Nadhmi Al-Nasr’s successor, Aiman al-Mudaifer, currently head of PIF's Local Real Estate Division, will serve as Neom’s acting CEO.  

Israel's military campaign against Hamas and Hezbollah could reshape Middle Eastern alliances and weaken Iran's regional influence.

RAWALPINDI: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Aviation was informed that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has not undergone a formal audit for the past decade, raising concerns about its regulatory compliance and safety oversight. Four aircraft accidents happened during this period, underscoring the need for improved operational protocols.

The fourth meeting of the Standing Committee on Aviation was held on Wednesday, chaired by MNA Nawabzada Iftikhar Ahmed Khan Babar.

The ministry concerned confirmed that the CAA has not undergone a formal audit for the past decade. The standing committee called for provision of all communications between the CAA and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to the committee regarding the lack of audits and their impact on the safety of passengers.

The committee was informed that the ongoing privatisation of PIA has led to suspension of staff transfers, postings, promotions, and the usual practice of rotating employees every three years.

Furthermore, financial constraints within the CAA have prevented necessary aircraft engine overhauls, reducing the operational fleet to just five aircraft and raising safety concerns.

The committee also expressed grave concern over the non-implementation of a National Assembly resolution passed on October 13, 2022, which called for renaming “Islamabad International Airport” to “Shaheed Benazir Bhutto International Airport”.

Despite the resolution being passed nearly two years ago, no action has been taken to fulfil this directive, prompting widespread criticism from various quarters.

During the discussion of issues related to the Multan Flying Club, including the refund of student fees, resolution of employees’ concerns, and the submission of a report based on the audit and financial details of the club, the committee appointed a sub-committee for the refund of students’ fees from MFC and resolution of employees-related issues and sought a report based on the audit and financial details of the club.

The sub-committee consists of MNAs Dr Ramesh Lal (convener), Dr Darshan Choudhary Iftikhar Nazir and Dr Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto.

The meeting was attended by MNAs Aqeel Malik, Rana Ibadat Sharif Khan, Dr Darshan, Choudhary Iftikhar Nazir, Nauman Islam Shaikh, Ramesh Lal, Munaza Hassan, Muhammad Saad Ullah and Dr Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Mari­time Affairs has prepared the draft of a new shipping policy, which includes provisions aimed at providing financial sec­u­rity to the owners of registered ships.

‘Pakistan Shipping Policy 2024’ will replace Pakistan Merchant Marine Policy 2001, as well as the amended version of 2019. The ministry organised a workshop of stakeholders on Wednesday to discuss the draft of the new shipping policy.

Maritime Affairs Secretary Syed Zafar Ali Shah, chairpersons of port authorities, senior officials of the maritime affairs ministry and stakeholders from the private sector participated in the workshop.

The policy makes it possible by legislation to furnish a bond of adequate amount to owners of any registered ship if it is detained or seized for any reason within the territorial jurisdiction of Pakistan, and it should be within 24 hours after taking the surety bond.

The secretary of maritime affairs informed participants of the workshop that the Shipping Policy 2024 has been made in accordance with the standards and rules of the International Maritime Organisation.

It was noted that the government should ensure that if the case is settled, the bail bonds are returned within one month.

In this regard, a help desk should also be established within the ministry of maritime affairs and special courts related to maritime affairs should also be set up having powers equal to high courts.

The draft proposes that the newly registered Pakistani shipping company will pay $0.75 per gross registered tonnage for five years, while currently the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) is paying $1 per gross registered tonnage on its revenue.

The rebate of $0.25 to new companies is likely to encourage domestic and national investors to show interest in maritime industry.

The draft has proposed that the registered Pakistani shipping companies would be allowed to seek financing from foreign financial institutions and banks.

A proposal to grant tax exemption for 10 years to new foreign shipping companies was brought forward by the participants of the workshop, and they stressed for assistance by state authorities to Pakistan shipping companies in opening foreign currency accounts.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Commerce and the World Bank have agreed to form a joint working group on trade to capitalise on the country’s true export potential.

The understanding was reached during a meeting of Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan with a team from the World Bank. Both sides agreed that the working group would meet periodically to advance the goal of realising Pakistan’s export potential of $60 billion.

An official announcement said both sides discussed Pakistan’s export reform agenda, focusing on strategies to enhance export competitiveness and streamline enabling policies.

The discussion also addressed how the World Bank can support these initiatives under the broader country programme.

Mr Kamal highlighted the whole-of-government approach to export enhancement, which promotes a unified policy framework to improve competitiveness and the Ease of Doing Business for exporters.

This strategy emphasises export-led growth by providing crucial enabling factors such as financing, liquidity support, reduced input costs, and regulatory facilitation to empower Pakistan’s export sector.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024

QUETTA: The Balochistan government, in light of the prevailing security situation, has requested the federal government to deploy the army and Frontier Corps (FC) for the upcoming by-election in Sibi, as well as to suspend mobile services in Sibi and Kachhi on Nov 17.

In a letter to the federal Ministry of Interior, the Balochistan Home Department said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has called for foolproof security measures for the by-election in the Sibi-Lehri constituency.

As a result, the provincial government has formally requested the deployment of military and FC personnel to ensure the safety and security of the electoral process.

The Balochistan government aims to ensure a peaceful and transparent election in Sibi, as well as in areas where the election tribunal has ordered re-polling at disputed polling stations in Quetta and Mangochar.

Seeks suspension of mobile services on Nov 17

Additionally, the Home Department has requested the suspension of mobile phone and internet services in Sibi and Kachhi on Nov 17, the polling day for PB-8 Sibi, to prevent any security threats or disruptions during the election.

Re-polling in Kalat

Meanwhile, the ECP has announced that re-polling will be held in seven polling stations of the PB-36 Kalat constituency on December 1 this year.

The polling was postponed due to security concerns. The re-polling was ordered by the Balochistan High Court’s election tribunal on a petition filed by JUI-F candidate Sardarzada Mir Saeed Lango, who challenged the victory of BAP’s Mir Ziaullah Lango in the constituency.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024

KARACHI: The country’s Advance to Deposit Ratio (ADR) has been gradually contracting and stood at 37 per cent in June, down from 41pc in December.

This was revealed in the latest issue of A.F. Ferguson & Co’s PwC Banking Publication — Road to Sustainability. This year’s release features core themes like economy, credit penetration and digital transformation, carries insights from over 25 industry leaders, over 10 local and global surveys, snapshots of over 40 international banks and over 10 geographic regions.

“Investment to Deposit Ratio (IDR), on the other hand, has surged from 33pc in 2007 to 88pc in 2023 and 94pc in Jun-24,” the publication reported. These key benchmarks, relative to certain other economies, indicate an enormous potential for credit penetration in the country, it added. There was a sharp rise in profitability on the back of higher margins and non-funded income from different avenues. However, higher tax charges triggered disproportionate moderation in baseline profitability.

The publication offered suggestions for sustained, long-term economic growth. One of the core themes discussed with industry leaders and senior professionals was the country’s economic outlook. Experts underscored the importance of addressing structural deficiencies to improve GDP growth and other key economic indicators.

Only 3pc of SMEs borrow from banks; 75pc farmers rely on informal sources for credit

“Consistent economic policies and actionable long-term roadmap of interventions were also stressed upon,” said the Banking Publication. Experts see increasing imports and consumption as harmful for balance of payments and foreign exchange reserves, it added.

“Opportunities for export diversification and import substitution are enormous, especially in agriculture and tech sectors,” said the report.

Agriculture and SMEs

According to the report, SMEs and agriculture are the backbone of the nation’s progress. “Contributing 40pc of GDP, SMEs constitute nearly 90pc of all private enterprises in Pakistan, generate 30pc in export earnings and employ one-third of the country’s workforce,” said the report. “Out of five million enterprises, fewer than three per cent borrowed from banks,” it reported.

It said around 75pc of farmers still rely on informal sources of credit. Despite its historic importance, access to affordable growth capital remains restrictive.

“Financing for these critical sectors has been declining over the years and currently stands below eight per cent of total loans,” said the Banking Publication. Lending to the private sector is at 12pc of GDP, it added.

According to the publication, deposits grew significantly by 24pc to reach Rs29.1 trillion in 2023, with a further increase of 12pc in June this year, touching Rs32.5tr.

“Advances rose by four per cent to Rs13tr, much lower than 16pc growth rate of 2022, with no further increase till June 2024,” the report added. A significant expansion of 42pc was noted in investments, which reached Rs25.6tr last year and rose by 19pc to Rs30.4tr by June this year.

Borrowings were up by 51pc to Rs11.3tr last year, and by 12pc in Jun-24.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024

QUETTA: The Balochistan government has decided to develop a provincial action plan to significantly enhance governance and security across the province.

Balochistan Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan on Wednesday briefed a high-level meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, on the proposed plan.

The chief secretary said that a comprehensive strategy is being developed to effectively counter terrorism, crime, extortion and smuggling cases with a focus on enhancing enforcement measures.

The implementation of this action plan is likely to bring substantial improvements in governance and security in Balochistan.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Bugti emphasised the importance of integrating modern technology into the plan. He also stressed the need for strengthening the professional capacity of law-enforcement agencies to combat terrorism and crime effectively.

He said profiling of criminals should be conducted for closer monitoring and all security agencies must coordinate to ensure efficient information sharing about criminals, suspects and convicts.

He said a clear and decisive strategy would be put in place to eradicate terrorism and crime without hesitation, pledging the provision of necessary resources to law enforcement agencies while expecting tangible results in return.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024

“It’s been horrible; I’ve been sick on and off for the last 10 days,” said 29-year-old Natasha Sohail, who teaches A-Level students at three private schools in Lahore. She is asthmatic, and last week, her condition worsened with a vertigo attack and fever. “It’s criminal what is happening here,” said an incensed Sohail, referring to the “band-aid measures” taken by the Punjab government.

Lahore also has the distinction of being the world leader in the poor air quality index (AQI), with some neighbourhoods touching over 1,200 on the AQI this month. The AQI measures the level of fine particles (PM2.5), larger particles (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) in the air. An AQI of 151 to 200 is classified as “unhealthy”, 201 to 300 “very unhealthy” and more than 300 as “hazardous”.

For the past eight years, since Sohail was in college and since smog became an annual phenomenon, Sohail has relied on anti-wheezing drugs and inhalers. At home, there are four air purifiers to help her breathe cleaner air.

She’s not alone.

“The hospitals are crowded with tens of thousands of patients suffering from respiratory and heart diseases being treated at hospitals and clinics over the last few weeks,” said Dr Ashraf Nizami, president of the Pakistan Medical Association’s Lahore chapter. “The psychological toll the poor air is taking on people remains under the radar.”

Punjab’s senior minister, Marriyum Aurangzeb, revealing the government’s anti-smog action plan, informed journalists that Lahore endured 275 days of unhealthy AQI levels over the past year, with temperatures rising by 2.3 degrees.

After Lahore’s AQI exceeded 1,000 last week, authorities closed all primary and secondary schools. Punjab’s Secretary for Environment, Raja Jahangir Anwar, warned the closure could continue if air quality doesn’t improve. “Young children are vulnerable, and we want to avoid an emergency,” he said, adding that online learning, like during the COVID pandemic, can be adopted again.

Living in a world of air purifiers

Aliya Khan, 37, a mother of two boys — aged five and one, with the older one suffering from asthma — had installed four imported air purifiers in her home four years ago, each costing Rs31,000. They bought a fifth this year at Rs60,000. “It cost us a fortune, but that’s not all; the filters must be replaced every year, which costs Rs10,000 per machine,” she said.

The private school her five-year-old attends lacks air purifiers in classrooms, leaving parents with no choice but to pool together and buy one for their child’s classroom.

Khan, a development consultant, says air purifiers work best if the home is packed tightly to keep the air from outside entering. “Our windows and doors are poorly insulated and with elderly parents, domestic help and two kids — the air purifiers struggle to maintain their effectiveness.”

Smog brings business for some

Business picks up for 37-year-old Hassan Zaidi as soon as Lahore is covered in smog. He’s currently fulfilling an order for “hundreds of air purifiers” for a foreign school in Lahore.

A computer engineer with a passion for product design, Zaidi started building air purifiers in 2019 for his family after his baby daughter developed a cough. He purchased an imported air purifier, took it apart, and quickly realised that with the right materials, it was no “rocket science” to build one himself.

He claimed his “work better, look better, and cost just Rs25,000.” These air purifiers restart automatically after power outages, are nearly silent, and are easy to repair. The filter costs Rs2,400 and needs replacing each season. Each unit is good for a 500 square feet room if fully sealed.

Authorities take action

Anwar said the government has introduced several measures to reduce emissions and improve air quality, adopting a whole-of-government approach with all departments working together for the first time.

Authorities have already banned barbecuing food without filters and use of motorised rickshaws.

The government distributed 1,000 subsidised super-seeders to farmers as an alternative to burning rice stubble and took legal action against over 400 farmers who violated the burning ban. “This carrot and stick approach will be very effective,” endorsed Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, the executive director of the Islamabad-based think tank, Sustainable Development Policy Institute.

Anwar said super seeders will convert residue into mulch, improving production and speeding sowing. Penalising a few farmers will deter others from breaking the law.

“But the government’s own figures show agriculture contributes less than 4 per cent to smog,” pointed out Hassan Khan, a farmer in Punjab, and added, “Why waste so much time and expense on it; why not focus on the bigger polluters like the transport industry?”

Another measure the government took involved demolishing over 600 of the 11,000 smoke-emitting brick kilns that hadn’t switched to zigzag technology, including 200 in and around Lahore.

Terming brick kilns the “low hanging fruit,” Dr Parvez Hassan, senior advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and president of the Pakistan Environmental Law Association, who, in 2003 and again in 2018, was appointed the chairperson of the Lahore Clean Air Commission and the Smog Commission by the Lahore High Court to come up with the smog policy, did not approve the “arbitrary decision of dismantling” the kilns. In his view, supporting the kiln owners with “available concessional financing for conversion to zizag technology” would be a more effective way.

He added that it was well known that the transport (oil), cement and textile sectors were the bigger polluters, but they were very influential. “Power in Pakistan has always meant being above the law,” he said, adding that the “general lack of political will and effective capability to monitor compliance” also acted as roadblocks.

“No country in the world has succeeded in good environmental policies unless it has first built a capacity to implement! The journey must begin with capacity building!”

However, Anwar said, action has been taken with visits to 15,000 industrial units, sealing 64 mills, and demolishing 152 factories.

With 43pc of air pollution in the province caused by unfit vehicles, Anwar also held the transporters responsible for the smog. He shared that Lahore has 1.3 million cars and 4.5 million two-wheelers, with 1,800 motorcycles added daily. He also mentioned that the traffic police had been ordered to impound vehicles without fitness certificates. Last month, a fine of Rs16.09 million was imposed on over 24,000 substandard vehicles across the province.

“Getting a vehicle fitness certificate in Pakistan is as easy as a blind person getting a license to drive!” said a petroleum expert who requested anonymity. “We need to clean the fuel, scrap old vehicles, and make vehicle emissions testing mandatory,” he added.

Imran Khalid, a climate governance expert, emphasised that improving fuel quality alone wasn’t enough; vehicles and engines also need upgrades to fully benefit from better fuel. He noted that while Euro 5 fuel is available in Pakistan, it’s not widely accessible, and Euro 6 is the standard in India. “I haven’t seen any survey on how many cars in Pakistan have Euro 5 compliant engines,” he added.

“I think it would be far more effective to invest in mass transit, but there is no talk of this issue; we keep making more motorways, widening roads, and bringing in more vehicles on roads in the cities instead of investing in railways and commuter rails,” said farmer Khan.

The petroleum expert urged the government to approve the refinery upgrade policy, which has been delayed for two years, adding that upgrades will take up to five years.

Despite various actions, people in Lahore remain unconvinced, calling them too little, too late.

“The measures announced by the government should have been operationalised at least six months before the smog season and the 24/7 enforcement of these priorities should be rigorously monitored by a dedicated team with support of the public through awareness campaigns,” pointed out advocate Hassan.

Nizami called for year-round efforts against air pollution, questioning why no one is held accountable for cutting millions of trees for unplanned housing while the focus remains on controlling stubble burning.

The Pakistan Air Quality Experts (PAQx) group, a coalition of 27 professionals from public health, environmental science, law, and economics, has written to the prime minister, suggesting the establishment of a “comprehensive, nationwide real-time air quality monitoring network” for informed decision-making and responsive policymaking.

Anwar defended the smog plan, stating it’d been in progress since April and required public cooperation, including staying indoors and wearing masks. Punjab’s senior minister, Marriyum Aurangzeb, warned that failure to wear masks could lead to a complete city lockdown.

“I don’t see the plan working as the air quality is getting from bad to worse,” said Sohail.

Nizami criticised the government for making a lot of noise but taking little action. “It’s shameful how they’ve shifted health responsibilities to the private sector,” he said.

Sohail suggested cloud seeding for artificial rain, noting its positive impact last year. Nizami also supported using artificial rain to clear the haze.

Anwar explained that cloud seeding required the right clouds and humidity. “But we are quite ready and as soon as the timing is right, we will do it,” he promised.

Climate diplomacy

While 70pc of smog in Lahore is locally generated, nearly 30pc comes from India. Manoj Kumar, a scientist with the Finnish Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, noted that the Indo-Gangetic Plain formed an “interconnected airshed,” affecting air quality, but local sources played a major role in Lahore’s pollution levels.

The chief minister is keen to start talks with her Indian counterpart. “Maryam Nawaz will soon send a letter to the Chief Minister of Indian Punjab, expressing her willingness to visit India and invite him to Pakistan,” said Anwar.

Kumar praised the Punjab chief minister’s initiative, emphasising that long-term, coordinated efforts between both countries could lead to improved air quality through a unified approach. But the efforts should not stop at the Punjab regions alone, as the airshed is shared and goes beyond India.

Anwar said Pakistan is considering hosting a “regional climate conference in Lahore soon.”

Header image: Smog near the Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower) in Faisalabad, a city about 120km from Lahore and the third most populous city after Karachi and Lahore. Credits: Khalid Mahmood/Wiki & handout.

This article was originally published in Inter Press Service and has been reproduced here with permission.

• Matters include review of Justice Isa’s appointment as BHC CJ, pollution caused by industries in Islamabad
• SCBA says 26th amendment has rendered ‘fundamental rights a mere farce’, executive can’t pick and choose judges

ISLAMABAD: Amidst the backdrop of deteriorating air quality, the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench will take up on Thursday (Nov 14) as many as 18 human rights cases, including one related to air pollution as well as a review petition against the 2018 judgement on the appointment of Justice Qazi Faez Isa as Balochistan High Court chief justice.

Likewise, a six-judge constitutional bench, headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan, will resume hearing around 10 cases, including suo motu cases such as lady health workers programme, harassment case of singer Meesha Shafi and similar other harassment case.

Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Syed Hassan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Musarat Hilali and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan will be part of the bench.

The six-judge bench was formed in view of unavailability of the seventh judge, Justice Ayesha A Malik, on Nov 14 and Nov 15.

The cause list was issued after a meeting of the three-judge committee constituted as per Article 191A (4) under the chairmanship of Justice Aminuddin Khan to discuss matters related to the composition of the constitutional bench. The committee had resolved that priority should be accorded to the oldest cases.

The SC had constituted a three-judge committee to determine fixation, issuance of court roster, sitting of benches and number of cases to be heard in a week by the constitutional benches, which the top court had formed recently.

On Thursday, the constitutional bench will also resume the 2007 hearing of a public petition against pollution caused by industrial units in Islamabad’s Sectors I-9 and I-10. The petitions were filed by one Nazir Ahmed and other residents of I-9 and I-10 about environmental degradation causing asthma, respiratory infections, allergies and heart ailments since the establishment of industrial units, especially steel furnaces and marble units, in the Federal Capital Industrial Estate.

In 1993, the CDA had developed a negative list of undesirable industrial plants working in the industrial estate. It encouraged them, especially the steel furnaces, to switch to some other trade and offered not to charge the normal fee.

According to earlier reports, 1,500 tonnes of effluents generated by the pharmaceutical industry, flour mills, oil and ghee mills, marble factories and plastic extrusion mills are thrown into the Leh nullah every day, heavily polluting underground water. Around 500 factories in the I-9 and I-10 industrial estates were causing water and air pollution in the area like the steel melting furnaces, re-rolling mills, flour mills, oil and ghee mills, marble cutting and polishing units and metal working and engineering units, GI pipes, soap, chemical, plastic, marble, spices and printing, a report had suggested.

A number of applications by different industrial units in the affected sectors were also pending before the court against the decision to de-seal these steel and casting units. Overall air pollution in the country was also on the table of the constitutional bench.

Some cases concern the restoration of the trial court under the control of narcotic substance act, or appointment of certain officers, though most of the cases have become infructuous.

One of the review petitions relates to the appointment of Justice Isa as BHC chief justice. The review petition was filed by Advocate Riaz Hanif Rahi against the July 7, 2018, SC judgement in which the court, while rejecting the petition, had held that the appointment was done in view of the extraordinary circumstances when all the judges, including the then chief justice, had resigned and the high court had become vacant. As such the initiation of the name of Justice Isa as BHC CJ was made in an exigency and thus not hit by any illegality, former CJP Mian Saqib Nisar had held in a seven-page verdict.

Earlier on April 5, a three-judge SC bench rejected the petition of Advocate Rahi challenging the appointment and later elevation of Justice Isa to the Supreme Court.

The detailed judgement had observed that the appointment of Justice Isa directly as BHC CJ was legal because it was made by the President and the then-Balochistan governor conferred it, thus meeting the requirement of Article 193.

SCBA sees threat to democracy

Meanwhile, in a statement, the recently elected secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Salman Mansoor categorically condemned the 26th Amendment as being against ordinary citizens and a direct threat to democracy and freedom in Pakistan.

The 26th Amendment was in violation of the principle of separation of powers and independence of judiciary, which “now stand altered, repealed and abrogated”, he said, adding those principles were guardians of fundamental rights of ordinary citizens and ensure a free, fair and democratic society and state.

The executive is the strongest adversary of ordinary citizens and their daily opponent in courts, he said, adding that the executive, enjoying majority in parliament, could not be allowed to select judges of its choice in all litigation where challenges are made to constitutional authority of executive and parliament.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024

ISLAMABAD: The Priv­atisation Commission’s board on Wednesday rejected a Rs10 billion bid submitted by the sole bidder for the divestment of 60 per cent shares in Pakistan International Airlines Corpo­ration Limited (PIACL), the privatisation ministry said in a statement.

The board decided to refer the issue of PIA’s privatisation to the Cabinet Committee on Privati­sation for further consideration.

Last month, the final bidding process for the privatisation of PIA attracted just one bid of Rs10bn for a 60pc stake in the national flag carrier.

Only real-estate development company Blue World City participated in the bidding process, placing a bid that was below the government-set minimum price of Rs85bn.

PC Board seeks improved offers for state-owned entities

The government had prequalified six groups in June, but only Blue World City participated in the final bidding process. Due to the huge difference between the expected and actual bids, the commission gave the consortium more time to reconsider its bid. However, Blue World City consortium chairman Saad Nazir kept the price unchanged.

On Wednesday, in a meeting chaired by Privatisation Mini­ster Abdul Aleem Khan, the board discussed advancing privatisation efforts for state-owned entities, including PIA and stressed the need to attract stronger bids in future transactions.

Mr Khan directed that the privatisation process should be carried forward without delay and underscored the importance of securing better offers for upcoming bids.

The board explored various options to expedite PIA’s divestment and reviewed the status of other ongoing privatisation transactions.

Mr Khan said that the framework given by the caretaker government for PIA’s privatisation was taken forward, but “now we have to keep in mind the concerns of the institutions involved in the privatisation”. He emphasised that “we have to learn from the privatisation process of PIA and have to be more active in future”.

The board decided to form a three-member committee to participate in the process of privatisation by members of the board. The meeting was briefed on various issues of privatisation and expressed satisfaction with the development so far.

During the meeting, various proposals were presented for PIA and the process of privatisation, and views were expressed on various issues and important decisions were taken. The minister extended the opportunity to all the Privatisation Comm­ission’s board members and heard their suggestions. Impor­tant issues related to the privatisation of other projects were also discussed.

“The privatisation issues will be completed in accordance with the laws and regulations and keeping in view the national interest before us because the final decision on the issues of privatisation of PIA and other institutions has to be taken by the cabinet committee,” Mr Khan said, according to the ministry’s statement.

In his briefing, the secretary of the Privatisation Commission noted that several international airlines, including Turkish Air­lines and Singapore Airlines, had expressed interest in PIA’s privatisation.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024

AFTER Pakistan floated the idea of ‘climate diplomacy’ to tackle cross-border pollution in light of smog which has engulfed vast tracts of India and Pakistan, a US official indicated on the sidelines of COP29 that the White House may throw its weight behind any initiative taken in this regard.

Last month, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz expressed her government’s intention to approach India to jointly counter the air pollution, which mostly comes from vehicular and industrial emissions, and is exacerbated in winter due to stubble burning.

Talking to Dawn on the sidelines of COP29 in Baku, Ali Zaidi — national climate adviser to the Biden administration — said the US was “100 per cent supportive” of partnership-based approaches to tackle problems that cannot be solved in isolation.

“In the US, we have this thing called the ‘good neighbour rule’, which governs smog. It actually was developed when we witnessed exactly this phenomenon in the US. So you know when it comes to cross-border pollution and cross-border issues, we are 100pc suportive of partnership-based approaches to tackle problems that cannot be solved on their own,” he said in response to a question about smog, which has made life unbearable for millions in Pakistan.

The White House official said the US was already active in the Hindu Kush — often referred to as ‘The Third Pole’ for housing the most glaciers in the world outside the polar regions — to better coordinate the mitigation response, because environmental impacts from glaciers do not isolate themselves to one jurisdiction.

“I think the regional solutions are a necessary complement to this sort of multilateral dialogue,” he said, referring to the COP summit.

The adviser said regional cooperation among relevant parties to address climate change would have more impact than putting “another ornament on a 1,000-page document (COP)”.

In response to a question about the failure of the world to help Pakistan after the 2022 floods caused damages to the tune of $30 billion, he said the global community needed to reinvent its approach to rebuilding from disasters, particularly by investing in pre-disaster mitigation.

According to the White House official, the US took a really long time to reengineer its thinking domestically in terms of building resilience into the recovery.

He favoured approaches that ran “consistent with the financial position” of states that needed to do rebuilding, saying there was a need to mobilise more countries to move more capital to help with adaptation and mitigation in these vulnerable countries.

In response to a question about the loan-laden climate finance framework, he said, “If you are targeting projects that have very clear cash flow and a strong counterparty then debt works just fine.”

He agreed some concessionary capital did need to come in depending on the technological aspect, the richness of the resources and the maturity of the market, while referring to India’s solar projects.

Vulnerable areas need significant grant-based aid, but there is still a need to figure out how to monetise risk reduction associated with adaptation finance and that’s why it was difficult to do. These places are going to soak up more grant-based finance, he said.

Speaking about the Trump-led US administration all set to take over from the Biden administration, he appeared optimistic, saying the states in the US will figure out how to provide the policy support even if the federal government stopped being part of it. About the US, he said it should remain part of the dialogue and be the author of the roadmap that will govern the contours of climate finance for decades to come.

Produced as part of the 2024 Climate Change Media Partnership, a journalism fellowship organised by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Centre for Peace and Security.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024

PESHAWAR / QUETTA: An important ‘commander’ of a banned organisation was among 16 terrorists killed and six others injured in gun battles, retaliatory attacks and operations carried out in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it was officially announced on Wednesday.

Security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation (IBO) on the reported presence of khwarij (the military’s terminology for the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan) in the Miramshah area of North Waziristan district between Nov 12 and 13, said a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The security forces effectively engaged the terrorist locations during the operation. Eight terrorists were killed and six others injured during the exchange of fire.

In the Kech area of Balochistan, four terrorists, including an important ‘commander’, were killed in a gun battle during an operation, the ISPR said.

Majeed Brigade man was responsible for choosing suicide bombers, says ISPR

In a statement, the military’s media wing said that on the night between Nov 12 and 13, security forces conducted IBOs in the general area Balgatar of Kech district on the reported presence of terrorists.

After an intense exchange of fire between the troops and the terrorists, a high-value target, terrorists’ ringleader Sana alias Baru was killed along with three other terrorists.

The ISPR said that Sana was the focal recruitment agent, especially for suicide bombers, for the so-called Majeed Brigade wing of the banned Balochistan Liberation Army in Kech district and was highly wanted by the law enforcement agencies.

Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the killed terrorists.

Sanitisation operations were being conducted in Miramshah and Kech to eliminate any other terrorists found in the areas, the ISPR said, adding that security forces were determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country and thwart attempts to sabotage peace, stability and progress of Balochistan.

Earlier in the day, four terrorists were killed in two encounters conducted by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel in Malakand, officials said.

Arms and ammunitions were seized after the gun battles, they added.

In the first encounter, three terrorists were killed when the CTD personnel retaliated against attackers in the Sher Khana Palai area. The dead militants were identified as Rizwan alias Bodagay, Salman, and Abdur Rehman alias Shadmani.

Rizwan was wanted by the police and security forces for his involvement in various terrorism-related cases, and was also involved in the firing incident at the historic Churchill Packet, they said.

Deputy Inspector General CTD Hassan Raza told a press conference in Batkhela that his department had received information on Oct 23 that some terrorists had sneaked into the country from Afghanistan and they were planning to carry out subversive activities in different districts of Malakand Division, including Bajaur, Malakand and Swat.

He said that terrorists attacked a CTD team, which had placed barricades on a road at the Sher Khana Palai area to check their movement. In a retaliatory action, the CTD personnel killed three terrorists.

The CTD personnel recovered three Kalashnikovs, hand grenades, pistols and live rounds from the dead militants.

During the other encounter, security forces killed a terrorist, identified as Abdullah.

DIG Raza, flanked by SP Malakand Amjad Ali Khan, stated that the killed terrorists, who belonged to the Sher Khana Palai area, were wanted by the police and security forces for their involvement in several terrorism-related cases. He said a search operation continued in the area.

Gohar Ali Gohar in Malakand also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024

ISLAMABAD: Following a disruption that rendered virtual private networks (VPNs) dysfunctional across the country, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Wednesday said that VPN usage would be restricted in the future to curb access to pornographic content.

In a statement, the authority claimed it had so far blocked 100,183 URLs containing blasphemous content, as well as 844,008 pornographic websites.

The statement by PTA highlighting its performance came a day after the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony wrote to the regulator to ask it to block blasphemous and pornographic content.

“In addition to PTA’s proactive efforts, individuals and government organisations also report such sites,” the statement added.

The telecom regulator also claimed that approximately 20 million attempts were made from within the country to access pornographic websites on a daily basis, which were blocked at the international gateway level.

“However, users bypass restrictions via VPNs and access porn contents, PTA remains fully committed to curbing this issue, taking all necessary measures to block this content effectively,” the statement added.

In another statement, the telecom regulator said it had organised a consultation on the issue of VPN use, attended by representatives from the Ministry of IT & Telecommunication (MoIT&T), the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), and the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA).

“The PTA introduced a stre­amlined VPN registration process, allowing legitimate users to register their VPNs through a new online portal at ipregistration.pta.gov.pk,” the statement said.

However, a senior executive from an internet service provider — in response to a Dawn query — said the authority was “making excuses”.

“How would they know that people are watching porn through VPNs? They have no capability to [monitor traffic through] VPNs, otherwise they would not block it,” the executive said.

He said the main target was blocking access to X and other social media platforms.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024

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At 8:30 p.m. on 16 May 1916, John J. Carty banged his gavel at the Engineering Societies Building in New York City to call to order a meeting of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers. This was no ordinary gathering. The AIEE had decided to conduct a live national meeting connecting more than 5,000 attendees in eight cities across four time zones. More than a century before Zoom made virtual meetings a pedestrian experience, telephone lines linked auditoriums from coast to coast. AIEE members and guests in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, and San Francisco had telephone receivers at their seats so they could listen in.

The AIEE, a predecessor to the IEEE, orchestrated this event to commemorate recent achievements in communications, transportation, light, and power. The meeting was a triumph of engineering, covered in newspapers in many of the host cities. The Atlanta Constitution heralded it as “a feat never before accomplished in the history of the world.” According to the Philadelphia Evening Ledger, the telephone connections involved traversed about 6,500 kilometers (about 4,000 miles) across 20 states, held up by more than 150,000 poles running through 5,000 switches. It’s worth noting that the first transcontinental phone call had been achieved only a year earlier.

Carty, president of the AIEE, led the meeting from New York, while section chairmen directed the proceedings in the other cities. First up: roll call. Each city read off the number of members and guests in attendance—from 40 in Denver, the newest section of the institute, to 1,100 at AIEE headquarters in New York. In all, more than 5,100 members attended.

Due to limited seating in New York and Philadelphia, members were allowed only a single admission ticket, and ladies were explicitly not invited. (Boo.) In Atlanta, Boston, and Chicago, members received two tickets each, and in San Francisco members received three; women were allowed to attend in all of these cities. (The AIEE didn’t admit its first woman until 1922, and only as an associate member; Edith Clarke was the first woman to publish a paper in an AIEE journal, in 1926.)

These six cities were the only ones officially participating in the meeting. But because the telephone lines ran directly through both Denver and Salt Lake City, AIEE sections in those cities opted to listen in, although they were kept muted; during the meeting, they sent telegrams to headquarters with their attendance and greetings. In a modern-day Zoom call, these notes would have been posted in the chat.

The first virtual meeting had breakout sessions

Once everyone had checked in and confirmed that they all could hear, Carty read a telegram from U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, congratulating the members on this unique meeting: “a most interesting evidence of the inventive genius and engineering ability represented by the Institute.”

Alexander Graham Bell then gave a few words in greeting and remarked that he was glad to see how far the telephone had gone beyond his initial idea. Theodore Vail, first president of AT&T and one of the men who was instrumental in establishing telephone service as a public utility, offered his own congratulations. Charles Le Maistre, a British engineer who happened to be in New York to attend the AIEE Standards Committee, spoke on behalf of his country’s engineering societies. Finally, Thomas Watson, who as Bell’s assistant was the first person to hear words spoken over a telephone, welcomed all of the electrical engineers scattered across the country.

At precisely 9:00 p.m., the telephone portion of the meeting was suspended for 30 minutes so that each city could have its own local address by an invited guest. Let’s call them breakout sessions. These speakers reflected on the work and accomplishments of engineers. Overall, they conveyed an unrelentingly positive attitude toward engineering progress, with a few nuances.

In Boston, Lawrence Lowell, president of Harvard University, said the discovery and harnessing of electricity was the greatest single advancement in human history. However, he admonished engineers for failing to foresee the subordination of the individual to the factory system.

In Philadelphia, Edgar Smith, provost of the University of Pennsylvania, noted that World War I was limiting the availability of certain materials and supplies, and he urged more investment in developing the United States’ natural resources.

Charles Ferris, dean of engineering at the University of Tennessee, praised the development of long-distance power distribution and the positive effects it had on rural life, but worried about the use of fossil fuels. His chief concern was running out of coal, gas, and oil, not their negative impacts on the environment.

More than a century before Zoom made virtual meetings a pedestrian experience, telephone lines linked auditoriums from coast to coast for the AIEE’s national meeting.

On the West Coast, Ray Wilbur, president of Stanford, argued for the value of dissatisfaction, struggle, and unrest on campus as spurs to growth and innovation. I suspect many university presidents then and now would disagree, but student protests remain a force for change.

After the city breakout sessions, everyone reconnected by telephone, and the host cities took turns calling out their greetings, along with some engineering boasts.

“Atlanta, located in the Piedmont section of the southern Appalachians, among their racing rivers and roaring falls, whose energy has been dragged forth and laid at her doors through high-tension transmission and in whose phenomenal development no factor has been more potent than the electrical engineers, sends greetings.”

“Boston sends warmest greetings to her sister cities. The telephone was born here and here it first spoke, but its sound has gone out into all lands and its words unto the ends of the world.”

“San Francisco hails its fellow members of the Institute…. California has by the pioneer spirit of domination created needs which the world has followed—the snow-crowned Sierras opened up the path of gold to the path of energy, which tonight makes it possible for us on the western rim of the continent of peace to be in instant touch with men who have harnessed rivers, bridled precipices, drawn from the ether that silent and unseen energy that has leveled distance and created force to move the world along lines of greater civilization by closer contacts.”

That last sentence, my editor notes, is 86 words long, but we included it for its sheer exuberance.

Maybe all tech meetings should have musical interludes

The meeting then paused for a musical interlude. I find this idea delightfully weird, like the ballet dream sequence in the middle of the Broadway musical Oklahoma! Each city played a song of their choosing on a phonograph, to be transmitted through the telephone. From the south came strains of “Dixie,” countered by “Yankee Doodle” in New England. New York and San Francisco opted for two variations on the patriotic symbolism of Columbia: “Hail Columbia” and “Columbia the Gem of the Ocean,” respectively. Philadelphia offered up the “Star-Spangled Banner,” and although it wasn’t yet the national anthem, audience members in all auditoriums stood up while it played.

For the record, the AIEE in those days took entertainment very seriously. Almost all of their conferences included a formal dinner dance, less-formal smokers, sporting competitions, and inspection field trips to local sites of engineering interest. There were even women’s committees to organize events specifically for the ladies.

I suspect no one in attendance would have predicted that in the 21st century, people groan at the thought of another virtual meeting.

After the music, Michael Pupin delivered an address on “The Engineering Profession,” a topic that was commonly discussed in the Proceedings of the AIEE in those days. Remember that electrical engineering was still a fairly new academic discipline, only a few decades old, and working engineers were looking to more established professions, such as medical doctors, to see how they might fit into society. Pupin had made a number of advancements in the efficiency of transmission over long-distance telephone, and in 1925 he served as the president of the AIEE.

The meeting concluded with resolutions, amendments, acceptances, and seconding, following Robert’s Rules of Order. (IEEE meetings still adhere to the rules.) In the last resolution, the participants patted themselves on the back for hosting this first-of-its-kind meeting and acknowledging their own genius that made it possible.

The Proceedings of the AIEE covered the meeting in great detail. Local press accounts offered less detail. I’ve found no evidence that they ever tried to replicate the meeting. They did try another experiment in which a member read the same paper at meetings in three different cities so that there could be a joint discussion about the contents. But it seems they returned to their normal schedule of annual and section meetings with technical paper sessions and discussion.

And nowhere have I found answers to some of the basic questions that I, as a historian 100 years later, have about the 1916 event. First, how much did this meeting cost in long-distance fees and who paid for it? Second, what receivers did the audience members use and did they work? And finally, what did the members and guests think of this grand experiment? (My editor would also like to know why no one took a photo of the event.)

But in the moment, rarely do people think about what later historians may want to know. And I suspect no one in attendance would have predicted that in the 21st century, people groan at the thought of another virtual meeting.

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