Saturday, 23 October 2021
ISLAMABAD, OCT 23: The Foreign Office (FO) on Saturday issued a statement on a CNN report claiming that a formal agreement for the use of Pakistan’s airspace by the United States to conduct military strikes in Afghanistan was close, clarifying that there was "no such understanding" between the two countries.
CNN, in its report, cited three "sources familiar with the details of a classified briefing" to the US Congress, and said that the Biden administration has informed US lawmakers that the country was close to striking a formal deal with Pakistan for the use of its airspace to conduct operations in Afghanistan.
The report claimed that Pakistan had "expressed a desire" to sign a Memorandum of Understanding in return for help in its own counterterrorism operations and assistance with managing the relationship with India.
The report said that according to a source, the negotiations were still underway and the details of the agreement, which have not yet been hammered out, were still subject to change.
Hours after the CNN report was published, the FO issued a statement.
"No such understanding was in place," the FO spokesperson said in response to queries about whether the country's airspace would be used to conduct military and intelligence operations in the neighbouring country.
The spokesperson, however, stressed that Pakistan and the US had "longstanding cooperation" on issues of regional security and counter-terrorism and "the two sides remain engaged in regular consultations".
Pakistan will ‘absolutely not’ allow bases to US: PM Imran
In June in an interview with Axios on HBO, Prime Minister Imran Khan had categorically said that Pakistan would “absolutely not” allow any bases and use of its territory to the US for any sort of action inside Afghanistan — his clear-cut response surprising the interviewer.
"Pakistan suffered 70,000 casualties, more than any other country by joining the American war. We cannot afford any more military actions from our territory. We will be partners in peace, not in conflict," the prime minister had said.
Asked whether Pakistan would allow the US Air Force to use its airspace for airstrikes against the Taliban, the premier had reiterated that Pakistan "would not be a part of any conflict". When pushed for an answer, he had replied that it had not been discussed. "Why would the Americans bomb Afghanistan when it hasn't worked for 20 years?"
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in May had also ruled out the possibility of providing military bases to the US for counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan.
He had rejected as unfounded the reports to this effect and made it clear that the government would never provide military bases to the US, nor would allow drone attacks inside Pakistan.
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COURTESY DAWN NEWS
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DUBAI, OCT 23: News from the center is that Australia have won the toss and captain Aaron Finch has decided to bowl first.
Both the teams have met once in the tournament were Aussies secured a comfortable victory.
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The Men in Green will face India on October 24
DUBAI, OCT 23: The Pakistan players are set to get a massive bonus if they defeat India in the T20 World Cup as well as lifting the title.
According to details, Pakistan will face India on October 24 at the Dubai International Stadium. If the Men in Green win this match, they will get a 50 per cent increase in match fees which would be around Rs.170,000 according to a clause in the central contract.
A player’s current match fees stands at Rs.338,250, which means that winning a match against India will help them earn more than Rs.500,000.
The same increment will apply if Pakistan beat number one ranked T20 side in the world, which is currently England.
Meanwhile, if Pakistan win the elusive trophy, they will get a 300 per cent increase in match fees.
It must be noted that the winners of the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will be awarded prize money of $1.6 million. This prize money is divided equally between players in the squad, according to the central contract. Meanwhile, the team management is given a share equal to one player’s prize money.
The players usually get additional monetary rewards, if they win a mega event, from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), government officials and other prominent individuals.
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Courtesy cricketpakistan
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WASHINGTON, OCT 23: The last member of the Pakistani delegation, Finance Secretary Yousaf Khan, has also left Washington without securing an arrangement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the resumption of a $6 billion extended loan facility.
The IMF may issue a statement over the weekend or early next week, explaining how the Fund’s economic reform programme, which includes the loan, can be revived. Pakistani officials, however, insist that the talks are still on track and the IMF statement will announce the resumption of the programme.
A high-level Pakistani delegation — including Finance Minister (now adviser) Shaukat Tarin, Finance Secretary Yousaf Khan, State Bank Governor Raza Baqir and other senior officials — arrived in Washington on Oct 4 to attend annual meetings of the World Bank and the IMF.
Although the delegation also held bilateral meetings with the participants from other nations, the resumption of the loan facility dominated their talks with the IMF.
Officials insist negotiations still on track and Fund’s statement will announce resumption of $6bn programme
In May 2019, Pakistan had reached an agreement with the IMF after months of difficult negotiations on a $6bn bailout package, called Extended Fund Facility (EFF). The 39-month bailout programme is subject to regular IMF reviews of Pakistan’s economic policy and growth.
The arrangement calls for reducing domestic and external imbalances, removing impediments to growth, increasing transparency, and strengthening social spending.
In January 2020, the IMF put the programme on hold after the government did not agree to increase electricity prices and impose additional taxes. Recent media reports claimed that the IMF is demanding an increase of Rs4.95 per unit in electricity tariff and urging the government to impose taxes worth Rs150 billion.
At a news briefing in Washington, Shaukat Tarin acknowledged that the IMF had suggested increasing electricity and gas prices and tax rates, but he also said that increasing tariffs without structural changes “only increases inflation and makes our industry uncompetitive”.
He, however, conceded that Pakistan also had to see the IMF’s point of view and that he had held “some technical discussions” with IMF officials on this issue.
The IMF’s demands are based on the original agreement that Pakistan signed in 2019 to seek support for the country’s ambitious macroeconomic and structural reform agenda for the next three years.
The programme called for improving public finances and reducing public debt through tax policy and administrative reforms to strengthen revenue mobilisation and ensure a more equal and transparent distribution of the tax burden.
The IMF also suggested concrete efforts for cost-recovery in the energy sector and state-owned enterprises. The Fund argued that this would help eliminate or reduce the quasi-fiscal deficit that drains scarce government resources.
The IMF also suggested modernising the public finance management framework to increase transparency and spending efficiency. It urged Pakistan to reduce fiscal deficit by tax policy revenue mobilisation measures and to eliminate exemptions, curtail special treatments, and to improve tax administration.
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COURTESY DAWN NEWS
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Friday, 22 October 2021
RAWALPINDI, OCT 22: Kuninori Matsuda, Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan paid a farewell call to General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) at GHQ, on Friday, the ISPR said.
During the meeting matters of mutual interest, bilateral cooperation in various fields, overall regional situation and peace & stability in the Afghanistan were discussed.
COAS thanked Ambassador for his services and appreciated his contributions for fostering strong ties between the two countries and support towards defence / security cooperation and stance on Afghan situation.
The visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan’s role in Afghan situation including successful evacuation operations and pledged to keep working for better relations between the two countries.
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BEIJING, OCT 22: Just a few days after the Redmi Note 11’s leaks, Xiaomi has already confirmed the launch date for the device. The Redmi Note 11 and 11 Pro will be launching as soon as next week in China on October 28 at 4 pm (PST). The launch date was revealed through a poster that also showed the phone’s design.
The rear design has a striking resemblance to the Redmi 10, especially the main camera. We can also see a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top and JBL tuned speakers next to it. A punch-hole selfie camera can be seen on top of the display.
The Redmi Note 11 lineup is already listed on the Chinese retailer website JD.com. The listing shows three different Redmi Note 11 phones including a Note 11 5G, a Note 11 Pro 5G, and a Note 11 Pro+ 5G. These phones will start shipping in China on November 1.
The listing also shows that the Note 11 Pro and Pro+ will come in 6GB/8GB RAM options and 128GB/256GB storage trims. The Note 11 Pro will be available in Mysterious Blackland, Shallow Dream Galaxy, Time Quiet Purple, and Misty Forest color options while the Note 11 Pro+ will have the same variants except for Shallow Dream Galaxy.
As for rumored specifications, a Weibo tipster had revealed earlier this week that the base Note 11 will have a 120Hz LCD, a 50MP main camera, Dimensity 810 chip, and a 5,000 mAh battery with 33W fast charging. He added that the Note 11 Pro will have a 120Hz OLED, a 108MP main camera, Dimensity 920 chip, and a 5,000 mAh battery with 67W super-fast charging.
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COURTESY propakistani
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DUBAI, OCT 22: Legendary Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram has opened up on comparing Indian skipper Virat Kohli with Pakistan captain Babar Azam.
The duo are among the top batsmen in the world and with India taking on Pakistan, in the ongoing T20 World Cup, the debate is back in the limelight.
Speaking on the topic, Akram said that it is unfair to compare Kohli with Azam but he feels that the latter is headed towards where the former is right now.
“Virat Kohli is Virat Kohli. He has dominated world cricket, scored all those runs over these years. He has led India. Babar Azam has started captaining Pakistan only now. But as far his technique is concerned, is very good to watch and very consistent in all formats,” Akram said while speaking on Salaam Cricket.
“He is learning his captaincy, he is a quick learner. So, it’s unfair to compare those two now. But Babar is definitely heading towards the position where Virat Kohli is now,” he added.
Pakistan will face India on October 24 at the Dubai International Stadium.
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COURTESY cricketpakistan
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DUBAI, OCT 22: India’s Test cricketer Ajinkya Rahane has warned the Men in Blue against taking Pakistan lightly ahead of the clash between arch-rivals during the ongoing T20 World Cup.
Pakistan will take on India on October 24 at the Dubai International Stadium as the Men in Green search for their first win in World Cups over their neighbours.
India have never lost to Pakistan in World Cup matches, with a 7-0 record in ODIs and 5-0 T20Is.
“Whenever we play against any team, the past records don’t matter. We always focus on the present, our strategies, strengths, how the conditions are going to be etc. Media creates a bit of the hype whereas the dressing room remains quiet. Focus is always on how well we can do as a team on that particular day,” Rahane said on Salaam Cricket in Dubai.
“I’m sure India against Pakistan match will be a good one. I’m obviously backing India to win the match but personally, I believe no team should be taken lightly. And I’m sure the Indian T20 team has as much respect for Pakistan as it has for any other team,” he added.
He also spoke about how the conditions in UAE will help both teams.
“Pakistan players have played quite a bit of cricket here in the UAE so they have an idea. But we also know how to adapt to these conditions as they aren’t much different from India. Those who have played the IPL 2021 have an advantage here in the T20 World Cup,” he concluded.
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ISLAMABAD, OCT 22: The Governments of Japan and Pakistan agreed on debt deferral amounting to approx. US$200 million on October 22, 2021, as the second phase of “the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI)”.
Prior to this, both Governments
agreed on the first debt deferral amounting to approx. US$370 million on April
27, 2021, under the same initiative. The total amount of deferred debt has
reached approx. US$570 million, which will widen the fiscal space for the Government
of Pakistan to restore its economy affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The concessional loans, subject to debt deferral, have been utilized for infrastructure development such as roads, tunnels, power plants and grids, irrigation, water supply, and drainage facilities in Pakistan from the early 1990s to the mid-2010s.
These concessional loans have
favorable conditions for Pakistan in terms of low interest rate, as well as
long grace and repayment period. Under the second agreement, repayments for the
debt and interest due between January 1 and June 30, 2021 will be rescheduled
after December 15, 2022.
In addition to the debt deferral, Japan has
also extended a total of US$23.5 million in grants to Pakistan for
supplementing its counter-COVID-19 measures as follows:
- Feb 2020: Delivery of diagnostic kits,
- Apr-May 2020: Disbursement of a total of $7.41 million to
UNICEF, IOM, IFRC, UNHCR and UNOPS for providing hygiene items and alternative
learning opportunities, and training health workers, etc.,
- Dec 2020: Grant Assistance of $9.5 million to NDMA for
procuring medical equipment; and
- Mar 2021: Grant Assistance of
$6.59 million to UNICEF for improving the vaccine cold-chain.
Ambassador H.E. MATSUDA Kuninori, who is about to be transferred to the Japanese Embassy in Ukraine after nearly three years of his tenure in Pakistan, said, “I am aware that Pakistan's COVID-19 affected economy is on a solid recovery path, including the prospect of higher GDP growth.
Next year, Japan and Pakistan are going to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. I strongly hope that a new chapter will be carved in the history of our friendship on the basis of Japan's development cooperation in the past decades.”
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ISLAMABAD, OCT 22: Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, MATSUDA
Kuninori in his message has said that I am leaving Islamabad upon completion of
my 2 year and 10 month tenure here in Pakistan. I would like to express my
heartfelt gratitude for the support and kindness I have received from all of
you during this period.
Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the movement of people and economic activities have been substantially restricted.
Through this pandemic, however, the world, including Japan, has seen a dramatic shift of working styles, and more Japanese companies have come to utilize excellent human resources in Pakistan through the Internet.
Pakistan, with a population of
over 220 million, has great potential as a consumer market and a wealth of
human resources, with over 60% of the population under the age of 30. If these
are utilized efficiently, it will no doubt have a positive impact on the
economies of both Japan and Pakistan.
On economic cooperation, we have engaged in improving Pakistan's economic and social infrastructure, especially in the five pillars in which Japan has strengths, water and sanitation, health, education, disaster prevention, and infrastructure development for export industries.
We hope that such cooperation
with Pakistan will contribute to the expansion of bilateral economic relations,
including the promotion of trade and investment in both directions.
Moreover, over the past two years and ten months, bilateral defence cooperation have been steadily enhanced with the aim of stabilizing not only Pakistan but the entire region.
The participation of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s destroyer in multilateral maritime military exercise, AMAN21 organized by the Pakistan Navy for the first time in February this year is the best example.
The ties between the Japan
Self-Defense Forces and the Pakistan Armed Forces have also been further
strengthened through the cooperation in evacuating Japanese and Afghan
nationals working in the Embassy and JICA from Afghanistan to Japan.
I strongly believe that the seeds sown through the cooperation between the Embassy and the Government of Pakistan during my tenure will blossom in the near future. In particular, next year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Pakistan.
I am sure that this wonderful opportunity will lead to progress in cooperation between Japan and Pakistan in various fields such as politics, economy, culture, and national security.
While both Japan and Pakistan are
gradually overcoming the threat of the COVID-19 by the efforts of their
governments and people, including the expansion of vaccination, I wish that the
mutual visits of VIPs and exchanges of business-related people and tourists will
become active at earliest possible timing, which will give momentum to
strengthening the bilateral relationship.
The people of Pakistan have always welcomed me and treated me with great friendliness. The Japanese people in Pakistan also understand and support for the work of the Embassy.
Once again, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you all. I wish for the further development of Japan-Pakistan relations in the future as a conclusion of my farewell address.
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Thursday, 21 October 2021
- The Economist ranks Turkey second with a 19.6% inflation rate, followed by Brazil with 10.2%.
- Argentina tops list with 51.4% inflation rate.
- Inflation rate in India clocks in at 4.3%, taking it to the 16th position on the list.
LONDON, OCT 21: Amid soaring inflation, Pakistan has been ranked as a country with the fourth highest inflation rate in the world,according to a weekly report published by The Economist.
The report placed Pakistan at fourth place out of a list of 43 countries.
It is pertinent to mention here that the rate of inflation in Pakistan clocked in at 9% in September.
As compared to that, the inflation rate in India clocked in at 4.3%, taking it to the 16th position on the list of most expensive countries.
Per the report, the highest inflation around the world is in Argentina where the inflation rate is currently at 51.4%.
Meanwhile, Turkey ranks second with a 19.6% inflation rate, followed by Brazil with 10.2%.
According to the international publication, inflation in Japan is -0.4%.
September inflation edges up to 9% in Pakistan
The month of September saw a new round of increased prices of consumer items as inflation edged up to 9% from 8.4% in August, data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed on October 1.
On a month-on-month basis, inflation increased by 2.1% owing to significant changes in three indices — food, housing, and construction.
The Wholesale Price Index (WPI), which captures prices in the wholesale market, also rose sharply by 19.6% in September compared to 4.3% in the same month a year ago.
The government has set the average inflation target for the ongoing fiscal year at 8.5%, indicating that the year-on-year inflation may remain in double digits in the fiscal year 2021-22.
The PBS had reported that the overall inflation rate in both the urban and rural areas recorded an increase. The inflation rate in urban areas edged up by 9.1% in September and rural areas surged to 8.8% over the same month of the last year. In September last year, inflation in urban areas was recorded at 7.7% and in rural areas at 8.4%.
The food inflation rate in villages and towns remained unchanged at 9.1% and in cities rose to 10.8%, which was significantly higher than the previous month. Non-food inflation was recorded at 8.1% in urban areas and 8.5% in rural areas compared to 5% and 7.2% in September 2020.
Core inflation — calculated by excluding food and energy items — rose to 6.4% in urban areas in September, reported the national data collecting agency.
The food group saw a price increase of 10.21% in September from the same month a year ago. Within the food group, prices of non-perishable food items surged by 13.84% on an annualised basis meanwhile the prices of the perishable goods were effectively reduced by 8.3%. The inflation rate for the housing, water, electricity, gas, and fuel group — having one-fourth weight in the basket — rose to 9.74% last month.
Average prices for the clothing and footwear group increased by 9.19% in September. Prices related to transportation surged by 9.11%.
On a month-on-month basis, the price of chicken skyrocketed 42.04%, followed by a 15.7% surge in pulse masoor, 14.43% increase in eggs, nearly 10% wheat, according to the PBS. The prices of vegetables, cooking oil, and sugar recorded an increase of 3.95%, 3.64%, and 3.04% last month.
Meanwhile, electricity charges surged by 11.4% during the period under review.
The average inflation rate for July-September of the current fiscal year came in at 8.58%, according to the PBS.
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