E-PAPER 21 MARCH 2020 (KHI)

CMYK

Saturday, 21 March, 2020 I 25 Rajab, 1441 I Rs 20.00 I Vol X No 262 I 16 Pages I Karachi Edition

Govt stresses self-isolation as corona tally nears 500

DETAILED STORY ON PAGE 02

g

pm imran says no lockdown yet as sindh cm urges voluntary self-isolation for three days after karachi man dies

g

g

imran hopeful pakistan’s hot and dry weather will mitigate coronavirus threat Balochistan govt announces partial lockdown for 21 days

CMYK

02

Saturday, 21 March, 2020

NEWS

Govt stresses self-isolation as corona tally nears 500 ISLAMABAD/KARACHI

P

STAFF REPORT

RIME Minister Imran Khan on Friday expressed the hope that Pakistan’s “hot and dry” weather will help to mitigate the coronavirus outbreak, urging citizens to exercise social distancing and self-discipline, as the first coronavirus patient died in Karachi pushing the total number of deaths till now to three and the number of infected citizens across the country to 495.

While the prime minister ruled out a complete lockdown in the country to contain the outbreak, the Sindh government urged its citizens to practice complete self-isolation for three days amid a rapid increase in cases in the province — 252 by Friday night. In Punjab 92 patients have tested positive for the deadly virus so far, in KP 23, in Islamabad 10 and in AJK and GB 22.

Earlier, hours after a 77-year-old coronavirus patient, who was a cancer survivor and had diabetes and hypertension but no travel or contact history, died in Karachi,

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that the people should go into complete isolation for three days as it is important for them to stay inside for their personal safety and the safety of others.

Meanwhile, the Balochistan government also imposed a partial lockdown for 21 days to prevent the spread of the virus as the cases there increased to 92. Speaking to a private news channel after PM Imran’s briefing to a select group of TV journalists, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Broadcasting and Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said the government had not yet decided to lockdown the country, however the government would take every decision in the larger interest of the people. “We would evolve a strategy in consultation with Pakistan Army, national security institutions, and provincial governments to benefit the citizens and to prevent the spreading of coronavirus in any part of the country. The final strategy with consensus of public and institutions would be implemented in letter and spirit,” she said, not ruling out a lockdown if the situation continued to worsen.

Earlier, while addressing news anchors and

Railways to suspend 22 more trains from Mar 25 ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Railways has decided to suspend operations of 22 more trains from March 25 in the wake of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) threat. In a video message on Friday, Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid said the decision was taken due to reduction of passengers from 200,000 to 160,000 per day. He said that altogether 34 trains operations were being suspended till the next orders. He said 134 trains had been operational earlier, but now the number would be cut to 100 trains per day. However, he added, operations of 12 to 15 freight trains would not be curtailed. The minister said that passengers of suspended trains could travel by any other train on the same date in the same class according to their ticket. He said that tickets could also be refunded if any passenger wanted not to travel. “An amount of Rs 80 million has been refunded so far,” he added.

Sheikh Rashid said that Railways had made extraordinary cleaning arrangements at railway stations across the country to tackle the coronavirus threat. The 22 trains, which will be suspended from March 25, include Jinnah Express train, Sir Syed Express, Bolan Mail train, Moenjo Daro Express, Thal Express, Marvi Passenger, Musa Pak Express, Chenab Express, Faisalabad Express, Saman Sarkar passenger and Faisal Express train. APP

senior columnists, Prime Minister Imran said that Centre might consider a nationwide lockdown if things get out of hand.

“It is very important that those who show symptoms of coronavirus must go into self-quarantine,” he said, adding that people should avoid social gatherings for the next two months. “We can manage the outbreak.

There is a difference of opinion, but some doctors say that the type of heat Pakistan experiences, that makes the virus lose its effectiveness to spread,” he said.

The prime minister said that the situation is being monitored and tracked on a daily basis and Pakistan is learning from the experience of various countries, especially China, to tackle this menace. He said that the government is fully alert to the threat and it has been decided that all federal ministers will be available in Islamabad during the crisis and nobody would go on leave. He also said that he will update the people about the coronavirus situation twice a week. He added that no information will be withheld from the people so that prompt action can be taken.

Dispelling the impression created by

some media channels on the steps taken by the federal government in the wake of coronavirus outbreak, the prime minister said that the government was in constant contact with the Chinese government since the first case of coronavirus emerged in the country.

“When cases were traced in Iran, we also started communicating with Tehran regarding the situation,” he added.

He also said that Special Assistant on Health Dr Zafar Mirza visited Taftan to witness the situation first hand and as a result, a lot of measures were adopted for better screening of patients in collaboration with the army and civilian authorities.He further said that it is not right to blame anyone during this difficult situation.Imran said that if the cases rise in Pakistan, four to five per cent may need hospitalisation, which will put an additional strain on the available medical resources. He said that even in developed countries like Italy, the situation is becoming critical due to the shortage of medical supplies.

Talking about the role of media in this situation, he said that sensationalism could lead to panic and might make the situation

ISLAMABAD Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah has asked the parents of Pakistani students stranded in China to trust the state as it is taking the right measures given the circumstances.

Justice Minallah made the remark while hearing a case related to the repatriation of Pakistanis stranded in China.

During the hearing, highlevel officials from the Foreign

Ministry and Cabinet division presented the government’s response, which had earlier been sought by the court.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director-General (China) Mudassir Tipu told the court that things are improving in China following the initial outbreak, and that the situation will improve further in the next two weeks.

Tipu also informed the court that a plane carrying food items and medicines provided by the National Disaster Management

Authority (NDMA) had already been dispatched to China.

He further said that the government has provided cash grants to “95%” of students residing in China. During the hearing, parents of the stranded Pakistani students complained that the government had not taken any measures to bring back their children.

To this, IHC CJ Minallah said the most important thing is that the Pakistani students are much safer in China as they would have been at greater risk in Pakistan.

“The US and the UK have acknowledged after taking back their citizens that they did the wrong thing,” the judge noted, adding that the only success story in the world right now in the fight against coronavirus is the one demonstrated by China.

The judge said that the court would be wrapping up the case and that the worried parents should trust the state in the matter.

He noted that the National

COVID-19 RT-PCR certificate mandatory for air travellers to Pakistan from Saturday ISLAMABAD APP

The Aviation Division on Friday said that passengers “to be airborne on direct flights to Pakistan from March 21 before 0501 hours (Pakistan Standard Time) would not be required to provide COVID-19 RT-PCR certificate”.

The NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) issued in this regard is aimed at extending the deadline from 5 am to 8 pm (March 21) and after that the provision of certificate would be mandatory for the international passengers arriving Pakistan, a spokesman for the Aviation Division clarified in a press release.

“The test result must include the name and passport number of the passenger. Entry within Pakistan territorial limits shall not be allowed without the authentic COVID-19 through RT-PCR negative test result for coronavirus. The condition will remain in place till 4th April, 2020 0001 hours UTC (0501 hours PST).”

He rejected a news item appearing in a section of the media about removing the condition of RT-PCR test for the coronovirus (COVID-19) after March 21, terming it ‘incorrect, saying, “No such decision has been made by the Aviation Division.”

In his earlier press notes, the spokesman had said that the international flight operations, suspended at Multan, Peshawar, Sialkot, Quetta and Faisalabad airports, would re-

Govt sends cooked food to Pakistani students in Wuhan

IHC tells distressed parents of Wuhan students to trust govt

STAFF REPORT

sume from March 21, after elaborate COVID-19 screening measures in place. “The international flight operations will revert to the original airports, except Gwadar and Turbat, on March 21, 2020 at 0001 hours UTC (0501hours PST)”, he added.

On March 14, the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) had suspended international flight operations from and to Multan, Peshawar, Sialkot, Quetta and Faisalabad airports as part of safety measures against the coronavirus, restricting, international traffic to Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.

He said the flight operations were

being resumed at the airports after installing better equipment for proper screening of international passengers there. However, the spokesman said “All aircraft are required to be disinfected as per the best industry practices prior to embarkation of passengers at the point of origin. The airline shall be required to submit a certificate in this regard to the PCAA, failing which the aircraft shall be denied entry into Pakistan,” the spokesman said.

This condition would also be applicable for domestic flights, he added. He said all passengers travelling to Pakistan would be required to

provide a certified copy of the test result for COVID-19 through RT-PCR conducted during the 24-hour period, prior to boarding a flight.

The spokesman said boarding of all passengers at domestic flights would also be subject to the screening in the wake of pandemic.

“This mandatory screening at domestic departures shall be enforced from March 21, at 0001 hours UTC (0501 hours PST) with the help of respective Federal and/ or provincial health authorities. This step has been taken to ensure that necessary steps are in place to control the spread of coronavirus in the country.”

CMYK

worse. He referred to the example of panic in some Western countries where the people rushed towards grocery stores and emptied shelves. The prime minister said that it is important to strike a balance between the gathering of people and the safety of their livelihoods. “We are going to provide incentives for the construction industry to create employment opportunities. We want people to exercise discipline, rather than shutting down cities,” he added. He also said that in the National Coordination Committee (NCC) meeting held earlier in the day, it was decided that the country would not be locked down. He further said that work is underway on creating a financial package that will be announced next Tuesday. “All stakeholders, including State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Ministry of Finance and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) are involved in the preparation of this package to provide incentives,” he added. The prime minister also urged the international community to lift sanctions from Iran as they are dealing with a coronavirus outbreak despite having limited resources and medical facilities.

ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday dispatched at least 17 tonnes of ‘Halal food’ for Pakistani students stranded in Wuhan city of China due to coronavirus outbreak. A special aircraft of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) left for China carrying approximately 15day food supply for some 1,300 Pakistani students residing in the city of Hubei Province, said the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (OP&HRD) in a statement issued here. “On return, this same aircraft will bring medical aid from China to contain the coronavirus,” the ministry added. In the statement, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Overseas Pakistan Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari extended his gratitude to all the stakeholders including the National Disaster Management Authority and the PAF for assisting the government in fulfilling the promise it made with parents of the students. “As promised, Pakistani cooked food rations and supplies for our people in Wuhan have been dispatched,” he said. Zulfi said the facilitation of overseas Pakistanis was the government’s top most priority. He said there were strict instructions of Prime Minister Imran Khan that special care of all the Pakistani students in China should be ensured. STAFF REPORT

Security Committee is also looking into the issue.

The parents, however, pleaded that the case not be concluded but kept in a pending state.

In February, the parents of the Pakistani students had submitted a plea to the IHC asking that their children be brought back from China as Wuhan came

under lockdown due to the high incidence of coronavirus cases.

In one of the previous hearings, the IHC said it would not interfere in Islamabad’s policy on the evacuation of stranded Pakistanis in Wuhan, but asked the government to provide concrete assurances to the families of those affected that the citizens were in good hands.

Govt redirects $40m non-utilised WB funds to fight coronavirus NEWS DESK The federal government on Friday redirected $40 million non-utilised funds from World Bank projects that can be used by the federal and provincial government to battle the coronavirus, announced Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar.

According to the breakdown shared by the minister, Punjab has $7.5 million, Sindh has $10 million, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has 7 million, Balochistan has 2 million, while the federal government has $13.5 million.

Azhar also clarified that the funds allocation between provinces was not determined by the federal government. He added that the funds was a simple “reallocation of non utilised funds going back into the same provinces where they were lying unused earlier.”

The minister said that release of funds is a part of $600 million package being arranged to fight the coronavirus in the country.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Pakistan shot up to 467 on Friday, after new cases were reported in Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan. The third death from the virus was also confirmed, in the province of Sindh. Two days earlier, Pakistan’s first two deaths were recorded in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: a 36-year-old and a 50-year-old.

Globally, 176 countries have been affected, more than 10,000 people have died and more than

245,000 infected by the disease as it spreads rapidly to new territories.

The epicentre of the outbreak has now shifted to Europe, which is recording a rapid rise in new cases every day.

On Thursday, Azhar had announced that China has provided aid worth $4m to Pakistan, alongside medical face masks and ventilators.

In a post on Twitter, Azhar expressed gratitude to China and said that the ally had provided “grant assistance of USD 4 million along with 300,000 medical face masks, 10 ventilators, and other equipment”.

“They have also undertaken to arrange for much greater number of ventilators,” he added. He also said emergency funds worth Rs7.5 billion from the National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) — supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) — were made available to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

“This is in addition to funds already made availaible by finance division for immediate use by authority. Reallocations from foreign-funded projects also being diverted towards it,” the federal minister wrote.

Azhar said that his own division was in the process of finalising a $600 million “emergency package” to deal with the outbreak in the country. “It includes reallocations and fresh financing. This will be in addition to local funding that is being made available,” he said.

Saturday, 21 March, 2020

NEWS

ImrAN OrDerS OPeNINg Of CHAmAN BOrDer fOr AfgHAN trADe ISLAMABAD

P

STAFF REPORT

RIME Minister Imran Khan on Friday ordered opening of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Chaman “despite global pandemic” to support Afghan “brothers and sisters” as the region feels the pinch of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

In an early Friday tweet, Imran said: “Despite global pandemic of COVID 19, we remain committed to supporting our Afghan brothers & sisters.”

The premier added that he had given instructions to open the border between Chaman and Spin Boldak, Kandahar. He also told authorities to “let trucks crossover into Afghanistan”.

“In time of crisis, we remain steadfast with Afghanistan,” he asserted.

Earlier, ex-Afghanistan CEO Abdullah

Abdullah had thanked PM Imran for keeping the Chaman-Boldak border open.

“I thank PM Imran and Pakistan government for accepting our people and traders’ call to keep the Chaman-Boldak border open for the flow of foodstuff and key commodities at this critical time,” Abdullah had tweeted.

He had added that Afghanistan highly appreciates this gesture as it further strengthens bilateral ties between the two countries.

The John Hopkins data said Afghanistan has 22 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and one death. According to International Organisation of Migration, over 100,000 Afghans were deported or returned voluntarily from Iran since the outbreak of the virus in the country.

Majority of Pakistan’s 454 confirmed cases are pilgrims who returned from Iran through the Taftan crossing while others

US lauds Pakistan’s role in Afghan peace process WASHINGTON: United States Secretary of Defence Mark Esper on Friday telephoned Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and lauded Pakistan’s role in the Afghan peace process and vowed to continue close assistance to Pakistan. According to the spokesperson of the Pentagon, matters related to security and other bilateral issues were discussed during the telephonic conversation. On March 4, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had clarified that Pakistan only facilitated the Afghan peace process for ending the decades-old war in the country. He said this while taking the upper house of the parliament into confidence over the US-Taliban peace deal. Following the successful dialogue, the US and the Afghan Taliban had signed the peace deal on February 29, marking an end to the 18year-war in Afghanistan. US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban Deputy Leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar had signed the agreement as representatives from each side.

The US and NATO troops would withdraw from Afghanistan within 14 months, a joint declaration had said, which was released minutes before the deal was signed. The signing ceremony of a peace agreement between the US and Afghan Taliban was also attended by representatives of 50 countries, including foreign ministers. AGENCIES

Cholroquine tablets go short after reports of effective treatment of COVID-19 Pharmacies in major cities have run out of medicines having hydroxychloroquine phosphate, also known as cholroquine, after news began circulating on social media that the drug was effective in treating patients who test positive for the novel coronavirus, according to a media report. It has been reported that several pharmacy chains in Karachi and Lahore have run out of stock of Plaquenil or Resochin – both of which are available over the counter, include the said ingredient and are normally used to treat malaria. Resochin was being sold at Rs25 per packet (10 tablets) at pharmacies in Lahore and Karachi before stocks ended. In a notification on Friday, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) banned the sale of chloroquine medicines without prescription, while also directing that these be sold only by licensed pharmacies and drug stores. The federal authority said it had received reports of hoarding of the drugs by certain “elements”. It also asked all pharmacies to maintain records of prescriptions of the drugs and to note down the dosages prescribed by the physicians against which the medicines are sold. Recent studies have shown that two drugs, remdesivir and chloroquine phosphate, efficiently inhibited the coronavirus in an experimental setting. However, according to a research, an overdose of chloroquine can cause acute poisoning and death. After these findings, a group of researchers of the Department of Science and Technology in China’s Guangdong Province in consultation with the province’s health commission developed “expert consensus in recommending chloroquine phosphate tablet, 500mg twice per day for 10 days for patients diagnosed as mild, moderate and severe cases of novel coronavirus pneumonia”. NEWS DESK

are with travel history. In Sindh, over 40 patients contracted the diseases locally.

PM Imran’s decision comes at a time when countries across the globe have close

US announces $1m fund for Pakistan's anti-corona effort

down borders and restricted air travel to contain the deadly pneumonia-like virus that has caused over 9,000 deaths and infected over 200,000.

Pakistan denies 'politicising' COVID-19 SAARC tele-conference ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Pakistan has rejected Indian allegations that it tried to politicise the humanitarian issue by raising Occupied Kashmir lockdown during the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries recently held tele-conference to discuss common strategy to fight the novel coronavirus.

“The Indian Ministry of External Affairs attempts to twist the remarks made by Minister of State for Health Dr Zafar Mirza at the COVID-19 Video Conference of the SAARC member countries on 15 March 2020,” an official statement issued by the Foreign Office said on Friday.

“It is a matter of concern that COVID-19 cases have been reported from IOK and in view of the health emergency, it is imperative that the lockeddown in the disputed territory must be lifted immediately,” Dr Mirza had said during the conference.

“In making this call, Pakistan has not been alone. Indeed, numerous voices from within IOJ&K, India, and the world are echoing the same message,” the FO said while terming New Delhi’s claim “misleading and mischievous”.

Pakistan’s participation in the tele-moot of SAARC member states on COVID-19 “was aimed at showing solidarity with Saarc members and reaffirming our abiding commitment to the SAARC process”.

The people of South Asia are well aware as to which country has been seeking to “politicise” the SAARC process and continues to obstruct its onward march, the communique added.

“Pakistan believes that the collective endeavours of South Asian nations to fight common challenges should not be allowed to become victim of self-serving propaganda. As an illustration of Pakistan’s commitment, we have reaffirmed our readiness to host the SAARC Health Ministers’ Conference at the appropriate time.”

CII urges early distribution of zakat amidst coronavirus slowdown NEWS DESK With the slowdown in local and global economic activity triggered by the coronavirus outbreak expected to impact the most vulnerable sections of society, Islamic scholars are now urging for the early distribution of zakat to support the destitute. In a statement issued on Friday, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has urged that all zakat and dues owed to labourers ought to be cleared before the Islamic

year ends.

In view of the present situation, it is better to distribute zakat earlier than usual, the statement adds.

The vulnerability of daily wagers and labourers has been weighing heavily on the political leadership as well.

All provinces and the centre have announced economic packages to absorb the impact of partial and full lockdowns necessitated by the spreading coronavirus, which will adversely impact economic activity.

WASHINGTON: The United States is helping Pakistan in fight against novel coronavirus with initial funding worth one million dollars.

US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Alice Wells Friday said the United States would provide one million dollars to Pakistan under USAID programme to bolster the monitoring and rapid response against Coronavirus.

Pakistan is grappling with spread of the pandemic of pneumonic disease with over 440 confirmed infections across the country. In a tweet, she said that US and Pakistan both are longstanding partners in tackling global health challenges. “The US government is responding to #COVID-19 in #Pakistan with initial $1 million in USAID Pakistan funding to bolster monitoring & rapid response,” said the US official. She further said that there are over hundred Pakistani graduates engaged in the lab training of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, investigating Coronavirus cases in Punjab and Gilgit Baltistan. APP

IHC refers compulsory corona tests issue to NSC ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Friday ordered to place the matter before National Security Committee (NSC) for making it compulsory to conduct corona tests of Pakistanis returning from abroad. The bench summoned comments from the Federation and Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis till March 24, in this regard. IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah conducted the hearing on a petition challenging a notification making it compulsory to conduct coronavirus tests for the people arriving from abroad, filed by a citizen Maham Nawaz. During the course of proceeding, the petitioner adopted the stance that the decision for compulsory coronavirus tests of citizens coming from abroad was not appropriate. He prayed the court to declare such notification dated March 17, issued by the Civil Aviation Authority as null and void, so that people could return their country easily. The court ordered to place the matter before NSC and sought a reply from the respondents including the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis till the next hearing.STAFF REPORT

NA speaker discusses parliamentary committee formation with Bilawal ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser on Friday telephoned Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and discussed formation of parliamentary committee over coronavirus outbreak. According to sources, Asad Qaiser termed Bilawal’s statement of not doing politics and point scoring and working with the federal government to combat novel coronavirus as satisfactory. The speaker also took the PPP chairman in confidence on the formation of parliamentary committee over COVID19 outbreak. He said that the unity of opposition parties on national issues is very important. To NA Speaker’s demand, Bilawal assured him of forwarding names for the parliamentary committee. INP

WHO representative calls for unified actions to combat COVID-19 ISLAMABAD APP

Country Representative of World Health Organization (WHO) Pakistan Dr Palitha Mahipala on Friday urged more unified actions and coordinated efforts to combat the coronavirus COVID19 pandemic in Pakistan.

Addressing a press conference, Dr Palitha asked to continue efforts that had been effective in limiting the number of cases and slowing the spread of the virus.

The spread of the virus could be slowed significantly or even reversed through the implementation of robust containment and control activities.

He said, “In order to reduce further transmission, there should be developing or updating, readying or implementing coronavirus prevention plans for promoting understanding of the disease, its symptoms and appropriate be-

havior among people.”

He said the WHO was working closely with all the communities and countries affected from the coronavirus, including Pakistan, for setting up a reporting system for any cases and contacts, preparing essentials, limiting travel and physical connectivity, social distance awareness and planning for measures such as screening, training of medical staff and disease combating strategies.

He said some countries were demonstrating that the spread of the virus could be slowed and impact reduced through the use of universally applicable actions, such as working across society to identify people who were sick, bringing them to care, following up on contacts, preparing hospitals and clinics to manage a surge in patients, and training health workers.

He said every effort to con-

tain the virus and slow the spread saved lives. Such efforts gave health systems and all of the society much needed time to prepare, and researchers more time to identify effective treatments and develop vaccines.

Dr Palitha said allowing uncontrolled spread should not be a choice of any one, as it would harm not only the citizens of that country but other countries as well.

“We must stop, contain, control, delay and reduce the impact of this virus at every opportunity.

Every person has the capacity to contribute, to protect themselves, to protect others, whether in the home, the community, the healthcare system, the workplace or the transport system.”

He said leaders at all levels and in all walks of life must step forward to bring about the commitment across the society, including the media.

03

He said the WHO would continue to work with all provinces, federal government, partners and expert networks to coordinate the international response, develop guidance, distribute supplies, share knowledge and provide people with the information they needed to protect themselves and others.

He said the COVID-19 was the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. The new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.

He said there was no vaccine and no specific antiviral medicine to prevent or treat COVID-2019.

He added possible vaccines and some specific drug treatments were under investigation.

They were being tested through clinical trials and the WHO was coordinating efforts to develop vaccines and medicines to pre-

vent and treat COVID-19.

He said the most effective ways to protect oneself and others against the COVID-19 were to frequently clean hands, cover cough with the bend of elbow or tissue, and maintain a social distance from the people, particularly those who were coughing or sneezing.

He said the first and foremost actions were regular and thorough hand-washing, and good respiratory hygiene. The people should stay informed and follow the advice of the local health authorities, including any restrictions put in place on travel, movement and gatherings.

He said so far 209,839 confirmed coronavirus cases had been reported from 169 countries, with 8,778 confirmed deaths.

He said 208 hospitals with 1,715 beds were functioning in Pakistan to treat the coronavirus patients, while 13 laboratories were providing diagnostic facility.

04 KARACHI

Saturday, 21 March, 2020

WEATHER UPDATES SATURDAY

300C

180C

SUNDAY

280C

170C

MONDAY

270C

170C

PRAyeR TimingS FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

5:37

12:44

4:57

6:53

6:35

7:51

PIA CEO orders conversion of Karachi airport hotel into quarantine centre KARACHI STAFF RePoRT

KARACHI: An empty view of Bagh-e-Jinnah after the government imposed a partial lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus. o nl in e

TAlly Of COrOnAvIrus CAsEs In sIndh rIsEs TO 249 KARACHI

s

STAFF RePoRT

INDH Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has urged people of the province to observe next three days as `voluntarily isolation’ so that everyone could keep himself and herself safe and secure.

“During the next three days, the offices are completely closed, hotels are not offering dining, sports and gems are closed; therefore, there is no need to come onto the roads and streets and move here and there.”

This he said while presiding over 23rd meeting of Taskforce on Coronavirus here at CM House. The meeting was attended by provincial minister Dr Azra Pechuho, Saeed Ghani, Syed nasir Shah, Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, IG Sindh Mushtaq Maher, PSCM sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary Home Usman Chachar, Brigadier Sami of Corps 5, representatives of WHO, Civil Aviation, Airport, VC Dow University Prof. Saedd Qureshi, Prof Dr. Bari, Prof Dr Faisal, Focal Person MB Dharejo and other concerned.

Shah said that the people of Pakistan were fighting against COVID-19 bravely.

“Time has come to demonstrate a responsible attitude by observing volunteer social distancing and it is possible when we all will prefer to remain at our homes,” he said.

He also said that he was surprised that during these holidays some people were hosting receptions and family gatherings at their homes.

“This is not a time of social gatherings but it is for social distancing,” he said.

COVID-19: Secretary Health Zahid Abbasi briefing the chief minister said that 2017 samples have been taken from Sukkur (Sukkur-I & II batches) and Larkana 83, of them 1294 diagnosed as negative while 238 have been declared as positive.

The results of 402 samples of Sukkur-II and 83 of Larkana are pending.

In Karachi/other districts, 1230 samples were tested, of them 98 have been diagnosed as positive. In this way the tally has risen to 249.

It may be noted in the second batch of another 402

pilgrims have returned from Taftan and have been kept at Sukkur while 83 have also returned from Iran and kept in isolation at Larkana.

The chief minister said that local transmission cases have become 51 and this was worrisome for me and everyone who understood the situation.

Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shahalwani told the chief minister that 22 pilgrims who were going to Iran but due to COVID-19 spread could not go there.

He added that all the 22 pilgrims have returned via Lasbella and the DC West have received them. The chief minister directed the commissioner to get all the 22 people screened and if they all are ok then send them back to their homes.

The Commissioner also briefed the chief minister about the establishing Quarantine Center and Field Hospital at Expo Center.

The chief minister directed him to make necessary arrangements for toilets and the resting place for the staff at Expo Center. He allowed necessary procurement of equipment, medicines, masks, and such other items hall-wise.

Coronavirus being transmitted locally in specific areas KARACHI: Coronavirus disease that only a few days was recorded among some with travelling history to countries hit by the virus or few other who may have come into contact with these affected individuals is presently registered to be transmitted locally.

Doctors acknowledging the development have urged people in general to realize the relevance of self isolation and self distancing which do not mean to remain disconnected but to restrict ones physical presence in groups and crowds.

"Keeping a recommended distance of one to two feet is otherwise too an integral part of one's right to social or personal space," said Dr. Sadiq Jalil, a general physician running his clinic in the thickly populated Behar Clinic.

To a query about increase in the cases of flu and cold, he said prevalent weather condition during which people are exposed to dip and surge in mercury within a span of 10 to 12 hours can be a contributory factor.

This is a season of viral diseases and corona is itself is a virus that can be easily contracted via droplets released during coughing and sneezing (besides nasal sputum) by the one already affected by Covid.

"Use of masks by public in general, however, is not needed at all but advisable only for those who may be ill (flu or cold) and are needed to come out

of their homes," said Dr. Syed Faisal Mahmood, Associate professor at Aga Khan University.

In reply to a query, he said those inflicted with coronavirus itself are recommended to restrict themselves to a room of their residence adding that the condition is largely self limiting with optimum chances of safe and healthy recovery.

Dr. Sadiq mentioned that those with limited resources and with large family size squeezed single or two room houses needed to be provided shelter (or quarantined) at dedicated facilities.

The two doctors reiterated that people must not at any cost ignore the importance of basic hygiene with particular care towards regular and proper hand washing and use of sanitizer.

People were also urged not to resort to self medication as this may cause severe to mild levels of side effects particularly critical for people with low immunity.

Senior citizens and those with history of allergies (particularly asthma), ailments as cancers, diabetes and so-forth were advised not to get exposed to the virus.

Prevention and precaution are crucial to brave the challenge, said Dr. Faisal Mahmood, a known infection control expert of the country. APP

Stranded blind dolphins rescued from canal in Sukkur The Sindh wildlife department (SWD) rescued two blind Indus dolphins stranded in Kirthar Canal, Sukkur, on Friday, releasing them back into the Indus River.

The presence of the dolphins in the canal was reported on Thursday, but according to department officials, the rescue operation had to be postponed till Friday due to the depth of water in the canal. They coordinated with engineers at the Sindh irrigation department to reduce the water level, allowing them to rescue the rare creatures.

According to a SWD spokesperson, one of the rescued dolphins was pregnant and is expected to deliver a calf in late April or early May. In a tweet, SWD conservator Javed Ahmed Mahar explained that dolphins become stranded due

to navigation system errors. “In case of blind dolphins, rescue becomes inevitable; else it could lead to mortality,” he tweeted.

The Indus dolphin is listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list. In recent years, their numbers have been on the rise, despite the threat of pollution.

A survey carried out by the SWD last year revealed that there were 500 new river dolphins – a total of 1,419 dolphins – in the 200 kilometre Indus Dolphin Reserve between Sukkur and Guddu barrages, compared to 918 in the 2011 census.

Dolphins frequently are stranded in smaller waterways. A rescue centre has been established at the Sukkur barrage to ensure swift rescue efforts in such an eventuality. neWS DeSK

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Arshad Malik on Friday ordered to convert Karachi airport hotel into quarantine centre in the fight against novel coronavirus. As per details, the PIA CEO ordered after NDMA requested to made quarantine centre at PIA airport hotel adjacent to Jinnah International Airport for the coronavirus patients arriving from abroad. The move comes after Pakistan reported its third coronavirus death and surge in the cases of COVID-19. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Thursday had asked provinces to convert all 3-4 star hotels in to quarantine centres in fight against COVID-19.

According to sources, the NDMA had written a letter to the federal interior secretary and all four provincial chief secretaries in this regard. In the letter, the NDMA has said it is necessary to take preventative measures against the coronavirus as per the WHO guidelines. Pakistan on Friday reported its third coronavirus death as 77-year-old patient passed away in Karachi due to COVID-19, Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho confirmed. Sindh health minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho in a video statement said the patient was a cancer survivor and had diabetes and hypertension but did not have any travel history. Gilgit-Baltistan reported new cases of the novel coronavirus today, pushing the total number of COVID-19 patients to 462 in Pakistan.

There are 245 confirmed cases in Sindh, Balochistan 81, Punjab 80, K-P 23, Gilgit-Baltistan 21, Islamabad five and Azad Jammu and Kashmir one.

Man gunned down over karo-kari

LARKANA STAFF RePoRT

A young man was gunned down last night at village Sobho Khan Nohani near here over Karo-Kari within the limits of Sachal police station. The heirs and relatives of the deceased took his body, staged sit-in and held protest demonstration by keeping dead body at the SSP roundabout here on Friday demanding arrest of the nominated accused. The protesters included Pir Bux Nohani, Ibrahim, Moomal Khatoon, Allah Bachayo and others said that four accused killed their innocent young man Amjad alias Amir Nohani on fake honour-killing allegation. They said despite registration of FIR police have not so far arrested any accused. Protesters urged higher government authorities to provide them justice.

Saturday, 21 March, 2020

aid from pakiStan, turkey and otherS Strengthened hope: iranian embaSSy ISLAMABAD

t

STAFF REPORT

HE Iranian Embassy in Pakistan, in a statement on Friday, said that the aid from Pakistan and Turkey strengthened hope as the country battled to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

The embassy, in its statement, said that Pakistan and Russia took notice of the negative impact of sanctions on the virushit Iran. It further said that the unilateral action and sanctions from the US have endangered not only Iran but the entire region. The Iranian government and people have been deprived of financial resources and imported goods, it said, adding that Iran is taking measures to curb the spread of the novel infection.

The embassy expressed fear that

Iranian paramedical staff and doctors have been infected as others are at a risk due to lack of medical equipment and special suits.

It said that more than 150 countries are battling the pandemic, and some inhuman measures against Iran have affected the struggle globally.

Calling the behavior of the US administration irresponsible and prejudiced, the embassy said that the sanctions violate international fundamental rights.

Earlier on Friday, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi urged the international community to lift sanctions from coronavirus-battered Iran on a humanitarian basis.

Qureshi noted that the entire world is fighting against an unprecedented pandemic, asking leaders to show compassion at the time of such great difficulty.

Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and the corona war MEHR TARAR One day ago, Editor Dawn Fahd Husain wrote an article, ostensibly, on coronavirus, quoting no one and Martians. The purpose, what it appears to any neutral reader, was to provide his personal views, daintily camouflaged in measured lexicon that is an advanced course in triple entendre, as the editor of, the newspaper with, reportedly, the largest circulation. At the end of the first paragraph, the editor Dawn “reproduced” the words of the chief minister of the largest province of Pakistan that evokes an immediate question: Likhne se pehle verify kya hai? (Did you verify before you wrote?)

Rebuttal of Husain’s tirade is redundant, ideally. Ascribing words to a politician is not a novel phenomenon, and media reports quoting an unnamed source are a common journalistic practice. There is also a global practice that is the fundamental of journalistic reporting: due verification. There is another global journalistic practice: in the absence of a first-person account, all information presented as hard facts is supported by one of the three: name of the informationgiver, addition of the disclaimer “unnamed” if the source wishes to maintain his/her identity, and the disclaimer with the prefix “reportedly” and/or “allegedly”. The distinction between a newspaper or a TV channel that prides itself on its integrity and scrupulousness to dignity of truth and a two-bit tabloid is a very fine line: personal opinions and biases are not published as verified, authenticated news

or information.

Fahd Husain, in his article, has done exactly that: presentation of personal views, biases and judgments as authenticated journalism. It is nothing less than a social and a moral crime even if it is not brought into the domain of the demand of an official apology or a legal reprimand through a libel case. What has been presented as the words of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar is not the personal opinion of an unknown commentator. What is placed in quotation marks is published in the newspaper that had been for, a long time, a champion of truth, and has been for, a few years, entangled in a battle of substantiation of its credentials.

Husain’s assertion that Buzdar is unaware of the fundamentals of a global pandemic–which even seven-year-olds and literal illiterates are cognizant of toady–do not merely mock the position of the chief minister of the largest province of Pakistan. Husain’s words are a direct attack on the capability and integrity of the chief minister of Punjab of 110,012,442 people. That is more than 110 million people.

Let that sink in. Out of the ten countries most affected by coronavirus, COVID-19, excluding China and the USA, the respective population in its entirety of the eight countries is not even close to Punjab, one of the four provinces of Pakistan: Italy is 60.8 million; Iran 81.16; Spain 46.66; Germany 82.79; France 66.99; South Korea 51.47; Switzerland 8.57 million; and United Kingdom 66.44.

The world of 2020, shaken by the once-in-a-century pathogen, the Chinaoriginated outbreak of a virus that defying scientific and medical advancements has turned into a global pandemic, has many unanswered and unanswerable questions, confusions, ambiguities. All over the world, there is also an outbreak of hearsay, rumours, exaggerated reports, fanciful remedies, local totkas, and ludicrous claims. That is expected in a world of 7.53 billion people. They are terrified.

They seek answers. They look for reassurance. And they need medical assistance if infected. Those who sell sensationalism and revel in divisions made for political relevance and personal aggrandisement do not have a place in the world shaken to its vulnerable, fragile mortal core in March 2020. Falsified reports exacerbate the sense of isolation and personal agony.

Husain’s article is a lament on the “inefficiency” of Chief Minister Buzdar, and the inability of Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government to handle the terrifying reality of COVID-19. Ignoring the reality of an inherited healthcare system that is debilitated in its micro and macro elements, Husain’s attack on Prime Minister’s Khan’s government’s failure to have the required number of “ventilators, diagnostic testing kits, and Personal Protection Equipment” is a barely disguised defence of the two major opposition parties, PPP and PML-N, that reeling from their recent political irrelevance require flaky endorsements and protestations against the NAB accountability processes against them.

A legal notice has been sent to the writer of the article, Fahd Husain.

In his article, Husain writes: “Nothing could better illustrate the state of affairs in Punjab today than this simple question asked by the head of the province about a crisis that has nothing simple about it.”

The reality is far from that. The work of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar is not a fairy tale. It is a combination of careful planning, meticulous execution, conscientious checking and improvement, and is strictly transparent. Buzdar is not a man of many words, fantastical rhetoric and empty promises. Working unobtrusively with his competent cabinet and team of advisers, he is following the tradition of the erudite and the farsighted: actions speak louder than words.

Beyond the fallacious reportage, the empathetic work ethic of Chief Minister Buzdar, under the leadership of Prime Minister Khan, is manifested in tangible action.

The fact: On January 3, Chief Minister Buzdar spoke to his cabinet about the coronavirus outbreak. That was the time when there was not any known fear of coronavirus reaching Pakistan. On January 15, he formed a special cabinet committee to take into consideration the logistical and economic aspects of combating COVID-19. In the middle of February, on Buzdar’s special instruction, an allocation of Rs 236 million was made to the health ministry for the updating with required equipment of hospitals and quarantine centres in Punjab. Later, that amount was increased to Rs 1,000 million. Currently, the Punjab government COVID-19 fund is Rs 5,000 million.

The fact: In Punjab, isolation centres

and High Dependency Units have been established in 41 hospitals. In every district, one or two HDUs are operational.

Three hospitals in Punjab–Recep Tayyip Erdogan Hospital, Muzaffargarh; Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute, Lahore; and Institute of Urology and Kidney Transplant, Rawalpindi–have been fully converted into COVID-19 treatment centres. Recently, Chief Minister Buzdar made a special visit for a thorough assessment of the capability of the specialised hospitals.

The fact: Punjab is home to 60 percent of Pakistan’s population. Merely five days ago, there was not even a suspected case of COVID-19. Sindh, unfortunately, has the highest number of reported cases of 213; the cases in Punjab are 78, as per the last report. In the time of a global pandemic, all those suffering in Pakistan are Pakistanis. The affected are not the cold statistics of ethnicities and geographical identities.

That is the message of Prime Minister Khan and Chief Minister Buzdar.

The fact: From the day it became a matter of concern in Pakistan to the last reported case in Punjab, the conscientiousness of Chief Minister Buzdar and his team that is doing its best, in the limited capacity of a years-long emaciated economy, is the driving force behind all the required steps within the global protocol of COVID-19 preventive and medical care.

The fact: In a recent meeting of an apex committee, the directive to close all tourist locations, including Murree, has been issued. In the first phase, all shops, restaurants and hotels will be closed at 10pm. In the case of further spread of coronavirus, a more stringent shutdown will be enforced. The final stage will be the complete shutdown, barring pharmacies, supermarkets and grocery stores. All educational institutions have been closed.

If required, campuses of some colleges and universities will be converted into quarantine centres.

The fact: Every day, Chief Minister Buzdar heads a cabinet meeting to have an updated review of the spread and prevention of COVID-19 in Punjab. On March 18, he visited the Dera Ghazi Khan quarantine centre.

The fact: The only chief minister of Pakistan who has instructed the use of the Punjab government helicopter in COVID19 war is Usman Buzdar.

Slowly, the world is uniting in its COVID-19-infected, compassionate solidarity. Pakistan must do the same. Personal biases, unfair judgments, and political point scoring must take a beat seat when the agenda is national, regional and global safety of human life. In 2020, journalism does not have forty shades of grey. Yellow is still yellow. Journalism, in the time of corona war, is not a sensational clickbait. Journalism, today, is the mirror of humanity, with its beauty and warts. Journalism, pointing out the real flaws, while suggesting course correcting, is a message of realistic optimism, and rational rehabilitation.

Pakistan is fighting the corona war with cautious hope juxtaposed with the best preventive measures and medical treatment. Pakistan must unite to do that.

There is no other way to win the corona war. In Pakistan or anywhere else.

NEWS

05

Journalist iftikhar ahmad’s sister passes away LAHORE: The family of the senior anchorperson and journalist Iftikhar Ahmad is grieving the loss of Ahamd’s sister Mrs Durrani who breathed her last in Islamabad on Friday. Her funeral prayer will be held at Venus Housing Scheme on Ferozpur Road in Lahore on Saturday (March 21) after Zuhr prayer. It’s worth noting that Iftikhar Ahmad’s younger brother Agha Iqrar Haroon and son Hassan Iftikhar are also affiliated with the media industry as journalists. She was also the Mother-In-Law of Hussain Javed Afroz of Geo TV. Agha Iqrar Haroon has been pursuing the profession of journalism for nearly 30 years, and is currently the chief editor of Islamabad-based Dispatch News Desk (DND) news agency. Sharing his grief over the demise of his sister, Agha Iqrar Haroon said that she didn’t have genuine health issues except the weakness which was supposed to be with growing age. The DND chief editor told that Mrs Durrani’s health deteriorated today after her hypertension soared substantially. He told that her son rushed her to the PAF Hospital in Islamabad but she couldn’t survive. STAFF REPORT

Seven dead in coalmine exploSion

QUETTA: Seven miners died while three other sustained injuries in an explosion in a coalmine of Degari on Friday. Chief Inspector Mines Shafqat Fayyaz said the incident occurred in Degari area, some 60 kilometer from Quetta, where an explosion occurred in a coalmine due to accumulation of methane gas. Levies, rescue workers and local people reached the site after the explosion and retrieved dead bodies and injured from the mine. Shafqat Fayyaz further said that majority of the deceased belonged to Hazara community. STAFF REPORT

Saturday, 21 March, 2020

06 WORLD VIEW

WhaT We can learn (and should unlearn) from alberT camus’s The Plague Lit Hub

u

liesl sChilliNger

SUALLy a question like this is theoretical: What would it be like to find your town, your state, your country, shut off from the rest of the world, its citizens confined to their homes, as a contagion spreads, infecting thousands, and subjecting thousands more to quarantine? how would you cope if an epidemic disrupted daily life, closing schools, packing hospitals, and putting social gatherings, sporting events and concerts, conferences, festivals and travel plans on indefinite hold?

In 1947, when he was 34, Albert Camus, the Algerian-born French writer (he would win the Nobel Prize for Literature ten years later, and die in a car crash three years after that) provided an astonishingly detailed and penetrating answer to these questions in his novel The Plague. The book chronicles the abrupt arrival and slow departure of a fictional outbreak of bubonic plague to the Algerian coastal town of Oran in the month of April, sometime in the 1940s. Once it has settled in, the epidemic lingers, roiling the lives and minds of the town’s inhabitants until the following February, when it leaves as quickly and unaccountably as it came, “slinking back to the obscure lair from which it had stealthily emerged.”

Whether or not you’ve read The Plague, the book demands reading, or rereading, at this tense national and international moment, as a new disease, COVID-19, caused by a novel form of coronavirus, sweeps the globe.

Since the novel coronavirus emerged late last year in the Chinese city of Wuhan (the city has been in lockdown since January), it has gone on the march, invading more than a hundred countries, panicking populations and financial markets and putting cities, regions, and one entire country, Italy, under quarantine. This week, workplaces, schools and colleges have closed or gone online in many American towns; events have been canceled;

and non-essential travel has been prohibited.

The epidemic has been upgraded to pandemic. you may find yourself with more time to read than usual. Camus’s novel has fresh relevance and urgency—and lessons to give.

Be assured, before you take up this book, that however fearful COVID-19 may be, it is nowhere near as destructive as Camus’s plague. In the 14th century, the bubonic plague, also known as the “Black Death” killed almost a third of the people on the continent of europe. When it rampaged through London in 1656 and 1657, it killed nearly a quarter of the population. In case you didn’t know, the bubonic plague still exists today, not only in pockets of Asia and Africa, but in the American Southwest. It’s transmitted by fleas from infected rodents, and causes high fever, vomiting and painful swellings called “buboes” (hence the name “bubonic). even when treated with antibiotics it has a death rate of 10 percent; and if untreated, up to 90 percent. Coronavirus is not remotely like that.

When Camus wrote this novel, there was no epidemic of plague in Oran. Still, it had decimated the city in the 16th century and the 17th. (There was a monthlong outbreak in Oran in 2003.) But while The Plague quite literally and clinically relays the symptoms and consequences of that disease, the bacillus under the author’s lens is not so much physiological as sociological, and philosophical.

Although his novel tracks the progression of a specific epidemic in a specific city, country and time frame, Camus’s true subject lies outside of time and place. his intent is metaphorical: he addresses any contagion that might overtake any society; from a disease like cholera, the Spanish Influenza, AIDS, SARS, or, yes, COVID-19; to a corrosive ideology, like Fascism, or Totalitarianism, which can infect a whole population. Camus had seen the Nazis overrun Paris in 1940 during World War II. While he was writing The Plague, he was the editor in chief of Combat, the underground magazine of the French Resistance, whose contributors included André Malraux, Jean-Paul Sartre and Raymond Aron. he saw a connection between physical and psychological infection, which his book sutures together.

As the story begins, rats are lurching out of Oran’s shadows, first one-by-one, then in “batches,” grotesquely expiring on landings or in the street. The first to encounter this phenomenon is a local doctor named Rieux, who summons his concierge, Michel, to deal with the nuisance, and is startled when Michel is “outraged,” rather than disgusted. Michel is convinced that young “scallywags” must have

planted the vermin in his hallway as a prank.

Like Michel, most of Oran’s citizens misinterpret the early “bewildering portents,” missing their broader significance. For a time, the only action they take is denouncing the local sanitation department and complaining about the authorities. “In this respect our townsfolk were like everybody else, wrapped up in themselves,” the narrator reflects. “They were humanists: they disbelieved in pestilences.”

Camus shows how easy it is to mistake an epidemic for an annoyance.

But then Michel falls sick and dies. As Rieux treats him, he recognizes the telltale signs of plague, but at first persuades himself that, “The public mustn’t be alarmed, that wouldn’t do at all.” Oran’s bureaucrats agree.

The Prefect (like a mayor or governor, in colonial Algeria) “personally is convinced that it’s a false alarm.” A low-level bureaucrat, Richard, insists the disease must not be identified officially as plague, but should be referred to merely as “a special type of fever.”

But as the pace and number of deaths increases, Rieux rejects the euphemism, and the town’s leaders are forced to take action.

Authorities are liable to minimize the threat of an epidemic, Camus suggests, until the evidence becomes undeniable that underreaction is more dangerous than overreaction. Most people share that tendency, he writes, it’s a universal human frailty: “everybody knows that pestilences have a way of

recurring in the world; yet somehow we find it hard to believe in ones that crash down on our heads from a blue sky.”

Soon the city gates are closed and quarantines are imposed, cutting off the inhabitants of Oran from each other and from the outside world. “The first thing that plague brought to our town was exile,” the narrator notes. A journalist named Rambert, stuck in Oran after the gates close, begs Rieux for a certificate of health so he can get back to his wife in Paris, but Rieux cannot help him.

“There are thousands of people placed as you are in this town,” he says. Like Rambert, the citizens soon sense the pointlessness of dwelling on their personal plights, because the plague erases the “uniqueness of each man’s life” even as it heightens each person’s awareness of his vulnerability and powerlessness to plan for the future.

This catastrophe is collective: “a feeling normally as individual as the ache of separation from those one loves suddenly became a feeling in which all shared alike,” Camus writes. This ache, along with fear, becomes “the greatest affliction of the long period of exile that lay ahead.” Anyone who lately has had to cancel a business trip, a class, a party, a dinner, a vacation, or a reunion with a loved one, can feel the justice of Camus’s emphasis on the emotional fallout of a time of plague: feelings of isolation, fear, and loss of agency.

It is this, “the history of what the normal his-

torian passes over,” that his novel records, and which the novel coronavirus is now inscribing on current civic life.

If you read The Plague long ago, perhaps for a college class, you likely were struck most by the physical torments that Camus’s narrator dispassionately but viscerally describes. Perhaps you paid more attention to the buboes and the lime pits than to the narrator’s depiction of the “hectic exaltation” of the ordinary people trapped in the epidemic’s bubble, who fought their sense of isolation by dressing up, strolling aimlessly along Oran’s boulevards; and splashing out at restaurants, poised to flee should a fellow diner fall ill, caught up in “the frantic desire for life that thrives in the heart of every great calamity”: the comfort of community. The townspeople of Oran did not have the recourse that today’s global citizens have, in whatever town: to seek community in virtual reality.

As the present pandemic settles in and lingers in this digital age, it applies a vivid new filter to Camus’s acute vision of the emotional backdrop of contagion.

Today, the exile and isolation of Plague 2.0 are acquiring their own shadings, their own characteristics, recoloring Camus’s portrait. As we walk along our streets, go to the grocery, we reflexively adopt the precautionary habits social media recommends: washing our hands; substituting rueful, grinning shrugs for handshakes; and practicing “social distancing.” We can do our work remotely to avoid infecting others or being infected; we can shun parties, concerts and restaurants, and order in from Seamless. But for how long? Camus knew the answer: we can’t know.

Like the men and women who lived in a time of disruption almost a century ago, whom Camus reimagined to illustrate his ineradicable theme, all we can know is that this disruption will not last forever. It will go, “unaccountably,” when it pleases. And one day, others will emerge. When they do, his novel warned long ago, and shows us even more clearly now, we must take care to read the “bewildering portents” correctly. “There have been as many plagues as wars in history,” Camus writes. “yet always plagues and wars take people equally by surprise.”

Liesl Schillinger is a New york–based critic, translator, and educator. She grew up in Midwestern college towns, studied comparative literature at yale, worked at The New yorker for more than a decade and became a regular critic for The New york Times Book Review in 2004.

The Renaissance in Italy was an era of terror and oppression more than beauty

Guardian

T

Charles NiCholl

he historian Catherine Fletcher has a well-deserved reputation as a specialist in 16th-century skulduggery and intrigue. In Our Man in Rome (2012) her subject was Gregorio Casali, a wily Italian fixer who served as henry VIII’s ambassador at the papal court during the crisis of the king’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon. In The Black Prince of Florence (2017) she recounted the brief and lurid career of Alessandro de’ Medici, the illegitimate son of a Medici duke and a Moorish maidservant, who jockeyed to power as the first hereditary ruler of Florence, married a daughter of the holy Roman emperor, and was murdered in the course of an adulterous liaison at the age of 26.

These are lively, well-researched books built round an interestingly dodgy central character. her latest offering, The Beauty and the Terror, has a much larger canvas, covering a whole sweep of 16th-century Italian political and cultural history. She begins in the 1490s – an exciting but deeply turbulent decade: the “discovery” of the Americas

by Christopher Columbus and Amerigo

Vespucci, the French invasion of Lombardy, Girolamo Savonarola’s “bonfire of the vanities” in Florence, Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of The Last Supper in Milan, the election of the libertine Borgia pope, Alexander VI. The decades that followed were ones of almost continuous warfare. external military threats – French, Spanish, Ottoman – were counterpointed by endless internal squabbles among the principalities and city-states of the peninsular. Fletcher tracks through a complex and dismal story of alliances, betrayals, sacks, sieges, famines, assassinations and gruesomely ingenious tortures.

The conquest of the Romagna by the pope’s warlord son, Cesare Borgia, was swift and vicious. It was closely observed by a Florentine diplomat, Niccolò Machiavelli, who made it a case study in his book The Prince, written about 1512 and published posthumously 20 years later. This laconic breviary of amoral realpolitik – memorably described by Bertrand Russell as a “handbook for gangsters” – is the keynote text of these wartorn years. The impact of the Lutheran Reformation and the retrenchment of the Counter-Reformation add further dimensions of religious ideology to the conflicts. Fletcher navigates this difficult terrain with great skill. She creates atmosphere and drama without any surrendering of clarity.

Those with only a vague knowledge of the League of Cambrai or the Council of Trent will find them crisply explained and contextualised. She also has some trenchant chapters on the sexual politics of the era – as evidenced in the enforced seclusion of women in convents, and the glorification of rape in the pornographic poetry of Pietro Aretino and his followers.

This is a powerful book, but it is also one

with an argument or agenda to pursue, and in this aspect it is less satisfactory. The argument is signalled by Fletcher’s ambitious subtitle, which promises us an alternative history of the Italian Renaissance. The orthodoxy she challenges is the view of the Renaissance as an unbroken vista of exquisite art and aspirational inventiveness: a new dawn that flooded the superstitious murk of medievalism with the bright light of reason. As she points out, this somewhat utopian view was essentially a 19th-century invention, formulated in works such as Jacob Burckhardt’s The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy (1860) and endorsed by eloquent Victorian aesthetes such as Walter Pater. For the majority of those who actually lived and worked in this supposed golden age, the reality was grim: they knew it as a time of ter-

ror more than beauty. In his Art of War (1521) Machiavelli argued that the cultivation of courtly art was a weakness. Looking back to the first French invasion of 1494, he criticised the complacency – the “splendour and deceit” – of the Italian princes. “They were preparing themselves to be the prey of whoever assaulted them,” he wrote, and from this arose “great terrors, sudden flights and miraculous losses”.

Burckhardt’s idealistic view of the Renaissance has long since been challenged – the Marxist historian Arnold hauser dismissed it is an anachronistic attempt to “provide a genealogy” for 19th-century liberalism – but in Fletcher’s view it remains entrenched as a convenient cliche, and a whole lorryload of guidebooks to Italy could be cited to confirm she is right. So the argument of her “alternative history” is that this celebratory rhetoric “masks the brutal realities” of war, corruption, oppression and misogyny that are the facts of life in Renaissance Italy. So far, so good. But is it also true, as she asserts, that the great artistic achievements of the period are in themselves complicit in these brutalities and injustices? her key example, heavily flagged up in the publisher’s promotion, concerns that most iconic of Renaissance artworks, The Mona Lisa. here is the pitch: the woman portrayed in the painting, Lisa Gherardini, “was married to a slave trader”.

This “backstory”, she believes, puts a new and very negative perspective “on the Mona Lisa’s famous smile”. Given the apparent gravity of this charge against Lisa’s husband, the silk merchant, Francesco del Giocondo, it is as well to state the facts behind it. Fletcher’s source is a recent discovery published in Martin Kemp and

Giuseppe Pallanti’s Mona Lisa: the People and the Painting (2017). It shows that the archives of Florence cathedral record 11 baptisms sponsored by Francesco between 1487 and 1500. It is indeed likely that these people – 10 females and one 12-year-old boy – were slaves, being brought to the baptistry to be converted to Christianity: three of the women are described as “Moors” and another has an Africansounding name, Cumba.

It is certainly significant that well-todo households in Renaissance Italy had trafficked Africans among their servants; and it’s regrettable that Leonardo did not vet the moral purity of his clients more carefully. But to call Francesco a “slave trader” on the basis of 11 baptisms in 13 years seems more like a soundbite than a genuine argument. In a similar vein she discusses the possibility that the Venetian courtesan Angela del Moro, AKA “La Zaffetta”, was the model for the languidly reclining nude in Titian’s Venus of Urbino of c1534. She had earlier been the victim of a gang-rape, an episode lubriciously described in a poem by Lorenzo Venier, “Il Trentuno della Zaffetta” (1531). Thus, the argument might run: Titian’s Venus is implicated in the endemic sexual violence of the era, though as the identification of La Zaffetta as the model is highly speculative, this is once again a kind of special pleading.

These notes of 21st-century disapproval – however justified – run counter to the clarity of historical vision that is otherwise a feature of this fine book.

The Beauty and the Terror: An Alternative history of the Italian Renaissance by Catherine Fletcher is published by The Bodley head (RRP £25).

Saturday, 21 March, 2020

FOREIGN NEWS 07

MarkEts rally on hugE EConoMiC support plans

E

quities enjoyed some muchneeded gains Friday after another volatile week on global markets as investors took solace in a blockbuster series of government and central bank measures aimed at cushioning the economic blow from the coronavirus. the dollar eased somewhat after a lengthy rally fuelled by traders cashing out of their investments, while the embattled oil market extended thursday's gains.

With the deadly pandemic showing no sign of ending, countries are going into lockdown, effectively shutting down the global economy and leaving experts in the dark as to how deep and long an expected recession will last.

On thursday, us senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell presented a $1 trillion emergency relief package to combat the turmoil, with $1,200 cash handouts for individuals. it also includes $208 billion in loans for companies hit by the crisis -- $58 billion of it for the battered airline sector -and $300 billion in small business loans. the plan is the latest in a series of measures put forward by Washington and comes on top of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts and pledges worth hundreds of billions of dollars to provide liquidity to creaking financial markets. it also comes in tandem with similar moves by governments and banks around the world, which have provided some support to investors, but which many observers warn could still be too little as the crisis rumbles on.

Hong Kong, Mumbai and Kuala Lumpur all surged more than five percent, seoul and Mumbai piled on more than seven percent, while taipei rallied more than six percent.

Manila rose 3.4 percent, while shanghai, singapore and Jakarta put on more than one percent, with Wellington one percent higher and sydney up 0.7 percent. tokyo was closed for a holiday.

in early trade, London and Paris both climbed more than five percent while Frankfurt was up more than six percent.

"For now... the artillery barrage from the world's central banks and government treasuries seems to have stopped the rot sweeping the global economy," said OANDA's Jeffrey Halley. the advances followed a positive lead from Wall street and europe.

- Dollar in retreat But, while healthy, the advances come at the end of another tumultuous week for

equities and there are warnings of further troubles down the line.

Many analysts expect markets to remain highly volatile and under pressure until health authorities get a better grasp of the scale of the outbreak in the united states and europe and how long it will curtail activity.

"Despite the positive signs, credit markets continue to be under pressure," said Gorilla trades strategist Ken Berman.

"High-yield bonds declined again, as the 10-year treasury yield fell back to one

percent, meaning that the 'flight-to-quality' continues. the immediate liquidity issues eased thanks to the central banks' steps, but credit markets will remain at the centre of attention, due to the systemic risks." the dollar was down against most other currencies after soaring over the past week owing to massive demand for the unit from dealers cashing out of investments. the pound was up almost three percent, though it was still sitting around 35year lows after cratering on thursday, while the yen and euro also enjoyed strong buying. the south Korean won, New Zealand dollar, Mexican peso and Russian ruble piled on more than three percent, and Australia's dollar more than four percent. there were also rises of more than one percent for the Canadian dollar, south African rand and Chinese yuan.

Oil markets were also a little more cheery, with both main contracts enjoying further buying interest.

Brent gained five percent and West texas intermediate nearly six percent, building on thursday's jump of 14 percent and 24 percent respectively. the commodity was helped by a directive from Donald trump to top up the strategic Petroleum Reserve to its maximum capacity by buying a total of 77 million barrels from us producers, kicking off with an initial purchase of 30 million barrels.

However, the market is still down more than 50 percent since the start of the year, while the ongoing price war between saudi Arabia and Russia is rumbling on as demand remains battered by the virus crisis. in company news, Air New Zealand ended down more than 35 percent, but well off the 45 percent drop suffered in the morning after the government said it would offer the struggling national carrier a NZ$900 million (us$515 million) loan to keep it running. the firm had been in a four-day trading halt before Friday's restart. Agencies

Queen Elizabeth II urges UK to work together to fight COVID-19 London Agencies

With the coronavirus sweeping over the world, the British royal family is vowing to play their part in containing the infectious disease. in a statement released, queen elizabeth ii addressed

the global pandemic and shared that the united Kingdom much like in past, has to stand together in the face of the threat and play their part in ensuring safety for all. the official twitter handle of the royal family issued the statement by Her Majesty saying the uK is “entering a period of great concern and uncertainty”, and went on to say that the country’s “history has been forged by people and communities coming together to work as one”. the queen’s message had come after she along with Prince Philip left for Windsor Castle from Buckingham Palace.

“We are all being advised to change our normal routines and regular patterns of life for the greater good of the communities we live in and, in particular, to protect the most vulnerable within them,” she said.

“At times such as these, i am reminded that our nation’s history has been forged by people and communities coming together to work as one, concentrating our combined efforts with a focus on the common goal,” she added.

Praising the efforts put in by scientists and medical officials around the world in the state of emergency world-

wide, she urged everyone to do their part in battling the pandemic.

“Many of us will need to find new ways of staying in touch with each other and making sure that loved ones are safe. i am certain we are up to that challenge. You can be assured that my family and i stand ready to play our part,” she added. earlier, Prince William had also issued a statement on the official Kensington Royal social media urging the public to stay strong and together during the global pandemic.

“Whenever and wherever adversity strikes, the people of the u.K. have a unique ability to pull together,” William said, adding: “the way that local communities support those affected shows the very best of our values and human nature.” “the public’s desire to help in the wake of tragedy needs to be managed and channelled in the best possible way — which is why the establishment of the National emergencies trust was so important.” “the Net has launched an appeal to raise funds to help local charities support individuals suffering hardship as a result of the #coronavirus outbreak,” he continued.

Finnish health boss questions WHO coronavirus testing advice HELSInKI Agencies

Finland’s national health authority questioned on Friday the World Health Organization’s call on countries to test as many patients as possible for coronavirus, after the country ran out of testing capacity this week. unlike many other countries, Finland is limiting coronavirus tests to the most vulnerable groups and healthcare personnel only. the national health authority says testing people with mild symptoms would be a waste of healthcare resources.

“We don’t understand the WHO’s in-

structions for testing. We can’t fully remove the disease from the world anymore. if someone claims that, they don’t understand pandemics,” Finland’s head of health security Mika salminen of the Finnish institute of Health and Welfare told the Helsingin sanomat newspaper. the WHO’s Director-General tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday the test and trace strategy “must be the backbone of the response in every country”.

Finland’s visibility of the spread of the disease has weakened rapidly after it began restricting testing last week, with authorities citing lack of capacity to meet high demand.

By thursday, only around 3,000 people had been tested for the virus in Finland, resulting in “around 400” confirmed cases, the health authority said, adding the real number of those infected could be 20 to 30 times higher. salminen said Finland could test around 1,500 people a day but is not using the full capacity. “We are not doing as many tests as possible but rather when needed,” salminen said, adding the test was not a treatment. “those who can be sick at home, won’t benefit from testing,” he said. the Finnish government said on Monday it would inject more money into testing to increase capacity.

Cannes film festival shuffles dates in bid to survive epidemic PARIS Agencies

the Cannes film festival will not take place as planned in May because of the coronavirus, its board said thursday, with its directors looking at postponing it until late June. While a slew of other major entertainment events including the eurovision song Contest have fallen victim to COViD-19, the world’s biggest film festival has been bullish about its chances of survival. Director thierry Fremaux said last week that you "cannot look at May through the lens of March". But the Cannes board conceded thursday that in the light of the severity of the pandemic they were now looking at rescheduling the 12-day festival, which was due to start on May 12, until "the end of June-beginning of July". several other smaller film festivals, including tribeca, sXsW and edinburgh have already been cancelled or put back. Doubts still remain though about whether Cannes will be able to go ahead, with film shoots halted or called off across the world. the board said postponement was the main one of "several options" it was looking at. the festival’s president Pierre Lescure said last week that despite its proximity to the fierce italian coronavirus outbreak, he was hopeful that Hollywood big hitters would still come. "We remain reasonably optimistic hoping that the peak of the epidemic will be at the end of March and that we can breath more freely in April," he told the French daily Le Figaro.

Variety had earlier revealed that the festival had turned down a chance to take out insurance against epidemics. But Lescure said the coverage being offering was "peanuts" compared to the 32 million-euro ($36-million) cost of the festival, which draws more than 40,000 people movers and shakers to the Mediterranean town. "We have (financial) reserves," he added. "the funds we have put in place allow up to face up a year without revenue." Cannes is still due to announce its line-up next month and the board said that it would make its decision about whether to go ahead or not "in accordance with our ongoing consultation with the French government, Cannes city hall" and the film industry.

Director spike Lee is to head the jury, the first person of black African heritage to do so. the south Korean film, "Parasite", won Cannes’ top Palme d’Or award last year and went on to triumph at the Oscars, becoming the first nonenglish feature to win best film. Applications for accreditation for the festival were up 10 per cent on last year before the coronavirus crisis, officials said.

Saturday, 21 March, 2020

08 COMMENT

A step in the right direction

Threat of COVID-19 and Preventive Measures It can be beaten

Opening Pak-Afghan borders

O

N March 13 Pakistan closed its borders with Afghanistan on the instruction of the National security Committee. With coronavirus cases also being reported from Afghanistan this was supposed to be one of the measures aimed at containing the spread of the COvID-19 in Pakistan. The closure of the borders had a negative impact as Afghanistan is largely dependent on Pakistan for the import of wheat which is the staple food item all over the country. Afghan media reported that the price of flour had doubled in Kabul straightaway.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has now ordered the opening of the Pak-Afghan border at Chaman to ease the supplies needed in the negihbouring country. The goodwill gesture would not be lost on Afghanistan as, besides suffering from coronavirus, it is also finding the shrinking of trade opportunities with the region. Its imports from Iran have been reduced on account of the stiffening of the us sanctions combined with the devastating coronavirus impact on Iran while its exports to India through airlines too are in doldrums. hopefully, the Torkham border would also be soon opened for trade with Afghanistan.

Terrorist incidents in Pakistan orchestrated from areas inside the neighbouring country, combined with PakAfghan diplomatic tensions, have over the last few years led to frequent closures of borders between the two countries. The two factors have contributed to a considerable reduction in the volume of Pak- Afghan trade. Pakistani exports to Afghanistan have drastically tumbled to just $1.4 billion in 2018-19 from $2.6 billion in 2010-11 showing how fast Pakistan is losing what was once considered to be its captive market. The space vacated by Pakistan has been filled by Iran and India. Iranian exports to Afghanistan in 2011 stood at $1.88 billion, which in 2019 rose to $2.88 billion.

Geographical proximity provides an edge to Pakistan to have a major share in Kabul’s imports and exports. In an era when trade relations and mutual economic dependence play a more vital role than commonalty of religion, culture and past history Pakistan needs to enhance trade and investment and enter into plans to jointly construct mutually beneficial projects like water storage-cum-power production dams. Pakistan has to abandon the knee jerk reaction of closing the borders at minor instigations.

ZEESHAn AHmAD KHAn

C

ORONAvIRus is a pandemic that’s gradually taking over the whole world, though the plague originally started from China. The news was first reported from Wuhan, China, in the first week of January. People around the world, though aware of the danger, had no idea about the lethal consequences.

Most people around the world are still not familiar with the term ‘coronavirus’.

The Coronavirus is a large family of viruses which causes illness in animals or humans. The most recently discovered coronavirus causes COvID-19. According to the World health Organization, COvID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown, before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December last year.

The WhO guideline states that the most common symptoms of COvID-19 are fever, tiredness, and dry cough. some patients may also have aches, pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually. some people become infected, but don’t develop any symptoms and don't feel unwell.

Most people (about 80 percent) recover from the disease without needing special treatment. Around 1 out of every 6 people who gets COvID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, are more likely to get severely ill. Those people with fever, cough and difficulty breathing should seek medical attention.

Workers for Japan Neglect by PM’s Adviser on Overseas Pakistanis

T

he Japanese embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission, shindo Yusuke, has complained about the government’s failure to send any of the skilled workers or technical interns it had promised in a Memorandum of Cooperation between the two countries signed in March 2019. Japan plans to recruit 345,000 skilled workers and technical interns from all over the world in 14 different fields from 11 countries. No quota has been set for Pakistan, allowing it to take up as many of the 345,000 openings as it can. however, while 2000 have been sent by other countries not a single Pakistani has gone.

With Pakistan’s traditional market for labour (and remittances of vital foreign exchange), the Middle east, likely to dry up, especially after the dislocations there because of plummeting oil prices. To ignore this opening is mind-boggling, and speaks volumes about the interest of PM’s Overseas Pakistanis Adviser Zulfi Bukhari, who seems to have seen his being given ministerial rank merely as an opportunity of getting the National Accountability Bureau to drop the investigation against him, and to get his name taken off the exit Control List. While having a finger in every government pie, when it came to something that would actually be of service to the country, he seems to have refrained. he refrained even from following the tradition set by previous governments for Middle eastern jobs, of accommodating party faithful, and simply ignored an area where Pakistan could well secure a foothold. Japan is recruiting against shortages of labour it will face due of an aging and declining population. There will thus be none of the displacements occurring, as in the Gulf, to replace foreign workers by locals. Pakistanis have already found themselves in a substantial number in Japan, though the number should have been larger if Mr Bukhari had been more proactive, and have found that Japanese companies have been good employers. Instead of actively exploring other developed countries, all in europe, with similarly aging populations, Mr Bukhari is deliberately ignoring an existing opportunity. Of course, Mr Bukhari alone is not to blame.

Just as when he got NAB not to touch him, this event will raise questions about how he got his job. Being a hanger-on of the Prime Minister should not be a qualification for anything, let alone a ministerial-level responsibility.

Denying Justice by the doctrine of laches SYED FAWAD ALI SHAH

T

he primary function of the judiciary in a welfare state is the dispensation of justice to its citizens irrespective of their race or religion. Welfare states ensure that dispensation of justice should be speedy, low cost and available to all as justice delayed is justice denied.

When Churchill was questioned about the possibility of losing World War Two, he replied that justice is still being dispensed in the courts of england.

The foundation of the Islamic system of governance was based on the dispensation of free, speedy justice to all the inhabitants of the state. The Islamic judicial system believes in same law for the haves and have-nots. The word Adl in Islamic Jurisprudence encompasses all civil, criminal, economic and social issues in the society.

The judiciary in Pakistan unfortunately has not been able to satisfy the true test of dispensation of justice due to the existingsystem. It ranges from irresponsible behavior of the bar to corruption and inefficiency of the bench supported by some laws ensuring denial of justice to the citizens, creating unrest in the society against the spirit of welfare state. An attempt is being made to identify the existing laws due to which the direction of our judiciary has changed from dispensation of justice to disposal of cases, resultantly promoting corruption, usurpation, inequality and frustration in the civil society of Pakistan.

The first tool used by the superior courts of Pakistan is using the doctrine of Laches which means unreasonable delay in making any claim after a prescribed time. It is based on the maxim- "equity rewards the vigilant and not the slumberer". Many aggrieved litigants knocking the doors of the superior judiciary in service matters under writ jurisdiction are denied justice on the basis of laches. No one can dare to ask the judiciary of the welfare state of Pakistan about their policy of disposal of cases on laches instead of dispensation of justice.

Arif Nizami Editor Umar Aziz

Asher John

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Deputy Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

state of Pakistan? The litigants under the garb of these laws and many others are denied their fundamental The second tool used by the judiciary of Pakistan rights by the judiciary.

The parliamentarians on the other hand are busy is the doctrine of acquiescence. It means to agree to some act by being silent. It is used in easements. It is in their executive portfolios and development funds, a method of acquiring of extinguishing rights through but not in legislation to facilitate the people of Pakinaction of the legal owner. It is used by the ex- istan. The legislators must be urged to legislate on the ploiters in stoppage of water, air, light, right of way, aforementioned issues to ensure that the courts in the or drainage against the aggrieved and is endorsed by welfare state of Pakistan pursue the policy of dispenthe courts. One fails to understand how such laws can sation of justice and not the existing policy of disposal of cases. exist in welfare states denyThe slogan of tabdeeli ing fundamental rights to the by the current government aggrieved litigants on one should not be restricted to hand, and justifying the the accountability of the coratrocities of the exploiters The judiciary is also expected rupt, rather it should extend on the other. to legislation on amendThe third tool used by to ensure provision of ments in laws which facilithe judiciary of Pakistan is tate corruption and deny using the time-bar doctrine. fundamental rights to the fundamental rights to the citThe term time-barred refers citizens of the Islamic Republic izens of Pakistan. This to a legal claim that arises would be the first step tofrom the lapse of a defined of Pakistan under its writ, wards the creation of the length of time. Time-barred state of Madina. means barred by passage of appellate and revision The Council of Islamic time under a statutory period jurisdictions instead of denying Ideology of Pakistan is exof time. Many legally estabpected to inform the govlished offenders are justified them through laches, limitation ernment that "Adl-o-Insaf" through this doctrine. is not time-barred accordThe fourth tool used by and many other doctrines ing to the teaching of the judiciary of Pakistan is Islam, and that all laws the Right of Prescription. It placing limitation on the is the acquisition of title of claim for justice are reproperty for a prescribed pequired to be amended. riod provided that the posThe judiciary is also expected to ensure provision session was neither forcible nor clandestine. It means that the courts would justify the forceful occupation of fundamental rights to the citizens of the Islamic of a property if the occupier with the help of the rev- Republic of Pakistan under its writ, appellate and reenue staff proves its unforceful possession for a spe- vision jurisdictions instead of denying them through cific period. The fundamental right of property of the laches, limitation and many other doctrines. The citizens of Pakistan is being denied by the so called judges should come up with reasons to hear litigants Qabza Mafia in abetment with the revenue staff and instead of denying them justice on the name of disposal of cases on the basis of limitations as welfare through the disposal policy of the courts.

Can Parliament can do away with such limita- state require dispensation of justice to all instead of tions through a minor amendment in a section of In- disposal of cases. come Tax Ordinance, 2001 in respect of unexplained The writer can be reached at assets? Then why those laws denying dispensation of justice cannot be amended or repealed in the welfare pmpk55@hotmail.com

Judges should dispense justice, not just dispose of cases

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

If you feel any of the above symptoms, medical against COvID-19 will be made stronger. The help should be sought on priority basis and you Ministry of education, also decided to close all should inform your doctor regarding your recent schools till April 14 due to the COvID-19 threat.

The government has not yet decided to declare travel history so that your issue could be addressed in a more efficient manner. Lots of efforts are also emergency, because the deceleration of emergency being made to make the vaccine to counter this in Pakistan due to lethal threat of COvID-19 will result in creating more panic among the masses. deadly disease.

There is a huge shortage of masks around the This decision of not imposing an emergency is a world, and if they are available their price is almost good and necessary step of the government. The double. WhO has recommended that masks should government has also decided to run a media cambe worn by only those people who are infected by the paign on the issue of COvID-19, to create awareCOvID-19 or someone is taking care of the person ness among the masses regarding prevention of this deadly disease .The sAPM who is infected by this lethal on health also said that the disease. Masks are very imgovernment would also reportant to counter COvIDquest the Chief Justice of 19 so they should not be Pakistan to close the civil used by every individual. as such massive use will create Pakistan was the last country courts and adjourn cases for at least 3 weeks. a shortage and they may not in the region which reported unfortunately, there is be available at the time of no vaccine developed yet need. Therefore, people cases of coronavirus.

This to counter COvID-19, but should refrain from using the means that the government is there are some preventive facemask if they are not inmeasures which can be fected by the COvID-19. making, and has made, huge very effective. Apart from Furthermore, the number of cases of coronavrus efforts to counter this deadly the masks and a few precautions mentioned above, reported till 14th march disease. Therefore, whether if a person has visited a were almost about public place then hands 253,964, and the number of the coronavirus can be treated should wash hands for at people who died due to this efficiently or not, all the least 30 seconds with soap life threatening disease is .It is also recommended more than 10,408, by Fripopulation should abide by that a hand sanitizer, day afternoon. Recently, which contains almost 60 the wife of the Canadian the instructions of the WHO percent alcohol, should be Prime Minister, sophie and should fight this used to clean hands and Grégoire, has also been should be carried by every tested positive with pandemic together individual. People should COvID-19. health minisavoid going out if it is not ter and Conservative MP, necessary, and distance Nadine Dorries has also should be maintained from became a victim of those people who are inCOvID-19 us President Donald Trump has also imposed travel restrictions, fected by COvID-19. Tables, mobile phones, and no flights from europe are allowed in the switch boards, and door handles should be cleaned usA. The fear of the coronavirus is creating panic on a daily basis.

There is no denying that COvID-19 has affected and anxiety among the people. There is nothing to worry about this virus because recovery rate from the world very badly, but Pakistan was the last counit is 90 percent, if the patient is managed properly. try in the region which reported cases of coronThe people who are at more risk are over 70 years avirus. This means that the government is making, of age, specifically with a weak immune system, and has made, huge efforts to counter this deadly and only two percent of people who are infected disease. Therefore, whether the coronavirus can be can show serious complications due to this lethal treated efficiently or not, all the population should disease. The number of cases of COvID-19 re- abide by the instructions of the WhO and should ported in Pakistan were about 467 by Friday. The fight this pandemic together. government of Pakistan has also decided to close Dr Zeeshan Khan tweets at @DrZeeits border with Iran for two weeks, and the government will again review the situation after those two shanKhanA1 and can be reached at weeks. During this time, system of screening dr.zeeshan.alias.ghazikhan@gmail.com

I

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

I

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

I

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

I

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Saturday, 21 March, 2020

COMMENT 09 Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan.

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

Corona update I write to express my concern over the issue of coronavirus. The coronavirus epidemic has engulfed the various countries including Pakistan but response to the infectious disease is very significant. The Sindh government decided to build a 10000 bed isolation hospital for coronavirus patients in the expo center. As the virus is spread rapidly throughout the world.

There are 453 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Pakistan. Including 245 in Sindh , 2 in Islamabad, 23 in KPK, 78 in Punjab, 81 in Balochistan and 24 in AJK. After China, coronavirus has affected Italy very badly.

Italy's death toll due to coronavirus has overtaken China's, after rising by 427 to 3550 today. It is an alarming situation and a lesson for us. Don't take it lightly. It spreads fast. Our job is to create social distance, Stop going outside and meeting people, wash our hands frequently and thoroughly and must stay at home.

Noureen Yar Muhammad Karachi

The economy takes a hit too

Towards a quarantined existence A challenge for all humanity Qudssia akhlaQue

T

he unthinkable is happening now. The global outbreak of the life-threatening Coronavirus has compelled millions of people towards an isolated, cloistered existence. There is growing anxiety and an eerie hush in desolate streets in world capitals known for their vibrance. World affairs have been eclipsed by the highly contagious Coronavirus. A stark reminder of how vulnerable mankind is and how helpless such a pandemic renders it. That it spares none.

All are at risk from the rapid spread of this silent and invisible microbe, scientifically referred to as Covid-19. even if you have been to the moon and back, are a nuclear power, a superpower or a veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council– all are in its line of fire. Irrespective of social status– caste, colour or creed.

The haves, the have-nots and the have-not-paids are all equally vulnerable. It is a grisly equalizer and a unifier in such divisive times. A common enemy that all must fight.

The current pandemic is the most graphic illustration of the maxim ‘Man proposes, God disposes.’ That life is actually what happens while we are planning other things. There has been massive disruption of national and international events worldwide that had been in the works for years. Cancellations and postponements are being announced almost every day. educational institutions have been closed indefinitely, and as a teacher put it “education too has been quarantined” with classes being conducted online via Google where possible. But in the current crisis no one knows how long this option will remain accessible.

First quarter into the year 2020 and time seems to have come to a standstill as nations world over mull ways of isolating themselves in the midst of the merciless Covid-19 scare. It has dominated news headlines for weeks and continues to do so. According to ‘worldometers’ it has spread to 176 out of a total 195 countries in the world, posing the biggest challenge yet to the global healthcare systems.

While there is a huge economic cost of people staying home as they are, there is a bigger social cost if they don’t. A catch-22 only the extraordinary had visualised.

Globalization is in reverse gear and connectivity is reducing by the day. With new restrictions imposed every day, many in the world are being pushed into a no-exit situation. Aviation, tourism and related industries are the worst hit with global stocks falling like autumn leaves– links being suspended or confined mostly to digital communication and social media. Physical contact with humans and public gatherings is now perceived as a bigger threat than global conflicts and hostilities. The covid-19 onslaught

making lives of Muslim Kashmiris miserable. has pushed it all to the backseat.

It is mind-boggling to see how the pace of Ironically the european Union that had shied life has suddenly slowed down and changed like away from taking a stand against the blatant never before. Activities of all sorts curtailed be- human rights violations in the Occupied Valley yond imagination with the notion of race against have been compelled to enforce a lockdown in time now on life support. The major focus of many of its member states. The bloc has been consumers remains on hand sanitizers, soaps and officially declared as the epicentre of the Covid-19 terror. protective face masks.

The ongoing pandemic also underlines the Also a mad rush for dry rations etc makes supermarkets and grocery stores look as if hit by gravity of global warming, which is also being a tsunami! empty shelves seem crying for more blamed for the surfacing of such frozen viruses. stocks as the sense of insecurity deepens with Perhaps it is nature’s way of stepping in to each passing day. Governments are struggling to cleanse the environment sullied by the reckless procure on urgent basis more testing kits and and irresponsible human actions.

A growing number of Coronavirus-hit ventilators among other necessary medical countries have stopped cross-border moveequipment.

One key takeaway from the Covid-19 out- ment and imposed a complete lockdown. Thus break is that we cannot take anything for the healing of nature, as it were, may very well be in progress. Noise and air pollution granted. Least of all mobility and toilet rolls!

Diplomacy has been robbed of the warm levels are drastically down, resulting in handshakes and embraces that mark all high- cleaner air, bluer and quieter skies and mostly silent streets. Good profile photo-ops. So news for our muchmuch for the media’s abused environment obsession with body amidst calamity. language of world leadIt is time to pray ers and diplomats! for the healthcare proOne wonders what The WHO chief has aptly said fessionals manning the the future shape of frontline in this war human interaction will that crises like this tend to against the worst virus be and how the warmth bring out the best and worst of in 100 years, and time or tension in bilateral for the governments to or multilateral relations humanity. May it bring out the provide for their prowould be gauged in the tection, keeping in coming weeks or best as we fight together this mind their families months. Whether it too. experts believe would be replaced by a deadly common enemy that this silent, invisimore mechanized enble virus could get gagement or not, time worse before it goes will tell. however, one away. We all need to thing is clear that it exercise caution, indiwould entail much unlearning and rebooting of the classical condi- vidually and collectively. A greater sense of retioning of diplomatic niceties and social norms. sponsibility and a sense of community is exchange of greetings with pecks on cheeks: imperative to help contain this virus. By now one, two or three, depending on which part of we all know the dos and don’ts of it. early sothe world you belong, all gone for now! All this cial distancing and testing for covid-19 are the amid mounting clamour and repeated calls for keys to stopping its dangerous spread. Keep social distancing, self-isolation and home-quar- calm and carry on, washing your hands even if antine from all corners of the world. Simply put: it means joining the ranks of those suffering from OCD! self-quarantine for self-preservation!

Undoubtedly the Covid-19 pandemic has It is perhaps the time to go into a retreat away from the thinning crowds as socializing thrown the world in a state of turmoil. These comes to a virtual halt. To make the best of it challenging times are a test of our mettle, faith instead of complaining or worrying about what and our spirit of reaching out to those in greater will happen next. While undoubtedly these are need in this darkest hour.

The WhO chief has aptly said that crises extremely unnerving, confusing and trying times that have tattered into pieces our peace like this tend to bring out the best and worst of of mind, such times do provide us an opportu- humanity. May it bring out the best as we fight nity for deep reflection and introspection. Con- together this deadly common enemy. Like many sider it nature’s strategic pause for course other calamities and pandemics in the past, this correction of sorts. A divine intervention to re- too shall pass but sadly at a huge human and mind us of the many wrongs committed. Of the economic cost. It is a time bomb ticking away. many curable diseases that killed countless Only when it has been conquered the cold stapeople just because the required resources tistics will tell us the real severity and scale of were denied to them. A reminder that Indian this haunting pandemic.

Occupied Kashmir has been in a crippling The writer is a freelance columnist. lockdown for more than seven months now

COVID-19 has very quickly affected the Pakistani economy due to this it affects on the consumers which we can easily face this inflation.It also affects on import and export which causes on Pakistan's economy.

Rising prices of essentials such as wheat, milk, meat, clothing, medical services, coffee, electricity, etc or, alternatively, the decline in the value of money so that it takes more money to buy the same goods and services. Inflation affects different sectors of economy, sharing of income and wealth, production, government, the balance of payments, economic policy, social sector, political environment and different classes of the people. high inflation rates are regarded as harmful to the economy. They add inefficiencies in the market, and make it difficult for companies to budget or plan long-term. Inflation can act as a pull on productivity as companies are forced to shift resources away from products and services in order to focus on profit and losses from currency inflation. Uncertainty about the future purchasing power of money discourages investment and saving. The concerned authority should have to take serious action on the rapid increase in inflation.So the poor people can easily afford their basic needs.

Syeda Ashiqa Alam, Karachi

Confusion in the time of Corona FROM the past 3 days, The nation has been left confused whether a proper lockdown would be implemented or not. The outbreak of Coronavirus has left the Sindh and Federal Government in a clash and confused to put a halt on the lock down. Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah had ordered all shops,restaurants, mega malls and any kind of public gathering places to be closed to avoid the spread of the contagious virus while on the other hand Federal Prime minister Imran Khan requested the nation to look after themselves and no dialogue could be heard regarding the lockdown. In a supporting statement Governor of Sindh Imran Ismail who is affiliated with the federal government requested the sindh government to decline the lockdown because of daily wagers and the current economic crises of Pakistan but both governments also announced that they have taken necessary steps to support their strategies. Now some committees of the nation are confused whether to continue with the normal routine or put a halt for a few days.

Ibaad Hassan Karachi.

Quarantine expo The world is suffering from the worst conditions, as the strain of coronavirus Covid-19 spreads rapidly. This virus is dangerous for humans as it is spreading from person to person without showing the initial symptoms.

This virus is spreading badly all over Pakistan especially Sindh.

Therefore, Sindh Government has announced to convert Karachi expo center into 10,000-bed isolation hospital for coronavirus patients. "At the moment, 208 patients of coronavirus — including 57 in Karachi and 151 in Sukkur are under treatment in the province after 36 more tested positive in the province today, Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah said at the daily-meeting of Sindh Task Force to curb the virus. “We NeeD TO PReVeNT The SPReAD,” The hospital’s paramedic staff, doctors, beds, medicines, and necessary equipment has already been made available.

Our Government is taking all the possible steps to fight against this virus. Do cooperate with the government. Avoid social gatherings, and stay at home following the precautionary measures.

Suman Faheem Karachi

Pakistan day under Corona eVeRy year, Pakistan Day was celebrated enthusiastically in all the cities and small towns in Pakistan. however, this year due to the global emergency of coronavirus, the government has decided to cancel out the much awaited Parade in the federal capital in order to save the public from crowded gatherings. Undoubtedly, it will be a devastating moment for all the Pakistanis but as responsible citizens it is a duty of all of us to respect our government’s order and avoid unnecessary public meetings. Furthermore, in this time of national calamity, we all need to stand together and support each other in order to fight against this threat.

Hadia Aziz Islamabad

Appreciating medical workers NO doubt whenever there is any panic situations made in any country the doctors and nurses have played a vital role. The situation was going to be bad but our medical staff stood straight against this panic situation. We all should appreciate them because they are giving their best to safe humanity.

In this situation we all should cooperate with them by staying at home.

They are there for us so we should also need to stay at home for them. As care for them and pray for and stay at home for them and for yourself.

Anthony Sahotra Larkana

saturday, 21 March, 2020

10 foreigN News

Coronavirus spreads fear, isolaTion, deaTh To elderly worldwide G

RACE Dowell, a 63-year-old grandmother, has stopped grocery shopping and canceled all her doctor’s appointments. No one is allowed into her rural Maryland home. Every piece of mail is disinfected.

Dowell decided last week that strict isolation was the only way to protect herself, her husband and her mother from COVID19, the virus that has killed more than 10,000 people across the globe and is proving especially deadly for the elderly.

Dowell, a retired labor union worker, has rheumatoid arthritis and a compromised immune system. Her husband Donald, 74, suffers from emphysema. Her mother, Margaret Hildebrandt, 93, also has a lung disease and needs oxygen. Dowell took over her mother’s care from a visiting nurse because she worried an outsider could contaminate the home.

“If my mom gets this, she’d be gone in a day,” said Dowell, who wears a baby-monitor and answers her mother’s calls for help through the night. “My mom beat cancer nine times. I don’t want her to die from this.”

The elderly are especially vulnerable in the global pandemic and health officials and governments are increasingly calling for extreme measures to safeguard them. Across the globe, many cities have all but shut down as officials issue dire warnings for younger

people - who can carry the virus without knowing it - to avoid their parents and grandparents. But this growing isolation of the elderly has spawned its own crisis, as families try to balance the need to care for loved ones with directives to stay away, shifting the burden to overstretched governments and medical facilities.

Studies suggest the severity of coronavirus rises with age. In Italy, which now has the world’s highest death count, the average age of those dying is 80, according to a study by the Italian national institute of health. In China, where the pandemic started, people 70 and older accounted for just 12 percent of all infections but more than half of all deaths, according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. In the United States, people 65 and older have thus far accounted for 31 percent of cases, 53 percent of intensive care hospitalizations and 80 percent of deaths, according to U.S. government data.

Beyond the grim statistics, the pandemic has spawned countless small dramas of isolation and anxiety across the globe. In a village in Lebanon, a grandmother walled herself off in her home, unable to properly grieve her dead husband. In Spain, nursery home workers produced a Facebook video so residents could reassure their loved ones.

And in Colombia - where the government on

Tuesday ordered citizens 70 and over to stay inside until May 31 - seniors stocked up on supplies for two months of isolation.

“They need to take these measures because many people are taking the situation lightly,” said shopper Carlos Manrique, 74, as he loaded up on potatoes, eggs and rice at a supermarket in Bogota. “I’m taking care of myself, as God orders.” Just as often, older people greeted the epidemic with defiance.

“I am not worried about the coronavirus at all,” said Yutaka Kobayashi, 85, who refuses to wear a mask while working in his Tokyo shoe store. “People of my generation were made to wash their hands by their mothers and grandmothers.”

‘HELLO GRAN, HOW ARE YOU?’ In Italy, where more than 3,400 people have died since the outbreak came to light on Feb. 21, local officials fret about the psychological state of elderly people confined to their homes for weeks in a government lockdown.

The town of San Casciano in Val di Pesa launched an initiative called “Ciao Nonna, come stai?” or “Hello Gran, how are you?” urging all young people to call elderly relatives – or even older people they don’t know.

One nursing home, Nuestra Casa La Grande in Navares de Enmedio, Spain, recorded a video of 24 elderly residents and posted it on Facebook, encouraging each

other to blow kisses to the camera for their loved ones.

Jonathan Barrios, a 24-year-old student living with his parents in La Parla, Madrid, said he doesn’t dare see his grandparents, who live on the same street. His 80-year-old grandfather has lung cancer. His grandmother, 70, has symptoms of the virus - a fever, cough and difficulty breathing - but can’t get tested because of a shortage of kits.

“I feel strange and frustrated,” Barrios said. “All I can do for my grandparents is to call them.” The forced isolation perhaps cuts deepest for those in mourning. Joey Ayoub, a Lebanese researcher, said his grandfather died this week of problems unrelated to the coronavirus. He worries for his grandmother, who suddenly lives alone.

Only six or seven people attended her husband’s funeral, which Ayoub said would otherwise have attracted “dozens and dozens.” They all sat at a distance from one another during a rushed service.

“She can’t mourn properly,” he said.

“She cannot do it with friends.”

‘IF I GET IT, I GET IT’: Some families have been hit hard when senior care centers closed, forcing them to take off work to watch over relatives. In the central Japan city of Nagoya, the mayor asked 126 such facilities to shut down for two weeks after a cluster of

coronavirus cases was found at one of them.

Japan has already weathered serious outbreaks of the virus and has huge numbers of people at risk - more than 28 percent of the nation’s population is 65 or over. But now, some people are venturing out again.

“If I get it, I get it,” said Kazuko Mori, 74, a part-time cleaner in suburban Ichikawa, which had clusters of cases originating at a sports gym and an elderly daycare service.

“If you get too nervous about it all, that isn’t good, either.”

Many elderly people said they can’t follow government directives to stay home.

In Kibera, a settlement of densely packed neighborhoods where few homes have running water in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, volunteers knocked on doors to tell people – especially the elderly – about the coronavirus. In one courtyard filled with children, Fatima Juma listened intently as Zulela Abdul explained the risks to her and handed over a small bottle of hand sanitizer.

Juma, who says she’s about 82, had heard of the disease on television but didn’t know its symptoms. She was fine with washing her hands but rejected the idea of social distancing. She takes care of her grandchildren, the youngest one two years old, while their parents worked. She also needed to see her friends, she said. Agencies

Netflix and YouTube reduce resolution as virus hits web BRUSSeLS Agencies

China says Trump trying to 'shift blame' for pandemic Beijing Agencies

Beijing accused US President Donald Trump on Friday of trying to “shift the blame” for the global coronavirus pandemic in an escalating row between the two powers. Trump charged on Thursday that the world is “paying a big price” for China’s lack of transparency on the outbreak when it emerged in the central city of Wuhan late last year. China has been criticised for suppressing information and punishing whistleblowers during the early stages of the contagion, which an AFP tally shows has now killed nearly 10,000 people with more than 232,000 cases worldwide. “Some people on the US side are trying to stigmatise China’s fight against the epidemic, and shift the blame onto China,” foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. “This approach ignores the great sacrifice made by the Chinese people to safeguard the health and safety of humankind, and slanders China’s major contribution to global public health.” Geng said China has shared data with the US throughout the health crisis. The exchange marked an escalation in the bitter war of words between China and the US over the past week. China’s announcement this week of mass expulsions of American journalists sparked a media freedom row that coincided with Trump’s ramped-up usage of the term “Chinese Virus”, which he claimed was in response to Chinese misinformation suggesting that the virus originated in the US. In recent days, Chinese state media has been heavily critical of Trump. The nationalistic Global Times claimed in several op-eds that his rhetoric is fanning the flames of global xenophobia and anti-Chinese sentiment.

Trump has defended his description of the virus, saying it was “not racist at all”.

Netflix and YouTube will reduce the default image quality of streaming video in Europe to ease pressure on the internet, the firms said Friday, as demand soars with millions confined to their homes over coronavirus fears.

EU commissioner for the digital economy Thierry Breton urged internet giants to switch from high definition to the former standard definition to reduce file sizes while stranded householders seek entertainment as well as news about the epidemic.

Late Thursday, entertainment platform Netflix agreed, and on Friday Google’s video-sharing service YouTube said it would follow suit, although videos viewed on the site from a European connection on Friday by AFP were still defaulting to high definition mode.

"While we have seen only a few usage peaks, we have measures in place to automatically adjust our system to use less net-

work capacity," a Google spokesperson said.

"Following the discussion between Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, YouTube’s CEO Susan Wojcicki and Commissioner Thierry Breton we are making a commitment to temporarily switch all traffic in the

EU to Standard Definition by default."

Separately, Netflix will "begin reducing bit rates across all our streams in Europe for 30 days," a spokesperson for the streaming giant said in a statement.

"We estimate that this will reduce Net-

flix traffic on European networks by around 25 percent while also ensuring a good quality service for our members," the statement added.

With wide-ranging lockdowns and quarantines, schools, shops and borders closed and gatherings banned, people across Europe are increasingly turning to the internet to stave off boredom.

But the huge file sizes of high definition offerings from web giants like Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, HBO and Amazon are slowing the web, Breton warned.

"Teleworking and streaming help a lot but infrastructures might be in strain," he said in a tweet Thursday, calling for online platforms to switch to streaming in standard definition instead of HD. Gamers breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday after the end of an hours-long network outage that affected Nintendo’s online games and prompted despair from users.

"Only a few days into the coronavirus self-isolation and Nintendo servers are already down... oh dear god," tweeted one.

Former Google engineer agrees to plead guilty to secrets theft A former Google star engineer charged with stealing trade secrets from its self-driving car program has agreed to plead guilty in a deal with prosecutors, according to court documents filed Thursday.

Anthony Levandowski, 39, was a founding member of an autonomous vehicle project in 2009 called "Chauffeur," one of Google's more ambitious undertakings.

Several years later Levandowski began thinking of leaving Google for another self-driving endeavor that was

eventually named "Otto," the plea deal said.

He began negotiating with ridesharing giant Uber to invest in or buy Otto while he was still working at Google, and admits having downloaded a whole series of documents a few months before his resignation in January 2016.

"Prior to my departure, I downloaded thousands of files related to Project Chauffeur," Levandowski said in court documents.

Levandowski was leader of the light-detecting and ranging (LiDAR) team when he resigned from Google without notice.

The technology is important for self-driving cars to measure distances and avoid obstacles.

Levandowski will plead guilty to a count of theft and attempted theft of trade secrets in exchange for prosecutors dropping the rest of the charges filed against him, the court filing showed.

He could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine under sentencing guidelines, but a federal judge would be free to determine the punishment.

"All of us have the right to change jobs, none of us has the right to fill our pockets on the way out the door," US attorney David Anderson said in a release announcing the original counts of theft and attempted theft of trade secrets last year.

"Theft is not innovation."

The allegations came out in a civil case in which Google's self-driving car division, now renamed Waymo and under its parent Alphabet, accused Uber of stealing trade secrets. That case ended with a settlement between the two firms last year.

Levandowski was fired by Uber in 2017 as the two firms were preparing to go to court on the civil trial.

Levandowski has filed for bankruptcy, citing listing Google among his creditors and noting a legal claim against him totaling about $179 million, according to US bankruptcy court filings. Agencies

Saturday, 21 March, 2020

BUSINESS 11

'GOVT TO CLEaR GST REfUnDS wIThIn MaRCh, GRanT ExPORT REbaTES In aPRIL'

CORPORATE CORNER

ISLAMABAD

ISLAMABAD: Tecno, a global smartphone brand, has on-boarded mega superstar Mehwish Hayat as it’s firstever brand ambassador in Pakistan. In a recent video which went viral on social media, the leading actress revealed that ‘Camon 15’ will make its debut on 24th March. P RE SS REl EA SE

ISLAMABAD: As the coronavirus outbreak continues to impact lives across Pakistan, Jazz is mobilizing its resources to fight against the virus’ spread and safeguard service continuity for over 60 million subscribers. PR ESS RE lE AS E

PTCL, Ufone announce closure of service centres till 31st

BUSINESS DESK PTCL and Ufone have announced the closure of their sales & service centres and joint shops across Pakistan till March 31, 2020, due to the increasing number of coronavirus cases in the country. In order to serve customers better and ensure the continuity of business, services will be provided to both PTCL and Ufone customers through alternate business and digital channels, according to a statement issued on Friday. "We encourage PTCL customers to use PTCL digital channels such as PTCL website/email, complaint registration, self-care portal, PTCL touch app and online digital bill payment options. To facilitate Ufone customers, digital services include Ufone website/email, My Ufone app, UPaisa, online banking services, mobile financial services, retailers and ATM machines are available." To promote social distancing and seamless communication, the customers are encouraged to use digital services offered by both companies for their convenience. Furthermore, both companies' helpline numbers are available 24/7 should there be any need for service. Being customercentric organizations, the safety, security and well-being of customers, employees and all stakeholders are of utmost importance to both the companies.

a

STAFF REPORT

DVISER to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh on Friday assured the exporters that the government would clear the GST refunds within the month of March while the export rebates would be granted within April.

In a meeting with a delegation of exporters, the adviser expressed the government's resolve to do whatever possible to facilitate the exporters and provide them relief with earlier repayments of export rebates, duty drawback and GST refunds.

"I would like to make a statement here that the government has no desire or policy to keep the money that belongs to the exporters and either do we

HAFEEZ SHAIKH ADVISES EXPORTERS TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR WORKERS ‘JUST HOW GOVT IS TAKING CARE OF THEM’ find any reason to delay the repayments," he said while discussing the proposals with the exporters.

The adviser directed the finance secretary and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairperson to hold meetings with the relevant stakeholders and provide relief to the export sector at the earliest.

He appreciated the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association's decision of not laying off their labour in the time of crisis and advised them to take care of their workers just how the government is taking care of them.

Earlier, the exporters discussed with minister various issues being

faced by them after the outbreak of coronavirus and the evolving position of the global economies and its impact on the export sector of Pakistan.

Advisers to PM on Commerce and Textile Abdul Hafeez and Adviser on Austerity and Institutional Reforms Ishrat Hussain were also present on the occasion. The delegation briefed the adviser that owing to the coronavirus outbreak, global economies have gone into a recessionary phase and the demand for their products, especially apparel, has reduced to a considerable level.

The exports which had shown an improvement in the February and March

Rice exports increase 11pc in eight months ISLAMABAD APP

Rice exports from the country during the first eight months of the current financial year increased by 11.09pc as compared to the corresponding period of last year.

During the July-Feb FY20 period, about 2,763,171 metric tonnes of rice, worth $1.397 billion, was exported, as against the exports of 2,497,536MT, valuing $1.257 billion, during the same period last year.

According to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), exports of basmati rice grew by 36.56pc, as the commodity worth $501.179 million was exported during the period under review as compared to the exports of $366.765 million during the same period of the last year.

In quantitative terms, the country exported about 566,711 metric tonnes of basmati rice in 8MFY20 as compared to 370,248MT in the same period of last year.

Meanwhile, the country managed to export about 2,196,460 metric tonnes of rice other than basmati, worth $896.312 million, as against the exports of 2,127,288 metric tonnes, valuing $891.230 million, in the same period of last year.

The export of rice other than basmati in 8MFY20 grew by 0.57pc as compared to the corresponding period of the last year.

It may be recalled that the overall food group exports from the country during the first eight months of FY20 grew by 5.48pc as food commodities worth $3.033 billion were exported as against $2.875 billion worth of exports in the same period of last year.

World's top debt funds lose billions in coronavirus rout NEW YORK/LONDON AGENCIES

Coronavirus has hit the world’s biggest debt funds, which have lost billions of dollars in value, Morningstar data shows, while one smaller fund shed half its value in a little over two weeks.

Markets have lost trillions of dollars in value over that time at a record-breaking pace, laying bare structural weaknesses after a decade of central bank easy money and fuelling fears of mass fund redemptions.

After the collapse of Lehman Brothers during the financial crisis in 2008, spreads on European investment grade debt took 45 days to double. In March, that doubling took just 19 days, analysts at Bank of America said in a note.

Despite central bank pledges of massive economic and monetary stimulus, there is little sign of confidence returning, particularly in corporate credit.

Investment grade funds saw outflows of $35.6 billion in the week to Wednesday, with taxable bond funds shedding $55.9 billion, the largest weekly out-

flow on record according to Lipper data dating back to 1992, as markets continued to be roiled by the coronavirus pandemic.

It is “an unbelievably big outflow from investment grade. Investment grade is catching up to high yield in terms of percentage outflows. To me, until this week, investment grade also looked rich relative to other risk assets,” said John McClain, portfolio manager at Diamond Hill Capital Management.

The director of IMF Monetary and Capital Markets warned this month that any sudden decision by investors to sell shares in credit-focused asset managers and exchange traded funds (ETFs)could pressure them to sell riskier assets quickly.

Worst hit among the world’s biggest funds was the actively managed $81.4 billion PIMCO GIS Income fund, down 7.7pc in the month to March 17, data from Morningstar showed.

The world’s biggest fund, the $269 billion Vanguard Total Bond Market Index fund, meanwhile, was down 2.4pc.

Other funds were even harder hit.

will receive a setback in the coming months, the meeting was informed.

In view of the changing position in global trade, exporters said they had been facing problems with their cash flow situation and need help and assistance from the government mainly in expediting the re-payments/refunds due so that they could resume their businesses as early as possible.

The delegation presented a list of proposals to the finance adviser that could help them improve on their liquidity position and to run their businesses in the current situation when they are not expecting further orders and faster recoveries from their international buyers.

The delegation apprised the government that they have decided not to lay off their daily wage staff in this difficult time.

SECP asks companies to divert CSR activities to COVID-19 prevention ISLAMABAD: The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) on Friday advised all companies to divert their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities and budget to COVID-19 prevention, detection and cure.

“SECP invites the attention of companies’ board of directors toward their social responsibilities, enshrined in Section 204 (2) of the Companies Act, 2017; ‘A director of a company shall act in good faith in order to promote the objects of the company for the benefit of its members as a whole, and in the best interests of the company, its employees, the shareholders the community and for the protection of the environment’,” said a press statement issued by the commission.

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease is threatening the global economies, it is high time for the corporates in Pakistan to rise to the occasion and address their responsibility, the SECP stated. “Companies are advised to take proactive measures to ensure effective contingency planning for financial and business continuity; mitigate health risks to employees, customers and communities. “They should prevent premises from becoming a node of COVID-19 transmission and ensure that adequate plans and means are in place. They should also ensure alternative arrangements with suppliers and customers so that business operations can continue.” The commission said to achieve aforesaid purposes, companies are encouraged to divert their CSR budgets for a timely and effective response to COVID-19 outbreak. The SECP also encouraged companies and other related persons to consider their activities in light of their disclosure obligations under applicable laws to provide investors with insight regarding their assessment of, and plans for addressing, material risks to their business and operations resulting from the coronavirus to the fullest extent practicable to keep investors and markets informed of material developments.

In all circumstances, however, data quality and reporting accuracy and timeliness cannot be compromised APP

MARKET DAILY

Bulls return to bourse, lift KSE-100 by 537 points KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Stocks staged a handsome recovery after a volatile session on Friday, as the indices oscillated in both directions before closing with decent gains.

Foreign investors ended the previous session on Thursday as net sellers, with a net outflow of $5.36 million.

Among major developments that impacted global markets, oil prices recovered a little but remained below $30 per barrel. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was up 2.22pc to 25.78pc in the morning, while Brent eased 0.91pc to 28.21 a barrel.

On the economic front, Pakistan's total liquid foreign exchange reserves dropped by $162 million to $18,743 million (as on March 13, 2020). The reserves previously

stood at $18,905 million (March 6). Net reserves with SBP fell by $110 million on a weekly basis while net reserves with banks declined by $52 million.

After a positive start to the day, the benchmark KSE-100 Index fell by 226.02 points to mark its intraday low at 29,903.81.

However, the index rallied thereon, gathering 798.22 points to record its intraday high at 30,928.05. It finally closed higher by 537.58 points at 30,667.41.

Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index appreciated by 1,113.42 points to end at 47,460.44, while the KSE All Share Index captured 420.98 points, settling at 22,106.41.

Of the total traded shares, 169 advanced and 132 declined.

The overall volumes declined from 307.78 million in the last session to 244.23 million, with K-Electric Limited (KEL -

1.64pc), Maple Leaf Cement Factory Limited (MLCF -6.82pc) and The Bank of Punjab (BOP +5.39pc) topping the volume chart. The scripts had exchanged 23.39 million, 16.63 million and 14.96 million shares, respectively.

Sectors that painted the KSE-100 Index green included oil & gas exploration (+252.72 points), banking (+205.64 points) and fertiliser (+140.05 points). Among the companies, Engro Corporation Limited (ENGRO +108.11 points), Habib Bank Limited (HBL +107.63 points) and Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDC +91.53 points) remained the top positive contributors.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Suzuki Motors Company Limited (PSMC -2.73pc) announced its financial performance for FY19. The company's revenue shrunk by -2.76pc while the

cost of sales inched up by 1.56pc, resulting in a 71.83pc YoY decline in gross profit.

PSMC's finance cost surged from Rs362.52 million in FY18 to Rs2.09 billion in FY19; earnings per share deteriorated from Rs15.77 to Rs-35.49 in FY19, while dividend yield declined from 1.81pc to nil.

GLOBAL MARKETS: Stock markets around the world rebounded from some of their recent huge losses on Friday, pulling further away from three-year lows as central banks and governments pledged masses of cash to reduce the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Shares soared at the start of trading in Europe, with the pan-European STOXX 600 index jumping nearly 5pc. The index was up 3pc as of midday in London.

Britain’s FTSE rose 2pc, Germany’s

DAX gained nearly 5pc, and France’s CAC 40 gained 5.5pc. Spanish stocks were up 3.3pc and Italian stocks gained 2.7pc.

MSCI’s All-Country World Index, which tracks stocks across 49 countries, was up 1.3pc.

But in an indication of the deep damage inflicted on global equities from the pandemic so far, the index remains set to finish nearly 9pc lower this week, adding to last week’s 11.1pc plunge.

US S&P 500 e-mini stock futures pointed to a brighter end to the week, adding 2.6pc.

As the spread of the coronavirus brought much of the world to a halt, nations have poured ever-more massive amounts of stimulus into their economies while central banks have flooded markets with cheap dollars to ease funding strains.

Saturday, 21 March, 2020

12 BUSINESS COVID-19: Govt exempts 61 vital medical equipment from taxes ISLAMABAD

STeel InDuSTry DemAnDS ‘One-yeAr PACkAGe’ TO OVerCOme COrOnA CrISIS

SHAHZAD PARACHA

ISLAMABAD

The government on Friday exempted 61 compulsory medicalrelated equipment and machinery from taxes amid COVID-19 pandemic. As per a notification issued by the FBR, "The government has exempted 61 medical-related equipment, as well as machinery, from income tax, sales tax, customs duty, additional customs duty and regulatory duty for the period of three months." These equipment/machinery include Dr Oligo Synthesizer, Vortex Machine (0-3000 RPM 220v), Velp Italy, Refrigerated Centrifuge Machine Temperature Range, Hermle IEC 1010, Tyvek Suits, N-95 masks, Biohazard Bags (18 litres), Powered Air Purifying Respirators (PAPR), nitrile gloves, latex gloves, goggles and other lifesaving instruments.

The period of three months may be extended for another three months by the board on the recommendation of the Ministry National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination if adverse circumstances related to COVID-19 pandemic prevail, the notification read.

PTA issues advisory for telecom operators, stakeholders BUSINESS DESK Amid the spread of coronavirus, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority on Friday issued a wideranging advisory to its licensees, directing them to remain fully prepared for the provision of uninterrupted telecom services to the consumers. It was directed that necessary resources should remain available at all levels for the smooth functioning of voice/data services and networks. The advisory also emphasizes on all support staff adopting necessary preventative measures against COVID-19. All cellular mobile operators (CMOs) and local loop operators should ensure that customers have access to their services.

The CMOs should coordinate with local authorities for the functioning of franchises, top-up outlets and communication networks in the affected areas. The CMOs should resolve consumer complaints efficiently, with fully equipped teams, and issue awareness messages in national and regional languages, in wake of coronavirus threat. Moreover, federal and provincial government authorities have been requested to facilitate communication services providers by ensuring that support staff of all telecommunication companies be facilitated in providing logistics and maintenance services.

Customer centres, franchises, retailers be allowed to remain open in case of lockdown for services & support. This will not only facilitate administrative & health services but also the public to maintain social distancing while performing essential functions.

CONSUMERS’ COMPLAINTS: Meanwhile, PTA on Friday also published an analysis of consumer complaints received against mobile operators during Feb 2020. It also announced that the analysis of consumer complaints will be published every month on the PTA website. According to February’s data, Jazz is leading the telecommunication market with 36pc subscribers, and approximately half of all complaints filed with PTA (52pc) were regarding Jazz as well. Second biggest player is Telenor at 28pc market, followed by Zong at 22pc and Ufone at 14pc of the total telecom subscribers. However, as per PTA report, 14pc of total complaints were against Zong while both Ufone and Telenor subscriber complaints made up for 17pc of complaints each. In the absence of the exact number of complaints issued by PTA, the trend that emerges is that both Jazz and Ufone managed to disappoint customers more than their competitors. As far as division of city-wide complaints are concerned, telecommunication subscribers in Lahore and Islamabad seemed to have faced the highest dissatisfaction, collectively contributing 72pc of the total complaints filed with PTA. If Islamabad’s twin city, Rawalpindi, is to be included, this number goes up to 80pc.

In addition to complaints about the poor quality of service, the grievances about non-provision of services also came in the highest number from Lahore and Islamabad as well, counting up to 64pc and 15pc respectively, and following the same trend in terms of telecom providers as well. PTA posted that 54pc of complaints regarding non-provision of services came against Jazz, 18pc against Ufone, 16pc against Telenor and 12pc against Zong.

GHULAM ABBAS

T

HE local steel industry, which sees a severe cash crunch and a drastic reduction in demand amid the global crisis caused by coronavirus, has demanded the government to provide a '12-month facilitation package' to avoid a complete meltdown of the economy.

In a letter to Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, the Pakistan Association of Large Steel Producers (PALSP) has demanded multiple reliefs in taxes and duties for at least a year to overcome the impacts of coronavirus.

"The virus issue is sure to leave many businesses bankrupt and hundreds of thousands unemployed unless the government acts immediately," the association said, suggesting the government to take prudent measures to evade the prevalent crisis.

As per the letter, the association has demanded an immediate cut in interest rates to 5pc for the next 12 months; the US has recently cut its rates to 0pc.

"All principal payments for long-term and shortterm loans should be deferred for the next 12 months while the industry can try to service interest

‘THE COUNTRY’S INTEREST RATE SHOULD BE REDUCED TO 5PC, AND ALL PRINCIPAL PAYMENTS FOR SHORT AND LONG-TERM LOANS SHOULD BE DEFERRED FOR ONE YEAR’ at a reduced rate of 5pc. Besides, the minimum rate of turnover tax for industry and retailers should be reduced to 0.25pc with immediate effect," PALSP demanded.

The association also requested the government to remove regulatory duty (RD) and other import duties on steel meltable scrap as it is a primary raw material for the steel industry. "All duties & taxes on PCT 7204.4920 for unserviceable auto parts be reduced to zero per cent."

It suggested that a 100pc adjustment of sales tax input may be allowed against the available output. Cur-

Establishment of National Tax Council notified ISLAMABAD

rently, steel companies are required to withhold 10pc sales tax even though full adjustment is available.

As per the steel industry, the government should immediately issue orders to adjust full sales tax (input) to all documented steel industry on their opening inventory of July 1, 2019. "Billions of rupees are stuck with FBR, despite a clear understanding of the change in sales tax regime. The fixed Import Trade Price (ITP) on the scrap of $360 per tonne may be removed and taxes should be collected on the actual transactional values."

As per an estimate, Pakistan's initial economic losses in different sectors of the economy would be over Rs1 trillion. These losses are going to be incurred on account of a drop in the GDP growth because of reduction in the services sector, including airline business and others, FBR’s revenue loss, massive decline in imports, exports, reduction in remittances, disruption in food supplies and other fronts.

According to officials of the Ministry of Commerce, the exports might face loss in the range of $2 to $4 billion as orders had gotten cancelled. For the closure of major port operations and retailers globally, reduced global demand was likely to lead to reduced global economic growth.

SBP announces six relaxations for exporters impacted

by COVID-19

GHULAM ABBAS

KARACHI

As per the decision of the National Finance Commission’s Monitoring Committee, the Finance Division on Friday notified the establishment of National Tax Council (NTC), a national body to resolve tax issues among centre and provinces.

As per the notification, Adviser to PM on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh would be the chairman of the council while finance ministers of the four provinces -- Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan -- would be the members of the council.

According to the Terms of Reference (ToR) set for the NTC, the council will look into the harmonized rates of tax applied to supplies of goods and services as applicable to the entire country.

Besides, the national body would also be responsible to formulate a model sales tax law on goods and model sales tax law on services, definitions of goods and services, principles of levy, apportionment of sales tax on services made in the course of inter-provincial trade and principles that govern the place of supply.

NTC would see the turnover threshold below which sales may be exempted from the sales tax. It would also bring clarity about exempted goods and services as applicable to the entire country The council, as per the ToR, will also set any special rates or cesses for a specified

MEIRYUM ALI

period for an individual province or provinces, to raise additional resources due to emergencies arising as a result of any natural calamity or disaster.

It would also suggest rules governing the administration of sales tax across provinces and the ICT to reduce duplication of administration for taxpayers. A mechanism will be developed to resolve disputes arising on matters related to powers vested by it on tax matters, between the federal government and the provincial governments and amongst provincial governments.

The council would also resolve the issues related to overlaps in collection of FED and sales tax.

The NTC is also tasked for data harmonization which include but not limited to monthly sharing of data on FBR collections, oil and gas productions, electricity production and formulation of mechanism to ensure that payments due to provinces are made in time.

As per the ToR, the deci-

sion of NTC would be implemented by the federal and provincial governments. The NTC will meet at least once every quarter.

According to sources, apart from the council’s main body, there would be an executive committee comprising federal finance secretary as chairman, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman, finance secretaries of four provinces, Sindh Revenue Board chairperson, Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) chairperson, KPRA director general and BRA chairperson.

According to officials, the executive committee would forward its suggestions/proposals for approval.

It is pertinent to mention that the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its recent report, had recommended Pakistan to establish a joint working group, comprising centre and provinces, to provide recommendations on GST harmonisation, to be approved by the Council of Common Interests (CCI) by end-March 2020.

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has announced six different relaxations to help exporters facing declining demand in overseas markets and problems in existing orders, according to a statement issued by the central bank on Friday. The SBP already has existing refinance schemes for exporters, amounting to Rs660 billion. Under the Export Finance Schemes (EFS) and Long-Term Financing Facility (LTFF) schemes, SBP provided refinance to banks to provide cheap credit at interest rates between 3pc to 6pc to exporters for working capital and new projects. The conditions of these schemes have now been changed. First, the conditions for availing cheaper credit have been relaxed. Previously, export required to export twice the amount of borrowed funds; the SBP has reduced it to one-and-a-half times for both fiscal year 2020 and 2021. Secondly, exporters were required to show their performance under the EFS schemes by end-June 2020, which has now been extended by six months to December 2020. Third, exporters are required to ship their goods within six months of availing credit under EFS; this has now been extended from six to twelve months. Exporters will not have to pay penalties for breaching this condition from January to June 2020.

Fourth, exporters who wanted to avail credit under the LTFF were required to have exports worth 50pc, or $5 million, of the total sales to become eligible.

The SBP has reduced this to 40pc or $4 million for all the borrowings under LTTF between January 1, 2020, to September 30, 2020. The requirements of the annual projected exports performance for four years to avail LTFF for new projects has also been extended by another one year. Fifth, SBP has allowed banks to increase the time period for the realization of exports proceeds from 180 days to 270 days if the delay is related to COVID-19. This would help exporters to provide extended time to their buyers to pay. Sixth, the SBP has extended the time period for the import of goods into Pakistan against advance payment, from the existing requirement of 120 days to 210 days. “The SBP stands ready to take additional measures as the situation related to COVID-19 and its impact on the economy evolves,” the statement said.

Saudi Arabia announces emergency stimulus, expects wider deficit RIYADH/DUBAI AGENCIES

Saudi Arabia announced emergency stimulus measures on Friday that took its support for the economy to more than $32 billion as it tackles the coronavirus outbreak and lower oil prices, and said it is looking to borrow more to finance a widening deficit.

The Saudi central bank said last week it had prepared a 50-billion riyal ($13.32 billion) package to help banks and small and medium-sized enterprises cope with the economic impact of the coronavirus.

Under the package announced by Fi-

nance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan on Friday, 70 billion riyals will be set aside to help businesses, with measures such as exemptions and postponements of some government fees and taxes.

Saudi Arabia will look to increase its borrowing this year, Jadaan said, to finance a deficit which he estimated could widen to a maximum of 7pc to 9pc by the end of the year, from an earlier projection of 6.4pc.

“We have huge reserves and very large investments, but we don’t want to liquidate any of these so we will borrow ... I don’t expect the deficit by the end of 2020 to exceed 7pc to 9pc, and this is our target.”

King Salman, whose country has recorded no coronavirus deaths so far, had approved raising the debt ceiling to 50pc of gross domestic product, from 30pc, said the minister.

“We don’t expect (borrowing) to exceed 50pc until 2022 and this year we don’t expect borrowing to exceed 100 billion riyals and it could be less,” Jadaan said.

CONTINGENCY PLAN Saudi business owners will be allowed to postpone value-added tax (VAT), excise tax, and income tax payments for a period of three months, the minister said.

Expat fees, which the government

charges for hiring expatriates and obtaining visas for their dependents, will also be cancelled for a three-month period.

The duration of these measures could be extended, Jadaan said.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, announced this week a nearly 5pc cut in the state’s 2020 budget amounting to 50 billion riyals and said expenditures would be reassessed as low oil prices and the coronavirus outbreak threaten growth.

Jadaan told a news conference broadcast on state television that the government has a contingency plan and flexibility through a mixture of spending cuts, borrowing and tap-

ping of reserves.

The government has the ability to use different sources of financing which allow it to intervene in the economy “in the right way and at the right time, while limiting the impact on the government’s goals in maintaining fiscal sustainability and economic development in the medium- and longterm,” he said.

Riyadh, which has been running a deficit since oil prices plunged in 2014, had announced a 1.02-trillion riyal budget for 2020 which analysts said was based on an assumption of roughly $60 a barrel. Oil prices were below $30 per barrel on Friday.

The AgA KhAn UniversiTy hospiTAl CoviD-19 press sTATemenT!

Mehwish Hayat to be featured in BBC a production produced by Angelina Jolie!

A

HOLLYWOOD BOLLYWOOD

s the number of COVID-19 cases in Pakistan increase, our response to this global pandemic is critical.

WHO’s aim with COVID-19 response is to identify, isolate and care for patients quickly. This has guided The Aga Khan University (AKU’s) response as well.

AKU is a University and a Research led institution. We have collaborations with the World Health Organization, other leading international partners, universities and hospitals, all of which help us act as a credible source for information and advice for the federal and provincial governments and the National Institute of Health. In disease outbreaks, in health policy and related matters, our experts have routinely been called upon to provide expertise and they have always stepped up and provided a leading role whenever our Pakistan society has faced health challenges.

The COVID-19 disease outbreak is no different. When this disease outbreak first surfaced, our experts in Health sciences, Infectious Diseases, Family Medicine, Emergency Medicine and Clinical Laboratories, among others, went into fullforce, supported by our administrative leadership teams, to better understand the virus, epidemiology, patient management protocols and diagnosis.

COVID-19 is a new virus and can currently only be reliably diagnosed through a PCR based technique which requires a swab taken from the nose. Any other technique, such as blood based antibody testing may provide an indirect measure of exposure to the virus but should not be used in isolation and can provide incorrect results; the PCR based technique is the trusted and recommended standard COVID-19 test by the World Health Organization (WHO). While the countrywide COVID-19 response plans were being worked upon, in January 2020, in an attempt to make the COVID-19 PCR test

available in Pakistan, the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi (AKUH, K) Laboratory experts imported certain reagents and equipment, worked on a testing regimen and was able to make a reliable test to diagnose COVID-19. The AKUH,K Clinical Laboratories acts as international reference labs and insists on high quality materials to ensure high levels of test result accuracy, guided by the world class accreditations it has from the Joint Commission International as well as the College of American Pathologists.

This was critical at this stage because testing kits were not yet available in Pakistan, so this effort was undertaken to make available the very critical testing ability, that that country did not have at that time.

The Aga Khan University Hospital is a private, not for profit institution that has served the people of Pakistan over the last 35 years, to support the development of quality and relevant Education, Healthcare and Research. The surplus collected by the hospital has always been used to help patients access quality health services through welfare and zakat, and financially challenged students access quality educational programmes through subsidies and aid. However, in the case of the COVID19 PCR test, the charge of Rs. 7,900 covers only the cost of conducting the test and required reagents; AKUH, K is not profiting from the COVID-19 PCR tests.

The COVID-19 screening, testing and treatment protocol followed by the Aga Khan University Hospital is the same protocol that is being followed world-wide. screening is a technique used in medicine to determine the likelihood of a person having a disease. This includes a set of questions which have been designed as per the guidelines set

by WHO and at AKUH,K screening for COVID-19 is done at the Community Health Centre (CHC), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Former model turned actress Mehwish Hayat, widely regarded as one of the leading film and screen stars in the Urdu entertainment industry is to be featured in a BBC production “My World” produced by leading Hollywood star and philanthropist Angelina Jolie speaking about the interview, Mehwish Hayat has said “Excited that my interview for BBC world will be out soon. Great concept created by Angelia Jolie for the first TV show she is producing”. Mehwish also praised the Hollywood actress for creating a great concept for her show that aims to inform viewers about the on-going issues in the world. Facts and figures will also be presented to help audience members create their own opinions about the international issues. Awarded two international Lux style Awards (Pakistan’s biggest entertainment awards), Mehwish was honoured with the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz by the government of Pakistan, the highest declaration given to a civilian in Pakistan based on their achievements.

Venetia Burney, who at age 11 suggested the name “Pluto” for the ninth planet in our solar system, lived to see it demoted to a dwarf planet in 2006.

‘Yashma Gill Wins Hearts with Her Latest Photoshoot’ Beethoven went out of his way to ensure his morning coffee was made with exactly 60 beans per cup.

Dynamite actress and YouTube sensation Yashma Gill, who is currently garnering praises for her performance in Pyar Ke sadqay, recently did a stunning photoshoot in Karachi. Yashma Gill is dazzling in trendy outfits by Quiz in this shoot photographed by Kashif Qadri, with beautiful makeup looks from Bellagio by sadaf.

Elegant and classy in the western looks, Yashma Gill dons all the outfits with perfection. Due to her remarkable acting prowess, the young and talented actress has taken over our tv screens in a short period of time. Having received critical acclaim for her roles in Qurban, Ghar Titli Ka Par, Ki Jaana Main Kaun, Piya Naam Ka Diya, and the currently on-air “Alif,” Yashma Gill has proven her versatility. she is currently starring in the popular drama Pyar Ke sadqay that airs every Thursday on Hum TV.

During World War II, the term security blanket was slang for measures meant to keep military information secret, or covered up.

Will Smith blames his movie I Am Coronavirus lockdown: Varun whips up an Rahul Khanna accuses Malaika of stealing Legend for coronavirus ‘misinformation’ omelette, Arjun Kapoor gets fresh air on terrace his pose, says ‘There you go copying my Hollywood star Will smith has joked that his movie I Am Legend is The coronavirus lockdown has made several Bollywood celebrities look again’

responsible for “a lot of the misinformation” surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. The 51-year-old actor discussed the health crisis on the latest instalment of his wife Jada Pinkett smith’s Facebook Watch show Red Table Talk, along with their daughter Willow smith, son Trey smith, and Jada’s mother Adrienne Banfield-Jones, reports aceshowbiz.com.

During the chat, the actor quipped that he felt the current situation reflects the post-apocalyptic action film about a scientist who is the last human survivor of a plague, with smith’s character seeking to reverse the effects of the virus by using his own immune blood.

“I wanted to do this because in 2008 I made I Am Legend, and I feel responsible for a lot of the misinformation,” the Aladdin star said before the family discussed the virus. Pinkett said: “Just like other families around the world, we are trying to navigate all the information out there about COVID-19,” as she said their 21-year-old son Jaden smith was absent from the discussion, “because he’s being a responsible human and social distancing.”

look at different ways to keep themselves fit and occupied as they stay in self-quarantine as a precautionary measure. While Arjun Kapoor now does cardio on his terrace to get some fresh air, filmmaker Onir has started cooking by himself as he chose to send his house help on leave.

Jacqueline Fernandez is also working out at home to keep fit. she shared a video of her surya namaskar which is a part of her yoga routine and captioned it, “This is 1 surya namaskar, 20 mins you can do 20 and it’s a great workout! I do 108 yoga to the rescue!!!”

Arjun Kapoor shared a video in his Insta stories as he walked around on the terrace “to get a bit of oxygen and sun and get a bit of cardio”.

Talking about how they are lucky to get an opportunity to keep indoors as a precautionary measure amid coronavirus outbreak, he says “we got to stay together but stay separately. We can still move around a little bit to whatever capacity we have.” The actor has been bingeing on movies during his stay at home and watched Leonardo DiCaprio’s Revenant last night. He had earlier shared a glimpse of him watching Hera Pheri.

Rahul Khanna is at it again. The actor again accused Malaika Arora of copying her pose, in humour of course. The actor shared a collage of his and Malaika’s pictures which have them striking the same pose.

Rahul shared the collage on his Instagram stories with the caption, “There you go copying my look again, Malla!” The actor is in a bathrobe and has his hand around his chin, his fingers have black nailpaint. On the other hand, Malaika is in a white tee with her fingers around her chin and has applied a facepack. Rahul also wrote on the post, “Hope everyone’s staying safe and self isolating”.

Malaika re-shared Rahul’s post on her Instagram stories and wrote, “Avoid touching your face pls”. Malaika’s picture is from her stay in self-isolation on Thursday. she had shared screenshots from her video call with bestie Kareena Kapoor, sister Amrita Arora and their mother as they tried to virtually interact with each other in the times of coronavirus outbreak. Malaika is staying indoors with her dog Casper and son Arhaan who are giving her company during their self-quarantine period.

Saturday, 21 March, 2020

14 SPORTS

OlymPic flamE gEts mutEd wElcOmE in JaPan as gamEs dOubts grOw Tokyo

t

Agencies

HE Olympic flame arrived in Japan to a scaled-down welcoming ceremony Friday as doubts grew over whether the Tokyo Games will go ahead on schedule with the coronavirus pandemic causing chaos around the world.

As the flame, enclosed in a special lantern, landed on a charter flight, a Japanese Olympic Committee member broke ranks to call for a postponement and Olympics chief Thomas Bach admitted "different scenarios" were under consideration.

"Of course we are considering different scenarios, but we are contrary to many other sports organisations or professional leagues in that we are four-and-a-half months away from the Games," Bach, the International Olympic Committee president, told the New York Times.

"For us, (postponement) would not be responsible now and it would be premature to start speculation or make a decision at a time when we do not have any recommendation from the task force," he added.

Reflecting the uncertainty caused by COVID-19, the flame's arrival at Matsushima Air Base in Japan's north was a muted affair after organisers were forced to cancel plans to invite 200 schoolchildren.

Former Olympic judo champions Saori Yoshida and Tadahiro Nomura lit a ceremonial cauldron in front of a few dozen officials and guests.

"Children had planned to welcome the Olympic flame, but we decided to scale it down, giving priority to their safety," said Tokyo 2020 chief Yoshiro Mori.

The nationwide torch relay begins on March 26, starting from the J-Village sports complex in Fukushima that was used as a base for workers during the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.

But organisers have been forced to scale back the relay, closing daily ceremonies to the public and urging spectators to "avoid forming crowds" along the route.

- Olympics 'should be postponed' Speculation has been growing over the Games, scheduled to start on July 24, after the COVID-19 outbreak closed sports competitions around the world and paral-

ysed many countries, along with international travel.

The virus has already disrupted the early stages of the torch's journey in Greece, with the lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia taking place without spectators.

Organisers then had to scrap the Greek leg of the relay after large crowds mobbed Hollywood actor Gerard Butler as he lit a cauldron in the city of Sparta.

With borders shut in Europe -- which has become the epicentre of the crisis -Tokyo officials did not travel to collect the torch, with former Olympic swimmer Naoko Imoto representing Japan at the official handover.

As the flame landed, there are increas-

ing clouds over the Games, with some athletes attacking the IOC for insisting there's no need for "drastic" action such as postponement or cancellation.

Japanese Olympic Committee executive board member Kaori Yamaguchi, a former Olympic judoka, was the latest prominent figure to call for a postponement, citing the difficulties faced by athletes.

"It should be postponed under the current situation where athletes are not well prepared," Yamaguchi told the Nikkei daily.

"By asking them to train under these conditions, the IOC is opening itself up the criticism that it is not putting athletes first," she added.

Bach, under fire after the IOC advised athletes to continue training "as best they can", insisted health considerations were "first and foremost" -- and that the decision won't be driven by financial interest.

"What makes this crisis so unique and so difficult to overcome is the uncertainty.

Nobody today can tell you what the developments are tomorrow, what they are in one month, not to mention in more than four months," he said.

"Therefore it would not be responsible in any way to set a date or take a decision right now, which would be based on the speculation about the future developments."

Bach said the IOC will act on advice from its own task force and the World Health Organization, but was optimistic about holding the Games on time. He added that there was no question of a cancellation.

Boards brace for losses in the time of coronavirus new deLhi Agencies

When the mighty Indian cricket board decided this week that only the chief among its national selectors would travel business class, it merely confirmed straitened times for the game amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The uncharacteristic austerity by the world’s richest cricket board follows its decision earlier this month to halve the winner’s purse at this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL), a cash cow with a brand value of $6.8 billion (5.87 billion pounds).

The franchise-based Twenty20 league was scheduled to begin on March 29 but has now been postponed until April 15.

To many, a condensed tournament, possibly without foreign players, later this year looks like a more realistic prospect.

A curtailed or cancelled tournament would mean significant losses for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which gets around 400 million rupees (4.64 million pounds) annually from broadcaster STAR India and its central pool of sponsors.

“The loss at this stage is notional. The biggest loser in any economic dynamics is always its biggest gainer, which is BCCI in this case,” SportzPower co-founder Thomas Abraham, whose company monitors sports business in India, told Reuters.

“For STAR India, it’s also a loss of opportunity. It was building the India launch of its Disney+ OTT (streaming service) around the IPL.”

A truncated tournament would necessitate renegotiation with Disney-owned STAR India, which was not available to share how it plans to dovetail the launch of its new platform with the IPL. Chinese smartphone maker Vivo, which bagged the 2018-22 title rights for 219 million rupees, is unlikely to suffer a big loss.

“They would have been preparing for new launches around IPL. They can still do it,” Abraham said.

Vivo did not elaborate if the truncation had disrupted their plans to leverage their tournament rights.

“In light of the global health risk ... we at Vivo completely support BCCI’s decision to postpone the series,” Nipun Marya, Director of Vivo India’s Brand Strategy, said in a statement to Reuters.

“We shall continuously evaluate the situation as it progresses.”

MONITORING SITUATION: The BCCI and IPL franchises also pay 20% of a player’s annual fee to his home board, which stands to lose that money if it does not allow the cricketer into the IPL due to fears about the coronavirus for example.

A shorter tournament will mean a smaller share from the shrunken central pool of revenues for the eight IPL franchises, not to mention a reduction in gate receipts.

Further afield, the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup narrowly escaped the health crisis but the outbreak has cast a shadow over the men’s event in Australia, which begins on October 18.

The International Cricket Council (ICC), which runs the tournament, said it was monitoring the situation.

“We are planning for the event to go ahead as scheduled,” it said on the tournament website.

Cricket Australia stands to lose some A$300 million (150.89 million pounds) should the coronavirus outbreak derail their high-profile home test series against India later this year.

“We’re in uncertain times, and it’s difficult to project precisely what will transpire over the next number of months,” CA chief executive Kevin Roberts said this week.

“But we will be working through with advice from experts, externally as to what are the various scenarios that are plausible, how likely are they, and how would we

plan to deal with each of them.”

IN THE BALANCE: In England, the fate of the inaugural ‘The Hundred’ championship hangs in the balance after the epicentre of the pandemic moved from Asia to Europe, shutting down most sport on the continent.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have invested heavily in promoting the competition in the 100-ball format, which is scheduled to begin on July 17.

“It is clear that every industry, including cricket, will be impacted by this unprecedented situation,” Tom Moffat, chief executive of the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA), told Reuters.

“It’s more important than ever for the cricket industry to work together collaboratively at this time.”

English rugby season ends below Premiership level London Agencies

English rugby chiefs on Friday confirmed the end of the 2019/20 season for all levels beneath the Premiership due to the coronavirus. The move applies to "all league, cup and county rugby", according to a statement from the Rugby Football Union (RFU), which said it was in "active discussions" with the Premiership. RFU chief Bill Sweeney said in a letter to rugby clubs: "We are working through the implications of ending the season early and have instigated a thorough process to ensure fair and balanced outcomes for the game. "We will communicate these outcomes by the middle of April. While we would like to provide all the answers now, we need some time to get it right for the best interests of the game." Runaway leaders Newcastle are targeting promotion to the topflight Premiership from the second-tier Championship. Saracens' relegation from the Premiership as punishment for repeated salary cap breaches has already been confirmed and Newcastle looked likely to take their place.

The RFU had previously suspended all rugby activity until April 14, while the Premiership is currently due to resume on April 24. There are nine rounds of Premiership matches remaining before the scheduled semi-finals and final. Exeter lead the table by five points after 13 rounds of fixtures. With the coronavirus wrecking havoc on global sport, next month's European Champions Cup and Challenge Cup quarter-finals have been postponed. The Pro14 competition and France's Top 14 league are suspended while the Six Nations has not been completed.

Sweeney warned that Twickenham -- the home of English rugby -- was facing financial challenges due to the disruption caused by coronavirus. "We benefit from strong Twickenham stadium revenues but we are also exposed if there is widespread cancellation of games and events," he said. "This was already budgeted to be a loss-making year within a four-year cycle due to the costs of the 2019 RWC (Rugby World Cup) campaign and only hosting two home Six Nations games. "The loss will now be considerably more as we face challenges similar to businesses across the entire country."

German billionaire Hopp: Football villain or virus hero?

BerLin Agencies

Long despised by German fans as the face of big-money football, billionaire Dietmar Hopp is now being held up by some as a national hero in the coronavirus crisis.

Three weeks ago, the 79-year-old owner of the Hoffenheim club was the subject of nationwide protests in Germany's football stadiums, with fans calling him a "son of a b***h" and holding up pictures of his face in crosshairs.

This week, Hopp raised hopes of a vaccine for the COVID-19 disease, suggesting a company he owns could develop one as soon as the autumn.

Ranked by Forbes as the eighth richest person in Germany, Hopp made his fortune with SAP, the software company he cofounded in 1972.

Decades later, he used his wealth to propel Hoffenheim, based near Sinsheim in southwestern Germany, from amateur league anonymity to the top-flight Bundesliga and a place among Europe's elite in the Champions League.

That made him a hate figure for football fans across the country.

For Germany's "ultras", Hopp is a symbol for how wealthy investors hold too much power in football.

They see him as a threat to the culture and traditions of the German game, and more specifically to the 50+1 rule, which underpins the considerable influence of supporters in the way German clubs are run.

Hopp has also riled fans by taking legal action over insulting chants sung about him by away supporters.

A decision by the German Football Association to ban Borussia Dortmund fans

from Hoffenheim for two years prompted a flood of protests last month, with fans across the country accusing football authorities of pandering to Hopp's personal wishes.

Supporters of clubs such as Bayern Munich, Borussia Moenchengladbach and Union Berlin held up banners insulting Hopp and the DFB, leading in some cases to games being suspended.

- Vaccine in autumn Three weeks on, the Bundesliga has been suspended due to the coronavirus crisis, but Hopp remains firmly in the headlines.

He is now being heralded as a hero in some quarters, after it emerged that one of his companies, biotech firm CureVac, is working on a vaccine for COVID-19.

"We need to do tests on animals first, and then humans. But I think it should be available by the autumn, and that's when the next wave of infections might come," Hopp

told Sport1 website on Tuesday.

CureVac's research, meanwhile, was at the centre of a diplomatic row last weekend.

According to a report in Welt newspaper on Sunday, US President Donald Trump offered the company up to a billion dollars to secure exclusive rights to the vaccine re-

search for the United States.

CureVac denied the report, while Hopp said such a deal "would not be an option".

"It's obvious for me that it can't be the case that a German company develops a vaccine which is then used exclusively in the US," he told Sport1.

saturday, 21 March, 2020

sports 15

English football ExtEnds virus shutdown until april 30 LonDon

t

Agencies

HE coronavirus-enforced shutdown of English football was extended until at least April 30 on Thursday after the Premier League and English Football League held crisis talks. All games in the English top-flight, the EFL, Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship, and all fixtures in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are currently suspended.

As well as the extension of the shutdown in England, which was initially due to last until early April, the 2019/20 season has been prolonged “indefinitely”.

UEFA’s decision to postpone Euro 2020 for 12 months could allow games to be completed after the traditional end of the season if strict restrictions on travelling and mass gatherings to halt the spread of COVID-19 are lifted in time.

“We’ve collectively agreed that the professional game in England will be further postponed until no earlier than Thursday 30 April,” said a joint statement by the English Football Association, Premier League, EFL, players’ and managers’ bodies.

The English leagues still hope to finish the season rather than accepting the current standings as final or declaring the campaign null and void.

“We’re united in our commitment to finding ways of resuming the 2019/20 football season and ensuring all domestic and European club league and cup matches are played as soon as it is safe and possible to do so,” the statement said. Even if play can start again in early May, that could mean matches stretching beyond the June 30 goal UEFA agreed on for finishing the season on Tuesday.

The end of June is when many players’ contracts and loan deals expire, giving clubs a potential headache.

But the English authorities are giving no absolute deadline for the completion of the season.

“The FA’s rules and regulations state that ‘the sea-

son shall terminate not later than the 1 June’ and ‘each competition shall, within the limit laid down by the FA, determine the length of its own playing season’,” the statement said.

“However, The FA’s board has agreed for this limit to be extended indefinitely for the 2019/20 season in relation to professional football.”

– Off-season break scrapped? – One option could see the end of the 2019/20 season and the beginning of the 2020/21 campaign come together, with no time for an off-season break.

“Players may need to get their summer break in now before we finish what was the 19/20 season and roll it right into the 20/21 season without a break,” Brighton striker Glenn Murray told AFP. “Everyone loves sport, everyone loves watching football but I really think the right decision was made in bringing it to a halt.

“At this moment in time it’s pretty irrelevant —

people’s health is first and foremost. Once we get over this crisis we can look at sport and getting the Premier League and Football Leagues back in action.”

The sudden shutdown, though, could have longlasting consequences for many lower league clubs, who fear for their survival with no income from gate receipts. A £50 million ($58 million) short-term relief package was announced by the EFL to help stricken clubs on Wednesday.

However, there has so far been no bailout from the Premier League to ensure those further down the pyramid survive.

On a more positive note, Arsenal said on Thursday that manager Mikel Arteta had recovered well since testing positive for the virus on Friday.

“We’re pleased to say that Mikel is feeling much better,” the Gunners said in a statement.

“He’s in good spirits, doing detailed planning with the coaches and speaking to the players regularly.”

Home comforts no excuse for slacking off, says Man City's Laporte Manchester Agencies

French defender Aymeric Laporte has urged his Manchester City teammates to keep up their home training routines during their self-isolation -- but admits he cannot stop thinking about the club's possible exclusion from the Champions League.

The 25-year-old is presently recovering from a hamstring problem, the latest in a litany of injuries that has limited him to eight appearances this season.

City's players have had to stay at home and been given training plans since the reigning Premier League champions closed the training ground following British government advice on Monday to avoid all non-essential travel and contact.

"That's (personal training schedule) the best thing for everyone, that we do it every day," Laporte said, quoted in The Times on Friday.

"They trust in you and you have to be professional. You have to follow what they say and we have

to be responsible in this case.

"When we return to normality, when we start training again outside, we have to be ready."

Premier League chiefs on Thursday fixed a planned resumption of domestic football for April 30. Britain has only just begun to take the same restrictive meas-

ures as other European countries to fight the pandemic.

Laporte said City players had been advised to adhere to the guidance on avoiding social contact.

"We have the same protocol as has been given out in all countries: stay at home as much as possible, don't go out in the street, don't shake hands with anyone," said Laporte.

"If you go to the supermarket and you see someone you know, say hello to them, but don't shake their hands or get close to them."

Laporte said he was worried about City's ban from European football for two years for breaching financial fairplay rules, although the club has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

“We are waiting for a final decision," said Laporte "We are going to see what happens next season.

"Obviously it would hurt us a lot if we aren't in the Champions League next season.

"I am very happy here at Manchester City. I am enjoying my football here. We are doing great things here.

In the last two years we have won eight trophies."

umar akmal charged under pCb antiCorruption Code sports Desk The Pakistan Cricket Board has charged Umar Akmal with two breaches of Article 2.4.4 of the PCB AntiCorruption Code in two unrelated incidents. Article 2.4.4 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code reads as: “Failing to disclose to the PCB Vigilance and Security Department (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by the Participant to engage in Corrupt Conduct under this Anti-Corruption Code”. Umar Akmal was issued the Notice of Charge on Tuesday, March 17, and has 14 days (March 31, 2020) to respond in writing to the charge. According to Article 6.2, the range of permissible period of ineligibility for those charged and found guilty for a violation of Article 2.4.4 is a minimum of six months and a maximum of a lifetime.

Umar Akmal was provisionally suspended on February 20, 2020. The PCB will not make any further comment pending the outcome on this case.

snooker world championship postponed over virus Snooker's world championship has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the World Snooker Tour (WST) announced on Friday. The tournament was scheduled to be played from April 18 to May 4 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. The WST said it was aiming to stage the event in July or August instead. On Tuesday, the Tour Championship in Wales, scheduled to take place this week, was postponed until July 21-26.

WST chairman Barry Hearn said in a statement on Friday: "These are tough times for everyone but we are determined to get through it." "I can assure everyone that we are doing all we can alongside our broadcasters, the venues and other partners to confirm new dates as soon as possible," he added. "Snooker players are self-employed, they need opportunities to earn prize money so we have a responsibility to them. We are currently exploring the potential to stage tournaments behind closed doors to keep the circuit alive." Agencies

'Blessing amid misfortune': The Chinese football club at coronavirus ground zero The team are split in half, with some players in lockdown and others training, but a modest Chinese club from the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic is at last beginning to turn its attentions to football again.

Wuhan Three Towns FC, a team in China's third division that draws crowds of between 2,000 and 4,000, were gearing up for a promising new season in League Two South when their world was turned upside down.

"We have been isolated at home for almost two months," Yu Chen, an assistant coach, told AFP by telephone from Wuhan - the city of 11 million people where the outbreak emerged in December.

As virus deaths ticked up alarmingly, Chinese authorities placed Wuhan and the surrounding province of Hubei on a strict lockdown in January, with nobody allowed in or out of the area and an estimated 56 million people ordered to stay indoors.

The start of the Chinese football season was indefinitely postponed.

"Earlier, when the epidemic was serious, I was very panicky," said the 32-year-old Yu. "At that time, I felt that many people in

Hubei were quite afraid, so were my friends.

"We were worried about the health of our families and did not know if they were going to be infected and how."

But as the coronavirus spreads in other parts of the world, notably in Europe, China is beginning to see some light at last.

The country on Friday reported no new local cases for a second straight day, suggesting that the stringent containment measures are having an impact.

The Chinese government, which has begun slowly easing travel curbs, is now concerned about a second wave of infections from people arriving from other countries.

Mercifully, no Three Towns players or staff have contracted the coronavirus, which has killed nearly 3,300 people in China, most of them in Hubei.

Nor have any of the players lost loved ones.

"This is a blessing amid misfortune," said Yu. But some players have suffered a psychological toll from being confined to their homes for weeks on end, he added.

Ten players are languishing in Wuhan --

which is still under harsh measures -- and they have been attempting to keep fit by doing basic exercises at home for an hour each day, five days a week.

Fourteen more players are 1,500 kilome-

CMYK

tres (900 miles) away, training on the Chinese island of Hainan.

"At the moment, the whole team is separated and there is no centralised training, which is the biggest difficulty," said Yu.

- 'Sense of honour' Wuhan Zall, the Chinese Super League (CSL) side from the city, have also been badly affected by the virus outbreak.

They returned to China this week having been stranded in Spain since the end of January. But with nobody allowed in or out of Wuhan the team are in Shenzhen, where they are in quarantine.

Zall have at least been able to train together for the new season, whenever it begins.

Yu said the Three Towns players are desperate to get out and meet again, and hope to eventually play a small part in getting the city back on its feet.

The team's Spanish head coach, Albert Garcia, is with the bulk of the players in Hainan -- although he too is in quarantine -and Yu hopes that the rest of the squad can soon join them there.

"Hubei province and Wuhan city are slowly returning to work, and the work of the club will soon get back on track," said Yu. "Our team will represent the city of Wuhan on the pitch and the players will have a sense of responsibility and honour." Agencies

Saturday, 21 March, 2020

NEWS

Virus deAths pAss 10,000 As cAliforniA shuts doWn IRAN, ITALY REPORT NEW DEATH; FRANCE FINES 4,000 PEOPLE FOR VIOLATING LOCKDOWN NEW YORK

M

AGENCIES

ORE than 10,000 people have now died in a coronavirus-pandemic that has swept from China throughout the world, forcing the confinement of tens of millions in their homes. As the virus has marched westwards, the severity of the outbreaks and the focus of concern has shifted from Asia to Europe, with increasingly tough restrictions being imposed by national governments.

The US state of California, among the worst hit in the country, has told its 40 million residents to stay at home, the most drastic move yet in the United States to combat the pandemic.

However, the California measures will not be enforced by police unlike in France, Italy, Spain and other European countries where people face fines if they break the rules.

Germany’s biggest state Bavaria on Friday became the first region in the country to order a lockdown for two weeks, imposing “fundamental restrictions” on going out.

The strict measures follow the template set by China, where a lockdown imposed in Hubei province where the new coronavirus first emerged appears to have paid off.

The country is now reporting on a handful of new infections each day, apparently from overseas visitors.

Italy is battling the single most deadly outbreak on the planet with 3,405 deaths, followed by 3,248 in China and Iran with 1,433, according to an AFP tally of official data.

Europe now accounts for half of the 10,000 fatalities linked to the COVID-19 disease around the world.

However, accurate figures are difficult to come by as many of those who die are suffering from other illnesses and infection rates are uncertain because of a lack of testing in many countries.

IRAN DEATH TOLL TOUCHES 1,433: Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi said 1,237 more cases of the new coronavirus have been confirmed over the past 24 hours and 19,644 people are now known to have been infected in Iran, one of the world’s worst-hit countries, AFP reports. The latest figures come as Iranians celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year which ushers in a two-week holiday during which Iran’s roads are normally filled with people visiting family.

The authorities had urged the public to avoid family visits or days out this year to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

‘SCRAMBLE FOR TREATMENTS’: The United States is showing signs that it is ramping up its efforts on all fronts, fasttracking antimalarial drugs for use as a treatment against the virus and promising a $1 trillion emergency relief package to combat the economic turmoil.

The package — coupled with a European Central Bank plan to buy 750 billion euros in bonds — saw stock markets rebound on Friday with exchanges up throughout Asia and Europe.

US President Donald Trump, who has come under fire for his response to the crisis, said on Thursday that US officials would make antimalarials chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine available “almost immediately”.

Experts are divided over whether the drugs are suitable though, having under-

gone only the briefest of clinical trials.

German and American drug firms are frantically trying to synthesise treatments for the disease and Chinese scientists are also carrying out clinical trials, though no studies have yet been published.

Trump also sparked an international row after he accused the Chinese of being secretive over its initial spread and severity, saying the world is now “paying a big price”. Chinse foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang hit back, saying “some people” were trying to “stigmatise” China’s fight against the virus.

“This approach ignores the great sacrifice made by the Chinese people to safeguard the health and safety of humankind, and slanders China’s major contribution to global public health,” he said.

EU LOCKDOWN BITES: Across Europe, governments continued to rigorously enforce lockdown measures.

France announced more than 4,000 people were fined on the first day of its confinement and ministers branded those breaking the rules as “idiots”.

France and Italy have both said they will most likely extend the confinement

India executes four men for brutal 2012 Delhi bus rape and murder NEW DELHI AGENCIES

India hanged four men on Friday who were convicted for the rape and murder of a young woman on a bus in New Delhi in 2012, in a case that shocked the world and shamed the country over its appalling record for crimes against women.

The men were executed at dawn in Tihar jail, on the outskirts of the capital, two prison officials said.

Hundreds of police were deployed outside the jail to control a crowd that waited to celebrate the execution. Some held placards that read “Justice for women” and “Hang the culprits”.

The crime, which happened on the night of December 16, 2012, sparked massive protests and global outrage. The victim was dubbed Nirbhaya – the fearless one – by the Indian press, as she could not be named under Indian law.

“Today, justice has been done after seven years,” the victim’s mother told reporters outside the prison. “I salute Indian judiciary and thank god for hearing our prayers…my daughter’s soul can now rest in peace.”

Six men were arrested for the brutal attack. One suspect, Ram Singh, was found dead in his jail cell in March 2013, having apparently taken his own life.

Another, who was aged 17 at the

time, was released in 2015 after serving three years in a reform facility – the maximum term possible for a juvenile in India. The four hanged on Friday were gym instructor Vinay Sharma, bus cleaner Akshay Thakur, fruit-seller Pawan Gupta and unemployed Mukesh Singh, who were all sentenced to death by a fast-track court in 2013.

In 2017, the Supreme Court upheld death sentences against four men, with judges ruling the crime met the “rarest of the rare” standard required to justify capital punishment in India.

India’s president rejected pleas for clemency from the condemned men, after the Supreme Court dismissed their pleas

beyond the initial periods, while British schools will close indefinitely on Friday.

As Europeans battle to cope with the isolation, technology companies have begun to hint at the strain being put on their systems.

Both Netflix and YouTube, which both say they have experienced a surge in demand since lockdowns began, have promised to reduce the default image quality of streaming video in Europe to ease pressure on the internet.

The restrictions are also ironically bringing communities together in some places. In sparsely populated rural Spain — a country that ranks fourth in the world for coronavirus infections — neighbours are pulling together to help the old and the vulnerable.

Sergio Caminero, 30, who lives in Lovingos, a hamlet of just 50 people north of Madrid, went to pick up some shopping for an elderly neighbour.

“She’s older and is quite frightened and tense,” he told AFP. The strain on public health and education systems, as well as the economy, is likely to deepen in the coming weeks. for a review of the death sentences.

Attacked on a moving bus and left for dead on roadside, the victim, a 23-yearold physiotherapy student, clung to life for two weeks before succumbing to her injuries. She died in a hospital in Singapore, where she had been transferred in a desperate attempt to save her.

Outrage over her death led to India passing tough new laws against sexual violence, including the death penalty for rape in some cases.

Still, one woman reported a rape every 15 minutes on average in India in 2018, according to government data released last month, underlining the country’s reputation as one of the worst places in the world to be female.

Women reported almost 34,000 rapes in 2018, barely changed from the year before. Just over 85% led to charges, and 27% to convictions, according to the annual crime report released by the federal home ministry.

saudi Arabia bans prayers at mosques over coronavirus fears Saudi Arabia has suspended the holding of daily prayers and the weekly Friday prayers inside and outside the walls of the two mosques in Mecca and Medina to limit the spread of coronavirus. Earlier, on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia had suspended congregational prayers in other mosques in the country except Masjid al-Haram and Masjid an-Nabawi, in Mecca and Medina respectively. Authorities had placed restrictions on praying inside the mosque in Mecca. On Thursday, the government suspended prayers outside the two holy mosques. “The Presidency and the security and health authorities decided to suspend the presence and prayers in the outer squares of the Grand Mosque [Masjid alHaram] and the Prophet’s Mosque [Masjid alNabawi] starting tomorrow, Friday,” the country’s official SPA news agency quoted Hani bin Hosni Haider, a spokesman for the General Presidency of Mecca’s Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, as saying. Saudi Arabia recorded 36 new infections on Thursday, bringing its total to 274 with no deaths so far.AGENCIES

World must lift sanctions on iran due to coronavirus crisis: Qureshi ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi urged the world community on Friday that it must lift sanctions from coronavirus-battered Iran on a humanitarian basis. The foreign minister made the statement on his Twitter account, saying that Iran must be freed of sanctions so that it can ‘use its resources to save precious human lives’. Qureshi noted that the entire world is fighting against an unprecedented pandemic, asking leaders to show compassion at the time of such great difficulty. On Thursday, Iran’s death toll from the coronavirus outbreak crossed 1,200, a health ministry official told state TV. The total number of people infected from the virus was more than 1,800.

24 AfghAn forces killed in insider AttAck KABUL AGENCIES

At least two dozen Afghan security forces were killed Friday in an insider attack on their base in southern Afghanistan, two officials told AFP. Several “infiltrators” opened fire on their comrades as they slept, Zabul governor Rahmatullah Yarmal said, in one of the deadliest attacks since the US signed a withdrawal deal with the Taliban last month. The pre-dawn raid targeted joint police and army headquarters near Qalat, the provincial capital, long considered a Taliban stronghold. “In the attack, 14 Afghan army forces and 10 policemen were killed,” Zabul provincial council chief Ata Jan Haq Bayan said. He added that four other Afghan security forces were missing. “The attackers had connections with the Taliban insurgents,” Bayan said. They fled in two military Humvee vehicles, along with a pickup truck, weapons and ammunition. Yarmal confirmed the toll to AFP. The Taliban did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The incident comes a day after Afghan Defence Minister Asadullah Khalid called on the Taliban to commit to a ceasefire as a way of tackling the novel coronavirus, which observers fear is spreading unchecked through the impoverished country.

China hits back as Pompeo accuses Beijing of wasting 'valuable days' to tackle COVID-19 WASHINGTON AGENCIES

The United States and China on Friday took their growing clash over the coronavirus pandemic to social media, with Beijing telling Secretary of State Mike Pompeo he was “lying through (his) teeth.”

In an interview on Fox News, Pompeo said Beijing “wasted valuable days” after identifying the novel coronavirus by letting “hundreds of thousands” leave the epicenter of Wuhan to places including Italy, which has surpassed China as the country with the highest death toll.

“The Chinese Communist Party didn’t get it right and put countless lives at risk as a result of that,” Pompeo said.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying voiced anger on Twitter, writing in English:

“Stop lying through your teeth!”

“As WHO experts said, China’s efforts averted hundreds of thousands of infection cases,” she tweeted.

She said that China first told the US of the novel coronavirus outbreak on January 3, with the State Department alerting Americans in Wuhan on January 15.

“And now blame China for delay?

Seriously?” she wrote.

Hua slammed US further, calling out the American government over its apparent lack of transparency. “Why not send a WHO expert group to US to investigate?

“US CDC estimates this season flu has so far sickened at least 36 million people and killed 22,000. CDC Director admitted some were actually #COVID19,” she wrote.

State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus replied: “By Jan. 3, Chinese authorities had already ordered

#COVID19 virus samples destroyed, silenced Wuhan doctors, and censored public concerns online.”

Hua “is right: This is a timeline the world must absolutely scrutinize”, Ortagus tweeted.

Already tense relations between the two powers have worsened over the pandemic, which China has appeared to bring under control but has severely disrupted life in much of the world and infected more than 10,000 people globally.

The US last week summoned the Chinese ambassador after another foreign ministry spokesperson tweeted an unfounded conspiracy theory that the US military brought the virus to Wuhan.

President Donald Trump, in turn, has angered Beijing by insisting on referring to SARS-CoV-2 as the “Chinese virus,” a terminology discouraged by the World Health Organization (WHO).

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