Baloch Unrest
Several cities in Balochistan have witnessed shutter-down strikes, disrupting traffic, following the arrest and registration of FIRs against Dr. Mahrang Baloch, chief organizer of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, and more than 100 others. Amidst the unrest, authorities have suspended internet services in Quetta and its surrounding areas, severing the region’s communication.
Cheap Power
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has claimed he will soon unveil a comprehensive package to reduce the tariffs of electricity for the public. Chairing a meeting of the Power Division, he has also called for assuring the public that adoption of solar energy remains a priority for the government amidst criticism arising from the government’s revision of its net metering policy.
Try, Try Again
After its previous Tajir Dost Scheme failed to net sufficient registration of the country’s traders, the Federal Board of Revenue is planning yet another scheme to bring the retail sector into the tax net. The previous scheme could only attract 70,000-75,000 registrations. According to the tax body, it is now focusing on “major” retailers and shopkeepers while small-size operations are no longer a priority.
Wanted No More
The U.S. has withdrawn a $10 million bounty for information leading to the arrests of interim interior minister of Afghanistan Sirajuddin Haqqani, Abdul Aziz Haqqani and Yahya Haqqani. Afghan officials have claimed this marks a new beginning for ties between Washington and Kabul. The decisions follows the Taliban freeing an American citizen detained in Afghanistan for over two years.
Building Capacity
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed has formally written to Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, calling for the province to be declared a “hard area” with police salaries matching those offered in Balochistan. According to the letter, implementing the proposed changes would place an annual financial burden of Rs. 2.199 billion on the provincial government.
Countering Terror
The military has announced that it killed at least 16 terrorists attempting to cross into Pakistan from Afghanistan in North Waziristan. Pakistan has consistently pointed to the interim government of Afghanistan as failing to prevent its soil from being used against Pakistan, adding the Taliban must fulfill their international obligations and ensure effective border management.
Water Tensions
The Punjab government has informed the Indus River System Authority that mounting water shortages are a result of growing Indus stem water losses and downstream Kotri water releases. It has called for the body to open the Taunsa-Punjnad Link at Indus, noting Punjab currently receives no water releases from the Link, Muzaffargarh, or Dera Ghazi Khan canals.
Costs of Climate Change
The United Nations has warned that Karachi is set to receive 2.4 million climate migrants by 2050 as soaring temperatures and water scarcity push people out of their ancestral lands. The “Urban Transformation in Asia and the Pacific: From Growth to Resilience” report has stressed on sustainable urbanization to prepare for the upcoming challenges.
Right to Information Reforms
The Free and Fair Election Network has called for reforms to address gaps in the implementation of the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2013. It notes public bodies made available only 52% of the legally mandated proactive disclosures on their websites. This, it states, requires clarity on the mode of proactive disclosure so public bodies are clear on what information to make public and how.
Bombarding Gaza
Israel’s relentless bombardment of Gaza continues, with at least 16 Palestinians killed in attacks across the Strip since the early hours of Monday morning. The renewed assault comes hours after Israeli forces bombed the Nasser Hospital in Gaza, killing at least two people, including Hamas leader Ismail Barhoum. Israeli forces are also conducting raids across the occupied West Bank.