E paper pdf 8 july 2018 (lhr)

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8 July, 2018 I 23 Shawwal, 1439 I Rs 30.00 I Vol IX No 10 I 96 Pages I Lahore Edition

Defiant SharifS vow to return on friDay the 13th g

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maryam says sHe and nawaz sHarIf wIll return to Country In tIme to fIle appeals agaInst ConVICtIon

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zardari aide lawai remanded in fIa custody as money laundering probe widens

says antI-graft Court delIVered VerdICt on ‘assumptIons’, Cleared former premIer of CorruptIon CHarges

nab spoKesman InsIsts offenCe of (HaVIng) assets beyond Known sourCes of InCome Is ConsIdered CorruptIon under nao 1999

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STAFF REPORT

aryam nawaz, the daughter of deposed prime minister nawaz sharif, on saturday announced that she and her father will return to pakistan on friday, july 13, rejecting speculations that the father-daughter duo, who were convicted by an accountability court on friday in the avenfield flats reference, will not return to the country anytime soon. speaking to reporters in london, the former first daughter chided the accountability court for delivering a verdict based on ‘assumptions’ besides criticising the national accountability bureau (nab) for targeting the sharifs. the sharifs, who have been in london for more than three weeks now to tend to ailing Kulsoom nawaz, were convicted by the anti-graft court for accumulating assets beyond known sources of income, but acquitted of corrupt practices; however, the accountability watchdog, in a clarification issued on saturday, claimed that the ordinance used to convict sharifs also pertains to corrupt practices. over failure to satisfy the court regarding the avenfield apartments, nawaz sharif was handed a 10-year sentence with 8 million pounds in fine, while maryam nawaz was sent to jail for seven years besides 2m pounds in fines. nawaz’s son-in-law Captain (r) safdar awan, who was in pakistan, though not at court at the time of the verdict, was sen-

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Caretakers cut POL prices by Rs6 g

petrol to be sold at rs95.24 per lItre, Hsd rs112.94, Kerosene rs83.96 and lIgHt dIesel oIl rs75.37 STORY ON BACK PAGE

tenced to one-year in jail.

In a reference to the verdict, maryam claimed that the court had acquitted her father of corruption. the verdict had stated: “the prosecution have not brought evidence in respect of section 9(a)(iv) of nao 1999, which is related to corrupt practices; therefore the court exonerates them of corrupt practices.” she further said that consultation was underway against the decision and their lawyers were looking at the matter from different angles. when asked whether she had been informed by her lawyers that they need to surrender themselves within 10 days to get any sort of relief, she

said: “we will go back before that [10 days] anyway.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03 related stories

mma candidate among 7 injured in bannu blast

TI requests British govt to probe Sharifs’ properties PAGE 03 Verdict against nawaz ‘murdered’ justice: shehbaz BACK PAGE

NAB raids Fawad’s house, recovers laptops, cell phones g

fIr states baHrIa town among benefICIarIes of ‘benamI’ aCCounts to launder rs35bn

raIdIng party obtaIns fawad’s blaCKberry’s password, 30 usbs also taKen Into Custody

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supreme judicial Council agrees to hold open trial of justice siddiqui g

IHC judge Had sougHt publIC trIal after He was aCCused of refurbIsHIng HIs offICIal resIdenCe beyond HIs entItled lImIt STORY ON PAGE 02

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Indian forces kill 3 Kashmiris, detain several leaders ahead of Wani’s death anniversary

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02 NEWS

Sunday, 8 July, 2018

Supreme JudiCial COunCil agreeS tO hOld Open trial Of JuStiCe Siddiqui IHC JUDGE HAD SOUGHT PUBLIC TRIAL AFTER HE WAS ACCUSED OF REFURBISHING HIS OFFICIAL RESIDENCE BEYOND HIS ENTITLED LIMIT Islamabad

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sTAFF RePORT

N an unprecedented move, the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) has decided to try a high court judge in an open court on corruption charges after the latter insisted for a public trial.

The decision comes after Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui moved the Supreme Court against the SJC for not allowing him an open trial. The top court subsequently ruled that the SJC can hear a case against a judge in an open court, only if

the judge on trial waives his/her right for in-camera proceedings, and asked the SJC to review to its earlier decision.

The SJC had rejected Siddiqui’s earlier request for an open trial in May 2017. According to reports, the formal proceedings against the IHC judge will start from July 30 in the corruption reference that pertained to Justice Siddiqui’s alleged refurbishment of official residence beyond entitlement.

The proceedings against Justice Siddiqui were suspended after he moved the top court for an open trial.

The top court’s larger bench, headed by Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, had al-

ready remanded the matter of holding in-camera trials for judges to the SJC for reconsideration. However, the issues remained in doldrums as no meeting was held in the specified period.

On February 21, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar announced that all complaints against superior courts judges in the SJC will be decided by June. However, the issue remained unresolved hitherto. Justice Siddiqui has been in the headlines for several reasons: questioning the role of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Faizabad sit-in, criticising Chief Justice Nisar for ‘humiliating’ a sessions judge in Larkana, among others.

The show-cause on comments about the ISI pertained to “making unnecessary and unwarranted comments about some important constitutional institution saying such comments prima facie had the tendency of undermining

the respect otherwise such constitutional institution enjoys”. He submitted a reply, which was rejected by the SJC.

MMA candidate among 7 injured in Bannu blast SHERIN MALIK WAS CANVASSING FOR POLLS WHEN HIS CONVOY WAS TARGETED WITH EXPLOSION PEsHaWaR sTAFF RePORT

A convoy of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal’s (MMA) candidate for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly came under a bomb attack in Bannu on Saturday, injuring the candidate and six others.

Police said that MMA’s candidate from the PK-89 constituency, Sherin Malik was campaigning for elections in Takhti Kheil area of Bannu when a blast targeted his convoy. The MMA leader along with six other people suffered injuries and were rushed to

nearby DHQ hospital. According to police, the explosive was planted in a motorcycle which was detonated remotely. There has been no immediate claim by any militant groups for the blast.

Earlier this month, at least 10 people were injured

in a blast at the election office of a Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) candidate in Razmak tehsil of North Waziristan tribal district. It is pertinent to mention here that the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) had issued threat warning over possible terror attacks on various leaders of political parties during the election campaign NACTA director had told the Senate Standing Committee on Interior that they had received as many as 12 threat alerts which were about the leadership of political parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and six personalities that can be targeted during the elections.

The NACTA director also said, “In the past, a threat alert was sent that the Peshawar Army Public School (APS) could be attacked and after four months it happened.” “Similarly, some other alerts were issued, but precautionary measures could not be taken,” he added.

Over 39,000 cases pending in SC, full court informed Islamabad OnLine

The Supreme Court has decided on 16,897 cases in the last 10 month while 39,317 cases are still pending in the apex court.

This was told to the meeting of the full court held on Saturday under the chairmanship of Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar. The chief justice said that the purpose of the meeting was to review the performance of the Supreme Court in terms of dispensation of justice and disposal of cases and to deliberate on the issues and matters pertaining to the smooth functioning of the court. The full court observed that there was a rising trend in the institution of cases that show the trust of people in the institution of judiciary.

He asked the full court to put forward suggestions and strategies to improve the case management.

The court also discussed in detail different ways and means for the effective functioning of the court and underlined the need to categorise the cases so that dispensation of justice can further be improved. The full court also discussed the agenda item regarding amendments in Supreme Court Rules, 1980, proposed by Supreme Court Bar Association, and unanimously constituted a three-member committee headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar to give suggestions. The meeting also discussed different administrative and judicial issues relating to the internal working of the court. The meeting was attended by the judges of Supreme Court including Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Azmat Saeed, Justice Mushir Alam, Justice Maqbool Baqar, Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik, Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, Justice Faisal Arab, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Yahya Afridi and Registrar Supreme Court Arbab Muhammad Arif.

FIA to enter new era after PML-N government-approved restructuring FINANCE MINISTRY TO INCREASE AGENCY’S FUNDS BY RS480M EVERY YEAR Islamabad AHMAD AHMADAni

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is all set to enter a new era as the outgoing government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), viewing the agency’s expanded mandate, approved its restructuring plan prior to its departure, Pakistan Today has learnt.

This first-ever big step to revamp and strengthen the agency through a restructuring plan was taken by the government of PML-N, keeping in view inclusion of a number of new areas, particularly cybercrime. Also, to curb heinous crimes including money laundering, funding to terrorists and human smuggling, the restructuring plan developed by FIA Director General (DG) Bashir Ahmed Memon will be implemented in three phases as finance ministry has approved the plan with an additional budget.

Documents regarding FIA’s restructuring plan disclose that former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi approved the restructuring plan on May 31, 2018, following the recommendations of a fivemember committee constituted to examine the plan in depth.

The committee, constituted by ex-PM Abbasi, to examine

the proposed plan held meetings and in-depth deliberations on 25th, 26th and 28th May in the Establishment Division and examined the restructuring proposal prepared by FIA and presented to the prime minister.

The committee agreed to the need for an overall restructuring of the agency, but recommended a phased approach. According to the approved restructuring plan of the agency, the restructuring plan would be implemented in three phases. In the first phase, 486 essential positions including those of three additional director generals, eight directors, seven additional directors, 32 deputy directors, 95 assistant directors and 341 inspectors would be filled during the next financial year.

Similarly, restructuring of cybercrime, NCB-Interpol, academy and anti-human smuggling/trafficking, as well as investigation/prosecution areas, are to be made in phase-I. Moreover, seven composite circles to cover the neglected areas with high prevalence of migrant smuggling/trafficking are included in phase-I. Furthermore, revamping of admin and immigration wings would be made in phase-II and III besides the creation of three new zones and development of five functional directorates. Modern techniques of investigation, use of modern technology and training of staff would also be utilised. An official of the finance ministry, seeking anonymity, told Pakistan Today that over two thousand positions would be created and filled in the three phases of restructuring and the finance ministry would increase FIA’s funds by Rs480 million every year.

Canadian mountaineer falls to death on K2 Islamabad Agencies

A Canadian national who was attempting to climb K2 mountain has died after falling from the cliff, officials said on Saturday. The 53-yearold was between camps 2 and 3 on the notoriously challenging 8,611 metres peak when the accident happened, an official of the Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism department told AFP. His death was confirmed by Sakhawat Hussain of Summit Karakoram, the tour company that organised his trip.

Hussain said that he had received notification from the base camp that the

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Canadian “had fallen to his death and his body has been moved to advance

base camp”, adding that he was in contact with family members.

K2 is the world's second highest peak and looms over the Karakoram range on the China-Pakistan border.

Also known as the “Savage Mountain”, it is often deemed a more challenging climb than the highest peak, Mount Everest. It was first summited in 1954. Since then, just 306 people have made it to the top, while 80 have died trying, according to the 8000ers website. Nestled between the western end of the Himalayas, the Hindu Kush mountains and the Karakoram range, Gilgit-Baltistan has 18 of the world's 50 highest peaks.

CMYK Sunday, 8 July, 2018

NEWS

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Zardari aide lawai remanded in fia CuStOdy aS mOney laundering prOBe widenS FIR STATES BAHRIA TOWN AMONG BENEFICIARIES OF ‘BENAMI’ ACCOUNTS TO LAUNDER RS35BN LAWAI CLAIMS INNOCENCE, SAYS DOESN’T KNOW WHY HE HAS BEEN TAKEN INTO CUSTODY KaRacHI

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sTAFF RePORT

AKISTAN Stock Exchange (PSX) chairman and president of Summit Bank, Hussain Lawai was on Saturday remanded by a court in the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) custody till July 11 as an FIR [First Information Report] was registered against Lawai and others in a case pertaining to money laundering.

A judicial magistrate approved Lawai’s physical remand along with Taha Raza, another suspect who was brought before the court.

The FIA had arrested Hussain Lawai the other day in connection with alleged money laundering worth billions of rupees. The investigation agency is probing a potential laundering scandal of Rs35 billion implicating Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Zardari along with his businessman and banker

friends.

The probe was launched after the Financial Monitoring Unit of the State Bank of Pakistan generated a Suspicious Transaction Report in January this year about 10 bank accounts.

FIA’s State Bank Circle (SBC) registered an FIR against Hussain Lawai, a close friend of Zardari, Taha Raza, UAE national Naseer Abdullah Lootah who is also the chairman of Summit Bank, and the directors of M/s Omni Group of Industries Anwar Majeed and Abdul Ghani Majeed and others.

The FIR states that accused Lawai and Taha Raza, a manager at Summit Bank, are in the custody of FIA CBC and produced before the court on Saturday.

The FIR said that one of the total 29 accounts was fraudulently opened using CNIC of one Tariq Sultan. This account was subsequently used to place illegitimate funds for purpose of money laundering. The purported account holder Tariq Sultan denied to have opened the

said account, the FIR said.

The main payers/creditors of this accounts were Bahria Town Karachi Project (Zain Malik), M/s Sujawal Agro Farms (Pvt) Ltd, M/s Tando Allahyar Sugar Mills (Pvt) Ltd, M/s Omni (Pvt) Ltd, M/s Agro Farms Thatta, M/s Alfa Zulu Co (Pvt) Ltd, M/s Haji Mureed Akbar (Banker on behalf of Contractor), M/s Sher Muhammad Mugheri & Co (Contractor), M/s Sardar Muhammad Asharif D Baloch (Pvt) Ltd (Contractor), M/s AOne Int’l (Account reported in STR), M/S Lucky International (Account reported in STR), M/s Logistic Trading (I.I. Chundri-

gar (Account reported in STR), M/s Iqbal Metals, M/s Royal International and M/s Umair Associaties, the FIR said.

The main beneficiaries of the account, however, are Naseer Abdullah Lootah, M/s Ansari Sugar Mills (Anwar Majeed, Ali Kamal Majeed), M/s Omni Polymer Packages (Pvt) Ltd (Abdul Ghani Majeed, Ali Kamal Majeed), M/s Pak Ethanol (Pvt) Ltd (Mustafa Zulqarnain Majeed, Abdul Ghani Majeed, M/s Chamber Sugar Mills (Anwar Majeed, Nimr Majeed), M/s Agro Farms Thatta (Anwar Majeed, Nazli Majeed), M/s Zardari Group (Asif Ali Zardari, Faryal Talpur etc), M/s Parthenon (Pvt) Ltd (Iqbal Khan Noori) and others.

The total amount of money-laundering from this account was Rs 4.145 billion. The FIR said that Lawai and the other bankers facilitated the opening of 29 fake accounts in the Summit Bank, Sindh Bank and United Bank Limited, where the ‘beneficiaries of the Sindh government’ had deposited Rs35 billion, which were was subsequently transferred to different accounts including one allegedly belonging to Hussain Lootah. As per the contents of the report, the biggest transfer made out of the alleged fake accounts was to Lootah of Rs2.492 billion.

Earlier on Friday, Lawai had been taken into custody by the FIA for further investigation in a money laundering scan-

dal, termed by many as the “biggest in Sindh’s history till date”.

The amount is said to be black money gathered from various kickbacks, commissions and bribes, particularly involving Bahria Town.

Lawai was stopped from going abroad via Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on June 26 by the FIA for investigation purposes.

Soon afterwards, son-in-law of Malik Riaz, Zain Malik was also stopped from going abroad.

Zain Malik, along with Shahrukh Jatoi’s father Sikandar Jatoi, had deposited Rs2 billion into the accounts. It is being suspected that the accounts were used to launder money from Bahria Town and other housing projects.

Chief Justice Saqib Nisar has taken notice of the money laundering scandal and summoned the FIA director general on Sunday, July 8.

Talking to media, Hussain Lawai said that he had no connection whatsoever with the money-laundering case.

“No recovery was made from me.

I’m president of a bank, not a mere branch manager,” he said, adding that he did not know whether he had been arrested due to his ties with Zardari or for some other reason. “Time will tell why I’m being targetted, whether the moneylaundering happened or not.”

NAB raids Fawad’s house, recovers laptops, cell phones RAIDING PARTY OBTAINS FAWAD’S BLACKBERRY’S PASSWORD, 30 USBS ALSO TAKEN INTO CUSTODY laHoRE sTAFF RePORT

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore conducted a raid at the residence of Fawad Hasan Fawad, former principal secretary to prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, and confiscated several items for investigation.

Two laptops, mobile phones, a Blackberry phone and ‘important’ documents were picked up from Fawad’s residence. NAB will conduct forensic audit of the phones and the laptops.

Sources reveal that the documents picked up from Fawad’s residence contain crucial information.

NAB officials managed to access one of Fawad’s phones during investigation.

A bag filled with 30 USBs was also found and will be sent for testing. On July 6, the top anti-graft watchdog arrested

Nawaz Sharif’s former secretary and close aide Fawad on charges of corruption in Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme scam and 3 other projects. Fawad, who also served as secretary to former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and was regarded as the most powerful bureaucrat in the last Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, was summoned by the National Accountability Bureau Lahore (NAB) at least 11 times but he appeared only thrice.

NAB, however, arrested him on Thursday when he appeared before its

investigation team at Lahore’s Thokar Niaz Beg complex and could not give ‘satisfactorily answers’ to the questions posed by the investigators in Ashianae-Iqbal and other relevant cases.

Fawad is accused of pressuring Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC) chief executive officer (CEO) Tahir Khursheed and Project Director Ali Moazzam to cancel the Ashiana contract with Chaudhry Latif and Sons and award it to his blue-eyed contractor, Lahore Casa Developers—a proxy group of Paragon City (Pvt) Limited. As a re-

sult, the government had to pay Rs5.9 million in compensation to Chaudhry and Sons in 2013. In addition, the cost of the project had also escalated by billions of rupees due to the delay.

Further, he had allegedly concealed the inquiry committee report declaring the award of the contract to Chaudhry Latif and Sons as per the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules. NAB has already investigated former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif in this regard.

Listing the corruption charges, NAB officials claimed Fawad had wrongfully awarded the Ashiana contract to ‘favourites’, illegally awarded contracts for nine CNG stations at the behest of Sprint Energy, a subsidiary of JS Group, by preparing fake NoCs for transfer of sites from one district to another, and also worked in Bank Alfalah from 2005 to 2006, even though the Establishment Division had turned down his request to do so.

Moreover, while being the provincial health secretary, Fawad had acquired six mobile health units which were purchased at a higher-than-market rate. According to reports, the PLDC had assigned the low-cost housing scheme of the Punjab government to the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) through an agreement in January 2015.

Defiant Sharifs vow to return on Friday the 13th contInuEd fRom PagE 01 NAWAZ CONVICTED FOR CORRUPTION: Commenting on the speculations that Sharifs were not convicted over corrupt practices, a NAB spokesperson clarified that Nawaz Sharif and his family members had been convicted for committing corruption as “the offence of assets beyond known sources of income which prima facie come under the purview of National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999 are corruption and corrupt practice”.

In its judgement on Friday, the court had acquitted the ex-premier, his daughter and son-in-law of the charge of corrupt practices. According to the judgement, the prosecution have not brought evidence in respect of Section 9(a)(iv) of NAO 1999, which is related to corrupt practices.

Under Section 9(a)(v) of the NAO about owning assets disproportionate to known source of income,

the court declared that the prosecution shifted the burden of proof on the accused persons. The defence side was required to provide evidence that the Avenfield apartments were not disproportionate to the known sources of their income. The verdict says: “In the above mentioned circumstances, the prosecution has succeeded to bring home the guilt of the accused.”

APPEAL TO BE FILED ON MONDAY: According to informed sources, the Sharif family will challenge the court decision on July 9 in the Islamabad High Court. Khawaja Haris, the defence counsel, will file the appeals on their behalf.

Following the verdict, the federal government was directed to confiscate the London properties of the Sharifs. When a reporter asked her to comment on the order, Maryam responded that the court cannot confiscate their London properties as no law had been violated in the United Kingdom. “In fact, let the court move British government against us, the investiga-

tions by them would make things clear.”

“Due process will be implied against the court’s decision,” said Maryam, claiming that the institutions in the UK have already told the Pakistani authorities that no illegality was carried out.”

NAB OBTAINS ARREST WARRANTS: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has, meanwhile, obtained arrest warrants of Nawaz Sharif, Maryam and Safdar, while a NAB team has already left for Mansehra—hometown of Safdar— to arrest him. According to a NAB spokesperson, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa caretaker government has also been approached for their assistance in carrying out Safdar’s arrest. The Abbottabad DIG, however, said the police had not received any instructions to arrest the PML-N leader, but added that he would be arrested the moment they receive the order from NAB. Moreover, Safdar was placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) as well.

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transparency int’l requests British govt to probe Sharifs’ properties Transparency International has requested the British government to investigate the four properties Nawaz Sharif holds in London. On Friday, the former prime minister was sentenced to 10 years in jail and slapped with the fine of £8 million in Avenfield reference by the accountability court. The global anti-corruption body said that Theresa May-led UK government should launch an official probe into the four properties owned by the deposed premier. In its official statement, the non-governmental organisation (NGO) has demanded that the British government should not allow Sharif to take a refuge in the country. The organisation demanded proceedings to seize any properties found to be obtained through corruption. The Avenfield reference was one of three references filed

by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz, his sons Hassan and Hussain Nawaz and son-in-law Captain (r) Safdar. The reference pertained to the ownership of Sharif family’s apartments at Avenfield House in London. Nawaz’s daughter, Maryam, has been handed a seven-year jail term for abetment in the purchase of the posh property in London, and one year for non-cooperation with the accountability watchdog–sentences will be concurrent. According to the verdict, she “aided, assisted, abetted, attempted and acted in conspiracy with her father”.

“The trust deeds produced by the accused Maryam Nawaz were also found bogus,” read the judgement. Maryam’s husband, Captain (r) Safdar Awan has been sentenced to a year’s rigorous imprisonment for not cooperating with the NAB authorities. neWs DesK

04 LAHORE

Sunday, 8 July, 2018

WEATHER UPDATES SUNDAY

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Govt to deploy 259,000 police personnel for election duty CM ASKARI REVIEWS SECURITY SITUATION AHEAD OF POLLS LAHORE

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STAFF REPORT

uNJAB caretaker government on Saturday decided to deploy at least 259,000 police personnel across the provincial capital for election duty.

Reviewing arrangements for the forthcoming polls during a high-level meeting held here, the government also decided to provide security detail to political figures, public gatherings and rallies, keeping in view the threats being received by certain political players.

Addressing the meeting, Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Dr Hasan Askari directed an indiscriminate action against violators of the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) code of conduct and said divisional and district administrations, as well as the police, should take an immediate action in this regard.

HIGH-LEVEL MEETING DEVISES STRATEGIES TO DEAL WITH DENGUE, FLOODING

“The election code of conduct should be implemented strictly and transparent as well as peaceful holding of the general elections is our joint responsibility.

Everybody should discharge their duties with honesty and dedication… only then can we discharge our national duty in an effective manner,” said CM Askari, while also directing to pay special attention to the law and order situation across the province.

Officials concerned, at the occasion, informed the chief minister that Section 144 had been imposed across Punjab for the implementation of elections code of conduct and the Cabinet Committee for Law and Order was reviewing the security situation in the province on a daily basis.

They also informed that 47,473 polling stations would be set up for 141 seats of the National Assembly and 297 seats of the provincial assembly, while a mechanism to work with Pakistan Army, Rangers and

other security agencies for peaceful holding of the polls had been given a final shape.

It was told that there were 6,335 A-category polling stations, 16,944 B-category polling stations and 24,201 C-category polling stations.

As many as 2,832 violations of the code of conduct had been reported across the province so far and actions had been taken as per law.

Earlier, the chief minister reviewed arrangements for the strict implementation of government’s dengue control plan and said that averting dengue outbreak was a big challenge.

Discussing other administrative challenges that the caretaker setup might have to deal with, the chief minister said the decided plan for dengue control should be implemented in a bid to prevent the deadly disease from spreading.

The chief minister, at the occasion, was informed that 43,226 mosquito nets had already been stocked and surveillance teams

were working around the clock. The meeting was also told that no deaths due to dengue had been reported in the ongoing year so far and the suspected cases of dengue were less as compared to 2017.

The meeting also reviewed arrangements to deal with floods and it was decided that protective embankments of rivers would constantly be monitored in this regard.

The interim chief minister said that no stone should be left unturned in the arrangements to manage flooding and monsoon rains. “The departments have set a good example by showing excellent performance during heavy rains. It proves that we can get good results with teamwork,” he added.

The meeting was informed that 854 boats, 17,968 life jackets, 4,050 life rings, 1,437 dewatering sets, 48,799 tents, 21,620 blankets, 52 boat trollies, 30 generators, 49,939 plastic mats had already been stocked to deal with any untoward situation.

Among those who attended the meeting were provincial ministers including Zafar Mehmood, Shaukat Javed, Jawwad Sajid and Saeedullah Babar while Punjab chief secretary, additional chief secretary, additional chief secretary (home), Board of Revenue senior members, IGP and senior officers of departments concerned also attended the meeting. Commissioners and RPOs participated in the meeting via video-link.

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‘Tarbuz Ko Izzat Dou’ – Give respect to watermelon LAHORE: The watermelon – sweet juicy, veggie-fruit, widely believed to be first harvested some 5,000 years ago in Egypt – remained low cost summer staple for centuries in sub-continent. Though it is still an affordable family feast but it could not attain that much admiration and significance it earns in some other countries.

The most prestigious place this overgrown produce reaps in America, Japan and Oklahoma. It is Oklahoma’s official state vegetable, whereas, Americans every year on August 3 celebrate as National Watermelon Day, marked as a holiday festivity. Japanese, “on their own, unofficially giving it greater recognition” annually dedicate a day as World Watermelon Day. Japanese have another hallmark achievement of developing square watermelons for the ease to shelve them in refrigerators and racks. Knowingly declared as a vegetable-fruit, it has another distinctive feature for rarely being cooked like a curry in traditional cooking vessel. “It would be funny experience to cook this item in a pip-kin on fire with added hot Asian spices, not sure what will be an outcome but it will be a fun for the eaters,” remarked Chief Chef Shahid Khan at Gun & Country Club, when asked did he ever cook watermelon. He termed it impractical to deal it like a vegetable for being so watery and sweetie in nature.

Agri-expert and Director Farms Planning at National Agricultural Research Centre Shamim ul Sibtain said, the Watermelon plant’s drought-tolerant ability ensures it’s maximum growth rate as it love the heat, and need a long and warm growing season of at least 70 to 85 days. He said country’s most tasty variety is produced in Thal’s hot and sandy soil where day time temperature touches 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit in which maximum species of other saplings could not survive. “This veggie-fruit’ he said, not only endures this hot and humid climate  but also drags and soaks over 92 per cent of water with no competitor on earth having Adam’s ale to this extent,” he added. Called a fruit of angels by Mark Twain its different varieties across the globe have some very fascinating names reflecting public infatuation with this specie. Among them a few are Queen of Hearts, King of Hearts, Millionaire, Crimson, Trio, Nova, Desert King, Tendergold, Yellow Baby, Yellow Doll and black diamond. According to Guinness World Records, the world’s heaviest watermelon was grown by Chris Kent of Sevierville, Tennessee in 2013, weighing in at 350.5 lbs. APP

Sunday, 8 July, 2018

‘polls to chanGe nation’s fate’ LAHORE

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STAFF REPORT

AKISTAN Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) senior leader and former deputy prime minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Saturday said the general elections would change the fate of the nation.

Speaking to delegations of former Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) youth and traders wings, which announced to join PML-Q, he said the court had given its verdict and now the people should end the politics of Sharifs and PMLN on July 2. “The decision of the people should end their [PML-N’s] tenure of oppression, highhanded-

2 killed, 4 injured in Sargodha violent incidents SARGODHA: At least two people including a woman were killed and four others sustained injuries in separate incidents of violence here on Saturday. Police said that a man visited his in-laws in Satellite town of the city to take back his wife, who had been living with her parents after a domestic dispute with her husband. However, the family of the woman refused to send her back. This led to an exchange of hot words following which the man opened fire, killing his mother-in-law and injuring four others. Separately, a student of MSc was shot dead by unknown assailants in Sargodha’s Mustafaabad Colony. INP

ness and arrogance forever,” he said.

“PML-N is heading towards its logical end,” he stated.

The PML-Q leader said that people were now drawing comparisons between PML-Q and PML-N’s tenures and were realising that his party “changed the map of the province with its development works”.

“Vote for tractor on July 25 and

send PML-N packing.”

“Workers of PML-Q and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) should run the election campaign together and their solidarity should be visible,” he added. Arshad Butt, Imran Butt, Omar Butt, Amjad Masood, Asghar Tail Wala, Hasnain Asghar, Naeem Anwar, Shehzad Gul, Raja Mubashir Iqbal and Syed Manzar Shah were present at the occasion.

One man killed as hauling trailer gets stuck in underpass LAHORE STAFF REPORT

A trailer truck got stuck while crossing Jail Road’s underpass on Friday night, killing one man and injuring another. According to the eye-witnesses, the driver crossed the blocker sign misjudging the height of the underpass, while knocking the vehicle against the upper frame of the structure. Furthermore, the accident caused a massive traffic jam where commuters faced difficulties reaching their destination. Police and rescue teams arrived on the spot and shifted the deceased and the injured victim to the nearby hospital.

Greenvalley holds ‘Shop & Win’ lucky draw LAHORE PRESS RELEASE

Mall of Lahore’s ‘Shop & Win’ promotion on Saturday closed with a lucky draw that announced the names of winners who won prizes worth over 2 million rupees, amid great cheers from the huge crowd that thronged Lahore’s most plush shopping destination for the occasion.

Film star Resham illuminated the evening with her stellar presence as chief guest and announced the names of the lucky winners. Popular entertainer Zia Chohan held the audience in sway with his magic and puppet show. Customers had shopped for Rs3,999 at Mall of Lahore at any outlet including Greenvalley Hypermarket to enter the lucky draw. Started on June 8, ‘Shop & Win’ continued till July 5. The management and staff of Mall of Lahore made special arrangements for the promotion. Such promotions are a regular event at Mall of Lahore, which has previously given away 1300cc cars and plots in Bahria Town Lahore and Rawalpindi to lucky winners. The mall is the first premium shopping mall with a perfect fusion of hi-end local and international brands with a grand ambiance. Greenvalley Premium Hypermarket, a project of Bahria Town, is offering the finest retail experience in Pakistan with stores in Bahria Town Rawalpindi and Mall of Lahore. It has over 25 specialised departments and is the only retailer in Pakistan to have won an award at the International Retail Property Award and the first supermarket in Pakistan to receive an ISO and HACCP certification.

SKMCH team publishes research paper on breast cancer malignancy LAHORE PRESS RELEASE

Breast cancer is the most common type of invasive malignancy in women worldwide. Pakistan has one of the highest incidences of breast cancer in Asia. The majority of Pakistani women present with breast cancer at a young age. There is strong evidence that genetic factors play an important role in causing breast cancer. Senior research scientist, Dr Muhammad usman Rashid (MBBS, PhD) and his team from Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre (SKMCH&RC) Lahore has recently published the mutational spectrum in a worldwide study of 29,700 families with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, in collaboration with an international team of leading researchers from 69 centres in 49 countries on 6 continents. SKMCH&RC is one of the major centres contributing substantial data from Asia.

LAHORE 05

06 NEWS

Sunday, 8 July, 2018

NatioNs die wheN they caN’t differeNtiate betweeN right aNd wroNg: imraN KhaN ISLAMABAD

P

STAFF REPORT

akistan tehreek-e-insaf (Pti) Chairman imran khan has said that nations die when they lose the ability to differentiate between right and wrong. addressing the Ullema and Mashaikh Conference at Golra sharif in islamabad on saturday, imran khan said that law should be equal for all in order for the speedy dispensation of justice.

He said that the sentencing of a powerful person by accountability court has given a clear message to everyone that the rule of law is getting stronger in Pakistan. the Pti chairman said that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) established the model islamic state in Madina on the basis of simplicity and austerity. “Pakistan will rise when it will function along the same lines,” he added.

He said that today Pakistan has

summer brings with it landmines in azad Kashmir MuzAffArABAD AgEnciES

as the summer sun warms the verdant valleys of Pakistan-held kashmir, its snow and glaciers begin to melt, and the deadly landmines buried within them slowly begin to shift downstream towards the villages below. Laid by troops along both sides of the highly militarised Line of Control (LoC), the de-facto border dividing the contested Himalayan region between india and Pakistan, the landmines are believed to kill and maim dozens of villagers each year. “it is a hilly area. Our village is located at the bottom, and the enemy posts are at the top,” explains Muhammad sulaiman, a 72-year-old resident of the village of Bugna, in the steeply sloped neelum Valley. When the snow melts, he says, the mines “flow from the top to our village”. Villagers routinely ford the many small streams criss-crossing the valley as they go about their daily business. “they are hit by landmines, and they become victims,” sulaiman says. nobody knows how many landmines flow into populated areas this way each year. the area is vast, and villagers do not always report what has happened. the Pakistan Red Crescent society does not have access to parts of the LoC itself and says it does not have proper data. But it is enough that in winter the villagers feel safe, many told aFP while rising temperatures bring increased nervousness.

Like sulaiman, salima Bibi lives in Bugna, a village of 1,500 people that has only enough electricity for lights, not heat or cooking, and is just yards (metres) from the LoC. Pakistani and indian troops are deployed on the heights above it. Last september she, like many other women of Bugna, was cutting grass for livestock, foraging for wood for cooking and heating, and bringing drinking water from the stream. “i was walking through a small stream,” salima says. “all of a sudden there was a blast. i fell down on the ground, i was bleeding.” she was rushed to the capital of Pakistani-held kashmir, Muzaffarabad, and remained there for two months as doctors fought to save her mangled leg. Eventually, it was amputated, the international Committee of the Red Cross (iCRC) providing her with a prosthetic. Bibi, a mother of three clad in a traditional shalwar kameez, wrings her hands sadly as she tells aFP how difficult it is to carry out routine chores and care for her children. “i don’t want what happened to me to happen to others,” she says in an interview at her home. so she is joining forces with the Red Crescent, which has been carrying out a landmines awareness campaign in the region since 2011.

KOHAT: PTI Chairman Imran Khan addresses a public gathering. Agencies

reached a critical juncture due to poor policies made by previous rulers. “During the last ten years, foreign loans increased to manifold and poverty increased in the country,” he said. khan urged the Ullema and Mashaikh to play their due role in spreading the message of love and peace. He

said that it is time to rise above petty differences to overcome the challenges Pakistan is facing.

He said that everyone knew that sharif was telling lies. “When it came upon his sons they said they were not even Pakistani citizens,” he stated. the Pti chief said that the party has

a great responsibility to work for the country. “a small class is getting richer but the condition of poverty –ridden people remained unchanged,” he stated.

He urged the nation to unite and block the way of corrupt practices.

He lamented that 25 million children are out of schools while many more lack access to basic nutrition. “if we want to pull the country of this quagmire we will have to run it in a way it has never been run before,” the Pti chief said. khan further said that if allah gives him a chance he will prove that a person can also come to power to establish a welfare state as per teachings of Holy Prophet (PBUH) instead of milking money.

He demanded that the Raja Zafarul Haq committee report on now-withdrawn controversial amendments in khatm-e-nabuwwat oath be published so that it could be known who the government wanted to please by hatching such a conspiracy.

British climbers detail ordeal of deadly hunza avalanche two British climbers caught in a deadly avalanche 19,000ft up a Pakistani mountain in a recent interview detailed their ordeal and how they fought to survive after being buried under six feet of snow. the pair from Glasgow spoke for the first time of the avalanche on Ultar sar which killed the other member of their party, Christian Huber from austria. speaking to the telegraph, timothy Miller recalled how he made his way out of their buried tent by ripping it with his teeth and battled to the surface before digging to save the life of his trapped companion, Bruce normand.

Once free from the tent, the pair were left in a snowstorm in only their base layers and had to dig out their kit to avoid freezing to death. Miller, a 21-year-old Geology student, and normand, a 51-year-old physicist, then spent two days in their broken tent waiting for the weather to ease before they were finally lifted to safety by a Pakistani military helicopter. the trio of experienced mountaineers was climbing the 24,239ft peak near Hunza when on June 27 the weather took a turn for the worse. at just over 19,000ft they settled in to wait for a break so they could go back down, digging a platform into the snow

for their three-man tent.

Unfortunately, a small avalanche hit two days later burying them in six feet of snow. Recalling the incident, Miller, who was nearest to the back of the tent, said: “the snow from the avalanche came down, filled the platform and buried our tent.”

Meanwhile, normand and Huber were at the other end near the door. “i ripped a hole with my teeth and managed to dig out. Bruce and Christian hadn’t managed to reach the surface,” he continued. Digging down he found normand barely conscious.

Huber had managed to unzip the tent door but had then suffocated. normand said: “Being under 2m of snow is only slightly less terrifying than thinking about what will happen next, but you have little time to think at all. “tim [Miller] was the real hero. i had a hand up a semi-airhole and was still able to wriggle it a bit, but was less than semi-conscious. i think i was revived by his finding my hand rather than anything it was doing on its own.” the men had only been clothed in their innermost clothing when in the tent. “We were now outside in a snowstorm but only wearing our underwear,” continued Miller.

Miller then dug down to free their

warm gear as normand’s hands were too cold to dig. the pair then spent the whole night making a new tent site and boiling hot drinks to stave off hypothermia. the pair then remained in their broken tent waiting for a gap in the weather. “We still planned to climb down at the next opportunity but helicopters had already been organised by our friends, Miller said. “importantly this also allowed Christian’s body to be taken down.”

Pictures of the rescue released by Pakistan’s military showed a helicopter perching on a narrow ridge during the rescue, which the British High Commission described as “remarkable and dangerous”. the men paid tribute to the Pakistani pilots – Majors abbas, abid, irtaza and Zia – and their local tour guides abdul Ghafoor and abdul karim of Higher Ground Expeditions. the pair are due to reach the capital on sunday, before heading home on Monday. Huber’s body is being ferried to the capital by road.

Ultar sar is described on mountaineering websites as a difficult and dangerous mountain to climb where there is a significant risk of avalanches. the mountain at the end of the Batura Muztagh sub-range was only climbed for the first time in 1996. nEwS DESk

Pakistan remains committed to regional peace and prosperity, says naval chief KArACHI STAFF REPORT

During the 109th pass-out-parade of Pakistan navy Midshipmen on saturday, Chief of naval staff admiral Zafar Mahmood abbasi stated that Pakistan’s desire for peace should not be mistaken for its weakness. abbasi, who was the chief guest of the ceremony, said that the country is fully capable of responding effectively to any act of aggression, and the country remains committed to peace and prosperity of the region. “Pakistan navy is ready to provide security to the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CEPC) and Gwadar seaport,” the naval Chief stated. as many as 43 officers from Pakistan’s close ally states including Bahrain, saudi arabia, Jordan, and Qatar were included in the pass-outs.

Commander Royal Bahrain naval Force Commodore Mohammed Yousif al asam and the Chief of Bahrain Coast Guard were also in the attendance.

Wanted to save Nawaz from Avenfield verdict, claims Nisar rAWALPINDI STAFF REPORT

Former Pakistan Muslim Leaguenawaz (PML-n) leader Chaudhry nisar on saturday lamented that the accountability court verdict was what he “wanted to save party supreme leader nawaz sharif from”. addressing a public gathering, nisar, who has had strained relations with the PML-n leadership for over a year, once again complained of the ousted premier's “disloyalty”. “i served nawaz for 34 years but he still said that i should submit an application and then i will get a ticket to contest the polls,” he said. the ex-interior minister also said that he was contesting from four constituencies on the back of the masses’ support and urged them to remember the ‘Jeep’ symbol. it may be noted that the disgruntled PML-n leader will be contesting polls from na-63, na-59, PP-10 and PP-12 constituencies.

election symbols allotted despite parties failing to distribute 5pc tickets to women Political Parties allotting tickets to women for constituencies where they have never won in Polls PESHAWAr SAJJAD ALi

Women rights activists have voiced concerns over the failure of some political and religious parties in allotment of at least five per cent of tickets for general seats to women for the upcoming polls and asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to clarify whether the political parties which had been allotted the election symbols fulfilled this requirement or not. speaking at a news conference at Peshawar Press Club on saturday, aurat Foundation Resident Director shabina ayaz said that the ECP had asked all the political parties to allot at least five per cent of tickets for the general seats to women in order to get electoral symbols.

However, as per the data of election commission, the Pakistan Muslim League Eagle group had allotted 4.9 per cent of general seat tickets to women candidates, followed by allah-o-akbar tehreek that allotted 4 per cent tickets

to women, while the Qaumi Watan Party allotted only 3.2 per cent of general seat ticket to women candidates. she was astonished that tehreek-e-Labbaik islam had allotted zero per cent general seat tickets to women. shabina regretted that despite the violation of ECP’s code of conduct, the commission had allotted electoral symbols to these parties and asked for an explanation on this. similarly, she said that the political parties had fielded women candidates in those constituencies wherein the parties didn’t get success in the past two general elections, putting the women voters in a challenging situation.

Flanked by khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on status of Women Chairman (kPCsW) neelum toru, women rights activist saima Munir and amina Durrani and others, shabina regretted that their demand of ensuring allotment of at least 10 per cent general seat tickets to women with a condition to field women candidates in those constituencies wherein the political parties

CMYK

would become victorious in the elections was not accepted.

On the occasion, she demanded the result of the count (Form-45) and the ballot paper count (Form-46) should be made public on the evening of the elections day. she further called for a separate count of male and female voters. the women rights activist also urged the ECP to take pre-emptive measures to prevent incidents of harassment of women and make all possible arrangements to prevent inconvenience to female voters on the polling day.

Earlier, speaking on the occasion, neelum toru informed that the provincial women commission and aurat Foundation had entered into an agreement to support women’s participation in four districts of the province, including Peshawar, kohat, swabi and Bannu.

WOMEN CANDIDATES FIELDED IN CONSTITUENCIES WHERE PARTIES LOST IN PAST: all the major political parties have fielded their female candidates on constituencies where they have zero chance of securing victory in the upcoming polls. in a majority of constituencies where political parties have fielded their candidates, no election has been won by these par-

ties since last three general elections, and in some cases since 1977.

Despite efforts for women empowerment and their participation in the electoral process, the women in kP still face difficulties to actively participate in the parliamentary politics due to political parties’ discrimination.

Muttahida Majlis-e-amal (MMa), one of the main contenders in the upcoming general elections, has fielded 95 candidates for kP assembly seats out of which only one is female. it fielded Farzana Rehan from Pk-41 Haripur constituency from where no religious political party ever secured a victory. the alliance has not issued even a single ticket to a female candidate for any national assembly seat. similarly, the Pakistan tehreek-e-insaf (Pti), which ruled the province for five years, issued only five kP assembly seats to women in which only one seat, Pk-42 Haripur, was won by the party in the previous general elections.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has fielded women candidates at potential constituencies where the party is expected to show a close contest. it has allocated three na seats and four provincial assembly seats to female workers.

who will wiN islamabad’s Na-53? imran and aBBasi in a close fight for federal caPital’s Prime constituency ISLAMABAD

a

MiAn ABRAR

s the General Elections 2018 draw near, all eyes are fixed on islamabad’s na-53 constituency where former prime minister shahid khaqan abbasi and Pakistan tehreek-e-insaf (Pti) imran khan are to face each other in a tough contest on July 25. the constituency, which has been carved out of previous na-48, mostly consists of posh urban areas of the federal capital including sectors E-7, F-7, G-7, G-8, G-9, H-8, H-9, i-8, and i-9. However, some rural areas like Bhara kahu, Banigala, Bari imam, Mohra nur, Phulgran, suhan, Chattar, shehzad town and Lakhwal also fall in the constituency. an estimated 670,683 people live in na-53 where a majority of the populace comes from various ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. a total of 325 polling stations will be set up in this constituency with 1,104 polling booths where 312,143 registered voters would cast their votes. While the rural areas are dominated by Gujjar, Pashtun, awan, abbasi and syed clans, the urban areas are more diverse in nature. a significant population belongs to the Christian community as well which can make a huge difference if they choose to vote as a bloc, as the number of registered Christian voters living across na-53 stands at around 22,000.

Besides imran khan and shahid khaqan abbasi, Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) syed sibtul Haider Bokhari, Muttahida Majlis-e-amal’s (MMa) Mian Mohammad aslam, ayesha Gulalai of Pti-G, Mohammad amjad of all Pakistan Muslim League (aPML), ammar Rasheed of

awami Workers Party (aWP) and others, among a total of over 60 candidates are in the run for na-53. in 2013 by-elections held for na-48, asad Umar of Pti won the contest bagging 48,073 votes against Chaudhry ashraf Gujjar of PML-n, who had secured 41, 186 votes. Gujjar has recently joined Pti and has been actively participating in imran khan’s campaign. shahid khaqan abbasi has the support of traditionally ideological league members and is also expected to attract votes from the abbasi clan.

On the other hand, PPP’s syed sibtul Haider –brother of former senate chairman nayyar Hussain Bukhari – can also win a good number of votes as nayyar Bokhari, as chairman of senate, had initiated a number of development projects in the area. imam Bari’s shrine also comes under the constituency.

Mian Mohammad aslam had won this constituency in 2002 from the platform of MMa and has the capacity to stun his opponents yet again. though political pundits have observed that aslam’s win in 2002 was a result of a specific environment following the Us invasion of afghanistan, there is a significant vote bank linked to religious seminaries in the constituency including Laal Masjid, Jamia Hafsa and others who may opt to vote for MMa’s nominee.

Pti on the other hand had won the previous elections from most of the areas falling in the newly carved out na-53, and bagged a similar victory in the local government elections two years later. imran khan’s campaign in charge Zulfi Bukhari said he was shocked to see the deteriorating conditions when he visited the slum areas

of Christian community. “i could not sleep last night imagining that we have such slums only two kilometers away from the posh PM House. i have travelled around the globe but never seen such a level of ignorance towards people in the capital city. this is how the rulers in Pakistan have plagued this country,” he said.

Bukhari said that whether imran khan comes to power or not, he would spend from his own pocket to improve the living conditions in the slum areas of islamabad. “i am not a candidate for na-53 but i am the eyes and ears of imran khan. i will resolve all these issues myself and you would see a total turnaround soon. i have lined up meetings with prominent pastors and bishops of the Christian community in the next few days for better communication,” he added.

On the contrary, shahid khaqan abbasi would try to get the votes from abbasi clan living in rural Bhara kahu and Chattar areas. the same areas also have a huge number of Pashtun voters living in and around Bhara kahu who tend to vote for the Pti. since imran khan himself is contesting, the Pashtun voters are likely to vote for him. the Pti leader got a political boost on saturday when hundreds of prominent ulema and mashaikh announced their support for Pti at a congregation in the federal capital. the mashaikh had been invited by Pir of Golra sharif Ghulam nizamuddin Jami who asked his followers across country to vote for the Pti candidates.

While no major public gathering was held in federal capital, Pti has taken out a number of rallies led by Zulfi Bukhari and asad Umar. Being a constituency won by Pti, imran khan leads the race closely followed by PML-n’s shahid khaqan abbasi and sibtul Hassan Bokhari of the PPP.

Pti to unveil party manifesto on monday ISLAMABAD inP

QUeTTA: Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai addresses a public gathering in Pashtoonabad area of the provincial capital. OnLinE

the Pakistan tehreek-e-insaf (Pti) Chairman imran khan formally approved the party’s manifesto and will be announcing it on Monday, July 9th. the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-nawaz (PML-n) have made their manifestos public already.

Meanwhile, imran khan has initiated his election campaign since last sunday, starting from his hometown Mianwali and is set hold rallies in various cities across the country.

Earlier this week, the Pti announced its Digital Policy which will focus on creating job opportunities, eliminating corruption through e-governance and boosting country’s information technology (it) exports.

Furthermore, in a video message, khan said that his government will bring Pakistan’s it exports on par with india which earns billions of rupees through software exports.

the lion’s last roar? the enemy of my enemy. . .

ABDuLLAH NIAzI

t

HE dust is beginning to settle, well, as much as it can settle with the sharifs still out of the country. But even with them still in London, the cogs of the state are in motion to implement the verdict of Justice Muhammad Bashir.

Printing of ballot papers for the constituencies of Maryam nawaz and her husband Captain (r) safdar has been put on hold. new candidates have replaced the disqualified couple. the interim setup has vowed to execute the orders of the court, and naB is already pushing for safdar’s arrest warrants. there seems to be a rush to get things moving, and it makes sense. Because Mian nawaz sharif is sitting on a powder keg ready to blow.

For now, the League has retreated into a shell, choosing to give themselves just a little room to think. But as the postverdict haze settles, there are mutterings. Where imran khan has been ecstatic, asif Zardari and others have warned caution. the decision is politically motivated they say, there was a push for it to be out before the election.

When the election cycle started, the League was a welloiled machine and it was the squabbling Pti that was in disarray. But a series of blows has left the League down and out for the count while imran rides a high tide. it is strange, but the ‘wounded tiger’ ideology that imran khan so proudly claims as his own is exactly what the League needs. there has been no major backlash to the decision as of yet, just a handful of noon stalwarts coming out on the streets.

khuhro sees conspiracy behind his disqualification LArKANA PPi

sindh Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) nisar ahmed khuhro said saturday that conspiracy was being hatched to keep him away from the upcoming general elections and some of his opponents were being used as chessman but such conspiracies would never succeed.

He said this while addressing a corner meeting in UC-2 here on saturday. He said nida khuhro, his daughter, contesting election after his disqualification, would defeat their opponents. khuhro said instead of using such tactics, his opponents should come out and face him in the election. "the Grand Democratic alliance (GDa) means ‘Goli, Danda ittehad’

Mainstreaming the hardliners: new far-right in Pakistan’s politics since 2017, a number of far-right religious parties have run credible campaigns in byelections, raising fears that religious hardliners – some associated with armed groups – may enter the political mainstream, reported al-Jazeera.

TEHREEK-E-LABBAIK (TLP): Led by firebrand far-right cleric khadim Hussain Rizvi, tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (tLP) rose to national prominence when it blockaded a major motorway into the Pakistani capital, islamabad, for three weeks last year, protesting a change to the electoral law that they deemed blasphemous. the government capitulated to

tLP’s demands, including the resignation of a federal minister. in May 2018, a man claiming to be a tLP member shot and wounded ahsan iqbal, Pakistan’s interior minister, accusing him of blasphemy. the party has fought several by-elections and will be targeting Punjab province.

MILLI MUSLIM LEAGUE (MML): Launched in august 2017, the Milli Muslim League is headed by saifullah khalid, who was among seven party leaders named in april on a Us terrorist sanctions list.

MML is the political face of the Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) humanitarian organi-

sation, which has been designated a front for the Lashkar-e-taiba armed group by the United nations and the United states.

JuD is headed by Hafiz Muhammad saeed, the alleged mastermind behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which killed more than 160 people in the indian port city. the party’s registration has so far been rejected by the Election Commission, and its candidates will likely stand as independents.

AHLE SUNNAT WAL JAMAAT (ASWJ): the ahle sunnat Wal Jammat (asWJ) is the latest political incarnation of the sipah-e-sahaba Pakistan (ssP), a

Mian shehbaz is looking docile, seemingly waiting for big brother to make a call. But when the League does pounce, it will be for the history books.

Mian nawaz returning to Pakistan could very well break the wave the Pti is riding. if the former prime minister stands by his promise, that will be the day to shape this election. in the wake of the decision, a strange coalition that has been cooking for some time seems to at last be taking final form. the major chunk of that is Mian nawaz’s old base, upper to lower middle class families who have wholeheartedly accepted his anti-establishment rhetoric. Whatever else one might say, sharif’s old conservative base coming out against the establishment is a win for democracy. these people are not just following nawaz sharif, the likeable kashmiri from Gawalmandi who promises roads, they are following nawaz sharif the man standing toe to toe with the military. the second part of the coalition is the liberals, always against the heavy handedness of the military, and now the judiciary, in state affairs. they now see nawaz sharif as a real option to stand up to the establishment. that nawaz in his last government established liberal credentials courtesy the execution of Mumtaz Qadri and the introduction of secular legislation such as Women’s and transgender Rights bills only helps. the PML-n is wounded. it has more than enough manpower for one last heave. nawaz sharif returning to Pakistan to spectacular crowds would go down in history. if and when that does happen, whatever the end result is or is not, you can bet it’ll shake this election to the core.

Game on.

sunni hardline group which has been linked to sectarian violence that killed more than 2,300 people – most of them shia Muslims – since 2007. the ssP broke apart into the mainly political asWJ and the armed Lashkar-eJhangvi (LeJ) in 1996.

Both are banned and classified as terrorist organisations under Pakistani law, but asWJ candidates have openly stood for elections for more than a decade. LeJ has carried out a wave of shootings and bombings targeting Pakistan’s shia minority, with recent attacks focused on Balochistan province. nEwS DESk

which has been made with those who wanted to break sindh," he said. the PPP sindh chief said those who had left PPP were showing eyes now to the the party. "if they are given ministries and five seats, then PPP is okay; otherwise it is bad. those who were not seeing each-other's faces are now gathered against the PPP in the form of GDa but after their defeat in the upcoming elections, they will never meet again," khuhro said.

He said kitchen cabinet of GDa was facing disputes and soon their drop-scene would come out. He asserted: "Every voter should cast its vote in the upcoming elections because it is their fundamental right and if they do not use their basic right, then benefit will be taken by undemocratic forces."

25 Balochistan women to try their luck in polls For the first time in Pakistan’s history, as many as 25 women politicians will contest general polls 2018 from Balochistan. as per details, seven women will contest elections for seat in national assembly (na) whereas 18 women will contest elections for seat in Balochistan assembly. the women contestants reportedly claimed they would solve issues of the weaker gender on priority basis. n E w S D E S k

08 COMMENT

Sunday, 8 July, 2018

Nawaz Sharif in the belly of a whale

I

The Sharif verdict

Need to return home, also to do soul searching

And the political fallout

SSUIng appeals to the PML-n workers from London to come out in his support won’t help nawaz Sharif. The past experience shows the party cannot be mobilised if the leadership is cooling its heels abroad. Whatever spontaneous protests took place in the country on Friday including those in Lahore, the party’s erstwhile stronghold, indicated that little fight was left in the PML-n. nawaz has to be in the country, irrespective of whether he is free or in jail, to mobilise the party.

Again, being a public leader nawaz Sharif has to be seen to be law abiding. For this he has to return within the period prescribed by law to seek bail disregarding the state of Begum Kulsoom nawaz’s health, irrespective of the pain that it will cause. nawaz Sharif has to be ready to face the situation on ground which may not be to his liking. Party candidates anxiously wait for nawaz to lead the party’s campaign, a task none in the PML-n other than he can perform, but they want him also to tone down his anti-establishment rhetoric. They would hesitate to do anything that leads to their disqualification or endangers their electoral prospects. none is presently willing to enter into confrontation with the judiciary or the army. nor would the opposition countenance any move that might lead to the postponement of the elections. nawaz will acquire manoeuvring space only if the PML-n manages to secure major gains on July 25.

There is a dire need on the part of nawaz Sharif to review how he got himself into the morass. Many think he should have chosen between doing politics and building a business empire. Later, he could have secured himself by getting in place a truth and reconciliation commission soon after assuming power, coming clean along with other parties and institutions over whatever had been done in the past. nawaz also needs to reconsider whether the strategy adopted after the SC disqualified him was the best way out of the predicament.

Lawai’s arrest And those less looked at

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even persons, twenty-nine ‘fake’ bank accounts, a small bank with a politically connected president and 35 billion rupees worth of suspicious transactions: surely this does not pass the smell test which is why the FIA has made some arrests.

Most notable among them is Mr Hussain Lawai, a prominent banker who has remained at the helm of some big organisations and is known to be a confidant of Asif Ali Zardari who happened to be running Summit Bank where most of the accounts in question were opened and allegedly used to launder money generated through kickbacks and bribes. Other influential and controversial personalities are also accused of making use of the same accounts indicating that the entire racket goes all the way to the top of Sindh’s business and political circles.

It goes to the credit of the SBP and FIA to spot the transactions and probe them to reveal the underlying criminal activity. It is however imperative that the evidence at hand is given priority in terms of significance over media coverage that relies on assumptions or political statements by opposition parties on the matter. Unfortunately, when it comes to corruption investigations these days a perception of onesidedness exists. How nawaz Sharif’s ouster, trial and sentencing have been handled and the subsequent narrative that he has adopted is a major reason for that.

The Lawai arrest comes just a week after another close aide of Zardari and PPP leader was arrested by Rangers after a raid at his house in nawabshah.

Much is being made of the so-called ‘accountability drive’ that has just begun and ‘will not stop’ for anyone.

There is no arguing the need for corrupt individuals to be taken to task but when that process is targeted rather than across the board and transparent it defeats the purpose. A closer look at certain individuals in parties that speak of change or within certain ‘untouchable’ institutions might reveal some glaring misappropriations.

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

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arif Nizami

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He dice heavily loaded against them, nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam nawaz’s conviction in the Avenfield properties case by a nAB (national Accountability Bureau) court was a foregone conclusion. nevertheless, the harshness and the timing of the verdict smacks of political overtones.

Sharif and his supporters have termed the sentence as an attempt to oust him and his daughter from politics for good. In a defiant mood he has vowed to return home and face prison to break the shackles created by what he terms as a coterie of a few judges and generals.

Understandably Sharif sounds bitter as this past year has been a period of setbacks for him both personal and political. After being disqualified for life now he faces a prison sentence of more than a decade and seven years for his daughter.

The political ramifications of the verdict are quite apocalyptic. The timing of sentencing of the Sharifs just a few weeks preceding the elections is even more ominous.

Sharif and his cohorts contend that he and his daughter are victims of a witch-hunt to destroy him as a political entity. It has to be conceded that Sharif’s anti-military and extremely critical rhetoric against the judiciary does not sit well with the powerful and omnipresent establishment.

Ironically the three times prime minister and his party is seen as originally a creation of the military establishment. Sharif owes his induction into politics under the tutelage of the late dictator general Zia-ul-Haq. But since then he has evolved into a politician who wants to do things his own way without interference of what he perceives as a meddlesome military leadership. And this has been the fount of his travails, as in our milieu enemies can be forgiven but not renegades.

Sharif while in London should also do some introspection. Had he done things differently per-

haps he would not have been in the thick soup that he is in presently. His imperious style of governance alienated many including some of his close advisors.

The desire for having civilian control over the armed forces is a noble cause in a democracy. But in an incipient or rather a quasi-democracy like Pakistan, Sharif in his anxiety to achieve the elusive goal in unholy haste, took the entirely wrong route to accomplish it. But every time he has failed.

Just like with general Pervez Musharraf he also fell out with the present military leadership.

Ostensibly he had good relations with his handpicked army chief general Qamar Javed Bajwa. But the manner in which he handled the so-called Dawn leaks purportedly alienated the general as well.

On the one side Sharif tried not to ruffle feathers at the gHQ (general Headquarters of the Army) but on the other his natural instinct to defy took the better of him. The unnecessary spat over announcing the decision of the Dawn leaks probe commission proved to be the last straw in civ-mil relations.

Months ago, his daughter told me that she had counselled with her father not to make it a cause célèbre with the military leadership by demanding an apology and resignation of the Dg ISPR (inter services public relations) major general Asif ghafoor for making an offending tweet.

The tweet was withdrawn but at the cost of inexorable damage to relations between Sharif and the generals. Ironically in this context his daughter became more vocal than even her father.

The Panama Leaks was a god sent opportunity for Sharif’s opponents, primarily the PTI chief Imran Khan. Initially he underestimated the gravity of the situation. Perhaps in his own comfort zone, he failed to comprehend, that having offshore companies and owning expensive London properties would prove to be a time bomb.

His elder son Hussain’s television interview that the Sharif family owned indeed the flats had disastrous implications for him and his family.

The prime minister’s address to the parliament, further complicated matters.

The counsel of some of his close advisors including (now estranged) nisar Ali Khan and leader of the opposition Syed Khursheed Shah to take the matter to the parliament where Sharif had a comfortable majority fell on deaf ears.

It can be argued that that the die was already cast. Imran Khan and all those bent to see the back of Sharif nevertheless would certainly have relentlessly perused the matter in the apex court to seek Sharif’s disqualification.

Unfortunately, the then prime minister failed to realise that too many forces were now allayed against him. Imran Khan and his cohorts were

out to get him, while the military ostensibly claiming that the courts were independent was in no mood to intervene on behalf of an already beleaguered Sharif.

As for the higher judiciary it also suddenly assumed the mantle of being fiercely independent.

Sharif should have read the writing on the wall loud and clear when one of the judges hearing his case, in the final verdict likened him to a mafia boss.

The former prime minister’s peculiar style of delegating too much to the likes of finances Minister Ishaq Dar serving as virtual deputy prime minister, and his principal secretary and super bureaucrat Fawad Hasan Fawad did not help matters. Thereby a perception was created - even in military circles - that he was a burnt out hands off prime minister having scant time for the parliament or even his own party.

His brother Shehbaz Sharif was being kept at an arm’s length. The younger Sharif as well as his close friend nisar Ali Khan has consistently maintained that a belligerent line by Sharif -post his disqualification for life - would cost him and the party dearly.

This is what happened when the chickens finally came home to roost. Resultantly the PMLn already battered by forced and in some cases voluntary desertions is going into the elections thoroughly demoralised and as a rudderless entity.

Shehbaz Sharif is simply unable to fill the vacuum of his brother. He neither has the gumption nor the political savviness associated with the elder Sharif.

The former chief minister Punjab’s lacklustre and weak-kneed reaction to his brother and niece’s conviction immediately after the nAB court verdict, stuck out like a sore thumb. Perhaps he feels that he will be spared the gauntlet to lead a considerably weakened and battered PML-n.

But the noose is also being tightened around him as well, his exemplary performance in Punjab notwithstanding. However, running the province like a privately-owned company could cost him dearly as well.

The PTI’s jubilation at the verdict is quite predictable. elections now seem a mere formality to usher the favourite horse in power. But at what cost?

For the time being, Sharif has predicated his return to Pakistan to his wife’s condition. He also has the legal recourse to appeal the nAB verdict against him. But he cannot expect to get any relief in the present circumstances.

Whether he is filling to serve a long jail sentence is yet to be seen. But if he wants to remain relevant in politics he has to return and face the appended consequences.

Arif Nizami is Editor, Pakistan Today. He can be contacted at arifn51@hotmail.com

After the verdict Will an unforgiving Punjab abort the PML-N?

Umair Jamal

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He national Accountability Bureau (nAB) in a verdict against nawaz Sharif, has handed down a prison sentence of ten years.

Sharif’s daughter, Maryam nawaz, was also sentenced to seven years in prison. For many, the decision was not unexpected as Sharif and his daughter have openly targeted various state institutions including the judiciary for pursuing corruption cases against them.

The question which requires attention now is this: what will become of the PML-n after this verdict? Moreover, with Sharif and Maryam continuing their course of targeting various state institutions, is it likely that the party will be further isolated with Shehbaz losing any hope of coming to power at the federal level?

The verdict confirms two things just weeks before the next general elections. One, the party has been weakened to an extent that chances of it coming to power from here, seem remote. InterestKarachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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ingly, after the verdict against Sharif, there was no major protest against the decision. Lahore which is considered the electoral stronghold of the PML-n hardly saw any candidates or supporters coming out in streets in big numbers to protest against the decision. The streets of the rest of Punjab, in general, remained quiet. On the other hand, the press conference of Shehbaz Sharif which he did after the nAB verdict, said nothing against any state institution for their alleged role in pushing nawaz out of the system. Shehbaz’s only emphasis during his speech primarily dealt with reminding the nation about Sharif’s national contributions and perhaps, pleading a case to assist him in saving what’s left of the party.

Second, as it has been argued that if nawaz Sharif decides not to return to Pakistan and tones down his criticism of various state institutions, the pressure which is being built by the accountability drive may also die down. However, this doesn’t appear to be happening as much will depend on whether and when Sharif returns to Pakistan.

Sharif, in a press conference, has already made it clear that he intends to return to Pakistan to face the punishment. “I promise that I will continue this struggle until Pakistanis are not free of the chains that

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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they are kept in for speaking the truth,” said nawaz in a statement.

He also remarked that if the punishment for “demanding respect for the vote is jail and I am coming to face it.” If Sharif actually returns to Pakistan before the general elections, there is bound to be a lot of political instability. It’s unclear if the state is actually ready, or has prepared to deal with such an instability which may also end up in violence or a delay in the election.

“People that expect Punjab to rise and protest for nawaz Sharif may find themselves disappointed. As quickly as Punjab embraces a leader, it is equally quick to dump the leader,” said Hussain nadeem.

However, it’s likely that an international pressure may also make an inroad to ensure that Sharif is not sentenced to prison. If that becomes a possibility, then the return of nawaz is likely to see a long delay.

In this entire situation, PML-n’s hopes are associated with winning the upcoming general elections if they are to make a case for Sharif’s return. However, the party’s leadership which is in Pakistan and is campaigning doesn’t see the active yet controversial participation of Sharif and Maryam helping them in winning incoming polls. Interestingly, the situation has only complicated over the last few weeks.

While Shehbaz may like to run a

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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vigorous campaign to lead his party in Punjab and elsewhere, it’s the setback, arising from nawaz and Maryam’s politics which is only isolating his chances of forming a government at the federal level.

It is also possible, that nawaz’s decision to come back to Pakistan may create more rifts inside the party’s ranks. A majority of senior members of the party have already shown distress over the entire situation which they allege is being worsened by the politics of the nawaz faction. A number of candidates from the party have already returned their tickets and are opting to contest the election as independent candidates. The next one week is going to be very critical for Shehbaz who is trying very hard to keep the party together. As it appears, nawaz who has not explicitly announced his date of return to Pakistan appears defiant and ready to push back against the pressure.

In this context, he may return before the polling date as he believes that the entire accountability campaign is focused on making sure that his party doesn’t win the upcoming elections. If he is not allowed to become part of the system, political instability and chaos is perhaps the only way for him to remain relevant in active politics.

Umair Jamal is a graduate of the School of Government and International Affairs, Durham University. He is a research fellow with the Centre for Governance and Policy. He regularly writes for various media outlets. He can be contacted on Twitter: @UJAmaLs.

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

COMMENT 09

Sunday, 8 July, 2018

Editor’s mail

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

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

CAA and Bhoja crash

The Pakistani Thanksgiving Day To be credible, accountability has now to be across the board Akbar. That it is He who bestows honour and dishonour. every breath we take is by His Will. So, at this time we should show some humility and bow down in thanksgiving to Him. Perhaps July 6 will become the Pakistani Thanksgiving Day.” “Oh I do,” said Maverick petulantly. Though never Turkey on Thanksgiving. I hate the stuff and its stuffing. I prefer a bunch of bananas. While you were focused on god as you should be all the time, I was thinking of our great poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz.”

“Actually, Faiz sahib was there in the back of my mind too: he would have been so happy today” “Punishment and forgiveness will take place here on earth; The trumpet heralding doomsday will be sounded here. The Day of Reckoning will take place right here.”

“Well said, Maverick. nawaz Sharif has had his day of reckoning. I was also thinking of, “The day when thrones are overthrown and crowns flung high” and, “When we the disempowered are placed on the seat of power.”

“That has yet to happen Maverick so don’t jump the gun. Look Maverick, we can go on and on in this vein. So, stop monkeying around and listen.

“My sense is that the majority of the people are happy with this verdict. But it’s also a day of great embarrassment that our prime minister has been thus convicted.

It reflects very badly on us the people that we ‘elected’ him thrice. Are we so naïve and dumb that we thrice put a person like nawaz Sharif on the throne and suffered grievously for our stupidities.

It remains to be seen whether we have learned lessons from our follies. I see signs that we are learning when I see how constituents are lampooning former parliamentarians when they visit them to ask for their votes once again. Right now, people are saying it with questions, abuse and invective. Fear the day when they drop the invective for sticks and stones as they did in Lyari when young Bilawal visited them. If their anger and frustration in-

creases, they can throw away the sticks and stones and pick up guns and knives instead.

Heads will roll and there could be rivers of blood. It could become the ‘Pakistani Revolution’ or the Pakistani Anarchy.” now Maverick decided to say his piece: “People feel like a huge idol has been removed from their Ka’aba. But they will soon realise that there are still many idols, big and small, political and non-political, left there and they too have to be broken and cast away.” “you’re right Maverick. Across the board accountability is now an imperative else the cry of selective accountability will be go up, just what nawaz and his fellow travellers want.

“The credit for this goes mostly to Imran Khan and his persistence else nawaz would still have been there. Also, to the Tv channels ARy and 92. not to forget the Chief Justice and the Army for standing by the Judiciary and its decisions. Pakistan is changing before our eyes. Historical forces are moving in fourth gear now and all the maleficent of society had better look out. This is the best translation of our word ‘Badmash’ — those who are bad for society.

“Don’t forget that nawaz and daughter might return and go into appeal and the whole tamasha will start again,” said Maverick.

“I’ve always looked on nawaz Sharif as a coward remembering his desperation when Musharraf arrested him. But so what if they return, Maverick? now that the authorities have tasted blood, they will become Badmash eaters.

Accountability will gather pace after the elections, though what the wisdom was in the nAB chief announcing that he will not arrest any candidate till after elections? It defeats me, unless he is trying to prevent the accusation of pre-poll rigging. Don’t worry, Maverick. July 25 is not far away. Patience is something we should have learned after so many years of suffering. Don’t forget, our forebears suffered the Brits for 150 years and the curse of mental colonisation has yet to be lifted.” “now nAB should say, Asif Zardari and cronies, here we come. It has started. Just you see,” Maverick said in turn.

“I love your optimism, Maverick. I keep meeting you because of it and also because of great public demand. Many have fallen in love with you and complain when we don’t meet and talk.”

“Well I’m not najam Sethi’s sparrow. The poor little bird has long been char-grilled in gujranwala and eaten by nawaz Sharif.

“Now NAB should say, Asif Zardari and cronies, here we come.

It has started. Just you see,” Maverick said in turn.

HUmayUN GaUHar

“W

Hy are you cartwheeling like a monkey, Maverick?

What’s happened to you?” I asked like night.

“Well, I am a monkey, so stop being cute. I’m happy because what I told my tribe has come true. My standing has gone sky high. nawaz Sharif has got 10 years in the cooler and his daughter seven. His domesticated son-in-law gets one year. not to forget confiscation of their Avenfield properties and banning from holding public office for 10 more years after their sentences are served.

There goes Maryam’s dream of becoming Hasina Wajid: seventeen long years of waiting before becoming prime minister.”

“How did you know?”

“Because Arif nizami said so and your cousin Babar told me.” “yes,” I said. “Both are ‘Pirs’ or shamans after a fashion or very well informed or connected. Arif should take to predicting football results. We will all become millionaires, though never as rich as nawaz Sharif or Asif Zardari. For that we will have to acquire power. god forbid. you aren’t good at making money illegally and will be caught in 10 minutes. I was never good at making money, period.”

“Perhaps all three,” said Maverick impishly.

“Arif is very good in matters political and matrimonial and Babar is very good at everything and being the heart and soul of the party. great sense of humour, like his late father. never a dull moment.”

“Collect yourself, Maverick. Please remember that god is the greatest, Allah O’

Pakistan is changing before our eyes.

Historical forces are moving in fourth gear now and all the maleficent of society had better look out.

Humayun Gauhar is a veteran columnist in Pakistan and editor of Blue Chip magazine.

APROPOS news published in your paper about report submitted in SC Pakistan that Bhoja Air was allowed to restart operations with an aircraft which was not issued Airworthiness Certificate, nor was crew properly trained, yet they were allowed to fly killing 152 human beings on 20 April 2012. The than Chairman CAA, Dg CAA, CFO, head of CAA engineering inspection, Chief Pilot CAA Standards and gM Licensing are responsible for Culpable Homicide and must be prosecuted and given exemplary punishment for death of passengers who pay taxes to regulator for performing regulatory functions ensuring safe travel. As if these criminal negligence were not enough CAA ignored that Bhoja did not have finances required to meet mandatory obligation to provide adequate insurance cover to passengers in case of mishap.

If Pakistan government and other state institutions funded by taxpayers fail to bring these criminals to book, such criminal oversights will continue to occur. There is no rocket science in concluding that corruption was involved, otherwise why should basic minimum requirements not be fulfilled by CAA. What purpose does CAA serve if it fails to perform its regulatory duties as per ICAO standards.

CAA is dominated by either corrupt or incompetent mediocrity and cronies which is reflected by their failure to carry out proper investigation into any air crash that has occurred involving Pakistan registered aircraft nor have any next of kin got adequate insurance compensation, although fares charged are equivalent to those prevailing internationally.

GUL ZAmAN Peshawar

Nawaz convicted LIKe any white-collar criminal facing charges of corruption PM nawaz and his family could not be convicted for corruption under national Accountability Ordinance section9(a)(iv), but were sentenced under section 9(a)(v) for owning assets disproportionate to known sources of income.

The onus of proving their innocence under Section9(a)(v) shifted burden of proof to justify sources of income on PM nawaz and his family, which they failed.

Pakistan’s national exchequer has been pilfered of its scarce financial resources and assets by few for far too long a period and it no longer has fiscal space to allow this institutionalised corruption to continue. now that a healthy precedent has been set, it is incumbent upon nAB and Federal government to initiate similar proceeding against all other former or serving elected and paid civil cum uniformed public office holders who possess assets within Pakistan and abroad which cannot be justified by their tax returns or known sources of income. Failing which, this welcome move against former PM, would be considered as selective justice and political victimisation for ulterior objectives.

There should be no exception for those involved, be they prominent politicians, bureaucrats, generals or traders. All those who have been given relief through plea-bargain should have their cases reopened now that SC has declared this practice as illegal. nobody should have power or clout to regularise irregularities, indulge in irregular allotment of plots or state and private property, irrespective of which institution they belong to. Tax evasion should be considered a major financial crime against state.

This country was not created to be looted or ruled by land and drug mafia, nor to be a haven for black economy and white-collar criminals.

T ALI Karachi

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SHeHBAZ Sharif, the Robert Kennedy to nawaz’s John F, promptly held a presser after the verdict against his brother and niece.

Analysts say that though he condemned the verdict, his verbiage wasn’t as stark and harsh as his senior. And didn’t make any assertions about who orchestrated the whole affair.

Plus, though he was flanked by Leaguers wearing black arm bands, but he wasn’t.

Is our man trying to keep all bases covered? * * * * * * * * * A stark difference between the state of affairs of the caretaker Punjab CM, and his predecessor, Shehbaz Sharif.

The U Penn doctor doesn’t have his staff at the CM secretariat serve the shami kebabs, chicken patties and pastries that were the bandobast of choice.

It’s only diet biscuits now.

Plus, he’s nowhere as dapper, preferring not to wear a tie with his jackets.

10 FOREIGN NEWS

Sunday, 8 July, 2018

POPE sAys wAlls, FuNDAmENTAlism hAmPEr miDEAsT PEAcE BARI

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AGENCIES

OPE Francis led a summit of Christian leaders on how to promote peace in the Middle East on Saturday and said building walls, occupying territories and religious fanaticism would not resolve conflict in the region.

Francis also repeated his view that the "status quo" of the contested city of Jerusalem should be respected, and backed a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. Francis convened the summit in the southern Italian city of Bari that for centuries has been a gateway to the Middle East and home to the relics of St. Nicholas, a figure venerated in both the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity.

"Truces maintained by walls and displays of power will not lead to peace, but only the concrete desire to listen and to engage in dialogue will," he said in his second speech of the day, after a private meeting among the religious leaders.

"Let there be an end to the few profiting from the sufferings of many.

No more occupying territories and thus tearing people apart," he said. Israel says its fence-and-concrete barrier on the West Bank was built as a bulwark against Palestinian attacks while Palestinians say it is a land grab that may deny them a state. Francis said every community in the Middle East should be protected, "not simply the majority".

He also condemned religious extremism, saying many conflicts in the region had been stoked by "forms of fundamentalism and fanaticism that, under the guise of religion, have profaned God's name, which is peace, and persecuted age-old neighbors". Francis

spoke twice about Jerusalem, the holy city whose status is at the heart of a bitter conflict. Israel says it is the country's united and eternal capital while Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of any future state.

The pope said Jerusalem's "status quo" as a city sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims should be respected. Francis has previously called for all to honor United Nations' resolutions on the city.

The Vatican expressed concern last year when Washington announced the move of its embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. He denounced the "terrible suffering," particularly of children, in Syria,

where the seven-year-old war has killed hundreds of thousands of people and uprooted about 11 million others, including 6 million living abroad as refugees. St. Nicholas, who lived about 1,700 years ago in what is today Turkey, is venerated among Orthodox Christians, including those in Russia, which is Syria's ally in the civil war.

The Russian Orthodox Church sent its number two to the Bari meeting.

Francis condemned the "murderous indifference" and "complicity silence of many" fanning violence, specifically mentioning the arms industry. "You cannot speak of peace while you are secretly racing to stockpile new arms," he said.

An exodus of Christians fleeing conflict and hardship, risked "disfiguring the very face of the region," he said, speaking from a podium on the waterfront with about 20 other Christian leaders, most of them from Orthodox Churches.

In a gesture to show their equality, he and participants including black-robed Orthodox leaders were driven together in a tourist-style open-top bus from the 12th century Romanesque style Basilica of St. Nicholas to the prayer service on the waterfront facing east.

Nine killed in attack on Somalia's interior ministry European peace activists march against Trump's NATO visit BRUSSELS AGENCIES

European activists are protesting US President Donald Trump's upcoming appearance at NATO, marching through Belgium's capital to plead for less military spending and more public money for schools and clean energy. The "Trump Not Welcome" march and a companion concert come as European and North American leaders prepare to converge on NATO's Brussels headquarters for an annual summit. Trump is demanding that NATO allies boost military spending, accusing them of not doing enough to defend themselves. The march organizers oppose more military spending. Activists campaigning for the closure of coal and nuclear plants, an end to racism and sexism and for stopping austerity plans that hurt the poor joined Saturday's event. Trump's NATO demands and climate and trade policies have angered European leaders he will see at the summit on Wednesday and Thursday.

Afghan official says district chief killed by roadside bomb KABUL AGENCIES

An Afghan official says a district chief has been killed in a roadside bomb blast in western Ghor province. Abdul Hai Khateby, provincial governor's spokesman, said Saturday that Mirza Mohammad Ibrahim was targeted in Charsada district and was on duty at the time. No one claimed responsibility for the attack, but Khateby blamed Taliban insurgents for the attack. In eastern Ghazni province, Taliban fighters ambushed a police convoy, killing four police and wounding six others, said Arif Noori, spokesman for the governor.

Noori added that a police special forces commander was among the four killed in the attack early Saturday morning. He said six insurgents were also killed and seven others wounded in the gun battle in Waghez district.

MOGADISHU AGENCIES

A least nine people were killed in an attack on Somalia's interior ministry and security forces killed all three attackers after a two-hour gun battle inside, police said Saturday, as the al-Shabab extremist group claimed responsibility.

A number of people, mostly government workers, were trapped in the ministry on what had been a normal business day. Witnesses said some staffers died or were injured while leaping from windows or walls in an effort to escape. At least 13 people were wounded, paramedic Mohamed Adam said. The death toll could rise, Col. Ahmed Mohamed said.

The morning attack began when a suicide car bomber detonated at the gates of the interior ministry compound, which is close to the presidential palace and parliament headquarters and also holds the security ministry, police Capt. Mohamed Hussein told The Associated Press. Dozens of people eventually were rescued in the operation, Hus-

sein said, as ambulance sirens echoed and soldiers opened fire to disperse bystanders and motorists.

The Somalia-based al-Shabab, an arm of al-Qaida, often targets highprofile areas of the capital, Mogadishu. The group was blamed for the October truck bombing that killed more than 500 people in the deadliest attack in the country's history. The ongoing threat from what has become the deadliest Islamic extremist group in sub-Saharan Africa has hurt efforts to strengthen Somalia's fragile government and stabilize the longchaotic Horn of Africa nation.

The United States under the Trump administration has stepped up military efforts in Somalia, including dozens of drone strikes, against al-Shabab and a small presence of fighters linked to the Islamic State group. At least two US military personnel have been killed.

The US military and others in the international community have expressed concern about the plan for Somalia's security forces to take over the country's security from a multinational African Union force over the next few years, saying the local troops are not yet ready.

Duterte’s narcolist shrinks as Filipino vice mayor shot dead MANILA AGENCIES

Van-riding assailants gunned down the vice mayor of a small Philippine city south of Manila on Saturday, police said, the third such brazen killing of a local official in the past week. Vice Mayor Alexander Lubigan of Trece Martires city and his driver were riding in a pickup van when they were shot and killed in front of a hospital in his city in Cavite province, according to a police report. The gunmen escaped. A special team of investigators was formed to try to identify the killers and establish the motive for the attack in one of the bloodiest weeks for local officials. The series of killings has renewed calls for more effective gun control in a country long plagued by a surfeit of unlicensed firearms. On Monday, Mayor Antonio Halili was shot in the heart and killed while singing the national anthem in a flagraising ceremony in his city of Tanauan, south of the capital. The next day, Mayor Ferdinand Bote of northern General Tinio town was shot and killed in an SUV by motorcycle-riding assassins. The killers of both mayors remain at large. Video taken by witnesses of the moments when Halili and Bote were killed have been widely viewed online and renewed fears of unabated lawlessness.

The back-to-back killings prompted an opposition senator to call the Philippines — where more than 4,000 mostly impoverished drug suspects have been killed under President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drug crackdown — the "murder capital of Asia." At least nine mayors have been killed under Duterte, who took office in June 2016, including four who have been linked by Duterte and authorities to illegal drugs. Halili had been included on a government list of suspected drug personalities, but he had vehemently denied any involvement. An association of local officials has asked Duterte's administration to be allowed to vet the government's list of druglinked officials and to be notified when suspects are added or removed from the list.

Human rights watchdogs regard it as a "hit list," a charge denied by law enforcers.

Syrian troops celebrate recapture of border crossing DAMASCUS AGENCIES

Syrian soldiers celebrated the recapture of the main border crossing with Jordan on Saturday, raising portraits of President Bashar Assad and tearing down rebel flags. Troops captured the Naseeb border crossing a day earlier following a crushing two-week offensive, and after rebels announced they had reached an agreement with Russian mediators to end the violence in the southern province of Daraa and surrender the crossing. State-run Ikhbariya TV showed troops at the crossing Saturday, some flashing victory signs and pumping fists in the air as they shouted pro-Assad slogans. A soldier could be seen hoisting the Syrian flag on top of a watchtower. Another tore down the rebel flag from a building.

One officer told the TV outlet that troops have taken up positions along the border with Jordan and are removing illegal crossing points. "We have ended their existence," he said of the rebels. "They have no future anymore, God willing." The crossing was once a bustling and vital artery through which Syria exported goods to Jordan and from there on to oil-rich

Gulf countries. Rebels seized it in 2015, severing that lifeline and disrupting a key overland trade route also for Jordan. A free trade zone next to the crossing, a bustling area of warehouses and factories that employed several thousand Jordanians, was closed amid reports of widespread looting by rebels.

The recapture of Naseeb in the southern Daraa province marks the return of Assad's forces to the province where the uprising against him began seven years ago, following successive military victories across most of the country with the help of powerful allies Russia and Iran. Weakened by a crushing government offensive backed by Russia and abandoned by their US allies, rebels in southern Syria found themselves compelled to accept yet another humiliating surrender deal that ould see opposition fighters transported by buses to areas held by rebels in the country's north.

The rebels in southern Syria once received significant backing and support from the US that has receded and all but dried up over the past few years.

Although the US government negotiated a de-escalation agreement for southern Syria last year, it has remained silent as Assad's forces marched onto Daraa

in the past two weeks in a crushing assault that displaced more than 330,000 people. State-run news agency SANA said the army deployed at the crossing after combing and clearing it of the remnants of "terrorist groups." It said Syrian army units have also established control over the town of Nuaima in the past 24 hours. The government's offensive to retake Daraa and the nearby Quneitra region on the frontier near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights began on June 19, and is now expected to turn more forcefully toward retaking Quneitra, potentially setting up a clash between Israel and Hezbollah and Iran unless they agree to stay away from the area as Israel demands.

The assault has forced hundreds of thousands to flee toward the sealed Jordanian border and the frontier near the Golan in one of the largest displacements in the seven-year Syrian conflict. Dozens have been killed.

WORLD VIEW 11

Sunday, 8 July, 2018

Why Saudi arabia’S poWerful croWn prince Still needS hiS father THE INFLUENTIAL, YET POLARISING, MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN STILL RELIES ON HIS FATHER KING SALMAN’S LEGITIMACY AND CREDENTIALS AS THE COUNTRY FACES CHALLENGES AT HOME AND ABROAD

al-Monitor

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Bruce riedel

year after King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud made his son Mohammed bin Salman crown prince, the 32-year-old remains dependent on his father’s legitimacy and credentials to be the heir apparent. Prince Mohammed has polarised the House of Saud more than any figure in more than half a century.

Last summer, the king removed Prince Mohammed bin Nayef from the No. 2 position in the kingdom with no explanation and elevated his son. Nayef had successfully defeated al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia, foiled terrorist attacks in the United States and Europe, and survived numerous alQaeda assassination attempts. Since his removal from the line of succession, he has been under house detention and all of his communications are being monitored. He has little access to outsiders, and his bank

accounts were frozen last November.

The Nayef wing of the Saudi royal family has dominated the Ministry of the Interior since the 1970s. It’s an enormous bureaucracy filled with people who owe their jobs to the Nayef clan. Security sources say its morale has declined since he was removed.

Numerous sources have now confirmed that another senior prince has been under detention since last fall’s wave of arrests of senior officials from the royal family and other prominent families in the kingdom. Most of those arrested were never charged with any crimes and were released only after paying extortion money.

Prince Turki bin Abdullah is the seventh son of the late King Abdullah. No charges have been filed, and he has been denied access to legal counselling. He is allowed only brief phone calls to immediate family. His former chief of staff, Maj Gen Ali al-Khatani, was reportedly tortured to death. Turki’s cousin has also just been arrested.

Turki was born in 1971. He became a pilot in the Royal Saudi Air Force and was promoted to squadron commander. His father made him deputy governor of Riyadh

province and then governor in 2014. He built the Riyadh metro. The Riyadh governorate is the most important in the kingdom because most royals live in it. The governor has access to all the dirt on the royal family — a source of huge power.

Turki’s detention is producing tension in the family. The king’s half brothers, Ahmed and Muqrin, have privately urged for the release of Turki. They were rebuffed, which is very unusual in the House of Saud. Turki is the most senior royal still in prison. His brother Miteb bin Abdullah was arrested last November but released later after paying up. He had been the Saudi National Guard commander — the post his father had held since the 1960s.

Turki is the CEO of the King Abdullah Foundation, which is worth $20 billion.

The Ministry of the Interior and the Saudi Arabian National Guard are the two most powerful security institutions in the kingdom. Indeed, they have no rivals. Both are the critical power brokers in the capital and the holy cities. They control the guns that matter in Saudi Arabia. Among the others still under detention is a prominent member of the bin Laden family and Prince Mohammed’s former economic adviser.

The only precedent for such a family struggle in the modern history of the kingdom was in the 1950s and 1960s. Then, King Saud — the successor to the founder of the modern kingdom, Abdul Aziz Al Saud — alienated his brothers with his corruption and malfeasance. In 1958, Saud had been on the throne for five years when Egypt’s charismatic President Gamal Abdel Nasser exposed Saud’s role in a botched attempt to assassinate Nasser.

Using the humiliation as a tipping point, Saud was stripped of all his powers by his brother Crown Prince Faisal but not forced to abdicate. Five years of family struggle then ensued before Saud was finally sent into exile and Faisal became king.

Today the family is divided deeply.

As long as King Salman is on the throne, the chance of an inside-the-family coup is unlikely. Salman has legitimacy. He is also not brain dead or incapacitated. He is more involved and important than the Western media suggests. He gives his son “air cover,” as one senior official told me.

If he lives another decade, a lot may change. If he died tonight, all bets are off.

Assassination is also a possibility.

Faisal was assassinated. There are numer-

Recently, Iran’s government has been revisiting a familiar refrain: the threat to block the strategic Strait of Hormuz. In comments published July 3 on his official website, President Hassan Rouhani issued a vague threat against regional oil exports, saying, “the Americans have claimed they want to completely stop Iran’s oil exports. They don’t understand the meaning of this statement, because it has no meaning for Iranian oil not to be exported, while the region’s oil is exported.” On July 4 and 5, several Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officials expressed their willingness to follow through on the president’s tacit threat. The IRGC’s commander, Mohammad Ali Jafari, for example, said, “we are hopeful that this plan expressed by our president will be implemented if needed. We will make the enemy understand that either all can use the Strait of Hormuz or no one.”

The United States is pursuing a tough line against Iran, which it views as responsible for exacerbating the Middle East’s regional instability. Washington is hoping that sanctions will weaken Iran’s economy so much that it will force a change in behaviour and ultimately in leadership. Faced with this difficult position, Iran must find ways to strike back at the United States without further compromising its economy and international alliances.

Beginning in November, the United States will reapply sanctions on Iranian oil exports that has previously been suspended through the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly called the Iran nuclear deal. While US policy since Washington withdrew from the deal in May is still not entirely clear, it seems increasingly likely that the United States will demand that its allies completely stop importing Iranian oil. (At the same time, the United States is also pressuring its Gulf Arab allies to produce more oil — not only to make up for the anticipated Iranian drawdown but also to combat shortfalls resulting from turmoil in big oil producing countries like Libya.)

If all US allies stop importing Iranian oil, the country could ultimately see its oil exports drop to as

low as 1 million barrels per day from its current 2.28 million bpd, resulting in a big loss of revenue.

That dire prospect, amplified by the need to hit back at Washington and save face in some way, is prompting Iran to dredge up its familiar threat to shut off the Strait of Hormuz to any trade. The mere threat of closing the strait increases market uncertainty, stokes oil prices and creates some leverage for Iran without requiring that it follow through.

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage in the Persian Gulf between Omani and Iranian territory, facilitates the movement of some 30 to 35 per cent of the world’s maritime oil trade. Close to 17 million barrels of oil travel through the strait each day, and all Persian Gulf shipping must travel through it. This includes shipping from every port in Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, most of the ports in the United Arab Emirates and some critical ports in Saudi Arabia. Consequently, threats to the Strait of Hormuz, whether realistic or not, drastically affect market certainty because all of the world’s big oil or natural gas importers — including the United States — depend on the secure passage of shipping through the strait.

The current threats are reminiscent of previous statements that Iranian leadership has made over the years, whenever Tehran feels Washington is challenging its economic sovereignty. In 2012, Iran threatened to block the strait in response to sanctions by the United States and the European Union against the country’s nuclear programme. Iran’s navy chief said it would be “easy” to block the strait, while its vice president warned that not a “drop” of oil would pass through it if more sanctions were piled onto Iran. But even when those sanctions did materialise, Iran did not block the strait.

One difference between then and now is the extent to which the White House responded to the Iranian threats. The former administration downplayed them while it sought to negotiate a complicated nuclear deal. But the current administration is pursuing a heavily focused anti-Iran policy in the Middle East while trying to build up its relationships with allies such as Israel and Saudi Arabia, who view Iran as their primary adversary.

Despite the rhetoric, actually blocking the Strait of Hormuz represents perhaps Iran’s most extreme option. First and foremost, attempting to close the strait would result in a devastating war for Iran against the United States and the Gulf Cooperation Council, as the latter seeks to preserve the freedom of shipping and naval passage through the critical strait. Meanwhile Iran’s own economy and naval activity also depend on the free passage of goods and vessels through the strait. Finally, cutting off the Strait of Hormuz would be counterproductive to Iran’s current goal of trying to stave off further US sanctions and keep the European Union and other allies such as China and India in its good graces. The move would be incredibly disruptive to global shipping and oil markets, spoiling the well with allies that Iran needs now more than ever.

Unless something as extreme as an all-out regional military conflict breaking out occurs, Iran will not block the Strait of Hormuz, even once the suspended oil-related sanctions go back into effect in November. As the United States increases sanctions pressure, Iran will probably retaliate in other ways, such as by utilising its cyberwar capabilities against US allies in the region or by harassing vessels in the Persian Gulf. These will likely include US or allied military vessels, tankers carrying Saudi or Emirati crude oil or Saudi or Emirati offshore production platforms.

This type of harassment is common for the IRGC’s navy, which maintained a strategy of deterrence in the Persian Gulf even after the implementation of the JCPOA. In 2017, it harassed Emirati ships and an offshore Saudi platform. In that same year came an incident between an IRGC vessel and a US naval ship in which the US vessel fired warning shots in an effort to prevent a collision. The IRGC put a stop to those behaviours in August 2017, when Iran began its charm campaign to placate the European Union and try to prevent the United States from leaving the JCPOA. But now that an aggressive White House has brought back sanctions and the European Union is unable to offer economic guarantees, the IRGC may well start up this type of activity again.

Bruce Riedel is the director of the Intelligence Project at the Brookings Institution.

Trump’s administration acts like the Taliban

Why Iran is threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz Stratfor WorldvieW

ous reports that the crown prince was the target of an assassination attempt in April.

He was out of the public eye for almost a month afterward. The whole episode is mysterious but points to the state of uncertainty in the kingdom. The crown prince is said to be obsessed with his security.

The crown prince’s signature foreign policy initiative is the war in Yemen. The Saudis and their allies are hoping that the battle for the key Yemeni port of Hodeidah will break the 3½-year-old stalemate in the war. Saudi Arabia’s Operation Golden Victory in Yemen is a desperate attempt to get out of a quagmire that is costing Saudi Arabia a fortune, has put millions of Yemenis on the edge of starvation and benefits Iran, Saudi Arabia’s main rival.

Ironically, it was another war in Yemen 55 years ago that was the last straw in King Saud’s undoing. Faisal used Nasser’s 1962 intervention in Yemen to oust Saud for good and consolidate his own power.

Saud flew off to exile in Cairo and Athens, never to return to the kingdom.

Courier-Journal Siddique Malik

Recently the US government displayed naked hypocrisy. On June 19, Nikki Haley, America’s representative at the United Nations, announced America’s departure from the UN Human Rights Council, calling it “a hypocritical and self-serving organisation that makes a mockery of human rights” because countries notorious for human rights abuses are allowed to be members.

Normally one could discuss this departure as a policy matter. And the reality is that this UN body has given membership to some rogue regimes, making a mockery of itself. Nonetheless, for the sake of human rights, I would have argued for America’s continued membership in the council. I would have attributed the departure to faulty judgment, not hypocrisy.

However, this column is not about policy options. It’s about the backdrop of Haley’s announcement. She was pretending to be a champion of human rights when her boss was detaining babies and children and deporting their parents, thus splitting these families. Rogue regimes commit such crimes, not democracies.

America’s child-abductor president has now stopped this nefarious practice. But families have not yet been reunited.

America must immediately reunite these traumatised families, provide them with professional counselling and help them settle in America. This is the least America can do to atone for its president’s cruelty towards these helpless people.

The mental status of America’s attorney general is as disturbing as that of his boss. Jeff Sessions shamelessly quoted the Bible in his fascist attempt to legitimise child-abductions.

His statement amounts to blasphemy against Christianity. Its ugliness reminded me of the terror the Taliban inflicted upon the women who simply ventured outside their homes to make a living or attend school.

That cult quoted the Quran to justify these heinous crimes.

There is no difference between a clean-shaven white man in a suit justifying cruelties in the name of a religion and a bearded brown man in a tunic and headgear doing the same. They are both ignorant maniacs whom society must confront and defeat. But there is a world of difference between the two societies in this analogy. One is brutally suppressed by the beasts who control it. Anybody speaking against them faces danger.

The other society is replete with freedom and pro-humanity values.

So why is America behaving like Afghanistan? Last weekend’s nationwide protests against government-ordered child abductions are encouraging. But how did America reach the abysmal point when its government thinks it can snatch babies and children from their parents? After all, America is a democracy.

It’s America’s collective failure. No candidate wins an election in America unless he or she appeals to centrists and voters from the other political party. So, let’s stop blaming only hard-core Trump supporters and normal Republicans for this collapse of humanism inside the nation’s soul. When the world hears sobs, cries and shrieks of little children snatched from their parents and sees the parents’ tears while Haley talks about human rights, it rightly blames the American people, under whose authority the

child-abductors have acted.

The fact that the 2016 popular vote went against Donald Trump is not much comfort. Even with all the handicaps of the Electoral College system, any hate-peddling candidate should have been routed in elections.

America, as a nation, must accept responsibility for the emergence of the racist, xenophobic, bigoted and misogynist cult of power also known as the Trump presidency.

Even after the election, our failure to restore sanity has afflicted many Republican and Democratic leaders alike. They are more interested in securing their individual power bases than ridding America of statesponsored hatred. Even Democratic leaders are afraid to stand up to Trump; their nominal, benign stances and muted statements notwithstanding.

Americans should do some serious soul-searching and good homework and kick out all cowardly incumbents — Democratic or Republican — in upcoming elections until full cleansing materialises.

That will teach these politicians a lesson they need to learn. But if Americans continue to vote without doing basic fact-checking, it’s only a matter of time before they give rise to another un-American, Trumpian rogue regime.

We are America, the name that drives terror in the hearts of dictators and terrorists and gives hope to freedom’s foot soldiers worldwide. Let’s regain that humanistic glory. I say to my fellow Americans: for a long time, we have suggested Muslim societies and communities must act against the bigots, extremists and fanatics in their midst. And that’s a great suggestion. But now, we can set an example, and we must. After all, the Taliban was not elected by its victims.

Siddique Malik is a contributing columnist for the Louisville Courier-Journal.

12 BUSINESS

Sunday, 8 July, 2018

LIvIng StandardS In PakIStan wILL bE hamPErEd by CLImatE ChangE: worLd bank LAHORE

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MOHAMMAD FAROOQ

report released by World Bank said the south-western region of Pakistan has experienced the highest temperature increases with annual average temperatures rising by 1.0°C to 3.0°C from 1950 to 2010.

The report entitled “South Asia’s Hotspots: The Impact of Temperature and Precipitation Changes on Living Standards” stated changes in average weather are projected to have overall negative impacts on living standards in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka.

The report added “for most countries, changes in average weather will also reduce the growth of their gross do-

IN PAKISTAN, SINDH EMERGES AS THE MOST VULNERABLE HOTSPOT, FOLLOWED BY PUNJAB, SAID THE REPORT mestic product (GDP) per capita, compared to what it would be under present climate conditions. The GDP losses are greater for severe hotspot regions.”

The WB report warned overall inland areas will be more severely affected than those near the coast. In Pakistan and India, water-stressed areas will be more adversely affected compared with the national average.

In Pakistan, Sindh emerges as the most vulnerable hotspot, followed by Punjab, said the report.

“Sindh has the second-largest economy in the country. Its GDP per capita is 35 percent above the national average

and contributes around 30 percent of Pakistan’s GDP. The province’s highly diversified economy ranges from heavy industry and finance in and around Karachi to a substantial agricultural base along the Indus River,” said World Bank.

Punjab, which is the most densely populated province, is also second-most vulnerable. Punjab has the largest economy in Pakistan (contributing 53.3 percent of Pakistan’s GDP), and overall has the lowest rate of poverty of all the provinces.

Also, the report said the prosperity is unevenly distributed throughout the province, with the northern portion

being relatively well-off economically and the southern portion among the most impoverished in the country.

Long-term climate vulnerability has implications for both growth and poverty reduction for Punjab, stated the report.

The report stated Hyderabad in Sindh province emerges as the top hotspot followed by the districts of Mirpur Khas and Sukkur. Some of the densely populated cities in Punjab, including Lahore, Multan, and Faisalabad, emerge among the top 10 hotspot districts.

And changes in average weather are predicted to reduce living standards in Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka, relative to what they would have been with the same climate as today.

By 2050, under the carbon-intensive scenario, the decline is projected to be 2.9 percent for Pakistan, said the report.

Weak currency breaking the back of masses: FPCCI ISLAMABAD

China to keep on path of reform, opening markets: Li SOFIA AGENCIES

China will stick to the path of opening its markets and other reforms that has lifted its growth, Premier Li Keqiang said on Saturday, a day after the Washington and Beijing slapped tariffs on $34 billion worth of each other’s’ imports. China will open its door wider to foreign products as free trade needs to be firmly upheld to ensure sustained global economic growth, Li told a summit of eastern European leaders in Sofia. “For foreign products which meet Chinese consumer needs, we would open the door wider…

We would lower overall import tariffs to the Chinese market,” he said through an interpreter, without going into details. Li said economic reform had played a critical role in China’s growth, and that the fundamentals underpinning it remained unchanged.

“Opening up has been a key driver of China’s reform agenda so we will continue to open wider to the world, including widening market access for foreign investors,” he said. Beijing earlier accused Washington of triggering the “largest-scale trade war”. U.S. duties on a range of Chinese imported goods took effect on Friday and were immediately countered by measures from China. Neither side gave any sign of willingness to start talks aimed at a reaching a truce, though Li said on Friday that a trade war was never a solution, and no one would gain from it. He spoke on Saturday to central and eastern European leaders at an annual “16+1” gathering aimed a boosting business ties and investments.

ONLINE

The country has lost the capacity to support an overvalued rupee which was the reason behind exchange rate erosion which continues to take a toll on the masses and the economy, a business leader said Saturday.

The rupee has been depreciated 19 per cent during the last seven months while further erosion in the exchange rate will damage economy beyond repair, he said.

The demand for the dollar is driven by political and economic instability, uncertainty, corruption and money laundering, said Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Chair-

man Coordination Malik Sohail.

He said that rupee will remain weak as long as the country’s imports outpace exports while it can remain stable through the intervention of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) which is a costly solution.

Malik Sohail who has also served as Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) former senior vice president said that the trade and current account deficit for the year 2015 was $25 billion which jumped to $28.5 billion in 2016 and climbed to $45 billion in 2017 but the exchange rate remained stable during these three years.

The central bank was forced to pump huge amounts of dollars in the open market during these

three years keeping exchange rate stable which was an opportunity for the corrupt to buy cheap dollars to be stashed in foreign banks and offshore companies while the concerned departments preferred to ignore it.

The merciless pumping of dollars in the market eroded the forex reserves and it lost the ability to intervene in the market resulting in fall of rupee.

He said that the arrest of a banker over charges of money laundering to the tune of billions of rupees is a good step which will result in startling revelations while discouraging corrupt people and crooked bankers. Masses should be kept informed about the disclosures, he demanded.

Government borrowing soars 58.5 percent, touches Rs1.43 trillion in FY18 NEWSDESK: Ahead of the upcoming general elections, the government’s borrowing from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has soared to touch Rs1.43 trillion for the just concluded the financial year 2017-18.

The central bank on Friday released figures pertaining to government borrowing for budgetary support purposes, registering an increase of 58.5 percent for FY18, reported Express Tribune.

The government has been on the lookout ahead of general elections to finance projects announced in the budget for the just concluded FY18.

And higher borrowing highlights budget deficit

has crossed the target 4.1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) and could result in raising the inflationary pressure in the country’s economy.

For FY18, the government’s borrowing touched Rs1.43 trillion for FY18 compared to Rs907.8 billion in FY17.

To finance projects, the government has increased its borrowing for various constituencies before the elections to bolster its vote bank.

In wake of commercial banks decreasing their lending in anticipation of a rise in key interest rate going forth, the budgetary borrowing has exhibited a rise.

Iran calls for EU help as shipping giant pulls out for fear of US sanctions LONDON AGENCIES

One of the world's biggest cargo shippers announced on Saturday it was pulling out of Iran for fear of becoming entangled in U.S. sanctions, and President Hassan Rouhani demanded that European countries to do more to offset the U.S. measures. The announcement by France's CMA CGM that it was quitting Iran deals a blow to Tehran's efforts to persuade European countries to offer economic benefits to offset the new U.S. sanctions. Iran says it needs more help from Europe to keep alive an agreement with world powers to curb its nuclear program. U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned the agreement in May and has announced new sanctions on Tehran.

Washington has ordered all countries to stop buying Iranian oil by November and foreign firms to stop doing business there or face U.S. blacklists. European powers which still support the nuclear deal say they will do more to encourage their businesses to remain engaged with Iran. But the prospect of being banned in the United States appears to be enough to persuade European companies to keep out. Foreign ministers from the five remaining signatory countries to the nuclear deal -- Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia -- offered a package of economic measures to Iran on Friday to compensate for U.S. sanctions that begin taking effect in August, but Tehran said the package did not go far enough. "European countries have the political will to maintain economic ties with Iran based on the JCPOA (the nuclear deal), but they need to take practical measures within the time limit," Rouhani said on Saturday on his official website. CMA CGM, which according to the United Nations operates the world's third largest container shipping fleet with more than 11 percent of global capacity, said it would halt service for Iran as it did not want to fall foul of the rules given its large presence in the United States. "Due to the Trump administration, we have decided to end our service for Iran," CMA CGM chief Rodolphe Saade said during an economic conference in the southern French city of Aix-en-Provence. "Our Chinese competitors are hesitating a little, so maybe they have a different relationship with Trump, but we apply the rules," Saade said. The shipping market leader, A.P. Moller-Maersk of Denmark, already announced in May it was pulling out of Iran. In June, French carmaker PSA Group suspended its joint venture activities in Iran, and French oil major Total said it held little hope of receiving a U.S. waiver to continue with a multibillion-dollar gas project in the country. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh called the tension between Tehran and Washington a "trade war". He said it had not led to changes in Iranian oil production and exports. He also echoed Rouhani's remarks that the European package did not meet all economic demands of Iran. "I have not seen the package personally, but our colleagues in the foreign ministry who have seen it were not happy with its details," Zanganeh was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency. Some Iranian officials have threatened to block oil exports from the Gulf in retaliation for U.S. efforts to reduce Iranian oil sales to zero.

Rouhani himself made a veiled threat along those lines in recent days, saying there could be no oil exports from the region if Iran's were shut.

SBP notifies stricter rules for inland foreign currency and PKR movement LAHORE MOHAMMAD FAROOQ

In light of the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) decision to put Pakistan on the ‘grey’ list, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Friday notified stricter rules for foreign currency movement and the rupee within the country.

The central bank on Friday published detailed instructions to all the exchange companies (ECs) apprising them to bring all currency movements under its stringent supervision.

To further strengthen the regulatory AML requirements for documentation and record keeping, it has been decided

that while carrying out transactions requiring movement of Pakistani Rupees (PKR) and Foreign Currency (FCY) within company’s authorized network, each outlet of ECs and ECs – B shall be allocated working capital keeping in view the business needs by the head office of the respective exchange company, said the central bank.

While speaking to Profit, Pakistan Forex Association President Malik Bostan said “the central bank’s move will cause immense problems as rupee’s value will further erode against the greenback and the requirement of only using bank accounts for currency movements will create headaches for currency dealers and customers.”

Bostan said “We have conveyed our reservations to the State Bank of Pakistan in this regard and a meeting will be held on Monday morning to discuss the matter.”

It added “ECs and ECs – B shall conduct the exchange business only from such premises as approved by the State Bank. ECs and ECs – B shall not provide delivery services to the customers.”

SBP said the purpose for the movement of cash PKR and FCY shall be properly documented and recorded, after necessary authorization in the system on a real-time basis by the head office.

Furthermore, the SBP stated only bank accounts shall be used for the movement of PKR between the cities.

“The movement of cash PKR (within a city) and FCY (across Pakistan) shall be undertaken only by the authorized employee(s) in company’s owned vehicles, through air transit or by cash-in-transit company”, said the central bank.

“The movement of cash PKR and FCY by the franchises of ECs shall be processed under the permission from the head office of respective EC and such movement of cash PKR and FCY shall be documented in their system, said the SBP. The movement of cash PKR and FCY by the franchises shall only be carried out by the authorized individuals, who have been registered with and authorized by the respective franchiser.

Also, SBP said documentary evidence of travel of authorized employees or registered individuals (for franchises), including tickets issued in their names or receipts issued by Cash-in-Transit Company shall be maintained by ECs and ECs – B. The exchange company shall develop and implement standard operating procedures (SOPs), duly approved by their Board of Directors, considering the above instructions, said the central bank.

Lastly, SBP shared “ECs and ECs – B shall maintain the record of all transactions relating to the movement of Pakistani Rupees (PKR) and Foreign Currency (FCY) which shall be examined during the course of on-site examinations.”

BUSINESS 13

Sunday, 8 July, 2018

toP LEadErShIP In ConUndrUm ovEr ImF baILoUt

t

NEWSDESK

HE top leadership is in a conundrum over whether to approach the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for another bailout package as the macroeconomic situation worsens.

On Tuesday, an IMF technical assistance team concluded its week-long visit to Pakistan, which was also corroborated by its Resident Representative in Islamabad Daban Sanchez, reported Express Tribune.

The IMF technical assistance team comprised of Richard Llaudes, including Sanchez, Jongsoon Shin, Hua Chi, Tasneem Aslam and Maxym Kryshko, revealed sources.

As per sources, the main aim of the IMF technical team’s visit to Pakistan was to assess the macroeconomic state of the country and came upon the request of the Ministry of Finance.

On Friday, the National Security Committee (NSC) was provided a presentation regarding the worsening macroeconomic condition by the finance ministry.

REPORTS REVEAL THE COUNTRY’S EXTERNAL FINANCING REQUIREMENT WOULD RANGE FROM $25 TO $27 BILLION FOR FY19 It was the 26th NSC meeting being held which was presided over by caretaker Prime Minister (retd) Nasirul Mulk in which details of the Action Plan were deliberated upon.

The NSC acknowledged the endeavours of the finance minister and her team at the FATF and it discussed the overall economic position of Pakistan.

An exhaustive presentation to the NSC meeting participants was provided by interim finance minister Dr Shamshad Akhtar regarding the cogitations during meetings of FATF and International Cooperation Review Group held in Paris.

According to sources, the NSC expressed dissatisfaction over the manner the economy was being managed by the government.

The NSC expressed worry over the

high level of public debt, the influence and logic of the recent rupee devaluation and high external financing requirements for FY19, said sources.

Previously, the caretaker government had stopped the finance ministry from reaching out to the IMF at any level.

However, sources said the finance ministry was in favour of formally reaching out to the IMF due to deteriorating external sector position.

Nonetheless, Pakistan’s top leadership have certain hesitancy at this juncture and sources revealed their major worry is over the consequence of the next IMF programme on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The committee directed the finance ministry to apply its earlier decisions on the economy, said sources

The NSC was apprised the country’s public debt to GDP ratio would surpass 72 percent or around Rs25 trillion for FY18.

Also, the sources disclosed there were worries over refinancing public debt, especially external public debt.

And the committee was provided details regarding the widening fiscal and current account deficit, said sources. They shared the final figures weren’t available, but it is expected current account deficit for FY18 could be over $18 billion.

Also, sources revealed the country’s external financing requirement would range from $25 to $27 billion for FY19 and they couldn’t be met alone with the assistance of China.

However, sources in the finance ministry stated rising external financing requirements would force Pakistan to get the World Bank, Asian Development Bank’s and IMF’s assistance.

The sources in the finance ministry said the IMF team was provided with provisional macroeconomic indicators but the delegation did not share its macroeconomic details with Pakistani authorities.

FBR again misses the mark, revenue collection falls short by Rs90 billion NEWSDESK

Iranian oil minister calls trump's order to oPEC insulting LONDON AGENCIES

Iran's oil minister on Saturday accused U.S. President Donald Trump of insulting OPEC by ordering it to increase production and reduce prices, adding that Iranian output and exports had not changed as a result of U.S. pressure. Trump on Wednesday accused the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries of driving fuel prices higher and urged Saudi Arabia to pump more if it wanted Washington to continue protecting it against its top rival Iran. "Mr Trump sends every day a new message that creates uncertainty in the market," Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said in an interview with state television. "Trump's order to OPEC members to increase production is a great insult to those governments and nations and destabilizes the market."

Zanganeh called the tension between Tehran and Washington a "trade war" and said it had not led to changes in Iranian oil production and exports. Iran, OPEC’s thirdlargest producer, is facing U.S. sanctions on its oil exports that are prompting some buyers to cut purchases.

Washington said in May it was walking away from an international deal on Iran's nuclear program and said it would impose fresh sanctions on Iran's energy sector. South Korea halted all Iranian oil shipments in July for the first time in six years amid U.S. pressure. The EU, once Iran's biggest oil importer, has promised to try keep the 2015 nuclear deal alive without the United States by trying to keep oil and investment flowing. Foreign ministers from the five remaining signatory countries offered a package of economic measures to Iran on Friday to counter the U.S. sanctions, but Tehran said the package did not go far enough. "I have not seen the package personally, but our colleagues in the foreign ministry who have seen it were not happy with its details," Zanganeh was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency. Iran has threatened to block oil exports through a key Gulf waterway in retaliation for U.S. efforts to reduce Iranian oil sales to zero. Zanganeh said Iran's stance on this issue was clear.

direct flights between Pakistan, azerbaijan to be launched soon ISLAMABAD ONLINE

Direct flights to promote public links and mutual trading between Pakistan and Azerbaijan will be launched soon. As per media reports, the Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Pakistan Ali Alizada on Saturday said while addressing a meeting that the number of Pakistanis who visit Azerbaijan has increased six-fold while bilateral trade between the two countries has also witnessed a remarkable surge. He said that the improvement in travelling facilities due to the launch of direct flights will help promote people to people contact besides upgrading bilateral trade, he remarked.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has once again failed to meet its revenue collection target of Rs3.935 trillion, falling short by Rs90 billion for the financial year 2017-18.

The parliament last year originally approved a revenue collection target of Rs4.103 trillion, which was revised downwards to Rs3.935 trillion a few months ago.

Provision figures of revenue collection stood at Rs3.844.5 trillion at end of outgoing FY18.

Due to missing the revised revenue collection target of Rs3.935 trillion, the budget deficit could likely surpass 7 percent, although the final figure for FY18 is yet to be finalized, reported a National daily.

According to sources in the FBR, the revenue collection figure of Rs3.844.5 trillion includes Rs100 billion fetched through the tax amnesty scheme.

The deficit would further increase to Rs190

billion for FY18 if revenue realizations from the amnesty scheme of Rs100 billion get excluded.

Top officials of the FBR also provided a special briefing to Finance Minister Dr Shamshad Akhtar regarding the revenue performance of the tax machinery during FY18.

Dr Akhtar apprised the officials that money fetched from the tax amnesty scheme wasn’t a feather in the cap of the tax regulator.

Also, sources in the FBR shared the finance minister had sternly told the FBR’s top brass from providing the revenue collection figure details to the media.

The tax regulator amassed Rs1.7 trillion or 45 percent of overall revenues at the import stage for the just concluded financial year 2017-18.

A revision in the tax structure in the last five years has resulted in a condition in which 58 percent of sales tax and 14 percent of income tax was collected at import stage during FY18, Out of the Rs3.841 trillion tax receipts, Rs90 billion have been received from offshore and do-

On Thursday, Financial Times reported Pakistan has reached out to China asking for more loans to avoid a foreign currency crisis.

Pakistan cautioned China if the loans dry up Beijing’s $60 billion investment in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor could be under threat, said FT. In the first ten months of FY18, China lent Pakistan $1.5 billion in bilateral loans and it also received $2.9 billion in commercial bank loans mostly from Chinese banks.

Pakistani officials have told their Chinese counterparts in case the country seeks a bailout from the IMF, details of CPEC and how it is being funded will have to be shared with them and force it to cancel some of the infrastructure projects already planned.

In a statement to FT, one government official said We had a detailed discussion with the Chinese and we shared our concern. The main issue is that once we are locked in an IMF programme, we will have to make full disclosure of the terms on which China has agreed to build the CPEC.”

mestic tax amnesty schemes.

Total collection for FY18 was 14.2 percent higher than the previous FY17 and the country’s tax-to-gross domestic product marginally rose to 11.1 percent, which was lower than the target set.

From the overall receipts, Rs1.7 trillion were collected at the import stage comprising of customs duty, federal excise duty (FED), withholding and sales tax.

Income tax collection at import stage was recorded at Rs220 billion, sales tax Rs855 billion, customs duty Rs610 billion and federal excise duty at Rs15 billion.

This policy of tax collection at the import stage is faulty since this would harm economic growth due to the rising cost of goods.

Also, factory output would be affected which would result in lesser sales, which forces manufacturers and importers to reclaim these taxes from consumers by adding them in the cost.

Around 70 percent of the tax regulator’s workforce constitutes of offices from IRS, however, they only collect around 55 percent of taxes.

As per sources, sales tax receipts stood at Rs1.488 trillion for FY18, lower than the projected target of Rs1.6 trillion set by the parliament. And the collection at import stage was recorded at 58 percent of total sales tax or Rs855 billion.

ABBOTTABAD: A boy hauls firewood on a camel. ONLINE

BP in lead to acquire BHP’s US onshore shale assets: reports LONDON AGENCIES

BP Plc is in the lead to acquire the U.S. onshore shale oil and gas assets of BHP Billiton Ltd after submitting an offer worth well in excess of $10 billion, people familiar with the matter said on Friday.

The move represents a big bet

by BP on U.S. oil and gas production at a time when energy prices are rebounding. It would allow it to significantly rebalance its business with oil production, after focusing largely on natural gas assets.

BP is the front-runner in the auc-

tion for the assets run by BHP, and could reach a deal in coming weeks, the sources added, cautioning that an agreement is not certain, and it is possible that negotiations could end unsuccessfully. The exact terms and composition of BP’s offer could not be learned. The sources asked not to be identified because the matter is confidential. BP and BHP did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

BHP said in August it aimed to sell onshore shale assets in the Eagle Ford, Permian, Haynesville and Fayetteville basins, which it acquired at the height of the oil boom.

It had come under pressure from ac-

tivist hedge fund Elliott Management Corp to do so. The acreage for sale includes holdings that BHP acquired in its $12-billion takeover of Petrohawk Energy in 2011, which have declined rapidly in value as the price of natural gas has fallen from $4.50 at the time of the deal to a low of $1.60 last year.

In 2015, BP began operating its onshore U.S. business as a separate entity to make it more competitive.

Since then, BP has expanded the business to include acreage in the Haynesville and Bossier shale plays near the Texas–Louisiana border.

However, BP’s expansion in

U.S. shale fell behind many of it peers. When others were building out their presence onshore, BP’s focus was on the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil-spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, which has forced it to pay tens of billions of dollars in damages and restitution since 2010. If completed, the acquisition of BHP’s acreage would be transformational for BP’s unit, adding oil-rich wells in the Permian and Eagle Ford basins of Texas.

Other oil majors that participated in the auction for the assets include Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Chevron Corp, sources have said.

14 SPORTS

Sunday, 8 July, 2018

Finch, thE kEy againSt PakiStan'S FEarSomE attack Harare

t

Agencies

WO highly unpredictable sides, both having won a match by a vast margin against the other in the space of the past week. Pakistan and Australia have seen the quality of their play veer from one extreme to another during the Twenty20 triangular series in Zimbabwe, paving the way for a final that is brimful of possibilities.

Loudly criticised by their captain Sarfraz Ahmed earlier in the tournament, Pakistan put it all together for a 45-run victory over Australia on Thursday, in a result that also preserved their No. 1 T20I ranking on the ICC table. Through the shot-making abilities of Fakhar Zaman

and the middle-order intelligence of Asif Ali, they were able to put up a more than defensible score, and then used the new ball to tremendous effect, principally through the seam and swing of the highly promising Shaheen Afridi.

This made for quite a contrast with the opening match between Australia and Pakistan, where Aaron Finch's side took the momentum virtually from the start, through a hostile and well-directed opening spell from Billy Stanlake. He has been unable to replicate that display, and Finch's strong scores in the first two matches - including a world-record 172 against Zimbabwe - have given way to early exits in the past two games, exposing the weakness of Australia's batting order in the absence of the suspended David Warner and Steven Smith.

For the Australians there is also the desire to see evidence of progress under their new coach Justin Langer, who made his demands clear by having his players push through a lengthy training session immediately after their loss to Pakistan, a

performance characterised by sloppiness with the ball, the bat and in the field. Having lost all six internationals to England on the first leg of this tour, a defeat of the world's foremost T20I team would be an indicator that the Langer era is beginning

to take shape.

Teenaged left-armer Shaheen Afridi's incisive spell against Australia in Thursday's qualifying match should mean he retains his place in the team for the competition decider.

Pakistan (possible) 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Haris Sohail, 3 Hussain Talat, 4 Shoaib Malik, 5 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt/wk), 6 Asif Ali, 7 Faheem Ashraf, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Usman Khan, 11 Shaheen Afridi Having dropped D'Arcy Short at the top of the order and moved Alex Carey up to partner the captain Aaron Finch, Australia's selectors must decide whether to persist with the combination that beat Zimbabwe on Friday.

Australia (possible) 1 Aaron Finch (capt), 2 Alex Carey (wk), 3 Travis Head, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Nic Maddinson, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Ashton Agar, 8 Jack Wildermuth, 9 Andrew Tye, 10 Jhye Richardson, 11 Billy Stanlake Pitch and conditions After a week of matches, the surface for the final is expected to be on the slow side, and may well take some spin.

Harare's weather forecast is for clear skies and slightly cool temperatures.

Coach Rajput commends Zimbabwe for taking it to last over news Desk

Stokes’ return gives England selection conundrum Bristol Agencies

England one-day captain Eoin Morgan has refused to guarantee that Ben Stokes will jump straight into the side for Sunday’s T20 series decider against India in Bristol. All-rounder Stokes missed the recent one-day series against Australia with a hamstring injury and has sat out the first two 20 over games against India. Stokes rejoins the squad in Cardiff on Saturday after coming through an innings of 90 in 68 balls playing for Durham on Thursday. Alex Hales recently said he thought his place was vulnerable when Stokes came back but he gave the selectors food for thought with his matchwinning innings of 58 not out at Sophia Gardens which levelled the series up. England insist Stokes has no injury worries and is fit for selection leaving Hales or Jake Ball, who made his international T20 debut in Friday’s last over five wicket win facing exclusion. "He comes into the squad for the next game and he is a fantastic player and it will be a difficult decision to make,” Morgan told reporters after the Cardiff win. "We have made calls like this in the past and we will make the call for the benefit of the team and put out our strongest XI. "Alex always makes it difficult particularly in T20 cricket. He has played a lot of T20 for us and he is a very experienced campaigner. An innings like that gives him a pretty strong case for the next game. "He really did play brilliantly. He has played a lot international T20 cricket and he has played a lot around the world. It was a mature innings. "But we played better than we did at Old Trafford and the plans we had we committed to more. There was a lot more clarity in the shots that we played." Hales struggled in the first T20 match in Manchester when England were beaten by eight wickets and young left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav took five wickets for 24 runs to set up an Indian victory.

But Hales and England’s other batsmen had been working on the bowling machine nicknamed Merlyn which they use to mimic bowlers’ actions and it paid off with Hales and the rest neutering Yadav who went wicketless. Indian captain Virat Kohli said: "They did their homework and played really well. It changed the momentum in the middle overs and that was the difference.” Miserly spells from Liam Plunkett and David Willey, who took one for 17 and one for 18 respectively helped England keep India down to 148-5 despite some big late hitting from MS Dhoni who made 32 not out and 47 from Kohli. Morgan added: "I thought they bowled brilliantly. David Willey set the tone. "Jake Ball gave us three really good overs on his debut and they all hit their lengths really well and it presents opportunities to take wickets and they did it well."

Five days ago, Zimbabwe didn't look close to challenging the world's top-ranked T20I side.

Three days ago, it looked like there wasn't a record Australia couldn't break against them. But in the last two days they've found some mettle, taking two games against formidable opposition into the last over and giving their new head coach Lalchand Rajput something to smile about.

"Pushing the two top teams into the last over is a victory in itself," Rajput said. "I think it's a great comeback. This team is a work in progress.

We didn't have a good start, but the last two games were very close. We're getting there, but we're just not getting across the line.

"So we're really happy, but there's a lot of work to be done. The one-day series [against Pakistan] is around the corner, and these matches will definitely give us some confidence going into that."

After Sunday's final between Pakistan and Australia, Zimbabwe and Pakistan will head down to Bulawayo for five ODIs. Rajput wouldn't be drawn into any speculation as to the return or otherwise of Zimbabwe's missing players for that series, instead urging his squad to take responsibility for themselves.

"I'd like to see youngsters coming up and raising their hands and saying 'yes I'll do it for the team'. Tarisai Musakanda is one, PJ Moor is another one, Blessing Muzarabani bowled exceptionally well today. And Donald and Wellington also bowled very well. So guys are coming up and raising their hands, taking responsibility, and that's a very positive thing."

Rajput also singled out Solomon Mire, who is

second on the run-scoring charts behind Aaron Finch in this tri-series with 212 in four innings, for particular praise. "[Solomon] Mire is a mainstay," he said. "He's gone from strength to strength and given us a bit of stability at the top of the innings.

A lot of our batsmen could learn from how he's paced his innings. He has played for a while, but in cricket you're learning all the time. If he can work on the minor things in his game, he can become a very dependable player. He likes to hit the ball, but shot selection is very important. Bigger teams won't give you too many loose balls, so shot selection is key and if he can continue to improve on that, he'll be a consistent performer."

Looking ahead to the ODIs and beyond, Rajput reminded his charges of the need for showing some backbone, even in games they are not going to win.

"Cricket is a learning process. You never master it. First and foremost, I would like the players to be out of their comfort zone. That's very important.

And not to give up until the last. These are players who [in the past] let things happen too easily, who let things slip too easily. In cricket you should never do that. Because anything can happen. Cricket is a funny game, and it can just turn in one over. And I think we showed today that we are getting there, because we fought to the very last over."

Serena, Federer cruise through, Venus Williams knocked out lonDon Agencies

Serena Williams boosted her chances of winning an eighth Wimbledon and 24th Grand Slam by making the fourth round at the All England Club on Friday as big sister Venus fell victim to the curse of the seeds.

Serena, seeded a modest 25 this year, enjoyed a 7-5, 7-6 (7/2) win over France’s Kristina Mladenovic to set up a last-16 duel with Russian qualifier — and fellow mother — Evgeniya Rodina.

Victory on Centre Court, sealed with a 13th ace, came 20 minutes after Venus, a five-time champion, had slumped to a 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 8-6 loss to Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands over on Court One. Only two of the top 10 seeds remain in the women’s draw — number one Simona Halep, who plays her third round match on Saturday, and seventh seed Karolina Pliskova who came back from 1-4 down in the second set to defeat Mihaela Buzarnescu 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-1.

While the women’s draw was being blown wide open, it was busi-

ness as usual for defending men’s champion Roger Federer who enjoyed a 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 win over Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.

Serena said she was delighted to be into the second week at Wimbledon.

“I have worked really hard and it’s been a long arduous road,” said Serena, playing in just her second Slam since the birth of her daughter Olympia last September.

“A lot of top players have lost.

CMYK

Technically I am not a top player although I have the wins of one.”

Venus, 38 and the runner-up last year, was worn down by Dutch 20th seed Bertens who next faces Pliskova.

“It means a lot. It was such a tough match and such a big fight so I´m really happy that I won this one,” Bertens said.

Also exiting was 10th seed Madison Keys, who had made at least the quarter-finals of her last three majors.

The American lost 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 to Rodina, ranked 120th in the world. “I have played the quallies and three matches this week which were all three sets,” said 29-year-old Rodina.

“She hits the ball so hard. I am a little surprised that I won, I was a little bit lucky.”

Federer took his consecutive sets won at Wimbledon to 29 in what was his 200th career grass court match.

The eight-time champion will face French 22nd seed Adrian Mannarino on Monday for a place in the quarter-finals.

“I was happy to stay calm and finish off the job. I thought I did very well today,” said the 36-year-old 20time Slam winner. “I created more chances in the second set and was always able to stay pretty clean on my own service games.”

Stefanos Tsitsipas became the first Greek man in the Open era to make the last 16 of a Slam as the 31st seed beat Italian qualifier Thomas Fabbiano 6-2, 6-1, 6-4.

The 19-year-old will faces US ninth seed John Isner for a place in the quarter-finals.

Sunday, 8 July, 2018

harry maguirE, DElE alli hEaD EnglanD into WorlD cuP SEmiS saMara

h

Semi-FinalS

First Semi-Final July 10 - 11:00 pm Second Semi-Final July 11 - 11:00 pm

Agencies

EADERS from Harry Maguire and Dele Alli gave England a 2-0 win over Sweden as they reached their first World Cup semi-final in 28 years.

England dominated the ball in Samara and were good value for the victory, but did have goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to thank for avoiding a nervous ending.

After a laboured start, England took the lead through Maguire's header from a corner (30), his first international goal and England's fifth from a set-piece at this World Cup, more than any other side.

Alli doubled England's lead on 58 minutes with another header, creeping in at the back post to convert Jesse Lingard's cute delivery.

Pickford was indomitable in the England net, making three fine saves in the second half to keep Sweden at bay, as England kept a clean sheet for the first time in the tournament.

Sweden slowed the tempo early on as the game got off to a dull start, but the first half-chance fell to England as Harry Kane flashed wide from 20 yards after good running from Raheem Sterling.

Set-pieces have played an integral part in England's success so far

SPORTS 15

kane sets sights on new records as he targets World cup glory Moscow Agencies

at the World Cup, and the dead-ball delivery came up trumps again on 30 minutes as Maguire piled in 12 yards out to head Ashley Young's drilled cross past Robin Olsen.

Sterling then had a golden chance to double England's lead before the break from Jordan Henderson's fine through-ball, but he failed to take on Olsen, dwelling too long on the ball before his rebounded shot was blocked.

courtois says he never mocked England keeper Pickford's height Moscow: Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said that he did not mock England counterpart Jordan Pickford's height after their World Cup group-stage match last week. Courtois made a string of fine saves in Kazan on Friday as Belgium secured arguably the greatest result in their history with a 2-1 win over Brazil to reach the semi-finals for only the second time. But the Chelsea man was keen to clear the air after it was reported he said Pickford was "too small" to be a top-level 'keeper. "This thing about Jordan Pickford, I want to make it clear, I never mocked his height, he is a great goalkeeper. I want to make that clear," the 26-year-old told the BBC. Pickford, who is 6 feet 1 inch (185 centimetres) tall, had been criticised for failing to save Adnan Januzaj's winner when Belgium beat England 1-0 last Thursday top Group G. "I would never do that to another goalkeeper (criticise his height). I just meant that being 15 centimetres taller, I would have got the ball," he added. It had been suggested that finishing second in the group behind England would have given Belgium an easier passage through the knockout rounds, but Courtois insisted that never crossed the players' minds. "This team wants to win every game. Agencies

Sweden hardly had a sniff in the first half, but nearly levelled early in the second as Marcus Berg rose above Young at the far post from Ludwig Augustinson's cross, but Pickford did brilliantly to tip it away.

England regained control, however, and were 2-0 up just before the hour mark as Alli scored just his third international goal, nodding home six yards out from Lingard's cross from the right.

Sweden reacted well and should have halved the deficit but for Pickford's superb save, diving low to his right to keep out Viktor Claesson's effort, and the Everton man was again at his best moments later to tip over Berg's shot on the turn.

But England saw out the final stages with professionalism, reaching their first tournament semi-final since Euro 96 and their first at the World Cup since Italia 90.

Beckham, Ibrahimovic agree on World Cup bet

Harry Kane is leading the race for the World Cup Golden Boot as he bids to become the first England player to win the prize since Gary Lineker 32 years ago. The clean-cut skipper is on the fast track to virtual sainthood in England, matching Lineker´s tally of six goals from 1986 in just three matches in Russia to set up a quarter-final against Sweden. Kane scored twice against Tunisia in England´s first match in Russia and then bagged a hattrick in a 6-1 romp against Panama. Gareth Southgate rested Kane for the third group game — a 1-0 defeat to Belgium — but the Tottenham striker returned to score from the penalty spot against Colombia in the last 16. In doing so the England captain became the first player to score in six consecutive England appearances since Tommy Lawton in 1939. Gareth Southgate´s side play the Swedes in Samara on Saturday, eyeing their first semi-final since 1990, a defeat against Germany in which Lineker played and scored. London-born Kane insists it is lifting the World Cup rather than individual honours that remains his priority. “The Golden Boot would be great but I´m still there — and if we´re in the tournament longer it gives me a greater opportunity,” he said. “My target isn´t the Golden Boot. The target is to win the tournament. That´s always been the target. If the Golden Boot comes along with that then perfect, but the target is to help the team. “If my goals help the team, brilliant. If not I´ll be running round, working hard, trying to get assists. And that´s all I can do.” Lineker, also a former Tottenham player and now a TV pundit and avid user of Twitter, is a fan. “Blinding finish from Harry Kane. The first player to score a hat-trick and a brace in consecutive World Cup Games since 1986,” he tweeted after Kane´s performance against Panama. Lineker was referring to his own exploits in Mexico, where he scored a hat-trick against Poland in the group phase followed by two goals against Paraguay. Kane´s goal against Colombia took him two clear of Belgium´s Romelu Lukaku and three clear of a clutch of players on three.

Veteran italian keeper Buffon joins PSg Paris Agencies

los angeles Agencies

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Beckham have agreed on the terms of a friendly wager ahead of the England v Sweden World Cup quarter-final on Saturday.

Ibrahimovic, Sweden’s all-time top scorer with 62 goals, has been vocal in support of his homeland from his vantage point with his Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy — former England captain Beckham’s onetime MLS club.

Ibrahim took to Twitter to challenge Beckham

on the eve of the showdown in Samara, Russia.

“Yo @davidbeckham if @england wins I buy you dinner where ever you want in the world, but if @swemnt wins you buy me whatever I want from @ikeasverige ok?” Ibrahimovic wrote.

Beckham responded via Instagram: “@iamzlatanibrahimovic if @swemnt win I will personally take you to @ikeasverige and buy you whatever you need for the new mansion in LA @lagalaxy, but when @england win I want you to come to watch an @england game at Wembley wearing an England shirt and enjoy fish & chips at halftime.”

Veteran Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has joined Paris Saint-Germain on a one-year deal, the French Ligue 1 champions announced on Friday. The 40-yearold 2006 World Cup winner joins the big-spending Parisian side days after his contract with Juventus ended in June. “We all feel an immense pride in welcoming Gianluigi Buffon into the great Paris Saint-Germain family,” PSG’s Qatari president Nasser Al-Khelaifi announced in a statement. Confirmation of Buffon’s move came after he had arrived at PSG around midday accompanied by his doctor. He was also seen at the American Hospital in the nearby suburb of Neuilly.

Buffon, who played a record 176 times for Italy, has an option to extend his stay at the Parc des Princes for a further season. He will be officially unveiled as the latest teammate of PSG stars Neymar and Kylian Mbappe and company on Monday.

Zlatan says Sweden has ‘big chance’ to win World Cup Moscow Agencies

Los Angeles Galaxy striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has backed his homeland Sweden to win the World Cup ahead of a quarter-final showdown Saturday against England.

The Swedes have advanced to the World Cup´s last eight for the first time since 1994 and 36-year-old striker Ibrahimovic, Sweden´s all-time top scorer with 62 goals, has been vocal about their trophy bid.

“They have a big chance to win the World Cup,” Ibrahimovic said. “They beat Mexico (in group stage), which was

good and they made a big statement by winning against the Swiss,” Ibrahimovic said in a posting on his Major League Soccer club´s website.

“They´re going well and doing things that no one thought they could do. They believe, and they thought they could do it. They´re making good things, and hopefully, they could continue.

“We are there to push them. Every Swedish person in the world is proud and we will be proud however it goes in the coming games.”

Ibrahimovic, who has 10 goals this season for the Galaxy, has spent his career among some of Europe´s greatest clubs, including Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan,

Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United for the past two seasons.

Ibrahimovic´s advice for Sweden is simple — more of the same.

“They should continue doing what they´re doing,” Ibrahimovic said. “It´s difficult to play against them and to score against them. If they can keep it up, they have a good chance.

“Now, it´s not only about how good you are, but there are a lot of emotions in the game. It´s a quarterfinal and a lot of emotions come into the game. Whoever can handle that best has an advantage.

“When Sweden wins, let´s see what David Beckham tells me.”

CMYK

Sunday, 8 July, 2018

NEWS indian forces kill 3 kashmiris ahead of Wani anniversary SRINAGAR: At least three Kashmiris, including a minor girl, were martyred while several others were injured after Indian troops opened fire on peaceful protesters in Kulgam district of Indian occupied Kashmir on Saturday, as security forces detained several Hurriyat leaders in Srinagar ahead of freedom fighter Burhan Muzaffar Wani’s second martyrdom anniversary.

Kashmiris took to the streets after Indian forces launched a cordon and search operation in Redwani area of Kulgam district. They shouted pro-freedom and anti-India slogans during the protest. Indian troops and police used brute force to disperse the protesters, triggering clashes. As the clashes intensified, the police and troops resorted to indiscriminate firing of bullets, pellets and teargas shells on the protesters, resulting in the killing of three people and injuries to several others.

The martyred Kashmiris have been identified as Shakir Ahmed Khanday, Irshad Majeed, and a girl Andleeb.

Residents said soldiers fired live ammunition, shotgun pellets and tear gas to quell the protests, wounding several people. The clashes were continuing when this report was made. Meanwhile in Srinagar, Indian forces took several Hurriyat leaders, including Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik to prevent them from leading a protest rally towards Tral, the hometown of Burhanuddin Wani, who was martyred along with two associates by the Indian troops in a fake encounter in Kokenag area of Islamabad district on July 8, 2016. Leaders of the Joint Resistance Leadership have called for a complete shutdown on Sunday. In a related development, India’s National Investigation Agency has shifted the illegally detained chairperson of Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Aasiya Andrabi and her two associates, Nadiha Nasreen and Fehmeeda Sofi, from Srinagar Central Jail to New Delhi. The women activists are accused of waging war against India. aGeNCIeS

Pakistan ranked 22 on list of most powerful countries Pakistan has dropped two positions to number 22 in the list of most powerful countries in the world, leaving Singapore, Spain, and Brazil behind in a new global ranking. As per the list published by US News and World Report, an American media house publishing since 1933, has placed the South Asian country at the 22nd spot. The ranking is based on the influence of nation, political, economic and military power. India is ranked 15th most powerful and 25th best country in the list, while Turkey is 14th most powerful and the 36th best country.

MIlItARy FoRce: Pakistan’s total military force is 919,000 with 637,000 active and 282,000 reserve force respectively.

MIlItARy StReNGth: 1,281 military aircraft, 2,182 combat tanks, and 197 naval assets. ecoNoMy: The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in Pakistan is 1222.52 US dollars in 2017.

“Power has transferred between civilian and military governments in Pakistan’s federal republic over the years, fostering an environment of instability and corruption that has stunted the nation’s growth and development. The seventh-most populous country is also one of the youngest in the world, with the majority of citizens under the age of 22,” stated the report.

Overall Pakistan was ranked as the 74th best country in the world this year, with its power rankings falling by two places in the latest list. Last year, Pakistan was ranked as the 20th most powerful country.

The United States of America (USA) remains the most powerful country in the world, with Russia and China claiming the second and third spot respectively.

The 2018 Best Countries report and rankings are based on how global perceptions define countries in terms of a number of qualitative characteristics, impressions that have the potential to drive trade, travel, and investment and directly affect national economies. The report covers perceptions of 80 nations. NeWS DeSK

Caretakers Cut POL PriCes by rs6 PETROL TO BE SOLD AT RS95.24 PER LITRE, HSD RS112.94, KEROSENE RS83.96 AND LIGHT DIESEL OIL RS75.37

ISLAMABAD

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Staff RepoRt

HE caretaker federal government on Saturday night cut the prices of petroleum products by Rs6.37 per litre following the orders of the Supreme Court to bring down the recent increase in prices.

According to an official notification, Interim Federal Minister for Energy Syed Ali Zafar said that the caretaker cabinet had decided that sales tax rates would be reduced from 17% to 12% for motor spirit

and kerosene oil, high speed diesel from 31% to 24%, and light diesel oil from 17% to 9%.

The price of petrol has been cut by Rs4.26, HSD by Rs6.37, Kerosene oil by Rs3.74, and light diesel by Rs5.54. The new price of petrol w.e.f Saturday midnight will be Rs95.24 per litre, HSD Rs112.94, Kerosene Rs83.96, and light diesel oil Rs75.37. Zafar said that by reducing the sales tax, the caretaker government would suffer an estimated loss of Rs 10 billion, however it was determined to give the masses some relief.

On July 5, the SC had asked the stakeholders

to work out a comprehensive plan and come up with suggestions on how much tax can be curtailed to keep the prices at a reasonable level.

The caretaker government had on July 1 increased the price of petrol by Rs7.54 to Rs99.50 per litre, diesel by Rs14 to Rs119.3 and kerosene

by Rs3.36 to Rs87.7, besides raising the rates of other products. The jump in prices had caused furor among the general public.

The court was told that people would bear a burden of Rs70 billion merely because of the increase in prices of petroleum products. Subsequently, the court asked for the breakdown of prices of the last three months.

In May, the Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division) had through a report cautioned the SC about the expected increase in June and coming months due to the rising trend in international Arab Gulf oil prices. The ministry had highlighted the rising trend as quoted by the Platts Oilgram — a report covering market fundamentals suggesting changes and factors driving petroleum prices within crude oil and related products.

The annual demand for petroleum products in Pakistan is around 26 million tonnes and only 15 per cent of which is being met through local resources. When the case was taken up on Thursday, the court asked all the stakeholders to put their heads together and suggest how much tax could be reduced to provide relief to the masses.

Attorney General Khalid Jawed Khan requested the court to grant some time so that a meaningful result could be achieved. The court regretted that the price of petrol had been increased

by Rs7 per litre despite the fact that it was already seized with the matter, adding that the government should meet the deficit by increasing the prices of unimportant things other than petroleum.

“The most basic item is diesel, the price of which has been increased by Rs14,” Justice Umar Ata Bandial, a member of the bench, regretted.

Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan observed that the increase in prices of petroleum products would also impact the rates of essential food items which would register an increase considerably.

The court also questioned the justification for imposing 30 per cent tax on the ex-refinery rate.

According to documents presented before the court, the government has imposed Rs37.63 tax on per litre price of petrol, including Rs17.46 GST, Rs52.24 on the high speed diesel, Rs22.9 on kerosene and Rs17.19 on light diesel.

The court will take up the case on Sunday.

Verdict against Nawaz ‘murdered’ justice, says Shehbaz Sharif NAROWAL Staff RepoRt

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday termed the Avenfield verdict against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif ‘murder of justice’.

An accountability court had pronounced the verdict in the corruption reference against the Sharif family on Friday, sentencing Nawaz to 11 years in prison along with a £8 million fine.

The former premier’s daughter Maryam was sentenced to eight years with a £2 million fine (Rs335 million), while Captain (r) Safdar received a one-year prison sentence.

The PML-N leader, while addressing a rally in Narowal, said that the court of masses has rejected the decision against Nawaz, Maryam and Safdar.

“The verdict has been given

against a person who made Pakistan an atomic power,” he said.

“He built a network of motorways in the country.” Taking a jibe at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief, Shehbaz said that Imran Khan has destroyed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“He (Imran Khan) promised that he will give electricity to the entire country, today he says that we are producing only 72 megawatts.”

Shehbaz said that he could not forget the day when flood hit Narowal. “When I used to come here there was floodwater everywhere, today I can see flood of people supporting PML-N,” he added.

The former Punjab chief minister said that in 2013 there were protests all over the province outside WAPDA offices. “I told Nawaz that we will end load shedding in fiveyear time. We gave 11,000 megawatt in five-year time,” he said.

The PML-N leader claimed that Narowal has become a modern district as it receives cheap fuel, tubewells, and electricity.

Earlier, before Shehbaz’s ad-

dress, PML-N leader and former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal welcomed the party leader to the city.

“We welcome the party leader to the fortress of PML-N,” he said.”

Army chief says Zulam Kot tunnel will bring economic development RAWALPINDI Staff RepoRt

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited on Saturday the underconstruction Zulam Kot twintube tunnel on Swat Expressway near Chakdara.

The 1,300-meter-long twin tube tunnel, as part of the Swat Motorway Project, is expected to be completed by December, 2018, reducing the travel time between Islamabad and Chakdara from four hours to 1 hour and 45 minutes.

The 81-Km-long Swat Expressway forms part of trade corridor, being executed by the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), said a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The army chief appreciated quality of construction work being undertaken by the FWO. He also acknowledged its contributions towards nationbuilding with many feathers in their cap including the Karakoram Highway (KKH).

Speaking on the occasion, Gen Qamar said the under-con-

struction project will help bring socio-economic development in Pakistan, which he added was key to progress and prosperity of any country.

The DG FWO and Corps Commander Peshawar were also present during the visit.

The motorway is being built by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government under the PublicPrivate Partnership Act 2014 and is expected to cost an estimated Rs38 billion.

When complete, the expressway will connect the Colonel Sher Khan Interchange

Published by Arif Nizami at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore. Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk

CMYK

on the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway to Chakdara, after tunnelling its way through mountains in Palai and Ala Dhand.

Around two kilometres of the expressway falls within the vicinity of District Nowshera, another 18 kilometres pass through Swabi, 40 kilometres through Mardan and 21 kilometres in Malakand.

The expressway will be constructed on the pattern of the motorway with as many as four lanes which can be extended to six lanes later as per the need.