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Tuesday, 31 March, 2020 I 06 Shaban, 1441 I Rs 20.00 I Vol X No 272 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

PM calls for unity as corona cases near 1,800 with 24 dead g

Premier rules out complete lockdown, urges all Pakistanis to donate to corona relief fund SAPM says 27pc cases of local transmission in different provinces LAHORE/ISLAMABAD/KARACHI

STAFF REPORT

RIME Minister Imran Khan on Monday urged the nation to stand united in its battle against the coronavirus as Pakistan’s death toll from COVID19 increased to 24 after more patients succumbed to the deadly disease. Pakistan’s coronavirus cases currently stand at 1,775 after the confirmation of

the only country to succeed in its battle against the virus is China. “They put 20 million people under lockdown to overcome this highly-contagious disease, and if we had a similar economic situation, I would have shut down the whole country to protect the people from the virus,” he said. However, he added, Pakistan is in a very vulnerable position because about 25 per cent of its population lives under the poverty line and 20 per cent is on the borderline. “A lockdown will fail if people become unemployed and have nothing to eat,” he said. The prime minister said that resources were not merely enough to win the war against the pandemic. “India decided to impose a countrywide lockdown. Today, their prime minister issued an apology to the nation for ordering a lockdown without proper planning,” he added. He compared the relief pack-

new cases in Sindh, Punjab, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). On the other hand, hours after four patients recovered from the disease, 23 patients who were being kept in the Sindh government’s isolation facility in Sukkur also tested negative twice, taking the total number of recoveries to 53. In his address to the nation, the prime minister said that every country is fighting the pandemic according to its capacity and

COVID-19

ECC approves Rs1.2tr relief package g

Also approves Rs75bn for FBR to payback sales tax and income tax refunds, duty drawbacks and customs duties which are due for last 10 years ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the federal cabinet on Monday approved the Rs1.2 trillion relief package announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan a few days ago to economically facilitate people suffering due to the coronavirus pandemic. Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh chaired a special meeting of the ECC, wherein the fiscal stimulus package was approved. The package contains a Rs100bn supplementary grant for the Residual/Emergency Relief Fund in terms of Article 84(a) of the Constitution for provision of funds for mitigating the effect of the pandemic. The forum also approved a special package for providing relief to the poor through cash assistance under the Ehsaas Programme. Under the package, cash grants would be given to 12 million families under the regular Kafalat Programme and Emergency Cash Assistance Programme on the recommendation of the district administration. The assistance will be provided for four months

and it will be a one-time dispensation. The cash will be provided either in one installment of Rs12,000 through Kafalat partner banks “Bank Alfalah and Habib Bank Limited” after biometric verification or it may be provided in two installments of Rs6,000 each. The Poverty Alleviation Division was asked to present both options with feasibilities. The partner banks may be asked to make arrangements through branchless banking networks to disburse cash. In addition to this, Rs72.9bn of additional funds through technical supplementary grant would be given to the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) under the “Ehsaas Cash Assistance Package in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic”. After Ministry of Industries and Production presented a comprehensive proposals regarding the targeting parameters , implementation mechanism, cash assistance per family per month and financial phasing of the programme, the ECC approved Rs200bn of cash assistance for the daily wagers working in the formal industrial sector and who had been laid off as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 02

more inside

Moscow under lockdown as global virus cases top 700,000 US President Trump extends emergency virus restrictions until April 30 STORY ON BACK PAGE

MEPCO disconnects power of 25 textile mills despite ‘extension in payment date’ STORY ON PAGE 05

MoC comes forward as exporters fear cancellation of orders STORY ON PAGE 05

Banking spread shrinks to lowest in 10 months

STORY ON PAGE 05

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age of the United States with Pakistan, saying that there was no comparison between the two. “I announced a relief package of $8 billion and the US announced a relief package of $2 trillion,” he said. “This disease does not differentiate between the poor and the rich,” he said, citing the example of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson who contracted the infection as well. PM Imran said that Pakistan must fight this war with wisdom and sagacity. “Faith is our biggest strength, for it has turned us into one of the most charitable nations in the world and our youth is our second biggest strength because they are the ones who will define the na-

tion’s future,” he added. He also said that a cell is working in the PM Office round the clock to monitor the situation closely and within a week, the situation will become clearer. The premier announced the establishment of Corona Relief Tiger Force that will work in collaboration with the civil administration and army to contain the spread of the virus. “Our volunteers will help deliver food to areas under lockdown, besides disseminating awareness to the public. Young doctors, nurses, drivers and people belonging to any profession could choose to become part of the force,” he added. He said that the virus is more dangerous for the elderly people and persons with underlying health conditions, therefore, it should not become a social stigma. PM Imran also announced the Corona Relief Fund at the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), where charitable contributions can be made.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

COVID-19: PM Imran urges expats, local philanthropists to bolster govt’s efforts STORY ON PAGE 03

02 NEWS IHC REjECts PlEa foR juDICIal InquIRy Into taftan quaRantInE, says 'not tHE tIME to susPECt statE' CJ ATHAR MINALLAH SAYS FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL GOVTS ARE WORKING HARD TO DEAL WITH CORONAVIRUS EMERGENCY ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

HE Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday set aside a petition seeking an inquiry into whether the coronavirus spread in Pakistan due to lax controls at the quarantine center established in Taftan, with Chief Justice Athar Minallah saying that this was not the time to suspect the intentions of the state. The government’s opponents have criticised it for “not doing enough” to quarantine pilgrims returning from Iran at a makeshift facility established in Taftan, Balochistan. A number of conspiracy theories have also been floated to scapegoat Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis Syed Zulfiqar Bukhari, who has been accused of helping pilgrims bypass the quarantine. IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, in his three-page order, noted that the federal and provincial governments were working hard to deal with the coronavirus emergency. The order emphasised that it was the duty of every citizen to act responsibly “in these uncertain times”.

“This is not the time to suspect the intentions of the state and get involved in differences,” the IHC CJ urged in the written order. He also added that it was not right to divert the rulers’ attention from the coronavirus threat. “The coronavirus challenge can only be dealt with unity and consensus. The petition cannot be heard due to unnecessary disputes and under Article 199 I cannot give orders for an inquiry,” Justice Minallah said in the order. The IHC CJ had previously noted that in the current times, the importance of trusting the state has increased. “Division amongst ourselves is not in the interest of you and this court,” Justice Minallah had earlier remarked while dismissing the petition during its hearing. He added that the war against coronavirus could only be won by forgetting our own differences and uniting against the common threat. The petition to form a judicial commission had been filed by civilians. It had requested the court to investigate the government’s alleged incompetence in bringing back pilgrims from Iran through the Taftan border. The plea had asked the court to inves-

IHC orders immediate restoration of PMDC

tigate the role of Zulfi Bukhari in the matter. Many media outlets have blamed Bukhari for his alleged influence over the Balochistan government to allow the pilgrims from Iran to enter Pakistan. The accusation was dismissed by Bukhari in a series of tweets in which he denied any involvement in allowing pilgrims to enter the country. “To all the ‘so called’ journos that are lying based on their personal agendas: no influence was used by me or any other PTI leader – which isn’t even under federal

control,” the special assistant had said. “There’s a time & place for yellow journalism antics & this isn’t one,” he had lashed out. “Your divisiveness won’t deter me or the gov in fighting this global crisis.” It bears mentioning that senior ministers and advisors have already explained on the record that Pakistani citizens were evacuated from Iran because Iran, which has been devastated by painful economic sanctions and the coronavirus, simply did not have the capacity to treat them with its very limited resources.

Zulfi sends Rs1bn defamation notice to Khawaja Asif over Taftan allegations ISLAMABAD

ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday directed the federal government to immediately restore the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC). While hearing the case, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani expressed unhappiness over government’s failure to restore PMDC within the given deadline and ordered its immediate restoration. The judge also warned that ministers and other officials would be sent to jail in case of non-compliance with the court’s order. He said that the government’s actions were equivalent to slapping the court in the face. The judge also sentenced the secretary health to six months in prison. One of the ordinances promulgated by President Dr Arif Alvi led to the formation of a new body – Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) – thereby eliminating PMDC. The PMC Ordinance was among those 11 presidential ordinances, which the government got passed in the form of bills from the National Assembly in a controversial manner amid ruckus by opposition members on November 7, 2019. The new body was declared illegal by the IHC in a set of petitions challenging the PTI government’s decision. On March 12, IHC had heard the federation’s intracourt appeal against IHC order restoring the PMDC. During the hearing, Advocate Zainab Janjua had lamented that the future of PMDC staff remained in limbo. To which, Additional Attorney General Mahmood Khokhar had said that his wife, who was also a member of the council, was facing delays as well. Observing the irony, Justice Athar Minallah had remarked that the additional attorney general should then prioritise resolving the issue.

Minister of State for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Zulfi Bukhari on Monday filed a Rs1 billion defamation suit against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif over allegations that he used his influence to allow pilgrims from Iran to return to the country via Taftan border without completing proper requirements. In the notice, Bukhari maintained that Asif — in a media talk outside the Supreme Court on Mar 17 — had alleged that Bukhari “was responsible for allowing a flood of Zaireen [to enter Pakistan] from Iran without any quarantine or isolation as required by law and social responsibility norms”. “You have essentially blamed me for the spread of the coronavirus,” Bukhari said in his notice, adding that

Asif later tweeted that those responsible for the coronavirus deaths in the country were Prime Minister Imran Khan, his aide Dr Zafar Mirza, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and Zulfi Bukhari. Government inaction is causing faster spreading of Coronavirus in Pak than even Italy. IK, Zafar Mirza, Zulfi Bukhari and Buzdar are directly responsible for the deaths that will result. Their hands are soaked in blood — Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) March 22, 2020 “By making and disseminating these defamatory statements […] you have inevitably injured my standing both at home and abroad. [The allegations] are likely to cause me financial loss, but also risk me being stigmatised and shunned in social circles,” the statement reads. Bukhari has directed Asif to “withdraw, recall and retract the defamatory

imputations”, in addition to making a public apology “to be broadcast and disseminated prominently” and “post the same on all online platforms and websites on which the [allegations] were posted”. The notice also called for Asif to publish a contradiction to the defamatory statement and imputation. “setting out the correct, factual position”. A failure to do all three within 14 days will result in legal proceedings against Asif, the notification added. Earlier, Asif had said that his lawyer would respond to Bukhari’s legal notice once he received it. Speaking to a private media outlet, the PML-N leader had said it was not just him who was making the allegations against Bukhari. “The whole country is now saying this,” he said. “Even one of his [Bukhari’s] relatives made the statement,” Asif had added.

Tuesday, 31 March, 2020

ECC approves Rs1.2tr relief package ContInueD froM PAge 01 It was estimated that around three million workers would fall in this category and they would have to be paid a minimum wage of Rs.17,500 per month. The estimated cost of this provision for daily wagers comes around to Rs52.5bn per month. The provincial labour departments shall ensure the delivery of assistance to the laborers while the provision of funds shall be the responsibility of the federal government. ECC directed that immediate consultation with the provincial labor departments mentioned under the provincial rules of business may be carried out for providing timely assistance to those who are in need. ECC also approved Rs50bn for Utility Stores Corporation (USC) to provide essential food items to the vulnerable section of the society at subsidised rates. USC has prepared an initial plan to deliver 9 essential food items at Rs3,000 for a family of two to four people through Pakistan Post Foundation Logistics Division. USC has further planned to procure essential items within two to three weeks. The ECC directed that USC may engage with BISP to obtain data for targeted assistance and again come back to the ECC for a detailed proposal for reaching out to the poor families for the effective use of this package before making any expenditure from this amount. ECC also approved Rs75bn for the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to enable them to payback the sales tax and income tax refunds, duty drawbacks and customs duties which is due for the last 10 years. The amount shall help approximately 676,055 beneficiaries by improving their liquidity position. The ECC also allowed to reduce different taxes and duties on import and supply of different food items for alleviating the adverse impact of COVID -19 on different sections of the society. Rate of advance tax on the import of different pulses was reduced to 0 per cent from 2 per cent on individuals and associations of persons providing tea, spices, dry milk and salt to USC without a brand name will pay 1.5 per cent withholding tax instead of 4.5 per cent. Individuals and AoP receiving payments from USC for supplying ghee, sugar, pulses, and wheat flour shall be charged 1.5 per cent withholding tax instead of 4.5 per cent earlier. Additional Customs Duty at 2 per cent on soya bean oil, canola oil, palm oil and sunflower oil and on these four oil seeds has also been exempted. ECC approved the supplementary grant of Rs30bn to Ministry of Commerce to pay back duty drawbacks to textile exporters in the current financial year to improve their liquidity position when their businesses are experiencing a slow down due to worldwide outbreak of coronavirus epidemic. The ECC was briefed that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is working on payment of claims worth Rs49bn out of which around Rs40bn will be paid by June 2020. The ECC approved supplementary grant of Rs6bn for Pakistan Railways to meet its expenses. Pakistan Railways’ passenger train services around the country have been suspended since March 19.

MoF suspends preparations for next fiscal budget ISLAMABAD SHAHZAD PARACHA

The Ministry of Finance has suspended the budget preparations due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. "The ministry has suspended for the time being all the activities with regard to budget preparation for the fiscal year 2020-21," said a source privy to this development. The economic team had issued the budget call circular in January this year, following which the MoF had also gotten approved from the federal cabinet a

three-year medium term budget strategy paper. Sources said that the government had planned to present the next fiscal year budget in the last week of May or first week of June this year but due to the ongoing situation, issuance of budget ceilings to ministries or divisions have also been delayed. Under the medium term budget strategy paper, the economic team had proposed Rs700 billion to Rs900 billion for Public Sector Development Programme, around Rs300 billion for Ehsaas Programme, and Rs1 trillion for civil government & pensions. In addition, they had also allocated around Rs3.3 tril-

lion for interest payments and Rs1,250 to Rs1,750 billion for defence expenditure. Moreover, an allocation of around Rs1 trillion was proposed for grants, Rs270 billion for subsidies, Rs150 billion for support to merged districts of KP and Rs80 billion for disasters. As per the medium term guiding principles, the economic team had planned that the government would keep focus on PSDP, economic growth, job creation, IMF programme, inflation and price control, staying on course of stablization path and reduction of budget deficit as well as public debt.

PM calls for unity as corona cases near 1,800 with 24 dead ContInueD froM PAge 01 He said that Pakistan’s relief package is around $8 billion which can be further enhanced depending on the public’s needs. “It has been decided that State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) will give loans to industries on low markup so that employees are not laid off by their respective companies,” he added. The prime minister said that the Facebook page of Ehsaas Programme will give details about the areas where people are in most need, so that people can make decisions to give charity based on transparent information. He also warned that strict action will be taken against the hoarders and profiteers, and they will be given an exemplary punishment, besides holding them responsible for

the misery of people. The government announced that contributions will also be tax free and incentives will be given to tax filers. The account number of the fund is 4162 786 786.a CASES SURGE: In KP, three family members of a woman who tested positive for the coronavirus also tested positive for COVID19. This includes two of her daughters and a son. Some other members of her family, however, tested negative for the virus. Eight more cases were reported in Islamabad whereas 12 cases were reported in GB. With the new cases, Islamabad’s tally has risen to 51 while GB now has a total of 152 cases. Moreover, four new cases were reported in AJK. In Sindh, six new COVID-19 cases were reported in Karachi, raising the province’s tally to 566. Meeran Yousuf, media coordi-

nator for the Sindh health and population minister, said that all the cases were locally transmitted. Punjab reported another 45 COVID-19 cases, according to provincial health department spokesperson Qaiser Asif, taking the total tally to 651. As Punjab witnesses an explosive growth in the number of cases, the provincial health minister told the media that the “curve is flattening in Lahore”. Dr Yasmin Rashid said that about 60 patients are currently under treatment at the Mayo Hospital. “Private labs are also testing for the virus and I am pleased to announce that we have successfully contained the unconfined spread in Lahore through lockdown and other precautionary measures,” she added. 27PC CASES DUE TO LOCAL TRANSMISSION: Special Assistant to Prime Min-

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ister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza said that 420 cases, which was over 27 per cent of the total confirmed cases, were the result of local transmission of virus. The PM’s aide said, “Over 120 cases have been reported during the last 24 hours. But a good thing is that as many as 28 victims have been fully recovered. We have reduced the pace of cases due to effective steps of social distancing but all those successes can be ruined if people ignore social distancing.” “As many as 857 cases were reported in the persons who had travelled to Iran and 191 persons, found positive for Covid-19 tests, had travelled to different countries other than Iran,” he added. Dr Mirza told the media that the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has formed a programme in which they are inviting proposals on research and innovation on COVID-19

prevention, treatment and on the affects that emerge from it. “If you have any such idea, you can send your proposal to HEC,” he said. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lieutenant General Muhammad Afzal said that the most important priority is the frontline teams of doctors, nurses and medical teams. He said that medical staff in AJK and GB have been provided with enough supplies for five weeks in order to deal with the pandemic. The NDMA has opened a “one window” for hospitals in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), although they have been provided with supplies, he said. INT’L FLIGHTS TO REMAIN SUSPENDED: Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on National Security Division and Strategic Policy Planning Moeed Yousuf said that reports that flights would resume at all airports from April 5 were untrue. He said that when flights do resume, they will resume slowly. He added that there were no Pakistani transit passengers at any airport.

Tuesday, 31 March, 2020

NEWS

COVID-19: PM IMRan uRges exPats, lOCal PhIlanthROPIsts tO BOlsteR gOVt's eFFORts PM SAYS GOVT WILL UTILISE ALL RESOURCES TO PROVIDE RELIEF TO THE POOR, SUPPORT ECONOMY ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

RIME Minister Imran Khan on Monday reiterated his appeal to overseas Pakistanis and philanthropists to bolster the government’s efforts to provide relief to the masses and the economy as the coronavirus continues to take a toll on the country. The PM was presiding over a meeting to review the steps being taken in the wake of the coronavirus challenge in different sectors, including trade and industry, construction, energy, particularly the relief measures for poverty-stricken segment of society. The meeting was attended by Minister for Planning Asad Umar, Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar, Minister for Energy

Omar Ayub, Minister for National Food Security Makhdoom Khusru Bakhtiar, Adviser on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Adviser on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Special Assistant on Social Protection Dr Sania Nishtar and Special Assistant on Energy Nadeem Babar. Governor State Bank Reza Baqir and other concerned secretaries also attended the meeting through video link. The prime minister said the government would utilise all resources to provide relief to the poor and weaker segments of society, adding that overseas Pakistanis and philanthropists within the country were a ray of hope for them. He directed the minister for national food security to give special attention to

FBR extends goods declaration period to 25 days

the availability of essential commodities across the country and ensure that there was no shortage of basic food items including flour, pulses, rice, ghee, sugar etc. in any part of the country. The prime minister also directed to form a special committee comprising officials from relevant federal and provincial departments to review the food situation on daily basis and present recommendations. The meeting also took stock of the measures taken for the industrial activities in the country. The adviser on commerce informed the meeting that owners of all huge industrial units had been asked to ensure release of salaries to their employees. Similar steps for the security of employees working in the small and medium units were also being given the final shape with mutual consultation. With regard to the construction sector, the meeting also discussed in details the government’s incentives and measures. The State Bank governor briefed the prime minister about the establishment of

the corona relief fund and the mechanism for the inclusion of overseas Pakistanis and the local philanthropists. The participants also deliberated upon the mechanism for encouraging the nationals residing in the country and abroad to support the national economy in this difficult situation. The prime minister directed the SBP governor to submit till Tuesday all the relevant details about this process after holding mutual consultations with all the concerned departments. The meeting was also briefed about the steps taken in the energy sector for securing the national and public interests, especially with regard to the current situation. The minister for economic affairs apprised the meeting that considering the current situation, 93 international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) had been permitted to work for a period of six months whereas applications of 53 others are under consideration. The decision was taken so that the international NGOs should not feel any hindrance in carrying out welfare activities in these hard times.

PML-N accuses PTI of using relief fund for personal gains

ISLAMABAD: Owing to the spread of coronavirus pandemic, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has extended up to 25 days the time duration to file goods declaration. "The FBR is pleased to extend the time for filing of goods declaration in exercise of powers under section 224 of the Customs A, 1969, from the existing 10 days of arrival of goods, as prescribed under section 79 (1) of the Customs Act, 1969, to a further 15 days (total 25 days) for all IGMs filed between 17 March, 2020, and 7th April, 2020," said a notification issued on Monday. The department stated that the tax officials had received requests from the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) for extension in the said time limit for filing of goods' declarations. "Subsequently, FBR has asked the chief collectors of Customs Appraisement/Enforcement Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Islamabad to facilitate the importers in this regard." SHAHZAD PARACHA

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has claimed that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is using the Corona Relief Fund to advance its political agenda, therefore, a parliamentary monitoring committee must be established for oversight of the funds to ensure their justified usage. According to a statement issued on Monday, in a meeting of the party’s top leadership, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of failure and said held him responsible for the spread of coronavirus in the country. He said that a parliamentary committee is necessary to probe the details of import of items being procured from abroad.

The meeting decided that the government is using foreign aid for its own political activities, therefore, the National Assembly (NA) speaker should summon a meeting of the standing committee with immediate effect. Shehbaz said that the increasing number of cases in Punjab hints towards an alarming situation and requires serious action. He said that hiding true data of cases and deaths is a criminal act which must be avoided at all costs. He also accused the government of refraining from conducting the required testing, which may lead to a spike in cases. The PML-N president lauded the court’s decision of reviving the PMDC as his party had been demanding that for a long time. He requested that Justice Shakirullah should take over the leadership of the

PMDC with immediate effect for the greater good of the people. The meeting called for the reinstatement of local governments instead of announcing a “Tiger Force”. “This, they said, would not cost an extra penny and would resurrect a massive force in the fight against corona. The meeting once again stressed the need of providing preventive gear to the doctors as assuring their wellbeing is the key to assuring the wellbeing of the nation. The meeting took notice of the numerous complaints of terrible state of affairs at hospitals, while the government is busy doing politics in the name of relief funds. PML-N leaders said that said that this government has only one solution to every problem which is the “signature lie-infested address to the nation”.

SC restricts courts from passing orders about prisoners’ release CJP SAYS ‘AUTHORITIES SHOULD NOT EXERCISE POWERS BEYOND THEIR LIMITS’ ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday restricted high courts from passing any orders regarding the release of under-trial prisoners (UTPs) amid the coronavirus outbreak in the country. A five-member larger bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed and comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Mainkhel, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed heard the petition against the March 20 order passed

by the Islamabad High Court (IHC). During the course of the proceedings, the attorney general for Pakistan (AGP), Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president, Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA) president and vice chairman of Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) appeared before the court. The court issued notices to Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Advocate General Niaz Ullah Khan Niazi, Additional Attorney General Tariq Mehmood Khokhar, ICT Chief Commissioner Amer Ali Ahmed, ICT Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqat, ICT Deputy Inspector General of Police Waqarud Din Sayyid,

ICT secretary health, ICT inspector general (prisons), home secretaries of all the provinces as well as the remaining advocate generals and prosecutor generals and prosecutor generals of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the AntNarcotics Force (ANF). The court also appointed Advocate Sheikh Zameer Hussain as amicus curiae to assist the court. The court ordered that no further order shall be passed by any of the high courts and by any of the governments for releasing prisoners from the jails. “If any order has been passed regarding release of the prisoners and not given effect or implemented till now, the same shall not be acted upon until further orders of this court,” the order stated. The CJP said, “It is power game but it should not be that authorities should exercise powers beyond their limits. We have to maintain the rule of law in the country.”

The additional attorney general said that the high courts were giving different rulings regarding the release of prisoners. He asked the apex court to decide the matter. The top judge questioned how the high courts could have ordered the release of under-trial prisoners. He said that coronavirus was a grave matter and asked under what pretense did the IHC issue the directives for releasing the prisoners? He also asked how a high court could take suo motu notice in this regard. He said the those involved in petty crimes should be released, but the IHC had ordered for the release of all prisoners except those charged with terrorism. He added that it could not happen that people start making decisions which were not within their jurisdiction during a crisis. He further said that those prisoners who had two to three months left in their sentences should be released.

naB gives one-day reprieve to Mir shakil to inquire after his ailing brother LAHORE STAFF REPORT

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB on Monday allowed owner of Jang Group Mir Shakilur Rehman to inquire after the health of his brother Mir Javedur Rehman on humanitarian grounds, on the request of his son Mir Ibrahimur Rehman. According to a NAB press release, Mir Shakil has been allowed to go to Karachi for one day to meet his brother. Mir Shakil will remain in the custody of NAB and the authority to grant remand or otherwise during custody rested with the relevant court, the statement added. It said the accused or his family could contact the relevant court for getting transit remand. Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday adjourned the hearing of post-arrest bail petitions for the release of Mir Shakil in the plots allotment case till April 2. A division bench, headed by Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem, heard the petitions filed by Mir Shakil and his wife, Shaheena Shakil. During the proceedings, petitioners’ lawyer Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan pleaded with the court for immediate release of Mir Shakil. He submitted that Mir Shakil’s brother was on ventilator in a Karachi hospital and the external breathing equipment would only be removed on his permission. However, the bench noted that any family member could give permission for removing the ventilator. Subsequently, the bench adjourned further proceedings till April 2 and directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for filing a reply to the bail petition. Earlier, a NAB prosecutor filed a reply to the petition, filed by Mir Shakil’s wife at the start of the proceedings. Mir Shakil was arrested by the bureau on March 12 in illegal plots allotment case. The bureau has alleged that the accused obtained illegal allotment of 54 plots of one-kanal each in Johar Town area of Lahore with the connivance of Nawaz Sharif, the then chief minister of Punjab, in violation of the exemption policy.

Passenger train service to remain suspended, says Rasheed RAWALPINDI: Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad on Monday announced that the passenger train operations would remain suspended in the country. Talking to reporters, Rasheed said that initially it was decided to resume operations from April 1, however, Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed to keep the passenger rail service suspended “till further orders”. “However, the freight train operations will continue as usual in order to ensure smooth supply of essential commodities across the country,” he said. The minister said that they had made special arrangements at the railway stations for coronavirus patients. “Seven railway hospitals would also be dedicated for treating coronavirus patients,” he said, adding that a 50-bed quarantine had been established while the Rawalpindi Railway Hospital, having capacity to accommodate 450 patients, could also used to treat the virus patients. To a question, the minister rejected curfew imposition in the country, saying the masses should adopt preventive measures on their own. “Next 15-day are important for controlling the virus,” he said, adding that the situation in Pakistan was far better than Italy or United States. APP

Why has Shehbaz Sharif returned? LAHORE KK SHAHID

National Assembly Opposition Leader and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif is especially active on Twitter these days. His social media updates are dedicated to COVID-19 and the measures that the government needs to take to counter the spread of coronavirus. On Saturday, he shared a video conference with health experts. Sharif’s all out involvement in containing the pandemic, at least on Twitter, can further be seen in the PML-N president adding ‘(Stay at home to stay safe)’ next to his name. That his Twitter handle still reads @CMShehbaz, for some, is actual indication of how the former chief minister of Punjab sees himself in the current health crisis.

Sharif’s regular updates on COVID-19, and his repeated messages for the government, have meant that the question marks surrounding his return to Pakistan have only become bolder. On March 21, Sharif had announced that he’d be returning to Pakistan from the UK, landing in the country the next day. In a video posted on Twitter he said he was returning to ‘fulfill his responsibilities’ at a time the country, and the world, had been engulfed by coronavirus. On cue, rumour mills started churning. Sharif’s return coincided with growing criticism on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)led federal and Punjab governments, with pressure being put on Prime Minister Imran Khan to impose a lockdown in the country. On March 22, the day Sharif landed in Pakistan, PM Imran told the nation, again, that

lockdown ‘was not an option’. And yet, two days later, following the lead of Sindh, the Punjab government too announced a shutdown, which Chief Minister Usman Buzdar dubbed a ‘partial lockdown’. Given that Prime Minister Imran’s loud proclamations had been repudiated, the rumours surrounding Sharif’s return only echoed harder. Among the loudest among them is the claim that the PML-N, especially after the passage of the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2020 earlier this year, has returned to the good books of the powers that be. PML-N Vice President, and Shehbaz Sharif’s niece, Maryam Nawaz while lauding the former Punajb CM’s governance,shared a tweet on the party president’s return, saying that “even those who didn’t value [his services] now value them”. Many analysts interpret “those” as the

Establishment, which Maryam and her father, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, were vocally at loggerheads with in the lead up to the 2018 General Elections. While that largely remains conjecture, with party insiders also limiting their suggestions to a “tilt in the power corridors” which has been “necessitated by the incompetence of the government”, what is undoubted is that since his return Shehbaz Sharif has been a man on a mission. It’s the interpretation of this mission, rather the route taken for its culmination, which has varying interpretations. “[Shehbaz Sharif] shouldn’t be welcomed. He is here for his politics. He should stop believing that this nation is idiotic. [The Sharifs] have looted this country mercilessly. For them education and health never meant anything. What did they do for health in their tenure?” said political analyst Haroon Rasheed.

“[However], the biggest disaster that Imran Khan has imposed on this country is in the shape of Usman Buzdar – which is not really Buzdar’s fault,” he added. There has been widespread criticism on the Punjab chief minister, with widespread dissent against him within the ruling PTI as well. Federal Minister of Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has been an open critic of Buzdar. However, the PML-N leadership is adamant that the return of their president doesn’t have anything to do with doing one over the government and the ruling party. “[Shehbaz Sharif] is here to lead the opposition and his party amidst the attack of coronavirus. Our first responsibility is to tackle the virus, and use all our resources in this regard. Because if such a calamity comes it is better to do whatever is in our capacity instead of looking to the government. But hopefully the government will do its job as well,” said senior PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique.

04 ISLAMABAD

Tuesday, 31 March, 2020

WEATHER UPDATES TUESDAY

190C

140C

WEDNESDAY

200C

110C

THURSDAY

250C

120C

PRAyER TimingS FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

4:34

12:12

4:40

5:58

6:27

7:51

CDWP aPProves various DeveloPment ProjeCts for CaPital RECOMMENDS FOUR PROJECTS OF RS133BN TO ECNEC ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

A meeting of Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Monday approved two projects in the federal capital, worth Rs466.264 million, and recommended four projects, worth Rs133 billion, to Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) for consideration. The CDWP meeting, presided over by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman (DC) Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan, considered nine projects related to health, physical planning & housing, transport & communication and water resources in total. Secretary Planning Zafar Hasan and senior officials from federal and provincial governments were present in the meeting while representatives from provincial governments participated through videoconference.

Health related project from the government of Punjab namely ‘Punjab Human Capital Investment project” worth Rs52,800 million was also referred to the ECNEC. The project envisages increasing the access to quality health, education and social protection services among poor and vulnerable households in 11 districts of Punjab. Two position papers related to physical planning & housing were presented in the meeting. The first project titled “construction of admin block, magazine quarter guard, barracks, MT shed, horse stable & Parade Ground in Diplomatic Enclave, Islamabad” worth Rs 280 million was approved in the meeting. Second position paper titled “construction of 4 B-type police station in various sector of Islamabad” worth Rs 185.416 million was also approved in the meeting. Two position papers related to trans-

Cantt areas being disinfected RAWALPINDI STAFF REPORT

port & communications were presented namely “Peshawar Northern Bypass” worth Rs21,338.05 million and “Upgradation, widening and construction of Surab- Hoshab Road N-85 (454 km)” worth Rs28,823.549 million both were referred to ECNC for further approval.

Towards the end of the meeting, a project relating to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government called Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Irrigated Agriculture Improvement Project, worth Rs30,048.747 million was also referred to ECNEC for further approval.

COVID-19 Peshawar markets remain closed for 7th consecutive day PESHAWAR

Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has launched an anti-coronavirus spray campaign in which the Cantt area is being washed with chlorine mixed water, it was reported on Monday. According to the RCB spokesman, RCB has completed a campaign in Cantt Ward No.2 and the sanitation staff washed all Mosques of the ward and main roads with chlorine mixed water. The RCB had finalised arrangements to conduct anti-corona spray in all Cantt areas. The officials concerned were provided corona kits, face masks, gloves and other items to make the campaign a success. RCB Additional Cantonment Executive Officer Faisal Munir Wattoo has directed the staff to conduct anti-corona spray in all commercial and residential areas and urged the citizens to stay home which would help prevent the spread of coronavirus. The spokesman informed that leaves of sanitation staff were cancelled to ensure proper cleanliness arrangements during the lockdown. He also said that a special cell comprising members, Senior Cantonment Engineer Attiq ur Rehman, Senior Medical Officer, Dr Nadia Iqbal, Medical Officer Dr Noreen Iqbal and Public Health Officer, Waris Bhatti was set up on the directive of CEO Sibtain Raza to facilitate the residents in case of any emergency or outbreak in Cantt areas.

APP

All the markets, business centres and shopping malls were closed down on seventh consecutive day due to ongoing lockdown. against coronavirus spread here on Monday. The historic Qissa Khwani Bazaar, Khyber Bazaar, Karimpura Bazaar, Meena Bazaar in Peshawar City, Sadar Bazaar, shopping centres on University Road and board areas were closed where business activities remained standstill for the last one week due to coronavirus spread fear. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government has extended the dates of closure of shops till April 7 to counter the spread of coronavirus. However, the grocery, medicine and essential items shops are opened 24/7 in Peshawar in order to facilitate people. All restaurants, eateries, fast food joints would remain closed till April 10 while home delivery would be allowed to these establishments as well as pharmacies. Similarly, all tourists’ spots in KP already vacated while aside rivers and other spots would stand closed till April 30. The barbers and beauty parlours would remain closed till April 7. The closure would not be applicable to pharmacies, grocery stores, karyana shops, bakeries, atta chakkies, tandoors, milk shops, auto workshops and petrol pumps, chicken and meat, fruits and vegetable shops. KP Government has extended closure of all educational institutions both public and private besides postponement of all kinds of examinations and assessments in schools and colleges till May 31, 2020. The closure of institutes shall be treated as advance summer vacations. Non-essential staff within the departments shall not attend the office till April 15 and all officials’ gatherings including seminars, sports events, cultural events and entry of visitors to jails stand banned till April 30 to avoid the spread of coronavirus infection in confined places. The agriculture inputs providers such as seed fertilizers and pesticide dealers, all franchises of cellular service providers and all banks shall continue to implement the protocols and guidelines of Government for their operations. Construction activities, home delivery of medicines and food, money transfer facilities and immediate cargoes have also given consent to continue its work under the protocols set by KP Relief Department. These measures have been taken to ensure the safety of people in the wake of the spread of coronavirus in the country.

online payment services to reopen in capital for 3 days ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Easypaisa, JazzCash, U-paisa and other online payment services have been resumed for three days in Islamabad so that people can send and receive remittances. A notification was issued by the Islamabad district magistrate announcing the move on Monday. People can avail the services between 12pm and 4pm. Shopkeepers providing such services have been instructed to maintain a distance while dealing with customers. HYDERABAD: People wait for their turn at a ration distribution centre here on Monday.–INP

ICCI appeals to govt for deferment, installments on commercial bills yet again ISLAMABAD APP

Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Muhammad Ahmed Waheed on Tuesday once again appealed to the federal government for reviewing billing issues being faced by the business community in light of the coronavirus situation. “Businesses and industrial units are closed but they would have to pay the monthly commercial bills of gas and electricity, which would add to their difficulties,” he added. He appealed the government that receipt of commercial bills of gas and electricity from business and industry should be deferred for a few months so that the business community could be

able to cope with the current crisis. He further said if deferment of receipt of utility bills was not possible, the business community should be allowed to pay monthly commercial bills in three installments till the time the coronavirus issue was over. Muhammad Ahmed Waheed said the whole country including the federal capital was in lockdown situation due to which markets and industrial units were closed. However, the business community has to pay the wages of workers and meet day to day expenses as well. He said in these circumstances, deferring the receipt of commercial bills of gas and electricity for a few months or allowing them to pay monthly bills in three installments would provide sig-

nificant relief to the business community. Tahir Abbasi Senior Vice President and Saif ur Rehman Khan Vice President ICCI said despite the closure of industrial activities, industrialists have to pay mark up of banks on daily basis, which was putting more pressure on them. They stressed that the government should also issue directions to commercial banks to immediately defer the receipt of mark up from industrialists for a few months to save the industry from further troubles. They said in these difficult circumstances, instead of earning profits, banks should realize the problems of industry and freeze the receipt of their mark up for a few months to save the industrial units from closure.

AJK reports 18 more suspected corona cases in quarantine centres MUZAFFARABAD APP

As many as 18 more corona virus suspected people were reported at quarantine centres in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Monday whose samples for test has been sent to National Institute on Health (NIH), Health Department said. Dr Nadeem, a focal person of the health department said a total of 177 people had been tested in AJK out of which only six were found positive while results of 93 samples were awaited. 56 people from different quar-

antine centers had been discharged after tested negative, he added. Out of six positive patients, four were being treated at Isolation in Teaching Hospital Mirpur and two at district headquarter Hospital Bhimber, Dr. Nadeem added. Out of 18 new suspected cases, eight were reported at Abbas Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS), six at Teaching Hospital Mirpur, two each at district headquarter Hospital Bagh and district headquarter Hospital Kotli and District headquarter Hospital Plundari. Besides this, 50 other relatives of

positive patients had been quarantined at Mirpur and Bhimber and their samples were sent to NIH for test, he informed. He said 37 quarantine centers had been established in all the districts of AJK while isolation wards had been established in all district headquarter Hospitals. Meanwhile, lockdown continued in AJK on fifth day and a high level meeting presided over by AJK prime minister decided to further strict the lockdown. Intra district travel has also been banned with the special permission of the government.

5 more corona cases reported in KP PESHAWAR APP

The confirmed coronavirus cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) rose to 193 on Monday after five new cases were reported three from Peshawar and one each from Abbottabad and Bannu districts, the Health Department reported. It said that during the last 24 hours as many as 89 suspected cases were reported taking the tally of suspected patients to 1017 in the province. The report said that in Peshawar corona diagnostic tests of 301 patients were found clear while the result of 524 suspects was being awaited. It said that until now five people have died due to infectious corona disease. Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in a notification issued here said that 11 different industrial units have been allowed to operate in the province to meet the demand and supply of items of daily use. A notification of the Department of Trade and Industry said that the industries include Oil and Ghee, Cement, Water and beverages and others.

KP Cm warns hoarders, profiteers of stern action PESHAWAR APP

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) Mahmood Khan has warned that anyone who was found involved in misusing the prevailing situation by indulging himself in the illegal practice of hoarding or profiteering will be dealt with iron hands. In a press statement issued here on Monday, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan said he is personally monitoring the situation of markets in the province. “There is no shortage of edible items in the whole of the province,” he said. He also warned that anyone who attempted to create a fake situation of shortage of commodities would face severe punishment. All the district administrations and other relevant departments have been made fully functional and alert for keeping eye on such scrupulous elements who try to misuse such situations.

Tuesday, 31 March, 2020

MEPCO diSCOnnECtS POwEr Of 25 tExtilE MillS dESPitE ‘ExtEnSiOn in PayMEnt datE’ COMPANY’S CEO TAHIR JAVED CLAIMS THE POWER DIVISION EXTENDED DATE ONLY FOR DOMESTIC CONSUMERS LAHORE

HASSAN NAQVI

HE Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO) on Monday flouted the notification of the Power Division regarding an extension in the date of electricity bills till April 7, and disconnected power connections of around 25 textile mills that fall under its jurisdiction. Among 25 textile mills are Allah Wasaya Textile and Finishing Mills Limited, Hasnain Textile and Mahmood Textile Mills. The Power Division, in its March 26 notification, had asked the power distribution companies (DISCOs) to extend the date of electricity bills as of April 7 without the Late Payment Surcharge (LPS) and implement this decision forthwith.

The division also directed the Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO) and the Power Information Technology Company (PITC) to strictly ensure instructions and forward their compliance reports urgently. According to sources in the textile sector, all DISCOs of the country including the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO), the Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO), the Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) and others are complying with the PD’s notification issued on March 26. Sources added that the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) also brought it into the notice of Commerce Secretary Sardar Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera that MEPCO’s Chief Executive Officer Tahir Javed had refused to accept the division’s notification saying, “MEPCO is a

sovereign company and doesn’t recognise the Power Division’s notification.” The association also informed the commerce secretary that MEPCO had also overcharged textile industry consumers in earlier months and as per notification of 7.5 cents per kWh the company had to refund amounts more than bills issued currently. Sources said Monday was the last date for payment of previously issued bills that had been extended by the division itself. These factories have residential colonies for their workers who are forced to live without electricity, they added. APTMA Executive Director ShahidSattar, in a letter to the Commerce Secretary, also stated that the non-implementation of PD’ notification by MEPCO was highly regrettable and had brought bad name to the government. “It is requested that these industrial consumers be reconnected immediately so that workers living in the colonies could avoid facing lockdown in situation without electricity,” the letter reads. Talking to Pakistan Today, APTMA

Punjab Chairman Adil Bashir said the Ministry of Power should take immediate action against the MEPCO CEO for showing irresponsible attitude. MEPCO chief Tahir Javed told this scribe that the claim of APTMA and textile millers was unjustified because that notification issued by the division was for domestic consumers only. When asked all other DISCOs are complying with the said notification and have extended the date of bills for industrial consumers as well, Javed said MEPCO had nothing to do with other DISCOs. “We are independent in our decisions,” he claimed. Meanwhile, upon being informed on the issue, Commerce Secretary Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera said the government has deferred the deadline for payment of industrial bills to April 7. He said in a tweet, “I was informed of this issue an hour or so ago. Thanks to the intervention of PMO & Minister Power, the issue stands resolved now. The deadline given by Power Division of April 07 for payment of industrial bills will be honored by MEPCO.”

Banking spread shrinks to lowest in 10 months KARACHI MEIRYUM ALI

Pakistan’s banking sector spread fell by 33 basis points on a month-on-month basis to 5.37pc in February 2020. This is the lowest figure since April 2019. Bank spread refers to the difference between the interest rate that a bank charges a borrower, and the interest rate a bank pays a depositor. The bank spread can be thought of as a percentage that shows how much money the bank earns compared to how much it can lend out. Pakistan’s banking industry, particularly in the last year because of higher in-

terest rates, has been characterized by high spreads and strong profitability. But that is set to change due to the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis, according to Hamza Kamal, senior analyst, in a research report sent to clients by securities brokerage firm AKD Research on March 30. The industry has lost 32.3pc since just February 26, which is when the first case of COVID-19 was diagnosed in Pakistan, following rapid emergency rate cuts. In wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Bank of Pakistan cut the policy rate by 75 basis points on March 17, from 13.25pc to 12.5pc. Then in an unprecedented move, the SBP cut the policy rate

Punjab finance minister announces tax deferment on various services, sectors

again just one week later on March 24, by 150 basis points to 11pc. The rapid reduction in the policy rate, along with the decision to narrow the floor rate from 150 basis points below the policy rate to 100 basis points (so 10 percent), will negatively affect spreads. According to Kamal, just the change in the floor rate, leads to a 30 basis point reduction in spreads across banks. On the bright side, recent SBP decisions to help borrowers under COVID-19 may have some short term benefits for bank spreads. In its relief package for borrowers announced on March 26, the SBP also relaxed the regulatory criteria for

Govt approves Rs43m for Digital Media Wing to defend its policies ISLAMABAD

LAHORE

AHMAD AHMADANI

APP

The federal cabinet has approved Rs42.791 million for the creation of the Digital Media Wing in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) during the current financial year to defend the government’s policies and counter criticisim of the private sector media. Documents available with Pakistan Today disclosed the cabinet had approved the summary of supplementary grant floated by the ministry. The government has decided to create a Digital Media Wing ostensibly to counter fake news, which has been damaging the federal government’s repute among social media users. Sources said the wing would not only help the government formulate its policies on digital media, but also it would also be helpful in countering the criticism the government is facing due to inflation and high electricity tariff. The Digital Media Wing would try to build the positive image of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government, they added. Of total allocation of funds, an amount of Rs18 million would be spent on 27 employees for the remaining months

Provincial Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht on Monday announced that sales tax on all services affected in the crisis due to the pandemic, such as medical consultancy and other hospital services had been suspended under the tax relief package worth more than Rs18 billion. The Punjab finance minister disclosed this in a meeting regarding the rehabilitation of people hit hardest by the crisis as well as a briefing on the tax relief package. The minister added that sales tax deferment facility would also be extended to services of construction sector so that economic wheel could be kept on the move. “Similarly, property tax on immovable urban property and infrastructure development cess had also been deferred,” he maintained. Jawan was of the view that since real estate and construction sector had an eminent role in improving the economy and elimination of unemployment, capital value tax (CVT) on sale and purchase of properties and stamp duty were also being cut by two per cent under the Punjab Economic Stability and Rehabilitation Package. The provincial minister mentioned that in an effort to facilitate the common citizens, there would be zero tax on all online services including daraz, foodpanda and zameen.com, which would benefit online businesses as well.

818 cases registered over violation of Section 144 in provincial capital LAHORE: On the orders of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab Shoaib Dastgir, police teams registered 818 cases over violation of Section 144 and arrested 1,095 persons during the last 24 hours. According to a police spokesman, 209 persons were released after issuance of a warning. Also, a crackdown on hoarders continued during this period and police registered 21 cases and arrested as many persons.STAFF REPORT

restructuring of loans until March 31, 2021. Loans that are rescheduled within 180 days from the due date of payment will not be treated as defaults. This will help give some time to banks to fix nonperforming loan issues in the short run, thereby helping with spreads. Similarly, the SBP also reduced the capital conservation buffer (CCB) from the current 2.5 percent to 1.5pc. On a whole, this will allow banks to lend an additional amount of around Rs800 billion, an amount equivalent to about 10pc of their current outstanding loans. Again, according to Kamal, this decision will help banks absorb risk.

of FY20, while funds to the tune of Rs24.15 million would be spent to meet day to day activities and purchase of required equipment. As per sources, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) had earlier refused to approve supplementary grant of Rs42.791 million and directed the Information Ministry to meet requisite expenditure on the Digital Media Wing within its allocated budget for 2019-20 through technical supplementary grant besides adjusting new posts against already available vacant posts. The ECC also noted that in order to maintain financial discipline in the expenditure of ministries and divisions, no supplementary grant of additional expenditure had been approved by the government during the last many months of the current financial year. However, the cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan had decided to approve the allocation of the supplementary grant during the current financial year for creation of DMW. The government, sources said, was not happy with the private national media as it had been criticising the government on issues of various public interest, so it decided to create DMW to defend its policies and decisions.

NEWS

MoC comes forward as exporters fear cancellation of orders ISLAMABAD GHULAM ABBAS

As the country's exporters are faced with a loss of over $3 to $4 billion due to the global outbreak of coronavirus, the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) has assured exporters that the government would address their fears regarding cancellation of import orders. In a tweet, Secretary Commerce Ahmed Nawaz Sukhera suggested the exporters to approach the relevant embassy and commercial attaches so they can pick up the matter with the buyers. “MoC requests all exporters facing Order Cancellations by their foreign buyers to contact our Trade and Investment Officers (TIO) in the country concerned to approach the buyers to assist you in retaining the orders. Please mention the exact contact details, order details and clearly specify what you would want from them,” the secretary tweeted. He further said that the representatives of trade bodies would be contacted to make a comprehensive strategy in this regard. "MoC will also be emailing Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Trade Associations in this regard," he added. After lockdowns in a number of countries, Pakistan exportershavd started fearing huge losses this year. According to a member of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), the country’s exports are going to take a massive hit with very little or no exports to show in the last quarter of the current fiscal year.

Sdf rejects conspiracy theories behind COVid-19 LAHORE: The Social Democratic Forum (SDF) has rejected the conspiracy theories behind the COVID-19 pandemic and said that one should understand the nature of this pandemic which is also considered as a biological warfare while one also needs to understand the global economy and contradictions associated with it.Speaking to the weekly meeting of the forum here on Monday, the chief of SDF Walayat Khan Raja said, “The birth of coronavirus and emerging crisis will set new challenges for the global economies. A new global culture is very much required to meet this critical situation.”STAFF REPORT

nawaz, Maryam, yousaf exempted from court appearances in CSM case LAHORE: An accountability court on Monday gave prime accused Maryam Nawaz Sharif, her father Nawaz Sharif and cousin Yousaf Abbas Sharif exemption from physical court appearances in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills Case. According to details, the exemption has been granted till a formal reference is submitted against the accused by the anti-graft body investigating the case. The court has said that the accused will be called to court after the reference is submitted. Sharif family’s lawyer said that all three suspects in the case had received bails from the high court. The Sharif family has been accused of using CSM for money-laundering and illegal transfer of its shares. According to NAB, the family took a $15 million loan on the pretext to set up the mill despite the fact that it had already been established before the loan was acquired. STAFF REPORT

Healthcare start-up Dawaai raises seven-figure investment from Sarmayacar, Kingsway Capital LAHORE TAIMOOR HASSAN

Online healthcare start-up Dawaai has raised investment from Pakistan-based Sarmayacar and London-based Kingsway Capital, a statement from Sarmayacar said. Though the exact amount of the investment raised remains undisclosed, Profit confirmed that it is a seven-figure investment raised in a pre-series B round, with Sarmayacar being the lead investor. Dawaai primarily operates as an online pharmacy targeting both the B2B (retail pharmacies, medical stores and businesses) and the B2C segments across the country. Pakistan’s pharmaceutical market is estimated to be at least $3 billion in size and growing at a double-digit rate (excluding the rampant counterfeit market of $1+ billion). Despite its size and growth, the sector remains extremely fragmented with incumbents including a handful of regional chains and a large number of single-location retail

players reliant on an inefficient and expensive supply chain riddled with counterfeit products. Dawaai instead sources products directly from manufacturers and established distributors to ensure authenticity and subsequently fulfils demand aggregated across the country through its managed end-to-end logistics function. FurquanKidwai, a former investment banker from London, started Dawaai in 2013 with a mission to digitize pharmaceutical logistics in Pakistan. After a prolonged period of establishing a foothold in the highly regulated and complex pharmaceutical space in the country, Furquan’s business appears to be thriving - growing more than six times in scale in less than a year. The increased scale has also appealed to manufacturers who previously struggled to have their products reach far-flung areas of the country, which in turn has helped Dawaai win more attractive terms from manufacturers. The challenge for Dawaai, it appears, is not the addition of customers

rather ensuring efficient logistics and sufficient inventory supply to fulfil orders from across the country. Furquan believes, “Healthcare should be accessible and affordable for everyone, and to make that happen we are setting up the infrastructure, supply chain and logistics. The way consumers access essential items is changing fast and we expect the same trend with their healthcare needs. Dawaai is positioning itself to lead the charge on fulfilling that customer demand. With the capital we have raised and support of partners like Sarmayacar and Kingsway, we are focused on driving scale in the most capital efficient manner and ushering Pakistan’s healthcare system into the new era.” The investment round brings together Sarmayacar, Pakistan’s leading venture capital firm, together with London-based investment firm Kingsway Capital (also investors in Zameen.com’s parent entity EMPG) and San Francisco-based Mentors Fund. RabeelWarraich, Sarmayacar’s

Founder and Managing Director, said, “Moving pharmaceutical products across Pakistan comes with logistical challenges, impacting margins in a price-controlled market. This creates the opportunity for a parallel counterfeit market to thrive as consumers cannot access affordable and authentic medicines. Dawaai, in our view, is tackling these very real pain points - by aggregating demand across the country and managing logistics end to end, customers now have a company that will bring authentic drugs direct from manufacturers and distributors to their doorstep. We believe Pakistan is quickly moving through its digital revolution and an increasing proportion of its population, much like other developed countries, will buy its drugs online in the years to come. We have absolute conviction in Furquan being the leader that will make Dawaai the protagonist in that transformation across Pakistan and beyond.”

Tuesday, 31 March, 2020

06 COMMENT

On scientific enthusiasm

Need to balance the priorities Rising graph of coronavirus deaths

HERE is a need to preserve people from dying of hunger. There is an equal need to protect them from death caused by coronavirus. one can appreciate the government’s concern for the livelihood of the daily wagers and the plans to provide them emergency relief. In order not to be seen to be politicking, the PM’s stimulus package has to be transparent with details about the criterion to determine the recipients and about how funds are to be made available to them. one also welcomes the permission for inter-city and inter-province movement of vehicles carrying goods to avoid shortages of food and medicines. It is however equally important that the vehicles are properly checked to stop the transport of contraband. The government however continues to ignore its responsibilities to contain the fast spread of coronavirus. A responsible international figure like WHo chief Tedros Adhanom and Pakistani scientist Dr Attaur Rehman, currently chairman of Prime Minister’s National Task Force on Science and Technology, agree that the most crucial measure to deal with the virus is to ramp-up testing of suspected patients. Dr Rehman maintains that the real number of patients in Pakistan is much higher than indicated by official figures and that Instead of testing only 2,000 to 3,000 persons in a day, the government needs to carry out testing for 30,000 to 40,000 patients on a daily basis. If we don’t take strict action now, he warns, things can get out of hand. The two major opposition parties too have called upon the federal government to increase the number of free-of-cost coronavirus testing facilities under a comprehensive strategy to determine the extent of the malaise across the country. The idea of providing relief to construction industry which requires large scale mobilisation of manpower is however premature and fanciful at a time of lockdowns. Instead of running after mirages the government should formulate realistic policies. It is not a sound policy to try to restrain one killer while letting the other take toll of lives.

And rather charming lies

haSaN aFTaB SaEED

oU would have encountered science enthusiasts who have let their enthusiasm get the better of themselves. This type of a person believes that science, even if it hasn’t answered all questions, is getting there, and will soon do so. ‘We are working on it’ is the standard answer that such an armchair scientist is apt to give to any unanswered question (the ‘we’ here refers to science). In the case of the fundamental questions, this is usually a charming lie, sometimes uttered with the best of intentions. This response always reminds me of the man who fails to keep an appointment, and when asked his whereabouts replies that he is on his way and has just passed Thokar Niaz Beg bridge, when in fact he is clad in pajamas somewhere between bedroom and toilet at his house in Bahria Town. Don’t get me wrong. I like science as much as the next man – only I believe science deals with but one part of the human experience. And that there are many fundamental questions that are simply outside

Exporting Corona Religiosity taking precedence over a pandemic

Shah Nawaz Mohal

ock down, quarantine, work from home, rising tally of those affected, and the world in a grip of fear and paranoia. Amidst all this life continues. Like everything, the coronavirus hasn’t affected mankind equally. The affluent ones with resources are better equipped to weather it than those who have to strive to make ends meet. ‘If you’re born poor it is not your mistake, but if you die poor it is your mistake’. God knows what Billionaire Bill Gates had in mind when he uttered these lines to motivate a breed of geeks of our Brave New World who idolized him and dreamt of making billions by virtue of a revolutionary idea that’ll alter the world for all times to come. Well, like all pearls of wisdom, the essence of this one too withered and it became just another feel-good hackneyed quote thoughtlessly used by countless motivational gurus who are part time entrepreneurs and full-time headaches for their family, friends and world at large. Now whether you’ve laughed or not, let us put the whole amusing side of one-liner rags to riches advices-cum-warnings aside and put our sober, serious hats on. Modern states, for all intents and purposes, are condemned to be either being welfare states or aim to become one regardless of countless adjectives preceding the word ‘welfare’. The point is that in our day and age no state can be excused from its responsibility towards the poor, unfortunate masses braving life within its boundaries. States are ultimately responsible for its populace that finds it hard to make ends meet, the lot who can’t fend for itself. For quite some time, we have been measuring poverty by gauging, weighing and tabulating people’s income, their earnings, the wealth they’ve accumulated and how much they spend as consumers. In other

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prone to this error. Many religious systems and philosophies (Taoism, for example) maintain that opposite and contradictory aspects are present in all things, and that the motion of nature is the movement of something towards its opposite. Rightly or wrongly, they explain the working of the universe that way; not how the universe came into being. But trust some of the more enthusiastic disciples to stretch it in that direction and believe that the dialectic could explain its genesis as well. Part of the trouble also lies in the fact that so many people confuse science with technology. They see technological miracles all around, and find themselves inclined to believe that because ‘science’ has addressed all our needs from a combined harvester to the photocopier with document stapling features, it would be reasonable to expect it to sooner or later unravel all our mysteries for us too. It’s true that technology has given us all the gadgets that we have needed (and many more that we didn’t need) – a satisfactory ironing machine apart, technology has no doubt given an excellent account of itself – but could the same be said about science? Why is it even a given that human beings have the capacity to figure everything out? There’s a lot of cockiness where there should be humility. But what’s the harm in trying, some would ask. In fact, they would point out that striving to find answers to elusive questions that are all but impossible to answer is all the more heroic. There’s merit in this response, but ‘We are getting there’ is hardly the expression for it. of course, there are those who are very excited about, say, Lawrence krauss’s explanation of a universe from ‘nothing’ (which has nothing to do with nothing); or the word salads that explain the origin of life from the fabled primordial soup. To think that these are the same people who accuse others of believing in fairy tales!

Poverty in times of a global pandemic

HERE should be no allowance for Pakistan to be in international headlines at the moment for anything other than the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country, deaths caused by it and the government’s response to it. Unfortunately, we now hold the easily avoidable distinction of being responsible for the first two cases of the coronavirus reported in Palestine’s Gaza city owing to the Punjab government’s grossly insufficient efforts to cancel the collection of 250,000 pilgrims of the Tablighi Jamaat Ijtema in Lahore earlier this month. Both patients had attended the congregation and flew back to their country of origin with the virus. A patient with the same travel history has since sprung up in kyrgyzstan as well. Religious matters are of course, by nature, sensitive and therefore have to be handled carefully. However, the current pandemic that has obliterated entire countries over the past few months and only recently knocked on Pakistan’s door should take precedence over everything else; it is literally a matter of life and death. The Punjab government merely ‘requesting’ the organizers of the Jamaat to cancel their annual event should have been a first attempt at stopping the event from going forward. Noncooperation, which is what expectedly followed, should have been met with force. What is more, only 35 participants have been tested of which 27 are positive, a ratio that almost certainly suggests that the untested persons form a huge cluster of potential coVID-19 carriers who are continuously spreading the disease across the country because they have neither been identified nor quarantined. This is not dissimilar to what took place at Taftan where the inrush of pilgrims from Iran was not properly handled, allowing them to become a primary source of infection in the country. That border breach allegedly transpired on the insistence of a close advisor of the Prime Minster, who ‘sympathized with those on the Iranian side’, to be allowed to enter. The reluctance of the federal government to strictly ban Friday prayer congregations has also added to the problem. Is the government waiting for some sort of a Fatwa from the religious community to allow it to start saving lives? The coronavirus only responds to containment, nothing else works. The sooner the government realizes this and makes it a primary objective, the better chance it has to minimize the loss of life from this pandemic.

Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

its domain. And I am not talking about the purely philosophical and/or moral questions either: Why are we here? What is the best course of action for man? etc. Even if we focus on the working of the universe (the subject of science) there are insurmountable difficulties: every time a larger particle accelerator is built, something new is discovered. And even if we have not yet reached the limit there, we are not very far from it. To borrow the phraseology of science enthusiasts themselves: there is no reason to expect that man who lords over this tiny planet of one of the numerous solar systems in one of the numerous galaxies should completely figure out the universe. So it is that many of the so-called scientific questions too have stubbornly defied any attempt at resolution. Questions regarding the creation ex nihilo of matter (or the beginning of the universe), the start of life in matter, and then the emergence of consciousness in life are fundamental questions that science, to date, has not even taken one step towards answering. Again, this is not to belittle scientific achievements. Much work has been done by scientists studying the evolution in all these fields. Science could, for example, tell us in minute detail what happened in the first fractions of a second after the Big Bang, but there’s absolutely nothing that explains the singularity that is the Big Bang. Similarly, the evolution of life and consciousness as postulated by science, even if taken to be sound, is distinct from the question of emergence of life and consciousness, although many people tend to throw all these things together. So, when somebody retorts to one of these questions by saying that science is working on it, he is either not being truthful or doesn’t know what he is talking about. Till the writing of these lines no reasonable explanation was available regarding any of these questions; and what’s more, it doesn’t look like there’s going to be a big breakthrough any time soon. How something comes into being, and how it evolves after coming into being are two distinct things. The tendency to think of the first as some sort of a backward extension of the second is an old one. And it’s not science enthusiasts alone who have been

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words, the line between marginally prosperous and of those who dwell in our villages and work in our certainly poor was one of spending capacity or lack agriculture sector are living in abject poverty. Govthereof and not of overall social reality one has to live ernment should take notice of this and address the and die in. Back in 2010, UNDP and oxford Poverty root causes that are hindering farmers and field work& Human Development Initiative developed Multidi- ers from getting out of cyclic and inter-generational mensional Poverty Index (MPI) that replaced Human poverty. While we are at it, the age-old perception (and rePoverty Index. The new MPI covers three dimensions namely health, education and living standard that fur- ality sides this time with the perception) in the minds ther evaluates ten more indicators ranging from nutri- of other provinces that Punjab is way better off than tion to sanitation and years of schooling. MPI is the rest of Pakistan gets confirmation as multidimenconsidered as a tool to identify the poorest among the sional poverty is lowest in Punjab while highest in poor and thus furnishing data that helps policy makers Balochistan and FATA. To criticize because one feels better afterwards to devise schemes to reduce the debilitating destitution has never been my forte. I believe that one must point that mars generation after generation. Recently, Pakistan had its first ever official MPI. out the things that went awry, applaud the things well According to which a palpable decline in poverty has done, and do one’s bit to fight the rotten, bad things been witnessed all over the country over a decade. In that blight our kind. State, government and individuals must do their bit 2015, the national poverty rate stood at 39% while a decade back it was around 55%. This, dearest sirs and to annihilate both incidences and intensity with which poverty handicaps one in ma’ams, is one tremenfour of us. It is possible dous feat that we only if every single one of achieved. us strives towards a zeroAmidst corona, a MPI is considered as a tool to poverty goal within the pandemic that keeps on next decade. During my getting louder and luckier, identify the poorest among the bachelors, while studying our government did its bit poor and thus furnishing data that Political Science I came to alleviate the suffering across the famous ‘Four of ‘The great unwashed’. helps policy makers to devise Freedoms Speech’ by With a relief package in American President Roothe offing, the Benazir Inschemes to reduce the debilitating sevelt. Among the Four come Support Program is destitution that mars generation Freedoms, ‘freedom from being criticised for offerwant’ caught my imaginaing too paltry an amount, after generation tion more than freedom of by those roaming around speech, worship and freein German cars worth mildom from fear. lions and spending 20k As I solemnly believe per sitting on food for their entourage at a restaurant in kohsar Market, Is- that a belly without bread, a body sans clothes, a father lamabad. I request them to ask any one of more than 5 without a steady job and a family deprived of a house million beneficiaries what this ‘paltry, insufficient’ of their own can neither speak their minds nor worship amount means to their families and how it supplements the Almighty with the respect and reverence He dethe precious little they make through incessant toil and serves. To live hedonistically amidst the millions of souls who are vying for their next meal, next coin, next tillage in shabby workshops and fields. Presently, it is estimated that around 12 billion shopper of rice, next abuse and next morsel while hoprupees have been spent on many projects to assuage ing that one day, someday, things will change, is nothpoverty by funding micro credit loans and spending ing short of supreme sacrilege in the eyes of creator. The need of the hour is to help those who are in health and education sectors. In Pakistan we have two very strong institutes in shape of Pakistan Bait- worst affected by the coronavirus, they are the disul-Mal and Zakat. Jointly, both these institutions con- advantaged, poor folks among us. Let’s pray that their tribute directly and indirectly around Rs 10 billion to problems are assuaged. May this pandemic be over soon, for it has taught uproot poverty in both rural and urban areas. It is estimated that one out of four Pakistanis live us what it means to be human, alas all too human. in multidimensional poverty. Meaning thereby that Shah Nawaz Mohal is a law graduate and poverty is affecting a sizable chunk of our populace. Another worrying aspect is that the rural-urban divide journalist based in Islamabad. He can be reached at is nothing short of a whopping chasm as a majority mshahnawazmohal@gmail.com.

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Tuesday, 31 March, 2020

COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively

Corona and our people YeSTeRDAY, I went to Turbat bazar for a work. I ensured to have my sanitizer in the pocket and surgical mask on my face. I heard the city is in partial lockdown-and social distancing is being exercised. Contrary to my expectations, the market was crowded and people were literally greeting eachother with hugs and handshakes as if nothing is going on. Social distancing, if it possessed human characteristics, would be laughing out loud on this. God forbid if the outbreak erupts, which is very likely to happen, then Turbat is very much going to justify the meaning of its name-the graveyard, but unfortunately the dead ones wouldn’t be lucky enough to deserve a grave this time. I also heard that people didn’t listen to police when they tried to convince them for closure of mosques. They, certainly making a joke on themselves, prayed outside the mosques. The possible reason, which i can conclude, is that they must be trying to pose a protest or giving a reply to the authorities that religion doesn’t fall under the criteria of lockdown. They are not only a threat to themselves but to the entire community. I demand the complete closure of any social activity that can risk the spread of Coronavirus. YAggi Amir Turbat

Remembering Zulfi Bhutto

Getting Coronavirus under wraps Efforts need to be ramped up to avoid an Italy-like situation

ALI SUKHANVER

he prime minister of Pakistan Mr. Imran Khan, in a recent interview with the Associated Press of Pakistan, has expressed his concerns over the possible upsetting impacts the Coronavirus might have on countries facing economic instability and unsteadiness. he said, “My worry is poverty and hunger. The world community has to think of some sort of a debt write-off for countries like us, which are very vulnerable, at least that will help us in coping with (the Coronavirus).” The Prime Minister’s suggestion is worth considering. The scenario towards which he has tried to draw the attention of the world had once destroyed the whole social and economic fiber of the world somewhere in the 14th century. Today it is the Coronavirus, back then it was the plague, more commonly known as the Black Plague and Black Death. That devastating epidemic resulted in the deaths of more than 200 million people in eurasia and its climax was observed during the period of 1347 to 1351 in europe. Reports say that ‘the plague created a number of religious, social and economic upheavals, with profound effects on the course of european history’. Another report on the consequences of the Black Death says, “half of Paris’s population of 100,000 people died. In Italy, the population of Florence was reduced from 110,000– 120,000 inhabitants in 1338 down to 50,000 in 1351. At least 60% of the population of hamburg and Bremen perished and a similar percentage of Londoners may have died from the disease as well. In London approximately 62,000 people died between 1346 and 1353.” The story does not stop here; this scourge gave birth to so many economic and social problems. The most important problem was that of the lack of lobourers. With such a large population decline wages soared in response to a labor shortage. According to the Decameron Web, “The plague had large scale social and economic effects. People abandoned their friends and family, fled cities, and shut themselves off from the world. Funeral rites became perfunctory or stopped altogether, and work ceased being done.” Today the Coronavirus is drag-

doing all it can to stop this pandemic from ging the world towards the same direction. In the days of the Black Death, the world spreading further. Learning a lesson from Italy, was not a global village; there were time-taking the government of Pakistan has put a ban on pubdistances but now those long distances have lic gatherings in public parks, schools, colleges, been shortened to hours and days. For viruses, universities, shopping malls and even in the the journey from one place to the other place is mosques. With the help of radio, TV, newspapers as easy as it is for human beings. We see that this and social media, the government is trying to virus has spread throughout the world in just a make the public aware of the precautionary few weeks. From US to Afghanistan, no country measures with reference to the Coronavirus. A is safe from this virus. The severity of its conse- complete lockdown resulting in the closure of all quences could possibly be the same as that of the nonessential businesses is in effect across PakBlack Death. Another important fact is that istan. Italy currently has the highest number of fighting with this virus requires a lot of financial Corona virus cases in europe and has crossed the resources and certainly countries like Pakistan 10,000 mark in number of deaths. The virus has don’t have such resources. In case this disease been catastrophic for the country. According to a survey report, the number of spreads uncontrollably in Pakistan, it won’t be confirmed cases in possible for the Italy surged from government, which hundreds to thouis already under the sands within two burden of billions A complete lockdown resulting in weeks, from a few of dollars of debt, to hundred in the third control it vehethe closure of all nonessential week of February mently. Prime Minto more than 3,000 ister Imran Khan businesses is in effect across in the first week of has pointed out toPakistan. Italy currently has the March and crossed wards the same 10,000 on 10 threat. he said, highest number of Corona virus March and they “exports would have multiplied in fall, unemployment cases in Europe and has crossed the same fashion would soar and an the 10,000 mark in number of since. The only reaonerous national son behind this debt would become deaths. The virus has been rapid increase in an impossible burthe number of cases den.” he further catastrophic for the country is that the public in said, “If a serious Italy did not take outbreak happens in the precautionary the country, the measures imposed government’s efforts to lift the economy out of near-collapse by the government seriously. Certainly, the peowould begin an unstoppable slide backward.” ple of Pakistan have realized the severity and he alerted the world around that the conse- gravity of the matter and they are doing all posquences of this scourge would not remain lim- sible cooperation with the government in this ited to Pakistan only, India and many of the regard. hopefully, due to the measures being African countries would also be facing the hor- taken by the government the situation will imrible consequences of this scourge. he hsd urged prove. Pakistanis are a brave nation; they know the international community to think of some very well how to face the calamities and how to sort of debt write-off for vulnerable countries defeat disasters. like Pakistan. Ali Sukhanver is a freelance columnist At present, the government of Pakistan is

APRoPoS to 41st death Anniversary of Zulifkar Ali Bhutto, 4 April 1979 when Quad-e- Awam,s Life was decisively and irrevocably snuffed out of him. he was the leader who introduced the common man into the political field of Pakistan and was the voice of the poor and Downtrodden masses of this country. After the tragedy of “ Dakkah Debacle” a wrecked country was handed over to him. There were countless challenges in front of him which he had to surmount and he did. Zulfi is credited for launching Pakistan’s Nuclear Program despite international political pressure for stopping it as his zeal to make Pakistan a Nuclear country led him to the eventuality he faced. he had a vision of Uniting Muslim Ummah in 1974 he along with other prominent Muslim leaders founded an organization of Islamic Countries which could have played instrumental role in the development of Muslim countries. The Constitution of 1973 which gave Pakistan an identity of Islamic Republic was also among his prime achievements. his speeches over Kashmir issue and Fall of Dakkah in Security Council Speak Volumes about his deep understanding regarding the topics of International law and foreign policy. In 1964 he got the attention of the international community when he defined the word aggression. his political opponents criticized him and are still criticizing him for his political failures but his achievements are sufficient enough to call him a great leader. KAmrAn KhAmiSo KhowAJA Sujawal

Deadly blessing? The coronavirus pandemic gives credence to Thomas Malthus. (Thomas Robert Malthus wrote a paper in 1798 titled Principle of Population . he believed that natural forces would correct the imbalance between food supply and population growth in the form of natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes and human-made actions such as wars and famines.) I remember when I joined Government College Lahore 64 years ago in my first year of economics class ( Professor Fiza ur Rehman ) we were taught Malthusian Theory of Population which in the last 50 years became very Controversial and labelled as Tool of the white supremacist and Plutocrats. Thomas Malthus theorized that populations grew in A geometric progression is a sequence of numbers where each term after the first is found by multiplying the previous one by a fixed, non-zero number called the common ratio. For example, in the sequence 2, 10, 50, 250, 1250, the common ratio is 5. Additionally, he stated that food production increases in. An arithmetic progression is a sequence of numbers such that the difference between the consecutive terms is constant. For example, in series 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, the common difference of 3. he derived this conclusion due to this, we can conclude that populations will grow faster than the supply of food. This exponential population growth will lead to a shortage of food. Malthus then argued that because there will be a higher population than the availability of food, many people will die from the shortage of food. he theorized that this correction would take place in the form of Positive Checks (or Natural Checks) and Preventative Checks. These checks would lead to the Malthusian catastrophe, which would bring the population level back to a ‘sustainable level.’ he believed that natural forces would correct the imbalance between food supply and population growth in the form of natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes and human-made actions such as wars and famines.To correct the imbalance, Malthus also suggested using preventative measures to control the growth of the population. These measures include family planning, late marriages, and celibacy. The Malthusian Trap (or “Malthusian Population Trap”) is the idea that higher levels of food production created by more advanced agricultural techniques create higher population levels, which then lead to food shortages because the higher population needs to live on land that would have previously used to grow crops. even as technological advancement would normally lead to per capita income gains, theorizes Malthus, these gains are not achieved because in practice the advancement also creates population growth. once the population exceeds what food supplies can support, this supposedly creates a Malthusian crisis with widespread famine as well as rampant disease. This ends up decreasing the population to earlier levels. What Thomas Malthus envisaged 222 years ago should not be ignored and we should recognise that Thomas Malthus was a man capable of an extraordinary farsightedness. I am not promoting Malthusian philosophy but only saying that coronavirus gives credence to the controversial Malthusian Theory of Population. I personally think when humans cross their boundaries against the nature which are set by Almighty God then the natural forces come into effect such as floods, famine, earthquakes, diseases and harmful developments take place Although coronavirus is man made but it has God’s blessings to set the Global Imbalance in the Right place for the times to come . AFTAb A ChAudhrY Lahore

Tuesday, 31 March, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

IndIa’s pandemIc lockdown turns Into a human tragedy BBC

SOUTIk BISwAS

HeN I spoke to him on the phone, he had just returned home to his village in the northern state of Rajasthan from neighbouring Gujarat, where he worked as a mason. In the rising heat, Goutam Lal Meena had walked on macadam in his sandals. He said he had survived on water and biscuits. In Gujarat, Mr Meena earned up to 400 rupees ($5.34; £4.29) a day and sent most of his earnings home. Work and wages dried up after India declared a 21-day lockdown with four hours’ notice on the midnight of 24 March to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The shutting down of all transport meant that he was forced to travel on foot. “I walked through the day and I walked through the night. What option did I have? I had little money and almost no food,” Mr Meena told me, his voice raspy and strained. He was not alone. All over India, millions of migrant workers are fleeing its shuttered cities and trekking home to their villages. These informal workers are the backbone of the big city economy, constructing houses, cooking food, serving in eateries, delivering takeaways, cutting hair in salons, making automobiles, plumbing toilets and delivering newspapers, among other things. escaping poverty in their villages, most of the estimated 100 million of them live in squalid housing in congested urban

ghettos and aspire for upward mobility. Last week’s lockdown turned them into refugees overnight. Their workplaces were shut, and most employees and contractors who paid them vanished. Sprawled together, men, women and children began their journeys at all hours of the day last week. They carried their paltry belongings - usually food, water and clothes - in cheap rexine and cloth bags. The young men carried tatty backpacks. When the children were too tired to walk, their parents carried them on their shoulders. They walked under the sun and they walked under the stars. Most said they had run out of money and were afraid they would starve. “India is walking home,” headlined The Indian express newspaper. The staggering exodus was reminiscent of the flight of refugees during the bloody partition in 1947. Battling hunger and fatigue, they are bound by a collective will to somehow get back to where they belong. Home in the village ensures food and the comfort of the family, they say. Clearly, a lockdown to stave off a pandemic is turning into a humanitarian crisis. Among the teeming refugees of the lockdown was a 90-year-old woman, whose family sold cheap toys at traffic lights in a suburb outside Delhi. Kajodi was walking with her family to their native Rajasthan, some 100km (62 miles) away. They were eating biscuits and smoking beedis, - traditional hand-rolled cigarettes - to kill hunger. Leaning on a stick, she had been walking for three hours when journalist Salik Ahmed met her. The humiliating flight from the city had not robbed her off her pride. “She said she would have bought a ticket to go home if transport was available,” Mr Ahmed told me. Others on the road included a five-year-old boy who was on a 700km (434 miles) journey by foot with his father, a construction worker, from Delhi to their home in Madhya Pradesh state in central India. “When the sun sets we will stop and sleep,” the father told journalist Barkha Dutt. Another woman walked with her husband and two-and-a-half year old daughter, her bag stuffed with food, clothes and water. “We had a place to stay but no money to buy food,” she said. Then there was Rajneesh, a 26-year-old automobile worker who was walking 250km (155 miles) to his village in neighbouring

Implement shutdown with empathy

of the city’s population, mostly migrants, had also fled the city - then Bombay - in the wake of the 1918 Spanish flu. When plague broke out in western India in 1994 there was an “almost biblical exodus of hundreds of thousands of people from the industrial city of Surat [in Gujarat]”, recounts historian Frank Snowden in his book epidemics and Society. Half of Bombay’s population deserted the city, during a previous plague epidemic in 1896. The draconian anti-plague measures imposed by the British rulers, writes Dr Snowden, turned out to be a “blunt sledgehammer rather than a surgical instrument of precision”. They had helped Bombay to survive the epidemic, but “the fleeing residents carried the disease with them, thereby spreading it.” Some 56 districts in nine Indian states account for half of inter-state migration of male workers, according to a government report. These could turn out to be potential hotspots as thousands of migrants return home. Partha Mukhopadhyay, a senior fellow at Delhi’s Centre for Policy Research, suggests that 35,000 village councils in these 56 potentially sensitive districts should be involved to test returning workers for the virus, and isolate infected people in local facilities. In the end, India is facing daunting and predictable challenges in enforcing the lockdown and also making sure the poor and homeless are not fatally hurt. Much of it, Dr Snowden told me, will depend on whether the economic and living consequences of the lockdown strategy are carefully managed, and the consent of the people is won. “If not, there is a potential for very serious hardship, social tension and resistance.” India has already announced a $22bn relief package for those affected by the lockdown. The next few days will determine whether the states are able to transport the workers home or keep them in the cities and provide them with food and money. “People are forgetting the big stakes amid the drama of the consequences of the lockdown: the risk of millions of people dying,” says Nitin Pai of Takshashila Institution, a prominent think tank. “There too, likely the worst affected will be the poor.”

It is time to end this misguided social experiment, get back to work!

Star, BangladeSh The countrywide shutdown was a timely step by the administration. It was a necessary inconvenience to stem the spread of COVID-19 and ward off the likelihood of the kind of situation that was and is being faced in many countries. More than 200 countries have been afflicted by the virus, in varying degree, and most of them have ordered people to go on self-isolation. However, while such orders do oblige people not to venture out from homes, essential movements outside are allowed. After all people need to buy necessities like food stuff and of course the sick need to get to the hospital or treatment centres. Unfortunately, media reports show that the police and other members of the administration have been rather draconian in their attitude while implementing the lockdown orders in our case. There have been instances of public outrage at police excesses, as reported, in their bid to ensure social distancing and shutdown. The enforcing agencies shouldn’t administer corporal punishment, and that too to elderly people as happened in one instance, or prevent people taking patients to the hospital while enforcing the lockdown. In fact, in one instance, a person had to bribe his way out of the situation. But apart from the police, what has created a serious problem is the complete shutdown of public transport of every denomination since the lockdown was announced. And it is the less affluent and the poor who are the hardest hit. We suggest that the administration in conjunction with the two city corporations arrange for pool of transport in various parts of the city which people can avail easily in time of their need, particularly for going to the hospital. That would lessen the pains of shutdown considerably.

Uttar Pradesh. It would take him four days, he reckoned. “We will die walking before coronavirus hits us,” the man told Ms Dutt. He was not exaggerating. Last week, a 39-year-old man on a 300km (186 miles) trek from Delhi to Madhya Pradesh complained of chest pain and exhaustion and died; and a 62-year-old man, returning from a hospital by foot in Gujarat, collapsed outside his house and died. As the crisis worsened, state governments scrambled to arrange transport, shelter and food. But trying to transport them to their villages quickly turned into another nightmare. Hundreds of thousands of workers were pressed against each other at a major bus terminal in Delhi as buses rolled in to pick them up. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal implored the workers not to leave the capital. He asked them to “stay wherever you are, because in large gatherings, you are also at risk of being infected with the coronavirus.” He said his government would pay their rent, and announced the opening of 568 food distribution centres in the capital. Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologised for the lockdown “which has caused difficulties in your lives, especially the poor people”, adding these “tough measures were needed to win this battle.” Whatever the reason, Mr Modi and state governments appeared to have bungled in not anticipating this exodus. Mr Modi has been extremely responsive to the plight of Indian migrant workers stranded abroad: hundreds of them have been brought back home in special flights. But the plight of workers at home struck a jarring note. “Wanting to go home in a crisis is natural. If Indian students, tourists, pilgrims stranded overseas want to return, so do labourers in big cities. They want to go home to their villages. We can’t be sending planes to bring home one lot, but leave the other to walk back home,” tweeted Shekhar Gupta, founder and editor of The Print. The city, says Chinmay Tumbe, author of India Moving: A History of Migration, offers economic security to the poor migrant, but their social security lies in their villages, where they have assured food and accommodation. Also there’s plenty of precedent for the flight of migrant workers during a crisis - the 2005 floods in Mumbai witnessed many workers fleeing the city. Half

WE CALL ON ALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND CITIZENS WHO CARE ABOUT ECONOMIC LIBERTY AND PERSONAL FREEDOM TO RISE UP AND DEMAND THAT POLITICIANS LIFT ALL BANS ON COMMERCE JeruSalem PoSt ROBERT M SAUER And dOnALd S SIEGEL

Citizens of many countries throughout the world have recently become human subjects in a grand social science experiment that is being conducted without our informed consent. As social scientists, when we conduct an experiment, we are most often required by law to obtain the informed consent of our human subjects. That is, we are required to explain to each subject, in great detail, precisely what we are trying to accomplish in our project, as well as its duration, cost and risks. We also have to abide by an ethical code, which says that there should be no psychological or physical harm to the subject. Unfortunately, the current experiment that is being conducted on us by supposedly democratic governments throughout the world follows none of these principles. Moreover, it has been designed by unelected public health officials; the same officials who failed in their duty to protect us from the virus. Therefore, we are allowing the unit responsible for government failure to give advice on how to “solve” a problem that is in large part their fault. These officials also seem to have a single goal in mind: reducing the number of individuals who contract the virus. Such a single-minded approach is not consistent with an appropriate cost/benefit analysis of the consequences of their proposed actions. The other pernicious force at play in this multifaceted tragedy is a crazed media, which have sensationalized the spread of the virus and vastly overestimated the damage the virus could create. For example, media outlets constantly refer to Italy, which is clearly an outlier along many dimensions, pressuring policymakers to lockdown the entire economy. This dangerous interplay between the media and policymakers has been termed an “availability cascade” by Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman. He explains: “An availability cascade is a self-sustaining chain of events which may start from media reports of a relatively minor event and lead up to public panic and large-scale government action. On some occasions, a media story about a risk catches the

attention of a segment of the public, which becomes aroused and worried. This emotional reaction becomes a story in itself, prompting additional coverage in the media, which in turn produces greater concern and involvement. “The cycle is sometimes sped along deliberately by ‘availability entrepreneurs,’ individuals or organizations who work to ensure a continuous flow of worrying news. The danger is increasingly exaggerated as the media compete for attention-grabbing headlines. “Scientists and others who try to dampen the increasing fear and revulsion attract little attention, most of it hostile: Anyone who claims that the danger is overstated is suspected of association with a ‘heinous cover-up.’ “The issue becomes politically important because it is on everyone’s mind, and the response of the political system is guided by the intensity of public sentiment. The availability cascade has now reset priorities. Other risks, and other ways that public resources could be applied for the public good, all have faded into the background.” Kahneman’s description appears to be a perfect fit in describing the surrealistic events that we are experiencing today. While reducing the number of individuals who contract a virus (which happens to be non-deadly for at least 99% of those who contract it) is a laudable goal, the consequences of government’s proposed “cure” for society may be much worse than the consequences of the disease they are trying to prevent. The ‘’strategy’’ of social distancing has been implemented through widespread shutdowns. But what is the actual cost of saving a life under the current strategy? Does this justify shutting down the economy and creating chaos and misery in many human dimensions? Public health officials, working with an unscrupulous media, have feverishly constructed a false and misleading narrative that conveniently fits their apocalyptic view of a “crisis.” This has compelled politicians, even those who would normally reject draconian measures to stifle economic activity, to engage in the most rapid form of self-inflicted wealth destruction and restriction of economic liberty we have ever witnessed in a free society. These unprecedented and unlawful actions to effectively

quarantine healthy people constitute a fundamental assault on our personal and economic freedom. We are destroying our economy and at the same time causing intense psychological distress. Among many other unintended consequences, current lockdown policies can lead to an increase in domestic violence and suicide. Research has shown that women at risk of domestic violence often increase their labor force participation in order to reduce their exposure to a violent spouse. This is no longer possible. There is also a firmly established correlation between economic downturns and suicide. The lockdown policies that our politicians are adopting is a very dangerous precedent for “saving lives,” especially because voluntary action and individual and organizational adaptations of behavior could accomplish the same objectives. As a result of the mandatory restrictions imposed by government, and voluntary actions undertaken by other institutions (e.g., virtue-signalling private and non-profit organizations), we are likely to witness a self-inflicted economic and psychological depression, hoisted upon us by an unholy triumvirate of public health officials, the media and politicians. We are not denying that there is great merit to social distancing. We are not opposed to the adoption of this practice on a voluntary basis, and other less costly methods of disease prevention, including massive testing and increased government expenditures for the emergency production of ventilators and hospital space. However, the mandatory aspects of this grand social experiment must be immediately abolished across the world, and we should adopt a more targeted approach to allocating resources to those areas of each country that are most affected by this disease. In the meantime, we call on all business owners and citizens who care about economic liberty and personal freedom to rise up and demand that politicians lift all bans on commerce. Let us get back to work! Donald S. Siegel is foundation professor and director at the School of Public Affairs, Arizona State University. Robert M. Sauer is professor of economics at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Tuesday, 31 March, 2020

BUSINESS 09

CORPORATE CORNER Kwsb deposits rs22.1m in sindh coronavirus emergency Fund A cheque presentation ceremony was held at the Sindh Bank’s head office on Monday. The contribution was from the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board (KWSB) for Rs22,173,913 for the Sindh Government Coronavirus Emergency Fund. The cheque was presented on behalf of KWSB Managing Director Asad Ullah Khan to Sindh Bank Ltd President/CEO Imran Samad. The cheque has been deposited in the Govt of Sindh Coronavirus Emergency Fund Account so that the funds can be utilized in providing relief for the coronavirus pandemic in the province of Sindh. PRESS RElEASE

ISLAMABAD: The officials of Bahria Town, in collaboration with Pakistan Disaster Management Authority, successfully completed three-day ‘Corona Disinfection Operation’ in Bara Kahu area. P R E S S R E l E A S E

car sales plunge 43pc in eight months ISLAMABAD APP

The sale and production of cars dipped by 43.37pc and 45.83pc, respectively, during the first eight months (JulyFeb) of the current financial year (2019-20) as compared to the corresponding period of last year. As many as 79,537 cars were sold during the period under review (140,462 units in 8MFY19) while the production of cars stood at 82,196 units(151,753 units last year), according to Pakistan Automobile Manufacturing Association (PAMA). The sale of Honda Civic/City went down by 62.91pc, from 28,760 units last year to 10,665 units, while that of Suzuki Swift dipped by 54.52pc, from 3,224 units to 1,466 units. Similarly, the sale of Toyota Corolla went down from 38,248 units to 18,902 units, showing a decrease of 50.58pc. Suzuki Cultusalso witnessed a 33.4pc reduction sales, as they went down from 14,785 units to 9,845 units. The sale of Suzuki Wagon-R witnessed a sharp decline of 73.34pc, from 21,600 units last year to 5,812 units during the period under review. Meanwhile, the sale of Suzuki Mehran production of which has been suspended by Pak Suzuki was recorded 22,460 units against 1,702 units during July-February (2019-20). The sale of Suzuki Bolan also witnessed decline of 64.22 percent from 11,385 units to 4,073 whereas the sale Suzuki Alto was recorded at 27,072 units during July-February (2019-20). On the other hand, the production of Honda cars went down by 65.64 percent from 28,847 units to 9,910 units during the period under review whereas the production of Suzuki Swift witnessed a sharp decline of 71.20 percent from 3,799 units to 1,094 units during eight months of FY 2019-20. The production of Toyota Corolla decline from 38,268 units to 19,020 units, showing decreased of 50.29 percent, it added. The production of Suzuki Cultus also decreased from 16,097 units to 9,222 units, witnessing decrease of 42.70 percent while the production of Suzuki Wagon-R witnessed a sharp decline of 70.67 percent from 23,672 units to 6,941 units during the period under review.

Foreign outFlows hit $1.65bn; net investment Falls to Dec-19 level KARACHI

MEIRYUM AlI

OTAL gross divestment during March 2020 has reached $1.654 billion, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), in an expected trend of foreign outflows leaving the country due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Foreign investors divested $75 million of treasury bills (T-bills) on March 27, as per the Special Convertible Rupee Account (SCRA), which tracks

inflows and outflows from foreign countries. During the week ending March 27, foreingn investors divested a combined total of $263 million. The net investment in T-bills from July 2019 to date now amounts to $1.445 billion. This means that for the first time, the net investment in T-bills has just fallen to less than the December 2019 cumulative figure of $1.450 billion. The month of March has seen a significant amount of money leave the country. In the week prior, foreign investors divested $92 million on March

20, divested $47 million on March 17 and $222 million on March 13. Similarly, on March 12, foreign investors divested $166 million; on March 11, foreign investors divested $251 million net worth of T-bills, while on March 10, foreign investors divested $136 million of T-bills. Divestment first began in late February, as foreign investors divested $67 million of T-bills on February 28. Several analysts have said that the lower policy rate resulted in hot money leaving the economy. On March 24, the State Bank of

Adb approves $2m to help Pakistan fight covid-19 BUSINESS DESK The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved on Monday a further $2 million grant to support the government of Pakistan’s efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic in the country. The grant, financed from the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund, will help fund the immediate purchase of emergency medical supplies, personal protective equipment, diagnostic and laboratory supplies, and other equipment. It supplements an initial $500,000 approved by ADB on March 20 this year, which is already being deployed to support Pakistan’s procurement of emergency supplies through UNICEF. Taken together, this $2.5 million in approved funding represents ADB’s immediate response for Pakistan, with further support to follow, an ADB press release said. “ADB recognizes the extraordinary burden of this outbreak on Pakistan and is committed to supporting it in the fight to control COVID-19”, said ADB Country Director for

Pakistan Xiaohong Yang. “This grant will help strengthen COVID-19 detection, improve infection prevention and control, and boost Pakistan’s capacity to respond to the pandemic.” ADB’s assistance echoes the World Health Organization’s Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan for COVID-19 and Pakistan’s National Action Plan for Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19), which includes preventive measures, containment efforts, and treatment of infected persons. Given the urgency of the required support, ADB would use the most flexible and expeditious approaches to facilitate procurement of the required medical supplies and equipment. On 18th March, the Bank announced an initial package of approximately $6.5 billion to address immediate needs of its developing member countries to respond to the COVID19 pandemic. ADB stands ready to provide further financial assistance and policy advice down the road whenever the situation warrants, the statement further said.

Byco Petroleum suspends production amid low demand KARACHI APP

Byco Petroleum Pakistan Limited has put its refinery on cold circulation due to “very low demand” for petroleum products. Consumption of POL products in the country have fallen drastically since the provinces have imposed economic lockdowns to effectively control the possible spread of coronavirus. "Byco chose not to fully shutdown the refining complex so that crude refining operations could be restarted within hours when the demand picked up again, said a statement issued by the company on Monday. "We appreciates the Ministry of Energy’s proactive steps, and support government’s stance of prioritizing consumption of domestic crude oil and condensate; keeping domestic refineries operating and minimizing import of POL products.”

As per the statement, Byco is hopeful that oil marketing companies will abide by the directives issued by the ministry, which asked the OMCs to stop importing the POL products and increase offtake from domestic refineries. "The country's refining industry stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the nation to persevere against the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. We pray and trust that Pakistan will emerge stronger subsequent to successfully countering the pandemic. The company anticipates that the demand will pick up soon so that we can quickly resume production," said Fayaz Ahmad Khan, Vice President (Commercial) at BBPL. Earlier, the Ministry of Energy, through an official order, had advised OMC’s to cancel their import orders for petroleum products from April 1, 2020, to support Pakistan’s domestic refining industry and energy sector.

Pakistan (SBP) cut the policy rate by 150 basis points, from 12.5pc to 11pc. This follows a policy cut from just a week prior, on March 17, when the SBP cut the policy rate from 13.25pc to 12pc. However, in the monetary policy announcement, Dr Reza Baqir said globally, because of coronavirus, there has been a general ‘flight to safety’, that was not linked to whether the SBP significantly changed its policy rate or not. In fact, many developed countries are divesting from emerging markets due to the COVID-19 crisis, in order to have liquidity.

MARKET DAILY

Kse-100 drops 86 points in volatile session KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Investors of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a volatile start to week, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index shedding 2.28pc intraday before gaining some lost ground towards the end. Foreign investors continued with the selling trend during the previous week (March 23-27), recording a net outflow of $13.66 million. According to market analysts, an increase in the number of coronavirus cases as well as the imposition of countrywide lockdowns continued to scare investors at the exchange. A slump in international crude oil prices, coupled with bearish performances by regional stock markets, also triggered selling pressure at PSX, they added. Meanwhile, on economic front, the Asian Development Bank on Monday approved a $2 million grant to help Pakistan combat coronavirus pandemic. The grant will support Pakistan in immediate purchase of emergency medical supplies, personal protective equipment, diagnostic and laboratory supplies, and other equipment. Losing 642.22 points or 2.28pc, the KSE-100 Index marked its intraday low at 27,467.35. However, the index made a slow thereon, settling lower by 86.18 points at 28,023.39. Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index dropped 112.11 points to end at 42,943.13, while the KSE All Share Index lost 162.69 points, closing at 20,322.54. Of the total traded shares, 143 advanced and 134 declined. The overall market volumes were recorded at 159.45 million, with K-Electric Limited (KEL -2.21pc), Maple Leaf Cement Factory Limited (MLCF +7.45pc) and Hascol Petroleum Limited (HASCOL -2.47pc) topping the volume chart. The scripts had exchanged 34.97 million, 9.57 million and 7.17 million shares, respectively. Sectors that wounded the index during early trade included oil & gas exploration (-132.90 points), banking (-94.82 points) and tobacco (-18.79 points). Among the companies, Pak Petroleum Limited (PPL -73.24 points), Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDC -46.48 points) and Engro Corporation Limited (ENGRO -34.77 points) dented the index the most. In a notification to the exchange, Summit Bank Limited (SMBL +15.4pc) announced that it has received a letter from Naseer Abdulla Hussain Lootah (potential investor) wherein he has communicated his "intention to acquire at least a controlling stake in SMBL by subscribing to fresh equity in the bank and investing small amounts as necessary to ensure bank meets its Minimum Capital Requirement & Capital Adequacy Ratio". The execution of exclusivity agreement with potential investor will be discussed in the board meeting scheduled for 31st March.

Economists warn of recession amid virus lockdowns LAHORE HASSAN NAQVI

Leading businessmen and economists believe Pakistan is moving from stagflation to recession amid the coronavirus (COVID19) pandemic in the country. Talking to Pakistan Today, leading industrialist Waleed Tariq Saigol said the country is headed towards a recession owing to the unprecedented disruption caused by the virus. “The world has taken measures to survive for 2-3 months in the current lockdown mode. Anything longer or a second wave of infection would send things into a further tailspin. This will be catastrophic for the global economy as well as for emerging markets like Pakistan. Exports, remittances, jobs etc. will all be badly hit,” he feared. The industrialist believed that a global recession right now is a nightmare scenario for emerging market economies, as these are highly dependent on developed markets for capital inflows. Meanwhile, economic expert and tax consultant Dr IkramulHaq believed that the country is already in recession following a

'As PAkistAn is highly dePendent on develoPed mArkets for cAPitAl inflows, the country mAy witness A shArP fAll in exPorts, remittAnces, jobs etc.' long period of stagflation. “Even before the coronavirus outbreak, the economy had fallen due to onerous taxation, high interest rates and skyrocketing inflation post the signing of International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme,” he maintained. Dr Haq explained that technically, a temporary recession is defined as a period of economic decline during which trade and industrial activities are reduced, generally identified by a fall in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in two successful quarters. “Our economy has been contracting for the past several months. After the imposition of lockdowns, we are in deep recession.” Dr Haq suggested that if the government wants to avoid further stagnation after lockdowns, Prime Minister Imran Khan must announce a comprehensive relief plan for real estate, housing and construction sectors. “These sectors should be given at least a

10-year tax holiday.” He continued that the said relaxation is of utmost importance as over 40 industries are linked to the construction industry, adding that time is appropriate for the government to provide the real estate sector with a much-needed boost. “The construction industry in return must provide complete social protection and universal entitlements to their workers as it absorbs both skilled and unskilled workforce at massive level and fully documents its affairs.” He said that no protection should be given to any kind of tainted money. Agreeing with them, GhazanfarAzzam, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Mobilink Microfinance Bank, said not just Pakistan, the world economy as a whole has already entered into one of the most severe recessions ever experienced. Azzam feared that each and every day

would bring new challenges in terms of job losses, falling production, declining trade, collapsing healthcare and food security. “We need to implement better discipline, ensure social distancing, and seal our borders till the pandemic is over. At the moment, the focus should be to save people from disease and hunger.” Adviser to Punjab Chief Minister and seasoned economist Dr Salman Shah also feared that the lockdown of factories would lead to a collapse in jobs, income and consumption. “The economy will move into a dangerous imbalance of demand and supply.” Talking to this scribe, All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) Patron-inChief GoharEjaz said the government needs to spend on the health sector and also need to draft policy to help the private sector retain jobs. Otherwise, as highlighted by PM Imran, the impact on jobs would be bigger than the health crisis, Ejaz feared. Economist HinaAyra said the only realistic response is a lockdown with complete focus on the supply of essential items. She said that the poor should be given maximum financial support either in the form of cash

or ration to avoid social disorder, and that the hospitals should be stocked with all necessary medicines along with helping doctors and paramedics. SCS Securities CEO NaushadChamdia noted that as per the IMF, Pakistan is already in recession. “This virus will bring the whole world economy down. Many economists see China as a world superpower as we come out of this crisis,” Chamdia predicted. “The only positive I see for Pakistan is that we are one of the closest allies of China, which could be beneficial for us in the long run.” Dr Asad Zaman, member of the State Bank of Pakistan’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) said that the public is clamouring for a rate cut, but it would be a wrong move. He said that the rates have already been cut dangerously low – discount rate is like an elephant gun which has massive impact throughout the economy on exchange rate, FX reserves, liquidity ratios at banks, government budget deficits etc. “To handle Covid-19, we need precise measures aimed at tackling the problems created by this emerging crisis – there is no ‘one shot cures all’ approach,” he maintained.

Tuesday, 31 March, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS

StoCkS, oil priCeS Slide on Shattered demand CRUDE OIL STRUCK LOWEST LEVELS IN MORE THAN 17 YEARS ON MONDAY, WITH BRENT NORTH SEA TUMBLING TO $22.58 PER BARREL AT ONE POINT PARIS

AGENCIES

ORLD stock markets mostly tumbled and oil prices plunged Monday despite fresh Chinese and Australian stimulus to shore up an economy shattered by the coronavirus fallout. Australia was out on its own — its stock market surging 7.0 per cent as the country’s virus infections slowed, while after the close of trade in Sydney the government unveiled an income-support plan worth US$80 billion. Crude oil meanwhile struck the lowest levels in more than 17 years on Monday, with Brent North Sea tumbling to $22.58 per barrel at one point. “Estimates for the (oil) demand side are being revised downwards on an almost daily basis, while on the supply side there is still no sign of any reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Russia” regarding their price war, Commerzbank said in a client note. There are warnings that oil could sink even further as storage tanks around the world approach full capacity. Elsewhere Monday, the dollar climbed across the board, while Asian stock markets mostly fell following Friday’s steep drop on Wall Street and Europe. Jubilation over last week’s enormous US stimulus package has largely faded, with investors returning their attention to

Cruise company still searching for port for virus ship

the soaring infection and death rate figures of the coronavirus. US President Donald Trump on Friday signed off Washington’s stimulus measures worth more than $2 trillion. While the disease ravages populations and the global economy grinds to a halt with 40 per cent of the planet in lockdown, experts are struggling to get a grip on the scale of the crisis that is forecast to cause a worldwide recession. Analysts say there are likely more dark days ahead, with Trump abandoning his timetable for life returning to normal in the United States and extending emergency restrictions for another month. The president said he expected the country to “be well on our way to recovery” by June 1 — dropping his previous target of mid-April. Meanwhile, senior US scientist Anthony Fauci issued a tentative prediction that COVID-19 could claim up to 200,000 lives in the US. Governments and central banks have acted to shore up the global economy, pledging around $5 trillion in stimulus support, with China on Monday joining the party by lowering bank borrowing costs and pumping billions of dollars into financial markets, while Singapore also eased rates. AxiCorp’s Stephen Innes said markets looked like they were “nearing policy fatigue where it becomes less effective, and as the surprise element diminishes, no one cares”. “So, while policy responses in the US

and Europe have been spectacular… the coronavirus keeps spreading globally, deepening fears of the economic and financial impact across countries. More market turmoil likely lies ahead.” He also pointed out that with the corporate reporting season approaching “now we are about to enter a vortex of bad earnings, bad economic data, and bankruptcies”.

North Korea says tested ‘super-large’ rocket launchers

PANAMA CITY AGENCIES

Passengers on a virus-stricken cruise liner entered the Panama Canal in Central America Sunday after they were told the company was still searching for a port which will allow them to disembark, even as they pleaded for help. The Panama Canal Authority said the Zaandam liner had entered the canal, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, on Sunday afternoon after transferring healthy passengers to another ship and restocking supplies. Holland America Line President Orlando Ashford admitted they were still searching for a port after the mayor of Fort Lauderdale — the ship’s intended destination — said the Florida city could not take the risk of accepting the passengers. Ashford said in a video message the company was still trying to “figure out” where to disembark passengers from the stricken Zaandam liner — four of whom have died. The situation was “difficult and unprecedented,” he said. The Zaandam had been stuck in the Pacific Ocean since March 14 after dozens of the 1,800 people on board reported flu-like symptoms and several South American ports refused to let it dock. Panama on Saturday reversed its decision to block the Zaandam from its canal, and said it would be allowed to transit from the Pacific to the Caribbean side for humanitarian reasons. But Fort Lauderdale mayor Dean Trantalis later said allowing the Zaandam to dock in his city was “completely unacceptable” as no special assurances had been given about the passengers’ onward travel arrangements. “No assurances have been given that they will be escorted from the ship to either a treatment facility or placed in quarantine. This is completely unacceptable,” Trantalis said on Twitter. “We cannot add further risk to our community amid our own health crisis here with thousands of people already testing positive for the deadly and contagious COVID-19 virus,” Trantalis said, adding that the National Guard and the Department of Homeland Security “must create a plan to protect the community.” SHIPS ‘IN TANDEM’: Passengers showing no signs of the virus were ferried a short distance to a sister ship, the Rotterdam, off Panama on Saturday. The Rotterdam had arrived from San Diego carrying medical staff, testing kits and food for the beleaguered vessel. The Rotterdam also began transiting through the Panama Canal, authorities said Sunday. In his message, Ashford said he wanted to dispel a “myth” that one was a “healthy ship” and the other a “sick ship.”

Measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak will slash German 2020 economic output before a rebound next year, a panel of economists who advise the government said Monday. “The big question for markets is whether the huge stimulus introduced so far across the globe will be enough to help the global economy withstand the economic

PYONGYANG AGENCIES

Nuclear-armed North Korea successfully tested “super-large multiple rocket launchers”, state media said on Monday, but leader Kim Jong Un was not described as commanding the drill as analysts say Pyongyang seeks to normalise its launches. With the world focused on the coronavirus pandemic and North Korea insisting it has not had a single COVID-19 case, the isolated state has carried out four such firings this month. Unusually, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) did not say in its report that Kim had directed Sunday’s test.

The leader is almost always shown overseeing the North’s launches but on this occasion, KCNA said it was led by the ruling party vice-chairman Ri Pyong Chol and conducted by the Academy of National Defence Science. South Korea had said two projectiles — presumed to be ballistic missiles — were fired on Sunday from the North Korean port city of Wonsan into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea. Images carried by the North’s official Rodong Sinmun newspaper showed rockets blasting out of a launcher with six firing tubes, striking what appeared to be an island target. Kim was not seen in the photos.

“By Kim’s absence, North Korea is trying to reduce the significance of the launch and stressing that the missile test is just a part of normal drills,” said Go Myonghyun, an analyst at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies. The last time Kim was not seen at such an event was when the North test-fired a new submarinelaunched ballistic missile in October, just days before officials from Pyongyang and Washington were due to meet in Stockholm to rekindle stalled diplomacy. However, some analysts believe he was actually present, as some items he habitually uses were visible. VIRUS WARNINGS: The string of weapons drills come during a prolonged hiatus in disarmament talks with the United States and despite recent overtures from Washington offering help to contain the pandemic. North Korea has closed its borders to try to protect itself from the novel coronavirus and is one of the few remaining countries yet to report a case of the disease that has killed almost 34,000 people worldwide. But the virus is likely to have reached the secretive nation, it is widely believed, with health experts warning it could devastate the country given its weak medical infrastructure and widespread malnutrition.

shock from the COVID-19 containment measures,” said National Australia Bank’s Rodrigo Catril. “To answer this question one needs to know the magnitude of the containment measures and for how long they will be implemented. This is the big unknown and it suggests markets are likely to remain volatile until this uncertainty is resolved.”

Facebook offers $100m to help virus-hit news media WASHINGTON AGENCIES

Facebook said Monday it was donating $100 million to support news organizations globally hurting from the coronavirus pandemic, citing the need for reliable information about the crisis. “The news industry is working under extraordinary conditions to keep people informed during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Facebook’s news partnerships director, Campbell Brown. “At a time when journalism is needed more than ever, ad revenues are declining due to the economic impact of the virus. Local journalists are being hit especially hard, even as people turn to them for critical information to keep their friends, families and communities safe.” The new funding includes $25 million in emergency grants for local news through the Facebook Journalism Project, and $75 million for additional marketing efforts “to move money over to news organizations around the world,” according to a statement. Facebook said it will offer grants “to publishers most in need in the hardest hit countries.” The move comes amid growing concerns of cutbacks and closures of news organizations hit by lockdowns and a massive slump in advertising resulting from the health crisis. In recent months Facebook and Google have stepped up efforts to help news organizations, following criticism that their dominance of online advertising has made it difficult for media to profit from digital operations. Facebook has also supported fact-checking operations with AFP and other media companies, including Reuters and the Associated Press, under which content rated false is downgraded in news feeds so that fewer people see it.

Police site crashes as Kiwis turn into shutdown snitches WELLINGTON AGENCIES

New Zealanders have become so keen to report their neighbours for breaking coronavirus lockdown rules that police on Monday said a website dedicated to addressing the issue crashed soon after going live. The South Pacific nation is in the midst of a four-week COVID-19 lockdown, with residents under orders to stay at home or remain at least two metres (6.5 feet) apart if they must go outside. Police commissioner Mike Bush said that a police website www.police.govt.nz/105support opened on Sunday afternoon and received such heavy traffic that it temporarily crashed.

“We’ve had 4,200 reports of people believing others weren’t complying,” he told reporters. “It shows how determined Kiwis are that everyone complies with us.” Bush said breaches included a party of about 60 people at a backpacker hostel in Queenstown and tourists continuing to travel the country in campervans. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern backed the informants and also urged the public to report any price gouging at supermarkets via a dedicated email address. “Now is not the time to bend the rules. This is a time to stay at home and save lives,” she told reporters. New Zealand, with a population of about five million, has 552 confirmed COVID-19 cases, one of them fatal.

CMYK

Tuesday, 31 March, 2020

PostPoned tokyo olymPics to oPen July 23 next year TOKYO

AGENCIES

HE Tokyo Olympics will begin on July 23 next year, organisers said on Monday, after the coronavirus forced the historic decision to postpone the Games until 2021. "The Olympics will be held from July 23 to August 8, 2021. The Paralympics will be held from August 24 to September 5," Tokyo 2020 chief Yoshiro Mori told reporters at a hastily arranged news conference. Only hours earlier, Mori had said he expected a decision from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) during the course of the week. The Tokyo 2020 Olympics were due to open on July 24 this year and run for 16 days, but the coronavirus pandemic forced the first peace-time postponement of the Games. The IOC and Japan had for weeks insisted the show could go on but the rapid spread of COVID-19 prompted growing disquiet among athletes and sporting federations. The Olympics was the highest-profile sporting casualty of the coronavirus that has wiped out fixtures worldwide and all

but halted professional sport. There was some speculation that Japanese organisers could take advantage of the blank canvas to shift the Games to spring, avoiding the heat of the Tokyo summer that had been their main concern before coronavirus struck. Due to the heat, the marathon has been moved to Sapporo, a city some 800 kilometres (500 miles) to the north of Tokyo

where the weather is cooler even at the height of summer. The postponement has handed organisers the "unprecedented" task of rearranging an event seven years in the making, and Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto has admitted the additional costs will be "massive".According to the latest budget, the Games were due to cost $12.6 billion, shared between the organising committee,

SPORTS 11

the government of Japan and Tokyo city. However, that number is hotly contested with a much-publicised government audit suggesting the central government was spending several times that amount -on items organisers claim are only tangentially related to the Olympics. MANKIND'S VICTORY: The postponement affects every aspect of the organisation -- hotels, ticketing, venues and transport being among the major headaches. Hotels have had to cancel bookings, dealing them a bitter blow at a time when tourism is already being hammered by the coronavirus. Some venues that had booked events years in advance will potentially have to scrap them to make way for the rescheduled Olympics and there is still uncertainty about whether ticket-holders will get refunded. Another thorny issue is the athletes' village, which was due to be converted into luxury apartments after the Games, some of which have already found buyers. The Japanese government had touted the Games as the "Recovery Olympics", designed to show how the country had bounced back from the 2011 triple disaster of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown in the northeastern Fukushima region. The Games are now being billed as the expression of humanity's triumph over the coronavirus. "We are embarking on an unprecedented challenge," said Mori earlier Monday. "But I believe it is the mission of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee to hold the Olympics and Paralympics next year as a proof of mankind's victory" against the virus.

Paulinho among footballers stranded by China's coronavirus lock-out BEIJING AGENCIES

Oscar and Hulk jetted in just in time but fellow Brazilian Paulinho reportedly heads a long list of foreign stars locked out of China as the country attempts to stop imported coronavirus cases. There are no suggestions that former Barcelona midfielder Paulinho has the deadly disease, but China closed its borders at the weekend to returning foreigners, even those with work and residence permits. Former West Ham United striker Marko Arnautovic is also among the more than 30 overseas players and coaches still abroad, reports say, dealing another blow to hopes that the Chinese Super League (CSL) season could begin any time soon. Arnautovic's Shanghai SIPG had more luck with Oscar, Hulk and new signing Ricardo Lopes, hastily chartering a small aircraft to fly them back from Brazil. They landed in Shanghai on Friday night along with their families, according to local media, having departed Sao Paulo and making a brief stop in Malta to refuel. The trio will now spend 14 days in isolation as required by the Chinese government for all arriving foreigners, which should also prevent any potential spread of coronavirus to the rest of the SIPG squad.

But Brazilian international Paulinho, 31, and compatriot Anderson Talisca failed to make it back to CSL champions Guangzhou Evergrande, the Guangzhou Daily said. Shanghai Shenhua's Colombian international Gio Moreno is another stranded at home after many international air routes were suspended because of the virus outbreak. Marouane Fellaini, Shandong Luneng's former Manchester United midfielder, is the only known coronavirus case in the CSL, having recently returned to China. It is unclear when China will lift its restrictions on the entry of foreigners, having announced the "temporary" measure on Thursday. It also slashed the number of international flights serving the country. Fabio Cannavaro, the Italian World Cup-winning captain and Evergrande coach, is in China and posted pictures of himself riding his bike at the weekend having completed a period of quarantine. The CSL season was supposed to begin on February 22 but was indefinitely postponed after the coronavirus emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December. It has since developed into a pandemic, killing or infecting hundreds of thousands of people across the world, although the number of locally transmitted cases in China has supposedly dwindled.

study shows potential impact on football's transfer market of virus pandemic

PARIS: The coronavirus pandemic which has caused football to grind to a halt will also have a major impact on the transfer market value of players in Europe's leading leagues, according to a study published on Monday. The total market value of players in Europe's 'Big Five' leagues -- the top flights in England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France -- will suffer a drop of 28 percent, from 32.7 billion euros ($36.2 billion) to 23.4 billion euros if no more matches are played this season and contracts set to expire in June are not renewed. The study is the result of research by the Football Observatory at the Swiss-based International Centre for Sports Studies. "The extent of the decrease varies according to several factors such as the players' age, contract duration, career path and recent performance," the study says. Older players on relatively short contracts who have played fewer games this season than last are especially affected. It gives the example of Manchester United's French star Paul Pogba, 27, who is out of contract next year and whose market value is set to be cut almost in half, to 35 million euros. The study also estimates that Manchester City would see a total of 412 million euros wiped off the market value of their players, more than any other club in the leading five leagues. Just behind them are Barcelona, who would lose 366 million euros from the value of their squad, and Liverpool (353 million euros). AGENCIES

Juventus shares surge after players' take pay cut ROME: Shares in Italian football giants Juventus surged Monday after the club's decision to cut their players' salaries in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.The Serie A champions announced on Saturday that they had cut their players' and coach Maurizio Sarri's salaries from March until June after all Italian sport was suspended. The club's shares rose by 7.94 percent on the Milan Stock Exchange early Monday in a market that has taken a major hit from the coronavirus crisis. Juventus' highly-paid stars include five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo and Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who joined from Arsenal on a free transfer last year. "The economic and financial effects of the understanding reached are positive for about 90 million euros ($100.5 million) for the 2019/2020 financial year," the club had said in a statement. AGENCIES

Formula One team helps develop breathing aid for virus patients MONACCO AGENCIES

Medical researchers and engineers have teamed up with Formula One outfit Mercedes to adapt a breathing aid for mass production that could keep coronavirus patients off much-needed ventilators. University College London said UK regulators had approved its adaptation of the continuous positive airway pressure device (CPAP), which helps patients with breathing difficulties. A version of the equipment, which increases air and oxygen flow into the lungs, has already been used in hospitals in Italy and China to help COVID-19 patients with serious lung infections. Teams at UCL and Mercedes have reverse-engineered the device and say they can make them quickly "by the thousands" and provide hospitals across Britain, as pressure builds due to more confirmed cases. Reports from Italy indicated about 50 percent of patients given CPAP did not need mechanical ventilation, which requires sedation and a tube placed into the patient's windpipe, UCL said. Clinical trials with 100 of the machines are to be carried out at University College London Hospital, it added in a statement on Sunday. "These devices will help save lives by ensuring that ventilators, a limited resource, are used only for the severely ill," said UCLH critical care consultant Mervyn

Singer. "While they will be tested at UCLH first, we hope they will make a real difference to hospitals across the UK by reducing demand on intensive care staff and beds, as well as helping patients recover without the need for more invasive ventilation." Britain's state-run National Health Service currently has some 8,000 ventilators and the government has ordered 8,000 more. But there is concern there will be a shortage as the virus peaks. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has put his government on a war footing, appealing to major manufacturers and industry to repurpose their production, including for medical devices. Tim Baker, from UCL's mechanical engineering department, said the process took days instead of years and improvements were made to the devices using computer simulations to help mass production. UK-based Formula One teams and their technology partners have been involved in a variety of schemes to meet medical needs in a partnership called "Project Pitlane". With the season suspended due to the outbreak, they say they are well-placed to help because of their engineers' expertise in rapid design, making prototypes, testing and assembly. Andy Cowell, managing director of Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains, said: "We have been proud to put our resources at the service of UCL to deliver the CPAP project to the highest standards and in the fastest possible timeframe."

CMYK

Tuesday, 31 March, 2020

NEWS

MOsCOw unDer lOCkDOwn as glObal VIrus Cases tOP 700,000 uS preSIdent trump extendS emergency vIruS reStrIctIonS untIl aprIl 30

SpaIn announceS another 812 vIruS deathS In 24 hourS

MOSCOW

In a sign that the world is in for a long haul, President Donald Trump on Sunday extended emergency virus restrictions until April 30 for the United States, which now has more confirmed cases than any other nation. “Nothing would be worse than declaring victory before the victory is won,” said Trump, as his top scientist Anthony Fauci warned up to 200,000 people could die there. A charity began setting up a field hospital in New York’s Central Park to help take some of the strain. “The hospitals all over the city are filling up and they need as much help as they can get,” said Elliott Tenpenny, a doctor and team leader for Samaritan’s Purse COVID19 Response Team. VERY LONG BATTLE: In Moscow, Europe’s largest city with a population of 12 million, the streets were deserted following the closure of all non-essential shops, including restaurants and cafes, although some traffic was still seen on the roads. Citizens will only be allowed to leave their homes in a medical emergency, to travel to essential jobs and to shop for food or medicines. They will, however, be allowed to walk their dogs within a 100-metre radius of their homes. President Vladimir Putin has declared a “non-working” week in Russia, which on Monday reported 302 new cases — the biggest daily increase so far — taking the

AGENCIES

USSIA’S capital became the latest world city to impose a coronavirus lockdown on Monday as declared cases globally topped 700,000 and the planet braced for a drawn-out battle against the disease. Worried governments are imposing fresh confinement measures in the face of a spiralling COVID-19 death toll that saw another 800 people die in the last 24 hours in Spain alone. With leaders everywhere warning it will take months to restore normality, Africa’s largest city Lagos was also preparing to join the more than one third of humanity ordered to stay in their homes. Across the globe, desperate hospitals are filling up with patients despite governments imposing the most dramatic changes to the way people live since World War II in a bid to halt the deadly march of the disease. The sweeping measures have wiped out millions of jobs, left economies teetering and rendered once-teeming cities eerily empty, yet there remains no real end in sight to the pandemic. More than 33,000 people have died worldwide and the number of confirmed cases passed 700,000 on Monday, according to an AFP tally. More than 3.38 billion remain under lockdown.

total tally to 1,835 infections and nine deaths. Coronavirus is tightening its grip on the rest of Europe, with Britain and hard-hit Italy warning at the weekend that measures to prevent the spread of the disease would be in place for months to come. “We are in a very long battle,” said Italian government medical adviser Luca Richeldi. Spain, which has the world’s second biggest death toll from the disease, announced another 812 virus deaths in 24 hours, although it was the first decline since Thursday. Locked-down France staged its largest evacuation of coronavirus patients to date from hospitals in the hard-hit east on Sunday, with two specially equipped high-speed trains carrying 36 patients. “We have to free up beds, it’s absolutely

crucial,” said Francois Brun, head of emergency services at a regional hospital in Metz. The sheer scale of the economic impact continues to leave governments reeling, with German experts saying the virus would shrink output there this year by up to 5.4 percent. GLOBAL DIVIDE: The strains on society imposed by measures that might have seemed unimaginable just weeks ago are gradually starting to show. Food banks in New York have been inundated with newcomers. “We need the help now. This is crazy,” said Lina Alba, 40, a single mother with five children who worked as a maid in a Manhattan hotel until it closed two weeks ago. In Sicily, armed police began guarding entrances to supermarkets in Sicily after reports of looting. In New Zealand, a website

Multiple Taliban attacks kill 27 Afghan security personnel

for people to report their neighbours for breaking coronavirus lockdown rules was so popular that it crashed soon after going live. The crisis is also testing the balance between civil liberties and the need for restrictions to curb the disease. Hungary’s parliament was on Monday expected to endorse a controversial bill giving nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban sweeping new powers he says he needs to fight coronavirus. Meanwhile the phenomenon of virusstricken cruise ships continued with a liner entering the Panama Canal Sunday while it still searched for a port that will allow passengers to disembark. “Four people are now dead, and that is on the head of all the people along the way who turned us away,” US passenger Laura Gabaroni said after she became one of the healthy people allowed to leave the Zaandam liner. Africa’s biggest city, Lagos, was due to join the global stay-at-home from Monday, with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari ordering a two-week lockdown for its 20 million people. The measures, in force from 2200 GMT, also apply to the capital Abuja. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with some 190 million people, has so far registered just 97 confirmed infections and one death from COVID-19, but testing has been limited. Zimbabwe also began enforcing a threeweek lockdown, with most shops shut and all fights in and out of the country cancelled. As in the rest of Africa and much of Asia, enforcing a total lockdown will be a mammoth challenge in a region where tens of millions live in poverty.

China to continue help to Pakistan against COVID-19: spokesperson BEIJING AGENCIES

KABUL AGENCIES

Taliban insurgents have killed 27 members of the Afghan security forces, police and government officials said on Monday, as a peace effort brokered by the United States struggles to get off the ground.

The Taliban and the United States struck a deal last month allowing the Washington and its allies to withdraw their forces in exchange for Taliban promises on preventing terrorism. A Taliban commitment to talk peace with the US-backed government was part of the pact but efforts to get talks going

have been hampered by differences between the government and the Taliban on a prisoner exchange and on negotiating teams. The Taliban have not agreed to a ceasefire with government forces and fighting has not ended, although the insurgents have not announced any spring offensive, which they normally do at this time of the year. In the latest clashes, insurgents stormed the compound of a top police officer in the northeastern province of Takhar on Sunday, killing 13 policeman and wounding the senior officer, a spokesman for the force said. In the southern province of Zabul, Taliban forces attacked government security outposts, killing at least 11 soldiers, also

on Sunday, police said. The ministry of defense said on Twitter six soldiers were killed in those clashes. Government security posts were also attacked in the southern province of Helmand and northern province of Baghlan, officials said. Four members of the security forces were killed in both attacks. Thirteen Taliban fighters were killed in Baghlan, according to police spokesman. The Taliban also suffered casualties in the other three attacks, officials said, but they did not provide details. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew to Kabul and Doha, where the Taliban have an office, last week to urge all sides involved to move the

Indian police fire tear gas on unemployed workers defying 21-day lockdown NEW DELHI AGENCIES

Police in western India fired tear gas to disperse a crowd of migrant workers defying a 21-day lockdown against the coronavirus that has left over thousands of poor without jobs and hungry, authorities said Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered the country’s 1.3 billion people to remain indoors until April 15, declaring such self-isolation was the only hope to stop the viral pandemic. But the vast shutdown has triggered a humanitarian crisis with hundreds of thousands of poor migrant labourers employed in big cities such as Delhi and Mumbai seeking to head to their homes in the countryside on foot after losing their jobs. Many have been walking for days, some with families including small children, on deserted highways with little access to food or water. On Sunday, about 500 workers clashed with police in the western city of Surat demanding they be allowed to go home to other parts of India because they had no jobs left. “The police tried to convince them that it is not possible since buses or trains are not available…However, the workers re-

fused to budge, and started pelting stones at police,” Surat deputy commissioner of police Vidhi Chaudhari said. She said the workers, most of them employed in the shuttered textile industry in Surat, were driven indoors by tear gas volleys and on Monday 93 of them were detained for violating lockdown orders. TIP OF ICEBERG: India has registered 1,071 cases of the coronavirus, of whom 29 have died, the health ministry said on Monday. The number of known cases is small compared with the United States, Italy and China, but health officials say India is weeks away from a huge surge that could overwhelm its weak public health system. A health official said the large scale movement of people into the countryside risked spreading the coronavirus widely, compounding the challenge of containing the outbreak in the world’s second-most populous country. “It’s an evolving situation with daily new challenges coming up, like having migratory populations moving from one place to another. Like non-affected states adjoining affected states,” said Dr S.K. Singh, director of the National Centre for Disease Control, which investigates and recom-

mends control measures for outbreaks of illness. In the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, health workers dressed in protection suits sprayed disinfectant on a group of migrant workers who were also trying to make the journey home to their villages, local television showed. They were made to sit on a street corner in the Bareilly district and doused with hose pipes, prompting anger on social media. Nitish Kumar, the top government official in the district, later said health workers had been ordered to disinfect buses being

used by the local authorities but in their zeal they had also turned their hoses onto migrant workers. “I have asked for action to be taken against those responsible for this,” he said in a tweet. The federal government said on Monday that it had no plans to extend the shutdown beyond the three-week period. But neighbouring Nepal announced it would prolong its shutdown for another week from Tuesday. The landlocked country has reported only five cases of the virus and no deaths, but it is concerned contagion will spread as more people travel.

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

China will continue to provide its best help to Pakistan against Covid-19 pandemic as both the countries have fine tradition of lending support and assistance to each other in the difficult time, Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Monday. “China and Pakistan are all weather strategic cooperative partners and iron friends. We have fine tradition of lending each other support and mutual assistance in the time of adversary,” she said during her regular briefing in Beijing. The spokesperson remarked that since the outbreak, Pakistan and its people had lent precious and timely support to China immediately and added, “We will never forget this and we will always bear in mind this precious friendship.” Expressing concerns over spread of novel coronavirus in different parts of Pakistan, she said “We totally relate to what they are experiencing.” Hua Chunying said the Chinese government has donated supplies such as testing kits, masks, protective suits and ventilators to help Pakistan fight the disease. “And we will also help Pakistan to set up temporary makeshift hospital. Last week this hospital has been put into construction.” She informed that the Chinese side held a video conference with Pakistan’s health authorities to evolve a strategy against the pandemic. “We also invited Pakistan to attend the video conference on COVID-19.” Referring to medical team, organized by China’s National Health Commission and consisted of experts selected by the health commission of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region which was currently visiting Pakistan to provide consultations of pandemic control, patients treatment and laboratory works and guide and train Pakistani medical staff, she said, currently, the team was in Islamabad and was working nonstop. The medical team likely to stay in Pakistan for around two weeks would also visit Punjab and Sindh provinces. The spokesperson said, in addition, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region had donated supplies to Pakistan while China’s renowned Alibaba Group also provided medical supplies. This information was available online. “In addition, many friendly sister cities and provinces in China also donated the epidemic response and control materials to Pakistan and they are also joined by Red Cross Society,” she added.