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Thursday, 12 april, 2018 i rajab-ul-Murajjab 25, 1439 i rs 20.00 i vol viii no 284 i 20 Pages i lahore edition
at least 7 Kashmiris martyred in protests
fata reforms
army believes pashtuns have had enough g
19 civilians injured in loc firing ON PAGES 02 & 03
gen bajwa says mainstreaming of fata and Kp in line with public sentiments imperative for peace, prosperity in region
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military top brass to continue efforts in support of state institutions which are taKing paKistan on a positive trajectory of peace and stability
adiala jail being readied for ‘special guest’, says nawaz g
deposed pm accuses three members of jit of being his ‘worst political opponents’
File photo of Pashtun protesters holding placards during a rally organised by Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) in Peshawar on Sunday.
RAWALPINDI
sharifs’ counsel bashes Wajid Zia over constitution of jiT STORIES ON PAGE 03
cjp holds judges responsible for delay in justice STORY ON PAGE 02
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STAFF REPORT
hief of army staff (coas) gen Qamar javed bajwa wednesday said that mainstreaming federally administered tribal areas (fata) and their merger with Khyber pakhtunkhwa (Kp) according to wishes of tribal people is 'imperative' for 'peace and prosperity' in the region. addressing the 210th corps commanders' conference at the general headquarters (ghQ), the army chief said that “the stability and development efforts in fata must trickle down dividends of peace to the public, while the control of cleared areas is being handed over to the civil administration." the coas also stressed that the key dividend remains linked to mainstreaming
of fata in line with popular public sentiments, said the inter-services public relations (ispr) in a statement. the statement of army chief comes in wake of a major rally staged by the pashtun tahafuz movement (ptm) on sunday. one of ptm's demands is the restoration of routine life in fata, which has been at the forefront of pakistan’s fight against terrorism. “the people of tribal areas should be given the same rights as the people of lahore and islamabad,” one of the organisers of the ptm protest had said on sunday while demanding the provision of basic human rights to the people of tribal areas. other speakers had demanded that facilities such as hospitals, schools and colleges should be provided in fata, and vowed to continue their demand for rights within the ambit of the constitution. the conference also reviewed the evolving geo-strategic environment and
Fear oF clash looms as russia, us up their war rhetoric
STORY ON PAGE 09
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security situation of the country. the progress of ongoing operation raddul fasaad and Khushal balochistan programme was also discussed. the forum acknowledged contributions and sacrifices of all national stakeholders especially the resilient pakistanis in rejecting terrorism and bringing about security stability in the country. it discussed lines of stability operations to carry forward the gains of successful kinetic operations, the ispr said. the forum concluded to continue efforts in support of state institutions which are taking pakistan on a positive trajectory of peace, stability and prosperity. on tuesday, pakistan army handed over the administrative powers to the civil authorities in dir following eradication of terrorism and restoration of peace after 10 years in the area.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 03
opp tells govt it has ‘no right’ to present next budget g
Khursheed shah meets abbasi, says govt should present budget only for next four months and let new govt present own budget
PPP and PTi refuse to accept amnesty scheme STORIES ON PAGE 02
02 NEWS
Thursday, 12 April, 2018
opp tells govt it hAs ‘no right’ to present next Budget KHURSHEED SHAH MEETS ABBASI, SAYS GOVT SHOULD PRESENT BUDGET ONLY FOR NEXT FOUR MONTHS AND LET NEW GOVT PRESENT OWN BUDGET ISLAMABAD
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STAFF REPORT
PPOSITION Leader in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah on Wednesday told Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi that the outgoing government has “no right to present a budget for the upcoming fiscal year”, as the two leaders discussed the setup of the caretaker government and other important issues. The incumbent government’s five-year tenure is set to expire on May 31 after which a caretaker government will take over for 60 days and oversee the general elections. During the meeting, Shah advised the prime minister to present a budget only for next four months and to provide the next government with a chance to pres-
sC orders arrest of 70-year-old for forcibly marrying minor girl ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Wednesday ordered police to arrest within 10 days and present in court a 70year-old man who has been accused of attempting to forcibly marry a minor girl in Balochistan’s Qila Abdullah district. The order came as a three-judge bench headed by CJP Nisar heard the underage marriage case at the Quetta Registry of the Supreme Court. Balochistan Inspector General of Police (IGP) Moazzam Jah Ansari, district deputy commissioner and Qila Abdullah district police officer were present during the hearing. “A 70-year-old forcibly claimed my 10-year-old sister in 2017,” the girl’s brother told the court, adding that as per cultural tradition, if a man resorts to aerial firing outside any person’s house he can claim a woman of the house as his spouse. He further alleged that he was kidnapped on July 6, 2017, from Qila Abdullah’s Gulistan area in connection with this case. “We are being openly threatened and police are not arresting the suspects,” the girl’s brother added. However, an investigating officer said that four suspects were arrested but they have been granted bail by the Supreme Court. He added that the main accused is absconding. The CJP directed that the absconder should be arrested immediately and adjourned the hearing of the case till April 23.
sC rejects Balochistan govt’s report on tree felling in pishin ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday rejected a report by the Balochistan government on cutting of trees in Pishin and ordered it to present a detailed report within 15 days. Hearing a suo moto case, a two-judge bench headed by Justice Azmat Saeed Khosa and comprising Justice Qazi Faiz Isa ordered the communication and works secretary, who prepared the report, to appear in court on the next hearing. Justice Isa remarked: “It seems an incapable officer has prepared the report”, adding that officers in Balochistan needed to be educated on the constitution. Further, the Balochistan additional advocate general told the court that funds will be wasted if the construction of the roads was not started. Upon which, Justice Isa remarked that court is not barring the authorities from constructing the road but the cutting of trees cannot be allowed. “There is an alternative route for construction of the road,” the court observed.
PM AND OPP LEADER TO COME UP WITH A NAME FOR CARETAKER PRIME MINISTER BEFORE MAY 16
ent a budget of its own will. On the subject of the caretaker prime minister, the opposition leader told the media later that the matter will be decided after he and the prime minister discuss this issue with their allies. He said that they’re trying to come up with a name for the caretaker prime minister before May 16. However, sources told Pakistan Today that the name of former chief justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, among others, was also mentioned as a probable candidate during the meeting. The meeting also discussed internal affairs of the country, sessions in both houses of the parliament, implementation of law and law enforcement agencies. Shah told reporters that he advised the prime minister to dissolve the government a day before the end of its tenure. “If a government
PM UNLIKELY TO DISSOLVE GOVT ONE DAY BEFORE TERM ENDS
fore June. The Constitution of Pakistan demands that the prime minister must appoint a caretaker for the post after consultation with the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly. A list of six candidates is then created, three from the prime minister and three from opposition leader but the final selection is based on consensus. The prime responsibility of the caretaker government is to ensure that the elections are held in a clear manner. Earlier on Tuesday, former Senate chairman Raza Rabbani had also expressed reservations over the government’s intention to present the federal budget for the next financial year. By doing so, he had argued, the government would provide an opportunity to the caretaker set-up to prolong its tenure with a year’s fiscal budget already in its hands. He had also wondered which hidden hand was compelling the government to go for this exercise when its
completes its tenure, the general elections are held in next 60 days, whereas if a government is dissolved even one day before completion of its tenure then general elections are held in next 90 days,” he said. His suggestion was, however, rejected by the prime minister, who said that he would hold a session of the assembly even on last day of the government’s tenure, Shah further said. Later in the day, Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi also met with Khursheed Shah, at his chamber in the Parliament House to discuss the caretaker government and the political situation of the country. PTI leader Shireen Mazari was also present during the meeting. Qureshi agreed that there is no logic in presenting a budget for an entire fiscal year when the government is set to dissolve be-
CJP holds judges responsible for delay in justice CHIEF JUSTICE NISAR SAYS JUDGEMENTS ARE GIVEN ON BASIS OF LAW AND CONSTITUTION, NOT OUT OF FREE WILL QUETTA STAFF REPORT
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Wednesday remarked that judges are responsible for the delay in cases and dispensation of justice, saying he doesn’t understand how trials can go on for 30 to 40 years. “What is the fault of the person who is seeking justice? How can it take 15 years for a case’s trial to conclude? I don’t understand this,” the CJP said while addressing a judicial gathering in the provincial capital. He said that judges announced judgements on the basis of the law and constitution, not out of free will. Emphasising the veracity of decisions made by lower courts, CJP Nisar said, “If the verdicts given by lower courts are solid, the decision will be upheld at superior courts.” Reminiscing on judicial history, Nisar remarked that in the past there were judges whose verdicts were not
changed even when challenged in the Supreme Court. “I wonder where such competent judges have gone who authored valuable judgements.” Observing that the judges were responsible for any legal weakness in a verdict, he stressed complete understanding of law and the constitution for adjudicating a case. “It is time to put our house in order,” noted Justice Nisar. “A society without justice cannot survive.” The CJP observed that while laws dating back to the 1800s, could not be amended, justice could be provided by applying the same laws crafted by the British rulers. “We do not have the power to change the laws penned down by the British. We have to work under these laws,” he told the audience. “Lawyers are the foundations of judiciary.” It is an honour to be a judge, he said while urging the community to maintain that respect. He added that the judges were tasked to provide justice. “How will we face God if we
do not strengthen the foundation of justice?” he asked. Dwelling on litigation, Justice Nisar remarked that people spent years running behind trial courts. “A person who does not find justice for 40 years dies every single day. Why do we prolong cases so much?” he asked. The CJP said that justice could be aptly provided to the masses by following the law and constitution. He highlighted that the institution of judiciary ensures justice in the society. “We are those Qazis and judges who perform their duties in accordance with the law and constitution. We do not give verdicts based on free will.” The chief justice lamented that the institution lacks resources and the government’s cooperation was not of the required level. “We are the top privileged civil servants,” he said, adding that the salaries and facilities available to judges are more than similar grade officers in other departments. “We have to justify our incomes and facilities.”
term was to expire on May 31. He had also pointed out that the Constitution provides that the interim government can have a budget for a period of up to four months approved. He said he was at a loss to understand why the PML-N was allowing this sword to permanently hang over the nation’s head. Earlier this week, Khursheed Shah had said that the opposition has not yet decided on a candidate for the post of caretaker prime minister. “I have not had any final discussion with opposition allies over the issue. They haven’t submitted a final name. My party has to meet and decide on a name as well. The government might submit a name too,” he had said. “If the prime minister doesn’t accept the Senate chairman then he doesn’t accept the parliament,” he said while criticising Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz’s (PML-N) break with tradition.
At leAst 7 KAshmiris mArtyred in fighting And protests SRINAGAR: At least seven Kashmiris were killed in fighting in Indian-held Kashmir on Wednesday, sparking angry retaliatory protests and violent street clashes across the restive Himalayan region. Kashmir — divided between India and Pakistan but claimed in its entirety by both — has witnessed a surge in violence with more than 100 people killed since the start of the year. In the latest shootout, Indian forces killed three gunmen and a civilian allegedly being used as a human shield in Kulgam district in southern Kashmir, police claimed. Hundreds of civilians marched on the village, chanting anti-India slogans and throwing stones at government forces who responded with live rounds, pellets and tear gas. “Two civilians died when they came close to the encounter site,” local police chief Shesh Paul Vaid told AFP. A soldier who was wounded during the fighting died later in a military hospital, Vaid said. The violence comes shortly after 20 people — including four civilians — were killed on a single day earlier this month. Separatist rebels in Indian-held Kashmir have been fighting security forces for decades for independence or for a merger with Pakistan. Tens of thousands, mostly civilians, have died. On Wednesday, students protested against Indian rule at Srinagar’s largest university, while shops were closed in the city. Tensions were particularly high before Wednesday’s violence: two police officers were implicated this week in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl whose body was found in January. AGENCIES
PPP and PTI refuse to accept amnesty scheme PTI’S SHAH MAHMOOD QURESHI SAYS SCHEME IS AIMED AT THOSE WHO WANT TO LOOT AND PLUNDER PAKISTAN ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Wednesday said they will put up stiff resistance to the recently announced tax amnesty scheme when the government presents it in the National Assembly. Speaking on the floor of the House, PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the amnesty scheme is aimed at those who want to loot the country, adding that the PTI has decided to oppose the ordinance. The PTI leader said that the government should do something for direct taxation rather than heavily relying on indirect taxes only. He further demanded to include the scheme in the upcoming budget if it is that much effective, adding that it’s the first government to present six budgets in five years. Qureshi said that the State
Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) were also hesitant in accepting it. Meanwhile, PPP leader Naveed Qamar said that the ordinance is inappropriate and asked why the people should trust the PML-N’s scheme as it does not promise any reliefs. Earlier, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi while announcing the tax amnesty scheme for non-taxpayers had said that the politicians could not take advantage of the scheme. The prime minister said that only 1.2 million people file income tax returns out of a population of 207 million, adding that only 700,000 were paying tax while others only filed returns and paid no income tax. “The maximum rate of income tax was being reduced from the existing 30% to 15%,” Abbasi said. He said that an individual earning Rs4.8 million per annum will pay 15 per
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MIFTAH ISMAIL SAYS UNPRECEDENTED RELIEF HAS BEEN GIVEN TO SALARIED CLASS IN AMNESTY SCHEME cent tax, adding that the rate of income tax for the income bracket of Rs 2.4 to 4.8 million would be 10 percent. Responding to the concerns of the opposition members over the recently announced tax reforms package, Adviser on Finance Miftah Ismail said it is a historic and fantastic package in which unprecedented relief has been given to the salaried class by substantially reducing the tax rates. He wondered why the PPP and the PTI are protesting over the tax reduction which has given a raise of 10 to 15 per cent in salaries to the employees. The adviser also clarified that proceeds of criminal activities or corruption cannot benefit from the tax amnesty scheme. He said the scheme is aimed at increasing the tax base and it will help attract more investment and spur industrial activity in the country. KASHMIR DISPUTE: The Na-
tional Assembly unanimously passed a resolution strongly condemning atrocities perpetrated on innocent Kashmiri by the Indian security forces in the Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK). The resolution moved by Minister for Kashmir Affairs Barjees Tahir demanded the international community implement the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions that promise right of self-determination to Kashmiri people. The resolution urged the government to request the Human Rights Council in Geneva to send a fact-finding mission to the occupied valley to investigate the human rights violations. Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry laid before the House, “The Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Bill, 2018. The chair referred the bill to the relevant committee for further consideration. The House will now meet on Thursday morning.
Thursday, 12 April, 2018
NEWS
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AdiAlA jAil Being reAdied for ‘speCiAl guest’, sAys nAwAz DEPOSED PM ACCUSES THREE MEMBERS OF JIT OF BEING HIS ‘WORST POLITICAL OPPONENTS’ SAYS ACCOUNTABILITY COURT WAS GIVEN SIX MONTHS [BY SC] NOT TO COMPLETE THE TRIAL BUT TO SEND HIM TO JAIL
MARYAM SAYS CROSS-EXAMINATION OF WAJID ZIA PROVES JIT REPORT WAS ‘PRE-DECIDED’ ISLAMABAD
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ORMER prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday claimed that three of the Panamagate joint investigation team (JIT) members were Sharif family’s “worst political opponents” and expressed apprehensions that the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi was being prepared for a “special guest”, ostensibly referring to himself. Nawaz, flanked by his daughter
Maryam Nawaz, made these remarks outside the accountability court after appearing in the Avenfield flats reference. He went on to claim that the accountability court was given six months [by the Supreme Court] not to complete the trial but send him to jail. In an informal talk with journalists, Nawaz said he knows there are reports that preparations are underway to welcome “a special guest.” “How do the jail authorities know that someone is being sent to jail,” he asked. The ousted premier bashed the JIT
loC firing injures 19 RAWALPINDI STAFF REPORT
Women and children among 19 Pakistani civilians were injured as Indian forces resorted to unprovoked firing across the Line of Control (LoC) on Wednesday in different areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). According to media reports, eight persons in Khuiratta sector, 10 in different villages of Poonch district, and one in Tetrinote village were reported wounded. Khuiratta sector Assistant Commissioner (AC) Ali Asghar identified the names of the victims as Munir Begum, Somia Zubair, Moeen Riaz, Sheharyar Jabir and his cousin Aamer Suleman, Anwar Begum and Abdul Qadeer, Danish Rauf in Khuiratta sector. Apart from human casualties, three buffaloes of one Mistri Tofeeq were also killed in the neighbouring Tain village while the shelling also damaged several houses. Heavy shelling started in Battal sector of Hajira district where 10 persons were wounded in different villages, according to Raja Tahir Mumtaz, deputy commissioner of Poonch district. Mumtaz identified the victims as Shah Begum, Adil Mohammad, Furqan Taraf in Dharamsal village; Nahila Bibi, Anwar Jan in Rakkar Dabi village; Lubna Khalid in Mandhol village; Arzu Rahim and her sister Aiman Rahim, Konain Hafeez and Zahida Begum in Battal village. Shelling was also reported from the southernmost Bhimber district, where according to deputy commissioner Chaudhry Guftar. Mehreen Amir was injured in Abdullahpur village. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed the ceasefire violations in which the Indian forces targeted civilian population in Khuiratta sector along the working boundary.
members, calling them the worst political opponents besides accusing them and their spouses of being linked with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He, however, chose to spare the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) representative, Irfan Naeem Mangi, from his list, and kept on with the criticism of the intelligence agencies’ officials on the team. “My case was not a terrorism case. I was doing nothing against the interests of Pakistan. What was the need to include the ISI and MI in the JIT?” Nawaz questioned. The cross-examination of Wajid Zia, the JIT head, by the defence counsel of the Sharif family, has “proved our innocence and the impartiality of the JIT”, the elder Sharif claimed. He said the JIT deliberately ‘concealed’ facts that went in his favour and went on to claim that Zia has given us a certificate of innocence. Moreover, when a journalist mentioned that Nawaz has always been surrounded by turncoats, he responded: “Committed people are sitting on my left and right and you can see who is sit-
ting beside me now.” Answering a question pertaining to disgruntled party leader Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan, the former premier said that everyone knows about Nisar. Nawaz further said that candidates contesting in next general elections should not be under NAB’s pressure. “I have talked with Prime Minister Abbasi to make NAB law ineffective during interim government’s tenure,” he said. JIT delivered ‘pre-decided report’: Speaking to reporters, PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz also echoed the concerns expressed by her father, saying cross-examination [of Wajid Zia] in the Avenfield flats reference has proved that the truth was deliberately being withheld to deliver a “pre-decided” report. Talking to reporters outside the accountability court, the deposed PM’s daughter said that PTI chief Imran Khan is trying to create chaos in the country “but all of his efforts would be foiled”. She said that those who hatch up conspiracies could not see anything other than a conspiracy.
Sharifs’ counsel bashes Wajid Zia over constitution of Panamagate JIT KH HARIS COMPLETES HIS 10-DAY LONG CROSSEXAMINATION OF JIT HEAD ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
The formation of the joint investigation team in the Panama Papers case was the focus of Nawaz Sharif’s counsel Khawaja Haris’s cross-examination of joint investigation team (JIT) head Wajid Zia during the hearing of a graft reference pertaining to Avenfield apartments at an accountability court in Islamabad. The Supreme Court-mandated JIT comprised Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Additional Director General (Immigration) Wajid Zia, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)Managing Director (NIBAF) Amer Aziz, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) Executive Director Bilal Rasool, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Director General ( Balochistan)Irfan Naeem Mangi, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director (Internal Security) Brigadier (r) Nauman Saeed and Military Intelligence (MI) Brigadier Kamran Khurshid. At the outset of the hearing on Wednesday, Haris began with questioning the inclusion of SECP Bilal Rasool in the JIT. “Did it come to
your notice that Rasool’s wife was the PML-Q nominee for the provincial elections of 2013 or that she is an ardent supporter of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)?” asked Haris, to which Zia replied in negative. The next person who came under scrutiny was SBP’s Amer Aziz. Khawaja Haris asked Zia if he knew that Aziz was part of the team which investigated Hudaibia Paper Mills case in 2000. At this, NAB’s prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi asked the relevance of the subject, saying the defence never challenged the constitution of the JIT. To which, Haris retorted: “Tell us where we welcomed the constitution.” “Scandalous questions are being asked here,” Abbasi argued; to which he said, “Six days were taken to record Zia’s statement but you are questioning every question I ask.” Haris then targeted Irfan Mangi, saying his appointment was being investigated– which is still pending– by the Supreme Court at the time of his inclusion in the JIT. To which, Zia said he did not know if it was being done on the court’s order; however, he did know there were some disciplinary proceedings against Mangi. Haris then turned his guns towards the ISI representative, Nauman Saeed, who, according to him, was not a regular employee of the company. After Haris completed his cross-examination, Maryam’s coun-
Shehbaz Sharif criticises PTI's ‘snail-paced’ Peshawar BRT project PEShAWAR STAFF REPORT
While addressing the workers convention in Peshawar, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that if Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is given another chance, it will bring Peshawar at par with Lahore. “Peshawar is my home and the people of this city have always been great hosts,” CM Shehbaz said. "If Almighty Allah gives me an opportunity, I would give Peshawar a metro train project in 2018." He also criticised Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf’s (PTI) ‘snail-paced’ Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project prior to his visit to Peshawar. Shehbaz Sharif took to his Twitter account and said, “Today I am
going to Peshawar to address PML-N workers convention. I’ll also try to have a look at the snail-paced BRT project to assess that in how much time, after winning next elections IA, we’ll be able to complete the project with, what our Chinese brothers say, Punjab speed.” The PML-N leader promised to complete the BRT project in five months. Earlier on Tuesday, the Peshawar BRT Environmental Monitoring Report (EMR) declared unsatisfactory the project’s environmental, healthcare and safety compliance during the first two months ending on December 31, 2017, according to a report by a private media outlet. The report noted that the contractor had been strongly advised to remove
all deficiencies and gaps in the implementation arrangements for the environmental, health and safety requirements. The report said that keeping in view the fact that the project was being executed in a highly-urbanised environment, it was expected that the environmental issues related to dust emissions and excavated material would continue to rise. Shehbaz claimed that the Peshawar BRT project was being constructed by the PTI government at a cost of Rs 71 billion, whereas Lahore BRT project was completed at a cost of Rs 30 billion. "Where is the rest of Rs 40 billion, Imran Khan," he questioned. He also said that the PTI chief does not appear before the courts for hearings of the
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sel Amjad Pervez began his cross-examination following a short recess. At the last hearing on Tuesday, Zia informed the accountability court that the JIT did not probe the mode of payment to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from Capital FZE and wage protection system of the United Arab Emirates’ government. THE REFERENCES: The NAB has in total filed three references against the Sharif family in the accountability court, in light of the Supreme Court’s orders in the Panama Papers case verdict of July 28. The references against the Sharif family pertain to the Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metals Establishment, their London properties, and over dozen offshore companies owned by the family. Maryam and Safdar are only nominated in the London properties reference. At an earlier hearing, the court also approved Maryam and Safdar’s bail in the Avenfield properties case and ordered them to submit surety bonds worth Rs5 million each. NAB’s Rawalpindi branch prepared two references regarding the Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metals Establishment, and the nearly dozen companies owned by the Sharif family. Its Lahore branch prepared a reference on the Sharif family’s Avenfield apartments in London and another against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for owning assets beyond his known sources of income.
Army believes pashtuns have had enough coNTINUED fRoM PAgE 01 The military had launched Operation Rah-e-Haq after it was called in by the ruling Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) in Malakand division in 2007, when the Taliban faction of Swat led by Mullah Fazlullah challenged the writ of the government. In 2009, another fullfledged military operation Rahe-e-Nijat was also launched in the area to battle militancy. Earlier in the day, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan backed PTM and its leader Manzoor Pashteen’s demands, promising to discuss them with the army chief soon and hold a detailed discussion with him about the status of FATA. He said this while addressing a convention on FATA reforms at the Chief Minister (CM) House, Peshawar. On the occasion, the PTI chief said that he would discuss a three-point agenda with the army chief to finds ways to alleviate the sufferings of the tribal people. The three-point agenda includes reducing the number of military check posts in the tribal areas, clearing the region of landmines and recovering all missing persons. “Many tribal people have been missing since years and their loved ones are clueless about their whereabouts,” Khan said. He also said that his party would take immediate steps for the merger of FATA with KP after winning the upcoming general elections. “The miseries of the tribal people could be greatly reduced by the merger,” he added. The PTI chief also promised that if his party wins the upcoming general elections, he would earmark Rs 100 billion for the development of the tribal areas. He also said that the journey of development would move forward per the aspirations of the people of FATA, adding that the tribal areas would be given equal rights and seats in the provincial assembly. He further said that the PTI had constituted a FATA committee and its recommendation have been forwarded to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Reforms on FATA. He pledged that within three to five months of winning the general elections, his party would hold local government elections in the tribal region. Commenting on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, the PTI chief said that he had become a nightmare for the ousted prime minister. He further said, “Nawaz is not headed towards a dead end but to Adiala jail.”
pti mnA sirAj muhAmmAd KhAn defeCts to pml-n PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Member of National Assembly (MNA) Siraj Muhammad Khan the joined Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Wednesday, expressing confidence on the ruling party’s leadership. Siraj made the announcement after a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif at the residence of PML-N KP President Amir Muqam. Khan was elected from the National Assembly constituency NA-6 Nowshera-II in the 2013 general elections. STAFF REPORT defamation cases filed against him. It is pertinent to mention here that this is Shehbaz's first visit to Peshawar after becoming the president of PML-N. During his address, the Punjab CM called the Billion Tree Tsunami project of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government 'a big fraud'. Senior provincial party leaders, including Amir Muqam and Murtaza Javed Abbasi, were also present at the event held on Shami Road. After the con-
vention, Shehbaz Sharif went to Governor House and met KP Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra. Matters regarding political affairs and promotion of interprovincial harmony came under discussion during the meeting. Later, the Punjab chief minister also visited former federal minister and Awami National Party leader Ghulam Ahmed Bilour at his residence and held a detailed discussion about the current political situation of Pakistan with him.
04 NEWS
Thursday, 12 April, 2018
US diplomat to face action for killing motorcycliSt, SayS aSif FM SAYS US EMBASSY HAS ASSURED PAKISTANI GOVT OF FULL COOPERATION IN INVESTIGATION ISLAMABAD
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OREIgN Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Wednesday said that action will be taken in accordance with law against the American Embassy’s air and defence attaché who recently hit and killed a motorcyclist in the federal capital. Responding to questions of members in the National Assembly, the foreign minister said the American diplomat is still in Pakistan and the US embassy has assured full cooperation in the investigation. Colonel Joseph Emmanuel Hall hit a motorcyclist as he jumped the traffic signal at the intersection of Margalla Road and 7th Avenue in the federal capital on Saturday. The incident killed a youth while the pillion rider received serious injuries. The deceased was identified as 22year-old Ateeq Baig. A resident of Talhar village in Margalla Hills. His father is
SAYS PAKISTAN IS EFFECTIVELY HIGHLIGHTING KASHMIR ISSUE AT INTERNATIONAL FORA
employed as a security guard at a public school in Saidpur village. In his complaint, the father of the deceased said his son and nephew were hit by a land cruiser at Daman-e-Koh Chowk on Margalla Road. The complainant said his son and nephew were crossing the intersection in accordance with traffic rules when hit by the vehicle jumping signals. A traffic policeman posted nearby responded immediately and informed authorities. The US colonel was then taken to Kohsar police station in F-7. Officials said Hall was alone in the car at the time. The police said in a statement issued 30 hours after the accident that they did not arrest the US diplomat because the Vienna convention provided him immunity. According to Article 29 of Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961, the person of a diplomatic agent shall be inviolable. “He shall not be liable to any form of arrest or detention. The receiving state shall treat him with due re-
Nisar denies any contact from PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) disgruntled leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has dispelled the rumours regarding his meeting with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan saying that neither the PTI contacted him nor was he offered any office by them. Talking to a private TV channel here on Wednesday, Chaudhry Nisar said that the reports of his meeting with the PTI chief were nothing but ‘kite-flying’. He said that he has already clarified that no contact took place between him and PTI. The PTI has already denied reports that it is trying to woo Nisar to the party. Responding to a question whether he would contest the upcoming general elections on a PML-N ticket, Chaudhry Nisar said, “I think you should have asked this question from Mian Nawaz Sharif.” The former interior minister, who had resigned from the cabinet after developing differences with the party leadership last year, asserted that he was still a part of PML-N. He claimed that confusion in this regard began because of statements of “a person, who sits in his [Nawaz’s] car, comes out and gives absurd statements and goes back in.” INP
US denies placing travel restrictions on Pakistani diplomats The US State Department has confirmed via email that there are “no restrictions on travel for Pakistani diplomats in the United States” despite reports that they will soon be subjected to new travel restrictions, according to Voice of America. Pakistani and Indian media had earlier reported that the Trump administration has notified Pakistani authorities that diplomats at the country’s US embassy and consulates will not be able to travel more than 40 kilometres (about 25 miles) from their posts without permission. The reports indicate the measures are expected to take effect in May. Pakistan’s embassy in Washington told VOA on Tuesday that it had received no information about such restrictions. The reports came amid heightened tensions between Islamabad in Washington over the war in Afghanistan and long-standing US concerns about the Pakistani military’s ties to the Taliban and other militant groups. News Desk
spect and shall take all appropriate steps to prevent any attack on his person, freedom or dignity.” Earlier on Sunday, the Foreign Office summoned US Ambassador to Pakistan David Hale to record “strong protest” against the killing of the Pakistani citizen. On Monday the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police requested the Federal Ministry of Interior to place the name of the US defence and air attache on the Exit Control List (ECL) to prevent him from escaping Pakistan. The Interior Ministry is yet to respond to this request. KASHMIR DISPUTE: Addressing the NA, Khawaja Asif further said that Pakistan is strongly highlighting the Kashmir dispute at international fora, including United Nations (UN), Human Rights Commission and OIC. He said that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has met with the UN secretary general in China and discussed
SAYS NAWAZ’S VISITS TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES HAD COST NATIONAL EXCHEQUER RS1BN
with him the Indian atrocities in the Indian occupied valley. He said our diplomatic missions abroad are also exposing India’s state terrorism to the world. PAKISTANI NATIONALS AT GUANTANAMO BAY: Asif said that five Pakistani nationals are currently detained at guantanamo Bay. Two of them are facing charges while the remaining three have not been charged with any crime. He said efforts are being made to bring the three detainees back to the country. PAKISTANIS SETTLED ABROAD: During Wednesday’s session, the Foreign Ministry submitted a written response in the NA on the number of Pakistanis who have settled abroad, which the ministry said, has increased in the last year. According to the ministry, better educational institutes in foreign countries is one of the reasons for the increased settlement of Pakistanis abroad. More than 8.5 million Pakistanis have settled abroad at present, adding that
Govt usurping smaller provinces’ rights: PPP THARPARKAR AftAb chANNA
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal BhuttoZardari said on Wednesday that the federal government has usurped the rights of smaller provinces, particularly Sindh, and is denying the other federating units their due share in the National Finance Commission (NFC) award and other resources. He said this while presiding over a programme organised to launch a housing scheme at Sehro for the affected people of Thar Coalfield Block-II. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah was the chief guest on the occasion. The programme was hosted by SECMC Chief Executive Officer Shamsuddin Shaikh. Renowned cricketer Shahid Afridi also addressed the ceremony. On the occasion, keys to newly-built houses were handed
over to the affected villagers of Thar Coalfield Block-II. Addressing the participants, the PPP chairman said that his late mother and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto had a dream to develop Thar through its black gold (coal). He added that the Sindh government had inherited the concept of public-private partnership from Benazir Bhutto, which had been the party’s manifesto throughout the 90s. He further said that Thar had changed due to the development and now it was going to change entire Pakistan by meeting all its energy needs. Surplus energy produced from coalbased power projects would be exported, he added. Bilawal said that coal mining and coalbased power generation was a revolutionary step towards prosperity and development. He said it was the responsibility of the federal government
to ensure that the benefits of Pakistan-China Economic Corridor (CPEC) trickled down to the grassroots level. He also said that Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) had made a successful biosaline agricultural model under which vegetables were being grown to meet local needs. Addressing Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, the PPP scion said, “I have invited Imran Khan to contest election from Karachi and see how our party would defeat him.” Replying to a question, he said that in the upcoming general elections, his party would return to power with a majority margin. He said that Karachi was still being ruled by a local party through Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) but the same party was only busy fighting amongst itself rather than working towards the betterment of the port city.
PHC suspends execution of Amjad Sabri’s ‘killer’ PESHAWAR AgeNcIes
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday suspended the execution of a death-row prisoner sentenced by a military court. His lawyer told a two-judge bench comprising of Justice Qalandar Ali Khan and Justice Ishtiaq that Hazrat Ali was arrested by security forces back in 2009 from Karak district when he was 18 years old.
The lawyer maintained that he was accused of killing famous qawwal Amjid Sabri in Karachi and was awarded the death sentence on April 3. The lawyer asked the court to direct the military court to halt Ali’s execution and that he should be given more time to defend the allegations leveled against his client. The two-judge bench stopped the authorities from going forward with the death
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penalty and sought a reply from the defense ministry till the next hearing of the case. The qawwali maestro had been shot dead by motorcycleborne gunmen in Karachi’s Liaquatabad back in 2016 when he was traveling from his home to a television studio to attend an iftar transmission. The targeted killing triggered a nationwide outpouring of grief with tributes for the famous musician pouring in from all over the world.
since January 2013, more than 3.7 million Pakistanis moved abroad. NAWAZ’S FOREIGN VISITS HAD COST COUNTRY RS 1BN: Over a billion rupees were spent on former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s international trips during his third term in the office, Asif told the NA. According to the report presented by the FM at the request of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s request (PTI), Kh Asif stated that 64 international tours during the third term of Nawaz Sharif had cost the exchequer at least Rs1.013 billion. Nawaz Sharif went on 10 foreign trips in 2013, 11 in 2014, 23 in 2015, nine in 2016 and just as many in 2017 before his tenure was cut short by the SC in the Panamagate ruling. Saudi Arabia was the most frequently visited country: the former premier visited the kingdom seven times in total. The US was visited by the premier six times, including four visits to the UN; and his visits to China stand at four.
Commotion in Senate over Siddique’s appointment as envoy to US The Senate session on Wednesday witnessed a lot of commotion after Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) Senator Samina Saeed moved a call-to-attention notice on the appointment of Ali Jahangir Siddique as Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States (US). The senator said there were reservations regarding the appointment because Siddique was Prime Minister (PM) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s “business partner’s son”. Saeed said it was both inappropriate and unfortunate that the PM took such a controversial decision. She raised another point, saying that Siddique lacked the prior experience to negotiate the harsh diplomatic waters while alleging that he was not a fit candidate because he was also being tried in different accountability cases. Senator Saeed also told the Senate that Pakistan-US relations were quite rocky at the moment and Siddique’s inexperience in leading diplomatic missions could further complicate matters between the two countries. The senator was cut short by Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) Senator Sadia Abbasi, the prime minister’s sister, who said, “It is better that you remain focused on your call-to-attention notice rather than dragging the prime minister into this matter.” Saeed retaliated by saying, “You are the sister of the prime minister and I am a member of the opposition. I will focus on the notice if you refrain from discussing personal matters in parliament.” As things escalated, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, the leader of the house, and Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif stepped in to stop Senator Abbasi from interrupting Senator Saeed in order to avoid a conflict. “Refrain from discussing personal matters in the parliament as it would disrupt the atmosphere,” the Senate chairman remarked. Meanwhile, Senator Asif said that Siddique’s appointment was not in violation of the law. “Per the constitution, it is not required to approach parliament for the appointment of a diplomat. Therefore, no law has been violated because the prime minister can exercise his right to appoint any diplomat he sees fit for the job,” he said. News Desk
Thursday, 12 April, 2018
NEWS
ATC awards death sentence in minor’s rape, murder case SWAT: An Anti-terrorism Court (ATC) of Malakand awarded three counts of death sentence to Jumaraz, a man convicted of rape and murder of a five-year-old Madeha Tariq in Besham area of Shangla district. The court imposed a fine of Rs 6 lac over committing the heinous crime and assaulting a juvenile. The verdict was announced under tight security. Jumaraz also has to pay Rs 2 lac as compensation to the bereaved family. According to senior public prosecutor Saeed Naeem, in June 2017, hard-hearted Jumaraz spotted the five-year-old who was on her way to a nearby store to buy some sweets. He took the minor away to his safe compound and brutally raped her. During the rape, Madeha went unconscious and the accused threw her body into the water in a filling pot. Shangla police arrested the accused and started trial. After 9 months of hearing, the ATC announced its verdict of punishment. Speaking to the reporters after the verdict, Madeha’s father Tariq Aziz said that the accused should be hanged publicly to set an example of punishment for the heinous crime, adding that they were satisfied with the decision. It is pertinent to mention here that the police conducted strict security measurements in the court’s premises during the proceedings of the case. APP
7 policemen dismissed over involvement in LeJ militants' jailbreak KARACHI stAff RePORt
Sindh government on Wednesday dismissed seven police officials from service after an inquiry found evidence of their involvement and even alleged facilitation in the escape of two high-profile Lashkar-eJhangvi (LeJ) militants. In June 2017, Sheikh Muhammad Arif Firon and Ahmed Khan Arif Manako belonging to the banned militant outfit had managed to easily escape Karachi’s Central Jail. The two were presented in the jail’s judicial complex for a hearing when they managed to flee the prison. A former Senior Superintendent Police of Karachi Central Prison and six other officials were among the dismissed policemen. According to notifications issued by chief secretary Sindh, Rizwan Memon, the 15 jail officials were issued a charge sheet under Rule 4-A (I) of the Sindh Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 1973. The development occurred when a team of investigators led by DIg Prisons Capt (r) Pervez Ahmed Chandio conducted a detailed investigation into their escape and concluded that over a dozen jail officials “abetted and facilitated” the jailbreak.
Hec cHairman’S appointment in doldrUmS aS ecp banS recrUitmentS ISLAMABAD
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S the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) put a ban on fresh recruitments ahead of elections, the Ministry of Education on Wednesday suggested three names for the charge of acting Higher Education Commission (HEC) chairman as the incumbent chairman is set to retire on April 14. Sources privy to the development told Pakistan Today that the ministry has sent a summary of three names to the prime minister, which includes the names of two federal secretaries and HEC executive director (ED) for the three-month charge. They said that the names of Ministry of Science and Technology Secretary Yasmin Masood, Ministry of Professional and Technical Training Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani and HEC ED Dr Arshad Ali have been recommended for the slot acting HEC chairman as the post cannot be left va-
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE stAff RePORt
The National Assembly on Wednesday has passed the bill to provide a status of the university to the COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), a public sector degree awarding institute. The bill was presented by, which was passed after a thorough debate and later on with consensus by the House. The upgradation of CIIT to a university is a significant milestone in the institute’s quest for becoming the nation’s premier higher education inspiration with strong national and international standings. On this occasion, CIIT’s Rector Prof Dr Raheel Qamar especially acknowledged efforts and guidance of Federal Minister for Science and Technology and CIIT Chancellor Rana Tanveer Hussain, CIIT Board of governors Chairman and founding rector Dr SM Junaid Zaidi, Federal Secretary for Science & Technology Yasmeen Masood, Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmad, faculty and staff for making it possible. The bill has already been approved by the Senate in December, 2017. The CIIT Rector Dr Raheel Qamar expressed his gratitude to the government and the parliament for appreciating and considering the top ranked status of the institute among all higher education institutions of the country.
cant. Hence the appointment has been made for three months, till regular chairperson is appointed. Among the three candidates, the HEC ED is the favourite for the slot since his position is also equivalent to the secretary, they said, adding that part of the commission, Dr Arshad Ali will be the best choice to run affairs effectively. Meanwhile, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) imposed a ban on new recruitments on Wednesday, creating fear that the selection of the HEC chairman and vice-chancellors of various universities could also be delayed. Moreover, sources said that some people have already raised serious objections over the selection process of HEC chairman as some of the aspirants for the slots are facing cases in NAB. They also said that the ECP’s decision can also affect the selection of International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI) president, whose fate is to be decided on April 12. The post was not advertised and the selection cri-
terion was also widely criticised. Talking to Pakistan Today, former ECP secretary Kanwar Dilshad said that according to the ECP Act 2017, the ban on recruitments is imposed after the announcement of the elections schedule and formation of a caretaker government. He added that the ECP has taken a very wrong decision to impose a ban on appointments when there are almost two months left of the incumbent government’s tenure. “The decision will paralyse the whole system for five long months,” he added. To a question about its impact on the appointment of HEC chairman and VCs, he said that principally, it has no impact on the constitutional bodies but it was still an unjustifiable decision. ECP Public Relations Director Altaf Ahmad told Pakistan Today that the ECP ban would have no effect on the posts which have already been advertised. On the issue of HEC chairman and VCs, he said that though the ban was just for fresh re-
Pregnant artist shot dead in Larkana LARKANA stAff RePORt
A local singer was shot dead for refusing to perform while standing during a ceremony in Kanga village near Larkana. According to details, Tarique Ahmed Jatoi asked the 24-year-old Samina Samoon, also known as Samina Sindhu, to stand up while she sang. Samina, however, refused to oblige his request upon which the accused shot her. Jatoi, who was allegedly inebriated at the time had badgered the victim to comply before he shot her dead. Samina was rushed to the Chandka Hospital, but could not survive her injuries and was pronounced dead. Her husband told the journalists that she had been six months pregnant with their child. Kanga police registered an FIR No: 02/2018 under Sections 302, 114, 34, 338-B against the accused Tariq Ali Jatoi on compliant of Ashique Ali, son of Adam Khan Samo, R/O Ayoob Colony, Larkana,
the widower of the deceased artist. The applicant stated in the FIR that the accused demanded of my pregnant wife to stand up and sing songs but she refused and told him, that as she was pregnant, she cannot sing while standing. On this, the accused opened firing on her with his pistol. She was rushed in a car to a hospital in Larkana where she expired. The applicant also nominated two
other unknown accused to whom he will identify when they are brought before him. He demanded that the first information report should mention that the man who shot her and two of his accomplices be accused of double murder: that of the woman and her unborn child. Police claimed to have arrested the main accused. Later, the funeral prayer of the slain singer was offered at Jinnah Bagh and was attended by a large number of artists and relatives. Artists staged sit-in at the SSP Roundabout and raised slogans. While talking to the media, the protesting artists said that Kanga police had arrested musicians instead of the accused. They demanded an independent investigation into the case and the removal of Kanga police station SHO. Later, Larkana SSP suspended the Kanga police station SHO SIP Liaquat Ali Khajar and posted SIP Hazoor Bux Junejo as the new SHO.
Zuckerberg defends Facebook business model WASHINGTON, DC AgeNcIes
CIIT gets university status
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Mark Zuckerberg defended Facebook's business model on Wednesday against fierce criticism of how it feeds user data to advertisers, even as he admitted his own personal information had been leaked to outside companies. Facing tough questioning in a second day of high-stakes hearings in Congress, the 33-year-old CEO conceded that regulation of social media companies -- under mounting scrutiny over the misuse of user data -- is "inevitable." But he stiffly defended Facebook's use of the data and postings of the 2.2 billion users of its free platform -- in order to attract the ad revenue that the $480 billion company depends on. Speaking in the wake of a scandal over the massive leak of data to a British political consultant, Zucker-
berg reiterated that the company had shut down the pipeline that allowed such data, including his own, to slip into the hands of third parties. A day earlier, Zuckerberg said he took personal responsibility for the improper use of 87 million people's personal data by Cambridge Analytica, which worked for Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. Yet in his testimony to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, he was also steadfast in arguing that Facebook's users themselves are choosing to make their data available, and that the company's "opt-in" provisions were enough to protect their privacy rights. "Every time that a person chooses to share something on Facebook, they're proactively going to the service and choosing that they want to share a photo, write a message to someone." "Every time there is a control right
there," Zuckerberg said. 'REAL TRUST GAP': Zuckerberg faced tougher questions from House lawmakers over Facebook's stance than during Tuesday's five-hour session in the Senate, where his defense of data sharing was weakly challenged. "It's strikes me that there's a real trust gap here. Why should we trust you?" asked Democratic Representative Mike Doyle. "The only way we're going to close this trust gap is through legislation that creates and empowers a sufficiently resourced expert oversight agency, with rulemaking authority to protect the digital privacy and ensure that companies protect our users' data." Amid rising calls for legislation to better protect the data that social media and other internet companies siphon off from users, Zuckerberg said he accepted that legal restrictions of some sort were in the cards -- while adding a word of caution.
Child found dead after alleged rape in Dadu DADU: A 10-year-old child was found dead in Dadu on Wednesday and his parents alleged that he was killed after being sexually assaulted. According to the details, a body of a child nearly 10-yearold has been found in the domain of B-section police station. The parents of deceased child blamed that their child has been sexually
abused and then murdered. He was missing since last night. The police have taken the body to Civil Hospital Dadu for medico-legal formalities. On April 7, the Sindh High Court (SHC) took notice of the gang rape of a Hindu teenage boy in Darro town of Sajwal district. The court summoned the DIg Hy-
derabad, SSP Sajawal and other officials to appear before it and submit a report on the matter. The Hindu teenager was gang-raped and suspects shot a video of the incident to blackmail him. The teenager stated that suspects blackmailed him and his family through that video and forced them to relocate to Hyderabad. INP
cruitments, in special cases, departmental permission is needed. “The decision has been taken in public interest as giving benefit to someone ahead of elections is a clear violation of elections code of conduct,” he added. The ECP official went on to say that it was less likely to influence the selection process of VCs since their appointment was an internal matter, for which the universities have their own set of rules. The ECP in its notification put a complete ban on fresh recruitments, except through Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) and Provincial Public Service Commissions (PPSCs). A senior lawyer wishing anonymity told Pakistan Today that ECP just gave exemption to the appointments being made through competitive processes. He added that since the selection of HEC chairman and VCs of the universities was to be made by the prime minister, it would also come under the ban imposed by the election commission.
Depletion of financial reserves could lead Pakistan into the danger zone: Tareen LAHORE stAff RePORt Economic Advisory Council (EAC) Convener Shaukat Tareen on Wednesday said that Pakistan’s financial reserves were depleting gradually and if the situation continued like this, Pakistan would be in the danger zone within a few months. He said this while speaking to analyst and Pakistan Today Editor Arif Nizami in Channel 92’s programme “Ho Kya Raha Hai?” Tareen said that the amnesty scheme came too late because the economy was already experiencing a decline. He said that he had no contribution in the amnesty scheme because it was announced before the meeting of the EAC. He also said that though the steps taken by the government in the form of the amnesty scheme were commendable, there were a few issues that the government had failed to address. The government had made a mistake in increasing the tax threshold because it would push people away from the tax net, rather the government should have reduced income tax. Meanwhile, economist Dr Hafeez Ahmed Pasha said on the programme that the tax amnesty scheme was for the rich instead of the ordinary people of the country. He said that the minimum tax for those availing the amnesty scheme should have been 15 per cent so that tax evaders would know that they could not wait for amnesty schemes to whiten their black money. Talking about the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, he said that the incumbent government should not announce a budget and should let the interim government present a budget for itself.
06 LAHORE PTI unable to finalise candidates ahead of elections LAHORE Rana HaideR
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has not been able to finalise its candidates for the seats across Lahore in National Assembly (NA) and Punjab Assembly (PA) ahead of the upcoming 2018 general elections. According to sources inside the party, names of the PTI candidates could not be decided on 16 seats in NA as well as four that of PA. Three days are left in the meeting of PTI’s parliamentary board, however, the top-tier is yet to make consensus on all the names of the candidates across Lahore. Sources told this scribe that there are more than one applicants for every single seat in the legislative assemblies. “PTI’s leadership has been trying to treat everyone equally, but if it announced the shortlisted names early then the party could face trouble inside,” it added. It was said that there were an overwhelming number of applicants for the provincial assembly seats from PP-145 to PP-150. Moreover, candidates are yet to be shortlisted in PP-152, PP-155, PP-156, PP162, PP-163, PP-165, PP-166, PP-168, PP171, PP-173 and other constituencies. On the other hand, the situation in the lower house of Parliament is not different as well. The party’s candidate for NA-123, NA-124, NA-126, NA-127, NA-134, and NA-136 are not decided yet.
No PML-N candidate should challenge Nisar in elections: Sanaullah
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IdeologIcal battle wIll lead to more defectIons: ex-Pml-n lawmakers ‘AT LEAST 70 ELECTABLES ARE PART OF THIS MOVEMENT’ LAHORE
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HE embattled Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) seems to have another battle against dissent to fight as a large group of former and current party legislators are preparing to leave the party on the ‘ideological’ grounds, Pakistan Today has learned. Nawabzada Syed Shams Haider, a former PML-N legislator from Jhelum in the Punjab Assembly, is one of the leaders of this group of the League’s politicians who are planning to leave
the party as the general election approaches. However, rather than having the typical list of grievances against their party leadership, Syed Shams and his cadres claim that they are fighting a larger ideological battle rather than a political one. “We have supported this party through thick and thin, and there are always ups and downs for any politician, but myself and the others are all old Muslim Leaguers, and we just cannot accept the blatant disrespect and confrontation with state institutions that the Sharif leadership is enforcing on us” he told Pakistan Today. “There are at least 70 ‘electables’ that are part of this movement. We also have a large number of currently elected representatives of the party.” By ‘electables’ Syed Shams explains that he means those that have formerly served as legislators for the league, and who have strong support in
their respective constituencies. He has also claimed that at least 16 sitting MNAs and 20 MPAs are also in the tank with this like-minded group of PML-N members. “We are capable of creating a media storm if necessary. We could ask our friends to resign en masse and hold large press conferences, but we want to bring to Pakistan a better kind of politics, and do not wish muddy the reputation of the honourable legislators,” he tells this scribe. “Even in the recent resignation from South Punjab, we were in contact with many of the former legislators. But we did not make a big deal of it so there is no suspicion as to our intentions,” he added. “I personally cannot see these honourable men called lotas when they are making an ideological decision, and aligning themselves with the ideology of Pakistan instead of blindly serving the Sharifs,” he went on to say.
Two-day workshop held on strategic communication
And while the numbers being claimed by Syed Shams should be enough to scare the League leadership, the former Punjab MPA hinted at an even larger ideological chasm within the League, which could possibly lead to it fracturing completely. “All the parties today are centreright. No room remains for leftism or any aspects of secularism that original League members fought against,” he lamented during the interview. “Politics in this country has become totally dependent on personalities and not ideologies, and we wish to change this trend and bring Pakistan back to the ideological origins that the Quaid envisioned it with,” he added. “We need to step away from the continuing trend of capitalist politics. There is a need for leftist ideas in the country and it is the duty of old League supporters like us to take Pakistan to its intended conclusion,” he ended.
CM forms committee to probe rape, murder case LAHORE staff RepoRt
No candidate from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) should challenge Chaudhry Nisar in the upcoming 2018 general elections, Rana Sanaullah desired on Wednesday. Talking to media, Sanaulah said, “If Nisar does not contest from PML-N’s platform in the next elections then no one should be given a ticket against him.” He hoped that Nisar was not angry with the ruling party and would not go on to part ways. “He (Nisar) only had reservations regarding certain party leaders,” he added. Sanaullah predicted that the rough patch between Nisar and PMLN would end once the former sat together with other party leaders and witnessed Maryam Nawaz treating him as her elder. On whether or not Nisar would get a party ticket from his constituency for the elections, he said that the estranged leader should be given the ticket contrary to what his fellow Pervez Rashid said a few days ago. The lawmaker continued that a politician like Nisar would never become a stooge, adding that he had always been an important member of the governing party. It should be mentioned that the former security czar had been expressing his viewpoints against the party policy in public, much to the dismay of former Premier Nawaz Sharif and his close confidantes. news desk
LAHORE app
A two-day training workshop titled “Crisis Communication & Media Management” was held on Wednesday. It was organised by the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literacy Heritage at National School of Public Policy (Staff College) and concluded on Wednesday afternoon. The two-day training workshop
focused on developing the skills and knowledge of the senior government officers on how to interact with the media in a crisis situation. It was also intended to help the officers to understand the role of media in conveying incidents of violence during any crisis. The training was conducted by the senior professionals and experts in the field of media and communication. The participants took a keen interest in the interactive sessions and mock exercise
meant to build their confidence in managing media during any national level emergency. The participants appreciated the module of training and lauded the efforts of the ministry. They considered it as service to the country to help in developing a meaningful mechanism. This was the fifth training workshop arranged by the Pakistan Peace Collective, a project of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting at the Staff College.
Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday formed a committee to probe the alleged rape of a minor girl before she was set alight in Chichawatni. The committee will be led by the Sheikhupura regional police officer (RPO). Noor Fatima, a secondgrade student, had gone missing on Sunday evening after she left home to buy some sweets. When she did not return after a while, her family members and neighbours started looking for her and found her in a street in an unconscious state, with burns all over her body. She was taken to Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital, from where she was referred to Jinnah Hospital in Lahore due to her critical condition. According to doctors, she had received 70 to 80 per cent burns. The girl died during treatment late on Monday night. The body was handed over to the family after post-mortem. sparking street protests and a shutterdown strike in her hometown. The protesters raised slogans as the girl’s body was carried for funeral prayers. Carrying banners appealing for justice, the protesters demanded that the culprits behind the girl’s murder be hanged.
Jumble of live wires puts life of Bhati Gate’s residents at risk WE ARE LIVING UNDER PERMANENT STATE OF THREAT, SAYS RESIDENT LAHORE samiullaH RandHawa
Residents of the historical Bhati Gate area are living their lives in fear caused due to the improper system of electric wires spread in the vicinity, Pakistan Today observed on Wednesday. While passing through the area, located in the Walled City of Lahore, one can see a huge mess on streets in the shape of a jumble of live wires. While most of the area is without electricity poles due to congested streets, live wires are stranded in the streets using improper and makeshift installation techniques. Moreover, many wires can be seen uncovered which may lead to an untoward incident. Mohsin Bhatti, a young resident of
the area told Pakistan Today that these dangling wires had remained a permanent life threat for all. “We are living in a permanent state of threat as we have no alternate choice except facing this problem,” he said and added that the jumble of so many live wires had caused deaths of several people in the area yet authorities were still reluctant to resolve the issue. Mohsin maintained that residents of the area had lodged a number of complaints with the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) and Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO), but nobody resolved it. “Kids of the area are at most risk due to this inconvenience as they play in the streets under the hanging wires,” he added. He further informed that several peo-
ple in the area had lost their lives due to electrocution in past. Another resident of the area was of the view that LESCO and WCLA officials were fully aware of the situation, but they had turned their eyes blind in this regard. “This is not a new issue we are facing it since decades,” he said and added that authorities never lived up to their promises. When inquired about the matter, WCLA Director Conservation Najam-usSaqib said that the said area fell under the WCLA jurisdiction but they were not responsible to manage the electricity supply system. He said that WCLA was responsible for managing three areas which it had done, adding that they would preserve Bhati Gate area and take control of the electricity system. “Unless we preserve it, LESCO should take care of electricity system,” Saqib said while informing that they will start conservation of the said area soon after the allocation of funds which were expected to be released in the next fiscal year. On a ques-
tion, he said that WCLA was gradually preserving the areas. LESCO spokesman Imran Afzal was also contacted by this scribe who admitted to the jumble of live wires in the area.
He said that Lesco had started a ‘beautification project’ to deal with the issue. “Our teams are keenly maintaining the system in the area and very soon they will maintain the system,” he added.
LAHORE 07
Thursday, 12 April, 2018
LHC asks PEMRA to explain action taken against anti-judiciary speeches LAHORE
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staff RepoRt
HE Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday ordered the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to submit a report on the action it has taken so far to stop anti-judiciary speeches on the media. The court was hearing the petition seeking initiation of contempt cases against former prime minister Nawaz
Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and other Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership for maligning the judiciary. The court subsequently directed PEMRA to submit a reply on why PEMRA acts strictly in some matters while showing leniency in others. “People are talking against the judiciary, does this not warrant action from PEMRA?” the LHC asked. The court observed that the regulatory authority did take action in some cases while remained
totally silent in others. “When PEMRA has a mechanism to block such contemptuous speeches, why didn’t it take action,” said the judge, questioning whether the authority was waiting for someone’s nod. It also asked why PEMRA has not taken any action on a number of complaints filed since June 2017 and directed the authority to submit a record of all complaints it received. A transcript of speeches made by Nawaz and Maryam was also sought.
UCP inaugurates 0.5 MW solar power plant
LAHORE: University of Central Punjab (UCP) Pro-Rector Prof Dr Muhammad Zafarullah formally inaugurated the 0.5 MW grid-tied solar power plant installed at the varsity’s Lahore campus. UCP said to be the first university in Pakistan to convert to solar energy for electricity production. With the installation of a 0.5 MW grid-tied solar power plant, UCP will be experiencing a production of 710 MWh per annum, consequently reducing the carbon emission by 392 tons every year. The said installation was successfully completed and commissioned in a record period of 3 months. On this auspicious occasion, an MOU was also signed between UCP and Premier Energy. Under this MOU, both the partners will collaborate in sharing the knowledge base, database, human resource, conduct training and workshop, set up a solar lab for practical training of engineering students and relevant activities to bridge the gap between academia and corporate sector, resulting in a long-term mutually beneficial relationship. The day was concluded with a symbolic walk in favour of green energy titled as “Green Walk 2018” featuring all distinguished guests, head of departments and esteemed faculty members giving their verdict in the favour of renewable energy. The ceremony was attended by eminent personalities including the Punjab government’s Deputy Secretary of Energy Ashar Abbas Zaidi, Chief Engineer (Power) Iftikhar Randhawa, Director International School of Choueifat Margo Abdul Aziz, Lahore Garrison University Vice-Chancellor Lt Gen Obaid Bin Zakriya, Premier Energy Country Head Daniyal Siddiqui and MD & CEO ABB Power & Automation (Pvt) LTD Najeeb Ahmed. pRess Release
Govt committed to lowering malnutrition: Khawaja Imran Nazir LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Health (P&SH) Khawaja Imran Nazir said on Wednesday that the provincial government was committed to drastically lowering the malnutrition indicators. He was addressing a seminar on Wednesday organised by Planning and Development Department and Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Cell titled ‘Nutrition National Perspective: Role of Provinces’. The Punjab government hosted an event in order to reiterate its commitment towards ending hunger, achieving food security and improving nutrition in collaboration with all the provinces. Khawaja Imran Nazir said that the P&SH had the right strategies and programs currently underway to approach the problem of malnutrition in all 36 districts of the province with efforts being directed towards service delivery and behaviour change communication to ensure that the problem of malnutrition was dealt with a forceful hand. The minister said that the department had been prioritising the challenge of malnutrition in the southern Punjab that depicted the highest malnutrition rate in the province through the inclusion of a new programme focused in the region. The P&D Department, along with the Multi-Sectoral Nutrition Centre, in his view, was making a commendable effort in gathering all key stakeholders, in an attempt to share lessons that have been learnt thus far for the purpose of devising a pragmatic way forward. staff RepoRt
One dead, four injured in Sargodha road mishap SARGODHA: At least one person died while four others were injured when a truck hit a qingqi rickshaw on Wednesday. Police said that an over speeding truck knocked down a qingqi rickshaw at Phularwan Road in Sargodha. One person died in the accident while four others were seriously injured. The truck driver escaped the scene. The body and injured were shifted to hospital for medico-legal formalities. The police impounded the truck, rickshaw and after registering a case against the driver at large have started raids for his arrest. inp
Justice Mazaher Ali Akbar Naqvi asked, “Why did PEMRA not prevent contemptuous speeches from being aired when a method to do so is available?” “Were you waiting for somebody’s directions?” Justice Masood Jahangir added. “PEMRA is not required to act only when a complaint is submitted. It also has a responsibility of its own,” Justice Naqvi continued. “This issue does not concern an individual, it’s a
national matter,” he added. He also asked PEMRA to explain whether it had powers to act of its own accord. Advocate Azhar Siddique, who is representing one of the petitioners, responded that this was not so. He pointed to the double standards of PEMRA in acting against complaints. “PEMRA kept channels closed for two days over the Faizabad sit-in, which was not its job,” he argued.
08 FOREIGN NEWS
Thursday, 12 April, 2018
US HoUSe SPeAKer ryAN Will Not SeeK re-electioN: Aide waShInGTOn
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AGENCIES
HE top Republican in the US House of Representatives, Paul Ryan, has decided to retire when his term ends, casting his party into a leadership fight ahead of crucial mid-term elections. The bombshell was delivered by the speaker's counselor, Brendan Buck, who said Ryan would not seek re-election in November. "This morning Speaker Ryan shared with his colleagues that this will be his last year as a member of the House. "He will serve out his full term, run through the tape, and then retire in January," Buck said in a statement. Ryan, who reluctantly assumed the House leadership in 2015 and never fully embraced President Donald Trump, has given no sign of his future political ambitions. Trump paid tribute
to Ryan as "a truly good man." "While he will not be seeking reelection, he will leave a legacy of achievement that nobody can question. We are with you Paul!" the president tweeted following the announcement.
South Korea prosecutors say ousted Park unfairly avoided charges, appeal SEOUL
Buck said the 48-year-old congressman from Wisconsin was looking forward to spending more time with his young family. "After nearly twenty years in the House, the speaker is proud of all that
Moscow likely behind hack on German govt: spy chief BERLIn
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South Korean prosecutors said on Wednesday former president Park Geun-hye had unfairly dodged some bribery charges in her trial and they appealed against her jailing for only 24 years, after they had demanded a 30-year sentence, media reported. Park was sentenced last Friday at the conclusion of the country’s most momentous graft trial in years, which exposed webs of corruption between political leaders and some of its biggest conglomerates. “The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office said it finds part of the ruling clearing Park of some of the bribery charges against her unfair,” the Yonhap news agency reported. The office was not immediately available for comment. Park, the daughter of a former military dictator who became South Korea’s first democratically elected leader in 2012, had pleaded not guilty. She was fined 18 billion won ($16.9 million) after she was found guilty on 16 counts, including bribery and abuse of power, in connection with the scandal that saw a court oust her from office in March last year. Prosecutors had charged her on 18 counts and called for an 118.5 billion won ($111.16 million) fine, in addition to a 30-year jail term, but the court acquitted her of two of the charges.
Germany’s head of domestic intelligence said on Wednesday there was a “high likelihood” that the Russian government was behind a cyber-attack on German computer networks, although he conceded it was difficult to be 100-percent certain. Hans-Georg Maassen told reporters that German authorities carefully monitored the attack after it was discovered in December, and it had not caused any damage. He said there was no evidence to link it to APT28, the Russian hacking group blamed for a May 2015 attack on the German lower house of parliament and the US Democratic National Committee ahead of the 2016 US election. However, Maassen said the attack was considered an “advanced persistent threat (APT)”, a phrase used by experts to describe a cyberattack so sophisticated and complex that it can only be carried out by a government entity. “We perceived it as a cyber-at-
South Africa bids emotional farewell to 'Mama Winnie' Mandela CapE TOwn AGENCIES
Thousands of mourners flocked Wednesday to the heart of South Africa's sprawling Soweto township, a centre of anti-apartheid resistance, to pay tribute to Nelson Mandela's former wife and struggle hero Winnie Mandela. Her grandson Bambatha Mandela described Winnie, who died on April 2 after a long illness, as "an extraordinary woman, a mother, a soldier, a fighter". "Even at 81 (she) was one person I thought would live forever," he said in an emotional tribute. "I had the privilege of being the first grandchild they could raise after (Nelson Mandela) returned from prison." The choice of Soweto's 37,000capacity Orlando stadium for both the memorial service and the full state funeral planned for Saturday was highly symbolic. Unlike many struggle-era leaders who moved from townships like Soweto to formerly white suburbs after apartheid fell, Winnie Mandela remained embedded in the community where she met Nelson Mandela at a bus stop in 1957.
has been accomplished and is ready to devote more of his time to being a husband and a father," Buck said. "While he did not seek the position, he told his colleagues that serving as speaker has been the professional honor of his life, and he thanked them for the trust they placed in him." Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the US Senate, praised Ryan as "a good man who is always true to his word." He expressed hope that in his remaining time in Congress, Ryan would "break free from the hard-right factions of his caucus that have kept Congress from getting real things done. "If he's willing to reach across the aisle, he'll find Democrats willing and eager to work with him." Ryan's decision sets up a fight for the Republican leadership in the House, with majority leader Kevin McCarthy and majority whip Steve Scalise seen as the top contenders for the speakership.
tack with a Russian origin,” Maassen said. “A 100-percent attribution … that the perpetrator is in Moscow and that it’s a government agency is not possible, but we can talk about a high likelihood.” He said a so-called “false flag” operation, aimed at intentionally misleading authorities about which country was to blame, could not be completely excluded, but he added:
“We assume it had a Russian origin.” Germany’s federal prosecutor’s office is also investigating the incident as a possible case of espionage. Sources briefed on the incident said it was first detected in December but may have begun as much as a year earlier. The Russian government has dismissed the suggestion that Russian hackers were behind the cyber attack.
At least 21 killed in Brazil prison breakout bid: officials BRaSILIa AGENCIES
At least 21 people died Tuesday in an attempted breakout from a prison in northern Brazil aided by an armed group on the outside trying to blow up a wall, officials said. The Para state security service described the mass escape attempt at the Santa Izabel Penitentiary Complex, near the Amazon rainforest city of Belem in Para state, as a military style battle in which both prisoners inside and associates on the outside were armed. “In the rescue attempt, explosives were used against one of the walls,” the agency said in a statement. “The attempt was supported by an extremely heavily armed group. According to preliminary reports, the prisoners also had weapons inside the prison,” the statement said. Prison guards fought back in “an intense exchange of gunfire,” it said. The confirmed dead so far included 20 prisoners and outside attackers, plus one guard. Another five guards were injured, including one seriously. A headcount was underway to establish whether anyone escaped, while a police SWAT team was reinforcing security.
NZ launches inquiry over reports of civilian casualties wELLInGTOn AGENCIES
New Zealand’s Attorney General David Parker on Wednesday announced his government was launching an inquiry into a 2010 operation in Afghanistan involving New Zealand special forces to determine whether any civilians were killed. The yearlong review would also look into how the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) handled reports of civilian casualties from the raid in northern Afghanistan, according to an emailed government statement. The raids became a hot public issue in New Zealand in 2017 after two journalists published a book about the operation, alleging six civilians were killed and more than a dozen injured. The NZDF had said in response to the book that civilian casualties stemming from the raid were a possibility, but denied any misconduct. The operation under scrutiny was carried out by New Zealand special forces, alongside U.S and Afghan armed forces, in Baghlan province when around 150,000 foreign troops were stationed in the country supporting Afghan security forces against the growing Talibanled insurgency. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force investigated the incident soon after it happened and concluded that civilian casualties were possible due to the malfunction of a weapons system, according to an NZDF media briefing in 2017.
British warship to help police North Korean sanctions TOKYO AGENCIES
A British warship “changed its deployment” and arrived in Japan on Wednesday to join efforts to police U.N. sanctions imposed on North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs. The Royal Navy frigate HMS Sutherland arrived at Yokosuka, the headquarters of Japan’s Maritime Defence Force fleet and home port of the US Seventh Fleet’s carrier strike group. It “will be contributing to the international efforts to monitor prohibited trade at sea by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), which provides a major source of funding for its illegal nuclear program,” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement, referring to North Korea by its official name. The Sutherland arrived as the two Koreas prepare for a summit this month and U.S. President Donald Trump readies to meet North Korea leader Kim Jong Un as early as May. “It’s about pressure. She is part of an international message that is going to North Korea and for the United Kingdom to see fit to send one of its frigates, to change its deployment
from Southeast Asia, is part of that very powerful message,” Paul Casson, the British defence attache in Japan, told reporters in Tokyo. The frigate will join policing operations in the seas around North Korea for about a month and will have the capability to board and inspect ships if called on to do so, Casson added.
Britain plans to send two other ships to Asia in the coming months that will give it an almost unbroken presence in the region this year. North Korea, which has been developing nuclear-tipped missiles capable of reaching the United States, had vowed never to give up what it calls an essential deterrent against U.S. hostility.
But tensions have eased in recent months, coinciding with the North’s participation in the Winter Olympics held in the South in February. North Korea had told the United States for the first time that it is prepared to discuss the denucleariZation of the Korean peninsula when Kim meets Trump, a U.S. official said on Sunday.
Thursday, 12 April, 2018
FeAr oF clASH looMS AS rUSSiA, US UP tHeir WAr rHetoric RUSSIA SAYS IF THERE IS A STRIKE TRUMP WARNS ‘GET READY RUSSIA’ BY US, THE MISSILES WILL BE SHOT BECAUSE MISSILES ‘WILL BE DOWN ALONG WITH THEIR SOURCES COMING NICE, NEW AND SMART’
waShInGTOn/MOSCOw
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AGENCIES
FTER Tuesday evening’s abortive UN Security Council meeting the world has moved one step closer to a potential direct clash between two military superpowers—Russia and the United States. With US President Donald Trump choosing to ignore Russia’s warnings, air strikes on Syrian military targets now seem a matter of hours away. Upping the stakes in an escalating confrontation, Trump took to Twitter in the strongest assertion yet that he plans to take military action in Syria. “Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and 'smart!' You shouldn't be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!” Trump wrote. However, Russia reacted strongly to the statement, saying: “If there is a strike by the Americans, then … the missiles will be downed and even the sources from which the missiles were fired.” “We would hope that all sides will avoid steps
that in reality are not provoked by anything and that could destabilise the already fragile situation in the region,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “The situation is tense,” Peskov said, adding that Russia is calling for an “unprejudiced and objective investigation before making judgements” on the suspected use of chemical weapons. Furthermore, the Russian military said that it was closely watching the situation around Syria and was aware of the movements of a US naval force in the Gulf. Trump and other Western leaders vowed a quick and forceful response to Saturday's alleged gas attack, which rescue workers say killed more than 40 people in the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Douma. air TraFFiC ConTrol alerT: Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also insisted that “smart rockets should be aimed at terrorists, rather than the legitimate government” of Syria. Trump has said he plans to make the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, and perhaps his Russian and Iranian backers, pay a “big” price for the latest alleged toxic gas atrocity in the war-wracked country. The United States,
FOREIGN NEWS 09
US DESTROYER MOVES WITHIN STRIKING RANGE OF SYRIA; RUSSIA SAYS KEEPING CLOSE WATCH Britain and France have argued the incident bears all the hallmarks of a strike ordered by the regime, which has been blamed for previous attacks by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Both Trump and his defence secretary Jim Mattis abruptly cancelled upcoming travel plans Tuesday, as the USS Donald Cook -- a guided-missile destroyer -moved to within striking range of Syria. The air traffic control agency Eurocontrol has also released an alert from the European Aviation Safety Agency to flight operators in nearby airspace of “the possible launch of air strikes into Syria with air-to-ground and/or cruise missiles within the next 72 hours.” French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been coordinating closely with Washington, said he would decide on a response “in the coming days.” “Our decision will not target allies of the regime or attack anyone but rather attack the regime's chemical capabilities,” he said, insisting he did “not want an escalation.” Who deMandS aCCeSS: The OPCW said it would “shortly” deploy a fact-finding team to Douma for an investigation, but US officials said they were working from their own information and would not necessarily hold back. The World Health Organization on Wednesday demanded “immediate” access to the victims of the alleged chemical attack. “We should all be outraged at these horrific reports and images from Douma,” said Peter Salama, the UN agency's chief of emergency response. “WHO demands immediate unhindered access to the area to provide care to those affected, to assess the health impacts, and to deliver a comprehensive public health response,” he added. In 2017, Trump launched a cruise missile strike against a Syrian air base in retaliation for a sarin attack the UN later pinned on Assad. Syria's government has denied accusations of using banned weapons such as chlorine or sarin throughout the country's civil war.
Military plane crash kills over 250 outside Algiers aLGIERS AGENCIES
More than 250 people including members of Western Sahara’s Polisario independence movement were killed when a military plane crashed in a field outside Algeria’s capital on Wednesday, officials said. Television footage showed crowds gathering around the smoking and flaming wreckage near Boufarik airport southwest of Algiers. A line of white body bags could be seen on the ground next to what media said was a Russian Ilyushin transport plane. A total of 257 people died in the crash, state TV reported. Military personnel were on board the plane
when it came down near Boufarik airport, local channel Ennahar TV reported. There was no immediate
confirmation from authorities but locals sources say close to 200 may have died. Television footage
showed black smoke billowing near a motorway and a crowd of security officials and others standing in a field next to the crash site. The tail fin of a plane could be seen above olive trees, with smoke and flames rising from the wreckage. A member of Algeria’s ruling FLN party told the private Ennahar TVstation the dead included 26 members of Polisario, an Algerianbacked group fighting for the independence of neighbouring Western Sahara – a territory also claimed by Morocco in a long-running dispute. The plane was heading to Tindouf, an area on Algeria’s border with Western Sahara, but crashed on the airport’s perimeter, Algeria’s defence ministry said.
iran hurls 'support for terrorism' charge back at Saudi Arabia Tehran: Iran on Wednesday hit back at Saudi accusations that Tehran provides “support for terrorism”, pointing at alleged links between Riyadh and militant groups such as Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS). Countries in the region “will never forget the role played by Saudi Arabia in conspiring for, supporting and arming violent terrorists and extremists such as Al-Qaeda and Daesh (IS) and other similar groups,” Iran's foreign ministry said. It also singled out Saudi support for Iraq's fallen dictator Saddam Hussein in his 1980-1988 war against Iran, its military intervention in Yemen since 2015 and its apparent rapprochement with Israel. Iran, a bitter regional rival of Saudi Arabia with which diplomatic ties were cut in 2016, was responding to the kingdom's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman who on Tuesday referred to Tehran's “support for terrorism” during a visit to Paris. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Qatar in June, accusing the tiny but super-rich Gulf state of supporting militant groups and forging close ties with Iran. AGENCIES
Belt and road initiative is not 'a chinese plot', says Xi Jinping
BeijinG: President Xi Jinping’s signature foreign policy plan to build a new ‘Silk Road’ of infrastructure and trade links between China and Eurasia is not a “Chinese plot”, Xi said on Wednesday, according to state media. Xi’s Belt and Road Initiative, unveiled in 2013, aims to bolster a sprawling network of land and sea links with Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa. At a summit last May, Xi pledged $126 billion for the plan, but has failed to overcome suspicion in Western capitals, where officials suspect the professed desire to spread prosperity in the region is foremost an attempt to assert Chinese influence. “The Belt and Road Initiative is not a Chinese plot, as some people internationally have said,” Xi told a gathering at the annual meeting of the Chinese Boao Forum for Asia in the southern province of Hainan. “It is neither the post-World War Two Marshall Plan, nor is it a Chinese conspiracy. If you had to (call it something), it’s an ‘overt plot’,” he added, the official news agency, Xinhua, said. China has said projects along the routes of the Belt and Road will be open to investment from all, including third party nations, but some Western governments have voiced concern the deals will overwhelmingly favour Chinese companies. AGENCIES
Myanmar court refuses to drop case against journalists YanGOn AGENCIES
A Myanmar court on Wednesday rejected a motion to drop a case against two Reuters journalists arrested while investigating a massacre of Rohingya Muslims, even as seven soldiers were given lengthy sentences for their role in the killings. Reporters Wa Lone, 32 and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27 were detained in December and accused of violating the country's Official Secrets Act for possessing material relating to security operations in conflicthit Rakhine state. Myanmar has faced global condemnation and accusations of extrajudicial killings, ethnic cleansing and genocide as some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Rakhine to Bangladesh following a military crackdown on insurgents. The government rejects the allegations and says it was defending itself against attacks from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation
Army, which occurred on August 25. The two reporters have been held in Yangon's Insein prison since their arrest while facing hearings to determine whether the case will go to trial, with 17 out of 25 witnesses having given testimony. Their lawyers asked the court last week to dismiss the case, citing in part troubling discrepancies in witness statements, but the motion was swiftly rejected in a Yangon courtroom packed with supporters, family and media. "The court decided that the proposal from the defendants' lawyer to release the defendants before all the witnesses were cross-examined has been rejected," judge Ye Lwin said. The pair had been investigating a massacre of 10 Rohingya men on September 2 in the Rakhine village of Inn Din that was carried out by security forces and local villagers. The military admitted that the atrocity took place and Reuters later published the
story while the reporters were in prison. SoldierS jailed: In a rare punishment in a country where the military has long operated with impunity, seven soldiers were sentenced to jail with hard labour for their part in the killings, according to a Facebook post by the army chief late Tuesday. The army has claimed the Rohingya men were "terrorists" but has not presented any evidence to back up the claim. Wa Lone referred to the sentencing of the soldiers as he was being directed back into the police van following the hearing. Those who killed people in the mass killing were given a sentence of 10 years. We were simply trying to find out the news and report this and we are facing a trial that could result in us going to prison for 14 years," he said. One of his lawyers Than Zaw Aung also compared the cases. "My question is why are the journalists still in detention in prison if their report is true?"
CMYK
The US embassy in Yangon said that while the verdict handed down in the Inn Din massacre case was an encouraging
sign, "it merely underscores that Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who sought to expose that crime, should be free".
10 COMMENT
Thursday, 12 April, 2018
Peace, trade and open borders Need for conciliatory approach in South Asia also
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he BoAo conference is over. instead of matching sanctions with sanctions President Xi has taken a flexible stand that best serves the international economic order. Xi’s conciliatory approach combined with four major proposals is likely to bring down the trade tensions unleashed after trump’s protectionist moves. speaking at the conference Prime Minister Abbasi linked regional peace with increased trade and open borders. trade and development, he said, are a key to the promotion of tolerance and denying space to extremism. china has in the past suggested to Pakistan to keep its differences with india on the back burner for the time being and enter into trade relations with it. A section of Pakistani businessmen has all along supported improved economic relations between the neighbouring countries. however, whenever the two countries are on the verge of giving a positive dimension to their ties something unexpected invariably takes place to bring the relations back to square one. terrorist attacks in Mumbai, Pathankot and Uri are some of these incidents. Politicians in Pakistan have tried to improve relations with india so that an enabling environment is created to take up and resolve more complicated issues. the unelected strategists however remain adamant on a maximalist approach. the mindset has already isolated Pakistan from the Us and its european allies. two incidents underline the growing trust deficit with china caused by the approach. these are the 2017 Brics summit resolution and withdrawal of support for Pakistan at FAtF meeting by both china and saudi Arabia. the indian attitude has meanwhile hardened. Modi and Abbasi were both at Davos early this year but they failed to meet. Modi who has become a prisoner of his own rhetoric has adopted an unrealistic “no talks” policy with Pakistan. since the ceasefire was put in place in november 2003, the year 2017 witnessed the highest number of violations. india needs to realise that war is no option and the only way out is dialogue with Pakistan leading to improvement in ties and resolution of all outstanding disputes including Jammu and Kashmir. Meanwhile there should be no place for “good” or mainstreamed taliban in Pakistan.
Nawaz’s apprehensions Especially Adiala Jail
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AWAz’s usual outbursts outside the accountability court are now little more than shots in the air and he is reduced to repeating the same accusations as the nAB references are coming full circle. the talk of Adiala Jail, therefore, was no coincidence; he knows, after all, just which blanks his counsels have been unable to fill despite repeated chances. And, just as the prospect of sinking into oblivion stares him in the face, there’s also the party tearing at the seams and rumours of more ‘lotas’ about to switch parties becoming stronger by the hour. But how much of this could nawaz have avoided? Back in the day, in what now seems a long time ago, nawaz rubbed his ‘heavy mandate’ in the face of the opposition as his loyalists extended their reach from the centre to Punjab to Balochistan. Yet then he became seemingly too big to have time for smaller partners, just as he began treating parliament with disdain, and now that push is coming to shove he is surprised that some of those he ignored most are abandoning him. And whether or not there is any truth in Khursheed shah’s allegation – that nawaz came to power in ’13 through a back-door deal – it is true that his party was allowed a much freer campaign; and that too by the taliban. ttP targeted AnP, PPP and MQM rallies repeatedly, yet not only spared Pti and PMl-n but also appreciated them. now the party is clearly in a dilemma. And there is, quite clearly, a tug of war between the old guard and some new blood (which has found favour with Maryam nawaz) even as the sword of further defections looms. nawaz, still, openly chose to tilt towards the talal chaudharys of the party; appreciating them as the true spirit of the Muslim league. that, of course, will only deepen other cleavages in the party, particularly as shahbaz sharif begins to assert his presidency over it. it seems that with his clash with institutions and string pulling within the party, nawaz just wants to create a lot of noise just because he, personally, is going down. Perhaps he will have a lot of time to ponder what could have been handled differently if his apprehensions, especially about Adiala, come true.
Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami
Arif Nizami Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad
Umar Aziz
Asher John
Joint Editor
Executive Editor
Deputy Editor
Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965
I
Impact of Lahore’s culture on its environment Then and now…
aminah SUhail QUreShi
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AhoRe is touted as the cultural hub of Punjab and the heart of Pakistan. there is a famous saying here in Pakistan “jinnay lahore nahi vekhea o jamya nai” which roughly translates into (anyone who hasn’t seen lahore, hasn’t been born yet) and many believe that the main attraction of lahore is its diverse and ever so colourful culture and its majestic heritage. lahoris know how to celebrate life and that is shown by the variety of festivals held in the city, ranging from basant to the mela of Data Darbar. lahoris love their food and this is evident from the fact that there are 1,000 of restaurants in lahore offering cuisines from every corner of the world. especially the renowned Food street located near the famous Badshahi mosque depicts the true lahori culture and their love of food. Apart from these celebrations, lahore has always been an integral part of the Pakistani politics, and hence this diverse culture has given birth to a unique social, political and natural environment. Impact on socIal envIronment: lahore’s food loving culture has made food a vital part of its environment. With restaurants selling traditional Punjabi food in every corner, people have easy access to food. According to a
quote, lahore is known as the “Foodistan of Pakistan”. Because of so many different restaurants, the competition has increased and hence resulted in cheaper rates for the food lovers. the Food street in lahore, such as, is a center of Pakistani traditional food. it is surrounded by buildings that are many centuries old and the beautiful Persian-Kashmiri architecture that is used in the neighbouring buildings reflects the richness of the culture as well as proves to be a major attraction for tourists. Visitors are welcomed 24/7 for enjoying the food and the great ambiance that is created by the musicians as well, who are skilled in playing traditional musical instruments such as flute and tabla. lasi (a traditional drink made by yogurt and milk) is one of the things that Food street is famous for. in Punjab they say, “Asi tusi tay lasi” (We You and lasi). therefore lasi is a very important ingredient in breakfast of Punjabis and especially lahoris. But it is not just food that’s celebrated here, lahoris tend to celebrate every aspect of life and hence it is no surprise that tons of festivals are held in lahore. Festivals such as basant used to be celebrated with way more enthusiasm in lahore than in other city of Pakistan because of the fun loving culture. this festival is actually to welcome the spring season and it is celebrated by flying kites. Mela chiragan (festival of lights) is also an example. it is a three days annual festival which marks the urs (death anniversary) of shah hussain, the famous Punjabi sufi poet and saint. During these festivals, the tourism industry also flourishes as people, from all over the globe fly in to enjoy and celebrate these festivals and dwell in the rich culture and heritage that they have to offer. hence these festivals plays a great role in up lifting the mood, providing distraction from the other frustrations in life and overall creating a positive atmosphere as a whole. But then there are negative impacts of this as well. the over consumption of food leads to obesity in people and because of this, these people tend to get involved in major health issues and problems such as heart diseases, kidney failure etc, and hence the traffic in hospitals increases because of this food loving culture. Festivals like Basant can prove to be extremely dangerous as the string that is used for the kite flying is usually
covered in glass powder. this makes it really sharp and has proved to be really dangerous. in the past few years, numerous cases have been reported in which deaths have resulted due this sharp string that have cut through the necks of usually people who use motorcycles as a mean of transportation. While on the other hand melas like Data Darbar are often considered to be extremely unhygienic places and a hub of diseases. All this leads to an increase in traffic of hospitals. lastly, the influx of tourists has its drawbacks also. the government needs a lot of money to accommodate such a number of tourists. the crime rate also increases as a lot of people fly in from other countries and people also move in from the outskirts into the main city and these people then prove to be easy targets for thugs. Impact on natural envIronment: What about the impact of lahori culture on its residents? Well lahore’s culture is slowly changing as people are moving forward and more towards a modern lifestyle. the traditional tongas have almost completely lost their value and joint family systems are on a decline. this has led to more construction in the city which has, in turn, resulted in more and more trees being cut and land being cleared. the huge loss in the number of trees has caused the pollution to increase. this is because, in the absence of trees, the amount of carbon dioxide increases and oxygen decreases. Also pollution is on a rise with the ever increasing automobiles which have replaced the environmental friendly tongas and Baggi. Where parks were once a place of family picnics, now are being replaced by other forms of entertainment such as cinemas and shopping malls. this has led to a decrease in the number of new parks of the likes of Jallo Park. All these have a negative impact on the environment and are causing huge pollution problems. however the appreciation of beauty in lahori culture and the endeavours of the government have kept the hope alive. According to new schemes such as ‘sohna lahore’ (beautiful lahore) that are being proposed by the government of Punjab, new plants and trees are planted to beautify the city. Aminah Qureshi is a student of Biotechnology with an interest in current affairs, politics and journalism.
Stating the obvious GT Road constituencies will be won and lost on the basis of which narrative sells best Umair ahmad
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lections are due in a few months. Fiscal debt, energy shortage, foreign policy or even, to an extent, law and order will take the back seat as spotlight is taken by the same issue that has drawn much of our electronic and print media’s attention i.e. the tension between accountability of public office holders on the one hand and the respect of the ballot on the other. An important factor within this debate will be the role of the judicial branch within our constitutional framework. At least to the extent of the urban constituencies of central and northern Punjab (more commonly known as the “Gt Road constituencies”), which have traditionally been trendsetters in determining the incoming federal government, there are two heavyweights, the Pakistan tehreek-e-insaf (Pti) and the Pakistan Muslim league – nawaz (PMl-n). the Gt Road constituencies will be won and lost on the basis of which narrative sells best. the Pti’s narrative is a simple one. it relies on the premise that corruption is Pakistan’s biggest problem. At the root of this problem are the corrupt political elite, who have for decades embezzled public resources to build empires of wealth abroad. therefore, the only way out is to replace this rotten-to-the-core political leadership with the Pti’s sparkly clean, world-cup winning, cricketer-philanthropist-politician, Mr Khan. Much like those detergent advertisements, Mr Khan will rid the nation of all the “dirt stains”. that he can do this, after the disqualification of the PMl-n’s Mr nawaz sharif, is not a question anymore. one “dirt stain” at a time, Mr Khan is already on his mission clean-up. the argument seems impenetrable on the face of it. What could be wrong with accountability? that corruption is a problem is hardly debatable. there is also no cavil to the proposition that the political elite has engaged in financial corruption. the devil, as they say, however, lies in the deKarachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9
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tails. on his way to ensuring that Pakistan’s political canvass is rid off all “dirt stains” like the sheets they display in those detergent advertisements, Mr Khan is doing something that is, much like the Pti’s top-tier leadership, not all that sparkly clean. And this is exactly what the PMl-n’s argument is. What is actually happening is that the representative institutions of the state are losing an already uphill battle against the non-representative institutions. this is the point that is made by the PMl-n after every hearing of the accountability court and at every public rally, more emphatically by some than others. But this is not as simple, and crisp as the argument of the Pti. to argue this, one has to tread the delicate balance between attacking state institutions on the one hand and justifying corruption on the other. in public rallies and on talk shows, there is little room for nuanced arguments involving the civilmilitary imbalance that has been a conspicuous characteristic of our past. the question before the electorate then can be reduced to this: is corruption Pakistan’s biggest problem? if the PMl-n is to win the elections, they have to convince the majority that it is not. the argument is not without merit. Pakistan’s biggest problem is the lack of accountability not the prevalence of financial corruption. Accountability, not just of public representatives, but of all state functionaries. in Pakistan, accountability has always been ad-hoc, and ostensibly political; harsh against public representatives, and relatively toothless against other state functionaries. For this reason, it has never surged without its fair share of controversy. Accountability of this nature, which surges in politically strategic times, will never be able to
Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545
eliminate, or even reduce corruption simply because that is not what it is meant to achieve. it can only be efficacious, if it is consistent and more importantly, systemic. only when there is a general and universally applicable threat of accountability before law will state functionaries be successfully prevented from financial corruption. the Pti argues that this instant surge of accountability is different. the men in robes are free, independent and non-partisan, and the men in khakis are indifferent and oblivious to political realities. All historical evidence, however, is against this claim. the khaki-robe alliance is no stranger to Pakistan. it is no secret that coup after coup the judiciary has gone to great lengths to find shaky legal foundations for grossly unconstitutional actions. What has changed? Why should we believe that things now are different, and that the nexus has broken? Why should the people forget that, not too long ago, the robes authorised a man in khaki uniform to make amendments to the constitution with the stroke of a pen? the challenge facing the PMl-n in the upcoming elections is to state the obvious, but to do so, without coming off as blatantly hostile towards state institutions, because to come off as that is nothing short of political suicide. if this country is to truly rid itself from corruption, accountability needs to be non-partisan, and that is possible only if it rises above individuals and political parties. no judicial decisions, no joint investigations and no nAB references can achieve what can be achieved by a law, equally applicable to all.
The question before the electorate then can be reduced to this: is corruption Pakistan’s biggest problem? If the PML-N is to win the elections, they have to convince the majority that it is not
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COMMENT 11
Thursday, 12 April, 2018
Editor’s mail Will the diplomat walk or will he walk the plank?
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
The game comes home, finally! But has the security?
hUSSaan TariQ
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he long and lengthy nose down dive of Pakistani cricket has finally begun to find its way back up again, and has gained some momentum, primarily through Pakistan cricket Board’s (PcB’s) initiative of Pakistan super league (Psl). the event, having completed its third round now, although has been scheduled at an external venue i.e. the UAe, has had a pull effect on international cricket bodies, and cricketers, serving the purpose of not only the game’s revival in Pakistan, but presenting Pakistan as a potentially safe venue for hosting cricket matches. Pakistan had lost the honour amid the consequences that prevailed following the terrorist attack on the sri-lankan team in lahore back in 2009. six players had suffered injuries as a result of the attack. in addition to attracting local talent to participate, the event has also been able to attract renowned international cricket stars to play for the participating teams and franchises. the Psl attracted the public in overwhelming numbers to the otherwise quiet grounds providing entertainment to the cricket loving nation. the national stadium (Karachi), hosting the final of the event, echoed with enchanted slogans after ages; 10 years to be precise. While on one side, the event is being looked upon by the authorities and the nation at large, as a success in bringing back the game home, which it has done to an extent, on the other side we must avoid losing our track, and ask our-
The encouraging point to end on here, however, is that we are on the right track! We just need to remain focused, and not lose our way
selves tough questions as well. had the entire Psl been played at home grounds, would the event have still attracted the number of international cricketers as an external venue did? there is no denying the harsh reality that many international cricketers abstained from participating in the deciding final since it was being played in Pakistan; primarily in view of the present security concerns. the event being organised at an external venue was still a major reason that encouraged participation of the international cricketers in the event. the situation would have certainly been different otherwise. security situation in the country has improved; this needs to be re-emphasised and re-enforced again and again at international level, and to the international cricketing bodies in order to win back the long lost confidence. Perhaps we are still lacking here! Moving on, we all have been witnesses to the tight security measures put in place by the government authorities, and the law enforcement agencies at all levels in order to ensure a safe conduct of the Psl finals, whether in Karachi or back in lahore. half of the city hosting the final closed down, multiple major roads cordoned off, traffic diversion plan issuance, public discomfort and haphazardness, placement of security personnel all around the city, and many more, without a doubt these do not account for a fool-proof secured venue. heavy placement of law enforcement official contingents, in fact, distorts the security image of the host country. We will be called a secure country, perhaps, when the international players would be able to move around freely on their own in our streets, without any security deployments on ground.
And above all, all of this is done just for one (1) match i.e. the final game of the event. With all of these aforementioned measures to be put in place, is hosting the entire event even a considerable possibility for the government, the PcB, the law enforcement agencies, and even the public (with all the love and passion for cricket)? the answer, unfortunately, might be no. And with that, the claims of being a secure host might become questionable. nothing against the good work that has been done in order to bring back the game of cricket home, the initiatives and achievements of the PcB are commendable, of course with the support of relevant authorities. the game is certainly back, but it is critical for us not to lose our way in the midst of these landmarks achieved. the security in the country has improved, and events like Psl, followed by the West indian cricket team visiting Pakistan for a three match t-20 series are an acknowledgement of our national claim, but there is a lot more than just blowing smoke and ringing bells that needs to be done. the nation looks forward to hosting the entire Psl event, along with many other international events to come home, and for that it is mandatory to not just further improve the security situation, but to highlight and communicate our successes at the international arena. the encouraging point to end on here, however, is that we are on the right track! We just need to remain focused, and not lose our way. security, in its true sense, must come back to Pakistan first and the rest will follow itself.
Pakistan had lost the honour amid the consequences that prevailed following the terrorist attack on the Sri-Lankan team in Lahore back in 2009
Hussaan Tariq is an HR professional. He can be contacted at hussaantariq@gmail.com
on 28 March when Prime Minister shahid Khaqan Abbasi reached new York’s John F Kennedy airport on a personal visit, he underwent security check like a normal passenger. in the UsA it is customary to remove clothes with metal, jacket and shoes before passing through the scanner. Being premier of once UsA’s seemingly irreplaceable ally, Mr. Abbasi qualified for no special treatment. he was made to endure every security hurdle on his way. how could indian media let such a platter pass by them without capitalizing on it to settle score with Pakistan? its exaggerated reporting took social media by strom and that ultimately lead to a response clothed in face saving that “shahid Khaqan Abbasi is a simple man and does not mind undergoing security checkups”. We, however, don’t know why this sunny side of his character remains in dark when travels across Pakistan. this is the tale of broadly every Pakistani politician. there comes a great fall in their sophisticated attitude when they take-off to western countries, which are so particular about their laws that from popularity to personal feats everything is thrown into relief for their just enforcement. his quaid Mian nawaz sharif was no different. his car was challaned fine twice in two successive months in UK for breaking traffic rules last year. Yet, even after being ousted from premiership, he keeps people challaned for hours every time he takes road. But how well do we manage to impose our laws on western public, let alone their public figure? the example of Raymond Davis will suffice the answer. Raymond Davis shot two people in lahore in broad daylight. Following amazing turn of events, he got away cheap as concerned families generously awarded him pardon in exchange of currency. Given the track record, our leadership cannot stand its ground and wavers easily to foreign pressure, many fancy that the Us official col Joseph emanuel hall the defense attaché at the Us embassy in islamabad- will also be loopholed his way through the law of the land. on April 7, the diplomat hit a motorcycle carrying two men at a traffic signal in islamabad. the incident proved fatal for 22 years old Atiq Baig and brought injuries to his cousin Raheel Ahmed. thereafter, the Us ambassador was summoned by Pakistan foreign office and a strong protest was registered against the diplomat’s unlawful or perhaps criminal conduct. to this, the ambassador assured submission of complete cooperation in further investigation. having seen many such pledges of “complete cooperation” and processes of “intimate investigation” resulted into nil, all of this has done little to restore public’s faith that any substantial measures will be taken against the guilty. America’s intervention to save its diplomat is beyond any question, can Pakistan stand that pressure? only time will unfold. VASdEV HEmnAi mithi, Tharparkar
Workers remittances up As the days are passing for early presentation of the new federal budget for next financial year, it is good to note that remittances from Pakistanis working abroad in different countries have shown upward trend and marginally increased by 3.55 per cent to 14.606 billion dollars during the first nine months of current financial year i.e. July 2017 to March 2018. Remittances stood 1.772 billion dollars in March 2018 up from 1.694 billion dollars as compared to moth of March of 2017. According to the reports in the newspapers, inflows from western economies especially the United Kingdom and the United states are continuing to increase. the amount sent home by expatriates from UK increased as much as 22.45 per cent to 2.030 billion dollars and the remittances from the Us went up by 12 per cent to 1.948 billion dollars during the first three quarters of outgoing fiscal year. Remittance inflow from the european countries rose quite appreciably ti 478.89 million during the first three quarters of the current fiscal year i.e. July 2017 to March 2018. ASmAAR BiLAL Lahore
Trade not war PAKistAn has quite rightly and emphatically reiterated that regional connectivity, open trade and opportunities for economic growth are keys to promote tolerance and deny space to extremism to take root in the region. this has been assertively said by Prime Minister shahids Khaqan Abbasi while addressing the opening ceremony of the Boao economic forum in china’s hainan province. PM Abbasi, according to the reports in the media, said china and Pakistan’s relations have stood the test of time, in every sense we are iron brothers, our friendship is the bedrock of strategic stability, islamabad is partnering with Beijing to usher in a new era of peace and prosperity through enhanced regional connectivity, flagship project of Belt and Road initiative the china-Pakistan economic corridor (cPec) is fast reaching fruition. Furthermore, he pointedly stated that the development of the deep seaport of Gwadar is proceeding at fast pace, on completion it will not only serve as a transit and transshipment hub but will also become an economic nucleus adding that cPec will provide the shortest maritime and overland access to Western china, central and south Asia as well as the Middle east, only by spreading the dividends of open trade and shared innovation will we be able to promote tolerance and peace in the society and tighten our grip against the menace of extremism. mUHAmmAd mURTAZA ZEESHAn Lahore
12 WORLD VIEW
Thursday, 12 April, 2018
How Russia and ameRica could go To waR in syRia THE RUSSIANS ARE ASSERTING THAT EVIDENCE IS BEING MANUFACTURED TO ESSENTIALLY FRAME THE SYRIAN GOVERNMENT FOR THE CHEMICAL ATTACK NatioNal iNterest
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Dave MajuMDar
he Trump administration will be making a decision on how to respond to an alleged chemical weapons attack in the Syria town of Douma within the next fortyeight hours. President Donald Trump said that the United States is currently examining the evidence and that military force remains an option. Trump promised a response even if his administration decides that Russia is responsible. Asked if Russia bears responsibility for the alleged chemical attack, Trump said that the Kremlin might be culpable. “he [Russian President Vladimir Putin] may. Yeah, he may. And if he does, it’s going to be very tough. Very tough,” Trump said during a meeting of his cabinet on April 9. “everybody is going to pay a price. he will. everybody will.” Trump said it will take roughly twentyfour hours for the United States to determine which party was responsible for the alleged chemical attack. “If it’s Russia, if it’s Syria, if it’s Iran, if it’s all of them together, we’ll figure it out and we’ll know the answers quite soon,” Trump said. “So we’re looking at that very, very strongly and very seriously.” Trump noted that both the Russians and Syrians deny that there was such an attack. “They’re saying they’re not,” Trump said. “But to me, there’s not much of a doubt, but the generals will figure it out probably over the next 24 hours.” Further, asked directly if military force is on the table as an option, Trump said that all options are on the table. “Nothing is off the table,” Trump said. WHO IS TO BLAME? Trump’s comments slightly softened his earlier tweets on April 8 where he directly blamed Russia, Syria and Iran for the alleged chemical attack. “Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CheMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world,” Trump had tweeted. “President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price... ....to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!” Trump further asserted that had President Barack Obama launched a campaign against the Syrian regime in August 2012—when Damascus launched an earlier chemical attack against Syrian rebels— the current situation in Syria would have been averted. “If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!” Trump tweeted. Right now it is unclear exactly who was responsible for the chemical attack in Douma, if, indeed, there was one. The Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) claimed that Douma came under what appears to have to been a chemical weapons attack on Saturday, April 7, at 19:45 local time. “More than 500 cases -the majority of whom are women and children- were brought to local medical centers with symptoms indicative of exposure to a chemical agent,” SAMS said. “Patients
have shown signs of respiratory distress, central cyanosis, excessive oral foaming, corneal burns, and the emission of chlorine-like odor.” SAMS does not suggest which party was responsible for the attack. Instead, the organization has called for an investigation—and for an international intervention. “SAMS and the Syrian Civil Defense demand an immediate cease-fire in the city of Douma and the entry of international investigation teams from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to investigate this heinous chemical attack,” SAMS said. “SAMS, along with the Syrian Civil Defense call for the immediate intervention of the international community to enforce international law prohibiting the use of chemical weapons, and to ensure the protection of medical and humanitarian facilities to enable them to continue their lifesaving work.” however, there has been no independent verification of the SAMS report— though the U.S. State Department believes the report is credible. The Kremlin, for one, rejects the very notion that there was a chemical attack on Douma. Moscow’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said that Russian forces, together with the Red Crescent organization, had found no evidence of a chemical attack. “Our military specialists have visited this place, along with representatives of the Syrian Red Crescent... and they did not find any trace of chlorine or any other chemical substance used against civilians," Lavrov said. The Russians are asserting that evidence is being manufactured to essentially frame the Syrian government for the chemical attack. “False information is being planted about the alleged use of chlorine and other toxic agents by the Syrian government forces,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “The latest fake news about a chemical attack on Douma was reported yesterday. These reports are again referenced to the notorious White helmets, which have been proved more than once to be working hand in glove with the terrorists, as well as to other pseudo-humanitarian organisations headquartered in the UK and the US.” Indeed, the Russians are asserting that the alleged use of chemical weapons is a provocation by “those who are not interested in the early elimination of one of the last seats of terrorism in Syria and in a genuine political settlement” to undermine the Assad regime. “We recently warned of the possibility of such dangerous provocations,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said. “The goal of these absolutely unsubstantiated lies is to protect the terrorists and the irreconcilable radical opposition that has rejected a political settlement, as well as to justify the possible use of force by external actors.” WHAT IS TO BE DONE? hawkish voices in the United States—including Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham, John McCain and Susan Collins—are already calling for a military intervention in Syria. Those are just a few among the voices calling on Trump to set aside his stated desire for American forces to leave that war-torn nation once the ISIS terrorist group has been eliminated. Indeed, Trump said that he is reconsidering his position and will make a decision shortly. “We’re going to make a decision on all of that, in particular Syria,” Trump said. “We’ll be making that decision very quickly, probably by the end of today. But we cannot
allow atrocities like that. Cannot allow it.” But what military options exist for Washington in Syria? “I don't rule out anything right now," U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said at the Pentagon. "The first thing we have to look at is why are chemical weapons still being used at all when Russia was the framework guarantor of removing all chemical weapons, and so working with our allies and partners from NATO to Qatar and elsewhere we are going to address this issue." The basic problem for the United States is that there are multiple nations’ forces operating in close proximity to each other in the chaos and confusion of Syria— including Russian forces. That means that unless Washington is willing to risk a major war with Moscow—one that could escalate out of control—American military personnel will have to be very careful not to hit uniformed Russian forces. Moscow has reiterated that Russia will retaliate if their forces are struck. “We have to say once again that military interference in Syria, where Russian forces have been deployed at the request of the legitimate government, under contrived and false pretexts is absolutely unacceptable and can lead to very grave consequences,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said. The Foreign Ministry statement reinforces a recent declaration by the Chief of the General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov. “If lives of the Russian officers are threatened, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will retaliate against missile and launch systems,” Gerasimov said on March 13. Gerasimov, as both American and Russian-based experts have noted, is not prone to bluffing and strictly follows directives from Putin. “When the Russian chief of the general staff says something, you have to listen because someone told him to say it,” Center for Naval Analyses senior research scientist Michael Kofman said recently at the Center for the National Interest. AMERICA’S MILITARY OPTIONS Mattis did not directly answer reporters’ questions on how the United States could hit Syrian chemical weapons depots, but the bottom line for Washington is that it would have to be exceedingly careful to avoid hitting Russian forces. however, in order to prevent the Russians from tipping off their Syrian allies, the United States might have to refrain from using the deconfliction line that is used to ensure the two great powers do not come into unintentional military conflict. “I’m very sure that great care would be taken to strike appropriate targets. There are a number of capabilities that could be used to strike with precision, including cruise missiles that can be air-launched and sealaunched, and possibly penetrating combat aircraft,” Mark Gunzinger, a former U.S. Air Force B-52 pilot and airpower analyst at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Analysis, told the National Interest. That could mean that the United States uses long-range precision guided strike assets, such as the U.S. Navy’s Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles or the U.S. Air Force’s B-52-launched AGM-86C Conventional Air Launched Cruise Missile (CALCM), to hit such targets deep inside Syria—reducing risk to aircrews from surface-to-air missiles. Moreover, because cruise missiles fly at extremely low altitude using the terrain to mask their approach from ground radars, Russia’s extremely capable air defenses, such as the S-400 and S-300V4 systems deployed in Syria, would
not be able to engage incoming cruise missile unless they were under direct attack. essentially, while Russian air defense systems provide area air defense coverage against medium or high altitude threats, they are effectively point defense weapons when defending against cruise missiles. The United States could also use stealth aircraft, such as the Northrop Grumman B2 Spirit and the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, to hit targets in Syria. While the Russians may well have the capability to detect those aircraft, Moscow does not likely have the means to develop a “weapons quality” track to engage those jets with either the S-300V4 or the S-400. The advantage of using a manned stealth aircraft is that those aircraft carry high-resolution sensors and carry a variety of weapons—which means a targeteer can match an appropriate weapon to an appropriate target using real time data coming from the jet’s sensors. “The particular strike package depends on a variety of factors that involve the desired effects to be accomplished,” Lt. Gen. David Deptula, a former U.S. Air Force intelligence chief who has also designed several air campaigns, told the National Interest. RUSSIA’S RESPONSE If Russia’s forces are hit by an American or allied air strike, Moscow will respond with force. The Kremlin is not bluffing, analysts say. “If Russian forces are attacked then we will have a war,” Vasily Kashin, a senior fellow at the Center for Comprehensive european and International Studies at Moscow's higher School of economics, told the National Interest. Russian forces have the ability to strike back at U.S. and allied bases—not only in the Middle east but also in europe. As Gerasimov had noted, the Russians would not necessarily confine their response to an attack on their forces to just Syria, they would strike at the launch platforms and their bases of origin. Long range precision guided weapons such as the ship and submarine based Kalibr cruise missile and the X-101 air-launched cruise missile—which can be carried onboard the Tupolev Tu-95 Bear and Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers—afford Moscow the ability to strike U.S. bases around the region. That could be cause for concern for American allies, which might host U.S. strike aircraft that might engage Russian targets. The problem with starting a war with another nuclear-armed great power is that such conflicts inevitably escalate—and escalate out of control. ISRAEL ADDS TO THE CONFUSION Another wild card is Israel and other regional powers involved in Syria. The Russians recently accused Israel of launching an airstrike on the Syrian regime’s T-4 airbase. “On April 9, in the period between 3.25 a.m. and 3.53 a.m. Moscow Time two F-15 aircraft of Is-
Syrian situation calls for caution Haaretz The airstrike on the Syrian airport, attributed to Israel, was not a “routine” strike, one of hundreds it has carried out. Its timing could draw Israel into a war that it may not have planned for. It came as Syria is being accused of using chemical weapons against civilians in Douma; as the United States is threatening to act against Syria because of the chemical attack; as Moscow is warning Washington against military involvement and as Iran is threatening to retaliate against Israel. At the same time, the Israeli government and the military continue to pursue an aggressive line against Iran’s continued entrenchment in Syria, accompanied by warnings that Israel will act to curb such en-
trenchment. The strike on the Syrian airport is being interpreted internationally as part of this policy, since it targeted not weapons convoys destined for hezbollah but rather at a site where Iranian forces operate, and a number of Iranian military personnel were killed. The possibility of escalation into a war of multiple participants involving Israel has become more tangible than ever. One cannot ignore the fear that Iran will expand its control in Syria, especially given its close cooperation with the Assad regime and with Russia. Israel’s demand that Russia push Iranian forces away from the border on the Golan heights has not been met, and Iran’s ability to bring its weapons, and perhaps even its missiles, closer to Israel requires a response. But Israel must be aware of the dangerous consequences of a war
rael’s Air Force delivered a strike with eight guided missiles on the T-4 airfield without entering Syria’s airspace from Lebanon’s territory," the Russian defense ministry said according to TASS. The Russians claim that Syrian air defenses destroyed five of the Israeli missiles while the remaining three weapons hit their target—which is dubious given the state of Syria’s air defenses. TASS reported that there were no Russian advisers among the casualties, however it is reported that at least fourteen pro-regime forces, including some number of Iranian personnel, were killed. Thus, the potential for an unintentional clash—between multiple powers—is high. Indeed, the Pentagon was forced earlier to deny that American forces were involved. “At this time, the Department of Defense is not conducting airstrikes in Syria. however, we continue to closely watch the situation and support the ongoing diplomatic efforts to hold those who use chemical weapons, in Syria and otherwise, accountable," the Defense Department said. A GREAT POWER CONFRONTATION Depending on Trump’s decisions over the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours, the world may be faced with the most dangerous great-power confrontation since the Cuban Missile Crisis. The outcome could either be an unmitigated disaster, where there is an open war between Russia and the United States, or it might turn out to be a learning experience that averts future crises. The Washington national security community has largely forgotten the Cold War concepts of nuclear deterrence and managing confrontations with a nucleararmed rival. Over the past twenty-five years or so, Washington has become accustomed to a world where there are no greatpower challengers and the only real threat comes from terrorism. “People have sophomoric views on great power confrontation here,” Kofman said. “In fact a lot of people don’t even understand nuclear strategy and deterrence all that well anymore and the escalatory dynamics. And you can tell by the conversations—we have been in the terrorism/counterinsurgency game for way too long and people don’t understand what they are playing with at senior levels. I hear it all the time. That’s all a recipe for a 1950-1960s type interaction with another great power.” Indeed, it might take a new version of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis for the American foreign policy establishment to grasp how dangerous a confrontation with a rival nuclear-armed great power can be. “I hate to say it, but it might be a good thing,” Kofman said. “I actually think it might be a good thing to have that crisis for everyone to grow up.” Dave Majumdar is the defense editor for The National Interest.
on Syrian soil. As has been proven in the past, and not just in campaigns involving Israel, airstrikes do not guarantee the withdrawal or containment of enemy forces. Is Israel ready for a war that includes ground forces? Can it count on U.S. involvement, or at least support? These questions have no conclusive answer, especially given the confused policy of U.S. President Donald Trump, who announced plans to withdraw American forces from Syria on one hand while on the other declared that he was considering a military response in Syria. Nor can Israel ignore a scenario in which Russia turns from an ally of Israel that coordinates aerial activity in Syria into a power that confronts it. We must hope these possibilities are not ignored by Israeli decision-makers who are pursuing an increasingly narrow course that could force the military to act. What is needed now is to modulate the belligerent talk, holster its weapons and fully explore all diplomatic options. The cliché that war is easy to start but difficult to end is truer today than ever.
LEISURE 13
Thursday, 12 April, 2018
ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
There's no reason to waste words rationalizing your actions now, since it appears the more you share your thoughts, the less clear others become. It isn't that you're on a wrong track; it's just that you.
You wish you could garner more support from your coworkers today, but you might be feeling so outrageously confident that you inadvertently ask for too much. Thankfully, your charming nature is quite endearing.
Your coworkers might wellintentionally make promises that are impossible to fulfill today. Rest assured no one is trying to mislead you on purpose; it's just easy to be swept up in a moment of sheer optimism..
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Your coworkers might wellintentionally make promises that are impossible to fulfill today. Rest assured no one is trying to mislead you on purpose; it's just easy to be swept up in a moment of sheer optimism.
You can make even the most boring chore sound like a ton of fun today, but it will still be a drag, no matter how much you dress it up. Your natural ability to dramatize the facts might also be useful.
Although you are usually quite exacting in how you put facts together like puzzle pieces, you're tempted to bend reality in your favor today to make them fit. Ironically, you might not even be aware of.
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Although your senses may be overstimulated today, your irrational fascination with a new idea could steer you into the weeds. The attractions of your key planet Venus are still pulling you all over the.
You are tempted to sweeten a bitter pill with a spoonful of sugar today because you think you might have a better chance of being heard if you're extra nice to everyone. But your strategy of playing the.
You might not think you can reach your goals now, especially if you let self-doubt creep into the picture. Normally, your unflagging confidence carries you through periods of uncertainty so you don't feel.
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Your current enthusiasm about your latest new project might stir a lot of interest today. Nevertheless, you must have valid data to support your plan or others will abandon you just as quickly as they.
Following a hunch out of the blue often works in your favor, but today a sudden change of direction might create more trouble than it's worth. You can visualize the potential in almost every situation.
Your unflagging loyalty is a real gift to your closest friends, but your exuberance can grow out of hand now. Although everyone appreciates your vote of support, it's wise to save your approval until you.
cRosswoRd
ACROSS 1 Probable (6) 4 demonstrated (6) 8 Construct (5) 9 Perils (7) 10 Ramble (7) 11 wood used in model making (5) 12 Longing for something past — isn't a goal (anag) (9) 17 Social outcast (5) 19 Be entitled to (7) 21 Backside (informal) (4,3) 22 Crypt (5) 23 Balance of mind (6) 24 hold tenderly (6)
woRd sEaRcH
DOwn 1 Sex drive (6) 2 One of a warlike species in Star Trek (7) 3 Shelf (5) 5 Fashion accessory (7) 6 Change direction as if on an axis (5) 7 Gloomy (6) 9 dad's cider (anag) — chucked out (9) 13 Excess (7) 14 Beached (7) 15 drinks noisily (6) 16 Scurry — iconic small car (6) 18 Unprepossessing (5)
HaGaR tHE HoRRIblE
dIlbERt
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white tO PLAY AND MAte iN three MOVes 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
A
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Today’s soluTions
bRIdGE MIsplayEd, Etc.
sUdokU crossword solution sudoku solution
1.Qxd7 Qxd7 2.Rdxd7 g6 3.Rxe8+ Rxe8 * chess solution
How to play Fill in all the squares in the grid so that each row, column and each of the squares contains all the digits. The object is to insert the numbers in the boxes to satisfy only one condition: each row, column and 3x3 box must contain the digits 1 through 9 exactly once.
14
Thursday, 12 April, 2018
ARTS
LionFish beComes the neW threat For marine LiFe in meDiterranean NIcoSIA
a
Agencies
FTER colonising parts of the Atlantic on the east coast of the United States and the Caribbean, lionfish are now invading the Mediterranean. Armed with venomous dorsal spines and fan-shaped pectoral fins, the exotic looking lionfish, a favourite at aquariums, has no known enemies in the Mediterranean. The reef fish, whose sting is painful but not deadly, is native to the Indian Ocean. But an outbreak in the Mediterranean has scientists, fishermen and divers so worried that they have launched a campaign to reduce its numbers. The lionfish first appeared in the waters off Cyprus in 2012, Louis Hadjioannou, research director at Enalia, told AFP. “Since then it has spread everywhere,” he said. “All over the island, almost wherever you dive you can now see the lionfish in masses.” The lionfish has also been sighted off the coasts of Greece, Turkey and Tunisia. The lionfish’s “exponential rise” in the area was facilitated by the widening of the Suez Canal — completed in 2014 — and warming regional water temperatures, according to Jason HallSpencer, a marine biology professor at Britain’s University of Plymouth. The lionfish has also been sighted off the coasts of Greece, Turkey and Tunisia. “The invasion is underway” in the eastern Mediterranean, said Demetris Kletou, director of the Cyprus-based Marine and Environmental Research Lab. The lionfish’s “exponential rise” in the area was facilitated by the widening of the Suez Canal — completed in 2014 — and warming regional water temperatures, according to Jason HallSpencer, a marine biology professor at Britain’s
French startup creates device to measure air pollution
University of Plymouth. The cooler waters of the western Mediterranean, he said, have largely been spared for the moment. Along with habitat loss and overexploitation, invasive species are among the top five leading causes of biodiversity loss across the globe, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Such a loss disrupts ecosystems and the human activities that depend on them. Since the 1980s, the lionfish has caused “significant damage” to the US and Caribbean coastlines, said marine biologist Carlos Jimenez, a senior research coordinator at Enalia.
Environmental research firm VertigoLab estimates the lionfish invasion in the French West Indies — a string of seven small islands in the Caribbean — has cost “more than 10 million euros ($12 million) per year”. Local fish are easily caught off guard by the adept predator. In two years, lionfish in the western Atlantic have reduced 40 species of coral reef fish by about 65 percent, according to a 2012 study funded by Canada’s Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. Fishermen’s catches of certain species, including grouper, have slumped accordingly.
Paris: French startup Plume Labs is out to let people breath easier, whether preparing for a marathon or just bicycling to work. Paris-based Plume created Flow devices that people can use to measure air pollution where ever they happen to be, providing real-time information about whether it might be good for their health to go elsewhere. Romain Lacombe joined former college friend David Lissmyr to launch the startup after training to run a marathon and being frustrated at the fact that while gadgets existed to track pace, sleep, distance, heart rate and more,there was nothing to let a runner know whether the air on one route was better than another. The startup released a free Plume Air Report mobile app showing openly available air quality data from public monitoring stations, then turned to designing Flow devices people could carry around to ‘crowd-source’ the information themselves. “The device lets you know where you are exposed to pollution,” Plume cofounder Romain Lacombe told AFP. Agencies
Climate affects development of human speech: study
Saudi Arabia hosts its first Arab Fashion Week RIYADH Agencies
World’s first 3Dprinted house unveiled in France NANTES Agencies
Researchers have unveiled what they billed as the world’s first 3D-printed house to serve as a home in the French city of Nantes, with the first tenants due to move in by June. Academics at the University of Nantes who led the project said it was the first house built in situ for human habitation using a robot 3Dprinter. The robot, known as BatiPrint3D, uses a special polymer material that should keep the building insulated effectively for a century. It took BatiPrint3D around 18 days to complete its part of the work on the house – creating hollow walls that were subsequently filled with concrete for insulation. “Is this the future? It’s a solution and a constructive principle that is interesting because we create the house directly on site and in addition thanks to the robot, we are able to create walls with complex shapes,” said Benoit Furet, a professor who worked on the project. The 95 square meter (1000 square feet), five-room house will be allocated to a local family which qualifies for social housing, authorities said. The Y-shaped home is equipped with multiple sensors that monitor air quality, humidity and temperature, as well as equipment to evaluate and analyze the thermal properties of the building. Researchers believe this technology will enable tenants to save on energy costs. Authorities in Nantes are planning further 3Dprinted building projects, including a public reception building and a housing estate.
Jean Paul Gaultier and Roberto Cavalli are in Saudi Arabia — headlining the kingdom’s firstever Arab Fashion Week, an event that opened Tuesday to equal parts excitement and controversy. Two weeks later than initially planned, the Saudi Arabian edition of Arab Fashion Week joins designers from Europe and the Arab world over the course of four days — including the kingdom’s own Arwa Banawi, whose The Suitable Woman line is adored by fashionistas across the region, and Mashael Alrajhi, the eponymous gender-inclusive label of a rarely-seen Saudi sheikha. Princess Noura Bint Faisal AlSaud — the honorary president of the Arab Fashion Council in Riyadh — joined designers, influencers, and industry insiders from Ukraine to Lebanon for the inaugural season of fashion week at the Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh, the hotel now infamous as the holding
place of hundreds of royals and businessmen arrested in a statesponsored corruption crackdown. “Fashion has always an interest of Saudi Arabia,” Princess Noura told AFP at the event. “It has not been something that wasn’t on the table or in the picture,” she added. “Our fashion council is trying to bring the fashion industry in Saudi Arabia to a whole new level, a whole new industry.” Listed as an international fashion week alongside Paris and
Milan, Arab Fashion Week offers exclusively see-now-buy-now collections and pre-collections. Until this week, it had been hosted exclusively by Gulf fashion capital Dubai. But unlike Dubai, the Riyadh shows are not open to cameras, and attendees remain women-only. The ultraconservative kingdom has witnessed rapid policy change since the June appointment of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, son of the king and heir to his throne.
isLaMaBaD: Finding a correlation between climate and the evolution of language, researchers said that languages with complex tones are much more likely to occur in the world’s humid regions. Similarly, languages with simple tone occur more frequently in desiccated regions, whether frigid areas or dry deserts. To discover an association between the environment and vocal sounds, researchers found that many languages of the world use tone or pitch to give meaning to their words, Science Daily reported. “In my estimation, it changes a bit our understanding of how languages evolve,” said Everett, associate professor in the department of anthropology at University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences, and lead investigator. “It does not imply that languages are completely determined by climate, but that climate can, over the long haul, be one of the factors that helps shape languages,” Everett noted. The findings are supported by data relating to over half of the world’s languages and to previous extensive experimental research on the properties of the human larynx that affect tonality. Most were found in tropical regions, throughout Africa and Southeast Asia, but also in some humid regions of North America, Amazonia and New Guinea. APP
New study suggests French fries better than salads for healthy life new york: Eating healthy might be difficult, especially when you’re surrounded by so many delicious food options to choose from. But there is no denying that a balanced diet is a key to a healthy life. Unfortunately, the definition of a “balanced diet” varies for each and everyone, reported Food Envy. Some people eat pasta for breakfast, while others munch on multiple burgers for lunch. But according to a recent study, food that is deep-fried and loaded with carbohydrates is the best option. Hailing from Israel, scientists at Weizmann Institute – led by professor Eran Segal – made this discovery. After monitoring the rise of blood sugar levels in 800 different people who consumed the same meal, the scientists reached a very agreeable conclusion. Physical activities, sleeping habits and bathroom activities of the participants were also tracked. It was found that every human body reacted to the foods differently. Something that causes a sharp glucose spike in one person might do the polar opposite to another. The scientists concluded that a person can eat
french fries with all their heart and not feel any negative effects. One participant’s sugar level increased after having bananas but not after eating a cookie. For another, the opposite occurred. Some participants ex-
perienced a sugar hike after consuming sushi but not while eating ice-cream and vice versa. Professor Segal explained, “The huge differences that we found in the rise of blood sugar levels among different people who consumed identical meals highlights why personalised eating choices are more likely to help people stay healthy than universal dietary advice.” People are prone to experiencing different reactions to food depending on their genetic makeup, lifestyle and microbiome – a bacteria ecosystem that triggers a response to food. This also suggests that diets built to control blood sugar should be tailored differently for each individual. This could also be the reason why many people are unable to stay true to their diet plan. Their bodies reject the specified meals and hence they revert back to their normal lifestyle. According to Segal, the study shows a need “to develop personal dietary recommendations that can help prevent and treat obesity and diabetes, which are among the most severe epidemics in human history.” Agencies
Thursday, 12 April, 2018
ARTS
PRiyAnkA ChoPRA ReveALS She LoSt A hoLLywooD movie beCAuSe of the 'CoLouR of heR Skin'
P
NEWS DESK
RIyANKA Chopra – arguably Bollywood’s most important global icon – has made it big in Hollywood. But even the former Miss World isn’t privy to discrimination. On various occasions, the Quantico star has opened up about her racist experiences in the international film industry. Now, in a recent interview to Instyle Magazine, the actor recounted how she was once denied a role in a movie simply because of the colour of her skin. The Baywatch starlet was asked about how Hollywood is treating her when it comes to equal pay for men and women belonging to a different races. Recalling an incident from last year, Priyanka said, “I was out for a movie, and somebody from the studio called one of my agents and said, ‘She has the wrong— what word did they use?— physicality’.”
She added, “So in my defence as an actor, I’m like, ‘Do I need to be skinnier? Do I need to get in shape? Do I need to have abs?’ Like, what does ‘wrong phys-
Amid wedding rumours with Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone finally speaks
icality’ mean? And then my agent broke it down for me. Like, ‘I think, they meant that they wanted someone who’s not brown.’ It affected me.”
Priyanka is the first South Asian actor to bag a lead role in an American television show. The actor has graced the covers of almost all famous magazines and attended big award functions such as the Emmys, the Oscars and the Golden Globes. She also made her Hollywood debut opposite Dwayne Johnson in 2017, as a villain in Baywatch. Priyanka also shed light on the pay disparity between genders and how it’s different in Bollywood and Hollywood. “In America, we don’t talk about it as brashly, whereas in India the issue is not skirted around,” she said. “I’ve been told straight up, if it’s a female role in a movie with big, male actors attached, your worth is not really considered as much.” However, she noted that even with all the shyness about not discussing the pay gap issue outrightly in Hollywood, producers still manage to do what they wanted to in the first place. The actor also talked about how her
15
parents raised her in a feminists’ paradise of a home. “I grew up in an environment where a woman led the household… He (my father) was man enough to say, ‘Listen, my wife does this way better than me.’ And nobody even questioned it. So when I came out into the big, bad world of entertainment, I was like, ‘Oh, well the world’s different from my house!’” she said. As for her own finances, she stated, “I’m actually really careful with my money. I’ve earned it with a lot of hard work.” This goes back to her financially savvy mother, who still has Priyanka’s first modelling paycheck framed. “When I was 16 or 17, I was just about to start working and I got one modelling job. I got a check, and my mom was like, ‘There’s no way in the world I’m cashing this.’ I was very proud,” continued Priyanka. While she sometimes gets a little too carried away while shopping, Priyanka admits that her mother still has access to her credit card statements and will lift an eyebrow after a particularly extravagant purchase. “I burn a little bit of plastic if I’m feeling emotional,” she says, chuckling. “And when I mean burn plastic, I don’t go, like, shopping at Saks,”—she pauses—“I’ll buy a car.” Quantico’s new season will air on April 26 on ABC. Priyanka will also be seen in supporting roles in A Kid Like Jake and Isn’t It Romantic? Moreover, rumour has it that the starlet will be making a huge Bollywood comeback as she reunites with Salman Khan in his upcoming project Bharat.
Patari co-founder resigns amid sexual harassment allegations
MUMBAI agencieS
Deepika Padukone addressed rumours of her wedding with boyfriend Ranveer Singh but by any chance, if you are of the opinion that her answer was simple, allow us to inform you that the 32-year-old actress only obliged us with a cryptic answer. According to Indian entertainment news outlet, Zoom, Deepika Padukone addressed rumours of her wedding with boyfriend Ranveer Singh but by any chance, if you are of the opinion that her answer was simple, allow us to inform you that the 32-year-old actress only obliged us with a cryptic answer. In an exclusive interview with TIMES NOW, Deepika said that marriage is, indefinitely, a part of her life but will happen instinctively. Since 2017, gossip columns have been shortlisting dates and possible locations for Ranveer and Deepika’s apparent wedding – from Switzerland to Sri Lanka and what not. But folks, please wait because the wedding isn’t happening anytime soon. “It’s definitely part of my life. It’s definitely something that I want for myself. But when that happens, how it happens, I think it’s just instinct.” She concluded by stating, “I think it’s important to know when it’s right,” Deepika told TIMES NOW. Ranveer and Deepika, co-star of films Goliyon Ki Rasleela: Ram Leela, Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat, reportedly started dating in 2013, and unsurprisingly, never admitted it. For reasons more than one, we decided to drop ‘alleged’ or ‘rumoured’ while referring to the couple because, come on, guys, their PDA answers all those questions hanging around in the air. During her interview with TIMES NOW as well, Deepika refrained from admitting to her relationship with Ranveer as she said: “It is what it is and I wouldn’t challenge it.” Of her bond with Ranveer, Deepika said: “For me, he is a friend. He is a confidante. He’s someone I can talk to. There is a debate, there is a conversation. Sometimes we agree, sometimes we disagree, but I guess that’s what makes the friendship beautiful.” As far as their wedding is concerned, several sections of the press have been insisting for a while that Ranveer has been approached by officials of Switzerland for choosing the country as his wedding destination – Ranveer is the brand ambassador of Switzerland. In fact, Mumbai Mirror reported last month that Deepika’s family had begun shopping for her bridal trousseau. The Switzerland marriage report, by the way, is just one of the speculative pronouncements as before the actress’ birthday on January 5, certain sections claimed that Ranveer and Deepika were all set to get married in Sri Lanka, where she celebrated with her family and him. Nothing of that sort happened, very obviously.
Sunny Leone posts marriage picture to wish husband on anniversary
LAHORE Staff RepoRt
Khalid Bajwa, the Chief Executive Officer of local music streaming giant Patari, has decided to step down from the post, following harassment allegations made against him by two young women. According to a message posted on the music streaming forum’s Facebook page, Khalid Bajwa resigned after allegations of sexual misconduct came out in the open. The message further stated that investigations by the company had been launched to ascertain the facts and that the streaming service stands with the victims who came out
against the misconduct. Earlier, two women came out against the sexual harassment they suffered at the hands of Patari co-founder. Mehravarr took to her Twitter account and stated that she had been made uncomfortable by Khalid Bajwa on multiple occasions and that she could not remain silent anymore. Similarly, another woman stated that she had been harassed by Patari co-founder when she was only 17 years old. In a Twitter thread, she ousted Khalid Bajwa’s antics and called him a “paedophile” and “sexual predator” who took advantage of her at a vulnerable time in life.
MUMBAI: Sunny Leone is one actress in Bollywood who has been married and yet very successful in her career. The two are not only bonded by love personally but also work together in their professional lives too, reported Times of India. Today as the lovely couple celebrate seven beautiful years of their marriage, Sunny took to her Instagram handle to wish her darling husband. Posting a picture from their marriage, Sunny wrote, “7yrs ago we vowed in front of God to always love each other no matter what life throws at us!I can say that I love you more today then I did that day!We are on this crazy journey of life together!Love you so much @DanielWeber99 Happy Anniversary!!” Sunny and Daniel recently became parents to three beautiful children. While their elder daughter was adopted from the Latur district of Maharashtra last year, two of their twin sons were born through surrogacy this year. Staff RepoRt
Trump, May, Obama not invited to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle's wedding LONDON agencieS
United States President Donald Trump, his predecessor Barack Obama and British Prime Minister Theresa May have not been invited to the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on May 19, according to royal and British government sources. Harry, grandson of Queen Elizabeth and younger brother of Prince William, will marry Markle, an American actress best known for her role in the TV series “Suits”, at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. “It has been decided that an official list of political leaders – both UK and international – is not required for Prince Harry and Ms. Markle’s wedding,” said a spokesman for Kensington Palace, the official residence of
William and Harry. “Her Majesty’s Government was consulted on this decision, which was taken by The Royal Household,” the spokesman said. “Her Majesty’s Government” is the official name of the British government. A Kensington Palace source confirmed the Obamas would not be at-
CMYK
tending and said the wedding guests would be people who have an existing direct relationship with the groom or the bride or with both. That excludes Trump. There had been some speculation that the Obamas might be invited due to the personal rapport between the for-
mer president and Harry, but it would have been diplomatically awkward to invite the Obamas and not the Trumps. Although the royal family is expected to steer well clear of politics, Britain’s delicate constitutional balance means that its members have to consult discreetly with the government to ensure their public actions comply with foreign policy. A British government source confirmed May would not be attending and said there had been no expectation that she would. The government source noted that the wedding venue was significantly smaller than Westminster Abbey, where Harry’s older brother William wed Kate Middleton in 2011 in the presence of then Prime Minister David Cameron and other politicians and diplomats.
16 BUSINESS
Thursday, 12 April, 2018
ADB projects DeclIne In GDp As trADe DeFIcIt contInues to worsen ISLAMABAD
A
STAFF REPORT
CCORDING to a new Asian Development Bank (ADB) report, Pakistan’s economy is projected to maintain strong growth in fiscal year (FY) 2018 as the power supply situation in the country improves, manufacturing and crop harvests strengthen, and consumption expenditure and investments rise. In its new report, titled, Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2018, ADB projects gross domestic product (GDP) growth for Pakistan at 5.6 per cent in FY2018 and 5.1 per cent in FY2019 as fiscal challenges and wider current account deficits take effect. ADO is ADB’s flagship annual economic publication. “Pakistan’s economic prospects in the coming years remain positive if the budget and current account deficits are reduced, and exports are rejuvenated by
improving the country’s competitiveness," said ADB Country Director for Pakistan, Xiaohong Yang. "Pakistan can maintain a stronger growth trajectory through domestic and regional stability, improving overall competitiveness, revitalising public sector enterprises, as well as timely completion and effective use of infrastructure projects.” Private consumption remained the largest contributor to growth in FY2017 (ending 30 June 2017), contributing 80 per cent of GDP and growing by 8.6 per cent. To support growth, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)—the country’s central bank—maintained its policy rate at 5.75 per cent in FY2017, allowing domestic credit to expand by 13.1 per cent and private sector credit to grow by 16.8 per cent. In January 2018, SBP raised its policy rate by 25 basis points to 6 per cent and the credit growth slowed in the first 8 months of FY2018. Demand pressures have increased imports resulting in a widening current account deficit and steady drawdown of
IMF chief optimistic on growth, but warns against trade protectionism HONG KONG: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is optimistic on the outlook for global growth but warned darker clouds are looming due to fading fiscal stimulus and rising interest rates, the fund’s Managing Director, Christine Lagarde, said on Wednesday. In a speech in Hong Kong, Lagarde said the top priorities for the global economy are to steer clear of protectionism, guard against financial risk and foster long-term growth. The IMF chief was speaking as a trade conflict between the United States and China is creating significant uncertainty for businesses and their global supply chains. “History shows that import restrictions hurt everyone, especially poorer consumers,” Lagarde said. “Not only do they lead to more expensive products and more limited choices, but they also prevent trade from playing its essential role in boosting productivity and spreading new technologies.” The best way to tackle global imbalances is to use fiscal tools or structural reforms, she said, adding that the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) rules were in danger of being “torn apart”, which would be “an inexcusable, collective policy failure.” Policymakers need to commit to a level playing field and resolve disputes without using exceptional measures, she said. “There are threats, there are counter-threats, there is an attempt to open a dialogue – we should support that dialogue attempt as much as we can,” Lagarde said. “The impact of those threats is minimal on both sides. What is not minimal is the way in which confidence can be undermined.” The reality for 2018 and 2019 was that momentum would eventually slow due to fading fiscal stimulus, rising interest rates and tighter financial conditions, Lagarde said. New analysis by the IMF showed that global debt had reached an all-time high of $164 trillion, 40 percent higher than in 2007, with China accounting for just over half of that increase. Lagarde said economies needed to reduce government deficits, strengthen fiscal frameworks and place public debt on a gradual downward path. “Strengthening financial stability by increasing buffers in corporate and banking sectors is key, especially in large emerging markets such as China and India,” she added. AGENCIES
foreign exchange reserves, showing the need for policy tightening. To mitigate the eroded competitiveness and help boost Pakistan exports, SBP has permitted a greater flexibility of rupee-dollar exchange rate since December 2017, with the rupee depreciating by 9.7 per cent by the end of March 2018. Agriculture rebounded for the second year in a row, with buoyant domestic demands coming from the People’s Republic of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and other infrastructure projects. During FY2004-2011, exports grew by 10.7 per cent per year; since then exports have declined by an average of 2.6 per cent annually. Over the past decade, meanwhile, exports as a share of GDP have contracted significantly, from 11.2 per cent in 2007 to 7.2 per cent in 2017, far below the 28 per cent average in developing Asia. Average inflation in Pakistan in FY2017 reached 4.2 per cent, edging up slightly by 1.3 per cent from the previous ear, when global prices were lower.
Food inflation averaged 3.8 per cent and strong domestic demand pushed core inflation, which leaves out food and energy to an average of 5.2 per cent from 4.2 per cent in FY2016. The consolidated federal and provincial budget deficit climbed to 5.8 per cent of GDP in FY2017, well above the target of 3.8 per cent and 4.5 per cent of last year due to slow revenue collection and increased development expenditure. Tax revenue marginally grew by 8.4 per cent compared to 21.3 per cent the previous year. At the same time, development expenditure surged by 30 per cent underpinned by a sharp increase in total expenditure by 17.3 per cent. Whereas the budget deficit may moderate slightly in FY2018, as spillover from higher investment expenditure is expected to widen the current account deficit. Therefore, securing adequate financing to fill the gap in foreign exchange reserve is an additional challenge.
MARKET DAILY
KSE 100 index closes at 46,486.50, up 9.77 points LAHORE STAFF REPORT
The 100 Index started the day on a buoyant note, pushing the 100 Index higher in a bid to recoup losses from the previous sessions driven by positive contribution from Energy, Materials and Financials. However, recent episodes of investor exuberance led to bouts of profit taking throughout the day. Just like a boomerang is shaped to rotate and spin back to the point of its origin the day ended on a similar note with the 100 Index closing up 9.77 points (+0.02 per cent) at 46,486.50 after touching an intraday high of 46,759.47 (+283 points or +0.60 per cent). Market Volume and Turnover expanded (up 42 per cent and 53 per cent respectively) on d/d basis amid profit taking in the second session. Selected names stood out among the rest with FFC (6.6 per cent of total turnover – up 162 per cent on d/d basis), ENGRO (5.8 per cent of total turnover – up 395 per cent on d/d basis) and EFERT (4.0 per cent of total turnover – up 436 per cent on d/d basis) standing tall among Materials (34.1 per cent of total turnover – up 53 per cent on d/d basis), rallying on the back of increasing demand and possible jump in fertilizer prices. Utilities (11.8 per cent of total turnover – up 192 per cent on d/d
basis) and Consumer Discretionary (11.1 per cent of total turnover – up 141 per cent on d/d basis) also stood out on the back of rising investor excitement in these sectors. Mixed contribution led to a flattish close with Telecommunication (+1.86 per cent), Utilities (+0.63 per cent) and Energy (0.34 per cent) contributing towards a positive close as PTC (+1.86 per cent), SNGP (+1.73 per cent), HUBC (+0.52 per cent), SSGC (+3.06 per cent), PSO (+2.58 per cent), PPL (+0.61 per cent) and OGDC (+0.45 per cent) closed in green. On the flip side, Health care (-0.51 per cent), Consumer Staples (-0.49 per cent) and Financials (-0.24 per cent) ratified a reactive close as SHFA (-3.84 per cent), SEARL (-0.41 per cent), PAKT (-1.32 per cent), NESTLE (-1 per cent), COLG (-1.56 per cent), UBL (-1.91 per cent), HBL (-0.19 per cent) and BAFL (-0.89 per cent) closed in red. On the political front, PM Abbasi has said that the caretaker set-up will be in place for 60 days from June 1. He also held discussions with the opposition leader pertaining to the setup of the caretaker government, which will take over once the ruling PML-N government completes its tenure in end May. Market participation for the 100 Index increased to 106.35mn shares (+42.1 per cent on d/d
basis). Major contribution to total market volume came from AGL (+12.75 per cent), LOTCHEM (+1.89 per cent) and ANL (+4.35 per cent) churning 50.24mn shares out of the All Share volume of 284.38mn shares. Daily traded value for the 100 Index increased to USD 63.22mn from USD 41.48mn in the previous session (+52.42 per cent on d/d basis); FFC (USD 4.16mn), PPL (USD 4.02mn) and ENGRO (USD 3.68mn) were among top contributors from traded value perspective. Major contribution to the 100 Index upside came from PSO (+2.58 per cent), FFC (+1.25 per cent), PPL (+0.61 per cent), SNGP (+1.73 per cent) and FFBL (+4.06 per cent) adding 81 points. On the flip side, UBL (-1.91 per cent), POL (-1.07 per cent) and EFERT (-1.62 per cent) took away 73 points. The 100 index is 23 per cent above its 52-week low of 37,736.73 reached on December 12, 2017 and 12 per cent below its 52-week high of 53,127.24 touched on May 25, 2017. Technically speaking, the 100 Index closed on an indecisive note eking out marginal gains amid expanding turnover. Having reached our immediate target (47,100) we expect market to stall and stage a retreat for now. Next support is Thursday’s low (46,085).
Govt supports taxpaying tobacco industry: Haroon No favours for tobacco MNcs or discriMiNatioN agaiNst local MaNufacturers ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Haroon Akhtar Khan, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Revenue has said that the entire cigarette industry can fully utilise the benefits of the third tier (revised Federal Excise Duty structure) on cigarettes without any discrimination as both the multinational cigarette manufacturing companies and domestic manufacturers can equally avail benefits of the third slab of excise duty on cigarettes. Responding to various queries at a pre-budget seminar organised by the Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) here on Tuesday, Haroon Akhtar supported a legitimate, documented and taxpaying cigarette industry. He said that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is taking strict enforcement actions against the sale of non-duty paid or illegal tobacco/cigarettes without any discrimination across the country. It is unfortunate that around 27 per cent of the non-duty paid cigarettes are being sold in the country. We are not giving any special treatment or favour to the multinational cigarette manufacturing companies as the benefit of third tier (third Federal Excise Duty slab) on cigarettes are also being availed by the local cigarette manufacturing units. The facility is available to both of the multinational industry and the domestic manufactures without any discriminatory treatment, he said. It is unfortunate that some of the illegal local units are selling cigarette pack even as low as Rs25 per pack which is much less than the minimum retail price of Rs48 per pack. FBR Chairman Tariq Pasha informed the meeting that the FBR is not creating any problems for the local documented industry or manufacturers operating legally and paying their dues taxes in the national kitty. We are only against the illegal units which are evading taxes and making their compliant counterparts uncompetitive and ineffective.The FBR would continue with the policy of inspections and raids against the illegal units involved in tax evasion and causing massive loss to the national exchequer. The FBR will not spare tax evaders in the cigarette industry but at the same time, will fully facilitate the taxpayer's complaints against illicit cigarette manufacturing units. For the first time in the history of budget, the FBR has patiently listened to the budget proposals and issues of the local cigarette industry thrice. These meetings between the local industry and FBR were held in the friendly atmosphere. We welcome the legal and documented industry to come and present their proposals. If any compliant unit has grievances or issues, he is welcome to meet tax authorities at the FBR house, but we have no place for the illegal tobacco industry, which is evading taxes and causing huge loss to the national kitty.
Punjab’s tax collection rises to rs32bn from rs8bn in a decade: shuja ur rahman LAHORE MUHAMMAD FARAN
Punjab’s tax collection has increased to Rs32 billion compared to Rs8 billion a decade ago, on the back of an expanding tax net, informed Minister for Punjab Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department (ETNCD) Mujtaba Shuja ur Rahman. The minister was the chief guest at a seminar titled ‘Taxation for Grassroots Development’ held on Wednesday at a local hotel in Lahore, organised by the Punjab ETNCD in collaboration with German development agency GIZ in order to celebrate Tax Day (April 10). The minister informed that the increase
in collections has been made possible through expanding the tax net, whereas the number of taxes and tax rates has experienced negligible change during the period. The minister further informed that instead of issuing separate series of motor vehicle number plates for each district, the department is moving towards a single province-wide series, which will help decrease pressure on large cities of the province from where most people prefer getting their vehicles registered. In this regard, the ETNCD in collaboration with Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) has already successfully computerised and centralised data pertaining to 36 districts of the province. Another revenue increasing measure,
the department is taking is the introduction of e-auction for certain special motor vehicle registration numbers, which is set to be launched next month. Through this service, citizens with an internet connection will be able to participate in the auction of these numbers from the comfort of their homes. Moreover, the introduction of smart motor vehicle registration cards is also in the pipeline that will replace the current vehicle registration books. These smart cards will have five security features, making their forged reproduction close to impossible. Furthermore, Shumail Saigol while addressing the gathering gave a briefing regarding the Dealer Vehicle Registration System (DVRS) introduced by the ETNCD in October 2016, in collabora-
tion with PITB, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), SRU and car dealers. The system has been implemented in nine cities as of yet and has registered 170,000 vehicles since its initiation. In order to make the property tax more transparent, the ETNCD is providing detailed data regarding how property tax is calculated on its website. Individual property taxpayers can enter their details on the website, which does not only provide data for tax calculation but also provides tools through which taxpayers can make the calculations themselves. Similarly, the excise taxation department has also been 90 per cent computerised. “The whole purpose of these measures is to make the taxation process
more transparent and remove negative perceptions from the minds of the citizens so that they don’t perceive tax as a burden,” the minister stated. Shuja ur Rahman further informed that the department is initiating online tax payment services with the collaboration of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), and setting up facilitation centres, which will further facilitate taxpayers. Chief Minister’s Strategic Reforms Unit (SRU) Director General Salman Sufi, ETNCD Secretary Ahmad Bilal, Director General (DG) Ashraf Gondal, Additional DG Masood ul Haq, System Analyst M Saleem and Programmer Faisal Shafeeq were also present on the occasion.
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CORPORATE CORNER pakistan society for training and Development (pstD) to host 10th wIBcon conference LAHORE: At the Pearl Continental Hotel, the Annual Women in Business and Leadership conference titled ‘The Rising’, aims to facilitate aspirant women to interact with empowered women from all walks of life. The aim of the festival is to bring together some of the most successful and highly accomplished women leaders from Pakistan and across the globe and provide with a platform to not only share their success stories and to involve themselves in initiatives aimed at the uplifting of women and ensuring that they are heard. PR
Huawei unveils spectacular line-up of HuAweI Y series 2018 in pakistan LAHORE: Calling it the ultimate upgrade, the HUAWEI Y Series features HUAWEI Y7 Prime 2018, HUAWEI Y6 Prime 2018 and HUAWEI Y9 2018 on exciting price points. With the launch of HUAWEI Y Series 2018, the company aims to go full circle by bringing its flagship features to more people. “Huawei prides itself in connecting the world through remarkable technological interventions. Our products are marvels of technology that offer unique, personalized innovations to consumers. With this aim in mind, we are introducing the HUAWEI Y Series 2018 – a revolution in entry-level smartphones, Huawei Consumer Business Group Manager announced. PR
excellence Delivered (exD) in partnership with sAp, organise sAp now event LAHORE: Focusing on the new strategies that are a part of the SAP 2020 vision, the SAP NOW event highlighted the relevance of SAP to the landscape of Pakistan and discussed how data and digital are a key part of the modern business environment. PR
GovernMent ADDresses FAtF concerns reGArDInG AMnestY scHeMe ISLAMABAD
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SHEHZAD PARACHA
PECIAL Assistant to the Prime Minister on Revenue, Senator Haroon Akhtar has said that the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has not shown any concern about the amnesty scheme. He was talking to the media after the launching of Restaurant Invoice Management System (RIMS) on Wednesday. Senator Haroon Akhtar said that the government has addressed the reservations of FATF as "...they just go through the amnesty scheme under the preview of FATF rules. We have excluded the criminal offence from the ordinance so their concerns should be addressed”, he further added. Senator Haroon Akhtar said that “we compare money laundering with Hundi but actually money laundering is not Hundi, the latter comes under the Foreign Exchange Regulations Act”. He further added that money laundering is linked with predicate offence, the proceeds of crime; “we should separate both these
RAWALPINDI: The five day International Rawal Expo 2018 being organised by Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) has been formally inaugurated here at Ayub Park Rawalpindi, on Wednesday. Federal Minister for Commerce Parviaz Malik and MNA Malik Abrar were the chief guests on the occasion. The Expo will be concluded on April 14. Diplomats from Indonesia Tajkistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, members of the executive committee and a number of industrialists, business professionals and exporters attended the ceremony. PR
Hashoo Group ceo and deputy chairman sworn in as honorary consul for the Kingdom of Belgium
KARACHI: At a reception hosted by Ambassador of Belgium His Excellency Frédéric Verheyden, Murtaza Hashwani follows in the footsteps of his father, Hashoo Group Chairman Sadruddin Hashwani who served as Honorary Consul for almost thirty years. Sadruddin Hashwani is recognized for his role in promoting good relations between the Kingdom of Belgium and Pakistan. PR
ISLAMABAD: The grand auction for the Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation (FGEHF) 2018 was held at a local hotel in Islamabad. pr
of Revenue (FBR) has launched RIMS, a technology-based solution that enables the monitoring of sales on a real-time basis, bringing transparency in the process of tax collection. The prime objective of the web-based RIMS application is to facilitate the taxpayers by relying on modern techniques to tap the difference between current and potential collection. The ceremony was attended by Senator Haroon Akhtar Khan, ICCI President Sheikh Amir Waheed Tariq, and a representative from the restaurants association, Khurram Khan. It is appreciable that RIMS has so far been successfully installed in 80 plus renowned restaurants operating in the Federal Capital and further implementations in the remaining restaurants are in process. FBR, as a part of its ongoing strategy, is committed to relying more on the usage of modern techniques to bring about efficiency and effectiveness in tax collection. FBR is all set to work in close collaboration with the Chambers and Restaurants Associations to ensure the application of this system in all restaurants of Islamabad.
Pak, ‘Kuwait fund’ sign agreement to pM lauded for finance golen gol Hydropower project suspending FtA ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
rccI rawal International expo 2018 formally inaugurated
things”. He gave the example that five million pounds have been recovered from the custody of Altaf Hussain in London, however, the British government acquitted him because they could not attach the proceeds of crimes and predicate offence whereas, in our country, money is being linked to money laundering. This is not money laundering, until and unless, it has been proved that money was received as a result of a crime, so we have excluded the criminal offence from the ordinance wherever the money comes in, the domain of criminal offence and they will bring the money hence disclosed, he added. In one another question, the government can make any decision during his tenure like instance the four provincial assemblies nominated 52 senators in March for the period of six years and their mandate left two and half months so if this is to happen, the government can also announce anything. While replying to a question, he said that the government will include the real estate sector provisions in the upcoming finance bill because we have to consult with the provinces on this matter. Earlier, in a ceremony, the Federal Board
The Government of Pakistan and the Kuwait Fund here on Wednesday signed a Supplementary Loan Agreement of KD 4.5 million (equivalent to $15 million) for Golen Gol Hydropower Project on April 11, 2018. The State of Kuwait has already been co-financing this project with an amount of KD11 million (equivalent to $37 million). Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development’s (KFAED) Deputy Director General His Excellency Ghanem Sulaiman Al-Ghenaiman signed the document on behalf of the Kuwait Fund while Economic Affairs Division’s Secretary Syed Ghazanfar Abbas Jilani signed it on
behalf of the Government of Pakistan. The ceremony held at the Economic Affairs Division was attended by Kuwait Fund’s Assistant Regional Manager for East, South Asia and Pacific Countries Fawaz Al-Adasani, Embassy of the State of Kuwait’s Charge d Affairs Fahad Al Mazeel, and senior officials from Economic Affairs Division, Ministry of Water Resources and WAPDA. Secretary, Economic Affairs Division on the occasion said that completion of the Golen Gol Hydroelectric Power Project will offer new opportunities for the people living in Chitral and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. It will meet the electricity demand in the area and also boost tourism and economic activities.
South Asia should craft strategies to withstand shocks from US-China trade war LAHORE: SAARC CCI Vice President Iftikhar Ali Malik Wednesday said in the prevailing global economic scenario, it is need of the hour that SAARC member states should craft new self-regulating trade strategies to withstand the shocks in a wake of the trade war ensued between the United States and China that could badly hit growth in the region. Talking to a delegation of traders from Nepal here today, he said the brewing trade war between the US and China has raised concerns about potential fallout for South Asian and East Asia's economies, many of which count China as their main trading partner. "This kind of practice or policy, which is bad for both sides, is not going to serve their interests, or the world economy," adding he said the US and China should seek a resolution to their trade disputes through the World Trade Organization. “Harmful restrictions could follow with regard to flows of people, investment, aid and information. Cooperation on international rules and institutions could be set back. Such a scenario must not be allowed to unfold,” he added. ONLINE
talks with china ISLAMABAD ONLINE
The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Wednesday lauded the decision of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to suspend the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with China. The decision is praiseworthy as national interests were kept supreme in it on any other consideration, it said. The local business community has also informed the government well before the talks on the second round of FTA that further relaxations to the friendly country will damage the local industry beyond repair. The Chinese side had refused to give any relaxation to Pakistan which was not expected by our officials, he said, adding that after suspension of talks the Chinese side has shown some flexibility which is good. Murtaza Mughal said that Pakistan and China signed an FTA on Nov 24, 2006, which boosted Pakistani exports to China from $575 million to $2.6 billion while it increased Chinese exports to Pakistan from $3.5 billion to $14 billion resulting in a large deficit. The losses in trade with China continue to increase by the passage of every year which Pakistani exports continue to slide as China has given more relaxations to other countries. India and Vietnam have replaced Pakistani products in the Chinese market because Pakistan’s interests were not preferred by the Chinese authorities. He said under-invoicing by the Chinese exporters has also become a threat to the Pakistani economy which should be tackled.
Pakistan to establish trade bond between south, central asia, and china BEIJING STAFF REPORT
Interior, Planning, Development, and Reforms Minister, Ahsan Iqbal, has said that the completion of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would revolutionise trade ties between the Asian States by linking South, Central Asia, and China. He expressed these view while at a meeting with China Railway Construction Corporation's Chairman Meng Fengchao in Beijing on Wednesday. Both sides reviewed the progress on CPEC infrastructure projects including the up gradation of Pakistan Railway’s ML-1 project. On the occasion, Minister Ahsan Iqbal said that linking Gwadar with the rest of the country and the establishment of rail links from Quetta to Peshawar are prioritised projects. Infrastructure projects would trans-
form these remote areas into new urban centres, ensuring inclusive growth across Pakistan, he added. Ahsan Iqbal stressed on China Railway to ensure participation of Pakistani institutions in infrastructure projects. “China Railway Corporation should utilise the existing industrial base and local production capabilities in railways and infrastructure projects” maintained Ahsan Iqbal. China Railway Construction Corporation guaranteed to work in collaboration with Pakistani institutions and organisations. It was assured that Pakistani engineers would be given priority at every stage of the projects. It was highlighted that the Chinese side would work in line with Vision 2025 and the CPEC Long Term Plan. Pakistan and China have agreed to upgrade and dualise Pakistan Railway’s main line (ML-1) from Karachi to Torkham which
would support to run fast-moving trains in the future. The first phase of the project is expected to hit the ground this year. The up gradation of the ML1 would not only improve existing railway infrastructure but would double current speed, facilitating huge cargo transportation. Earlier, addressing the CEO’s Forum at Boao Forum in China, Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal on Monday said that CPEC is proving to be the oxygen for Pakistan as the country’s economic growth increased due to the huge investment being made in infrastructure and energy sector under the mega project. He said that there is broad consensus among all groups and political parties in the country to ensure the success of CPEC. He said under CPEC, nine industrial zones were being constructed across the country which will create numerous new jobs.
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Thursday, 12 April, 2018
‘All over the shop’ - Aussies go from first to last with botched dive Gold coast Agencies
Cameroon athletes go missing from Commonwealth games Gold coast
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IvE athletes from conflict-hit Cameroon have gone missing from the Commonwealth Games in Australia, team officials said Wednesday. Three weightlifters and two boxers have not been seen since Tuesday, triggering suspicion they had fled with no intention of returning home. The matter has been reported to Australian police. Cameroon press attache Simon Molombe told AFP that he was shocked to learn weightlifters Olivier Matam Matam, Arcangeline Fouodji and Petit
Minkoumba, along with boxers Christian Ndzie Tsoye and Simplice Fotsala, had apparently fled. "It came as a complete surprise," he said. "We have no idea where they are. There were no worries this kind of thing might happen. "Their team-mates informed us they had left," he added. "We are cooperating with the police. We are praying this doesn't happen again and doing everything we can to make sure it doesn't." Commonwealth Games organisers called for competitors to respect the law, mindful of the fact that more than 100 athletes overstayed their visas at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. "We would appreciate them sticking
within the law, enjoying themselves, but sticking within the law," organising committee boss Peter Beattie told reporters. "That includes Cameroon and any other athletes. And if they are thinking of doing anything other, I would encourage them not to." Before the Games opened on April 4, Australia's Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton warned that athletes would be closely monitored to ensure they did not overstay their visas and that they returned home after competition ended. Cameroon, in central Africa, is suffering from civil unrest after a military crackdown on Englishspeaking separatists.
Esther Qin and Georgia Sheehan snatched women's 3m synchro springboard gold after a rival Aussie pair crashed from first place to last with a disastrous final dive at the Commonwealth Games on Wednesday. Qin and Sheehan jumped from fourth to the top of the standings with their inward 2-1/2 somersaults last dive to clinch the gold with a total of 284.10 points. England's Alicia Blagg and Katherine Torrance took silver with 276.90 points, with Malaysia's Mun Yee Leong and Nur Dhabitah Sabri getting the bronze with 264.90 points. The competition, beset by windy conditions and technical difficulties in the outdoor pool, turned dramatically in the fifth and final round. Australia's Maddison Keeney and Anabelle Smith were leading but bombed out of contention with a botched forward 2-1/2 somersaults with two twists dive which earned them no points and left them in seventh and last position. Chinese-born Glasgow Games springboard champion Qin and Sheehan seized their opportunity with a 71.10 scoring final dive to zoom to the top of the standings. "Everyone's in the same boat, everyone's diving in the same conditions, it's just who can deal with them the best -which today happened to be us, which is really exciting," Sheehan said. "But our team managers had us prepped so well and getting us to use that home advantage to get the gold
today." A teary Keeney, who lost control of her dive and landed awkwardly, ending her team's medal chances, put on a brave face afterwards. "It was all over the shop for everyone with all the delays and technical stuff going on which was stress we didn't need," said Keeney, the world 1m springboard champion. "It was an interesting day for everyone, obviously I don't think anyone can say they dived well, but we've come out the other end. It was a tough day." Blagg, who won the Commonwealth gold in the event at Glasgow with Rebecca Gallantree in 2014, said they were testing conditions for all the divers. "We worked really hard and it was tough to see our big rivals dropping out. It was windy and cooler but you have to keep yourself together," Blagg said. The Malaysian pair was thrilled to get an unexpected bronze medal.
Guardiola blasts referee as Salah sends Liverpool into semi-finals Manchester Agencies
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola blasted Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz and lamented decisions that cost his side dear after a 2-1 home defeat by Liverpool on Tuesday sealed a 5-1 aggregate Champions League quarter-final win for the five-time European champions. Guardiola was forced to watch the second half from the stands after being sent off for his protestations at the break as free-spending City's dreams of conquering the Champions League for the first time were dashed for another sea-
son. City led 1-0 on the night at that stage after Gabriel Jesus's secondminute opener, but the hosts felt aggrieved after Leroy Sane had a second goal wrongly disallowed for offside just before half-time. "It's different to go in 1-0 at half-time to 2-0," said Guardiola, who also believed Liverpool's opener in a 3-0 first-leg win at Anfield last week should have been ruled out for offside. "When the teams are so equal the impact of these decisions is so big." Mohamed Salah booked Liverpool's place in the last four for the first time in a decade when he coolly chipped home his 39th goal of the season 11 minutes into
the second half before Roberto Firmino inflicted a third consecutive defeat on City for the first time in Guardiola's near two-year reign. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hailed the maturity of his side to see out a first-half onslaught. "The boys found a solution. We had these two or three moments already at end of the first half so it was easy for me and the boys to see the development of the game and that we are already through the whirlwind," said Klopp. Liverpool trail City by 17 points in the Premier League, but have now beaten Guardiola's men in three of their four meetings this season.
UEFA to probe Guardiola's 'improper conduct', Liverpool fireworks Manchester: Pep Guardiola's current torrid time as Manchester City manager took a further turn for the worse Wednesday with news that UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings into his "improper conduct". Guardiola was dismissed from the field of play after a half-time tirade at the referee in Tuesday's 21 defeat by Liverpool in the quarter-final of the Champions League. The second-leg defeat saw the Spaniard's side exit the European club competition 5-1 on aggregate. UEFA said the charges against Manchester City were "Josep Guardiola - Dismissal from the bench ... Improper conduct of the coach". Liverpool also didn't escape, with UEFA listing charges of "setting off of fireworks" and "throwing of objects". This case will be dealt with by the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body on May 31, it added. Agencies
Heroic Roma restore Italian pride after World Cup despair Barcelona Agencies
Italy has spent five months grieving over the failure of the national team to take their customary place at the World Cup, but Roma have restored some pride with a heroic victory over Barcelona in the Champions League. The Azzurri, four-time world champions, are not going to Russia, but after Roma won 3-0, to over-turn a 4-1 quarter-final deficit and eliminate mighty Barca on Tuesday night on away goals, the club from the Eternal City can dream of going to a final in Ukraine. "We must aim for Kiev," Eusebio di Francesco, the Roma coach said after the match. "Why not believe in something even greater after such a match?" Unless Italian league leaders Juven-
tus can perform an even more unlikely exploit, and overcome their three-goal deficit away to Real Madrid on Wednes-
day night, Roma, a distant fourth in Serie A, will be the sole Italian representative in the last four of Europe's most presti-
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gious club competition. On a heady night at the Stadio Olimpico, Edin Dzeko set the ball
rolling in the sixth minute, and after Daniele De Rossi converted a penalty 13 minutes into the second half to get the home fans believing, Kostas Manolas glanced home a brilliant header with eight minutes left to send the Roma supporters into raptures and leave Barca wondering what had hit them. The joyous celebration continued long after the final whistle and spread out of the stadium and across the Italian capital. Car horns blaring, flags waving, fans singing in the streets and wild cheers pouring from every household, the Italian capital came alive. The feelgood factor was picked up on Wednesday by a jubilant Italian press. The specialist sports newspapers played on the city's past. Rome-based Corriere dello Sport used the headline "Mythic Rome" while Milan's Gazzetta dello Sport went with "Imperial".
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AKISTAN opener Azhar Ali believes English condition will favor fastbowlers and his compatriot pacers have the ability to trouble the hosts. The right-handed opener was talking to media when he said that England will have home advantage but Pakistan is ready for the challenge. “Home side always has an advantage when it comes to playing in certain conditions”, said Azhar, while talking to the reporters here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday. “England will come hard at us because they are coming back from losses against New Zealand away from home. They will try to win their home series. The conditions there will favor fast-bowlers. We have a good bunch. They will trouble the England batsmen.” The 33-year-old, when asked how the Test team will fare in the absence of veterans Misbahul Haq and Younus Khan in England, said youngsters need backing to deliver results. “English conditions would be tough. They will be a challenge for everyone. Even players who have played there need time to adjust in English conditions”, explained Azhar. He continued by laying down a plan to upstage England on their home turf. “We should back our youngsters who are going on the tour. When you have a new team and you are going on a tough tour, obviously it poses a big challenge, but if we play as a unit, back each other, then we can extract good performances”. When asked if the longest-format team is going to face the same fate as it did against Sri Lanka in the UAE, succumbing to a 2-0 defeat in the two-match series, Azhar said there were a lot of positive in the series too. “There were good signs in the series too”, he said. “Haris Sohail made his debut and scored runs. Asad Shafiq scored a century at the end. All these were positive signs”. Meanwhile, he did push the batsmen to do more. “But yes there were batting collapses too. Players didn’t convert their starts into big scores. I think batsmen need to work on that”. Azhar, like all cricketers, wants his name on the Lord’s honours board and he wants to do
that with a ton, but without pressuring himself with the task. “The first Test is at Lord’s. Everyone wishes to have their name on the Lord’s honors board. This will be an opportunity for me to score a century there. However, I am not taking this task as an added pressure. My main task
would be to lead the batting and score runs so that my team has an advantage”. Pakistan’s one of the most potent bowling weapons in Tests, leg-spinner Yasir Shah, will not be a part of the squad traveling to England and Azhar believes replacing him would be a tough task. “Yasir’s absence is a big loss”, said Azhar.
“He has been performing for us for the past three-four years. He played a key role in our victories when we visited England last time around. Captain and coach would be looking to replace Yasir with someone new, but we don’t have anyone right now who has been playing regularly in Tests for Pakistan”.
CW Games: Pakistan, Malaysia match ends in draw islaMaBad APP
Carey, Richardson gain contracts as Australia look towards World Cup sydney: With emphasis on the World Cup in May 2019, Australia has revamped their contract list with five new players added to an initial group of 20. Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were not part of that number after receiving bans of up to one year in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal from last month. All three men would have served out their suspensions by the time the first match of the global event begins on May 30. Tim Paine - who was not among the contracted players in 2017-18 when CA released the list last April - found a place this time, and is likely to be among the highest earners, given he is Australia's new Test captain. The other first-timers on the list were allrounder Marcus Stoinis, wicketkeeper Alex Carey and the fast-bowling Richardsons - Kane and Jhye. Australia have also placed their trust in fingerspinners at a time when wristspin has taken limited-overs cricket by storm, with Nathan Lyon and Ashton Agar edging out Adam Zampa, the team's top-seeded slow bowler on the ICC rankings for both ODIs and T20Is. Australia have a system by which players gain points based on appearances at international level: five for a Test, two for an ODI and one for a T20I. Those out of contract can earn one for themselves by collecting at least 12 points - a method that Paine, Stoinis, Shaun Marsh and Andrew Tye used over the course of the 2017-18 season to get retainers for themselves. Adam Zampa, Chris Lynn and D'Arcy Short might be targeting this option as Australia build towards the World Cup with limited-overs tours of England and Zimbabwe in June and July. The other notable absentees were Chadd Sayers, who made his Test debut in Johannesburg recently, and Jackson Bird, often the back-up for Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins. Injury forced Nathan Coulter-Nile and James Pattinson out of reckoning, although the latter hopes to be fit in time for the next Ashes series in 2019. Agencies
Both Pakistan and Malaysia were out of semifinal contention at the hockey competition of XXI Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast, Australia, according to the information received here on Wednesday. But there was something at stake when they came across in their last pool game on Wednesday. Pakistan needed to win the game in order to make it for the fifth place game. For Malaysia a draw was enough. The two sides ended equal on points. As per the tournament rules, the side with more win finished ahead. Pakistan drew all the four matches while Malaysia had one win. Malaysia called the early shots. A steal in the Pakistani sides half left goalkeeper, Imran Butt, with no option but to rush out of the 23-metre to avoid danger. It cost him yellow card. Replacement Mazhar Abbas was called to make two outstanding saves in his five minute appearance on the pitch. Pakistan managed to settle down and was certainly the better side during the rest of the first half.
In the ninth minute, after some delightful shot passes, a high ball reached Shafqat Rasool standing unmarked near the right post. The veteran first timed it into the cage. In the second quarter, the two sides got a couple of back-to-back penalty corners but to no avail. Dilber had the best open play opportunity. He had goal at his mercy but the try was poor. At the half time Pakistan was leading from one goal. Pakistan rushed out of the blocks after the change of the sides
and had a penalty corner in the first minute but the variation did not click. After some back and forth play, Malaysia tested Imran Butt, who was well positioned to stop. In the 39th minute, Fitri Sari, after a magnificent dribbling run, sent a parallel reverse ball in the path of Ramadan Rosli from deep inside circle’s left. The latter dived to complete a memorable goal. First minute of the fourth quarter saw Pakistan waste another penalty corner. Then Malaysia could not make
out of two back-to-back penalty corners. With less than three minutes left, Pakistani head coach Oeltmans replaced the goalkeeper with an outfield player. There was some high drama as Pakistan obtained two back-to-back penalty corners in the penultimate minute but the Malaysian net minder Hairi Abdul Rahman anticipated well each time and it ended 1-1. scorers: Pakistan: Shafqat Rasool (9th minute) Malaysia: Ramadan Rosli (39th minute) Pakistan will play the 7th/8th position match on Friday. Meanwhile, Secretary Pakistan Hockey Federation in an interview with Radio Pakistan said that Pakistan team’s overall performance in the event had been satisfactory. He said that in the matches against India and England, Pakistani players showed fine hockey, which he said was encouraging. “It was after a long time that Pakistan team showed tremendous fighting spirit. The credit for that went to the newly-appointed Dutch coach Roelant Oltmans, who had inculcated a new spirit in the team, he added.
Shoes thrown at boundary during CSK-KKR game chennai Agencies
A group of spectators flung a pair of shoes at the edge of the boundary in the MA Chidambaram Stadium, in the vicinity of Chennai Super Kings players, prompting the intervention of police in CSK's first home match in nearly three years. The incident happened in the eighth over of the game against
Kolkata Knight Riders, after which the concerned spectators were evicted from the ground and, as per reports, taken into custody. The incident followed calls, in the lead up to the game, for people to protest over the hosting of IPL games in Chennai. Several local political parties and fringe groups called for a boycott of the IPL matches in Chennai till the lengthy Cauvery water dispute between
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Tamil Nadu and neighbouring state Karnataka is resolved. While there was no confirmation that the shoethrowing incident was directly related to this issue, it was expected to be the likely cause. The group was carrying flags, which are not permitted inside the venue, and flung the shoes near Ravindra Jadeja, who was posted at the long-on boundary, and Faf du Plessis, who was seemingly carry-
ing drinks for team-mates. CSK officials and the police subsequently intervened and diffused the tension. Hours before the start of the match, there were protests on Wallajah Road near the MA Chidambaram Stadium, albeit amid beefed-up security. Later, the toss was delayed by 13 minutes; match officials reportedly arrived late at the venue due to heavy traffic around the stadium, but play began on time.
SPORTS Thursday, 12 April, 2018
Royals beat DaReDevils by 10 Runs in Rain-hit match JAIPUR Agencies
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AJASTHAN Royals returned to their fortress in Jaipur to rain, but managed to squeeze out a win by stifling Delhi Daredevils in a six-over chase. Chasing 71, Daredevils finished on 60 for 4 in damp conditions at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium and lost their seventh game in a row to Royals. After Royals batted 17.5 overs for their 153, after which rain halted play for more than two hours, Daredevils came out to bat at nearly midnight. Ben Laughlin, who played a key role in Adelaide Strikers' BBL triumph in February, took two wickets in two stellar overs for Royals, denying Daredevils any momentum whatsoever in an innings in which they needed to hit from the onset. The first Laughlin over cost just five runs, leaving Daredevils with 42 to get off three. The
wicket of Glenn Maxwell in the following over effectively ended the contest. Maxwell, however, had not been a significant threat either. Having landed in India on Monday, he struggled to connect with most of his swings as he opened the chase. He was denied room as both the spinner K Gowtham and seamer Dhawal Kulkarni hit the blockhole. Rishabh Pant, promoted to No. 3, was denied pace on the ball at the other end. This increased the pressure after Colin Munro ran himself out without facing a ball. The first two Powerplay overs fetched just 15, leaving Daredevils with too much to do in the last four. Earlier in the evening, unusual summer rains that started four hours before the match abated to allow an on-time start. Ajinkya Rahane began the Royals innings by getting involved in another run-out: for the second game in a row, the Australian D'Arcy Short was dismissed by a direct hit. Two overs later, the decision to pro-
mote Ben Stokes to No. 3 failed, when Trent Boult had him caught behind with one that jagged away off the pitch to square up the left-hand batsman. At 28 for 2, Royals were in a little trouble. Sanju Samson had laced his second delivery to the point boundary and he followed up with an incredible short-arm jab over midwicket for six off Boult to ease the pressure. His surge allowed Rahane to play himself in and the Royals captain began to step on it by hitting Mohammed Shami for back-to-back fours in the 13th over. Buttler too began like a bullet train, before a decision to hop across his stumps and scoop Shami over fine leg cost him his wicket. That was when it began to rain, with Royals 153 for 5, and play was halted for more than two hours. The revised D/L target of 71 meant that Daredevils could afford few slip-ups in the chase, but they never really got going. Rajasthan Royals: 1 D'Arcy Short, 2 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 3 Rahul Tripathi,
4 Sanju Samson, 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Butler, 7 K Gowtham 8 Shreyas Gopal, 9 Dhawal Kulkarni 10 Jaydev Unadkat, 11 Ben Laughlin Delhi Daredevils: 1 Gautam Gamb-
IPL matches moved out of Chennai over security concerns Chennai Chennai: Super Kings will lose their home advantage for the rest of the IPL.* The IPL has decided to move their six remaining home games out of the city in the wake of protests during the venue's first match and threats to disrupt more fixtures. Kasi Viswananthan, Super Kings' chief executive officer, met the Chennai police commissioner on Wednesday afternoon and was advised to "reschedule" the matches in the wake of the ongoing protests in the city over the Cauvery river water issue, a long-standing dispute between Tamil Nadu and its neighbouring state Karnataka. "Because of the volatile situation we have been apprised that it is better to reschedule the games," Viswanathan said. "We have conveyed that to
the BCCI and awaiting [further] information." ESPNcricinfo understands that the IPL is considering four venues as an alternative home base for Super Kings. That list includes: Pune, Rajkot, Visakhapatnam and Thiruvananthapuram. Super Kings already have experience playing home games away from home; four of their home matches were moved to Ranchi in 2014 due to the dispute between Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and the local municipal corporation. Chennai had hosted Kolkata Knight Riders on April 10, marking the return of the IPL to the city after the franchise had completed a two-year ban for corruption. However the lead-up to the game was not peaceful, with political parties or-
ganising rallies in the vicinity of the MA Chidambaram Stadium, protesting the Cauvery river water issue. Several local political parties and fringe groups wanted a boycott of the IPL matches in Chennai till the dispute was resolved. There was trouble during the match as well. A group of spectators flung shoes in the vicinity of Super Kings players on the boundary, prompting the intervention of police. The incident happened in the eighth over of the game, after which the concerned spectators were evicted from the ground and, as per reports, taken into custody. While there was no confirmation that the shoethrowing incident was directly related to the Cauvery river water issue, it was the likely cause. Agencies
Babar Azam and Hassan Ali awarded caps for being part of ICC team of the year LAHORE APP
Two Pakistani cricketers, batsman Babar Azam and pacer Hassan Ali were awarded caps for being part in the international cricket council’s one day international team of the year 2017. Both of them were pre-
sented caps by the Pakistan cricket team’s coach Mickey Arthur at the ongoing training camp of the Pakistan test cricket team here on Wednesday for the tour of England. Mickey presented them the caps amid rousing applause by the camp probables. Babar Azam said “Another milestone for my
Pakistan. I dedicate this award to our brave women because I was raised by one”. Hassan termed getting cap “a special moment of cricket career and expressed the determination to gain further excellence in the game by putting in more hard and showing commitment”. The ICC ODI Team of the Year 2017 includes David Warner (Australia), Rohit Sharma (India), Virat Kohli (captain) (India), Babar Azam (Pakistan), AB de Villiers (South Africa) ,Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper) (South Africa),Ben Stokes (England),Trent Boult (New Zealand), Hasan Ali (Pakistan), Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) and Jasprit Bumrah (India).
Published by Arif Nizami at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore. Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk
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RAJASTHAN ROYALS 153 FOR 5 (RAHANE 45, SAMSON 37, BUTTLER 29, NADEEM 2-34) BEAT DELHI DAREDEVILS 60 FOR 4 (PANT 20, MORRIS 17*) BY 10 RUNS VIA DLS METHOD
hir, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Shreyas Iyer, 4 Rishabh Pant, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Vijay Shankar, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Rahul Tewatia 9 Shahbaz Nadeem, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Mohammed Shami