ISLAMABAD: A mob attack led by a group of lawyers on a Pakistan hospital earlier this week “should never have happened,” and was an opportunity for self-reflection, Pakistan’s chief justice, Asif Saeed Khosa, said in Islamabad on Saturday, while addressing a conference.
On Wednesday, in a riot that sent shockwaves around the country, members of Pakistan’s legal fraternity staged a violent protest at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), in the heart of the eastern city of Lahore, seemingly in an attempt to avenge a group of lawyers that were caught on video being beaten up at the hospital earlier.
As lawyers barged into the premises and broke windows and equipment, doctors and nurses were forced to abandon their stations in fear of their lives. Three cardiac patients left unattended died in the ensuing panic and chaos.
“What happened in Lahore, should never have happened,” Justice Khosa said, and added that he believed divinity, law and medicine were “the noblest of professions.” He called on doctors and lawyers to ensure the nobility of their professions remained intact.
Police registered cases on a range of charges including terrorism and murder, and booked more than 250 lawyers, local media reported.
“Our hearts and minds go out to the victims and their families. We hope and pray all concerned would like to uphold the values attached to the legal profession as well as the medical profession,” he said.
Pakistan’s top judge refrained from saying more on the matter, because the case was sub-judice before the Lahore High Court.
Chief Justice of Pakistan condemns lawyer-led hospital violence
https://arab.news/5zax2
Chief Justice of Pakistan condemns lawyer-led hospital violence
- On Wednesday, members of legal fraternity stormed cardiac hospital to protest mistreatment of a group of lawyers at the facility
- Justice Khosa called on legal and medical professionals to keep the nobility of their professions intact
IMF board to approve Pakistan reviews today ‘if all goes well,’ say officials
- IMF’s executive board is scheduled to meet today to discuss the disbursement of $1.2 billion
- Economists say the money will boost Pakistan’s forex reserves, send positive signals to investors
KARACHI: The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) executive board is scheduled to meet today, Monday, to approve the release of about $1.2 billion for Pakistan under the lender’s two loan facilities, said IMF officials who requested not to be named.
The IMF officials confirmed the executive board was going to decide on the Fund’s second review under the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and first review under the $1.4 billion Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), a financing tool that provides long-term, low-cost loans to help countries address climate risks.
“The board meeting will be taking place as planned,” an IMF official told Arab News.
“The board is on today yes as per the calendar,” said another.
A well-placed official at Pakistan’s finance ministry also confirmed the board meeting was scheduled today to discuss the next tranche for Pakistan.
The IMF executive board’s meeting comes nearly two months after a staff-level agreement (SLA) was signed between the two sides in October.
Procedurally, the SLAs are subject to approval by the executive board, though it is largely viewed as a formality.
“If all goes well, the reviews should pass,” said the second IMF official.
On approval, Pakistan will have access to about $1 billion under the EFF and about $200 million under the RSF, the IMF said in a statement in October after the SLA.
The fresh transfer will bring total disbursements under the two arrangements to about $3.3 billion, it added.
Experts see smooth sailing for Pakistan in terms of the passing of the two reviews, saying the IMF disbursements will help the cash-strapped nation to strengthen its balance of payments position.
Samiullah Tariq, group head of research at Pakistan Kuwait Investment Company Limited, said the IMF board’s approval will show that Pakistan’s economy is on the right path.
“It obviously will help strengthen [the country’s] external sector, the balance of payments,” he told Arab News.
Until recently, Pakistan grappled with a macroeconomic crisis that drained its financial resources and triggered a balance of payments crisis.
Pakistan has reported financial gains since 2022, recording current account surpluses and taming inflation that touched unprecedented levels in mid-2023.
Economists also viewed the IMF’s bailout packages as crucial for cash-strapped Pakistan, which has relied heavily on financing from bilateral partners such as Saudi Arabia, China and the United Arab Emirates, as well as multilateral lenders.
Saudi Arabia, through the Saudi Fund for Development, last week extended the term of its $3 billion deposit for another year to help Pakistan boost its foreign exchange reserves, which stood at $14.5 billion as of November 28, according to State Bank of Pakistan statements.
“In our view this [IMF tranche] will be approved,” said Shankar Talreja, head of research at Karachi-based brokerage Topline Securities Limited.
“This will help strengthen reserves and will eventually help a rating upgrade going forward,” he said.
The IMF board’s nod, Talreja said, would also send a signal to the international and local investors regarding the continuation of the reform agenda by Pakistan’s government.
