہے کہ وزیراعظم عمران خان سیاسی شکست سے بوکھلاہٹ کا شکار ہوچکے ہیں۔
آصف علی زرداری نے ان خیالات کا اظہار سینئر ن لیگی رہنما احسن اقبال سے ٹیلیفونک گفتگو میں کیا۔
انہوں نے دوران گفتگو سابق وزیر اعظم شاہد خاقان عباسی، سابق وفاقی وزراء احسن اقبال، مریم اورنگزیب اور سینیٹر مصدق ملک پر حملے کی مذمت کی۔
سابق صدر نے کہا کہ رہنماؤں پر حملہ سیاسی عدم برداشت کا ثبوت ہے، عمران خان سیاسی شکست سے بوکھلاہٹ کا شکار ہو چکے ہیں۔
اُن کا کہنا تھا کہ مریم اورنگزیب سے توہین آمیز سلوک قابل مذمت ہے، عمران خان نے سیاست میں گالی اور عدم برداشت کا عنصر پیدا کیا ہے۔
اُن کا کہنا تھا کہ پی ڈی ایم کے رہنماؤں پر حملے سے غیر جمہوری سوچ ظاہر ہوتی ہے۔
https://jang.com.pk/news/894366
Friday, March 5, 2021
Army Backing Vital for Khan to Survive Pakistan Confidence Vote
Pakistan: Opposition calls for action against PM Imran Khan after ECP comments
Chairman PPP felicitated PDM leaders on Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani’s victory
Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari telephoned Balochistan National Party chief, Sardar Akhtar Mengal and National Party head Dr. Abdul Malik and congratulated both leaders on the success of PDM joint candidate, Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani in the Senate elections.Bilawal Bhutto Zardari while talking to them said that PDM’s joint candidate Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani’s victory is the victory of democracy. Strong opposition alliance created cracks in government’s ranks.
Chairman PPP also telephoned the president Awami National Party Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter, Aimal Wali Khan and discussed the current political situation of the country. He also congratulated Aimal Wali Khan on the victory of PDM’s joint candidate Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani.
Thursday, March 4, 2021
#Pakistan - Senate upset
Pakistan: Senate election deals a blow to Imran Khan
Pakistan learns the cost of an alliance with China
Wedded to Beijing, Islamabad has discovered it could be difficult to get out.Protests, massive debt, dwindling cash reserves. Those are the consequences of Pakistan's increasing reliance on China — but the country has still decided it's all worth it. It's not what Pakistan anticipated when it happily embraced a $60 billion handout from China in 2013, when the countries formalized the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), part of Beijing's international infrastructure strategy known as the Belt and Road Initiative. Initially, the realignment with Beijing seemed a win-win situation, as the cash-strapped South Asian country drifted away from its traditional ally: the United States. Beyond the geostrategic satisfaction of outflanking India, the traditional mutual archenemy of both China and Pakistan, there have been plenty of tangible economic benefits too. Thanks to Chinese money and expertise, Pakistan has added more electricity to its faltering grid and is now better connecting its own cities with new roads and public transit systems. In international forums, Islamabad has a more reliable backer than the U.S., especially when it comes to the issue Pakistan cares about most: berating India. "They're all in," said Uzair Younus, a U.S.-based consultant who hosts a podcast on Pakistan's economy, referring to Islamabad's alliance with Beijing. "There is broad consensus that this the path forward for the country." For Pakistan, the alliance has also meant relying on China for everything from fighter jets to coronavirus vaccines. In January, Islamabad said it would receive a "gift" of 500,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine. It is currently in talks with Beijing to secure more doses of both the Sinopharm vaccine and the Cansino vaccine. "We ... value our unassailable friendship and strategic partnership," Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan said last year. The U.S. has had some cautious words about Pakistan's deepening romance with Beijing. A State Department spokesperson said Washington remained "concerned that some CPEC projects lack transparency and impose unsustainable levels of debt on Pakistan, with Chinese state-owned enterprises benefitting disproportionately." It's not just the Americans who are worried. Many Pakistanis also observe that the alliance has been exacting on their country's resources, people and international reputation. Money problems For one thing, Islamabad simply isn't able to pay China back. Bloomberg reported earlier this month that the Pakistani government will ask China for debt relief on the projects it splashed out on. Between 2018 and 2020, Pakistan added $17 billion to its external debt, totaling $113 billion last year. Even in the best of times, Pakistan's finances are notoriously unstable. It's currently in a $6 billion International Monetary Fund bailout program — its 13th — but the size and terms of China's investment have meant an even greater cash crunch at a time when its economy is squeezed by the coronavirus pandemic. As a consequence, its debt has ballooned, its currency has nosedived and inflation has skyrocketed. "They find themselves in a bit of a trap, but it's a trap of their own making," said Husain Haqqani, the director for South and Central Asia at the Hudson Institute, a Washington-based think tank, and a former Pakistani ambassador to the U.S. Khan issued a public plea for debt assistance last year as the pandemic halted Pakistan's economy. Younus, the consultant, said Pakistan's debt trap alone hardly tipped the scale against China. "The business community will say, yes we have debts, but Pakistan has always struggled to pay back debts." Pakistan has essentially swapped creditors, he said, while all its economic fundamentals remain the same. But Pakistan might be trading away more than it bargained for. "The U.S. or the IMF has never, ever, taken over someone else’s territory as payment for a loan," Haqqani said, citing China's takeover of the Sri Lankan port of Hambantota after the island nation ran out of cash. "The terms of loans with a Western country are predictable and realistic," he said. "It's not the same with China. There’s less transparency." Experts warn that the port of Gwadar, near Pakistan's border with Iran, has the potential to become a new Hambantota. Recent work on a fence around the port was only paused after local residents protested. It is unclear whether the order to build it came from the Pakistani government or at China's request, which is concerned about the province's security issues. Neither the Chinese nor Pakistani government responded to requests for comment. The projects have not boosted local employment either, with the Chinese construction companies preferring to ship their labor from China rather than hire local workers, fueling tensions further. And Haqqani points out that stronger trade and road links have helped Chinese goods be sold in Pakistan, but not the other way round. Bundled together The problem, Haqqani said, is that the various aspects of Pakistan's relationship with China are intertwined. While European politicians can strike an investment deal with China while simultaneously criticizing its human rights record, Pakistan has a "one window operation." "If you don’t give them what they want in the economic realm, they push back in the military realm. To keep the military relationship going, they have to give up the economic realm," he said. China is now Pakistan's biggest arms supplier, and with Pakistan's military playing an oversized role in its politics, the civilian government has to be wary it doesn't upset its generals in addition to Beijing. "In the end Pakistan ends up giving everything," Haqqani said. The "one window operation" partially explains Islamabad's reluctance to criticize Beijing for the human rights abuses being reported in China's western region of Xinjiang, which borders Pakistan. Khan, the prime minister, sees himself as a spokesperson for Muslims worldwide. He has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of peddling Islamophobia and has written to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg about banning anti-Muslim sentiment on his platforms. But on the plight of Uighur Muslims who report systematic rape and forced labor, the Pakistani prime minister has been less vocal. Experts say there is reluctance within the government and the military about the relationship, but that contrasts with both countries' official statements. Last year the governments announced an additional $11 billion in infrastructure projects, and the countries routinely talk up the partnership. That's partly because Pakistan can't get itself out, explains Khurram Husain, a journalist who has written extensively about CPEC. "There is concern, but the space to do anything about it is very limited. They have very little room for maneuver." Meanwhile Pakistan's relations with the West continue to unravel. With the U.S. winding down its military presence in Afghanistan, Islamabad's importance to Washington has diminished. Pakistan was not a party to the Muslim countries who recognized Israel last year, despite Washington's efforts. The EU, meanwhile, is an important importer of Pakistani goods, but that trading relationship has not evolved into a deeper partnership — especially as the bloc prepares to host India for a top-level summit in Porto in May.Pakistan has maintained that it's still open for business with Brussels and Washington, but Younus said the country's leaders "haven’t articulated that vision clearly and concisely." Accusing the French of "hate-mongering" hasn't helped the high-wire act."Pakistan has very few friends in the region, East or West," said Husain, the journalist. "China is the largest trading partner, the largest military supplier and playing a very helpful role in balancing out India. Pakistan needs China." Haqqani, the former ambassador, said it didn't have to be this way. He cited the former Yugoslavia as a communist country that developed an independent foreign policy while preserving its distance from the Soviet Union. "It's not too late," he said. "You can always break out." https://www.politico.eu/article/pakistan-learns-cost-of-economic-alliance-with-china/
Imran Khan is in sorrow, wants vote of confidence. Opposition hopes it can finally oust him
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has called it 'a sorrowful day for democracy in Pakistan'. This is a moment where you are either with Imran Khan or against him.
It is the season of elections and a reason for leaking videos. That’s the way it is on this side of the border, how about you people? But some fights can’t be won even after leaking videos. Test case: the critical upset by Pakistan’s opposition on an Islamabad Senate seat, where Pakistan Democratic Alliance’s Yousaf Raza Gilani beat Finance Minister Hafeez Sheikh by five votes. The win is being looked at as a vote of no-confidence against the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan and its policies.
Springing into action after the election debacle, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf announced that the prime minister will seek a vote of confidence in parliament, with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi calling it “a sorrowful day for democracy in Pakistan.” This is a moment where you are either with Khan or against Khan, we are told.
Even though the ruling PTI became the majority party in the Upper House of Parliament with 18 new seats on Wednesday, it was worrisome that the 180 votes the government was confident it had in hand to win the Islamabad seat were not of the government anymore. The call by the PM to take a confidence vote could also end up in his ouster. If he survives, he will be weaker than he currently is. And that’s with or without the support of the establishment. Imran Khan is now playing on a sticky wicket.Opposition shows up This is a win of political narrative for the opposition alliance. Called out as chor, corrupt mafia, ghaddar, incarcerated and rebuked for being a ‘hindrance’ in making Naya Pakistan. The win of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and now a senator from Pakistan Peoples’ Party signals a new dawn. The dawn where the establishment is now ‘perceived’ as neutral and the opposition thinks it has plenty of space to do its politics. The win also cements former president Asif Zardari’s idea of bringing change from within the assembly — change of government through no-confidence — rather than taking to streets, resigning from assemblies and calling for fresh polls, all of which was considered former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s strategy to oust Imran Khan. So, the long march in March won’t be needed after all? Now we understand the jitteriness of the Imran Khan government over the Senate election from the get-go. It all began with feelers that disgruntled PTI members in provincial and national assemblies were contemplating ‘tabdeeli’ (change). And there is no better remedy against sorrow than trading votes for hefty sums of money. It wouldn’t have been the first time nor the last time when parliamentarians voted against party lines. Every ruling party is an equal opportunity offender, and Imran Khan’s PTI is no different. But this time it wanted to stop people from jumping to the other side and so began the operation. First came an ordinance from the government to hold the Senate election through open vote and not secret ballot, which President Arif Alvi cleared. A video of paying bribes to buy votes for a Senator by PTI leaders from two years ago was leaked – PTI leaders then used the video to highlight the menace of secret ballot. PM Imran Khan, whose own party was caught in the act, was now speaking against the vices of buying votes, as if he knew nothing two years ago. However, the ordinance was contested in the Supreme Court, which upheld the secret ballot, thus washing away hopes of the government. The secret shalt be kept. All that effort for what Gilani eventually defeated finance minister Hafeez Sheikh. Now, Sheikh is commonly known as ‘the IMF man’ (for dealing with the International Monetary Fund on Pakistan’s behalf), But we remember him most as the man who gave us tomatoes for Rs 17 per kg when they were as high as Rs 320 per kg. If Sheikh can’t be minister anymore, he could become an adviser to the PM. No defeat can be bigger than the IMF, after all. Before all was lost, never say never was the order of the day, as another video was leaked on the election eve. This one intended to get an opposition nominee – Gilani – disqualified. In the leaked video, Gilani’s son was seen suggesting a PTI member to waste his vote. PTI went to the election commission demanding Gilani’s disqualification, but to no avail. The election commission hasn’t been much of a government fan of late, especially after last month’s by-election in Daska, where 23 polling officers went missing when the time came to count the ballot. Yes, history has enough record of votes going missing but here, officers with ballots went missing – only to return the following day with the excuse that they got lost in dhund (fog). This is the stuff dreams are made up of. Re-election was announced in Daska. Some thought the election commission was showing spine; others felt the establishment had become neutral. What is life and politics, after all, without some hope. PTI was marred with infighting over the selection of candidates. One prominent member was federal minister Faisal Vawda, who is facing a dual nationality case. The same minister had showed up with a boot on a news show. Then on Wednesday, he showed up without the boot, cast his vote, resigned from the National Assembly — all within 15 minutes and was crowned senator in the evening. However, the Islamabad High Court didn’t seem much elated and held him responsible for submitting a false affidavit in the dual nationality case, directing the election commission to take action against him. Success or not? It was said that PM Imran Khan himself would oversee the progress of the Senate election preparations. How? Don’t ask. On the election day, Shehryar Afridi, the Kashmir Committee Chairman, ended up getting his vote rejected because he signed off his name on the ballot paper. His request to cast his vote again was denied. Such was the preparation that Afridi thought he was giving an autograph. Imagine the government trusts him with the jugular-ly important Kashmir cause? And according to the opposition grapevine, PM Khan’s vote was wasted too, along with Environment Minister Zartaj Gul’s vote. Shocking, if untrue. This shows how well Imran Khan had trained his flock to bowl no-ball in the super over. No wonder one PTI insisted that if Imran Khan had told them to vote for a khotta (donkey), they would have done that too. Only time can tell what is in store for Imran Khan after the confidence vote. If the last 24 hours tell us anything, it is that the winds of tabdeeli have started blowing from the other end. If Khan survives, we would understand how it all happened — no, not what First Lady Bushra Imran told us that behind every successful man is his wife’s hand. To be kamyab now, Imran Khan now needs the hands of his selectors.
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/6906155786122195046/8762245299671934136
جب بےنظیر بھٹو نے سینیٹر بننے سے انکار کیا
قیامِ پاکستان سے ایک ہفتہ قبل بانیٔ پاکستان قائداعظم محمد علی جناح نے 7اگست
1947کو دہلی سے کراچی روانگی سے قبل آل انڈیا مسلم لیگ کے مرکزی دفتر کے انچارج سید شمس الحسن کو ملاقات کیلئے بلایا اور مختلف شخصیات کے ساتھ اپنی خط و کتابت کا پلندہ اُن کے حوالے کر دیا۔ کچھ دنوں بعد سید شمس الحسن کے دہلی میں واقع گھر پر حملہ ہو گیا۔
پولیس اُنہیں گرفتار کرکے لے گئی لیکن پھر کسی نہ کسی طرح وہ رہائی پا کر اپنے اہلِ خانہ کے ساتھ پہلے لاہور اور پھر کراچی پہنچ گئے۔ سید شمس الحسن سب کچھ دہلی چھوڑ آئے لیکن قائداعظم کی دی ہوئی امانت کو سنبھال کر پاکستان لے آئے۔
یہاں آ کر انہوں نے بانیٔ پاکستان کو بتایا کہ آپ نے جو خطوط میرے حوالے کئے تھے وہ محفوظ ہیں۔ بانیٔ پاکستان نے ہدایت کی کہ ان خطوط کو 20 سال کے بعد شائع کر دینا۔ 1958میں مارشل لا لگا تو مسلم لیگ کے دفتر میں موجود سارے ریکارڈ پر حکومت نے قبضہ کر لیا۔
سید شمس الحسن نے اس مشکل وقت میں بھی قائداعظم کی امانت کو کسی نہ کسی طرح سنبھال کر رکھا اور پھر جب ذوالفقار علی بھٹو پاکستان کے وزیراعظم بنے تو اُن کے دور میں قائداعظم کے خطوط کو اپنے طویل پیش لفظ کے ساتھ شائع کیا۔ اس کتاب کا اُردو ترجمہ ’’صرف مسٹر جناح‘‘ کے نام سے شائع ہوا۔
سید شمس الحسن کے ایک برخوردار واجد شمس الحسن صحافی بن گئے اور پھر برطانیہ میں پاکستان کے ہائی کمشنر بنے۔ 1994میں فرانس سے ایٹمی آبدوزیں خریدنے کے معاملے پر میں نے ایک اسٹوری بریک کی جس کے نتیجے میں مجھے ملازمت سے ہاتھ دھونا پڑے۔ اس معاملے پر جب قومی اسمبلی میں بحث ہوئی تو وہاں بار بار مجھ ناچیز کا ذکر آیا۔
اپوزیشن نے الزام لگایا کہ حامد میر کو آصف علی زرداری نے نوکری سے نکلوا دیا۔ وزیراعظم بےنظیر بھٹو نے مجھے بلایا اور اپنی حکومت میں شامل کرنے کی پیشکش کی۔ میں نے فوری طور پر جن دو لوگوں سے مشورہ کیا اُن میں واجد شمس الحسن اور بشیر ریاض شامل تھے۔ دونوں بزرگ محترمہ بےنظیر بھٹو کے بہت قریب تھے۔ دونوں نے مشورہ دیا کہ صحافت مت چھوڑو۔ میں نے محترمہ بےنظیر بھٹو کا شکریہ ادا کیا اور معذرت کر لی جس پر وہ بھی خوش ہوئیں کہ میں صحافت جاری رکھنا چاہتا ہوں۔
واجد شمس الحسن اور بشیر ریاض سے نیاز مندی کا رشتہ بدستور قائم ہے۔ بشیر ریاض نے کچھ سال قبل بھٹو خاندان کے حوالے سے اپنی یادوں پر مشتمل کتاب ’’بھٹو خاندان... جہدِ مسلسل‘‘ لکھی تو اس میں میری ملازمت سے برطرفی کے واقعے کا بھی ذکر کیا اور لکھا کہ کس طرح کچھ لوگوں نے وزیراعظم کا نام استعمال کیا حالانکہ وہ اس معاملے سے بےخبر تھیں۔ واجد شمس الحسن نے بھی حال ہی میں بھٹو خاندان کے ساتھ اپنے پچاس سال پر محیط تعلق پر مبنی یادوں کو ’’بھٹو خاندان میری یادوں میں‘‘ کے عنوان سے قلم بند کیا ہے۔
واجد شمس الحسن کی اس کتاب کا تعارف بلاول بھٹو زرداری نے لکھا ہے اور اس کتاب میں واجد صاحب اور محترمہ بےنظیر بھٹو کے درمیان ہونے والی کچھ اہم خط و کتابت بھی شامل ہے۔ یہ کوئی بائیو گرافی نہیں ہے لیکن واجد صاحب نے قائداعظم سے لے کر محترمہ بےنظیر بھٹو تک اہم شخصیات کے ساتھ اپنے تعلق کا حال لکھا ہے۔ قائداعظم کے ساتھ اُن کی ملاقات اپنے والد سید شمس الحسن کے ساتھ ہوا کرتی تھی۔ اس وقت واجد صاحب بچے تھے اور ایک دفعہ قائداعظم نے اپنے گھر کے ایک درخت سے آڑو توڑ کر واجد صاحب کو دیا جس کا ذائقہ وہ آج تک نہیں بھولے۔
خان آف قلات سلمان دائود جب بھی دہلی آتے تو سید شمس الحسن کے گھر ٹھہرتے۔ کتاب کا مطالعہ بتاتا ہے کہ خان آف قلات اور قائداعظم کا رشتہ کتنا گہرا تھا اور جب واجد صاحب صحافی بنے تو اُنہوں نے خان آف قلات کے ساتھ اپنا رشتہ برقرار رکھا۔ واجد شمس الحسن نے اپنی اس کتاب میں محترمہ بےنظیر بھٹو کے متعلق کچھ ایسی باتیں لکھی ہیں جن سے آج کی نئی نسل واقف نہیں۔
محترمہ بےنظیر بھٹو نے آل پارٹیز حریت کانفرنس کو او آئی سی میں مبصر کا درجہ دلوانے کے لئے سولہ مسلم ممالک کا دورہ کیا تو واجد صاحب اُن کے ساتھ تھے۔ عراق کے صدر صدام حسین نے حریت کانفرنس کو او آئی سی میں مبصر کا درجہ دینے کی مخالفت کی۔ بےنظیر بھٹو نے صدام حسین سے درخواست کی کہ آپ مظلوم کشمیریوں کی حمایت کریں تو صدام حسین نے کہا کہ اگر میں کشمیریوں کی حمایت کروں گا تو پھر مجھے کُردوں کے مطالبات بھی تسلیم کرنا پڑیں گے۔
واجد صاحب نے محترمہ بےنظیر بھٹو اور صدام حسین کے درمیان ہونے والی طویل ملاقاتوں کی تفصیل لکھی ہے اور بتایا ہے کہ آخر کار محترمہ نے صدام حسین کو قائل کر لیا اور اُنہوں نے حریت کانفرنس کو او آئی سی میں مبصر کا درجہ دینے کی حمایت کر دی۔
واجد شمس الحسن کی اس کتاب کا اہم ترین حصہ وہ ہے جہاں اُنہوں نے مشرف دور میں جاری ہونےوالے اُس این آر او کی اصل کہانی لکھی ہے جسے بعد میں سپریم کورٹ نے مسترد کر دیا لیکن عمران خان آج بھی بار بار اس این آر او کا ذکر کرتے ہیں۔ اس این آر او سے قبل امریکی سیکرٹری آف اسٹیٹ کنڈو لیزا رائس اور برطانوی وزیر جیک سٹرا کے محترمہ بےنظیر بھٹو کے ساتھ اہم مذاکرات اور ملاقاتیں واجد شمس الحسن کے ذریعہ ہوئیں۔ واجد صاحب نے لکھا ہے کہ ابو ظہبی میں محترمہ بےنظیر بھٹو اور جنرل پرویز مشرف کی ملاقات میں مشرف نے کہا کہ بی بی میں آپ کو پاکستان واپس نہیں آنے دوں گا۔ اسی میں آپ کی بہتری ہے۔
مشرف نے کہا کہ میں آپ کو الیکشن لڑنے کی اجازت نہیں دوں گا، نہ آپ تیسری مرتبہ وزیراعظم بن سکتی ہیں۔ مشرف نے کہا کہ میں آپ پر چلنے والے مقدمات ختم کر دوں گا جس پر بی بی نے کہا کہ میں نے تو آپ کو مقدمات ختم کرنے کا نہیں کہا، مجھ پر تمام مقدمات جھوٹے ہیں، میں سب مقدمات کا مقابلہ کروں گی۔
مشرف کچھ نرم پڑ گیا اور کہا کہ ہم آپ کو سینیٹ میں لے کر آ جائیں گے لیکن میں آپ کو وزیراعظم نہیں بننے دوں گا۔ بی بی نے انکار کر دیا۔ مشرف کے ساتھ مذاکرات کے اس اُتار چڑھائو میں بار بار محترمہ کو نیب میں چلنے والے مقدمات ختم کرنے کی پیشکش ہوئی اور کہا گیا آپ الیکشن سے پہلے پاکستان نہ آئیں۔ بےنظیر صاحبہ نے بار بار کہا کہ مقدمات ختم کرنا یا نہ کرنا آپ کا مسئلہ ہے میں پاکستان ضرور آئوں گی۔
واجد صاحب نے ڈاکٹر عبدالقدیر خان سے متعلق محترمہ بےنظیر بھٹو کے ایک بیان کی حقیقت بھی بیان کی ہے۔ محترمہ بےنظیر بھٹو نے یہ نہیں کہا تھا کہ وہ ڈاکٹر قدیر کو امریکہ کے حوالے کریں گی۔ انہوں نے کہا تھا میں ان معاملات کی انکوائری ایک پارلیمانی کمیٹی سے کرائوں گی۔ واجد صاحب لکھتے ہیں کہ آخر کار امریکی وزیر خارجہ کنڈو لیزا رائس نے بی بی سے کہا کہ آپ پاکستان جائیں، آپ کو وہاں سیکورٹی ملے گی۔
مشرف حکومت نے ایک این آر او جاری کر دیا لیکن واجد صاحب نے محترمہ کو پاکستان جانے سے روکا۔ محترمہ جانتی تھیں اُن پر حملہ ہو گا لیکن وہ شہید ہونے پاکستان آ گئیں۔
اُنہوں نے صاف لکھا ہے کہ محترمہ کے قتل کی انکوائری میں پیپلز پارٹی کی حکومت سے کوتاہی ہوئی، اسی لئے کتاب میں رحمٰن ملک پر کچھ تنقید بھی نظر آتی ہے۔ وہ این آر او جس کا بڑا ذکر ہوتا ہے، اُسے محترمہ نے 10؍نومبر 2007کو خود مسترد کر دیا تھا کیونکہ یہ این آر او ایک دھوکہ تھا، آج بھی ایک دھوکہ ہے، آئندہ بھی دھوکہ ہی رہے گا۔
https://jang.com.pk/news/893050