E-Paper PDF 7th April 2020 (LHR)

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Tuesday, 7 April, 2020 I 13 Shaban, 1441 I Rs 15.00 I Vol X No 279 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition

Imran reshuffles cabInet after damnIng reports on wheat, sugar crIses g

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KHusro baKHTIar made federal mInIsTer for eConomIC affaIrs, faKHar To TaKe CHarge of food seCurITy

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Hammad azHar aPPoInTed federal mInIsTer for IndusTrIes, KHalId maqbool’s resIgnaTIon aCCePTed

sHaHbaz gIll says JaHangIr Tareen ‘removed as agrICulTure TasK forCe CHIef’, Tareen denIes He Headed any TasK forCe

Tareen alleges foul play as sugar probe exposes fissures within PTI g

PTI senIor leader says Pm Imran Is HIs frIend buT He’s no longer ‘Close To HIm as He used To be’ ISLAMABAD MIaN aBrar

ISLAMABAD staff report

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wo days after a high-powered committee tasked with probing the recent wheat and sugar crises submitted its reports to the government, Prime minister Imran Khan on monday reshuffled the federal cabinet which saw makhdoom Khusro bakhtiar being replaced by syed fakhar Imam as the federal minister for national food security. bakhtiar has instead been given the charge for the ministry of economic affairs. bakhtiar has replaced Hammad azhar, who has been made the federal minister for industries. Industries were being overlooked by abdul razak dawood, adviser to prime minister on commerce, textile, industries and production and

investment. no update has yet been issued on whether dawood’s role has changed after azhar’s appointment.

The report on sugar crisis named bakhtiar, then the minister for national food security, as a beneficiary.

The ministry for national food security and research saw another change, as its secretary Hashim Popalzai was replaced with omar Hameed.

The prime minister also accepted muttahida qaumi movement-Pakistan (mqm-P) Convener Khalid maqbool siddiqui’s resignation, which he had handed in January this year, as federal minister for information technology. mqm-P’s aminul Haq has been made federal minister for telecom. azam swati, who was previously the parliamentary affairs minister, has been made federal minister for narcotics control.

coronavIrus In

pakIstan

babar awan has been appointed as the adviser for parliamentary affairs. earlier, following the shortage of wheat flour in the country and the subsequent price hike, sugar had also gone missing from the market.

Taking notice of the situation, the prime minister had formed a committee to find out those responsible for the crises. on saturday, the inquiry report on sugar crisis had named Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Jahangir Khan Tareen, Pakistan muslim league-quaid’s (Pml-q) moonis elahi and bakhtiar’s relative as the beneficiaries of the price hike. on sunday, Pm Imran had said that he was waiting for the detailed forensic reports, slated to come out on april 25, before taking any action against those responsible.

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‘Nothing being done on ground’: CJP slams govt’s COVID-19 measures g

CJP gulzar says govT Closed oPds of HosPITals wHen THere was urgenT need To KeeP THem oPen ISLAMABAD staff report

CONFIRMED CASES:

3,766

RECOVERED:

259 SINDH:

932

DEATHS:

53

PUNJAB:

1,918

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

405 16/211

202 82

The recently announced inquiry reports into the sugar and wheat crises has exposed major fissures in the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as the party’s former secretary general and close aide to Prime minister Imran Khan, Jahangir Khan Tareen has revealed that a certain group within the party and the Pm’s Principal secretary azam Khan were making efforts to sideline him.

Tareen acknowledged in a Tv show on monday that he was no longer as close to Prime minister Imran Khan as he used to be but maintained that the premier was still his friend and that he continues to stand by the Pm’s cause.

“I’m in touch with Imran Khan on whatsapp and that is likely to continue. I have no issues with him, the party or his vision for the country. as prime minister, it’s his discretion to work with whoever he wants. I have no bitterness with his decision mak-

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) gulzar ahmed on monday rebuked the federal government over its measures to contain the coronavirus, declaring that “nothing is being done on ground”.

The apex court chief is hearing an appeal against the verdict announced by the Islamabad High Court (IHC), directing the government to grant bail to low-risk under-trial prisoners (uTPs) during the pandemic. at the outset of the hearing, the chief justice said that the government had closed the out-patient departments (oPds) of all hospitals, leaving no place for patients to seek treatment at such a crucial time.

“Hospitals have been closed when we need them. up till now, 10 hospitals with 1,000 beds each should have been made operational,” he said. “everyone is talking about funds, no one is doing anything.

The public has been left at the mercy of god,” he remarked.

The chief justice also criticised the government’s efforts to encourage people to stay indoors in order to curb the spread of the disease.

The attorney general (ag) said that the federal government is taking best possible measures to fight the deadly contagion. He further stated that another report, apprising about the situation in the country has also been submitted before the court.

The top judge said that minister for Human rights shireen

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mazari filed a reply that the Peshawar High Court has ordered the release of 3,200 prisoners.

The agP replied that no such verdict was given by the (PHC), adding that the human rights minister might be mistaken.

The chief justice also questioned the competence of state minster for Health dr zafar mirza, saying that he is just being given coverage on media on a daily basis.

The top court remarked that no one has come from the defence ministry. “The court needs to inquire about what the defence ministry is up to,” the sC remarked.

To this, the agP responded that no one from the ministry was summoned yet. on saturday, senior lawyer Khawaja Haris had urged the top court to reconsider its decision of revoking the IHC ruling. In a set of recommendations submitted to the apex court, Haris said that the IHC had announced the verdict in line with the law due to the ongoing crisis.

ing. He is the prime minister of Pakistan, after all,” Tareen said during the show. He also acknowledged that he has a long-running conflict with azam Khan, Pm Imran’s principal secretary. “when we came into power, I had a different vision on how to govern the country. He (azam Khan) has a different one. I had told azam Khan that the government’s job was not to enact incremental change but to transform the entire country,” Tareen said. “azam Khan disagrees with my vision for the country because he realises that enacting a transformative agenda would leave him powerless. I have always been against bureaucratic hurdles,” Tareen explained, alleging that azam Khan was behind the fIa investigation against him.

The sugar baron also revealed that a vast majority of the prime minister’s cabinet agreed with his vision of the country.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

more inside

Corona cases near 4,000 as Punjab leads tally STORY ON PAGE 03

Govt notifies Nausheen Amjad as new FBR chief STORY ON PAGE 03

Covid-19: Pakistan to launch diplomatic move for debt rescheduling STORY ON PAGE 02

US braces for ‘hardest’ week in virus battle as British PM moved to ICU STORY ON BACK PAGE

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Tuesday, 7 April, 2020

NEWS

Covid-19: PAkisTAn To lAUnCh diPlomATiC movE for dEbT rEsChEdUling FM QURESHI CALLS FOR POOLING REGIONAL RESEARCH TO FIGHT COVID-19 for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar and Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood. Pakistan’s Permanent Representatives to UN in New York and Geneva also joined the session through a video link.

The meeting discussed the negative implications of COVID-19 on the economy. FM Qureshi noted that due to the pandemic, Pakistan’s exports had declined on one hand and economic activities in the country came to a halt because of the lockdown on the other.

The nationwide tally of highly contagious disease patients has soared past 3,500 with at least 50 deaths.

This, according to the foreign minister, made it difficult for developing countries like Pakistan to go about their business as usual. “It was because of this reason that

ISLAMABAD

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STAFF REPORT

AKISTAN has decided to launch a diplomatic initiative, seeking rescheduling of bilateral and multilateral loans in order to offset the negative fallout of coronavirus pandemic on its economy, officials said on Monday after a high-level huddle held at the Foreign Office in Islamabad.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi chaired the meeting which was attended by Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafiz Shaikh, Minister

Prime Minister Imran Khan floated the idea of rescheduling of loans of developing and poor countries,” Qyresgu was cited as saying by a FO statement.

He briefed the meeting about the steps being taken by the Foreign Office to ensure that developed countries and multilateral organisations pay heed to such ideas.

Qureshi spoke to foreign ministers of wealthy countries over the past couple of weeks in order to seek their support for the restructuring of loans.

It was decided during the meeting that concerted efforts would be made to convince powerful countries for the initiative.

For this purpose, Pakistan’s permanent representatives to United Nations at New York and Geneva has been directed to launch a diplomatic effort while the foreign minister

Imran reshuffles cabinet after damning reports on wheat, sugar crises ConTInUED froM pAgE 01 In a Twitter thread, he said, “I await the detailed forensic reports now by the highpowered commission, which will come out on 25 April, before taking action. God willing, after these reports come out no powerful lobby will be able to profiteer at the expense of our public.”

“After these reports come out no powerful lobby will be able to profiteer at the expense of our public,” he said, adding that the initial reports into sudden

price hikes of sugar and wheat have been released immediately without and “alteration or tampering”.

“This is unprecedented in Pakistan’s history. Previous political leaderships because of their vested interests and compromises lacked the moral courage to order and release such reports,” the prime minister added.

A local media house claimed that the prime minister and members of the inquiry commission had been ‘threatened’ with “dire consequences” if the reports

Thousands of Pakistanis stranded in UAE seek to return home amid corona pandemic ABU DHABI: More than 20,000 Pakistani workers stuck in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are seeking to return home, as the Gulf Arab state tightens restrictions due to the coronavirus outbreak. The UAE, which has reported 1,799 coronavirus cases and 10 deaths, has gradually increased curbs, including imposing a nationwide curfew, suspending passenger flights and putting Dubai in a lockdown. A densely populated Dubai neighborhood where many South Asian blue-collar workers live has been sealed off since Mar 31, and there has been door-todoor coronavirus testing in some parts of the emirate. Over 20,000 Pakistanis had registered since April 3 with the consulate to go home, a consulate spokesman told Reuters on Monday.

Those who had registered included some whose visas had expired, who had lost their jobs or stopped being paid by their employer as well as those who entered the country on visitor visas, he said. Currently, more than a million Pakistanis are living and working in the Middle Eastern state, according to Pakistani diplomats. AGENCIES

Pak-Afghan border crossings opened temporarily ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan government on Monday temporarily reopened the border crossings to Afghanistan to facilitate the return of Afghan nationals to their country. The decision was taken at the request of the Afghan government to open the border crossings at Chaman and Torkham. The federal government opened the border for one-way pedestrian traffic. According to Customs officials, only Afghan citizens could cross the border whereas Pakistani citizens are not allowed to return. The bilateral trade between the two countries and NATO supply will remain suspended. Earlier in March, the traders’ community in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) demanded that the government reopen the Torkham border to at least allow goods trucks, especially those loaded with perishable items, to avoid huge financial losses to businesspersons apart from maintaining the cross-border trade with Afghanistan. STAFF REPORT

were made public.

JAHANGIR TAREEN REMOVED FROM AGRI TASK FORCE: Soon after news of the reshuffle in the federal cabinet broke on news channels, PTI leader and PM Imran’s close aide Shahbaz Gill claimed that Jahangir Khan Tareen has been “removed” as chairman of the task force on agriculture.

“Mr Jahangir Khan Tareen has been removed as Chair of Task Force on Agriculture in light of findings of Sugar and Wheat Inquiry Report,” Gill confirmed on

would continue to reach out to his counterparts in world capitals.

The coronavirus outbreak is taking its toll on Pakistan economy, which was struggling even before the pandemic.

The government’s own assessment suggests that the country’s economy could suffer losses between Rs2 to Rs2.5 trillion and loss of 18.5 million jobs if the lockdown persists for three months. Independent economists put the losses to the economy between Rs890 billion to Rs1.6 trillion.

POOLING RESEARCH: Meanwhile, in a telephonic conversation with Secretary General of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Vladimir Norov, Foreign Minister Qureshi called for pooling of region-wide research capabilities to combat coronavirus for effective coordination in relief and containment efforts.

Qureshi said in order to strengthen regional cooperation in South Asia in the wake of the pandemic, Pakistan has proposed a videoconference of SAARC Health Ministers to learn from each other’s experiences.

his official Twitter handle. He also hinted that further action would be taken against those found guilty for the wheat and sugar crisis. However, Tareen rejected the reports of his removal, saying he was never the chairman of any task force.

“Hello hello, News being reported that I have been “removed” as C’man Agri Task Force ….I was never chairman of any task force. Can anyone show me a notification with me as C’man ?? Pl get your facts right people,” he said in a tweet from his official handle.

“The sugar inquiry commission has been actively engaging with about 10 mills, including 3 of mine. We are sharing all records asked for. We have given free access even to our server. Nothing has been seized as we are fulfilling all requests We have nothing to hide,” he also said in a follow-up tweet.

balochistan govt slashes rs1.48bn in taxes to help cope with coronavirus

IHC summons health secy, others over contempt plea in PMDC case ISLAMABAD TLTP

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has summoned officials, who are accused of disobeying the court’s order pertaining to the restoration of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), on Tuesday.

During Monday’s hearing, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani announced the order in response to PMDC Registrar Brigadier (r) Hafizuddin Siddiqui’s plea that officers of the Health Ministry, ICT administration and Ramna police disobeyed the court’s directives on April 1 after they stopped him from entering the council’s premises.

During the course of the hearing, counsels for the petitioner, Barrister

Zafarullah Khan and Advocate Umer Sajjad Chaven, submitted that IHC has declared presidential ordinance of establishing Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) by dissolving PMDC ultra vires on February 11 and had restored the status of PMDC. The petitioner made Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination Federal Secretary Tanvir Ahmad Qureshi, Joint Secretary Saeedullah Khan Niazi, Section Officer Ali Raza, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hamza Shafqat, ICT Magistrate Ali Javed and Ramna Police Station SHO Khurshid as respondents in the matter.

Barrister Khan apprised the bench that all the respondents were willfully defying the court’s orders, adding that

after the restoration of the PMDC, his client had invoked the court’s jurisdiction by moving another contempt plea in the same matter.

Talking to TLTP, Barrister Khan said that the dysfunctional status of the medical educational regulatory body has adverse consequences on the field of medicine. “As many as 15,000 doctors are in queue to get their medical degrees validated,” he added.

He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab governments have advertised to appoint doctors in order to curb the spread of coronavirus, adding that the government should pay heed to problems of new medical graduates in wake of the pandemic.

Later, the bench summoned all the respondents to appear in person before court in the matter on Tuesday.

The foreign minister briefed the secretary general on the measures being taken by Pakistan to contain Covid-19 pandemic. He said Pakistan attached high importance to SCO as its member states comprise more than 40 per cent of the world population and accounted for a quarter of global GDP. At a time when the entire world was facing this challenge, coordinated efforts through SCO platform were essential to adopt an effective strategy to control the pandemic, he added.

Qureshi said China is providing valuable support to Pakistan in dealing with the pandemic. Underlining that China has led the way in effective containment, and a lot could be gained from the Chinese experience, the foreign minister appreciated SCO Secretariat’s role in disseminating timely information on China’s effective response to the pandemic.

The foreign minister also lauded the Russian initiative to hold a videoconference of the experts of health ministries of SCO member states on April 1, 2020.

QUETTA STAFF REPORT

The Balochistan government on Monday slashed several provincial taxes worth Rs1.484 billion during the current financial year to help citizens cope with the impacts of COVID-19 on the economy, according to an official statement. The exempted taxes — till June 30, 2020 — include sales tax on services in construction, transport, and hotel sectors. The government has also approved the suspension of Balochistan Infrastructure Development System. The suspension of Balochistan electricity duty, motor vehicle tax for the remaining current financial year has also been approved by the cabinet to give relief to the masses — minimising the impacts of COVID-19 on business activities. The government approved the ongoing funding and expenditures to enhance the coronavirus prevention and treatment facilities in the province. The finance secretary briefed the provincial cabinet on coronavirus’ impacts on the province’s economy and various sectors, the statement added.

Quetta police baton-charge, arrest doctors demanding protective gear QUETTA STAFF REPORT

Police arrested over a dozen young doctors in Quetta on Monday while they were protesting against the unavailability of personal protective equipment (PPEs) in provincial hospitals as the war against Covid-19 intensifies.

Young Doctors Association (YDA) and paramedical staff began a demonstration from Civil Hospital and marched up to the chief minister’s secretariat where they were met by baton-wielding policemen, who proceeded to baton-charge and arrest several doctors. YDA Balochistan President Yasir Achakzai said that they had marched up to the CM’s secretariat against a complete lack of protective gear for medical workers who were playing a key role in the country’s fight against the novel coronavirus. However, they were baton-charged by security forces and “dozens” were arrested near the Red Zone, he added.

A few members of the Balochistan

Assembly also reached the venue and tried to negotiate with the protesting doctors and paramedic staff.

Following the arrests, the YDA chief announced a boycott of young doctors’ services from government hospitals. “We suspend all our services following the high-handedness of police,” Achakzai said in an emergency press conference.

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Meanwhile, Quetta Deputy Inspector General of Police Razzaq Cheema confirmed the arrests of “dozens” of doctors but denied the use of batons against them.

“Yes, police arrested dozens of protesting doctors,” Cheema said. He denied the allegations that police had assaulted the protesting doctors but added that “a scuffle broke out after the medics tried to cross

barricades near the Red Zone”.

“The protesting doctors have been shifted to various police stations in Quetta,” DIG Cheema said. The protest in Quetta comes a day after 13 doctors tested positive for Covid-19 in the provincial capital.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif in a tweet condemned the “torture & arrest” of doctors in Quetta, referring to police’s actions as “shameful behaviour”.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, in a statement, termed the torture on doctors as ‘hooliganism’ of the government.

Bilawal condemned the incident, saying it is unfair to torture and detain doctors, especially at this time when the nation needs them the most.

He went on to say that the entire world is praising doctors for their role against COVID19 while on the other hand the PTI government is busy in bringing down the morale of doctors.

Tuesday, 7 April, 2020

CoronA CAsEs nEAr 4,000 As PUnjAb lEAds TAlly DEATH TOLL REACHES 53; RECOVERIES AT 259 AFTER MORE PATIENTS DEFEAT VIRUS ISLAMABAD/ LAHorE

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STAFF REPORT

AKISTAN’S coronavirus tally continued to increase on Monday as Punjab, Sindh, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) reported more cases.

As of 1am on Tuesday, COVID-19 cases in Punjab stood at 1,918 after over 538 cases were confirmed in a day. The province also repeated two more deaths from the virus, taking the provincial death toll to 15. Of these deaths, seven were reported in Lahore, four in Rawalpindi, one in Rahim Yar Khan, one

in Faisalabad and one in Gujrat.

Sindh’s cases tally reached 932 after 51 new cases emerged in a day. Two more deaths were also reported in the province, taking the provincial tally to 17. Balochistan recorded 202 cases while the tally in KP has reached 405.

The federal capital reported four new cases while GB and AJK reported four and one cases, respectively. With the confirmation of new cases, Islamabad Capital Territory’s (ICT) tally stood at 82, GB, 211 and AJK 16. While the cases grew to 3,652 across the country, Pakistan’s COVID-19 recoveries increased to 259 after 87 people were declared virus-free during the past 24 hours.

marriyum asks govt to shift focus from sharifs to coronavirus ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb on Monday said that the federal government should “concentrate” on providing doctors and paramedical staff with personal protective equipment (PPE), instead of “slinging mud” on former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and party president Shehbaz Sharif. In a statement issued here, Aurangzeb said: “Doctors and paramedical staff need to be provided protection due to the rapidly increasing cases in the country. Their lives are on the line yet the government is busy focusing on Nawaz, Shehbaz and the media.” The statement came two days after the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) made public its inquiry report into the recent wheat and sugar crises which witnessed a sharp surge in the prices of said commodities. The report, in addition to ruling bigwigs, named Shehbaz’s son Salman Shehbaz and Maryam Nawaz’s daughter’s father-in-law Chaudhry Munir as the beneficiaries of the artificial crisis. The report, which was initially shared with Prime Minister Imran Khan, was made public on premier’s special directives despite the mention of his confidante Jahangir Khan Tareen. Meanwhile, PML-N leader and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Monday said that the people who profited during the wheat and sugar crisis in the country include members of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s federal cabinet. “The government’s policies were manipulated and some people used it to their advantage to make a profit during the sugar crisis in the country,” he said while talking to media on Monday.

There is increase in prices in any industry but when such people sit in power they use it for their own advantage, Abbasi added. “People were made to pay the price while only a few people reaped profits,” he remarked. He said that he will not take anyone’s name as it’s against his leadership to take names. “We calculated that the two main groups, JDW and RYK, made a profit of Rs20 billion and Rs15bn, respectively,” he added. PTI leader Jahangir Tareen, Federal Minister Khusro Bakhtiar and PML-Q’s Moonis Elahi were named as the top beneficiaries of the sugar crisis that hit the country earlier this year, according to an inquiry report issued April 4.

The 32-page report was prepared by FIA Director-General Wajid Zia, based on the findings of an inquiry committee constituted by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

35,000 TESTS CONDUCTED: Meanwhile, during the first meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Coronavirus Disease, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the government has conducted tests of 35,000 suspected persons so far and was implementing all the recommendations made by the National Security Committee (NSC) of the federal cabinet.

The meeting was held with National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser in the chair and attended by leaders from treasury and opposition benches. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Zafar Mirza briefed the meeting on the utilisation of funds received by the government so far.

Meanwhile, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lieutenant General Muhammad Afzal said that there are over 3,800 ventilators available in the country, while an additional

NEWS 2,000 will be imported from China. He added that 500 ventilators will reach Pakistan by Thursday while 29,000 protective kits for doctors and paramedical staff have been distributed to the provinces.

Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad told the meeting that there was a shortage of ventilators in the country and said the committee may finalise the guidelines regarding the lockdown situation in the country. “145,000 passengers have reached their destinations through 40 trains started from Karachi,” he added.

The NA speaker told the meeting that the main object to constitute the committee was to receive recommendations from the members of the parliament, which would then be forwarded to the government for implementation. He further said that a subcommittee of the main committee will be notified soon. Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali informed the committee that Chitral is free from coronavirus at present and asked the concerned about the steps taken by the government for provision of ventilators to their area. The opposition members asked questions from Dr Mirza and the NDMA chairman about a number of things, including the availability of ventilators, testing kits and other equipment and the government’s strategy against the pandemic.

Health professionals to be provided protective gear on priority basis: PM ISLAMABAD APP

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday expressed the government’s resolve to provide protective gear to health professionals on priority basis in their fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Chairing a high-level meeting, he said that the doctors and medical staff are vanguards in the fight against the spread of this killer disease.

PM Imran directed that benefits of already announced comprehensive package for the construction sector should reach lower strata of society, especially labourers. He said that funds of Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) should be spent on projects associated with small and medium industries. The meeting was apprised that 49,500 protective kits have already been dispatched to various provincial hospitals and the delivery of more kits would be completed in next few days.

CORONA RELIEF TIGER FORCE: Separately, PM Imran directed the immediate activation of the

Corona Relief Tiger Force at the provincial level as around 739,000 youngsters have registered themselves to join the volunteers’ body for relief work during the lockdown.

During a meeting, Special Assistant to the Prime Minster on Youth Affairs Usman Dar updated the prime minister and consulted with him on operational matters regarding the force. The prime minister expressed satisfaction over the report, a PM Office statement said. On the prime minister’s directives, the live update of the Tiger Force has also been made public and linked with the government’s official portal of COVID-19. Dar told the prime minister that majority of those who had registered for the volunteers’

force were of students and social workers, besides doctors, political workers, engineers, teachers, lawyers, journalists, retired armed forces officers and people from the corporate sector.

Among the total registered people, 494,000 hailed from Punjab, 111,000 from Sindh, 102,000 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 10,000 from Islamabad, 9,000 from Balochistan and 8,000 from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). The prime minister lauded the passion and national spirit shown by the youth in these difficult times. He said that the Tiger Force would soon be activated at the provincial and district levels, and directed his special assistant to keep him updated on the statistics of the force.

Imran initiated self-accountability process in greater national interest: Firdous ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Monday said that Prime Minster Imran Khan took a historic step by starting the self-accountability process in greater national interest.

Addressing a press conference, the Dr Firdous said that the prime minister reshuffled the federal cabinet to improve governance and performance. “No such example of self-accountability is available in the in political history of Pakistan,” she said. She said that the steps taken by the premier were the manifestation of ‘Naya Pakistan’ where institutions are given preference over personalities.

She also said that the in the 2018 general election, the people of Pakistan gave mandate to the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) to root out corruption and the county was moving towards that direction under the leadership of PM Imran.

The SAPM said that the premier was fulfilling his responsibilities as a trustee of masses and he has the conviction that interference in public welfare would not be tolerated. “Un-

fortunately, 5 per cent elite had usurped the rights of 95 per cent general public but PM Imran has waged a struggle to give them their usurped rights,” she said.

She also said that the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) was created to control monopolies but instead of performing its duties it colluded with the cartels which resulted in addition to the problems of the general public.

She added that the process of restructuring of CCP was being started so that such situations could be avoided in future. She also said that steps were being taken to collect and maintain the data related to sugar industry from sugarcane produce, sugar production and its cost through technology. The PM’s aide said that at this critical juncture when the nation was fighting coronavirus, there was a need of unity to defeat this pandemic.

Dr Firdous said some leaders in the opposition were trying to get political mileage from the current situation, adding that an opposition politician held a press conference and tried to mislead the nation about the issue. She urged the opposition to have courage to give credit to PM Imran over the start of the process of self -accountability.

03

govt notifies nausheen Amjad as new fbr chief ISLAMABAD SHAHZAD PARACHA

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday appointed Nausheen Javaid Amjad, a senior officer of Inland Revenue Service (IRS), as the chairperson of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). When two months ago, Shabbar Zaidi went on an indefinite leave, Nausheen became the acting chairperson of FBR. The selection committee had unanimously recommended that Nausheen should be appointed as the FBR chief. On Friday, the prime minister, in his capacity as the minister in-charge of Establishment Division, had placed the summary before the federal cabinet for appointing Nausheen as the chairperson and terminating the contract of Zaidi. Officials stated that the most gigantic task for the chairperson would be revenue collection as the tax department is currently facing a whooping revenue shortage due to the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to this, FBR had also failed to submit the reform agenda to the PM Secretariat which was due for submission during the first week of March, they added. They also said a chairperson would have to make wise decisions regarding customs operations as well as on policy matters. Presently, there is massive corruption in Pakistan Customs and the Customs Intelligence DG had also given report about the alleged corruption committed by customs officials. Although the government had removed the officials, FIA has yet to submit its investigative report on this matter, they added. Sources informed Pakistan Today that Haroon Akhtar’s name was also proposed for making him the special assistant to prime minister on revenue due to his close affiliation with PTI members. Sources added that he also tried to grab the FBR chairman slot but the federal cabinet rejected his ascent to these positions.

04 LAHORE

Tuesday, 7 April, 2020

WEATHER UPDATES TUESDAY

320C

190C

WEDNESDAY

270C

160C

THURSDAY

290C

180C

UncerTAInTy looms over wheAT ProcUremenT As PUnjAb food mInIsTer resIgns LAHORE

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SHAHAB OMER

UnjAB Food Minister Samiullah Chaudhary has voluntarily resigned from his portfolio due to the wheat and sugar crisis controversy whereas his resignation may create problems for the upcoming wheat procurement season.

Chief Minister (CM) Sardar Usman Buzdar, while accepting Samiullah's resignation here on Monday, appointed an officer on special duty (OSD) in his place.

In his resignation letter, the minister stated that he was being accused of not bringing reforms in the food department since the past few days and had decided that resigning was the right thing to do, adding that he could sacrifice thousands of ministries for the completion of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan's vision for the country. He also mentioned that he would not find himself eligible for the ministry until he does not prove his honesty and innocence in the allegations imposed on him by presenting himself for any kind of accountability inquiry.

A member provincial assembly (MPA) of PTI, on the condition of anonymity, informed this scribe that the

food minister's resignation in the current situation was a serious matter as the whole country was facing a crisis.

He said that there was an artificial shortage of wheat which led to a price hike while most stores, including Utility Stores, were also out of stock in wheat flour and sugar.

"Chaudhary is a close companion of Buzdar but the chief minister was suspi-

cious of him for not taking action to overcome the crisis whereas, the food minister allegedly mislead the government through misreporting," the source said.

The Punjab government is now likely to face new challenges due to the food minister’s resignation as the procurement of wheat is scheduled in the coming days and the government needs a person who is thoroughly experienced

with matters related to procurement and stocking as well as the provincial food supply chain system.

It is also important to mention here that the prime minister had constituted two high profiled committees under Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) director general and a senior officer of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to investigate the causes behind the particular crisis in Punjab.

After the formation of the said committees, the prime minister had repetitively vowed to uncover and reprimand those who were responsible or involved in creating the issue, saying this would deter similar situations in the future.

After the finalisation of inquiry reports, both investigation committees furnished separate main and additional reports to further address queries raised by the Prime Minister House by sending the concerned parties questionnaires for more clarification.

Meanwhile, Punjab Information Minister Fayyaz ul Hassan Chauhan while commenting on the provincial food minister's resignation said that Samiullah's resignation was a positive sign for all.

"His move was noticeable and respectable keeping in view the present difficult times and circumstances," he added.

Punjab extends partial lockdown till 14th as virus toll surges LAHORE STAFF REPORT

The Punjab government on Monday extended the partial lockdown in the province till April 14 as the virus toll surged to 3,529. According to a notification issued, the provincial government has asked citizens to cooperate with law enforcement agencies in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus. “It is mandatory to take all pragmatic and possible measures to contain and counter the further spread of coronavirus on war footings,” the notification said. The notification further said that there were sufficient grounds to proceed under section 144 of “The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898”, as an immediate preventive and speedy remedy to ensure public safety, conserve lives and maintain peace and tranquillity in the province.

Pakistan’s coronavirus toll rose to 3,529 after the provinces and administrative units reported 136 fresh cases. The toll is witnessing a seemingly unending surge despite all-out efforts by the federal and provincial governments. Punjab, which by last week was behind Sindh, is now leading the chart with 1500 confirmed cases with latter trailing behind with 885 infectious cases. A day earlier, a team of Chinese doctors had recommended to Punjab chief minister to extend the lockdown for at least 28 days after the province reported more than 100 cases in a day. “Social distancing is the key to stop the spread of the virus and authorities should ensure lockdown for 28 days,” the experts recommended CM Buzdar. The experts, who have earlier worked in China’s epicentre Wuhan, told the officials to contain the virus as soon as possible.

Coronavirus patient should be treated at quarantine centres or at hospitals rather than being kept at home,” they said, Briefing on the passive immunization method for COVID-19 treatment, they said in critical circumstances plasma treatment is proved useful.

“Three anti-viral drugs have also been used successfully.” The experts also endorsed the SOPs of the Punjab government to contain the virus and for the treatment of patients and also shared their experiences with the provincial authorities during their posting in Wuhan. Meanwhile, the Punjab government has issued a notification outlining the rules under which welfare activities can be carried out in the province.

PRAyER TiMingS FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

5:11

12:16

3:32

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Punjab govt directs private schools to give 20pc fee concession LAHORE: The Punjab government on Monday directed private schools in the province to give 20 per cent concession in tuition fee in addition to collecting the fees of the following two months separately.

Addressing a news briefing in Lahore, the chief minister further said that private schools have been directed to not layoff their employees. The decision was taken last week in a meeting of a special committee which was headed by Punjab Minister for Law Raja Basharat and attended by Minister for School Education Murad Raas. At the time, the law minister had said the schools were asked to come up with recommendations within two days, adding that after receiving proposals from the school owners, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar would take the final decision. He had, however, said that private school owners should voluntarily give a discount of at least 20 per cent in the monthly fees of April and May. Basharat had further urged the schools not to take a three-month fee at a time, neither any teacher should be fired nor their salary deducted. On the other hand, All Pakistan Private Schools Association President Kashif Mirza said that they haven’t received an official notification over the matter so far.

“How are we supposed to pay [teachers] when we are not receiving even 1% of the fee,” he asked. “We are not even allowed to open the gates of the schools,” he said. “We will consult our lawyers and then announce our stance on the decision,” Mirza added. Speaking about laying off employees, Mirza said no school in Punjab has done it yet and won’t in future as well.

Residents have lauded the government’s decision.

Some said that the fees’ should be further reduced to 50%. All schools across Punjab will remain closed till May 30 due to the rising cases of COVID-19 which has infected nearly 1,500 people in the province so far. STAFF REPORT

117 Punjab factories to resume operations LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to reopen 117 factories after a 14-day suspension of all business activities across the province due to a spike in the number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan. The Punjab Home Department, issuing a notification in this regard here on Monday, said that the decision was taken to curb financial losses and unemployment for thousands of daily wage workers. According to the details, the factories allowed to open are related to eight industries that deal in meat, food processing, textile, leather and auto parts. On Saturday, the Punjab government allowed auto workshops, spare-part shops and oil depots and also opened the national highways. Tyre shops and hotels where truck drivers rest have also been opened on the request of goods transporters. The permissions have resulted in the resumption of transportation of daily food items across Punjab. STAFF REPORT

Two corona-positive PIA pilots shifted to hospital: minister LAHORE: Two pilots of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) who had recently flown back from Canada have been confirmed to have contracted the novel coronavirus, according to Punjab Minister for Health Yasmin Rashid. "The coronavirus tests of two PIA pilots and three other members of the crew on a flight that recently flew back from Canada were carried out and the pilots tested positive," she told the media on Monday. According to the details, the pilots have been shifted to a private hospital in Lahore for treatment where their condition is getting better. The other three crew members have been told to self-isolate in line with international protocols. Earlier on Sunday, PIA had suspended its operations from Karachi, rejecting reports that any of its pilots flying back from Britain had contracted the coronavirus. STAFF REPORT

Tuesday, 7 April, 2020

CabiNeT may exemPT Pm'S COViD-19 reLief fuND frOm iNCOme Tax iSlamaBad

a

AHMAD AHMADANI

MIDST the outbreak of coronavirus in the country, the federal cabinet is likely to exempt the 'Prime Minister's COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Funds-2020' from income tax.

According to sources, the Federal Board of Revenue has sought the federal cabinet’s approval to ensure tax relief for Prime Minister’s COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Funds-2020, as the federal government is empowered to grant exemption/relief from the imposition of any tax for the purposes of national security in emergency situations.

As per the sources, the FBR has requested the cabinet to exempt tax on any income derived by the PM's COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Fund-2020. It has also

sought exemption of any amount paid as donation to the COVID-19 Relief Fund, besides exemption to the fund from minimum tax on turnover under section 113 of

JDW shares nosedive after damning inquiry report BuSineSS deSK The share price of Jahangir Tareen’s JDW Sugar Mills Limited fell Rs21.05 on Monday after the prime minister’s inquiry committee, which was investigating the recent sugar crisis, identified Tareen’s mills as the largest beneficiary of total export subsidies worth Rs2.4 billion that the Punjab government gave to sugar mills. The report, published on Saturday, cited untimely exports as the major cause of the sugar crisis in Pakistan, which started last year and continues to date. Tareen’s sugar mills availed Rs561 million or 22.71pc of the total export subsidy, it added. The JDW stock, which closed at Rs280 on Friday, fell 7.5pc, the highest threshold by which a share can rise or fall in a day, within minutes after the market opened on Monday.The benchmark KSE-100 Index was down 2.6pc when this report went online (at 2:40pm). JDW’s share was worth Rs259.64 when its trade halted as per the rules of the stock market. The stock had reached a peak of Rs614 on January 23, 2017.

TAREEN REJECTS INQUIRY REPORT: Meanwhile, in response to the inquiry report, Jahangir Tareen has said that the FIA report had failed in answering fundamental questions raised by him. He said that the sugar price had increased due to an increase in the support price of sugarcane. He said that Rs180 support price would mean the ex-mill rate of sugarcane is Rs65. Defending the decision to export sugar, Tareen said that the decision could only be proved wrong if there was no stock of sugar in the country. He said that the country had 4,57,000 tonnes of surplus sugar reserves in November last year. He added that no one pockets the subsidy price and rather the subsidy had helped increase the country’s exports. Tareen said that Pakistan had benefitted up to Rs30 billion from Rs3bn subsidy on sugar export.

the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001.

Similarly, exemption has been sought from withholding taxes on any payment received by the Fund pertaining to profit on

debt, cash withdrawal from bank, advance tax on banking transactions and advance tax through banking transactions, other than through cash, under sections 151, 231A, 231AA and 236P of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001.

The World Health Organization has declared COVID-19 as a pandemic, since more than 186 countries of the world are facing the outbreak of this virus.

In order to effectively combat the outbreak of this pandemic and alleviate its adverse impact in Pakistan, Prime Minister Imran had last week announced the establishment of the Prime Minister‘s COVID19 Pandemic Relief Fund-2020, wherein philanthropists and overseas Pakistanis were encouraged to deposit money starting from 1st April. It was claimed that the money collected from the fund shall be utilized to provide food and financial assistance to the people affected by COVlD-19.

COVID-19 and our responsibilty imran maqBool AKISTAN, belonging to the category of developing countries and under severe burden of foreign debts almost touching the figure of 105 billion US dollars, is, now a days, fighting against a treacherous enemy about whom even highly developed countries, equipped with latest modern technologies and much more advanced scientific and health knowledge, seem to be proving failure. During little span of time, Covid-19 has almost engulfed the entire globe. It hasn’t been bothering about rich and poor, black and white, east and west, Muslim and Non-Muslim, race and color and developed and developing countries. It has been indiscriminate in nature and is affecting and killing people of all ages. Till the filing of the story, more than 69501 persons have been declared dead while 1274967 are under treatment. It has also exposed equally helplessness of the developing and developed countries across the globe.

China, being the first country severely hit by this novel corona virus, tackled the situation tactfully and saved the lives of its citizens. The efforts carried out by government, medical and Para medical staff and even by the citizens are exemplary and matchless. If there had been any other country in place of china, it would have escaped from the fighting ring and gone into graves as a whole. Chinese citizens particularly of Wuhan Province proved themselves as how government’s instructions are followed and how a helping hand is given at the time of crisis.

In darkness, china lightened and developed a hope against Covid-19. It would have been very easy for china to send back all Pakistani students studying in

P

province Wuhan but it did not do this.

Instead, it kept them all safe in Wuhan.

Iran, USA, European and many other countries are uncontrollably engulfed

by Covid-19 and deaths are being reported in three digits on daily basis.

Even the populist leaders of developing and developed countries are weeping and are declaring their helplessness.

One of the differences comes to surface when we compare china with other countries and that is carefulness and carelessness. Corona Virus is severely hitting those countries whose people are careless. On the other hand, china government and its people were careful and combated it in a disciplined manner which other countries are lacking.

As far as Pakistan is concerned it has been progressing in a mature manner and is adopting all measures which need to be taken as per WHO standards while keeping in mind its economic and social structure. It is the most difficult time for a developing country like Pakistan to go on with meager resources and under severe pressure of unexpected and shapeless crisis when big democracies have been defenseless against it. During crisis hour a nation cannot be kept in dark and one cannot go further even a single inch after speaking lie with nation. What Imran Khan, Prime Minister of Pakistan, did, it was the need of the hour and he rightly unfolded the actual situation of corona virus in Pakistan and took the nation in confidence, seeking citizens’ support in his three speeches to the nation. Federal, Provincial governments and local administration have been working in praiseworthy manner and whatever steps are being taken at federal or provincial level, they are implemented in letter and spirit by District

Administration to cope with this contagion. For example, District Administration Lahore started preparation of Corona Virus in month of January 2020 on the direction of Punjab Government soon after it out broke in China. One may ask why the steps taken by government were not highlighted in media.

The answer is simple that it (government) did not want to create terror among citizens. District Administration Lahore held meetings with tour operators and took list of emigrants (Zaireens). District Administration went door to door and had corona tests of all of them. Similarly, Special desks were set up at Lahore Airport and Wahga boarder to have screening of every passenger. All this was done in last week in the month of January while in month of February, the situation was under control and no case of corona virus was reported. While keeping in mind its imminent entering to Lahore, District Administration started chlorination spray in the entire city, mostly on the places which are visited by citizens on large scale, under the supervision of Commissioner Lahore Mr.Saif Anjum and Deputy Commissioner Lahore Mr. Danish Afzal. This process is still continuing and up till now more than 2000 spots including major roads, hospitals, offices and public places have been chlorinated. Next problem which District Administration was expecting to come to surface was the establishment of quarantine centers where corona patients were to be kept. Three straight of the art quarantine centers and one 200 bedded field hospital were set up in Kala Shah Kaku, just 18 km northwest from District Lahore, within three days where as many as 1200 corona suspected persons can be quarantined.

NEWS

05

Tareen alleges foul play Continued from page 01 “I think 70 per cent of his cabinet agrees with what I say. But the prime minister fully trusts Azam Khan. But he also knows me. He knows the kind of man I am. He knows I get things done,” Tareen said. He also said that the inquiry report had failed in answering fundamental questions raised by him. He said that the sugar price had increased due to an increase in the support price of sugarcane. He said that Rs180 support price would mean the ex-mill rate of sugarcane is Rs65. Defending the decision to export sugar, Tareen said that the decision could only be proved wrong if there was no stock of sugar in the country. He said that the country had 4,57,000 tonnes of surplus sugar reserves in November last year. He added that no one pockets the subsidy price and rather the subsidy had helped increase the country’s exports. Tareen said that Pakistan had benefitted up to Rs30 billion from Rs3bn subsidy on sugar export.

Referring to his provision of sugar to the Utility Stores Corporation (USC), Tareen said that despite a rise in sugar prices, he had provided 20,000 tonnes of sugar to Utility Stores at Rs67/kg which benefitted the people by Rs250m.

PM FORMING NEW CADRE: Meanwhile, sources within the PTI told Pakistan Today that the prime minister has been making quiet efforts to create a new cadre within the party who would carry forward the party’s clean image. “The new group has been named as ‘loyalist group’ and includes young leaders such as Murad Saeed, Shehryar Afridi, Ali Mohammad Khan, Hammad Azhar, Usman Dar and Dr Shehbaz Gill,” the sources claimed. They added that by forming the ‘loyalist group’, PM Imran had neutralised the two major groups in the party headed by Jahangir Tareen and Shah Mahmood Qureshi. “Now it is the prime minister who is calling all the shots but his Principal Secretary Azam Khan influences most of these decisions,” they claimed. It is worth mentioning here that PM Imran had also removed his close associate and trusted friend, Amir Kayani, after he was informed about the dubious role of Kayani in the increase of medicine prices last year. Interestingly, the inquiry report against Kayani was not made public. Political analysts are of the view that the premier’s decision to make the report public is a message to the influential groups, including the Chaudhrys of Gujrat, Tareen and those insisting that the premier replace Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and take decisions on several other matters in their favour. In a tweet, PTI chief organiser Saifullah Niazi stated that the ‘sugar mafia’ was threatening the premier that the price would go up to Rs110 per kg if the inquiry was not stopped.

It is worth noting here that Tareen had been appointed PTI’s secretary general in Niazi’s place. However, Niazi was recently appointed as the chief organiser of the party after Tareen was disqualified by the Supreme Court (SC).

SNGPL gives relief In the wake of coronavirus outbreak in the country and in line with the directive of the federal government, SNGPL has permitted domestic consumers to pay bill in instalments.

According to the company spokesperson, SNGPL has started issuing domestic bills for the month of March on the basis of instalments. The spokesperson further said that those domestic consumers who have received bill for the month of March without installments can pay their bill in three instalments at any bank branch. All banks have been informed in this regard. It is pertinent to mention that the said facility is only provided to the domestic consumers having bill of up to Rs2,000, excluding GST. BUSINESS DESK

Abrarul Haq ‘stole’ idea of PRCS Muhafiz app, tech company alleges RED CRESCENT SOCIETY DENIES ALLEGATION, SAYS ORGANISATION ABOVE COMMERCIAL INTEREST laHore TAIMOOR HASSAN

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) Chairman Abrarul Haq has been accused of stealing the idea of the ‘Muhafiz’ mobile application launched on April 4 by PRCS. According to details, PRC Muhafiz, an emergency response application that has been recently deployed by the PRCS to fight COVID-19, has been replicated on the model of an existing application in the market developed by tech company Humanetek in 2015. The original application is called ‘Mohafiz’ that provides emergency management services.

Mohafiz mobile application was developed by Humanetek CEO Fahd Mahmood Khan after the fateful Army Public School

(APS) tragedy of 2014 to establish a 911-like emergency response service. The application essentially aggregates the pool of first responders from the government, non-governmental organisations and the private sector and notifies the closest emergency responder when a user is in distress and calls for help.

Mohafiz had signed MoUs with various government agencies and for the sort of work it was doing, had also signed an MoU with the PRCS in 2016. Fahd says that even after the MoU had expired, they continued to work with PRCS on various projects such as blood donations. The PRCS therefore knew all about the mobile application.

As per details, on March 4, Fahd Mahmood Khan met Abrarul Haq for a possible collaboration with PRCS to use Humanetek’s Mohafiz application as a response initiative against COVID-19.

“Abrarul Haq had shown willingness to collaborate with Mohafiz. But rumors started surfacing that PRCS had started working on a similar application of its own. They replicated what we were doing, and surprisingly they launched it with the same name Muhafiz. The only difference in the name is of a vowel,” Fahd Mahmood Khan told Profit.

Fahd further says that though he made attempts to contact Abrarul Haq, formally and informally to discuss the collaboration with Mohafiz app and whether the announcement he had made was an app being developed by PRCS in-house, all such attempts at communication were ignored, which raised the suspicion that the rumors about a similar app being developed by PRCS might be true. A formal letter was eventually sent to Haq on April 3, requesting that he does not launch the app or that he changes the name of the application.

Nonetheless, on April 4, Haq allegedly convinced President Arif Alvi to approve the launch of the application under the name of Muhafiz, developed by the PRCS. Haq also allegedly failed to inform the president that

an application of this type and similar name already existed in the market that was created by Humanetek Pvt. Ltd. more than five years ago and thus is a violation of intellectual property rights.

“Humanetek holds the trademark and copyright registration of the application and already has over 80,000 downloads,” says Fahd. Although Abrarul Haq did not respond to attempts made by Pakistan Today for comment, the PRCS, in a statement, denied allegation of violation of intellectual property rights in the launch of ‘PRC Muhafiz’ application.

A spokesperson for the PRCS clarified that the application was launched on a purely non-commercial and humanitarian basis aimed at addressing the COVID-19 challenge in an organised manner by fully utilising the potential of the PRCS trained volunteers. “It is in no way similar to the “Mohafiz” app at all in terms of its name, logo, features and usage,” a statement from PRCS said.

The spokesperson said that the ‘PRC Muhafiz’ application launched on Sunday by President Arif Alvi, who is the patron-in-

chief of the PRCS, was a brand name and non-commercial and free of cost initiative under which all the PRCS volunteers referred to as the PRC Muhafiz would collect the data on COVID-19 and use it for a better and prompt response to the challenge.

The spokesperson further said that a year ago, Humane Tek approached the PRCS proposing joint collaboration in the launch of its application ‘Muhafiz’. The proposal was mulled over and rejected, as it was capital intensive and not in line with the PRCS mandate.

After rejection of the proposal, the spokesperson added, the company approached the PRCS through different quarters but it was not accepted as the APP was not viable. The spokesperson further clarified that the PRCS was a purely humanitarian organisation and it acted strictly as per its mandate tailored in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of Pakistan.

“Such baseless, mischievous, and uncalled for propaganda serves to dent the image of an organisation that has been selflessly serving humanity since the creation of Pakistan,” said the spokesperson.

Tuesday, 7 April, 2020

06 COMMENT

Sadiq memories

Video conference on coronavirus Important questions await answers

Q

UEStIONS are being raised all over the country about the performance of the government in handling the fast spreading pandemic in Pakistan. there have been cases of gross negligence like the tragic mismanagement in taftan that turned the place into an incubator of the virus spreading it from Balochistan and Sindh all the way to GilgitBaltistan. this was followed by the Punjab government’s blunder of allowing the tablighi Jamaat to hold its gathering in Raiwind. For three days thousands of preachers from all parts of Pakistan and dozens of foreign countries prayed, ate and slept in close quarters. Scores of groups formed at the gathering for spreading the message disseminated the virus to all the four provinces besides AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan. Instead of banning large religious gatherings Punjab government allowed two consecutive Friday prayers to be attended by tens of thousands of worshippers out of sheer political opportunism. Last Friday, despite a decision not to allow more than five persons to undertake collective prayers, Islamabad administration took no action against several prayer leaders including Maulana Abdul Aziz of Lal Masjid for leading large Friday congregations.

Amidst complaints against not being provided Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), at least one doctor has died, several tested positive and a senior doctor is under treatment. Dr Zafar Mirza should have precisely specified what kind of protective equipment was to be used while looking after coronavirus patients of different stages. Failure to issue detailed instructions was bound to lead to misuse and shortages. Doctors in Sindh were wearing black bands in protest for over a week and have now threatened not to visit wards where confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 were admitted if not provided PPE. Doctors in Quetta came out in protest and a number of them were baton charged and arrested. there are complaints about Dr Mirza’s failure to enhance the number of tests, the shortage of equipment and trained staff to expand the testing. Even Dr Ataur Rehman, chairperson of the Prime Minister’s task Force on Science and technology has called for urgently raising the testing capacity to enable the country to enhance it to 40-50 thousand tests per day. there were no credible answers to these question from the government at the teleconference.

Where have all those men gone?

haSaN aFTaB SaEED

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colleague recently visited Sadiq Public School. Listening to him talk about the old school; the feelings were not very different from what Ghalib’s must have been when somebody had mentioned Calcutta. It appears that a fifteen-minute journey is still considered a long one in Bahawalpur, just as it was all those years ago. time seems to have stopped in this sense. One way in which time certainly has moved on however is the fact that not one of the teachers who taught us is there at Sadiq anymore. this came as quite a shock but in hindsight it shouldn’t have been – it has already been more than a quarter of a century since the early nineties.

As far as I am concerned it was the teachers that made Sadiq what it was. Sure, there were the laboratories, the halls, the classrooms, the football fields and the tennis courts there but institutions are about people more than anything else. So it is that when one looks back at those days, it’s not the facilities but the teachers who come to the mind. And to think that not one of them is there anymore!

What personalities they were! Where does one start? Nazir sahab, the headmaster, summoned me to his office on my very first day itself, and explained that the roll number I had initially been allotted (421)

Relentless Modi

was, for obvious reasons, certain to give a field day to my fellows (those were brutal times indeed). He arranged for it to be changed to 431. Some months later, I was again in his office, this time as the spokesperson for students who wanted the prep leave for the board exams to start early. He had employed a cricketing analogy. He had said that while being fighting fit was always of the essence, it was counterproductive if the training camp for a cricket series started too early. While I wasn’t completely convinced at the time, I had ample opportunity to verify the fact for myself through my years at the UEt. Mr. Shahid Hasnain used to dictate his lectures extempore, albeit in measured lines employing just the right words. He would elaborate his points too, and when he did so he would indicate clearly that that part was not to be taken down. the beauty of it was that although the narration was of necessity piecemeal – the bell would dictate when a session must end – the narrative was seamless when one read the whole thing. In fact, it read almost like a book. He probably had the book’s architecture in his head all along, which little by little got transferred to our notebooks. His love for literature (both Urdu and English) shown through no matter what subject he was teaching.

Shehzad sahab, who taught biology, was another proponent of structured teaching. Unfortunately, he never taught our batch. to say that among all the subjects, biology was my least favourite would be a gross understatement. Serendipitously, I had chanced upon notes taken down by one of his earlier students – not very accurately with this piece here and that piece there missing. However, what was there was enough to show the structure and coherence of his teaching.

If biology can be taught in an interesting and systematic manner, anything can, provided enough effort and planning. In an earlier article, I have recounted Hashmi sahab’s unique way of teaching in some detail. Sadly, he passed away some years ago. those were the days when the movement against memorization (which is probably at its zenith now) was just starting. It was beginning to get fashionable to say that understanding was everything. the proverbial pendulum had started its return from one extreme (emphasis on rote learning) to the other extreme (trying to get rid of the memory part altogether). Habibullah sahab would have none of it. He believed, rightly,

that memorization had its part – and an important one at that – to play in studies, as it has in any other domain. He would be shocked today if he encountered the type of student that struggles with the cosine of 30 without a calculator handy.

Bashir sahab had taken an early dislike to me, for which some unfortunate circumstances and I were probably equally to blame. We were never able to put the past completely behind us. But there is no denying that he was an amazing teacher. He taught physics but was not averse to making an occasional excursion into philosophy. For example, I got the first taste of Zeno’s dichotomy in his class; although, the wise instructor that he was, he made it a point not to mention the words ‘Zeno’ or ‘dichotomy’ – bless him!

Chohan sahab had this way of solving all questions in the textbook on the blackboard, which used to be black in those medieval days. He believed (rightly) that one learns mathematics by doing more and more of it. Hafiz sahab taught high schoolers what mathematical elegance was by demonstrating that the dreaded theorems could be proved using intuitive steps. Mr. Abdullah Shah was a mathematical genius whose teaching and evaluation could be described as ruthless but fair.

Majeed sahab showed the (important) place of humour in teaching. Mr. tariq Bhatti had a way of making you think that your question was the most intelligent question anybody had ever asked. Mr. Qamaruz Zaman, my housemaster at the Abbas House, was a hard taskmaster. But nobody could be more encouraging when somebody strove for excellence in studies, sports or literary activities. He too passed away some months ago.

I have yet to know a better speech writer than Qadri sahab. His similes, his turns of phrase, his idiom laced with historical references, his quotation of just the right lines of poetry – a tour de force in fifteen minutes! Portions of some of the speeches written by him still ring in my ears after all these years.

None of these gentlemen is at Sadiq anymore.

Many would have passed on too – I know some have.

It has been more than a quarter of a century. It has been a blink of an eye.

Hasan Aftab Saeed is a connoisseur of music, literature, and food (but not drinks). He can be reached at www.facebook.com/hasanaftabsaeed

The necessity of lying

Coronavirus cannot stop the BJP’s anti-Muslim agenda

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We lie; therefore, we exist the way we exist

S COVID-19 cases continue to increase at a fast pace and the death toll trickles on, Pakistan is struggling to handle the spread of the virus with a partial lockdown in place amid other measures. India has however imposed a stricter nationwide lockdown that is being enforced by the very top of its federal government, as it attempts to keep its over 1.38 billion population in doors. Amid this monumental challenge Indian Prime Minister Narinder Modi and his party have found time to satiate their appetite for unchecked nationalism in pursuit of the anti-Muslim agenda. A new law titled the new Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Order, 2020 that would alter Indian occupied Kashmir’s (IOK) demography was passed a few days ago. IOK has been under an enforced lockdown for months after BJP scrapped its special status as a semi-autonomous state.

Changes to its demography are a violation of the Geneva convention but that has not and apparently will not, even in the middle of a global pandemic, stop PM Modi to follow his supremacist Hindutva ideology to establish a Hindu-India. PM Imran Khan, condemning the BJP’s in a tweet, quite aptly described the actions of the BJP-led Indian government as “particularly reprehensible”, an indication towards the timing of the passing of the draconian law. In reply, India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ issued a statement terming the IOK situation and “internal Affair” with the ministry’s spokesman terming PM Khan’s comments “intemperate”. this is clearly an irresponsible and inaccurate claim that has no legal basis keeping in mind the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions that give the state of Jammu and Kashmir a special status.

As the war of words continues, residents of IOK are experiencing some of the worst human rights violations in modern history. there has been a fresh wave of violence in the valley as well. Although the world is busy battling the Coronavirus, words of condemnation would be welcome. However, even in pre-Corona days, most countries abstained from issuing any such words, so there is even less hope for a reaction now.

Shah Nawaz Mohal

I

t is not hope that makes the world go around, folks. It is the lies that hold the absurd, beautiful, deceptive, alluring world we love- both in our heads and outside. Whether through fiction or poetry, or through white lies, we make the brutal world we live in tolerable. We love to lie; dear reader and we lie to live. the wide gulf between things as they are and how we want them to be, is the birthplace of lies, both big and small.

Why do we lie? the query has baffled countless minds over the millennia. Some say we lie because of cowardice. Others believe we lie to save our skin from immediate dire consequences of our acts and/or utterances. then there are those who are of the opinion that if man didn’t know how to lie, he wouldn’t have progressed this far. Some feign to know that lying is the single most important feat devised by man to overcome adversity and broaden horizons of imagination. Few, however, dared to ruminate about liars telling the truth ‘as it is’ to achieve their petty personal agendas.

Beware, beware of the liars telling truth as there is nothing, dear reader, more deceptive, more dangerous, more debilitating than a truth told by a liar. the conman, the fraudster, the false messiah, the shadowy wheeler dealer, the cunning deal broker, the loud, shenanigan-loving top judge and the sharp politician tell truth and nothing but the truth only when it serves some ulterior purposes that they strive for.

For the greater good of all and gods, they say, we are willing to go the whole hog. And they go the whole hog. two examples would suffice. We all know of a God-fearing property developer who spends millions of rupees on charity and welfare and swears that he has never uttered a lie. Of late it had come to the fore that the same bloke spearheaded many a noxious deal involving land grabbing all over the country.

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

Umar Aziz

Asher John

Joint Editor

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the other example is our Great Dispenser of Jus- the cameras, busy manufacturing mayhem and nuitice who while chugging out justice claims whatever sance, our Lord Justice is a living proof of how the is being done is done across the board, without favor, long, eventful past is dead and gone. And how there sans fear. Well, just look at the verdicts coming out is no grace and honor left. Welcome to our Brave of his courts during last couple of months and you’ll New World where cunning liars symbolise supreme know who the Crusader for Justice who loves to truths.

Let us talk Justice now, dear reader, that troublespeak the truth is as a person.

Everybody says they love truth. trust me, they some child of myth, magic and folklore. Let us bury the fact that no other condon’t. truth is not only cept in the history of bitter, it also pinches at mankind has stirred more the very core of our debate and caused more souls. It crumbles our It needs reiteration that the Goddess headaches than justice. cherished delusions. It Forget that the fates of gnaws at our perfect fanJustice depicted as a blindfolded countless men, entire tasies. kingdoms, many a civithe dichotomies of damsel, wielding a sword in one lization perished because truth vs Lies are eternal hand and holding a set of scales in they relegated the Eslike Right vs. Wrong., teemed Lady to bottomGood vs. Evil, Order vs. the other is a universal symbol of less pits, just like we did.

Chaos, Hereafter vs.

Deny that many prosHere-and-now, Us vs. hope and equality. Egyptians, pered for they revered them, Upright vs. Corher, followed her dicta rupt, Real vs. Phony and Greeks, Europeans and other and knew that under her so on and so forth. the cultures revere this image of a fair shadow they can tread on world goes to swines and the road that leads to the dogs when they intermindamsel who weighs matters brought palace where ‘greater gle. When a liar, a habitual, irredeemable liar before her without fear or favor, pays good of all’ is the norm, not a mirage or illutells truth he tramples on no heed to whether a party to a sion. the eternal divide orLet us forget all dained by gods. contention is a mighty ‘invincible’ above, bury all above, It needs reiteration cremate the remains and that the Goddess Justice individual or a penniless beggar, carry on hearing and bedepicted as a blindfolded and mete out befitting punishment lieving the truths spoken damsel, wielding a sword by the liars and keep on in one hand and holding to the one who transgressed while mistaking adversaries for a set of scales in the other enemies, enemies for is a universal symbol of giving justice to the wronged well-wishers and allies hope and equality. Egypfor opponents for we are tians, Greeks, Europeans done for all times to and other cultures revere come. We are conthis image of a fair damsel who weighs matters brought before her with- demned to witness the same scenes, from the same out fear or favor, pays no heed to whether a party to play, having a different cast, over and over again.

Welcome to the absurd, repetitive pageant where a contention is a mighty ‘invincible’ individual or a penniless beggar, and mete out befitting punishment a haggardly, old, senile man is the centre of all attento the one who transgressed while giving justice to tion and hope. the wronged.

Shah Nawaz Mohal is a law graduate and In our land, Lady Justice has been replaced by a haggardly, old, senile gentleman with ambition sur- journalist based in Islamabad. He can be reached at passing Nietzsche’s ubermensch. Lover of playing to mshahnawazmohal@gmail.com.

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Tuesday, 7 April, 2020

COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan.

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

Covid 19 and elected representatives HIStORY is evident that nations have defeated calamities and crisis through the support of their leaders. We like other countries of the world are facing the challenge of covid19. PM Imran Khan and CM Sindh during their speeches urged the nation to face this state of affairs with courage and boldness, but here my question is who will provide us courage to face this pandemic?. Poor masses are finding it increasingly difficult to have access to elected representatives of their consituencies mainly in Sindh. the feebles who have lost their source of earning as a result of lockdown are facing starvation. In most areas of Sindh none of the elected representatives have arrived to gain first hand knowledge about the hectic situation Bieng faced by the people.

KAMrAN KHAMISo KHowAJA Sujawal

Poverty and coronavirus

Extractive leadership in times of a Pandemic Prime Minister needs to be more proactive for supplying food ration to people confined to choose between taking care of their workers or their homes with dwindling cash flows. Supply paying bills. there are statements, however, chain strategies must be built on urgent basis. constrained to proclamations rather forceful exAlarmingly, riots could soon become a reality in ecutions. Whereas leadership requires behavior, MERGENCIES can occur at any time urban and suburban centers as hardly anyone not a formal position, it’s a function of specific with increasing frequency and number will sit at home capabilities rather of victims. Planning and practicing for empty stomach, if than simply passing these events are keys factors for a favor- the passiveness in statements. able response. As World Health Organ- making strategies AforemenThe beauty of inclusive ization (WHO) has declared Corona Virus a goes on. All those tioned problems pandemic, comprehensive emergency manage- charismatic leaders could be solved by policies lies in its broad ment strategies should be practiced as whole. should now get out shaping the policies Mitigation, preparedness, response, and recov- of their charisma that should always meaning; includes not only poor ery is of paramount importance at this time of and take timely debe inclusive rather class but all citizens. panic for every country. the world, we all freely cisions. extractive. the admit, is in muddle and chaos, due to a tiny thing beauty of inclusive Monetary poliImplementation of these which cannot be seen with the naked eye. If the cymakers must see policies lies in its situation is not dealt with active virtues the the intensity of the broad meaning; instrategies will be possible only chaos would be even more problematic. the prevailing cludes not only ecoif the Prime Minister does not only strenuous situation must not be challenged by nomic situation and poor class but all passiveness. citizens. Implemenshould have taken rely on its team, in which the All regions of Pakistan are following lock- necessary measures tation of these down and nobody knows for how long it will other countries are strategies will be essential ones are unelected, but last. For this uncertainty, dealing with this lock- taking, by now. Inpossible only if the also on all stakeholders. down is a genuine concern. A few reports reveal terest rates should Prime Minister that 31% of population is living below the line have been dropped Imran Khan does of poverty in Pakistan, and the percentage is by now to a single not only rely on its slipping more due to double-digit inflation. How digit value. the team, in which the to deal with all these, as many rely only on daily most immediate questions that we face are essential ones are unelected, but also on all wages? Other concerns involve; keeping public whether the policies currently under considera- stakeholders. Online conferences with all exaway from depression, panic buying and hyste- tion or being implemented provide sufficient perts i.e. Doctors, biotechnologists, entrepreria. Post pandemic survival is a matter of later measures against the prevailing circumstances. neurs, philanthropists and economists may help subject, but the policies today must be intercon- Suppose, would a helicopter drop policy (cash him in getting more novel and better version of nected with post pandemic circumstances to bet- given by government to individuals legitimately) policies to curb the virus and its consequences ter deal with the whole situation. adopted by PM to give 3 thousand per month to on the nation. Bona fide and authentic opinions Food security and supply chain is a matter 7 million daily wagers, cumulative with all other can be taken from them through email. But woeof utmost importance at least in lockdowns. relief packages, be sufficient for partial relief, in fully, we are still unable to change our inherited Luckily being an agrarian economy, Pakistan present time of double-digit inflation? extractive policies. Subsequently, these extraccan beat this chalSimilarly, de- tive policies have a drastic impact on population lenge with strategic ferment of bank in- in pandemics, for example in Britain in 1348, the formulation of stallments in Black Death which had taken out large number plans and its impleprinciple payments of people; led to the previously held extractive mentation. Food for SMEs landlord labor relation towards more equal relaAll regions of Pakistan are following “ONLY” supplies are may not be the re- tions embodied in policy making and legislation. enough, but lack of lief for them as of Likewise, a lockdown in lieu of prevailing panlockdown and nobody knows for logistical planning the halted money demic of COVID-19 has forgotten many as ophow long it will last. For this is making it harder supply. Interest pay- posed to having approaches that incorporates all. to get products ments are also not Self-admiration of the PM is driving us to uncertainty, dealing with this where they need to possible with busi- nowhere but to financial breakdown. Reporting be. For example, nesses shut down. strategies are distorted as in case of Gilgit lockdown is a genuine concern. A the Government Government has al- Baltistan, where funds, given by World Bank, few reports reveal that 31% of had stopped goods lowed only exten- have not been transferred yet by federal governtransportation in sion of due dates for ment. Police blockades are limited to stop peopopulation is living below the line of lockdown later reone week for utility ple whereas they should be handed thermal opening causing a bills which will be scanners for excessive testing. But unfortupoverty in Pakistan, and the shortage and inof no use to SMEs nately, self-centeredness of the proclaimed percentage is slipping more due to crease in food inflaor industries who leader won’t let him listen to anyone. tion. Urban centers, are unable gather double-digit inflation more so than rural, Ihsaan Afzal Khan is a business executive the receivables need proper planfrom business sec- with exposure in health, education, power disning in the sense tor. they need to tribution and manufacturing.

IhSaaN aFzal KhaN

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ACCORDING to the report, nearly 39 percent of Pakistanis live in multidimensional poverty, with the highest rates of poverty in FAtA and Balochistan and now coronavirus is the biggest challenge for Pakistan which can be the cause of unemployment of thousands of people, it will be difficult for the country to survive the people who were already suffering from poverty. Moreover, the virus is increasing due to the slapdash people, as well as the challenges of government. Additionally, Balochistan is the biggest province of Pakistan by land area and it is famous for its natural mineralogy but still, the people of the province are not being supported that much they need while the majority of the COVID-19 cases confirmed in taftan border.

KHudAdAd BALocH Karachi

Degrading dull students AS you know in today’s world there are many students who are not so bright in studies. they don’t participate much because they are not motivated by anyone. their teachers think they cannot do anything in actual they want just a little ray of hope , a little motivation and a helping hand which would lead them to their future. But due to their less contribution in their studies people think they are not capable to do anything, although they have skills in other things. these students get more dull because people degrade them. When we start degrading them saying “you cannot do anything” they develop this thinking in their minds and don’t bother to do anything. But a little help of someone it can be anyone their teacher, parents or siblings can prepare them for future to tell them no one is worthless.

ALEENA KHurrAM rawalpindi

Street crime StREEt crime is any criminal offense done in public place. It includes kidnapping, open illegal drug trade, pickpocketing, extortion etc.

Open Illegal drug trade is the lowest level of drug distribution network. they operate in geographically areas so buyers and sellers can locate one another at any time, without any difficulty. Most commonly sold drugs are heroin, cocaine and marijuana. Dealing with open-air drug markets presents a challenge for the police because the dealers need to be tackled effectively to reduce the harms that illicit drug use can inflict on local community. Poverty, unemployment and parent neglect are the major reasons of increasing street crimes day by day in our society. Mostly, the culprit usually does such act in desolate place so that they can easily run and escape from being caught by the police. to reduce street crimes, public places should be monitored with cameras and the victim must know some self-defence techniques so that at-least they can save their lives.

ZILL-E-HuMA rawalpindi

Airport SOPs tHE Government of Pakistan has decided to modify the SOPs under implementation for airports at international arrivals for better control of the spread of Coronavirus. the SOPs shall be applicable on all passengers and flight crew with immediate effect. Upon arrival from International flights, everyone will be screened as per practice. the swab sample shall not, however, be collected at the airport. All passengers and flight crew shall be quarantined for 24 hours at a location decided by the authorities. After 24 hours swab sample shall be collected for test at the designated facility.Anyone with positive test result shall be retained at the quarantine or other relevant location.those with Negative test result shall be allowed to leave with strict instructions and guidance for home quarantine.

IBAAd HASSAN Karachi

Unemployment during corona UNEMPLOYMENt is one of the biggest problem of Pakistan. that person is unemployed who has ability to work and is willing to do work but is unable to do job opportunity. In the current situation more than 30 lac people are unemployed in Pakistan and unemployment is more than 12 percent. Unemployment is one of a major issue in our country. Because when unemployment is high resources are wasted and people’s incomes are depressed. Even different development countries are also facing it, but in Pakistan, the situation is more serious. Each year there are about eight lac new job candidates are added into the labor force in Pakistan. Main problem is generate employment opportunities for this new candidate.

During unemployment, economic distress also affects the people’s emotions and family lives.

ArEEBA SHAHId Karachi

Tuesday, 7 April, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

INsIde The LuxurIous uNdergrouNd buNkers where The rIch bug ouT

I saw 9/11 in New York. This is worse RESTAURANTS, BARS, HOTELS, CLUBS, CONCERT HALLS, THEATERS — EVERYTHING THAT MAKES NEW YORK THE GREATEST CITY IN AMERICA, IF NOT THE WORLD — HAVE CLOSED

ALL CUTLERY IS UV STERILIZED. ROOMS HAVE IONIZING AIR PURIFICATION AC UNITS. CLOTHING IS SPRAYED WITH HYDROGEN PEROXIDE SOLUTIONS THAT INCLUDE CITRUS AND TEA TREE NEBULIZED OILS

neW York Post Dana kenneDy

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Hen the going gets tough, the rich get going … to luxurious underground bunkers. Suddenly, heading six feet under doesn’t sound so bad, especially when the new digs often include pre-stocked food and blast-proof doors.

Helicopters are on standby “if that moment comes,” says one bunker specialist, to whisk elites into subterranean palaces with below-ground swimming pools, tennis courts and gourmet food rations in spaces you’d never know were originally designed for the military, both American and Soviet.

If you’re not in the 1 percent, no problem, there are modest bunkers available, as well, and even some reasonably-priced getaways above ground.

Fast-talking entrepreneurs, boutique hotel owners and survivalists are hoping to profit from the coronavirus pandemic by giving people a route out of despair — and boredom — with varying degrees of success. real estate salesman robert vicino is literally sitting pretty when it comes to his business — selling underground bunkers from the Black Hills of South Dakota

to a remote underground city in rothenstein, Germany. Unlike the millennial owner of a Manhattan startup who had to pull the plug on his luxe, mask-free spa last week, vicino says business is booming in what survivalists call the “bug-out” business.

His company, vivos, also sells bunkers in Indiana and is planning new bunkers in Asia and Marbella, Spain. He said sales are up 400% this year although his cheaper properties (35,000 euros for a big bunker in South Dakota) are selling faster than the 2 million euros, five-star vivos europa One underground apartments carved into a German mountain, part of a facility originally used by the Soviets to store munitions in case they invaded western europe. vicino has been at the doomsday game since 2007 and it’s paying off after a slight blip when a Mayan-predicted apocalypse in 2012 never materialized and he had to dump plans for a 5,000-person bunker in Atchison, Kansas. vicino’s secret is tailoring his business to both the middle class and high net worth, who fear societal collapse because of the coronavirus. “All my customers know something bad could happen,” vicino said. “The dominoes are falling. We could be a month away from a meltdown. What’s everyone going to do when they run out of food and money? It could get ugly. By that time, it’s too late to call me.”

People who don’t want any-

thing as depressing as a bunker are burning up the phone lines of people like Curt eilers, an Iowa real estate broker who owns three survivalist properties himself in California. He says people are searching for off-the-grid homes all over the country, some in places like Kentucky and Arkansas with up to 50 acres of land for less than $130,000.

Shorter, more upbeat getaways, are few but still possible. Most posh hotels have closed but West Hollywood’s Petit ermitage is open for guests to “escape the ordinary.”

The hotel checks guest temperatures, has individual air conditioning units, allows only registered guests inside, asks them to stay six feet away from others and disinfects every 30 minutes. randall Hayward, owner of Taksu Spa, an exclusive retreat on Bali, has closed temporarily but has an extensive protocol in place once Taksu reopens, maybe even next month.

Guest temps are checked, but it doesn’t stop there. Taksu makes its own hand sanitizers. Closed spaces are ozonated every night.

Staff use custom n95 masks made of local batik patterns. All cutlery is Uv sterilized. rooms have ionizing air purification AC units.

Clothing is sprayed with hydrogen peroxide solutions that include citrus and tea tree nebulized oils.

Linens are sterilized and kept in ozone storage rooms. “In these scary times,” Hayward told the Post, “we are prepared.”

Washington Post

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Max Boot

never thought new York City could experience anything worse than the terrorist attacks of Sept.

11, 2001. I was wrong. The memory of that day is seared in my mind. I recall taking the Metro north train into Grand Central terminal and hearing that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center. I assumed it was a Cessna that had gotten into an accident, so I proceeded downtown by subway, heading to my office at the Wall Street Journal. The train went no further than City Hall. When I walked out of the subway, I was confronted with a scene out of Dante’s “Inferno.” White ash and soot everywhere. Sirens screaming. People running. The first tower had already fallen. I saw the second tower burning, people jumping, and then the tower collapsing.

Here’s the weird part: In spite of this unprecedented cataclysm, life in the rest of the city and the region went on pretty much as normal. I remember walking back to Midtown later that morning and being struck that the cafes and restaurants were still open. I was evacuating a war zone but, if I had so desired, I could have stopped to have a cappuccino and croissant en route. I took a Metro north train back to Westchester County, where I then lived, and logged on from home to help put out the next day’s newspaper. That night, I took the recycling to the curb. If you didn’t watch the news, you wouldn’t have known that the United States had just suffered the worst foreign attack on its soil just 26 miles from where I lived. now, there is no escape from the horror of the coronavirus — even when you are not in the city. In midMarch, our family took a long-planned trip to Hawaii, where we are stranded until further notice, with our kids now getting up at 3 a.m. local time for online classes. But as a longtime new Yorker, I’m following events back home closely — and with mounting horror.

As of Wednesday night, more than 45,000 new Yorkers had contracted covid-19 and more than 1,300 had died. In recent days, the city has been suffering one fatality every 10 minutes or so. new York City alone accounts for roughly a quarter of all coronavirus cases in the United States. A data model from the University of Washington predicts that new York state will suffer 16,090 covid-19 deaths by August. If current trends hold, roughly half of those will be in the city. That would be nearly three times the toll of 9/11 in Gotham.

new York is once again ground zero, and this time the impact is not limited to downtown Manhattan. An enemy far more insidious than al-Qaeda is inside the wire. The coronavirus has overrun every borough, with Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx particularly hard-hit.

The 911 system is overwhelmed with more calls every day than on Sept. 11. Hospitals are overflowing, and temporary medical facilities are being erected everywhere — including at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, in Central Park, and at the Billie Jean King national Tennis Center in Queens, where the U.S. Open is played every year. A navy hospital ship has docked on Manhattan’s West Side. The Federal emergency Management Agency has deployed 85 refrigerated trucks to new York City to serve as temporary morgues.

First responders, grocery-store employees, pharmacists, doctors and nurses, food deliverers, transit workers and other ordinary heroes are risking their lives to keep the city functioning. everyone else has been told to stay home. So many have left, at least in Manhattan, that many apartment buildings are said to be half-empty. restaurants, bars, hotels, clubs, concert halls, theaters — everything that makes new York the greatest city in America, if not the world — have closed, save for those restaurants eking out a meager business with food delivery. Like every restaurant-goer, I am being inundated with email appeals to contribute to funds for laid-off employees. Mayor Bill de Blasio estimates that a half-million new Yorkers will lose their jobs by the time this is over.

Like other new Yorkers in exile, I am anxiously monitoring the news and wondering when it will it be safe to return. In my spare time, I have retreated from the dismal present into the glories of the imagined past: I am reading “rules of Civility,” Amor Towles’s novel set in 1930s new York, and watching “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” a Tv series set in 1950s new York. I feel pangs of nostalgia every time the characters go into iconic establishments that I have visited many times, such as the 21 Club, the village vanguard and Barney Greengrass. I cannot help but wonder whether any of them will still be there when I return.

Of one thing I am certain: The same indomitable spirit that got new York City through 9/11, and so many other hardships, will get us through the current crisis. But why does one city have to suffer so much?

Max Boot, a Post columnist, is the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick senior fellow for national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a global affairs analyst for CNN.

Coronavirus as ideology INSTEAD OF DEFEATING VIRUS, WE'RE SADLY DEFEATING EACH OTHER

american institute for economic research

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Jeffrey a tucker

IKe you, I try to get out once a day to keep clarity of mind, whether out for a walk or, even better, to experience something of commercial life out there, truncated as it might be. Businesses doing business, wealth being created despite every barrier, is nothing if not inspiring.

Our cities look windswept but our overlords have deemed some businesses essential so at least there’s that. This weekend, the liquor store was hopping and happy but so too was the office-supply place. Smiles all around, especially from the workers who have never been happier to have a job and get a paycheck.

But even with this, you never know when you are going to bump into someone for whom this virus is not a disease to overcome but a philosophy to live. And so there she was, a twenty-something standing guard at a distillery that had been deemed essential because now they make hand sanitizer….

(Let me just pause and say that I suddenly feel like I’m writing the plot of a dystopian novel. I still can’t believe this has

actually happened to us.)

This young woman – I’ve known her from before because I often bring people here – is usually dressed in hipster garb, a ring on her face somewhere, and she previously specialized in hyping the peaty flavor notes in their local whiskey.

This time, however, she was dressed head-to-toe like a Taliban wife, complete with loose-fitting cotton bodysuit, gloves, and a face mask. Faux-scrubs, as if she were headed to surgery. When she realized that I was not there as a suffering patient seeking hand sanitizer, she lit into me hard. “It’s very irresponsible for you to be going on joy rides and socializing in the midst of this epidemic,” she barked. “You are taking up space. You could be infecting people.”

By infecting, I don’t think she meant coronavirus; it was my comportment of normalcy to which she objected. I took it well, smiled a bit, and said “Wait, you are serious.” She said, “Deadly serious.”

That’s when it finally struck me. This is not just a virus. It’s a template. People paint on it with their own philosophical presumptions, their visions, their deep perceptions about the path of history, and pour onto this template every grievance against the world, every perceived slight and every hope for how the world should be organized. Their heavens and their hells are reflected in the goings on all around them. For them, this is not a health malady; it’s a chance to affirm their worldview and impose it on others.

I’m just guessing because I don’t know this person’s personal history, but she probably went to a northeastern col-

lege with a soft major and loaded up on classes preaching the usual combination of postulates dear to the hearts of the academic ruling class that sees the world as fundamentally marred by appropriation, microaggression, identitarian denialism, and structural racism/sexism/imperialism. The world is deeply broken, this ideology says. Some people did this. Be very angry at them.

That’s all she knows. Mostly she forgets about all this blather and just happily works at her job. not now. The crisis is her chance to put her education to good use and shove it down everyone’s throats, maybe not in the particulars but in the general sense that the only way to fix the world is to be an activist for justice, whatever that means. Coronajustice.

This penchant for channeling one’s ideology was obvious from the beginning of this. even back in February, you had people going to their corners into camps: this is all a lie vs. we are all going to die.

The lie camp was occupied by the people who don’t believe anything ever. The die camp was merely exercising an apocalyptic vision of either left or right.

There have been some surprises here, pundits with no previous knowledge of anything medical much less epidemiological who were cocksure that this disease was the new Black Death. They couldn’t wait to explain it to the rest of us. Meanwhile, in the millenarian religious press, we heard that this is proof of the coming rapture, god’s vengeance against a sinful world, the fulfillment of prophecy.

There are those who shape everything

they believe in opposition to Trump who is the Great Satan. These have been challenging times for them because Trump has whipsawed from one end to the other. He began as a dismissalist who couldn’t even be bothered to follow the news about it, much less look into the egregious failures of testing that were the fault of his own regulatory agencies. Then possibly sensing a chance to exercise the powers of an emperor, he flipped the other way. now he is this extremely strange mix of opinions but with one overriding theme: he is the hero.

This flipflopping has presented problems for the anti-Trump media. Initially, there was a concerted effort to push back on his dismissals, and instead drum up a frenzy.

Then the rap on him became that he was not exercising enough dictatorial power – this from people who had warned that Trump was an authoritarian in waiting and couldn’t be trusted with power. That was confusing, to say the least. As I write, he is once again flipping back and forth between “close it down” and “open it up,” while Andrew Cuomo, a new hero among Democratic activists, is blasting his desire to quarantine the whole of new York.

Still, there has been a theme to Trump’s seeming chaos, and it was evident from his first national address on the topic. He decided to cast the virus in the framework of his own nationalism, which he believes to be his great contribution to world history. The virus came from China. China, he kept saying. Call it the China virus. Also, block all travel to the United States from europe, he demanded. He got his way and thus caused a disaster at airports around the country, swarms of people crushed together for 8-12 hours in waiting even as the White House was telling everyone to socially distance. even now, there are tens of thousands of people with lives and jobs in America who

are trapped abroad, locked in and locked out.

For Trump and the Trumpsters, this is not a disease to cure; it is proof that globalism is wrong and confirmation that America needs to seal its borders to all people and goods.

And just as some ideologies have boomed, others have gone bust. I’m thinking in particular of the variety of environmentalism that favors reusing everything, eschewing functioning toilets and faucets, and expresses loathing of consumer culture. The plastic bags are now back at check-out counters, the toilet paper aisle is empty, and “impossible burgers” sit on the shelf unbought.

Yep, meat is back. So is cleanliness. It turns out that pro-dirt green ideology was a luxury good consumable only in peace and prosperity.

It’s been extremely difficult in these times to think clearly as a professional medical service provider might. To them, this is a virus and the people who contract it need to be identified, isolated, and treated. Maybe that doesn’t sound complicated but sometimes the hardest thing is to think simply. It’s darn-near impossible when a perfect storm of media mania, political ambition, and public ignorance combined to open up a barrel full of toxic ideology that has poisoned people’s ability to be rational. even now, many people aren’t reading news or looking at data. They are confirming their biases. Our political culture has fully bled – a tsunami of blood – into one of the most essential tasks of civilization: caring for and curing the sick, and hence drowning rationality, science, and medical professionalism, and doing so at the expense of a billion lives. Yes, that’s the tragic cost of an ideologically obsessed culture. Instead of defeating the virus, we are using its presence among us to defeat each other.

Jeffrey A. Tucker is Editorial Director for the American Institute for Economic Research. He is the author of many thousands of articles in the scholarly and popular press.

Tuesday, 7 April, 2020

BUSINESS 09

ElEctric VEhiclE Policy to bE rEViSEd aftEr tuSSlE bEtwEEn two MiniStriES

CORPORATE CORNER

ISLAMABAD

ISLAMABAD: Techno has made history with a ‘New Guinness World Record’. In a recent mobile launch event in Nigeria, themed ‘Magic of the Unseen’, Techno T caught everyone by surprise, with ‘Techno T Camon 15’ capturing the largest flipbook (2.2x2.2 wide printed picture). PRESS RELEASE

market daily

Meltdown on PSX; index plunges over 1,000 points KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed a volatile start to the week, as the benchmark KSE-100 Index failed to sustain gains accumulated in early trade and crumbled over 1,000 points to fall below the 31,000-mark.

According to analysts, continuation of countrywide lockdowns amid concerns over the increasing number of coronavirus cases in the country triggered selling pressure at the bourse on Monday. Meanwhile, among other developments, global oil prices sunk following a delay in the meeting between Saudi Arabia and Russia to discuss output cuts that could partly alleviate oversupply in global markets. Brent crude slipped close to $30 per barrel while WTI fell by 3.50pc intraday. The benchmark KSE-100 Index started the day on a positive note, gaining 293.62 points to touch its intraday high at 31,915.41. However, as it turned out, the rally was short-lived with the index nosediving by 1,118.52 points to record its intraday low at 30,503.27. It finally ended lower by 1,042.64 points at 30,579.15. Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index plunged 1,700.37 points or -3.42pc to close at 48,002.16, while the KSE All Share Index lost 493.37 points, settling at 22,022.22. The overall trading volumes were recorded at 233.14 million, with Maple Leaf Cement Factory Limited (MLCF -7.33pc), Hascol Petroleum Limited (HASCOL +0.51pc) and K-Electric Limited (KEL 7.69pc) topping the volume chart. The scrips had exchanged 23.04 million, 20.17 million and 17.01 million shares, respectively. Sectors that drove the KSE-100 Index south included banking (-297.31 points), fertiliser (-143.06 points) and cement (-120.62 points). Among the companies, Habib Bank Limited (HBL -80.13 points), MCB Bank Limited (MCB -70.86 points) and Hub Power Company Limited (HUBC -62.27 points) dented the index the most. The cement sector lost -4.42pc from its total market capitalization, as Lucky Cement Limited (LUCK -4.68pc), Fauji Cement Company Limited (FCCL -6.88pc) and Bestway Cement Limited (BWCL -2.62pc) incurred heavy losses. Moreover, in a notification to the exchange, DG Khan Cement Company Ltd (DGKC -4.62pc) announced that the company has resumed production at its Khofli Sattai (DG Khan) plant in view of relaxation allowed to the construction industry from the prevalent lockdown. STAFF REPORT

Vegetable exports surge 71pc to $236m ISLAMABAD: Vegetable exports from the country during the first eight months of current financial year witnessed an increase of about 71.8pc as compared the corresponding period of last year. About 649,183 metric tonnes of vegetables ($236.755 million) were exported during the July-Feb FY20 period, as against the exports of 614.716 metric tonnes ($138.372 million) during the same period of FY19. According to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the export of fresh fruits from the country grew by 1.61pc during the first eight months of the current financial year, from 629,026 metric tonnes ($341.007 million) last year to 687,932 metric tonnes ($346.508 million) this year.

Meanwhile, the export of leguminous remained down, as zero quantity of the commodity was exported during the period under review. Similarly, wheat exports decreased by 89.68pc, from 515,002 metric tonnes ($110.838 million) last year to 48,883 metric tonnes ($11.993 million) this year. It may be recalled that food commodities worth $3.033 billion were exported in the first eight months of FY20, as against $2.875 billion worth of commodities exported in the corresponding period of last year. APP

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GHULAM ABBAS

OLLOWING a meeting of the ‘Special Committee on Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy’, the concerned ministries and institutions have agreed to revise the already approved EV Policy “to address the concerns of the existing auto industry”.

According to an official who was part of a meeting held on Monday under the chairmanship of Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, the concerned ministries, including industries & production, science & technology and climate change, have agreed to devise a new EV policy by taking into account the apprehensions of existing market players.

Science & Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Adviser to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam and Adviser to PM on Institutional Reforms Dr Ishrat Hussain were also present on the occasion.

The auto sector had earlier expressed serious reservations over the new policy, which was initially framed by the Ministry of Climate Change and subsequently approved by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

During the meeting, the officials of the Ministry

of Industries & Production, along with the Engineering Development Board (EDB), briefed the committee about the implications of introducing a new auto policy to the existing industry.

The officials tried to convince the climate change minister and others that the sustainability of a longterm policy (auto policy) was needed to maintain the confidence of existing players in the auto industry.

Investments were made in the sector keeping in view the already approved Automotive Development Policy 2016-2021, they informed.

After hours of deliberation, the climate change minister and others agreed to devise the EV policy after due consultation with the auto industry.

According to officials, PM's aide Abdul Razak Dawood, who also held the portfolio of Adviser to PM on Industries & Production till Monday evening, advocated a fair and transparent policy that could be beneficial for consumers and investors alike.

He said the existing policies in the automobile sector have to be allowed to function as well, as continuation of the policy is important to build the confidence of investors.

He said that the EV policy is the need of the hour, particularly because of its impact on the environment. “Its success will depend upon the promotion of local production and assembly, besides

SBP extends refinance facility for hospitals, creates helpline KARACHI MEIRYUM ALI

The State Bank of Pakistan has introduced further relaxations in the ‘Refinance Facility to Combat COVID-19’ hospital scheme, and started a new helpline for citizen support, according to two statements released on Monday.

The Refinance Facility to Combat COVID-19 (RFCC) was launched on March 17 during the first monetary policy announcement held last month. Under that scheme, banks will be provided Rs5 billion at zero per cent, who can then lend to hospitals at 3pc for five years for new equipment.

According to the SBP, hospitals and medical centres can now avail financing against their existing equipment and purchase of refurbished equipment as well,

provided the equipment in question is being used to create a special facility or isolation ward to deal with COVID-19.

Previously, the maximum coverage of civil works for setting up an isolation facility was set at 60pc; this has now been increased to 100pc.

The SBP has also told banks to keep their call centers or helplines available 24/7 for instant customer support, and for lodging complaints.

In case complainants do not get an appropriate response from banks, they can now call the SBP helpline at 021-111-727-273, which will remain available during office hours.

The SBP has deployed more agents at its call center to deal with the increase in traffic.

The SBP said while banks

and other financial institutions have been designated as essential services, banks must adhere to workplace safety guidelines issued by World Health Organization and federal and provincial governments for both its employees and its customers.

Finally, the SBP is also concerned about ‘fraudsters’ who have posed as SBP officials and have attempted to extract personal information from customers, like CNIC number, debit or credit card number, and passwords.

“It is reiterated that SBP, banks or any other agency are not collecting information from banking customers regarding their bank accounts or cards. SBP never asks for any personal information directly from bank customers,” the SBP said.

Textile millers seek withdrawal of ad-hoc SNGPL bills LAHORE STAFF REPORT

All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) Punjab Chairman Adil Bashir has urged the government to withdraw the ad-hoc bills of Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Ltd (SNGPL) ab-initio till the resumption of manufacturing activities.

He further demanded an extension in the last date for the payment of gas bills issued for the month of March until the lifting of the lockdown.

Bashir said the closure of mills in the wake of lockdown imposed by the Punjab government has caused grave financial constraints to the textile industry in general and APTMA Punjab members in particular.

The APTMA leader continued that all the business and economic activities in the province have come to a halt due to the closure of business activities, cessation of production and manufacturing operations, and suspension of supplies both for domestic and foreign markets.

“Since there has been no production since March 23, 2020, there is no consumption of gas in the textile units,” he noted. “APTMA-Punjab member mills are unable to pay the ad-hoc bills till the restoration of normalcy and lifting of the lockdown.”

Bashir maintained that he couldn’t understand the logic behind asking for payments of ad-hoc bills during the lockdown period. He urged Prime Minister Imran Khan to take stock of the situation and direct the SNGPL to withdraw the ad hoc bills at the earliest.

ensuring the safety standards.”

He said a comprehensive EV Policy would be designed in consultation with stakeholders, as a part of this government’s existing effort to attract investment in the auto sector of Pakistan," he added.

Earlier, a tussle between the Industries & Production Division and the Ministry of Climate Change had landed the EV policy in the cabinet.

Following a disagreement between the two ministries, the cabinet had formed a committee to finalise the EV policy. The committee comprised adviser to PM on commerce as the convener while science & technology minister, adviser to PM on climate change and special assistant to PM on petroleum as members.

The committee had been tasked to finalise the policy draft within 60 days. The Ministry of Climate Change had framed a summary on EV policy to the cabinet, but the role has now been transferred to the Industries and Production Division.

The Industries Division informed the cabinet that the Rules of Business 1972, framed under Articles 90 and 99 of the Constitution of Pakistan, provided a mechanism for a smooth and lawful inter-ministerial/division work in the federal government. Under Rule 15(2) of Schedule 11 of the Rules of Business 1972, the subject of formulation of industrial policy has been allocated to the Industries and Production Division.

PPa raises concerns over decline in chicken consumption, prices LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA)-North Chairman Chaudhry Fargham said on Monday that the consumption of chicken had plummeted while prices had crashed, sending a wave of economic stress among the people associated with poultry business. “Broiler farmers have reduced placement of day-old chicks at their farms as a result of which hatcheries have almost stopped setting eggs for chick production,” he said in a statement. Fargham said likewise, egg layers have also been culled, which is already showing signs of short supply of eggs. Until last week, day old chicks were being sold at Rs2-3 per chick against the cost of production of Rs38-40 per chick. On resumption of businesses as usual and opening of schools, hotels, restaurants, wedding halls, etc. the demand is going to spurt and due to extreme low availability of chicken, prices will shoot up, Fargham noted. “If the government intervenes by way of price controls, farmers who have lost during this period will suffer much greater loss and would feel discouraged for resuming production.” According to the PPA (North region) chairman, the sale of generic agriculture and livestock produce prices fluctuate in a free economy of demand and supply interaction. “In the current environment, we don’t expect the government to reopen marriage halls, hotels, restaurants, etc. as we fully understand that life of citizens is more important but it is our responsibility to inform the government of what is likely to be in the prospect,” he added. Fargham also mentioned that electricity had become the second highest input cost in chicken and eggs. “In order to avert the losses, the association has requested for reduction in electricity tariffs and deferring recovery of loans.” He said the government might have a compassionate look at demands of the poultry sector. The North region’s chairman also requested the government that poultry shops might also be allowed to remain open 24/7 to facilitate the general public.

Fertiliser demand likely to drop by 10pc in 2020 ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Ahead of the wheat harvesting season, the increasing inventory levels and improving local production of urea present a major sigh of relief for the farming community.

Industry data reflects that urea offtake witnessed significant slowdown during the first quarter (January to March) of the year, with inventory levels surging to nearly 600,000 tonnes. Compared to the same period last year, this is a four-fold increase in the inventories.

According to industry sources, the

INVENTORY LEVELS EXPECTED TO FURTHER RISE TO 750,000 TONNES THIS MONTH month of April is expected to mimic this trend with inventory levels expected to further increase to 750,000 tonnes.

The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics has projected that “with the harvest season of wheat approaching closer, it is highly probable that the agricultural economy of Pakistan will face heavy losses if the pandemic continues to halt the activities”.

In view of the COVID-19 crisis, the fertiliser demand is projected to decline by more than 10pc to 5.2 million tonnes in 2020 versus 6 million tonnes last year, sources said.

With the production capacity of indigenous gas-based urea manufacturers estimated to touch around 5.8 million tonnes in 2020, the urea industry will not only be able

to adequately address demand, but also have sufficient levels of safety stock during the course of the year.

Therefore, sources said, the government may be able to entirely avoid the unnecessary fiscal and foreign exchange burden of subsidized imported urea and operations of LNG-based urea plants. Last year, the government not only incurred an outflow of foreign currency of $200 million on LNG imports, but also suffered a fiscal hit of Rs15 billion on subsidies.

Even before the COVID pandemic, Pakistan had declared a national emergency due to the widespread damage to the cotton,

wheat and other crops, caused by locust infestation. As a result, the agricultural sector may become one of the hardest hit this year due to disruptions in supply chain, lower crop output and labor availability.

According to sources, the government has taken the right steps to mitigate the COVID-19 impact on this sector by declaring agricultural inputs as essential commodities. This decision has allowed the fertiliser manufacturers and other critical players in the agri-inputs supply chain to continue operations, thereby ensuring adequate supplies of key fertilizers and other agri inputs in the country, they added.

Tuesday, 7 April, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS

Bodies left in streets as ecuador city runs out of coffins amid coVid-19 crisis QUITO

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OARINg numbers of COVID-19 deaths in Ecuador’s second city guayaquil have led to a shortage of coffins, forcing locals to resort to using cardboard boxes, city authorities said Sunday.

Authorities in the Pacific port city said they had received a donation of 1,000 pressed cardboard caskets from local producers, and delivered them for use in two local cemeteries. “It’s so they can meet demand,” a city hall spokesman told AFP. “There are either no coffins in the city or

they are extremely expensive.” Businessman Santiago Olivares, who owns a chain of funeral homes, said his company was unable to keep up with demand.

“I sold the 40 that I had at the downtown branch, and 40 others from my headquarters. I had to order 10 more at the weekend and they’ve run out,” Olivares told AFP. The cheapest coffins currently cost around $400.

Olivares said a 15-hour curfew in the city was contributing to the shortage of basic raw materials for coffin makers like wood and metal. Last week, residents posted videos on social media showing abandoned bodies in the streets in the Latin American

city worst hit by the pandemic.

The government called in troops to pick up 150 corpses from streets and homes earlier this week after mortuary workers in the city were unable to keep up with a backlog of removals.

The cardboard coffins “will be a great help in providing a dignified burial for people who died during this health emergency,” the guayaquil mayor’s office wrote on Twitter.

Ecuador reported 3,646 cases of the coronavirus on Sunday, including 180 deaths, the majority of them occurring in guayaquil and its surrounding province of guayas.

Crowd in Ivory Coast destroys coronavirus test centre ABIDJAN AGENCIES

Residents in a working-class district of the Ivory Coast city of Abidjan on Sunday destroyed a coronavirus testing centre that was under construction, police and health ministry officials said.

Videos posted on social media, showed several dozen people dismantling the building, some of them shouting: “We don’t want it!”

The incident happened in Yopougon district of the city of five million inhabitants, which is the country’s commercial capital.

Locals had demonstrated against the centre because they thought it was too close to their homes and right in the middle of a residential

district, one police officer told AFP on condition of anonymity. But the building, which was still under construction, had never been intended as a treatment centre for virus patients — only as a testing centre, said a health ministry official, who also asked not to be named.

This was the first violent incident connected to the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, which so far appears to have been relatively untouched by the virus, at least according to official figures. They put the number of cases at 261, with three deaths so far. Nevertheless, the authorities are trying to increase their capacity to treat the outbreak. President Alassane Ouattara declared a state of emergency on March 23.

Abidjan has already been placed under quarantine, effectively cut off from the rest of the country, and a nationwide overnight curfew is in force. Schools, churches and non-essential shops have been closed and gatherings have been banned.

On Saturday, senior health officials recommended that people wear masks in public places to try to slow the spread of the virus.

So far however, the government has not ordered a full lockdown.

Last Tuesday, the government announced a 2.6-billion-euro plan ($2.8 billion) to tackle the economic and social effects of the pandemic, which is forecast to halve the country’s growth rate to 3.6 percent in 2020.

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Tiger at NYC's Bronx Zoo tests positive for coronavirus NEW YORK CITY AGENCIES

A tiger at the Bronx Zoo has tested positive for the new coronavirus, in what is believed to be the first known infection in an animal in the United States or a tiger anywhere, federal officials and the zoo said on Sunday. The four-year-old Malayan tiger named Nadia and six other tigers and lions that have also fallen ill are believed to have been infected by a zoo employee who wasn’t yet showing symptoms, the zoo said.

The first animal started showing symptoms March 27, and all are doing well and expected to recover, said the zoo, which has been closed to the public since March 16 amid the surging coronavirus outbreak in New York.

The test result stunned zoo officials: “I couldn’t believe it,” director Jim Breheny said. But he hopes the finding can contribute to the global fight against the virus that causes Covid-19.

“Any kind of knowledge that we get on how it’s transmitted, how different species react to it, that knowledge somehow is going to provide a greater base resource for people,” he said in an interview.

The finding raises new questions about transmis-

sion of the virus in animals. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA), which confirmed Nadia’s test result at its veterinary lab, said there are no known cases of the virus in US pets or livestock.

“There doesn’t appear to be, at this time, any evidence that suggests that the animals can spread the virus to people or that they can be a source of the infection in the United States,” Dr Jane Rooney, a veterinarian and a USDA official, said in an interview.

The USDA said on Sunday that it is not recommending routine coronavirus testing of animals, in zoos or elsewhere, or of zoo employees. Still, Rooney said a small number of animals in the US have been tested through the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories, and all those tests came back negative except Nadia’s. The coronavirus outbreaks around the world are driven by person-to-person transmission, experts say. There have been a handful of reports outside the US of pet dogs or cats becoming infected after close contact with contagious people, including a Hong Kong dog that tested positive for a low level of the pathogen in February and early March. Hong Kong agriculture authorities concluded that pet dogs and cats couldn’t pass the virus to human beings but could test positive if exposed by their owners.

Tuesday, 7 April, 2020

SPORTS 11

PreMier League in sPotLight as deBate swirLs around virus action LONDON

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REMIER League clubs are facing a fierce backlash after Liverpool became the latest club to tap into public funds during the coronavirus pandemic as players and bosses struggle to resolve a festering pay-cut row.

English top-flight clubs, among the wealthiest in the world, have come under intense scrutiny as the health crisis escalates, with government ministers warning bosses and players they should "think carefully" over their next moves.

The highest-paid Premier League players such as David de Gea and Kevin De Bruyne command eye-watering salaries, reportedly nearing £20 million ($25 million, 23 million euros) a year.

Even the average salary for a Premier League footballer is more than £3 million a year, according to the 2019 Global Sports Salaries Survey. European champions Liverpool, who recorded pre-tax profits of £42 million in February, announced their decision to furlough some non-playing staff on Saturday, becoming the fifth Premier

League club to do so. The controversial move comes with no sign of a deal between Premier League clubs and players' representatives on a pay cut.

Olivier Dowden, a culture and sports minister, writing in the Daily Telegraph, said people had a right to expect leadership from football. "Clubs, players and owners should be thinking very carefully about their next steps," he said. "Leaving the public purse to pick up the cost of furloughing low-paid workers, whilst players earn millions and billionaire owners go untouched is something I know the public will rightly take a very dim view of."

Former Liverpool stars Jamie Carragher and Stan Collymore strongly criti-

cised the move by the Premier League leaders. Under the scheme, the British government pays 80 percent of wages. Liverpool said they would top up the remaining 20 percent.

"I don't know of any Liverpool fan of any standing that won't be anything other than disgusted at the club for furloughing staff," tweeted Collymore. Liverpool fan group Spirit of Shankly initially supported the move but later wrote to the club expressing concern at the negative reaction.

"We understand this is essentially an employee/employer issue, but as LFC's recognised official supporter representatives we are concerned about the damage this is causing to our club's reputation and values," the group said. Liverpool's opponents in last year's Champions League final, Tottenham, owned by billionaire Joe Lewis, have also opted for the furlough option, along with Newcastle, Norwich and Bournemouth. Reigning champions Manchester City said they would not be using the government's job retention scheme, with Manchester United reportedly set to follow their example.

PAY-CUT IMPASSE The Premier League has been seen as lagging behind

other European leagues in its response to coronavirus -- in Spain, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid players have agreed to pay cuts of 70 percent. The league was last week accused by one British lawmaker of operating in a "moral vacuum" and many politicians have urged action.

The Premier League's suggested strategy involving a combination of pay cuts and deferrals amounting to 30 percent of wages, was discussed in a conference call with players' and managers' representatives on Saturday.

But former England captain Wayne Rooney has criticised the British government and the Premier League for placing footballers in a "no-win" situation.

Rooney questioned the wisdom of the Premier League in preempting behind-thescenes talks involving players with its own proposals for sweeping reductions. "In my opinion it is now a no-win situation," he said in a newspaper column. "Whatever way you look at it, we're easy targets."

Former England striker Gary Lineker echoed Rooney's sentiments, telling the BBC that footballers he had spoken to were "desperately keen" to offer help but were an easy target.

Formula One in 'very fragile state', warns McLaren boss Brown ENGLEWOOD AGENCIES

British boxing great Benn reveals coronavirus heartbreak LONDON: British boxing great Nigel Benn revealed on Instagram one of his brothers Mark has died of coronavirus. The 56-year-old -- former world champion at two weights -said Mark had been the "Joker" of the family.

It came as the number of UK coronavirusrelated deaths climbed by 621 to 4,934 and infections rose by 5,903 to 47,806. "My brother Mark passed Away 2day (Covid 19), as we all were growing up Mark was the Joker of the Benn house hold," he wrote. "May he Rest In Peace love u Mark.'" Benn -- whose 23year-old son Conor is a promising pugilist with an unblemished record -- was one of seven boys but lost his older brother Andy when he fell out of a window aged just eight. Benn was dubbed the 'Dark Destroyer' for his aggressive style and enjoyed a fierce rivalry with compatriots Chris Eubank and Michael Watson. Benn was WBO middleweight title in 1990 and then went on to become WBC supermiddleweight champion holding the belt between 1992 and 1996 -- losing his crown to South African Thulani Malinga. AGENCIES

Bayern Munich resume training but hugs, challenges banned

McLaren boss Zak Brown said Sunday that the coronavirus pandemic has plunged Formula One into "a very fragile state", warning that as many as four teams could even be driven out of business.

The 2020 world championship has been unable to start with eight races of a scheduled 22 already either scrapped or postponed. "This is potentially devastating to teams, and if (it is devastating) to enough teams then it's very threatening to F1 as a whole," Brown told the BBC on the eve of a meeting planned to discuss cost-cutting in the sport.

Brown insisted that all the teams have agreed to lower the 2021 budget cap to $150m (138.7 million euros) down from $175 million.

However, he said the ceiling needs to be reduced further to counter the financial fall-out from the virus-hit season. "Could I see -- through what is going on right now in the world if we

economic and health crisis we are in right now, to think there would be people lined up to take over those teams like there has historically been... I don't think the timing could be worse from that standpoint. "So I think F1 is in a very fragile state at the moment."

MANCHESTER: Kyle Walker is facing disciplinary action from Manchester City after reportedly breaking coronavirus lockdown conditions by hosting a "sex party" even though he has advised people to stay at home.

The England defender, 29 has apologised after the Sun newspaper reported that he invited two call girls to his flat on Tuesday. On Wednesday Walker posted on social media, urging the public to follow government guidelines on social distancing. Britain reported 621 more deaths from COVID-19 as of 1600 GMT on Saturday, taking the total toll to 4,934. "I want to apologise to my family, friends, football club, supporters and the public for letting them down," Walker said in a statement. "There are heroes out there making a vital difference to society at the moment and I have been keen to help support and highlight their amazing sacrifices and life-saving work over the past week." Walker is the second high-profile Premier League player to have been caught flouting the government's guidelines after Aston Villa's Jack Grealish.

The Villa captain went to a party last weekend and was pictured next to a road in slippers, just hours after he posted a video urging fans to stay safe at home on social media. Grealish apologised and was fined and disciplined by Villa. Football is on hold due to the coronavirus outbreak and City will now look into Walker's conduct. A club statement said: "Our staff and players have been working to support the incredible efforts of the NHS (National Health Service) and other key workers in fighting the effects of the COVID19 coronavirus in any way we can. Kyle's actions in this matter have directly contravened these efforts. "We are disappointed to hear the allegations, note Kyle's swift statement and apology, and will be conducting an internal disciplinary procedure in the coming days."

Spit, sweat and shaking on it: Three sports habits that could change after coronavirus PARIS AGENCIES

MUNICH: Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich resumed training Monday for the first time since the German league was suspended due to coronavirus but the players were put through their paces in small groups and maintained social distancing measures. Keeping at least 1.5 metres from each other, players including captain Manuel Neuer, Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Mueller trained together for the first time since the Bundesliga was halted on March 13. "It was a very unusual feeling to hold a training session in small groups, but it was also nice to see the boys in person again," said Neuer after Bayern had previously held training sessions online. After arriving at staggered times to limit contact -- with no greeting hugs or handshakes -- the 21-man squad was split into five groups, each containing a maximum of five players. When they changed, the players were kept four metres apart in the changing rooms at the club's state-of-the-art training complex in southern Germany. On the pitch, Bayern's stars were careful to keep their distance from each other and there were no challenges or tackles. AGENCIES

don't tackle this situation head on very aggressively -- two teams disappearing?

Yeah," said Brown.

"In fact, I could see four teams disappearing if this isn't handled the right way. "And then, given how long it takes to ramp up an F1 team, and given the

walker faces Man city probe after hosting 'sex party' during lockdown

As the coronavirus brings the international sports calendar to a grinding halt, AFP Sport looks at three long-standing habits which could change forever once competition resumes.

SALIVA TO TAKE SHINE OFF SWING BOWLING: It's been a tried and trusted friend to fast bowlers throughout the history of cricket.

But the days of applying saliva to one side of the ball to encourage swing could be over in the aftermath of COVID-19.

"As a bowler I think it would be pretty tough going if we couldn't shine the ball in a Test match," said Australia quick Pat Cummins. "If it's at that stage and we're that worried about the spread, I'm not sure we'd be playing sport."

TOWELS IN TENNIS - NO TOUCHING: Tennis players throwing towels, dripping with sweat and blood and probably a tear or two, at ball boys and girls, has

often left fans sympathising for the youngsters. Moves by officials to tackle the issue took on greater urgency in March when the coronavirus was taking a global grip.

Behind closed doors in Miki, ball boys and girls on duty at the Davis Cup tie between Japan and Ecuador wore gloves.

Baskets, meanwhile, were made available for players to deposit their towels.

Back in 2018, the ATP introduced towel racks at some events on a trial basis, but not everyone was overjoyed.

"I think having the towel whenever you need it, it's very helpful. It's one thing less that you have to think about," said Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas when he was playing at the NextGen Finals in Milan.

"I think it's the job of the ball kids to provide towels and balls for the players."

LET'S NOT SHAKE ON IT: Pre-match handshakes were abandoned in top football leagues just before the sports shutdown.

Premier League leaders Liverpool also banned the used of mascots while Southampton warned against players signing autographs and stopped them posing

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for selfies.

Away from football, the NBA urged players to opt for the fist bump rather than the long-standing high-five. "I ain't highfiving nobody for the rest of my life after this," NBA superstar LeBron James told the "Road Trippin' Podcast".

"No more high-fiving. After this corona shit? Wait 'til you see me and my teammates’ handshakes after this shit."

Basketball stars were also told not to take items such as balls or teams shirts to autograph. US women's football star Megan Rapinoe says edicts to ban handshakes or even high-fives may be counterproductive anyway.

"We're going to be sweating all over each other all game, so it sort of defeats the purpose of not doing a handshake," she told the New York Times in March.

Tuesday, 7 April, 2020

NEWS

US brAceS For ‘hArdeSt’ week In vIrUS bAttle AS brItISh PM Moved to IcU MORE THAN 70,000 PEOPLE HAVE NOW DIED WORLDWIDE IN THE EPIDEMIC — SOME 50,000 OF THEM IN EUROPE LONDON

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HE coronavirus threatened Americans with their hardest week in living memory on Monday and put Britain’s prime minister in intensive care at the hospital, despite early signs that some of Europe’s hardest-hit countries may be turning a corner.

More than 70,000 people have now died worldwide in the epidemic — some 50,000 of them in Europe — and, as the human tragedy continues to escalate, the global economy is plunging into what leaders warn will be a historic recession.

Japan announced an imminent state of emergency and a trillion-dollar stimulus package, while the US surgeon general compared the likely impact of the epidemic in the week ahead to 9/11 or Pearl Harbor and France warned of the worst economic slump since World War II. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been shifted to intensive care after his coronavirus symptoms worsened, confirmed

Downing Street on Monday.

Johnson has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to deputise for him, said the Downing Street spokesperson.

On Sunday, Johnson was admitted to the St Thomas’ Hospital in London after his coronavirus symptoms refused to go away.

Downing Street had earlier brushed aside Johnson checking into the hospital as a “precautionary step”, saying that he was taken to hospital on medical advice.

Johnson is the most high-profile world leader to contract the virus. His pregnant partner, Carrie Symonds, is also recovering from symptoms but has not been tested.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock returned to work on Friday after a week at home following his positive test for COVID-19. The chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, has also displayed symptoms.

It was a mixed picture in Europe, where countries already ravaged by deadly COVID-19 outbreaks reported lower numbers of new infections and, in Austria and Italy, began thinking about easing lockdown restrictions.

CRITICAL SITUATION: The new coronavirus has reached almost every corner of the planet, confining nearly half of humanity to their homes and turning life upside down for billions.

The worldwide number of fatalities from the novel coronavirus rose to 70,009 on Monday, according to a tally compiled by AFP. More than 1.2 million declared cases have now been registered around the world since the epidemic first emerged in China in December.

About three quarters of all deaths have been clocked in Europe, and the US now has

the most recorded cases of any country — along with a steadily rising death toll.

“This is going to be the hardest and the saddest week of most Americans’ lives, quite frankly,” US Surgeon General Jerome Adams told Fox News ahead of what is expected to be a tough week for already hardpressed American healthcare providers.

“This is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment, our 9/11 moment, only it’s not going to be localised.”

In Tokyo, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said hospitals in Japan face a “critical situation” and that an emergency could be de-

Oil drops on oversupply worries as Saudi Arabia, Russia delay meeting JEDDAH AGENCIES

Oil prices slipped on Monday, after Saudi Arabia and Russia delayed a meeting to discuss output cuts that could partly alleviate oversupply in global markets as the coronavirus pandemic pummels demand. Brent crude slipped close to $30 a barrel in early trade and was at $33.45 by 5:32am GMT, down 66 cents, or 1.9 per cent. West Texas Intermediate crude fell 98 cents, or 3.5pc, to $27.36 a barrel, after earlier touching a low of $25.28. Late last week, prices surged, with United States and Brent contracts posting their largest ever weekly percentage gains due to hopes that the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and its allies would strike a deal to cut crude supply worldwide by at least 10 million barrels per day (bpd). Saudi Arabia and Russia were initially set to meet on Monday to discuss output cuts, but that has now been pushed to April 9, after they blamed each other for the collapse of talks in March. It “just took a delay in the meeting between Saudi and Russia to knock the wind out of that rally”, said Michael McCarthy, chief strategist at CMC Global Markets in Sydney. US President Donald Trump has said he will impose tariffs on crude imports if he needed to “protect” America’s energy workers from the oil price crash that has been exacerbated by the war between Russia and Saudi Arabia over market share. Prices on both sides of the Atlantic marked their worst month on record in March as the coronavirus pandemic crippled demand in a market flooded with supplies. Production cuts could come “too little, too late” to support oil prices, ANZ and Citi analysts cautioned. The head of the International Energy Agency has said oil inventories would still rise by 15 million bpd in the second quarter even with output cuts of 10 million bpd. He urged the world’s richest economies to discuss broader ways to stabilise oil markets. Still, a move by Saudi Arabia to delay the release of its crude official selling prices indicates it is not eager to flood the market with cheap supplies before a potential agreement, said Robert McNally, president of Rapidan Energy Group in Bethesda, Maryland. “That’s a pretty clear sign that they are open to cutting production in May,” he said. The kingdom delayed the release until Friday to wait for the outcome of the meeting between Opec and its allies regarding possible output cuts, a Saudi source told Reuters. Indicating the market too is expecting the supply glut to improve, prompt oil prices jumped last week and sharply narrowed their gap with future months. Oil prices could also firm as decades-low prices have already forced producers to cut output, CMC’s McCarthy said. “In the short term the low prices are very painful, but if it does lead to a lot of those players leaving the industry, the supply side of the equation will balance out,” McCarthy said, referring to US shale producers. Rig counts in the US fell by 62 last week, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co said on Friday, marking the biggest weekly drop in five years, as US energy companies slashed spending on new drilling due to a coronavirus-related slump in economic activity and fuel demand. Brazil’s Petrobras has also doubled its oil output cuts to 200,000 bpd, or 6pc of its total production.

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clared as early as Tuesday.

“We’re currently seeing rapid increases of new infections particularly in urban areas like Tokyo and Osaka,” he said.

But there was hope in parts of Europe after a weekend that saw Italy reporting its lowest death toll in two weeks and France its fewest dead in a week.

“The curve has started its descent and the number of deaths has started to drop,” said top Italian health official Silvio Brusaferro, adding the next phase could be a gradual easing of a strict month-long lockdown.

In Spain, nurse Empar Loren said: “The situation is more stable. The number of patients in intensive care is not growing much anymore, and we are starting to discharge quite a few.”

Hard-hit Spain recorded deaths down for a fourth straight day Monday — but still logged 637 fatalities.

MAKESHIFT MORGUES: At a field hospital set up at a Madrid conference centre, staff applauded whenever a patient was healthy enough to be sent home.

The effective mothballing of the global economy is beginning to hit hard with analysts warning millions of jobs will be lost despite unprecedented stimulus programmes.

Germany announced that the government would guarantee loans for small businesses but France was gloomy, with Finance Minister Bruno le Maire estimating that the 2020 crunch would be “far beyond” the previous post-1945 worst case.

Iran, whose economy has suffered the double blow of the virus and punishing US sanctions, said it would allow “low-risk” economic activity to resume as daily infection rates fell for a fifth straight day.

FIA conducts raids on sugar mills, seizes records Days after the release of inquiry commission’s report on wheat and sugar crises, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Monday conducted raids on different sugar mills and seized records to confirm whether the country’s sugar stocks were exported or imported. According to a local news outlet, the agency’s officials were staying at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Khan Tareen’s office since March 20 and had also interrogated his chief financial officer (CFO) regarding the records. Meanwhile, Tareen took to Twitter and confirmed that the sugar inquiry commission has been engaging with mills, including three mills of his own. He said that he has been sharing all records with them and has given them full access to his server as well. He, however, denied that anything had been seized.

Un chief urges govts to protect women during virus lockdown NEW YORK AGENCIES

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has urged governments to include the protection of women in their response to the deadly novel coronavirus pandemic. Reports of domestic violence have surged globally in the wake of massive lockdowns imposed to contain the spread of the disease. “Violence is not confined to the battlefield,” said Guterres in a statement and video released in multiple languages, days after his call for a worldwide ceasefire in the wake of the outbreak. “For many women and girls, the threat looms largest where they should be safest.

In their own homes,” he said. Describing the rise in domestic violence as “horrifying,” he urged all governments “to make the prevention and redress of violence against women a key part of their national response plans for COVID-19.” India reported double the usual number of domestic abuse cases in the first week of nationwide movement restrictions, according to the country’s National Commission for Women. Cases in France rose by a third in the week after that country’s lockdown, authorities said, while Australia reported a 75 percent increase in internet searches relating to support for domestic violence victims. Guterres called for setting up emergency warning systems in pharmacies and groceries, and for safe ways “for women to seek support, without alerting their abusers.” “Together, we can and must prevent violence everywhere, from war zones to people’s homes, as we work to beat COVID-19,” he said, as he called “for peace at home — and in homes — around the world.”