CMYK
Saturday, 28 December, 2019 I 30 Rabi-ul-Sani, 1441 I Rs 19.00 I Vol X No 178 I 16 Pages I Islamabad Edition
Imran govt clIps naB’s wIngs g
president, federAl cAbinet Approve nAb Amendment ordinAnce 2019, restrict its powers to hold businessmen, govt employees AccountAble
ISLAMABAD
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staff report
he federal cabinet on Friday accorded approval to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Amendment Ordinance 2019, sent by the Law Ministry for clipping the powers of the antigraft watchdog. President Dr Arif Alvi has given his assent to the ordinance. According to the amended ordinance, the anti-corruption would be barred from taking action against government employees in case of departmental deficiencies. It also stated that property of government employees would not be frozen unless ordered by the court and in case NAB’s investigation is incomplete after three months, the arrested public servant would be entitled to bail. It further stated that NAB would only be able to pursue corruption cases of Rs500 million and more. Moreover, NAB’s jurisdiction will be curtailed as its discretion will be replaced by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Securities and exchange Commission of Pakistan (SeCP), and Building Control Authorities over issues of tax, stock exchange and initial public offerings (IPO). NAB will also take guidance from fixed rates of FBR or district collectors for determining the value of the land. On November 15, the Sindh government challenged in the Supreme Court (SC) an amendment made to the National Accountability Ordinance, better known as the NAB law,
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Accused will be entitled to bAil if nAb fAils to complete investigAtion within three months
through which the federal government has attempted to withdraw ‘better class’ in prison from an accused person facing a Rs50 million, or more, embezzlement case. The provincial government — led by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), whose co-chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur, Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani and other leaders were detained in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail and Karachi’s central prison — challenged the amendment made by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government through a presidential ordinance. Citing the federal government as respondent through the secretary of the cabinet division, the Sindh government had said shortly after the president promulgated the ordinance, the National Accountability (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was tabled before the National Assembly (NA) on November 7. In the same session, the motion to amend the NAB Ordinance by way of the 2019 ordinance was adopted and the bill was passed by virtue of Section 2 of the 2019 ordinance inserting a new sub-section (e) in Section 10. It had stated that the “promulgation of the 2019 Ordinance by the President of Pakistan is unconstitutional and ultra vires of Article 89 of the Constitution for having been promulgated in a mala-fide manner, prior to a scheduled session of the house of Parliament”. The Sindh government argued had that pursuant to the historical allocation of legislative competence between the federation and the provinces — right from the Government of
India Act, 1935 to the current constitutional dispensation under the 1973 Constitution — the legislative competence of the “prisons” and “prisoners” always remained within the exclusive domain of the provinces. It had argued that as such, the 2019 ordinance had been promulgated and passed into law without legislative competence. On November 11, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Azam Khan Swati had urged the opposition to sit with the government for debate on the law pertaining to NAB’s powers and to remove flaws form it with mutual discussion. he had stated this while winding up debate on a motion under Rule 218 in Senate regarding the recent wave of alleged political victimisation and denial of fundamental rights to members of opposition parties and revocation of citizenship of a former member of parliament. The minister had said that opposition parties were involved in politically victimising each other in the past but now they have been trying to stop the accountability process by standing with each other. Their purpose is to undermine efforts of highlighting Kashmir crisis and resolve other national issues, he had added. Swati had appealed to the NAB chairman to strengthen the prosecution of NAB and to take action across the board. he had added that NAB was an independent institution and anyone involved in corrupt practices should not be spared. On August 31, the Law Ministry had drafted new laws to amend the rules of the NAB to exempt private citizens from anti-graft watchdog’s prosecution. The ministry had proposed giving the accountability courts the authority to decide the bail pleas. “The application of the NAB laws may not be extended in respect of a private person or entity, who/which is directly and indirectly unconnected with a holder of public office,” reads the third proposed amendment to the law,” the draft had read. The draft had recommended that NAB should not take action against government employees on departmental defects, rather there should be proceedings against employees who have evidence to benefit from the defects. NAB would prosecute over Rs500 million corruption cases and scandals. “NAB shall not take cognisance of offences based on procedural lapses” unless there is evidence corroborating that the “officer has materially benefited from such a decision or lapse”, the proposed amendment had read.
2020 will be year of free and fair elections, says Bilawal g
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NAB won't nab you now, PM Imran assures businessmen g
pm sAys Amended nAb ordinAnce will insulAte business community from AccountAbility wAtchdog STORY ON BACK PAGE
musharraf challenges treason case verdict in lhc
STORY ON PAGE 03
Balochistan CM faces a likely rebellion STORY ON BACK PAGE
four new polio cases reported in Kp and sindh, tally reaches STORY ON BACK PAGE 115
India imposes internet restrictions as protests erupt
ppp chief sAys rule of the people cAnnot be estAblished without ousting A govt of ‘selected leAders And politicAl orphAns’
STORIES ON BACK PAGE
STORY ON PAGE 02
india expels second european for protesting against controversial citizenship law
CMYK Saturday, 28 December, 2019
02 NEWS
2020 wIll Be yeAr of free ANd fAIr electIoNS, SAyS BIlAwAl PPP chIeF SAyS ruLe oF The PeoPLe cANNoT Be eSTABLIShed wIThouT ouSTINg A govT oF ‘SeLecTed LeAderS ANd PoLITIcAL orPhANS’ RAWALpIndI
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STAFF REPORT
AKISTAN People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday warned the government that 2020 would be the year of free and fair elections. Addressing a rally held by the party at Liaquat Bagh to mark the 12th death anniversary of slain party leader and former premier Benazir Bhutto, the scion of the Bhutto dynasty said that he would complete the unfinished mission of his mother and give people their due rights after ousting the government of “political orphans”. He blamed the “political orphans” for the economic and leadership crisis prevalent in the country. “These are the same political orphans Benazir warned you about,” he said. “Look at how they conduct their politics. They are cowards,” he added. Bilawal taunted the government by saying that all claims they made about politicians had been proven false. “They said Mian sahab [Nawaz Sharif] will never go abroad for treatment. Mian sahab went abroad for medical treatment. They said President Zardari will never come out of jail. He
ZArdArI SAyS PTI govT hAS No SeMBLANce oF The coMMoN MAN’S ProBLeMS ANd MuST Be ouSTed To eSTABLISh deMocrAcy
is out of jail now too,” he added. Bilawal urged the masses to support him in ousting “this government of selected and political orphans as the people’s rule cannot be established without the PPP”. The PPP chairman praised his grandfather Zulfikar Ali Bhutto by crediting him with giving rights to labourers when he was the prime minister. Bilawal said that his mother Benazir had fought two dictators during her lifetime and never backed down from anyone. “You [people] are witness that they [political rivals] used to say a woman can never be the prime minister of a Muslim country,” he said, adding that “you saw how she became the first female head of state of a Muslim state.” Bilawal said that the credit goes to Benazir for providing Pakistan with the much-needed missile technology. He said that the slain PPP leader had returned to Pakistan before her assassination to ensure democracy in the country. The PPP chairman lashed out at the government, saying that it was “an enemy of the poor people of Pakistan”. He criticised “those in corridors of power” for removing BISP’s women beneficiaries from its list and declaring them ‘undeserving’. The country’s economic decisions, Bilawal claimed, are
ProteSt over low gAS PreSSure IN QuettA QuettA STAFF REPORT
Irked at the drastic fall in utility gas pressure after the onset of intensely cold weather here, Quetta citizens took to the streets and blocked traffic in protest against the government. The protesters said they have been facing hardships in the biting cold because of low gas pressure in the areas near the Airport road and Almoon Chowk. The issues of a gas shortage, low gas pressure and load-shedding have hit most parts of the country with an increase in demand of the commodity owing to the cold conditions as people have cranked up heaters to stave off cold. According to a report, a sudden drop in temperature across the country has deepened the ongoing gas crisis as the total shortfall surged to 600 million metric cubic feet a day (MMCFD) that may force the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) to curtail the supply to sectors other than domestic consumers. The shortfall has affected not only the supply to domestic consumers but also to the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) sector for the past several days.
Imran govt clips NAB’s wings ContInued fRom pAge 01 The proposed had amendment also referred to the existing law on misuse of authority stating that the act would only be used against a government employee if there was an underlying criminal intent or if their assets had grown illegally or unjustifiably. The draft amended by the Law Ministry had stated that a committee constituted by Prime Minister Imran Khan would approve the voluntary return of looted money under the new NAB rules and plea bargains and voluntary return of looted money would hold the accused ineligible for public office for 10 years. It had also been suggested to develop guidelines for the acceptance of plea bargain. In addition, the draft had proposed that if the NAB investigation had not been completed within three months, the arrested public servant would be entitled to bail and NAB would not be able to reopen the case once it had been investigated. “If a civil servant was arrested then there would be 45 days remand instead of 90 days”, the draft had proposed. The removal of power of NAB from the stock market and tax issues was also proposed along with the authority to freeze the assets of public servants. “The property of a government employee can be frozen only after a court sentence and their valuation would depend on the District Collector rate or the FBR rate,” the draft had read.
being taken by International Monetary Fund (IMF) instead of its people. “This is not the independence that Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah gave us. PPP will build the Pakistan that Benazir envisaged for the people,” he said. “This not the democracy we sacrificed so dearly for and this is not the economy Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto took revolutionary initiatives to strengthen,” he added. “This land is again calling that it is under threat once again… today, parliament is locked and 18th amendment is under attack with provinces being deprived of their rights,” he further said. Bilawal said that extremism is prevalent in the country despite a defeat to terrorism in the recent past. He added that the masses are being economically murdered and this government had become a menace for the masses. PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari also addressed the ceremony via a prerecorded video message. “This is the place where Benazir Bhutto lost her life,” he said to a charged crowed. The former president said that the incumbent government has no semblance of what inflation is. He said that he and his political party were determined to bring a government for the
people and by the people in Pakistan. Zardari claimed that the current government has failed to govern the country. “No one is bothered about the poor living in Pakistan,” he added. The ceremony was attended by PPP leaders, including Raza Rabbani, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Faryal Talpur, Aitzaz Ahsan and many others. Benazir Bhutto, the twice-elected prime minister, was assassinated on December 28 as she left a political rally held at Liaquat Bagh. The former premier was shot in the neck or head, according to differing accounts, as she stood in the open sunroof of a car and waved to crowds. Seconds later a suicide attacker had detonated his bomb, damaging one of the cars in her motorcade, killing more than 20 people and wounding 50. Earlier, in a statement shared by PPP, Bilawal said that Benazir was the “strongest chain of the federation of Pakistan” and those who assassinated her had “planned to break the chain but failed due to ‘Pakistan khappe’ slogan of President Asif Ali Zardari soon after the national tragedy”. He said that Pakistanis will never forget their “brave leader, who sacrificed everything for the country and for the rights of its downtrodden and barefoot masses”.
Senate body seeks review of NAB, FIA powers under AML Act
BJP's Hindutva ideology has divided India, says Qureshi ISLAmABAd STAFF REPORT
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday said that the Hindutva ideology of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has created a division in India. Qureshi, who was chairing a consultative meeting of former foreign secretaries, affirmed that the fire that New Delhi had lit in occupied Kashmir on Aug 5 has now spread across India. The session deliberated on Indian atrocities in the held Valley and critical peace situation of the region. The foreign minister apprised the dignitaries of the letter that he penned to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) president over the Kashmir issue. Qureshi said 144 days have been passed since military clampdown by Indian forces in occupied Kashmir and people have since been kept in dark by suspending means of communication in the held valley. He said the supporters of secular India are protesting against the discriminatory Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the Modi government is committing ceasefire violations across the Line of Control (LoC) to divert attention from internal turmoil. The foreign minister stressed that Pakistan Army and people are fully committed to defending the motherland. It was decided in the meeting to continue the consultative session to discuss important foreign affairs.
Pakistan Navy successfully test-fires missile in Arabian Sea KARACHI STAFF REPORT
ISLAmABAd APP
A special committee of the Senate on Friday discussed the mechanism for accountability of judges through parliament and the National Accountability Bureau’s power of investigation under the AntiMoney Laundering Act 2010. Senator Farooq Naik, who chaired the meeting, said it was important to define which case came under the Act and what powers, both FIA and NAB, had in this regard. He questioned what were the reasons for Pakistan being on the FATF grey list and what rules and regulations were on statuary books in this regard. He sought a detailed briefing from the NAB, FIA chiefs and the finance secretary in the next meeting. Regarding the mechanism of accountability of judges and judicial officers, the convener of the committee called for a briefing, firstly from law ministry on the issue. Senator Javed Abbasi said that the current mechanism was not effective since many cases of misconduct of judicial officers were still pending and added: “We should follow the model of other developed countries.” Senator Anwar-ul-Haq
Kakar said that it was a common practice in the world, that laws were enacted after taking the stakeholders — civil society, media and bar associations — on board. The convener said that it was appropriate to take briefing from the law secretary first and then take the opinion of stakeholders. Regarding the mechanism for acquiring land and payments through Section 4-k of Land Acquisition Act, the committee convener expressed reservations and said that people were facing severe problems. He directed the Interior Ministry officials to finalize proposals in this regard and put these before the committee. Islamabad District Collector Waseem Ahmed briefed the committee about the current mechanism in this regard.
The Pakistan Navy has successfully demonstrated the firing of different missiles in the northern Arabian Sea and Makran Coast on Friday. The locally developed missile was tested from “Fast Attack Craft” in northern Arabian Sea, and it successfully hit its intended on-land target, the spokesperson said. “This test is a testimony of Pakistan’s proficiency with high-tech weaponry and Pakistan Navy’s operational capability,” he said, adding that it also “is a clear manifestation of the government’s resolve to achieve selfreliance in this field”. Naval Chief Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi witnessed the firing of different missiles and expressed satisfaction over the operational preparedness of the navy. Admiral Abbasi said the navy is fully capable to give a befitting response to any aggression. He also acknowledged the services of engineers and researchers that played a role in the success of the missile system, the Navy spokesperson added.
Ikram Sehgal’s book on 1971 war to be launched today KARACHI STAFF REPORT
The book, “Blood over Different Shades of Green East Pakistan 1971: History Revisited” authored by Ikram Sehgal and Bettina Robotka will be launched on Saturday in Karachi. While historians in Pakistan have generally avoided the painful and controversial subject of the dismemberment of the country in 1971 and its aftermath; Sehgal and Robotka attempt to revisit the historical, published and non-published accounts of the 1971 war and seek to bring to light causes that led to it. According to renowned British historian R G Collingwood, a historian must ‘reconstruct’ history by using ‘historical imagination’ to reenact the thought process of historical persons based on information and
evidence from authentic sources. Sehgal and Robotka have attempted to do exactly this; they have explored the events that led to the civil war of 1971 and also studied in great detail the impact it had on the country. Ikram Sehgal, in addition to being a veteran of the 1971 war is the chairman of Pathfinder Group of
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Pakistan. He is a member of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and a director of the East-West Institute (EWI), a US-based think tank. He has served on the board of directors of Bank Alfalah and as chairman of K-Electric. He has also served as director of the Business Advisory Board (BAB) of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Geneva and co-chairman of the Pakistan Committee of the Swiss-Asian Chamber of Commerce (SACC), Geneva. In addition to this, he is also a regular contributor of articles in newspapers and appears regularly on current affairs programmes in his capacity as a defence and security analyst. Bettina Robotka holds a PhD on the Indian nationalist movement in UP in the 19th Century from the Institute of Asian and African Studies (IAAS), Humboldt University. She is
an expert on South Asian history and has been teaching Indian and Pakistani history at IAAS for thirty years now. From 2005 to 2010 and 2012 to 2013, she worked at the Higher Education Commission (HEC) foreign faculty programme as a full professor and taught various courses in history and social sciences at the Institute of Business Administration and the Institute of Business Management in Karachi. She has also written extensively on the history of nationalist struggle in the subcontinent, the political system of Pakistan, democracy in South Asia and the role of Islam in politics. She reviews articles for several HEC recognized journals in Pakistan and evaluates PhD thesis for the University of Punjab, International Islamic University of Islamabad, and Area Study Centre for Europe, University of Karachi.
CMYK Saturday, 28 December, 2019
NEWS
MuSHArrAf cHAlleNgeS treASoN cASe verdIct IN lHc LAHoRe
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STAFF REPORT
ORMER president Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf on Friday filed a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC), challenging the verdict by a special court in Islamabad in the high treason case against him. On December 17, a special court in Islamabad sentenced Musharraf to death under Article 6 for holding the Constitution in abeyance by imposing a state of emergency on November 3, 2007. Following the release of the full verdict on Dec 19 – which stated that if the former president dies before the sentence is executed, his body must be dragged to D-
Chowk in Islamabad and hanged for three days – Musharraf, through a video message, announced to challenge the verdict. On Friday, a petition was filed by Advocate Azhar Siddique on Gen (r) Musharraf’s behalf. The 86 page-long petition nominated the federal government and others as respondents. A full bench, chaired by Justice Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi, scheduled the petition for hearing on Jan 9, 2020. The petition highlighted that the “judgment contained a mix of anomalies and contradictory statements”. It added that the special court “rapidly and hurriedly wrapped up the trial which was far from [a] conclusion”. “The special court […] announced an award of capital punish-
ment to the applicant without examining the accused under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) (power to examine the accused). The importance of examining the accused in a criminal trial is enormous and any lapse, failure or omission to fulfill this requirement adversely affects the prosecution case. “A criminal trial cannot simply [be] complete without adhering to this mandatory legal requirement.” The petition stated that the special court “has not taken into consideration that no actions detrimental to national interest were taken by the applicant” as “no offense of high treason is made out from the evidence presented against him [Musharraf] before the special court”. The petition
also challenged the verdict’s graphic paragraph 66 which read: “We direct the law enforcement agencies to strive their level best to apprehend the fugitive/convict [Pervez Musharraf] and to ensure that the punishment is inflicted as per law and if found dead, his corpse be dragged to the DChowk [in front of the Parliament House], Islamabad, Pakistan, and be hanged for three days”. The petition stated: “The Honourable respective president of the special court has crossed all religious moral, civil and constitutional limits, while ruthlessly, irreligiously, unlawfully, unrealistically awarding a debilitating, humiliating, unprecedented and against the dignity of a person sentence […] through para 66.”
PML-N slams PM Imran’s remarks on ‘mafia in newspapers’ ISLAmABAd STAFF REPORT
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Friday strongly condemned Prime Minister Imran Khan’s remarks on Thursday in which he said there was a “presence of mafia” in newspapers. On Thursday, while speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Jalalpur Canal project in Pind Dadan Khan town of Jhelum, PM Imran said 2020 would be the year of economic stability in Pakistan and would prove to be a tough one for mafias. Elaborating further, he said mafias were present in the Federal Board of Revenue and other government institutions, in politics and in newspapers. He said newspapers carried bad news [against the government] everyday. “Those journalists who had benefited from the corrupt system in the past were now
writing against his administration,” he said. Responding to the premier’s remarks from a day ago, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb in a strongly-worded statement shared on Twitter, strongly criticised the prime minister for “calling the media a mafia”. “An incompetent, incapable and selected prime minister is saying that there is a mafia in the media. It is shameful, regrettable and deplorable,” she said. Aurangzeb said a “person involved in money laundering, imprisoning his opponents in death-row cells, closing down the parliament, and risking the livelihoods and businesses of citizens” was referring to the media as a mafia. She further accused the prime minister of destroying the economy and handing over the country to the International Monetary Fund while joining hands with thieves and robbers. She also held the premier responsible for taking “talk shows off air, influencing
editorials and stealing ballots of the people”. FIRDOUS HITS BACK: Taking exception to the PML-N statement, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan took to Twitter, reminding the PMLN’s spokesperson that “the mafia’s government had initiated the lifafa culture [yellow journalism]” in the country. Referring to a previous government of the PML-N, Awan said “people still remember the role of Saifur Rehman who had a hobby of lodging fake cases against newspapers and his political opponents”. She went on to say that [during the tenure of the PML-N,] newspapers’ offices were attacked and the media was subjected to “blackmailing”. The government’s chief spokesperson said “mafia, thieves and robbers get annoyed when institutions follow the law,” adding that the prime minister’s war against the mafia will continue.
uN experts urge Pakistan to clear Junaid hafeez of blasphemy, lift death sentence geneVA AGENCIES
United Nations human rights experts called on Pakistani courts on Friday to clear liberal academic Junaid Hafeez of blasphemy charges and overturn his death sentence. In a joint statement, they described Hafeez’s condemnation by a lower court last week as a “travesty of justice” and said senior judges should acquit the former university lecturer on appeal. “We urge Pakistan’s superior courts to promptly hear his appeal, overturn the death sentence and acquit him,” said the independent experts who include UN investigators on freedom of religion, unlawful killings and arbitrary detention. In 2013 students at the university where Hafeez taught accused him of making blasphemous Facebook posts. Insulting Islam’s Prophet Mohammad carries a mandatory death penalty in Pakistan, which is about 95% Muslim. His lawyers say he was framed by students from a militant Islamist party because of his liberal and secular views. This
Benazir Bhutto an icon, a leader with grace, says Shehbaz Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Friday paid tribute to former prime minister and PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto on her death
month a US religious freedom commission placed Hafeez on its list of global victims. Hafeez’s family and lawyers released a statement saying the trial had been marked by a “wave of fear” and intimidation after Hafeez’s initial defense lawyer, Rashid Rehman, was shot and killed in 2014 after agreeing to take on the case. No one has been charged with that murder. The family and lawyers said they would file an appeal against the verdict in the high court. International law permits the death penalty only in exceptional circumstances, and requires incontrovertible evidence of intentional murder, the UN experts said. “The death sentence imposed on Hafeez has no basis in either law or evidence, and therefore contravenes international law. Carrying out the sentence would amount to an arbitrary killing,” they said. “We are seriously concerned that blasphemy charges are still being brought against people legitimately exercising their rights to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and expression,” they added.
anniversary. “Remembering Mohtrama Benazir Bhutto on her death anniversary. She was an icon, a leader with grace whose services to democracy will continue to be eulogised,” he tweeted. The opposition leader, who is in London in connection with the treatment of his brother, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, further said: “Pakistani politics is never the same without her. May Allah rest her soul in peace!” NEWS DESK
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Sc admits govt’s review plea in coAS’ extension case for hearing ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday approved the government’s review petition over the case pertaining to extension of the service of Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa. According to details, the plea has been allotted number for initial hearing. However, it will be heard as per the directives of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed. The review petition seeks formation of a larger bench and to nullify the judgement delivered in the case. It has further requested the court to conduct in-camera hearings of the matter. Earlier on Thursday, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Barrister Farogh Naseem held a meeting with Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Anwar Mansoor Khan in the SC for consultation before filing a review petition. Earlier this month, the SC had allowed extension/reappointment of Gen Bajwa for another six months and asked the government to determine the tenure, terms and conditions of the service of the army chief through legislation within the period. The SC further clarified that in case the federal government remains unable to regulate the tenure and terms of service of a general and as a consequence of the army chief through an appropriate legislation by the parliament within a period of six months, “the tenure of the constitutional post of COAS could not be left totally unregulated and to continue forever” as “this would be inconceivable and amount to a constitutional absurdity.” In case of such failure of the federal government, the verdict stated, the institutional practice of retirement of a general on completion of the tenure of three years “shall stand enforced” to regulate the tenure of Gen Bajwa and consequentially his tenure as COAS, from the date of his promotion to the rank of general and appointment as the army chief, i.e. November 29, 2016. In that case, “the president shall, on advice of the prime minister, appoint a serving general officer as the new COAS”, the judgment added. The apex court dismissed the impression that the various summaries prepared by the government in the same matter were drafted on its orders or directions. STAFF REPORT
04 ISLAMABAD
Saturday, 28 December 2019
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Court diSmiSSeS PleA filed AgAinSt reStriCtionS on offiCiAlS’ SoCiAl mediA uSAge ISLAMABAD
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STAFF REPORT
HE Islamabad High Court (IHC) has dismissed a petition filed against the ban on usage of social media by the government employees. IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah presided over the plea filed by a citizen named Muhammad Awais through his counsel, Advocate Mian Asif. The court dismissed the petition on the basis of non-compliance as the applicant’s lawyer did not appear before the court during the hearing. The petitioner stated in the plea that the decision affected the right of
Sanitation workers resume duty after 10-day break
freedom of expression awarded in the Constitution and contended that the public servants around the world use social media sites for public connectivity. It is pertinent to mention here that the Ministry of Interior issued a notification on Dec 16 banning government officials’ social media accounts. It stated: “The minister for interior has directed that no officer/official should interact with media (print/electronic) nor upload any official’s view/comment on social media or any other channel of information, except with the formal and written approval of the secretary interior or head of the attached department/organisation, as the case may be.”
IHC asks HEC why it isn’t admitting degrees of Al-Khair University ISLAMABAD APP
ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Removal of garbage dumps and cleanliness of the city has been started after a break of nearly 10 days. The pace of working of sanitation staff is gradually picking up and the backlog is being removed. To ensure, swift, prompt and efficient disposal of garbage dumps, Assistant Commissioners and Magistrates have been deputed to supervise the operation. Concerned formations of Capital Development Authority (CDA) and MCI are collaborating with each other while whole process exercise is being supervised Islamabad Administration (ICT). Skips, Garbage Trolleys are being cleared from different parts of the city including sector I-9, I-10 and I-8 and others where a collection of garbage remain suspended while sweeping on different major roads is also being carried out simultaneously. Cleanliness and removal of garbage were started early in the morning on Friday and will continue till its complete clearance. Instructions have been issued that door to door collection and removal of garbage be ensured in the next 48 hours. In addition to removal of backlog, Assistant Commissioners and magistrate have also been directed to take action against the elements involved in the littering and dumping of waste in the open areas particularly in the markets of the city.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Friday sought reply from Higher Education (HEC) on a petition seeking recognition of degrees of Al-Khair University AJK. Justice Mohsin Akhter Kiyani conducted hearing on a plea filed by the students of Al-Khair University. The petitioner stated in their plea that the HEC was not verifying their degrees issued by Al-Khair University. Justice Kiyani remarked that this university’s status was as illegal in light of a court judgment. He asked the petitioner that let the appeal of Al-Khair university be decided first, maybe the verdict would be in favour of the university. He remarked that it was the responsibility of AJK’s Parliament to take a decision about the legal status of the university. Unfortunately, no legislation was being enacted in AJK so far, he said, adding the lawmakers were apparently not think-
ing about their people. The counsel for HEC pleaded that Al-Khair University had no required standard of a university. The HEC had hardly given permission to this university for a graduation degree, he added. The bench remarked that why not the AJK government establish its own HEC and register their universities. Justice Kiyani said that why
HEC was not registering first informant reports (FIRs) against the illegal universities. Why these universities were not closed down, he asked. The HEC counsel said that even Prime Minister AJK didn’t admit this university as well to this the bench asked the petitioner to make Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Ministry of Education AJK as respondents. The hearing of the case was then adjourned for two weeks.
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KP Assembly pays tribute to Benazir Bhutto PESHAWAR APP
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly with Speaker Mushtaq Ghani in chair Friday paid tribute to Shaheed Benazir Bhutto on her death anniversary on December 27. The house also offered prayers for the late leader of Pakistan People’s Party while the leader of Opposition in KP Assembly, Akram Khan Durrani said assembly members hold sacrifices of Bhutto family for the cause of democracy in high esteem. Speaking on the occasion, Provincial Minister for Law, Sultan Muhammad said Benazir was regarded as a leader by the international community due to sacrifices and struggle launched by her and her late father, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. Nighat Orakzai of PPP said that late Benazir Bhutto rendered great sacrifices for progress and prosperity of the country. Meanwhile, during house’s proceedings, Leader of opposition, Akram Khan Durrani also took up issue regarding the absence of Ministers from the assembly. Speaker KP Assembly, Mushtaq Ghani also expressed displeasure over the absence of Ministers and warned that the issue would be taken up with Chief Minister by sending him presence report. Speaker said only a few Ministers including Provincial Minister for Law and Food were not responsible for giving answers on behalf of their colleagues. The chair also ruled that in each session at least twelve Ministers should ensure their presence in the house. He also warned that in future if the presence of Ministers and MPAs was not satisfactory, the session would be adjourned in protest.
Asfandyar Wali files defamation suit against Shaukat Yousafzai
PESHAWAR STAFF REPORT
ISLAMABAD: UAE’s Minister of Tolerance Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan calls on Prime Minister Imran Khan. inP
Awami National Party (ANP) President Asfandyar Wali Khan has filed a defamation claim against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Information Shaukat Yousafzai. Asfandyar Wali Khan filed the slander suit for Rs150 million, and also made different newspapers, which get published in Peshawar, party in the case. The case was lodged in a local court of Peshawar. It stated that KP Information Minister levelled baseless allegations against ANP president, which damaged his reputation.
Speakers vow to make Pakistan democratic, progressive ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Speakers at a two-day conference here pledged to work for making Pakistan a democratic and progressive entity taking inspiration from the lofty principles of Islam and the vision of Founder of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam. The two-day National Youth Conference titled “Quaid’s Vision of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan” was
organized by the Islamic Research Institute in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission, Allama Iqbal Open University, Quaid-e-Azam University, Skills University, Air University and Arid Agriculture University. Islamic International University President Ahmed Yousif Ahmed Al Draiweesh, IRI Director-General Dr Ziaul Haq, Dr Ahmed Munir, Dr Abdul Qudoos Suhaib, and Murtaza Noor were prominent among those who spoke on the oc-
casion. A large number of academicians, intellectuals, faculty members and students participated in the event. In their addresses, the speakers maintained that it is absolutely imperative not only to transmit the spirit of independence to the youth but also to apprise them about the vision of the Quaid about Pakistan. They threw light on Naujawanan-ePakistan which aims at promoting the participation of youth in the peacebuilding efforts.
CMYK
They said the Paigham-e-Pakistan initiative launched by the government is a step in the right direction which will help portray a soft and positive image of Pakistan and highlight Islam as a religion of peace, brotherhood, tolerance and forbearance. He highlighted the need for collective action within a collaborative framework to help encourage peace and stability in the country. In their speeches, the speakers threw light on the social and traditional
implications of changing and emerging roles of faculty members and ulema for peace-building and countering violent extremism in the society. They called for meaningful participation of the young people in peacebuilding and stressed on the need to launch a concerted effort to promote the youth as active leaders and partners in the peace processes by motivating them to become the ‘agents of change’ through national peacebuilding efforts.
Saturday, 28 December, 2019
NEWS
Shaheed Benazir Bhutto: a Bright Shining Star on the political landScape of pakiStan
BASHIR RIAZ
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N December 2019, as we mark the twelfth death anniversary of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, the essence of her principles and ideals have been etched into our collective memories just like the memory of our favourite fragrance. Once you experience it, it becomes a part of your memory forever. December is also the same month when thirty years ago, Shaheed BB took oath as the first female Prime Minister of the Muslim World. She showed us a glimpse of a progressive and democratic Pakistan. Even during her life as a student, she was setting precedent as the first Pakistani woman who became the President of the Oxford Union. Today, the Benazir Bhutto Memorial Lecture has been established at Oxford to honour the life and legacy of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto. Last month, the former British Prime Minister, Theresa May, delivered the inaugural Benazir Bhutto Memorial Lecture. Different European countries and American institutions acknowledge Shaheed BB’s contributions towards democracy, rule of law and human rights. I still remember that in June 1984, during a visit to Denmark, two renowned newspapers wrote detailed articles on Shaheed BB and gave her titles akin to “Princess of the East” and “Iron Lady”. There is no doubt that Shaheed BB represented the bright side and a positive image of Pakistan in the world and even after her loss, her name continues to live on. When we lost her, it was not any political party’s loss but it was the loss of our country, it was Pakistan’s loss who lost her biggest champion of democracy. She represented the federation and was the face of unity among the provinces. Only the enemies of Pakistan, lurking within as well as outside the boundaries, benefited from this act of terror. Shaheed BB always kept national interest at the forefront of her decisions. She continued her father’s vision to ensure Pakistan became a strong nuclear power. If she were still with us, the political landscape would be different from what we have today. She would have dealt with the terrorists with an iron fist and no one would have been allowed to threaten the sanctity of the state. The whole world understood this as she had raised her voice for the people of Palestine and Kashmir on various platforms. She highlighted the Kashmir issue on various international forums. In a conference by the OIC held in Morocco, the then Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto spoke about Kashmir and helped the All Parties Huriyat Conference to become a member organization. Shaheed BB had a clear stance on the Kashmir conflict. She believed that the people of Kashmir should have the right to decide their future. In line with the UN
resolution on the subject, she suggested a “soft border” between Azad Kashmir and Occupied Kashmir to give relief to the Kashmiris. This would allow the two sides to mingle together, discuss their problems, and eventually, reach a consensus on the Kashmir issue. Today, Bilawal Bhutto has been following in the footsteps of his mother and grandfather and speaking out for the Kashmiri people against the injustice meted out by the Modi government, demanding that the curfew should be lifted. The great political legacy of the Bhutto family always has been to fight all kinds of undemocratic forces, anywhere in the World. Shaheed BB favoured dialogue and believed in conflict resolution through discussions rather than violence. Certain forces who subscribe to nothing but the ideology of anarchy and clash of cultures, were not happy with Shaheed BB as a symbol of unity. Her personality is also reflected in her writings. She used to say that life is short and therefore, we should build bridges and stay positive. She wanted to change the life of the people on the grass roots level, championing her father’s slogan of roti, kapra, makaan to fight poverty and make a difference in the lives of the poor people. She wanted to bring peace to her people, to her country, and to the world. On Quaid-e-Awam, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s sixth death anniversary, Benazir Bhutto addressed a gathering in Birmingham and said, “I am the daughter of Shaheed Bhutto! Today, I am making a promise to Shaheed Baba and the people of Pakistan that I will fight evil and will dedicate all my skills and energies for the victory of the good. I will make any sacrifices required to help our motherland get rid of the martial law.” She kept true to her words and fought the martial law with great determination, until her last breath. Shaheed BB loved her people and in return, the people of Pakistan doted on their brave leader. This bond threatened and terrified certain forces who then decided to remove Benazir Bhutto and severe the bond. Little did they know that this bond is not easy to break. As long as Bilawal Bhutto continues his mother’s vision, the bond between the Bhutto ideology and the people of Pakistan will remain intact. Every year, December 27 is marked as her death anniversary in Garhi Khudabaksh. This year, the event will take place at Liaqat Bagh, Pindi, on the site where she last addressed her people. In 2007 when Shaheed BB had decided to return to Pakistan, I felt anxious and in our farewell meeting, I asked her for forgiveness in case of any lapses on my part and she reciprocated then said, “You must continue my mission—you will live longer than me.” On December 27, 2007, I truly understood her message. She had already decided that her life was not her own; it belonged to the people of Pakistan. In an international conference in Portugal, a writer from Middle East gave tribute to Shaheed BB and described her as the only bright shining star amidst a galaxy full of stars. Just like the light of the stars that continues to reach us years after the star has faded away, the light of Shaheed BB’s ideology continues to brighten the political landscape of Pakistan. Bashir Riaz is the former press secretary of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and adviser to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto.
Govt expedites work to expand Sehat Insaf Card scheme ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
The federal government has made progress on expanding its flagship welfare scheme Sehat Insaf cards to other parts of the country following the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Prime Minister Imran had ordered concerned authorities to provide details regarding the issuance and outcomes of the cards. Reportedly, the government has completed its target of the issuance of cards in the newly-merged tribal areas where citizens are using their computerized national identity cards (CNICs) for availing free healthcare facilities provided by the gov-
ernment. A citizen told reporters that he is grateful for getting a free medical treatment facility following the initiative of the premier. He said that he is getting medical facility through the health insurance card which was previously not possible due to heavy fees of doctors and hospital expenditures. Moreover, 62 percent of people belonging to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have also received the free medical treatment facility under the scheme which is allowing them to get free medical facilities till February 2020. The premier directed to expand the scheme to all parts of the country by distributing Sehat Insaf Cards among needy people till 2020.
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Saturday, 28 December, 2019
06 WORLD VIEW
With US help no longer aSSUred, SaUdiS try a neW Strategy: talkS WORRIED THAT THEY CAN NO LONGER COUNT ON AMERICAN DEFENCE, THE SAUDIS HAVE BEGUN TALKING TO THEIR ENEMIES TO COOL CONFLICTS IN THE REGION
New York Times
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N the months since a missile and drone attack widely seen as the work of Iran left two Saudi oil facilities smouldering, the Saudi crown prince has taken an uncharacteristic turn to diplomacy to cool tensions with his regional enemies. The prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has stepped up direct talks with the rebels he has been fighting in Yemen for over four years, leading to a decline in attacks by both sides. He has made gestures to ease, if not end, the stifling blockade he and his allies imposed on his tiny, wealthy neighbour, Qatar. He has even engaged in indirect talks with the kingdom’s archnemesis, Iran, to try to dampen the shadow war raging across the region. Fuelling the shift from confrontation to negotiation, analysts say, is the sobering realisation that a decades-old cornerstone of American policy in the Middle East — the understanding that the United States would defend the Saudi oil industry from foreign attacks — can no longer be taken for granted. Even though American and Saudi officials agreed that Iran was behind the Sept. 14 attacks on the petroleum processing plants at Abqaiq and Khurais, temporarily halving Saudi Arabia’s oil production, President Trump responded with heated rhetoric but little else. For the Saudis, the tepid response drove home the reality that despite the tens of billions of dollars they have spent on American weapons — more than $170 billion since 1973 — they could no longer count on the United States to come to their aid, at least not with the force they expected. Worried about having to fend for themselves in a tough and unpredictable neighbourhood, analysts say, the Saudis have quietly reached out to their enemies to de-escalate conflicts. “I think we will look at Sept. 14 as a seminal moment in gulf history,” said David B. Roberts, a
scholar of the region at King’s College London. With the presumption shattered that the United States would protect the Saudis, Dr Roberts said, “they realise the need to be more accommodating.” For the United States, the shift toward diplomacy is an awkward paradox. The Trump administration and Congress have been pressing the Saudis to end the war in Yemen, and the administration has pushed them to reconcile with Qatar, largely in vain. Now, the presumed Iranian strikes may have done more to advance those goals than American pressure ever did. Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy turned more aggressive after Prince Mohammed, then 29, emerged as its driving force in 2015. He plunged the kingdom into a devastating war against Iranianbacked rebels in Yemen; imposed a punishing boycott on Qatar, which he accused of supporting terrorism and cosying up to Iran; and vowed to confront Iran across the Middle East. Critics said the young prince was brash and headstrong, and a destabilising force in the region. Moreover, the Yemen and Qatar campaigns failed to achieve the desired results. The war in Yemen settled into a costly stalemate with the side effect of a devastating humanitarian crisis, while Qatar employed its vast wealth and other international relationships to weather the blockade. Then the refinery attacks highlighted the vulnerability of the Saudi oil industry, the country’s economic jewel. Those events led to what Rob Malley, a top official for the Middle East in the Obama administration, describes as a “semi-recalibration” of Saudi policies. The sudden willingness to pursue diplomacy in Qatar and Yemen, he said, “reflects a Saudi desire to solidify its regional posture at a time of uncertainty and vulnerability.” Analysts saw the lack of a significant
American response to the attacks as a blow to the policy known as the Carter doctrine, which dates to 1980, when President Jimmy Carter vowed to use force to ensure the free flow of oil from the Persian Gulf after the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Subsequent presidents, Democrats and Republicans, upheld it, seeing Saudi oil exports as essential to the global economy and America’s interests. “For as long as I have been working on the Middle East, that’s why we were there: to protect the free flow of oil,” said Steven Cook, a scholar at the Council on Foreign Relations, referring to a period dating to the 1980s. After the attacks, Mr Trump sent more American troops to Saudi Arabia to operate Patriot missile systems, support that fell far short of what the Saudis had expected from a president whom they considered a close friend and who shared their animosity toward Iran. Mr Trump ordered, then abruptly called off, airstrikes on Iran. “What the Saudis didn’t understand,” Dr Cook said, “was that Donald Trump is a lot closer to Barack Obama’s worldview than they realised. It’s about getting out of the Middle East.” The Saudis’ reputation in Washington had suffered gravely because of the war in Yemen, the Qatar blockade and the killing of the dissident Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in Istanbul last year. While anger spread in Congress and other parts of the government, Mr Trump continued to support the kingdom as an important Arab ally and a reliable buyer of American arms. But as a presidential election looms, the Saudis realise that Mr Trump could find that position to be a liability with voters, and a new president could take an entirely different approach. “It is a hard ask, even for Trump, to defend Saudi Arabia at every turn during a campaign,” said Emile Hokayem, a Middle East analyst
at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. “So, I think the Saudis are smart enough to tone it down for a time.” Daylight also broke between Saudi Arabia and its closest regional ally, the United Arab Emirates. In June, the Emirates began withdrawing its troops from Yemen, leaving the Saudis with the burden of an ugly war that few believe they can win. In July, the Emirates hosted rare talks with Iran about maritime security, an effort to calm tensions in the Persian Gulf and safeguard the country’s reputation as a safe business hub. Saudi officials did not respond to a request for comment on the recent diplomacy. While those overtures have yet to yield official agreements, they have eased pressures in the region. In Yemen, both sides have released more than 100 prisoners to show good will, and cross-border attacks by the Houthis have grown less frequent. Last month the United Nations envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, reported an 80 per cent reduction in airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition over the previous two weeks. Since then, no Yemeni civilians have been killed in airstrikes, said Radhya Almutawakel, the chairwoman of Mwatana, a Yemeni human rights group. The current de-escalation, she noted, is the first that resulted from direct talks with the Houthis. She suspected that the Saudis would not have chosen that route if the war had been going their way at the time of the Abqaiq attack. “They would not have chosen to speak with the Houthis,” she said. “They would have escalated the war.” In the standoff between Saudi Arabia and its allies and Qatar, demonstrable progress has been scarce but quiet talks between the countries’ leaders have softened the conflict’s rougher edges. Saudi social media accounts that ofteninsulted Qatar’s emir, Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, have toned it down. And while Qatar has not shut down its Al Jazeera satellite network as the Saudis demanded, criticism of Qatar from pro-government news outlets and social media accounts in Saudi Arabia has noticeably quieted in recent months, Qatari officials say.
Instead of punishing citizens who travel to Qatar, Saudi Arabia now looks the other way, and has even sent soccer teams to play in tournaments in Doha, the Qatari capital. And although Qatar’s emir did not accept an invitation by the Saudi monarch, King Salman, to attend a regional summit meeting in Saudi Arabia this month, Qatar’s foreign minister did. The Qataris have also gained ground in Washington. While Mr Trump initially cheered the blockade, endorsing the Saudi allegation that Qatar supported terrorism, he later switched tracks. Last year, he welcomed Qatar’s emir in Washington and this month sent his daughter and senior adviser, Ivanka Trump, to a major conference in Doha. But the antagonism toward Qatar has not softened in the Emirates, which has been a leader of the embargo and which still sees Qatar as dangerously close to the region’s Islamists. The distrust is reciprocated by Qatar, where officials have spoken of possibly reconciling with Saudi Arabia but not the Emirates, effectively splitting their alliance. Concrete progress has been scarcest where the stakes are highest: between Saudi Arabia and Iran. But after years of heated statements and competing support for opposite sides in regional conflicts, officials from Pakistan and Iraq have stepped in as intermediaries for back-channel talks aimed at averting a wider conflict. It remains unclear how far such talks will go in reducing tensions, especially since an official Saudi opening with Iran could infuriate Mr Trump, who has tried to isolate and punish Iran. “Washington would not look kindly upon a Saudi-Iranian channel at a time when the US is trying to isolate Iran,” said Mr Malley, the Obama administration official. “Not to fully trust the Trump administration is one thing. To openly defy it is another altogether, and Prince Mohammed is unlikely to do that.” Declan Walsh is the Cairo bureau chief, covering Egypt and the Middle East. Ben Hubbard is the Beirut bureau chief. Saeed al-Batati and Shuaib Almosawa contributed reporting from Yemen.
Before Sanna Marin came Benazir Bhutto
Al JAzeerA Maija Liuhto
On December 10, Finland’s leftwing Social Democrats, who lead a five-party coalition government, picked 34-year-old Minister of Transport and Communications Sanna Marin as the country’s new prime minister. The decision made the relatively unknown politician an international celebrity overnight - after all it is not every day that a woman as young as Marin gets the chance to lead a country. Countless articles and news reports published and broadcast across the world celebrated her sudden rise to power as a “feminist victory” and praised Finland for its “progressiveness”. Marin’s premiership has clearly been perceived by many in Finland and beyond as a manifestation of Nordic gender equality. But is Finland really that unique for having a young, female leader? And more importantly, is having a woman leader definitive proof that a country reached gender equality? According to this measure, Pakistan, a country often branded “deeply conservative” and “patriarchal” and even considered one of the most dangerous in the world for women, for example,
was seemingly as progressive as Finland over 30 years ago when Pakistanis elected a 35-year-old woman, Benazir Bhutto, as their prime minister. Back then, Bhutto was not only the youngest prime minister in the world but also the first Muslim woman to hold a country’s highest office. In contrast, Finland got its first and only female president a decade later in 2000 and the first female prime minister in 2003. And Pakistan was not the only “conservative”, predominantly Muslim nation to beat “progressive” Finland to electing a female head of state. Khaleda Zia became the first female prime minister of Bangladesh in 1991 and Tansu Ciller was elected Turkey’s prime minister in 1993. Other nations that are part of the global south, and that are similarly perceived in the West as “dangerous” or “hostile” to women, had female leaders even earlier. Sri Lanka’s first female Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike was elected to office in 1960, while Indira Gandhi became India’s prime minister in 1966. Unlike Marin, whose ascent to power was widely seen as a consequence of her country’s feminist values, Bhutto’s tenure was seen as an anomaly. As the daughter of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Bhutto hailed from a political dynasty and was groomed from an early age for a career in politics. Her family’s wealth and status allowed her to study at Harvard and Oxford. After her father was hanged
by military dictator Zia-ul-Haq in 1979, she started to lead the struggle for the reinstatement of democracy in the country. But if not for her political family, elite status and the feudal nature of the Pakistani society, she may never have made it as far. Bhutto undeniably faced additional obstacles during her two terms in office because of her gender and had to navigate pressure from conservative forces that did not want to submit to a woman’s authority. But was Bhutto’s election as prime minister a real victory for women in Pakistan? Did she use her status as leader to elevate and empower women in the country? Not really, if we are to go by legislation enacted by her governments. Repressive laws from Zia-ul-Haq’s time remained untouched throughout Bhutto’s tenure, much to women’s rights groups’ dismay. Moreover, she arguably contributed to the oppression of women in neighbouring Afghanistan by choosing to recognise the repressive, antiwomen Taliban regime there. Marin, on the other hand, comes from a working-class background. She managed to rise to the top because her country offers free, quality education to every child living there and has a political system (unlike Pakistan) where a lack of money and connections do not hinder one’s chances of becoming prime minister. Moreover, Finland has an excellent track record when it comes to women’s presence in the workforce, access to education and po-
litical representation. Pakistan, on the other hand, remains abysmally low in these rankings. None of this, however, means Finland is a feminist utopia and Pakistan is a dangerous country where women can never feel safe. The situation in both countries is a lot more complex than that. Despite all the stereotypes, not all sections of Pakistan’s diverse society are hostile to women. There are pockets of liberalism in the society that are rarely seen in the West - the lifestyle of the educated elite is strikingly similar to the West and there are families even in the lower ranks of the society that believe in educating their daughters and giving them the freedom to control their own lives. Many Pakistani women are also breaking stereotypes by working in male-dominated professions such as the police. These may be exceptions to the rule but the entire country should not be painted with the same brush. Meanwhile, Finland’s fight for gender equality is most certainly not complete and the country is not free of gendered oppression, violence and discrimination. First of all, its political history is dominated by men - it was only in the late 1990s and early 2000s that the number of female ministers in the country started to slowly climb up from almost zero. And, earlier this year, the pregnancy of a female minister, Annika Saarikko, while in office in Finland became a hot topic of discussion. Even in a so-called progressive society such as Finland, some
thought that her giving birth while in office would hinder her ability to carry out her duties. In Pakistan, Bhutto had a baby while in office back in 1990 without any significant controversy. While Finland continues to be celebrated as some kind of paradise for women, the alarmingly high rates of rape and domestic violence in the country are often ignored. Nearly 50 per cent of women and girls above the age of 15 have experienced physical or sexual violence, according to a recent report. In fact, a 2014 study found Finland to be the second-most violent country in the EU for women. Moreover, Finland did not actually elect Marin as prime minister. She was selected for the post by her party following the resignation of Antti Rinne. Had there been an actual election in Finland, there would most probably now be an anti-feminist, nationalist government in power. Marin’s Social Democrat Party would not have won as it did in April this year. Much like everywhere else in the West, anti-immigration sentiment has been on the rise in Finland in recent years. The Islamophobia exhibited by such political forces usually goes hand-in-hand with opposition to feminism or even outright hatred of women. In the last parliamentary elections, the highest number of votes went to Jussi Halla-aho, leader of the Finns Party, which is known for its anti-immigration stance. The party’s youth wing has declared itself to be anti-feminist because it believes feminism is
IS HAVING A FEMALE LEADER DEFINITIVE PROOF THAT A COUNTRY HAS REACHED GENDER EQUALITY? harmful to society, and Halla-aho himself has openly hoped that supporters of the green left would be targeted by rapists. His party is now the most popular one in Finland, according to recent polls. This, perhaps more than Marin’s premiership, should tell us something about the political climate in Finland. It is a patriarchal society in which more and more people there seem to think that feminism has gone “too far”. But all of this somehow gets buried in the celebratory news coverage surrounding Marin. Undoubtedly, during such times in Finland, Marin’s premiership is symbolically important, given that she embodies almost everything parties like the Finns love to hate. She is bound to face fierce opposition and it remains to be seen what her government’s actual contributions to gender equality and anti-racism will be. The symbolical importance of having young female politicians come to power deserves to be celebrated, but context matters. Having a woman lead a country does not automatically mean that women are faring well there. Maija Liuhto is a Finnish journalist currently based in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Saturday, 28 December, 2019
FOREIGN NEWS 07
Plane with 100 on board crashes in KazaKhstan, 14 dead ALMATY
a
AGENCIES
T least 14 people died when a plane carrying 100 passengers and crew crashed shortly after takeoff from Kazakhstan’s largest city on Friday and slammed into a house, but many on board survived. A video released by the Central Asian country’s emergencies committee showed the 23-year-old plane operated by budget carrier Bek Air torn into pieces with its nose crushed into a collapsed house, as rescue crews worked to pull people from the wreckage. The aircraft disappeared from the radar minutes after it took off from Almaty airport at 7.05 am (01:05 GMT) on its way to the capital Nur-Sultan with 95 passengers and five crew members, the airport authority said in a statement. It hit a concrete barrier and then slammed into a two-storey building near the city’s boundary northeast of the airport. Kazakhstan responded to the crash by grounding the Fokker model, which makes up the whole of the Bek Air fleet, and launched an investigation. The country’s emergencies committee released a list of 12 people who died, including the captain, revising down earlier tolls provided by officials and media. The health ministry said 53 people had been injured, nine of them children, adding that 10 adults were in critical condition. SPLIT IN TWO: Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar said the tail of the plane had touched the runway twice during
takeoff. “Either this is a pilot error, or there were technical reasons,” Sklyar said at a press conference in Almaty. “The aircraft split into two parts. Most of the passengers who died were in the front part.” A purported recording of communications between a dispatcher at Almaty airport and the Bek Air crew that was broadcast by Russian private media REN TV heard the craft´s pilot wish the
dispatcher a “good day” before being cleared for take off. Soon after, the dispatcher appeared to lose touch with the pilot and later warned the next plane to delay its takeoff. “Astana 671, we do not know where the Fokker 100 is located,” the dispatcher said. No one was inside the house that the plane crashed into, Khabar state television reported.
Australia fires threaten Sydney water supply
SYDNEY AGENCIES
Australian authorities said on Friday they are focused on protecting water plants, pumping stations, pipes and other infrastructure from intense bushfires surrounding Sydney, the country’s largest city. Firefighters battling the blazes for weeks received a reprieve of slightly cooler, damper conditions over Christmas, but the respite is not expected to last long. Temperatures in New South Wales (NSW) state are forecast to head back towards 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) early next week, fuelling fires near Warragamba Dam, which provides water to about 80% of Sydney’s 5 million residents. “In recent days up to the cool change, the fires had been a potential threat to supply and assets, particularly in Warragamba and in the Blue Mountains,” a spokesperson for the state’s water authority,
WaterNSW, told Reuters. “With the coming very hot conditions the fire situation may escalate in both those fronts and possibly elsewhere.” Warragamba Dam is located 65km (40 miles) west of Sydney, catching water flowing from the mountains. It is at 44.8% capacity, down from almost being full less than three years ago, as prolonged drought ravages the continent’s east. Despite the widespread destruction, the state’s water infrastructure network has not been damaged, the spokesperson said. There have been eight deaths, including two volunteer firefighters, linked to the blazes since they flared in spring. With more than 40 dams across the state, WaterNSW supplies two-thirds of untreated water to the state’s water utilities, which then treat and clean the resource to provide drinking water to cities and regional towns. Large quantities of ash and burnt
material could pose a threat to the quality of water in the dams if the fires are followed by heavy rain. However, there is no significant rain forecast for NSW in the short-term and WaterNSW has put containment barriers to catch potential debris run-off, the water authority said. VOLUNTEER FORCE: Australia’s reliance on a large volunteer firefighting force has been tested during this fire season that still potentially has months to run through the southern hemisphere summer. While conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison previously said compensation for volunteers was not a priority, he said on Tuesday that government workers could receive additional paid leave for volunteering. A senior government minister said on Friday the government was now looking into providing wider relief. “The prime minister is looking at this issue further on how we can provide targeted support in these extreme circumstances so that our volunteers get the support they need to keep volunteering,” Defence Minister Linda Reynolds told media in Perth. While there are different rules across Australia’s states, volunteers tend to negotiate time off directly with their employers. Morrison has been under intense political pressure after it was revealed he was holidaying in Hawaii shortly before Christmas while the country grappled with an emergency and two volunteers near the fire frontlines had been killed. Fires are travelling immense distances through bushland before hitting towns and containment lines where volunteer firefighters concentrate their resources. The bushfires have destroyed more than 4 million hectares (9.9 million acres) across the country, dwarfing the terrain burnt by fierce fires in California during 2019.
THOSE RESPONSIBLE WILL BE PUNISHED: President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev pledged to provide families of the victims with compensation and tweeted that those responsible “will be severely punished in accordance with the law.” Tokayev also said a government commission had been set up to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. The interior ministry said it had
also launched a criminal investigation into the incident over violations of air transport safety rules. Tokayev’s office declared Friday a national day of mourning. The plane was 23 years old but had passed safety checks in May, Kazakh authorities said. The industry ministry said in a statement that the Fokker 100 model, which is no longer manufactured, would be grounded until the cause of the accident became clear. Bek Air describes itself on its website as Kazakhstan’s first low-cost airline. In March 2016, a Bek Air Fokker 100 plane with 116 passengers made an emergency landing in the Kazakh capital after its landing gear failed to deploy but no one was injured. Swiss regional carrier Helvetic Airways phased out its Dutchbuilt Fokker-100s earlier this year after 15 years of service. I’M ALIVE AND WELL: Eight of the victims died at the scene of the disaster, two while receiving medical attention at the airport and two in hospital. Victims included the captain Marat Muratbayev, as well as Rustam Kaidarov, a 79-year-old retired general who headed an association of former top military officials, and 35-year-old Dana Kruglova, a journalist from the private Informburo news agency. Informburo said Kruglova “had wanted to celebrate the New Year with her parents in Nur-Sultan and decided to take this flight”. A well-known entrepreneur, Aslan Nazaraliyev, posted on Facebook that he had survived, indicating his seat on a photo of the crashed aircraft, right next to where it had split into two. “Thanks to Allah, I am alive and well,” Nazaraliyev wrote. The air route between Almaty and Nur-Sultan became Kazakhstan´s most popular after the chilly steppe city replaced the southern financial hub as national capital in 1997. Many Kazakhs regularly commute between the two cities, after government offices and large companies moved north to Nur-Sultan, formerly known as Astana before being renamed in honour of first Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Climate change caused 15 disasters costing over $1 billion this year
PARIS AGENCIES
At least 15 natural disasters linked to climate change this year caused damage of over $1 billion and seven of them cost at least $10 billion, British charity Christian Aid said Friday. This year is set to be the second hottest year in history and each of the disasters in the report has a link with climate change, Christian Aid said. “Extreme weather, fuelled by climate change, struck every corner of the globe in 2019. From Southern Africa to North America and from Australia and Asia to Europe, floods, storms and fires brought chaos and destruction,” it said. Assembling its report from official figures, estimates by NGOs and aid bodies, scientific studies and media reports, the British charity said the disasters displaced millions and caused widespread deaths. Seven of them caused damage of more than $10 billion (9 billion euros). These included the floods that ravaged north India, typhoon Lekima in China, Hurricane Dorian in the United States, floods in China, floods in the Midwest and the southern United States, typhoon Hagibis in Japan and the California wildfires, the costliest tragedy at $25 billion. “These figures are likely to be underestimated as they often show only insured losses and do not always take into account other financial costs, such as lost productivity and
uninsured losses,” it said. Christian Aid said the overwhelming majority of deaths were caused by just two events, in India and southern Africa, which called it “a reflection of how the world’s poorest people pay the heaviest price for the consequences of climate change. “In contrast, the financial cost was greatest in richer countries: Japan and the United States suffered three of the four most costly events.” Greenhouse gas emissions are once again set to rise in 2019 after hitting a record in 2018, as extreme weather events – made more likely as the planet warms – struck seemingly everywhere this year. These include Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, typhoon Hagibis in Japan, a deadly, record-breaking heatwave across much of Europe, wildfires in California and eastern Australia and floods in Venice. The threat posed by climate change became so stark in 2019 that Indonesia, one of the fastest-growing economies on Earth, decided to move its capital to somewhere that wasn’t sinking. “Unless urgent action is taken to reduce emissions, global temperatures will rise at least another 0.5°C over the next 20 years, and another 2-3°C by the end of the century,” Christian Aid said. “The world’s weather will continue to become ever-more extreme and people around the world will continue to pay the price. The challenge ahead is to minimise the impacts through deep and rapid emissions cuts.”
Saturday, 28 December, 2019
08 COMMENT After NAB and ANF, FIA in action Doing the government’s dirty work will bring disrepute
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T goes to NaB’s discredit that it failed to prove any charge against the PML-N leaders taken into custody over the last several months. This, despite having been given despotic powers. NaB succeeded only in conducting media trials of its victims that suited the PTi govt. it made efforts to collect or manufacture evidence only after it had obtained the remand of an accused. Consequently, the prosecution often faced embarrassment when the case was presented by it before a court. While accepting the bail applications of several of those arrested by NaB, courts questioned the Bureau’s functioning using expressions like “arbitrary use of power”, “mala fide”, “conjectures”, “unperceived perceptions”, “lack of capacity” and so on. To the common man those bailed out by the courts appeared to be innocent victims of a vengeful administration. That the NaB acted only against the opposition and spared those with seedy reputations in the ruling party confirmed the perception that what was being done under the rubric of accountability was in fact a persecution of the opposition at the behest of the government. The government is also responsible for making the aNF controversial. The LHC noted during the hearing of the case of PML-N Punjab President rana Sanaullah, who was a bitter critic of the PTi government, that despite the accused having been in aNF custody for six months there were lapses in the prosecution case, no recovery memo was prepared on site and the explanation for not conducting on-site proceedings was not plausible. The court wondered why the investigating officer made no request for rana Sanaullah’s physical remand to trace out the gang of smugglers he was allegedly leading. The court also noted that political victimisation is an “open secret” in the country. in case the Fia, which raided PML-N’s Lahore Secretariat, tried to be more loyal to the king than the king himself, it will lose whatever credibility it still possesses. among other things, what is wrong with the PM is that he hits the roof whenever anyone tries to confront him with a reality different from what he sees through his rosecoloured glasses. The courts delivering judgments against the PTi’s liking are sneered at. The media portraying this reality is accused of being controlled by a mafia.
Saudi FM in town Failure to issue joint statement reflects government secretiveness
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audi Foreign Minister Faisal ibn Farhan al-Saud was in islamabad on a one-day visit. The visit was being given more importance than usual because it came after Pakistan did not send any representation to the Summit in Kuala Lumpur, following Prime Minister’s visit to Saudi arabia. He bailed on the Kuala Lumpur moot after that visit, after first having agreed to attend. There was a proposal that Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi should lead a delegation to the Summit, but even that was given up. Mr Khan came under much criticism for having caved in to economic pressures, because Saudi arabia and the uaE had provided it aid packages last year, which paved the way for the iMF package to which the government agreed. The official outcome was not known, because no official statement, customary after such visits, was issued. This would normally mean that there had been no agreement of any kind, but sources had disclosed that Prince Farhan had said that Saudi arabia was planning to call an OiC Foreign Ministers’ meeting on Kashmir. One the one hand this affords the Saudis deniability. india does not want Kashmir discussed in any international forum, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi made its point to visit Gulf capitals after his government acted against Kashmiri autonomy, where he was lionised heavily. On the other hand, Turkey and Malaysia had both taken strong stances against india on Kashmir, with Malaysia even facing a palm-oil import ban from india. The whole episode showed Pakistan in a poor light. Pakistan showed that its commitment to the Kashmir cause came second to its economic interests. it also left Mr Khan with a stain on his conduct of diplomacy that may mean that Pakistan will be trusted the least by those powers which have given it the most support. Though foreign policy has not so far been prominent at hustings, when elections roll around, Mr Khan might find the voters asking awkward questions about it. if the economy remains in the sort of shape it is in, Mr Khan might find those questions impossible to brush off.
Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami
Arif Nizami Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad
Umar Aziz
Asher John
Joint Editor
Executive Editor
Deputy Editor
Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965
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Is Pakistan developed or impoverished? A
Pakistan has both manpower and resources, so what’s wrong?
Maira Hilal
developed country or an industrialised country is a sovereign state with a higher industrial and Human development index relative to other less industrialised countries. it must also have advance infrastructure, post-industrialist economies meaning the service sector provides more wealth than the industrial sector. They are contrasted with developing countries, which are in the process of industrialisation or are pre-industrial and almost entirely agrarian, some of which might fall into the category of Least developed Countries. Broadly speaking, the characteristics of developed nations are based on a high standard of living. Most of the GdP comes from the industrial sector, there is a high GdP per capita, low corruption, mainly urban citizens advanced public transportation, low poverty, low number of homeless, high quality of education, advanced military and security. These characteristics can be estimated through parameters which are used to determine the level of economic development of a country and they include the Human development index, income per capita, political stability, industrialisation, freedom and living standards of the general population, the Gross National Product (GNP), and the Gross domestic Product (GdP). Briefly, a highly developed economy, technological advancement and infrastructural growth are just a few criteria to know whether a country can be considered a developed nation or not. according to the 2019 economic survey report, the list of ten developed state is Norway, australia, Switzerland, Netherland, the uSa, Germany, Nederland, Canada, Singapore, and denmark. Why Pakistan is not falling into the category of developed states? Like many other states whether it does not have enough financial resources and superficial manpower to run its economy or is its industrial structure inadequate? To respond to these queries let’s have a glance at the educational structure of Pakistan. Pakistan
came into being on 14 august 1947 as a national state. it is one among those nations which arise prior to the emergence of various developed countries such as China, Japan, denmark, and so on. Economically, since its inception till today it has dropped down into the classification of underdeveloped states, despite having multiple natural resources and sufficient manpower also. Why is it so? although there would be multiple reasons for this backwardness but my focus will remain on the education system. Education plays an important role in boosting up the economy of any state. its contribution cannot be neglected at any stage. as far as the educational structure of Pakistan is concerned, Pakistan has been rated as the 110th most competitive nation in the world out of 140 nations. in international ranking, 23 Pakistani universities are ranked among the top 500 asian universities, despite the fact its educational system has not contributed significantly to the country’s product output. Every year hundreds and thousands of people are acquiring higher professional degrees but have practically failed to contribute to their country positively. The reason behind that is that the current educational system is outdated, because of the criteria of judgment, that are totally reliant on gaining marks. The more marks one has, the more chances one has to get a high post. in other developing states, educational institutions do not just emphasise awarding degrees on a piece of paper but they are much more concerned with the creativity and productivity of the students. Their aim is to bring the nation on a path where they can positively deploy their skills keeping in view the ethical and moral principles. in Pakistan, this kind of system is missing. Examples can be obtained from the 2018 annual economy survey report which demonstrated employment growth is one of the major challenges for Pakistan’s economy. during 2019 the provisional growth in industrial sector has been estimated at only 1.40 per cent mainly due to decline of 2.06 per cent in the
large-scale manufacturing sector. according to the labour force survey 2017-18 the total enrolment in all educational institutions in the country was 50.6 million compared to 48.0 million, during 2016-17, an increase of 5.3 per cent. Moreover, the literacy rate estimated at 62.3 per cent in 2017 as compared to 60.7 per cent estimated in 2014-15. if we order the countries according to their GdP per capita, Pakistan is in 154th position, and its population of 212.2 million has a low level of affluence compared to the ten top developed countries, as depicted by the census 2019, but its population growth rate is still very high. Furthermore, its economy is the 24th largest in the world in terms of purchasing power parity and 42nd largest in terms of nominal gross domestic product, and grew almost 5.5 per cent in 2018 compared to last year. So keeping in view the abovementioned data here it is clear beyond any doubt that in spite of strong and highly professional manpower, Pakistan has low GdP per capita, low standard of living, and high poverty rate, as well as a quality of education which is below standard. No doubt the present government is focusing on a uniform education system, uses of information technology, improved governance and financial efficiency of education system, decreasing the dropout ratio, and also removing financial barriers. Moreover, in this regard it has taken special initiative to fulfilling its commitment to create 10 million jobs through various projects. But the unalloyed truth is that it is a time taking commitment. So whatever hurdles Pakistan is facing today to making country a developed state, the root cause is its outdated educational system. So here education needs to be delivered inclusively effectively and equitably across the country so that Pakistan can fall into the categories of developing states in the future. Maira Hilal can mairahilal@yahoo.com
be
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Our oceans, our responsibility Oceans run the rick of being destroyed– by our pollution
NagHMaNa Zafar
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iSTOriCaLLy, oceans have been acknowledged as a connecting medium between continents. However, their fundamental role as cradle of life on planet earth could gain little recognition. it is not known to many, but 60 per cent of oxygen we breathe is produced by oceanic flora. almost a similar amount of CO2 is absorbed by this blue reservoir of salt water. The oceans play a critical role in regulating weather patterns. NaSa has established that 86 per cent of global evaporation is to be attributed to the seas and 78 per cent of the total precipitation in the world occurs over the oceans. The contribution of oceans in sustaining the economic prosperity of mankind is also very decisive. almost 90 per cent of the global trade by volume is carried out by sea. More than 50 per cent of the world population dwells along the coastal areas and the percentage will rise up to 75 per cent by 2025.a considerable amount of valuable minerals and energy resources, such as oil, gas, salt, precious metals and oceanic flora, which are used for medicines, are being extracted from oceans. The Food and agriculture Organisation has reported that more than 3.5 million people around the world consume seafood which fulfils 20 per cent of their protein requirements. uNESCO supported the fact that Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9
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oceans through fishing/seafood industry supports the livelihood of 820 million people. The number would increase if we add other direct or indirect maritime related employment activities. While there are hundreds of thousands of known marine life forms, there are many that are yet to be discovered. it is estimated that 94 per cent of life on earth is aquatic. That makes us landdwellers a very small minority. Hence, oceans are imperative to keep the world liveable. This calls for the recognition of the immense economic, strategic and environmental value of the oceans and make it imperative to address the issues related to sustainable usage of ocean resources. in the last century, overexploitation and despoliation of marine ecosystems and resources has continued and intensified. Human activities and socio-economic developments have affected the oceans badly. The undesirable change in ocean chemistry, acidification, is attributed to human emission of CO2 in atmosphere. acidification not only destroys the great reefs but also has the potential to disrupt ocean ecosystems, fisheries, habitats, and even entire oceanic food chains. it is pertinent to mention that coral reefs are known as biodiversity hot spots and fish breeding grounds. The factors like pollution and injudicious exploitation of oceanic resources can damage our oceans
Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545
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beyond repair. The fishing industry alone is responsible for 10 of marine debris. Nets and fishing gear get lost or are thrown away in the ocean. These “ghost nets” continue trapping fish for many decades. according to the estimates, every year 6.5 million tonnes of plastic, with all the toxins they contain, pose a threat to sea life and ecosystems. it has been reported that annually one million sea birds and more than 100,000 marine species are killed from plastic thrown in the seas. Large numbers of coastal and marine animals have been documented with plastic in or around their bodies. The situation in Pakistan is not different from the rest of the world. a study carried out by WWF–Pakistan revealed that 50 per cent of the plastic pollution in and around the coastal areas of Karachi is beach trash. Even traces of solid waste have been reported on secluded beaches of Baluchistan. Likewise, more than 480 million gallons of untreated sewage and industrial effluent (combined) is released into the sea from Karachi on daily basis. in all likelihood, the diminution of marine life and environment will have far reaching effects on the national economy. unfortunately, humans are failed to appreciate the relationship between oceans and sustainability of life on Planet Earth. We must clearly understand that there are finite limits to what the oceans can provide us
Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk
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and how much we can consume at the cost of our future generations. There are a number of national organisations and government departments working for change/improvement in the situation, such as iuCN and WWF, which are vigorously pursuing national campaigns on mangrove plantations under various international initiatives, demarcation of Marine Protected areas and development of premium Marine debris Collection Barges by Pakistan Navy are a few undertakings towards healthy oceans. These steps will definitely have positive impact in coming years; but without addressing the sources of pollution we cannot achieve all-inclusive coastal zone management. For that reason, we all have a general responsibility to protect and preserve our oceans. We must adopt an environmentfriendly lifestyle and support maritime stakeholders in their efforts to promote and protect our oceans. Even just by raising awareness about the resources that oceans provide us with— from oxygen to climate, food to minerals and of course; the breathtaking beauty of this underwater wonderland— we can do our bit for the protection of this valuable asset. Naghmana Zafar is maritime researcher at National Centre for Maritime Policy Research (NCMPR), Bahria University Karachi.
Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk
Saturday, 28 December, 2019
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
The latest natural gas price determination by OGRA
Prevailing perils of judicial corruption While the judiciary should be independent, it must also be accountable Dr rajkuMar SiNgH
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NdEPENdENCE of judiciary in a narrow sense deals with the independence and impartiality of individual judges in relation to the appointment, tenure, payment of salary and so on, while in a broader sense the concept is about institutional independence of the judiciary. Of course, the judiciary cannot operate in isolation from the other arms of the government. an independent and impartial judiciary has important consequences for trade, investment and financial markets. On the other corruption in judiciary diminishes trade, economic growth and human development; and most importantly, it denies citizens impartial settlement of disputes with neighbours or the authorities. Corrupt judiciaries fracture and divide communities by keeping alive the sense of injury created by unjust treatment and mediation. a judicial system debased by bribery undermines confidence in governance by facilitating corruption across all sectors of government, starting at the helm of power. Concept and Kinds of Corruption: Corruption in judiciary is defined as ‘the abuse of entrusted power for private gains’. This means both financial or material gain, such as the furtherance of political or professional ambitions. it includes any inappropriate influence on the impartiality of the judicial process by any actor within the court system. For instance, a judge may allow or exclude evidence with the aim of justifying the acquittal of a guilty defendant of high political or social status. Judges or court staff may manipulate court dates to favour one party or another. Other parts of the judicial system may influence judicial corruption. Criminal cases can be corrupted before they reach the courts if police tamper with evidence that supports a criminal indictment, or prosecutors fail to apply uniform criteria to evidence generated by the police. Thus, judicial corruption extends from pre-trial activities through the trial proceedings and settlement to the ultimate enforcement of decisions by the court. The common type of corruption that heavily hampers the daily functioning of judiciary is political interference. it is done by either the executive or legislative branches of government. despite several decades of reform efforts to protect judicial independence, judges and court personnel around the world continue to face pressure to rule in favour of powerful political or economic entities, rather than according to the law. Not only in india
but in other nations too, political interference comes about by threat, intimidation and simple bribery of judges. Judicial independence is founded on public confidence. The perceived integrity of the institution is of particular importance, since it underpins trust in the institution. in developing countries judicial and political corruption are mutually reinforcing. Where the justice system is corrupt, sanctions on people who use bribes and threats to suborn politicians are unlikely to be enforced. Bribery, the second kind of judicial corruption, can occur at every point of interaction in the judicial system: court officials may extort money for work they should do anyway: lawyers may charge additional fees to expedite or delay cases, or to direct clients to judges known to take bribes for favourable decisions. For their part, judges may accept bribes to delay or accelerate cases, accept or deny appeals, influence other judges or simply decide a case in a certain way. in the situation when defendants or litigants already have a low opinion of the honesty of judges and the judicial process, they are far more likely to resort to bribing court officials, lawyers and judges to achieve their ends. it is also pertinent to mention here that in the developing world the formal judicial system handles only a fraction of disputes; while traditional legal systems or state-run administrative justice processes account for an estimated 90 per cent of non-legal cases in many parts of the globe. dimensions of judicial corruption: Judicial corruption in any form affects the stages of impartial decision-making in i). ascertaining the facts, ii). finding laws, iii). interpreting the legal materials selected and iv). applying the resulting legal percept to the cause. at each of these stages of judicial decision-making, impartiality is essential and at every stage, the possibility exists that the judge’s experience and values may influence the outcome. The common form of corruption in judiciary comes from greed, or is driven by ambition. Judges have an obligation to avoid corruption of those or similar kinds. They also have an obligation to avoid less obvious forms of partiality, or even the appearance of it. There is a need, here, to balance the rights of judges as individuals, to pursue causes in which they believe, on the one hand, with the need for public confidence on the other. in a democracy the cornerstones of judicial integrity are independence, transparency and accountability. But the real strength of the judiciary is the trust and confidence of the people in it, and that such trust and confidence will continue only when the judiciary is seen as a noble, virtuous, incorruptible institution;
and if there is wide publicity about corruption in the judiciary, people will lose faith in the system, thereby further eroding the strength of the judiciary. Till date, much money has been spent training judges without addressing expectations and incentives for judges to act with integrity. Money has also been spent automating the courts or otherwise trying to reduce court workloads and streamline case management which, if unaccompanied by increased accountability, risks making corrupt courts more efficiently corrupt. Possible remedies: The other measures to combat the judicial corruption include the systems of Performance indicator, Performance review and Judicial Education and Training. under the first proposal the court should collect and report performance indicators and then engage in benchmarking. Benchmarking involves developing performance standards which can then be used to compare the organisation and efficiency of a court with the benchmarked standard. The purpose of benchmarks is to permit comparison between different courts, the comparison being an objective one. in a system of performance reviews, the arrangement for performance appraisal is to be made by members of the legal profession and there is wide talk and discussion on the issue in australia and England. There is no doubt that performance reviews could aid in the improvement of judicial standards, but any formal system of evaluation raises concerns for individual independence. For decades, and especially in the recent past, there have been repeated calls for judges to be more accountable. in that context, judges are regularly accused of making law rather than of applying it. These accusations are often made in circumstances in which the judges have done no more than develop the common law in accordance with accepted principles, in order to keep pace with changing social conditions, in much the same way as they have done over hundreds of years. in fact, the scope of accountability or responsibility can range from a rigid subject of one person to the control of another, to a degree of responsiveness on the part of one person to the interests or wishes of another. Because of recent calls to make judges more accountable in respect of their efficiency and as regards their spending of public money, the objective of accountability to promote good-decision making is becoming more relevant day by day. Dr Rajkumar Singh is professor and head of the Political Science Department, BNMU, Saharsa, Bihar, India, and can be reached at: rajkumarsinghpg@gmail.com
THE Oil and Gas regulatory authority (OGra) carries out the natural gas price determination for Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), inter alia, in the light of next fiscal year revenue requirements. it is well within the ambit of the Government of Pakistan (GoP) to advise OGra of any concessions / special price regimes for specific sectors to be considered while determining the sale price. The latest OGra gas price determination issued on 10 december 2019 is under active consideration by the Ministry of Energy. This recommendation is for increase in natural gas prices for the consumers all across the spectrum. The purported increase in the fertiliser feedstock price is over 236% from rs300/MMBTu to over rs706/MMBTu. at the same time the fuel price increase is also on the cards, though nowhere close to the unjust and uncalled for increase in the feedstock prices. The GoP has forty days to act / decide on the advice of OGra. it is given to understand that the latest agreement between GoP and international Monetary Fund (iMF) necessitates that GoP fulfils this obligation. The price impact works out to be roughly rs600 per 50 kg bag of urea. This translates into a new price of rs2,600 per 50 kg bag of urea. if such a price determination is to see the light of the day, the agriculture sector would be hit hard. The country would witness unparalleled turmoil in it and undoubtedly it would become the worst performing sector of the already fragile economy that is reeling from recent input energy price hikes. This is going to hit the farmers and the farm economics in a way never seen before. The government seems to be on a path of self-destruction and is heeding to advices of the unseen villains, hell bent on destroying the very livelihood and backbone of Pakistan’s poor farmers. it is worth noting that over the years GoP has raised the raw material cost such that the gas component of the urea produced has gone up historically from roughly 30% to 55% at present. This would further escalate to 85% of the total urea bag price if the new prices are implemented as proposed and producers are not allowed to raise prices impacted due to this unjust gas price increase. The impact of fertiliser use on the yield of major crops, wheat and rice, has been to the tune of 250% and 160% respectively in the last fifty years. any abrupt changes in the fertiliser price would have direct negative impact on the food security of the country. There is a way out of this situation, a win-win solution for all the stake holders. One plausible solution is to make the fertiliser fuel price adjustments (increase) so as to minimise or no feedstock price increase. To maintain a certain level of revenue for the Gas Companies, only the fuel prices may be increased. This would have the following benefits: a). Minimal increase in the fertiliser prices b). Would promote healthy competition among the fertiliser industry c). instead of windfall profits for the new fertiliser plants – that enjoy a fixed dollarised d). feed price for 10 years – the relatively less price increase would benefit the farming community at large having low negative impact on farm economics another important factor that needs urgent attention of the GoP is the settlement of the long outstanding Gas infrastructure development Cess (GidC). Fertiliser sector has been subjected to the highest rate of rs300/MMBTu GidC on the feedstock and rs150/MMBTu for the fuel gas. if the GoP wants to improve the farm economics, it should implement the already agreed formula of reduction in feedstock and fuel GidC to 50%. This too would be a win-win solution for all the stakeholders. Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL) based fertiliser plants have spent billions on developing their gas infrastructure just to sustain the current production levels. in an ideal world, the gas suppliers / GoP should have footed the bill for such infrastructure development. On one hand, the government is contemplating unjust increase in gas feedstock prices and on the other hand, a high-powered ministerial committee has been formed to negotiate with the fertiliser manufacturers to bring down the existing urea prices, which are already substantially lower than international prices. This is a negation of laissez faire and bound to backfire. at the same time, various statements by public office holders about “windfall profits by the fertiliser producers” purports to maligning an industry which has been one of the highest tax payers and one of the best governed in the country with substantial number of public & private shareholders. The GoP is urged to proactively consider the above suggestions. doing so, the government would not lose its revenues, the iMF obligations would be met, the gas producers would be happy, and above all the farm economics would be least hit. ANoN Lahore
Saturday, 28 December, 2019
10 FOREIGN NEWS
netanyahu wins Party vote in boost ahead of israeli election JERUSALEM
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AGENCIES
SRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu easily won a vote to keep the Likud party helm, the party said on Friday, in a boost ahead of what is likely to be a hardfought general election in March. Netanyahu won 72.5% of votes in Thursday’s party ballot, against 27.5% for challenger Gideon Saar, who conceded, tweeting that he would now back the incumbent “for the sake of a Likud victory in the (general) election”. The challenge by Saar, a former education and interior minister, had added to pressures on the four-term premier, who is under indictment and fighting for polit-
ical survival. Netanyahu declared victory in a speech at Likud’s campaign headquarters near Tel Aviv, telling supporters: “The future is in our hands”. “The sweeping decision in the primaries was a major expression of confidence in my path, in our path,” Netanyahu said, adding: “Now is the time to bring a sweeping victory to Likud and the right in the elections.” In November, Netanyahu was charged with corruption in three criminal cases and he has twice failed to form a government in the wake of inconclusive national ballots in April and September. Netanyahu’s rival in those elections, Benny Gantz of the Blue and White party, was also unable to form a coalition, lead-
ing to political deadlock and a third election on March 2. Netanyahu has cast the legal case against him as a political witch-hunt by the media and an Israeli left hoping to oust him. Gantz, who will be Netanyahu’s main challenger again in March, sought to draw a distinction between his centrist party and Likud under Netanyahu, who he said was “seeking to break down the rule of law”. “As Likud continues to led by a defendant in bribery, fraud and breach of trust, we will choose unity, statehood and reconciliation, leading Israel on a new path,” Gantz said on Twitter. Though the troubles of “King Bibi”, as his fans call him, do not seem to have dented the loyalty Netanyahu commands
among his supporters, some Likud members have said it is time for fresh leadership. Netanyahu had played down Saar’s challenge, talking up his own security
FBI investigates Briton, others for Epstein links LONDON AGENCIES
The FBI is investigating British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell and several other people linked to U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, according to two law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation. They said a principal focus of the FBI’s investigation is Maxwell, a longtime associate of Epstein, and other “people who facilitated” Epstein’s allegedly illegal behavior. Maxwell has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing. Her lawyers did not respond to a request for comment. The FBI also is following up on many leads
received from women who contacted a hotline the agency set up at its New York field office in the wake of Epstein’s arrest in July, the sources said. One of the sources said the probe remains at an early stage. The sources declined to give further details or identify the people they are looking at apart from Maxwell. However, they said the FBI has no current plans to interview Britain’s Prince Andrew, a friend of Epstein’s who stepped down from his public duties in November because of what he called his “illjudged” association with the well-connected money manager. A spokeswoman for the FBI declined to comment. A representative for the British royal family said that whether the agency interviewed Andrew was “a matter for the FBI.” Epstein’s suicide in August, at age 66, came a little over a month after he was arrested and charged with trafficking dozens of underage girls as young as 14 from at least 2002 to 2005. Prosecutors said he recruited girls to give him massages, which became sexual in nature. He had pleaded not guilty. Following Epstein’s arrest, the FBI urged anyone who had been victimized by Epstein or had additional
information to call the agency’s hotline. U.S. Attorney General William Barr vowed to carry on the case against anyone who was complicit with the financier. “Any co-conspirators should not rest easy,” he said in August. The sources said they had received numerous tips from the hotline, which they are looking into. Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s alleged victims, has said in a civil lawsuit that Maxwell recruited her into Epstein’s circle, where she claims Epstein forced her to have sex with him and friends including Andrew. Maxwell has called Giuffre’s allegations lies. Giuffre in response filed a defamation suit against Maxwell in 2015. Giuffre repeated the claims about the prince in a BBC interview that aired this month. Andrew, 59, also categorically denies the accusations and has said he has no recollection of meeting Giuffre, who was previously named Virginia Roberts. The two law enforcement sources said the FBI’s principal focus is on people who facilitated Epstein and that Andrew does not fit into that category. They did not rule out the possibility that the FBI would seek to interview Andrew at a later date.
10 times women broke the glass ceiling worldwide in 2020 AGENCIES Countries around the world have promised gender equality by 2030, but in 2019 a new index showed that even the most advanced nations weren’t doing enough to reach that goal. Women are still paid around 20 percent less than men and make up fewer than one quarter of national parliamentarians, according to the United Nations’ International Labor Organization. Female participation in the labor force has grown in recent decades, as has gender parity at the top level of management, but women are still underrepresented in the corporate world. But where are the bright spots? As the year draws to a close, we take a look at which women managed firsts in their fields. Here’s a list of 10 from around the world: 1) First all-female space walk completed via The Verge In October, a team of two women from US space agency NASA were the first all-female team to step into space. There had been female spacewalkers before but this was the first time there was team of two women. 2) The first woman pilot flew in the Indian navy via The Economic Times Sub Lieutenant Shivangi became the first woman to fly a plane in India’s navy. The milestone came three years after the country’s air force recruited its first female pilots. 3) The first Native American women sworn into US Congress via Today Show In January, Deb Haaland and Sharice Davids were sworn in as lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives, a first for native American women. 4) Sudan named first female head of judiciary via James Hall (@hallaboutafrica) Supreme Court Judge Nemat Abdullah Khair was nominated to run the country’s judiciary, the first woman to do so in the Muslim African nation. 5) First female president of Slovakia took office via UPI
credentials and international prowess. Saar had argued that Likud was unlikely to regain power in March unless Netanyhu steps aside.
turkish court sentences to jail seven at opposition newspaper ISTANBUL: A Turkish court on Friday handed down jail sentences to seven journalists and other staffers at opposition newspaper Sozcu over aiding a network that Ankara says orchestrated a failed coup in 2016, the paper said. Sozcu, long a pillar of Turkey’s secularist establishment, described the verdict as a black mark in the history of free press. All eight defendants present at the final court hearing demanded acquittals, the newspaper said. Ankara has cracked down on suspected followers of Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based Muslim cleric, since the July 2016 coup attempt in which some 250 people were killed. Operations against the network are still routine. Prominent columnists Emin Colasan and Necati Dogru, as well as editors Mustafa Cetin and Metin Yilmaz were convicted of aiding the Gulenist network and each were sentenced to more than three years in jail, Sozcu said. The court ruled to acquit video journalist Mediha Olgun, and it deferred a ruling on the paper’s owner Burak Akbay, who was being tried in absentia. In the three years since the attempted coup, more than 77,000 people have been jailed pending trial and about 150,000 civil servants, military personnel and others have been sacked or suspended from their jobs. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, and his followers deny any involvement in the coup. AGENCIES
bosnia jails exislamic state fighter for four years
In June, former anti-corruption campaigner and LGBT-friendly lawyer Zuzana Caputova became Slovakia’s first female president. LGBT+ activists hope it could lead to positive changes for gay and transgender rights in the conservative country. 6) Pope Francis named first women to key Vatican department via Crux Four women – three nuns and one layperson – became councillors in the office of synods, which prepares major meetings of world bishops held every few years. 7) First British jockey raced in a hijab via The National AE Khadijah Mellah became the first British jockey to compete in a major event wearing a hijab. To top it off, she won the race in what she described as a “fairytale” victory. 8) First black African woman climbed Everest via IOL
After multiple setbacks, South African Saray N’kusi Khumalo completed the challenge on her fourth attempt, and now wants to reach the top of the other Seven Summits. 9) First indigenous Mexican woman nominated for an Oscar via TeenVogue Yalitza Aparicio, 26, became the first indigenous Mexican woman nominated for an Oscar. Aparicio had never acted before she was cast as a domestic worker in the film “Roma”, and she used her new found fame as a platform to campaign for workers. 10) Financial Times newspaper picked first female editor via AAWSAT Roula Khalaf was named as the next editor of Britain’s pink newspaper, the first woman to do so since it was founded in 1888. Khalaf, who was born in Lebanon, has been at the paper for more than 20 years.
SARAJEVO: A Bosnian Muslim who pleaded guilty to terrorism charges was sentenced to four years in prison on Friday for organizing a terrorist group and fighting for Islamic State (IS) in Syria, a Bosnian court said. Ibro Cufurovic, from the northwestern town of Velika Kladusa, has been in custody since his extradition from Syria in April. He had previously been detained for about two years by a Kurdish militia in Syria. The court cited mitigating circumstances while explaining its ruling on Cufurovic, who had used the name Abu Kasim Albosni during his five years in Syria, where he took part in militant activities alongside other Bosnians. “The defendant admitted he was guilty,” said Hasija Masovic, the court council’s chairwoman. “At the time when he made the decision to leave for Syria, the defendant was only 19”. Masovic said Cufurovic had repeatedly expressed regret for his actions and had attempted to return to Bosnia, according to the defense and witnesses. Hundreds of Bosnian citizens are believed to have left to fight for IS in Syria and Iraq. Many foreign nationals are now in detention camps waiting to be handed over to their countries of origin. Last week, a group of 25 former IS fighters, women and children, some of them orphaned, returned to Bosnia. Seven men were detained and questioned, while six women and 12 children, among them Cufurovic’s wife and children, were taken to a reception center for further examination and medical assistance. AGENCIES
Saturday, 28 December, 2019
BUSINESS 11
Govt haS rEturnEd $10bn in forEiGn loanS, SayS PM’S aidE
CORPORATE CORNER
KARACHI STAFF REPORT
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KARACHI: Arif Habib Limited (AHL), one of Pakistan's leading and largest brokerage and investment banking firms, has been recognised among the Top 25 Companies by the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX). Prime Minister Imran Khan, as the chief guest on the occasion, presented Arif Habib Group Chairman Arif Habib with the award. PRESS RElEASE
LAHORE: OLX has announced a strategic partnership with Bank Alfalah in the online car and real estate market with the aim to promote financing with the integration of a financing widget on OLX. P R E S S R E l E A S E
DVISER to PM on Finance Abdul Hafeez Shaikh said on Friday the government had, so far, returned $10 billion worth of foreign loans. Addressing a ceremony at the Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi, he said that some of these loans were not even acquired by the present government. The finance adviser maintained that Pakistan's economy was on an upward trajectory and that its performance was being acknowledged by all the major foreign financial institutions. "Members of the Asian Development Bank reported to their board that Pakistan's performance warrants the provision of special instruments," he said. Shaikh said that after a period of four years, portfolio investors had expressed their confidence in the country and invested in excess of $1 billion. He said that the foreign direct investment had witnessed a 87pc increase in the first five months of the current financial year as compared
E-office system to be activated in all ministries: official ISLAMABAD APP
KARACHI: Karachi Editors Club (KEC) celebrated the 144th birthday of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah by organizing a seminar titled ‘Salute to a Great Leader’. P R E S S R E l E A S E
Pharma exports up 8.6pc in five months ISLAMABAD APP
The export of pharmaceutical products during the first five months of the financial year 2019-20 grew by 8.66pc as compared to the corresponding period of last year. The pharmaceutical exports were recorded at $92.714 million during July-November FY20 as against the exports of $85.323 million during July-November FY19, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). In terms of quantity, the export of pharmaceutical goods increased by 20.84pc during the period under review, from 4,865 metric tonnes to 5,879 metric tonnes. Meanwhile, on a year-on-year basis, pharmaceutical exports rose by 34.01pc in November 2019 as compared to the same month of last year. Pharma exports in November 2019 were recorded at $19.586 million as against the exports of $14.615 million in November 2018. On a month-on-month basis, the export of pharmaceutical products witnessed an increase of 11.85pc in November 2019 when compared to the exports of $17.519 million in October 2019. It is pertinent to mention that the country's merchandise trade deficit plunged by 33.04pc during the first five months of the FY20 as compared to the same period of last year. The trade deficit during 5MFY20 was recorded at $ 9.668 billion as against the deficit of $14.439 billion during 5MFY19. The exports during the period increased from $9.109 billion to $9.545 billion (+4.79pc), whereas imports declined by 18.41pc, from $23.548 billion to $19.213 billion.
to the past year. "All the investors, evaluators, analysts, agencies and organisations whose task it is to monitor the economies of countries, have all given Pakistan a thumbs up. "They are all saying Pakistan has stabilised. Pakistan is on its way to long term growth. And these are all good signs." He said that Pakistan was also undergoing institutional development. "People come and go but our growth rate is never sustained because we do not focus on the development of our institutions." He said that it was the prime minister's vision to have competent people run the government and given the responsibility to improve the state of institutions. "For the first time, we gave the State Bank autonomy and let them draft the monetary policy. "We wish to empower all other institutions as well to make their own decisions." He said that it was also decided that the private sector will be the engine of growth. "You must have seen it is not the case that PTI workers
In a bid to digitise the governance process, the incumbent government has introduced EOffice in 31 ministries, while activation of online application was pending in the 11 remaining ministries due to the non-availability of required infrastructure. “E-office systems had so far been implemented in 31 ministries, including 48 departments, out of a total of 42 ministries,” said an official of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication.
“Only 11 ministries and divisions of the federal government have yet to adopt the e-office system, but they are committed to its implementation by the end of next year,” he stated. The delay in the implementation of e-office systems in the leftover ministries was due to the unavailability of required infrastructure in several ministries and departments, as many of their officers were working in rented and temporary accommodations. The procurement of the required infrastructure was in the process and would hopefully
be completed by the end of the next year. The National Information Technology Board (NITB), a department of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications, is mandated to undertake e-government initiatives at federal ministries, divisions and departments, including an e-office system which helps set-ups shift from manual to a paperless electronic system. The e-filing system in the e-office programme enables the electronic movement and tracking of files with the archival and retrieval of data.
Poultry sector hits an all-time low in 2019 KARACHI INP The year 2019 has turned out to be another low-growth year for Pakistan’s poultry sector, which is at its all-time low, owing to various tax anomalies and the unfriendly export environment, as even those poultry businesses in Pakistan running state-of-the-art units now find it difficult to carry on. In the year 2019, Pakistan again failed to make its presence felt in the $3.7 trillion international Halal food market. Due to unjustified taxation policies during 2018-19, the poultry industry was able to process less than 5 per cent of the total broilers produced in the country, in spite of being the world’s 9th largest chickenproducing nation with about 1.2 million broilers produced in the year. Contrarily, the rest of the world’s major broiler producers and even those countries with a marginal poultry production process more than 95 per cent of the total broilers produced. To make things worse, finished poultry products under FTA with Malaysia are allowed
to be imported in Pakistan free of import duty and sales tax and from China at a preferential rate of 10pc customs duty. In contrast, the Pakistani government has imposed a heavy customs duty, sales tax and additional regulatory duties on the import of raw materials for producing poultry feed and for processed, value-added chicken products, thus making it possible for local poultry producers to compete in the international poultry export market. To restrict the import of value-added poultry products, the government must immediately impose a regulatory duty of at least 40 per cent on imports of finished products, processed chicken and tab eggs. This will give the poultry exporters a much-needed space they require for growth. To curb illegal imports, global chicken importers must comply with Pakistan’s Halal Standards, and every consignment of poultry product reaching Pakistan must be accompanied by a certificate issued and authenticated by the Halal Regulatory Authority nominated by the importing country. This practice is quite common in other Muslim countries.
are being given coveted government jobs. No. We aim to provide you all these incentives so that you all can hold all the good quality jobs." The finance advisor said that the government was also inviting options from the business community for better domestic production. He also spoke of the government working hard to address all their concerns such as refunds, recalling that after a meeting with business leaders, Rs30bn in promissory notes had been converted to cash within 24 hours. "Our government is different because we are here for you always." Speaking of challenges that persist, the finance advisor said that the government was working to reduce inflation. "We did not increase petroleum prices in the last five government because there was no rise in prices globally," he explained, adding that an increase in fuel prices is the natural consequence of a global rise in prices. He said domestic production was also a worry for the government as well as the role of women in the economy for which the government would continue to make efforts for improvement.
MarkEt Daily
KSE-100 drops 279 points in volatile session KARACHI STAFF REPORT
Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a volatile trading session on Friday, with the KSE-100 Index failing to sustain gains and closing in the red. Foreign investors turned out to be the net sellers of $2.34 million (MondayThursday), whereas local mutual funds and insurance companies bought equities worth $6.52 million and $3.20 million, respectively. On the economic front, Pakistan's foreign exchange reserve remained flat for the week ended Dec 20, 2019. Total liquid reserves of the country were recorded at $17,595 million, as against $17,656 million in the previous week. On Friday, the KSE-100 Index managed to gain 62 points before the midday break, but collapsed in the late hours to mark its intraday low at 40,726.65 (-401.14 points). It settled lower by 279.26 points at 40,848.53. The main culprit behind the fall was the commercial bank sector, which pulled the index down by 89.38 points. Only five sectors managed to withstand the storm; power (+33.54 points), fertiliser (+32.03 points), close-ended mutual funds (+5.82 points), textile spinning (+1.14pts) and leasing companies (+0.41 points). The trading volumes were recorded at 146.61 million, above the five-day average of 124.53 million. Meanwhile, among other indices, the KSE-30 Index toppled 86.17 points with Habib Bank Limited (HBL -23.44pts), MCB Bank Limited (MCB -21.85pts) and Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDC -20.46pts) among the major negative contributors; while the KMI-30 index dropped 584.94 points with only the fertiliser sector (+187.13 points) participating positively. Overall market participation was recorded at 265.97 million, the highest of the week. Worldcall Telecom Limited (WTL +8.50) led the volume chart with 31.80 million shares exchanging hands, followed by Unity Foods Limited (UNITY 2.16pc) with 8.51 million shares swapping hands. The refinery sector lost 3.25pc from its cumulative market capitalization. Paper & board sector was next with 2.64pc fall in market capitalization.
Turkey unveils $3.7bn home-grown electric car project ISTANBUL AGENCIES
Turkey said it plans to produce up to 175,000 vehicles annually under its domestic electric car project, set to be unveiled by President Tayyip Erdogan on Friday, drawing investment of 22 billion lira ($3.7 billion) over 13 years. The project to produce a fully homegrown car has been a longtime goal of Erdogan and his ruling AK Party as a
demonstration of the major emerging market’s economic power. Ahead of the unveiling, the consortium that produced the prototype published a video of the vehicle wrapped in black tarpaulin driving along highways and over a bridge. Turkey is already a big exporter to Europe of cars made domestically by firms such as Ford, Fiat Chrysler, Renault, Toyota and Hyundai. The new project, launched in Octo-
ber, will receive state support such as tax breaks, and establish a production facility in the automotive hub of Bursa in northwest Turkey, according to a presidential decision in the country’s Official Gazette. Five models of the car will be produced by a workforce of more than 4,000 people, the statement said, adding the government had guaranteed to buy 30,000 of the vehicles by 2035. Erdogan first revealed plans in No-
vember 2017 to launch a car made entirely in Turkey by 2021. He is expected to drive the prototype over a suspension bridge at a ceremony Friday in the northwestern district of Gebze. The consortium, called Turkey’s Automobile Initiative Group (TOGG), was established in mid-2018 by five industrial groups: Anadolu Group, BMC, Kok Group, mobile phone operator Turkcell and Zorlu Holding, the parent of TV maker Vestel.
TOGG’s CEO is former Bosch executive Gurcan Karakas and its chief operating officer is Sergio Rocha, former General Motors Korea chief executive. It said it will begin production in 2022 with sport utility vehicles in the compact car segment. In October, Volkswagen said it postponed a final decision on whether to build a car plant in Turkey amid international criticism of an October Turkish military operation in Syria.
Saturday, 28 December, 2019
12 BUSINESS
CorruPtion rifE in CuStoMS aS onE offiCial MintS ‘rS700M PEr Month’ ISLAMABAD
China fines toyota 87.6m yuan over lexus price-fixing BEIJING AGENCIES
China’s market regulator on Friday has fined Japanese carmaker Toyota Motor (7203.T) 87.6 million yuan ($12.5 million) for price-fixing on its premium Lexus cars in eastern Jiangsu province, according to a document on its website. The decision comes as China steps up regulation over auto sales in the world’s biggest vehicle market, where more than 28 million cars were sold last year. The antimonopoly bureau of State Administration for Market Regulation said that between 2015 and 2018, the Japanese carmaker set a minimum sales and resale price for its cars in coastal Jiangsu province, which deprived dealers of pricing autonomy and harmed customers’ rights. Lexus also fixed sales strategies in the region over the period, including offering customers discounts while asking them to purchase accessories at fixed prices, a sales tactic usual among individual auto dealers in China but frowned upon for carmakers. A spokesman at Toyota, Lexus’ parent firm, told Reuters the firm acknowledged the penalty and respects the decision. He did not comment further. China’s auto sales are declining, but Lexus’ sales keep growing. It sold 180,200 vehicles in the first 11 months this year, a 21pc jump from a year earlier. In June, China’s market regulator imposed an 162.8 million yuan fine on Ford Motor Co’s joint venture with Changan Automobile Group for violating anti-monopoly law.
iCCi stresses need to facilitate industrial zones ISLAMABAD APP
Developed countries had achieved fast economic growth by setting up industrial zones, but industrial activities in Islamabad were suffering at the hands of multiple problems, said Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Acting President Saifur Rahman Khan on Friday. Khan urged the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Municipal Corporation Islamabad (MCI) to focus on better development of industrial areas so that the dream of rapid industrialisation could be realised. He was talking to Islamabad Industrial Area Association Senior Vice President Muhammad Ali Mirza. The ICCI acting president informed that the CDA's board of directors, on the chamber's recommendations, had approved amendments in industrial bylaws a few years ago. However, he lamented, the authority had neither notified the bylaws nor did it implement any. He said that the CDA should issue a notification with regard to the amended bylaws approved by its board, as that “would facilitate the growth of industrial activities and create more jobs” in the region. Khan assured that ICCI would cooperate with IIAA to resolve key issues of the local industry. Speaking on the occasion, IIAA SVP Muhammad Ali Mirza recalled that the CDA in the past had cancelled some industrial plots on the pretext of 'nonconforming use'. He demanded that the CDA should restore all such cancelled plots and allow multiple businesses on them to promote industrial activities. He said that roads and footpaths in Islamabad industrial areas were broken, due to which heavyduty vehicles were facing problems in the transportation of goods. "Some streetlights are not working in industrial areas while the arrangements of sanitation and water supply are also unsatisfactory," he complained. Mirza emphasized that CDA and MCI should take solid measures to address those issues. "Industrial areas in Islamabad are providing jobs to thousands of people, but no serious effort was made to develop them on modern lines."
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SHAHZAD PARACHA
RIME Minister Imran Khan's startling revelation that a Customs collector was illegally earning an exorbitant amount of Rs700 million per month has triggered a serious debate among the concerned quarters. However, sources have confirmed that the prime minister was talking about Quetta Customs Collector (Appraisement) Mr Raza, who was allegedly involved in corrupt practices. Mr Raza is a grade-20 officer of Pakistan Customs, serving as Collector Appraisement since February this year. According to the sources, owing to Mr Raza's close ties with the incumbent Customs Operation Member, he remained on important
positions throughout his 24-year service. Last month, Quetta Customs (Appraisement) Deputy Collector Muhammad Ibrahim was transferred to Islamabad's internal audit dept owing to corruption allegations. "The department is full of corruption and nobody, including the Federal of Revenue chairman, is paying any heed to the matter," sources said. Recently, Customs Intelligence-Peshawar had confiscated smuggled pomegranates worth millions of rupees. The department had written a letter to the FBR chairman in this regard, highlighting the involvement of Customs officials working at the Pak-Afghan border. However, Shabbar Zaidi ignored the issue while the powerful officials continue to hold their positions in the area. Sources further claimed that the FBR was also not bothered about the Federal Tax Ombudsman's order regarding the misuse of the import-
cum-export facility in respect to gold, jewellery and other precious metal, resulting in a massive loss of revenue (around Rs68 billion in two cases) to the national exchequer. The FTO had maintained that the Customs Operation Member, along with other senior officials, was involved in the said misuse. Meanwhile, President Dr Arf Alvi had recently rejected the present Customs field formations and had directed the tax department to take action against the involved officers. However, as per sources, no progress was made to this end. FBR Chairman Shabbar Zaidi did not reply to Profit's questions regarding Quetta Customs Collector (Appraisement) Mr Raza. However, when asked about the corrupt practices by officials posted at Torkham, the FBR Chairman replied, "We are trying our best to eliminate the menace of corruption from the department."
PM urges traders to help ensure economic stability BUSINESS DESK Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Friday that promotion of economic activities and bringing people out of poverty were among the top priorities of his government. Talking to a business delegation in Karachi, PM Imran urged the traders to help boost economic process in the country. "All stakeholders should jointly work to ensure economic stability in the country." Terming the business community as an important pillar of the economy, PM Imran vowed to address their issues on a priority basis. Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and PTI stalwart Jahangir Khan Tareen were also present on the occasion. Earlier in the day, PM Imran
india's internet shutdowns costing millions of rupees in lost revenue NEW DELHI AGENCIES
Khan had vowed to transform Pakistan into a developed country. Addressing the 'PSX Top 25 Companies Award' ceremony in Karachi, PM Imran had said that the government was committed to creating new jobs and ensuring ease of doing business in the country. The prime minister had said that 2019 was a year of eco-
nomic stability and 2020 would be a year of progress, prosperity, development, poverty alleviation and job creation. He maintained that the country was on the brink of economic disaster when PTI had come into power, adding that the incumbent government had taken significant measures to boost the economy.
KARACHI: A carpenter varnishes furniture. ONLINE
Indian mobile operators are losing around 24.5 million rupees ($350,000) in revenue every hour they are forced to suspend internet services on government orders to control protests against a new citizenship law, a top lobby group said on Friday. Countrywide protests have raged for three weeks after parliament passed legislation which gives minorities from neighbouring Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh a path to citizenship but excludes Muslims. That, coupled with a plan for a national register of citizens, are seen by critics as anti-Muslim moves by the Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. To quell protests, government has deployed thousands of police as well intermittently ordered mobile data shutdowns at a time people have used social media such as Instagram and TikTok to wage a parallel battle online. Such internet suspensions have been criticised by internet freedom activists. On Friday, mobile internet was ordered shut in at least 18 districts in northern Uttar Pradesh state, a telecoms industry source told Reuters. A Reuters witness received a text message from an internet service provider announcing that home broadband services on the outskirts of capital New Delhi will be unavailable for 24 hours, till the morning of Dec 28. Indians consume an average 9.8 gigabyte of data per month on their smartphones, the highest in the world, according to Swedish telecoms gearmaker Ericsson. The country is the biggest market by users for social media firm Facebook and its messenger WhatsApp. Internet shutdowns should not be first course of action, said the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), which counts mobile carriers Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Reliance Industries’ Jio Infocomm as its members.
Oil steadies near 3-month highs on US, Chinese economic data LONDON AGENCIES
Oil prices steadied on Friday, hovering just under three-month highs as upbeat economic data from China and the United States and optimism over a trade deal between the two major economies improved investor sentiment. Brent crude was up 1 cent at $67.93 a barrel at 1307 GMT, and the West Texas Intermediate was up 4 cents at $61.72 a barrel. Volume of oil trade remained thin in the Christmas holidays and New
Year breaks. Data on Friday showed profits at China’s industrial firms rose at the fastest pace in eight months in November. Among sectors, the chemical, petroleum processing and steel industries reported recovering profits last month due to rebounding market demand and rising prices amid easing trade hostilities with Washington. China and the United States cooled their 17-month long trade war earlier this month, announcing a Phase 1 agreement that would reduce some US tariffs in exchange for more Chinese purchases of
American farm products. The lingering ripple effect of the trade row, however, showed up in data from Japan, the world’s third-biggest economy, on Friday as industrial output shrank for a second month in November. In the United States, a survey on Thursday showed that online holiday purchases by US consumers reached a record, beating analysts’ expectations and sending US stocks to fresh. US consumers are “showing few signs of tightening their purse strings, which is positive for oil also,” said Stephen Innes chief Asia market strategist
at AxiTrader. US crude oil stockpiles likely declined last week, while inventories of gasoline were set to extend their build for the seventh straight week, an extended Reuters poll showed on Thursday. The latest poll was conducted ahead of the weekly status report from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), an agency of the US Department of Energy. The EIA report is due at 11:00 a.m. on Friday. The EIA report has been delayed by two days due to Christmas. The report is normally released on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. EST (1530 GMT).
The price Brent has jumped more than a quarter in 2019, while WTI is up around 35pc, boosted by moves by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producers, including Russia, to curb production. OPEC+ this month decided to prolong its oil output restriction deal until the end of March and to deepen the cuts in order to balance out the oil market. [nL8N28X0W9] Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Friday OPEC+, may consider wrapping up their oil output reduction in 2020.
Makeup anatoMy with isMah Malik In winters along with the sound of winds, we can clearly hear wedding bells in Pakistan. With the shaadi season, comes a major concern of makeup in the female crowd. Ismah Malik, the vibrant woman entrepreneur gives us some interesting makeup details and tips to the fashion fanatic ladies for this wedding season.
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What skincare tips would you suggest to those who hate going to salons in winters? Drink lots of water, cleanse & exfoliate, moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. And remember, sunscreen is not just for summer.
What inspired you to start your business in the makeup industry? When I came back from Canada, I wanted to do something I was passionate about & where I believed I could truly provide quality service.
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What, in your opinion, is the most important quality in a Makeup Artist? Good training, experience & consistency of work. For the client, when you do their makeup, it’s the most important day of their life. As an artist, you cannot have an “off” day.
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How do you stay abreast of the latest beauty trends? Travel worldwide to attend relevant workshops & events, read, stay up to date on social media trends.
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How do you prepare different skin types before applying makeup? We normally assess skin beforehand, during pre-services, to ensure that our technique is appropriate for the skin type. For example, for dehydrated skin, we moisturize via facials and for oily skin, we conduct treatments beforehand as well to ensure a perfect finish.
By Rohama Riaz
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Both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826—exactly 50 years after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
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What is the cleaning routine of your salon to keep makeup and other services hygienic? Hygiene is our topmost priority. All tools are sterilized before and after each use. At the beginning and end of the day, all tools, equipment & brushes are cleaned with a Dettol solution and then sterilized for the next day’s use.
Which are the two-season makeup trends you find interesting? My favorites this season: Subtle glitter on the lash-line or lashes, Neon on the eyes, diffused in the inner corner. Metallic or matte, both look awesome.
What’s the funkiest combination for eyes and lips? Smoky eyes & nude lips OR Cat eyes & red lips What are the winter lip colors? Brown lips are really trending in this winter
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Do you train your employees by yourself? If so, do you plan to open up a training academy? We train all our employees ourselves, & we also conduct regular classes with outside experts. Our training academy for both men & women is planned for the end of 2020.
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What would be the effect of analogous/complimentary colors in makeup? For a purely cool or warm look, analogous colors are best, but if you want a vibrant, striking look, we would recommend complementary colors.
Which are the 3 makeup items that are always in your bag? Liquid base, lip gloss, face powder
Which are the brands that you keep at your salon for customers and why? We provide hair care products with Argan Oil as well as an organic range of hair & skincare products.
Dogs are capable of understanding up to 250 words and gestures. The average dog is as intelligent as a two-year-old child.
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What are the challenges that you faced in setting up your salon? Finding top-quality equipment was difficult back then & we had to import a lot of stuff. Reliable & trained staff is also hard to find so we ended up hiring & then training all our staff ourselves. It worked out better this way, I feel, as my staff is trained to my satisfaction.
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Do you plan on opening up your branches anywhere else in Lahore? We have 2 new branches planned for Lahore in 2020, & we will also be branching out to other cities soon. We are also considering giving franchises to other cities.
Peter Durand patented the tin can in 1810. Ezra Warner patented a can opener in 1858. In between, people used chisels and hammers.
Kumail Nanjiani Shows Off Jacked 'Eternals' Body
Brie Larson Responds To Captain Marvel 'Horrible Comics Fans'
Jawaani Jaaneman teaser: Saif Ali Khan is in his Cocktail mode
Kumail Nanjiani, known for Silicon Valley, revealed his new muscular look for the Marvel movie Eternals earlier in the month. Nanjiani posted images of his physique transformation into the Marvel Eternals character Kingo on Instagram. "I never thought I’d be one of those people who would post a thirsty shirtless, but I’ve worked way too hard for way too long so here we are. You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. I found out a year ago I was going to be in Marvel’s Eternals and decided I wanted to transform how I looked. I would not have been able to do this if I didn’t have a full year with the best trainers and nutritionists paid for by the biggest studio in the world. I’m glad I look like this, but I also understand why I never did before. It would have been impossible without these resources and time,” Kumail explained. He continued: “So big thanks to @grantrobertsfit who started working with me at the beginning of the year and made me understand true physical pain for months and months. I promise I’ll be interesting again some day.”
The release of the Captain Marvel movie earlier this year saw lots of controversies - similar to Disney's Star Wars: The Last Jedi - which saw fans offer up their dissatisfaction with Brie Larson and the approach to the character in the MCU. In an interview over at Variety, which is basically nothing more than a fluff piece, the interviewer calls those fans "horrible comics fans" and asks Brie Larson her take on them; however, credit to Larson, she doesn't take the bait: There are horrible comics fans who were rooting against it, because it had a woman lead character, and because of your politics. People made YouTube videos about wanting the movie to bomb. They did? Oh. I didn’t even know. The interviewer continues with the mention that the "comic wars" are "hideous," which again doesn't see Brie Larson take the bait: It’s a hideous world, the comics wars. I don’t have time for it, you know? The things that I have extra time to really look at are, like: Am I eating healthy food? Am I drinking water? Am I meditating? Have I called my mom today?
The teaser of actor Saif Ali Khan’s next film Jaawani Jaaneman was unveiled on Friday. Salman seems to be in Cocktail mode. The teaser opens with Saif’s character saying: “Sher hoon main sher… aur sher tab tak raja hota hai jab tak aleka hota hai.” Soon after, scenes of Saif enjoying the night life of London with night clubs, booze, girls and, what appear to be several one-night stands, flash across the screen. That’s when we also get glimpses of Saif dancing to his hit song, Ole Ole. Cut to a dinner table scene at home where an elderly Sikh person, possibly the father of Saif’s character in the film, asks him to learn to take responsibility of the family as a young man. Featuring Saif, Tabu and newcomer Alaya Furniturewala, the film has been directed by Nitin Kakkar. The first poster of the film was shared on December 23 and showed Saif on a bed with two other women. None of their faces were visible but what is evident that Saif’s character is in the playboy mode. On December 24, another poster from the film was shared, which was pretty much the same poster but this time Saif’s face is visible.
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Saturday, 28 December, 2019
14 SPORTS
LiveRpooL thRaSh LeiceSteR to open up 13-point pReMieR League Lead LEICESTER
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URGEN Klopp insisted it is not yet party time for Liverpool despite tightening their grip on the Premier League title race with a dominant 4-0 thrashing of second-placed Leicester to open up a 13point lead at the top of the table. Roberto Firmino scored twice from Trent Alexander-Arnold crosses either side of James Milner’s penalty before the brilliant Alexander-Arnold rounded off the scoring himself. Liverpool also have a game in hand over Leicester and seem destined to finally end a 30-year wait to win the title. “With all the things around us, the biggest quality of my boys is that we are not listening really, we are completely focused on what we have to do,” Klopp told Amazon Prime. “I’m really good at partying my friends will tell you, but I never wanted to have a party without a reason. “If there is something to celebrate I will tell you, until then we will work.” Fresh from winning the Club World Cup for the first time in Qatar on Saturday, Klopp’s men showed no sign of fatigue from a congested December schedule as they outclassed the Foxes from start to finish.
Alexander-Arnold was a constant threat rampaging forward from rightback and stung Kasper Schmeichel’s palms inside the first minute before Klopp soon had his head in his hands when Sadio Mane somehow spooned Mohamed Salah’s dangerous cross wide. An opener for the runaway league leaders was only a matter of time and duly arrived just after the half hour mark when Alexander-Arnold’s cross was headed powerfully down past Schmeichel. The Danish goalkeeper had ensured
Leicester’s 3-1 defeat at Manchester City on Saturday was not far more comprehensive and needed to be at his best again to keep the Foxes in the game as he saved one-on-one from Mane moments later. Two heavy defeats in five days have proved to be a reality check for Leicester’s title ambitions with their focus now on making sure they hold off a chasing pack including Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United to secure a return to the Champions League. “It’s important there is a little bit of perspective,” said Schmeichel. “If you
told us we would be in the position we are at the start of the season we would have taken it. “We take this as inspiration, that’s the level. Those are probably the two best teams in the world at the minute and that’s the level we have to aspire to be.” Liverpool, by contrast, demonstrated why they are Champions League winners and Premier League champions in waiting. Klopp’s men finally had the breathing space they desired via the arm of Caglar Soyuncu as he handled Alexander-Arnold’s corner 20 minutes from time. Milner had only been on the field a matter of seconds and stroked home the penalty with his first touch. Three minutes later, Firmino doubled his tally of goals and AlexanderArnold added a third assist with a driven low cross that the Brazilian expertly cushioned before slotting into the top corner. Alexander-Arnold then capped a magnificent performance by blasting low and hard beyond Schmeichel into the bottom corner. The Boxing Day card marks the halfway point of the Premier League season, but even with half the season to play, Liverpool’s march towards the title looks unstoppable. “It is theirs to lose,” added Schmeichel.
Repsol Honda team manager Alberto Puig has brushed off suggestions from within his own camp that the Honda RC213V is more difficult to ride than its rivals, pointing out four riders have won ten MotoGP titles on the machine. The Japanese firm has largely dominated in recent years with Marc Marquez, the Spaniard completing arguably his most convincing title win yet in 2019 with 12 victories from 19 races. Coupled to six further second place results (with just a single DNF) Marquez almost single-handedly won the teams’ title for Repsol Honda despite Jorge Lorenzo contributing just 28 points to the overall total. However, some within the Honda fold – notably Cal Crutchlow – have decried the fact the RC213V is adjusted towards Marquez’s unique riding style, making it tricky for others to extract the maximum from it without over-stepping the limit. Crutchlow scored three podiums and finished ninth overall in 2019. It’s an assertion Puig shrugs off though, pointing out that Honda has won ten of the last 18 MotoGP titles
with four different riders – Marquez, Casey Stoner, Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi – which gives it a better rate of success than any other manufacturer. “The fact is that in the last 18 years Honda has won the MotoGP title ten times, with four different riders. Yamaha [has won the title seven times] with two riders and Ducati [once] with one rider," Puig said. "So, with these facts, we can say that the easiest bike to ride is a Honda! Because it has won the championship with many riders - Rossi, Hayden, Marc, Casey. "I don’t know what the other teams are saying, but we don’t care so much about this. The total performance of a team is not only about the bike or rider it's the complete, whole structure. "So I think this [impression of Honda only winning because they have Marquez] is just an idea, but it's not a fact." A DIG AT CAL CRUTCHLOW? Perhaps not outwardly, but Marquez’s dominance on the Honda this year suggests it is up to others in the Honda fold to really step up to the mantle to at least get closer to the Spaniard’s performance. However, Puig’s argument slips on the notion today’s Honda RC213V is harder to the ride than
SPORTS DESK Barcelona forward Luis Suarez and wife Sofia Balbi have renewed their wedding vows at a star-studded gathering in Uruguay attended by Lionel Messi among others. The celebration to mark 10 years of marriage took place in a luxury tourist complex near the coastal city of Maldonado, about 130 km (80 miles) east of the capital Montevideo. A crowd of football fans, including many wearing the Barcelona strip, gathered near the entrance as Suarez's clubmates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba arrived along with Ballon d'Or winner Messi and his wife, Antonella Roccuzzo. Brazilian star Neymar was also there, local media said. Uruguay striker Suarez and Balbi exchanged "rings inscribed with their respective names, made from white gold and diamonds", according to a statement. The couple met when Suarez was 14 and started seeing each other soon afterwards. They were married in 2009 and have three children.
Steyn ‘feels’ for Rauf after BBL exclusion
Honda is the easiest MotoGP bike to ride, says team manager SPORTS DESK
Barcelona's Suarez renews wedding vows, with Messi on guest list
SPORTS DESK
those which took Stoner, Rossi and Hayden to their titles, which even Marquez has suggested is the case. However, the six-time MotoGP champion also says it isn’t his job to make the bike better for his stablemates when it’s so successful already in his hands. Of course, Honda makes itself vulnerable if Marquez gets injured, which is a risk given he suffered the second highest number of crashes of anyone in 2019 (and was top in 2018) but has so far managed to avoid significant in-season injuries. Instead, much could depend on the performance of Takaaki Nakagami in 2020. The Japanese rider gets hold of Marquez’s 2019 title-winning machine next season, the bike Crutchlow struggled to get the most from. Earlier in the year Crutchlow brushed off the suggestion Nakagami deserved an upgrade to the currentspec bike because he felt anyone would prove quick on the 2018 machine his LCR team-mate was riding. Should Nakagami prove comparable to Crutchlow next year, it won’t reflect well on him.
South African pacer Dale Steyn feels for Pakistan’s Haris Rauf after the latter was dropped from the Melbourne Stars squad due to former’s arrival, despite a dream start to the Big Bash League (BBL). Steyn, who was not available for the first two matches in the BBL, has recovered from the side strain after getting injured during the Mzansi Super League (MSL). Rauf, who replaced the injured the South African pacer, claimed seven wickets in just two matches with an economy rate of 5.87. His fifer against the Hobart Hurricanes caught the attention of fans around the world due to his sheer pace and control. While talking to Seven Sport, Steyn jokingly said that his Melbourne teammates are expecting him to live up to Rauf’s performance. “I feel for him. He was amazing and bowled so well. He has bowled absolute wheels. I have pretty big shoes to fill in some sense,” said Steyn. “Everyone is joking and saying to me that they are not expecting much, but 5 wickets for 13 in 4 overs and no boundaries would be a great start.”
Modest Maradona museum pays tribute to patron saint of Naples NAPLES AGENCIES
For some, Diego Maradona is the greatest footballer of the 20th century, for others — mainly English — he is the cheating possessor of the hand of God. In Italy, however, he is and always will be the patron saint of Naples. And just as saints have their altars so Maradona has his museum, an extraordinary treasure trove of artefacts that includes the left boot with which the Argentine scored twice against Belgium in the semi-finals of the 1986 World Cup. You can also find his first contract with Napoli and even the sofa from his Naples apartment where singer Julio Iglesias once sat. It’s all here in the cellar museum. Maradona arrived at Napoli as a world record $10.48 million signing from Barcelona in July 1984. His time in Catalonia had been difficult and Naples was a bolthole. He was to stay seven years, captaining the team to their first-ever Serie A title in 1986-7. They did it again three years later and during Maradona’s stay the Neapolitans also won the Coppa Italia, UEFA Cup and Italian Super Cup. It was a golden age which Napoli have never come close to repeating, so it is no surprise to find a museum that
commemorates such a rich epoch. Massimo Vignati’s museum, though, is one of a kind. It does not appear on any map of Naples, nor is it in travel guides, and entry is free. And yet, this basement of a typical building in Secondigliano, a tough neighbourhood in the north of the city, breathes all things Diego. It is a delightful melange of Maradona mania with photos, pennants, balls, armbands and shirts, some washed or signed, others not. Some items equate almost to holy relics — the bench on which Maradona changed at the San Paolo stadium and the K-Way jacket which features in the memorable footage of him ball-juggling to the sound of Opus’ “Live is Life” during an incredible warmup before facing Bayern Munich in 1989. This astonishing hoard also testifies to the unique bond between the Argentine genius and a family which was at the heart of his seven-year stay in Naples. “I was fortunate that for 37 years my dad was the caretaker of the San Paolo stadium and the Napoli changing rooms. And my mother was Maradona’s housekeeper and cook,” Vignati told AFP. His sister babysat Diego’s daughters Dalma and Giannina while Massimo, as a child and then adolescent, rubbed shoulders with the city’s idol on a daily basis.
“We were with Diego from Monday to Sunday,” says Vignati, looking at the photos of a time when the Argentine’s apartment on the heights of Posillipo, an upscale district of the city, was like his second home. “He and his wife gave us all these things because they knew we were a lot of children, five boys and six girls. “I was a ballboy during Maradona’s seven seasons. On Mondays, I went to play five-a-side, I did not go to school. “And on Tuesdays, sometimes he took me to the Napoli training session … ‘Diego, let’s go in the Ferrari!'”. For a long time, the wonders now on display in the Vignati cellar were locked away at the San Paolo. “My father had two rooms,” says Vignati, whose second son is called Diego. “One for all these memories and one for drinking a good Neapolitan coffee. “After his death, I brought everything here. But the club knows that this place exists. “If they make a museum, I will always be ready. I hope everything can go back to the stadium, it was my father’s dream.” During his last visit to Naples in 2017, Maradona fell into the arms of Lucia, Vignati’s mother, whom he calls his “Neapolitan mamma”. “These are just beautiful memories,”
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she says. “He was kind, someone good, very passionate. When he left, it was as if I had lost a son.” For the time being, the collection will remain in the family, whether it is at the San Paolo or down in the cellar. “I could live on my annuities if I had accepted all the offers that were made to me,” says Vignati. “But these are memories of my father and my family, nothing is for sale. “It is a place dedicated to someone we love as a brother. For us, Diego is the twelfth brother.” This season, Napoli have battled through to the last 16 of the
Champions League but they are struggling in Serie A. The fans can only dream of a return to the golden age. “With everything that is going on, there would have to be a Maradona, who takes everything on himself,” says Massimo. “He is a child of Naples, he is of the people. We are found in him. “If he comes, there will be 90,000 people at the stadium. Maradona…even if you talk to kids today, they know. He’s in the DNA of the Neapolitans. “Maradona is San Gennaro, the patron saint of Naples. He is immortal.”
Saturday, 28 December, 2019
SPORTS 15
KaneRia iLL-tReated By teaMMateS BecauSe oF Faith: ShoaiB aKhtaR KANERIA ENDORSES AKHTAR’S CLAIMS, THANKS HIM FOR SUPPORT KARACHI
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ORMER Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar has said cricketer Danish Kaneria was treated differently in the team because he was a Hindu during their playing days. Akhtar added that he used to be en-
raged by his teammates’ behaviour when they refused to break bread with Kaneria because of his religion and did not give him due credit for his performances. “I used to get very angry when anyone was discriminated on the basis of region or religion. A Hindu born in Pakistan is entitled to represent his country. When that Hindu (Kaneria) won us the Test series against England (in 2005), I was upset with my teammates for mistreating him,” said the celebrated former pacer. “In my career, the number of times I have had to argue with people regarding the issues of Karachi, Punjab, Peshawar is outrageous. People used to ask ques-
tions like, ‘Why are you eating (with us) here?’ to Hindu players like Danish Kaneria,” Akhtar said at a show titled “Game on Hai”. “I used to reply to those players, ‘How would you feel if I took your food from your house and forced to make you eat outside?'” he said. Kaneria is fourth in the list of bowlers who have taken most Test wickets for Pakistan, behind only fast bowlers Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Imran Khan. He was handed a lifetime ban by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) after allegations of him being involved in match fixing surfaced. Danish Kaneria on Tuesday lauded
Pakistan pacer, Shoaib Akhtar, for his comment regarding the treatment faced by Kaneria and said that whatever Akhtar said was true and he is very thankful to him for taking such a brave stand. “I am very thankful to Shoaib Akhtar bhai for his remarks. Whatever he said was true. I have never said anything to him although he came for my support,” Kaneria told ANI. The 39-year-old Kaneria, who played 61 Tests for Pakistan, is the second Hindu to feature in the Pakistani cricket team after Anil Dalpat. The spinner, who had 261 Test wickets and 15 ODI scalps, said that he did not
have the courage to speak about that but after Akhtar’s statement he will soon name players who have issues with him during his cricketing days. “The players who didn’t like to talk to me just because I was a Hindu. Soon I will reveal their names. I did not have the courage to speak in this regard, but now I got the courage to speak on this issue when I heard Shoaib’s statement,” Kaneria said. Kaneria said there were players like Younis Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, and Akhtar who were nice to him irrespective of his religion.
New Zealand lose early wickets as Australia take charge of second Test
MELBOURNE AGENCIES
Australia snatched two early wickets to leave New Zealand facing an uphill battle to stay in the second Test Friday as they chase the home team's 467, built on the back of a gritty 114 from Travis Head. At the close on day two, the Black Caps were 44 for two with Tom Latham not out nine and Ross Taylor on two as a series defeat looms. Captain Kane Williamson lasted only 14 balls, skying a James Pattinson delivery to wicketkeeper Tim Paine on nine while Tom Blundell, called up for the out-of-form Jeet Raval, was out to Pat Cummins for 15. The visitors need to win to square the three-match series
after crashing by 296 runs in the opening day-night clash in Perth. Australia looked in complete control at tea on 431 for five, but they then collapsed to be all out for 467 within nine overs of the restart. Skipper Paine departed for 79 seven balls after tea, with Mitchell Starc gone soon after for one. Head, Cummins and Nathan Lyon rapidly followed with Neil Wagner (483) and Tim Southee (3-103) doing the damage. Australia started the day at 257 for four with Steve Smith on 77 and Head not out 25. Head came into the match under pressure after a lean spell, but silenced his critics with only his second Test century, reaching three figures off 222 balls. "It's very nice to contribute. It's
pretty cool to score a Boxing Day hundred, nice to get my opportunity," said Head, adding that Paine counter-attacking when he came in helped. "It helped that Tim came out and struck the ball as well as he did, it definitely took a lot of pressure off me. But credit to New Zealand, at times it was difficult and they stemmed the scoreboard." 'WE KEPT FIGHTING': It was a patient innings from the 25-year-old, who scored his only other century (161) against Sri Lanka in Canberra. After reaching his ton he began hitting out and finally fell to a Wagner full toss, slicing it to Mitchell Santner. He was ably supported by the impressive Paine, who played an array of
shots to notch his seventh Test half-century off just 72 balls. The 35-year-old had a golden opportunity to score a maiden ton, but he blew it, out lbw to Wagner after a review. That brought Starc to the crease, but he lasted just three balls before spooning a Southee delivery to Williamson at mid-off. Cummins and Lyon managed just one run between them with Pattinson left not out 14. "I thought we kept fighting, kept trying and that is one of the great characteristics about this team, we keep giving everything," said Wagner. "A tough day, but full credit to the Australian batsmen. It's almost like they've been a step ahead of us, they showed a lot of patience and clear plans." It was a big turnaround for New Zealand who were buoyed after snaring the vital wicket of Smith for 85 before lunch, but then failed to capitalise. Smith looked set for a 27th Test century and his fifth in as many Tests at the Melbourne Cricket Ground before a Wagner bouncer ended his 242-ball knock. It had been slow going as pace spearheads Trent Boult, Southee and Wagner kept the batsmen in check, with Smith adding just eight to his overnight score in more than an hour before he was out. Wagner had been peppering him with short balls and one ballooned off Smith's bat handle and glove with Henry Nicholls taking a fine onehanded catch at gully. While deprived of another ton, it marked a return to form for a player who, uncharacteristically, had gone five innings without a 50. New Zealand are playing their first Boxing Day Test in Melbourne since 1987, with Williamson winning the toss and opting to bowl. Nearly 60,000 turned up to watch on Friday after more than 80,000 on day one.
Former Pakistan cricketer Javed Miandad believes that the International Cricket Council (ICC) should step forward and stop its members from touring India due to security concerns. A Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was recently passed in India, which triggered demonstrations all across the country. At least 21 people have been killed, since the law was passed, in protests. While speaking in a video posted on pakpassion.net, the batting legend requested foreign teams to take a stand against India on the basis of humanity. “My message to ICC, please stop all the playing countries [from] touring India. Now you can see, now [we] will see the justice from ICC, what are they going to do and what they are going to say to the world,” said Miandad. “ICC, come forward and tell all the world, all the people who are members with the
ICC, they must tell all the countries [to] stop playing any games in India because India is [no longer] a safe country.” “Other countries are better than India because India is fighting with the people, their own people. Look at that, what’s going on? Must take action,” he added. Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani had also stated that India is a far greater security risk as compared to Pakistan, after Pakistan celebrated Test cricket's return to the country after a decade with an emotional 1-0 series victory against Sri Lanka. “We have proved that Pakistan is safe, if someone isn’t coming then they should prove that it’s unsafe. At this time, India is a far greater security risk than Pakistan,” said Mani. Responding to Mani’s statement, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s vice-president Mahim said that PCB should worry about security in its own country first.
CENTURION: Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada took a wicket apiece as England's top-order batsmen were put under pressure on the second day of the first Test at SuperSport Park on Friday. England were 60 for two at lunch in reply to South Africa's 284 all out. England's openers fell cheaply, both caught behind by Quinton de Kock off balls which bounced steeply. Rory Burns fell to Philander after making nine, which included two edged boundaries off Rabada. He had been given out caught behind off Rabada's first ball of the innings but a review showed his bat had made contact with his pad but not the ball. Dom Sibley was dismissed by Rabada for four. Philander bowled an immaculate opening spell and did not concede a run in five overs. Joe Denly faced most of Philander's bowling and had still not scored when he edged the 25th ball of his innings low to first slip where Rassie van der Dussen put down the chance, perhaps put off by De Kock diving in front of him. Denly scored his first run in the same over, off the 28th ball he faced. He was unbeaten on 17 at lunch. Rabada was particularly hostile and hit England captain Joe Root on the helmet, ducking into a bouncer, when the England captain was on six. Root had scored 23 not out at the interval. Anrich Nortje bowled with impressive pace when he replaced Rabada, with his first ball timed at 147kmh and another delivery at 149kmh. England needed only 11 balls at the start of play to take the last South African wicket after the hosts resumed on 277 for nine. Philander scored all seven runs added before he was caught behind off Stuart Broad for 35. Both Broad and Sam Curran had figures of four for 58. AGENCIES
paine blasts dRS technology after controversial dismissal
ICC should stop all countries from playing cricket in India: Miandad SPORTS DESK
england openers fall cheaply against South africa
SPORTS DESK
"They should look at security in their own country first and think about it first. We are capable enough to handle our country and security here," Verma told Asian News International (ANI). One the treasurers of the BCCI, Arun Dhumal, also questioned Mani’s comments on the security situation in India. “For a person who stays mostly in London, it is inappropriate for him to comment on anything on India’s security. He is not even eligible to comment on Pakistan’s security. He hardly stays there. If he gets to spend more time in Pakistan, he would get to understand the real situation there,” Dhumal was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
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Australia captain Tim Paine blasted cricket's Decision Review System Friday, saying it left him "disappointed and angry" after he was dismissed controversially in the second Test against New Zealand. Paine played one of his best innings and was on track to score a maiden Test century when he was removed lbw by Neil Wagner for 79 after New Zealand reviewed the umpire's original not out decision. He was asked about the DRS by broadcaster ABC afterwards and replied: "Don't start." "I thought from the length that it pitched, and the bloke bowling around the wicket, it's pretty difficult to hit you in line, and hit the stumps," he said of the delivery. Some commentators agreed that it was hard to see how Wagner's ball could have cut back into Paine so much, struck him in line and gone on to hit middle stump.
Saturday, 28 December, 2019
NEWS Four new polio cases reported in KP and Sindh, tally reaches 115 Four new polio cases were detected in Pakistan Friday. Two of these were from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and two from Sindh. With the new cases, the tally for this year has risen to 115, said the National emergency Operations Centre for polio. if the vaccine-derived polio cases are also taken into account, the total comes to 127. The first case was a 15-month-old boy from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district. He had received no routine dose of the polio vaccine and seven doses of supplemental immunisation, according to his parents. The second case was a 17-month-old girl from KP’s Bannu district. Her parents said she received three routine doses of the polio vaccine and no supplementary dose. in Sindh, the poliovirus was found in a seven-year-old girl from Sukkur and a 22-months-male from Tando Allah Yar, confirmed the eOC Sindh. The girl had received one routine dose and seven supplementary doses. The affected boy has passed away due to severe prior illnesses which had lasted two weeks before the polio diagnosis, said the officials. “We have just started our battle afresh with the successful December nationwide campaign; first since January as the April attempt was affected by unfortunate Peshawar drama,” the National eOC stated. “Two follow up national campaigns are planned in February and April that along with efforts for improving routine immunisation coverage can turn the tide.” They have urged parents to get their children vaccinated in light of the rampant spread of the virus this year. NEWS DESK
COAS lauds troops’ readiness against conventional threats
NAB wON’t NAB yOu NOw, PM IMrAN ASSureS BuSINeSSMeN KARACHI
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STAFF REPORT
rime minister imran Khan on Friday told businessmen that the federal government has issued an ordinance to keep the accountability watchdog away from the business community. “You will be happy to hear this that we have insulated the business community from NAB [National Accountability Bureau],” Pm imran said while addressing traders and businessmen at the Pakistan Stock exchange. “i know there are some of my friends sitting here and they must be happy to hear this because they were also facing NAB cases,” he added. earlier in the day, the federal cabinet approved the NAB Ordinance, 2019. it will now be sent to President Arif Alvi. The premier said the business community had been raising the issue of NAB with government officials, as it was “free to probe anyone”.
“it is our contention that NAB should only conduct scrutiny of public office-holders,” he said. There were other institutions such as the Federal Board of revenue (FBr) to probe the business community, imran added. The prime minister told businessmen that the government was studying models of various countries to provide relief to investors. He assured them that their problems would be resolved and his economic team would always be there to help them. imran said that he would continue to meet with businessmen as he does, at least every once in two months. “i will resolve your problems because the country needs it,” Pm imran said, adding that new investors would only come to Pakistan if the existing ones were making profits. “We want people to earn money,” he said. “We want people to make profit.” The government would now focus on “small and medium” industry and help them, the prime minister said. He said 2019 was the year of sta-
prospers,” he said, adding that it was the government’s task to facilitate them with “ease of doing business”. “it was a great feat for us that despite having inherited a bad economy, with institutional collapses all around, we were able to jump 28 points up on the ease of doing business index of the World Bank,” said the premier. The Pm regretted that profit-making was misconceptualised in the country and confused with profiteering over the past few decades. “We want people to make money […] we will see that there is ease in doing business.” He said the path to progress had begun after a difficult period in the first year of the government’s rule. “But the rupee has stabilised now and investors have confidence,” he added. The premier also spoke of how tourism can facilitate job creation, especially with Pakistan being recently ranked as the number one holiday destination by Condé Nast. He said this would facilitate job creation for the youth and will bring in much-needed foreign exchange.
Balochistan CM faces a likely rebellion ISLAMABAD MIAN ABRAR
RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited the formations of Karachi Corps and Pakistan rangers Sindh in the border areas. According to inter-Services Public relations (iSPr), the army chief appreciated the readiness of the troops for response against any conventional threat. it is worth mentioning here that on Thursday, Prime minister imran Khan, while addressing a rally, had said that he spoke to General Bajwa about possible threats from india in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and was told that the army is ready to respond to any indian misadventure. On Wednesday, during his visit to the Quaid’s mausoleum in Karachi, the army chief had said that the father of the nation’s vision about the “two-nation theory is an, even more, acknowledged reality today”. STAFF REPORT
bilisation, adding, “God willing, 2020 will be the year of growth.” He said that the state would not only ensure that its citizens were provided dignity, it would ensure the implementation of “equal justice for all”. “These are the two principles on which an ordinary country can become a great one,” he said, adding that the state of madina provides the perfect example to learn from as it lead on all fronts, whether scientific or business. “The more we concentrate on why Pakistan was created, the clearer our roadmap ahead will be. Whether it is business or our foreign policy, the roadmap lies in the country’s vision.” The prime minister said Pakistan was envisioned on the same founding principles on which the state of madina was created. He said the business community would have to play a very important role in the realisation of this vision. Business creates wealth and a country cannot advance until there was wealth creation, said Pm imran. “Wealth creation is only possible when the business community
The opposition parties, namely Balochistan National Party-mengal (BNP-m) and Jamiat Ulemae-islam-Fazl (JUi-F), have stepped up efforts to oust Balochistan Chief minister Jam Kamal amid a widening rift between the coalition parties in the province, Pakistan Today has learnt. Sources said that the opposition lawmakers have started contacting the angry “chieftains” in the ruling Baluchistan Awami Party (BAP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTi) to bring an inhouse change in the Balochistan Assembly. Besides, Speaker Abdul Qudoos was also approached to assist them in the ouster. They said: “Other than Bizenjo, Sardar Sarfraz Chakar Domki has already quit to protest the Cm’s alleged intervention in his ministry, whereas Jan mohammad Jamali, Sardar Saleh Bhutani, irrigation minister Nawabzada Tariq magsi and PTi parliamentary leader mobin Khilji have also expressed their displeasure with Cm Kamal.” Health minister Nasibullah marri is also disgruntled after he was shown the door by Jam Kamal, the sources claimed.
PARTY POSITION BALOCHISTAN ASSEMBLY: in the House of 65, treasury benches have support from 42 lawmakers, including 24 members of BAP. PTi has seven members, Awami National Party (ANP) has four members, BNP-Awami has three members, Hazara Democratic Party has two lawmakers, while the Jamhoori Watan Party and independents have one member each. The opposition, on the other hand, is 22-strong: 11 members belong to JUi-F-led mmA, BNP-m has 10 lawmakers, whereas Pashtoonkhwa milli Awami Party has only a single lawmaker in the house. The fissures in the rank of the treasury benches are out in the open, now that Balochistan Assembly Speaker Abdul Quddoos Bizenjo has actively started lobbying against the chief minister. PTi Balochistan President Sardar Yar mohammad rind — active against Kamal since day one after he was denied a lucrative post in the cabinet– is also supporting the in-house change. The differences came to the fore after Bizenjo in a public meeting said that he respected Kamal as a human being but not as the chief minister. “Jam Kamal has failed to implement the BAP’s vision and since the people expressed their
trust in the party the elections, it is incumbent upon us to take practical steps and fulfill the expectations of people,” he had said. The BAP sources confirmed to Pakistan Today that Bizenjo was working to regroup the angry mPs against Kamal. in this regard, Kamal had also called on Pm imran Khan, but it would be a long shot as the PTi Balochistan led by rind was also against him. rind had recently met with Prime minister imran Khan along with a party delegation and informed the premier about his differences with Jam Kamal Khan. Sources in the PTi claimed that the premier had advised rind not to oppose Jam Kamal and promised to address his grievances. GOVT DENIES RIFT: Balochistan government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani denied any rift within the coalition government and said that there was absolutely no issue between the coalition party leaders. “No one has given any statement against the chief minister. Yes, there was a statement by Bizenjo where he expressed some reservations… but he had also praised the vision of the Cm,” he said. He said he saw no reason for criticism on the development schemes led by Kamal, claiming the development pace in Balochistan was faster than other provinces.
India imposes internet restrictions as fresh protests erupt NEW DELHI AGENCIES
mobile internet was cut on Friday in parts of india’s most populous state and thousands of riot police were deployed as fresh protests erupted in Delhi and mumbai against a citizenship law seen as anti-muslim. Twenty-seven people have died in two weeks of, at times, violent demonstrations after Prime minister Narendra modi’s government made it easier for non-muslims from three countries to be naturalised. Coupled with a mooted citizens register, it has stoked fears, including in Washington and the UN rights office, about the marginalisation of muslims who make up 14 percent of india’s 1.3 billion people. Armed policemen patrolled muslim-dominated areas of the capital as hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the grand mosque in Delhi’s old quarter after Friday prayers. riot police and paramilitary troops erected steel barricades on roads leading to the mosque, where violent clashes broke out last week following protests. On Friday, demonstrators chanted slogans against the government, vowing to keep up the pressure until the law was revoked and plans for the register cancelled. “They want to drive out the poor, muslims and those who don’t agree with them,” protester muntazir Bashir told AFP. modi, facing his biggest challenge since storming to power in 2014, said on Sunday that muslims whose “ancestors
are the children of mother india” had nothing to fear. He has also said that the citizenship law is a humanitarian move, giving refuge to persecuted religious minorities from muslim-majority Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. But it has unleashed a wave of protests across the country, and not just by muslims, with several state governments saying they will refuse to implement the legislation. INTERNET CUT: in mumbai, where a string of protests were held on Friday, including one in support of the government, hundreds of police were deployed to prevent unrest and man dozens of checkpoints set up along the city’s roads. Around 200 people showed up at the pro-government demonstration, clutching flags and posters in favour of the new law. “We should welcome persecuted Hindus back home without any restrictions,” said mahindra Shah, an 82-year-old protester. “Why do muslims need to come here when Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh are muslim-dominated?” Officials in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, where 20 percent of people are muslims, said they have suspended mobile internet and Short message Services (SmS) in 21 districts out of 75 including the state capital Lucknow. Access to data on cellphones was only restored in many areas on Tuesday following a week-long cutoff in a country that activists say is the world leader in snapping internet access. The state, home to india’s best-known tourist site the Taj mahal, witnessed large-
scale clashes last Friday between protesters and police. Nineteen people were killed, mostly from gunshot wounds. THOUSANDS DETAINED: Heavyhanded police tactics have fuelled anger, with many accusing authorities of arbitrary force against dissenters. The protests in Uttar Pradesh, whose chief minister is a Hindu monk from modi’s right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party, are among the biggest there in decades. Police have arrested more than 1,000 people and taken more than 5,000 others in the state into preventive custody, some of them as young as 16 according to media reports. About 200 people have been ordered to pay compensation for damage caused to public property during the protests, failing which their assets will be confiscated. more than 100 people have also been booked over social media posts deemed to be objectionable or misleading, with tens of thousands of messages on Twitter, Facebook and other platforms reported. Authorities are keeping a close eye on foreigners with a Norwegian tourist saying she was told to leave india after participating in a protest in the southern state of Kerala. This week a German student was also ejected after taking part in demonstrations in the southern city of Chennai, according to media reports. Photos on social media purportedly of the student, named as Jakob Lindenthal, showed him carrying a placard saying “1933-1945 We have been there”, in reference to his country’s Nazi past.
INDIA EXPELS SECOND EUROPEAN FOR PROTESTING AGAINST CONTROVERSIAL CITIZENSHIP LAW NEW DELHI: A Norwegian tourist on Friday said authorities had ordered her to leave India after taking part in protests against a new citizenship law, becoming the second European to be ejected over the demonstrations. Janne-Mette Johansson, 71, told AFP that police gave her “verbal assurances” that she could take part in peaceful demonstrations against the law that critics say discriminates against India’s Muslims. “Yesterday [Thursday], Indian immigration officials came to my hotel for questioning and I was mentally tortured. Today, they again showed up at my hotel asking me to leave the country or they will take legal action and deport me,” she said. The woman, who had posted photos from the demonstration in the southern state of Kerala on Facebook, added that she would leave India for Dubai on Friday evening and then fly to Sweden. European visitors to India require visas and the Press Trust of India news agency quoted an official from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office as saying that Johansson “violated visa norms”. Earlier this week a German studying physics in the southern Indian city of Chennai was also asked to leave after taking part in a protest and comparing the law to anti-Jewish Nazi legislation, PTI reported. Photos on social media purportedly of the student, named as Jakob Lindenthal, showed him carrying a placard saying “1933-1945 We have been there”. “After the Nazi era, many people claimed not to have known anything about genocides or atrocities or stated that they were only passive,” Lindenthal told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle. “Therefore I see it as a duty to learn from these lessons and not only watch when things happen that one believes to be the stepping stones to a possibly very dangerous development.” Indian authorities have not commented on his case. The protests, which have raged for two weeks and left at least 27 people dead, were set to continue on Friday with mobile internet snapped in places and riot police deployed. The government says that the law easing citizenship rules for religious minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan excludes Muslims because they face no persecution in those countries. But coupled with a mooted citizens register, it has stoked fears including in Washington and the UN rights office about the marginalisation of Muslims who make up 14 percent of India’s 1.3 billion people. AGENCIES
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