E-Paper PDF 29th October (KHI)

CMYK

Tuesday, 29 October, 2019 I 29 Safar-ul-Muzaffar, 1441 Rs 17.00 I Vol X No 119 I 16 Pages I Karachi Edition

AzAdi MArch lAunched to sAve corruption, sAys pM g

g

imran breakS ground for guru nanak univerSity, underScoreS importance of education

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SayS won’t Strike deal with ‘corrupt politicianS’ who looted country’S wealth

SayS how can he give aSSurance about life of other people, including nawaz, when he iSn’t even Sure about hiS own

STORY ON PAGE 02

JUI-F gets conditional nod for Islamabad sit-in STORY ON BACK PAGE

govt denies gagging anchors’ voices as criticism mounts STORY ON PAGE 03

CMYK Tuesday, 29 October, 2019

02 NEWS

AzAdi MArCH LAuNCHed tO sAve COrruptiON, sAys pM LAHORE

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STAFF REPORT

s the opposition parties led by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam step up the anti-government march, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday said the government would not grant anyone an NRO [National Reconciliation Ordinance] despite all the attempts made to pressurise the government into striking a deal.

The prime minister made these remarks in a ground-breaking ceremony an international level university in Nankana sahib on the occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak. He said Azadi March has no genuine objective but to cover the wrongdoings of bigwigs who did nothing but robbed the country and then ‘signed a charter of democracy’ to save their skins. “Mark my words, whatever united effort they make through the March, I will not give them NRO (deal) till my last breath,” the prime minister said.

The prime minister said it was like his prediction come true when he stated on the assumption of his office that “all corrupt people in the country would ultimately get united on a single platform against him”.

“The march is taking place, not because the government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is failing, but in fact, it is

succeeding,” he claimed, commenting on the call of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam for a countrywide protest, demanding the resignation of the government. “such is the weak grounds for the demand of resignation as the government, on the other hand, is making strides on the economic front, even endorsed by Asian Development Bank and International Monetary Fund,” he further claimed. The prime minister mentioned that as per the recent World Bank report, Pakistan attained the top position in subcontinent and sixth in the world in Ease of Doing Business. Comparing statistics with the first year of Pakistan Muslim League and Pakistan People’s Party tenures, he said the PTI government recorded inflation at the lowest ebb.

Imran Khan regretted that the country’s “debt touched Rs 30,000 billion from Rs 6,000 billion due to money laundering by public office-holders through Iqama (resident permit) of foreign countries”. “Now as the noose tightens around their neck, they have started using the tactics of blackmail and pressure,” he said.

The prime minister expressed confidence that the country would make headway as the PTI government had put it on right track and also mentioned expansion in tax net after traders agreed to pay fixed-rate tax. In a comment on the

health of former prime minister Nawaz sharif who battles for life at the services Hospital in Lahore, the prime minister said the federal and provincial governments were providing him the best possible medical care, including advice of consultants from Karachi and shaukat Khanum Hospital. “We can try our best, the rest is with Allah Almighty,” he said, in response to criticism by certain political quarters on Nawaz sharif’s deteriorating health. “I cannot even guarantee my own life, how can I give assurance about the life of any other person,” he said in reference to a comment by the Islamabad High Court.

On saturday, the high court had stated that if the government could guarantee nothing would happen to Nawaz then it would postpone his bail plea till Tuesday. Imran Khan, however, said, abolishing the socio-economic class system in the country was one of the pillars of the state of Madinah which ensured that elite offenders met the same fate as the poor one.

“All are equal before the law and we want the privileged class in the country to also be answerable before the same law,” he said. Talking about the university, he said history showed that no country or society could progress without giving priority to education. “We used to be ahead

of other nations in education, but it is unfortunate that previous governments did not give due priority to education and left us behind,” he added.

The prime minister said that besides the sikh community from across the world, the local population would also benefit from the Guru Nanak University, which would offer education in various disciplines, including Information Technology, science and Technology, and other modern subjects. He directed the Chief Minister Punjab to utilize all the “Auqaf” lands at various shrines like Baba Farid shakar Ganj in Pakpattan for the construction of universities, educational institutes and hospitals for the benefit of locals. The prime minister said all the sufi saints like Baba Farid, Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh, Mian Mir, etc. had a single mission of serving humanity, and that was why people still loved them and visited their shrines.

“Allah Almighty bestows those with honor, who serve human beings. People do not remember the rich but those who serve humanity”, he remarked and cited the example of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).

Despite criticism from opponents that why the government was opening Kartarpur Corridor when India was unleashing atrocities on innocent people in

Nawaz to remain hospitalised as health remains unstable LAHORE INP

Doctors treating former prime minister Nawaz sharif on Monday refused to discharge the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo citing a serious health risk.

Nawaz, who was admitted to services Hospital almost a week ago and is being treated under the supervision of the facility’s special medical board, had experienced once more a dip in his platelet count a day prior, with the number going down from 45,000 to 25,000.

The platelet count, according to the special medical board, had decreased due to the medicines he was being administered for his cardiac disease following a minor heart attack earlier. However, doctors stopped giving him that medicine, following which his platelet count rose back up.

Doctors further advised keeping the PML-N leader in the hospital till platelet count is normal.

He faces a serious health concern, they added, which is they maintained that they could not risk shifting or discharging him. Nawaz in his current condition cannot be moved from the hospital,

the doctors said. separately, sources explained that treating the PML-N supremo had become a major challenge for the medical board as the steroids he was being administered to bump up his platelet count worsened his condition in terms of blood pressure and diabetes. Doctors noted that if they focused on heart and kidneys, Nawaz’s platelet count fell but if the attention was instead shifted to his platelet count, his heart and kidneys problems increased.

The results of his kidney tests were not satisfactory, which is why the heart medication he was being given was stopped.

Doctors could not give him the medication for his heart condition at a time when his platelet count was 25,000, they said, adding that they were quite concerned because of both his heart and platelet count. According to sources, the doctors have also decided to carry out a full body scan, which they hope would reveal all the body parts that have been affected.

Ban on JUI-F's Ansarul Islam infructuous, rules IHC ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday termed the government decision to ban Jamaat-eUlema-e-Islami-Fazl (Fazl) subordinate organisation Ansarul Islam “infructuous”. The single-judge bench presided by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, while hearing a petition challenging Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s decision, summoned the interior ministry to explain how the federal government could ban an organisation that does not exist on paper.

JUI-F counsel Kamran Murtaza informed the high court that the JUI-F was registered with the

Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as a political party and that Ansarul Islam was not a ‘private militia’ as stated by the government but a subordinate of the JUI-F, operating since partition.

Justice Minallah said if the Ansarul Islam workers were members of a political party then the notification to ban them was infructuous. When he noted that the Ansarul Islam workers held ‘sticks’ in their hands, Murtaza said the sticks were part of the flags. The political party’s counsel further informed the bench that the federal government had issued a notification without giving Ansarul Islam an audience first. he chief justice questioned how the federal government could ban an organisation that does not legally exist. “What happens if the

Ansarul Islam workers wear a white dress instead of khaki?” asked the justice as he questioned the technicality of the notification and observed that the interior ministry should have sought an explanation from the party over it. The high court then adjourned the case hearing till tomorrow.

Ahead of the JUI-F led Azadi March, the PTI government banned Ansarul Islam and empowered provinces to take action against it under section 2 of the Private Military Organisations (Abolition and Prohibition) Act, 1974. The notification said the federal government had “reasons to believe that Ansarul Islam is capable of functioning as a military organisation, in violation of the prohibition contained in Article 256 of the Constitution”.

CMYK

Occupied Kashmir, the prime minister said, Pakistan had to give way to them since it was the most sacred place for the sikh community.

He claimed saudi Arabia never stopped anyone from visiting Muslim holy sites on the basis of political differences.

The PM said the government had decided to bring madrassas into the mainstream education system through uniformity in education and eliminating different education systems.

He said that these seminaries had a “very important role” in the history of the subcontinent, adding, that in early 19th century sikh, Hindu, Muslims and other elite used to get education from two big madrassas of Delhi despite the presence of British schools.

The PM said as the country could not achieve progress without focusing on the knowledge economy, the present government would do all to provide modern education to youth by establishing educational institutes.

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, Governor Punjab Chaudhry Muhammad sarwar, Federal Minister for Education shafqat Mehmood and special Assistant to PM for Information and Broadcasting Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan were also present on the occasion.

LHC adjourns Maryam Nawaz's bail plea till Oct 29 LAHORE STAFF REPORT

A Lahore High Court (LHC) division bench on Monday, adjourning the hearing of Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz Vice President Maryam Nawaz’s bail petition in Chaudhry sugar Mills (CsM) case till October 29, sought arguments from the parties. The division bench comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice sardar Ahmad Naeem heard the post-arrest bail petition of the PML-N leader, wherein Additional Prosecutor General Jehanzaib Bharwana represented the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Advocates Azam Nazir Tarar and Amjad Pervaiz appeared on behalf of the petitioner. During the proceedings, the bench asked whether Maryam Nawaz had been allowed to meet her ailing father, Muhammad Nawaz sharif, in hospital. To which, the petitioner’s counsel submitted that she was living with his father in the hospital. He further stated that the bureau obtained physical remand of his client three times but now she was on judicial remand. In response to a query, NAB’s prosecutor submitted para wise comments to the bail plea on behalf of the bureau. At this, the bench asked petitioner’s counsel Azam Nazir Tarar whether he needed time for preparation, adding that if he was ready then the bench would hear the arguments today. However, the counsel stated that he would advance his arguments after preparation on Tuesday (Oct 29), while pleading with bench to adjourn the matter. subsequently, the bench adjourned the matter till October 29 and sought arguments from parties. The bench initially fixed the petition for October 30 but made it short to October 28 while hearing a civil miscellaneous application of Maryam Nawaz for her release on humanitarian grounds to look after his father in the hospital, on October 25. The NAB accused Maryam Nawaz of committing money laundering through investments of huge amounts being the main shareholder of the CsM. Maryam Nawaz through her bail plea complained about being subjected to double jeopardy, saying, a JIT made in Panama Papers had already investigated the same matter and decided to not file any reference. she also questioned the jurisdiction of the NAB’s chairman for approving the impugned inquiry under the Anti-Money Laundering Act 2010.

CMYK Tuesday, 29 October, 2019

NEWS

03

GOvt deNies GAGGiNG ANCHOrs’ vOiCes As CritiCisM MOuNts PEMRA ISSUES ANOTHER NOTIFICATION TO CLARIFY ‘MISINTERPRETATION’ OF ITS PREVIOUS ORDER LAHORE

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STAFF REPORT

HE government on Monday denied gagging the voices of journalists after opposition leaders, media regulatory bodies, and even ministers condemned the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s (PEMRA) latest decision to restrict the opinions of television anchors during talk shows and to limit their role to that of a “moderator”.

The denial came after the electronic media watchdog directed the anchors hosting regular shows not to appear as “experts” in talk shows on their own or other channels. Media houses were advised to select the guests in talk shows with the “utmost care and keeping in view their knowledge and expertise in a particular subject”.

In a bid to defend the order, Prime Minister’s special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said that anchorpersons were free

to “discuss anything and everything” during their “exclusive shows”.she added that the order was a reiteration of the authority’s existing code of conduct in the light of discouragement of conjecture on-air.similarly, a notification was issued by PEMRA to clear the “misinterpretation” of its orders. PEMRA said that there is no ban on the participation of journalists in talk shows.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Information secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb, while condemning the embargo on anchors, said that this measure was proof that Prime Minister Imran Khan believed in

pM will resign soon, claims Bilawal Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said the prime minister will resign soon and that his resignation would be the harbinger of good days. The PPP chairman was addressing media in Islamabad, where he said that the Azadi March has just begun and a lot many things lay in near future to happen. He said that the members from every party in the Azadi March and the unification of various political parties sends a good message that the opposition was united against the government. Bilawal said that he has asked his party’s workers to welcome the participants of the march when they enter the federal capital. On the health of former president Asif Ali Zardari, he said that his father is unwell and not getting adequate medical facilities. Zardari’s bail can happen on medical grounds but the former president is not keen on the matter, said Bilawal. He said that for the treatment of his father, a doctor of their choice should be allowed to treat Zardari. NEWS DESK

zardari stabilised after increase in platelet count Former president Asif Ali Zardari, who is undergoing treatment at Islamabad’s Pakistan Institute of Medical sciences (PIMs), health condition saw a little improvement on Monday after his platelet count increased and blood pressure stabilised. He is being treatment under the supervision of a special medical board.

Furthermore, physiotherapy on the former president is being done regularly which has reduced pain in the back and neck. The doctors have advised Asif Ali Zardari to use massager and said he will not be discharged from the hospital until complete recovery. On sunday, the doctors diagnosed that his bladder glands had grown unusually and claimed that this could become dangerous and further complicate Zardari’s health. On saturday, Pakistan People’s 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 unproven charges during his trial. NEWS DESK

OPP LEADERS, MEDIA BODIES, AND MINISTERS SLAM MEDIA WATCHDOG FOR ABSURD NOTIFICATION fascism instead of democracy. she demanded that the directives by PEMRA be withdrawn with immediate effect as the order violates its own rules.

“After silencing the opposition through gag orders, shutting them out in death-row cells, shutting down the parliament, shutting down livelihoods of Pakistanis, shutting down jobs, businesses, trade and industry, PM Imran has now imposed a complete ban on speaking the truth,” she said.

The former information minister pointed out that there was no clause in the constitution that allowed such a ban.

“This directive curbs the freedom of expression which is a direct violation of the constitution of Pakistan,” she added.

Media bodies, including All Pakistan Newspapers society (APNs) and Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) also condemned PEMRA’s decision and asked for its reversal.

It is worth noting here that the decision not only drew criticism from opposition leaders and media bodies but

members of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) criticised PEMRA’s directives as well.

In a tweet, PTI leader and former finance minister Asad Umar said that PEMRA should be doing a “better job” taking action against fake news and not “suppressing the rights of individuals, including anchors, to express their opinion”.Human Rights Minister shireen Mazari tweeted, “Who is an “expert”?

An interesting tho unintended debate has been generated – so purely at an academic non-political level: Do I need a degree in politics to be an expert on politics? I have no degree in “human rights” so should I go on TV to discuss “human rights” issues?”

“Do I need a degree in IR/strategic studies to discuss foreign/def policy? what degree do I need to talk about Information? Is expertise defined by a degree?

Finally we have a debate at an abstract level media shd focus on! But what “experts” wld be needed for such a debate on TV?” she added in another tweet.

Judicial remand of Abbasi, Miftah in LNG case extended ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

An accountability court in Islamabad on Monday extended the judicial remands of former prime minister shahid Khaqan Abbasi and former finance minister Miftah till Nov 19 in a case pertaining to allegedly illegal awarding of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import contract.

The accused were presented before the court by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for further proceedings.

Earlier, a medical board had conducted a medical examination of Abbasi at Adiala Jail, where he is incarcerated, and suggested to shift him to a hospital as it identified a stone in his kidney. The board said that it will take more tests to examine the health of the ex-premier.

The corruption watchdog arrested Abbasi in July this year in connection with the ongoing investigation into the LNG contract with Qatar. Tender for the development of an LNG terminal to tackle the energy

crisis was given by the newlyelected government of PML-N back in 2013. Engro participated in the single step, two envelope bidding process. Of the two bidders, Engro’s Elengy Terminal Pakistan Ltd. (ETPL) won the bid for the project for a duration spanning over 15 years. Under the agreement, the company is bound to import up to 3.75 million tonnes of LNG a year from Qatar.

The inquiry into the contract was initiated in June last year when NAB accused Abbasi of illegally awarding the contract to ETPL in the capacity of minister for petroleum and natural resources. The bureau maintains that the steep terms of the multi-billion

rupee agreement were signed “in violation of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules and relevant laws” and caused a hefty loss to the national exchequer.

However, in October last year, a statement issued by Engro said that 2013 bidding for its Karachi terminal was done in an “auditable and transparent” tender process.

The statement came after then petroleum minister Ghulam sarwar Khan had said that the government would revisit contracts through renegotiations claiming that these were secured at “exorbitant rates of an unprecedented level”, indicating some underhand deals.

The apex court on sept 10, 2018, directed the NAB to complete the inquiry against Abbasi and other accomplices for the alleged corruption in the contract.

In August this year, NAB arrested former finance minister Miftah Ismail after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) rejected his request for an extension in his pre-arrest interim bail in the same case.

pM grants administrative independence to ptv ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

In a bid to rid the state broadcaster of political interference, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday decided to grant financial and administrative independence to Pakistan Television (PTV). A meeting was held under the chairmanship of the premier, wherein it was decided that the government would immediately halt the involvement of the Information Ministry in the affairs of PTV, Radio Pakistan and shalimar Broadcasting Company . All decisions in the state-run television will now be taken by the PTV board and the ministry would not be even allowed to review those decisions. PTV would also independently manage its financial and administrative matters. The premier further said that the Information Ministry would only provide PTV with policy and editorial guidelines. The board of directors of PTV and shalimar Broadcasting Company would also be merged, he added.

Levies resort to aerial firing to disperse Jui-F activists ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Personnel of Balochistan’s Levies Force resorted to aerial firing to disperse Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) activists in Balochistan on Monday. According to senior journalist Talat Hussain, “Levies and JUI workers clash in Barkhan district of Balochistan bordering Punjab’s DG Khan.” He, quoting local journalists, said that there were reports of aerial firing as well.Earlier, after consideration, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government banned Ansarul Islam ahead of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman-led Azadi March.

The notification issued by federal government read “Government has reasons to believe that Ansarul Islam is capable of functioning as a military organisation, in violation of the prohibition contained in Article 256 of the Constitution”. However, the court nullified the decision.

Modi approaches global body after Pakistan denies airspace A day after Pakistan refused to let Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special flight use its airspace, New Delhi on Monday took the matter to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). According to a report published in , Hindustan Times, overflight clearances are sought and granted by other countries as prescribed by the ICAO guidelines.

“Overflight clearances are sought and granted by other countries as per the prescribed guidelines of the ICAO. India will continue to seek such overflight clearances. We have taken up the matter of such denial with the [international] civil aviation body,” said the report. The development comes hours after local media quoted Foreign Minister to report that Islamabad has turned down New Delhi’s request for the use of its airspace for Modi’s visit to saudi Arabia.

A day earlier, Foreign Minister

shah Mahmood Qureshi had announced that Islamabad has denied New Delhi’s request for use of airspace for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Qureshi had said that the decision has been taken in the “context of today’s [sunday’s] Black Day and in view of the continued gross human rights violations in occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” adding that Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria was being informed of Islamabad’s decision in a written form.

“We regret the decision of the Government of Pakistan to yet again deny the overflight clearance for VVIP special flight, which is otherwise granted routinely by any normal country,” Indian aviation sources said in their response.

India had sought Pakistan’s permission to use the country’s airspace on Oct 28 for Prime Minister Modi, who will be visiting saudi Arabia to participate in an international business conference on Oct 29. It is the third time in recent

CMYK

weeks that Islamabad has refused to allow Indian leaders to use its airspace.

Prior to this, Pakistan had also denied Modi access to its air space for his visit to the United states to attend the 74th

UN General Assembly session on sept 20. Indian President Ram Nath Kovind had also been denied permission to use the country’s airspace for his official trip to Europe. NEWS DESK

04 KARACHI

Tuesday, 29 October, 2019

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Karachi coastal arEas floodEd as cyclonE Kyarr intEnsifiEs KARACHI

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STAFF REPORT

uMEROuS coastal villages and regions of Karachi were flooded on Monday when a tidal wave raised the sea-level along the coastline due to cyclone ‘Kyarr’ intensifying in the Arabian Sea. Residents based in the coastal localities such as Lath Basti, Rehman Para, Rehri Goth and others have asked for government’s assistance.

Water also made its way through several parts of DHA Golf Club in Phase 8 and as a result, holes 6, 7 and 8 were declared unfit for play.

Water also entered Karachi Boat Club in Clifton.

‘Kyarr’ is the ninth super cyclone to have developed in the North Indian Ocean after 2007’s super cyclone ‘Goryu’.As per the weather advisory issued by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the cyclone has been classified as a ‘Very Severe Cyclonic Storm’ (VSCS) and is currently around approximately 745 kilometres south-

west of Karachi.“The Super Storm Kyarr is likely to move further northwestwards towards Oman coast during next few days. Currently, none of the Pakistan coastal areas is under direct threat from this system,” says a press release issued by PMD.

The Fishermen Cooperative Society has also placed restrictions on fishing from Wednesday to Friday as the intensity of the storm is expected to gain strength.“Fishermen are advised to remain alert and not to venture in deep-sea from Monday.

Tropical Cyclone Warning Center (TCWC) of the PMD is regularly monitoring the intensity and track of this tropical cyclone,” the press release by PMD added.

According to PMD director, the wind intensity, expected to be between 230-265 km, can cause a sandstorm in some cities in Sindh, including Karachi.

Some areas in Karachi were reported to be flooded due to a rise in sea level. No damage was reported.

An Indian channel said on Sunday that, “Cyclone Kyarr, a tropical storm that formed in the Arabian Sea, is likely to cause heavy rain in coastal Karnataka”.

Karnataka and Goa had sounded a red alert as Cyclone Kyarr intensified. Schools and colleges in Karnataka remained closed.

“The westward-moving cyclonic storm is likely to hit Karnataka on Sunday causing heavy rains and thunder showers in the coastal and south interior areas, disrupting normal life for the next two days,” an Indian official in natural disaster monitoring centre was quoted as saying.

Sindh generates 60pc of national revenue, says CM STAFF REPORT KARACHI

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that Sindh is the most urbanized province of Pakistan with Karachi its capital city being the country’s major financial and trade Hub. “It generates over 60 percent of country’s tax revenue; contributes an over-riding share of oil and gas resources and it is a power house of the country having 175 billion tons of coal and a huge wind corridor that can generate 50,000 MWTs of electricity.”

This he said on Monday while addressing a 38-member delegation of Foreign Service Academy comprising of diplomats of China, Afghanistan and Pakistan here at CM House. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Chairperson P&D Nahid Shah, IG Police Dr Kaleem Imam, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Home Secretary Kazi Kabir and Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi.

Mr Shah said that Sindh is a resource rich province and in contrast, the overall poverty levels in Sindh are high estimated to be around 43 percent; with 75.5 percent in rural areas.

He said that Sindh required 6 to 7 percent annual growth; to be able to create 600,000 plus jobs in the private sector annually. “Public Expenditure and investments are expected to be the major driver for growth in the province and the country,” he said and added the Sindh has prioritized development portfolio which include improving Out-

come-based human development and Social Protection & Poverty Reduction.

Talking about `Ease of Doing Business (EDB)’, the chief minister said that is an Index published by the World Bank every year at the end of October. “It is an aggregate figure that includes different parameters which define the ease of doing business in a country,” he said and added that the DB 2019 Report ranked Pakistan at 136 out of 190 countries which was an improvement of 11 positions from 147 in 2018.

He said that his government has worked to reform the regulatory atmosphere for Ease of Doing Business to enhance the ranking of Pakistan.

Karachi has the weightage of 65 percent in the ranking whereas Lahore is weighted at 35 percent.

Talking about improving business environment, Mr Shah said that Sindh has put in dedicated efforts in this regard. SEPA has reduced Environmental checklists process from 30 to 15 days. The KWSB has reduced time for commercial connections from 61 to 21 days; SBCA has reduced time to grant construction permits from 60 to 30 days, 50 percent Records in Registries of Karachi digitized; time required to Register Property in Karachi reduced from 208 days to 17 days – a 92 percent reduction.

Sindh Business Registration Portal with links to four provincial depts: Sindh Employees' Social Security Institution (SESSI), Labour and Excise & Taxation (E&T) and Federal depts (FBR, NADRA, SECP) for swift business registration has been established in Investment Dept, he said.

Improved Investments in Karachi: In the last 5 years (2014 to 2018); public investments in Karachi have been scaled- up. Over Rs. 137 billion have been spent through development financing with focus on infrastructure and human development. Overall Security Environment has improved significantly, he said.

Talking about School Education and its Basic Indicators Enrollment Status (SEMIS 2018-19), the chief minister said that the total enrollment was 4.5 million (Primary Enrollment: 2.9 million) Private schools’ enrollment, 1.4 million which was 31 percent of total enrollment. He said that the Major Challenges include high number of Out of School children (6.4 million) which constitutes 40 percent. Mr Shah said that his government has invested Rs.44.2 bn in school education the Sector in last 5 years. 530 schools have been rehabilitated, approximately 519 new school units established, 482 schools upgraded to middle/high schools, over 4000 plus Schools; having higher enrolment prioritized for rehab and provision of missing facilities like boundary wall, wash rooms, furniture. PPPs for Expanding School Education under Public Private Partnership (PPP) streamlined through Education Management Organization (EMO); Adopt a School; Sindh Education Foundation (SEF). SEF attained breakthrough on access; Enrolments increased from 226,000 to 550,000 (112%). On quality front many milestones attained. Third Party Assessment reflects a 10 percent point improvement in Maths; Science and Language results.

shc adjourns durrani’s bail plea till nov 4 KARACHI: The prosecutor of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) partially completed his arguments over bail petitions of Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani and others in Sindh High Court on Monday. The court adjourned the hearing till November 04. “The NAB investigation officer demands relevant record by writing letters to the State Bank, NADRA and other institutions”, prosecutor said in his arguments. ” Siraj Durrani would have submitted returns in the FBR,” the bench asked. “The investigation officer in person collected the record,” judges further asked. “IOs act like kings and demand records by issuing call up notices”, the bench remarked. “Why they don’t visit every branch to collect record,” the bench questioned. “How an investigation officer will complete his inquiry in a fixed time if he visits every branch in person,” NAB prosecutor argued. “Shutdown the NAB if an IO could not visit (for record)”, the court said. The payments were made in the name of Mitha Khan, who is a driver, the prosecutor said.

“If someone refers Mitha Khan as a son of Trump, will you agree”, the bench asked the NAB prosecutor.

“The reference comprises of 13 folders, which has been prepared after investigations,” the prosecutor replied. “They were in hurry to arrest Siraj Durrani and initiated inquiry after it,” Durrani’s lawyer said.

“Durrani was arrested in the inquiry phase,” the court said. “What was the source of money to Mitha Khan,” the bench asked. “Mitha Khan didn’t answer this question,” NAB prosecutor said. Durrani’s counsel pleaded to the court for bail to his client who is currently in jail. The bench adjourned further hearing of the case until Nov. 04. STAFF REPORT

Extortionists sEt shop on firE in Karachi’s Jodia Bazar KARACHI INP

A shop in Karachi’s Jodia Bazar was set on fire Sunday night after its owners reportedly refused to pay extortion money to criminals. An owner said that he had received a call from an untraceable number and someone asked him to pay Rs0.5 million. The men threatened to set his shop on fire if the amount isn’t paid, he claimed. He, however, refused to pay the sum after which the shop was set on fire using paraffin.

MoB Kills suspEctEd roBBEr in Karachi’s Korangi KARACHI INP

A suspected robber was killed by a mob in Karachi’s Korangi on Monday. The mob claimed that they caught three men trying to rob a woman. One of the robbers, identified as Owais, died on spot, whereas another robber, Noman, was injured and was shifted to a hospital. The third robber managed to escape.

ADB project to enhance secondary education in Sindh ISLAMABAD APP

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $75 million loan for a project that would help improve the quality, accessibility, and gender responsiveness of the secondary education system and infrastructure in the province of Sindh, home to Pakistan’s financial center of Karachi.

Pakistan has 22.8 million out-ofschool children, 28% of whom are in Sindh, according to ADB press statement issued here Monday, adding the province also has the second-lowest gross enrollment ratios and net enrollment rates at all education levels in the country.

The secondary education sector faces challenges ranging from outdated and dilapidated infrastructure, lack of access to schooling—particularly for girls—and poor teaching and learning quality, espe-

cially for core subjects including language, mathematics, and science.

“Given the province’s strategic location, economic importance, and young workforce, Sindh has the potential to transform itself into a key driver of economic growth and development in Pakistan,” said ADB Principal Education Specialist for Central and West Asia, Norman LaRocque.

“Efforts to improve the education system and infrastructure in the province are important to ensuring that graduates have the necessary knowledge and skills to contribute productively to the country’s growth and development,” LaRocque added.

The Sindh Secondary Education Improvement Project will finance the construction of about 160 new secondary school blocks within existing government school compounds, largely in 10 districts in southern Sindh.

The new blocks will feature genderresponsive features such as separate sanitation facilities and separate prayer rooms for females. They will also be fitted with solar power. Secondary school blocks will be managed by private partners under the government’s education management organizations program.

The project will also improve teaching capacity in five key subjects, namely English, mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics, through the introduction of a teacher training and mentoring program using information and communication technology and state-of-the-art laboratory equipment in selected schools.

The province’s secondary education examination system will be improved by increasing its emphasis on critical thinking, by the provision of new technology, and by capacity development for examination board assessors and staff.

Total cost of the project is $82.5

million, with the government of Pakistan contributing $7.5 million. The

project is expected to the completed by the end of 2025.

CMYK Tuesday, 29 October, 2019

NEWS

PML-N asks IMraN to get rId of ‘INcoMPeteNt’ Buzdar MARRIYUM TERMS IMRAN’S NANKANA ADDRESS A SPEECH OF ‘SCARED MAN’ LAHORE

P

INP

AKISTAN Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb on Monday said it was Prime Minister Imran Khan who needed a deal instead of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

While responding to Imran Khan’s statement at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Baba Guru Nanak University in Nankana Sahib, Marriyum Aurangzeb said it was the speech of a “scared, coward and unsuccessful man”. “Does not matter how many lies Imran Khan tells, he will have to resign. Imran Khan will not get NRO for taking record loans worth Rs11,000 billion in one year and lowering the growth rate from 5.8

to 2.4 per cent,” she said, as she criticised the government for a hike in “gas prices by 200 percent and electricity rates by over 35 per cent”.

“Imran Khan is seeking NRO in foreign funding case as his money laundering and illegal transactions have been caught through 23 accounts,” she said in a comment on the PTI’s foreign funding case pending at the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Further, reacting to the news of Imran’s one-day tour to Lahore, Aurangzeb suggested him to “visit entire Punjab” in a single day.

In a statement, the PML-N leader said that all the people, including farmers, doctors and teachers are protesting the policies of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government as they are not getting the “promised relief”. She also urged the premier to ar-

rive in Lahore after opening the sections of Lahore-Khanewal (M-3) and Multan-Sukkur (M-5) motorways.

The former minister asked him to inaugurate the Orange Line Transit Line. “Imran Khan! You should take resignation from incompetent Punjab chief minister [Usman Buzdar] over increasing dengue patients in the

province,” she added.

Aurangzeb further urged PM Imran to resume the project of free medical treatment for povertystricken people and also inquire about the condition of doctors and other staff members who are protesting against the privatisation of government hospitals.

Karachi Biennale organisers ‘justify’ censorship of artwork three injured in Loc firing At least three people were injured when Indian army resorted to unprovoked firing from across the Line Of Control (LoC) on Monday. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Indian army targeted the civilian population along the LoC, resulting in injuries to three people.

The ISPR said the injured belonged to a village in Bhambar Sector near the LoC. Tensions are high between India and Pakistan after the former revoked Article 370 which recognized occupied Kashmir as a special territory. On Oct 25, Pakistan’s Foreign Office had summoned Indian Charge d’ Affaires Gaurav Ahluwalia to lodge a protest for targeting civilians in unprovoked firing along the Line of Control (LoC) that had resulted in the martyrdom of three civilians in Neelum Valley. NEWS DESK

Organisers of the Karachi Biennale where an exhibition depicting the 444 extrajudicial killings by police officer Rao Anwar was “forcibly shut down” by law enforcement agencies (LEAs) on Sunday have said that the artwork was “not compatible with the ethos of the event”.

The installation titled ‘Killing Fields of Karachi’ by artist Adeela Suleman displayed at Karachi’s iconic Frere Hall was shut down along with threats given by men in ‘plainclothes’ which triggered widespread criticism and sparked debate about free speech.

In a statement shared with a local media outlet, organisers of the Karachi Biennale stated, “With regards to the exhibit in question, we feel that despite the artist’s perspective, it is not compatible with the ethos of KB19 whose theme is ‘Ecology and the Environment’.Politicising the [biennale] platform will go against our efforts to bring art into the public and drawing artists from the fringe to the mainstream cultural discourse”. However, it went on to clarify that they are “against censorship of art and believe that expression is very subjective to the viewer’s interpretation of the artwork”. The statement also expressed gratitude for the support extended to the biennale by Karachi authorities, saying the City government had allowed the platform to utilise public spaces to install artworks and “use the city as a canvas”.

In regard to the censored exhibition, the statement added, “And while art is self-expression, the

05

fawad fears ‘taliban-style’ govt if anti-govt march succeeds ISLAMABAD: Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry on Monday warned of a ‘Taliban-style government’ if JUI-F’s Azadi March succeeded in “toppling” the government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). “A group of otherwise liberals is blinded by Imran Khan hate and supporting extremists march on Islamabad, any success to such marchers ll mean [the] end of Pak as democratic regime and a formation of Taliban style Govt! Beware[.],” he wrote on his Twitter. A day earlier, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) began its Azadi march — an anti-government movement calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan — from Karachi’s Sohrab Goth area. A massive show of power was ensured by all opposition parties supporting the march, including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Awami National Party (ANP). The marchers are scheduled to enter Islamabad on Oct 31. After an earlier deadlock, the government and opposition inked a deal on Saturday night whereby the terms and conditions of the March were chalked out. The foremost development was the agreement of a venue. According to the agreement, now the protest will be held in Islamabad’s H-9 area. INP

giving fake testimony is a sin, says cJP ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khosa Monday said fake testimony is ‘enormous sin’. He made these remarks while hearing a murder case in which the witnesses gave fake testimonies.During the hearing, Chief Justice Khosa said both the witnesses in the case gave fake testimonies. “We have sympathies for you as your brother and cousin were murdered but you gave a fake testimony after taking the oath,” he said.“Fake testimony is an enormous sin,” he said.“The investigation officer told plaintiff to bring fake witnesses,” he said.Later, the court transferred the case against the fake witnesses – Maqbool Hussain and Zafar Abbas – to a sessions court in Sargodha .APP

NaB to scrutinise assets of owners of medical colleges theme this year did not warrant political statement on an unrelated issue as all artists agreed to focus on ‘Ecology and the Environment’ within the framework of cultural sensitivities”. The organisers further said they hoped the artists’ community will understand that “any public event has to work within certain agreed […] boundaries”. “To ensure a sustainable future of Karachi Biennale, it is imperative that we focus on its mandate to connect art, the city and its people,” the handout concluded. NEWS DESK

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has launched a probe into assets owned by private medical college owners. According to a local media outlet, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) will provide the accountability watchdog with the travel histories of the owners under investigation. The bureau’s intelligence unit has approached the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to obtain tax details, going as back as eight years, of more than 90 medical college proprietors.

Further, account details of the medical colleges has been sought from banks. NEWS DESK

Insights on the housing sector in Pakistan and its future: Interview with Zameen.com co-founder STAFF REPORT CEO & Co-Founder of Emerging Markets Property Group (EMPG), Imran Ali Khan is a renowned and respected expert in the real estate sector of Pakistan. Under his leadership, the EMPG Group of companies owns and oversees property portals in the South East and Middle East Asia region, including; Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. In Pakistan, the EMGH Groups runs the famous property portal, Zameen.com and its sub-company Zameen Developments.

In his recent interview, Imran Ali offered his insights about the housing industry in Pakistan and where it is headed in the future. He presented his analysis of the real estate situation in the country after the elections, the subsequent revised government policies, and especially the launch of the Naya Pakistan Housing Programme (NPHP). It is noteworthy that under the NPHP initiative, the government of Pakistan will develop 5 million low-cost houses for the low-income sections of society. The government has reached out to local and international private companies’ to help construct these homes. This mass-scale project has

stemmed from a shortage of housing units that has contributed to an increase in the number of slums and Katchi Abadis across the country. Despite the promises made by politicians in each pre-election campaign, the lack of housing has only gotten worse till date.

Naya Pakistan Housing Programme: Practical or Ambitious?

When asked about NPHP, Khan maintained that the initiative ought to be run by a national-level, independent authority that operates without any political influence.

He suggested that such an authority should elect its board members based purely on merit and experience. People with ideas should be brought together with people who have done the leg work if we hope to make this initiative a success. There is one such institute on the cards now.

The housing models borrowed from other countries will not work here. He stressed on the need for a localized model for housing strategies that address the unique concerns of Pakistan. Coming up with the right plan and getting the right people on board is essential to NPHP’s success. He also revealed that he believes that the 5 million houses initiative (appreciated and much needed) might be too big a target for the present resource pool of Pakistan.

IMpAct of the InfLux of Low-coSt houSeS on reAL eStAte MArket: Speaking about how the addition of these houses will impact the real estate sector, Ali stated that the demand for construction materials will skyrocket for the short term. This will lead to a hike in their prices as well, but he reassured that the demand-supply chain always perseveres and will bring the prices back to normal. The individual capacity to buy a house might also be adversely affected, he conceded, but market forces have a way of working themselves out, and people always regain their buying power eventually.

On the plus side, he ventured that the industries will have to grow their capacity to keep up with the supply required to develop these houses. The added industrial potential will turn the economic wheels in the nation’s favour. Foreign investors, always interested in real estate ventures, are sure to invest in the growing and popular Asian market. houSIng Sector AnD econoMIc SucceSS: He said that over 40 industries are now directly involved in the real estate market and opportunities for more arise every day and that the housing construction sector alone con-

CMYK

tributes around 1% of the GDP, and even has the potential to rise up to 5 or 6 %.

Obviously this will have a significant impact on efforts to improve the national economy. Not to mention, the employment opportunities are beyond remarkable if the housing sector expands its scope to its full potential, he added. the hoMe-fInAnce SItuAtIon: On the subject of the legal and financial framework, he remarked that its revision and enforcement is long overdue.

As for house financing, there are various courses of action that should have been adopted by Pakistan (which have already been adopted by its neighbours).

Home loans are all but non-existent, he said. Again, he stressed for the need for localised fixes, saying that world-adopted mortgage policies aren’t feasible, owing to religious implications. He lauded the mortgage initiative launched by the State Bank of Pakistan but expressed that banks might not want to deal with individuals without fixed paychecks. (He was referring to the State Bank’s Mortgage Refinance Company (PMRC) that offers assistance to banks in exploring fixed-rate or hybrid models of mortgages).

LegISLAtIon AnD enforceMent of Better LAwS: As for

the housing laws, he stressed on the proper enforcement of foreclosure laws.

He mentioned that in Pakistan, the proceedings for the vacation of foreclosed property and documentation take up to 58 years, which is disastrous. The non-performing loan rate is abysmal and can only be helped through improved foreclosure laws, he added.

He also highlighted that the government is aware of the situation and is taking steps to correct it. He also suggested the establishment of a special forum and the formation of a regulatory authority to resolve all property-related disputes.

Contrary to the popular opinion of realtors, he expressed hope that a regulatory authority to enforce tenant protections, landlord protection, pricing and rental laws can really help turn the housing sector around in the long run.

Nearing the interview’s end, Imran Ali suggested that the government needs to depoliticise the housing sector and focus on modern (more efficient) policies. He also asked for the involvement of Information Technology tools to improve the sector, saying that e-governance can eliminate corruption and make everything transparent, accessible and convenient for everyone.

Tuesday, 29 October, 2019

06 WORLD VIEW

DIsagreeIng reasonably In a complex worlD

CounterCurrents

I

RobeRt Jensen

n my last couple years of university teaching before retiring, I repeated two catch phrases as often as possible—“reasonable people can disagree” and “if two things are both true, then both are relevant.”

The first assertion—which I used so often that at the end of one semester a student gave me a coffee mug with that line printed on it—is a plea for civility among people of good will as we vigorously debate contentious issues. Such engagement fosters productive intellectual and political lives.

The second is a reminder that the world is complex, and a caution against the temptation to eliminate evidence and arguments out of fear that they may threaten a treasured belief. That’s also crucial for building a healthy intellectual and political life. Both of those slogans were on my mind (more later on why) as I read P. E. Moskowitz’s The Case Against Free Speech: The First Amendment, Fascism, and the Future of Dissent, a useful book that is at times ridiculous, frustrating, and self-righteous.

I say “useful” because the book includes some excellent reporting about contemporary free speech debates along with informative historical background that can deepen a reader’s understanding of the issue and the larger struggle for a decent world. But the book ultimately falls short because of its philosophical confusion, selective attention to issues, and smug tone.

CONFUSED First, on the philosophical confusion. The book begins with a desperately-trying-to-be-bold claim: “This book is not anti-freespeech. It is anti-the-concept-offree-speech. It’s an important distinction. Everyone should have the right to say what they want. I will not argue otherwise. I am not an authoritarian.”

I’m not sure whether I agree or disagree, because I don’t understand what that means.

Free speech is not a naturally occurring object. It’s an idea, a notion, an aspiration, an approach to politics, always involving a theory about what it means to be human in a particular society at a particular time. In short, free speech is always a concept. Our desire to speak freely requires everyone, including Moskowitz, to develop a concept of free speech.

The Case Against Free Speech does articulate a variety of complaints and concerns about some of the conventional claims about free speech in the contemporary United States. In other words, Moskowitz’s concept of free speech diverges from other people’s concepts, which is fine—people argue about concepts all the time. I happen to share many of those concerns, which were the focus of a book I co-edited 25 years ago.

Also confusing is the claim that “everyone should have the right to say what they want,” which is contradicted by the rest of the book and Moskowitz’s rejection of the legitimacy of some kinds of expression, such as racist speech. But the larger point is that no one really

argues that everyone should be able to say what they want. To hold that position would make one a moral monster. Let me explain.

Every society draws a line between the stories one can tell freely, without the risk of punishment, and the stories that might get you in trouble. Every society draws a line between permitted and prohibited speech. Different societies draw it in different places, and a single society draws it in different ways over time.

There is no serious “absolutist” position on free speech, even though people sometimes claim to hold such a thing. An absolutist would have to reject any collective action against child pornography, libel, insider trading, blackmail, direct threats of violence, fraud in commerce, sexual harassment, and dozens of other categories of speech that we rightly punish in some way. Everyone can’t have a right to say what they want, because speech can, and does, result in tangible harm to others.

That means that every society

Free speech is not a naturally occurring object. It’s an idea, a notion, an aspiration, an approach to politics, always involving a theory about what it means to be human in a particular society at a particular time

must balance the harm or potential harm that speech can cause with the value of that speech to society.

Child pornography (now increasingly being called child sex abuse images) is extremely low-value speech that cannot be created without extraordinary harm—not much debate there. Making false assertions of fact that injure someone’s reputation gets more complicated, but almost everyone accepts the need for libel law.

We argue about how to understand harm, and how to assess the consequences of speech that harms. We argue about the value of various kinds of speech. And we argue about the rules that govern this messy balancing act. But at the core is an endlessly fascinating question for we humans, the storytelling species: What stories can we tell and what stories are off limits? Where do we draw the lines?

This isn’t news to Moskowitz— the first chapter of the book is “The Line,” which recounts the story of the nazi rally in Charlottesville, VA, that ended in the murder of Heather Heyer. The author asks, “Where was that damn line?” between protected speech that articulates or endorses white supremacy, and speech-connected-to actions that kill (the U.S. Supreme Court in 1969 said it’s when words are incitement to “imminent lawless action”). Two pages later, Moskowitz acknowledges, “We have a lot of line-defining work to do.”

Like everyone else, Moskowitz is working out how to understand the concept of free speech. What makes the book ridiculous is framing that inquiry as if it were something different, in what appears to be an attempt to claim some kind of moral high ground.

SELECTIVITY Moskowitz argues, appropriately in my opinion, that any con-

cept of free speech that doesn’t reckon with oppressive systems of power is inadequate, which is also true of every other social/political/economic issue in the contemporary United States. For example, the book points out that in a capitalist system which creates vast economic inequality, rich people have more resources to create and circulate speech than poor people. That’s obviously true, and a point that left-leaning scholars and activists have been making regularly for at least the past century. Much of the book also examines how white supremacy distorts the dominant culture’s ability to recognize and accurately assess the harms to people of color, another essential element of any serious examination of free speech.

What’s striking about the book is the almost complete absence of inquiry into patriarchy, the third of the big-three systems of illegitimate authority. Take a simple example, the prevalence of sexually harassing speech in the lives of girls and women—on the street, in schools and universities, on the job, and online.

There is a lot of line-defining to do when it comes to men’s uninvited sexual and sexualized intrusions into women’s lives. Moskowitz need not include every possible issue in a book, of course, but the failure to note the relevance of these issues in crafting a concept of free speech is hard to miss.

An even more glaring absence is the feminist critique of pornography, which emerged in the 1970s and ‘80s at about the same time that Critical Race Theory scholars were articulating a case for the regulation of racist hate speech. The two arguments were, and remain, similar in moral and theoretical dimensions—so much so that in 1993 a conference at the University of Chicago Law School on “Speech, Equality, and Harm” included major figures in both movements. Feminists continue to develop serious analyses about the harms associated with the production and use of pornography. (My own research and writing on the subject can be found in articles and the book Getting Off, all available free online.)

In the quarter-century since that conference, commercial heterosexual pornography (the bulk of the market) has become more intensely cruel and degrading to women and more overtly racist, which might suggest that today’s left/progressive/radical activists who challenge the libertarian/liberal orthodoxy on speech would make the feminist

critique part of their project. Instead, those left activists tend to reject the critique and embrace a “sex work” analysis that is libertarian not radical, and embraces liberal individualism rather than a traditional leftist focus on systems and structures of power. The only mention of these issues in The Case Against Free Speech involves a specific internet regulation and indicates that the author does indeed embrace that libertarian/individualist agenda.

Whatever conclusion one reaches about the appropriate legal response to sexist and racist pornography, the issue is relevant to a serious treatment of free speech politics that wants to claim left/progressive/radical roots. This failure is not Moskowitz’s alone; it’s common for leftists who reject liberal politics on most everything to embrace liberal politics on pornography and the other sexual-exploitation industries (prostitution and stripping). What makes the book frustrating is this willful avoidance.

SMUG Back to the two truisms from the start: Reasonable people can disagree, and if both things are true then both are relevant.

Moskowitz falls short on both counts, which accounts for the book’s self-satisfied tone.

That’s particularly disappointing to me, because for the past 30 years I have been part of a number of left political movements and taught courses about free speech. The goals of challenging oppressive systems of power and nurturing good intellectual practices matter to me, and the book is less useful for these projects than it could have been.

On politics: The Case Against Free Speech has much to offer a reader, but I can imagine many readers who disagree with Moskowitz’s politics deciding not to hang around long enough to finish the book. The prose has a holier-than-thou tone that conveys a not-so-subtle condescension toward anyone who doesn’t share those politics. I’m not suggesting Moskowitz should frame arguments to pander to white supremacists—there are unreasonable people in the world, and pursuing disagreement with them may be unproductive, even dangerous. But traditional conservatives, moderates, liberals, and even many fellow leftists/progressives/radicals will feel some of that condescension aimed at them. I certainly did.

Another limiting factor is Moskowitz’s unwillingness to acknowledge that the conservative critiques of “political correctness” on campuses have a kernel of truth

to them. Universities are not run by leftists, of course, but largely by conservative-to-moderate administrators. Business schools, not exactly leftist hotbeds, are often one of the most well-funded units on campus. Economics departments overwhelmingly preach standard neoclassical ideology.

And over decades, right-wing individuals and foundations have tried to use donations to mold universities and the political culture more generally. Moskowitz does a good job of pointing out all of this.

But it’s also true that on certain issues in certain departments (depending on the campus, that can be units such as sociology, literature, women’s studies, ethnic studies) there is an unwelcoming climate for students and faculty who want to challenge the liberal-to-left thinking that defines those fields.

That doesn’t mean racism and sexism should be tolerated in the classrooms, only that philosophical and policy disagreements shouldn’t be shut down. Both things are true and both are relevant.

Any concept of free speech that doesn’t reckon with oppressive systems of power is inadequate, which is also true of every other social/political/economic issue in the contemporary United States

My own experience at the University of Texas is illustrative, and not idiosyncratic. After 9/11, my writing and speaking in opposition to U.S. imperialism and the socalled “war on terror” put me in the crosshairs of conservatives in the state, and the UT administration eventually piled on (the university’s president condemned me by name in public but didn’t try to fire me, I assume because I had employment protection with tenure). I saw the chilling effect that the administration’s actions had on campus, as numerous students and faculty colleagues told me they didn’t speak up out of fear of putting their careers at risk. As a result, the whole state was denied the opportunity for its flagship university to be a center for vigorous debate about crucial policy decisions. Everyone loses.

A dozen years later, I began publishing articles that offered a feminist critique of the ideology of the transgender movement. This time I was in the crosshairs of liberals and fellow leftists/progressives/radicals who denounced me as a bigot and transphobe without providing any substantive critique of my writing. Again, I saw the chilling effect, as numerous students and faculty members told me they agreed with me but wouldn’t risk being shunned. Again, the whole state was denied listening to an important debate that could draw on the campus’ considerable intellectual resources. Everyone loses.

In neither case was I punished by a governmental agency. In neither case was my life seriously disrupted. In both cases I was called some unpleasant names and I lost some friends, but on the scale of suffering those things barely register. As a tenured professor who is white, male, and a U.S. citizen, I have enormous privilege. My point is that our collective political and

intellectual lives are diminished by a lack of respect for critical thinking and freedom of speech.

The 9/11 experience demonstrates how an important conversation about the United States’ role in the world was undermined by jingoistic invocations of patriotism.

The transgender example demonstrates how an important feminist tradition of challenging patriarchal gender norms is being undermined by claims that are being asserted but not adequately defined or defended. The cultural climate around speech matters, even when governments don’t take direct actions to suppress free speech.

To be clear: I am, and will remain, part of the left, broadly defined—critical of capitalism, imperialism, white supremacy, and patriarchy, with a recognition of the centrality of ecological sustainability to any meaningful politics.

I think reckoning with all these systems of power is relevant to hashing out the rules by which we try to maximize free speech and expand the space for critical intellectual work. Given the threats posed by multiple, cascading ecological crises, at this point in human history we are, quite literally, arguing for our lives.

I am wary of state power and cautious about using public policy to proscribe speech, but I believe that a good case can be made for carefully constructed regulations that allow people to challenge hate speech and pornography. I also believe that public policy can be used to reduce the political advantages that come with wealth, as we struggle to transcend a socially unjust and ecologically unsustainable capitalist system.

But I also recognize that such policies are not easy to construct or enforce, that there can be unintended consequences to such policies, and that people of good faith can reach different conclusions.

Even if my perspective on these questions were to prevail, I would want a vigorous debate to continue. The only question on which I see no room for debate is on the absolute right of all people to participate in the public conversation, based on the claim to basic human dignity and mutual respect. But how to guarantee that right and ensure that dignity and respect? If only that were simple to design.

Let me end with what may seem strange—an endorsement of Moskowitz’s anger, which I understand to be rooted in an awareness of how many people do not embrace human dignity and equal rights. I share that anger, which deepens as I get older. But while anger can be the motive force behind acting on one’s deeply held moral beliefs, the expression of anger is not itself a political or intellectual argument. As I get older, I am more aware of how righteous anger can so easily turn self-righteous.

Reasonable people can disagree, and I take both Moskowitz and myself to be reasonable. The Case against Free Speech is a flawed book, and I’m glad I read it. Both things are true, and therefore both are relevant.

Robert Jensen, an emeritus professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin, collaborates with Ecosphere Studies at The Land Institute. He is the author of several books, including The End of Patriarchy: Radical Feminism for Men and Plain Radical: Living, Loving, and Learning to Leave the Planet Gracefully.

The Case Against Free Speech: The First Amendment, Fascism, and the Future of Dissent by by P. E. Moskowitz (Bold Type Books, 2019).

Tuesday, 29 October, 2019

Syrian KurdiSh forceS Say leaving TurKiSh border area, damaScuS welcomeS move BEIRUT

T

AGENCIES

HE Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Sunday it had agreed to withdraw more than 30 km (19 miles) from the Turkish border, an announcement welcomed by Damascus which said Turkey should now end its “aggression” in northeast Syria.

Turkey launched its cross-border offensive on Oct. 9 targeting Kurdish YPG forces in northeast Syria after President Donald Trump pulled U.S. troops out of the area.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Russia’s Vladimir Putin then agreed on Oct. 22 that Syrian border guards and Russian military police would clear the border area up to 30 km into Syria of YPG fighters over a six-day period that ends Tuesday. The YPG is the main component of the SDF and is viewed by Ankara as terrorists due to their links to Kurdish insurgents in southeast Turkey. But the SDF

has been a key ally of the United States in the fight against Islamic State militants.

“The SDF is redeploying to new positions away from the Turkish-Syrian border across northeast Syria in accordance with the terms of the (Erdogan-Putin) agreement in order to stop the bloodshed and to protect the inhabitants of the region from Turkish attacks,” the SDF said

in a statement. It urged Russia to help ensure “a constructive dialogue” between the Kurdish-led administration in northeast Syria and the government of President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus.

Moscow is Assad’s closest ally and Russian military power has proven decisive in helping him turn the tide of Syria’s eight-year civil war and recover large swathes of

FOREIGN NEWS 07

territory.

The Sochi agreement allows Assad’s forces to return to parts of the northern border with Turkey for the first time in years.

The Damascus government welcomes the SDF withdrawal which removes “the main pretext for flagrant Turkish aggression on (Syrian) territory”, Syrian state news agency SANA said, citing a foreign ministry source.

The government will help citizens to re-integrate, SANA said, paving “the way for … a return to Syrian national unity”.

Under the Erdogan-Putin agreement, clinched in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, Turkish and Russian forces will start patrolling from Tuesday a section of the Turkish-Syrian border that runs 10 km deep into Syria.

On Saturday Erdogan said Turkey would not hesitate to intervene again to clear YPG forces from the border area if Russia failed to fulfill its obligations under the Sochi deal.

Lebanon protesters block roads to keep revolt alive BEIRUT AGENCIES

Lebanese demonstrators set up barricades and parked cars across key roads Monday to protest corruption and press their demands for a radical overhaul of their country’s sectarian political system.

Defying pleas from Lebanon’s top leaders, protesters sought to keep the country on lockdown for a 12th consecutive day by cutting off some of the main thoroughfares, including the main north-south highway.

The protesters are demanding more freedom, better services and an end to corruption and sectarian politics, among other things. Their unprecedented mobilisation — sparked by a proposed tax on voice calls via messaging apps on October 17 — has quickly morphed into a massive grassroots push to drive out a political elite which has remained virtually unchanged in three decades.

Lebanon’s political leaders have appeared shell-shocked, trying simultaneously to express sympathy for the protest movement while warning of chaos in the case of a power vacuum.

“If the corrupt ruling class doesn’t feel like the country is crippled we will not see any results,” said 21-year-old Ali who was among a group of demonstrators blocking a key road in the capital on Monday morning. A poster urging motorists to block roads with their cars started circulating on social media on Sunday night.

By the next day, some major routes were

closed off by hundreds of angle-parked vehicles, others by groups of protesters sitting on the road.

Schools and banks have been closed for more than a week. The Lebanese security forces had been expected to make a new attempt at reopening the roads as the country faced more paralysis.

The army and the country’s top security agencies had agreed at the weekend to a militaryled plan to clear roadblocks, but their efforts have been met with resistance from demonstrators.

In the southern city of Sidon, the army scuffled with protesters blocking the city’s northern entrance on Monday morning, injuring three, said an AFP correspondent.

In Beirut, activists converted a main artery in the centre of the city into an open-air living room, furnished with couches and rugs.

They shot footballs across streets which on a regular Monday would have been jammed with motorists streaming in from Beirut’s northern suburbs. Most residents have backed road closures, and business owners on Sunday night called for a general strike in solidarity, but political officials and flustered motorists have in recent days accused demonstrators of robbing people of their livelihoods.

NO GOING BACK: “We are not closing all the roads. There are always side roads people can use,” said Yusra, a 16-year-old in central Beirut.

“We don’t want to stand against the people but we also don’t want to go back to the way things were before the revolution,” she told AFP.

hong Kong enters recession as protests show no sign of relenting CENTRAL: Hong Kong has fallen into recession, hit by more than five months of anti-government protests that show no signs of relenting, and is unlikely to achieve annual economic growth this year, the city’s Financial Secretary said. “The blow to our economy is comprehensive,” Paul Chan said in a blog post on Sunday, adding that a preliminary estimate for third-quarter GDP on Thursday would show two successive quarters of contraction — the technical definition of a recession. He also said it would be “extremely difficult” to achieve the government’s pre-protest forecast of 0-1 per cent annual economic growth. Protests in the former British colony have reached their 21st week. On Sunday, black-clad and masked demonstrators set fire to shops and hurled petrol bombs at police who responded with tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets. Protesters have routinely torched store fronts and businesses including banks, particularly those owned by mainland Chinese companies and vandalised the city’s metro system MTR Corp as they view it as acting at the government’s behest to curtail protests. The MTR has shut services early for the past few weeks and said it will close around two hours earlier than normal on Monday by 11pm to repair damaged facilities. Tourists numbers have plummeted, a decline Chan called an “emergency” with the drop in visitor numbers worsening in October, down nearly 50 per cent. AGENCIES

diwali fireworks haze pushes indian capital's air quality to severe NEW DELHI: Air pollution in some parts of the Indian capital deteriorated early on Monday to the worst recorded level, officials said, a day after revellers set off fireworks to mark Diwali in celebrations that were more subdued than in previous years. The air quality index, which measures the concentration of poisonous particulate matter, touched 500 in several parts of Delhi, including the international airport, in the early hours of Monday, the maximum recorded by the government’s Central Pollution Control Board.

Anything above 401 is classified as “severe”. Air pollution at that level can seriously affect those with existing respiratory illnesses, and even those who are healthy. The levels have remained above 300 since early Monday morning, or “very poor”, which can cause respiratory illness after prolonged exposure. AGENCIES

Poll finds over 80pc in Japan back female emperor

So far, the unprecedented protest movement has been relatively incident-free, despite tensions with the armed forces and attempts by party loyalists to stage counter-demonstrations.

In one of the most serious incidents, the army opened fire on Friday to confront a group of protesters blocking a road in the northern city of Tripoli, wounding at least six people.

On Sunday, tens of thousands of protesters joined hands nationwide to form a 170-kilometre (105-mile) human chain stretching from Tripoli to Tyre in the south.

TOKYO: The vast majority of Japanese voters back allowing women to inherit the Chrysanthemum Throne, a new polls shows, as the royal family struggles with a dearth of male heirs. The survey, conducted in the wake of last week’s enthronement proclamation ceremony for Emperor Naruhito, found 81.9 percent favour Japan having a woman take the throne, with 13.5 percent opposed. The Kyodo News agency poll, carried out over the weekend, comes as there is renewed debate about succession in the royal family, with inheritance of the throne limited by law to male members of the imperial line. There are currently just three heirs — the emperor’s younger brother Crown Prince Akishino, 53, his 13-year-old son Prince Hisahito, and 83year-old Prince Hitachi, the emperor’s uncle. The dwindling ranks of male heirs have rekindled debate about allowing female royals to ascend the throne, with top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga saying they would “cautiously” study the issue after a series of imperial ceremonies this year. Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako have one child, 17-year-old Princess Aiko. AGENCIES

Unemployment fuelling unrest in Arab states: IMF WASHINGTON AGENCIES

Unemployment and sluggish economic growth are fuelling social tension and popular protests in several Arab countries, the International Monetary Fund said on Monday.

The unrest is in turn contributing to slower growth in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, alongside global trade tensions, oil price volatility and a disorderly Brexit process, the IMF said in a report on the regional economic outlook. Earlier this month, it lowered the 2019 forecast for the region — taking in the Arab nations and Iran — to a meagre 0.1 percent from 1.1 percent last year.

The IMF slashed its outlook for the region’s three largest economies — Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. The risks around the forecast of earlier this month “are skewed to the downside and are highly dependent on global factors”, the IMF said in its report on Monday.

“The level of growth that countries in

the region are having is below what is needed to address unemployment,” said Jihad Azour, the IMF’s director for the Middle East and Central Asia.

“We are in a region where the rate of unemployment at the youth level exceeds 25-30 percent and this requires growth to be higher by 1-2 percent” in order to make a dent in joblessness, Azour told AFP in an interview. The IMF report said that the high unemployment was worsening social tensions in Arab countries.

“Unemployment averages 11 percent throughout the region versus seven percent across other emerging market and developing economies,” it said.

“Women and young people are particularly likely to be out of work, with more than 18 percent of women […] without jobs in 2018.” Violent protests have broken out in several Arab countries since early 2010 and turned into bloody civil wars in Syria, Yemen and Libya.

A new wave of demonstrations erupted over the last year in Algeria, Sudan, Iraq and Lebanon, typically demanding economic reforms and action

against corruption. In Lebanon, where protesters have brought the country to a standstill with demands for a full overhaul of the political system, the economy grew at a very slow pace over the past few years, Azour noted.

“The government has to act firmly and swiftly in order to address those imbalances, bring confidence back by addressing the fiscal situation, and lower expenditure,” he said.

The IMF also said that public debt levels were very high in many Arab countries — exceeding 85 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on average, with rates of more than 150 percent in Lebanon and Sudan. “Having built over many years, the cost of public debt burdens has become sizeable, preventing investments critical to the region’s long-term economic future,” it said.

The IMF said that Iran, which is subject to crippling US sanctions, has entered a steep economic recession and faces a battle against spiralling inflationary pressures. The Islamic republic’s economy is projected to contract by 9.5 percent this

year after posting negative growth of 4.8 percent in 2018.

Iranian authorities must align “the exchange rate close to the market rate and also reform the financial sector […] and try to address some of the implications of the high level of inflation”, Azour said.

As a result of the sanctions, Tehran is

believed to be exporting only around 500,000 barrels per day of crude, down from over two million bpd before the sanctions. The IMF said that oil-rich Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, led by Saudi Arabia, are expected to grow by just 0.7 percent this year from 2.0 percent in 2018 due to lower oil prices and output.

Tuesday, 29 October, 2019

08 COMMENT

How difficult is the Quran?

Imran Khan and political opponents Setting atrocious precedents

And what one requires for its understanding

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even days in hospital with multiple lifethreatening ailments, nawaz Sharif’s life continues to hang by a thread. Fearing the possible repercussions of any untoward incident, “certain quarters” have reportedly asked Shehbaz Sharif to persuade the former PM to go abroad for treatment.

This comes at a time when his platelets fail to rise above dangerous levels making air journey unadvisable. In view of the ITP syndrome, the doctors have stopped the administration of a key drug for heart, posing another kind of risk. Had the former PM been allowed to proceed abroad a few months earlier for treatment, his condition might not have deteriorated so badly.

Some of PM Imran Khan’s allies who are known as Mr Sharif’s bitter political rivals have requested the PM to send him abroad for treatment instead of waiting for the judiciary to take the action. Mr Khan however feels comfortable with the situation maintaining he could not give a guarantee about anyone’s life after he had provided the former PM with the best possible medical facilities and doctors. He continues meanwhile with the rhetoric about not providing nRO to any one of his political opponents.

It appears that Imran Khan is concerned only with the satisfaction of his ego irrespective of its consequences for the system, the society and the national economy. Dissatisfied with the opponents languishing in jails, he wants to change jail laws to make the life of the inmates as painful as possible. Back in August 2013 he had rushed to attend a London event meant to save the elephants, skipping the proposed All Parties Conference called to save the country and its people from the terrorist onslaught and destruction.

It is not just Mr Sharif who has been made to go through treatment that has aggravated his ailments.

Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is reportedly lodged in a death cell with solitary confinement in defiance of basic human rights and violation of the relevant laws. He too is badly in need of medical treatment. PM Khan is setting a bad tradition.

Shrinking democratic space Suppressing freedom of speech, punishing dissent

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AKISTAn electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PeMRA) has once again issued directives to television channels that fundamentally restrict them to choose freely the format and content of its programming. The order states that news anchors are barred from giving their “opinions” during their own or other talk shows and to limit their role to “moderator”.

These instructions are quite arbitrary in nature and just another way to tighten the censorship noose on the media. How is an anchor supposed to effectively conduct a programme if he is not allowed to analyse and interpret a particular event that is being discussed in order to frame questions to ask guests of the show? It goes on to ‘direct’ that every channel’s ‘monitoring board’ must include a lawyer with ‘at least five years’ of experience who will look out for any potential violations, meaning that not only will the editorial line be dictated by the regulatory authority now but also the variety of human resource in a particular media organisation. essentially, legal room is being created to identify and restrict anchors that do not follow the everchanging set of instructions/advice in line with the approved ‘narrative’ in the current state-media equation.

On Sunday an installation at the Karachi Biennale at the iconic Frere Hall titled ‘Killing fields of Karachi’ depicting 444 ‘encounters’ by the notorious Rao Anwar, displayed through multiple graves, was forcibly shut down by men in plain clothes followed by a press conference that was disrupted by DG parks Karachi for ‘depicting a negative image of Pakistan’. The exhibit which is a work of art telling an accurate story about the bloody history of Karachi remains closed although the park where it is placed is a public place. Article 19 of the constitution ensures ‘the right to freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom of the Press subject to reasonable restrictions’. The restrictions being placed on the country’s media, artists and intellectuals are anything but reasonable rather just a deliberate reduction of democratic space.

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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haSaN aFTaB SaEED

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S Quran a difficult book to understand? Of course, the words ‘easy’ and ‘difficult’ are relative, so what’s easy for one man may be difficult for another. As the last revelation, and for the whole of mankind for all time to come (as Muslims believe it is), one would expect it to be accessible to the masses. Indeed, one verse that recurs four times in the Quran says the same. ‘Certainly, we have made the Quran simple to serve as a reminder. So, is there anyone who will take heed?’ [54:17,22,32,40] For those not familiar with Arabic, the first difficulty is obviously the language itself. Only a minority of Muslims speak Arabic. If one considers all inhabitants of the planet, the percentage of those who understand Arabic is very small indeed. Fortunately, multiple translations are available in all languages; and since there is no dispute about the original text, there is little room for translators to go very far from the text. (exegeses are a different matter, but more on that shortly.) So, while one may need a teacher (or a translator) to understand the Quran, it can certainly be done without having any scholastic credentials. Of course, like any other study, it requires mental effort and sincerity on the part of the reader. There’s no escape from that.

It’s unfortunately true that the layman often makes it difficult for himself by unnecessarily bringing in matters of fiqh (jurisprudence) into his understanding of the Quran, and imposing meanings on it from culture and/or texts other than the Quran. Many exegetes have also been guilty of the same. (The author has covered an aspect of the issue in these pages in an article entitled, ‘Quran and hadees’). The ordinary man should be able to understand the message

of the Quran, provided he sticks to the text (or the translation) and doesn’t rely too much on one exegesis (tafseer) or another.

The basic message of the Quran then is loud and clear, and easy enough to understand. This should suffice for the purposes of the majority, since few among any community are scholars or philosophers. In this respect, the Quran is not at all difficult to understand. It repeats its core message now from this angle, now from that one; emphasising this aspect in one place and that aspect in another. And this is what one expects of it too. For who should know how best to talk to man but his Creator? Unfortunately, there are many Muslims who say the Quran can only be understood by a select few. Some of them obviously don’t know what they are talking about, but others (the professional clerics) have ulterior motives of their own.

And no wonder, because the ordinary man relying blindly on their interpretations does no harm whatsoever to their politics and bank balances.

So much for the basic understanding that is vital for a Muslim. But is that all there is to the Quran? not even close. This is a book that claims that it is complete (in theological matters); and nothing has been left out of it. ‘And no argument do they bring to you, but We give you the truth and the best explanation’ [25:33]. For those who are of a philosophical or academic disposition, there’s a wealth of material in it over and above the basic understanding. In addition to answering every argument against it; it deals with complex matters such as free-will and predestination, the limitations of human knowledge and God’s attributes from the human point of view. According to a hadees, the wonders of this book will never cease. It is this breadth and

depth that makes it probably the most difficult book in the world. One could spend a lifetime on it and still cover only a small portion of it.

Coming from the Creator of the universe, again this is what one would expect of it.

There’s another group that complains that the Quran is too difficult to understand for ordinary folks. Interestingly, this group is diametrically opposed in temperament to the professional clerics who make the same claim for very different reasons. ‘As a man of the world, I must earn a living, raise kids and what not; so how can I be reasonably expected to understand the theological intricacies of the Quran?’, or so the argument goes.

Leaning towards atheism, this group is not against the Quran in particular, but rejects all revelation on these grounds. When one of them is told that not everybody is required to be a scholar of the Quran any way, he then proceeds to critique the Quranic arguments, usually in a very superficial manner. This is a very dishonest position, because by his own admission he doesn’t possess the time (or the intellect) to understand the thesis (the original arguments); but mysteriously has time (and intellect) to understand the antithesis (refutation of the arguments).

There are many layers to the understanding of the Quran. The ordinary man and the scholar obviously have different questions, and the Quran has the capacity to satisfy the simpleton and the intellectual alike. However, it has no benefit for those who pick and choose depending on what is convenient.

It’s unfortunately true that the layman often makes it difficult for himself by unnecessarily bringing in matters of fiqh (jurisprudence) into his understanding of the Quran, and imposing meanings on it from culture and/or texts other than the Quran

Hasan Aftab Saeed is a connoisseur of music, literature, and food (but not drinks). He can be reached at www.facebook.com/hasanaftabsaeed

A commodity called education And how it is bought, sold and used for the greater stratification of society

Shah Nawaz Mohal

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O buy, sell, bag profits, and possess novelty is what humanity has reduced to. We are voracious consumers whose sole agenda is to devour more, acquire more, possess more, flaunt more, and feel alive through what we have bought. Cars, clothes, accessories, tattoos, bags, etc are our reason, our rationale to live another day. education, of late, too has become a commodity in our beloved motherland. education is the buzzword around which our concerns and conversations revolve incessantly. We are either ‘concerned’ about the overall situation and the paltry percentage of GDP our government spends on educating our future generation or ‘angered’ by the not-so-good grades our children bag. education, like detergents, chocolates and cars, is a commodity Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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which is bought and sold. At private schools the more money one is willing to spend, the better brand of education one will get. And trust me; your purchasing power has a serious impact on your child’s life. Good grades in O and A-levels can take him to Oxford, Harvard or Cambridge on a scholarship. Bad ones will be sufficient to land him in a fine local university. Have a couple of millions to spare? Have a young man or young lady interested in donning a white coat? Bingo. He/she can and will become a doctor from any one of dozens private medical colleges.

Money, beyond doubt, makes all the mares go where you want them to.

But if you don’t have the money or the mare, the government offers its hapless, less-privileged masses, ration-quality education at public schools. It is cheap, at times free and utterly devoid of any future promise or foreseeable prestige. Gone are the days of bureaucrats hailing from ‘taat’ schools and sons of poor households, making it big. That breed, like dodo and dinosaurs, is long extinct.

The age of foreign universities educated elite has dawned in Pakistan. These students, a majority of whom hail from the moneyed class, rule and run all boulevards of social, political and economic activity. The social standing and the accompanying expertise and the tag of foreign education puts those eons ahead of anyone who does not match their

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credentials. education, for the filthy rich is a way to perpetuate their social standing, maintain their financial prowess and help them cement their place at the top of the food chain. They devour all they survey.

Then there is just-rich stratum; this lot has enough to get locally available “english-Medium” education but they fall a bit short of affording what the filthy rich can with incredible ease. Their choice is limited. They choose from a dozen or so private schools and provide all they can to their protégé. Some do well, others; well they are left with an American accent that reeks of superficiality. education, for justrich, translates itself in jobs in the IT sector, telecom, business administration, and some CSS qualified bureaucrats peppered here and there.

The picture of education if seen from the eyes of a middle-class parent paints an utterly dismal picture. The middle-class folks have to opt from one of two options. Option one is to cut expenses here and there and send their kid to a private school. Option two, to send him to a government school and provide for extra tuition.

Both choices have consequences. In the first instance the kid ends up being a victim of acute sense of inferiority.

In the second, after getting mediocre education he faces wild, ferocious competition in the job market.

In a nutshell, the middle-class suffers the most in the prevailing

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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scenario of education. They strive, they struggle, they strive more, and they struggle some more. And still they are part of the zero-sum game. now, meet the king, the ultimate winner in all this. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, hail the dirt-poor segment of your society. These bands of merry creatures give less than two pence to all the education and the claptrap accompanying. They live, they reproduce, they reproduce more, and they reproduce again. Their children attain enough strength, before the completion of their first decade on earth, to sustain themselves and contribute in the family’s coffer. They start their professional careers as ‘rag pickers’, as ‘chota’ of some mechanic, as assistants of car washers, etc. The children of dirt-poor lead their life in ignorance, which we know is sine qua non to experience ‘bliss’.

Will Durant, an epoch defining historian and a philosopher of astronomical proportions, summed up the whole process of education in a single line, “education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance”. By this he meant, I guess, that discovering our ignorance is the utmost task humans need to undertake. The question is: are we willing to explore these uncharted territories of ignorance?

Shah Nawaz Mohal is a law graduate and journalist based in Islamabad. He can be reached at mshahnawazmohal@gmail.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Tuesday, 29 October, 2019

COMMENT 09 Editor’s mail

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

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Kashmir crisis

The revolution will be streamed online Predicting preferences effectively

aMNa KhaN

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ReDICTInG the unpredictable, that’s what this new digital world is about. Predicting our desires, needs and wants even before we know them. even before we’re fully aware of developing any, the world wants to know us. Make money off of us. Control us. even helping us in some ways more than others, by allowing us to find ourselves and our place in it. ‘Prediction’ and this manipulation is what drives us to create content, create anything, period. The intuition that someone somewhere wants what we have. ‘Predictive analytics’ is just another name for this intuitive feeling.

Showing us results, proving to us that we matter because what we created mattered and helped in making this otherwise manipulative world just a little bit better if not for most than at least some of us.

That’s the basis upon which mass media was built - to connect, project and hopefully reject through a workable system of fair and popular demand. It’s only when local media decided to turn its back on us that internet Tv was born and bloomed. Streaming services like netflix and Amazon Prime video captured our interest because they cultivated our minds - like the friend who knows more about us than we do. Despite this dystopian world that’s forecasting our desires, the biggest desire remains above all our need to be desired. There are reportedly over 33 million versions of netflix, catering, customising, and completing us through our need to feel special. Images and trailers are fashioned with our feelings in mind. Movie actors bearing the closest resemblance to us, beam across our laptop screens to sell ourselves to us. Algorithms designed in the shape of our personalities guarantee we’re hooked and relating to whatever we see in front of us. Tv ratings are just approximations but this - this is far more powerful because it is us, more than even we are ourselves.

Mightier than conventional marketing ‘predictive analytics’ is the ultimate guide to consumer insight. While we’re hung up on religion & tradition the world works more on intuition.

A mathematical intuitiveness that conserves cash while ensuring results. The reason why this technology remains unused is perhaps the tendency for big data to confirm what every Pakistani producer knows already, that he is incompetent and that perhaps TikTok is more engaging than any of his Tv projects. The basic purpose of predictive data is to pin-point a company towards its core demographic (they’re younger & more educated FYI) and the ‘targeting’ of that market comes from seeing what we care about and in trying to give that to us. Pakistani media is the like dial up internet in a world running on 5G. Implying that you’re not only obsolete but also that no one has the equipment to understand what you’re saying. Channels are putting pressure on people to conform and confirm their world views robbing us of untapped audiences and worthwhile artists of their livelihood. And then these very channels also complain of underfunding and subsidising adverts paid for by our taxes. Isn’t it lucky for us that the inflation rate of the country supports not only their business models but their egos as well! even the Prime Minister’s Tv show recommendation which to no one’s surprise was not a Pakistani production clearly spells out our media’s demise.

The PM’s endorsement of Diriliş Ertuğrul aka The Resurrection, a Turkish drama glorifying the pre-Ottoman time period of Muslim history. This unpaid word of mouth publicity by the PM less than discreetly suggests our media’s incapability of creating equally rich content. Although to his credit he did advise we dub it in Urdu - you know, to salvage whatever is left of our minds. Because where this drama is made for widespread Turkish audiences, we make dramas to pander to conservative and the spiritually thick-headed in our country. As a solution I recommend reviving the glory days of Ishq-e-Memnu via Diriliş Ertuğrul - an incest free version of Game of Thrones made to cater for PG-13 rated audiences. What could be more pleasing for this nation of the pure and faithfully inbred?

Predictably that’s what it will all come down to - dubbing shows in english because we’re lazy and too birdbrained to make better ones. Did I mention we’re also the masters of

taking shortcuts and free loading - believing it’s better to help generate a foreigner’s revenue stream rather than investing in our own.

We’d rather just use netflix and not take a risk. Coming up with consumable content is hard, fortunate for us that the revolution will be streamed online. The internet gives us all the fighting chance that we need. That’s what’s revealed in the PM’s latest binge watch; Diriliş Ertuğrul. Where our dramas teach us how to love a lover the PM’s recommendation teaches us how to love our country. even our Prime Minister thinks it’s better if we learn our lessons of patriotism & morality from abroad – anywhere but here.

They say spreading Islam by example, by way of life is the responsibility of every Muslim. What better way to display this example the world over than through the cinematic lens? It is in fact our duty now more than ever before to create good content so that people understand us, empathise with us and hopefully support us. We are obsessed with preparing for the impending resurrection (doomsday) but we seem highly unconcerned when it comes to the unavoidable demands of the digital age.

As a nation we are in denial of our test to adapt with the changing times shaped by an ever-evolving digital landscape. God will surely ask us what we did to secure the livelihood of our future generations, our progeny.

This Turkish show thrives in captivating a largely non-Muslim audience by universalising our values. values centred on Sufi beliefs and inclusive notions of love. Cinematically and otherwise Pakistan too was in its prime when under Ayub these principles were promoted. Sufism connects us all by echoing the national spirit of humanity. A national spirit now measured by the viewership of a popular Tv show. Turkey’s foreign ministry also reveals that Turkish soap operas are generating tens of millions of dollars in export revenues - clearly the world agrees with Turkey’s national sentiment, unlike Pakistan, which is predictably falling behind in both software and soft power. Well, I guess time will only tell what this system will do to us.

Even the Prime Minister’s TV show recommendation which to no one’s surprise was not a Pakistani production clearly spells out our media’s demise. The PM’s endorsement of Diriliş Ertuğrul aka The Resurrection, a Turkish drama glorifying the pre-Ottoman time period of Muslim history

Amna Khan is a freelance columnist.

THe 74th annual session of the Un General Assembly is going to held from September 17 to 27, 2019. This is an opportunity for Islamic Republic of Pakistan to present Kashmir issue in UnGA, as an independent participation with the help of P.5-countries (USA, Russia, UK, France and China) and UFC-Coffee Club (Pakistan’s Un-group).

The purpose of the United nations (Un) is the maintenance of international peace and security. It has mixed records. The Un has been successful in socio-economic field. But it is failure in political domain which overshadowed its social services.

However, to analyse Un’s Policy and its mission and vision on Kashmir issue. One can say Un is failed in political arena to maintain peace in the World. There are many solutions. To present solutions of Kashmir issue, one ought to know current situation.

It is globally acknowledge, Kashmir is an International dispute in South Asia (especially between Republic of India and Islamic Republic of Pakistan). The dispute continued over 72 years.

On August 5, 2019, the current government of India under Mr narendra Modi administration altered the status of Indianoccupied Kashmir through the revocation of Article 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution. This move is illegal under the Constitution of India. It violates not only the United nations Security Council (UnSC) resolutions on Kashmir, but also transgresses to the United nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UnCIP), statements of the first Prime Minister (PM) of India Late Jawaharlal nehru on Kashmir’s solidarity, and the Shimla Agreement. The former Chief Minister (CM) of Indian Occupied Kashmir Mrs Mehbooba Mufti said in ‘App_ki_Adalat’ programme, “India wants territory of Kashmir not the People of Kashmir.”

Once Mr Modi said in election campaign 2019, “Atal Bihari vajpayee had spoken about Humanity, and the essence of being a Kashmiri.” To follow the Modi’s words, it can be stop very easy. India should let those people in the Kashmir; determine their own destiny through Referendum, through the Ballot Box rather than through Bullets. It should be on the will of Kashmiris that either they want to join Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Republic of India or an Independent Kashmir!

SADAM HuSSAIN CHANNA Shikarpur

Nepotism galore? eveR since PTI government came into power, Prime Minister Imran Khan has repeatedly reiterated his determination and commitment to create corruption free Pakistan. His led federal government also claims everything being done in a transparent manner without any nepotism and favouritism whatsoever.

But at least some members of the federal cabinet are reportedly doing contrary to what the PTI government claims and promoting nepotism and favouritism right under the nose of PM Imran Khan. Federal education Minister Shafqat Mahmood who hails from Lahore according to some reports is promoting nepotism in the national History and Literary Heritage Division of which he holds additional charge. While he has not been able to show impressive performance as the federal education Minister all these months, still he holds the additional charge. Pakistan national Council of the Arts (PnCA) falls under the national History and Literary Heritage Division which has announced vacancy on its website for senior position of the Director General PnCA though the same has not yet been advertised in the national dailies so far.

The Minister incharge is reported to be interested in inducting an elderly woman relative from Lahore to the top slot of the PnCA by hook or crook belying the federal government claims of transparency and no nepotism. His lady relative is already 77-year-old whereas the maximum age limit for the vacancy announced by the PnCA is 63 years.

The Prime Minister is requested to take some time off his otherwise very heavy internal and external commitments and engagements and order an inquiry in the PnCA affairs to ensure no nepotism is promoted, transparency prevails and the Minister incharge is not able to induct his cousin as DG PnCA by misusing his power, please.

OSAMA bIN ASIM Rawalpindi

Increasing tax revenues THe present government has set an ambitious target for this fiscal year in terms of tax collection – Rs5.5 trillion – to tide over its financial woes. It is commendable for Pakistan’s financial and tax managers to realise that the country must drastically enhance its tax collection system and bring those sections of society in the tax net that have evaded payment of taxes so far though they have been reaping high profits.

The tobacco and soft drinks sectors are the ones that make big profits. Among others, the government’s revenue collection machinery must focus on these sectors to achieve the new revenue collection targets. The government has already adopted various new means to increase its tax revenues. However, it is imperative for the tax managers to immediately introduce more innovative ways and means by which tax revenues can be further enhanced.

In this regard, the PTI government must not waste time reinventing the wheel and instead follow the most developed and efficient tracking systems prevalent both in the developed and developing economies to further expand the tax net through its own initiatives. It must take on board entities that meet international standards and regulations so that they can help it achieve its revenue targets through the use of technology, especially in those sectors that have a history of tax evasion.

The government can then channelise these additional revenues into a genuine national development regime.

SyED OvAIS AKHtAR Karachi

Tuesday, 29 October, 2019

10 FOREIGN NEWS

STaTe of emergency declared aS california wildfireS rage HEALDSBURG

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AGENCIES

ALIFORNIA’S governor declared a statewide emergency on Sunday as a huge blaze, fanned by strong winds, forced mass evacuations and power blackouts as it bore down on towns in the famed Sonoma wine region.

The so-called Kincade Fire, north of San Francisco, has spread to 30,000 acres (12,000 hectares) and was only 10 percent contained by Sunday evening, state fire authorities said.

The blaze, the largest of more than a dozen wildfires burning throughout the state, has destroyed dozens of homes and vineyards, including the renowned 150year-old Soda Rock Winery. “We’ve seen the news. We are devastated,” the owners said in a Facebook message, adding that all staff at the winery — located in the town of Healdsburg, 70 miles north of San Francisco — are safe.

At least two hospitals in Santa Rosa evacuated patients over the weekend to other facilities.

The Kincade Fire — the most devastating in California this year — ignited Wednesday and spread quickly thanks to powerful gusts of up to 90 miles (145 kilometers) per hour.

“Over 3,000 people are working on the fire as we speak, making sure the evacuation is going smoothly and people are taking it seriously,” said state governor Gavin Newsom. An estimated 180,000 people were under mandatory evacuation orders, including in parts of Santa Rosa and a large swath of Sonoma County all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

‘LARGEST EVACUATION IN MEMORY’: “This is the largest evacuation that any of us at the Sheriff’s Office can remember. Take care of each other,” the Sonoma County sheriff’s office tweeted.

Authorities said the area would remain under dangerous red flag conditions until Monday morning.

“Things will improve as we head into Monday and Tuesday but we need to be resilient,” a spokesman for the National Weather Service told a news conference.

A fire official warned that should the flames continue spreading west and jump over a major freeway — the 101 — that could prove even more catastrophic, as that region hasn’t had any fires since the 1940s. “The fuels in that area are extremely dense, they are extremely old and decadent, and they are extremely dry,” he said, referring to the combustible materials including shrubs and trees feeding the fire.

More than 3,000 firefighters backed by air tankers and helicopters were battling to control the blaze, which was not expected to be contained before November 7, fire officials said.

Sonoma County Sheriff Mark Essick told a news conference that hundreds of police officers backed by the National Guard had been deployed in regions under evacuation orders to check property and prevent looting.

Several other fires have erupted throughout the state in the last week, fueled by high winds, bone-dry conditions and temperatures in the 80s and 90s Fahrenheit (26-32 Celsius). One major fire — the Tick Fire — in the southern part of the state, north of Los Angeles, also prompted evacuations and destroyed a number of homes near Santa Clarita.

But on Sunday, most evacuation orders were lifted as some 1,000 firefighters worked to contain the fire that burned more than 4,500 acres.

In a bid to reduce the risk of fire, California’s largest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., said it expected to turn off power to nearly one million customers across northern and central California.

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

Kremlin says Islamic State leader’s death a boost for Trump if true MOSCOW AGENCIES

The Kremlin said on Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump will have made a major contribution to the fight against international terrorism if a U.S. assertion that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr alBaghdadi is dead is true.

Trump on Sunday announced that Baghdadi had killed himself during a daring overnight raid by elite U.S. special operations forces in Syria and thanked Russia, among others, for its support.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to say on Monday if the United States had informed Russia about the operation in advance or provide other details.

But he told reporters that the Russian military had spotted U.S. planes and drones in the area of Syria where Washington said it had carried out the raid.

“If this information (about Baghdadi’s death) is confirmed we can talk about a

serious contribution by the president of the United States to the fight against international terrorism,” said Peskov.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence cast doubt on Trump’s assertion on Sunday however, saying in a statement it did not have any reliable information about the U.S. operation and citing four reasons why the U.S. version of events looked suspicious. “The growing number of direct participants in the operation and countries who allegedly took part in this ‘operation’, each with totally contradictory details, gives rise to justified questions and doubts about whether it took place and in particular how successful it was,” the defence ministry said.

Unlike the Kremlin, the ministry also played down Baghdadi’s importance, saying that if his death was confirmed it would have “no operational significance” on the situation in Syria or on the actions of remaining militants in Syria’s Idlib region.

Yale in academic censorship row in Singapore SINGAPORE AGENCIES

Yale’s Singapore college has become embroiled in a row about academic freedom after axing a course on dissent, with the controversy fuelling a wider debate on whether universities are compromising their values to expand abroad.

The Yale-NUS College, a partnership with the National University of Singapore, opened in 2013, drawing criticism from activists and its own faculty over the decision to set up in the city-state, due to its restrictions on civil liberties.

Such fears intensified last month when the liberal arts college axed a week-long course called “Dialogue and Dissent in Singapore” a fortnight before it was scheduled to start, prompting concerns the school was censoring some topics. The course featured talks by anti-government activists, a visit to Speakers’ Corner in a city park — the only place in Singapore where demonstrations are allowed — and a documentary about Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong.

Among reasons for the cancellation, Yale-NUS said students could have been at risk of breaking

the law, but the row raised fresh questions about whether the Ivy League institution’s liberal arts traditions can thrive in Singapore.

Scrapping the course “is precisely why many doubted the YaleNUS collaboration could be faithful to international standards of academic freedom,” Phil Robertson, Asia deputy director for Human Rights Watch, told AFP. “Such restrictions… handicap the quality of education that students get in Singapore and advances censorship and control that is anathema to innovation and learning.” The group has often criticised Singapore for using draconian laws to stifle dissent and restricting rights to free speech and peaceful assembly.

Yale sought to draw a line under the scandal, ordering a probe that found no evidence academic freedom was violated and said the cancellation was in part due to a lack of academic rigour.

Yale-NUS president Tan Tai Yong said the college remains “fully committed” to academic freedom and insisted it “has a thriving culture of open discussion” — but added it has to be careful with activities that could cross legal boundaries.

As the controversy escalated, Education Minister Ong Ye Kung said in a speech to parliament that the government supported the cancellation.

“Academic freedom cannot be carte blanch for anyone to misuse

an academic institution for political advocacy,” he said, warning that the government will intervene “when the situation calls for it”.

More broadly, the row focused attention on risks taken by highereducation institutes as they increasingly set up overseas, often in countries with booming economies but where political freedoms may be more limited than in the West.

The number of branch campuses set up by institutions overseas jumped from 84 in 2000 to 249 in 2015, according to data compiled by the Cross-Border Education Research Team, hosted at the State University of New York at Albany and Pennsylvania State University. “It is always challenging for universities from countries such as the UK, US and Australia to open campuses overseas, particularly in countries with more authoritarian systems,” said Kris Olds, an expert in the globalisation of higher education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

He said universities adopt different approaches, ranging from making changes that suit the local legal and political context to focusing on certain disciplines less likely to run into problems concerning academic freedom.

spread,” the company said in a statement.

“The fire risk is even higher because vegetation on the ground has been dried out by recent wind events.”

PG&E has come under intense scrutiny after it emerged that one of its transmission lines may have played a role in the Kincade Fire.

The same type of line was responsible for California’s deadliest-ever wildfire — last year’s Camp Fire, which killed 86 people.

PG&E, which filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this year, has been blamed for several other fires in the state in recent years.

Newsom hit out at the utility earlier this week, saying he was infuriated that a state such as California — which boasts the fifth-largest economy in the world — had to endure blackouts.

Trump booed at world Series baseball game WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump was booed by baseball fans as he attended a World Series game with his wife Melania in Washington Sunday. Trump attended the tiebreaking game five of the series on the day his administration announced the death, long-sought by the Pentagon, of the militant Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. After the game’s third inning, the stadium’s video display showed military members in attendance — but then quickly cut to Trump. The cheering crowd immediately switched to loud and sustained boos. When the display cut back to the soldiers, the booing died down, but fans soon took up a chorus of “Lock him up!” — a play on the chant frequently heard at pro-Trump rallies against Hilary Clinton, but now often used against the president. Trump has been on the back foot for weeks as the Democrats push ahead with their impeachment inquiries, and as he faces the widespread and bipartisan condemnation of his Syria policy. It was an unusual excursion for the president and first lady — who arrived earlier at the Nationals Stadium and sat in a suite behind home plate — in liberal-majority Washington. Prior to the Nationals-Astros showdown, Washington’s manager Dave Martinez said he hoped Trump “enjoys the game.” When asked if the team was excited for his arrival, Martinez replied, “We haven’t really talked about it.

We’re focused on playing baseball.” AGENCIES

colombia elects first woman mayor of bogota BOGOTA: Claudia Lopez, a symbol of the fight against corruption in Colombia, on Sunday became the first woman to be elected mayor of the capital Bogota. The 49year-old center-left candidate, who is openly gay, won the local election with 35.2 percent of the vote ahead of liberal Carlos Fernando Galan (32.5 percent) with almost all votes counted. “Not only did we win but we’re changing history,” ex-senator Lopez said on Twitter. President Ivan Duque said the local elections around the country had attracted the “largest number of candidates in history.”

Lopez’s victory in the capital city of 7.2 million people is a significant step forward in a country used to being led by male liberal elites. “Being a woman is not a fault, being a headstrong woman, firm… is not a fault. Being gay is not a fault, being a girl from a modest family is not a fault,” Lopez told AFP last week. More than 36 million voters were called to vote for mayors, governors and local assemblies, with more than 116,000 candidates to choose from, 37 percent of whom were women. The elections were beset by violence in more than a quarter of municipalities, the electoral mission observatory said. Former left-wing guerrillas FARC, who became a political party in the historic 2016 peace accord that ended a half century of armed rebellion, took part in elections for the second time.

After a dismal showing in last year’s legislative elections, the ex-insurgents won a majority in only one municipal government in Colombia’s southwest. In the country’s north, former guerrilla Guillermo Torres — known as the “FARC singer” for his performances of traditional Colombian “vallenato” folk music — won the mayoralty of Bolivar department for a left-wing coalition. AGENCIES

Tuesday, 29 October, 2019

BUSINESS 11

SBP grants in-principle approval to Finja to operate as EMI

Govt SEt to IncludE toP arMy oFFIcErS In FatF coMMIttEES ISLAMABAD

t LAHORE: Finja, the trailblazing Pakistani fintech behind the popular SimSim mobile wallet launched in partnership with Finca Microfinance Bank, has announced that it has received in-principle approval from the State Bank of Pakistan for an Electronic Money Institution (EMI). The EMI licence will allow Finja to aggressively expand its operations by forging a fresh set of partnerships and interconnects with select banks and ecosystem partners in the rapidly evolving digital financial services landscape of the country. “This in-principle approval will enable Finja to increase the speed of service delivery and accelerate scale to digitize Pakistan’s workforce and business transactions,” said Qasif Shahid, Co-Founder and CEO of Finja. Finja has a special focus on salaried individuals and the businesses that employ them. In a short span of time, the company has digitized payroll disbursement, payment collections and instant loans for thousands of organizations and their employees. Finja has well over half a million mobile app-led wallets with the highest average balance in the industry.

The company is backed by leading global venture capital funds including Vostok Emerging Finance, BeeNext and Quona Capital. PR

Energy companies turn to animal dung for clean power HELSINKI: In the search for clean electricity, power companies in Finland are going green by way of brown, and have set their sights on a previously untapped energy source: animal dung. During this month's FEI World Cup showjumping qualifier at Helsinki International Horse Show, 100 tonnes of manure was loaded up and wheelbarrowed into two large containers before being carted away for incineration at the Järvenpää power plant.

The 150 megawatts of energy generated is enough to power the whole four-day show, with some leftover to heat homes in the Finnish capital, according to energy company Fortum which launched its ‘Horse Power’ initiative five years ago. “There are so many horses in Finland and of course many more around the world, so it would be amazing if we could turn all that poo into energy,” Fortum’s Krista Hellgren said. The company claims that the manure produced daily by two horses can generate heat for a single-family home for a year. And just 200 millilitres’ worth is enough to charge a phone. Meanwhile, another power company has called for the public to send them their pets’ doings. Vantaan Energia’s sticker and online campaign implore dog owners to “give poo a new life” by simply throwing it in the bin, from where it follows everyday refuse to a huge waste-to-energy incineration plant. “It’s not nice to step on it, it’s much nicer to burn it and use it as a fuel for electricity and heat,” the firm’s production director Kalle Patomeri said. Though dog poo is still a tiny fraction of the 1,000 tonnes of household rubbish burnt every day, Patomeri says it helps produce efficient energy with limited emissions and leftover waste products. As a result, Vantaan Energia hopes to be coal-free within just over two years. The dung-toenergy drive has been welcomed by dog trainer Marianne Mayer who actively supports the cause. She says the 50 dogs on her client list produce ‘quite a lot’ of poo every week, which may otherwise have been left on the forest floor or thrown into biowaste. “Finally someone’s doing something concrete about it, so you know it’s going to be energy,” she said. “Since we need to have other energy than fossils, it’s going to be really positive.” AGENCIES

AHMAD AHMADANI

HE government, in an apparent bid to get the country out of the Financial Action Task Force's grey list till February 2020, is all set to extend the membership of two committees associated with FATF targets, Pakistan Today has learnt.

According to documents, the Finance Division has sought expansion in the National Executive Committee and the General Committee to comply with the FATF targets.

In a summary to be tabled before the federal cabinet, the Finance Division has asked the government to make Economic Affairs Minister Hammad Aznhar as member of the National Executive Committee (NEC). Similarly, the division has requested the government to appoint Director General Military Operation (DGMO) and the Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) director general as members of the General Committee

under Section 5 & 5 (4) of AML Act, 2010.

"Greater participation of all stakeholders is required to ensure that commitment made through the [FATF] action plan is fulfilled," documents available with this scribe read. "Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Abdul Hafeez Shaikh has seen and authorised the submission of this summary."

It is pertinent to mention that a meeting to review the proposals for the establishment of FATF Secretariat was held on October 3 under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

During the meeting, it was decided that the economic affairs minister would be notified as member of NEC while DGMO and ISI DG would be notified as members of GC under section 5 & 5 (4) of AML Act, 2010, respectively. The said section provides that the federal government may nominate any other member in these committees.

As per the documents, the primary law which governs the AML/CFT regime in Pakistan is the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010. The

Act provides for the constitution of NEC and GC to take policy and operational decision with respect to AML/CFT. At present, the NEC is chaired by the finance advisor. Other members include ministers of law & justice, foreign affairs, interior, Financial Monitoring Unit DG (secretary), State Bank of Pakistan governor and Securities Exchange Commission of Pakistan chairman.

Similarly, the GC is chaired by the finance secretary, while other members include foreign affairs secretary, National Accountability Bureau chairman, Federal Investigation Authority DG, Anti-Narcotics Force DG, SBP deputy governor and SECP commissioner. The FMU DG is the secretary of this committee as well, in accordance with the provision of Section 5 and 5(4) of AML Act, 2010. The FATF had earlier this month placed Pakistan on its grey list till February next year, directing Islamabad to take 'extra measures' for 'complete' elimination of terror financing and money laundering.

CPEC Joint Cooperation Committee to meet on Nov 5 ISLAMABAD GHULAM ABBAS

Amid uncertainty with regard to a possible sit-in of Jamiat Ulma-eIslam leader Fazlur Rehman, the 9th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the highest forum of the corridor, is scheduled to be held in Islamabad on November 5.

The JCC, according to sources, would deliberate on recent developments pertaining to Main Line-1 (ML-I), special economic zones (SEZs), Karachi Circular Railways, Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower projects. However, sources added, no new power project would be added to the CPEC portfolio in the upcoming JCC. As per details, a delegation headed by China's National Development and Reforms Commission (NDRC) vice-chairman would be

THE 9TH JCC MEETING WILL DELIBERATE UPON ML-I, SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES, KARACHI CIRCULAR RAILWAY, KOHALA AND AZAD PATTAN HYDROPOWER PROJECTS visiting Islamabad in the first week of next month.

Apart from the deliberation on mega projects during the JCC, the NDRC vice-chairman would also inaugurate 300MW coal power plant in Gwadar.

Ahead of the JCC, there would be a meeting of the senior officers to discuss the decisions of various Joint Working Groups of CPEC, and to make recommendations regarding the deliverables to the JCC. The meeting, which would be jointly chaired by Pakistan's planning minister and NDRC vice-

chairman, would be attended by provincial chief ministers, federal ministries and divisions.

According to the officials, as the government has already established a financing committee on ML-I, its financing structure, loans, interest on loans and tenure of return would be discussed during the JCC meeting. Besides, the JCC would also decide about the inauguration of the Rashakai Economic Zone, which is ready for the groundbreaking.

REHIRING OF HASSAN DAUD: In an interesting develop-

ment, the planning ministry has called back its former coordinator and CPEC project director Hassan Daud to prepare for the next JCC, as he handled the JCCs during the past three years. Hassan Daud, who is presently the chief executive officer of the KP Board of Investment & Trade (KP-BoIT), had left the ministry after the expiry of his contract.

Daud, who, as project director, helped the panning ministry, was reportedly requested to cooperate the ministry for at least 8 to 10 days, insiders told Pakistan Today.

When Daud left the ministry, the planning ministry had replaced him first with its additional secretary Syed Waqarul Hassan and later with Dr Liaqat Ali Shah.

However, insiders said, the performance of the two officials was not satisfactory, forcing the ministry high-ups to acquire the services of Hassan Daud ahead of the 9th JCC.

SBP governor content with AML/CFT compliance KARACHI APP

State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Dr Reza Baqir said on Monday that significant progress had been made between May and September 2019, to meet the action plan set by Financial Action Task Force (FATF). This he said while inaugurating a conference on Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Combating Financing of Terrorism (CFT) and Trade-Based Money Laundering (TBML).

The governor said, "There is a major rethink of the approach being taken by the authorities in early to mid-2019. Consequently, a number of steps were taken to significantly strengthen our approach to making progress on these issues."

He, however, stressed the need for putting more efforts so that the progress on the remaining areas could be ensured and Pakistan was out of grey list in the next meeting of FATF.

The conference was conducted by SBP and Asian Development Bank at the SBP head office.

The governor informed the audience that since the grey-listing, SBP had arranged many AML/CFT outreach and awareness programmes for its regulated entities and stakeholders and that the conference was a useful platform to understand the AML/CFT challenges being faced globally and the best practices followed in mitigating such challenges.

In the context of implementing AML/CFT requirements, the governor urged the financial sector to make efficient use of technologies for assessment of risks, controls and ongoing monitoring of financial transactions and enhance capacity by continuous training of their employees.

Dr Baqir emphasized that trade-based money laundering poses complex and sophisticated challenges and that SBP inspection teams conducted thematic inspections of banks with re-

spect to export and import of specific goods.

He also referred to SBP's framework for managing risks of trade-based money laundering and terrorist financing which has been issued to encourage authorized dealers (banks) to effectively manage the trade based money laundering and terrorist financing risks. ADB Country Director Xiohang Yang and HabibMetro Bank President & CEO Mohsin Ali Nathani also spoke on the occasion. Yang stated that AML/CFT is a critical issue for trade finance, which is why ADB's Trade Finance Programme is playing an increasing role in this space.

She stated that ADB had a strong commitment to work with Pakistan's banking sector and the SBP on this issue. Yang further stated that the FATF had identified enhanced capacity building/training in AML/CFT as an immediate priority requirement and they were pleased to partner with the SBP and thankful to HabibMetro Bank for organizing the same.

Withdrawal of duty exemption on mobile phones irks Senate body ISLAMABAD SYEDA MASOOMA

The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication met on Monday to discuss the withdrawal of customs duty exemption on one imported phone per calendar year, under the personal baggage rules.

Committee Chairperson Senator Rubina Khalid inquired from the FBR representative on the reasons for this withdrawal. The FBR representative explained that this was being done to reduce the losses to the national exchequer in the form of duty.

When senators questioned the FBR official on the amounts of duty being lost

due to this exemption, he did not have any numerical answer. He said that he did not have the required information and will let the committee know once he has inquired about it.

Senator Dr Shehzad Waseem said that such taxation is “penny wise pound foolish”. The chairperson added that one phone per visit should have been allowed unless the same mobile phones are allowed at competitive process within Pakistan.

She said, "FBR did not have anything to do with DRIBS in the first place, they forced themselves and then they ruined it further [backing out]."

Senator Faisal Javed Khan said, "Our research calculates that once you pay taxes on a phone [brought from abroad]

the final price ends up being even higher than buying the same phone from the local market."

He added, "We should be helping the Pakistani expats, who are sending $22 billion to the country, instead of creating more difficulties for them."

He reiterated the question to the FBR official on how much they are losing by not allowing this exemption.

Air Commodore Nadeem Shinwari, attending the committee session, stated, "When our attachés go abroad, we give them official phones. So when they come back, they obviously carry their personal phones along with these phones, which causes trouble. The officers cannot even such phones registered because they are

state property."

In response to this, Senator Rehman Malik got enraged and demanded that the committee passes a resolution right there and then and command the FBR to reverse this withdrawal. "We should sign this issue and if the FBR representatives do not follow it, we should hold them in contempt."

Although this zeal got lost in the discussion afterwards, the senators did remind that the customs member had sat before this very committee earlier and agreed on allowing one mobile phone to be brought back to Pakistan without any duty.

When the FBR representative tried to counter this argument by saying that it allowed crime to increase such as registration of mobile phones with stolen ID card

numbers, the committee chairperson angrily replied that the solution to such a problem is not to suspend a facility to the general public, rather strengthen the rule of law and its implementation.

Following this discussion, Senator Rehman Malik also pointed out that Pakistan’s international airports do not even have a Wi-Fi service for passengers. In response, the Air Force officer said, "Cyber threat is maximum from open WiFi sources."

On this, the senator replied that security is not only a significant factor for Pakistan but for every country in the world and that it was about time "we stepped into the first world and out of the third world".

Tuesday, 29 October, 2019

12 BUSINESS MARKET DAILY Stocks gain 204 points amid improved sentiments KARACHI: It was a busy start to the week at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) with earnings season hitting its peak.

Indices traded in the green zone for the most part of Monday while volumes remained at par with previous weeks' average. Foreign investors emerged as net buyers in the outgoing week (Oct 21- 25) after four consecutive weeks as net sellers. A net inflow of $2.78 million was recorded. The benchmark KSE-100 Index recorded an intraday low of 33,572.36 soon after the commencement of the session. However, after regaining the momentum, the index marked its day's high at 34,008.35 (up by 350.89 points). It settled higher by 204.13 points at 33,861.59. The KMI-30 Index accumulated 386.53 points to settle at 55,155.92, while the KSE All Share Index managed to gain 86.13 points, ending at 24,543.78. Out of the total traded scripts, 198 advanced, 112 declined while the value of 19 remained unchanged. The overall trading volumes were recorded at 135.63 million. Pakistan International Bulk Terminal Limited (PIBTL +2.97pc), TRG Pakistan Limited (TRG +6.13pc) and Fauji Cement Company Limited (FCCL +5.63pc) led the volume chart. The scripts had exchanged 12.67 million shares, 7.65 million shares and 7.04 million shares respectively. Sectors that guided the index north included cement (+72.35 points), banking (+66.49 points) and oil and gas marketing (+31.63 points).

Among the companies, Lucky Cement Limited (LUCK +28.53 points), Habib Bank Limited (HBL +26.77 points) and Bank AL Habib Limited (BAHL +20.81 points) emerged as the top contributors to the index. Shifa International Hospitals Limited (SHFA -0.41pc) reported earnings per share of Rs9.94 for the first quarter of FY20 (Rs2.45 in 1QFY19), Hum Network Limited (HUMNL -1.61pc) declared an EPS of Rs-0.32 (Rs-0.17 in 1QFY19), while HiTech Lubricants Limited (HTL -5.00pc) posted an EPS of Rs-2.19 (Rs-1.76 in 1QFY19). Meanwhile, Ghandhara Industries Limited (GHNI +5.00pc) and Ghandhara Nissan Limited (GHNL +4.98pc) reported earnings per share of Rs0.32 and Rs-0.27 for 1QFY20, whereas Sazgar Engineering Works Limited (SAZEW +0.05pc) announced an EPS of Rs0.38 (Rs1.36 in 1QFY19). STAFF REPORT

'First private lnG cargo to arrive at GasPort terminal' ISLAMABAD: Universal Gas Distribution Company (UGDC) Chief Executive Officer Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha has said that Pakistan's first private liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo would arrive at the country's second LNG) import and regasification terminal, operated by Pakistan GasPort Consortium Limited (PGPC). As per the CEO, "This terminal has less line losses and better efficiency, which will help us keep gas prices lower. The terminal is free from any conflict and the government has played its due role to maintain its status." Paracha said that the day of arrival of first 'private' LNG cargo ship would be a milestone in Pakistan's energy and gas sector. "We are planning to play an important role in the country's economic development through continuous supply of gas and lower tariffs." STAFF REPORT

FBr prohibits unauthorised interactions between officials, businessmen The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has directed all its officials and field formations not to contact with any taxpayer or businessman in any form i.e. physical visit, telephonic/mobile calls, SMS or email etc., except when legally authorized to do so. According to a statement issued by the revenue board, “This step has been taken to do away with fake communication from some quarters and to build confidence level of taxpayers.” This policy shall come into force from 1st November 2019, and any official found indulged in such activity shall be proceeded against strictly under the Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1964 read with Government Servants (E&D) Rules, 1973.

These directions shall apply to all formations of FBR i-e Inland Revenue (income tax, sales tax and federal excise duty) and Customs. Taxpayers, business community and trade bodies are requested to assist in implementing this policy by reporting to FBR any contravention of these directions. BUSINESS DESK

GovErnMEnt lIkEly to aPProvE rEStructurInG oF Pll, GHPl BoardS ISLAMABAD

t

AHMAD AHMADANI

HE federal cabinet is likely to approve restructuring of the Board of Directors (BoDs) of Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) and Government Holding (Pvt) Limited (GHPL), Pakistan Today has learnt.

According to sources privy to the development, the federal cabinet would take up 13 agendas in its upcoming meeting, to be held under the chair of Prime Minister Imran Khan at the PM’s Office today (Tuesday, 29th October). Several ministries/division would table their summaries before the meeting and seek necessary approvals from the cabinet.

Besides agenda items, issues pertaining to Indian atrocities on occupied Kashmir and Azadi March of the opposition parties would also be discussed in detail during the meeting, sources said.

As per details, the government is set to take up the Petroleum Division summaries, seeking approval for the reconstitution of the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) board and restructuring of the Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) and Government Holding (Pvt) Limited (GHPL) BoDs.

CABINET MAY ALSO APPROVE RECONSTITUTION OF SSGC BOARD OF DIRECTORS Similarly, the Petroleum Division would seek approval regarding the contract termination of PLL's former chief executive officer/managing director.

According to documents, the Establishment Division would table a report on the existing vacancies for CEOs/MDs in ministries/divisions and attached departments, while the Aviation Division would present a summary pertaining to high rise constructions in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Multan.

Moreover, the Aviation Division would also present a summary pertaining to the delegation of powers-amendment in the Civil Aviation Authority Rules, 1994. Likewise, the Cabinet Division would brief the cabinet regarding the transfer of Federal Government Artists' Welfare Fund from the Cabinet Division to Information and Broadcasting Division.

During the cabinet meeting, the finance division would seek the cabinet's approval on pay package for the post of the Central Directorate of National Savings director general, while the division would also seek approval for the inclusion of Economic Affairs Minister Hammad Azhar as member of National Executive Committee (NEC), and Director General Military Operation (DGMO) and 1SI director general as members of the General Committee (GC) under Section 5 & 5 (4) of AML Act, 2010.

The National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination Division would seek approval for the draft Islamabad Healthcare facilities Management Act 2019, whereas the Inter-Provincial Coordination Division would seek approval regarding the government nominations pertaining to the Pakistan Veterinary Medicines Council (PVMC) members for 6th term (8th October 2018 to 7th October 2022) under Section 3 (d) of PVMC Act 1996. Lastly, a summary of Religious Affairs & Inter-faith Harmony Division would also be presented, asking the federal cabinet to allow the management position (MP-1) scale to Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Chairman Dr Aamer Ahmed.

Twin cities’ traders to hold shutter-down strike today BUSINESS DESK The markets and bazaars of Rawalpindi and Islamabad would remain closed for two days on Tuesday (today) and Wednesday to protest ‘the antitraders policies’ of the government and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

As per a media report, the traders of Rawalpindi city and cantonment have announced that on the call of All Pakistan Traders Association, they would observe complete shutterdown strike for two days in all the bazaars and markets.

Addressing a joint press conference at a local hotel, Rawalpindi Traders Association representatives Shahid Ghafoor Paracha and Sharjeel Mir and Cantonment Traders Association representatives Sheikh Hafeez and Arshad Awan said they

would keep all markets and bazaars closed in response to the call of their central association.

They alleged that the government and FBR were targeting the business community and harassing taxpayers instead of expanding the tax net.

They said that traders played a major role in the economy of any country and all governments gave incentives as well as provided them environment conducive for doing business.

However, they claimed that the present government was creating difficulties for the business community, adding that the FBR should review its policies otherwise the strike could go beyond two days.

The traders’ representatives urged Prime Minister Imran Khan to play his role to resolve their problems.

In Islamabad, the traders

urged the government to introduce fixed tax for small traders.

Islamabad United Group Vice-Chairman Sarfraz Mughal, at the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said in a statement that the economy would face a big loss because of the shutterdown strike.

“It is impossible to accept all the conditions of FBR because of economic crisis in the country.

The government should address the issues through negotiations with the traders,” he said.

Mughal suggested that a fixed tax should be introduced for the small traders because it would give them a clear picture of how much they would have to pay every year.

“The FBR officials push us to bribe them and pay half of the tax to the government. In case of fixed tax, blackmailing of officials would be stopped,” he claimed.

Pakistan, Australia agree to enhance economic cooperation ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani said on Monday that Pakistan highly values its bilateral relations with Australia and desires to further expand the cordial ties between the two countries.

Talking to Australian High Commissioner Dr Geoferry Shaw at the Parliament House, he said that trade and investment are some the areas which provide ample opportunities for bilateral collaboration.

The Senate chairman appreciated the existing cooperation between the two sides in education and development sectors and desired to extend this interaction to other areas, especially promoting parliamentary linkages and enhancing people-to-people contacts.

He said that the exchange of parliamentary delegations would help expand economic cooperation, while the exchange of business delegations would ensure the enhancement of bilateral trade volume.

He said that Pakistan, particularly Balochistan, is blessed with natural resources and both Pakistani and Australian investors could explore possibilities for joint projects in the mining sector.

Sanjrani also highlighted the significance of Gwadar in promoting regional trade connectivity.

He said that the Gwadar master plan has been approved while the development process has been expedited. He invited Australian investors to explore investment opportunities in Gwadar.

The Senate chairman also urged the world community to take notice of the human rights violations and crimes committed by the Indian forces in Kashmir.

The Australian high commissioner agreed with the Senate chairman, saying that the bilateral trade potential between the two countries should be realised.

He said that his country has huge expertise in the mining sector, adding that mutual collaboration between two countries would prove beneficial for both sides.

Sindh govt invites bids for dhabeji SEZ The Sindh government has launched the well-connected Dhabeji Special Economic Zone in district Thatta near Port Qasim, according to a statement issued on Monday. In this connection, the Sindh Economic Zones Management Company (SEZMC), being the provincial SEZ custodian, has invited proposals for the development and operation of Dhabeji project through an advertisement published in leading national and international newspapers. Dhabeji SEZ was highlighted in the recent meeting of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Joint Working Group on Industrial Cooperation. The senior officials of China's National Development Reforms Commission (NDRC) appreciated the Sindh government on the progress made so far.

The Sindh government launched the project through an international competitive bidding process as a buildup to the upcoming 10th Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting between China and Pakistan, which would be held next month. Pakistan has already been committed to providing utilities including electricity and gas at the doorsteps of this zone and in this regard, the federal government has budgeted Rs4 billion for a dedicated grid station. The Dhabeji SEZ consists of 1,530 acres of land. The project is already declared as a "Priority SEZ" by the government under the industrial cooperation phase of CPEC. The project will offer state-of-the-art infrastructure and utilities at the doorsteps, besides providing easy access to the ports of Karachi, i-e Karachi Port and Port Qasim, as well as the main railway line (ML-1) and national highway. The project is expected to generate employment opportunities, ensure socioeconomic development and poverty alleviation in the region. BUSINESS DESK

‘Govt working on integration of local, global markets’ ISLAMABAD APP

Advisor to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood said on Monday that the government has been striving to connect the local economy with major economies of the world so as to achieve the agenda of trade liberalisation and enhance the country's exports.

"Our major economic agenda is to increase the country's exports, which would, in turn, help the government overcome trade and current account deficit," the adviser told APP in an exclusive talk.

He said that Pakistan had already signed the second phase of Free Trade Agreement (FTA-II) with China; gaining access to 313 top exportable items in the Chinese market.

"After this agreement, all the major exports of the country, including textile, leather, agriculture & food and surgical & sports items, would get a better access in the Chinese market," he added.

The advisor said that the relocation of Chinese industrial units under the FTA-II provided Pakistan with an opportunity to transform its industrial sector.

Replying to a question, he said that

RAZZAQ DAWOOD SAYS GOVT STRIVING TO CAPTURE THE MARKETS OF AMERICA, AFRICA AND CENTRAL ASIA the government was now fully concentrating on integrating the local market with potential international markets.

"In this regard, the focus would be on

the markets of America, Africa and Central Asian Region."

He said that FTAs with Turkey, Thailand, Indonesia and Iran were being negotiated, as the government was committed to enhancing its trade relations with these countries.

The adviser said Japan, Vietnam and South Korea, as well as the other Pacific and South-East Asian markets, would also be connected for trade enhancement.

He termed transfer of technology and automation of institutions as key drivers to ensure 'ease of doing business' in the country.

On a query, he said that improvement in the World Bank's EODB ranking was encouraging as "it would highlight the positive image and attract foreign investment" in the country.

Dawood said the WB's report acknowledged Pakistan for consistently bridging the gap between its regulatory environment and global good practices.

"Pakistan's EODB score improved in seven indicators, including starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, protecting minority investors, paying taxes and trading across borders."

NETFLIX TO RELEASE SHARMEEN OBAID-CHINOY’S

“SITARA: LET GIRLS DREAM”

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HOLLYWOOD BOLLYWOOD

etflix, the world's leading internet entertainment service, is all set to release Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s SitARA: let GiRlS DReAM in 2020 which will be available in over 190 countries. indeed, SitARA is the first Pakistani Animated film to be released and distributed by Netflix USA Written and directed by twotime Academy and three-time emmy Award-winning director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, SitARA: let GiRlS DReAM takes the audience on a journey through the old city of lahore, where, Pari, a fourteen-year-old girl dreams of becoming a pilot and whose story is told through the perspective of her younger sister, Mehr. it is a story about the burdens of a family and the impact of a culture where girls are still struggling to fully realize their dreams. SitARA is a silent film [no dialogues] which embodies this struggle.

“Waadi Animations is proud to have created an animated short that is at par with the best of the world and we are delighted that SitARA will be available to a global audience on Netflix. We hope it will lead to thoughtful discussions as we also begin screening the film in schools and community centers around the world. We strongly believe that investing in the dreams of young girls will lead to a more equitable world.” said Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

Chinoy had earlier launched a campaign with GUCCi’s social impact initiative Chime for Change to #letGirlsDream by encourage girls around the world to share their dreams and gain in-

spiration from one another. A robust school outreach program is alsready underway across the world to encourage girls to hold meaningful conversations about their dreams and how to achieve them. the website for this campaign is www.letGirlsDream.org the music for SitARA has been composed by Grammy and emmy Award-Winning composer laura Karpman. finances and produced by ViCe Studios, the film’s executive Producers include Gloria Steinem, the iconic women’s rights activist, and Darla Anderson, the Academy Award Winning producer of Coco and toy Story 3, ViCe Media Group CeO Nancy Dubuc, and emmy-nominated Ariel Wengroff as well as Sharmeen’s animation production company Waadi Animation with imke fehrmann as the producer for SitARA: let GiRlS DReAM. in Pakistan, the Waadi Animations team is spearheaded by Art Director Salman Nasir, Animation Director Kamran Khan, CG lighting Supervisor Adnan Saeed, Director of Photography faizan Ali, editor Husain Qaizer, Sound effects editor Sameer Khan, co-producer eleyna Sara Haroun and Associate Producer Syed Ayub with Salman iqbal, Jerjees Seja, imke fehrmann and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy as the producers. indeed, SitARA: let GiRlS DReAM will join a growing slate of Netflix animated titles for families, which includes feature films Klaus from Sergio Pablos [November 2019] as well as the Willoughbys from Kris Pearn and Over the Moon from Glen Keane in 2020.

mAhmood owner of CAfe monTAnA wiTh reShAm, AhSAn khAn, rACheAl & muSSAwir Co owner of CAfe monTAnA lAhore: Mahmood & Mussawir launched Cafe Monatana at Xinhua Mall In Gulberg. The event was managed by QYT and the who is who of Lahore was in attendance.

AAmir mAzhAr & ShAhbAz

AYT, ShAhnAz Sheikh & QYT

nehA mAnekA & buShrA hAider

AmnA zAin

zAiinAb CheemA

Hasbro Marvel and Star Wars Reveals From European Conventions

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Footage Shows Off Rey, Finn, More

in celebration of multiple european conventions occurring this weekend, Hasbro is excited to reveal several new items for both the Marvel and Star Wars brands. two new Marvel legends Series figures were revealed today during the Hasbro Marvel panel at Paris Comic Con – the MARVel leGeNDS SeRieS 6-iNCH WiNteR SOlDieR figure and the MARVel SPiDeR-MAN leGeNDS SeRieS 6-iNCH DeMOGOBliN Build-A-figure.

Meanwhile, at MCM london Comic Con, the Hasbro Star Wars panel shared various new items from beloved lines such as the Black Series and the Vintage Collection, as well as exciting new role-play items for kids.

Also check out the StAR WARS BAttle BOBBeRS, which were revealed during Paris Comic-Con, as well as figures for Star Wars: the Rise of Skywalker which is in theaters this December.

Many of these items will be available for pre-order on Monday, 10/28.

following the release of the final trailer, bits of new footage from Star Wars: the Rise of Skywalker have landed online from various promos. the new footage includes a look at Rey, finn, Poe Dameron, BB-8, the Millenium falcon and more.

A new image of John Boyega as finn has also been released.

Star Wars: the Rise Of Skywalker gets released December 20, 2019 directed by J.J. Abrams and stars Carrie fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar isaac, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard e.

Grant, lupita Nyong’o, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie tran, and Billy Dee Williams.

Synopsis: lucasfilm and director J.J. Abrams join forces once again to take viewers on an epic journey to a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: the Rise of Skywalker, the riveting conclusion of the seminal Skywalker saga, where new legends will be born and the final battle for freedom is yet to come.

CMYK

Avocados were named after reproductive organs Indigenous people of Mexico and Central America used the Nahuatl word āhuacatl to mean both “testicles” and “avocado.” The fruits were originally marketed as “alligator pears” in the United States until the current name stuck.

For more random facts, learn what the original word for avocado means about guacamole’s name.

T. S. eliot wore green makeup No one is sure why the poet dusted his face with green powder, though some guess he was just trying to look more interesting. Here are more fascinating facts about famous authors.

The word “fizzle” started as a type of fart In the 1400s, it meant to “break wind quietly,” according to English Oxford Living Dictionaries.

Diwali 2019: Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan add a dash of glamour to Anil Kapoor’s bash Actors Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan never miss a chance to grab the perfect family time despite their busy schedules. Most recently, Kareena and Saif celebrated Diwali on Sunday and their pictures were a treat for fans.

Kareena was also spotted at Anil Kapoor’s Diwali party. in a video that has surfaced online, Saif is seen getting out off his car at the bash and then opening the door for Kareena to step out and pose together for the paparazzi. Kareena wore a dark printed dress and paired it with classic dark green dupatta while Saif looked dapper in a blue and white kurta pyjama paired with a smart half jacket. the couple was accompanied by Kareena’s sister and actor Karisma Kapoor. Karisma wore a brilliant red sari for the occasion. Malaika Arora and sister Amrita also posed with Kareena and Karisma. He was also shooting for his home production, Jawani Jaaneman in london few months back.

Tuesday, 29 October, 2019

14 SPORTS

seven-goal atalanta run riot to close in on Juventus MILAN

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AGENCIES

UIS Muriel hit a hat-trick as Atalanta put their midweek Champions League humiliation behind them with a crushing 71 win over 10-man Udinese on Sunday that moved them to within three points of Serie A leaders Juventus.

GianPieroGasperini´s side consolidated third place with 20 points from nine games, two adrift of second-placed Inter Milan and three ahead of Napoli, who were held 1-1 at lowly SPAL. Defending champions Juve stay top despite drawing 1-1 at Lecce on Saturday thanks to Antonio Conte´s Inter also collecting just a point with their 22 draw with Parma.

Roma moved up to fifth, one point behind Napoli, with EdinDzeko scoring and setting up NicoloZaniolo for the winner in a 2-1 victory that plunged AC Milan further into crisis. City rivals Lazio are just behind Roma in sixth after Serie A top scorer Ciro Immobile snatched a 2-1 win at Fiorentina.

Gasperini said his side, top scorers with a Serie A-record 28 goals after nine games, had felt bitterness after their 5-1 humbling at Manchester City, their third Champions League defeat in as many games.

"We´re trying to use the Champions League to gain experience and it helps us become better in Serie A, to fight back from difficult situations, like when we went behind today," said Gasperini.

"We´re not deluding ourselves. It is very early days, only nine rounds," he continued. "The Scudetto is Juventus´s

to lose, then there are Inter and Napoli as well as other teams that have important possibilities."

After falling behind after 12 minutes following Stefano Okaka´s first away goal for Udinese this season, the Bergamo side got into their stride.

Slovenian Josip Ilicic picked up a Marten De Roon cross to grab the equaliser after 21 minutes, and it was all one-way traffic after Udinese´s Nicholas Opoku was sent off after picking up a second yellow card for bringing down Ilicic.

Muriel converted from the spot for the first of his treble, which included two penalties, with Slovenian Ilicic completing a first half brace.

Mario Pasalic also got on the score-

sheet and 17-year-old Ivorian forward Amad Diallo Traore completed the rout to score on his debut seven minutes from the whistle. Udinese, meanwhile, are 13th but just three points away from the drop zone.

NAPOLI STALLED: Atalanta next travel to Napoli´s San Paolo Stadium on Wednesday after Carlo Ancelotti´s side were held to their second stalemate in three Serie A games.

After winning 3-2 a European thriller in Salzburg, ArkadiuszMilik put Napoli ahead after nine minutes.

But their advantage was cancelled out seven minutes later by SPAL´s Jasmin Kurtic. Napoli also had a penalty awarded before the break for a Francesco Vicari handball only to see it

overturned after a VAR viewing.

"We couldn´t have done more today," said Ancelotti. "Even Juve and Inter, with yesterday´s draws, lost an opportunity. Everyone in the week is paying for something in the Champions League."

Injury-hit Roma ended their run of four consecutive stalemates to move fifth as new Milan coach Stefano Pioli took his first defeat since taking over two weeks ago.

Dzeko, wearing a face mask to protect his fractured cheekbone, headed in the opener seven minutes before the break. Milan defender Theo Hernandez pulled the visitors level on 55 minutes with a goal that took a slight deflection, but four minutes later Dzeko connected with Zaniolo for the winner, to send Milan down to 12th, three points above the relegation places.

In Tuscany, Lazio captain Immobile headed in his 10th goal this season after 89 minutes to condemn Fiorentina to their first league defeat in nearly two months. Joaquin Correa opened the scoring for the visitors after 22 minutes but Federico Chiesa levelled five minutes later following good work by Franck Ribery.

Jordan Lukaku found Immobile with the clock ticking and he nodded in, with Felipe Caicedo missing a chance for a third, with goalkeeper BartlomiejDragowski denying his penalty chance.

Surprise package Cagliari are seventh after a 1-1 draw against midtable Torino, who stretched their winless run to four games. Claudio Ranieri fell to his first defeat as coach of rock bottom Sampdoria, losing 2-1 to Bologna.

Snooker quartet departs for Turkey IBSF C’ship SPORTS DESK Pakistan's four-member snooker team have departed for Antalya, Turkey for the IBSF World Snooker Championship which is scheduled to begin from October 29.

Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) last week had named Mohammad Asif, Zulfiqar Qadir, Babar Masih and Mubashir Raza to represent the country in the tournament.

Asif, who won the title in 2012, says he’s hopeful of repeating the show and considers himself to be in his best form. “I have prepared well for the championship, the win at National Ranking Championship has boosted my confidence and I’m hopeful of continuing my winning streak,” Asif said ahead of his departure.

Babar and Zulfiqar who won Asian Team Championship in June, expressed their confidence in their preparation. “We have fully prepared ourselves for the championship and hopefully we will get the fruitful results,” said Zulfiqar who currently ranks second in the country.

“I am confident of adding another

medal to my tally,” expressed a confident Babar Masih. The pre-quarter-finalist of 2017’s edition Mubashir Raza

said that his game has improved a lot since he last played. “I have learnt my lessons. I realise what mistakes I made

last time and I’m confident that my performance will be better than last times,” Raza said.

Federer withdraws From Paris masters PARIS: World number three Roger Federer announced on Monday that he was withdrawing from this week's Paris Masters in order to "pace" himself for the next year.

"I am extremely disappointed to have to pull out of the Paris Masters," he said in a statement. "I have to pace myself since I want to play as long as possible on the ATP Tour. "I am sorry for my French fans who I will see next year at Roland Garros."

Tournament director Guy Forget said he was "disappointed" with Federer's late decision to withdraw. The 38-year-old Federer warned on Sunday after winning his 10th Basel title that he may skip the trip to Paris. "My fitness is fine, I'm happy with how I feel," he said. "I just don't know if I should play next week. I'll figure it out with the team." Federer returned to the Paris Masters last year for the first time since 2015 and reached the semi-finals where he lost a three-set semi-final thriller to Novak Djokovic, who is top seed ahead of Rafael Nadal in the French capital this year.

Federer will be replaced by a lucky loser in the main draw. AGENCIES

atherton breaks 55 seconds to set new 100m backstroke world record PERTH: Australia's Minna Atherton set a new shortcourse world record in the 100m backstroke at the International Swimming League (ISL) meet on Sunday, becoming the first woman to dip below 55 seconds.

The 19-year-old clocked 54.89sec to break the previous mark of 55.03sec set by Hungarian golden girl KatinkaHosszu at the 2014 world championships. "I'm really happy with that, especially since I just missed it in the relay (earlier in the day)," said Atherton. "It will be exciting to see what is coming up in the future." Also starring on Sunday was Britain's Adam Peaty, a 2016 Olympic gold medallist and eight-time world champion. He followed up his 50m breaststroke win on Saturday with victory in the 100mm. "It's been brilliant, absolutely amazing," said Peaty as he reflected on his first appearance in the ISL season. "I've never ever felt an energy like this, and I think it really helps bringing all the different cultures, all the different team members around the world together."

The inaugural season of the ISL features six meetings in all with a series finale in Las Vegas in December. AGENCIES

Yaya Toure says FIFA 'don't care' about racism in football LONDON AGENCIES

Yaya Toure says FIFA is not doing enough to stamp out racism and that England should have walked off the pitch in the face of monkey chants during their Euro 2020 qualifier in Bulgaria.

The 36-year-old former Barcelona and Manchester City midfielder made the comments to AFP after Qingdao Huanghai clinched promotion to the Chinese Super League at the weekend.

England's 6-0 victory in Sofia earlier this month was marred by racist chants and Nazi salutes from a section of Bulgarian fans.

The game was halted twice during the first half but England players opted to complete the match instead of walking off

the pitch.

"This is a shame, why are you playing for England?" Toure, who has been outspoken on football's racism problem, said of the decision.

"They are always talking, 'Blah, blah, blah', and what? Nothing changes."

Turning his real fire on football's decision-makers, the four-time African player of the year said: "People from FIFA don't care anyway because we've been talking about this, but it's still continuing. "I don't want to say that I'm not concerned, I'm concerned," said the former Ivory Coast international.

Raheem Sterling, the England and Manchester City forward, has been widely praised for playing a prominent role in calling out the racists at home and abroad.

But Toure, his former team-mate at City, said that was "not good enough".

Toure, whose trophy haul includes three Premier League titles with City and a UEFA Champions League with Barcelona, believes it is time the players took more decisive action.

"They have to be serious about it, players need to make serious moves about it otherwise they (the racists) will continue to do that," he said.

"They have to get the players out of the field."

FIFA did not immediately reply to an AFP request for comment.

THEY RESPECT NOBODY: Toure was speaking after he played a pivotal role for Qingdao in a 2-0 win on Saturday at Shanghai Shenxin, attended by just a few hundred spectators.

CMYK

Victory ensured promotion to the toptier Chinese Super League for the team that Toure joined in July, but he is unlikely to make the move up with them next year.

"I think I'll finish in December or January, then go, have another challenge," he said, vowing to play on until he is 40.

"People are thinking that I'm done, but I'm not done yet," he said.

Toure has enjoyed his spell in Chinese football and stressed that he has never experienced any form of discrimination in the country.

"It's been a nice experience because I've seen people with a different mentality from Europe -- the way to play football, the way they feel and their behaviour on the field," he said.

"When I play in the stadiums, nobody

boos me because I'm black, it's a different culture, they respect.

"In Europe, they respect nobody."

Tuesday, 29 October, 2019

SPORTS 15

misbah Prioritises consistency over unPredictability in australia BABAR AZAM SAYS PAKISTAN IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH

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SPORTS DESK

EAD coach Misbah-ul-Haq has said that Pakistan’s traditional “unpredictability” is not necessarily a good thing and that he would want his side to be “more consistent” rather than oscillate between extremities.

Pakistan, over the years, has earned a reputation of being unpredictable, sometimes rising to the occasion when they’re least expected to, and on other occasions completely falling apart without prior warning. That may have been Pakistan’s hallmark but Misbah says he wants his charges to shed that image, starting from their tour of Australia.

“It (Pakistan’s unpredictable nature) could be frightening for both Australia

and us,” Misbah said during a press talk in Sydney ahead of the team’s training session on Monday. “We want to use it to our advantage, but we [also] need to be more consistent with our performances.”

Misbah said that the Australia tours are always challenging for away teams but the current one is an even bigger one due to the newly inducted young blood in the Pakistan side. “If we are disciplined enough, we can overcome these challenges and produce good results,” he said.

When asked about the 16-year-old Naseem Shah on the roster, Misbah said that the teen prodigy is not just all about the pace but is also showing decent control as well. Misbah, also the chief selector, discussed Usman Qadir’s inclusion in the squad, saying that he was picked due to his experience of playing the Big Bash League in Australia and also to develop a second legspin option behind Shadab Khan.

‘PAKISTAN IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH’: Pakistan's newly-appointed T20I skipper Babar Azam expressed his confidence in the national team and how leading it in the Aus-

tralia tour was 'a great honour'.

Azam, the number one batsman in Twenty20 rankings, took to Twitter with a post that read, "a great honor to lead Pakistan cricket team in this historic tour of Australia. Pakistan is always a force to reckon with and I am confident in this young & impressive team of ours. #RiseAndRise #PakistanZindabad". Earlier this month, Azam replaced former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, was dropped from the squad and was subjected to great scrutiny following the shocking 3-0 rout of the Twenty20 side — ranked number one in the world — at the hands of an inexperienced Sri Lanka.

Sarfaraz was also removed as Test skipper and was replaced by Azhar Ali. Pakistan will play three T20s against Australia, the first of which will be played on November 3 in Sydney. The second T20 will be held in Canberra on November 5, while the third in Perth on November 8. They will hold their first practice match against the hosts on October 30. The first Test will be played from November 21-25 in Brisbane, while the second will be held in Adelaide from November 29 till December 3.

Mushfiqur wants to give up wicket-keeping in Tests starc pulls out of sri lanka t20 for brother’s wedding ADELAIDE: Australian pace spearhead Mitchell Starc has decided his brother´s wedding is more important than a game of cricket, pulling out of the second Twenty20 against Sri Lanka to witness him tie the knot.

Billy Stanlake or Sean Abbott are likely to replace Starc as Australia target an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-game series in Brisbane on Wednesday. Cricket Australia reported the Starc move on its website Monday, saying he had been granted a release as part of an increased focus on family time under coach Justin Langer.

Regardless of whether Stanlake or Abbott get their chance, vice-captain Pat Cummins told reporters Monday Australia´s effective use of the short ball would continue. "(Bowling short is) something we speak about, no doubt, especially at the Gabba or Adelaide Oval, where it´s quite fast and bouncy," he said. "And all our bowlers are 6 (foot) four (inches) or 6´5." Australia emphatically won the opening T20 in Adelaide on Sunday by 134 runs, with David Warner celebrating his birthday with a return to form, clubbing an unbeaten 100. AGENCIES

DHAKA AGENCIES

Mushfiqur Rahim, the Bangladesh wicket-keeper batsman, has decided to give up his behind-the-stumps duties in Test cricket to focus solely on batting in the longest format.

Mushfiqur has made 67 Test appearances in his career so far and has 103 catches and 31 stumpings to his name. However, with him representing Bangladesh in all three formats and playing in domestic T20 leagues, the 32-year-old feels he has too much on his plate.

“I am not interested to keep wickets in Test. Now there are lots

of games in the upcoming days and I play in all formats. Apart from international cricket, I play in DPL (Dhaka Premier League) and BPL (Bangladesh Premier League). Considering everything, I think it is getting a bit overloaded,” he said.

“I want to perform for a long time and because I am playing across formats I needed to think. I did not have any severe injury during the last five years but at the same time, I did not take a substantial amount of rest. In the future, such scenarios should not arise that I have to take rest in one or two series.

“So instead of that (missing series for rest) the only thing that I can

do is minimize my workload and that is only possible by not keeping in Test and that’s why I have taken this decision.”

Mushfiqur has kept the wickets in 55 of 67 Tests, scoring 3,515 runs at an average of 37. That number goes down to 24.47 in the remaining 12 Tests in which he was not a designated wicket-keeper. However, he now feels that he cannot give his best with the bat if he continues to keep wickets.

“It is not that I cannot do well despite keeping wickets. I scored my two double centuries while keeping wickets and it is the same with all my Test centuries. Probably as a keeper my batting record is better and I still feel that when I am keeping I get a better idea about my batting because I can see everything from behind and it helps,” he acknowledged. “(But) I have crossed 30 long time back. I need to play at my best and have to keep my excellence. I just don’t want to be part of the playing XI. Wherever I play I want to give my best. The performance can be different on several junctures but I want to be prepared in the best possible way. Considering everything I felt that if I can sacrifice (the gloves) I can give my best for a long time.

England's 50-over feats can spur T20 World Cup challenge: Bairstow LONDON AGENCIES

England's build-up towards the 2020 T20 World Cup will begin in earnest this week, with the start of their fivematch series against New Zealand, and Jonny Bairstow hopes the squad can channel the momentum of 50-over success into next year's campaign in Australia.

England lifted the World Cup for the first time in July, having overhauled their ODI cricket under the captaincy of Eoin Morgan. Although there has been less of a focus on T20 cricket, England did reach the World T20 final in 2016 and the core personnel in the white-ball teams is largely the same.

In New Zealand, Morgan will oversee a squad featuring several new faces looking to make a mark.

Bairstow is one of the senior batsmen on the tour, with Jason Roy, Joe Root, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali all rested, and after top-scoring in England's warm-up victory in Lincoln on Sunday, he was excited about the challenge ahead.

"I think it does feel like the start of that journey towards the T20 World Cup," Bairstow said. "It's going to come around thick and fast. Seeing guys who've played county cricket taking the step up to in-

ternational cricket is going to be fascinating. That, coupled with the guys that are not on this tour but will come back into the team, there's going to be competition for places. "The cycle for the 50-over World Cup started four years ago. Hopefully we're fortunate enough that the way we've played our 50-over cricket

will lead us well into our T20 cricket.

"It's a fascinating period to be playing cricket for England. There's some very, very talented guys that have played a lot of cricket now for England that are all together and have the experience of going through the ups, the downs and everything in between."

While the T20I format tends to lose context between major global tournaments - England's last outing, against Pakistan in May, saw Ben Duckett open the batting and Ben Foakes take the gloves there is now a clear 12-month run-in for teams to hone their approach. Bairstow is one of a number of England players to have benefited from the ECB hierarchy relaxing its stance on IPL participation, and he suggested the Hundred could also increase Morgan's options.

"You've got guys playing T20 in competitions around the world whether that be the Indian Premier League, Big Bash or whatever it may be, so I'm not too sure it's going to make too much of a difference," Bairstow said.

"Then you've got the Hundred that's starting next year so that's an even shorter format that will allow people to put their skills on show to potentially push for that squad.''

CMYK

bcb chief indicates that shakib al hasan could miss india tour

DHAKA: Five days after the truce between the BCB and the striking players, not everything seems to be right in Bangladesh cricket, especially when it comes to Shakib Al Hasan. After leading the strike, Shakib hasn't turned up for the national team's training sessions on two out of three days so far. The BCB hasn't offered much by way of explanation for Shakib's absence, except conveying coach Russell Domingo's message that Shakib had been left out of Sunday's practice match as he wanted to look at other players. But Shakib's name was, reportedly, in the list of players expected to attend. In any case, that isn't all there is to the story. In an interview with Bengali daily ProthomAlo, BCB president Nazmul Hassan has said that some players he named Shakib specifically - could skip the upcoming India tour, for which the team is scheduled to leave on Wednesday.

Mohammad Saifuddin has already been ruled out due to a back injury while Tamim Iqbal has opted out to be with his pregnant wife. "I am quite sure that they [the players] won't go, and they will only inform us when we have nothing to do about it," Hassan said in the interview. "I don't know. I have called Shakib today. Let's see what he says. It might be others too. I don't know. But I had information that they won't go. "Now things have quickly changed [vis-a-vis the strike].

They didn't think it would all change so quickly. I am not saying this after hearing it from a trusted source. If they say on October 30 that they won't go, what will we do? We have to change the entire combination.

Where will I get a captain from? You tell me what will I do with them?" To complicate matters further, the BCB has called Shakib's recent sponsorship deal with Grameenphone "unlawful". Hassan has said that the board had specifically told the players not to sign contracts with any telecom company. "We told the players not to do any deals with telecom companies, so that they can participate in the tender [for team sponsorship] next year. Can Shakib do this unlawful thing knowing everything?

Should I allow them to do just about anything? "Look at the timing too. I won't get the telecom companies in the January tender. Even if they do come, it will be for a lower price. Who is getting hurt in this?

Only one player is profiting, but what about my team?" Shakib has been sent a show-cause notice to explain his side of the story. AGENCIES

Tuesday, 29 October, 2019

NEWS

JUI-F gEtS CondItIonal nod For ISlaMaBad SIt-In DC TELLS PROTESTERS TO STAY AWAY FROM AT LEAST 100,000 PROTESTERS ARE RED ZONE, REFRAIN FROM DISPLAYING EXPECTED TO MARCH ON FEDERAL WEAPONS AND HATEFUL SPEECHES CAPITAL ON OCT 31

HavE BUrnt all BrIdgES, SayS Fazl aS MarCH EntErS PUnJaB

ISLAMABAD MIAN ABRAR

I

SLAMABAD administration on Monday formally allowed the participants of Azadi March led

by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman to hold a sit-in in the federal capital if they comply with certain conditions put forth by the capital authorities.

According to the no-objection certificate issued by Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Hamza Shafqat, the participants are barred from burning effigies or banners of any political leader or political or religious party.

The deputy commissioner has also bound the JUI-F leadership not to disrupt the fundamental rights of the citizens of the federal capital and its adjoining areas.

“You shall be responsible for the internal security arrangements of the participants. And the list of the participants shall be shared with the local police in advance. No damage shall be caused to

JUI-F’s Azadi March entered Punjab on Monday evening after reaching Kot Sabzal town in the Rahim Yar Khan district after travelling from Sukkur earlier in the day. Addressing his supporters, the JUI-F chief said that the incumbent government has put the country’s survival “at risk” and it is the duty of the opposition to protect the constitution and democracy. “The constitution has been made a joke in this country. The prime minister has ruined the economy, and a country with a devastated economy cannot survive. We approached the masses against him and took out 15 million marches and now we are able to help the people get rid of the government,” the JUI-F chief said. NEWS DESK

the public or private property. And in case of any such damage, the organisers will be held responsible,” reads the letter.

The DC has also bound the organisers to ensure that the participants should not illegally move beyond the identified boundaries of the venue and any violation of the condition and resultant consequences shall be the responsibility of the organisers.

“Anti-state, anti-religious or antiPakistan ideology speeches or slogans

EU envoys agree three-month Brexit delay LONDON: European Union members agreed Monday to postpone Brexit for up to three months, stepping in with a decision less than 90 hours before Britain was due to crash out with no divorce deal. The next deadline for departure will be January 31 next year — although the other 27 capitals would allow an earlier date if London ratifies a withdrawal agreement before then.

“The EU27 has agreed that it will accept the UK’s request for a Brexit flextension until 31 January 2020,” said Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, which represents member states. “The decision is expected to be formalised through a written procedure,” he said, after ambassadors met in Brussels to approve the extension. According to a copy of the agreement seen by AFP, if Prime Minister Boris Johnson convinces the UK parliament to approve an amicable divorce accord before next year, Brexit could be on November 30 or December 31. But in the meantime, London must nominate a senior official to serve on the next European Commission and must agree that the withdrawal agreement it struck last month will not now be renegotiated, according to the EU text. A European source said the next step would be for London to formally accept the extension, after which Tusk will ask the EU capitals to sign off on it. “We hope for this to be concluded by Tuesday or Wednesday,” he said. Leaving the ambassador’s gathering, EU negotiator Michel Barnier said it had been a “short and efficient and constructive meeting,” adding: “I’m very happy that a decision has been taken.” A delay could have been agreed last week, but Paris was reluctant, concerned it would do nothing to boost the chances of Britain deciding how to handle the end of its five-decade relationship with the EU. Johnson had been pushing for a definitive break on October 31 after finally striking a withdrawal deal with fellow EU leaders at an October 17 summit.

DIVORCE TERMS: The expected decision to postpone Brexit beyond the end of the month would do this, but Paris wanted EU capitals to wait until the UK election timetable was clear. On Monday, however, European diplomats told AFP they would wait no longer and would make a decision without further delay after Britain agreed it would not try to change the withdrawal deal. “The conditions of the extension have been specified and reinforced, notably on the fact the deal is not renegotiable,” a French diplomatic source told AFP in Paris. AGENCIES

shall not be made. Weapons/firearms of any kind shall not be taken at/near the venue of the protest. However, anything needed for the internal security of the participants will be allowed subject to the approval of the district administration,” the NOC read.

According to the sources, the federal government is closely monitoring the speeches being made by JUI leaders at various places en route Islamabad.

“However, the speech to be made

SC says insufficient evidence to link properties to Justice Isa

by JUI chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at Lahore would be key for any action by the federal government. If we saw any warning shots, we will take appropriate actions to tackle the situation,” the sources said.

FAZL JOINS MARCH FROM LARKANA: Meanwhile, Fazl joined the march from Larkana after the protesters resumed their journey from Sukkur on the second day of Azadi March. On Sunday, the march officially started from Sohrab Goth where the JUI-F leader had addressed a crowd gathered to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir.

Speaking to the protesters, the JUIF chief had declared “war” against the “threats to the country’s constitutions”.

He had added that the opposition parties were holding the march to strengthen democracy in the country.

The participants of Azadi March from across the country will gather near Tarnol before entering Islamabad on October 31. Around 100,000 workers of the JUI-F are expected to converge on the capital Islamabad next week for a march in a push to dislodge the federal government. According to Senator Hafiz Hamdullah, JUI-F has a membership of around 3.5 million registered workers and each worker has contributed financially for the march.

LHC moved against verdict in Sahiwal encounter case LAHORE STAFF REPORT

The Punjab government on Monday filed a petition in Lahore High Court (LHC) against the acquittal of suspects in the Sahiwal firing incident which saw the death of four civilians at the hands of Punjab Police’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD).

The appeal was filed at the Lahore High Court (LHC) by Additional Prosecutor Abdul Samad Khan. According to the petition, either the investigation into the incident was “flawed or witnesses had changed their statements under pressure”.

On Thursday, Judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta acquitted all six CTD officers accused of being directly responsible for the coldblooded killings, including that of a minor, by giving them the benefit of doubt. However, the Punjab government on Friday challenged Judge Bhutta’s verdict following orders of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

The provincial government has also asked the court to take action

against those who manipulated the investigation as well as those who altered their statements.

On January 19, Mohammad Khalil, his wife and their three children were travelling in a car, along with their neighbour Zeeshan who was driving when CTD officials opened fire on them without provocation. The matter became a national controversy when the law enforcers admitted to having attacked the family and children claiming they had killed a local commander of militant organisation Daesh, terming it an ‘encounter’ which was proved false after Khalil’s two surviving children Umair and Muneeba narrated facts of the incident to the public.

Further, eyewitnesses also refuted CTD’s claims stating that the people in the car did not fire at the officials, nor were any explosives recovered from the vehicle.

Moreover, a joint investigation team (JIT) formed to probe into the incident confirmed that the family was innocent and that the CTD officials were responsible for their killing.

Subsequently, the Punjab government removed some top CTD officials and suspended others, while announcing that six CTD officials responsible for the killings would be tried on terrorism and murder charges.

Initially, the trial was conducted in Sahiwal, however, the Lahore High Court on June 17 shifted the proceedings to Lahore allowing an application filed by the victims’ family. The petitioners contended that they had been facing problems while attending trial proceedings in Sahiwal. They also cited security reasons and asked the court to shift the trial proceedings from Sahiwal to Lahore.

It may be mentioned here that the CTD has repeatedly been accused of pressuring the victims’ family to drop the case. At a press conference, the family’s lawyer Shahbaz Bukhari presented a sevenminute recorded call wherein a CTD official threatened his life.

Due to apprehensions expressed by the victims’ family over the JIT, the Lahore High Court ordered a judicial inquiry.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday observed that there was no proof to establish Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s wife and children as his dependents. These remarks were issued by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah as the apex court resumed the hearing of petitions filed against the presidential reference lodged against the SC judge for allegedly hiding foreign assets of his family members. Reading out the contents of the reference, Justice Isa’s counsel, Muneer A Malik, said that the government did not allege that these are benami properties. “The government has only alleged that Justice Isa has violated tax law and did not disclose assets of his spouse in his wealth statement.

There has been a calculated media trial against the SC judge by leaking information related to the reference with the media,” he added. Justice Yahya Afridi asked whether Justice Isa was issued any notice by the Federal Board of Revenue for not declaring three foreign properties. To which, Justice Shah replied that it is not yet established how the complainant got the addresses of the foreign properties of the SC judge. “It was an unauthorised investigation in this matter,” he added. Malik claimed that the information pertaining to the foreign properties was gathered through surveillance, but Justice Muneeb Akhtar said that there was insufficient evidence to establish this claim. He also asked the counsel for the SC judge if his client had gone abroad in the recent past and had stayed there. “It is not a case of ordinary litigant but a matter related to a fellow judge. The entire SC is under trial. We want to find out how and why the SC is on a trial,” he added. Meanwhile, counsel for superior bars, Hamid Khan, requested the court to adjourn the case until next week because of the annual elections of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the difficulties lawyers were facing in reaching SC because of the impending anti-government protests.

The hearing however was later adjourned until October 29. STAFF REPORT

Far-right Euro MPs lead landmark trip to occupied Kashmir Nearly 30 Euro MPs, drawn mainly from extreme right-wing parties, will on Tuesday be the first international delegation to visit India-occupied Kashmir since authorities imposed a security clampdown in August to back the ending of the region’s autonomy.

While the Indian government backs the visit, the European parliament and European Union hierarchy have not been involved, raising some diplomatic doubts. Several European embassies in New Delhi were unaware of the visit until Monday. Muslimmajority occupied Kashmir, in the grip of an uprising for 30 years, has been in the international spotlight since the New Delhi government’s move to tighten its grip on the Himalayan region. “The delegation of MEPs is not on an official visit in India and came here at the invitation of a non-government group,” said an EU official in India, speaking on condition of anonymity. AGENCIES

PM, Khalilzad say Afghanistan peace in region’s best interest ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Prime Minister Imran Khan and United States Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad held a meeting on the Afghanistan peace process, wherein they agreed that there was a “need to overcome the difficulties to find an enduring political solution to the Afghan conflict”.

Welcoming Khalilzad, the PM reiterated Pakistan’s steadfast and sincere support to the Afghan peace and reconciliation process launched since last year.

The prime minister stressed that it was important for all sides to take practical steps for the reduction of violence in Afghanistan.He underscored that it was “equally important to guard against the negative narratives and efforts by any quarter to undermine the progress made so far through painstaking efforts”.

“Achieving sustainable peace and se-

File photo

curity and ensuring long-term development, progress and prosperity in Afghanistan and the region was in Pakistan’s best national interest,” he stressed.

On Sunday, Khalilzad met with top Afghan officials including President Ashraf Ghani. “The aim of his visit is clear, to report to President Ghani on his recent visits and meetings in some coun-

tries regarding the Afghan peace process,” an official in Ghani’s office said.

This is Khalilzad’s second visit to Pakistan in a month. He visited Islamabad earlier this month and held a meeting with the Afghan delegation led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. Khalilzad’s latest trip to the region that also took him to Kabul and Moscow has raised hopes for

the resumption of Afghan peace talks.

Talks with the Taliban on a plan to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan in exchange for Taliban security guarantees were halted by Trump last month following the death of a US soldier and 11 other people in a Taliban bomb attack in Kabul. Khalilzad’s trip is the first since US President Donald Trump called off the talks six weeks ago, amid growing criticism from the US Congress and other politicians on signing a deal with the militants which entailed the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.

In return, the Taliban pledged not to allow Afghan soil to be used against any country’s interests. It follows his meeting with Taliban delegates in Pakistan three weeks ago and his discussions with regional leaders and NATO representatives in Brussels in recent days on the resumption of talks with the militants who have insisted on a total pullout of US troops.

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

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