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Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that the government is ready to hold dialogue with the opposition on all national issues, but not on the ongoing accountability process, local media reported yesterday. Speaking with the media at Parliament House, he said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has taken a stance that a general pardon will not be given to “corrupt” elements. “We are political people, and believe in political process and dialogue,” Qureshi added. He said that the opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leadership held a meeting at Jati Umra in Lahore, but differences among the constituent parties of the alliance have already come forth. Qureshi said that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)’s Central Executive Committee has decided that the party will take part in the upcoming by-elections and the Senate elections, and that it will not tender resignations from assemblies. He said the PPP has also not decided any date for long march. Qureshi said that differences are visible in the PDM over the issue of resignations, and shows lack of confidence within the alliance.

In the last 24 hours, the novel virus claimed the lives of 55 more people across the country taking the total number of deaths to 10,047. Some 36,390 people were tested for the virus across the country, taking the number of total tests conducted to 6,656,373. Out of these, 2,155 people tested positive, taking the nationwide tally to 477,240. The break-up is: Sindh 1,100 new cases; Punjab 626; Balochistan 19; and KP 236 cases. Meanwhile, Islamabad reported 166, Gilgit-Baltistan 2, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir 6 new Covid-19 cases. There are 37,080 active cases in the country. On Tuesday, Pakistan reported its first confirmed cases of a new coronavirus strain detected in the United Kingdom. In a statement, the Sindh health department said that 12 samples of UK returnees were taken for genotyping out of which six were positive and three showed the new variant of the coronavirus virus in the first phase. Later, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) also released a statement, saying that two more patients admitted to the National Institute of Health in Islamabad also showed the new variant. Meanwhile Pakistanis looking to fly back to the country have not been able to board flights at the Heathrow Airport in London. According to local media reports, airlines have refused to fly back passengers despite Pakistan government’s directives that their passport-holders and students would be allowed to travel to the country, provided they hold a negative coronavirus test conducted within 72 hours of the travel time. The passengers, however, are not being allowed to board flights even with a negative Covid-19 test result. They staged a protest over the non-co-operation of the airlines at the Heathrow Airport. Countries including Pakistan placed travel restrictions and closed their borders to the United Kingdom after a new strain of the coronavirus was detected earlier this month. The new strain, referred to by some experts as the B.1.17 lineage, is not the first variant of Covid-19 pandemic, but it is said to be up to 70% more transmissible than the previously dominant strain in the UK. It has since been detected in some European countries, South Africa, India, Japan and Pakistan. On December 21, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) placed a temporary restriction on inbound flights from the UK. The government had made it mandatory for people to download the Pass Track App app which records the basic information of passengers arriving in Pakistan before coming to Pakistan.

Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra delivered 14 dual-seat JF-17 aircraft to Pakistan Air Force (PAF), local media reported yesterday. The jets would also be used for pilots’ training. The induction of JF-17 aircraft will increase the potential for national defence. The Chinese-designed dual-seat fighter jet produced jointly by Pakistan were inducted into PAF’s fleet during a ceremony held in Kamra. Earlier, China ramped up the production of JF-17 fighter jet, which was jointly developed with Pakistan. In the first half of 2020, the number of aircraft delivered was the most in the past five years, according to industry reports. The production line of the JF-17 has on average shortened the production period of a single aircraft by 15 days compared to last year. The Pakistani Air Force is the main operator of JF-17 fighter jets. Myanmar also flies the Chinese-Pakistani made fighter jets. The latest, powered-up version of the JF-17, known as the JF-17 Block 3, made its maiden flight in December 2019, the Aerospace Knowledge magazine reported then.

Claiming the opposition will reconsider its decision to resign from the parliament, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said the resignations should be handwritten, media reported yesterday. “Computer printed resignations have no legal value,” he pointed out while talking to reporters during a visit to the office of Islamabad chief commissioner. About the controversy whether the opposition Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) PML-N parliamentarians Murtaza Javed Abbasi had tendered his resignation or not, the minister said that (PML-N vice president) Maryam Nawaz had in her speech at Larkana rally claimed that the lawmaker would “throw” his resignation before the speaker of the National Assembly. But on the other side, he added, “you see Abbasi saying ‘I did not send this’ to the speaker”. The minister said it was up to Abbasi to decide “whether he wants to listen to Maryam” or get an investigation done as to who sent a resignation in his name to the National Assembly Secretariat. “I am sure that he will say to the speaker that it [sending the resignation] was a fraud.” Rashid said the opposition’s main battle was actually against the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the process of accountability. The minister took a swipe at PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, accusing the two of running money laundering networks. He said they just wanted the government and NAB to ignore the cases against them.  He particularly mentioned Manzoor Paperwalla belonging to Pind Dadan Khan, who allegedly gave $8 million to Hamza Shahbaz, Sharif’s nephew, and a falooda (sweet drink) seller who is said to have millions coming into his fake account created for money laundering. Responding to a question about Sharif opposing a national dialogue, Rashid said the opposition leaders kept “silent” for two years because they thought they would get an opportunity to save their skins.  However, he added, they suddenly got united when they realised that what they wanted did not happen. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan had only one slogan: he would neither give any reconciliation deal nor would NAB be disbanded whether the proposed national dialogue was held or not. The minister said the government would decide its response when the PDM announced the date for its long march.  “Imran Khan can take any decision. We have not held a meeting and are yet to decide when and where we will set up reception camps for them,” he said while castigating the opposition. Rashid said that Pakistan Army neither remained involved in politics nor would it do so in the future. “Pakistan Army was with democracy, is with democracy and will remain with democracy,” he declared. He wondered why the opposition did not name General Zia when they talked about the alleged role of the army in politics. Referring to Nawaz Sharif’s close association with the former military dictator, he said: “They are a product of GHQ’s gate number four.” He was responding to the speeches of PDM leadership made a day before at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh in Larkana on the occasion of late prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s death anniversary.

In a move that effectively torpedoes the ongoing opposition movement to topple Prime Minister Imran Khan from power, the left-leaning Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) yesterday declared its intention to contest the forthcoming Senate election as well as bye-elections on vacant seats of the national and provincial assemblies. The decision announced following the party’s Central Executive Committee meeting by chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is a major blow to the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N), the leading opposition party, and beleaguered Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam – Fazlur (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman, who is also the head of the 11-party alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) that was formed three months ago amid much fanfare.  Both Rehman and Maryam Nawaz, daughter of former prime minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, had been trying to convince the electorate that all parties were onboard this time to oust Prime Minister Khan with a series of vocal rallies across the country.  Only this weekend, Maryam had taken an unprecedented leap of faith to attend and address at the annual PPP homage to slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto that underscored what seemed like a blossoming bonhomie between two of Pakistan’s arch political rivals. Regardless of the apparent political bromance, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, who is close to the country’s powerful security establishment, had been betting on a façade he believed former president Asif Zardari, Bilawal’s father, widely considered to be the shrewdest politician in Pakistan, was creating by using the PDM platform to his party’s advantage.  In yesterday’s news conference, Bilawal appeared to confirm Rashid’s claims that the party would never forfeit its turf for the benefit of the Sharifs or Rehman, in not only declaring the PPP’s intent to stay the course, but also advising the opposition “to fight the (ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) in both the assemblies and out in the street”.  “We believe that opposition parties can perform better if they jointly contest the Senate elections against the PTI. We will present these suggestions to the PDM leaders in the upcoming meeting and will decide future course of action with consensus.” However, Bilawal said the PPP leadership had endorsed the PDM’s decision of submitting resignations of lawmakers to the respective party chiefs by December 31. Responding to a question, the PPP leader declined to reveal when the opposition parties will officially leave the assemblies. “The option of resignation is an ‘atom bomb’ and it’s our prerogative to use them at any time.” Amid a barrage of questions, Bilawal rhetorically said: “We have set the January 31 deadline for [PM Imran Khan] to resign or else we will force you to go home.” In his opening remarks, the PPP chairman said the party leadership believed the root cause of prevailing “political crisis” in the country is the establishment’s meddling into political affairs. “We will continue our struggle to stop establishment’s interference into the political matters.” Speculation had been swirling about the fate of the PDM’s future after it was reported Rehman had been angry that Zardari had bluntly refused to resign from the assemblies and leaving the Sindh government. It appeared to become more pronounced after the PDM chief did not travel to Larkana at the homage to Bilawal’s late mother. The PPP’s decision to contest elections and remain vague on tendering resignations is especially significant since both Sharif and Rehman were counting on the party to force a change in Islamabad. The PTI government had derived much confidence following the noticeable failure of the PML-N-led drive to host a mammoth public gathering at the famous Minar-e-Pakistan on December 13. Under pressure before the hype-built around the expected power show, the PTI has since felt emboldened to the extent that this past week, it had been challenging the Sharifs to follow on their threat to resign from the parliament. The PPP’s decision to stay in the ring is seen as a remarkable development in the ongoing saga and likely boon for Khan.

Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Adil Shah has won the election for mayor of Islamabad by beating ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf candidate Malik Sajid. Polling for the election continued uninterrupted from 9am to 5pm with Election Commission of Pakistan’s Naeem Ahmed performing the duties of the Returning Officer. A total of three candidates took part in the election for the mayoral post. Pir Adil Shah represented PML-N, Malik Sajid Mehmood was from PTI while Azhar Mehmood contested as an independent candidate. A total of 73 voters exercised their right to vote, of which Adil Shah won 43 votes while Malik Sajid secured 26 votes. The Election Commission of Pakistan had earlier announced holding of election on December 28 to fill the vacant seat of Mayor in Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). Through a notification, the commission, while issuing the election schedule, called upon the members of Metropolitan Corporation to elect Mayor of the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad, against the vacant seat as per schedule.

Eight nurses and midwives from Pakistan have made it to the global 100 Outstanding Women Nurse and Midwife Leaders 2020 list. The healthcare workers have been acknowledged by Women in Global Health (WGH), which collaborated with the World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Population Fund, Nursing Now, International Council of Nurses, and International Confederation of Midwives on the list. All eight nurses and midwives from Pakistan are faculty or alumni of the Aga Khan University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery, SONAM. The list recognised 100 nurses and midwives from 43 countries for their contribution to raising healthcare standards across the globe, “especially during these difficult times” of the coronavirus pandemic, a statement issued by the Aga Khan University (AKU) said.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari yesterday called upon Prime Minister Imran Khan to resign latest by January 31st next year, failing which he pledged to hit the road and converge on Islamabad to force him to do so. “If [PM] Imran does not resign by January 31 then we will march on Islamabad,” he thundered during a speech where he asked his supporters to be ready to endure “baton-charge” and “other forms of intimidation” by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. Bilawal was addressing a large crowd here at the 13th death anniversary of his mother Benazir Bhutto, the two-time former prime minister who was assassinated on December 27, 2007 following a public meeting in the garrison city of Rawalpindi during a gruelling election campaign where she had already survived one such attempt a month earlier in Karachi.  Garhi Khuda Bux is the ancestral graveyard of the Bhuttos, Pakistan’s predominant political dynasty. The PPP organises an annual public meeting here to pay homage to Benazir, whose father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was Pakistan’s first popularly elected prime minister.  Scion Bilawal, 32, is one of the frontline leaders of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an 11-party opposition alliance, which is campaigning to bring down the government of Khan, who it accuses of coming into power through a manipulated election in 2018. Khan denies the charge and alleges that the PDM is a motley crowd of political parties trying to seek a waiver from him by using pressure tactics in order to protect their “looted wealth” whilst in power before he swept into power.  Bilawal alleged that owing to the PTI government’s “anti-people” policies, millions of people were forced to live below the poverty line and couldn’t afford two meals a day, while youngsters were desperate to find jobs. “The rulers neither see your poverty nor your unemployment nor the storm of inflation,” the PPP chairperson said. “He cannot provide bread and employment to people and says ‘I won’t spare anyone.’ But now the people fed up of unemployment, poverty and inflation will not spare him,” he said. “Enough has happened. If this government is given more time they will wreck the country and we won’t let it happen. These selected rulers will also be in the wastebasket of history like (military strongmen) Musharraf and Zia,” the PPP leader said before vowing to bring the curtains on it. “Now this game will end. The business of selected and selection will end,” he said in a veiled reference to the military establishment, which the PDM regularly targets as the force behind the 2018 election. In a departure from previous annual party gatherings at Benazir’s death anniversary here, other leaders of the PDM, notably Maryam Nawaz, daughter of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) vice president, was also invited.  An erstwhile rival of the Bhuttos, the Sharif scion, took the mike to drive home solidarity with a typically aggressive speech targeting the incumbent prime minister. “Your war is not with PDM but with the 220 million people of Pakistan whom you have struck like lightning,” she Maryam said referring to Prime Minister Khan, before declaring that the people had “won” this war. She said when Bilawal was unable to attend the PDM rally in Mardan, last month, Khan was “jumping around with elation” believing there had been a rift within the opposition. She alleged he will say the same about today’s rally which PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, a bitter critic of Khan, did not attend. Making light of Khan’s dismissal of her and Bilawal as “kids”, the PML-N vice-president said: “These kids are half your age but they are giving you sleepless nights.”  Asif Zardari, former president and PPP Co-chairman, also addressed the gathering via video link.  “The PTI government was unable to run the country and it would remain so. These aren’t folks who run a country, they are ones who run a cricket team,” the ailing leader said in reference to Khan, who famously led Pakistan to victory in the 1992 cricket World Cup. “But I want you not to worry so much, they have little time left. They will fall on their own weight,” the PPP leader predicted.

The recently expelled leaders of the Jamiat Ulema Islam – Fazl (JUI-F) are meeting in Islamabad next week amid reports that a new faction of the party may be launched on the occasion. As the JUI-F is said to be facing resentment from its senior cadre over the expulsion of Maulana Mohamed Khan Sherani, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Maulana Gul Naseeb and Maulana Shujaul Mulk, they have reportedly decided to launch their own faction against Maulana Fazlur Rehman. A member of the JUI-F, requesting not be named, said the four leaders would meet in Islamabad on tomorrow and like-minded members of the party were also expected to attend the meeting. They will announce their future course of action at a news conference after the meeting. The four leaders of JUI-F were expelled from the party on Friday following a decision by its disciplinary committee. Sources in the party said the group of dissidents was led by former chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology Maulana Sherani, who had been the chief of Balochistan chapter of the JUI-F for nearly 32 years. Former senator and former spokesman of the JUI-F Hafiz Hussain also belongs to Balochistan. Former senator Maulana Gul Naseeb and ex-MNA Maulana Shuja belong to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Meanwhile, Maulana Shuja, in a statement issued on Saturday, termed the expulsion of senior JUI-F leaders illegal `as proper process had not been adopted`. He said Rehman was trying to pit senior ulema and party leaders against the state institutions just to save himself from corruption cases to be filed by National Accountability Bureau (NAB). `If Maulana sahib is clean, he should present his record before NAB and everything would be clear, Maulana Shuja said and added that just because of notices issued to him by the accountability watchdog, Rehman was asking the party workers to stage sit-ins. In a statement, Hafiz Hussain said he was removed from his post for rejecting the allegations leveled by Nawaz Sharif against the military leadership as these were not in line with the JUI-F`s policies. He described the 11-party opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement as an “unnatural alliance”. Meanwhile, another dissident group of the JUI-F, that had parted ways with Rehman in 2007, criticised both him and Sherani at a news conference in the National Press Club. Maulana Abdul Qadir Luni, naib [deputy] emir of the JUI-Nazaryati, claimed that the four expelled leaders of the party were in touch with his group. Luni said Rehman was indulging in ‘hereditary politics’ as he had appointed his son parliamentary leader of the JUI-F in the National Assembly and made his brother a senator.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has introduced a winter special offer for passengers travelling on its domestic flights, reports said yesterday. According to the national flag carrier, it will increase the number of flights under the offer, which will remain effective December 25-31. The flights will be operated between Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. The PIA announced that it would charge a fare of Rs7,800 for flights between the three cities while the return ticket would be charged at Rs15,600. In another incentive announced by the national flag carrier on December 18, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) introduced special fares to facilitate travellers visiting Skardu and Gilgit so that they could visit some of the highest global peaks in the globe. Sharing the details on its Twitter feed, the national flag carrier announced that it would now be charging a minimum one-way fare of Rs6,915 from passengers travelling from Islamabad to Skardu and Gilgit areas of the federally-administered region. “Time to admire highest peaks in the world in Gilgit!!” the PIA said in a message.  CEO PIA Air Marshal Arshad Malik while speaking to Marketing team and airline officials at a review meeting instructed them to provide the best services to the passengers travelling on domestic as well as international flights.  He also instructed the employees to work with new zeal, strength and enthusiasm for the betterment of the airline with the start of the new year.  The special fare has been announced keeping in view the weather conditions and providing convenient, accessible and affordable air travel facility, especially to the people of Northern Areas and other PIA travellers.

A military helicopter has crashed in mountainous northern Pakistan, killing four soldiers including the two pilots, the army said. The chopper crashed Saturday in the Gilgit-Baltistan region "due to technical reasons" while transporting the body of a soldier to the military hospital in Skardu, it said in a statement. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) came under heavy scrutiny this year after one its planes came down among houses in Karachi, killing 98 people. In August 2015, 12 people were killed when an army chopper crashed in the northwest. In May the same year a Mi-17 army helicopter crashed at a holiday resort in the picturesque hills of Gilgit killing seven people, including two foreign ambassadors. Known for its spectacular mountain ranges, Gilgit-Baltistan is a strategically important autonomous region that borders China, Afghanistan and Indian-held Kashmir.

Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz yesterday dispelled rumours that PML-N President and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif was considering going against his brother PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, saying he would have become the prime minister if he was disloyal to the three-time prime minister but “he rejected all offers”. Maryam was talking to the media at the their Jati Umra residence here before leaving for Sindh where she has been invited by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to attend a rally today on the death anniversary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.  She was responding to a poser about why Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) secretary general Muhammad Ali Durrani called on Shahbaz in Kot Lakhpat jail to convey a message from his party chief Sibghatullah Rashidi, better known as the Pir of Pagaro, instead of approaching her or other leaders. Maryam explained that the party had received several messages, including from the government, for negotiations but after not getting a response, “people were being sent” for negotiations to meet the incarcerated leader. Maryam questioned how “such personalities” were allowed to visit Shahbaz in Kot Lakhpat jail without any “issues or obstacles” when even his family was not allowed to meet him. “This clears a lot of things,” she said. Maryam also dispelled rumours that Shahbaz was considering going against his brother, saying that it had been “proven in the past and today that Shshbaz Sharif is very loyal to his brother and his party”. “If he was not loyal, then there would be no need to bring this inefficient prime minister to power, [Shahbaz] would have been made prime minister. He has rejected all such offers and the proof of that is him and his son being in jail,” she added. On Thursday, Durrani had reportedly said after meeting Shahbaz in jail that the PML-N leader was “asked to play his role in persuading the opposition against resigning from the assemblies as the move could wrap up the democratic system”. “There is a need to initiate a grand dialogue among the national institutions and politicians, make the parliament functional and gather all Muslim Leagues under one platform,” Durrani said. He claimed Shahbaz also “agreed to the proposal of Pir of Pagaro” but told him, “I cannot play any role as long as I am in jail.” When asked whether Durrani’s meeting with Shahbaz was also related to upcoming by-elections for the seats of National and provincial assemblies, Maryam said there was a debate within the party and there were two opinions. “The overwhelming opinion is that we should not participate in the by-elections. We can sacrifice a few seats when we know this government is going,” she said, adding however that the final decision would be taken by (Pakistan Democratic Movement chief) Maulana Fazlur Rehman and the PDM on January 2. to a question regarding the possibility of a dialogue with the government, Maryam said: “I believe Nawaz Sharif has made a very determined decision. Maulana Fazlur Rehman is very clear and all leaders of the PDM are very clear that no negotiations will be held with this fake government.” Maryam claimed to have so far received 159 out of 160 resignations from PML-N lawmakers in the Punjab Assembly and one was remaining because the MPA concerned was hospitalised and had been put on ventilator. She had also received resignations from 95 members of the National Assembly (MNAs), she said. Referring to the recent controversy in which the National Assembly Secretariat issued notices to two PML-N lawmakers – Murtaza Javed Abbasi and Sajjad Awan – for confirmation of their resignations which they denied they had sent to the NA speaker, Maryam said: “Nobody can expect Murtaza Javed Abbasi and Sajjad Awan to quit. They themselves are surprised how their resignations reached there.” She said all party lawmakers had been directed to send resignations to the PML-N leadership by December 31 and then, if the PDM decided to do so, the party leadership would submit the resignations to the NA speaker. Maryam said those who were trying to create rifts among party members would not be successful. “Even our members know the future is not Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s. They tried to do that with (Rehman’s) Jamiat Ulema Islam and it backfired. People are very aware now and if you bring forward party dissidents and bring them into the mainstream, people understand it and it will not work.” Maryam said she was “very happy” to be going to Benazir Bhutto’s anniversary event. “She gave her life bravely for this country. It is an honour for me to attend her anniversary.” She said that the Charter of Democracy given to the nation by Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif changed history and now she, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and all leaders of the PDM would take it forward. She also emphasised that while all parties under the PDM’s banner had different ideologies, they were “all united for Pakistan”.

Earlier this month, two songs from two different studios – Coke Studio and Velo Sound Station – were released and both created a sensation amongst the listeners, garnering millions of views in just a few hours. Both sound tracks, Na Tutteya Ve and Boom Boom feature Meesha Shafi as the lead vocalist, touching the base of two completely different genres and language.  Where Na Tutteya Ve is in Punjabi language and a female anthem, featuring six other female artistes, Boom Boom (remake of the iconic sound track by Nazia Hassan) is a club banger, the first of its kind to be released in mainstream or commercial music stream. The past decade has been extraordinary one in the life of Meesha Shafi. Even if you have only casual knowledge of Meesha’s music – there may be hardly anyone in Pakistan who can’t sing all the words to Jugni, a Coke Studio Season 3 release in 2010. Meesha has become not only one of the most successful female recording artistes of this decade in Pakistan, but also an unrivalled power broker who has prevailed in a volatile Pakistan music industry and brought today’s music overlords to heel with her powerful female vocals.  This December, Meesha have had the number-one, number-two songs in Pakistan and a couple more released along the same timeline. “It is sinking in. I have felt this feeling before, but this time it’s on a different scale. It gave me a reminder, a nostalgia, that I had experienced this kind of love and success before when Jugni came out. At that time, it was a kind of my mainstream debut and it feels like this beautiful starting and ending sort of punctuated my ten years in music,” Meesha said in an exclusive interview with Gulf Times. She feels that music coming out of Pakistan has taken a turn towards experimentation over the last decade. “Listeners have changed, music has changed. As an artiste myself, I have explored a lot of different things, stylistically. The way I sing, the way I use my voice and play with different genres – making it audio-visual experience now for the last few years has come into play.” After Jugni, having a theatre background Meesha ventured into acting with a few projects in the Pakistani drama industry and also making appearances in Hollywood and Bollywood productions. However, she didn’t pursue it later as keenly.  “I didn’t pursue because sitting in Pakistan, like 95% of the scripts that are being written just do not resonate with me. I am selective towards substance,” Meesha adds, “The script writing has gone down unfortunately. I think in our dramas they are romanticising, turning it into a badge of honour, that you’re a good woman if you are putting up with the mistreatment, abuse and injustice. I don’t agree with that and I don’t want to be a part of that narrative. I think it’s an unhealthy direction to be following.” Since 2007, Coke Studio has rapidly become one of the most influential platforms in musical media whilst winning praise from everyone who’s familiar with it, including from fans across the border in India. However, some people from within music industry form a strong opinion that such platforms stagnate the music industry. Meesha responds, “You know the idiom ‘sour grapes’? That’s it! I think it’s a case of that. I’m not saying it in a judgmental way but very factually… that I think it’s human nature to feel resentment to things you’re not included in. Don’t view things from a bitter perspective,” she adds, “Myself included, there are lists of names of artistes these very platforms have been responsible for transforming the lives of. It’s undeniable what these platforms have done for folk and regional artistes, folk instruments that we have in our South Asian heritage that were never really used previously in mainstream music. It’s not fair to say that it’s doing nothing for the artistes. Such platforms have created a complete eco system where every season new artistes are introduced, from absolutely unknown to indie, and mixes them all up. Coke Studio has especially placed Pakistani music on the global map.” Talking about Na Tutteya Ve and its resonance with female empowerment in Pakistan, Shafi says, “It’s an anthem of equal rights, female empowerment and saluting the resilience of women. I’m very close to it and feel very passionate about right and wrong, moral values and what our responsibilities are as a society and as artistes. I’m very happy that (the current) season opened with such an anthem which is a work of radical-feminist poetry,” she adds, “Female empowerment in Pakistan is heading where it needs to head, gaining momentum, especially (where) younger women are becoming more and more aware about what their rights and what is not okay no matter what. And that kind of mindset is irreversible. I’m noticing that even men, their awareness is expanding and they’re cautious about what’s right and wrong. This generation is not in the mood for nonsense and it’s not gender specific. I’m a parent now and where I find myself in a situation which is not right, I don’t just want to sit and take it. Because then my kids will follow the same example. I think Na Tutteya Ve was a strong statement that even such a big mainstream show is bringing in such conversation to the forefront.”

Pakistan has secured a $1.7bn debt relief agreement to help offset the financial headwinds sparked by the coronavirus pandemic, officials said yesterday. The deal, following months of negotiations with creditors, will provide a moratorium on debt payments for large swathes of the current fiscal year and help ease the cash-strapped country’s massive financial obligations. “The government of Pakistan has successfully negotiated and concluded rescheduling agreements with 19 bilateral creditors, including members of the Paris club,” the country’s ministry of economic affairs said in a statement. The ministry went on to describe the deal as “timely” that will help save the “lives and livelihoods of millions”. Pakistan’s economy was already on life support before officials began shuttering large segments of the economy in the spring as a range of lockdown measures were rolled out to fight the spread of the coronavirus. Prime Minister Imran Khan has repeatedly called for debt forgiveness from international donors as tax revenues cratered, inflation soared, the currency was devalued, and fiscal deficits widened. Earlier this year the G20 and the Paris Club agreed to waive debt payments for the world’s poorest countries in 2020, as sweeping virus lockdowns upturned the global economy. In June, Pakistan was named as one of a handful of countries to secure a moratorium on debt repayments from the Paris Club in an effort to ease the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. To add to the country’s woes, Pakistan has also been facing questions about the amount of debt it has taken on in recent years through Chinese-financed infrastructure projects. Beijing has been steadily pouring cash into Pakistan, investing more than $50bn as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that has upgraded infrastructure, power and transport links across the country.

The head offices of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), including the flight services division, commercial department, and human resource divisions, will be shifted from Karachi to Islamabad by the end of January as part of the restructuring plan of the national flag carrier. The airline’s other operations, including flight scheduling and medical division, corporate development department, works division, and supply chain management, will be shifted to the federal capital by the end of February. The PIA’s internal audit, corporate secretariat, and finance departments will be relocated by the end of March, and the engineering department by the end of June 2021. The human resource cost of the PIA is Rs24.8bn a year, which will be reduced under the restructuring plan. The PIA management is also considering introducing “Sehat Card” (government heath card facility) for employees, discontinuing the present model of medical facility which, it believes, is a huge financial burden on the airline. It said that if the “Sehat Card” option could not be materialised, then either government hospitals would be taken on panels instead of expensive private hospitals, or nominal medical encashment would be made part of salaries. The air tickets scheme (passage facility) is being rationalised to extend the same facility to all classes of employee. The number of tickets authorised to employees is being reduced as these contribute to indirect expenses in terms of fuel cost. The PIA had on December 7 launched a Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS) to get cut 3,500 employees and achieve the 1:250 (250 staff per aircraft) ratio, and set a deadline of December 22 for the scheme. The deadline for the Mandatory Separation Scheme (MSS), which is based on performance and discipline, is January 2021. The deadline for separating non-core functions and fast track across-the-board accountability has been set for March 2021. The fast track accountability includes initial/completion of departmental investigations and inquiries, aggressive perusal of legal cases in court and speeding up investigations at the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Efforts are being made to let the employees go in a dignified manner, with a good financial package. According to the restructuring plan, if the separation of the required number of 3,500 employees was not met through the VSS, the MSS will be launched soon after. All departments/categories of PIA employees will be rationalised to achieve the required number of 3,500 employees. According to plan, excess employees will be mandatorily retired based on performance, discipline, and value addition. Mandatorily-retired employees will not be offered VSS financial packages or medical/passage facilities post-retirement. PIA Officers Association general secretary Safdar Anjum has alleged that the airline management had leaked the restructuring plan with an intention to create panic and fear among the employees, so that they avail of the VSS. “Since the VSS scheme had been introduced, only 650 employees have applied so far,” he tweeted. Anjum said that all the employees who had been transferred from Karachi to Islamabad are facing difficulties getting accommodation and other facilities.

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is not a threat to British interests, British High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner said in an interview with a select group of journalists, local media reported yesterday.  “I am always very clear about CPEC. I don’t regard it as a threat to British interests. If CPEC investments are done in the right way, it will benefit Pakistan as the country needs some restructuring investment. I think important infrastructure is good for business environment as long as investment is done in a way that benefits Pakistan,” he stated. There must be good labour and environmental standards and there should be transfer of knowledge and skills, and projects should not add to debt, he contended. The high commissioner maintained that deals are beneficial as they benefit Pakistan, China and even those partners like the UK who are interested to take part in some projects in Special Economic Zones (SEZ), adding that he was sure that UK’s companies will participate. In reply to a question regarding his recent meeting with Pakistan Army Chief, Qamar Javed Bajwa, he said some conversations did touch on economic issues as they pertain to Afghanistan, including the opening of trade links across the border. About the possibility of opening up the border with India, he said it is difficult to respond in a regional context but cited a World Bank study which suggests that trade across the border with India could unleash 30% growth in Pakistan’s GDP adding that a basic observation is that long-term prosperity and exclusive growth for Pakistan needs partnerships through regional connectivity. The UK government supported Pakistan’s approach towards regional connectivity and Afghan peace negotiation process that is ultimately to deliver jobs for 220 million Pakistanis, he said, adding that Pakistan may create 3 million jobs in the region in a year. “We need more exports in the region to create jobs. This only comes with peace and new opportunity that comes through regional connectivity,” he said adding, “we are certainly looking towards the West — to Afghanistan and central Asian countries.” He said: “We should absolutely support regional economic connectivity that would drive job creation. Regional economic connectivity links back into peace and security”. “As these relate to trade relationship, of course, GSP Plus mechanism is one to talk about. But companies themselves will be self-judging. So if you are looking to have a partnership with a British firm in Pakistan that was susceptible to child labour, then that would be incredibly damaging. As Pakistan looks to drive more exports, irrespective of what my government says on these issues, the companies should be looking to give assurances that these issues are according to international standards,” he emphasised. The high commissioner said he has confirmed that when Britain will leave the EU, which it plans to after December 31, GSP plus with EU will be simply rolled over and GSP will continue after the UK leaves Brexit as the scheme was approved when it was an EU member. Responding to another question, he said “fundamentally, if you look at what Brexit will do, it will empower Britain to do some bilateral trade deals. We are confident that we can build on current level of 3 billion pound exports with Pakistan to take it to the next level. Overall business here, it is already safe, we have natural ties due to people-to-people contact. Broadly speaking, it would not have any negative impact on bilateral trade between Pakistan and UK. I think it creates more opportunity for relations between the two countries.” About the bilateral relationship, he said this was premised on people-to-people contacts. The UK and Pakistan has a long partnership mainly due to people-to-people contacts. So, Pakistan and the UK are a big market. “Therefore, air links matter much to us,” he added.

With casualties from Covid-19 continuing to mount across the country, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has issued guidelines for the upcoming Christmas events to prevent the spread of the virus. In another development, the staff of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in Islamabad, where over 100 critical Covid-19 patients are under treatment, may suspend the service at the coronavirus ward in the upcoming week. According to data issued by the NCOC, 87 deaths and 3,179 new cases were reported with 279 ventilators in use throughout the country. In Multan, 46% of the vents allocated for Covid-19 patients were occupied, 41% were in use in Islamabad, 34% in Lahore and 21% in Peshawar. Terming events related to Christmas a major challenge, the NCOC announced guidelines to mitigate person-to-person spread of the virus. “Christmas events could amplify the transmission of the virus and potentially disrupt the country’s response capacity. With the pandemic in full rage, the safest thing that can be done during this Christmas holiday is to stay home. “There should be limited in-person contacts during holiday preparations and celebrations. Precautions are required by public, especially the Christian community, to protect themselves and prevent transmission,” the centre said. It asked people to undertake minimal necessary travel during the holidays. “Social visits during the holidays and family get-togethers should be avoided. Christmas shopping should only be restricted to minimal essentials and crowding in markets is not advisable. Traditional gift exchange and large-scale home gatherings are likely to increase transmission so they should also be avoided,” it said. The NCOC has advised to limit duration of events and regularly disinfect Christmas trees and decorations in public places.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has chaired a meeting of top Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and coalition leaders to discuss a strategy to deal with the opposition. Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill, and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar attended the meeting. Sources said that the premier will brief the party leadership on the future strategy against the opposition’s anti-government movement, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). The prime minister has also called a meeting of government spokespersons. Meanwhile, at least two separate cases have been registered against the leaders of the PDM for breaking into Greater Iqbal Park and holding public rally, local media reported yesterday. As per details, both the cases have been registered at Lahore’s Larri Ada police station on the complaint of security staff of the park. They stated that the PDM leadership and workers broke locks and forcibly entered the park to make arrangements for the public gathering. One case was registered on the complaint of the supervisor Mohamed Yousuf, and a second one on the complaint of Zeeshan Haider Naqvi. On Saturday Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) workers broke into Lahore’s Greater Iqbal Park to set up stage for the PDM rally. The PML-N workers violated the law and coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs) to force their way into the park. The coronavirus causes the Covid-19 respiratory disease. In wake of rapid rise in Covid-19 cases, the government put a ban on mass gatherings and public rallies across the country. However, the PDM, an alliance of opposition parties, has been violating the ban. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has meanwhile urged the members of opposition parties to stop “playing drama” and resign as lawmakers. In an interview with a private television channel, he said that the leaders of the PDM should present their resignations to the National Assembly Speaker and desist from playing gimmicks with nation anymore. The minister said the government has consistently requested the opposition to refrain from organising public gatherings in open places in the face of increasing coronavirus cases. He said that despite these requests, the opposition parties held a public gathering in Lahore, posing a serious threat to people’s health. Information Minister Faraz has termed the opposition’s Lahore gathering a flop show. In a tweet yesterday, he said that the members of the public have rejected the narrative of the opposition parties. The minister said that the PDM leaders were “perturbed” due to the non-participation of people from Lahore and Punjab. He recalled that “poisonous” language was used against the armed forces in Gujranwala rally, the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam was desecrated in Karachi, and anti-Pakistan slogans were used in their Quetta gathering. And yesterday Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid advised those who were at the PDM rally to quarantine themselves, given the escalating coronavirus positivity rate. The provincial minister said that the PDM rally had increased the concerns of the coronavirus spread in Punjab, and urged everyone who attended the jalsa to quarantine themselves for at least for 14 days in order to keep their families and dear ones safe. She lamented that despite the government’s efforts to prevent mass gatherings from taking place, the opposition still went ahead with their jalsas to put the lives of its workers at stake. “The PDM has carried out a ‘deadly’ attack on the health of its workers under the guise of its lustrous politics and in a bid to hide [their] corruption,” she said. “People will never forgive the PDM, who has become the enemy of their well-being.” On the other hand, PTI Senator Faisal Faisal Javed Khan said that the PDM failed to attract a massive crowd at Minar-e-Pakistan despite its tall claims. “Eleven parties could not gather 22,000 people,” he said. Javed also claimed that the opposition parties posted pictures of old PTI meetings on social media to show that many people attended the jalsa. The PML-N’s Malik Ahmad Khan has said that every jalsa was a unique. “The PDM jalsa is a movement against the ‘tyrannical’ government’s rule,” he added. “I was present at the venue, and saw that there were as many people inside Minar-e-Pakistan’s as there were outside.” “In fact, the … venue was (too small to accommodate) the participants,” he maintained. He also said that the opposition will now exert more pressure on the government. In response to the PTI leaders’ assertion that they would never hand over the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NROs) to them, Ahmed said that PDM leaders are not seeking NROs. “In what capacity can Imran Khan give NROs?” he questioned.

Mohamed Naseem’s eyes shine while he shares the legend of a remote, alpine lake nestled among snow-capped Himalayan peaks as a rare crowd of onlookers hears one of Pakistan’s last “storytellers”. The story of Saif-ul-Malook – the winding saga of a brave prince who falls in love with a fairy – is just one of the 50 tall tales passed down to Naseem by his father. “Usually people tell me I’m crazy when I tell these stories,” says Naseem, whose long white beard and traditional cloak give him the timeless appearance of a storyteller of old. The 65-year-old shopkeeper says it would take days to recite all the stories he learned by heart that are imbued with “the history, the culture” of the land. But few are still listening. Naseem says he hasn’t bothered sharing the stories with his six children, and friends are no longer interested in hearing them as social media, video games, and soap operas have all but eclipsed his ancient art. Video platform TikTok is now a major source of entertainment for the country’s youth, wildly popular in part because it is accessible to illiterate users in rural areas – just as the legends of old once were. “When I die, these stories will die with me,” sighs Naseem outside his shop in northern Pakistan’s Shogran, where winter snows have blanketed the mountains. The city of Peshawar – in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province where Shogran is located – has long been the country’s stronghold of oral history, its Qissa Khawani or “storytellers bazaar” a Silk Road hub where travellers and locals alike congregated to hear a well-spun yarn. The bustling frontier capital was once “the Times Square of the region” because of “the excellence of its storytellers”, explains Naeem Safi – a consultant at an Islamabad-based institute dedicated to Pakistani folk heritage, where cassettes of stories told at the bazaar have been archived. “Writing was not very popular. The transfer of knowledge was verbal. Storytelling was fundamental – people considered themselves educated if they had heard enough stories,” says Safi. Before tuk-tuks and buses clogged its narrow lanes, the market was littered with Silk Road caravans of wandering traders who often stayed the night after the city’s sixteen gates were sealed at dusk. In the evenings, the merchants would hear the city’s famed storytellers – who shared tales about the perils of the road, news of wars and local lore. Storytellers were “the communication tools of that time, they were the messengers”, said Ali Awais Qarni, a researcher in history and literature at the University of Peshawar. “When they were telling the truth, they would always add a little poetry and colour to it,” he said. “People would listen to them for hours.  “Sometimes a story could last a week, or a month.” The bazaar’s tea houses and salons have been replaced by neon signs on garish structures that now dot the traffic-choked streets. “There may be some storytellers left, but the tradition is gone. It has transformed into other forms of storytelling,” Safi added. Long-time Peshawar resident Khwaja Safar Ali, 75, remembers his youth in the city when the arrival of caravans was met with excitement. During the day, “we used to run between the camels’ legs”, he recalls. And when evening came, “we would all sit together and listen to the storytellers”. “They would tell us about Kabul, the USSR, Uzbekistan. We learned about these countries through them.” Modern transportation eventually killed off the caravans, which even by the 1960s had become an increasingly rare sight in the area. Storytellers continued to perform for smaller circles, but were gradually replaced by radios and then televisions. This autumn, one of Peshawar’s few remaining storytellers died aged 86, said Jalil Ahmed, a tour guide who frequently took his clients to hear the recitations. The narrator once owned a small hotel where the caravanners lodged and listened to stories “for a few pennies” over steaming cups of green tea. “But now the only way to see storytellers in Peshawar is to go to the cemetery,” Ahmed sighed.

The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has announced a long march to Islamabad, by late January or early February. The announcement came during a rally at Lahore’s Minar-e-Pakistan yesterday, hosted by the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N). Even though the organisers of the jalsa had asked the attendees to reach the venue at 2pm, hundreds of supports started gathering there earlier despite the cold weather, enthusiastically chanting slogans, carrying flags, and warming up the atmosphere. In her address, PML-N vice-president Maryam Nawaz urged supporters to answer the call for a march to Islamabad, while Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari formally announced that the movement is now headed to Islamabad. PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that the march will take place in late January or early February. Rehman saluted the passion and enthusiasm of those gathered. “The resolve that you have shown will prove to be a milestone in history,” he said. “The country is currently ruled by an illegitimate government,” Rehman said. The PDM chief vowed that the government “will be of the people”. “This system of rigging will no longer work.” Rehman said that people’s emotions are now turning into anger and resentment. He said the entire movement is aimed at securing stability for Pakistan. “Let us all make a vow today. We must keep our land free,” he said to the crowd. “And like a free nation, we have to forge our own identity.” He claimed that never in 73 years did India “dare such a move” but today has “illegally occupied Kashmir and swallowed it whole”. “Today the poor are unemployed, and inflation has broken the backs of the people,” Rehman said, adding that the youth to whom golden dreams were shown have no source of income today. Taking Prime Minister Imran Khan to task, he said: “When he was staging sit-ins, he had benefactors, and now that he is in the government, it is because he was brought here.” Rehman said that the PDM demands the rule of parliament. “We will not allow parliament to be held hostage.” He vowed that electoral reforms will be brought in for free elections and that people’s rights will be safeguarded, as well as those of the provinces. The PDM chief also promised freedom of speech and protection of media, and the eradication of terrorism. “We will march towards Islamabad in late January or early February,” he said, adding that all the opposition parties will “take our resignations with us”. “We will no longer allow the illegitimate government to rule. We will only rest after it is brought to an end.” Bilawal began his address by saying that the PPP’s foundations were laid in Lahore by party founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. He paid tribute to all those who had died in Lahore but never bowed to dictators. Bilawal said that the PDM is reaching out to every town and village. “Things are in a dismal state with today’s incompetent, illegal and unqualified government. People have nothing but curses in their hearts and on their lips.” The PPP chairman said that these “fools have no clue or wisdom about history”, adding: “When have we ever feared dictators? We have burned all our boats.” He said that when the people band together in a show of force, “chains of oppression are broken”. “Your victory is near,” he said, to a roaring crowd. “Inshallah, this puppet government will be sent home.” He said that although students, traders, doctors, and shopkeepers are all in deep distress, the future of Pakistan is bright. “The government cannot feel the pain of the people because they did not come through your vote. This is not the choice of the people.” Bilawal said that the “biggest joke” was being pulled with Punjab, where the “fake government” has no concern for the people’s rights. “In the city of lights there is nothing but darkness,” he added. The PPP chairman said that the PDM stands by the people of Lahore. He said that it is the platform’s demand to free Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif, who is the PML-N president, and the PPP’s Khurshid Shah. Bilawal said that when students demand their rights through student unions, there is “police gardi”; when doctors and nurses ask for their rights, force is used against them; and when farmers ask for their rights, they are “martyred”. “But the night of the oppression is about to end,” he said. The PPP chairman said that all the opposition parties have put aside their political differences and are standing together on the platform of PDM. He said this was done “so we can restore your rightfully chosen leaders”. “This isn’t a fight for rule. This is a war to deliver roti, kapra and makaan (food, clothing and shelter). This is a war for the youth, for the labourers and for all of you.” “We have sacrificed our lives for this democracy. And we will defend this democracy and your votes with our blood,” Bilawal added. “Now there will be a long march! Islamabad, we are coming! When we reach Islamabad, we will snatch the undeserving prime minister’s resignation. We are united,” he declared. Maryam Nawaz, welcoming supporters to the gathering, said: “Who would say … that the PML-N should dare and fill the venue?” “To them I say: Come and behold this full venue. The entire area surrounding the venue is full. Thousands could not find space here,” she said. Maryam also urged the supporters to give a warm welcome to leaders of other provinces that have arrived. She said that Lahore will be the binding force for all provinces. Lauding the people of Lahore for the welcome they had shown her in the days leading up to the rally, Maryam said that every nook and corner of the city had turned into a jalsa venue in the lead-up to the gathering. Maryam said she will never be able to repay the people for the kindnesses shown to her in all her life. She also requested that the men present respect and take care of and protect the women in attendance. “I have received word that the media is being told to portray as if the rally failed. I know who is making these calls,” Maryam said, adding: “The people of Lahore have thrown this anti-people government off from the heights of Minar-e-Pakistan.” The PML-N leader also played two sets of videos, showing all of the promises made by the prime minister, when the PTI held a jalsa, right under Minar-e-Pakistan. “When a leader engages in corruption, it is the people who pay with inflation. So who is the real thief?” she asked. Counting all of the premier’s promises made pre-election, she asked whether all the hospitals and universities that were promised ever came to fruition. “He used to say that Prime Minister House and Governor House would be turned into a university. But did it happen?” She lamented the mismanagement at Khyber Teaching Hospital, where six lives were lost due to a lack of availability of oxygen tanks. She urged the people: “Promise me, if you have to march towards Islamabad, you will march.” Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Sherpao addressed the gathering, saying that the platform is of the view that domestic and foreign policies have “failed”. “All institutions have become paralysed. We do not accept the inflation, the unemployment, and the country’s economic policies,” he said, adding that Pakistan ranks among the countries with the highest inflation in the region. Earlier in the afternoon, the PML-N hosted a lunch for PDM leaders at the residence of former National Assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq, where a consultative pre-rally meeting was also held. Rehman, Maryam, Pervez Rasheed, Mohamed Zubair, and Musadik Malik attended the gathering. They were joined by PPP chief Bilawal, the National Party’s Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai.