The Supreme court of Pakistan is the only institution standing between Imran Khan and his enemies. The Supreme Court on Monday barred authorities from arresting PTI Chairman Imran Khan till August 9 in a case pertaining to the murder of lawyer Abdul Razzaq Shar in Quetta. On June 6, Shar was fatally shot by unidentified assailants on route to the Balochistan High Court. The government and the PTI had accused each other of having a role in the killing. Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif’s aide Attaullah Tarar had alleged that the lawyer was killed at the behest of Imran Khan to allegedly evade accountability in a treason case while PTI spokesperson Raoof Hassan had accused Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah of being behind the murder.
(Staff Report, Pakistan Today)
Out from the frying pan and into the fire. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Imran Khan, on the grounds of contempt. The warrant was issued on July 11 after Imran Khan failed to appear before the ECP as summoned.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has a telephonic conversation with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to reaffirm a productive Islamabad-Washington partnership. They agreed to push Taliban-led administration of Afghanistan into ensuring that Afghanistan will not be used as a safe haven by militants.
On 22nd of July petroleum dealers in Pakistan had announced a shutter-down strike for an indefinite period. They wanted their government to increase their profit margins to the promised level of 5%. On 25thJuly Pakistan’s government reached an agreement with the fuel pump owners to increase their profit margins by Rs1.64 per litre on both petrol and diesel, compelling the dealers to call off their strike.
(Salman Siddiqui, The Express Tribune)
Torrential rains have killed 133 and injured 215 across Pakistan. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has directed the authorities concerned to make all necessary arrangements to relocate the people from flood hit and risk areas to safer locations. The Meteorological Office has warned that heavy rain may cause urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and other major cities.
(Staff Report, Pakistan Today)
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Opinion
Dr. Aparna Pande in her long article scrutinizes on what will happen next in Pakistan as decades of military rule have brought Pakistan to the brink of default and the riots over ousted Prime Minister Khan show risks of stage-managed politics. A split fall election result is the Pakistan army’s best chance to reassert control. Dr. Aparna Pande is director of the Initiative on the Future of India and South Asia at the Hudson Institute, Washington D.C. Her major field of interest is South Asia with a special focus on India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and foreign and security policy.
Pakistan’s economy shudders as army confronts its own mess, GIS Reports
Bangladesh Dispatch
While in Italy, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been working to solidify Bangladesh’s reputation as a growing economic force. Despite internal election issues, the Prime Minister has met with many of her European counterparts to ensure that Bangladesh remains an attractive destination for investment. With so much attention focused on the upcoming elections, political rallies are becoming breeding grounds for violent and dangerous behaviour. The government has acknowledged the possibility of violence at political rallies but has shied away from responsibility, claiming that it is the result of opposition fear tactics. EU representatives are currently in Bangladesh to observe and report on the conditions for the election.
Politics
Foreign Relations:
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met with three Italian ministers on the sidelines of the UN Food Systems Summit in Rome. The Italian ministers expressed interest in hiring more Bangladeshi manpower, particularly in the agriculture and hospitality sectors. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also met with her Nepalese counterpart Pushpa Kamal Dahal and discussed ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries. (News Desk, Samakal)
A delegation of left-leaning political parties from Bangladesh, led by JSD president Hasanul Haq Inu and Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon, left for Kunming, China on Monday at the invitation of the Communist Party of China. The delegation will hold several meetings with the leaders of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party. (News Desk, The Daily Observer)
EU special representative for human rights, Eamon Gilmore, arrived in Dhaka on Monday for a six-day visit. He will meet with government officials, civil society members, and visit the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar. (News Desk, Prothom Alo)
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina offered to Nepal the use of its newly constructed Pyra port during a meeting with her Nepalese counterpart Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Hasina also said that Bangladesh was developing its Sayedpur airport as a regional hub and would take steps to import renewable energy from Nepal. (News Desk, The Daily Niganta)
National:
Awami League is concerned about BNP’s plans to hold a grand rally in Dhaka on Thursday. They believe that BNP is trying to create instability in the country and disrupt the upcoming election. Awami League is planning to hold counter-rallies to prevent BNP from achieving its goals. (News Desk, Prothom Alo)
Intellectuals in Bangladesh are concerned about the increasing political tension between the ruling Awami League and the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party. They fear that the two parties’ rallies and counter-rallies could lead to violence. (Ahammad Foyez, New Age)
Independent candidate Hero Alam in the Dhaka-17 by-election has been threatened to be killed and thrown into the Buriganga river. He filed a general diary at Hatirjheel police station and demanded a fair investigation.(News Desk, Dhaka Post)
Economy
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has requested support from IFAD to enhance wheat and edible oil production in Bangladesh. The aim is to reduce the country’s reliance on importing these two commodities. The prime minister also asked the WFP to raise funds for Bangladesh, particularly displaced Rohingyas who took shelter in Bangladesh. (News Desk, Prothom Alo)
Bangladesh is facing a gas crisis due to unpaid gas bills to Chevron. Petrobangla owes around US$280 million to Chevron and has been unable to make payments due to a dollar crunch. Chevron has threatened to halt gas production if payments are not made by August 31. (M Azizur Rahman, The Financial Express)
The contribution of the fisheries sector to Bangladesh’s GDP has been shrinking in recent years. This is due to a number of factors, including a decline in local sales, low production growth, and rising input costs. Export-based trade has also been shrinking, and the country has failed to brand its local crustaceans. The government has targeted to raise fish production to 8.5 million tonnes by 2041. (Yasir Wardad, The Financial Express)
S&P Global Ratings has lowered Bangladesh’s outlook to negative from stable, citing risks that the country’s external liquidity position could deteriorate in the next year. Bangladesh’s dollar reserves have shrunk by more than a third since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the country is struggling to pay for imported fuel. If net external debt or liquidity metrics worsen further, S&P could lower the ratings on Bangladesh. (News Desk, BDnews24)
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MNCs in Bangladesh are facing a shortage of dollars due to the depreciation of the taka against the dollar and the global economic slowdown. Some MNCs are exploring alternative options to secure dollars, such as seeking assistance from their parent companies, engaging in export activities themselves, and collaborating with exporters. The dollar shortage is having a negative impact on MNCs’ operations in Bangladesh, and it is unclear how long the shortage will last. (Sajjadur Rahman, The Business Standard)
Society
Bangladesh has signed an agreement with the World Food Programme (WFP) to expand and improve the school feeding programme for primary school students. The dropout rate has declined by 7.5 percent and the enrolment rate has increased by 14 percent in the primary schools thanks to the feeding programme. (News Desk, Business Insider Bangladesh)
Opinion: Bangladesh-Japan relations on the right track
Bangladesh and Japan have a strong bilateral relationship which has continued to develop over time. Japan has become one of Bangladesh’s most important partners. Although, Japanese investment in Bangladesh has increased in recent history and both countries are working to sign an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), there are still concerns over the business conditions in Bangladesh. (Editorial, The Daily Star)
