RjNews

WHILE the debate on whether or not inflation and foreign currency and debt pressure will continue, and what effect they will have on aggregates like exchange rates, growth and solvency, is important, the real impact will be felt by the people of this country. Most of the impact is being felt by the lower- to middle-income groups. We really have to start thinking about what can be done by the state and society to help address their issues. Over the last couple of years, the number of people, working in the organisations I am, or have been associated with, and who have started asking for help, has increased manifold. Where previously this was usually restricted to the lowest rung of the salary scales, now people even with mid-level salaries have started asking for help to pay school fees, electricity bills (especially when the amount increases unexpectedly and significantly, as of late), health-related emergency bills, and sometimes even to cover regular gaps between salaries and househ

NEW DELHI: Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to skip a summit of G20 leaders in India next week, sources familiar with the matter in India and China said. Two Indian officials, one diplomat based in China and one official working for the government of another G20 country, said Premier Li Qiang is expe­cted to represent Beijing at the Sept 9-10 meeting in New Delhi. Spokespersons for the Indian and Chinese foreign ministries did not respond to requests for comment. Li is also likely to attend a summit of East and Southeast Asian leaders in Jakarta, Indonesia on Sept 5-7, according to a report from Kyodo. The summit in India had been viewed as a venue at which Xi may meet with US President Joe Biden, who has confirmed his attendance, as the two superpowers seek to stabilise relations. Xi last met Biden on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia last November. Russian President Vlad­imir Putin has already ann­o­unced that he will not be travelling to New Delhi and wi

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Forei­­gn Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on Thursday said the role of UN peacekeeping remains indispensable in a world grappling with persistent conflicts and complex challenges. “With active presence in conflict zones, UN peacekeepers serve as a practical demonstration of the international community’s commitment to preserving lives and fostering lasting peace,” Mr Jilani said while speaking at the 2023 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Prepara­tory Meeting on safety and security of peacekeepers here. He noted that ensuring a safe and secure environment for United Nations peacekeepers who tirelessly maintain peace around the globe should be the foremost priority. He said legal frameworks and adequate accountability mechanisms were paramount for peacekeepers’ safety. Ensuring safe, secure environment for peacekeepers should be foremost priority, UN meeting told “We must stand firm in holding accountable the perpetrators — individuals and groups that harm or threa

ISLAMABAD: The attr­i­bution of malice of “colourable exercise of jurisdiction” to parliament in amending NAB laws sha­kes the foundations of parliamentary democracy, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah observed during a hearing on Thursday. He was part of a three-judge bench which had taken up the challenges by former prime minister Imran Khan to the August 2022 amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO). “We, the unelected 17 people (judges), can touch legislation made by representatives of 250 million only when it violates Art­icle 8 of the Constitution, which bars enactments in derogation of fundamental rights,” Justice Shah observed. He contested an impression that the Rs500 million threshold , which entitles the National Accoun­ta­bility Bureau (NAB) to take cognisance of corruption allegations, means that an accused who has committed corruption inv­o­lving an amount below that limit would go scot-free. He can be tried by another forum, Justice Shah argued. “When the

Karachi police on Thursday registered a first information report (FIR) of an incident in which a pickup truck rammed four members of a family earlier this week in the Gulshan-i-Iqbal area. The CCTV footage of the incident, which has been making the rounds on social media, showed the fast-moving vehicle hitting a group of individuals, including young children, as well as a rickshaw. In a disturbing sequence, the driver can be seen fleeing the scene, only to return and run over the injured victims once again. Caretaker Sindh Home Minister, retired Brig Haris Nawaz, took notice of the incident and directed the police to provide a comprehensive report on the matter and apprehend the individuals involved in the case. Speaking to Dawn.com today, Gulshan-i-Iqbal Police SHO Arshad Afridi said the incident took place on Sunday and confirmed the registration of the FIR. He stated that the police had “certain leads regarding the vehicle” and were actively pursuing the individuals responsibl

NEW YORK: American teenager Coco Gauff qualified for the third round of the US Open on Wednesday after beating 16-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva 6-3, 6-2. Sixth seed Gauff, one of the favourites for the title after recent tournament wins in Washington and Cincinnati, will meet Belgium’s Elise Mertens or countrywoman Danielle Collins for a place in the last 16. After a tough opening round against German veteran Laura Siegemund, Gauff dominated the youngest player in the draw to notch a 13th win in 14 matches since losing in the Wimbledon first round. The 19-year-old defeated Andreeva for the second time in three Grand Slams after winning their French Open clash in the first act of a potentially era-defining rivalry. “I just learned to be aggressive, because if you give her something she is going to take advantage,” said Gauff, who was taken to three sets by Andreeva at Roland Garros in June. “I did well today making her play off her back foot. She has a great future in front of he

KARACHI: The consistent devaluation of the rupee is not only causing inflation but is also compelling the central bank to raise interest rates to mitigate the repercussions of uncontrolled depreciation of the local currency, according to bankers who manage exchange rates and imports. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reported that the dollar appreciated by Rs1.40 to reach Rs304.45 in the inter-bank on Wednesday. “The market is not in control of anyone. The steep devaluation will continue and even cross the limit given by the IMF,” a senior banker said, adding that nobody knows what is next for the exchange rate. Under the Standby Arrangement (SBA), the IMF will provide $3 billion in three instalments over nine months and is willing to witness a 20pc devaluation of PKR against the US dollar in FY24. US dollar up by Rs1.40 to Rs304.45 in interbank and Rs325-Rs330 in kerb However, in less than two months of the current fiscal year, the PKR has devalued by 10.5pc, or Rs29 per dollar

LAHORE: A Christian trust organisation has approached the Lahore High Court for a judicial inquiry into the burning of churches and houses by a mob in Jaranwala. Grace Bible Fellowship Church Pakistan, a missionary trust, filed a writ petition through its chairman Peter Charles with multiple requests to the court. The petitioner states that an incident of alleged defiling of the Holy Quran unfortunately happened in Jaranwala, and through announcements from local mosques, a severe riot took place by a furious mob of Muslim devotees. It says the mob ransacked the properties of Christian residents, and the riotous elements torched more than 25 churches of and over 50 houses, along with household articles, using petrol bombs. It submits that the members of the Christian community of the area still live in state of fear and at risk to their lives and liberty. The petition alleges that the local administration and law enforcement authorities deliberately failed to control the violen

NEW YORK: Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur overcame a medical scare to battle into the second round of the US Open on Tuesday with a straight sets defeat of Colombia’s Camila Osorio. Jabeur, chasing a first Grand Slam crown after three agonising defeats in finals since 2022, opened her US Open campaign with a 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) victory on the Louis Armstrong Stadium. The 29-year-old looked to be struggling during a tense first set, complaining to the chair umpire that she was having difficulty breathing after Osorio fought back from 4-1 down to level at 4-4. Jabeur needed treatment from medical staff after going 5-4 down in the first set, but then rallied to take the first set and appeared to poised to clinch victory after holding two match points in the second set while 5-3 up. However Osorio rallied to stave off defeat, and went on to level at 5-5 after breaking Jabeur. Jabeur broke back immediately to take a 6-5 lead but was then broken once again to send the second set to a tie break. Jabeur

KARACHI: The US dollar seems to hold complete sway over the exchange rate these days as banks, as well as forex companies, watch helplessly. Currency experts said the dollar rates quoted by the banks and exchange companies are not real. The banks are reluctant to depict the real situation fearing the State Bank reaction, while the exchange companies don’t want to tell the truth fearing action taken against them, they added. The State Bank on Tuesday reported the closing price of dollar at Rs303.05 in the interbank, while the Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan quoted the open market rate at Rs318. Sources in banks said that with the opening of imports — a condition of the IMF — the banks feared that poor dollar inflows are not enough to meet the high demand from importers. Under this situation, the currency dealers in banks resist opening of letter of credits for imports. British pound crosses 400 against rupee in open market The banks are responsible for providing dollar

PAKISTAN opener Fakhar Zaman plays a shot during a practice session at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.—AFP MULTAN: Asia’s cricket giants India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will get a final chance to size each other up before October’s 50-over World Cup when the Asia Cup begins on Wednesday. Fiery rivals India and Pakistan could clash as many as three times if they go all the way in the six-nation continental championship. Pakistan and Sri Lanka are co-hosts, a hybrid model agreed after World Cup hosts India refused to tour Pakistan, with the final on September 17 in Colombo. Babar Azam’s Pakistan, who became the world’s top-ranked ODI team after last week’s 3-0 series sweep against Afghanistan, open their campaign at home on Wednesday against Asia Cup debutants Nepal in Multan. Babar, regretting the snub over Pakistan’s hosting, stressed his team was focused on the opening game against Nepal rather than against arch-rivals India, saying no team can be taken lightly. “In my

LAHORE: The flood level in Sutlej river has started to recede as it moved downstream from Bahawalpur on Tuesday. The decline in water flow has been recorded after the river remained in a high-flood state for the past many weeks as India released water following heavy rains in its northern states. On Tuesday, the water entered the settlements of Weaslan, Sahlan, Lal De Goth, Hasilpur and Khairpur Tamewali in Bahawalpur district and caused widespread destruction. The moderate-level flood is now heading towards tehsil Ahmedpur East, south of Bahawalpur, Dawn has learnt. Regarding the threat to at least seven villages in Ahmedpur East, Bahawal­pur Deputy Commissioner Zaheer Anwar Jappa said the embankments and dykes in the area were intact. He warned if the water level increased, it may damage some of the zamindara (private) dykes. The Ahmedpur East assistant commissioner was looking after relief and rescue efforts, Mr Jappa said, adding camps have been set up in the area to house

• Caretakers await IMF nod before offering any relief measures • Solangi says decision expected ‘in hours’ as finance minister in talks with Fund ISLAMABAD: With the nationwide protests over massive power bills growing, the caretaker government has failed to come up with any relief measures as it tries to strike a balance between avoiding drawing the IMF’s ire and causing more citizens to blow a fuse. In the cabinet meeting presided over by Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Tuesday, the interim set-up expressed helplessness on how to address the issue, even on spreading electricity bills in instalments unless the International Monetary Fund cleared it. Interim Information Minister Murtaza Solangi, who didn’t immediately hold a presser after the cabinet’s meeting, later told a private TV channel that the government was engaging with the IMF regarding relief measures for electricity consumers and an announcement was expected soon. Mr Solangi told anchor Meher Bokhari th

India said on Tuesday that it had lodged a strong protest with China over a new map that lays claim to India’s territory, the latest irritant in testy ties between the Asian giants. The protest by New Delhi followed reports in the Indian media that Beijing had released an official “standard map” showing the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin plateau as its official territory. China claims Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern Himalayas to be a part of southern Tibet and had in April released a map renaming 11 places in the state as being within “Zangnan”, or southern Tibet in Chinese. Aksai Chin is a disputed plateau in the western Himalayas claimed by India but controlled by China. “We have today lodged a strong protest through diplomatic channels with the Chinese side on the so-called 2023 ‘standard map’ of China that lays claim to India’s territory,” the Indian foreign ministry spokesperson said. “We reject these claims as they have no basis. Such steps by the Chi

DAMASCUS: Israeli air strikes on Aleppo airport in northern Syria caused the grounding of flights on Monday, Syrian state news agency SANA reported, citing a military source. During more than 12 years of civil war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its territory, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters as well as Syrian army positions. “At about 4:30am (0130 GMT) this morning, the Israeli enemy undertook an aerial aggression from the direction of the Mediterranean west of Latakia, targeting Aleppo International Airport,” the source said, adding that this resulted in damage to the runway. Israel rarely comments on strikes it carries out in Syria, but has repeatedly said it will not allow its arch-foe Iran to expand its presence in the country. An Israeli army spokesperson on Monday said: “We do not comment on reports in the foreign media.” Syrian transport ministry official Suleiman Khalil said the damage centred on the only func

KARACHI: The increasing difference between the interbank and open market rates of the dollar has thrown up a challenge for the government as the Standby Arrangement (SBA) with the International Monetary Fund requires it to keep the differential down to 1.25 per cent. The differential has now soared to 5.6pc. A key condition of the $3bn SBA, signed last month , relates to the market-determined exchange rate. “Steadfast policy implementation is vital for Pakistan to overcome its current challenges through greater fiscal discipline, a market-determined exchange rate to absorb external pressures, and further progress on reforms,” said the IMF. Unrelenting rise The dollar has trampled upon all barriers since the IMF deal, shooting up to Rs302 in the interbank market on Monday. The open market unofficial rate, which is close to the real rate, was Rs319 — a difference of 5.6pc. The rupee has been steadily weakening after the IMF deal, registering a depreciation of Rs26.5 in six weeks. I

A woman sits with her belongings at a flooded village in Okara, on Monday. According to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, excess water in the Sutlej has caused widespread destruction in at least seven districts of Punjab—AFP • Bahawalpur DC says 128,000 people evacuated • Locals lament ‘inadequate support’ • PMD forecasts more rain in catchment areas LAHORE / BAHAWALPUR: The high water flow in Sutlej river moved downstream on Monday after causing widespread devastation in villages and riverine settlements around Bahawalpur city. The river has been in a high-flood state for the past many weeks after India released water following heavy rains in its northern states. The high water flow submerged Bahawalpur suburbs after several zamindara (private) protective dykes were breached. The water entered the settlements of Weaslan, Sahlan, Lal De Goth, Hasilpur and Khairpur Tamewali. According to Bahawalpur Deputy Commissioner Zaheer Anwar Jappa, the administration had mo

Two police officials were martyred and three were injured in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat when unidentified gunmen attacked a patrolling vehicle on Monday, according to an official. Lakki Marwat District Police Officer (DPO) Tariq Habib told Dawn.com that the gunmen launched an assault on a patrolling vehicle from the Pizo Police Station, resulting in the immediate death of two officers. Following the incident, a large contingent of police officers arrived at the scene, cordoned off the area and launched an investigation into the incident, he added. Separately, unidentified attackers targeted a police checkpoint in Swat and injured an officer. Swat DPO Shafiullah told Dawn.com that the assailants, whose identities remain unknown, targeted a checkpoint in the Talegra area. Consequently, one police officer sustained injuries and was transported to Saidu Sharif Teaching Hospital, the DPO added. Subsequently, he said a police team arrived at the scene and initiated a search ope

UGANDA’S Victor Kiplangat approaches the finish line to win the men’s marathon final during the World Athletics Championships on Sunday.—AFP BUDAPEST: Uganda’s Victor Kiplangat won the men’s marathon at the World Athletics Champio­nships on Sunday, while Maru Teferi of Israel finished with silver despite taking a tumble. The 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Kiplangat broke away on his own with about 4 km (2.5 miles) to go, crossing the finish line with a time of two hours, 8 minutes, 53 seconds — 19 seconds ahead of Teferi. The race had appeared to be heading for a close finish, with Kiplangat and Ethiopia’s Leul Gebresilase enjoying a sizeable lead as they entered the final 10 km lap, but Gebresilase faded late and was left behind by the 23-year-old Ugandan. “When I reached 30 km I knew I felt strong and decided to push. I had great energy and that allowed me to go. Then at 35 km I could surge again,” Kiplangat said after his victory. “That was always my plan and I manage

KABUL: Middle-order batter Najibullah Zadran returned to Afghanistan’s 17-man squad on Sunday ahead of the Asia Cup after recovering from a knee injury. The 30-year-old left-hander had to miss the three-match series against Pakistan which Afghanistan lost 3-0 in Colombo on Saturday. The selection committee hoped Najibullah will be ready for the six-nation event starting in Multan from Wednesday. “Najibullah missed the recently concluded Pakistan series due to a knee injury but has been included and is expected to recover from the injury prior to the start of the event,” the Afghanistan Cricket Board said in a statement. Afghanistan will face Bangladesh in Lahore on September 3 before rounding off the group stage of the Asia Cup with a game against Sri Lanka at the same venue two days later. Pakistan will host four matches while Sri Lanka will host nine in the Asia Cup. All-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai has been ruled out of the competition due to a side strain while Gulbadin Naib an

• Standing crops submerged • 175 relief camps set up • 480 villages affected so far BAHAWALPUR/LAHORE: Panic gripped Bahawalpur and adjacent areas as a number of zamindara (private) protective dykes could not withstand the strong Sutlej water currents that inundated three main villages on the outskirts of town. Sunday’s peak discharge in Sutlej at Empress bridge was 130,000 cusecs which flooded settlements of Weaslan, Sahlan and Lal De Goth. Their residents had been evacuated along with their livestock well before the breaches occurred. But their standing crops have been submerged over a vast area. Since these villages are close to the city, there is concern among the general public about the possible flooding but officials said the situation was under control. After learning about breaches in the morning, Deputy Commissioner Zaher Anwar Jappa visited the affected areas and supervised the strengthening of dykes being done through heavy machinery. He said efforts were on to protec

LAHORE / LONDON: In the wake of the mysterious death of 10-year-old Sara Sharif in England earlier this month, the Jhelum police teams are intensively searching for her family, including prime suspect Malik Urfan Sharif, the girl’s father, officials said. Police teams have carried out frequent raids at all the possible hideouts, including in Mr Sharif’s hometown, Dena in Jhelum; in Sara’s mother’s hometown, Mirpur in Azad Jammu and Kashmir; and in Sialkot, where close relatives of the suspects live. However, police said the family remained elusive, with Mr Sharif taking extra precautions to avoid detection. Officials said the suspected family might have gone underground somewhere in some other province. Jhelum DPO Nasir Mahmood Bajwa, however, hoped on Sunday that the prime suspect would be arrested within 24 hours. Police conduct raids in hometowns of Sara’s parents; girl’s grandfather appeals son to come forward The body of Sara Sharif, daughter of Olga Sharif and 31-year-old

ISLAMABAD: The Islam­abad High Court Bar Associ­ation (IHCBA) on Sunday condemned the ongoing “malicious campaign circulating on social media targeting the Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Justice Aamer Farooq”. A statement issued by IHCBA president Naveed Malik stated that the bar strongly condemned the ongoing malicious campaign circulating on social media against the IHC chief justice, although it did not mention anyone as responsible for it. The ministry of law, as reported by PPI , held the PTI responsible for the campaign. Justice Farooq, who has been hearing Imran Khan’s appeal against the trial court’s decision that convicted the PTI chairman in the Toshakhana case, was recently accused by the former prime minister of trying to keep the petitioner behind bars to prevent him from contesting general elections. The chief justice is scheduled to hear the final arguments on Monday (today). The IHCBA statement noted, “Justice Farooq, renowned for his unwavering

ISLAMABAD: The caretaker government has tightened the fiscal policy, banning supplementary grants except in case of severe natural calamities and setting strict conditions for diverting funds to other objectives until an elected government takes charge. “No Supplementary Grants for any additional unbudgeted spending over the parliamentary appro­ved level in FY24 [current fiscal year] will be appr­oved in order to remain within the approved budgetary allocation, at least until the formation of a new government after the elections (except if needed to respond to a severe natural disaster),” the Ministry of Finance told all ministries, divisions and associated departments and entities in a memorandum. It said cases for supplementary grants, even in severe natural disasters, would be considered where no funds could be made available through reappropriation. In that case, the technical supplementary grants would be taken up once the principal accounting officer leading the entity concerne

BUDAPEST: When Arshad Nadeem saw the javelin land on his third attempt, he looked up and smiled for the world. A season’s best throw of 87.82 metres at the World Athletics Cham­pionships on Sunday had lifted Arshad from sixth to second place in the javelin throw final, only behind India’s Olym­pic champion Neeraj Chopra. Chopra had set the bar with his first legitimate throw on the second attempt when he threw the javelin 88.17 metres. In the next three throws, Arshad tried to reel in those 35 centimetres but couldn’t conjure up the 90.18-metre throw that saw him clinch gold at the Commonwealth Games last year . Arshad still made history in the Hungarian capital, winning Pakistan’s first medal at the biennial track and field spectacle with his second-placed finish and showing he can end Pakistan’s long Olympic medal drought at next year’s Games in Paris. His achievement becomes even more remarkable considering the fact that this was his first international appearance in a yea