Pakistan’s general polls keep Karachi’s printing market busy

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Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), an alliance of the religo-political parties, has decorated its vehicles after strict implementation of Election Commission of Pakistan’s code of conduct, which prohibits display of banners on private and public properties. (AN photo by M.F.Sabir)
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Staff at a printing press at Pakistan Chowk, Karachi, prepare banners for an All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) candidate. (AN photo by M.F.Sabir)
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Staff at a printing press at Pakistan Chowk, Karachi, prepare banners for an All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) candidate. (AN photo by M.F.Sabir). General (Retd.) Pervez Musharraf has resigned as chief but will continue to be patron in chief of APML, according to party’s spokesman. (AN photo by M.F.Sabir)
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A candidate for national assembly spends from Rs0.5million to Rs2million on printing material for his campaign, according to estimates by printing agents. (AN photo by M.F.Sabir)
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Staff at a printing press at Pakistan Chowk, Karachi is preparing banners for a candidate of All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) here on Tuesday, June 26, 2018. General (R) Pervez Musharraf has resigned as chief but will continue to be patron in chief of APML, according to party’s spokesman. (AN photo by M.F.Sabir)
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A printer shows candidates’ voter cards. (AN photo by M.F.Sabir)
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Candidates of recently formed Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) are also printing election material at Karachi’s Pakistan Chowk. (A photo by M.F.Sabir)
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Adnan Qaiser, a printer at Pakistan Chowk, designing a poster for a candidate of the Awami National Party from Balochistan. (AN photo by M.F.Sabir)
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A printing machine at Pakistan Chowk, Karachi produces posters of Anwar Lala, an Awami National Party candidate from Zhob, Balochistan. (AN photo by M.F.Sabir)
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A candidate for national assembly spends from Rs0.5million to Rs2million on printing material for his campaign, according to estimates by printing agents (AN photo by M.F.Sabir)
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A printing machine at Pakistan Chowk, Karachi is processing posters of Anwar Lala, an Awami National Party’s candidate from Zhob, Balochistan here on Tuesday, June 26, 2018. (AN photo by M.F.Sabir)
Updated 26 June 2018
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Pakistan’s general polls keep Karachi’s printing market busy

  • Nearly 7,000 candidates, including 2,100 from Karachi, are contesting 61 national and 130 provincial assembly seats from Sindh
  • Candidates spend between Rs 0.5 million to 2 million on printing election literature such as banners, hoardings, posters, pole banners, stickers, handbills, symbols, badges, flags and voters cards, says the printing agent

KARACHI: Printers at Pakistan Chowk Market in the seaside metropolis of Karachi are working until the small hours to keep up with demand for election campaign posters and fliers.

Pakistan is to hold general elections for national and four provincial assemblies on July 25, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Final lists of the candidates will be issued in the next couple of days. However, according to ECP, nearly 7,000 candidates, including 2,100 from Karachi, have been cleared to contest 61 national and 130 provincial assembly seats from Sindh.

Those who know that they will be standing for election have already approached printing markets for printing of different display material, including banners, hoardings, hanging banners, symbols, handbills, badges, stickers and posters. Party flags and voter cards are also mandatory printing material, which have made the printers in several printing markets of the city busy.

“We close our press for four hours by 4am in the morning,” Adnan Qaiser, a printer at Pakistan Chowk told Arab News, adding as the election inches nearer, the work orders from clients will increase and there will be no break at all.

“Within the next couple of days, we will be working 24 hours a day and seven days a week,” Qaiser says. After the ECP issues final list of contenders everyone will start publicity, he adds.

Rehan Ahmed, a printing agent who collects orders from clients, said that a candidate for national assembly spends between Rs0.5million to Rs2million on campaign literature.

He added that influential candidates have a budget of up to Rs 2 million for printing, including thousands of banners, posters, steamers, pole banners and nearly 200,000 voters’ cards, which is distributed among electorates at their doorstep in advance.

Inquiry office, Landhi, Al-karam square Liaquatabad and Korangi industrial areas are other busiest places of printing in Karachi.

Pakistan Chowk, which the country’s largest market of digital and offset printing, receives printing orders from across Sindh and Balochistan provinces. 

“Although there printing presses in Quetta, most of the orders are placed in Karachi,” Ahmed told Arab News, who had printed material for former Chief Minister Balochistan, Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, besides other politicians during the last general elections.
Ahmed said that in Karachi the printing orders from MQM are down from the last election.

Qaiser said that in local government elections the independent candidates print most of the material, however, in general polls the political parties spend more on publicity.

Salman Ali, in-charge of printing for the Muttahida Majlis Amal (MMA), said the religious alliance has printed up to one lack square feet of material and printing is still under way.

He added that strict rules which prohibit candidates from displaying posters at public places and government properties have forced candidates to consider other options.

In the last general election the number of posters and banners was higher, but now the political parties and candidates are using funds to decorate election offices and vehicles.

The hike in dollar rates has increased the rates of Panaflex and other material imported from abroad, said Maqsood Ahmed, another printer in Pakistan Chowk market, who added that “neither the dollar rates nor the ECP code of conduct has shrunk the workload.”


Pakistan's Punjab bans entry to parks, zoos and playgrounds amid pollution

Updated 13 sec ago
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Pakistan's Punjab bans entry to parks, zoos and playgrounds amid pollution

  • The province has set up a ‘smog war room,’ using satellite, drones and AI to monitor and address pollution
  • Environmentalists want government to address fuel quality, renewable electricity and industrial emissions

LAHORE: Pakistan's eastern Punjab province banned entry to parks, zoos, playgrounds and other public spaces on Friday to protect the public from polluted air, and is considering closing down universities after shutting schools earlier this week.

The air quality in Lahore has deteriorated drastically, earning Punjab's regional capital the rank of world's most polluted city from Swiss air purification equipment maker IQAir.

"We are closely monitoring the situation. There's a possibility of closing universities and colleges on Monday to reduce vehicle emissions," said Jahangir Anwar, Secretary of the Environment Protection Department Punjab.

Friday's order from the regional government placed a "complete ban on public entry in all parks ... zoos, playgrounds, historical places, monuments, museums and joy/play lands" until Nov. 17 in areas including Lahore.

In addition to shutting schools, the province has already taken other steps such as suggesting half of employees work from home and banning rickshaws in certain areas.

South Asia annually faces severe pollution due to trapped dust, emissions and stubble burning - the practice of setting fire to fields after the harvest of grain.

Punjab has attributed this year's particularly high pollution levels to toxic air from neighbouring India, where air quality has also reached hazardous levels.

Punjab has set up a "smog war room," using satellite, drone technology and AI to monitor and address pollution. Nevertheless, Anwar says there is not enough equipment to effectively monitor the province, with only four air quality monitoring machines for the entire city of Lahore, "whereas we should have 50.”

Anwar said the department had imported and deployed five mobile monitoring units and plans to deploy eight more by year-end.

Ahmad Rafay Alam, an environment lawyer and member of the Pakistan Climate Change Council, stressed the need for robust data and policy changes.

"Right now, we just simply don't have those monitors, we simply don’t have as robust data as we should have to make decisions," Alam said.

He warned that without addressing fuel quality, renewable electricity and industrial emissions, the problem will continue to worsen.

 


Father accused of killing daughter tells UK jury wife told him to confess

Updated 35 min 46 sec ago
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Father accused of killing daughter tells UK jury wife told him to confess

  • Urfan Sharif is accused of murdering Sara Sharif last year, alongside her stepmother and uncle
  • Police found the girl’s body with multiple fractures, bruises, burns and bite marks at her home

LONDON: The father of a 10-year-old British-Pakistani girl on trial in London for her murder on Friday said his wife told him to confess to killing his daughter.
Urfan Sharif, 42, is accused of murdering Sara Sharif on August 8 last year, alongside her stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, and the girl’s uncle, Faisal Malik, 29.
All three deny the charge and of causing or allowing her death.
A jury at the Old Bailey court was told that all three left the family home in Woking, southwest of London, the day after Sara died and flew to Pakistan.
Sara’s body, which had multiple fractures, bruises, burns and bite marks, was found by police after a tip-off from Sharif in Islamabad.
Giving evidence for a fourth day, he said he was devastated by her death but agreed to leave because Batool had told him Sara had been beaten by another of his children, and he feared the consequences for them.
Before leaving, he wrote a note taking the blame. “Whoever sees this note, it’s me Urfan Sharif who killed my daughter by beating,” it read.
But Sharif told the jury that the confession was dictated by his wife.
“I was merely writing, the wording was not mine,” he said, insisting he took the blame to protect his other children.
Before leaving on August 9, 2023, Sharif left the house keys under the doormat, so the police would not have to break through the door, and had resolved to tell the authorities about Sara when he was out of the country.
A recording was played in court of Sharif’s garbled phone call to police in the UK after arriving in Islamabad.
“I killed my daughter, I killed my daughter,” he said.
Instructing police to the house, he said he “left in a panic” and added: “I promise I’ll come back.”
One month later, Sharif, Batool and Malik returned to the UK and were arrested.


Pakistan PM unveils winter power relief package to cut electricity costs for consumers

Updated 08 November 2024
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Pakistan PM unveils winter power relief package to cut electricity costs for consumers

  • PM Shehbaz Sharif says the initiative will alleviate financial pressure on consumers, stimulate economic activity
  • Relief package will reduce tariffs for domestic, industrial and commercial users for three months starting December

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Friday a three-month electricity relief package starting in December, aimed at reducing tariffs for domestic, industrial and commercial consumers.

The announcement comes after the government faced widespread protests earlier this year over rising inflation and high electricity costs following the presentation of its first budget in June. Political parties urged the Sharif administration to renegotiate agreements with independent power producers to lower tariffs.

Pakistan’s manufacturing sector has also expressed concerns over the years due to the rising cost of electricity, saying the elevated power tariffs render national exports uncompetitive in the global market.

“The government has decided to offer an electricity relief package for the three winter months of December, January and February, providing substantial reductions in electricity prices for additional usage,” the prime minister said during a ceremony in Islamabad.

“Under this package, domestic consumers will pay a flat rate of Rs26.07 per unit for incremental electricity usage, resulting in savings of Rs11.42 to Rs26 per unit for household users,” he continued. “The package will apply across Pakistan.”

Electricity consumers in the country pay their bills according to the number of units that fall into various slabs, each with its own tariff rates.

Under the new winter package, industrial consumers will benefit from savings ranging between Rs5.72 and Rs15 per unit, according to Sharif, translating to an 18 percent to 37 percent reduction in electricity costs.

Commercial consumers are set to save between Rs13.46 and Rs22 per unit, equating to overall savings of 34 percent to 47 percent.

Sharif also emphasized the broader economic benefits of the initiative, saying it would alleviate financial pressures on consumers and stimulate economic activity in the country.

“With reduced electricity costs, industries will grow across Pakistan, agriculture will flourish, business and exports will expand, production will increase and Pakistan’s economy will strengthen further,” he said.


No official word from India it will participate in Champions Trophy in Pakistan — PCB

Updated 08 November 2024
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No official word from India it will participate in Champions Trophy in Pakistan — PCB

  • Mohsin Naqvi’s statement comes amid Indian media reports their team may not play the tournament
  • PCB chief maintains sports should be free from politics, says Pakistan’s preparations are continuing

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said on Friday there has been no official communication from Indian cricket authorities regarding their national team’s participation in the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Champions Trophy scheduled to take place in Pakistan next year, despite recent reports in the Indian media suggesting otherwise.
Political tensions between India and Pakistan mean the two South Asian rivals only face each other at international tournaments. The Indian team last visited Pakistan in 2008 for the 50-over Asia Cup.
India’s refusal to play on Pakistani soil since then forced the PCB to settle for a “hybrid model” during last year’s Asia Cup, in which only four of the 13 matches were held in Pakistan, with the remaining nine played in Sri Lanka.
“For the past two months, there have been reports in Indian media that the Indian team is not coming [to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy],” Naqvi said during a news conference in Lahore.
“As far as what Indian media is reporting, if the Indian media is reporting this, then with that there must also be a letter that the ICC will give us [Pakistan] or the Indian [cricket] board must have announced [this decision] somewhere,” he continued. “So far, no such letter has reached me or the PCB.”
The ICC Champions Trophy, set to take place from February 19 to March 9, 2025, marks Pakistan’s first time hosting this prestigious tournament. The PCB has been preparing extensively, investing in stadium upgrades and infrastructure improvements to meet international standards.
Naqvi emphasized the need to keep sports free from political influence, adding the preparations for the Champions Trophy would continue as planned with hopes for a successful event.
The ICC has previously expressed satisfaction with Pakistan’s preparations, signaling that the tournament remains on track.
The PCB chief said during his media talk he was in contact with the cricket authorities in other countries, saying they were all excited about the upcoming event and wanted to play the tournament in Pakistan.


Pakistan, UAE sign agreements in customs, rail, airport infrastructure, maritime sectors

Updated 08 November 2024
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Pakistan, UAE sign agreements in customs, rail, airport infrastructure, maritime sectors

  • UAE minister of state for foreign trade calls on Pakistani PM Sharif
  • In May, Pakistan said UAE had committed $10 billion in investments

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the UAE on Friday signed four MoUs in the sectors of customs, rail and airport infrastructure, maritime shipping and logistics, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office in Islamabad said in a statement.
The MoUs were signed between the Pakistani ministries of maritime affairs, aviation and railways and the Federal Board of Revenue with the Abu Dhabi (AD) Ports Group.
“As per these MoUs, Pakistan and AD Ports Group would explore potential collaboration in customs, rail, airport infrastructure and maritime shipping and logistics sectors,” the PM’s office said after Sharif met a delegation of UAE investors led by Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE minister of state for foreign trade.
“These MoUs are aimed at improving digital customs controls, developing dedicated freight rail corridors, upgrading Pakistan’s maritime fleet and marine services, as well as Pakistan’s international airports.”
Sharif said the delegation’s visit demonstrated that the UAE government wanted to enhance its “investment footprint” in Pakistan and continue to play a “crucial role” in boosting Pakistan’s economy.
“The Prime Minister highlighted the comprehensive economic partnership between the two nations across sectors such as trade, energy, and investment, which has contributed to growth and prosperity in both countries.”
The UAE delegation’s visit to Pakistan comes as Islamabad is seeking to strengthen trade and investment ties with friendly nations. 
In May this, Pakistan said the UAE had committed $10 billion to invest in promising economic sectors in Pakistan.
Riyadh has also promised a $5 billion investment package that cash-strapped Pakistan desperately needs to shore up its dwindling foreign reserves and fight a chronic balance of payment crisis. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia also signed 34 MoUs worth $2.8 billion last month.