E-Paper PDF 16th January 2020 (ISB)

CMYK

Thursday, 16 January, 2020 I 19 Jamadi-ul-Awwal, 1441 I Rs 19.00 I Vol X No 197 I 16 Pages I Islamabad Edition

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Pml-Q’s CheemA ThANKs PTI for uNDersTANDING ‘our PAIN’, hoPes PromIses wIll Be fulfIlleD ThIs TIme JAhANGIr TAreeN sAys mQm-P wIll reTurN To feDerAl CABINeT sooN As TAlKs Are uNDerwAy PTI DeleGATIoN Assures BAP leADers of ADDressING CoNCerNs, To meeT BNP ChIef AKhTAr meNGAl ToDAy

PTI calms Pml-Q, scrambles To woo oThers Too ISLAMABAD

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MIAN ABRAR

s the allies of the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) begin to give a tough time to the government over its failure to fulfill promises, the ruling party on Wednesday seemingly managed to woo one of its disgruntled allies, the Pakistan Muslim LeagueQuaid (PML-Q).

The meeting came after the government failed to convince the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) whose chief Khalid Maqbool siddiqui resigned from the cabinet owing to differences with the approach of the PTI towards Karachi.

On Wednesday, a PTI delegation comprising Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, Jahangir Tareen,

PM visits Kashmir as climate tragedy leaves 100 dead

STORY ON BACK PAGE

sindh govt, PTI lock horns over IGP’s removal STORY ON PAGE 05

SC gives govt 3 months to decide NAB law KPT case referred to NAB STORIES ON PAGES 02 & 05

Senate panel raises legal objections to Zainab Alert Bill STORY ON PAGE 03

DGPC’s ‘incompetence’ causes $50m loss to national exchequer STORY ON PAGE 12

Rs18bn scam unearthed in PAF housing society for martyrs STORY ON PAGE 03

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Arbab shahzad met PML-Q leaders Tariq Bashir Cheema, Chaudhry Moonis Elahi, Chaudhry salik Hussain and Chaudhry Hussain Elahi in Islamabad.

Non-distribution of development funds, particularly in Punjab, was one of the complaints of PML-Q, according to sources, adding that Punjab’s Annual Development Programme was worth Rs342 billion, but only Rs70bn had been released. speaking to the media after the meeting, Cheema, who skipped the federal cabinet’s meeting on Tuesday, thanked Khattak and Tareen for “understanding our pain”.

He said the PML-Q had differences with the government over the “development process”, hoping its demands will be met soon. speaking about the meeting with the allied

party, Khattak said the two sides had met to remove some “misconceptions created by people”, without elaborating.

The defence minister said that the parties were “allies before and will remain allies in the future”.

He said things were all good between the PTI and PML-Q and assured that the government would complete its tenure along with its allies.

Informed sources told Pakistan Today that the PTI delegation had sought a meeting with the PML leadership at Punjab House at 4pm on Wednesday but Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi refused to attend the sitting, telling the intermediary that since the Chaudhries were unhappy with the federal government, the government delegation should have travelled to Lahore to meet them

CONTINUED ON PAGE 02

CMYK Thursday, 16 January, 2020

02 NEWS Maleeha Lodhi meets Nawaz in London LONDON: Dr Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan’s former representative to the United Nations in New York, called on former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to inquire about his health and to condole the death of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz. Dr Lodhi arrived at the Avenfield apartments on Wednesday noon and stayed inside for about an hour. A source said that Lodhi asked the former premier about his health and wished him recovery. The source said that she offered condolences to Nawaz over the death of Kulsoom who succumbed to cancer here at the Harley Street in September 2018. Dr Lodhi was picked by Hussain Nawaz Sharif’s driver on the way out from Avenfield flats and dropped to her place in central London.

Sources said that Dr Lodhi asked Mr Sharif about his health but no politics was discussed. Lodhi was not available to comment but she was seen leaving the apartment block and family sources confirmed that the meeting took place.

“This was a courtesy call focused only on Nawaz’s health,” said the source. It may be noted here Lodhi was first appointed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government as Pakistan’s permanent envoy to the UN and later cosied up to Imran government. However, she was later replaced by Munir Akram, a move that probably left her displeased with the current government. And a meeting with Nawaz could be seen as a return to a former ally. INp

PPP recommends Irfan Qadir as CEC

SC gIvES govErNMENT ThrEE MoNThS To CJP TAKES NAB TO TASK OVER INEFFICIENCY, SAYS BUREAU TAKES DECADES TO CONCLUDE GRAFT CASES dECIdE NAB LAw ISLAmABAd

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HE Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday gave the federal government three months to decide on the matter concerning Section 25 (a) of the National Accountability Ordinance 1999, that governs voluntary return and plea bargains.

According to Section 25 (a), “Where before the commencement of the trial at any time thereafter, with the leave of the Court, the holder of a public office or any other person accused of any offence under this Ordinance voluntarily returns to the NAB, the assets or gains acquired through corruption or corrupt practices and discloses the full particulars relating thereto, the Chairman NAB, may release the accused person with the leave of the Court, or, proceed with the trial subject to such

conditions if any, as may be imposed by the Court.” A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah was hearing a 2016 suo motu case pertaining to NAB laws.

As the hearing began on Wednesday, the CJP inquired whether Section 25 (a) had been removed or amended by now. Advocate Farooq H Naek informed the bench that a private member’s bill regarding NAB laws was pending before a Senate committee.

“Once the committee approves it, the bill will be tabled in the Parliament,” he said. “The bill calls for a complete omission of Section 25 (a).” The petitioner lamented that the case has been pending since 2016 and had not reached a conclusion despite 15 hearings.

Justice Ahmed asked if the petitioner wanted to hold further deliberations in the case. “We are about to

decide on the matter,” he said. “If you want, you can present arguments on how Section 25 (a) of the NAB Ordinance 1999 violates the Constitution of Pakistan.” The top judge also inquired if the petitioner wanted an individual who voluntarily reimburses money, should also admit to the crime and be considered an offender. “Is anyone still benefiting from the clause?” he asked.

The petitioner replied that Section 25 (a) was ineffective since the apex court’s last ruling. “The federal government has formulated new laws through NAB Amendment Ordinance 2019,” he added. Justice Ahsan noted that the incumbent petition pertained to Section 25 (a). “This bill, in this case, is authored

by Naek and not the government.”

Meanwhile, Additional Attorney General Amir Rahman informed the bench that the attorney general of Pakistan office’s stance was different from its predecessor.

Criticising NAB laws, the top judge remarked that the law ordains that first an inquiry will be held then an investigation plus testimonies of hundreds of witnesses. “This procedure can take up to a lifetime.” “Where a Customs inquiry takes six months to be finalised, NAB investigations are pending for decades.”

Justice Ahmed observed that even those who voluntarily reimbursed the amount would face the consequences of corruption. “The Supreme Court has already prevented NAB from offering plea bargains. Until the Parliament decides on Section 25 (a), the clause is inapplicable.” The top judge advised the federal government against delaying the matter.

“It is the Parliament’s job to amend NAB laws. If the top court declares any of the laws unconstitutional then the bureau will be terminated,” he observed. “Does the government want NAB laws to be declared null and void?”

Girl buried under Kashmir avalanche for 18 hours found alive muZAffARABAd ageNcIeS

A 12-year-old girl was found alive on Wednesday after being buried for 18 hours when an avalanche in Azad Kashmir engulfed the family house. Samina Bibi recalled screaming and shouting for help as she lay trapped in a room under the snow. The death toll from Monday’s avalanches in Neelum Valley rose to 74, according to officials, as rescuers continued to recover bodies. Samina was one of the lucky ones. “I thought I would die there,”

she told Reuters from a hospital bed in Muzaffarabad, where she and dozens of other injured people were receiving treatment after being airlifted out of the avalanche area. For Samina’s mother, Shahnaz Bibi, who lost a son and another daughter, the rescue was nothing short of a miracle. After being pulled out of the snow earlier, Shahnaz said she and her brother, Irshad Ahmad, had given up hope of finding Samina alive.

Samina said she could not sleep while she waited to be rescued. Her leg was fractured and blood was oozing from her mouth. For the family, the disaster

happened very fast. “We didn’t hear a rumble,” Shahnaz said, recalling the moments before the avalanche buried the three-storey house where she and her family were sheltering with others from the village. At least 18 of them died. Samina and her family were huddled around a fire when the avalanche hit. “It happened in the blink of an eye,” said Shahnaz. The National Disaster Management Authority said the total number of deaths in snow-hit areas over the last couple of days had jumped to 100. More heavy snowfall is expected in the region from Friday.

SC asked to act against Nawaz, Nisar over Musharraf case KARACHI Staff RepoRt

LAHORE: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Wednesday recommended the name of former attorney general Irfan Qadir for the post of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). Sources familiar with the matter told the media that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has also indicated support for Mr Qadir as the (CEC). Reportedly, the political parties which earlier had a dispute for selecting the members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) have now agreed upon certain names. INp

The Supreme Court (SC) was moved on Wednesday to order action against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan over instituting a high treason case against former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf. A petition filed at the apex court’s Karachi registry names Nawaz Sharif, Chaudhry Nisar and others as respondents.

It states that the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Jan 13 declared the formation of a special court to hear a high treason case against Pervez Musharraf as unlawful and unconstitutional. “This decision lends credence to the fact that the former military ruler’s trial in high treason case is based on mala fide intentions,” the petition argues, pleading with the court to order strict action against ex-PM Nawaz Sharif and Chaudhry Nisar. The petitioner further requested the court to order the extradition of Nawaz Sharif so he can complete his prison sentence. Earlier, on Jan 13, a bench of Lahore High Court had granted a petition of former president Pervez Musharraf and declared the formation of the special court to hear the high treason

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case against him as unlawful.

Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi announced the court verdict. The court in its verdict said that Article

6 could not be enforced from the past. The bench also expunged clause (ix) of the Criminal Law Special Court (Amendment) Act 1976.

Earlier, the high court had reserved its verdict on a petition against formation of the special court for high treason case against Musharraf. Additional Attorney General (AAG) Ishtiaq A. Khan concluded his arguments before a three-member bench of the high court headed by Justice Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi. Justice Ameer Bhatti and Justice Chaudhry Masood Jahangir were the other two members of the bench. In his arguments over the Article 6 and the federal cabinet’s decision, the AAG said that the Article 6was amended after the 18th Amendment in the constitution under which the November 03, 2007 proclamation of emergency was declared a heinous crime.

The government counsel also argued that the case against Pervez Musharraf was not the part of the agenda of the federal cabinet’s meeting on June 26, 2013. In an earlier hearing, the bench asked the petitioner’s counsel, “The special court has already announced the verdict, tell the court how a decision of the high court will affect that judgment.”

PTI calms PML-Q, scrambles to woo others too ContInued fRom pAge 01 “Why should I travel to Islamabad from Lahore to meet the government team. They should have travelled to Lahore if they were serious,” a government source quoted Elahi as saying. According to the source, the government team informed Elahi that they were engaged in dialogue with a MQM-P delegation in Islamabad therefore it was convenient for them to meet the PML leadership in the federal capital.

The source said that the Chaudhries wanted a ministerial position for Moonis Elahi but Prime Minister Imran Khan was opposed to the demand because of Moonis’ involvement in a NAB case.“A ministry could be given to Salik Hussain or Hussain Elahi but Pervaiz Elahi is adamant over making Moonis Elahi a federal minister,” the source added.

PML-Q leader Kamil Ali Agha told Pakistan Today that they had reiterated their four demands before the PTI’s team. He said that provincial secretaries have been changed against ministers’ will and no development budget has been assigned to the PML lawmakers. “The government dolled out Rs10 billion to BNP law-

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makers but not a penny was given to PML lawmakers,” he said, complaining that the government had also ignored them in consultation over key policies.

However, Agha dodged a question regarding rumours of an in-house change and whether the PML-Q would support the PML-N in case any such development takes place, saying he would not comment on “hypothetical” questions.

MQM-PTI DEADLOCK: Addressing reporters after meeting the PML-Q leaders, Jahangir Tareen said that he was confident that the MQM-P lawmakers will return to the cabinet as talks with them were underway. However, contrary to some media reports, the Prime Minister’s Office has said that no meeting has been fixed between PM Imran and MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.Another ally, the Balochistan National PartyMengal (BNP-M) has also expressed its displeasure with the PTI government a number of times.Speaking about the BNP-M, Tareen said that several rounds of talks had been held with the BNP-M, which have been productive.

Sources said that the PTI delegation will hold a meeting with BNP-Mengal

leader Akhtar Mengal on Thursday and inform him about the progress on his party’s demands.The government’s negotiation committee also held a meeting with a delegation of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) to remove the party’s reservations.The BAP representatives included Khalid Magsi, Zubaida Jalal, Ehsanullah Reki and others, who expressed their concerns over not getting a federal ministry and non-issuance of development funds for their constituencies, sources privy to the matter revealed.The government’s committee assured the delegation of removing their reservations while stressing that it is Prime Minister Imran Khan’s foremost priority to solve the problems of Balochistan.

The committee said the premier will soon visit Balochistan and it will be made certain that funds for the development projects of the province are issued.On Tuesday, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail held a meeting with Pir Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi at his residence in Karachi on Tuesday convincing him to allow more time to address unresolved issues between PTI and the Grand Democratic Alliance.

CMYK Thursday, 16 January, 2020

SENATE PANEL rAISES LEgAL oBjECTIoNS To ZAINAB ALErT BILL ISLAmABAd

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HE Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights raised seven legal objections over the Zainab Alert Bill on Wednesday and advised the relevant National Assembly committee to make further amendments before tabling it in the Senate.

The Senate panel raised the objections despite Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari’s insistence that the bill be passed as soon as possible as it had been under consideration in the National Assembly’s human rights committee for eight months.

PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, who chairs the Senate panel on human rights, said that the committee had highlighted legal shortcomings in the proposed bill. In its recommendations, the panel said that the offenses of child trafficking, kidnapping for ransom and kidnapping to gain property — both moveable and immoveable —

should also be included in the bill. Furthermore, the committee said that the sentence for slavery, kidnapping for ransom and torture should be different from the punishment for rape and murder. The panel also recommended that sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Prevention of Electronic Crimes (PEC) Act should be made applicable in the proposed bill.

The term “child under eighteen years of age” be replaced with “child”, the panel said. The committee pointed out that the bill only applies to the Islamabad Capital Territory while noting that it has definitions of crimes and proposes punishments, which would make it a criminal law. The panel recommended that the bill should either eliminate crime and punishment or be implemented across the country. Khokhar said that the next meeting of the panel will be held on January 20 where the proposed amendments will be discussed.

ZAINAB ALERT BILL: The Zainab Alert Bill, which addresses sexual crimes against children and proposes

sentences for such offenses, was passed by the National Assembly but was blocked in the Senate after PML-N Senator Mushahidullah Khan insisted that the bill be sent to the Senate committee.

The bill only extends to the Islamabad Capital Territory because the National Assembly’s powers are limited as the bill involves the Pakistan Penal Code and the Criminal Code of Procedures.

Therefore, the bill will have to be taken up separately in each of the provincial assemblies in order to be implemented at the provincial level. The bill – which was passed in the Lowe House exactly two years after the body of nine-year-old Zainab Ansari, a rapemurder victim, was found in Kasur in 2018 – was presented by Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari in June last year. Zainab’s rape and murder in 2018 had sparked outrage and protests across the country after she was found dead in a trash heap in Kasur on Jan 9, 2018.

Her case was the twelfth such incident to occur within a 10-kilometer radius in the city over a 12-month period.

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rs18bn scam unearthed in PAF housing society for martyrs newS deSK An accountability court in Karachi was on Wednesday informed of massive fraud in Fazaia Housing Scheme Karachi (FHSK) by two builders with the connivance of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) officials, cheating people of billions of rupees. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had arrested Tanveer Ahmed and Bilal Tanveer, said to be associated with Maxim Properties, for allegedly depriving the public of Rs18 billion through investments in the FHSK. During the hearing, NAB told the court that the land was allocated to the heirs of martyrs, but only 30 units were allocated to their families out of the 8,400 planned housing units. According to the NAB, the detained builders, in connivance with the PAF officials, collected Rs18.2bn under the heads of form fees, registration, open certificate, standard and luxury apartments, surcharge, transfer fees, overseas apartments, overseas transfer fee, bungalows, the surcharge, transfer and proceedings fee for the bungalows and direct deposits. NAB produced suspects in the court for a physical remand, which was extended by 14 days.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday directed the federal government to submit a written response to a request submitted by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz, seeking the removal of her name from the Exit Control List (ECL).

The directive came during the hearing of a petition filed by Maryam on Dec 21, wherein she has requested the LHC to return her passport and order the government to take her name off the no-fly list.

During the hearing on Wednesday, Maryam’s counsel

informed the two-member bench that the PML-N leader had received a letter by the government late Tuesday night, denying to remove her name from the ECL. The bench recalled that on Dec 9, the court had directed the federal government to decide upon Maryam’s request “within a week” but it took more than a month to decide and inform her of the final decision. The government’s counsel informed the court that the cabinet had decided not to remove Maryam’s name from the ECL. The bench also noted that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is yet to submit a response on the matter as well. The court told the government to explain why it took so

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IhC gIvES govErNMENT 10 MorE dAyS To rESoLvE ECP ISSuE ISLAmABAd Staff RepoRt

In August 2019, a parliamentary committee deferred the passage of Zainab Alert Bill with directions to the government to rationalise the “extreme” punishment proposed for sexual assault against children. All members of the committee, except a few, had opposed rigorous imprisonment until death for the sexual assault of children. Others had said that rigorous imprisonment with a death sentence was a fitting punishment for individuals sexually assaulting minor children.

Under the bill passed on Friday, the maximum sentence handed down to perpetrators of child sexual abuse will be life imprisonment with a fine of Rs1 million while the minimum sentence will be 10 years.

LHC directs govt to explain delay in removing Maryam's name from ECL Staff RepoRt

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long to issue a decision and adjourned the hearing until Jan 21.

ECL SAGA: The PML-N vice president was placed on the ECL in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference which was filed, predominantly, against her father Nawaz Sharif.

However, the Bureau had also nominated Maryam as a suspect.

The government allowed Nawaz to travel abroad on medical grounds in November last year but Maryam could not accompany him as her name was on the no-fly list.

The LHC, in November last year, granted Maryam bail in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case, in which she is a suspect, on the condition that she surrenders her passport to the court.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday gave the federal government 10 more days to finalise the appointments of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) officials. During the hearing, MNA Mohsin Shah Nawaz Ranjha said the appointment of two members has been agreed upon and the name of the chief election commissioner has been withdrawn, adding that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and leaders of the opposition will provide new names. In response, PML-N lawyer Jahangir Jadoon said: “We are trying, [to sort things] the same way we agreed on the extension of the army chief.”

Chief Justice Athar Minallah observed that it was everyone’s responsibility to respect the Parliament and stated that the people of Pakistan have expectations from their representatives. “If the Parliament is strong, Pakistan will be strong,” he said. The hearing was adjourned until January 27. The ECP has been without a CEC since Sardar Mohammad Raza’s retirement in early December, although the Constitution mandates that when ECP positions fall vacant, they must be filled within 45 days.

On August 22, President Arif Alvi had appointed Khalid Mehmood Siddiqui as ECP member for Sindh and Munir Ahmed Kakar for Balochistan against the positions vacated by Abdul Ghaffar Soomro and Justice (r) Shakeel Baloch, from the two provinces. But the CEC refused to administer the oath of office to both of them while terming their appointment unconstitutional. In a written statement, the ECP said the president had made the appointments “in violation of clauses 2A and 2B of Article 213 of the Constitution”. On November 4, the IHC suspended the appointments and referred the matter to parliament.

Vawda’s ‘boot stunt’ backfires Government ministers and opposition leaders were on the same page on Wednesday in condemning Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda for bringing a boot to a TV show to ridicule the opposition parties, particularly the Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N), for unconditionally supporting the Army Act amendment bill. Talking in a TV show, Vawda said that Prime Minister Imran Khan “was unhappy” with his act of taking the boot to the talk show.

“I told the prime minister whatever he is saying is right. I assured him that it will not happen again and I will act

responsibly,” the federal minister told the anchorperson. he added that he will never “intentionally malign any institution” and that he only meant to expose the opposition’s real face.

He further said that he was not aware of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s rules and “came to know them today”.

A day earlier, the federal minister, who was on a talk show with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Qamar Zaman Kaira and PML-N representative Javed Abbasi startled all by placing a black boot that he had brought with him on top of the table. Vawda mocked

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the PML-N’s unconditional support for the Army Act bill, saying the party was “lying down to kiss the boot”.

“I am going to bring this [boot] to every talk show,” he said. “This is how democratic the PML-N is. They lie down to kiss the boot,” he added.

Both Abbasi and Kaira eventually left the show in protest.

Criticising the minister’s action, Federal Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan and PM’s Special Assistant on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan said Vawda should have acted more responsibly.

PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Vawda’s stunt “did

not dignify a response”.

PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah said that the entire nation was witnessing activities of “jokers”, adding that “the government wanted to make a joke of the army as an institution”.

PPP leader Sherry Rehman also condemned Vawda’s behavior. “This can’t be normalised, no matter what the point of the parody,” she said in a tweet.

“Disappointed and disgusted that public discourse has sunk to this level,” she said, adding: “It is everyone’s right to critique another’s actions but this, this plumbs new depths. Cheap thrills just got a whole lot cheaper.” NewS DeSk

04 ISLAMABAD KP CM inaugurates extension of new Mines, Mineral Act to merged districts PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mahmood Khan here Wednesday formally inaugurated extension of new Mines and Mineral Act aimed at to strengthen and regulate this important resource for benefit of tribesmen.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said PTI government has fulfilled yet another promise made with tribal people, saying it was their old demand that was addressed today by the present elected government.The Chief Minister said tribal people were given right on their resources through proper legislation and his government feel proud of fulfilling long awaited demand of people of merged districts.he said all rumours were proved wrong today after introduction of online system for application of lease.The online procedure for leases would help ensure transparency besides saving time and money of people and investors.Mahmood Khan said PTI Government were taking all measures for protection of rights of tribal people and expediting pace of economic development there. he said extension of tribal and mines act would help generate employment opportunities and increase the province’s exports.With extension of the act, he said a new era of progress and development would start in merged areas and tribal people would be largely benefited. APP

FDE introduces free online courses to improve teaching skills ISLAMABAD: Federal Directorate of education (FDe) has decided to introduce online short courses for the capacity building and improvement of the professional capabilities of teaching faculty. Official sources told APP on Wednesday courses were being introduced especially for the teaching faculties of around 424 schools, colleges of the federal capital working under FDe. They said a circular has been sent to the heads of public sector educational institutions as well as to the Area education Officers (AeOs) of the Islamabad Capital Territory with the approval of Director General FDe. Among others, the courses related to the holy Quran were also included in the curriculum, they added.

Students would also be allowed to take benefit from these courses, sources informed. According to the circular, it was stated that online courses were need of the hour to enhance professional skills and techniques of teachers while using modern technologies so that they could be able to resolve the current challenges. “These programmes would be offered under Distance education System for which the teachers will have to register themselves online to take benefit from the courses”, they added. These free courses, they said, would be provided through the best universities across the globe while utilizing online services. APP

Thursday, 16 January, 2020

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NA lEGISlATES To SET UP UNIvErSITy oF ISlAMABAD ISLAMABAD

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he National Assembly (NA) on Wednesday passed a bill to provide for establishment of University of Islamabad for bringing immense social benefits for the local population of Islamabad, Rawalpindi and its adjoining areas.

The bill, the University of Islamabad Bill, 2019, was moved by Parliamentary Secretary for education and Professional Training, National history and Literary heritage Wajiha Akram.The university would provide education and scholarship in such branches of knowledge as it may deem fit and to make provision for research, service to society and for the application, advancement and dissemination of knowledge in such manner as it may determine in accordance with the guidelines of the pro-

fessional accreditation councils.

The university shall be open to all persons of either gender and of whatever religion, race, creed, class, colour or domicile and no person shall be denied the privilege of the university on the grounds of religion, race, caste, creed, class, colour or domicile.

All recognized teaching in various courses shall be conducted by the university or the colleges in the prescribed manner and may include lectures, tutorials, discussions, seminars, demonstrations, distance learning and other methods of instruction as well as practical work in the laboratories, hospitals, workshops and other governmental or private organizations.

The chancellor of the university shall be nominated by the Board of Directors of Foundation for the Advancement of Innovation, Research and education (FAIRe) for a renew-

able period of five years through a resolution passed with two third majority. however, the term of the office of the chancellor may be reduced through a joint resolution of directors of the foundation depending on such reasons as availability, health conditions, resignation etc.

The chancellor may, upon the recommendation of the review panel, remove any person from the membership of the board of governors on the ground that such person has become of unsound mind or become incapacitated to function as member of the board of governors or been convicted by a court of law for an offence involving moral turpitude or absented himself from two consecutive meetings without just cause or been guilty of misconduct, including use of position for personal advantage of any kind, or gross inefficiency in the performance.The University of Islamabad, a private

KP people to pay Rs808 for 20-kg subsidised flour bag PESHAWAR APP

The Khyber Pakthunkhwa Government has prepared policy guidelines for provision of flour to consumers on subsidized rate and now the people would get 20 KG flour (atta) bag on Rs808. The policy guidelines were issued to all deputy commissioners, divisional assistant directors food and others concerned officials for implementation. As per the policy document, the government has issued directives to all flour mills to provide ‘atta’ to consumers at subsidized rate as per their wheat quota provided by the government.

From tehsils, the district food and ration controllers would submit list of license hold-

ers flour dealers the concerned Deputy Commissioners for approval. As per the policy document, the officials of food department would collect sample of ‘atta’ being sold on Government rate to check its quality at least in a week. The District Administration has directed all the approved flour dealers to write prices of flour being sold on official rate and other necessary information on panaflex boards in their shops. Information would be disseminated among public through media about name, address and other necessary information about the approved flour dealers. In case of non-available of flour, the citizens can register their complaints with deputy commissioners, district food controllers and other concerned forums.

Afghanistan inching towards peace: expert ISLAMABAD HAmid KHAn WAzir

Despite the prevailing numerous challenges, a renowned US expert on Afghanistan Professor Barnett Rubin expressed optimism pertaining to the negotiated settlement of the decades-long Afghanistan conflict, as everybody seems fed up with the continued Afghan instability.

Speaking at a round-table held here at the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) on Tuesday, Professor Barnett Rubin said that the continued internal instability in the embattled country Afghanistan is likely to remain a challenge in the medium to long run; however, the good news, is that despite their competing interests, almost all regional powers appear to be committed more than ever to promoting U.S.-led Afghan peace and reconciliation efforts, said Rubin, a veteran on Afghan affairs and author of multiple books, also underlined that almost everybody seems fed up with the continued Afghan instability and so are most of Afghans themselves, and that should be a cause for extremely cautious optimism.

“There are clearly much more economic incentives than in the past decades for these countries to cooperate to jointly pursue peace in Afghanistan,” argued Rubin, underlining that these incentives essentially rule out any possible vacuum even if the US withdrew from Afghanistan (lock stock and barrel).

All indications, including the Taliban opposition to any residual US forces as a precondition to peace, suggest that the US does want to withdraw all its troops from the country, said the renowned US expert on Afghanistan.

A small residual US force in Afghanistan may be a necessity as a “stabilisation force”, though, he noted. But this should at best take

sector entity, was a project of FAIRe duly registered with Security exchange Commission of Pakistan (SeCP) as a non-profit organization for establishing a new university at Bahria Golf City, Murree expressway Islamabad.

The university would be a comprehensive university offering programs in Management Science, Computer Science, International Relations and Mathematics.It brings immense social benefits for the local population of Islamabad and Rawalpindi and adjoining areas. The bill seeks to achieve the aforesaid objects through the above university in a private sector.The National Assembly deferred introduction of a bill to validate the rules for regulating the competitive examination conducted by the Federal Public Service Commission [The Federal Public Service Commission (Validation of Rules) Bill, 2019].

Use of mobile phones banned in govt hospitals, NA told ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary Secretary for National health Services Dr Nousheen hamid Wednesday told the National Assembly that the federal government hospitals had imposed ban on doctors and staff from using mobile phones during their duty hours.Speaking during the Question hour in response to a question of MNA Moulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, she said use of mobile phone while on duty was only allowed for emergency calls. The cases of emergencies like road accidents, bomb blasts, earthquake and firing were being communicated to the staff through mobile phones for quick response leading to timely treatment of victims and affected patients. The parliamentary secretary assured the house that Federal General hospital, Islamabad would be asked to provide more wheelchairs to patients coming to its emergency department. She said in future the hospitals would use better wheel chairs. She said National health Institute would start providing rabies vaccines to the provinces from this year. Children were dying in Thar and people were dying because of dog bites in different places of Sindh. She told that no payment was taken in advance from any patient coming to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad for cardiac surgeries and implanting of stents. expenditure of cardiac surgeries and stents were not received in advance. The day patient underwent procedure a proper bill was handed over to the relatives who then pay the bills. The government employees then apply for reimbursement of the bills to their respective department. The bills were duly verified by the hospital. She said poor people were getting free medical treatment in the government hospitals. To a question, the parliamentary secretary told that the previous Pakistan Medical Dental Council had failed to meet the regulatory requirements according to international standards therefore it was replaced with a commission. APP

Govt won’t spare BISP ghost beneficiaries: Sania Nishtar

place in consultation with all key stakeholders for legitimacy and greater acceptance, Rubin argued.

Professor Rubin, who has been campaigning across the region - including trips to Beijing, Central Asia - for a greater multilateral synergy of thought and action on Afghanistan, hopes to hear some positive news on the peace deal between the Taliban and the USA, after what he called the great hard work by Zalmay Khalilzad, President Trump’s envoy on Afghan reconciliation.

"Never before did I come across such a grand regional commitment and consensus to conflict resolution in Afghanistan,” he added.

The American professor credited Khalilzad with managing to create the space for this consensus through his peace diplomacy, saying even Russia is supporting his dialogue process with the Taliban to negotiate an end to America’s longest war. Barnett Rubin also acknowledged that Pakistan’s pulse on Afghanistan had positively changed because of the big support that it is now getting from its long-time ally China.

ISLAMABAD: Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Chairperson Dr Sania Nishtar Wednesday reiterated her commitment to take stern action against undeserving beneficiaries of the program after the completion of detailed, fair inquiry and listed complied with proof against them. Talking to private news channel, she said government would never spare any ghost beneficiaries who unduly benefited from the BISP in the past as present government of Imran Khan has Zero-tolerance policy over corruption.

Chairperson expressed that "we have complied a detailed list against corrupt people involve in this shameful practices". She assured government's further steps would make this program more effective, transparent and merit based where deserving families would get its benefits on equal basis. She said BISP surveys would be conducted more strictly where we will ensure the true deserving person with his/her complete family history. “This is the first time that any government in Pakistan has used data analytic for an integrity drive,” she added. This self-registration drive will then be counter-verified keeping in view the integrity and transparency of the program, she added.

She further said that the government is determined to ensure highest level of transparency and accuracy in coming BISP surveys because on the basis of the data collected through these surveys a long-term future plan to eliminate poverty will be chalked out and implemented. StAff rePort

Thursday, 16 January, 2020

NEWS

05

SiNdh govT, PTi locK horNS over igP’S reMovAl SIndh InFo MInISTer SayS govT wanTS To rePlace KaleeM IMaM For Several reaSonS, InclUdIng MIShandlIng oF caSeS PTI leaderS Say PPP govT ‘vIcTIMISIng’ honeST PolIce oFFIcerS For ‘Pre-elecTIon rIggIng’ KARACHI

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stAff RePoRt

HE Sindh cabinet on Wednesday decided to ask the federal government to replace Sindh Inspector General of Police Dr Syed Kaleem Imam, however the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Sindh leaders have opposed the demand, saying it is the Centre’s prerogative to appoint the Sindh IG. Addressing reporters after a meeting of the Sindh cabinet, Sindh Information Minister Saeed Ghani said that the provincial government wanted to replace the IG for a number of reasons.

“Today’s meeting was held after the

Sindh government had written a letter to the IG on December 13, to inform him of their intention to get the Establishment Division involved in the matter,” Ghani said.

Explaining some of the reservations of the Sindh government against IG Imam, Ghani said: “At certain points, the Sindh IG gave some irresponsible statements regarding transfers and postings.”

“Furthermore, the IG kept writing letters to various embassies directly. According to the rules, a police chief cannot directly write letters to embassies. If one has to conduct any such correspondence, it needs to happen through the Foreign Office or through the provincial government’s administrative body.”

Ghani also mentioned the “mishan-

FM leaves for US on three-day official visit iSLamaBad: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday left here for United States where he will meet United Nations Secretary General in New York on January 15 followed by meetings with top government officials in Washington on Jan 16-17. In Washington, the Foreign Minister will meet Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Advisor Robert O’ Brien and other senior administration officials, Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement. During official talks, the Foreign Minister will focus on Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach, which has been undertaken on the direction of Prime Minister Imran Khan in the wake of the recent tensions in the Middle East and Gulf. APP

dling” of the Bisma and the Dua Mangi kidnapping cases as one of the reasons for the cabinet’s decision. “Dua Mangi’s family was not ready to cooperate with police regarding her kidnapping and once she had returned, the Sindh chief minister had to give a number of assurances in order for them to record their statement with the police.”

Ghani said that IG Imam had also mishandled the Irshad Ranjhani case.”The IGP resisted the arrest of the police officials responsible for Ranjhani’s killing. This resulted in rioting all over the province and four people also lost their lives in Larkana,” he added.

“The IG has given several statements regarding him not being able to choose his own team. However, in reality, I can assure you that at least in Karachi, from the additional IG to any SSP, all transfers and postings have been made on his recommendation.” “I am telling you about a few of the incidents that caused the cabinet to make this decision, the list is very long,” Ghani said.

He then went on to say that the Sindh government is bound to send three names for the Establishment Division to choose from. “And they are bound to pick one

name. This is the due process, which could be simpler if provinces are given the power to conduct their own transfers and postings.”

“In the past, a number of IGs have been replaced in Peshawar, Punjab and even the federal capital without any reason given, in our case, we are actually giving concrete reasons for our request.

This is why, we believe there should be no problem in replacing the current police chief,” Ghani said.

Asked to share the names likely to be recommended by the Sindh government, Ghani said the names of Ghulam Qadir Thebo, Mushtaq Mahar, Kamran Fazal and Sanaullah Abbasi were among the top choices. The cabinet also requested the chief minister to initiate disciplinary action against Imam by sending a detailed statement, with proof of his misconduct, to the Establishment Division.

Pti SayS won’t aLLow iG’S remoVaL: Soon after Ghani’s press conference, PTI Sindh leaders told reporters they wouldn’t let the IG be removed “come what may”.

Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Firdous Shamim Naqvi said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had also

HRW report highlights Kashmiris’ enormous suffering NEW YORK Agencies

India’s unilateral actions in Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019 caused enormous suffering and rights violations of the Kashmiri population, Human Rights Watch (HRW), a prominent international watchdog body, said Wednesday in its World Report 2020.

The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government revoked the disputed state’s special constitutional status, an action which also violated United Nations’ resolutions on the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan. Indian authorities also failed to protect religious minorities, used draconian sedition and counterterrorism laws to silence peaceful dissent and invoked foreign funding regulations and other laws to discredit and muzzle non-governmental organizations critical of government actions or policies, HRW said.

“The Indian government has tried to shut down Kashmir, hiding the full extent of the harm caused there,” Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at the New York-based Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. “Instead of addressing growing attacks on minorities, Indian authorities bolstered their efforts to silence critical voices in 2019.”

In the 652-page World Report 2020, its 30th edition, Human Rights Watch reviews human rights practices in nearly 100 countries.

Prior to its actions in Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the New Delhi government deployed additional troops, shut down the internet and phones, and arbitrarily detained thousands of Kashmiris, including political leaders, ac-

tivists, journalists, lawyers, and potential protesters, including children, it was pointed out. Hundreds remain in detention without charge or under house arrest to prevent protests.

Also, HRW said the Indian government failed to properly enforce Supreme Court directives to prevent and investigate mob attacks, often led by BJP supporters, on religious minorities and other vulnerable communities.

Since May 2015, extremist Hindu groups have killed 50 people and injured over 250 amid rumours that they traded or killed cows for beef.

Muslims were also beaten and forced to chant Hindu slogans. Police failed to properly investigate the crimes, stalled investigations, ignored procedures and filed criminal cases against witnesses to harass and intimidate them. Nearly two million people from tribal communities and forest-dwellers remained at risk of forced displacement and loss of livelihoods after a Supreme Court ruling in February 2019 to evict all those whose claims under the Forest Rights Act were rejected.

In the northeast state of Assam, it said, the government published the National Register of Citizens, aimed at identifying Indian citizens and lawful residents following repeated protests and violence over irregular migration of ethnic Bengalis from Bangladesh.

The list excluded nearly two million people, mostly Muslims, including many who have lived in India for years, in some cases their whole lives. There are serious allegations that the verification process was arbitrary and discriminatory.

The government plans to build detention centres for those denied citizenship after the appeal process.

SC dismisses PCST chairperson’s appeal ISLAMABAD APP

The Supreme Court (SC) Wednesday dismissed an appeal of Chairperson Pakistan Council for Science and Technology (PCST) Tanveer Kausar challenging the decision of service tribunal against her.

The bench, however, maintained the decision of the service tribunal against the chairperson PCST. During outset of hearing, Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed expressed concern over presenting wrong case facts by the petitioner’s counsel. He remarked that the judges had a connection with the lawyer community, the courts used to admit the reference given by the lawyers as correct.

He said judges first trusted the lawyers and then viewed the relevant documents.

The learnt counsel had broken the trust by given false reference.

The petitioner’s counsel said that his client had been a chairperson under

PCST. She was recruited on contract in 1986. After this, the bench turned down the appeal of Tanveer Kausar. A threemember bench of the top court conducted hearing of this case.

SC SummonS Sindh SeCretary in water tax CaSe: The Supreme Court (SC) Wednesday summoned chief secretary Sindh and directed him to appear in person in a case pertaining to water tax collection in the province.

A three-member bench of the court headed by Justice Umer Ata Bandial conducted hearing on a case pertaining to water tax collection across the country.

During the outset of proceeding, the lawyer of the Punjab government presented his province’s report and said that the provincial government had collected Rs 830 million from water companies as tax. The federal government informed the bench that at least Rs14 millions had been collected in federal capital Islamabad in line of water taxes.

CMYK

contacted Sindh Governor Imran Ismail to discuss the issue.

“Honest police officers are being victimised,” said Naqvi, alleging that this was part of the PPP’s plan for pre-election rigging.

“The local government elections are coming up and this is part of the pre-election rigging plan,” he claimed.

Naqvi, who was flanked by PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Sheikh and other party lawmakers, said that the rules did not allow the Sindh government to recommend any names for the post of IG. “The federal government recommends the names, not the provincial government,” he said, while waving what was presumably a copy of the law.

“The Sindh govt has done what we feared it would do when the Police Act was being passed,” said Sheikh.

“They want to make the police ‘aunty corruption’,” he said, accusing the provincial government of wanting to post its favoured personnel on coveted posts in the police department.

Sheikh said that the provincial government must reveal the ‘compelling reasons’ they were citing, adding that “we will not let this happen.”

Ministry refers alleged corruption case at KPT to NAB iSLamaBad: The Ministry of Maritime Affairs on Wednesday referred a case to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to ascertain the alleged corruption worth Rs169 million in non-compliance of the repair of BHD Ali Dredger and irregular expenditure on maintenance of KPT Dredger Ali.As per documents available with this scribe, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs has forwarded the case of alleged corruption to Sindh NAB in which reportedly Rs169 million corruption was committed. It is pertinent to mention that the matter was earlier brought into the notice of the Maritime Affairs minister who had sought a report from the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) in this regard.

Accordingly, KPT furnished a report but it was found unsatisfactory. In addition, an inquiry was conducted on the direction of the maritime affairs minister after which he directed the matter may be forwarded to Sindh NAB to ascertain the responsibility of such a financial loss. The matter surfaced when the Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC) was discussing the draft proposed paras 2018-19 related to KPT on January 15 and 16 2019. The ministry was directed to conduct a fact-finding inquiry against officials on this matter. sHAHZAD PARAcHA

Thursday, 16 January, 2020

06 WORLD VIEW

US foreign policy miStakeS

New Yorker Isaac chotIner

Why did you want to describe this moment in world affairs as being the result of America’s Cold War victory?

Well, as someone who has observed the direction of U.S. foreign policy since the end of the Cold War and came to view that as misguided, coupled with my own Catholic, conservative outlook on matters related to political economy and culture, I just came to the conclusion that this period of time, which began on a note of euphoria, ended with a divided nation electing as President somebody who is utterly unfit for the office.

What is it, specifically, that you think the Cold War and its victory did to the United States?

The political establishment didn’t think that the Cold War would never end, and when it did end, really abruptly, I think that the political establishment succumbed to a bout of hubris. We need to be mindful of the famous Francis Fukuyama article that came out in 1989, “The End of History?,” and the impact that that article had in Washington circles.

People did come to believe that the end of the Cold War marked a transformative moment that left the United States in a position to preside over the history that was going to follow the end of history. It’s led to arrogance, to misjudgments, to the embrace of ideas like globalization, like the notion that we were the indispensable nation, that produced deeply unfortunate consequences.

How would you distinguish between the five Presidents we have had since the end of the Cold War? Do you think they all succumbed to a similar hubris?

I think they were all really creatures of a postwar consensus. I think that, in the way we talk about Presidents, when we talk about the process of electing a President, we assume somehow that the President is the supreme master of the universe, somebody who is directing the fate of humankind. That notion is very much an expression of post–Cold War hubris. But what I tried to argue in the book is that the President really is a creature of his time, and that the President’s ability to bring change is actually limited by circumstances. And so, without for a second denying that there are very important differences between Clinton and George W. Bush and Barack Obama as the post–Cold War Presidents, I do try to make the case that their similarities outweigh their differences. And the similarities come from their efforts to implement the post–Cold War consensus. Bill Clinton was the principal promoter of globalization. He said that we now know an unleashed corporate capitalism has the capacity to create wealth on an unprecedented scale, in which he insisted all would share. And I think that that notion had a very powerful effect.

It was in December, 1989—that’s, like, what, six weeks after the fall of the Berlin Wall—that the elder Bush ordered the U.S. intervention in Panama, Operation Just Cause. As a military episode, it was very brief. But I think that was the template of how we could put American military power to work. In contrast to the Cold War, when the principal—not sole, but the principal—rationale for American military power was to prevent war, the idea was to contain the Soviet Union, to deter the Warsaw Pact. And every President thereafter did his own experimenting with how to use American military power to do good things abroad from [his] perspective. Even Barack Obama, who, when he ran for the Presidency, promised to get out of Iraq and to win the good war in Afghanistan, became a significant interventionist, whether we’re overthrowing the regime in Libya or embarking on a policy of assassination that, of course, Donald Trump has now himself embraced.

You said that the principal rationale during the Cold War was to “prevent war.” But, from Korea to Vietnam and overthrowing or helping overthrow regimes everywhere from Congo to Iran and sending military advisers to

IS THE PRESIDENT A RACIST? YEAH, I THINK SO. IS HE A SEXIST? YEAH, I THINK SO. IS HE A FRAUD? I MEAN, HERE WE HAVE A GUY WHO, WHEN HE WAS RUNNING FOR THE PRESIDENCY, PORTRAYED HIMSELF AS A GOD-FEARING CHRISTIAN. IS HE? I DON’T THINK SO Latin America to support dictatorships, I’m not sure that I understand the purpose of the Cold War. I’m not going to deny any of that, nor am I trying to suggest that U.S. policy during the Cold War was wise. Nonetheless, never in peacetime in our history had we maintained a large military establishment until the Cold War. Its primary purpose was to avert war. It’s not my story that matters here, but I spent two tours in West Germany. We had a very large army and a very large air force situated in West Germany, for close to forty years, in order to deter the Warsaw Pact. After the Korean War, we maintained substantial forces in South Korea, and we continue to maintain substantial forces in Japan.

The purpose of those forces was not to allow us to project power but to prevent the outbreak of hostilities.

My argument is that that all changed after the Cold War ended, and now the principal purpose seems to be power projection. It was motivated by a conviction that we had somehow solved the mysteries of warfare, and that we could guarantee quick and tidy victories, which, of course, turned out to be a vast illusion.

So your feeling is that now it is more about power projection than Wilsonianism, which is your other target of criticism?

Well, it’s Wilsonian when it’s convenient to be Wilsonian. I mean, this is where I think George W. Bush is an enormously fascinating character. You remember that, when he ran for the Presidency in 2000, he was very critical of Clinton. Bush said, “Elect me President, because I am going to have a ‘humble foreign policy.’ ” And I suspect when he said that, as a candidate, he probably meant it. But 9/11 converted him into a Wilsonian—and genuinely converted him. So the initial phases of the global war on terrorism were very much focussed on the notion that we are not only protecting ourselves from a recurrence of 9/11 but we are indeed spreading freedom and democracy.

I don’t think it’s simply propaganda that the Afghanistan war was initially called Operation Enduring Freedom and the Iraq War was called Operation Iraqi Freedom. I think, to some degree, that actually reflected a motive and intention.

By the time you get to the famous Iraq surge of 2007, obviously, the exercise is no longer to convert Iraq into a liberal democracy. Now the purpose is much more modest. You can say the same thing about Afghanistan.

Your think tank, the Quincy Institute, says that it promotes responsible statecraft and less militarization. I was talking to a friend about this, and he said to ask you what the group’s foreignpolicy vision is besides “we won’t do dumb shit.” Or do you think that not doing dumb shit, to use an obviously informal phrase, is sort of it for now?

I think not doing dumb shit is a point of departure. But our position is that we believe that the United States must be engaged in the world. We believe that emphasizing armed intervention as the principal mode of engagement is a big mistake. So what’s the alternative? Well, the alternative is diplomacy. Invest in diplomacy, pursue creative diplomacy as a method of trying to, if not solve problems, at least to keep problems manageable.

What have you made of the reaction to the Suleimani strike? There was more widespread condemnation, especially from Democrats, than I was expecting.

Is that a hopeful sign for your vision, or are we still in a dangerous place?

I think we’re still in a dangerous place. It seemed to immediately have people fearing that we were on the brink of World War Three. Why did they feel that way? I think because we’re in a moment in our politics when Trump has everybody on edge. We believe we have

somebody in the Oval Office who is utterly impulsive and unpredictable, and he’s the Commander-in-Chief. So I think that sense is probably what prompted the Suleimani assassination to create something pretty close to panic. I don’t see any evidence of any serious rethinking of the importance attributed to amassing and using military power that has been so central to our approach to foreign policy since the end of the Cold War. Why do I say that? Well, I mean, among other things, look at the size of the Pentagon budget. Apart from the progressive activist community, I see virtually no serious reflection given about the size of the defense budget, about the positioning of U.S. forces around the world and several hundred bases. No serious reflection on the implications of the growing U.S. military presence in sub-Saharan Africa, and whether that makes sense or where it’s going to lead. There hasn’t even actually been a heck of a lot of consideration to the so-called endless wars. I’m struck by the fact that, when the Washington Post published the Afghanistan Papers, there were three or four days of excitement. Boy, these are incredible revelations. These show that the Afghanistan war has been mismanaged for years, and that we’ve been lied to, and that the people in charge knew that they didn’t know what they were doing. Three or four days later, the discussion ended.

Bernie Sanders has basically been saying that the country conducts endless wars that always turn out badly, and that he has opposed them, and that if you want someone who will oppose them you should vote for him. This is the most blatantly noninterventionist appeal I can remember from a candidate who has a chance to win the Democratic nomination. What have you made of him, as a Catholic conservative, no less?

You’re also describing Donald Trump’s position in the 2016 campaign.

Not that he knew what he was talking about or necessarily meant it.

Right. I guess my sense is that, if Bernie was elected President, he would probably care more about this stuff than Donald Trump does.

I actually agree with that. What will be interesting to me, if Bernie gets the nomination, is to see how the establishment responds to that critique. The establishment loathes Donald Trump. But the establishment, on matters of national security, as far as I can tell, continues to believe in the imperative of American global leadership and of maintaining and being ready to use large military forces.

Now, if Bernie as the candidate positions himself in opposition to those notions, it’ll be very interesting to see if the establishment will come along with him. And my guess is they won’t.

Always lurking behind any sort of conversation about U.S. national security is this notion that either the United States must lead or the United States reverts to isolationism. I, myself, reject that whole paradigm, but it’s always lurking in the background. And so Bernie will end up being called an isolationist. And, politically, that charge always carries enormous weight.

Historically, isolationism has at times gone hand in hand with some other less palatable opinions. Do you think that it’s completely unfair that isolationism has somewhat of a bad rap?

Well, I don’t know if we want to go down this path. [Laughs.]

O.K.— Let me finish. As a historian, I think that isolationism is a fiction, and I’ll ask your indulgence to let me explain why I think that.

Please.

I think, if you look at the arc of U.S. history, beginning with the creation of a Republic consisting of thirteen small states along the Atlantic coastline, and

then consider that, by 1945, we had become the richest and most powerful country in the world, isolationism does not offer any kind of an explanation of how we got from point A to point B. I think that the abiding theme of U.S. policy virtually from the founding of the Republic has been expansionism. We buy stuff, we take stuff, we covertly, if you look at the example of Texas, insinuate ourselves into a situation and end up claiming ownership. We have been involved in blatant imperialism. So my argument is that expansionism explains U.S. foreign policy better than any other single term. There was one period of time where you could make the case that a strong isolationist sentiment existed in this country, and that’s basically the period between 1938 and 1941. And the noninterventionists were wrong. They were wrong in their conviction that the European war wasn’t our business. No doubt about that in my mind.

But I think it’s fair to ask: Where did the anti-interventionist sentiment of that time, what we call isolationism, come from? I think where it came from was the experience of twenty years before, when we had sent an army to Europe, supposedly to make the world safe for democracy, and we lost a hundred and sixteen thousand lives. That was the total American death toll in World War One over a period of eighteen months. I think the principal reason why the anti-interventionists didn’t want to enter another European war, twenty years later, was that they had found the results of the previous intervention to be totally unsatisfactory.

They absolutely had reason to think that after the First World War. But let me ask you—in 2017, you wrote, “The America First Movement did not oppose Jews; it opposed wars that its members deemed needless, costly, and counterproductive. That was its purpose, which was an honorable one.” Do you stand by this?

Do I stand by what? Let’s be very careful here, please.

What you wrote there.

You’re going to use this—I can tell.

So I need to choose my words very carefully.

I just— Come on now. I think that the anti-interventionist case was understandable given the outcome of the First World War. They had reason to oppose U.S. intervention. And, again, let me emphasize, their calculation was wrong. It’s good that they lost their argument. I do not wish to be put into a position where I’m going to

make myself some kind of a defender for the people who didn’t want to intervene against Nazi Germany.

That’s totally fine. The reason that I brought this up and read you that quote was not only because I don’t think it’s accurate about the America First movement and Jews but also because I do think it’s worth thinking about the ways in which anti-interventionism can sometimes shade into things that are more ugly.

Let me also say very clearly, it is absolutely the case that there were antiSemites in the anti-interventionist movement. It is absolutely the case that Charles Lindbergh was an anti-Semite. I don’t think it is fair, then, to say that the anti-interventionists generally were antiSemitic.

The television host on the right who’s been the most energetically anti-interventionist is Tucker Carlson. The President who has been rhetorically the most anti-interventionist of any Republican or Democratic President, certainly in decades, is Donald Trump.

Both Trump and Carlson are the most racist people we’ve seen in their positions in a very long time. I don’t think that’s entirely a coincidence. Again, I’m not trying to say that means antiinterventionism is inherently racist, but I was curious whether you’d wrestled with that, and how it plays into your thinking.

Even though I appeared on Tucker Carlson last week for, like, two minutes, I certainly don’t watch the show. I do have a general understanding that he’s become a Trump critic, and I think that’s created a certain amount of buzz. But I don’t think I’m able to characterize the turn in his view, if even there’s been a turn. As for the President, he’s a man of no principles whatsoever. As far as I can tell, as a President, he acts on impulse, and the impulse seems to come, in many cases, from whatever advice he got from the last person that he talked to. Is the President a racist? Yeah, I think so. Is he a sexist? Yeah, I think so. Is he a fraud? I mean, here we have a guy who, when he was running for the Presidency, portrayed himself as a God-fearing Christian. Is he?

I don’t think so. So he’s a complete phony, as others have said. I don’t know what else I can say on that.

Isaac Chotiner is a staff writer at The New Yorker, where he is the principal contributor to Q. & A., a series of timely interviews with major public figures in politics, media, books, business, technology, and more.

Thursday, 16 January, 2020

FOREIGN NEWS 07 MyanMar rights group denounces Japan envoy for ‘disturbing’ coMMents on rohingya crisis TOKYO

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Agencies

okyo-BASed human rights activists on Wednesday decried recent remarks by Japan’s ambassador to yangon, who told local media he did not think the Myanmar military committed genocide on the Rohingya Muslim minority in the country.

More than 730,000 Rohingya fled the Southeast Asian nation to Bangladesh in 2017 after a military-led crackdown. The United Nations has said the campaign was executed with “genocidal intent” and included mass killings and rape.

The military offensive has sparked a series of ongoing legal cases filed in recent months at courts across the globe, including the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), both based in the Hague. Zaw Min Htut, vice president of an advocacy group, Burmese Rohingya Association in Japan, said the ambassador’s remarks were “disturbing”.

“I am very disappointed and appealing again to the Japanese government. Please try to help Rohingya people and don’t side with crimi-

nals,” Zaw Min Htut told foreign correspondents in Tokyo.

“Today the Japanese government do not even cooperate, not supporting UN actions on Myanmar,” he said.

His group supports about 250 Rohingya based in Japan. Ichiro Maruyama, the Japanese ambassador to Myanmar, told local news website the in dec that he did not think the Myanmar military “committed genocide or (had the) intent of genocide”. He was previously quoted by the same outlet as saying that potential trade sanctions on Myanmar over the Rohingya crisis would be “utter nonsense”.

The ICJ, the United Nations’ highest court, will issue a decision on a request for emergency measures in a genocide case against Myanmar on Jan 23, the Gambian Ministry of Justice said on Monday. The mainly Muslim west African country filed a lawsuit in Nov, alleging Myanmar was committing “an ongoing genocide” against the Rohingya in the western state of Rakhine.

The Myanmar government has strongly disputed that conclusion, categorising the military operation as a legitimate counterterrorism response to attacks by Rohingya militants.

philippines struggles to keep evacuees away from volcano MANILA: Philippine authorities were struggling Wednesday to keep thousands of evacuees from returning to homes in areas threatened by a feared massive eruption of Taal volcano. Some 40,000 people have taken refuge in shelters since the volcano let loose a towering burst of ash and jets of lava on Sunday. Police subsequently set up no-go zones and mandatory evacuations in at-risk towns around Taal, which is about 65 kilometres (40 miles) south of Manila. But days later locals are losing patience and demanding access, even as the nation’s seismological agency warns the volcano could unleash a more powerful eruption at any time. Melvin Casilao said he and his neighbours in the town of Talisay need to feed their livestock, remove the thick ash from their roofs and pull their boats from the water. Their community is on the shore of a vast lake that rings Taal, a popular tourist attraction despite being one of the nation’s most active volcanoes. “We want to visit our houses and clean the roofs. They are smothered in thick ash and they could collapse,” Casilao told AFP. Soldiers have been deployed at checkpoints in some areas, including Talisay, with police officer Sarah Jane Saballa saying: “It’s for the safety of the residents.” People around Taal had to leave at a moment’s notice, so many fled with just the clothes on their back. Agencies

Thursday, 16 January, 2020

08 COMMENT

The USA’s decline continues

A disastrous winter And the rainy season brings other calamities

a

FTer passing through a smog-affected period that for a while pushed lahore and Karachi into the category of the most hazardous cities in the world, a severe cold wave spread all over Pakistan.

Mercury levels dropped in Skardu to as low as -21°C, breaking a 25-year-old record. Snowstorms and rains hit large parts of aJK and Balochistan. In aJK heavy snowfall and avalanches destroyed habitations and blocked roads. In Balochistan equally heavy snowfall accompanied by torrential rains burst small dams leading to the flooding of nearby habitations. evacuating the trapped people in aJK and Balochistan has been an arduous task. The snowfall and rains have also led to casualties in KP and Punjab. Over 100 people are reportedly dead so far all over the country.

With highways, roads and pathways covered with snow, at places more than 2 feet thick, it is taking time to restore communications. This has made the rescuers’ task difficult There is a possibility of casualties turning out to be much higher after rescuers manage to reach far-flung localities and hamlets at high altitudes. While local volunteers and the army are playing an important role in rescue work , little is known about the performance of the NdMa and its provincial chapters.

Climate change is responsible for shifting and intensifying the centuries-old weather patterns in Pakistan. The areas with lesser rainfall are having downpours causing flooding, while those known for ample rainfall, face drought-like conditions. last year the rainy season led to over 160 killed in monsoontriggered heavy rains. In Karachi torrential rains caused urban flooding by inundating low-lying areas and main thoroughfares, killing dozens of people.

To deal with disasters caused by climate change Pakistan needs to have a full-fledged ministry of climate manned by a knowledgeable minister rather than a party activist who spends most of the time in political polemics.

The ministry should also have the support of a modern weather forecasting system and a more efficient NdMa that creates awareness among the population likely to be affected by the vagaries of the weather. In areas of the sort the NdMa has also to conduct exercises among the local population, aimed at dealing with disasters.

Boot on the other foot What did Mr Vawda mean?

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ederal Water resources Minister Faisal Vawda must have thought he was no end of a wag when he took a boot to a TV Talk show on the recent amendments to the army, Navy and air Force acts, which regulated the respective chiefs’ tenure, but backfired when the PPP and PMl-N representatives walked. Obviously, the boot was on the other foot. Mr Vawda, instead of leaving his political opponents without a reply, left his own foot thrust firmly into his mouth. If his hope was to show that the PMl-N and the PPP had betrayed their stand in favour of civilian supremacy, he merely raised a very pertinent question about the role of his own party in the passage. Was he endorsing the claim of the opposition that the PM was selected and that the election was rigged? Was he saying that the PTI members were forced to vote in favour of the bills? The very act of raising these questions were questioning the frequent claims of Prime Minister Imran Khan that his government and the military were on the same page.

Mr Vawda’s choice of symbol was also unfortunate. a boot as symbol of the military? It is not going to go down well in military quarters, where Mr Vawda’s puerile wit is likely to be dealt with condignly. any mockery is boorish, but mockery of a national institution is doubly reprehensible when one is part of a government claiming to be on the same page as that institution.

Mr Vawda is not doing anything new. He is the same person as claimed that hanging the corrupt would solve the problem. Other Cabinet colleagues are more practical, and his colleague at Science and Technology, Fawad Chaudhry, recently slapped a TV anchor at a wedding. Mr Khan should pay attention to such loose cannons, before their sins are visited on his head. Mr Vawda might claim the same sort of immunity as that enjoyed by Pir Noorul Haq Qadri, his colleaguet at religious affairs, whose forays into foreign policy contradict his government’s previous stands. However, Mr Khan might like to consider that, if not checked, Mr Wawda might go ahead with something really hairraising, after going from a bloodthirsty statement to carrying around footwear.

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

Umar Aziz

Asher John

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Deputy Editor

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The Trump Administration has been a disaster

Washington Watch

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dr James J zogBy

eSPITe its claims of making the USa more respected and feared in the world, the Trump administration’s behaviour has only contributed to accelerating the decline in the USa’s leadership. President Trump’s demonstrated disdain for international agreements and law, his erratic behavior, and his reckless tweets, have left world leaders and their publics alternating between being confounded and frightened. One result has been that some allies and opponents have sought leadership and more predictable partnerships elsewhere.

This was not the way it was just three decades ago when the USa emerged victorious from the Cold War and the first Bush administration appeared to seamlessly manage the transition to a unipolar world order. While the Clinton administration largely maintained continuity with their predecessor’s approach, President George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq marked the beginning of the unraveling of american leadership and the end of the idea of a unipolar world.

Unlike the constructive use of diplomacy favored by his father and President Clinton, George W.’s policies were reckless and unilateral, and, more often than not, shaped more by ideology than reality. The results were devastating to the USa and the world. Iraq was a case in point. according to the neoconservative ideologues who were driving George W.’s approach to the Middle east, a decisive use of force against Iraq would accomplish a number of critical objectives. First and foremost, it would secure the US role as the dominant world hegemon, insuring a USS-led unipolar world for the foreseeable future. They also believed that with Saddam gone,

democracy would spontaneously take root in Iraq, transforming not only that country but the entire Middle east. as we have seen, the opposite occurred. The USa became ground down in a long costly war that took a terrible toll not only in lives and treasure, but in USa world standing. as the war dragged on, it became clear that not only was the USa weaker and less respected, but other regional and international players began to assert themselves. as a result of this foolish war, the very multipolarity the neoconservatives sought to forestall became a reality.

Globally, russia and China expanded their roles and, in the Middle east, Turkey and Iran sought increased influence, as did Saudi arabia and its GCC partners. Maybe the most consequential impact of the Iraq war was the extent to which it emboldened and unleashed Iran, enabling it to pursue its meddlesome sectarian behavior across the region.

The Obama administration began with great promise. recognizing the damage done by his predecessor, President Obama declared his intention to correct course and rebuild confidence in the USa’s role in the world. So desperate were some to see the USa restored as a stable leader and partner that the new president was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. The award proved to be premature.

Obama’s failure to deliver on his visionary promise and his administration’s tendency to hesitate or meander when confronted by challenges, caused both frustration and deep disappointment.

Then came donald Trump. despite early signs of erratic behavior and his “shoot-first-askquestions-later” approach to global and domestic problems, there was some hope –especially in parts of the Middle east –that given his business background, he would be fair and decisive in the policies he pursued in the world. This, too, proved to be premature. after Bush and Obama, what many across the Middle east hoped for was a “Goldilocks and Three Bears” US president. One who wouldn’t be “too much” or “too little” – but “just right.”

They wanted US leadership that was decisive, principled, and predictable. What they got instead was the worst of the past combined in one president. He has been reckless, bombastic, and unpredictable. and he has made great promises that have elevated expectations, only to fail to deliver on them. recent polling from Pew research demonstrates how the public’s attitudes toward the USa and President Trump have witnessed sharp de-

clines in many nations across the world. In europe, the americas, and the Middle east favorable attitudes toward the USa went from lows during the years of George W. Bush’s presidency to highs in the early Obama years to lows, once again, in the Trump era. and in our Zogby research Services (ZrS) polling we found, with a few exceptions, much the same trajectory across the Middle east.

In the fall of 2019, for example, we found that the initial optimism in some arab countries that Trump administration policies toward some regional concerns might move in a positive direction, had now dissipated. There is a sharp decline in respondents’ views of US policies toward resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict, helping to stabilize Syria and Iraq, deal constructively with the Muslim World, and coherently address the threats posed by Iran’s nuclear and regional agendas.

When we asked respondents in 10 countries whether they have seen positive or negative change in US policy toward each of these critical concerns– in almost every instance and in almost every country, negative change far surpassed positive change. In only one case– that of US policy toward Syria– did respondents in Jordan, Saudi arabia, and the Uae see some signs of positive change– largely due to the successful fight against daesh. This, however, was before the Trump administration sent conflicting signals about its intention to withdraw from Syria. as a result, when we asked respondents in the same 10 countries to look forward to the next decade and identify the countries they felt would be their most dependable ally, the USa ranked first in only Jordan, Saudi arabia, and the Uae. ranking high in other countries were the eU (first in Tunisia, lebanon, and Turkey) and China, with Saudi arabia, Turkey, russia, and India scoring well in a few others.

The bottom line here is that in just three decades, the USa has gone from being the undisputed superpower to a mere competitor with other global and regional powers. Far from restoring the USa’s leadership role, the Trump administration’s failure to deliver on its promises, its lack of coherence, and its penchant for one-off dangerous acts, have made it feared, but not trusted as a reliable partner. and so other nations, have either turned elsewhere for partnerships or been forced to rely on their own resources. The decline of america’s role continues.

Dr James J Zogby is President of the Arab American Institute

Absolute power corrupts absolutely War clouds loom because one man puts personal gains first Humza aHmad Barlas

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TaTeCraFT is too serious a business to be left to individuals. But if you happen to be the President of the USa, no occasion merits enough sobriety to prevent you from indulging your whims or petty political designs even if doing so involves risking thousands of human lives. donald Trump knows this fact too well to ignore it.

He could thus order the killing of Iran’s General Qassem Soleimani and push the entire Middle east to the brink of war. For him, such brinkmanship was justifiable. as long as the american homeland is under no direct threat– although Trump would pretend otherwise–- and (white) US citizens in no danger of an imminent attack from Iran. apparently, Soleimani’s assassination served two purposes for him.

On the one hand, it drew attention away from the impeachment vote. On the other, it helped him consolidate his persona as the fearless President of the USa who would go to any length to protect america. as head of the Quds Force, Soleimani was obviously seen as the chief protagonist of Iranian interests in the region. The man who was hailed in Iran (and Iraq) as a national hero and charismatic commander, Soleimani was undoubtedly responsible for advancing Tehran’s interests in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. The Saudis hated him.

The americans hated him. and surely the Israelis hated him too.

For Trump, Soleimani’s assassination was a perfect sell-out for the upcoming election.

The Iranians, on their part, are clueless to say the least. domestically, Iranian leaders have for years built political capital over their antiUS posture. But it is only the first time perhaps

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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that they have been forced to match rhetoric with some real action.

They did try to respond emphatically by firing rockets at Iraqi bases hosting US troops.

Conflicting claims regarding the number of US casualties notwithstanding, Iran’s response may have procured it something to sell out to the domestic audience, were it not for another fiasco– the downing of the Ukrainian passenger carrier.

From outright denial to regretful acceptance of their mistake, the Iranians have been left redfaced. Striking the civil aircraft with a missile not only betrays panic through the military ranks but also leaves many questions to be answered regarding Iranian military preparedness. and with Iran holding “human error” due to “US adventurism” responsible for firing the missile at the ill-fated plane, it is hard to tell how many more such errors are likely to occur as long as the USa persists with its adventures and Iranians continue to err.

However, what is certain is the outcome of all such (mis)adventurism and fatal errors. and that is human tragedy.

The death of 176 passengers onboard the Ukrainian plane is only a small glimpse of what the future holds for the Middle east if a US-Iran escalation is not prevented.

The region has already lost too much to sacrifice more. Great-power politics, sectarian militias and terrorist outfits have ravaged Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. an estimated 3 million Iraqis have been displaced since 2014. Thousands have been rendered homeless in Syria. and lawlessness reigns supreme in Yemen as well. Not to mention the scores of men, women and children killed by ISIS. and there is still no sign of improvement in the lives of ordinary people.

Irrespective of who gains from a US-Iran showdown, the net losers from their confrontation will be the innocent civilians of the region; the people who are already bearing the brunt of

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the prevailing regional crises.

Their unending tales of misery and calls for mercy have received a mute response at best and gone unheeded at worst. except for the routine journalistic stories, nothing of much consequence is being done to ease their suffering on the ground. Surely, these will go down in history as one of the worst examples of human indifference and realpolitik.

But let’s just leave it that.

For now, let’s get back to where we began.

That statecraft cannot be left at the mercy of individuals or regimes whose vision is blurred or blinded by personal interests or ulterior agendas.

Otherwise, bloodshed and devastation will be the likely outcomes. and we have already seen that happen in afghanistan and the Middle east. India, too, is charting a similar course by playing on Hindu radicalism to meet short-term political goals.

By authorizing Soleimani’s assassination, Trump has not only cast shadows of war over the Middle east but also given Iran all the more reason to pursue its nuclear weapons programme with more vigor and at a greater pace. In fact, he has alerted North Korea as well to beware american intentions. as a result of such recklessness, states like Iran and North Korea will continue to invest more resources and money into making more bombs and missiles– resources that could otherwise be used to lift thousands of people from poverty.

Unfortunately, for individuals like donald Trump personal gains take precedence over all humanitarian considerations. and as long as such individuals rule over the mightiest countries, the world will never be free from human tragedies.

Humza Ahmad Barlas is a graduate in Public Administration from the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST). He can be reached at humza.a.barlas@gmail.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Thursday, 16 January, 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

Punjab government is promoting education

Global manifestations of gender discrimination Gender equality is not just about justice, but development dr raJkumar singH

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He issue of gender equality is closely related to law, equality and justice and its denial has led discrimination of women in almost all fields of human activity. Social equality and social justice is one of the most prized ideals of contemporary society but social inequality and injustice has been a feature of every known society – past and present. different forms of atrocities are linked to one another and are manifestations of gender ideology. ‘The world which has always belonged to the men is still in their hands, the institutions and the values of the patriarchal civilization still survive in development. Under the circumstances, the status and role of women and related issues have attracted the attention of the academicians, political thinkers and social scientists both in developing as well as developed countries, because of the widely accepted truth that a society built on the inequality of men and women involves a waste of human resources which no country can afford.

Initial progress at global level: The process of the first phase of development in relation to the human societies commenced in the post–World War 11 period and the goal was rapid economic growth through rapid industrialisation in order to foster fast economic growth which would eventually hoped to benefit the entire population. after de-colonialisation during the 1950s and 1960s, only the economic role of women in reproduction as home makers, bearers and rearers of children and housewives was perceived by the development organisations, which was reflected in the inclusion of family planning, population, mother and child care policies in development planning in several developing countries like India. The initial development plans and their implementation were based on the separation of the public and the private spaces. The public space was designed on the model of the worker without any caring responsibilities and was the sphere of the breadwinner who was obviously the male. It placed women in the private space which gave her the care-giving and domestic role. The concept of development in a broader sense is related to improvement in the quality of life based on equality and social justice through such programmes and activities which consequently could alter the structure and culture and create self–generating continuous processes. However, gradually new openings came which were instrumental in breaking the traditional shackles not only for women but some other deprived sections also.

Phase of global consciousness: Meanwhile, the old role models and concepts began to change globally. In the 1950s and 1960s the

women activists, who took active part in free- life of the nation and to enable them to condom movements of the newly independent tribute fully to national progress. Thus, women states, took keen interest in raising the develop- with respect to development–have to be viewed ment questions in the UN and challenged the le- as both the participants and beneficiaries.

Status today: galistic perspective of the Commission on the In today’s situation women are getting to Status of Women (CSW) which was formed by the world body in 1947 to monitor UN activities the top more than ever before and their knowlon behalf of women. The Commission ob- edge and insights are being treated as signifiserved, ‘Women who contribute half of the cant, and the misconceptions about women are world’s population by virtue of an accident of being dispelled. Further, there is a need for debirth, perform two–thirds of the world’s work, velopment for women as a specific category and receive one–tenth of its income and own less their full integration in the total development than one hundredth of its property.’ Soon it was process. N. Yavari-d’ Hellencourt, the coordirealised at the world level that because women nator for the United Nations development Fund comprise more than half of the human resources for Women (UNdFW), expressed the view in and are central to the economic as well as the this regard, ‘If we do not empower women, social well–being of societies, development there will be no peace and no way out of poverty’ because, women goals cannot be fully have more potentiality reached without their parthan men and they can ticipation. The changing play the role of silent dedimension of developIt is not enough to veloper in a family. Bement and the internacause, ‘a women gives tional movement for the have the right laws first priority to her childevelopment of women dren; her second priority have created a policy perand the institution of is the household.’ a man spective for gender justice, but also a has different priorities; he equality which recogdoes not give family the nises both women’s and change in values is top position. Thus men’s needs and, most necessary for the right women, at large, hold key importantly, their healthy in all round deinteractions. against this implementation of justice position velopment of a nation– backdrop, dreze and Sen both developed and expressed the view that to women out of developing. gender equality and sopatriarchal biases It is a time to rethink, cial justice are an urgent regroup and move forneed not merely because ward on the issue of genof the fact that it is an der equality. an essential ‘issue’ of the day. rather, ‘the emancipation of women is an integral part step forward has been made in general discussion of the role of women in society. Mechaof social progress, not just a women’s issue’.

Gender discrimination acts as slow poison nisms for change, such as women’s forums, for a society and it is a growing recognition that citizens’ forums and issue-specific organisacountries cannot reach their full potential as tions and other supportive groups, should molong as women’s potential to participate fully in bilise, establish goals and develop a plan of their society is denied. Women’s participation action. In fact, it is evident that gender develhas become a key factor in the success of all de- opment policies are formulated without undervelopmental programmes. In third world coun- standing the ground realities of the situation tries the concept of development has come to faced by the women. The value-base of the sobe identified with government programmes to ciety restricts women’s role and status, and the be managed by government with or without in- government programmes regulates women’s volvement of the community. Institutions like rights to access and control self and resources. panchayat have been associated and involved in any sensitive issue occurring in the society afexecution of these plans. The social structure fects women since they have limited control, and cultural values determine consciousness. power and choices over resources. It is not Consciousness raising shall help in greater par- enough to have the right laws and the institution ticipation in the women empowerment pro- of justice, but also a change in values is necesgrammes. The term women empowerment has sary for the right implementation of justice to come to connote the processes by which the ef- women out of patriarchal biases. It would be a forts of the women themselves are united with significant contribution to women empowerthose of governmental authorities to improve ment and justice in all societies in order to adthe economic, social and cultural conditions of dress the gender gaps and find a gender equality women and to integrate these women into the with sustainable human development.

edUCaTION is a basic human right and a key to the socioeconomic development of a country. Since it is the responsibility of the state to provide equal educational opportunities to its people, in order to encourage and promote education the Punjab government is taking a number of revolutionary steps which are unprecedented in the history of the country. The untiring efforts by the government have resulted in a remarkable increase in its allocation for education i.e. rs 382.9 billion in the Budget 2019-20.

Keeping in view the fact that the future of millions of students is directly linked with governmental strategy and policies, the government has unveiled a new education policy entitled “The New deal 2018-23” which will help eliminate segregated system of education. Now there would be no segregation between the students of elite private schools, small, medium-scale private institutions, and the government schools. The government has also launched “Insaf afternoon Schools” programme to provide education to the out-ofschool children, while reviving Urdu as medium of instructions, with english as a subject, up to primary level education in the province.

The announcement by the government to establish six new universities in Punjab including North Punjab University at Chakwal, University of Mianwali, Kohsar University of Murree, Thal University at Bhakar, rawalpindi University and Baba Gurunanak University in Nankana Sahib is also commendable. Besides, the decision by the government to set up a curriculum authority to implement a uniform education system in the province also deserves praise. Under this new system, five subjects will be compulsory up to matriculation and all government and private educational institutions will conduct examination of only these five subjects. In order to improve the education standard, the government has allocated rs 273 billion for district education authorities and also ordered the constitution of private school councils across the province.

Chief Minister Usman Buzdar is making strenuous efforts for the provision of education to every person. If Buzdar’s dream of development of education sector in the province materializes into reality then that day is not far when Pakistan will be among the countries with highest literacy rate. It is hoped that the new deal 2018-23 will revolutionize the education sector in Punjab and that the government will remain sincere in its efforts to provide education to every child and that the dream of an educated Punjab will certainly materialize into reality.

SYED ALI QASIM Lahore

Open your minds, eyes, and ears SIr, with the continued blessings of almighty allah, Pakistan is gradually progressing. Its importance in the region as well as in the comity of nations is appreciably improving. More and more the world leaders are duly appreciating Islamabad’s positive and constructive role in peace efforts in war-torn afghanistan and contributions to the UN peacekeeping efforts. all this and much more is happening every day in all fairness and appreciation is due to the determined and concerted efforts of PM Imran Khan, FM Shah Mahmud Qureshi, and their colleagues. all of them are working hard to present a positive, peace-loving, and moderate image of Pakistan and its people before the world at large.

Pakistani leaders are visiting different friendly countries and foreign leaders are coming to Islamabad quite frequently.

These visits are making commendable contributions towards improving bilateral relations and boosting Islamabad’s efforts for ensuring peaceful co- existence with all countries, particularly the immediate neighbours.

PM Imran Khan and his economic team managers are telling the people that the country is passing through an economic crisis. Their duly elected government is taking difficult and unpleasant decisions to cope with the situation.

People are being urged to brace these difficulties and cooperate as things are slowly but steadily improving. They are telling people the truth without mincing words. They all are committed and determined to give a corruption-free, progressive, prosperous, and developed Pakistan to our future generations.

But somehow the opposition parties and their leaders are bent upon keeping their minds, eyes, and ears shut, refusing to see what good, howsoever little it may be, is happening in the motherland every moment. They are requested to open their minds, eyes, and ears.

M. Z. RIFAT Lahore

Teach Balochi in Baloch schools!

IN Balochistan more than 2000 subjects are available to students for study. But there is no Balochi subject. Balochi is the mother tongue of Baloch people. While other all subjects including english, Urdu, and others are being taught, Balochi is being completely ignored. Baloch students are good at Urdu and english but they don’t know how to write in Balochi because they have not been taught by any teachers in schools.

I request the government to make Balochi a subject and make it available for study all over Balochistan.

RAZZAQ Kech

Thursday, 16 January, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS

internet ban in held KashMir necessary for indian ‘sovereignty, integrity’: authorities SRINAGAR

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Agencies

UTHoRITIeS in occupied kashmir have decided against fully restoring internet services, stating that the move was necessary to rein in “fake news” and to maintain the “sovereignty and integrity” of India, Indian media outlet reported on Wednesday. on Jan 10, India’s Supreme Court, while hearing petitions challenging the restrictions on movement and communication imposed in the valley since August 5, 2019, said freedom of the internet is a fundamental right and ordered the administration to review all restrictive orders within a week. The top Indian court had observed that internet suspension without “any particular duration and indefinitely” is a violation of telecom rules.

However, defying court orders, a no-

tification issued by Indian authorities late on Tuesday said the ban was necessary for curbing “anti-national elements who are attempting to aid and incite people by transmission of fake news and targeted messages […] propagate terrorism, indulge in rumor-mongering, support fallacious proxy wars, spread propaganda/ideologies, and cause disaffection and discontent”.

The notification, a copy of which is available in The Wire’s report, says: “The misuse of data services by anti-national elements has the potential to cause large scale violence and disturb public order which has till now been maintained due to various preemptive measures, including restrictions on access to internet […].”

The notification further says the ban was “absolutely necessary […] in the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India”. According to the report, the government will restore 2G services on postpaid

New footage shows Iranian missiles hitting Ukraine plane

mobile phones in Jammu, Samba, kathua, Udhampur and Reasi areas of occupied kashmir from Thursday (tomorrow).

Meanwhile, the remaining districts – Poonch, Rajouri, Ramban, kishtwar and doda – will remain without mobile internet.

russian government resigns after putin sets out constitutional shake-up SAINT PETERSBURG: Russia’s government unexpectedly resigned on Wednesday after President Vladimir Putin proposed sweeping constitutional changes that could allow him to extend his rule. Prime Minister dmitry Medvedev said he was stepping down to give Putin room to carry out the changes, which, if implemented, would shift power to parliament and the prime minister - and might thus allow Putin, 67, to rule on in another capacity after his current term ends in 2024. Medvedev, a long-time Putin ally and former president, announced his resignation on state TV sitting next to Putin, who thanked him for his work. Putin said Medvedev would take on a new job as deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, which Putin chairs. Attention now turns to who becomes the next prime minister. The array of possible candidates includes Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, who is credited with breathing new life into the capital. Wednesday’s changes will be seen by many as the start of Putin’s preparations for his own political future when he leaves the presidency in 2024. Whoever he picks as prime minister will inevitably be viewed as a possible presidential successor - echoing the way that Putin stepped down from the presidency in 2008 to become prime minister under Medvedev, who then stepped aside four years later to allow Putin to resume the presidency. In power in one of the two roles since 1999, Putin is due to step down in 2024, when his fourth presidential term ends. He has not yet said what he plans to do when his term expires but, under the current constitution, which sets a maximum of two successive terms, Putin is barred from immediately running again. Agencies

TEHRAN Agencies

New video footage has emerged showing two Iranian missiles tearing through the night sky and hitting a Ukrainian passenger plane, sending the aircraft down in flames and killing all 176 passengers and crew on board.

The projectiles were fired 30 seconds apart and explain why the plane’s transponder was not working as it hurtled to the ground — it was disabled by the first strike, before being hit by a second, said the New york Times, which published the verified security camera footage Tuesday.

The blurry film, shot from a rooftop in a village four miles from an Iranian military site, shows the kiev-bound plane on fire and circling back to Tehran’s airport, the Times said. Minutes later, the aircraft exploded and crashed.

Iran had for days denied Western claims that the Boeing 737 had been downed by its missiles. Tehran came clean on Saturday when Revolutionary Guards aerospace commander Brigadier General Amirali Hajizadeh acknowledged a missile operator had mistaken the Ukraine International Airlines plane for a cruise missile and opened fire.

The incident happened when Iran’s armed forces were on heightened alert after launching a volley of missiles at Iraqi bases hosting US troops in retaliation for the killing of top general Qasem Soleimani on January 3. Iran has struggled to contain the fallout over its handling of the air disaster and the tragedy has seen hundreds of angry protesters, most of them students, take to the streets. New videos circulating on social media purported to show fresh protests on Tuesday evening at universities in Tehran, along with clashes between students and Basij militia loyal to the establishment. It was not possible to immediately verify the videos. earlier, AFP correspondents said

around 200 mainly masked students gathered at Tehran University and were locked in a tense standoff with youths from the Basij. kept apart by security forces, the groups eventually parted ways.

Around 30 people have been arrested in the protests over the air disaster, according to judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein esmaili. on Tuesday Tehran said it had made its first arrests over the shooting down of the plane, though it gave no details.

REAL RIFT: Recent protests have been much smaller than nationwide demonstrations against fuel price hikes that turned deadly in November.

But one commentator said the latest rallies showed there was a “real rift between the people and the authorities”. “I hope that (police restraint) will continue and that no lives are lost, because this could be a catalyst for more protests,” Mehdi Rahmanian, director of reformist daily Shargh, told AFP. In another sign of growing dissent, a group of artists cancelled their participation in the Fajr festival, held each year on the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, according to Hamshahri newspaper. President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday Iran’s judiciary “must form a special court with a highranking judge and dozens of experts… The whole world will be watching.”

ROUHANI URGES ‘UNITY’: President Hassan Rouhani appealed Wednesday for “unity” and flagged the need for radical changes to the way Iran is run, after a wave of angry protests over the accidental downing of a Ukrainian airliner.

The kiev-bound Boeing 737 was shot down last week in a catastrophic error shortly after takeoff from Tehran, killing all 176 passengers and crew on board.

Iran had for days denied claims based on US intelligence that the plane had been downed by a missile, triggering four days of demonstrations as well as international calls for a full and transparent investigation.

The ban on broadband internet in occupied kashmir will, however, continue, according to the report. Authorities added that they will open 400 more internet kiosks to facilitate citizens, The Wire reported.

COMPLETE BAN ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Under the new directives, internet service providers will provide broadband internet facilities to all institutions dealing with essential services and government offices as well as hotel and travel establishments to “facilitate tourism”.

However, prior to providing such services, internet service providers will “white-list” sites that would enable access to government websites and those dealing with essential services.

Moreover, there will be a “complete restriction on social media applications allowing peer to peer communication and virtual private network applications for the time being”.

germany investigates three over ‘spying for china’ BERLIN: German prosecutors on Wednesday said they were investigating three people who allegedly spied for China, with media reporting that a German former eU diplomat was among the suspects. “We can confirm an investigation into suspected espionage” for Chinese state security bodies, a spokesman for the federal prosecutor’s office told AFP. der Spiegel weekly said one of the suspects was a German diplomat who worked at the european Commission in Brussels before serving several stints as ambassador for the european Union in foreign countries. The other two are reportedly lobbyists employed by a “well-known Germany lobby firm”. Prosecutors refused to provide details about the suspects and said no arrests have been made. But they confirmed Spiegel’s information that police were on Wednesday raiding homes and offices linked to the trio in Berlin, Brussels and the German states of Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg. Agencies

Jet dumps fuel that lands on schoolkids near Los Angeles LOS ANGELES Agencies

An airliner with engine trouble dumped jet fuel that fell as a smelly mist on dozens of schoolchildren while the plane made an emergency return to Los Angeles International Airport, officials said.

The fuel, described by fire officials as a vapour, caused minor skin and lung irritation to 56 children and adults but nobody was taken to the hospital and the only decontamination required was soap and water, officials said. delta Air Lines Flight 89 to Shanghai reported an engine problem only minutes after takeoff. “delta 89, heavy, we have engine compressor stalls on the right engine,” the pilot reported to air traffic control, according to a recording of the radio conversation.

A stall, which can be caused by damage to a turbine, either from a malfunction or sometimes by a bird striking the engine, reduces the engine thrust.

The pilot was asked whether he wanted to keep the aircraft over the ocean to dump fuel but declined, although it appears he may have changed his mind later about whether the plane could safely land weighing as much as it did.

The fuel sprayed out of the plane in two lines and descended at midday in the city of Cudahy and nearby parts of Los Angeles County, about 21 kilometres east of the airport.

“The mist fell on five elementary schools, but all injuries were minor and

CMYK

there weren’t any evacuations,” Los Angeles County Fire department Inspector Sky Cornell said.

“That’s a great sign. All the fuel evaporated very quickly and nothing flammable remained in the air or on the ground,” he said. diego Martinez, a sixth grader at Park Avenue elementary in Cuday, said he and his classmates were outside for physical education class when they saw the airplane flying low overhead.

“It was very close.” Shortly afterward, the air filled with the pungent odor of fuel. “It was very strong, the odor,” the 12-year-old said. diego wasn’t doused but some of his friends complained that their skin was itching.

“Some teachers at Park Avenue had headaches from the smell,” said Antonio Buenabad, area representative for the United Teachers Los Angeles union.

“They were anxious to get home

and shower because the stench was very strong,” he said of the teachers. delta Air Lines said the aircraft landed safely after releasing fuel, which was required as part of normal procedure to reach a safe landing weight.

“The FlightAware website’s flight track showed the jet took off over the ocean and made an immediate right turn toward land and circled back over Southern California to approach the airport from the east.” The Federal Aviation Administration said it is investigating. “There are special fuel dumping procedures for aircraft operating into and out of any major US airport,” the FAA said in a statement.

“These procedures call for fuel to be dumped over designated unpopulated areas, typically at higher altitudes so the fuel atomises and disperses before it reaches the ground.

Thursday, 16 January, 2020

BUSINESS 11

PAKiStAn to blAme if ftA-ii with ChinA fAilS, DAwooD SAyS

CORPORATE CORNER

ISLAMABAD

ISLAMABAD: Communications and Postal Services Minister Murad Saeed watches as National Highway Authority (NHA) General Manager Amjad Ali Khan sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa VP Saima Rahim at the NHA headquarters. p r E S S r E l E A S E

KARACHI: National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) teams up with Huawei, UnionPay International and Paysys to launch ‘Huawei Pay’ in Pakistan. p r E S S r E l E A S E

LAHORE: Outdoor One has expanded the services of its deluxe lounges nationwide. The numerous benefits and privileges offered to guests at The Majestic Lounge have made it the top preference of premium flyers. prESS rElEASE

GHUlAM ABBAS

A

DvISER to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood on Wednesday lauded the unilateral tariff relaxation given by China under the second phase of China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA) but said that Pakistan would be responsible in case the CPFTA-II fails to bridge the trade imbalances.

Addressing a seminar on CPFTA-II, which was organised by Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) on Wednesday, the PM’s adviser claimed that it was now a joint responsibility of the government and business community to ensure the success of the second phase of FTA with China.

He said that the first phase of the free trade agreement was a failure as the agreement, which was apparently a badly negotiated deal, contributed to 34 per cent of Pakistan’s overall trade deficit in 2018-19. “There was no protection for Pakistani products under the previous deal that was signed in 2006, as the exports to China did increase but not as much as the imports, leading to Pakistan’s swelling trade deficit with the neighbouring country,” he said.

In the second phase of the free trade agreement, which was implemented on January 1, tariff on 313 products has immediately been abolished for Pakistan while a total of 75 per cent of the tariff lines will be liberalised over the next

ISLAMABAD

ISLAMABAD: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on Wednesday hosted the first-ever ‘Modernizing Agriculture through Innovative Technologies Conference 2020’. Muhammad Khurshid, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of National Food Sectiuity & Research, inaugurated ‘Agri Tech Hub’ on the occasion. p r E S S r E l E A S E

The Senate's Standing Committee on IT and Telecom has deliberated on the responsibilities of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) regarding the security and protection of social media, SIM cards, and the implementation of laws related to cybercrime.

It was brought into committee's notice that despite the fact that certain biometric machines given to SIM card vendors have been causing data leakage, only 36,000, out of approximately 174,000 machines, have been recalled, for which PTA has given the telecoms time till September. This simply means that until September 2020, the data of those who buy SIM cards can be leaked and misused, without any authority taking quick and necessary actions.

PTA Member Dr Khawar Khokhar said that the initial ruling was to let the devices operate until the end of their useful life, while now the telecoms

have been given time till September to call back the devices.

Upon being questioned about who pays for these devices, he said that it was paid by the telecom companies themselves. To this, the committee chairperson said that that PTA was "only trying to save the money for the companies while putting the data of consumers and their security at risk".

"What sort of a regulatory authority are you? Shut it down then? The only thing I have seen you do is to issue licenses and put interests of service providers on top and ignore general public," the chairperson remarked.

On the issue of indecent and violence inciting comments made on Facebook, as was observed in the recent case of kidnapping of Dua Mangi and the character assassination that followed on social media, FIA’s response to the Chairperson Rubina Khalid’s remarks was “we can only track down the accounts that have been made with accurate personal information of people”.

As often is the case, the

Textile policy awaits PM Imran’s nod ‘pakistan aims to increase its GloBal textile share from $13.3Bn to $25.3Bn in next five years’ LAHORE HASSAN NAQVI

The much-awaited ‘long-term textile policy’ has been submitted by the Ministry of Commerce to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s office for his approval.

According to details available with this scribe, the policy consists of 10 components: energy, cotton, man-made fibre (MMF), dyes and chemicals, subsidized credit, value-added rebates, non-traditional markets, role of women, youth skills development and entrepreneurship programme, and water tariff.

As per the sources, the textile policy is likely to be approved by PM Imran Khan “in a week or two”.

Earlier, after taking charge of the

traders of the world, the businessmen in Pakistan first try to make money from the domestic market. “There is a need to change the mindset of the traders if we want to improve our exports,” he added.

The seminar was attended by a large number of businessmen from Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Islamabad Women Chambers, major trade associations and export sectors of Pakistan, including agro-food, gemstones, jewellery, marble and stone, chemicals, etc.

Earlier the officials of Ministry of Commerce briefed the participants about the second phase of CPFTA, which offers an enhanced and deeper market access to Pakistan.

As per the official data the incumbent government, while contracting imports has drastically reduced the trade deficit during the past one year. From $22.16 billion in FY15, the trade deficit went up to $23.9 billion in FY16. The next two years saw the trade imbalance balloon to $32.58 billion and $37.58 billion. In FY19, the trade deficit was brought down to $31.82 billion.

However, the $5.76 billion reduction in the trade deficit was undergirded by the deceleration of economic growth from 5.5 per cent to 3.3 per cent and imposition of regulatory duties, resulting in a $6 billion fall in imports. As a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), the trade deficit came marginally down from 11.9 per cent in FY18 to 11.2 per cent in FY19.

Faulty biometric machines to continue risking customer data till Sept SYEDA MASOOMA

FAISALABAD: Hyundai Nishat Motor (Private) Limited has announced mass production at its assembly plant in the Faisalabad Industrial Estate Development & Management Company (M3 Industrial Estate). With an annual production capacity of up to 15,000 units per annum in its initial phase, Hyundai’s manufacturing plant is now fully operational. p r E S S r E l E A S E

decade. The tariff concessions and facilities will significantly improve access to the Chinese market for Pakistani exports. A wide variety of products are covered under these concessional tariffs, including textiles, garments, seafood, meat, leather, chemicals, plastics and footwear. In addition, the free trade agreement has improved safeguard mechanisms for the protection of the domestic industry in Pakistan, introduced a safety valve against the future balance of payment crises, and included enforcement of electronic data exchange to avoid mis-declaration and under-invoicing of imports from China.

“Not only is the Ministry of Commerce responsible for the success of the new agreement but also the whole country and especially the business community,” Dawood said, adding that the exports had not been prioritised in the past.

“Now the world’s largest import market, which happens to share a border with us, has provided us competitive access to the majority of its $2 trillion export market,” he added.

According to the adviser, the CPFTA-II will help Pakistan to come on a par with ASEAN states in the Chinese market, providing a huge opportunity in shape of tariff relaxation to the manufacturers, especially the garment sector, to enhance their export volume with the potential to grow 20 times. Dawood said that CPFTA Phase II can be weighed as better negotiated than the previous phase due to enhanced protection given to businessmen.

He said that unlike the exporters and

commerce ministry, Adviser to PM on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood had directed Taskforce on Textile Chairman Ahsan Bashir to develop a long-term textile policy for the sector.

Ahsan Bashir, a leading industrialist and former All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) chairman, consulted all relevant stakeholders from the industry and prepared the draft of Pakistan’s long-term textile policy.

According to the policy draft available this scribe, Pakistan aims to increase its world textile share from 1.6pc ($13.3 billion) in 2019 to 3pc ($25.3 billion) in the next five years.

“To achieve this, a total of $9.75 billion of additional investment will be required in the first phase (FY20-25).

For the second phase (FY26-30), an amount of $19.79 billion will be required to achieve the target of $50 billion textile exports.”

During the course of the policy, Pakistan will ensure regionally competitive pricing of energy across the entire textile chain – electricity at 7.5 cents/kWh and gas at $6.5/mmBTU. The textile policy envisions acquiring high yielding seed technology from international sources for enhanced cotton production, besides restructuring research and development on modern lines, removal of non-tariff barriers and duties and facilitation of land routes for cotton export/import.

FOUR-TIER STRATEGY: As per the policy, without diversification in the MMF products, Pakistan will not able to penetrate the export market of MMF clothing. More rapid export growth will initially rely on capturing higher market shares in Pakistan’s existing

meeting resulted in PTA holding FIA and telecom serviced providers responsible, while the FIA simply stated that they haven’t received any complaint from PTA so far so they cannot be held responsible either.

PTA Member Dr Khawar said that they have changed the SoPs of biometric verification, and have changed the system from silicon transfer of fingerprints to live registration which is likely to reduce data theft. The committee chairperson expressed anger over PTA putting the interests of telecom corporation ahead of the interests of the general public and reiterated "we are not satisfied" [with PTA’s current policy and implementation] thrice during the session.

The committee also discussed the issue of data theft from NADRA, in response to which both FIA and PTA refused to take any responsibility putting the onus on NADRA alone. Plans for “Digital Pakistan” were also discussed in the committee, which were termed as “dreamy” and “Textbook” by the senators in attendance, including Dr Shahzad Waseem.

Cabinet approves signing of revised air services agreement with KSA ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet has approved the signing of a revised Air Service Agreement (ASA) between Pakistan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to enhance bilateral cooperation in transportation and air operation bases, Pakistan Today has learnt. Under the revised ASA, Saudi airlines in Pakistan will be given permission to transport the passengers from Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Islamabad, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Multan, Gwadar, Panjgur and Turbat, while Pakistani airlines will be granted permission to transport the passengers from international airports in KSA. The nominated airlines of the two countries will be allowed to use the air spaces of both countries without landing the planes. Similarly, the airlines of the two countries will be authorized to land their planes in both countries for non-traffic purposes. Sources said other than the state-owned airlines, both Pakistan & KSA, under the revised ASA, will also allow the private airlines to start the international traffic. "This revised agreement with KSA will promote tourism in both Pakistan and KSA," said sources. After the approval by the federal cabinet, both countries are likely to sign the ASA during the meeting of the Saudi Supreme Coordination Council.

Prime Minister Imran Khan would attend the signing ceremony. AHMAD AHMADANI

‘Govt will ensure reGionally competitive enerGy prices across entire textile chain – electricity at 7.5 cents/kwh and Gas at $6.5/mmBtu’ strengths (basic home textiles and garments) in current markets and penetrating newer and dynamic markets, such as China, India, Bangladesh, Japan and ASEAN countries.

“To achieve and sustain accelerated exports growth targets, the policy will require actions centred on four pillars that are: tier one – building an enabling environment which includes the establishment of institutions for trade policy coherence and implementation. Tier two is ‘breaking into new products’ that means rationalizing trade policy to ensure level playing field and improving the environment for domestic and foreign investment. Tier three is ‘breaking into new markets’ that includes improving trade facilitation and promoting economic integration with Asia. Lastly, the fourth tier which is ‘increasing worker and con-

sumer welfare’ includes improving skills and literacy of workers, implementation of labour and work safety guidelines and making safety nets more effective in dealing with trade shocks.”

The policy recommended concerted efforts on MMF to achieve 50pc share in production and exports of Pakistan.

It also recommended rationalization of 18pc duty or rebate in lieu thereof on dyes and chemicals and suggested a freight subsidy to explore non-traditional markets like Africa and Central America.

The policy suggested facilitation of women employment in textiles, allocation of special grants for gender-specific employment, and increasing female labour force participation (FLFP) from its current level of 25pc to 30pc by 2025, in line with countries that have achieved growth.

Thursday, 16 January, 2020

12 BUSINESS MARKET DAILY

ConStruCtion SeCtor to SPur eConomy, CreAte jobS: Pm ISLAMABAD

Stocks lose 214 points amid lack of triggers KARACHI STAFF rEpOrT

Bearish trend prevailed at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Wednesday, as the indices depreciated continuously while volumes contracted further, pushing the KSE-100 below the 43,000-mark. Foreign investors, on the other hand, continued with their buying trend in the previous session. A net inflow of $1.2 million was recorded on Tuesday with major buying witnessed in banking ($0.75 million) and oil and gas exploration ($0.45 million) sectors.

The benchmark KSE-100 Index, which started the day at 43,212.59, lost 329.14 points to mark its intraday low at 42,877.90. It settled lower by 214.01 points at 42,993.03.

The KMI-30 Index plunged 509.80 points to close at 70,144.36, while KSE All Share Index declined by 80.65 points, ending at 29,892.79. Out of the total traded shares, 109 advanced and 212 declined. The overall market volumes contracted from 249.67 million in the previous session to 171.13 million. The Bank of Punjab (BOP +1.12pc) topped the volume chart, followed by Maple Leaf Cement Factory Limited (MLCF +1.75pc) and TRG Pakistan Limited (TRG -0.49pc). The scripts had exchanged 19.65 million, 18.26 million and 9.26 million shares, respectively. Sectors that painted the index red included oil & gas exploration (-51.85 points), power generation & distribution (-35.18 points) and banking (29.74 points). Among the companies, Hub Power Company Limited (HUBC -30.53 points), Pak Petroleum Limited (PPL -27.14 points) and Pakistan Services Limited (PSEL 20.40 points) dented the index the most. In a notification to the exchange, Pioneer Cement Limited (PIOC +2.37pc) announced that the company has successfully lighted up the kiln of its new line having production capacity of 10,000 tonnes per day. According to the company, the production and dispatch of cement shall start in due course. Although the market trend remained negative on Wednesday, the tobacco sector managed to gain +1.63pc in its cumulative market capitalization. Philip Morris Pakistan Limited (PMPK +3.64pc) and Pakistan Tobacco Company Limited (PAKT +1.13pc) ended with decent gains.

finCA secures rs800m tier-ii facility from PmiC BUSINESS DESK FINCA Microfinance Bank Pakistan (FMBP) has announced that it has secured an eight-year, Rs800 million Tier-II/subordinated bilateral loan facility from Pakistan Microfinance Investment Company (PMIC). According to a statement issued by (FMBP), the facility marks an inaugural Tier-II transaction by PMIC and will be used by FINCA Pakistan to support its balance sheet expansion. The facility will contribute towards FINCA’s Tier-II capital for complying with the Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) requirement prescribed by the State Bank of Pakistan for microfinance banks. The funds raised will be utilized in FINCA Pakistan’s business operations and will enable the bank to meet financing requirements of over 240,000 borrowers across Pakistan. Most of these loans will be targeted towards individuals running micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Zarlasht Wardak, Chair of FINCA Pakistan Board, congratulated both institutions on this landmark transaction. “Pakistan is full of opportunities for microfinance sector and we are very happy that this facility will allow us to farther our mission of financial inclusion and improving access to finance for disadvantaged sections of the economy,” she said.

P

STAFF rEpOrT

RIME Minister Imran Khan has said that the government is working on the construction industry's promotion on priority, as the sector would accelerate economic activities and would also create jobs opportunities for people.

Chairing a meeting in this connection on Wednesday, he said that the government was aware of the problems being faced by people due to financial difficulties, adding that all possible efforts were afoot to accelerate economic and business activities in the country.

The meeting was attended by Finance Advisor Dr Abdul Hafiz Shaikh, Naya Pakistan Housing Authority Chairman Lt Gen (r) Anwar Ali Haider and Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD) representative Muhammad Hassan Bakhshi.

The PM said that over 40 industries were attached to the construction industry which is why its promotion would yield benefits for a large number of people.

“The construction sector would be given the status of an industry,” the PM stated, directing the relevant authorities to ensure that this decision is implemented at its earliest.

The PM stated that after acquiring industrial status, the construction sector would also get all those facilities which were being offered to other industries.

He directed the Competitive Commission of Pakistan (CCP) to play an active role in ending the issues that lead to the making of cartels as well as stopping unrealistic surge in prices of raw materials related to the construction industry.

During the meeting, Finance Advisor Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, while informing the prime minister about the progress on government efforts regarding the construction sector's promotion, said that there had been sufficient development in addressing various problems of the construction sector after meetings with the Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD) and other related people.

He also informed the meeting that the government, in the first phase of its aim to promote the construction sector, had allocated Rs25 bil-

‘e-Pay Punjab collects Rs500m tax in just 100 days’ LAHORE STAFF rEpOrT

ePay Punjab, the first-ever government payment aggregator for citizen facilitation and ease of business, has collected over Rs500 million in tax revenue through multiple levies across Punjab in just 100 days.

This was informed during a progress review meeting presided by Punjab IT Board Chairman Azfar Manzoor on Wednesday.

The system, launched on 4th October last year as a collaborative endeavour between PITB and Punjab Finance Department, provides the general public with a stress-free and efficient method of paying all taxes and payments to the government using ICT tools without going through the existing cumbersome process.

The meeting was informed that multiple new payment channels, including debit /credit cards, mobile wallets, telco agent networks and direct debit from accounts, are being added to further increase the payment options available to the citizens and businesses.

Additionally, it is also planned to include government-to-public (G2P) and governmentto-business (G2B) payment models in future to broaden the horizon of the programme. These include tax/non-tax receipts like online admission for colleges/school fee, driving license fee,

e-challan, character certificate, domicile, fitness certificate (commercial vehicles) and agri income tax.

The ePay Punjab application lets the citizens of Punjab generate a 17-digit unique PSID number that is accepted on the respective channels of all banks in Pakistan. The banking channels, which the citizens can utilize for tax payments, include internet/mobile banking, ATM and over-the-counter (OTC)/branch visits. At the backend, ePay Punjab is integrated with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and 1link for interconnectivity across the entire banking network.

The initiative has proved to be a gamechanger in the local FinTech industry as it is playing a pivotal role in increasing tax revenue collection and improving financial inclusion in the province. In its first phase, 13 taxes/levies and five departments are made a part of the app and portal. Excise & Taxation, Board of Revenue, Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA), Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) etc. are the departments liaised with the app where citizens can pay token tax, motor vehicle registration, transfer of motor vehicle, property tax, professional tax, cotton fee, e-stamping, mutation fee, sales tax on services, Punjab Infrastructure Development Cess, business registration fee and route permit through e-pay.

inflation to decrease in coming months, predicts asad Inflation would lower down to a single digit by the end of this year, as compared to 12.6pc recorded in December 2019, Planning Development and Special Initiatives Minister Asad Umar predicted on Wednesday. Talking to the media in Islamabad, he said that the government was taking steps to reduce the percentage of interest rate this year, which would boost investment opportunities. He noted that credit offtake by the private sector had not increased much in the past six months because of higher interest rates. The minister stressed the need for enhanced cooperation between the public and private sectors, saying that through public-private partnerships, mega projects would be started in Karachi very soon. "Water, transport, sewerage and sanitation system were the major problems for the people of Karachi and the federal government is taking steps to resolve them," he maintained. The government, with the help of political parties including the Muttahida Quami Movement and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), would provide facilities to people of the mega-city without any discrimination." BUSINESS DESK

lion to the Pakistan Housing Authority (PHA).

The meeting was told that a consensus had been made regarding the future policy of fixed income tax while the government had already made its policy about the construction of high-rise buildings; a decision which was also endorsed by the Cabinet in its meeting on Tuesday.

On the topic of the valuation table, the meeting was told that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) would appoint a regional valuation committee, including representatives of ABAD and real estate, next week.

Furthermore, the PM directed Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh to request the superior judiciary to constitute a special bench for quick disposal of pending cases related to real estate and construction sectors.

Towards the end of the meeting, the prime minister, in response to a proposal for the provision of state land for construction purposes, agreed that it was an important part of the government's policy to utilise properties belonging to government departments for construction purposes, especially for low-income people.

DGPC's 'incompetence' causes $50m loss to national exchequer ISLAMABAD AHAMAD AHMADANI

Pakistan has allegedly suffered a loss of $50 million due to the “inefficiency and incompetence” of Directorate General of Petroleum Concession (DPGC) as the department delayed the signing of an important agreement for six months after the discovery of 30MMCFD gas from Badin Iv South Gas Fields. Sources said that DGPC Imran Ahmed had hired the services of IPR International Ltd (Pakistan) to inspect the field before signing gas sales and purchase agreement with the exploration and production company. IPR International Energy Group inspected the gas field and declared the field to be marginal in nature. However, the DGPC raised objections on its report and asked the firm to inspect the field once again. The results were the same this time as well. The report had recommended that the price should be $6.3/MMBTU in accordance with the Gas Pricing Criteria and Guidelines, 2013. However, the official raised more objections and as a result, the gas could not be injected into the system. “They are responsible for the current gas crisis in the country. Had the gas been injected into the system on time, the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations and commercial units would not have shut down in the winter season,” sources said. Sources also said that DGPC Ahmed’s actions placed an additional burden on the national exchequer and the economy. “As soon as gas is discovered in an area, numerous job opportunities emerge for the locals. Those who own land in the area, rent it out at profitable rates. The gas-producing province earns 12.5 per cent in head royalty while the government earns 17 per cent in GST. The exploration and production company has to pay corporate tax as well. All of these factors contribute to the national economy. DGPC’s actions deprived the government and the locals of making money in this crucial time,” sources alleged. “After the deduction of all taxes, the price of local gas usually stands at $4/MMBTU. The government has been importing expensive Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) which costs $10/MMBTU and has paid around $50 million from its foreign reserves.”

Utility stores’ liabilities stand at Rs15.6bn, NA body told ISLAMABAD STAFF rEpOrT

Parliamentary Secretary for Industries and Production Aliya Hamza told the National Assembly on Wednesday that current liabilities of Utility Stores Corporation stood at Rs15.616 billion due to non-payments by the previous government.

Responding to a question of Member National Assembly (MNA) Ali Gohar Khan during the Question Hour, she said due to cash flow problem, utility stores were unable to pay the vendors on time.

Furthermore, she said the USC was currently in the process of rehabilitation and was trying to revive itself by introducing structural changes.

"Currently, the corporation was making phased payments to its vendors. However, it was facing financial crunch and was unable to pay 100pc of the payments to each vendor in the present situation," she added.

Aliya Hamza said the utility stores still had to pay Rs4,728 million to the vendors while it had received a running finance facility of Rs4,986 million from the National Bank of Pakistan at a mark-

up of 14.36pc.

"It also owed Rs5,902 million to the Trading Corporation of Pakistan."

She said USC would receive Rs18.089 million from the government on account of subsidy on sugar to be further paid to the trading corporation.

Aliya Hamza said USC was running into a loss of billions of rupees when the present government came into power.

"We are clearing the liabilities of the previous government."

'13,000 JOBS': Meanwhile, on a question of MNA Romina Khurshid

Alam, Aliya Hamza maintained that 18 new companies had entered in the automobile sector, six of which had already started manufacturing of vehicles which would help create more than 13,000 jobs in the country.

She said the federal government had introduced Automotive Development Policy (ADP) 2016-21 and following this policy, the present government helped the automobile sector attract an investment of Rs1 billion.

She claimed that there was no decline in sales of automobiles during the tenure

of the government.

Aliya Hamza said according to the business plans of new companies entering the market, 13,256 new jobs would be created. She said the government would implement 147 regulations, including safety standards, to bring improvements in the automobile sector.

To another question of MNA James Iqbal, she said no four-wheeler automobile units were closed or became nonfunctional during the last two years, while 13 out of 65 two or three-wheeler units remained closed during the same period.

5 movies every entrepreneur should watch STARTUP.COM

LORD OF WAR

WALL STREET

Startup.com is a 2001 documentary film that examines the rise and fall of the real-life startup GovWorks that raised $60 million from Hearst Interactive Media, KKR, the New York Investment Fund, and Sapient. It's good viewing to better understand the boom and bust of the dotcom period and serves as a cautionary tale on how friendships can easily be threatened by business partnerships.

If you like dark comedy with a good bit of action, Lord of War is a must-watch. This warcrime film chronicles the life of Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage), an immigrant from Ukraine who decides his route to success is through illegal gun trade. Morality aside, Yuri's ambition, tenacity, and ability to tolerate risk demonstrate the very qualities entrepreneurs need to succeed. Plus, if you want to learn more about growth hacking, building customer loyalty, and negotiation techniques, this film delves deeply into these topics.

You'll probably find yourself incorporating some of the lessons in your own business venture.

Ever find yourself pushed to your limits in the pursuit of power and success? Wall Street unravels this theme through the eyes of Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), an ambitious stockbroker who navigates the economic rollercoaster of Wall Street, adopting the "greed is good" mantra. This movie is a window into corporate finance, portfolio management, investment law principles and capital markets. More telling is the story of a young, susceptible mind, showing how easy it is to get carried away with the glamorous lifestyle that accompanies wealth. Plus, if you thought The Wolf of Wall Street was a bit too much, this movie is a tamer, more socially-critical version.

THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM

HOW TO GET AHEAD IN ADVERTISING

This 2005 documentary film is based on the best-selling book of the same name by reporters Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind, which touches upon one of the largest business scandals in American history - the collapse of the Enron Corporation. This is a must watch for a history buff or anyone looking for a thought-provoking and shocking example of modern corporate corruption.

Even if you're not looking for advertising advice, How to Get Ahead in Advertising will teach you a thing or two about creative problem-solving. The film was a flop when first released, but redeemed itself many years later and is touted as a brilliantly entertaining satire of the advertising industry. It will definitely make you think differently about business in the commercial world.

After leaving office, Ronald Reagan was offered the role of Hill Valley's mayor in Back to the Future III.

Foreign Accent Syndrome is a rare side effect of brain trauma. Patients speak their native language in a foreign accent.

'It's from My Movie': Pakistani Actress Slams Tarek Fatah for Promoting Fake Polio Video

HOLLYWOOD BOLLYWOOD

Running into another round of controversy, Pakistani-Canadian journalist and author Tarek Fatah once again ended up promoting fake news just to troll Pakistan.

Tarek took to Twitter to share a video of a Pakistani woman holding her child in her lap and slamming a polio worker by saying that she will never feed her children polio drops as they cause stomach upset. While the scuffle goes on between the mother and the worker dressed in white, a crowd of people wait and watch the scene.

According to reports, Tarek had written, "Pakistani mother

slams the door shut in the face of Polio workers. Screams at the two female volunteers: I will never ever allow my children to take these drops. Never never will my kids

drink these drops. Never."

However, the tweet was later removed by Tarek after reports came out to slam him for falsely portraying a situation.

It was pointed out by Pakistani actress Mehwish Hayat, who said that the scene is from her movie 'Load Wedding', where she is acting in the role of the polio worker in white and the angry mother of the child is another actress. She also added that, "Through the film they were raising awareness of the issue."

Asking Tarekh to verify the source before posting next time, she said, "Glad to see our performances were so convincing."

However, a Twitter user shared the clip, which was apparently what Tarek shared without fact-checking.

Crisis On Infinite Earths Features Ezra Miller The Flash

Move Over Superman: Dwayne Johnson Teases Black Adam Taking Over

Confirming my Comic-Con scoop, tonight's episode of Crisis On Infinite Earths features Ezra Miller as The Flash and connects to the DCEU. While at Comic-Con, I spoke with various DC insiders who offered that Crisis On Infinite Earths would connect to the DC movies, TV and streaming services, as well as the DCEU, as plans are in place for the big Warner Media HBO Max streaming service.

I also first revealed that Tom Welling would appear in Crisis, and while at Comic-Con I was also the first to reveal plans for J.J. Abrams to tackle Superman and Green Lantern.

I was told that it's all going to be connected and that additional DC shows would be coming to HBO Max. Regarding the appearance of Ezra Miller as The Flash in Crisis On Infinite Earths, Oliver Queen as The Spectre unleashes the Grant Gustin The Flash's full potential as a DC Speedster which enables the Gustin Barry Allen to enter the Speed Force from the Vanishing Point.

Move over Superman, Batman, Aquaman, Cyborg, The Flash, Wonder Woman, and Shazam, as Dwayne Johnson teases that his Black Adam will be taking over the DCEU. Johnson has taken to his Instagram account numerous times mentioning, "The hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is about to change."

With each mention, the 6′ 5″ 260 lb actor shows off images of his jacked-self in training for the role, which dwarfs both Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck, not to mention Zachary Levi and even Jason Momoa.

"New era. The hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is about to change. Same game different levels. Same hell different devils. #antiherotraining #dcuniverse #blackadam Shooting starts this summer. @jonbrandoncruz," The Rock posted Tuesday on Instagram.

Warner Bros. recently announced the Black Adam release date, December 12, 2021, with Jaume Collet-Serra on board as director.

CMYK

Queen Elizabeth II has had over 30 corgis in her lifetime.

Kajol throws light on her family lineage with pictures of Nutan, Tanuja, Shobhna, calls them ‘true feminists’ Kajol has shared a collage image, throwing light on her family lineage on Instagram. The collage features the actor, her mother Tanuja, late maternal grandmother Shobhna Samarth and late aunt Nutan, all of whom have had an illustrious career in films.

Sharing the collage on Instagram, Kajol wrote, “Who I came from... the true feminists! #strongwomen #livelearnlove.” The monochrome picture shows Kajol, Shobhna, Nutan and Tanuja when seen clockwise.

Kajol’s sister Tanishaa Mukerji is also a former actor and was one of the finalists in the adventure reality show, Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 7 in 2016. She is better known for her role in films such as Neal ‘n’ Nikki and Sarkar and Sarkar Raj. Kajol just saw the release of her film Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior last Friday. While her husband Ajay Devgn plays the title role of Maratha warrior Tanaji Malusare, she plays his onscreen wife Savitribai Malusare in the film.

Thursday, 16 January, 2020

14 SPORTS

SErEna WilliaMS, back in thE WinS, aiMS to End long SlaM rEcord qUESt AucklAnd

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Agencies

ERENA Williams is ominously back to winning ways as she looks to finally complete her long quest for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. The American has been on the cusp of history since 2017, when she won her 23rd Major trophy in Melbourne, but after returning from giving birth has suffered straight-sets defeats in four Slam finals.

The signs are good for the 38-yearold Williams, who broke a three-year title drought at last week's Auckland Classic -- a result that will not have gone unnoticed by her younger rivals.

Australia's world number one Ashleigh Barty and defending champion Naomi Osaka are among her genuine challengers, but pressure and expectation will also pose problems for Williams as she pursues the 24 Grand Slam titles won by the Australian Margaret Court between 1960 and 1973.

"That was really important for me and I just want to build on it," Williams, now ranked ninth in the world, said after triumphing in Auckland on Sunday.

The former number one, who celebrated on court with daughter Olympia, donated her US$43,000

winner's cheque to victims of the Australian bushfires. Practice and qualifying have been disrupted in Melbourne this week because of toxic air pollution from the deadly fires, but organisers are confident the tournament will proceed as planned.

Williams has now won 73 WTA titles over four decades and although she is scaling back the number of tournaments she plays, there is no indication she plans to retire imminently.

Williams's latest Grand Slam final heartbreak came at the US Open, where she was stunned by Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu.

Williams -- the highest-paid female athlete in the world last year with earnings close to US$30 million, according to Forbes -- afterwards played down her bid for Court's record."I'm not necessarily chasing a record," she said. "I'm just trying to win Grand Slams." At least she will not encounter the 19-year-old Andreescu, who is out of the Australian Open with a knee injury.

PRESSURE ON BARTY: Of the challengers to Williams, Barty will also have to deal with great expectations from the Melbourne crowd.

The 23-year-old Australian, who once took time off tennis to play professional cricket, won her maiden Major at Roland Garros last year. But

Barty has had a patchy start to the year after losing her season opener last week, going down in two sets in Brisbane to American qualifier Jennifer Brady. She dismissed afterwards the hype in Australia surrounding her.

"It doesn't change the way that I practise, it doesn't change the way that my team and I prepare, it doesn't change me as a person," Barty said. Japan's Osaka arrives for her title defence accompanied by her fourth coach in less than a year, Belgian Wim Fissette.

The 22-year-old squandered match point in losing to Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic in the semi-finals in Brisbane on Saturday. The 27-yearold Pliskova goes into Melbourne under the radar but the world number two beat American Madison Keys in the final to close the gap on Barty at the top of the rankings.

However, she is yet to win a Grand Slam and her best appearance in a Major was back in 2016, when she lost the US Open final to Germany's Angelique Kerber.

There will be added interest in Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki, the former world number one who finally broke her long Grand Slam duck in Melbourne two years ago, and who will retire after the tournament at the age of 29.

Man Utd axe training camp over Middle East tensions MAnchesTer

AdelAide

Agencies

Spurs sign Portugal's Gedson Fernandes with option to buy lisbon Agencies

Portugal midfielder Gedson Fernandes became the first signing of the Jose Mourinho era at Tottenham on Wednesday as the manager bids to revive the club's Premier League campaign.

The 21-year-old signed an 18month loan deal with an option to make the transfer permanent for a reported £56 million ($73 million).

Fernandes will provide vital cover in midfield following a threemonth lay-off for Moussa Sissoko, who has had knee surgery.

"We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement for the 18-month loan of Gedson Fernandes from Benfica with an option to make the transfer permanent," said a club statement.

Fernandes, capped twice at senior level, told Spurs TV he was looking forward to working with compatriot Mourinho.

"All young players want to work with Jose Mourinho because he's one of the best. All of us as players want to stay near the best, so it’s fantastic to work with him."

"I have no words to say about

the stadium because it is fantastic," he added. "I have never been or seen anything like this, It is unbelievable."

Fernandes was offered to Spurs

by Mourinho's friend and super agent Jorges Mendes and they beat off competition from West Ham, who were keen to bring him to London.

The potential reported fee would mark a huge mark-up from the 250 euros ($278) and 25 footballs Benfica reportedly gave to Fernandes' club, Frielas, when he was 10.

Mourinho will be hoping that more arrivals may follow, particularly a striker following Harry Kane's potentially season-ending hamstring injury, with the club eighth in the Premier League, nine points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

The club are understood to be interested in AC Milan's Krzysztof Piatek while Christian Benteke, Edison Cavani and even former striker Fernando Llorente have been linked.

There could also be departures at Spurs this month, with Kyle WalkerPeters hoping to join Crystal Palace on loan while the club are trying to offload Christian Eriksen in order to get a fee for him.

Former champion Kerber suffers Australian Open injury setback Agencies

Manchester United have called off a winter training camp in the Middle East due to fears over tensions in the region. United have often used the Nad Al Sheba Sports Complex in Dubai as a warm-weather base in recent years, and the Old Trafford outfit were set to visit the venue in the upcoming first ever winter break for Premier League clubs. But United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed those plans have now been shelved in the wake of the United States' killing of Iran's general Qassem Soleimani. The incident has triggered a tense political mood in the region and Solskjaer admits United won't travel to Qatar due to security concerns. "If there's one thing that worries me, it's not on the football pitch," Solskjaer said. "It's other things that worry me more.

"We were looking at the Middle East but that's definitely not going to happen." Solskjaer indicated he would instead give his players some time off to spend alone during the winter break, which will follow United's home match against Wolves on February 1. "I'm going to give them a few days off, so I don't know where they'll all scatter around but we'll stay in Europe," he said. Solskjaer sees the mid-season break, introduced this season, as being vital for his players after an intense run of games. With United still competing on four fronts, Wednesday's FA Cup third-round replay against Wolves at Old Trafford will be their 15th game in 49 days, and the number will reach 19 in 66 days by the time they meet again at the start of February. "I think the mid-season break is very, very important for everyone," he said. "We've got five or six games now until then, we've just got to stick at it, hang in there until then, get the performances and the results that we hope we're going to get, and then use that to get some vitamin D."

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Angelique Kerber's preparations for the opening Grand Slam of the year were dealt a blow Wednesday when she was forced to retire from the Adelaide International with back pain.

The German, a former world number one who won the Australian Open in 2016, pulled out when behind 6-3, 2-0 in her second-round clash with Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska.

The ninth seed began showing serious signs of the back problem early in the second set then stopped after two points in the third game on her own serve, calling for the trainer.

A medical evaluation on court ended with the 31-year-old world number 18 calling it quits against her teenaged opponent.

Yastremska kept calm during the delay, reading what she called "secret" notes.

"I didn't want to lose focus," said the world number 24, who has won three titles over the past two seasons.

On other courts, Croat Donna Vekic rallied past Maria Sakkari of Greece 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, winning in two hours and overcoming six aces while breaking four times.

She moved into a quarter-final against Yastremska.

In the men's draw, Russian Andrey Rublev, who the Qatar Open at the weekend, began his Australian adventure by beating American Sam Querrey 6-3, 6-3 to move into a last eight clash against Britain's Dan Evans.

Rublev, who missed six weeks in 2019 with a wrist injury, improved to a perfect 5-0 for the season.

The Russian did not let a delayed flight from Doha disrupt his on-site training in Adelaide, with the third seed ready to go against Querrey. "It's important that I have mental confidence," he said. "One day you still can play so good, the other day can be not that good.

"At the end it's all about how you accept these things and how you will find the solution if you're not playing well."

Rublev's win in Doha moved him up to number 18 in the world.

"It's an amazing feeling to be top 20 for the first time, but there are still so many things that I can improve," he said.

South African qualifier Lloyd Harris also advanced to the quarters with a 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 win over Chile's sixth seed Christian Garin.

Williams pick Israeli as F1 test driver Tel Aviv Agencies

After unveiling a cycling team for the Tour de France, Israel is hoping to further boost its image through sport with the announcement Wednesday of a Formula One driver.

Executives from Williams were in the coastal city of Tel Aviv to present Roy Nissany, whom the British team said will be the first driver to display the Israeli flag.

The 25-year-old French-Israeli joins the team after two days of testing last month in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Born in Tel Aviv, he is the son of Chanoch Nissany who took part in the free practice session of the 2005 Hungarian Grand Prix for Italian team Minardi.

While some dubbed him the first Israeli Formula One driver, he was 42 at the time and had spent the majority of his life in Hungary.

His son will enter the Williams ranks as a test driver for the 2020 season, as the team tries to recover from a disastrous 2019.

"Roy demonstrated his capabilities driving in the post-season Abu Dhabi test last year and we were extremely impressed," said deputy team chief Claire Williams.

"You want the fastest driver that you can have... but you need to have drivers that are absolutely team players," said Williams at a Tel Aviv press conference.

"Having an Israeli driver is a historic moment," she added.

Thursday, 16 January, 2020

SPORTS 15

bangladESh agrEE to fUll toUr of PakiStan lAhore

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Agencies

ANGLADESH will play two Tests, one ODI and three T20Is in Pakistan - though the matches will be split across three legs. There will be three T20Is played from January 24 to 27, all in Lahore. The first Test will take place in Rawalpindi from February 7 to 11 in the second leg, and Bangladesh will return in April to play a solitary ODI and the second Test, both in Karachi.

The Pakistan Super League, also to be played in Pakistan in its entirety, will be played between the second and third legs of Bangladesh's tour. After the PSL concludes on March 22, Bangladesh will return to Pakistan to play a solitary ODI, in Karachi on April 3, followed by the second Test of the series, from April 5 to 9.

PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani said: "I am pleased that we have amicably achieved a resolution that is in the best interest of this great sport as well as both the proud cricket playing countries. I also want to thank ICC Chairman Shaskank Manohar for the leadership he provided and ensured the sport continues to grow and thrive in the two countries."

PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan, who also attended Tuesday's meeting at the ICC headquarters, said: "It is a win-win outcome for both the boards. I am glad that the uncertainty around the series is now over and we can start planning for the smooth delivery of the matches.

Rishabh Pant 'under observation' for concussion MuMbAi Agencies

Rishabh Pant was diagnosed with concussion, and didn't take the field for the second half of the first ODI against Australia in Mumbai. The 22-year old wicketkeeper was struck on the head by a bouncer from Pat Cummins in the 44th over of India's innings, a ricochet off the top edge which also resulted in his wicket.

At the innings break, KL Rahul took the gloves for India, while the BCCI confirmed via a statement that Pant had got a concussion after being hit on the helmet and was under observation. At the end of the match, his status hadn't changed, and the BCCI said he would be monitored overnight.

Rishabh Pant is under observation at the moment," the BCCI said in a statement. "His progress will be tracked overnight. A specialist has been consulted and an update will be given accordingly."

Pant did not need any immediate treatment on the field after he was hit, and he was able to walk off on his own steam as well, but it soon became clear that he was indisposed. He did not join India's training in the break between innings and it was Rahul who was seen practicing his glovework as the Australian openers walked out. Confirmation of the injury arrived when the BCCI put out a statement some time during the first two overs of the chase.

Bangladesh will visit Pakistan thrice, which should give them the comfort that Pakistan is as safe and secure as any other cricket playing country."

This latest update to the status of the series is, the PCB

will hope, the final chapter of a saga that has dragged on for weeks now, with the prospect of the tour believed to be all but killed off after the BCB announced on Sunday it was against government advice to stay on for any more than 6-7 days in Pakistan, which would only be conducive to a T20I series. But the PCB's announcement the following day that they would continue to have discussions with the BCB on the sidelines of the ICC's Governance Review Committee meeting implied they had not yet given up on a favourable outcome. Manohar having facilitated these talks led to the surprise outcome announced on Tuesday.

BCB President Nazmul Hassan said: "I must thank the PCB for understanding our position. We are pleased that a mutually acceptable resolution has been reached and this is a prime example our sincere efforts at respecting the ICC FTP commitments."

Bangladesh had maintained from the start that they were ready to play a limited-overs series in Pakistan, but the PCB was adamant any visit would have to include the two-Test series set in the ICC Test Championship calendar and the Future Tours Programme. The Bangladesh women's team toured Pakistan for three T20Is and two ODIs in October-November 2019, with the series going off without incident. That came on the back of the Sri Lankan cricket team touring Karachi for three ODIs and Lahore for three T20Is, before they would return for two Test matches in December 2019, the first Test held in Pakistan since 2009.

Stokes named ICC player of the year after landmark 2019 london Agencies

Ben Stokes was Wednesday named the International Cricket Council player of the year, capping an unforgettable 2019 for the swashbuckling England allrounder that included a match-winning knock at the World Cup. Stokes won the coveted Sir Garfield Sobers trophy -- voted for by a panel of media representatives and former players -- thanks to an unbeaten 84 in a dramatic final against New Zealand in July followed by a brilliant 135 not out to win the third Ashes Test against Australia six weeks later.

Stokes, 28, said it was a huge honour for any cricketer to receive such an award.

"To be recognised and be the person to win that (award) it's pretty amazing," he said in a video statement.

During the voting period, Stokes aggregated 719 runs and bagged 12 wickets in 20 ODIs. He also scored 821 runs and took 22 wickets in 11 Tests.

However, the New Zealand-born star said his award was not solely for him as an individual.

"The past 12 months have been incredible for England cricket and to lift the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup for the first time was our greatest achievement," said Stokes.

"This award is testament to my team-mates and the support staff that have been there every step of the way.

"Fundamentally, without the support of these individuals, we would never have achieved our objective of lifting a major trophy."

UNDER THE SCANNER: Stokes, who carried his form into this year with a man of the match performance in the second Test victory over South Africa last week, said the strong bonds between the players can lead to further success.

"There is an incredible bond between team-mates and to savour our achievements, whether that's winning the World Cup final at Lord's or digging deep to win a Test match against Australia at Headingley," said Stokes.

"It is satisfying you can accomplish these superb highs together.

"The last 12 months have been the best in my career, and I believe

what we attained will be the catalyst to achieve further success over the next few years."

Indian opener Rohit Sharma was named the ODI cricketer of the year while captain Virat Kohli bagged the Spirit of Cricket award for his gesture to stop fans from booing Australia's Steve Smith during a World Cup match.

Smith was returning to international cricket from a one-year suspension for changing the condition of the ball.

"I'm surprised that I have got it, after many years of being under the scanner for the wrong things," Kohli said in a statement put out by ICC. "That moment was purely understanding an individual's situation. I don't think a guy who is coming out of a situation like that needs to be taken advantage of."

Kohli was also named captain of both the ICC Test and ODI teams of the year.

In other major awards, Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins was named the Test player of the year and teammate Marnus Labuschagne was declared emerging cricketer of the year.

'Retired' De Villiers keen to play T20 World Cup cAPe ToWn Agencies

South African star AB de Villiers is keen to make an international comeback at the Twenty20 World Cup this year, but admits there are no guarantees he will be picked.

The batting maestro bowed out of representing his country in 2018, saying he was "tired" after a 14-year career during which he was hailed as one of the best players in the game.

He then made himself available for the one-day World Cup last year, only to be rejected, with officials saying he left it too late and calling him up would be unfair to other players. The 35-year-old has now given selectors plenty of time to consider him for the T20 World Cup in Australia in October. "There's a lot that needs to happen before that becomes reality," he told cricket.com.au after hitting 40 from 32 balls on his Big Bash League debut for Brisbane Heat against Adelaide Strikers on Tuesday. "I would love to.

I've been talking to 'Bouch' (new South Africa coach Mark Boucher), (new director of cricket) Graeme Smith and (captain) Faf (du Plessis) back home, we're all keen to make it happen. "It's a long way away still, and plenty can happen -- there's the IPL coming up, I've still got to be in form at that time. So I'm thinking of throwing my name in the hat and hoping that everything will work out." De Villiers won fans around the world for mixing traditional and unorthodox shots, as well as his fast scoring and ability to hit the ball to all parts of the ground. He played 114 Tests, retiring with an average of 50.66 after smashing 8,765 runs. In limited overs, he hit 9,577 runs at an average of 53.50 and in the shortest format made 1,672 runs from his 78 T20Is.

Series back in balance as familiar foes take it to wire PorT elizAbeTh Agencies

You have to hand it to England and South Africa. They may not often be the best two teams in the world, but when they go head-to-head - at whatever stage of their respective team developments - sparks cannot help but fly. The Port Elizabeth Test will be the 50th encounter between these two sides since South Africa's readmission in 1991, and they go into the match all-square by almost any metric you'd care to analyse.

England have won 16 Tests of those previous 49, as have South Africa. England have won four series out of 11, including two at home and two away, as have South Africa. And only twice in all those series has either side emerged victorious by more than a single result: sure enough, it's one apiece on that front too, with South Africa's 2-0 win in 2012 matched by England's 3-1 scoreline five years later.

All of which is a roundabout way of saying: presume nothing about the direction of this latest contest. We are locked at one Test all after a gloriously immersive contest at Cape Town a fortnight ago, but the two sides have been teetering on the brink of crisis all season long, and that inherent instability is surely not about to leave the arena as we enter the fraught final exchanges of another absorbing tussle.

In any ordinary context, you'd assume that England were now the team in the ascendancy - their 189-run win at Newlands was more comprehensive than it felt in that fraught race against time on the final day, thanks in no small part to the irresistible impact of the newly crowned ICC Player of the Year, Ben Stokes. When he's on song, as he spent most of 2019 demonstrating, his presence alone can atone for a multitude of shortcomings elsewhere in England's ranks.

Which is just as well, because their stocks have been depleted yet further in the days since England began to meander

down the Garden Route and take up residence in the Eastern Cape. The prognosis on James Anderson had looked bleak from the moment he bowled just two overs on the final afternoon at Newlands, but confirmation of a cracked rib robs England of their iconic attack leader for the second time in six months.

And Tuesday's sad news of Jack Leach's departure from the tour was a reminder of the virulent sickness bug that has stalked the whole squad since the opening days of the tour. Joe Root caused another scare when he missed training earlier in the week, although he seems now to be on the mend, but further accidents and incidents never seem far from the surface. Just ask Rory Burns, whose seemingly innocuous football injury on the eve of the second Test has escalated to surgery and a four-month lay-off.

Would England swap their position for that of South Africa, however? The character the hosts showed in surging to

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victory at Centurion in December gave way to a flimsier display in the New Year, as if to confirm that the depth of the crisis gripping Cricket South Africa

in the build-up to the series was not something that a change of management and a few hearty team bonding sessions could remedy.

Thursday, 16 January, 2020

NEWS

PM viSitS KaShMir aS CliMate tragedy leaveS 100 dead MUZAFFARABAD

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stAff RepoRt

RIME Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday visited Azad Jammu Kashmir to take stock of the situation after the disastrous avalanches struck Neelum Valley, claiming 69 lives and injuring over 9o, bringing the countrywide death toll to 100.

The prime minister also visited the injured at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Muzaffarabad.

According to Neelum Valley Deputy Commissioner Raja Shahid Mehmood, the deaths were reported from villages in the mountainous areas of Dhakki and Chaknar located along the Line of Control.

Further, two more deaths were reported in Gilgit-Baltistan after a twoyear-old boy and a young girl were killed

in an avalanche, said the provincial disaster management authority, adding that three others were also injured after a house collapsed. In addition, at least 80 livestock animals were killed in a similar incident, the authority said.

Meanwhile, relief and rescue efforts are currently underway in Neelum Valley.

On the directives of the prime minister, helicopters will distribute rations, blankets, medicines and other supplies to residents of the valley on Wednesday, officials said. In Balochistan, the death toll remained at 20 that includes 12 women and seven children. The injured, around two dozen, reside in the districts of Quetta, Pishin, Zhob, Kech, Killa Abdullah and Mastung.

“In district Kech, 499 boundary walls of various houses got completely along with 148 mud houses completely damaged and 341 got partially damaged and a bridge was also smashed in the district.

UNSC holds second meeting on Kashmir The United Nations Security Council was briefed on the situation in India-occupied Kashmir in a closed-door meeting in New York. The meeting came after push from China, the all-weather ally of Pakistan, and 15 members of the council took part in the debate, said diplomatic sources. Also, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will brief the UNSC at 6:30 pm (New York local time). A similar gathering was held in August, called by China after the government scrapped the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcated the state into two union territories. But that meeting had fallen flat for Pakistan. The members did not censure India, agreeing that the centre's move in Jammu and Kashmir was an internal issue. Another UNSC meeting on Kashmir, scheduled in December, was not held. news Desk

Internet ban in IOK necessary for Indian 'sovereignty, integrity': report Authorities in occupied Kashmir have decided against fully restoring internet services, stating that the move was necessary to rein in “fake news” and to maintain the “sovereignty and integrity” of India, Indian media outlet The Wire reported on Wednesday. On Jan 10, India’s Supreme Court, while hearing petitions challenging the restrictions on movement and communication imposed in the valley since August 5, 2019, said freedom of the internet is a fundamental right and ordered the administration to review all restrictive orders within a week. The top Indian court had observed that internet suspension without “any particular duration and indefinitely” is a violation of telecom rules. However, defying court orders, a notification issued by Indian authorities late on Tuesday said the ban was necessary for curbing “anti-national elements who are attempting to aid and incite people by transmission of fake news and targeted messages […] propagate terrorism, indulge in rumor-mongering, support fallacious proxy wars, spread propaganda/ideologies, and cause disaffection and discontent”. The notification, a copy of which is available in The Wire’s report, says: “The misuse of data services by antinational elements has the potential to cause large scale violence and disturb public order which has till now been maintained due to various preemptive measures, including restrictions on access to internet […].” The notification further says the ban was “absolutely necessary […] in the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India”. According to the report, the government will restore 2G services on postpaid mobile phones in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Udhampur and Reasi areas of occupied Kashmir from Thursday (tomorrow). news Desk

A water supply mainly dam also got damaged in district Killa Abdullah.

Punjab home dept casts doubt on Nawaz's fresh medical report LAHORE s tA f f R e p o Rt

The Punjab Home Department on Wednesday opposed the extension in the bail period granted to ailing former prime minister Nawaz Sharif while expressing concerns over the authenticity of his second medical report.

According to sources, the home department has forwarded the report to the provincial health department for further examination. It has been further learnt that the home department decided in Wednesday’s meeting to not declare the erstwhile premier’s report valid until it is verified by a medical board.

The health department will formulate the medical board to examine the report which will then be submitted to the provincial cabinet along with recommendations of the board.

On the other hand, Sharif ’s personal physician Dr Adnan Khan took to Twitter and shared the latest medical report of the former premier.

“Former PM #NawazSharif ’s LATEST medical report dated 13/01/2020 notarized, attested & authenticated under seal by the Notary Public, Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO-UK) & High Commission for Pakistan, London, UK,” he wrote.

Dr Khan told that the scans and investigations are legally authenticated too.

It is pertinent here to mention that the home department had received a second medical report of Nawaz Sharif hours after Punjab government raised objections over the first report attached to an appeal of the former premier to extend his bail period in the light of the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) decision.

Moreover, 22 mud houses were completely destroyed in district Kalat, with 51

Pakistani speeds up diplomatic efforts ahead of crucial FATF meeting PARIS stAff RepoRt

Pakistan has accelerated diplomatic efforts as part of preparation ahead of meeting with the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) Working Group in Beijing on January 20-21.

Pakistan’s performance will be judged by a FATF plenary next month on the basis of the Joint Group’s report for a possible exit from the grey list or, at least, avoiding the induction into the blacklist. Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar has been himself monitoring the contacts with FATF member states.

An 18-member delegation will present Pakistan’s performance report from Oct 2019 till Jan 2020 in compliance with the FATF’s 27 recommendations concerning anti-money laundering laws and countering the irregularities in the finance system.

Pakistan has already sent a 650page report to the global financial watchdog, and it will be considered by the body’s meeting starting from Feb 16 in Paris.

Sources familiar with the matter expressed a possibility that voting might be done to consider Pakistan’s exit from the grey list.

DISCOs cause Rs123bn loss in FY19, NEPRA says ISLAMABAD AHMAD AHMADAni

Due to inefficiency, poor recovery through electricity bills and transmission and dispatch (T&D) losses, the country’s power distributing companies (DISCOs) caused a loss of approximately Rs123 billion in the financial year 2018-19 alongside 152 fatal accidents.

In its annual report, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) disclosed that the DISCOs, including K-Electric, had caused loss of around Rs45bn due to inefficiency and T&D losses whereas a Rs78bn loss was registered due to poor recovery through electricity bills. The report revealed that 5,854 complaints were filed in the fiscal year while 5,440 complaints were disposed of/redressed and 414 are currently under process.

According to the report, 12 generational licences for coal, hydel, wind, solar, bagasse and solid waste were issued with a cumulative in-

stalled capacity of 652.54MW while 1,143 distributed generation licences with a total installed capacity of 19.55MW were issued under the net metering regime.

The report also revealed that Central Power Purchasing Agency (Guarantee) Limited (CPPA-G) was registered as market operator, while the review filed by K-Electric against decision regarding transmission tariff for Sindh Transmission & Dispatch Company Limited was also processed. For distribution and supply business, four applications were admitted for the grant of electric supplier license and request of the federal government for determination of uniform consumer-end tariff, as per the amended NEPRA Act, was decided in December, 2018 and notified by the federal government.

Market Operator Fee for CPPA-G for FY 2017-18 was determined.

Consumer complaint closure rate of 93 per cent was achieved and 116 authority regulatory meetings and 104 public hearings were

held. Legal proceedings against GENCOs for excess auxiliary power and higher outage hours were initiated, while legal proceedings against CPPA-G on account of non-imposition of liquidated damages on GENCOs and against NTDC on account of poor operational performance, underutilisation of power plants, delay in approval of grid interconnection studies and frequent grid failure were initiated and legal proceedings against DISCOs for violating performance standards, distribution code and other applicable documents were under process. Moreover, for the first time, the authority [NEPRA] conducted public hearings at Karachi through video link.

The report states that NEPRA has decided to establish five additional offices of NEPRA at Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Hyderabad and Sukkur, in addition to already established existing offices at Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta.

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

CMYK

partially damaged whereas livestock losses reported 20 goats and nine sheep perished due to heavy snowfall in the area,” said the authority. Work is also underway in the province to restore road operations. Officials said that the Quetta-Karachi highway and the QuettaIran highway have been opened for light traffic for the time being.

A statement issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Tuesday feared an increase in the number of deaths due to unfavourable weather conditions.

As reports of deaths continue to pour in from across the country, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that he had instructed the NDMA, military and federal ministers to provide assistance to the people of AJK on an emergency footing.

This was followed by a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), which said that the army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, had directed for continued assistance to the civil administration for rescue and relief operations.

“Army helicopters are undertaking operations in snow hit areas of Sharda, Sargan, Bakwal and Taobat,” said the ISPR, adding that Pakistan Army Urban Search & Rescue teams are evacuating the stranded population. The ISPR said that doctors, paramedics, tents, rations, blankets, and medicines are being provided to the affected families.

The FATF had demanded Pakistan to sentence those who had been associated with the banned outfits and summoned copies of cases lodged against those organisations.

Details were also sought about legal steps taken concerning religious seminaries, action against money laundering, and transfer of funds, assets and jewelry in the name of terrorists.

Pakistan has forwarded all required particulars to the FATF while noting that investigations into 700 cases concerning the transfer of funds to militants were ongoing.

Officially, the FATF had noted that since June 2018, when Pakistan made a high-level political commitment to work with the FATF and APG to strengthen its AML/CFT regime and to address its strategic counter-terrorist financing-related deficiencies, “Pakistan has made progress towards improving its AML/CFT regime, including the recent development of its ML/TF risk assessment.”

“At the October 2019 plenary, Pakistan reiterated its political commitment to completing its action plan and implementing AML/CFT reforms.

Pakistan should continue to work on implementing its action plan to address its strategic deficiencies.

Trump trial likely to begin next Tuesday: Senate chief WASHINGTON D.C: The Senate impeachment trial of US President Donald Trump is likely to begin in seven days with key players sworn in later this week, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday. McConnell said he expected the House of Representatives to deliver the articles of impeachment against Trump to the upper chamber on Wednesday. “We believe that if that happens — in all likelihood — we’ll go through preliminary steps here this week which could well include the chief justice coming over and swearing-in members of the Senate and some other kinds of housekeeping measures,” McConnell told reporters. “We hope to achieve that by consent which would set us up to begin the actual trial next Tuesday.” Trump faces charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, and the 100 senators will be his judge. On Thursday or Friday this week, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is expected to be sworn in to preside over the trial, which should last at least two weeks, and could run through mid-February. ‘People deserve the truth’ Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic House speaker, called for a fair trial and demanded the Senate subpoena witnesses and documents from the White House that will be crucial in the trial. Agencies