CMYK
Tuesday, 3 December, 2019 I 5 Rabi-ul-Sani, 1441 I Rs 17.00 I Vol X No 153 I 16 Pages I Karachi Edition
PAkistAn’s credit rAting stAble, sAys Moody’s g
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Int’L RAtInG AGencY expectS cuRRent Account DefIcIt to contInue nARRowInG In cuRRent, next fIScAL YeAR
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RepoRt foReSeeS pAkIStAn’S GDp GRowth to SLow to 2.9 peR cent In fY2020 fRom 3.3peR cent In LASt YeAR
Govt forms three-member committee to spearhead COAS tenure legislation
StAteS poLItIcAL RISkS RemAIn mAteRIAL DeSpIte Govt’S woRkInG ReLAtIonShIp wIth mILItARY AnD juDIcIARY ISLAMABAD
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GHULAM ABBAS
s a sign of improving economy, Moody’s Investors services have upgraded the country’s outlook from ‘negative’ to ‘stable’, reaffirming the country’s rating of B3, the agency announced on Monday. Moody’s had downgraded Pakistan’s ratings outlook to negative last year in June, citing heightened external vulnerability risk due to depleting foreign exchange reserves. Although Moody’s overall statement indicates that Pakistan is much on track of International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) guidelines, the rating agency also highlighted the risks identified by IMF and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The agency said that while the fiscal strength has weakened with higher debt levels largely as a result of currency depreciation, ongoing fiscal reforms, anchored by the IMF programme, will mitigate risks related to debt sustainability and government liquidity. The reforms would also mitigate debt sustainability and government liquidity risks. While appreciating the steps taken for widening the tax net, the agency claimed that the support from IMF and World Bank will raise effectiveness of the revenue measures. However, Moody’s estimates that the revenue growth targets set by the IMF programme are challenging to achieve in full in a subdued economic growth environment. In particular, Moody’s expects Pakistan’s GDP growth to slow to 2.9 per cent in FY2020 from 3.3 per cent last fiscal year, given tight financial conditions that continue to weigh on domestic demand, before rising to 3.5 per cent in FY2021. As per Moody’s, the IMF programme, which commenced in July 2019, targets higher foreign exchange reserve levels and has unlocked significant external funding from multilateral partners including Asian Development Bank (ADB) and
World Bank. Nevertheless, unless the government can effectively mobilise private sector resources, foreign exchange reserves are unlikely to increase substantially from current levels. Regarding debt, the agency expects, government’s public debt to slowly decline over the next few years to around 75-76 per cent of GDP by 2023, which is still a high debt burden, from a peak of around 82-83 per cent of GDP currently. In addition to the gradual decline in the debt burden, the government has already reprofiled a substantial portion of domestic debt from short-term treasury bills into longer-term floating rate bonds. This will reduce gross borrowing requirements to around 25 per cent of GDP in FY2020, from nearly 40 per cent in the last fiscal year. The government is aiming to lengthen domestic maturities further and reduce its reliance on treasury bills and floating rate debt. Moody’s expects that banks and other domestic institutional investors will retain a strong appetite for government securities. Lower gross borrowing requirements and exposure to floating rate liabilities sustained over time will reduce the government’s exposure to liquidity and
interest rate risks that are currently very high. It expects that the completion of power projects will reduce capital goods imports, while oil imports will remain structurally lower given the slow transition in power generation away from diesel to coal, natural gas and hydropower. Tight monetary conditions and import tariffs on nonessential goods will also impact broader import demand for some time, although Moody’s sees the possibility of monetary conditions easing when inflation gradually declines towards the end of the current fiscal year. Moody’s also expects exports to gradually pick up due to the exchange rate depreciation over the past 18 months, also contributing to narrower current account deficits. It said that if the government’s policy to increase trade competitiveness and encourage production works, exports will grow more. Giving the rationale, Moody’s said, “The change in outlook to stable is driven by Moody’s expectations that the balance of payments dynamics will continue to improve, supported by policy adjustments and currency flexibility.” “The rating affirmation reflects Pakistan’s relatively large economy and robust long-term growth potential, coupled with ongoing institutional enhancements that raise policy credibility and effectiveness, albeit from a low starting point. These credit strengths are balanced against structural constraints to economic and export competitiveness, the government’s low revenue generation capacity that weakens debt affordability, fiscal strength that will remain weak over the foreseeable future, as well as political and still-material external vulnerability risks,” it said.
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Gen Bajwa flies in F-16 in ‘combat mission simulation’
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Elimination of organised crime is govt’s top priority, says PM STORY ON BACK PAGE
Sindh govt decides to restore student unions STORY ON PAGE 04
Police groping in the dark in Dua Mangi’s abduction case STORY ON PAGE 04
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India’s nuclear-capable missile Agni-III fails test launch STORY ON BACK PAGE
CMYK Tuesday, 3 December, 2019
02 NEWS
MuSharraF FallS Ill, hoSpItalISEd IN dubaI
F
NEWS DESK ORMER president General (r) Pervez Musharraf has been admitted to a hospital owing to serious health issues on Monday. Musharraf left for Dubai in
2016 to “seek medical treatment” and has not returned to the country since. According to medical reports, the former president is suffering from heart problem and having blood pressure issue. He was booked in the treason case in December 2013 and was indicted for high treason by a special court in March 2014. The lawyer of the former president, during the hearing of the case, had said that his client is having severe health issues and will return to the
country when he will feel good and doctors advise him to travel. The special court in a November 19 decision had reserved the verdict in the case, which was scheduled to be announced on November 28. The high court bench headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah ruled that the special court should hear the stance of former President Musharraf in the case before announcing the verdict. The former president is accused of treason under Article 6 for suspending,
subverting and abrogating the Constitution, imposing an emergency in the country in November 2007 and detaining judges of the superior courts. The indictment comprises five charges cited imposition of Nov 3, 2007 emergency as one of the charges against Musharraf which led to the violation of Article 6 of the Constitution. The indictment also included the deposition of superior court judges and the suspension of fundamental rights among the list of charges.
Sharifs challenge freezing of Al-Arabia Sugar Mills assets by NAB LAHORE STAFF REPORT
SENIor jourNalISt ZaFar Iqbal MIrZa paSSES awaY LAHORE: Eminent journalist Zafar Iqbal Mirza passed away on Monday at the age of 83 after a journalistic career of more than 45 years. His funeral ceremony was attended by a number of journalists, activists and people from different walks of life at his residence in Lahore. Mirza was born on August 9, 1936, and received his education from Government Central Model High School followed by Government College, Lahore. He started his journalistic career in 1962 from The Civil and Military Gazette which was a daily English language newspaper founded in 1872 in British India and worked there until its closure in 1963. Later, he joined the Pakistan Times and retired from there in 1979. Between 1979 and 1982, he joined The Muslim in Islamabad and was later appointed as an assistant editor at Dawn in 1983 where he worked till 2000 before becoming resident editor of the paper’s Lahore edition on June 15 the same year. He also served as a correspondent for The Pakistan Observer in 1970-71 and worked as a scriptwriter for Radio Pakistan and for Pakistan Television (PTV) apart from writing for The Frontier Post, Peshawar. Mirza also worked in Hussain Naqi’s Punjab Punch and Mazhar Ali Khan’s weekly Viewpoint before joining The Muslim as its editor in Islamabad in 1981. Former editor of Dawn, Abbas Nasir, said, “The first time I met the delightful man was in 1984 on my first trip to Lahore after joining Dawn. He was such a lovely soul.” According to his colleagues, friends and students, Mirza, also known as Lahori, was a teacher and inspiration for two generations of journalists and aspiring writers. He was known for his spare style, sharp wit, big heart, vast reading and pluralist politics. He was a soft-spoken man and always had a twinkle in his eyes. He was a great conversationalist. There was no ego, no sense of self-importance and a clear ideological commitment to causes of justice everywhere. Osama Mehmood, a scholar, said, “A poster of ‘Free Mandela’ on the wall behind his wicker chair, a cup of tea in his hand and the hot, airless confines of his office are my lasting memory of him and the smiling demeanor and a mind enriched by years of reading. May he rest in peace.” STAFF REPORT
The Sharif family on Monday challenged freezing of Al-Arabia Sugar Mills assets by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore in the Lahore High Court (LHC). The NAB Lahore had frozen the Al-Arabia Sugar Mills in the assets beyond means case in November. The petition filed by Sharifs said that the inquiry against Shehbaz Sharif, Salman Shehbaz and others was in pending. The chairman NAB has been delegated semi-judicial powers, while the chairman’s powers were being used by the
director general NAB Lahore, which is against the law, the petitioner argued. The petitioner has pleaded to the Lahore high court (LHC) to halt the accountability bureau from interference in matters of the company.
Naqeebullah Mehsud's father passes away after battling cancer ISLAMABAD: Mohammad Khan, the father of Naqeebullah Mehsud, passed away on Monday at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Rawalpindi. Khan had been actively pursuing the murder case of his son Naqeebullah, a Waziristan native killed in an allegedly staged encounter in Karachi in January 2018, since his demise. The news of Khan’s demise was broken by lawyer Jibran Nasir in a tweet. According to the tweet, Mehsud’s father passed away after battling cancer and his funeral prayers would be offered in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district on Tuesday at 10am and in his village Makeen at 2pm. “He was a remarkable man with great resolve, we must carry forward his struggle for justice,” wrote Nasir. Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Lillahi Rajioun. Father of #NaqeebMehsud Mohd Khan sb
NAB Lahore Director General Shahzad Saleem had asked the authorities concerned, including the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), to implement the orders with immediate effect. It is to be mentioned here that the Al Arabia Sugar Mills owned by Opposition leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz and his brother Salman Shahbaz was sealed in November by the Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue for non-payment to sugarcane growers and around 0.4 million sugar bags were seized during a raid at the mills in Sargodha.
passed away today battling cancer. His janaza will be offered in Tank tomorrow 10am and in his village Makeen 2pm. He was a remarkable man with great resolve, we must carry forward his struggle for justice pic.twitter.com/l8hCU2gSPe — M. Jibran Nasir (@MJibranNasir) December 2, 2019 Meanwhile, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Monday condoled Mohammad Khan’s demise and said that he would fulfil his promise to get justice for his son’s extrajudicial killing. MEHSUD’S MURDER: Naqeebullah Mehsud was among the four suspects killed in an alleged encounter with a police team headed by former SSP Rao Anwar and his team in the Usman Khaskheli Goth on the outskirts of Karachi in January last year. According to the FIR of the incident, Naqeebullah alongside two other men, Qasim and Hazrat Ali, were picked up by policemen in plain clothes on January 3 at the behest of Anwar. The other two men were released after three days on January 6 but Naqeebullah’s whereabouts remained unknown until the news of his killing in a fake police encounter started making rounds on social media. STAFF REPORT
Scotland Yard submits key evidence in Imran Farooq murder case ISLAMABAD: Scotland Yard officials on Monday submitted important evidence in a case pertaining to the murder of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Imran Farooq in an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad. During the hearing, the investigators presented the CCTV footage of the incident, one brick, two sharp weapons and proper diagram of the crime scene in the court. It merits a mention here that MQM-London activists Khalid Shamim, Moazzam Ali and Mohsin Ali are nominated suspects in the case. Dr Imran Farooq was killed in a knife attack in Edgware, London by unidentified men outside his house in 2009. A key suspect in the case, Khalid Shamin, in a confession statement made to the Pakistani law enforcement officials, claimed that the party founder gave him directions to assassinate Farooq during a telephonic speech to party workers in Karachi. Farooq had claimed asylum in Britain in 1999 and was wanted in Pakistan over different charges including torture and murder but always claimed the accusations were politically motivated. STAFF REPORT
Consensus over CEC’s appointment will be reached soon: Fawad ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Monday said that the government would soon develop consensus over the appointment of the next Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). Addressing reporters after the launch of Microsoft Imagine Cup 2020 at Higher Education Commission (HEC), Fawad said that the consensus was being developed on the names of the members of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Khosa and Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa wanted to strengthen the state institutions, adding that all stakeholders were on the same page over the extension in the tenure of the army chief. The minister also demanded to withdraw the First Information Reports (FIRs) registered against students for participating in political activities. He said that political parties used to exploit the student unions for their own purposes in the past which had damaged the reputation of those unions. Speaking on the occasion, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Usman Dar said the government was going to launch start-up programmes for providing maximum opportunities to the youth to emerge as useful citizens. INP
‘Unidentified men’ try to break into Dawn’s Islamabad office ‘Unidentified men’ tried to break into the Islamabad bureau of Dawn newspaper, after which protesters assembled outside the building and started chanting slogans in favour of the military. Videos of the protest were shared on Twitter, where journalists also provided the context of the protest. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) also took notice of the situation and issued a statement on Twitter. “HRCP has received alarming reports that access to @dawn_com’s office in Islamabad is being blocked by protestors shouting pro-army slogans. We are seriously concerned about the security of Dawn’s personnel and urge @mohrpakistan and @MoIB_Official
to take immediate action,” the rights watchdog said. According to journalist Omar Qureshi, the protesters dispersed after a senior employee of the Islamabad bureau came out of the office and apologised for an article which stated that the London Bridge attacker, Usman Khan, was of Pakistani descent. The incident sparked outrage on social media, with people calling for an end to attempts of forcefully silencing the media. It is worth mentioning here that on November 30, the paper published an article stating that United Kingdom’s (UK) Metropolitan Police had identified the London Bridge attacker as British national Usman Khan, a 28-year-old male from Staffordshire. The paper had cited
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the British newspaper, The Telegraph, as saying that the attacker was of Pakistani descent. Following the publication of the article, government ministers took to Twitter to criticise the paper for pursuing an “hidden agenda”. Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry tweeted, “Dawn walas please have some mercy on this Nation, shocked on your cheap attempt to link a British terrorist to Pakistan, Anwar Al Awlaki and Anjem ch both are brit origin nothing to do with Kashmir or Pak, Britain should handle its problem within—irresponsible n cheap attitude,” Replying to Fawad’s tweet, Human Rights Minister Dr Shireen Mazari said, “Dawn has its
own agenda – read The News where their UK based reporter has given details of the man’s life incl the fact he was born in UK!” “The man was born in Stoke on Trent England – and is British by birth and by residence. Time for UK to do introspection rather than seeking excuses outside! Radicalisation has happened in UK acc to a look at his bio!” she further said. Communications Minister Murad Saeed said, “DAWN have mercy on Pakistan. ‘Pakistani’ is a nationality and not an ethnicity. Pakistani ethnicity can be Punjabi, Pushtun, Sindhi & Balochi etc. Nationality is a product of choice, ethnicity is an outcome of birth and DNA.” NEWS DESK
CMYK Tuesday, 3 December, 2019
NEWS
03
puNjab govt brINgS baCk ShEhbaZ’S FavourItE burEauCratS t HE massive bureaucratic reshuffle in Punjab carried out on the orders of Prime Minister Imran Khan last week has brought back all blue-eyed officers of former Punjab chief minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) President Shehbaz Sharif’s team. According to a news report, most of these officers were responsible for key projects initiated by Shehbaz such as the Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT), Multan Metro, underpasses and other mega projects of Lahore besides the Nandipur Power Project. More than a dozen officers, now brought back to deliver for Chief Minister Usman Buzdar’s government, were working directly with Shehbaz at the CM Secretariat. The new bureaucratic team being marketed as panacea for all the ills of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Punjab, is led my Major (r) Azam Suleman — the new chief secretary who has been the secretary of the most lucrative
13 Pakistanis, including seven children of a family, burnt to death in Jordan At least 13 Pakistanis including seven children were burnt to death when their house caught fire in Jordan. The incident happened on early Monday morning when a blaze tore through their corrugated metal home in a rural area of western Jordan, authorities said. Three people were also injured and were taken to a local hospital. Pakistani Embassy official in Amman confirmed the incident. “Yes, it is very unfortunate incident happened here close to Amman.” “It is sadly informed that 13 Pakistani nationals including seven children and four women and two men living in Jordan have expired due to fire which broke out in their tent. The fire reportedly broke around 2am on December 2. The cause of th fire has been reported to be short circuit,” says a statement sent to Gulf News by the Pakistan Embassy in Jordan. The statement further reads: “Three Pakistanis were also injured due to the incident and are in stable condition. All the victims were residing near Karama city which about 40km west of Amman near the Dead Sea. As per reports, the local fire bridage responded to the incident. “The victims belonged to a Joya family from Dadu district in Sindh Province. The head of the family Ali Sher Joya has survived the incident. The family reportedly migrated from Pakistan to Jordan in 1970s and were associated with the agriculture/farming profession.” The Pakistan Embassy spokesperson told Gulf News that they embassy is in contact with the family and relatives of the deceased residing in Jordan. “The family members have indicted that they will bury the bodies in Jordan,” the spokesperson said. A consular team headed by the Head of Chancery Hasnain Haider is with the family to provide assistance. NEWS DESK
provincial department, Communication and Works (C&W), for five years under Shehbaz. The former Punjab CM took so much interest in development that he never appointed a C&W minister and directly interacted with the secretary. Azam was instrumental in execution of mega projects in Punjab, especially Lahore, and is reputed to be a tough no-nonsense officer
and Shehbaz’s blue-eyed. According to reports, Shehbaz had such great liking for Azam that even after his promotion to BS-22, he was retained as the additional chief secretary (ACS) (Home) for five years — longest tenure ever. Strangely, at that time, the PTI used to blame him for the 2014 Model Town massacre. Bureaucrats like Nabeel Awan, Abdullah Sumbal, Nadeem Mahboob, Javed Qazi and Sajid Dahl — all reputed ace officers of the administrative services, who served Shehbaz’s immediate team — have also been given key positions in the recent reshuffle. Nabeel has been posted as the health and livestock secretary, Sumbal as finance, Nadeem as housing, Qazi as local government, while Dahl has been appointed as the higher education secretary. Similarly, a number of former principal staff officers (PSOs) like Sumair Syed, Amara Khan, Ahsan Waheed and Naseem Sadiq, who were given key portfolios by Shehbaz, have now been
brought back by the PTI government to mainstream administration. Sadiq has been appointed as Dera Ghazi (DG) Khan commissioner, Syed as the director general (DG) of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), Khan as the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) DG and Waheed as Sahiwal commissioner. Captain (r) Mahmood, who was responsible for the Nandipur Power Project and Lahore horticulture — two of Shehbaz’s favorite subjects — is now the new Rawalpindi commissioner. Capt (r) Saif Anjum, whom Shehbaz trusted with the Irrigation Department for three years, has been made Lahore commissioner, Momin Agha, another blueeyed of Shehbaz and who served as his information secretary as well as the Faisalabad commissioner, has been posted as ACS (Home). The ex-Punjab CM’s Finance Secretaries Shaukat Ali and Hamid Yaqoob Sheikh have been placed on most important positions of Punjab ACS and Plan-
ning and Development (P&D) chairman, respectively. Abdullah Sumbal, who was appointed as Lahore commissioner by Shehbaz, is the finance secretary. Capt (r) Asadullah, who executed the Multan Metro project, is the new C&W secretary while Babur Tarar, who was Sahiwal commissioner, health secretary and cooperatives secretary under Shehbaz, will be a senior member of the Board of Revenue (BoR) in the new setup. Iftikhar Saho — another well-reputed officer — who was P&D secretary under Shahbaz for almost five years and was responsible for all development across the project, has been appointed as the principal secretary to CM Buzdar. A senior retired bureaucrat said that by bringing back the entire team back, the PTI government had contradicted its own mantra of corruption under Shehbaz. Another feature of the latest reshuffle is that many officers considered close to Buzdar or the Chaudhrys of Gujrat, have been sidelined. NEWS DESK
Parliamentary committee to discuss appointment of CEC, ECP members ISLAMABAD APP
A parliamentary committee will meet on Tuesday to discuss the appointments of the Chief Election Commissioner and members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari will chair the meeting of the committee which will consider the nominations for appointment of members of the Election Commission of Pakistan from Sindh and Balochistan forwarded by the treasury and opposition. The treasury and opposition forwarded their nominations to National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani who sent them to the parliamentary committee for consideration. Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif had writ-
ten a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan proposing three names for the position of the CEC, asking him not to delay the matter any further. Shehbaz proposed the names of Nasir Mehmood Khosa, Jaleel Abbas Jillani and Akhlaq Ahmed Tarrar for the position of CEC. The CEC is scheduled to retire on December 6. According to Section (3) of the Election Act 2017, the bench of the commission must comprise at least three members. Shehbaz had also written a letter to the National Assembly speaker and Senate chairman proposing three names each for the post of member Election Commission Sindh and Balochistan. The opposition leader had proposed the names of Nisar Durrani, Justice (r) Abdur Rusul Memon and Aurangzeb Haq from Sindh while Shah Muhammad Jatoi, former Advocate General Muhammad Rauf Atta and Raheela Durrani
had been proposed for member Election Commission Balochistan. According to the constitution, the prime minister and the opposition
leader need to engage in meaningful consultation to reach a consensus over the appointment of members of the Election Commission.
Chohan reappointed as Punjab information minister LAHORE STAFF REPORT
After certain administrative alterations in Punjab amid much criticism from the opposition parties, provincial minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan has been reappointed as Punjab minister for information and culture. Chohan has been granted an additional charge of the information ministry besides the colonies portfolio. Mian Aslam Iqbal had excused himself for the additional charge of handling Information Ministry responsibilities. On March 5, Chohan had resigned from his ministry amid intense criticism over his derogatory remarks directed against the Hindu community. The firebrand PTI leader’s resignation had come following reports that Prime Min-
ister Imran Khan had himself taken notice of his remarks, although those reports were denied by the party. Chohan, known for his tub-
LAHORE SHAHAB OMER
King Edward Medical University (KEMU) has for the first time released information about the use of cadavers for practical educational purposes after a complaint against it was lodged in the Punjab Information Commission (PIC) for not providing information, Pakistan Today learnt on Thursday. According to university authorities, “KEMU used 15 dead bodies for educational purposes, in the last two years while giving four dead bodies to private medical colleges for the same purpose during that time.” Pakistan Today learnt that a complainant filed a right to information (RTI) complaint (on grounds of non-responsiveness) in the Punjab Information Commission (PIC) against KEMU management for not providing him information within 14 days. PIC on November 18, 2019, had issued summon to the university’s vice-chancellor and directed him to immediately forward a set of “certified copies of requisite public information to prevent further aggravation of the case.” The Department of Anatomy and Histology at KEMU submitted the answers within three days of the complaint being registered. The complainant had inquired about the laws under which dead bodies were being used for educational purposes by the university. The department in its reply said, “The law
thumping manner of speech, was addressing an event in Lahore on February 24 when responding to India’s rhetoric in the aftermath of the Pulwama bombing, he conflated Indians with Hindus, and used disgraceful words for the religious community. As a video clip of the derisive remarks went viral on the social media, Twitterati using the hashtag ‘#SackFayazChohan’ had asked the government to take action against Chohan and remove him from his post. Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Political Affairs Naeemul Haque in a tweet had said that the party would not “tolerate this nonsense”, adding that action would be taken against the minister after consultation with Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar. “The derogatory and insulting remarks against the Hindu community by Fayyaz
Chohan the Punjab Info Minister demand strict action. PTI govt will not tolerate this nonsense from a senior member of the govt or from anyone. Action will be taken after consulting the Chief Minister,” Naeemul Haq wrote on Twitter. Later, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar had summoned explanation from the provincial minister and stated that the government was being criticised following his remarks. Chohan had also apologised for statement against the Hindu community and said his remarks were not meant to target the Hindu religion or community; he just had addressed the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, its army and media. “All minorities are part of Pakistan and have equal rights,” he said.
19 dead bodies used for practical education during last two years about the use of dead bodies for practical education of medical students in KEMU is Police Rule 1934, section 25.38 under the heading of un-identified bodies”. The complainant further asked which students or classes need cadavers for practical education and how many cadavers had been used by KEMU and how many given to private medical colleges. The department in its answer said, “The students in need of dead bodies for practical education in KEMU are of first and second year classed of medical education as well as BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) and Allied Health Sciences. The total numbers of dead bodies that have been used for practical education at KEMU during the last two years are 15 in number. The total number of bodies during the last two years provided to private medical colleges by KEMU is four only, as per SOPs (Standard Operating Procedure) of KEMU. The dead bodies are provided for training workshops at different institutions and are provided for a short duration, it is just the additional
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use of same cadavers.” The department in its reply also added, “The source of obtaining dead bodies for practical education of medical students in KEMU is mentioned in Letter No. 3019-DSP/L/OPS dated: 9/5/13 and the Police Rule 1984, section 25.38 under the heading of un-identified bodies and is diligently followed. The process/mechanism/final authority and the permission process is followed by a memorandum from the senior superintendent of police via letter no. 3019DSP/L/OPS dated: 9/5/13 copy attached) and SOPs designed by administrative bodies.” The complainant also questioned about the prices charged by KEMU for providing cadavers to other colleges. The department while diverting the question said in reply, “The expenses borne in preservation and storage of dead bodies are taken only (as per decisions of administrative bodies).” The department did not respond to the question pertaining to the number of cadavers provided to Sheikh Zaid Medical University in the period.
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KARACHI: The government of Sindh has in principle decided to restore student unions in educational institutions of the province. Adviser to Chief Minister of Sindh on Law Murtaza Wahab in a press conference here said that the provincial law department has initiated consultations for restoration of the student unions. “We had in past backed unions. Chairman Bilawal Bhutto has also talked about (revival of) the student unions and the chief minister of Sindh has directed for restoration of these student bodies in the province,” Wahab said. The Ministry of Law has initiated consultations over the matter, provincial adviser further said. “A meeting was also held with the representatives of students who have submitted their demands and recommendations to the government,” he said. The bill for revival of the unions in academic institutions will be tabled in the provincial assembly after its approval from the provincial cabinet, Murtaza Wahab added. STAFF REPORT
STAFF REPORT
NveSTIGAToRS probing the kidnapping of Dua Mangi were still groping in the dark on Monday while police suspect that the car used for the abduction may have been stolen from Tariq Road area of Karachi. According to details acquired by CCTv camera footage, the culprits got out of the car, a granite coloured Honda Civic ‘eagle eye’, to shoot Dua’s friend Haris whilst kidnapping her in Karachi’s Bukhari Commercial area of Defence Housing Authority (DHA) on Saturday evening. Haris had put up resistance to save his friend from the criminals and was shot in the neck. Further, the car is very specific to the details of one which had reportedly been snatched in a street crime prior to the incident. The owner of the car told that his car was forcibly taken away from him
at gun-point three days back. Meanwhile, Dua’s whereabouts remain unknown while Harris is admitted to a hospital in critical condition. According to his father, the bullet which hit him in the neck has moved
further down his body and reached his chest. “Haris has been shifted from the emergency ward to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), said the victim’s father Fatah. The police’s initial suspicion is that personal enmity might be the rea-
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son behind the crime; however, Fatah said that his son did not have any enmity or dispute with anyone. Meanwhile, a close associate of Mangi’s family told a local media outlet that Dua had recently returned from the US, where she had befriended a man, M* with whom she distanced herself soon after returning to Karachi. She refused to talk to him but M*, over the past few months, had proved to be an incel minded stalker who did not take no for an answer. on Saturday evening, the victim girl was at a birthday party when she had come outside to meet Harris. M* had likely been following Dua, as he was in the vicinity with his friends when they saw Dua and Harris strolling in the street. It was at this point that Dua was kidnapped and Harris was shot. The police are yet to confirm the details but released a statement assuring that they were investigating the case from various angles while gathering evidence.
More dengue cases surface in city KARACHI: At least 97 more dengue fever cases were detected throughout Karachi city in last 24-hours, taking the reported cases’ toll to 14,443 since 1st Jan 2019. Spokesman Prevention and Control Program for Dengue (PCPD) Sindh while talking to PPI confirmed that as many as 103 new dengue fever cases emerged across the Sindh province in a day, out of which 97 were reported in Karachi and six in other districts. A total 42 people had been died across the Sindh province out of which 40 were reported in Karachi city and one each from Hyderabad and Ghotki. In December, a total of 103 dengue positive cases surfaced across the province out of which 97 were confirmed from Karachi and six from other districts. In 2019, a total of 15,521 dengue cases were reported in Sindh province so far out of which, 14,443 in Karachi and 1078 in other districts. PPI
Two accused sent on remand in Dadu ‘honour killing’ case
KARACHI: Sindh Rangers personnel stand alert to deal with any untoward situation as workers fix the broken windows of a high-rise building in the provincial capital. ONLINE
DADU: A local court on Monday handed over two men, including father of girl, for three-day physical remand to police in the case of ‘honor killing’. According to details, the incident occurred in Dadu’s Kacho where on November 21, 10-year-old girl was stoned to death after being allegedly blamed for Karo Kari (term used for honor killing). During the investigations, the Imam who performed the girl’s funeral prayers told the journalists and police about the murder, on which FIR was reported. According to FIR, some relatives of the girl killed her with stones following a conspiracy. Meanwhile the parents of the girl said, that they live in a mountainous area and a heavy rock from the roof fell on girl’s head which claimed her life. SSP Dr Farrukh Raza Malik has penned down a letter to district and session judge for exhuming the body to reach the actual reason behind the death. STAFF REPORT
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PolICe GRoPInG In The DaRk In Dua ManGI’s abDuCTIon Case KARACHI
Govt decides to restore student unions
FRIDAY
NAB to file reference against PPP’s Jam Khan Shoro, 10 others KARACHI STAFF REPORT
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has decided to file a reference against Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Jam Khan Shoro along with the board of revenue officers. Jam Khan Shoro is facing charges of assets beyond known sources of income. According to sources, the pro-
posed reference along with statements of more than 70 witnesses in the case has been sent to Chairman NAB, Justice (retired) Javed Iqbal for the approval. The statement of NAB Deputy Director Forensic Muhammad Naseem and Board of Revenue Micro Filming officer’s statement is also part of the record. The anti-graft watchdog body was allowed to investigate against Jam Khan on July 1st, the prosecu-
tor of the accountability bureau told the court. The former provincial minister is facing charges of accumulating assets beyond known sources of his income and also accused of illegal allotment of land for a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) station in Hyderabad’s area of Qasimabad. Jam Khan Shoro was summoned by the NAB last on october 21 for quizzing over the charges.
CM allocates Rs10m for locust control KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has approved Rs10 million to federal plant protection department as bridge finance arrangement to arrange three aircrafts, fuel and pesticide to launch aerial spray in desert area against locust. Chairing a meeting here at CM House, he said that the locust swarms attacks have caused serious damage to the standing crops in 11 districts. Minister Agriculture Ismail Rahu told the meeting that the desert locust was first reported in Nara desert of Khairpur on May 13, 2019 which had come from India. He added that due to prolonged monsoon season, they bred apildy in desert areas which could cause a great threat to agro economy. The worst affected areas were Salleh pat of Sukkur district, Nara of Khairpur, Ghotki desert area, Thar desert areas such as Chhachro, Dahili, Nagarparkar and Islamkot, Acchro Thar and Sanghar, desert area of Umerkot, and Gongo Thar of taluka Daur of Shaheed Benazirabad. STAFF REPORT
PM should take action against corrupt police officers, says Adil KARACHI STAFF REPORT
The rising incidents of murders and kidnapping of girls in Sindh are because the provincial government has totally incapable to give people safety and security. This government is only concerned about its corruption and kickbacks, said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Sindh leader and parliamentary leader in Sindh assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh here Monday. Addressing a crowded press conference in the committee room of Sindh assembly flanked by MPAs Aslam Abro, Saeed Qureshi, Dua Bhutto and others he said,
Dua Mangi was recently kidnapped from a posh area of Karachi in broad daylight. He said Gul Samaa was brutally murdered. He said the chief minister and police are responsible for the murder of the innocent girl in Dadu. He asked where the Sindh government and police were when this girl was killed at Wahi Pandhi near the native village of chief minister Murad Ali Shah. Haleem Adil said now a blue eyed boy of rulers, SSP Aijaz Sheikh of Umerkot has murdered a man Kanbhoo Khan Shah inside police lockup. He said such police officers are tarnish on the face of police department. He said they would request Prime Minister Imran Khan to purge po-
lice department in Sindh from black sheep belonging to federal police service like the pattern of Punjab province. He said the government of Sindh has miserably failed to serve the people of this province. He said people of Sindh got AIDS due to negligence of this government. He said 186000 people in Sindh have already been bitten by stray dogs, which are also biting innocent children, but no action is taken against the officers who have failed to control stray dog population. He said funds of Rs50 Crore are tagged to control stray dogs but so far not single stray dog is killed. He said Umair of Larkana was bitten by stray dog. He
said another boy was bitten by stray dog in Sehwan and he was not given vaccine. He asked if now Sindh government would form a ‘Catch Dog Force’. Haleem Adil said a JIT should be formed on startling disclosures of criminal Thaili Walla. He asked why Murad Ali Shah used to visit this target killer. He said everyone knows about the level of corruption in Sindh. He said 30 Crore rupees were eaten by corruption mafia in the name of CM’s Karachi cleanliness drive. He said the Sindh CM is required the NAB. He asked who are Afaq Shahid and Saleem Bajari and who gives money to them. He said Bilawal has claimed to lib-
erate Kashmir; however, he better improve governance in Sindh before liberating Kashmir. He asked if Bilawal has brought any improvement in Thar. He said we have given health cards to 275000 people in Thar. He said retired bureaucrats are being appointed in Sindh education Foundation which is a new form of corruption and nepotism. He said we are stopped when we speak in assembly and our resolutions are not being implemented. He said thieves are brought on pretext of production orders. He said hundreds of people have already died of dengue fever. He said locusts have devastated crops in the province.
Tuesday, 3 December, 2019
Court senDs stuDent aCtivist on juDiCial remanD over 'seDitious' sPeeCh LAHORE
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STAFF REPORT
local court on Monday rejected the police’s request for physical remand of Alamgir Wazir, who was detained two days ago in a sedition case registered against the organisers and participants of the recently held Students Solidarity March, and sent him to jail on a 14day-long judicial remand. Police had requested 10-day physical remand of Alamgir so they could arrest other suspects by having him identify them in CCTV footage. The Civil Lines police on behalf of the state had registered a case on sedition charges against the march organisers, including Alamgir (nephew of MNA Ali Wazir), Professor Dr Ammar Ali Jan, Farooq Tariq, Iqbal Lala, father of Mashal Khan (who was lynched on the premises of Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan over false blasphemy allegations), Mohammad Shabbir, and Kamil Khan, besides 250-300 unidentified participants. Capital City Police Officer Zulfiqar Hameed earlier told reporters that Alamgir was arrested in the case two days ago. He said the case was registered on behalf of the state because the students were delivering provocative speeches and chanting slogans against the state and its institutions, adding that police would arrest others involved in
the case as well. Alamgir, a former Punjab University student who went on to become chairperson of the Pakhtun Council, went missing from the campus two days ago. He had completed his BS in Gender Studies from the university last year and was there to get his degree. He was staying at hostel No 19 with a cousin when he went missing. The Pakhtun Council students had also protested against Alamgir’s arrest outside the Punjab University vice chancellor’s house
condemning the action and demanding his release. During the proceedings at the Cantt Kachhery, Alamgir was presented in court as police requested for a 10-day physical remand. Police told the court that Alamgir had been arrested on December 1 for an anti-state speech, adding that in violation of the sound system act, he had made an inflammatory speech against state institutions. Additionally, they said he had created difficulties for the public and violated the law by blocking a
road. Alamgir’s lawyer, however, rejected the police request for physical remand, saying since they had CCTV footage, nothing further was required from his client. Subsequently, the court said record proves that the police already has the CCTV footage and does not need anything from Alamgir. They also asked the investigating officer to present the challan in the case on December 16. According to the First Information Report (FIR) registered against the participants of the Students Solidarity March, complainant Sub-Inspector Mohammad Nawaz said he was on patrol when he received information that a rally of 250-300 people led by Ammar Ali Jan, Farooq Tariq, Iqbal Lala, Alamgir Wazir, Mohammad Shabbir and Kamil Khan was being taken out. He said he had reached Faisal Chowk on The Mall where the protesters were forcibly blocking the road to set up a stage to deliver speeches. A sessions court in Lahore today approved interim bail for two of the suspects in the case — Ammar Ali Jan and Kamil Khan. Asking them to submit surety bonds of Rs50,000 each, the court stopped the police from arresting them. Additionally, they asked the Civil Lines police to submit a complete report while adjourning proceedings till December 16.
NEWS
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Women among five killed in Kandhkot tribal clash NEWS DESK Two women were among five people killed in an armed clash between two tribes in Kandhkot city of Sindh’s Kahsmore district, police said Monday. Members of Lolai and Jagirani tribes opened fire at each other in Foujo Lolai village in the riverine Ghauspur area, according to the police. As a consequence, five people were killed and two others wounded. The deceased were identified as Hurmat Khatoon, Baigi Khatoon, Jagan Lolai, Lakhan Lolai and Abdul Quddus. Bodies of the deceased and wounded persons were shifted to hospital. Police officials said the long-running dispute between the two tribes has claimed seven lives in the past as well. The law enforcers were yet to make an arrest and register a case.
Pakistani doctors rendering excellent services all over the world: Dr Yasmeen
Digital system to replace patwari culture: Buzdar LAHORE
LAHORE STAFF REPORT
STAFF REPORT
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Monday said that the government has decided to replace ‘Patwari culture’ with a digital system. He said this during a meeting with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers from Punjab assembly and PTI ticket holders, who called on him at CM House. “Provincial government will get rid of ‘patwari culture’ by digitizing land record authority,” said Usman Buzdar. Earlier in the day, CM Usman Buzdar in his message on World Computer Literacy Day has said that information technology is need of the hour and it is not possible to move forward without attaining computer literacy. Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has said that the present government has made all-out efforts to put the country in the right direction. Buzdar said that the conspiracies to destabilise the country will be failed. He added that the country is heading towards sustainable developments under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Last month, Buzdar announced to change the names of revenue officers from ‘Patwaris’ to
Punjab Health Minister Dr. Yasmeen Rashid has said that Pakistani doctors are rendering excellent services all over the world and earning name and fame for the country. She stated this while talking to a delegation of Association of Pakistani Physicians of Northern Europe at Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department on Monday. President Pakistani Physicians of Northern Europe Association Dr. Aamir Barni, Executive Member Dr. Ambreen Sajid, General Secretary Dr. Irfan Akhtar and Mian Zahid were also present on this occasion. Three-member delegation informed Dr. Yasmeen Rashid about medical services being rendered in northern Europe. The delegation also gave important proposals about steps to be taken for bringing more improvement in health sector. Dr Yasmeen Rashid said that facilities are being provided to patients in government hospitals of Punjab. Experiences of Pakistani Physicians of Northern Europe Association will be benefited during training workshops. PTI government is endeavoring to make government hospitals best healthcare centers in Punjab, she added. It is the basic responsibility of the state to provide free and best treatment facilities to common citizen. It is the first and foremost priority of Prime Minister Imran Khan to bring improvement in health sector, she maintained.
village officers. Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar had directed concerned authorities to complete the establishment of 115 land record centers in far off area of the province by next month.
The meeting also decided to convert a Tehsil of Lahore as a Model Tehsil in respect of Revenue matters. Village Officers will be appointed on scale 14 through Punjab Public Service Commission tests.
Defeat is an orphan CITY NOTES M A NIAZI
Y
’know, I suspect Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa would have got a better verdict from the Supreme Court if he hadn’t employed Farogh Naseem as his lawyer. The very eagerness with which he resigned from the federal cabinet in order to represent him should have made General Bajwa smell a rat. He should have realised that the whole mess had been caused by the Law Ministry, which Barrister Naseem headed. Or maybe it was caused by the Defence Ministry, which is headed by Pervez Khattak. At least, that is the line Faroqh Naseem is said to be pushing. It was by a writer, Tacitus, that it was said, “Success has many fathers, but defeat is an orphan.” But he said it while writing the biography of Agricola, the conqueror of Britain. Well, Britain had previously been invaded by Julius Caesar, but it was Agricola who managed the conquest. Not to forget that Tacitus married his daughter, but that only got him a good biography. Well, I bet Farogh Naseem is telling everyone how well he handled the
case. But woe betide anyone who wonders, innocently of course, why the problem arose. Imran Khan knows: it’s Nawaz Sharif’s fault. Actually, everything is. A little can be ascribed to his corruption, but the real problem has been him. As Dr Imran diagnosed from the video footage of him on his air ambulance, he is not ill. That footage may have convinced him to confiscate all of Shehbaz Sharif’s property. Y’ know, instead of going to Kot Lakhpat jail, flinging
Nawaz to the floor and then kicking him, he will now go to one of the factories owned by Shehbaz, and have videos of himself taken flashing the Vfor-Victory sign. But then, Imran has got bigger problems. Like the discovery that Misbahul Haq is a corrupt element. Otherwise, how else does one explain not just the innings defeat at Brisbane, but the second at Adelaide? Azhar Ali is obviously a corrupt element, and should be investigated by NAB and searched by the ANF. But who picked Azhar Ali? That’s the really corrupt element. Another thing that probably had Imran worried was the case of the Navy Seal who posed with the corpse of an Iraqi corpse and had a photo taken. A court martial busted him from chief petty officer to petty officer, but President Trump restored his rank. The Navy Secretary had to resign over this presidential interference in the military justice system. However, it appears that Trump interfered in the process, even though he is a civilian. There doesn’t seem to have been any money changing hands, so Imran doesn’t feel that a dharna is due. He might hold one in New Zealand in support of Jofra Archer, the England fast bowler, who suffered racial abuse.
CMYK
Funny, I thought that was done only by European football hooligans. Well, it seems that New Zealand is developing a cricket hooligan. Well, at least they’re developing. Another bunch of people who are developing are the protesters in Hong Kong. The local body polls there have resulted in a massive win for proprotest candidates. So from just being upset about an extradition law, they’ve gone on to challenge the ‘one country, two systems’ policy. Imran would probably have gone to hold a dharna there, but he didn’t want to offend the Chinese. Imran may be taking an interest in the London Bridge incident. He’s interested in London, which was why he campaigned for his former brotherin-law Zac Goldsmith in the last mayoral election. Well, living up to stereotypes, the attacker was a Muslim convict, who had been let out of jail early. No, we’’re not talking about a Pakistani pacer, but a British-born child of immigrants from Bhimber early. And no, there was no history of mental illness, so maybe it wasn’t him. Knives seem to be the in-thing in Europe these days, after another terror attack went down by a knife-wielding assailant in Amsterdam.
Tuesday, 3 December, 2019
06 WORLD VIEW
A globAl debt crisis ApproAches GLOBAL DEBT SURGED BY USD7.5 TRILLION IN THE FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR ALONE, REACHING A RECORD OF US$251 TRILLION, ACCORDING TO THE IIF. ‘WITH NO SIGN OF A SLOWDOWN, WE EXPECT THE GLOBAL DEBT LOAD TO EXCEED USD255 TRILLION IN 2019 – LARGELY DRIVEN BY THE US AND CHINA,’ IT SAYS SOuth China MORninG POSt
i
ANThoNY RowlEY
N the “new normal” economic world, many beliefs have been turned on their head. Trade wars supposedly do not cause lasting harm, declining corporate output, earnings and investment are no cause for alarm, stock prices can go on rising regardless, and record global debt is nothing to lose sleep over. Debt has now hit what the Institute of International Finance (IIF) in Washington calls “mind-boggling” proportions and Unctad – the UN body dealing with trade, investment and development issues – has warned of a new debt crisis. Yet, markets remain unfazed. It seems that “all is for the best in the best of possible worlds”, to quote Professor Pangloss in Voltaire’s Candide. The debt mountain has grown hugely, not only in Asia but also in the United States and Europe, and governments have become as heavily addicted to borrowing as have corporate and household sectors (in China especially). As Changyong Rhee, director of the Asia and Pacific Department at the IMF
in Washington noted to me, “In emerging economies, debt is a problem, but if you look at how it has increased in advanced economies, that is also very large.” Global debt surged by US$7.5 trillion in the first half of this year alone, reaching a record of US$251 trillion, according to the IIF. “With no sign of a slowdown, we expect the global debt load to exceed [US]$255 trillion in 2019 – largely driven by the US and China,” it says. Piling up debt is even gaining intellectual respectability among some leading economists such as Olivier Blanchard, a former chief economist at the IMF, and now a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington. They argue (in line with modern monetary theory) that those governments which can issue generally accepted currencies (dollars, euros or yen) should borrow freely to finance fiscal stimulus while interest rates remain low. TRUMP’S GO-IT-ALONE APPROACH IS DOOMED IN AN INTERCONNECTED ECONOMY The world’s principal central banks are also increasingly arguing that monetary policy cannot go on indefinitely being the only game in town, and that fis-
cal policy needs to do more to assist growth (or stave off recession). Maybe. But since governments can hardly raise taxes to spend more unless they want to tip their delicately poised economies into recession, they will need to borrow more, and that will increase competition for funds. In turn, this means a rising cost of money because central banks will be printing less of it. That will surely translate into upward pressure on interest rates, not just for governments but for private-sector borrowers too. And there’s the rub, because the private sector is already showing the public sector how to do it when it comes to debt. The global corporate sector (excluding financial institutions) was in debt for a sum equal to 92 per cent of GDP by the middle of this year, according to the IIF. TITANIC ICEBERG OF WORLD DEBT COULD SINK THE ECONOMY China, where corporate sector debt has hit 155 per cent of GDP, leaves everyone behind except Hong Kong, where the ratio is 224 per cent. Why the Hong Kong level is so high is unclear, but one expert source suggests that lending to Hong Kong firms may be one way in which the
Chinese shift money out of China. The other places where corporate borrowing is highest relative to GDP are Japan at 98 per cent, South Korea at 94 per cent and Malaysia at 69 per cent, but euro-zone companies have also become debt-addicted with a ratio of 108 per cent of GDP, while the ratio in the US is 74 per cent. Does it matter? Not as long, maybe, as the “music goes on” and interest rates stay low, but if governments start crowding out private borrowers as they ramp up fiscal spending, then it definitely will matter, and that applies even where debt is overwhelmingly in local currencies. THE DARK CORNER WHERE THE NEXT GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS MAY BE BREWING Governments are already very big borrowers (overwhelmingly in Japan, where the government debt to GDP ratio has hit 228 per cent) but also in the US, Britain and the euro zone, where it stands at somewhat over 100 per cent. It is at highs too in places like India, Pakistan and Malaysia. Those governments, from China to Vietnam and South Africa, with disguised “contingent liabilities” (because of borrowing by state-owned enter-
prises) could face problems. China might “nationalise” its debt, as Japan did with its bank debt in the 1990s, but the burden will eventually have to be worked off. We should possibly worry even more about the build-up of household debt, especially in the US and parts of Asia, because it implies that consumption booms in those places are largely debt-driven – and that households could be squeezed badly if rates rise or in any economic downturn. Household debt to GDP has hit 94 per cent of GDP in South Korea, 84 per cent in the UK and 74 per cent in the US. Debt ratios also stand at a high 74 per cent in Hong Kong, 69 per cent in Thailand and 68 per cent in Malaysia. China’s household debt ratio is a more prudent 54 per cent. It’s hard to say exactly when debt risks might crystallise and precipitate a new crisis. But, as the IIF says, there is “a lot of concern that a continued ramp-up in debt could spark a fresh crisis”. Financial crises have crept up unawares on the world before and it seems likely they will do so again. Anthony Rowley is a veteran journalist specialising in Asian economic and financial affairs.
Why dogs and people rule the world Syed Ahmad Khan’s book on Delhi and its ruins would ‘numb’ other writers, said Mirza Ghalib
BLOOMBERG CASS R SUNSTEIN
Where do dogs come from? What is their relationship to wolves? Where do Homo sapiens come from? What is our relationship to other human species such as Neanderthals, Denisovans and Homo erectus? Why do dogs flourish as wolves struggle to survive? Why are we the only remaining humans? New research suggests that these diverse questions have a single answer. In brief: Dogs are far less likely than wolves to respond to challenges with violence (or by running away). Or, in more technical terms, they show low levels of “reactive aggression” in social interactions. As compared with extinct human species, Homo sapiens show precisely the same thing. As a result, we — you and I — are uniquely capable of trust and cooperation. That’s the basis of our evolutionary triumph. Some of the key research has been done by anthropologist Brian Hare of Duke University, who gives this process a name: Survival of the Friendliest. Let’s start with man’s best friend. The defining work began in the 1950s, with research inaugurated by Soviet geneticist Dmitri Belyaev, the most visionary scientist you’ve never heard of. Under Soviet rule, Belyaev’s job was to raise silver foxes, prized for their pelts. But he was actually interested in the origins of dogs. Belyaev had a startling hypothesis, which was that all of the characteristics of dogs evolved from one feature: docility. At some point in ancient history, Belyaev speculated, relatively docile wolves mated with one another. Their offspring became more docile still, and the offspring of those offspring were even more so. Over the course of many gen-
erations, dogs emerged. Belyaev boldly hypothesized that all of the physical features of dogs, distinguishing them from wolves — floppy ears, multiple colors, two menstrual cycles annually (female wolves have only one) — were a byproduct of docility. To test that hypothesis, Belyaev worked with collaborators to separate out the less fearful and least aggressive silver foxes and to have them breed with one another. His goal? To turn foxes into dogs. After a few generations, Belyaev started to see results. His young foxes became calmer. Some even wagged their tails as human beings approached. Others flopped on their backs, asking for belly rubs. They would fetch balls. As the experiment continued, the foxes’ physical appearance started to change. They developed floppy ears. Their fur showed white patches. The most dramatic changes involved their personalities. To be sure, they were not dogs. But they were pretty close. People could take them on walks. They would sit on command. (“Good fox!”) They were eager to cuddle. The Russian Fox Domestication Experiment, as it is sometimes called, continues to this very day. Influenced by Belyaev’s experiments, Hare has discovered that just like human beings, and unlike wolves and all other wild species, dogs can read social cues. If, for example, a human being points to the left, a dog will look in that direction, picking up the signal: “Look there!” After traveling to Russia, Hare was amazed to find that Belyaev’s domesticated foxes — unlike ordinary foxes — share that characteristic with dogs. But the most ambitious work on these issues has been done by Harvard anthropologist Richard Wrangham, who has elaborated a proposition at which Belyaev just hinted, which is that Homo sapiens is the domesticated member of the human species. Wrangham argues that a decline in reactive aggression is the defining feature of Home sapiens. Wrangham offers evidence that the human species that died out were, essentially, wilder versions of, well, us. “Their archaic looks were of a species that differed from Homo sapiens rather as a chimpanzee does from a bonobo,
or a wolf from a dog,” he wrote in his 2019 book, “The Goodness Paradox.” Compared to Home sapiens, previous human species had broader and heavier skulls and thicker skeletons. As Homo sapiens emerged, the size of the face and the brow ridge diminished. Male faces became more feminine as sex differences were reduced. These are the anatomical characteristics of domestication. Wrangham argues that because of a comparative decrease in reactive aggression, Homo sapiens had a variety of significant advantages, including an ability to learn from and to cooperate with one another. As Wrangham puts it, “Docility should be considered as foundational of humankind, not just because it is unusual, but because it seems likely to be a vital precondition for advanced cooperation and social learning.” You might find Wrangham’s thesis a bit jarring. After all, modern human beings are capable of nuclear and conventional war, genocide and immense cruelty. Wrangham also emphasizes that we are uniquely capable of “proactive aggression,” that is, aggression that involves a lot of advance planning. What we share with our best friend is a major reduction in immediate, reflexive, violent responses to real or apparent threats and frustrations. And of course, people, like dogs, are diverse on this count. Some people are more like wolves; others are more like Labrador retrievers. Belyaev, Hare and Wrangham are making claims about evolution, not about politics, and certainly not about contemporary political life. But they tell us something about what keeps societies together and what makes them fall apart — and also, I think about what separates out the best of us. Evolutionary anthropologists use the word “docility,” but a stronger term, suitable for both dogs and people, is grace. It is the opposite of savagery. It signals an ability to think charitably of others, which is crucial to an absence of reactive aggression. And in social interactions, grace generally breeds more of itself. It’s something to be grateful for. Cass R. Sunstein is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist.
PRint NARAYANI GUPTA
Delhi is introduced, interpreted, and celebrated all the time through walks, performances, talks and articles. But not many realise that the person who began telling the stories of Delhi was a young man in his 20s named Syed Ahmad Khan. Two centuries after he was born, his work Asar-us-Sanadid can now enjoy a wider readership because of its translation into English by Rana Safvi in 2018. Syed Ahmad Khan was not the first writer to describe Delhi, but when he compiled his notes on the ‘remains of the great’ (asar-us-sanadid) into a book, he chose to write not in Farsi but in the accessible Urdu — making him a pioneer. Another first was that it appeared as a book rather than as a manuscript because his brother had just installed a new Urdu printing press in Delhi. Khan’s qualifications to write were not that of a narrow specialist. In those happy days, when education was not one fixed menu, he had studied science, mathematics, Farsi and Urdu. In his 20s, living in his family home in Shahjahanabad (present-day Old Delhi), Khan was a junior official in the East India Company, helping his brother publish an Urdu newspaper, and translating Farsi manuscripts. Asar-us-Sanadid was published in 1847, and had a quality of eagerness explained by Khan learning the subject as he went along. Khan went to great lengths to transcribe inscriptions (‘He is climbing up with such enthusiasm/That people think he has some work in the sky’ was an affectionate comment about his swinging round the Qutub Minar
in an improvised basket-andpoles contraption to read the inscriptions on the higher storeys). The artists’ drawings for the book were based on his own sketches. There are very few extant copies of the original edition. The better-known second edition, published in 1854, bears the blue pencil marks of the Collector A.A. Roberts, who did a hatchet-job, reducing it by a half, adhering to chronology, giving British scientists a role in the Jantar Mantar project, removing all the poets and artists, and making it an altogether dull book. SIGHTS, SOUNDS AND SILENCES To Khan, historic architecture was not just patrons, materials, form and function. It was part of a continuous culture, nourished by new infusions. Political history, the overlapping cities and forts, the increasingly sophisticated elements in architecture – these became four-dimensional by reading mosques, dargahs and mazars as sacred spaces, calm with the presence of mystics and scholars long departed. They were to be experienced in silence, reading the inscriptions, not listening to the patter of a guide. He delineates the complementarity of a vibrant urban culture — music, poetry, dance — and animated bazaars, the tranquil atmosphere of the countryside, fields and hills dotted with ruins. “The charm of the Delhi scene,” as historian Percival Spear would describe it a century later. In a sentence that sounds startlingly contemporary, Syed Ahmad Khan is distressed by the “recent” increase in the city’s population, making it — and also the bracing hills of Mehrauli — unpleasantly congested. But he insists that “in spite of all these factors, the climate of Delhi is still a thousand times better than that of other cities.” The magnificent Mughal fort (remember that he was writing well before 1857) is described in the second chapter; Shahjahanabad in the third; the artists, poets and musicians in the fourth (the section captioned, charmingly, ‘The nightingale-like sweetly-singing people of Shahjahanabad on the
outskirts of Paradise’). SHINING LIGHT ON DELHI FOR OTHER HISTORIANS It was a challenging task. Delhi’s landscape was not easy to read in the complete absence of any older accounts or images. There was overlap, modification (particularly in the Qutub Minar area), vandalism (of poet Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana’s tomb by the ruler of Awadh). As a teenager, Syed Ahmad Khan was interested in astronomy, so his distress over the neglect of Jantar Mantar is understandable. He would have liked to spend more time studying it: “I will need a separate book to describe the workmanship, use and effectiveness of these instruments.” Mirza Ghalib, in the ‘Foreword’, describes his friend’s book as one that would “numb the hands of other writers.” Khan’s meticulous account of buildings, even those in ruins, became the template for later books in English. “He who undertakes to write the archaeology of Delhi must constantly seek for light in the pages of Syed Ahmed Khan’s interesting work on that subject,” wrote Carr Stephen in The Archaeology and Monumental Remains of Delhi (1876). More than 20 years lapsed between Asar-us-Sanadid’s second edition and Stephen’s book. A world separated the two publications. Khan, posted in Bijnor (in present-day Uttar Pradesh), was not caught in the trauma of 1857 (the Great Revolt). Some of the poets he had listed in Asar-usSanadid — like Ghalib — sought relief by writing laments to their ravaged city. His own reaction was different. With a sense of grief at seeing an efficient machine derailed, Khan would write Asbab-e-Baghawat-e-Hind (The Causes of the Indian Rebellion) to understand what had gone wrong. His bond with Delhi was severed. He went on to become a distinguished public figure in north India, remembered today for the institution he founded, the Aligarh Muslim University. Dr Narayani Gupta writes on urban history, particularly that of Delhi.
Tuesday, 3 December, 2019
FOREIGN NEWS 07
ChinA sLAps sAnCtiOns On Us Over hOng KOng Unrest BEIJING
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AGENCIES
HINA suspended US warship visits and sanctioned American NGOs on Monday in retaliation for the passage of a bill backing pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong. The financial hub has been rocked by nearly six months of increasingly violent unrest demanding greater autonomy, which Beijing has frequently blamed on foreign influence. Last week US President Donald Trump signed the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which requires the president to annually review the city’s favourable trade status and threatens to revoke it if the semi-autonomous territory’s freedoms are quashed. The move came as the world’s two biggest economies have been striving to finalise a “phase one” deal in their protracted trade war. “In response to the unreasonable behaviour of the US side, the Chinese government has decided to suspend reviewing the applications for US warships to go to Hong Kong for (rest and) recuperation as of today,” foreign min-
istry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular press briefing. China had already denied requests for two US Navy ships to dock in Hong Kong in August, without specifying a reason why. “Operationally, from a military point of view, it doesn’t really make a difference for the US, as they can use many naval bases in the region,” Michael Raska, a security researcher at
Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, told AFP. However, it “sends a signal that US-China tensions will continue to deepen,” Raska said. The last US navy ship to visit Hong Kong was the USS Blue Ridge in April. J. Michael Cole, a Taipei-based senior fellow with the Global Taiwan Institute, said the move was “mostly symbolic” but yet another sign of the
“tit-for-tat escalation which is poisoning the bilateral relationship.” Hua said they would also apply sanctions to a number of US-based NGOs, although failed to give any specifics over the form the measures would take. Sanctions will apply to NGOs that had acted “badly” over the recent unrest in Hong Kong, she said, including the National Endowment for Democracy, Human Rights Watch and Freedom House. There was “already a large amount of facts and evidence that make it clear that these non-governmental organisations support anti-China” forces and “incite separatist activities for Hong Kong independence”, Hua said. She accused them of having “great responsibility for the chaotic situation in Hong Kong”. Protesters in Hong Kong are pushing for greater democratic freedoms and police accountability, but the city’s proBeijing leadership has refused any major political concessions. The increasingly violent rallies have hammered the retail and tourism sectors, with mainland Chinese visitors abandoning the city in droves.
Putin, Xi launch 'historic' Russian gas pipeline to China MOSCOW AGENCIES
Morales victim of 'coup', says AMLO during first-term celebration MEXICO CITY: Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Sunday that former Bolivian leader Evo Morales was the “victim of a coup d’etat.” The leftist president, nicknamed AMLO, celebrated his first year in office with a speech to throngs of supporters in Mexico City. While detailing the ongoing fight against corruption and budget and tax policies, Lopez Obrador touched on Mexico’s foreign policy by recalling his government’s decision to accept Morales as an asylum seeker while discussing Mexico’s foreign policy. “Evo was the victim of a coup d’etat! And from Mexico, we tell the world, ‘Yes to democracy, no to militarism!'” AMLO said during the rally in the central Plaza del Zocalo. The square was packed with people, and musical groups performed alongside AMLO’s speech. It also marked the first time that Lopez Obrador, who has been in office for a year, spoke directly about the circumstances that led to Morales’s departure from Bolivia. Morales resigned on November 10 amid swelling protests over what political opponents said was his rigging of October 20 elections. He fled to Mexico the following day after losing the support of the military and police, claiming to be the victim of a coup. While echoing Morales’s claim Sunday, AMLO called the exiled leader “our brother, who represents with dignity the majority of indigenous people of Bolivia.” Morales has yet to meet publicly with Lopez Obrador. He was welcomed on arrival to Mexico by Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard. Lopez Obrador’s one-year anniversary was marred when a shootout broke out Saturday afternoon near the US border between suspected drug traffickers and police, leaving at least 21 dead. Shooting continued into early Sunday, and authorities said that four of those killed were police, 14 were suspected criminals and another three bodies were unidentified. The shootout comes after Lopez Obrador warned he would not allow the US to conduct crossborder armed operations against drug cartels in the country. AGENCIES
Russia and China on Monday launched a giant gas pipeline linking the countries for the first time, one of three major projects aimed at cementing Moscow’s role as the world’s top gas exporter. Presiding by video link-up over an elaborate televised ceremony, Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping hailed the “Power of Siberia” pipeline as a symbol of cooperation. “Today is remarkable, a truly historic event not only for the global energy market, but first of all for us and for you, for Russia and China,” Putin said. Xi said the project served as a model of cooperation. “China-Russia relations are entering a new era,” Xi said. “Everyone worked hard.” The ceremony featured hard-hatted gas workers and videos showing the pipeline’s difficult path from remote areas of eastern Siberia to Blagoveshchensk on the Chinese border. Workers burst into applause and celebratory music played as the CEO of Russian gas giant Gazprom,
Alexei Miller, speaking from the Amur region, ordered a valve opened for the gas to flow across the border. The 3,000-kilometre (1,850mile) pipeline — which Putin has called “the world’s biggest construction project” — will supply China with 38 billion cubic metres (1.3 trillion cubic feet) of gas annually when fully operational in 2025. Russia and China signed the 30year, $400 billion construction deal in 2014 — Gazprom’s biggest ever contract. The pipeline is part of Russia efforts to develop ties with Asia — in particular top energy importer China — amid longstanding tensions with the West. Gazprom stressed that the pipeline ran through “swampy, mountainous, seismically active, permafrost and rocky areas with extreme environmental conditions”. Temperatures along the route plunge to below minus 60 degrees Celsius in Yakutia and below minus 40 C in the Russian Far East’s Amur Region. Work has also been completed on the first road bridge between Russia and China, further linking the two neighbours. The bridge, which is to open next year, will connect the city of Blagoveshchensk and the
northern Chinese city of Heihe. Moscow however remains a key gas provider to Europe and is also planning to soon launch two more pipelines that will ramp up supplies to the continent while bypassing Ukraine — TurkStream and Nord Stream 2. Analysts said the three projects have long-term economic and political benefits for Russia, which has inserted itself between European markets to the west and the rapidly growing Chinese market to the east. “Russia is not only creating new income streams, but hedging its bets and bolstering its position strategically,” said energy analyst Andrew Hill. “The ability to play one off against the other will not have been lost on either Gazprom or the Kremlin,” Hill, who leads the S&P Global Platts EMEA gas and power analytics team, wrote in a blog. But some analysts have said the project makes little economic sense, given its enormous costs, and should not have been built. “This is not a commercial project,” said Mikhail Krutikhin, estimating the pipeline’s cost at some $100 billion, nearly double the $55 billion price tag announced by Gazprom.
Australia slams China's 'unacceptable' treatment of jailed writer CANBERRA: Australia’s foreign minister on Monday said the treatment of a writer detained in China was “unacceptable”, as his lawyer reported he was being shackled and subjected to daily interrogation. Yang Hengjun, an Australian citizen, has been detained in China since January and was recently charged with spying, which could bring a lengthy prison sentence. In an unusually frank statement, Marise Payne said she was “very concerned by reports from a recent consular visit” that claimed Yang had been isolated from the outside world and interrogated while restrained. “This is unacceptable,” she said, adding that repeated requests had been made for Yang to get “basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment”. The consular visit revealed Yang was undergoing repetitive daily interrogations and being “shackled by the hands and feet”, his lawyer Sarah Condon told AFP. Letters were also being withheld “to cut off the conduit of information from Dr Yang to the outside world, and from the outside world to Dr Yang”, she said. Condon said Yang had been in good health before his detention but had since been told that he was suffering from high blood pressure and “serious” kidney problems. “He is being provided a number of unknown and unspecified substances, up to nine tablets daily,” she added. But China’s foreign ministry denied the allegations of torture on Monday, describing Yang’s health condition as “good”. “There is no problem of so-called torture or cruelty,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying at a regular press briefing. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has denied that Yang — one of a string of foreign nationals recently arrested in China — was a spy. The arrests have been described by rights groups as politically motivated. “It seems like he’s being treated particularly harshly in order to effectively try and break him and push him to confess,” said Human Rights Watch’s Australia director Elaine Pearson. China’s near-silence about Yang’s fate has been a point of friction in relations with Australia. He had initially been held in “residential surveillance at a designated location” before being moved to criminal detention in August. Yang reportedly once worked in China’s foreign affairs ministry in Hainan province — although this has been denied by Beijing. He is believed to have left mainland China for Hong Kong in 1992 and then travelled to the United States five years later, where he worked for the Atlantic Council think tank. He later took up Australian citizenship — although Beijing does not recognise dual nationality — and wrote a series of spy novels and a popular Chinese-language blog. AGENCIES
Myanmar rallies in support of Suu Kyi in wake of genocide charges NAYPYITAW AGENCIES
About 700 people rallied on Sunday to show support for Myanmar leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, as she prepares to defend the country against charges of genocide at the United Nation’s (UN) highest court. Members of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party swelled the ranks in front of the colonial-era City Hall in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, as the crowd waved national flags and listened to music and poetry. A popular local singer told them Mother Suu is the bravest human being in the world her weapon is love. Many carried banners saying, ‘We stand with you, Mother Suu’. The case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague relates to a harsh counterinsurgency campaign waged by Myanmar military against members of the country’s Mus-
lim Rohingya community in August 2017 in response to an insurgent attack. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled to neighbouring Bangladesh to escape what has been called an ethnic cleansing campaign involving mass rapes, killings and the torching of homes. The head of a UN fact-finding mission on Myanmar warned recently that there is a serious risk of genocide recurring. Gambia filed the case at the ICJ, also known as the world court, on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. The case alleges that Myanmar’s actions against the Rohingya are genocidal in character because they are intended to destroy the Rohingya group in whole or in part. Myanmar has strongly denied the charges but says it stands ready to take action against wrong-doers if there is sufficient evidence. A statement on the website of the Ministry of the Interior said recently that the renewed international pressure
on the country was due to a lack of understanding of the complexities of the issue and the narratives of the people of Myanmar. Suu Kyi, who was awarded the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for championing democracy and human rights
under Myanmar’s then-ruling junta, will lead the delegation to The Hague in her capacity as foreign minister. Hearings are due to start on December 10. The case is expected to last several years.
Tuesday, 3 December, 2019
08 COMMENT PTI shirking its responsibility
Once upon a time in UET
Army law amendment
No student unions, please
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rime minister imran Khan has called a meeting of allied parties to devise a strategy to provide a three-year extension to the Army Chief through an amendment in the Army Act. each one of the PTi allies has a list of promises unfulfilled by the government. Whenever the government is in a tight corner the allies try to use the occasion for getting their demands accepted. They would vote as required once they have got their pound of flesh. But that hardly resolves the problem, as with the opposition having a majority in the Senate no bill can be passed without its support. As PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari put it the other day, a government that had failed to pass any legislation in the past one and a half year, would not able to pass this one either. The PmL-N too cannot be taken for granted. Party leader Ahsan iqbal had said that the government was trying to offend the opposition to prevent the legislation from being passed. The JUi-F believes that a “fake Parliament” could not legislate on the extension of the Army Chief’s term. The PTi government has given an undertaking to the Supreme Court that it will get the issue of COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s extension settled through Parliament within six months. The opposition is not a party to the undertaking. Under the circumstances it is the responsibility of the government to persuade the opposition to support the move for an extension. As none other than mr Khan matters in the PTi, the opposition is likely to insist the he personally interact with it to sort out the details regarding the extension. For this mr Khan will have to drop the holier-thanthou posture. Federal minister Fawad Chaudhry’s suggestion to set up a joint parliamentary body supervised by the Pm, COAS and CJP is unworkable. The PmL-N had assured that it would get the proposal for extension passed by Parliament on its own. The CJP is not a party to the proposal. it would be unjust to the COAS to require him to negotiate with the opposition for his own extension. mr Khan will be letting down General Bajwa if he does not do the needful to seek the opposition’s cooperation.
A successful student march And the government’s hypocritical approach towards it
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TUdeNTS across the country peacefully marched as part of the ‘student solidarity march’, this past week to have their voices heard, demanding that student unions be reinstated so that they too could be part of the political process while also demanding better budgetary allocation towards education. The movement and the students’ demands have fortunately not fallen on deaf ears. Pm imran Khan, in a tweet, endorsed the need for student unions with a caveat; such student bodies in the past would become violent and therefore a “comprehensive & enforceable code of conduct, learning from the best practices in internationally renowned universities” would be formulated to avoid any undesirable outcomes. minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry and Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar maintain the same. if the government does intend to formulate a code of conduct for student unions that suppresses any violent tendencies it would be best if it took all stakeholders on-board, ranging from representatives of the students demanding these changes, experienced educationists and members from the opposition parties as well, since the code of conduct will be set in place for the long-term, and would still be applicable if one of those parties were to come to power at a later stage. While the government supports the movement and is willing to do something about it, simultaneously, there is resistance as multiple protestors have been booked under sedition charges, including the father of mashal Khan, iqbal Lala, who is still waiting for justice for his slain son. All this suggests is that while the government is endorsing the movement overtly, under the surface there are pressures unwilling to let dissenting voices be heard. This is plain and simple hypocrisy and weakness on part of the government and it defeats the purpose of any meaningful progress on the issue at hand. The government must quash the cases filed against all protestors, release those arrested and only then would it be reasonable to assume the government is honestly willing to fulfil the demands of the student protestors.
Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami
Arif Nizami Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad
Umar Aziz
Asher John
Joint Editor
Executive Editor
Deputy Editor
Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965
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haSaN aFTaB SaEED
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AST week saw demands for revival of student unions, amid a lot of ‘Asia is red’ poppycock. The latter merits no response except mirth, but after the tweets from the Prime minister the student unions issue can no longer be ignored. There’s this romance of student politics, especially among those who have never seen it first-hand and who therefore believe that they will do wonders if provided the platform. For those who have experienced the ‘fruits’ of student politics, it’s not easy to share this enthusiasm. Having spent five years of my life at the UeT Lahore in the 1990s, i have a fair idea what i am talking about. General Zia-ul-Haq in the 1990s had slapped a ban on student unions across the country, mainly for his own political convenience. Not that the reign of terror at the hands of the student wings of political parties had abated as a result– it was more a matter of patronising one side at the expense of others. Of course, by the turn of the decade ‘democracy’ had returned to the country, and Benazir Bhutto was the Prime minister. She revived student unions– to enable students to get political training and have their say in their own affairs, of course. On the ground however, the violence and terror only increased. Although reminiscences from that era can fill several columns, here are a few glimpses of what went on at the campus in those days: The
University was home to all sorts of regional and ethnic organisations, in addition to the student wing of every political party. However, the iJT and mSF were the two main rivals, and much of the violence and tension revolved around the activities of the two. Hostel allotments that were supposed to be merit-based were anything but. many rooms were permanently occupied by members of the different unions. Some were used for storing firearms, etc., and some had been sub-let to outsiders. Prior to allotment, lists were displayed making it clear which rooms were not available. if you mistakenly opted for one of those rooms, nobody could get it vacated for you. Brutal ragging of the students was rampant, and it wasn’t confined to hostels or the buses. it went on in classrooms as well, and sometimes even during class hours. Senior students misbehaved with the teachers with impunity. An early incident is still fresh in the memory. in our very first week, a group of students stormed the classroom in the ‘Lecture Theatres’ and told the professor to leave the class. The professor said: ‘Please give me some respect in front of my students’; but having registered this half-hearted protest, promptly left the building. A few days later, the very first lab test was conducted and only a handful of students passed it. The second lab test had been announced by the instructor (let’s refer to him as mr J), and everybody was apprehensive. As it happened, there was a completely unrelated hostel-related grievance, on which it had been decided that the best course of action was for the whole class to protest in front of the VC office, a standard operating procedure. From afar, mr J saw the procession and must have thought that the students were going to complain about him. He was with the students in a flash, whom he told that the date for the next test was negotiable. We were mere freshmen with no links to any political organisation, but this was the sort of pressure the teachers faced from the student body. When our first summer approached, one of the students asked a professor about the schedule of the summer vacations. The professor, who thought it was quite a joke, replied: ‘That is for you to tell us’. The students had taken ‘manag-
ing their own affairs’ to a whole new level. So much so that there used to be a week-long holiday around October-November to facilitate the students to bring their quilts from home. date sheets were drafted by the students themselves, with each paper preceded by four days off. So, every year the exam season was a good two-month-long activity, including the practical exams (it was before the advent of semester system). And sometimes even this much ‘preparation’ wasn’t deemed to be quite enough. Upon reaching the examination centre for our first annual exam we were informed by the union students that we were to boycott the paper. The exams were then postponed for a full two months. Of course, the instigators themselves were a minority, but the rest had no option but to acquiesce. The terror was not confined to the campus alone. it was usual practice for students to stop vans on the GT road, force the passengers out, and make the driver take them wherever they wanted. it was in this backdrop that Gen (retired) Akram Khan took over as Vice-Chancellor in 1997. it was taking around six years for students to complete the four-year programme, and the institute was called (with some justification) the university of errors and terrors. it was only after academic activities were suspended, the hostels evacuated, and an extensive clean-up carried out, that it started looking anything like an educational institution again. The Prime minister wants to establish ‘comprehensive codes of conduct’ to ‘restore and enable student unions to play their part in positively grooming our youth as ‘future leaders of the country’. Knowing our track record on comprehensive codes of conduct, one would urge the Prime minister to resist the temptation. Students have no business in active politics– not our students, at any rate. Our educational institutions aren’t exactly the envy of the world as we speak. Throwing in student unions into an already complex mix of problems won’t be the smartest idea one could ever think of. Hasan Aftab Saeed is a connoisseur of music, literature, and food (but not drinks). He can be reached at www.facebook.com/hasanaftabsaeed
The decay and demise of democracy Are we prepared for the aftermath?
Shah Nawaz Mohal
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emOCrACy, dear reader, is all set to bid us farewell for it is well on its way to spend the rest of eternity in perdition. We have murdered its essence and kept its forlorn form for exhibition. Creation of the Greeks, nurtured by the Brits and spread all over the world as the final panacea, democracy had its heyday all over the world after WWii is now becoming a pariah in many of the kingdoms it once reigned in. democracy, both as an ideal perfected over millennia in the hearts of philosophers and as a system realised by sacrifices of millions of ordinary, forgettable mortals, is imperilled in our age. A bad press coupled with mass disenchantment among folks who thought of it as a tool of economic prosperity that failed to deliver rather than a mode to politically govern their lot, has relegated its splendid past track record to the ash heap of history. i’ve written repeatedly that durKarachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9
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ing the last century, the lofty ideals of democracy were under siege by Fascism, Nazisim and Communism all over the world. democracy, backed by the capitalist bloc, prevailed while the Fascists and Nazis crashed and burned during the Second World War. USSr, the birthplace of communism in practice, too went the way of dinosaurs half a century later. The democracy that fought and prevailed over behemoths and giants, has surrendered when it was confronted by internal seams, frustrated masses and populist politicians. Our world, as it reels on the cusp of dissatisfaction and misery, is once again looking for a deliverer who can usher in freedom, wealth and prosperity for the downtrodden and the precarious lot of the world. And unfortunately, the whole edifice of democracy with all its bells and minarets, its glory and grandeur, stands crippled beyond repair or redemption. it wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that democracy as the form of government is undergoing its worst existential crisis ever. in the past, it was the singular object of derision of a few philosophers and thinkers. Today, a majority of the masses have turned either indifferent or downright contemptuous of it. ‘Tis how the mighty have fallen, dear reader. The Strong, Strong Case Against Democracy One needs not look further than Socrates to prepare a case against democracy. Socrates, one of the most revered of philoso-
Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545
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phers, attacked democracy in its heyday in Athens. His argument was simple and gripping. Socrates asked how can a government by majority be just and virtuous, when in any society those having knowledge and intelligence are always a minority. Socrates is long dead. The Athens of his time is buried under tons of debris. democracy seems to go the way of Socrates and Athens. it’ll become an idea, a memory, a word, an artefact. Nothing more, maybe less. Our tale since independence is a saga of hope, betrayal and disillusionment. during the first ten years, we had had seven prime ministers. Almost all of them were at the forefront of the Pakistan movement. Courtesy the palace intrigues coupled with undue interference from the civilian bureaucracy and military junta, one after the other they bit dust making way for the first all-powerful uniformed ‘democrat’, Ayub Khan. The original sin that refuses to go away in our land is mistaking our adversaries for enemies, enemies for well-wishers, and allies for opponents. it is the staple plot of the sob story called ‘democracy in Pakistan’. Them camouflage-donning folks (you know who we are referring to) have it slightly easier. They come, they stay till they no longer can and they either die or live a retired life playing golf, dancing at weddings, giving lectures, grabbing consultancies, chairing think tanks or braving an obscure life till they kick the bucket. People vs Masses vs Democracy
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While the sick and tired men and women of Pakistan are divided along the lines of People vs masses. Where people are with Nawaz Sharif and masses are with imran Khan. People want to get rid of sham democracy. masses want democracy to go from strength to strength. People are doomed because they are repeatedly hoodwinked. masses know that the People’s Party’s revenge is the best revenge. People know the past of Big marble Palace. masses seek salvation through his Lordship’s suo motu notices. People will triumph. masses will succeed. On daily basis, we hear, read and see many alterations of above lines; sometimes they are bold and brash, at others they are subtle and suggestive. There are droves of lads chatting away the ills and dilemmas facing ‘people’ of Pakistan at dhaba and political pundits sell their souls on countless talk shows in their bid to awaken the ‘masses’ from their slumber. There is this immense hatred between people and the masses. A former Prime minister, now jailed, believes that people are with him, for him and mad about him. A CJ aims to alleviate the suffering and misery of his country’s poor ‘masses’ and wants to make dams and pay loans. A Saviour is counting seconds till he grabs what is destined for him. The rest of us are hoping for days ahead to be different from the days we spent. Shah Nawaz Mohal is a law graduate and journalist based in Islamabad. He can be reached at mshahnawazmohal@gmail.com
Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk
Tuesday, 3 December, 2019
COMMENT 09 Editor’s mail
Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively
Extension controversy
The best weapon against an enemy is another enemy Area study centres need to give input on policy formulation JavED IqBal
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AVeriCK PPP leader and former prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto introduced populist politics during the 1960s and 1970s. Being a man of many talents and abilities, he was also an avid reader of choicest books and his library at 70 Clifton in Karachi was declared one of the best in Asia. ZA Bhutto dexterously used bookish knowledge, vast experience of international relations and deep understanding of the Western mind, for pursuing intricate foreign policy options. One of his foreign policy achievements was to involve the People’s republic of China in the Subcontinent as an ‘extra area actor’ to counter the hegemonic india in favour of Pakistan. despite all these God-gifted talents and abilities, ZA Bhutto had failed to grasp the gravity of looming US odium over the indigenously designed nuclear programme and the USA delivered a final warning to him in 1976 through the then US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who threatened to make him a horrible example. The USA also ‘orchestrated’ the 1983 mrd movement by giving a message to makhdoom muhammad Zaman Talibul-mola, during his visit to the State department in Washington that America still supports democracy and is quite neutral in internal affairs of Pakistan. Likewise, General Parvez musharraf was ousted for double-crossing the USA in Afghanistan through a fierce lawyers’ movement. Today, another popular Prime minister, imran Khan, is facing joint US, indian and Afghan pressure over the multi-billion-dollar CPeC project, all alone. Pakistan has little options over this game-changer project, except to expedite the pace of work for reaping the economic gains in time. different experts believe that a ripe CPeC project would, more and more, involve China in the internal economy of Pakistan because of its heavy investment and strategic interests herewith. it is expected that CPeC would transfigure Pakistan as an ‘israel’ of China and this new prime position of strength would help counter india, Afghanistan and the USA. The CPeC is a God-gifted project at a time when Pakistan appears alone. it’s time to bid farewell to the mantra of the muslim world because Arab states have, openly, shown their proclivity for Narendra modi’s india. Pakistan needs to motivate the Chinese government and companies to heavily invest through the CPeC platform. The growing Chinese presence will counter any enhanced indian role in Afghanistan after a possible US withdrawal from there. meanwhile, Chinese dependency on Pakistan will provide the necessary shield to Pakistan to equipoise indo-US
designs from a position of strength. To achieve conduct of research and innovation. it is very this option, Pakistan is needed to take policy essential as the Punjab information Technoldecisions including establishment of federal ogy Board has failed to introduce a manifest and provincial CPeC departments, so that it information technology revolution while india may not face any bureaucratic snafu and things is leading the world in the field of iT. After ZA Bhutto’s unceremonious removal could be processed on a fast-track basis. The USA and other developed countries in 1977, Pakistan could not find a good interhave designed specialised institutions in shape national leader to espouse diplomacy based on of think tanks to conduct research and help the national interest. it is understandable that formulate policies. it is estimated that there a nuclear-powered muslim state, with the sevare more than 7000 think tanks in 169 coun- enth largest Army in the world, can never be tries and the US is home to 1984 think tanks the darling of the West because memories of with approximately 400 located in Washing- the Crusades are still alive in their minds. This ton, dC, alone. Think tanks are, in fact, the in- hatred is deeply rooted in international politellectual entrepreneurs which play a vital role tics in the shape of the US investment and support to israel and india. Pakistan has no in policy studies and research. Pakistan must also promote a parapherna- friends in the world except China and its 72 lia of state-sponsored think tank institutions years history is riven with daunting challenges as well as universities’ area study centres for of stability, security and survival while the providing timely analyses to the government. troika of india, Afghanistan and Bangladesh These institutions should be tasked to conduct are united in their anti-Pakistan tirade. A senior analyst, research for undertaking mumtaz malik, said that new policies and rePakistan should go forms. The ZA Bhutto ahead with the CPeC, government got started irrespective of the area study centres in USA’s concerns. The different universities for After ZA Bhutto’s USA will not let us take studying the geo-stratany big step towards deegy of neighbouring unceremonious removal in velopment. its stand on countries but such cen1977, Pakistan could not find CPeC is similar to that tres have played a rather quiescent role and there a good international leader to of india, a known enemy of Pakistan. The is a need to reinvent espouse diplomacy based on poor response of the istheir responsibilities. lamic world on Kashmir due to insufficient rethe national interest. It is manifests our foreign search opportunities, understandable that a nuclear- policy’s failure and the lack of direction and world’s preference to unavailability of the powered Muslim state, with commercial interests best researchers, the over principles. Former universities’ area study the seventh largest Army in PU VC dr Zafar moeen centres have failed to the world, can never be the Nasir said it’s the test of guide the government in our leadership’s nerves. the formulation of polidarling of the West because Having faced failures to cies. The Pakistan memories of the Crusades are date, we, in future, have Study Centre and Cento depute the best diplotre for South Asian still alive in their minds mats to succeed on the Studies at the Univerforeign front. A senior sity of the Punjab are bureaucrat, on the conintellectually duds with dition of anonymity, no role in nation’s polsaid that neither the icy studies and research. USA nor any other it would be better if the dormant area study centres are handed over to country has any right to interfere in our internal the National defence University, islamabad, matters. The USA is worried about China’s exand the Command and Staff College, Quetta, pansion; so, we should engage the USA proacfor carrying out geostrategic research related tively, rather, having a reactionary approach. Pakistan should also construct big dams to Pakistan’s vital strategic issues. The Punjab government should also task through the CPeC platform to gain tangible the universities to conduct research about the and meaningful results in the agriculture sector. in this hostile situation, the best advice by usefulness or otherwise of its development programmes and policies. The universities ancient Chinese military strategist, writer and should be linked with different departments philosopher Sun Tzu for Pakistan is; ‘To know your enemy, you must become through the Planning and development department of the Punjab Government for the your enemy.’
THe graveyards of the world are proof if any is needed that nobody is indispensable. even during two World Wars, British Army commanders were relieved of their command at the end of tenures and Pm would select his replacement keeping seniority in consideration. We have seen that there are limits (Two Tenures) even on number of tenures of elected constitutional public office holders like Pm or President in developed democracies. The Father of Nation Quaid-e-Azam in his address to Staff College Quetta in 1948 elaborated on the role of paid civil and uniformed servants of state. earlier on 11 August 1947 while addressing First Constituent Assembly, mAJ emphasised the importance of finalising constitution on which a modern democratic welfare state was to be built. Unfortunately, his vision and advice was not followed with disastrous consequences for this country. Pakistan remained a dominion of British raj till 1956 because of this deliberate delay in approving constitution. This concept of an individual being indispensable is confined to monarchies and dictatorships. it is discretionary power of Pm, subject to norms and regulations, to appoint a serving senior officer to assume command of three arms of our armed forces, within laws and procedures laid down. With the exception of General Kayani who was given an extension by a civilian elected President, all others were given by military dictators to themselves. There should therefore be no surprise when a prominent lawyer from this political party, who is known for representing controversial clients involved in land and LPG scams comes up with his own interpretation, although this is the sole privilege of the judiciary. The national security of a country with trained professional disciplined army cannot be so fragile that it is compromised by the retirement of one person. GuLL ZAMAN Peshawar
A gentle reminder THiS is to draw attention of Federal Science and Technology minister Ch Fawad Hussain through these columns to be watchful and careful about what he is doing and saying in public. it has been noticed that he often talks outside his domain without realising that he was Federal information and Broadcasting minister but he has since long been replaced by dr Firdous Ashiq Awan as the Special Assistant to the Prime minister on i & B. He should also differentiate between what is to be said in public, before the media and in tweets and what, particularly something which is drastically outside his domain, in the cabinet and party meetings. Lately, he has been talking and saying in public what should strictly be pointed in the cabinet and party meetings to be discussed at these appropriate platforms and only said outside before the media or in the public. There are many instances to be quoted regretfully and painfully in this regard reflecting on ill-advised and out of domain by the Federal Science and Technology minister. Just for instance, the other day Prime minister/ PTi Chairman imran Khan tweeted about formulation of practical code of ethics prior to the possibility of students unions revival. The Federal minister said publicly, as reported on the electronic media, that the students unions be revived immediately without realising in saying so he is trying to bypass the prime minister. in accomplishing the desire to be on the electronic media channels on every relevant and irrelevant issue/matter most of the time, one should not forget that as the federal minister one is bound to follow the government as well as the party policies, please. Thanks. M Z RIFAT Lahore
Global warming in Pakistan PAKiSTAN makes small input to total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, less than 1 per cent but it is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. Pakistan has very low technical and financial capacity to overcome its adverse impact. The emission in the country from refineries, industries, ad thermal power plants are causing heart diseases, lung disorder and cancer. Coastal areas bordering the Arabian Sea in the south of Pakistan will be at greatest risk due to increased flooding from the sea and in some cases rivers. in Himalayas, the glacier melt is projected to increase flooding will affect water resources within the next two to three decades. This will be followed by decreased river flows overtimes as glaciers recede. Availability of fresh water is also predictable to lessen which will lead to biodiversity loss and reduce of availability of fresh water for the population. Being a mainly agriculture economy, climate change is estimate to decrease crop yield in Pakistan, which in turn will affect livelihood and food production. Combining the decreased yield with the current rapid growth and urbanisation in the country, the danger of hunger and food security will remain high. due to droughts and floods, endemic mortality and morbidity because of diseases are predictable to high. Cholera will also aggravate due to increase in costal water temperatures. The change in climate will also exacerbate the existing social inequalities of resource use and intensify social factors leading to displacement, conflicts, instability of people and changes in migration pattern. HAdIA AZIZ Islamabad
Tuesday, 3 December, 2019
10 FOREIGN NEWS
terrOr CheCKs intensify As LOndOn AttACK enters eLeCtiOn frAy LONDON
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AGENCIES
RITISH Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Sunday he had ordered the security services to step up monitoring of convicted terrorists released early from prison, prompting accusations that he was exploiting the London Bridge attack for political gain less than two weeks before elections. The prime minister revealed officials were scrutinising around 74 people with terrorist convictions who had been released early from prison like Usman Khan, who left jail last December and went on to stab two people to death in Friday’s rampage. “They are being properly invigilated to make sure there is no threat,” Johnson told the BBC. “We’ve taken a lot of action as you can imagine in the last 48 hours.” Under the review of released terror convicts, police in the West Midlands said they had arrested a 34-year-old man “on suspicion of
preparation of terrorist acts”. British media said he was a former associate of the London Bridge attacker and had been jailed alongside Khan in 2012 over a plot to bomb the London Stock Exchange. Police said, however, there was no information to suggest a link to Friday’s attack. Khan, 28, was shot dead wearing a fake explosives vest by police on London Bridge after a stabbing spree launched in a nearby hall hosting an ex-offenders’ event that also left three people injured. Police on Sunday formally named the two victims killed as Jack Merritt, 25, from Cambridgeshire in eastern England, and 23-year-old Saskia Jones of Warwickshire in the West Midlands. Johnson blamed the previous Labour government for changing the law in 2008 to allow for the early release of prisoners and vowed to introduce minimum 14-year sentences if he regains power in the December 12 vote. He penned an article setting out the new stance in The Mail on Sunday newspaper, under the head-
line: “Give me a majority and I’ll keep you safe from terror”. Critics hit out at him for appearing to politicise Friday’s attack — including the family of victim Jack Merritt, who said he died “doing what he loved”. While Johnson has vowed to stiffen sentences following the attack, Merritt’s family said their son “believed in redemption and rehabilitation, not revenge” and that “he always took the side of the underdog”. “We know Jack would not want this terrible, isolated incident to be used as a pretext by the government for introducing even more draconian sentences on prisoners, or for detaining people in prison for longer than necessary,” they said in a statement. Merritt was a course coordinator at Cambridge University’s criminology institute, which was hosting its event by London Bridge to mark five years of its prisoner rehabilitation program. Khan, a participant in the initiative during his imprisonment, attended the event armed with two knives, stabbing five people there. Meanwhile, hospital officials said one of the injured had returned home, while the two
others remained hospitalised in a stable condition. Members of the public have been hailed as heroes for preventing even greater loss of life by tackling Khan — one armed with a five-foot (1.5-meter) narwhal tusk and another with a fire extinguisher. The incident came two years after Islamist extremists in a van ploughed into pedestrians on London Bridge before attacking people at random with knives, killing eight people and wounding 48. After searching on Saturday two properties in central England believed to be linked to Khan, police have said they believe he was acting alone and were not seeking anybody else. But the Islamic State group has released a statement claiming responsibility for the attack.
EU leadership takes office touting green ambition BERLIN AGENCIES
The EU’s new leadership took office on Sunday, one month later then planned, promising a more united Europe that would be ready to face major challenges, especially fighting climate change. Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen became president of the European Commission and marked the occasion in a short ceremony with her top EU counterparts, including EU Council President Charles Michel who also started on Sunday. The team took the reins as the 28-member union is faced with a mountain of difficulties, including the Brexit divorce with Britain and rising tensions with superpowers China and the United States. Von der Leyen said the officials gathered, who also included European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde, must meet a great responsibility as guardians of the European Union
treaties. “It is a responsibility towards the European people and towards our founding father and mothers, but it is also a responsibility towards our children,” she said. “It is our responsibility to leave a union that is stronger than the one we inherited: … a continent in peace with rights and liberties (and) a single market with unprecedented economic opportunities,” she said. Former IMF chief Lagarde, who took over the ECB last month, stressed that the union had only recently left the damaging debt crisis and must look to the future. “It’s a formidable challenge that awaits us, but my hope is that… we may leave this age of repairing (the EU) to one of renovation and hope,” she said. Von der Leyen, who replaced EU veteran Jean-Claude Juncker, will lead a 27-strong team of commissioners who also began work on Sunday with a clear ambition to make Europe a global powerhouse on green policy. European Parliament President
Choose hope or climate surrender, says Un chief NEW YORK: Confronted with a climate crisis threatening civilisation itself, humanity must choose between hope and surrender, UN chief Antonio Guterres told the opening plenary of the UN COP25 climate conference Tuesday. “One is the path of surrender, where we have sleepwalked past the point of no return, jeopardising the health and safety of everyone on this planet,” Guterres said. “Do we really want to be remembered as the generation that buried its head in the sand, that fiddled while the planet burned?” In an impassioned appeal, the UN chief worked through a long list of worrying signs, including new figures released Tuesday by the World Meterological Organisation (WMO). The last five years have been the hottest ever recorded, the WMO said, and the concentration of planet warming CO2 in the atmosphere has reached levels not seen in three to five million years. “The last time there was a comparable concentration,” Guterres said, “the temperature was two to three degrees Celsius warmer, and sea levels were 10 to 20 metres higher than today.” The 2015 Paris Agreement calls for capping global warming at “well under” 2C, and 1.5C if possible. A major UN science report reset the threshold for a climate-safe world from 2C to 1.5C. “Permafrost in the Arctic is thawing 70 years ahead of projections,” Guterres continued. “Antarctica is melting three times as fast as a decade ago. Ocean levels are rising quicker than expected.” “More than two-thirds of the world’s megacities are located by the sea.” More than 150 million people will find themselves in coastal flood zones by 2050, according to recent research. To prevent temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees, the global economy must be carbon neutral by mid-century, a landmark UN report said last year. AGENCIES
David Sassoli said the MEPs would hold an extraordinary session on December 11 — the eve of an EU leaders summit — to receive the commission’s first climate proposals, dubbed the “Green New Deal”. Von der Leyen’s first trip on Monday will be to the COP25 meeting in Madrid which the former defense minister said would be a “starting point” for her New Deal plans. Her first voyage outside of the EU will be on Friday to Ethiopia where she will meet Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, this year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, and African Union chief Moussa Faki. The Sunday ceremony was officially the 10th anniversary of the latest European treaty that simplified EU governance, which remains complicated and often criticised as too removed from the continent’s 500 million citizens. “Europeans expect a lot and they are right,” said Michel, a former Belgian prime minister, whose job is to coordinate EU leaders’ summits where major decisions
are made. Von der Leyen’s mandate was due to start November 1 but was delayed after three of her initial nominees to the commission were rejected during the parliamentary confirmation process in an unprecedented snub. She was finally approved by MEPs on Wednesday winning a comfortable majority though doubts still linger whether she has the support to push through her ambitions that also include tighter regulation of big tech and securing an EU budget. Juncker’s commission faced a myriad of unforeseen problems in its five year mandate, including the 2015 migrant crisis that exposed a bitter east-west split, with Hungary and Poland unwilling to open their doors to refugees. Greece’s near eviction from the eurozone that same year also dominated the agenda, which was followed closely by Britain’s shock vote to exit the EU and the election of US President Donald Trump, who slapped trade tariffs on Europe in 2017.
US House panel to meet on Trump impeachment charges WASHINGTON AGENCIES
A Congressional panel will begin drawing up charges against President Donald Trump on Wednesday as the likelihood grows of his becoming only the third US leader ever impeached. However, Trump’s attorney signalled on Sunday night that the White House won’t send anyone to the hearings, at least not right away. “We cannot fairly be expected to participate in a hearing while the witnesses are yet to be named and while it remains unclear whether the Judiciary Committee will afford the President a fair process through additional hearings,” White House counsel Pat Cipollone wrote in a letter to Jerry Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. But Cipollone also did not rule out White House participation in the hearings entirely, instead requesting further details from Nadler on how the inquiry will be conducted and saying he will give him an answer by next Friday. Trump has been unable to quash allegations in the House of Representatives investigation that he illegally sought help from Ukraine to obtain dirt on his domestic political rivals, including possible 2020 challenger Joe Biden. Nadler’s committee meets on Wednesday to begin determining whether the evidence compiled in the investigative phase of the process meets the constitutional impeachment standard of “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanours.” The committee is expected to consider at least four counts, or articles of impeachment, including abuse of power, bribery, contempt of Congress and obstruction of justice. “The president has accepted or enlisted foreign nations to interfere in our upcoming elections,” said House impeachment leader Adam Schiff, a Democrat, in a November 25 statement. “This is an urgent matter that cannot wait if we are to protect the nation’s security and the integrity of our elections.” Trump and Republicans continue to brand the accusations and process as a political “witch hunt.” “This is a complete American waste of time,” said Doug Collins, who as the leading Repub-
lican on the Judiciary Committee will lead that party’s counterattack. He appeared on “Fox News Sunday.” The inquiry could go fast — Democrats reportedly want to have the entire House vote on impeachment before the end of the year. They are confident that they have strong evidence that Trump committed impeachable offenses, despite the White House blocking the testimony of top presidential aides and refusing to hand over subpoenaed documents. That refusal has angered Democrats. “We’re not going to play games with them,” Val Demings, a Democratic member of the Judiciary Committee, told ABC on Sunday. “They need to respond to the request for documents and obey those lawful subpoenas.” Trump is alleged to have withheld military aid for Ukraine — desperately sought by Kiev amid the ongoing border conflict against pro-Russian separatists — as well as a desired high-profile summit with President VolodymyrZelensky. In exchange, Trump wanted Kiev to open investigations into Biden and a widely discredited theory that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 US elections on Democrats’s behalf. If the articles of impeachment are passed by the Democratic-controlled House as expected, Trump would go on trial in January in the Senate for removal from office.
CMYK
Us supreme Court to hear major gun case since 2010 WASHINGTON: A legal fight over a New York City handgun ordinance, that could give the United States (US) Supreme Court’s conservative majority a chance to expand gun rights, goes before the nine justices on Monday in one of the most closely watched cases of their current term. The court is scheduled to hear arguments starting at 10 am (1500 GMT) in a legal challenge backed by the influential National Rifle Association (NRA) gun rights lobby group to a regulation that had prevented licenced owners from taking their handguns outside the confines of the most populous US city. It is the first major gun case to come before the Supreme Court since 2010. New York City’s regulation was amended in July to remove the restrictions at issue in the case, but the Supreme Court opted to proceed with the arguments anyway. The justices have said they will consider during the arguments the city’s contention that the change in the regulation has made the matter moot. Gun control advocates have expressed concern that the court, with a 5-4 conservative majority, could use the legal battle over a now loosened gun control regulation unique to one city to issue a ruling widening gun rights nationwide. Such a ruling could jeopardise a variety of firearms restrictions passed in recent years by state and local governments across the country, including expanded background checks and confiscations of weapons from individuals who a court has deemed dangerous, according to these advocates. The dispute centers on New York City’s handgun “premises” licences that allowed holders to transport their firearms only to a handful of shooting ranges within the city, and to hunting areas elsewhere in the state during designated hunting seasons. Three local handgun owners and the New York state affiliate of the NRA — a national lobby group closely aligned with President Donald Trump and other Republicans — argued that the regulation violated the US constitution’s second amendment right to keep and bear arms. The plaintiffs filed suit in 2013 after they were told by authorities they could not participate in a shooting competition in New Jersey or bring their guns to a home elsewhere in the state. The Manhattan-based 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last year that the regulation advanced the city’s interest in protecting public safety and did not violate the second amendment. Gun control is a contentious issue in the US, which has experienced numerous mass shootings. Since 2013, 45 states and the District of Columbia have adopted more than 300 gun control laws, according to the Giffords Law Centre to Prevent Gun Violence. Republican opposition in Congress has been instrumental in thwarting passage of new federal laws. City officials argued that controlling guns in public takes on particular urgency in the most densely populated urban centre in the US, where the potential for violence, accidents or thefts is heightened. The regulation dated back to 2001 when New York police tightened handgun transport rules because officers had observed license holders improperly travelling with loaded firearms or with their firearms far from any authorised range. AGENCIES
Tuesday, 3 December, 2019
BUSINESS 11
CORPORATE CORNER
LAHORE: Teams from Pakistan won 2nd & 3rd positions in the final of Huawei Middle East ICT Competition 2019. Thirteen teams comprising a total of 39 students from across the Middle East participated in the competition. PrESS rElEASE
EgyPtiaN tycooN EyES big iNvEStMENt iN PakiStaN NAGUIB SAWIRIS CALLS FOR REMOVAL OF BUREAUCRATIC HURDLES, SAYS HIS COMPANY READY TO HELP GOVT BUILD FIVE MILLION HOUSES ISLAMABAD
E LAHORE: Pakistan State Oil (PSO) organised an impressive awards ceremony to recognise exceptional performance of its business partners and to appreciate their continued commitment to the prosperity and progress of the company. PrESS rElEASE
KARACHI: Khushhali Microfinance Bank (KMBL) has joined hands with the Forestry Planning and Monitoring Circle Peshawar to provide easy financing facilities under ‘Sarsabz Karobar Programme’. PrESS rElEASE
KARACHI: China’s International Green Economy Association (IGEA) signs a ‘strategic cooperation agreement’ with the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) for provision of banking facilities to IGEA members. PrESS rElEASE
SYEDA MASOOMA
GyPTIAN businessman and billionaire Naguib Sawiris addressed a press conference on Monday after a long meeting with the prime minister about making investments in Pakistan. Updating the attendees on his company's luxurious housing scheme 'Eighteen', he began by reminiscing the time he first invested in Pakistan in 2002 and called it the "honeymoon period" for his company. "We had a good government at the time, good ministers and there was no corruption and no time lags," Sawiris, Chairman of Ora De-
velopers, said. "Those five years for us were the honeymoon period in Pakistan." In the progress of Eighteen, he said his company was now experiencing several hurdles in the way. "Now we have to convince certain state institutions to give up land for residential development and now there are a lot of bureaucratic delays as well. I don't want to complain because I have already discussed this with the prime minister today. It is not that some institutions or ministers refuse to give up land or something, but there are just so many bureaucratic hurdles that need to be resolved. They tell us to bring a document, we take it, and then they want another...and so on." He said that he wants to repeat
Saudi Aramco IPO’s institutional tranche more than twice oversubscribed RIYADH AGENCIES
Institutional investors have put in 144.1 billion riyals ($38.4 billion) worth of bids for Saudi Aramco’s planned initial public offering (IPO), equivalent to more than twice the number of shares on sale, financial advisers for the IPO said on Monday. The book-building process for allocating shares to institutional buyers – typically asset managers, insurers or pension funds – began on November 17 and investors have until December 4 to place orders. Aramco plans to sell 1.5pc of its shares in a deal that could raise up to $25.6 billion. The state-owned Saudi oil giant has received subscription orders for around 4.6 billion
shares so far from institutions, Samba Capital, NCB Capital and HSBC Saudi Arabia said. Although the IPO has received more than enough bids, the level of interest so far is relatively muted compared with other emerging market IPOs, including the listing of a top Saudi bank in 2014 that was oversubscribed many times over. Aramco has previously said 0.5pc of the offering will be allocated to retail investors, leaving 1pc – or 2 billion shares – for institutional buyers. The deal could be the world’s biggest IPO if it tops the $25 billion listing of China’s Alibaba in 2014. The lead managers didn’t provide a breakdown of the institutional investors, but in a
US factory sector contracts again in November AGENCIES MULTAN: Sarsabz, as part of its Salam Kissan initiative, recently invited young painters from across the country to pay tribute to Pakistan’s marginalised farmers through a two-day wall painting activity titled ‘Canvas Wall’. PrESS rElEASE
The US economy’s manufacturing sector contracted for a fourth straight month in November as new order volumes slid back to around their lowest level since 2012, according to an industry report released on Monday.
APP
Science and Technology (S&T) Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain has said that the government was focusing on biotechnology to ensure its contribution to GDP up to 4pc and increasing its exports to $4 billion within next 10 years. Addressing a news conference at the PCSIR Complex, he said that Pakistan could not overcome deficit through wheat, cotton and textile products alone. That was why, the government was focusing on innovative technologies in every field, he added.
The minister said that the process to shortlist astronauts for Pakistan’s first Space Mission-2022 would be initiated by February 2020, asserting that the country would send its first space mission in collaboration with China. He said that this year, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government increased the S&T sector budget by 600 times. “As we have the full support of Prime Minister Imran Khan, this budget will be enhanced by 1,000 times in the next financial year,” he added. Fawad said that after the 1970s, Pakistan succeeded in entering the world arena of science and technology again, citing that the SCO (Shanghai
separate statement last week Samba Capital said the bulk of orders came from Saudi companies and funds, while foreign investors accounted for just 10.5pc of the offers as of November 28. The retail tranche, which closed on that date, attracted bids worth 47.4 billion riyals, equivalent to around 1.5 times the number of shares offered. Riyadh scaled back its original IPO plans, scrapping an international roadshow to focus instead on marketing the offering to wealthy Gulf Arab allies. It has stayed quiet on when or where it might list the stock abroad. The deal is the centerpiece of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s plans to diversify the Saudi economy away from oil.
The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said its index of national factory activity fell to 48.1 from 48.3 the month before. The reading was below expectations of 49.2 from a Reuters poll of 57 economists. A reading above 50 indicates expansion in the manufacturing sector and a reading below 50 indicates contraction. The employment index slid to 46.6 from 47.7 a month earlier, also marking a fourth consecutive month of declining employment in the sector. New orders dropped to 47.2 from 49.1, matching a reading from July that was the lowest since June 2012. The prices paid index rose to 46.7 from 45.5, compared to expectations of 47.0.
Govt targeting $4bn biotech exports in 10 years: minister LAHORE
real estate projects like Eighteen in Pakistan and also intends to acquire land with guarantees of payments to investors, and come up with plans such as regular deductions from the salaries of government employees in return for low-cost housing etc. Sawiris joked that the best way for a civil servant to avoid any blame is to not do anything at all because then there will be no complain. “This needs to change if you want to move forward. We are willing to expand businesses and investment only if we resolve some bureaucratic hurdles and we have discussed that with the prime minister." He further said that he spoke with PM Imran about low cost housing in Pakistan, adding that such projects create lot of employment in the country. “Low-cost housing does not earn a lot of profits so not many people want to invest in it. But we want to do it. Our target is to provide housing for Pakistani 3-4 mil-
Cooperation Organisation) also recognised that Pakistan had staged its comeback in the field of science and technology. He said that the government had also made efforts to change the energy scene, adding that Pakistan’s entire engineering sector suffered a lot as the country could not manufacture a combustion engine over the last 30 years. “But today, the government was focused on revamping the system by setting up targets,” he added. With active support of PM Imran Khan and Climate Change Minister Amin Aslam, he said Pakistan would be able to manufacture solar panels within
next one-and-a-half years, and “we would also be manufacturing lithium batteries”. He said that future was of lithium batteries and the world had now switched over to powerful lithium batteries, adding that Pakistan should also have followed the suit because new innovative technologies would change the entire power distribution system within the next 10 to 15 years. He claimed that Pakistan would become the first country in South Asia manufacturing solar panels and lithium batteries which would be the basis of the country’s advancement in the field of science and technology. “Pakistan would again be the first in South Asia introducing battery-operated buses, as two Chinese companies in Pakistan were at final stage to manufacture such buses, which would also be operated in Lahore and other major cities.”
lion rupees, but that depends on your government, whether they give us free land, make the process go quicker, and also let up build higher buildings because the higher you go, the lower it costs. I told the prime minister to let us do it. Even if [the government] is able to do it, they will do it in say five years, but I can provide it in two,” he added. He said that his company is also going to be one of the bidders for the privatization of the SME bank. “We will be the highest bidders because we don’t consider Pakistan a risk. Also, if there are more businesses for me here, I will have more reasons to come here and bring more investments too.” For direct housing, he said, “The people here told me they need a month to streamline the processes and I gave them two. For instance, if I keep bringing $2 billion each year for an Eighteen project in every city in Pakistan, that will help the economy and also allow the government to achieve its low-cost housing promises.”
PM satisfied with economic progress ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday expressed satisfaction over Pakistan’s current economic situation, saying that progress on development projects would accelerate the growth process. Presiding over an important meeting of the economic team, PM Imran said that economic stability and creation of jobs for youth were among the priorities of the government. “All the focus of the government is on providing relief to the common man,” he added. The PM was briefed on the measures taken for the development projects. He was also informed that the country’s exports have increased by six per cent this year compared to last year. The economic team on the occasion reviewed the country’s economic situation as well as the pending cases of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) lying in the courts. The meeting was attended by Economic Affairs Minister Hammad Azhar, National Food Security and Research Minister Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar, Energy Minister Omar Ayub, Adviser to PM on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Attorney General of Pakistan Anwar Mansoor Khan and Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan. INP
FM Qureshi discusses bilateral trade with Lankan counterpart COLOMBO: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi met with his newly appointed Sri Lankan counterpart Dinesh Gunawardena in Colombo on Monday to discuss bilateral relations and matters of mutual interest. During the meeting, Qureshi stated that both countries have extended support to the other on regional as well as international matters. The minister invited Gunawardena to visit Pakistan with a delegation from the Sri Lankan business community to boost bilateral trade and investment between the two countries. Qureshi also briefed Gunawardena about the human rights crisis in occupied Kashmir. Both countries agreed to continue consulting on regional peace and stability. Taking to Twitter, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said that both countries are keen to deepen and strengthen bilateral relations. He added that the foreign minister also handed over a letter from Imran Khan to the president of Sri Lanka inviting him to visit Pakistan at his earliest convenience. Qureshi arrived in Colombo late Sunday night. He began his two-day official visit of Sri Lanka on Monday. INP
Tuesday, 3 December, 2019
12 BUSINESS
aSad UMar vowS to ProMotE ENtrEPrENEUrShiP cULtUrE PLANNING MINISTER SAYS ONE MILLION STUDENTS WILL BE TRAINED THROUGH 10,000 STARTUP PROGRAMMES BY 2023 ISLAMABAD
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STAFF rEPOrT
LANNING Minister Asad Umar said on Monday that the youth, being the asset of the country, would be fully encouraged to start their businesses. Addressing the soft launching of Startup Pakistan Programme in Islamabad, he said the initiative would help create jobs and enhance economic activities in the country in an inclusive, scalable and sustainable way. "One million students
will be trained through 10,000 startup programmes by 2023," he added. Asad Umar noted that jobs around the world were being created through small entrepreneurship and that Pakistan would also achieve success by following international practices. He said the youth should adopt "think big, start small" approach for success. Speaking on the occasion, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on youth Affairs Usman Dar said that the programme would make the trainees "job providers" and not "seekers".
“This programme offers funding, mentorship, training, and a variety of perks and benefits aimed at the provision of facilities to entrepreneurs,” he added. He informed that one million youth applied for loans under the Kamyaab Jawan Programme during the first 15 days of the launch. Of these, he added, about 600,000 were those who wanted to start a new business. "The programme is also unique as about 200,000 females also applied for the loan," he stated. "The prime minister will soon distribute cheques among the applicants." Usman Dar said the government was also introducing skill and internship programmes to enable the youth stand on their feet. He said job opportunities would be created both in the government as
well as private sectors. Earlier on Nov 30, Dar had briefed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chef minister on the Kamyaab Jawan Programme. “The use of digital portal had accelerated the process of submitting the application whereas most of the applications in KP had been received from Peshawar followed by Swat, Mardan, Chitral, Mansehra, Shangla and Abbottabad, he had informed. The chief minister had said that the timeline for submission of applications in the merged districts should be extended keeping in view certain factors, including unavailability of internet and banking facilities. He had also said that alternate user-friendly mechanism should also be developed for the tribal districts keeping in view dynamics of the region.
Pakistan to host aPicta executive committee meeting next year BUSINESS DESK Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Awards were held in Ha Long, Vietnam from 18th to 22nd November 2019. During the closing meeting of the APICTA Executive Committee (EXCO), it was announced that Pakistan will do the honours of holding the next EXCO meeting in Islamabad for the APICTA member economies. APICTA, as a not-for-profit and apolitical organization, is an alliance of national ICT organisations representing 17 Asia-Pacific (APAC) economies (Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Mayanmar, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam & Japan) to build and enhance a mutually cooperative network to promote ICT, enhance technology innovations, capability and adoption, and encourage the development of indigenous ICT solutions for the global market. APICTA’s mission is to provide the platform to catalyse and recognise indigenous ICT innovations and to stimulate economic & workforce development, trade relations and technology collaboration in the Asia Pacific region. Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) EXCO representatives, Syed Ali and Badar Khushnood, highlighted Pakistan’s continued improvement in the ease of doing business, the ease of travelling for foreigners through the new online visa process and an increased focus on tourism and hospitality. The P@SHA representatives welcomed both the APICTA members as well as other associations and leading technology companies and organizations of the APICTA economies to visit Pakistan with their EXCO members to explore potential synergies and collaborations with Pakistan origin companies and businesses. The upcoming EXCO meeting 2020 set to be held in Islamabad will be APICTA’s 62nd. The last EXCO meeting held in Pakistan was in Lahore in 2012.
'govt striving to harness water resources for energy generation' BUSINESS DESK
LAHORE: An elderly worker gives final touches to a pot during the annual meeting of Punjab Skills Advisory. ONlINE
MARKET DAILY
KSE-100 surges 836 points amid upbeat economic outlook KARACHI STAFF rEPOrT
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) opened the week with a boom as the indices rallied amid improved economic indicators. Foreign investors offloaded equities worth $8.06 million in the preceding week (November 25- 29, 2019). On the economic front, Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood stated that Pakistan's exports rose to $2.02 billion while imports declined to $3.81 billion in November 2019, a 36pc contraction when compared with the same month of last year. Meanwhile, Moody's Investors Service on Monday affirmed Pakistan's local and foreign currency long-term issuer and senior unsecured
debt ratings at "B3", changing the country's outlook from negative to stable. Moreover, the government has decided to separate gas transmission pipelines from the distribution network under its Ease of Doing Business (EODB) Policy aimed at creating an environment of competition among public and private sector companies. Gaining 856.47 points, the benchmark KSE100 Index recorded its intraday high at 40,144.12 (crossing the 40,000-mark after a period of 10 months). The index settled higher by 836.57 points at 40,124.22. The KMI-30 Index appreciated by 513.30 points or 0.81pc to end at 63,227.25, while the KSE All Share Index gained 432.93 points, closing at 28,271.45. The overall trading volumes surged to
557.39 million (+29pc) on Monday. The Bank of Punjab (BOP +6.71pc) led the volume chart, followed by K-Electric Limited (KEL +9.29pc) and Unity Foods Limited (UNITy +0.99pc). The scripts had exchanged 74.93 million, 40.85 million and 37.70 million shares, respectively. Sectors that helped the index accumulate gains included banking (+515.90 points), power generation & distribution (+72.57 points) and oil & marketing (+52.84 points). On the other hand, the oil & gas exploration sector (-83.45 points) continued to hurt the index. The banking sector gained +4.52pc in its total market capitalization. Habib Bank Limited (HBL +5.00pc), MCB Bank Limited (MCB +5.00pc) and United Bank Limited (UBL +5.00pc) touched their upper circuit breakers.
Power Division Minister Omar Ayub Khan on Monday stressed the need for careful utilization of water as water storage capacity was fast depleting. The minister said investment in water resources would help enhance the country’s GDP by one per cent. Unfortunately, he added, no work was carried out on the construction of dams after Tarbela and Mangla. "The government is actively working on a plan to harness water resources in the country in order to add 18,000-20,000MW hydel power to the system," he said. Currently, the country’s total installed capacity stands at over 31,000MW and it will enhanced to 55,000MW by 2030." Omar Ayub said floating solar panels were being installed at Tarbela, Mangla, Ghazi Barotha and Khanpur reservoirs as well as along canals. this would not only help reduce water evaporation but also generate electricity, he added. The minister said as many as 8,000MW electricity clean renewable energy (RE) would be added to the system by 2025 and 20,000MW till 2030. He lamented that the past government of PML-N had shelved RE project only to pave way for setting up expensive R-LNG power projects. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Meteorologist Muhammad Riaz Ahmed said climatic changes have a deep impact over water resources in Pakistan. He expressed fear that a rise in temperature could aggravate water crisis in future. He said construction of more water reservoirs was the need of the hour to meet the country's future water demand. Later, while taking to media, the minister said RE draft policy was framed unanimously after consultation of all provinces. He said the Sindh energy secretary supported the RE draft policy during Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) meeting, adding that the cabinet has also approved the RE policy 2019 and now it would come in Council of Common Interest (CCI). "The policy aims to reduce electricity prices in the country," he said. Replying to another question, the minister said the circular debt was around Rs850 billion and that its flow has been reduced to Rs1011 billion from Rs39 billion per month. He hoped that the circular debt would be zero by December 2020.
Zameen.com to hold Pakistan Property Show in Dubai on Dec 6, 7 LAHORE PrESS rElEASE
Pakistan’s largest real estate portal, Zameen.com, has announced its decision to hold another massive edition of the ‘Pakistan Property Show’ – scheduled to take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre on December 6 and 7. This 2019 edition is all set to become the company’s third consecutive annual property exhibition event in Dubai. In the last two expos, the property extravaganza attracted a combined audience of over
31,000.Zameen.com has so far held a total of 17 major property exhibitions attracting over 1 million visitors The third instalment of Pakistan Property Show will feature major names from the real estate markets of Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Multan, Peshawar, Murree, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Raheem yar Khan, Gwadar, Bahawalpur and DG Khan. Prominent names among these exhibitors include ‘Eighteen’ and ‘Capital Smart City’. The event offers overseas Pakistanis a chance to explore rewarding investment opportunities available in
some of the most reliable and promising real estate projects. In addition, since this exhibition features projects from several major cities of the country, it provides visitors with a great opportunity to explore affordable property purchase options. Zameen.com CEO Zeeshan Ali Khan said that taking the property exhibitions to an international level was a tough deed undertaking in the beginning but with every passing year, Pakistan Property Show has become a brand name for property exhibitions. “The success story of this event is source of pride for Pakistanis living the
Gulf,” he said. Answering a question, Khan said, “Increasing investment opportunities in the property sector are vital to set the sector on track to progress, and the main objective of organising such events is to circulate money in the investment sector, which, in turn, will benefit the overall economy of Pakistan. “World Trade Centre holds its own exclusive status in terms of trade and investment activity in the region where only the best corporates and business entities can stage their activities, and for a Pakistan-based company to organise such a
grand event there is definitely a matter of national pride,’ he stated. Khan also highlighted the fact most of the traffic Zameen.com receives is from Pakistanis residing in Gulf countries. “The event thus offers great opportunities to Pakistanis living here to make solid, safe and rewarding investment in reliable real estate developments.” Khan is positive that Zameen.com’s third Pakistan Property Show in Dubai will experience an overwhelming response – similar to the ones registered in the past – from the general public.
LIfEstyLE London organIsEd by rIwayat London
Queen Elizabeth II is a trained mechanic.
Volvo gave away the 1962 patent for their revolutionary three-point seat belt for free, in order to save lives.
TOP 5 WINTER HEALTH TIPS FOR HEALTHY SKIN
1 2
Here comes the sun
MOISTURIZE WITH SPF
Even though we can’t feel the warmth of the sun during the winter, its UVB rays are stillvery strong and damaging. Keep it cool
AVOID HOT WATER
We may crave hot showers as a respite from the winter weather, but too much hot water can dry out your skin.
3 4
5
Stay hydrated
Be an natural
DRINK MORE WATER
GO NATURAL
The cold weather may make you feel less thirsty, but your skin needs hydration just as much in the sumer. Think about ingredients
USE OIL-BASED MOISTURIZERS
Oil-based moisturizers with vitamins C and E will kep you skin moist for a longer period of time than water-based moisturizers.
Try using coconut oil, honey and aloe to softer up your skin, these 100 percent natural products will leave you skin feling soft.
tsundoku is the act of acquiring books and not reading them.
aries: The first step in obtaining more money, influence, or free time today is to precisely define what it is that you want. taurus: Narrowed concentration focused like a laser beam makes some amazing things happen. gemini: Big energy is generated when coworkers, teammates, or family members bounce ideas around today. Cancer: Your creativity may be put to the test and having an extra pair of eyes in the back of your head can come in handy today. Leo: Your moods may be changing so quickly today that it takes extra time to get your bearings. Virgo: You may be called in voices loud and clear today to perform several duties simultaneously. Libra: Confidence surges when you are buoyed by the knowledge that many others believe in the same high ideals as you. scorpio: The compulsion to ferret out a guarantee can cause you to look long and hard at another’s motivations today. sagittarius: Imagination thrives when you are free to mix and match ideas as you go along. If your creativity feels stifled now, it could be your thinking is too closely aligned with that of a corporation, organization, or social body to which you belong. Capricorn: Chasing your dreams requires a substantial amount of faith in your own abilities. aquarius: Expressing yourself within the warm circle of a congenial group is the most natural thing in the world today. Pisces: There are countless paths leading to the same destination. It’s useful to study or observe the methods of others who are striving to reach a similar goal.
CMYK
Tuesday, 3 December, 2019
14 SPORTS
MaGICal MESSI SInKS atlEtICo aS BarCa rEtUrn to thE top MADRID
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AGENCIES
IONEL Messi underlined his ability to make the difference on big occasions by hitting a sensational late goal to give Barcelona a 1-0 win at title rivals Atletico Madrid on Sunday as the champions reclaimed top spot in La Liga from Real Madrid. The Argentine, playing his 701st game for Barca, settled a pulsating and tense encounter in the 86th minute, galloping down the right wing and cutting inside before playing a one-two with Luis Suarez and guiding the ball into the bottom corner. It was Messi’s 30th goal in 39 competitive games against Atletico and inflicted a first home defeat on Diego Simeone’s side since they were beaten by Real Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano in February. “Whenever you have a game like this which is really tight and really tough, being able to count on Messi is always an advantage,” said Barca coach Ernesto Valverde. Messi’s strike saw Barca return to the top of the standings with 31 points after 14 games, ahead of Real Madrid on goal difference, while Atletico were left in sixth spot on 25 points, having played one
match more than the two pacesetters. Atleti and Barca hit the woodwork and visiting keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen made two stunning saves, while the home side felt Gerard Pique should have been shown a second yellow card in the second half for a late tackle on Alvaro Morata. “We feel very hard done by,” said Atletico midfielder Saul Niguez. “We played superbly and Barcelona had hardly any chances but when Messi appears he is capable of doing anything and he made it look so easy, that’s why he is the best.” Atleti were also fortunate not to have a player sent off when Vitolo
slammed into Pique’s knee with a fierce challenge a few minutes later after picking up an earlier booking. Antoine Griezmann got a hostile reception from the home fans in his first game against his old side since a bitter 120 million euro ($132.26 million) transfer to Barca in the close season and had a poor game, firing his one chance over the bar. Atleti were under pressure after one win in their previous six games and they made a flying start, nearly going ahead when Barca’s Junior Firpo deflected a cross against the far post. Soon after Ter Stegen pulled off a marvellous save by using his body to
thwart Mario Hermoso from pointblank range. OUTSTANDING REFLEXES: The German then demonstrated outstanding reflexes by swooping to the ground to beat away a header from Morata, while he watched a shot from Hector Herrera fly past the post. Barca were cagey in their approach for large chunks of the game although Pique hit the bar with a header before the break and Ivan Rakitic scuffed a shot straight at keeper Jan Oblak. Roared on by 67,000 fans, Atletico looked more likely to snatch a winner but yet again Messi proved the difference. The Argentine clinched the 2015 La Liga title for Barca with a strike against Atletico and also hit winning goals against them in pivotal games in the 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons. His goal here could also prove crucial in what looks set to be a thrilling two-horse race between Barca and Real, who meet on Dec. 18 in the ‘Clasico’ at the Camp Nou. “We suffered a little but games like these are the ones which can win you the title,” added Barca’s Sergi Roberto, who also credited his side’s goalkeeper for the win. “Marc saved two clear goals and Messi decided the game, but this was a triumph for the entire team,” he added.
Iheanacho's last-gasp strike gives Leicester win over Everton LEICESTER AGENCIES
Man City are in the right frame of mind: Guardiola LONDON: Pep Guardiola says he is satisfied with the state of mind of his Manchester City players even though they twice lost the lead to draw 2-2 with Newcastle and slip further behind Premier League leaders Liverpool. Guardiola, whose defending champions are 11 points adrift of Jurgen Klopp's team with more than a third of the season gone, is adamant the City players have not been affected by a poor run of just one victory in five games in all competitions. "You have to see how the players run and how they fight and how they try to do it, the body language -- we never give up, so the team is always there, that's my feeling," he said. "The game is what it is. In my opinion, it was good. We played well with the ball, we were solid, we conceded few counter-attacks, but football is how many goals you score and how you don't concede. "You accept that. Sometimes it happens." City have the Manchester derby on Saturday but Guardiola is focused on Tuesday's away trip to Burnley beforehand. "I'm not thinking about how many games we have to win," he said. AGENCIES
Leicester City reclaimed second spot in the Premier League in dramatic fashion as Kelechi Iheanacho came off the bench to score a stoppagetime goal and seal a 2-1 victory over luckless Everton on Sunday. Playing in his first Premier League game of the season, Iheanacho also set up Jamie Vardy’s 68thminute equaliser after Leicester had trailed to Richarlison’s first-half header. A draw would have been a fair result and a boost for under-pressure Everton boss Marco Silva but Nigerian former Manchester City striker Iheanacho showed great composure to turn inside Mason Holgate and fire past Jordan Pickford, extending Leicester’s winning league run to six games. The goal was initially disallowed for offside but after an agonising VAR wait the decision was overturned, sparking scenes of joy for the hosts and dejection for Everton. A buoyant Leicester moved back above Manchester City and are three points ahead of the champions with 32 from 14 games and eight behind Liverpool. Everton remain in trouble in 17th, two points off the relegation zone. “I have been waiting for this
UK-Ireland step up plans to launch joint bid to host 2030 World Cup DUBLIN: Chances of a joint British and Irish bid to host the 2030 World Cup have grown after officials agreed to ramp up preparations, according to the general manager of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). The English FA, which has been leading a feasibility study, presented the findings to other associations at a meeting before the Euro 2020 draw on Saturday. “The feasibility study is positive and there’s a sense that the right thing to do is go forward,” FAI general manager Noel Mooney told The Times. “This bid is out on the front foot and very well led by the guys from the English FA who gave a very strong presentation. “It’s a chance to get a really credible bid and hopefully win it. I’d be very surprised if there’s not a very credible bid from Great Britain and Ireland.” The Times reported the joint bid would have matches played in several English cities, alongside Cardiff, Glasgow and Dublin, with the final to be staged at London’s Wembley Stadium. The funding body UK Sport, which advises the government on which bids to support, said last year that hosting the 2030 World Cup in Britain would be a “crowning achievement”. Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Paraguay have announced a four-way bid which could have sentimental value as Uruguay hosted the inaugural World Cup in 1930. China would be among the contenders if FIFA decide to change the rules on how the World Cup is rotated between regions. AGENCIES
England have chance to end 'appalling' Euro record - Southgate
opportunity,” said Iheanacho, who had not scored since September last year. “I knew one day it would come. It’s not easy not playing but I’m happy that my chance came today.” Everton began the game confidently and took the lead with a fine team goal in the 23rd minute. After Richarlison helped to break up play in the middle of the pitch, former Arsenal midfielder Alex Iwobi passed to Djibril Sidibe and his cross from the right was met by Richarlison whose stooping header flew past Kasper Schmeichel. Leicester thought they had a penalty when referee Graham Scott pointed to the spot after Ben Chilwell went flying but after refer-
ring the incident to VAR it was decided Holgate’s swinging leg had made no contact. There was derision from the home fans, although they were applauding the system later. Leicester were increasingly dominant in the second half but Everton resisted and were still a threat going forward with Sidibe impressive on the right. Iheanacho was introduced for Ayoze Perez and it proved to be a masterstroke by manager Brendan Rodgers as Leicester began to lay siege to the Everton goal. First he provided the cross for Vardy to score for the sixth successive league game, then he broke Everton’s hearts with a lethal finish, even if the celebrations were put on hold.
LONDON: Coach Gareth Southgate says England’s record at the European Championship has been “appalling” but the current side have a real chance to excite the country again. England, who reached the last four of the World Cup in 2018, have got to the Euro semis only once in the last 50 years — in 1996 when Southgate was playing for the country. “The opportunity is for us to go further than so many teams in the past and our European Championship record has been appalling,” Southgate told reporters. “They’ve got opportunity to really excite our country again. They know what that felt like two years ago from a slightly further distance and this time they get the chance to feel it ... really close up.” England will face Croatia, the Czech Republic and either Scotland, Israel, Norway or Serbia in Group D. They open their campaign against Croatia on June 14. England will play all three of their group games at Wembley, which will also host the semi-finals and final. AGENCIES
Hamilton not ruling out a Ferrari switch ABU DHABI AGENCIES
Six times world champion Lewis Hamilton did not deny meeting Ferrari chairman John Elkann when asked on Sunday about speculation linking the Mercedes driver with a move to the Italian team in 2021. The 34-year-old Briton will be out of contract at the end of next season. The next deal will probably be Hamilton’s last in Formula One and he has said he is considering options outside of Mercedes, where team principal Toto Wolff’s future is also up in the air. “What happens behind closed doors is always private with whoever it is you end up sitting with,” Hamilton said in response to a question about Italian media
reports that he had twice met Elkann. “For many, many years I’ve never, ever sat down and considered other options because we’ve been just driving straight ahead into the path that we’ve been on...,” added the Briton after winning the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. “I know Toto is also looking at his options in terms of his future. So I’m waiting to see what he’s doing with that.” Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013 as a one-time champion, replacing seven times title-holder Michael Schumacher, and with the British-based team still battling in the midfield. He now has six titles and 84 wins, seven shy of Schumacher’s all-time record of 91, and has averaged 10 a year since 2014. He can equal the German’s record
title tally next season and the lure of going beyond that in one of the Italian team’s red cars could be too great to resist. Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto, whose four-time champion driver Sebastian Vettel is out of contract at the end of 2020, praised Hamilton on Friday and said he was happy the Briton could be available. Wolff said there was a 75% chance Hamilton would stay with Mercedes. “But equally, there is a 25% chance that we are not in control of,” added the Austrian, who on Saturday said he was totally open to Hamilton speaking with Ferrari. The Briton said any decision to leave would not be easy. “I love where I am so it’s definitely not a quick decision to go do something else,” said Hamilton, who owns several
CMYK
Ferrari road cars. “But of course it’s only smart and wise for me to sit and think of
what I want, if it is the last period or stage in my career.”
Tuesday, 3 December, 2019
SPORTS 15
nEW ZEaland dIG dEEp aftEr JoE root'S 226 GIvES EnGland an opEnInG HAMILTON
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OE ROOT could not hide his delight after a masterful 226 ended his run drought and gave England a much-needed boost in the second Test against New Zealand on Monday as they ended day four believing they can square the series. It took a five-wicket haul for the tireless Neil Wagner to bring England's first innings to an end at 476, a lead of 101. At stumps, New Zealand were 96 for two and needing to bat late into the final day although rain may yet have the last word with further showers forecast for Tuesday. "It felt good," a beaming Root said as he put a stream of low scores behind him. "Once I got in and had the bit between my teeth I wanted to make it a real big one and try and get us in a position where we can force a result in this game. "I know there's a bit of weather around but you just never know. It'll be one big last push from everyone to try and come away with a levelled-up series." Root said it had been a frustration more than a worry that he had gone 14 Test innings without a century but his return to form gave him confidence. "It's nice to get back to scoring some big runs," he said. "I found a really good rhythm out there, felt pretty comfortable and I just wanted to keep going. "It's been a while since I've had that amount of
nEW zEALAnd 375 (LATHAM 105, MITcHELL 73, WATLIng 55, bRoAd 4-73) And 96 FoR 2 (WILLIAMSon 37*, TAYLoR 31*) TRAIL EngLAnd 476 (RooT 226, buRnS 101, PoPE 75, WAgnER 5-124) bY FIvE RunS time out in the middle and you get really hungry for it." New Zealand openers Jeet Raval (nought) and Tom Latham (18) were out early in their second innings, and for Raval it continued a disappointing run in which he has failed to reach double figures in six of his last 10 innings.
But after being 28 for two, New Zealand's most skilled batsmen Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor prevented further damage with Williamson on 37 at stumps and Taylor on 31. If Raval was feeling the pressure of his slump with an away series against Australia looming, he need only look Root's timely
double century to see fortunes can change. England were 24 for two in their first innings when he went to the middle where he controlled proceedings in a marathon knock during which he faced 441 deliveries in nearly 11 hours. It was Root's third double-century, his longest innings in terms of time and balls faced and it ended just 28 runs short of his Test best 254 against Pakistan three years ago. He had partnerships of 177 with Rory Burns for the third wicket and 193 for the sixth-wicket with Ollie Pope. On a placid wicket, Root and Pope slowly accumulated runs eary on the fourth day to ensure a firstinnings lead and then picked up the pace to build on the advantage. The 21-year-old Pope, in only his fourth Test, progressed to 75 before his valuable contribution ended with an edge to yet another Wagner bouncer. Four balls later, it was all over for Root whose exquisite timing deserted him when an attempt to hit Mitchell Santner out of the ground turned into a soft catch to Henry Nicholls at deep cover. He left the field to a deserved standing ovation but barely had time to take his seat when Wagner mopped up the England tail to finish with five for 124, his second five-wicket haul in the series. "I'm blessed in that with that with my body that I can bowl long spells and if you keep putting pressure on then hopefully wickets come your way," Wagner said. "Even when it's flat you've got to make sure you graft away and (batsmen) tire out as well."
Lyon takes five to secure back-to-back innings victories for Australia
Shoaib Malik, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Rizwan among released PSL players LAHORE AGENCIES
said Australia captain Tim Paine. "David and Marnus (Labuschagne) have been unbelievably good. We all Spin king Nathan Lyon snared five witnessed a special knock from David wickets, including dangerous half-cen- Warner. It is among the top one or two tury makers Shan Masood and Asad innings ever by an Australian." Lyon was Australia's saviour, finShafiq, as Australia wore down a stubborn Pakistan to clinch the second Test ishing with 5-69 on a lifeless pitch that offered little for the home side's fast and wrap up the series 2-0 Monday. Pakistan resumed day four of the bowlers, who were made to toil. It was his 16th five-wicket haul day-night match on a precarious 39 for three with Masood not out 14 and and his first against Pakistan, who Shafiq on eight after being bowled out have lost all four Tests they have for 302 in their first innings and forced played this year after two defeats to South Africa in January. Defeat conto follow on. It followed Australia's mammoth tinued Pakistan's appalling record in 589 for three declared, built around Australia, where they have now David Warner's exceptional 335 not out crashed in 14 consecutive Tests. "I would like to congratu-- the 10th highest Test score late Australia and espeof all time. cially David Warner," Needing another AuSTRALIA 3 FoR 589 said Pakistan skipper 248 to force AusAzhar Ali. "We tralia to bat again dEc (WARnER 335*, been beaten and avoid a secLAbuScHAgnE 162) bEAT PAkISTAn have by a better team. ond successive innings defeat, 302 (YASIR 113, AzAM 97, STARc 6-66) We will take some positives from they had a deAnd 239 (MASood 68, SHAFIq 57, here. As a bowling cent crack but LYon 5-69) bY An InnIngS unit, we need to were eventually control the scoring all out for 239 with And 48 RunS rate." At least they ofthe home team claimfered some resistance on ing victory by an innings Monday, with Masood, who modand 48 runs. It was Australia's sixth consecutive els himself on England's Alastair Cook, win in a pink ball Test -- four of them playing some glorious strokes as he asat Adelaide -- with every day-night Test sumed a leadership role after Babar played so far since the concept was in- Azam and captain Azhar Ali fell cheaply on Sunday evening. troduced in 2015 producing a result. His sixth Test 50, in his 17th Test, "Really happy. Barring few slipups in the field yesterday, we played ex- arrived with a boundary off Lyon, his cellent cricket in the last two matches," sixth four, before he chipped the spin-
ADELAIDE AGENCIES
ner to mid-off on 68 where Mitchell Starc collected an easy catch. Shafiq, who has 12 Test hundreds to his name, proved to be Masood's equal and brought up his 25th half-century with a single off Josh Hazlewood. But Lyon struck again, with Shafiq getting a thin edge to a flighted ball that carried to Warner at slip and he was gone for 57. Lyon then removed Iftikhar Ahmed, caught at short leg by Labuschagne for a battling 27, before trapping surprise first-innings centurymaker Yasir Shah lbw for 13. Shaheen Afridi became his fifth victim, caught at mid-off by Hazlewood on the last ball before dinner. The new pink ball was taken when they returned and with the lights on it didn't take long to finish off the tail, with Hazlewood clean-bowling Mohammad Rizwan for 45 and Mohammad Abbas run out. It capped another commanding victory for Australia who exploited Pakistan's inexperienced bowling attack, which includes two teenagers. Warner's triple century was the highlight while Labuschagne shored up his burgeoning reputation by making 162 to go with the 185 he made in the first Test at Brisbane. Mitchell Starc was the destroyer in Pakistan's first innings, taking 6-66 to reinforce his position as perhaps the best pink-ball bowler in the world. Tougher opposition awaits them with the arrival this month of New Zealand for three Tests -- in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney.
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For the fifth season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), teams were permitted to retain up to eight players from their previous roster. The category restrictions for retentions was a maximum of three Platinum, three Diamond, three Gold, five Silver and two emerging players. All six teams will go into the player draft on December 6 in Lahore to complete the rest of their squads from a pool of over 500 players. The upcoming season starts on February 20 next year, and all 34 games will be played in Pakistan across four venues in the country. Some notable foreign players including Dale Steyn, Colin Munro, Alex Hales and Jason Roy, Chris Lynn and Ben Cutting have registered themselves to be drafted. QUETTA GLADIATORS: REtAINEd (8 plAyERS): Mohammad Nawaz, Sarfaraz Ahmed (both platinum), Shane Watson (diamond, player Mentor), Ahmed Shehzad (diamond), Umar Akmal (Gold, Brand Ambassador), Mohammad Hasnain (Gold), Ahsan Ali, Naseem Shah (both Silver) Released: Anwar Ali, danish Aziz, dwayne Bravo, dwayne Smith, Fawad Ahmed, Ghulam Mudassar, Harry Gurney, Jalat Khan, Max Waller, Mohammad Asghar, Mohammad Azam Khan, Mohammad Irfan Jr, Rilee Rossouw, Saud Shakil, Sohail tanvir
TRADE: NONE RELEGATION: NONE MULTAN SULTANS Retained (7 players): Mohammad Irfan (platinum), Shahid Afridi (diamond, player Mentor), James Vince (Gold, Brand Ambassador), Junaid Khan (Gold), Ali Shafiq, Shan Masood (both Silver), Mohammad Ilyas (Emerging) Released: Andre Russell (not available in 2020), Chris Green, dan Christian, Hammad Azam, Joe denly, Johnson Charles, laurie Evans, M. Irfan Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Junaid, Nicholas pooran, Numan Ali, Qais Ahmed, Shakeel Ansar, Shoaib Malik, Steve Smith (not available in 2020), tom Moores, Umar Siddiq
TRADE: NONE RElEGAtIoN: Junaid Khan from diamond to Gold, Shan Masood from Gold to Silver
ISLAMABAD UNITED REtAINEd (8 plAyERS): Shadab Khan (platinum), Faheem Ashraf (diamond, Brand Ambassador), Asif Ali (diamond), luke Ronchi
(Gold, player Mentor), Hussain talat (Gold), Amad Butt, Musa Khan, Rizwan Hussain (all Silver) RElEASEd: Alex Hales, Cameron delport, Chadwick Walton, Ian Bell, Mohammad Sami, Nasir Nawaz, philip Salt, Rumman Raees, Sahibzada Farhan, Samit patel, Waqas Maqsood, Wayne parnell, Zafar Gohar, Zahir Khan
Trade: None Relegation: None PESHAWAR ZALMI REtAINEd (7 plAyERS): Hasan Ali, Kieron pollard, Wahab Riaz (all platinum), Kamran Akmal (diamond, Brand Ambassador), darren Sammy (Gold, player Mentor), Imam-ul-Haq (Gold), Umar Amin (Silver) RElEASEd: Andre Fletcher, Chris Jordan, dawid Malan, Ibtesam Sheikh, Jamal Anwar, Khalid Usman, lendl Simmons, liam dawson, Misbah-ul-Haq (not available in 2020), Nabi Gul, Sameen Gul, Samiullah, Sohaib Maqsood, tymal Mills, Umaid Asif, Waqar Salamkheil, Wayne Madsen
TRADE: NONE RELEGATION: Imam ul Haq from Diamond to Gold, Umar Amin went from Gold to Silver KARACHI KINGS REtAINEd (7 plAyERS): Babar Azam, Mohammad Amir (both platinum), Imad Wasim (diamond, Brand Ambassador), Iftikhar Ahmed (diamond), Aamir yamin (Gold), Usama Mir (Silver), Umer Khan (Emerging) RElEASEd: Aaron Summers, Abrar Ahmed, Ali Imran, Awais Zia, Ben dunk, Colin Ingram, Colin Munro, Jaahid Ali, liam livingstone, Mohammad Rizwan, Ravi Bopara, Sikander Raza, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari
TRADE: Usman Shinwari released only to be transferred to Lahore Qalandars. RELEGATION: NONE LAHORE QALANDARS REtAINEd (8 plAyERS): Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez (both platinum), Shaheen Shah Afridi (diamond, Brand Ambassador), david Wiese, Usman Shinwari (both diamond), Haris Rauf, Sohail Akhtar (both Gold), Salman Butt (Silver) RElEASEd: AB de Villiers (not available in 2020), Agha Salman, Aizaz Cheema, Anton devcich, Asela Gunaratne, Brendan taylor, Carlos Brathwaite, Corey Anderson (not available in 2020), Gohar Ali, Hardus Viljoen, Haris Sohail, Hassan Khan, Mohammad Imran, Rahat Ali, Riki Wessels, Ryan ten doeschate (not available in 2020), Saad Ali, Sandeep lamichhane, Umair Masood, yasir Shah
TRADE: Usman Shinwari transferred from Karachi Kings RELEGATION: Salman Butt from Gold to Silver
Tuesday, 3 December, 2019
NEWS Elimination of organised crime is govt’s top priority, says PM Imran Khan ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday expressed his determination to eliminate organised crime from the country and to ensure across-the-board accountability. Speaking to newly-appointed Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General (DG) Wajid Zia, who called on him at PM Office, he said that the government’s top priority is the elimination of corruption, money laundering, cybercrimes and immigration-related crimes. Zia told the premier that he would do his best to serve the country. On this, the prime minister said that the government and the public must understand their national responsibilities because the country stands at a crucial point in history where the political leadership and bureaucracy have a key role to play. The meeting was also attended by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar. He has also been given the additional charge of special assistant on interior with status of minister of state. STAFF REPORT
Gen Bajwa flies in F-16 in ‘combat mission simulation’ RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa flew in an F-16 with Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan in another American fighter jet as both aircraft proceeded to maneuver for a combat action simulation mission at PAF Base Mushaf, Sargodha on Monday. Arriving to visit the Pakistan Air Force base earlier in the day, the army chief was received by Air Chief Marshal Mujahid, who has also commanded Mushaf Base, a tradition shared by many illustrious names of PAF. The base and its squadrons hold claim to some of the most valiant actions in the history of air warfare and is a proud repository of capability, skills and traditions, said a statement issued on Monday by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). After the mission, the COAS interacted with the fighter pilots of the squadron. He lauded the professionalism and dedication of the PAF and thanked the force for its unmatched services to the nation. He also thanked the air chief for his visionary leadership, acknowledging that inter service harmony and synergy are vital for operational success. Air Chief Marshal Mujahid thanked the army chief for his visit. Both underlined the need for continued and enhanced interaction between the services in training and operations. STAFF REPORT
Ex-FIA DG Bashir Memon resigns in protest over sacking
GovT ForMs ThrEE-MEMBEr coMMITTEE To sPEArhEAD coAs TEnurE lEGIslATIon COMMITTEE COMPRISES FOREIGN MINISTER SHAH MAHMOOD QURESHI, DEFENCE MINISTER PERVEZ KHATTAK AND MINISTER FOR PLANNING ASAD OMAR ISLAMABAD
T
STAFF REPORT
HE Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) government on Monday constituted a threemember committee comprising Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Defence Minister Pervez Khattak and Minister for Planning Asad Omar to lead the effort for drafting new legislation on the extension of an army chief’s tenure. The move comes after the Supreme Court (SC) gave the government six months to legislate and iron out the lacunae in the reappointment or extension of tenure of an army chief – paving the way for the incumbent, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, to stay on until a new law determined his terms of service. The committee will also debate on the new legislation with opposition parties in the parliament. The government is hopeful that the requisite law will be drafted within six months. During the landmark hearings in the apex court, a three-member bench, comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan
August for Gen Qamar’s reappointment till 2022 citing procedural loopholes. “Considering that the COAS is responsible for the command, discipline, training, administration, organisation and preparedness for war of the army and is the chief executive in the General Headquarters, we, while exercising judicial restraint, find it appropriate to leave the matter to the parliament and the federal government to clearly specify the terms and conditions of service of the COAS through an Act of Parlia-
PPP to submit plea for Zardari’s bail on medical grounds ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday announced that the party will submit a bail petition for former president Asif Ali Zardari on medical grounds — days after former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was allowed to travel abroad for medical treatment on a bail plea. Addressing reporters after meeting his ailing father at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Bilawal said that the party will file a bail plea on medical grounds for the former president who has a case against him in relation to fake bank accounts. Bilawal said that the PPP will not retreat from its political point of view and file a petition on Tuesday, adding that Zardari had agreed to filing of the bail petition after being persuaded by his two
daughters — Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari and Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari for over an hour. “We do not trust Pakistani doctors,” the PPP chairman told media. Bilawal remarked on the meeting with Zardari that a number of things related to the country’s political situation came under discussion. “Our Foundation Day rally was very successful and Kashmiris showed full participation in it… We have decided to observe the death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto at Liaqaut Bagh on Dec 27,” he said. Earlier this month, an accountability court earlier dismissed a plea seeking permission to move former president Zardari to Karachi for medical treatment. Zardari’s counsel Farooq H Naik had filed an application seeking better facilities for Faryal Talpur — a PPP leader and Zardari’s sister. Zardari was arrested in June after his bail application was rejected in connection to the fake bank accounts case.
File photo
Nawaz diagnosed with enlarged lymph nodes: physician NEWS DESK
ISLAMABAD: Former director general (DG) of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Bashir Memon resigned from his post on Monday, 10 days before his retirement. According to details, Bashir Memon has forwarded his resignation to the Establishment Division for further process. The former DG FIA said that he has stepped down in protest against his sacking from the post a few days before his retirement. It is to be mentioned here that Wajid Zia, who had supervised Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe Panama Leaks case, was appointed as Memon’s replacement. STAFF REPORT
Asif Saeed Khosa, Justice Mian Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, issued the verdict in the high-stake case after the state’s chief law officer submitted an undertaking to the court that parliament would bring in a new law on the matter within six months. The ruling averted a crisis as the army chief was set to retire on the night between Thursday and Friday. On Tuesday, the court had suspended a notification issued by the prime minister in
ment and to clarify the scope of Article 243 of the Constitution in this regard,” read a short order issued by the court. “Therefore, the current appointment of General Qamar Javed Bajwa as COAS shall be subject to the said legislation and shall continue for a period of six months from today, whereafter the new legislation shall determine his tenure and other terms and conditions of service,” it added. A day after the apex court gave the government six months to draft legislation regarding the reappointment or extension in an army chief’s tenure, the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) showed signs of initiating dialogue with the opposition. The Imran Khan-led government has asked the parliament to review all existing laws related to the post of army chief and is determined to garner support from opposition parties. The premier may also sit down with opposition party leaders including Shahbaz Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Maulana Fazlur Rehman among others. An all-party conference may also be convened by the federal government to discuss the matter.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif’s personal physician, Dr Adnan Khan, on Monday said that the former prime minister has been diagnosed with enlarged lymph nodes. Speaking to the media in London, he said that Nawaz’s Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan showed enlarged lymph nodes. He also said that the PML-N supremo’s right axillary lymph node is being examined and the cause would be found out after further tests. Dr Adnan said that the Nawaz’s platelets are nearly normal which are being maintained at certain levels through medicine. “Further investigation and regular follow-up of the
former premier’s disease is underway which includes blood tests,” he added. “Nawaz had a heart attack in Lahore due to which a cardiac team is also examining him. He will also undergo Angiogram and Angioplasty, while a vascular surgeon has also been hired to treat his blood vessel arteries which send blood to his brain,” he concluded. On November 25, Dr Adnan had said that Nawaz would be admitted to a hospital on the advice of London Bridge Hospital’s Professor Simon Redwood. The former premier had visited the hospital with his brother, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, and son, Hussain Nawaz, on Monday. Dr Adnan had told the media that
the leading cardiologist had recommended hospital admission for the former premier so that he can undergo angiogram and other medical check-ups. He had said that Nawaz was attending the hospital on appointment. He had also said that Professor Redwood is considered as a world authority on cardiac intervention and his recommendations are based on the medical record of the former premier. “He went through Nawaz’s medical history and recommended that he requires cardiac intervention. He suggested that the PML-N supremo should be admitted in the hospital for procedure,” he had added. The physician had said that Nawaz’s health needed care and he
would undergo a PET scan on Thursday. “Once he has gone through all haematological investigations, we will then have a clear picture of what is required next and what the exact treatment should be,” he had said. It is worth mentioning here that Nawaz had attended the nearby Guy’s hospital for blood tests soon after reaching London. The former premier reached London on the night of November 19 for medical treatment in a “high-end air ambulance” which was equipped with an intensive care unit and an operation theatre a day after his name was removed from the no-fly list on the orders of the Lahore High Court (LHC). A team of doctors and paramedics were also on board to cope with any emergency situation.
India’s nuclear-capable missile Agni-III fails test launch NEWS DESK Indian military’s proud product, Agni-III ballistic missile, failed its maiden night test launch and crashed into the sea shortly after launch, reported New Indian Express. The missile plunged into the sea after the first-stage separation. It was launched from Abdul Kalam Island off India’s Odisha coast. The Agni-III ballistic missile is capable of hauling conventional and nuclear warheads, weighing up to 1.5
tonnes, to a reported range of more than 2,000kms. “The missile traveled around 115 km into its initial flight trajectory when things went awry. It deviated from the flight path forcing the mission team to terminate it midway,” Indian media quoted ‘highly placed’ sources. An initial investigation points to a ‘manufacturing defect’ in the missile. If true, it is another setback for the Narendra Modi-led ‘Made in India’ initiative. Weapon systems produced in India usu-
ally suffer from low workmanship and suffer from poor maintenance standards prevalent across the Indian military. “It could be possibly due to metallurgical defects,” added sources. “Staring from the launch to the first phase separation, everything was smooth in accordance with the mission plan. But suddenly it started behaving abnormally.” In 2009, the variants of the missile system, Agni-I, and Agni-II have failed to deliver results during trails.
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