ISLAMABAD, AUG 10 /DNA/ – In a landmark development for Pakistan’s agri-lending sector, HBL Microfinance Bank (HBL MfB) and the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to introduce satellite-based agricultural analytics into the lending ecosystem.

This is the first-ever partnership between a bank and SUPARCO for such a cutting-edge solution. The collaboration marks a significant milestone in leveraging space technology for climate-smart agriculture financing.

Under this initiative, the two organisations will jointly execute a pilot project in Okara District, one of Punjab’s key agricultural zones. The pilot will involve remote pre-loan assessments using high-resolution satellite imagery, crop health analytics, yield estimation, risk profiling, and a scoring engine to assess farm-level creditworthiness. A secure API and dashboard interface will enable HBL MfB to integrate this data into its loan decision-making processes, eliminating the need for manual field verification.

Sharing his thoughts on the occasion, Mr. Amir Khan, President & CEO, HBL MfB, said, “We at HBL Microfinance Bank are excited to be the first microfinance bank in Pakistan to collaborate with SUPARCO for Climate-Smart Agri Financing, under which satellite-powered analytics will be integrated into agricultural lending. As a leading microfinance bank, HBL MfB is well-suited to drive such innovations that benefit both our clients, and the microfinance sector. This partnership aligns with our vision of improving the quality of life of our customers through innovative financial solutions, and we are thankful to SUPARCO for partnering with us. Together, we are sowing the seeds of a smarter, data-backed future for Pakistan’s agriculture sector.”

Mr. Zafar Iqbal, Member (SAR), SUPARCO, remarked, “SUPARCO proudly remains at the forefront of applying satellite technology for national development. This collaboration with HBL Microfinance Bank is a proud moment for us as we bring our Agricultural Geographic Information System into the financial sector for the very first time. We are confident that our analytics and insights will not only strengthen lending processes but also contribute meaningfully to agricultural productivity and rural uplift.”

The next phase of the partnership includes post-loan satellite monitoring, enabling the Bank to track crop activity and raise early alerts in case of anomalies, ushering in a new era of risk management and lending transparency. The partnership is set to redefine how microfinance institutions approach agriculture lending in Pakistan, positioning HBL MfB and SUPARCO as the leaders in the emerging domain of agri-lending enabled by space technology.

ISLAMABAD, AUG 9: PTI leaders Zartaj Gul and Ejaz Chaudhry filed appeals in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday against their convictions by anti-terrorism courts (ATC) in May 9 riots cases.

On May 9, 2023, PTI supporters, protesting party founder Imran Khan’s arrest, staged violent protests throughout the country, following which thousands were arrested.

On July 31 this year, an ATC in Faisalabad sentenced PTI leaders, including Gul, to 10 years of imprisonment for their involvement in the riots. The Election Commission of Pakistan later disqualified her and other PTI lawmakers following their convictions. Chaudhry was convicted in another May 9 case by an ATC in Lahore on July 22 and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Gul filed an appeal against her conviction and sentencing in the LHC today. A division bench of the LHC will hear the case on Monday.

The appeal was filed through Gul’s lawyers, Barrister Ali Zafar and Muhammad Hussain, and pleaded the court to set aside her conviction and acquit her in the case.

It said that Gul was not nominated in the case or “found physically participant in the occurrence”. It added that no justification was provided by the prosecution for her being included through the supplementary statement, which it claimed cast doubt on the authenticity of the occurrence which had not been considered at the trial stage.

It stated that the ATC passed the “impugned judgment … in a hasty and slipshod manner”, based on three witnesses who had admitted in cross-examination that they had not nominated her but she was nevertheless convicted on their statements with a hefty punishment.

“The prosecution has failed to make out a case for such a punishment,” the petition argued, adding that the witnesses themselves had many times misstated and “cheated” the trial court with additions and deletions in their statements making their testimonies unreliable, but ultimately all exonerated the appellant.

“The other ATC court at Sargodha has disbelieved the same prosecution witnesses … but this is ignored in making (the) impugned decision,” it said.

It also stated that no evidence for conspiracy had been brought forward on the case file, challenging her punishment under section 120-B of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The petition pleaded that as “the prosecution also failed to establish the involvement of the appellant in the occurrence and instigation/abetment beyond the shadow of doubt, then there were no reasons to award punishment to the innocent appellant.”

It stated that the judgment was against “facts and law and resulted in (a) misreading of justice” and that, being passed hastily, material parts of evidence were not considered “despite the facts that the prosecution failed to adduce unimpeachable evidence and there was (every) chance of false implication”.

In particular, it cited the lack of material evidence to establish the intention to abet, instigate and conspire to facilitate the other accused parties. According to the petition, the investigation was “biased” and “flawed” but this was ignored by the court. It further criticised that more weight was given to witness statements than evidence by the court, failing to “properly appreciate” the prosecution’s evidence.

It added that 77 co-accused had been acquitted based on the same evidence, while Gul was convicted without valid reasoning.

The petition called for the judgment to be set aside as the case had not been proven “beyond the shadow of a doubt” due to a lack of unimpeachable evidence, adding that the evidence contained contradictions. It called the judgment of the court “arbitrary, capricious, indiscrete, non-speaking and without lawful authority based on no evidence”.

The petition noted that Gul was seeking leave from the court to advance further grounds at the time of argument.

Meanwhile, Chaudhry filed two petitions in the LHC through Advocate Mian Ali Ashfaq.

Chaudhry pleaded the court to suspend his sentence and conviction, along with ordering his release on bail.

He further requested the court in the second petition to set aside his conviction and acquit him in the case in the “interest of justice”.

ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday dismissed recent remarks by the Indian Air Force (IAF) chief claiming the destruction of Pakistani jets during Operation Sindoor, calling them “implausible” and “ill-timed.”

His remarks came hours after IAF Air Chief Marshal AP Singh alleged that India shot down five Pakistani fighter jets and one other military aircraft during clashes in May — the first such statement by the country months after its worst military conflict in decades with its neighbour.

According to the Indian air chief, most of the Pakistani aircraft were downed by India’s Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile system. He cited electronic tracking data as confirmation of the strikes.

“We have at least five fighters confirmed killed, and one large aircraft,” he said, adding that the large aircraft, which could be a surveillance plane, was shot down at a distance of 300 km.

“This is actually the largest ever recorded surface-to-air kill,” he said, prompting applause from the crowd that included serving air force officers, veterans, and government and industry officials.

Islamabad, whose air force primarily operates Chinese-made jets and US F-16s, has previously denied that India downed any Pakistani aircraft during the May 7-10 fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

Pakistan has said that it shot down six Indian aircraft during the clashes, including a French-made Rafale fighter. India has acknowledged some losses but denied losing six aircraft.

France’s air chief, General Jerome Bellanger, has previously said that he has seen evidence of the loss of three Indian fighters, including a Rafale. Indian Air Force has not commented on the claims.

Taking to X today, the defence minister said it was “ironic” that senior Indian military officers were being used as the “faces of monumental failure” caused by the “strategic shortsightedness” of Indian politicians.

He noted that for three months after the operation, no such claims had been made, while Pakistan had immediately presented detailed technical briefings to the international media.

According to him, independent observers had recorded widespread acknowledgement of the loss of multiple Indian aircraft, including Rafales, from sources ranging from world leaders and senior Indian politicians to foreign intelligence assessments. “Not a single Pakistani aircraft was hit or destroyed by India,” he stated.

Asif said Pakistan had destroyed six Indian jets, S-400 air defence batteries and unmanned aircraft, while swiftly putting several Indian airbases out of action. He added that the Indian armed forces had suffered disproportionately heavier losses along the Line of Control.

“If the truth is in question, let both sides open their aircraft inventories to independent verification — though we suspect this would lay bare the reality India seeks to obscure,” he said.

He cautioned that “wars are not won by falsehoods” but by “moral authority, national resolve and professional competence,” warning that such “comical narratives” for “domestic political expediency” risked grave strategic miscalculations in a nuclearised environment.

Asif reaffirmed that, as demonstrated during Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, “every violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity will invite swift, surefire and proportionate response,” and responsibility for escalation would rest entirely with “strategically blind leaders who gamble with South Asia’s peace for fleeting political gains.”

— With additional input from Reuters.

ISLAMABAD, AUG 9 /DNA/ – Chairman CDA and Chief Commissioner Islamabad Muhammad Ali Randhawa chaired an important meeting at the CDA headquarters in which various decisions were made to further accelerate and ensure the timely completion of CDA’s development projects. Additionally, plans were approved to improve and enhance CDA’s Fire, Rescue, Emergency and Disaster Services as well as to construct sports complexes at various locations in Islamabad after due process of law.

The meeting was attended by CDA Member Admin and Estate Talat Mahmood, Member Finance Tahir Naeem, Member Planning Dr. Khalid Hafiz, Member Engineering Syed Nafasat Raza, DG Building and Housing Control Faisal Naeem, DG Works Faisal Gadi, DG Planning Dr. Zafar Iqbal, DG Resources Shakeel Ahmed, Chief Officer MCI Ms Bushra Rao, DG Fire and Rescue Dr. Abdul Rehman along with other senior officers.

The meeting reviewed the progress of various CDA projects, including the Shaheen Chowk Underpass, Kashmir Chowk,
T-Chowk Underpass, expansion of Faizabad Interchange, upgradation of the Pak Secretariat, installation of streetlights in Islamabad, conversion of the CDA Model Nursery into a Garden Hub, allocation of land for 25 cricket grounds and 25 football grounds, improvement of the solid waste management system, construction of the Islamabad Model Jail, enhancing emergency and disaster management, operationalizing the Gandhara Citizen Center, establishing more police stations in Islamabad, upgrading the Police Academy and Hospital, and constructing sports complexes. Directions were given to ensure all development projects are completed on time while reducing construction costs in order to maximize the number of completed projects will be completed in future.

Chairman CDA Muhammad Ali Randhawa said that the development, beautification and provision of better facilities for citizens are among CDA’s top priorities. He mentioned that not only are major roads across the city being upgraded, but underpass construction at various locations will soon begin to permanently resolve traffic issues. Additionally, CDA is taking active measures to upgrade all parks in Islamabad with improved lighting and to enhance sports facilities, including the restoration of football and cricket grounds, establishment of pedal courts, and upgrading pedestrian bridges.

Chairman CDA directed that modern and aesthetically pleasing lights be installed along all major highways in Islamabad.

The meeting decided that the upgradation of all highways in Islamabad, installation of new lights, landscaping, horticultural work and other development activities should commence as soon as possible with no negligence tolerated in this regard.

Directions were also given to swiftly complete all development work to convert the CDA Model Nursery into a Garden Hub, ensuring the availability of diverse plants and flowers.

Chairman CDA instructed that Emergency and Disaster Management be equipped with modern tools and trained personnel, coordinated with NDMA and that Emergency and Rescue Operation Centers be established at various locations without delay. He also directed the setup of fire posts in the National Park to prevent and quickly control wildfires.

Chairman CDA emphasized transparency and quality in all development projects, stating that third-party audits will be conducted to ensure no compromise on standards. He affirmed that all resources will be utilized to transform Islamabad into a modern, beautiful and model Capital City.