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Category: PAKISTAN

  • Pak economic indicators showing positive trends: Imran

    Pak economic indicators showing positive trends: Imran

    The prime minister said through different schemes launched by his government, the people were being provided with relief….reports Asian Lite News

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that without the spirit of sacrifice, a nation could not aspire to achieve development as the very human essence had a global significance, adding the economic situation with which the country was confronted, had been changing now.

    In a message on the occasion of Eid, the prime minister conveyed his felicitations to the citizens of Pakistan, and the Muslim world, The Nation reported on Wednesday.

    The country’s economy was put on the right track and as a result of government’s steps, the economic indicators were showing positive trends, he added.

    The prime minister said through different schemes launched by his government, the people were being provided with relief.

    The day was not far, he resolved, when Pakistan would be standing equally in the ranks of developed countries and the whole nation would feel pride among the comity of nations.

    People walk at a market in eastern Pakistan’s Rawalpindi

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    The prime minister said sacrificing an animal on this holy festival manifested that a person has to sacrifice human desires for the achievement of the highest ideals.
    Such a passion generated a quality in humans that would not let them side-track from the right path, he said on Tuesday.

    Khan opined that it was the passion which helped the Pakistani nation to save itself from the global coronavirus pandemic with wisdom, national strategy and patience.

    Meanwhile, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi is set to leave for China on Thursday at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, ARY News reported citing sources.

    The focus of the trip is said to be the Dasu bus blast incident, sources further said.

    Pakistan’s Foreign Minister will reach Cheng city tomorrow where he is scheduled to stay until July 24.

    Earlier last week, a passenger bus had exploded in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Upper Kohistan district killing 13 people, including nine Chinese engineers. The explosion took place when the bus was on its way to Dasu.

    China has asked Pakistan to bring to justice perpetrators of the “terrorist attack” in the neighbouring country.

    Chinese Premier Li Keqiang had raised the issue with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan during a phone call, where he stressed the need for “use all necessary measures” to probe the incident and hold the culprits accountable.

    The Chinese company, which is constructing the Dasu dam, on Saturday, said it decided to suspend the work after a blast in the northern province that killed several engineers. (IANS/ANI)

    ALSO READ: India, Pakistan armies share sweets at LoC on Eid

  • World Bank uncover massive financial fraud in Pakistan

    World Bank uncover massive financial fraud in Pakistan

    According to the report prepared by the World Bank Group (WBG) integrity Vice Presidency (INT), these companies had organized themselves into “cartels” for mutual benefit….reports Asian Lite News

    The World Bank has unearthed a racket of 23 Pakistan companies adopting corrupt, fraudulent, collusive and coercive practices to win contracts for projects undertaken by the Distribution Companies (DISCOS) and National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC).

    According to the report prepared by the World Bank Group (WBG) integrity Vice Presidency (INT), these companies had organized themselves into “cartels” for mutual benefit.

    The WB International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) had entered into a loan agreement with the Government of Pakistan (GoP) in July 2008 as part of the Electricity Distribution and Transmission Improvement Project.

    The project’s objective was to strengthen the capacity of distribution and transmission networks in Pakistan to meet the increasing electricity demand in selected areas while strengthening the institutional capacity of certain distribution companies and supporting other priority areas of power sector reform.

    The financing of the project was supplemented by two International Development Association (IDA) credits. The Project was closed in February 2014.

    The INT’s administrative inquiry focused on six Project-financed contracts to supply electricity transmission equipment. It was revealed that for years, the public procurement market in Pakistan for certain kinds of electricity transmission, equipment was controlled by a group of companies which has been referred to as members of the cartel in the report.

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    These companies manipulated the market in advance to ensure that only some preferred companies won contracts, including the World Bank-financed ones. The companies thus collaborated on bid prices.

    Financial scams are a common phenomenon in Pakistan. A fragile regulatory framework, a subverted judicial system and connivance of law enforcement authorities embolden unscrupulous people/entities to loot the exchequers money to satiate their own greed.

    The above revelations clearly warrant immediate scrutiny of Pak entities/businesses that have signed financial agreements with international funding organizations such financial frauds not only incur heavy losses for the exchequer of the country, but also defeat the entire purpose of international funding that is meant for overall and equitable development.

    Though the World Bank has imposed an administrative sanction of debarment of any legal entity that these companies directly or indirectly control, it should be wary while approving any future funding of projects in the scam prone country of Pakistan. (ANI)

    ALSO READ: India, Pakistan armies share sweets at LoC on Eid

  • India, Pakistan armies share sweets at LoC on Eid

    India, Pakistan armies share sweets at LoC on Eid

    The Indian Army said that it was done as “a gesture for promoting peace, harmony and compassion in the true spirit of the festival”….reports Asian Lite News

    On the occasion of Eid, India and Pakistan armies held a flag meeting and exchanged sweets at the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.

    The Indian Army said that it was done as “a gesture for promoting peace, harmony and compassion in the true spirit of the festival”.

    Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Emron Musavi said in a statement, “On the occasion of Eid-ul-Zuha and as a gesture for promoting peace, harmony and compassion in the true spirit of the festival, India and Pakistan Armies held a flag meeting and exchanged sweets at Kaman Aman Setu, Uri and Tithwal Crossing on Kishanganga River in Tangdhar, Kupwara.

    “The event was held when both the armies have been strictly following the ceasefire agreement along the LoC.”

    Armies of both the countries exchanged sweets at Kaman Aman Setu, Uri and Tithwal Crossing on Kishanganga River in Tangdhar and Kupwara. The armies also exchanged sweets at Poonch-Rawalakot Crossing Point and Mendhar-Hotspring Crossing Point in Poonch district.

    The event has been held when both the Armies have been strictly following the Ceasefire Agreement on the Line of Control.

    The ceremony is seen as an enhanced confidence building measure in the backdrop of ongoing ceasefire between both the countries

    Also at international border, the troops of Border Security Force and men of Pakistan Rangers greeted each other and exchanged sweets. The troops met at Hiranager, Samba, Ramgarh, RS Pura, Arnia and Pargwal Sectors of International Border of Jammu.

    A BSF spokesperson said that exchange of sweets also took place at joint check post at Attari in Punjab’s Amritsar district.

    The force looks after around 2,290 kilometer International Border between two countries that runs north to south from Jammu, Punjab, Rajasthan up to Gujarat.

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  • China puts Pak air defence systems in danger

    China puts Pak air defence systems in danger

    The Chinese-built portable air defence systems, bought at a cost of several million dollars, are riddled with technical and operational deficiencies….reports Asian Lite News

    Pakistan’s air defence systems deployed on its eastern border is in danger due to technical failures. The system purchased from China for millions of USD is now plagued with several technical failures.

    Rusiru Waduge, writing in News 19 said that the Pakistan Army officials have raised a red flag over persistent problems experienced in Chinese made weapons systems but China has so far been slow to respond to the concerns of its ‘all-weather’ ally.

    The Chinese-built portable air defence systems, artillery rocket systems and surface-to-air missile systems, bought at a cost of several million dollars, are riddled with technical and operational deficiencies.

    As a result, several hundred man-portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADs), both launchers and missiles, are effectively moth-balled, leaving a serious gap in air defence on its borders, wrote Waduge.

    The Chinese-made FN-16 MANPADS is designed to intercept low altitude and ultralow altitude air targets like enemy helicopters and low-flying aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles under visual conditions.

    But most of these systems are handicapped by defective surface-to-air night aiming and battleground signalling systems. Without these systems, the MANPADs are literally blind. As many 850 such systems have been declared non-functional by the army officials, reported News 19.

    Pakistani Missiles on display at the IDEAS 2008 defence exhibition in Karachi, Pakistan.(WIKIPEDIA)

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    The Chinese manufacturer, Wuhan Infrared Co Ltd, instead of quickly replacing or repairing the systems, has appointed an allied firm, Valiant Technologies, to sort out the mess. Equally serious problems afflict over 500 QW 18 MANPAD launchers imported from China bought at a heavy price.

    These systems are supposed to counter aerial threats and has a range of 6 km with a speed of 600 metres per second. It boasts of high antijamming and multitracking capability, says Waduge.

    These MANPADs form part of a larger contract of 1300 systems with China Precision Machinery Import-Export Corporation (CPMIEC). About 500 of these systems were inducted into the Pakistan Army in 2016. Numerous deficiencies were found in these systems during biennial functional testing of these systems at the army base workshops since July 2019.

    The army has asked CPMIEC to replace at least 47 of these systems along with one base control unit and one training simulator.

    As per News 19, the story of multiple launch artillery systems, A100, bought from China, is quite similar, manufactured by the China state-run Aerospace Long-March International Trade Co (ALIT).

    The A100, incidentally rejected by the Chinese Army, was inducted in Pakistan Army but during various field trials, the army found the system wanting in many respects. The Chinese manufacturer was apprised of these problems and asked for immediate repair replacement.

    The representative of the Chinese company, after a detailed examination, concluded that the systems had to be replaced as they were beyond repairs.

    These problems are causing a serious headache in the forward air defence positions of Pakistan Army which comes on top of the persisting issue of defective Chinese-made LY80 surface-to-air missile systems, wrote Waduge.

    Moreover, large numbers of other weapons including missiles, rocket launchers, which have bought from China, have met with several technical issues.

    According to the sources, many of such weapons are out of repair. Therefore, air safety and security of Pakistan is in enormous danger, said Waduge. (ANI

    ALSO READ: Plan to build routes to China via PoK likely to irk India

  • Plan to build routes to China via PoK likely to irk India

    Plan to build routes to China via PoK likely to irk India

    The new routes through Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), which India claims as part of its territory will not go down well in New Delhi, which has already rejected the CPEC…reports Ateet Sharma

    Islamabad is planning to go ahead with its plan of extending the alternate western corridor route of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) in spite of suffering a major setback due to the continued attacks on Chinese workers in Pakistan.

    The new routes through Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), which India claims as part of its territory will not go down well in New Delhi, which has already rejected the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as it pases through this zone. CPEC begins in Gwadar on the Arabian Sea coast, but has to pass through PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan before it heads towards Kashgar, its terminus in China’s Xinjiang region.

    Nevertheless, a majority of CPEC projects are now facing an uncertain future after nine Chinese engineers were killed last Wednesday when their bus was attacked near the Dasu hydropower plant in the Upper Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

    The growing tensions between the ‘iron brothers’ escalated to an alarming level with Beijing not only deciding to cancel the much-awaited virtual 10th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting on CPEC at the eleventh hour but also making it clear that foolproof security should be provided to Chinese citizens working on different projects in Pakistan.

    Pak Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chinese President Xi Jinping

    The local media reported that on the same day (July 14), the Imran Khan government had decided to extend the western route of CPEC to Gilgit via Swat, Chitral and Shandur in a meeting which was chaired by Pakistan’s minister for planning and development Asad Umar and with Gilgit-Baltistan CM Khalid Khurshid and controversial CPEC chairman Asim Saleem Bajwa in attendance.

    “As per the earlier plan, the Western Alignment of the CPEC was to be of 1153 kilometers starting from Gwadar in Balochistan to Brahma Bahtar Interchange near Hasan Abdal of Punjab province. With the inclusion of new routes like Swat Motorway, Gilgit to Chitral highway, the Western Corridor would be of 1617 km,” said Pakistan Today’s business magazine Profit.

    The report mentioned that with the addition of 464 km – Shandur-Chitral road project (172 km), Gilgit-Shandur route (212 km) and Swat Motorway M-1 (80 km) – in the Western Corridor, Gilgit-Baltistan would be given an alternate route to existing Karakoram Highway.

    Earlier in May, Asim Saleem Bajwa had said that CPEC’s western alignment routes will be completed in around three years with the work on the route from Islamabad to Dera Ismail Khan and from Dera Ismail Khan to Zhob already underway.

    “We have presented a roadmap to China and they have approved it. Work has also started on the Zhob-Quetta route. We are moving beyond infrastructure to focus on agriculture, particularly economic zones to boost industrialisation,” Bajwa had told a gathering of businessmen at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI).

    However, the ground reality is quite different. Over the past few years, from Balochistan to Gilgit-Baltistan, massive protests have been held by locals against CPEC who have alleged that the project has destroyed them completely.

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  • Potential targets of Pegasus include number once used by Pak PM

    Potential targets of Pegasus include number once used by Pak PM

    The spyware ‘Pegasus’ is developed by Israel-based NSO Group which specialises in hacking devices…reports Asian Lite News

    The list of potential targets of the Israeli-made Pegasus spyware programme included at least one number once used by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, according to Washington Post.

    The spyware ‘Pegasus’ is developed by Israel-based NSO Group. The company specialises in hacking devices and caters to various governments of the world for spying purposes.

    According to Washington Post, more than 1,000 phone numbers in India appeared on the surveillance list while hundreds were from Pakistan, including the one Prime Minister Imran once used.

    However, the Post did not reveal whether the surveillance attempt on PM Imran’s number was successful.

    Meanwhile, The Wire reported that 300 mobile phone numbers used in India — including those of government ministers, opposition politicians, journalists, scientists and rights activists — were on the list of potential targets for surveillance by an unidentified agency using Pegasus spyware.

    Meanwhile, the Ministry of Electronics and Information and Technology has refuted the reports of surveillance of journalists.

    “The allegations regarding government surveillance on specific people has no concrete basis or truth associated with it whatsoever. In the past, similar claims were made regarding the use of Pegasus on WhatsApp by the Indian State. Those reports also had no factual basis and were categorically denied by all parties, including WhatsApp in the Indian Supreme Court,” the Ministry of Electronics and Information and Technology said in its response.

    “This news report, thus, also appears to be a similar fishing expedition, based on conjectures and exaggerations to malign the Indian democracy and its institutions,” the Ministry added.

    According to The Wire, the leaked list was first accessed by France-based Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International and later shared with The Wire and 15 other news organisations worldwide as part of a collaborative investigation named the ‘Pegasus Project’.

    Notably, the presence of a phone number in the list alone does not reveal whether a device was infected with Pegasus or subject to an attempted hack. But the Pegasus Project suggests potential targets for surveillance attempts. (ANI)

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  • Islamabad approves extension of CPEC western route to Gilgit

    Islamabad approves extension of CPEC western route to Gilgit

    With the addition of Gilgit-Shandur, Shandur-Chitral and Swat motorway, western corridor would be 1,617 km…reports Asian Lite News

    Pakistan government on Wednesday decided to extend the Western Route of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to Gilgit via Swat, Chitral and Shandur.

    With the addition of Gilgit-Shandur, Shandur-Chitral and Swat motorway, western corridor would be 1,617 km, reported Pakistan Today.

    The meeting to extend the route was chaired by Federal Minister of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar. The meeting was attended by Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid, Chairman CPEC Authority Asim Saleem Bajwa and other officials.

    As per the earlier plan the Western Alignment of the CPEC was to be of 1,153 kilometres starting from Gwadar in Balochistan to Brahma Bahtar Interchange near Hasan Abdal, of Punjab province, reported Pakistan Today.

    According to an official, through connecting Shandur-Chitral road project (172 km), Gilgit- Shandur route (212 km) and Swat Motorway (M-1) of 80 km with the Western Corridor, GB would be given an alternate route to existing Karakorum Highway to link with other provinces of the country.

    It is pertinent to mention that all routes of the western alignment go through remote areas where poverty rate is higher, jobs are less and industrial development and infrastructure is very low.

    Pakistan in the name of development of these regions has given projects to CPEC despite the opposition from the peoples of the area.

    Analysts have pointed out that several existential issues pose a serious challenge to the way CPEC is unravelled and executed in the region.

    These include factors such as internal strife and sectarian conflicts within Pakistan, particularly in the insurgency-prone areas in Balochistan, where CPEC has made significant number of investments.

    Gilgit Baltistan.

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    China-driven by its greed for power and resources has taken a calculated risk to establish its own ‘sphere of influence’ in the Gilgit Baltistan region. Sadly, however, this is being done at the cost of the environment, impacting local livelihoods and changing demographic structures while Pakistan, the country calls its iron brother, acting as a vassal state, surrenders its much-fought sovereign character to a culturally alien neighbour.

    The CPEC, which is regarded as one of the most important components of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) initiative, has faced opposition from various political parties in Pakistan.

    Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government in May passed a bill for the establishment of the CPEC Authority despite strong opposition from members of Parliament.

    According to experts, the bill contains sweeping powers and legal immunity to plan, execute and expedite projects being undertaken under the CPEC.

    Apparently, China has forced CPEC Authority on Pakistan because it wanted the army to be directly involved in the CPEC portfolio as Beijing was reportedly irked with Khan’s slow movement on the project.

    This bill comes at a time when the hype created by the government through projecting the CPEC as a panacea for all problems is rapidly losing steam. Struggling local businessmen lament that Chinese investor are cornering key domestic industries, state assets and businesses to the detriment of Pakistani players and interests. (ANI)

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  • Pakistan shuts down Gurdwara Shaheed Bhai Taru Singh

    Pakistan shuts down Gurdwara Shaheed Bhai Taru Singh

    The move resulted in forcing the Sikh community in Pakistan to observe the martyrdom anniversary of Bhai Taru Singh in nearby Gurdwara Shahid Ganj Singh Singhania…reports Asian Lite News

    The Pakistan government has shut down the historical Gurdwara Shaheed Bhai Taru Singh due to land dispute between local Sikhs and a group of activists of Dawat-e-Islami (Barelvi).

    The move resulted in forcing the Sikh community in Pakistan to observe the martyrdom anniversary of Bhai Taru Singh in nearby Gurdwara Shahid Ganj Singh Singhania, ZEE NEWS reported.

    According to ZEE reports, the bhog of the akhand path would take place on Friday at Gurdwara Shahid Ganj Singh Singhania and the local Sikh population will gather in the Gurdwara to observe the death anniversary of Bhai Taru Singh. 

    As the tension escalates, the Pakistan government intervened and sealed the premises to avoid any unfortunate incident. 

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  • ‘Pak Army trains Taliban’

    ‘Pak Army trains Taliban’

    Recently, videos on social media showed that Taliban were taking bodies of slain militants to Pakistan and holding the funerals there….reports Asian Lite News

    The Taliban are practicing what the Pakistan Army and the intelligence service are telling them, according to an editorial published in a Kabul-based newspaper on Saturday.

    Currently, the Taliban are involved in the killing and destruction in the name of jihad and sparing no efforts to implement Pakistani orders in the country, The Kabul Times editorial said.

    It further claimed that Taliban leaders freely walk and talk in the neighbouring country, an even openly collect money from people during Friday prayers.

    Recently, videos on social media showed that Taliban were taking bodies of slain militants to Pakistan and holding the funerals there.

    Some earlier reports also showed the neighbouring country was even providing medical services to Taliban leaders and fighters.

    Some regional countries and Afghanistan’s neighbouring states, mainly Pakistan, have been monitoring the crisis and its continuation in Afghanistan for more than four decades and have no other plans, except undermining the progress made in the country, the editorial said.

    Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan

    “The continuation of crisis and destruction of Afghanistan as well as lack of an authoritative government in the country are deep in Pakistan’s strategic plan,” it added.

    To tackle insurgency in Afghanistan and to suppress terrorists, including that of the Al Qaeda and Islamic State, it is very important that the US and its allies focus on their funding resources and safe havens in Pakistan.

    Continued military operations against insurgents would not produce the desired result, unless Pakistan takes firm steps in war on terror and close Taliban and other terrorists’ centtres in its territory, it added.

    The UN, US and NATO member states should do more to persuade Pakistan to give up support of terror groups.

    Otherwise, another 9/11 incident would happen, which would definitely have its roots in Pakistan, as it had and proved with killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.

    The editorial said with Taliban’s increasing violence and takeover of some districts, Afghan officials and common people blaming Pakistan for logistic and financial support to the militant groups, hosting their leaders and treatment of their wounded fighters.

    In a fresh bid, the government of Afghanistan has alleged that Pakistan has ramped up support for the Taliban militant group.

    On Thursday, Amrullah Saleh, the First Vice President, alleged that the Pakistan Air Force was providing close aerial support to the Taliban.

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  • Afghan envoy’s daughter kidnapped in Pakistan

    Afghan envoy’s daughter kidnapped in Pakistan

    After being released from the kidnappers’ captivity, Alikhil is under medical care at a hospital….reports Asian Lite News

     The daughter of Najibullah Alikhil, the Afghan envoy to Pakistan, was abducted and tortured on her way home in Islamabad, Afghanistans Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Saturday.

    “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan states with deep regret that on July 16, 2021, the daughter of the Afghan ambassador to Islamabad, Ms. Silsila Alikhil, was abducted for several hours and severely tortured by unknown individuals on her way home,” the statement said.

    After being released from the kidnappers’ captivity, Alikhil is under medical care at a hospital.

    The statement said that the MoFA strongly condemns the heinous act and expresses its deep concern over the safety and security of diplomats, their families, and staff members of the Afghan political and consular missions in Pakistan.

    “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls on the Government of Pakistan to take immediate necessary actions to ensure full security of the Afghan Embassy and Consulates as well as the immunity of the country’s diplomats and their families in accordance with international treaties and conventions.

    “While the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs is following the matter with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, we urge the Pakistani government to identify and prosecute the perpetrators at the soonest possible time,” the statement added.

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