NEWS:    The Khatm-e-Nabuwat Conference was held under the auspices of the International Council for the Protection of Khatm-e-Nabuwat. It was presided over by the Amir Sheikh Al-Hadith of Lahore, Maulana Mufti Muhammad Hasan, while Ulema from all over the country participated. Speakers jointly issued a declaration to ban the growing activities of the Qadianis. Our faith is incomplete without believing in the end of Prophethood. Mirzais and Qadianis should be immediately removed from key government positions. All conspiracies to promote Qadianism in Pakistan will fail. (Nawaiwaqt 02 Oct)

• Nawaz Sharif has booked his return ticket and will be landing at Lahore airport at 6.25 p.m. on October 21. He is returning via UAE. (Awami, Oct.2)

• Chairman of Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that until the date of the election is notified, we will not sit peacefully. In his address to local body representatives in Karachi, he said some people talk about faults in constituencies; some say that the weather will be cold as excuses to avoid polls. People’s Party is the only party that wants elections to be held immediately. He said Municipal representatives check should whether work on development schemes is going on and where it is stopped.   If the issues are not resolved, we will go to court. (Himalya Today Daily)

• Amir of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) Balochistan Maulana Abdul Wasay, who is a former Federal Minister, has said that the elections should be held in November or the last week of February. Holding elections in January will disenfranchise the people of Balochistan and the northern regions as both will be in the grip of extreme cold in January. He said that a new alliance could be formed to participate in the elections. Briefing the media about the decisions taken at a meeting of his party’s Provincial Council yesterday, he rejected the delimitation exercise concerning three constituencies of Balochistan. (Qudrat Daily)

• People’s Party leader and former Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has said that democracy is the right of every party and citizen, but not of criminals. In a chat with the media, he also remarked that a level playing field does not mean going against the interests of Pakistan.  Those who have attacked Pakistan’s property (on May 9) do not belong to democracy. He said that only Maulana Fazal ur Rahman has objected to the elections in January. (Qudrat Daily)

• Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Siraj ul Haq has put daily corruption at five thousand billion rupees. Public sector assets like, PIA, steel mills, and railways were destroyed due to corruption. He demanded that PIA should be auctioned at the earliest. To make the economy stronger a national government should be formed in the country in which all parties will have equal representation. He said that Maulana Fazal ur Rahman was the head of the PDM government. It was hoped that he would abolish the interest system, but the interest increased from seventeen percent to twenty-two and a half percent. Maulana sahib continued to enjoy the ministries instead of abolishing the interest system and left after increasing the interest in 16 months. Politics and democracy in the country are hostages. Whoever has the black money can win the election by buying the polling staff.  (Dunya Daily)

• Caretaker Federal Home Minister Sarfaraz Bugti has said that nobody, however powerful he may be, will be spared in the on-going anti-smuggling drive. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, he shared the results obtained during the past one month. The government has stopped the smuggling of wheat, sugar, urea, and petroleum. Joint check posts have been established with personnel from customs, frontier corps, and all other related institutions to check trafficking. He said that 1068 FIRs have been registered to end the smuggling of dollars. 242 cases have been registered so far in narcotics dealings. He said that an inquiry is being conducted against the involved officers. It would be wrong to say that the security forces were not involved in the smuggling because this smuggling was done by trucks, not by camels in some remote place. “I was a participant in the meeting in which the Army Chief has clearly told his people that not only will there be a court martial but the involved officers will also be sent to jail”. The army has its own accountability system. And we saw it on May 9. He assured that there will be a clear reduction in terrorism in the coming days. As a result of the security operations, the terrorists are worried and attacking more in frustration. They are trying to push the state on the back foot by blasts and explosions. But they are mistaken. We will not buckle down, but fight them until there is not a single terrorist left in the country. (Qudrat Daily)

• The Supreme Court will hear 1,900 petitions filed against the fuel price adjustment in electricity bills today. A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa will conduct the hearing. The Lahore High Court had declared the fuel price adjustment in electricity bills illegal this year. The electricity transmission companies approached the Supreme Court against the decision of the Lahore High Court. (Qudrat Daily)

• The day-night investigations by intelligence agencies have brought to light more than 50 million dollars hidden in Karachi. Sources say investigators have sought records from different banks and money changers and have also prepared a list of people dealing in foreign exchange. The lists prepared include names of people from Old Karachi’s Lyari, Kharo Dar, Mitho Dar, Sadar, Bath I Land, Clifton, Defence, amongst other parts. Following preparation of these lists, targeted operations are underway at places of people in above list. (Awami, Oct.2)

• The Lahore High Court has dismissed the petition against the arrest of serving Brigadier Akhtar Subhan. Rawalpindi Bench gave this ruling on a petition of Subhan’s wife Umira Saleem, remarking that the military officer was arrested with a formal charge sheet, and that after the formal arrest statement by the army came out, the petition could not be heard. The GHQ confirmed the arrest and said that Brigadier Akhtar Subhan was arrested under serious charges and a departmental inquiry is being conducted against him in Quetta. Brigadier Akhtar Subhan was Administrator Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Quetta. (Qudrat Daily)

• The United States has offered to work with Pakistan to develop strategies that can better support Pakistan’s efforts to counter all forms of violent extremism., Matthew Miller, the spokesman of the US State Department, said that both countries are facing various acts of terrorism in which innocent citizens are being targeted. He said this at a press conference in Washington while responding to a question regarding the recent terrorist attacks across Pakistan. Expressing deep sympathy for those killed and injured in these attacks, the American official said that Pakistanis have suffered huge losses due to terrorist attacks. He pointed out that earlier this year, the US and Pakistan held a high-level counter-terrorism dialogue to discuss the common terrorist threats facing both countries. Both sides discussed various strategies for cooperation in areas such as border security and terrorist financing. He added that the US will continue to work closely with Pakistan to ensure better support to Pakistan’s efforts to counter violent extremism in all its forms. (Dawn Daily)

• The caretaker federal government has decided to evict 11 lakh foreigners residing illegally in the country. Residence permits of 700,000 Afghan nationals in Pakistan have not been renewed as a part of the eviction drive. According to official news agency APP, the eviction will be in three phases. In the first phase, people residing illegally will be sent back while the second phase will cover those holding citizenship of Afghanistan. In the third phase, all those who have resident cards, will be evicted. Citing sources, the report said that foreigners residing illegally in the country have created a serious threat to the security of Pakistan. The report states that it has also been decided to deport illegal Afghan nationals, a large number of whom are involved in funding, facilitating, and smuggling terrorists.  The Home Ministry has formulated the eviction plan in consultation with stakeholders and the Afghan government. According to United Nations data, there are 1.3 million registered refugees from Afghanistan and more than 880,000 are still living in illegal status in Pakistan. (Dawn Daily)

• Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi said yesterday that the police arrested more than 300 members of a gang that had carried out illegal kidney operations. Addressing the press, he said leader of the group Fawad Mukhtar and his co-accused were also arrested. The main accused had illegally removed the kidneys of 328 people and transplanted them to his rich clients. He was arrested five times in the past but managed to get bail. This gang, active in Lahore, Taxila, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir regions, used to perform kidney operations at homes instead of operating theatres in hospitals. Three million rupees were charged from local patients and One crore rupees from foreigners for kidney transplants. The Chief Minister further said that the policemen who had helped Fawad Mukhtar to escape last time have been suspended. (Dawn Daily)

• The government has further increased the electricity rates to the consumers. After the approval of the federal government, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) issued a notification regarding the hike  by 3.28 rupees. The increase is due to the 4th quarter adjustment of the financial year 2022-23, which will result in an additional burden of 159 billion rupees on consumers. (Daily Kashmir Express, Daily Khabrain, Daily Dharti)

• A meeting of the National Task Force for Anti-Polio was held under the chairmanship of Caretaker Prime Minister Anwar Haq Kakar. Caretaker Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mohammad Azam Khan participating through video link told the meeting that five border points were established to prevent the transfer of polio virus from Afghanistan to Pakistan. (Roznama Intekhab, Daily Kashmir Express, Baad-e-Shimal, Daily K2)

• The Election Commission has terminated the official holidays of its employees. According to the spokesperson of the Election Commission, the Facilitation Center of the Election Commission will continue its work without interruption. The last date for submission of objections on delimitation is 27th October. The Election Commission rejected Fafan’s report on the new constituency map saying that the report is based on a misunderstanding.  (Roznama Intekhab)

• Pakistan became the largest borrower from the World Bank. In the Year 2023, Pakistan took a loan of 2.30 billion dollars under the International Development Association program. While 1.70 billion dollars was provided to the flood victims while one billion dollars was provided as budget support to the government. With IDA aid, a 200-million-dollar program was launched in Punjab to combat climate change. (Roznama Intekhab, Daily Kashmir Express, Daily Khabrain)

• The federal government has decided to end the British era system of visa-free movement on the Pakistan-Afghan border in order to regularize the movement of people and goods in the context of increasing border tension. A government official aware of the situation told The Express Tribune that the government has decided to implement a “single document system” at all border crossings with Afghanistan. Currently Afghan Nationals can travel to Pakistan on ‘Tazkarah’ through a special border crossing without any visa. This system was introduced during the British era under the “right of easement” when the British Crown created a Durand Line for the partition of the two countries. A permit was issued as Tazkirah to allow families and clans to meet each other. Over the time this facility has been misused and people are often found traveling outside the permitted areas. The two countries have been negotiating for a few years to abolish the old system and introduce a single documentary system. There is already a document policy on the Torkham Border Crossing. However, thousands of people still use both manual and e-documents to travel across the Chaman border. Every day thousands of people use the border crossing to travel between the two countries on special permits. Pakistanis living near the border areas also travel across the border on the same documents. Many Pakistanis have cross-border business and travel to neighboring countries daily and return in the evening. However, Pakistani officials believe that Afghans are abusing this policy because most of the travelers on Tazkirah travel to other parts of the country. The latest move comes after Pakistan decided to expel illegal Afghans. (Express Daily)

• The business community in Karachi started receiving extortion calls from Dubai and Iran; two suspects involved were arrested by the police. Specialized Investigation Unit Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Junaid Sheikh has said that   a person working in real estate received an extortion call and the caller was traced to Dubai. (Jang)

• The Sindh High Court has ordered immediate blocking of the identity cards and bank accounts of more than 50,000 dangerous fugitive suspects. More than 23,000 dangerous fugitives are wanted by the police while eight accused including the founder of MQM-London Altaf Hussein are absconding.   On Monday, a two-member bench headed by Justice KK Agha heard the non-arrest of Hamad Siddiqui and other fugitive accused in the Baldia factory fire tragedy case. IG Sindh Rifat Mukhtar submitted to the court a report that  revealed that 50058 dangerous criminals are absconding in the Sindh; Larkana Division alone accounts for almost half of them. The court expressed surprise. Justice KK Agha remarked that at present there is no political government in the province, no MNA, MPA will interfere in the arrest of the accused. Due to such a large number of fugitives accused, the law-and-order situation in the province is bad. The court inquired that there are 23,000 fugitives accused in Larkana division alone, what is DIG Larkana doing? IG Sindh said that he had taken charge 40 days ago, DIG Larkana has been appointed recently. The court inquired from IG Sindh whether any strategy has been made to arrest the fugitives. Justice Agha remarked “It is your responsibility to arrest the fugitive. We will not wait for another IG”.   In most of the cases, the names, addresses, and parentage of the fugitive accused are not recorded correctly. In drug cases, only the accused is named. If administrative matters are improved, crimes can be reduced. Such a large number of absconders in Larkana division is beyond comprehension. (Jang)

EDITORIALS

• In briefings to the Senate’s Standing Committee, Secretary, Overseas, said 90 per cent of beggars arrested abroad are Pakistanis. SA and Iraq often say their jails are full of Pakistani beggars and Pakistani pick-pockets.  The secretary stated that these Pakistanis go abroad not on work permits but on Umrah/Hajj permits. In the same senate meeting, senator Rana Mahmood Al Hassan said Japan had sought 3.40 lakh skilled labor and India provided them with 1.5 lakh followed by Nepal 91,000, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka also chipped in substantial numbers but Pakistan could send only 200 skilled workers. When we live in a society where jungle laws rule, what can we say about people who survive on alms. What to expect from such a class of people who survive only to fill their stomachs. The Senate briefings should be an eye opener to our concerned citizens at high places. And spur us as a nation to think of ways and means to regain the country’s place of pride and respect abroad. All this can be possible when our rulers also learn to be self-dependent. If our rulers find way- out only by raising loans, what can we expect? Until we make efforts for betterment of our society and of people in it, we cannot stop the world from laughing at us. Let us make our people skilled so that they can live life with dignity. (Ibrat. Edit)

• Thar in Sindh is amongst places where R O water plants were installed a few years ago to ensure potable water. Most of these plants have not been working these days. Thus, people have no benefits from these plants and they keep walking long distances to fetch potable water for their families. Sindh authorities need to look into reasons as to why these plants are not functioning and make them functional once again. Officials will do well to remember that mere installation of a R O Plant is not enough.  It should be maintained properly and serviced regularly. (Sindh Exp., Edit)

• Whenever people raise hue and cry over steep petrol prices, authorities issue clarifications and rulers make tall claims that petrol prices in other countries are more than petrol prices in Pakistan but rulers perhaps are forgetting the basic facts that per capita income in other countries is more; besides people in other countries also get free medical care and free education. We need to cut down profit margins of oil marketing companies and also need to cut down petroleum development levy on dealers to reduce burden POL consumers. (Pahenji, Edit, Oct.2)

• IRSA is meeting today (Monday, Oct.2) to decide water distribution to provinces during rabi season. This time water shortage during rabi is expected to be around 15 per cent. But, due to slow progress of WAPDA’ works that are underway, the shortage can go beyond 15 per cent. The caretaker government in Sindh should take serious note of the issue because slow progress of WAPDA’s works is affecting Sindh farmers most. Farmers in Sindh have always been suffering, sometimes because of floods and at other times because of water shortage. The water shortage can affect rabi yields of wheat and vegetables in Sindh and aggravate food inflation across the country. Sindh government must put its stand very clearly and firmly in today’s IRSA meeting. (Kawish, Edit, Oct.2)

• In the times when prices keep rising, the government has shown its generosity to people by cutting down petrol and diesel prices. But, when prices are raised, the rise is substantial but when prices are brought down, the decline is not significant or substantial enough. The recent decline in petrol and diesel prices is a case in point. And at the end of day, people get no relief from the meagre decline in prices of petrol and diesel. The authorities also should take some such measures whereby people in Sindh also get a feeling of having got relief; this can help bridge trust deficit between government and people. (Awami, Edit, Oct.1)

• The caretaker Home Minister’s statement on anti-smuggling drive shows that the government has decided to deal with smuggling sternly. As the minister noted, large-scale smuggling is carried out on trucks, not on camels, and obviously, trucks do not cross the border through clandestine routes. They will certainly be passing through the border crossings, but the situation is that there is no effective mechanism to stop trucks illegally taking goods out of Pakistan or bringing goods illegally into Pakistan. This negligence of the border staff costs thousands of billions of rupees annually to the exchequer. According to a report last year, Pakistan is losing 2.63 billion dollars annually due to smuggling of just eleven items including tyres, vehicle parts, tea, cigarettes, steel sheets, mobile phones, and diesel. But smuggling is not limited to these eleven items; many more items are also being smuggled on a large scale. If these items are also included, the loss from smuggling will be much higher. No economy can bear such a huge loss. Therefore, to save the country’s economy, smuggling must be eradicated without much ado.  When the price of sugar in the country crossed two hundred rupees per kg, dozens of trucks loaded with thousands of sacks of sugar were on their way out through Balochistan. There is no year without flour crisis. It is because as soon as the demand for wheat increases across the border and the prices increase, the smuggling of wheat and flour starts from here. This is what happened this year too – not due to demand- supply mismatch but due to the smuggling. Mass smuggling is not possible without the patronage of influential people. If there is a determination to rid the country of the menace of smuggling, action must be taken against the patrons of smuggling without discrimination.   Smuggling is also an important source of financial resources for anti-national elements and this wealth is ultimately used for subversion and terrorism in Pakistan. (Edit-Dunya Daily)

• Punjab’s Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi has announced busting of illegal kidney operations racket and the arrest of the kingpin. These transplants are carried at the beneficiaries’ homes instead of operation theatres at hospitals.   The charge per transplant is 30 lakh rupees from Pakistani patients and One crore rupees from foreign patients. There is a need to take serious and strict action against the people involved in this heinous illegal act and set an example for others so that no one can have such courage in the future. (Edit, Daily Khabrain)

• The UN has expressed grave concern over the education system in Pakistan. In a report the World Body said Pakistan’s education system is 6 decades behind, which means Pakistan will reach 60 years later where the world is today, that too if some reforms in the current situation are made. We are celebrating an increased literacy rate but the education standard is extremely poor. Since studying Arts is discouraged, we have produced good doctors, engineers and officers but we could not produce a good leader. Unless there is good leadership no sector will progress. In this world only that community gets a position which is able to give something, but here we only have the tradition to take, and it is only considered as success. When a child is admitted to a school it is put in his mind that he has to become a government servant to take all the facilities from the national treasury; the child is not told that there are many more things in this life. The current education system and standard in Azad Jammu Kashmir is so bad that neither it can cater the needs of the community nor it can deal with the future challenges. There is neither religious education nor the worldly. Schools do not have proper buildings, or furniture, neither the teachers are familiar with the latest education and training procedures. This condition is extremely worrying. The developed communities have reached the moon, bullet trains are running there, artificial intelligence technology has brought a new revolution, but our highly qualified students are still compelled to flatter illiterate people for jobs. If this situation continues and there are no reforms in the education system as per latest demands, our future generations will not be able to compete with other communities, and will be forced to remain dependent. If we want to give a respectable future to our coming generations, the current education system should be completely revamped. Sincere attention should be given to research and technical education. Intelligent students should be encouraged so that they put more effort into the field of inventions. (Siasat Edit)

• Islamabad CTD has launched a major search operation in collaboration with sensitive agencies and arrested 800 Afghan nationals.  Many criminal Afghans have also been identified, and the federal government has decided to take action against foreigners whose visas expire by October 3. As the economic conditions are getting worse, every person and institution of Pakistan are deeply concerned about the deadly impact of the Afghan refugees on the Pakistani economy and society. It is good that Pakistan now wants to get rid of Afghan refugees. Fed up with the massive influx of refugees from Afghanistan, the United Nations Organization for Refugees has also stopped aid. The biggest loss Pakistan is facing due to these Afghan refugees is the rampant smuggling of food items and dollars. Flour, sugar, vegetables, oil, electronic goods, cement, meat and dairy products have become scarce. After the capture of Kabul by the Taliban on August 15, 2021, there was a jubilation amongst some sections of Pakistan for which there was no ground. Those who questioned these baseless and hollow happy events were scorned. At present, the same public opinion in Pakistan is showing the other side of the picture which once only reached the conclusion that Afghanistan is ours.   Under the current Afghan interim government, the situation has reached a point where we are warning of direct action in Afghanistan. It is true that at present the situation in Pakistan is very bad due to terrorism and one can even think of taking unwanted steps to restore peace but the question is where are we going wrong that every time our hard work is wasted like this and things get worse? In the last fifteen or twenty years, we have noticed one thing with great intensity. Whenever tension in Pak-Afghan relations increases, we lock the border gates. Before taking this step, we do not think for a moment that Afghanistan is probably the only country with which we get the most profit to do business. We used this option so intensively that the previous Afghan governments started efforts to find alternative routes and in February 2019, regular shipments of goods with India began through Chabahar Port of Iran. Now that China has formally sent its ambassador to Afghanistan, will India remain behind for long? At present, India also has options as the Afghan Interim Government has openly invited India to work in Afghanistan. India, which accuses Pakistan of exploiting rather than being affected by terrorism, seems to be having trouble believing that relations between the Taliban regime and Pakistan are really strained. This is the reason why India is distancing itself from the Taliban regime. Anyway, what is worth noting is that if the Indian policy towards the current interim Afghan government changes, how much will we lose? Currently, Afghans are doing all the business in Pakistan that Pakistanis cannot do. Most Afghan businesses, usually in the form of carts, are located outside our cities in areas where only the poor can afford to shop. There are also Afghans who have invested heavily in Pakistan. Due to Afghanistan’s bad economic situation and wars, a large number of Afghans are residing in Gulf countries as well as in Europe, who also send a lot of money to their people in Pakistan. There is no such market in Pakistan, where there are no shops of Afghans and where the businesses of the locals have not stopped due to capital investment given to Afghans; what we get in return is heroin addiction and Kalashnikov culture which have destroyed peace and tranquility of our society. Pakistan’s policies towards Afghanistan will not change until it gets a guarantee that Afghan territory will not be used against it and no attempt will be made to divide Pakistan geographically. Apart from occasional incidents, our trade with Afghanistan continues regularly throughout the year. If our rulers show sincerity, they should buy the Wakhan belt from Afghanistan at any cost and create a direct trade route with Central Asian countries. Pakistan still has trade with Central Asian states but at the behest and will of Afghanistan. Whenever our relations with the Taliban are strained this route is closed and our trade with Central Asian states is disrupted. Undoubtedly, without the support and aid of Pakistan, the power of the Taliban cannot last for long. But the Taliban has not only forgotten the favor but also has shown its hostility to Pakistan by allowing TTP terrorists to stay on Afghan soil. Be it the attack on military check posts in Chitral or the unprovoked firing on Pakistani security personnel at the Torkham border, the Taliban have crossed the line in hostility to Pakistan everywhere. It is also a fact that leaving a paradise like Pakistan and going to the torture of Taliban is equal to death for Afghan refugees, but the ruling elite of Pakistan will have to take this bitter pill, and take tough decisions. Otherwise, the people of Pakistan will continue to suffer from inflation like this. (Express Daily Edit)

• It is a welcome news that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of communication and information technology with the aim of promoting the digital economy. This memorandum of understanding was signed in Riyadh yesterday by Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology Engineer Abdullah bin Amir and Pakistan’s Caretaker Federal Minister for Information and Communications Technology Dr. Umar Saif. The aim is to expand joint work in the areas of digital economy, review information technology companies of both countries and prepare a joint training program to access specialized skills in the field of communication and information technology. Mutual cooperation in promotion of innovation and development of digital infrastructure will be very helpful in speeding up government and economic activities. (Jang Edit) ######