E-Paper PDF 7th February 2020 (LHR)

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Friday, 7 February, 2020 I 12 Jamadi-ul-Sani, 1441 I Rs 20.00 I Vol X No 219 I 16 Pages I Lahore Edition

Stop war mongering, imran warnS modi, indian army chief g

PM IMRan SlaMS IndIan PM’S ClaIM of dEfEaTIng PaKISTan wITHIn 10 dayS, SayS ModI ‘nEEdS To bRuSH uP on HIS HISToRy’

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SayS good TIMES lIE aHEad foR KaSHMIR, wIll ConTInuE RaISIng voICE agaInST THEIR oPPRESSIon

ISLAMABAD staff report

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n his second consecutive address in the azad Jammu and Kashmir (aJ&K), Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday handed down a stern warning to his Indian counterpart narendra Modi and Indian army Chief general Manoj Mukund naravane against continuing their anti-Pakistan war rhetoric. delivering an impassioned speech in Mirpur a day after Pakistan observed Kashmir Solidarity day, Prime Minister Imran – while referring to a recent statement by Prime Minister Modi wherein he had claimed the Indian forces “will not take more than seven to 10 days to make Pakistan bite the dust” – said: “you need to brush up on your history. It seems your degree was fake.” “leaders who had shown such pride had always been defeated in the past […] [take] the failure of Hitler’s and napolean’s forces to permeate Russia,” he recalled.

Earlier in January, a day after assuming office, gen naravane had said that the Indian army will move to claim aJK if it is given orders in this regard by the parliament. His statement was dismissed by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) as “routine rhetoric for domestic audiences to get out of ongoing internal turmoil”. “we will show you how we can fight. [… ] our army is well recognised, battle-hardened. our people are god-fearing […] none of us fear death. “If you are under the false impression that you will take any action against Pakistan to strengthen your Hindu voter base, it will be the last mistake you make,” said the premier in a grave warning to his Indian counterpart.

In his address, the premier said that whenever a leader bases his campaign on hatred against a group of people and when that card is used to gain votes, the election is won but then there is nothing but destruction waiting ahead.

“when he won the election, he decided to do in Kashmir what the RSS manifesto was. He thought he would imprison Kashmiris, but what happened?

“He thought he would end the issue of Kashmir altogether but the way the issue has been internationalised, there is talk of Kashmir where it was never before discussed,” said the prime minister. He said the united nations Security Council alone had debated the issue thrice already.

The premier reminded Kashmiris that Pakistan will continue to stand by them and will continue to fight alongside them. “Kashmiris who are going through a hard time, all our prayers with you. we pray you are granted patience. “but I say, I had promised to be your ambassador. I stand before you in that capacity today, not as the prime minister of Pakistan.”

He said he had raised the issue of Kashmir with every single foreign leader he had met since august 5.

“I spoke to Trump thrice, spoke to british premier boris Johnson, spoke to german Chancellor angela Merkel twice and explained what is happening in Kashmir.

“I spoke to the Russian foreign minister in new york, spoke to [french President] Macron for half an hour and spoke in great detail with Canada’s [Prime Minister] Justin Trudeau,” said the premier, as he assured Kashmiris he will continue their struggle on their behalf.

He said the world now knows the situation in Kashmir. “This is the reason why the RSS plan to spill the blood of Kashmiris in occupied Kashmir, to terrorise them, and to instil so much fear in their hearts that they accept what has been done in Kashmir, has failed.” “The entire world now demands an end to this oppression”.

The premier expressed confidence that good times lie ahead for Kashmir and that Modi will not be able to carry on with his nefarious designs for much longer.

“The day the curfew is lifted, a sea of people will flow and there will be only one voice: freedom!

“Inshaallah then, Modi will not have any more cards to play. Then, Kashmiris who fought bravely in the Independence movement and 30 years before where 100,000 Kashmiris laid down their lives, will see relief. god will not only make things easy but grant you freedom,” said the prime minister.

QURESHI CHALLENGES MODI: foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in a fiery address challenged Indian Prime Minister narendra Modi to find even one Kashmiri who accepts his august 5 decision to scrap the region of its special autonomy. “narendra Modi, if you think yourself democratic, bring forward one legitimate Kashmiri in Srinagar who accepts your august 5 decision,” said Qureshi.

He then warned Modi to beware of what the Kashmiris “will then do to him”.

“These are self-respecting, honourable people. do you think they will bend down on their knees in the face of your curfew, your oppression?”

The foreign minister said that he sees before him the flags of Pakistan and of Kashmir and called on the Mirpur residents to wave the Pakistan flag. “wave it and let [Modi] know Pakistan’s flag is being waved in Mirpur. This is a reflection of the fact that every city of Pakistan and every citizen and every institution and every political party was with Kashmiris yesterday, is with them today and will always be.

Moody's predicts 'stable outlook' for Pakistan’s banking system STORY ON PAGE 12

SC orders removal of SBCA chief for ‘creating mess’ in Karachi g

CJP laSHES ouT aT KaRaCHI MayoR foR noT ConSTRuCTIng RoadS In THE CITy STORY ON PAGE 02

Hamza Shehbaz gets bail in Ramzan Sugar Mills case STORY ON PAGE 04

Erdogan to address joint parliamentary session on Feb 14 STORY ON PAGE 02

SECP asked to review stock brokers, brokerage house policy STORY ON PAGE 12

Trump acquitted in impeachment trial

Gen Bajwa says Kashmiri people will succeed

STORY ON PAGE 03

CMYK

Israel kills 3 Palestinians as violence flares after Trump peace plan STORIES ON BACK PAGE

02-03 NEWS 7th February 20_Layout 1 2/7/2020 12:51 AM Page 1

Friday, 7 February, 2020

02 NEWS

ErdogaN To addrESS joiNT ParliaMENTary SESSioN oN FEb 14 ANKARA

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STAFF REPORT

URKISH President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will address the joint sitting of parliament on Feb 14, announced National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser on Thursday.

This will be the fourth time that Erdogan addresses the Pakistani lawmakers.

The speaker, during the NA session, said that he will hold consultations with all the parliamentary leaders on the matter.

Erdogan is expected to arrive in Pakistan for a two-day visit on Feb 13.

The Turkish president was scheduled to pay an official visit to Pakistan on Oct 23 last year to cement relations between the two countries and to extend

full support to Pakistan’s stance on the Kashmir issue. The visit, however, was postponed after Turkey’s involvement with a military offensive against Kur-

KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The Supreme Court on Thursday, while hearing a case regarding the removal of encroachments in Karachi and renewing the original face of the city, ordered to remove the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) Director General Zafar Ahsan and appoint an “honest officer” in his place.

A three-member bench of the apex court – comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah – declared that “no one is allowed to exploit citizens.” The bench had taken up the case in the Supreme Court’s Karachi registry. The court directed Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to look into the matter himself.

At the outset of the hearing, Chief Justice Ahmed had taken various officials to task for the condition of Karachi’s infrastructure while hearing a case regarding the removal of encroachments in the metropolis and renewing the original face of the city.

During the proceedings, the top judge asked for the reason behind the situation in Karachi and said: “This is not some village, at one point Karachi used to the jewel of Pakistan.” “What a mess you have created in your self-serving interests. Entire parks, graveyards and residential plots have vanished.” “You want to run Karachi, then run it and show us,” he added.

The top judge asked Sindh Advocate General Salman Talibuddin if various illegal constructions in the city had been removed.

“Tell us, what is the situation of parks and playgrounds?” Justice Ahmed inquired.

He told the advocate general to read Article 140 of the Constitution, which reads: “Each Province shall, by law, establish a local government system and devolve political, administrative and financial responsibility and authority to the elected representatives of

dish militants in Syria that raised tensions with Washington and other Western nations.

Ahead of the October visit, Prime

Minister Imran Khan had said: “The government and the people of Pakistan are looking forward to accord a warm welcome to President Erdogan.”

Erodgan last visited Pakistan in 2016, during the PML-N-led government, during which he also addressed the parliament. He was accompanied by his spouse Emine Erdogan and a highlevel delegation.

The guests were received at the Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi by then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his cabinet members and senior officials, first lady late Kulsoom Nawaz, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and his younger brother Shahbaz Sharif. Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) lawmakers had boycotted the session to protest against Nawaz Sharif for his alleged corruption.

SC orders removal of SBCA chief for ‘creating mess’ in Karachi the local governments.” “Doesn’t this article apply to Sindh?” he asked. Throughout the proceedings, the various officials continued to trade blame. The provincial chief secretary told the court that the Sindh government had given most of the authority to the Karachi mayor. “The mayor is wrong in saying he has no authority,” the chief secretary said.

The top judge inquired about various aspects of the city’s infrastructure including the sewerage system. “All the money goes in your pockets,” the top judge expressed his displeasure, asking if any money is spent of Karachi’s citizens.

“Don’t be a master in front of us, you are an employee of Pakistan,” Justice Ahmed told the chief secretary. “You people wear a suit and sit in an office. Tell us this, what street did you visit last,” he said adding: “Tell us why you people don’t make the city look beautiful.” Taking Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar to the task, the top judge asked Akhtar if he had constructed any roads. To which, Akhtar said they had made small streets in the Nazimabad area of the city.

“There are no small lanes there, present a record of how many roads you have made,” the top judge said and asked him to tell the court what he had done for the city. Justice Shah also noted that “portions are being built after openly taking bribes, in every street, every block of Nazimabad”. “Construction is being done while government-owned cars are parked [outside],” he added.

“This is the total destruction of the city of Karachi,” the chief justice remarked.

Addressing the municipalities secretary, Justice Ahmed said: “You may someone’s favorite but there are no favorites here.” The court also asked the police about their strategy for removing encroachments, in response to which Additional IG Ghulam Nabi Memon said their job was to provide security.

DELAY IN KCR’S REVIVAL: Meanwhile, taking up a case regarding the revival of the local train and tram service, the court admonished both provincial and federal government officials for their failure to revive the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR).

At the outset, Justice Ahmed inquired if the court’s order from last year to revive the KCR had been acted upon. Various officials, including former Railways secretary Sikandar Sultan Raja, Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shallwani, Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar, and Sindh Advocate General Salman Talibuddin, appeared before the court.

During the proceedings, the provincial advocate general read out the apex court’s earlier order in which the top court had directed that the circular and local train services be restored within a month.

Talibuddin said that they had provided a briefing in this regard, adding that the project had now been included in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.

“We have completed the framework and sent it to the federal government three times,” he said.

Comprehensive plan made to cope with coronavirus, says PM's aide ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant on National Health Services Dr Zafar Mirza on Thursday said that a comprehensive plan has been made to cope with the novel coronavirus. Chairing a meeting of Coronavirus Emergency Core Group in Islamabad, the adviser on health said he is personally monitoring the screening system at airports. “All possible steps are being taken to deal with coronavirus and we are ready to tackle any emergency situation in this regard,” he added. He said separate wards have been arranged at hospitals regarding possible cases of coronavirus. Mirza further said the federal government has taken effective measures in collaboration with the provinces to handle coronavirus. He said no case of coronavirus has yet been reported in Pakistan. A Chinese national, suspected of having the novel coronavirus, was shifted to an isolation ward of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) from the Islamabad airport on Tuesday. As flight operations between Pakistan and China resumed on Monday, sourced told The Express Tribune that a flight carrying 122 passengers from Beijing landed at the Islamabad airport earlier in the evening and during the screening one of the Chinese nationals, Bing Yang, detected with hightemperature, which is one of the symptoms of the deadly virus. STAFF REPORT

CPNE stands by Sehgal amid propaganda campaign NEWS DESK The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors has thrown its weight behind CPNE member Ikram Sehgal after a propaganda campaign against the Pathfinder Group head was started on social media. The CPNE members unanimously supported Ikram Sehgal and lauded his efforts in the service of the country on the international stage. “The CPNE Stranding Committee members condemned the ongoing negative propaganda on social media contradictory to the facts regarding the holding of the ceremony on the occasion of World Economic Forum at Davos by Vice President Ikram Sehgal and also expressed solidarity with Ikram Sehgal,” said the statement issued by the media body.

Pakistan hopes for peace in Afghanistan amid US-Taliban talks ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Amid talks between the United States and the Afghan Taliban, Foreign Office Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui on Thursday said Pakistan was hopeful that US-Taliban peace talks will result in intra-Afghan negotiations and eventual peace in Afghanistan.

During her weekly press briefing, the FO spokesperson stated that the possibility of reconciliation between both parties was discussed during the visit of US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad to Pakistan.

Pakistan is closely watching the developments between the US and Taliban, she added. Referring to the protests outside the Pakistan embassy in Kabul, the spokesperson noted that the matter has been raised with the relevant Afghan authorities.

On the occasion of Kashmir Solidarity Day, the spokesperson further stated that ceremonies were held at Pakistan’s embassies and high commissions around the world to express support to the oppressed people of occupied Kashmir, in their struggle for their right to self-determination.

CMYK

The FO also reaffirmed Pakistan’s deep engagements with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) regarding the Kashmir issue.

She said OIC has been a strong proponent of the cause and has played a dynamic role in bringing the issue to the forefront at international forums, adding that several OIC resolutions have been passed on different aspects of the dispute – including the gross human rights violation in the valley.

Farooqui further added that Pakistan remains engaged with the OIC at the leadership level and several ideas are discussed on a regular basis.

In September 2019, OIC held ministerial meetings on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and the report issued condemned the brutalities by the Indian armed forces.

The FO spokesperson said Pakistan holds warm and cordial relations with Turkey and intends on solidifying bilateral ties on the upcoming visit of Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Speaking about the coronavirus outbreak, Farooqui said only four Pakistani students have been affected by the virus in China, but are reportedly stable.

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Friday, 7 February, 2020

NEWS

aTC To aNNouNCE vErdiCTS agaiNST jud ChiEF haFiz SaEEd oN FEb 8 LAHORE

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STAFF REPORT

N Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Thursday reserved its verdicts in two cases pertaining to terror financing against Hafiz Saeed, chief of the proscribed Jamaatud Dawa (JuD).

ATC judge Arshad Hussain Bhatta will announce the verdicts in both cases on February 8. The cases were filed by the Counter-Terrorism Department’s (CTD) Lahore and Gujranwala chapters. The case filed by CTD’s Gujranwala chapter was initially being heard in a Gujranwala

ATC but was shifted to Lahore on the directions of the Lahore High Court. During the trial of both cases, the court recorded the statements of 23 witnesses.

The JuD chief was arrested by CTD in July last year, while he was travelling from Lahore to Gujranwala. Prior to his arrest, 23 first information reports had been registered against JuD leaders, including Saeed and JuD Naib Emir Abdul Rehman Makki, at CTD police stations of Lahore, Gujranwala, Multan, Faisalabad and Sargodha in July 2019.

According to the CTD, JuD was financing terrorism from the massive funds collected through non-profit or-

ganisations and trusts including Al-Anfaal Trust, Dawatul Irshad Trust, Muaz Bin Jabal Trust, etc. These non-profit organisations were banned in April last year as the CTD, during detailed investigations, found that they had links with the JuD and its top leadership.

Saeed is nominated in about 29 cases pertaining to terror financing, money laundering as well as illegal

Khawaja Asif urges PM to identify PTI's ‘corrupt elements’ behind sugar crisis NEWS DESK Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and member of National Assembly (MNA) Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Thursday said that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan should “take notice of the sugar mill owners, 45 per cent of whom are interestingly in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI)”.

The former foreign minister was speaking during a National Assembly (NA) session during which he talked about the recent sugar crisis in the country.

“Every day, the price of sugar increases by up to Rs5-6,” he said. “The prime minister has admitted that ‘I am surrounded by mafias’. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members own 45 per cent of sugar mills.

Asif called on the government to expose the mafia that was “playing with peo-

ple’s hunger” and making money from the sugar and wheat crisis.

“The [sugar mills] of Zardari, Nawaz and Shehbaz Sharif have closed down,” he said, warning that the looters present in the government will destroy it.

Asif also called on the speaker to empower the NA and make committees to get to the bottom of the sugar crisis. “A committee comprising parliamentarians should be formed over inflation to determine the responsible person,” he said while adding that if this issue was not resolved, then the government and politicians will both be held responsible for it. During the incumbent government’s 15 months, sugar prices have shot up to as high as Rs64 a kilo.

However, during the last month, the wholesale rate of sugar rose from Rs64 to Rs74 per kg and an acute shortage of the product surfaced in the country.

gen bajwa says Kashmiri people will succeed

PTi, MQM-P hold another round of talks

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday said the justified struggle of Kashmiri people was “destined to succeed” in spite of their ordeal while presiding the 229th Corps Commanders’ Conference at the General Headquarters (GHQ). According to a statement issued Thursday by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the meeting paid a glowing tribute to those living in the occupied Kashmir and braving a continued siege as well as the Indian Army’s brutalities. “Repression of Indian occupying forces can never deny Kashmiris their right to selfdetermination as promised by UN resolutions. Regardless of the ordeal, their just struggle is destined to succeed,” Gen Bajwa said as per the ISPR’s statement.The corps commanders conference also reviewed the geostrategic situation, focusing especially on Pakistan’s internal security and the situation on borders. “Provocative statements of Indian leadership are irresponsible rhetoric with implications for the region,” it added. STAFF REPORT

KARACHI: The PTI and MQM-P on Thursday held another round of talks, wherein the PTI delegation led by Asad Umar tried to take the Karachi-based party in confidence over the issues pertaining to the issues faced by the megacity. Speaking to media persons after the meeting, Planning Minister Asad Umar regretted the metropolis had been ignored for years. Stressing that the city has an important role in the country’s economic growth, he said Karachi was entitled to uplift schemes. The federal minister rejected the impression of confusion surrounding talks between the government and its ally, saying the two parties had the mandate of the city and wanted its issues to be resolved. He also rejected reports that the MQM-P was hesitant to enter the alliance because it wanted more ministries. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, the convener of the MQM-P, said Karachi was one of the country’s five biggest cities and yields 65 per cent of the country’s total revenue and makes up for 95 per cent of the province’s revenue yet it has been deprived of funds. STAFF REPORT

land grabbing. In February last year, Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) had warned Pakistan to deliver on its commitments to curb terror financing and money laundering.

Risks to the global financial system have virtually put the country’s entire machinery into an aggressive mode to show tangible progress within two months of the warning.

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Non-bailable warrants issued for ex-PM gilani’s son in ephedrine case ISLAMABAD: A Court for Control of Narcotic Substances Thursday issued nonbailable warrants for the arrest of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s son Ali Musa Gilani in a case related to illegal allocation of ephedrine. The court issued warrants for the accused due to his absence from the trial proceedings. It also issued non-bailable warrants for co-accused Zuneer. The judge directed the relevant authorities to arrest both accused and present them before it on the next hearing slated for Feb 21. STAFF REPORT

04 LAHORE

Friday, 7 February, 2020

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HaMza SHeHBaz geTS BaIL In RaMzan SugaR MILLS CaSe LAHORE

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HE Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday granted post-arrest bail to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Hamza Shehbaz in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Chaudhry Abdul Aziz heard the petition.

During the hearing, the court grilled the NAB prosecutor over glaring holes in the investigation.

“Why was a supplementary reference filed against the accused when an existing reference had already been filed?” questioned the court.

The NAB prosecutor replied that whenever there had been a new development, a supplementary reference was filed.

“Please point out the laws under which a supplementary reference can be filed after an initial reference has already been filed,” the court demanded.

“You do not have any answer to the questions that have been asked. Why are you wasting the nation’s time and money?” the judge remarked.

The court asked the NAB prosecutor whether the drains in question were only made to benefit Ramzan Sugar Mills. “If that is the case, then you have a case for misuse of power.”

However, the prosecutor replied that the investigation officer who probed the case was currently on leave

LHC seeks record of overall wheat and sugar stocks in Punjab

due to his examinations.

This prompted Justice Naqvi to say: “Considering the standard of your inquiry, you should all be given the Pride of Performance Award.”

On the other hand, Hamza Shehbaz’s counsel argued that so far, none of the evidence presented before the court, had proven his client’s guilt.

In his petition, Hamza had argued that NAB initiated the inquiry against him with malicious intentions and

LAHORE

Two gunned down in city LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Two men were gunned down here on Thursday. Police and rescue sources said that Waqas and Abdul Razaq were killed by unknown persons in Harbanspura locality. The bodies were shifted to hospital. Police suspects personal enmity behind the double murder.

failed to find any irregularity committed by him.

It had said that the drain in question was built in Bhawana tehsil in public interest after the provincial cabinet and the assembly had granted approval for its construction.

Hamza also argued in the petition that the co-accused in the case, his father and former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif, had already been granted bail by the court.

Jamshed Dasti arrested in oil tanker crew kidnapping case

STAFF REPORT

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday sought record of total stocks of wheat and sugar in the province. Chief Justice LHC Mamoon Rashid Sheikh was hearing a petition over the matter.

According to petitioner, wheat flour and sugar were available in quantity more than the requirement but the mafias have created an artificial crisis. The feed mills have purchased wheat instead of the expensive corn. Around 250,000 tons of stocks have been purchased by the feed mills, while 400,000 tons of wheat have been exported, the petition said. The petitioner pleaded to the court to impose a ban over export of the wheat and crackdown against hoarding of sugar.

The bench sought the record of overall wheat and sugar stocks in the province, their export and estimates about smuggled out stocks of these commodities. The court adjourned further hearing of the case till February 13. Earlier, a petition filed in the Lahore High Court sought forensic audit of sugar stocks in sugar mills. “The sugar mills have failed to submit details of their stocks in court, despite the court order,” according to the petition. The government of Punjab didn’t act so far against the sugar mafia, the plea said.

The petitioner also pleaded to the court to issue an order to the government for action against the mills selling sugar on exorbitant rates. The price of sugar, an essential ingredient in Pakistani cuisine, witnessed 10 rupees per kilogram hike in a week recently, the wholesale rate of the commodity rose from Rs64 to Rs74 per KG and an acute shortage of the commodity surfaced across the country.

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PTI leader issues apology for 'shameful, ignorant' hate inciting posters NEWS DESK

LHC ADMONISHES NAB PROSECUTION FOR LAPSES IN INVESTIGATION, QUESTIONS WHY SUPPLEMENTARY REFERENCE FILED STAFF REPORT

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MULTAN STAFF REPORT

Former lawmaker and Awami Raj Party Chairman Jamshed Dasti was arrested on Thursday by Muzaffargarh police in cases pertaining to the alleged abduction of staff transporting oil and the alleged theft of the commodity.

Elite Forces personnel Farrukh Shehzad and Nasir Lashari, former union council chairman Malik Ajmal Kalro and traders' leader Malik Abid Malana — besides three other people — have also been named in the cases and had already been arrested.

According to one of two FIRs, a case has been registered at the Qureshi police station in Muzaffargarh under Sections 395 (punishment for dacoity), 365 (kid-

napping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person), 170 (personating a public servant) and 171 (wearing garb or carrying token used by public servant with fraudulent intent) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The FIR, which was registered on Tuesday on the complaint of a driver, states that an oil tanker carrying 40,000 litres of carbon diesel worth Rs4.3 million was traveling from Quetta to Multan on December 21, 2019, when near the Muzaffargarh-Dera Ghazi Khan road, a police vehicle along with a government vehicle crossed its path and ordered it to stop.

According to the FIR, "four men dressed in the Elite Forces uniform and armed with Kalashnikov rifles and four unarmed men dressed in white" were present during the alleged incident and can all be identified through a police lineup.

"The armed men immediately took us hostage," says the FIR, which goes on to state that the staff transporting the oil were "blindfolded and transported to an unknown location where they were kept for two days before being released".

The FIR further alleges that the persons involved "drove off with the tanker".

A separate FIR has also been registered at the City police station. Dasti, in a video statement released on the day the cases had been registered, had condemned the registration of cases and declared the development to be "a conspiracy by the government".

The Awami Raj Party chairman has reportedly been transported to an undisclosed location.

Police spokesperson Wasim Khan said that the former lawmaker has been named in more than 33 cases, including those involving murder, kidnapping and dacoity. Dasti's nephews Samad Dasti and Malik Sanwal have accused the police of partaking in a "revenge conspiracy". They said that Dasti had been "subjected to torture by police in custody" on prior occasions, expressing the fear that he may be "killed in a police encounter". The two have appealed to the authorities to look into the matter.

A Lahore-based Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader on Thursday issued an apology after he was held accountable for hate speech by citizens. Mian Akram Usman, the PTI Lahore general secretary, had put up banners all over city with the text "Hindu baat ne nahi, laat se maanta hai" (Hindus cannot be reasoned with using words but by force) along with his own, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s picture. The banners were apparently displayed in connection with Kashmir Solidarity Day, which was observed across the country on February 5. Usman took to Twitter after social media users blasted him for casual racism and hate speech, saying that he intends to apologise to "all peacefully living 'Hindus' [on] both sides of the border". However, he did not take full responsibility of his actions and blamed the printer who he said had replaced “Modi” with “Hindu” on his own accord, insisting that he had asked for any text that was critical of Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi. Later, while responding to a Twitter user, Usman said the posters had been removed "immediately" after they came to his notice. "I'm not the one who [gets] stuck on mistakes," he wrote. Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari in a tweet on Thursday said the PTI general secretary had been "reprimanded and posters were taken off immediately". She termed it "a shameful and ignorant approach by the individual". Similarly, human rights activist Kapil Dev also jabbed at the PTI leader, saying that Usman should not have used the picture of “beloved” founder Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in his “hate-filled” posters against the Hindu community. “Sometimes in our jingoism we forget the fact that 4 million + Hindus live in #Pakistan too. Similarly, 200+ million #Muslims live in India too. Mr Usman, you should not at least have used photo of my beloved Quaid Muhammad Ali Jinnah in you hate-filled poster against #Hindus.”

Court summons CM Buzdar in child recovery case LAHORE STAFF REPORT

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday summoned Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar in a child recovery case.The LHC was hearing a petition filed by a mother of three-year-old missing child Abdul Rafay.

Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Shoaib Dastagir appeared before the court. During the hearing, the LHC judge expresses displeasure over the response of IGP in child recovery case. “If IGP Punjab attitude is like this than what we can expect from others,” remarked LHC judge, adding that if anything happens to child all concerned authorities will be responsible for the loss.

“How much time do you need to recover the child? the court asked, to which the IGP sought a two-week deadline.

Country loses mathematician Amer Iqbal to Harvard due to corrupt system NEWS DESK Pakistani-American theoretical physicist and mathematician Amer Iqbal had to leave the country and instead teaches Harvard now after unearthed a big scam at a government college, Pervez Hoodbhoy revealed in an article published in a local news outlet earlier this week.

According to the details, the talented teacher had found that funds worth Rs750 million were embezzled at

a college. “For the last 10 years, a college was paying salaries to ghost teachers in Europe,” Hoodbhoy, a nuclear physicist himself, said while speaking to another media outlet on Thursday.

Some teachers came from Europe for 15 days and then left, while many didn’t come to Pakistan in the first place, Hoodbhoy added. Iqbal was asked to investigate the matter and he prepared a 450-page report on it too.

The physicist instead of being rewarded for his efforts had to leave the

country. The college he was working for never renewed his contract, according to Hoodbhoy.

Iqbal left Pakistan on January 17 and he was offered a job by the Harvard University within 15 days.

It is quite worrisome that brilliant teachers are being forced to leave the country and go settle abroad, remarked Anchor Kiran Naz. Hoodbhoy said that Iqbal had completed his MPhil from Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) after which he got

admission in Massachusetts Institute of Technology for his PhD. When Iqbal was there, many teachers used his praise him for his hard work and diligence. His teachers occasionally said that they wish they had more students like him.

Steven Weinberg, a Nobel laureate in Physics, even called Iqbal to help with his research at the University of Texas.

"Many academics just know one mathematician from Pakistan and that is Iqbal," Hoodbhoy added.

Friday, 7 February, 2020

FO hits back at Minister Mazari aFter ‘narrOw visiOn’ claiM

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NEWS DESK

He Foreign Office on Thursday hit back at Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari after the latter claimed that the foreign minister had little to highlight the Kashmir cause at the international forum.

Mazari had questioned the performance of the Foreign during a National Assembly session, wherein she endorsed the view expressed by some opposition MPs that the Foreign Office has ‘narrow vision.’

At a weekly news briefing, the Foreign Office spokesperson rejected the criticism, insisting that the “vision of Pakistan’s foreign policy is given at

MQM-P will soon make its way back to federal cabinet, says Ismail

the leadership level by the government.”

“The steering of this vision is carried out under the direction of the foreign minister [Shah Mahmood Qureshi] by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” said Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui while responding to Mazari.

“We take the cause of Jammu & Kashmir very seriously. It is the core issue of Pakistan’s foreign policy. The observation that the Foreign Office is not taking it seriously is not accurate,” she said.

Listing the steps the Foreign Office took after illegal annexation of Occupied Kashmir [IOK] by India in August 2019, she said a Kashmir cell was also established in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“It is a multi-agency unit dedicated to monitor

the evolving situation in Jammu & Kashmir and to take forward the strategy articulated by the government; steered by the foreign minister and executed by over 100 missions of Pakistan all over the world.

“As I said earlier, taking forward the strategy on the Kashmir cause is not an event, it is a process. All aspects of Jammu & Kashmir dispute including legal, political and humanitarian are taken forward in accordance with the UNSC [United Nations Security Council] resolutions.”

She said Pakistan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have never been shy or negligent towards this core issue of our foreign policy. “We are dedicated in taking it forward,” she added.

CM Murad stresses need for protection of heritage sites at Karoonjhar KARACHI

KARACHI

STAFF REPORT

STAFF REPORT

Sindh Governor Imran Ismail has said that MQMP is making its way back into the federal cabinet.

Talking to the media on Thursday, the governor said that most of Muttahida Qaumi MovementPakistan’s (MQM-P) grievances had been addressed and resolved. He further added that some matters were still on the table and under consideration between and would also see resolution in the near future. The Sindh Governor also revealed that Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan had directed him to increase the pace of meetings and discussion with MQM-P and other allies. “We have very good communication with MQMP, we meet daily,” said Governor Imran Ismail.

Answering another question on the recent conundrum surrounding IGP Sindh, Imran Ismail said that the Prime Minister had advised him to build consensus with the Sindh government on the matter. “If the Sindh government is hell-bent on changing the current IGP then the federal government has a few suggestions for who could take the mantle next,” Governor Sindh added. Imran Ismail concluded that the final decision on the matter was the Prime Minister’s prerogative.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that the protection of cultural, religious and archeological heritage at Karoonjhar Range was the top most priority before exploring the mining potential of granite, China clay, iron ore, fuller earth, copper and gold in this hilly area. This he said on Thursday while presiding over a meeting of Mines & Mineral Department to discuss mining issues of Karoonjhar Range, Tharparker.

The meeting was told that over 10 billion tons of granite deposits were available at Karoonjhar Range, apart from vast reserves of China clay, iron ore, fuller earth and gold deposits. At this the chief minister said that these huge deposits would bring prosperity in the province, particularly in the local area, if they are properly taped.

He said before mining we will have to safeguard and protect the cultural, religious and archeological heritage in the range.

The meeting was told that at Karunjhar Range area covers Dhingano Forest, Karoonjhar Forest, Sadurus Forest, Karoojhar Hills and Wild Life Sanctuary.

Wildlife sanctuary is over an area of 200,000 acres, and creek/wildlife over 84090 acres. The Karoonjhar Hill spreads over 21,100 acres, and it forest area over 18704 acres. There are 28 dam sites over 17930 acres and 20 archeological sites

over an area of 1601 acres.

The protected area spreads over 49,186.46 acres and mineral lease area over 31,480.58 acres, of which 8128 acres falls in the protected area. The area leased out for minerals include 20364 acre for China clay, 6241.73 acres for granite, 4073.93 acres for fuller’s earth and 800 acres for iron ore.

The CM said that the license/permit for granite mining in Karoonjhar area, if granted, may be made conditional with setting up of industry within the limits of Tharparker district in order to ensure value addition, employment generation and positive social benefits of the activity.

SHC stops demolition of Metropole Hotel KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday stopped the demolition of Karachi’s historic Metropole Hotel located near the Shahrah-eFaisal. A SHC bench heard a petition filed by advocate Muhammad Kamran Sher.

The petition has made the various officials respondents in the case. The petitioner maintained that they have their shops in the Metropole Hotel and the management has denied giving any compensation to them as an alternative to their shops.

CM YK

NEWS

05

sindh likely to ask Fbr to collect withholding tax itself KARACHI: The Sindh government is thinking that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) should be told that the provincial Motor Vehicle Registration wings of excise & Taxation Department will no longer collect withholding tax on behalf of FBR because it was unilaterally deducting huge funds from the provincial government accounts. In this regard a meeting presided over by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah was told that the FBR seemed not serious to return over Rs8 billion it had unconstitutionally deducted from the provincial government account. The meeting was told that from 2012-13 to 2016-17, the FBR has unilaterally and unconstitutionally deducted over Rs8054.5 million from the provincial consolidated fund account.

Since the provincial government has been raising the issue of refund at different forums but the FBR seemed to be adamant to return the deduced money.It was told that in 2012-13, the FBR created an incorrect demand and deducted Rs695.235 million from provincial account without waiting for reconciliation. STAFF REPORT

bilawal asks for details of uplift projects in larkana during past 10 years KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has summoned a complete record of projects initiated or completed in the Larkana division of the Sindh province during the last 10-year. The PPP chairman received complaints of lack of facilities during his recent visit to the area from where he is elected member of the National Assembly. Summoned by the PPP chairman, the Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah, top party leaders from the constituency and key members of the provincial cabinet including Information Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, provincial government spokesman and adviser to CM Sindh Murtaza Wahab, education Minister Saeed Ghani, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Jam Ikram Ullah Dharejo, and others rushed to the Bilawal House to brief him over the complaints. Bilawal during the meeting with the top party leaders in the province discussed the complaints he was conveyed from the residents during his recent visit regarding the uplift projects in the area. STAFF REPORT

Friday, 7 February, 2020

06 WORLD VIEW

The erasure of PalesTinians from TrumP’s mideasT ‘Peace Plan’ has a hundred-year hisTory HERZL’S REPLY TO YUSUF DIYA APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE ARABS COULD ULTIMATELY BE BRIBED OR FOOLED INTO IGNORING WHAT THE ZIONIST MOVEMENT ACTUALLY INTENDED FOR PALESTINE

Intercept

e

rashiD KhaliDi

DIToR’S Note: This excerpt from Columbia University historian Rashid Khalidi’s newly released book, “The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonial Conquest and Resistance, 1917-2017,” was scheduled to run in the Wall Street Journal in its Review section. on Thursday, about two months after the Journal accepted Khalidi’s excerpt for publication, an editor informed him the piece was being killed because it “felt too close to the op-ed end of the spectrum.” The Review section is part of the Journal’s newsroom, which is supposed to be independent of its opinion department, which maintains an unremittingly pro-Israel stance. Days before deciding not to publish Khalidi’s book excerpt, the Journal published an editorial that warmly praised the Trump administration’s one-sided plan for Palestine drafted by the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Asked for comment, the Journal said, “opinion Department staff have no input into the essays run by Review’s editors.

In preparing each week’s issue of Review, News Department editors have ongoing discussions to ensure that the essays in the section are differentiated from the Journal’s opinion Department editorials and oped pieces. This can entail difficult editorial decisions, sometimes late in the process, as occurs in any news organization. We are pleased that Prof. Khalidi’s piece is running in The Intercept.”

The erasure of the Palestinians on display this week as President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled a one-sided “vision for peace” might have been an unusually blatant act of disregard, but it was in no way new. The omission is the essence of the conflict. I was reminded of this back in the early 1990s, when I lived in Jerusalem for several months at a time, doing research in the private libraries of some of the city’s

oldest families, including my own. I spent over a year going through dusty worm-eaten books, documents, and letters belonging to generations of Khalidis, among them my great-great-great uncle, Yusuf Diya al-Din Pasha al-Khalidi.

Through his papers, I discovered a worldly man with a broad education acquired in Jerusalem, Malta, Istanbul, and Vienna. He was the heir to a long line of Jerusalemite Islamic scholars and legal functionaries, but at a young age, Yusuf Diya sought a different path for himself. After absorbing the fundamentals of a traditional Islamic education, he left Palestine at the age of 18 — without his father’s approval, we are told — to spend two years at a British Church Mission Society school in Malta. From there, he went to study at the Imperial Medical School in Istanbul, after which he attended the city’s Robert College, recently founded by American Protestant missionaries.

For five years during the 1860s, Yusuf Diya attended some of the first institutions in the Middle East that provided a modern, Western-style education, learning English, French, German, and much else.

With this broad training, Yusuf Diya filled various roles as an ottoman government official: translator in the Foreign Ministry, consult in the Russian Black Sea port of Poti, governor of districts from Kurdistan to Syria, and mayor of Jerusalem for nearly a decade. He was also elected as the deputy from Jerusalem to the short-lived ottoman parliament established in 1876, and he did stints teaching at the Royal Imperial University in Vienna.

As a result of his wide reading, as well as his time in Vienna and other European countries, and from his encounters with Christian missionaries, Yusuf Diya was fully conscious of the pervasiveness and virulence of European anti-Semitism. He had also gained impressive knowledge of the intellectual origins of Zionism, and he was undoubtedly familiar with “Der Judenstaat,” or “The Jewish State,” by the Viennese journalist Theodor Herzl, published in 1896, and was aware of the first two Zionist congresses in Basel, Switzerland, in 1897 and 1898. Moreover, as mayor of Jerusalem, he had witnessed the friction with the local population prompted by the first years of proto-Zionist activity, starting with the arrival of the first European Jewish settlers in the late 1870s and early 1880s.

Yusuf Diya would have been more aware than most of his compatriots in Palestine of the ambition of the nascent Zionist movement, as well as its strength, resources, and appeal. He knew perfectly well that there was no way to reconcile Zionism’s claims on Palestine and its explicit aim of Jewish statehood and sovereignty there with the rights and well-being of Palestine’s Indigenous inhabitants. on March 1, 1899,

Yusuf Diya sent a prescient seven-page letter to the French chief rabbi, Zadoc Kahn, with the intention that it be passed on to the founder of modern Zionism.

The letter began with an expression of Yusuf Diya’s admiration for Herzl, whom he esteemed “as a man, as a writer of talent, and as a true Jewish patriot,” and of his respect for Judaism and for Jews, whom he said were “our cousins.” He understood the motivations for Zionism, just as he deplored the persecution to which Jews were subject in Europe. In light of this, he wrote, Zionism in principle was “natural, beautiful, and just.” He added, “who could contest the rights of the Jews in Palestine? My God, historically it is your country!”

But the former mayor of Jerusalem went on to warn of the dangers he foresaw as a consequence of the implementation of the Zionist project for a sovereign Jewish state in Palestine. Whatever the merits of Zionism, Yusuf Diya wrote, the “brutal force of circumstances had to be taken into account.” Palestine “is inhabited by others.” It had an Indigenous population that would never accept being superseded, making it “pure folly” for Zionism to plan to take Palestine over. “Nothing could be more just and equitable” than for “the unhappy Jewish nation” to find a refuge elsewhere, but, he concluded, “in the name of God, let Palestine be left alone.”

Herzl replied—and quickly, in a letter on March 19. His letter was probably the first response by a leader of the Zionist movement to a cogent Palestinian objection to its embryonic plans for Palestine.

Herzl simply ignored the letter’s basic thesis, that Palestine was already inhabited by a population that would not agree to be supplanted. Although Herzl had visited Palestine once, in an 1898 visit timed to coincide with that of German Kaiser Wilhelm II, he (like most early European Zionists) had not much knowledge of or contact with its native inhabitants.

Glossing over the fact that Zionism was ultimately meant to lead to Jewish control of Palestine, Herzl deployed a justification that has been a touchstone for colonialists and that would become a staple argument of the Zionist movement: Jewish immigration would benefit Palestine’s Indigenous inhabitants. “It is their well-being, their individual wealth, which we will increase by bringing in our own,” Herzl wrote, adding that “no one can doubt that the well-being of the entire country would be the happy result.”

Herzl’s letter addressed a consideration that Yusuf Diya had not even raised: “You see another difficulty, Excellency, in the existence of the nonJewish population in Palestine. But who would think of sending them away?”

But Herzl had underestimated his correspondent.

From Yusuf Diya’s letter, it is clear that he understood perfectly well that at issue was not the immigration of (as Herzl put it) “a number of Jews” into Palestine, but rather the transformation of the entire land into a Jewish state. Instead, Herzl offered the preposterous inducement that the colonization, and ultimately the usurpation, of their land by strangers would benefit the people of that country. Herzl’s reply to Yusuf Diya appears to have been based on the assumption that the Arabs could ultimately be bribed or fooled into ignoring what the Zionist movement actually intended for Palestine.

This condescending attitude toward the intelligence, not to speak of the rights, of the Arab population of Palestine was to be serially repeated by Zionist, British, European, and American leaders in the decades that followed, down to the present day.

As for the Jewish state that was ultimately created by the movement that Herzl founded, as Yusuf Diya foresaw, there was to be room for only one people, the Jewish people. As for the others, “sending them away” was indeed what happened, despite Herzl’s disingenuous remark.

Herzl’s letter referred to Palestinian Arabs, then roughly 95% of Palestine’s inhabitants, merely as its “non-Jewish population.” The Jewish state, Herzl wrote in “Der Judenstaat,” would “form a part of a wall of defense for Europe in Asia, an outpost of civilization against barbarism.” Herzl’s imperious disregard of the Palestinians has been replicated over the decades in much discourse in the United States, Europe, and Israel; indeed, it was clearly audible from the White House as recently as this past week.

UK defence review: repent at leisure INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE AND RECONNAISSANCE (ISR) IS ONE AREA IN WHICH THE UK LOOKS TO THE US, MOST SIGNIFICANTLY IN TERMS OF GEO-SPATIAL ACCESS

InternatIonal InstItute of strategIc studIes Douglas Barrie

It is undeniable that the United Kingdom needs a fundamental defence and security review, but is pushing such a far-reaching effort through within the next 12 months, in a period already of upheaval, the best way forward?

The United Kingdom sorely needs a root-andbranch defence review, but maybe 2020 is not the right time to have one. Perhaps muddling through with a holding review for the next couple of years might be the least bad of a series of unattractive options to start providing clarity on pending key outcomes on which a fundamental review should be grounded.

Badged as the ‘Integrated Security, Defence and Foreign Policy Review’ by the recently re-elected Conservative government, the project is intended to shape the UK’s defence and security needs for the present decade and beyond. But tensions surrounding it are already apparent, with indications that even the basic aims of the review remain un-agreed. There are fault lines between senior military officials and politicians, and there likely are also divisions among senior government officials as to the nature and goals of the review. These combined led to the postponement of a planned National Security Council (NSC) meeting earlier this month. The NSC is the government’s toplevel body that discusses national-security issues.

While the review has been touted as a fundamental reappraisal of the UK’s defence and security needs, shaping military capabilities into the 2030s, the risk is that it will be both premature and led by resources rather than requirements. London may be tempted to delineate a threat it can afford to meet, or to craft novel and affordable responses to threats that may not be fully adequate. In the absence of additional resource funding, this could be at the expense of traditional hard-power elements of the military.

What cannot wait to be addressed, however, is the continuing need to cool the overheating in defence-procurement spending, where the allocated resource does not match the cost.

When it comes to resource allocation, hard- and soft-power elements of defence and security risk being viewed as competing rather than complementary. The formal launch of the review is pending, though anticipated from early 2020. A likely goal is for it to be concluded in time for the 2020 Comprehensive Spending Review, due in the fourth quarter of the year. Whatever the eventual scope of the Integrated Security, Defence and Foreign Policy Review, it needs to be aligned with the spending review.

‘GLOBAL BRITAIN’? The government might also risk drawing premature conclusions as to the size and shape of the UK’s defence and security needs before the initial impact of pending geopolitical changes is even understood. This is not to suggest inaction, but rather to address only immediate challenges in any pending review to provide headroom for a longerterm study.

The UK will leave the European Union on 31 January, with Brexit marking the beginning of London’s

efforts to redefine its place in the world. This has been cast by the government as ‘Global Britain’, and described by Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, as ‘expanding our global horizons’ and reinforcing ‘our national mission as a force for good in the world’.

Such aims are underwritten by soft and hard power, and in the case of the latter this is at least partly dependent on economic performance to fill government coffers and support expenditure. The impact of Brexit on the economy remains to be seen, but in the near term there is concern that growth may be constrained. Absent the necessary military in terms of capability and mass, there remains a question of how such global ambition can be delivered – or indeed how to begin to persuade key countries that such an ambition is more than merely wishful thinking; Global Britain has so far only been loosely described.

THE UK–US FUTURE RELATIONSHIP Added to the already challenging mixture of renewed ambition and economic headwind is uncertainty over the direction of the United States, the UK’s key ally. Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace cautioned at the start of 2020 that London could no longer assume that its involvement in any war would be providing support to Washington. The 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, the first major defence and security study since 1998, stressed that the UK would operate in a coalition – and by implication this would be with the US. Wallace indicated that the UK would need to consider how to plug capability gaps that London currently relies on the US to fill, or how to provide the mass it lacks. Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) is one area in which the UK looks to the US, most significantly in terms of

geo-spatial access. London has long had privileged access to US national technical means, notably Washington’s space-based ISR capability. In planning terms, the UK military has also assumed that any major operation would be conducted alongside the US; re-examining this is in and of itself a considerable undertaking.

In terms of mass, the UK is now numerically thin with regard to heavy armour and artillery, as well as combat aircraft. In an interview, Wallace suggested that the Ministry of Defence had to ‘cut our cloth to match our ambitions’. The problem for the ministry, however, is that wider foreign-policy goals risk further exposing a lack of defence material.

Besides, not only is the future relationship between the UK and the US in flux, but how London views and is seen by the EU as a military partner has yet to become apparent. The shape of the latter relationship will only start to become clear in the postBrexit environment.

More immediate still is that Prime Minister Boris Johnson is planning a reshuffle of senior ministers, with no guarantees that current incumbents will continue in post. It is possible that this could include defence-ministerial positions. Grappling with a new ministerial portfolio in the midst of what could be the most far-reaching review of the UK’s defence and security policy would be demanding for even the most capable.

Douglas is Senior Fellow for Military Aerospace responsible for ensuring the quality of the Institute’s military aerospace analysis and the information on air-power capabilities presented in the flagship Military Balance publication.

07-10 Foreign News Pages- 7th February 20_Layout 1 2/6/2020 10:57 PM Page 1

Friday, 7 February, 2020

FOREIGN NEWS 07

US claSHeS wiTH cHina over Taiwan'S place aT THe wHo Table TAIPEI/GENEVA

T

AGENCIES

HE United States and China clashed on Thursday over the issue of Taiwan’s exclusion from World Health Organisation (WHO) meetings, where it is represented by China, with Beijing accusing Washington of political “hype-up”.

Earlier on Thursday, Taiwan accused China of providing the WHO with wrong information about the number of coronavirus cases on the island, after the WHO published incorrect case numbers earlier this week. Andrew Bremberg, US ambassador to the UN in Geneva, told the WHO Executive Board in Geneva that the agency should deal directly with Taiwan authorities.

“It is a technical imperative that WHO present visible public health data on Taiwan as an affected area and engage directly with Taiwan public health authorities on actions,” he

said. Japan appeared to support this.

Ambassador Ken Okaniwa told the forum: “We should not make a geographical vacuum by creating a situation where a specific region cannot join WHO even as an observer”.

China responded sharply, with China’s delegate saying there is ample cooperation between China and Taiwan on the virus epidemic and “we feel that the Chinese central government can say it is very sincere in protecting the health and well-

being of Taiwan compatriots”.

“I would like to reiterate that Taiwan is part of China, this fact cannot be changed,” the delegate, Qi Daihai, said.

Taiwan is not a WHO member because China, which views the island as a wayward Chinese province and not a country, says it adequately represents Taiwan in the organization. Democratically governed Taiwan says it is an independent country called the Republic of China – its formal name – and has never been part of the People’s Republic of China.

“China requests that the relevant countries should respect the guidance of the chairman to strictly abide by the rules of procedure of the conference,” Qi told the Geneva forum.

“And stop hyping-up about the so-called Taiwan issue. Don’t waste our time.” On Tuesday, the WHO corrected the number of cases reported on the island after having said there were 13. At the time Taiwan had only 10. Taiwan said on Thurs-

day there were now 16 cases.

Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou told a news conference that the crux of the problem was China giving the wrong case number details to the WHO. “This was wrong information that was provided by China which created the mistake,” she said.

“We beseech the WHO not to put Taiwan’s information under China, creating mistake after mistake after mistake.”

Taiwan says the main consequence of that so far has been Italy including Taiwan in its ban on flights from China. China’s foreign ministry, in a faxed statement to Reuters, said the case numbers it reported to the WHO for Taiwan all came from Taiwan’s government.

“If there are mistakes, this is the relevant authorities in the Taiwan region deliberately reporting mistakes to us,” it said. The WHO did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the figures.

Buttigieg, Sanders nearly tied as Iowa caucus results narrow WATERLOO AGENCIES

Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders are nearly tied in the Iowa Democratic caucuses, with nearly all results counted in a contest marred by technical issues and reporting delays.

The race remained too early to call early Thursday with 97 per cent of precincts reporting. Party officials were scrambling to verify the remaining results three days after Iowans gathered at caucus sites across the state to begin choosing which Democrat will take on US President Donald Trump in November.

A new batch of results released just after midnight narrowed the margin between Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and Sanders, the progressive senator from Vermont. Buttigieg has a lead of three state delegate equivalents out of 2,098 counted. The deadlocked contest gives both Buttigieg and Sanders a burst of momentum as they seek to pull away from the crowded field.

The nearly complete results show them leading Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, with former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Amy Klobuchar trailing behind.

But the results in Iowa were mud-

died by the stunning breakdown of the caucus reporting process in a state that traditionally kicks off presidential nominating contests. Iowa officials initially attributed a delay in reporting results to technical problems with an app that precinct chairs were supposed to use to record votes, then to backlogs as those volunteers tried to call the party to submit their totals.

Even as the total number of results ticked up throughout the day Wednesday, obstacles remained.

Some tally sheets were making their way to party headquarters in Des Moines through the mail, which contributed to the delay.

Much of the political world has already shifted its attention to nextup New Hampshire, which holds the first primary election in the Democrats’ 2020 nomination fight on Tuesday. Both Buttigieg and Sanders are leading contenders there, as well.

The two men are separated by 40 years in age and conflicting ideology.

Sanders, a 78-year-old self-described democratic socialist, has been a progressive powerhouse for decades. Buttigieg, a 38-year-old former municipal official, represents the more moderate wing of the Democratic Party. Buttigieg is also the first openly gay candidate to earn

presidential primary delegates.

Their strength in Iowa put them in the crosshairs of rivals as the race shifted to New Hampshire. Biden, who fell far short of expectations in Iowa, cast both Buttigieg and Sanders as risky choices for Democrats, given the former mayor’s relative inexperience and the senator’s descriptions of himself as a socialist.

Sanders is making his second run for the White House. He surprised many Democrats in 2016 with his strong challenge to Hillary Clinton, but entered the 2020 contest as a front-runner. He’s topped the field in fundraising, despite eschewing high-dollar donors.

Sanders and his supporters raised issues with the primary process after the 2016 election, prompting the Democratic National Committee to make changes that affected the Iowa reporting regulations. As a result, Iowa released three sets of data from the caucuses: the tally of voter preferences at the start of the caucus; their preferences after supporters of candidates who reached less than 15pc made a second choice; and the results of state delegate equivalents.

The final alignment results are used to determine state delegate equivalents, which is the metric the AP has long used to call the winner of the caucus.

Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas dies at 103 HOLLYWOOD AGENCIES

Kirk Douglas, one of the last superstars of Hollywood’s golden age of cinema who was renowned for his intense, muscular performances in “Spartacus” and “Paths of Glory,” died Wednesday aged 103. The US leading man, producer and director came to prominence in the late 1940s and never lost his popularity, taking on nearly 100 movies over a six-decade career that endured beyond a severe stroke in his later years. His death at his family home in Beverly Hills was confirmed by his son Michael, the Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker. “It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103,” Michael Douglas said in a statement posted to Facebook. “To the world he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years.” Tributes poured in from across Hollywood and around the world on social media, with many declaring “I am Spartacus!” in a nod to Douglas’s legendary role as a rebellious Roman slave. Director Steven Spielberg said Douglas “retained his movie star charisma right to the end,” while actor Danny DeVito tweeted: “103 years on this earth.

That’s got a nice ring to it! Great hanging with you man.”

“Seinfeld” star Jason Alexander praised Douglas as “an absolute legend of a star and human” and added that “we could use a true Spartacus.” The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awards the Oscars, tweeted: “Goodbye to a Hollywood legend.” Not unlike his title character in “Spartacus,” Douglas was known throughout his life for his fiercely rebellious streak.In his early movie days he would clash with studio heads over his choice of roles, before ultimately splitting off to form his own production company, Bryna — one of the first major post-war stars to do so. “It was pretty rare then,” Variety senior vice president Tim Gray told AFP. “Kirk Douglas was very stubborn but he wasn’t self-indulgent — he wasn’t a party boy wasting people’s time showing up late, things like that.”

‘END THE BLACKLIST’: Douglas also defied more established directors by teaming up with a young Stanley Kubrick for both “Paths of Glory” and “Spartacus.” And on “Spartacus,” Douglas hired Dalton Trumbo — one of the “Hollywood Ten” blacklisted as a suspected communist under the McCarthy era — to write the screenplay. Unlike many producers during the time, Douglas refused to hide this fact, instead using Trumbo’s real name in the credits. Gabrielle Carteris, head of Hollywood’s actors union, Wednesday praised Douglas as “a powerful voice who helped end the blacklist in our industry,” as well as “an “extraordinary actor.”

Nonetheless Douglas missed out on taking home the trophy on each of his three Oscar nominations, the last for his performance in the 1956 film “Lust for Life,” and never won a competitive Academy Award. He was instead granted an honorary lifetime achievement statuette by the Academy in 1996 — just months after his stroke — “for 50 years as a creative and moral force in the motion picture community.”

Weinstein accuser says he trapped her during hotel assault NEW YORK AGENCIES

As Harvey Weinstein stripped off his clothes, pulled down her dress and groped her breast in a hotel bathroom in 2013, Lauren Marie Young says he also offered a chilling excuse for his lewd behaviour: “This is what all actresses do to make it.”

Young’s account of her encounter with then-one of Hollywood’s most powerful movie makers came on Wednesday after she was called to the witness stand at Weinstein’s New York City rape trial in a final push by prosecutors to show there was a pattern to how he preyed on women. Weinstein persisted by masturbating, despite her telling him, ”‘No, no, no’ the whole time,” Young told jurors as the last of six women to testify at the trial about alleged series of sexual assaults by the defendant.

The criminal charges are based on two allegations: that he raped a woman in March 2013 and forced oral sex on a TV

and film production assistant in 2006.

Additional women, including Young, have been allowed to testify as prosecutors attempt to show there was a practiced method to Weinstein’s attacks, including inviting women to his hotel room to discuss business, then disrobing and demanding sexual favors.

Weinstein, 67, has insisted any sexual encounters were consensual. Young began her testimony by describing how she put on her favorite dress before heading off to a meeting with Weinstein where she expected to “network and pitch my ideas.”

After he invited her up to his Beverly Hills hotel room, Weinstein lured her into the bathroom while a friend of his who helped arrange the meeting, Mexican model Claudia Salinas, closed the door behind them, she said. The witness testified that after Weinstein was nude, he kept her from escaping by pushing her against the sink and blocking her way to the door.

“I felt so trapped and I was in shock,” she told jurors, fighting back tears. She

said she pleaded with Weinstein not to hurt her before he finally stepped out of the bathroom. She pulled up her dress and walked out to find Salinas still “standing right there,” she said. “I shot her an evil look and I left as quick as I could without saying anything.”

On cross-examination, defense attorney Damon Cheronis questioned Young about her admission that she was initially confused about when the alleged assault occurred and her description of the lumbering Weinstein so quickly taking advantage of her. His voice rising, Cheronis asked, “And then this big, fat man does a ninja tear off of his clothes, right?”

Cheronis also seized on some inconsistencies in Young’s courtroom testimony compared to her previous statements to investigators. For example, on the witness stand, she said Weinstein grazed her genitals, but in 2018 she told a Beverly Hills police detective, “I don’t think he touched me down there.”

The witness was to return to the stand

Thursday with the prosecution case nearly complete. Young’s allegations involving the hotel encounter in California are partly the basis of criminal charges filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney on Jan. 6, just as Weinstein’s New York trial was getting underway.

Weinstein is also charged in that case with raping a different woman the night before the alleged assault on Young.

The Associated Press typically does

not publish the names of people alleging sexual assault unless they give their consent, as Young has done through her lawyer. On Tuesday, the jury was shown a series of nude photos of Weinstein taken by the district attorney’s office a few weeks after his arrest, possibly to try to corroborate claims by another accuser he’s charged with raping that she noticed “extreme scarring” on his body.

On Wednesday, jurors were shown a drawing Young made for investigators of Weinstein’s naked body and she testified that she recalled a scar that “was not a normal looking scar from a circumcision.” Messages were left Wednesday with Salinas and her manager.

Earlier Wednesday, jurors heard from a former front desk manager who checked Weinstein into a midtown Manhattan hotel where he is alleged to have raped a different women in March 2013.

The testimony was meant to corroborate the woman’s claim that Weinstein bullied his way into the hotel over her objections.

08-09 Comments - 7th February 2020_Layout 1 2/6/2020 11:09 PM Page 1

Friday, 7 February, 2020

08 COMMENT A question for the Prime Minister Will infighting help the Kashmir cause?

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EvErAL opposition leaders are in custody, some for over a year, because NAB decided to arrest them without collecting sufficient evidence and preparing a strong case. None in the opposition has ever asked Prime Minister Imran Khan to give any concession to them as he has no authority to do so. so far, whatever relief the opposition leaders have got has come from the courts. The PM however does not seem to be satisfied with the directives of the courts and has at times made fun of the relief given. Instead of paying full attention to the dire problems the country is facing, the PM has continued his tirade against his political rivals.

While attending the special session of the AJK Legislative Assembly held to mark Kashmir solidarity Day, Mr Khan was told by AJK PM raja Farooq Haider how the Kashmiris look at his no-holds-barred fight with the opposition and its implications for their struggle. He called on Mr Khan to rise above divisive issues and take everyone along. The fights on Tv talk shows have divided the country, he said, and should be brought to an end. He stressed the need for conciliation, national unity and consensus, for success against the enemy. The Kashmiri politician had in view not only the ongoing mudfest in Pakistan but the contentious propaganda initiated by the PTI leaders of AJK also. At a time when one is facing a common enemy, it is dangerous to indulge in infighting. What raja Farooq wanted from Mr Khan was to put paid to the ongoing media propaganda against the opposition.

The way Mr Khan reacted to the plea was indicative of his inflexible approach. Unconcerned about the consequences of infighting for the Kashmir cause, he told him not to ask him to reconcile with corrupt people.

With the AJK PTI unit fulminating against the leadership of the PML-N, which is the ruling party in AJK, the latter is bound to pay back in the same coin.

This would cause divisions among those who need to fight as one man for the Kashmir cause.

Questions about the OIC Prime Minister Imran Khan has to explain his policy

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rIME MINIsTEr Imran Khan’s visit to Malaysia let him apologise for not attending the recent Kuala Lumpur summit, but it did not quiet questions arising at home about the utility of membership in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The questions have become particularly poignant this Kashmir solidarity Day, after saudi Arabia has said that it will not support an OIC Foreign Ministers’ summit on Kashmir. This had been promised by saudi Arabia when its Foreign Minister visited Pakistan after Mr Khan had stayed away from the summit, and there was some wondering among the Pakistani public at how Arab states, saudi Arabia leading, would behave at a summit which would hold India to account for at least the lockdown in Kashmir, which has made it so difficult for Kashmiris to carry out the most ordinary tasks of daily living.

Now it has become clear. saudi Arabia has decided not to criticise India, and has decided against the summit.

Those attending the Kuala Lumpur summit included Muslim powers which took a pro-Kashmir stance when the lockdown began in August, like Iran and Turkey. The host itself, Malaysia, has taken a forthright stance on the issue. It has caused comment that an organisation which so valued Pakistan’s membership at its founding that India’s application to join was rejected, because then President Yahya Khan said Pakistan would not join, should place the commercial interests of its Gulf members above the Kashmir cause.

Is Pakistan interested in remaining in an organisation which ignores an issue of deep interest to it? Has the saudi government got the impression that it can twist the OIC to favour India because it suits it? While the OIC has condemned the Us Mid-East peace plan, saudi Arabia will not let it say anything against the UsA’s new-found friend, India. Is Pakistan supposed to imagine that the aid packages given by saudi Arabia and the UAE, which did not prevent an approach to the IMF, will be enough to avoid even lip service to the Kashmir cause? saudi Arabia is a monarchy, and thus perhaps unaware of the importance to a government of public opinion, which at the moment wants Mr Khan to choose between the saudi relationship and the Kashmir cause.

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Plan without a future There are electoral motives for both Trump and Netanyahu At Penpoint

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M.A. NIAZI

s President Donald Trump unveiled his much touted Middle East peace plan, the first two things observers were that not only he, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also, faced a re-election. Netanyahu faced one earlier than Trump, and it would be the third in a series of inconclusive elections, two in 2019 failing to yield a government, and the third not expected to either. Trump, on the other hand, goes up for re-election in November.

Another commonality between the two is that both are fending off criminal proceedings.

As Trump unveiled his plan, his lawyers were between hearings in which they were arguing before the Us senate against the case for his impeachment. Netanyahu was facing a corruption indictment, and was fending off arrest by virtue of his immunity as a member of the Knesset.

While Trump may not have needed to unveil the plan for his impeachment, he probably did need it for his re-election. Because of that need, the plan was flawed. The plan’s flaws virtually guaranteed its rejection by both the PLO and Hamas. The acceptance by Israel, represented by Netanyahu’s presence at the plan’s unveiling, of the plan was more likely, for it showed the Israeli electorate that the UsA under Trump was still willing to deal with Netanyahu. Though not present, Trump had got Benny Gantz, the head of the Blue and White Party, and the only other aspirant to the post of Prime Minister, to agree to the proposal.

The plan is more or less a status quo agreement. Trump said it was the ‘deal of the century’.

He had to unveil the plan for two major reasons.

First, it was something he had promised in his 2016 campaign. He has to show that he has done something to solve the Palestinian problem. second, it was also necessary to show that his sonin-law Jared Kushner, himself a Jew, had not frittered away the entire term. Kushner, who had an official position both on the Trump campaign, and in the White House after he was elected, had a mandate to find a solution to the Palestinian issue. Apart from a number of visits, he also had the assistance of saudi Crown Prince Muhammad

Bin salman and UAE Crown Prince Muhammad bin Zayed. That would explain why the UAE initially favoured the plan, as did Egypt, which in 1977 had made peace with Israel. The UAE, saudi Arabia and Egypt now stand bound by the Arab League’s rejection of the plan.

The plan creates the basis for negotiations towards a two-state solution. The Palestinian state contemplated by the plan would contain a large number of enclaves, with Israeli settlements, set up in defiance of the Oslo Accords, which allowed the establishment of a Palestinian Authority on the West Bank and Gaza, and where the Israeli military regularly unleashes its vast superiority in equipment.

One of the key issues which the plan purports to solve is that it awards East Jerusalem to Israel. East Jerusalem was occupied by Israel in the 1967 six-Day War, and Israel has long claimed that its capital was supposed to be Jerusalem, with Tel Aviv merely a temporary capital. Palestinians, on the other hand, hoped that East Jerusalem would be their capital. Last year, Trump had finally come good on something that had been part of the manifesto promises of both parties since 1976: that the Us Embassy would be shifted to Jerusalem.

The OIC has also rejected the plan, though it has not done so in a summit so far. The OIC, it should not be forgotten, had come into existence because of the Palestinian cause, more specifically the fire in the Masjid Al-Aqsa. The annexation of East Jerusalem should be seen as a step towards the restoration of the Temple of solomon, which was sited where the Masjid AlAqsa stands. Though the peace plan says that the Masjid Al-Aqsa will remain under the administration of the Jordanian authorities, as at present, Zionists want the Temple restored. Al-Aqsa is of great importance to Muslims too, because it is also a Haram, along with the Kaaba in Makkah and Masjid-i-Nabvi in Madinah. It has special significance as the Qibla-i-Awwal, towards which the Holy Prophet (PBUH) prayed, enjoining his followers to do so, until ordered by the Almighty to turn instead towards Makkah.

Jerusalem has the added significance of being the only Byzantine city surrendered to the Caliph personally, and one view being that any renegotiation of the state possessing it is a violation of the sharia. At the same time, it has been the seat

Our suffocating workplaces Moving to workplaces that retain the best people KoMAyAl HAssAN Pakistani workplaces are not entirely— if at all— suited to the comfortable positioning of skilled and talented resources who wish to see to their employment obligations with any measurable degree of professionalism and uncompromising focus. The reason behind this dispensation is not hard to understand; because it directly has a lot to do with the conscious instigations of the other people, the more differently (read: less professionally, and more status-quo) inclined workers, managerially cultivated within the same setting.

Individuals who, given the going practicalcase scenario, constitute the local mob-majority, the immediate societal malignancy (I apologize for putting it like this; but the reality, I dare say, is even starker!) one is inevitably forced to put up with; and who, through the sheer trade-unionist-reminiscent group capability rendered by their brute force in numbers, bring about the entrenchment of their own ‘productive median’: a state of workplace activity that falls just below the radar of admonishing official purview (a necessity for employment retention— as such people instinctively know), and just at the threshold of the ‘least levels of work’ negotiable.

Or when considered from another vantagepoint, the entire motivation behind this soul-gutting working orientation— or, at least, as any sincere and ‘Halal-o-fying’ (a favourite coinage of one of my mentors of old; now an authority in global Hr circles) worker would fervently chance to put it— is to score the monthly or hourly paycheck with the lowest frequency of committed work that can be gotten away with.

This observation is obvious; it only requires a mind accepting of one’s ambient truth conditions and not one fully succumbed to a meticulously constructed experience.

I use the term ‘managerially’ here out of conceptual necessity; since our workplace ‘seniors’ (very few of whom are deserving of the meritoKarachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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rious designation; again a tragedy), charged with overseeing the helm of organizational affairs, are victims as much as they are authority-crats; because even if they are, themselves, committed to the organizational workflow, their legitimate worker expectations have to be lowered, incessantly, to cater to the exploitative workforce that is popularly on offer. The bulk of an organization’s labour force, after all, has to be inducted from the local pool— there’s no going around this fact (which can prove to be either a handicap or a positive enabler: it all depends on the worker(s) under question).

As an off-and-on hirer myself, I know only too well how a pressing team vacancy, particularly when it relates to the important workings of a specialist-in-trade, or a low Hr recruitment budget, can at times compel managers to make do with the best interviewee who shows up— even if the prospective worker invited would hardly qualify for the position should the idealcase scenario (which hardly ever comes about in Pakistan) had prevailed.

When analyzed from the macro, sociocultural, perspective, a lot of societal issues, seemingly working in a dialectical arrangement, can be blamed for bringing about our communal worker-oriented moral pathogenesis to its depressing denouement of today.

An ever-increasing cost of living (which has even pushed many formerly categorized among the urban middle-class demographic down the poverty line; to speak nothing of the droves of our already severely— historically— disenfranchised), the unhinged, capitalistic glorification of wealth (be it ill-gotten or fairly conceived— who cares anymore, right?) above all mores of universally-good personal conduct, cultural factors that ‘naturally’ relegate some to a higher positioning on the social ladder instead of others (think our suffocating national binds of ethnicity, linguistic origination, sex, age, and social class conformity) and reinforce rigid class divisions/barriers to entry, declining state of education and very few instances of self-initiated scholastic enterprise (most of our higher educa-

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of a Patriarch, at present Greek Orthodox. The last time it passed out of Muslim hands was when the First Crusade captured it in 1098.

Pakistan has to be careful. so far, it has succeeded about taking part in intra-Arab issues.

But now that the previous Arab consensus may be breaking down, it may have to re-visit first principles. It should not be forgotten that Pakistan’s interest in the Palestine issue is not only because it is a Muslim issue, but because there are parallels with the Kashmir cause. Just as India’s occupation of Kashmir does not allow the Kashmiri people to exercise their right of selfdetermination, so is the Zionist occupation of Palestine, and the existence of the Zionist entity of Israel, stopping the Palestinian people.

The Us peace plan may show the Modi government that changing ground realities, as has been done in Indian-Occupied Kashmir since August 5, does pay dividends. Kashmiris especially, but other Muslims in India, should realise that the fate ahead of them is no different from that of Palestinians, who are either under occupation or in refugee camps. The camps already hold Muslims in Assam. The rest of India will follow.

Hindu chauvinists have been learning from Zionists now for decades. It is interesting that the Zionists get support from the religious right; Evangelicals in the UsA, and the sangh Parivar in India. In fact, Zionists are not particularly religious, with the original movement not only secular and socialist, but strongly condemned by some Hassidic leaders. The only hold-out is Muslim religious groups, with the result that Christians, Hindus and Jews are combined against Muslims.

At this moment, though Prime Minister Imran Khan has apparently papered over differences with Malaysia by making a bilateral visit and apologising for not attending the Kuala Lumpur summit (after dropping out at saudi insistence), the Muslim world is facing a split which makes it singularly ill-equipped to face off the new plan. It should be remembered that the Muslim World did virtually nothing when the PLO and Egypt recognised Israel after the Camp David, and then the Oslo Accords.

The new plan may have been widely rejected, but it does establish a new Us position. It seems designed to get negotiations started again, but it merely regularises Israel’s territorial acquisitions in the 1967 War. That should make Pakistan wary of attempts to settle the Palestinian issue on the basis of the existing Line of Control, thus allowing India to retain the territory it acquired at Partition. As in 1947-48, Pakistan finds that Palestinian freedom is vital to the Kashmir cause.

M.A. Niazi is a member of the staff

tional degrees which relate impressive learner GPAs and university credentials, I’m again loath to state, don’t count for much in the practical/applied workplace for a number of publicly discussed reasons), and, of course, our culturally damaging and all-moral-subverting, political and religious conditioning which is both a direct causative and resultant issue of all of these recounted pathologies of contemporary Pakistani professional living.

Needless to say, but many other factors can be listed here...but the aim inherent in this summation is not to put the reader into an even greater descent into our collective abject state of despair than is absolutely necessary. It is only to shed light on the concerns that have cumulatively led to this decadence taking hold; grievances that we, in both our organizational and other social spaces of interaction, appear to be doing little to alleviate.

And the worry is that this degenerative state of affairs will only lead to a further entrenchment of our ongoing ‘brain drain’ phenomenon— the famous one sparked en masse in the 1960s and which has only ever been on an ascent since.

Good workers, sound on both theoretical (knowledge-based) and practical (applied skills-based) fronts, despite the increasing tide of racialism and socioeconomic protectionism currently underway in most developed countries, will continue to willingly emigrate in search of better employment opportunities and chances at living; only choosing to come back after they’ve amassed a lot of overseas currency to ensure a more respectable, foreign-stamped, existence back home.

They are not interested in merely surviving, which, for the greater, overwhelming majority of our citizens (particularly our hardworking, patriotic citizens who, in spite of all social pressures inflicted on their persons— both worker-oriented and others, still love their country) figures as the primary mode of day-to-day existence.

They are keen on living.

And there is a big difference between the two that we need to appreciate— if we are to work towards any semblance of a societal betterment; and, more narrowly, towards improving our workplace culture.

Because it is only then that the quality worker will remain; along with being motivated enough to freely and fearlessly exhibit his or her true potential for the good of both country and company.

Komayal Hassan is a freelance writer.

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

08-09 Comments - 7th February 2020_Layout 1 2/6/2020 11:09 PM Page 2

Friday, 7 February, 2020

COMMENT 09 Editor’s mail

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

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

Will the Kashmir perfidy impair the Indian union?

Kashmir Solidarity Day— fresh impetus required Paying the price for freedom

sultAN M HAlI

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AsHMIr solidarity Day is observed

by Kashmiris and Pakistanis on February 5 each year and is a closed holiday in Pakistan. It is in observance of Pakistan’s commitment to unity with the people of Indian-Occupied Kashmir (IOK), and to pay homage to Kashmiris who have been martyred in the conflict. solidarity rallies are held in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan and by the Kashmiri Diaspora all over the world.

Kashmir Day was first proposed by Qazi Hussain Ahmad of the Jamaat-e-Islami in 1990.

In 1991, the then-Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Nawaz sharif called for a “Kashmir solidarity Day strike”.since then Kashmir solidarity Day is observed regularly with solidarity rallies, seminars, tableaus and performances to remind the world of the sad plight of the people of IOK. This year, the day is occurring six months after the questionable August 5 act of abrogating Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution, which provided IOK with autonomy and prohibited non-Kashmiris from acquiring property in the valley or settling there. resultantly, India annexed IOK and Ladakh to the Indian Union. The government was aware that the residents of IOK would come out in droves to protest the illegal Indian action, thus the valley has been in a state of lockdown since.

For Pakistan this Kashmir solidarity Day was a major challenge. Human rights organizations and international parliaments have generally been silent over the plight of Kashmiris.

Last september, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan delivered an emotional speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session. His speech was well received, and he met numerous world leaders on the sidelines of the UNGA including Us President Donald Trump. The Us President was sympathetic to the plight of the Kashmiris and offered his good offices to mediate between Pakistan and India, but his gracious offer was turned down by the Indian Prime Minister on the plea that Kashmir

is a bilateral issue between Pakistan and India. of the situation. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister has since then two other acts of the current rul- made numerous visits abroad, while our Aming dispensation in New Delhi have brought bassadors accredited to different countries have about roars of protest in India. The contentious been summoned to Islamabad and been proanti-Muslim Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) vided detailed briefings regarding the grim sitallows Hindus, Christians and other religious mi- uation in Kashmir but that is not enough.

With every passing norities who are in India day, Narendra Modi’s illegally to become citigovernment is getting zens if they can show they emboldened despite the were persecuted because The requirement is that the local remonstrations, of their religion in Musatrocities being carried out which will die down. The lim-majority Bangladesh, Indian economy is in dolPakistan and Afghanistan.

by India including the drums and unemployIt does not apply to Muslims. The National regisemployment of “Rape as a ment is at an all-time high, which is acting as a ter of Citizens (NrC), Weapon”, must be catalyst for the students which excludes 1.9 milof its various universities lion of northeastern highlighted effectively.

Mere to join the protest rallies, Assam state’s 33 million briefings by Pakistan’s but it is Pakistan that population. The NrC deneeds to get its act tomanded the citizens to envoys will not have the gether. India is already register themselves but threatening that it will not the Muslims of Assam same weightage as the talk to Pakistan regarding and elsewhere were Prime Minister, who has an IOK, which it claims has barred from it so that they become a part of the Inremain outside the reach iconic personality and is dian Union. Modi’s govof registration, deprived respected internationally, ernment insists that of their basic rights and if if any, with Pakdeemed necessary, forced who must carry the torch parleys, istan will be held regardto leave India.

Throughout India, himself. He has shown that ing the state of Azad Jammu Kashmir and there have been massive he is an effective speaker Gilgit-Baltistan, which rallies protesting the claims as its integral promulgation of both while Kashmir is a subject India part and which thus must pieces of legislation, close to his heart. be returned to India. which were deemed as an The requirement is usurpation of human Notwithstanding the fact that the atrocities being rights. Interestingly, it is not just Muslims who are that Pakistan itself is faced carried out by India including the employment protesting the NrC and with myriad issues, which of “rape as a Weapon”, CAA, but citizens of varbe highlighted efious faiths including Hinneed the close attention of must fectively. Mere briefings dus. The rallies have been the Prime Minister, the time by Pakistan’s envoys led by the student comwill not have the same munity, who have been for adding impetus to weightage as the Prime fired upon and a number Minister, who has an of them have been killed. raising the ante is now iconic personality and is The Us Congress otherwise India would have respected internationally, and European Parliawho must carry the torch ments have taken cogdevoured IOK and himself. He has shown nizance of the draconian suppressed any domestic that he is an effective piece of legislation in the while Kashmir form of CAA and NrC. dissent, sealing the fate of speaker is a subject close to his They have asked India to reconsider. The sad part Kashmiris and other Indian heart. Notwithstanding the fact that Pakistan itis that the largest Muslim Muslims forever self is faced with myriad body to redress grievissues, which need the ances, the OIC, has reclose attention of the mained silent at the Prime Minister, the time Indian atrocities against for adding impetus to raising the ante is now Muslims.

Here Pakistan has been found wanting. Do- otherwise India would have devoured IOK mestically it has made the right noises, holding and suppressed any domestic dissent, sealing rallies and organizing seminars. It has even mo- the fate of Kashmiris and other Indian Mustivated the Pakistani and Kashmiri diasporas to lims forever. hold protest rallies in various capitals of the Sultan M Hali is a retired Group Captain world. The requirement of the hour, however, is that the Prime Minister himself should have un- and author of the book Defence & Diplomacy. dertaken whirlwind tours calling on his coun- Currently he is a columnist, analyst and TV terparts in world capitals to explain the gravity talk show host.

CHINA supports Pakistan on Kashmir. Under the sinoPakistan Boundary Agreement (March 2, 1963), China yielded 2,000 square kilometres of administered territory to Pakistan (contrary to misconception). Like Kashmir dispute, McMahon Line is a maleficent legacy of British colonial raj.

Maxwell in his book, India’s China War, showed the boundary between Tibet and China, curved round its southern extension to show what would have been the boundary between India and Tibet. The proceedings of the agreement were made public in 1935 and the survey of India began to mark the lines on their maps. India and China have divergent perceptions of the McMahon Line.

China wants India to settle the Kashmir dispute with Pakistan first. Let India realise that Indian Union is a cauldron of centrifugal movements. How did the Indian Union come into being? Through compromises with ‘rebellious’ icons like sheikh Mohammad Abdullah of Kashmir, Master Tara singh of East Punjab, Lal Denga of Mizoram, Angami Zapu Phizo of Nagaland, and so on. What happens to this Union if China begins supplying weapons to various insurgent groups fighting in northeastern India and the west? India arrested several intellectuals for links to separatist movements including Kashmiris and Naxalbaris (indiatvnews dated August 30, 2018). India alleges that ‘the arrested accused were involved in procuring weapons and arming the rebels through international routes’.

The Naxalites want to carve out an independent zone extending from Nepal through Bihar and then to Dandakarnaya region extending upto Tamil Nadu to give them access to the Bay of Bengal as well as the Indian Ocean’. several pro-Naxalite revolutionary bodies (People’s War, Maoist Communist Centrei, and Communist Party of Nepal) merged their differences (October 15, 2004) to achieve their sea-access aim.

If China supports India’s rebels, the portents are that disputed Kashmir could trigger disintegration of the Indian `Union’. Let India read the writing on the wall.

AJ MALiK Rawalpindi

Unleash the power of those beautiful books TONI Morrison died in New York City at the age of 88. The Nobel literature laureate had authored almost 11 novels apart from children’s books. Way back in 1993, Morrison had become the first African-American woman to win the Nobel Literature Prize.

Most American English newspapers have been singing the praises of Morrison. For example, The New York Times has called her a towering novelist in its coverage. Her writing prowess had been widely accepted and applauded at the world stage. The fact that her novels like Beloved hugely exposed the facets of the African-American slavery, and the omnipresent reach and the impact created by her writing and speech skills are far more inspiring. speaking of all these interesting stories, I as an English content writer and as an English trainer have just got inspired to no end. The interesting fact is that there have been interesting and beautiful English newspapers, magazines and books aplenty around the world.

A voracious reader and a “book lover”, I have been buying a lot of English newspapers and books in various places. All I do/want in the morning is to go to the newspaper stalls wherever I am. This having been the effect of my humble study of culture and passion for languages. I sincerely convey my condolences on the demise of Toni Morrison. The international media houses should pitch for such great authors to literally fill up the world with beautiful books and newspapers that are replete with inspiring stories and words.

P. SENTHiL SARAVAN DuRAi Mumbai

Indian violence in Kashmir THE ongoing spate of gruesome violence by the racist Indian government in Indian-occupied Kashmir has torn us apart. Our hearts ache at seeing the bloodshed and the killing of innocent people in a place regarded as heaven on earth. India has never spared any effort to hegemonize Kashmiris with spine-chilling atrocities and in Modi’s regime the magnitude of oppression has reached its peak. Earlier the use of widely-banned cluster ammunition on Kashmir civilians caused widespread outrage followed by the revocation of Article 35-A and Article 370, a sheer violation of Geneva convention and the international law. Consequently, Kashmir will lose its autonomy and will be merged with India as a union territory. This will bring more chaos in Kashmir which is already struggling for peace.

Indian nation strongly supports these measures and feel that this is a so-called solution to prolonged Kashmir issue.

Are they really so naive to think that Kashmiris will ever forgive and forget and peacefully coexist with the Hindus?

Today, even the world has acknowledged the true essence of two nation theory. Thus, these actions will merely aggravate the issue and will induce rebellion. Categorically, the complete capture of Kashmir has been an ulterior aim of Modi all along.

This is bound to result in a catastrophe. It is about time India is held accountable for all the atrocities and violations of human rights. UN and OIC must play their part to mitigate the warmongering situation in Kashmir.

SoNA BAKHTAwAR BiJARANi Shikarpur

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Friday, 7 February, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS

cHina To Halve TariffS on $75bn of US imporTS BEIJING

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AGENCIES

HINA on Thursday said it would halve tariffs on $75 billion-worth of US imports as part of its trade truce with Washington and as officials look to calm markets unnerved by the deadly virus outbreak.

The State Council Tariff Commission said the reductions would come in a month after Beijing and Washington signed a deal to dial down a long-running trade war that has hit the global economy.

It also comes a day after Donald Trump hailed relations between the superpowers as the “best” ever in his State of the Union address, with observers saying Beijing was likely keen to geti moving on the next phase of talks towards a wider agreement.

Levies of five and 10 percent on more than 1,700 items — imposed in September — will be cut from February 14, the same day Washington is expected to halve tariffs on $120 billion worth of Chinese goods.

Products affected include fresh seafood, poultry and soybeans as well as

tungsten lamps for scientific and medical purposes, and some types of aircraft.

The move is aimed at “promoting the healthy and stable development of ChinaUS economic and trade relations”, the Commission said in a statement.

“To alleviate economic and trade friction, and expand cooperation in these areas, China has also made relevant adjustments,” it added, referring to the US cuts. “We hope to work with the US towards the ultimate elimination of all increased tariffs.” The Commission also said it “hopes that both parties will be able to abide by their agreement, strive to implement its relevant content, (and) boost market confidence”. Other retaliatory tariffs, however, remain in place.

MINIMAL IMPACT: The two in January signed a partial deal that eased tensions in their bruising trade war, with Beijing agreeing to buy an additional $200 billion in US goods over the next two years.

As part of the phase one deal, the US said it would halve its tariffs on $120 billion of Chinese goods to 7.5 percent, while Donald Trump called off additional levies that would have taken effect last December.

Thursday’s announcement comes as China grapples with a shortage of resources as it struggles to combat the coronavirus, which has claimed more than 560 lives and infected more than 28,000.

On Tuesday, a top US trade official said the virus outbreak would delay Beijing’s plans to buy goods from the US under the phase one deal.

But Washington expects “minimal impact” from the virus on the US economy. China’s outbreak has caused Beijing

to impose travel restrictions across cities, with millions of consumers staying home during its otherwise busy Lunar New Year holiday. The crisis is expected to hammer China’s already stuttering economy, as companies and factories delay the resumption of operations.

Over the weekend, Beijing announced that US imports that can be used in its fight against the deadly virus will also be exempted from retaliatory tariffs imposed in the trade war.

SWEET CARROT: AxiCorp chief market strategist Stephen Innes said the tariffs cut was a “small but rather a sweet carrot to dangle”. “In the wake of the coronavirus economic tumult, it’s not much of a stretch to assume China is eager to start the negotiations,” he said.

Moody’s Analytics economist Xu Xiaochun told AFP a reduction in tariffs “makes sense” as China is expected to import more US goods as part of the phase one deal. But the timing might be more than a coincidence.

“Perhaps it has got to do with market sentiment,” he said, noting that the Shanghai Composite and Shenzhen Composite indexes fell Monday when markets reopened after the recent holiday and reacted for the first time to the outbreak.

“It could be a case of China giving signals that it is working towards easing tensions and improving trade relations, so as to ease financial volatility and risk aversion in the stock markets,” he said.

Since losing almost eight percent on Monday, mainland Chinese markets have surged more than four percent in the past three days, boosted by central bank support, bargain-buying and the tariffs announcement.

Record-breaking US astronaut returns to Earth TAMPA AGENCIES

Malaysia's PM-in-waiting seeks end to palm tension with India KUALA LUMPUR AGENCIES

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has dialled back his criticism of India after it sparked a boycott of Malaysian palm oil, his chosen successor Anwar Ibrahim told Reuters on Thursday, urging New Delhi to note the change in tone.

India, the world’s biggest buyer of edible oils, last month imposed curbs on refined palm oil imports and informally asked traders to stop buying from Malaysia, the world’s biggest producer and exporter of the commodity after Indonesia.

Sources said the move was in retaliation for Mahathir speaking out against a new citizenship law which critics say discriminates against Muslims. Mahathir has also angered India by accusing it of invading and occupying Kashmir, a Muslim-majority region whose autonomy New Delhi took away last year, and is disputed by Pakistan.

Anwar, who expects to succeed the 94year-old Mahathir later this year under a deal worked out with his former foe, said the Malaysian leader may have gone beyond diplomatic expressions of concerns in his condemnation of the Indian government.

“Countries will not take strong objections when you express concern, but of course in this regard Tun Mahathir has been quite tough and strong,” Anwar said in an interview, using an honorific for the premier.

“But since then in the past few weeks, he has tried his level best to contain and try to make the necessary adjustments. I’m sure the leaders in India will take cognizance of the fact that Mahathir did say it, but then he has now refrained from repeating it in the sayings or tone.”

Anwar said he and Mahathir had discussed the tension with New Delhi and that it was important to maintain good economic and trade relations with countries like India and China without necessarily having to agree with each other’s policies.

India’s arch-enemy Pakistan, meanwhile, has pledged to buy more palm oil from Malaysia to help offset lost sales to India.

Pakistan may have bought around 135,000 tonnes of Malaysian palm oil last month, a record high, India-based dealers who track such shipments told Reuters on condition of anonymity. India’s January imports of Malaysian palm oil may have plunged 80% from a year earlier to 40,400 tonnes, according to Refinitiv. India bought 4.4 million tonnes of Malaysian palm oil last year, according to the Malaysian Palm Oil Council.

At a joint news conference with visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday, Mahathir did not mention Kashmir. A joint statement released by Malaysia’s foreign ministry, however, said issues such as Kashmir should be resolved on the basis of United Nations resolutions, international human rights and humanitarian law.

That drew objection from India, which has repeatedly rejected any third-party involvement in matters concerning the federal territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

“India completely rejects the references made in respect of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral and inalienable part of India,” India’s foreign ministry said on Thursday. “We once again call upon the Malaysian leadership to develop better understanding of the facts …”

Anwar said he would have crafted any criticism of India over Kashmir or the new citizenship law differently than Mahathir.

NASA’s Christina Koch returned to Earth safely Thursday having shattered the spaceflight record for female astronauts after almost a year aboard the International Space Station.

Koch touched down at 0912 GMT on the Kazakh steppe after 328 days in space along with Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency and Alexander Skvortsov of the Russian space agency.

Dmitry Rogozin, head of Russia’s Roscosmos space agency, said the crew had returned safely. “All is well on board, the crew are feeling well,” Rogozin wrote on Twitter.

Koch, a 41-year-old Michigan-born engineer, beat the previous record for a single spaceflight by a woman — 289 days, held by NASA veteran Peggy Whitson — on December 28, 2019. She had already made history by that point as one half of the first-ever all-woman spacewalk along with NASA counterpart Jessica Meir in October.

Koch told NBC on Tuesday that she would “miss microgravity” as she spoke to journalists ahead of the threeand-a-half hour journey back to Earth.

“It’s really fun to be in a place where you can just bounce around between the ceiling and the floor whenever you want,” she said, smiling as she twisted her body around the ISS. MAKE SPACE FOR WOMEN: Koch called three-time flyer Whitson “a heroine of mine” and a “mentor” in

the space programme after she surpassed the 59-year-old’s record.

She also spoke of her desire to “inspire the next generation of explorers.”

Koch’s return comes after an advert produced by the skincare brand Olay ran during an intermission in the American football Super Bowl with a call to “make space for women”.

The advert featured NASA astronaut Nicole Stott and saw the company promise to donate up to $500,000 to the non-profit Women Who Code, which works with young women seeking careers in tech and scientific fields.

This year’s Super Bowl was watched by over 100 million people while advert time costs more than $5 million for a 30-second commercial.

The first woman in space was Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova whose

spaceflight in 1963 is still the only solo mission carried out by a woman. But the cosmonauts Russia has sent to the ISS since expeditions began in 2000 have all been men with the exception of Yelena Serova’s launch in 2014.

Both Tereshkova and Serova are now lawmakers in the Russian parliament, where they represent the ruling United Russia party. Unlike Koch, whose stay aboard the ISS was extended, Parmitano and Skvortsov are rounding off regular six-month missions. Parmitano handed over command of the ISS to Roscosmos’ Oleg Skripochka on Tuesday. The 43-yearold Italian posted regular shots of the Earth while aboard, highlighting the plight of the Amazon rainforest and describing the Alps as “like a spinal column, never bending to time”.

Flights resume at Istanbul airport after plane crash kills 180 ISTANBUL AGENCIES

Flights resumed on Thursday at an Istanbul airport after a Turkish airliner skidded off a runway, killing three people and injuring 180 others.

Sabiha Gokcen Airport restarted operations at around 0100 GMT though delays and cancellations continued.

On Wednesday evening, a Boeing 737 operated by Pegasus Airline landed from Izmir on Turkey’s western coast during strong winds and heavy rain and overshot the runway.

It skidded about 50 to 60 metres before it dropped into the ditch from a height of about 30 metres, according to the city’s governor, Ali Yerlikaya. The plane, carrying 177 passengers and six crew members, broke up into three parts upon impact.

The plane was 11-years-old, according to flight tracking website Flightradar24. Yerlikaya, speaking early on Thursday, said all those injured were stable and four people had significant injuries, but he didn’t give details on how severe they were.

The passengers included 22 people from 12 countries.

Pegasus Airlines changed its logo on Twitter to a blackened version in a sign of mourning, and said its “priority is to support the relatives and friends who have lost loved ones”.

The statement added: “[Our] priority is to support the relatives

CMYK

and friends who have lost loved ones, and we will be doing everything we can to help them in the aftermath of this tragic event, as well as doing our utmost to provide our full support in meeting the needs in hospital of our injured passengers.”

Police guarded the wreckage on Thursday morning.

Live images broadcast on Turkish television showed several people climbing through a large crack in the severed aircraft and escaping onto one of the wings at the rear.

The plane was apparently buffeted by strong winds and heavy rain lashing Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city.

NTV showed images of the badly damaged plane and flames inside, which were later put out by firefighters.

STRONG LANDING: According to NTV, Transport Minister Mehmet Cahit Turhan said the plane broke after a “strong landing” at Sabiha Gokcen, one of two main international airports in Istanbul.

The front of the plane including the cockpit was sliced off from the bulk of the fuselage, and another huge fissure separated the rear of the aircraft including the tail.

There had been very strong winds and rain in the area before the incident and poor weather conditions in Istanbul, particularly in winter, often lead to the cancellation of flights.

The Istanbul public prosecutor has launched an investigation into the incident.

Friday, 7 February, 2020

BUSINESS 11

SubSidiSed Solar irrigation SyStem to reduce energy coSt for pulSe growerS

CORPORATE CORNER

KARACHI: Beautyluxe launches new Fragrance “JULIETTE HAS A GUN” at Scentsation Dolmen Mall Clifton. PRESS RElEASE

EXPERTS SAY PROVISION OF TOP QUALITY SEEDS AND RELEASE OF ADEQUATE FUNDS FOR RESEARCH ON PULSES ARE ESSENTIAL FOR MAKING THE COUNTRY SELF-SUFFICIENT IN THIS SECTOR LAHORE

p

KARACHI: Faysal Bank Limited partners with Payoneer for cross-border payments. P R E S S R E l E A S E

LAHORE: Mr Hironobu Yoshimura (President/CEO Honda Atlas Cars (Pakistan) Limited handed over key of Honda Civic 1.5L VTEC Turbo Oriel to Mr. Abid Ali (Cricketer), alongside Mr. Amir Nazir (GM Sales & Marketing Honda Atlas Cars (Pakistan) Limited, Mr. Khalid Toor and Mr. Farooq Toor "Honda Fort" were also present on the occasion. PRESS RElEAS E

HASSAN NAQVI

UNJAB’s agriculture department is now accepting applications from pulse growers belonging to Thal districts, including Bhakkar, Mianwali and Layyah, for the provision of portable solar irrigation system on subsidised rates.

An official from the department told this scribe that the aim of this scheme is to boost the production of pulses in the country and to increase their per acre yield.

“This initiative will reduce the energy cost for farmers in these three districts,” he said.

Landlords, contractors and farmers with at least 5 to 25 acres of land and a 50 horsepower tractor are eligible for the scheme. “If the land is jointly owned by a family then only one person from that family can apply,” he added.

He further said farmers from Layyah, Bhakkar and Mianwali can submit their applications along with copies of their Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC), attested copy of

document proof of land ownership/possession and an Rs100 affidavit to the concerned assistant director agriculture (extension) in their respective districts.

The last date for the submission of applications is February 25, after which the scrutiny of the documents will be carried out till February 29. The last date for the lucky draw will be March 5 and the winners will have to book the machinery by March 20.

Selected farmers would be bound to rent a portable solar irrigation system to other farmers in their vicinity for three years. “The portable irrigation system will only be used for agriculture purposes,” the official said.

Profit also reached out to various farmers to get their comments on the agriculture department’s schemes. Shahzad Rizvi, a pulse grower from Layyah, said that power outages and high energy costs were two of the biggest issues he was facing. “I am applying for this scheme because it will help me cut the energy cost to a very large extent,” he added.

Ghulam Rabbani, a pulse farmer from

dubai islamic bank pakistan posts after tax profit of rs3.3bn Dubai Islamic Bank Pakistan Limited continued excellent performance and its growth trajectory in 2019. The Bank posted profit before tax of PKR. 5.7 Billion for the year ended December 31, 2019 showing an increase of 38% over last year. Earnings per share stood at PKR. 2.87 per share compared to PKR. 2.15 per share for 2018. The Bank’s net spread before provisions increased by 30%, on the back of impressive growth in its financing portfolio by 16% closing at PKR.178 Billion. The Bank has also recorded robust growth in deposits by 15% closing at PKR.210billion as compared to last year. P R E S S R E l E A S E

ISLAMABAD: NHA observes solidarity with the Kashmiri people. PRESS RElEASE

LAHORE: TPL Trakker inks an agreement with the Department of Agricultural Engineering (DAE) Punjab for the facilitation of technological transformation in the agricultural sector. PRES S R E l E A S E

RAWALPINDI: Osaka Batteries general manager manufacturing Iftikhar Ahmad Hundal displays Pakistan Bangladesh Test Series trophy with captains Azhar Ali and Mominul Haq. P R E S S R E l E A S E

Bhakkar, agreed with Rizvi’s comments, and said that most farmers were disturbed by the increasing costs of fuel and electricity. “This scheme will help the farmers overcome their financial woes and encourage others to switch to the production of pulses,” he said, adding that it will pave the way for boosting the production of pulses in the country.

An official of Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) said that the total production area of pulses in Pakistan is around 3.2 million hectares annually and each year the country imports pulses worth more than Rs100 billion.

Adding to the PARC official’s comments, an Arid Zone Research Institute (AZRI) official in Bhakkar said, “If the agriculture department continues introducing such initiatives which are aimed at decreasing the energy cost of farmers then Pakistan can easily decrease its import bills of pulses in the country.”

He added that apart from portable solar irrigation systems for the pulse growers, the agriculture department should also take measures for the provision of top quality seeds to pulse growers.

“The federal and provincial governments should also provide adequate funds to the agriculture research institutes so that they can carry out research on pulses if we want to mitigate our dependency on Australia, Canada, Brazil and Burma from where we import pulses and become self-sufficient in the production of pulses,” he demanded.

Bourse turns bearish, KSE-100 sheds 159 points KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange failed to sustain bullish trend on Thursdayas KSE-100 Index closed on negative note despite upward trajectory during initial time interval.

Trading resumed after a day break as the nation observed Wednesday as Kashmir Day. Foreign investors continued to offload equities for seventh consecutive session on Tuesday last. A net outflow of $3.93 million was recorded with highest selling witnessed in banking ($1.48 million), cement ($1.37 million) and oil and gas exploration sector ($0.812 million).

On economic front, Moody’s Rating Agency stated that Pakistan’s banking system would have a stable outlook for next 1218 months. According to Moody’s, the country’s sovereign credit profile has improved in recent months,

benefiting banks through their high exposure to the government securities, which account for around 40pc of their assets.

The benchmark KSE 100 Index which opened at 41,028.85 recorded its intraday high of 41,162.91 (up by +278.66 points) during initial hours. It then slid to its day’s low of 40,684.18, losing -200.07 points. The index settled lower by -159.84 points at 40,724.41. The KMI 30 index declined by -512.24 points, ending at 65,048.90, while, the KSE All Share index fell short by -95.46 points to close at 28,398.38.

Sectors that prevented the KSE 100 Index going upward included power generation and distribution sector (-65.11 points), oil and gas exploration sector (42.22 points) and oil and gas marketing sector (40.49 points). Among the companies, Hub Power

Company Limited (HUBC -60.84 points), MCB Bank Limited (MCB -38.00 points) and Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDC -29.76 points) dented the index the most.

Matco Foods Limited (MFL -6.00pc) declared its financial performance for 2QFY20. The company’s sales dropped by 6pc YoY to Rs1.68 billion. Financial charges on the other hand increased by 50pc. The company reported an exchange loss of Rs924,000in 2QFY20. EPS declined from Rs0.83 in SPLY to Rs0.18. cumulative EPS for first two quarters stood at Rs0.64. In a notification to exchange BIPL Securities Limited (BIPLS +8.46pc) announced that the company has received a notice of public announcement of intention from M/s Next Capital Limited to acquire 77.12pc voting shares of BIPLS. STAFF REPORT

Foreign investors concerned about growth potential: OICCI survey ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) announced on Thursday the results ofits biannual “Perception and Investment Survey 2019”.

The survey was conducted amongst the leading foreign investors (also the OICCI members) of the country in the last quarter of 2019.

The survey results present an array of insights and shed light on the concerns onthe current business environmentand confidence of the chamber’s members on the country’s growth potential, a news release issued by the chamber says.

The survey shows that the foreign investors have remained positiveon a number of business climate parameters.

Foreign investors are upbeat on the performance of their respective business entities in Pakistan, with 75 percent of the respondents indicating willingness to recommend new foreign direct investment (FDI) in Pakistan to their parent companies.

Whilst the foreign investors partici-

pating in the survey have shown concerns over some areas of doing business, the case for business growth potential and opportunities in Pakistan is supported by over 7 out of 10 survey respondents who indicate their plans to invest more or similar amounts over the next one to five years, as compared to the previous corresponding period.

This view may appear conservative since in the past two years, theOICCI members have reinvested $2.5-3 billion annually in new capital expenditure.

The OICCI members have indicated that compared to the previous 2017’s survey, the federal government is better engaged with the stakeholders on policy issues and its senior functionaries appear to have better understanding and commitment to resolve investors’ issues.

A number of economic disciplinary measures announced by the government last year, like partial withdrawal ofincentives on new investments, also affected the chamber’s members.

The strong resistance, especially from a large segment of the market players in the informal economy, towards many bold measures to document the economy

has had a negative impact on the business operation of many of the members.

Delayed action on some other key concerns, like interprovincial coordination issues, matters relating the renewal of cellular mobile operators’ licenses, extended time in processing corporate remittances, and capacity issues in some of the regulatory bodies have been raised as concerns for many businesses.

Furthermore, nearly 30pc devaluation of Pakistani rupee, and increase in the central bank’s discount rate from 6.5pc in July 2018 to 13.25pc in 3QFY19, led to an increase in the cost-of-doing-business.

Two key issues of concerns to the foreign investors areoverdue tax refunds of around Rs80 billion, and the energy sector’s circular debt.

This challenging business environment is duly reflected in the feedback as the foreign investor’s perspective of doing business has seen a major decline in the 2019’s survey as compared to the last 2017’s survey.

More than 70pc of the foreign investors/OICCI members are partially satisfied with the ‘policy framework’ relating to business but they have con-

cerns on the implementation of policies.

More than half of the respondents are concerned over the consistency and predictability of monetary and fiscal policies.

When asked to name top five key painful points to their business, the CEOs of OICCI membership identified those were Pakistani rupee devaluation, gap between policies and their effective implementation, increasing tax burden, cost-of-doing-business, and increase in borrowing cost/interest rates.

A number of companies belonging to the fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs), food and healthcare sectors have identified counterfeiting, illegal imports and dumping of cheaper imported products as major risks to their businesses.

The foreign investors have expressed concerns on the lengthy timeline in contract enforcement with over two third respondents sharing that it takes around five years in resolving commercial dispute.

Majority of the respondents support the ‘CPEC’ projects, and have also identified key sectors where new FDI could be attracted with the right policies and improved perception about Pakistan, as

almost three quarters of the respondents indicate that their parent companies are influenced by the negative image of Pakistan in the foreign media or other sources.

The OICCI members who collectively pay about one-third of the total annual tax revenues collected in Pakistan are positive about the opportunities and potential of the country and foresee expansion of the country’s economy.

This is a welcome sign for all stakeholders, including the young people entering the job market, with nearly 35pc of the OICCI survey respondents indicating that they will add manpower while going forward.

Moreover, two thirds of the respondents forecast increased sales while higher profits are forecast by half of the respondents.

Commenting on the key pain points, OICCI President Shahzad Dada said a noteworthy feedback from the 2019’s survey was the deletion of security as one of the top five challenges.

“This is remarkable as security has been one of the top five concerns in all previous three surveys.”

Friday, 7 February, 2020

12 BUSINESS

uS to provide technical aSSiStance for iprS enforcement ISLAMABAD

moody's predicts 'stable outlook' for pakistan’s banking system ISLAMABAD APP

International credit rating agency Moody's Investors Service on Thursday said that robust funding and liquidity and close links with the sovereign underpin its stable outlook for the Pakistan’s banking system over the next 1218 months. "The sovereign credit profile has improved in recent months, benefiting the banks through their high exposure to government securities, which account for around 40 per cent of their assets," said Moody's Senior Vice President Constantinos Kypreos. A press statement issued by the international rating agency said that in terms of operating environment, economic activity in Pakistan would also be supported by ongoing infrastructure projects and improvements in power generation and domestic security. "Operating conditions for Pakistan banks, although gradually improving, remain difficult amid tight monetary conditions with the policy rate at 13.25 per cent and large government borrowing needs crowding out funding for the private sector," Kypreos added. The agency further stated that stable customers’ deposits and high liquidity also remain key strengths, providing banks with ample low-cost funding, therefore, capital levels will remain broadly stable.

foreign exchange reserves jump $359m to $12.3bn The foreign exchange reserves held by the central bank increased 3% on a weekly basis, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Thursday. On January 31, the foreign currency reserves held by the SBP were recorded at $12,273.7 million, up $359 million compared with $11,915.2 million in the previous week. The central bank cited no reason for the increase in reserves.

Overall, liquid foreign currency reserves held by the country, including net reserves held by banks other than the SBP, stood at $18,644.5 million. Net reserves held by banks amounted to $6,370.8 million. Pakistan received the first loan tranche of $991.4 million from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on July 9 last year, which helped bolster the reserves. In late December, the IMF released the second loan tranche of around $454 million. Previously, the reserves had jumped on account of $2.5 billion in inflows from China. About two months ago, the SBP successfully made a foreign debt repayment of over $1 billion on the maturity of Sukuk. In December 2019, the foreign exchange reserves surpassed the $10-billion mark owing to inflows from multilateral lenders including $1.3 billion from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Foreign investment of over $2 billion in the debt market also played an important role in the growing foreign currency reserves.

Earlier, the reserves had spiralled downwards, falling below the $7-billion mark, which raised concern over Pakistan’s ability to meet its financing requirements. However, financial assistance from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and other friendly nations helped shore up the foreign exchange reserves. Over time, the declining reserves forced the central bank to let the rupee depreciate massively, sparking concern about the country’s ability to finance a hefty import bill as well as meet debt obligations in coming months. BUSINESS DESK

w

GHUlAM ABBAS

HILE the enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) rules has been a challenge in Pakistan, the United States has offered technical assistance and training to the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) to ensure strict implementation of IPRs law.

At a meeting of the IPR Enforcement Coordination Committee held at Intellectual Property Organisation (IPO-Pakistan) on Thursday, the representatives of US Embassy in Pakistan showed their readiness to extend the required training and assistance for effective enforcement of IPRs. The objective of the joint meetingwas to discourage counterfeiting and piracy practices in the country, an official of IPO toldPakistan Today.

The meetingchaired by IPO-Pakistan Executive DirectorMeesaqArifwas attended by the officials from Pakistan Customs, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Islamabad Police, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) and Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).

An insider claimed theUS embassy officials had informed that a leading pharmaceutical com-

pany of their country was presently facing a court battle in Pakistan as someone had registered the company’s products and names illegally.

The foreign firm who wished to start business in Pakistan was surprised to know that the same product, name and logo were already registered illegally in Pakistan.

Embassy officials Economic Counselor Peggy J Walker and Economic Affairs OfficerMichael DBoven complained that the existing legal system was lengthy and expensive to provide remedies to an affected company.

The IPO Pakistan officials, however, assured the embassy representatives that the case would be examined and all facilities would be provided to the firm as per the law.

According to sources, US embassy officials on the other hand appreciated the efforts made

by LEAs and IPO Pakistan in combating the menace of piracy and counterfeiting.

They also lauded the digitalized systems of Customs and FIA for the enforcement of IPRs. However, a police representative informed the meeting that it lacked the required technical expertise and facilities to counter illegal business in the country, sources, said and addedit was decided later that the US embassy would arrange joint technical training for police, FIA and other LEAs.

According to IPOofficials, Arifsaid that IPOPakistan, an attached department of the Ministry of Commerce, was fully aware of the importance of IPR enforcement and that was why it was following a proactive approach in overcoming enforcement issues.

He said that due to close coordination between IPO-Pakistan and LEAs, enforcement meetings have been organised in 10 different cities from time to time.

He informed the meeting that IPO-Pakistan was going to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) for better coordination.

The committee termed counterfeiting and piracy a crime against innovation and creativity and expressed the resolve that the issue would be dealt relentlessly and all out efforts would be made for the development of genuine businesses in the country.

The US embassy appreciated the efforts of IPO-Pakistan and LEAs in the field of enforcement and offered technical support to further improve their performance. The DRAP representative was of the view that instead of individual training, collective training will be more beneficial for all the LEAs.

SECP asked to review stock brokers, brokerage house policy ISLAMABAD: The parliamentary panel on Thursday directed the Security Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) to review stock brokers and brokerage house policy with the consultations of stakeholders and submit its report to the committee in 15 days.

The directive came at a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs held under the chairmanship of MNA Faiz Ullah.

The committee discussed the new policy regime introduced by SECP regarding stock brokers and brokerage houses.

The SECP commissioner briefed the committee about the salient features of new policy, wherein he explained the measures taken for the improvement of stock market by the government.

He said the new regime would be based on categorization of brokers into three categories such as Trading & Clearing (T&C), Trading & Self-Clearing (TSC) and Trading Only (TO).

The SECP chairman informed the panel that proper consultation in this regard had already been made by the commission with a number of stakeholders (stock brokers) in the last 10 months.

He also explained the objectives of new regime, increase in number of brokers, improvement of governance and internal controls, compliance with

AML/CFT requirements, easeof-doing-business and commercial viability of brokers. On the other hand, Pakistan Stock Exchange’s Broker House Karachi President and few other stakeholders expressed their concerns over the design of the new regime. They were of the view that the said SRO (new regime) would affect small stock exchange brokers and would further create monopoly of leading brokers. Some members of the committee were of the view that subject regulations would provide protection to investors.

The committee members also showed concern over the proposed policy, saying it had been prepared in haste. A member of committee Ayesha Ghous Pasha said the SECP should consult with the relevant stakeholders.

Another committee member retired captain Jamil Ahmad revealed that the investors had lost Rs8 billion in the last 20 years while the successive governments had not given relief to investors. “The new policy is the need of hour,” he added.

SECP’s Policy Board Chairman Khalid Mirza said the department hadn’t consulted with the board on this proposed regime. “The neighbouring country has also prepared this type of law and it has succeeded. Now India's stock market is a hundred percent bigger than the Pakistani market.”

He said that although it’s not binding with the SECP to

discuss this matter with the board, but there were some loopholes in this proposed law.

This law would end the brokerage system in Pakistan which was already confined in big hands, Mirza added.

Concluding the matter, the NA committee’s chairman directed the SECP to review stock brokers and brokerage houses policy with the consultations of all stakeholders and submit its report to the committee in 15 days.

Committee member Hina Rabbani Khar questioned the FBR chairman’s absence at this crucial time when the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s team was in Pakistan for review.

“We should know where he is,” Khar asked upon which the committee’s chairman replied that he (the chairman) was on leave and we are hopeful that he would assume his office. The committee also showed concerns over the non-establishment of Zarri Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL)’s Board, recommending its establishment immediately. Earlier, the committee decided to defer agenda pertaining to budgetary proposals of the Ministry of Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs relating to Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for the financial year 2020-21, as required under rule 201(6) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly 2007, due to time shortage. SHAHZAD PARACHA

RLNG POWER PLANTS legal hitches in privatisation process to be resolved soon LAHORE: Federal Minister for Privatisation Mohammed Mian Soomro and Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat discussed legal matters relating to the privatisation of power plants of Haveli Bahadar Shah and Balloki here on Thursday. Additional Chief Secretary Punjab, Secretary Municipal Authority, Secretary Irrigation and Lahore Development Authority Director General attended the meeting. Raja Basharat briefed the federal minister about the privatisation of RLNG based power plants Haveli Bahadar Shah (1230MW) and Balloki (1223MW).

He said all matters relating to land conversion, relevant laws, and other legal complications regarding the privatisation of those power plants would be promptly resolved.

The federal and provincial ministers directed to formulate sub-committees to dispose of legal matters. Later, Soomro visited the headquarters of LDA and National Power Parks Management Company (NPPMCL).

VIRTUAL DATA ROOM INAUGURATED: Privatisation Minister Soomro also inaugurated the Virtual Data Room (VDR) at the NPPMCL headquarters. The minister was told that VBR had been designed by the company to facilitate the investors. VBR is a one window platform which provides all important information to the investors regarding power parks operating under the NPPMCL. It will contain more than 78,000 important documents and 474 different specialized folders for the public facilitations. Appreciating the NPPMCL for its efforts, theminister advised to incorporate rapid response system in the VDR. Soomro highlighted the importance of coordination between the different government entities for the investors’ facilitation. The minister also announced ‘Markhor’ as a title name for the VDR. STAFF REPORT

LCCI, PABA ink MoU for trade promotion LAHORE STAFF REPORT

The Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) and Pakistan American Business Association (PABA) on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to increase cooperation with a view to improving the trade and economic activities between Pakistan and the United States.

LCCI Senior Vice President Ali Hassam Asghar and PABA Chairman M Siddique Sheikh signed the MoUon behalf of their respective institutions.

PABA Pakistan Chapter representa-

tive Malik Sohail Hussain, LCCI Executive Committee members Zeeshan Sohail Malik, Aaqib Asif, Malik M Khalid Gujjar, Sheikh Sajjad Afzal and Wasif Yousaf were also present on the occasion.

The MoU aims at increasing trade and investment opportunities for the members of both PABA and LCCI in both countries.

Both signatories will establish effective consultation, cooperation and exchange of information between them and further agree to hold meetings on regular intervals to identify the focus areas of cooperation.

According to the signed document, PABA and LCCI will work in close collaboration with the respective govern-

ments to achieve these goals and further to enhance the liaison and cooperation between the respective organisations in the areas of economic development in key sectors including but not limited to agriculture, academics, art and cultural exchanges, business information and government policies, food sector, education, hospitality and tourism, import-export, infrastructure, investments, jewelry and handicrafts, marbles, pharmaceuticals, professional and technical services, real estate, retail, steel, student exchanges, taxation, transportation and energy, telecom and information technology, and or any other commerce

oriented activities to the exclusive benefit of the members of both the organisations.

Both LCCI and PABA will exchange appropriate information regarding the customs procedures to promote crossborder trade and business as customs administrations play a key role in international trade.

Both organisations will cooperation to assist both members in exchange of trade delegations and will provide necessary local support, including issuance of formal visit recommendation letter, facilitation in visa process and facilitation of the visiting delegates.

According to the signed MoU, it has

also been agreed that in case of any dispute between the members of both organisations, the dispute will be resolved through mutual consultations.

PABA Chairman M Siddique Sheikh said that there is a dire need to arrange delegation aimed at conducting survey of US markets requirements. He said that there is very minimal representation of Pakistani products in US markets which can be enhanced many times just with the access to the right information of market’s needs. He said that there should be strong liaison among the chambers of commerce and industry of Pakistan and US to strengthen trade and economic ties.

Zoya NaSir impreSSeS with her powerful actiNg iN ‘DeewaNgi’

A play on the revival of Pakistani Cinema

There are more possible iterations of a game of chess than there are atoms in the known universe. — abbazabbbbbbba

By Rohama Riaz

S

By Rohama Riaz

HOLLYWOOD BOLLYWOOD

o, our television screen is being graced with new faces every now and then and there is this one beauty that has been talk of the town ever since her debut drama ‘Hania’ went on air and touched the heights of fame, yes, we are talking about Zoya Nasir.

Her acting prowess outshined big names already in her debut drama; she is now making waves with her convincing acting in drama Deewangi against Danish Taimoor. Naturally gifted with confidence and talent, the budding young actress knows how to make her place in the scene, as shown by her killer performance in the drama till now.

We are spoiled nowadays with Zoya’s exceptional performance in Deewangi where she is playing the role of Narmeen.

Deewangi is a love story revolving around the love triangle of Sultan, Nageen, and Narmeen. Perfectly portraying the antagonist, Zoya Nasir has been quite impressive with her performance in such an early stage of her career.

She has been dazzling us in her stylish apparel and impressive acting since the first episode of Deewangi. It was the latest episode when we had to stop and appreciate her act as her expressions seem to outshine everyone. She exquisitely pulls off all the different dimensions of her character with brilliance. Her on-screen charm and glamourous personality are also gaining admiration from the audience.

In the latest episode of Deewangi, Sul-

tan proposes Nageen against her family’s will. As expected, Narmeen couldn’t tolerate that and reacts abruptly on this news, that is when her family comes to know that the video defaming Sultan was uploaded

by Narmeen. Though this small inconvenience wouldn’t stop Narmeen, she wants Sultan to be hers anyway. Zoya has wholly justified the character with her competency. Her on-point dialogue delivery has stood her in the list of competent actors already, and we can’t wait to watch what this rising young star has in store for us in the upcoming episodes.

First Look At Snake Eyes Starring Henry Golding Actor Henry Golding takes to social media to reveal a first look at the Snake Eyes movie, a G.I. Joe spinoff, which started filming in January.

"Because it's my birthday today and I'm playing Snake Eyes...

Here's your first look," Golding posted on Instagram Tuesday.

The image reveals Golding as the titular character walking up the steps of a temple in Japan where we see the character is presently minus his iconic mask, but we do see a sword at his side.

In G.I. Joe movie lore, Snake Eyes is an abandoned 10year-old orphan child who found his way to the home of Arashikage Clan where he battled the young Thomas Arashikage (Storm Shadow) who attacked him for stealing food. Snake Eyes would go on to train with the Arashikage Clan and surpass Storm Shadow leading to a bitter and blood "brotherly" feud.

Snake Eyes gets released october 23, 2020 directed by Robert Schwentke who has said the film will have a big Japanese influence; also starring includes Samara Weaving (Ready or Not), Iko Uwais (The Raid movies).

With an aim to promote Pakistani cinema & theatre, a play named “Filmnagar” (Story Revival ki) is happening on the 6th, 7th and 8th February, 2020 in Alhamra Arts Centre, Mall Road, Lahore. Filmnagar (Story Revival Ki) is a satirical play that sheds light on different eras of the Pakistani cinema through characters and talks about the issues that revolve around the revival of the cinema.

The play is conceived and produced by Rabia Hassan. The story of the play is written by Ahsan Afzal whereas the dialogues are by Hassan Malik and direction is by Amir Nawaz and Rabia Hassan. The story of the play depicts past, present and future of Pakistani cinema. The cast includes veteran actor Irfan Khoosat besides Sarfaraz Ansari, Sam Khan, Zeeshan Haider, Esha Malik, Hassan Raza, Esha Shakeel, Tanveer, Zaheer Taj and Zohaib Haider.

Speaking at the occasion, Ms. Rabia Hassan said, “As compared to today’s revival our films in the older days of the 50s, 60s & 70s had much more depth and originality related to the theme, subject and music. The black and white era was classy romantic and very sophisticated. Similarly, the 80s was a golden time for Punjabi films. This is my first theatrical project and I hope to continue to serve this branch of performing arts which suffers the same fate as cinema, she added.”

Talking about the drama, Director of the play, Mr. Aamir Nawaz said, Filmnagar is one of the most challenging projects of my life as we are bringing 70 years of Film History within 90 Minutes on stage. We are dealing with all aspects of a production with a very progressive approach without any compromises.

This unique presentation forced me to remain creative during all the pre-production time. I strongly believe that cinema lovers will love this unique presentation of the journey of the Pakistani film industry, he added” People and cinema lovers from all walks of life attended the play on the first day.

Birds of Prey Rotten Tomatoes Score Is In The Birds of Prey Rotten Tomatoes score is in, and it's actually pretty high for the flick.

With 57 reviews presently accounted for, the Birds of Prey Rotten Tomatoes score is at a current 90% "Fresh." obviously that could change as more reviews come in, and the Audience Score will also become known once the movie gets released this weekend. Speaking of getting released, theaters are still barren (just check the Fandango app) as cities across the world show that no one has been buying Birds of Prey tickets.

Perhaps things will change now that the Rotten Tomatoes score is out and is favorable, however, bear in mind those same Rotten Tomatoes critics gave high scores to flick such as The Last Jedi and lower scores to films such as Joker, so the reviews really aren't worth their weight in anything, though people do like to reference and talk about them. Someone also tweeted me that the movie may break even, again a stretch, IMo, insinuating that is a good thing; however, I would argue the goal with anything is to make money, and this is a DC movie we are talking about with one of their more "popular" characters, with a bunch of characters from the flick.

CMYK

Cleopatra lived closer in time to the Moon landing than to the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza. — StickleyMan

It can take a photon 40,000 years to travel from the core of the sun to the surface, but only 8 minutes to travel the rest of the way to earth. — Bkaps

Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan’s Jitendra Kumar had once posed with Ayushmann Khurrana The film Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan will see Ayushmann Khurrana romance actor Jitendra Kumar in a gay love story.

However, there was once a time when Jitendra was a student at IIT Kharagpur and had posed for a photograph with ‘star’ Ayushmann Khurrana. A collage picture, which juxtaposes the older picture with a still from the upcoming film, is getting viral.

The picture was shared by Jitendra Kumar as his Instagram stories. RJ Alok, a Mumbai-based entertainment journalist and former RJ, also shared the picture. Jitendra is unrecognisable in the throwback picture. Speaking to IANS, Jitendra talked about his first meeting with the actor. He said, “I met Ayushmann way back in 2009 when I was a student in IIT Kharagpur, he had come to cover a fest on behalf of MTV. The fest was called ‘Springfest’ and we were huge fan of Roadies, where we all met him and clicked photographs with him. We ended up reaching his room once we found and it was our first year.

Friday, 7 February, 2020

14 SPORTS

IbrahImOvIc reTurn adds spIce TO mIlan derby Sassuolo last time out, as they try to staying in the Champions League race.

The side from the capital are equal on points with fourth-placed Atalanta who travel to 14th-placed Fiorentina.

Torino host Sampdoria with new coach Moreno Longo after Walter Mazzarri was sacked after three consecutive defeats, in which they conceded 13 goals.

Struggling Brescia also switched coaches with Diego Lopez replacing Eugenio Corini.

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LATAn Ibrahimovic's return to AC Milan will add spice to the city derby against Inter Milan on Sunday with the Swede looking to thwart Antonio Conte's side from keeping pace with Serie A leaders Juventus.

Ibrahimovic played his first Milan derby as an Inter player 13 years ago, while his last was for rivals AC Milan in May 2012, when he scored a double in a 4-2 defeat.

Ibrahimovic was the top scorer that season with 28 goals but Milan lost the Serie A title to Conte's Juventus, the first in the Turin giants' current run of eight Serie A titles.

The 38-year-old's return to Milan -- who he helped to their last Serie A title in 2011 -- has proved a boost with his side now eighth, seven points adrift of the Champions League berths.

Milan were on a three-match winning run with Ibrahimovic on the pitch but were held 1-1 by Hellas Verona last weekend with the Swede out with flu.

AC Milan director Zvonomir Boban praised Ibrahimovic's impact, insisting the Swede was pushing to be ready for "a unique derby".

Ibrahimovic meanwhile posted on Twitter a video of himself roaring, with the caption: "Lions don't sound like humans."

Stefano Pioli's Milan come up against an Inter who have been transformed since Conte's arrival last sum-

mer are just three points behind Juventus, who travel to Hellas Verona.

Milan lost the reverse fixture 2-0 in September under Marco Giampaolo, who was sacked after just seven games. Last summer Inter signed Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sánchez, the latter on loan, from Manchester United. Conte again raided the Premier League during the winter break bringing in Christian Eriksen, Ashley Young and Victor Moses.

"He'll be more used to this type of game, I'm just starting," said former Tottenham midfielder Eriksen of Ibrahimovic, who said he was relishing his first 'Derby della Madonnina'.

"I've seen it on TV in the past but playing now will be very different,"

the Dane told Gazzetta Dello Sport.

"Compared to London, I expect a different atmosphere, here the whole stadium sings, there will be so much noise, it will be beautiful."

Juventus travel to Verona on Saturday will Cristiano Ronaldo bidding to extend his scoring streak to nine consecutive league games, to keep pace with Lazio's Serie A top scorer Ciro Immobile's 25 goals.

Verona are on a seven-game unbeaten run and held in-form Lazio to a goalless draw in Rome midweek.

Simone Inzaghi's Lazio are just one point behind Inter Milan in third and will be targeting a record 18th successive match unbeaten. City rivals Roma host Bologna on Friday after losing to

Key statistics: 19 - Points between inter and ac Milan 17 - Lazio's unbeaten run in serie a 14 - Ronaldo's goals in the last nine games 3 - inter's points off leaders Juventus Fixtures (all times GMt): Friday as Roma v Bologna (1945) saturday Fiorentina v atalanta (1400GMt), torino v sampdoria (1700), Hellas Verona v Juventus (1945) sunday sPaL v sassuolo (1130GMt), Genoa v cagliari, Brescia v Udinese, Napoli v Lecce (all 1400), Parma v Lazio (1700), inter Milan v ac Milan (1945)

Record-equalling Lazio miss chance to go second with Verona stalemate TURIN AGENCIES

Lazio equalled a 21-year club record for staying undefeated but missed the chance to move second in Serie A, being held to a goalless draw by Hellas Verona on Wednesday.

The match had been rescheduled from last December, when Lazio beat Juventus to win the Italian Super Cup in Saudi Arabia.

Simone Inzaghi's side closed to within a point of second-placed Inter Milan. The Romans are four points behind leaders Juventus and 11 points clear of fourth-placed Atalanta who occupy the final Champions League berth, ahead of Roma on goal difference.

"The game was intense. Despite the disappointing result, we came away satisfied," said Inzaghi. "We had 27 shots on goal, hit the post twice. I can't ask the team for more.

"Results count, but so do performances, and the lads gave it everything."

Lazio matched their longest unbeaten Serie A run of 17 consecutive matches, the feat of the 1999 side coached by Sven-Goran Eriksson.

"It's a record that pleases me," said Inzaghi who played for the team under Eriksson and helped Lazio lift their last Scudetto in the 1999-2000 season.

Serie A leading scorer Ciro Immobile missed the chance to add to his 25 league goals this season at the Stadio Olimpico.

And the hosts could thank goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha for keeping them in the match early on as he denied quick-fire efforts from Matteo Pessina and Fabio Borini. Lazio midfielder Luis Alberto proved wasteful, missing three chances, twice rattling the woodwork before being denied by Verona goalkeeper Marco Silvestri deep into injury time.

Verona missed out on moving into sixth place and the Europa League berths as they remain ninth, but just one point off the European spots.

Olympics will go ahead: Tokyo organisers slam virus rumours TOKYO AGENCIES

Tokyo 2020 Olympics organisers said Thursday the Games would "go ahead as planned", slamming misinformation over the new coronavirus for triggering panic. Chief executive officer Toshiro Muto revealed that organisers have set up a task force to combat the fastspreading disease that has killed over 560 people and infected at least 28,000 -- the vast majority in mainland China -- but promised that the Games would be not derailed. "The Olympics will go ahead as planned," he told reporters after a Paralympic project review. "It is important to remain objective and cool-headed. We don't want to alarm the public. The infection is still limited and there is no problem staging the Olympics based on the current situation."

International Paralympic Committee (IPC) spokesman Craig Spence complained that scaremongering had created an "info-demic" that could skew public perception in the run-up to the Olympics and Paralympics. "Fear is spreading quicker than the virus," he said. "It's important we quell that fear. Only 191 of the total cases are outside mainland China, so let's put things into perspective. "If you compare those rates with the common flu, they are still relatively small numbers," added Spence. "The World Health Organization (WHO) has not declared this a pandemic. We dealt with the Zika virus in Rio and in these matters we need to rely on the experts. "We will follow the advice of the World Health Organization. Every organising committee looks into countermeasures, and we have measures in place from previous Olympics and Paralympics here in Tokyo. It is standard practice, it's business as usual." More than 20 countries have confirmed cases of the flu-like coronavirus.

Japan has had no reported deaths so far, but 45 cases have been detected, including at least 20 people on a cruise ship carrying more than 3,700 passengers and crew quarantined off Yokohama. The WHO has declared the outbreak a global health emergency. Japan has warned citizens against non-essential travel to China and fast-tracked new rules including limits on entering the country as it tries to contain the spread of the virus. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday pledged that preparations for the Olympics would proceed as normal. "The coronavirus is beginning to have an impact on tourism," he said. "But the government will continue to steadily prepare for the Games in close cooperation with the IOC (International Olympic Committee), the local organising committee and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government." The Japanese government has chartered three flights to repatriate 565 Japanese nationals from Wuhan, the central Chinese city hardest hit by the virus. Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike promised at the weekend to implement "thorough measures" to protect people from the virus.

Barcelona coach refuses to get ‘into Messi's life’ after Abidal row BARCELONA AGENCIES

Barcelona coach Quique Setien said on Wednesday he would not get involved in "Lionel Messi's life" after the Argentine superstar became entangled in a row with the club's sporting director Eric Abidal.

Messi hit back at Abidal on Tuesday after the Frenchman had earlier blamed slackness in the dressing room for the departure of recently-fired boss Ernesto Valverde.

In an interview with Spanish newspaper Sport, Abidal said under Valverde, who was fired in mid-January, many players had been unhappy, had not worked hard enough

and had not communicated properly.

"I'm not going to get into Messi's life, or anyone's life," said Setien, who replaced Valverde.

"What interests me is football, everything else are situations that I will not be able to control, therefore I do not sweat on it," the 61year-old added.

Setien denied he had spoken individually to the Argentina star about the incident but said it had been briefly discussed in a training session by the squad.

Messi signed his last contract extension in 2017, with his current deal running through to next year but reportedly containing a clause that could allow him to

quit Barcelona in June.

Former Real Betis boss Setien said Messi's behaviour remained the same despite the falling out with Abidal.

"I have seen him smiling, I have seen him looking happy, he loves to come to training, he loves to be here and I have seen him just like he was yesterday or the day before yesterday," Setien said.

Setien said his only focus was Thursday's Copa del Rey quarterfinal tie at Athletic Bilbao.

"The importance of tomorrow's match, the obligation we have is to focus totally and absolutely on the match," Setien said.

Spanish media reported later on

Wednesday, citing sources close to the club, that Abidal had met with Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu who would no longer consider, as speculated beforehand, to demand the Frenchman's resignation.

Messi on Tuesday criticised Abidal's comments, saying that his former teammate should "name names"."Sincerely I don't like doing this kind of thing but everyone has to be made responsible for their actions and what they say," Messi said on Instagram.

"We the players in the dressing room are the first to admit it when we haven't played well. The directors need to take their responsibilities too.

CMYK

Friday, 7 February, 2020

SPORTS 15

bangladesh's bOwlIng gIves pakIsTan The edge RAwALpINdI

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AnGLADESH and Pakistan meet each other for their first Test in five years at a time when both teams are at a crossroads. Bangladesh have had a woeful 2019 and are desperate to start off the new year with an improved performance. Pakistan, on the other hand, have just broken through by playing their first Test at home since 2009, and are also looking to establish themselves for the rest of 2020.

Their 263-run win over Sri Lanka in their last Test in December saw plenty of individual performances among batsmen and bowlers. Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Abbas and naseem Shah all picked up wickets while there were hundreds for Shan Masood, Abid Ali, captain Azhar Ali and Babar Azam.

It also involved a major fightback, which would be the most appeasing factor for Misbah-ul-Haq who is also trying to settle on his dual role of team coach and chief selector.

Pakistan's bowling attack is their strength, led by the steady and accurate Abbas who opens the bowling with Afridi. naseem brings extra pace and Yasir Shah adds more experience to the

bowling attack, and will be especially handy on a pitch which may be battingfriendly for most of the Test match.

Bangladesh also don't have a great record against legspin, which is just one of their many problems. They lost each of the five Tests they played in 2019.

They are without two of their best cricketers on this tour. And they have to operate with the worst pace bowling attack in recent memory.

And yet, all of this could still an opportunity. Tamim Iqbal has returned to the Test side, and having scored a record-breaking triple-hundred in a first-class game last week, he will bring experience and confidence to the Bangladesh top-order. And sure, they are without Mushfiqur Rahim who held the middle order firmly for the last nine years, but that gives Mominul Haque, in his second series as Test captain, a chance to make a statement about his leadership quality. It is also also a chance for Mohammad Mithun, najmul Hossain Shanto and Liton Das to cement their spot.

While there are opportunities available for the batsmen, Bangladesh's biggest concern is their bowling attack. Taijul Islam is their most skilled bowler, while Abu Jayed offers a bit of control. Ebadot Hossain has often blown hot and cold, but

is said to be improving since the BPL and to round off, the team management is likely to pick Rubel Hossain, who has the all-time worst bowling average for anyone who has bowled more than 3,000 balls in Tests, for his first game in 18 months.

Bangladesh will be very eager to make the right turn at this crossroads.

Abid Ali easily qualifies for one of the best debuts of 2019, having struck two centuries in his first three Test innings. Both those knocks were against Sri Lanka in Pakistan's last series, where he batted so sensibly to get his Test career off to a superb start. now, however, there will be added expectation on the newcomer, which is only natural in a player's second series.

Mominul Haque had a baptism of fire in India where he made his captaincy debut. He made only 44 runs in four innings, including his first pair, in the Kolkata Test. But with the wretched 2019 over, Mominul has a chance to make a fresh start as he looks to salvage a Test side also lacking in form.Pakistan have plenty of options in their bowling lineup after they included offspinner Bilal Asif and allrounder Faheem Ashraf but they probably won't be tempted to change a winning combination.

Bangladesh coach Russell Domingo revealed his top seven in the departure

press conference in Dhaka. Depending on how they view the Rawalpindi pitch on the day before the Test, they would either go for a three-man pace attack, or both spinners - Taijul and nayeem Hassan.

PITCH AND CONDITIONS: The fore-

South Africa enjoy rare serenity after stealing a march in ODI series

cast for these five days is better than December when most of the Pakistan-Sri Lanka game was washed out. The pitch is likely to favour the batsmen although Bangladesh are anticipating a lot more bounce than they get at home.

Jofra archer ruled out of sri lanka tour, Ipl with elbow stress fracture LONdON

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One swallow doesn't make a summer, let alone an autumn - the season into which this campaign is rapidly edging. But after the angst and the travails of the past few months, there was a cathartic glee to be had in South Africa's comprehensive win against the 50-over World Champions in Tuesday's first ODI. It came a few months too late for their World Cup hopes, maybe, but so many facets of South Africa's performance offered long-overdue encouragement - not least the consummate ease with which Quinton de Kock assumed the mantle of ODI captain, cruising to an effortless even-paced century that enhanced the credentials of a character who is not easily fazed.

Then there was the triumphant second coming of Temba Bavuma, who put a summer of rancorous headlines to one side to produce a sparky 98 in his first ODI for two years. And if there was short-term disappointment in Bavuma's failure to convert to three figures, then that was offset by the manner in which he took to that troublesome no.3 berth, with responsible shot selection and whippet-like running that lifted de Kock's performance as well as his own.

And there was the impact of Tabraiz Shamsi, emerging from Imran Tahir's shadow with three key wickets in a taxing spell of wristspin. And, for South Africa's administrators, there was even the blessed relief of exceeding their team's transformation targets - with no fewer than four black Africans and two further players of colour in their Cape Town line-up, with Kagiso Rabada still waiting in the wings to further strengthen the side.

South Africa won't, however, encounter many white-ball teams quite as compliant as England proved to be in their first 50-over outing since

Jofra Archer will miss England's tour of Sri Lanka and this year's Indian Premier League after scans revealed a stress fracture in his elbow. Archer was troubled by problems with his right elbow during England's recent Test tour of South Africa. He missed the second and third Tests as a result and was ruled out of the fourth on match-day morning when he suffered pain in the joint during the warm-up. He returned to England for scans, which the ECB said on Thursday had "confirmed that Archer has suffered a low-grade stress fracture". "As a result of the injury, he has been ruled out of England's Test tour of Sri Lanka and the Indian Premier League 2020 season," the ECB added in a statement. "He will now commence an injury rehabilitation programme with the ECB medical team with a view to be ready for the international summer campaign starting in June against West Indies in a threematch Test series." Archer had been due to play for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, starting in late March.

that heady day in July. Errors, accidents and inexperience torpedoed their hopes of making a statement performance at newlands, from the brace of scuffed drives that did for Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow, to the direct-hit run-out that kiboshed Joe Root's nascent innings.

And, as Eoin Morgan said after their seven-wicket defeat, "failure is a huge platform" for the likes of Tom Banton and Matt Parkinson, who may yet prove to be pillars of England's World Cup defence in three years' time, but who will do well to lick their wounds from a chastening pair of ODI debuts and absorb the lessons on offer.

For Parkinson in particular, there are some huge shoes to fill.

Between the 2015 and 2019 World Cups, no spinner claimed more wickets in overs 11-40 than Adil Rashid, whose dicky shoulder requires constant management and who cannot be relied upon, regardless of his enduring quality, to still

be in his prime come 2023. If Parkinson is indeed the heir apparent, he will need to be given the situational experience to learn on the job, even if it means a few more leaky displays as he finds his feet at this level.

And as for Banton, his more immediate impact may well be felt in the back-to-back T20 World Cups that precede England's 50over defence - especially if he can thrive at the IPL as impressively as he did at the BBL this winter. But for the time being, he will need to add a new string to his white-ball bow, and hit the ground running against the spinners, in those tricky middle overs, if he is to continue coming in at no.6 in this powerpacked order.

Such on-the-job training is perhaps not the ideal way for England to double down on their World Champion status. Certainly you could sense the difference in intensity between the two teams in Cape Town - South

Africa, desperate for success and scrapping for every moment in the match; England, rather more lackadaisical in the key moments, and reliant on Joe Denly's best rescue efforts to post a serviceable total.

But, at the same time, you cannot ever fully write off this England team, even when it is missing the likes of Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler with the bat, and Mark Wood and Jofra Archer (whose elbow injury has been confirmed as a stress fracture) with the ball. not to mention the unsung hero, Liam Plunkett, whose mid-innings guile was not adequately replicated at Cape Town.

Room for improvement, you might say. Morgan will certainly be expecting some improvement.

PITCH AND CONDITIONS: Wet, wet, wet‌ that's the unfortunate prognosis at Kingsmead, where there's an 80 percent chance of rain on Thursday, at a venue where a succession of Mzansi Super League matches were also washed out.

CMYK

India fined for slow over rate for third match in a row MUMBAI AGENCIES

After going more than five years without committing an over-rate offence, India have now had to pay fines in three consecutive matches, the latest a whopping 80% of their match fee after being found four overs short of the target in the first ODI against new Zealand in Hamilton on Wednesday. As per Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20% of their fee for every over their side fails to bowl within the stipulated time. Following the match, which India lost by four wickets, India captain Virat Kohli pleaded guilty to the charge - levelled by on-field umpires Shaun Haig and Langton Rusere, third umpire Bruce Oxenford, and fourth umpire Chris Brown - and accepted the sanction, meaning there was no need for a formal hearing. It was in the fourth T20I of the five-match series in new Zealand that India's run of 264 international matches - since a Test match at The Oval in August 2014 - without falling foul of the law came to an end. On that occasion, India were found to be two overs short of the target, and had to pay a 40% fine.

Friday, 7 February, 2020

NEWS

TrUMp acqUiTTeD in iMpeachMenT Trial US PRESIDENT CLAIMS ‘VICTORY’, DEMOCRATS REJECT ACQUITTAL AS ‘VALUELESS’ OUTCOME OF AN UNFAIR TRIAL

Modi tears into legacy of former premier nehru, blasts congress for anti-caa protests NEW DELHI AGENCIES

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched into an unprovoked tirade against former Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru while speaking on the floor of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian parliament, reported news broadcaster NDTV. “For someone’s aspiration to become the Prime Minister of India, a line was drawn on the map and India was divided into two.

After the Partition, the way how Hindus, Sikhs and other minorities were persecuted is unimaginable,” Modi said addressing members of the Congress party. “Congress is having problems when the government is taking decisions on wishes of the country’s founding fathers,” Modi noted, adding that Congress was inciting protests against a citizenship law. “Protests won’t impact any Indian citizen or harm minority interests,” Modi maintained. The Citizenship Amendment Act fast-tracks Indian citizenship for non-Muslim minorities from three neighbouring countries. It was passed by the Indian parliament last year and ratified into the Constitution after the signatures of Indian President Ram Nath Kovind.

HINDU REFUGEES VS MUSLIM MIGRANTS: During his speech, Modi launched several other attacks against the former Indian premier. “In 1950, when the Nehru-Liaquat Ali pact was signed, it said that minorities won’t be discriminated against in Pakistan. Why did Nehru not use all citizens and not minorities?” he asked.

“Why did Nehru use minorities? He replied to this too, and I’d know you’d abandon him too, whenever the need arises. Nehru had written to Assam Chief Minister and I quote – ‘You’d have to differentiate between Hindu refugees and Muslim migrants’. This is what Nehru wrote,” Modi said. “In 1953, in the Lok Sabha, Nehru said ‘in East Pakistan, authorities are pressurizing Hindus. There are documents and reports. In all these instances, was Nehru communal? I want to know? Did he discriminate between Hindus and Muslims?

Did he want a Hindu nation?” Modi asked.

The jibes were apparently directed at the opposition Congress party that is led today by the descendants of the former Indian premier. “I want to clearly state that with the CAA coming, there will be no impact on any citizen of India of any faith,” Modi said. “Those who have been removed from office by the people of India are now doing the unthinkable. They see citizens on the basis of their faith. We are different. We see everyone as Indian,” the Indian premier said, hinting that the Congress was the one playing politics on the CAA.

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RESIDENT Donald Trump was acquitted by the US Senate on Wednesday following a historic impeachment trial that shone a harsh light on America’s divisions, without ever shaking the loyalty of his voter base.

In a political triumph for the US leader, Trump drew on staunch Republican support to easily defeat a Democratic effort to expel him from office for pressuring Ukraine to help bolster his re-election effort.

The president immediately claimed “victory” while the White House declared it a full “exoneration” — and Democrats rejected the acquittal as the “valueless” outcome of an unfair trial.

But the vote in the Senate showed just how solid a grip the former real estate mogul holds over the Republican Party — an asset nine months before he seeks a second four-year-term.

Even though several conceded Trump’s behavior was wrong, Republicans ultimately stayed loyal in voting to clear the president of charges of abuse

of power, by 52 to 48, and of obstruction of Congress, by 53 to 47 — far from the two-thirds supermajority required for conviction.

“Two thirds of the senators present not having found him guilty of the charges contained therein, it is therefore ordered and adjudged that the said Donald John Trump be, and he is hereby, acquitted,” said Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who presided over the trial.

One Republican, Senator Mitt Romney, a longtime Trump foe, risked White House wrath to vote alongside Democrats on the first count, saying Trump was “guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust.” He voted not guilty on the second charge.

Trump’s impeachment and trial will leave a permanent stain on his record, as it did for the only two presidents to have encountered the same fate, An-

drew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998.

But the Senate verdict was never truly in question since the House of Representatives formally impeached Trump in December, and it has now cleared out a major hurdle for the president to fully plunge into his campaign for re-election in November.

TRUMP TO SPEAK THURSDAY: Responding to the verdict, Trump announced he would deliver a formal statement Thursday from the White House “to discuss our Country’s VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax!”

The president had earlier tweeted a montage depicting a fake cover of Time magazine declaring him president for all eternity. Trump later tweeted a video attacking Romney, the first senator in US history to support convicting a president from his own party.

While the White House declared

Global fears rise as more coronavirus cases found on cruise ship; death toll reaches 563 BEIJING AGENCIES

China’s coronavirus crisis deepened on Thursday with the death toll soaring to 563, as thousands of people trapped on quarantined cruise ships added to the global panic about the epidemic.

More than 28,000 people have now been infected across China as authorities struggle to contain the outbreak despite compelling millions to stay indoors in a growing number of cities.

Two dozen countries have confirmed cases of the respiratory disease which emerged from a market selling exotic animals in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.

Thousands of people on cruise ships in Hong Kong and Japan now face an agonising wait to find out if more among them have been infected.

At least 20 people on board the Diamond Princess have tested positive so far, while some 3,700 passengers and crew from over 50 countries have been confined to quarters aboard the cruise ship off Yokohama since Monday night.

In Hong Kong, 3,600 people spent the night confined aboard the cruise ship World Dream as authorities conducted health checks after

three former passengers tested positive for the virus.

Hong Kong has been particularly nervous as the disease has revived memories of another coronavirus, the one that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 300 people in the city and another 349 in the Chinese mainland in 2002-2003.

Panic buyers in the semi-autonomous city left shelves of toilet paper empty at supermarkets following false online claims of shortages, prompting authorities to appeal for calm. One person has died after contracting the virus in Hong Kong so far.

While the death toll continues to rise in China, health experts have stressed that at two percent, 2019nCoV is far less deadly than the SARS pathogen, which killed around 10 percent of the people it infected 17 years ago.

But the outbreak has been declared a global health emergency, prompting several governments to warn against travel to China and ban new arrivals from the country, while airlines have halted flights.

TEMPORARY HOSPITALS: China has enacted unprecedented measures in a desperate bid to contain the virus, which spread far and wide as millions of people criss-

crossed the country during the Lunar New Year holiday in late January.

But deaths and new infections continue to rise, especially at the epicentre of the epidemic in Hubei province, where 18 cities housing 56 million people have been under virtual lockdown since late last month.

A newborn was among the new cases in Wuhan, suggesting the baby was infected by the mother during pregnancy or immediately after.

With medical facilities in Hubei’s capital Wuhan overwhelmed with patients, authorities were due to open a second field hospital, offering 1,600 beds.

The first hospital, with 1,000 beds, opened earlier this week, and authorities said they were converting public buildings into temporary medical facilities to deal with the influx of sick people. The city of 11 million is facing a “severe” lack of beds, said Hu Lishan, a senior official in Wuhan, noting that there were 8,182 patients admitted to 28 hospitals that have a total of 8,254 beds.

There is also a shortage of equipment and materials, Hu said.

The central government has announced measures intended to ensure the supply of vital medical resources, with tax breaks for manufacturers of equipment needed to fight the epidemic.

that Trump had obtained “full vindication and exoneration,” Nancy Pelosi, the House Speaker, warned that by clearing Trump Republicans had “normalized lawlessness.”

“There can be no acquittal without a trial, and there is no trial without witnesses, documents and evidence,” said the top Democrat in Congress — who a day earlier ripped up her copy of Trump’s State of the Union address on live television.

“Sadly, because of the Republican Senate’s betrayal of the Constitution, the president remains an ongoing threat to American democracy, with his insistence that he is above the law and that he can corrupt the elections if he wants to.”

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said the acquittal was “virtually valueless” since Republicans refused witnesses at his trial, something which Democrats said had never happened before at any impeachment trial.

FOREVER IMPEACHED: The Democrats’ intense 78-day House investigation faced public doubts and high-pressure White House stonewalling, a tactic which led to the obstruction charge.

Concerned about the political risk for the party, Pelosi rejected a call early last year to impeach Trump on evidence compiled by then-special counsel Robert Mueller that he had obstructed the Russia election meddling investigation.

But her concerns melted after new allegations surfaced in August that Trump had pressured Ukraine for help in his 2020 campaign.

Man charged with rape of 5-year-old girl at US embassy in Delhi DELHI AGENCIES

A man has been charged after a five-year-old girl was allegedly raped on the premises of the American embassy in India’s capital New Delhi, police said on Thursday. The 25-yearold was arrested at the high-security mission on Sunday after the girl’s family complained of the sexual assault, which allegedly took place on Saturday at the living quarters for the local housekeeping staff. “The accused was arrested on Sunday immediately after the parents complained about the sexual attack,” investigating officer Yogesh Kumar told AFP. Kumar said preliminary medical tests confirmed the girl had been raped. The man was charged under child rape laws that carry the death penalty. The sprawling diplomatic compound is one of the most secure in Delhi, with multiple layers of manned and electronic security. India is struggling to combat a growing number of sexual assault cases in the country. Violence against women in the South Asian nation has been under the international spotlight following the brutal gang-rape and murder of a Delhi student on a bus in 2012. Almost 34,000 rapes were reported in 2018, according to official data, with activists claiming the figure is just the tip of the iceberg. Experts said most child victims are known to their abusers, with their families frequently choosing not to report the crimes to authorities amid social taboos against speaking out.

Israel kills 3 Palestinians as violence flares after Trump peace plan In a separate incident, car runs down group of Israeli soldiers in occupied Jerusalem in a suspected Palestinian attack, officials say.

A spike in Israeli-Palestinian violence on Thursday left three Palestinians dead and a dozen Israeli troops injured in a rash of attacks and clashes a week after the US administration released its longanticipated Mideast plan, immediately trashed by Palestinians.

The new spate of attacks places the plan – which was already considered a long-shot because it greatly favours Israel and was rejected outright by the Palestinians – on even shakier ground, and sparked fears of a return to deadly rounds of violence of the past.

The plan, touted by the US as "deal of the century", has sparked calls by Is-

raeli nationalists for Israel to annex parts of the occupied West Bank – land Pales-

tinians want for their hoped-for state – and has set off tensions in the region.

But they erupted more fiercely on Thursday in the deadliest day of violence in months.

PALESTINIAN CASUALTIES: Early in the day, a Palestinian motorist slammed his car into a group of Israeli soldiers, wounding 12 before fleeing the scene, the Israeli military said.

The assailant was arrested later in the day, the Israeli military said, without immediately identifying the driver. Israel's YNet news website identified him as a 25-year-old Palestinian.

In the occupied West Bank, two Palestinians died after clashes broke out with Israeli troops, according to Palestin-

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CMYK

ian hospital officials.

And later, Israeli police said they shot and killed a Palestinian who opened fire at forces in occupied Jerusalem's Old City, lightly wounding an officer.

Palestinian hospital officials said a 19-year-old was killed in clashes in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin.

Six others were wounded in the confrontation.

In a separate incident also in Jenin, a member of the Palestinian security forces who was shot by Israeli troops later died.

That violence came just hours after Israeli forces shot and killed a 17-yearold Palestinian during clashes with demonstrators elsewhere in the West Bank on Wednesday. AGENCIES