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Monday, 6 January, 2020 I 9 Jamadi-ul-Awwal, 1441 I Rs 19.00 I Vol X No 187 I 16 Pages I Islamabad Edition

Pakistan won’t take Part in anyone else’s war, says army g

isPr chief says Pakistan desires Peace in reGion but won’t comPromise on its national security

Gen Ghafoor says PomPeo was urGed to reduce tensions with iran to avert conflict

news desk

s tensions between the United states and neighbouring Iran touch all-time high in the aftermath of the assassination of a top Iranian general, Pakistan Army spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor said that Pakistan supported peace overtures in the region and wouldn’t take part in anyone else’s war. speaking to a local media outlet, the Interservices Public Relations (IsPR) director general said the country will not become part of any process that will disturb the peace as it “desires regional peace but it will not compromise on its national security”. The statement followed the killing of Iranian General Qasem soleimani. soleimani, the architect of Tehran’s overseas clandestine and military operations as head of the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, was killed on Friday in a Us drone strike on his convoy at Baghdad airport. Maj Gen Ghafoor said the aforementioned sentiments had been expressed by both the Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief of Army staff General (COAs) Qamar Javed Bajwa. “Pakistan will not be a party to anyone or anything but will be a partner of peace and peace alone,” he said, quoting Prime Minister Imran. General Ghafoor said the regional scenario changed after the killing of the general; however, Pakistan will not become part of any process that disturbs the regional peace. “In this scenario, Prime Minister [Imran Khan] and the Army Chief [General Qamar Javed Bajwa] has adopted a very clear stance that Pakistan will not allow its soil to be used against anyone and play its strong role for regional peace,” said Ghafoor. He said Us secretary of state Mike Pompeo had held discussions with Gen Bajwa on two points in the telephonic conversation on January 3. According to Ghafoor, the COAs had urged the Us to de-escalate tensions between the countries in the region so that another regional conflict could be averted. “The army chief had also told Pompeo to avoid such steps which could interrupt the Afghanistan reconciliation process, he said, adding the army chief was contacted as he has played an important role in bringing improve-

iran abandons nuclear deal over soleimani’s assassination STORIES ON BACK PAGE

ments to the regional situation. Commenting over rumours being spread on the social media platforms, Asif Ghafoor urged the nationals and media houses to accept the national stances which came from the reliable sources. About the Us military training programme, he clarified the Us government talked to Pakistan for the resumption of the military training programme which was suspended for the last four to five months. The army spokesperson added that it was the part of propaganda against Pakistan for linking the ongoing talks with the recent developments in the Middle East. “Pakistan has adopted all steps that promoted peace and also plays a major role in the Afghanistan reconciliation process,” he added.

However, India, on the other hand, has played the role of an aggressor, said Gen Ghafoor while alluding to Pulwama incident. “I have heard the statements of the Indian army chief. He is the newly appointed army chief and busy in making his place right now. He is completely aware of the regional situation and [the capabilities] Pakistani forces. Our forces knew well how to defend our country and India is well-aware about it too. We will not make any compromises on national security,” he said, responding to the statement of the Indian army chief. “Indian army chief must stop continuing atrocities in occupied Kashmir instead of threatening us. We will play our role efficiently for the establishment of peace in the region under the government’s policies and the nation’s support.”

Nankana Sahib incident: Imran has no mercy for perpetrators g

Trump vows to hit 52 Iranian targets if Iran retaliates after drone strike

FM Qureshi reaches out to int’l community over US-Iran tensions STORY ON PAGE 03

na body to meet today to approve major bills STORY ON PAGE 03

Protests held in Karachi, Islamabad against Soleimani’s assassination

Pm ‘condemns’ nankana sahib incident, says it Goes aGainst his vision

STORY ON PAGE 02

KARACHI: Activists protest at Tower Bridge against the assassination of Iran’s Major General Qasem Soleimani by the United States in an airstrike in Baghdad. online STORY ON PAGE 03

CMYK Monday, 6 January, 2020

02 NEWS

NaNkaNa Sahib iNcideNt: imraN haS No mercy for perpetratorS

RIME Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said the attack on Nankana Sahib gurdwara was against his vision, vowing to hold the culprits accountable for their actions. Taking to Twitter on Sunday, the prime minister highlighted that there was a distinct difference between the incident that occurred in Nankana Sahib on Friday and the continued attacks on Muslims across India. “Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision supports the oppression of minorities as well as targeted attacks against Muslims.” The PM added that the Indian police, supported by the government, are leading attacks against Muslims

residing in the country. “RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) goons conducting public lynchings, Muslims being violated by mobs are all not only supported by the Modi government but Indian police lead anti-Muslim attacks.” 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

Nab deposits rs178bn in national exchequer ISLAMABAD APP

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has deposited Rs 178 billion in the national exchequer in last two years after recovering from the corrupt. Chairman NAB Justice (Retd) Javed Iqbal said in a statement that the bureau has has received 51,591 complaints during 2019. Out of which 46,123 were disposed off. While action on remaining 13,299 was in process. During 2019, NAB had authorised to conduct complaint verification of 1,464 cases. Out of which 1,362 complaint verifications were disposed off. Investigations were continuing on 770 complaints. He said NAB has also authorised conducting inquiries of 574 complaints during the said year. While inquiries of 658 complaints were completed and investigations on 859 complaints were still under progress. Likewise during last year 221 investigations were authorised by the bureau and 217 investigations were completed. While investigations on 335 cases were still continuing. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed 206 corruption references in different Accountability courts during the year. He said out of which 161 references has been disposed of. As many as 600 references were filed in various accountability courts in the last two years. Bureau had filed 101 mega corruption references from out of 179 such references. While 46 such references had already been disposed of. Right now from out of 179 mega corruption cases, 13 inquiries and 19 investigations were near to logical conclusion. Chairman NAB said priority is to take the mega corruption cases to logical conclusion and punish the corrupt. Right now, as many as 1,275 corruption references having accumulated value of Rs 943 billion are at various stages of hearing in different courts.

kashmir and pakistan are inseparable: aJk pm ISLAMABAD APP

Terming Kashmiris as founder and protector of the ideology of Pakistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan on Sunday declared that Kashmir and Pakistan are inseparable. He expressed these views at a central function in connection with Right to Self Determination Day (January 5th) under the aegis of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Cell at District Complex. It was on January 5,1949 when the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) passed a resolution supporting the Kashmiris’ right to decide their future by themselves through UN-sponsored plebiscite. The day is being marked by various activities including rallies, seminars and conferences to remind United Nations that it must implement its resolutions to settle the Kashmir dispute. Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan symbolically exercised his fundamental right, which UNSC has promised to give Kashmiris and casted vote in favour of Pakistan. “No one can recognize the importance of Pakistan more than Kashmiris who are scarifying their lives, properties and even coming generations in love with the country”, he stated while casting the vote. He added that India, despite its worst atrocities and state terrorism, miserably failed to eliminate the eternal love for Pakistan from the hearts of Kashmiri people, said a press release. Raja Farooq Haider Khan said 5th January is a day when Kashmiris on both sides of Cease Fire Line (CFL), the world over and Pakistan are observing the day with the hope that United Nation will implement its resolutions to the Kashmiris right to self determination. “Kashmiris all over the world are reminding UN Security Council to fulfill its pledge made with Kashmiris in 1949”, he added. He however, made it clear that Kashmiris themselves will decide their fate through plebiscite and their vote would only be in favor of Pakistan.

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 in-

SIKH YOUTH GUNNED DOWN IN PESHAWAR Peshawar police have started a probe after a body of Sikh youth Parvender Singh was found in the city on Sunday. Peshawar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sajjad Khan told a local media outlet that Parvender, a resident of Chakesar Shangla, was shot dead within the jurisdiction of the Chamkani police station. According to the FIR, Parvender had travelled to the provincial capital to complete shopping for his wedding. “However, close to midnight on Saturday, the victim’s brother, received a call from his [Parvender’s] phone where an unidentified man told him that he had killed Parvender and also informed them about the body’s whereabouts,” the police official was quoted as saying. “The body was later recovered from a stormwater drain on Sunday. The victim had sustained one bullet injury to the head.” The SSP added that the victim had returned to Pakistan after spending six years working in Malaysia and was to be married in February. He said that the motive behind the incident has not been determined but further investigations are currently underway. Khan said that the body will be handed over to the family members after conducting an autopsy. Speaking to the media, the victim’s brother Harmeet Singh appealed to news outlets and the people of the country to highlight the incident so that his brother’s murderers can be brought to justice. NEWS DESK tervene briskly to control the situation. In a statement on Sunday, Interior Minister Ijaz Shah also assured that his government would bring culprits in the dock. “The government is standing alongside the minority community and the accused persons will be dealt in accordance with the law in Nankana Sahib incident,” the minister added.

He said the enemies of the country were busy in hatching “conspiracies” and such anti-state elements wanted to destroy the atmosphere of brotherhood in the country. Shah termed those going against the religious tolerance as ‘biggest enemies of the country”. Ijaz Shah said media and social media will expose the truth in the incident. NEWS DESK

President, PM urge global community to fulfil responsibility towards Kashmiris ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday called on the global community to fulfil its responsibilities towards the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) who have been deprived of their right to self-determination. In his message to the nation on Right to Self-Determination Day observed on Sunday, the president said the right to self-determination was a vital component of the human dignity. “Negation of this right is the negation of human freedom, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Human Rights Covenants,” he remarked. In the post-colonial era, he said the realization of this inalienable right paved the way for successful culmination of freedom struggles in different parts of the world, includ-

ing in South Asia. January 5 is commemorated as the Right to Self-Determination Day for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. On this day in 1949, the United Nations Commission on India and Pakistan (UNCIP) adopted the resolution that guaranteed a free and fair plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir to enable the Kashmiri people realize their right to self-determination. “Today’s commemoration is aimed at reminding the global community that they cannot shy away from their responsibility towards the Kashmiri people. The United Nations must honour its commitments that were made 71 years ago,” he stressed. The president said since August 05, 2019, through continuous illegal and unilateral steps, the Indian government had created an environment of fear and chaos in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir

(IOJ&K). He said more than 150 days of lockdown and absence of fundamental freedoms had challenged the conscience of international community and India’s credentials of being a respectable member of the comity of nations. Indian actions have been widely rejected by the international community, the United Nations, and international human rights organizations, he added. Meanwhile, the premier, in his message to the nation said, “Every year, the 5th of January reinforces our commitment to upholding the fundamental human rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.” On this day, in 1949, the United Nations (UN) made a commitment to the realization of the right to selfdetermination of the Kashmiri people through a free and impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations. He said the day also reminded the international

community, especially the United Nations, of the imperative of honouring its commitment towards people of Jammu and Kashmir. He viewed that the importance of the inalienable right to self-determination has been acknowledged in all important human rights covenants and decisions of the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council. Due to Indian intransigence, the UN Security Council has failed to fulfill its pledge to the Kashmiri people. The prime minister said over 72 years of illegal occupation of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K) were a saga of the brutalization of the Kashmiri people. “Our strong and steadfast moral, political and diplomatic support for the Kashmiri people will continue till the realization of their inalienable right to self-determination,” he added.

Kashmiris observe Right to Self-Determination Day ISLAMABAD PPI

Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control and the world observed the Right to Self-Determination Day, today (Sunday) with renewed pledge to continue their freedom struggle till it reaches its ultimate goal. It was on 5th January in 1949 when the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution supporting the Kashmiris’ right to decide their future by themselves through UN-sponsored plebiscite. The day was marked by various activities including rallies, seminars and conferences to remind the UN that it must implement its resolutions to settle the Kashmir dispute. This year, the day was observed when occupied Kashmir is under continued military siege on the 154th consecutive day, today (Sunday). In Hyderabad, a rally led by Hyderabad Commissioner Mohammed Abbas Baloch was taken out from commissioner office at Shahbaz Building to General Post office Thandi Sarak. Addressing the rally, Commissioner Muhammad Abass Baloch said that India had crossed all the limits of cruelty on innocent Kashmiris for curbing their freedom movement. He said now the international community was witnessing Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir with criminal silence. He said Modi government's new bill made it clear that Indian government wanted to target Muslims only,he said and added that observing right of self determination day was

aimed to draw the attention of the world community to the plight of the innocent Kashmiri people under India’s brutal occupation as well as to show the dirty face of India to the world.

CMYK

A large number of officers and employees of Revenue, education, Police, Information, social welfare departments, scouts NGOs and people from civil society participated the rally.

CMYK Monday, 6 January, 2020

Na body to meet today to approve maJor billS ISLAMABAD

INP

meeting of the Standing Committee on Defence has been summoned again on Monday to discuss the Army Act, Air Force Act and Navy Act amendment bills. According to the National Assembly Secretariat, the rules and regulations of the parliament were violated during the January 3 session of the committee. Sources said that in the meeting of the standing committee that took place on January 3, Parliamentary Secretary Captain Jamil Ahmed presided over the session which was in violation of the rules and regulations of the parliament. Sources further said that Jamil

Ahmed did not call for a vote when the time came to approve the bills. Hence, Amjad Khan Niazi will chair the session of the standing committee when it meets again to discuss the amendment bills on Monday. In the meeting that took place on January 3, members of the senate had been called to discuss the bills. However, senators have not been asked to attend the meeting of the standing committee on Monday which will again discuss the same bills. It must be kept in mind that the committee had accepted all three bills during the meeting that took place on January 3. FAZL SAYS SUPPORTING ARMY ACT AMENDMENTS 'OUT OF QUESTION': Meanwhile, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has refused to

support the amendments in the Army Act, saying there were many “ambiguities in the draft law and the urgency with which the legislation was being passed would create further ambiguity”. He made these remarks after Pakistan Muslim League-Q leaders Chaudhry Shujaat and Pervez Elahi called on him to take him into confidence over the proposed legislation. Fazl remained adamant in his opposition to the bill even after the major opposition parties fell in line to support the amendments in the Act which allows incumbent army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa to remain the Chief of Army Staff for the next three years. In a meeting with the Chaudhry brothers, Fazl refused to support the Army Act amendment bill, saying the recon-

ciliation does not work everywhere and at all times. He said voting in favour of the bill was out of the question. The party, however, has yet to decide if it would vote against the bill or skip the session, the JUI-F added. Maulana confessed to the divisions in opposition and said that he phoned Shahbaz Sharif and complained that the opposition was not taken into confidence by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). He further said that they haven’t changed their position. If the law can be passed in 6 months, then the assembly can be dissolved and new elections can also be held. He said that he informed the Chaudhry brothers about his position that legislation can also be made by electing a new parliament and urged the opposition to take a joint stand on this issue.

FM Qureshi reaches out to int’l community over US-Iran tensions ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday held telephonic conversations with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Iran, UAE and Turkey. There was wide-ranging exchange of views on the unfolding situation in the region. Highlighting Pakistan’s deep concern over the recent developments, the foreign minister underscored the imperative of avoidance of conflict, exercise of maximum restraint, and de-escalation of tensions. He renewed the call on all parties concerned to abide by the United Nations (UN) Charter and principles of international law to settle differences through peaceful means. The foreign minister also reaffirmed that Pakistan would neither let its soil be used against any other state nor become part of any regional conflict. Sharing Pakistan’s perspective, the foreign minister expressed the hope that the progress made in the Afghan peace process would be preserved and further advanced. He further reiterated Pakistan’s readiness to continue to play a role in preventing further escalation and

maintaining regional peace and stability.While speaking to his Iranian counterpart, FM Qureshi offered condolences over the assassination of Iranian Quds Force chief Major General Qasem Soleimani. QURESHI URGES GLOBAL COMMUNITY TO END KASHMIRIS' SUFFERING: Earlier, FM Qureshi said that India’s illegal and unilateral actions of 5 August last year were aimed at altering the disputed status of occupied Kashmir and bringing about demographic change to undermine the right to self-determination of Kashmiris. In a message on Right to

Self-Determination Day observed Sunday, the minister said that India’s unrestrained oppression has reached unprecedented levels with the inhuman lockdown now in place for over 150 days. He said each additional second on the curfew clock is a burden on the world’s collective conscience. He said the international community must act in support of the fundamental freedoms and basic human rights of Kashmiris and urge India to allow the UN Fact-Finding Mission to Kashmir to ascertain the reports of grave human rights violations there. Meanwhile, President Arif Alvi said that the people of occupied Kashmir are being subjected to collective punishment by Indian occupation forces who have converted the territory into the largest militarized zone in the world. He said the current situation in occupied Kashmir is the worst in recent history where people have been deprived of their fundamental rights, including right to life, food, health, freedom of expression and assembly. The president said more than 150 days of lockdown and absence of fundamental freedoms have challenged the conscience of international community and India’s credentials of being a respectable member of the comity of nations.

NEWS

pakistan stands for peace, says firdous on US-iran tensions SIALKOT STAFF REPORT

Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Sunday said Pakistan will play its role in maintaining peace in the region instead of becoming a party to any regional conflict. Addressing a press conference in Sialkot, Firdous said: “As ambassadors of peace, we will be part of the solution, not the problem.” “Whenever tensions have arisen in the region in the past, Pakistan has had to pay the price for it. Therefore, in order to protect national interest and safety, we must continue to play the role of a mediator,” she added. Speaking about a potential conflict between the United States and Iran, she said: “Pakistan’s interest is more precious to us than that of any other. Protecting Pakistan’s interest is our responsibility.” According to Firdous, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi will give a policy statement in the Senate on Monday on the government’s stance on recent events in the region and the future course of action. “The prime minister and the current government have a very clear stance on this; we will play a role in bringing peace to the region. The success of the Afghan peace process is also attached to peace in the region. Commenting on the amendments to the Army Act tabled in the National Assembly, Firdous said: “Institutions do not belong to a particular political party, they belong to the state. We should refrain from politicising these institutions. “A few members of the opposition have complained that they have not been taken into confidence regarding these amendments. However, I am hopeful that an issue that is attached to our national safety and interest, will not be politicised.” She expressed the hope that the government and the opposition will come together in parliament to pass the amendments so that Pakistan can progress.

Protests held in Karachi, Islamabad against Soleimani’s assassination KARACHI/ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Days after the US Embassy in Islamabad had issued a countrywide security alert, religious parties held protests in Karachi and Islamabad on Sunday against the assassination of Iran’s Major General Qasem Soleimani in a US airstrike. Major General Soleimani was the head of the elite Quds Force and was killed early on Friday when a US airstrike hit his convoy at Baghdad airport. In Karachi, Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM), Imamia Students Organisation (ISO) and other religious and political groups held a rally that began at 3 pm at the Fawwara Chowk and marched towards the US Consulate in the city. The protesters carried portraits of the slain general along with posters inscribed

with “Down With USA!” Addressing the protesters, Allama Shahenshah Hussain of the Shia Ulema Council, said that a small group would go forward to the consulate premises and present a memorandum. Hussain, in his address, appreciated the statement by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor who had assured the nation that Pakistan’s land will not be used for action against any neighbouring country. MWM chief Allama Hasan Zafar Naqvi also addressed the rally. “Every Pakistani, down to the last child, is Qasem Soleimani,” he declared. “We will not allow the US to succeed in perpetrating their crimes on Pakistani soil,” he added. Paying homage to Soleimani, he said that the slain general had united

Iraq’s Shia and Sunni populations against the US. He said the existence of America and Israel pose a danger to humanity. “Soleimani was the commander of the army of Islam,” he said. He also paid tribute to the Pakistan media for highlighting Soleimani’s role. Stringent security measures were taken due to the protest rally. The roads leading to the US Consulate, including Moulvi Tameezuddin Khan Road, Mai Kolachi Bypass, Aiwan-e-Saddar road and Ziauddin Road in the red zone were closed by the city’s traffic police. The traffic police advised the commuters, from Tower to Boat Basin and PIDC to Tower, to use the I I Chundrigar Road for their travel. Meanwhile, in Islamabad, a rally organised by the MWM and ISO, began at the Islamabad Press Club and culminated

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at the D-Chowk. The protesters called for unity among all Muslims as they marched. The rally led by Allama Syed Ali Rizvi was attended by women and children in large numbers. Islamabad’s Deputy Mayor Zeeshan Naqvi also attended the rally. Protesters chanted “Death to America” and “America is a terrorist”. Some said that “an attack on General Qasem Soleimani is an attack on the Islamic world” while others equated the move to “international terrorism” because America “wishes to divide the Muslim Ummah and enslave the whole world”. Addressing the rally, Rizvi said that Soleimani had been “martyred by those who profit from Daesh and Al Qaeda”. He said that the US was a “cheating and untrustworthy” country. “The Islamic

world’s security and dignity is in keeping its distance from them.” “History bears witness that the US has left no stone unturned when it comes to harming the Muslim Ummah,” said Rizvi. He said that the government will have to assure the people that Pakistan’s soil will not be used against neighbouring Muslim countries like in the past. “The whole nation wishes to see itself freed from external pressure,” he added. The religious leader said that Pakistan will have to play its role in maintaining the security and dignity of the Muslim Ummah. Major General Soleimani was killed on Friday morning in a US strike on Baghdad’s international airport, in a dramatic escalation of tensions between the two countries.

04 ISLAMABAD

Monday, 6 January 2020

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KP GoVernment decides to enact Laws for safety of aGricuLturaL Lands PESHAWAR

APP

HE Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government has decided to make legislation to prevent agriculture lands from unlawful housing societies in the province. Officials in KP Agriculture and Livestock Department told APP on Sunday that all housing societies would be required to take no objections certificates from Government before launching their projects on agricultural lands. The officials said preference would be given to housing projects on unproductive and infertile lands to reduce pressure on agriculture lands. The conversion of agriculture and cultivable lands into housing societies was a big challenge and a principal decision has been taken to make necessary legislation for protection of agriculture lands from unlawful housing societies in the province. "Out of 20.646 million acres land of Khyber Pakthunkhwa, around 4.627 million acres are under- cultivation while 16.18 million is uncultivable",the officials said. To bring this vast unproductive land under agriculture net, PC-1 of 15 new projects were prepared for 201920 under which 14 projects including 11 PSDP projects worth Rs 44 billion approved and funds for 14 projects were released by the Government. These projects would mainly focus on improvement in watercourses, pro-

tection of water resources in rainy areas, construction of small and medium dams, production of wheat, rice, oil besides fattening of calves of buffaloes, cows and strengthening of agriculture and livestock services. The Federal and KP Governments have joined hands to promote agriculture, fisheries and livestock services in merged areas to alleviate poverty and generate employment opportunities for tribal people. To achieve these objectives, seven agriculture and livestock projects worth Rs 4.20 million focusing on increasing of meat and milk production, water conservation, livestock and dairy services have been approved for merged areas. Likewise, the Government has developed a multifaceted Accelerated Implementation Program (AIP) for merged areas during 2019-20 under which different agriculture programs worth Rs1970million has been prepared primarily focusing on enhancement of crops' productivity, producing of virus free seeds, solarization of tubewells and building of small dams. These projects include Integrated Agricultural Development Program (IADP) worth Rs750 million, merged areas' contribution to Prime Minister's National Agriculture Emergency Program (NAEP), construction of small check dams and watercourses worth Rs580 million for current fiscal year. Special program for production of virus free seeds would be launched in Kurrum and Orakzai tribal districts on which approximately Rs180 million

would be spent during 2019-20. Under IADP, he said work on 11 agriculture branches would be started primarily focusing on construction of around 32,000 watercourses, building of small check dams for prevention of water's wastage and soil erosion, strengthening of poultry farming and solarization of tube wells. Behavioral science based adaptation for production of high value horticultural crops are being launched to promote horticulture and flower industries costing around Rs350 million whereas Rs220 million were proposed for land reclamation and solarization of agriculture tube-wells. Under the Prime Minister's National Agriculture Emergency Program, focus would be made on areas' enhancement for bolstering crops productivity specifically for oilseed such as sunflower, mustard and groundnut for which Rs120million were proposed. Similarly, Rs120 million would be spent on crop productivity's enhancement of areas especially for pulses in erstwhile Fata. Conservation of land and construction of watercourses would enhance per acre production through enhanced irrigation network costing Rs270 million. To prevent canals water from wastage, Rs330 million would be spent on construction of small check dams and rainwater harvesting. KP Government has planned to construct 32,000 watercourses costing Rs13 billion during next four years to provide uninterrupted power supply to tail end farmers and stop wastage of

water in the province. He said the Government has decided to extend the Prime Minister Backyard Poultry Program to erstwhile Fata to alleviate poverty and generate employment opportunities for poor tribesmen. In the first phase, the program is being extended to three tribal districts including Khyber, Bajaur and Kurram and later would be extended to South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Mohmand and Orakzai tribal districts. This pro-poor initiative is a part of Prime Minister National Agriculture Emergency Program under which chicken units package ie ‘five female and one male’ would be distributed among each deserving family. Under this program around one million poultry birds would be distributed among poor families on subsidized rates during next four years in KP including merged areas. The applicant is only required to pay Rs1050 for each unit of poultry and approximately 250,000 numbers of units would be distributed amongst deserving families each year. PC-I of two gigantic projects worth Rs 12 billion was prepared to strengthen agriculture and livestock services besides enhancing productivity of different crops in the province. The PC-I of these projects have been sent to concerned forum for approval and practical work on it would soon commence,” he explained. These projects after completion would help alleviate poverty and generate employment opportunities for people.

Lok Virsa museum depicts past glory of Pakistan ISLAMABAD: The National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (Lok Virsa) Museum has depicted the hallowing glory of Pakistan with a great splendor and historic grandeur that defined the creation of Pakistan with an aroma of great contributions, achievements and sacrifices. The museum does not remain confined to merely political developments rather unveils the historic, cultural and social evolution that lead to a separate homeland for the Muslims of British India. It also enunciated the great civilizations inhabiting this part of the subcontinent. The region that is home to the world's first university that spread knowledge across the globe with its pupils coming from different regions. Besides, the museum presents the great achievements of the region since ancient social evolution, the struggle to achieve Pakistan and the establishment of Pakistan. The Museum built at the western elevation near Zero Point highlights the sacrifices of the striving heroes of the country in chronological order and with historical facts. An official in the museum told APP that a large number of local tourists as well as foreigners regularly visit the museum and pay rich tributes to the great heroes of the nation. He said the Museum commemorated national heroes in a way that really attracted people. "The nations that cherish and reckon their past to inherit true history of their great forefathers put a strong foundation of a bright future," he said. He said Pakistan Monument Museum also housed reference library, audio-visual material, conference halls and a five-seater auditorium (Panorama Hall). He said various aspects were being reviewed to further improve the museum to attract more tourists. APP

ISLAMABAD: A A A Activists protest the assassination of Iran’s ’ Major General Qasem Soleimani in a US airstrike in Baghdad. inP

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Life comes to a halt in GB as mercury dips GILGIT APP

The natural landscape of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), the heaven on earth, where all four seasons of the year could be witnessed in its true natural-state but the prolonged winter season with falling mercury (-02 to -20C) makes life of the residents frozen with a wave of blood curdling chill in the atmosphere of the mountainous region. When the severe weather conditions bring life to a halt -- people forced to stay indoors and use the locally-made wood stoves and stored foods to cope with the harsh winter season. The mountains of the region turn snow-cladded as the area receives heavy snowfall every year during the winter season. GB is one of the amazing tourist landscapes of Pakistan due to its geography and mesmerizing beauty. The areas is gifted with luxuriantly green cherry, apricot, apple, pears, peach orchards, and streams full of dancing waters, roaring rivers and a landscape full of mountains with snowcovered peaks. In extreme winter, which last from November to end of March, fire-woodstoves become a necessity of life. The residents use different types of stoves for cooking and protecting themselves from the cold. But now-a-days, people are worried about keeping themselves warm due to high prices of fire-woods in the area. In GB, all seasons are very apparent: The spring season is lush green, the summer is hot, the winter is extremely cold, and in autumn, the entire region presents altogether a different and unique shade of golden color. Quite before the arrival of winter season, the people of GB adopt different methods for storage of food and fuel to cope with the weather that bring down temperature below zero degrees Celsius for several months. One of the methods for preservation of food is known as Nasaloo, in Shina, a major regional language. As part of the tradition of Nasaloo, households slaughter an animal – yak, goat, sheep or oxen, based on availability and financial status, and hang the meat in an airy, cold, storage, to dry. The dried meat is then cooked during the months of January and February, generally the coldest months in the region. This practice is prevalent across the GB and Chitral region, under different names. Talking to APP, Nadeem Khan, a resident of Gilgit Konodas said that high price of wood for heating purposes in the market has affected the routine life of the people. He urged the government to take notice of the issue as the area lack LPG and other sources of heating. Abdul Haleem, a resident of Gilgit, has said that the beauty of GB remains largely unexplored and its hospitality has no match. He, however, said that the government and political representatives should work on provision of basic amenities of life to the people, particularly during in winter season. No doubt, the region is blessed with rich natural resources but it needs proper utilization to facilitate the public, he added. Atta Ullah, a resident of Tangir Valley and a Lecturer in a local college said that due to lack of alternate energy sources in the area, woods are being used as a source of fuel for heating purposes. “Consequently, deforestation takes place due to which natural beauty of the area is affected”, he added. He, however, said that it was really boring to stay indoors all the time, therefore, in every winter vacation; I have to spend some time either in Rawalpindi or Lahore to stay away from unfriendly weather conditions of the area.

Saidpur Village reflects history, culture, religious heritage of three eras ISLAMABAD APP

Located at slopes of Margallah Hills in federal capital of Islamabad, the architectural design of almost eroded buildings of Saidpur Village has a rich history of culture, religious heritage and influence of three eras of Muslim, Hindu and Sikh. Saidpur is one of the oldest villages of Pakistan. It is more than five hundred years old village known for its rich heritage, culture, history and folklore. The village mentioned in Tuzk-eJahangiri as “a place beyond Rawalpindi” has a unique attraction in its serene environment; anyone who passes by it falls in love with it. Jahangir, thus, married the owner of the village – the daughter of Said Khan. After witnessing the majestic beauty of Saidpur village, without any hesitation,

Jahangir would be called the son-in-law of Islamabad (capital of Pakistan). There is completely a different experience to visit Saidpur in the day light and in the calm evenings. One can feel the difference of two different times by looking at the surroundings. During day time, especially in holidays, the place is packed with people while in the evening; the place narrates its own tales of different eras. Both summer and winter has its own charm in the village. According to the history, in 1530 AD, Mirza Fateh Ali founded the village. Initially, it came to be known after him as Fatehpur Baoli. However, later, when the area was given to Said Khan Gakhar by the Mughal Emperor Akbar for his family’s services in the fight against Afghan warrior Sher Shah Suri, the name of the village changed from Fatehpur to Saidpur.

The village was named Saidpur after Sultan Said Khan; son of Sultan Sarang Khan during the rule of Mughal Emperor Babar Sultan Sarang Khan was the Lord of Pothohar region (from Jhelum to Attock). Later, Said Khan gifted this place to his daughter who was married to Mughal emperor Jahangir son of Mughal emperor Akbar. Saidpur is a worth visiting and historically fascinating place in Islamabad holding the culture and history of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs all together at a time. Jahangir’s biography, Tuzk-eJahangiri mentioned him staying in Saidpur while he was on his way to Kabul. The village used to be a garden resort at that time. Talking to APP, Mohammad Saad, a visitor at the place said, “It was not the taste of food or name of the restaurants that attracted me. It was rather the aroma

CMYK

and cultural history of the village that fascinated me”, he added. A Hindu commander Raja Man Singh later converted Saidpur into a place of Hindu worship. He constructed small ponds and temples for the worship of Hindus. Those temples have been preserved to show the history and culture of Hindu in the region. Alongside the temple, a Gurdwara was also built by the Sikhs, probably in the 20th century. Attached to the gurdwara is a big-sized room, which served as a school for teaching the philosophy of Guru Nanak. Until the Partition, Waheguru and the goddesses of Kali and Lakshami resided side by side. The apron of the temple where once upper-class Hindus used to take Parsaad, now serves as a dining place of Des Pardes and Andaaz- a high-end restaurants, catering to elites only. The temple,

empty and in shambles, stands ready for a selfie with the visitors. A local resident Shahban Ali said that the gardens mentioned in the biography of Jahangir have now vanished due to the climate changes and lack of care. But the recent restoration and preservation in 2006 by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) have given life to this place and have brought a huge number of tourists that highlights the importance of the site. The work to convert Saidpur into a multicultural and historical tourist attraction was started by CDA in 2006 under the supervision of Chairman of the Authority Mr. Kamran Lashari. Saidpur was successfully converted into a beautiful quaint village in 2008. The government of France has provided technical assistance to Pakistan in this work.

Monday, 6 January, 2020

KP GoVt decides to enact Laws for safety of aGricuLturaL Lands PESHAWAR

APP

HE Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government has decided to make legislation to prevent agriculture lands from unlawful housing societies in the province. Officials in KP Agriculture and Livestock Department told APP on Sunday that all housing societies would be required to take no objections certificates from Government before launching their projects on agricultural lands. The officials said preference would be given to housing projects on unproductive and infertile lands to reduce pressure on agriculture lands. The conversion of agriculture and cultivable lands into housing societies was a big challenge and a principal decision has been taken to make necessary legislation for protection of agriculture lands from unlawful housing societies in the province. "Out of 20.646 million acres land of Khyber Pakthunkhwa, around 4.627 million acres are under- cultivation while 16.18 million is uncultivable",the officials said. To bring this vast unproductive land under agriculture net, PC-1 of 15 new projects were prepared for 2019-20 under which 14 projects including 11 PSDP projects worth Rs 44 billion approved and funds for 14 projects were released by the Government. These projects would mainly focus on improvement in watercourses, pro-

tection of water resources in rainy areas, construction of small and medium dams, production of wheat, rice, oil besides fattening of calves of buffaloes, cows and strengthening of agriculture and livestock services. The Federal and KP Governments have joined hands to promote agriculture, fisheries and livestock services in merged areas to alleviate poverty and generate employment opportunities for tribal people. To achieve these objectives, seven agriculture and livestock projects worth Rs 4.20 million focusing on increasing of meat and milk production, water conservation, livestock and dairy services have been approved for merged areas. Likewise, the Government has developed a multifaceted Accelerated Implementation Program (AIP) for merged areas during 2019-20 under which different agriculture programs worth Rs1970million has been prepared primarily focusing on enhancement of crops' productivity, producing of virus free seeds, solarization of tube-wells and building of small dams. These projects include Integrated Agricultural Development Program (IADP) worth Rs750 million, merged areas' contribution to Prime Minister's National Agriculture Emergency Program (NAEP), construction of small check dams and watercourses worth Rs580 million for current fiscal year. Special program for production of virus free seeds would be launched in Kurrum and Orakzai tribal districts on which approximately Rs180 million

Lok Virsa museum depicts past glory of Pakistan ISLAMABAD: The National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (Lok Virsa) Museum has depicted the hallowing glory of Pakistan with a great splendor and historic grandeur that defined the creation of Pakistan with an aroma of great contributions, achievements and sacrifices. The museum does not remain confined to merely political developments rather unveils the historic, cultural and social evolution that lead to a separate homeland for the Muslims of British India. It also enunciated the great civilizations inhabiting this part of the subcontinent. The region that is home to the world's first university that spread knowledge across the globe with its pupils coming from different regions. Besides, the museum presents the great achievements of the region since ancient social evolution, the struggle to achieve Pakistan and the establishment of Pakistan. The Museum built at the western elevation near Zero Point highlights the sacrifices of the striving heroes of the country in chronological order and with historical facts. An official in the museum told APP that a large number of local tourists as well as foreigners regularly visit the museum and pay rich tributes to the great heroes of the nation. He said the Museum commemorated national heroes in a way that really attracted people. "The nations that cherish and reckon their past to inherit true history of their great forefathers put a strong foundation of a bright future," he said. He said Pakistan Monument Museum also housed reference library, audio-visual material, conference halls and a fiveseater auditorium (Panorama Hall). He said various aspects were being reviewed to further improve the museum to attract more tourists. APP

ISLAMABAD: Activists protest the assassination of Iran’s Major General Qasem Soleimani in a US airstrike in Baghdad. inP

NEWS

Life comes to a halt in GB as mercury dips GILGIT APP

Saidpur Village reflects history, culture, religious heritage of three eras ISLAMABAD APP

Located at slopes of Margallah Hills in federal capital of Islamabad, the architectural design of almost eroded buildings of Saidpur Village has a rich history of culture, religious heritage and influence of three eras of Muslim, Hindu and Sikh. Saidpur is one of the oldest villages of Pakistan. It is more than five hundred years old village known for its rich heritage, culture, history and folklore. The village mentioned in Tuzk-e-Jahangiri as “a place beyond Rawalpindi” has a unique attraction in its serene environment; anyone who passes by it falls in love with it. Jahangir, thus, married the owner of the village – the daughter of Said Khan. After witnessing the majestic beauty of Saidpur village, without any hesitation,

The village was named Saidpur after Sultan Said Khan; son of Sultan Sarang Khan during the rule of Mughal Emperor Babar Sultan Sarang Khan was the Lord of Pothohar region (from Jhelum to Attock). Later, Said Khan gifted this place to his daughter who was married to Mughal emperor Jahangir son of Mughal emperor Akbar. Saidpur is a worth visiting and historically fascinating place in Islamabad holding the culture and history of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs all together at a time. Jahangir’s biography, Tuzk-e-Jahangiri mentioned him staying in Saidpur while he was on his way to Kabul. The village used to be a garden resort at that time. Talking to APP, Mohammad Saad, a visitor at the place said, “It was not the taste of food or name of the restaurants that attracted me. It was rather the aroma

CMYK

rants, catering to elites only. The temple, empty and in shambles, stands ready for a selfie with the visitors. A local resident Shahban Ali said that the gardens mentioned in the biography of Jahangir have now vanished due to the climate changes and lack of care. But the recent restoration and preservation in 2006 by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) have given life to this place and have brought a huge number of tourists that highlights the importance of the site. The work to convert Saidpur into a multicultural and historical tourist attraction was started by CDA in 2006 under the supervision of Chairman of the Authority Mr. Kamran Lashari. Saidpur was successfully converted into a beautiful quaint village in 2008. The government of France has provided technical assistance to Pakistan in this work.

Monday, 6 January, 2020

06 WORLD VIEW

a ‘forever war’ wiTh iran is unlikely. buT more deaTh and violenCe seems ineviTable Time

JaMeS STaVRidiS

HE sudden, shocking killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani by a U.S. drone at the Baghdad airport is one of those moments when a big door swings violently on a seemingly small hinge. How can the death of one man, largely unknown to the U.S. public, cause such an extraordinary range of potentially dangerous outcomes? What are the options, both for Iran and the U.S. moving forward? Suleimani was part Niccoli Machiavelli, part Cardinal Richelieu, and part battle-hardened special forces foot soldier. Revered in Tehran, he was despised throughout much of the region. The hackneyed phrase, “he had blood on his hands” doesn’t begin to describe the level of death and destruction he left in his wake across the Middle East. Taking his piece off the chessboard is a tactical success for the U.S., especially given his talent and devotion to the hardline regime. But what

is missing is any sense of a strategic direction forward, either for the U.S. or Iran. Let’s start with Iran, which has the more immediate set of choices to make. Given Soleimani’s role as leader of the Iranian military establishment and his significant political aspirations, Iran’s mullahs will be compelled to respond significantly. Their range of options within the Middle East is wide, and the most obvious one would be direct attacks against US personnel in Afghanistan (where the Iranians have deep pockets of influence in the west of the country), Iraq (doubling down on taking out the U.S. Embassy or targeting personnel), Syria or Saudi Arabia. These could be done with improvised explosive devices, surface-to-surface missiles, or direct combat missions by Iranian special forces. The Iranians could also turn to the sea, striking U.S. warships of the 5th Fleet in the Arabian Gulf, using diesel submarines, cruise missiles, or so-called “swarm attacks” of small boats or closing the Strait of Hormuz to merchant shipping, something they have consistently threatened and signaled through much of 2019. They can also attack US allies, unleashing their surrogate Hezbollah against Israel, perhaps using the massive surfaceto-surface rocket inventory based in southern Lebanon; renewing attacks against Saudi oilfields, increasing the level of the fall 2019 strikes against oil infrastructure; or seize another tanker from the United Kingdom or other U.S. partners. Finally, they can also choose less

conventional options, perhaps a targeted assassination of a senior U.S. military diplomat or military figure in the region or closer to the U.S. itself, claiming they are responding proportionally. And almost certainly they will attempt to use offensive cyber capability to degrade U.S. military command and control, destroy or manipulate key data in the U.S. financial sector, sow chaos in our transportation infrastructure, or attack the electric grid. Most likely, they will choose some combination of these options, all designed to give President Trump a bad set of choices – either he will have to take further military action, pushing the U.S. toward another “endless war” that he campaigned on ending; or if he doesn’t act, appearing weak in the face of Iranian action. The Iranians want some form of sanction relief before returning to re-negotiate the failed nuclear weapon accord, but that seems very far away at the moment. On the U.S. side, the first imperative is to improve defenses across the large threat surface described above. Expect additional deployments of sensors and intelligence gathering systems; missile defense around key U.S. bases such as Al Udid in Qatar; specialized U.S Marine detachments to our embassies around the region; substantial ground troops (the first elements of the 82nd airborne division are en route to Kuwait now); more precision guided air munitions and additional fighter-bombers; perhaps another carrier strike group (an aircraft carrier with an air wing of 70 combat

aircraft); and a Marine Expeditionary Unit. That set of deployments is underway now, and more will be planned. Additionally, the Pentagon and U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Florida are working round-the-clock to build options for the President on the offensive side. While it appears the U.S. will at least pause for the moment and assess the Iranian response to Soleimani’s death, the National Security Council should be gaming out U.S. response if there is an Iranian attack. Some of the U.S. options under consideration would likely include attacks against Iranian conventional military facilities (naval and air bases); strikes on the Iranian fleet at sea; destruction of Iranian oil facilities to include refineries; the Iranian electrical grid; offensive cyber-attacks on key Iranian infrastructure; attacks on Iranian militias in the field in Syria and Iraq; or further targeted attacks against individual members of the Quds force. An important element in this drama is the way Iraq–already a highly divided society–will be crushed between the U.S. and Iran. For the Iraqis, this will represent the ultimate “no win” scenario, and it will only inflame the internal tensions. Both Iran and the United States will generate competing strategic narratives and attempt to influence global opinion. For the U.S., this means gathering what support is possible from our European partners (which will be scarce) and more likely combining options with the Israelis and Gulf Arabs. On the Iranian side, Russia and China will be important partners

The half-century miracle of Asian resurgence

JapaN Times RaMeSh ThaKUR

Is Japan Asian? Geographically, this is a silly question. Yet in an age in which identity politics have become increasingly critical, by economic logic, political orientation and geopolitical alliance, Japan is Western. The question is prompted by a brilliant new book by Deepak Nayyar: “Resurgent Asia: Diversity in Development” (Oxford University Press). His focus is on the development experience across Asia since 1968. Japan was the only Asian country in the 19th century to have successfully followed the Euro-Atlantic path to an industrialized modern economy and Asia’s only major power in the first half of the 20th century. Regrettably, Japan also emulated European powers in their colonial aggression, over-estimated its military prowess and paid a heavy price with military defeat, atomic bombing and occupation. Subsequently, too, Japan still belonged to the Western group of wealthy nations after recovering and re-establishing itself as the world’s second-biggest economy. Nayyar comes to the task with exceptional academic qualifications and real-world national and international policy experience. The book, magisterial in scope, blends wide-angled study of the Asian experience overall (minus already industrialized Japan) with a detailed granular study of four sub-regions and 14 countries. It combines a wealth of empirical data with numerous tables and charts and an analytical narrative with a compelling storyline. Nayyar also has a rare command of the language that makes the book a pleasure to read. His point of departure is the influential book by Swedish economist Gunnar Myrdal titled “Asian Drama: An Inquiry into the Poverty of Nations” (1968). Myrdal was pessimistic about Asia’s future because its “soft states” lacked the institutional capacity and political strength to defeat vested interests and entrenched elites. Confounding the pessimism, in the 50 years after 1968 Asia’s economic growth was without precedent in history. In successive chapters Nayyar develops a seven-part argument. First, European powers rose to economic

and geopolitical dominance on the back of the Industrial Revolution. This gave them the military wherewithal to conquer Asian lands to pursue their own commercial-strategic interests. Second, for the colonies the result was deindustrialization and impoverishment. The main reason for the “great divergence” of European and Asian income levels for over 100 years was that the terms of Asia’s integration with the world economy were dictated by the needs of the colonial powers, which extracted Asia’s resources to accumulate capital and flooded Asia’s markets with their industrial products. This caused prolonged negative growth rates and Asia’s share of world income fell from half in 1820 to 15 percent in 1960, and manufacturing share from half to 6 percent. Third, Asia’s postcolonial growth was far better than in the preceding century under colonialism. Industrialization is necessary for economic growth, and economic development for nations and social progress for peoples form a virtuous circle. There was a migration of workers from the countryside to cities, a decline in the role of agriculture in economic output and employment, and the growth of economic activities in city-based industrial and services sectors. The economic transformation underpinned a major social transformation with falling infant mortality rates, and rising literacy and life expectancy as key indicators of wellbeing. Fourth, Asia’s post-1968 record is much better than that of the Euro-Atlantic countries during the Industrial Revolution. With the right policies and institutions, latecomers to industrialization can catch up with the first industrializers. To offset the adverse initial conditions of scarce capital, unskilled labour and lack of entrepreneurship and technological capabilities, state intervention is necessary. Fallible states and imperfect markets are complements, not substitutes. Finding the right balance between them was a key factor in explaining the success of the “developmental states” of South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore, which adopted the Japanese model of the state being either the catalyst or the essential enabler of industrialization. Indigenous manufacture of steel, cement and automobiles was central to industrialization. Economic openness enabled industrialization, but only when combined with strategic coordination of trade and industrial policies, for example tariff protection of infant industries, state support to emerging industries and state-guaranteed access to credit at concessional rates of interest. Fifth, the pattern and sequence of industrialization and rates of growth varied considerably, with East Asia being the star, South Asia the laggard and Southeast Asia in between. The record of individual countries is similarly un-

even, as strikingly illustrated by China and India. Growth rates also varied considerably within countries. For example, India’s performance has been highly uneven across states and surely that would hold important lessons for successful and flawed strategies for sustained economic growth and social transformation. Nayyar doesn’t address this question. Policy frameworks, the quality of governance and political leadership are the likely explanations for the variable performance. Sixth, Asia, the world’s poorest continent in 1950, outperformed both industrialized and developing countries. The relatively better growth record has significantly increased Asia’s share of world GDP, manufactured, merchandise and services exports, and foreign exchange reserves. Seventh, the changed balance of economic power in Asia’s favor has not yet ended the West’s political hegemony in the premier institutions of global governance. Rivalries between Asian powers could continue to deny them their rightful place at the top tables of global decision-making. There are another two critical questions. Just as Myrdal’s general pessimism in 1968 was confounded by Asia’s unprecedented growth over the following 50 years, so too might the current general optimism prove misplaced over the next 50 years. Despite a massive poverty reduction by 1.1 billion people, 500 million Asians are still stuck in absolute poverty. To turn optimistic long-term forecasts into reality, Asian states will have to overcome the major challenges of mass poverty, jobless growth, rising inequality and the middle-income trap. To transition to sustained industrialization and high average incomes, countries must improve productivity through managerial capabilities, technological learning and R&D-based innovation. The most critical challenge is to sustain the process of economic growth through energy-intensive industrialization without causing fatal environmental damage. The Industrial Revolution brought sharp rises in productivity, output, incomes and living standards, but was powered by fossil fuel energy sources. Can the mega-economies of China and India switch to non-carbon sources before the world tips into an irreversible climate catastrophe? For reasons of space, Nayyar raises but does not discuss this, despite the literally life-and-death implications for all of us. The omission-based caveats notwithstanding, executives in Japan’s aid bureaucracy could benefit professionally from reading this book and absorbing its lessons for successful pathways to development. Ramesh Thakur is an emeritus professor in the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University.

at least in the diplomatic sense – particularly as the three nations just completed significant naval exercises together in the north Indian Ocean. The chances of a climb-down appear remote at this point. The nuclear accord is irreparably broken, Iran will respond strongly to Soleimani’s killing, and likely there will be more U.S. casualties. The Trump administration will then likely escalate, and this all could tumble into a prolonged period of combat – probably not another “forever war” with a large ground troop deployment, but a series of combat encounters of increasing violence that deepen the already deadly animosity between Tehran and Washington. All of this, of course, is occurring with an impeachment as backdrop and an election year in the U.S. Admiral Stavridis (Ret.) was the 16th Supreme Allied Commander at NATO and is an Operating Executive at The Carlyle Group. His latest book is Sailing True North: Ten Admirals and the Voyage of Character.

The hazards of being Ceo A landmark study has shown that executives who take big risks early on in their careers typically nab the CEO job a decade sooner than it takes the average executive who ascends to the post CNN Jeanne Sahadi

They have high-profile, high-paying jobs that may be the envy of many. But CEOs are subject to pressures and demands for which they can’t prepare. Here’s a look at the outsized expectations placed on them, the seemingly small ways they can blow it and how they can manage to avoid the landmines. THE IMPOSSIBLE JOB OF BEING CEO: In exchange for all the benefits that come with winning the corner office, CEOs have to satisfy a long and sometimes contradictory to-do list. Hit quarterly numbers. Innovate for long-term growth. Think deeply. Decide quickly. Be tough. Be vulnerable. And recognize that you’ll be under constant pressure to show positive results and conduct yourself as an exemplary leader who avoids scandal and gets on with the board and the management team. Otherwise, you could be shown the door. TRIAL BY FIRE FOR FIRST-TIME CEOS: Becoming a CEO for the first time is the ultimate stretch assignment because nothing you’ve done to date resembles what you’re about to encounter. The stakes are higher and more complex. And realize, too, just like anyone else facing a big professional challenge, even CEOs can suffer from impostor syndrome right out of the gate. Here’s what every first-time CEO should know going in. MISTAKES ARE INEVITABLE, BUT SOME CAN BE DISABLING: No CEO can get everything right. But one of the biggest regrets former CEOs often cite is having taken too long to fire someone they knew was a bad fit on their executive team. They may have felt guilty, or worried about how investors and employees would react. Or they may have thought they could fix the situation. Whatever the reason, they let a dysfunctional situation go on too long, undercutting the effectiveness of their team. That’s among the four most debilitating mistakes CEOs should avoid if possible. TAKING THE RIGHT RISK AT THE RIGHT TIME: A landmark study has shown that executives who take big risks early on in their careers typically nab the CEO job a decade sooner than it takes the average executive who ascends to the post. Whether as CEO or as an executive eyeing the corner office, top players know they have to take smart risks to ensure their companies stay competitive. But the hard part is deciding whether a big move — like making a key hire or acquisition, changing strategy or launching a new product — is worth the risk. WHY CEOS ARE PAID SO MUCH: Corporate CEOs at public companies often aren’t paid nearly as much as top executives at private equity and hedge fund firms. But their paychecks are more closely scrutinized because their companies have so many stakeholders and because they are so much larger than that of the average employee. Boards consider a number of factors when determining CEO pay, including experience, pay levels at peer companies and whether a candidate is coming from outside the company. There are also several ways they seek to tie pay to performance but often such arrangements are paid out over time and can obscure the truth of how much a chief executive is actually getting.

Monday, 6 January, 2020

FOREIGN NEWS 07

WhITe hoUSe gIveS LAWmAkerS formAL NoTIce of IrAq STrIke AmId comPLAINTS from democrATS WASHINGTON

AGENCIES

HE White House sent to Congress on Saturday formal notification of Friday’s U.S. drone strike that killed a top Iranian general, amid complaints from Democrats that President Donald Trump did not notify lawmakers or seek advance approval for the attack. The U.S. strike that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in Iraq has caused a dramatic rise in tensions between Iran and the United States and its allies. The classified notification was sent under a 1973 U.S. law called the War Powers Act, which requires the administration to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military action or imminent actions. White House national security adviser Robert O’Brien confirmed the notice had been sent and told Fox News on Saturday there were numerous legal grounds for the attack. He said Justice Department lawyers had signed off on the plan. “This was an absolute legal operation,” O’Brien said. “We feel very good about the legal basis for this military operation.” House of Representatives Speaker

Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, said it raised more questions than it answered. “This document prompts serious and urgent questions about the timing, manner and justification of the Administration’s decision to engage in hostilities against Iran,” Pelosi said in a statement. She said the “highly unusual” decision to classify the entire document compounded her concerns and “suggests that the Congress and the American people are being left in the dark about our national security.” A senior

Democratic aide described the notification as “brief and insufficient.” In the notification, Trump’s administration was expected to have explained the circumstances, the authority under which the action was taken and the expected scope and duration of the military involvement. The White House declined to comment. Senator Bernie Sanders, a contender for the Democratic nomination to run against Trump in November’s presidential election, said on Saturday

that Congress must take immediate steps to restrain the president “from plunging our nation into yet another endless war.” Senator Elizabeth Warren, another Democratic presidential candidate, told reporters on Saturday that Trump has taken the United States “to the brink of war” and called his actions “reckless. He evidently has no plan.” Pelosi has said the strike in Baghdad was conducted without specific authorization from Congress and “without the consultation of the Congress.” On Saturday she described the administration’s military engagement as “provocative, escalatory and disproportionate” and said it put U.S. citizens, troops and their allies in danger. The Pentagon on Friday briefed staff members from the House Armed Services Committee and Senate Armed Services Committee on the attack. On Friday, Democratic U.S. Senator Tim Kaine introduced a resolution to force a debate and vote in Congress to prevent further escalation of hostilities with Iran. Republicans in Congress have generally backed Trump’s action. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Friday that “no man alive was more directly responsible for the deaths of more American service members than Qassem Soleimani.”

Venezuela’s opposition pushes to re-elect Guaido as congress chief CARACAS AGENCIES

Venezuela’s congress will vote for new leadership on Sunday with the opposition party hoping to re-elect Juan Guaido, who has been recognized by more than 50 nations as the country’s legitimate president. Guaido, facing a heavy pressure campaign by the government of President Nicolas Maduro, has accused the ruling Socialist Party of offering legislators suitcases of cash to vote against his second term as the head of the National Assembly. A victory for Guaido would allow the opposition to continue pressuring for the exit of Maduro, who has become a pariah among Western nations for undermining democracy and overseeing a spectacular economic collapse of a once prosperous nation. “Today the National Assembly will ratify @jguaido as president,” wrote opposition legislator Stalin Gonzalez via Twitter. “And for those who sold their souls for a few dollars, let me tell you that you’ve been swindled.” Maduro calls Guaido a puppet of the United

States, and says the country’s economic problems are the result of Washington’s sanctions program that restricts U.S. companies from buying the OPEC nation’s oil exports or doing business with the government. He has hung on to power despite low approval ratings and a year-long effort by the Trump administration to force him from power. Police and national guard troops on Sunday morning surrounded congress, creating an unusual security cordon and restricting press access to the legislative palace. The opposition says that about 30 opposition legislators are in exile or in hiding due to judicial proceedings, most of which are associated a failed military uprising against Maduro’s government in April. The government in December approved legal proceedings against four opposition lawmakers accused of treason and conspiracy. Opposition party Popular Will in December said a special forces police detained lawmaker Gilber Caro and one of his assistants in Caracas. Last month, the legislature changed its internal

Netanyahu, in apparent stumble, calls Israel ‘nuclear power’ JERUSALEM: In an apparent slip of the tongue on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Israel as a nuclear power before correcting himself with a bashful nod and an embarrassed smile. Israel is widely believed to have an atomic arsenal but has never confirmed or denied that it has nuclear weapons, maintaining a so-called policy of ambiguity on the issue for decades. Netanyahu stumbled at the weekly cabinet meeting while reading in Hebrew prepared remarks on a deal with Greece and Cyprus on a subsea gas pipeline. “The significance of this project is that we are turning Israel into a nuclear power,” he said, before quickly correcting himself to say “energy power”. He then paused for a beat, acknowledging his mistake with a smile, and then ploughed on with his comments. The rare blooper from one of Israel’s most polished politicians swiftly proliferated on social media. Netanyahu is fighting for his political survival in a March 2 vote after two inconclusive elections in April and September. In November, he was indicted on corruption charges, which he denies. AGENCIES

Pope calls for dialogue and restraint amid growing US-Iran tensions MILAN: Pope Francis called on Sunday for dialogue and restraint two days after the killing of a top Iranian military commander by the United States. Speaking at the Sunday Angelus prayer at the Vatican, the pope did not mention Iran by name but spoke of a terrible air of tension that could now be felt in many parts of the world. “I call on all sides to keep the flame of dialogue and self-restraint alight and ward off the shadow of hostility,” he said. “War only brings death and destruction.” On Friday a U.S. drone strike on a convoy at Baghdad airport killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani, drawing promises of harsh revenge by Tehran. AGENCIES

Saudi Arabia condemns Turkish escalation in Libya

procedures to allow lawmakers to vote virtually in efforts to allow the participation of those who cannot be physically present. The change was immediately shot down by the pro-government supreme court.

CAIRO: Saudi Arabia condemns “the recent Turkish escalation in Libya” and the Turkish parliament’s approval of a troop deployment to Libya, and considers it a violation of U.N. Security Council decisions, the foreign ministry said in a statement on the state news agency SPA. The statement added that “the kingdom affirms that this Turkish escalation poses a threat to the security and stability in Libya and a threat to Arab and regional security, as it is an interference in the internal affairs of an Arab country in flagrant violation of international principles and covenants.” AGENCIES

Australia begins damage assessment amid temporary respite from bushfires SYDNEY AGENCIES

Australian authorities began assessing the damage on Sunday from heatwavespurred bushfires that swept through two states a day earlier, as cooler conditions provided a temporary respite from blazes that have scarred the country’s east coast for weeks. Light rain and cooler temperatures in the southeast of the country were a welcome change from the searing heat that has fueled the devastating fires, but officials warned they were not enough to put out almost 200 fires still burning. “It certainly is a welcome reprieve, it is psychological relief if nothing else,” New South Wales (NSW) state Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said in an afternoon briefing on the situation. “But unfortunately it is not putting out the fires.” Tens of thousands of homes in both NSW and Victoria states were without power on Sunday as a large-scale military and police effort continued to provide supplies and evacuate thousands of peo-

ple who have been trapped for days in coastal towns by the fires. Initial estimates put damaged or destroyed properties in the hundreds, but authorities said the mass evacuations by residents of at-risk areas appear to have prevented major loss of life. Twenty-four people have been killed since the start of this year’s wildfire season. Fire officials said temperatures were expected to rise again during the week and the next major flashpoint would come by Thursday, but it was too early to gauge the likely severity of the threat. “The weather activity we’re seeing, the extent and spread of the fires, the speed at which they’re going, the way in which they are attacking communities who have never ever seen fire before is unprecedented,” NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said. Thousands of people have been evacuated from coastal towns at the peak of the summer holiday season, in one of the biggest coordinated operations since the evacuation of Darwin after Cyclone Tracy flattened the northern city in 1974.

Australia has been battling blazes across much of its east coast for months, with experts saying climate change has been a major factor in a three-year drought that has left much of the country’s bushland tinder-dry and susceptible to fires. Following are highlights of what is happening across Australia: - Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Singapore and Papua New Guinea have made offers of military support; New Zealand was sending an additional three Air Force helicopters and crews, two Army Combat Engineer Sections and a command element to support Australian Defense efforts. As smoke cleared, about 350 people were due to be airlifted out of the Victorian town of Mallacoota on Sunday, where around 1,000 people were evacuated by sea on Friday. That would leave about 400 people who had chosen to stay in the community, The Age newspaper reported. No fires were burning out of control in the New South Wales, but four fires in Victoria had Evacuate Now or Emergency Level warnings.

A threat earlier on Sunday to the NSW town of Eden had eased by late afternoon, and authorities said evacuation was no longer necessary. Haze from the fires was turning skies orange as far away as New Zealand; police there asked people to not call the emergency phone number. In Canberra, officials asked for 100,000 extra breathing masks from the

national stockpile as the country’s capital recorded the worst air quality in the world on Sunday, according to the IQAir AirVisual global index. The masks are expected to arrive on Monday. Actors, popstars and Britain’s royal family stepped in to offer support for victims of the fires, helping to raise millions for firefighting services and wildlife shelters.

Monday, 6 January, 2020

08 COMMENT Holding back for more The Opposition wants more time

HE Opposition intends to allow the government the legislation, mandated by the Supreme Court, which it needs to allow the COAS an extension in service, but it appears intent on doing so according to its own timetable rather than that of the government. the government had planned to have the National Assembly and Senate Standing Committees on Defence meet on Monday, so that passage could be accomplished through Parliament on Wednesday. However, at Sunday’s meeting of the committees, meeting as the parliamentary committee on defence, the opposition asked for the passage to be put forward by a week, to Wednesday 15. the purpose of this delay may well be to allow more time for the quelling of the rebellions within the opposition parties against the decision to support the government. the result of the support extended to the government is not being seen by party cadres as a gesture of support towards the armed forces at a time of unprecedented external threats to the country, but as a craven surrender before the might of the armed forces, even though that is something the parties had set out to rectify. the failure of the party leaderships to extract any establishment of civilian supremacy over the armed forces from the current imbroglio has led to the ranks and file of the respective parties dissatisfied. While the establishment has achieved the salvation of the opposition though the release of such leaders as the PML-N’s Nawaz Sharif and Maryum Nawaz, and the PPP’s Asif Zardari and Faryal talpur, the real achievement has been the fracturing of opposition unity, with all and sundry blaming Leader of the Opposition Shahbaz Sharif for not taking all parties on board, with the JUI-F declaring that they would not support the bill, and would either abstain or oppose. the entire episode has shown that there will be no assertion of parliamentary supremacy over the military. It is not to be expected of the present government, but the opposition parties have been ousted in the past by the military, yet now show a willingness to act as a rubberstamp for the government. While the struggle for civilian supremacy will have to wait for another time, there are the NAB Ordinance amendments coming up. the opposition might want extra time over the Army Act to dicker over NABO changes, so that they are more in its favour.

Solo flight Collective Cabinet responsibility set at naught

t would seem that federal Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri has not heard of collective Cabinet responsibility, or the Foreign Office has not. Mr Qadri told the audience of a ceremony to distribute aid from the International Islamic Relief Organization among the serving people of Azad Kashmir that Pakistan would side with Saudi Arabia in the fast-changing situation in the Middle East because the kingdom had always supported the country in the face of every difficult situation. Saudi Ambassador Nawaf Al-Maliki was also present. Was he supposed to report back to his government this exuberant commitment, of the statement of the Foreign Office, as the stance of the Pakistan government? the Foreign Office had been careful not to take any sides in its statement on the assassination of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani, calling for all to adhere to the UN Charter. It certainly did not extend the kind of carte blanche that Mr Qadri did. Presumably, that statement represented Pakistan’s official collective position. Mr Qadri should realise that Cabinet members are supposed to present a united front, and express the same view. If a Cabinet member feels that he cannot support a particular view, let alone oppose it, he is free to resign. Mr Qadri’s view is not without support, and he is free to win over others to his view, but then he must not remain in the Cabinet. He has done this before, meeting the Chinese Ambassador some months back to argue for better treatment of Uighurs, even though the Foreign Office termed their treatment an internal Chinese affair. Creating confusion among foreign powers is not done. If Mr Qadri does not like the government’s policy, he should not be part of the government. this applies even to relative part-timers like whips, let alone to fullfledged members of the Cabinet. Letting Mr Qadri continue in the Cabinet after the incident with the Chinese ambassador was the first mistake. It is to be hoped that Mr Qadri is not allowed to continue his solo flight.

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

Umar Aziz

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Executive Editor

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Important lessons from the Global Financial Development Report (2019/20) The report has relevance to Pakistan

Dr Omer JaveD

HE World Bank recently launched the fifth report under its series of Global Financial Development Report (GFDR), titled ‘Banking regulation and supervision a decade after the global financial crisis’ to reflect upon the decade since the global financial crisis (GFC) of 2007/09. In the words of GFDR 2019/20, ‘this Global Financial Development Report is a crucial contribution to the ongoing policy debate on the role of banking regulation and supervision in ensuring a banking sector that delivers stable and inclusive growth. the report ‘is a product of the staff of the World Bank with external contributions.’ Here, identifying a structural break in policy thinking on the banking and financial sector overall, GFDR 2019/20 highlights, ‘the decade prior to the crisis was characterized by the deregulation of banking sectors in several geographies, especially in advanced economies. the onset of the crisis ushered in a period of intense reregulation of the banking sector, with several initiatives put in motion to address the flaws made so apparent during the crisis.’ Since, it is an interconnected world, especially in terms of financial linkages, the Report is relevant both for developed and developing countries. Hence, there are important lessons for Pakistan’s banking and overall financial sector. Firstly, the Report highlights that it is important to crowd-in the private sector for not only ‘growth in developing countries, but also as a foundation for the kind of market discipline that can prevent excessive risk-taking...’ this is indeed very important to learn for countries, both developing and developed, that while it is important for making available greater flow of loanable funds, it is more important to not allow banks to create highly risky instruments; a case in point being the crisis in the housing mortgagerelated sector, which in turn became one of the contributors to the build-up of the GFC 2007/09. Moreover, as the current government in Pak-

istan builds momentum towards meeting its tar- intermediation of funds.’ Fifthly, the Report underlines the importance get of building five million cost-effective/affordable houses, it needs to be careful not to be of political economic context for policy formutempted to allow or influence banks into ventur- lation dealing with financial sector, and indicates ing into creating risky mortgage instruments. ‘In general, the incentives and accountability of this is all the more important for a developing bank supervisors for their decisions and actions country like Pakistan not to do, since unlike the will have an important bearing on the effectivedeveloped world, there may not be enough fiscal ness of regulation and supervision.’ Sixthly, GFDR 2019/20 highlights the censpace to bail out the banking sector in the event of default on mortgage payments. the space of trality of incentives and competition for banking risk-taking is all the more less than the developed regulation policy, and points out ‘the focus world, because of a) high and stubborn inflation should, however, always remain on the implications of the regulatory likely to influence continchanges for incentives and uation of a tight monetary competition. Bank capital stance, which in turn regulation, market disciwould not allow ease on Among other important pline, and bank superviinterest payments, and b) highlights are ‘[a] Market sion are interrelated and existence of high level of may complement or subcosts and risks associated discipline may have stitute for each other in with prevalence of large different contexts.’ information asymmetries, deteriorated because of Moreover, the Report and transaction costs. bank bailouts that highlights ‘latest trends in Secondly, in order to bank regulation and superavoid falling into such undermined long term vision in developing and risks generally, the Report incentives for private high income countries.’ recommends, ‘the right Among other things, it is regulatory and supervisory monitoring... [b] Bank pointed out that ‘a key role environment— accompanied by effective financial supervision has become of bank capital is to increase the resilience of sector policies— is key to stricter, and also more banks to cope with unexcreating a financial system pected losses in their asset that can attract private capcomplex. Supervisory portfolios... [where]... ital and align private incencapacity has not improved worldwide, there has been tives with the public good.’ a trend toward increasing thirdly, at the same proportionally to match minimum regulatory capitime, the latest GFDR points out that while a lot the greater complexity of tal requirements to improve banking system has been written about the bank regulations... resilience, although, on impact of GFC 2007/09, average, the trend has been ‘and associated changes in [where]... in many more marked for developbank regulation and superdeveloping countries, a ing countries than high-invision from the perspective come ones.’ of advanced countries, lack of regulatory Among other importhere has been less focus tant highlights are ‘[a] on how those changes have independence is also a Market discipline may affected banking sectors in major impediment to have deteriorated because developing regions.’ of bank bailouts that unFourthly, the Report performing effective dermined long term incenhighlights that while GFC banking supervision.’ tives for private 2007/09 focused the attenmonitoring... [b] Bank sution of policy makers on pervision has become financial stability, there stricter, and also more was a deeper focus on not only microprudential policies, but also there was complex. Supervisory capacity has not improved greater inclusion of macroprudential policies, proportionally to match the greater complexity whereby the Report highlights that ‘since the of bank regulations... [where]... in many develglobal financial crisis, macroprudential tools oping countries, a lack of regulatory independhave been included in bank supervisors’ toolkits ence is also a major impediment to performing in order to identify and curb the risks posed by effective banking supervision.’ individual banks to the overall financial system.’ Omer Javed holds PhD in Economics degree this has allowed, in turn, both greater regulation of market misconduct, and also promoted greater from the University of Barcelona, and previously competition, which ‘constrains monopoly power worked at International Monetary Fund. He and allows efficient allocation of resources and tweets @omerjaved

Poverty alleviation: The way forward for prosperity and tranquility Dr Faisal ali “the greatest shock of this decade is that more people are about to lose more money than in any time before in our history. But the second greatest shock will be the incredible amount of money just a relatively small group of people will make at exactly the same time.” — (Larry Bates, The New Economic Disorder, p 1)

INCE the dawn of modern economics, several models have emerged in the economic literature to combat poverty in the horizontal as well as vertical angle. Each model has its own pluspoints but most of the economists of the world fail to realize one important factor behind poverty in this modern world. that factor which is an impediment in eliminating the poverty from the world is Compound Interest in our society, which is also responsible for evolution of economic collapses at government as well as at community level. In the words of Larry Bates….“the servicing of this debt requires the Federal Reserve to

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always be in a posture of creating more money in order to stave off a collapse… this is simply compound interest in full operation… all of this within itself is inflationary.” (Pp 126-127) Nobel laureate Frederick Soddy once said … “You cannot permanently pit an absurd human convention, such as the spontaneous increment of debt (Compound Interest) against the natural law of the spontaneous decrement of wealth (entropy)”. (Cartesian Economics, p 30) Banerjee and Esther Duflo in Poor Economics: A Radical Thinking of the way to Fight Global Poverty discuss the contrasting approaches by Jeffrey Sachs and William Easterly. Jeffrey Sachs holds the “Poverty trap” responsible for the prevalence of poverty while William Easterly implicates aid as a suppressing force for downtrodden society. the authors of the book argue that both Sachs and Easterly may be right but the point which I consider worthy of mentioning over here is that the cycle of poverty will continue around the world until and unless the system of economic and social disorder in which we live today is reformed. In my view, the interest- and usury-based Fractional Reserve Banking is responsible for the Debt trap while child sexual abuse and terrorism are behind the Poverty trap. For these reasons, the

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eradication of interest-based fractional reserve banking, child sexual abuse and terrorism are the needs of this era. the assumptions of my model for eradication of poverty are very simple. those assumptions are… Abolish interest and usury based Fractional Reserve banking. Eradicate child sexual abuse because it leads to various psychiatric and psychological disorders plus pathological conditions like AIDS and Neisseria gonorrhea Eliminate terrorism and Proxy wars the interest-bearing activities like subprime loans, Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs), credit default swaps and margin trading may be discarded as soon as possible. the Islamic model of Zakat and other charity models in the economic literature should be studied and explored worldwide to beat the horrors and extremities of poverty. Similarly, the Demurrage and time Banking should also be given due coverage in the print and electronic media of the world for the benefit of mankind. Every human being has the right to become rich if he is born poor, but if the poor dies in poor conditions then it implies that either it is his fault or there is a flaw in a system around him or her.

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Monday, 6 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

Social media, a blessing in disguise

Moving towards war Suleimani’s killing has forced Pakistan into a tight spot

syeD Kaswar GarDezi

N an unprecedented development over the weekend, tensions soared between Iran and the USA as the latter eliminated a top Iranian military general, known to be the second most powerful man in the Islamic Republic. While the trump Administration continues to defend the strike, thousands around the world are protesting the killing, terming it unnecessary and uncalled for. For the first time in years, both countries are on the brink of a direct engagement. In the past, proxy battles have been fought between the two nations through militias and other forces. But taking out a military general was a direct assault on Iran and there is every likelihood of a direct response. the strong condemnations and threats of retaliation which followed the assassination are alarming and give rise to chances of a direct conflict in the region which could potentially spill the blood of hundreds of thousands. Even though the Iranian general has been termed a terrorist by the trump regime, however, what perturbs most is that it was the very same general who fought off the ISIS in Syria and Iraq and successfully defeated them. Would that be termed as a terrorist fighting another? Or would it be considered that he was used and discarded? Either way, what the trump Administration failed to consider is the fact that, Qasem Soleimani wasn’t another militant leader, the killing of whom would be celebrated around the world. Most Westerners had never even heard the name branded as a terrorist prior to his killing. the pivotal question which arises is the urgency and need of taking out an Iranian general in the present circumstances. Democratic representatives within the USA have termed the killing of the general as unwarranted as there wasn’t any need to heighten escalation between the countries over night. As opposed to creating a safer environment, the strike has put at risk safety and harmony in the entire region. Iran and the USA remain the closest to war than they have been in decades. Occasional rocket attacks surely couldn’t have

Any move which Pakistan makes amidst prompted the killing of Iran’s top military general. there appears to be more than meets the the ongoing tensions would have far-reaching eye. the killing of Al-Qaeda chief Osama ben repercussions. We have to bear in mind the ChiLaden or ISIS Caliph Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi nese investment in our country and at the same were one thing, but eliminating a country’s gen- time maintain our “brotherly” relations with eral and terming it as a necessary corollary of Saudi Arabia, without forgetting our close proxthe War on terror surely creates perplexity. till imity with Iran itself coupled with US influence the time Iran is not officially designated as a ter- and pressure on us for the longest time. In fact, it might not seem that way but Pakrorist state, killing its generals and passing it off as the killing of terrorists isn’t a plausible justi- istan remains the most at risk of being embroiled into a fication. It appears that controversial position. the USA intended to start Our stakes pertaining to off the decade by sending all the parties are considout a tough message to Let us hope better sense erably high and Pakistan the Iranians and defining needs to tread carefully, who would be calling the prevails and both sides bearing in mind the conshots in all future eventuexercise caution before sequences of all possible alities between the countries. taking any steps. The USA, decisions. It would be in Pakistan’s interests to deOn the face of it, instead of continued fuse the tensions between there wasn’t an immedithe two countries; a feat ate threat of war between threats of attacking multiple unachievable at the mothe two countries prior to the killing. But in the afIranian targets in the event ment owing to the killing of Iran’s most revered termath, war drums conof any retaliation, should military leader. tinue to be beaten and the All things aside, it anger and astonishment rather focus on defusing can safely be stated that within Iran is building up the tensions. If peace was the killing of the Iranian towards a bigger conflict. general was uncalled for Had the USA been under Trump’s actual purpose, in the given circumconstant attack by the Iranian military, then then he should be focused stances as it has merely fuel to the fire. the such an action could have on putting out the fire, as added world isn’t a safer place been justified. However, after his killing but in fact an out-of-the-blue killing opposed to adding more is more dangerous at the of the general has paved fuel to it like an immature moment. A direct strike way for a dangerous conon the Iranians was an unflict. A conflict which leader. All neighbouring necessary abuse of force wouldn’t remain confined to the borders of nations, including Pakistan, and cannot be justified by statements. taking Iran or Iraq but has the should step in and defuse mere the entire region closer potential to spread like wildfire and engulf the the heightened tensions for towards war surely isn’t a step towards achieving entire region. Not only the betterment of the entire world peace. has the strike put the us hope better peace of Iran in jeopardy region. Politics at all costs senseLetprevails and both but all of its surrounding sides exercise caution benations remain at risk of should be avoided fore taking any steps. the being embroiled in a conUSA, instead of continued flict which may follow. threats of attacking multithe Russian and Chinese governments have already condemned the ple Iranian targets in the event of any retaliation, attack and have warned the USA to refrain from should rather focus on defusing the tensions. If unnecessary abuse of power. Israel on the other peace was trump’s actual purpose, then he hand remains geared up, foreseeing potential re- should be focused on putting out the fire, as optaliation by Iran towards its soil. Saudi Arabia, posed to adding more fuel to it like an immature another archrival of Iran, would be on the other leader. All neighbouring nations, including Pakside of the conflict in case of a war. Such a istan, should step in and defuse the heightened quandary puts Pakistan in a tight spot. Even tensions for the betterment of the entire region. though we generally side with the Saudis in Politics at all costs should be avoided. most situations however, the current mercury Syed Kaswar Gardezi is a lawyer and a isn’t high between them and Iran. It is a choice between the USA and our western neighbor. columnist. He can be contacted at kaswargardezi@gmail.com Not an easy decision to make, certainly.

IN the Pakistani society it isn’t unprecedented to feel that internet-based life is a threat which has spread especially among youths to destroy their lives. Frequently seen as the best issue of our age, web-based life is intensely scrutinised. However, there are sure benefits of online networking which can refute this manner of thinking. this conviction springs from what online life sites have been named as. Destinations, for example, Facebook and twitter have gotten incredible analysis starting late normally being seen as a path for youngsters to squander their days on their electronic gadgets. this to a degree can even be viewed as obvious yet just in the event that one contemplates over the outside of the ocean that is present day media. While indeed, web-based life may have expanded the utilisation of electronic gadgets, the benefits accompanying it are much more than that of a silver coating. In the electronic age of the 21st century, online life is the best stage to make mindfulness. We would now be able to see works pioneers, scandalously Donald trump, running their administration of web-based life locales, for example, twitter. this mass mindfulness has demonstrated to really be a gift. the #BlackLivesMatter and #WeArethe1% for the Ferguson and Occupy Wall Street Movement individually have been more prominent occasions of social developments which did make mindfulness about critical issues as well as tackled these issues. All however the two issues conflicted with the standards which had been set a state as incredible as the United States of America, when mass familiarity with an issue becomes even the best countries need to pay regard. Along these lines, internet-based life costs to be a crucial resource. Internet-based life has additionally allowed each person to voice their conclusion. the #Metoo is the best case of this where not just have ladies at long last had the capacity to talk about a predominant issue in the public arena yet have had the capacity to join to neutralise it. through thusly a solitary post via web-based networking media makes numerous ladies feel less alone. thus, the ongoing down disorder displaying programme on Facebook have made it conceivable to maintain kids with the affliction and not make them feel segregated. Obviously the best course to embrace, as in each part of life, is balance. A reasonable utilisation of media, in the correct ways will permit to utilise it appropriately as an extraordinary stage. Issues emerge regular. Where better to talk about their gravity and need to talk facing them then a medium through which our each word can achieve a huge number of individuals by the dash of a catch? Henceforth, before naming online networking as an “instrument of the fiend” we should contemplate over its benefits and how it has helped fill in as a mode of increasing essential data and crating mass mindfulness. Along these lines it might genuinely end up being a surprisingly positive turn of events. ABBAS FATEH-UD-DIN ASIM Lahore

Banning plastic bags PLAStIC bags had been a huge indication of apocalypses since 1950s and it is very much notorious of being the fountainhead of enhancing the mortality rate of people in Pakistan. Plastic bags are being manufactured with various hazardous chemicals which are very much dangerous for every individual surviving in Pakistan, because in every corner of Pakistan plastic bags are being used to carry out the eatable goods without being aware the causes and health risk and sometimes it is very much spoiler for the lands because the plastics would make a timber land into a barren land. According to the expert scientists that plastic takes more than 500 years to break down in a landfill. Moreover, the scientists have claimed that the plastic bags have been the source of numerous deadliest diseases such as cancer endometriosis, neurological damage, endocrine disruption, birth effects and developmental disorders, immune damage, asthma, and cause multiple organ damages. Furthermore, the Minister of Climate Change Senator had evaluated that more than 55 billion plastic shopping bags are being used in Pakistan where the utilisation had been increased to 15 per cent per annum. In Pakistan approximately 8,021 production units are available whose production of average is nearly 250-500 kilograms per day and the result more investigated that more than 160,000 were directly and 600,000 were indirectly dependent on the industry. I request to the government to conduct surveys to create awareness among the residents about the health risks of applying plastic bags. MEHRAJ ALTAF Turbat

Bravo Babar BABAR AZAM performed tremendously through the year 2019 in three of the formats of the game. In six tests,the stylish Babar Azam made 616 runs with an average of 68.44 at a brilliant strike-rate of 72.30 with the help of the three centuries plus three half-centuries.Furthermore in ODI format,the star player contributed 1,092 runs at 60.60 average which included three centuries and six half-centuries.Moreover,in the shortest format of the game, he managed to score 374 runs at the average of 41.55 with a strike-rate of 136.99,scoring a total of four halfcenturies.Undoubtedly,Babar is the only player in ICC rankings to be listed in the top six across all the formats with being no 6 in tests,3 in ODIs and 1st in t20 Internationals in previous year.I wish he keeps rocking like the same in the new year too. HAMMAL NAEEM Turbat, Balochistan

Monday, 6 January, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS

dozeNS ArreSTed AfTer hoNg koNg ProTeST TAkINg AIm AT chINeSe TrAderS HONG KONG

AGENCIES

CUFFLES erupted between police and protesters in Hong Kong on Sunday, with dozens of arrests made, after thousands marched near the border, shouting pro-democracy slogans and venting their anger at mainland Chinese traders. The demonstrators in Sheung Shui took aim at so-called “parallel traders” from China who buy vast amounts of duty free goods in Hong Kong and take them back to the mainland to sell at a profit. Locals say it pushes up prices, overcrowds neighborhoods and adds to growing tensions between Hong Kong residents and mainland Chinese. “The mainland Chinese come here,

block the streets with their bags ... rents have gone up and it has made things more expensive for Hong Kongers,” said Jasmin, a 19-year old student dressed all in black, who only gave her first name. “I want the government to know that too many of them are coming over here.” The marchers, including families with children, shouted slogans such as “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of our times!” and “Patriots use China-made products, don’t parallel trade!” Organizers estimated 10,000 people took part in the march, while police estimated a crowd of 2,500 at its peak. After the march ended, protesters dressed in black and wearing face masks remained in the area despite calls from organizers to disperse immediately. At one point, riot police stormed through, hitting

protesters with batons and using pepper spray. It was unclear what triggered their intervention. A few dozen people were arrested. They were seen sitting on the ground and leaning against a wall while police took down their details and were later escorted into two white buses. Many shops in the area were closed. Earlier in the day, in a separated incident, police fired tear gas to disperse a group of protesters hurling petrol bombs over the fence of the Sheung Shui police station before the march, damaging one police vehicle. Sunday’s protests follow a march in central Hong Kong of at least tens of thousands on New Year’s Day and an escalation in clashes with the police over the festive period. Anti-government protests in Chinese-

ruled Hong Kong escalated in June over a now-withdrawn extradition bill, but have since developed into a broader movement, with demands including universal suffrage and an independent inquiry against alleged police brutality. The police maintain they have acted with restraint. Many people in Hong Kong are angered by Beijing’s tight grip on the city which was promised a high degree of autonomy under this framework when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Beijing denies interference and blames the West for fomenting the unrest.

Spain’s Sanchez loses first bid to be confirmed as PM, aims for Tuesday vote MADRID AGENCIES

Spain’s Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez failed on Sunday in a first attempt to get parliament’s backing to form a government, leaving him two days to secure support to end an eight-month political gridlock. Sanchez has been acting prime minister since a first inconclusive election in April and November did not produce a conclusive result. He needed an absolute majority of at least 176 votes in his favor in the 350-seat house to be confirmed as prime minister but failed to get it. He obtained 166 votes in favor and 165 against, with 18 abstentions, while one lawmaker did not attend. On Tuesday, Sanchez will only need a simple majority - more “yes” than “no” votes. He is likely to get that after securing a commitment from the 13 lawmakers of Catalonia’s largest separatist party, Esquerra Republicana

de Catalunya (ERC), to abstain. Earlier this week, Socialist Party leader Sanchez and Pablo Iglesias, head of the far-left party Unidas Podemos, restated their intention to form the first

coalition government in Spain’s recent history. The two parties together have 155 seats, short of a majority, so Sanchez is reliant on the votes of small regional parties. In a sign of how close

the race could be on Tuesday, a member from the small regional party Coalicion Canaria, Ana Oramas, voted against Sanchez instead of abstaining as her party had agreed on Friday. During Sunday morning’s debate, Sanchez stressed that a SocialistPodemos coalition would take a progressive approach. Sanchez and Iglesias have said they will push for tax hikes on high-income earners and companies and also intend to roll back a labor reform passed by a previous conservative government. The morning was marked by tension during the speech of Mertxe Aizpurua of pro-independence Basque party EH Bildu. Aizpurua called the conservative and right wing parties People’s Party, Vox and Ciudadanos “Francoists”, a reference to late dictator Francisco Franco, and criticized the Constitution and King Felipe. She was met with boos and shouts of “murderers”.

Japan orders tighter immigration procedures after Ghosn flees country TOKYO

china replaces head of hong kong liaison office amid ongoing protests SINGAPORE: 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 oftenviolent anti-government protests in the city.Wang Zhimin, who had held the post since 2017, had been replaced by 65-yearold Luo Huining, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said on its website late on Saturday. Until November, Luo 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. Luo, a loyalist of President Xi Jinping, has not previously held any Hong Kong-related position and is at the age when top Chinese officials typically retire. In Shanxi, he had been tasked with cleaning up a graft-ridden, coal-rich region where corruption was once likened to cancer. 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. AGENCIES

Japanese woman turns 117 years old, extends record as world’s oldest person

AGENCIES

Japan on Sunday said it would tighten immigration measures after former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn fled the country while on bail, its first official response to an astonishing escape that has transformed the executive into an international fugitive. Authorities have remained quiet after Ghosn revealed on Tuesday that he had fled to his childhood home of Lebanon to escape a “rigged” justice system in Japan. All government offices and most businesses in Japan have been shut for the new year holidays. The former Nissan Motor (7201.T) and Renault (RENA.PA) chairman was arrested in Tokyo in November 2018 and faced multiple charges of financial wrongdoing, which he denies. Justice Minister Masako Mori said Ghosn’s “apparently illegal” departure was very regrettable and added there was no record of him leaving the country. She promised a thorough investigation and said authorities had issued an international notice for his arrest. “I have instructed the Immigration Services Agency to coordinate with related agencies to further tighten departure procedures,” she said, adding that Ghosn’s skipping bail was not justified, and that the court had revoked his bail. Separately, prosecutors issued a statement defending Japan’s justice system, saying his departure ignored the legal system and amounted to a crime. It remains unclear what Japan might do to bring him back. It has extradition treaties only with the United States and South Korea, meaning it might be difficult to return Ghosn from Lebanon. Mori was due to brief reporters in Tokyo on Monday morning.

The protest movement is supported by 59% of the city’s residents polled in a survey conducted for Reuters by the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute. In a Saturday statement, China’s ministry of human resources and social security said the head of its Hong Kong Liaison Office, the most senior mainland political official based in the Chinesecontrolled territory, had been replaced. Wang Zhimin, who had held the post since 2017, had been replaced by Luo Huining, who until November was the top communist party official in the northern province of Shanxi.

ARREST WARRANT: Lebanon this week said it had received an Interpol arrest warrant for Ghosn. It has said he entered the country legally. A senior Lebanese security official said it was not yet clear whether Ghosn would be summoned for questioning over the warrant, but added that Lebanon does not extradite its citizens. The Wall Street Journal has reported that Ghosn slipped out of Japan aboard a private jet hidden in a large black case typically used to carry audio gear. He was accompanied by a pair of men with names matching those of American security contractors, the newspaper said, citing people familiar with an investigation into the escape. There was no Xray conducted of the large case, which was loaded onto the private jet that was believed to have carried Ghosn,

Japanese broadcaster NHK reported. A Turkish private jet operator has said two of its planes were used illegally to carry Ghosn, with an employee falsifying the lease records to exclude the executive’s name. According to the company, MNG Jet, he flew from Osaka, Japan, to Istanbul, where he changed planes and flew to Beirut. Turkey has detained seven people, including four pilots, as part of an investigation into his passage through Istanbul. Japanese prosecutors said the legal system guarantees all defendants a prompt, open and fair trial. They added that Ghosn’s more than 100 days of detention were justified on the grounds that he “had an extensive domestic and overseas network and that he could deploy his considerable influence to conceal evidence.”

CMYK

TOKYO: Kane Tanaka has extended her record as the world’s oldest person by celebrating her 117th birthday at a nursing home in Fukuoka in southern Japan. Tanaka marked her birthday with a party on Sunday along with staff and friends at the nursing home, television footage from local broadcaster TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting Co showed. Tanaka, whose birthday was on Jan. 2, took a bite from a slice of her big birthday cake. “Tasty,” she said with a smile. “I want some more.” Tanaka was last year confirmed as the oldest living person, aged 116 years 66 days old as of March 9, according to Guinness World Records. Tanaka’s record age is symbolic of Japan’s fast-ageing population, which coupled with its falling birthrate is raising concerns about labor shortages and prospects for future economic growth. The number of babies born in Japan fell an estimated 5.9% last year to fewer than 900,000 for the first time since the government started compiling data in 1899, according to Japan’s welfare ministry. AGENCIES

Monday, 6 January, 2020

BUSINESS 11

Pakistan’s tRade deFicit Falls By 30Pc to $11.64Bn in six months ISLAMABAD

FBR unearths tax evasion scam of billions of rupees ISLAMABAD SHAHZAD PARACHA

The intelligence and investigation wing of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has unearthed a tax evasion scam of billions of rupees in Lahore. Sources informed this scribe said that FBR I&I-IR Lahore has confiscated documents as well as goods of a blacklisted company named Farwal Cosmetics, which was operating in Lahore and Multan. The company’s owner, Zaka Ud Din Shiekh, was running units in the above-mentioned cities through his frontmen Sajid Khilji, Nadeem Mirza, Ali Shaukat and Waseem Rabbani, without paying any sales tax, sources added. Sources further said that FBR had declared the company a sales tax defaulter in 2016 as it was not paying the sales tax. The tax department had directed them to pay Rs113 million in taxes after fulfilling all the legal and codal formalities but instead of following the legal process, they resumed their operations. Therefore, the tax officials conducted another raid and confiscated the cosmetic products from two units in Multan Road and Johar Town and sealed the sites. In addition to this, FBR has also asked the Intellectual Property Organisation (IPO) director general to halt the process of registering the company’s trademark as well as copyrights till the tax evasion case is resolved. Shiekh was earlier arrested by the department on the charges of tax evasion. He approached the court for a stay order but his request was turned down. It is worth mentioning here the I&I-IR under the supervision of Dr Bashir Ullah has increased their working against the nonregistered businesses and in recent months, they have unearthed a number of scams in different cities of Pakistan.

GHULAM ABBAS

HILE the figures of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) are yet to be finalised, the Ministry of Commerce has claimed that the trade deficit of Pakistan had reduced by 30.58 per cent to $11.64 billion in the first half of fiscal year 2019-20. According to data shared by Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood through his Twitter Account, this was mainly because of a decline in imports and increasing exports of the country. The export volume reached $11.54 billion, recording an increase of 3.21 per cent from July 2019 to December 2019. During this period, the exports of rice, meat and vegetables increased by 56 per cent, 52 per cent and 41 per cent, respectively.

3.21 PER CENT GROWTH RECORDED IN COUNTRY’S EXPORTS IN FIRST HALF OF ONGOING FISCAL YEAR The export of seafood recorded an increase of 23 per cent, while silk, synthetic textile, football and leather exports grew by 13 per cent each. The country’s imports dropped by 17 per cent to $23.18 billion and resulted in the shrinking trade deficit by 30.58 per cent. “At a time when the world economy is sluggish, Pakistani exports have featured a 3.21 per cent growth, whereas the imports have shown a 17 per cent contraction. Pakistan has outperformed several competitor nations and this is just the beginning,” he said.

However, the imports of cellular phones increased by 69 per cent, electrical appliances by 48 per cent and petroleum products and gas by 34 per cent. On the other hand, imports from India decreased by 64 per cent over the past six months. “Our top export performers for first half of fiscal year 2019/2020 have been basmati rice with 56 per cent growth, meat with 52 per cent growth, vegetables with 41 per cent growth, fish/seafood with 23 per cent growth, rice of other varieties 14 per cent growth, whereas artificial silk/synthetic silk, footballs, leather footwear, all featured a 13 per cent growth,” he said. As per the data, imports of electronic machinery and aircraft/ships//boats, increased by 48 per cent, and 47 per cent in the first six months of the ongoing fiscal year In imports category, there was a decline of 124 per cent in CBU motorcars while a 100 per cent decline was observed in the imports of CKD buses and trucks.

‘Pakistan needs to develop SEZs following Shenzhen's model’ ISLAMABAD INP

Pakistan needs to follow China's Shenzhen model, in developing its special economic zones (SEZs), says Gwadar Pro App on Sunday. It is a welcomed step that Prime Minister Imran Khan has formally inaugurated the Allama Iqbal Industrial City, a special economic zone (SEZ) under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). PM termed CPEC as a golden opportunity for industrial development of Pakistan and the SEZ the first step towards the prosperous future of his country. The PM said China is Pakistan's close friend, and Pakistan has a great opportunity to make progress by learning from China who is developing with leaps and bounds in every field. China has indeed made great achievements in the past 70 years since the founding of the

People's Republic of China. Shenzhen SEZ is definitely one of the biggest achievements. Shenzhen, as China’s first SEZ, has grown from a small fishing village to be a first-tier city taking the lead in the economy, science and technology, and commerce and trade in China in just four decades. Shenzhen’s story is called “Shenzhen Miracle”. What’s behind the “Shenzhen Miracle”? There are three reasons. One is China’s reform and opening-up policy. Under the background, Shenzhen has got favor policies, like tax incentives to attract foreign direct investment and boost industrial development. The second one is the city's location. Shenzhen, adjacent to Hong Kong, could easily get foreign investment and develop export-oriented economy. Shenzhen found its first pot of gold from export processing industry. The last one lies to labor. China has plenty of cheap labor forces and these young migrant workers have promoted the economic develop-

ment and invigorated big cities. Without them, Shenzhen couldn’t undergo dramatic changes in 40 years. In developing SEZs, Pakistan can make their own “Shenzhen Miracle, as it also have big potential, the Gwadar Pro added The PM has further stated, "Many Chinese industrialists want to invest in Pakistan. He said he met many Chinese businessmen during his visit to China last year and they showed keen interest in investing here in SEZs. The relocation of industries from China will be a critical part for Pakistan’s economy. Chinese business community has expressed intentions to relocate their businesses to Pakistan. Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said that although there was tough competition, they were quite hopeful that Chinese industries would be relocated into Pakistan. “We want to see labor and export intensive economic zone at Rashakai,” the minister added.

Digital Pakistan: Easier said than done BASIL DOGRA In early December of 2019, PM Imran Khan launched the “Digital Pakistan Vision” with the aim of “unleashing the full potential of youth and women in Pakistan.” Tania Adrus, a senior Google executive who quit her job to lead this initiative, outlined five pillars, which will enable the digital revolution and put Pakistan on the track to progress. However, the challenges to a truly digital revolution are humongous and require serious commitment on part of the political and bureaucratic elite. Although, the Oxford Internet Institute’s Online Labor Index ranks Pakistan as the third largest provider of online freelance services, the Information Technology in Pakistan still lags far behind many countries. Portulans Institute’s Network Readiness Index– regarded as the most authoritative and comprehensive assessment of a country’s ability to exploit ICT (Information Communication Technology) – ranked Pakistan at 104th place among 121 other countries. This provides a hint of how far Pakistan will have to go before it can begin to call itself ‘digital.’ Since 1990s, the human race has entered the age of information technology and some of the largest corporations and richest entrepreneurs have come from this sector. If Pakistan is to become a major economic power then it must rapidly computerize its economy, otherwise it may not be able to keep pace with a rapidly changing world that soon plans to enter the era of Artificial Intelligence. The challenges confronting Pakistan’s IT sectors and thus its journey towards cybernation are twofold. First, there are general challenges, which confront necessarily all industries and the economy. This mainly includes the unconducive business environment characterized by high political instability, inefficient and cumbersome bureaucracy, a culture of rent-seeking,severe infra-

structural gaps, and a poor quality of university graduates. Second, there are challenges specific to the IT sector and the process computerization of Pakistan’s economy, which I will discuss in more detail. To understand these, we need to look no further than the Network Readiness Index (NRI)’s evaluation criteria. This criterion consists of four pillars and Pakistan performs poorly on each of these. Pakistan’s worst performance is on “People” pillar, which is concerned with the extent to which the individuals, businesses and the government have theaccess, resources, and skills to deploy modern information technology.The major problem underlying the individuals’ use of technology include the small number of mobilebroadband and internet users, low tertiary enrollment, and poor adult literacy. In fact, according to United Nation International Telecommunication Union (ITU)’s 2017 data, Pakistan’s mobile cellular subscription rate stands at 71%, which means that 29% of the population is still not con-

nected to a cellular network. As for the computerization of businesses and the government, the progress has been slow due to inadequate digital literacy leading to a lack of general interest, and the shortage of substantial resources. The NRI’s second pillar is “Technology,” which is about the level of ICT in a country in terms of the type of digital technology that is produced, the reliability and affordability of the communication infrastructure, and the readiness to embrace technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things. Regrettably, Pakistan’s performance on this pillar is not so promising. For starters, the communication infrastructure still needs substantial investment and is far from reliable. The performance is particularly low on measures like cost of cheapest internet-enabled device, international internet bandwidth, mobile-broadband subscription rate and percentage of households with internet access. Moreover, the IT industry still lacks the ability to develop sophisticated softwares, and the

aptitude to develop modern technological hardware is nonexistent. This is apparent from poor performance of the country on indicators like robot density and the investment in emerging technologies. The third pillar of NRI is “Impact,” that looks into the impact of ‘network economy’ on social, economic and human indicators.To assess this, the indicators, such as Quality of Life, Tech Economy, and progress on Sustainable Development Goals, are considered. Sadly, the progress of Pakistan on these indicators is far from satisfactory. Finally, NRI looks at “Governance” pillar that is concerned with the regulatory environment as well as the ability and efforts of the government to create a trustworthy and inclusive network economy. This pillar looks at indicators such as rule of law, cybersecurity, e-commerce legislation, legal framework’s adaptability to digital business model, and the regulator quality, among many others.Pakistan’s only progress on these fronts is the introduction of controversial cybercrime law

in 2016 and the digital policy in 2018, both of which have not yet been fully implemented due to a lack of institutional capacity and resources. In addition, little recourse is apparently available to protect digital consumers in case of a dispute or fraud. Besides, the work on creating an inclusive network economy, which focusses on facilitation of marginalized groups, has not even begun yet. The PTI government appears to be optimistic in bringing about a digital revolution in Pakistan. While the intentions are noble, the institutional arrangements to achieve this revolution appears to be ‘clueless.’Whereas the Digital Pakistan Vision was launched and will operate from PM Office, there are other institutions with overlapping functions. These include the National IT Board, the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications (MoITT), and the PM’s17-member task force on IT and telecommunications appointed by the cabinet. It is not yet clearly that which organization will lead which part of the digital reform process; what quantitative indicators will be used to measureprogress,and what time-bound targets will be pursued based on these indicators. The purpose of this article is not to present a picture of doom and gloom, rather to help the readers appreciate the fact thatthe task of making a truly ‘digital’ Pakistan is complex and dependent on a range of other factors. As shown by the NRI criteria, the Digital Pakistan will only be possible if the political elite will takeSDGs, legislation, rule of law, political stability, education and direct taxation seriously – along with a range of other factors, of course. Until this happens, such initiatives are likely to be naive at best and political gimmicks at worst. The writer is a student at Forman Christian College, Lahore. He tweets @BasilDogra and can be reached on basildogra@live.com

Monday, 6 January, 2020

12 BUSINESS

senate ReFeRs Gi Bill, 2020 to standinG committee FoR FuRtheR deliBeRation ISLAMABAD

snGPl says 90,000 consumers getting full gas supply RAWALPINDI APP

Regional Manager Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) Javed Khan claimed that 90,000 consumers have been get rid of gas shortage and are getting regular gas supply without any interruption. Talking to APP, the Regional Manager said that the residents of Hazara Colony, Mohan pura, Akal Garh, Dhoke Mangtal and Ratta, Raja Bazaar, Bahbara Bazaar, Bani, Kartarpura, Waris Khan and other localities are now getting full gas pressure due to installation of new Town Board Stations (TBS) as the areas were facing acute gas shortage for the last 17 years. He claimed that now mostly affected areas are getting regular supply without any interruption due to the strenuous efforts of the department. He was informed that 8.6 kilometer pipeline at Waris Khan, Murree road has been made operational. Similarly, 1700 meter gas pipeline is being laid in the areas including Gharebabad, Dhoke Paharian, Rehmatabad, Dhoke Munshi and Dhoke Banars. He said the construction work would be completed with in stipulated time. Javed Khan said efforts are underway to make sure regular supply of gas in these areas including Bakra Mandi, Dhoke Syedan, Dhamyal, Groti and Kamalabad. He said 1600 meter long gas pipeline is being laid in the area of Shakiral and the work is in progress to address the issue. After the completion of the project, the gas pressure would be improved in the areas including Khurrum colony, Jaz Ground, Muslim Town and Sadiqabad, he added. He said a new gas pipeline of 10.6 kilometer would be laid from Rawat to Soan pull. Similarly, from Lalkurti to Adiala, a 17.6 kilometer gas pipeline would be laid. After the completion of project, cantt areas including katchery chowk, Lalkurti, Morgah, Kota Kallan, New lala Zar, lala zar, Mubarrak Line, Tulsa road, Sher Zaman, Dhamyal, Chungi no 22, Gorukpur, Ali Town and adjacent localities would be able to get better gas pressure.

hcci expresses concern over poor gas supply HYDERABAD APP

The Senior Vice President Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Muhammad Shakir Memon has expressed his concern over supply of gas with low pressure adding that the situation is adversely affecting the productivity in the industrial units of Hyderabad. In a statement issued here on Sunday, he said "industries are the backbone of the country’s economy, but the supply of gas with low pressure has almost destroyed the industrial production and the home based industries like glass bangles and glass bottles are suffering huge financial losses as the owners are unable to meet the demands". "The closure of industrial units as a result of low gas pressure is also causing unemployment issue in Hyderabad", he said and appealed to General manager SSGL to ensure supply of gas with required pressure so that the industrial activities regain momentum.

GHULAM ABBAS

HE upper house of the Parliament has referred the long-pending Geographical Indications (GI) Bill to the Senate Standing Committee on Commerce for further deliberations. Geographical indication is a sign used on products to identify the place of their origin. Since the past governments had failed to pass the bill in the last 12 years, some foreign companies had been using Pakistan-origin products under their nametags. Following Sunday’s development, the Senate body will discuss the bill in detail and place it before the upper house for its approval, after which the bill will be forwarded to the lower house for final debate. According to officials in the

ONCE PASSED, PAKISTAN-ORIGIN PRODUCTS WILL BE BRANDED ACCORDINGLY, VALUED HIGHLY IN THE GLOBAL MARKET Ministry of Commerce, the GI Bill, 2020, which is in its final shape, would pave way for the protection of Pakistani brands worldwide. Officials also said that it will ensure that local goods are valued highly abroad. Once the bill is passed, Pakistani products, including oranges from Sargodha, mangoes from Multan, Sindhi Ajrak, Balochi Saji, Peshawari Chapal, etc. will be introduced in the international market as national brands of Pakistan. It is worth mentioning here that member countries of the World Trade Organisation are required to protect GIs under Article 22-24 of

the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights agreement. As per the proposed set up, application for registration of a GI will be filed by a government body representing the actors (producers, processors, etc.) of the specific GI product. The application will be accompanied by a series of details from history, origin of the product to the processing of the product. The GI bill entails that once a GI is registered, any infringement can be reported both by the registrant and by authorised users whose names have been entered in the register. Infringement includes misrepresentation of the origin of the

goods because it constitutes an act of unfair competition. The proposed bill also provides for both civil and criminal remedies in cases of infringement. Civil remedies include imposition of fines, forfeiture to government of all goods and things, means of which the offence had been committed, damages, account of profit, together with or without any order for delivery of the infringing label and indications for destruction or erasure. The criminal remedies include imposition of fine or imprisonment or both. All suits for infringement shall be filed before Intellectual Property Tribunal. Appeal against the decision of the registrar shall lie before the high court. The bill specifies that a trademark shall not be granted, if it contains a GI for goods and the products do not originate from the region in question.

Government urged to introduce industry-friendly taxation regime LAHORE INP

The Friends of Business and Economic Reforms (FEBR) President Kashif Anwar, while raising his serious concern over the newly-promulgated Presidential Ordinance, has called for industry-friendly taxation regime, as this Ordinance provides relief to the retailers and distributors only, imposing more restrictions on manufacturers, which is the actual base of economic growth of any country. In a statement issued here, Kashif Anwar observed that without CNICs condition, the FBR has come up with an alternative plan through Presidential Ordinance that it would not allow input adjustments to those manufacturers who would sell Rs10 million goods on monthly basis to unregistered buyer. He said that the objective of this amendment through Presidential Ordinance is to bring major distributors into tax net but restrictions were not imposed on distributors or retailers rather the manufacturers have been restricted to do the job of FBR, creating problems for the industry which is already in trouble due to multiple issues. According to FBR, the big distributors who made purchases from Rs10 million on monthly basis to Rs100 million on annual basis, the manufacturers would not be granted input adjustments if they would sell their products to unregistered persons. “The limitations must have been on retailers that they cannot made purchases of over Rs10 million if

they are unregistered. It is just stupid and unfeasible,” he added. “In my opinion, through ordinance the authorities have attempted to create rift among the business community so that they could not be united. Traders have been told that they have got maximum benefits but manufacturers were asked to make the traders registered, which is actually the task of FBR itself.” He said that through this ordinance, the discretionary powers of tax officials have enhanced which will pave the way for misuse of powers and corruption, asking the FBR not to harass the business community but find new taxpayers in order to increase the revenues. FBR should motivate the staff, introduce the latest technology, plug loopholes and find new taxpayers to end the country’s dependence on foreign loans. The new powers of FBR offi-

cials has terrified the business community that deserves to work with peace of mind. He asked the chairman FBR to plug loopholes causing tax evasion and other irregularities and employ the latest technology to enhance collections without hurting the existing taxpayers. He said that misuse of authority can be stopped by revisiting certain laws, rules, and regulations to document the economy and increase the tax base to boost the volume of revenue. Internationally agreed upon practices should be adopted so that no one gets the impression of a repressive tax regime, he demanded. FBR should be brought at par with the tax authorities of the developed countries without which a country cannot climb the ladder of success. We have a complex tax system which lacks transparency. While some laws continue to obstruct the

growth of tax broadening, he said. According to the new ordinance, strict penalties, imprisonment and punishments have been introduced for violations, including Penalty for Persons who violate FBR Integrated Software for Sale or Track and Trace System, Penalty for violation of Printing requirement of Retail Price, Penalty for violation of Section 40D etc. Kashif Anwar expressed the hope that the government would take short-and long-term measures to gradually enhance Tax-to-GDP ratio from 13 percent to its actual potential of 26 percent, as the low ratio is mother of all economic ills such as higher tax rates; tax evasion; thin tax base; exponential increase in parallel economy; revenue shortfall etc. He said of the 210 million population only 1.8 million returns were filed in 2018, which underscores the need to bring all the sectors of the economy in the tax net and wherever the income is generated be taxed with political will, as at present, manufacturing sector is overly burdened by paying 62 percent of the total taxes in comparison to its contribution (20.3 percent) in GDP, whereas agriculture and service sectors share in tax payment is one percent and 37 percent, respectively, although their contribution to GDP is 19 percent and 60 percent, respectively. FEBR President assured the Federal Board of Revenue chairman of his full support and cooperation for the promotion of tax culture in the country.

‘Knitwear exports can boost Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves’ LAHORE INP

The Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers & Exporters Association has welcomed the growth of 8.69% in knitwear exports from the country during the first five months (July-Nov 2019-20) of the current financial year compared to the exports in the corresponding period last year, saying the industry is now eyeing on Chinese tariff concessions under FTA-II phase and ease of doing business to unlock the potential foreign exchange revenue from the value-added textile sector. According to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, approximately 51,240 thousand dozens of knitwear worth $1.320 billion were exported compared to 48,315 thousand dozens valuing $1.215 billion exported last year. According to the data, textile exports stood at $5.5 billion during the same pe-

riod last year. In November, the textile exports clocked in at $1.17 billion, an increase of 7.03% year-on-year, but a decrease of 3.1% month-on-month. From July to November, value-added textile sector increased in exports.

Readymade garments export increased by 13.2%. The knitwear exports increased by 8.7% and exports of bed wear by 4.7%. Raw cotton exports stood at $2.06 million, up 24.91% on a yearly basis, while the cotton yarn exports

surged 23.9% in November. PHMA Vice Chairman Shafique Butt said the role of value-added knitwear sector is vital in the national exports and the government should accord top priority to this sector taking necessary steps and measures to enhance its export efficiency. The export-oriented industry has been facing multiple challenges in the wake of high cost of manufacturing, exorbitant utility tariffs and high labour wages comparing to the competitors on the world markets. "We appreciate the govt efforts to reduce the cost of manufacturing and make the value-added textile export industry more viable," the chairman added. He also urged the government to work on rationalizing duties structures and minimize taxes and duties on import of raw materials and instead apply duties on import of finished/luxury goods in order to facilitate the domestic industry. The Ministry should also hold a meeting to simplify DTRE Scheme. He said the

ministry should also discourage export of raw material and encourage export of value-added items. Shafique Butt said that this growth in textile exports remained stationary in the previous few months, and it remains to be seen whether the phase-II of China-Pakistan free trade agreement (CPFTA II) can provide some fresh impetus to the sector. He said that CPFTA II can speed up the exports due to its concessionary tariff lines and greater market access. Electricity should be supplied at a flat rate round the clock to the industrial sector in winter season to meet to government’s aims to increase production, uplift exports and create more jobs,” he said. He said that exporters are expecting the working capital for the sector and liquidity to improve, since the government is now getting rid of all the imperfect mechanism of bonds to clear refund payments and are instead opting to make cash payments.

Frieha alTaF hosTed liVe 2020

By KauKaB Jahan

hE fashion and style guru of Pakistan, Frieha Altaf got opportunity to close out the decade and enter 2020 with a New Year’s party also celebrating the launch of the white oral nicotine pouch. The ‘LIVE 2020’ was held on the New Year’s Eve in Karachi was started with the red (read: blue, matching the colour of brand) carpet hosted by Dino Ali, where the high-profile guests arrived with an unparalleled pizzazz and glamor. Stars and models such as Mehwish hayat, Ali Rehman, Farhan Saeed, Urwa hocane , haroon,Fakir, Saqib Malik, Deepak Perwani, Nausheen Shah, Nomi Ansari could be seen flaunting their dresses. The venue of the exclusive party reflected

the brand’s colour scheme-themed lights while the guests got to entertain themselves in a cool ‘Glam Bot’ area full of props and coloured

flares. Camera shutters clicked, as the audience were swayed to the jazzy, funky and hammering beats of DJ hussain Dossa and Turhan James. International dancers all the way from Turkey added to the rhythm of the starry night, giving the guests a sensational experience. The dancers performed on the high platforms and later even joined the dance floor as the DJs pumped up the beats. The pace of the night picked up with the countdown to midnight. The lights shone the brightest, when heavy fireworks lit up the sky. Live 2020 came alive once again with the glamorous guests setting the dance floor on fire. As clock finally crossed the midnight threshold, there was no going back with culminating 2019 with a bang and get ready to takeover not only the New Year, but the new decade.

“Mukhtasir- A Romantic New Ballad About Lost Love” is a track that has struck a chord with its melody and powerful sound. Though, what makes it stand out is the fact that you can tap your feet along to the rhythm and get lost in the thought-provoking lyrics at the same time. So, Mukhtasir has definitely made it to the top of our winter playlist, and it is here to stay!

By Rohama Riaz

HOLLYWOOD BOLLYWOOD

“Mukhtasir” is a song for everyone. Those in love, savoring moments they’re spending together, or those who have lost their love and are only left with memories. Written by the singer, songwriter and music producer Zohaib Mirza, the song has all the elements of a love ballad that is going to take you on a feels trip. Over a pop beat, Zohaib’s pained vocals catch the essence of the song that life goes on and so should we. “Mukhtasir” is a track about how sometimes love isn’t meant to last forever, and that doesn’t mean it was any less beautiful. Embellished with croons and synth echoes, the song continues to show off a beautiful approach to love. With “Mukhtasir,” Zohaib

Mirza swings the pendulum to a sound and mood that’s quintessentially pop with a tune that would stick to your head. Penned down by the singer himself, the lyrics are sad yet powerful- urging us to look beyond and move on. The song looks like an instant romantic classic. Few songs capture the moment of pledging deep undying love so well. The music

video accompanying the song follows the journey of a guy, who is remembering moments from his past relationship until he reunites with his lover in the end, and they both go their separate ways. Zohaib Mirza has managed to prove his mantle with his soulful voice and hard-hitting lyrics that speak to your heart. After multiple hit covers and solos, “Mukhtasir”

Dr. Seuss said he expected to spend "a week or so" writing The Cat in the Hat. It actually took a year and a half.

The Reese in Reese's Peanut Butter Cups is Harry Burnett Reese, a former Hershey employee who created his famous candy in the 1920s.

The plural of cul-de-sac is culs-de-sac.

Doctor Who Ratings Tank; Ditto Dracula 'WandaVision' Disney Plus Release Moved Up Deepika Padukone on birthday: Ranveer Singh always does something special No surprise at all but the New Year's episode of Doctor Who Originally set for a Spring 2021 release on Disney Plus, the

featuring Jodie Whittaker as the titular character tanked in ratings, as did the new BBC take on Dracula. Regarding Doctor Who, the episode marked the return of Season 2, but it happened to have the lowest viewership for any of Whittaker's episodes with 4.96 million, which only beat out Peter Capaldi’s second season equivalent episode that was seen by 4.6 million viewers back in September 2015. There have been rumors that a new Doctor Who could be appearing and if the ratings and viewership continues to nosedive, you can bet both Whittaker and showrunner Chris Chibnall will be out. For comparison, the previous New Year's episode featuring Jodie Whittaker netted over 7 million viewers, so the latest episode saw a huge 34% drop. For the new BBC Dracula series, things also aren't as good as the 90-minute premiere episode was watched by 3.6 million people, which marked around 19.2% share of the total viewing population at the time, but that number is down from BBC One’s usual viewing share of 24.2%.

WandaVision Marvel series is now getting released in 2020. Disney Plus revealed the change in plans as part of a new promo, which confirms WandaVision will be released this year along with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. The series stars Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch, Paul Bettany as Vision, Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis, Randall Park as Jimmy Woo, and Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau. The plot is thought to center around how Scarlet Witch creates some sort of an alternate reality where she is married to Vision and they have kids set in a 1950s era. It's also known that the show will directly tie into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness which will also star Elizabeth Olsen. It's guessed that in creating some sort of side universe, that Scarlet Witch breaches the multiverse which leads to the intervention of Doctor Strange. Kevin Feige also recently confirmed that Doctor Strange 2 will introduce new characters to the MCU and said Scarlet Witch is the most powerful character in the MCU, and it's also known the Tom hiddleston Loki series for Disney Plus will directly connect to Doctor Strange 2 as well.

CMYK

It seems to be a great time for Deepika Padukone. The actor is not just celebrating her 34th birthday on Sunday but is also awaiting the release of a special film in which she essays the role of an acid attack survivor. The movie also marks her debut as a producer. In an interview, the actor shares that she is not a big birthday person, but she does not mind the frills which come with the occasion including gifts and good wishes. Excerpts of a candid conversation with the actor. Your film is releasing on the heels of your birthday, so it is indeed a very exciting time for you. I have been looking forward to this time. The birthday is all the more special because such a great moment is coming up. The fact that we are telling such a special story and the movie is up for release. There is so much love and goodwill. I think with all of those things, the birthday is the perfect icing on the cake. I don’t wait for a birthday or the New Year to make resolutions. If I want to do something, accomplish something, I will put my mind to it and do it.

Monday, 6 January, 2020

14 SPORTS

Barca strIke was planned, says wu leI as chIna haIls espanyol hero Barcelona

e tsItsIpas whIps Zverev as top names crash at atp cup BrisBane Agencies

Stefanos Tsitsipas whipped an errorstrewn Alexander Zverev to win the battle of the big guns at the ATP Cup on Sunday, inflicting a second successive defeat on the German in his warm-up for the Australian Open. On day three of the inaugural 24nation team event in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, world number 11 David Goffin was another loser, along with Italy's Fabio Fognini, ranked one place below him. Greek star Tsitsipas, who won the 2019 season-ending ATP Finals in london and is now ranked six, was in a different league to Zverev, who only began hitting balls a week ago after an off-season curtailed by a lucrative exhibition tour. The lacklustre German world number seven sent down 10 double faults and made just 45 percent of his first serves, a worrying sign ahead of the opening Grand Slam of the year. He lost to Australia's Alex de Minaur in his opening match on Friday, throwing away a one-set lead. "I worked very hard for this win, I found solutions, found my rhythm and my pace and knew what I was doing on court," said impressive 21-year-old Tsitsipas after his 6-1, 6-4 walloping in Brisbane. "I was serving pretty okay and played clever again. I managed to stay calm and positive in my head." The Boris Becker-captained Germans have now won one of their opening ties, while Greece has lost both of theirs. The 24 countries are split into six groups, with the top eight from the round-robin going onto the knockout phase before one is crowned the winner. The Grigor Dimitrov-led Bulgaria won their second tie in a row, beating Moldova 2-1, to be in a commanding position in Group C, while Australia also made it two-out-of-two in Group F with De Minaur again on fire in their 3-0 sweep of Canada. Belgium's Goffin saved five match points against Dan Evans, but it was too little, too late as he crashed 6-4, 6-4 in Sydney for one of the biggest wins of the Briton's career. Jamie Murray and Joe Salisbury won the deciding doubles to secure the tie for Britain 2-1.

Agencies

SPANYOl'S Wu lei became the first Chinese footballer to score against Barcelona on Saturday and has revealed how the goal that went viral was planned while he was warming up. Wu earned Espanyol a dramatic 2-2 draw at the RCDE Stadium after he fired in an 88th-minute equaliser to salvage a point in the all-Catalan clash of la liga's top against bottom. The 28-year-old drove decisively past Barcelona's stand-in goalkeeper Neto and into the far corner but his goal owed much to a brilliant reverse pass too, executed by his teammate Matias Vargas. Both players had been introduced by new coach Abelardo Fernandez in the second half and Wu said after the match that Vargas had predicted he would give him a chance. "I am very happy, not just because I scored but because of that assist," Wu told Espanyol TV. "When we were warming up, Matias told me he was going to put me in with a through ball. After 10 minutes he played one to me and I scored." Chinese media on Sunday declared the strike as heralding "a new

chapter" in Chinese football while one related hashtag generated 370 million views on social media platform Weibo. "Wu has now become the first Chinese player to score against Barcelona in all competitions ever," state-run China Global Television Network (CGTN) said. The 28-year-old Wu "single-handedly revitalised Espanyol" against the Spanish champions, CGTN continued. "A new chapter in history has been opened," it added. "For Wu, it was a

night that will live long in the memory." State news agency Xinhua said Wu's dramatic leveller from a narrow angle "sparked a wave of praise from media and fans in China". Wu joined in the celebrations by writing on Weibo: "Wonderful night, a new year, a good start." CHINESE MARADONA: The forward, dubbed the "Chinese Maradona" as a youngster, joined Espanyol from Shanghai SIPG in January last year and after finishing top scorer in the Chinese

Super league, he said he wanted to prove the country's players could deliver at the highest level."Pressure is my driving force, it's what pushes me forward," he said last year. "I want to show fans around the world that there are players in China who can shine in the best leagues in the world." He has stayed true to his word and more than justified his modest transfer fee of 2 million euros. After making his debut at the start of February, Wu missed only one game for his new club through to the end of last season, playing 21 times and scoring four goals. This term, he has been even more effective, scoring six goals in 28 appearances in all competitions, despite Espanyol's poor form that has them languishing at the bottom of the la liga table. Yet Abelardo's appointment seems to have revitalised the team and Wu believes their stirring performance against Barcelona can now be a turning-point in their fight against relegation. "After the game in the dressing room, you could see everyone's confidence was up," Wu said."It feels like we are going to change the whole dynamic this year. Hopefully in the next game we can get the victory because we are gaining momentum.

Immobile strikes for Lazio after insulted Balotelli scores for Brescia roMe Agencies

Mario Balotelli warded off the insults from travelling lazio fans to strike the first goal of the decade in Italy but the title-chasers hit back with a Ciro Immobile double to snatch a late win at ten-man Brescia on Sunday. Simone Inzaghi's side stretched their winning streak to nine consecutive league games and with a game in hand are three points behind leaders Inter Milan and Juventus who play on Monday. Immobile struck the winner after 91 minutes having also converted from the penalty spot before the break. Felipe Caicedo had the ball in the back of the net early for lazio off an Immobile cross but it was ruled offside. But Italian international Balotelli picked up where he left off before the winter break opening the scoring after 18 minutes for the promoted side. The 29-year-old pulled clear of luiz Felipe to volley in his first home goal for Brescia and first of the decade. He also scored the first goal of the previous decade in January 2010 with Inter Milan. BALOTELLI INSULTS: Balotelli was targeted by insulting chants from lazio fans with the referee interrupting the game in the first half and an announcement made that play would be suspended if they continued. Brescia fans tried to drown out the insults with whistles and cheering which Balotelli applauded. In November,

Ibrahimovic statue vandalised again MalMo Agencies

Balotelli was the subject of monkey chants at Verona while Brescia president Massimo Cellino also came under fire after describing Balotelli's difficult situation at the promoted Serie A club as "black". Relegation-threatened Brescia were hit after Andrea Cistana was sent off for a second yellow card after bringing down Caicedo just before the break. And Serie A top scorer Immobile pulled lazio back on level terms from the penalty spot on 42 minutes. lazio dominated the second half with Immobile bringing his league tally to 19 goals connecting with a Caicedo cross to fire in the in-

jury time winner. It was the 12th time this season that the team have scored a late winner. Inzaghi meanwhile equals Sven Goran Eriksson's record of nine consecutive league wins set in the 199899 season. "We will try to continue like this. We absolutely want to hit the Champions league," said Inzaghi, whose side defeated Juventus to lift the Italian SuperCup trophy last month. Inter Milan recommence the title battle with Juventus on Monday, with both sides level on 42 points after 17 games. Antonio Conte's side travel to Napoli with Juventus at home against Cagliari.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's statue in his hometown of Malmo was vandalised overnight Saturday, Swedish police reported. The statue has been the target of numerous attacks since the Swedish footballer invested in Stockholm-based Hammarby, angering supporters of Malmo FF, the club where he began his professional career. In November, a day after his investment in Hammarby, Ibrahimovic filed a "hate crime" complaint after the statue was attacked with fire and paint and the word 'Judas' daubed across the front door of his Stockholm home. In the latest incident the statue had collapsed against the barrier protecting it, its feet partially chopped off. "A vandalism complaint has been lodged," a police spokesperson told AFP. There are calls from local inhabitants for the statue outside Malmo's city stadium to be moved. "I can understand that many people are disappointed in Zlatan's behaviour but vandalising a statute is simply unworthy. Better to express your dissatisfaction in a democratic way," Malmo deputy mayor Frida Trollmyr told AFP. A citizens' initiative to move the sculpture will be considered in February, she added.

Svitolina says sheâ€™s on the right path for Slam glory BrisBane Agencies

Elina Svitolina believes the progress she made in 2019 will help her achieve her ultimate goal of becoming the first Ukranian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title. Speaking ahead of the season-opening Brisbane International, the 25year-old insisted she was ready to take the next step after promising so much over the past five years. Svitolina has long been touted as a future major champion, but despite reaching a career-high world ranking of three and winning 13 titles on the

WTA tour, until 2019 she had never reached the semi-final stage at a Grand Slam. However, last year she made the semi-finals at both Wimbledon and the US Open and she said this showed she was on the right path. "Making semi-finals definitely brought me the belief that I could take one step further," she said. "I had the chance to play on the biggest stages and that gave me lots of confidence at that particular point." Svitolina had a mixed year in 2019. Although she also made the decider at Novemberâ€™s WTA Finals, where she fell to world number one Ashleigh Barty, she also failed to

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win a title for the first time since 2012. "I think maybe 2019 was tough because there were more sad moments, I would say. But also, it's tough to really understand what's going on because the year is very long," she said. "You have to lose almost every single week, so you have to take lots of positives somehow, and that's, I think, what I learned from the past year, that you have to stay really positive in even bad moments and try to move forward." Svitolina has brought former men's number eight Marcos Baghdatis onto her coaching team to assist Andrew Bettles in a bid to give

her game an extra dimension. "As an ex-player he sees the game from his point and it's something different that I was looking for to add into my game," Svitolina said. "For sure we improved massively with Andy for the past years I've been working with him and he knows me very, very well. "(But) for me it's important to add the small things that can improve my game and that's what I'm looking for." Svitolina, who won the Brisbane title in 2018, will open her 2020 campaign against American Danielle Collins.

Monday, 6 January, 2020

SPORTS 15

sIBley, denly BuIld england lead agaInst south afrIca cape Town

Agencies

OM Sibley and Joe Denly stretched England’s lead on an attritional third afternoon of the second Test against South Africa at Newlands on Sunday after James Anderson had polished off the home side's first innnings in the morning. England were 109 for two in their second innings at tea, an overall lead of 155 runs. Sibley and Denly put on 73 for the second wicket before Denly was out for 31 when he hooked a short-pitched ball from Anrich Nortje and was caught by Dwaine Pretorius at fine leg. It was slow going, with the partnership taking up 33 overs, but it consolidated England’s advantage on a pitch where batsmen have struggled to bat fluently. Denly faced 111 balls, while Sibley was unbeaten on 44 off 127 deliveries at tea. Anderson completed a five-wicket haul and Ben Stokes set an England catching record at the start of the day when South Africa were bowled out for 223, giving England a first innings lead of 46. Anderson took both South Africa’s remaining wickets as the hosts were bowled out for 223, adding only eight runs to their overnight total. Stokes set an England Test record for a fielder when he held his fifth catch of the innings to dismiss last batsman Nortje off Anderson’s bowling. Zak Crawley made a quick 25 before he was caught behind off Kagiso Rabada but Sibley and Denly

BccI pull injured prithvi shaw out of ranji clash MuMBai Agencies

settled in and batted through most of the afternoon with the South African bowlers unable to find as much assistance from the pitch as England managed on Saturday. Only 57 runs were scored off 28 overs between lunch and tea for the loss of Denly’s wicket. ANDERSON STRIKES: Anderson completed the 28th five-wicket haul of

his Test career. He struck with the first ball of the day when Rabada was caught behind. It put Anderson on a hattrick after finishing the second day with the wicket of Keshav Maharaj. Nortje survived but four overs later edged a drive to give Stokes his fifth catch, all held at second slip. It was the first time in 1,020 Test matches that an England

fielder held five catches. There had been 23 instances of four catches in an innings, most recently by England captain Joe Root against Ireland at lord’s last year. Stokes equalled the world Test record of five catches, which had been achieved 11 times previously, most recently by Steve Smith of Australia in 2017/18, also at Newlands.

Medvedev blunts Isner’s serve as Russia roll on BrisBane Agencies

World number five Daniil Medvedev blunted bigserving John Isner in an almost flawless straight sets victory at the ATP Cup on Sunday. The US Open finalist hit 24 winners and made just two unforced er-

rors in the 6-3, 6-1 rout in one hour to ensure Russia clinched the tie against the United States ahead of the doubles. Unbeaten Russia are top of Group D, while winless United States are all but out of contention for the knockout stages in Sydney. World number 19 Isner has struggled in Perth. He lost his opening match to young Norwegian Casper Ruud in three sets. Medvedev overwhelmed Isner, who consistently misfired his booming serve, and broke the towering American four times. "I was very scared of his serve, so I knew I had to just wait for my chances. I was really good on return," he said. Medvedev even out-aced Isner, who for the last four years has been the ATP's year-end ace leader. "If you asked me before the match, I didn't think it would be possible," he said. "I was really stable on my serve and there was only one service game where I was tight." Earlier in the tie, world number 17 Karen Khachanov weathered an early storm from Taylor Fritz to win 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 in one hour and 51 minutes. Fritz, 22, started with an array

of blistering groundstrokes and gained a stranglehold when he broke in the fifth game of the second set. But the world number 32 couldn't consolidate and grew tentative. Khachanov pounced to level the match. Fritz's spiral continued in a one-sided third set lasting just 29 minutes. Khachanov credited Russia captain Marat Safin for helping his turnaround. "He just told me to keep going and that I will break him, which is what happened," he said. Emerging 21-year-old Ruud continued his giant-killing run with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over world number 12 Fabio Fognini, before Italy recovered to down Norway in the earlier Group D tie. Ruud levelled the tie in just 66 minutes and then backed up alongside Viktor Durasovic in the deciding doubles only to be thwarted by Fognini and Simone Bolelli, who prevailed 6-3, 7-6 (7/3). Italy join surprise packets Norway with a 1-1 record after being swept by Russia in their opening tie on Friday. Ruud, whose father Christian is Norway's captain, has led his team's surprising run, starting the season spectacularly after upsetting Fognini and Isner in his first wins over top-20 players. "Coming out here and beating two top 20 players at the beginning of the year is great for my confidence," he said. Stefano Travaglia notched his first win of the season in the earlier singles match after comfortably beating Durasovic 6-1, 6-1 in 56 minutes.

Prithvi Shaw has left the Mumbai camp midway through their ongoing Ranji Trophy fixture against Karnataka at Bandra Kurla Complex due to a left rotator cuff injury. He has been rushed to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru to assess the extent of damage. "He underwent an MRI scan last evening in Mumbai, and the reports confirmed a labral tear," Mumbai coach Vinayak Samant told ESPNcricinfo. "He's in a lot of pain and is headed to Bangalore to meet the NCA physios. They will assess him and decide the next course." Shaw picked up the injury on Friday, when he fell on his left shoulder while backing up to stop an overthrow. He left the field immediately and didn't return. "Initially, it was more a precaution to get him off the field and rest him. I wanted him to bat, I thought he will bat even if it meant just going there, blocking and supporting the other batsman, but he wasn't entirely comfortable with that. "Then we received an email this morning around 11am from the BCCI to pull him out of the match and send him to the NCA for assessment. losing him to an injury is disappointing, looking at his own game and from our team's point of view, because we need to fight for every run if are to set a defend a target against Karnataka." While the seriousness of Shaw's injury and expected recovery time will only be known over the coming days, the timing of his injury raises doubts over his place in India A's touring party to New Zealand on a shadow tour, ahead of the national team's six-week tour for a full series. As things stand, the players participating in the limited-overs leg of the India A tour are set to leave for Auckland on January 10. The first one-dayer is scheduled to begin on January 22, with a few warm-up games preceding the series. Shaw has been picked across formats following a prolific return to run-scoring ways in November after the completion of an eight-month backdated suspension for a doping offence. He struck form immediately, scoring 240 runs in five innings, including three half-centuries, for Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He followed that up with scores of 66 and 202, his maiden first-class double century, in Mumbai's 309-run win over Baroda in their Ranji Trophy opener in December. The labral tear is the latest in a long list of injuries that have plagued Shaw since his roaring international debut against West Indies in September last year.

Irfan Pathan retires from professional cricket MuMBai Agencies

Seventeen years after he became a cult hero in India, Irfan Pathan has called time on his professional career. The left-arm swing bowling allrounder burst on the scene by dismissing Steve Waugh and Adam Gilchrist in a sensational spell of reverse swing bowling in Sydney in January 2004 and three years later went on to become a World T20 champion. "I knew I was not going to make an international comeback after 2016," Irfan told Star Sports. "I was the highest wicket-taker and the best allrounder that season (2015-16) in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy but I wasn't picked. The selectors were not very happy with my bowling, I was told. Around 2016, I knew my time was up." Irfan hit the headlines in November 2003 when he picked up 9 for 16 in an

Under-19 clash against Bangladesh in lahore. He was to be part of India's Under19 World Cup plans in 2004, but was fast-tracked to the Indian squad for the tour of Australia in 2003-04. After sitting out of the first Test, he was called in to replace an injured Zaheer Khan in the nowfamous Adelaide Test, well remembered for Rahul Dravid, VVS laxman and Ajit Agarkar's exploits. Irfan finished with 29 Tests, 120 ODIs and 24 T20Is that brought him 100, 173 and 28 wickets respectively. He last played for India more than seven years ago, during the World T20 in 2012, but continued to be a regular presence in the domestic circuit. AlSO READ: Interview: 'I asked for help, but didn't get it' He made his debut for Baroda in the 2000-01 season and went on to captain the state before switching to Jammu & Kashmir in a player-mentor capacity in March 2018. His last competitive game

was in February 2019. In 2006, Irfan became only the second Indian after Harbhajan Singh to take a Test hat-trick - against Pakistan (Karachi 2006) and was Player of the Final in India's historic T20 World Cup win in September 2007. Overall, he picked up 10 wickets at 14.90 in the tournament, including a crucial 3 for 16 against Pakistan in that final. later that year, Irfan made a maiden Test century, also against Pakistan. His Test career hit an even higher note when he starred with both bat and ball during India's historic win in Perth on the 200708 tour. It was India's first win at the storied venue. Irfan finished that Test with five wickets and scores of 28 and 46, which came from No. 3 in the second innings to help arrest a top-order wobble. He would play only two more Tests, the last of which came against South Africa at Ahmedabad in 2008. "People starting

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peaking in their careers around 27-28 and then go on to play till they are 35. When I was 27, I had taken 301 international wickets, and that was it," Irfan said.

"That's the only regret I have, that I wish I could have taken that tally up to 500 or 600 wickets and scored more runs, but that did not happen."

Monday, 6 January, 2020

NEWS

TrUmp vowS To hIT 52 IrAnIAn TArgeTS If IrAn reTALIATeS AfTer drone STrIke BAGHDAD/WASHINGTON

AGENCIES

S President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to hit 52 Iranian sites “very hard” if Iran attacks Americans or U.S. assets after a drone strike that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani and an Iraqi militia leader, as tens of thousands of people marched in Iraq to mourn their deaths. Showing no signs of seeking to ease tensions raised by the strike he ordered that killed Soleimani and Iranian-backed Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis at Baghdad airport on Friday, Trump issued a threat to Iran on Twitter. The strike has raised the spectre of a wider conflict in the Middle East. Iran, Trump wrote, “is talking very boldly about targeting certain USA assets” in revenge for Soleimani’s death.

Trump said the United States has “targeted 52 Iranian sites” and that some were “at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD.” “The USA wants no more threats!” Trump said, adding that the 52 targets represented the 52 Americans who were held hostage in Iran for 444 days after being seized at the US Embassy in Tehran in November 1979 – an enduring sore spot in US-Iranian relations. Trump did not identify the sites. The Pentagon referred questions about the matter to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Among the mourners in Iraq included many militiamen in uniform for whom Muhandis and Soleimani were heroes. They carried portraits of both men and plastered them on walls and armoured personnel carriers in the procession.

IrAn condemnS TrUmp AS 'TerrorIST In A SUIT' AfTer ATTAck ThreAT DUBAI: Iran condemned Donald Trump on Sunday as a “terrorist in a suit” after the US president threatened to hit 52 Iranian sites hard if Tehran attacks Americans or US assets in retaliation for the killing of military commander Qassem Soleimani. As the two countries assailed each other in a war of words, the European Union, Britain and Oman urged the parties to seek to de-escalate the crisis. Soleimani, Iran’s pre-eminent military commander, was killed on Friday in a U.S. drone strike on his convoy at Baghdad airport, an attack that took long-running hostilities between Washington and Tehran into uncharted territory and raised the specter of wider conflict in the Middle East. “Like ISIS, Like Hitler, Like

Chants of “Death to America” and “No No Israel” rang out. On Saturday evening, a rocket fell inside Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone near the U.S. Embassy, another hit the nearby Jadriya neighbourhood and two more were fired at the Balad

US wILL AcT 'LAwfULLy' AfTer TrUmp’S ‘wAr crIme’ ThreAT To IrAn: pompeo WASHINGTON: Any US military action against Iran will be in line with international law, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday after President Donald Trump threatened to attack cultural sites. Trump was accused of threatening a war crime after he tweeted that sites which were “important to Iranian culture” were on a list of 52 potential US targets should the regime in Tehran make good on its pledge to avenge the killing of a top commander. Asked in a television interview why Trump was threatening Iran with a war crime, Pompeo said: “We’ll behave lawfully. We’ll behave inside the system. “We always have and we always will,” Pompeo told the ABC

American strike in Iraq prompts anti-war protests in US cities WASHINGTON: Groups of protesters took to the streets in Washington and other US cities on Saturday to condemn the air strike in Iraq ordered by President Donald Trump that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani and Trump’s decision to send about 3,000 more troops to the Middle East. “No justice, no peace. The US out of the Middle East,” hundreds of demonstrators chanted outside the White House before marching to the Trump International Hotel a few blocks away. Similar protests were held in New York, Chicago and other cities. Organizers at Code Pink, a women-led anti-war group, said protests were scheduled on Saturday in numerous US cities and towns. Protesters in Washington held signs that read “No war or sanctions on Iran!” and “US troops out of Iraq!” Speakers at the Washington event included actress and activist Jane Fonda, who last year was arrested at a climate change protest on the steps of the US Capitol. “The younger people here should know that all of the wars fought since you were born have been fought over oil,” Fonda, 82, told the crowd, adding that “we can’t anymore lose lives and kill people and ruin an environment because of oil.” “Going to a march doesn’t do a lot, but at least I can come out and say something: that I’m opposed to this stuff,” said protestor Steve Lane of Bethesda, Maryland. “And maybe if enough people do the same thing, he (Trump) will listen.” AGENCIES

network’s “This Week” program. Pompeo refused to give any details on the potential targets but said Trump would “never shy away from protecting America. “I’ve seen what we are planning in terms of the target set. I’m sure the Department of Defense is continuing to develop options,” he said. “The American people should know that every target that we strike will be a lawful target, and it will be a target designed with a singular mission, of protecting and defending America.” Trump’s threat late Saturday sparked widespread accusations from Democrats that he would be in breach of the Geneva Convention which says any targeting of cultural sites constitutes a war crime. AGENCIES

Genghis! They all hate cultures. Trump is a terrorist in a suit. He will learn history very soon that NOBODY can defeat ‘the Great Iranian Nation & Culture’,” Information and Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi tweeted. Soleimani was the architect of Tehran’s overseas clandestine and military operations as head of the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei promised on Friday that Iran would seek harsh revenge for his death. Trump responded to that and other strong words from Tehran with a series of tweets on Saturday, saying Iran “is talking very boldly about targeting certain USA assets”. AGENCIES

air base north of the city, but no one was killed, Iraq’s military said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Trump referenced an unusually specific number of potential Iranian targets after a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander had also mentioned a specific number of American targets – 35 of them – for possible retaliatory attacks in response to Soleimani’s killing. General Gholamali Abuhamzeh was quoted by Tasnim news agency as saying late on Friday that Iran will punish Americans wherever they are within reach of the Islamic Republic and raised the prospect of attacks on ships in the Gulf. “The Strait of Hormuz is a vital point for the West and a large number of American destroyers and warships cross there. … Vital American targets in the region have been identified by Iran since a long time ago. … Some 35 U.S. targets in the region, as well as Tel Aviv, are

Iran abandons nuclear deal over Soleimani’s assassination TEHRAN AGENCIES

Iran said Sunday it would no longer abide by any of the limits of its unravelling 2015 nuclear deal with world powers after a US airstrike killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad, ending an accord that blocked Tehran from having enough material to build an atomic weapon. The announcement came Sunday night after another Iranian official said it would consider taking even-harsher steps over the US killing of Gen. Qasem Soleimani on Friday. Hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets on Sunday in Iran to walk alongside a casket carrying the remains of Soleimani, the former leader of its expeditionary Quds Force that organises Tehran's proxy forces in the wider Mideast. The leader of one such proxy, Lebanon's Hezbollah, said Soleimani's killing made US military bases, warships and service members spread across the region fair targets for attacks. A former Revolutionary Guard leader suggested the Israeli city of Haifa and “centres” like Tel Aviv could be targeted. Iran's state TV cited a statement by President Hassan Rouhani's administration saying the country will not observe limitations on its enrichment, the amount of stockpiled enriched uranium as well as

research and development in its nuclear activities. It did not elaborate on what levels it would immediately reach in its programme. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations watchdog observing Iran's programme, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, Iran said that its cooperation with the IAEA will continue as before. Meanwhile, Iraq's parliament voted in favour of a resolution calling for an end of the foreign military presence in their nation, an effort aimed at expelling the 5,000 US troops stationed there over the war against the Islamic State group. Soleimani's killing has escalated the crisis between Tehran and Washington after months of trading attacks and threats that have put the wider Middle East on edge. The conflict is rooted in President Donald Trump pulling out of Iran's atomic accord and imposing sanctions that have crippled Iran's economy. Iran has promised harsh revenge” for the US attack, which shocked Iranians across all political lines. Many saw Soleimani as a pillar of the Islamic Republic at a moment when it is beset by US sanctions and recent anti-government protests. Retaliation for Soleimani could potentially come through the proxy forces which he oversaw. Soleimani's longtime deputy Esmail Ghaani already has taken over as the Quds Force's commander.

within our reach,” he was quoted as saying. MALIGN INFLUENCE: Trump’s provocative Twitter posts came only hours after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote on Twitter that he had told Iraq’s president that “the U.S. remains committed to de-escalation.” Pompeo also wrote on Twitter that he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Iran and “underscored the importance of countering Iran’s malign influence and threats to the region.” The White House on Saturday sent to the U.S. Congress formal notification of the drone strike – as required by law – amid complaints from Democrats that Trump did not notify lawmakers or seek advance approval for the attack. White House national security adviser Robert O’Brien defended the operation’s legality and said Justice Department lawyers had signed off on the plan.

At least 30 killed in Libyan military academy attack TRIPOLI: At least 30 people were killed and 33 others wounded in an attack on a military academy in the Libyan capital late on Saturday, the health ministry of the Tripolibased government said in a statement on Sunday. Tripoli, controlled by the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), is facing an offensive by military commander Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) that began in April. There has been an increase in air strikes and shelling around Tripoli in recent weeks, with fears that fighting could escalate further after Turkey’s parliament voted to allow a troop deployment in support of the GNA. Forces allied with the GNA described Saturday’s attack on the military camp at Al-Hadhba as “an aerial bombing” launched by their eastern rivals. An LNA spokesman denied involvement. GNA Health Minister Hamid bin Omar told Reuters earlier in a phone call that the number of dead and wounded was still rising. Tripoli ambulance service spokesman Osama Ali said some body parts could not be immediately counted by forensic experts. Earlier, the ambulance service appealed for a temporary ceasefire to allow its crews to retrieve the bodies of five civilians killed on As Sidra Road in southern Tripoli and to evacuate families. AGENCIES

Iraqi parliament passes resolution to end foreign troop presence

Wailing in grief, Iranians flock to mourn slain commander

BAGHDAD: Iraq’s parliament passed on Sunday a resolution telling the government to end the presence of foreign troops in Iraq and ensure they do not use its land, air, and waters for any reason. “The government commits to revoke its request for assistance from the international coalition fighting Islamic State due to the end of military operations in Iraq and the achievement of victory,” the resolution read. “The Iraqi government must work to end the presence of any foreign troops on Iraqi soil and prohibit them from using its land, airspace or water for any reason.” Parliament resolutions, unlike laws, are non-binding to the government, but Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi had earlier called on parliament to end foreign troop presence. AGENCIES

Hundreds of thousands of mourners, many chanting, beating their chests and wailing in grief, turned out across Iran on Sunday to mourn slain military commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in Iraq in a U.S. military strike. Soleimani’s body was returned home on Sunday – given a hero’s welcome as it arrived in the southwestern city of Ahvaz and then flown to the holy Shi’ite Muslim city of Mashhad. State television showed huge crowds of mourners turning out to pay their respects, their chants, chest-beating and wails in keeping with the style of mourning common among Shi’ite Muslims. Mourners carried posters bearing Soleimani’s image as his casket wrapped in the national flag was driven slowly through the crowds.

DUBAI AGENCIES

Soleimani, the architect of Tehran’s overseas clandestine and military operations as head of the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force, was killed on Friday in a U.S. drone strike on his convoy at Baghdad airport. While many Iranians have rallied in to show grief over the death of Soleimani, regarded as the country’s second most powerful figure after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, others worry his death might push the country to war with

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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a superpower. On Friday, Khamenei promised harsh revenge. U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to hit 52 Iranian sites “very hard” if Iran attacks Americans or U.S. assets. When Soleimani’s body arrived home, IRIB news agency posted a video clip of the casket wrapped in the national flag being unloaded from a plane as a military band played. Thousands of mourners dressed in black marched through the streets of Ahvaz beating their chests, state television showed. The body of Iranian-backed Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was killed in the attack with Soleimani, was also flown to Ahvaz, according to IRIB. Soleimani’s body will be taken to Tehran on Monday and then he will be buried at his hometown Kerman on Tuesday. Tens of thousands of people marched in Iraq on Saturday to mourn Soleimani and al-Muhandis, chanting “Death to America”.