BY NAEEM SADIQ == Ignored challenge IT is the season of mindlessness. Seminars on climate change are in, while family planning services are out. Taking joans is in, while thinking with one’s own brain is out. Danish schools are in, while the 26.2 million out-of-school children in the country are out. Pakistan has travelled too far in the wrong direction and seems in no mood to course correct. ‘There are at least four fundamental reforms that are needed for a turna- round. These include: addressing our burgeoning population; creating at least 25 administrative units, instead of con- tinuing with the existing four huge and unmanageable provinces; putting an end to foreign loans; and placing every youngster from five to 16 years in a child-friendly school. Not undertaking these reforms is akin to opting for a mis- erable, chaotic, poverty-stricken, and insecure futur It is best to follow Mark ‘Twain’s advice and begin by ‘eating the frog’ and upgrad- ing our most critical, most uncomfortable, and the least talked-about issue to the top of our ‘things to do’ list. Here are some harsh statistics that describe our popula- tion: 40 per cent of the people live on or below the poverty line, and face a further decline in per capita income and an increase in the poverty rate. Over 26m of our children do not attend schools, while those who do are unable to read or under- stand a simple text even by the age of 10. Over 3m children are involved in Jabour, 1.2m beg on the streets, 12m are malnourished, and 17,554 more arrive every day — including during holidays and weekends. (‘This calls for building 87 new schools every single day.) While the average global Total Fertility Rate has dropped to 2.2 and all 35 countries classi- fied as developed economies have brought their TFR to well below 2.0, Pakistan remains mindlessly stuck at 3.6. ‘To expect any government in Pakistan to undertake a population planning pro- gramme on its own isa statistical improb- ability. The only option is for concerned citizens to initiate a dialogue and an advo- cacy movement to push the rulers for urgent and specific population control reforms. Begin by modifying the National Finance Commission Award, which cur- rently incentivises provinces to boost their population in order to receive a big- ger share of the 82pe fund allocated on the basis of population. This counterpro- ductive incentive could be offset by retaining, say, 50pc of funds for the size of the population and 32pe for a reduction in the TFR achieved by each province. ‘The contraceptive prevalence rate in Pakistan is 34pe, while it is 67pe in India, 63pe in Bangladesh, and 77pe in Iran. There is a huge unmet need, and an esti- mated 17pe additional couples would want to use contraceptives if they were easily and inexpensively available. Pakistan should eliminate the 17pe ‘lux: ury goods’ tax imposed on imported con- traceptives, and simultaneously encour- age their local production and availability at subsidised rates — espe- cially in urban slums and rural areas. The excellent Lady Health Workers pro- gramme ought to be revitalised and expanded with better training and wages. The government could encourage and ensure that every Basic Health Unit and private clinic across Pakistan also provides family planning information, counselling and services. Family planning cannot be divorced from the social, cultural and economic conditions of our society. The poor wish to get their daughters married as soon as possible and to have sons as old-age insurance. A wise government could The state financially motiv- ate the people by must = = creating incenti prioritise its ves for a) families < that comply with population the" condition that problem. girls must be at least 18 years bef- ore they get mar- ried (a law still to be enacted by three provinces); b) girls completing 10 years of education; ¢) couples who space their children and limit their offspring to two. The state could help reduce poverty by ensuring a minimum legal wage for all workers — currently, only 40pc of work- ers receive a minimum wage — and old- age pension EOBI— currently provided only to 10pe of workers Initiating an open discourse, effective use of media, premarital counselling and well-designed incentive programmes, as well as promoting girls’ education, expanding family planning services and seeking support from religious scholars, intellectuals and healthcare profession- als are some of the lessons we ought to have learnt by now. However, none of this shall happen unless citizens speak up and the state shifts its focus and resources from raising parliamentarians’ salary and purchasing cars for bureaucrats to the grave issue of a galloping population within its boundaries. m The wnter is an industrial engineer and a volunteer social activist. naeemsadiq@ gmail.comBY NIAZ MURTAZA A year of misrule AS the PML-N set-up marks one year in power today, I review its outcomes via a detailed framework that I have used for several past set-ups. It says the quality of an administration’s outcomes depends on the quality of its strategies, which, in turn, depends on the quality of its team. The outcomes occur in five domains (economic, political, social, security, and external) and functions (legislation, policy, projects, services, and institu- tional reform). Just by looking at the team, one can predict early how the gov- erning set-up will do in five years. Looking at its weak team last year, [had said that the PML-N will do poorly. A year has validated this view. I focus on the federal set-up. Politically, the year has been our annus horribilis since 1947 for a civilian set-up. Coming to power via rigged polls with the help of the establishment, the cur- rent set-up has unleashed an assault on key institutions, causing more damage in just one year than others did in a full term. This includes dubious legislative tweaks like the 26th and Peca amend- ments, disruption of social media and abuses against opposition groups like the PTI, PTM, and BYC. The aim seemingly is to deliver the real power wielders a docile set-up and society based on a mis- placed view that this will deliver pro- gress. The poor outcomes belie the view. Economically, progress means eco- nomic stability, durable growth, equity, and sustainability. So far, we have only regained economic stability after the 2022 crisis, with low inflation and higher dollar reserves. But past regimes, too, gave us similar stability. Regaining eco- nomic stability after a crisis is not diffi- cult, Under IMF-led reforms, it can achieve be achieved via administrative fiat in a few months. The State Bank chief ups interest rates and devalues the rupee. The finance guru cuts development out- lays, ups import tariffs, and begs and bor- rows from Gulf countries and China, All this shrinks the twin deficits to contain the crisis — however, it also cuts growth and enhances the misery of the poor. Durable growth comes from deep reforms in sick state units, the energy sector, subsidies, tax and tariff realms, and the bureaucracy, as well as develop- ing a creative vision for a pro-poor econ- omy to increase investment, productiv- ity, sectoral growth and exports. Thus, higher-level progress goals require dif. ferent tasks and skillsets than those linked to economic stability. If a set-up achieves the latter, it doesn’t mean it can also achieve the former. Like past admin- istrations, the PML-N is failing to achieve durable growth. Reforms have largely stalled and its vision is limited to distrib- uting patronage-driven services such as different cards and laptops, which will only increase the fiscal deficit and not ignite equitable or durable growth. As Khurram Husain noted astutely on these pages, it may have already achieved peak stability and things may go downhill now given the lack of reforms. The same is true externally. Ties have improved a bit with China, the US and the Gulf states, but haven’t gone beyond that. So, while loans have been rolled over, we have yet to see the inflow of the billions the set-up was hoping for — which would have allowed it to defer ser: ous reforms by loosening the current account binding constraint. Security ten- sions persist with India and Afghanistan, as both refuse to play ball. Overall, too, the security statusremains fragile, and groups like the BLA and TTP have launched several attacks. Parachinar is the latest flashpoint. Despite threats, ———— attacks and visits, the ‘Afghan Taliban have so. Reforms _ farnot stopped the TTP from operating from its have soil. As with the eco- largely nomic and external sit- stalled uation, the PML-N and its patrons remain clue- under the _ less on how to improve things. Finally, there current have been no major ini- set-up. tiatives in the social sector. So, the status is prac- tically the same in all domains — pla- teaus with no chances of major gains soon, given the lack of team capacity. The size of the cabinet has doubled but not its capacities, as new appointees are seen by many to be inept, political choices. Neither the PML-N nor the establishment seem to want deep economic change, as it may unfurl major political and social changes in society that they can’t control, leading to their political demise. So, their aim is to crush societal dissent and fever- ishly look for funds from big states that will allow them to postpone reforms as long as possible and maintain their politi- cal fiat. But this strategy may not work for much longer. So, if our rulers don’t wake up soon, we may be headed towards eco- nomic and security chaos. m The wniter is a political economist with a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and has senior-level work experience across 50 countries. murtazaniaz@ yahoo.com X: @NiazMurtaza2BY = Gambling with World War III TOO many opposite and unyielding opinions are ranged on the subject, which requires an ‘explanatory note before coming tothe point, The tungainly White House. spat between Donald ‘Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky has eripped everyone's attention. But let me make @ small point here. anything, the wordy duel reminds one of ‘ld Chinese saying: Don't interruprthe enemy it he is making a mistake” ‘Think about it If ‘Trump's controversial actions at home help to dismantle the glabal snooping menace of yes the sobriquet for the dark club of intelli gence agencies of the US, UK, Australia, Canada land New Zealand, is it not a matter of relief for the rest of the world? Cynies may consider the views af Edward Snowden on the subjact. Irwas his revelations about the Five Eyes intelligence alliance that exposed how the US and its allies Spy on eitizens-and share their information. ‘On the diplomatic circuit, if Trunap's actions the war in Ukraine stop the meat grinder from ‘wasting more human lives and also helps ander. Imine the corrosive transatlantic military’ all nce of old colonial powers, should the rest ofthe ‘World rejoice or uo into depression? ‘Some diseussants on the subject see Vladimir Purinasa greater threat to peace. Zelonsky calls hhim terrorist. Ukraine's constitution forbids hhim to talk to Putin. Airy:fairy duels don’t lead anywhere. In fact, a most crucial obser vatio that was made in the Oval Office on Friday boon buried in the rush to take sides betwoen Zelensky and his host and Putin. The point We may have missed was Trump's sound advice to Zelensky showing lim the door: “You aro gambling with World War IIL” I'shard to remember an American president confessing to anally he had been arming in-a brutal war (0 be wary of the conflict turning into 4 nuclear war Anyone can describe Trump as a threat 10 ‘America, to democracy and so forth. No one is taking away the import of that criticism, But valid as it is, the timing of the eriticism masks the distress of Jack Nicholson's complaint in As Good As feGers. “Lam drowninghere, and you are deseribing the water.” ‘Trump, in fact, made another self-appraisal JAWED NAQVI for Zelensky to ponder. He said the Ukrain Russia war should never have happened. Iria fratricidal war, indeed, just as the Afghans were made to range against oach other with this or that ruse, only tobe abandoned because of impe- Hallas srvention defieir, We saw pretty mach the same thing in Vietnam, pitting brother against brother. The Iraq war wasas contrived as the Ukeainian conflict. The modus operandi was also the same: give the quarry the kiss of death. April Glaspie did to Saddam Hussein what years Tater Victoria Nuland would do ra Zelensky. Hot were seduced into ruinous wars and then pre: {ented svith the bill for reparations, Before the ‘current stand-off, ordinary Russians and Ukrainians were invested In each other a members ofa larger Slavic family. They The point we may have missed was Trump’s sound advice to Zelensky showing him the door. shared a common history, most notably of jointly Sefeating Hitler, although Ukraine had its ow Variants of Nazi sympathisers too. The two pe ples shared the same church, thoir cuisine, and uch ‘of their culture Soviet leaders tad Ukr: Khrushehew, Leonid Brezhnev, Chernenko were born or raised in Ukraine, ‘Why was Trump speaking to Zelenskey shout the spectre ‘of a nuclear. holocaust should Ukraine continue 10 rib Russia with foreiz weapons? It's possible, as some analysts believe, that he was warning European partners as much Zelensky about the perils of persisting with a fruitless and calamitous conflict, Now that Russia and the US appear to be on the same page in the stand-off, where could the triguer for a catastrophe be lying? ‘There are several triggers, not least in the Middle Bast, while the South China Sea contin. yes 19 be another volatile region. But the real Russian roulette that ‘Trump. was cautloning about 1s being played out in London by none thor than the usual suspects. A“coalition of the 2" is being hustled topether. Keir Starmer Emmanuel Macron, both areugaling with terrible popularity ratings at home, insist they Wane to put ‘boots on the ground’ in Ukraine, Ostensibly to strengthen Zelensky's Nand in the ‘vent of a ceasefire. Credible analysts sce this 38 4 poisoned chalice for Putin. After all, Russia waded into Ukraine to vacate the possibility of having Nato members on its borders, European Teaders know Putin wold never acespt them a neighbours. ‘Moreover, as implied by Trump in his second term in office, the West, more specifically Nato, hhad deliberately provoked Putin. The UK has been stressing that a Russian vietory would pose a'threat to Furope. Does the claim have’ any basis in fact? Or lait rooted in Beitai’'shistory of Russophobia? Ever since Churehill's iron cur tain speech andthe rise of James Bond, Russophobia has only prospered. The chorus in the Biden days was that Russia had lost the war ‘Trump pookepoohied the claim and effectively said it ian’ happening. His predatory Tangs are ‘out for Ukrainian minerals instead. He won't be tunaware that the Ukraine war is aiso known a Hillary Clinton’srevenge for Putin's indiseretion of stalling her dismantling of Syria ila Libya in ‘Antony Blinkon’s company. “The businessman in Trump makes him instine tively averse to needless risks. He should have been rattled lase month when a allicary hellcop- fer etashed midair int a commercial airliner over Washington airport. The helicopter was enrrying out a mock drill to evactate am ima hary POTUS to safety during. an imaginary hhuclear attack. To make it ecrien, Anmia Jacobsen, in her insightful book called Nuclear War, had only recently described a helicopter crash involving the US president who was being rescued to a safchouse but ended up with mult ple fractures and no one alive to help. ‘The writer's Dawn's comespondent in Delhi. Jawednaqvi@gmail.comBY ARIFA NOOR Is all well? The government let its jitters turn a low-profile event into a successful effort of resistance. IT’S been a good week for the government. Ietruly has. Tt completed a year with great fanfare (and advertising). There seems to be no immediate threat on the horizon, leading everyone in power ‘or close to them to boast of a long run. No won ‘der, then, sat the Fedaral government has so ‘expanded the cabinet, indueting friends, allies, ‘and enomics alike. ‘The parliamentarians also gave themselves pat on the back and a raise to ‘nisire everyone realised howe happy they were with their on performance, ‘There was criiciam here and chere — of the raise, of the advertising that wa the expansion that seomed to hi with governance. This was water off a duck’s ack. After all, the IMF programme is on track, tho rupee is stable, inflation is slowing down, land there has been no call from the US either ‘The horse and cattle show vas also 4 success Te truly isa case of ‘all lz well, array chacIu, cll iz el ‘And why wouldn't it be well? Not just for the ses recounted above but alo the victory judicial front, The new judges have been inducted and, by coincidence’, their placements ‘ethey nthe Supreme Court or the Islamabad High Couet — will ensure that none of the “lit cult’ judges will get to dominate now. There is nnow little chance of any instability due to judge: sments'ss such, Elsesshere, too, another institution, has been tamed. For why else would government officials, while pitching Peca, claim that the law would ‘only target those working on social media? In this assurance is the assumption that main stream media is hardly a challenge (or dare one hreat). I's only the ‘out of contro social imodia which has to be tamed. And for this, Peea is simply the newest tool in the government's Indy it also has the defamation law passed by. Punjab and the mythical firewall handy. ‘ut if aa ize well, and we believe the govern ment when it says aalf 22 well, then Why was @ Vanilla event of the opposition stopped? "For once, the PTI wasn't protesting. It wasn’t threatening to mareh an to Islamabad. Tt wasn't promising @ neverending dharna (hich would Ghd'in a trek by a health-conscious cite minis: {en This time around, there were no claims or slogans or preparations. In fact, the PTT was doing what everyone has been advising them t0 Stallto and with other politicos And hence, the PTland other senior, old-style politicians ware going to sit In an auditorium in Islamabad and give speeches. It doesn't get more Vanilla than this, And it doesn’t get more routine that this because Islamabad is ust not the seat of government but also the capital of NGOs, Everyone in this town has attended a sominar andfor spoken at one. The hotels in Islamabad Fun on the gas produced by the long specehes ‘everyone nives Thdeed, seminars are about as common in Islamabad as the boars that populate it (The fourlegged ones have kind of disappeared, but I'm sure most readers know what | mean.) But ‘someone, somewhere got hot under their collar atthe thought of speeches, despite the rains. So, the opposition kepe getting ditched by the people whose venues it had booked. ‘The first Vente, it was told, was too close to the route Gricketers. took’ as they wont to play their matches. The second one wasn't going to crass the cricketers” path but apparently a kaa bil (black eat) did, because the security precautions ‘were just as stringent everywhere In the city — people cannot collect in a group because the Gricketcrs Ware going back and forth In some part of the city. The third also changed its mind (do the reasons even matter’). Finally, the fourth fone turned oat fo be a charm. But only for a day “by the second day, the management had a ‘change of heart leading to the NGO-type event taking inspiration from the Occupy Wall Street event — they climbed gates, forced pen doors, land delivered thundering speeches. All in the hotel lobby because the Asma Jahangir ‘Aasditorinm had been locked to keep the polit clans out. The irony of something named after ‘Asma Jahangir being inaccessible 10 politicians hhaai’t been lost on anyone ‘And in the process, the politicos got much projection. So the confident government let ts jitters turn a low-profile event Into a successful effort of Fesistance, and frankly, no one was surprised because shooting themselves in the foot Is what those on Constitution Avenue excel at ‘Bat was it just a jittery government? As an aside, most journalists in Pakistan do tum into conspiracy theorists at the best of times. So one wonders if the Noontes got jittery, bf did someone else just want them toppear jit tery? And embarrass it? Gr worse still, the objective wasn't to make the government look jittery but just to make i look bad. Inthe latter ease, the PML-N should be worried, very worried. The time to look over their shoulder has beste Postscript I's been five days since the cabinet expansion happened and the shentanis were taken out of the closets and donned so that the baths could be talcen, But the portfolios have yet tobe male oficial. The new contingent of minis ters, which we were told was needed to run the country, is here, but it seems no one knows what tasks it is to perform. Pervez Khattak, Mustafa Kamal and the less Important Noonies are still waiting —asare we. Ts it because there is much lobbying and jock eying at play ot is there mote at play? Two plus two is not adding up to four. But then, polities is Hot math iit? The wnteris a joumalstPolio politics HE dispute between the centre and Punjab over the I detection of polio cases in Mandi Bahauddin is unnecessary and dangerous. While Punjab officials argue that the child in question does not meet the clinical criteria for polio, the National Institute of Health has confirmed the presence of the virus in her stool sample. At a time when Pakistan remains one of two countries still battling the disease, such discord hampers progress. The controversy surrounding the case in question highlights complacency. When health authorities contest scientifically confirmed diagnoses and present videos of children running about as ‘evidence’ against polio’s presence, they misunderstand the nature of the disease. Mild cases, where children retain some mobility, are actually indicators of progress in immunisation efforts — not proof that diagnoses are incorrect. Detection of such cases represents a success of our surveillance system, not a failure of our vaccination drives. As the NIH epidemiologist rightly noted, “What may seem like bad news today is actually good news for tomorrow.” This scientific approach must prevail over political considerations and provincial pride. The path to eradication requires accepting hard facts. Each confirmed case — whether in Punjab, Sindh, or elsewhere — demands immediate response, not denial. Our surveillance systems must remain vigilant enough to detect even atypical presentations, especially as we approach the endgame of eradication. Moving forward, both federal and provincial authorities must prioritise unity over division. The centre should ensure transparent communication of test results and diagnostic criteria, while provinces must accept scientific findings without defensiveness. Joint training of healthcare workers on recognising varying presentations of polio will boost our detection capabilities. Pakistan’s children deserve protection from a preventable disease that continues to threaten their futures. This requires putting aside jurisdictional disputes and embracing collaborative action. Only through acknowledging every case — mild or severe — can we develop targeted strategies to finally put polio behind us.Diplomatic protocol Tis a fact that KP — which shares a long border with Afghanistan — is directly affected by cross-border terrorism, while people on both sides of the frontier share centuries- old tribal, cultural, and linguistic links. Yet where the conduct of foreign policy is concerned, while the federating units, particularly those sharing borders with neighbouring states, ought to give their input, bilateral negotiations with foreign powers should be the sole prerogative of the centre. This should be kept in mind as the PTI-led KP government seeks to open dialogue channels with the Afghan Taliban regime. While meeting the consul-general of the ‘Islamic Emirate’ on Sunday, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur reiterated that negotiations with the Afghan side through a tribal jirga would start once the terms of reference were approved by the federal government. While there can be little disagreement with Mr Gandapur’s assertion that negotiations are key to establishing lasting peace, how these parleys are conducted, and by whom, needs further attention. The KP administration has been pushing the idea of direct talks with Kabul for some time now; the chief minister had mentioned the need for ‘tribal diplomacy’ at a meeting two weeks ago, while a similar proposal was also floated last year. Considering our frigid ties with Kabul, and the fact that dialogue is preferable to confrontation, the Afghan Taliban should be engaged. But the centre must continue to lead this effort, with significant input from KP. Foreign policy should not be allowed to become a victim of political differences. At this time, different parties are in power in all four provinces and the centre; if all provinces were to pursue independent relations with neighbouring states, it would have a negative effect on the cohesion of our foreign policy. That is why external relations should remain the preserve of the centre, with all four provinces providing their input regarding the direction of ties with neighbours. The KP government has reiterated that talks with the Afghan Taliban will remain “aligned with security and foreign policies”. The best way to maintain this alignment is for the peace initiative to be led by the foreign ministry, where professional diplomats aware of the on-ground situation are advised by elected representatives and the provincial administrations concerned. It would be inadvisable for the provinces to take solo flights on foreign policy.IME scrutiny N IMF delegation is in Islamabad to assess progress on A the Fund’s ongoing $7bn funding programme amidst hopes that the review will not encounter any serious obstacles that could delay the next tranche. The mission will evaluate how Pakistan has done on quantitative performance criteria, structural benchmarks and indicative targets for the first half of the current fiscal year. There have been some “technical slippages”, such as delays in meeting the deadlines for certain goals, like legislation on agriculture tax. Officials insist that they have covered all the bases, although the failure to meet the tax target will likely remain a major source of worry. Yet, the officials are confident that the IMF will ignore the slippages in the tax target because of a “higher-than-targeted primary budget surplus and greater-than-estimated revenue-to-GDP ratio”. The FBR attributes the shortfall largely to reduced tax collection from imports, sluggish LSM growth and an unexpected drop in inflation. The IMF’s response to the tax shortfall remains to be seen. However, the stock market’s decline betrays investors’ anxiety at the anticipated contingency measures under the Fund’s pressure to pull off the actual tax target. ‘The investors’ anxiety notwithstanding, the IMF’s scrutiny of Pakistan’s performance is most likely to progress smoothly without any harsh new conditions for the second half of the present fiscal year, or punitive demands from the lender for tax slippages. That said, the ongoing review will be critical in determining how the economy moves forward. On its success depend the strengthening of economic stability, official flows from other multilateral agencies, and upgradation of the sovereign credit rating, which is crucial to IsLamabad’s plans to raise funds from international bond markets. Any hiccups in the programme would put paid to these plans and lead to anew wave of uncertainty and volatility. For now, the macroeconomic indicators suggest a temporary reprieve: the rupee has held steady, inflation has plunged to 1.4pc, the current account is running a surplus of over $600m, remittances have jumped to over $3bn a month, and exports are showing resilience. These improvements are mostly due to financial support from the IMF and bilateral lenders, as well as stability in the global commodity markets. The price for this fragile stability has been massive though: a sharp slowdown in domestic growth as well as rising unemployment and poverty. With the second Trump presidency in the US shaking up the global economic and political order, the need for freeing the economy from the clutches of the forces of status quo and restructuring it to get it back on its feet has never been so compelling. The current IMF bailout could be the last opportunity to avoid a repeat of the past.FC soldier martyred in Kalat suicide bombing By Saleem Shahid QUETTA: A Frontier Corps man was martyred and four others were injured in a suicide attack carried out by a woman on a convoy near Kalat on Monday, officials said. The attack came a day after Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti expressed alarm over the security situation prevailing in the province. Officials said the sui- cide blast took place when the FC convoy was passing through the Mughalzai area. Attack by militants on Punjab border areas foiled: Page 2 “An FC soldier was mar tyred and four others were wounded in the attack car ried out by a female sui cide bomber,” Kalat Dep- uty Commissioner Bilal Shabbir confirmed, adding that soon after the attack security forces and police cordoned off the area and shifted the body and the injured to hospital. The banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA- Azad) claimed responsi- bility for the assault. Reports said the tar geted FC vehicle was badly damaged in the attack, but other vehicles in the con- voy remained safe. “An FC commandant travelling in the convoy also escaped unhurt in the suicide attack,” a senior security official said. Sources said the FC con- voy was on its way to a Continued on Page 11CB urged to send civilians’ cases to ATCs Continued from Page 1 if he had challenged Section 94 of the Pakistan Army Act, which deals with cases that can be tried in both civilian and military courts. “When a criminal court and a court martial have each jurisdic tion in respect of a civil offence, it shall be in the discretion of the pre- scribed officer to decide before which court the proceedings shall be instituted...” The section alsostates that if “[an] officer” decides that the case will be tried in military court, the accused should be taken into mili- tary custody. The counsel replied that the offence, which falls under the Army Act, was not determined when the custody of the accused was transferred to military courts, He added that he had also chal- lenged the “unlimited discretion” of Section 94 in his petition. ‘The authority of the officer who decides the transfer of custody to military courts should not be unlimited,” Mr Siddiq contended. When the discretion enjoyed by the prime minister is subject to cer- tain limits, why the authority of the commanding officer to decide the transfer of custody was unlimited, the counsel argued, He also emphasised the need for “structuring the power” to transfer the custody to military courts. During the hearing, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi observed whether investigations conducted by the police were slow and the ones by military authorities were swift. He also questioned the evidence available at the time of transfer ring the custody. The counsel, however, argued that the root cause was not the availability of evidence on record but the “unlimited power” exer cised by the commanding officer in relation to the transfer of custody. Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail remarked whether the executive's discretion ended after Article 175 of the Constitution — outlining the jurisdiction of courts — underscor ing the judiciary’s independence from executive influence. ‘The counsel argued that the mili- vary trial of civilians was chal lenged before the Supreme Court under Article 245, which pertains to the deployment of armed forces in aid of civil power. Justice Khan observed that when the events of May 9 took place, Article 245 had not been invoked by the government. The counsel replied that Article 245 was in the field when the mili- tary trials were challenged before the Supreme Court. The hearing will recommence today (Tuesday)‘Torkham tensions mount as forces trade fire ¢ Six security men, two civilians injured; man dies of cardiac arrest as locals forced to flee hail of bullets ¢ Taliban fighter reportedly killed, two wounded in exchange of fire By Ibrahim Shinwari KHYBER: At least eight people, including six troops, sustained minor injuries on Sunday night after Pakistan and Afghan Taliban forces traded fire at the Torkham border, forcing civilians to flee for their lives besides causing one death due to ‘cardiac arrest’. Sources said the firing started around midnight, with both sides initially using light weapons and later resorting to heavy weaponry, which dam- aged several buildings in the area. A number of official and private buildings were hit by bullets and mortar shells overnight. While the guns fell silent around liam, the situation remained tense on the bor- der and troops on both sides remained entrenched. Four security men martyred in North Waziristan attack: Page 3 Reuters quoted _ the Afghan interior ministry as saying that one Taliban fighter had been killed and two injured in the firing. Panic in area The intense firing cou- pled with artillery fire caused panic among resi- dents in the Bacha Maina residential compound (a community of about 100 houses) who had to flee their homes in the middle of the night. Sabir Khan, a resident, told Dawn that they had to take shelter in the British- era railway tunnels to escape the bullets and rain. They moved to safer locali- ties in Landi Kotal early in the morning. He said that most of the fleeing resi- dents could not even take their Sehri due to the chaos. Khiyali Shah, another resident, said that several vehicles collided with each other as residents were in a hurry to leave the locality amid intense gunfire. He claimed a number of houses were also hit by Continued on Page 5Inflation drops to lowest in nearly a decade * Consumer Price Index eases 0.8pe month-on-month; falls to 1.5pe year-on-year ¢ Falling food prices contribute to slowdown; decline exceeds even ministry’s expectations « PM credits economic team, says macroeconomic gains reaching people By Mubarak Zeb Khan ISLAMABAD: Annual inflation continued its downward trend, falling to a nearly decade-low of 1.5 per cent year-on-year in February, primarily driven bya decline in perishable food prices, especially wheat flour. The decline even exceeded the Ministry of Finance’s expectations, which had projected inflation to remain between 2pe and 3pe. In its February report, the ministry also predicted that the figure would rise to between 3pc and 4pe by March. The slowdown in inflation is pri- marily driven by lower prices of wheat and its by-products, perisha- ble items like onions, certain pulses, and a slight reduction in electricity charges. These products hold signifi- cant weight in inflation calculations, making even minor price changes impactful in reducing the overall inflation rate. In contrast, sugar and edible oil pri- ces are rising in the domestic market despite their declining rates globally. ‘The government has permitted sugar exports, particularly to Afghanistan, citing surplus stock as the reason. The headline inflation, measured by Consumer Price Index (CPI), eased by 0.8pe in February on a month-on-month basis, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics on Monday. The inflation rate in February 2025 was the lowest since November 2015, mainly due to the high base effect from the previous year (February 2024 — 23.1pe). The CPI inflation dropped to 9.6pe in August 2024, marking the first single-digit figure in over three years, and the downward trend continued in the fol- lowing months. The CPI inflation surged above 10pe in November 2021 and remained in double digits for 33 con- secutive months until July 2024. In between, it peaked at 38pe in May 2023, driven by unprecedented food and energy prices. Shehbaz to review govt’s one-year performance today: Page 3 Pakistan is currently experienc ing disinflation, indicating a slow- down in inflation. In contrast, defla- tion refers to a decline in overall price levels. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), average cumula- tive inflation over the past 49 months increased by 83pc, impacting the retail prices of all consumer items. This decline in inflation does not indi- cate a reduction in the cost of living. ‘Economic team’s efforts” Ina statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed satisfac- tion over the continuous decline in the CPI inflation. “This is very good news on this occasion as the current government completes its first year,” the premier remarked. He attributed the decline to his economic team’s efforts, saying that economic indicators are improving with each passing day. He claimed that the benefits of macroeconomic improvement have started reaching Continued on Page 5TRUMPS RECORD-BREAKING FLURRY OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS