E-Paper PDF 5th January (ISB)

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5 January, 2020 I 8 Jamadi-ul-Awwal, 1441 I Rs 27.00 I Vol X No 186 I 68 Pages I Islamabad Edition

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PM IMRAN INAUGURATeS 29 MOdeL POLIce STATIONS IN PUNjAb FOR qUIcK, FRIeNdLy POLIcING

Time To uprooT ‘Thana and paTwari’ culTure, says pm

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RIMe Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said that the existing thana-kutcheri and patwari system has inflicted serious damages to the country and time is now right to replace it with a better one.

“We need to uproot this 30-year-old thana (police station) culture,” he said while addressing a ceremony held to inaugurate a ‘model police station’ here.

In the past, Imran said, politicians used to appoint police officers of their own choice for personal and political gains, and that is why people started losing trust in the law enforcers.

“They [politicians] would control thana-kutchery system in the past to harass and intimidate their opponents,” he said.

“I was well aware of this issue when I became a lawmaker for the first time, but couldn’t do anything to address it as I had no power to do so,” he said. “However, when we first formed

government in KhyberPakhtunkhwa, we changed thana culture and purified police of political influence,” he added.

He said department of police will have to restore its

credibility in the public eye.

The prime minister said that police should provide sense of protection to the public, adding that police officers are public servants and they should facilitate

complainants in the best possible manner at police stations.

Setting up model police stations, he said, is important for public welfare and reflects the PTI government’s desire to improve the current state of affairs. Imran Khan said modern service delivery at the model police stations will set up an example for all other police stations in the province to emulate.

He said he wants to see Punjab Police develop on the pattern of K-P Police, which he added has won the confidence of people through its performance.

Under the initiative, 29 model police stations have been set up throughout Punjab, where ccTV cameras are also installed to monitor the performance of police.

A helpline 8787 has also been established for registering complaints. A Superintendent of Police (SP) also is deputed to deal with complaints in every district. earlier, on arrival at the model police station, a smartly turned out contingent of Punjab Police presented

the prime minister guard of honour. chief Minister Usman buzdar also accompanied the prime minister.

The PM also visited a mobile police facilitation center named as Khidmat Markaz which would address public complaints at their doorsteps.

He also planted a sapling at the Police Station as part of his initiative of clean and Green Pakistan as well as 10 billion Tree Tsunami.

According to the project details, 10 Model Police Stations had been set up in different cities of Gujranwala region, four each in Faisalabad and dera Ghazi Khan, three in Rawalpindi, Sargodha and Multan, and two in Sheikhupura regions.

The prime minister was briefed that as per his directive, an SP complaints had been appointed in all districts besides launching an IGP complaint center with the helpline No. 8787.

Moreover, front desks had been set up at all 716 police stations of Punjab and Khidmat Markaz had been set up to provide 14 policerelated facilities under one roof to the citizens. besides, the facilitation desks had been set up at the hospitals for early issuance of medico-legal certificates and all the RPOs and dPOs had been asked to implement the open door policy and also hold open kutcheries in their jurisdictions.

Trump authorises resumption of military training programme for Pakistan STORY ON BACK PAGE

KP government announces major reshuffle in provincial cabinet KP edu dept to be headed by ‘matric-pass’ minister STORIES ON PAGE 02

Missiles hit Green Zone and Iraq base housing US troops

New air strike on pro-Iran convoy in Iraq ahead of Soleimani funeral STORIES ON BACK PAGE

Mob attack on Gurdwara Nankana Sahib a test for PTI government Attempts to paint Nankana clash as communal issue patently motivated, says FO STORIES ON PAGE 03 CMYK

QUETTA: People sit around a bonfire to beat the cold weather. PPI

SNGPL to refund Rs513m to consumers over low pressure STORY ON PAGE 11

Won’t accept indictment till govt presents ‘video’ proof: Sanaullah STORY ON PAGE 05

CMYK Sunday, 5 January, 2020

02 NEWS

major reshuffle in Kp provincial cabinet PESHAWAR

‘matric-pass’ minister to head Kp edu dept The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government on Saturday announced a major reshuffling in the provincial cabinet, giving the portfolio of KP’s education minister to Akbar Ayub Khan who has not studied beyond matric.The relevant information can be found on KP Provincial Assembly’s official website where his educational qualification is stated as matric. The same can be found in his papers submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), where he confirms that his educational endeavours ended at matriculation. Speaking to a local news channel on Saturday, Akbar Ayub Khan said that his educational qualifications did not matter as he was experienced in educational and administrative affairs whereas KP Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai also backed Ayub, saying he has vast administrative experience. It may be noted here that Ayub Khan had earlier held the ministerial post of communication and works after being elected from Haripur constituency. “It does not matter what degree he holds. He has studied from a reputable institute and is a capable man,” Yousafzai opined while adding that Ayub’s capabilities should not be questioned solely due to the fact that he had not studied beyond the matriculation level. “He left for Canada to pursue his construction business while he was in grade 12,” said the information minister. “He is a skilled man and we should extract benefit from his experience and capabilities.” Yousafzai said the education minister could speak to foreign diplomats and dignitaries as “his English is the best”. He said since education had been bifurcated into two parts, Ayub was given charge of the elementary education, not secondary. “He has to run an institute and for that, he has ample experience in the past as a minister,” he said while claiming that earlier governments had appointed primary pass and even illiterate persons on the post. NEWS DESK

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HE Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government on Saturday announced a major reshuffling in the provincial cabinet, besides accommodating Members of Provincial Assembly (MPAs) from merged tribal districts in the new cabinet by awarding them different portfolios.

According to a notification, KP Chief Minister (CM) Mahmood Khan has changed the portfolio of Shahram Tarakai from Minister for Local Government to Health, Provincial Minister for C&W Akbar Ayub has been made as Elementary and Secondary Education, Health Minister Hisham Inamullah Khan has been given Social Welfare department and Dr Amjad Ali of Mines and Minerals has been assigned the Housing Department. Similarly, Muhammad Iqbal Wazir has been assigned the portfolio of Relief & Rehabilitation and Malik Shah Muhammad Khan Transport Department.

Special Assistant for IT Kamran Bangash has been made as Minister for Local Government, Elections and Rural Development while Adviser to CM on Education Ziaullah Bangash has been assigned the portfolio of Science and Technology

and Information Technology.

Khaliqur Rehman, adviser on higher education, Ghazan Jamal, special assistant excise and taxation, Zahoor Shakir, special assistant auqaf and religious affairs, Arif Ahmad Zai, special assistant for mines and mineral development, Riaz Khan, special assistant public health engineering, Shafi Ullah Khan, special assistant for anti-corruption, Complaint Cell and PIT, Taj Muhammad Tarand Special Assistant Prisons, Ahmad Hussain Shah Special Assistant Population Welfare and Wazeer Zada Special Assistant has been assigned the portfolio of Minority Affairs.

‘Following procedure to legislate on Army Act victory for democracy’ Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday said that by ensuring the parliamentary procedure was followed during the ongoing legislation on the services chiefs’ tenure, proponents of parliamentary supremacy have secured a “victory for democracy”. In November 2019, when the Supreme Court had instructed the parliament to legislate on the army chief’s tenure, it was expected that the federal government could have a hard time convincing the PPP and the Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) — the two main opposition parties — to legislate on the matter.

However, neither the PPP nor the PML-N showed a great deal of resistance after Federal Minister for Defence Pervez Khattak on Friday presented the Pakistan Army (Amendment Act), the Pakistan Navy (Amendment Act) and the Pakistan Air Force (Amendment Act) in the parliament. The PML-N had already decided to “unconditionally support” the amendments, while the PPP had merely insisted that “democratic legislative process” be followed. Bilawal explained his party’s stance on

the issue, claiming credit for not letting the bill be bulldozed through the parliament and deeming it a victory for democracy. “When I landed in Islamabad the PML-N & PTI had agreed to unconditionally pass the army act on Friday in both houses, ignoring parliamentary procedure, not even circulating the bill to all members or sending the legislation for committee oversight,” Bilawal tweeted.

“I’m pleased all have now agreed that the bill will go back to NA committee, will also be reviewed by Senate committee and follow procedure of both houses. This is a positive that parliament that has been dormant for over a year is ready to legislate,” Bilawal said. The PPP chief had earlier reiterated that his party would only back the legisla-

tion if the proper parliamentary procedure for the passing of the bill was followed in the parliament.

Bilawal said that “all institutions that derive powers from parliament” had asked the parliament to legislate on the matter, adding that “these are important victories for those who have always battled for parliamentary supremacy and democracy.”

The National Assembly is set to vote on the bills next week after they were approved by a NA Defence Commitee on Friday. The amendments sought through the bills seek to make future extensions of army, navy and air force chiefs “airtight” as the bills state categorically that the decision to do so “shall not be called into question before any court on any ground whatsoever”. NEWS DESK

Medical board rejects Nawaz’s test reports in bail extension plea The medical board formed to review the test reports of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif aimed at extending his stay abroad has rejected the submitted documents and asked him to attach fresh reports with the application, according to media reports.

Nawaz’s counsel Khawaja Haris had submitted the medical reports in the Lahore High Court (LHC) that allowed the elder Sharif to travel abroad, removing his name from ECL, without attaching any conditions to it, for four months in November. Haris asked the court to extend Nawaz’s foreign stay citing his health concerns.

The court referred the reports to the medical board, which has now refused to prepare its recommendation on the basis of the received reports, citing them as old.

It asked the applicants to submit fresh reports until January 2, 2020. The board has

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conveyed its reservations to the Punjab home department, which will further present it to the high court. NEWS DESK

CMYK Sunday, 5 January, 2020

NEWS

bid to paint nanKana clash as communal issue patently motivated: fo ISLAMABAD

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HE Foreign Office (FO) has clarified that Friday’s incident in Nankana Sahib, in which a number of people surrounded the Gurdwara Nankana Sahib to register their protest, was the result of an “altercation between two Muslim groups” and that it should not be portrayed as a communal issue.

“The provincial authorities in the Punjab province have informed that there was [a] scuffle in the city of Nankana Sahib today, between two Muslim groups. The altercation happened on a minor incident at a tea-stall,” the FO spokesperson said in a statement issued late Friday, adding that the district administration “immediately intervened” and arrested the accused, who are now in custody.

On Friday, police had to step in amid rising tensions in Nankana Sahib after a heated debate at a tea stall threatened to blow into a big law and order issue, official sources said. Reports said four customers while taking tea at Zaman’s stall in front of Gurdwara Janam Asthan started a conversation about his nephew, Muhammad Ehsaan, who came into the limelight a few months ago after being accused of forcing a Sikh girl to convert in

order to marry her. Zaman reportedly reacted with anger, which led to a confrontation between the two groups. A small crowd gathered to raise slogans. A team of Nankana Sahib police had to intervene briskly to control the situation. The FO press release said that “attempts to paint this incident as a communal issue are patently motivated”. “Most importantly, the Gurdwara remains untouched and undamaged. All insinuations to the contrary, particularly the claims of acts of ‘desecration and destruction’ […] of the holy place, are not only false but also mischievous,” it added.

The statement emphasised that the government remains committed to upholding law and order and providing security and protection to the people, especially the minorities. “The opening of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor is a manifestation of Pakistan’s special care extended to the minorities.” Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, also known as the Gurdwara Janam Asthan, is the site where the first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak, was born and is regarded as one of the holiest sites in the religion.

Mob attack on Gurdwara Nankana Sahib a test for PTI govt LAHORE KK SHAHID

A mob targeting the Gurdwara Nankana Sahib on Friday has offered a test for the incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government less than two months after Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor. The sizeable mob threatened to vandalise the holy Sikh site, vowing ‘not to spare a single Sikh’ and ‘rename Nankana Sahib as Ghulam-e-Mustafa’. Gathered around the shrine, the aggressive demonstrators demanded the release of men under custody in a case of forced conversion involving a local Sikh girl.

While protestors, vowing ‘revenge’ over the arrests in raging demonstrations, were duly dispersed following swift action from the police and government officials, the incident has brought the government into the spotlight at a time when its energies have been entirely dedicated to highlighting the crimes of its counterparts in India. The Federal Minister of Human Rights Shireen Mazari was busy tweeting about ‘fascist Modi’ as the mob had besieged the Gurdwara, following up with another tweet on ‘Islamophobia in EU states’ the next day. Similarly, PM Khan’s Twitter feed is entirely dedicated to India, with the premier having also tweeted a now deleted post sharing a video from Bangladesh as an incident targeting Muslims in India.

Critics argue that while the plight of Muslims in India should be underlined by Pakistan, the fact that the state leaders are so conspicuously failing to address the blatant targeting of religious minorities in their own country hollows their condemnations across the Line of Control. The incident in Nankana Sahib was rooted in a forced conversion case with one Muhammad Ehsan marrying a local Sikh girl after allegedly forcing her to convert in August 2019. Six people were named in a First Information Report (FIR) filed in the Nankana police station. After a police raid on Ehsan’s family members, and a heated exchange involving his uncle at a tea stall near Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, protestors led by Ehsan’s brother Muhammad Imran gathered around the holy shrine chanting slogans synonymous with the cleansing of the

entire Sikh community from the town.

Earlier, a resident of Nankana Sahib, Meena Kumari, who has been married to a Muslim for the past 20 years told Pakistan Today that said she had not faced any discrimination in the past. Commenting on the matter, she said that the locals had created an issue out of nothing. Locals further maintain that an incident of such a scale against the Sikh community hadn’t taken place since Partition. With the next hearing on the conversion case set for January 9, Jagjit Kaur – since renamed Ayesha Bibi – had earlier submitted a written statement that she had converted out of her own free will. However, officials and observers note that the statement could’ve been written under some form of coercion, which is the norm in forced conversion cases in the country. According to the latest Human Rights Commission of Pakistan report, at least 1,000 girls have forcibly converted to Islam annually, with the exact data unknown given that a significant number of the cases aren’t reported.

Many of these cases involving young girls from the religious minority groups, in a country where the only conversion to Islam – not from – is allowed. Legal experts note that this clause in itself puts question marks over the ‘free will’ underlined in conversion.

However, given that many of the victims are actually kidnapped and forcibly married, their will is often more than just compromised. In this regard, the mob besieging the Gurdwara Nankana Sahib has brought multiple questions for the PTI government.

These include the protection and safeguard for the religious minorities, the fulfilment of its obligations as custodians of holy sites of other religious communities, and curbing the menace of forced conversions which remains one of the greatest human rights challenges in the country. “Sikh community [was held] hostage in the houses for hours. The mob [demanded] that they will change the name of the Holy place Nanakana Sahib and will not let any Sikh live [here]… We Pakistani Sikh strongly condemn the attack on Gurudwara Janam Ashtan Nankana Sahib and the stone pelting on the Gurdwara. Requesting the government of Pakistan to take strong action,” noted actor, director and journalist Taranjeet Singh.

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house of pm’s nephew robbed in lahore The house of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s nephew Shershah was robbed in Lahore early Saturday. The house is located in Zaman Park, where PM Khan also has a house. The thieves stole gold jewellery and an antique pistol. They came in through a door that was accidentally left open. The police believe the domestic worker’s son was involved in the theft. So far, a case hasn’t been lodged. NEWS DESK

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04 ISLAMABAD

Sunday, 5 January, 2020

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Govt to resolve financial problems of country, says NA speaker PESHAWAR: National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser Saturday said that federal government is rapidly moving towards its objective to resolve financial problems of the country and make it a welfare state like Riyasat-e-Madina. He was addressing a public gathering after inaugurating Rs. 81 million Jhanda- Pabini Road at Kandao village, district Swabi. He said that federal government is close to achieve its target of making the country a true welfare state and strengthen its economy. He said that when PTI came into power, all the public entities were in whirlpool of financial quagmire and the country was facing an economic uncertainty adding the reason behind the dilemma was the corruption and mismanagement of previous rulers. APP

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Rawalpindi RpO diRects pOlice tO Replace G3 Rifles with sMGs

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eGIoNAl Police officer (RPo) Sohail Habib Tajik has directed the police to replace G3 battle rifles with submachine guns (SMG).

However, at a later stage the police would have to opt for handguns to fight crimes. In this regard, the RPo issued directives to City Police officer Mohammad Ahsan Younas and the district police officers of Attock, Jhelum and Chakwal. G3 is a longrange weapon with the firing range of 3,700 metres and its rate of fire is 500-

600 rounds/minutes. Police believe that it can’t be used to fight crimes and is also difficult to handle and get training on its use. All police stations have been directed to deposit G3 rifles with their respective district armory.

The RPo said that G3 was not suitable for patrolling and use at checkpoints. For urban areas, police needed handguns instead of heavy weapons, he said. “It is a long-range weapon which is used in raids on terrorists and also by snipers,” the RPo said, adding it was also difficult for police to carry the gun in mobile units.

He said SMG was also not suitable

for crime fighting and eventually the police would have to turn to handguns.

He said during encounters with criminals it was important for police to arrest those involved in exchange of fire.

He said it had also been decided to conduct four audit inspections of police weapons in one year to ascertain whether all weapons were in order or needed to be replaced or repaired. The RPo directed the subdivisional police officers to inspect each police station at least once every month. The DPos and SSPs operations should inspect each police station in their district at least once every three months.

Sanjrani orders action against police officer who harassed senator

Mansehra man pleads not guilty in student rape case

ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani ordered the registration of the case against the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) police officer who allegedly harassed Senator Aurangzeb and his family. According to details, Chairman Senate has written a letter to IG KP and secretary establishment and informed them he has ordered the registration of a case against the KP police officer Mian Abdul Qadir. He directed the IG KP to provide security to Senator Aurangzeb and his family and also inform the Senate after taking action against the concern police officer. In his letter to establishment division, he recommended suspension of the police officer and inquiry against him.

It is worth mentioning that a day earlier during the Senate session Raza Rabbani mentioned that the conduct meted out with the Senator Aurangzeb has breached privilege of the upper house, therefore, exemplary punishment should be given to the concerned police officer. STAFF REPORT

A teacher accused of raping one of his students at a madrassah in Mansehra has pleaded not guilty in front of a court. The court extended the suspect’s remand by 14 days. He was escorted by policemen to the court.

The police had arrested him on December 29 from the Parhana area a day after the child was rushed to a hospital. The suspect, his brother and four other men have been arrested for raping and torturing a 10-year-old in a seminary of Parhana. NEWS DESK

Sunday, 5 January, 2020

NEWS 1,238 acre state land afforested by utilising Rs57.196 million LAHORE ShAhAb OmER

the Punjab, Forestry, Wildlife & Fisheries Department has afforested state land stretching over 1,238 acres in the different areas of Punjab by utilising Rs57.196 million, Pakistan Today learnt on saturday.

Pakistan today also learnt that a project entitled “afforestation under approved Management Plans in irrigated Plantation of the Punjab” was approved at PC-i cost of Rs57.196 million with a gestation period of 60 months (2013-18). the project had been conceived with the objective of afforestation in the blank areas in Changa Manga, Daphar, kamalia, Chichawatni and kundian. an official of the forest department informed this scribe that the project was formulated inconsistency with the overall

objectives of the forestry sector. “the project was designed for social benefits. it was planned to uplift the socio-economic condition of the local community which is directly or indirectly relying on forest resources,” he explained. “the plantation/orchards of different tree species raised under this project will provide quality seed for raising of plantations in future. the major objectives of the project were the survey and marking of elite trees for seed collection, raising of potted nursery for the establishment of plantation and establishment of orchard/plantation (100 acres),” he added. the official further said that the project was completed at the total cost of Rs57.196 million which entailed major component of afforestation carried out departmentally on 1,238 acres in targeted forests. the major species planted was Eucalyptus (726 plants per acre with a spacing of 10’ X 6’) in the project area.

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IndIctment won’t be accepted untIl ‘vIdeo’ evIdence Is presented: sanaullah LAHORE

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akistan Muslim Leaguenawaz (PML-n) Mna Rana sanaullah khan on saturday asked the government to bring forth the “video” as evidence in the narcotics case against him, or otherwise the indictment would not be accepted. in his talk to the media after appearing in the courtroom amid tight security measures, the former law minister also stated that an open trial of the case must be held. He demanded Federal Minister for narcotics Control shehryar afridi to present the video in the court that the latter had claimed of on the floor of the national assembly accusing the former. “if this is the case, then the video must be submitted to the court to back up the minister’s claim, he added, while claiming that the Lahore High Court (LHC), in its decision on his post bail plea, stated that the possibility of “political vengeance” in the case could not be ruled out. the PML-n leader also denounced the law enforcement agencies for denying court entry to the

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media personnel, saying they have the right to witness the trial proceedings.

He claimed that the government was being exposed during investigation into the drug case against him, and he had been falsely implicated in it at the behest of the government. “nawaz sharif’s message for politicians and the parliament carries considerable prestige,” he said, outlining that the message refers to adopting parliamentary methodology. the Lahore High Court had on Dec 24 granted post-arrest bail to Mr khan in 15-kg heroin recovery case.

On Dec. 26, sanaullah was released from camp jail after the LHC granted him bail in the same case. the PML-n Mna was released after furnishing two surety bonds worth Rs1 million each as directed by the LHC bench that approved his bail plea via a short order on Dec 24. the LHC bench in its written verdict recording the reasons that compelled it to grant the PML-n leader bail after arrest said the trial court hearing the drug case against the accused had already granted bail to co-accused, which was not even challenged by the anti-narcotics Force

(anF) before the high court.

On Oct. 2, the PML-n leader had filed a bail petition in the LHC. the petition was, however, withdrawn the next day, to file the same at a later stage. Earlier this month, sanaullah once again approached the LHC for post-arrest bail. a special court for Control of narcotics substance (Cns) had on september 20 also dismissed a bail petition by sanaullah while releasing five co-suspects. On november 9, a Cns dismissed another bail petition of sanaullah. the court also issued notices to the investigation officer seeking a response on the application of Rana sanaullah for provision of a video of the ministers.

On July 1, sanaullah was arrested by the anF after the discovery of a large stash of contraband in his vehicle from near the sukheke area in Punjab. the next day, he was sent to jail on judicial remand by a local magistrate. sanaullah, who is also a member of the national assembly (Mna) and president of the PML-n’s Punjab wing, was arrested while travelling with his guards to a meeting from Faisalabad to Lahore.

Sunday, 5 January, 2020

06 WORLD VIEW

Are you the PM of India AmericA shows how or ambassador of Pakistan, not to tAme irAn Mamata asks Modi Hindu Suvojit Bagchi

Whenever an issue is raised by an Indian citizen, Prime Minister advises the person to go to Pakistan, to divert attention from the growing economic crisis in the country, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Friday.

Ms. Banerjee was addressing a rally against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) 2019, and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Siliguri in north Bengal on Friday.

“If someone asks for a job and says [he] has no work, PM [Prime Minister] asks the person to go to Pakistan. If someone says we don't have an industry, he tells them to go to Pakistan. Pakistan can talk about itself, as much as it wants; [we] should talk about India.

This is our motherland, all of us were born here,” Ms Banerjee said.

Her remarks are a response to Mr Modi’s comments on Thursday asking the Congress and its allies to raise their voice against Pakistan’s atrocities on its minorities for the past 70 years, rather than the CAA. Ms. Banerjee also criticised the Prime Minister for “frequently comparing India with Pakistan” and wondered if Mr. Modi is “Ambassador of Hindustan or the neighbouring country.”

“India is a big country with a rich culture and heritage. Why does the PM regularly compare our nation with Pakistan? Are you the Prime Minister of India or the Ambassador of Pakistan,” the Trinamool chief said. Indicating that the Prime Minister’s responses were a strategy to divert attention from slow economic growth, Ms Banerjee said, “We don't want to be Pakistan. We love Hindustan.”

The Chief Minister accused the

BJP of “deliberately” creating confusion over the implementation of NRC, saying its leaders have been making contradictory statements on the issue.

“On one hand, Prime Minister says that there will be no NRC; on the other, the Union Home Minister and other BJP ministers claim the exercise will be conducted across the country.”

Talking about police action during the anti-CAA protests in Uttar Pradesh, which claimed several lives, Ms. Banerjee, in an apparent reference to her counterpart Yogi Adityanath, said, “those who cannot rule are governing major States.”

Dubbing her fight against the CAA as the “second war of Independence”, she said the BJP knows “how to divide the nation on the basis of religion.”

“But my religion is to defend the freedom of people. We have to save the country from bigotry,” she added.

(With inputs from PTI).

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economisT

fter nearly coming to blows in 2019, America and Iran celebrated the new year in fitting style: with prophecies of war. The escalation began on December 27th, when dozens of missiles, allegedly fired by an Iranian-backed militia in Iraq called Kataib Hizbullah, struck an Iraqi military base in Kirkuk, killing an American contractor and wounding American and Iraqi soldiers.

Two days later America responded, over objections from the Iraqi government, with air strikes on Iraqi soil that killed at least 25 militia members and wounded over 50. After thousands of militiamen and protesters then attacked the American embassy in Baghdad, President Donald Trump said Iran would be held responsible. “They will pay a very big price!” tweeted Mr Trump. “This is not a Warning, it is a Threat.

Happy New Year!”

Iran is responsible for stoking the conflict. Its interference in Iraq has spurred tens of thousands of Iraqis to march against it in the streets since October. The protesters are fed up with their own politicians, many of whom seem to want only to please Iran’s leaders, their fellowShia patrons. Tehran has even helped its Iraqi clients quell the unrest. Hundreds of protesters have been killed by pro-Iran militias. At the same time, says America, Iranianbacked groups have carried out nearly a dozen attacks on Iraqi bases and facilities housing American contractors and soldiers, who are there at the invitation of the Iraqi government to train local forces. With the Iraqis neglecting their security, America understandably hit

back to deter future attacks.

But officials in Washington appeared taken by surprise when the killing of Iraqi citizens on Iraqi soil against the wishes of the Iraqi government ended up causing a savage backlash. Iraqi officials accused America, accurately, of violating Iraqi sovereignty. The crowds that stormed the embassy, in the heavily guarded Green Zone of Baghdad, seemed to have been waved through by local security forces. Iran, no doubt, also had a hand in stirring up the unrest. As Mr Trump dispatched hundreds of extra troops to the region, a coalition of pro-Iran parties in Iraq called for the withdrawal of all American soldiers. Parliament may be receptive.

The episode has underlined the contradictions in the president’s approach. His chief aim in the Middle East is to curb Iran. In 2018 he pulled out of a deal that froze Iran’s nuclear programme.

Since then he has heaped sanctions on Iran as part of a campaign of “maximum pressure”. At the same time, however, he has done little to hit back when Iran and its proxies attacked commercial shipping, Saudi oil facilities and American targets. Now Mr Trump has at last returned fire—but he has chiefly harmed himself. The air strikes have stoked antiAmericanism. On the streets of Baghdad, chants of “out, out Iran” gave way to “death to America”. A strike designed to punish Iran has ended up rewarding it.

Sixteen years after overthrowing Saddam Hussein, that smacks of poor intelligence and of a depressingly weak influence over the government in Baghdad. It is an ominous sign for the durability of America’s continuing

presence in Iraq.

But America’s contradictions are dwarfed by those of the Iraqi state, which shoots one lot of protesters while encouraging another to run riot.

Prominent politicians, such as Hadi al-Amiri, who heads a large bloc in parliament and controls a powerful militia, even joined the group outside the American embassy. He and other militia leaders, to say nothing of Iran, would like to see America go. And yet the Iraqi army depends on the Americans for guns, training and money (some $5.8bn since 2014) even as their bitter enemies, the jihadists of Islamic State, are regrouping.

That points to a bigger problem: Iraq’s militias are nominally under the government’s control, but act at best independently and at worst for Iran. If Kataib Hizbullah did indeed fire missiles at an Iraqi military base, one arm of the state attacked another.

Iran’s baleful influence is making Iraq even more dysfunctional. The government is dominated by people like Mr Amiri, who are in thrall to Tehran. They have used its backing to accumulate power, while entrenching ethnic and sectarian divisions and milking the state. Rather than curb Iranian meddling, as the people want, they invite it, ignoring the dreadful example Iran has set lording over crisis-ridden Lebanon and war-torn Syria.

The Iraqi people know their country can do better. Its politicians should heed them, not the mullahs next door.

Until that happens, however, Iraq will be caught in a miserable tug-of-war between America and Iran, a global superpower and a regional one.

It is a struggle that, going by the evidence of this week, America will lose—and that Iraq will thus lose, too.

America must be ready for Iranian retaliation Financial Times RichaRd haaSS

In William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, Mark Antony tells the audience what he plans to do to incite revenge for the Roman dictator’s assassination: “Cry ‘Havoc!’ And let slip the dogs of war.”

It is quite possible that Iran is readying the dogs of war following the US assassination of Qassem Soleimani, the chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ overseas forces. Indeed, this targeted air strike has the potential to be the most significant development in the troubled Middle East since the 2003 decision by then-US president George W Bush to launch the Iraq war. The obvious big question is what happens next. There is little or no chance that matters rest where they are. Iran is highly likely to retaliate given the cult-like stature of Soleimani inside the country.

But when and where and how Iran might respond remains undetermined. If it comes to war, then we need to understand this will not be a traditional conflict fought by uniformed soldiers on clearly defined battlefields. The arena will be the entire region and possibly the world. It is unlikely to have either a clear start or a clear end.

Iran has a wide range of targets to choose among. There are US troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and elsewhere, and American diplomats and businesses scattered throughout the Middle East. US ally Saudi Arabia was recently targeted by Iran via a strike on its oil facilities and could well be again. So, too, could Israel.

Iran can employ various militias, including Hizbollah. It could also target the US homeland with cyber attacks. Still another option for Iran is to accelerate its planned

breakout from the 2015 nuclear pact.

Tehran also has enormous influence in Iraq. The Pentagon may have no choice but to pull out its 5,000 troops if (partly at Iran’s urging) the Iraqi government requests that it do so. The US may also deem it wise to remove American diplomats if the Iraqi government is unwilling or unable to protect the US embassy compound in Baghdad, which was attacked by angry demonstrators earlier this week. The result would be an Iraq in which Iran has even more sway and where terrorists once again would gain a large footing.

The case for killing Soleimani could be based on his past actions — he masterminded attacks that have killed many Americans — as well as potential ones. The air strike could have constituted a pre-emptive attack, if, as US secretary of state Mike Pompeo asserted on Friday, the Iranian general was planning new attacks that were in fact imminent. That would be consistent with self-defence under international law.

But what may be legally justifiable is not the same as a prudent course of action. US strategy towards Iran under Donald Trump’s administration has been controversial from the outset. The starting point was Mr Trump’s rejection of the 2015 nuclear accord. He saw it as fatally flawed given the limited duration of the constraints on Iran’s nuclear programme and the fact it did not cover either Tehran’s missile programmes or its regional activities.

Mr Trump took the US out of the pact and imposed severe sanctions on Iran, using maximum pressure designed to bring about a fundamental change in Tehran’s behaviour or even the downfall of the regime. Iran, feeling the economic pain, responded militarily — against tankers, Saudi refineries, US personnel, and the US embassy in Baghdad.

sunday, 5 January, 2020

search for survivors as camBodia Building collapse Toll rises To 7 PHENOM PENH

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AGENCIES

UNDREDS of soldiers and rescuers frantically picked through the rubble of a collapsed building in southern Cambodia on Saturday looking for bodies as the death toll from the disaster rose to seven. They used excavators, drills and power saws to clear concrete the morning after the sevenstorey hotel under construction in seaside Kep province crumbled to the ground with an estimated 30 workers inside, prompting an all-night rescue.

It was the latest deadly accident to mar the kingdom’s poorly regulated building sector even as hotels, high-

rises and casinos spring up in a construction boom.

Cambodian leader Hun Sen, who travelled to the site on Friday evening, said on his official Facebook page that seven people had been killed so far while the “search continues”.

Eighteen survivors were also pulled out of the debris, according to the Kep provincial administration, but tearful relatives were waiting for more information about loved ones who had not been found.

“I don’t have any hope, because the rubble is piled up,” Has Rith told AFP in the early hours of Saturday.

“I could not reach them by phone.”

There are an estimated 200,000 construction workers in Cambodia, most un-

skilled, reliant on day wages and not protected by union rules, according to the International Labour Organization.

Worker advocates point to low standards at construction sites that raise the risk of accidents.

Labourers can often be seen shirtless, working with little protective gear, and sleeping in mosquito nets inside the building in progress.

In June nearly 30 people died after the collapse of a building under construction in Sihanoukville, a beach town undergoing a Chinese investment bonanza.

Last month at least three workers died and more than a dozen others were seriously injured after an under-construction dining hall at a temple collapsed in the tourist town of Siem Reap.

Turkish intervention risks Syria scenario for Libya: experts ANKARA AGENCIES

Turkey’s decision to approve the deployment of troops to Libya risks plunging the North African nation deeper into a Syrian-style proxy war between regional powers including Russia, experts warn.

Libya has been mired in conflict since a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with rival administrations in the east and the west battling for supremacy.

Turkey and Qatar have taken the side of the UN-recognised government of national accord (GNA) in the capital Tripoli, which has been under sustained attack since April from the forces of eastern-based military strongman General Khalifa Haftar.

Haftar, who has superior air power, is backed by Turkey’s regional rivals — Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

On Thursday, Turkish MPs passed a bill approving a military deployment in Libya to bolster the beleaguered GNA. No date was given for the potential troop deployment, which would draw Ankara deeper into a conflict in which Haftar’s forces, who oppose Islamist movements close to Ankara, have the upper hand.

Ankara has already sent the GNA drones, according to the United Nations.

Some reports have suggested that Ankara has sent in some of the Syrian rebels that led a Turkish intervention against a Kurdish

militia in northeast Syria in October.

Haftar’s army, meanwhile, has reportedly received backing from hundreds of Russian mercenaries from private military group Wagner, believed to be controlled by an ally of President Vladimir Putin.

Russia, whose military intervention in Syria helped turn the tide of that conflict in President Bashar al-Assad’s favour in 2015, has denied sending mercenaries to Libya.

But the UN’s Libya envoy, Ghassan Salame, has said himself that Russian mercenaries are indeed operating on the ground and has accused several countries of violating a 2011 UN arms embargo on Libya.

Salame has slammed the foreign interference in a conflict that has turned Libya into a haven for jihadists and migrant smugglers.

“Arms are coming in from everywhere,” he told AFP in an interview in late November, accusing unnamed “external parties” of causing increased civilian casualties through drone strikes.

Like the Syrian conflict, the Libyan war has developed into a “very complex” power play between Ankara and Moscow who are not allies but whose interests sometimes converge, Jalel Harchaoui, a researcher on Libya at Dutch think-tank Clingendael Institute, told AFP. Russia and Turkey support opposing sides in the Syrian civil war but together launched peace talks with Iran that effectively killed off UN-sponsored talks in Geneva.

Power supply fears as troops called to battle Australia bushfires MELBOURNE AGENCIES

Skies turned black and ash rained down as fires raged across southeastern Australia on Saturday, threatening power supplies to major cities and prompting the call-up of 3,000 military reservists.

Temperature records were smashed, and gale-force winds pounded fire-stricken coastal communities in the two most populous states New South Wales and Victoria.

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned that worst-case scenario projections were “coming to fruition”, although large-scale evacuations meant the human toll was minimised.

Since late September, 23 people have died, more than 1,500 homes have been damaged and an area roughly twice the size of Belgium or Hawaii has burned.

The latest fatalities were in Kangaroo Island — a tourist haven southwest of Adelaide — when two people were trapped in a car overrun by flames on Friday. But strong winds and high temperatures continued to fuel hundreds of fires and cause chaos.

Bushfires took out two substations and transmission lines, prompting authorities in New South Wales that an area home to almost eight million people and the nation’s largest city Sydney could experience rolling blackouts.

“We are in for a long night and we have still to hit the worst of it,” Berejiklian warned as another total fire ban was declared for Sunday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the largest military call-up in living memory, mobilising 3,000 reservists to assist thousands of volunteer firefighters who have been battling the blazes.

“Today’s decision puts more boots on the ground, puts more planes in the sky, puts more ships at sea,” said Morrison, who made the announcement after being pilloried for his response to the deadly disaster.

A state of emergency had been declared across much of the heavily populated southeast and more than 100,000 people were told to leave their homes across three states.

Thousands heeded that call on Friday, abandoning summer holidays and piling into cars that clogged the highways linking southeastern coastal towns with the relative safety of Sydney or larger towns.

Several emergency warnings were issued on Saturday, and there were fears one one blaze southwest of Sydney could reach the city’s outskirts.

Sydney recorded its highest-ever temperature of 48.9 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit) in the western suburb of Penrith, and the nation’s capital Canberra hit 44 degrees Celsius, also an all-time record, a Bureau of Meteorology spokesman said.

foreign news 07 China replaces head of Hong Kong liaison office amid ongoing protests SINGAPORE AGENCIES

China has replaced the head of its Hong Kong liaison office, the most senior mainland political official based in the Chinese-controlled territory, following more than six months of often-violent anti-government protests in the city.

China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said on its website late on Saturday that Wang Zhimin, who had held the post since 2017, had been replaced by 65year-old Luo Huining, who until November was the top official of China’s ruling Communist Party in the northern province of Shanxi.

Reuters reported exclusively in November that Beijing was considering potential replacements for

Wang, in a sign of dissatisfaction with the Liaison Office’s handling of the crisis, the worst since the city reverted from British to Chinese rule in 1997.

Saturday’s statement gave no other details on the change.

The Liaison Office, which reports to China’s State Council, serves as the platform for Beijing to project its influence in the city and has come in for criticism in Hong Kong and mainland China for misjudging the situation in the city.

Wang is the shortest serving Liaison office director since 1997.

Mass protests erupted in June in Hong Kong over an extradition bill that would have allowed individuals to be sent for trial to the mainland, where justice is controlled by the Communist Party.

Sunday, 5 January, 2020

08 COMMENT

The post extension scenario

Trump kicks the powder keg

Any real change?

Pakistan has to remain neutral in Gulf stand off

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N order to divert attention from his ongoing impeachment, US President Donald Trump is pushing for another calamitous Middle east war. The assassination of Maj Gen Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s top commander and the second most influential figure in his country, along with a number of Iraqi militia leaders on Friday was tantamount to an act of war with grave longterm consequences. As if this was not enough provocation, yet another act of terrorism was committed on Saturday by the USA. A Popular Mobilisation Forces convoy was bombarded, leaving six dead, in Iraq. While the USA has denied having conducted the attack, Iraqi state television said the airstrikes were carried out by the USA. Only a day before, the Pakistan Foreign Office had maintained that respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity are the fundamental principles of the UN Charter which should be adhered to. It had also underlined the need to avoid unilateral actions and use of force.

The peacetime killing of a top general of a country on the orders of the leadership of another is a clear act of war.

The Iranian ambassador to the UN was spot-on when he said a military action can only be responded by another military action. A self-respecting country is expected to respond to such acts at a time and place, and with a type of response, of its choice. Unless it does so, it is likely to be taken as a pushover and bullied further.

The day after the Baghdad killings President Trump authorised the resumption of Pakistan’s participation in a US military training and educational programme in order to strengthen military-to-military cooperation on shared priorities and to advance US national security. Pakistan has to give priority to its long-term interests rather than being swayed by sops of the sort. Pakistan must take a cue from the joint China, Russia and Iran naval exercises held last week in the Gulf. Sanity requires not taking any partisan position but maintaining neutrality in the Gulf polarisation. every country in the region would suffer if President Trump is allowed to get away with his gunboat diplomacy.

Army Act amendment postponement The government must show its goodwill

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he failure to pass the Army (Amendment) Bill on Saturday, as scheduled, and its postponement to Monday, shows that the passage of the Supreme Court-mandated legislation to regulate extension in the COAS’s tenure has not been as smooth as the government hoped. The postponement to Monday from the originally planned Saturday may allow the Parliament’s Defence Committee more time to evolve a consensus, but no meetings have been scheduled. however, without some behind-the-scenes manoeuvring, it is difficult to see a consensus being evolved.

Both the main opposition parties are insisting that there should be close adherence to parliamentary procedure, which may be a code phrase for allowing a full-fledged debate on the measure when it reaches the floor. The Treasury, on the other hand, would like the Joint Committees report be accepted, and passed unanimously without debate. That the government should set such an ambitious goal, or rather that it has failed to achieve it, would indicate that the government’s floor management team, headed by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Swati, has botched matters badly, that the production orders issued for both PPP and PML-N members under arrest have not been enough.

The government must concert new measures, like ending the cases against leaders of both parties who have spent more than a certain time in NAB custody, and against whom evidence has not been produced, to the extent that they have not been brought to trial. The government should not forget that the Army Act (Amendment) is not the only bill it wishes to bring before Parliament, and that it will require opposition goodwill to ensure the passage of its proposed amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance. Just as much as the Army Act Amendment was necessitated by the government’s desire, or obligation, to extend the tenure of the present Chief of Army Staff, its desire to prevent it hounding either bureaucrats or businessman is behind its need to get the NAB law amended. The government must realise that it has such a small presence in the Upper house that it will get passage of its needed legislation by fracturing the opposition and getting the support of one part or another. It needs all parties, and that it can only get by being proactive.

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

Umar Aziz

Asher John

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Deputy Editor

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aRif Nizami

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he change in Pakistan Army Act through the parliament to extend the tenure of Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa for another three years in now a virtual fait accompli. A lot of backroom negotiations took place possibly through intermediaries to bring the mainstream opposition parties- the PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz) and the PPP (Pakistan People’s Party) – on board before the Amendment Bill is tabled in the Senate and National Assembly.

Unsurprisingly, Prime Minister Khan as well as the opposition have invoked the ubiquitous national interest in the matter. however, there was a clear difference in the stance of the PML-N and that of the PPP. Ironically it was the enigmatic Rana Sanaullah who broke the news on the PML-N’s behalf. The visibly chastened Rana who only a couple of days back was released from ANF’s (Anti-Narcotics Force) custody announced that it was being done in the country’s best interest.

The Party President Shehbaz Sharif had already instructed the rank and file not to make the issue of the Army Chief’s extension controversial.

The Sharifs themselves maintained a stony silence on the matter. The PML-N leadership, quite enthusiastically supporting an extension in the tenure of the incumbent Army Chief, has been termed by some critics as the mother of all U-turns.

But in the backdrop of the PML-N’s rather timid attitude in the recent past towards its perceived tormenters in the establishment, it would have been quite a surprise if it had opposed the move.

This only confirmed what is now common knowledge; the dovish younger Sharif’s soft line is ruling the roost in the party. This does not mean that Nawaz Sharif, the ailing supremo, no longer calls the shots.

Nonetheless his hardline and that of his stalwarts like Khawaja Asif for the time being is now a thing of the past. even Maryam, the erstwhile hawk, has been silenced. It seems as if she

has retired from active politics.

Some are wondering what is the quid pro quo in the matter. It is quite obvious now that had it not been change of tack by the Sharifs, both the brothers as well as Maryam would still be behind bars.

The prime minister expressed outrage at the elder Sharif managing to escape the gauntlet and proceeding to London. But surely this would not have happened without behind the scenes mechanisations of the ubiquitous establishment.

Perhaps if Khan had not accused the superior judiciary, the outgoing CJP (Chief Justice of Pakistan) Asif Saeed Khosa would not have taken up the matter of extension in tenure of the COAS. That is why it became axiomatic for the government to clean up the mess it had itself created.

The PPP, on the other hand, has adopted more nuanced stance. Its chairperson Bilawal Bhutto, though in principle is in agreement, still wants proper parliamentary procedures to be followed in adopting amendments to the Army Act. Perhaps to accommodate PPP’s demands the Bill was tabled on Friday rather than adopting it by a simple majority as was originally planned.

The matter will be taken up on Monday now.

Bilawal knows fully well that without his party’s support in the Senate (where it has the majority) the amendment cannot pass. That is why the ruling party had no option but to accommodate the PPP’s concerns.

After PPP’s objections even the PML-N was forced to change its strategy. The party’s supremo has instructed Khawaja Asif to follow parliamentary procedures rather than steamrolling the proceedings.

Bilawal had justifiably complained that the PML-N– perhaps on instructions from its president- showed unholy haste by lending “unconditional support” to the proposed bill.

It is a bad reflection on Sharifs’ style of politics. Going by past experience, consensual politics are merely a function of their own selfish interests.

Asif Zardari many a times has expressed his bitterness in the manner in which the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif ditched him on multiple occasions once his support was no longer required.

After all, heavens would not have fallen if Shehbaz Sharif had asked his party stalwarts to consult the PPP in order to evolve a joint stance on the matter. But perhaps an inbuilt disdain of the Bhuttos and a propensity for one-upmanship prevented him from doing so.

The other question that begs an answer is why is the PML-N president ensconced is in London while his presence is badly required here to lead the party in this time of crisis.

Granted that he has to tend to his ailing brother, but London is not the remotest of remote places. There are multifarious flight connections

on a daily basis between Lahore and London. he can always fly back to London if his presence is so urgently required. In any case, the elder Sharif’s two sons are omnipresent there to look after him.

Right now, the PML-N is like a rudderless ship. While the Sharifs are away, its secretary general Ahsan Iqbal is in NAB’s (National Accountability Bureau) custody on rather nebulous charges.

What kind of message the younger Sharif is conveying to the party’s rank and file by his continued absence? Most of its top leadership is incarcerated or facing NAB cases while he is in London virtually doing nothing.

Some sanity has finally prevailed on all sides.

The PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) has agreed to pass the Bill by going through normal legislative process.

The National Assembly and Senate’s joint standing committee approved the three bills pertaining to the Army Act, the Navy, Act and the Air Force Act on Friday. hence there is no hitch now in the amendment becoming a law.

The moot question left to ponder is Gen Bajwa (two) post-extension, will be any different from Gen Bajwa (one)? What will be the impact of the extension in tenure on domestic politics?

Theoretically the military’s job description precludes its dabbling in politics. But unfortunately, in Pakistan ever since the first Pakistani Commander Chief Gen Muhammad Ayub Khan started interfering in politics this has been the norm, albeit with varying intensity.

The present military leadership– following a new hybrid model according to critics- is generally perceived to be mentoring the incumbent PTI regime. That is why Bilawal Bhutto and to a lesser extent the rest of the opposition sarcastically accuse Imran Khan of being a selected rather than an elected prime minister.

Khan claims that 2020 will be a year of change and progress. But given the multifarious challenges his government faces that might be a hard act to follow.

With the PTI’s wafer-thin majority at the federal level as well as in Punjab, the opposition is hoping for an in-house change. The younger Sharif in this context has been openly touting the so-called minus one formula.

But it is difficult to imagine a ruling PTI coalition minus Khan. So ultimately fresh general elections might be the only option.

It all depends on how far and to what extent the military leadership will keep leaning on Khan even if he continues to fail to deliver on governance and to stabilise the economy.

Perhaps that is the quid pro quo the opposition is hoping for; unequivocally supporting Gen Bajwa’s extension for another term? Perhaps, the least it expects, is a level playing field.

Arif Nizami is Editor, Pakistan Today. He can be contacted at arifn51@hotmail.com

Diriliş (resurrection): Ertuğrul

Rabia ahmed “Stay true to justice and the righteous. Do not accept anything but freedom. May your path be open.”

– Ertuğrul

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he PM has been asking for the television serial Diriliş: Ertuğrul to be dubbed into Urdu and aired on television in Pakistan, so an Urdu speaking public can watch it too. It seems PTV has obtained the rights to do this, and the serial is to be screened in Pakistan.

Is this a good idea?

Diriliş: Ertuğrul is a Turkish television serial that has become popular all over the world. It is set in 12th century Anatolia, the region now known as Turkey, and spans hundreds of episodes across five seasons.

Unlike a book that contains violence or explicit scenes which can be read by one person alone, a television show can hardly be restricted to a select audience. A television is like having a very loud, tactless, blabbermouthed, but interesting, relative in one’s midst. With its open screen, Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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now often a very large one, anyone who walks into the room where the television might be, can see whatever is being aired. So, even more than with a book or a phone, one must be careful with this medium. The responsibility lies mostly with the parents but also with the Pakistan electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PeMRA), which should focus less on protecting the interests of the government and ruling political party, and more on protecting the interests of the people who in the case of Pakistan are mostly uneducated and to a great extent influenced by irrational religious zeal. It only needs a well calculated push for them to go over the edge, and this serial might well be it.

Ertuğrul is an extremely well written, well directed production. The story keeps you riveted, the cast is captivating, the scenes and costumes are beautifully choreographed and recreated. And, Turkey being a friendly country, this series with a very Islamic thrust is something the public here will relate to very easily and intimately.

But Ertuğrul while it is truly a brilliant production, is also dangerously open to misunderstanding. As a story it is straightforward and similar to many other stories: a hero and his companions pitted against the odds. It is when you get into the dialogue that the problem arises, for example when one of the major characters is raring to go ‘kill the unbelievers,’ or when someone says they can’t wait until all the non-believers are dead. And so on.

Like other stories, this one needs

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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to be understood in the context of the history of the time, and of those particular surroundings. Diriliş is based on the life and conquests of the Turkish hero ertuğrul, and the conflict between his people, the Muslim Oghuz Turks– and the Mongols, the Byzantine Christians, and the Crusaders who called themselves Knights Templar. It was the aim of ertuğrul and his people to carve out a homeland for themselves in this area. For this they needed to defeat their enemies who were none of them Muslim. At least the large groups were not. There were traitors, but that is another story.

There is no shortage of people looking to use religion for their own nefarious ends (useful phrase) in Pakistan, and Ertuğrul will come in very handy there. It will be used much as the Quran (an extreme example) is used, out of context to justify violence and persecution, because this is an extremely violent show. No episode is without sword fights, very gory ones. Children walking into the room will see people being beheaded, and blood flying across the screen as a matter of course.

Do we want our children to see such things? Particularly when the violence is accompanied by shouts of “Allah u Akbar”. Is it possible to explain to a child what the situation is, and what the conflict, revenge, and violence is all about?

Ertuğrul also has some great messages: “I will protect the oppressed even if he is my enemy. But I will

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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not forgive the traitor even if he is my brother.” ertuğrul “We must show mercy to those in need, and come to their aid, regardless of their faith or nation.” hayme Ana (ertuğrul’s’ mother) “We will earn coins, but we will not be slaves to what we earn.”

Al Arabi.

And Asilahan when asked why someone was becoming the leader of the tribe when he was not related by blood to the previous chief says: “It is not about blood. It is about merit.”

And many other things. Such as the way the men treat their women, with respect and honour, but without undue protectiveness. The women in this series are strong, many of them are leaders and quite fearless. They work, they ride, they give opinions. There is no prudish nonsense in here. Men confer with women alone in a tent. No chaperon necessary, not a sleazebag in sight.

But there is no getting around the violence. This is definitely a series for adults only. There is documented evidence that watching violence on television leads to an increase in violent behaviour among children– and these violent children will be the adults of tomorrow.

Ertuğrul is a series that is best watched by those who have the capacity to realise that the past cannot and should not be picked up and placed as is into the present.

Is the common man in Pakistan capable of understanding this, particularly if he is led to think otherwise?

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Sunday, 5 January, 2020

COMMENT 09 Editor’s mail

Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan.

E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively

Economy vital for sovereignty and security

Salvaging a change Mafias pose a generational challenge

Candid Corner Raoof hasaN The withering of flowers The unceasing tears from the sky The lamps without light The shattered mirrors Dead is the music And the dance over Beyond the hovering clouds In the bosom of the night Resides the star of pain – Glimmering, jingling, smiling – Adapted from Faiz Ahmad Faiz

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UCh may have happened through the last year, and a bulk of it may not have been for the good, yet it is the skewed preoccupation that makes it look gloomier and more depressing.

Let me take you through this with an example.

I was part of a television programme a couple of evenings ago discussing the offer of ministries that the PPP Chairman made to the MQM in exchange for help in dismantling the PTI government. The anchor and the other participant were eager to discuss how unnerved the PTI government was as a consequence of this move and the steps they would be contemplating to combat the challenge.

On the other hand, I thought that the more important aspect that needed to be discussed was an excruciating level of desperation which had set in within a mainstream political party that prompted indulgence in brazen and broad daylight horse-trading, thus nullifying all hues and shades of morality. It is like conceding that politics has been effectively reduced to a vile transaction of buying and selling. Since the media appears consumed with a pre-orchestrated objective of promoting the narrative that the government could fall as a consequence of this move and backdoor contacts had already taken place in this regard, there was little inclination on the part of the other participants to come round to discussing this aspect that I thought was far more relevant than talking about the prospect of the government caving in as a result of such blatant blackmailing.

Among other factors, this attitude contributed substantially to aggravating an already gloomy picture that prevailed throughout last year.

A dispassionate analysis of events would bring us all to the conclusion that a lot may actually have gone wrong, but it was made to look

much more dismal and depressing by injecting to the most fundamental essentials of justice to a preconceived slant into the narrative. At times the poor languishing in jails for years. In gross this was done with a level of finesse, but, more violation of the constitutional provisions, they often, the whole thing was enacted in an exces- have taken a fancy to dabbling in the executive sively crude and deliberate manner to create an and legislative domains, even instructing the impression that the entire structure was about Parliament to move in a certain manner within to capsize. This narrative was woefully aug- a specified period of time. As custodians of the mented by the insipid and clueless performance law, they commit unlawful acts with impunity.

For that matter, take the case of any institution. of the government spokespersons.

Failed year is the kind of term used ever so They are neither empowered, nor do they have insensitively to describe the period that is now the expertise or the capacity to transact the work history. But, few people were willing to think they were set up to doing. FBR, NAB, FIA– they about the wreck that the present government in- are all victims of this malaise. Additionally, they herited and how necessary it was to put it right are staffed with people who have been partners in for moving further. This was not possible by ad- the crimes of the past ruling oligarchies. Not acministering cosmetic changes. The whole sys- customed to serving the cause of the state, they intem had to be overhauled, more specifically dulged unabashedly in promoting the interests of from the point of view of reviewing the condi- their masters. Feeling grossly uncomfortable working in an environment where corruption has tion of the dysfunctional institutions.

Through decades, Pakistan has been governed actually become a difficult indulgence, they are as a personal fiefdom, not as a republic with a con- resorting to sabotaging the onset of change in conjunction with the bureaustitution and rules and regcracy, judiciary, and other ulations to abide by. such-like institutions.

Whole families and trails The question is that of cronies were recruited of the mindset. For over at senior positions in the 70 years, people have government, without any For the claimants of change, been fed on corrupt praccompetence or criteria, extices where no distinction clusively to perpetuate the compromising with what was made between what stranglehold of the incumthey had sworn to change is belonged to the state and bents and, by extension, what an individual could generating a mafia syna faulty step. They need to claim. Whatever was of drome. The reason why the state was construed the situation improved tidy up the work they have as a personal possession. ever so imperceptibly to do and see whether the That is how Pakistan during the last year was primarily because of the people they are surrounded ended up with a few ravishingly rich families deep roots these criminal with are up to the challenge. and an enfeebled state oligarchies had left bewhich had to borrow hind as their legacy which If not, no time should be more than it could afford they continued to nurture wasted in showing them the barely to stay afloat. by using their links in the What a horrible vast and corrupted admindoor because, otherwise, mess! each day that istrative network. there would be nothing left passes without change every institution retaking shape is leaving its sisted the effort to reform. to change mark on the sustainability Look at the case of the of the state. Instead of redoctors. Against all alising the looming threat, norms and standards it is further emboldening practised throughout the the errant beneficiary elite civilised world, they were who are convinced that often on strike in defiance of the effort to make the hospitals more profes- this, too, shall pass and the old days of gay abansional and more geared to meeting the needs of don shall return in their unmitigated sickness.

This raises the ante for the claimants of the lower rungs of the society. The courts joined in by granting indiscriminate stay orders, thus be- change. Compromising with what they had sworn to change is a faulty step. They need to coming complicit in this effort to resist reform.

Or, take the case of the bureaucracy. They tidy up the work they have to do and see virtually stopped working on the pretext of whether the people they are surrounded with are being probed by the NAB. Not a thing moved up to the challenge. If not, no time should be from their desks. They behaved more like clerks wasted in showing them the door because, oththan officers. While there may be issues with erwise, there would be nothing left to change.

In that event, the dream of creating a welthe conduct of the NAB, the bureaucracy, ipso facto, conceded their culpability in corruption fare state that would be sensitive to the needs of its poor and needy will lie buried six feet by refusing to be held accountable before law.

The judiciary is another classic case. They act under and the call shall go out for the mafias to like lords onto themselves. They select their return to their plundering ways. judges and also define their parameters of operaRaoof Hasan is a political and security tion. There is no parliamentary oversight on their working. They are exorbitantly liberal in serving strategist, and heads the Regional Peace their elitist masters. They grant freedom to con- Institute – an Islamabad-based think tank. He victs to travel abroad for treatment against a plain can be reached at: raoofhasan@hotmail.com; undertaking signed by them, but deny recourse Twitter: @RaoofHasan

IN a recent NYT article, renowned Pakistani origin economist Atif Mian, highlighted what ails national economy and enormity of threats it poses to state sovereignty and future of over 200 million. he states that our economy has crashed almost 13 times in the last 60 years, surviving on IMF bailout etc, with no plans by successive governments, including the present, to address the root causes. Pakistan today is poorest in regions with GDP only 3.3%, insufficient to keep pace with population growth. The Federal Government is bankrupt because last year total interest on debt and pension etc to retired civil or uniformed employees exceed net revenues.

Beneficiaries of the status quo are the biggest obstacle to change, who prevail with immense clout, thereby posing a threat to survival as an independent sovereign state. The moneyed elite favour unfair business practices, tax evasion and their preferential access to power, followed by religious extremism and their patronage by powerful successive uniformed and civil governments, creating an environment for violence and intolerance.

Pakistan has become a nation of consumers with under 15% of its output invested in productivity generated projects.

The idle activity of investment in real estate where value of land increases because of urban population demands, making it beyond access for much needed infrastructure. It has also become a parking lot for black economy and a much more attractive profit venture for individual investors than investing in industrial growth which generates employment and boosts tax revenues. he suggests land tax as sole remedy to boost investment.

Choice of water intensive crops like sugarcane on nearly 2.5 million acres makes no economic sense in a country facing acute water shortage and suggests rationalising agriculture towards more efficient choices. Subsidies in his opinion should be confined only to performance-based industries which boost exports.

MALIk T ALI Lahore

Jinnah’s ‘Purana Pakistan’ MARTIN Luther King Jr once said ‘almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world a better place’.

Jinnah wanted the Pakistanis to respect our minorities. I want to reiterate that Prime Minister Imran Khan had promised to give minorities their due rights. he envisioned following the model of the state of Medina. Mr Khan’s zeal was witnessed when he proposed that Dr Atif Mian was the panacea for the economic calamity of Pakistan. he desired to see Dr Atif as the Finance Minister in his ‘Naya Pakistan’. The desire was a rhetorical. Nevertheless, Mr Khan coerced Dr Atif to resign from the economic Advisory Council, owing to his faith; which is indifferent to our economy. Consequently, Dr Imran Rasul resigned in protest. This robbed our economic Council of competent members. however, Jinnah would have daunted the government’s decision because he guaranteed justice, equality, and opportunities for the minorities. Jinnah was a protagonist of minority rights. he stood for the Muslims when they were a minority in the colonial India. Jinnah must have been disenchanted following this inauspicious decision.

The premier idealises Jinnah and pledged to withhold the values of the father of our nation. The white part of our flag denotes Pakistan’s minority. One need not be a Muslim to serve this country. Any person regardless of their religion is capable of serving his/her state without prejudice.

Unfortunately, our government has unceasingly disdained almost every other Pakistani, who had the audacity to choose a dissimilar trajectory since the demise of Mr Jinnah. Pakistan loses her chance to prosper when every Joginder Nath Mandal, Sir Zafarullah Khan, Abdul Salam and in this case Dr Atif is left to the mercy of the bigots in the country.

This is a startling moment for our homeland. The food for thought is that can our nation flourish with this myopic attitude and is Pakistan alike India when it comes to minorities?

Ostensibly, those who claim to be the harbinger of revolution, need to aspire for the Pakistan of 1947 i.e., ‘Purana Pakistan’.

BARRISTER ARSALAN CHAuDHRY Narowal

whiteLies Apollo

For feedback, comments, suggestions and, most importantly, tips, contact us at whitelies@pakistantoday.com.pk

A pair of irate foreign investors, frustrated at their inability to get an audience with the finance minister, went directly to his office. After being stopped initially, and after it being clear that these goras weren’t taking no for an answer, they were informed that the fiscal czar was asleep. That’s right: the man takes a two-hour siesta everyday at the office.

While Rome burned, as they say... ********* MOVING on to the former finance minister. Asad Umar’s son got married recently and the who’s who of the government were attending the affair. The President attended, as did the Army chief. As did Umar’s nemesis in the PTI hierarchy, Jehangir Tareen.

The prime minister also attended, in stark contrast with Nawaz Sharif’s policy of never attending weddings.

A turn for the better or worse?

sunday, 5 January, 2020

10 foreign news

Tens of Thousands march in Baghdad To mourn soleimani, oThers killed in us air sTrike BAGHDAD

T

AGENCIES

ENS of thousands of people marched in Baghdad on Saturday to mourn Iran’s military chief Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, killed in a U.S. air strike that has raised the specter of wider conflict in the Middle East.

By ordering Friday’s air strike on the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s foreign legions, President Donald Trump has taken Washington and its allies, mainly Saudi Arabia and Israel, into uncharted territory in its confrontation with Iran and its proxy militias across the region.

Gholamali Abuhamzeh, a senior commander of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards, said Tehran would punish Americans “wherever they are in reach”, and raised the prospect of possible attacks on ships in the Gulf.

The US Embassy in Baghdad urged American citizens to leave Iraq following the strike at Baghdad airport that killed Soleimani. Dozens of American employ-

Thousands in shelters as Indonesia flood death toll hits 53 JAKARTA AGENCIES

Indonesian rescue teams flew helicopters stuffed with food to remote flood-hit communities on Saturday as the death toll from the disaster jumped to 53 and fears grew about the possibility of more torrential rain. Tens of thousands in Jakarta were still unable to return to their waterlogged homes after some of the deadliest flooding in years hit the enormous capital region, home to about 30 million. In neighbouring Lebak, where half a dozen people died, police and military personnel dropped boxes of instant noodles and other supplies into remote communities inaccessible by road after bridges were destroyed.

“It’s tough to get supplies in there… and there are about a dozen places hit by landslides,” Banten police chief Tomsi Tohir told AFP. “That is why we’re using helicopters although there aren’t any landing spots.” Local health centre chief Suripto, who goes by one name, said injured residents were flowing into his clinic. “Some of them were wounded after they were swept away by floods and hit with wood and rocks,” he said.

Europe helps secure release of 11 North Korean defectors held in Vietnam: activists SEOUL

ees of foreign oil companies left the southern Iraqi city of Basra on Friday.

Close US ally Britain warned its nationals on Saturday to avoid all travel to Iraq, outside the autonomous Kurdistan region, and to avoid all but essential travel to Iran. The United States and its allies have suspended training of Iraqi forces due to the increased threat, the German military said in a letter seen by Reuters late on Friday.

Soleimani, a 62-year-old general, was Tehran’s pre-eminent military commander and – as head of the Quds Force, the foreign arm of the Revolutionary Guards – the architect of Iran’s spreading influence in the Middle East.

Muhandis was the deputy commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) umbrella body of paramilitary groups.

An elaborate, PMF-organised procession carrying the bodies of Soleimani, Muhandis and other Iraqis killed in the U.S. strike took place in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone.

Mourners included many militiamen in uniform for whom Muhandis and Soleimani were heroes. They waved Iraqi

and militia flags. They also carried portraits of both men and plastered them on walls and armoured personnel carriers in the procession, and chanted, “No No Israel” and “No No America”.

Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi and Iraqi militia commander Hadi alAmiri, a close Iran ally and the top candidate to succeed Muhandis, attended.

Mourners later brought the bodies by car to the Shi’ite holy city of Kerbala south of Baghdad. The procession was to end in Najaf, another sacred Shi’ite city where Muhandis and the other Iraqis will be laid to rest.

Soleimani’s body will be transferred on Saturday to the southwestern Iranian province of Khuzestan that borders Iraq.

On Sunday it will be taken to the Shi’ite holy city of Mashhad in Iran’s northeast and from there to Tehran and his hometown Kerman in the southeast for burial on Tuesday, state media said.

Trump said on Friday Soleimani had been plotting what he called imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel. Democratic critics of the Republican president said Trump’s order was reckless and that he

had raised the risk of more violence in a dangerous region.

VITAL AMERICAN TARGETS: On Friday, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed harsh vengeance against the “criminals” who killed Soleimani and said his death would intensify the Islamic Republic’s resistance to the United States and Israel.

Abuhamzeh, the Revolutionary Guards commander in Kerman province, mentioned a series of possible targets for reprisals including the Gulf waterway through which a significant proportion of shipborne oil is exported to global markets. “The Strait of Hormuz is a vital point for the West and a large number of American destroyers and warships cross there,” Abuhamzeh was quoted as saying on Friday evening by the semi-official news agency Tasnim.

“Vital American targets in the region have long since been identified by Iran…

Some 35 U.S. targets in the region as well as Tel Aviv are within our reach,” he said, referring to Israel’s largest city.

A senior figure in Lebanon’s heavily armed Hezbollah movement said retaliation by the Iran-backed “axis of resist-

Spain electoral board disqualifies Catalan president from office BARCELONA AGENCIES

Spain’s electoral board ordered Friday that Catalan separatist president Quim Torra be disqualified from being a member of Catalonia’s regional parliament, meaning he would lose his presidential post.

The electoral board decision comes after Catalonia’s High Court of Justice last month convicted Torra of disobedience for failing to remove separatist symbols from public buildings during an election campaign and banned him from holding public office for 18 months.

Catalonia’s autonomy statute specifies that the head of the region’s government must be a lawmaker in the regional assembly.

The election board ruling comes as Spain’s acting Prime Minister, Socialist Pedro Sanchez, faces a confidence vote in the national parliament next week following a November election.

Sanchez he is counting on the abstention of Catalan separatist party ERC’s 13 lawmakers in order to take office for a second term.

The ERC rules Catalonia in coalition with Torra’s more hardline Junts per Catalunya, or Together for Catalonia, party which has said it will vote against

Sanchez’s investiture.

Torra slammed the board ruling as a “new coup against Catalan institutions.”

“I will take every step possible against this authoritarian and completely irregular decision,” Torra said, announcing that the Catalan regional parliament would meet in plenary session on Saturday.

The only body competent to order his dismissal was this parliament, he said, as about a 1,000 people gathered in his support outside the regional government’s offices in Barcelona.

The electoral board was responding to a request from rightwing parties that it ban Torra from public office, following his conviction for disobedience, even before his appeal is heard. In March, Spanish electoral authorities ordered Torra to remove separatist symbols so as to respect institutional neutrality ahead of parliamentary elections in April.

They objected in particular to a banner outside the Catalonian regional government headquarters that read “Freedom for political prisoners and exiles” next to a yellow ribbon indicating support for nine detained Catalan separatist leaders who were sentenced in October to lengthy jail terms over an abortive 2017 independence bid.

That court ruling set off a wave of angry protests in Barcelona and other Catalan cities that repeatedly descended into violence. The Catalan government ignored two deadlines to take the banner down before finally ceding just before a planned police intervention.

During his one-day trial in November, Torra told the court he did not believe the electoral board had the right to order him to remove the symbols because they are “not higher on the hierarchy than the president” of Catalonia.

“I did not respect (the order from the electoral authorities) or put another way, I disobeyed,” he said.

Many pro-independence supporters, including Torra, have adopted a yellow ribbon to protest the arrest and jailing of the Catalan separatist leaders over the 2017 independence bid which involved a banned independence referendum.

In 2017, Torra’s predecessor Artur Mas, who governed Catalonia from 2010 to 2016, was banned from holding public office for two years after being found guilty of disobeying a Spanish court when his government staged a banned non-binding independence vote in the wealthy northeastern region in 2014.

ance” to Soleimani’s killing would be decisive, al-Mayadeen TV reported on Saturday. Mohamed Raad, leader of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc in Lebanon, was referring to a swathe of Iranian-aligned militias from Lebanon to Yemen that have bolstered Tehran’s military clout across the Middle East.

REVENGE ON THE MURDERERS: Many Iraqis condemned the U.S. attack, regarding Soleimani as a hero for his role in defeating the Islamic State militant group that had seized wide swathes of north and central Iraq in 2014.

“The broad participation in this procession proves the public’s condemnation of America and its allies for their human rights abuses while claiming to fight terrorism,” said one of the marchers, Ali al-Khatib.

“It is necessary to take revenge on the murderers. The martyrs got the prize they wanted – the prize of martyrdom.”

Many Iraqis also voiced fear of being engulfed in a major U.S.-Iranian conflict, and of militia reprisals against those involved in months of street protests against the Iranian-backed Baghdad government over alleged misrule and corruption.

Knife attacker kills man in Paris suburb before he is shot dead PARIS AGENCIES

A knife-wielding man ran amok Friday in a park south of Paris, killing a man walking with his wife and wounding two other people before being shot dead by police, officials said. The Paris police department said the man, identified as 22-year-old Nathan C., attacked “several people” around lunchtime in the suburb of Villejuif. Some managed to evade him but the man claimed at least one life — that of a 56-year-old Villejuif resident, according to the town’s mayor Franck Le Bohellec. The victim “was walking with his wife when the attacker approached; he wanted to protect his wife” and was stabbed, the mayor explained. According to a source close to the enquiry, another man was seriously wounded and a woman sustained light injuries. The assailant then fled to the neighbouring suburb of Hay-les-Roses, where he was shot dead by police. A picture sent to AFP showed a man in a long black garment lying on his back at an intersection. “We heard screams, then we heard three shots,” said Rouane Yazid, 40, the owner of a garage nearby. “I went outside to see. Then there were five or six more shots and then sirens. We barricaded ourselves in the garage,” he told AFP. Several sources said Nathan C. suffered from “psychological problems.” He was not being tracked as a religious zealot, although “elements linked to religion” that “suggested he had converted to Islam,” were found among his personal effects, the local prosecutor’s office said. The police have opened an investigation of murder and attempted murder.

AGENCIES

A group of 11 North Koreans who were detained in Vietnam while seeking to defect to South Korea have been released thanks to the help of European institutions, a Seoul-based activist group said on Saturday. The eight women and three men were caught by border guards in northern Vietnam in late November after crossing from China, and had been held in the northeastern border city of Lang Son. Peter Jung, who heads the group helping the refugees, Justice for North Korea, said they were freed and on their way to South Korea last month. Multiple European organizations played a key role, he said. He declined to identify them due to the diplomatic sensitivity but said they included a non-government group.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that U.S. officials, including diplomats engaged in denuclearization talks with North Korea, intervened to secure the defectors’ release, citing unidentified sources. But Jung said he was unaware of any U.S. contribution.

UK's Johnson to meet EU chief von der Leyen in London LONDON AGENCIES

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in London on Wednesday ahead of the opening rounds of trade talks that will begin once Britain formally leaves the bloc on Jan. 31.

The two leaders are likely to discuss whether they can strike a new trade relationship in the transition period that will follow until December 2020. Von der Leyen has said time is extremely short “for the mass of issues that have to be negotiated”.

Johnson has set a hard deadline to reach a new trade deal with the EU, betting that the prospect of another Brexit cliff-edge would force Brussels to move more quickly to

seal an accord.

The legislation required to implement Johnson’s EU divorce deal will return to parliament for further scrutiny on Tuesday and is set to be approved in time for Jan. 31 following his crushing victory in a December election.

The hosting of a bilateral meeting in London indicates that unlike the first stage of the Brexit process when ministers travelled to Brussels for talks, the second stage of trade talks will be held in both locations.

Von der Leyen, who replaced Jean-Claude Juncker in December, will also give a lecture at the London School of Economics titled “Old Friends, New Beginnings: building another future for the EUUK partnership.”

Sunday, 5 January, 2020

buSineSS 11 CORPORATE CORNER

SNGPL to refuNd rS513m to coNSumerS over Low PreSSure ISLAMABAD

PESHAWAR: Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH)-Peshawar completes another milestone on its four-year anniversary with the commencement of PET CT scanning facility. PRESS RElEASE

LAHORE: Renowned cardiac surgeon Dr Abid Hussain of Bahria International Hospital successfully performs a surgery on three-year old girl Rehana, who was suffering from congenital heart defect. PRESS RElEASE

t

AHMAD AHMADANI

HE Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has announced that it will refund Rs513 million to its consumers in cases where the site pressure was lower than the billing pressure. According to a notification issued on Saturday, "The SNGPL's board of directors, on the advice of Prime Minister Imran Khan, and after critically examining the matter, had directed the management to arrange physical cross-checking of actual delivery pressure and in this respect, cases are being identified where the current site pressure is less than the billing pressure.”

The measure comes after fluctuating gas pressure due to different technical parameters, including supply and demand situation and seasonal impact.

"As a result, the company is processing a refund of Rs513 million to consumers. Of the total, the amount already refunded in February/March 2019, stands at approximately Rs50 million, while the amount now being refunded stands at approximately Rs463 million.”

The company further said that the exercise

of physical cross-checking and subsequent adjustment of amount will continue.

It is pertinent to mention that the practice to apply "pressure factor" on domestic gas consumers has continued for the last ten years to cover gas losses incurred by SNGPL. As OGRA had kept a mum on the matter during the said period, the officials involved in the "crime" had remained untouched. In fact, one SNGPL official, who was allegedly involved in fleecing the domestic consumers in the name of pressure factor, was recently shortlisted to fill the vacant position of SNGPL's MD/CEO. Sources informed that approximately 0.7 million domestic gas consumers of SNGPL were charged Rs5 billion in the name of pressure factor during the last winter season, while approximately above Rs30 billion were collected under the same head during the last ten years.

On 2nd February 2019, an investigation was started on the order of Prime Minister Imran Khan to probe the application of pressure factor on domestic gas consumers. However, after the passage of 11 months, only the first phase of investigation was completed, after which the SNGPL had temporarily

stopped collection in the name of pressure factor from domestic consumers.

According to sources, out of the 0.7 million domestic consumers, gas pressure for 0.043 million consumers was checked during the first phase of investigation.

SNGPL, after getting approval from its Board of Directors (BoD), had decided to pay back roughly Rs450 million to its 0.25 million domestic gas consumers. They had said that additional collection in the winter season from almost 60pc of the domestic gas consumers was originally started mainly to cover billion rupees gas losses.

Meanwhile, in March 2019, the prime minister had directed the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) to refund the excess amount charged to the customers under the pretext of gas charges.

In December 2019, OGRA had proposed a hike of up to 213.7 per cent in gas price to the federal government for domestic consumers from January 2020.

The increase meant that SNGPL, which provides gas supply to Punjab and KP, would collect around Rs244 billion and SSGC, which supplies gas to the consumers in Sindh and Balochistan, would collect Rs275 billion.

Sales tax on imported cotton raised to 10pc ISLAMABAD HYDERABAD: Officials of Fatima Fertilizer Company Limited (FFCL) pose for a group photo during ‘Salam Kissan Mela’, which held at Mumtaz Mirza Auditorium. PRESS RElEASE

‘Revenue collection surges 16.3pc to Rs2.08tr’

SHAHZAD PARACHI

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), against the decision of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), has increased the sales tax on imported cotton from 5 to 10pc, sources revealed on Saturday. The ECC, in its meeting held on December 30, 2019, approved the withdrawal of 3pc regulatory duty, 2pc additional customs duty and 5pc sales tax on imported cotton from 15th January 2020.

The committee had made this decision on the

information provided during the first Cotton Crop Assessment Committee meeting (October 4, 2019), in which it was briefed that against the target production of 15 million bales of cotton for the fiscal year 2019-20, cotton production at the year-end would be 10.20 million bales.

The ECC was also briefed that the bulk of the cotton would be lifted from the local farmers by 1st of January 2020 and the given exemption would not adversely affect the interests of the local farmers. Moreover, the ministries of commerce and national food security & research had also assured the ECC that the import shall facil-

itate the textile sector exports which are showing a rising trend. On the other hand, the tax machinery, despite the ECC's orders, has increased sales tax on imported cotton.

According to sources, the ECC does not has the power to reduce or withdraw the tax; this can only be done through a finance bill or ordinance.

Besides this, sources informed, the government has also increased sales tax up to 17pc on packed branded fish, cow, poultry and goat meat through the recently promulgated ordinance.

However, if the meat was sold without packaging and branding, the said tax would be exempted.

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has said that tax collection in the first six months stood at Rs2,083 billion, which was 16.3pc higher than last year.

“This is the highest growth rate witnessed since 2015-16,” FBR said in a statement issued on Saturday. “The revenue board has made great efforts to attain this growth despite subdued economic activity.” FBR said the original [sixmonth] target of Rs2,367 billion was revised to Rs2,197 in view of import compression in the first quarter, which continued in the second quarter as well. “This compression of over $5 billion has on one hand improved the current account situation but on the other hand has adversely affected the usual revenue resources of the government.” According to FBR, an estimated loss of Rs56 billion in taxes was incurred on every billion dollar of import compression. “FBR has redoubled its efforts on domestic side and has managed to shift its tax dependence on import taxes from 56pc to a little above 40pc this year.” PPI

Amazon considers opening stores in Germany BERLIN: Amazon.com is considering opening stores in Germany, its second biggest market after the United States, the ecommerce company’s head in the country was quoted as saying on Saturday. “The fact is that we know that customers shop offline and that they like variety,” German newspaper Welt am Sonntag quoted Ralf Kleber as saying in an interview, adding that he declined to give concrete details or a timetable. Amazon already operates stores in the United States and Britain, including the Whole Foods grocery chain and checkout-free Amazon Go food stores. Kleber also told the newspaper that Amazon wants to push shopping via its Alexa voice-controlled devices, noting that it was selling its Echo Dot device at a low price to encourage widespread adoption. AGENCIES

KARACHI: Labourers work at a garment factory in the provincial capital. According to the government, the textile industry contributes nearly 60pc to the country’s total exports. I N P

PARC to introduce 200 food brands to reduce import dependence ISLAMABAD APP

Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) would introduce about 200 national brands of different food products in the local market in order to promote value addition of agriculture products as well as to reduce the country's reliance on imported food items.

"The initiative also aims to reduce poverty in the rural areas by enhancing farm income and creating maximum livelihood opportunities to overcome rapid urbanisation," said PARC Director General Dr Muhammad Azeem Khan.

Talking to APP, he said that PARC, in collaboration with the private sector, has embarked upon a holistic plan to transform conventional agriculture into valueadded agriculture so that dependence on imports could be reduced, as Pakistan spends around $1.5-$2 billion per annum on imported food items.

"The other objective of the initiative is to encourage the huge bulge of educated and semi-skilled youth in the agri sector by providing them basic training and facilities for value addition of agriculture products so that they could start their own businesses," he added.

Dr Khan said all the modalities of

branding and labelling have been finalised and in this regard, an ISO-certified laboratory was being established at the National Agriculture Research Centre (NARC) that would help produce food items of international standards.

He informed that PARC had already introduced 30 brands of local food products including olive oil, honey, rice, wheat flour, tea, spices and yoghurt.

"A fish and yoghurt processing plant has also been established in NARC. It is training the entrepreneurs to establish their own business and install their own plants to produce the above-mentioned items and sell them in the open market."

In order to promote agriculture and livestock sectors in rural areas of the country, he said that PARC had also established four new research stations in different ecologies. "These research stations, which will start functioning by the end of this year, have been established in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Gilgit Baltistan to provide innovative agriculture solution and livestock farming to alleviate poverty from these areas."

Dr Khan said that the government was focusing on increased productivity of major crops and would spend Rs395

billion on 13 different agriculture sector development projects which would be completed in collaboration with provincial governments.

On a query, the PARC MD said that about 100,000 hectares of land would be brought under olive cultivation by 2023, adding that four million hectares of land was already identified for olive cultivation.

He said that about one million olive plant would be provided for million tree tsunami project, and that canola had also been cultivated over thousands of hectares to reduce the import of edible oil.

Sunday, 5 January, 2020

12 buSineSS

New tax ordiNaNce may threateN fertiLiSer SuPPLy LAHORE

weekly inflation increases 0.74pc ISLAMABAD: The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI)based weekly inflation for the week ended on January 2 increased by 0.74pc as compared to the previous week.

The SPI for the week under review in the combined consumption group was recorded at 131.84 points as against 130.87 points registered in the previous week, according to latest data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). The weekly SPI was collected with base 2015-16 covering 17 urban centres and 51 essential items for all expenditure groups. The SPI for the lowest consumption group, up to Rs17,732, also witnessed 0.90pc increase, from 134.01 points in the last week to 135.21 points during the week under review, it added. As compared to the corresponding week of last year, the SPI for the combined consumption group in the week under review witnessed an increase of 19.84pc, while for the lowest group, it increased by 18.99pc. Meanwhile, the SPI for the consumption groups from Rs17,733 to Rs22,888, from Rs22,889 to Rs29,517, Rs29,518 to Rs44,175 and above Rs44,175 per month also increased by 0. 78pc, 0.77pc, 0.78pc and 0.76pc, respectively. During the week under review, average prices of four items registered a decrease, while that of 28 items prices increased with the prices of 19 items remaining unchanged. The prices of the commodities that recorded a decrease in their prices during the week under review included onion, potatoes, chicken (farm) and electricity charges. The items which recorded an increase in their average prices included tomatoes, LPG, pulses (moong, gram, masoor, mash), mustard oil, gur, sugar, petrol, hi-speed diesel, vegetable ghee, eggs (farm), washing soap, bananas, cooked daal, firewood, powder milk, long cloth, cooking oil, shirting, georgette, milk fresh, garlic and mutton. The commodities that observed no change in their price during the week under review included rice (basmati, irri-6), bread plain, beef with bone, curd, salt powder, chilly powder, tea, tea (prepared), cigarettes, lawn (printed), gents sandal, gents chappal, ladies sandal, energy saver, matchbox, telephone call and toilet soap. APP

china banking regulator eases market access for foreign lenders SHANGHAI: China’s banking and insurance regulator (CBIRC) has released new rules which make it easier for foreign lenders to enter the Chinese market. The measures cancel the total asset requirements for foreign banks to set up businesses in China and relax limitations on shareholders of joint venture lenders, according to a notice posted on the CBIRC official website late on Friday. Foreign lenders will also be able to open both branches and wholly foreign-owned banks at the same time in China, it said. Meanwhile, the requirements for equity management and anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing have been tightened, it added. China said in October it planned to remove business restrictions on foreign banks, brokerages and fund management firms. The country is currently locked in a tit-for-tat trade battle with the United States in which China has been touting its free trade credentials. But the two sides have agreed on a partial deal which could be signed soon. AGENCIES

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ABDUllAH NIAZI

TAKEHOLDERS in the fertiliser industry have expressed their fears that the recent tax ordinance passed by the federal government on 26th December will restrict fertiliser companies from claiming input sales tax on retailing of urea to unregistered dealers.

The government's new law will have serious implications for the industry, particularly the farmers, since 99pc of urea dealers are not registered in FBR. The law in question reads: "A registered manufacturer shall make all taxable supplies to a person who has obtained registration under this Act ... failing which the supplier shall not be entitled to claim credit adjustment or deduction of input tax as attributable to such excess supplies to unregistered person."

According to a document sent to the press by members of the fertiliser industry, while the intent of the law is appreciated, it has serious business implications.

"The supply chain of fertiliser across the country would be disrupted badly since registration of existing dealers’ network or induction of new dealers is expected to take considerable time," it reads.

"The loss on account of inability to claim the refund/adjustment on the attributable input sales tax on supplies to the unregistered dealers may lead to uncalled for price hike leading to incremental burden on farmers that is not the desire of industry or govt."

According to details, an industry-wide impact worth billions of rupees per annum is expected. In the middle of Rabbi season, any disruption of the supply of Urea will have serious implications for the wheat crop and endan-

Ordinance amended to promote trade activities: FBR The Tax Amendment Ordinance (TAO) has been corrected to accommodate the reasonable demands of traders, said a press release issued by Federal Board of Revenue. “Since CNIC disclosure on every sale becoming a major requirement of law, the traders were rightfully demanding a decrease in minimum tax rate as majority of taxpayers were earlier paying minimum tax on grossly suppressed sales. In order to encourage correct declarations, the rate of minimum tax has been rationalised,” the FBR statement read. “Similarly, medium sized traders have been absolved from their liability as withholding agents to increase ease of doing business. The trade associations are committed to getting all medium and large sized retailers registered with income tax. The associations have also nominated their representatives to evaluate turnover of under declaring business and have also joined hands with FBR for dispute resolution in audits.” FBR considers that the future of taxation lies in collaboration with taxpayers as opposed to confrontation. “It is likely that this arrangement will achieve a win-win situation for traders and FBR in achieving goals of documentation and reasonable taxation without creating fear and distorted economic behaviour.” BUSINESS DESK

ger the national food security.

On the edge of government policies, the fertiliser industry has claimed that it is already facing the input and output GST imbalance and this new ordinance, which has been enforced without addressing the legitimate concerns of the fertilizers companies, will lead to losses in billions.

Describing the issue, sources in the fertiliser industry disclosed that they pay GST to the government in various ways, such as in feedstock, gas @ 5pc GST is applicable and on fuel stock gas, the fertiliser manufacturer is paying 17pc GST. On account of other input taxes, the industry is paying 17pc GST, while the output GST is collected @ 2pc GST. In simple terms, a fertiliser manufacturer is paying Rs125 as input GST and collects Rs40 as output GST, thus Rs85 refund to the fertiliser manufacturer per bag. As per the new ordinance, fertiliser companies would not be

able to claim the Rs85 to the government because 99pc urea dealers are not GST registered, which costs the industry in a loss of Rs10 billion. Furthermore, at this stage, the government is already liable to pay Rs29 billion of fertilizers manufacturers on account of previous sales tax adjustments.

In a statement, Executive Director of Fertilizer Manufacturer of Pakistan Advisory Council (FMPAC) Brig (r) Sher Shah stated: “Contrary to the government’s claim of promoting ‘ease of doing business’, this ordinance may have serious implications on the fertiliser industry as well as the farmers, as the entire supply chain is feared to be disrupted since registration of the existing dealers is expected to take considerable time.”

Members of the industry are therefore urging the FBR to allow reasonable time to targeted dealers for registration, he further added in his statement.

PM inaugurates Huawei ICT Lab at NAMAL Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday inaugurated Huawei ICT Lab at NAMAL University, Mianwali, where he was briefed about the state-of-the-art information and communications technology facility at the institute.

Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razzak Dawood, senior management of the NAMAL University and representatives of Huawei were also present on the occasion.

Following the opening of the ICT lab, the PM also inaugurated a Model Police Station. Inspector General of Punjab Police (IGP) Arif Nawaz Khan briefed the premier about the special measures regarding police stations in the province.

In November last year, Pakistan had asked Chinese telecom giant Huawei to relocate its manufacturing units as “the South Asian nation offers scores of incentives to foreign investors”.

In a meeting with Huawei Supervisory Board Chairman Li Jie, who was leading a delegation, the prime minister had highlighted the attractive incentive packages being offered by the government to the potential relocating industries. He also talked about the availability of inexpensive labour and the competent and enterprising youth in

Pakistan.

Speaking on the occasion, the Huawei official had told PM Imran about the progress being made by the country in the network domain. He had also pointed out that they had established a new ecosystem in order to avoid reliance on the companies enjoying a monopoly in the field. BUSINESS DESK

Shah Maqsood-Abbottabad section of Hazara Motorway opens for public ABBOTTABAD: The Shah Maqsood-Abbottabad section of Hazara Motorway was opened for public on Saturday. According to details, Hazara Motorway section–I was initially opened till Shah Maqsood interchange and later it was operational up till Mansehra. However, the completion was delayed owing to the toll tax issue for incoming traffic from Islamabad and Peshawar, which had to exit on Shah Maqsood interchange and again enter on the motorway to continue the journey for Abbottabad and Mansehra by paying an extra Rs30 toll tax. On public complaints, Hazara Commissioner Syed Zaheerul Islam had promised to resolve the issue and to open the motorway from both sides in January. Contractors of the National Highway Authority (NHA) were receiving different toll taxes from incoming and outgoing traffic at Abbottabad interchange. APP

‘Ghosn fled Japan after security firm hired by nissan stopped surveillance’

TOKYO AGENCIES

Ousted Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn left his Tokyo residence after a private security

firm hired by Nissan Motor Co stopped monitoring him, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Saturday.

Ghosn has become an international fugitive after he revealed on Tuesday he

had fled to Lebanon to escape what he called a “rigged” justice system in Japan, where he faces charges relating to alleged financial crimes. Nissan had hired a private security company to watch Ghosn, who was on bail and awaiting trial, to check whether he met any people involved in the case, the three sources said.

But his lawyers warned the security company to stop watching him as it would be a violation of his human rights, and Ghosn was planning to file a complaint against the company, the sources said.

The security company stopped its surveillance by Dec. 29, the sources said.

One of his lawyers, Junichiro Hironaka, told reporters in November that they were considering steps to prevent people from stalking Ghosn. A Nissan spokesperson declined to comment.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK, citing investigative sources, said a sur-

veillance camera placed by the authorities in Ghosn’s home showed him leaving alone around noon on Sunday, and did not show him returning. It is unclear how Ghosn, who holds French, Brazilian and Lebanese citizenship, was able to orchestrate his departure from Japan. He entered Lebanon legally on a French passport, one source has told Reuters.

A Turkish private jet operator said on Friday that Ghosn used two of its planes illegally in his escape from Japan, with an employee falsifying lease records to exclude his name from the documents.

Ghosn has said he will speak publicly about his escape on Jan. 8.

Takashi Takano, who is also one of Ghosn’s lawyers, wrote in his blog on Saturday that he felt infuriated and betrayed when he found out about Ghosn’s escape from Japan but that he felt some understanding. “I was betrayed. But it is

not Carlos Ghosn who betrayed me,” he wrote in his blog. Takano said Ghosn was not allowed to communicate with his wife Carole without permission and the exNissan boss was also concerned about his chances of getting a fair trial.

On Dec. 24, Ghosn and his wife held a one-hour video call, which required a lawyer’s presence, and they talked about their children, relatives and friends, Takano wrote. Takano was present during the video call. Few people would have been able to escape as Ghosn did, but if they had the means and contacts, they certainly might try or at least consider trying, Takano wrote. Ghosn was first arrested in Tokyo in November 2018, shortly after his private jet touched down at the airport. He faces four charges which he denies - including hiding income and enriching himself through payments to dealerships in the Middle East.

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Sunday, 5 January, 2020

Genuine, genuine everywhere... thought it was part of some sort of ad campaign. and third, the press conference wasn’t even a proper presser, which I’m sure the folks at ariel would have been able to arrange. No, it was an ad, shot on glitzy film cameras, and only tight shots of the man himself, not the reporters, except the backs of their heads.

The Tube “The most important thing in the world is sincerity…...once you learn how to fake that, you have it made.”

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aseem Bhai - or ‘seem paai, as he is known to the Lahori fans amongst his legions of fans the world over - recently participated in a ‘viral’ ad campaign for washing detergent ariel. In the cell phone video, he is talking about taking a tough stance against an unspecified someone, but it is presumed that it is the cricket team that he is talking about. Or the Cricket Board. akram then took to his twitter account, asking his fans not to share that video and to wait for his announcement in a couple of days.

Then, on the specified date, he revealed, in an ersatz press conference, that he was talking about the washing detergent, and not the cricket team.

I

* * * * * * * * *

The entire campaign, though out of the ordinary, fell flat on its face.

Let us examine each of the three steps above.

The first, most crucial one: akram is not a trained actor and it was immediately more than clear that he was acting. In fact, people who do act for a living also cannot manage to pull off a convincing performance, as ali Rehman Khan, a

The New York Times

By Jessica Bennett

’Ve always sort of wondered what I wasn’t getting about “Little Women.”

I’m pretty sure I read it in school, though I would be hard-pressed to recall a single scene. I know I saw at least part of the 1994 film — the one with Winona Ryder, Claire Danes and Christian Bale — but I remember walking out of the room midway through and never returning, much to my mother’s dismay.

Nothing about the march sisters of Louisa may alcott’s perennial best seller particularly stuck with me, and as an adult, annoyance overshadowed apathy as I tried to understand how the literary heroine of so many women I admired — the spunky, independent writer Jo march — would, by the end of the novel, relinquish her art for marriage, and then proclaim that she is the happiest she’d ever been.

What was I missing? It appears that what I was missing was Greta Gerwig — along with the real-life story of alcott, on whose life the book was based, with a few major differences.

Of course, Gerwig isn’t the first to change the way “Little Women” gets told. People have been adapting, and then critiquing, and then adapting, and then critiquing it for decades — each iteration a kind of Rorschach test for how the world feels about women at the time. so is it any surprise that Gerwig’s “Little Women,” at the end of a decade in which we confronted female power in a whole new way, feels positively radical?

It still has the cozy fireplace scenes and the long dresses. But the characters question social mores (“I’m sick of being told that love is all a woman is fit for,” says Jo, played by saoirse Ronan), deliver critical context about the structural barriers limiting women (the economics of marriage, for instance, in which a woman’s earnings became property of her husband) and are at times flat-out angry at a world that, as the book puts it, in the words of the youngest character, amy, “is hard on ambitious girls.” (It still is.)

“I think ‘Little Women’ is always a secretly subversive story,” amy Pascal, a producer on the film, said in an interview.

“Little Women” tells the story of the four march sisters, meg, Jo, Beth and amy, who live in Concord, mass., during and after the Civil War. Depending on whom you ask (and when), it is a girls’ coming-of-age narrative, a New england family saga, a war story, a love story, a heart-warming Christmas tale, or a feminist text about women’s choices (or lack thereof).

In Gerwig’s version, which opened on Christmas Day, it is also the story of alcott, perhaps the real heroine of the marches, who never married (“I’d rather be a free spinster and paddle my own canoe,” she said), built a fortune

local TV and film actor, revealed in an intended viral public awareness campaign. In fact, professionally trained actors in Hollywood, even veterans, have to go through several workshops when they are cast in a ‘found footage’ format film.

Then, his communication on Twitter, urging his fans not to share the video, made no sense. No one was sharing it, barring those who

The problem here is not just that this was a poorly made ad. It’s just that the audience, jaded even by the most evocative of ads, responds better to fare that somehow feels more genuine. In the ensuing struggle for genuine fare, the companies have started employing tactics like the above. But what if they get better at it? What if it doesn’t seem like an ad anymore? Is that somehow a good thing?

Political parties in India, you know which ones, have gotten increasingly good at spreading fake political ads. Ones that lead to lynchings and pogroms.

Newspapers have to specify, by law, what is and isn’t an ad; they

have to specify what is branded content. as do the television channels, as per PemRa rules. The same goes for radio, where even ‘weaved in’ ads by announcers not playing a tape, are clearly meant to be an ad (‘a word from our sponsors now, al Naseeb Burgers, who have a new all-you-can-eat in anticipation of the third world war’.) even Facebook and Twitter have ‘sponsored content’ plastered above their..well..sponsored content. But that is the stuff that is being spread

by Facebook and Twitter themselves. The bulk of the content on these sites is user-generated, who have no such compulsions. even the most sophisticated of aI-powered algorithms can sniff out most native advertising.

There is no way the viewers can possibly know anything. We, the viewers, are just meat-puppetautomata whose emotions are open to be played with. Which is a bit of a kalyug, as our Hindus friends refer to is.

In the words of Don Draper, the leading ad man of mad men: “What you call love was invented by guys like me to sell nylons.” g

This is ‘Little Women’ for a new era

The characters are ambitious, angry and they have agency.

How Greta Gerwig adapted a 150-year-old text for our time. on the “Little Women” books, and on whose life and letters Gerwig said she relied upon as a guide. “as a child, my hero was Jo march,” Gerwig has said. “But as an adult, it’s Louisa may alcott.” alcott would write feverishly, locked in a room — she taught herself to be ambidextrous when her hand got tired — and was known for losing her temper. she was raised in a progressive family of Transcendentalists and became the first woman to register to vote in Concord, mass., in 1879, years before the 19th amendment was passed. she hadn’t initially wanted to write a book for girls, but when the publisher asked, she obliged, basing it on her own life. Though she remained single — it was simply not realistic to want to be a writer and a wife and a mother at the time — she married off her literary heroine because her publisher and readers demanded it. as alcott wrote in a letter to a friend: “Jo should have remained a literary spinster but so many enthusiastic young ladies wrote to me clamourously demanding that she should marry Laurie, or somebody, that I didn’t dare refuse & out of perversity went & made a funny match for her.” (That funny match was Professor Bhaer.)

There have been a variety of iterations since then: two silent films, radio versions, plays, an opera, a 1933 film starring Katharine Hepburn as Jo and a Technicolor version with elizabeth Taylor as amy that proclaimed on its movie poster: “World’s greatest love story!” a BBC mini-series, which aired in 1970, should perhaps have been the first feminist adaptation, writes anne Boyd Rioux, the author of “meg, Jo, Beth, amy: The story of ‘Little Women’ and Why It still matters“ — as it emerged amid the height of the second wave women’s movement. But its reception was the opposite: a 1973 review in The Times, “Does ‘Little Women’ Belittle Women?“ noted that the story “might understandably strike a contemporary woman” as “a disgusting, banal and craven service to male supremacy” in which marriage is presented as the “sweetest chapter” and motherhood “the deepest and tenderest [experience] of a woman’s life.”

It was not until 1994 that “Little Women” got the woman treatment — the first adaptation by a female director (Gillian armstrong), writer (Robin swicord) and shepherded by Pascal, then a junior executive. This was the Winona Ryder “Little

Women,” and the producers needed her to get the film greenlit — Pascal, who had been trying to get that film made for more than a decade, said that when she presented the script to sony executives, one of them told her “he read it holding his nose.”

“People just weren’t that interested in a movie with a lot of women in it, especially women wearing long dresses,” swicord said recently. (It was 15 men in suits who watched the rough cut.) The film was a success, perhaps in part because of low expectations — but also because of Ryder, it-actress of the moment, who played Jo (and was nominated for an Oscar). But it was marketed as a family film, not one expressly for girls. Pascal, swicord and anderson worried about it being portrayed as “feminist.”

“This was the era of family values, remember?” Barbara Berg, a historian and author who grew up acting out scenes from alcott’s book in her own “Little Women Club,” reminded me. she noted how Hillary Clinton, then first lady, had been vilified because she worked, wanted to keep her maiden name and refused to bake cookies.

Two years prior, during his campaign for president, then-Vice President Dan Quayle had chided murphy Brown — the fictional character played on the CBs television series by Candice Bergen, who has a child outside of marriage — for contributing to america’s “poverty of values.”

“When the ‘94 film was made, there was so much backlash against the idea that women could be independent,” said Rioux, the “meg, Jo, Beth, amy” author, and an english professor at the University of New Orleans. “It was this all or nothing proposition — this idea that if they had careers, they would leave their families behind.”

Which isn’t to say that the ‘90s adaptation was entirely tame: marmee, the girls’ mother, played by a susan sarandon fresh off “Thelma & Louise,” lectured on the negative health effects of corsets and the benefits of girls’ education. Jo made the case for women’s right to vote, which isn’t in the book. But the film still ends on the love scene, and it is Professor Bhaer, whom Jo ultimately marries, who takes her book to the publisher, not Jo herself — making him, not her, the instrument of her success, noted Rioux. The girls’ choices, in other words, are delivered as individual, not structural. “I so wish I could give my girls a more just world, but I know you’ll make it a better place,” marmee

tells them. Twenty-five years later, that seeming resignation wouldn’t fly. and neither would the standard end to the story.

“One of the first things Greta said to me was, ‘You know we can’t actually have her marry Professor Bhaer,’” said Pascal. In this interpretation, the characters take on more dimensions. meg’s story does not end when she gets married — her struggles continue as she raises twins and buys nice things she can’t afford.

Beth, destined for death, is depicted as an artist in her own right. amy, long viewed as the bratty younger sister, develops into a young woman whose clarity in her ambition is enviable.

“I think the world has caught up in the sense that a girl or a woman who speaks her mind, whether we like what she says or not, is a character we can now cheer,” said Pascal. and marmee is not simply “a downtrodden mother,” as Pascal put it, raising her girls while her husband is away. she is pissed off.

In one of the film’s most poignant scenes — one that was plucked from the book but has not made it into most previous adaptations — Jo confides her own anger to marmee. “You remind me of myself,” marmee tells her.

“But you’re never angry,” Jo replies.

“I’m angry nearly every day of my life,” marmee says. “You are?” Jo whispers back. But it is the film’s ending, at least for me, that was the most satisfying. In it, the character Jo (or is it alcott? Part of the brilliance of Gerwig’s interpretation is that she melds the two women) gets the satisfaction of watching her book be “born” — its pages bound and leather stamped by the printer. We also see her negotiate to retain the copyright to her work — something alcott did in real life, allowing her to support her family for years to come. “What I was trying to reverse-engineer was this moment that Jo getting her book would make the audience feel like you usually feel when the heroine is chosen by the hero,” Gerwig said after a film screening in New York. “I wanted to see if I could create that feeling, but with a girl and her book.”

That’s an ending I wouldn’t walk out on. g Jessica Bennett is a writer and editor at The Times focused on gender and culture. She is the author of “Feminist Fight Club.” @jessicabennett • Facebook

Sunday, 5 January, 2020

14 SPORTS

Sevilla slip again after draw against bilbao MADRID AGENCIES

Sevilla gave Barcelona and Real Madrid the chance to pull further clear in La Liga's title race after they began the year by drawing 11 at home to Athletic Bilbao on Friday.

Bilbao took an early lead through Ander Capa at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan and while an own-goal from Unai Nunez brought Sevilla level on the hour, the home side were unable to find a winner. It means Sevilla trail Real Madrid, who they play at the Santiago Bernabeu on January 18, by two points and Barcelona by four. Those gaps will grow on Saturday if Madrid win away at Getafe and Barcelona overcome local rivals Espanyol. With Atletico Madrid struggling for goals and Valencia still recovering after removing their coach, Sevilla have looked like the team most likely to challenge Spain's established duo. But after an encouraging run of form in October and November, Julen Lopetegui's side have managed only one win from their last four league matches.

klopp calls for end to england's fixture mayhem

LONDON AGENCIES

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp on Friday stepped up his calls to protect players from burn-out after claiming England's festive fixture pile-up was bad for the sport. Klopp is one of a growing number of Premier League managers frustrated by the demands placed on top-flight teams by England's domestic competitions and television's unquenchable thirst to show the games. Liverpool are down to 12 fit senior outfield players after a host of injuries in recent weeks, while Tottenham star Harry Kane suffered a torn hamstring on New Year's Day and Newcastle lost four players in one match. Klopp believes coaches and football people should be included in the discussion with the sport's governing bodies and television companies to ensure a proper solution can be found. "I told what I had to say to UEFA personally, I told FIFA sometimes in interviews because I don't know anyone there and I don't think the Premier League, FA (Football Association) or Football League are in any doubt of my opinion," Klopp told reporters on Friday.

Djokovic SeeS off AnDerSon to give SerbiA opening Atp cUp win BRISBANE

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AGENCIES

ORLD number two Novak Djokovic was forced to produce some of his best tennis to see off South African Kevin Anderson and give Serbia victory in their opening ATP Cup Group A tie in Brisbane on Saturday.

The two men traded blows for two hours, 19 minutes before Djokovic emerged victorious 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (8/6) in front of a huge number of Serbian fans at the Queensland Tennis Centre.

Earlier, Serbian number two Dusan Lajovic outlasted rising South African star Lloyd Harris 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3. The huge-serving Anderson has not played since knee surgery sidelined him in July last year but apart from a rusty start when he was down 3-0 and 4-1, he kept pace with the 16-time Grand Slam winner for most of the match.

Djokovic acknowledged it was a high quality way to get his Australian Open campaign underway. "What a way to start the year," he said. "I started off

extremely well, I was 4-1 up and had some break points but then Kevin upped his game. "He was on fire tonight -- I think the quality of tennis was quite high. "I was very pleased with the way I kind of weathered the storm."

In the other Group A encounter Saturday, France beat Chile 2-1 after winning both singles matches. French duo Gael Monfils and Benoit Paire said hav-

ing active player Gilles Simon as team captain gave them the winning edge.

Paire opened with a tough 6-7 (3/7), 63, 6-3 win over Nicolas Jarry before Monfils triumphed 6-3, 7-5 over Cristian Garin. The Chileans salvaged some pride after combining to beat Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the doubles 7-5, 6-2. France is captained by world number 55 Simon, and both

Paire and Monfils credited the 35-yearold with helping them overcome their opponents.

"He was top 10, so he's still playing.

He has a lot of things to say about the opponent, about my game, so it's good," Paire said. Monfils said he talked with Simon after Garin began to gain the advantage in the second set and changed his tactics as a result. The world number 10 broke Garin's opening service game and held the first set comfortably as the Chilean struggled to make any impact.

The Frenchman lost concentration early in the second and dropped his serve as Garin went ahead 4-2 and looked like forcing a decider.

"He had a very flat backhand which surprised me a little bit," Monfils said.

"You can't go really heavy on it and he was not moving so much, and with Gilles we figured out that we needed to change the height a little bit. We figured out that we should change slightly the tactics."

Monfils then regrouped and broke back, breaking again to lead 6-5 before serving out the match in one hour and 20 minutes.

Kerber backs Barty to handle world No.1 pressures MELBOURNE

USA Soccer cancels plans for men's team to train in Doha

AGENCIES

Former world number one Angelique Kerber knows the pressure of starting a new season as the player everyone wants to beat, but she is confident Ashleigh Barty can meet the challenge. The Australian had a breakout year in 2019, winning the French Open along with the prestigious WTA Finals, where she cemented her place atop the year-end rankings.

Both Kerber and Barty, along with former world number one Naomi Osaka, begin their 2020 campaigns at the Brisbane International from Monday. "She's always a tough opponent.

She's such a great player, a great person as well and I'm really happy for her that she reached the number one spot," the German told reporters of Barty. "She put a lot of effort in and she worked hard. It's always a tougher year to start as the number one player but I think she will deal with that situation." Kerber well knows the perils of battling to back up a breakthrough season.

After winning Grand Slams in 2016 and 2018, she struggled to emulate her results in the following years.

"I was really trying to enjoy, but you really have to schedule your day a bit different than if you were number 20 or number 30 in the world," she said.

"You have to improve every single tournament, every year, because even if you win a Grand Slam, everyone is looking to beat you." But she is confi-

DOHA AGENCIES

dent the level-headed Barty has what it takes to handle the expectations of her home fans and the extra off-court workload that comes with being the best player on the planet.

"It's for sure completely different -- she has all the pressure, all the expectation, especially here in Australia," said Kerber. "I know her and

also her team, she played so well and I'm really sure she'll continue to play how she played particularly the end of last year." Since finishing 2016 as world number one after winning the Australian and US Opens, Kerber slipped to 21 the following year then climbed back to number two when she won Wimbledon in 2018.

The US Soccer Federation said Friday it had cancelled plans for the men's national team to train in Doha, Qatar, this month "due to the developing situation in the region." The decision was announced after the United States assassinated top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in an air attack in Iraq's capital Baghdad.

The federation said it was seeking a new site for the training camp, scheduled for January 5-25, in the United States. The Americans are scheduled to play a friendly match against Costa Rica on February 1 in Carson, California, near Los Angeles. "We are working with the Qatar Football Association to find an opportunity in the near future for our team to experience Qatar's world-class facilities and hospitality," USA Soccer said in its statement. US Soccer had hoped the camp in Qatar would give players a chance to check out the country that will host the 2022 World Cup. US coach Gregg Berhalter had already called 25 players to participate in the training camp, most of them Major League Soccer players.

Ibrahimovic vows to kick-start Milan as Conte's Inter seek rare win at Napoli MILAN AGENCIES

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has vowed to kick-start struggling AC Milan's Serie A season as their local rivals Inter Milan recommence a title battle with Juventus this weekend after the end of the winter break. Milan play host to Sampdoria on Monday, their first game since the humiliating 5-0 goal defeat to Atalanta last month which sparked Ibrahimovic's return. "I'm ready and I really hope I can play," said the 38-year-old Ibrahimovic as he returned to Milan nine years after his departure for

Paris Saint-Germain. "Things need to be improved on the pitch and that's why I'm here. I know what I have to do, Zlatan is still here."

Seven-time European champions Milan are 11th in the table, 14 points off the Champions League places and just seven points clear of the relegation zone. By contrast Inter are challenging champions Juventus' hegemony at the top of Serie A, with both sides level on 42 points after 17 games. Antonio Conte's Inter travel to Napoli, while Juve are at home against sixth-placed Cagliari, this season's surprise package who are well in the hunt for Champions

CMYK

League football. Inter Milan have not won at Napoli's Stadio San Paolo since October 1997 but last season's runners-up are eighth this term, with Gennaro Gattuso replacing Carlo Ancelotti last month.

"Inter have been strong in previous years but they have improved even more under Conte," said Napoli defender Mario Rui. "They will make us suffer, but we are ready." Juventus return to action after their Italian Super Cup defeat to Lazio against a Cagliari side that had been in impressive form before back-to-back losses.

Meanwhile red-hot Lazio, six

points behind in third with a game in hand, are looking increasingly dangerous. Simone Inzaghi's side, who have not lost since their 1-0 defeat to Inter in late September, can push their league winning streak to nine games against relegationthreatened Brescia. The Roman side have scored two goals or more in each of their last 11 league games since that Inter defeat, the first team to achieve that feat since the legendary 'Grande Torino' side back in 1948. One point behind Lazio in fourth are capital city rivals Roma, who host Torino amid takeover talks with US billionaire Dan Friedkin.

Sunday, 5 January, 2020

englAnD SqUAnDer ADvAntAge DeSpite ollie pope effortS CApE TOwN

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AGENCIES

HERE is no precise antonym for the word "ruthless": like "nonplussed", "disgruntled" and "underwhelmed", it is considered by linguistics scholars to be an unpaired adjective due to the lack of a word with a perfectly opposite meaning.

But if academics can find a way to condense England's batting performance on the first day of the Newlands Test into an adjective, they will finally have found a solution to their problem. If one batsman in the top seven failing to convert a start into a telling contribution might be considered careless, seeing five of them do it suggests a much deeper issue.

England's players have taken to calling this their "cursed" tour, with injury and illness ruining their preparation for both the first and second Tests, but their failure to reach an imposing first-innings total here was largely self-inflicted: having won the toss and chosen to bat first on a fairly placid surface, Joe Root was one of several senior batsmen to get in and get out as South Africa had much the better of the first day.

Only Ollie Pope, who made a calm, unbeaten half-century, managed to produce something approaching a match-altering score. For as much as the home side impressed with a disciplined bowling performance - and their change bowlers, Anrich Nortje and Dwaine Pretorius, were both particularly unerring - there were few magic balls, and instead a series of shots that hinted at a lack of concentration or a failure to take advantage of an ideal situation.

Rory Burns' ankle injury on the eve of the game saw Zak Crawley come into the side for his second Test to open alongside

Dom Sibley - not since since 1963 have England had a less-experienced opening pair (excluding nightwatchmen) - as part of perhaps their most adverbial top three ever, with Joe Denly in at No. 3. Crawley was given a brutal working-over in his brief stay at the crease: Vernon Philander hammered the off-stump channel on a length before nudging a fraction fuller, like a precision engineer, and finding the outside edge. Philander, in his final Test at the ground that has been so good to him, continued to probe just outside the off stump,

testing Sibley's open stance and leg-sidedominant game as he regularly beat his prodded defensive shots. And despite looking more confident and settled at the crease on his way to his highest Test score to date - even unfurling his cover drive within the first hour - Sibley fell in disappointing fashion for the second consecutive innings. Pretorius put the brakes on with three maidens in his first four overs, and Kagiso Rabada reaped the rewards at the other end, drawing an outside edge which Quinton de Kock snaffled.

Nortje made the next breakthrough in a hostile spell. Denly had battled doggedly, but found himself tied down against Keshav Maharaj in particular, taking 49 balls to get past 21, and was hit on the helmet by a sharp bouncer off the fifth ball of Nortje's second over after lunch. With Nortje's speeds nudging past the 90mph/145kph mark, he also had Root camped deep in his crease on the back foot. Root pushed hard at a back-of-a-length ball in the channel, but lived to tell the tale as Rassie van der Dussen put down his third chance of the se-

SPORTS 15 ries - just like the last two occasions, he was unsighted by de Kock's dive in front of him. But it was hardly a costly drop: two balls later, Nortje aimed a bullet at Root's left shoulder, and as the batsman flinched to get underneath it, he gloved it through to the gleeful wicketkeeper.

Denly's turgid innings was ended seven overs later, as Maharaj pushed through an arm ball which burst between bat and pad to take the top of his off stump. England's No. 3 has reached double figures 19 times in his 22 Test innings, but his 94 against Australia at The Oval remains his most-significant contribution.

Four years on - to the day - from his 258 not out on the ground, Ben Stokes looked in fine touch throughout his innings, hitting Maharaj for a towering six over wide mid-on, but was became the latest England batsman to give his wicket away cheaply when he tamely chipped a low catch to Dean Elgar at extra cover to hand Nortje his second wicket and South Africa their fifth with the score still 15 runs short of 200.

Jos Buttler had signalled his intent to play with more positivity in the build-up to this Test and was true to his word, hitting a flurry of boundaries as he looked to counterattack, getting across to the off side in an attempt to throw the unerring Pretorius off his line. But Pretorius plugged away, shifting his line wider, and produced a gem of a delivery with the old ball to see the back of Buttler, with a hint of movement away off the seam to find an edge. He struck again with the old ball to affirm South Africa's advantage, angling one in from round the wicket as Sam Curran shouldered arms, only to find his off stump cartwheeling towards fine leg.When Philander struck with the new ball, drawing Dom Bess into a tame push first ball to one that moved sharply away off the seam, and Rabada accounted for Stuart Broad with a searing yorker, it was down to Pope to free his arms with only James Anderson for company. An uppercut and a club down the ground - worth four each - were the pick of the shots, and he brought up his second Test fifty with a pull in front of square when shepherding the tail.

India captain Kohli New Zealand on the chase after Labuschagne’s double ton in Sydney opposes four-day Tests wELLINgTON

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New Zealand made a secure start after a Marnus Labuschagne double century lifted Australia to a massive 454 first innings total in the third Test on Saturday. The rock-solid number three reached his highest Test score of 215 in Sydney with the Australians dismissed just before tea on the second day. In reply, the Blackcaps grittily batted through the final session without losing a wicket, leaving skipper Tom Latham on 26 and Melbourne Test centurion Tom Blundell at 34 in their team's total of 63.

There were a couple of close calls -- notably a leg before wicket appeal off Nathan Lyon and a possible edge off Pat Cummins -- but the Kiwis showed plenty of fight after enduring five tough sessions in the field in sapping heat. The day belonged to Labuschagne, who sweated on 199 for 20 minutes before he thick edged Colin de Grandhomme through the vacant slips to the ropes to bring up his double ton. The milestone came off 363 balls with 19 fours and a six and eclipsed his previous Test record of 185 against Pakistan in Brisbane last November. "They batted really well to finish the day off. I thought we bowled really well," Labuschagne said. "The wicket looks like it's going to go a little up and down and spin a bit but we stuck to our guns there and hopefully the rewards will come tomorrow.

"It's always a privilege to play for Australia and it was nice to get some runs today and when you're batting well it's nice if you can make them count.” Labuschagne's prodigious form has notched him a total of 837 runs since November and he has now leapfrogged the great Neil Harvey (834) for most runs scored by an Australian during a five-Test summer.

He was also Test cricket's leading run-getter last year with 1,104 runs. The

India captain Virat Kohli on Saturday hit out at proposals to cut Test matches from five days for four as the world body battles with the crowded cricket calendar. Reports that the International Cricket Council could decide to cut the length of Test matches from 2023 have divided players and nations. Kohli, who leads the world Test batting rankings as well as being captain of the number one Test side, said the format should not be altered. "DayNight Tests is the most that should be changed about Test cricket, according to me," Kohli said in Guwahati, ahead of India's T20 game on Sunday against Sri Lanka.

With four-day Tests "you are purely only talking about getting numbers in and entertainment, and I think the intent will not be right," said Kohli. "Then you will speak of three-day Tests. I mean where do you end," he added. "I don't endorse that (change) at all. I don't think that that is fair to the purest format of the game -- how cricket started."

"Day-night tests are another step on commercializing Test cricket and creating excitement around it, but it can't be tinkered with too much." Day-night Test were also initially reKiwis finally dispatched him after he was caught and bowled by leg-spinner Todd Astle. Skipper Tim Paine supported Labuschagne to reach his double century before he was bowled between his bat and pad by de Grandhomme for 35. Paine faced 92 balls and shared in a 79-run stand with Labuschagne to take Australia beyond 400.

WICKETS TUMBLE: Wickets tumbled quickly just before tea with James Pattinson bowled by Neil Wagner for two, Pat Cummins caught off Astle's bowling for eight and Mitchell Starc hitting a breezy 22 off 21 balls before he was bowled by Wagner, who finished with three for 66. The hosts lost two wickets in the morning session. Matthew Wade was out in the day's first over, bowled off-stump while attempting to sweep off-spinner Will Somerville for no addition to his

overnight score of 22.

Melbourne centurion Travis Head fell to Matt Henry, cutting too close to his body and snicking to wicketkeeper BJ Watling. The Kiwi bowlers had strangled his scoring shots and his 10 runs came off 42 balls.

Henry was bowling despite fracturing his left thumb on Friday. He had the injury strapped and placed in a splint to continue on playing.

The Sydney Test is being played against the backdrop of one of Australia's most devastating bushfire seasons with at least 20 people losing their lives in blazes raging across the country, including on the outskirts of Sydney. Play will be suspended in the match at the umpire's discretion, should smoke significantly affect air quality or visibility, but the sky above the ground has remained largely clear so far.

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sisted by players, but have become gradually accepted. The ICC allowed four-day Tests in 2017 and they have been tried in one-off games between South Africa and Zimbabwe and England against Ireland. But they are not allowed in the Test world championship which is currently led by Kohli's India.

The English, Australian and New Zealand national associations have indicated they are ready to change. Some players like England captain Joe Root have also said the plan should be considered. But the key Board of Control for Cricket in India has not yet made a comment. And several leading players have joined Kohli in coming out against.

Australia captain Tim Paine said that while four days could be used for some Tests, the main games had to stay at five. Australia's most successful off-spinner Nathan Lyon has called the idea "ridiculous". "I believe you will get so many more draws and day five is crucial," he told the Unplayable Podcast before the recent Test against New Zealand. "I’m totally against it and I hope ICC aren’t even considering it." The ICC and national boards in favour of change say that cutting Test time is a way to ease a calendar now packed with Tests, 50 over internationals and the growing number of T20 internationals and leagues.

Sunday, 5 January, 2020

NEWS

New Air strike oN pro-irAN coNvoy iN irAq AheAd of soleimANi fuNerAl POMPEO SAYS EUROPE NOT ‘HELPFUL’ AS COULD BE OVER SOLEIMANI KILLING BAGHDAD

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fresh air strike hit pro-Iran fighters in Iraq early Saturday, as fears grew of a proxy war erupting between Washington and Tehran a day after an American drone strike killed a top Iranian general.

The killing of Quds Force commander Maj Gen Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad on Friday was the most dramatic escalation yet in spiralling tensions between Iran and the United States, which pledged to send more troops to the region — even as President Donald Trump insisted he did not want war.

Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Majid Takht Ravanchi, told CNN that the killing was an “act of war on the part of the United States”.

A new strike on Saturday targeted a convoy belonging to the Hashed alShaabi, an Iraqi paramilitary network dominated by Shia factions with close ties to Iran.

The Hashed said that an air strike targeting its fighters hit a convoy of medics. It did not say who it held responsible but Iraqi state television reported it was a US air strike.

A police source told AFP the strike left “dead and wounded”, without providing a specific toll.

Iraq’s military denied that an air

MISSILES HIT GREEN ZONE AND IRAQ BASE HOUSING US TROOPS BAGHDAD: Two mortar rounds hit the Iraqi capital’s Green Zone on Saturday and two rockets slammed into an airbase housing US troops, security sources said, a day after a deadly American strike. The precision drone strike outside the Baghdad airport on Friday killed Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, top Iraqi paramilitary chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and a clutch of other Iranian and Iraqi figures. In Baghdad, mortar rounds on Saturday evening hit the Green Zone, the high-security enclave where the US embassy is based, security sources said. The Iraqi military said that one projectile hit inside the zone, while another landed close to the enclave.

Sirens rang out at the US compound, sources there told AFP. A pair of Katyusha rockets then hit the Balad airbase north of Baghdad, where American troops are based, security sources and the Iraqi military said.

Security sources there reported blaring sirens and said surveillance drones were sent above the base to locate the source of the rockets. aGENCIES

strike had taken place on a medical convoy in Taji, north of Baghdad.

The US-led coalition fighting the militant Islamic State group also said it did not conduct any air strikes near Camp Taji.

“FACT: the coalition @cjtfoir did not conduct airstrikes near Camp Taji (north of Baghdad) in recent days,” a spokesman said on Twitter.

The Hashed later issued another statement saying that no medical convoys were targeted in Taji.

The reported strike came hours ahead of a planned mourning march for Soleimani, who was killed alongside Hashed number two Abu Mahdi alMuhandis in the precision drone strike.

As head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps’ foreign operations arm, Soleimani was a powerful figure do-

mestically and oversaw wide-ranging Iranian involvement in regional power struggles — and anti-US forces.

Trump said the 62-year-old, who had been blacklisted by the US, had been plotting imminent attacks on American diplomats.

His assassination has rattled the region, with Iraqis fearing a proxy war between Washington and Tehran.

A total of five Revolutionary Guards and five Hashed fighters were killed in Friday’s strike near Baghdad international airport.

Their bodies will be laid to rest in an elaborate mourning procession on Saturday, beginning with a state funeral in the capital and ending in the Shia holy city of Najaf to its south.

The bodies of the Guards will then be flown to Iran, which has declared

three days of mourning for Soleimani.

Tehran has already named his deputy, Esmail Qaani, to replace him.

Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei promised “severe revenge”, while in Tehran tens of thousands of protesters torched US flags and chanted “death to America”.

Trump hailed the operation, saying he decided to “terminate” Soleimani after discovering he was preparing an “imminent” attack on US diplomats and troops.

He insisted on Friday Washington did not seek a wider conflict, saying: “We took action last night to stop a war.

We did not take action to start a war.”

But hours later the Pentagon said between 3,000 to 3,500 troops would be dispatched to Iraq’s southern neighbour Kuwait.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo praised Washington’s partners in the region, but said their European allies “haven’t been as helpful as I wish that they could be”.

“The Brits, the French, the Germans all need to understand that what we did, what the Americans did, saved lives in Europe as well,” he said.

Some 14,000 troops were already deployed as reinforcements to the Middle East last year, reflecting steadily growing tensions with Iran. There are approximately 5,200 US troops deployed across Iraq to help local forces ensure a lasting defeat of IS fighters.

Pro-Iran factions have seized on Soleimani’s death to push parliament to revoke the security agreement allowing their deployment on Iraqi soil.

Lawmakers are to convene in an emergency session on Sunday and are expected to hold a vote.

Tens of thousands march in southern India to protest citizenship law HYDERABAD/NEW DELHI aGENCIES

Over one hundred thousand protesters, many carrying the Indian tricolour flag, took part in a peaceful march in the southern city of Hyderabad on Saturday, chanting slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new citizenship law.

The protest, dubbed the ‘Million March’, was organized by an umbrella group of Muslim and civil society organizations. More than 40 per cent of Hyderabad’s estimated population of nearly 7 million are Muslims.

Demonstrators were still pouring into the protest site late on Saturday afternoon, according to a Reuters witness, despite police saying no march would be allowed and that permission had only been granted for a 1,000-person gathering. The Indian government has faced weeks of acrimonious and, at times, violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which was passed by Modi’s government in December.

The Hyderabad protesters held placards with slogans including “With-

draw CAA immediately,” and “India’s only religion in Secularism.”

The Reuters witness said the protest remained peaceful and estimated that

more than one hundred thousand people were in attendance.

The new law eases the path for nonMuslim minorities from the neighbour-

ing Muslim-majority nations of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan to gain Indian citizenship. But, if combined with a proposed national register of citizens, critics of the CAA fear it will discriminate against minority Muslims in India and chip away at India’s secular constitution.

Modi’s government maintains the new law is necessary to help minorities facing persecution in Muslim-majority nations, and it has called the pan-India protests politically motivated.

At least 25 people have been killed in protest-related clashes with police since early December.

Elsewhere, protests against the CAA also went ahead in several other Indian cities on Saturday with hundreds turning out for protests in cities in the southern state of Karnataka.

Hundreds of men and women gathered at a rally in the tech hub of Bengaluru, with some accusing Modi’s government of trying to divide India along communal lines, to distract from a sharp domestic economic slowdown and job losses.

Trump authorises resumption of military training programme for Pakistan WASHINGTON aGENCIES

United States President Donald Trump on Friday authorised the resumption of the International Military Education and Training Program (IMET) for Pakistan in order to strengthen military to military cooperation between the two countries and advance US national security. In a post on Twitter, US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells said, “To strengthen military to military cooperation on shared priorities and advance US national security, President Donald Trump authorised the resumption of International Military Education and Training for Pakistan. The overall security assistance suspension for Pakistan remains in effect.” Last month the Trump administration had given the approval for the resumption of Pakistan’s participation in a coveted US military training and educational programme more than a year after it was suspended. According to the US State Department the decision to resume Islamabad’s participation in IMET — for more than a decade a pillar of US-Pakistani military ties — underscored the warming relations that have followed meetings this year between President Trump and Prime Minister Imran Khan. A State Department spokeswoman had said in an email that Trump’s 2018 decision to suspend security assistance authorised “narrow exceptions for programmes that support vital US national security interests.” The decision to restore Pakistani participation in IMET was “one such exception,” she said.

The programme “provides an opportunity to increase bilateral cooperation between our countries on shared priorities,” she added. “We want to continue to build on this foundation through concrete actions that advance regional security and stability.” Pakistan’s suspension from the programme in August 2018 prompted the cancellation of 66 slots set aside that year for Pakistani military officers in one of the first known impacts of Trump’s decision to halt security assistance. The US military traditionally has sought to shield such educational programmes from political tensions, arguing that the ties built by bringing foreign military officers to the United States pay long-term dividends.

Kartarpur pilgrims: DG ISPR debunks Indian journalist’s claim NEWS DESK Pakistani military’s chief spokesperson has debunked a claim by an Indian journalist that fewer pilgrims travelled to the gurdwara of Kartarpur Sahib on Saturday owing to minor altercation in Nankana Sahib, Punjab.

“How far and low one should go to spread lies and keep losing credibility?,” Major General Asif Ghafoor said in a quote tweet over a post by Aditya Raj Kaul.

“Today on 4 Jan, 572 Pilgrims

visited Kartarpura Sahib,” he added.

“Want to challenge? Check at own side or anyone can come to see the record at Pakistani entry point. Welcome.”

Kaul had said that according to his sources in New Delhi, out of 737 Indian pilgrims cleared to travel to Pakistan, only 150 had crossed the border.

“Clearly a fallout of attack on Sikh holy shrine Nankana Sahib,” he wrote.

According to Pakistan’s Foreign Office, there was a scuffle in the Punjab city between two Muslim

groups, and those involved were in custody.

“Attempts to paint this incident as a communal issue are patently motivated,” it said in a statement, adding that the Gurdwara remained untouched and undamaged.

“All insinuations to the contrary, particularly the claims of acts of ‘desecration and destruction’ and desecration of the holy place, are not only false but also mischievous.”

Pakistan, it added, remains committed to upholding law and order and pro-

viding security and protection to the people, especially the minorities.

“The opening of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor is a manifestation of Pakistan’s special care extended to the minorities, in line with the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the communiqué concluded.

Sikhs form a small community in Pakistan, most of whom live in Punjab, and parts of Sindh and KhyberPakhtunkhwa.

Janam Asthan Nankana Sahib draws millions of Sikh followers from all over

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

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the world. The gurdwara was built on the birth site of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism.

Other important gurdwaras include Dera Sahib in Lahore and Punja Sahib in Hassan Abdal, where Sikh devotees from across the globe visit and perform religious rituals.

Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated earlier this year the historic Kartarpur corridor, for the followers of Guru Nanak, allowing them to visit the revered guru’s final resting place without a visa.