[Current Affairs] July 20, 2020 Top Pakistan Current Affairs for CSS,PMS Prep

1/ When you’re not made in Pakistan

What’s going on? The ruling govt publicized information about the nationality and assets of PM Khan’s special assistants and advisors (i.e. non-elected cabinet members).

The details: According to the cabinet division’s notification, out of 19 non-elected cabinet members, four special assistants to the prime minister (SAPMs) have dual nationalities, while others are permanent residents of Canada or the US:

Dual nationality 

• SAPM on Petroleum, Nadeem Babar (US/Pak national)
• SAPM on Overseas Pakistanis, Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari (UK/Pak national)
• SAPM on Power Division Shahzad Qasim (US/Pak national)
• SAPM on Digital Pakistan, Tania S. Aidrus (Canada/Pak national, Singapore permanent resident)

Permanent residency

• SAPM on Political Affairs Shahbaz Gill (US permanent resident)
• SAPM on National Security, Moeed Yusuf (US permanent resident)
• SAPM on Parliamentary Coordination, Nadeem Afzal Gondal (Canada permanent resident)

Looking ahead: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator, Sherry Rahman asked why members of parliament can’t be dual nationals if it’s acceptable for advisors and aides who are actually in the federal cabinet. PPP Information Secretary, Nafisa Shah, asked how dual nationals in the federal cabinet can be sincere with Pakistan after pledging their allegiance to another country. A Sindh govt spokesperson called dual nationals in the federal cabinet “a security risk.”

The bottom line: PM Khan has a history of opposing dual nationality for members of parliament. Now, opposition members are wondering what happened to his “made in Pakistan” stance.

2/ The largest borrower: The Debt Services Suspension Initiative (DSSI) is calling on official bilateral creditors from G20 countries to temporarily suspend debt-servicing for low-income countries that need to concentrate their resources on fighting COVID-19. The World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) backed the DSSI, which applies to all countries eligible for International Development Association (IDA) support, and countries on the UN’s list of least developed countries. DSSI terms apply to Pakistan since it’s an IDA country. According to the third edition of the World Bank’s 2020 Debt Report, Pakistan is the largest borrower in a group of 15 DSSI-eligible countries, with an external debt stock of $73 billion at the end of 2018.

3/ Probe into US blogger’s visa: US blogger Cynthia D. Ritchie said she is living in Pakistan on an extended visa while working on film projects with the military’s media wing and KP govt. PPP activist Chaudhry Iftikhar Ahmed filed a petition against her long stay, since her visa expired on March 2, 2020. According to Ahmed, Ritchie received a visa on March 18, 2019 without completing legal formalities. In response, the Interior Ministry said Ritchie submitted a visa application before the expiry date, but immigration officials weren’t processing extensions at the time due to the COVID-19 situation. The Interior Ministry clarified that all foreigners were granted a temporary extension, which is why Ritchie’s visa is still valid. She is waiting for a formal extension of her business visa.

• Backstory: If you’re wondering why PPP has beef with Ritchie, check out her accusations about former PPP Chairperson and PM, Benazir Bhutto. In a live Facebook video that Ritchie posted six weeks ago, she claimed that PPP senior leader, Rehman Malik, raped her when he was Interior Minister in 2011. She also alleged that former PPP PM Yousuf Raza Gilani, and former PPP Health Minister, Makhdoom Shahabuddin, physically manhandled her.