New IMF Agreement, Adverse Effects and Remedies

        Finally, after the budget, Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have agreed on a new package at the staff level, under which USD 7 billion will be provided over a period of 37 months. Final approval will be given by the Executive Board of the institution. The objectives of the new program include macroeconomic stability, monetary policy, sustainable growth and broadening the tax base. The expansion fund facility is available on the basis of economic stability achieved under the 2023 Standby Arrangement. The IMF mission visited Pakistan from May 13 to May 23, after which virtual talks were held. For the first time in the country's 77-year history, the federal government and the provinces approved taxing agricultural income on the demand of Domor.

        The IMF has also issued a statement stating that the share of taxes in GDP will be increased by 3 percent during the loan program. There will be a fair increase in direct and indirect taxes. Tax net collections in the export sector will be improved. The tax net in the retail sector will be increased and the agricultural sector will be brought into the tax net. Administrative affairs in state-owned enterprises have to be improved.

      In the current economic situation of the country, the agreement with the IMF had become inevitable, for which the bitter pill of strict conditions had to be swallowed. The national budget had to be made in consultation with the international organization. It is expected that the new loan program will improve the economy, but it is not a permanent solution to the problem. We are not moving towards self-reliance due to strict conditions. Trapped in the vortex of debt, the debt that is received goes into interest payments. Investment is the best tool for economic stability and with its help all strong economies have achieved stability. Now, however, the economy has to be renewed. Matters have been settled with the IMF, it should also be a foreclosure before the coming inflationary storm. Pakistan needs to improve its infrastructure. 

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The 14-year reign of the Conservative Party has ended

Writer:.... Ishtiaq bag

          British elections are always a source of interest for Pakistanis due to the large number of Pakistanis living in the UK and the participation of Pakistani-origin candidates in British elections. In the recent British election, issues such as the economy, inflation, immigration, the NHS and the environment dominated the campaign. Even before the election, the victory of the Labor Party was predicted in various exit polls, which proved to be correct and the Labor Party came to power after 14 years with a huge majority. According to the election results, the Labor Party won 412 seats, the Conservatives won 121 seats and the Liberal Democrats won 72 seats. The issue of Gaza was the most important in many constituencies in the British election where the votes cast also affected the results of the parties and the candidates supported by Israel suffered the worst defeat. 15 British-born Pakistanis and 5 pro-Palestine independent candidates won the elections and became members of the British Parliament.

        Britain's Labor Party is considered the party of Pakistanis and Muslims. Labor Party policies have always been supportive of Muslim immigrants living in Britain. This party has the honor of giving party tickets to Muslims of Pakistani origin to contest elections and for the first time in the history of Britain, an Asian and Muslim of Pakistani origin, Muhammad Sarwar, who took oath on the Holy Quran, was successful. Similarly, during the reign of the Labor Party, a Pakistani-origin Shahid Malik was made a minister for the first time in Britain, while the Labor Party itself elected a Pakistani-origin Lord Nazir as a member of the House of Lords. Islam is the second largest religion in the UK. The number of Muslim population and voters in Britain is increasing with each passing day. According to the 1971 census, the population of Muslims in England and Wales was 126,000, which according to the 2021 census has increased to more than 4 million at a rate of 6.5%, in which the number of Pakistanis is 1.6 million, while in the United Kingdom The number of mosques is more than one and a half thousand. Due to the growing population of Muslims in Britain, the number of Muslim members in the British Parliament is also increasing.

       Among the 10 Muslim candidates who were successful in the elections held in 2010, there were 7 Muslim British MPs of Pakistani origin, while 15 of the 19 Muslim British MPs who were successful in the recent British elections are of Pakistani origin. The Pakistani community living in Britain has demanded these Muslim British MPs to raise their voices in the British Parliament against the atrocities of India and Israel, which are illegally occupying Kashmir and Palestine. It should be noted that the manifesto of the Labor Party includes Hamas, Israel immediate ceasefire, provision of aid and Israel-Palestine two-state solution.

      Britain is currently facing the worst economic crisis since Brexit. Inflation and unemployment are on the rise and the rich class of Britain is leaving the country and moving to other countries along with their capital, while inflation has severely affected the lower class and according to a news report, more than 12,000 people have been killed in the streets in London alone in recent days. But they are forced to sleep. The main reason for the worst defeat of the Conservative Party in the recent British elections was poor economic policy, rising inflation and unemployment, which Indian-born British Prime Minister Rishi Sonak failed to control. In such a tough situation, the leader of the Labor Party and the newly elected Prime Minister Keir Starmer entered the field with the slogan "Time for a change" and ended the 14-year rule of the Conservative Party, which won only 121 seats in the recent election.

      After winning the elections and meeting Prince Charles III of Great Britain, Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labor Party and the newly elected British Prime Minister, has assumed the position of Prime Minister. For the new British Prime Minister, there are major challenges such as improving relations with the powerful global economy and reviving the economy. It is noteworthy that Keir Starmer does not believe in any religion while his wife and children belong to the Jewish religion.

     What struck me the most about the recent UK election was outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sonak's grinning acceptance of defeat after the election results were announced, congratulating opposition leader Keir Starmer on his victory and the new The government had to assure its support. After the election results, the opponents did not raise any question on the transparency of the election, nor did they accuse of rigging and stealing votes, nor did they give any call for protest. Unfortunately, there is no such example in Pakistan. I wish that a tradition of Western-style democracy would be established in Pakistan as well.

Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif murder case: Kenyan court's fair decision

     

    In Kenya, the High Court of Jiado has decided to investigate the murder case at the request of Arshad Sharif's widow, in which hosher revelations have been made. A Kenyan court has acquitted the well-known Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif after he was shot dead by police officers. Widow Jawaria Siddiq has been ordered to pay one million Kenyan shillings, which is about 78 thousand US dollars, as compensation, but after this decision, the question is what will happen now and whether this decision can be implemented or not. So far, there has been no reaction to this decision from the Kenyan police, the government lawyer or the Policing Oversite Authority.

    The Kenyan court rejected the statement of the police in which it was said that Arshad Sharif's car was fired on the basis of mistaken identity, we were considering this car as the car of the kidnappers. Rejecting the police's claim that the killing was a result of mistaken identity, he ordered an investigation against the law enforcement agencies and security agencies.

    The Kenyan court, in its decision, ordered to investigate the conspiracy to kill Arshad Sharif with precision and depth, and said that strict disciplinary action should be taken against the police and security agencies. The judge of the Kenyan court, Justice Stella said, And everyone is equal before the law.

    It should be remembered that in October 2022, Arshad Sharif was killed by police firing on a vehicle passing near a checkpoint in Nairobi and surprisingly, the driver sitting with him was not even slightly injured.

   The Nairobi police chief claimed that while searching for the abductors of a child, the police targeted the vehicle carrying Arshad Sharif for failing to stop despite signals.

   On which Arshad Sharif's widow and journalist Jawaria Siddiq filed a case against the elite police unit, in which it was said that Arshad Sharif's murder was not based on mistaken identity but planned. On April 30 this year, this case In the second hearing, the lawyers had completed their arguments, while the decision of the case was reserved in the third hearing held on May 8, which was announced yesterday after two months.

Background of the case

    This case was filed by Arshad Sharif's second wife Jawaria Siddique through her lawyer Ovichal against the GSU Journal Service Unit and 5 policemen named in the murder in a Kenyan court on October 19 last year. The Attorney General of Kenya, Director of Public Prosecutions, IG National Police Service, Independent Police, National Police Service Commission were made parties in the application. In the preliminary hearing held in December, the court asked all the parties, including the police and other accused, for detailed answers. Notices were issued.

    According to the petitioner Jawaria Siddique, four international organizations including ICFJ, IWMF, Media Defense and Women Journalism, along with two Kenyan journalism organizations Union of Journalists and Correspondence Association, also supported her.

  In Kenya we got justice, wife Jawaria Siddique

    Jawaria Arshad, the wife of the deceased Arshad Sharif, said on her YouTube channel, "We won the case." The Kenyan court acknowledged that the Kenyan police did not submit satisfactory responses. Justice was done in Kenya and now justice is yet to be done in Pakistan. The real killers of my husband are the ones who named Arshad Sharif in 16 cases in Pakistan and due to which my husband had to leave the country.

What was the position taken by the lawyers of wife Jawaria Siddique in the Kenyan court

    It was contended in the petition that firing at the vehicle was a criminal act by the police as the kidnappers' vehicle was being searched by the police. Arshad Sharif's car was fired on, instead of which the model and number plate were different. The reasons given by the police for the murder of Arshad Sharif are vague and vague, so the murder should be investigated carefully. It is not yet clear why Arshad Sharif was shot even though the bullet could have been hit on the tire. The lawyer also raised the question why the bullets only hit Arshad Sharif and the driver's hair was not hit and then the police. Why was the car allowed to go with the dead body? Why was the driver not forced to stop the vehicle?

When was Arshad Sharif killed?

    Anchor and journalist Arshad Sharif was killed by police firing in Kenya on October 23, 2022. The Kenyan police said in a press conference that Arshad Sharif's car was hit by police bullets due to mistaken identity. Not only did I stay these officials, but their jobs were also restored.

Why did Arshad Sharif go to Kenya?

    Arshad Sharif had moved from Pakistan to Dubai in August 2022 after several cases were registered against him and after staying there for some time, he mysteriously and quietly moved to Kenya. Lived there with a friend. Not many people were aware of their presence and movements in Kenya. His family also did not have concrete information in this regard.

Strong supporters of Tehreek-e-Insaf and Imran Khan

     Arshad Sharif is considered a staunch supporter of Tehreek-e-Insaaf and has emerged as a staunch supporter of PTIA since Imran Khan's government was overthrown by a no-confidence motion. Arshad Sharif has been trolled on social media for criticizing Tehreek-e-Insaf and Imran Khan, but later his relationship with PTI became quite pleasant.

Brother of martyred soldier

    Arshad Sharif's brother, Major Ashraf Shaheed, was posted in Bannu, when he got the news of his father's death, he left for home. When this information reached home, the father's funeral prayer was stopped and later the father and son were buried together.

Unsolved questions

      Many questions remain unsolved in the Arshad Sharif case. Why did they choose a country like Kenya where there is insecurity and terrorism and it is not very safe for journalists.

      It is said that Arshad Sharif's reason for leaving the UAE was not to extend his visa and to send him back to Pakistan, but the concrete facts in this regard are still hidden.

     This question also stands in its place through whom they went in Kenya. In this regard, the names of a few people also came out, but the details have not been revealed yet.

The verdict is a warning to Kenyans police officials

     The court decision is a victory for Kenyans who want police accountability.

     It is also a good decision for the rule of law and it shows the bravery of the Kenyan judiciary.

    This decision will have a big impact on the police culture in Kenya, it is a warning shot to Kenyan police officers, no matter how long it takes to get justice, police brutality will no longer be tolerated.

 

Pak-Russia relations

 

Pak-Russia relations

When Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif invited the Russian President to visit Pakistan and said that no geo-political change can affect our relations, he seems to be pointing to the status and importance of the current relations between the two countries. Pakistan Prime Minister, who is on a two-day visit to the Kazakh capital Astana on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit, met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. In this lively and pleasant meeting, it was agreed to strengthen relations between the two countries in various fields including trade and energy and to expand multilateral cooperation.

 

 Shahbaz Sharif said that we want to increase oil supply from Russia, we have to improve business relations with Moscow in the future. President Putin said that there are excellent relations between Pakistan and Russia, we can expand our cooperation in the fields of energy and agriculture, we will also expand cooperation with Pakistan in the field of food security. The two leaders had extensive discussions focusing on trade and economic relations, energy sector, important relations and global issues. The Prime Minister reiterated his commitment to work with Russia to further expand and strengthen the growing multilateral cooperation between the two countries in all areas of mutual benefit, including trade, energy, defense and security. Shahbaz Sharif said that it was nice to meet you, Pakistan and Russia have been friendly countries for a long time, their positive relations will have to be strengthened in the future. I am We can benefit from your experiences and develop mutual trade which is currently around one billion dollars. He expressed his desire to promote trade with Russia under the barter system, which will be beneficial for Pakistan and through which the country's numerous and other problems can be overcome.

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin said it was a pleasure to meet you again after the Samarkand meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization two years ago. Bilateral relations have further improved thanks to trade ties between the two countries. He indicated to increase cooperation in the fields of energy, agriculture, food security. The meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Council has its own importance, but the contacts that took place on the sidelines between different countries on this occasion are also very useful. Shahbaz Putin's meeting provided an opportunity to increase efforts to stabilize Pakistan-Russia relations and increase trade opportunities. The trilateral talks between the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif, the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Ali Youf, among other issues, highlighted the possibilities of establishing a tripartite institutional mechanism in the fields of trade and economic cooperation and investment. Also, from the Pakistan-Tajikistan joint statement issued at the end of Shahbaz Sharif's two-day official visit, where the need and benefits of a peaceful, prosperous and stable Afghanistan for regional development came to the fore, dealing with all kinds of organized crimes, including terrorism. The determination was renewed. It should be expected that as a result of the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the contacts of various leaders, global and regional peace will be strengthened and the way of prosperity will be paved in the region.

"New World Order"! The beginning, the end

 

Written by: Hafeezullah Niazi

Many issues that have existed on the planet in the last several decades are certainly moving towards their logical and decisive conclusion, but two clear warring groups are being assured by both sides that nuclear weapons will be used and the opposing side will be destroyed. will be destroyed. I am not interested in anyone's loss, my interest! The fight of elephants has to move to Pakistan. Pakistan's stability is not determined by the end of the war. How can you forget the kindness of President Zardari, who took back Gwadar from Singapore, to get possession of which the resin of the world dripped for the last one and a half hundred years. The basic strategy and guiding principles of the western world 2 Anglo-Afghan wars, long cold war, 2 Afghan wars common motive If Gwadar remains under its control, both the great powers will remain at a distance. In the event of a possible conflict between China and America, China will remain helpless in the Indian Ocean. Gwadar is an integral part of the Chinese strategy. For China, mutual trade from Europe, Africa and the Middle East, crude oil and natural gas transfer from the coast of Gwadar to Kashgar. 80% expenses on transportation will be reduced. From the Arabian Sea, the distance between Beijing and Kashgar is 12000 km, while Kashgar is 2100 km. Apart from 4000 km from Beijing to Kashgar, China has to adopt and secure this route at all costs. This is the guarantee of the integrity of Pakistan.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in the 80s, America emerged as the sole power. In those days, China was far behind America in political, technological, military and economic terms. It was then that American President Reagan announced in a speech, we will give the world a "New World Order" and we will fight the next wars from space (starwar). Both claims became open and withered. I was in America during those days. Uncle Naseem Anwar Baig, a genius in employment, source of wisdom and extraordinary expertise in international affairs, was invited to Dr. Khurshid Haider's house in New York. He arrived uninvited and asked the question as soon as he left, Naseem Uncle "What is New World Order Called?" Got a comprehensive answer! "The formation of such a system and the search for such a position that the United States can control the economy and the military of the world for the next hundred years. All oil and gas producing countries should also be kept under control. Kashmir is to be made a semi-autonomous state and American military bases are to be established so that Russia cannot flourish again and China can never rise. In 1988, that's what "Project Fardi New American Century" was all about, the only power of the 21st century, the United States, the rest of the world. It should be remembered that General Musharraf had reached Agra with the American agenda. The American agenda was only one, to reach Kashmir and northern areas from Afghanistan, to keep a check on China and Russia. Access to Gwadar was to be made "impossible" by both countries. Allah's scheme proved to be a more terrible dream than Afghanistan and Vietnam. For the next three decades, the United States was the only world power, and many fronts were opened in Raunt. One front could not be resolved, successive failures became fate.

By 2014, China and Russia had taken over, the US had understood, but from east to west, it was stuck in the quagmire. Seizing the opportunity, China seized thousands of square miles and many islands in the South China Sea. Even today, there are tensions in the China Sea. On the other hand, in 2014, Russia reached Syria, where Ravi China was writing, and expelled the United States by dishonoring it. What would the US cover the 4-decade-long case? New issues such as the Ukraine, Israel war and the South China Sea have emerged. Today the world is on the threshold of the third world war. In the event of any tension, India and the United States are to make Chinese trade, especially oil shipments, impossible in the Indian Ocean.

In 2014, as soon as the time came to implement the cpec, instead of promoting the CPEC, Pakistan would have developed, the establishment's self-interested agenda played into the hands of America. General Raheel, General Zaheer's duo or General Bajwa, General Faiz became an obstacle for their interests. After the successful political revolution of 2018, as soon as Imran Khan was installed on the post, General Bajwa Imran Khan shut down cpec at the first opportunity. This is the reason why the interest of many secretaries in the extension of General Bajwa's tenure was to be seen. In stopping the appointment of General Asim Munir, the United States and the Pakistani staff were active, but God forbid, who will taste it. After the appointment of General Asim Munir, it is not a matter of surprise that CPEC will get a boost. Now, since the past few months, Pakistan-China visits and affairs are being brought to the fore with speed. The American stomach-churning is understandable. Resolutions, UN Human Rights Group Report, but also FATF in the coming days will have to be dealt with.

Over the years, China has been winning most of its skirmishes and wars hand-to-hand. On the other hand, Russia is eager to use nuclear weapons. If it is impossible, if there is an American invasion of Pakistan, China will be satisfied with hand-to-hand combat? However, Russia is willing to use lethal weapons at any time. China-Russia power is beyond the reach of the US, the first point of the three-point agenda of the SCO meeting is to suppress terrorism and establish peace and order in the member countries. In this context, Modi's absence from the Operation 'Azam Satwati' and the meeting is welcome. The formation of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS makes sense, new currency, new world organization (UN), new financial system and above all "New World Order", US World Order is ending, Chinese World Order is in flight. .