E-Paper PDF 28 October (ISB)

CMYK

Monday, 28 October, 2019 I 28 Safar-ul-Muzaffar, 1441 I Rs 19.00 I Vol X No 118 I 16 Pages I Islamabad Edition

Opp seTs OuT On march TOwards Islamabad g

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fAzL sAys oPP hAs deNied ALL govt deMANds, wiLL hoLd sit-iN As Per decisioNs MAde by judiciAry

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PPP, ANP, ANd PML-N LeAders joiN AzAdi MArchers, sAy No oPtioN but to seNd iMrAN hoMe

Protesters exPress soLidArity with KAshMiri PeoPLe, deNouNce iNdiA for rights vioLAtioNs

KARACHI

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staff report

he anti-government march led

by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUIF) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday kicked off its journey from Karachi towards Islamabad, where it will stage a sit-in to protest the alleged rigging in last year general elections that saw the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rise to power.

The protest, dubbed as Azadi March, has been joined by the major opposition parties, including the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), seminaries students and others.

Besides JUI-F leadership, PPP leaders Raza Rabbani, Saeed Ghani, PML-N leaders Mohammad Zubair, Nihal hashmi, Awami National Party

(ANP) leader Shahi Syed and others, are on board the leading container.

The next stopover of the march will be Jamshoro. The march is scheduled to reach Islamabad via Sukkur and various districts of Punjab.

Fazl was initially to march on Islamabad on Oct 27, but the protest date was later changed to Oct 31 owing to the Kashmir black day.

Addressing the participants of the march, Fazl said, “We had promised to our Kashmiri brethren that we will observe a day to express solidarity with them.”

“The entire nation is on the same page on the issue of Kashmir,” he said, adding that there has been a curfew in Kashmir for the past three months. he demanded the international community take notice of human rights violations in occupied Kashmir.

Addressing the participants, he stuck

to the demand of PM Imran Khan’s resignation, saying: “hundreds of thousands have gathered in Karachi; what will the government do when people from across the country reach Islamabad?”

Imran will have to go home, he asserted. he also commented on the dialogue held between a government-led delegation on Saturday, saying the opposition had denied all demands of the negotiation team sent by the government and will hold their sit-in as per the decisions made by the judiciary. he also took the powers that be to the task for cancellation of the national identity card of JUI-F leader hafiz hamdullah, saying they installed a green card holder as the caretaker prime minister in 1993. “But, now they question our citizenship and declare us Pashtun and Afghans,” he added. he said the opposition parties oppose such “flawed laws” as it believes in “democracy and the constitution and wants the sovereignty of the country”.

“I will announce the future course of action in Islamabad,” he said, referring to the sit-in on Oct 31 in the federal capital.

“We support positive politics. We have spent our entire life in loyalty to the country’s Constitution and we have faced extremism (in return),” he said, adding that the government will have to answer for the tactics it has been employing against the opposition. he thanked the political leaders for participating in the march.

Addressing the crowd, ANP’s Shahi Syed said the “incompetent [PTI] government” must be thrown out to save Pakistan.

Zubair, the former governor of Sindh, said that the entire country is united against the Indian atrocities in Kashmir.

ISLAMABAD: Kashmiri leaders’ portraits have been placed by the administration in front of President House in the federal capital to mark Black Day. online

PM reaffirms support for Kashmiris as nations marks Black Day g

PreMier Assures APhc deLegAtioN of PAKistAN’s diPLoMAtic, PoLiticAL ANd MorAL suPPort for KAshMiris STORY ON BACK PAGE

Nawaz's health takes another hit as platelets decrease again STORY ON PAGE 02

Zardari suffering from 'intense bladder pain'

CONTINUED ON PAGE 02

STORY ON BACK PAGE

Trump confirms death of ISIS chief Baghdadi

Pakistan denies airspace to Modi STORY ON BACK PAGE

Top US negotiator in Kabul to brief Afghan government STORY ON BACK PAGE

STORY ON BACK PAGE

CMYK Monday, 28 October, 2019

02 ISLAMABAD Nation united on Kashmir issue: Shehbaz LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday said that the nation was united on the Kashmir issue. Addressing a rally to mark the Kashmir Black Day organised by the PML-N here at Model Town, he said that entire nation was unanimously expressing solidarity with the Kashmiri brethren by observing the Black Day.He said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had set the worst example of atrocities in Indian Occupied Kashmir by clamping down a prolong curfew in the Held Valley. He said that it was Raja Hari Singh who had conspired against the Kashmiri people and sold the valley without the consent of its citizens.Shehbaz said that thousands of Kashmiri children, women and elderly people had been killed in Kashmir by the Indian forces to suppress their freedom movement.He said that Modi had converted the entire valley into a jail which was highly condemnable.“I want to ask the world and the Muslim Ummah that where is your inner conscience, why are you silent over Kashmiri people,” he said. APP

Nawaz’S health taKeS aNother hit aS plateletS decreaSe agaiN LaHore

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STAFF REPORT

ORMER prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s health remains unstable on Sunday after there was a sudden drop in his platelet count, sources at Services Institute of Medical Sciences said.

Reports by local media outlets state that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)

leader’s lungs have been affected due to which he cannot be discharged from the hospital.

During the day, Nawaz’s mother and sister visited him at the hospital whereas a dedicated team of 12 doctors from the Punjab Institute Cardiology (PIC) has been assigned to look after him. Nawaz, who cannot travel by air due to low platelet count, has said that he wishes to remain in Pakistan either way.

On Saturday, the media

speculated that the PML-N leader would be shifted to Sharif Medical Complex; however, no such development has taken place while the reports remain refuted.

Nawaz was rushed to Services Hospital from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore detention centre Monday night after his health condition suddenly deteriorated.

Earlier, he was shifted from Central Jail Kot Lakhpat to

NAB Lahore building at Thokar Niaz Beg after the Bureau got his 14-day physical remand on October 11 in connection with the Chaudhry Sugar Mills corruption case investigation. Paperwork for Nawaz’s bail would be completed within the next few days. A six-member medical board, headed by Services Hospital Principal Mahmood Ayaz, on Thursday diagnosed the reason for Nawaz Sharif’s declining health.

JUI-F leader seeks restoration of citizenship A day after the National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) revoked the citizenship of former minister and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Hafiz Hamdullah, the former has approached the Ministry of Interior, seeking restoration of his identity as a Pakistani. Hamdullah, who was elected senator from the JUI-F’s platform from March 2012 to March 2018, said that he informed Special Secretary Mian Waheedud Din about his CNIC’s cancellation.

“The secretary was also laughing at what has been done to me,” he commented on the absurdity of the decision. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on Saturday directed all TV channels not to invite Hafiz Hamdullah on their programmes, saying he was “not a Pakistani citizen”. In a communiqué sent to all satellite TV channels, the media watchdog had said that NADRA

had conveyed that “Senator Hafiz Hamdullah Saboor is ‘confirmed alien’ as he is not a citizen of Pakistan”. It had further said NADRA has “cancelled and digitally impounded the CNIC (computerised national identity card) issued” to Hamdullah. “Since it is established that the said person is an ‘alien’, therefore, all the TV channels (News and Current Affairs) are directed to refrain from inviting and projecting Mr Hafiz Hamdullah Saboor in their programmes/talk shows, news etc.,” the authority had said in its letter.

Hafiz Hamdullah, who remained a senator from Balochistan between March 2012 and March 2018, frequently makes appearances in evening political talk shows on various news channels. The directive banning his TV appearances comes days before the JUI-F is scheduled to lead an anti-government ‘Azaadi’ protest march of opposition parties. NEWS DESK

Friends of Silk Road launched in Pakistan’s Peshawar cHina daiLY SYED ALI NAWAZ GILANI

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will yield economic development and social prosperity, said Shah Farman Khan, governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwest Pakistan. As an important trans-regional and continental network and a flagship project between the two countries under the Belt and Road Initiative, CPEC will bring out new economic development activities in the province, according to him. The governor made the statements while addressing the launching ceremony of Friends of Silk Road and CPEC at the Pakistan-China Institute and China Study Centre, University of Peshawar, on Saturday.

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing, Provincial Senior Minister Muhammad AtifKha, MNA and Chairman of Parliamentary Committee on CPEC Sher Ali Arbab

were also present at the ceremony.

Addressing the program, Ambassador Yao said China was offering all possible assistance and full cooperation for the balanced economic growth under CPEC. Other countries of the region will also be able to benefit from the initiatives, he added.

Echoing the same views, Senior Minister Muhammad Atif Khan said CPEC is helping the region in socio-economic development and would also bring opportunities to develop and promote the soft image of the province across the globe.

Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, Chairman of Pakistan-China Institute, said Friends of Silk Road would be a major platform in promoting awareness about how the Belt and Road Initiative is changing the lives of common people in the region through CPEC. The Friends of Silk Road initiative was first launched in February in Islamabad and is spreading to other parts of the country.

Opp sets out on march towards Islamabad continued from page 01 “Nawaz Sharif has instructed his workers and supporters to welcome Maulana Fazlur Rehman in every city and town of the country and become part of his Azadi March,” he said, adding that every PML-N worker will support Fazl. PPP leader Raza Rabbani said that Kashmir’s jails are full and youngsters are being tortured but remember that movements for the right to self determination couldn’t be suppressed anywhere in the world.

The sad thing is that the Muslim community is silent on the atrocities being committed in Kashmir, he said, demanding that the

CMYK

community raise its voice for the Kashmiri people and support them. “We speak about freedom in Kashmir but when I look at my own country, my heart weeps tears of blood, said Rabbani, adding that this is because he sees innocent children and women on the roads whose fathers or husbands or brothers or children have been missing for years.”

Meanwhile, thousands of supporters of opposition parties left Quetta to participate in the march. JUI-F Balochistan chief Maulana Abdul Wasey led the caravan. “We will continue our struggle till removal of present rulers,” Maulana Wasey told reporters before leaving for Islamabad.

CMYK Monday, 28 October, 2019

news

03

Bilawal celebrates diwali with Kashmore’s hindu community neWS deSK LAHORE: Hindu women hold clay lamps during Diwali celebrations at Neela Gumbad Valmiki Mandir. Diwali, the festival of lights, is one of the most significant festivals in the Hindu calendar. Diwali celebrations last for five days. ONLINE

police detaiN JUi-F’S MUFti KiFayatUllah iSLamaBad

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STAFF REPORT

AMIAT Ulema-e-Islam–Fazl’s (JUI-F) leader Mufti Kifayatullah was arrested from Islamabad on Sunday for issuing “inflammatory statements against the national institutions”.

The news of Mufti Kifayatullah being taken into custody at 4 am on Saturday night was confirmed by JUI-F Deputy Secretary Information Aslam Ghouri, who said the senior politician was whisked away from his friend’s apartment in E-11 sector. According to

details, the JUI-F leader, who was arrested by a team of the Mansehra police, will remain in custody for 30 days under Section 3 (power to arrest and detain suspected persons) of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) and shifted to Haripur jail. He is the third leader to have been detained from the federal capital in the past few days ahead of Azadi March.

Earlier on Monday, police arrested Maulana Shafiq-ur-Rehman and Maulana Muhammad Irshad from Shams Colony and seized banners for the JUI-F sit-in from their possession.

Police alleged that the duo was urg-

ing people to participate in the Azadi March being organised by JUI-F against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government by “inciting them against national institutions besides chanda collection and holding corner meetings”. Kifayatullah has been allegedly booked on the same charges.

“The activities of Mufti Kifayatullah are posing [a] grave threat to public safety which may create a disturbance of public tranquillity, danger to human life, health and safety,” said an order issued by the office of the Mansehra deputy commissioner (DC).

“Due to this act, serious sectarian

disharmony is prevailing in the district.

The situation is snowballing into serious law and order situation […],” the order stated while adding that the Mansehra (district police officer) DPO had requested for Kifayathullah’s arrest warrants to be issued.

“The said person may be detained and confined in Central Jail, Haripur for a period of 30 days from the date of arrest,” the order added.

It may be mentioned here that JUIF chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman would lead caravans from Sindh towards Islamabad after addressing a big rally in Karachi’s Sohrab Goth on Sunday.

Kashmir Black Day observed in Beijing Kashmir Black Day was commemorated here on Sunday to mark the illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir by India on October 27, 1947. It was on this day when the Indian troops in a blatant violation of international laws and against the aspirations of Kashmiris invaded Jammu and Kashmir and occupied it.

This year, the eventful day has achieved greater significance following the revoking of status special of Occupied Kashmir on August 5, by the Indian government.

Addressing participants of an event organized to commemorate the day, Pakistan Ambassador to China, Naghmana Hashmi said the situation in occupied Jammu and Kashmir has become very bleak after the withdrawal of its special status and curfew clamped by the Indian government and stressed for greater efforts to further mobilize the world community to resolve the Kashmir issue in accordance with the United Nations Resolutions.

“The Indian government’s act is absolutely unconstitutional and against all the international laws while the atrocities being committed against the innocent Kashmiri people have crossed all the limits”, she added. Ambassador Hashmi said that finally the world community has started to realize the gravity of the situation, adding, the world media and some of the world leaders are gradually realizing that Kashmir is an issue and that there is a genocide and human rights disaster unfolding in Kashmir and it needs to be addressed.

She observed that after 55 years, the United Nations showed signals of waking up to reality. Now, it is the obligation of Kashmiris, Pakistanis and the friends of Kashmir to ensure its continuation. Expressing concerns over the three months of curfew in Occupied Kashmir, she said that how long Kashmiris could sustain the pressure and said the present situa-

tion could explode at any time. Ambassador Hashmi said Kashmir issue has become a flashpoint and with kind of irresponsible political act, media rhetoric and military oppression against civilians in Occupied Kashmir, any miscalculation could lead to a disaster.

The Ambassador said war was not an option between nuclear armed nations and the dialogue was the only way to resolve the longstanding issue. She said around nine million people are under curfew in Occupied Kashmir and added, the Indian government would have to gradually come on the negotiating table. Ambassador Hashmi called upon the students and people from all walks of life to continue to raise awareness on social media to apprise the plight of Kashmiris to the world. The event was attended by a large number of members of the Pakistani community, academics, teachers and the people from all walks of life. NEWS DESK

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday celebrated Diwali with the Hindu and Sikh community of Kashmore district. “Had the pleasure of spending Diwali with the Sikh & Hindu community today in Kashmore.

Wishing all those celebrating in Pakistan & across the world a Happy Diwali,” he tweeted. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Imran Khan and Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry also extended their greetings to the Hindu community on the occasion of Diwali.

“Wishing all our Hindu citizens a happy Diwali,” the prime minister tweeted.

“Happy Diwali to Hindu Community in Pakistan and across the world…. hope as per true teachings of Ramayan Humanity ll prevail, extremism ll be rejected and fascism in #Kashmir and whole of India ll die its own death,” Fawad tweeted. Diwali, the festival of lights, is one of the most significant festivals in the Hindu calendar.

Diwali celebrations last for five days.

Khursheed Shah hospitalised due to chest pain

KaracHi INP

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senior leader Khursheed Shah was admitted to the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) in Sukkur on Sunday. The officials of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) shifted Shah to the medical facility after he complained of chest pain. The medical team will run tests including checking the Troponin I levels in his bloodstream. Troponin I is a marker of cardiac injury. Khursheed Shah has been in NAB custody since September 18 when he was arrested from Islamabad in a case pertaining to alleged assets beyond means of income. He was then moved to Sukkur.

Event highlighting Rao Anwar’s encounters ‘forcefully shut down’ KaracHi STAFF REPORT

An installation titled ‘Killing Fields of Karachi’ by artist Adeela Suleman displayed at Karachi’s iconic Frere Hall as part of the Karachi Biennale 2019 was “forcibly shut down” on Sunday by men in ‘plainclothes’.

While the lower hall of the building housing the exhibit was sealed, a press conference by lawyer and activist Jibran Nasir was also disrupted by the DG Parks, who snatched mics and forced him to stop the presser. The verbal altercation barely stopped short of physical violence.

“The press briefing was ‘disrupted’ by ‘unknown’ men who threw away mics of media and shamelessly tried to censor us,” the lawyer said in a Twitter post after the incident.

According to the details, the art piece also included a video showing Naqeebullah Mehsud’s father and the scene where Naqeebullah, an aspiring model from South Waziristan, along two others was

murdered allegedly by then SSP Rao Anwar. “You all must have seen pillars installed here which symbolise Karachi’s bloody history — the 444 murders which were committed between 2011 and 2018 by Rao Anwar. This is not a matter of dispute. This is a fact which is part of police record,” Nasir said at the press conference, hurriedly called after the event was shut down.

“There are graves here marking the deaths and there was a video projection which contained visuals of Naqeebullah’s father, and visuals of the place where Naqeebullah and three others were murdered,” he added. Nasir also revealed the threats received by the men who desired the exhibit’s shutdown.

“At 11 in the morning, some people came here who introduced themselves as belonging to sensitive organisations and they said this room should be closed and put under a lock, otherwise all the materials, laptops, projectors, paintings, will be destroyed,” he said while adding that building’s guard too was scared off by men who claimed to be from sensitive agencies. The creator of the exhibit on

Anwar’s extrajudicial killings, Adeela Suleman, expressed her dismay at the shutdown of her artwork.

“My aim was just to tell a story. I was, in fact, repeating an event that took place a year earlier. It [the display] contained no such thing which was not already part of general public knowledge,” she lamented. “If artists can not express themselves in their own way, then I really can’t say how we will ever have any creation of art and who we will have to take permission from,” she added. However, DG Parks Afaq Mirza told reporters that “making graves is not art but vandalism”.

He further told that the park was for public but not political activities, which should be conducted anywhere in the city, but not on government properties The incident was quickly picked up by the public on social media. Eyebrows were raised as to why the exhibit, which was not even created by a wellknown artist, ruffled so many feathers. Prominent figures also spoke about censorship by the state.

Lawyer and columnist Hassan Niazi compared the Sahiwal killings with the censorship of Rao Anwar’s

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444 murders. An employee at Dawn newspaper, Reem Khurshid shared an investigative article detailing the policeman’s career of killings. Journalist Marvi Sirmed also lamented the protection of Rao Anwar. Journalist Hamid Mir also called out the state’s hypocrisy.

04 LAHORE

Monday, 28 October, 2019

WEATHER UPDATES MONDAY

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Nawaz Sharif should be allowed to go abroad for treatment: Shujaat LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim LeagueQuaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Sunday urged Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan to exercise his discretionary powers and allow ex-PM Nawaz Sharif to go abroad for medical treatment along with all the facilities. In a statement, Chaudhry Shujaat said dragging judiciary into a political matter may have severe consequences, adding that that there is difference between judicial decisions and executive verdicts.

“There was no anti-state allegation against Nawaz Sharif as he was accused of financial impropriety,” he asserted.

The PML-Q leader said that in such matters, the courts should not be put on test. The remarks of Chaudhry Shujaat came after PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif was admitted to Lahore’s Services Hospital due to decrease in platelet count as well as cardiac ailments. INP

Saad Rafique released on parole

LAHORE: A view of half-mast national flag on Punjab Assembly building as the country marks Black Day in solidarity with Kashmiris. ONLINE

CM BuzdaR to PReSeNt govt’S StaNCe oN Nawaz health iN ihC LAHORE

LAHORE: The PML-N leader and former railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique was released from prison on Sunday on parole to attend the funeral prayers of his mother-in-law who passed away in Layyah. The PML-N MNA, who was in Camp Jail on judicial remand, submitted an application to the deputy commissioner seeking his release on parole, which was approved. He was, subsequently, released from the prison for two days to attend the funeral prayers of his mother-in-law. Upon being released, he left for Layyah under police and NAB officials’ escort. He will be shifted back to the prison after the last rites of his mother-in-law. INP

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STAFF REPORT

UNJAB Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has decided to appear before Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday to present the stance of the Punjab government over the health condition of former premier Nawaz Sharif.

As per details, IHC has summoned CM Punjab to apprise the court about the health condition of Nawaz Sharif who is being treated in Lahore’s Services hospital. The Punjab government’s stance will be finalized after consulting legal

experts. It is pertinent to mention here that IHC had approved Nawaz Sharif’s bail, who is undergoing medical treatment under the supervision of medical board formed by Punjab government, on health grounds till Tuesday.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday granted interim bail till Tuesday to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on medical grounds in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference after the latter’s brother, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif approached the high court for an urgent hearing owing to the deteriorating condition of his elder brother.

Man arrested for sexually assaulting granddaughter in Sheikhupura

3 more dengue cases reported FAISALABAD: Three more patients were admitted to isolation ward of the Allied hospital on Sunday after they were found positive with dengue fever.

Allied Hospital’s focal person Dr Masooma Sardar said that Asif, Nafees and Akhtar were brought to hospital with high fever. Their blood samples were sent for laboratory analysis and the lab reports confirmed dengue virus positive in them. She further said that Asif fell prey to dengue virus in Lahore while Nafees and Akhtar in Rawalpindi.

All types of lab tests and treatment facilities were being provided free of cost to them at the hospital. APP

LAHORE STAFF REPORT

LAHORE: Labaik4Welfare held a ceremony to honour the students who scored positions in the matriculation examination. ZUBAIR MEHFOOZ

A man in Sharaqpur town of Sheikhupura district was arrested for sexually assaulting his 13-year-old granddaughter for over four months.

According to the complaint registered by the victim’s brother, the accused, Muhammad Ismail sexually assaulted the victim (whose name has been withheld for privacy purposes) for several months.

The complainant said that he came to learn of his sister’s ordeal through his mother (the suspect’s daughter) after which he decided to lodge a complaint.

10-YEAR-OLD BOY ARRESTED

17 faint after consuming unhygienic food in Okara NEWS DESK At least 17 children fainted due to the consumption of unhygienic foodstuff in a village of Okara, a local media outlet reported on Sunday.

The incident took place in a village of Okara were children fell unconscious after eating “Channa chaat”, claimed family sources.

Police and rescue officials, after being informed rushed to the scene and shifted the children to the district hospital where doctors washed their stomachs.

Earlier on October 24, at least 45 school students in Hyderabad were hospitalised on suspicion of food poisoning.

As per details, the students, who are staying at the hostel of a

school near Hala Naka, Hyderabad, fell sick after eating breakfast and were rushed to the Civil Hospital Hyderabad suffering from nausea and vomiting.

Medical Administrator of Civil hospital Hyderabad, while talking to media said that all the children were aged between 3 to 12, are safe and out of danger.

The Sindh Food Authority

(SFA) later in the day raided the school and sealed the kitchen.

Sindh Inspector General Kaleem Imam took notice of the incident and has sought a report from Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Hyderabad Adeel Hussain Chandio. The IG Sindh had directed SSP Hyderabad to public facts after completing the investigation of the incident.

CMYK

FOR ABUSING MINOR GIRL: In a separate incident in Muzaffargarh, a 10-year-old boy was arrested for allegedly abusing a three-year-old girl in Muzaffargarh.

As per details, the boy, Asif was arrested from Kot Aduu Tehsil, Ward No 14 on charges of abusing a 3-yearold girl after which an abduction case was filed against him.

The accused boy was produced before a local magistrate’s court, where the judge sent him on physical remand till October 30.

Police said that the girl was taken for medical checkup to the tehsil headquarters hospital in Kot Addu.

DNA tests of the accused and the girl are being conducted.

CMYK Monday, 28 October, 2019

NEWS

05

New York semiNar leNds support to kashmiris oN ‘Black daY’ o UNITED NATIONS iNP

RgANISATION of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) officials and a top Saudi diplomat voiced strong support for the Kashmiri people in their struggle for their UN-pledged right to self-determination at a special event held in New York to mark the 72nd anniversary of India’s massive invasion and occupation of Kashmir, known as “Black Day.” The largely-attended event was organized by Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi, the outgoing Pakistan’s ambassador to the United Nations (UN), whose dedication to the Kashmir cause was praised by guest speakers, with ghulam Nabi Fai, secretary-general of Washington-based World Kashmir Awareness, calling her the “voice of Kashmiri people.”

It was the first time that foreign diplomats joined the annual observance of “Black Day” held here to voice their solidarity with the oppressed people of Jammu and Kashmir and to denounce

India’s annexation of the disputed state in violation of the UN resolutions and its lockdown, now nearing three months, which is enforced by 900,000 troops.

Ambassador Lodhi warmly thanked all the guests for attending the event which took place at the Pakistan Mission to the United Nations.

Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Agshin Mehdiyev, permanent observer of OIC to the UN, enumerated the steps taken by the 57-member organization in support of the Kashmiri people, and urged the international community to accelerate its efforts to help them “decisively” in achieving their legitimate rights. He also drew attention of the audience to the joint communique adopted

by OIC’s Contact group on Kashmir last month that called on India to rescind it’s decision to strip the state’s special status, withdraw the inhuman curfew and other restrictions and free thousands of detained people, especially young boys, and the local political leaders.

Ambassador Mehdiyev underscored the need for a peaceful resolution of

Jammu and Kashmir dispute through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions and aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Professor Akmal Saidov, chairperson of the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC), focused on the worsening rights situation in occupied Kashmir, and said India’s August 5 move to abrogate Constitutional Articles 35A and 370 was “purely aimed at changing the demographic of the State of Jammu and Kashmir by making the indigenous Muslim population a minority within their homeland.”

“Over 8 million Muslims in IOK are locked into an inhuman curfew that has turned the entire valley into the biggest open prison of the world with severe human rights and humanitarian consequences,” he said, citing mass arrests of people, political leaders and journalists.

“These blatant human rights violations have reached a scale that a recent BBC report cites Kashmiris preferring death a better option than inhuman and

Kashmiris forced to live like strangers on their own land: FM

ISLAMABAD iNP

Foreign Minister Shah Minister Qureshi on Sunday said that innocent people of occupied Kashmir are forced to live like strangers on their own land from past three months.

In a statement on Kash-

mir Black Day, the minister said that India has turned occupied valley into a biggest jail as people living there are facing curfew. He further urged the international community to play role in giving right of self-determination to the Kashmiris.

On the other hand, Kashmiris on both sides of

City Notes M.A. NiAzi Nawaz Sharif was struck with a strange ailment that was finally diagnosed as Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), but which was at one point suspected to be dengue, for which he was at one point tested. His platelets count kept on falling, despite transfusions of more than one megaunit, which is not a good sign.

We had the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) full of deniers, like the people who denied that he had a quadruple bypass while he was the prime minister. Then we had people denying that his wife, Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, had a fatal disease. She silenced them only by dying.

There should have been some people claiming she was not dead, that she was actually hiding out in a cave somewhere.

Well, there have been no claims that Benazir Bhutto was alive (the slogan Kal bhi Bhutto zinda tha, aaj bhi Bhutto zinda hai/Zinda hai Bhutto zinda hai applies only to the father, not the daughter),

the Line of Control (LoC) and all over the world are observing Black Day to convey a joint message that they have rejected India’s illegal occupation of their homeland on this day in the year 1947.

This was the day when Indian troops forcefully invaded Jammu and Kashmir

and occupied it in blatant violation of the partition plan of the Subcontinent and against the Kashmiris’ aspirations.

Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said the world would be apprised once again of the enormity of the situation in the IoK. Several programmes, including rallies and seminars, have been planned throughout the country to express solidarity with the people of occupied Kashmir.

Instructions have also been given to Pakistani missions abroad to organise events and engage with Pakistani Diaspora, local parliamentarians, think-tanks and intellectuals to highlight significance of the day.

In Azad Kashmir, rallies, demonstrations and protest gatherings will be held in all small and big cities of the state under the auspices of Kashmir Liberation Cell, Hurriyat and religious organisations.

HRCP condemns curbs on access to food, medicines in IOK LAHORE APP

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Sunday strongly condemned detention of thousands of youth and minors as well as restrictions on access to food and medicines in in the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK). Talking to APP here on Sunday, HRCP Chairperson Dr Mehdi Hasan condemned lockdown of some eight million Kashmiris, saying the suppressed Kashmiris were continuing to face gross human rights violations at the hands of the Indian forces deployed in the Valley. “It has now been more than two-and-a-half months since the Indian government revoked the special status of Kashmir under Article 370 of the Indian constitution and placed the region under curfew,” he said. To a question, Dr Mehdi Hasan said that the Indian government’s failure to comprehend the grave implications of fuelling regional tension is highly irresponsible.

Dozens of people from the diplomatic community, government, armed forces, corporate sector and other walks of life participated in a morning trek on Trail 6 of the Margalla Hills. The trek organised by the Serena Hotels under its Adventure Diplomacy Initiative ended on sumptuous breakfast at the plateau overlooking the Talhar Valley, considered one of the most beautiful and eye-catching locations in the Margallas. It combined a gentle picturesque amble for the first 1.5 kilometers with a more challenging incline towards the end. PRess ReLeAse

Proving someone is dead even though that would be a more valid claim. Look, no post mortem was conducted of her corpse. So where is the piece of paper (signed by a gazetted officer of BPS 17 or above, with official stamp) saying she was dead?

One aspect of Nawaz’s illness was how his daughter Maryam had to be admitted to hospital after she saw him.

Much can be said about this, but at this juncture, all that can be said is that everyone knows someone like that, who thinks that everything is about them.

Well, the piece of paper existed in the case of the four people killed in Sahiwal, in an encounter with the local Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) cops. But as the trial court said in its judgement, that only proved that they had died, not that the accused had killed them.

That should have been done by ballistic evidence, which should have quite straightforward: the fatal bullets

should have matched certain weapons, which had been issued to the accused, plus they would have been unable to provide some of the bullets they had been issued. Hey presto! The official in-charge of issuing weapons said that all weapons issued were returned in good order, as were all bullets. Naturally, the accused were all acquitted.

There seems to be a conundrum. The police evidence concedes that something happened. The best thing would have been for the defence to have claimed that nothing had happened, and everyone was the subject of a mass hallucination. Unfortunately, now that there has been an acquittal, the case goes back to the police station the First Information Report (FIR) was registered at, as a result of which the trial took place.

The prime minister took time out from his celebrations to order an appeal by the government, presumably based on a re-investigation. Celebra-

CMYK

and that it was not a “wishful thinking but reality is that you cannot suppress a population of 8 million”. “We hope for a peaceful resolution of Kashmir in accordance with UNSC resolutions,” he said adding, “the key to success is an approach that protects the interests of Pakistan, Kashmir, and India.”

In his remarks, ghulam Nabi Fai lamented that Kashmir was no longer the paradise it used to be as the Indian government was hell-bent on turning it into a killing field. He said the deteriorating situation in occupied Kashmir was aptly described by some observers: ‘A living hell’ (New York Times) and ‘The most beautiful prison in the world’ (an EU parliamentarian). Quoting Arundhati Rai, a prominent Indian writer, Fai stated that democracy in India was long dead as the Kashmir region became one of the most militarized zones in the world. He also cited gautam Navlakha, an Indian human rights activist, who repeatedly called the Kashmir struggle an indigenous movement and that India should stop blaming Pakistan.

excruciating torture and molestation by Indian Security forces,” Prof. Saidov said. “Continuation of these mass and grave human rights violations by Indian security forces with impunity under an exclusionary ideology of Hindutva has also led to the issuance of genocide alerts by reputable international human rights organizations,” he told the gathering.

Prof. Saidov called for working together at this critical hour, and said, “The world cannot afford to be a bystander in this situation; the suffering of Kashmiris is a burden on the collective conscience of humanity.” Ambassador Abdallah Y. Al-Mouallimi, permanent representative of Saudi Arabia to the UN, reaffirmed his country’s unequivocal support for Kashmir and Pakistan.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has always stood by Pakistan on Kashmir and we have always advocated self-determination for the Kashmiri people, as the Saudi people unanimously support their cause,” he said. The Saudi envoy said that the struggle of people of Kashmir will not go unanswered “Inshallah”,

tions? Yes, he is celebrating the removal of the corrupt element, Sarfraz Ahmad, from the Pakistan captaincy.

Now that was something long awaited.

We could not have Pakistan losing, not with Imran as PM. And anyway, Financial Action Task Force (FATF) must have demanded that the illegal money raised by Nawaz be stopped.

You cannot begin to imagine how much betting money figured in terror financing. And Nawaz and his cohorts made a pile betting against Pakistan, secure in the knowledge that Sarfraz would throw the match.

Of course, Maulana Fazlur Rehman has not yet agreed to throw the Azadi March, though Pervez Khattak has been working hard at it. Fazl is not impressed by either his medical history or terpsichorean abilities. Just as much as the Canadian electorate does not seem entirely enamoured to Justin Trudeau, that rival of Imran Khan for the youth vote,

and returned him to office with a reduced majority. Not good news for Imran, though he can console himself that Trudeau neither won a World Cup nor built a cancer hospital.

And finally, the Jamiat Ulema-eIslam-Fazl (JUI-F) had its militant wing banned. True, it had been declared to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), but that should not allow its members to present a salute to Fazl. (Was he practising for March 23 parades? Would part of the price of having him as PM be having contingents of JUI-F at the parade? I wonder if those are the guys I have seen at JUIF rallies, carrying round wooden models of AK-47s? If so, I do not think the government should feel too threatened.

India has, as usual, got it all on team picked for Australia, and corrupt element removed from captaincy; Trudeau has won, but with a reduced majority; Azadi March; Nawaz’s health, no dengue, platelets count down, went up after transfusions, but dropped again; Maryam had to be admitted too; Immune Thrombocytpenic Purpura; JUI-F militants banned.

Monday, 28 October, 2019

06 WORLD VIEW

How did US policy fail in StabiliSinG afGHaniStan?

DORANI RECOGNISES THE BEST THING FOR AFGHANISTAN IS ULTIMATELY THAT AMERICANS AND THEIR COALITION LEAVE. AFGHANISTAN CANNOT ENJOY PEACE AS LONG AS OUTSIDERS REMAIN

strategy Bridge

G

Carter malkaSIan

IVEN the length of the conflict in that country, there is no shortage of literature covering America’s longest war. Yet, many works on the war in Afghanistan cover the accounts of military members and their tactical engagements. Sharifullah Dorani has written a short history of high-level U.S. policy making in Afghanistan, entitled America in Afghanistan: Foreign Policy and Decision Making from Bush to Obama to Trump. The book reviews the major decisions of the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations. Dorani covers this welltilled ground in an interesting, locally informed way and, unlike other works, brings it together in a single volume.

Dorani grew up in Kabul, living through the Soviet-Afghan war and then the civil war that followed.

He and his family finally fled the country in 1994 because of the violence wracking Kabul. After the fall of the Taliban, he returned to work for several years.

He then earned his doctorate at Durham University, going back and forth to Afghanistan over ten years to complete his research. America in Afghanistan is based on his doctoral dissertation.

Dorani brings an Afghan perspective to the debates that have played out in Washington. The major question he explores is: How did U.S. policy fail in stabilizing Afghanistan? He examines the decisions of each administration, describing how personality, domestic politics, economic factors, regional power politics, and ideology shaped the outcome. If he has a common criticism, it is that U.S. presidential administrations suffered from a lack of understanding and a narrow point of view: “The policy assumptions made by the Bush and Obama Administrations were ill-informed, misjudged and derived from rigid ideologies rather than realities on the ground.” The criticism is perhaps a tad harsh, but he performs a service in reminding outsiders to question how much they understand foreign lands.

For Dorani, Afghanistan could have been stabi-

lized if the United States had done much more. Instead, the United States put in place a weak government that let Afghans fall prey to warlords and criminals. Dorani embraces the view that Afghanistan can only be peaceful if run by a “a strong Afghan state” with a strong army and police “equipped with the necessary air and artillery power to defend itself…deal effectively with the causes of the ‘evil forces’…and instead install peace and security in the minds of ordinary Afghans.” His specific recommendations are that the United States should support the National Unity Government, strengthen the Afghan police and army capabilities, sustain support to civil society, and “provide concrete assistance and tangible backing to Ghani with his revolutionary reforms, especially his willingness to deal with corrupt elements in the Afghan state and his readiness to ensure the rule of law applies to everyone equally.” This last point is the most important. Dorani stresses that by far the greatest mistake of three U.S. administrations is that they “did not and would not support Hamid Karzai and later Ashraf Ghani against the criminality” of warlords and power brokers “who fought the U.S. anti-terrorism war.”

Dorani differs from various other Afghans in not laying blame squarely at the feet of Pakistan. Though Pakistan is not let off the hook, Dorani is sober in recognizing the limitations of what the United States could do. He writes that the Bush and Obama Administrations were simply unable to stop “Pakistan supporting a host of groups in Afghanistan, and India as an instrument of its foreign policy.” His moderate recommendation is that the United States should “create conditions in which the risks of the Pakistani support outweigh the benefits.” He especially advises against punishing ordinary Pakistanis, whom he compliments as having always been generous toward Afghans.

As Professor Thomas Barfield describes in his masterful Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History, a strong Afghan state has long been the dream of Afghan modernizers and reformers. Dorani is a representative of that important viewpoint. That said, various Afghans disagree with this idea. It has been a feature of recent Afghan history, seen vividly in the differing opinions of President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Dr Abdullah. The Uzbeks and Tajiks in the north and west generally would prefer greater autonomy from the Pashtun-led state.

Through their sacrifice in the wars against the Soviet

Union and then the Taliban, the Uzbeks and Tajiks often say they have earned the right to rule themselves. They would prefer a state that grants authority to regions and gives more power to parliament, rather than centralizing it in the hands of a president. They want a decentralized form of government with less presidential power. A variety of Pashtuns would also prefer a state that allows the various Pashtun tribes, factions, and power-brokers to run their own affairs.

In fact, Barfield argues it is overcentralization and lack of accountability of state leaders to the local people that gives the Taliban space to make inroads.

None of this is to detract from Dorani’s viewpoint, but it underlines the relevance of contrasting viewpoints in ongoing debates about what kind of state Afghanistan should become. Indeed, with peace efforts proceeding at an unprecedented tempo, discussion of the matter is timely.

One of the joys of the book is the explanations of Afghan dynamics from Dorani’s Afghan contacts.

His conversations with scores of bureaucrats and officials, for example, render a splendid description of how patronage and bribery work in Afghan ministries and their pernicious effect on stability. “Members of Parliament,” he writes, “paid less attention to the needs of their constituents and remained focused on how to make themselves wealthier.” His Afghan contacts and sources relay a deep sense of frustration in how the United States has made such confusing decisions and how the investment of major resources has had such meager effect, at least from their point of view. But overall his tone is one of disappointment as much as frustration, a deep regret that America and the international community were befuddled by Afghanistan’s complexities and their own naiveté.

The fact that Dorani spoke to Afghans from “all walks of life” in researching the book is a strength that yields many of his most cutting insights. Still, I would have liked to have learned more of their stories. Given Dorani’s language skills, I also would have liked to have seen reference to more Pashto and Dari books, magazines, news, and social media sources. He is widely read, but he keeps most of it in the background, informing his analysis, rather than in the text for all to see. Perhaps Dorani’s future work will reveal more.

My favorite line of the entire book comes at the very end. In his conclusion, after going through the importance of Western intervention in building a strong state, Dorani writes that, when all is said and done, “the U.S. need not…keep any presence in Afghanistan” and then admits this is “a significant cause of fighting by the Taliban.” For someone so pro-intervention to admit that presence causes violence highlights something Americans often miss, yet Afghans seem to know in their hearts. As much as he values Westerners, Dorani recognizes the best thing for Afghanistan is ultimately that Americans and their coalition leave. Afghanistan cannot enjoy peace as long as outsiders remain. This one line exemplifies how Dorani’s Afghan perspective is truly invaluable. Americans and Westerners should pay attention.

Carter Malkasian is the author of War Comes to Garmser: Thirty Years of Conflict on the Afghan Frontier.

America in Afghanistan: Foreign Policy and Decision Making from Bush to Obama to Trump.

Sharifullah Dorani. London, UK: I.B. Taurus, 2019.

Savarkar ‘Bharat – Ratna’ nominee of RSS/BJP ran coalition governments with Muslim League WHILE ADDRESSING A PRESS CONFERENCE IN NAGPUR ON AUGUST 15, 1943, SAVARKAR WENT TO THE EXTENT OF SAYING, ‘I HAVE NO QUARREL WITH MR JINNAH’S TWO-NATION THEORY. WE, HINDUS, ARE A NATION BY OURSELVES AND IT IS A HISTORICAL FACT THAT HINDUS AND MUSLIMS ARE TWO NATIONS’ CounterCurrents ShamSul ISlam

The Hindu Mahasabha under the presidentship of VD Savarkar shamelessly aligned with the British masters to crush the Quit India Movement in 1942.

The ‘Responsive Cooperation’ with the British masters was not only a theoretical commitment. It soon got concretized in the ganging up of Hindu Mahasabha with the Muslim League too. When all political organizations including Congress were banned only the Hindu Mahasabha and Muslim League were allowed to function. And it was during this period that Hindu Mahasabha led by Hindutva ‘Veer’ Savarkar ran coalition governments with the Muslim League. Savarkar defended this nexus in his presidential speech to the Kanpur session of Hindu Mahasabha, in the following words: “In practical politics also the Mahasabha knows that we must advance through reasonable compromises. Witness the fact that only recently in Sind, the Sind-Hindu-Sabha on invitation had taken the responsibility of joining hands with the League itself in running coalition Government. The case of Bengal is well known.

Wild Leaguers whom even the Congress with all its submissiveness could not placate grew quite reasonably compromising and socialable as soon as they came in contact with the HM and the Coalition Government, under the premiership of Mr. Fazlul Huq and the able lead of our esteemed Mahasabha leader Dr Syama Prasad Mookerji, functioned successfully for a year or so to the benefit of both the communities.” [V. D. Savarkar, Samagra Savarkar Wangmaya: Hindu Rashtra Darshan, vol. 6, Maharashtra Prantik Hindusabha, Poona, 1963, pp. 479-480.]

As explained by Savarkar in the Muslim League Bengal ministry, the second-in-command of the Mahasabha, Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee was Deputy to

the Muslim League head of the ministry. Mukherjee also held portfolio of suppressing of the Quit India Movement. Hindu Mahasabha and Muslim League beside Bengal and Sind ran coalition government in NWFP also during this period. It is to be noted that Savarkar had joined hands with the League when Congress opposed any dealing with the Muslim League. Dhananjay Keer in his biography of Savarkar which is hailed as the most authentic one by the fans of Savarkar admits that Savarkar had advised the Hindu leaders in the Muslim majority provinces to join ministries formed by the Muslim League. In fact, both had been working in tandem for last couple of years. While addressing the Madura Conference of the Hindu Mahasabha (22nd session) in 1940, Savarkar admitted that his party had been aligning with Muslim groups in different provinces in opposition to Congress. His following words only corroborate the fact that Hindu-Muslim communalists had united against the Congress: “At several places they [the Hindu Mahasabhaites] succeeded in inflicting defeats on the Congress candidates and today representatives of the Hindu Sanghatanist party form so influential minority in the provincial legislatures and some of the local bodies as to be able very often to hold the balance so as to influence the formation of the Moslem Ministries themselves. In addition to that, there are two to three Hindu Ministers in the [Muslim] Ministry itself who are pledged to the Hindu ticket.” [V. D. Savarkar, Samagra Savarkar Wangmaya: Hindu Rashtra Darshan, vol. 6, Maharashtra Prantik Hindusabha, Poona, 1963, p. 399.]

SAVARKAR OPENLY SUPPORTED THE TWONATION THEORY: For a complete appraisal of his role in advancing two-nation theory in pre-independence India, we must get acquainted with his words and deeds while he was a freeman, guiding the Hindu Mahasabha from 1937 to 1942. These are available under one caption, Hindu Rashtra Darshan, published

by the Hindu Mahasabha, Maharashtra. While delivering presidential address to 19th Hindu Mahasabha session at Ahmedabad in 1937, Savarkar unequivocally declared: “As it is, there are two antagonistic nations living side by side in India, several infantile politicians commit the serious mistake in supposing that India is already welded into a harmonious nation, or that it could be welded thus for the mere wish to do so. These were well meaning but unthinking friends take their dreams for realities. That is why they are impatient of communal tangles and attribute them to communal organizations. But the solid fact is that the so-called communal questions are but a legacy handed down to us by centuries of cultural, religious and national antagonism between the Hindus and Moslems…Let us bravely face unpleasant facts as they are. India cannot be assumed today to be a unitarian and homogenous nation, but on the contrary there are two nations in the main: the Hindus and the Moslems, in India.” [V. D. Savarkar, Samagra Savarkar Wangmaya: Hindu Rashtra Darshan, vol. 6, Maharashtra Prantik Hindusabha, Poona, 1963, p. 296.]

Thus Savarkar long before Mohammed Ali Jinnah’s adoption of the two-nation theory in 1940 was preaching it. Both stood together against the Indian nationalism. Importantly, when League passed its Pakistan resolution in Lahore (March 1940) Jinnah specifically referred to the above words of Savarkar in defence of his brand of the two-nation theory.

Savarkar was not to be left behind in this thanks giving exercise. While addressing a press conference in Nagpur on August 15, 1943, he went to the extent of saying, “I have no quarrel with Mr. Jinnah’s two-nation theory. We, Hindus, are a nation by ourselves and it is a historical fact that Hindus and Muslims are two nations”. [Cited in Indian Annual Register, 1943, Volume 2, p. 10.]

Savarkar’s belief in two-nation theory led him also to believe that Muslim League exclusively rep-

resented all Muslims and Hindu Mahasabha exclusively represented all Hindus. Savarkar in the course of his presidential address to the 22nd session of the Hindu Mahasabha at Madura thanked, “His Excellency the Viceroy for having deliberately and decisively recognized [sic] the position of the Hindu Mahasabha as…the most outstanding representative Hindu body and finally coming to the conclusion that the Moslim [sic] League represents the Moslem interests, the Hindu Mahasabha the Hindu interests… ” [Savarkar, Samagra Savarkar Wangmaya: Hindu Rashtra Darshan, vol. 6, Maharashtra Prantik Hindusabha, Poona, 1963, p. 407.]

Dr B. R. Ambedkar, a keen observer and critic of the competitive Hindu-Muslim communal politics in pre-independence India, was candid in his belief that, “Strange as it may appear, Mr. Savarkar and Mr. Jinnah instead of being opposed to each other on the one nation versus two nations issue are in complete agreement about it. Both not only agree, but insist that there are two nations in India—one the Muslim nation and the other Hindu nation. They differ only as regards the terms and conditions on which the two nations must live.” [B. R. Ambedkar, Pakistan or the Partition of India, Government of Maharashtra, Bombay, 1990 (reprint of 1946 edition), p. 142.]

If Savarkar with such anti-national ideas and practices to his credit can be awarded the highest national honour; BHARAT RATNA, who can stop Mohammed Ali Jinnah from claiming the same!

Shamsul Islam is a retired Professor of University of Delhi.

Monday, 28 October, 2019

350,000 protesters flood BArcelonA for sepArAtIst ‘freedom’ rAlly MADRID

A

AGENCIEs

ROUND 350,000 people rallied in downtown Barcelona on Saturday, turning the streets into a sea of independence flags in the latest mass protest against Spain’s jailing of nine separatist leaders.

The turnout figure was given by the local police as vast crowds packed into a wide avenue running between the waterfront and the city’s towering Sagrada Familia basilica, which was closed to visitors. But as night fell, thousands joined a separate demonstration called by the radical CDR, massing along Via Laeitana outside police headquarters, whose windows were shuttered and the main entrance sealed off with plastic sheeting.

Shouting: “Occupation forces, out!” and “The Spanish flag, out!” they hurled hundreds of multicolour plastic balls and marbles at the riot police guarding the

BEIRUT AGENCIEs

Tens of thousands of Lebanese protesters were attempting to form a human chain running across the entire country on Sunday to symbolise newfound national unity.

Demonstrators planned to join hands from Tripoli to Tyre, a 170kilometre (105-mile) chain running through the main protest hub in Beirut, as part of an unprecedented crosssectarian mobilisation. Tension has mounted in recent days between security forces and protesters, who have blocked roads and brought the country to a standstill to press their demands for a complete overhaul of the political system. Lebanon’s reviled political elite has been defending a belated package of economic reforms and appeared willing to reshuffle the government, but protesters who have stayed in the streets since October 17 want more. On foot, by bicycle and on motorbikes, demonstrators and volunteers fanned out along the main north-south highway.

“Everything is ready, we even have volunteers on motorbikes who are helping us identify gaps in the chain,” said Julie Tegho Bou Nassif, one of the organisers. “The idea behind this human chain is to show an image of a Lebanon which, from north to south, rejects any sectarian affiliation,” the 31-year-old history

building, who did not respond despite the rising tension. Catalonia has been gripped by unrest since the October 14 Supreme Court verdict which unleashed a wave of protest that quickly turned violent, with masked demonstrators clashing nightly with riot police. More than 600 people have been injured in the protests, 367 of them civilians and 289 police, official figures show. The crisis began two years ago when the region staged a banned referendum on October 1 that was marred by police violence, then issued a short-lived declaration of independence, trigging Spain’s worst political crisis in decades.

Saturday’s main rally was called by the ANC and Omnium Cultural, the region’s two biggest grassroots pro-independence groups that have organised some of the largest separatist protests in recent years. Marching down the spacious boulevard, demonstrators chanted “October 1, we won’t forgive, we won’t forget”, breaking into loud boos and whistling as

a police helicopter flew overhead, an AFP correspondent said. “I feel really angry,” said computer technician Marc, 26, who did not give his surname. “The violence doesn’t sit well with me but it’s normal to have a bit of upheaval like we’ve seen in Chile and Ecuador,” he said of a wave of mass protests in Latin America. “There are different ways of protesting but we have one objective: independence.”

‘NOT AN OPTION’: But Catalans remain sharply divided over the question of separating from Spain, with polls showing 44 percent in favour and 48.3 percent against. Speaking to reporters at the rally, Catalonia’s separatist president Quim Torra said his government was with the people “because it is what they want. We will go as far as they want”.

He had earlier pledged to push ahead with the controversial independence drive after meeting 800 local mayors who expressed support for secession.

“The show of unity we’ve seen this

Lebanon protesters start forming nationwide human chain

professor told AFP. “There is no political demand today, we only want to send a message by simply holding hands under the Lebanese flag.” On the Beirut seafront, men, women and children held hands, some carrying Lebanese flags and many singing the national anthem, an AFP photographer said. “The idea is that from the north to the south we are united and making a stand together,” said another organiser in Zeituna Bay, who asked to be called a “daughter of Beirut”.

“We are one people and we love each other,” she told AFP, in between coordinating on one of her two mo-

bile phones. On the main highway northeast of Beirut, another AFP photographer saw dozens standing along a stretch of highway under a rocky hillside covered in bushes. In the southern city of Tyre, protesters standing in a line held the edges of a long Lebanese flag, local television showed. A young boy played with it, making it billow up and down. The protests have been remarkable for their territorial reach and the absence of political or sectarian banners, in a country often defined by its divisions.

The leaderless protest movement, driven mostly by a young gen-

FOREIGN NEWS 07

week shows the next step that we all must follow… We must all push ahead and exercise the right to self-determination.”

Torra has made repeated appeals for dialogue with the Socialist government of Pedro Sanchez with the aim of securing Madrid’s agreement for a referendum on independence, but they have fallen on deaf ears. “What we will not talk about is the right to self-determination,” Carmen Calvo, Sanchez’s deputy, told journalists on Saturday. “If.. the aim is to break up Spain’s territorial unity and separate Catalonia from Spain, we simply cannot talk,” she said. “Unilaterally breaking the rules of the game is not an option.”

COUNTER RALLY ON SUNDAY: On Sunday, Catalans who want to remain

eration of men and women born after the 1975-1990 civil war, has even been described by some as the birth of a Lebanese citizen identity.

The army has sought to re-open main roads across the country, where schools and banks have been closed for more than a week.

In one of the most serious incidents, the army opened fire on Friday to confront a group of protesters blocking a road in Tripoli, wounding at least six people. But the unprecedented protest movement has been relatively incident-free, despite tensions with the armed forces and attempts by party loyalists to stage counter-demonstrations. Protesters have been demanding the removal of the entire ruling class, which has remained largely unchanged in three decades. Many of the political heavyweights are former warlords seen as representing little beyond their own sectarian or geographical community.

The protesters see them as corrupt and incompetent and have so far dismissed measures proposed by the political leadership to quell the protests.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Monday announced a package of economic reforms which aims to revive an economy that has been on the brink of collapse for months.

His coalition partners have supported the move and warned that a political vacuum in times of economic peril risked chaos.

WhatsApp in the Arab world: an essential but controversial tool NICOSIA AGENCIEs

From organising mass protests in Baghdad and Beirut to coordinating rescue missions amid grinding conflict in Syria, WhatsApp has become an indispensable connector for millions across the Arab world. In Lebanon, where telecommunications are highly regulated and expensive, citizens have increasingly relied on WhatsApp for free calls.

When the government announced a tax on these calls on October 17, it sparked protests that grew to an unprecedented scale. After more than a week of demonstrations, protesters have rejected the term “WhatsApp revolution”, saying the phrase diminishes what is a demand for drastic political change. But they acknowledge the technology is instrumental in mobilising rallies that have attracted hundreds of thousands from a population of about six million. Yasmine Rifaii, 24, a protest organiser from Tripoli in northern Lebanon who works at a local NGO, said WhatsApp was operating as a virtual “backstage for the revolution”.

“We are connected to all of these WhatsApp groups — Lebanon is a small country, everyone knows someone else from another city. We are reaching out across religions and locations,” she told AFP. Over the border in Syria, Whatsapp can be the difference between life and death. Mustafa al-Hajj Younes, who heads a group of first respon-

ders in Idlib province, said civilians use group chats to appeal for help from rescue teams. “We coordinate on these groups whenever there is a need for our services,” he said. WhatsApp is especially useful because of weak telecommunications infrastructure in areas under opposition control. “People can only contact us through WhatsApp or cell phones,” he said.

‘MOST DANGEROUS APP’: Across the region, digital authoritarianism is increasing, with some governments regularly blocking popular social media applications including WhatsApp, especially its free calls feature. Users in Gulf countries such as the United Arab Emirates cannot make internet calls without a proxy server. Messages deemed offensive in court have even landed some users in jail in the UAE. It is a similar story in Morocco, where the government banned free voice over internet protocol (VoIP) calls in 2016.

A 26-year-old Moroccan journalist who relies on the app to liaise with officials and sources told AFP it was a “national drama” when the decision came into effect, provoking a swift public backlash. In the wake of small-scale protests in Egypt, police have randomly stopped and frisked people to examine social media content on their phones.

Police arrested many on the spot after inspecting their mobiles, AFP witnessed in September.

That month, the attorney-general’s office said prosecutors had orders to “inspect the social

media accounts and pages of those detained”. In Iraq, where nearly 200 people have died in protests during October, another battle is being waged online. When anti-corruption demonstrations broke out in many cities early this month, authorities cut internet services in an attempt to quell unrest — a tactic they have used in the past.

“We consider Whatsapp to be the most dangerous application at this stage,” a well-placed security source who preferred to remain anonymous told AFP. “Cutting the connection to WhatsApp was meant to prevent these gatherings from happening”, he bluntly admitted. Yasser al-Joubouri, an Iraqi activist who participated in the protests in Baghdad, said the app was crucial for forming activist groups to disseminate details about protests.

‘MAKING THINGS EASIER’: With over 1.5 billion users worldwide, WhatsApp remains the most popular social media programme in terms of usage in the youthful, tech-savvy region, according to a recent survey by Northwestern University in Qatar. Aside from sharing harrowing content and connecting protesters from turbulent hotspots via in-built encrypted messages, the app is also used for everyday conversations, like elsewhere in the world. Jordanian officials, as well as other policymakers across the region, regularly communicate with journalists in groups broadcasting statements; they even give sensitive interviews on the freely available instant messaging service.

part of Spain are planning a massive counter-demonstration to raise the voice of the region’s so-called “silent majority”.

“Those who oppose independence are a majority,” said Fernando Sanchez Costa, head of Catalan Civil Society (SCC), telling AFP the unrest was causing a lot of damage to Catalan society.

Earlier, thousands gathered in Madrid in defence of Spain’s unity at a rally organised by the far-right Vox party, which has taken a very tough line on Catalan separatism and wants all regional pro-independence parties banned.

Although the faction only entered parliament in April, polls indicate it might become the third-largest party following the November 10 election.

Anti-government protests rage in Iraq, 7 killed BAGHDAD: At least seven more Iraqi protesters were killed Saturday in clashes with security forces in Baghdad and the southern town of Nasiriyah, as thousands took part in nationwide anti-government protests, officials said. The new violence brought the number of demonstrators killed to 49 in two days of protesting, according to an Associated Press tally. The semi-official Iraq High Commission for Human Rights, which accounts for violence in additional cities in southern Iraq, put the death toll at 63. Thousands of protesters tried to reach Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, home to embassies and government offices.

Security forces fired tear gas as protesters tried to remove blast walls from a main bridge leading to the government district. By nightfall, the security forces had chased the protesters back to Tahrir Square, a central roundabout. “I want change. I want to remove those corrupt people who sleep in the Green Zone and who fired tear gas and rubber bullets at us,” said protester Fares Mukhaled, 19, who sat barefoot on the ground at the square, where some had erected tents. Four people were killed when they were struck by tear gas canisters in Baghdad, security and medical officials said. A second medical official said three protesters were shot dead by security guards when they attacked the office of a provincial official in the southern town of Nasiriyah. The town in the mainly Shiite south has seen especially violent protests in recent weeks and was placed under a 24-hour curfew on Friday along with the southern city of Basra. At least 149 were killed in a wave of demonstrations earlier this month.

The spontaneous, leaderless protests are directed at the political establishment that came to power after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, which many blame for spiraling corruption and poor public services. The protests against the Shiite-dominated government have been largely concentrated in Shiite areas. Some have also criticized Iran’s influence over the country. “Iraq is free. Iran out, out!” some protesters chanted in Tahrir Square. In the Shiite holy city of Karbala, a security official said demonstrators in a rally that took place outside the Iranian consulate also chanted for Iran to get out. The Interior Ministry and the military issued statements Saturday saying some protesters have exploited the rallies to attack government buildings and political party offices.

The ministry said some of its members were killed as police battled violent protesters but did not give a number.

The military warned that it would take necessary and legal measures to deal with those it called saboteurs. Iraqi officials said 12 of those killed Friday died in a fire they had set when they stormed the office of a governmentbacked militia in the southern town of Diwaniyah. A security official said protesters torched the offices of at least three militias in southern Maysan province. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters. AGENCIEs

Monday, 28 October, 2019

08 COMMENT

Darkest day in Kashmir history

Azadi March Agreement Lessons for the government

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HE government and the JUi-F finally reached an agreement on Saturday on the latter’s azadi march on october 31, which seemed a fair exchange. the district administration agreed to let the protesters hold a rally or even stage a sit-in if they wished, while the JUi-F islamabad agreed that the protesters would not go into the Red Zone (where there are various sensitive buildings) or break the law. While the agreement is in itself good news, the government might also learn the value of good old-fashioned talk in resolving issues. it should realise that it has achieved its interests in islamabad by talking. Similarly, it should realise that it has a problem legislating, because it has not got a majority in the Senate. therefore, it needs the help of the opposition in passing legislation there. that help cannot be achieved by continuing to treat opposition members as if they were a bad smell, who were corrupt elements who did not deserve to be spoken to. that selfrighteous, holier-than-thou attitude may be morally satisfying, but is a very poor basis for beginning any dialogue. another issue has been illustrated by the withdrawal of JUi-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah’s cNic, even though he has served as a Senator. it is an appropriate symbol of the government’s travails, which are with the JUi-F and in the Senate, both of which Hamdullah is linked to. the government should realise that dialogue, discussion and even disagreement are all part of democracy. However, underlying democracy is an agreement, even if that agreement is one to disagree. if the pti was to realise this, it could begin the dialogues it needs to hold, the absence of which have led to needless confrontation. to take just one example, the pti did not need the controversy over the members of the Election commission of pakistan, but that took place only because the prime minister did not want to meet the leader of the opposition, whom he considers corrupt. the assumption that dialogue with the opposition is motivated by the government’s desire to protect its corruption should have been ended by the azadi march talks, which should have shown the government that members of the opposition are also people.

Kashmir Solidarity Day How long will the agony last?

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ctoBER 27 marked on Sunday the 72nd anniversary of the invasion of Kashmir by indian troops. then as now, the international community did not lift a finger, and remained a silent spectator, as india did its best to deny the Kashmiri people their right of self-determination. However, the situation in Kashmir has been dynamic, and people have not been trapped in a timewarp. there has always been some new indian atrocity to mark, but even by those standards, this year has been exceptional, as the worldwide protests this year were the first since india had tried to annex the Held Valley by abolishing articles 35a and 370 of the indian constitution and thus end indian-Held Kashmir’s status, which had been granted after the invasion by indian troops in 1947. if anything, Kashmiris today are worse off as the international community has maintained a deafening silence worse than in 1947. at least then they did not face, as they do today, a blackout and a blockade, and rampaging RSS goons, as they have since august 5. it has thus been over 100 days, and is now coming up on the end of the fourth month, a siege which has got eight million inhabitants of the Valley under the clampdown, which has seen businesses destroyed, including a nascent software export industry, because of the cutting of internet and other communication. though the indian government claims to have restored normalcy, it is very much an on-off process, with it never being clear which facility is available at any given time. pakistan has been in the forefront of giving its moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people, of which the most important feature was the speech to the United Nations General assembly by prime minister imran Khan. However, nonetheless, the international community has maintained a deafening silence, with supposed pakistani allies from the USa to UaE feting indian pm Narendra modi, mainly because of past indian successes in having itself perceived as a huge emerging market. Not only must pakistan not waver in its support for the Kashmir cause, but it must make itself so strong a country that the international community pays it attention.

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

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The day the Indian Army marched in

muhammaD ZahiD rifat

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ctoBER 27 is the darkest day in the history of Kashmir. Kashmiris on both sides of the line of control (loc), in pakistan and around the world as well as all the human rights organisations here, there and everywhere observe october 27 every year as the blackest day. it was on this day, back in 1947, india had airlifted its forces and occupied the valley of Jammu and Kashmir after its Hindu maharaja, Hari Singh, through an illegal instrument had announced accession to india. one can sell land but not the people living on that land. But the Hindu maharaja had sold the people of valley of Jammu and Kashmir and the international community had remained a silent witness to this wholesale selling of the Kashmiris then, and continues to be looking the other way even now.

Kashmiris are observing the darkest day in their history this year in very changed circumstances. indian prime minister Narendra modi had on 5 august changed the special status of the Valley through a unilateral illegal act, sent an additional 180,000 indian troops there, raising the occupying strength to more than 900,000 and put the whole Valley under indefinite curfew which remains in force till the time of writing.

But the Kashmiris continue to be as determined and committed, and continued to offer sacrifices by way of violations of curfew restrictions.

Following pakistan prime minister imran Khan’s maiden historical speech at the United Nations General assembly in September 2019 wherein he highlighted the Kashmir issue along with other points including increasing islamophobia in the West, the lingering unresolved Kashmir issue has been internationalised to a great extent. the Kashmir issue had echoed in the United Nations through the prime minister’s speech after about 55 years and is now being discussed at all international forums. But despite condemnation, the indian government remains unmoved and the Valley continues to be a big jail where a great human tragedy is fast brewing. the pakistani nation and army have been reiterating every now and then their unstinted support to the Kashmiris in their just struggle by frequently observing solidarity with Kashmiris. Even the independence Day celebrations were marked by Sol-

idarity with the Kashmiris and flags of pakistan and Kashmir were unfurled all over the country. the pakistan government has all along been supporting Kashmiris’ just struggle for securing their birthright of self-determination, extending all possible political, diplomatic and moral support and apprising the international community about the gross human rights violations being committed in occupied Kashmir by indian security forces brutally and ruthlessly. the Kashmiris observe october 27 every year as the blackest day to reiterate their commitment to keep on fighting against occupying indian security forces despite their increased strength, rejecting india’s occupation and now also the august 5 act of ending Kashmir’s special status and merging it with the indian Union, and more importantly making efforts to awake the United Nations organization (UNo) and its member countries and human rights bodies all over the world demanding implementation of the UN Security council Resolutions and exerting their effective pressure on india to grant the Kashmiris their fundamental birthright of self-determination which it had itself committed and which was also pledged by its then prime minister pandit Jawahar lal Nehru. the Kashmiris indigenous, unarmed struggle for freedom from indian occupation, rejecting it and terming it illegal and against their aspirations , as well as their great sacrifices of men, women and children, are surely and certainly more than enough to tell the international community that india can continue killing the Kashmiris through its brutal and oppressive measures, but it cannot suppress their sentiments for freedom for which their struggle will continue unabatedly against all heavy odds till their cherished objective of freedom is achieved no matter how many more sacrifices they have to make. it is a bitter and quite regrettable reality that the Kashmir dispute remains as unresolved on the UN agenda for such a long time. at the same time the continued silence, and not putting pressure on india except periodical condemnation of ongoing brutalities and human rights violations in the occupied Valley, is also very much deplorable. it is also a matter of great shame and regret that the international community, topped by the so-called world human rights champion, the USa, is criminally silent over india’s continued

occupation and killings of more and more Kashmiris whose only crime is that they do not accept india’s illegal occupation, which is against their aspirations, and who want freedom by exercising the right of self-determination.

US president Donald trump had offered to mediate between two nuclear powers pakistan and india to solve lingering Kashmir dispute when pakistan prime minister imran Khan had met him couple of months back. But this has not gone beyond mediation offer while he continues to be quite friendly with indian prime minister modi who had addressed a gathering in Houston also as part of trump’s election campaign.

Kashmir is unfinished agenda of sub-continent partition. in all fairness, the Kashmiris are struggling and sacrificing to secure their birth right of self-determination and complete this agenda. pakistan and Kashmir have strong eternal bonds of geography, culture and religion. over the years, the indian government has been forcibly migrating Hindus into occupied Kashmir to turn predominantly majority muslim population into minority. But even after resorting to such tactics india is not letting the Kashmiris their right of selfdetermination which is internationally recognised. there is no denying the fact that resolution off Kashmir dispute in accordance with Kashmiris aspirations is the key to stable peace, prosperity and progress in South asia. continued denial of right of self-determination and even not holding bilateral talks for resolving the lingering burning issue peacefully continues to persistently expose so-called democratic face of india.

By observing yet another black day on october 27, 2019, Kashmiris hope to highlight their just and indigenous struggle for freedom from indian subjugation, wake up the sleeping conscious of the international community and human rights organisations throughout the world and sensitise the lingering unresolved Kashmir dispute on the UN agenda for implementation of its Security council resolutions at the earliest possible. Kashmir Baney Ga pakistan, inshallah.

Muhammad Zahid Rifat is Lahore-based Freelance Journalist, Columnist and Deputy Controller (News), Radio Pakistan, Islamabad and can be reached at zahidriffat@gmail.com

Foundational basics of Pak-China strategic relations The relation has grown over the years

Dr rajkumar Singh

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iplomatic relations were established in 1951 and strengthened by the pakistani decision to join the Baghdad pact (later SEato) in 1954. the pakistani attitude was praised by chinese pm Zhou Enlai who declared at the Bandung conference that the two countries had achieved a mutual understanding. He also defended pakistan by saying that it ‘had no other motivation in joining the pact’ than protecting herself against any indian attack. Soon Sino-pakistan relations had been converted into a strategic link. pakistan required china’s military equipment, technology, and political support to deny india’s dominance of the region. this converged with china’s rivalry with india. Even earlier pakistan, despite its intimate relations with the Western military powers, continued to assure the chinese leaders that they had no enmity against the communist regime. at the moment china also realised that pakistan nourished enmity towards india and would naturally like to come closer to china.

Relations improved during 196162 when US-USSR tension subsided and the Sino-Soviet schism took formal shape. Further the Sino-indian war of october 1962 and bent of president Kennedy towards india paved the way for cordial relations. in the war pakistan sided itself with china and branded india as the aggressor. this showed pakistan’s expression of her anti-indian policy and was a move to placate the chinese. china, understanding pakistan’s attitude, concluded a number of economic and cultural agreements with it, signed a border agreement and supported the latter on the issue of Kashmir by declaring that the fate of Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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Kashmir should be decided by the people of Kashmir themselves.thus, a convenient environment was provided to them in the early 1960s. if recalled the whole set of relations was based on statement made in 1959 by the then chinese ambassador to the indian Foreign Secretary face-toface, ‘china dislikes to be concerned about the USa and china coming together’. He added: ‘it seems to us that you too cannot afford two fronts.’ it was a rather broad hint that india could face dangers if china were to build pakistan up militarily. Since then, china’s military assistance to pakistan has become a reality. the 1960s made china’s relations with pakistan solid from the viewpoints of mutual interest, regional strategy and the international milieu. china’s links with pakistan were directed against india and obliquely, against the USa and the USSR. the association with islamabad became very active and close after india’s defeat in the 1962 War. as a result, Sino-indian relations deteriorated and china went a step further by offering military protection to pakistan in the event of an indian attack. it became clearer when in July 1963, Z.a. Bhutto declared: “an attack by india on pakistan would also involve the territorial integrity and security of the largest State in asia.” it was the starting-point of what is called the “Sino-pakistan collusion” but islamabad was more than conscious at the time and despite turning to china it was also normalising its relationship with the USSR as if to proclaim to the world the end of its alignment with the USa. president ayub Khan in his memoirs called this diplomacy ‘walking a triangular tightrope’. Since no great power was wholly reliable and since

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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each great power could be useful, it was necessary to cultivate good relations with all. the USa was necessary for continued economic and military assistance; china as source of strategic support that deterred india from major military action; and the USSR could possibly be useful if pakistan could normalise relations and exert some influence on moscow to reduce its level of support for india, or, conversely, increase support for pakistan. the Sino-pakistan collusion which took a definite shape in the 1960s has two parts– china’s arms supply to pakistan and development of the latter’s nuclear capability. the process of arms transfer began with the conclusion of the first military agreement in July 1966 and has continued to this day. the magnitude of chinese aid can be viewed from the fact that by 1970 ‘tanks supplied by china constituted 25 per cent of the entire tank force at pakistan’s disposal. aircraft supplied by china constituted 31 per cent of pakistan’s air force, 65 per cent of all interceptor bombers and 99 per cent of its modern fighters’. the total chinese military sales to pakistan constituted 31 per cent of pakistan’s $1,079 million arms procurement programmes, whereas the US contribution was only one per cent. the importance of this aid was evident from how it has greatly contributed to narrowing the gap that had begun to develop in the late 1980s between the pakistani forces and the indian forces deployed on the pakistani front. However, this military cooperation failed to have any effect on indian military behaviour in the wars of 1965 and 1971. apart from common hostility against india, another factor in building a close linkage was the So-

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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viet threat to South asia, highlighted by the Soviet intervention in afghanistan in 1979. consequently, until the withdrawal of Soviet forces from afghanistan; china and pakistan, along with the USa; maintained a triangular strategic and military relationship in South asia. pakistan also became the largest recipient of chinese economic aid. pakistani pm muhammad Khan Junejo expressed his country’s gratitude in July 1985, saying, “pakistan today stands selfreliant in many of its defence requirements only because china had so generously transferred its technology and knowhow. it was with the pRc’s assistance that the Heavy mechanical complex at taxila, the backbone for other major industrial projects, was set up. the factory at taxila to rebuild tanks, the Heavy Forge and Foundry, the aeronautical complex at Karma and the textile machinery manufacturing units’ were all monuments to chinese aid.

Sino-pakistan cooperation in the sphere of arms supply and development of missile programmes continued to be intimate in the 1990s. islamabad had started production of main Battle tank (mBt) al-Khalid with chinese assistance after a formal agreement was signed. For al-Khalid research and development had started in 1990 and it was considered to be one of the most modern mBts. it was mounted with a 125-mm smoothbore gun equipped with a dynamic muzzle reference system capable of firing all types of ammunition. thus, china had established a deep relationship with pakistan that had nothing to do with ideology or revolution.

Dr Rajkumar Singh is head of the Department of Political Science at BNMU, Saharsa, Bihar, India, and can be reached at Emailrajkumarsinghpg@yahoo.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Monday, 28 October, 2019

COMMENT 09 Editor’s mail

Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, pakistan today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan.

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

PM Kashmir mission pm imran Khan after a two-day stopover in Saudi arabia, has landed in New York to attend annual UN General assembly session. He is accompanied by Foreign minister and two of unelected advisors, namely Hafeez Sheikh, allegedly a naturalised US citizen and Zulfi Bukhari, a British citizen by birth. any person who seeks US citizenship has to pledge on oath that he “absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom i have heretofore been a subject or citizen”. of course the pm will be assisted by our ambassadors to UN and USa, but what purpose do these two individuals serve, who when not holding any public office have never lived in this country, nor paid any taxes, neither do they have any stakes in pakistan. When there was huge demonstration held in london on 15 august participated by thousands of pakistanis, Kashmiris, Sikhs and some conscientious British citizens, neither of these two gentlemen had time to participate in them, although one of them holds portfolio of overseas pakistanis.

What is surprising is that a vocal Federal minister was present in london, but he for reasons best known to him, did not take part in it. Unlike indian diaspora, who constitutionally cannot hold dual nationality, nor right to vote in indian elections, if they hold any foreign nationality, but are united on one platform and support whoever is elected by people of india. they also send remittances back to india. it is unfortunate that pakistani diaspora is divided among political parties of pakistan and are rarely seen to be united on one platform.

GULL ZaMaN Peshawar

Modi is RSS’s avatar

The bail saga Not everyone gets special treatment

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SyeD kaSwar garDeZi

N an interesting turn of events over the weekend, the lahore High court as well as the islamabad High court granted bail to mian Nawaz Sharif and ordered his release purely on medical grounds. though propriety demands that a person suffering from a medical ailment should be allowed such relief on humanitarian grounds, however, the mode and manner in which the bail proceedings were conducted feeds the curiosity of a layman. to begin with, the lahore High court took up the matter, issued notices, ensured filing of a reply by NaB, heard arguments, perused the record and finally granted bail to Nawaz Sharif. all this was done within a period of 72 hours at most. there is no harm in dispensing justice expeditiously, in fact such style of proceedings caters to the famous maxim “Justice delayed is justice denied.”

Yet, when such speedy justice is not available to the common man then naturally the cries of preferential treatment would be heard. a common may, regardless of his ailment, strives for months at a time for being provided an opportunity of being heard and yet fails to secure the relief he desires. meanwhile, a three-time former prime minister gets precedence and is moved up on the docket owing to his health. For the avoidance of doubt, the life of every person, including Nawaz Sharif, is of supreme importance. Nawaz’s health requires attention and his medical needs should be attended to. the granting of bail in such circumstances is also a welcome move. However, the only bone of contention that i intend to raise, without prejudice to Nawaz Sharif’s deteriorating health, is that the scale should remain the same for every citizen of the country. in other cases, the same bench taking up NaB matters would adjourn the matter for a week at least, following which a reply would be submitted and the arguments would commence on another date of hearing. in order to dispel the notion of favoured treatment, other similar cases should also be taken up day to day or even in late hours, as long as it secures

the supreme interest of justice. or, as a rule of consistency, every person suffering from a medical ailment which requires urgent attention should be granted bail immediately as a matter of right. on the other hand, the proceedings before the islamabad High court were even more riveting. Despite the matter being adjourned until tuesday, an application seeking hearing of the case on Saturday was submitted which was allowed and all the concerned parties were summoned to appear before the divisional bench headed by chief Justice athar minallah by 4 pm the same day. the High courts of pakistan, as a general rule, do not operate on Saturdays. No cases are fixed or heard over the weekend in the ordinary course of business. Yet, compelling circumstances made the islamabad High court convene in the late hours of Saturday so as to take up the bail hearing. the medical attention so needed by Nawaz Sharif is already being granted to him.

He remains admitted in a hospital under treatment and is in constant care of the best doctors available. What difference would the bail which was granted on Saturday make? He is already in the hospital, then what was the urgency of taking up the matter on Saturday? it’s not like he was chained to his hospital bed and would be un-cuffed in the light of the bail order. at the same time, the mode and manner of proceedings was also quite out of the ordinary. the bench, instead of passing an order on the merits of the case, was keen on fixing responsibility. in fact, a certain degree of pressure was exerted on the government to take responsibility or else submit an affidavit stating they have no objection to the bail being granted. life and death are matters which are beyond the control of us mortals. it is through divine intervention that matters pertaining to the life of a person are dealt with. How could the government or the NaB take responsibility that something may or may not happen to Nawaz Sharif? the constitutional oath of a judge compels

him to discharge his duties by protecting and preserving the constitution of pakistan. Such constitutional powers are not meant to be exercised by conducting a “Panchayat” like proceeding and pass orders by leaning on either of the parties. legal cases cannot be decided by a yes-or-no answer. the merits of each and every case are to be examined following which a well-reasoned order, detailing the circumstances which led to such a conclusion, has to be passed. it should not be of concern that which party is ready to take responsibility. Naturally, a matter which has already drawn immense media attention and is of a sensitive nature politically, the government under no circumstances would guarantee the medical fitness of a political leader of such scale.

Had this been an ordinary man, the case would most certainly not have been taken up on Saturday, no matter what the circumstances might have been. Even otherwise, the granting of ad-interim post-arrest bail is unheard of. post-arrest bail is either granted or dismissed. there is no interregnum. as i mentioned earlier, Nawaz is already out of jail premises and is undergoing treatment at a hospital.

No difference would be made by the bail order passed on Saturday. in spite of what may be said on the matter, the notion of preferential treatment cannot be easily dispensed with. For the second time in recent months, a High court has convened on a Saturday to provide relief to a member of the Sharif family. it would be a treat to see such proceedings being conducted for the common man. Nevertheless, with prayers and best wishes for a speedy recovery to mian Nawaz Sharif, let us hope that such treatment is meted out to the common man. i would conclude with the following quote: “Inequality is a fact, equality is a virtue”

In spite of what may be said on the matter, the notion of preferential treatment cannot be easily dispensed with. For the second time in recent months, a High Court has convened on a Saturday to provide relief to a member of the Sharif family

Syed kaswar Gardezi is a lawyer and a columnist. He can be contacted at kaswargardezi@gmail.com

oNlY five people were present at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s inaugural meeting, Hedgewar, moonje, Veer Savarkar’s brother Ganesh Damodar Savarkar, lV paranjpe and BB tholkar.

With rise of Bharatiya Janata party, Hedgewar now commands formidable respect with Hindu majority and terrified minorities. india’s prime minister is avatar of RSS’s founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, who founded RSS on 27 September, 1925. cp Bhishikar’s biography of Hedgewar, Keshav Sanghnirmata tells how RSS founder equated muslims to “yavana” snakes.

Rakesh Sinha, BJp’s Rajya Sabha mp and Hedgewar’s biographer, said, “Hedgewar formed RSS in order to consolidate the Hindus. He wanted to liberate them from restrictions imposed by the protracted mughal-British rule. Driving force for Hedgewar to form RSS was Vinayak Damodar (Veer) Savarkar’s ideas on Hindutva and motherland. Sarvarkar had spelled out that only those who considered india as their fatherland and a holy land could be considered patriots. He ruled out muslims, suggesting that their patriotism should always be suspected. in a work that expressed admiration for Nazi Germany’s purge of Jews, Golwalkar wrote in 1939, “… the foreign races in Hindustan must either adopt the Hindu culture and language, must learn to respect and hold in reverence Hindu religion, must entertain no idea but those of the glorification of the Hindu race and culture, i.e., of the Hindu nation and must lose their separate existence to merge in the Hindu race, or may stay in the country, wholly subordinated to the Hindu Nation, claiming nothing, deserving no privileges, far less any preferential treatment not even citizen’s rights.” (mS Golwalkar, We or our Nationhood Defined, Bharat prakashan, 1939, 104-105). Golwalkar made it clear that in the RSS view, Hindu majoritarian identity politics is the only acceptable nationalism, and any politics of asserting an identity separate from the Hindu identity is ‘anti-national’ and ‘divisive.’ He wrote: “let us remember that this oneness is ingrained in our blood from our very birth, because we are all born as Hindus.” (Bunch of Thoughts, p 255). aMJED JavED Rawalpindi

Commercialisation of education altHoUGH islam stresses upon importance of seeking education and so did Quaid e azam, it is shocking that pakistan Government has abdicated its primary function of regulating and providing quality education and promoting research and development by outsourcing it to private sector. at the time of partition, the subcontinent had two medical colleges attached to hospitals, one of them was KEmc in lahore and the other was in calcutta. Some of best pre partition educational institutions were located in lahore, peshawar, Rawalpindi, Karachi etc, such as Gc lahore, KEmc, Kinnaird college, Gordon college Rawalpindi, Edwards college peshawar, murray college Sialkot, mama parsi and madressatul-islam in Karachi etc. the government owned schools like central model in lahore were as good or even better than private schools. it is unfortunate that instead of improving the quality of education, it has deteriorated. it is primary constitutional function of the state, which it has outsourced and today education has been commercialised. Universities, colleges and schools have become a booming industry reaping profits.

Quantity has replaced quality. Similar is the fate of health. it is the state’s failure to regulate which has resulted in over 4,000 of our doctors with post graduate degrees in mS and mD employed in mid East and Gulf had their contracts terminated because private commercial institutions lacked structured training programmes and did not meet ScFHS regulations. For over a decade the state closed its eyes until there was an international scandal exposing fake degrees being sold by aXact and so powerful are their protectors that till today nobody has been given punishment they deserved.

No state in the world can survive and achieve economic self-reliance unless it invests in promotion of science, technology, economics and arts etc. Educational institutions must not be reduced to commercial business ventures.

MaLIk TaRIq aLI Lahore

Monday, 28 October, 2019

10 FOREIGN NEWS

North Korea says it’s ruNNiNg out of patieNce with us SEOUL

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AGENCIES

oRTh Korea on Sunday said it’s running out of patience with the United States over what it described as hostile policies and unilateral disarmament demands, and warned that a close personal relationship between the leaders alone wouldn’t be enough to prevent nuclear diplomacy from derailing.

In a statement published by Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency, senior North Korean official Kim Yong Chol said there has been no substantial progress in relations despite warm ties between leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump. he said the persisting hostility means “there can be the exchange of fire at any moment.”

Kim Yong Chol said the Trump administration would be “seriously mistaken” if it ignores an end-of-year deadline set by Kim Jong Un to propose mutually acceptable terms for a deal to salvage nuclear negotiations.

The North issued a similar statement on Thursday that was attributed to veteran diplomat Kim Kye Gwan. he criticized U.S. officials for maintaining “Cold War mentality and ideological prejudice” and urged the United States to act “wisely” through the end of the year.

“My hope is that the diplomatic

adage that there is neither permanent foe nor permanent friend does not change into the one that there is a permanent foe but no permanent friend,” Kim Yong Chol said, stressing that the United States would fail if it tries to use the “close personal relations” between Trump and Kim for delaying tactics. he said the United States was getting on North Korea’s nerves by demanding its “final and fully verified denuclearization” while pushing other U.N. countries to strengthen sanctions and pressure on the North. he said Washington has been attempting to “isolate and stifle” North

Korea in a “more crafty and vicious way than before,” instead of heeding Kim Jong Un’s call to change its approach in nuclear negotiations.

Those talks have faltered after the collapse of a February summit between Kim and Trump in hanoi, Vietnam, where the U.S. rejected North Korean demands for broad sanctions relief in exchange for a piecemeal deal toward partially surrendering its nuclear capabilities.

The North expressed its displeasure with a flurry of short-range missile tests while Kim said he would “wait with patience until the end of the year for the United States to come

up with a courageous decision.”

Washington and Pyongyang resumed working-level discussion in Sweden earlier this month, but the meeting broke down amid acrimony with the North Koreans calling the talks “sickening” and accusing the Americans of maintaining an “old stance and attitude.”

Following the breakdown of the hanoi summit, South Korean officials have speculated that the North sidelined Kim Yong Chol, the top negotiator and former military intelligence chief with a reputation as a hard-liner, and let Foreign Minister Ri Yong ho and First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son hui take the lead.

Kim Jong Un has signed vague statements calling for the “complete denuclearization” of the peninsula in his meetings with Trump and South Korean President Moon Jaein since last year. But the North’s hardball attitude in past months has raised doubts on whether Kim would ever voluntarily give away his nukes he may see as his strongest guarantee of survival.

North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of denuclearization that bears no resemblance to the American definition, with Pyongyang vowing to pursue nuclear development until the United States removes its troops and the nuclear umbrella defending South Korea and Japan.

Truck driver charged with 39 manslaughter counts

LONDON AGENCIES

UK police have charged a truck driver with 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiracy to traffic people in connection with 39 deaths in the back of the truck he was driving in southeastern England. Police say Maurice Robinson, 25, of Craigavon, Northern Ireland is due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates Court on Monday. he was the first of those arrested to be charged in what is seen as one of the U.K.’s biggest cases

of people smuggling.

Four others have been arrested in the case.

U.K. police are struggling to identify the victims, who are believed to have come from Asia, and autopsies are being performed. The Vietnamese Embassy in London has set up a hotline for families to call about missing family members.

Police in Ireland say they’ve arrested a man in his early 20s who was being sought by authorities in connection with the deaths of 39 people found in a truck in southeastern England.

Irish police say Saturday the man from

Northern Ireland was being sought by Essex Police as part of the investigation into the tractortrailer deaths, one of Britain’s deadliest people-smuggling cases ever. he was arrested at Dublin’s port. The arrest brings to five the number of people arrested in the case, including the 25-year-old driver of the truck, who is also from Northern Ireland. The Vietnamese Embassy in London has started a hotline to help families seeking information on loved ones following the deaths of 39 people believed to be victims of human smuggling who were found in the back of a truck in southeastern England.

U.K. police say they’ve been in contact with Vietnamese authorities, even though they are not yet certain of the identities of those found dead Wednesday in the refrigerated truck. The Vietnamese government has also announced its own investigation into the deaths.

UK police in Essex say all of the 39 victims found dead in a truck container in southeastern England are now out of the truck and in a mortuary awaiting autopsies. But Detective Chief Inspector Martin Pasmore says the victims have not been identified and very few documents were found with the bodies. he met Saturday with the Vietnamese ambassador amid reports on social media that many of the victims were from that southeast Asian country. Pasmore again appealed to those who might have information on the victims to help with inquiries. Four people have been arrested so far in the case, one of Britain’s deadliest smuggling disasters.

2 dead, 14 injured after shooting at texas homecoming party COMMERCE: Two people have been killed in a shooting at an off-campus Texas A&M University-Commerce party that also left at least 14 others injured, a sheriff’s official said. The shooting took place just before midnight on Saturday in Greenville, around 15 miles (24 kilometres) southwest of the Commerce campus, Chief Deputy Buddy oxford of the hunt County Sheriff’s office said. The shooter remains at large, oxford said. he said the shooting began around 15 minutes after deputies arrived outside the venue, responding to reports of illegal parking. Deputies heard gunshots coming from the back of the building, but could not tell whether the shots were fired from inside or outside, oxford said. officers found the two people who had been killed inside the building, he said, and 14 others sought treatment of were hospitalised for various injuries. he didn’t have a description of the shooter, for whom officers were still searching early Sunday morning. oxford did not have information on the severity of injuries.

Medical City Plano spokeswoman Melissa Sauvage told The Associated Press that the hospital had received three victims of the shooting, all of whom were in critical condition. The hospital is around 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Greenville. The shooting came as the university east of Dallas celebrated homecoming weekend. The event was a homecoming party, but wasn’t a school-sanctioned event, oxford and university officials said. The chief deputy said officers at the scene estimated at least 750 people were at the party. The sheriff’s office plans to hold another press conference at 8am on Sunday. AGENCIES

Kurt cobain’s cigarette-burned sweater sells for $334,000 NEW YORK: A quarter century after grunge’s enigmatic rhapsodist took his own life, Kurt Cobain’s iconic cigarette-singed cardigan worn during Nirvana’s 1993 “Unplugged” performance has sold for $334,000. The tattered, olive-green, Manhattanbrand, button-up sweater, which has never been washed since Cobain wore it, came with dark stains and a burn hole. The seller, Garrett Kletjian, owner of Forty7 Motorsports, bought it four years ago for $137,500. “This cardigan, it’s the holy grail of any article of clothing that he ever wore,” said Darren Julien, CEo and president of Julien’s Auctions. “Kurt created the grunge look; he didn’t wear show clothes,” Julien told AFP at a New York exhibition preview. The auction house had predicted it would fetch $200,000-300,000. The music cable channel MTV began its “Unplugged” series in 1989, recording live performances of acts that generally played their normally electrified music on sparse acoustics.

Cobain’s haunting “Unplugged” performance with Nirvana — recorded less than six months before his suicide at age 27 — is considered one of the most iconic shows of the series, and was released posthumously. AGENCIES

Powerful winds fan flames as ‘historic’ California blaze spreads LOS ANGELES AGENCIES

Powerful winds were fanning wildfires in northern California in “potentially historic fire” conditions, authorities said Sunday, as tens of thousands of people were ordered to evacuate and sweeping power cuts began in the US state.

Gusts of 80 miles per hour (130 kmph) were fueling the Kincade blaze — which threatens tens of thousands of structures — causing it to burn with greater intensity in remote steep terrain north of San Francisco, the National Weather Service said. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s office early Sunday issued an evacuation warning for much of the city of Santa Rosa, which has a population of some 180,000 people.

Nearly 90,000 people were ordered to flee their homes on Saturday as the Sonoma county fire spread after breaking out midweek. A total of 77 structures, including 31 residential buildings, had been destroyed by the blaze on Saturday, as more than 2,800 personnel were called to the scene, according to Jonathan Cox, spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

“Potentially historic fire weather conditions are possible” north of San Francisco, the US National Weather Service wrote in a tweet. “This is definitely an event that we’re calling historic and extreme,” David King, a meteorologist with the service, told The Los Angeles Times.

“What’s making this event really substantial… is the amount of time that these winds are going to remain.”

The gusting winds, which have caused a red flag warning indicating a high risk level, will last into early Monday, meteorologists said. California’s largest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., said it expected to turn off power to 940,000 customers — a precautionary shutdown that local media reported would affect about two million people.

A map linked to by PG&E showed blackouts affecting large areas stretching some 250 miles (430 km) to the north of San Francisco Sunday, as well as to the south and east.

The company said it “will need to turn off power for safety several hours before the potentially damaging winds arrive.”

“Winds of this magnitude pose a higher risk of damage and sparks on the electric system and rapid wildfire spread.”

Monday, 28 October, 2019

BUSINESS 11

IMF MIssIon aRRIves In PakIstan aMIdst unceRtaIn PolItIcal sItuatIon

CORPORATE CORNER

ISLAMABAD GHUlAM ABBAs

W

Samir Mir Shaikh received the Top CEO of the Year 2019 award from Sindh Minister for Industries , Commerce and Cooperation Jam Ikramullah Dharejo & Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecomm Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui. Press releAse

Rice exports increase 51 per cent in first quarter of FY 2019-20 ISLAMABAD: Rice exports from the country during the first quarter of current financial year grew by 50.76% as compared to the exports of the corresponding period of last year. During the period from July-September 2019, about 839,356 metric tons of rice worth $470.584 million was exported as compared the exports of 551.5,86 metric tons valuing $312.147 million of same period of last year. According to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the exports of basmati rice increased by 47.29%, about 212,873 metric tons of basmati rice valuing $194.669 million exported as compared the 127,669 metric tons worth $132.166 million of same period of last year. Meanwhile, 34,090 metric tons of fish and fish preparations worth $79.549 million were also exported in first quarter of current financial year as compared to the exports of 25,859 metric tons valuing $67.294 million of same period of last year. According to trade data, fish and fish product exports registered about 81.21% growth in the last three months as compared to the same period of last year, data revealed.

During the period under review, fruits and vegetables exports from the country also recorded positive growth of 10.20% and 21.11% respectively. The country earned $111.338 million by exporting about 131,762 metric tons of fruits, whereas $38.459 million by exporting 145675 metric tons of vegetables respectively, it added. It may be recalled here that food group exports of the country during the first quarter of current financial year increased by 13.98% as different food commodities worth US$984.757 million were exported as compared to the exports of $864.005 million of the corresponding period of last year. Meanwhile, the import of food commodities into the country decreased by 24.78% as it came down from $1.458 billion of first quarter of last year to $1.096 billion in the same period of current financial year. APP

HILE the country is going to face an uncertain political situation following the planned march by a political party towards Islamabad, a mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is visiting Pakistan to review and evaluate the country’s performance on implementation of the loan program — the $6 billion extended fund facility (EFF) given to the country.

The IMF mission will review the performance before releasing the next tranche of approximately $460 million.

According to insiders, though the IMF mission was reluctant to visit Pakistan as per the scheduled date due to Jamiat Ulema-eIslam’s (JUI-F) decision to hold rallies against the government and a possible sit-in in Islamabad, the Ministry of Finance has reportedly assured the mission that the activities at secretariat would not be disturbed.

Following the assurance on the part of government, the mission is

visiting Pakistan, the sources said.

According to sources, the mission will review Pakistan’s performance against six performance criterias related to Net International Reserves (NIR), Net Domestic Assets (NDA), net foreign currency swap position, primary budget deficit target, net government borrowing from the central bank and stock of sovereign guarantees issued by the government.

Initially members of the mission and officials of the finance ministry and concerned depart-

ments will exchange figures and data for evaluation. According to sources, IMF officials will hold a meeting with Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance Abdul Hafeez Sheikh on Tuesday. The mission will also hold meetings with Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Shabbar Zaidi.

After staying for two weeks, the IMF staff will circulate its staff report among the board members and later the IMF’s executive board will take a decision on the release of the second tranche.

According to the signed agreement in July this year, Pakistan will get $2 billion annually, under the EFF, for a period of three years. The amount is supposed to help Pakistan stabilise its crippling state of economy and recover from fiscal debt and inflation.

During the review for July-September quarterly targets, the finance division may face queries about the missed targets especially the revenue side. FBR could not meet the IMF conditions of collecting Rs1.071 trillion tax revenues with the collection of only Rs963 billion.

The FBR missed its first-quarter tax collection target by Rs108 billion and issued only Rs30 billion tax refunds and the power division failed to restrict the addition in circular debt by only Rs23 billion.

Pakistan, as per the IMF program, has also missed the target of institutional reforms besides reducing losses of public sector entities. According to sources, there could be issues in explaining to the IMF the reasons behind missing the first quarter target and the prospects to achieve the second quarter (October-December) target of Rs1.295 trillion.

Planning Ministry approves release of over Rs203bn for development projects ISLAMABAD APP

The Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform has so far given authorization for the release of over Rs203.563 billion for various ongoing and new social sector uplift projects under its Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) 201920, as against the total allocation of Rs701 billion.

Out of this total amount, the authorities concerned were sanctioned to release an amount of Rs106.067 billion for federal ministries, Rs41.790 billion for corporations and Rs15.925 billion for special areas, according to the latest data released by the Planning Commission of Pakistan.

Out of these, Rs26.78 billion authorization has so far been made for security enhancement in the country for which the government had allocated Rs32.5 billion during the year 2019-20.

The Ministry has authorized an

amount of Rs8 billion for the merged areas of erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) under the government’s 10 years development program.

Similarly, for Higher Education Commission, the PSDP release would reach Rs11.474 billion out of its total allocation of Rs29 billion while Rs4.891 billion were authorized to be released for Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission for which the government had allocated Rs24.45 billion in the development budget. For the National Highway Authority, the ministry so far has authorized release of Rs 8.421 billion against its allocation of Rs154.96 billion.

Under the annual development agenda, the Ministry also authorized release of Rs5.400 billion for Railways Division out of total allocation of Rs16 billion, Rs3.939 billion for Interior Division, and Rs4.234 billion for National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination Division.

The release for Revenue Division would reach Rs667.296 million out of total allocation of Rs1.9 billion while for Cabinet Division an authorization of Rs15.994 billion has been made so far against Rs39.986 billion.

The Ministry has authorized release of Rs9.785 billion for Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) block and other projects out of its allocations of Rs27.26 billion and Rs6.140 billion for Gilgit Baltistan (Block and other projects).

Auto manufacturers await EV Policy to get industrial boost ISLAMABAD APP

Local car manufacturers are anxiously waiting for Electric Vehicle policy, drafted by the present government to encourage production of battery-run automobiles which would be environment-friendly and cost-effective.

“The government has already sent the draft of the Electric Vehicle Policy to the quarters concerned for formal approval,” said an official source in the Ministry of Climate Change on Wednesday.

After a shocking ratio of vehicular emissions in the ambient air pollution across the country, the present government has drafted Electric Vehicle Policy to usher a new era of green development by promoting electric cars.

The automobile industry has welcomed the government’s initiative to acquaint the local market with developing trends of the global markets. Interestingly, most of the local automobile producers had manufactured electric motorbikes and cars but are awaiting the policy to be formally approved by the government.

“Around 45 percent of the air pollution comprises vehicular emissions which generated particulate matter of 2.5 microns causing serious health issues mainly respiratory diseases,” Director General Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency Farzana Altaf Shah told APP. The number of fuel-based vehicles, on the other side, is increasing at an alarming pace. In 2018, in Karachi alone, over a thousand new vehicles were hitting the roads every day. Karachi already has an estimated 3.3 million vehicles on its roads.

The Ministry of Climate Change has worked out a comprehensive and inclusive Electric Vehicle policy with detailed stakeholder deliberations to kick start a new industry with the aim to reduce air pollution due to vehicular emissions and the pressing burden of fuel on the country’s imports bill.

Adviser to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam informed that initially the working on the policy framework was first carried out in Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) where they practiced different models to introduce electric vehicles in the country.

Initially, a two-wheeler model was

made at a cost of Rs 65,000 by a local industrialist in Lahore, hence more sustainable and inexpensive model was required.

At present, a successful conversion of a two-wheeler bike was carried out with Rs 20,000 cost which was encouraging to introduce electric vehicles in the country, he added.

Malik Amin Aslam said electric vehi-

cles will have serious impact on air pollution, fuel import bill and save two-thirds of the cost of the transportation.

“Our goal is to first introduce twowheeler and three-wheeler electric vehicles mainly rickshaw and motorbikes. We have set a target to convert 30 percent of the country’s transport on electric vehicles by 2030,” he added.

The draft has been submitted to the Federal Cabinet and would be approved in its upcoming meeting, Amin told APP. Amin Aslam said “We have the vision to make Pakistan an exporting hub of electric vehicles globally other than an indigenous electric cars manufacturer.”

“We will try to invite global companies to chip in and take advantage of Pakistan’s increasing potential of electric vehicles’ growth,” he added.

The sources in the Ministry of Climate Change revealed that the point of inflexion for electric vehicles was around 2023 to 2025 after which it would be easier to introduce electric cars with affordable prices other than two and three-wheelers.

Recently, a local motorbike manufacturing plant in Sahiwal had produced inexpensive electric motorbikes that has the same design of two-wheelers developed by Japanese industries available in the market.

“The average maintenance cost of this bike is one eighth of the gasoline run motorbike. It has no smoke and sound which makes it completely eco-friendly,” reported BBC.

Monday, 28 October, 2019

12 BUSINESS Halt construction to avoid disaster, dubai developer says DUBAI: Dubai needs to halt all new home construction for one or two years to avert an economic disaster brought on by continued oversupply, according to one of its biggest builders. “We’re entering a crossroads now,” Damac Properties PJSC Chairman Hussain Sajwani said in an interview with Bloomberg. “Either we fix this problem and we can grow from here or we are going to see a disaster.”

Damac’s chairman is the latest executive to call for curbs on construction in a market that’s been on a downward trajectory since it peaked five years ago. The slump has defied all predictions of a rebound as house prices fell around 30%. About 30,000 new homes will be built this year, twice the demand in the Gulf city, property broker JLL estimates. Damac has dramatically reduced new sales in the past two years and will focus on selling the properties in its inventory, Sajwani said. Still, the developer will complete 4,000 homes this year and another 6,000 in 2020.

“All we need is just to freeze the supply,” Sajwani said.

“Reduce it for a year, maybe 18 months, maybe 2 years,” he said. Sajwani warned that ignoring the oversupply could spell trouble for the city’s banks. “The domino effect is ridiculous because Dubai’s economy relies on property heavily,” he said. AGeNCIes

contenders cramming tv streaming arena SAN FRANCISCO AGeNCIes

Letting people watch whatever shows they want, wherever they wish on devices of their choice has become such a hit it is shaking up the television industry. Here's a look at the competitive landscape in the streaming television market: NETFLIX: Netflix began in 1997 as a DVD rental service and expanded a decade later to streaming films and television shows on demand. The company lays claim to inventing "binge viewing" with its practice of releasing all episodes in a series at one time so people can watch them non-stop.

California-based Netflix has invested heavily in original shows, budgeting $15 billion this year alone for shows or films made exclusively for the service. Netflix reported having more than 151 million paid members in some 190 countries at the end of September. Netflix streaming subscription prices in the US range from $9 to $16 monthly.

AMAZON PRIME VIDEO: E-commerce and cloud computing colossus Amazon includes on-demand, streaming of television shows and films among perks for Prime members. Prime memberships in the US cost $119 annually or $13 monthly, and include free, speedy shipping on goods bought from Amazon. Amazon, which claims to have more than 100 million Prime members, spends heavily on original shows for its streaming service but has released few details about finances.

HULU: Hulu was launched in late 2007 as a joint venture involving News Corporation and NBCUniversal. The streaming platform is now controlled by Disney, which has a 60 percent stake and full operational control. Hulu touts having more than 85,000 episodes of on-demand television as well as thousands of movies and more than 60 popular live television channels. Hulu subscription plans start at $6 monthly for shows with ads, with an ad-free subscription for $12 monthly, topping out at $45 a month for a plan that includes live television broadcasts. It operates in the US market but is believed to be considering global expansion.

DISNEY: Disney+ video streaming service will launch in the US on November 12, spotlighting its blockbustermaking studios. Disney announced a starting price of $6.99 monthly, and plans to gradually expand internationally with a start in Europe. Disney's service will offer its films and TV shows, along with the library it acquired from Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox. That includes the "Star Wars" and Marvel superhero franchises and ABC television content.

HuaWeI to develoP In-House sYsteMs IF GooGle FaIls to cooPeRate SHENZHEN MIAN ABrAr

t

ELECOM giant Huawei plans to develop its own applications if the United States of America doesn’t allow google to provide its services to Huawei. “If the US government doesn’t allow Google to provide services to Huawei, we are working on alternative options. We will develop our own applications to resolve the issue. The US sanctions have more positive implications for Huawei than negative ones. We have this capability and we will do it if necessary,” said Guo Fulin, President International Media Affairs of Huawei in an exclusive interview with a select group of journalists here at the company headquarters.

Huawei headquarters is a world’s wonder with modern and state of the art IT equipment and facilities. Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. is the world's largest telecom equipment maker and China's largest telephone-network equipment maker. With 3,442 patents, Huawei became the world's No. 1 applicant for international patents in 2014.

Flanked by Mr Ammar Tobba, the Regional Head of Huawei’s Media Affairs of Middle East Region, and Mr Teddy Lee from Huawei Pakistan, Guo Fulin said that Huawei was ahead in 5G but it needed US partners and allies as the US companies were ahead in Artificial Intelligence (AI), and other related fields.

“5G is just a tool. It is more of an intent. 5G should not be politicized. Even the US allies have not followed rules, hence blaming Huawei is unfair. We are happy that Germany, a US ally, has taken a bold stance and they have decided to implement unified standards,” he noted.

“I believe the management of Google needs to take up the sanctions issue with the US government. We want to work with Google and other partners as we don’t want to wipe out the competition. We believe competitive environment helps technology grow faster. But if Google fails to get sanctions lifted, we will develop our own systems (to bypass sanctions),” said Guo Fulin.

Briefing about company’s contributions to Pakistan, Fulin said Huawei had made huge investments in Pakistan and will continue to expand its network.

“Around 90 percent of the Huawei employees in Pakistan are locals. We have made it a policy to give jobs to the nationals of the country where we invest,” he said.

Responding to a question, Fulin said the customers have to decide on merit which company was serving them well. “Our job is to provide

best services,” Fulin said.

He said Pakistan has great potential of 5G but the government needed to prepare itself for the 5G fusion. He said Huawei has built over 270 projects in Pakistan and face recognition systems would also be installed in Safe City Projects working in Pakistan.

Rejecting the US sanctions on Huawei, Guo Fulin said that Huawei was declared guilty without proving any offence against it.

“I believe the US government should lift sanctions and respect laws. US sanctions are like acting as judge, jury and executioner. US sanctions would have implications – but there are more positives for Huawei than the negatives,” he added.

He said the United States is unnecessarily scared of Huawei. “My company encourages healthy competition so as the best can win. We are providing facilities to the end-users. That is why we are popular. People across the world are appreciating our services and are becoming our customers,” he said.

Fulin said the US sanctions against Huawei were uncalled for. “What have we done? We have only demonstrated that we are here. We are not against anyone,” he said and added that Huawei was working to explore the digital transformation and technological innovation of the transportation industry.

“With the rapid integration of Information Communications Technology (ICT) and the smart transportation industry, we are embracing

the digital road era. Innovative products and solutions for electronic toll collection holographic road perception, and Internet of Vehicles, will result in safer, more efficient, and smarter transportation systems for urban roads. It would also continuously improve transport capacity, and stimulating service innovation,” Fulin said.

He said that in recent years, the digitization and Artificial Intelligence (AI) had become comprehensive worldwide trends.

“Following this trend, highways throughout China will be upgraded from traditional manual toll collection to automatic collection during 2019. Huawei is committed to introducing the concept of smart power supply to the transportation industry in order to deal with heavy traditional power supply devices and low reliability,” he added. Fulin said Huawei was dedicated to providing customers with innovative transportation solutions such as digital railway and digital urban rail.

“To this end, Huawei has served over 230,000 km of railways and highways, and more than 170 urban rail lines in over 70 cities across the globe,” he said.

Fulin said people are living in the age of Fifth Generation (5G) technology development which has already transformed the world.

“5G has already brought innovation and life for consumers and industries. Those countries who adopted 5G early know the importance of favorable policy and cross-sector collaboration more for speeding up the next stage of 5G development.

"To make the most of the 5G, we need to work together to deal with the real challenges that lie ahead including spectrum, site resources, and cross-sector collaboration. 5G is not just faster 4G. It will play a completely different role in our lives, so as in industry, we all need to have a fresh mindset to drive its future development," said the Huawei media chief.

“In less than one year after standards were frozen, 5G networks had already seen large-scale commercial deployment, much faster than 4G. Different industries were also deriving new value from the first round of industrial 5G applications.

5G applications for enhanced mobile broadband, entertainment, and manufacturing are already here," said Fulin.

“We can't say for sure what type of applications we'll see in the future, but right now it's clear that every single industry will benefit from 5G technology," he noted. Fulin said that spectrum resources, specifically the cost and availability of spectrum, were one of the most significant barriers that carriers face moving forward.

US says talks progressing with Saudi on possible nuclear programme DUBAI AGeNCIes

U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry said on Saturday that conversations with Saudi Arabia on a nuclear program are going forward.

The world’s top oil exporter had said it wanted to use nuclear power to diversify its energy mix. It wants to go ahead with a full-cycle nuclear program, including the pro-

duction and enrichment of uranium for atomic fuel.

In order for U.S. companies to compete for Saudi Arabia’s project, Riyadh would normally need to sign an accord on the peaceful use of nuclear technology with Washington.

Reuters has reported that progress on the discussions has been difficult because Saudi Arabia does not want to sign a deal that would rule out the possibility of enriching

uranium or reprocessing spent fuel both potential paths to a bomb.

“The kingdom and the leadership in the kingdom .. will find a way to sign a 1,2,3 agreement with the United States, I think,” Perry said.

Speaking at a round table in Abu Dhabi, Perry added that the United States was doing everything it could to have a ready global supply of oil.

“We are the number one oil and

gas producer in the world, we don’t intend to use it as a weapon. We intend to make it available and in as many places and as competitively priced as we can,” Perry said.

Oil prices rose on Friday, registering the strongest weekly gains in more than a month as optimism over a U.S.-China trade deal, falling U.S. crude stocks and possible action from OPEC to extend output cuts outweighed broader economic concerns.

Kashmir row sparks Malaysia, India palm oil tensions KUALA LUMPUR AGeNCIes

Malaysia’s mammoth palm oil sector faces a new threat after Indian traders were asked to halt purchases amid a diplomatic row over Kashmir, piling further pressure on the industry as Europe also plans cutbacks.

The Southeast Asian nation is the second-biggest producer after Indonesia of the oil, used in everything from food to cosmetics, in a sector long vilified by environmentalists who blame it for fuelling deforestation. With Western companies reducing the use of the commodity as green groups ratchet up the pressure, the top two growers have increasingly come to rely on demand from India, the world’s biggest buyer of edible oils, and China.

But a speech by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad at the United Nations General Assembly last month, in which he said New Delhi had

“invaded and occupied” Kashmir, has sparked a backlash in India that could badly hit the sector.

There has been sympathy in mostly Muslim Malaysia for Kashmiris after the Hindu nationalist government in New Delhi revoked the Muslim-majority region’s autonomy in August, and imposed a lockdown to quell unrest.

Kashmir has been split between India and Pakistan since 1947 and has sparked wars and numerous skirmishes between the two countries. An armed rebellion against Indian rule has raged in the valley since 1989.

Mahathir’s comments prompted calls for Indians to shun Malaysian products – with social media users posting angry messages alongside the hashtag #BoycottMalaysia – while rumours swirled New Delhi may hike tariffs on Malaysian palm oil.

Earlier this week, a major Indian vegetable oil trade body called on its 875

members to avoid buying palm oil from Malaysia, noting the government was mulling retaliatory measures.

“In your own interest as well as a mark of solidarity with our nation, we should avoid purchases from Malaysia for the time being,” said Atul Chaturvedi, president of the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India.

It is a blow for Malaysia, as India was the country’s third-biggest market for palm oil and palm oil products in 2018, with a value of 6.84 billion ringgit ($1.63 billion).

Teresa Kok, the minister who oversees the commodity, scrambled to defuse tensions, describing the association’s move as a “major setback” and saying that Malaysia was looking at increasing imports of sugar and buffalo meat from India.

The row is a further hit to the sector in Malaysia after the European Union announced plans to phase out palm oil in biofuels by 2030.

Malaysia and Indonesia have vowed to fight the move, saying it could damage the livelihoods of millions of smallscale farmers.

Despite attempts by some Malaysian officials to calm the spat, calls are growing in India for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to curb palm oil imports.

Such a move would signal that “countries gaining economically from India while criticising the country politically will not have a free run anymore”, Neelam Deo, director of Mumbai-based think-tank Gateway House, told AFP. Tensions have also risen between India and Turkey after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the UN General Assembly that Indian-administered Kashmir was “besieged”.

Reports have since said that Modi had cancelled a planned visit to Turkey as a result and that India could axe a $2.3 billion order with a Turkish shipyard.

India’s foreign ministry, however, denied that any such visit was planned.

New Delhi has yet to take any formal measures against Malaysia or Turkey but Bloomberg News reported last week that India was considering placing curbs on some imports from both countries, citing people familiar with the matter.

Despite the furore, Mahathir has been unapologetic, reportedly telling journalists last week: “We speak… our minds and we don’t retract and change.”

“Sometimes what we say is liked by some and disliked by others,” added the famously outspoken 94-year-old, known for his acid-tongued attacks on Jews and the West during the first stint in office from 1981 to 2003. And with nationalistic anger growing in India, the row appears unlikely to end soon.

“It’s not purely a palm oil issue,” James Chin, a Malaysia expert at the University of Tasmania, told AFP. “It ties in with egos… and nationalism.”

IN CONVERSATION WITH QAMAR KASHIF

1

How are the challenges between running a restaurant in Malaysia different from running a business in Lahore?

Both experiences are poles apart. A physical restaurant operating in Malaysia involves a long list of their government rules and regulations to be met such as: Employment Laws, Visa issuing policies, operating licenses etc. Primarily serving Pakistani food in a region where there are so many different ethnicities is again difficult; as we have to make sure the food is palatable to everyone. On the other hand, running a home based food business in Lahore has its own challenges. It requires a good marketing strategy, a good chef, and most importantly a highly efficient delivery system.

2

What is the most difficult obstacle to overcome while working from home As I mentioned earlier, running a reputable food business from home is only possible if: firstly: and most importantly, the chef is offering something unique. Secondly marketing your brand is extremely important; because a brand that is starting within the boundaries of a house cannot get any recognition if the right marketing tools are not adopted. Lastly, it is pivotal to opt for an efficient delivery system.

Because no matter how delicious and hygienic your food is, if it’s not delivered to the customer on time, your business is ruined.

3

In your opinion what is the most essential quality a restaurant/food business’ management needs to have.

Well, in relation to management, there is more than one aspect to it. Managing a restaurant always involves a team. It may include any number of members starting from a minimum of 3 all the way up to a 1000 people; depending on the size of the business. The most important and difficult task is to maintain a harmony amongst these team members and to keep the business running profitably. This at times becomes nearly impossible. However, I believe that it’s the responsibility of the business owner to be patient and make sure that his/her team members are kept happy. There are always members who, no matter what, create issues amongst other members. Spot them, and get rid of them before they infect the whole environment. Overall management is in the hands of business owner. Even if an abundance of managers is hired, things won’t be on the right track until and unless the owner him/herself is involved.

4

Where does the inspiration for your menu come from?

This is by far my favorite question. I’m sorry to say this but the roll parathas being sold in lahori restaurants are horrible in every way. The actual paratha is too greasy. Mayo, ketchup and other condiments are mixed in with desi style marinated meat; and they drip all over your plate as soon as you hold it up. This is what gave me the idea to start selling authentic roll parathas. Alhamdulillah my chef (who is also my business partner) knew how to make them.

Our parathas are very light and nearly oil free.

The Meat is perfectly tender and smoky. The only thing that goes in the actual roll with meat is pickled onions. We even offer homemade imli ki chatni on the side. That’s what a real roll paratha is.

5

How supportive is everyone around you of your passion of restaurant management.

Oh all this could never be achieved without the support of my family. Especially my husband's untiring effort and involvement in setting up my home based food business.

6 7

What do you think is the most important quality for an entrepreneur to have?

Patience is the number one quality. Of course there is a long list of other traits one must have; but trust me nothing can be achieved if you don’t have patience.

What is the part you enjoy most about your business?

When I receive positive feedback from our customers; it boosts my morale like anything.

8

Have there been any obstacles during the course of your business so far?

My business has been operational for four months now. Our restaurant in Malaysia was my husband's passion project. My involvement in it was purely moral support. However, KABABILCIOUS is my brain child and I have my husband's support in every way. I started in June 2019 and the biggest challenge any home based business faces is building awareness for the brand. It’s very easy to say that working from home cuts down a lot of business expenses and that’s true in many ways. However, the budget we allocate to marketing and advertising is a burden on our pockets. Especially, since we try to offer a reasonably priced menu. But it’s a necessity for now and shall definitely pay off in the future InshaAllah. In addition to this there are many other challenges like maintaining cash flow, retaining staff etc.

aaMir Mazhar & aMina shah

sadia haMeed & kiran Chaudhry of anaya

lahore: Anaya by Kiran Chaudhry launched their store at blue mall on mm alam road with a preview of their debut bridal collection. The event was well attended by the fashion lovers of the city.

9

Have you been able to achieve an ideal work/life balance?

Well there are days when all I do is work.

When there is a line of consecutive orders, then I can’t focus on anything else. It happened to me on the 3rd day of my business. I was at someone's house for lunch. Since Kababilicious is a home based business, we were still working on the marketing at the time. I never expected to receive any orders within the 1st week. But I had to rush back home without taking a single bite of my food! All of a sudden we had 12 orders to deliver. We had to split the orders into 3 batches. One batch was passed on to the rider and 2 batches were delivered by me and my husband in our own respective cars. So yeah at times like this it is not possible to attain balance because work comes first. I haven’t been able to host out stationed relatives at my house since Kababilicious started either; as its being done from my own kitchen. Maybe I will take some time to maintain balance but since I’m still very new to this business it’ll take some time.

kaMiar rokni

Minal & Mishal

Maleeha akraM

10

Why have you restricted your menu to roll parathas and chicken mandi?

I wanted to check the market response by keeping a minimalistic but special menu. I plan to add items one at a time as the business makes progress and those items will definitely be different in terms of taste, quality and hygiene.

riMa farid, sadia salMan & hifsa khan

neha Maneka & Maleeha salMan

aries: Soliciting a mentor or elder for sound advice about your career and finances saves you time and money.

Taurus: Honesty is a double-edged sword. Simmering tensions between you and a loved one likely boil over now.

Gemini: A caring yet inspiring tone convinces people to listen to your ideas. Others are likely receptive because they see that you value and appreciate their contributions toward a common purpose.

Cancer: Discussing controversial topics might require extra caution and thoughtfulness today. leo: Your emotional bias might skew your judgment about an important decision.

Virgo: People may feel quite enchanted and heartened by your words today. libra: A beloved soul reminds you that money can’t buy the most precious facets of life. Perhaps you’re really seeking connection as you shop for sales and special discounts. scorpio: Striking a moderate tone on a sensitive matter with a person close to you could be a source of struggle today. sagittarius: Ironically, recalling the past is often an effective way to process your present and future.

Capricorn: Engaging in conversations with loved ones of all ages brings a smile to your face today. aquarius: Try as you might, life probably won’t let you remain in a comfy bubble now.

Pisces: Your powers of perception are heightened today. Perhaps you’re not inclined to enjoy reading the fine print of anything, but you can read between the lines fantastically well.

CMYK

Monday, 28 October, 2019

14 SPORTS

OsAkA bEATs kvITOvA In ThrIllInG WTA FInAls OPEnEr SHENZEN

I

AGENCIES

N-FORM Naomi Osaka outlasted Petra Kvitova in a three-set marathon for a drought-breaking victory at the WTA Finals on Sunday.

Opening the $14 million roundrobin tournament, the first in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, the world No.3 regrouped from several lethargic stretches to win 7-6 (7/1), 4-6, 6-4 in two hours and 39 minutes.

It was the Japanese sensation´s first victory at the WTA Finals after a winless campaign in her debut appearance last year and stretched her current winning streak to 11 matches having claimed titles in Osaka and Beijing.

"She started going hard at me from the beginning and I just had to adjust to it," Osaka said after the match.

In a rematch of this year´s tense Australian Open final, world No.6 Kvi-

tova came out with intent until she stuttered in the eighth game of the opening set with three double faults to squander the game. Osaka held off two break points in the ninth game before dominating the tiebreak to draw first blood.

It seemed to shake the Czech´s confidence but Kvitova, the oldest player in

the draw, impressively clawed back in the second set and took advantage of an error-strewn Osaka who several times slammed her racquet in frustration. A refocused Osaka put the foot down in the deciding set but could not convert two match points in the eighth game before finally closing it out in the 10th to issue

a statement to her rivals in Red Group.

The 22-year-old maintained her unbeaten record over Kvitova having won their only previous clash in a three-set classic in Melbourne. The event´s move to China, after a five-year run in Singapore, is highlighted by a record prize pool in tennis with the winner receiving up to $4.725 million.

SABALeNKA WINS ThIRD TITLe oF 2019: ArynaSabalenka won her third title of the year -- all in China -with a straight-sets victory over top seed Kiki Bertens in the Elite Trophy Zhuhai final on Sunday.

The 21-year-old from Belarus eased to a 6-4, 6-2 victory over the Dutchwoman in southern China to end her singles season on a high. Ranked 14th in the world, the hard-hitting Sabalenka appears to enjoy playing in China. Her other two titles of 2019 came at Wuhan in September -- when she defeated Bertens in the last 16 -and in Shenzhen at the start of the year.

India beats Pakistan in ACC Women's Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2019

LAHORE: A golfer takes a stroke at the 9th CNS Amateur Golf Championship being held in Lahore. PR

'I had to risk it,' says Bottas after Mexico horror crash MEXICO CITY AGENCIES

Championship challenger ValtteriBottas admitted he "had to risk it" when he buried his Mercedes into a trackside wall in a frantic conclusion to qualifying at the Mexican Grand Prix on Saturday.

"I knew that I had to risk it in the last run to gain positions, so I tried to squeeze everything out of the car," said Bottas who is the only driver who can deny teammate Lewis Hamilton from securing a sixth world title.

"The lap was good until the last corner where I went a bit wide on the exit on the dusty part of the track and that's where I lost it and hit the wall.

"I'm all okay, but I've unfortunately given the boys in the garage some extra work to do tonight. Hopefully we can avoid taking any penalties for tomorrow.

PARIS: Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome successfully completed his first competitive ride since his horror crash in June on Sunday before hot-tailing his way across Tokyo to watch the Rugby World Cup semi-final. The 34-year-old took part in a team time trial run round a single lap at the Saitama Criterium meet with 2019 Tour de France winner Egan Bernal and Ineos teammate Jonathan Castroviejo playing bodyguard. The time trial was on the undercard for main event, the Saitama Criterium, and Japanese ace Yukiya Arashiro soaked up local adulation after winning. In the time trial, Froome led the trio out to enthusiastic applause from a Saitama public that the Briton had worked hard to win over this week with visits to schools and social events. The PR exercise ended with Ineos rolling home second last as local cycling team Saitama Project won the time trial in 4min 20sec. It was clear Froome's rightleg was a long way off fitness, with surgery to remove a plate on his hip set for December. The Briton is still in recovery after sustaining dreadful injuries in June when he hit a brick wall at high speed, fracturing ribs, a femur, and an elbow after taking his hands off the handlebars to blow his nose. AGENCIES

Govt’s concern for sports laid bare as Pakistan hockey team fails to qualify for Tokyo 2020

SPORTS DESK India Women beat Pakistan Women by seven wickets in an ACC Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2019 match played at the Navy Cricket Ground, Werisala in Sri Lanka on Sunday, according to a press release issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

India chased down the 107-run target for the loss of three wickets in 30 overs after Pakistan were dismissed for 106 runs.

NuzhatParween top-scored for India with a 68-ball 44 — her innings featuring seven fours. Fatima Sana, Nashra Sandhu and SyedaAroob Shah took a wicket apiece for Pakistan. Batting first after winning the toss, Pakistan lost half their side in 22.3 overs.

Opener Tuba Hassan top-scored with 32 off 57 balls laced with three fours and one six.

After Tuba became the fifth wicket to fall, captain RameenShamim held the innings together with an unbeaten 31 (80 balls, two fours) but didn’t find much support from the other end. For India, captain Devika Vaidya took four wickets for 23 runs while SushreeDibyadarshini took three wickets for 16 runs in eight overs.

Froome survives first race since crash before heading to the rugby

It's annoying because looking at the times, I think I had a chance at qualifying third."

Bottas was checked out at the circuit medical centre after the crash with his team going on to post on Twitter: "He's OK! ValtteriBottas has returned to the paddock. Great news."

Bottas qualified in sixth, two places behind Hamilton for Sunday's race, but could be hit by car problems following his crash at the high-speed Peraltada curve. "Thankfully he's ok," said Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff. "But unfortunately his car took a bit of a beating.

"We're assessing the damage at the moment and hope that we don't have to change any parts that would result in a grid penalty. Lewis will start from P4 which is not ideal, but tomorrow will be all about tyre life, so this might create some opportunity for us."

Hamilton needs to outscore Bottas by

14 points to seal his sixth title success.

Hamilton said he would "give it everything" in his scrap for a podium finish and hoped to enjoy a close battle with pole sitter Max Verstappen of Red Bull and the two Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel.

Verstappen's performance in the final minutes of qualifying when he clocked an improved lap time on his second run was under scrutiny after the session as he ignored a waved yellow flag following Bottas’s crash.

The Dutchman, who could have faced a penalty if he was the subject of a stewards’ inquiry, said he did not care if the stewards deleted his lap time as his earlier fastest lap was still enough for him to claim pole. Asked if he had obeyed the rules when he saw the yellow flag and reduced speed, he said: "It didn't look like it, did it?"

CMYK

LAhoRe: The Pakistan national field hockey team on Sunday failed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics as the Netherlands team thrashed them by 6-1. Sports reporter Faizan Lakhani expressed his dismay at the lost chance while lamenting on the condition of sports in the country. “With Hockey ousted, Pakistan’s only confirm representation in Tokyo 2020 is shooter Khalil Akhtar. Judoka Shah Hussain Shah is on track to qualify but needs financial support to maintain his ranking. Wrestler Inam Butt is another who can qualify, but again, he also needs support,” he wrote on Twitter. “PTI in its election manifesto highlighted Pakistan’s poor show in 2016 Olympics. They also mentioned how no athlete could directly qualify. Irony now, the athletes who are capable to qualify, are not getting anything from government for training, traveling & participation,” he added. This is the second time in a row that the team has missed out on the chance to represent the country at the Olympics. StAff REpoRt

Monday, 28 October, 2019

SPORTS 15

WArnEr's bIrThdAy T20 TOn As AusTrAlIA slAm srI lAnkA ADELAIDE

A

AGENCIES

yawning victory for Australia, a pugilistic century for David Warner, Steven Smith not even required to bat? Do not adjust your browsers.

Aaron Finch's team set down a brutal marker for the start of their 12month run to next year's Twenty20 World Cup by swatting Sri Lanka aside with their highest-ever total on home soil and fourth highest overall, as the captain and a promoted Glenn Maxwell provided the perfect complement to Warner's triumphant return home after a nightmarish tour of England.

Smith, the single biggest reason for Australia's Ashes retention, was listed to bat at No. 3 but found himself demoted below Maxwell and Ashton Turner in recognition of their relative hitting power. But on a day where the bowlers followed up by holding the decidedly underwhelming visitors for a mere 9 for 99, in the process securing the home side's biggest ever T20I winning margin and Sri Lanka's biggest ever T20I defeat, the lack of reliance upon Smith augured well for the rest of Australia's summer.

Warner's century was surprisingly his first in T20Is, remarkable given his very first innings for Australia had been

89 against South Africa at the MCG more than a decade ago. In control of proceedings from the very start, he reached or cleared the boundary to all parts of Adelaide Oval, delighting a crowd of 16,268 who responded by giving Warner a consistently warm reception following his running battle with persistent booing and abuse in England.

Little less significant were the scenesetting innings of Finch - who had not passed 28 in a T20I since July 2018 - and the murderous finishing of Maxwell, leaving Sri Lanka's captain LasithMalinga with virtually nowhere to turn to for economy. The most punishment was re-

their way to the off and leg side boundaries with something approaching impunity. They were aided by some loose Sri Lankan bowling, summed up by how Rajitha offered Warner a wide no-ball that was sent scurrying to the backAUSTRALIA 2 FOR ward point boundary 233 (WARNER 100*, and then a free-hit of obliging line and FINCH 64, MAXWELL 62) length that was smote BEAT SRI LANKA 9 FOR 99 well and truly into the (SHANAKA 17, ZAMPA 3- western stands. None for 57 from the power14) BY 134 RUNS play, strong as it looked for Australia, proved to be only a foretaste of the carnage to follow in a temperate afternoon.

Finch and then Warner took turns to served for KasunRajitha. Sri Lanka's dominate in an opening stand worth 122 most parsimonious bowler in their recent, from 65 balls, including 112 from the first unexpected triumph in Pakistan, Rajitha 10 overs of the innings. Finch may have was left wincing at the most expensive been a tad frustrated to see his innings ended at 64 by a top edge to Lakshan SanT20I figures, an eye-watering 4-0-75-0.

He will wonder, in years to come, dakan, but there was soon the reward of how Sri Lanka came to be bowling first seeing Maxwell mix power with invention on what quickly flattened out into a per- in the manner that has always made him fect batting track - Malinga electing to one of the world's most compulsively send the Australians in on the basis that watchable cricketers. All up, no fewer than the tourists did not know what to expect eight of the innings' 20 overs went for from Adelaide's drop-in pitch. Its even more than 12 runs, a ledger that thrust covering of straw-coloured grass should Australia inevitably to the tallest tally of perhaps have been a giveaway, and after all their T20I matches at home, surpassing a handful of early plays and misses, the 221 fetched against England at the Finch and Warner were able to punch SCG as far back as January 2007.

Rest and rotation will be 'crucial' for England, claims selector Ed Smith LONDON AGENCIES

England's national selector Ed Smith has said it is "crucial" to prioritise players' wellbeing, and suggested that "rest and rotation will be a central part" of his selection process going forward as cricket catches up with other sports.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Smith said that the senior players rested for the T20 tour of New Zealand - including Jason Roy, Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes - were told, rather than asked, to rest after a draining home summer.

"With the T20s in New Zealand, it wasn't a case of, 'What do you think about resting?' It was, 'You're rested.' It's crucial we attend to players' wellbeing," Smith said. "We're fortunate that Eoin Morgan, having won the World Cup, saw an opportunity to look at new challenges and that we have a lot of depth in whiteball cricket.

"I work closely with people who are intimately involved with the pastoral care of the England team.

They respect confidences, however there are times when people have said that this person might benefit from a break. Moving forward, rest and rotation will be a central part of good selection. Players must be well mentally and physically, and capable of perform-

ing at their best when we need them to."

Smith, who became England's national selector in April 2018, used the example of the Rugby World Cup to show that other sports were ahead of cricket in their attitude towards resting players. England coach Eddie Jones used fly-half George Ford off the bench rather

than starting in his team's quarter-final win against Australia, and in his press conference after the game said that he had "changed his role" rather than dropping him. "Come into modern rugby - join us," Jones said. "Rugby has changed, it's a 23-man game." "Baseball got there in 1880, football in 1990, rugby in the 2010s, and cricket's moving in that direction," Smith said. "You have a strong core based around a strong leader, but there's got to be room for people taking time out when they need a physical and mental - or technical - recharge. Then there's always a way back."

Perhaps Smith's most high-profile recent selection decision was to drop Jonny Bairstow from England's Test squad for their tour of New Zealand, but he suggested that the wicketkeeper/batsman will be back in contention very soon. "I remember sitting with Jonny when he'd missed a game in Sri Lanka [in last year's Test series] and I said, 'it won't be long, not because I'm predicting somebody will get dropped but because you're a very good player and very good players come back'. A week later he was raising his bat having scored a Test hundred.

"That will be one way selectors can really contribute to successful teams - thinking about the person and having a strong sense of care, supporting them emotionally and psychologically, so if a crunch point is coming you manage it the best way.”

PCb proposes rawalpindi and karachi as venues for sri lanka Test series LAhoRe: Test match cricket is likely to make a return to Pakistan in December 2019 with the PCB putting forward Rawalpindi and Karachi as possible venues for the twomatch series against Sri Lanka.

ESPNcricinfo understands progress has been made with regards to ensuring the Test series takes place in Pakistan - the first of its kind since 2009 - with the board just awaiting the go-ahead from Sri Lanka Cricket. As for the players themselves, it is not yet clear which, if any, are reluctant to tour. As per the PCB's proposed schedule, the Test series will last only a fortnight, roughly the same amount of time Sri Lanka were in the country for a limited-overs tour earlier this year. They played three ODIs in Karachi and two T20Is in Lahore between September 27 and October 10, and though several of their senior players pulled out, the fact it went off without a hitch, plus the better-thanexpected results for what was called a second-string team, may have convinced some of them to travel to Pakistan again.

The decision to schedule a Test in Rawalpindi, which last hosted five-day cricket when India toured in 2004, would represent the first expansion of cricket beyond the major hubs of Lahore and Karachi. That Lahore has been overlooked as a venue for the series is something of a surprise, though it is believed the lack of daylight hours and the high likelihood of seasonal smog were the major reasons for the PCB looking elsewhere. AGENCIES

nZ women blind cricket team to tour Pakistan in 2020: PbCC LAhoRe: The New Zealand women's blind cricket team would tour Pakistan in October or November next year for a series against the national side. Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) Chairman Syed Sultan Shah said that "we have been in talks with the New Zealand Blind Cricket Council and they were more than willing to tour Pakistan next year."

“This would be the first time that the New Zealand women's blind cricket team would tour Pakistan for a series,” he told APP. Shah said that further details regarding the tour would be announced after the matter is finalised between both the cricket bodies.

Nepal women’s blind team played a fivematch series against Pakistan in February this year. App

Faf du Plessis suggests doing away with the toss in Test cricket JOHANNESBURG AGENCIES

Faf du Plessis believes getting rid of the toss in Test cricket would help teams compete better when they travel away from home. The South Africa captain was speaking in the aftermath of his team's 30 whitewash at the hands of India.

Although South Africa had begun the series promisingly with two key batsmen - Dean Elgar and Quinton de Kock - scoring centuries and showing that they could combat quality spinners in the subcontinent, things went downhill quickly. The second and third Tests were blowouts, and predictable for the pattern they followed.

"Every Test match, they bat first, they score 500, they declare when it's dark, they get three wickets when it's dark and when day three starts, you're under pressure," du Plessis said. "It was like copy and paste in every Test match."

Playing India in India is among the most difficult challenges in Test cricket at the moment. They have lost only one of their last 33 matches at home and there was a moment at the start of the series in Visakhapatnam, when the coin landed against him and du Plessis smiled in resigned fashion, as if he knew what was

about to happen. In the last three years in India - that's 10 Tests - only three times has a team come back from losing the toss to win the game. India has done it twice and Afghanistan once, against fellow Test newbies, Ireland. Even saving the game is hard with only two draws, and one of them - the Sri Lanka Test in Kolkata in 2017 - had heavy rain all but ruining an entire day's play.

The practice of doing away with the toss was trialled in the English county circuit, where the visiting team got the chance to choose what they wanted to do at the start of the game. The idea came into being as a way to ensure home teams did not roll out pitches that stacked the odds in their own favour. Pakistan bought into it this Quaid-eAzam Trophy season and India, too, have been looking into the matter. Earlier this year at a conclave attended by domestic captains and coaches, one of the topics discussed was getting rid of the toss. Plenty of the South African players made it clear that none of the pitches they played on were loaded in one way or another against them, including du Plessis. But he still liked the idea of abandoning the toss altogether. "[If it is removed] then away teams have a better chance. In South Africa, I don't mind that.

We bat on green tops anyway."

CMYK

Monday, 28 October, 2019

NEWS

PM reAffirMS SUPPorT for kAShMiriS AS nATionS MArkS blAck DAy PRIME MINISTER ASSURES APHC DELEGATION OF PAKISTAN’S DIPLOMATIC, POLITICAL AND MORAL SUPPORT FOR KASHMIRIS ISLAMABAD

P

STAFF REPORT

RIMe MINISTeR Imran Khan on Sunday reaffirmed diplomatic, political and moral support to the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), as the nation observed Black Day to protest India’s atrocities in the occupied territory.

The Pakistani nation and the Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and from all over the world observed Black Day on Sunday to convey to the world that they reject India’s illegal occupation of Kashmir and will continue their struggle to achieve Kashmiris’ inalienable right to self-determination. Besides occupied Kashmir, protest rallies were held in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan and world capitals to denounce India’s illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir.

In a video message, the premier said that the entire Pakistani nation, including minorities, is standing behind the people of Kashmir in their just struggle for right to self-determination.

He said that he highlighted the Kashmir issue in his speech at UNGA and during interactions with other world leaders. He said that now the international community is aware of the oppression going on in occupied Kashmir at the hands of Indian forces.

The prime minister said Indian Prime Minister Narndera Modi, after coming to power for second term, imposed curfew in Occupied Kashmir and no one knows what is happening in the valley. He said that Modi regime changed Kashmir's status by claiming

FO URGES INDIA TO REALISE IT CANNOT FOOL THE WORLD WITH ITS ACCUSATIONS OF TERRORISM DESPITE BEING A PERPETRATOR OF IT

RESTRICTIONS TIGHTENED IN SRINAGAR AS KASHMIRIS HOLD PROTESTS ON ACCOUNT OF BLACK DAY

that he wants development there. He added that Modi should hold a referendum if he wants peace, stability, and development in Kashmir.

PM Imran said that all the mainstream political parties of Kashmir boycotted the recently held local government polls in occupied Kashmir.

He added that the ruling BJP met a humiliated defeat even in the controlled elections there. The premier made it clear that anybody talking of crossing the line of control will commit enmity with Kashmir and Pakistan. He said that India is looking for such an opportunity to crush the freedom struggle of Kashmiris. He also said that New Delhi rulers have deployed 900,000 troops to subjugate Kashmiris voice.

He further said that the Modi government wants to hold Pakistan responsible for unrest in Kashmir to deflect attention of the world community from the bloodbath continuing in the valley.

The premier said that Kashmiris’

movement is a political struggle and “we have to extend our moral, diplomatic and political support in this regard”. He assured the people of Kashmir that he is not only their ambassador, but will also become their spokesperson and advocate supporting their struggle till they achieve their right to self-determination as enshrined in the United Nations Security Council (UJNSC) resolutions.

A delegation of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) also called on the prime minister to express gratitude for vigorously presenting the Kashmir case at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The premier told the delegation that the hearts of the Pakistanis and the Kashmiris beat in harmony He also assured the delegation that the entire Pakistani nation stands with their Kashmiri brethren.

The APHC delegation included Nisar Mirza, Muhammad Hussain Khateeb and Javed Iqbal. Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and

Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan was also present during the meeting.

Meanwhile, on account of Black Day, the prime minister planted a sapling by the name of ‘Kashmir Freedom Tree’. He and other government officials present on the occasion prayed for regional peace and prosperity.

RESTRICTIONS TIGHTENED IN SRINAGAR: While there was already a complete shutdown as silent protest against India’s illegal August 5 decision, restrictions were further imposed to prevent a march towards Lal Chowk, Srinagar on Sunday. Call for the march was given by the APHC led by Syed Ali Gilani. Indian forces were deployed in every nook and corner of Srinagar and adjoining areas. The observance of the Black Day, this year, was also aimed at drawing attention of the international community towards the sufferings of the people of occupied Kashmir due to the continued military lockdown imposed

by India in the territory since 5th August.

‘INDIA SHOULD REALISE IT CANNOT FOOL WORLD’: The Foreign Office (FO) also reiterated its support for besieged Kashmiri people on the occasion of Black Day while calling on India to realise that it cannot fool the world forever and that its tried and trite accusations of terrorism, while simultaneously being the principle perpetrator of it, have little import with the international community In a statement, FO Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said, “On this day 72 years ago, Indian forces landed in Srinagar to occupy and oppress the innocent people of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) in a clear violation of international law and norms.”

Top US negotiator in Kabul to brief Afghan government KABUL AGENCIES

U.S. President Donald Trump’s top negotiator for Afghanistan was in Kabul on Sunday to brief the Afghan president on peace efforts on his first trip back since Trump ended talks with the Taliban aimed at ending America’s longest war.

The visit by Zalmay Khalilzad comes after a flurry of low-key meetings that he has held, including with the Taliban this month in neighboring Pakistan.

“The aim of his visit is clear, to report to President Ghani on his recent visits and meetings in some countries regarding the Afghan peace process,” an official in Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s office said.

Talks with the Taliban on a plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan in exchange for Taliban security guarantees were halted by Trump last month following the death of a U.S. soldier and 11 other people in a Taliban bomb attack in Kabul.

AfghAn, US forceS kill over 80 TAlibAn fighTerS KABUL: Over 80 Taliban insurgents were killed in air operations by Afghan and US forces in the Kandahar and Faryab provinces alone over the past 24 hours, officials confirmed on Sunday.

According to Abdul Kareem, the police chief in the northern Faryab province, a Taliban group staged assaults on security checkpoints in the Pashtunkot district last night and were met with air raids by the Afghan Air Force. He told Anadolu Agency that at least 53 Taliban insurgents were killed and 11 wounded. In the southern Kandahar province, US forces conducted air raids in the restive Maruf and Shah Wali Kot districts, killing 33 Taliban insurgents and injuring eight others, a statement by the provincial police headquarters said. These two districts are known as pockets of Taliban influence. AGENCIES

Before the U.S.-Taliban talks broke off, both sides said they were close to reaching a deal, despite concerns among some U.S. security officials and Afghan government officials that a U.S. withdrawal could bring more conflict and a resurgence of Islamist militant factions. The Taliban have refused to talk to Ghani’s government, denouncing it as a U.S. puppet.

Khalilzad had been pressing the Taliban to declare a ceasefire with Afghan government forces and make a commitment to power-sharing talks. The Taliban said that would follow a deal on the withdrawal of all foreign forces. The Taliban were ready to stand by the tentative agreement struck before Trump canceled the talks, according to Pakistani officials and sources militant group sources, who said the insurgents were eager to resume negotiations. Trump too, despite calling off the talks, is keen to end U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, which began weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. The United States has about 12,000 troops in Afghanistan.

Zardari suffering from 'intense bladder pain' ISLAMABAD: Former president Asif Ali Zardari is suffering from intense bladder pain which has complicated his medical condition, said the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) officials on Sunday. The doctors at PIMS have diagnosed that the former president’s bladder glands have grown unusually. Doctors claimed that this could become dangerous and further complicate Zardari’s health. The board has decided to conduct more tests on the former president. Doctors will wait for the results of the tests to determine which facilities would be provided to Zardari. On Saturday, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Rehman Malik urged the government to allow Zardari to receive treatment from his doctor in Dubai. In a statement issued here on Saturday, the PPP senator said that Zardari did not deserve this kind of treatment and it was bringing a bad name to the country as he was put behind bars on the basis of unproved charges during his trial.

Malik, who is also the chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, said: “I call upon every legislator, member of parliament and cabinet minister to think for necessary amendments into law to ensure the rule of law and to stop political victimisation.” STAFF REPORT

Pakistan denies airspace to Modi

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said it denied India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi permission to fly through its airspace due to “ongoing grave human rights violations” in Indian occupied Kashmir. The decision came with tensions simmering between the two nuclear-armed arch rivals over the disputed Himalayan region. It is the third time in recent weeks that Islamabad has refused to allow Indian leaders to use its airspace.

Requests by Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and Modi were turned down last month. “Indian Prime Minister wanted to use our airspace but we denied permission in the perspective of black day being observed by Kashmiris today to condemn Indian occupation and ongoing grave human rights violations in Indian-occupied Kashmir,” Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said in a statement. He said the Indian high commissioner (ambassador) was being informed about the decision.Qureshi did not disclose Modi’s destination but a senior Pakistani official told AFP the Indian prime minister had sought permission to use Pakistan’s airspace to travel to Saudi Arabia, where he is due to attend an investment summit. Pakistan had closed its airspace to Indian traffic in February after a suicide bomb attack that killed dozens of Indian troops in Kashmir, ratcheted up tensions between the two neighbours and prompted aerial dogfights. It reopened its skies for all civilian traffic in July, ending months of restrictions that had affected major international routes. AGENCIES

Trump confirms death of ISIS chief Baghdadi WASHINGTON AGENCIES

President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that fugitive Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died in a raid by US special forces in northwest Syria, in a major blow to the militant group.

Baghdadi killed himself during the raid by igniting a suicide vest, Trump said in a televised address from the White House. Test results from the aftermath of the raid had positively identified Baghdadi, he said.

“He was a sick and depraved man and now he’s gone,” Trump said.

Baghdadi had long been sought by the United States, as head of a militant group that at one point controlled large areas of Syria and Iraq, declaring a caliphate. The group has carried out atrocities against religious minorities and attacks on five conti-

nents in the name of a version of an ultra-fanatic Islam that horrified mainstream Muslims.

In recent years the group had lost most of its territory. But while the destruction of the quasi-state that Baghdadi built has denied the group its recruiting tool and logistical base from which it could train fighters and plan coordinated attacks overseas, most security experts believe Islamic State remains a threat through clandestine operations or attacks.

Trump had faced withering criticism from fellow Republicans and Democrats for announcing a withdrawal of US troops from northeastern Syria earlier this month, which permitted Turkey to attack America’s Kurdish allies as it sought to set up a “safe zone”.

Many critics of the pullout have expressed concern both at the abandoning of the Kurdish forces who had been in-

strumental in defeating Islamic State in Syria, and that the move might allow the group to regain strength and pose a threat to US interests. With a $25 million U.S. bounty on his head, al-Baghdadi had been far less visible in recent years, releasing only sporadic audio recordings, including one just last month in which he called on members of the extremist group to do all they could to free IS detainees and women held in jails and camps.

The purported audio was his first public statement since last April, when he appeared in a video for the first time in five years. In 2014, he was a blackrobed figure delivering a sermon from the pulpit of Mosul’s Great Mosque of al-Nuri, his only known public appearance. He urged Muslims around the world to swear allegiance to the caliphate and obey him as its leader.

“It is a burden to accept this respon-

Published by Arif Nizami at Plot # 7, Al-Baber Centre, F/8 Markaz, Islamabad. Ph: 051-2204545. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk

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sibility to be in charge of you,” he said in the video. “I am not better than you or more virtuous than you. If you see me on the right path, help me. If you see me on the wrong path, advise me and halt me. And obey me as far as I obey God.” Though at minimum a symbolic victory for Western counterterrorism efforts, his death would have unknown practical impact on possible future attacks. He had been largely regarded as a symbolic figurehead of the global terror network, and was described as “irrelevant for a long time” by a coalition spokesman in 2017.

Al-Baghdadi was born Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri al-Samarrai in 1971 in Samarra, Iraq, and adopted his nom de guerre early on. Because of anti-U.S. militant activity, he was detained by U.S. forces in Iraq and sent to Bucca prison in February 2004, according to IS-affiliated websites.