Epaper – January 7 KHI 2022

Friday, 7 January, 2022 i 3 Jamadi-al-Sani, 1443 i rs 15.00 i vol Xii No 190 i 12 Pages i Karachi edition

OmicrOn rages as 1085 new infectiOns recOrded in a single day g

POSITIvITy rATIO jUMPS TO 2.32PC

ISLAMABAD MiaN abrar

a

S the spread of Covid-19 Omicron variant picked up pace in Pakistan, so did the number of everyday cases as the country recorded nearly 1,100 infections during the last 24 hours.

However, Pakistan government has no intentions of imposing a coronavirus lockdown for now. National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) chief Asad Umar Thursday said that despite the country recording a rapid surge in infections over the last two weeks.

“For now, we are closely monitoring the numbers from Pakistan and across the globe; we are emphasising on vaccinations,” the federal minister for planning, development, and special initiatives told Geo News.

He highlighted that instead of lockdowns, the government is focusing on ramping up vaccinations and strict implementation of the bans placed earlier on certain activities if one is not vaccinated.

1085 new infections, five deaths in past 24 hours

According to the statistics released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Thursday morning, there were 1,085 new infections and five deaths in the country during the last 24 hours.

The latest figures released by the NCOC suggested that after the addition of five new deaths, the overall toll has now surged to 28,955 whereas the number of total infections now stood at 1,299,848 after adding the fresh 1,085 cases.

President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday said that he has tested positive for Covid-19 a second time. “I have tested positive for Covid-19 again. Had a sore throat since four to five days and was getting better. Felt mildly feverish for a few hours two nights ago. No other symptoms,” he said on Twitter. President Alvi, in his tweet, also urged the people to take precautionary measures and follow the Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs). “Friends, please resume precautions and follow SOPs,” he said. The president had earlier tested positive for Covid-19 in March 2021. At the time, he had said that he had only received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

First Lady Samina Alvi had later shared that the president had “mild symptoms” but was in “good spirits”. Earlier in the day, National Command and Operation Centre chief Asad Umar said the option of imposing a lockdown is not being considered presently, adding that the immediate focus is on scaling up the pace of vaccinations. News Desk

Pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

1,299,848

LAST UPDATED AT 9:08 AM ON JANUARY 6, 2022

NEW CASES:

5

1,085

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

1,257,847 28,955 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

484,226

446,300

KPK:

BALOCHISTAN:

181,573

33,654

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

34,682/10,429

CONTINUED ON BACK PAGE

President Alvi tests positive for Covid-19 again

cOrOnavirus in

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

During the last 24 hours (Wednesday), 46,585 tests were conducted throughout Pakistan whereas the positivity ratio stood at 2.32 percent. The number of patients in critical care was 636.

During the last 24 hours (Wednesday), as many as 247 patients have recovered from the virus whereas the total recoveries stood at 1,257,847. As of Thursday, the total count of active cases in the country was recorded at 13,046.

As many as 484,226 coronavirus cases have so far been confirmed in Sindh, 446,300 in Punjab, 181,573 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 108,984 in Islamabad, 33,654 in Balochistan, 34,682 in Azad Kashmir and 10,429 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Moreover, 13,076 individuals have lost their lives to the pandemic in Punjab so far, 7,676 in Sindh, 5,938 in KP, 967 in Islamabad, 746 in Azad Kashmir, 366 in Balochistan and 186 in Gilgit Baltistan.

SiNdh ProviNce reMaiNS uNder the SPotlight: Sindh Province is the focus as 268 fresh cases of local transmission of omicron variant of Covid-19 have been detected so far.

Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah Thursday confirmed the fact, saying that most of them were coming through the local transmission of the virus.

Sharing details of the COvID-19 situation in the province, the CM Sindh said that so far 268 cases of Omicron have been confirmed while 95 cases have been reported from December 28 to january 02.

108,984

JcP recommends appointment of Justice ayesha as Sc judge The judicial Commission of Pakistan (jCP) on Thursday recommended the appointment of Lahore High Court (LHC) judge justice Ayesha A. Malik as a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Chief justice of Pakistan (CjP) justice Gulzar Ahmed chaired the meeting of the jCP. During the meeting, the CjP’s recommendation for appointment of justice Ayesha A. Malik as a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan was dispatched to the parliamentary committee.

This is the second time that the jCP held a meeting to decide on justice Malik’s elevation. A lack of consensus during an extended meeting of the jCP on September 9 last year had forced the commission to reject her elevation.

During that meeting, four members of the eight-member jCP had opposed the proposal to elevate justice Malik while an equal number had supported it. justice Ayesha A. Malik was born in 1966 and received her

Maryam Nawaz affirms veracity of recent leaked tape, seeks apology for ‘phone-taping’ LAHORE staff report

PML-N vice President Maryam Nawaz Thursday admitted the veracity of the recent leaked audio-tape but demanded an apology for her phone being ‘tapped’.

This prompted Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry to respond that Maryam should have tendered apology to the nation and the media for her leaked audio.

Addressing a presser, Maryam while responding to a question pertaining to the leaked audio tape in which she and party leader Pervez rashid used inappropriate language for certain journalists and anchors, demanded an apology for her phone being tapped.

“It was my personal and private conversation with Pervez rasheed sahab. Who had the right to tap my personal conversation,” she argued without identifying whom she was referring to. She further argued why the audio clip was given to a certain television channel and why it was aired.

early education in Paris, New york and Karachi.

She did her B.Com from Karachi and obtained her LLB degree from Lahore before completing her LLM from Harvard Law School, USA. The 55-year-old sworn in as a judge of Lahore High Court on March 27, 2012.

It is pertinent to mention here that justice Ayesha A. Malik will replace justice Mushir Alam, who had retired on August 17 last year, and remain the judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan till March 2031. She is fourth on the seniority list in the Lahore High Court.

Parliamentary Secretary for Law and justice Maleeka Bokhari called the development an important and defining moment in the country’s history.

“Congratulations to Pakistan and Hon’ble justice Ayesha Malik.

An Important and defining moment in our country as a brilliant lawyer and decorated judge has become Pakistan’s first female SC judge,” she wrote in a tweet. News Desk

more inside

china to deliver 50,000 tonnes urea on February 10 STORY ON PAGE 02

Finance committee rejects proposals to increase sales tax on various items “I want an answer to why did you record the conversation of a citizen of Pakistan, a woman,” she remarked, alleging that the clip was given to “government ministers, who gave it to a channel”.

The PML-N leader said she was not answerable to anyone regarding her personal conversations, be it with rashid or anyone else.

When a reporter referred to another leaked audiotape — purportedly of a conversation between former chief justice of Pakistan (CjP) Mian Saqib Nisar and an unidentified man regarding PML-N supremo Nawaz

Sharif and Maryam’s trial — and asked whether recording that conversation was fair, she replied: “I did not record it.”

“Nature works in its own ways and things surface,” she said, adding the that the former judge’s alleged audio clip could not be compared with “my tapes”. Maryam elaborated that the tapes attributed to her contained her personal conversations, devoid of any conspiracies.

“I did not do anything,” she again clarified. “It all came from there,” she said without elaborating what she meant by it.

CONTINUED ON BACK PAGE

STORY ON PAGE 03

turkey, Pakistan to optimize militaryto-military ties STORY ON BACK PAGE

NA session summoned on jan 10 to give nod to mini-budget STORY ON BACK PAGE

02

Friday, 7 January, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS

ChiNa to dElivEr 50,000 toNNES urEa oN FEbruarY 10

i

nEwS DESK

NFORMATION Minister Fawad Chaudhry Thursday said that the first cargo ship carrying urea will reach Pakistan on February 10 from China whereas the government would import a total of 150,000 metric tons from the neighbouring country.

Taking to his official Twitter handle, Chaudhry said, “The first cargo ship carrying 50,000 tonnes of

Exports of services rise by 22.94pc in 5MFY22 iSLAMABAD APP

The exports of services from the country witnessed an increase of 22.94 per cent, clocking in at $2720.94 million during the first five months of current financial year (5MFY22) as compared to the export of services that totaled $2213.16 million in the corresponding period of last year, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported. However, during the JulyNovember period, the import of services rose by 34.27pc by growing to $4044.42 million from $3012.18 million in the corresponding period of FY21. On year-on-year (YoY) basis, the exports of services during the month of November 2021 grew by 15.41pc to $582.93 million against the exports of $505.12 million during November 2020. Similarly, imports also grew by 50.19pc from $554.03 million in November 2020 to $832.09 million in November 2021, the data revealed. On monthon-month (MoM) basis, the exports of services increased by 6.40pc when compared to the exports of $547.88 million in October 2021.

On the other hand, imports of the same decreased by 3.48pc when compared to the imports of $862.09 million in October 2021, the data revealed.

fertiliser will reach the port by February 10 while 600,000 tonnes of local fertiliser will also be available in the market from January.”

He added that despite a hike in prices of urea in the international market, farmers will not face a shortage of it in the country.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet approved import of 50,000 tonnes of urea from China on an immediate basis subject to clearance from the Pakistan

Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA).

The Fertiliser Manufacturers of Pakistan Advisory Council (FMPAC) had suggested to the government to import 100,000 tonnes of urea to build the buffer stock.

On December 24, Federal Minister for Industries and Production Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar while chairing a fertiliser review meeting had asked the fertiliser industry to increase urea supplies by 30 per cent countrywide

to ease down the market, besides directing the Petroleum Division to assure gas supply to urea plants according to revised supply priority orders. The minister, while stating that up to 20,000 metric tonne (MT) production of urea on a daily basis was reported on an average, had advised farmers to not engage in panic buying and register complaints of overcharging and hoarding in their locality.

On December 31, the Senate Standing Committee on National

Food Security and Research had noted that the gas supply disruption to fertiliser plants during the JuneSeptember period had caused a shortage of 200,000 tonnes of urea.

The parliamentary committee had observed that supplies had been affected as urea plants were nonoperational between June 28 and Sept 16 despite ECC orders to keep plants operational from March to November, lamenting that the situation would result in hoarding, an artificial shortage and price hikes.

Forex reserves fall $169m to wind up at $17.69bn MOnitORing REpORt Foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) decreased $169 million on a weekly basis, clocking in at $17.69 billion, according to data released by the central bank on Thursday.

It may be mentioned that forex reserves held by the SBP last week had decreased by $298 million due to external debt repayment.

Total liquid foreign reserves held by the country stood at $24.02 billion on December 31, 2021, while net foreign reserves held by commercial banks stood at $6.33 billion, stated the SBP. Earlier on Wednesday, the central bank, in a bid to stabilise the inflow of foreign exchange, directed exporters to bring proceeds within 120 days from the date of shipment as opposed to bringing back export proceeds within a period of 180 days.

“With an objective to improve the timely inflow of foreign exchange from exports proceeds in the market,

SBP has amended foreign exchange regulations requiring exporters to bring export proceeds within a maximum period of 120 days from date of shipment,” a statement by

the bank said. “The new measure is expected to positively impact foreign exchange inflows in the market,” the statement added.

Trade deficit widens 106pc in July-Dec MOnitORing REpORt Pakistan’s trade deficit year-on-year widened by a sharp 106.4 per cent to $25.478 billion which was driven largely by a nearly triple increase in imports compared to exports, showed data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday.

According to a report compiled by Dawn, merchandise trade deficit swelled by 85.38pc year-onyear to $4.857bn in December.

The trade deficit had reached an all-time high of $37.7bn in FY18. However, the government’s measures led to a drop in it to $31.8bn in FY19 and $23.183bn in FY20. The trend reversed and the trade deficit stood at $30.796bn in FY21. The trade deficit is expected to reach an all-time high by the end of June 2022.

The import bill in July-December 2021 rose by 65.94pc to $40.580bn against $24.454bn over the corresponding months last year. In December 2021, the import bill edged up to $7.597bn from $4.986bn over the

same month last year, reflecting an increase of 52.37pc.

In FY21, the import bill surged by 25.8pc to $56.091bn from $44.574bn the previous year.

Exports posted year-on-year growth of 24.71pc to $15.102bn in July-December 2021. In December 2021, exports saw a growth of 15.8pc to $2.740bn from $2.366bn in the same month last year. On a month-onmonth basis, exports declined by 5.55pc in December.

Export proceeds went up by 18.2pc to $25.294bn in FY21 from $21.394bn over the last year.

Pakistan-Iran-Turkey cargo train reaches Ankara, restarting route after 10 years AnKARA ANAdolu AgeNcy

A ceremony was held at the Turkish capital on Wednesday to mark the arrival of the first Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul (ITI) train carrying goods from Pakistan to Turkiye, via Iran after the resumption of its operations.

The ITI cargo train started its journey from Islamabad on Dec. 21, 2021, and arrived in Ankara in around 13 days. Turkey’s Transport and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoglu, Member of Pakistan National Assembly Makhdoom Zain Hussain Qureshi, and Iranian Ambassador to Turkiye Mohammad Farazmand attended the ceremony.

Departing from the Margalla station in Islamabad, the train took a route of 5,981 kilometers (3,666 miles) in 12 days and 21 hours. The cargo train aims to boost trade between Pakistan, Iran, and Turkiye. It comprises eight loaded wagons, 20 feet each with a capacity of 22 tons.

Karaismailoglu in his speech said the new railway will offer new options to the industrialists and businesspeople on the Pakistan-Iran-Turkiye route.

“It will save time and cost compared to sea transportation between Pakistan and Turkiye, which takes 35 days, and will lead to the development of trade between the two countries,” he said.

“Thus, with the Islamabad-TehranIstanbul train, a new railway corridor will be provided to our exporters in the south of Asia — having the highest population density globally — reaching Pakistan, neighboring India, China, Afghanistan, and Iran. In this way, our country will be one step closer to its goals of becoming a bridge and logistics base between Asia and Europe,” Karaismailoglu

added.

Speaking at the ceremony, Qureshi highlighted that the ITI train would play an important role in enhancing regional connectivity and promotion of economic and commercial activities in the ECO (Economic Cooperation Organization) region. Iran, Pakistan, and Turkiye established the Regional Cooperation for Development organization in 1964 and renamed it ECO in 1985.

Qureshi added that the train would offer Pakistan an opportunity to further increase its exports and strengthen its connectivity with international markets, including in Europe.

“The current government in Pakistan believes in regional connectivity and we feel that to play a role at the national stage we need to be economically reliable. In order to do that, we need to not only have peace in our region but also increase the trade within our neighborhood and this ITI project will become a friendship project.

“We get access to the European markets and Turkey gets access to the central Asian states so it is a mutually beneficial arrangement and I hope it will be sustainable and we can grow from it further,” Qureshi told Anadolu Agency in an interview.

Ambassador Farazmand in his speech said the ITI railway project was first launched in 2009 under the economic cooperation organization but remained suspended due to technical issues and restarted after 10 years.

He emphasized that the three countries also plan to launch a passenger train to the same route in the near future. The first train from Islamabad to Istanbul was inaugurated on Aug. 14, 2009. Since then, eight trains have been dispatched from Pakistan to Turkiye. Turkiye has also dispatched six trains to Pakistan, but the train service was discontinued due to floods in Pakistan in 2009.

Nawaz isn’t ready to be part of any deal, movement: Sanaullah LAHORE INP

PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah has said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is not ready to be a part of any deal or movement or to enter into such discussions. A day earlier, InterServices Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar had categorically rejected the impression that there is “a deal” in the works with PML-N supremo Nawaz.

“I second the DG ISPR’s statement and also believe in it… We are not a part of any dialogue regarding any deal with any institution or the establishment,” Rana Sanaullah said during a press conference in Lahore.

Sanaullah said Nawaz has instructed the party to build a narrative that every institution should operate within the parameters of the Constitution of Pakistan. “Shehbaz Sharif has never been, and neither will he ever be ready to become a part of any deal,” he said.

The veteran politician said once some “obstacles” are removed, Nawaz could become the prime minister for a fourth time. He added that Nawaz has always been the premier for PML-N. He said Nawaz would return to the country anytime as per his wish, adding that the party has advised him to first undergo complete medical treatment before flying back.

Friday, 7 January, 2022 | KARACHI

FiNaNCE CoMMittEE rEjECtS propoSalS to iNCrEaSE SalES tax oN variouS itEMS iSLAMABAD

t

shAhzAd PArAchA

HE Senate Standing Committee on Finance Revenue and Economic Affairs has rejected proposals to impose a 17 per cent sales tax on items including precious jewellery, formula milk, bicycle and contraceptives.

The development came during a meeting of the parliamentary panel held here on Thursday under the chair of Senator Talha Mahmood to finalise recommendations in the Finance (Supplementary) Bill, 2021.

According to details, the current sales on gold and diamond is 1.5pc and 2pc, while 3pc sales tax is charged on

making the gold articles whereas the finance supplementary bill suggests to slap a 17pc sales tax on gold, diamond, articles of finished jewellery or parts of other precious metals used in making precious jewellery.

Meanwhile, the Progressive Jewellery Group (PJG) proposed to impose a 10pc sales tax on making gold articles instead of the 17pc proposed by FBR as both gold and diamonds smuggled into Pakistan. However, the association lamented that Pakistan does not have a gold import policy and tax system. A official of the Commerce Ministry told the committee that there are lacunas in the law and that no one can easily import gold due to tough conditions on foreign exchange.

oil falls from one-month high after uS fuel inventory surge SingApORE

The committee members while expressing skepticism about the association’s claims that 80 tonnes of gold are smuggled into the country annually. “What is the FBR doing to stop this smuggling?” Senator Farooq H Naek asked.

Member Policy FBR informed the committee that 160 tonnes of gold are used annually in Pakistan while the gold market in the country is around Rs2.2 trillion. “Only Rs29 billion of gold market is declared while out of a total of 36,000 goldsmiths, only 54 pay taxes,” he informed. The committee chairman said that he could not comprehend the analogy behind the proposed amendment which will result in encouraging the undocumented business industry.

Transparency, accountability must for inclusive, sustainable growth: Qureshi iSLAMABAD

reuters

APP

Oil prices lost ground on Thursday, falling more than $1 a barrel from their highest levels in more than a month after US fuel stockpiles surged amid declining demand. The global benchmark Brent crude futures fell $1.12, or 1.40%, to $79.68 a barrel, as of 0423 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures lost $1.04, or 1.3%, to $76.81 a barrel. US crude oil stockpiles fell last week while gasoline inventories surged more than 10 million barrels, the biggest weekly build since April 2020, as supplies backed up at refineries due to reduced fuel demand. “Implied product demand – particularly for gasoline – slumped, suggesting that the public were cautious about travel in the wake of surging cases of the Omicron variant,” Caroline Bain, chief commodities economist at Capital Economics said in a note. “These fears are likely to persist for a few weeks yet.” The United States reported nearly 1 million COVID-19 cases on Monday, setting a global record as the spread of the Omicron variant showed no signs of slowing, while heavy snow also disrupted traffic. As well, minutes from a US Federal Reserve meeting that showed policymakers may raise rates more quickly than markets anticipated weighed on riskier assets such as oil. On Wednesday, Brent and WTI futures climbed to their highest since late November as a decision by OPEC+ to increase supplies signalled easing concern of a big surplus in the first quarter. OPEC+, a group that includes members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other producers, agreed on Tuesday to add another 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) of supply in February, as it has done each month since August. “Our reference case now assumes the alliance will fully phase out the remaining 2.96 million bpd of oil production cuts by September 2022,” JP Morgan analysts said in a note. “With signs of demand withstanding the Omicron variant, low stocks and increasing market vulnerability to supply disruptions, we see the need for more OPEC+ barrels,” the bank said. JP Morgan forecast Brent prices to average at $88 a barrel in 2022, up from $70 last year.

The committee noted that the proposed amendment is highly discriminatory as will only affect registered companies.

Similarly, the committee disposed of a petition by the match box industry on the proposed amendment of an exemption of tax on matchboxes with the directive to retain the previous regime of sales tax on the industry with the aim of securing the documented industry and increasing revenue in the interest of the state. The committee also unanimously rejected the proposed 17pc sales tax on formula milk and other products of common good, stating that a tax affecting the growth and health of infants will bring shame to the country at the national level.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday said inclusive and sustainable development was impossible to achieve unless transparency and accountability were ensured.

He was addressing the inaugural session of a twoday international seminar on the theme of “Combating Corruption: A Prerequisite for the full enjoyment of all Human Rights and Sustainable Development”.

The seminar was jointly organised by the government and the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in collaboration with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the UN Development

Programme (UNDP).

Over 200 international and national stakeholders, including government officials, OIC member and observer states, IPHRC commissioners, and representatives of the OIC Secretariat, UN, academia, and civil society are participating in the two-day seminar which will end on Friday. In his key-note address, the foreign minister highlighted the efforts of the government in combating corruption, especially illicit financial flows as well as promotion and protection of all human rights.

He presented an actionable way forward for the OIC group in curbing corruption and realising the human rights agenda including through the creation of an intergovernmental committee, establishment of an OIC protocol and mechanism for mutual legal assistance, reviewing unequal investment treaties, and formation of a global beneficial ownership registry.

Policy Dialogue on increasing role of public, private international law concludes LAHORE Pr

A two day policy dialogue on 'International law: The increasing role of public and private international law in the 21st century', organized by National School of Public Policy (NSPP)'s Executive Development Institute (EDI) was concluded here on Thursday.

Addressing the session, EDI Dean Ahmad NazirWarraich, discussed the regulatory frameworks of public & private international law besides explaining its salient features. He stressed the need to discussing such issues for better negotiating treaties so as to promote Pakistan’s interests. The policy dialogue ended with the panel discussion of former chief justice of Lahore High Court, Justice (Retd) Mamoon Rashid Sheikh and former foreign secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, who delved upon better negotiating skills for bi-lateral and multi-lateral treatises for safeguarding Pakistan's interests. They also talked about capacity building of negotiators of these treaties from government’s side.

During the session, various topics including Border and Water Disputes with Afghanistan by Ambassador of Pakistan posted in Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmad Khan, Kashmir Issue in the back drop of serious violations of

UN resolutions by Ambassador (R) Muhammad NafeesZakria and SaroopIjazz, Water Scarcity and options under Indus Water Treaty by AshfaqMahmood (former federal secretary) and Barrister NudraMajeed, The Legal Framework of WTO, (A panel discussion by Dr.MujtabaParacha, (Ambasador of Pakistan in WTO) and Dr. Muhammad Irfan, (Councellor in WTO), Pakistan’s obligations under Human Rights Treaties jointly by Farah Zia and Dr. Ali Qazalbash, FATF, its global standards and specific guidelines by Khawaja Adnan Zahir, DG, FATF and Arbitration under International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) jointly by SohailLashari and Taimur Malik were discussed.

NAB chief says PM barred him from appearing before PAC StAff REpORt The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) claimed on Thursday that PM Imran Khan has stopped Chairman NAB Javed Iqbal from appearing before all parliamentary committees, including the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

As per the details, the NAB chief did not attend an in-camera session of the PAC which was scheduled to be held today under the chairmanship of MNA Rana Tanveer Hussain.

NAB revealed the reason for Iqbal’s absence by writing a letter to the secretary of the assembly, which stated that PM Imran “in view of the statutory functions

and responsibilities of the Chairman NAB” approved “that the Director General would represent Chairman NAB in his capacity of Principal Accounting Officer, before the Parliamentary Committees, including the PAC, Constitutional and Statutory Bodies”. It further stated that principal accounting officers were also barred from appearing before constitutional bodies and autonomous bodies. As a response, PAC Chairman Rana Tanveer stated that he would write a letter to the Cabinet Division to verify NAB’s letter, while adding that if the rules give the PM the power to choose the DG as a representative in place of the chairman

then the committee will accept the letter.

Tanveer went on to state that the position of the chief justice of the SC was different from that of the NAB chairman, claiming that the latter should be held accountable. “If the government does not hold him accountable, there will be abuse of law. The money spent by the NAB chairman during his tenure will have to be accounted for,” he stated.

According to the PAC chairman, the cabinet secretary should have informed him by telephone and in writing whether the notification has been made in accordance with the law, and not because they are “dear to the prime minister”. He stated that they would have to observe

what the law says, adding that the government should keep in mind that this would have “far-reaching impacts”.

Pakistan Peoples Party Senator Sherry Rehman stated that the NAB chairman had himself last week asked the PAC to hold an in-camera meeting, where he said he would present the recovery figures himself. “This was a sensitive matter and all of us abandoned our work to come to this meeting because our party also highlighted the meeting’s importance,” she said. The senator maintained that the meeting was set according to the NAB chairman’s request, on his chosen date, and was in-camera because he had requested it to be.

NEWS

03

punjab schools to reopen today LAHORE INP

Punjab Education Minister Murad Raas on Thursday said that all schools across the province will reopen from Friday. In a tweet, the minister said: “All schools of Punjab that had winter vacation till January 6th, 2022 will open tomorrow January 7th, 2022. We welcome our students and teachers back to school. Please follow Covid SOPs issued by the government.” The winter break in private as well as public schools in Punjab had started on December 23. The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) had advised all the provinces to push forward the holidays to January so that students could be inoculated in schools. But the educational institutions in Sindh had begun their vacations from December 20 while those in Punjab had started the winter break from December 23.

bitcoin, ether near multi-month lows HOng KOng reuters

Bitcoin fell below $43,000 on Thursday, testing multi-month lows after minutes from the Federal Reserve’s last meeting showed it leaning toward more aggressive policy action, which sapped investor appetite for riskier assets. The world’s largest cryptocurrency was last at $42,700, down 1.7%, having lost 5.2% on Wednesday. A break below last month’s trough of $42,000 would make it the weakest since September. The token hit a record high of $69,000 in November. The fall “correlated with the ‘risk off’ move across most traditional asset classes,” said Matt Dibb, COO of Singapore-based crypto fund distributor, Stack Funds, pointing to the declines in the Nasdaq in particular. Moves in cryptocurrency markets are becoming more aligned with those in traditional markets as the number of institutions trading both crypto and other assets grows. The Nasdaq plunged more than 3% overnight in its biggest oneday percentage drop since February, after Fed minutes showed US policymakers had discussed reducing the bank’s balance sheet at their December meeting, when they also decided to accelerate finishing their bond buying programme.

Share markets in Asia sold off on Thursday as well, while US Treasury yields edged higher.

Ether, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency which underpins the ethereum network, lost 5.2% on Wednesday, and touched its lowest level since October, before bouncing back slightly to $3,460.

Crypto analysts were also watching to see whether anti-government protests in Kazakhstan, which were initially sparked by rising fuel prices, would affect the bitcoin network. The central Asian nation was the world’s second-largest centre for bitcoin mining, Britain’s Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance said last year. The Kazakh government late last year began cracking down on some miners, fearing the energy-intensive process was using too much power.

Friday, 7 January, 2022 | KARACHI

04 NEWS

Diplomat Discusses uN maNDate oN Kashmir Dispute ISTANBU

I

anadolu agency

NDIA is “using force and trickery” to block the implementation of UN resolutions to hold a plebiscite in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir region, said Pakistan’s diplomat posted in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul. “Owing to Indian intransigence, the UN Security Council (UNSC) has failed to fulfill its pledge to the Kashmiri people,” said Bilal Khan Pasha, the consul general of Pakistan in Istanbul.

Pasha was speaking to Anadolu Agency about UN resolutions that grant the right of self-determination to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to decide the region’s political fate. “The importance of the inalienable right to self-determination has been acknowledged in various human rights covenants and decisions of the UN General Assembly and the Security Council,” said the Pakistani diplomat. It was on January 5, 1949 that the UN committed to upholding the fundamental human rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

“On this day in 1949, the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) pledged the realization of Kashmiris’ right to self-determination through a free and impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the UN,” Pasha said. “This day reminds the international community, especially the UN Security Council, of the imperative of honoring this commitment towards the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”

Today is the 73rd anniversary of the resolution, which remains unfulfilled, Pasha stated. It was India which first took the Jammu and Kashmir dispute to the UNSC on January 1, 1948.

“The Security Council resolutions recognized that the final disposition of the state of Jammu and Kashmir will be made in accordance with the will of the people expressed through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under the auspices of the UN,” Pasha said, referring to eight UNSC resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.

He said both Pakistan and India accepted “this prescription, but India later went back on its pledge and since then has used all manner of trickery and force to avoid holding the plebiscite.”

Pakistan to ‘fulfil its obligations’ as Party to disPute: Pasha said that Pakistan, as a party to the dispute, “will fulfil its obligations.”He added, however, that it would take both Pakistan and India to fully implement the UN Security Council resolutions and the mechanisms contained therein.

“It is India which is responsible for blocking and delaying the implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions,” he said.

“In defense of its continued illegal military occupation in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, some Indian officials have often argued that it had accepted the option of holding a plebiscite (as well as demilitarization) in Jammu and Kashmir on the condition that Pakistan would first remove all its forces from Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The argument is disingenuous and a complete distortion of facts. The essence of the earlier commission resolutions (of August 13, 1948) was that the obligations of the withdrawal of forces by the two sides were reciprocal and concurrent.”

Pasha said: “Further proof of India’s refusal to demilitarize is to be found in the report of (UN Representative for India and Pakistan) Sir Owen Dixon to the Security Council, contained in Document S-1971.”

Dixson, said Pasha, “concluded as follows: ‘In the end, I became convinced that India’s agreement would never be obtained to demilitarization in any form, or to provisions governing the period of the plebiscite of any such character, as would in my opinion permit the plebiscite being conducted in conditions sufficiently guarding against intimidation and other forms of influence by which the freedom and fairness of the plebiscite might be imperiled.’”

He, however, asserted that Pakistan, both the government and its people, stand “steadfast in their adherence to the UN Security Council resolutions and in our strong political, moral and diplomatic support to the right of the Kashmiri people to self-determination.”

“The UN Security Council and the UN secretary general are legally and morally obliged to secure implementation of the binding UN resolutions and agreements on Jammu and Kashmir to which they are a party,” he added. Pasha said Islamabad continues to remind the UNSC of this responsibility besides “utilizing other fora such as the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation)

as well to highlight the urgency of implementing the outstanding UNSC resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir.”

“As a result of these efforts,” he added, the UNSC has discussed the situation of Jammu and Kashmir three times since August 2019.

“The UN secretary general reaffirmed the validity of these UNSC resolutions in August 2019.”

Regarding the Simla Agreement signed between Pakistan and India in 1972, Pasha said the bilateral pact “reaffirms the primacy of the Charter of the UN and prevents both countries from altering the situation unilaterally. “India cannot take advantage of its own default by claiming that the resolutions have become inoperable. It is bad jurisprudence … to construe a resolution as invalid simply because the state to which it was directed could for decades successfully defy the will of the Security Council,” he argued.

“UNSC resolutions are immutable. They can be invalidated only by fulfilment of the obligation, consent of the parties, or a subsequent resolution or decision of the Security Council. None of this has happened with respect to Jammu and Kashmir.”

Pasha said obligations arising from the UN Security Council resolutions on the Kashmir dispute “cannot be unilaterally annulled or renounced by India citing its constitution and internal laws.

“India’s attempts to unilaterally and illegally alter the status of the disputed territory in contravention of international law are not new and have been rejected unequivocally by the UN Security Council in the past as well,” he said.

For instance, said Pasha, “UNSC Resolutions 91 and 122 adopted in 1951 and 1957 respectively pronounced on the illegality of India convening a (Jammu and Kashmir) constituent assembly and its fraudulent decisions.

“Similarly, India’s illegal and unilateral actions on August 5, 2019, to strip Jammu and Kashmir of its autonomy are also in violation of these UNSC resolutions,” he added. “India has tried to justify its illegal and unilateral actions of Aug. 5, 2019 as purely a ‘domestic issue.’

This is in the tradition of all occupying and colonizing powers, since they have nothing else to say to justify their illegal and immoral actions.”

The Security Council resolutions, Pasha said, “clearly treat Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed terri-

tory.” The UNSC has discussed the situation of Jammu and Kashmir three times since August 2019, “which further negates the false Indian assertions that it is an internal matter of India,” he added.

Besides, he said the OIC has maintained its “strong and consistent support” on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi “sent around 25 direct communications since Aug. 1, 2019 to the P-5 leadership, UNSC president, UNSG, OHCHR and the EU. This includes eight communications sent in 2021.

“India’s occupation forces have committed massive human rights violations, widely known to the international community. These violations have been documented by international media as well as in two reports of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in 2018 and 2019,” he said, adding Islamabad “will continue to highlight and seek a halt to such blatant human rights violations.”

Referring to what he called a “comprehensive dossier” released by Pakistan last year on human rights violations in “Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIoJK),” Pasha said it includes the “accounts of 3,432 cases of war crimes identifying the units and personnel of the Indian occupied forces, which have committed these crimes.

“The documented crimes include torture in custody, collective punishment, violence against women and children, enforced disappearances and killings, and the use of pellet guns and cluster munitions. The perpetrators of these crimes enjoy state patronage and are shielded by a sham system of justice,” he added.

Regretting the “worsening situation in IIoJK,” he said India has jailed almost the entire Kashmiri leadership. According to All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), an alliance of 26 political, social and religious organizations formed in 1993 that has led political resistance to Indian rule in 2021, over 350 people, including civilians, militants and Indian forces personnel, were killed in Indian-administered Kashmir, while 1,600 Kashmiris were arrested.

“410 people were booked under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), and 178 others under the Public Safety Act (PSA),” the APHC said in its annual report.

The Legal Forum for Kashmir, a global Kashmir advocacy group, in its 2021 human rights data showed that over the past two years “Indian forces buried 388 freedom fighters (militants) in unmarked graves in remote areas and denied their families the right to participate in their burial rites.”

“The world was witness to the highly reprehensible and callous manner in which the Indian occupation acted following the death of iconic Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Geelani in Indian custody,” Pasha said, referring to death

PIA preparing to restart Europe operations, minister says ISLAMABAD ReuteRS

Europe operations of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), suspended in 2020 over rumoured safety concerns, are expected to restart in February or March, the aviation minister said on Thursday.

“We are expecting PIA’s Europe operations will resume in February or March, the airline has made plans for the European operations,” Ghulam Sarwar Khan told reporters in Islamabad. The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) grounded 262 airline pilots in June 2020 after they were suspected of cheating on mandatory licence tests — a scandal that tainted the nation’s aviation industry and the PIA, which European

and United States aviation regulators barred from their territories.

More than one-and-a-half years later, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) on Wednesday gave the PCAA the all-clear in terms of resolving significant safety concerns.

“It has withdrawn its objection on significant safety concerns,” PCAA spokesman Saifullah Khan said, referring to the ICAO. The airline issued a statement citing Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Arshad Malik as welcoming the ICAO conclusion as a positive development for aviation in Pakistan, which would pave the way for the resumption of PIA flights to the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe.

SC dismisses contempt of court case against NAB officials after submission of unconditional apology NEwS DESk The Supreme Court (SC) dismissed a contempt of court case against officials of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after submission of an unconditional written apology on Thursday.

It is pertinent to note that in last August, the NAB officials arrested Saif-ur-Rehman, owner of a private company involved in the Madaraba scandal, from the SC’s premises.

The accused had come to the SC seeking pre-arrest bail. However, the NAB officials apprehended him when he reached the top court’s parking area. A three-judge SC bench, headed by then acting chief justice Umar Ata Bandial, heard the case and gave directive to take disciplinary action against the officials involved in the incident. During today’s proceedings, Justice Bandial said that action was initiated against the officers for contempt of court. The NAB officials sought unconditional apology for the

arrest of the accused from the court’s premises. The NAB counsel pleaded that the officials apologised unconditionally, assuring the court that such an incident will not happen in future.

It is pertinent to note that in earlier proceedings, the bench also sought a written reply from the NAB officers on arresting Saif-ur-Rehman from court premises.

“Who will come to the court when people are arrested at its doorstep?” Justice Bandial noted. He added that respecting the court was also necessary to ensure the rule of law. “The court’s doors are open for all whether they are guilty or not,” he remarked.

NAB Prosecutor General Asghar Haider told the court that the NAB Rawalpindi DG and NAB HR DG were present in the court and had also submitted a report on recruitment and training of employees.

Justice Bandial noted that every court should be respected. “What is the procedure for arresting the accused?” he observed.

Ombudsman orders inquiry against civil servant LAHORE Staff RepoRt

On the orders of Punjab Ombudsman retired Maj Azam Suleman Khan, legal relief of over Rs8.5 million was provided to plaintiffs from Bahawalnagar, Nankana Sahib, Bhakkar, Lahore, Gujrat, Sheikhupura, and Multan districts.

While giving details, a spokesman of the agency said the office moderated to refund 10 call deposit receipts of Rs3.4 million to one Muhammad Tayyab Azeem Tariq from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Lahore. In another development, Multan’s Woman University reimbursed leave encashment amount worth over Rs1.5 million to one Tasneem Javed.

The spokesman delineated that one Bibi Khadija of Bahawalnagar also succeeded in receiving her family pension after a gap of six years, thanks to the mediation of the ombudsman office. A

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relief of Rs1.1 million has been provided to Khadija, the spokesman said, noting that another plaintiff Anwar Bibi from Multan was also given financial relief valuing Rs0.9 million along with the start of family pension.

The spokesman mentioned that due to the action initiated on an application of Zohraan Bibi, the five-year service of Munawar Hussain, a Union Council secretary in Nankana Sahib, has been forfeited along with the cancellation of two death certificates.

Meanwhile, the involvement of the ombudsman office resulted in the issuance of show-cause notice to accused Dr Muhammad Anwar of DHQ Hospital, Bahawalnagar for initiation of regular inquiry under the Punjab Employees Efficiency Discipline Accountability Act (PEEDA), 2006.

This notice has been issued in light of the initial inquiry for showing negligence in a medico-legal case.

two terrorists killed in south Waziristan iBos: ispr NEwS DESk Security forces carried out an intelligence-based operation, and killed two terrorists in Tank, Dera Ismail Khan and village Kot Kili, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) revealed on Wednesday.

The security forces conducted the operation in South Waziristan on the reported presence of terrorists, the military’s media wing stated. The security forces recovered weapons and a huge cache of ammunition from the terrorists’ hideout, including improvised explosive devices and rockets, the ISPR added. During the exchange of fire, two terrorists got killed, three terrorists were apprehended, and one terrorist surrendered to the security forces. During an intense firefight, Sepoy Faridullah, 31, (resident of Karak) and Sepoy Shuaib Hassan, 29, (resident of Dera Ismail Khan) fought bravely inflicting casualties upon terrorists and embraced martyrdom.

pm says pti is building highways at lower cost as compared to pml-N NEwS DESk Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday stated that PTI is constructing national highways at a lower cost when compared to the previous government. The PM went on to laud Ministry of Communication and National Highway Authority (NHA) for “saving public money through transparency and digitisation”, The PM took to his Twitter to share a screenshot of statistics showing that four-lane highways have been built at comparatively reduced cost (138%) than those built by the previous government (PML-N). The PM further said that all this was done “despite global price hikes and inflation”. He went on to add that during the PTI tenure, the country has seen a substantial increase in revenue (125%) while Rs5.18 billion worth of land has been “freed from encroachments”.

Friday, 7 January, 2022 | KARACHI

NOMAd GAllERy, BESTwAy CEMENT jOiN HANdS TO PROMOTE ARTwORkS

By PROfESSiONAl ARTiSTS ISLAMABAD pr

Inaugural date: January 5, 2022 (4pm) Ongoing till January 10, 2022 – (6 days - Sunday to Friday - 11am to 5pm) "The Golden Hour" Art can open our eyes to the intricacy and beauty of the natural world. It can simply be a painting that appreciates nature for what it is or it can be a challenging piece expressing our complex human connection to nature. The importance of contemporary art in Pakistan is difficult to measure and crucial to recognize. In recent years, the Covid pandemic has severely affected all sectors, Arts and crafts are no exception to it. Therefore, it is imperative we continue our resilient commitment and efforts towards maintaining the health of all these sectors around us.

Therefore, Art is a powerful and important part of what unites us to celebrate our differences while connecting us through communal experience.

"The Golden hour" was a show of 15 renowned artists from all over Pakistan, exploring the northern areas including Naran, Babusar Top, Hunza and Khunjarab, capturing nature's beauty with their creative originality and technical skills in their chosen mediums. The artworks were

mainly the outcome of 3rd Artists Summer Camp 2021, an annual program for senior and emerging artists and art lovers to gather, connect, practice and promote art, under the umbrella of Studio Ali Sajid and National Artists Association of Pakistan (NAAP-KP).

Ms. Nageen Hyat, Founder/Director of Nomad Gallery, while addressing to the attendees of the event, said: “This fine collection of art, representative of the northern areas of Pakistan, reflects the lush natural beauty of the landscapes and ambience, invoking a connection with nature and the urge to breathe in the pure air”.

Nomad Gallery initiated this juried

event “The Golden Hour” to recognize the merits of the artworks submitted by professional artists. The Judging process commenced and concluded on January 4, while the award distribution took place on the next day, inaugural date of the event on January 5, 2022. The esteemed jury panel comprised of Mr. Quddus Mirza (artist/art critic), Mr. Naeem Pasha (Tamgha-e-Imtiaz – architecture & art), Ms. Nageen Hyat (Founder/Director Nomad Gallery). Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training, Mr. Shafqat Mahmood graced the event and encouraged the artists to portray a positive image of Pakistan to the World. In his address, he also thanked

Bestway Cement Limited for joining hands with Nomad Gallery and PNCA in sponsoring the exhibition.

The Managing Director, Bestway Cement Limited, Mr. Irfan A. Sheikh, added: “We take a leap beyond to encourage and facilitate our budding painters and aspiring artists of our homeland in structuring a prosperous imminent for its nation. The Best Way to foster the future”.

Bestway Cement is fully cognisant of its social responsibility. The company conducts its CSR activities mainly through its charitable trust, Bestway Foundation both independently and in partnership with specialist organisations. It takes pride in its proactive development and welfare of the under-privileged through activities such as improving access to health services, education, vocational trainings, environmental conservation programmes, and creation of direct and indirect employment opportunities. Bestway Cement ranks among the 10 largest corporates in Pakistan in terms of annual CSR spending ParticiPating artists: Ali Sajid | Arif Ansari | Ajab Khan | Tariq Mehmood | Bashir Haider | Sadia Arif | Shahzad Siyal | Danish Khan | Shaima Umar | Muhammad Hafeez | Faruq Siyal | Abid Zaman | Qazi Amanullah | Sanober | Tahir Bilal

corporate corner industry Academia linkage Between foundation University islamabad and Pelican Tours

On January 05, 2022 the Honorable Rector FUI, Maj Gen (R) Nasir Dilawar Shah, HI(M) led a team of FUI officials to visit Ayub National Park to establish an Industry-Academia Linkage in the field of Tourism and Hospitality. Brig (R) Prof. Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Pro-Rector FUI, Col. (R) Waheed Hamed – CEO Pelican Tours and Lt. Col. (R). Zia-Ul-Haq – Director Sports and Security, Army Heritage Foundation (AHF), signed the MOU to foster and promote students internship, commercialization of students projects, guest lectures and many more avenues of mutual benefits. DG- Army Heritage Foundation (AHF), the custodian of Ayub National Park requested the Honorable Rector FUI to grace a brief tour unto the vicinity of Ayub National Park, and showed the FUI officials a couple of amenities at the park including Army Museum, Vintage Park, Food Street, Miracle Garden and Sports Complex.

The visit ended with the Rector FUI appreciating the hosts (Pelican Tours & AHF) for hosting the signing ceremony and resolved to keep this partnership productive through active contribution of FUI. pr

Huawei Officials Visit PTA

ISLAMABAD: ISLAMABAD: Senior officials from Huawei including Mr. Shunli Wang, Vice President of Huawei Middle East and Mr. Mark Meng, CEO Huawei Pakistan visited PTA Headquarters, Islamabad today. They met with Chairman PTA, Maj Gen Amir Azeem Bajwa (R) and discussed matters related to development of ICT sector in Pakistan.

Various proposals for development of innovative digital solutions to accelerate progress towards Digital Pakistan came under discussion. pr

Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) and Rozee.pk signs agreement on for recruitment facilitation, Muhammad Shahbaz Jameel, President ZTBL is also present. pr

JI’s sit-in completes a week, party vows to further expand protests across Sindh JI Karachi’ protest against the Sindh LG (Amendment) Bill 2021 witnesses completion of a week on Thursday. The party is determined to expand its protests across Sindh.

JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur-Rehman stated that the Sindh government has not devolved its powers to the local government.

“With the powers that are left, the mayor cannot even sweep the streets”, Rehman stated.

He further said that the provincial government had taken over the transport system, dispensaries, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Sobhraj Maternity Hospital, and solid waste management.

While referring to PPP’s allegations, he stated that “we are not an ethnic-based party, and we do not

promote ethnicity […] your (PPP) style of politics is indulging in corruption, while we believe in engaging the people.”

The JI chief further revealed that the party has decided to expand its protest across the rest of Sindh as it attempts to pressurise PPP in rescinding the recently passed controversial local government bill.

The announcement was made by the JI Sindh chief Muhammad Husain Mehanti who spoke at the sit-in camp outside the Sindh Assembly on Wednesday when the protest entered its sixth day.

“The protest camps against the black bill will be set up in all cities and towns of the province on Friday and Sunday,” he said, adding that the campaign against the provincial

government would continue till the “anti-people” law was repealed.

Rehman stated that the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) had been placed under the authority of the local government setup, but the PPP had taken it away. He alleged corruption in the development authorities and equated it to the exploitation of the people in Sindh.

“Those who accuse the JI of seeding hatred and ethnic-based politics need to know that the PPP and the MQM have not spared any slot for this nefarious type of politics in the political arena of Karachi,” he said.

Rehman also accused the PPP of making attempts to create a divide between the Sindhis and the Mohajirs. news desk

NEWS

05

Managing Director Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal, Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar and Governor GilgitBaltistan, Raja Jalal Hussain Maqpoon discussing the various relief activities for the earthquake victims in Gilgit-Baltistan, during their meeting in Islamabad on January 06, 2022. pr

Supporting Returning Migrants, A Step Towards Reintegration And Empowerment

ISLAMABAD: Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) in line with the vision of honorable Prime Minster of Pakistan is developing the capacity of returning migrants and providing them with tradespecific toolkits as an In-Kind support to help them start sustained self-employment. A ceremony was organized in Islamabad under OPF’s Pak – German Facilitation & Reintegration Centre (PGFRC) where toolkits were handed over to 82 returning migrants in the fields of photography, culinary arts, motorcycle mechanic, electrician, plumber, carpenter, and mason. These returnee migrants had also completed a comprehensive business development training from PGFRC in their selected trades. Advisor to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development Mr. Muhammad Ayub Afridi was chief guest at the ceremony, Ms. Marion Pfennigs, Head of Development Cooperation, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Dr. Amer Sheikh, Managing Director OPF, Mr. Tobias Becker, Country Director, GIZ, members of Senate and National Assembly Standing Committees on Overseas Pakistanis & HRD, Members, OPF Board of Governors, senior government officials, representatives of international organizations and civil society representatives also attended the ceremony. Mr. Muhammad Ayub Afridi, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development said that today’s ceremony is a testament to the commitment of Government of Pakistan which considers overseas Pakistanis as its roaming ambassadors abroad and is actively engaged in resolving their reintegration issues in Pakistan. Ministry of OP&HRD, under the leadership of Honorable Prime Minister of Pakistan through OPF is working in a focused manner on this issue. Dr. Amer Sheikh, Managing Director, OPF shared that MoU between German and Pakistani governments has been formalized at a very important point in time and is the start of new dawn in the area of support to the Pakistanis returning migrants as a result of the pandemic. pr

Punjab govt fires 164 absent doctors LAHORE inp

Punjab Primary and Secondary Health Department on Thursday fired 164 doctors who were absent from their duties for a long period of time. These doctors of grade 17 were not attending their duties even for eight years.

The absentees have been warned through notice and advertisements published in newspapers. But they never replied or joined their respective duties. These doctors have been sacked as per the Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability Act 2006 (PEDA Act) based on the reports compiled by their respective hospital medical superintendents (MS).

Sialkot lynching: New videos emerge of factory premises SIALKOT staff report

A new picture and clips have emerged of the premises of the Sialkot factory where Sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara was lynched by a mob last month.

The picture purportedly shows Kumara, the manager of the factory, tearing down a sticker with two of the workers standing close to him.

The clips have been obtained from CCTV cameras

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installed at the factory.

One video shows Kumara trying to escape the angry mob on the rooftop of the factory. A worker can also been seen hiding on the roof. Another clip shows the frenzied mob attacking Priyantha Kumara on the rooftop.

In a third video, a person purportedly from the factory management is seen trying to prevent the workers from attacking the manager but they didn’t listen to him and continue beating Kumara as some of them incite the violence.

Surprisingly, CCTV footage of three locations are missing. Investigators believe that the person responsible for controlling the CCTV cameras might be hand in gloves with the suspects and discarded or concealed the footage.

Priyantha Kumara, a 49-year-old Sri Lankan national, was lynched by a mob of workers at a factory on December 3, where he was working as manager. A first information report (FIR) was registered against hundreds of unidentified men, including workers of the factory.

06-07 Comments - 7th January 2022_Layout 1 1/6/2022 11:37 PM Page 1

Friday, 7 January, 2022

06 COMMENT

Money makes the mare go

The idea versus the real Need for some sort of proximity

t

HE DG iSPr has spoken on a number of vital issues. it is difficult to ignore some of the points he has made. as expected the military spokesman has described stories doing the rounds of social media about a deal with nawaz Sharif as ‘baseless speculation.’ He has reiterated the correct constitutional position vis-a-vis the military’s relations with the civilian government, that the armed forces are subservient to the government and work according to its directives. few in Pakistan would agree that this is exactly how things happen in real life. the military spokesman also urged the media to keep the establishment out of politics. as long as the establishment continues to take policy decisions on a whole lot of issues related to foreign policy and internal security it will continue to come under discussion. it is difficult to ignore the elephant in the room. talking about the need for completing the border fencing with afghanistan, iSPr chief observed that martyrs’ blood had gone into Pak-afghan border fencing and therefore it would continue as planned. there is however an alternate view also. it was difficult to resolve the centuries-old dispute over the Durand Line between Pakistan and afghanistan when a hostile government ruled from Kabul and which had provided sanctuaries to terrorist networks on its soil on india’s behest. Pakistan enjoys friendly relations with the present afghan government and has worked hard to help it get international recognition and humanitarian aid. this is an ideal time to get the age old dispute resolved diplomatically. there are strong feelings on the afghan side that the Durand Line had been imposed on afghanistan by india’s British rulers by force. the two countries should discuss various options to evolve a solution ensuring free movement between the divided tribes on the one hand and security from terrorists and narco-traders on the other hand.

What is needed is to work out a solution to the satisfaction of both sides through negotiations and give and take. any attempt to impose a unilateral decision by force would alienate the afghans and provide elements that are unhappy over the Pak-afghan friendship a chance to create misunderstandings. What is more, Pakistan’s expenses to guard the Western border would also skyrocket. What Pakistan should aim at are close relations allowing Pakistan to relocate troops from afghan border to Eastern border whenever needed, as used to be in the past.

Talking without seeming to at Penpoint m a Niazi

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nformation minister fawad Chaudhry may have used the dawning of a new Year to wish for a dialogue with the opposition, but it cannot escape notice that the request has come at a time when the government was struggling to get through a mini-budget through the national assembly. the imf had demanded the withdrawal of sales tax exemptions, mainly so as to raise rs 535 billion. also to go through was the State Bank amendment, also an imf demand, where the government stood in greater need of opposition goodwill, because it was not a money bill, and thus had to be passed by the Senate too, failing which it would have to a joint sitting. one of the problems the current government is facing is that of managing its majority. there is more than a whiff of backbench rebellion about the postponements of the voting, which centres on the sales tax exemptions withdrawal. a money Bill, it only needs to pass the national assembly to go to the President for assent. that is supposed to be the reason why the party with a majority in the national assembly gets to control the government. it controls the purse-strings, and calls the tune. it can pass the budget, which allows the government to make expenditures, including paying salaries to its employees. a money Bill is considered a confidence issue, and a member who does not support his party on this is liable to disqualification. that backbench rebelliousness may be what caused Cabinet to baulk at giving its approval, and it was only on the third attempt that finance minister Shaukat tarin was able to carry the Cabinet. it is virtually unprecedented for the finance minister, with the backing of the Prime minister, to bring anything before the Cabinet and fail to win approval. that was even more astounding in that there was no other minister acting as a focus for this objection, which might reflect an intra-Cabinet conflict. With the finance minister, it might have reflected some minister trying to get funds for a pet departmental project. the disapproval was broad-based, and too numerous for the Pm to use the ultimate weapon of removing dissenters from the Cabinet. apart from the fact that no Pm likes to do such a thing, for sacked ministers remain in Parliament to potentially act as sources of dissent, the Pm is supposed to create consensuses and at least smooth over differences. in the present Pm’s case, there is also the desire to maintain a slim parliamentary majority.

Cabinet reluctance can be ascribed to members’ very real fear of losing their seats. for Cabinet mem-

Hindutva out of control The so-called net auction betrays disturbing tendencies

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so-called ‘auction’ online, attached to an app since taken down, purported to sell indian muslim women, has been taken down, and three persons arrested in Uttarakhand state. those arrested are engineering students, giving the impression that this was a prank which emerged from a collegiate attempt at humour.

However, the mindset that is revealed is horrific, especially if the general indian context is kept in view. the apparently risible ‘love jihad’ accusations, in which inter-religious marriages were interpreted as attempts to encourage conversions to islam, was translated into legislation in BJP-controlled statements, with a number of prosecutions showing that the laws are used to persecute inter-religious marriages. there seems to be a sexual element in the current antimuslim sentiment that is being fanned by the Sangh Parivar, which has now got control of the government through the BJP. apart from the online action and the ‘love jihad’ claims, the fuss over the film Padmavat, which had to have its name changed; the threats made to the indian cricket team’s captain’s daughter because he defended a muslim teammate, all indicate a twisted mentality, which in turn shows that Hindutva has just become an excuse for bad behaviour. the recent threats of ethnic cleansing in Haridwar indicate what is planned for indian muslims. this might seem a tragic development in a secular india whose first Pm, Pandit Jawaharlal nehru, tried to build a secular society. However, now the BJP is busy dismantling the apparatus of secularism. if the previous cases are any indication, there will not be any strong pursuit of the cases against the alleged auctioneers. instead of pursuing such culprits, the BJP government protects them. there is a strange spirit abroad in india, with narendra modi its microcosm, which would like to excise the nonHindu component of the indian polity, and make it correspond to the Hindu rashtra of Vir Savarkar, rather than the republic of india that nehru, a Brahmin, envisioned with B.r. ambedkar, the Dalit (Untouchable) who drafted india’s constitution. Ever since the BJP changed occupied Kashmir’s status, and saw the international community turn the other way, matters have only got worse.

Ozair islam

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ECEntLY, thailand has decided to provide a duty-free, quota-free (DfQf) market facility for Bangladeshi products in its market until 2026 to increase the two-way trade volume. the declaration came as such facilities to Bangladesh by thailand expired on 31 December 2020. it is high time to analyze the market situation of thailand to find appropriate strategies to get optimum benefits from the DfQf market facilities offered to Bangladesh. the journey of Bangladesh–thailand relations began on 5 october 1972 when thailand recognized Bangladesh as a sovereign nation-state. the diplomatic ties began with the establishment of the thai Embassy in Bangladesh in 1974. in order to promote bilateral trade, these two friendly countries signed a bilateral trade agreement on 22 august 1997. they have also formed a joint chamber of commerce to generate maximum output from their economic engagement. from the very beginning of their relations, these two countries have been enjoying very warm ties and have been working to deepen their bilateral ties for mutual benefit. the bilateral linkage between these two countries has been strengthened over time because of shared strong commitment to democratic values, efforts to foster international peace, harmony, and security. their cultural, social, and religious linkages also contributed to the blossoming of ties. in South asia, Bangladesh is the third-largest trading partner of thailand. although the bilateral trade between these two countries crossed $1.25 billion in 2018, it has experienced a declining trend since. as bilateral trade between them dropped to $910.05 million in 2020 from $1,067.90 million in

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The government seems stuck, but the opposition is not being opted for not because the establishment is coy about switching support, as because it does not provide an alternative to the economy. Previously, all accepted that the economy was primary, and the argument used to be that the opposition would do a better job of managing the economy.

Bangladesh must not rest after the agreement

Arif Nizami (Late)

M. A. Niazi

corruption primarily on economic grounds. His argument was that the rulers were thieves, and the people were victims. Given an honest government, people’s economic problems would be solved. it was not just the electorate that was convinced. the Pti may be associated in the public mind with combatting corruption, but that campaign is not in the abstract. it must translate into economic prosperity. if no one goes to jail, but the economy improves dramatically, that would be unacceptable outcome. if corruption is unearthed and punished, but the economy continues as it is, that too will be unacceptable. the present outcome, where corruption is not being punished, and the economy falls victim to rising prices, is unacceptable to the electorate, and to the Pti base within it. it should not be forgotten that fawad Chaudhry is one of those politicians whose ties to the establishment antedate his association with imran Khan. He is the nephew of Ch altaf Hussain, the onetime Punjab governor, who played such a crucial role in the 1993 political crisis, when he played a key role in reconciling the establishment with the PPP. the desire Chaudhry expressed for some sort of agreement may reflect an opinion in certain circles that enough is enough.

However, the Pti is full of those who feel that enough is not enough, that the purpose of governing is not to carry the country to a better future, but to do down mian nawaz Sharif.

Chaudhry himself reflects this by his latest salvos against mian Shahbaz Sharif, not for corruption, but for having given a guarantee that mian nawaz would return. the government seems stuck, but the opposition is not being opted for not because the establishment is coy about switching support, as because it does not provide an alternative to the economy. Previously, all accepted that the economy was primary, and the argument used to be that the opposition would do a better job of managing the economy. the opposition is not making such a claim, except the rather vague one of trusting it, even though neither of the major parties have a particularly glorious track record.

The writer is a member of staff.

How Bangladesh should utilize the duty-freequota-free facility extended by Thailand?

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

bers, as for sane politician, winning at the next election is the primary goal of any action, and the lens through which the action of his or her own government is viewed. Loss of one’s own seat means that, even if one’s party wins, one is omitted from the Cabinet. therefore, it seems that members of the Cabinet saw the mini-budget as likely to lead to defeat at election time. Even if the national assembly goes to full term, elections have to be held by mid-november 2023, which means the polls are not more than 22 months away, while the government’s tenure is not more than 20 months to its end. Even the stalwarts who are in the Cabinet realize that the mini-budget will not deliver the economic progress needed to result in an election victory.

Prime minister imran Khan’s reaction has been petulant, with one of complete denial that there is any inflation. inflation is an objective reality, and no amount of opposition claims will make ordinary people believe them if they claim there is inflation, if people can afford what they want. it is because ordinary consumers find that things cost more than before, that opposition claims of inflation resonate with them. as imran will find, when his spokesmen try and convince the common man that prices have risen, he will see that they have no takers. inflation is an objective reality measured by the government’s own institutions, like the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Denial is eerily like the science denial that US President Donald trump made familiar, when he said that there was no coronavirus, with the additional claims that vaccinations were to be avoided. one of the many distinctions between the Created and Creator is that the former had to live with, and in, the reality that the latter has created. the former may affect reality by actions, but no replays are allowed. that would mean keeping quiet about inflation, not claiming that it doesn’t exist. However, this instruction is perhaps an acknowledgement that inflation cannot be spinned. Even the most eager Pr master would not be able to portray the current inflation in a favourable light. it is perhaps the nature of governance that it has to tackle the economic problem. imran argued against

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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2019, they should work together to increase bilateral trade and investment.

Bangladesh basically exports vegetables, plastic items, rubber products, soap, animal goods, apparel, electrical and electronic equipment, fish, medicines, and other items to thailand. on the other hand, Bangladesh imports cement, iron and steel, cereals, organic chemicals, machinery and mechanical appliances, synthetic fibre, and cotton fabrics, sugar, and sugar confectionery, etc. from thailand. Bangladesh has a huge untapped bilateral trade prospect to discover with thailand. it can export pharmaceuticals and health care goods, chemical products, leather goods, jute goods, frozen fish, knitwear and woven garments, ceramic tableware, tea, and more, to the thai market. as these products have huge demand in thailand, Bangladesh can earn huge foreign currency by exporting these goods with easy access, the DfQf, provided by thailand. Bangladesh should also utilize this DfQf market access offered by thailand to have competitive advantages if Bangladesh does its homework properly, then it can get maximum output from the DfQf facility offered by thailand. firstly, Bangladesh should analyze the thai market to understand the thai economy, its cultural practices, and social norms and then assess the consumption habits and patterns of thai consumers. Bangladesh Embassy in thailand, the Bangladesh ministry of Commerce and industry, and Bangladesh-thai Chamber of Commerce and industry can jointly conduct this analysis.

Secondly, Bangladesh should promote local producers to boost their export to thailand by providing different facilities, such as creating backward linkage for easing production, arranging raw materials for the products that will be exported to thailand, offering easy loans, and so on thirdly, responsible government agencies should take initiative to promote and brand Bangladeshi products in the thai market to in-

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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crease market demand for Bangladeshi products. fourthly, Bangladesh may arrange or participate in a trade fair organized in thailand to inform the people there about Bangladeshi goods and services. fifthly, a team of Bangladeshi businessmen may visit thailand to have a better understanding of the products being sold there and to have an idea about the goods that might be exported there. Sixthly, the existing relations among the businessmen of both countries should be nurtured and expanded for giving the economic engagement a new shape. Seventhly, the governments of both countries should work shoulderto-shoulder to simplify the regulations to boost exports and enhance bilateral economic engagement. as Bangladesh has eight export processing zones and has undertaken initiatives to establish 100 Special Economic Zones, it should try to attract thai investors by informing them of the different incentives and facilities available here such as tax holiday or one-Stop Service in EPZs and SEZs. Government should allocate lands for the businessmen of thailand in these SEZs with easy terms and conditions. Both countries may rethink and take the joint initiative to flourish the tourism sectors in their respective countries. they should work to ease visa restrictions which not only will boost trade and investment but also make it easy for Bangladeshis to avail thai healthcare facilities.

Bangladesh and thailand have common membership in BimStEC which reflects that they have common interests and goals. Besides, in order to address bilateral trade-related issues, they have set up a joint trade commission which is really a praiseworthy initiative. as Bangladesh is officially going to be an LDC-graduate by 2026, it may face different challenges, like cancellation of GSP facilities, which may have a negative impact on its export earnings. in order to avoid a decline in export earnings, Bangladesh should sign free trade agreements with friendly countries such as thailand.

The writer is a freelance columnist

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

06-07 Comments - 7th January 2022_Layout 1 1/6/2022 11:37 PM Page 2

Friday, 7 January, 2022

COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan.

E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan today exclusively

Third gender

Strategic scenario between India and Pakistan 2017-2021 India needs to behave better if peace is to be made FaTima iNam QaDir

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nDia and Pakistan are two countries which are located in the South asian region and both are neighbours, and both share almost the same history and same culture but have different religions. the rivalry of these two nuclear weapon states started after independence, when they got free from the British Colonial raj. two of the three main indo-Pakistani conflicts, in 1947 and 1965 and a short war in 1999, originated from disagreements over the Kashmir region. While both nations have maintained a shaky cessation of firing since 2003, they trade fire routinely across the disputed frontier called the Control Line. Both sides accuse the other of ceasefire breaches and say that the attacks are being made. Dozens of people were murdered and thousands displaced along the Control Line in a hurricane at the border in 2016 and 2018. in 2014, following the invitation of then Pakistani Prime minister modi to attend his inauguration, Pakistan’s then newly elected Prime minister nawaz Sharif went over, and there were expectations that the administration of modi would continue genuine discussions for peace with Pakistan. However, following a brief time of hope, the relationship became harder again in august, after the Pakistani High Commissioner in india met with Kashmiri separatist leaders, when india postponed meetings with Pakistan’s foreign minister. During 2015, many openings continued, including an unplanned December meeting on the margins of the United nations Conference on Climate Change in Paris. a couple of days later, the Kashmir conflict was reviewed at a meeting between the national Security advisors in Bangkok.

Prime minister modi visited Lahore later in December in an amazing way to meet Prime minister Sharif, the first indian leader visiting Pakistan in more than 10 years. in September 2016, momentum for serious negotiations ended, when armed terrorists assaulted a remote indian military outpost in Uri, close to the Control Line, killing 80 indian troopsin the deadliest attack on indian army in decades. indian officials accused Jaish-e-mohammad of supporting the attack, a group with suspected connections to inter-Services intelligence (the primary intelligence agency of Pakistan). the indian army later stated that in September 2016 it had engaged in ‘surgical strikes.’ the indian army denied any such operations on terrorist camps in Pakistani-controlled areas along the Control Line. in october 2017, the military started attacks on the indian paramilitary camp close to Srinagar, as well as on the indian army facility in the Jammu area in february 2018, which killed five soldiers and a civilian. these assaults occurred at a period of increasing cross-border shelling along the Control Line, with over 3,000 breaches documented in 2017 and around 1,000 in the first half of 2018. in 2017, nearly 300 people, including civilians, indian security personnel and terrorists, were shot down in assaults and skirmishes and violent rallies and marches to seek for the independence of Kashmir also persisted. india declared in may 2018 that it will for the first time observe a cessation of firing in Kashmir during the month of ramadan in around two decades; the operations were restarted in June 2018 after months of indian military operations

aimed at both Kashmiri terrorists and protestors. in may 2018, india and Pakistan agreed to a cessation of firing along the contested Kashmir border, restoring the conditions of the 2003 accord. the diversion from afghanistan to Kashmir of islamist fighters and proxy organizations threatens to generate further border bloodshed. if the attack of Lashkar e tayyiba on mumbai was carried out by Pakistan’s terrorist proxies in 2008, where fighters struck the city for four days, killing 164 people, then a serious military conflict between both nuclear-armed powers may be sparked. narendra modi has achieved a historic triumph as Prime minister and his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has gained the greatest majority of any indian party since 1984. the topic of how modi approaches the bilateral relations between india and Pakistan during his second term became a matter of considerable interest not just among indian and Pakistani experts, but also worldwide South asian political watchers. in his previous tenure, modi attempted to strengthen relations with Pakistan with an invitation for his 2014 ceremony to Prime minister nawaz Sharif and visited Lahore on Christmas Day 2015 for an unexpected visit. after the Pathankot assault in January 201, its government, by connecting dialogue with islamabad, thought to be responsible for the attack, to its taking action, reversed the scheduled discussions with Pakistan. in response to an insurgent attack on its military station in Uri, india went through ‘surgical strikes’ within azad Kashmir. as india started its air attacks against supposed terrorist facilities on Pakistani soil that new Delhi said were behind an attack against the indian paramilitary convoy in Pulwama earlier that month, tension increased in february 2019. Pakistan ransacked the commencement of air attacks in Kashmir, managed by india, followed by Pakistan seizing the indian air force’s Wg Cdr abhinandan Varthaman. With several days of insecurity and animosity, things ended up easing when Pakistan took Varthaman back to india with a show of peace. in the campaign for the indian election to the Lok Sabha earlier this year, post-Pulwama acrimony was evident. Like past elections, this was also full of direct and indirect rhetoric against Pakistan, modi’s claiming that india is no longer frightened of nuclear threats from Pakistan and that india’s nuclear arms are not only a demonstration. However, the chances for participation seem encouraging after the election. in may, during the Shanghai Cooperation organization (SCo) Council of foreign ministers conference in Kazakhstan. foreign ministers from both countries informally met. moreover, Prime minister imran Khan recently revealed the results of the indian elections, calling modi to compliment him and expressed the desire to enhance bilateral relations. modi reaffirmed his earlier recommendation that they should work together to combat poverty, further cooperate and create a climate free of violence and terrorism. more lately, indian authorities have been cited as recognizing Pakistan’s significant actions against anti-india militant organizations by indian media outlets which imply that dialogue is about to be opened. for the relationship between india and Pakistan the next 12 to 18 months would be critical as the recent history bears witness to good gestures from any new indian administration in the first few months of the tenure of Kashmir, which is the primary bone of contention between india and Pakistan. Due to a mutual antagonism between the two

nations, the future character of their bilateral ties can be shaped by one of three probable scenarios. first, one option is that during modi’s second term, the status quo would continue without any grave interaction between the two nations, while violence remains confined to the control line (LoC). However, following the sequence of moving above stated, such as the phone contact between Khan and modi, which suggests a connection between the two, this scenario appears implausible.

Secondly, ties might further worsen between the two nations. if the modi administration continues to embrace policies that see Pakistan-isolating as primary efforts, the probability of such a situation is increased. Examples of this are india’s non-engagement, either bilaterally or multilaterally, with Pakistan since the December 2017 national Security advisors negotiations, its withdrawal from Pakistan of the most-favored nation status, Pakistan’s 2016 SaarC boycott, and the association between sports activity and the political nature of the relationship. the third possibility involves some improvement in the bilateral relationship. this could take numerous possible forms, including Pakistan’s actions against insurgent outfits against india, ending proxy and interlocking insurgent operations, both countries in afghanistan taking account of each other’s strategic interests, and india joining the ChinesePakistan Economic Corridor. the picture depends to a considerable extent on the seriousness of Pakistani and indian administrations in mending bilateral ties. in addition, this possibility is also brought to light by the participation of external parties, such as the USa and China.

Pakistan’s anti-india crackdown might serve as a start to the restoration, from 2013 and perhaps the march toward peace, of the composite or comprehensive conversation. Contrary to previous attacks, the imran Khan regime took significant measures against prohibited outfits— local media reports suggest the offices of Kashmir insurgent organizations in Pakistan for the first time in more than three decades have reportedly been sealed and prominent leaders of prohibited outfits detained, including their properties. these actions have led to certain of these organizations being forced into the underground and it is stated that Jaish-e-muhammad (Jem) has requested its cadres to prepare for “migration and fresh fighting.” these steps show that Pakistan takes the proscribed groups seriously, and this might persuade india to give negotiations an opportunity. independently of their respective publics, india and Pakistan need improved bilateral relations, argues ravi agrawal. Both modi and Khan will have the burden of ensuring that collaboration is not at the expense of their strategic objectives, he said. agarwal Both nations should prevent the LoC flare-ups and enhance Kashmir’s human rights. Pakistan and india must explore improving their bilateral connections with foreign terrorist organizations, such as iS and aQiS, who are entering South asia. the discrepancy between them prevents them from exploiting their full economic potential. its trading potential is bilateral. the strategic scenario between india and Pakistan is very important for the South asian region. Both countries have a history of wars and rivalry. after the Pulwama crisis, the relations between both states became colder and CPEC and China-Pakistan friendship is also becoming a threat to india. Both countries are trying to defend themselves and going into an arms race which will never end.

The writer tweets @fatimaiqk and can be reached at fatimaiqk@gmail.com

tHirD gender is a concept in which individuals are categorized, either by themselves or by society, as neither man nor woman. it is also a social category present in societies that recognize three or more genders. the term third is usually understood to mean “other”, though some anthropologists and sociologists have described fourth and fifth genders. the state of personally identifying as, or being identified by society as, a man, a woman, or other, is usually also defined by the individual’s gender identity and gender role in the particular culture in which they live. most cultures use a gender binary, having two genders (boys/men and girls/women). in cultures with a third or fourth gender, these genders may represent very different things. to native Hawaiians and tahitians, māhū is an intermediate state between man and woman, or a “person of indeterminate gender”. Some traditional Diné native americans of the Southwestern US acknowledge a spectrum of four genders: feminine woman, masculine woman, feminine man, and masculine man. the term “third gender” has also been used to describe the hijras of india who have gained legal identity, fa’afafine of Polynesia, and sworn virgins. a culture recognizing a third gender does not in itself mean that they were valued by that culture, and often is the result of explicit devaluation of women in that culture.

While found in a number of non-Western cultures, concepts of “third”, “fourth”, and “some” gender roles are still somewhat new to mainstream western culture and conceptual thought. the concept is most likely to be embraced in the modern LGBt or queer subcultures. While mainstream western scholars—notably anthropologists who have tried to write about the South asian hijras or the native american “gender variant” and twospirit people—have often sought to understand the term “third gender” solely in the language of the modern LGBt community, other scholars— especially indigenous scholars—stress that mainstream scholars’ lack of cultural understanding and context has led to widespread misrepresentation of third gender people, as well as misrepresentations of the cultures in question, including whether or not this concept actually applies to these cultures at all. allah almighty has created three types of genders: male, female and transgender, but people believe in two and ignore the third. We have feelings and emotions for each other but not with the transgender community. We ignore them all the time. not only that, but people always humiliate them whenever we see them. this is stereotyping that has been created in our minds. We disrespect them, demoralize them, and insult them. more than 21,774 transgender people are living in Pakistan, but due to having few rights and little respect, most are reduced to illiteracy and begging on the streets. Being an islamic country we should not ignore their social right to education. Every time a government department announce different jobs in different sectors, you will find that no job will be reserved for this ignored section of society.

SIRAJ AHMED ABBASI ISlAMABAD

Attestation woes manY documents require attestation before one can applying for a CniC, passport, or college/university admissions. this is a tedious task because documents must be attested by a government gazetted officer that holds the rank of Grade-16 or above. However, attestation was not always difficult because there were several public sector organisations whose officers had the authority to attest the required documents. Even for the registration of birth and death certificates or to attest nadra documents, people could approach the relevant officers quite easily.

However, in the last 15 years, many public sector institutions have been either denationalised or acquired by private entities. Consequently, the officers of these institutions no longer have the authority to attest documents as per the law. now, people are required to first locate the different government officers and reach them in time because most usually need the attested documents on an urgent basis. the rapid privatisation of institutions has further complicated this time-consuming process. it is especially difficult for people living in rural areas because they do not have access to the means to trace gazetted officers. a democratically elected government is responsible to facilitate and accommodate the public by creating appropriate policies, laws, and by modifying present legal remedies. therefore, i request the federal government and all other relevant authorities to implement policies that are in the best interest of the public. authority for attestation should be restored to officers of all banks and financial institutions as it would be more feasible.

NISAR AHMED KARACHI

Inflation-an unending disease it has become a common trait in both our private and public lives that we tend to blame the incumbent government for the inflation which has formed in Pakistan. inflation has been a gradual building up phenomenon not in Pakistan but through out the world. it has brought misery conditions to every individual’s life. it has become the worst of all the problems of a community because it directly hits the poor class. in addition, the increasing prices of every commodity of life have arrived behind the reach of middle-class families in the entire world neither in asian countries nor in Pakistan where the incumbent government is being blamed for the responsible of these messes. for instance, as kind and sense able human beings we should understand and do serious soul searching that inflation has spread all over the world even though the most developed countries have experienced a lack of relief to provide their people. moreover, a pandemic from the Chinese city of Wuhan has wreaked all over the world. Due to the reduced economic activity, the globe has declined to 4.6% and borne a loss of 6.7 trillion dollars. around 94 million people worldwide have experienced poverty. a country like Pakistan has the best average from the developed countries in fighting against Covid19. thus, Pakistan a developing country of nearly 220 million inhabitants has fared well in its fight against Covid-19. this success is embedded in multiple factors which have contributed towards effectively managing the pandemic since its onset in Pakistan. the government, under the umbrella of Ehsaas emergency cash program, disbursed over 200 billion to nearly 1.7 million families across Pakistan. this valuable assistance benefitted all of the country’s population.

SHAFQAT HASSNI QuETTA

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Friday, 7 January, 2022

08 WORLD VIEW

US will geT Three conflicTS for The price of one if iT allowS iSrael To aTTack iran IT WOULD TAKE BOTH A WISE AND CONFIDENT US PRESIDENT TO REVERSE COURSE AND ACT INTELLIGENTLY WITH IRAN, RUSSIA AND CHINA. BIDEN IS NEITHER

MIddlE East EyE david hearst

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he talks in Vienna aimed at reviving the Iran nuclear deal, from which former US President Donald Trump withdrew in 2018, have reached a critical phase.

They are already into their eighth round and the gaps between the negotiating parties are showing no signs of narrowing. Iran’s european interlocutors - the US delegation remains in a hotel across the road - want a quick deal based on a partial lifting of sanctions, a freeze on enrichment, and a full return of inspection by the International Atomic energy Agency (IAeA).

The Iranians want a full return to the deal they struck in 2015, all sanctions imposed on them lifted, a guarantee that the US could not walk away from the deal in the future, and a system of verification.

Of these, the most difficult to achieve is verification.

The lack of a system of verification was, in the view of the current Iranian government, the main failing of the original deal. It allowed the US administration under President Barack Obama to continue sanctions.

Donald Trump under pressure from the then Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pulled out of the Iran deal and began a policy of “maximum pressure”.

Joe Biden reversed much of what Trump did in his first days in office but he did not, significantly, reverse this policy which continues to this day.

TWO BIG STICKS: The europeans - Britain, France, Germany and the eU - are waving what they imagine to be two big sticks should the talks collapse. The first is a return to United Nations sanctions, because not only would the talks have collapsed, but the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) would go too. The second is “Plan B” - or the threat of air strikes carried out by Israel with US backing. The sanctions prescribed by the UN are weaker, more limited in scope and already implemented within the framework of the sanctions imposed by Trump.

The UN would not represent a pressure point for Iran. On the other hand, the collapse of the JCPOA would mean the expulsion of the IAeA nuclear inspection teams from Iran. As things stand, Iran has suspended the IAeA’s right under the JCPOA to mount intrusive inspections on nuclear facilities and took down four of its

cameras at Karaj, where the uranium centrifuges are built, after the site was sabotaged by Israel in June last year. These cameras have now been reinstalled, but they are not transmitting to the IAeA. The footage, which is being stored by Iran, must be handed over should the talks in Vienna succeed. Vital evidence about enrichment would be destroyed if the JCPOA collapses. And the international nuclear inspectors would become blind - once again - about Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme. What would be the benefit of that?

ANOTHER WAR? An Israeli air strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, and necessarily too on its command and control centres and air defence systems, would trigger the biggest regional conflagration since the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

It would cause widespread civilian casualties, cripple oil production in the Gulf, and trigger pre-emptive air strikes in southern Lebanon and possibly also Gaza. hundreds of missiles would be launched by Iran and its proxies at oil installations in the Gulf as well as military targets in Israel. The threat of another war in the Middle east should never be taken lightly, because so much of the region is already on a hair trigger. But that said, I don’t think the new administration of ebrahim Raisi is bluffing when it says it is prepared for such a strike.

A cost-benefit analysis of a military strike makes sober reading for Israel’s hawks. Azerbaijan would not allow Israeli jets to use its airfields for a strike, although Israeli drones have used them for spying missions in Iran. That leaves a direct strike from Israel itself.

Yossi Melman, an Mee contributor writing in ha’aretz, makes the point that if even Israel’s F35s - fully loaded and needing inflight refuelling - make it over Jordanian and Iraqi airspace undetected, and that is a big if - they would have only one opportunity to mount a crippling strike on nuclear facilities, command centres and air defence systems. even if this mission were to be 100 percent successful, it is unlikely that it would deliver anything other than a temporary setback to Iran’s uranium enrichment programme. Iran would “build back better”, as they have done after each act of sabotage and/or assassination. This was the argument that the Biden administration made to Israel when the talks restarted.

The US said then that hitting Iran presents a tactical relief to Israel, not a strategic one and the same would be even more true now. Furthermore, Iran’s response would be framed as a legitimate retaliation for an act of war.

Although Tehran has never claimed responsibility for them, the Iranians have already shown, through drone and cruise missiles attacks on two Aramco plants and limpet mine attacks on oil tankers using emirati ports in 2019, that the damage they could inflict on any Arab country

that helped the attack against them would be considerable.

Suffice it to know that Saudi oil production was halved for weeks after the attack. And that is not counting what Iran’s strategic missiles and hezbollah’s rocket arsenal could do to targets in Israel itself.

No one is more conscious of their vulnerability to their Gulf neighbour than the emiratis and the Saudis themselves. Since the Iranian attacks on the Gulf, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh have been falling over themselves to be nice to Iran. Notably the UAe never formally blamed Iran for the attacks on tankers using its ports.

Since then, the UAe signed a deal with Iran that would allow the emiratis to open a trade route by land to europe via Turkey, which would cut the time it took from 20 days to seven; and the mood music in Riyadh has also changed.

GULF PRAGMATISM: This week the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, said about Iran: “The Arabs extend their hands to the brothers in Iran if they respond to addressing Arab concerns that threaten the security and stability of the region, such as its support for terrorist militias and its pursuit of nuclear weapons.” eyebrows were raised at the use of the word “brother”.

The pragmatism Abu Dhabi and, to a lesser extent, Riyadh is showing in wanting to normalise relations with the axis of countries they had spent much of the last two decades trying to crush - Qatar, Turkey and Iran - has to a large extent dampened the hopes that Arab normalisation with Israel would create an active anti-Iranian axis, or an “Arab Nato”.

One of the signs of this is the UAe’s take-it-or-leaveit approach to the pipeline deal with Israel which would send oil from eilat to Ashkelon. There are a number of reasons for this - not least the effect that such a deal would have on dampening traffic through the Suez Canal. But one of them is Abu Dhabi’s growing relations with Iran. And all this, before we even come to Biden.

Would any leader of a country shaken to the core by the Covid-19 pandemic, and still very much in crisis mode, willingly start a Middle east war which would have missiles flying all over the Gulf and the Levant?

Would any US president, with his eye on a fragile economic recovery, tolerate the two- to threefold increase in the price of oil that would result? The obvious answer to both is no. Iran is being threatened by cards it knows Washington is unlikely to play.

NO CARDS TO PLAY: The plain fact of the matter is that european and US diplomats in Vienna have lost their leverage over Iran. They have subjected the country to the worst they can deliver, and Iran has not only survived, but grown stronger. More sobering still to western

hawks is the reaction that Russia and China would have to the collapse of the Vienna talks. This is the biggest difference between 2015 and today.

Both Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have a host of other reasons not to play ball with europe and America. Their relationship has deteriorated with Washington to the point where it becomes very difficult to cooperate on any issue.

Putin is demanding a fundamental retreat of Nato on its borders in eastern europe, and keeps 90,000 troops poised in mid-winter to invade Ukraine. Xi is determined to reunite Taiwan with the mainland. As the talks in Vienna have made amply clear, the Iranian delegation has the broad support of both powers.

All three disputes are becoming overtly linked. President Raisi will go to Moscow next month and his foreign minister will travel to China. This - at least - opens the possibility that an attack on Iran would be responded to - in some way - by both Russia and China. here again, Biden is issuing threats to Putin, such as cutting Russia off from the Swift banking system, should Ukraine be invaded, which would backfire on Western europe. how would Germany pay for Russian gas, assuming they still receive it? By lugging suitcases full of dollars over the Polish border?

The real cards are with the Russian leader. Both he and Xi have it within their power to make life exceedingly difficult for Western hawks. Far from taming Russia and China, the US is pushing them into each other’s arms, and history tells us they are not natural allies. In 2015, the US was the acknowledged leader of the camp that pushed concessions on Iran. Now it is not.

“The problem is that the europeans and Americans are playing a game of chicken, but they have no more leverage. If there were sanctions up their sleeves more than ‘maximum pressure’, Trump would have already used them. They have run out of cards to play,” an Iranian source in Vienna told Mee. It would take both a wise and confident US president to reverse course and act intelligently with Iran, Russia and China. Biden is neither. The range of domestic challenges is simply too great for this administration, not least the possible return to power of its nemesis Trump in 2024. even if the US negotiating team in Vienna makes concessions on sanctions, it is doubtful this would get through Congress.

The Iranian insistence on guarantees and verification is real, not rhetorical. Unless a miracle happens in Vienna, the US will not be able to accept Iran’s minimum requirements, and Iran will decide it can weather the consequences. As a result, a rare act of deconfliction which took five years to negotiate, the JCPOA, will die a natural death.

The bottom line is that all Raisi’s team is demanding is what the US and the eU originally agreed to. If the Vienna talks fail and the JCPOA dies, neither Rouhani nor Raisi would ultimately have killed this deal. But Obama, Trump and Biden would each have played their part.

David Hearst is co-founder and editor-in-chief of Middle East Eye.

Bulli Bai is latest example of harassment women face online PROMPT REPORTING OF CASES, WELL-TRAINED INVESTIGATORS AND PROSECUTORS, FAST AND FAIR TRIAL ARE ESSENTIAL TO CONTROL CYBER CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN

IndIan ExprEss Meeran Chadha Borwankar

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he first email in the morning was from a young girl threatening to commit suicide. She had approached me earlier complaining about her former boyfriend, who, she alleged, had morphed her photos that she had shared with him on social media. I advised the lady officer heading the Pune Police Cyber Cell to register an FIR. But the officer investigating the case had to proceed on emergency leave. Since the boy had not been arrested, the young girl had threatened to kill herself. I was the Commissioner of Police, Pune and the story is of 2011. The sordid tale continues with the blatant abuse of cyber technology, especially targeting women of all ages, professions and communities.

As per the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) there were around 825 million internet users in India at the end of March 2021. Most of them are genuine ones with a minuscule number of rogue elements.

But such rogue elements have the lethal capability to create havoc in the nation, its polity, economy and the personal and professional lives of citizens. They can also

strain the fragile social fabric of the country as can be seen in the open-source app, Bulli Bai, hosted on the web platform Github for “auctioning Muslim women”. Similarly, in July last year, Sulli Deals had been created with profiles of around 80 Muslim women, describing them as “deals of the day”. Recent arrests by the police in the Bulli Bai case will, hopefully, disclose details behind the heinous crime.

While Bulli Bai and Sulli Deals made headlines and the Mumbai and Delhi police are working with the Computer emergency Response Team, India (CeRT-IN) to track down the criminals, there are many unreported cases of women facing cyber bullying, stalking, threats, and blackmail. Many times, police officers are approached by anxious parents, days before marriage, seeking help about fake profiles or morphed photographs of their daughters on the internet. Marriage being a very delicate affair in India, the slightest aspersion on the bride’s “character” can lead to cancellation of the ceremony. A formal police case is thus never lodged. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in “Crime in India 2020”, therefore, accounts for only 251 cases of defamation or morphing of women’s photos and 354 cases of their fake profiles under the Indian Penal Code, Information Technology Act and Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act. The stark reality is that cyber blackmailing, stalking and bullying is a humongous issue, causing a lot of stress to women and their families. It is not confined to metros or peculiar to a particular caste or community. Small

towns too have been badly afflicted. Reluctance to report is, however, common. NCRB statistics show that total cyber crimes in India during 2020 were 50,035, and those specifically against women were only 10,405.

These statistics are but a fraction of the ground reality.

To find out the true magnitude of cyber crime, prompt reporting and registration are the only options. The reluctance to report/register the crimes is encouraging and emboldening cyber criminals. They are harnessing pictures of women from social media to promote online sex chats and pornography besides blackmailing and bullying the victims. They have become reckless “experts” in changing one image to another using morphing tools and also, in evading law enforcing agencies. There are many international gangs which successfully avoid detection as “servers” used by them are located outside India. International cooperation through formal treaties and informal channels has to be pursued. CeRT-IN has been doing commendable work in this regard. however, registering a criminal case is the first crucial step as it sets the law into motion, leading to tracing, arresting and prosecuting the rogues even if they are located outside the country.

Another step could be to increase awareness about cyber safety and security so that youth, especially young girls and women, take proper precautions while surfing the virtual world. This cannot be left to the law enforcement agencies. Schools, colleges, universities and communities must take an active role in educating their wards about the rampant cyber abuse and safety measures/avenues available. We also need to involve social

media platforms and encourage them to monitor and check abusive traffic and create more safeguards for users, especially women and children.

As for the police, we do need better infrastructure, more special cyber cells and police stations, regular training, and collaboration with cyber experts on a continuous basis. Strengthening the capability of forensic laboratories can lead to timely collection of evidence of cyber bullying, threatening, morphing and profiling. It is a highly technical job requiring sharp skills as the virtual world is constantly changing at an unimaginable speed. But many state labs do not have sufficient numbers of cyber experts to seize, preserve and store images of digital evidence essential for securing conviction in courts. The central government has given funds to states and Union territories under the Cyber Crime Prevention Against Women and Children (CCPWC) scheme to start “cyber forensic-cum-training laboratories”. Considering the gravity of the issue, states need to allocate similar resources for their forensic units.

Fast trial of cyber crimes would indeed help. As per the NCRB, during 2020, court trials were completed in only nine cases of cyber blackmailing and threatening with a 66.7 per cent conviction rate — 393 such cases are pending in courts. Similarly, 29 cases of cyber stalking and bullying of women and children were completed with a 27.6 per cent conviction rate — 1,508 cases are pending in courts. Trial has been completed in only two cases of fake profiling while 148 cases are pending. Systematic training of prosecutors and judicial officers in dealing with cyber crimes would definitely speed up trials.

Prompt reporting of cyber crime by citizens, technically proficient investigation by police adequately supported by forensics, and time-bound completion of court trials are essential for catching cyber offenders who are terrorising people, especially women, in the virtual as well as the real world.

The writer is an IPS Officer who retired as DG Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPRD).

Friday, 7 January, 2022 | KARACHI

NEWS corporate corner SNGPL busts gas theft bid

TEVTA, FACEBOOK TO TRAIN 10,000 STudENTS IN MICRO-ENTREPRENEuRSHIP: CHAIRPERSON TEVTA LAHORE

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SNGPL, Lahore Region in coordination with Head Office Task Force has conducted a raid at A-One CNG Station, Phool Nagar last night at 0100 a.m. i.e. 05.01.2022. It was observed that consumer was stealing gas by tampering the meter through application of magnet on meter body. The pilfered gas was being filled in heavy trailer mounted 270 Nos. CNG Cylinders. Currently, the trailer is in custody of Police Station Phool Nagar City.

Due to theft of gas, the subject meter was disconnected from site and service line was capped. On the way back to office, the accused chased SNGPL vehicles, where meter was placed, damaged Company's 2 Nos. vehicles and also fired bullets on vehicle and personnel which injured one of the Company employees, Mr. Kashif Saeed’s arm. Video clips and pictorial evidence attached.

Applications for registration of FIRs in Police Station Phool Nagar City and Police Station Manga against consumer/accused are in process. Pr

Total PARCO Pakistan Inaugurates its First Miyawaki Forest at Jinnah Park Gujranwala GujranwaLa: Total PARCO Pakistan has inaugurated its first Miyawaki Forest with Park and Horticulture Authority. The forestation project along two canals, covering over 9,000 square meters, is being undertaken

by Total PARCO Pakistan with the assistance of Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) Gujranwala at Jinnah Park, Gujranwala. “Miyawaki” is a forest regeneration technique that aims to recreate self-sustaining multilayered indigenous forests on degraded land with little human intervention. The chosen indigenous species of plants grow 10 times faster and absorb 30 times more carbon dioxide, compared to conventional methods. The dense plantation also becomes 100 times more biodiverse and provides great habitat for wildlife. Total PARCO Pakistan believes in sustainable initiatives that contribute towards the vision of greener and cleaner future for Pakistan. Pr

foodpanda and Government of Gilgit Baltistan join hands for strategic alliance

iSLaMaBaD: foodpanda, the leading food delivery platform and e-commerce company in the country, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Government of Gilgit Baltistan to bring forth economic empowerment in the region. A signing ceremony took place at foodpanda headquarters in Karachi whereby Hussain Shah, Minister of Information Technology and Special Assistant to Chief Minister from Government of GB, and Nauman Sikandar, CEO foodpanda along with other dignitaries were present. Under the MoU, both the parties will be working together to generate economic opportunities for the masses. foodpanda shall accelerate its operations in GB through different verticals such as restaurants, pandamart, shops, etc., and government of GB will facilitate this expansion by creating a favourable business environment. While sharing his views, Nauman Sikandar, CEO foodpanda, said, “We are accelerating our actions to economically empower people of GB by expanding our services via restaurants, shops, homechefs, pandamart and panda kitchens. This will not only enable people to earn a respectable livelihood but will also create financial and digital inclusion for the people of GB. We will utilise our extensive reach and network to create awareness and highlight this initiative #MYGB to mark our commitment towards this cause.”Pr

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hairperson TeVTa ali salman siddique while addressing at TeVTa secretariat regarding the implementation of she Means Business program by Meta formally known as Facebook inaugurated by president of pakistan Dr arif alvi on Tuesday for training 10,000 students across punjab under hunarmand nojawan in collaboration with Meta formally known as Facebook. students from across punjab will be trained in using digital platforms Facebook, instagram and Whatsapp to launch and grow their small businesses. 3000 women entrepreneurs from across punjab have already been trained under this initiative in 2021.

Briefing the attendees regarding the event, the Chairperson said that the president appreciated the initiative and directed to engage youth and building their skills so they can make the best of future employment and entrepreneurial opportunities. The president further hoped to see the next ten thousand people trained by this partnership create a positive impact across pakistan.”

The Chairperson further added, “We have worked heavily on policy level by developing a new skill ecosystem, we have increased access to skill education through introduction of pKr 1500 Million hunarmand nojawan to add additional 100,000 students to training, improved Quality through internationally recognized

Competency Based Training & assessment (CBT&a) & international accredited our institutes through asia pacific accreditation & Certification Commission (apaCC), Conducted 1st skill Mapping of punjab, provided Better economic opportunities by providing on Job Training with enactment of apprenticeship act 2021 after 60 Years and launching pakistan’s 1st skill Technology park to provide Youth with hitech skill ecosystem.” highlighting the need for Women empowerment, Chairperson said, Women empowerment has been a critical aspect of our skill ecosystem and we are delighted that with Global partner Meta (Facebook) and particularly “she Means Business” we have been able to make a difference in lives of

3000 Female students and their communities. We have been able to positively impact their economy with Female students now earning more than pKr 1 Million annually, so much so that one of the success story of shireen Botique from rahim Yar Khan has been mentioned Globally. Most encouraging aspect for us has been the talented population of pakistani youth that reside outside of main urban centres.

Youth living in semi urban and rural parts of pakistan are no less in talent or skill than young people anywhere else in the world. i offer all support with hope that Meta will continue to invest in the young people of pakistan and will grow their investments and commitments in the areas of rural connectivity and digital literacy.” he said.

FM to Launch FBR's National Sales Tax Return Building further on its ongoing drive for digitization to facilitate the taxpayers, promote ease of doing business and reduce compliance costs, FBR achieved one more milestone by developing National Sales Tax Return. This is by all means a watershed initiative towards automation, data integration and harmonization of taxes. It is pertinent to mention that the National Sales Tax Return was developed after rigorous discussions with the provincial governments and their revenue authorities. The feedback from other stakeholders, including taxpayers and tax practitioners, was incorporated. This digital facility will simplify tax filing procedures and thereby save compliance costs. This has been one of the key recommendations of international agencies such as World Bank and IMF. The National Sales Tax Return will minimize data entry, which will address the common issues of data and calculation errors. The system will automatically apportion input tax adjustment as well as tax payments across the sales tax authorities, eliminating the need for reconciliations and payment transfers. Through this system, officers of all the revenue authorities will be able to make better informed decision regarding matters of the taxpayers. It will enable tax collectors to improve revenue potential and tax compliance without audits. Another benefit of this system is that it will encourage harmonization of tax procedures, definitions and principles between the federal government and the provinces, which will promote national unity and ensure cohesion. Pr

Careem appoints new Country Head for Pakistan Karachi: Careem has appointed Feroz Jaleel as Country Head for Pakistan, its biggest market in the region. Feroz started his Careem journey in Pakistan over four years ago as part of the core team launching ride-hailing. Since then he has played a key role in leading operational efficiencies across Careem’s markets as Vice President of Strategic Finance.

Prior to joining Careem, Feroz held financial management positions in organisations operating across telecoms, e-commerce, tech and mobility. As Country Head for Careem Pakistan, Feroz will be responsible for strategic planning, day-to-day operations and organisational culture. Feroz's 100 Day Plan will focus on raising the bar on Captain and Customer experience by investing in reliability and safety, all while further enhancing service excellence in Careem’s Super App vision.The newly appointed Country Head of Pakistan, Feroz Jaleel, commented: “I am thrilled to lead Careem Pakistan through its next chapter of growth. Since entering Pakistan in 2016, Careem has helped to shape the local ride-hailing economy to make life simpler for people across the country. The opportunity to increase our impact in Pakistan is huge and I am excited to kick start my 100 Day Plan with a focus on reliability and safety, in support of our Customers and Captains.”. Pr

CarFirst is all set to bring Kings of Speed together for the first time in 26 years Karachi: CarFirst, Pakistan’s most trusted used car trading platform in the digital automotive industry has announced that it has once again signed Wasim Akram the legendary sports icon as their brand ambassador for 2022. CarFirst aims to become the best-used car trading platform in Pakistan and by bringing the most known and loved cricket legends for their brand promotion. CarFirst’s campaign also focuses on promoting brand advocacy through reuniting one of the greatest partnerships in cricket history by bringing the legendary pacers 2Ws (Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis) together on one screen for the first time after 26 years. Legendary duo Waqar and Wasim together are still remembered as the most lethal old-ball partnership in cricket world of all time. With this collab, CarFirst has injected much-needed excitement into the used car industry. According to Raja Murad Khan, Founder & CEO of CarFirst, "We’re excited to work with Wasim Akram once again, his fan following and trusted words will take the CarFirst to another level in 2022. CarFirst promises to deliver its customers not only the best, but the fastest service all over Pakistan, and aiming to grow by having Wasim as part of the team automatically sets every speed benchmark to the pace of his Yorkers." Commenting on the collaboration, Wasim Akram has said “It’s a pleasure to once again work with a brand that is so focused on exceeding customer expectations by consistently coming up with new technological innovations to revolutionize how used cars are traded in Pakistan. I look forward to embarking on this journey with them.” This partnership will allow CarFirst to leverage the fan following and credibility of Wasim and Waqar to spread its brand message of transparent & hassle-free car buying & selling. Pr

The event held on Tuesday had simon Milner, Vice president of public policy for asia pacific at Meta who announced Meta’s increased commitment to supporting pakistan’s digital economy and entrepreneurs by expanding their prosper pakistan initiative in the country and training an additional 10,000 students to harness the power of digital tools for economic growth.

Furthermore, speaking on the event Ms. sehar Tariq, head of policy for pakistan at Meta reaffirmed Meta’s commitment to supporting pakistani Youth and highlighted the incredible response of TeVTa’s female students during online trainings in the pandemic. “seeing how women from across TeVTa’s canters showed up to learn skills related to online marketing and business management and then seeing them apply these skills to grow their businesses by increasing sales, finding new customers, opening new branches, creating jobs and hiring more people is what gives me immense hope and excitement about the future of pakistan. our women entrepreneurs in particular are resilient and creative and if we continue to enable them they will lead the way in transforming pakistan’s economy. We at Meta are proud and excited to play a part in supporting this transformation.

The Chairperson also directed team to call upon all stakeholders inclusive of skill authorities, Global Tech Firms, private sector & Donors to be part of national narrative on skill as envisioned in skill ecosystem by TeVTa punjab.

Bank Alfalah, Allied Ecommerce Solution join hands to provide digital payment infrastructure to online businesses Karachi: Bank Alfalah, one of the largest commercial banks in Pakistan with significant digital banking business and Allied Ecommerce Solution, dedicated ecommerce solution enabler, have collaborated to provide digital payment infrastructure to online businesses – small and medium sized enterprises & home based businesses - selling via online platforms all across Pakistan and internationally. The scope of this alliance is to extend Alfa Payment Gateway services to online retailers and help them grow their existing businesses by tapping into the online space. This solution enables online retailers to collect payments in real time in a simple and secure manner from their customers via multiple payment modes e.g. Pay via link, Credit and Debit cards, Bank Alfalah Wallets and Alfa Bank Accounts. Group Executive Digital Banking at Bank Alfalah, Yahya Khan was pleased to commemorate this partnership and stated “This partnership is indeed in line with the Bank’s vision to convert cash to digital services for its customers. It demonstrates our commitment to collaborate with FinTechs and Technology companies and invest into fruitful business expansion partnerships to enable merchants in Pakistan to enter the online marketplace”. Pr

K-Electric fully ready to serve people amid ‘downpour alert’ in city Karachi: Amid heavy rainfall prediction by Pakistan Meteorological Department, K-Electric has geared up all its efforts to ensure smooth supply of power to Karachiites. KE spokesperson said that following to the rain alert by meteorological department, our teams and field staff are well-prepared to tackle any untoward situation in the metropolis. Moreover, power supply has been fully restored in all areas which were previously affected due to rainfall across the city, KE official said.

KE official also said that power entity ensured sustained power supply despite light and moderate rainfall which hit many parts of Karachi today afternoon. “During fresh spell of rainfall, KE systems remained intact and our teams ensured that the city is provided with safe and reliable power supply”, KE spokesperson added. KE spokesman further advised the citizens “to observe all precautionary measures and maintain a safe distance from electricity infrastructure in case of a downpour to avoid any unpleasant incident.” The utility company will remain available 24/7 for any queries or complaints via its WhatsApp number +92-348-0000118, 118 call center, SMS service 8119, KE Live App, and social media platforms to serve the people in the best way. Pr

Friday, 7 January, 2022 | KARACHI

10 FOREIGN NEWS

ChiNA’S lOve Of piNe NUtS helpS AfGhAN expORteRS

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XINHUA

EARN up to 1,000 Afghani a day, depending on my work,” said Samsoor, 28, who works for Zmarai Gayanwal Ltd., a pine nut processing and export company in Kabul.

“I love my job and so we really need to export more to China. It’s the only way to increase our income and keep the plant operating,” said Samsoor. Established in 2015, Zmarai Gayanwal Ltd. now has over 100 people working for the company, said company president Sher Ali Zadran.

“Between 100 to 150 people work here directly in the factory and thousands more work indi-

rectly,” Zadran told Xinhua.

“The factory pays 300 Afghani a day for each worker, besides providing lunch and transportation.” The company exported 650 tons of nuts to China last year and is planning to hit 950 tons in 2022, with between

Diplomats scuffle at Afghan embassy in Rome AFP Police were called to Afghanistan’s embassy in Rome this week after a sacked Afghan diplomat claiming ties to the Taliban attacked the ambassador, the mission said. Many of Afghanistan’s embassies are in diplomatic limbo, with staff still loyal to the Western-backed government toppled by the Taliban last August. The Taliban have not appointed new representatives to most missions, however, and their government is not recognised by any nation. In a statement published on social media on Tuesday, the Rome embassy said a diplomat — appointed by the former Afghan government but recently dismissed — returned to the mission earlier that day, claiming he had been named ambassador by the Taliban. “Later he attacked the ambassador in the presence of an embassy employee but the ambassador defended himself and called the Italian police,” read the statement, written in the Dari language. It named the dismissed diplomat as Mohammad Fahim Kashaf, saying he lost his job due to “lack of commitment to national values and the values of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan”. Police escorted Kashaf — who had been with his child — out of the embassy, while the ambassador was unharmed, it said. The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is the United Nations-recognised name of the country, which the Taliban call the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. An Afghan diplomatic source said Kashaf had “switched loyalty” to the Taliban, and had been “beaten up” by his former colleagues. The Rome embassy did not return a telephone call and email seeking comment. Police in Rome said a “misunderstanding” had taken place at the embassy, but provided no further details. The Taliban’s foreign ministry in Kabul denied Kashaf been appointed ambassador, but also said he had not been dismissed. It said records showed Kashaf was appointed first secretary at the embassy in December 2020, with a contract valid until December next year.

Grammy Awards indefinitely postponed as Omicron surge sweeps US LONDON ReuteRs

This year’s Grammy Awards ceremony honouring top performances in music has been postponed indefinitely because of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, organisers said on Wednesday. The show had been scheduled to take place at an arena in downtown Los Angeles and broadcast live on the CBS network on January 31. “Given the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, holding the show on January 31 simply contains too many risks,” CBS and the Recording Academy said in a joint statement, adding that a new date would be announced soon.

Nominations for the awards were announced in November. Pianist and bandleader Jon Batiste led a field that spanned rap to jazz music and embraced newcomers from teen pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo to veteran crooner Tony Bennett, 95, who won his first Grammy in 1963. The 2021 Grammy awards also were postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The ceremony was staged in March instead of January and included a mix of pre-recorded and live segments in front of a small, socially distanced crowd. Organisers had hoped to return this year to something closer to the traditional celebration with a large audience inside the former Staples Center, now called Crypto.com Arena.

Late-night television host Trevor Noah had been tapped to host the event. CBS and the Recording Academy said they consulted local officials, health experts and artists before deciding to scrap the January date. “The health and safety of those in our music community, the live audience and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly to produce our show remains our top priority,” they said. Other entertainment industry events have been delayed or scaled back. Organisers of this month’s Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, said on Tuesday they had canceled in-person events and would move them online.

28,000 and 38,000 U.S. dollars per ton. While Zadran is happy enough with his income and the progress of his plant, he hopes that more Chinese investors will see the profits to be made and use their money to create more jobs.

Khalil Rashid, managing director of a pine nuts processing and export company, highlighted that the pine-nut trade with China had created jobs for thousands of people in his country, which had been at war for decades. “Besides people working in the factory, their families also process nuts at home and bring them back to factory after they finish,” Rashid said.

Pine cones are harvested 10 days before they open. The cones are dried in the sun for 20 days and then smashed to release the nuts which are sorted by hand. It takes time and persistence to extract the nuts from the cones, justifying the high price.

Afghanistan historically exported 10,000 tons of pine nuts to China each year, with others heading

to countries such as Germany, the Netherlands and Italy. Exports had been disrupted last year, but to China at least, trade more or less resumed at the end of October with the first air shipment of 45 tons.

Thousands of Afghans are now working with more than a dozen nut processing factories. “We are very happy to provide more jobs for people and to make more money, not for us also for our workers,” said Rashid. “More exports will bring more jobs.”

According to aid agencies, more than 22 million Afghans will face severe food shortages in Afghanistan this winter. Without overseas assistance, a humanitarian catastrophe threatens. “More than 10,000 people work in the pine-nut industry

whether on plantations, transportation or processing,” said Shafiqullah Atayee of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment. “Creating jobs could be the most effective way to help Afghans out of poverty. China is the main destination for our pine nuts. The country has a huge market for Afghan products and seems keen to import as much as we can offer them in terms of dried and fresh fruit, carpets and handicrafts,” Atayee said.

Afghan private airline Kam Air has run more than 30 cargo flights taking pine nuts to China since November. “Cargo flights will continue in 2022. Kam Air and exporters are determined to increase Afghanistan’s exports,” said the airline’s Mohammad Nadeam Naqshbandi.

Kazakh protesters torch public buildings; emergency declared, cabinet resigns AGENcIES Kazakhstan declared emergencies in the capital, main city and provinces on Wednesday after demonstrators stormed and torched public buildings, the worst unrest for more than a decade in a tightly controlled country that promotes an image of stability.

The Cabinet resigned but that failed to quell the anger of the demonstrators, who have taken to the streets in response to a fuel price increase from the start of the new year.

An Instagram live stream by a Kazakh blogger showed a fire blazing in the office of the Almaty mayor, with apparent gunshots audible nearby. Videos posted online also showed the nearby prosecutor’s office burning.

Earlier on Wednesday, Reuters journalists saw thousands of protesters pressing towards Almaty city centre, some of them on a large truck. Security forces,

ranked in helmets and riot shields, fired tear gas and flash-bang grenades.

The city’s police chief said Almaty was under attack by “extremists and radicals”, who had beaten up 500 civilians and ransacked hundreds of businesses.

A presidential decree announced a two-week state of emergency and nighttime curfew in the capital Nur-

Sultan, citing “a serious and direct security threat to citizens”. States of emergency were also declared in Almaty and in western Mangistau province, where the protests first emerged in recent days.

Authorities appeared to have shut the country off the internet as the unrest spread. Netblocks, a site that monitors

global internet connectivity, said the country was “in the midst of a nationscale internet blackout”.

Kazakhstan’s reputation for political stability under three decades of one-man rule by former leader Nursultan Nazarbayev helped it attract hundreds of billions of dollars of foreign investment in its oil and metals industries.

The price of its dollar bonds plunged by nearly 6 cents, the worst showing since the height of the coronavirus market collapse of 2020. read more President’s biggest test: President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev accepted the government’s resignation on Wednesday following the protests, which have spread from the provinces to main cities since price caps on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) were lifted on New Year’s Day peaking to the acting Cabinet, Tokayev ordered the price hikes reversed and new caps placed on the cost of other fuels.

Online sleuths track down US Capitol attackers WASHINGTON AFP

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is still searching for people who stormed the US Capitol on January 6. The 34-year-old from Washington state is one of a number of online sleuths tracking down participants in the attack on Congress.

“We’re somewhere between journalists and law enforcement,” said Kay, who declined to use her last name for security reasons. “We’re dedicated to finding everyone.” More than 725 people have been arrested so far for the attack on the Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump who were seeking to block congressional certification of Joe Biden’s presidential election victory. “January 6 broke my heart and I have never really gotten over it,” Kay told AFP, her voice breaking with emotion. “It seemed, like, sacrilegious.

“To me, the Capitol is — even though I’ve never been there — a symbol of our democracy,” she said. “And that really matters to me, that we have a healthy, thriving democracy.

“To see the Capitol assaulted like that, and the people inside, was terrifying, just heartbreaking.”

Kay has spent months at her computer keyboard, trawling the internet in a hunt for people involved in the assault on Congress.

Attorney General Merrick Garland, in a speech on Wednesday, thanked members of the public for their assistance in bringing participants to justice.

“We have received over 300,000 tips from ordinary citizens, who have been our indispensable partners in this effort,” Garland said.

Kay, who has a background in video production, has sifted through thousands of photographs and hundreds of hours of video of the attack available online, much of it on social media.

“I found that people were proudly posting what they had done on January 6,” she said.

“They were proud to be there, and it was just perfectly logical to brag about it online. “So you find their social media networks, you know their username and find them across all the platforms that they’re on.”

‘Very satisfying’: Kay is one of a number of online detectives working with groups going by names such as Sedition Hunters, Capitol Hunters and Deep State Dogs. Kay mainly works with Sedition Hunters, which has a core of about 20

members and the support of hundreds of others.

They use geolocation and facial recognition software such as PimEyes, and appeal for information through Twitter. The group does not publicly identify suspects by name, only by nicknames, and rigorously verifies photos before publishing them online or passing them on to the FBI. The FBI, like the attorney general, said the public has been a tremendous help in the investigation. “The FBI encourages the public to continue to send tips,” an FBI spokeswoman told AFP. “As we have seen with dozens of cases so far, the tips matter. “The FBI is working diligently behind the scenes to follow all investigative leads to verify tips from the public and bring these criminals to justice,” she said.

Devorah Margolin, a senior research fellow at the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, said social media has played an “outsized role” in the events of January 6.

“Most people who participated in these events didn’t think that they were doing anything wrong,” Margolin said. “They were posting online. A criminal offense took place and they documented it.”

Margolin said information obtained online, mostly from social media, featured in 77 percent of 704 January 6 criminal cases researched by the program.

“What we don’t know is how much of that information came from citizen detectives or tip lines, and how much was found by the FBI or DOJ themselves,” she said.

Aiden Bilyard, 19, was arrested in late November and charged with assault, destruction of government property and entering a restricted building.

In its arrest report, the FBI noted that Bilyard had been identified in open-source reporting as #Harvardsweats because of a gray Harvard sweatshirt he was wearing on January 6.

Ronald Loehrke, 30, was arrested in Georgia in early December based in part on photographs published by Sedition Hunters.

Loehrke is charged with assault, obstruction of law enforcement and unlawful entry.

Kay said the work is “very satisfying,” particularly when it leads to an arrest. “Many of these people are very violent people,” she said. “That does mean a lot to me, knowing that I’ve helped get these people off the streets.”

North Korea says it tested hypersonic missile SEOUL AFP

North Korea has successfully tested a hypersonic missile, state media reported Thursday, in the first major weapons test by the nuclear-armed nation this year. This was the second reported North Korean test of a hypersonic gliding missile to date, following one in September last year, as it looks to add the sophisticated weapon to its arsenal. Hypersonic missiles move far faster and are more agile than standard ones, making them much harder for missile defence systems — on which the US is spending billions — to intercept. The missile was test-fired on Wednesday and carried a “hypersonic gliding warhead” that “precisely hit a target 700 km away”, the official Korea Central News Agency said. The test on Wednesday “reconfirmed the flight control and stability of the missile in the active-flight stage and assessed the performance of the new lateral movement technique applied to the detached hypersonic gliding warhead”, KCNA said. The launch also verified the “fuel ampoule system under winter weather conditions”, it added. Seoul and Tokyo on Wednesday had detected the launch of a suspected ballistic missile from North Korea that fell in the sea east of the Korean peninsula. The United States condemned the launch, urging Pyongyang to sit down for talks. “This launch is in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and poses a threat to the DPRK’s neighbours and the international community,” a State Department spokesperson said, referring to the North by its official name. Dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang remains stalled, following the collapse of talks between Kim and then president Donald Trump in 2019.

Under Trump’s successor Joe Biden, the United States has repeatedly declared its willingness to meet North Korean representatives, while saying it will seek denuclearisation.

But Pyongyang has so far dismissed the offer, accusing Washington of pursuing “hostile” policies. In the decade since Kim Jong Un took power North Korea has made rapid progress in its military technology, at the cost of international sanctions.

Friday, 7 January, 2022 | KARACHI

SPORTS 11

NA commiTTEE rEvEAls sEvErAl PcB EmPloyEEs gET sAlAry of rs0.5m or morE

T

News Desk

HE new PCB management for the first time shared complete details of the salaries of all its employees with the National Assembly Standing Committee on Inter-provincial Coordination (IPC), which met on Thursday, at the Parliament House with MNA Nawab Sher in the chair.

A parliamentary panel on Wednesday was informed that former chief executive officer (CEO) Wasim Khan was the highest paid employee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) drawing a monthly salary of Rs2.6 million.

As per the PCB record, there are 18 employees in the

Board who get salaries of Rs500,000 or above.

The committee was told that Wasim received a monthly salary of Rs2.6 million.

The committee was supposed to get briefing from PCB chairman Ramiz Raja about the Board’s affairs.

However, he could not turn up due to his engagements in Karachi. The NA Standing Committee chairman while showing displeasure said the PCB head should have been in the committee meeting, to which PCB’s chief financial officer told the committee that Ramiz is in Karachi for his meeting with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.

The committee also took up the issue of PCB’s consortium with A TV and pending audit paras of cricketing

body. While briefing on “The Prevention of Offences in Sports Bill, 2020”, moved by MNA Iqbal Muhammad Ali Khan, Secretary of the Ministry of IPC informed the committee that initially the matter was taken up with the Ministry of Law and Justice for legal opinion. The Law Division opined that post the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the Parliament is no longer competent to legislate on the subject of sports and also advised to take up the matter with the Ministry of Interior.

He also informed that the IPC Ministry has already taken up the matter with the Ministry of Interior and requested the committee to direct the Interior Ministry to furnish their views/comments on the matter.

The NA committee directed the Interior Ministry to furnish its views/comments on “The Prevention of Offences in Sports Bill, 2020” to the committee at its next meeting. It is pertinent to note that other high paid employees of the PCB included physiotherapist Wycliffe Andrew Deacon, (Rs2.1 million), director media Sami Burney (Rs1.3 million), director high performance Nadeem Khan (Rs1.3 million), head international players development Saqlain Mushtaq (Rs1.2 million), chief executive officer (associate) Salman Naseer (Rs1.2 million), chief financial officer Javed Murtaza (Rs1.2 million), chief medical officer Najeebullah Soomro (Rs1.2 million), chairman selection committee Mohammad Wasim (Rs1 million), director human resource Serena Agha (Rs865,000), director international cricket operations Zakir Khan (Rs844,708), director security and anti-corruption Asif Mahmood (Rs650,000), SGM operations Asad Mustafa (Rs613,000), SMG Finance & Accounts Ateeque Rasheed (Rs600,000) while chief executive officers Anwar Saleem Kasi, Babar Khan, Najeeb Sadiq and Abdullah Khurram Niazi earn Rs500,000 each per month.

Novak Djokovic appeals deportation after Australia cancels visa AFP

The Ashes: Patient Khawaja scores century on Test return to pummel England AFP Usman Khawaja scored a memorable century on his return to Test cricket to strengthen Australia’s position in the fourth Ashes Test in Sydney after a double-wicket breakthrough by Stuart Broad on Thursday. The Pakistan-born Khawaja, playing his first Test since the 2019 Ashes series in England in place of Covid-isolated Travis Head, was at his unflappable best in notching an unbeaten hundred to put Australia in charge at 321 for six at tea. Khawaja went to the break unconquered on 102 off 202 balls with skipper Pat Cummins on 15. The elegant 35year-old left-hander looked likely to be going to tea on the dreaded 99 before he was given the strike by Cummins and then whipped spinner Jack Leach to deep backward square for three to bring up his ninth Test hundred. His well-received century followed 171 against England in Sydney in 2018, on a ground where he played his early cricket before moving to Queensland.

Khawaja had a let-off on 28 before lunch when Joe Root fumbled a good chance at slip from the bowling of Leach and he went on to punish the beleaguered tourists. Khawaja’s nick deflected off wicketkeeper Jos Buttler’s gloves but Root at slip had time to react and get his hands in the right place. But the chance went begging, much to Leach’s anguish. Khawaja’s patient knock stabilised the Australian first innings after Broad had knocked over Steve Smith and Cameron Green in a double breakthrough after lunch.

Broad struck twice with the second new ball, removing the dangerous Smith for 67 and young all-rounder Green for five. Broad, following up on his 13th Test dismissal of ‘bunny’ David Warner on the opening day, was denied when reviewing a close lbw shout when Smith did not offer a shot just a few balls before getting him caught behind in the same over. England's players celebrates the dismissal of Australia's Alex Carey on day two of the fourth Ashes cricket Test match between Australia and England at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Thursday. England’s players celebrates the dismissal of Australia’s Alex Carey on day two of the fourth Ashes cricket Test match between Australia and England at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Thursday. tentative Green: Broad got one to move off the seam and it kissed the outside edge of Smith’s bat and wicketkeeper Buttler accepted the catch. Smith was annoyed with himself as he left the wicket as he looked in good nick to score a 28th Test century, 12th in the Ashes and fourth at the SCG. During his knock Smith became Australia’s seventh-highest Test run-scorer, passing current team coach Justin Langer’s 7,696 runs. He now has scored 7,734 runs at 60.89. Broad followed up with the wicket of the tentative Green, who lunged forward and got a thick edge to Zak Crawley at third slip. It continued a run of low scores in the series. In another blow for England, star all-rounder Bn Stokes pulled up bowling his 14th over clutching his left side after a shortpitched delivery to Smith and immediately left the field for treatment. He later returned to the field but was unable to bowl. Root, forced into bowling his off-spin in the absence of Stokes, snared the wicket of Alex Carey for 13. The Ashes are already gone for England after going down by an innings and 14 runs inside three days in the third Test at Melbourne to give Australia a 3-0 lead with two Tests to complete.

Tennis world number one Novak Djokovic fought against deportation from Australia on Thursday after the government revoked his visa for failing to meet Covid vaccineentry requirements. The vaccine-sceptic Serb was stopped by border officials on arrival to Australia late on Wednesday and denied entry into the country.

He is currently being held at an immigration detention facility in Melbourne and faces deportation.

Djokovic had flown into the city’s Tullamarine Airport expecting to defend his Australian Open crown, and to bid for an unprecedented 21st Grand Slam title. He had claimed on Instagram that he had obtained an exemption to play in the tournament, which begins on January 17, without being vaccinated. The 34-year-old has refused to reveal his vaccine status publicly, but has previously voiced opposition to being jabbed. He contracted Covid at least once. But instead of a conquering champion’s return, Djokovic never made it past border control.

Conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Djokovic had failed to provide officials with evidence of double vaccination or an adequate medical exemption.

“Rules are rules and there are no special cases,” Morrison said. Australian border officials questioned the sports star overnight and revoked his visa citing a failure to “provide appropriate evidence to meet the entry requirements”.

Djokovic’s lawyers are now arguing against that de-

cision in court, hoping to prevent the star’s deportation.

‘Djokovic, justice anD truth’: News that Djokovic had received an exemption to arrive in Australia without being vaccinated was met by public outcry.

Australians have been unable to travel or welcome family from overseas for much of the last two years, thanks to tough pandemic restrictions.

Stephen Parnis, a former Australian Medical Association vice-president, said the exemption sent an “appalling message” to people trying to stop the spread of Covid-19.

But the Serb’s treatment on arrival prompted fury among his fans and a fiercely worded diplomatic rebuke from Serbia’s president. “The whole of Serbia is with him and… our authorities are undertaking all measures in order that maltreatment of the world’s best tennis player ends as soon as possible,” President Aleksandar Vucic said after speaking with Djokovic over the phone.

“In line with all standards of international public law, Serbia will fight for Novak Djokovic, justice and truth.”

Djokovic’s father echoed that nationalistic tone, claiming his son had been “held captive for five hours” at Melbourne airport and should return home to a hero’s welcome. “This is a fight for a libertarian world, this is not just a fight for Novak, but a fight for the whole world,” he told the Russian state-run Sputnik media outlet in Serbia.

Sanja, a 35-year-old Serbian-Australian Djokovic fan, had been looking forward to seeing him play in Melbourne. “He went through a civil war to play tennis. He’s

done nothing wrong to the world. If this was Nadal or Federer there wouldn’t be this much hype about it.” ‘no special favour’: Australia’s leaders — wary of public sentiment and mounting Covid problems ahead of an upcoming election — pointed fingers over who was responsible for the saga.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said the government made “no apologies” for protecting the border, despite the prime minister earlier suggesting it was up to Melbourne officials. Tournament organisers were also criticised, with Australian Open chief Craig Tiley insisting the defending champion had been given “no special favour” and urging him to reveal why he got the exemption to soothe public anger. All participants at the first Grand Slam of 2022 must be vaccinated against Covid-19 or have a medical exemption, which is granted only after assessment by two panels of independent experts. Among the conditions allowing entry without a vaccine is if a person has had Covid-19 in the past six months. It has not been revealed if that was the case with Djokovic.

Dean Elgar Stars As South Africa Beat India To Level Series JOHANNesBURG Staff RepoRt

South Africa beat India by seven wickets in the second Test at the Wanderers in Johannesburg to level the three-match series. Proteas captain Dean Elgar was the hero for the home team for his unbeaten 96run knock. Elgar batted strongly in front of the Indian bowlers and stood like a rock in the chase of 240.

For India, Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur and Ravichandran Ashwin picked one wicket each.

The focus will now shift to the decisive Test at the Newlands in Cape Town.

At Stumps on Day 3 of the second Test at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, South Africa were at 118/2 in the chase of 122 runs against India.

Proteas captain Dean Elgar was still unbeaten on

46 and was joined by Rassie van der Dussen after the home side lost its second wicket. Elgar added 47 runs for the first wicket with Aiden Markram followed by a 46-run stand with Keegan Petersen for the second wicket. For India, Ravichandran, Ashwin and Shardul Thakur picked one wicket each. Earlier, Hanuma Vihari remained not out with his 40-run knock as India were bowled out for 266 runs in their second innings. The visitors made a good start on Day 3 but lost their way after the dismissals of Ajinkya Rahane (58) and Cheteshwar Pujara (53).

The pair registered half-centuries to take India’s lead past the 100-run mark. They were dismissed by Kagiso Rabada, who also took the wicket of Rishabh Pant. Apart from Rabada, Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi also picked three wickets each while Duanne Olivier took one.

swiatek cruises past fernandez, to face Azarenka in Adelaide ADeLAIDe ReuteRS

Defending champion Iga Swiatek made short work of US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez in a dominant 6-1 6-2 win at the Adelaide International on Thursday to set up a quarterfinal against two-times Grand Slam winner Victoria Azarenka.

Swiatek, the 2020 Roland Garros winner, took control of the match from 1-1 in the first set and capitalised on Fernandez’s misfiring serve to wrap up the victory in 75 minutes at the Australian Open warm-up event. The Pole, ranked fifth at this year’s tournament, hit 17 winners against her 19-year-old opponent and did not face a break point as she extended her winning streak in Adelaide to seven matches. “I was playing against a younger girl, which is pretty new for me,” Swiatek, 20, said. “She’s pretty talented and she’s a Grand Slam finalist, so I knew it was going to be tricky. “I felt really confident and I’m pretty happy that I could finish it really quickly and I didn’t let go of focus.” Swiatek, who defeated Belinda Bencic to win last year’s title, will face Azarenka in the next round after the former world number one scored a 6-3 7-5 victory over Australian wildcard Priscilla Hon at Memorial Drive. Hon had stunned Petra Kvitova in the first round on Monday and threatened a tiebreak in the second set against Azarenka but the Belarusian wrapped up the win in just under 90 minutes.

Swiatek said she was looking forward to her match against Azarenka, who won both her Grand Slam titles at Melbourne Park. “I love playing such an experienced player because it’s always a challenge,” Swiatek said of the 32-year-old. “I have a different mindset when I play against players like that because I watched them when I was younger. It shows me my progress, but also I have a huge amount of respect for them.”

Friday, 7 January, 2022

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Turkey, PakisTan To oPTimize miliTary-To-miliTary Ties RAWALPINDI

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staff report

eputy Chief of turkish General Staff, General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa at GHQ here on thursday, said Inter-Services public Relations (ISpR) in a statement on thursday.

According to ISpR, matters of regional security situation, mutual and professional interest with special emphasis on defence and security collaboration between the two brotherly countries were discussed during the meeting. the COAS said: “We highly value our brotherly relations with turkey which are deeply rooted in history and

entrenched in our cultural and religious affinities.

He underscored the importance of peace and reconciliation initiatives in Afghanistan, said the ISpR. the army chief stressed upon the need for global convergence and sincere efforts to avert a looming humanitarian catastrophe.

Both sides agreed to further optimize military-to-military ties particularly in training and counter-terrorism domains, read the ISpR statement. the visiting dignitary acknowledged the professionalism of the pakistan Armed Forces and vowed to enhance cooperation in various fields. He also appreciated pakistan’s role in Afghan situation, special efforts for border management and role in regional stability.

na session summoned on Jan 10 to give nod to mini-budget ISLAMABAD Mian abrar

Federal government has decided to summon the National Assembly session on January 10 to get the Finance Amendment Bill 2021, also known as mini-budget, sail through the Lower House of the parliament.

Detailing the passage of the bill, Adviser to prime Minister on parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan said that the National Assembly session has been summoned on January 10 at 4:00 pm. “the Finance amendment bill will be tabled during the session besides also a discussion on suggestions on the bill proposed by Senate,” he said and invited the opposition to take part in the legislation process.

He said that indulging in sloganeering would not help the opposition in improving the legislative process nor this could help them in creating hurdles for the government to pass the bill.

“Our doors are open for talks with the opposition on the legislation process,” he said. On December 30, the pakistan tehreek-e-Insaf (ptI) led federal government tabled Finance (Supplementary) Bill 2021 — or the minibudget in the National Assembly for approval. the Finance (Supplementary) Bill 2021 was tabled by Federal Finance Minister Shaukat tarin in the lower house amid protest by the opposition members.

Govt also tabled the State Bank of pakistan (Amendment) Bill 2021 in the assembly for approval. the house also adopted different resolutions extending various Ordinances for a period of 120 days.

PPP to launch long march against PTI Govt from Karachi on February 27 LAHoRe news desk

ppp Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on thursday announced that he will lead a “long march” against the ptI government from Karachi to Islamabad on February 27.

Addressing a news conference here, Bilawal demanded an immediate and transparent election in the country as he termed democracy as the only solution to the problems of the country.

He said that the nation wants to get rid of the “selected” government and a transparent election is the only solution.

Criticising the government’s economic policies, the ppp chairman said that the government has “surrendered” before international organisations and now the country’s economic auton-

omy is “at stake”.

Speaking about the State Bank of pakistan (Amendment) Bill, which was presented in the National Assembly last month to meet the conditions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Bilawal said that SBp’s autonomy is also “at stake”. “the State Bank will neither be answerable to parliament nor any courts,” he said. He said the party is working on a legal course of action to take against the SBp bill.

Meanwhile, regarding the supplementary finance bill, which is referred to as the “mini-budget” by the Opposition, Bilawal lashed out at the government saying that their “intentions are clear to get it approved by force” in parliament. terming the so-called “mini-budget” as an “anti-state bill”, the ppp

chairman said that we will protest in front of the parliament house on the day voting for it is held.

It is pertinent to mention here that Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry has said a National Assembly session has been summoned on January 10 for the approval of the supplementary finance bill.

Sharing details of his line of action in context with the protest and long march against the ptI government, Bilawal said that ppp would initiate its long march on February 27 from Mazar-e-Quaid.

He said: “No matter what comes our way, we will reach Islamabad at any cost and will present our demands.” “ppp’s stance is very clear on Imran Khan’s selection. We want all institutions to remain neutral.”

Bilawal further added that his party is starting its next phase of protests from today, hoping that no hurdle and interference will be made in their struggle.

Answering questions related to ppp’s former alliance with the Opposition’s pakistan Democratic Movement (pDM), Bilawal said that ppp is not a part of pDM any more.

“Now it is up to them whether they resign from parliament or not,” he said, adding: “pDM has not consulted with us on its long march against ptI.” Meanwhile, during the press conference, he also welcomed the InterServices public Relations (ISpR) statement regarding their neutral stance in political matters, saying that it’s a wise comment and the institution’s role must remain neutral.

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omicron rages as 1085 new infections recorded in a single day coNtINueD fRoM PAge 01 “these 95 cases have been detected after 133 samples were sent for genome-sequencing, showing the presence of new cases of the variant in the province,” he said. the chief minister while confirming the local transmission of the new variant said that some cases have been found in people having a travel history while most of them were locally transmitted. the masses should adopt strict precautionary measures to avoid contracting the Omicron variant, he said. Sindh minister fears thousands omicron cases in month or two: Sindh Health Minister has pointed out an upsurge in coronavirus cases in the province. “It seems the cases are on upward trajectory and thousands cases of Omicron strain of the virus, can be reported in a month or two,” health minister Azra pechuho talking to media here said. “We can opt for lock down if the hospitals will fill to the capacity with patients,” the minister said. ” No lock down has been under consideration now. probably a small lock down required,” the minister further said. “In Sindh over 170 Omicron cases have been surfaced. In last 24 hours over 500 cases of the disease have emerged,” the minister said. provincial minister stressed for compliance of the standard operating procedures (SOps), adding that the cases will further spread if the people will avoid to get vaccine shots. “those fully vaccinated, should get a booster shot of the vaccine, after six months of the second dose,” pechuho advised. the experts in the country have urged for vaccination to curb the infections and avoid serious disease. the positivity ratio of COVID-19 cases in Karachi has reached beyond nine percent, the provincial health department said on thursday amid concerns over rising cases of Omicron variant.

next three months ‘very important’ for PTi government: imran khan ISLAMABAD news desk

prime Minister Imran Khan on thursday highlighted that the next three months are very important for the ptI government. Speaking during an interview, the premier said that his relationship with the military is “exemplary,” adding he hasn’t thought about a further extension of the Army chief’s tenure as it will be decided in November 2022. Speaking about the recently-held local bodies elections in Khyber pakhtunkhwa, the premier said that the “ptI has suffered because of the defeat in the polls.” the premier was of the view that the defeat of the ptI was a major failure at the organisational level; however, he reiterated that the party’s vote bank has not decreased.

Highlighting the flaws of the government, he said that the biggest failure of the government was the lack of accountability. the premier further said that if the Opposition plans to bring a motion of no confidence against the government, “they can do so”; adding that he does not feel threatened by “corrupt parties.”

During the interview, the premier said that despite all the evidence against these people [Opposition], they are managing to escape accountability.

Shedding light on the soaring inflation, he said that the government needs to control inflation in the next three months.

He was of the view that together with the allies, the incumbent government will complete its five-year tenure.

Maryam Nawaz affirms veracity of recent leaked tape, seeks apology for ‘phone-taping’ coNtINueD fRoM PAge 01 Maryam demanded prime Minister Imran Khan’s resignation and action against him and other members of the ruling pakistan tehreek-i-Insaf (ptI) over a report compiled by the scrutiny committee of the election Commission of pakistan (eCp) that she claimed confirmed that the ptI received funding from foreign nationals and companies, under-reported funds and concealed dozens of its bank accounts. “the pML-N demands and pakistan’s opposition demands that Imran Khan immediately resigns [as the prime minister] for lying … taking illegal funds and covering this [act],” she said, further demanding action against the premier and ptI over “misdeclaration, [deliberate] concealment and misstatement”.

Moreover, the pML-N vice president said, action should also be taken against four of the ptI’s employees named in the eCp’s report for receiving funds in their personal accounts. “there should be an investigation on

how much amount was transferred from which company to the [ptI’s] accounts and where it was spent,” she said, also demanding that “all declared and undeclared accounts of the ptI should be made public.”

Maryam called for the formation of a joint investigation team on the matter, demanding that the hearings of the case then be held against prime Minister Imran on a daily basis, “just like they were held over false allegations against Sharifs”.

Lauding the eCp for releasing the report on the matter “despite pressure from the government to not make it public”, she said the commission now must punish the prime minister according to the law.

“Now it is the eCp’s and judiciary’s test, which were very active at the time of the case against Nawaz Sharif,” she remarked. “the nation now wants to see what action these institutions that serve justice take against a person against whom such big allegations have been proved.”

At the outset of her address, Maryam said the eCp’s report contained “shocking”

facts and revelations that had “removed the mask” from prime Minister Imran’s face and exposed him to the nation. “there is no doubt that such allegations have never been levelled, supported by undeniable evidence, against any political party or leader in pakistan’s history,” she claimed, slamming the premier for not “addressing these allegations and instead, telling your party to highlight the brand Imran Khan”.

Maryam went on to say that the ptI’s brand was now defined by “inefficiency, inflation, lying and unemployment”.

Sharing the contents of the report, she said according to the State Bank of pakistan, the ptI had 26 accounts, of which 18 were active.

“Only four of the accounts were declared by the ptI before the election Commission of pakistan,” she claimed. “you did not just lie [about the accounts], but also tried to sabotage the investigation [into them].”

Maryam should have apologised to the nation, media over her leaked audio clip: says Fawad Chaudhry Minister for Information and Broadcast-

ing Fawad Chaudhry has said that the pMLN Vice-president Maryam Nawaz should have apologised to the nation and the media over her leaked audio clip.

In the audio clip, which went viral over social media recently, Maryam could be heard issuing instructions to someone to stop advertisements to certain tV channels.

Maryam was talking about party advertisements. However, the issue spiralled into yet another political controversy and gave new intensity to political tussles, serving as a tool for the ruling party to hit back at the rival party for its usage of the CJp’s alleged audio clip as a rallying cry against the legitimacy of prime Minister Imran Khan’s government.

“She [Maryam Nawaz] accepted herself that the audio clip was authentic and it was her own voice. She could be heard blaming some media groups,” Fawad said during a press conference in Islamabad on thursday.

He said that the pML-N leader should have apologised to the nation as well as the media for her remarks. “It is not necessary that even if you become a grandmother, you

get wisdom along with it.”

Fawad said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is out of the country for 17 months despite the fact he was given permission on medical grounds for only a few weeks. the ruling pakistan tehreek-e-Insaf (ptI) government, he said, conducted transparent elections in recent local body elections in Khyber-pakhtunkhwa (K-p) and is going to do the same in punjab. the information minister also told the reporters that the government had made a comprehensive plan to tackle inflation. “the finance bill will be passed by parliament on January 10… after successfully negotiating with the IMF, you will see stability in the country.” He said that despite the coronavirus pandemic, pakistan’s economy is predicted to grow between 4.5 to 5 per cent which is a very healthy indicator.

“We’re seeing a good economic growth in pakistan… you will see stability in the country in next few months,” he added.

He said that the ptI government was stable on both the political and economic fronts.

Published by Arif Nizami at Plot No 66-C, 1st Floor, 21st Commercial Street, Phase-II (Extension), DHA Karachi and printed at Ibn-e-Hassan Printing Press, Hockey Stadium, Karachi, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 021-35381208-9. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk