tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35560569475178050532024-03-18T09:32:04.718-07:00Geo Politics in South Asia and MENAShabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.comBlogger3155125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-89133684279840999072024-03-18T09:31:00.000-07:002024-03-18T09:31:15.954-07:00Pakistan: Central bank remains cautious ahead of some key milestones <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGX53P4ueVDR8yhyP1sK_EPoUtZpbRC_XC5X5PqU4pTr8LfA7-1zIAXEFfK4Zy-fevEttB46rEeAZbri-HOHMf-Cku1u0AhyphenhyphenEyHnjB63Zl86DgY36-TMdy6ty_lI6Wc0atkZbC7EAysDNOFG829p-BORxR1oG9kCiLpxtY3qKuph4L56xqQ3O1jxU2HA/s256/SBP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="144" data-original-width="256" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGX53P4ueVDR8yhyP1sK_EPoUtZpbRC_XC5X5PqU4pTr8LfA7-1zIAXEFfK4Zy-fevEttB46rEeAZbri-HOHMf-Cku1u0AhyphenhyphenEyHnjB63Zl86DgY36-TMdy6ty_lI6Wc0atkZbC7EAysDNOFG829p-BORxR1oG9kCiLpxtY3qKuph4L56xqQ3O1jxU2HA/w200-h113/SBP.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) maintained the policy rate
at 22% for the seventh consecutive meeting. Despite considerable
disinflation in February, the SBP chose to remain cautious. There remain
risks to future inflation – from further increases in administrated prices (of
energy) and tax measures in the FY25 budget could be inflationary. The decision
was in line with market consensus.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Key reasons for the decision:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The outlook for GDP growth – in the range of 2-3% in FY24 –
remains intact and is largely driven by the rebound in the agricultural sector
(which does not respond to monetary policy), while the LSM growth has recently
turned positive (down a moderate 0.5% YoY in 7MFY24).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Core inflation (urban), which had hitherto been sticky, fell
to 18% in February from 20.5% in the earlier month, while urban wages
growth has also slowed in recent months. Nonetheless, headline inflation
remains elevated and warrants a cautious stance.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The external account has improved considerably as well. Current
Account balance during July-January period was US$1.1 billion only, as compared
to US$3.8 billion for the same period last year. This was mainly on the back of
contraction in imports, down 11% YoY in 7MFY24 amid a slowing economy
(also partly due to lack of flood induced imports last year).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Primary balance improved to 1.7% of GDP in 1HFY24 from 1.1% for
the same period last year, on the back of strong growth in revenues
and contained expenditure. The SBP considers the continuation of current fiscal
consolidation as important to support the present monetary policy stance.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The decision was largely expected and thus will lead to a
muted response from the equity and money markets.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Trends in the above macro indicators are encouraging and
could support a first cut in rates in the April 2024.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">However, a key factor for future monetary policy will be
talks with the IMF for a new program, which may commence at the IMF-World Bank
Spring meetings due 19-21 April 2024.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That will shape the FY25 Budget and whether the IMF demands
further adjustments in energy prices and exchange rate during the negotiations.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-74048742871532299942024-03-18T08:29:00.000-07:002024-03-18T08:29:57.262-07:00Putin’s victory attracts mixed reactions<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7o8cKVH3kF8AzyXOJVSHK-vpQCMZUqfWSKPMOs1PBL95mvqqqeTyUvhww7pWGnxxR4DM1Q_oiiiq3eWGGI819Lg-msAueUGqj-eNVZZrkD6py1zTLWh349IdU2eNmYr_5YVnma1Qg6qxGlhLbrjiGcKeaM6nR1PPvYMajZh5oV5UPxYYCJX1QRWtiOc/s240/putin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="240" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7o8cKVH3kF8AzyXOJVSHK-vpQCMZUqfWSKPMOs1PBL95mvqqqeTyUvhww7pWGnxxR4DM1Q_oiiiq3eWGGI819Lg-msAueUGqj-eNVZZrkD6py1zTLWh349IdU2eNmYr_5YVnma1Qg6qxGlhLbrjiGcKeaM6nR1PPvYMajZh5oV5UPxYYCJX1QRWtiOc/w200-h133/putin.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Western governments lined up on Monday to condemn Vladimir
Putin's landslide election victory as unfair and undemocratic, but
China, India and North Korea congratulated the veteran Russian leader on
extending his rule by a further six years.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The contrasting reactions underscored the geopolitical fault
lines that have gaped wider since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of
Ukraine two years ago, triggering the deepest crisis in relations with the West
since the end of the Cold War.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Arriving
in Brussels on Monday, EU foreign ministers roundly dismissed the election
result as a sham ahead of agreeing sanctions on individuals linked to
the mistreatment and death of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"Russia's election was an election without choice,"
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said at the start of the meeting.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Playing on Moscow's reference to its war in Ukraine as a
special military operation, French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said
Paris had taken note of the special election operation.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"The conditions for a free, pluralistic and democratic
election were not met," his ministry said.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the election
outcome highlighted the depth of repression in Russia.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"Putin removes his political opponents, controls the
media, and then crowns himself the winner. This is not democracy," Cameron
said.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">France, Britain and others condemned the fact that Russia
had also held its election in occupied regions of Ukraine that it claims to
have annexed during the war.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">The
Kremlin dismissed such criticism, saying the 87% of the vote won by Putin
during the three-day election showed that the Russian people were consolidating around
him.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia's
election had no legitimacy.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A White House spokesperson on Sunday said Russia's election
was obviously not free nor fair. President Joe Biden has not yet commented.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">In
sharp contrast, Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Putin, and
said Beijing would maintain close communication with Moscow to promote the no
limits partnership they agreed in 2022, just before Russia invaded Ukraine.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"I believe that under your leadership, Russia will
certainly be able to achieve greater achievements in national development and
construction," Xi told Putin in his message, according to Xinhua News.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Indian
Prime Minister Narendra Modi echoed that message, saying he looked forward to
strengthening New Delhi's time-tested special and privileged strategic
partnership with Moscow.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">India and China, along with Russia, are members of the BRICS
group of emerging economies that aims to challenge US domination of the global
economy.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Iran's President Ebrahim
Raisi, accused by the West of supplying weapons to Russia, also extended
congratulations to Putin, stressing their desire for further expansion of
bilateral relations with Moscow.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In Africa, where the West has been struggling to win support
for its efforts to isolate Moscow over the Ukraine war, some newspapers saw
Putin's re-election as reinforcing the stance of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Those
three states in the Sahel region have strengthened ties with Russia following
coups in recent years at the expense of their traditional French and US allies.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"In Africa, this re-election could sound like a
non-event, but given the context in the Sahel it takes on a particular meaning,
because Putin embodies the new geopolitical balance of power on the continent
with a growing (Russian) presence and influence," said Burkina Faso daily
Aujourd'hui au Faso".</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-55318819591088348872024-03-17T19:23:00.000-07:002024-03-17T19:23:02.531-07:00Netanyahu to defy allies on Rafah invasion<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghwiiX5uDO3XVTjL7cx5cYsQ5aclbAI_bwz0bHoopaEYzxLxQ6DDY23PaMzr2m-9EYZlmGEDUi0kEDKnml94Pq4rriJ-pnliSvLx6eVrZS6lQwJYv9QXpi6v-qzlBZ_p-Vdz7ouRJKHuRco8RWdq8btiG0VkzCxxsqa6mCjkj9oKvR2eA9EZmcsfKfEnQ/s248/BB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="155" data-original-width="248" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghwiiX5uDO3XVTjL7cx5cYsQ5aclbAI_bwz0bHoopaEYzxLxQ6DDY23PaMzr2m-9EYZlmGEDUi0kEDKnml94Pq4rriJ-pnliSvLx6eVrZS6lQwJYv9QXpi6v-qzlBZ_p-Vdz7ouRJKHuRco8RWdq8btiG0VkzCxxsqa6mCjkj9oKvR2eA9EZmcsfKfEnQ/w200-h125/BB.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reaffirmed his
determination to launch an offensive in Rafah, defying international criticism.
The city is crammed with some 1.5 million Palestinians from other parts of Gaza
seeking refuge.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">His comments come as the German chancellor, on a Middle East
trip, restated his opposition to the plan.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Netanyahu said "no international pressure will stop
Israel" from achieving all of its war aims.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">"If
we stop the war now before achieving all of its goals, the meaning is that
Israel had lost the war and we will not allow this," Netanyahu told a
meeting of his Cabinet.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He said Israel must be able to continue its war, with the
aims of eliminating Hamas, releasing all hostages and ensuring Gaza "no
longer pose a threat". "To do this, we will also operate in
Rafah."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Netanyahu said the offensive in city at the southern tip of
the Gaza Strip "will happen" and will take "several weeks".
He also lashed out at his critics; saying to them is your memory so short?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"So quickly you forgot about October 07, the worst
massacre committed against Jews since the Holocaust." Those attacks, in
which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 were taken hostage from
Israel, sparked the current war.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza says more than 31,400
have been killed.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Israel's plans have been heavily criticized by the
international community, with the UN and US also warning that a full-scale
assault in Rafah could be disastrous.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the UN's World
Health Organization, on Friday appealed to Israel "in the name of humanity"
not to launch such an attack on Gaza's southern-most city.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">US President Biden has warned Israel against expanding its
invasion in the city, calling it a "red line".</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nevertheless, Netanyahu's office approved plans for a
military operation in Rafah on Friday, adding that the army was preparing for
the evacuation of civilians.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">The
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it planned to move displaced Palestinians in
Gaza to what it called "humanitarian islands" in the middle of the
strip. It is not clear what the "islands" will look like, or how they
will operate.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ceasefire talks were expected to resume in Qatar in the
coming days. Israel had planned to send a delegation to join the negotiations,
but ministers were yet to agree on its mandate.<br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<!--[endif]--></p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-52087049395324885222024-03-16T21:29:00.000-07:002024-03-16T21:29:36.696-07:00Workers migration from Bangladesh to Malaysia declines<p><span style="font-family: Calibri, "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfzjUO35ZkzS_wYg23EIFLDDuC55L1KHrRomfo09P8T6kMF_Uy4zxOdur19zWLH2mpSHbx9gp0u_boj5nZ4t36DkuCYF4-esNDGZBGGPkbXm9q49s1bRodVYliL1qICSySx1KKSYzoVVfYg9TdOxEJCJ3oGrDKIbrxBuZ2z5oFXzlMJmpf-QxEio4cKUc/s237/Bengali%20workers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="136" data-original-width="237" height="115" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfzjUO35ZkzS_wYg23EIFLDDuC55L1KHrRomfo09P8T6kMF_Uy4zxOdur19zWLH2mpSHbx9gp0u_boj5nZ4t36DkuCYF4-esNDGZBGGPkbXm9q49s1bRodVYliL1qICSySx1KKSYzoVVfYg9TdOxEJCJ3oGrDKIbrxBuZ2z5oFXzlMJmpf-QxEio4cKUc/w200-h115/Bengali%20workers.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>According to The Bangladesh Chronicle,, workers migration from Bangladesh to Malaysia fell
dramatically in the past months following Malaysia’s suspension of issuing
electronic visas for aspiring migrants amid huge allegations of irregularities.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Malaysia kept hiring Bangladeshi workers suspended between
September 2018 and August 2022 due to huge irregularities in the migration
process on both sides.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Southeast Asian country was the second top destination
for Bangladeshi migrants after the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2023. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">While
351,683 Bangladeshis migrated to Malaysia in 2023, only 20,467 people migrated
in the past two months.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Only
1,278 people migrated in the first 12 days of March, according to Bureau of
Manpower, Employment, and Training data.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Migration experts said that Malaysia had suspended issuing
electronic visas as allegations of syndicated market manipulation resurfaced.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">State minister for expatriates’ welfare and overseas
employment, Shofiqur Rahman Choudhury, said that the government was working to
solve the problems.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">‘We are trying to identify problems and find solutions,’ he
said, adding that the government targeted sending more workers, giving skilled
workers a priority. In the Malaysian system, a calling visa is needed to secure
a job and complete the process, while an electronic visa is needed to enter the
country.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The calling visa or demand note is issued by companies,
while the authorities issue electronic visa.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies
former secretary general Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury Noman said that over 40,000
people still have the calling visas but could not fly due to not getting
electronic visas.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Experts said that the number of people having calling visas would
be no less than 300,000.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Migration rights activists and sector insiders estimated
that some 100,000 Bangladeshi workers could not manage any jobs in Malaysia,
while many others were engaged in forced labour and remained underpaid or
unpaid.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Andy Hall, a migrant rights activist and researcher in
Malaysia, said that many foreign workers from different countries were facing
the same exploitation in Malaysia, but it was acute in the case of Bangladeshi
workers.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He explained that migrant workers became forced Workers and
sometimes trafficking victims.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He said that workers were confined to locked shelters, their
passports were confiscated, they were not given meals, and their movement was
prohibited.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Andy said that many fake companies issue calling visas even
though they do not need workers. When workers finally come, they send them to
other companies for low-paid jobs.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mofazzel Hossain from Meherpur said that he paid over Tk
400,000 as recruiting agency Musa International’s proprietor, Mohammad Musa
Kalim, promised him to employ his son Taimur Zaman Nayan as a factory worker
with a monthly pay of Tk 60,000.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">‘When I talked to him last time, he wanted some money to buy
food, but I did not know how to send the money,’ said Mofazzel, who filed a
case against recruiter Musa and five others with the Gangni police station on
February 27 seeking justice.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">No one has been arrested so far in the case, according to
the police.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Musa did not respond to phone calls or messages from New
Age.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On February 26, Malaysia’s Home and Human Resource Ministry
declared in a press statement that they had launched an investigation into the
non-employment of 93 Bangladeshi workers in Cheras.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On March 8, Malaysian home minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin
Nasution Ismail told The Star newspaper that foreign workers must enter the
country by May 31.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He also asked valid employers to issue calling visa directly
instead of through a syndicated server.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Shakirul Islam, chairman of the Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan
Program, said that the aspirant migrants would bear the brunt of the sudden
closure of the market, while recruiters, who already took money from aspirant
migrants, would benefit.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">‘Government agencies of both countries must bring the
culprits to book,’ he said, adding that the Malaysian and Bangladeshi
governments must ensure jobs for workers who are already there.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Officials at the expatriates’ welfare ministry said that
they had already listed some recruiting agencies involved in unethical
migration to Malaysia and restricted their activities.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-55770582631143303902024-03-16T20:42:00.000-07:002024-03-16T20:42:32.764-07:00 Formation of counter hegemonic order<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeTzqVybtLkmr-UJkiJN7DroXh32lm6-IFhzrB4BjGzVKFNfuk1Il6hhlt8n2pqByyBofo0TMFv5y3XvGCI5hVNy72BeoXMzvZh4RQAAsE_ptajbIIRk11UCsmRtItHDTq9Mn6cEd0uFjtM5RQt76vuG6SpmdPRLfjBSUFl9SmXYW-cJp-xyIxfOPxFHg/s1270/New%20Order.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="1270" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeTzqVybtLkmr-UJkiJN7DroXh32lm6-IFhzrB4BjGzVKFNfuk1Il6hhlt8n2pqByyBofo0TMFv5y3XvGCI5hVNy72BeoXMzvZh4RQAAsE_ptajbIIRk11UCsmRtItHDTq9Mn6cEd0uFjtM5RQt76vuG6SpmdPRLfjBSUFl9SmXYW-cJp-xyIxfOPxFHg/w200-h113/New%20Order.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>As the Russia-Ukraine crisis and the Gaza invasion become
increasingly protracted and complex, there has been a significant shift in the
balance of power within the interpretive framework of international order. The
differences in perspectives on the world order between the West, particularly
the United States, and the Global South are widening.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">After
prolonged military conflicts, there will inevitably be catastrophic
humanitarian tragedies, including food security crises and psychological panic.
However, the United States, while arming Israel and supplying it with weapons,
turns a blind eye to the plight of war-torn Palestinian people, while
hypocritically condemning Israel for obstructing international aid to Gaza.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The two crises that have spilled over show the essence of
the West's self-exceptionalism and the destructive nature of double standards
in resolving the conflicts. The brutal dichotomy of the United States has
greatly diminished the attractiveness of its formula for resolving the world's
hotspot issues to the Global South.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The old world order constructed by the United States is
collapsing. The image and reality of the United States as a global superpower
largely depend on its ability to maintain its dominance in international trade
and to set international rules, as well as the demonstration of this capacity.
It includes the United States' maintenance of global trade security.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Red Sea crisis has greatly challenged the United States'
existing reputation. The US-led Operation Prosperity Guardians has a limited
number of participants. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">The
maritime freedom advocated by the United States is a false maritime freedom. The
United States continuously, selectively, and militarily defends its own and
allied maritime freedom to maintain its military dominance and the freedom of
US military forces to enter world maritime channels at will.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The United States once proclaimed itself as the
“indispensable nation” of the world, with world peace under the rule of United
States, maintaining the balance of power among nuclear superpowers.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The selective intervention of the United States in
international conflicts and its biased behavior in wars has led to the Pax
Americana becoming a thing of the past. Classical realism is returning and new
mercantilism is rising.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The world no longer has faith in hegemony, and countries
must bear more self-protection responsibility. The reluctance to actively
participate in US-led joint military operations largely stems from the
insecurity concern of the leadership regarding domestic stability.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The existing international order is suffering from
dissatisfaction. The Global South is dissatisfied with the current
international order because it feels it hasn't received the benefits it
deserves. Western developed countries are also dissatisfied because their share
of benefits has decreased. Additionally, Europe lacks sufficient sustained
economic strength, coordinated diplomacy, and defense policy to continue
exerting influence abroad.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">National conservatism is forming a global trend. They abhor
the ceding of sovereignty, suspect elite manipulation of the free market,
despise immigrants and hate pluralism. The self-styled world police is unable
to bear the heavy burden of intervening in all conflicts and crises worldwide.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">The
United States is declining more in its ability to lead the global order than
its economic power.</span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The multilateralism pursued by the Biden administration is a
mechanism for bilateral and multilateral coordination at the expense of the US
ability to coordinate globally. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Paradoxically, looking back in history, the creation of the
most important multilateral institutions after World War II all had the shadow
of the United States. World politics is undergoing rapid change.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The existing global order continues to fragment, with
countries becoming increasingly short-sighted, focusing solely on their own
short-term economic gains or security interests. Without the establishment of a
new order, both the developed countries and the Global South will lose out.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Global South is rising and a New Order is being
constructed</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Biden administration has ambitiously targeted so-called
authoritarians, dictators and tyrants who challenge the Western order globally.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">The
United States is truly targeting those who challenge the democratic model of
Western values.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Biden administration has tried to portray rivalry between
US with China as a confrontation of two values, a confrontation of democracy
and authoritarianism. And the abysmal performance of the United States in
stopping the Ukrainian and Gaza crises has made it increasingly difficult to
solidly coalesce the external will of different nations on the basis of
ideological favor, even for American allies and partners.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On the battlefield of public opinion and propaganda, where
the American and Western media have long dominated, there is a growing aversion
in the Global South to reports, commentaries and messages that exude the moral
superiority of the Western world and imbued with Western values.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">With
Iran, Egypt, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia becoming full members of BRICS on
January 01, 2024, BRICS is becoming an organization that represents the Global
South. The BRICS expansion is a movement of emerging economies fighting for
self-determination of the international discourse on the global stage.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Countries of the Global South are collectively shaping a new
multi polar order for a new era, unwilling either to be beholden to the
Superpower or to return to a world divided into spheres of influence.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The new world multilevel order should avoid falling into the
stereotypical mindset of arguing over who should fill the “power vacuum”. The
concept of a power vacuum is a continuation of the hegemonic world view, a
blind faith in, and blind obedience to an unchallenged leadership.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Pursuing dominance while remaining vigilant against
countries of similar power may lead the powerful to overly prioritize building
coercive capabilities at the expense of capacity enhancement for the well-being
of the people.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">The
world order is changing, and US hegemony is no longer welcome. As the global
economic growth slows down to prevent conflicts and wars from spilling over,
major countries are more willing to take joint efforts to bring more stability
and certainty.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Rather than counting on the United States to autonomously
fulfill its share of international responsibility, the Global South prefers
solidarity and mutual assistance among themselves. Cold-war and polarized
mentalities would only exacerbate instability and uncertainty in the world.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">China’s Global Development Initiative, Global Security
Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative are Chinese wisdom and Chinese
solutions for accommodating harmonious coexistence and common progress of all
countries.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">The
destiny of developing countries should be in their own hands, mutually
respecting each other’s concerns, and promoting common development in a new
multilevel world order upholding equity and justice.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Courtesy: Tehran Times</p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-8210014083850008682024-03-16T19:23:00.000-07:002024-03-16T19:23:46.290-07:00Aid reaches Gaza shore in first sea delivery<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qdel5VudUNqtd7xKemJcaVaE6jrJWISrLes0bqR1pCKMCpTyAQO7-iTW0HMinr_nuy7K8po6iJ-Mz2rG3_JaSdwvp6SBD677GaDd_kvh7cT-BqQ_MWwPvzoyo171v45abdUuEJugUkY3f8DOnrV3UXn5g4BgClpYVwCLh0UwkGwtm5IZujS5J5dipkY/s240/WCK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="135" data-original-width="240" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3qdel5VudUNqtd7xKemJcaVaE6jrJWISrLes0bqR1pCKMCpTyAQO7-iTW0HMinr_nuy7K8po6iJ-Mz2rG3_JaSdwvp6SBD677GaDd_kvh7cT-BqQ_MWwPvzoyo171v45abdUuEJugUkY3f8DOnrV3UXn5g4BgClpYVwCLh0UwkGwtm5IZujS5J5dipkY/s1600/WCK.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>According to Saudi Gazette, the first maritime humanitarian
aid shipment to Gaza has been unloaded on to the shore. The US charity behind
the mission, World Central Kitchen, is carrying out the mission in cooperation
with the United Arab Emirates.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Aid agencies have repeatedly warned that no method of relief
is as effective as delivery by land, but they say Israeli restrictions mean a
fraction of what is needed is getting in.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The shipment contained 200 tons of food desperately needed
for Gaza, which the UN says is on the brink of famine. It marks the start of a
trial to see if the sea route would be more effective than air and land
deliveries.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Aid
agencies have accused Israel of impeding aid deliveries, a charge vehemently
denied by Israeli officials. They say Israel is allowing aid through two
crossings in the south and has blamed aid agencies of logistical failures.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Saturday's shipment arrived on board Spanish charity ship
Open Arms.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Its cargo includes beans, carrots, canned tuna, chickpeas,
canned corn, parboiled rice, flour, oil, salt and pallets of dates, which hold
spiritual significance during Ramadan.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In a statement, World Central Kitchen (WCK) said, "All
cargo was offloaded and is being readied for distribution in Gaza." Teams
worked through the night to get the aid on to dry land.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Gaza
has no functioning port, so a jetty stemming from the shoreline was built by
WCK's team.</span><br />
However, there are few details on how the aid distribution will work, with UN
relief agencies having described huge obstacles to getting relief supplies to
those in need.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Earlier, WCK's founder, celebrity chef José Andrés, wrote on
X (formerly Twitter) that all the food aid from the barge had been loaded into
12 lorries.<br />
<br />
"We did it!" he wrote, adding that this was a test to see if they
could bring even more aid in the next shipment — up to "thousands of tons
a week".</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said troops
had been deployed to secure the shoreline.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This delivery has been highly anticipated since the ship set
off from the port of Larnaca on Tuesday.<br />
<br />
If this sea mission is deemed a success, other aid ships will likely follow as
part of an international effort to get more aid into Gaza. The ships would use
a newly opened sea route to travel directly to the region.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">The US
is planning to build its own floating dock off the coast to boost sea
deliveries. The White House says it could see two million meals a day enter
Gaza, but while a military ship is en route with equipment on board to build
the dock, questions remain about the logistics of the plan.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The World Food Program had to temporarily pause its land
deliveries after convoys came under gunfire and looting. And an air drop turned
deadly last week when five people were reportedly killed when a parachute
failed and they were hit by the aid package.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">The UN
has warned that famine is "almost inevitable" in Gaza without urgent
action, and the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has accused Israel of
creating a "manmade" disaster and using starvation as a weapon of
war.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-91015071796128163982024-03-16T03:57:00.000-07:002024-03-16T03:57:27.637-07:00Israel approves plan to attack Rafah<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9b_HEuzZzeWN0JoQIt7JFSciUnel2wgy9jqonqtpKo6VAuZ8-ht1w3HbXCpHv05DWmxvMcJTOM2-MZmqubMpokBhqsR5QIux1O0R3jClY8AVFRlMCuLnz5-qCcXzN6lOTjfjj9qVmHE4p3XP2XvJnTW_am_8MYYiP5ELR06aKtA18zEBk6TXBBsFFYy8/s240/Rafah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="240" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9b_HEuzZzeWN0JoQIt7JFSciUnel2wgy9jqonqtpKo6VAuZ8-ht1w3HbXCpHv05DWmxvMcJTOM2-MZmqubMpokBhqsR5QIux1O0R3jClY8AVFRlMCuLnz5-qCcXzN6lOTjfjj9qVmHE4p3XP2XvJnTW_am_8MYYiP5ELR06aKtA18zEBk6TXBBsFFYy8/w200-h150/Rafah.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Israel on Friday approved a potential assault on the Gaza
city of Rafah while also keeping ceasefire hopes alive with plans to send
another delegation to Qatar for talks on a possible hostage deal with Islamist
militant group Hamas.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he
had ok'd a plan to attack the city on the southern edge of the shattered
Palestinian enclave where more than half of its 2.3 million residents are
sheltering after five months of war.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Global
allies and critics have urged Netanyahu to hold off attacking Rafah, fearing
mass civilian casualties. But Israel says it is one of the last strongholds of
Hamas whom it has pledged to eliminate and that residents will be evacuated.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In Washington, White House national security spokesperson
John Kirby said the US had not seen the Rafah plan, but would like to. He told
a regular briefing a Hamas ceasefire-for-hostages proposal was within the
bounds of what was possible and expressed cautious optimism about it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Hamas
has presented a Gaza ceasefire proposal to mediators and the US, which includes
release of Israeli hostages in exchange for freedom for Palestinian prisoners,
100 of whom are serving life sentences.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A statement from Netanyahu's office on the Rafah attack plan
said Hamas' demands for the release of hostages remained unrealistic, but an
Israeli delegation would still head to Doha once the security cabinet had
discussed its position.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Israeli statement said the Israeli Defence Force was preparing
operationally and for the evacuation of the population of Rafah.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It gave no time frame and there was no immediate evidence of
extra preparations on the ground.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Negotiators failed this week to reach a ceasefire agreement
in time for the Ramadan Muslim holy month. Washington and Arab mediators are
still determined to reach a deal to head off an assault on Rafah and let in
food to stave off starvation.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri accused Netanyahu of
"manoeuvring ... to conduct more crimes of genocide."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"He isn't interested in reaching an agreement," he
told Reuters.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Israel has rejected claims of genocide, saying it is purely
focused on destroying all Hamas fighters.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is increasing friction between Washington and Israel,
which officials in President Joe Biden's administration say is waging war with
too little care for civilians.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">US
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish elected US
official and a leader of Biden's Democratic Party, called on Thursday for
Israelis to replace Netanyahu, whose hardline policies he said were
wrecking Israel's international standing.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the centre of Gaza City late on Friday, an Israeli air
strike destroyed a seven-floor residential building, killing or wounding
several people, the spokesman of the civil emergency service there said. He said
emergency workers were searching the rubble for casualties.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-47604784149567489622024-03-15T22:22:00.000-07:002024-03-15T22:22:38.024-07:00US announces sanctions against Israeli settlers <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsHniSDeNRY3VEJhSG5MXZiF7_Zmh4fUtdQrGkOgmkUcaeR5p4xmp0WEKn0oHJu80nPo8jhRluheFk8QQO5YvpNCS2qMYDUOkwEb-keWwKIygqmuDuGL238zCam92mOklMgCdqMjSxJkaBx0jwt3WltaxoaVTSq18XhQetY0pKEYMml19tBjIauaWGPo/s600/westbank%20shaperd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="600" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsHniSDeNRY3VEJhSG5MXZiF7_Zmh4fUtdQrGkOgmkUcaeR5p4xmp0WEKn0oHJu80nPo8jhRluheFk8QQO5YvpNCS2qMYDUOkwEb-keWwKIygqmuDuGL238zCam92mOklMgCdqMjSxJkaBx0jwt3WltaxoaVTSq18XhQetY0pKEYMml19tBjIauaWGPo/w200-h113/westbank%20shaperd.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The United States has announced sanctions against three more
Israeli settlers and, for the first time, two farming outposts, as part of new
measures by Washington and London to stop the violent displacement of
Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fares Samamreh may not carry a gun, but he has a global
superpower defending him. He's still losing the fight.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A Palestinian sheep farmer on the sun-tinged slopes of the
South Hebron Hills in the occupied West Bank, his battle with his neighbor, an
Israeli settler called Yinon Levy, has drawn both the US and the UK into the
dispute.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"Yinon Levy came here three years ago and started
bothering me," Fares said, his head wrapped in a piece of white cotton,
his eyes narrowed in a permanent squint against the sun.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"Before the war [in Gaza] it was the usual thing; they
would come with drones. But a few days after October 07, it became serious.
They all had guns. They started coming to us day and night. I have little kids,
some of them are four and five years old."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fares said Yinon was one of a group of local Israeli
settlers who would regularly come to harass his sheep with their dogs and
weapons, and even, he says, to assault his family.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"They destroyed water tanks, closed down roads, they
fire at the sheep," he said. "He told my wife if we didn't leave
here, we'd all be killed."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He said when his wife then swore at him, Yinon Levy hit her
with the butt of his gun.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Soon afterward, Fares and his family left their village of
Zanuta. Activists say it's one of four communities around the settler's farm
that have been abandoned by their residents.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yinon has denied acting violently toward Palestinians in the
area -- and said he didn't own a gun until very recently.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But he's the subject of sanctions from both the US and the
UK.<br />
<br />
The road to Yinon's farm is straight out of a children's picture-book; a narrow
path that winds back and forth up a steep hill, slopes and valleys dropping away
to the horizon on either side.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At the top, a spacious bungalow stands next to a large shed,
full of bleating sheep smothering the strains of pop music from a radio.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"We're safeguarding these lands to ensure they remain
under Jewish ownership," Yinon said. "When there is a Jewish
presence, then there is no Arab presence. We keep a watchful eye on the land,
ensuring that no unauthorized construction takes place."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Most
countries deem the settlements, which are built on land captured by Israel in
1967 in the Middle East War, to be illegal under international law, although
Israel disagrees. The settler outposts are also illegal under Israeli law.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The UK said that Yinon and another man had "used
physical aggression, threatened families at gunpoint, and destroyed property as
part of a targeted and calculated effort to displace Palestinian communities".</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yinon denied the allegations, and said that the Israeli
government was on his side.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"I'm not worried," he told the BBC. "This is
not against me personally - it's against those who obstruct the creation of a
Palestinian state. There's no legal process against me [in Israel]. Here,
everything is fine."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Both the UK and the US say there is a threshold of evidence
that must be met - but neither have made that evidence public and declined to
share it with the BBC.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We sent Yinon a video appearing to show him on Palestinian
land, approaching activists with a snarling dog. He said it was misleading, and
that he was defending his flock.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We sent him another video apparently showing him entering
another Palestinian village with a gun last October. He declined to comment.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The sanctions came after a surge in violence in the West
Bank, following the October 07 Hamas attacks and Israel's war in Gaza.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The UN says violence by Israeli settlers included physical
attacks and death threats, and that the number of Palestinians displaced from
their homes last year doubled to 1,539 - with more than 80% of them leaving
after October 07.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">The UK
has said Israel is failing to act, and has described "an environment of
near total impunity for settler extremists in the West Bank".<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Yinon
said that he had received support from Israeli politicians.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"Many called and encouraged us," he said.
"Everyone said that when the bad people are against you, you must be doing
something right."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One of the politicians who publicly backed Yinon in the wake
of the sanctions was Zvi Sukkot of the ultranationalist Religious Zionism party
- a settler himself.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He said that settler violence was a "marginal phenomenon"
and that those like Levy were the victims of conspiracies.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"When we have a functioning judicial system in Israel,
we don't want our allies to say, 'we'll do the job for you'," he said.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"If there was evidence against Yinon Levy, he would be
in Israeli prison. Who is Britain to come and say, 'we are smarter than Israeli
intelligence'?"</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Israeli police commander responsible for investigating
complaints in the West Bank told Sukkot's parliamentary committee this week
that half the complaints filed about settler violence there were false, and
that they originated from "radical left-wing organizations in Tel
Aviv".</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Against this backdrop, sanctions on a handful of individual
settlers have not shifted Israeli policies in the West Bank, but they are
having a financial impact.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yinon's Israeli bank account was frozen last month.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Some of those currently under US and UK sanctions have used
crowdfunding to finance projects for their area - including one for a synagogue
and educational centre at another hilltop outpost called Moshe's Farm.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Its owner, Moshe Sharvit, was sanctioned along with Yinon
Levy last month.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">On
Thursday the US expanded sanctions to cover several new targets, including the
farm itself - putting this kind of funding at risk.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">These sanctions may be more symbolic than substantial, but
they signal American displeasure - both to Israel's leaders, and to the parts
of President Biden's Democratic base who have been dismayed by images of the
war in Gaza, in an election year.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The chairman of the local Yesha (settlers) Council, Shlomo
Ne'eman, called it "a disgusting phenomenon" and said the West Bank was
being used as a scapegoat.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"I think more than anything, what drives the response
of the UK [and] the US is the fear of one settler attack that goes 'out of
control'," said Yehuda Shaul, founder of the Ofek Centre, a think tank
which campaigns to end Israel's occupation.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"The West Bank [then] erupts like a volcano. And we
have another front, as if Gaza is not enough, and the road to regional war is
almost unstoppable then."<br />
<br />
Two sheep farmers in the occupied West Bank - one backed by a superpower, the
other by the Israeli state. If the lifestyle here is simple, the politics are
complicated.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">From Yinon's hilltop farm, you can clearly see the ruins of
Zanuta perched on the next hill, with the home Fares Samamreh left months ago.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Many of the houses are ravaged - roofs and furniture taken
by their owners into exile; walls smashed by settlers to prevent them
returning, activists say.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The deserted village is slowly being taken over by vast
banks of wild mallow.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On a post near the entrance, a large Star of David has been
scrawled in blue paint.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Settlers here point to attacks by Palestinians, and say they
are scared. But it's Palestinians who are leaving.</p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-15460170673742840242024-03-15T19:31:00.000-07:002024-03-15T19:31:14.913-07:00Iran-Pakistan to sign Free Trade Agreement<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9MkF80aUHwKfZHzLc_Bt1z8_UJS5ogAIyZvRQ7C5rqOPvGb7G1M-ZYbFmA5RTvcv82tA4vuArG9CUhNAomS7IzWtRSzJPZPIjGU3hyphenhyphenncNlRD3YFmr3XYrLMOpH5hQ3Rgw7NEfxZAAzCuT9Cs28xNRdpgjKiQFiRSSoH3FtZzICVtXGWAhtf7yInLoFuQ/s200/billo%20in%20iran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="134" data-original-width="200" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9MkF80aUHwKfZHzLc_Bt1z8_UJS5ogAIyZvRQ7C5rqOPvGb7G1M-ZYbFmA5RTvcv82tA4vuArG9CUhNAomS7IzWtRSzJPZPIjGU3hyphenhyphenncNlRD3YFmr3XYrLMOpH5hQ3Rgw7NEfxZAAzCuT9Cs28xNRdpgjKiQFiRSSoH3FtZzICVtXGWAhtf7yInLoFuQ/w200-h118/billo%20in%20iran.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Iranian Ambassador Dr Reza Amiri Moghadam has indicated that
a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is likely to be finalized in the upcoming visit of
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to Pakistan.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Addressing the business community during his visit to the
Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), the Iranian envoy said the
FTA would increase mutual trade and several bilateral economic and trade
agreements would also be signed during the visit.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He also said that the two countries need to have strong air,
maritime and sea links, which will strengthen the economic relations and Pakistan,
will also be connected to regional and global trade.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">The
ambassador emphasized the closeness of maritime links, especially Karachi and
Gwadar and Chabahar and Bandar Abbas ports and said that Gwadar and Chabahar
should be declared as sister ports.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">The
current bilateral trade volume paltry US$2.5 billion. Pakistan and Iran can
fulfill 70% of each other’s needs by engaging in mutual trade, just as Iran
imports halal meat, Pakistan can do a lot of work in Iran in this sector.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“After the FTA and bilateral agreements for the promotion of
mutual trade, there is a strong possibility that the mutual trade between
Pakistan and Iran would reach US$5 billion in the next few years,” he added.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The envoy added that the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline was a
significant project, which would benefit both the domestic and industrial
sectors of Pakistan.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">“Iran
is serious about resolving Pakistan’s energy problems and that is why Tehran
completed the gas pipeline project for US$1 billion in 2009 so that Pakistan
could meet its energy needs,” he said, adding that it was essential that the
project is completed at the earliest.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He added that Iran was already trading in gas and the energy
sector with Turkiye, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, therefore Pakistan can also
follow the procedure adopted by these countries.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He acknowledged that the banking channel between Pakistan
and Iran was a serious issue, but Iran has banking links with Turkiye, Bahrain
and Iraq.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-8279700716282626062024-03-15T09:04:00.000-07:002024-03-15T09:04:50.799-07:00Bangladesh offers lucrative deals for offshore gas exploration<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hlMaC7-RjNR4m7DApl0_rOIsuxt9cZvaye3cXeEbCxnO-x0Suwfag6Gh_xcj_dl6kfeu8Xjrr-aWlQ-M4KZpqongCEXzoQVL4EBOyt5b-b8RYz4xcKT7-c62yfyiv8weEM1nHg-iFbwoLxK5S_4np9DqVjAtKwYHXaOtbcxZenhwZY144xRNO2LJ-dM/s300/Bangladesh%20Gas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hlMaC7-RjNR4m7DApl0_rOIsuxt9cZvaye3cXeEbCxnO-x0Suwfag6Gh_xcj_dl6kfeu8Xjrr-aWlQ-M4KZpqongCEXzoQVL4EBOyt5b-b8RYz4xcKT7-c62yfyiv8weEM1nHg-iFbwoLxK5S_4np9DqVjAtKwYHXaOtbcxZenhwZY144xRNO2LJ-dM/w200-h112/Bangladesh%20Gas.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Bangladesh is ending a yearlong hiatus on oil and gas
exploration in the Bay of Bengal as it scrambles to plug dwindling energy
reserves that could run out in under a decade.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On Sunday, the South Asian nation opened bidding to dozens
of international companies, including ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and
China's Sinopec, on 24 offshore blocks spread across 15 deep and nine shallow
waters.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The bidding process, which ends an eight-year pause on
exploration tenders, will be open for six months as Bangladesh grapples with
energy shortages and struggles to pay for imported fuel and gas from its
fast-shrinking dollar reserves.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The country faced a spike in fuel prices in the wake of
Russia's invasion of Ukraine, forcing it to turn to the International Monetary
Fund last year for a US$4.7 billion bailout package.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Despite
being seen as a promising source of natural gas, Bangladesh has long struggled
with lagging exploration, with just 18 wells drilled in the past 12 years,
according to state energy company PetroBangla. Just four new gas fields were
discovered over that period.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Analysts said a key reason was international companies
exiting Bangladesh over unfavorable terms in production-sharing contracts
(PSCs), which set how the government and a company will share risks, costs and
profits from tapping natural resources.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The American energy giant ConocoPhillips terminated a
contract in 2015, citing unfavorable terms, Australia's Santos and Singapore's
KrisEnergy exited exploration projects in 2020 after incurring losses.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">However, PetroBangla said new contracts will carry more
favorable conditions.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"We have amended our last PSC, and the new contract
model has attractive terms for the international companies," Chairman
Zanendra Nath Sarker told Nikkei Asia.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The new contracts will offer a revenue-sharing model, a 5%
higher share of production and better pricing mechanisms, he added.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"I think it's a win-win situation for both the
parties," Sarker said.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Revenue-sharing contracts could work out better for the
country, which didn't benefit from previous profit-sharing agreements, said
Badrul Imam, a professor at the University of Dhaka's geology department.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"[They] led to unfavorable outcomes for Bangladesh due
to cost-recovery provisions," he said. "This new PSC has already
generated interest among many reputed companies. We need to understand that
unless we tap the potential of our offshore gas reserves, we will face a severe
energy crisis within the next 10 years."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Bangladesh's
economic boom has been powered by natural gas, the main source of electricity
generation for decades. But dwindling reserves from older fields and a growing
reliance on imported LNG are making the country increasingly vulnerable to
external factors affecting energy supply.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Over the past two decades, Bangladesh consumed about 13
trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas, but only about 2 trillion cubic feet of new
gas reserves were discovered over that period. The country's existing gas
reserves are likely to be exhausted by 2033 in the absence of new discoveries.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Bangladesh's oil and gas exploration efforts in the Bay of
Bengal also pale in comparison to neighboring India and Myanmar, which have
both made frequent gas discoveries in the waterway.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The government's hesitance to explore these potentially rich
offshore reserves "hindered domestic production and favored private
businesses involved in LNG imports," Imam said.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Development of the energy sector has long lagged that of the
power sector, said Shafiqul Alam, the lead energy analyst at the Institute for
Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, a US-based think tank.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Bangladesh "provided more attention on the power sector
capacity expansion" but could not step up its "efforts on enhancing
energy security," Alam said.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Despite resolving maritime boundary disputes with Myanmar
and India over the past decade, Bangladesh has yet to ramp up offshore gas
exploration ‑ even as Myanmar made promising discoveries bordering
Bangladesh's territory in the Bay of Bengal.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Niaz Asadullah, a professor of economics at Monash
University Malaysia, said geopolitical considerations likely influenced the
timeline of developments in Bangladesh's energy sector.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"The incumbent government increasingly favored
non-Western companies, particularly when it prepared for a third term in
power," Asadullah said, adding that the number of contracts awarded to the
Russian state-owned company Gazprom for drilling gas wells had doubled in the
past few years.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Meanwhile, Dhaka opened the door for more domestic power
generation, transmission and distribution, awarding contracts worth at least US$4.5
billion to private and state-run Indian companies.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In January, Bangladesh's ruling Awami League and Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina won a fourth consecutive term.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"With the national election concluded, the government
now feels well-placed to navigate the politics of new lucrative energy sector
contracts with interested regional and international economic powers,"
Asadullah said.</p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-74978533899913755022024-03-15T05:58:00.000-07:002024-03-15T05:58:47.343-07:00Aid ship reaches Gaza coast<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitn64cSxAPL1k3GRht4UFkIJzyEadXg3U6rSMVxX9W4lpa_n8Bgue2Mz5QLEaEy2xdLTwFxyk75oSd-9zuPKPyI6hpcRn5Yo4Vto4nEdyIfLJv5JSQilXGuo94omQROlQa4nLlqh8cDpVEZIBUtUcJjshVRDgSShhK7y2kZnRG4pKWwUyvPFntDXkVWJo/s370/aid%20ship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="370" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitn64cSxAPL1k3GRht4UFkIJzyEadXg3U6rSMVxX9W4lpa_n8Bgue2Mz5QLEaEy2xdLTwFxyk75oSd-9zuPKPyI6hpcRn5Yo4Vto4nEdyIfLJv5JSQilXGuo94omQROlQa4nLlqh8cDpVEZIBUtUcJjshVRDgSShhK7y2kZnRG4pKWwUyvPFntDXkVWJo/w200-h146/aid%20ship.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>According to Reuters, the first ship carrying food aid reached the coast of the
Gaza Strip on Friday, where hopes for a ceasefire to rescue the population from
starvation suffered a new blow after Israel rejected the latest truce
counter-proposal from Hamas.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The charity World Central Kitchen (WCK) aims to deliver the
aid on a temporary jetty, though precise details of how supplies would reach
shore have not been made clear.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">If the
new sea route is successful, it may help to ease the hunger crisis affecting
Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people face malnourishment and hospitals
in the worst-stricken northern areas have reported children dying of
starvation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">However, aid agencies have repeatedly said that plans to
bring in aid by sea and through air drops will not be enough to satisfy the
territory's vast needs.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Since October 2023 the Israeli assaults have killed more
than 31,000 people and driven nearly the entire 2.3 million population of Gaza
from their homes.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The United Nations says all of Gaza's 2.3 million people are
suffering from a food crisis and a quarter of them are on the precipice of
famine, especially in the north.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Israel, which sealed off all land routes into Gaza apart
from two crossings on the territory's southern edge, denies blame for hunger
and says aid agencies should do a better job distributing food.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The agencies say they need better access and security, both
of which are the responsibility of Israeli forces that have blockaded the strip
and stormed its cities.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The distribution of the limited aid that arrives has been
chaotic and frequently violent under the watch of Israeli tanks.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In one of the worst reported incidents yet, Gaza health
authorities reported at least 21 people had been killed and 150 wounded on
Thursday night, blaming Israeli forces for opening fire into a crowd queuing up
for food at a road junction near Gaza City.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are increasing signs of friction between Washington
and its close ally Israel over the conduct of the war, which officials in
President Joe Biden's administration say is being waged with too little care
for Palestinian civilians.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">US
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the highest ranking Jewish official in
the United States and a leader of Biden's Democratic Party, called on Thursday
for Israelis to hold an election and replace Netanyahu.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He described Netanyahu as an obstacle to peace who was
destroying Israel's international standing. "Israel cannot survive if it
becomes a pariah," Schumer said.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Netanyahu's
Likud Party said his policies had widespread public support. "Senator
Schumer is expected to respect Israel's elected government and not undermine
it," it said. "This is always true, and even more so in
wartime."</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-54325629666501056052024-03-14T19:29:00.000-07:002024-03-14T19:29:35.871-07:00Donald Lu to testify before Congress panel<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibjRVZknIVMJoeauyW0_PlvzuFbq37gHuchrBrXR9Av63zxmLrwu2SR5EmtKrW07o9xmCOfUDFMVNBQojgWOAizU9knidiPaqWo6PjTmBlNgNn12SVTxnL7eTvhaFPKbTXQipyZb1NcvichX20LrkYkHLB_rR0kNI1D2oTq45W3kUqYbkaJzISptFholE/s913/Lu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="689" data-original-width="913" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibjRVZknIVMJoeauyW0_PlvzuFbq37gHuchrBrXR9Av63zxmLrwu2SR5EmtKrW07o9xmCOfUDFMVNBQojgWOAizU9knidiPaqWo6PjTmBlNgNn12SVTxnL7eTvhaFPKbTXQipyZb1NcvichX20LrkYkHLB_rR0kNI1D2oTq45W3kUqYbkaJzISptFholE/w200-h151/Lu.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The US House Foreign Affairs Committee has tasked its
Subcommittee on the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia with conducting a
hearing on the future of democracy in Pakistan, scheduled for March 20.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The hearing will also delve into the dynamics of US-Pakistan
relations following the February 08, 2024 general elections.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Donald Lu, the Assistant Secretary of State for South and
Central Asian Affairs, will be the sole witness for the hearing. Lu’s alleged
involvement in the cipher controversy adds significance to his testimony.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">The PTI
and its leader, Imran Khan, allege that Lu threatened to destabilize
the PTI government during a March 2022 meeting with then Pakistani ambassador
in Washington, Asad Majeed Khan.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The issue is frequently brought up during US State
Department news briefings by journalists from both Pakistan and the US. The
department consistently dismisses these allegations as unfounded.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The decision to have Lu attend the hearing underscores the
department’s desire to resolve the controversy by providing clarification on
its stance.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">In a
statement from Houston, Texas, the PTI’s US chapter claimed that persistent
efforts by Pakistani Americans led to the much-anticipated announcement of a
Congressional hearing on this.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This bipartisan hearing is expected to draw significant
attendance from both Democratic and Republican legislators.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-45807214903537192202024-03-14T10:20:00.000-07:002024-03-14T10:20:46.499-07:00Supply Lines: Red Sea Update<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbus0U8FfElE48hPCp7GuopoRXcsrj2KzmSibBmtvnDv6yIE-7PTSs_8kIXbzJssn-4Gp4eqpm5QFcRXavVIZogmOMvSHHNsNkE02xmUjUUaWnI1EhPxiDSFeBYC6iOpMPD4C3MT8TjDf1Lqx5ahddV_Yhs5QJ-4WM2yPtA2P0i6YA9WlL4hSpAZhVx4/s288/Red%20Sea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="288" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbus0U8FfElE48hPCp7GuopoRXcsrj2KzmSibBmtvnDv6yIE-7PTSs_8kIXbzJssn-4Gp4eqpm5QFcRXavVIZogmOMvSHHNsNkE02xmUjUUaWnI1EhPxiDSFeBYC6iOpMPD4C3MT8TjDf1Lqx5ahddV_Yhs5QJ-4WM2yPtA2P0i6YA9WlL4hSpAZhVx4/w200-h113/Red%20Sea.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>According to the Bloomberg, Red Sea shipping diversions may
last a few more months, and some people think they could go on even longer.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That’s among the takeaways from the CEO of Hapag-Lloyd, the
world’s No. 5 container line, in an interview Thursday on Bloomberg TV.
Rolf Habben Jansen was speaking as the Hamburg, Germany-based company
announced 2023 earnings that showed a steep drop in revenue and
profits from a year earlier.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea have disrupted supply
chains since mid-December 2023, forcing carriers to change routes and redo
schedules — adjustments that have helped absorb excess capacity.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As a result, they’re burning more fuel and taking longer to
deliver, with some needing to purchase more containers given the extended
routes. The added costs are getting past along to customers.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The longer routes around southern Africa initially boosted
spot container rates but those are coming down, Jansen said. “The services are
stabilizing, which also means that the market is getting calmer.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He indicated, though, that there’s no telling when the Red
Sea will be safe enough to transit again.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“We hope that we’re going to be able to go back through in a
couple of months,” Jansen said. “But I know there are also people that think
that it will last quite a while longer.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the medium term, excess capacity may return to weigh on
freight rates. Hapag-Lloyd expects the market to remain difficult for
carriers given the large number of ship deliveries this year, Jansen said in
the company’s 2023 annual report.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sharing that view was Zim Integrated Shipping CEO Eli
Glickman, who spoke on a conference call on Wednesday. “Once the Red Sea crisis
is resolved, we will likely revert to the supply-demand scenario that began to
play out in ‘23, setting up a more challenging third and fourth quarter of 2024
for the industry, including us,” he said.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s not just the shipping companies facing a tough
environment. World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told
Bloomberg in an interview that “the risks are all on the downside.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But corporate supply chains have gotten more resilient and
flexible. Here’s a rundown of comments that a few big shippers and a major port
operator have offered this week:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Samsonite CFO Reza
Taleghani</span>: “So if you think about things you read about in the news,
shipping delays, Red Sea, et cetera, we are just fine. We have inventory
exactly where we need it to be. All of our facilities, even if there is a week
or two delays, not that big of a deal.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Adidas CEO Bjorn
Gulden</span>: “We have a little bit of headwind in freight in the first half
because of the Red Sea situation, and as you know, if the freight companies
have a chance to do something they increase prices. That should normalize and
then the rest of everything that has to do with margin is going in the right
direction.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Williams-Sonoma CEO
Laura Alber</span>: “When a problem comes along, they’re real. The Red Sea
disruption is pretty terrible. However, it is not costing us any more money. So
far it is costing us about 10 days of delivery, give or take. And as I
mentioned last time, we padded the deliveries to our customers once we heard
about it, so we didn't disappoint them.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">DP
World Group Chairman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem</span>: “Despite the
uncertain start to 2024 with the ongoing Red Sea crisis, our portfolio has
continued to demonstrate resilience. The outlook remains uncertain due to the
challenging geopolitical and economic environment.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-73547222333225483242024-03-13T19:26:00.000-07:002024-03-13T19:26:00.464-07:00Iranian oil output exceeds 3 million bpd <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOXAaaYffIHHEt6rj2l4bkXQC7jxhhHvrV000WQ3xmxk3vrduHnhtUNaLHtxGk42AAoBuOxNZw0LCsMMxTrIa24_kGXnHXxIMYRxc7uc3sVqTfNDReW30E9bAreD-SnWaVnG8t8ZmV8BHwwHqG1kTMi-uh8GuXKfyT_3pWmO9aIluvyNOpjvwwH-6OI4/s226/iran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="126" data-original-width="226" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOXAaaYffIHHEt6rj2l4bkXQC7jxhhHvrV000WQ3xmxk3vrduHnhtUNaLHtxGk42AAoBuOxNZw0LCsMMxTrIa24_kGXnHXxIMYRxc7uc3sVqTfNDReW30E9bAreD-SnWaVnG8t8ZmV8BHwwHqG1kTMi-uh8GuXKfyT_3pWmO9aIluvyNOpjvwwH-6OI4/w200-h112/iran.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) in a report
put Iran’s oil output at 3.2 million barrels per day (bpd) for February 2024.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">According to the report OPEC’s total output during the month
under review was up 170,000 bpd to 26.47 million bpd.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">OPEC’s
latest monthly report, however, has put Iran’s crude oil production at 3.148 in
February, noting that the Islamic Republic maintained its place as OPEC’s
third-biggest oil producer in the month.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">According to the mentioned report, the price of Iran’s heavy
crude increased by 20 cents in February to reach US$80.34 per barrel.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The director of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC)
Explorations Department has said the country’s oil explorations registered a
300 percent growth in two years of the administration of President Ebrahim
Raisi, who assumed office in August 2021.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mehdi Fakour said the oil explorations have shown a considerable
increase in various sectors as compared to the past five years, Mehr News
Agency reported.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He added that the oil explorations made in the first two
years of the current administration have registered a 300 percent hike.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The feasibility studies of some explorations have started in
the country, he said, adding that negotiations have been made with a number of
industrial production companies.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Currently, the oil exploration activities in the country are
at a satisfactory level, Fakour added.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Earlier, the Head of the National Iranian Oil Company Mohsen
Khojasteh Mehr said that the company has a 100-year vision for exploration,
emphasizing that the company is determined to carry out maximum exploration
operations to discover and maintain the country’s reserves.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Back in
February, the International Monetary Fund in a report on Iran’s microeconomic
indicators said the increase in Iran’s oil production in 2023 exceeded
expectations.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The fund attributed the increase in its estimate of Iran's
economic growth in the mentioned year to the higher-than-expected increase in
the country’s oil production.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">According to the new estimates of this international entity,
Iran's economic growth in 2023 reached 5.4 percent, registering a significant
increase compared to the previous year.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The International Monetary Fund had previously estimated
that Iran's economic growth would reach only 3.0 percent in 2023.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Iran's
crude oil exports grew by roughly 50 percent in 2023 to a five-year high of
about 1.29 million bpd, with the vast majority going to China, according to
Nikkei Asia.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The report, citing the International Energy Agency (IEA),
put Iran’s oil production at 2.99 million bpd last year, 440,000 barrels more
than in 2022.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As reported, IEA predicts a further rise of 160,000 barrels
of Iran’s oil exports in 2024.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This increase is expected to contribute to a less tight
market, alongside increases by the US and Brazil. The IEA sees global supply
rising by 1.5 million bpd to an all-time high this year.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-21340556269379984402024-03-13T08:43:00.000-07:002024-03-13T08:43:27.350-07:00Pakistan: Saga of Financial Challenges<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0dPzYCkSo7tb_xVlRCQoqWwyGTxvL8x0NYbfQHT2W74IMYjtC3rYXcOEl2z_eCnil_sez7qy2mPaRsRGYlYzUrBhTTUDU9x_-uREjvS3pQAKgOYy5IODZ9BpMF8FXaKBr5CkSYZqxN61NlPmoFQesnn4MsnBeJe5n_48buJnWI33yqVPD7Mvzvqqt2E/s297/dar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="170" data-original-width="297" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW0dPzYCkSo7tb_xVlRCQoqWwyGTxvL8x0NYbfQHT2W74IMYjtC3rYXcOEl2z_eCnil_sez7qy2mPaRsRGYlYzUrBhTTUDU9x_-uREjvS3pQAKgOYy5IODZ9BpMF8FXaKBr5CkSYZqxN61NlPmoFQesnn4MsnBeJe5n_48buJnWI33yqVPD7Mvzvqqt2E/w200-h114/dar.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Once hailed as a financial wizard, Ishaq Dar's return to
Pakistan was accompanied by grandiosity, with a Red Carpet reception. However,
the same individuals who celebrated Dar's financial prowess are now touting
Muhammad Aurangzeb as a savior capable of instantly resolving Pakistan's myriad
issues. While Aurangzeb may possess exceptional banking skills, his
comprehension of Pakistan's complex economic landscape raises doubts.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Adding to the skepticism is his hefty monthly salary of
US$100,000, amounting to a staggering US$1.2 million annually. Despite
decades under the IMF microscope, Pakistan struggles to generate sufficient
dollars to finance its imports, with around US$150 billion from overseas
Pakistanis disappearing into a financial abyss over the last five years.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The finance minister's primary task now is to persuade the
lender of last resort to release more dollars, settling outstanding loans and
facilitating imports, particularly for the elite. The proposed solutions
involve increasing electricity and gas tariffs, raising interest rates, and
imposing additional duties and taxes, collectively squeezing every Pakistani
financially.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Financial wizards argue that these measures will bridge the
budget deficit, but they overlook the resultant surge in government borrowing
and the negative impact on local manufacturers' competitiveness. This situation
brings to mind the saying, "An expert is a person who makes things complicated."
Pakistanis are inundated with advice on improving taxes, but there's a glaring
absence of plans to tax those enjoying exemptions since independence, and
austerity measures are conspicuously lacking.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As Pakistan rushes into talks with the IMF, concerns persist
about addressing GDP growth, boosting exports, and curbing extravagance. The
impending debt servicing crisis looms large, and while the IMF may greenlight a
larger and extended standby program, the real question lies in whether
policymakers have viable strategies to maintain debt servicing at a sustainable
level.</p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-37842213203614908562024-03-12T19:51:00.000-07:002024-03-12T19:51:17.799-07:00Iran-China-Russia naval drill in Indian Ocean<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiLEmXJ48T-dHj21W9sW8qT5jK1SIFOHYELNiHBQgGGAkyEt1CORtEnCTIEfR_WW65E78rwVaX4M3YqoOcUdCIJ3nwx71_W_j6O-pkh2Ckj3KVG-nT1TunzUXgnWTQpWqHKYmNbIgtq5NlrcSBDDK1Mcnbx7_blXh7KSpt9YzQu0kQufdj-gCD_HIg70s/s237/warship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="154" data-original-width="237" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiLEmXJ48T-dHj21W9sW8qT5jK1SIFOHYELNiHBQgGGAkyEt1CORtEnCTIEfR_WW65E78rwVaX4M3YqoOcUdCIJ3nwx71_W_j6O-pkh2Ckj3KVG-nT1TunzUXgnWTQpWqHKYmNbIgtq5NlrcSBDDK1Mcnbx7_blXh7KSpt9YzQu0kQufdj-gCD_HIg70s/w200-h130/warship.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The navies of Iran, China, and Russia have initiated joint
drills in the northern tip of the Indian Ocean, marking their fifth
collaborative military exercise in recent years. Naval delegations from
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Oman, Pakistan, and South Africa are present as the
observers of the exercises.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Chinese
and Russian naval forces have entered Iranian territorial waters to participate
in the primary stage of the naval war game, named Maritime Security Belt 2024,
near the Gulf of Oman. This international exercise, involving Iran, China, and
Russia, underscores a commitment to peace and security in the region.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">During a joint press conference with Russian and Chinese
commanders, Second Flotilla Admiral Mustafa Taj al-Dini emphasized the
strategic significance of this being the fifth joint exercise among the
involved countries. He highlighted the objectives of this joint naval drill,
including bolstering maritime trade security, combating piracy and terrorism,
and fostering cooperation among the participating nations.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">According to Taj al-Dini, this security-focused exercise,
covering an expansive area of 17,000 square kilometers, aims to address
multifaceted challenges. Despite the approaching festivities for the Persian
New Year, the spokesperson underscored that security efforts remain steadfast.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Notably,
naval units from Iran, China, and Russia, comprising destroyers and missile
cruisers, actively contribute to this collaborative initiative.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Iranian naval forces, along with their Chinese and Russian
counterparts, have conducted several military drills in recent years to enhance
the security and stability of international maritime trade. They have also
collaborated in countering piracy and maritime terrorism, exchanging
information in naval rescue and relief operations, as well as sharing
operational and tactical experiences.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Russia's defense ministry stated that the exercises, running
through Friday and involving warships and aviation, would focus on the
protection of maritime economic activity. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Russian defence ministry said its Pacific fleet, led by
the Varyag guided missile cruiser and the Marshal Shaposhnikov frigate, had
arrived at Iran’s Chabahar port on Monday to take part in the joint drill.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">China’s defense ministry mentioned that the drills aimed at jointly
maintaining regional maritime security. China sent its 45th escort task force,
consisting of the guided-missile destroyer Urumqi, guided-missile frigate
Linyi, and the comprehensive supply ship Dongpinghu, to the exercise.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Last
month, Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, commander of the Iranian Navy, announced
Tehran's plan to hold joint drills with Beijing and Moscow before the end of
March, aimed at ensuring regional security.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Providing insights into the strategic maritime efforts, the
rear admiral revealed that the mission to safeguard Iran's shipping lines in
international waters commenced in 2009 under the direct command of the Leader
of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Emphasizing
the unwavering commitment of the Army's strategic naval force, he highlighted
their continuous role in ensuring the security of the nation's economic hub in
both the Gulf of Aden and the northern Indian Ocean.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The admiral further highlighted the expansion of the
security mission beyond securing shipping lines in the Red Sea over the past
four years. Currently, the comprehensive management of protection for Iran's
shipping lines extends from the Gulf of Aden to the Suez Canal.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Iranian Navy conducts routine exercises throughout the
year. In recent years, Iranian military experts and technicians have made
significant progress in developing and manufacturing a diverse range of
military equipment, achieving self-sufficiency for the armed forces in the
military industry.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In March 2023, Iranian, Chinese, and Russian naval forces
staged the 2023 Marine Security Belt war game in the northern parts of the
Indian Ocean, marking the fourth joint exercise in recent years. Alongside
Chinese and Russian fleets, more than 10 Iranian Navy vessels and three
helicopters reportedly took part.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> Courtesy Tehran Times</o:p></p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-56249052060089205152024-03-12T09:16:00.000-07:002024-03-12T09:16:11.244-07:00Iran grain production exceeds 21 million tons<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5m_G_fwDhFr9E7pZ41ev0TwVBl-I7Z-wLEfW_HlcwEu0e9Gr8ah8fvN3TZiGRmseSkWeJiTTZGWobMHFwJi30aRF_gO5babbZFwhi9lDrDWL9ush6d7MN67ZZoy37USWPUuvezsdFdB_KhLt35q1eelrjcNs-yP6d59jt_mY7wQ3OO7gMYSBCrOiBJSM/s200/Iran%20wheat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="143" data-original-width="200" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5m_G_fwDhFr9E7pZ41ev0TwVBl-I7Z-wLEfW_HlcwEu0e9Gr8ah8fvN3TZiGRmseSkWeJiTTZGWobMHFwJi30aRF_gO5babbZFwhi9lDrDWL9ush6d7MN67ZZoy37USWPUuvezsdFdB_KhLt35q1eelrjcNs-yP6d59jt_mY7wQ3OO7gMYSBCrOiBJSM/w159-h125/Iran%20wheat.jpg" width="159" /></a></div>The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in a report
said Iran has produced more than 21 million tons of grain in the 2023 Crop Year
and holds the fourth largest grain reserves in Asia.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In its latest report on the “Outlook of Food Products and
Situation”, FAO put the total volume of grain produced in Iran in 2023 at 21.1
million tons, showing a more than two percent hike compared to a year earlier.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">According
to this report, Iran produced over 13 million tons of wheat in 2022 and 13.5
million tons in 2023.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Rice
production also reached 3.5 million tons in the current year, without any
changes compared to the previous crop year.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">FAO has put Iran's total cereal stocks at 12.1 million tons
in the current year, registering a 100,000-ton increase compared to the
previous year.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">With
this volume of stocks, Iran has ranked fourth in the world. China has been
ranked number one with 399 million tons of cereal stocks. India with 64 million
tons and Turkey with 12.7 million tons have taken the second and third places
respectively.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Back in May 2023, FAO released a report in which Iran was
ranked 43rd in the world in terms of food imports despite being the 17th most
populous country in the world.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The UN entity’s statistics show that industrialized
countries were the largest importers of food products in the world.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">According to the organization, Iran currently stands among
the world’s top producers of agricultural products.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-13402961333864581522024-03-11T20:07:00.000-07:002024-03-11T20:07:49.378-07:00A pier for Gaza can change almost nothing<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8rB8Ojq9Fecjr0cZJ6UPizz-axOJVQonT3sh9za_YvZfjqRRANUo7-v4yT7FaEt-jTXKWLjBPXjNgJTCAWFYJ0Xhg2XYvSuAkKLlNnE-okU_pVR_9Pb1uqfbtR4RUWTEfMgUTHvsKNVgNXj32q0KA4u9GmGp50P9bSYtVJ9z9-3nkguEkRM-oetZQDk/s208/starving%20children.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="139" data-original-width="208" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8rB8Ojq9Fecjr0cZJ6UPizz-axOJVQonT3sh9za_YvZfjqRRANUo7-v4yT7FaEt-jTXKWLjBPXjNgJTCAWFYJ0Xhg2XYvSuAkKLlNnE-okU_pVR_9Pb1uqfbtR4RUWTEfMgUTHvsKNVgNXj32q0KA4u9GmGp50P9bSYtVJ9z9-3nkguEkRM-oetZQDk/w200-h134/starving%20children.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>A few observations on US President Joe Biden building a
“temporary pier” – or what his officials are grandly calling a “port” – to get
aid into Gaza:<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1. Though no one is mentioning it, Biden is actually
violating Israel’s 17-year blockade of Gaza with his plan. Gaza doesn’t have a
sea port, or an airport, because Israel, its occupier, has long banned it from
having either.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Israel barred anything getting into Gaza that didn’t come
through the land crossings it controls. Israel stopped international aid
flotillas, often violently, from reaching Gaza to bring in medicine. The
blockade also created a captive market for Israel’s own poor-quality goods,
like damaged fruit and vegetales, and allowed Israel to skim off money at the
land crossings that should have gone to the Palestinians in fees and duties.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">2. It will take many weeks for the US to build this pier
off-shore and get it up and running. Why the delay? Every western capital,
including the United States, has supported the blockade for the past 17 years.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The siege of Gaza caused gradual malnutrition among the enclave’s
children, rather the current rapid starvation. By helping Israel inflict
collective punishment on Gaza for all those years, the US and Europe was
complicit in a gross and enduring violation of international law, even before
the current genocide.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With his pier, Biden isn’t reversing that long-standing
collusion in a crime against humanity. He has stressed it will be temporary. In
other words, it will be back to business in Gaza as usual afterwards: any
children who survive will once again be allowed to starve in slow-motion, at a
rate that doesn’t register with the establishment media and put pressure on
Washington to be seen to be doing something.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">3. Biden could get aid into Gaza much faster than by
building a pier, if he wanted to. He could simply insist that Israel let aid
trucks through the land crossings, and threaten it with serious repercussions
should it fail to comply. He could threaten to withhold the US bombs he is
sending to kill more children in Gaza. Or he could threaten to cut off the
billions in military aid Washington sends to Israel every year. Or he could
threaten to refuse to cast a US veto to protect Israel from diplomatic fallout
at the United Nations. He could do any of that and more, but he chooses not to.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">4. Even after Biden buys Israel a few more weeks to further
aggressively starve Palestinians in Gaza, while we wait for his temporary pier
to be completed, nothing may actually change in practice. Israel will still get
to carry out the same checks it currently does at the land crossings but
instead in Lanarca, Cyprus, where the aid will be loaded on to ships. In other
words, Israel will still be able to create the same interminable hold-ups using
“security concerns” as the pretext.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">5. Biden isn’t changing course – temporarily – because he
suddenly cares about the people, or even the children, of Gaza. They have been
suffering in their open-air prison, to varying degrees, for decades. If he had
cared, he would have done something to end that suffering after he became
president. If he had done something then, October 7 might never have happened,
and all those lives lost on both sides – lives continuing to be lost on the
Palestinian side every few minutes – might have been saved.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And if he really cared, he wouldn’t have helped Israel in
its efforts to destroy UNRWA, the UN relief agency for Palestinians and a vital
lifeline for Gaza, by freezing its funding, based on unevidenced claims against
the agency by Israel.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">No, Biden doesn’t care about Palestinian suffering or about
the fact that, while he’s been busy eating ice cream, many, many tens of
thousands of children have been murdered, maimed or orphaned – and the rest
starved. He cares about the polls. His timetable for helping Palestinians is
being strictly dictated by the schedule of the presidential election. He needs
to look like Gaza’s saviour when Democrats are deciding who they are voting
for.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He and the Democratic Party are betting voters are dumb
enough to fall for this charade. Please don’t prove them right.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-259209635729141922024-03-11T19:06:00.000-07:002024-03-11T19:06:43.936-07:00Pakistan: Kitchen Cabinet of PM Shehbaz Sharif<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK5WOWaxrHwl7FvpJct6xBLVrDkFAH-mQdIe4HHI-xCzE2SNdvGLzHnCvt-zFV_3cxgKlpTc-c54UyPTEMdiuDPoUDWyLn_OcdCea6DunKwOO0Apop8jGBJkceVx38sMTln4LMmBAJB-7kl190EeneJGBSHNZy0dvQC5wlf-nniy5VOyz8QUuEyFNlumU/s280/Cabinet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="280" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK5WOWaxrHwl7FvpJct6xBLVrDkFAH-mQdIe4HHI-xCzE2SNdvGLzHnCvt-zFV_3cxgKlpTc-c54UyPTEMdiuDPoUDWyLn_OcdCea6DunKwOO0Apop8jGBJkceVx38sMTln4LMmBAJB-7kl190EeneJGBSHNZy0dvQC5wlf-nniy5VOyz8QUuEyFNlumU/w200-h120/Cabinet.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday administered the oath
to the 19-member federal cabinet of newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz
Sharif.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The PML-N’s main ally, the PPP, has refused to become part
of the federal cabinet.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The cabinet includes 12 MNAs and three senators as federal
ministers, as well as a minister of state. Three technocrats — Muhammad
Aurangzeb, Mohsin Naqvi and Ahad Cheema are also included in the cabinet.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A press release from the information ministry elaborated on
the various portfolios assigned to the federal ministers.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Federal ministers</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Khawaja Muhammad Asif, MNA
— defence, defence production, aviation</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Senator
— foreign affairs</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Ahsan Iqbal Chaudry, MNA —
planning, development and special initiatives</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Rana Tanveer Hussain, MNA —
industries and production</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Azam Nazeer Tarar, Senator
— law and justice, human rights</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Chaudhry Salik Hussain, MNA
— overseas Pakistanis and human resource development</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Abdul Aleem Khan, MNA —
privatisation, Board of Investment</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Jam Kamal Khan, MNA —
commerce</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Amir Muqam, MNA — states
and frontier regions, national heritage and culture</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan
Leghari, MNA — railways</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Attaullah Tarar, MNA —
information and broadcasting</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui,
MNA — science and technology, federal education and professional training</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, MNA —
maritime affairs</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada,
MNA — housing and works</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Musadik Masood Malik,
Senator — petroleum, power</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Muhammad Aurangzeb —
finance, revenue</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Ahad Khan Cheema — economic
affairs, establishment</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Mohsin Naqvi — interior,
narcotics control</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Minister of state</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Shaza Fatima Khawaja</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Familiar faces returning include Khawaja Asif, Dar, Ahsan
Iqbal, Azam Nazeer Tarar and Musadik Malik.</p>
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</v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" alt=" Ishaq Dar, Ahsan Iqbal, Azam Tarar, Aleem Khan, Attaullah Tarar and Musadik Malik take oath as federal ministers on March 11. — DawnNewsTV "
style='width:24pt;height:24pt'/><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><img alt=" Ishaq Dar, Ahsan Iqbal, Azam Tarar, Aleem Khan, Attaullah Tarar and Musadik Malik take oath as federal ministers on March 11. — DawnNewsTV " height="32" src="file:///C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.gif" v:shapes="_x0000_i1025" width="32" /><!--[endif]--></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-29067496511006162822024-03-11T08:01:00.000-07:002024-03-11T08:01:04.253-07:00Netanyahu hurting Israel more than helping it<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xP3XDj4U3LpkaP4WPtPW-FHh_DMDWE8XQChf-BOdxrpvx_OR3EMcFPc7rTi-M0lFm0XFBibTk7tbcA5X897bRr_4WJHJAxZnEjIZKMvN9Jm-hhEATpD1m21SydKswDQ2CauDgWRwWE803u_3PY_x41hc_z0BZ0RDSrRSs_hU5XDWeEpl96a4GWEB_tc/s247/BB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="247" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xP3XDj4U3LpkaP4WPtPW-FHh_DMDWE8XQChf-BOdxrpvx_OR3EMcFPc7rTi-M0lFm0XFBibTk7tbcA5X897bRr_4WJHJAxZnEjIZKMvN9Jm-hhEATpD1m21SydKswDQ2CauDgWRwWE803u_3PY_x41hc_z0BZ0RDSrRSs_hU5XDWeEpl96a4GWEB_tc/w200-h131/BB.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is undermining the values
on which Israel was founded and is harming the country with his handling of the
Gaza war, US President Joe Biden charged during an interview he gave to MSNBC
on Saturday.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“He has a right to defend Israel, a right to
continue to pursue Hamas, but he must, he must, he must pay more attention to
the innocent lives being lost as a consequence of the actions taken.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“He is hurting Israel more than helping Israel by making the
rest of the world … it is contrary to what Israel stands for, and I think it’s
a big mistake,” Biden said.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He spoke amid growing tensions between Israel and the United
States over Israel’s conduct of its military campaign to destroy Hamas in Gaza,
an operation which it supports in principle, but has otherwise opposed elements
of its operation.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The United States has been concerned in particular by the
high fatality count, with Hamas asserting that over 31,000 Palestinians have
been killed since the start of the war.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Israel has stated that over 11,000 of the fatalities have
been combatants.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The US has also argued that Israel has not done enough to
contain the humanitarian disaster that accompanied its military campaign,
during which it has taken out roads, infrastructure, and the governance system,
making it difficult to distribute and in some cases impossible to distribute
aid.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Biden was careful to stress to MSNBC that irrespective of
his thoughts on Netanyahu, he supported Israel, particularly concerning
defensive weapons.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"I am never going to leave Israel,” Biden emphasized.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“The defense of Israel is still critical, so there is no red
line where I am going to cut off all weapons so they do not have the Iron
Dome to protect them,” Biden said.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Within that framework there are still red lines Israel
should not cross, such as a military operation in Rafah, Biden said. He has
stressed in the past that the US would only support such an operation if Israel
presented a plan to protect the over 1.3 million Palestinians located in the
area of that southern city, many of whom fled there to escape Israeli aerial
bombings in the northern part of the enclave.</p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-77200025188985968372024-03-10T19:59:00.000-07:002024-03-10T19:59:24.286-07:00Israel builds road across width of Gaza<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZFFVV-7hl548UcK25NOevrDo_9QpPY4Anib7OrltT3CFKdW83CLP_vHAjqncDl9FyDD4NmnSXKUFNw6r4CxOhlTuGsBjEWlkpzyCfkDmM7bGsORvUcErvQyBdKsKhGwSWD9CHnePOheGyoxeWpqNELjADHT8cCb0x6Wx3rRA5KyB5CD1IK0LK4kWfwo/s180/Gaza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="173" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZFFVV-7hl548UcK25NOevrDo_9QpPY4Anib7OrltT3CFKdW83CLP_vHAjqncDl9FyDD4NmnSXKUFNw6r4CxOhlTuGsBjEWlkpzyCfkDmM7bGsORvUcErvQyBdKsKhGwSWD9CHnePOheGyoxeWpqNELjADHT8cCb0x6Wx3rRA5KyB5CD1IK0LK4kWfwo/w208-h236/Gaza.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has finished building a new
road which runs across northern Gaza from east to west, reports Saudi Gazette.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">The IDF
told, they were attempting to gain an operational foothold, and facilitate the
movement of troops and equipment. But some experts fear it will used as a
barrier, preventing Palestinians from returning to their homes in the north. Others
said it appeared to be part of an Israeli plan to remain in Gaza beyond the end
of current hostilities.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">In
February, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled a post-war vision in which
Israel would control security in Gaza indefinitely.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">International leaders have previously warned Israel against
permanently displacing Palestinians or reducing the size of Gaza.<br />
The road runs across north Gaza, with central and southern areas lying below
it. It starts at Gaza's border fence with Israel near the Nahal Oz kibbutz and
finishes near the coast.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It also intersects with the Salah Al-Din and Al-Rashid
roads, the two major arteries running through the territory.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Although there is a network of roads which connect east and
west, the new IDF route is the only one which runs uninterrupted across Gaza.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Satellite imagery analysis by the BBC reveals that the IDF
has built over 5km (3 miles) of new road sections to join up previously
unconnected roads.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">The
initial section of the road in eastern Gaza near the Israeli border was
established between late last October and early November. But most of the new
sections were built during February and in early March.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The new route is wider than a typical road in Gaza,
excluding Salah Al-Din.<br />
<br />
Imagery analysis also shows that buildings along the route, which appear to be
warehouses, were demolished from the end of December until late January. This
includes one building several stories high.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The road spans an area which previously had fewer buildings
and was less densely populated than other parts of Gaza. It also sits below a
makeshift and winding route which the IDF had been using to move from east to
west.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">An Israeli TV channel reported on the route in February,
saying it was code named "Highway 749". A reporter from Channel 14
traveled along parts of the route with the Israeli military.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the video, road construction vehicles and diggers were
seen preparing for the construction of new sections of the route.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Analysts at Janes, a defense intelligence company, said the
type of unpaved road surface seen in the Channel 14 footage, was suitable for
tracked armored vehicles.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The IDF did not go into this type of detail in its
statement. "As part of the ground operation, the IDF uses an operational
route of passage," it said.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Retired Brig. Gen. Jacob Nagel, former head of Israel's
National Security Council and a former security adviser to Netanyahu, told BBC
Arabic that the objective of the new route was to provide fast access for
security forces when dealing with fresh threats.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"It will help Israel go in and out... because Israel is
going to have total defense, security and responsibility for Gaza," he
told BBC Arabic.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He described it as "A road that divides the northern
part from the southern part".</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"We don't want to wait until a threat is
emerging," he added.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Maj. Gen. Yaakov Amidror, formerly of the IDF, had a similar
view. The primary purpose of the new road was to facilitate logistical and
military control in the region, he said.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Justin Crump, a former British Army officer who runs
Sibylline, a risk intelligence company, said the new route was significant.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"It certainly looks like it's part of a longer-term
strategy to have at least some form of security intervention and control in the
Gaza Strip," said Crump.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"This area cuts off Gaza City from the south of the
strip, making it an effective control line to monitor or limit movement, and
has relatively open fields of fire."</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Khaled Elgindy, a senior fellow at the US-based Middle East
Institute, also thinks the road is a long-term project.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"It appears that the Israeli military will remain in
Gaza indefinitely," he told the BBC.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">"By
dividing Gaza in half, Israel will control not only what goes in and out of
Gaza, but also movement within Gaza," said the analyst.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">"This
includes quite possibly preventing the 1.5 million displaced Palestinians in
the south from returning to their homes in the north”.</span></p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-57314572844707009032024-03-10T04:28:00.000-07:002024-03-10T04:28:52.372-07:00Fund raising by Singaporian charity for Gazans<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoE5XhsFqW-o1Wh0aI9AGCDaj_cQJMTbKTw9-rMTLiv-6iqnh-m7NYLzvASF3-gESKAHtM_hhyphenhyphenofIyJQZIV7uNnPA9Gavv3c3jEfGMsU4rTw7ePD-EYaClXBYAwtyjcJankiz1jKOasvLsnF-KvjA0DShwkhjpMJd5wGb55Fs-xpnBKwgN2nt2gGz4TTY/s215/Singapore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="144" data-original-width="215" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoE5XhsFqW-o1Wh0aI9AGCDaj_cQJMTbKTw9-rMTLiv-6iqnh-m7NYLzvASF3-gESKAHtM_hhyphenhyphenofIyJQZIV7uNnPA9Gavv3c3jEfGMsU4rTw7ePD-EYaClXBYAwtyjcJankiz1jKOasvLsnF-KvjA0DShwkhjpMJd5wGb55Fs-xpnBKwgN2nt2gGz4TTY/w216-h134/Singapore.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>A fund-raiser to provide aid for communities in Gaza raised
over US$8 million just slightly under a month after it was lauOn the same day,
RLAF said in a Facebook post, “We thank all individuals and groups who have
come forward to generously contribute to provide aid in the form of health,
relief and shelter for communities affected in Gaza.”<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The foundation added that it has been monitoring and working
closely with its partners on updates about delivery of aid to the beneficiaries
in Gaza.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This included a session for various donors and donor organizations
where the foundation’s partners provided updates and responded to questions via
a video call.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Masagos, who is also Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs,
said that RLAF will hold another round of fund-raising for Gaza during the upcoming
Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">The sum
of US$8,114,422, collected from October 19 to November 17, is the highest
raised by the Rahmatan Lil Alamin (Blessings to all) Foundation, or RLAF.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos
Zulkifli said at the sidelines of an event at the Assyafaah Mosque on
March 9 that the sum has been dispensed to the United Nations Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, or UNRWA.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">“This
new fund-raising campaign aims to rally Singaporeans to continue to donate as
the situation in Gaza has become direr,” said Masagos, who added that the
campaign was slated to take place from March 20 to 26.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, Israel’s ensuing
bombardment of the small Palestinian enclave of 2.3 million people has killed
more than 30,800 people.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nations and humanitarian groups have been racing to bring
more aid to Palestinians, with the population on the brink of famine. The UN
had earlier estimated that 300,000 Palestinians are living with little food or
clean water.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Singapore has sent a medical team to treat
civilian casualties who have been taken to Egypt, and supplies such as
medicine, sanitation items and food for civilians.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Singapore
Red Cross had earlier sent medical supplies, food and water worth at least US$250,000
to civilians in Gaza.</span></p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-80858229168493029632024-03-09T22:15:00.000-08:002024-03-09T22:15:05.553-08:00Padma Bridge: Contractor resumes work<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0z1Sp8Db2FjP1w4hSuzwETQvtvQjLPNkiyHjtZkwceF_Qp3kdvc0LaeCJaXqQfaJPqVIpvQYJWKwnATr70fGp5n8O9-a_ZxUjWvgN7h0fvKKW603eu_2K5Om29gFuj4aseJ14mLm-OFN73AoVq_iujbwZ5uXvepufszyQuKpMp4nXghMQvVLwct_E_yM/s300/padma%20bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0z1Sp8Db2FjP1w4hSuzwETQvtvQjLPNkiyHjtZkwceF_Qp3kdvc0LaeCJaXqQfaJPqVIpvQYJWKwnATr70fGp5n8O9-a_ZxUjWvgN7h0fvKKW603eu_2K5Om29gFuj4aseJ14mLm-OFN73AoVq_iujbwZ5uXvepufszyQuKpMp4nXghMQvVLwct_E_yM/w200-h112/padma%20bridge.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Chinese contractor for the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project
halted some major work for 25 days since February 10 over pending payments.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Railway authorities say the contractor resumed working on
Wednesday following fruitful talks. But several officials say that physical
work for the fast track project, the biggest of Bangladesh Railway, is still
progressing at a slower-than-usual rate.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">The
project authority has sought a two-year extension — including a year of defect
liability period — of the deadline to complete the project, the current
deadline is June this year.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The project approved in March 2016 will connect the capital
with Jashore with a 169km rail line through the Padma Bridge under a government
to government initiative between Bangladesh and China.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The original cost of the project was Tk 34,989 crore and the
deadline was June 2022. But the cost rose to Tk 39,246 crore and the deadline
was extended after the first revision of the project.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Chinese Exim Bank was supposed to lend Tk 21,036.69
crore. The contractor is China Railway Group Ltd, better known as CREC.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Dhaka-Bhanga section of the rail line was opened in
October last year.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Project Director Afzal Hossain said on February 10 the
contractor stopped working at the sites of the third line between Kamalapur and
Gendaria, a junction at Bhanga, and station at Singia.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Quamrul Ahsan, director general of railway, said Bangladesh
Railway had earlier written to the contractor asking it to resume working.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Asked whether the issue was discussed at yesterday’s meeting
between the Chinese ambassador and the railways minister, Quamrul replied in
the negative.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Contacted, Li Lin, director (public relations and
administration) of CREC for the project, said, “It is true that we had stopped
works of the project, but the extent of the works was very small, not any major
work. Besides, we have already resumed the works from March 5.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“We did not get our payment since October last year, though
we have been requesting BR and the project authority to clear our dues. Since
they did not pay our dues, we stopped some small works.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Replying
to another question, he said although BR did not give any assurance about
paying the dues soon, the contractor resumed working considering the friendly
relationship between Bangladesh and China.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The issue over payment surfaces at a time when the project
authority has returned Tk 700 crore from its total allocation of Tk 5,500 crore
in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for this fiscal year.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“We would not be able to spend the money in this fiscal
year,” said Afzal, the project director.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As of last month, physical work made 91 percent progress,
said Afzal.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Trains can be operated from one end to another after June,
he said, adding that all the stations would not be ready by then.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The work will be fully complete by December this year, he
said, adding that the one-year defect liability period would be counted from
then. The contractor will fix the defects that appear within this period for
free.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is why they have sought time up to June 2026 for
completion of the project, he added.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The cost of the project would not be increased due to the
time extension, he said.</p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-62049410484674217772024-03-09T19:18:00.000-08:002024-03-09T19:20:39.163-08:00Aramco joins Adnoc in lithium extraction<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rbODCK1ZFQnThVW5lESPpR9bSEtjwJvUnHNsWsGO9Q3gdVLg7UaaNPgmyxvNF3a41R4ijy2pjmPpzUNx8g8_Xoqx1Lk9lSargHmNgMyoTVDRcegPee1_uwL8A_emZ5_vSa0iKr3unWdj1vh-eMtUEWkXAtkmTavI6Xcbj5kDfpx6jJaapfDvAHOAZYI/s192/jv.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="128" data-original-width="192" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rbODCK1ZFQnThVW5lESPpR9bSEtjwJvUnHNsWsGO9Q3gdVLg7UaaNPgmyxvNF3a41R4ijy2pjmPpzUNx8g8_Xoqx1Lk9lSargHmNgMyoTVDRcegPee1_uwL8A_emZ5_vSa0iKr3unWdj1vh-eMtUEWkXAtkmTavI6Xcbj5kDfpx6jJaapfDvAHOAZYI/w200-h133/jv.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>According to Reuters, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab
Emirates' national oil companies plan to extract lithium from brine in their
oilfields, in line with efforts to diversify their economies and profit from
the shift to electric vehicles (EVs).<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Other
oil companies, including Exxon Mobil, opens new tab and Occidental
Petroleum, opens new tab, plan to take advantage of emerging technologies to
filter lithium from brine, as the world seeks to move away from fossil fuels.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Saudi Arabian economy for decades has relied on oil, is
spending billions on trying to turn itself into a hub for EVs as part of
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's attempts to find alternative sources
of wealth.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Saudi Aramco opens new tab and Abu Dhabi National Oil
Company were in the very early stages of work to extract lithium, regarded as a
critical mineral by many major economies because of its use in battery
manufacture.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DLE technology is in its infancy and its economics are far
less certain than those of oil.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Saudi Arabia and the UAE can draw on expertise in handling oil
brine and wastewater at oil production sites.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">An
advantage of filtering the ultra-light battery metal from salt water is that it
avoids the need for costly and environmentally challenging open pit mines or
large evaporation ponds, as employed in the world's leading producers Australia
and Chile.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">China is the biggest processor and consumer of lithium,
needed for electric and hybrid vehicles.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3556056947517805053.post-20214430709751151162024-03-09T06:49:00.000-08:002024-03-09T06:49:51.869-08:00Asif Ali Zardari: The Prince of Guile<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFgVIIrbAzbEkShyh6BHqBWgIGARrjyjwbDYA7cynOI1RGSa1h5pSdAy-54Kqa34P5ESPU9DM6OaGDWjP8dA2FQHRPcsvfjPPj9hYEgnbbr_iWMwM7efIKDTWkbqfr8vjEUIKoaY2AaLV_LD81ZdF4IvieXX8hEin8D7hLYVNTAuIo6oBDqDrPNMiUmA/s396/Zardari.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="245" data-original-width="396" height="109" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFgVIIrbAzbEkShyh6BHqBWgIGARrjyjwbDYA7cynOI1RGSa1h5pSdAy-54Kqa34P5ESPU9DM6OaGDWjP8dA2FQHRPcsvfjPPj9hYEgnbbr_iWMwM7efIKDTWkbqfr8vjEUIKoaY2AaLV_LD81ZdF4IvieXX8hEin8D7hLYVNTAuIo6oBDqDrPNMiUmA/w200-h109/Zardari.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Asif Ali Zardari, co-chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party
(PPP), has secured his second term as President of Pakistan, defeating Mahmood
Khan Achakzai, the candidate backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and
Sunni Ittehad Council.<p></p><p>In the presidential election, Zardari garnered an
overwhelming majority, securing 411 votes, while Achakzai managed to bag 181 votes,
only one vote was rejected. To know more about the charismatic as well as
mysterious character of Zardari read the details published in Dawn newspaper on
February 23, 2024.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Even his rivals acknowledge that Zardari is a deal-maker par
excellence. He has been written off and made a comeback so many times that his
doubters have simply stopped trying.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You have heard the trope: Asif Ali Zardari is Machiavelli’s
Il Principe personified. While that most certainly isn’t an endearment, it is
perhaps not much of an insult either. Whether one accepts it or not, Zardari seems
to have cracked the code to surviving and succeeding in the swampy wastelands
of Pakistani politics. There are very few who can claim to have his guile, and
none who can claim his political acumen.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Call it the politics of ‘mufahimat’ (understanding and
reconciliation) or the politics of ‘mufadaat’ (interests and advantages), the
Zardari brand of deal-making has ensured that his star continues to
shine.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Chaos isn’t a pit,” go the memorable lines from Game of
Thrones, one of the most popular TV show of our times. “Chaos is a ladder. Many
who try to climb it fail and never get to try again. The fall breaks them.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“And some are given a chance to climb. They refuse, they
cling to the realm or the gods or love. Illusions. Only the ladder is real. The
climb is all there is.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the chaos of Pakistan’s politics, none has climbed the
ladder higher or more successfully than Zardari. He has been thrown off again
and again, yet refused to let his falls break him.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">He has seized every opportunity to play the game, and won it
with an unlikely hand too many times.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The young Zardari was a notorious playboy who often ended up
in brawls at Karachi’s casinos. He was known for his then-famous father, Hakim
Ali Zardari, who had been elected as an MNA on a PPP ticket to Zulfikar Ali
Bhutto’s first assembly.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The two were said to be close at one time, but fell out at
some stage, following which the elder Zardari had exited the PPP. At one time,
both father and son supported the anti-Bhutto alliance.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Zardaris were otherwise regarded as a liberal Sindhi
family who ran a successful entertainment business centred around their two
cinemas. The son, at one point, had also tried his hand in the construction
business, but was not successful.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The family’s name shot to national prominence when, through
a common family connection, the Zardari scion’s marriage was arranged with
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s daughter and protégé, the late Benazir Bhutto. Benazir
was well-loved and internationally known: it was natural for the spotlight to
shine on her soon-to-be-husband. On the night of their wedding, the two
celebrated with thousands of well-wishers, most of them common folk, at Lyari’s
Kakri Ground.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The event seemed as political as it was personal, and it
catapulted Zardari onto the national stage.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The very next year, in 1988, Ms Bhutto was elected Pakistan’s
first woman prime minister. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Zardari
landed in Prime Minister House, and quickly went to work turning around his
personal fortunes. It wasn’t long before Ms Bhutto’s first government was mired
in scandals of all shades and sizes. It was during this time that Zardari
earned the title of ‘Mr 10 percent’.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The axe would fall as soon as Ms Bhutto’s government was
dismissed. Among the numerous cases filed against Zardari was one involving
abduction for extortion. Zardari was accused of abducting a businessman,
strapping a bomb to him, and sending him to the bank to withdraw a large sum of
money from his account. The case ran in an anti-terrorism court between 1990
and 1993. Nothing ever came of it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It was during Ms Bhutto’s next government that Zardari
finally started being regarded as one of the most powerful men in the country. He
got his own office within PM House, and was even made a federal minister. After
that government was also dismissed, he was arrested immediately. A slew of new
cases were filed against him, and Zardari once again found himself in jail. Once
again, he was never convicted.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Zardari’s by then lengthy record and the length of time he
had spent behind bars, without ever being convicted, added to his legend. He
quickly came to be regarded as a shrewd wheeler-dealer who could get out of the
stickiest situations without any fatal consequences.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It was Ms Bhutto’s tragic assassination that proved to be
another turning point in Zardari’s fortunes. Though he had deferred to his
spouse’s politics during her lifetime, the mantle of the PPP now fell to him.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">His shrewd, calculating nature came to his aid, and benefit.
Having decided that General Musharraf needed to go, Zardari played a cunning
hand, using the army chief at the time to get Musharraf evicted from the
presidency. No one at the time realized that Zardari actually wanted the job
for himself.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The presidency solidified his grip on power. Although
he buried Article 58(2)(b) of the Constitution as president, the PPP government
continued to be run from the President House, with key decisions always in
Zardari’s hands.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Although that term led to speculation that the PPP would be
wiped out from nearly everywhere except Sindh, Zardari had prepared in advance
with the 18th Amendment. It allowed him to keep a foot in the corridors of
power while plotting his comeback for another time.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In recent years, with rival parties much larger than his own
engaged in a long-running death match, Zardari did not take his eyes off the
ladder.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After the 2024 elections, he has emerged as a kingmaker yet
again. He has also managed to secure the maximum concessions for his own party
(and himself), while giving very little to the PML-N in return.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">Even
his fiercest rivals begrudgingly acknowledge that Zardari is a deal-maker par
excellence. He has been written off and made a comeback so many times that his
doubters have simply stopped trying.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">They
say that “the only thing certain in life is death and taxes”; in Pakistan, it
might as well be “death, taxes, and Zardari’s political relevance”.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The man has been derided as a Machiavellian leader, a shrewd
and cunning politician interested only in self-enrichment. Yet, he is also the
first democratically elected president to serve out a five-year tenure, and
likely to become the only person to have held that office twice.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Shabbir H. Kazmihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06056438124107531142noreply@blogger.com0