Epaper – November 10 LHR 2020

Tuesday, 10 November, 2020 I 23 Rabi-ul-Awwal, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 131 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition

Covid-19 Positivity rate rising in major Cities desPite smart loCkdowns g

positivity rate reaches 15.38pc in GilGit, 7.48pc in islamabad ISLAMABAD

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STAFF REPORT

here has been no let-up in the increasing number of coronavirus cases in the country and the virus positivity rate reached 4.94 per cent, as 1,650 more people tested positive after the tests of 33,340 over the last twenty-four hours, according to the data shared by the national command and operations centre (ncoc) on monday. during a meeting, the covid-19 nerve centre observed that hyderabad had the highest positivity ratio at 16.69 per cent, followed by Gilgit at 15.38 per cent, multan at 15.97 per cent, muzaffarabad at 14.12 per cent, mirpur at 11.11 per cent, peshawar with 9.69 per cent, Quetta with 8.03 per cent, islamabad with 7.48 per cent, Karachi with 7.12 per cent, lahore with 5.37 per cent and rawalpindi with 4.63 per cent. overall, the nationwide positivity ratio in the country is 4.5 per cent, [while] 15 major cities across pakistan have a higher positivity ratio,” said a press release issued by the ncoc that held a session to discuss in length the recent surge in the positivity ratio. according to the ncoc, the country reported 9 more deaths due to coronavirus-related complications during the past 24 hours, taking the death toll from the disease to 6,977. so far 318,881 patients have recovered from the virus and the number of active cases of covid-19 reached 18,981, whereas the total count of infections is 344,839. meanwhile, the ncoc on monday warned that the positivity ratio of covid-19 had increased rapidly in 15 major cities. Updating the forum on administrative measures and enforcement efforts, the chief secretaries of the provinces informed

g

pUnjab Government annoUnces smart locKdoWn in 15 areas; 4,136 micro-small locKdoWns in place across coUntry

Pfizer says Covid-19 vaCCine over 90PC effeCtive AGENCIES pfizer inc's experimental covid-19 vaccine was more than 90 per cent effective based on initial trial results, the company said on monday, a major victory in the fight against a pandemic that has killed over a million people and battered the world's economy. experts welcomed the first successful interim data from a large-scale clinical test as a watershed moment that showed vaccines could halt the pandemic though mass roll-outs of the shot, which needs regulatory approval, won’t happen this year. pfizer and its German partner biontech se said they had so far found no serious safety concerns and expected to seek U.s. authorization this month for emergency use of the vaccine, raising the possibility of a regulatory decision as soon as december. if granted, the companies estimate they can roll out up to 50 million doses this year, enough to protect 25 million people, and then produce up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021. “today is a great day for science and humanity,” albert bourla, pfizer’s chairman and chief executive, said. “We are reaching this critical milestone in our vaccine development program at a time when the world needs it most with infection rates setting new records, hospitals nearing over-capacity and economies struggling to reopen.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05 the ncoc on guidelines in their respective cities regarding wearing of face masks and arrangements for outdoor weddings. the ncoc was apprised that 4,136 micro-small lockdowns were in place across pakistan and the tracing, testing and quarantine strategy was being used to limit the spread of the virus. Furthermore, the ncoc was told that the recent health guidelines will remain enforced in 16 major cities till january 31, 2021. regarding medical equipment, the ncoc was told that 2,811 oxygenated beds were provided to hospitals and over 13,000 oxygen

cylinders were issued to various provinces. the ncoc over the weekend issued new guidelines making face masks mandator y in all public spaces, with an rs100 to rs500 fine imposed on anyone who isn’t wearing one. in addition, cities with high rates of transmission including lahore, Karachi and islamabad would have indoor weddings banned from november 20, while outdoor weddings would have a limit of 1,000 guests.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

mir shakilur rehman gets bail after months in detention LAHORE STAFF REPORT

the supreme court (sc) on monday granted bail to mir shakilur rehman, the chief executive officer of the jang group, in a 1986 case related to a piece of land he allegedly acquired “illegally” in the tenure of then-punjab chief minister nawaz sharif. the bail was granted against a

surety bond of rs10 million. shakil was arrested in march on the accusation of “alleged illegal exemption of 54 plots [each measuring 605 yards] in h-block of johar town’s phase-ii allotted to him being the holder of [the] general power of attorney on behalf of hidayat ali and hikmat ali by the then punjab chief minister in violation of the relevant laws/rules”. according to nawazish ali, a national accountability bureau (nab) spokesperson, shakil was arrested in connection with a shady real estate deal and tax evasion. the jang group dubbed the arrest as “politically motivated” and an attack on press freedom. after the lahore high court (lhc) denied bail to him, shakil appealed the decision in the apex

Economic indicators to improve in coming days, says Faraz ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Federal minister for information and broadcasting senator shibli Faraz has said that the national economy is now on a positive trajectory due to prudent policies of the government and economic indicators will further improve in coming days. talking to a private television channel, the information minister said that pakistan is moving on the right path and despite covid-19 challenge, the current account deficit is surplus. he said that the pakistan tehreek-e-insaf (pti) government has not obstructed the political activities of the opposition, however, it would not tolerate blaming the institutions. he said that the government believes in a political engagement but there would be no compromise for personal gain. separately, the information minister said that pakistan will be built as per the ideals of allama iqbal under the leadership of prime minister imran Khan. in a tweet, he said that the entire nation pays tribute to allama iqbal who was a great poet, philosopher and thinker. he said that allama iqbal’s concept of ‘Khudi’ gave a compelling and sane message to the young generation to create their own world instead of relying on others.

Coronavirus in

Pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

court. last week, a two-member bench referred his petition to chief justice Gulzar ahmed for re-fixing of its hearing by a three-judge bench after justice Umar ata bandial – who was earlier heading a three-member bench – recused himself from hearing the petition citing personal reasons. during monday’s hearing, the defence, barrister amjad pervaiz, informed the court his client was arrested at the inquiry stage. he said that even though the reference was filed against four people — nawaz, then-director of land department, then-director of lahore development authority (lda) and shakil — nobody other than the media mogul was arrested.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

344,839

LAST UPDATED AT 7:20 AM ON NOVEMBER 9, 2020

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

9

RECOVERED:

NEW CASES:

1,650 DEATHS:

318,881 6,977

more inside

Arzoo Raja aged between 14-15, medical board informs SHC

Allama Iqbal’s birth anniversary observed with national zeal

STORY ON PAGE 03

court allows lawmakers to continue electioneering in Gb STORY ON PAGE 03

SINDH:

STORY ON PAGE 02

business as usual for trump in spite of election loss STORY ON BACK PAGE

PUNJAB:

150,169

106,922

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

40,657 4,758/4,366

16,106 21,861

02

Tuesday, 10 November, 2020

NEWS

allama iqbal’s birth anniversary observed with national zeal PRESIDENT, PM URGE NATION TO STAND UNITED FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC UPLIFT LAHORE

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STAFF REPORT

HE 143rd birth anniversary of the Poet of the East, Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal, was observed with national zeal and fervour on

Monday.

Various literary, political, social and cultural organisations arranged special programmes to pay homage to the national poet and to highlight his life and thoughts.

President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan, in their separate messages on Iqbal Day, urged the need for standing united, setting aside differences and working with commitment for the

socio-economic uplift of the country.

The president, in his message, underscored the need of following Allama Iqbal’s teachings on Islam and his philosophy of ‘Khudi’ that believes in the promotion of selfrespect and human dignity, to make Pakistan a prosperous nation.

He said that Iqbal was a great benefactor of the Muslims of subcontinent, who envisioned the idea of a separate homeland for them and later his dream was translated into reality.

The prime minister, in his message, also emphasised on individual and collective responsibility in the building of the nation while exploring thoughts of Allama Iqbal. He said that Allama

Cop martyred, robbery suspeCt killed in enCounter KARACHI STAFF REPORT

A policeman was martyred and one of the two suspected robbers killed during a shootout in Karachi’s Karimabad neighbourhood late Sunday night, authorities said. The Azizabad police said that a citizen drew cash from an ATM of a private bank at Meena Bazaar. As he came out of it, two armed robbers snatched the money from him. A police officer said that a head constable, Fayaz Ali, 40, who was present there in civilian dress, challenged the robbers. In an exchange of fire, one of the two suspects and the policeman were wounded. The suspect was taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival. His identity could not be ascertained immediately. The wounded policeman was taken to the Aga Khan University Hospital for treatment where he died during treatment, said a police spokesperson. The martyred officer was posted at Azizabad and lived in the same area.

Court fines 12 pakistan nationals repatriated from turkey ISLAMABAD

Iqbal not only dreamt of Pakistan but also reflected upon the issues it would have to face after its creation.

The premier emphasised the need for seeking guidance from Allama Iqbal’s thoughts to find solutions to the issues being faced by the nation. He said that now it is their individual and collective responsibility to play their role in the

building of the nation while exploring thoughts of Allama Iqbal.

Allama Iqbal had decided to guide the Muslims of the subcontinent with his thoughts and poetry at a time when they were groping in the darkness of slavery in search of their identity, he highlighted.

With his poetry, Allama Iqbal

invoked that power with which the Muslims overcome their sense of despondency, guiding them to achieve the impossible, he added. It was due to the far-sightedness of his personality who had many years earlier predicted the contemporary problems being faced by us, he maintained.

Meanwhile, an investiture ceremony of change of guard was held at mausoleum of Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal in Lahore. A smartly turned out contingent of the Pakistan Navy assumed the responsibility of guard from Pakistan Rangers.

Station Commander of Pakistan Navy Commodore Naimatullah

president alvi inquires after Chaudhry shujaat

Pakistani Sikhs celebrate first anniversary of Kartarpur Corridor inauguration ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Sikh community in Pakistan celebrated on Monday the first anniversary of the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor, the Foreign Office (FO) said.

The visa-free border crossing from India to Kartarpur, Pakistan, was inaugurated last November just ahead of the 550th birthday of Sikhism’s founder, Baba Guru Nanak. It connects the Sikh shrines of Dera Baba Nanak Sahib, in India’s Punjab region, to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan.

The project is a rare recent example of cooperation between the nuclear arch-rivals, who came close to war in February following an attack on police in Indianoccupied Kashmir. India revoked the special status of the held region in August last year, inflaming relations once again.

“Kartarpur Corridor, also known as the “Peace Corridor”, is a true symbol of inter-faith harmony and religious unity,” the FO said in a statement.

“The Sikh as well as the international community,

Khan was the chief guest on this occasion who laid a floral wreath at the mausoleum and offered prayer.

He also penned down his comments in visitors’ book and paid tribute to the national poet.

On the occasion, Directorate General Public Relations Air Force launched a new motivational song “Shaheen-o-Mahi.” The song is not only a tribute to Allama Iqbal but also depicts his vision for the guardians of aerial defence.

The main theme of this song is to acquaint the youth with Iqbal’s philosophy of self-realisation and bravery. The song has been sung by the renowned Pakistani vocalist Zaib Bangash.

including United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who while visiting Kartarpur described it as ‘Corridor of Hope’, has immensely appreciated this landmark initiative of Pakistan.”

The Sikh community in India’s Punjab and elsewhere has long sought easier access to the temple in Kartarpur, a village just over the border in Pakistan. It was here on the banks of the Ravi river that Baba Nanak laid the foundations of a new faith. He came to this town between 1520 and 1522 and spent the last 18 years of his life.

To get there, travellers currently must first secure hard-to-get visas, travel to Lahore or another major Pakistan city and then drive to the village, which is about 4 kilometres from the Indian border.

The corridor was temporarily closed in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“As the religious places started gradually opening up around the world, Pakistan also reopened the Corridor on 29 June 2020 with Covid-related necessary health safety protocols,” the FO had said.

“India has yet to reopen the Corridor from its side and allow the Sikh pilgrims to visit Kartarpur Saheb.”

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday rang up Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and inquired after the health of his cousin and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. The veteran politician was shifted to Services Hospital, Lahore with a chest infection on Friday.

According to doctors, his condition was stable. Hussain’s nephew and PML-Q MNA Moonis Elahi had tweeted: “Ch Shujat sb has a chest infection and has been shifted to hospital. AH he is not in danger and is recovering. Thank you for all the prayers.”

During the conversation, the president prayed for Shujaat’s early recovery, his office said on Twitter. He also prayed for the early recovery of the PML-Q president.

Last week, Prime Minister Imran Khan, former president Asif Zardari and other national leaders telephoned Shujaat’s family to inquire about his health whereas Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar visited the hospital. STAFF REPORT

COAS, Chinese envoy pledge to improve relations: ISPR RAWALPINDI STAFF REPORT

Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and the new Ambassador of China to Pakistan Nong Rong have pledged to improve relations between the two countries, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Monday.

The meeting was to discuss matters of mutual

interest and regional security, the military’s media wing added. “The two noted exceptional relations between both countries and pledged to further improve the same,” ISPR said.

The Chinese ambassador last week said that China aimed to use China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a model project of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative.

“The CPEC is an important project to change the

destiny of Pakistan, and it has received the heartfelt support of the Pakistani government and people,” he said. The envoy also met with CPEC Authority Chairman Lt Gen (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa to discuss the project in depth.

Minister Counsellor Pang Chunxue and Chief Executive Officer of Corridor Affairs Authority Ali Shah were also present on the occasion, a statement issued by the Chinese embassy said.

STAFF REPORT

An anti-corruption court in Islamabad on Monday imposed a Rs1 lakh fine each on 12 Pakistan nationals who recently returned from Turkey. The judge ordered that in case of non-payment the convicts will have to spend six more months in prison. Earlier, the Federal Investigation Agency produced the immigrants before the court. One of the immigrants said that the Turkish government had returned them due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is pertinent to mention here that the Turkish government has recently launched a country-wide operation against illegal migrants. Local sources said that the authorities have arrested 124 illegal migrants, including two Pakistan nationals, in northwestern and northeastern Turkey a few days back. The officials had shifted the migrants to the local repatriation center for foreigners. In June, at least 116 more nationals stranded in Turkey owing to coronavirus pandemic and suspension of flight operations had returned to homeland via a special flight of Pakistan International Airlines.

PDM reassesses direction, Zardari stresses need for clear goals NEWS DESK During a meeting of the 11-party anti-government alliance held on Sunday, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari stressed that opening up new fronts would not produce worthwhile results.

There has been a split in the direction of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif’s comments during their first rally last month, wherein he named the military leadership as those who created a “state above a state”.

Reportedly, the 11 parties of the alliance had decided during the All Parties Conference (APC) that

they would not name any institutions and would only target the establishment.

Many members of the alliance view the APC as the mandate of the PDM and are now considering the next steps of the coalition.

Zardari, who attended the meeting online while PPP’s Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was busy campaigning in Gilgit-Baltistan, stressed that the PDM should stick to a clear goal.

Awami National Party (ANP) leader Ameer Haider Hoti and Zardari were critical of Nawaz’s comments, with the former saying that the PDM needs to change the tone of their rallies to present their demands in a better manner.

Meanwhile, PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman felt that the speech made my Nawaz was not a big deal but did admit that if people are deriving different connotations from it, then it needs to be addressed.

“This is not an issue; the media has made it an issue,” he said.

“We respect the country’s institutions, but if the names of politicians can be taken, then the name of someone belonging to the country’s institutions can also be taken. It’s not an offence,” he added.

The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief added that the premier’s past speeches against the thenincumbent government should be played as a comparison point during the jalsas.

Tuesday, 10 November, 2020

arzoo raja aged between 14-15, mediCal board informs shC KARACHI

a

STAFF REPORT

medical board constituted to determine the age of Arzoo Raja — a minor Christian girl who was allegedly abducted before being forcefully converted and married to an older Muslim man — informed the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday that the girl is aged between 14 to 15 years.

Arzoo was allegedly abducted from her residence in Karachi on October 13 and two days later her neighbour, Syed Ali Azhar, while claiming to be her husband, produced a marriage certificate saying she was of legal age, 18, and had converted to Islam.

A first information report (FIR) was lodged at Ferere police station subsequently on behalf of her father and nominated Azhar as the prime suspect. Following the filing of the complaint, the police arrested Azhar’s brothers — Syed Shariq Ali and Syed Mohsin Ali — and a friend, Danish, for allegedly abducting Arzoo.

Subsequently, a division bench — headed by Justice K K Agha — directed that the girl be taken back to a shelter home and told police to proceed against Azhar for violating the Sindh Child Marriages Restraint Act, 2013.

During earlier hearings, Arzoo had stated she had embraced Islam out of her free choice and had solemnised a free-will marriage with Azhar “without any fear or pressure”.

During Monday’s hearing, Arzoo reiterated she had not been kidnapped and had willingly married Azhar after converting to Islam.

The bench observed that according to the report presented by the medical board, the girl is between 14 to 15 years of age while the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) record showed she is 13 years old.

When the court asked Arzoo if she wished to go with her parents or to the shelter home, she insisted on going with Azhar and broke into tears.

However, the bench observed that

she appeared to be underage and could not contract a marriage of her own free will. The court ordered the girl be taken back to the shelter home and adjourned the hearing for two weeks.

Jibran Nasir, the counsel for Arzoo’s family, said that the medical report submitted to the SHC proved that the girl is “around 14 years of age”.

“Court recognises NADRA documents stating Arzoo’s age to be 13 as true. Declares prima facie she contracted child marriage,” said Nasir, who is part of the legal team fighting the case on behalf of Arzoo’s parents.

“The court has not disposed of this petition and the next hearing is after two weeks. The court is yet to determine whether Arzoo is sui juris to convert religion of free will given her age of 13. At this stage only question of child marriage has been addressed and resolved,” he said.

THE CASE: The case led to protests which started in Karachi but have since spread across Pakistan to other cities including Quetta, Lahore, and

Political leaders to be briefed on security challenges tomorrow ISLAMABAD MIAN ABRAR

The federal government has decided to brief the political leadership on the security challenges faced by the country in the National Assembly (NA) session on Tuesday. NA Speaker Asad Qaiser, has convened a meeting of the parliamentary leaders in the lower and upper houses of the parliament on November 11, 2020, at 02:00 pm.

In this regard, the NA has issued an official communication to the parliamentary leaders, inviting them to attend the meeting. The military officials would brief the parliamentary leaders on the current issues of national security. The parliamentary leaders invited to attend the meeting include Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Azam Khan Swati, Minister for Narcotics Control, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) parliamentary leader Asad Mahmood, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhary Tariq Bashir Cheema, Federal Minister for Housing and Works, Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Mohammad

Akhtar Mengal, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) chief Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) leader Khalid Hussain Magsi, Ghous Bux Khan Mashar of Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, and Amir Haider Azam Khan of Awami National Party (ANP).

Senators Mushahid Ullah Khan, Sherry Rehman, Muhammad Ali Khan Saif, Mir Kabeer Ahmad Muhammad Shahi, Molana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Usman Khan Kakar, Siraj ul Haq,. Sitara Ayaz, Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini, Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, Anwar ul Haq Kakar and Aurangzeb Khan have also been invited to attend the meeting.

Federal Ministers Pervaiz Khattak, Ijaz Ahmad Shah, Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, Shafqat Mehmood, Asad Umar and Senator Shibli Faraz, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Javed Khan, Advisor to Prime Minister Dr Zaheer Uddin Babar Awan, and Special Assistant to PM Dr Moeed Yousaf have been invited to attend the meeting as special invitees.

Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan, Prime Minister Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan and Governor Raja Jalal Hussain Maqpoon and Caretaker Chief Minister Mir Afzal have been specially invited to attend the meeting.

Court allows lawmakers to continue electioneering in GB GILGIT TLTP

The Supreme Appellate Court has suspended the verdict of GB Chief Court which ordered the expulsion of national and provincial lawmakers as well as senators from the region, barring them from taking part in the campaign for November 15 elections.

Earlier on November 7, the chief court directed members of parliament and other public office holders to leave the region within 72 hours for violating the election code of conduct. The verdict was challenged

by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in the Supreme Court (SC). A twomember bench heard the case on Monday. The court suspended the chief court’s verdict till November 12.

The top leadership of all political parties is heading to GB ahead of the elections and is organising large public gatherings.

Moreover, GB Chief Election Commissioner Raja

CEC SAYS ALL SET TO HOLD FREE, FAIR POLLS IN AUTONOMOUS REGION Shahbaz Khan has said that all necessary arrangements have been finalised to hold free, fair and transparent elections in the region. Talking to a state-run radio channel, Khan said that the election commission has dispatched ballot boxes and other relevant material to all districts. He said that training of returning officers and deputy returning officers will be initiated on Wednesday.

The CEC added that out of 1,234 polling stations to be set up, 415 have been declared highly sensitive, 339 are sensitive and 480 are normal. He said that monitoring teams have been constituted for the first time and notices have been issued to different candidates regarding the election code of conduct.

Maryam says the only solution to country’s problems is Nawaz NEWS DESK Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz took another shot at Prime Minister Imran Khan and said that the only solution to the countries problems is Nawaz Sharif. The above was said during her address in Gupis, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).

“The solution for your problems is only one, and the name of it is Nawaz Sharif,” said Maryam, adding that it had been the PML-N government which made Yasinabad into a district, but it was not given its fair share by the incumbent government in Islamabad. She expressed confidence that the people in the GB would

not vote for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as no one would board a sinking plane, but many will jump from it”. During the same address, she compared PM Imran to the coronavirus, saying that Pakistan had been dealing with Covid-19 since 2018. She added that the disease would not go away by wearing masks. “It will go away when we throw it out,” she said. Maryam, who is in GB for a seven-day campaign for the upcoming elections, said that “Imran Khan and his party of turncoats” is the disease that is ravaging the country, and that Nawaz can solve the problems faced by the people. “Mian sahab has already put him aside, telling him to stay out of this fight between elders.

Hyderabad after a judicial magistrate dismissed last month an application filed by Arzoo’s family, requesting to send her to a shelter home from the custody of her purported husband.

However, the judge upheld the marriage after Azhar claimed the girl had converted of her own free will.

According to Arzoo’s family, her purported husband lived in a house opposite theirs along with his family. “[The man who] abducted her has prepared fake papers to show that she is 18-year-old,” her mother, Rita Masih, said.

The investigating officer in the case, Inspector Shariq Ahmed Siddiqui, had stated that the victim had appeared before the high court and was sent under the protection of the station house officer of the Preedy police station in compliance with the court’s October 27 order.

He said he had called in the verification of Arzoo’s B-form, which as per the NADRA record, was authentic.

NEWS

03

pm to participate in sCo-Chs conference ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday will participate in 20th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation-Council of Heads of State (SCO-CHS), which will be conducted as a video conference due to the pandemic. The invitation to the prime minister to attend the SCO-CHS was extended

by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who would chair the meeting. Leaders from all eight SCO member states and four observer states will also attend, as well as the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres and the secretary-general of SCO, the Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson in a press release said. “The SCO-CHS is the highest forum of SCO. It adopts documents and decisions that provide policy guidelines for determining priorities and major areas of activities of the organisation. The 20th SCO-CHS will adopt 16 documents, including the Moscow Declaration, reflecting member states’ stance on important regional and international issues,” the spokesperson said. Besides Pakistan, SCO’s current membership comprises China, Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Since becoming a member in 2017, Pakistan has been actively contributing to the promotion of SCO’s multi-sectoral agenda. The SCO’s major objectives include promoting mutual confidence and strong, neighbourly relations among member states, strengthening regional peace, security and stability, and creating a framework for effective cooperation in political, cultural, trade and economy, science and technology, education, energy, transportation, tourism, environmental protection and other fields. APP

Tuesday, 10 November, 2020

04 NEWS

Govt DoesN’t Believe iN PoliticAl victiMisAtioN: sArwAr LAHORE

P

STAFF REPORT

UNJAB Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar on Monday said that the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) government does not believe in political revenge and victimisation.

The governor was talking to media persons on Monday while visiting the mausoleum of Allama Dr Muhammad Iqbal to pay respects to the great poet and thinker on his birth anniversary.

“I had opposed registration of the treason case,” Sarwar said. “The cases were not filed against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan

Four of seven accused of honour-killing held in Mirpurkhas MIRPURKHAS: Police have claimed to arrest four accused of honour-killing a 17-year-old girl at Goth Rawat Banglani. Police on Monday said that four of the seven men accused of being involved in the reported honour-killing of a 17-year-old girl in Mirpurkhas have been arrested. According to an initial investigation, the 17-year-old girl from Mirpurkhas was murdered for 'honour'. Police said that the teenager was buried shortly after she was killed in what may have been an attempt to hide the crime. Police added that three of the seven people named in the first information report (FIR) are the 17-year-old girl's brothers. TLTP

NAB committed to eliminating corruption from country: Javed ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal on Monday said that the accountability watchdog has adopted an approach of unbiased accountability in the country. “We are committed to eliminating corruption from the country,” he said while sharing the twoyear performance of the accountability watchdog.

The chairman said that they received 75,268 complaints during the past two years and resolved 66,838 of them. “2414 of these complaints were forwarded by the NAB authorities for further action,” he said, adding that they had approved 1240 enquiries and completed 1220 enquiries during the past two years. STAFF REPORT

People’s Party (PPP) by this government,” he said. It is a matter of the accountability institutions and all these cases belong to previous governments, he further said.

He said that accountability is not the job of the government or the opposition, and it should be performed by the institutions. “No talks are possible over the cases or sending the government to home,” the governor said.

“Talks should be held over the key national issues,” he further said. “Difference of opinion among political allies is part of the democratic process”, he said and expressed hope that the government’s alliance with Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) will remain intact. Earlier, the Punjab governor visited the mausoleum and laid a floral wreath at Allama Iqbal’s grave.

Murad approves compensation for rain-affected people KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday approved compensation of losses to the people affected by calamitous rainfall in the province.

“The rainwater submerged 1,752 villages in the province during the rainfall this year,” Shah was informed in a briefing on the losses in rainfall.

More than 2.2 million people were affected in Sindh during the rainfall, according to the briefing. The crops on 1.49 million acres and 2.9 million houses were damaged in the disastrous rainy spell.

Moreover, 1.29 million people were affected due to

the collapse of their houses, the chief minister was informed. Overall, 149 people were killed and 103 sustained injuries in the rainfall, the chief minister was told.

The chief minister approved compensation of losses to the affected people under the social protection policy, which will be endorsed by the Sindh cabinet in a meeting, a spokesperson of the chief minister said.

The chief minister has decided to summon a cabinet session earlier to take the decision. The chief minister said that poor and affected people will not be left unsupported.

He also directed for re-verification of the data of affected people. The compensation amount will be transferred after perusal of the national identity card, the spokesperson added.

Five Die As JeeP PluNGes iNto rAviNe iN MANseHrA MANSEHRA TLTP

At least five persons died and two others got injured when a jeep fell into a deep ravine in Battal area of district Mansehra on Monday.

According to police, a woman among five people died on the spot and two others got injured. The police said that the accident occurred when the driver lost control over the steering while taking a sharp turn. The local people and police retrieved the injured and dead from the gorge and shifted them to King Abdullah Hospital Mansehra. Earlier in February last, two people, including a woman, were killed and five others sustained critical injuries when a passenger jeep fell into a deep ravine in Charian area of Mansehra district. The jeep carrying passengers was on way to the Allari Bajri village from Garhi Habibullah when its driver could not hold control over the steering as a result of which the vehicle skidded off the road and plunged into a deep ravine.

NAPHDA chief inaugurates first prefabricated house in federal capital ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Approver accepts whitening Suleman Shehbaz’s Rs600m LAHORE TLTP

Muhammad Mushtaq alias Chini, one of the approvers in a money laundering case against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif and his family, has revealed that Suleman Shehbaz used his account to whiten a whopping Rs600 million of ill-gotten money.

In a statement recorded before a court, he said that Abdul Qayyum and his son Qasim Qayyum made transactions worth Rs600 million in his bank account through fake telegraphic transfers (TTs). He said that he handed over Rs600 million cash to Qasim Qayyum who made fake TTs in his account, showing that the amount was transferred from abroad

in his account.

Back in 2014, Chini said, he was used to whitening Suleman Shehbaz’s black money, and he was asked to help whiten Rs600 million of Suleman. When he said it was impossible for him, he was told that his account would only be used for the purpose, he added.

He said that he allowed them to use his account for the purpose due to old business ties and greed. The approver disclosed that Rs214 million worth of telegraphic transfers were made through accounts of his company in early 2014. Later in the same year, telegraphic transfers of Rs293 million were made in the account of Mushtaq and Co. He said that he handed over the cheques of the same amounts to

Muhammad Usman, chief financial officer of the Shehbaz family.

Moreover, Mushtaq said that Rs100 million were transferred into his account from Waqar Trading Company and he handed over a cheque of the same amount to Usman.

Suleman Shehbaz prepared fake loan agreements of all these transactions, which showed that he got Rs600 million loan. Later, Suleman made Rs100 million transactions in Chini’s account as loan return, he added.

Naya Pakistan Housing Development Authority (NAPHDA) Chairman Lieutenant General (r) Anwar Ali Hyder inaugurated the first pre-fabricated house here on Monday.

Speaking on the occasion, the chairman said that provision of low-cost houses to the people of low and middle classes is the government’s top priority. He said that the government would provide all out facilities to the builders and other stakeholders to materialise the dream of the prime minister for provision of accommodation to the poor and middle classes at affordable rate. A renowned Korean company G-Songuo, in association with Naya Pakistan Housing Development Authority has completed the construction of state-of-the-art modular model house. Briefing the chairman, the company representative said that the fully furnished two bedrooms house was constructed within seven days.

Tuesday, 10 November, 2020

EconoMic indicatoRS highlighting PoSitivE tREnd: PM ISLAMABAD

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successes achieved by the government in the media. "All economic indicators are highlighting a positive trend," the PM said while lamenting the opposition over spreading propaganda against the government regarding inflation.

Imran Khan maintained that it was due to the policies of the previous governments that the masses were suffering. “We have overcome the effects of their economic decisions after two years of work

STAFF REPORT

RIME Minister Imran Khan on Monday chaired a meeting of the political committee to review the overall political situation in the country as well as the government's media strategy.

The prime minister directed the members of the economic team to highlight the

and finally the economy is witnessing stability," he added. The premier said that the benefit of growing economy would soon be shifted to the masses. "The economic team should disseminate among masses as to how previous governments ruined the economy," he said, adding that the public gatherings in Swat and Hafizabad once again proved that PTI enjoyed the confidence of the masses.

Meanwhile, National Food Security

Syed Fakhar Imam Minister called on Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday and briefed on availability of essential items in the country. The meeting discussed in detail the introduction of modern seed technology in the agricultural sector and its importance for increase of agri-productions. The PM emphasised the need for strict monitoring of timely availability of food items and directed the minister to provide relief to the general public.

CCoE to take decision over unbundling of SSGC, SNGPL today ISLAMABAD AHMAD AHMADANI

The Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE), scheduled to meet today (Tuesday), is likely to grant approval for the unbundling of the two state-owned gas utility companies, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), into five smaller gas companies.

According to sources who confided in Profit, said that the CCoE will take up a proposal by the Petroleum Division re-

garding gas sector reform, particularly the dismantling government-owned gas utility companies into one transmission and four provincial companies.

They said that the Petroleum Division has been actively pursuing the break-up to ensure the sector’s sustainability. “The division has already devised a way forward to proceed with the reform agenda,” sources added.

According to the details, the newly devised gas reform agenda includes the appointment of a ‘transaction advisor’ through a competitive process whereas

the cost to be incurred during this process would be equally shared by the gas companies. “OGRA should allow the same in the companies’ revenue requirements while financing from an international donor may also be explored to accomplish the task,” sources said.

The division has suggested that an independent National Gas Transmission Company (NGTC) be formed and operate as a common carrier for existing and newly formed gas distribution companies under third-party access rules promulgated by OGRA, while the company it-

self would not be engaged in the purchase or sale of gas, being mandated to only transport gas. Similarly, multiple gas distribution companies would be created with unified principles by both SNGPL and SSGCL within the area of their jurisdiction for the operation of smaller distribution companies. These companies would be established on a technical and economical basis keeping in mind the population, network, density, gas demand, workload, supervision and efficiency for the sustainability of newly formed distribution companies.

Covid-19 positivity rate on rise in major cities despite smart lockdowns ContInuED fRoM PAgE 01 All public and private offices would be required to have 50 per cent of their staff work from home.

Additionally, all markets, shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, bakeries, wedding halls and beauty parlors have been ordered to close shop by 10:00 pm while amusement parks/recreational places can remain open until 6:00 pm.

Earlier, the government ordered work-from-home policy for half of the staff in both public and private sector offices and relatively broader smart lockdowns in the urban centres of the country as part of the second phase of measures to curb the spread of coronavirus pandemic.

The NCOC appreciated the efforts of the provinces for taking prompt and necessary measures in line with health guidelines for the safety and wellbeing of the public. The country has yet to fully utilise its testing capacity of 73,572 and is currently testing significantly below numbers proposed by global health experts. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Pakistan’s testing policies likely only record the most symptomatic patients while ignoring the spread among asymptomatic carriers, which recent studies have suggested comprise the majority of infections in the country.

Since last week, the number of single-day new cases has crossed 1,000 mark for the first time since the first

week of August.

In view of the increasing cases of Covid-19, the Punjab government has announced to impose smart lockdown in the areas with coronavirus cases whereas all such markets, bazaars, offices and wedding halls will be sealed. A meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Anti-Corona was convened on the direction of Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Monday in which important decisions were taken to save the people from the second wave of Covid-19 and to implement security measures.

The meeting decided to close all markets, bazaars, offices and public points that were violating the Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs). Reportedly, smart lockdowns will be imposed in 15 areas of the provincial capital, which has been approved by the Cabinet’s AntiCorona Committee.

These areas include New Muslim Town C Block, Tipu Block, Babar Block, Raza Block, Sikandar Block, Umar Block, Anarkali, Mozang, Gulshan Ravi, Johar Town, Township, Samanabad, DHA Phase 6, some areas of Askari XI, DHA A Block, HEFC Society B Block, Cavalry Ground and Garden Town.

The meeting also discussed the introduction of rapid testing of Covid-19, and the decision to declare Rawalpindi Institute of Urology as Covid-19 Hospital.

During the meeting, Provincial Health Minister Dr

Yasmeen Rashid said that the number of positive cases is increasing in Punjab and Covid-19 test positive rate has also increased. “418 patients are undergoing treatment in government hospitals in Punjab. The condition of 76 patients is critical. On the direction of CM Punjab, there is ample stock of essential medicines and PPA kits. The health department will procure more PCR kits for coronavirus tests,” she said.

“Every step will be taken to control the second wave of Covid-19, adding Provincial Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal. Special Assistant to Punjab CM Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Punjab chief secretary, inspector general of police, senior member of Board of Revenue, additional chief secretary home, Lahore division commissioner, secretary specialised healthcare and medical education, secretary primary and secondary healthcare, senior officers and military officials attended the meeting while the commissioners of Multan division and Rawalpindi division participated in the meeting through video-link.

Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab on Monday rejected reports that Hyderabad's positivity ratio had crossed 15 per cent, saying that it was "wrong" to make such claims.In a video message shared on his Twitter account, Wahab said that according to official data of the past few days, the positivity rate in the Hyderabad district stood at 8.7 per cent.

NEWS

05

KP businessmen demand withdrawal of power tariff hike PESHAWAR AZIZ BUNERI

Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has demanded the government to immediately withdraw the increase in electricity tariff of 48 paisa per unit on the head of fuel adjustment, terming it detrimental for industries and businesses. The demand was made by SCCI president Sherbaz Bilour while talking to different delegations of industrialists and traders here on Monday.

Stating that the coronavirus pandemic had left industries and businesses reeling, Bilour said the hike in electricity rate would further escalate industrial productivity as traders would not be able to pay off heavy bills and increase financial depression under the present uncertain and unfavourable conditions. “The price hike would affect the manufacturing sector which could halt industrialisation in the province,” he added. The SCCI chief said that National Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) had already made an increase of 48 paisa per unit in the electricity tariff on the head of fuel adjustment for one month in August 2020. He maintained that the electricity production cost was around Rs3.68 per unit in August while electricity advance fuel cost was Rs3.20 per unit in the afore-stated month, adding that additional recovery would be made from consumers in November due to the business community being burdened with Rs5billion.

Mir Shakilur Rehman gets bail after months in detention ContInuED fRoM PAgE 01 He added that NAB Chairman Justice (r) Javed Javed Iqbal had not issued arrest warrants for the director land department and director general of LDA. Explaining how the land was acquired, Pervaiz said that the total land in question was 48,883 yards and was purchased to build the neighbourhood — Johar Town. The owner of the land died and it was divided and transferred in 1985, he added. The heirs requested the LDA to grant permission to start construction on the land in 1986, which was rejected by the then-director general of LDA, the lawyer said, adding that the official wrote to Rehman saying that under the land policy, his share equalled 48,702 yards.

“Not one rupee of the government was lost during this entire matter,” he claimed. At this, Justice Qazi Amin asked whether NAB had raised the matter of the government accruing any losses to which Pervaiz replied in the negative. Pervaiz argued NAB had not accused his client of withholding payment for the property he acquired, saying that the amount was paid according to the policy. “NAB’s case is that the money should be paid according to market rates and not according to policy,” he said. Justice Yahya Afridi observed NAB had to determine whether the case was valid, according to the policy. The anti-graft body also had to disclose how many cases the accountability judge who heard Rehman’s case previously had, he added.

Pfizer says Covid-19 vaccine over 90pc effective ContInuED fRoM PAgE 01 Experts cautioned that they still needed to see the full trial data, which have yet to be peer-reviewed or published in a medical journal, but the preliminary results looked encouraging so far.

There are still many questions around the vaccine, such as how effective it is for vulnerable groups and how long it will provide immunity, and the “new normal” of social distancing and face masks looks set to remain for the foreseeable future.

BioNTech Chief Executive Ugur Sahin told Reuters he was optimistic the immunisation effect of the vaccine would last for a year though that was not yet certain.

“This news made me smile from ear to ear. It is a relief to see such positive results on this vaccine and bodes well for Covid-19 vaccines in general,” said Peter Horby, professor of emerging infectious diseases at the University of Oxford.

MARKETS SURGE: The prospect of a vaccine electrified world markets with the S&P 500 and Dow hitting record highs as shares of banks, oil majors and travel companies soared. Pfizer shares were 8.6 per cent higher in New York at 1450 GMT, while BioNTech’s stock was up 11 per cent.

Shares of other vaccine developers in the final stage of testing also rose with Johnson & Johnson up 4.5 per cent and Moderna 5.5

per cent stronger. Britain's AstraZeneca was down 3.5 per cent.

“The efficacy data are really impressive.

This is better than most of us anticipated,” said William Schaffner, infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee. “The study isn’t completed yet, but nonetheless the data look very solid.”

U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed the test results, and the market boost: “STOCK MARKET UP BIG, VACCINE COMING SOON. REPORT 90% EFFECTIVE. SUCH GREAT NEWS!” he said on Twitter.

President-elect Joe Biden said the news was excellent but did not change the fact that face masks, social distancing and other health measures would be needed well into next year.

1.3 BILLION DOSES: Pfizer expects to seek broad U.S. authorization for emergency use of the vaccine for people aged 16 to 85.

To do so, it will need two months of safety data from about half the study’s 44,000 participants, which is expected in the third week of November.

“I’m near ecstatic,” Bill Gruber, one of Pfizer’s top vaccine scientists, said in an interview. “This is a great day for public health and for the potential to get us all out of the circumstances we’re now in.”

To break the dynamic of the spread of

the coronavirus, between 55 per cent and 65 per cent of the population will need to be vaccinated, Germany’s health minister Jens Spahn told a news conference on Monday, adding that he doesn’t expect a shot to be available before the first quarter of 2021.

Pfizer and BioNTech have a $1.95 billion contract with the U.S. government to deliver 100 million vaccine doses beginning this year. They have also reached supply agreements with the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan.

The U.S. drugmaker said the interim analysis was conducted after 94 participants in the trial developed Covid-19, examining how many of them had received the vaccine versus a placebo.

Pfizer did not break down exactly how many of those who fell ill received the vaccine. Still, over 90 per cent effectiveness implies that no more than 8 of the 94 had been given the vaccine, which was administered in two shots about three weeks apart.

The efficacy rate is well above the 50 per cent effectiveness required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a coronavirus vaccine.

MORE DATA NEEDED: To confirm the efficacy rate, Pfizer said it would continue the trial until there are 164 Covid-19 cases among participants. Bourla told CNBC on Monday that based on rising infection rates, the trial could be completed before the end

of November.

Pfizer said its data would be peer reviewed once it has results from the entire trial. “These are interesting first signals, but again they are only communicated in press releases,” said Marylyn Addo, head of tropical medicine at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany.

“Primary data are not yet available and a peer-reviewed publication is still pending.

We still have to wait for the exact data before we can make a final assessment.”

The global race for a vaccine has seen wealthier countries forge multibillion-dollar supply deals with drugmakers such as Pfizer, AstraZeneca Plc and Johnson & Johnson, raising questions over when middle income and poorer nations will get access to inoculations. The U.S. has spent billions of dollars to spur vaccine development at six pharma companies including Moderna and Johnson & Johnson through Operation Warp Speed.

Pfizer is not part of that research and development program and runs its trial independently, but does have a nearly $2 billion deal to supply vaccines to the United States.

Trump repeatedly assured the public that his administration would likely identify a successful vaccine in time for the presidential election, held last Tuesday. On Saturday, Democratic rival Biden was declared the winner.

ESSENTIAL TOOLS: Vaccines are seen as essential tools to help end the health crisis

that has shuttered businesses and left millions out of work. Millions of children whose schools were closed in March remain in remote learning programs.

Dozens of drugmakers and research groups around the globe have been racing to develop vaccines against Covid-19, which on Sunday exceeded 50 million infections since the new coronavirus first emerged late last year in China. The Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine uses messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, which relies on synthetic genes that can be generated and manufactured in weeks, and produced at scale more rapidly than conventional vaccines.

Moderna Inc, whose vaccine candidate employs similar technology, is expected to report results from its large-scale trial later this month.

The mRNA technology is designed to trigger an immune response without using pathogens, such as actual virus particles.

Pfizer alone will not have the capacity to immediately provide enough vaccines for the United States. The Trump administration has said it will have enough supply for all of the 330 million U.S. residents who wish to be vaccinated by the middle of 2021.

The U.S. government has said the vaccines will be provided free to Americans, including the insured, uninsured and those in government health programs such as Medicare.

Tuesday, 10 November, 2020

06 COMMENT

The box of mixed mithai

Second wave of the pandemic Planners playing whack-a-mole

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N the last week of October, the country was warned

by Special advisor to Prime Minister on health Dr Faisal Sultan that a second coronavirus wave had appeared in Pakistan requiring imposition of strict restrictions. he cited the positivity ratio surging to 2.52.75% and a significant increase in coronavirus related mortalities. The SaPM complained that despite the pandemic not being over yet, people were not adhering to recommended precautions as they should, given the pandemic was still far from over. Federal Minister asad Umar recommended that all employees in public and private offices wear masks. SaPM Faisal Sultan warned that the government would impose a fine on people who did not follow coronavirus SOPs in public places.

Two days later the National command and Operation centre (NcOc) made it compulsory for all citizens to wear a face mask when stepping out of their homes. The NcOc called on all provinces to ensure that people wore masks and adhered to standard operating procedures (SOPs), particularly in bazaars, shopping malls, public transport and restaurants. It appears that the plan was not fully discussed with the provinces as the required action still remains to be taken. Directives without enforcement plans are no more than sermons.

On Monday the NcOc again warned that there was sharp increase in new cases of coronavirus and the total number of infections and mortalities had increased further. Without getting earlier directives enforced the NcOc has this time issued new guidelines for weddings in selected cities which are to be observed from November 20. While there is no doubt a need to regulate the marriage festivities, which are presently helping in the spread of the pandemic, there is an even greater requirement to enforce wearing of masks and maintaining social distancing by all who come out of their homes. It is a bad policy to change priorities every other weak.

What is worrisome is that all the four provinces have shown slackness in implementing the coronavirus related SOPs. If the provincial governments have capacity related issues that stand in the way of their carrying out the assignment, it is the NcOc’s job to devise ways and means to help them overcome the problem.

And related thoughts

HASAN AFTAB SAEED

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ach time a child comes into the world it is fresh proof that God has not (yet) given up on mankind. a close second to this, when it comes to the blessings of childbirths among relatives and friends, is the guaranteed box of sweets. Few things have the capacity to bring a smile to the face quite like a box of sweets; and for some unknown reason, it is infinitely more fun when you receive it than if you buy it. It has been said that if you knew how these sweets are manufactured you would never eat them. Well, most of us have not seen the process, and we can never have enough of them.

Science has left little room for doubt regarding the terrible effects of sweets on one’s health and looks. But all this information does is give them all the irresistible charm of the forbidden fruit. Plus, it is considered bad form not to ‘sweeten the mouth’ to celebrate a loved one’s happiness. Those who are otherwise conscientiously watching their weight happily allow themselves to partake in a gulab jamun or four without feeling guilty about it.

Of course, there are those brave souls who, citing their ‘on a diet’ status, politely decline the offer. The next time you encounter such a specimen, quietly leave the mithai box within his reach and observe his movements from a safe distance. chances are that before the minute is out his hand will have surreptitiously sneaked its way to the box and will have started transporting the contents into his waiting mouth. all the bet-

Press freedom under the PTI Censorship, intimidation and arrests

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ESTErDaY, after a detention of eight months, Editor Jung/Geo group Mir Shakeel-ur-rehman was released on bail by the Supreme court following a rejection of his plea by the Lahore high court earlier. The charges against him have been framed by NaB and are related to purchase of a property “illegally” 34 years ago when Mian Nawaz Sharif was chief Minister of Punjab. If the Sc proceedings are anything to go by, where NaB’s lawyer admitted that the transaction in question had not resulted in any loss to the exchequer, the accountability watchdog’s case was weak and did not merit a pretrial arrest. In this light, it becomes increasingly difficult, especially for journalists, not to draw the conclusion that the arrest was related to critical reporting of the government by Mr. rehman’s media group.

Over the past two years, a culture of self-censorship has developed within the media that is fuelled by the threat of curtailment in advertisement if a certain editorial line is not followed. Increasing incidents of temporary detainment of reporters by ‘unknown persons’ is another source of fear that restricts journalists from pursuing certain stories. There have been instances where prerecorded interviews of opposition leaders have been abruptly taken off air within few minutes of them being broadcasted. attempts to exert similar control over social media have failed miserably as well, rather embarrassingly for a government that on one hand heavily marketed the idea of ‘digital Pakistan’ while on the other introduced policy that would force major social media companies to share user data with the state as and when required. The government has gone so far as to say that certain media coverage critical of the state can be considered treasonous if it ‘unintentionally propagates the enemy’s stance’. Whenever Prime Minister Imran Khan is questioned about a media crackdown under his government, he insists that Pakistan has one of the freest presses in the world, which is not only a completely unsubstantiated statement but outright ludicrous considering how rapidly the space for dissent and critical reporting has shrunk since the PTI came to power.

HumzA AHmAD BArlAS

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varIcE is one of the deadly sins. Sadly, capitalism and the free market economy continue to fall for its intrigues. This fatal flaw in capitalism brutally exposed itself during the financial crisis of 2008. The collapse of Lehman Brothers opened our eyes to the damage that the greed of a few can cause to many.

The cabal of banking system, mortgage lenders, and credit rating agencies in the US abetted by government negligence or complicity triggered a crisis of epic proportions- a crisis that snatched away jobs, rendered several homeless and plunged the global economy into a recession.

It was perversely ironic that the banks responsible for shattering so many dreams were doling out high bonuses to their management and employees, as if they were being rewarded for making complete fools of the public.

They were, in fact, making money out of the misery of others. and when the curtains were lifted from their uncanny practices, calls for reform and accountability ran high. Still, it was perhaps too much to ask for.

Because the usual happened.

Leaders gathered around. Promised reform and accountability. Governments took one or two small steps to placate public sentiments. and the fools (read public) bought in their rhetoric of raising living standards to new heights; only to lament the depths of their folly later on.

The sages that promised reform never translated their words into action. Either because they never wanted to or perhaps, they did not know how to.

Maybe they just caved into pressure from large corporations, businesses and banks.

In order to preclude any overhaul of the system its beneficiaries- MNcs, banks, and their supporters in legislatures- constantly remind us of the immense growth and development ushered in by capitalism since the end of World War II. The crisis of 2008 is

Editor Umar Aziz

Asher John

Executive Editor

Deputy Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

Some people are of the opinion that those who have not been to Lahore are not born yet. There are others who maintain that those who have not tasted Bengali sweets do not know what sweets are. Being born and lived for many years in Lahore, and having enjoyed some of the Bengali delights, I can confidently say that the latter opinion is much better founded than the first one.

Perhaps a hybrid system will work for everyone

Arif Nizami

Joint Editor

mysteries of the universe.) This is the cue for passing on the box of sweets to the paterfamilias, which Providence has prudently provided to all families, doubtless for this very purpose.

Some people are of the opinion that those who have not been to Lahore are not born yet. There are others who maintain that those who have not tasted Bengali sweets do not know what sweets are. Being born and lived for many years in Lahore, and having enjoyed some of the Bengali delights, I can confidently say that the latter opinion is much better founded than the first one.

The inexplicably high number of mithai shops in the country has always puzzled those of a thoughtful bent. Granted that the nation enjoys robust wedding and birth rates; but are they high enough to render so many of such establishments economically feasible? Even if one adds court judgments that send the sales of sweets soaring before their Urdu translation becomes available, it hardly adds up. here Mr Farshori comes to our rescue once again. (What would we do without him?) according to him, tall creatures dressed in white have been observed to frequent mithai shops just before their closing hours. his hypothesis: the excess sweets are bought by djinns.

Though yet to pass muster as a theory, this has the merit of beautifully accounting for disposal of the tonnes of mithai manufactured in the country every day. One is reminded of the incomparable Dr Bashiruddin Mahmood, who first came up with the proposal of using the untiring energy of djinns to produce electricity. If we could somehow combine the two ideas and devise a way to make djinns manufacture sweets too! That would be a win-win for everybody. It would also give a new meaning to the phrase: ‘Untouched by human hands.’

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

A systems failure

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

ter if the scene is recorded for the benefit of posterity, for the expressions on the discovery of being caught are usually priceless. But do not be too harsh on him for it requires superhuman resolve to resist this temptation; and probably even that is not enough. For according to Mr Khalid Farshori, our leading authority on supernatural phenomena, the litmus test for whether a house is haunted is to see if sugar and sweets are consumed without human involvement. One occasionally hears reports suggesting that djinns have a penchant for mischief, but who would have thought they possessed a sweet tooth as well? and if djinns find the sugary temptation irresistible, what chance do we poor sapiens have?

Talking of sweets, where have the balu shahi and the laddu gone? Laddu used to be a fixture in all weddings till as late as the start of the current millennium. Sadly, not anymore. In some families balu shahi was reserved for the birth of a baby girl whereas laddu for that of a baby boy. This subtle distinction was in line with the sentiment held by expecting parents and others in the family, namely: ‘We don’t mind if the baby is a boy or a girl, as long as it is a boy.’ The practice was no doubt in questionable taste, but there is no reason why laddu and balu shahi should have had such a spectacular fall from grace.

When it comes to the box of mixed sweets, there is an invariable sequence to how the items are eaten.

The dark coloured gulab jamuns are always the first to disappear from the box, followed in strict order by oval gulab jamuns, barfi, and then chum chum – white ones followed by pink ones. (Some people mistakenly refer to chum chum as rus gulla. Well, call a rose by any name, etc.) So long as the above delicacies are there to be had, nobody as much as looks at the other contents of the box. Strangely enough, once these are no more, the remaining items also start getting consumed until one is left with unnamed atrocities that nobody dares to lay his hand on. (Why they make them in the first place is one of the enduring

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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treated only as a momentary turbulence in an ocean of calm and prosperity. The ocean, of course, is capitalism.

Sometimes, critics of the system are conveniently labelled communist propagandists.

That capitalism is here to stay is a foregone conclusion. The end of history of sorts. how true is that?

Quite to the contrary, the enormous difficulties caused by the financial crisis of 2008 have in fact strengthened the case for state intervention in the economic sphere. In other words, these have struck at the very heart of laissez faire.

The failure to reform capitalism and ensure wider circulation of wealth is causing cracks within the system. The demand for state-led intervention to fix capitalist vices is growing stronger.

Of special importance is the demand for social safety nets and universal incomes. as the discontents of capitalism raise their heads against the travesties of the system, its beneficiaries will try to undo calls for change. already, we are witnessing all over the world a fierce contest between the elite’s greed and the poor’s need- a contest that is being accentuated by populist leaders.

Depending on which side ultimately wins, the future could either be one of shared prosperity or of too few holding too much of global wealth.

But if greed can be regulated by the states and moderated by compassion, perhaps a far better system can be allowed to evolve. a reformed capitalism of sorts.

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

a system that has a free market economy which is free enough to allow accumulation of private wealth but not too free to permit exploitation of the poor. a system that allows for adequate checks and balances against malpractice. above all, a system that at the very least guarantees subsistence to all.

Sounds utopian, right?

There is nothing wrong in assuming the best for everyone. In fact, that is far better than wishing prosperity for a few at the expense of the rest. Scattered progress doesn’t really serve the purpose of human advancement. Striving for a future that carries the promise of good and welfare for all segments of society is essential for meaningful growth. The lust of a few cannot be allowed to dominate the larger goal of holistic development. a system that only tends to satiate the greed of a few while neglecting others is a system built on cruelty, vice and savagery. avarice, as we know, is one of the deadly sins. Succumbing to its machinations will halt human advancement and ultimately lead to a catastrophe.

The only way to prevent such a catastrophe is to invest in shared progress.

Investing in humanity is the only way forward. Blinkered development is a recipe for unrest and social discord. It only creates the illusion of prosperity whereas in reality only a small minority benefits at the expense of a large majority.

Bridging the gap between the haves and have nots will create an atmosphere of shared prosperity and fulfil the promise of human development.

Investing in humanity is the only way forward. Blinkered development is a recipe for unrest and social discord. It only creates the illusion of prosperity whereas in reality only a small minority benefits at the expense of a large majority.

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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The writer is a graduate in Public Administration from the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST). He can be reached at humza.a.barlas@gmail.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Tuesday, 10 November, 2020

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

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

Congratulations Pakistan cricket team PaKISTaN cricket team showed consistency by winning the second match of the three match T20 series against Zimbabwe to win the shortest format of the game series by 2-0 with one match remaining. Babar azam has scored two fifties in both matches to assist his team to win over Zimbabwe. although in the first Twenty20 match, the visitors gave tough time to the hosts, but in the second one, Pakistan completely dominated. It may be mentioned here that Zimbabwe have lost thirteen T20 International matches against Pakistan including this. additionally, Zimbabwe has never won a match against Pakistan during the last 22 years in Pakistan apart from the last bilateral (ODI) in the ongoing series. I hope the streak would be continued and the team would show better performances in the upcoming series as well.

Hamal m.NaHEEm BugH

Standing for Kashmir

I want my American dream back A once great nation divided by one man

Dr AloN-BEN mEir

A

S a little Jewish boy in the streets of Baghdad I was looked upon by arab boys my age as inferior. I became accustomed to it as if it were a natural phenomenon which I could do little to change.

When my family and I landed in Israel following the historic exodus of the Iraqi Jews I did not understand why we were uprooted to go to a foreign land. But even at that tender age of nine or ten I felt that being among other Jewish boys I would no longer be looked down upon; but that was not the case. I wondered why, why?

‘We are Sephardic Jews,’ my brother told me ‘the ashkenazi Jews do not think of us as equal’ and so, living among my fellow Jews did not change my plight.

I left Israel to study in Europe and could not help but look back but in anger. To my chagrin, though not as much to my surprise here too, in the cradle of Western democracies, racism and discrimination were just under their skin. and I could feel it deep in my veins. In France I was seen as an undesirable intruder. In England, a foreigner, a stranger. Though I loved the European culture and their way of life Europe was not a welcoming home to meet my yearning desire. all the while I had been hearing about the “american dream” The magic, the sound these two words exude wholly captured my imagination.

Going back to the lands that rejected me was no longer the path I’ll travel as my longing to reach the american shores was the only thing that was anchored in my mind.

I imagined america as the land of the free that gave voice to the forgotten. Where race,

color, and creed do not matter and human rights are guarded with zeal. Where the ingathering of all cultures and people made it richer and human resources and talent knew no limits or constraints.

Where opportunity awaits the able and generosity is extended to the needy. Where everyone is equal before the law and political differences are valued to make america better.

Where sacrifices are willingly made to right the wrong and morals and fortitude guide its leaders. Where caring about friends and allies is the hallmark of the nation and opposing oppression near and far is the emblem that distinguished america. This is the character of america, This is the soul of america. This is what made america great.

The america that gave me a home. The america that fulfilled my dreams.

These were the ideals that held americans together and with all that america stands for and believes in. america was never and is not a perfect union and every president— from Lincoln to Nixon has transgressed in one form or another.

But then america’s strive to live up to its ideals has and will always be as if it were a new endeavour and no country in human history has risen to govern with such a vision and resolve placing the right of the individual at the core of its constitution. With all of its faults and failings Two hundred and forty years of the american experience have made america the beacon for all nations.

Young and old, large and small countries looked at america with awe and admiration.

Never has it occurred though to the multitude of americans that one man, in four short years would nearly shatter everything that america stood for. he sullied the country’s character and fouled its soul. he gravely injured its revered institutions and battered its unity as one nation. he alienated americans from one another and basked in the polarization and division he gleefully fostered. he betrayed america’s

friends and allies and cozied up to its adversaries and foes. he tarnished america’s exceptionalism and grace and sacrificed its greatness on the altar of his illusions and shame.

Trump is cunning, cruel, and corrupt, deranged, delinquent, and deceptive. he is a narcissist, white supremacist, and racist a bigot, brutal, and beastly.

Not a single maligning word in the English dictionary does not fit Trump’s personality and demeanor.

Four more years of Trump would have irreparably impaired america, tear the country asunder, weaken its exemplary institutions, sow chaos, trepidation, and fear threaten liberty and the freedom of the press and gravely poison the socio-political order.

Four more years of Trump in power would have permanently squandered america’s leadership role, bankrupt america’s moral standing, embolden america’s enemies, compromise the security of our allies, and leave america’s foes to cheer its decline.

No man should be allowed to destroy america’s noble experience. his enablers— the republican leadership their deafening silence is nothing short of treason. history will condemn them for having sold their country by putting their personal and party interest before the nation’s. They are so intoxicated with power caring less where america will be after four more years of Trump.

No, america will never be the same if they are allowed to crush the once-cherished american dream. and as long I can discern right from wrong, I will fight alongside millions of my fellow americans to restore america’s greatness and grace.

Because I want my american dream back.

Four more years of Trump in power would have permanently squandered America’s leadership role, bankrupt America’s moral standing, embolden America’s enemies, compromise the security of our allies, and leave America’s foes to cheer its decline.

Dr Alon Ben-Meir is a professor of international relations at the Centre for Global Affairs at NYU. He teaches courses on international negotiation and Middle Eastern studies. alon@alonben-meir.com

ThE International Lawyers Forum hosted a reception in the honour of hamza Farooque (Kashmri leader) who is the great grandson of Moulvi abdullah (known as the Socrates of Kashmir and the Mentor of the Great Kashmiri Leader Shiekh abullah), at a local hotel. after the recitation of the holy Quran and National anthem, Barrister habibullah Bolach presented Sindhi ajrak, Mehmood Khan advocate presented the Jinnah cap and Sulman Farad presented flowers to the chief guest hamza Farooque.

Speaking on this occasion Nasir ahmed advocate, chairman ILF said he is the great grandson of Moulvi abdullah, stating that his family strived with immense efforts for the pursuit of freedom for occupied Kashmir. he further went on to appeal to the new President Elect, Joe, Biden, to take necessary steps regarding human rights violation in occupied Kashmir & decimation amendment in law. hamza Farooque speaking on this occasion stated that he will make sure that “a complete diplomatic offensive like never before in Pakistan’s history” will be taken with Pakistan developing a much stronger stance on all legal points concerning Kashmir. he appealed to the aid of the Government of Pakistan and the Foreign Ministry to liaise with him to achieve this goal. hamza Farooque regarded article 370 of the Indian constitution to be an unconstitutional abomination which now has officially led to India being nothing more than an occupational force in occupied Kashmir. hamza Farooque further went on to state that this is a game changer in the dynamics of this crisis as the abrogation of the constitution came within only one month of the Office of the United Nations high commissioner for human rights releasing a report condemning India on the severe human rights violations seeking to probe into the issue. The human rights report was released on the 8th of July, 2019 and the Indian constitution removed article 370 on the 5th of august, 2019. Not only did India refuse the report, but being afraid of the consequences of an official UN probe which would ultimately expose India for the atrocities committed by the BJP Government they removed the article to justify the tyranny as an “internal matter”.

JamSHEd ali KHowaJa KaracHi

Shocking statement PaKISTaN’S deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has blamed the chief of army Staff and some other senior officials of the Pakistani army, taking their names in a public rally, which is against all sense and political convention. he blamed these respectable figures for the current political situation in the country, as the Opposition has held their massive joint rally against PM Imran Khan-led government. Listening to this shocking statement, I thought a little and became astonished about his policies during his rule and now then blames the selected.I recognize the country is going through a very difficult period. But according to our prestigious Prime Minister, he needs to promote his work of making those in trouble who were involved in making the country’s status so outrageous. We hope Nawaz would soon reveal evidence to support the government.

BarKatullaH turBat

It is business now aMErIca has chosen Joe Biden as next President. after all the hype and hoopla, things have started to settle down now. The whole world had been keenly watching this american election. I had then been getting the news doses from channels like BBc, cNN. True, the US has been grappling with so many crises compared to before. Even before the election, there were reports of violence and racial slurs across the region. hence, it has been proved that america is now nothing short of a mix of people from various backgrounds from across the world. Pointing the finger at others won’t do any good. It is in the right frame of mind to appreciate the good things done by predecessors instead of criticizing. In my native areas like Korkai, Tuticorin, Tiruchendur, Nagercoil, Tirunelveli, Marthandam, Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, the people have been remembering and admiring the good job of ancestors my grandfather was a renowned government servant in ancient times.

The newly elected Joe Biden team has huge responsibility ahead. Last time around, I had gone through some serious letters from american farmers in newspapers like ThE WaShINGTON POST, ThE NEW YOrK TIMES. They were talking about crises in their farming and livelihood. The machinery of the media and government must talk seriously of these issues. The world history has been witness to numerous bright explorers from the West-most of whom had travelled widely across the East. The USa should pay more attention to the happenings in asia that has been not only the energy machine but also home to giant economies. It is back to serious and sincere business. having been home to almost everything from farm produce to technology, the US is now bound for extensive hard work by default in the best interests of all. Team Biden should handle crises coming from within and emerging from across the world through proper policies and making the most of the mandate given by the people out there.

P SENtHil SaravaNa durai mumBai

Tuesday, 10 November, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

A prevIew of BIden’s foreIgn poLIcy THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW PRESIDENT AND THE OLD ONE? EXPERIENCE, CIVILITY AND APPRECIATION OF ALLIES

BloomBerg

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JAmes stAvridis

got to know Joe Biden when I was a combatant commander for the Barack Obama administration, first at the U.s. southern Command and then most deeply in my four years at the North atlantic treaty Organization. Once, at a dinner hosted by america’s NatO ambassador in Brussels, I watched the then-vice president meet with ambassadors and foreign ministers from the 27 other nations then in the alliance.

Biden walked around the large table and was able to comment in depth on any number of the countries, from huge Germany to tiny Iceland, with a short vignette about a visit to this or that city, or a telling anecdote concerning a head of state, or a comment on current policy. this was not the result of memorized crib sheets from his staff: Biden did it off the top of his head, and it was a natural and unforced demonstration of his long term of service not just domestically, but also in the larger world.

While the 2020 election campaign understandably focused on domestic issues,

Biden is a former chairman of the senate Foreign Relations Committee, and reinforcing america’s geopolitical primacy will be high on his agenda.

He will bring a deeply experienced team of foreign and security policy advisers with him into government, many veterans of the Obama administration. Having worked alongside nearly all of them, I would say this might be the deepest initial bench any president has brought to the White House in the post-Vietnam era. among them: Nicholas Burns, William Burns and tony Blinken held top jobs at the state Department; avril Haines and Michael Morell similarly helped guide the CIa; Michele Flournoy, Lisa Monaco and Jeh Johnson filled senior roles involving defense and homeland security; susan Rice was ambassador to the United Nations and national security adviser.

Whether all of these serious players will take on official roles remains to be seen, but it is a very good start. and a real strength of a Biden foreign policy team would likely be stability. Donald trump has had four national security advisers in as many years.

Look for members of a Biden team to have long terms. as we begin to contemplate the Joe Biden approach to the world, it is worth examining the similarities and differences with the outgoing trump administration. It may come as a surprise, but many aspects of foreign and security policy will likely continue on their current trajectory, albeit with different style and grace notes.

Biden has signaled that he intends to take a relatively tough stance on China, for example. this will include continuing to ad-

dress the pre-Covid basket of challenges the U.s. has with Beijing: claims of territoriality and construction of artificial islands in the south China sea; trade and tariff imbalances; intellectual property theft; and shadowy conflicts in cybersecurity. there will also be continuing pressure on various terrorist groups, including alQaeda, the so-called Islamic state, and al shabaab in East africa. Likewise, with economic and diplomatic pressure on the corrupt Nicolas Maduro regime in Venezuela. and the general idea of bringing home troops from “the forever wars” is likely, albeit at a more measured pace based on conditions on the ground.

But the differences are going to be far more pronounced than the similarities. at the top of the list will be an immediate (and sensible) return to the Paris Climate accords, moving the U.s. back into a leadership role in international environmental efforts. this is a potential zone of cooperation with China that I suspect will be explored seriously. this more collegial global effort in climate will lay alongside a generally higher appreciation for cooperation with other international organizations: the World Health Organization and other United Nations entities; regional groups such as the Organization of american states and association of southeast asian Nations; and, dear to my heart, NatO. similarly, this team will be more inclined to invest in treaties as tools to help shape the world in ways that help U.s. objectives. at the top of the list will be a new strategic arms limitation agreement with

‘Islam’ is not in crisis, liberalism is WHEN THE WORLD IS FACING UNPRECEDENTED POVERTY, VIOLENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL COLLAPSE, IT ASTONISHES THAT ONE COULD SUGGEST THAT MUSLIMS OR “ISLAM” ARE UNIQUELY IN CRISIS

Al JAzeerA

L

AsAd dAndiA

ast month, French President Emmanuel Macron declared in an address to the nation that “Islam is a religion that is in crisis today all over the world”. In the same speech, he unveiled a political programme for strengthening laïcité, France’s unique iteration of secularism that stringently restricts religion in the public sphere. since then, a brutal decapitation of a schoolteacher, the vicious stabbing of two Muslim women and diplomatic spats have reignited global anxieties about the entanglement between Islam and laïcité.

Much has been written about France’s weaponisation of laïcité to discriminate against Muslims and on the history of French liberalism as a rationale for the brutal colonisation of millions of peoples across asia and africa – what it called its “mission civilisatrice” (civilising mission). this violence is as much part of French history as its revolutionary triad of liberté, égalité, and fraternité (liberty, equality and fraternity).

It is only the latter, however, that is ever mentioned as France’s contribution to modernity. there is seldom a reckoning with the dark underbelly of liberalism, and the unparalleled violence that was, and continues to be, meted out to its historic Others. But Muslims – having borne the brunt of French (and other) colonialism, imperialism and racist violence – know it all too well. Indeed, for many, Macron’s call for an “Islam of the Enlightenment” is viewed as the latest development in that history.

When I first read Macron’s remarks about Islam in crisis, the immediate question that occurred to me was: Who is this “Islam” and has anyone checked up on them? the

truth is that the trope of “Islam” as Enlightenment liberalism’s oppositional foil has been discussed so much that it need not be examined here. Let us, however, take Macron’s statement descriptively: Is Islam in crisis? to answer that question, we would have to begin with defining the terms.

If by “Islam”, Macron means Muslim minorities in North america and Western Europe, then on the contrary, there has never been a more exciting time to be Muslim. In fact, it is precisely in “the West” – which Macron and his predecessors have long positioned as the antithesis of “Islam” – where some of the richest discourses among Muslims are emerging. the advent of mass literacy, mass migration and information technology (including social media) have collectively facilitated a vibrant cultural and intellectual transformation among Muslims in the Global North, the likes of which preceding generations could never have imagined.

Never have more Muslims been so actively engaged in creatively studying, interpreting, contesting and embodying their tradition as they are today.

Muslim women are bringing to the fore their subjectivities to assert their agency and challenge traditional authority in exegesis, ethics, politics and more, without the need for white liberal saviours. Black Muslims and Muslims of african descent, whose long history of resistance in the americas is welldocumented, are at the forefront of social justice organising, calling on people to think more capaciously about imagining a world beyond policing, prisons and the carceral logics of nation-states. the growing body of scholarly literature on Islam in the English language, be it in academic settings or in normative confessional settings (with the two often cross-pollinating one another) – led by Muslims – further bears witness to the flourishing of Islam in the West. It is safe to say that English, once a language of Empire, reclaimed by its subjects and their descendants and now globalised, is as much an “Islamic” language as are Persian or Malay.

In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, Muslims – particularly in the United states – were compelled to position themselves as loyal patriots committed to the myths of american exceptionalism in order to avoid being suspected of being a fifth column. For a long time, Muslims sought a “seat at the table” to demonstrate this loyalty. today, Muslim communities are spending less time seeking a seat at the table and more time building tables of their own, without having to pander to power. they are articulating a consciousness with an acute awareness of the various structures of Islamophobic violence that have in large part been responsible for shaping their global dispossession, subjugation, surveillance and more. and yes, that includes challenging the state violence exerted by places like the Us and France.

Like other traditions that challenge the hegemony of the dominating global order of racial capitalism and white supremacy, be it Black, Indigenous, Marxist or feminist traditions – all of which intersect and inform each other – the Islamic tradition has carved its place as one that has its own critiques to offer, drawing from a 1,400-year heritage spanning from the americas to Morocco to Indonesia. I would argue this is a testament to the richness and vibrancy of the Muslim community than to its stagnation or backwardness. But what if by “Islam”, Macron meant the Muslim world? there is no doubt that the “Muslim world” (in quotes because the category is not without its problematics) is struggling. the aftermath of the arab spring has thus far had mixed results, most devastating in syria, Libya and Yemen. the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the Indian occupation of Kashmir continue unabated. Right-wing nationalist movements have either overtaken or are gaining ground in turkey and Pakistan.

Dissidents continue to be imprisoned in Iran. the Gulf arab monarchies marshal a façade of social liberalisation that is overshadowed by the quashing of political rights.

Iraq and afghanistan remain entangled in myriad power struggles amid the fallout of

Russia, to replace the expiring New staRt pact, and perhaps over time with China. Russia has signaled a willingness to hammer out an accord. a Biden administration will also consider revisiting the intermediate-range nuclear forces treaty, which was abandoned by the trump administration; the open skies agreement for nuclear weapons verification; and possibly the Iranian nuclear deal. all of this will signal a return to classic diplomacy.

I am being asked often about the defense budget under President Biden. Despite some calls from the left wing of the Democratic Party to slash defense deeply, I suspect the dollar amount will stay flat or drop by a percentage or two. there will, however, be a realignment within that budget to emphasize 21st-century tools of warfare: cybersecurity; unmanned vehicles (not just aerial drones, but also satellites, unmanned submarines and surface ships); special Forces; hypersonic weapons; and artificial intelligence. this will come at the expense, probably, of troop levels and some number of very expensive large platforms (aircraft carriers and army brigade combat teams). Modernization of the nation’s nuclear arsenal, begun under Obama, may be put on hold.

In terms of individual nations, the degree of similarity and difference between trump and Biden will vary. Iran should expect a return to negotiations, but not to the exact previous nuclear deal. North Korea may find a willingness to consider creative solutions, such as allowing it some number of nuclear weapons but with restrictions and inspections on delivery systems. two leaders who enjoyed privileged ac-

america’s forever wars. the Balkans are seeing a revival of the same exclusionary nativism that led to the Bosnian genocide.

While many of these crises overlap, each of them is also the consequence of particular historical circumstances that demand rigorous analyses which are beyond the purview of this essay. Even a cursory glance at the factors that shaped them makes it very clear that these crises can hardly be boxed into a totalising discourse about “Islam in crisis” – a discourse which serves as nothing more than a cover to avoid grappling with the very complicated histories that brought the “Muslim world” to where it is today.

What is overlooked is that despite all of this, the spirit of the arab spring is alive and well and has extended to Iraq, algeria, sudan and Lebanon in the last year. Palestinians and Kashmiris maintain their decades-long struggles for justice and rights against ostensibly liberal democracies.

Women’s and minority-led movements in turkey, Pakistan and Iran continue to galvanise against discrimination, patriarchy and state violence.

Gulf arab dissidents refuse to toe the line of their autocrats by raising their voices against repression. Muslims of India mobilised the largest mass-led demonstrations asserting their rights.

For all of the above, justice is a question of when, not if. against all odds, Muslim populations and their allies continue to show that when the world brings its worst, they offer their best. In the face of Pharaoh, Muslims become a Moses.

What is also overlooked is the role of liberal american and French governments in sustaining the very illiberal systems of oppression they claim to oppose. the Us and France are staunch allies of Israel, India, Egypt and the Gulf arab states, all of whom continue to enjoy uncritical american and European patronage and weapons; even Iran, an avowed enemy of the West, paradoxically benefits when america’s crippling sanctions and threats to its sovereignty allow Iranian leaders to shore up national legitimacy.

We ought to interrogate the kind of liberalism where american and French warplanes and corporations can permeate borders in one direction while refugees are kept out from the other; where the advancement of this liberalism depends on the entrenchment of illiberal regimes and policies; where what was previously colonial exploitation by imperial metropoles is now translated into postcolonial extortion, sanctions and threats via international institutions and corporations.

When the world at large is witnessing an unprecedented surge in far-right movements, the breakdown of governing insti-

cess and a warm relationship with trump — Recep tayyip Erdogan of turkey and Vladimir Putin of Russia — are unlikely to find that same degree of friendliness.

With China, look for the development of a stand-alone China strategy, which will probably have carrots and sticks in the mix. a Biden team will also push on human rights and political freedoms in respect to Hong Kong, taiwan and the Uighurs. traditional allies, both in the Pacific and Europe, will have willing partners in the Pentagon and state Department. arab states such as saudi arabia will find a pragmatic ally looking to construct a coalition to put pressure on Iran, but also one that will hold them to task on human rights.

Many Israelis will be sorry to see trump go but will quickly accommodate themselves to Biden. He has a long and strong personal relationship there and, for example, will not seek to reverse the move of the U.s.

Embassy from tel aviv to Jerusalem. the Biden team will support strengthened ties between Israel and the arab states in the face of Iranian challenges.

In africa and Latin america, there will be sincere respect (e.g. no more allusions to “shithole countries”) and an effort to construct win-win solutions to our differences. allies and friends will be wary after four years of divisiveness and the policy of america First — which at times trended toward america alone, as the administration withdrew from agreements, pulled back troops, and walked away from traditional methods of doing business. a Biden administration won’t make all of them happy on all issues. But nearly every one of them will welcome a change.

James Stavridis is a retired U.S. Navy admiral and former supreme allied commander of NATO, and dean emeritus of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

tutions, skyrocketing inequalities and impending climate catastrophe, it astonishes that one could suggest that Muslims or “Islam” are uniquely in crisis. We would do better to understand that our challenges are interconnected, and to suggest that “Islam” is the sole – or even a meaningful – unit of analysis or explanatory factor for crisis is tenuous at best.

It is in fact liberalism – the political philosophy birthed out of the Enlightenment which marshalled freedom, equality, and autonomy – that is in crisis. Its ideals are hardly exclusively of European provenance, being as they are present in numerous non-European traditions, but it is Europe’s stream that dominates the global terrain today.

From the left, liberalism is charged with being founded upon violent and racist dispossession of its historic Others and birthing the system of global inequality that exists today. Its staunchest critics from this side include american philosopher Cornel West and Indian writer Pankaj Mishra. these critics argue that the “chickens have come home to roost” for liberal states, as the violence they wrought upon the world’s masses has now exposed their cracks, which can no longer be veiled by the veneer of equality and freedom, which were conditional to begin with.

While critics from the left may cherish the freedoms of liberalism with the aim of transcending them through political economy, liberalism’s critics from the right – such as american scholars Patrick Deneen and adrian Vermeule – castigate its very foundations. they view it as an atomising and suffocating ideology that untethers human beings from any sense of community or social commitment to one another.

While the left and right may disagree on the solutions, both know that the time for liberalism’s reckoning has come. Even american political scientist Francis Fukuyama, patron-saint of liberalism, is sounding the alarm bells.

Macron can rest assured that Islam will be all right; that Muslims have overcome many a crisis and will overcome many more. as for those of us who are concerned for humanity at large, now is the time to think deeply together, to lean in to one another, and to listen with a spirit of openness and empathy as we face the global crises that threaten Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Who knows, maybe this “Islam” can offer a thing or two to address liberalism’s crisis.

Asad Dandia, an educator and organiser is a graduate student of Islamic Studies at Columbia University.

Tuesday, 10 November, 2020

buSINESS 09

CORPORATE CORNER Ufone, AJM Pharma join hands for clinical trials of Covid vaccine in Pakistan KARACHI: Ufone has joined hands with AJM Pharma (Pvt) Ltd to offer a reliable call center solution. Call center representatives will provide information related to the clinical trials of novel coronavirus vaccine. People can access information about hospitals/research sites performing the clinical trials in the country, register themselves as volunteers for the trial and also get an online prescreening by calling the helpline. Ufone executed the entire process of call center deployment along with recruitment and training within a week that helped AJM Pharma in timely execution of their new project. The vaccine candidate Ad5-nCoV, intended to prevent Covid19 caused by SARS-CoV-2, is jointly developed by CanSino Biologics Inc and the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology.

ACE Money Transfer, Bank Alfalah partner for cross border payments LAHORE: ACE Money Transfer has advanced its services and partnership with Bank Alfalah by launching a mega incentive campaign for its customers sending remittances to Pakistan and which are paid by Bank Alfalah. Customers stand to win various prizes, including high-end laptops, smartwatches, motorbikes, gift vouchers and a grand bumper prize of a brand new 1.8L Honda Civic car. “By launching this incentive campaign with Bank Alfalah, we look forward to giving back to our customers who trust our services with their hard-earned money,” said Rashid Ashraf, CEO of ACE Money Transfer. “By working with them we have significantly expanded the scope of our services including instant account deposit service to all bank accounts in Pakistan.”

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTCL) has collaborated with DETASAD (DETECON Al Saudia Co Ltd), a Saudi-German joint venture and a leading contributor to the ICT sector of Saudi Arabia, to establish a digital cloud marketplace in Pakistan.

GOvT MAy fURThER ExTENd CONCEssiONAl RlNG sUPPly TO UREA PlANTs Till fEB 2021 ISLAMABAD

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SHAHZAD PARACHA

HE federal government is likely to extend concessional RLNG supply to urea plants till February 2021, it was learnt on Monday.

Sources said that the Ministry of Industries and Production has sent a summary to the Economic Coordination of Committee (ECC) seeking extension of subsidized gas supply to Agritech Ltd and Fatima Fertilizer. The ministry opined that local production would help the government overcome any possible shortage of urea.

The ECC, in its last meeting, had constituted a three-member committee under the chairmanship of

'PM Imran to inaugurate Rashakai Economic Zone on 21st' PESHAWAR AZIZ BUNERI

National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has said that the Rashakai Economic Zone, which has been built under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan on November 21.

Qaiser announced this while talking to media after a review meeting on the Rashakai Economic Zone inauguration at the residence of CPEC Committee Chairman and NA Member Arbab Sher Ali Khan on Monday. Federal Defence Minister Pervez Khan Khattak was also present on the occasion.

"The Rashakai Economic Zone will usher in a new era of growth that will help further develop our economy," Qaiser said.

"The incumbent government is taking all possible steps to develop the country's economy on modern lies, besides ensuring welfare of the people and promoting trade relations with Afghanistan."

He said that trade expansion with Afghanistan would not only provide employment opportunities to

KARACHI: Byco Petroleum Pakistan Ltd has partnered with Daraz to launch its flagship online lubricants store on Daraz. Byco’s flagship store on daraz.pk is currently live now and will offer customers a safe and reliable platform to choose from its extensive range of authentic lubricants, specially formulated for passenger-cars, motorcycles, and diesel-engines.

ISLAMABAD The Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDC) registered a sales’ revenue of Rs59.528 billion for the first quarter (July-Sept) of FY21 as compared to Rs66.204 billion in the corresponding year of last year.

“Despite coronavirus pandemic and a natural decline in existing hydrocarbon deposits, OGDC managed to produce around 36,221 barrels per day (BPD) of crude oil, 904 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) gas and 714 tonnes per day (TPD) of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the first quarter of FY21. The company, during the corresponding period of the last year, had extracted 37,560 BPD crude oil, 960 MMCFD gas and 702 TPD of LPG,” the company’s quarterly report available with APP stated.

During the period under review, the company contributed around 47pc, 29pc and 36pc towards the country’s total oil, natural gas and LPG production, respectively.

OGDC also injected two new wells, producing 65,233 barrels crude oil and 368 MMCF gas in its production gathering system besides carrying out 27

ISLAMABAD: The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has issued a notification to increase the price of electricity by Re0.4828 per unit, putting an overall burden of Rs5 billion on the consumers. According to a notification issued by NEPRA on Monday, the authority, after incorporating the aforementioned adjustments, has reviewed and assessed an increase of Re0.4828/kWh in the applicable tariff for XWDISCOs on account of variations in the fuel charges for the month of August 2020. STAFF REPORT

work-over jobs at mature fields to arrest the natural decline and sustain oil and gas production.

However, the report said, oil and gas output was impacted by natural decline at Dakhni, Kal, Pasakhi and Tando Alam fields coupled with the non-revival and partial revival of wells.

During the three-month period, the company had spud four exploratory and development wells including Juna-1, Sheen Dund-1, Nangpir-1 and Qadirpur-62, and completed drilling and testing of seven wells pertaining to the previous fiscal year, whereas total drilling stood at 17,620 metres.

The company, being the market leader in Pakistan’s exploration and production sector, holds the largest exploration acreage which as of September 30 stood at 77,591 sq. km, representing 37pc of the country’s total area under exploration.

Further, the OGDCL acquired a 975 line kilometre (LKM) of 2D seismic data in comparison to 556 line km in the corresponding period last year. The acquired seismic data represented 80pc of total 2D seismic data acquisition in the country.

Moreover, around 1,271 LKM of 2D seismic data and 1,800 sq. km 3D seismic data were also processed using in-house resources.

tion based on the recent increase in minimum support price for wheat and governments' (federal and provinces) plan of subsidizing urea to farmers.

FERTILIZER SUBSIDY PACKAGE: Moreover, the government is finalizing a Rs37 billion Fertilizer subsidy package, under which the center and provincial governments will give subsidies to farmers on fertilizer purchases.

Sources said that the Punjab government has agreed to provide a subsidy of up to Rs200 per bag of urea to farmers; however, Sindh and KP were asking the federal government to provide the subsidy from the central government’s kitty.

The federal government is currently negotiating the issue with these provinces.

Govt reopens application receiving process for KJP loans ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The government has reopened the application receiving process for Kamyab Jawan Programme (KJP), under which applicants will be provided loans under soft and easy conditions.

The provision of subsidised business loans is aimed at the uplift of youth by offering them opportunities to utilise their entrepreneurial potential to the fullest. Under the Prime Minister's Kamyab Jawan Programme, the government has allocated Rs100 billion to give loans to youth having the requisite business plans and skills. As per Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Muhammad Usman Dar, the scheme has huge potential to not only enhance business activities in the country but also to create employment opportunities. "Under the scheme, a 25pc share of the loans has been reserved for women entrepreneurs." Back in August, the government announced to enhance the scope of the Kamyab Jawan Programme by increasing the maximum limit of loan from Rs5 million to Rs25 million.

OGRA starts issuing licences for new CNG stations ISLAMABAD TLTP

The All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) said on Monday that the government is promoting compressed natural gas (CNG) to reduce urban pollution, cut oil import bill and increase employment opportunities. In a statement, APCNGA Central Chairman Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha said that the government has taken a number of commendable steps to facilitate CNG pump owners, including removal of ban on setting up new CNG stations. "Now Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has started issuing licences for new CNG outlets to those who fulfil all formalities, while ban on import of CNG kits has been lifted and import duty as well as sales tax has been slashed to promote its imports," the statement read. Paracha said that latest CNG kits would now be available in the country that would result in 15pc extra mileage.

MARKET DAILY

PSX falls flat after range-bound session KARACHI STAFF REPORT

NEPRA raises power tariff by Re0.48 per unit

the people of both countries but would also bring peace in the region. He said the new zone would employ around 200,000 people.

The NA speaker reiterated that a peaceful Afghanistan was in the interest of Pakistan. Islamabad wanted to further strengthen its trade ties with central Asian countries which would not be possible without peace and stability in Afghanistan, he added.

"We would also invite Afghanistan to formally join CPEC so that the country could be put on the track of development," the speaker said. "An economically developed Afghanistan will defeat terrorism & extremism and bring durable peace in the war-riddled country.”

Qaiser maintained that Pakistan was taking all possible measures to enhance its trade volume with Afghanistan, adding that work on the fulfillment of commitments made by the incumbent government for promotion of trade with Afghanistan was underway in full swing.

On a query, he said comprehensive reforms were underway in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which were aimed at specifically benefitting the downtrodden segment of the province.

OGDC revenue drops Rs7bn in 1QFY21 APP

KARACHI: Shan Foods Private Ltd has decided to implement SAP S/4HANA as part of the company’s digital transformation plan. With the implementation of SAP's S/4HANA private cloud edition, Shan Foods will be able to drive its business operations efficiently through deployment of next-generation integrated business planning tools.

industries & production minister to prepare a proposal for the further operation of above-mentioned plants.

It may be noted that the government in August this year had operationalized Agritech Ltd and Fatima Fertilizer for three months through provision of RLNG at subsidized rates. The supply period was then extended till December 31 by the ECC during its October 21 meeting.

POSSIBLE HIKE IN UREA OFFTAKE: Last week, the Ministry of Food Security & Research and National Fertilizer Development Centre (NFDC) had conveyed to the government projections of a 10pc increase in urea offtake during the ongoing Rabi season.

Sources said the ministries had made the projec-

Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Monday fell flat after a range-bound session, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index gaining only 52 points amid lackluster activity.

Global equity markets, on the other hand, largely remained positive, whereas crude oil prices also inched up from the previous close; WTI crude price rising 2.45pc to $38.05 while Brent Crude price increasing 2.33pc to $40.38. "The market traded within a narrow range today; volumes falling from the previous quarter's average.

Banks, fertilizer and off-board scrips

largely contributed to the market activity, with HBL and MCB posting price gains. Overnight positivity in US Futures, followed by a positive trend in regional markets also helped investors take a positive view, although muted, about KSE-100," a report issued by Arif Habib Ltd read.

The benchmark KSE-100 Index oscillated both ways on Monday, recording its intraday high at 40,943.80 (+212.19 points) and low at 40,596.99 (-134.62 points). It settled higher by 52.43 points at 40,784.04.

Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index lost 192.04 points to end at 64,983.51, while the KSE All Share Index closed flat (+3.36 points) at 28,670.87.

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The overall market volumes fell from 350.41 million shares in the previous session to 276.79 million shares (21pc). Average traded value also declined by 17pc, from $72.5 million to $59.9 million. Power Cement Ltd (POWER +0.85pc), TRG Pakistan Ltd (TRG +6.54pc) and Pak Elektron Ltd (PAEL +3.08pc) led the volume chart, exchanging 36.54 million, 31.98 million and 19.21 million shares, respectively.

Sectors that kept the benchmark index afloat included banking (+40.20 points), technology & communication (+40.10 pts) and pharmaceutical (+25.72 points). Among the companies, Habib Bank Ltd (HBL +39.59 points), TRG Pakistan Ltd (TRG +37.11 points)

and MCB Bank Ltd (MCB +23.52 points) remained the top contributors.

Adding 1.70pc to its cumulative market capitalization, the pharmaceutical sector ended as the session’s top performer, with GlaxoSmithKline Ltd (GLAXO +6.54pc), The Searle Company Ltd (SEARL +2.23pc) and Ferozsons Laboratories Ltd (FEROZ +0.52pc) posting decent gains.

In a notification to the exchange, Avanceon Ltd (AVN -1.03pc) informed that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Avanceon FZE, has secured a contract “for the expansion of the EDC (ethylene dichloride)/VCM (vinyl chloride monomer) Emergency Shutdown System (ESD)”.

Tuesday, 10 November, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS

UN laUNcHes NeW liBya Talks amid caUTiOUs OpTimism TUNIS

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IVAL Libyan factions met Monday for UN-led talks aimed at bringing a lasting peace to their war-torn North African country and preparing for elections.

The meeting in neighbouring Tunisia follows months of relative calm and a key ceasefire deal in October between the two major camps in the long-running conflict.

“You have the opportunity to end a tragic conflict,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told delegates in a video message at the opening ceremony. “Now it’s your turn to shape the future of your country.”

This week’s talks in Gammarth, near the Tunisian capital Tunis, aim to unify the country under a single executive and pave

the way for national elections.

The UNSMIL-led dialogue follows months of relative calm in Libya, which tumbled into chaos following the toppling of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Last month the two main sides in the complex conflict signed a landmark ceasefire agreement, opening the way to a resumption of economically vital oil production and progress on efforts to end years of political deadlock.

“This is a unique opportunity,” UN acting envoy to Libya Stephanie Williams told journalists in Tunis. “There has been significant progress on the ground.”

The latest political talks, part of a multi-track process also involving military and economic negotiations, aim to unify the country under a single executive and pave the way for national elections.

Thai protesters march to palace to demand royal reforms

“Elections need to be the ultimate objective here,” Williams added, calling for “a clear road map” towards holding polls as soon as possible.

Libya has been dominated by armed groups and divided between two bitterly opposed administrations: the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) based in the capital Tripoli and a rival administration in the east, backed by renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar.

Haftar, backed by Egypt, Russia and the United Arab Emirates, launched an offensive on Tripoli in April 2019 but was beaten back in June by the GNA with military support from Turkey in an operation that pushed Haftar’s troops back to the central coastal city of Sirte, Gaddafi’s birthplace.

The fighting left hundreds dead and

displaced tens of thousands of people. The warring factions returned to the negotiating table in September in UN-supported talks held in Morocco, Egypt and Switzerland.

Peter Millett, a former British ambassador to Libya, warned on the first day of talks that “if potential spoilers like Haftar and the militias don’t see themselves benefitting, hostilities could break out again”.

“The most important thing is a timeline for elections,” he said.

“It needs to be short, maximum nine months, with key milestones for implementing and a clear message from the international community that they will impose sanctions on anyone who obstructs it.” Guterres urged world powers to support peace efforts and to respect a longstanding UN arms embargo, words echoed by the host of the talks, Tunisian President Kais Saied.

Arab League hails endorsement of 6 pro-Palestinian UN resolutions

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Despite a burst of water cannon and a police blockade, thousands of Thai protesters marched to the Grand Palace in Bangkok on Sunday to demand curbs to King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s powers and the removal of the government. Police used the water cannon for only the second time in months of largely peaceful protests to demand greater democracy and the departure of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former junta leader. “When the king truly cherishes democracy, all people will find happiness,” the protesters said in a statement read a few dozen metres for the walls of the palace, where they were stopped by police lines. “When you hear all the flattering praise from the people, you must also hear fearless criticisms and suggestions all the same,” said the statement, signed “with power of equal human dignity” by “people”. The Royal Palace was not available for comment. It has not commented since the start of the protests. But the king said a week ago that the protesters were still loved and that Thailand was a land of compromise, as he greeted thousands of well-wishers near the very spot that the demonstrators reached on Sunday. Reuters journalists estimated more than 10,000 protesters marched from Democracy Monument in central Bangkok. Police put the number at 7,000. “Reform or revolution,” read one placard. Police spokesman Kissana Phathanacharoen said water cannon had been fired only as a warning. The Bangkok authority’s emergency unit said one police officer and four protesters were hurt during the brief confrontation outside the palace, where police had set a barricade of buses and barbed wire. “We no longer want the monarch to interfere in politics,” Jutatip Sirikhan, one of the protest leaders, told Reuters. ‘PLEASE, KING’ One 25-year-old protester, who gave his name only as Keng, said “Please, king, please listen to the people. People are unhappy because you let the military have full power and approved their coups. We want the reform.” The protesters brought boxes stuffed with letters for the king and left them near the palace with police agreement. Protests since July have increasingly called for reforms to the powerful monarchy, breaking a longstanding taboo against criticising the institution - which can be punished by up to 15 years in prison. The protesters say the monarchy has helped enable decades of military domination of Thailand, most rcently by approving the premiership of Prayuth, who seized power in a 2014 coup and kept it after disputed elections last year. The protesters seek to put the king more clearly under the constitution, reversing changes he made shortly after taking the throne as well as moves he made to take personal control of the palace fortune and some army units.

Several dozen royalists earlier held a counterprotest at Democracy Monument, wearing yellow shirts in the colour of the king and waving Thai flags. Many held up pictures of the king and his late father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej. “I want to protect the monarchy and the king,” said Chutima Liamthong, 58. “The monarchy is the identity of Thailand. We cannot stand without the monarchy,” she said. Monarchists see the student-led protesters’ demands for reforms to the institution as a way of getting rid it of entirely, although protesters deny that is their goal.

The Arab League (AL) has welcomed the recent endorsement of six UN resolutions in favour of the Palestinian people and their rights and opposing Israeli practices, the Cairo-based pan-Arab body said in a statement.

"This vote reflects the commitment of the international community towards the Palestinian cause and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, foremost of which is the right to self-determination and the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes," Saeed Abu Ali, AL assistant secretary general for Palestine affairs and occupied Arab territories, said in the statement.

The resolutions were passed last week by a committee at the United Nations General Assembly with overwhelming majorities and were supported by the three Arab countries with which Israel recently signed normalization deals as well as most European states.

The renewed resolutions support the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which helps the Palestinian

refugees, and criticize the Israeli settlement expansion on occupied Palestinian territories. The massive endorsement shows international commitment to "the important role that UNRWA has been playing since its establishment in providing vital services to more than 5.5 million refugees," said the AL official.

He also urged the states that promised financial contributions to UNRWA to fulfill their commitments so that the pro-Palestinian agency could continue its work and overcome the additional challenges posed by the Covid19 pandemic.

Earlier this week, the Israeli forces demolished a small Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank, leaving over 70 civilians homeless including 41 minors, a move that was slammed by the UN and the European Union. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been going on for decades, following the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and the Western-backed creation of Israel in 1948. The Palestinians seek to establish their own independent state on the 1967 borders, based on the UN-proposed two-state solution.

Significant differences still remain in EU-UK trade talks LONDON AGENCIES

Significant differences remain in talks over a trade deal between Britain and the European Union, both sides said as they promised to step up efforts to find an agreement.

After a call between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, both said talks would continue in London next week but that the main sticking points remained.

“The prime minister set out that, while some progress had been made in recent discussions, significant differences remain in a number of areas, including the so-called level playing field and fish,” a spokesman for Johnson’s office said.

There was a similar message from Von der Leyen.

“Some progress has been made, but large differences remain especially on level playing field and fisheries,” she said on Twitter.

Britain formally left the EU last January but has been following the bloc’s rules since then as the two sides try

to agree on their future trade relationship. The transition period ends on Dec. 31 but negotiators are still trying to reach an agreement to protect nearly a trillion dollars in annual trade from possible quotas and tariffs.

Both sides say an agreement can be struck before then but little progress has been made over the issues of corporate fair play, fishing rights and the settling of disputes. The chief negotiators, the EU’s Michel Barnier and Britain’s David Frost has resumed talks in London on Monday and will “redouble efforts to reach a deal”, Johnson’s office said. “Our teams will continue working hard next week. We will remain in close contact in the next days,” Von der Leyen said. Time is running out for an agreement this year, and European lawmakers who discussed the matter on Friday said that for this to happen, a deal must be in place by the middle of this month.

Even if there is a deal, a report this week said trade between Britain and the EU still faces widespread disruption from Jan. 1, while systems needed to implement requirements of the Brexit divorce deal will not be ready.

WHO chief looks forward to working ‘very closely’ with Biden team GENEVA AGENCIES

The World Health Organization chief welcomed efforts on Monday to strengthen the Geneva-based body through reform and said that it was looking forward to working closely with the administration of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden. WHO’s funding must become more flexible and predictable to end a “major misalignment” between expectations and available resources, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, citing reform efforts by France, Germany and the European Union. “We still have a lot of work left to do, but we believe that we’re on the right track,” Tedros told health ministers as the annual meeting resumed of the WHO, which groups 194 countries. U.S. President Donald Trump has frozen U.S. funding to the WHO and begun a process that would see the United States withdraw from the body next July, drawing wide international criticism amid the Covid-19 crisis. He accuses the WHO of being “China-centric” in its handling of the pandemic, which Tedros has repeatedly denied.

Biden, who will convene a national coronavirus task force on Monday, said during campaigning he would rescind Trump’s decision to abandon the WHO on his first day in office.

Tedros urged the international community to recapture a sense of common purpose, adding: “In that spirit we congratulate President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and we look forward to working with this administration very closely. “We need to reimagine leadership, build on mutual trust and mutual accountability to end the pandemic and address the fundamental inequalities that lie at the root of so many of the world’s problems,” he said. An oversight panel called last week for reforms at the WHO including “predictable and flexible” funding and setting up a multi-tiered system to warn countries earlier about disease outbreaks before they escalate.

No special treatment for Trump after January 20: Twitter CALIFORNIA AGENCIES

US President Donald Trump will be subject to the same Twitter rules as any other user when president-elect Joe Biden takes office on January 20, the social media company has confirmed. Twitter places “public interest” notices on some rule-breaking tweets from world leaders that would otherwise be removed. Such tweets from political candidates and elected or government officials are instead hidden by a warning and Twitter takes action to restrict their reach. But the company said this rule does not apply to former heads of state or prime ministers.

“This policy framework applies to current world leaders and candidates for office, and not private citizens when they no longer hold these positions,” a Twitter spokesman said. It has added warnings and labels to tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account, including many since Tuesday’s election that made unfounded allegations of voting fraud. It first hid one of his tweets behind a “public interest” label in May when the president contravened the company’s policy against glorifying violence.

Under Facebook Inc’s policies, it appears that after Mr Biden takes office in January, Mr Trump’s posts will also lose their exemption from review by the site’s third-party factchecking partners.

India bets big on farmers to rescue economy from pandemic NEW DELHI AGENCIES

The Indian government is pinning its hopes on the agricultural sector to boost the country’s economy that has been hurt by the Covid-19 crisis, as bountiful rains have set the stage for another year of record crops, officials say.

Statistics show rural incomes in India have stayed strong and the production of monsoon-sown food grains is estimated to hit a record 144.5 million tons. The government’s decision to raise support prices for some crops and boost spending on rural employment programs

has also supported incomes of farmers and laborers.

Some companies reported a high demand for their services and products in rural areas, including automobiles, cement, steel, tires and jewelry. “Despite Covid-19 and the related lockdown, the agricultural activities across the country have almost remained unaffected. This has raised the hope that rural demand could drive the economic recovery,” said India Ratings and Research, a unit of Fitch Ratings.

Meanwhile, in urban areas, companies are still struggling to boost their sales as the pandemic has ravaged busi-

ness activities, affected demand and caused labor shortages. “We are seeing rural markets as well as smaller towns perform relatively better,” Sanjiv Mehta, chairman and managing director of Hindustan Unilever, was quoted as saying by Bloomberg.

The company sells its products through 8 million outlets in the country and is Asia’s biggest maker of personal care products by market value.

It has seen its biggest jump in sales since 2011.

Tractors, passenger cars and light commercial vehicles are seeing a healthy demand as rural buying continues to be

strong. Construction activities have also gathered pace. “We continue to witness unprecedented retail demand,” said Hemant Sikka, president at Mahindra & Mahindra, which makes tractors.

Some analysts, however, say that rural demand may not be able to offset the shortfall in urban demand because the share of agriculture in gross value added of the Indian economy ranged between 14.6 percent and 17.8 percent from 2012 to 2020, according to India Ratings and Research. India is the second-worst-hit by the coronavirus pandemic nation after the US, with more than eight million reported infections.

Tuesday, 10 November, 2020

SPORTS 11

Barcelona 5-2 Real Betis: Lionel Messi’s 2021 MotoGP enGine freeze ‘not record as a substitute is incredible an excuse’ for YaMaha, saYs rossi AGENCIES

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ALENTINO Rossi insists the freeze on engine development for the 2021 MotoGP season is “not an excuse” for Yamaha and its problematic motors.

Due to cost-saving measures brought in as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, all manufacturers (except KTM, who is allowed to build a new engine after losing its concessions) must start the 2021 campaign with their current engine specification. After the first round, normal update rules apply, meaning all but Aprilia will be unable to develop their engines for the rest of the season.

Yamaha has been beset by problems with its engines this year, with its motors regularly the slowest through the speed traps and also fragile, with three of its four riders - including Rossi - losing an engine to mechanical issues after the Jerez rounds.

The engine freeze looks like it will impact Yamaha the hardest, but Rossi insists there are other avenues related to engine performance the Japanese marque can look into. “The engine is frozen [for 2021], but it’s not an excuse,” Rossi said after his European Grand Prix ended with an engine issue. “In MotoGP now, you can make a lot of things around the engine to improve the performance, from the electronics side, to the way to [keep] fresh the engine, to keep the engine temperature low, and from the exhaust [side].

“So, also if you can’t go inside the en-

gine [to improve] you have a lot of different issues that you can improve. “So, for me, if Yamaha can work well and in the right direction, we can do better.” Rossi’s first race since his return from Covid-19 ended after just five laps, when an “electronic problem” in the engine forced him to park up.

Rossi noted it seems the other manufacturers out-developed Yamaha in the pre-season and ultimately moved ahead as the campaign progressed - but stressed the biggest issue is still the engine. “It’s true that like a lot of times, we are ready, we are fast at the beginning of the season,” he added.

“And then it looks like the other manufacturers bring a lot of new things, so they need some races to fix and at the end of the championship they are very strong.

“But it also depends on race by race, last week Franco [Morbidelli] won and here in Valencia it’s difficult for all the Yamahas.

“I think and I always said to them the engine is a big problem for us because we are always the slowest on the straight, but at the same time we have reliability problems.

“So, we have a lot of problems to finish the season with five engines. So, we don’t have enough performance, but we also don’t have enough reliability.

“Also, the engine character that was for a long time was the strong point of Yamaha, now it looks like the other engines are also smoother in acceleration than us. “If you put all the problems together this is the place where we have [to improve].”

Lionel Messi was a surprise absentee when Ronald Koeman named his Barcelona XI to face Real Betis.

With the Blaugrana on a run of four league games without a win at Camp Nou, nobody expected to see the Argentine named among the substitutes. However, his manager quickly moved to clarify that the forward had a slight ankle problem and wasn’t fit enough to start. We talked to Leo, who came out of the Dynamo [Kyiv] game with a niggle and he was not fit to play from the start,” Koeman said in his post-match press conference. “He was on the bench in case we needed him. If he was physically OK, he would have played from the start.”

Need him they did, as Betis went toeto-toe with Barcelona and went into the break with the scores level at 1-1.

Messi’s introduction after half time had an immediate impact as he set up Antoine Griezmann to score with a clever dummy.

MESSI’S STARRING ROLE: The 33year-old then netted a brace of his own - the first coming from the spot, his 12th consecutive successful penalty. Messi’s performance secured all three points for Barcelona and it’s no surprise given his extraordinary record as a substitute. Inevitably, it’s rare that he is left out through choice, but he has made 83 appearances coming off the bench for the club, scoring 38 goals and assisting

five in all competitions.

No other player has scored as many La Liga goals off the bench, with 26 in 55 games. Real Betis must have been dreading seeing him warm up, not least because

of his record against Los Verdiblancos that was his eighth brace, while he’s also scored two hat-tricks in the fixture. Koeman leaving him out for the first half turned out to be no cause for alarm after all.

Binotto considering missing races ‘starting from Turkey’ to work on Ferrari’s 2021 contender AGENCIES The familiar face of Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto may not be present at the upcoming Turkish Grand Prix, as he says there’s work to be done to improve Ferrari’s 2021 challenger back at the team’s Maranello base.

This season is gearing up to be Ferrari’s worst in the hybrid era and beyond as they currently sit sixth in the championship with 103 points, compared to three consecutive runner-up finishes from 2017 to 2019. As a result, Binotto has his work cut out to improve their fortunes for 2021 – and is considering taking a step back from overseeing trackside operations at some of the final four races of the season in a bid to acceler-

ate the team’s work on the car for next year back at the factory.

“You need always to balance your tasks at the racetrack and at the factory; still the factory is important where we are developing the car, preparing the cars. I think I will not follow all the races, even in 2020 I am already considering eventually skipping some of the racing in the last part of the season starting from Turkey… “, he said at the last Grand Prix at Imola.

“Because at the end, when you’re responsible for an entire team, certainly the race event is important, but the entire… management of the entire team is even more important,” he explained.

Part of the reason Ferrari have struggled this season is because their perviously

class-leading power unit took a step back in 2020. But Binotto said that results from tests of their 2021 power unit have been “very promising”…

He said: “I think that next year we may have a completely new power unit. As Ferrari we have invested a lot in developing further the power unit for 2021, furthermore for 2022, the engine is currently running on the dyno.

“I think that the feedback in terms of both performance and reliability are very promising.” While we may not see Binotto in Turkey, Bahrain or Abu Dhabi, it’s clear that he and the team back at Maranello will be burning the midnight oil to try to get the red cars back to winning form for next season.

A mistimed McLaren move, and missing out on Mercedes and Ferrari – what might have been for Sergio Perez AGENCIES Eight years ago, Sergio Perez sat on the brink of great things in F1. He had announced himself on the scene with a brilliant second – and almost a win – in Malaysia, and the world was his oyster…

McLaren was an option for 2013. So was Ferrari. And it appears Mercedes was too. He went McLaren, winners of the last race of 2012.

That proved to be the wrong decision, and though he has rebuilt his reputation with Force India and Racing Point, he has never got his hands on a race-winning car and now faces the prospect of leaving F1 without the kind of results his talent appeared to deserve.

Fast forward to this year – and Perez was feeling the pain of rejection.

He had just received a phone call from Lawrence Stroll, telling him his contract with Racing Point would be ended early, at the end of the season, with Sebastian Vettel being drafted in to replace him.

The Mexican, who missed two races after testing positive for Covid 19, is arguably in the form of his life and driving better than ever, but Racing Point’s late decision has left him with very few options. As it stands, it looks like it’s Red Bull or nothing if he is to stay on the grid in 2021.

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN: It could have all been so different, from that moment when he stood on the podium for the first time in Malaysia. “I remember that day so

clearly,” says Perez, as we chat in the Racing Point motorhome at pre-season testing.

“Walking onto your first podium is a big thing. And I was there standing next to two world champions (Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton). Having respect from my idols was so big for me. It was a bit of a shock being next to them, in such a difficult race. Fernando said to me ‘don’t worry, wins would come for you soon’.”

That feeling was shared widely in the paddock, but it has not come to fruition, partially because of the decision he made about his career path in 2013.

The Mexican was a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy and, providing he continued an upward trajectory, was in contention to drive for the famous red team at some point in his career.

However, McLaren threw a spanner in the works by offering him a deal to drive alongside Jenson Button.

At the time, the Woking-based team were flying high at the top and looked to be a real force for 2013. So Perez signed on the dotted line with them, rather than Ferrari – and it seems, Mercedes.

THE DECISION THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING: “It was all natural, I was part of the Ferrari Academy and there was a lot of contact with the team,” says Perez of his interaction with Formula 1’s most famous team. “It was a natural step that a driver part of the academy would be linked to them. It was all looking like I was going

there, but then things changed.

“We were talking to Mercedes, but that really depended if Lewis didn’t go there, I was the second option. It’s what they said. We had a couple of options, looking back then.

“2013 was the closest I came to going to Ferrari. That was very close. In hindsight, if I didn’t go to McLaren, I certainly would have gone to Ferrari but things change very quickly in F1.

McLaren at the time were dominating, they offered me a contract. It made a lot of sense at the time. Unfortunately, it didn’t

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pay off. The car was quite bad, and I was not able to score any podiums or fight for anything apart from points. Things changed a lot since then.”

He was offloaded by McLaren after just one season. His star had fallen. Force India (the team that later became Racing Point) gave him a lifeline – and he has rewarded them in buckets – taking five of their six podiums and making them a real force in the midfield. This year, he has been the cornerstone of their challenge for P3 in the constructors’ championship.

PUTTING THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE: “I’m pleased with my career,” he says. “I’m in a good stage. I feel proud of what I have achieved, with the material I have been given. This is a sport which is related to car performance, and it depends which team you’re at, at which point. With the material I have had, with the results I’ve had, I’m proud of it.

“I feel privileged to be here. If you look back, a lot may say I’ve been unlucky with the cars and things that I didn’t have but on the other hand, I’m very lucky to have been able to have made a career out of this difficult sport.” Perez expects his future to be determined in the next few weeks.

RED BULL HOLDS THE KEY: With the door shut at Haas and Alfa Romeo, Perez’s only option of racing in F1 next year lies with Red Bull. It is understood he has had talks with Red Bull Motorsport Adviser Helmut Marko about a seat next year, while Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner has conceded they will have to look outside their driver pool if Albon does not “claim” his seat through his performances in the final few races of the season.

Perez would be a sensational fit for Red Bull and the right call if they are serious about fighting for the constructors’ championship. For the Mexican, it would be fine reward for a career that has deserved an opportunity to have a car with race-winning potential. But will Red Bull bite the bullet and take him?

Tuesday, 10 November, 2020

PrAyEr TImINGS

NEWS

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

5:02

11:46

3:30

6:25

5:07

6:30

BUSineSS aS USUal foR tRUmp in Spite of election loSS WASHINGTON

W

AGENCIES

HILE sitting president Donald Trump may have lost the White House, he gave no sign of conceding, instead pressing ahead with legal fights challenging the outcome, as well as his usual rounds of golf and attempts to appoint new public officeholders.

Republican Donald Trump, the first US president to lose a re-election bid in 28 years, announced on Twitter on Monday that he has fired Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, and that the current director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Christopher Miller, will become acting secretary “effective immediately.” Esper had been on shaky ground with the White House for months and had reportedly had a letter of resignation prepared weeks in advance. The rift had deepened after he said in June that he did not support using active-duty troops to quell the largescale protests across the United States triggered by the death of George Floyd at the hands of police. His remarks from the Pentagon briefing room were seen by many as an effort to distance himself from Trump’s threats to deploy the military to enforce order on American city streets and went over poorly at the White House.

Reportedly, Esper’s relations with Trump had been running sour before that, as both Trump and national security adviser Robert O’Brien viewed him as uncommitted to the then-president’s vision for the military.

Trump went as far as to mock his defence chief’s derisive nickname of “Yesper” during a news conference in August, a moniker Esper was given by the officials

who believed he did not go far enough in standing up to the Trump’s controversial decisions. Furthermore, White House insiders claim that Trump had reduced Esper’s influence to the point that the defence chief had no choice but to take his lead from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Esper’s replacement, Miller, is a former Army Green Beret who previously served as the top counterterrorism policy official in the Trump White House’s National Security Council.

Top Republicans in Congress likewise had not acknowledged Biden’s victory, in a sign of the charged partisan atmosphere, he will face when he takes office on Jan. 20, although some members of Trump’s party and a bipartisan group focused on the transition urged the president to cooperate.

Trump, who still has not accepted Biden’s victory, was playing golf at the time that the final election results came in, marking his 307th visit to the golf course during his four years in office.

According to the White House pool reporter, Trump appeared for the motorcade to his course in Sterling, Virginia, “wearing white Maga cap, windbreaker, dark slacks, non-dress shirt, shoes that look appropriate for golfing” during the visit to one of his 17 golf clubs. The reporter added that a protestor near the course held a sign which read “Good riddance”. Trump’s repeated trips to the golf course have been a source of controversy throughout his term, but he has defended his actions on Twitter by saying, “My ‘exercise’ is playing, almost never during the week, a quick round of golf. Obama played more and much longer rounds, no problem.”

Trump, who has so far claimed to have won 18 golf championships, in a statement

11 killed in attack on iRaqi aRmy poSt in Baghdad BAGHDAD: Unidentified gunmen killed at least 11 people and wounded 8 others including soldiers in an attack on an Iraqi army post in western Baghdad, police sources and medics have said. The assailants in four vehicles attacked the post in the city’s Al Radhwaniya district using grenades and automatic weapons, the sources said. The army and police forces have started an operation in search of the attackers, police sources said. Meanwhile, security sources and medics told AFP that the attack was carried out by Daesh terror group. There was no immediate claim of responsibility from Daesh. Daesh attack on a lookout point west of Baghdad manned by a state-sponsored tribal force left 11 people dead late on Sunday, security sources and medics told AFP. The militants threw grenades and fired on the tribal Hashed forces stationed at Al Radwaniyah, on the southern outskirts of the Iraqi capital, near the Baghdad airport. “IS [Daesh] attacked the monitoring tower, killing five members of the tribal Hashed and six local people who had come to help repel the attack,” a security source said.

DAESH’S SLEEPER CELLS: Daesh swept across a third of Iraq in 2014, seizing major cities across the north and west and reaching the suburbs of the capital Baghdad. After a fierce three-year fight backed by the US-led coalition, Iraq declared Daesh defeated in late 2017. The coalition has significantly drawn down its troops this year, consolidating them to three main bases in Baghdad, Ain al Asad in the west and Arbil in the north. But Daesh’s sleeper cells have continued to wage hit-and-run attacks on security forces and state infrastructure, particularly in desert areas where troops are stretched thin. Attacks with such high tolls and so close to the capital have been rare, however. AGENCIES

caR BomB hitS police BaSe in kandahaR; 4 dead, 40 injURed KABUL: At least four people have been killed and about 40 people wounded after a suicide car bomber targeted a police base in Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar province, a provincial official said. Paramedics have been searching the rubble of homes destroyed by the explosion hours after the attack late on Sunday night in the province’s Maiwand district, said Mohammad Ashraf Nadery, the provincial director of Kandahar’s public health department. He said those wounded included both soldiers and civilians. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack that came a week after 22 people, including 18 students, were killed when gunmen went on a rampage at Kabul University, an attack claimed by the ISIL (SIS) armed group. In Pul-e-Charkhi area of the capital, Kabul, a roadside mine blast on Monday wounded at least two civilians, according to local media reports. Kandahar has been a stronghold for armed groups since the 2001 US-led invasion following the September 11 attacks on the US. Violence has soared in Afghanistan in recent months, even as Taliban and government negotiators hold peace talks in Qatar. The two sides have made little progress and attacks continue despite warnings from the US that continued violence could derail the talks. AGENCIES

said, “We all know why Joe Biden is rushing to falsely pose as the winner”, and went on to make unfounded claims about voter fraud and ballot irregularities.

Meanwhile, Golf Digest had in 2015 recognised Biden as one of Washington’s top 150 golfers and compared him to John F Kennedy in that regard.

Joe Biden and his advisers on Sunday were working on plans to tackle the crises facing a divided America, first and foremost the raging coronavirus pandemic, a day after the Democrat won enough states to clinch the US presidency. Biden delivered a message of unity and conciliation in a speech in his home state of Delaware on Saturday, saying it was “time to heal” the nation.

“The work starts right away,” Biden Deputy Campaign Manager Kate Bedingfield said on Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Bedingfield said Biden planned to launch a coronavirus task force on Monday, led by former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler.

More than 237,000 Americans have died of Covid-19 and coronavirus cases have spiked to record numbers in recent days.

Some 10 million Americans thrown out of work during coronavirus lockdowns remain idled and federal relief programs have expired. Biden and his advisers will also move forward with the work of choosing officials to serve in his administration.

Bedingfield added that Biden would “address a mandate to bring the country together — to unify, to lower the temperature, to set aside the harsh rhetoric of the campaign and get to the hard work of governing.” The bipartisan Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition

said Biden had clearly won and called for the Trump administration to work cooperatively with him. “History is replete with examples of presidents who emerged from such campaigns to graciously assist their successors,” it said in a statement.

Two former senior US intelligence officials — Michael Morell and Avril Haines — have emerged as leading contenders to serve as director of national intelligence or run the CIA under Biden, several current and former intelligence officials said.

Congratulations poured in for Biden from abroad, including from conservative British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister Imran Khan, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, making it hard for Trump to push his unfounded claims of election fraud. Saudi Arabia also offered congratulations, more than 24 hours after Biden’s victory. The country’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has enjoyed close relations with Trump, and Biden has said he will reassess ties with the kingdom.

Wearing his trademark red “Make America Great Again” baseball cap, Trump golfed at his course in Sterling, Virginia, for the second day in a row. His motorcade was met by a smattering of admirers and detractors holding signs, including one that read: “Trumpty Dumpty Had A Great Fall.”

Unlike other past defeated US presidential candidates, Trump has not made a concession statement or reached out to Biden.

“Since when does the Lamestream Media call who our next president will be?”

Trump wrote on Twitter after golfing.

Republican former President George W. Bush said in a statement that he spoke with

Biden and congratulated him on his victory.

“Though we have political differences, I know Joe Biden to be a good man, who has won his opportunity to lead and unify our country,” Bush said. “The American people can have confidence that this election was fundamentally fair, its integrity will be upheld, and its outcome is clear.”

After attending church in Wilmington, Delaware, Biden and his family visited the church’s cemetery, where his son Beau and other relatives are buried – as he did on the morning of Election Day on Tuesday.

According to an adviser, Biden plans to repeal a ban on travelers from several Muslim-majority nations, rejoin an international climate accord, reverse Trump’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization and buttress a program protecting from deportation “Dreamers” brought to the United States illegally as children.

SENATE CONTROL STILL AT STAKE: Biden clinched Pennsylvania on Saturday to put him over the threshold of 270 Electoral College votes needed to secure the US presidency. He won the popular vote by more than 4 million ballots.

He pledged that as president he would seek to unify the United States and “marshal the forces of decency” to battle the pandemic, restore economic prosperity, secure healthcare for American families and root out systemic racism. Biden has spent half a century in public life as a US senator and vice president. He will be 78 years old when he enters the White House, the oldest person to assume the office. His running mate, US Senator Kamala Harris, will be the first woman, the first Black American and the first American of Asian descent to serve as vice president, the country’s No. 2 office.

China holds off on sending congratulations to Biden BEIJING AGENCIES

China, which has held off on congratulating US presidential election winner Joe Biden even as leaders of other countries have done so, said on Monday it would follow the custom in responding to the result.

Democrat Biden clinched enough states to win the presidency but incumbent President Donald Trump has not conceded and is making legal challenges to the outcome of the November 3 election.

“We noticed that Mr. Biden has declared election victory,” foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a daily media briefing. “We understand that the US presidential election result will be determined following US law and procedures.” In 2016, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent congratulations to Trump on November 9, a day after the election.

Relations between China and the United States are at their worst in decades over disputes ranging from technology and trade to Hong Kong and the coronavirus, and the Trump administration has unleashed a barrage of sanctions against Beijing.

While Biden is expected to maintain a tough

stance on China — he has called President Xi Jinping a “thug” and vowed to lead a campaign to “pressure, isolate and punish China” — he is likely to take a more measured and multilateral approach.

“We always believe that China and the United States should enhance communication and dialogue, manage differences on the basis of mutual respect, expand cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit and promote sound and stable development of bilateral relations,” Wang told the briefing.

Hu Xijin, the editor of the Global Times, a tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party’s People’s Daily, said in a tweet: “China hasn’t congratulated Biden on his victory as quickly as Western countries did.”

“I think it’s because China needs to keep [a] larger distance from the US presidential election to avoid getting entangled in its controversy. This actually shows that China respects the US as a whole,” he added.

Earlier on Monday, Chinese state media struck an optimistic tone in editorials, saying relations could be restored to a state of greater predictability, starting with trade.

While acknowledging that Washington was un-

Asian stocks surge & US futures trade higher on Biden victory DUBAI AGENCIES

Stocks in Asia and Europe rose on Monday with the US futures also climbing following the election of a new US president as optimism for a better economic outlook and further monetary stimulus grew.

Risk appetite continued to improve after Joe Biden was declared the 46th president of the US over the weekend. S&P 500 futures rose 1.4 per cent at 12:14pm UAE time, picking up from last week’s rally, the strongest weekly jump for the benchmark since April.

Contracts on the Nasdaq 100 index were up about 1.9 per cent, while Dow Jones futures rose 1.27 per cent. The Eurostoxx 50 market was up 1.55 percent, Germany’s DAX climbed 1.77 percent and the FTSE 100 rose 1.52 per cent. “As the US election overhang clears, market dispersion rises as a period of riskfriendly casual looks to follow the post-election frenzy,” Stephen Innes, chief global market strategist at Axi, said. “Monetary policy can help extend post-election rallies in risk sentiment, creating a bridge to a postvaccine environment.”

Although President Donald Trump continues to refuse to concede election results and vows to explore legal options, markets are taking cues from the president-elect, who has begun his transition efforts. There is a growing sense the election will not be contested and in his victory speech Mr Biden promised swift and con-

certed efforts to control the pandemic and reboot the economy. Odds point to a divided government, but more fiscal support for struggling businesses and individuals is likely.

“What is priced in the market is that Joe Biden will do whatever it takes to bring coronavirus cases down, and his judgment is mostly going to rely on science,” Naeem Aslam, chief market analyst at Avatrade said in a note to investors on Monday.

“It is also expected that Biden, with his background, will soon be able to negotiate another relief package with Democrats and Republicans in Congress.

There is no doubt that the US economy desperately needs more fiscal stimulus, and the chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, has already mentioned this several times.”

The sentiment in Asia was also upbeat. The Nikkei 225 closed up 2.12 per cent, the Hang Seng was up 1.1 per cent and the Shanghai index finished the session 1.96 per cent higher. “Across Asia, the picture is much the same – a sea of green,” Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst for Asia Pacific at Oanda, said.

“I expect the Biden afterglow to withstand any tweets from the White House or threats of legal challenges. That should be the theme of the entire week.” Mr Biden is perceived in Asia as being likely to “reengage in international trade”, a positive for Asian economies, he said. “There may also be some dialling down of the geopolitical tensions in the region,” he added.

likely to ease pressure on China over issues such as Xinjiang and Hong Kong, the Global Times said Beijing should work to communicate with Biden’s team.

“It’s in the common interests of people from both countries and of the international community that China-US relations become eased and controllable,” it said.

The China Daily said it was “obvious” improving ties with China could start from trade, and reviving trade talks was critical to restoring some understanding and trust.

Wang Huiyao, head of the Center for China and Globalization and an advisor to the government in Beijing, said he expects more dialogue under a Biden administration.

“Biden’s election means an opportunity to re-establish relations with the US as he is more likely to uphold multilateralism. That means China and the US can start discussing issues including climate change, pandemic control and trade,” Wang told Reuters.

On China’s Twitter-like Weibo, top trending items included the hashtags “#BidenSpeaksToTheWholeCountry#”, viewed 1.21 billion times, and “#Trump will lose special Twitter protections in January#”.

Russia wants final US vote count before congratulating anyone MOSCOW: The Kremlin says it will wait for the official results of the US presidential election before commenting on its outcome, and that it had noted incumbent Donald Trump’s announcement of legal challenges related to the vote. President Vladimir Putin has remained silent on the issue since Democrat Joe Biden clinched the presidency on Saturday, four days after the November 3 election, clearing the threshold of 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the White House. In the vote’s run-up, Putin had appeared to hedge his bets, frowning on Biden’s anti-Russian rhetoric but welcoming his comments on nuclear arms control. Putin had also defended Biden’s son, Hunter, against criticism from Trump. Speaking to reporters on a conference call, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Moscow deemed it better to wait before congratulating anyone. “We think it appropriate to wait for the official vote count,” he said. Asked why in 2016 Putin had congratulated Trump soon after he had won the Electoral College and beaten Democrat Hillary Clinton, Peskov said there was an obvious difference this time around. “You can see that there are certain legal procedures that have been announced by the current president. AGENCIES

Published by Arif Nizami at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk