CMYK
Saturday, 22 February, 2020 I 27 Jamadi-ul-Sani, 1441 I Rs 17.00 I Vol X No 234 I 16 Pages I Karachi Edition
FATF gives PAkisTAn June deAdline To Avoid blAcklisT g
fatf SaYS it will take action if iSlamabad failS to make ‘Significant, SuStainable progreSS’ in penaliSing terror financing
ISLAMABAD staff report
T
he financial action task force (fatf) has decided to keep pakistan in the grey list for four more months for its insufficient ability to curb money laundering and terror financing, said a statement issued by the finance division after a review meeting in paris. “fatf members agreed to maintain pakistan’s status on fatf’s compliance document, normally referred [to] as the grey list,” the fatf press release said and “strongly urged” pakistan to “swiftly complete” its full action plan by june 2020. “otherwise, should significant and sustainable progress especially in prosecuting and penalising tf (terror financing) not be made by the next plenary, the fatf will take action,” it added. it said such action could include calling on its members to order their financial institutions to give particularly rigorous attention to business relations and transactions with pakistani clients. the anti-terror financing watchdog will take up islamabad’s case in june again to decide whether the country complied with its objective to evade the grey list. ‘SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS’: according to the finance division, pakistan made “significant progress” in the implementation of the 27point fatf action plan during its last review, which was demonstrated by the completion of nine additional action items. “fatf reviewed the progress made by pakistan towards the implementation of the action plan. while acknowledging the steps
taken by pakistan towards the implementation of [the plan] and welcoming its high-level political commitment, fatf highlighted the need for further actions for completing the action plan by june 2020,” the handout said. it emphasised that the government “stands committed for taking all necessary action” in order to complete the remaining items in the action plan and that a strategy in this regard has been formulated and is being implemented. on the other hand, fatf stated that pakistan made a high-level political commitment in june 2018, to work with the fatf and apg to strengthen its aml/cft regime and to address its strategic counter-terrorist financing-related deficiencies. pakistan’s political commitment has led to progress in a number of areas in its action plan, including risk-based supervision and pursuing domestic and international cooperation to identify cash couriers, it added. the paris-based watchdog in its statement stated that pakistan should continue to work on implementing its action plan to address its strategic deficiencies, including demonstrating that remedial actions and sanctions are applied in cases of aml/cft violations, relating to tf risk management and tfS obligations, in addition to this, demonstrating that competent authorities are cooperating and taking action to identify and take enforcement action against illegal money or value transfer services (mvtS), furthermore, demonstrating the implementation of cross-border currency and bni controls at all ports of entry, including applying effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions, demonstrating that law enforcement agencies (leas) are identifying and
investigating the widest range of tf activity and that tf investigations and prosecutions target designated persons and entities, and those acting on behalf or at the direction of the designated persons or entities, demonstrating that tf prosecutions result in effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions (6) demonstrating effective implementation of targeted financial sanctions (supported by a comprehensive legal obligation) against all 1267 and 1373 designated terrorists and those acting for or on their behalf, including preventing the raising and moving of funds, identifying and freezing assets (movable and immovable), and prohibiting access to funds and financial services. the fatf also asks the authorities to demonstrate enforcement against tfS violations including administrative and criminal penalties and provincial and federal authorities cooperating on enforcement cases and demonstrating that facilities and services owned or controlled by designated person are deprived of their resources and the usage of the resources. GREY LIST: pakistan was placed on the fatf grey list in june 2018 and was given a plan of action to complete it by october 2019 or face the risk of being placed on the blacklist along with iran and north korea. in october 2019, the fatf decided to keep pakistan on its grey list till february, giving it time to implement a 27-point action plan. the task force directed islamabad to take more measures for the complete elimination of terror financing and money laundering while expressing serious concerns over the lack of progress in addressing terror financing risks. the fatf met again in january this year in beijing where pakistan provided a list of actions taken to implement the action plan.
iran placed on terrorism financing blacklist STORY ON BACK PAGE
Editorial: FATF reprieve STORY ON PAGE 08
Former AG claims govt knew he was going to target judges
US and Afghan Taliban to finalise peace deal on Feb 29 afghan peace talks on right track: pm STORIES ON BACK PAGE
PM forms threemember body to probe sugar crisis STORY ON PAGE 11
rs4.28bn more needed to complete peshawar brt g
Shaukat YouSafzai claimS project will coSt leSS than lahore metro buS
STORY ON PAGE 03
Bilawal questions decision to let intel agencies investigate smuggling STORY ON PAGE 02
Difficult times over for Pakistan, Imran says g
govt appoints khalid jawed as new attorney general STORIES ON BACK PAGE & 03 CMYK
each woman will be given one cow, one buffalo and three goatS under ehSaaS amdan programme
STORY ON PAGE 02
CMYK Saturday, 22 February, 2020
02 NEWS
DIFFICuLt tIMeS ‘over’ For PAkIStAN, IMrAN SAyS EACH WOMAN WILL BE GIVEN ONE COW, ONE BUFFALO AND THREE GOATS UNDER EHSAAS AMDAN PROGRAMME ISLAMABAD
P
Staff RepoRt
RIME Minister Imran Khan on Friday launched the Rs15 billion Ehsaas Amdan Programme in Layyah, which according to his government, will increase the livelihoods of the weakest sector of society. Addressing the audience on the occasion the premier thanked his aide Sania Nishtar for her efforts in making this project a reality. Referring to the Ehsaas Kafalat Programme launched in January, the premier said that women are given Rs2,000 each month so that “they can take care of their food by themselves”. “A mother can lift up her entire house [out of poverty]. “Under the [Ehsaas
Amdan] Programme, each woman will be given one cow, one buffalo and three goats so she can run her own home. “Every month 80,000 people will be given loans and 50,000 students from the downtrodden section of society will be awarded scholarships every year,” the premier added. Talking about some of the measures his government has taken since coming into power, the premier said health cards had been made available to those who were unable to afford healthcare. “We want the system to be equal for the rich and the poor,” he said, adding that this equality will be brought in all aspects of governance. Talking about police reforms in the country, the PM said: “Till now the common man was not secure but I want
Lal Masjid’s Shuhada Foundation moves IHC to reopen mosque ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
The Shuhada Foundation, which handles the legal affairs of Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa, moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday for reopening of the mosque. The petition submitted by the foundation’s spokesperson Hafiz Ehtesham requests the authorities in the federal capital to reopen the mosque to enable people to perform their religious obligations. The petition further prays upon the court to refrain law enforcement agencies from carrying out any security operation against the mosque and its administration. Earlier in February, the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration reached an agreement with deposed Lal Masjid Khateeb Maulana Abdul Aziz after three days of negotiations, allowing him to stay in the mosque as long he did not deliver sermons. On February 7, the cleric had occupied the mosque and laid out his demands. Authorities in the federal capital had laid siege to the mosque and started negotiating with him. Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat confirmed that an agreement had been reached with Aziz and said its details would be announced soon.
Fawad asks Speaker Qaiser to inquire about Shehbaz's return to parliament NewS DeSk Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry on Friday said he had written to National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser regarding the prolonged absence of the National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif. In a post shared on Twitter, Fawad said that his letter to Qaiser, he urged the speaker to inquire from Shehbaz the final date of his return to the National Assembly otherwise the process of choosing a new opposition leader should be initiated. “The opposition leader plays an important role in legislation and he is also receiving special privileges His absence is a violation of Assembly rules,” he said, adding that the post could not be left empty for a very long time. “After giving a guarantee for Nawaz Sharif’s return, Shehbaz Sharif, himself has disappeared,” he said. Chaudhry said that in his letter to the Lower House speaker, he told Qaiser that the opposition leader had not appeared before the Parliament for a “long time” and had also left his post as chief of the Public Accounts Committee.
to congratulate the new IG Shoaib Dastagir because today in Punjab I have told him to go after the big gangsters.” He added that the government is also making efforts to bring a uniform syllabus throughout the country and reform the government education system. “Government schoolteachers who do not come to the schools will be fired and teachers willing to teach will be hired in their place.” The PM concluded on a positive note and said that “Pakistan is out of difficult times … there are challenges ahead but the country is on the right path. “You will hear more good news in the coming days,” he added. Under the Rs15 billion programme, people living below the poverty line will be given small assets to use for income generation and to lift
themselves out of poverty. These assets include goats, cows, buffaloes, poultry, bodies of Qingqi rickshaws as well as inputs for small retail outlets and small enterprises, Radio Pakistan reported. According to Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Sania Nishtar, the programme is being launched in 375 union councils of 23 of the poorest districts all provinces in Pakistan. In January, the prime minister had launched the Ehsaas Kafalat Programme to give a monthly stipend of Rs2,000 “to the most deserving and poorest women across the country”. The broader Ehsaas programme is aimed at poverty alleviation and the provision of social protection to those in need.
Judicial remand of ex-PM Abbasi extended in LNG case ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
An accountability court on Friday extended the judicial remand of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) case till Mar 9. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader was presented before the court after his judicial remand expired. As the hearing went underway, NAB’s prosecutor said arrest warrants of Shahid Muzaffarul Islam, an accused in the LNG case, were issued but he was not available at his home address.
Activist booked for sedition for chanting 'Pakistan Zindabad' in India NewS DeSk
Bilawal questions decision to let intel agencies investigate smuggling PPP CHAIRMAN SAYS SPY AGENCIES ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO PROBE FALLOUT FROM GOVT’S ECONOMIC POLICIES LAHORe Staff RepoRt
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal BhuttoZardari on Friday questioned the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) government’s decision to involve the country’s intelligence agencies in the crackdown against smuggling of food items and other goods. Addressing reporters here, the PPP chairman said: “Are they [intelligence agencies] supposed to fight terrorism, or are they supposed to investigate the fallout from the current government’s economic policies?” On Tuesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to present monitoring reports on the crackdown against smuggling on a regular basis during a meeting in Islamabad. In his press conference, Bilawal maintained: “There are people in the country who are not paying taxes, but that doesn’t mean that all of them are robbers, are involved in unscrupulous activities or are corrupt. You need to reform the tax system. “But they [the government] decided to use the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the FIA, and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to document the economy by force,” he said. “The point of an economy is to invest in the people in order to promote economic activities. But this government is squeezing the life out of the economy. “Whenever the PPP is in charge, the first thing we do is increase salaries and pensions to empower the lowest segment of society because this money eventually
cycles back into the economy. All the policies of the PTI government, including the tax amnesty scheme, only benefit the rich,” he said. The PPP chairman also criticised the PTI government’s deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), stating: “What kind of a deal is this where the IMF representative came to Pakistan, spoke to the head of the State Bank who was also associated with the Fund in the past, and decided the economic rights of the people? “The people of Pakistan should be making these decisions. But this is only possible if government representatives have been elected by the people,” he said. He said that the PPP had warned the government from the very first day regarding their deal with the IMF. “When you negotiate with such an institution, you do not comply with each and every point they put forward; you speak in favor of your country and of the people. “The PTI government’s interactions with the IMF have lacked seriousness; they did not have a plan. For a year they went back and forth on whether to approach the IMF or not. When they finally made a decision, instead of representing the country and its people, they complied with every single point.
A woman who chanted “Pakistan Zindabad” at a gathering against India’s Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 in Bengaluru was taken into police custody and has been booked for sedition, The Wire reported on Friday. Amulya Leona chanted “Pakistan Zindabad” while on stage during the event after which she chanted “Hindustan Zindabad” before the microphone was taken from her. The Indian publication added that Leona was taken into custody and police said they had initiated a sedition case against her. Leona was sent on threeday judicial custody, The Wire reported citing ANI news agency. She was booked under Section 124(a) (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence) and 153B (imputation, assertions prejudicial to national-integration) of the Indian Penal Code.
Govt asks court for three-week adjournment in Justice Isa case ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
The federal government has asked the Supreme Court to adjourn the Justice Qazi Faez Isa hearing for three weeks. The additional attorney-general submitted a formal request for the case to be adjourned on Friday. The government wishes to appoint a new attorney-general, the petition said, adding that the new attorney-general will need time to prepare for the case. Former attorney-general Anwar Mansoor Khan resigned on Thursday after comments he made in the case. The top court expressed its extreme displeasure about his remarks.
Customs officials reluctant to cooperate in containers scam probe
ISLAMABAD Shahzad paRacha
Senior Customs officials seem reluctant to appear before the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to record their statements against a former Customs Intelligence’s director general who was
accused of clearing containers without paying the duties. FIA directed the Customs officials second time to get their statements recorded against their counterparts who are involved in billions of rupees scam. A copy of notice available with Pakistan Today says the FIA’s Lahore
CMYK
office has asked Customs Headquarters chief Jamil Nasir Khan, Collector Adjudication Dr Akhtar Hussain, Appellate Tribunal Customs Member Saud Imran Ahmad and Post Clearance Audit Customs Sumera Omer to record statements in an enquiry involving corruption and embezzlement worth billions of rupees. The officers were directed to attend the FIA office on February 17, 2020, but they failed to appear. The notice has directed the officers to appear for their statements on February 26 along with enquiry report against Ex-Collector Customs Faisalabad Shaukat Ali. The noncompliance of the notice attracts legal proceedings under the relevant provisions of law. According to official documents, the internal audit wing of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) had prepared an audit report which revealed that
around 1,188 old/used machinery containers were cleared during the period between November 2011 to March 2013, realizing on each container an average duty of Rs630,325. In addition, the audit report also pointed out that the containers were cleared with the alleged connivance of former senior customs officials. The Federal Tax Ombudsman while taking suo-moto notice, had initiated an enquiry, while the FBR was also directed to conduct the forensic audit of those vehicles. FBR constituted a team of Customs officials who had submitted its report on the matter. The FTO as well as one applicant also referred the matter to the FIA. Earlier, former FIA Director Dr Usman Anwar was investigating the matter but upon his transfer another officer Muhammad Abubakar is now investigating this matter.
CMYK Saturday, 22 February, 2020
NEWS
03
rS4.28bN More NeeDeD to CoMPLete PeSHAwAr brt SHAUKAT YOUSAFZAI CLAIMS PROJECT WILL COST LESS THAN LAHORE METRO BUS PeSHAwAR
t
aziz BuneRi
HE Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) has asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for an additional Rs4.28 billion to complete the muchdelayed Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. In a letter addressed to the KP government, the PDA stated that the team leader of BRT has prepared PC1 for the revised fund. It added that Rs1.5bn of the additional funds will be spent on the route between bus station numbers 19 to 31, while Rs980m will be spent on the route between bus station 1 to 8. In addition, a total of Rs1.5bn will be spent on Trans Peshawar office, bus depot and
parks. Similarly, Rs1.35bn will be required for consultant supervision. KP Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai while talking to media said that the cost of BRT has been increased by Rs4bn, with which the cost of BRT has touched Rs70bn. He added that the provincial government will provide the additional funds for the project, the approval of which will be taken from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC). He said that the BRT project will be completed in April this year, the credit of which goes to Chief Minister Mehmood Khan. “We will complete the project in March and it would cost Rs35bn,” he said, adding that despite being a thirdgeneration project, it would cost less as compared to Lahore’s BRT project
which cost up to Rs 40 billion in 2011. He further said that they had purchased buses worth Rs8.5bn to be run on the BRT track. The minister said training of the staff and drivers of the project is currently underway and the provincial government would be able for a test run of the project in April. Replying to a query, Shaukat Yousafzai said the government assured Supreme Court for the completion of the project in June as a precautionary measure in case of any delay. The Supreme Court had stopped the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from probing alleged irregularities in the BRT project. The BRT project was initiated during the previous government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led by then chief min-
ister Pervez Khattak. The project was initiated in October 2017 and the PTI government had claimed that it will be
Govt committee forwards Nawaz’s fresh reports to medical panel LAHORe Staff RepoRt
Govt appoints Khalid Jawed as new attorney general
A special government committee, led by Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat, forwarded the latest medical reports of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to a medical board to make its recommendations on whether or not the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader be given permission to extend his stay in London. The minister, who presided over a meeting of the committee, asked the medical panel to put forth its recommendations within three days’ time.
Raja Basharat said the committee talked to the former premier’s personal physician Dr Adnan and PML-N leader Atta Ullah Tarar via video link and listened to their stance on the matter. He added the fresh reports of Nawaz Sharif have been received, which are being forwarded to the medical board. He said they would decide whether the former premier needed extension in bail or not on the basis of these reports. Not satisfied with the ‘medical letter’, the Punjab government had a day earlier asked former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to submit a detailed and fresh medical report by
Friday so that it could decide whether to allow to extend his stay abroad. Rejecting the medical letter, Raja Basharat said Dr Adnan Khan is not the physician of Nawaz Sharif and added that his statement via video link is not needed. If the PML-N leader fails to submit the fresh medical reports by February 21, the competent authority will put forth its report to the provincial government, he added. The minister said that Nawaz Sharif was given eight weeks’ bail for treatment but amazingly his treatment could not be started despite 16 weeks have gone by.
completed within six months; however, the project is yet to see the light of the day despite many revised deadlines.
IHC moved against govt's bid to regulate social media
ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday confirmed the appointment of Barrister Khalid Jawed Khan as the new attorney general for Pakistan, a day after his predecessor Anwar Mansoor Khan resigned from his post after his controversial remarks against the judiciary stirred controversy. While Khan claimed that he had decided to quit on his own in compliance with the demand of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC), the Law Ministry said he was asked to do so. Earlier on Friday, he submitted a written apology to the apex court. According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the Ministry of Law and Justice has been directed to move a summary for his appointment. Jawed is the son of Nabi Daad Khan alias ND Khan — a senior politician who also served as the law minister during the second government of the Pakistan People’s Party. He enrolled as a high court advocate in 1991 and became an advocate of the Supreme Court in 2004. He served as a legal adviser to the attorney general for Pakistan and, in this capacity, advised Benazir Bhutto during her second tenure (1993-1996) as prime minister. Jawed obtained his LLB degree from London University, BCL (bachelor of civil law) degree from Oxford University, LLM from Harvard University and completed his bar-at-law from Lincoln’s Inn. Jawed is a senior advocate who has appeared before the Supreme Court in a number of cases and also served as Advocate General for Sindh in 2013 as well as a member of
KP govt allocates 62% funds to CM, speaker districts, ignores others PeSHAwAR aziz BuneRi
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has re-appropriated a big portion of the developmental outlay to the districts of Chief Minister Mehmood Khan and Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad, Pakistan Today has learnt. According to the documents, the Planning and Development Department has re-appropriated more than 1.7 billion funds for 74 development projects of 20 departments. These uplift projects would be mostly carried out in the districts of powerful parliamentarians, shows documents. Out of Rs 1.7 billion, the home district of Chief Minister Mehmood Khan Swat and Abbottabad representing KP Assembly speaker would get 62 per cent shares of the total reappropriation. The department approved Rs 602.355m for Swat district, which makes 35 per cent of the total allocations, while Abbottabad would get Rs475m making 27 per cent share. Sources in the Planning and Development Department told Pakistan
Today that funds were re-appropriated from already ignored districts such as Tank, Shangla, Buner among other, to districts of the powerful parliamentarians. Even, the newly merged districts were completely ignored in the reappropriation, said sources. Adding that Instead of shifting and re-appropriating funds for the uplift of the ignored districts-particularly conflict challenged newly merged districts, funds were transferred to the already developed districts. The erstwhile PTI government had too allocated and utilized billions in these districts, said the officials. Similarly, Swabi, the home district of National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has received Rs109 million and remained third most beneficial district followed by Mansehra with 90 million. While in southern districts, Dera Ismail Khan gets 79 million, Bannu 65 million Kohat 25 million, while Charsadda 47 million and Nowshera 18 million, documents showed. The tourism department affected the most from the recent transfer, as funds of 11 projects were shifted to the districts of blue-eyed,
CMYK
followed by Education Departments with 10 affected projects. Similarly, funds of six projects of Multi-Sector Development, five of primary and secondary education, four each of interior, health, agriculture, three each of excise and taxation, local government, construction, forestry, urban development departments, two each of irrigation, minerals, food and social welfare, and one each of transportation, law, industry, IT and Housing department have also been shifted to the KP CM and speaker’s districts. The projects which lost the funds were transferred to districts such as Swat, Abbottabad, Nowshera, DI Khan and Swabi includes the feasibility of upgrading forest institute, feasibility of setting up hotel management and tourist centers, Higher Education Management Information Systems, renovation of historical places, and special package for district Buner, enhancing capacity of tour operators, feasibility of housing schemes for government servants, renovation and repairing of Majisd Mahabat Khan and funds allocated for purchase of land for graveyards.
A petition has been filed in the Islamabad High Court against the government’s proposed law to regulate social media. The cabinet secretary, law and justice secretary, information secretary and PTA chairperson have been named in the case, which has been filed by Jehangir Khan Jadoon, a member of the Supreme Court Bar Association. The petition spoke about the importance of freedom of expression and said “undemocratic societies try to limit, manipulate, discredit, demonise or otherwise control free speech and to prevent dissemination of ideas or opinions that might threaten their narrative”. The petition also said that “to control the flow of information in any form, whether it is social media, print media or electronic media is a favourite tool of dictatorships and the essence of tyranny”. It said the government “secretly” presented before the cabinet a special agenda item and approved the Citizen Protection (Against Online harm) Rules, 2020. The petitioner said the rules are against basic and fundamental rights to information. “The main objective of the impugned rules seems to be to control the social media though indirect control by the government and ruling party,” it said. It says the law is against Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 19 of the Constitution, which guarantee freedom of expression. It also says they are against article 4 and 19-A of the Constitution. He wants the court to declare the law in its present form illegal and restrain the respondents from implementing it.
04 KARACHI
Saturday, 22 February, 2020
WEATHER UPDATES SATURDAY
300C 170C
SUNDAY
310C 180C
MONDAY
300C 180C
TUESDAY
300C 190C
WEDNESDAY
300C
190C
SC giveS 6-month deadline to Complete KCR pRojeCt KARACHI
t
STAFF REPORT
HE Supreme Court on Friday ordered to make Karachi Circular Railways (KCR) functional in six months by removing encroachments on the land of the Pakistan Railways. During the hearing at apex court’s Karachi registry, Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed warned of issuing contempt of court notices to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah if the concerned authorities fail to implement court orders. Meanwhile, Sindh Advocate General Salman Talibuddin told the court that restoration of 24 gates of KCR is a difficult task over which, the CJP ex-
pressed resentment and asked why the work has not been initiated until now. “You people do not want to improve the system and just come up with long written stories,” he added. Previously, the top court had sought a complete record of buildings exceeding ground plus two-floor structure in Karachi and directed the Sindh chief secretary to submit a comprehensive reply in two weeks. The court also reprimanded the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) officials for destroying the beauty of Karachi for personal interests. The Supreme Court also directed the railways and Sindh government authorities to carry out an operation for the removal of the encroachments from all the railway lands meant for the long-delayed
Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) to ensure smooth operations of the transport facility for the public. It further directed that such an operation be carried out with the aid and assistance of security forces all over the country. The chief justice observed that the bench has still not been given any proper update of the KCR and its infrastructure, as neither the railways secretary has any instructions from the federal government nor the Advocate General of Sindh Salman Talibuddin from the provincial government. In May last year, the top court had directed the Sindh government and related authorities to restore the KCR within a month, whereas in the last hearing this month, the SC had asked the government to complete the project within three months. On Feb 3, the top court ordered the Ministry of Railways to complete the Karachi-Lahore-Peshawar track – known as the Main Line 1 project (ML1) – in two years and the KCR project in the next three months. During the proceedings, the court had warned Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed of dire consequences, if the timeline given for the completion of the railway projects was not followed strictly. To which, he told the court that 85 per cent of the track for KCR has been cleared. The CJP had also asked the railways minister why the KCR was made part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). “We added it to CPEC because of [our] financial situation,” Rasheed had responded. “China will give an expensive loan for KCR,” the chief justice had observed. “If railways sells off some of its land, it will be able to fix its own financial situation,” the chief justice had said. “Selling a single property from Karachi will fix the railway’s financial system. But the court has put a stay on selling these properties,” Rasheed had responded.
105km railway line will be laid from Chhor to Islamkot, CM tells CPEC Authority chief KARACHI STAFF REPORT
A 105-kilometer-long railway line will be laid from Chhor to Islamkot to transport coal from Thar coal field to Port Qasim and up-country, apart from launching coal to gas, urea and liquid projects besides installing 1320 MW power in Thar Coal Block-VI under CPEC-related projects. Chairman CPECA Gen (r) Asim Bajwa told the chief minister that the Chinese president was expected to visit Pakistan between May and June this year; therefore, all the formalities and documentation of the CPEC-related projects should be completed. The chief minister said that at CPEC related forums, three projects of Sindh - Karachi Circular Railway, China Special Economic Zone Dhabeji and Keti Bandar - had already been approved. He added that only their financial mechanism was yet to be finalized. Talking about KCR, Shah said that framework agreement between Pakistan and Chinese Planning Commission known as NDRC and Pakistan was in
the process to sign. Concessional agreement between China and Pakistan is being made, the chief minister said and added the Pakistan Railways and Sindh government had also agreed on handing over the Right of Way at common corridor between ML1 and KCR. Gen Bajwa said that KCR was on top priority of the CPECA. He added that he would pursue the already approved project and the new one with Chinese authority so that work on them could be started at the earliest. He said that KPT had become one of the most loaded port; therefore, a plan had been worked out to construct an expressway right along the sea upto Malir Expressway the Sindh government was going start. At this, the chief minister said that Keti Bandar was also an important strategic and alternate port. The Chairman CPEC authority said that in order to transport Thar coal to Port Qasim and upcountry, a 105 km railway track from Chhor to Islamkot had been prepared. With the construction of this railway line, an access to Islamkot, the coal field area, would serve as means of coal transportation. From Karachi upto Chhor, there is a main rail-
way line. Dhabeji Economic Zone: The chief minister said that he had earmarked 1530 acres of land for China Special Economic Zone Dhabeji, a CPEC priority project. He added that Dhabeji had various advantages such as it had access to Port Qasim enabling raw material import and finished goods export without incurring major inland transportation costs and saving time. Shah said that Dhabeji zone had also an access to Jinnah Terminal which was hardly 35 kilometers via National Highway enabling safe travel of foreign workers and management personal. It has also direct access to National Highway enabling the transportation of goods to upcountry and Central Asian nations utilizing the national Trade Corridor. Shah said that the project had been approved the ECNEC and it had also committed to provide services such as electricity and gas. The KE would provide 250 MW electricity at doorstep of Dhabeji Zone with an estimated cost of Rs4 billion. The planning commission has also approved the PC-I prepared by Sindh Investment Department, he said. He added that 10 MGD water and 13.5 mmcfd gas would be also provided to the zone.
labourers protest against shifting of soybean-laden ship KARACHI: Labourers working on Karachi Port Trust (KPT) on Friday staged protest over shifting of the soybean laden US ship ‘Hercules’. The labour unions brought out a rally from the head office of Karachi Port Trust wherein they recorded their protest against the transfer of the ship. They said that the shifting of the ship has closed their employment opportunity while the protesters closed the road leading to the port which hampered the traffic flow. It is pertinent to mention here that as many as 14 people have lost their lives and 400 others effected from the poisonous gas spread from the soybean laden ship from last Sunday to Wednesday. STAFF REPORT
ShC declares appointment of Sindh food secretary illegal KARACHI: The Sindh High Court said on Friday that the appointment of the provincial food secretary was illegal. While hearing a Rs40 million wheat corruption case, the court said the appointment was illegal because the secretary hasn't passed the CSS examination to qualify for the position. The court wants a report submitted on his appointment. NAB said flour mills took the wheat from the government but there is no trail. The court asked when NAB became the body that decided wheat prices. However, the lawyer for flour mills stated that they paid back the money within 180 days, as mentioned in the contract.STAFF REPORT
Karachi may be getting two more districts: Wasim akhtar Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar says the Sindh government is planning to form two more districts in Karachi under the name of making amendments to the Local Government Act. He was speaking at a seminar about Karachi’s civic issues organised by the All City Tajir Ittehad at a hotel in Karachi on Friday. Akhtar slammed the PPP-led Sindh government and said it has destroyed Karachi by dividing one district into six more districts. “Now they are planning to form the Lyari and Gadap districts too,” he said. The government has already converted the Karachi Building Control Authority into the Sindh Building Control Authority, he said, adding that it has retained the tax collection departments under its control as well. Akhtar said that political parties have not made a uniform local government act in 70 years. This continuous change in the system has devastated Karachi. NEwS DESk
SHC issues notices in plea against CM’s Suspected airport coronavirus case powers to appoint provincial ombudsman negative: health department KARACHI STAFF REPORT
The Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued notices to respondents on constitutional petition D-929 of 2020 here Friday and instructed them to appear in person or through their pleaders on March 3, 2020. During last hearing on February 12, a two-member bench comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Yusuf Ali Saeed of Sindh High Court (SHC) had ordered to issue notices to Sindh government and other respondents on this petition challenging a new law that has given powers to chief minister to appoint provincial ombudsman. The constitutional petition was filed by Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor against Establishment of the Office of Ombudsman for the Province of Sindh (Amendment) Act, 2020, and prayed
the court to declare it as unconstitutional, illegal, void ab initio and of no legal effect. Petitioner Altaf Shakoor, making province of Sindh through chief secretary, Sindh provincial assembly through its speaker, Sindh chief minister and governor respondent, had maintained that respondent chief minister and his government has targeted the Provincial Ombudsman office as it is the hurdle in the way of corrupt practices and mal-administration of various departments under the government of Sindh. He maintained that the respondent Chief Minister has targeted and jeopardized, and taken over the powers of respondent Governor for the appointment of the Provincial Ombudsman under the umbrella of Provincial Assembly by malafidely misusing the majority of political seats and representation in the Assembly without any debate and
giving chance to the opposition to raise objections. He maintained that respondent Chief Minister has delegated the power to himself to appoint the Provincial Ombudsman to check corruption of in departments under his administration, which is against the principle of law, constitution, principle of natural justice, general clauses act, and thus is illegal, unconstitutional, void ab initio. It is submitted that it is the golden principle of law that nobody can be judge of his own cause, and getting power to appoint ombudsman means that accused has become a judge against allegations leveled to him. He said the theme and scheme of Institution of Ombudsman is to eradicate the corruption and mal-administration amongst the Provincial Government offices by impartial person appointed by the Respondent Governor to discharge the duty.
CMYK
News DesK The Pakistani traveller who had returned from China and was suspected to have COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) tested negative on Thursday, said the Sindh health department. On February 19 the suspected case, 22year-old Abdullah, was identified by the airport health authority after returning from China. A rapid response team transported the patient to the isolation ward at Dow University Ojha Campus. The District Health Officer sent his samples to the lab at the Aga Khan University Hospital. On February 20 his samples were found negative for the virus and he was discharged. He had reported symptoms of fever and a sore throat on February 19. “Jinnah International Airport in Karachi and the city’s hospitals are equipped to deal with the coronavirus threat,” said Health Secretary Zahid Abbasi. Eight major hospitals in Sindh have iso-
lation wards for patients suspected to have COVID-19 and ambulances are available to transport any such from the Karachi airport to these hospitals, he said. Previous suspected cases in Sindh all clear Five people who had returned from China and reported symptoms between January 22 and January 24 were admitted for 24 hours to AKU. Four of them were declared disease-free and discharged. One of the patients left against medical advice. The government says a team of Karachi’s Disease Surveillance Response Unit investigated and revealed that he left for China the next day. Around 27 cases were identified on January 26. They were all Chinese patients who came to the ER with flu-like symptoms. Only three of them met the WHO case definition for COVID-19 and they were kept under isolation at the hospital. The government said a follow-up visit the next day showed they were doing well and had been discharged.
Saturday, 22 February, 2020
KP govT ALLoCATeS 62% FunDS To CM, SPeAKer DISTrICTS, IgnoreS oTHerS FUNDS RE-APPROPRIATED FROM ALREADY IGNORED DISTRICTS SUCH AS TANK, SHANGLA, BUNER PESHAWAR
T
Aziz BuneRi
HE Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has reappropriated a big portion of the developmental outlay to the districts of Chief Minister Mehmood Khan and Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad, Pakistan Today has learnt. According to the documents, the Planning and Development Department has re-appropriated more than 1.7 billion funds for 74 development projects of 20 departments. These uplift projects
would be mostly carried out in the districts of powerful parliamentarians, shows documents. Out of Rs 1.7 billion, the home district of Chief Minister Mehmood Khan Swat and Abbottabad representing KP Assembly speaker would get 62 per cent shares of the total re-appropriation. The department approved Rs 602.355m for Swat district, which makes 35 per cent of the total allocations, while Abbottabad would get Rs475m making 27 per cent share. Sources in the Planning and Development Department told Pakistan Today that funds were re-appropriated from already ignored districts such as Tank,
Plastic bags ban empowers women entrepreneurship, says Zartaj ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul Wazir Friday said the ban imposed on single time use plastic bags would help empower women entrepreneurship. She made these remarks at the awareness campaign on “Ban on Plastic Bags” launched by Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with the Hashoo Foundation and Oxfam here at a local mall that also collaborated with EPA for the campaign. Zartaj said plastic bags were badly affecting eco-system of the country, as it remained for 1,000 years into the system. “Plastic bags are a burden on our environment as it directly goes into seas and oceans that kill aquatic and wildlife,” she added. She said the alternate bags would help promote women producing cotton and jute bags that could be easily made at homes. The ban imposed would also help not only in transforming bags manufacturing industry rather would boost their business after manufacturing degradable green bags, she added. Zartaj vowed that the ministry of climate change would ensure plastic bags free Pakistan. Director General EPA Farzana Altaf Shah said plastic bags free Islamabad was the mission of EPA that could not be materialized without public support. The masses response to the ban was encouraging which should increase with each passing day and help ensure strict compliance of the ban. Hashoo Foundation had imparted 25-day training to the women on sewing alternate cotton bags and also instructed entrepreneurship and business skills to household women. Moreover, children attired in traditional dresses of Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit Baltistan and Kashmir performed before the audience to highlight plastic bags ban. APP
Shangla, Buner among other, to districts of the powerful parliamentarians. Even, the newly merged districts were completely ignored in the reappropriation, said sources. Adding that Instead of shifting and re-appropriating funds for the uplift of the ignored districts-particularly conflict challenged newly merged districts, funds were transferred to the already developed districts. The erstwhile PTI government had too allocated and utilized billions in these districts, said the officials. Similarly, Swabi, the home district of National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has received Rs109 million and remained
third most beneficial district followed by Mansehra with 90 million. While in southern districts, Dera Ismail Khan gets 79 million, Bannu 65 million Kohat 25 million, while Charsadda 47 million and Nowshera 18 million, documents showed. The tourism department affected the most from the recent transfer, as funds of 11 projects were shifted to the districts of blue-eyed, followed by Education Departments with 10 affected projects. Similarly, funds of six projects of Multi-Sector Development, five of primary and secondary education, four each of interior, health, agriculture, three each of excise and taxation, local government,
IHC seeks federation's reply regarding powers of local government members
ISLAMABAD APP
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday sought written reply from the federation in a petition regarding powers of local government’s representatives including Municipal Corporation Islamabad (MCI) Mayor till March 20. Justice Mohsin Akhter Kiyani conducted the hearing on a petition moved by MCI Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Capital Development
Authority (CDA) Ali Nawaz Awan and Chief Commissioner and CDA Chairman Aamer Ahmed Ali appeared before the court. During the course of proceeding, Ali Nawaz, who was also the chairman of Local Government Commission (LGC), informed the court that a committee had been constituted to address the issues of the MCI. To a query by the bench, the CDA chairman said it was the responsibility of the MCI to collect taxes from the federal capital. However, the ICT administration was collecting taxes as provincial government. The CDA chairman pleaded before the bench that his department had given loan worth Rs19 billion to the MCI so far, adding the CDA was also issuing salaries to the MCI's employees. He said the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration used to perform its duty as provincial government. The ICT admin had collected revenue more than its target which would be used for the development of the capital. The chief commissioner said they were planning to set up new departments including food authority and related to development of the city. The CDA and ICT administration had no connection with the affairs of the MCI. After this, the bench sought detailed written reply from the federal government regarding the powers of local government representatives and adjourned the hearing of the case. The court, however, maintained its stay orders on suspension recommendation against MCI mayor and utilization of local body funds by the representatives.
Kite flying ban openly violated as 'Basant' celebrated in Islamabad, Cantt areas RAWALPINDI APP
The ban on kite flying and metallic strings and aerial firing was openly violated here in city and cantt areas on Thursday night and Friday as 'Basant' was celebrated. The residents expressed concerns over Kite flying and use of metallic strings, banned by the city administration, adding that such violation was a question mark on the performance of the authorities concerned. Shahzad, a resident observed that the administration failed to implement the ban, adding Jamia Masjid Road, Arya Mohalla, Imam Bara Mohalla, Bunni, Kartarpura, Mohalla Raja Sultan, Akalgarh, Dhoke Dalal, Dhoke Ratta, Sarafa Bazar, Amarpura, Mohanpura, Committee Chowk, Sadiqabad, Satellite Town and many other areas were noticed where the activity was openly done . There was also aerial firing with the kite flying, he said. The locals said that the metallic strings used for flying kites injured many persons during last week, adding that it could have taken
their lives. They said that kite flying could lead to traffic accidents. They demanded of Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar and the district government to strictly implement the ban on kite flying which might take lives of innocent citizens. Though, earlier City Police Officer (CPO) had said that Station House Officer (SHO) concerned would be held accountable for the violation of the ban on kite flying in any area but there were no appropriate measures to curb the activity. Strict action should also be taken against those who demonstrated negligence. Owing to easy availability, children purchased kites and violated the ban not only on rooftops but even on roads. Meanwhile, Potohar Division police in their operation against kite flyers and kite sellers also conducted raids in Civil Line, Airport, Morgah, R.A.Bazar, Westridge, Race Course and many other areas and netted 60 violators. The police also recovered huge quantity of kites and kite flying string rolls. Rawal Division police claimed to have arrested over 200 kite flying ban violators
and recovered thousands kites and a large number of kite flying string rolls from their possession. The Police spokesman informed that city police, Elite and Dolphin Force personnel were conducting raids to arrest the kite flying ban violators and all out efforts were made to control the violation. He said, raids were also conducted on Thursday night and 60 violators were sent behind the bars.
CMYK
NEWS
05
construction, forestry, urban development departments, two each of irrigation, minerals, food and social welfare, and one each of transportation, law, industry, IT and Housing department have also been shifted to the KP CM and speaker’s districts. The projects which lost the funds were transferred to districts such as Swat, Abbottabad, Nowshera, DI Khan and Swabi includes the feasibility of upgrading forest institute, feasibility of setting up hotel management and tourist centers, Higher Education Management Information Systems, renovation of historical places, and special package for district Buner, enhancing capacity of tour operators, feasibility of housing schemes for government servants, renovation and repairing of Majisd Mahabat Khan and funds allocated for purchase of land for graveyards and shamshanghat for minorities. Similarly, the project of capacity building of the legislation wing of the Law Department, expansion of Gomal Zam irrigation system, setting up Model Coal Mine in Nowshera, the establishment of the District Headquarters Hospital in Torghar and setting up Benazir Bhutto Hospital in Mardan would also suffer after the funds’ re-appropriation.
Shahbaz Tatla case: LHC orders for producing Asad Bhatti on Feb 24 LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday ordered the CIA Model Town superintendent of police (SP) to produce Asad Bhatti before the court on February 24. Justice Muhammad Waheed Khan passed the orders while hearing a petition filed by Zaid Sarwar Bhatti, brother of Asad Bhatti, challenging the illegal detention of his brother in the Shahbaz Tatla murder case. A counsel on behalf of the petitioner submitted that Asad Bhatti himself appeared before the police on February 15, for recording his statement in connection with Shahbaz Tatla case. He submitted that the police detained him, and he had been in illegal police custody since Feb 15. He alleged that Asad Bhatti was also being tortured. He submitted that Asad Bhatti was a diabetic, blood pressure and cardiac patient. He submitted that the detainee was facing serious health issues in such circumstances. He pleaded with the court for recovery of Asad Bhatti. The court after hearing initial arguments, ordered SP CIA Model Town for producing the detainee on Feb 24. Meanwhile, police has decided to nominate Asad Bhatti in the murder case while legal options are being weighed for nominating missing Senior Superintendent of Police Mufakhir Adeel. StAff RePoRt
IHC seeks report from CDA in tree-felling case ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday sought report from Capital Development Authority (CDA) in a petition pertaining to trees’ cutting practice in the federal capital. Justice Mohsin Akther Kiyani, hearing the case, directed the CDA to provide details regarding trees, cut in the various areas and the action, taken by the environment wing of the civic body. The petitioner, in its plea, said a big amount of tree were cut down before the construction of interchanges including Sector I-8, Sohan, Khanna and Koral till 2015. The CDA could not auction those trees so far while 24 thousand feet wood had become rusty. The petitioner prayed the court to take action against the officers for alleged ignorance. APP
LHC orders complete ban on plastic bags LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday issued directives for a complete ban on polythene bags at the departmental stores and ordered the provincial authorities to submit a detailed report in this regard. During a hearing at the LHC, Justice Shahid Karim said that the world has already abandoned the use of such bags and companies in the United States (US) and other countries have moved towards eco-friendly green bags. “The plastic bags are becoming toxic especially for our marine life,” he said. He asked as to why the departmental stores are showing reluctance in abandoning the plastic bags and remarked that it is the step they should have taken on their own. We have imposed a ban on using plastic bags at departmental stores because of big shoppers made up of more chemicals being used there, the judge remarked. The court directed the authorities to submit a detailed report regarding implementation on the ban and adjourned the hearing till Feb 28. During an earlier hearing into the case on February 13, terming plastic bags major cause of environmental pollution, the Lahore High Court banned the use of polythene bags at mega-stores across Punjab. In a written verdict, the LHC on Thursday ordered all the departmental stores in the province to stop using harmful plastic bags. LHC’s Justice Shahid Karim, in his sevenpage detailed verdict directed shop owners, merchandisers and wholesalers to comply with the court order and switch to alternative bags within two weeks. The LHC directed the concerned authorities to display the court orders at a prominent place in all the departmental stores. StAff RePoRt
Saturday, 22 February, 2020
06 WORLD VIEW 'Humiliating to tHe core': How india turned an indian Held KasHmir Hotel into a jail
Will the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty survive the 2020s? CAN WE REINVENT THE NPT FOR THE WORLD OF 2020? FRANKLY, I DON’T SEE HOW WE DO THAT—NOT WITHOUT REOPENING THE WHOLE QUESTION OF NUCLEAR IDENTITY
THE CENTAUR HOTEL WAS TRANSFORMED INTO A GILDED PRISON FOR ONCEPOWERFUL POLITICIANS LOYAL TO INDIA
guardian hannah eLLiS-PeteRSen and a RePoRteR in SRinagaR
i
T was a prison unlike any other. The picturesque venue, on the lake front in the city of Srinagar in Indian held Kashmir (IHK), just minutes from a golf course, usually functions as a palatial hotel, but for three months last year it became a gilded jailhouse for Salman Sagar and dozens of once-powerful Kashmiri ministers and legislators. “It was a jail,” said Sagar. “The notion was given that it was five star but it was not …They put immense psychological pressure on us. They were as strict as possible.” Sagar, an influential politician in IHK’s National Congress party and the former mayor of Srinagar, was among nearly 50 senior politicians who were arrested in August and held in the Centaur hotel, and later a hostel, for six months without being charged with any crime. The mass arrests followed the Indian government’s swift and brutal decision on 5 August last year to revoke Article 370, the law that had given this disputed Himalayan region a special semi-autonomous status for almost seven decades. The Indian government argued that the mass detention of politicians was to maintain order in a region where security forces have been fighting a long-running insurgency against militants supported by Pakistan. Detentions without trial are routine in IHK and have been vigorously invoked against anti-India politicians and militant sympathisers, but it was the first time the law was used against politicians who had sided with New Delhi and subsequently endured decades of insurgents’ threats and fatal attacks. For Sagar and others loyal to India during Kashmir’s long-running conflict, the arrests and detention without cause were an exercise in humiliation. Kept under the watch of police and central paramilitary officers, some stayed in single rooms while others were forced to share and their freedoms were limited. Their main source of entertainment was pacing the hotel corridors together. “You expect there to be serenity,” Sagar said of the hotel-turned-prison that stands at the foot of Zabarwan mountain, and boasts a gym, health centre and shopping arcade they were never allowed to access. “But there was no calm there. There was only discomfort.” He added: “We were never allowed to touch the hotel grass … we were only allowed to go down [to the common areas] for lunch and dinner. We requested to be allowed to go out to the lawns but they never allowed it.” Sagar was among dozens of politicians finally released in February, due to the Indian government being legally allowed to detain them for only six months. However, the four most senior political leaders, two former chief ministers of IHK, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, and two regional party leaders, Ali Mohmmad Sagar and Sartaj Madni, have been kept in detention and recharged under India’s Public Safety Act (PSA), which allows detention without trial for up to two years. Ali Mohmmad Sagar is Salman Sagar’s father, and they were kept in detention in the Centaur hotel together. Sagar, who has lost 18kgs during the last six months, said he spent the first few days of detention “mourning the demise of 370”. “Then everybody was asking: ‘when will we be released?’
There was so much fear on our minds,” he said. While Sagar was in detention, his grandfather fell ill one evening and quickly died. “I begged the police to let me see him but they did not allow and my grandfather died that evening,” said Sagar. “I felt helpless.” He also described breaking down in tears when, on his birthday, his family came to visit and was kept waiting five hours. His four-year-old son had grown so hungry, without access to food, they had been forced to feed him Sagar’s birthday cake. “I cried so much when I heard that,” he said. The detention of pro-India politicians was an addition to about 5,000 anti-India politicians, activists, protesters and businessmen who were jailed without trial in the months before article 370 was revoked. Arrests have also continued in the subsequent months. The continued imprisonment of party leaders and the continued ban on public meetings in IHK has ensured that politicians on all sides remain in a state of limbo, and democratic representation in IHK has disintegrated, which experts fear will have disastrous long-term impacts in the region. “Political activity in IHK has been reduced to zero,” said Khalid Shah, an associate fellow specialising in IHK at the Observer Research Foundation. “There was a robust mainstream, pro-India politics in IHK which is completely over, it is finished, but the government has [been] doing nothing since to ensure people are represented or political activity is resumed from within.” Shah added: “That is very scary because in a place like IHK, where a lot of people are already radicalised, you want politics and democracy to be a vehicle to bring people into the mainstream. So there is a fear that radicalisation will increase.” The detentions have caused so much fear and uncertainty in IHK’s political circles that few are willing to speak about their imprisonment and even fewer are willing to be named. Like many others, on his release Sagar signed a mandatory bond that he would not instigate people in dissent or speak against the abrogation of the Article 370. An influential member of the People’s Democratic Party – an IHK political party which was seen as cooperative with the Indian government – who was recently released from his six-month long detention and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: “Everybody feels betrayed, cheated.” “We have always taken the risk of going with secular India … our loyalty to the idea of India was questioned because the definition of that idea has been changed,” he said. He was also among those held at the Centaur for three months, before being moved to a hostel. To pass the time, he said the prisoners read and discussed religious and political books, played cards and prayed but had never been allowed outside. He, like many held in the Centaur, also came to believe the lakeside hotel was haunted and many could not sleep out of fear of the spirit. “I also felt [a djinn] in my room once. I could see some dark shadow on the wall, of a man, a huge man, he said. Then I switched on the light and kept it on whole night. There was a lot of talk that there was a djinn, some said the djinn did not let them sleep.” He said the lengthy detention was “humiliating to the core” and provided him a “moment of introspection”. “There was a sense of defeat,” he said. “I saw one [political leader] crying several times because it was very humiliating. Food was very bad, chocolate or a toffee would have been a treat.” He said at times it felt like being dead. “No one remembers you,” he added. “I felt like a bird in a cage.”
StrategiSt (aSPi) Rod Lyon
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the entry into force of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The treaty has three separate but inter-related objectives: preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and nuclear-weapon technologies to more countries; promoting cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy; and pressing the existing nuclearweapon states to disarm. With 191 states parties, it enjoys almost universal membership. Today, only India, Pakistan, Israel, North Korea and South Sudan remain outside it. (North Korea did join, in December 1985, but never came into compliance and left in January 2003.) Of course, the first four of those countries have all built nuclear weapons, which severely constrains their options for future membership: the treaty contains no provision under which they could be admitted as nuclearweapon states, entitled to the same status and privileges as the five officially recognised nuclear powers (the U.S., Russia, China, France and the UK). Treaty members will vent about a range of issues during the upcoming five-yearly review conference, scheduled to take place in New York from 27 April to 22 May. North Korean nuclear and missile developments, the trials of the Iranian nuclear deal, the collapse of the IntermediateRange Nuclear Forces Treaty, and the continuing modernisation programs of the five recognised nuclear weapon states—instead of disarmament—provide plenty of new grist for the mill. Still, every review conference seems to precipitate a sense of unease over the future of the treaty. This year’s no different. Yet the NPT will survive this conference, too, because most treaty members continue to believe that an uncontrolled spread of nuclear weapons would make for a more dangerous international security environment than the one we already have. Moreover, few states would want the NPT to collapse and leave the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (which still hasn’t been ratified by enough states to enter into force) in sole possession of the field. Harder to calculate, and more
worrying, is the shifting relationship between the NPT and geopolitics. Let’s see the treaty for what it is—an attempt to freeze the world in the nuclear status quo of 1968, when the treaty was first opened for signature. As such, the NPT represents an attempt to disconnect nuclear weapons from the geopolitical power shifts that have occurred since then. True, the freeze wasn’t perfectly solid. The treaty gave some wriggle room. Once the treaty entered into force, there were only two ways that a country not previously protected by nuclear weapons could acquire such protection: it could leave the treaty under the ‘supreme national interest’ clause (or never join in the first place) and build its own nuclear arsenal in the teeth of international disapproval; or it could enter into an alliance relationship with one of the recognised nuclear-weapon states and gain the protection of extended nuclear deterrence. India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea took the first course. The ‘new NATO’ states took the second. NATO was an alliance of 15 countries in 1968; today it’s an alliance of 29. U.S. extended nuclear deterrence, which covered perhaps 20 countries worldwide in 1968, now covers almost double that number. Of course, the attraction of the second course turns heavily upon a set of judgements about the credibility and resilience of extended nuclear assurances. For such assurances to be a substitute for a national indigenous program, they have to be more than superficially plausible—and the benchmark tends to climb steeply as the sense of imminent threat grows. And here we come to the central quandary. Looked at in the broadest sense, the NPT has led something of a sheltered geopolitical existence. Born into a bipolar strategic world, where the bulk of nuclear weapons were in the hands of two risk-averse superpowers, both of which knew well the terrible costs of great-power war, the treaty added an ordering layer to a geopolitical environment in which caution, and recognised spheres of influence, already prevailed. The treaty was originally intended to last for 25 years, which meant it expired, and was indefinitely extended, in the year 1995—probably the single best
How the cultural Hindu defeated the political Hindu
timeS of india SagaRika ghoSe
During Delhi assembly elections, CM Arvind Kejriwal made well publicised visits to his favourite place of worship — the Hanuman mandir. He went before polling day and again after the stunning AAP win. He’s recited Hanuman chalisa, chanted Vande Mataram and declared himself a ‘hardcore nationalist.’ Has Kejriwal let down secularism and given up the fight against hate? No, in fact in Delhi 2020, the cultural Hindu has defeated the
political Hindu. The Kejriwal model to fight Hindutva is an interesting one. In times when Modi-led BJP’s high-pitched Hindutva nationalism is seen as a sure shot election winner, Kejriwal crafted a counter strategy: fight Hindutva and nationalism not from outside, but from within, without making an undue fetish of either. Kejriwal doesn’t hide his Hindu-ness but he doesn’t play politics with it either. Secularism is BJP’s softest target. Secular parties are inevitably cast as dyed-in-the-wool “minority (read Muslim) appeasers”. With Shaheen Bagh as rallying point, saffron politicians whipped up “goli maro” and “go to Pakistan” chants. BJP candidate Kapil Mishra declared that the battle between BJP vs AAP was a battle of India vs Pakistan. Yogi Adityanath accused Kejriwal of supplying biryani to Shaheen Bagh. By showing restraint on the Shaheen Bagh debate, re-
fusing to make a show of his Muslim support, backing the Modi government on Article 370, Kejriwal avoided the trap laid for him and denied BJP any monopoly either of Hinduism or nationalism. Secularism does not mean negation of personal faith. It means that the state must not discriminate between religions. The innovation of AAP is that by treating Hinduism as purely cultural, it refuses to compete on the BJP’s terms and get tangled up in BJP’s pet controversies over Ram Mandir-Savarkar-Vande Mataram et al. AAP steers clear of all these, yet all 5 Muslim AAP MLAs in the fray won by big margins. By asserting his credentials as a Hanuman-bhakt, by holding up his Hanuman vs BJP’s Ram, Kejriwal showed that the cultural Hindu is best placed to defeat the political Hindu. ‘Ram bhakts’ can easily attack a ‘jihadistbiryani-eating-Muslim sympathiser’ but can they attack a Hanuman bhakt? When
competing with a dominant influential force like Hindutva, it’s smart to be strategic rather than ideological. Comparisons arise with Rahul Gandhi’s ‘soft Hindutva’. The difference is that by showily going to a series of temples only before elections, photo ops of rituals, declaring high caste gotra, Rahul’s soft Hindutva only legitimises hard Hindutva because it plays on the same BJP turf of pujas and priests. Kejriwal doesn’t change clothes, nor perform rituals, nor pose with priests. Religious rituals aren’t important, religious values are. Kejriwal’s the IIT educated modernist, running a religion-less, service-delivery focused campaign, whose cultural identity happens to be Hindu. His is a well projected humble and sincere aam aadmi persona — the persona, in fact, of the true devotee. This quiet, unassuming style contrasts well with Modi’s imperious, domineering personality. Rahul
year in the last 50 ideally suited to achieving that outcome. The world of 1995, remember, was a unipolar one, where U.S. dominance and the ‘end of history’ thesis suggested global geopolitical convergence. No such favourable geopolitical environment now exists. Neither bipolarity nor unipolarity has prepared us for the emerging security challenges that now confront us. An NPT which held back proliferation incentives during those earlier, less strategically demanding eras might find it harder to contain such pressures in an age of multipolarity and risk-tolerant actors. And, given the weight it’s now carrying, a U.S. less willing to run nuclear risks on behalf of its allies could throw a serious spanner into the works. Nuclear proliferation is rare. And it’s always treated on a caseby-case basis. But the four successful non-NPT proliferators have proven that the world has no strategy—save another Desert Storm—to halt proliferation by a determined proliferator. Nor does it have a strategy for managing proliferation pressures if U.S. extended nuclear deterrence were to falter. The steady expansion of U.S. nuclear commitments in the post–Cold War era suggests a world where the demand for nuclear protection could outrun the supply. Indeed, there are growing concerns that the supply itself might be contracting as U.S. engagement declines—which may explain some of the teasing hints in French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent speech on nuclear doctrine, holding out the possibility of closer nuclear links between France and its neighbours. Can we reinvent the NPT for the world of 2020? Frankly, I don’t see how we do that—not without reopening the whole question of nuclear identity. The NPT forced states to choose their nuclear identity in the geopolitical world of 1968, when only five countries—the Permanent Five of the UN Security Council—had conducted nuclear tests. Repeating the exercise now would open a veritable Pandora’s box. Even Australia, a country patently unenthusiastic about a more densely proliferated world, would probably find a decision now more difficult than the one it took five decades ago. Rod Lyon is a senior fellow at ASPI.
Gandhi’s mistake is trying to outdo Modi both in chest-thumping bombast and in religious rituals. According to the Axis My India poll, 48% of those who voted for BJP in the Lok Sabha voted AAP in Vidhan Sabha. AAP would not have been able to attract Modi voters had it fallen into the ‘secularcommunal’ trap and let itself become pigeonholed as yet another ‘Muslim’ party. Mandal movement chiefs Lalu Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav fought Hindutva by deploying caste against a monolithic Hindu identity. In an urban milieu like Delhi where caste is irrelevant, Hindutva is best fought by joining the debate from within and asking, who is the better Hindu? Is the humble muffler-clad Hanuman bhakt who swears by real development not a better Hindu than the saffron and tilak -flaunting brigade threatening “current lagna chahiye” to Muslims? At a time when Hindu assertion plays a greater role than ever before in politics, Kejriwal seems to have evolved an effective model to neutralise Hindutva as a political weapon.
Saturday, 22 February, 2020
FOREIGN NEWS 07
Chinese Capital battles jump in virus Cases as infeCtions ease elsewhere BEIJING
t
three new coronavIrus cases dIscovered In northern Italy
AGENCIES
HE number of people who have contracted the coronavirus in the Chinese capital has jumped sharply, including more than 30 in an outbreak at a major hospital, while many other parts of the country are reporting fewer or no new infections. Officials on Friday reported one new case in Beijing as of Feb. 20, bringing the total in the city to 396, with four dead. Twenty-three cases were recorded the previous day. The new cases largely stemmed from a major hospital about 6 k, (3.7 miles) west of Tiananmen Square, and come as China’s leaders decide whether to postpone their annual gathering of parliament, the year’s most important political event, originally set for early March. Eight health workers, nine care workers and cleaners, and 19 patients and their family members were among the 36 cases confirmed at Fuxing Hospital thus far, Pang Xinghuo, vice head of Beijing’s disease control centre, told reporters on Thursday. The hospital only had nine cases as of Feb. 3. “I feel deeply guilty and distressed by the cluster case incident at Fuxing Hospital,” Li Dongxia, the hospital’s director, told the same briefing. The infections also caught the attention of the Global Times, a tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily, which ran a story under the headline: “Whopping rise in infection at Beijing hospital puts capital on alert.” The city’s total cases now rank 13th among provincial-level jurisdictions. To control the spread of the virus, Beijing and
BERLIN AGENCIES
Germany’s government faced calls to toughen gun ownership laws and step up efforts to track far-right sympathizers after the suspect in one of its worst mass shootings since World War Two was found to have published a racist manifesto. The 43-year-old presumed killer of nine people in two shisha bars in the southwestern town of Hanau late on Wednesday had posted the document, espousing conspiracy theories and deeply racist views, online. The suspect, who is believed to have killed himself and his mother after the shootings, belonged to a gun club, raising questions as to how a man with such ideological convictions managed to gain membership and obtain the weapons he used. “We need new and stricter laws to regularly and thoroughly check owners of hunting and firearm licenses,” Bild - Germany’s biggest-sell-
other cities have ordered measures including reduced opening hours at shopping malls, temperature checks in public spaces, and disinfection at residential compounds. Beijing also requires that people arriving from elsewhere in China quarantine at home for 14 days. Migrant workers are steadily returning to the city of more than 20 million after a long Lunar New Year break, which was extended to give authorities more time to try to contain the virus. “So disappointed! I was brought up in the district and thought it’s the safest bastion because it’s the heart of the country,” one person wrote on the Twitter-like Weibo. Nationwide, more than 75,400 people have been confirmed infected with the coronavirus and 2,236 have died, mostly in central Hubei province and its capital of Wuhan where the virus emerged in a wildlife market in December.
Germany reopens hate speech, gun law debates after shisha bar killings ing newspaper - wrote on its front page. “We immediately need more (intelligence) positions to monitor right-wing radicals and intervene before it’s too late.” Federal Prosecutor General Peter Frank said on Friday that the suspect had a license for two weapons, and it remained unclear whether he had contacts with other far-right sympathizers at home or abroad. Frank added that the gunman had sent a letter to prosecutors in November complaining about an unknown intelligence agency with powers to control people’s thoughts and actions, fuelling speculation he may have suffered from paranoia or other mental illnesses. “The letter did not in-
assange's fate hangs in balance as uK court considers us extradition bid
LONDON AGENCIES
Almost a decade after his WikiLeaks website enraged Washington by leaking secret U.S. documents, a London court will begin hearings on Monday to decide whether Julian Assange should be extradited to the United States. A hero to admirers who say he has exposed abuses of power, Assange is cast by critics as a dangerous enemy of the state who has undermined Western security. He says the extradition is politically motivated by those embarrassed by his revelations. The 48-year-old is wanted by the United States on 18 criminal counts of conspiring to hack government computers and violating an espionage law and could spend decades in prison if convicted. Now, some 10 months after he was dragged from London’s Ecuadorean embassy where he had been holed up for seven years, Judge Vanessa Baraitser will hear ar-
AGENCIES: Looking to prevent a further spread of the virus, officials urged residents of the northern towns of Codogno and Castiglione d’Adda to stay at home and avoid any social gatherings. “We have introduced a compulsory quarantine for all those who have been in contact with the patients who tested positive,” Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told reporters, adding that anyone who had been in “areas of risk” over the past two weeks should stay at home. Giulio Gallera, a member of the Lombardy regional government, said the initial patient fell ill after meeting a friend who had recently returned from China. He was now in intensive care. The other two infected people were the wife of the 38-year-old-man and one of his friends. None of the trio had themselves been to China. Local authorities were tracking down everyone they had come into contact with and around 100 people were being tested for the virus. “Most of the contacts of those tested positive for coronavirus have been identified and subjected to the necessary tests and measures,” the region said in a statement. Prior to Friday, just three people had been confirmed in Italy to have the virus which emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. Two Chinese tourists who came from Wuhan tested positive in Rome in late January, while an Italian who returned from the Chinese city with a special flight repatriating some 56 nationals was hospitalized a week later.
guments as to why he should or should not be sent to the United States. Jennifer Robinson, Assange’s lawyer, says his case could lead to criminalising activities crucial to investigative journalists and his work has shed an unprecedented light on how the United States conducted its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. “We are talking about collateral murder, evidence of war crimes,” she said. “They are a remarkable resource for those of us seeking to hold governments to account for abuses.” WikiLeaks angered Washington by publishing hundreds of thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables that laid bare critical U.S. appraisals of world leaders, from Russian President Vladimir Putin to members of the Saudi royal family. Assange made international headlines in 2010 when WikiLeaks published a classified U.S. military video showing a 2007 attack by Apache helicopters in Baghdad that killed a dozen people, including two Reuters news staff. PARDON DEAL?: The hearing at London’s Woolwich Crown Court will not decide if Assange is guilty of any wrongdoing, but whether the extradition request meets the requirements set out under a 2003 UKU.S. treaty, which critics say is stacked in favor of the United States. Baraitser has agreed that the case will get under way next week before being postponed until May 18 when it will resume again for a further three weeks to allow both sides more time to gather evidence.
clude his racist calls for the extermination of certain peoples,” Frank said during a news conference. “We did not launch an investigation based on the letter, which later appeared in the gunman’s racist manifesto.” In October, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government outlawed the sale of guns to members of extremist groups monitored by security agencies and obliged online platforms to inform police about hate content. Those measures followed the killing of a pro-immigration German politician in June and an attack four months later on a synagogue and a kebab shop in Halle by an anti-Semitic gunman who livestreamed his actions.
Iran says coronavIrus has spread to several cItIes, reports two new deaths AGENCIES: The coronavirus has spread to several Iranian cities, a health ministry official said on Friday, as an outbreak that the authorities say began in the holy city of Qom caused two more deaths. Iran confirmed 13 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total in the country to 18, with four of the total having died. “Based on existing reports, the spread of coronavirus started in Qom and with attention to people’s travels has now reached several cities in the country including Tehran, Babol, Arak, Isfahan, Rasht and other cities,” health ministry official Minou Mohrez said, according to the official IRNA news agency. “It’s possible that it exists in all cities in Iran,” she said. The majority of coronavirus cases in Iran have been in Qom, a Shi’ite Muslim holy city 120 km (75 miles) south of the capital Tehran. The new cases comprised seven people diagnosed in Qom, four in the capital Tehran and two in Gilan province, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said in a tweet.
turkey's erdogan asks France, Germany to help end syrian humanitarian crisis ANKARA: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan asked the French and German leaders to provide “concrete” support in ending a humanitarian crisis in northwest Syria’s Idlib region, the Turkish presidency said on Friday, amid escalating tensions in the region. In a phone call, Erdogan said that attacks in Idlib, where a Russian-led Syrian government offensive has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and brought Ankara, Moscow and Damascus to the brink of confrontation, must be stopped. On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Russian President Vladimir Putin to express their concern about the humanitarian situation in Idlib, urging an end to the conflict there, a German spokesman said. AGENCIES
Saturday, 22 February, 2020
08 COMMENT
Significant changes in Arab public opinion
In search of a scapegoat PTI govt throws AGP under the bus
o
N Tuesday Attorney General Anwar Masood Khan made a statement before the full bench of the sc that was dubbed by the judges as “uncalled for” and “too serious”. Law Minister Farogh Nasim, who was present during the hearing, maintained silence, leading many to believe the government stood behind its Attorney General. on the next hearing on Wednesday the court ordered the Attorney General to tender an apology or come up with the material on the basis of which he had made the statement. The Law Minister again kept mum the whole day, confirming the perception that the government was in confrontational mode. on Thursday the Attorney General announced his resignation and submitted an apology to the apex court avowedly on the demand of Pakistan Bar council, for which he said he had great regard. Within hours the government distanced itself from Mr Anwar Masood Khan’s statement, maintaining that it had been made without the instructions and knowledge of the federal government. Further that the performance of the Attorney General was not up to the mark in the Justice Faez Isa case, for which he was asked to resign. Mr Khan insists that both senator Naseem and PM’s special Assistant shahzad Akbar were aware of what he was going to say in the court about the judges and had also appreciated his statement when the proceedings concluded that day. senator Naseem maintains that Mr Khan’s version was based on lies and the government had no idea about the allegations against the apex court judges. If senator Naseem is right, why did he keep tightlipped over the issue for two days while PBc and scBA issued statements condemning the government? Did the government want to gauge the public reaction to the stand taken by the Attorney General and, finding it highly negative, decided to distance itself from Mr Khan’s statement? or did it want to deliver a message to the apex court and still maintain that the government had nothing to do with it? Mr Khan too cannot claim to be innocent in the affair. he is a former high court judge and twice an Attorney General. he should have resigned earlier instead if agreeing to do the hatchet job.
FATF reprieve Buy only until June
T
hE Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has put off putting Pakistan on its blacklist, but has retained it on its grey list, and will decide in June whether or not the country is compliant with its 27-point Action Plan. This postponement of blacklisting should not be followed by any lack of sincerity in fulfilling FATF demands, and should lead to actions required, no matter the institutional interest that might be protected by the present situation. No institutional interest can be placed above the national interest. It can be argued that FATF is just an extension of the Washington-consensus institutions like the World Bank and the IMF, but it should be remembered that FATF blacklisting would mean the closing of access to the world’s financial markets, and so dependent on those markets is the country that government finances would collapse so badly that official institutions would find themselves damaged, perhaps irretrievably so. It should not be forgotten that the IMF programme, by which the government sets so much store, is reliant on Pakistan avoiding being blacklisted. The FATF Paris meeting gave Pakistan an eightpoint plan to ensure compliance with the original plan. The plenary is supposed to have expressed satisfaction with how Pakistan was progressing, after it was informed that Pakistan was either compliant, or close to compliance, on more than half of the action-plan points. If there has been any Indian attempts to have Pakistan blacklisted, they will be defeated by effective diplomacy, which will have to be based on genuine efforts, rather than asking for help in evading the FATF. Pakistan must be clear in doing what is good for it, not serving some other agenda. The FATF decision coming after Jama’at-udDa’wah chief hafiz saeed was convicted for money laundering after a number of times being arrested only to be released later. The UsA evidently set great store by this. Its wishes should be considered, for if it was to decide to support whitelisting, many other countries, more than the required number, would also lend their support. Pakistan is also crucial to the UsA in Afghanistan where a peace deal with the Taliban is within sight. According to the Us there are elements still present within Pakistan like saeed that need to be dealt with. And it cannot be over-emphasised that handling them is in Pakistan’s best interests.
Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami
Arif Nizami Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad
Umar Aziz
Asher John
Joint Editor
Executive Editor
Deputy Editor
Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965
I
Attitudes are shifting in the Arab World
Washington Watch Dr James J Zogby
A
cross the Middle East and North Africa, 2019 provided an eventful end to a tumultuous decade. There were unsettling developments on multiple fronts; to name just a few, there were: popular uprisings in Algeria, sudan, Lebanon, and Iraq; international intervention in civil conflicts raging in Libya, Yemen, and syria; dangerously accelerated tensions with Iran; and fading hopes for a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, despite the Us promises about a great “deal.” In late 2019, Zogby research services (Zrs) once again had the opportunity to poll public opinion across the Middle East and North Africa about many of these issues that are of such critical concern to the region and its peoples. Among the topics covered in our 2019 survey were: the unsettled situation in Iraq; the status of the “Arab spring” countries– focusing on Egypt, Tunisia, and syria; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Arab attitudes toward Iran; and how Arabs view the role played by the UsA and other global powers in their region. since we’ve been surveying attitudes on these issues every year since 2011 for the annual sir Bani Yas Forum held in the UAE, this year’s results enabled us to identify both areas where the public’s views were similar to those of earlier
years and areas where there were dramatic changes in opinion. What follows were dramatic changes in opinion. The most notable development in Iraqi attitudes is the high percentage of Iraqis (almost six in ten),– including a majority of respondents in all sub-groups, sunni Arabs, shia Arabs, and Kurds– who want their country to be united under a central government and not divided into separate regions. As further evidence of this unity, there is a marked increase in the number of Iraqis from all sub-groups, who are now wary of Iran. In fact, when we asked Iraqis to identify their main concern with Iran, they said it was Iran’s involvement in their country. Iraqis, however, also told us of their deep dissatisfaction with the direction of the country and their lack of confidence that their lives will improve in the near future. Given these dangerously low levels of satisfaction and confidence, it was not surprising that mass protests erupted in the fall. After the eruption of demonstrations, we surveyed the public’s attitudes toward the protests. Iraqis told us that they supported the demonstrators and that their confidence in their government had been shaken by the violent response to the protests. The reactions in the so-called “Arab spring” countries were mixed. During 2019, attitudes in Egypt continued to sour, with Egyptians reporting very low levels of satisfaction with their current situation and little confidence that it will improve in the next five years. When asked to evaluate the role played by various institutions in their country, Egyptians gave low scores across the board. Tunisians, on the other hand, are more positive both with their present situation and are more optimistic in their future, despite recent electoral tumult. With regard to syria, there is a growing acceptance in Arab public opinion that the Assad government has survived the civil war. But attitudes are divided as to whether syria will have peace in the next decade, with respondents in most Arab countries pointing to the prospect of future clashes between the Assad government and the opposition and the potential for conflict between russia and Iran for influence in syria. one of the more intriguing results in our 2019 survey were the changes in Arab views toward the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Most Arabs still blame the UsA and Israel for the absence of peace and have little confidence that the conflict can be resolved in the near future. Maybe as a result of this despair, this issue now ranks low as an Arab priority. Also noteworthy is the fact that majorities in most Arab countries now say that normalization with Israel, which they acknowledge is already happening, may be a good thing. This development shouldn’t be overstated, however, since there is still no love for Israel. It appears, from our survey, to be born of frustration, weariness with Palestinians being victims of war, and the possibility that normalization might bring some economic benefits and could give Arabs leverage to press Israel to make concessions to the Palestinians. We learn from our 2019 Zrs poll that the greatest concern with Iran across the region is with its nuclear programme, followed by Iran’s role in the Arab Gulf. Most intriguing, though, is the growing wariness of Lebanese and Iraqis with Iran’s involvement in their countries. It is the top concern of respondents in both Lebanon and Iraq. This is significant since past polling has shown Lebanese and Iraqis viewing Iran more favorably than did Arabs in other countries. In our 2019 survey we find a continued slide in the UsA’s favorability in the Arab World. With only a few exceptions, in almost every country there is a sharp decline in respondents’ views of Us policies toward syrian, Iraq, Iran, and Muslims. And only saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Jordan now see the UsA as a being a dependable ally in the next decade. Instead of the UsA, respondents in a number of Arab countries now look elsewhere, to china, the European Union, saudi Arabia, or russia. As a result of this unsettling world order, we also find that Arabs are turning inward. When we asked Arabs what their foreign policy priorities were for the region, far and away their top choices are investing more of the region’s wealth and expertise in creating a more prosperous and stable Arab World and promoting greater political unity among the Arab states. Dr James J Zogby is President, Arab American Institute.
Islamic mysticism: From spiritual experience to anti-imperial socio-political program How an intensely personal belief system leads to opposing an empire rayhan Khan
T
hE early Islamic community expressed religious piety in its moral and ethical conduct. This religious piety inculcated in them a spiritual awakening. In pursuit of this awakening, a group of ascetics in the late sevenrgth century sought a refuge in the town of Basra. Tired of political upheavals and social agitation, this clique of self-denying men coalesced around a great saint of Basra. his name was hassan al-Basri. Noted for his intellectual depth and spiritual orientation, hassan al-Basri promoted a version of Islam that pressed for the need to rid society of all the social ills through personal spiritual endeavour. The group expanded in numbers, and eventually pushed back the frontiers of its constituency. This was the first school of Basra founded by the ascetics. some of the prominent ascetics of this school were Amir bin Abd, Qays, harim bin hayyan, and Abu Aliya. After the death of these personalities, the next generation took the lead. The next generation led to the foundation of the second school of Basra. Famous amongst them were Muhammad bin Wasi, Farqad bin Yayub, Abdal Wahid bin Zayd, and Malik bin Dinar. The first two schools of Baghdad represented the first organized movement of mysticism in Islam. These ascetics found in the spiritual awakening the true spirit of Islam. To them, Islam was geared towards developing moral human beings. Islamic mysticism, as an institution with a set of practices, was already in the offing. once the Abbasids founded the city of Baghdad in the mid700s, most of the ascetics moved from Basra to Baghdad. The city of Baghdad paved the way for the emergence of a systemic form of mysticism. From being a movement of practice, it transformed into a science of moral discipline. The ascetics of Baghdad made an attempt to contribute scholarly writings in order to invest Islamic mysticism with meaning, vision, and philosophy. A new brand of ascetic scholars came to the forefront. They were both ascetic in their conduct and scholarly in their philosophic orientation. harith al-Muhabisi was one amongst many Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9
I
other ascetic scholars who contributed a number of books to elucidating the mystical institution of Islam. he undertook an intellectual task of explicating philosophically the practices and gradations of Islamic mysticism. Mansur hallaj, noted for his ecstatic utterances, also chipped in with his poetics. Junaid Baghdadi was again an excellent exponent of Islamic spirituality and mysticism. his philosophic ideation was wedded to illuminative gnosis. These scholars established a solid scholarly foundation for the dissemination of mysticism to other parts of the Islamic world. Dhul nun Misri, Bayazid Bastami, and Ibrahim Adham were also in the vanguard of Islamic spirituality. By then, Islamic mysticism was referred to as Tasawwuf or sufism in classic treatises. sufism had acquired a scholarly flavour by the end of 10th century. Was sufism compatible with the Islamic doctrinal system? Was Islamic mysticism in line with the injunctions of the Quran and the normative practice of the Prophet? As these question sprouted, Muslim sufi scholars contributed scores of books in order to explain mysticism in an Islamic idiom. Books after books were written with an aim to demonstrate the compatibility of Islam with sufism. Risala-e-Qusheri by the sufi saint Qursheri was one of the first scholarly endeavours in that regard. It was followed by Abu Talib al Makki’s book Qutul Qulub. It was an excellent exposition of Islamic principles of morality in a mystical language. Ali hajweri’s work Kashf ul Mahjub was also an outstanding and bold attempt at explaining Islam and sufism. Abu hamid al-Ghazali’s Ahya al Ulum Uddin was arguably the most brilliant work that rested the entire religion of Islam on the foundations of sufism. These scholars gave a solid Islamic character to the institution of Islamic mysticism. Importantly, Islamic mysticism organized itself into orders with its own hierarchies and gradations in the 12th and 13th centuries. scores of orders came into being that spread all across the Islamic World. The Qadiriyya order was one of the first orders to be founded by Abdul Qadir Gilani. It was followed by Naqshbandiya, suhrawardiya, shadaliya, chishti, Mujaddidi, Mevlevi and various other orders. Islamic mysticism transformed itself
Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545
I
Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk
I
from a science of spirituality to an organization of human beings knit together by the bonds of mystical enlightenment in the 14th and 15th centuries. These sufi orders acquired a social purpose geared towards building a vibrant society in the 17th century, especially in the writings of Mujaddid Alif sani. he gave Islamic mysticism a social vision and a practical orientation. sufism, in the conceptualization of Mujaddid Alif sani, was a social project of emancipation and liberation. This vision was also espoused by the Iranian scholars as eminent as Mir Damad, Mir Fendereski, and Mulla sadra. shah Wali-ullah of Muslim India in the 18th century gave it a definitive shape and a deeper meaning. In fact, shah Wali-ullah developed a comprehensive socio-political vision rooted in a sufi architecture with an aim to establish a society based firmly on the principles of justice, equality, and liberty. This socio-political version of sufism proposed by shah Wali-ullah had spread to the farflung regions of the Islamic world. The anti-colonial campaign of Usman Dan Fodio in Western Africa was also a reflection of sufism-inspired activism. The energies of sufism were harnessed towards fighting a war against the colonial aggressors in West Africa in early 19th century. The senussi movement also played an important role in fighting a campaign against the imperial regimes in Algeria and Libya. This movement was also sufi in orientation. Abdul Qadir al-Jazaeri’s sufism-triggered activism for the liberation of his country against the French forces is well-documented in history. Equally important was the crusade of Mahdi sudani in sudan against the British imperial regime. Even in Muslim India, the military adventurism of shah Ismail shaheed and syed Ahmad Berelvi against the tyranny committed by the sikh kingdom was deeply rooted in the socio-political vision of sufism. As established, the spiritual experience of a few ascetics of Basra in the late seventh century developed into an antiimperial social programme of action by the end of the 19th century. sufism has a long intriguing history still awaiting to be explored. Rayhan Khan is a freelance columnist
Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk
Saturday, 22 February, 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
MUNs and their effect on our youth
Pakistan’s economic legacy How the bureaucracy became paramount Dr raJKumar singh
E
coNoMIcALLY, undivided India was a strong and more or less self-sufficient economic unit. Later on when a separate state was created on the basis of the majoritarian principle of hindu and Muslim areas, it became almost sure that the predominantly hindu regions would comprise the greater part of the mineral resources and industrial areas, while the Muslim areas would be economically backward, and often deficit, areas which could not exist without a great deal of outside assistance. hence, at the time of Partition, Pakistan inherited an economy which was essentially feudal; she gained very few trading firms, very few banks and virtually no industry. In Punjab, 60 percent of the land belonged to the landlords, while in sindh a few hundred big Zamindars owned almost all the arable land. In East Pakistan, however, most of the Zamindars, who were hindus, left for India and their land passed into the hands of the tenants. The economic scene in Pakistan was dominated by the capitalists from Bombay and the Muslim landlords from Northern India who had succeeded in transferring their wealth to Pakistan; they soon found avenues to aggrandise their means manifold. This became possible due to two factors, first, that these landlords and capitalists made up the leadership of the Muslim League, and secondly that the civil servants who issued licenses for trade and industry, were related, or at least known, to them. In the first quarter of the 20th century, there arose a Muslim middleclass which comprised small number of Muslim capitalists, bankers and businessmen that emerged by this time mainly in Bombay and UP. In the hope of better prospects than in hindu-dominated India it migrated to West Pakistan. The motive force for Pakistan came largely from these middle-class Muslims of North India, many of whom had been educated at Aligarh. Pakistan evolved a system which encouraged private enterprise and protected it by high tariffs and other fiscal and monetary measures. In the case of industries in which private capital was inadequate and shy, government stepped in, developed the industries and handed them over to private capitalists. At the time of Partition, and especially after the outbreak of Korean war, the jute industry of Pakistan became a source of increased earning of foreign exchange. But even this industry of Pakistan was monopolised by a few capitalists from Bombay who had settled in West Pakistan. From the start Pakistan has developed the type of economy in which economic growth brought affluence to the few at the expense of the many. The feudal families continued to live the life they had been living for centuries. Agrarian laws had not been drastically changed and land ownership remained in the hands of old feudal families. There was made a social divide on the basis of economy between the East and West Pakistan, and also among the society of the latter. It forced the economic growth of the country to depend on foreign loan, which re-
sulted ultimately in the concentration of eco- ical and economic changes were to occur. In the nomic power in 43 families which owned 76.8 period of its struggle for Pakistan, the Muslim percent of all manufacturing assets by the end League was a movement rather than a party. It of the 1960s. The polarisation of classes in the was therefore unable to establish an organisarural sector and a rapid increase in landlessness tional structure or develop a political culture on began at an early stage. While the incomes of the basis of which people’s power of the people the rural elite increased sharply following the could be institutionalised and used to subordiGreen revolution, the real incomes of the rural nate the Army and the bureaucracy to a political system. In the League there also remained a conpoor declined in absolute terms. Under a deliberate policy, the incomes of the tradiction between its leadership and the followcountry was transferred into the hands of rich, ers. While the nationalist movement was headed while they failed to increase their savings signif- by modern intelligentsia, most of the League icantly– thereby obliging the government to in- leaders were zamindars or ex-bureaucrats. In the post-Partition phase this crease its reliance on organisation was taken foreign aid in order to over by landlords whose meet its ambitious growth political interest lay in targets. The basic objecIn the first quarter of the constraining the process tive of Pakistan’s devel20th century, there arose a of political development opment strategy was to when ruling in the achieve a high Gross NaMuslim middleclass which and, name of the people, in tional Product growth rate within the framework of comprised small number of confining politics to a struggle for sharing the private enterprise, supMuslim capitalists, bankers economic spoils amongst ported by government various factions of the posubsidies, tax concessions and businessmen that litical elite. The power of and import controls. In emerged by this time the bureaucracy also inother words, it was a creased in Pakistan due to transfer of income from mainly in Bombay and UP. the fact that its leaders the poorer sections of solike Mohammad Ali Jinciety, who were thought to In the hope of better nah, Liaquat Ali Khan and have a low marginal rate prospects than in Hinduother Muslim League of savings, to high–inleaders had no knowledge come groups, who were dominated India it migrated of running the day-to-day expected to have a high to West Pakistan. The administration of the govmarginal rate of savings. ernment and so they It was thought that by thus motive force for Pakistan largely depended on buconcentrating incomes in reaucrats. Another factor the hands of the rich, total came largely from these which further consolidomestic savings, and middle-class Muslims of dated the power of the buhence investment, could reaucrats was that Jinnah, be raised. But these hopes North India, many of whom instead of becoming the were belied by the naked had been educated at Prime Minister, chose the facts that Pakistani entremantle of Governor-Genpreneurs never invested Aligarh. Pakistan evolved a eral. As Jinnah was virtutheir money, only money borrowed from banks, or system which encouraged ally all-powerful, this action weakened the tradimade allegedly from the private enterprise and tion of parliamentary narcotics business. At the in Pakistan, dawn of independence, protected it by high tariffs democracy made the post of GoverPakistan’s ruling elite and other fiscal and nor-General more imporconsisted of an alliance tant than that of Prime between landlords and the monetary measures. Minister and ultimately nascent industrial bourencouraged the bureaugeoisie, backed by bucrats to bypass the Minisreaucracy and the ters in making decisions military. The influential position of the Pakistani bu- and formulating policies for the state. They reaucracy can be traced back to the national began to derive their power directly from the movement. During the last days of British rule, Governor-General. soon the bureaucracy in the Muslim League was also assisted by a few Pakistan, as in other authoritarian countries, beambitious Muslim bureaucrats, who rightly came Janus-faced. They looked both ways, bethought that their promotion in Pakistan would fore and after, and shifted their loyalty as the be easier. since the freedom struggle was essen- situation warranted without much effort. tially a constitutional one, the state apparatus of Dr Rajkumar Singh is head of the Political the colonial regime remained intact, albeit in a weakened condition. The bureaucracy, which Science Department, B.N.Mandal University, constituted the steel frame of the raj and the Main Campus, Madhepura, Bihar, India. He e rea ched at: Army, continued after the emergence of Pakistan can to determine the parameters within which polit- rajkumarsinghpg@gmail.com
hE stands speaking for the rights of his country. he stands speaking with the awareness that he needs to keep his friends close and his enemies closer. he stands speaking for the men, women and children who cannot due to oppression. he is not an ambassador of a nation yet, but he is learning how to fill the shoes of one in a Model United Nations (MUN) conference. A MUN is one in which students come together into a public speaking forum where they simulate an actual United Nations committee. The students adopt personas of ambassadors of their allotted country and step into the special councils and General Assemblies of the United Nations, including the United Nations security council (UNsc) and social and cultural and humanitarian council (sochUM). With the development of the MUN circuit, other specialised committees have also appeared on the face of the circuit including the United Nations human rights council (UNhrc) and the World health Assembly. With such a wide diversity available to them, the students participating within these conferences gain unique exposure to political and humanitarian crises plaguing our world. The youth gain several benefits from MUN conferences. It is often that the perspective of the youth is often kept confined to the view of their own country. Through a MUN they have their horizons broadened and learn just how diverse the views within the international community are. They learn that no crisis, even a humanitarian problem, is not black and white and there are two sides to every story. students learn that the world is surrounding by problems, problems that perhaps do not get enough attention. however, when these very adolescents walk in to a MUN conference, they vow to use these three or four days to speak for the speechless, and raise an outcry for the silenced. The skills one acquires during a MUN conference also prove helpful to him or her in their day to day life. They learn a vital lesson that people will have different stances and will often not be ready to come to an agreement. however, under no circumstances can a delegate in a MUN conference break diplomatic conduct. It is perhaps this very calm and collected manner of thinking which is lacking within our youth today, and MUN conferences are there to correct this wrong. A MUN conference ends with members of a bloc coming together to form a resolution on how to solve a crisis at hand. This teaches all the delegates a valuable lesson in teamwork and also encourages them to develop a solution oriented mindset. It is with all these advantages in mind that I feel that the growth of the MUN circuit in one, which is of great benefit to the youth and eventually Pakistan as a whole. It will breed a generation of more politically aware individuals who know how to carry themselves diplomatically, how to gain compromises and above all, how to represent their country in the best way possible. ALY RASHID Lahore
Defining Pakistan MArTIN Luther King Jr once said ‘almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world a better place’. Jinnah wanted the Pakistanis to respect our minorities. I want to reiterate that Prime Minister Imran Khan had promised to give minorities their due rights. he envisioned following the model of the state of Medina. Mr Khan’s zeal was witnessed when he proposed that Dr Atif Mian was the panacea for the economic calamity of Pakistan. he desired to see Dr Atif as the Finance Minister in his ‘Naya Pakistan’. The desire was a rhetorical. Nevertheless, Mr Khan coerced Dr Atif to resign from the Economic Advisory council, owing to his faith; which is indifferent to our economy. consequently, Dr Imran rasul resigned in protest. This robbed our Economic council of competent members. however, Jinnah would have daunted the government’s decision because he guaranteed justice, equality, and opportunities for the minorities. Jinnah was a protagonist of minority rights. he stood for the Muslims when they were a minority in the colonial India. Jinnah must have been disenchanted following this inauspicious decision. BARRISTER ARSALAN CHAUDHRY Narowal
PUBG addiction ThE generation is trapped in the trap of mobile games. It has been observed that teenagers are giving much more ratings to playing games on their mobile phone as compared to outdoor/indoor games. Also, makers are developing such games like PUBG which is highly addictive and dangerous as well. PUBG’s addictive person might get easily stressed out or face anxiety issues in public due to less social interaction. Playing this game for too long can mess up your brain as you tend to stay alone. You might have started suffering loneliness and depression. It has negative impacts psychologically and socially. It is time consuming and it maintains distance from studies. It prefers the gamers to live isolated life. This attracts towards laziness and causes health injurious even death too. It promotes real-life threats and violence as the game involves human killing and existing real name weapons which increases aggression and opportunity to encourage violence. PUBG tends to be a person lacking interest in everything. That PUBG does preach violence like the killing of human beings and lifelike weapons are involved. Thus it is highly un-recommended even if wisely managed and prioritized it may prove to be fatal for its players. The game is indeed addictive. And due to it being available on mobile phones it is very easily accessible and people are more vulnerable towards its addiction. MISBAH JAvED Karachi
Saturday, 22 February, 2020
10 FOREIGN NEWS
no deal in sight as ‘frugal four’ stamp down on eu budget BRUSSELS
d
AGENCIES
ENMARK, Austria, Sweden and the Netherlands dug in their heels over the next European Union budget, insisting it cannot top 1% of economic output, to leave the EU no closer to a deal on Friday after all-night talks. Expectations for a breakthrough were low as the 27 national leaders reconvened on Friday. They had spent a day and a night in talks that failed to bridge divisions between richer and poorer nations over the size of the next budget and what to spend it on. “I don’t think we are going to reach an agreement,” said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. Her Romanian colleague, Klaus Iohannis, said another summit of EU leaders would be needed to break the deadlock. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis channeled frustration, saying the leaders “can go straight home” if the four frugals do not budge. Some EU countries want extra funding to match new ambitions to fight climate change and manage migration, some want a continued focus on development and farm aid, and some are pushing for greater realism in recognis-
ing the 75 billion-euro ($81 billion) fiscal shortfall left by net contributor Britain’s departure from the EU. A baseline proposal to cap the budget which will run from 2021 to 2027 - at 1.074% of EU gross national income, or 1.09 trillion euros ($1.18 trillion), faced criticism from all quarters. Dubbed the Frugal Four, the bloc’s wealthy net contributors want a limit of 1% and refuse to pay more to make
up for the loss of Britain’s fees. Their less-developed peers want to keep generous aid coming. After an initial session of all 27 leaders on Thursday afternoon, they broke for separate face-to-face meetings that went through the night and until 0600 GMT on Friday. “The bilaterals took forever. But it seems things have not moved, the frugals keep on insisting on their position,”
one diplomat said on Friday morning. An EU official confirmed: “The position of the frugals has not changed an inch ... so there is not much to go on.” A French diplomat echoed the sentiment: “I’m not very optimistic. Because of the frugals.” LONG NEGOTIATIONS ON CARDS:: EU leaders have until the end of the year to agree, so chances of an early compromise appear low. Beyond the size of the budget, the other fight is what to spend it on. The poorer eastern and southern nations want to hold on to development aid. They are backed by France, Ireland and others in seeking to uphold major farm subsidies. But Germany, the Netherlands and others want to shift funds towards new priorities, including combating climate change, managing migration and expanding the digital economy. The Germans and Dutch are also leading a small group who want to preserve rebates that reduce their payments to the current 2014-20 budget. Every other EU country is against that. Poland and Hungary - where nationalist and eurosceptic governments stand accused of flouting democratic standards - refuse to link EU aid to upholding the rule of law.
china firms in $10 billion share sale rush as funding rules eased amid virus worries SHANGHAI AGENCIES
Listed Chinese companies are queuing up to issue shares and have already announced plans to raise more than $10 billion in the past week after fundraising rules were relaxed to help ease cash strains caused by the coronavirus. More than 50 companies, including Bank of Ningbo (002142.SZ) and battery maker Yinghe Technology (300457.SZ), have published as of Thursday fresh or revised plans to raise as much as 73 billion yuan ($10.4 billion) through private placements, according to Reuters calculations. The new rules allow companies to sell shares worth up to 30% of their share capital via private placements compared with 20% previously. The number of investors allowed to participate in such placements was lifted to 35 from 10. The changes also make the deals more attractive to investors by halving the lock-up periods and enabling more flexible pricing. The rush to market comes as China has been pumping liquidity into the financial system, cutting interest rates as well as easing other funding avenues, in a bid to limit the economic damage from the coronavirus that has killed over 2,000 people and stalled many business activities. The share sales will also be helped by a resurgent stock market. The blue-chip CSI300 .CSI300 has rebounded roughly 13% from a low hit on February 3 when traders returned after the new year break, compared with 3.8% for the U.S. S&P 500 .SNP benchmark over the same period. China cut its benchmark lending rate on Thursday,
helping lift the tech-heavy ChiNext index .CHINEXTP to the highest level in almost three years. “Investors are encouraged by monetary easing, and are looking beyond the epidemic,” said Wu Kan, a portfolio manager at Soochow Securities Co. “China needs a booming stock market to help channel funding to the real economy.” MORAL HAZARD?: Relaxation of the rules comes as a relief to many companies. More than 75% of respondents in a survey of over 140 companies by Sealand Securities, said the epidemic was straining their liquidity, with smaller firms saying they will burn through their available cash within three months unless the situation normalizes. Some companies badly hit by the virus reported an 80% slump in revenue. But the relaxed standards represent a reversal of
China’s stance since officials sharply tightened share placement rules following the 2015-16 market crash, where reckless fundraising was seen as a contributing factor. Xu Chao, analyst at the Pacific Securities, said the rule changes represented a “very strong loosening signal” from the authorities. Private placements raised just 122.9 billion yuan last year from a peak of 1 trillion yuan in 2016, according to Kaiyuan Securities, which expects fundraising via this route to at least double in 2020 from 2019. The easier access to funds could increase the risk of moral hazard, some analysts have warned. “It’s a double-edged sword,” said Fan Lei, economist at Sealand Securities, who said the moves implied regulators were becoming more tolerant toward market speculation, often dubbed “stir frying”.
Yen regains footing as coronavirus spread knocks stocks LONDON AGENCIES
The Japanese yen regained its footing on Friday after a bruising week, as the spread of coronavirus cases knocked down stocks and boosted demand for traditional safety plays from bonds to gold. China reported more cases of the disease, with finance leaders from the Group of 20 major economies meeting in Saudi Arabia over the weekend set to discuss risks to the global economy stemming from the outbreak. Though markets have largely shrugged off fears of long-term economic damage from the virus, a steady drip of new cases in countries beyond China South Korea on Friday recording over 50 new cases - has kept worries gnawing away. Among the winners on Friday were the yen, gold and government bonds. The yen gained as much as 0.5% against the dollar JPY= in European trading, clawing back some ground after what had looked set to be its worst week in 2-1/2 years. It was last up 0.3% at 111.78. Other shelters also gained. “It’s risk-off. Bonds are being bought again and hedges are being put into play at the moment,” said Olivier Marciot, an investment manager at Unigestion. Gold scaled its highest in seven years and was last up 0.8% at $1,634.49 XAU=, having added over 3% this week. Yields on 30year U.S. Treasuries US30YT=RR fell below the psychologically important 2% level to the lowest since September 2019, while yields on 10-year notes US10YT=RR fell to similar lows. Ten-year German government bond yields fell to a four-month low DE10YT=RR, with the entire yield curve on the cusp of turning negative. The entire Dutch yield also returned to negative territory. The moves came at the expense of stocks. Europe’s broad Euro STOXX 600 fell nearly half a percent at one stage and MSCI world equity index .MIWD00000PUS was 0.2% lower and set for its worst week in four. Wall Street futures gauges ESc1 slipped 0.25%. “U.S. and EU equity markets have been sold across the board with core global yields benefiting from safe-haven flows,” said Rodrigo Catril, a senior FX strategist at NAB. Not helping the nerves were signs that economies in Asia were feeling the fallout from the epidemic. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS slipped 1%. In Japan, factory activity suffered its steepest contraction in seven years in the clearest evidence yet of the coronavirus’ damaging effects.
Inside the philip Morris campaign to 'normalise' a tobacco device AGENCIES At Germany’s Bambi Awards for the media industry in November, celebrities posed for red-carpet photos against a backdrop of established luxury brands. Alongside the likes of Mercedes-Benz and Swiss watchmaker Chopard was a newer name: IQOS, a “reduced risk” heated-tobacco device sold by cigarette maker Philip Morris International Inc. Across Europe, Asia and South America, the tobacco firm has affixed the IQOS brand to music festivals and art exhibits. The company also markets through IQOS lounges at mountainside resorts in the Pyrenees and in fashionable neighborhoods of Rome. Throughout Europe, it has partnered with “IQOS friendly” bars and restaurants - closed to cigarettes but open to IQOS. Such promotions are part of a wide-
ranging “normalization” strategy by Philip Morris (PM.N) to scrub its image as a purveyor of cancer-causing cigarettes and present its new smoking alternatives as youthful, upscale lifestyle products, according to a ten-month study by tobacco researchers at Stanford University, who shared it exclusively with Reuters before its release on Friday. The marketing strategy mimics that of tobacco companies in the mid-20th century, when they started associating cigarettes with Hollywood and high society. “Philip Morris, as a company name, is somewhat of a pariah,” said Robert Jackler, a professor who led the study and heads Stanford’s Research into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising. “IQOS is an attempt to sanitize their product line.” The Stanford researchers said their study was spurred in part by a May 2019 Reuters investigation that found Philip
Morris had used young online personalities, including a 21-year-old woman in Russia, to promote IQOS. The company’s internal marketing standards prohibit it from using youth-oriented celebrities or “models who are or appear to be under the age of 25.” The Reuters report prompted the company to acknowledge it had violated its own policy and to suspend its use of social media influencers. The Stanford study found that, although the company suspended its “most visible” social-media influencer programs, IQOS marketing continues to stray substantially from its corporate standards on youth-oriented marketing. “Its use of youth-oriented social media channels, trendy pop music festivals and celebrity influencers are misaligned with their commitment to exclusive ‘adult smoker’ targeting,” the Stanford report concluded.
Saturday, 22 February, 2020
buSineSS 11
CORPORATE CORNER
‘ExPort of ovEr 300 onion containErS allowEd’ ISLAMABAD
LAHORE: Pak Suzuki celebrated the successful launch of its new Alto at Pakistan Auto Show 2020, which was attended by officials from Pakistan’s largest automobile manufacturing companies; auto parts manufacturers and a large number of people. P RES S REL EA S E
KARACHI: To address the accelerating issue of Vitamin A and Vitamin D deficiency prevailing among kids in Pakistan, Blue Band has announced a nationwide Social Mission Programme 2020 through a recent launch event. Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid graced the occasion as chief guest. P RE SS R EL EA SE
LAHORE: EcoStar Director Zaka Naseem and Lahore Qalandar CEO Atif Rana held a joint press conference, wherein it was announced that EcoStar has become the title sponsor of Lahore Qalandars for Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 5. P RE SS R EL EA SE
LAHORE: In continuation with the efforts for social uplift and welfare of the people of rural and less-privileged areas, a one-day free medical camp was arranged by Honda Atlas Cars (Pakistan) Limited near Sargodha. PRESS RELEASE
t
GHULAM ABBAS
HE Pakistan Customs Department allowed on Friday the export of more than 300 onion containers after receiving clearance certificates, a former officebearer of the Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters and Importers Association (PFVA) told Pakistan Today. “The Customs authorities have agreed to allow these containers to be exported shortly,” said PFVA founder and ex-chairman Waheed Ahmed. He said more than 300 onion containers amounting to around $3.2 million had been blocked by the Customs soon after the federal cabinet’s decision of banning onion exports on
Thursday despite clearance from the relevant department of quality certification. The onion consignments with phytosanitary certificates were already ready to be loaded on vessels on Friday, Ahmed said. Former PFVA chairman Aslam Pakhali was earlier assured by Chief Collector Customs (Export) Wasif Memon to allow exports of all those onion containers having Phyto- certificate until the receiving of notification on ban on onion export by the customs. On Thursday, the association had written a letter to Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Industries Abdul Razak Dawood about the cabinet’s decision of banning export of onion with an immediate effect till 30 May 30, 2020. According to Waheed Ahmed, the Adviser was informed through the letter about serious
Govt calls stakeholder meeting to formulate ‘national standard’ for auto sector ISLAMABAD: Amid severe criticism of not playing its due role in ensuring 'auto standards' in the country, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), through one of its attached departments, has decided to formulate a 'national standard' for the auto sector. After around 16 months of receiving guidelines from Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) to make a national standard for auto industry, the MoST has now started consulting the stakeholders so as to move forward with this difficult task, as there was no government body to inspect and regulate the standard of vehicles being produced in the country. Sources said despite being the only government body to ensure standards and quality of goods in the country, the Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), an attached department of MoST, has never chalked out any standard for locally manufactured vehicles.
Although the customers of local cars frequently complain about the poor quality and standard of locally-assembled vehicles, the governments, for the past 70 years, have never bothered to look into the issue, they added. However, Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry, in his recent tweet, has claimed that he has called a meeting with Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA), the representative body of all major automobile companies of the country, on February 26, to discuss issues pertaining to 'national standards'. Talking to this scribe, a PAMA official confirmed about the said meeting, but said it was likely to be held on March 3. "The latter we received states that the meeting will be held in the first week of next month," he said. According to sources, this would be the first meeting between the government and stakeholders which
would discuss the formulation of a national standard for the auto sector. Earlier in October 2018, the CCP, through its findings of issues in the auto sector, had suggested the ministry to deal with the issues related to safety of vehicles being manufactured/assembled in the country. The CCP secretary, through a letter on October 3, 2018, had suggested the ministry to set up an authority that could formulate a standard for vehicles. Following the findings of CCP, which was based on a public hearing held on April 11, 2018, the ministry, through a letter dated October 11, 2018, had asked PSQCA to take the lead and make standards for vehicles. The ministry had also asked its attached department to initiate a case for inclusion of vehicles in the compulsory certification mark scheme. Over 100 food and nonfood items are included in the compulsory list at PSQCA. GHULAM ABBAS
Crown Group invests Rs2bn in electric vehicles plant ISLAMABAD: FrieslandCampina Consumer Dairy President Roel F van Neerbos, accompanied by FrieslandCampina Engro Pakistan Ltd. (FCEPL) Managing Director Ali Ahmed Khan, met with National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser at his residence to discuss the technical support FCEPL can offer to his committee on agriculture. PRESS RELEASE
KARACHI: Crown Group has recently organized a market testing and sales display of its exclusive range of CROWN Electric Vehicles which includes two, three and four-wheelers, which will enable users to drive 1km in just Rs1.25. The electric vehicles will be locally manufactured at the group’s newly-built 26-acre Port Qasim facility. Having an initial production capacity of 120,000 units per annum, the group has already invested Ts 2 billion on the plant in the first phase. Based on the yet to be announced EV Policy, which claims 1pc customs duty on CKD parts and 5pc sales tax, the company has set the display and testing price of the four-wheeler electric car at Rs400,000 whereas the display and testing prices for electric three-wheeler car and two-wheeler scooter was set at Rs300,000 and Rs55,000, respectively. STAFF REPORT
Pakistan Auto Show draws 25,000 customers on first day LAHORE SHAHAB OMER
The three-day Pakistan Auto Show 2020 (PAS20) kicked off at the Lahore’s Expo Centre on Friday, attracting more than 25,000 visitors on the first day. Around 110 exhibitors are participating in the auto show that is being organized by the Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufacturers (PAAPAM) under the theme ‘MADE IN PAKISTAN’. It is being sponsored by Honda, Suzuki, Hyundai, Changan and Millat Tractors. The exhibitors, that included international enterprises and domestic companies, displayed multiple models of cars, trucks, buses, tractors, rickshaws, and motorcycles. The local and global buyers also visited different stalls that were set up by renowned companies from Japan,
Germany, Korea, China, France, Turkey, Thailand, Taiwan, England, the USA, the UAE, and Sri Lanka. Auto part manufacturers, services providers, machinery makers, and toolmakers were also part of the auto show in addition to service industries like accessories, tracking and insurance, etc. A key attraction for the visitors was antique cars and heavy motorbikes. Millat Tractor Senior Executive Director Sohail Rana told Pakistan Today that the ongoing mega show was aimed to project Pakistani made automotive parts in front of international buyers. “This show has been sponsored to promote the efforts of vendors and small medium enterprisers as PAAPAM is representing over 3,000 large, medium and small industries from all over Pakistan,” Rana said and added
that the exhibition would portray local technology and products. He said the auto show would also provide an opportunity to all those who wanted to invest in Pakistani sector. “They will get an idea of what is available in the local market in terms of automotive parts. Many foreign manufacturers of spare parts have come to this auto show to have a clear idea as what types of spare parts they can produce in Pakistan.” Rana further added: “One of our objectives is that foreign manufacturers could secure orders of Pakistani made products, while local industry could get an idea of international requirements to create space in the international auto market.” The companies like Hyundai had displayed their recently launched cars in this show, he added. The automobile industry has been
facing a decline in Pakistan as car prices remained unstable during 2019. The industry’s production during March-December 2019 had dropped to 103,873 units from 172,551 units a year ago, while car sales plunged by 33.8pc to 110,113 units from 166,391 units during the same period last year. In addition to interest rate of 13.25pc, the industry is facing an adverse impact of the Federal Excise Duty (FED) and additional customs duty imposed in the current fiscal year. In a statement, PAAPAM Chairman Captain (retired) Muhammad Akram said the implementation of stringent policies and monitoring by the government would ensure that only overseas Pakistanis could benefit from the used-car import scheme. “The international auto companies should invest more in Pakistan’s auto industry and transfer technologies for the uplift of local auto sector.”
concerns of onion exporters who said such an important decision was made without any consultation with the main stakeholders. The association further said as the onion’s shelf life was quite short and it couldn’t be stored for a longer period, the ban would lead to a huge financial loss for the exporters as well as the national exchequer. The onion exporters have already received advance payments from the foreign buyers. The ECC should have given PFVA at least 10 days prior to imposing ban on export so that the orders already procured had been taken care of, the letter stated. Minister Razak Dawood had informed the exporters that the government had issued no such notification of ban on the onion exports, Ahmed quoted the minister as having said.
PM forms committee to probe sugar crisis A three-member committee has been constituted to probe the recent countrywide hike in sugar prices. According to a document issued by the Prime Minister's Office, the committee, which was formed by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday, will comprise the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general, a representative of the Intelligence Bureau not below grade 20/21, and the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment director general. The committee has been tasked to ensure efficient monitoring of sugar production, its pricing, industry malpractices (market manipulation/cartelization) and impact on farmers etc. "The committee will also identify and fix responsibility, if any, on any individual/officer/organisation, including any purported benefit to a private party, besides suggesting a way forward for future course of action," the statement read. On February 7, the premier had approved a summary to ban the export of sugar and to allow the import of 300,000 tonnes sugar through the private sector in a bid to stabilise domestic prices. BUSINESS DESK
SBP promotes credit schemes for differentlyabled people KARACHI: State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Dr Reza Baqir on Friday met President Dr Arif Alvi to present two initiatives for differently-abled people, according to a statement released by the SBP. Representatives of Network of Organizations Working for People with Disabilities Pakistan (NOWPDP), SBP officials, and presidents & CEOs of banks were also present at the roundtable discussion. The first SBP initiative was related to the creation and promotion of two credit schemes for differentlyabled people. According to the governor, the SBP will set credit targets for banks by 31 March 2020. Under the Small Enterprise Financing and Credit Guarantee Scheme, differently-abled people can set up a new business or expand an existing one at a subsidized financing rate of 5pc per annum for 5 years, which includes a grace period of up to 6 months. The maximum financing available is Rs1.5 million. Under the Financing Facility of Low-Cost Housing for Special Segments, differently-abled people can access subsidized financing for houses at 5pc per annum, for 12.5 years, including a grace period of up to 6 months. The maximum financing available is Rs2.7 million. The second SBP initiative was to facilitate differently-abled persons in accessing bank premises and services. For people with ‘challenges related to upper and lower limb’, Dr Baqir listed the following measures: preferential treatment and out of queue assistance; construction of ramps at the entrance of existing branches and ATM cabins for wheelchair users; leniency in the requirement for biometric verification to open accounts; and facilitation desks for differently abled people at the SBP main building and offices across Pakistan. For people with ‘visual impairment’, the governor said that talking ATMs have been installed; informed the president about currency notes’ special features, such as size, lines and dots; and stated the need for awareness sessions on currency notes’ features. Moving forward, Dr Baqir said the SBP would conduct annual audits on accessibility. The SBP will also issue circulars to banks on the matter, and ensure bank forms are available in Braille. MEIRYUM ALI
Saturday, 22 February, 2020
12 buSineSS MARket DAily
KSE-100 loses 232 points amid dull activity KARACHI
PaKiStan gEarS uP to caPturE MarKEtS cEdEd By viruS-hit china LAHORE
STAFF REPORT
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) saw another lacklustre session on Friday, as investors opted a cautious approach ahead of the Financial Action Task Force's decision, which was announced later in the day. According to media reports, the FATF has retained Pakistan in its 'grey list' and that the country has been given until June to fully implement the 27-point action plan. Meanwhile, Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves inched up 0.06pc or $12 million to $18,747 million (as on February 14, 2020). Forex reserves in the previous week stood at $18,735 million. Net reserves with the State Bank of Pakistan increased by 0.59pc, whereas net reserves with commercial banks fell by 0.99pc. The benchmark KSE100 Index, which opened the day at 40,496.11, reached its intraday high at 40,527.08 minutes after the commencement of the session. It then slipped by 310.55 points to hit its day's low at 40,171.10. The index finally settled lower by 232.43 points at 40,249.22. Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index lost 553.24 points to end at 63,541.78, while the KSE All Share Index dropped 122.87 points, closing at 27,895.15. Sectors that contributed negativity to the KSE-100 Index included fertilizer (-91.75 points), banking (-64.30 points) and oil & gas exploration (-48.54 points). Among the companies, Engro Corporation Limited (ENGRO -65.50 points), MCB Bank Limited (MCB -44.45 points) and Dawood Hercules Corporation Limited (DAWH -33.66 points) dented the index the most. The overall market volumes shrank from 111.99 million in the last session to 85.60 million. Maple Leaf Cement Factory Limited (MLCF +1.28pc), Kot Addu Power Company Limited (KAPCO +1.36pc) and Fauji Foods Limited (FFL +2.33pc) topped the volume chart, exchanging 8.08 million, 7.50 million and 5.88 million shares, respectively. On the financial side, Fauji Cement Company Limited (FCCL -1.79pc) declared earnings per share (EPS) of Rs0.14 for the second quarter of FY20 (Rs0.74 in 2QFY19); Engro Corporation Limited (ENGRO -2.82pc) posted an EPS of Rs24.83 for FY19 as compared to Rs22.08 in FY18; Kot Addu Power Company Limited (KAPCO +1.36pc) published an EPS of Rs7.60 for 2QFY20 (Rs4.07 in 2QFY19), while Mughal Iron and Steel Industries (MUGHAL -4.71pc) announced an EPS of Rs0.41 for 2QFY20 (Rs1.43 last year).
Mobile phone imports surge 79pc in seven months ISLAMABAD
t
HASSAN NAQVI
HE Ministry of Commerce (MoC) is planning to a hold a stakeholders' consultation to chalk out ways to capture $20 billion export space ceded by China as a consequence of coronavirus disease (Covid-19). According to sources privy to the matter, a few meetings in this regard have already taken place this week while the consultative moot would be held coming Monday. During the meetings held earlier, the ministry had discussed the impact of coronavirus on international trade and how Pakistan could increase its market share by capitalising this opportunity. Sources said that Monday's moot would be attended by all concerned as Pakistan was already lagging in the region; India and Bangladesh were gearing up to capture the ceded export space and increase their market share. India has already asked its industry to increase its production capacity and occupy the space ceded by China, sources added. Talking to this scribe, All Pakistan Textile
Mills Association (APTMA) Group Leader Gohar Ijaz said, "In order to capture $20 billion export market, we first need an immediate approval to the long-term textile policy and then we have to increase our capacity." Ijaz said after 10 years of stagnation, only long-term textile policy is required for Pakistan to kickstart investments. “We are struck at maximum $25 billion exports for the last 10 years while Bangladesh has doubled its exports from $20 billion to $40 billion during the same period,” the APTMA official deplored. Agreeing with Ijaz, APTMA Punjab Senior Vice Chairman Abdul Rahim Nasir said that the industry needs clarity from the government regarding energy tariff and long-term policy. "If they (govt) want us to increase the country's market share by capturing the space ceded by China, they will have to provide electricity at
Pakistan looks to attract global investment through london moot
7.5 cents/kWh and gas at $6.5/mmBtu for the next 10 years, besides immediately approving the long-term textile policy," he said. Nasir feared that Pakistan might lose "this once in a lifetime opportunity" if the above-mentioned steps were not taken. APTMA Punjab VC Aamir Sheikh pointed out that the cost of polyester fibre in China was Rs125/kg while the same was Rs173/kg in Pakistan due to import and anti-dumping duties. "If the basic raw material is 40pc more expensive and there are no duty drawbacks, then there is no way our final product can compete in exports," he added. Sheikh there were a lot of opportunities up for grabs in the international markets, but unfortunately, Pakistani exporters were spending most of their time in courts or running after power distribution companies regarding notified rate of power tariff at 7.5cents/kWh. "We have no time to concentrate on marketing or capturing the ceded market share," he said. “The 70pc increase in power tariff will lead to closure of industry and reduction in exports.” He lamented that energy prices were dropping across the globe but the same were shooting up in Pakistan.
PcMa deplores unavailability of imported raw material LAHORE SHAHAB OMER
ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
APP
The import of mobile phones into the country has increased by 79.46 per cent during the first seven months of the current financial year (2019-20) as compared to the corresponding period of last year. Pakistan imported mobile phones worth $760.582 million during JulyJanuary (FY20) as compared to the import of $423.818 million during July-January (FY19), showing a growth of 79.46pc, according to the latest data issued by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). On year-on year basis, the import of mobile phones witnessed a growth of 141.65pc in January 2020, as compared to the import of the same month of last year. The mobile phone imports during January 2020 were recorded at $144.437 million against the import of US$ 59.771 million in January 2019. On month-on-month basis, the import of cell phones also grew by 22.73pc during January 2020, as compared to the import of $117.682 million during December 2019, the data further says. The country's merchandise trade deficit plunged by 28.40pc during the first seven months of the current fiscal year (FY20) as compared to the deficit of the same month of last year. During the period under review, the country’s exports registered about 2.14pc growth, whereas imports reduced by 15.95pc, according the foreign trade statistics released by PBS.
EXPORTERS DEMAND CLARITY ON LONG-TERM TEXTILE POLICY, ENERGY TARIFF
A mega Pakistan Investment Conference is scheduled to take place in London in April this year to attract global investors and overseas Pakistanis, Spokesperson of Prime Minister on Trade and Investment in the UK and Europe Sahibzada Jahangir announced on Friday. Jahangir met with Prime Minister Imran Khan yesterday and briefed the latter about the arrangements in connection with the summit, said a press release issued here. The PM’s spokesman also held a number of meetings with senior ministers. “This is the first major trade and investment conference that will highlight enormous potential Pakistan is offering to the foreign investors and overseas Pakista-
nis,” he said and added that the conference was expected to be attended by the chief executive officers (CEOs) of good number of multinational companies from UK, Europe and other parts of the world. Jahangir said the overseas Pakistanis are increasingly showing their overwhelming confidence in the leadership of the premier as indicators of all global financial institutions were projecting Pakistan as a destination for secure and profitable investment. He further said the foreign remittances were on the rise, the exports were up and the imports were under control. The PM’s spokesperson said Pakistan would be aiming to seek investments in oil and gas related infrastructure, tourism, IT, energy, health and education. “The government policies, which are in the pipeline,
would ease our exporters to substantially increase their exports of textiles, readymade knitwear, food products, sports and surgical goods, livestock and agricultural products.” Jahangir said discussions were already underway with major companies such as Mark & Spenser, Primex, BOOHOO and others to establish their buying houses in Pakistan. He, however, urged the exporters to market their products more aggressively by regularly holding roadshows, creating awareness and establishing one to one personal contacts with the buyers in the UK and Europe, which continue to remain huge markets for their (Pakistani exporters) products. The PM’s spokesperson said his goodwill services were readily available at all times to bridge the gap between the buyers and sellers.
Pakistan Chemical Manufacturers Association (PCMA) has called for a permanent solution to the problems faced by the local industry due to unavailability of imported raw materials (from China and India). Expressing the association's viewpoint on this issue, PCMA Secretary General Iqbal Kidwai said that the government, in consultation with local stakeholders, should evolve a plan to encourage domestic manufacturing of raw materials. "Our export industries like textile, leather, soap, oil and paint have slowed down their production because of the suspension of imported raw materials from China due to coronavirus outbreak and India due to ban on bilateral trade." He said that India, despite being an enemy of Pakistan, was a competitive source of raw materials for the country as it has about 8 in-house Naphtha Crackers whereas Pakistan has none of such complexes to produce chemical-based raw materials. The PCMA official proposed to introduce an incentive-based scheme to encourage indigenous production of raw industrial materials that were being imported from China and India. "This may be the most appropriate time for the government to help investors set up domestic manufacturing facilities," he said. "If the opportunity created due to Chinese crisis is exploited, domestic manufacturing can increase and imports can be substituted in a big way." He said that coronavirus had created a wide window for expansion of halal food and chemical production in Pakistan. "Pakistan's chemical imports amount to over $10 billion, which is almost 17pc of the total import bill and each year, there is an average increase of 7pc under this head," he added.
engro Corp’s consolidated profit rises 28pc LAHORE HASSAN NAQVI
The Board of Directors of Engro Corporation Limited (ENGRO) met on Thursday and Friday to review the company’s performance and announce its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2019. As per the financial results, the company posted a consolidated profit after tax (PAT) of Rs30.288 billion for the year ended December 31, 2019, as compared to Rs23.632 billion for corresponding period last year, showing a growth of 28.16pc. Consolidated revenue of the conglomerate grew by 32pc in comparison to the last year, mainly driven by energy projects in Thar coming online during July 2019 and augmented by higher turnover of fertilizers and petrochemicals businesses. Meanwhile, the company’s profit at-
tributable to the owners was recorded at Rs16.533 billion compared to Rs12.708 billion for last year, showing a growth of 30pc. This growth in profitability is after accounting for a provision of Rs1.224 billion relating to impairment of the Company’s investment in FrieslandCampina Engro Pakistan Limited, under the requirements of International Accounting Standard 36 (Impairment of Assets). On a standalone basis, the company posted a PAT of Rs14.303 billion against Rs12.720 billion for the comparative year, showing an increase of 12.44pc and translating into earnings per share of Rs24.83 per share. This increase is primarily attributed to higher dividends from subsidiaries as well as higher interest income on investable reserves. The company announced a final cash
dividend of Rs1 per share for the fourth quarter, bringing the cumulative payout for the year to Rs24 per share. Fertilizer business achieved a historic milestone of highest ever Urea production of 2 million tons due to better plant efficiency and higher gas availability. This, coupled with higher fertilizer prices, resulted in an increase of 11pc in sales revenue over the prior year. The business recorded a PAT of Rs16.871 billion down by 3pc from last year - decrease mainly attributed to a one-off deferred tax impact of higher future corporate tax rates introduced through Finance Act, 2019. Urea prices are expected to remain under pressure following a prospective reduction in GIDC. In response to this reduction, the business passed on the benefit to the end consumer through a price reduction of Rs160/bag.
Furthermore, the fertilizer industry continues to face challenges in the recovery of long outstanding subsidy and retrospective settlement of GIDC. Polymer business recorded a revenue growth of 7pc, while PAT was Rs3.661billion compared to Rs4.930 billion for last year, showing a decline of 25.8pc. This fall in profits is attributable to inflationary impacts in the form of higher energy prices and interest rates coupled with one-off gains recorded in 2018. QUARTERLY COMPARISON: According to Sunny Kumar, research analyst at topline securities, the results were below their expectations. Kumar said that ENGRO posted consolidated profits of Rs3.5bn (EPS Rs6.09/share) during 4Q2019, an increase of 27pc YoY. He added that the earnings came in
lower-than-expectations owing to an impairment charge on its associate company FrieslandCampina Engro Pakistan Limited (FCEPL) (previously EFOODS) and higher finance cost. Kumar said that along with the result, the company announced lower-thanexpected final cash dividend of Rs1/share, taking cumulative cash dividend for 2019 to Rs24/share. “Among the subsidiaries, Engro Fertilizer Limited (EFERT) earnings increased by 23pc YoY to Rs6,361mn during 4Q2019 amid higher retention prices on urea,” he said. Kumar added that FCEPL also showed improvement as the company recorded a loss of Rs50mn during 4Q2019 compared to loss of Rs449mn during 4Q2018 mainly due to increase in gross margins by 4ppts to 12.7pc from 8.7pc.
FIRST HUM WOMEN LEADERS AWARD CELEBRATED AT KARACHI
T
By KauKaB Jahan
he inaugural edition of hUM Women Leaders Award held at the Governor house, Karachi, honoured and celebrated 11 iconic women from Pakistan and abroad and a dynamic man for their contributions and achievement in the fields of diplomacy, finance, social work, healthcare, adventure sports, human rights, journalism and women’s rights. The awards ceremony was also attended by the dignitaries like Dr Arif Alvi, President Islamic Republic of Pakistan, he Paul W Jones, US Ambassador to Pakistan, honourable consul generals, Governor Sindh Imran Ismail, other celebrated personalities and crème de la crème of the entertainment industry of Pakistan. The event started with a note of thanks by Sultana Siddiqui, President hUM Network Limited to the President and the honourable guests for gracing the special evening. While addressing the attendees, Ms Siddiqui said, “The reason for this event is that we recognize the contributions made by women in society the world over, celebrate their stories, share the lessons they learned after crossing each milestone, and most importantly inspire the younger generation to go beyond these milestones.” During her speech Ms Siddiqui also made a special announcement of Women Leadership Initiative Fund of hUM, collaborated by Charter of Compassion, which will be given to the award recipients to seed social initiatives for girls and women in the country. It will be one million rupees annual seed money
and hUM and CFC will coordinate and facilitate the group in developing and implementing initiatives that are agreed upon by them. Following Sultana Siddiqui, the US Ambassador to Pakistan Paul W Jones while addressing the attendees said, “United States is committed to giving equal opportunities to both men and women. empowered women play a vital role in a country’s social and economic development.” The first set of awards was hosted by actor Mira Sethi. The first award was presented to mountaineer Samina Baig, Pakistan’s first female mountaineer in recognition of her tremendous achievements in adventure sports and for her efforts towards gender equality, climate change and women empowerment, presented by hina Bayat. The second award of the evening was given to Jalila haider, the first female attorney of hazara community by Sania Saeed in recognition of her selfless devotion and outstanding work to women and children’s rights with local communities. Barrister Khadija Siddiqi received her award from Mahira Khan in recognition of her bravery and determination to stand tall against a
powerful and corrupt opposition and unsupportive society. The next recipient was Narges Abyar, the acclaimed Iranian film director who received her award from Madiha Saeed and Zeba Bakhtiar in recognition of her contributions for highlighting the plight of women and children caused by society, war and radicalism, and featuring female characters that rejected the gender norms expected of them. The second segment of the awards, hosted by Sanam Saeed commenced with Dr Fouzia Saeed receiving her award from the Italian Consul General Anna Ruffino and Javed Sheikh in recognition of her exemplary services for promotion of Pakistani culture, women’s issues, courageous stand against sexual harassment and commitment to women’s advancement. Ace actor Bushra Ansari was next to receiving her award from Asima haq and Bunto Kazmi in recognition of her years of contributions to television and cinema. The next award was given to Mary Robinson, the first woman President of Ireland and a forceful advocate for gender equality, women’s participation in peace-building and human dignity. She was unable to
attend the event due to work commitments and addressed the attendees via a video message. Dr Seemin Jamali received the award in recognition of her outstanding services in the public sector and medical profession by Duraid Qureshi, CeO hUM Network. The second segment was concluded was ended with a choreographed act of hania Amir. The last segment of the ceremony hosted by Mira Sethi and Sanam Saeed together began with the first award presented to the only man awardee of the night, Omar Aftab, a globally recognized campaign strategist for women’s and child health, economic and social development and his work for social justice and human rights, presented by Masarrat Misbah. Zubeida Mustafa was next to receive her award from Governor Sindh, Imran Ismail for her contributions in the field of journalism and her in-depth investigations and campaigns on education, health care, women empowerment, children and human rights. A special obituary package, paying tribute to all the iconic women of the past who have made a mark with their resilience and tremendous success, and are a source of inspiration for women and men around the world was also screened. The awards ceremony will be televised on International Women’s Day on hUM globally. hWLA aims to recognize and honour the contributions and achievements of iconic women from Pakistan and around the world who are change makers in their respective fields and a symbol and source of hope, courage, determination and inspiration for women across the globe.
THE WORLD'S SMALLEST FRUIT—A UTRICLE—IS THE SIZE OF A SMALL ANT.
NEW JERSEY HAS THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF SHOPPING MALLS.
HOLLYWOOD BOLLYWOOD
KOMODO DRAGONS CAN DEVOUR 5 POUNDS OF MEAT IN LESS THAN A MINUTE. ANY EXTRA FAT THEY EAT IS STORED IN THEIR TAILS.
Joaquin saved cow and her calf from Karisma Kapoor’s web series Mentalhood slaughterhouse day after his Oscar win to release in March
Ayushmann Khurrana signs Anubhav Sinha’s political drama Anek: report
American actor and producer Joaquin Phoenix after mentioning the plight of mother cows and their babies in his Best Actor speech at the 92nd Academy Awards, helped liberate a cow and her newborn calf from a slaughterhouse in Los Angeles and brought them to Farm Sanctuary in Acton, California. In a YouTube video obtained by Farm Sanctuary, an American animal protection organisation, featured the actor meeting the cow and her baby for the first time. Phoenix, who was seen carrying the calf away from the holding area where she was born and onto a trailer with her mom, named the mama cow, Liberty, and the baby, Indigo. According to People magazine, a Farm Sanctuary staff member explained that animals brought from slaughterhouses are checked for diseases before being joined with the other animals living in the sanctuary. Joaquin in the description of the video mentioned that “I never thought I’d find friendship in a slaughterhouse, but meeting Anthony and opening my heart to his, I realise we might have more in common than we do differences.”
Actor Ayushmann Khurrana is set to team up with his Article 15 director Anubhav Sinha yet again. According to Rajeev Masand’s column in Open magazine, Ayushmann has given his nod to the filmmaker’s “highly political drama” titled Anek, which is scheduled to go on floors in April. Their first collaboration, Article 15, also had political overtones. The critically-acclaimed film, which shone a light on the caste apartheid in the country, featured Ayushmann as a police officer investigating the rape and murder of two girls in rural Uttar Pradesh. In an earlier interview with IANS, Anubhav called Ayushmann and Taapsee Pannu his favourite actors. “I am making a film with Taapsee next. We will start shooting next month. I have to mention that Taapsee and Ayushmann are my favourite actors -- or stars, whatever you call them. I love them. Our thought processes are in sync with one another,” he said. Currently, Ayushmann is busy promoting Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, which has just hit the theatres.
Karisma Kapoor is finally set to return as an actor and will make her digital debut with web show, Mentalhood. The much-delayed web series will now release on Zee5 and AltBalaji in March. The actor shared a new poster of the web show and wrote in caption, “Parenting jab bann jaayegi ek race, tab toh hoga hi #Mentalhood wala craze! Catch the journey of these mothers from motherhood to #Mentalhood. Streaming this March on @altbalaji & @zee5premium.” The poster also features Shilpa Shukla of BA Pass fame, Tillotama Shome, Dino Morea, Shruti Seth and Sandhya Mridul Karisma will be seen as Meira Sharma, a mother of three young kids in the show which also stars Sanjay Suri in a prominent role. The teaser of the show introduced Karisma as ‘mental mom’ Meira, Dino as a stay-at-home dad Aakash Fernandes, Sandhya as ‘Momzilla’ Anuja Joshi, Shilpa as ‘workaholic mom’ Namrata Dalmia, Shruti as ‘boho mom’ Diksha Shah and Tillotama as ‘pushover mom’ Preity Khosla.
CMYK
Saturday, 22 February, 2020
14 SPORTS
POOnam Yadav bewitches austRalia tO give india OPening win AGENCIES A bewitching spell of wrist-spin bowling from Poonam Yadav sank Australia on the opening night of the T20 World Cup at the Sydney Showgrounds, underlining India's status as genuine contenders to win a tournament that has heaped untold pressure on the world No. 1-ranked hosts. In front of a crowd of 13,432 - the best for a standalone women's cricket match in Australia - the Indians began with familiar bombast at the top of the order before the loss of three wickets for six runs lowered their expectations. Deepti Sharma was not daunted, reverting to plan B of running as many singles as possible and guiding India to a competitive 132. While Alyssa Healy made a muchneeded return to runs and confidence at the top of the Australian order, the rest struggled for timing on a slow, dry surface that proved to be ideally suited to Yadav's art. A legbreak and three wrong'uns delivered her the wondrous figures of 4 for 19, and with the strong support of Shikha Pandey, Australia were confounded. Having entered 2020 as the world's undisputed T20 dominators, the hosts have now lost three games out of six and are no guarantee to make the semi-finals. INDIA BOOM, THEN BUST: If it was a surprise to see Molly Strano go from missing Australia's World Cup squad to bowling the first ball of the tournament a couple days after she was a late inclusion for the injured Tayla Vlaeminck. India's top-order approach after blocking out the offspinner's exploratory first over was not. After she was dropped by Strano at midwicket, Smriti Mandhana found the boundary off Ellyse Perry, and Shafali Verma found her range against Megan Schutt, pinging four boundaries as the Indians vaulted to 0 for 40 from four overs. The Australians knew they needed to maintain composure, and did so through the intervention of the in-form Jess Jonassen, who pinned Mandhana lbw on the slog sweep and was later to be the beneficiary of a foolhardy dance down the pitch by a keyed-up Harmanpreet Kaur and then a fortuitous stumping as the ball rebounded off Healy's pads. That after Verma had pulled her 15th ball straight to mid-on off Perry to depart for 29 off just 15 balls. Three wickets down for six in
Roger Federer has knee surgery, will miss French Open INDIA 4 FOR 132 (SHARMA 49*, JONASSEN 2-24) BEAT 15 balls made the AUSTRALIA 115 (HEALY 51, HEALY TURNS A CORNER: Nine, rest of the innings a YADAV 4-19, PANDEY 3- one, duck, one, four, salvage job. 14) BY 17 RUNS nine. That sequence of SHARMA KEEPS HER COOL: A decidedly sluggish surface at the Sydney Showgrounds recalled some of the desperately slow pitches the Sydney Thunder men's team had played on at the neighbouring Sydney Olympic Stadium in the early years of the Big Bash League. This meant that it was fiendishly difficult to force the pace against anything but the longest of half-volleys, something Sharma recognised as she sought to pull the innings back from the brink. Singles were the order of the day, and Sharma was to collect no fewer than 29 of them in her sturdy, unbeaten 49. She received useful support from Jemimah Rodrigues, who had been reprieved from an early lbw decision in Perry's favour when a review showed the ball sliding past leg stump, and scored 24 runs in singles herself. So while a tally of three boundaries in the final 16 overs of the innings sounds paltry, the approach at least meant that India could reach a couple of runs beyond the average T20I score at the venue.
six sickly innings represented Healy's run into the T20 World Cup, and left her team hoping as much as expecting that she would be "due" for a big score when the main event began. The fact that the long build-up was finally over had to help Healy's mind, and she was soon back into the sort of stride that had seen her win the Player of the Tournament in the Caribbean in 2018 and also take out the T20 and ODI Player of the Year trophies at the Australian Cricket Awards earlier this month. Healy's power down the ground, along with some deft touch on the cut and glide past short third man, put India's bowlers on the back foot quickly, and also saw the return to some Australian batting line-up permutations that had not been needed so long as she kept being the first out for her team. Meg Lanning came in at No. 3 in place of Ashleigh Gardner when Beth Mooney cut to backward point, and Rachael Haynes replaced Lanning when she was beaten wonderfully in flight by Rajeshwari Gayakwad.
AGENCIES
YADAV'S MAYHEM: Australia were comfortably placed if not quite dominant when Yadav entered the attack, having not played at all in the triangular series before the Cup proper. Her high, looping legbreaks and googlies provide a tantalising sight for opponents and spectators alike, and Healy was soon teased into a return catch. That was nothing, though, on the sequence of googlies Yadav would present to the middle-order. Haynes was beaten and comfortably stumped, Perry even more comprehensively bowled first ball, and Jonassen's edge was only millimetres too thick to allow Taniya Bhatia to hang on to. Nevertheless, another wrong'un soon claimed a slighter deflection and a safe catch for Bhatia, giving Yadav the figures of 4 for 15 from three overs and India control of the contest. More smart work from Bhatia saw Annabel Sutherland stumped off Pandey, and when Harmanpreet brought Yadav back, only the quirk of a second bouncing short ball denied her a fifth wicket. Australia had needed 75 off 66 balls with eight wickets in hand when Yadav came on. By the time she was done, the equation was 28 from 12 with three in hand: the game-changer without doubt.
MotoGP signs Valencia race extension until 2026 AGENCIES MotoGP has announced a contract renewal with Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo for 2022 to 2026, with the new agreement confirming the Spanish track as host for at least three Grands Prix during the five-year period. The global motorcycling series’ promoter, Dorna Sports, also confirmed that the Valencia Grand Prix is guaranteed to take place in 2022, after which it may alternate with other venues on the Iberian peninsula over the course of the new deal. Dorna says this is due to the 'incredible global growth of MotoGP, with more and more venues signing up to become part of the world’s fastest motorcycle racing World ChampiCIRCUIT onship'. It has also been RICARDO TORMO TO confirmed that the Valencia GP will remain as the ALTERNATE WITH OTHER series’ season finale, with represents for the TRACKS ON IBERIAN this year’s edition taking development of PENINSULA place on 15th November. tourism in the Valen“This shows the good cian community, as well work done by the circuit, as as the hundreds of thouwell as the trust that has been sown sands of motorsport fans in Vabetween the organisation and the Gen- lencia – that’s why we have come to eralitat," said Ximo Puig, president of this agreement.” Carmelo Ezpeleta, the government of Valencia. chief executive of Dorna Sports, added: “We have always said that this is “Dorna guarantees the Valencian coma fundamental Grand Prix for the eco- munity that, during these five years, nomic impact it generates and what it there will be three Grands Prix at the
track as a minimum. As Valencia is the first in coming to this agreement, it will be on the calendar in the first year that rotation begins, which is 2022. “Valencia maintains the right to be the final Grand Prix on the calendar. I would like to be able to offer five more years with a guaranteed race but that is not possible. Nevertheless, I am proud to have once again come to an agreement with Valencia.” The renewal with Valencia is the
CMYK
first Grand Prix extension announced by MotoGP in 2020. Last year saw it confirm races in both San Marino and Germany, add Indonesia to its calendar form 2021, and pen an extension with Silverstone in the UK, again until 2021. The series is also expected to continue to race in Thailand for the next five years after Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) governor Gongsak Yodman said the country’s government is set to approve a new contract extension.
Roger Federer has undergone surgery to resolve a longstanding knee problem and said Thursday he would be out of action until after the French Open while his rivals backed the 38-year-old to return as strong as ever. The 20-times Grand Slam winner revealed on his Facebook account that he underwent surgery in Switzerland on Wednesday and would miss a string of tournaments including the May 24-June 7 French Open. "As a result, I will miss Dubai, Indian Wells, Bogota, Miami and the French Open," he said. Federer, who has amassed 103 career titles, explained that he had intended to avoid surgery if possible but the problem in his right knee refused to go away. He will now target a return for the grass court season and an assault on a ninth Wimbledon title after reaching the final in 2019 where he had two championship points before losing an epic final to Novak Djokovic. "My right knee has been bothering me for a little while," added the world number three who reached the Roland Garros semi-finals last year. "I hoped it would go away, but after an examination and discussion with my team, I decided to have arthroscopic surgery in Switzerland yesterday." "After the surgery the doctors confirmed that it was the right thing to have done and are very confident of a full recovery. "I can´t wait to be back playing again soon -- see you on grass." Federer, French Open champion back in 2009, will miss Roland Garros for the fourth time in five seasons. His absence from Paris means his great rival Rafael Nadal, the 12-time champion, can draw level with the Swiss on 20 majors. Federer also underwent surgery on his left knee in February 2016 which allowed him just seven tournaments that season. However, that surgery-enforced absence eventually paid dividends with another Australian Open title and then Wimbledon six months later. He has only played one tournament in 2020, making the semi-finals of the Australian Open where he was defeated again by eventual champion Djokovic. ‘WISE DECISION’: His last appearance on a court was an exhibition event in Cape Town earlier this month where his charity match with Nadal was played in front of 50,000 spectators, a world record for a tennis event. This year´s Wimbledon runs from June 29-July 12 with the Tokyo Olympics tennis event following from July 25-August 2. Federer has yet to win a singles gold medal at the Games. He was a silver medallist in London 2012 while, four years earlier in Beijing, he won the doubles title with Swiss teammate Stan Wawrinka. Federer´s decision to skip the French Open was met with understanding by organisers. "We are disappointed not to see Roger again," tournament director Guy Forget told France Info. "If he had taken this decision, then it was the wisest." Russian world number five Daniil Medvedev said it was sad to see Federer forced to sit out the US hardcourt and European clay court seasons. "The news shocked me. I didn´t know he was going to have an operation," said Medvedev who is the top seed at the ongoing Marseille ATP event this week. "It´s a little sad for him in the sense that he misses tournaments when he is still playing well. I´m sure he´s going to come back well at the grass court season. Fellow veteran Gilles Simon, who played Federer for the first time 12 years ago, said the great Swiss will be a serious contender on his return. "The last time it was hard but he still won the Australian Open in his stride after not playing for nine months!" said the 35-year-old Simon. "There´s nothing else to say. We´ll wait and see."
Saturday, 22 February, 2020
babaR azam and umaid asiF Put the ROYal seal On KaRachi Kings' victORY
i
SPORTS 15
SpORtS dESk
n the hunt for what would have been just the fourth successful 200-plus chase in PSL history, Darren Sammy and Liam Livingstone nearly got Peshawar Zalmi over the line. But excellent death bowling from Umaid Asif in the final over ensured that Karachi Kings held on for a thrilling 10-run win at the National Stadium on Friday afternoon. The Kings' victory was set up by a brilliant 97-run partnership between Babar Azam and Imad Wasim. They got together after Cameron Delport fell in the ninth over to a sharply turning googly from Mohammad Mohsin and supercharged the Kings innings. It took an excellent piece of hustle from Tom Banton to run Azam out and break the stand in the 18th over. But by then, the home side had 170 on the board and Iftikhar Ahmed blasted a four and two sixes off the only three balls he faced to put an even more emphatic stamp on proceedings. Chris Jordan struck a pair of early blows in the chase, getting Banton lbw on review and yorking Haider Ali three balls later. But Kamran Akmal led a revival with 43 off 26 balls before handing the keys over to Livingstone in the 10th over. Zalmi already needed to score two runs a ball at that stage, but Livingstone and Sammy somehow kept up with the rate. Then, needing 16 to win off the final over, with Sammy on strike, Zalmi's boundaries dried up as Asif kept the batsmen off balance with an array of slower balls and cutters bowled into the pitch. TURNING POINT: Asif produced a phenomenal effort in the final over, culminating in a sensational return catch to dismiss Sammy.
MATCH SCHEDULE PeshawaR zalmi
Karachi Kings 201 for 4 (Azam 78, After a pair of singles Wasim 50, Hasan 2-52) and a two brought the equadown to 12 off 3 balls, beat Peshawar Zalmi 191 hetionbanged one in short and for 7 (Livingstone 54*, outside off. The batsman skied an attempted pull over Kamran 43, Asif 2-23) short midwicket. Asif stopped in his follow-through, changed by 10 runs direction, circled back 20 yards to his right, then lunged forward to complete a very difficult catch. On strike for the penultimate ball, needing a pair of sixes to win, Livingstone flubbed a kneehigh full toss tamely into the covers for a single to effectively seal victory for the Kings. STAR OF THE DAY: Azam played a special knock to lead the Kings' recovery after they had been sent in to bat. He was especially fluent through the off side, finding a majority of his seven fours and two sixes there, including perhaps the shot of the day, a blistering six over extra cover off Hasan Ali in the 15th over.
When Wasim started to accelerate alongside him, Azam was happy to rotate the strike and would almost certainly have carried on to reach three-figures if not for Banton's excellence. THE BIG MISS: By umpire Richard Illingworth. Banton has been a rampaging menace on the T20 circuit over the last year. But Jordan had him foxed with a clever offcutter two balls into the fourth over which the batsman swung over the top of to be trapped deep in his crease and in front of middle stump. Jordan flew into an appeal and was borderline apoplectic when Illingworth turned it down. Wasim wasted little time in calling for a review and DRS showed the delivery taking out middle stump three quarters of the way up, allowing the decision to be corrected. WHERE THE TEAMS STAND: Kings moved level with Quetta Gladiators at the top of the table on two points after two games. Zalmi joined Islamabad United on zero points, alongside Multan Sultans and Lahore Qalandars who are set to play their opening games later on Friday.
Sultans crush Qalandars by five wickets LAHORE
islamabad united
VS 2:00PM KARACHI
VS 7:00PM LAHORE
queta gladiatORs
multan sultan
dawid malan says Psl helped his professional development
Staff RepoRt
AGENCIES
Multan Sultans easily defeated Lahore Qalandars by five wickets in the third Twenty20 match of the Pakistan Super League 2020 here at the Gaddafi stadium on Friday. Chasing 139, the Sultans completed their victory, with 23 balls remaining, with the help of fine innings from Shan Masood (38), Rilee Rossouw (32) and Shahid Afridi (21 not out). Earlier, Lahore Qalandars were restricted to 138 for eight in 20 overs after being put into bat by Shan Masood, captain of Multan Sultans. TEAMS: Multan Sultans: Shan Masood, James Vince, Rilee Rossouw, Moeen Ali, Imran Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Muhammad Ilyas, Muhammad Irfan, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir and Zeeshan Ashraf Lahore Qalandars: Chris Lynn, Fakhar Zaman, Sohail Akhtar, Dane Vilas, Ben Dunk, Mohammad Hafeez, David Wiese, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Shinwari, Haris Rauf and Dilbar Hussain.
England's Dawid Malan has credited the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for his professional development as an international cricketer, and heaped praise on the league's standard of play. The 32-year-old batsman, who is representing Islamabad United in the PSL 2020, termed the league as "one of the strongest" and added that one needed to be a quick learner in order to survive. "My cricket has developed so much since being a part of Peshawar Zalmi and playing in this tournament. It taught me the lessons I needed to play international cricket," he said. "This is one of the strongest leagues around. The quality of cricket is unbelievable and if you don’t learn quickly enough you fall behind very quickly." Furthermore, Malan expressed his delight over the fact that "cricket-starved" fans of Pakistan were now enjoying the PSL on home ground. "The passion that fans have here is unbelievable. They have been starved for cricket over the last 12 years. All these years they haven’t had any international or professional cricket so to have PSL 2020 here has been fantastic," he said. The Islamabad United player said that he would be sharing his experience with his English peers in a bid to bring them to Pakistan for a possible tour. "My experience so far is very positive. Security has been very fantastic and the way we have been looked after is unbelievable. From my side, I can only give positive feedback," he said. "England touring Pakistan is not my decision but if they tour, I’d be excited to be a part of that."
ICC open to talks on new events amid India opposition AGENCIES The proposal is part of the ICC’s plans to boost their finances by having at least one global event every year The International Cricket Council (ICC) is open to talks with member countries on its proposed events for the 2023-31 period, a source at the global governing body told Reuters, an approach that could head off a clash with financial powerhouse India. Following on from a proposal tabled last year, the ICC recommended staging a Twenty20 Champions Cup in 2024 and 2028 and ODI versions in 2025 and 2029 in addition to the existing World Cups in each format. The proposal is part of the ICC’s plans to boost their finances by having at least one global event every year. Media reports have said England and Aus-
tralia are set to join India in opposing the new ICC tournaments, which would cut into the windows of opportunity for cricket’s ‘Big Three’ to hold lucrative bilateral series. The competing views are set to meet head-on at next month’s ICC Board meeting in Dubai, and while some are predicting a stormy affair the source said the governing body had adopted a more flexible approach. “We’re looking forward to productive meetings,” the source said. “Every Board meeting provides ample opportunity for members for discussion, debate and ultimately decisions. “ICC staff will execute the decisions taken by the Board ... They (members) can have further debate and change it. It has to be a collaborative process.” The powerful Indian board is opposed to the idea of new global tournaments as they would clash with its own plans for an elite four-team
competition involving England, Australia and another team. However, ICC full members outside the ‘Big Three’ are likely to back the new events proposed by the governing body as they would be of more financial benefit to them. ICC Chief Executive Manu Sawhney and General Manager Campbell Jamieson have been touring member countries to gauge their interest in hosting future ICC tournaments, which would also bring a financial windfall. The ICC top brass visited nearly all major cricketing countries, and even some associate members, except India. Last week Sawhney sent letters to all members seeking expressions of interest by March 15 to host ICC events in the 2023-31 period. The governing body would like to finalise the appointment of hosts by the end of this year, Sawhney said in the letter seen Reuters.
CMYK
Saturday, 22 February, 2020
NEWS
Former AG clAIms Govt knew he wAs GoInG to tArGet judGes EX-AG ISSUES ‘UNCONDITIONAL APOLOGY’ TO COURT, BUT SAYS NASEEM FAROGH AND SHAHZAD AKBAR HAD APPRECIATED HIS REMARKS ISLAMABAD
F
stAff RepoRt
OrMEr attorney general Anwar Mansoor Khan, who resigned from his post a day earlier after his controversial remarks against the judiciary stirred controversy, submitted a written apology to the Supreme Court (SC) on Friday, but claimed that the government had prior knowledge of the statement that eventually cost him his post. In a statement issued here, Khan said: “The undersigned is sorry and withdraws his statement made on February 18 and unconditionally apologises for having made the same.” It added that Khan “has the highest regard and respect for the honorable court and cannot think of causing any adverse comment as to the honor, honesty, and integrity of the honorable court”. ‘GOVT HAD PRIOR KNOWLEDGE’: Meanwhile, Khan told a private media outlet on Thursday night that the government knew about the controversial remarks he made in the Supreme Court two days ago that eventually cost him his post. He insisted: “Everyone knows what I
was talking about and everyone knew what statements I would make. So to now make the assertion that I was speaking on my own would be incorrect.” However, when asked if he would like to disclose the identities of the people who knew about these discussions, Khan said: “It is very difficult for me to disclose identities. If I wanted to disclose these details, I would have done so already. For me, the norms and integrity of the institutions is very important.” However, Minister for Law and Justice Farogh Nasim denied having “prior knowledge” about the former attorney general’s intention to make those remarks. Speaking on a talk show, Nasim said: “This is a lie. We did not have any knowledge about what he was going to say […] It was his own argument and he said it on his own. The government has nothing to do with anything he said and we did not know about it either. You tell me; if the government really knew what he was about to say, would we have let him say it?” Naseem, when asked if he spoke to the attorney general after the remarks were made, had said: “When a lawyer is
making his arguments in a court, they do so without consulting others. We could not interrupt him and so when we heard it, we were shocked and could not understand what he was saying. “The bench cross-questioned him extensively and he withdrew his statement. And by the way, he withdrew the statement himself. We gave him no such instructions. And remember, I was not sitting there as the law minister, I was sitting there in my personal capacity,” Naseem had added. KHAN CONTRADICTS NASEEM’S CLAIMS: Khan also contradicted claims of the Law Ministry that it had asked for his resignation. Speaking in another talk show, Khan contradicted Naseem’s statement and said: “They were all present and were aware of everything. And when I gave that statement, they appreciated me for it. And later when we came out, both of them [Naseem and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Accountability Barrister Shahzad Akbar] came to my room and nothing was said. They did not say that I should have not said what I said.” He had further said that “discussions were held” with both Naseem and Akbar before the statements were made in court. Khan, however, admitted that he had never spoken to Prime Minister Imran Khan about the matter. When asked by the show’s host if he was consulted during the investigation of
US and Afghan Taliban to finalise peace deal on Feb 29 KABUL Agencies
A week-long “reduction in violence” between the Taliban, the US, and Afghan security forces will commence shortly, an official said on Friday, ahead of the signing of a possible deal between Washington and the insurgents on Feb 29. If the partial truce goes ahead, it would mark a historic step in more than 18 years of grueling conflict in Afghanistan and would pave the way for a deal that could, ultimately, see the war end. “The reduction in violence will start from 22 February and will last for one week,” Afghanistan’s National Security Council spokesman Javed Faisal told AFP. US Forces-Afghanistan declined to comment. One Taliban source in Pakistan confirmed to AFP the partial truce would commence on Saturday. The United States has been in talks with the Taliban for more than a year to
secure a deal in which it would pull out thousands of troops in return for Taliban security guarantees and commitments. A reduction in violence would show the Taliban can control their forces and demonstrate good faith ahead of any signing, which would see the Pentagon withdraw about half of the 12,000-13,000 troops currently in Afghanistan. Afghan officials have said the USTaliban deal will be finalised on February 29 in Doha, assuming the reduction in violence proceeds to plan. The Taliban source in Pakistan said “both sides have agreed to sign the agreement on February 29”, adding that talks between the Taliban and the government, needed to cement a broader peace deal, are slated to start March 10. PAKISTAN WELCOMES DEAL: Meanwhile, Pakistan has welcomed the announcement regarding the signing of a possible deal between the United States and Afghan Taliban, the Foreign Office said.
It said Islamabad “look[s] forward to the signing of the agreement”. “Pakistan has consistently supported direct negotiations between the US and Taliban. From the outset, Pakistan has facilitated this process and contributed to its progress thus far,” read the FO statement. “We believe the signing of the USTaliban agreement will pave the way for the next step of intra-Afghan negotiations,” it added, saying Pakistan hopes Afghan parties will now “seize this historic opportunity” and work out a comprehensive and inclusive political settlement for durable peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region. “Pakistan reaffirms its support for a peaceful, stable, united, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan, at peace with itself and with its neighbours.” ‘IT’S HAPPENING’: In Afghanistan’s southern province of Kandahar, which is seen as the Taliban’s heartland, one insurgent told AFP he had received orders to stand down.
the reference against Justice Isa or when “a private firm was hired to spy on Justice’s family”, Khan had said: “No. In fact, I did not know about it at all. I was unaware of what happened when it happened or what did not happen. I only received the final draft of the reference and all they asked me was whether I would pursue the case in front of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) and I responded to them by saying that it was my duty to proceed with the matter as Attorney General for Pakistan.” To clarify, the show’s host had asked Khan: “Are you saying that the attorney general was not consulted regarding the investigations and the hiring of private investigators? Was your legal counsel not sought?” To this, Khan had said: “I was not consulted at any stage. I was only given the final draft and was asked if I would proceed with the case and I said yes because it was my job as attorney general.” Khan had also contradicted claims of the Law Ministry that it had asked for his resignation. “They [the ministry] should come clean about what I said to them or what they said to me when I met them [after making the statements in court],” Khan had added. The former attorney general tendered his resignation on Thursday, a day after leveling allegations against some members of the Supreme Court bench hearing petitions challenging the filing of presi-
“We have got the orders from our leadership that reduction in violence period will start from Saturday, and we have been ordered to be ready for it,” the source said. The US and the Taliban have been tantalisingly close to a deal before, only to see President Donald Trump nix it in September of last year at the 11th hour amid continued insurgent violence. Any truce comes fraught with danger, and analysts warn the attempt to stem Afghanistan’s bloodshed is laced with complications and could fail at any time. Or, worse still, they say warring parties could exploit a lull to reconfigure their forces and secure a battlefield advantage. On Thursday, the deputy leader of the Taliban said the insurgents are “fully committed” to a deal with Washington. “That we stuck with such turbulent talks with the enemy we have fought bitterly for two decades, even as death rained from the sky, testifies to our commitment to ending the hostilities and bringing peace to our country,” Sirajuddin Haqqani wrote in an opinion piece in the New York Times. Haqqani is also head of the Haqqani network, a US-designated terror group that is one of the most dangerous factions fighting Afghan and US-led NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Afghan peace talks on right track, says PM ISLAMABAD App
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday expressed his optimism about peace and stability in Afghanistan through a possible agreement between the United States and the Taliban, saying for the first time things were moving in the right direction. “…It is for the first time things moving in the right direction, the Americans wanting peace and dialogue with the Taliban and the Taliban are now sitting with the Americans. The next phase would be a ceasefire and then possibly an agreement,” Imran Khan said in an interview with VrT, a Belgian broadcaster. The prime minister said since his government came to power, he had left no stone unturned so that there would be peace in Afghanistan, and fortunately things were moving in the right direction. He, however, added that It was not going to be so easy because there had been 19 years of conflict. To a question about the fight against terrorism, he mentioned that 70,000 Pakistanis lost their lives during
the war on terror . He credited Pakistan’s security forces especially the intelligence agencies for controlling the insurgency. “And I am very happy to say that my first year as prime minister, 2019 was the safest year in Pakistan since 9/11,” the prime minister maintained. In response to a question about Kashmir, he said the problem in India right now was that they had an extremist ideology of rSS (rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), inspired by the Nazis in 30s. “The founding fathers of the rSS, which is now ruling India, were inspired by Hitler…the racist Arian philosophy of Hitler. That’s why they have put eight million Kashmiris, who are Muslims, in an open prison,” he remarked. The prime minister said he did not see much hope from this (Modi) government in India but he did see that in future an Indian government and strong leadership would want this (Kashmir) problem to be resolved. About Pakistan’s economic situation, he said, 2019 was a very difficult year for Pakistan. “But now, fortu-
nately, we have brought the current account deficit down by 75 percent in one year which was tough but good and I expect this year 2020 where Pakistan’s economy will show signs of recovery,” he added. To a question about tourism, he said his government had opened up Pakistan and people from 70 countries could get a visa at the airport. “We have opened up all our areas and now with 2019 being the safest year, our tourism doubled on one year,” he added. Imran Khan said Pakistan probably offered the most unique tourism in the world because of its diversity. “Pakistan is undiscovered… Lot of hospitality here and now with peace and security in the country, we expect the level of tourism in Pakistan will grow quantumly,” he maintained. On the issue of climate change, he said the present government had set targets of ten billion trees plantation in Pakistan, which would really improve the environment, forest cover and bring back wildlife. He, however, pointed out that Pakistan was also likely to be affected by climate change more than other countries because the country depended on
dential reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa. His statements were later expunged by the court. In his resignation letter, addressed to President Arif Alvi, the attorney general said he was leaving his post after the Pakistan Bar Council’s (PBC) demand. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court ordered Khan to tender an apology or come up with “some material” on the basis of which he made certain remarks that concerned members of a bench that is hearing a set of challenges against the filing of the presidential reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa. Soon after Khan tendered his resignation, a response submitted on behalf of the federal government in the Supreme Court said the “oral statement” made by the formal attorney general on February 18 was “unauthorised, without instructions and knowledge of the federal government and the answering respondents, and totally uncalled for”. “It is pointed out that the federal government of Pakistan and the answering respondents hold the superior judiciary for Pakistan in the highest respect and esteem. “Accordingly, the federal government and the answering respondents dissociate themselves from the statement of the learned attorney general,” the response submitted by Law and Justice Division Secretary Muhammad Khashih-urrehman read.
Global watchdog places Iran on terrorism financing blacklist PARIS: A global dirty money watchdog on Friday placed Iran on its blacklist for “failing to comply with international anti-terrorism financing norms”. The decision comes after more than three years of warnings from the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) urging Tehran to enact terrorist financing conventions. However, the FATF appeared to leave the door ajar for Iran, saying “countries should also be able to apply countermeasures independently of any call by the FATF to do so”. It will mean more scrutiny of transactions with Iran, tougher external auditing of financing firms operating in the country and add pressure on the few banks and businesses still operating with Iran. Foreign businesses say Iran’s compliance with FATF rules is key if Tehran wants to attract investors, especially since the United States re-imposed sanctions on Iran in 2018 after withdrawing from a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and other world powers. Washington has since pushed a policy of “maximum pressure”, saying a broader deal should be negotiated on nuclear issues, Iran’s missile program and Iranian activities in the Middle East. Agencies
Iran holds election, hardliners set to dominate with turnout key
rivers and 80 percent of water in rivers came from glaciers. “Because of global warming, these glaciers are melting fast and that is a big worry for us,” he maintained. To a question about cricket and his political career, the prime minister said he had more fans than anyone in Pakistan, for which he had a great love. “…I could have spent the rest of my life actually just talking about cricket and living a very well life. But how much social work I would have done? I could never have helped so many people as you can in a government and build a welfare state,” he maintained.
DUBAI: Iranians voted on Friday in a parliamentary election likely to help hardline loyalists of the supreme leader tighten their grip on power as the country faces mounting U.S. pressure over its nuclear program and growing discontent at home. State television said voting would run for 10 hours, but could be extended depending on turnout, which is seen as a critical test of the popularity of the clerical establishment after most moderates and leading conservative candidates were barred from running. Seven hours after polls opened, an Interior Ministry official said about 11 million of 58 million eligible voters had cast their ballots for candidates in the 290-member parliament, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported. With thousands of potential candidates disqualified in favor of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s allies, the vote is not expected to ease Iran’s nuclear standoff with the United States or spawn a softer foreign policy. Agencies
Published by Arif Nizami at Plot No 66›C, 1st Floor, 21st Commercial Street, Phase›II (Extension), DHA Karachi and printed at Ibn›e›Hassan Printing Press, Hockey Stadium, Karachi. Ph: 021›35
CMYK