Terroristan - July 27, 2018

[Falijee]

Taliban Type Sunni Terrorists Active In Gilgit Baltistan

12 schools burnt down overnight in Gilgit-Baltistan's Diamer district
August 03, 2018

Unidentified assailants burned down at least 12 schools in Gilgit-Baltistan's Diamer district late on Thursday night and fled, causing panic among residents, locals and police said.

Superintendent Police (SP) Diamer Roy Ajmal told Dawn that police had so far received information that 12 schools ─ at least half of which are girls-only schools ─ had been set on fire overnight. He said that in some cases, books had also been thrown outside the schools and set alight.Local police officer Mohammad Bashir said the attacks on schools took place before dawn on Friday near Chilas, but there were no casualties as the schools were closed at the time.Police teams have been dispatched to investigate the reports, SP Ajmal said, adding that no one has claimed responsibility for the incidents as yet.

Gilgit Baltistan area, close to the Cheeni border, is mostly Shia populated . The people of the area, predominantly are followers of the Ismaili Aga Khan. They are relatively liberal in their outlook and encourage education of girls . There is a tussle between the hard line sunnis and the shias !

The schools, which are spread across Diamer, were identified as:...

Commissioner of Diamer, Syed Abdul Waheed Shah, told DawnNewsTV no arrests have been made so far. He said police were investigating the incident and a first information report (FIR) would be registered.The commissioner revealed that attempts were made to blow up two schools using explosives, while 11 schools were set on fire.There are no Taliban militants in the area, however, extremists who oppose female education are present, Shah disclosed.This is the not the first time schools have come under attack in Diamer. Girls' schools, in particular, were targeted, allegedly by extremists, in 2004 and 2011.

Imran's "Naya Pakistan" is the answer

Diamer is the lowest-ranking district in terms of quality of education in GB, with a score of 36.37, and among the 10 lowest-ranking districts in Pakistan.There are 244 government schools in the district, about 83 per cent of which are primary level, 10.6pc middle schools and 6pc high schools. There are no higher secondary schools in the district. Of the total number of government schools, 156 are boys schools, while 88 are girls schools, according to Alif Ailaan.Of the 16,800 students enrolled in government schools, only 20pc or 3,479 are girls.

[Falijee]

An American Stock Market Analyst's View On Pakiland's Massive Financial Problems

U.S. To Squeeze China Through Pakistan

Aug. 2, 2018 1:29 AM


Summary

- Pakistan external balance is deteriorating and it has external debt servicing needs.
- US officials see the debt primarily to China through its infrastructure initiative.
- The US could block new IMF assistance, if/when it is requested.

As of now, there is no formal request from Pakistan. The US has made its opposition known. A veto remains an implicit threat. However, there can be no mistake, the US is looking for ways it can block the expansion of China's influence. US policymakers and investors seem to be of two minds. On the one hand, they see a slowing economy, large debt, and an ossified political system, which is often seen as contradicting the modernizing economy. On the other hand, China is seen as pushing to supplant the US and the dollar. Since the 2016 US election, China has been defending the status quo, multilateral institutions, and trade. Chinese officials seem to believe that under the current rules, it can win. The US is the one seeking to change the rules of engagement.Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.
I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Details interesting . Pakis caught between a rock and hard place

[anupmisra]

12 schools burnt down overnight in Gilgit-Baltistan's Diamer district
August 03, 2018

Naya Toiletistan, Gaya Pakhanistan.

Watch this space over the next five years.

[rsingh]

Another Karachi Recreation Spot Gobbled Up By Deep State In Name Of "Security"

Karachi’s new attraction ‘China Port’ is now a ‘no go’ area for public
Aug 3, 2018

The "forbidden area" photu !

KARACHI: Authorities played a ‘spoilsport’ for Karachiites after an order issued closing China Port for the public who had been making frequent sightseeing tours to the newly-discovered location.The spot had been drawing a lot of visitors after pictures of the fascinating Oyster Rocks started getting viral on the social media.As seen in the pictures circulating on Twitter and Facebook with horde of people roaming there, now a makeshift blockade of concrete barriers, wooden planks, old bushes have been placed that bar all vehicles from turning towards the sandy area to get on the path from the Marine Promenade leading to China Port.

Krachi is full of Mohajirs ( refugees) from India. They "support" Altaf Bhai's MQM . Altaf has been declared as an "Agent of India", specially after his famous speech in Dilli, when he said that the partition of India was one of the greatest mistakes in the history of mankind ! So, IMO, to declare this area a "no -go" makes sense. Krachi is "crawling" with RAA agents in every nook and corner of this vast city

Besides, a police van has also been deployed there with cops signalling every incoming motorist to turn away.
Reports quote Karachi Port Trust (KPT) as saying that security issues were cropping up after visitors in large numbers were making it to the spot and taking photographs (thus revealing the entire vicinity).

The pictures taken will be E mailed to India, and thus the security of Pakistan is compromised !

The place is not that far away from sensitive locations such as the Naval Dockyard, the Naval Academy PNS Rahbar, PNS Himalaya, etc, the reports cite as KPT official as saying.

Also known as ‘Oyster Rocks’, the spot is a about 2.5 kilometers long breakwater built by China ( Is there anything that the Pakis have learnt to built themselves !) to protect the South Asia Pakistan Terminal, but the citizens find it fascinating enough to spend time there with families. The Oyster Rocks strip was originally built to protect large freight ships from the hazards of a high tide, protect erosion of sand and the coastline. Probably by the Brits !

In Bakistani parley no go area=Ilaka gair. they are used to such areas.

[Falijee]

More Privatization In The Works . More Squeezing Of The "Aam Abduls" Of Pakiland . A Taste Of "Naya Pakistan" Under Imran

Financial Times Pakistan considers mass privatisation drive as it seeks IMF bailout

[anupmisra]

A first.

Imran to be elected with less than mandatory simple majority

Imran Khan may become the only prime minister in Pakistan’s history, who will be elected by slightly less than the mandatory simple majority or 51pc votes of the total members of the National Assembly.

The votes of a minimum of 172 MPs in the 342-member Lower House of Parliament are required to choose someone as the premier.

the party has by now been able to muster the support of 170 members of the National Assembly (MNAs) inducting several independents.

So far, no member of any opposition party has broken away to be counted in the PTI's numbers.

So, in a national election where less than 50% of the electorate voted and the leading party that has less than 51% majority will now be at the center, is a sure fire recipe for disaster.

Money, money, money! Show 'em the money.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/349847 ... e-majority

[venug]

You should know that pakistan has no intention of paying back IMF loans

Yes, of course, just that I dont want them to get any funds from IMF at all. The entity called TSP doesn't die, this is their 14th encounter with death.

[anupmisra]

The entity called TSP doesn't die, this is their 14th encounter with death.

Tweet this.

[venug]

Tweeted:
IMF funds r 4 countries which r not doing well 4 some wrong decisions made, Yes IMF certainly should bail them out,
But TSP (terrorist nation of Pakistan) has borrowed 13 times B4, spends money on nukes, funds terrorism. @IMFNews shudnt bail them. #WontGetMoneyBack

[Falijee]

Ganja Sharif's Both Sons, Ensconced In Bartania Now Under Radar Of Deep State

Another blow to Sharifs as Pakistan contacts Interpol to arrest Hassan, Hussain

ISLAMABAD – The Federal Investigation Agency has officially approached International Police (Interpol) for issuance of red warrants against sons of convicted ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif who are staying in London.The move came when the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) contacted the Ministry of Interior to take measures for extradition of Hassan and Hussain Nawaz, who have been declared absconder by and accountability court, following the issuance of their perpetual arrest warrants by an accountability court in the Avenfield case verdict.

"Going after" the now almost comatose jailed Ex PM was not enough for the Deep State, ( to teach him a lesson to be not "friendly" with Endia !) so they are now going to "demonize" both the absconding sons and "get" them for filtering Paki wealth abroad in conjunction with Fraudster Dar . There is a better option though IMO. It usually works ! Get Ganja's Mom in custody and ask her to appeal to Hussein and Hasan to return back, as her life "is in danger"

The Avenfield case is one of the three reference filed by the anti-graft buster agency against members of Sharif family – the ex-premier, his sons, daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (retd) Safdar – in the light of the Panama Papers case verdict. All these members of Sharif family are named in the Avenfield case, while Nawaz and his sons have been made respondents in all of them.

Due to Fraudster Dar's foresightedness in this matter , nothing has been proved "beyond a reasonable doubt" ( for court purposes ) so, nothing can be proved against the who Ganja clan ( The stench of corruption still pervades the "Sharif" empire, but who cares ! Hell , the whole of Pakiland smells of corruption from North to South and from East to West )

Last month, the trial court announced verdict in the London flats references, awarding sentences to Nawaz, Maryam and Safdar, who are currently serving their terms in the Adiala Jail. However, the sons of Sharif failed to appear before the court for their trial despite repeated summons.

Doubt that the Interpol will intervene in the internal affairs of the Paki Govt and the internal affairs of the Ganja Clan . So, nothing is likely to come out of it , as nothing has come out for "getting" Altaf Bhai extradited back to Pakiland

[Falijee]

"Deep State" Punishes DAWN (newspaper) Once Again

DHA residents fail to receive Dawn while DHA security says it’s due to ‘security card’ issue

LAHORE – The residents of Lahore’s upscale neighborhood, Defence Housing Authority (DHA) are being denied access to Pakistan’s leading daily, Dawn with disputed reports about the core cause behind the discontinuation.

Scores of locals who reside in the posh locality took to Twitter on Friday and complained that they had subscribed to Dawn considering its editorial standards, however, they did not receive its copy.
The disruption in the dissemination of another leading English paper, The News also stirred concerns among the locals that there might be some censorship behind all this.

"Respected" DAWN, founded by DJinnah and currently owned by the Haroon family of Karachi, is well known for not toeing the govt propaganda line . Therefore, the Deep State has been known to make/ create hurdles in this newpaper's reporting and distribution functions , so much so that the Chief Executive of DAWN , Hamid Haroon, had to go abroad and enlist the help of BBC and Washington Post , to draw attention to the plight of his "independent" minded newspaper . IMO, the Deep State is retaliating now !

However, DHA security supervisor takes a different line and contends that scores of hawkers who distribute the paper were asked to get an official card owing to security threats.

‘When they did not comply with the orders, they were denied access to the area,’ said the security department of the housing society when reached out by Daily Pakistan.

The Public Relations department was also contacted for finding out the core cause behind the interruption which first declared that there were some ‘directives from the top,’ however, took a different stance laterwards and said that there were no official orders whatsoever in this regard.

The concept of plausible deniability always comes in handy in such situations

[Falijee]

Supping With The Indian "Dushman" Allowed

Imran Khan’s billionaire friend Aneel Musarrat captured alongside Akshay Kumar

LONDON – Aneel Musarrat, the London-based tycoon, and a close friend of Pakistan’s PM-in-waiting, Imran Khan, was captured alongside Bollywood star, Ashkay Kumar as the duo drove through a thoroughfare.In a short video uploaded on social media, Akshay can be seen asking Aneel about his plan to return back to British capital city, London while he drove the open top Rolls Royce.

‘Would you be back after collecting the results of general elections,’ says the Padman star in Punjabi, implying that the video dates back to the pre-election era.Though official details are yet to unfurl about the video, the social media reports suggest that the video was captured during the shoot of Indian flick Housefull4 for which Akshay is in London currently.Aneel is a renowned businessman in the United Kingdom and has close links with the A-listers of Bollywood including Sonam Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh, Hrithik Roshan and many others.

He also has his roots in Pakistan primarily due to his interest in the political landscape of the country and closeness with the cricketer-turned-politician.Imran Khan had headed to London in September 2016 to attend the star-studded wedding ceremony of Aneel’s sister Saira where he also spoke to the guests, in his second speech delivered at any nuptial ceremony.

Moreover, he also attended the wedding ceremony of Aneel’s daughter last year, which is estimated to have cost around £4 million, featuring the top-notch performers of India.Aneel Musarrat was also present in Banigala when Imran Khan made his victory speech after securing 116 seats in the July 25 General Elections that put him at the top slot of the country for the first time. Khan had also mentioned him during the speech made on the day, PTI launched its manifesto.He had also attended the rallies of PTI in the years preceding 2018 and had frequently dashed to Pakistan along with Sahibzada Amir Jahangir who is the head of PTI UK & Europe chapter.

One could rationalize this by saying that in Immy's world ( when if comes to money and women) there is no colour bar ! Look Sita White or Jemima were not Malsic. So, what does it matter, if Aneel cavorts with "Hindu Aksay". money is still money. It is welcome in PTI coffers

[Falijee]

Imran Spreading His PM Wings Already

Imran Khan tells British diplomat to return embezzled money stashed in UK

ISLAMABAD – Imran Khan, the Prime Minister-in-waiting has said Britain must return looted money which is allegedly being stashed by corrupt Pakistani politicians in the capital city, London.

The former international cricketer, who is all set to take over the country in the next few days, expressed the remarks in his first meeting with British officials after securing victory in the general elections, as per the reports carried by the British paper, the Telegraph.In the meeting with Thomas Drew, the UK’s High Commissioner to Pakistan, Khan said it was “our firm resolve to bring back to the country the money laundered to the UK.”

Does, Imran think that HMG is doing to bend over and oblige him ? Why make exception for Pakiland, just because he happened to live there once ? London, for decades, if not centuries has been known for "attracting" suspect foreign capital, "whitewashing" the same ( in "The City" Laundromat ) and "exporting" the same to Tax Havens ( Panama, Virgin Islands, Luxumbourg, Switzerland , Barbados, Bermuda etc etc ) around the world . :

Imran Khan rose to power on a populist anti-corruption wave after he spent 22 years of his life decrying the corrupt political elite of the country.

[Peregrine]

US mulls further reduction in security aid to Pakistan

The United States Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) 2019, passed by the Congress earlier this week, states that future security-related aid provided to Pakistan will not be linked to the country’s counter-terrorism efforts.

The amendment to the John S. McCain National Defense Authorisation Act for Fiscal Year 2019 is under further deliberation and differences are being resolved according to US Congress’ website. The amendment proposes a massive cut to security-related aid to Pakistan “by striking $900,000,000 and inserting $350,000,000”. The US president’s signature will be required to approve the final amendment to the security act.

“Pakistan for certain activities meant to enhance the security situation in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region pursuant to section 1226 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016, as amended by the John S. McCain National Defense Authorisation Act for Fiscal Year 2019,” stated the amended act for fiscal year 2019.

The amended legislation would come into effect from October 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019, if approved by President Trump.

The bill makes a single reference to the US-designated terrorist group; the Haqqani network. It mentioned the militant group while mentioning the ability of Afghan security forces to defend their territory against militants. There seem to be around 19 mentions of Pakistan in the entire bill, known formally as the conference report.

The bill also mentions the condition for reimbursing certain friendly countries for their border security operations. It notes that the US could also provide security assistance to Pakistan for supporting and enhancing efforts of its armed forces to increase security and sustain said security along its border with Afghanistan.

Media reports suggested that the amount was reduced to $150 million from the $350 million provided last year. In November 2017, half of the $700 million in military and economic aid for Pakistan for 2018 was also tied to conditions related to counter-terrorism measures against the Haqqani Network. Although the bill did not include Lashkar-e-Taiba as a targeted group then, the conference report had mentioned it, and the US Congress remains concerned about its freedom of navigation inside Pakistan.

However, other reports suggest that Trump administration decided on retaining the halved amount from 2017 for 2019 as well. The conference report, however, makes it clear that the goals and desired outcomes of each such operation or activity have to be “established and agreed upon in advance by the United States and Pakistan”.

Anish Goel, a former staffer of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told The Hindustan Times that NDAA 2019 “gets rid of the certification requirements for Pakistani action against the Haqqani network, and also gets rid of the authority to reimburse Pakistan for counter-terrorism”.

“Pentagon no longer has any tools to apply pressure to the Pakistanis to undertake counterterrorism activities or action against the Haqqani network,” he explained.

Cheers

[Peregrine]

A sad Umar!

I have been saying for the past two months that the principal shareholder in the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the United States, is out to dictate its terms vis-à-vis CPEC through a possible IMF programme. Precisely for that reason, I have also been saying that the PML-N government, the caretaker government and the miltablishment have not considered going to the IMF. This deviation from the past proclivity to rush to the international lender of the last resort was witnessed despite a rapidly-deteriorating external account of the economy. Instead, the rupee was allowed to depreciate, regulatory duties were imposed on imports, tax amnesty was announced to encourage dollars inflow and assistance was sought from friends like China and Saudi Arabia, besides an oil facility from a subsidiary of the Islamic Development Bank. These holding actions during the political transition were in the nature of preparing the ground for the winners of the elections to take the country forward within their vision legitimised by the electorate for the next five years.

Rather than the vision of the “Ghairatmand Mussalman” to rid the country of its debt addiction, we have a sad Umar, the finance minister-select, with this sob stuff: “The crisis is so severe and requires measures so urgent that no option can be ruled out.” In an angry rebuttal to those he thought misunderstood him, he tweeted: “I had said no option including IMF is ruled out. I have said the same thing many times before and after elections.” The clarification clarified little. As Keynes famously observed: “Practical men who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influence, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist.” He keeps naming at least two of the genre. What he needs to understand is that the economy is more than the Engro Corporation.

His outburst invited a Trump show of hand by the US Secretary of State: “There’s no rationale for IMF tax dollars, and associated with that American dollars that are part of the IMF funding, for those to go to bail out Chinese bondholders or China itself,” forgetting that China was the biggest holder of US Treasuries. He also forgot to consult his Treasury Secretary who might have told him that the IMF dollars (and now some RMBs, too) support the balance of payments, not the budget for loan repayments. What the US can, and shall, do is the stringent conditionality to slowdown CPEC investment. This will reverse the hard-won increase in growth and postpone the promised ten million jobs to future tenures.

Rather than telling the expectant people what his party will do to build on what has been done so far, he is waiting for the options to open, including the IMF. One hears that hordes of rich overseas Pakistanis are waiting for a sincere appeal to flood the country with dollars. Economies are not run on philanthropy. Pakistan is already benefiting from remittances enormously. Overseas Pakistanis help their families and in the process, help the country. Some more incentives can bring additions, but not in magnitudes being paraded. Their propensity to make Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is far less than the overseas Chinese. Similarly, the talk of bringing back the billions looted by the corrupt politicians was a smart campaign, but is hardly a smart policy for the black hole in the external accounts. Nigeria, for instance, recovered a fraction of the estimated loot at great cost in time and money.

The trick is to do what the IMF says in spirit, but without its money. Money, in our case, has never made the mare go.

Cheers

[Peregrine]

Half of loan package will go back to IMF: Haroon

HYDERABABD: Pakistan is expecting to get $12 billion bailout loan package from International Monetary Fund (IMF) while almost half of that sum would be spent to repay previous loan of the IMF, said caretaker Foreign Minister Abdullah Hussain Haroon on Friday.

Speaking to media in Hyderabad he said “$5 billion of that loan would go back to the IMF.”

He clarified that a wrong impression has been created by the US which registered objection to the fund against approving the loan, citing fears that Pakistan would repay Chinese loan through that bailout.

“The US move to stop the IMF from issuing loan to Pakistan comes as a first. This reflects shamelessness of the US regime.”

He also clarified that the interim government has not approached IMF for the loan. The upcoming government would have to decide whether to opt for the loan or not, he added.

Haroon pointed to the ongoing trade war between the US and China, saying the former wanted Pakistan to end its economic relationship with the latter. “The US has a bone to pick with China and we [Pakistan] are being dragged into this.”

The foreign minister said when Pakistan sought financial support recently from the US the country was told that the required funds were not available. “[But] recently the US has earmarked $8 to $9 billion for defence purchases of India. The Pakistani nation wants to know was our alliance with the US temporary.”

He bewailed that the country is being subjected to various allegations by the West and which, as a consequence, are damaging Pakistan’s reputation while also adversely affecting the economy.

“The US wants to bring us to the point where no Pakistani citizen is allowed to travel abroad and the country becomes totally paralysed.”

“We sacrificed our 2 to 3 generations for the US led wars but we are being meted out such unfair treatment,” he bemoaned.

He accused the US and the West for throwing Pakistan in the abyss of terrorism by making it a front line state earlier in their proxy war against the Soviets and later in the US led invasion of Afghanistan.

He recalled that following the Soviet Union dismemberment and its retreat from Afghanistan, Pakistan became an enemy of Russia. “But then the West suddenly withdrew its support for Pakistan,” he said.

Haroon saw conspiracy in what he described as artificially ballooned exchange rate of dollar which touched as high as Rs135 per dollar. He said China helped Pakistan repay its foreign debts but it did not go well with the US. Mr. Haroon it would be in the fitness of things if Pakistan took another Twelve Billion U S Dollars Loan from Iron Brother CHINA!

He alleged that some leading political figures stash their ill-gotten money in the US banks and that their properties also exist in that country. “This is the reason they always agree to the US diktats.”

“The disposition of the US and the West towards Pakistan is unbecoming of a reciprocal bilateral relation. But despite the fact powerful political figures in Pakistan pander to the US because their money and assets are stashed there.”

He suggested the people to question their democratically elected new leadership about the status of the country’s relation with the West specifically the US. The US wields influence in the financial matters of the world but it has been strangulating Pakistan’s throat, he complained.

“If the West doesn’t recognise our sacrifices, we will not cave into their sabre-rattling and threats anymore.” Mr. Harron kindly kow-tow to China! Maybe you will get a few Yuans!

Cheers

[Peregrine]

X Posted on the Analyzing CPEC and OBOR, Chinese Strategy and Implications Threads

This is an Eight Page Article and so just posting a Link.

China’s Empire of Money Is Reshaping Global Trade
Xi Jinping’s new “Belt and Road” initiative is designed to promote economic development and extend China’s influence. Bloomberg Markets reports on the massive project’s impact along the Silk Road.

China is building a very 21st century empire—one where trade and debt lead the way, not armadas and boots on the ground. If President Xi Jinping’s ambitions become a reality, Beijing will cement its position at the center of a new world economic order spanning more than half the globe. Already, China has extended its influence far beyond that of the Tang Dynasty’s golden age more than a millennium ago.

The most tangible manifestation of Xi’s designs is the new Silk Road he first proposed in 2013. The enterprise morphed into the “Belt and Road” initiative, a mix of foreign policy, economic strategy, and charm offensive that, nurtured by a torrent of Chinese money, is rebalancing global political and economic alliances.

Cheers

[SSridhar]

A first.

Imran to be elected with less than mandatory simple majority

Has the PA been complacent?

I thought that they were deliberately playing a game to keep IK under tight leash. But, more and more, it seems they didn't do a 'professional' job !! The PA's candidate is struggling to get a simple majority!! The PA spent disproportionate resources on incarcerating NS & his daughter & son-in-law perhaps (and now his sons).

[Falijee]

The Kaptaan Sets An Example Of So - Called Frugality Already ( Even though Officially, He in NOT PM yet )

Smaller residence for Imran Khan to save Rs1.85b annually for Pakistan.

Premier in-waiting ( hope it is not a long wait !) declines official PM House and luxuries, promises ministers will follow suit

Gulf News
August 3, 2018

PS: The existing white elephant in Isloo (AKA Prime Minister House) is going to be vacant for a long long time before it is converted into an University, as promised by Immy. In the interim, there are fixed costs associated with maintaining this "large monster", like maintenance ,utilities , security, etc etc even if it is vacant . So the savings figure of Rs 1.85 billion, (unless justified ) and cited above appears to be highly exaggerated IMO, and belongs in the category of "Sialkot statistics"

[Falijee]

Chinese Offer "Power Package" To Pakiland For "Port Gwadar"

China says it will provide electricity to Gwadar for Rs5m a day
Aug 3, 2018

The Senate standing committee on power has recommended that Balochistan’s Gwadar be connected to the national grid as soon as possible.
A representative of the power division told the committee that they have still not been able to connect Gwadar to the national grid and that electricity supply to the coastal areas of Balochistan from Iran was disconnected after the heatwave in Iran. The committee was informed on Thursday that Iran has stopped supplying 80 megawatts of electricity to Gwadar and other coastal areas of Balochistan. The total energy supplied to the area is 100MW.Chinese companies are generating electricity in Gwadar with the help of big generators and, in order to provide 7.5MW of electricity to Gwadar, China has demanded furnace oil worth Rs5 million every day. However, doing so will raise the price of each electricity unit to Rs30, which is very expensive.The committee has said that Gwadar should be connected to the national grid as soon as possible and ordered the power division to take steps to ensure this.

So, the Pakis are once again, caught between a rock and a hard place . They are learning slowly and surely that there (CPEC) is no free lunch . The Chinese are not in the "charity" business !!

[Falijee]

According To This Unconfirmed Report, Team Imran ( PTI) Has Achieved Its Objective

PTI reaches ‘magical number’ to form govt at Centre

Unless you have a majority, (which PTI does not !) IMO, the litmus test for such a boast - "I am a PM now " ( in a Westminster type democracy ) is usually a sitting session of the National Assembly, where each MNA aligns himself or herself with this or that PM nominee . When the votes are counted , then only that Party (eg PTI ) can claim to form a Govt . Before that it is all conjecture, rumours, etc etc . This has not yet happened . So, the claim of reaching the so-called magical number is just plain "hot air" at least IMO !!!

[Falijee]

NAB summons Imran on Aug 7 in helicopter case

The Express Tribune
Aug 3, 2018

4 days before his "coronation" as PM.? Someone must be kidding !! Let us see what happens. Due to "ego problems", the Kaptaan usually "throws" such summons either in the Bani Gala kitchen trash can or in the toilet of the attached bathroom in the master bedroom of Bani Gala


PS: This is a guy , who as Party Chief of PTI, rarely showed his face in the Paki National Assembly !!!

[Falijee]

Not Sure If The Jap Envoy Came "Bearing News Of Gift"

Japanese envoy congratulates Imran Khan on election performance at Banigala meeting
Aug 3, 2018


PS: The de rigueur glass of water, cup of tea can be seen in the photu. and of course a glimpse of the "Peshawari chappal " worn by the Kaptaan

PPS: Peerni still in Purdah in Pakpattan

[Falijee]

Now Saquib Butts His Pakjabi Nose In The Case Of Those Stranded Pakis In China

Bring back Pakistanis stranded in China immediately: Justice Nisar
August 03, 2018

Another one of those "bombastic declarations" for which the Chief Justice Of Pakiland is well known for . As if the act of "ordering" will automatically bring those stranded Pakis ! The CJP has in the past, also "ordered" the immediately building of the Bhasha Dam . ( The Dam is not ready as of now )

[arun]

X Posted from the Pakistani Economic Stress Watch Thread.

Former IMF Executive Director representing the US writes an article titled “Pakistan, the United States, and the IMF”.

Informs that the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan “According to IMF data, the fund has had 21 programs with Pakistan since 1958, 14 of which since 1980.” The Islamic Republic is one hell of a serial, repeat and persistent borrower from the IMF.

Regards CPEC aka Conning Pakistan to Enrich China, Sobel has this to say:

“The fund must also ensure that its resources are not used to bail out unsustainable Chinese CPEC lending. The fund needs to have at its fingertips comprehensive data on all CPEC lending—its terms, maturities, and parties involved. Chinese lending should be on realistic terms and consistent with Pakistan’s sustainability. Otherwise, China should reschedule or write down its loans, sharply reducing the value of its claims.”

Pakistan, the United States, and the IMF

Sound advise but then the Mohammadden Terrorism Fomenting Islamic Republic of Pakistan are known to lie about economic details and indeed the IMF was itself was victim. IMF Press release of April 28, 2000 regards “misreporting of fiscal data to the IMF between 1997 and 1999” follows:

IMF NEWS BRIEF NO. 00/23 : IMF Executive Board Reviews Pakistan Misreporting, Remedial Steps

[Peregrine]

SBP warns against external sector vulnerabilities

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has projected deterioration in bank earnings, inter-bank borrowing, foreign currency market and external sector vulnerabilities in 2018.

This carries a potential risk to dent financial stability of the country in the current calendar year.

The central bank has, however, raised hope that commercial banks would meet almost all the financing demand as they maintain ample liquidity under their management. Whereas, the money and capital markets are expected to become stable with relatively steady inflation in the country, it added.

“At the aggregate level, macroeconomic vulnerabilities are identified as the greatest risks to financial stability at present; whereas financial market risks are perceived to be critical for the next six months,” SBP said in its Financial Stability Review (FSR) for the calendar year 2017.

Among all the risks, the highest cited, at present, are deteriorating balance of payments position (foreign currency reserves), volatility in exchange rate (rupee-dollar parity), and a widening fiscal deficit.

“For the next six months (January-June 2018), respondents (of SBP Systemic Risk Survey conducted in January 2018) believe that political uncertainty, deterioration of balance of payments and uncertainty over exchange rate could potentially undermine financial stability,” it added.

“Encouragingly, under resilience analysis, banks are expected to absorb shocks in domestic and global stressed scenarios in the medium-term. Nevertheless, declining profitability and deceleration in deposit growth are key concerns,” the central bank said.

Equity market volatility, within reasonable bounds, is essential to restore investor confidence. The projected path of financial vulnerability index does not show any major deviations in CY18. Nevertheless, the uncertainties surrounding the projections reflect rising odds of upside risk.

The likelihood of occurrence of a high-risk event in the financial system of Pakistan over the short-term is relatively higher than the medium-term, it said.

In the short-term, risks to domestic financial stability may elevate further “if external account challenges remain, fiscal imbalances persist, and savings in the economy (especially, deposit growth) stay low,” the review said.

In the medium-term, risks to the financial system may decline in perspective of sustained growth momentum, rising opportunities from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), improving energy availability, and expected increase in exports on the back of improving global demand, it added.

“State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), taking a proactive and holistic view of the emerging vulnerabilities, is not only strengthening its own regulatory and supervisory regime but is also collaborating with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) to address systemic concerns,” it said.

Assets grow 12.8%

The assets of financial sector grew 12.8% to Rs24.8 trillion in the year ended December 2017, revealed SBP data. The share of banks in the total assets stands at 74%.

The banking sector has registered an asset expansion of 15.86% largely due to robust growth in advances to private sector. The key thrust in financing demand has come from textile, sugar, cement, and agribusiness sectors.

Owing to rise in advances, non-performing loans to advances ratio – at 8.4% – has touched a decade low level and Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) at 15.8% is well above the minimum regulatory requirement of 11.275%.

The challenging macro-financial conditions, particularly in the second half of 2017, have influenced the performance of the non-bank financial sector as well.

“Mutual funds have shifted a significant portion towards money market funds in response to volatile equity prices and risk-averse sentiments. However, mutual funds portfolio is still dominated by equities that are exposed to equity price risk,” SBP said.

The other non-bank intermediaries like modarabas and leasing companies have been lagging behind in performance due to structural inefficiencies and insufficient availability of low cost funds, it said.

Cheers

[Peregrine]

Musharraf sought covert US role to bring him back to power

ISLAMABAD: A sensational undated video clip of former Pakistan Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf has emerged on social media asking a small group of Americans to bring him back to power through covert means so that the United States is protected from “terrorism and radical Islam”.

The 29-seconds-long footage recorded apparently with a mobile phone camera shows Musharraf sipping a drink from a disposable plastic cup while listening to a question by a member of the gathering. The questioner asked the former Pakistani president and military dictator, “what do we have to change so that our money is used in a positive way to protect Americans from terrorism, from radical Islam [and] from Al-Qaeda. What’s gonna do that for us.”

Musharraf in his prompt and to the point reply said: “All I’m saying is, I have certain credentials from the past. I need to come [to power] again and I need to be supported not overtly but in a covert manner so that we win again.”

Jack Rosen, an American lobbyist and Chairman of the powerful American Jewish Congress, purportedly organized the gathering. The clip shows that Dr Nasim Ashraf, the former chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board and head of the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) also accompanied the former president.

A Wikipedia entry for Mr Rosen says he has advocated for Jewish and Israeli causes stating. “We are living in a post-Holocaust era and the forces that provided for a safe and secure Israel are changing. We have to look at what the future holds and have to use all the skills we’ve learned in America and that are available to us to ensure security for Jews around the world”, says the internet information portal.

Apart from being a lobbyist, the 69-year-old CEO of Rosen Partners, Jack Rosen is a board member of Altimo – a British Virgin Island (BVI) company that is the telecom investment arm of Russia’s Alfa Group consortium. It has investment interests in Russia, Central Asia, Middle East and Bangladesh.

The clip has generated interesting chatter on Twitter. Murtaza Solangi, a seasoned journalist and commentators tweeted; “All well. No threat to national security. Only civilians are traitors.” Faisee, another twitterati wrote: “Musharraf begging #JackRosen …. the same guy who, in his article in Jerusalem Post, believed “A Pakistan without Musharraf could be a much more dangerous place.”

The clip was also shared by other Twitter activists and is being liked and forwarded by thousands of users of the online news and social networking service.

Cheers

[Peregrine]

A first.

Imran to be elected with less than mandatory simple majority

Has the PA been complacent?

I thought that they were deliberately playing a game to keep IK under tight leash. But, more and more, it seems they didn't do a 'professional' job !! The PA's candidate is struggling to get a simple majority!! The PA spent disproportionate resources on incarcerating NS & his daughter & son-in-law perhaps (and now his sons).

SSridhar Ji :

Sir Ji, the PA has - as we say - a devious plan. The are keeping "I'm the Dim" just short of a Majority AND STILL ANOINT HIM AS Prime Minister.

In this manner the PA has "I'm the Dim" by his short and curlies in a vice-like grip. Every time the PA asks him to Jump he will ask the PA "How High?"

We are in for INTELESTING TIMES!

Cheers

[Falijee]

Such Undiplomatic Remarks About US By Finance Minister Designate Asad Umer May Come Back To Bite The "Shaky Regime" Of The Kaptaan

The US should worry about its own Chinese debt: Asad Umar
August 3, 2018

PTI leader and likely candidate for the post of finance minister in the upcoming government Asad Umar has said that the US should worry about its own Chinese debt and let us worry about our own. Like Khawaja Asif, this "guy" needs a lesson in Diplomacy 101 !

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had warned that any potential IMF bailout for Pakistan should not provide funds to pay off Chinese lenders.
“One piece of friendly advice to the Americans: we’ll worry about our Chinese debt, but I think they better handle their own Chinese debt first,” said Umar.He acknowledged that Pakistan does have a serious external debt problem, however, “we don’t have a Chinese debt problem.” Speaking without thinking is a common trait among Paki politicos ( like Mush) . Pakistan WILL have a Chinese debt problem, when the Chini long term loans will mature , and it finds out that it does not have the monies pay back the Chinese !. They are facing the same problem now in servicing/ repaying the short term loans. And they are expecting IMF funds (under control of Massa !) to repay the CPEC loans to the Chinese . Pompeo is not that dumb !

Umar said that the country needs around $12 billion and the decision about where to get this needs to be made soon.“The decision needs to be made in the next six weeks. The further you go forward the more difficult, the more expensive the options become,” Umar told Bloomberg in an interview on Thursday.He hinted that in order to increase its foreign reserves Pakistan can even go to the International Monetary Fund besides approaching friendly countries and issuing diaspora bonds.This is in total contrast with the promises that PTI had made during its election campaigns. The party had said that it would not take any more loans under any circumstances. ( Never make unconditional promises like this [ or the famous promise by Imran "to make Pakistan an Islamic Welfare State] (whatever it means !) ) . The PTI leader said they have yet to approach any potential lenders. “No formal work can be started until the government is formed,” he said.

[Falijee]

Mystery Surrounds Power Cuts By Iran To Gawadar And Parts Of Balochistan

Power cut by Iran affects businesses in Gwadar, other coastal districts of Balochistan

KARACHI: The ongoing cut in the power supply from Iran to Balochistan’s Makran belt has severely affected business activities in Gwadar and the adjacent districts, traders say.“The constant power cut has distressed trader activities in Gwadar city, where many businesses can’t be run without electricity,” said Ghulam Hussain, a leader of the Anuman-e-Tajiraan-e-Gwadar (Gwadar traders’ association). He added that up to 200 traders had asked to have their power disconnected, which was unheard of.“Why should we pay, and from where we will pay bills if our businesses are going to be closed,” he said. As if the lack of power was not bad enough, he said the power-supply company was still sending bills demanding thousands of rupees.

There is a bit of confusion regarding the reason for the stoppage of electricity by Iran. Some attribute it to technical reasons (which are being worked upon by the Iranis ). Others suspect that it is a matter of the Pakis not paying their "bills on time" and hence the cut-off . The "tallel than mountain fliend" is also suffering in Gwadar

On Thursday, the Senate’s Committee on Power was informed that Iran had stopped the transmission of 80 megawatts of electricity to the coastal areas of Pakistan, affecting the supply to the coastal cities of Gwadar, Panjgur and Pasni in Balochistan.Malik Khurram Shehzad, the information minister of Balochistan, said that the Quetta Electricity Supply Company (QESCO) has reduced the load-shedding duration to eight hours a day.

Wahad Dad, a trader from the Kech area, refuted this claim, saying that there has barely been any electricity in Makran Division since first week of July.

Earlier, traders told Arab News of the huge losses they had suffered due to power cuts, with sales falling by up to 90 percent and businesses that require electricity to function forced to shut.

QESCO’s representatie in Gwadar, Hasan Ali Magsi, said that Iran had been providing 100 MW of power to the Gwadar, Ketch and Panjgur districts of Makran Division. However, on July 3 the supply was cut to 12 hours a day, and decreased further to five hours two days later. The supplyhas risen to 12 hours again, Magsi said. This is disputed by residents, however, who say they only have power for two to three hours at night.

Iran has been supplying electricity the Gwadar, Ketch and Panjgur districts of Makran Division since 1999. It supplied 35 MW daily until 2013, when it increased it to 100 megawatts for use in Gwadar, which will become an international business hub as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project.

When the "confusion dust" settles down, it will eventually come out that the real reason for the bijli interruption was the lack of funds to pay the Iranis, nothing to do with "technical fault" blah, blah, blah . The same "lack of liquidity problems" faced on a macro level by Pakiland, is being reflected here !

[Falijee]

These Two Independent Pathani MNA's Will Not Offer Themselves For Sale To The Kaptaan

Dawar, Wazir to remain independent in NA
August 04, 2018

ISLAMABAD: Two independent candidates from tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mohsin Dawar and Muhammad Ali Wazir, who were elected MNAs in the July 25 elections, have hinted that they will keep their independent status unchanged.Addressing a press conference here at the National Press Club, they said they would raise their voice on the floor of the house for rights.

Mr Dawar and Mr Wazir, who had remained active in the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement and won the elections from NA-48 (North Waziristan) and NA-50 (South Waziristan), respectively, said they had promised people of their areas that their issues would be raised in the assembly with full force.The MNAs-elect said that at present they were maintaining their independent status but could decide at a later stage whether to join the opposition or the treasury benches.

Good for them !

They said people of tribal areas through the power of their votes had broken the politics of the status quo.The two expressed the hope that the incoming government would pay special attention to welfare of people of tribal areas.

[Falijee]

Rogue Justice Siddiqui Now Pleads For "Help" !

‘Serious life threats to me and my family,’ claims IHC’s Justice Siddiqui
August 4, 2018

ISLAMABAD – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, who was recently in the headlines for accusing the country’s top spy agency and the military establishment of interfering in the judicial affairs, has refused to go abroad for attending a workshop citing ‘serious life threats’ to him and his family.

The judge wrote a letter to IHC Chief Justice Muhammad Anwar Kasi on Friday, stating that he had been selected by the top judge of the high court to attend a workshop to be held at Hull University in Manchester UK from August 11 to 18.

This Jamaati Judge will be like a fish out of water in the non Islamic environment of Bartania

“[However] due to issuance of show cause notice dated July 31 by the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and for the fact that there are serious life threats to me and my family, I do not find it appropriate to leave my family in a state of fear and stress,” said judge as he requested to nominate other judge.

He may not be allowed to come back . And he dreads the non-halal grub that will most likely be served to him in UK !

The July 21st speech of Justice Siddiqui stirred concerns in the power corridors as the judge had directly alleged the premier intelligence agency of interfering in judicial affairs, with a special reference to the case involving former premier Nawaz Sharif and his daughter.

The judge was (wrongly ) singled out for so-called corruption, when he made some snide remarks against CJP Nisar . And now the shouting match has now involved the "premiere institution" as well , which has been placed in an embarrassing position due to Siddiqui's disclosures !!!

Justice Siddiqui had claimed that ISI personnel approached the IHC chief justice and asked him not to let deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter come out of the prison before the general elections and not to include him (Justice Siddiqui) in the bench and that Kasi responded the bench would be constituted as per their desire.

On Aug 2, the chief justice of the IHC denied the allegations put forth against him by his fellow judge. Subsequently, an IHC division bench had expunged the remarks of Justice Siddiqui from the order passed in a missing persons case.

The "best spy agency in the world" is very touchy about its "stellar image"

Moreover, the Supreme Judicial Council also issued a show cause notice to Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui over his speech at the Rawalpindi District Bar Association, asking him to submit his reply by Aug 28.

Justice Siddiqui is also facing a reference in the SJC for excessive spending on renovation of his official residence. The matter had been postponed by the council for indefinite time as the attorney general expressed his inability to proceed since the evidence was prepared by Maulvi Anwarul Haq, a senior counsel who was abroad then.

PS: This is the same "judge", who a few months ago, denied ( with a straight face ) that ISI is responsible for "missing persons" . Just shows what quality of judges, the Paki "Justice" System throws up

[Falijee]

Another File "Ordered" To Be Opened By By Attention Deficit Disorder , Saquib ( CJP)

SC orders freezing of current prices of medicines for next two and half months

Ordering this , ordering that and hoping to Allah that the act of "ordering" will itself solve the underlying malaise of Pakiland !!!

[Falijee]

The Khan Is Addicted To "Teetar" And He Is Keeping An Eye On Jemima And Madame Jalebi Among Others

Who is Imran Khan following on Twitter?
August 4, 2018

Pakistan’s would-be Prime Minister Imran Khan has remained under the public eye for his active presence on social media with recent news declaring him part of the top most followed world leaders. But who are those that the PTI chief deems worthy of following amongst his 8million ( some of them have to be "fake" ) followers?

The former cricketer who created his twitter profile back in 2010 has garnered over 8 million followers on both major social media platforms of Twitter and Facebook. But amongst the large crowd of followers, the prime minister elect is following a small number of a mere 19 people on Twitter.

In spite of getting married twice since he parted ways with his first wife Jemima Goldsmith, Khan is still following her and her environmentalist brother Ben Goldsmith on the social media platform. This may give more ammunition to Immy's enemies, including Maulana Fazl, who still insists that Imran is a " zionist agent "

Apart from the party’s three official handles, Khan’s following list on Twitter also majorly consists of the senior PTI leadership including the party’s Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Deputy Secretary General Imran Ismail, Spokesperson Naeem ul Haque, PTI President of the Sindh Division Dr Arif Alvi and other senior members like Jahangir Tareen, Asad Umar, Saifullah Nyazee, Shafqat Mahmood, Andleeb Abbas and Shireen Mazari. ( who is already "acting" like a Foreign Minister )

On the other hand, Khan is also following the official accounts of two of his foundations Namal University and Shaukat Khanum Hospital.Furthermore, in the division of broadcasting, senior Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir ( one time ISI asset, until he fell out of favour !) is the only one who has the honors of getting followed by the PTI chairman.

[Falijee]

Paki Bottled Water Declared Unfit For Human Consumption !

Bottled Water from Gourmet and 4 Others Declared Unfit for Human Consumption
August 2, 2018

There are many local bakeries operating within Pakistan but ‘Gourmet’ is one of the more popular brands in Pakistan as it not only operates in many cities of the country but also operates internationally. The company provides food products, baked goods, sweets, water, fizzy drinks, catering services and much more.

The name is very catchy. But probably all of the products are unsafe from a health point of view !

Gourmet water is also very popular, especially in Lahore, but the city was jolted when the Pakistan Council of Research for Water Resources (PCRWR) declared Gourmet and four other bottled water brands ‘unfit for human consumption’.

For the sake of public health, they should investigate and analyze the company's other products as well from the point of view of adulteration, excessive chemical use, hygienic production process, expiry date etc etc !

Poor quality of water has been an issue for Pakistan for a while now. That’ why bottled water is fairly popular, however, many companies were found to be selling contaminated water. To avoid these issues the Pakistani government, with the help of Ministry of Science and Technology, assigned PCRWR for quarterly monitoring of bottled water brands.According to the evaluation report from the second quarter of 2018, samples of water from Mineral Bottled water brands have been collected from:...

[anupmisra]

The US should worry about its own Chinese debt: Asad Umar
August 3, 2018

Great come back, saaar, great come back! Take that, Yanks! What do you have to say now? Huh?

pakis should give this genius a standing ovation>


Note the date for posterity. This date will be etched on his gravestone.

[Lisa]

Another File "Ordered" To Be Opened By By Attention Deficit Disorder , Saquib ( CJP)

SC orders freezing of current prices of medicines for next two and half months

Ordering this , ordering that and hoping to Allah that the act of "ordering" will itself solve the underlying malaise of Pakiland !!!

IMHO, The only way is up. Next week he will be announcing a new exchange rate for the puki Rupee and fixing it for two and a half months. Please just give the man time.

[Peregrine]

THE PROVERBIAL HAS HIT THE FAN!

Foreign office warns against unsanctioned comments

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office has warned government functionaries against issuing unauthorised comments about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) after a statement by a senior official of the Planning Commission caused stir in Beijing.

Barring government officials may further raise transparency concerns, as contracts under CPEC are shrouded in mystery.

In an article published on July 22, the Wall Street Journal had quoted the Planning Commission’s chief economist as saying that China should rescue Pakistan with an interest-free loan. Otherwise “for what do we have this friendship [for]?”

Terming such remarks ‘highly irresponsible’, the Foreign Office asked the Ministry of Planning to urgently devise a “system whereby all government functionaries are barred from giving unauthorised comments”.

In an official correspondence sent to the ministry, the Foreign Office highlighted the sensitive nature of the issue and critical nature of Pakistan’s relations with China, and asserted that devising such a system was necessary.

Pakistan is currently facing severe problems in managing its external sector debts. The country has already acquired a $2 billion concessionary loan from Beijing last month, easing pressure on domestic foreign exchange reserves and stabilising the rupee-dollar parity.

There are indications that Pakistan may also have to obtain a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). However, the IMF’s financial assistance will be seen by many as coming at the expense of CPEC’s future expansion.

Pakistan and China signed deals worth $46 billion in infrastructure and energy sectors in 2014.

Since the beginning, controversies loomed large about the quantum of loans and investment, and the cost of those loans. There are also concerns about allowing sweeping tax concessions to CPEC projects.

Three years into the CPEC programme, Pakistan is hurtling towards a debt crisis, caused in part by a surge in Chinese loans and imports for projects such as the Orange Line, Lahore, Wall Street Journal asserted in its July 22 article.

The Foreign Office insisted that if government functionaries still make unauthorised comments, they should be held accountable because such utterances had the potential to seriously damage Pakistan-China ties.

The Foreign Office has consistently shown a propensity for blocking the flow of information.

In a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) on Money Laundering that was held on Thursday, Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua forced participants to give up their mobile phones to keep discussions confidential.

However, Secretary Finance Arif Ahmad Khan evaded her request, said sources who attended the meeting held in the ‘Q’ Block.

The meeting was chaired by the caretaker finance minister.

The move to bar public functionaries from making statements was instigated on the proposal of Pakistan’s embassy in Beijing.

The Foreign Office insisted that only authorised officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Planning were competent to comment on these matters after seeking clearance from their ministers.

On Foreign Office’s recommendation, the Ministry of Planning on Friday appointed Hassan Daud as the focal person on CPEC.

Previously, Asim Khan was handling all external public affairs of the Planning Ministry.

The WSJ further wrote in its article that some ministers in the previous PML-N government had said in interviews that they should have negotiated better terms with China. Closing the Stable Door after the Horse has Bolted!

Official figures reviewed by the Journal showed that China-backed power plants had been guaranteed annual returns on investment of up to 34 per cent in dollar terms for 30 years.

In February last year, The Express Tribune had reported that Pakistan had offered up to 34.5 per cent annual profit on equity invested in coal-fired energy projects of CPEC.

Loans have been obtained at six per cent interest rates, excluding insurance cost.

Official documents also showed that if insurance costs were included, also paid to a Chinese insurance company, the cost of borrowings would surge to 13 per cent. Ātaṅkavadīsthanis are trying to be TOO CLEVER BY HALF by expecting to pay off the Chinese Loan being at 13% by an IMF Loan at TWO to THREE PER CENT! Lagay Raho Mullah Ji!

Cheers

[SSridhar]

The US should worry about its own Chinese debt: Asad Umar

If there are two things that never change in a Pakistani, it is his/her false bravado & swagger.

[anupmisra]

If there are two things that never change in a Pakistani, it is his/her false bravado & swagger.

Narcissist: "extremely selfish and self-absorbed, with a grandiose view of one's own "talents" and a craving for third party admiration, as characterized by a personality type". It is a form of collective mental disorder. It probably is in the paki DNA now.

Here's an example. Look at their PM-designate in an Orwellian "big benevolent brother" image: