‘Hazardous’ smog chokes India’s capital

Smog in New Delhi hit “hazardous” levels on Thursday as smoke from thousands of crop fires in northern India combined with other pollutants to create a noxious grey cocktail enveloping the megacity. Levels of the most dangerous particles – PM2.5, so tiny they can enter the bloodstream – were 588 per cubic metre early on Thursday morning, according to monitoring firm IQAir. That is almost 40 times the daily maximum recommended by the World Health Organization. IQAir rated overall pollution levels as “hazardous”. “This is really the worst time to be out in Delhi. One never wakes up fresh with this pollution,” policeman Hem Raj, 42, told AFP. “The body feels tired and lethargic in the mornings… The eyes are always watery and throat scratchy after spending hours on the Delhi roads,” he said. Every winter, cooler air, smoke from farmers burning stubble, and emissions from vehicles and other sources combine to create a deadly smog reducing visibility in the city of 20 million people. In 2020 a Lancet study attributed 1.67 million deaths to air pollution in India in 2019, including almost 17,500 in the capital. Delhi authorities regularly announce different plans to reduce the pollution, for example by halting construction work, but to little effect. The burning of rice paddies after harvests across Punjab and other states persists every year despite efforts to persuade farmers to use different methods. The situation is also a political flashpoint – with the capital and Punjab governed by the Aam Aadmi Party, a rival to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “As of today, Punjab, a state run by the AAP, has seen an over 19% rise in farm fires over 2021,” environment minister Bhupender Yadav, who is from the BJP, tweeted on Wednesday. “There is no doubt over who has turned Delhi into a gas chamber,” he added. “I have been here for a long time now and the situation has only become worse. We spend 8 to 10 hours on the Delhi roads every day and it’s tough because pollution hits everyone,” said Brij Lal, 54, another policeman. “But there isn’t much we can do about the situation since police have to be out on the roads, among the people all the time.”
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At least 128 people forcibly disappeared last month, says commission

As many as 128 more cases of enforced disappearance were reported last month, the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances stated in its monthly report for October on Wednesday. According to the report, the bodies of three people, believed to have been forcibly disappeared, were recovered from different parts of the country. The commission in its report said that during October 2022, it received some 128 cases of people forcibly disappeared. It noted that until September, the commission had received a total of 8,907 cases of enforced disappearances. With October’s tally, the lifetime cases received rose to 9,035 cases. Of these, the commission said that thus far, it had disposed of 6,825 cases with some 2,210 cases still pending. In October, the commission said that it had heard some 758 cases and disposed of 135 cases. Providing a breakup of the ‘solved’ cases, it said that 118 cases were traced resulting in 113 people returning home. Two were found in captivity, one each in internment centers and jail respectively. Another three missing people were found dead. Around 17 cases were deleted from the commission’s records after it was discovered that they were not cases of enforced disappearances. Most of the cases heard in October were in Karachi where 299 cases were heard. In Quetta, the commission heard 240 cases while in Islamabad, it heard 199 cases. In Lahore, the commission only heard 20 cases.
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NAB seeks details of Usman Buzdar’s properties

The federal anti-graft watchdog on Tuesday widened its investigation into properties owned by former Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar and his family as it probes whether assets beyond means were accumulated during his nearly four years reign as the head of the provincial government. Documents available with SAMAA TV showed that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has sought records pertaining to property ownership for Buzdar, his wife, his three daughters, and his two brothers. Moreover, NAB has directed the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and other provincial development authorities to initiate probes in their respective jurisdictions against Buzdar. Records pertaining to sale and purchase of properties has also been sought from various housing schemes in Lahore. Apart from properties, NAB is also investigating senior officials of the Punjab Excise and Taxation Department for allegedly issuing a liquor license and the owner of the beneficiary private hotel. Sources say the former Punjab chief minister had played a role in the issuance of the license and had allegedly received a bribe of Rs50 million to ensure the licence was issued in contravention of the law.
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PM Shehbaz gets red carpet welcome on reaching Beijing

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday landed in Beijing on a two-day official visit to meet Chinese leadership and review all-weather strategic cooperation partnership and discuss regional and global developments. On his arrival at Beijing Capital International Airport, the prime minister was given a red carpet welcome as the smartly turned-out contingents of the Chinese forces presented him with the guard of honor, a PM Office statement said. During his first official visit to China after assuming office, the prime minister will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. He is heading a high-level delegation including the federal cabinet ministers, special assistants as well as Sindh chief minister. He is among the first leaders to visit China following the historic 20th National Congress of the Communist Party (CPC) of China that elected Xi Jinping as general secretary of the party. Prime Minister Shehbaz is also scheduled to meet Chinese investors and Pakistani businessmen. The visit is expected to advance the wide-ranging bilateral cooperation agenda with the conclusion of a number of MoUs/Agreements in diverse areas, and consolidate the momentum of CPEC cooperation in athe wake of the 11th meeting of the CPEC Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) held on October 27, 2022.
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Maryam Nawaz terms army chief’s appointment as real motive behind Imran’s long march

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday said that Imran Khan wants to appoint the new army chief which is why he is seeking snap elections. She also termed it as the real motive behind Haqeeqi Azadi March led by ex-premier en route to Islamabad. Addressing a presser in London, she said Imran Khan tactically built up the false narrative of US conspiracy behind his ouster to seek early elections. The appointment of a new army chief was former premier Imran Khan’s target, she added. The PML-N leader said, “Those who are guiding Imran (for building pressure) treat him as a last pillow because he is their only support to hide their lengthy list of sins and criminal record. When Imran Khan failed in his mission of taking a date for snap elections, he proceeded with his long march strategy.” “The motive of this long march is the appointment of (new) army chief. It has nothing to do with public interest. Imran Khan should be aware that the new army chief will be appointed by Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif in accordance with the procedure enshrined in the Constitution. Imran Khan has nothing to do with the appointment,” she stressed. Khan’s lies influenced the country’s internal stability as well as its relations with foreign countries. The DG ISI had to come to the front to debunk his lies and unfold the truth before the nation. “People should understand the intensity of Imran Khan’s lies when a non-glamourous and decent personality like DG ISI Nadeem Anjum had to come before the public.” “Imran Khan grabs the collars of the same personalities in daylight whose feet he holds in the darkness of nights. Moreover, he [Imran Khan] did not inform the public about the meeting [with army chief] he had along with President Arif Alvi. He met those who he calls traitors in the daylight,” she added. She continued that the truth unfolded itself. Imran Khan did not give an explanation to the public nor to his party members about the allegations leveled against him. She went on to say that the fake US conspiracy narrative that former premier Imran Khan built after his ouster and a plethora of lies have also been exposed one by one before the nation, adding that he [Imran Khan] was mistaken that his real face would not be exposed. “People did not come to his long march due to his lies and real face which has been revealed to Public,” she reiterated. She said, “Imran Khan does not have answers to confront the allegations that have been leveled against him. We have been waiting for his response but he has nothing to say in his defense. Since he has no answers that is why he has been doing personal attacks.” She said that Khan wanted the support of the establishment once again, and people already knew about his tactics. Maryam said, “Imran Khan is frustrated because people did not attend his long march and why would people come when his own sons are abroad?” While lamenting the former government of PTI over its performance, she said the PTI-led government failed almost at every front, be it governance, economy, foreign policy, or foreign relations. In four years tenure of PTI, the economy plunged into the bottom, and inflation skyrocketed. She continued her criticism and said, “Given his record, this man [Imran Khan] should not even speak and he is on roads with his long march.” Referring to the security measures and deployment of the police in the long march, she said that Imran Khan is wasting the resources of the country, and a huge sum of money, which is the taxpayers’ money, is being utilized in the long march besides massive reinforcements of Punjab police. “It has been five days and the long march has not made any progress. They do long march for three hours regularly and then go back.” She went on to say that this long march would take months if it proceeded with a similar pattern. While speaking about Imran Khan’s criticism and warning to CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja, she said, “Imran Khan appointed the CEC. He was an exceptional CEC till he did not unfold Imran’s crimes. The CEC has not committed any crime, he has only revealed the facts of Imran Khan’s money laundering.” Maryam Nawaz also conveyed her condolences to the family of deceased journalist Sadaf Naeem. She said, “Sadaf embraced martyrdom while performing her duty. I am deeply saddened by her death and I wish strength to her mother and other family members.”
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SC appoints three amici curiae in Reko Diq case

The Supreme Court appointed Tuesday Salman Akram Raja, Senator Farogh Naseem, and Zahid Ibrahim as amici curiae in the Reko Diq case. A notice has also been issued to the Balochistan Bar Council for assistance. The court was hearing the presidential reference seeking validation for the new Reko Diq project deal under Article 186 of the Constitution. President Arif Alvi had filed the reference on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif seeking the opinion of the apex court regarding the contract with Barrick Gold Corporation – a Canada-based mining group. During the hearing, Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial asked the government why it wants to apply the decade-old laws of 1970 in the case and not develop new rules for the purpose. He also asked if the Balochistan government has plans to make new laws for mining. The chief justice also said that only legal constitutional questions can be examined in the reference whilst ignoring the political and economic implications. Justice Bandial noted that the judiciary can not undermine third-party rights due to an international agreement. “Under which policy was the Reko Diq agreement formulated?” the chief justice asked the legal counsel representing the government. While analyzing the issue, the chief justice highlighted that in the absence of proper constitutional provisions, the new agreement may be left at the mercy of a court order. He further questioned if the rules have been amended or not. Additional Attorney General Aamir Rehman told the court that the new law enables the government to amend the rules as per requirement. The chief justice maintained that even if the rules have been relaxed, transparency is mandatory. Later, the court adjourned the hearing till Wednesday.
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PTI’s long march faces delays, to stay in Gujaranwala two more days

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership has told its workers that it is no feasible to reach Islamabad on Friday and the new date to reach Islamabad will be announced later. It is not clear if it’s because of the low turnout of workers at the Haqeeqi Azadi March or something, but the party leadership has conveyed to the local leadership to tell workers to stay in Gujranwala for two more days. According to the sources, the PTI leadership will wait for the appointment of new army chief before announcing the new date for entering the federal capital.
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