Issuu

Wednesday, 3 August, 2022 I 4 Muharram, 1444 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XIII No 34 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

KNOCKOUT PUNCH

PTI accePTed Illegal donaTIons, ecP rules g

commission asks ParTy To exPlain wHy iT sHouldn’T confiscaTe ProHibiTed funds

ISLAMABAD

staff report

nnouncinG its verdict in the so-called prohibited funding case involving Pakistan Tehreek-i-insaf (PTi), the election commission of Pakistan (ecP) declared the party of former prime minister imran khan in fact accepted millions of dollars from what it ruled were prohibited sources. The top electoral agency ruled the party received funds from 34 foreign nationals — including arif naqvi, a billionaire financier and former boss of now-defunct abraaj private equity firm — and some 351 businesses many of whom were based in australia, canada, the united arab emirates (uae) and the cayman islands. it added that during the probe, the party took ownership of eight accounts but kept 13 hidden. Hiding such information from the ecP is a violation of article 17 of the constitution, the agency said. last week, an investigation by the financial Times said naqvi “transferred three instalments directly to the PTi in 2013 adding up to a total of $2.12m.” “abraaj emails and internal documents […] including a bank statement covering the period between february 28 and may 30, 2013, for a

wootton cricket [an abraaj subsidiary] account in the uae, show that both companies and foreign nationals, as well as citizens of Pakistan, sent millions of dollars to wootton cricket — before money was transferred from the account to Pakistan for the PTi,” the fT reported. The commission said that financial details submitted by khan were found to be “grossly inaccurate”. The party has denied the accusations. it also issued a show-cause notice to PTi to explain why it should not seize funds the party received, the associated Press of Pakistan reported. Pending since 2014, the verdict of the closely-watched case was reserved by the commission in June. since then, the ruling Pakistan democratic movement (Pdm) coalition has been demanding that it be released “immediately” to “expose” the party’s chair. according to a report submitted to the ecP in January by a scrutiny committee probing the matter, the party hid funds worth millions of rupees from the commission. The report went on to claim the PTi had provided “false information” regarding its funding to the ecP, adding that a state bank of Pakistan (sbP) statement had revealed the party had received rs1.64 billion in funding and had not disclosed rs310 million of it to the ecP. The case was earlier referred to as the “for-

Habib says PTi will conTesT decision

eign funding” case, but later the election commission accepted the PTi’s plea to refer to it as the “prohibited funding” case. The person who filed the complaint, party founder akbar s. babar, hailed the ruling. “all the accusations against imran khan have been proven,” babar, who fell out with khan, told reporters, adding that khan should step down from the party. The ecP released the cause list for the case on monday. The list showed the verdict will be announced by a three-member bench led by chief election commissioner (cec) sikandar sultan raja. PTI TO CONTEST DECISION: meanwhile, the PTi has decided to challenge the verdict in the supreme court. speaking to the press after the ruling was announced, farrukh Habib, the party’s central deputy secretary for information, called the verdict a victory of the party narrative that “this was not a foreign funding case rather a case about funding from prohibited channels.” He further said that those who propelled the narrative of the case being about “foreign funding” were disappointed the PTi, as a party, was not suspended. “we will give a befitting response to the [showcause] notice,” he announced. raising questions over the election commission, Habib noted the islamabad High court (iHc) ordered an indiscriminate probe into the accounts of all the political parties. while the scrutiny committee tasked in 2018 to probe the accounts of PTi completed its work on time, a similar committee established around the same period to investigate the accounts of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan muslim league-nawaz (Pml-n) was yet to submit its findings. Taking over the press conference from Habib, fawad chaudhry, the party’s senior vice president, said that most of the amount mentioned in the verdict was in fact sent from Pakistan nationals living abroad. “i don’t understand why Pml-n, Jui-f [Jamiat ulema-i-islam-fazl] and PPP have declared overseas Pakistanis as an enemy,” he said. seperately, in a tweet, chaudhry said the party had taken funds from “overseas Pakistanis”, not foreign nationals. “overseas Pakistanis are the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, and we would continue to rely on them for funding,” chaudhry told reporters. meanwhile, a third leader, barrister maleeka bokhari, said pro-government media groups “lost hope” today. she said the PTi was not the kind of party to accept foreign funding, however, the “propaganda” against it on similar lines was furthered for years.

ECP verdict a charge sheet against ‘certified liar’ Imran: PDM ISLAMABAD staff report

responding to the verdict of the election commission of Pakistan (ecP) in the so-called prohibited funding case, the ruling Pakistan democratic movement (Pdm) said the charge sheet proved Pakistan Tehreeki-insaf (PTi) chair imran khan was a “certified liar” who submitted “false affidavits” to the agency. khan’s party accepted millions of dollars in illegal funds from foreign individuals and groups, the commission ruled Tuesday. it found that PTi concealed 16 bank accounts and accepted donations from foreigners or foreign groups based in australia, canada, the uae and the cayman islands. The law bars political parties from receiving funds and donations from foreign individuals and companies. The verdict “charge sheets imran niazi [sic] for violating the constitution, submitting false affidavits [and] accepting foreign money. The nation should ponder over the implications of his politics funded by foreigners,” tweeted the prime minister. maryam nawaz, the prime minister’s niece and Pakistan muslim league-nawaz (Pml-n) vice president, called khan a “liar and money launderer”. The former prime minister “is the only politician of Pakistan who has been proven, in a single judgment with irrefutable evidence, to be a liar, corrupt, a money launderer, and acting on the influence of external forces,” she declared. “The idol of patriotism fell on its face today.” JEWISH CONSPIRACY: in a press conference in islamabad, shahid khaqan abbasi, former prime minister and Pml-n vice president, said the judgement has proved khan as the “biggest thief” of the country. He said that khan received funding worth rs1.5 billion through illegal means. Those who donated to khan include people and entities from india and israel, he claimed. massive sums were also received from the united states, he said, adding the law does not allow for funds from even a single foreign national, let alone a brigade of them. “if the amount was meant for welfare, then how were rs550 million transferred into the accounts of the political party?” asked abbasi. “The whole conspiracy stands exposed before the masses as the funds were received by the PTi from foreign nationals and companies to do politics in Pakistan,” the Pml-n leader said, adding “the law will take its course on the matter.” meanwhile, minister for information and broadcasting marriyum aurangzeb said the decision confirmed the claim khan committed wrongdoing.

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Corps commander among six martyred in helicopter crash ISLAMABAD staff report

search teams found the wreckage of a Pakistan army helicopter that went down the previous day in the nation’s flood-stricken balochistan, the inter-services Public relations (isPr) said Tuesday. a general and five others on board were martyred, it said. The aircraft had lost contact with the air-traffic control tower in balochistan on monday evening while flying on a relief mission in a flood-hit area in the southwest. in a statement on Twitter, the military’s media wing said “the wreckage of unfortunate heli[copter] which was on flood

relief operations found in musa Goth, windar, lasbela.” “all six officers and soldiers including lt. Gen. sarfaraz ali embraced shahadat [martyrdom],” it added. lt. Gen. ali was supervising relief operations in the province. Gen. ali, commander of Quetta corps, brigadier amjad Hanif, brigadier muhammad khalid, major saeed ahmed, major Talha manan and naik mudassar fayyaz were aboard the illfated chopper. The army maintained that the accident had occurred due to bad weather as per initial investigations. The statement said that, according to an initial probe, the

crash happened due to bad weather. General sarfaraz was a veteran of military operations conducted during the war on terror and was awarded the Tamghae-basalat twice for gallantry on the battlefield. He is survived by his wife, three sons and three daughters. a native of lahore, the general officer was commissioned 6 azad kashmir regiment in march 1989 and served for 33 years in Pakistan army. major General amjab Hanif, director general Pakistan coast Guard, is survived by his wife and a daughter and two sons. He belonged to rawlakot in aJk and was commissioned in the 19

azad kashmir regiment in april 1994 and served for 29 years in Pakistan army. brigadier muhammad khalid, commanding the 12 corps engineers, is survived by three daughters and three sons. Hailing from faisalabad, he was commissioned in the 20 engineer battalion in 1994 and served for 29 years. major saeed, the pilot of the ill-fated aircraft, was married with a son and a daughter. He hailed from larkana. His co-pilot, major muhammad Talha manan was married and is survived by two sons. crew chief naik mudassir fayyaz was a native of narowal and is survived by his wife.

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02-03 NEWS 3 Auguat 2022_Layout 1 8/3/2022 1:07 AM Page 1

wednesday, 3 August, 2022 | IsLAMABAD

news

CEMEnt dEsPAtChEs dEClinE 47.7PC in JUly-22 ISLAMABAD

Ghulam abbaS

S the industrial activities have been badly affected by the economic situation following massive currency devaluation, hike in fuel prices and political uncertainty, the supply/despatches of cement, the major component of construction industry, have declined by 47.7 percent in July 2022. Total Cement despatches during July 2022 were 2.039 million tons against 3.899 million tons despatched during the same month of last fiscal year.

EXPORT DESPATCHES SHOW A MASSIVE DECLINE BY 66.09PC, VOLUMES REDUCED FROM 452,777 TONS IN JULY 21 TO 153,517 TONS IN JULY 22 According to the data released by All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association, local cement despatches by the industry during the month of July 2022 were 1.88 million tons compared to 3.44 million tons in July 2021, showing a decline of 45.28 percent. Export despatches also suffered a massive decline by 66.09 percent as the volumes reduced from 452,777 tons in July 2021 to 153,517 tons in July 2022.

In July 2022, North based cement mills despatched 1.68 million tons cement showing a decline of 44.3 percent against 3.02 million tons despatches in July 2021. South based mills despatched 352,747 tons of cement during July 2022 that was 59.53 percent less compared to the despatches of 871,601 tons during July 2021. North based cement mills despatched 1.61 million tons cement in domestic

markets showing a decline of 44.11 percent against 2.89 million tons despatches in July 2021. South based mills despatched 269,477 tons cement in local markets during July 2022 that was 51.4 percent less compared to the despatches of 554,442 tons during July 2021. Exports from North based mills also declined by 48.2 percent as the quantities reduced from 135,618 tons in July 2021 to

70,247 tons in July 2022. Exports from South also reduced by 73.75 percent to 83,270 tons in July 2022 from 317,159 tons during the same month last year. As per the association the massive currency devaluation, political uncertainty and deteriorating economy are causing the slowdown in activities of the construction industry. The ultimate rise in cement and steel prices are also forcing people to halt their planned construction programs. “The situation is very alarming and the government must come-up with a solution to bring the country out of this crisis,” an office bearer of the association said.

Chairman hEC vows to bring stakeholders together for solution to national challenges StAff RepoRt Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Tuesday said that the commission would take forward the agenda of improving quality of teaching and research in higher education institutions and the universities would be encouraged and supported to play a proactive role for socio-economic growth of the country. During his first media briefing after assuming charge of the Chairman HEC, Dr. Mukhtar said the commission would bring together universities, research organisations and other government departments to jointly work on presenting solutions to the problems facing the country, especially water depletion and flooding, food security, climate change, and country’s security. “Nations face adversities, however they strive to rise up. We together have to steer the country out of these problems by prioritising our objectives and synergising for sectoral development,” he emphasised. Stressing the need for being selective in areas for PhD studies, he said that the research carried out at universities and research centres must provide solutions to local and national issues. The chairman pointed out that quality, governance and technology-readiness as the major challenges facing the higher education sector, and assured that HEC would put more efforts for continuous improvement in quality and governance. He warned that those universities which ignore adapting to the needs of the technological world would lag behind. He said HEC was committed to the mandate of enhancing access, improving quality and ensuring relevance, but added that the commission would emphasise care in expanding the higher education sector. He asserted that the government had shown its strong commitment to supporting the higher education sector despite challenges. “I assure the Vice Chancellors, faculty, and students that HEC will facilitate all of you. And we will work together for the development of the higher education sector,” he said, affirming that HEC’s role as a regulatory body would be to streamline the processes and improve the quality standards.”Dr. Mukhtar hoped that the public and private sectors would jointly work to enhance their contributions towards the development of the country.

Efforts on to further Pak-UAE relations: Miftah ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Federal Minister for Finance & Revenue Miftah Ismail on Tuesday highlighted that the incumbent government was focusing on various new avenues of mutual interest to extend the existing bilateral relations between Pakistan and United Arab Emirates (UAE) to new heights. The minister was talking to Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates, Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salim Al-Zaabi who called on him here at Finance Division, according to press statement issued by the Finance Ministry. He said that Pakistan and UAE shared long-standing bilateral ties in various areas including energy, refinery, petroleum and trade. The minister apprised the ambassador about the potential investment areas where UAE could invest and also assured him of greater facilitation and support. The minister shared welcoming sentiments for pursuing new investments in Pakistan and assured the UAE’s Ambassador of full support and cooperation by the present government. The ambassador showed a keen interest in enhancing and strengthening the bilateral relation between the two countries especially on economic fronts.

LAHORE: General Bus Stand wears a deserted look due to transporters strike. (Inset) Passengers suffer hardships. Photos by Zubair Mehfooz

Imran Khan approves 18-member Punjab cabinet LAHoRe Staff RepoRt

Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan on Tuesday approved an 18-member working cabinet for the Punjab Assembly. According to details, PTI Chairman Imran Khan has approved an 18-member cabinet for the newly formed PTI government in Punjab. Only PTI ministers would take oath in the first phase, PTI sources. PTI MPAs including Yasmin Rashid, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Raja Yasir Humayun, Ali Afzal Sahi, Hashim Dogar and Fayaz-ul-Hassan Chohan has been added to the cabinet. The time and date of the oath ceremony of the ministers would be announced later. PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday visited Lahore and met with newly elected Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi.

According to sources, the former prime minister and CM Punjab discussed the formation of the provincial cabinet and other issues. It is learnt that Raja Basharat will likely get the portfolio of the law ministry, Murad Raas will be given the education ministry, Yasmin Rashid is likely to get the health ministry while Hashim Jawan Bakht’s name has been finalized for the finance ministry. Moreover, Fawad Chaudhry is likely to get the portfolio of the home minister, said sources. Mian Aslam Iqbal, Mian Mehmood ur Rasheed, Chaudhry Zaheer ud Din, Hafiz Muhammad Mumtaz, Samiulllah Chaudhry, Sardar Asif, Hafiz Ammar Yasir, Yasir Humayun Raja, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Taimur Khan Bhatti, and Murad Raas will also get ministerial slots in the Punjab cabinet.

sBP governor discusses urgent fiscal measures with OiCCi representatives KARACHI app

Governors of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) along with OICCI officials on Tuesday pre-approval procedure of LCs for import of machinery and spare parts, timely remittance payments, approval exemptions of shipping values being too low, and other operational issues. In this regard, SBP Acting Governor Dr. Murtaza Syed with two deputy governor’s visited Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) here to discuss urgent fiscal and monetary policy measures needed to help stabilise the country’s economy. Deputy Governors Dr. Inayat Hussain and Sima Kamil also responded to queries from the top business hierarchy. President OICCI Ghias Khan and its Secretary General Abdul Aleem led the discussions and emphasized that SBP leadership to set timelines so that industry supply chain was not compromised. The SBP team gave a comprehensive overview of the current economic situation and the planned strategy to tackle issues in 2023. Pakistan was primarily a consumer-driven economy with consumption driving up to 95% of GDP, they said. The SBP team expressed confidence that Pakistan’s problems were temporary and urged the OICCI members to work on improving exports to help balance the exchange rate fluctuations and currency depreciation.

Coalition govt to decide on banning PTI, its chief: Ministers ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Federal Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar and Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Tuesday said that the government will decide to ban Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and its chairman Imran Khan. While holding a press conference with Rana Sanaullah, Azam Nazir Tarar said that former prime minister Imran Khan has done his politics with foreign funds worth millions of rupees. The ministers said it would also be seen whether other party members would also be disqualified, adding that the PTI

chairman should be banned for life for concealing the facts. While appealing to the Supreme Court, the PML-N leaders said that the full SC bench should hear the matter. Azam Nazir Tarar asked Imran Khan to apologize to the nation and resign following the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) verdict on the prohibited funding case. Taking a dig at Imran Khan, Tarar said that he used the donation money for politics. Tarar said that every political party has to report expenditure, income and resources to the ECP. Tarar said PTI has expressed disinterest with its accounts and said

Imran Khan’s money trail contradicts its statement. Rana Sanaullah said that today a constitutional body has declared Imran Khan “a thief.” Taking a swipe at the former prime minister, the interior minister said the PTI chief used charity money for politics. Imran Khan should apologize to the country for today’s decision of Election Commission and resign, Rana asked the former premier. Apart from this, Rana further said that the information has just been received that the senior officers of the Pakistan Army aboard the missing helicopter have been martyred. The Federal Interior Minister prayed

for the uplift of the ranks of the officers and staff of the Pakistan Army who were martyred in the helicopter incident. He said that when the helicopter went missing yesterday, the entire country was praying for the safety of its Army brothers. The Interior Minister prayed that Allah Almighty would give courage and strength to the families of martyrs to bear this trauma. Rana said that in the Holy Quran, there is a clear command of Allah Almighty about those who sacrificed their lives for the country that, “You should not call them dead, they are alive, but you do not know about it”. He said, “This shock is unbearable for all of us.”

02-03 NEWS 3 Auguat 2022_Layout 1 8/3/2022 1:07 AM Page 2

wednesday, 3 August, 2022 | IsLAMABAD

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PUnJAB nOt tO lEAvE flOOd-AffECtEEs in lUrCh: CM ElAhi RAJANpUR/LAHoRe

Saleem Jadoon

UNJAB Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Tuesday declared that the Punjab government will not allow anyone to usurp the rights of any flood victim, saying the PTI-PML-Q government will go all-out to compensate damages caused by floods to crops and houses across the province. “Today i inspected all the flood-affected areas of Rajanpur and DG Khan. And the PDMA and all line departments will start immediate work for short-term and longterm rehabilitation of the affected people and infrastructure”, the Punjab CM told media in Rajanpur after visit to all flood-affected area. The CM announced declaring all the flood-affected areas as calamity-hit, adding that waterways of hill torrents would be channelized to avoid recurrence of floods in future. Pervaiz Elahi visited the flood-hit areas of Rajanpur and DG Khan and inspected relief activities. The Punjab CM also distributed financial aid cheques worth Rs0.8 million each to each family of the

people who lost lives during flood. He directed all-out help for the flood-affected people and offered fateha for the departed souls. The Punjab CM recalled that during floods in 2004 he was the Punjab chief minister, Khawaja Sahib brought him to the region. “At that time, I planned to channelize natural waterways of hill torrents and allocated Rs2.5 billion for the purpose. At that time, dollar was worth Rs60 but later Shehbaz Sharif did nothing for this project when he was chief minister”, Pervaiz Elahi regretted. He lamented that Shehbaz Sharif wasted 15 years, which increased cost of the project enormously. “Shehbaz Sharif kept on making tall claims but did nothing for the poor,” he criticized. Earlier, the Punjab chief minister visited the rescue operation center in Shahpur area of Rajanpur and held a meeting with the flood victims besides inspecting relief activities. Talking on the occasion, the CM asserted that the Punjab government shares the sufferings the flood-affectees and would spare no effort for their early recovery. “The people facing troubles would not be left alone”, he assured and added that the

Usman Buzdar appointed Pti’s parliamentary leader in Punjab Assembly LAHoRe

government has set up medical camps where flood victims are being vaccinated against epidemics. Similarly, he added that the families of each of the deceased persons are being provided with financial assistance worth Rs0.8 million. “I assure you that the government will continue taking every possible measure to help the flood victims.” Various lawmakers and political leaders including: Nasrullah Dareshak, Hasnain Bahadur Dareshak, Mohsin Leghari, Farooq Amanullah Dareshak, Owais Khan Dareshak, commissioner, RPO DG Khan and others were present. The CM also visited the Chhatani area of Taunsa and met the families of flood victims. He offered condolence to the bereaved families and assured them of all-out help. The CM declared that all the flood affectees would be served without caring for any political affiliation and their hearts will be won. Similarly, the survey will be carried out in a transparent manner to assess to damages, he added. Pervaiz Elahi said that all MNAs and MPAs here were his colleagues and they are engaged in serving the affected people in the

flood-hit areas. The CM ordered to immediately start development work from allocated Rs20 billion in affected areas and announced investigation into inundation of Shadan Lund food centre and wheat stock. On the occasion, the DG Khan Commissioner informed that relief camps have been set up and food is being provided to the affectees besides their vaccination. Sardar Muhammad Khan Leghari, Kh Sheraz Mahmood, Muhammad Hanif Pitafi, Kh Daud Sulemani, Sardar Saifuddin Khan Khosa, Javed Akhtar Lund, Sardar Mohyuddin Khan Khosa and others were also present.

Earlier, CM Ch Pervaiz Elahi took an aerial visit of the flood-affected areas of Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan after conducting a ground visit. The irrigation secretary briefed him about the relief activities. The CM directed to speed up the relief activities, adding that supply of food items should be continued to the affected population while ensuring every possible help to the people in need. Earlier, CM Pervaiz Elahi took a briefing onboard the plane while leaving for a visit to the flood-hit areas of south Punjab. He was apprised of the medical camps and relief activities in affected areas.

Ahsan Iqbal asks newly-appointed HEC chairman to align higher education sector with modern trends LAHoRe

On July 30 Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appointed Dr Mukhtar Ahmed as the HEC chairman, according to a press release issued here on Tuesday. The minister while congratulating him said that Dr Mukhtar had an extensive experience in the education sector which would reflect in the policies of HEC. “Priority sectors and best universities should be selected for scholarships abroad, ” said the minister, adding that despite the economic crisis, ample funds had been provided for HEC. The minister further added that a competitive process should be set up

through the academic and performance audit system of universities. Candidates should be selected to benefit from the Pakistan-America Knowledge Corridor Project, he remarked. Professor Iqbal said that steps should be taken to ensure the establishment of Dr. AQ Khan Metallurgy Institute. Dr Ahmed, a renowned educationist, had earlier held the post of HEC Chairman from 2014 to 2018.Executive Director HEC from 2013 to 2014 and as Member (Operations and Planning) HEC from 2005 to 2011.

Staff RepoRt

The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has appointed former Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar as its parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly. A notification regarding his appointment was also issued. PTI Chairman Imran Khan appointed Buzdar as parliamentary leader after holding a consultation with Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi and party leaders. Earlier in the day, Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan approved an 18-member working cabinet for the Punjab Assembly. According to details, PTI Chairman Imran Khan has approved an 18-member cabinet for the newly formed PTI government in Punjab. Only PTI ministers would take oath in the first phase, PTI sources. PTI MPAs including Yasmin Rashid, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Raja Yasir Humayun, Ali Afzal Sahi, Hashim Dogar and Fayaz-ul-Hassan Chohan has been added to the cabinet. The time and date of the oath ceremony of the ministers would be announced later.

Federal Minister for Planning Development & Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal has asked the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to align the higher education sector with modern trends and requirements while curriculum of the varsities should be aligned with the job market. The minister made these remarks while meeting with the newly-appointed Chairman HEC Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed at the Ministry.

resignations of 4 more Pti MnAs accepted ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Tuesday deseated four more PTI MNAs, citing their absence from the assembly for over 40 days. According to details, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has deseated four more Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from the National Assembly saying that the members have been absent from the assembly proceedings for over 40 days. The deseated PTI members include Saleh Muhammad Khan, Ghulam Muhammad Lali, Mian Muhammad Soomro and Ghulam Bibi Bharwana. The deseated members neither resigned nor submitted a leave application, the NA speaker added. Staff RepoRt

Punjab Inspector General of Police Faisal Shahkar said that foolproof arrangements for the security of Ashura processions and Majalis should be ensured all costs across the province, particularly in Lahore. “The police should ensure active role of peace committees in collaboration with the district administration, establish an atmosphere of mutual harmony with the scholars from all schools of thoughts and civil society for peace and tranquility in Muharram.” Punjab Inspector General of Police Faisal Shahkar issued the instructions at a meeting held here at District Police Lines Lahore to review security for Muharram. The IG Police directed the field

sECP launches WeChat service to facilitate Chinese investors

Hajj sermon 2022 gives message of peace, love: Tahir Ashrafi

ISLAMABAD: The SECP on Tuesday became the first-ever regulatory body and public sector organisation to enable WeChat service. The WeChat service will help the Chinese investors in making informed investment decisions and easily incorporate companies in Pakistan. Through WeChat, users can instantly get information from SECP personnel regarding name availability and company incorporation in Mandarin language, said a press release issued here. This initiative is part of SECP’s ongoing efforts to build a culture of digitalisation and enhance user experience. The use of WeChat is already prevalent in jurisdictions including Singapore, Malaysia and it is paving its way into Europe and South America. With China becoming a global financial powerhouse, it is more important than ever to enable communication with Chinese investors as it is one of Pakistan’s top trading partners. SECP’s WeChat Service will enable users to exchange messages, documents, images and payments for complete support and solution. app

With a Bachelors and Masters of Science from University of Agriculture, Faisalabad and Masters in Business Administration and PhD from University of California, Riverside, USA, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed has over three decades of educational development and management experience at national and international level that includes teaching, research, administration, policy development, linking educational research to industry/commercialization, introducing entrepreneurial approaches to education and a diverse range of educational development programmes.

Police top brass huddle fine-tunes Lahore Muharram security LAHoRe Staff RepoRt

ISLAMABAD app

Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Interfaith Harmony and Middle East Hafiz Tahir Memood Ashrafi on Tuesday said the message of Hajj Sermon 2022 was peace and love. Addressing the Paigham-eHajj Conference here, he said the interfaith dialogue had also been discussed in the divine command Holy Quran but some miscreants had tried to misinterpret the teachings of Islam which were completely based on religious coexistence. Ashrafi who is also the chairman of Pakistan Ulema Council said they also attempted

officers to give full cooperation to the citizens coming to follow their cases. Lahore CCPO Ghulam Mehmood Dogar, DIG Operations Afzaal Ahmed Kausar, DIG Investigations Kamran Adil, CTO Lahore Muntazer Mehdi, SSPs Operations and Investigations, all Divisional SPs and other officers of the Lahore Police attended the meeting. Faisal Shahkar said that special attention should be given to security at entry and exit points of the city. He stressed the need for best security arrangements for Imambargahs, mosques and other places of worship. The IGP said that all routes of Ashura procession should be monitored through Safe City CCTV cameras and Special Branch, CTD and other sensitive agencies should speed up search and combing operations. During the meeting, CCPO Ghulam

to make Sheikh Dr Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa controversial who delivered the Arafat Day Sermon at Namirah Mosque in order to create religious disharmony. Shedding light on the religiopolitical significance of Sheikh Dr Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, Ashrafi said he was secretary-general of the Muslim World League and member of the Council of Senior Scholars. Regarding Hajj 2022, he said the world was expecting that the Hajj rites would be suspended due to coronavirus pandemic but the Saudi government, instead of suspending them completely, restricted to a tentative figure in 2020 and 2021 in a bid to save the

Mahmood Dogar briefed the IGP about crime control, while DIG Operations Afzal Kausar briefed the IGP about the security arrangements regarding Ashura Muharram. During the meeting, the IG Police issued orders to adopt zero tolerance policy regarding cases of violence and harassment against women and children, adding that the Gender Crime Cell should be restructured to make it more active. He stressed that women personnel and officers in the force should also be given a chance in the field. Faisal Shahkar said that ill-treatment of citizens would not be tolerated under any circumstances, saying there should be a clear change in the behavior of officers. He said that only by improving public service delivery and reaching out to the victims, the police can gain trust and support of the citizens, so any delay in registering cases will not be

Muslims from this viral infection. He said although it was a gigantic task to organize the Hajj Operation 2022 at a massive scale after the hiatus of two years, but by the grace of Allah Almighty and preventive measures adopted by the Saudi government to curb this deadly disease, not a single case of COVID-19 was reported during the pre and post Hajj operation. He also appreciated the outstanding services of Saudi government, provided to the pilgrims during the Hajj rituals. Ashrafi said ‘Road to Makkah’ project was the expression of strong love and affiliation of Saudi Arabia with Pakistan.

tolerated. The IG Police said that indiscriminate action should be taken against the land mafia who are occupying property owned by overseas Pakistanis and innocent citizens and organized gangs should be brought under the law by taking concrete steps to control street crime in the City. He directed to increase patrolling of dolphins and Peru forces near sensitive mosques, imambargahs, public places and markets. Earlier on arrival at Police Lines, the IG Police was presented bouquet by the children of martyred policemen. The IGP laid floral wreath on the martyrs monument at Lahore Police Lines and offered Fateha for the departed souls of martyrs. Faisal Shahkar paid tribute to the sacrifices of the martyrs of Lahore Police and also recorded his impressions in the memorial book on the occasion.

ECP moved for lifetime disqualification of imran Khan ISLAMABAD: A petition was filed in the Election Commission of Commission for the lifetime disqualification of former prime minister Imran Khan under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution. The development comes after ECP, in a unanimous verdict on Tuesday, said it has found that the PTI received prohibited funding. Amun Taraqqi Party (ATP) Chairman Muhammad Faiq Shah filed the petition in the election watchdog seeking lifetime disqualification of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan. The petitioner stated that Imran Khan has submitted a “false affidavit” with ECP there he should be lifetime disqualified under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday announced the much-awaited verdict in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) prohibited funding case. ECP, in its unanimous verdict, ruled that the party received funds from business tycoon Arif Naqvi and from 34 foreign nationals. Staff RepoRt

04 NEWS 3 August 2022 Isb_Layout 1 8/3/2022 12:02 AM Page 1

Wednesday, 3 August, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

04 NEWS

SC aDjournS revIew petItIon In CM SInDH DISquaLIfICatIon CaSe siNdH

Staff RepoRt

HE Supreme Court on Tuesday turned down plea seeking formation of a larger bench to hear a review petition related to the disqualification of Sindh chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and adjourned hearing till date in office. A three-member SC bench comprising Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar heard the review petition moved by Roshan Ali Baririo seeking Murar Ali Shah’s disqualification under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution for possessing dual nationality and having an iqama or work permit. Mr Baririo is Mr Shah’s

political rival. A bench of the Supreme Court had earlier dismissed the appeal of the petitioner against a verdict of the Sindh High Court (SHC) seeking disqualification of Shah. During the course of proceedings, Advocate Hamid Khan, counsel for Shah, appeared before the court and pleaded for the formation of a larger bench to take up the matter. Chief Justice Bandial responded that formation of a larger bench was now history. Hamid Khan said that Justice Yahya Afridi was among the judges hearing the main case but he was not included in the bench hearing review petition. Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial said that Justice Yahya Afridi was available and could be added him to the bench.

KP cabinet increases compensation amount for calamity hit victims PEsHAWAR NewS DeSk

pakistan needs to improve quality of its universities: rana tanveer isLAmAbAd Staff RepoRt

Minister of Federal Education and Professional Training, Rana Tanveer Hussain Tuesday said that Pakistan needs to improve the quality of its universities. “Quality of education should be the first priority”, the minister said during a meeting with the newly appointed Chairman of HEC, Mukhtar Ahmed. The minister emphasized on upgrading the existing universities in such a way that they can compete with the best universities in the world. He said that the existing universities need to be strengthened so that they can achieve higher global rankings. He emphasized the need to improve the governance of all public universities of Pakistan with special attention to financial discipline. Along with overall governance, financial accountability and discipline should be among the top priorities, he said. The minister also called for making the public universities financially self-reliant. He also stated that the public universities should also develop the capacity to impart vocational skills to the students.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet on Tuesday approved compensation amount under different heads for calamity stricken victims and also agreed major crackdown against encroachment in flood affected districts. The cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan increased compensation amount for deceased of natural calamity from Rs 300,000 to 800,000 and financial support for damaged houses from Rs 100,000 to 400,000. Minister for Labour Shaukat Yousafzai in a media briefing after the cabinet meeting said that the cabinet also directed the district administrations to immediately launch crackdown against encroachment especially on nullahs, canals, river banks and other water channels. The cabinet appreciated performance

of the district administration and government agencies including Rescue 1122 for the immediate relief operations during the flood. The Chief Minister directed to open Rescue 1122 centers in the districts having mineral mines so that immediate relief activities could be started in case of accidents and to save lives of the miners, The Cabinet decided to continue the subsidy on flour and directed to continue supplying flour at subsidized rates throughout the year, adding that the government was spending 35 billion rupees for the purpose. The cabinet was informed that there was no shortage of flour in the province and more than 200,000 bags of 10 kg and 20 kg were being provided on a daily basis in the province at discounted rates. The cabinet also decided to increase the daily supply from 200,000 to 250,000 from August 15. In the light of Peshawar High Court’s

orders, the provincial cabinet deliberated on the reservation of seats in the medical and dental colleges established across the country for the erstwhile tribal areas and decided to maintain the old quota. The cabinet approved the extension of three members of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Commission, MPA Pir Fida Muhammad, MPA Samira Shams MPA and Dr. Abdul Ghafoor for the second term. The provincial cabinet on the proposal of the Housing Department has allocated an additional Rs 39.55 million for package one as per the revised PC-I for the construction of 1320 flats under Prime Minister’s Naya Pakistan Housing Program in PHA Housing Scheme Jalozai District Nowshera and Rs 818.668 million for completion of the project. Similarly, the cabinet approved allocation of Rs 4300 million as non-AD scheme for designing and construction of irrigation channels of Mohmand Dam

IHC suspends PAC recommendations for removal Chairman COIED isLAmAbAd Staff RepoRt

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday suspended the recommendation of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for removing Justice (Rtd) Javed Iqbal as Chairman Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances (COIED). The court also sought comments from respondents including secretary National Assembly and secretary PAC into the matter. Former Chairman NAB Javed Iqbal moved the petition through his lawyer Shoaib Shaheen against PAC’s decision to write a letter to the government for terminating him from the chairmanship of COIED. The court observed that the matter pertaining to the powers of PAC had also been challenged through the other petitions.

The lawyer prayed the court to declare the PAC meeting minutes date July 7, 2022as illegal. Deputy Attorney General Arshad Kayani pleaded that now this matter had been shifted to inquiry commission from the PAC. The court asked the DAG to inform it on next hearing that whether the proceeding in PAC into the matter had been ended. The bench remarked that if the PAC had finished the proceeding then this could would become ineffective. The court adjourned further hearing of the case till August 11, with above instructions. It may be mentioned here that the petition had stated that the PAC had no powers to issue recommendations for removal of petitioner from the chairmanship of COIED. It also prayed the court to stop PAC from taking legal action against the petitioner.

Hydro Project and Rs 200 million for this year. The Provincial Cabinet also approved the appointment of Secretary Auqaf, Hajj, Religious and Minority Affairs as Chief Administrator of Auqaf. The provincial cabinet on the request of Deputy Commissioner in Darazanda, Tribal Division of Dera Ismail Khan District withdrew fire emergency imposed in Darazanda. The cabinet approved provision of land for the establishment of Rescue 1122 in Tehsil Paharpur District Dera Ismail Khan. The cabinet directed IG Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to refer the case to the provincial government to resolve the issue regarding the age limit of ASIs recruited by the Public Service Commission. It was informed on the occasion that the provincial government has sent 32 trucks of relief goods to flood victims of Balochistan which included tents, blankets, mattress and food items.

LHC moved for disqualification of Ishaq Dar as senator LAHORE Staff RepoRt

A plea has been filed with the Lahore High Court (LHC) seeking the disqualification of former finance minister Ishaq Dar as a senator. According to details, the LHC has been moved to disqualify former finance minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz stalwart Ishaq Dar. It has been stated in the plea that the petition was submitted to the Senate chairman for the disqualification of Ishaq Dar but he did not take a decision. In June, former Finance Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Ishaq Dar received new Pakistani passport. It is pertinent to mention here that the former finance minister has left Pakistan four years back and is wanted in Pakistan in multiple cases. Dar was elected as a senator on a technocrat seat from Punjab in 2018. He could not take oath due to his stay in London. However, the SC suspended his membership over his failure to appear in court on May 8, 2018.

KP CM directs for anti-encroachment drive in flood aﬀected districts PEsHAWAR NewS DeSk

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mahmood Khan on Tuesday directed the authorities concerned to initiate fullfledged anti-encroachments drive in flood affected districts of the province and open all blocked roads immediately to provide relief to the masses. He issued these directives while chairing a meeting of the provincial cabinet held here, which besides the cabinet members was also attended by the Provincial Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary, Senior Member Board of Revenue and Administrative Secretaries of various Government Departments. Provincial Minister for Labour & Culture, Shaukat Ali Yousafzai while briefing media persons about the decisions of the cabinet meeting at ITLA’A Cell informed that the cabinet also approved enhancing compensation for the

heirs of those lost their lives in the natural disasters from Rs.0.3 million to Rs.0.8 million and the compensation for damaged houses from Rs.0.1 million to Rs.0.4 million. The cabinet, he said, appreciated the services of the Districts Administration, Rescue-1122 and other public institutions for initiating quick relief activities during the floods. The Labour Minister further informed that the Chief Minister has directed for opening Rescue-1122 stations in the mines-rich districts throughout the province so as to ensure initiating prompt relief activities and safeguard the lives of the mine workers during emergencies. He further said that the cabinet also approved the continuation of subsidy on Atta and the masses will now get the subsidized Atta throughout the year. The government, he said, is spending Rs.35 billion as subsidy on Atta. Sufficient stock of Atta is available in the province at the current moment and more than 2

lac bags of Atta, weighing 10 and 20 Kg, is being provided to the masses on daily basis. This quota, he said, will be enhanced up to 2.5 lacs daily by 15th of the current month. The provincial cabinet, he further said, also discussed the Admission Policy/Criteria for reserved seats in Medical/Dental colleges for Erstwhile FATA candidates in various institutes across the country as per direction of the Peshawar High Court, Peshawar and decided to maintain the status quo for the time being. Shaukat Yousafzai further informed that the cabinet also approved the extension of tenure of three members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection & Welfare Commission for the second consecutive term. These three members of the commission, who were earlier appointed in April 2019 for a period of three years, included Pir Fida Muhammad MPA, Ms. Sumaira Shams MPA and Dr. Abdul Ghafoor, an Aalam-e-Din and

Imam Masjid Angoor Wali Qissa Khwani Peshawar. The cabinet, he said, also approved an additional sum of Rs.39.55 million for package one under the revised PC-I for the construction of 1320 flats at PHA Housing Scheme Jalozai District Noswhera under the Prime Minister’s Naya Pakistan Housing Program and Rs.818.668 million for the overall project. Shaukat Yousafzai further told that the cabinet also approved the allocation of Rs.4300 million as non-ADP scheme for the designing and construction of irrigation channels of Mohmand Dam Hydro Power Project. A sum of Rs.200 million, he said, will be provided during the current year. The project on completion will irrigate around 16,000 Acres of land as well as generate 800 MW hydro power. He further said that the cabinet also approved the appointment of Secretary Auqaf, Hajj, Religious & Minority Affairs as Chief Administrator Auqaf.

Wednesday, 3 August, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS EBM, SoL embark on a journey of self-discovery with 21st Young Leaders Conference 2022 KARACHI: Keeping alive its two-decade-long tradition of nurturing young minds, English Biscuits Manufacturers – the makers of Peek Freans, in collaboration with the School of Leadership (SoL), once again sponsored the 21st Young Leaders Conference 2022. The main theme of the Conference revolved around 'Pehchaan' (Identity). The participants were guided as to how looking within paves the way to desired outcomes. The six-day event touched on various aspects of life and emphasized reigniting the sense of exploring infinite possibilities and uncovering true human potential. The '#SooperHaiMeriPehchaan' activity became a moment of binding for over 200 participants as they joined hands to create short documentaries to reflect back on their role towards themselves, society, and Pakistan. pR

EZ Wage partners with Bank Alfalah to revolutionize financial wellness in Pakistan KARACHI: Singapore-based EZ Wage, a leading regional financial wellness platform, has signed an agreement with Bank Alfalah as its Digital Payments Partner to facilitate Earned Wage Access (EWA) in Pakistan with secure payment transfers. Under the agreement, EZ Wage will route payments in real-time to its users through Bank Alfalah’s platform. EZ Wage’s state-of-the-art mobile app enables employees to withdraw a portion of their earned salary before their scheduled payday. This earned wage access facility allows them relief in case of monetary emergencies, such as an unexpected expense due to a medical emergency in the family. The financial wellness platform has already signed up companies employing more than 135,000 salaried individuals across Pakistan and is rapidly adding more companies that are interested in providing this revolutionary employee benefit to their employee base. EZ Wage will also be introducing additional offerings specifically geared towards improving employee financial literacy and independence. pR

IHC asks PTI to remove ‘objections’ in plea against acceptance of 11 MNAs resignations ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday asked the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to remove the objections raised by Registrar Office on plea challenging the acceptance of resignations of its 11 MNAs by the National Assembly speaker. Acting Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard the case filed by PTI’s General Secretary Asad Umar. The Registrar Office on Monday raised the objection that no authority letter of the respective members of the National Assembly (MNAs) was attached with the petition. PTI’s lawyer Faisal Chaudhry adopted the stance that there was no need for the authority letter because his client himself came to the court for biometric verification. The court, however, remarked that the resignation of an MNA and its acceptance was an individual act. The authority letters of the MNAs were rightly demanded by the Registrar Office as anyone of them might come tomorrow and depose before the court that he did not stand with the matter, he added. The lawyer pleaded that the PTI party wanted elections on 123 seats not on 11. Staff RepoRt

PAkISTAN’S ExPorTS IN JuLY fALL BY 24PC

ITH the contraction in imports after various measures taken to control dollars, the exports in July have also posted a decline of over $ 700 million or 24 percent as compared to the exports registered in June 2022. As per the data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on

Tuesday, the exports in July 2022 recorded $2.2 billion as against $2.9 billion exports registered in June 2022. The country’s exports declined by 0.5 percent on a YoY basis as exports remained $2.219 billion in July 2022 compared to $2.340 billion in July 2021. On the other hand, the trade deficit in July 2022 stood at $2.6 billion with

imports of $4.8 billion during the period. The country’s imports also registered $4.8 billion in July as compared to the import bill in June hovering around $7.8 billion. Pakistan’s imports on a month-onmonth (MoM) basis declined by 38.3 percent in July 2022 as it remained $4.86 billion compared to $7.880 billion in June 2022.

Upgradation of Uncle Sargam Park completed by CDA iSLamaBad Staff RepoRt

The administration of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) is taking various steps to provide a healthy environment to the citizens of Islamabad. In this regard, on the special instructions of the CDA administration, the upgradation work of Uncle Sargam Park located in Sector F-11-2 of Islamabad has been completed by the concerned departments. According to the details, this Park was built to suit the famous character Uncle Sargam. Statues of characters from the Uncle Sargam series were also installed.

However, the park was in a dilapidated condition and the statues installed were also damaged. On the special instructions of the Chairman Capital Development Authority, the work of providing other facilities including renovation of this park was started which has now been completed. In this context, the statues of the famous characters of Uncle Sargam series have been upgraded and reinstalled so that the children visiting the park can enjoy themselves. The provision of other facilities including swings, walkways, jogging track for children to play in Uncle Sargam Park located in Sector F-11-2 of Islamabad has

also been ensured. Similarly, seasonal flowers of different colors have been planted in the park to keep the environment green and fresh so that the citizens who come to the park can enjoy the atmosphere to the fullest. Apart from this, benches for sitting in the park, proper lighting arrangements, security arrangements and other necessary arrangements have also been made. On this occasion, the administration of the Capital Development Authority says that providing a healthy environment to the citizens of Islamabad, especially children, is among the top priorities of the institution.

Corps commander among six martyred in helicopter crash continued from page 01 President calls COAS: President Dr Arif Alvi called Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa to offer his condolences for the martyrs of the Balochistan helicopter incident. President Alvi expressed deep grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of the military officials and soldiers and extended his condolences to their families. “The dutiful sons of the nation were engaged in flood relief work in Balochistan, and embraced martyrdom while working with great zeal, hard work and dedication to fulfil their duty and serve the nation,” he stated. The president mentioned his meeting with Corps Commander Lt. Gen. Sarfaraz Ali during his visit to Gwadar, recalling that he found Sarfaraz to be a “very capable, intelligent, and dutiful officer”. According to the COAS, bad weather during the rescue operations and reduced visibility led to the incident. Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had ex-

pressed concern over the missing helicopter during his telephonic conversation with the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa. The premier had called the COAS to inquire about the latest update on the rescue operation of the aviation helicopter, which was on flood relief operations in Balochistan’s Lasbela. During his telephonic conversation with Gen Bajwa, PM Shehbaz had prayed for the safe return of Commander 12 Corps Lieutenant General Sarfaraz Ali, who was supervising the relief operations. He had termed Lt Gen Ali an “outstanding professional” and a “wonderful human being”. The prime minister had also said the entire nation was deeply saddened over the incident and had prayed for the safe return of the “brave sons of the soil”. On Monday, the ISPR had said in a statement that as many as six individuals were missing after the Army Aviation copter lost contact with the air traffic control (ATC).

According to the official data of PBS, the country’s trade deficit narrowed by 18.33 percent in July 2022 on a year-on-year basis and remained $2.64 billion in July 2022 compared to $3.23 billion in July 2021. YoY basis imports declined by 12.8 percent in July 2022 and remained $4.8 billion compared to $5.5 billion in July 2021. app

ECP verdict a charge sheet against ‘certified liar’ Imran: PDM continued from page 01 In a statement, she said a thief, and liar involved in foreign funding and money laundering has finally been caught after a period of eight years. The minister demanded that as now Khan was no longer “Sadiq (upright) and Amin (honest)”, and should immediately step down from the position of party chairman. Terming Khan a foreign conspiracy against Pakistan, she said he was a liar involved in forgery and today’s judgement certified the fact. The minister reiterated the charge made by Abbasi that Khan received donations from Israel, and India to create unrest in Pakistan. HEROES AND VILLAINS: Farhatullah Babar, a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) stalwart, hailed the chief election commissioner, members of the commission, and Akbar S. Babar — a founding member of the PTI party who filed the petition in 2014 — after the verdict. “It’s most instructive that those painted as heroes thru relentless propaganda for years turn out to be villains. Those who stand out today in the nation’s forward march” are Sikandar Sultan Raja, the ECP and Babar, he tweeted. Wajid Ali Khan, a central leader of the Awami National Party (ANP) and former provincial minister, said the verdict proved the politics of Khan’s party was bankrolled by prohibited funding and donations. He said that PTI concealed from the ECP its accounts and the donations it received from foreign nations which was a violation of the Constitution. Talking to the Associated Press of Pakistan, he said the “inclusive judgment” testified that illegal funds were used by the party for personal and political gains in violation of the election laws. He said the leadership made tall claims about the “foreign conspiracy” after Khan’s ouster but today, they were found guilty of receiving donations from their foreign masters. He said Khan should immediately tender an apology from the nation and resign from the office of party chairman. The former minister said PTI leadership made a habit of character assassination of Raja after failing to produce evidence. He said the law would take its own course and the PTI chair may face a life-term ban under Article 62-63 of the Constitution.

Noor Alam asks Miftah Ismail to better start selling ‘toﬀees’ The chairman of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Noor Alam Khan has suggested Finance Minister Miftah Ismail to better start selling ‘toffees’ instead of dealing with the financial matters. Noor Alam Khan launched sharp criticism against Finance Minister Miftah Ismail over skyrocketing fuel prices in the country. He censured that Ismail failed to provide relief to the nation. He said that the government should reduce the diesel price instead of petrol to provide relief to the masses. Khan criticised that the finance minister has no fellings for the miseries of farmers and transporters. “The modification in diesel price impacts all commodities, increasing its rates after the hike in diesel rate. At this time, diesel for the farmers’ tractors and tubewells is expensive but petrol for elites’ cars is low-priced.” Staff RepoRt

An exemplary account of transformation in public sector Public Sector in Pakistan has always been criticized for its inefficiencies and lackluster performance in many instances. There has been lot of talk about reforms since last many decades but no real breakthrough has been achieved. The reforms in public sector in a nut shell has never moved beyond speeches and policies. But very recently, there has been a silent revolution rolling out as a very rare exception. This is happening at Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL). The company was lucky to have a competent Chief Executive appointed some time ago. Ali J. Hamdani proved to be the real game changer for this struggling organization. A major reform program is being undertaken at SNGPL which is already yielding fruit. SNGPL lately has announced fabulous profits dividends etc. He is an engineer by profession and has proven track record of positioning organizations for success. Mr. Hamdani remained associated with names like Siemens AG,

Linde Healthcare and Schneider Electric during his career. His rich and diverse work experience coupled with his work capability turned him into one of the most successful heads of the organization. It has been during his tenure that under the three-year UFG Reduction Plan, Sui Northern took up a mountainous task. Many localities within the company’s franchise areas particularly those in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were the major challenge. Mr. Hamdani had several meetings with the provincial government, political influential of those areas and law enforcement agencies to materialize a workable strategy. It was decided to launch meterization campaign in selected areas of the province to discourage gas theft. The campaign greatly contributed in tackling the menace of UFG. Additionally, the regions were issued strict advice to not tolerate gas theft by any industrial consumer. Immediate raids were made on the industrial premises which were found to be involved in heinous crime. The collective

efforts finally borne the desired outcome in the form of huge reduction in UFG from 12.32% to 8.6% which translates in to approximately 15 BCF. UFG reduction is by no means an ordinary success as the continuous increase in it has the ability to sink the entire company alone. This success couldn’t have been made possible without introduction of effective use of Technology at all levels that helped in eradication of malpractices and placement of effective controls along with access to real time data. Another very common reservation about SNGPL was its problematic customer service. Ali J. Hamdani was very focused on this point from the day one. He emphasized on revolutionizing customer services through effective utilization of technology. To facilitate customers, online gas application facility was introduced whereby customers can easily apply for gas connection through SNGPL’s website. For industrial customers, another special service was launched under which a dedicated resource from SNGPL

visits industrial customer and provides all the guidance as well as fulfills all requirements at the customer’s premises. The premises survey which is an essential part of gas connection procedure has also been digitized which not only reduced the timeline of connection procedure but also helped in eradicating chances of irregularity or human error. Another important development is the introduction of ‘SNGPL ConnectOn’ mobile app which enables customers to apply for gas connection, check bill history, pay bill and lodge complaints on just a single tap. Similarly, customers can now seek query and lodge complaints through Sui Northern’s official social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter using ‘SNGPL Digitime’ service. As if this was not enough, MD SNGPL Ali J. Hamdani directed to introduce kiosks at popular spots which are frequented by general public. As a pilot project, the first kiosk has already been placed at Lahore’s largest shopping mall. Customers can access

all essential services at these kiosks. MD SNGPL understands the importance of human resource very well hence his focus is on nurturing a culture of learning and development in order to develop a highly capable pool of manpower which can compete with any market player under any circumstances. To encourage new comers in the organization, Ali J. Hamdani took immediate measures to eliminate all forms of financial disparity and enhanced transparency and this is a very welcoming move in the right direction. Understanding the shrinking space due to opening up of energy sector to independent players, Ali J. Hamdani is now focusing on business diversification. It is pertinent to mention that it is very difficult to find as highly educated, skilled and experienced manpower as SNGPL has in gas transmission and distribution sector of Pakistan. Mr. Hamdani wants to use this factor for business diversification. SNGPL is flexing arms to come up as a contractor for large scale oil and gas related infrastructure projects. pR

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Wednesday, 3 August, 2022

06 COMMENT

I knew Ghassan Kanafani

A damaging charge sheet PTI can’t aﬀord to take it lightly

O keep up the morale of the Pti activists the party leaders are presenting the ECP’s verdict as a defeat of their political opponents and, by implication, the Pti’s victory. former minister of state farrukh Habib has claimed that “today’s verdict proved our stance that this is not a case of foreign funding”. further, the “Pti has merely been issued a notice” and has not been banned, and the show-cause notice “will be responded to adequately”. former federal minister fawad Chaudhry has termed the verdict “no big deal”. While former federal minister Sh Rashid described it as “much ado about nothing.” this despite the fact that the ECP has ruled in a unanimous verdict that the Pti did indeed receive prohibited funding and issued a notice to the party asking why the funds should not be confiscated. Pti chief imran Khan has been charged with breaking laws and violating moral standards leading to criminality. As Mr Khan initiated a campaign for donations to fund his first election campaign he failed to ensure that the funds being doled out to him were from legitimate sources. it appears from the ECP’s unanimous judgment that it didn’t matter to the Pti chief if the country’s laws were violated while he collected funds from 34 foreign nationals and 351 foreign-based companies. the party “knowingly and willfully” received funding from Wootton Cricket Limited, operated by business tycoon Arif Naqvi and several other ineligible foreign firms. imran Khan, we are told, was a “willing recipient” of prohibited money amounting to $2,121,500. Despite his display of religiosity and emphasis on honesty and integrity, the Pti chief appears to have cared little for moral concerns either. He has been charged with continuously concealing the facts over the five years under review. Mr Khan also filed submissions that were .grossly inaccurate. Even during the course of scrutiny and hearing by the ECP, the Pti continued to conceal and withhold full disclosure of the source of its donations.the party only owned to eight accounts before the commission and declared 13 to be unknown, despite the fact that these accounts were being operated by the party’s senior leadership. if the ECP finds the Pti’s explanations unsatisfactory, it can refer the case to the government for prosecution. One expects the ECP not to take long before it similarly probes into the funding sources of other parties as well with similar eagerness.

washington watch Dr James J Zogby

ifty years ago this July, israel assassinated Ghassan Kanafani. they planted a bomb in his car killing him and his 17-year-old niece, Lamis. Over the years i’ve thought a lot about Ghassan, his significant contributions to Arab literature, my meetings with him, and the role he played in shaping my doctoral dissertation and my thinking about Palestine. During the summer of 1971, i was in Beirut on a grant from my university. i had come to Lebanon to conduct dissertation research on the emergence of Palestinian national identity. Ghassan was one of my first meetings. Having been captivated by his writings, i was excited to meet him. i’ll never forget his dedication to “Um Sa’ad,” the first of his works i read— “to my father and mother, the wings that flew me over the rocks of oblivion.” Our first encounter almost didn’t go well. He was sitting at his desk conducting a heated phone conversation. As i waited for him to finish, i looked at the wall behind him—a collage of newspaper clippings, photos, and posters. He finished his call and looked up at me rather dismissively suggesting that i was, as he put it, “another American of Arab descent who had come to Lebanon to find himself in the Palestinian cause.” He turned to the wall behind him and pointed at a picture of a mass mobilization to end the war in Vietnam arrogantly noting that if i wanted to find myself, i should go back to America and join that effort and the struggle for civil rights. instead of just leaving, i responded curtly telling him that i knew who i was, i was active in both the anti-war and civil rights movements, and i was in Lebanon not to find myself but to conduct research for my dissertation. i told him that i needed help mak-

Little men Creeps abound in the republic

OW the mighty fall. Once, he was feared across the land and beyond. By the corrupt and noncorrupt alike, because former NAB Chairman Mr Justice (retd) Javed iqbal didn’t seem to quite appreciate the distinction between the two. Now, he has been reduced to petitioning for stay orders from the courts against the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee’s recommendation for him to be removed from the chair of the missing persons commission. it remains to be seen what decision the courts take on this petition filed by their former brother justice. the PAC, led by Noor Alam Khan, had recommended his removal from the position. He had done so upon the application last month by one Ms tayyaba Gul, who had alleged that the former NAB chairman had tried to have illicit relations with her in exchange for lenient treatment of her husband, who was under NAB investigation. it is a sad state of affairs that she had already released an incriminating video with him way back in 2019, yet it didn’t seem to have any effect on his position. He wants to retain his position on the missing persons commission. His performance on that body has been appallingly inadequate. for a moment, if we were to forget the former judge’s personal integrity: that he was given that position in addition to the highly demanding job at NAB is a comment on how little importance the government gives to the issue of missing persons. in one of his handful of media appearances before the blanket media ban on members of the PtM, Manzoor Pashteen had once recounted an incident involving the wife of a missing person who had gone to the commission, seeking justice. Javed iqbal had, allegedly, told her that she was so beautiful, she could get another husband. that Javed iqbal wants to retain his job at the missing persons commission.

romaZa amJaD

t is often asked whether such a thing as islamic feminism exists or not. the term sounds oxymoronic. Many religious scholars believe that feminism is un-islamic and is surely not a part of islam. But what is feminism to begin with? How do Muslim feminists relate it to islam? the answer is simple yet complex. islam was the very first religion that methodically empowered women when they were being victimized by men. Before that, the disease of male chauvinism was prevailing in Arab societies. At that time women living a dignified life with equal rights was an alien concept. But islam came to rescue and introduced parity. So what is feminism if not that? it is nothing but an act to treat women with dignity and consider them human beings who possess equal rights and respect. On the other hand, we see women in the Western world were unable to enjoy autonomous status up until the 1930s. islam gave its women these basic rights way before these waves of feminism. Although islam empowered women in every way, Muslims were not ready to accept this notion of gender equality. the reason is the patriarchal structure. the power dynamics of a patriarch always gets challenged when speaking about such parity. As a result, many hadiths were reformulated to curtail the status of women so that they remain subordinate and obey men without reasoning. for such contradictions, Muslim feminists like fatema Mernissi demanded a re-interpretation of the Q!uranic text and hadith. for them, a feminist interpretation of the Quran and Hadith would help us break down these shackles of oppression. in her book Beyond the Veil: Male-Female Dynamics in Modern Muslim Society, Mernissi describes how we have lost our historical Muslim she-roes in the process of male interpretation of islam. in her other work The Veil and the Male Elite: A Feminist Interpretation of Women’s Rights in Islam, she brave-heartedly condemns the

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The Israelis assassinated him and his niece. This too was a horrific terrorist attack— although it was never seen as such by the West’s double standards. I can’t forget Ghassan and the brief and conflicted relationship I had with him. I was fortunate to have met him and to have had my thinking shaped by his remarkable intellect. He was a literary giant and proved to be generous in sharing his ideas. The impact he and his generation of Palestinians had is profound. I lament that loss today

The writer is President of the Arab American Institute

The enemy is common of both Islamic and Western feminists is misogyny and male privilege

Arif Nizami (Late)

M. A. Niazi

books of poetry by tawfiq Zayyed, Mahmoud Darwish, Sameh Al Qasim, and others. He also gave me a long interview (which i later published) laying out “the Role of Poetry in the Palestinian Struggle.” i returned to the USA, began writing my dissertation, and periodically wrote to Ghassan. Months later, the world was shocked by a horrific terrorist attack committed by members of the Japanese Red Army. twenty-nine innocent tourists were massacred at israel’s Lod Airport. When i saw that the magazine Ghassan edited carried the story on its front page, heralding the terror attack as a heroic revolutionary action, i was sickened and wrote an angry note to Ghassan denouncing the massacre as a senseless, disgusting murder and cond e m n i n g t h e magazine’s support for it. i don’t know if he ever saw my letter, because shortly thereafter the israelis assassinated him and his niece. this too was a horrific terrorist attack— although it was never seen as such by the West’s double standards. i can’t forget Ghassan and the brief and conflicted relationship i had with him. i was fortunate to have met him and to have had my thinking shaped by his remarkable intellect. He was a literary giant and proved to be generous in sharing his ideas. the impact he and his generation of Palestinians had is profound. i lament that loss today. i think often of what would have happened if the world heeded their call for justice for Palestine—what could have happened if the persistent traumas that have shaped Palestinian existence didn’t occur. How recent history could have been altered if all parties did not apply a conflicted sense of morality to the violence of the resistance and the violence of the Nakba and the ensuing horrors of the occupation. While we will never know, i sure wish we still had Ghassan with us to have this conversation.

Does Islamic feminism exist?

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

ing contact with Palestinians in the camps and he could either help me or not. My directness apparently worked, and we got down to business. He and others with whom i met provided me with contacts who would take me to the camps so i could interview Palestinians who had been forced to flee in 1948. i spent time in Ein Al Hilweh meeting dozens of refugees, taking notes from their stories, seeing pictures of the homes they left behind, all the time querying about what being Palestinian meant to them. When i returned to Beirut, i had a few more meetings with Ghassan. He listened to what i had heard and had questions of his own about my thesis, asking: “What exactly are you trying to find?” i told him about the notion of “revitalization movements” developed by one of my advisors— which described how groups of peoples traumatized by social, political, or economic dislocation often undergo a transformation of thought. Anthony f.C. Wallace, who had done his work studying revolutionary movements developed among Native Americans, called this transformation a “mazeway resynthesis,” in which old patterns of thought and identity were replaced by a new sense of communal understanding. Some of these movements look backward to an idealized past; others, while drawing on past experiences, project a forwardlooking transformational future. After listening to me, Ghassan said, “in the camps you experienced the first kind.” Out of their devastating loss, he said, “the refugees have romanticized the past and want to recreate it.” this resonated with what i had found— the way the camps had been structured around their villages and village life or their stories of a dream-like pastoral bliss. Ghassan then suggested, “if you want to understand forward-looking revolutionary thought, you need to go to the Palestinian citizens of israel. in their poetry and politics, you will find the Palestinian future. it is their vision that will lead us.” He gave me

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male Muslim elite who created the institution of seclusion and veil to destabilize women’s influence on the Muslim world. today, women of the Muslim world are still struggling with these male elites. they make decisions about a women’s body, her sexuality, and her whole existence based on their interpretations. the influence of the Quran on our law must be stronger than the influence of patriarchy. Sadly, it is the other way around. the celebrated claim is feminism cannot go along with islam because the former is manmade and the latter is divine. if this is the case then it must apply to patriarchy as well. the reason being patriarchy is as man-made as it gets. Patriarchy and islam are poles apart, more than feminism and islam could ever be. it is time we learn about our religion in a way that is not intoxicated by the men in power. Due to poverty and lack of resources, most of the women in the Muslim world are not even aware of their Quranic rights, including in Pakistan. the notion that islamic feminism is a contradiction in terms is a product of the white feminist mindset. the “saviour complex” of the West and the colonial mindset reflects perfectly here. the need to safeguard the Muslim woman must come from outside because she is unable to do it on her own. this is the narrative that we must break down. With the new wave of feminism, intersectional feminists are advocating feminism for all. Empowering every woman no matter from which background, eth-

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nicity, class, and socioeconomic background she comes is the essence of the new wave of feminism. We all see a glimpse of this at the Aurat Azadi march, every year. So is it a viable approach to compare islamic feminism with Western feminism? the answer is clear. the West’s women’s movement which later turned into feminism was successfully hijacked by the sexual revolution in the 1960s. Women’s liberation was confused with sexual liberation and hence women became the target of exploitation, whereas islamic feminism follows a particular norm and teachings. there is indeed an underlying difference in the pattern of both schools. But if we just choose to see the meaning of feminism rather than its historical contrast; then there is no metamorphosis. Both strive to achieve gender equity within the framework of their societies. the enemy is common; misogyny and male privilege. the notion of “solidarity” and victimhood brings them under one umbrella. if Pakistan starts empowering its women according to the teachings of islam then many of the issues regarding the mistreatment of women would automatically dissolve. But is the state equipped for gender equality or is it also a part of this constant iteration of maltreatment of women? this is the question we need to ask.

If Pakistan starts empowering its women according to the teachings of Islam then many of the issues regarding the mistreatment of women would automatically dissolve. But is the state equipped for gender equality or is it also a part of this constant iteration of maltreatment of women?

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Wednesday, 3 August, 2022

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

Pathetic road conditions in Quetta

Growing radicalization among Baloch Youth How do we go forward?

asaDullah raisani

AKiStAN faces a great number of challenges; internal as well as external. A few of those challenges need immediate action. Radicalization among youth, particularly the Baloch of Balochistan, is one of them. it is a challenge that can be exploited by external powers. Mostly, scholars around the globe try to connect radicalization with faith and religion, but this is not always the case. Discrimination, apathy, psychological vulnerabilities, and uncertainties can develop violent radicalization leading to extremism in youth. Many of the Baloch youth specifically from its southern part, are victims of radicalization in different forms. they feel or consider that the mega projects, such as Saindak and China Pakistan Economic Corridor, are not for Balochistan but Punjab and islamabad. they also feel discriminated against on account of different state policies and the distribution of resources of the province. Such sentiments make them prone to radical ideas and extremism. firstly, according to a research paper, discrimination on the basis of language and political views is independently associated as one reason for radicalization. in this context, the Baloch were described as ‘uncivilized’ in a syllabus taught in Punjab since the days of Ziaul Haq until the matter was raised in the Senate in 2016. thus a whole generation was raised reading that Baloch are not civilized. Such discriminatory remarks are among the reasons that lead the youth towards radicalization, in Balochistan and elsewhere. Another research paper states that perceived discrimination in the forms of physical assault, damage to property, insults, and unfair treatment at work, may also cause radicalization. these reasons can be traced in Balochistan. People are being physically assaulted in different forms for no reason or for inadequate reasons, specifically by the personnel on various checkposts and by the traffic police. Such unfair treatment can push already marginalized youth towards violent radicalization. thirdly, adolescence is a turbulent time, making the youth vulnerable to extremist ideas. it is accompanied by the search for an identity that can become a driver for violent radicaliza-

tion and such a search can drive these curious youth into extremist groups. the recent incident of dragging and humiliating Baloch peaceful protesters in Karachi could prove a trigger for the Baloch youth against the authorities. it can make them vulnerable to extremist ideas as they have already been experiencing racial profiling in Punjab and islamabad. Besides, it was a violation of the Constitution that provides protection to the peaceful protesters under Article 16. Moreover, students studying in islamabad are reluctant to go back to their hometowns because they are afraid that they will go missing there. Amid such a volatile situation when Baloch are protesting while remaining within the Constitution, it is worth asking what triggered the Sindh Police to turn brutal against them. Such unacceptable behaviour and attitudes can push the youth towards violent radicalization instead of demanding rights within the boundaries of the Constitution. Different minds will see this act in different ways and it is not helpful for national integration. Such humiliations can exhaust the patience of many and give birth to radical ideas among youth in the province, particularly the Baloch who have recently faced this humiliation and disrespect. A thesis on ideological radicalization for Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey, California by John A. Abrahams puts forth an argument on similar lines. it argues that a great number of disconnected youth (aged 1624) who are neither in school nor have any employment, something common in major areas of Balochistan, are joining the (so-called) islamic State in iraq and Syria. in the case of Balochistan, more than 50 percent of children are out of school in 17 districts. While the unemployment rate in Balochistan stands at 4.3 percent and some 41 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. it simply means that they are disconnected youth and are prone to radical ideas. furthermore, scholars in great numbers agree that digital radicalization is a bigger challenge than traditional radicalization. youth often join like-minded groups on social media and then read, listen and watch one-sided views frequently. this makes them believe they need to do something to secure their identity or rights or anything similar. Such similarities are also found in Balochistan where social media is not monitored effectively and there are a number of groups and pages on different social media plat-

forms that keep alarming the youth that their rights and identity are in danger, their forefathers defended a cause and they should also, so on and so forth. Where many times such claims have no real basis at all and are either generated in emotional hype or for the vested interests of specific people, pressure groups, or political parties. Violent radicalization in youth leading to extremism needs serious attention. Different scholars have given different reasons for radicalization. Unfortunately, many of them are present amongst the youth of Pakistan in general and that of Balochistan in particular. Where the Baloch youth think they have been marginalized because of the state’s policies, it is also a fact that geography and history had a role to play. Apart from that, the continuous incompetence of the sub-nationalist representatives of the people of the province, inefficient authorities, compromises on merit, and high illiteracy rate are amongst other reasons that have kept Balochistan and the people of the province underdeveloped. therefore, policymakers and other stakeholders should take the issue of radicalization in the youth of the province seriously. first of all, the provision of employment to the youth can drastically minimize the chances of violent radicalization among them. Secondly, through counseling programs, capacitybuilding initiatives, confidence-building measures, use of print, electronic, and social media, the youth of the province can be convinced with actions rather than mere words that their rights are theirs and there is no threat to their identity. thirdly, the gap between the masses and the armed forces should be bridged through the on-and-off visits of high-rank officials to various colleges and universities of the province, which is a visible trend these days. this positive practice should continue. fourthly, citizens of the province should be owned in letter and spirit, and the feeling of apathy in other provinces regarding the Baloch sentiments should be countered through the single national curriculum for a better Balochistan and a prosperous Pakistan. Lastly, people themselves ought to choose their leadership on the basis of performance and merit and then hold their representatives accountable irrespective of their tribal affiliation.

Violent radicalization in youth leading to extremism needs serious attention. Different scholars have given different reasons for radicalization. Unfortunately, many of them are present amongst the youth of Pakistan in general and that of Balochistan in particular. Where the Baloch youth think they have been marginalized because of the state’s policies, it is also a fact that geography and history had a role to play.

The writer is a Research Fellow at Balochistan Think Tank Network, Quetta.

EVERy other day, we keep on getting news of a Quetta-bound passenger coaches having fallen into a ravines in the mountainous range between Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Numerous lives have been lost which is indeed heart-wrenching. Unfortunately, this is not the first such tragic incident. While drivers are responsible for these accidents owing to their reckless driving, the government should be held equally responsible for looking the other way despite such tragedies. the road conditions remain as pathetic as they have been for a long time. they have only got worse. All the government does every time a tragedy strikes is to show sympathies and offer condolences to the aggrieved families. that is considered good enough. Had such accidents occurred in a developed country with the frequency at which they happen in Pakistan, they would have made front page headlines and the authorities concerned would have resigned from their positions. But, then, we are talking of the civilised world where human life has value and where humans are not treated as herds of cattle. in Pakistan, the government comes into action only when people take to streets for their fundamental rights. Even then, promises are made to let the dust settle down and then everything gets hushed up and forgotten. When will the government wake up from its deep slumber and start considering and treating people as human beings? Will it wake up at all? ZAFAR ULLAH SHAH HARNAI

Women’s life in tribal areas tHiS is with reference to the report ‘Jirga bars women from recreational spots in Bajaur tehsil’ (July 17). Even in Afghanistan, according to a government decree, women can travel more than a distance of 45 miles when accompanied by a mehram, but the Bajaur jirga has slapped a ban on women’s visits to tourist/picnic spots with or without the mehram. Convening of the Bajaur jirga and the said resolution was spearheaded by leaders of the local chapter of the fazlur Rehman group of Jamiat Ulema-i-islam (JUi-f), which is also one of the influential members of the ruling coalition. there was another resolution of the jirga that ran counter to the ban on women’s movements. the jirga asked the local authorities to provide jobs only to local residents in the district. When there is such a draconian ban on women’s movement, wherein they cannot visit tourist/picnic spots even if accompanied by their husbands, how would tourist families from the rest of the country dare to enter the district? Does anyone realise that tourism creates jobs and income for the locals? What would happen to their future? While justifying the ban, the local party leaders dubbed the social activity ‘unethical’, and in contrast to ‘our customs and traditions based on islamic principles’. With such a mindset among the local male population, one can imagine how women are treated inside the four walls of their houses. Women in rural areas live what can at best be described as a slave’s life. from begetting children and rearing them, she has to take personal blame if she fails to give birth to a male child. She may bear the consequences in the form of her husband marrying another woman or her own divorce or even death at the hands of in-laws. Preparing food, feeding the large joint family, tending to a herd of domestic animals, helping her man in the farming fields, and walking home with a heap of dry woods perched over her head is the daily routine a woman has to follow in those circumstances. Women rights organisations in big cities, like islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, have in their mind the living conditions of the urban, educated women when they make their demands. they dare not enter a mud house in rural, tribal area where women are treated as chattel in the true sense of the word. SAYED GB SHAH BOKHARI PESHAWAR

Delivery riders COViD has resulted in a mushroom growth of e-commerce, and online purchases and deliveries have seen a spike, especially food delivery services, across the country. in Karachi also, many online home delivery businesses have expanded their operations to cater to the growing market demand. this growth has resulted in addition on the city’s roads of hundreds of motorcycle riders who are involved in home delivery services. Lately, some of these motorbike riders have become moving traffic hazards as they ride at dangerous speeds and with utter disregard for traffic rules in order to speed up their deliveries. they suddenly appear on the road out of nowhere and try to jump traffic lights whenever they can. they are also often seen riding on the wrong side of the road in order to save time. i have recently witnessed many such riders involved in traffic accidents due to their reckless riding. ironically, very few of them wear a safety helmet while riding, which is compulsory under the traffic rules. Some of them move on motorcycles with malfunctioning headlights, making it difficult for motorists to see them from a distance past sunset. it should be made mandatory for the home delivery companies to impart road safety training to their respective riders. they should also incorporate heavy penalties and disciplinary action in their terms of employment for unsafe riding and violation of traffic rules. these companies should also be held liable in case any of their riders is involved in a traffic accident due to such riding. the riders need to realise that they should not try to expedite deliveries at the expense of endangering their own as well as others’ lives. A proper training, reward-and-consequence framework by their employers for safe behaviour would be helpful in this regard. AAMIR MALIK KARACHI

Wednesday, 3 August, 2022

08 WORLD VIEW

The nUcleAr deAl reQUireS Tricky US kills Al-Qaeda leader al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan mAnoeUvreS of irAn And iSrAel

Al-Monitor Jared Szuba

nAtionAl

raGHida derGHaM

S a result of the nuclear threat, stakeholders in the nuclear talks are again exploring putting differences with Iran in the "fridge", and cutting a provisional deal to revive the 2015 deal, or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between the P5+1 countries – the UN Security Council's five permanent members; the US, China, France, Russia, the UK; plus Germany – and Iran. Israel is strongly present in this equation. Recently, Israel hinted at conducting a strike on Iranian nuclear facilities if a deal is signed, whose terms are not in the interests of Israeli national security. The European states are anxious about an Iranian-Israeli confrontation and the failure of the Vienna talks, and the possible implications of their failure, with regard to nuclear, energy and military repercussions. The Biden administration is coming under pressure, Israeli and domestic, which restricts its ability to agree to Iran’s persistent conditions, such as delisting its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terror group, or providing Iran with guarantees that the US will not unilaterally withdraw again from the nuclear deal in the future, as Donald Trump had done in the past. These steps are beyond the ability and mandate of the Biden administration, as some would be within the powers of Congress alone. For its part, the Islamic Republic of Iran is caught between its ruling ideology and the centrality of the IRGC in its economy, foreign policy, regional behaviour and its need to sell its oil – especially at a time when Europe is in dire need for alternative oil supplies – before the embargo on Russian oil and gas goes into effect at the end of the year. Provisional solutions are being discussed again, to capitalise on what has been agreed so far, and to freeze contentious issues to deal with later. Even with this approach there are obstacles and pitfalls. Yet, it is clear that a final grand bargain – which crucially requires a US-Iranian deal – has become nearly impossible, prompting this search for provisional agreements. In the meantime, the Iranian leadership is allowing itself room for constructive manoeuvring, coupled with threats of retaliation. Iran is showing flexibility in the region, affirming the importance of continuing talks with Saudi Arabia, after the conclusion of a fifth unpublicised round, and expressing willingness for a public session. Iran also appears willing to not obstruct the demarcation of LebaneseIsraeli maritime borders as a goodwill gesture, but also to highlight the Iranian

influence over such issues that are crucial to the US and Israel. Strategically, Iran’s flexibility is represented by the possibility of agreeing to defer the issue of the IRGC, focusing instead on getting the sanctions lifted in order to sell oil and relieve popular pressure on the regime. In other words, suspending the regime’s political ideology provisionally serves its interests and its survival through economic recovery. Oil revenues are crucial for reinforcing its ideology in the long run so there is no harm in prioritising them for now. This is part of Iran's constructive manoeuvring policy. However, Iran’s flexibility will not be open-ended. It is organically linked to the outcome of the Vienna talks, whose bottom line is lifting the sanctions on Iran. It is also linked to the Israeli reaction to the putative Vienna deal. For this reason, Tehran is sending out both escalatory and conciliatory messages at the same time and making preparations. Israel is giving cause for anxiety not just to Iran but also to Europe and Russia. Relations between Russia and Israel now face a crisis, after Moscow decided to outsource Syria to Iran and exchanged warnings with Israel. Moscow has since sought to limit the damage, after Israel said there could be serious political consequences for Russian policies targeting Israel in Syria, Ukraine and Russia itself, as Moscow moved against the activities of the Jewish Agency, a prominent group that facilitates Jewish immigration to Israel. This week, an Israeli delegation went to the Russian capital for the first time since the crisis between the two countries started, following a Russian ban on the agency. Israel said the closure of the agency’s offices in Russia is a serious matter that will have implications for the bilateral relationship. This was coupled by a leaked list of possible Israeli responses, while Israel’s Defence Minister Benny Gantz revealed Russian anti-aircraft batteries had fired at Israeli planes during a sortie over Syria in May. More importantly, Israel sent warnings to Russia, the European powers and the US through unofficial channels, saying it was ready to conduct strikes on Iranian nuclear sites if these states sign up to an agreement in Vienna. This is a new development, because there is an Israeli threat linked to signing the nuclear deal. Europe is feeling a nuclear and energy terror as a result of Israel’s escalation and

threat of direct action against Iran, with or without America’s consent. Israel has made it clear to the European states that freeing Iran from sanctions under a deal in Vienna could enable Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, a red line for Israel. Israel has also expressed distrust in promises of the Biden administration and European promises to not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. The nuclear terror felt in Europe has two aspects: One would be for the failure of the nuclear talks to lead to the intensification of the Iranian nuclear programme. And another would be the Israeli response, which could turn the shadow war between Iran and Israel into a direct, conventional one on Europe's doorsteps. Then there are the existential energy worries. In the wake of the decision to embargo Russian oil and gas, Europe needs an alternative that could very well be provided by Iran, should a nuclear deal be agreed. For all these reasons, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, has engaged Iran looking for a way to resuscitate the Vienna talks through provisional arrangements that defer contentious issues and cement what has already been agreed, in the service of Iranian, European and US interests. Mr Borell is seeking a compromise on behalf of the EU, and to some extent, the US administration. Iran has not closed the door to a compromise because it needs the money and also because it takes seriously the Israeli determination to carry out military action against it. Iran realises the cost of war would be high despite its own escalation and military preparations against Israel. Tehran knows that Russia is unable and unready to go to war on its side against Israel. It knows that in the event the situation devolves into an Iranian-Israeli military standoff, the Biden administration will not able to continue negotiations. It knows that in the event of war with Israel, the US will have to side with Israel, a strategic alliance that is also a US domestic issue. Ultimately, navigating between constructive manoeuvring and a rude confrontation is a thorny affair, especially in the midst of growing Israeli turbulence, despite the confused US and European expeditions in the waters of the Middle East. Raghida Dergham is the founder and executive chairwoman of the Beirut Institute and a columnist for The National.

The United States killed the top leader of AlQaeda and longtime lieutenant to Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in a drone strike in Afghanistan early on Sunday morning. US President Joe Biden said in a speech from the White House on Monday night that the strike was meticulously planned and resulted in no civilian casualties. A senior US official speaking on the condition of anonymity told reporters that Zawahiri's wife and children were present in the house at the time of the strike, but expressed confidence that neither they nor any other individuals were harmed. Zawahiri was killed by two Hellfire missiles fired from a US drone while on the balcony of his safe house in downtown Kabul at 6:18 a.m. Sunday, local time, the senior administration official told reporters. The US military has not claimed the targeted killing, which suggests it was likely carried out by the CIA. Born in Giza, Egypt in 1951, Zawahiri took the reins of Al-Qaeda after its long-time leader bin Laden was killed in a US Navy SEAL raid in Abottabad, Pakistan in 2011. A physician by training and veteran leader of the now-defunct Egyptian Islamic Jihad group, Zawahiri had joined bin Laden's organization by 1998 and served as his deputy through the September 11th attacks on the US. He is also believed to have helped plan the bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, and the attack on the USS Cole in Yemen in 2000. President Biden on Monday said Zawahiri “carved a trail of murder and violence against American citizens, American service members, American diplomats and American interests” throughout his decades long jihadist career. “Now, justice has been delivered. And this terrorist leader is no more,” the US president said. The Taliban on Monday condemned the strike, which occurred in the Sharpur district of the capital, and accused the US of violating the 2020 Doha agreement. Taliban officials have claimed the deal bars US strikes within Afghanistan without permission, though Washington follows a different interpretation. The agreement entails a Taliban guarantee that Afghan soil will not be used by Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State and other international terrorist groups to threaten the US, its allies or other countries. The Biden administration views Zawahiri’s recent presence in Kabul as “a clear violation” of the Doha agreement, the senior US official said today. “Going forward with the Taliban, we will continue to hold them accountable for their actions,” the official said, adding that American officials plan to directly inform Taliban leadership that such strikes will continue if deemed necessary under the terms of the Doha agreement. Senior members of the Taliban’s Haqqani faction, which controls Afghanistan's interior ministry, knew Zawahiri was at the house and sought to remove evidence of his presence

after he was killed, including by cordoning off the site and skirting his family members off to another location, the senior US official told reporters. “For several years, the US government has been aware of a network that we assessed has supported Zawahiri,” the senior official said. Earlier this year, US intelligence picked up that Zawahiri’s wife, daughter and grandchildren had moved into a house in downtown Kabul. The jihadist leader soon followed. He was observed "on multiple occasions for sustained periods of time" on the balcony of the house as US intelligence slowly built the case for his presence, according to the official, who added that Zawahiri is not believed to have emerged from the building after arriving there earlier this year. The Al-Qaeda leader continued to produce propaganda videos from the safe house, the official said. Deputy US national security adviser Jon Finer and White House homeland security adviser Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall were first briefed on Zawahiri's suspected presence at the house in April, and President Biden was notified shortly thereafter, the official said. Biden received several updates from top advisers and cabinet members over the subsequent months. In those meetings, the president expressed concern over the possibility of civilian casualties, inquiring about potentially overlooked details of the target environment, including lighting and weather, according to the official. As officials combed through the intelligence, the president's advisers discussed at length ways to kill the Al-Qaeda chief without threatening civilians in the building or in the surrounding neighborhood, seeking to avoid civilian deaths that marred the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and prior raids against senior jihadist leaders. US officials even investigated the building's construction so as to prevent potentially deadly structural damage, like that which occurred during a Delta Force raid that led to the death of Islamic State leader Haji Abdullah in northwest Syria in February. During a briefing on a potential operation on July 1, President Biden personally examined a model of the house in which Zawahiri was staying. On July 25, Biden finally gave the greenlight for a drone strike to kill Zawahiri after once more inquiring about measures that could be taken to prevent civilian harm, the official said, adding that no US military officials were involved on the ground. “Zawahiri’s death deals a significant blow to Al-Qaeda and will degrade the group’s ability to operate, including against the US homeland,” the official said. "I applaud the US military and intelligence community for a successful operation in Afghanistan to eliminate Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. Zawahiri was an evil terrorist and co-conspirator of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with the blood of thousands of Americans on his hands," US Senator Marco Rubio, vice chair of the Senate select intelligence committee, said in a press release on Monday. Mick Mulroy, a former CIA paramilitary officer who later served as the Pentagon's Middle East policy director, called the strike "a major success of US counterterrorism efforts" and "a result of countless hours of intelligence collection over many years." "He likely believed we would never be able to track him down," said Mick Mulroy, now an ABC News contributor. "He was wrong." "The message for Al-Qaeda and all its affiliates should be that the US will never relent in its mission to hold those accountable who would seek to harm the United States and its people," Mulroy said.

federal ban on marijuana use causes more harm than good USA toDAY editorial board

A decade ago, Americans were nearly evenly split on whether to legalize marijuana. While half the country favored revising U.S. drug laws to make room for legal pot, the other half said to keep cannabis prohibition in place. Public opinion has since shifted dramatically. Now more than two-thirds of the country favors legalization. That includes 83% of Democrats, 71% of independents and 50% of Republicans, according to Gallup polling. But just because a proposal is popular doesn’t mean it is wise. Like you, we on the USA TODAY Editorial Board have seen and felt the national sentiment shift in recent years, and we have asked whether this direction is in the country’s best interests. With editorials in 2012, 2016 and 2018, we urged caution, worrying that a rush to legalize marijuana could carry consequences both unintended and unwelcome. Now that Democrats in the Senate have introduced a package of proposed marijuana policy reforms – along

NO SERIOUS CONVERSATION ABOUT MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION CAN IGNORE THE KEY ROLE PROHIBITION HAS PLAYED IN THE WAR ON DRUGS, WHICH HAS DISPROPORTIONATELY HARMED BLACK AND INDIGENOUS AMERICANS AND OTHER PEOPLE OF COLOUR with a commitment to work with Republicans “to get something done this year” – it’s time we look back on what we have learned in recent years and rethink our position. MORE AND MORE STATES CONTRADICT FEDERAL CANNABIS LAW A decade ago, none of the 50 states had legalized marijuana for recreational use. That began to change in late 2012, when Colorado and Washington authorized their “adult use” programs. Now a majority of states have laws that permit marijuana in certain circumstances: ►Nineteen states allow marijuana for medical or

recreational use. ►Eighteen states allow marijuana for medical purposes only. ►10 more states allow products with nonpsychoactive compounds. ►Two U.S. territories and Washington, D.C., also have legalized recreational marijuana. Three states – Idaho, Kansas and Nebraska – do not allow any marijuana products. Despite these state laws, cannabis possession is still a federal crime. As far as federal law is concerned, buy-

ing marijuana in a state-authorized storefront is just as illegal as purchasing it from a drug dealer. Federal law enforcement policies are, of course, another matter. The Justice Department has generally taken a hands-off approach in recent years related to state-legal marijuana operations. But that highlights the glaring contradictions in U.S. drug policy. No serious conversation about marijuana legalization can ignore the key role prohibition has played in the war on drugs, which has disproportionately harmed Black and Indigenous Americans and other people of color, and continues to do so. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has called the federal government’s approach “a half-in, half-out regime that simultaneously tolerates and forbids local use of marijuana,” resulting in an “unstable state of affairs” that “strains basic principles of federalism and conceals traps for the unwary.” The consequences for the lives and livelihoods of the American people have become too widespread and absurd to ignore.

Wednesday, 3 August, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS corporate corner Pirzada urges institutions to respect mourners right to observe Moharram ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada has said that constitution of Pakistan under Article 20, guarantees the right to religious freedom of all citizens in the country. “The protection of this right is the prior responsibility of all state institutions especially in the month of Muharram when the Shia community observes their religious rituals. It is the sheer violation of the constitution that state institutions, on the behest of opponents, file unjustified, fabricated cases on mourners in the name of security measures,” he said. He added that the Ministry of Human Rights has sent attention calls on this serious issue to the Interior Minister, IGs and Chief Secretaries of all the provinces with the words that there should be no obstacle in the performance of religious rituals of any religious party or sect. Misuse of 4th Schedule for the religious persecution of participants of azadaari Majalis is totally illegal and unconstitutional especially in the province of Punjab where many such sad incidents have been reported earlier. If such incidents happen again, I will be forced to take strict action as a Minister for Human Rights. pr

Free on-net & PTCL calls for Jazz subscribers in flood affected areas of Balochistan

CHInA sTAnds By ALL-wEATHEr FrIEnd In ITs PUrsUIT OF dEvELOPMEnT: EnvOy Islamabad staff report

HINESE Ambassador in Pakistan Nong Rong on Tuesday said China was eager to support Pakistan in pursuing its development model appropriate for the circumstances on the ground because the two countries were all-weather friends. The Chinese Ambassador who had his first public engagement following his return to Pakistan, delivered his opening remarks at a dialogue organised by Pakistan-China Institute and Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies on ‘Global Development & Governance’ themed on ‘Governance Experience Exchange Between Pakistan and China’ with speakers from Pakistan and China, a

news release said. Ambassador Rong said through China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), China was also eager to expand its exchanges in the area of governance, such as lowering poverty levels and raising peoples’ standards of living. He also praised the Communist Party of China (CPC), whose initiatives had profoundly changed China. He said that the upcoming 20th Congress of CPC would make plans for the future and set new objectives that would be accomplished by working together to benefit all peoples. China and Pakistan are strategic allies that have consistently stood by one another through tough times. Chairman of the Defense Committee of the Senate and Chairman of Pakistan-China Institute, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed at the outset,

extended congratulations to China on the 95th Anniversary of founding of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) which was specially celebrated at the GHQ as a gesture of goodwill. Senator Mushahid Hussain lauded the close cooperation between the Pakistan Army and PLA, including the comments by Pakistan COAS, General Bajwa, that both armies were ‘brother in arms’. Referring to US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Asia and tentative plans for a journey to Taiwan, Senator Mushahid said this would be an unnecessary and unwarranted provocation, adding such a high level visit by an American official violate the One-China Policy agreed to by the United States and the People’s Republic of China in the Shanghai Communique. He said such provocations had the

AIOU inks MoU with Indonesian university Islamabad pr

Ambassador of Austria to Pakistan Nicolaus Keller, Ms. Esra Dere- deputy head of mission Turkish Embassy, Mr. Fatih Cevik- Assistant General Manager Limak Turkey, Mr. Ergun Koray ( Limak Turkey) and Mr. Sajid ur

Rehman Assistant Manager Business Development ANDRITZ Hydro held a meeting with Federal minister for power Engr. Khurram Dastgir Khan here. Minister welcomed the delegation and stated that Pakistan is always looking forward to foreign companies investing here and reiterated

the government's resolve to facilitate investment. Turkish Construction company Limak has been operating in Pakistan for many years now. It is Turkiye's leading Dam construction company and has completed 28 dams all over the world.ANDRITZ hydro is responsible for hydro mechanical work at Dam sites. During the visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Turkiye, different investment ventures were discussed with Turkish companies. This meeting was continuation of those efforts to explore avenues of cooperation and investment in hydro power sector of Pakistan. Minister welcomed the interest of companies and assured his full support in this regard. Limak will present its proposal in the upcoming days and further deliberations will be carried out from both sides.

Secretary Housing briefed on construction of model prison in Federal Capital Iftikhar Ali Shallwani, Federal Secretary Ministry of Housing and Works had a meeting with Zaheer Ahmed Warriach DG PWD. During the meeting, matters pertaining to under construction model prison were discussed. Secretary directed DG PWD to complete and deliver the project in stipulated time. Also, as per the Shallwani's directions relevant stakeholders must be involved

and resolve the issue on urgent

basis. pr

Hashoo School of Hospitality launches Peshawar Campus in partnering with IMSciences Islamabad pr

For Immediate Release Hashoo School of Hospitality Management has launched its Peshawar Campus by partnering with Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar (IMSciences) to reinforce the resolve of the government to promote hospitality and tourism in KP Province. In this regard a signing agreement was held between HSHM and IMSciences at Pearl-Continental Hotel Peshawar. The event was attended by a number of dignitaries from KP Government, IMSciences and Hashoo Group. HSHM, Pakistan’s premier Hospi-

potential to destabilize Asia and generate a new type of confrontation, something Asia cannot afford in these challenging times. Pakistan, he said, was firmly committed to the One-China Policy and to preserving, promoting and protecting the strategic partnership with China. Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of China International Communications Group (CICG), Gao Anming stressed deepening high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and actively promoting the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Global development is inseparable from connectivity and open cooperation. The joint construction of the “Belt and Road” pursues development, advocates win-win results, and conveys hope.

Diplomats call on Khurram Dastgir

ISLAMABAD: In view of the devastating floods in Balochistan, telecom sector has initiated relief efforts to facilitate subscribers. Jazz is offering free on-net (same network) and PTCL calls to all its subscribers in flood stricken areas of the province for the next seven days. There will be no call setup charges applicable on call connection and customers having no balance will be able to make on-net calls. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) stands by the affected people of Balochistan in these trying times and continues to monitor the communications channels in the affected areas, providing updates where necessary. pr

ISLAMABAD: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has achieved another significant milestone in its international collaborations and linkages program. AIOU has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Universitas Terbuka (Indonesia Open University), Indonesia. According to the MoU, both the universities will initiate joint projects to enhance the quality of distance learning and collaborate academically to offer new educational programs in various disciplines as well as seek benefits from their mutual experiences and specialized expertise to enhance not only the quality of education but also to promote and strengthen research practices and culture at both the universities. Furthermore, it will also open new opportunities for faculty and student exchange programs. The ceremony was held at Indonesia Open University. Prof Dr. Zia ul Qayyum, VC, AIOU and Prof Ojat Darojat, Rector, Indonesia Open University, Indonesia signed the MoU. While talking to the media, Dr. Zia Ul-Qayyum said that these kinds of collaborations will help to improve the quality of research and education. He said that universities have to work together to cope up with the challenges of open and distance learning. Appreciating the learning system and educational network of AIOU, Prof. Ojat said that we will keep working together to strengthen our collaborative efforts. pr

tality and Tourism Management Institute by Hashoo Group, has been actively nurturing talent in the Tourism

and Hospitality Industry by imparting knowledge, skill sets and hands-on experience since September 2021. HSHM

as an approved study centre for Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality (CTH) which is delivering a gold standard international curriculum developed in collaboration with market leaders in hospitality and tourism. IMSciences is a highly reputed government owned autonomous institute which was found in 1999. Catering to a large number of students, it is ranked 1 st in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Management Sciences, and holds its strong position at number 4 in business studies by HEC. HSHM and IMSciences have joined hands to bring this valued educational program in Hospitality and Tourism, to the youth of KP and surroundings.

IIUI President calls on Chairman HEC ISLAMABAD: Dr. Hathal Homoud Alotaibi, President, International Islamic University, Islamabad ( IIUI) called on Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC) and felicitated him on assuming the charge. During the meeting, issues of mutual interest including initiatives for promotion of quality education and role of universities in society building were discussed. The meeting was also attended by Dr. N.B. Jumani, Vice President, Administration and Finance, IIUI. IIUI President briefed Dr. Mukhtar on IIUI’s vision, future plans and strategy for academic excellence. IIUI President vowed that he will be in the leading ranks for cooperation with the HEC chief as per his aspirations for improvements in the education sector. Dr. Hathal said that IIUI will be keen to enhance its bilateral ties with the universities across the world. Dr. Hathal also apprised him that university after the transitional period, now all set for a new journey of success as it has completed its new strategic plan that he also presented to the Chairman HEC. pr

ICI Pakistan Ltd announces results for year ended June 30, 2022 KArAchI: Following the meeting of the Board of Directors, ICI Pakistan Limited announced its financial results for the year ended June 30, 2022. In line with its growth aspirations, the Company continues to deliver robust results. FInAncIAL hIghLIghtS • On a consolidated basis (including the results of the Company’s subsidiaries: ICI Pakistan PowerGen Limited, NutriCo Morinaga (Private) Limited, Net Turnover for the year under review grew by 56% to PKR 100,867 million, compared to the same period last year (SPLY). • Consolidated Operating Result at PKR 13,825 million is higher by 72% in comparison to the SPLY. This performance was a result of robust performance delivered across all of the Company’s businesses • The consolidated Profit after Tax (PAT) for the year under review, at PKR 8,860 million, is 69% higher than the SPLY. This translates into PAT attributable to owners of the Holding Company at PKR 8,466 million and an EPS of PKR 91.66 – both higher by 52% as compared to the SPLY. This performance was achieved through enhanced efficiencies across all businesses, recovering consumer demand and the acquisition of an additional shareholding in NutriCo Pakistan (Private) Limited (now merged with and into NutriCo Morinaga) allowing for consolidation of results, and the one-off net positive impact resulting from the remeasurement of the previously-held equity interest of NutriCo Pakistan (Private) Limited. The results were negatively impacted by the retrospective imposition of a 4% Poverty Alleviation Tax and a 6% Super Tax through the Finance Act, 2022. • Adjusting for the one-off net positive impact of PKR 1,847 million as a consequence of the aforementioned remeasurement of previously previously-held equity interest, PAT for the year ended June 30, 2022, would have been PKR 7,013 million, 34% higher versus the SPLY. PAT and EPS attributable to the owners of the holding company would have been PKR 6,618 million and PKR 71.66, higher by 19% as compared to the SPLY. pr

Wednesday, 3 August, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

10 FOREIGN NEWS

defying China ThReaTS, PeloSi landS in Taiwan TAIPEI

MiAn AbRAR

NITED States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan on Tuesday evening, defying a string of increasingly stark warnings and threats from China that have sent tensions between the world’s two superpowers soaring. Pelosi, second in line to the presidency, is the highest-profile elected US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years and Beijing has made clear that it regards her presence as a major provocation, setting the region on edge. Live broadcasts showed the 82year-old lawmaker, who flew on a US military aircraft, being greeted at Taipei’s Songshan Airport by foreign minister Joseph Wu. “Our delegation’s visit to Taiwan honours America’s unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan’s vibrant Democracy,” Pelosi’s official Twitter account tweeted moments after she arrived. She added her visit “in no way contradicts” US policy towards Taiwan and Beijing. chinA condemns PeLosi’s visit: The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday strongly condemned

Nancy Pelosi’s visit to China’s Taiwan region in disregard of stern warnings from the Chinese side. In a statement, the ministry said the visit sent “wrong signals” to separatist forces seeking “Taiwan independence.” The ministry added that it has lodged solemn representations and protests to the U.S. side. “This is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiqués. It has a severe impact on the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and seriously infringes upon China’s sovereignty and territorial in-

tegrity. It gravely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sends a seriously wrong signal to the separatist forces for “Taiwan independence.” China firmly opposes and sternly condemns this, and has made serious démarche and strong protest to the United States,” the statement reads. Tensions escalated ahead of Pelosi’s visit to Taipei. One of the sources who reviewed the itinerary said it listed a Taiwan visit as “tentative.” If she visits, the trip would make her the most senior U.S. lawmaker to visit the island since 1997. Beijing says it’s fully prepared to respond with

“strong measures” if Pelosi does visit. On the evening of July 28, Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden on the phone at the request of the latter. President Xi made clear the importance of the three China-U.S. joint communiqués signed between 1972 and 1982, and said that the one-China principle serves as the political foundation for bilateral relations. China firmly opposes separatist moves toward “Taiwan independence” and interference by external forces, and never allows any room for “Taiwan independence” forces in whatever form, Xi said. In response, President Biden reiterated that the U.S.’ oneChina policy has not changed and will not change, and that the U.S. does not support “Taiwan independence.” The intensity of the situation across the Taiwan Straits has drastically escalated as the military deployment from the Chinese mainland, US and the island of Taiwan continues creeping up, after US and Taiwan-based media disclosed that US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to visit the island on Tuesday night, a serious provocation and violation to China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity which would be met with severe countermeasures from the Chinese military.

Al-Qaeda leader Zawahiri killed in US drone strike in downtown Kabul KABUL/WASHINGTON ReuteRs

The United States killed al Qaeda leader Ayman alZawahiri in a “precision” strike in the centre of Kabul, the Afghanistan capital, President Joe Biden said, the biggest blow to the militant group since its founder Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011. Zawahiri, an Egyptian surgeon who had a $25 million bounty on his head, helped coordinate the Sept 11, 2001, attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. US officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Zawahiri was killed when he came out on the balcony of his safe house in Kabul on Sunday morning and was hit by “hellfire” missiles from a US drone. “Now justice has been delivered, and this terrorist leader is no more,” Biden said in remarks from the White House on Monday. “No matter how long it takes, no matter where you hide, if you are a threat to our people, the United States will find you and take you out.” He said he had authorised the precision strike in downtown Kabul and that no civilians were killed. Three spokespeople in the Taliban administration in Kabul declined to comment on Zawahiri’s death. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid had previously confirmed that a strike took place in Kabul on Sunday and strongly condemned it, calling it a violation of “international principles.” A spokesperson for the interior ministry said a house was hit by a rocket in Sherpoor, an upscale residential neighbourhood of the city which also houses several embassies.

“There were no casualties as the house was empty,” Abdul Nafi Takor, the spokesperson, said. Taliban authorities threw a security dragnet around the house in Sherpoor on Tuesday and journalists were not allowed nearby. A senior Taliban official told Reuters that Zawahiri was previously in Helmand province and had moved to Kabul after the Taliban took over the country in August last year. US intelligence determined with “high confidence” through multiple intelligence streams that the man killed was Zawahiri, one senior administration official told reporters. “Zawahiri continued to pose an active threat to US persons, interests and national security,” the official said on a conference call. “His death deals a significant blow to al Qaeda and will degrade the group’s ability to operate.” Zawahiri succeeded bin Laden as al Qaeda leader after years as its main organizer and strategist, but his lack of charisma and competition from rival Islamic State group hobbled his ability to inspire devastating attacks on the West. There were rumours of Zawahiri’s death several times in recent years, and he was long reported to have been in poor health. sAnctUAry: The drone attack is the first known US strike inside Afghanistan since US troops and diplomats left the country in August 2021. The move may bolster the credibility of Washington’s assurances that the United States can still address threats from Afghanistan without a military presence in the country. His death also raises questions about whether Zawahiri received sanctuary from the Taliban fol-

lowing their takeover of Kabul in August 2021. The official said senior Taliban officials were aware of his presence in the city and said the United States expected the Taliban to abide by an agreement not to allow al Qaeda fighters to re-establish themselves in the country. “The Taliban will have to answer for al-Zawahiri’s presence in Kabul, after assuring the world they would not give safe haven to al-Qaeda terrorists,” Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said in a statement. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Taliban had “grossly violated” the Doha Agreement between the two sides by hosting and sheltering Zawahiri. Former President Barack Obama joined lawmakers in praising the operation. “Tonight’s news is also proof that it’s possible to root out terrorism without being at war in Afghanistan,” Obama said in a Twitter message. “And I hope it provides a small measure of peace to the 9/11 families and everyone else who has suffered at the hands of al Qaeda.” Republican US Senator Marco Rubio said: “The world is safer without him in it and this strike demonstrates our ongoing commitment to hunt down all terrorists responsible for 9/11 and those who continue to pose a threat to US interests.” said Until the US announcement, Zawahiri had been rumoured variously to be in Pakistan’s tribal area or inside Afghanistan. A video released in April in which he praised an Indian Muslim woman for defying a ban on wearing an Islamic head scarf dispelled rumours that he had died.

Russia condemns Pelosi visit to Taiwan as ‘provocation’ Moscow on Tuesday denounced a potential visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan as a provocation, expressing full solidarity with ally China. “What is connected with this tour and a possible visit to Taiwan is a pure provocation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He said the potential visit was leading to an “increase in tension” in the region and accused Washington of choosing “the path of confrontation”. “We want to emphasise once again that we are absolutely in solidarity with China, its attitude towards the problem is understandable and absolutely justified.” Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also accused the United States of being provocative over the potential visit. Agencies

Taliban condemn US drone strike as violation of int’l principles KABUL: Following the US drone strike in Kabul — which killed al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri — Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that such actions were against the interests of the US, Afghanistan and the region. In a statement, Mujahid said that the “IEA [Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan] strongly condemns this attack on any cause and calls it a clear violation of international principles and the Doha Agreement.” He maintained that “such actions” were a repetition of the “failed experiences of the past 20 years” and were against the interests of the US, Afghanistan and the region. “Repeating such actions will damage the existing opportunities,” it added. According to the statement, an airstrike was carried out on a “residential house in the Shirpur area of Kabul city” and “the nature of the incident was not revealed” at the outset. The spokesperson stated that security and intelligence agencies of the IEA investigated the incident and in their preliminary investigations found that the attack was carried out by drones from the US. The US conducted a “successful” counterterrorism operation against a “significant” al Qaeda leader Ayman alZawahiri in Afghanistan over the weekend, a senior administration official said. Two intelligence sources told Fox News Zawahiri was killed in the CIA drone strike. US officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Zawahiri was killed when he came out on the balcony of his safe house in Kabul on Sunday morning and was hit by “hellfire” missiles from a US drone. “Now justice has been delivered, and this terrorist leader is no more,” US President Joe Biden said in remarks from the White House on Monday. Agencies

Ayman al-Zawahiri: from Cairo physician to Al-Qaeda leader KABUL Afp

Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who has been killed in a US drone strike in Afghanistan, was the key idealogue behind the global terror network for several decades, but never revived the status it had under charismatic founder Osama bin Laden. The Egyptian eye doctor, 71, had a central role in Al-Qaeda’s signature attacks on US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 and the attack on the United States itself on September 11, 2001, that left almost 3,000 dead. But during the decade that he presided over the group following a US raid that killed bin Laden in 2011, it never recovered its prominence, as the so-called Islamic State group took the lead in the militant movement, seizing large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria and declaring a caliphate. But even as some analysts said Zawahiri

was increasingly aged and slow, he appeared to be seeking to rebuild the group anew in partnership with the Taliban since they seized control of Afghanistan last August. “Justice has been delivered and this terrorist leader is no more,” President Joe Biden said as he announced Zawahiri’s death in a US drone strike in Kabul, where he had apparently moved after hiding for years on the Afghan-Pakistan border. Bin LAden’s doctor: Zawahiri grew up in a comfortable household in Cairo before he turned to dissident politics. He became involved with Egypt’s farright religious community at a young age and was reportedly arrested at 15 for joining the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. He was jailed for three years in Egypt for militancy and was implicated in the 1981 assassination of president Anwar Sadat and the massacre of foreign tourists in the city of Luxor in 1997. He then linked up with bin Laden in

Afghanistan, becoming Al-Qaeda’s main strategist — and, underscoring their closeness, serving as bin Laden’s personal doctor. He was one of five signatories to bin Laden’s 1998 “fatwa” calling for attacks against Americans, and he began appearing regularly at the Al-Qaeda leader’s side. It was often up to Zawahiri — identifiable by a prominent lump on his forehead — to motivate the group’s followers with his hectoring video appearances, jabbing his finger and staring from behind heavyrimmed glasses. Like bin Laden, he vanished after the September 11, 2001 attacks, surviving repeated attempts on his life and re-emerging after reports that he had already died. A fiery blast rocks the World Trade Center after being hit by two planes on September 11, 2001 in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) But he stayed in US sights, with a $25 million bounty on his head for the 1998

Africa attacks. overshAdowed By isLAmic stAte: Zawahiri took command of AlQaeda in 2011 after US Navy SEALs swooped on bin Laden’s home and killed

him at point-blank range. The new leader remained at large around the Afghan-Pakistan border, with a much-diminished organization, overshadowed by the Islamic State.

11 Sports 3 August 2022_Layout 1 8/2/2022 11:53 PM Page 1

Wednesday, 3 August, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

SPorTS 11

PAK FACE-OFF IndIA On AuguST 28 In ASIA CuP 22 DuBAI

stAFF RePoRt

N yet another mouth-watering competition between the cricketing arch-rivals Pakistan and India, the two teams will come across each other in the 15th edition of Asia Cup 22 on August

28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to the Asia Cup schedule announced by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday, the opening match of the tournament will be played between the hosts Sri Lanka and Afghanistan on August 27. The six-team tournament will start on August 27 with the final to be played on Sep-

tember 11 where the teams will compete in the group stage followed by the Super 4 round and the final. The 15th edition of the Asia Cup will be played under the T20 format in anticipation of the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2022 in October-November. The defending champion India may clash with Pakistan for the second time in the tournament in the Super 4 round if both the teams top the group stage. The Asia was originally scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka but the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) moved the tournament to UAE due to the ongoing economic crisis in the Sri Lanka. The UAE is the new venue but Sri Lanka will retain the hosting rights. The matches will be played in Dubai and Sharjah with 10 including the final out of the 13 matches to be played in Dubai while three matches will be played in Sharjah. India, Pakistan and qualifier are included in Group A while Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh have been placed in Group B. UAE, Kuwait, Singapore and Hong Kong will play a qualifying round and the winner will join Pakistan and India in Group A. All the matches will be played at 1800 hours Gulf Standard Time (GST).

Following is the schedule of the tournament Saturday 27th August

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Group B Dubai

Sunday 28th August

India vs Pakistan Group A Dubai

Tuesday 30th August

Bangladesh vs Afghanistan Group B Sharjah

Wednesday 31st August

India vs Qualifier Group A Dubai

Thursday 1st September

Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh Group B Dubai

Friday 2nd September

Pakistan vs Qualifier Group A Sharjah

Saturday 3rd September

B1 vs B2 Super 4 Sharjah

Sunday 4th September

A1 vs A2` Super 4 Dubai

Tuesday 6th September

A1 vs B1 Super 4 Dubai

Wednesday 7th September

A2 vs B2 Super 4 Dubai

Thursday 8th September

A1 vs B2 Super 4Dubai

Friday 9th September

B1 vs A2 Super 4Dubai

Sunday 11th September

Final (1st Super 4 vs 2nd Super 4)Dubai

PSA oﬀers record prize money thru 2021-22 Tour Season ISLAMABAD stAFF RePoRt

England recall Robinson for first two South Africa Tests LONDON Agencies

England have recalled Ollie Robinson into a 14man squad for this month’s first two Tests of a three-match series against South Africa. Robinson has not played for England since the Ashes ended in January due to several fitness issues, mainly surrounding his back. But the 28-year-old seamer took nine wickets in Sussex’s recent County Championship match against Nottinghamshire before earning an England recall in place of the injured Jamie Overton. Robinson will now look to add to an impressive tally of 39 wickets in nine Tests at 21.28 when England face South Africa in the first Test at Lord’s starting on August 17. He will have a chance to press his claim for a place in the Test XI by playing for the second-string England Lions in their four-day tour match against South Africa at Canterbury next week. England squad for the first two Tests against South Africa: Ben Stokes (Durham, capt), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Foakes (Surrey, wkt), Jack Leach (Somerset), Alex Lees (Durham), Craig Overton (Somerset), Matthew Potts (Durham), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Joe Root (Yorkshire)

Sprinters Shajar, Aneela out of medal race BIRMINGHAM Agencies

Pakistan’s sprinters – Shajar Abbas and Aneela Gulzar failed to move to next rounds as they finished fourth and last in their respective heats of first round of 100m race of men and women events at the Alexander Stadium, Birmingham on Tuesday. Shajar, who appeared in heat four of 100m race, finished fourth with a time of 10.38. Jamaica’s Conroy Jones, finished the heat in a time of 10.28 and Scotland’s Adam Thomas, who finished second as he ran a time of 10.30 advanced to next round Erric Harrison Jr of Trinidad and Tobago remained third as he ran a time of 10.37. In the women’s 100m race, Pakistan’s Aneela ended last in her as well as in all heats as she took 14.01 to cover the distance.

The Professional Squash Association (PSA) on Tuesday announced a record total of $8,179,173 worth of player compensation was on offer throughout the 2021-22 PSA Tour season. That is an 8.1% increase on the 201819 season – the final full PSA Tour season prior to the COVID-19 pandemic – and a 77.3% increase compared to the 2020-21 campaign, said a press release. Despite the challenges associated with the ongoing pandemic, prize money on the women’s tour totalled $3,567,639, while $4,611,534 was available on the men’s tour. The top earning female on the tour – Nouran Gohar – earned $285,713 during 2021-22. Meanwhile, the top earning male – Ali Farag – took home $275,215. Average earnings for the men’s and women’s top-10 totalled $135,006, an increase of 12.1% compared to 2018-19. 774 events took place on the PSA World Tour, PSA Challenger Tour and

WSF & PSA Satellite Tour (475 men and 299 women) – 21.2% more than in the last season before COVID-19 hit – with over 50 countries hosting a PSA Tour event. Four countries – Mauritius, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Iraq – hosted PSA events for the first time.

“We are extremely pleased to announce our highest ever prize money total and we are proud of the way the sport has bounced back from the very worst of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said PSA Chief Executive Alex Gough. “Like all other sporting organisa-

tions, we have faced unprecedented challenges over the past two and a half years, and I am pleased that the professional game has come out of the other side in fine health, which is backed up by these record figures. One aspect of these figures that stands out is the fact that the highest earning player on the tour is female. We believe this underpins the PSA’s status as a champion for women’s sport and we look forward to continuing our efforts to grow both the women’s and men’s tours. “The fact that the 2021-22 season featured more events than ever before is also particularly pleasing, and this wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and commitment of our tournament promoters and the PSA Tour team? “As we look ahead to the beginning of the 2022-23 season later this month, we are preparing for the biggest season ever of professional squash, and I’d like to invite our fans to watch all the action unfold across SQUASHTV, the home of live squash.”

England to play seven T20s on first Pakistan tour in 17 years KARACHI AFP

England will play seven T20 internationals against Pakistan on their first visit to the country in 17 years, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Tuesday. England will arrive in mid-September and play four T20s in Karachi, with the other three matches in Lahore, and then return in December for three Tests. England’s last tour to the country was in 2005 before Pakistan were forced to play international matches at neutral venues in the UAE following a 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore. International cricket gradually returned to Pakistan in 2015 but suffered another setback when New Zealand pulled out of a tour minutes before a one-day international in September last year, citing security alerts. A week later, England withdrew its men’s and women’s teams from tours to Pakistan. Both tours were rescheduled after the PCB gave assurances over security. Pakistan successfully hosted Australia for the first time since 1998 earlier this year. “We demonstrated our event planning and operational skills in the highly successful series against Australia in March-April this year and I am confident we will be able to replicate these when England visit us,” said PCB director of international cricket, Zakir Khan.

Schedule of T20Is Tue, Sept 20 1st T20I, Karachi Thu, Sept 22 – 2nd T20I, Karachi Fri, Sept 23 – 3rd T20I, Karachi Sun, Sept 25 – 4th T20I, Karachi Wed, Sept 28 – 5th T20I, Lahore Fri, Sept 30 – 6th T20I, Lahore Sun, Oct 2 – 7th T20I, Lahore

Venus Williams loses on singles return at Citi Open NEW YORK ReuteRs

Venus Williams was disappointed not to give the crowd the win they wanted on Monday after the former world number one suffered an opening round defeat at the WTA 250 Citi Open on her return to singles action after almost a year out. The 42-year-old, playing singles for the first time since last August, lost 4-6 6-1 6-4 to Canadian qualifier Rebecca Marino under the lights in Washington, DC. “Just a little rusty,” Williams told reporters. “I really put myself in good positions in the third set, too. Just trying to shake off some rust. That’s just to be expected. All I can do is just play another tournament and play better. “I wish I could have pulled this match through for the crowd and for the tournament. But (it) doesn’t always work out.” The seven-time Grand Slam winner is set to play in WTA 1000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati over the next two weeks.

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pakistan has met all pRioR actions foR Review, says imf ISLAMABAD

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HE International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday said that Pakistan has fulfilled all previous actions by raising the Petroleum Development Levy (PDL) on petroleum products. The IMF representative said that Pakistan has fulfilled the pre-conditions for joint seventh and eighth reviews. This condition was fulfilled by increasing the PDL on July 31. Along with this, Pakistan has also completed the preliminary process for the seventh and eighth reviews. The IMF representative said that a board meeting would be convened once adequate financial assurances will be confirmed. The board meeting can be tentatively called on August 24. The representative said that the UAE,

Saudi Arabia and China have given adequate financial assurance to provide the necessary financial support through the privatization process. Earlier on July 14, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Pakistan reached a staff-level agreement for the release of $1.17 billion under the combined 7th and 8th reviews of Pakistan’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF). A statement issued by the Fund said that the agreement is subject to approval by the IMF’s Executive Board. “Additionally, in order to support program implementation and meet the higher financing needs in FY23, as well as catalyze additional financing, the IMF Board will consider an extension of the EFF until end-June 2023 and an augmentation of access by SDR 720 million that will bring the total access under the EFF to about $7 billion.”

federal cabinet ‘thumbs up’ for putting imran, other pti leaders on no-fly list ISLAMABAD: Following the ECP verdict in “prohibited funding case on Tuesday, the federal Cabinet decided to put the name of former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan as well as other leaders of the party on the Exit Control List (ECL). The federal government, subsequently, decided to put the former premier, ex-governors of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh and former chairman Utility Stores Corporation (USC) Zulqarnain Ali Khan on the no-fly list. Earlier in the day while announcing its verdict in much-delayed prohibited funding case, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said the former ruling party received “prohibited funds” from 34 foreign nationals and 351 companies based abroad. The electoral watchdog also served a show cause notice on the PTI after the unanimous verdict — reserved in June earlier this year – by the three-member of the ECP headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja. The electoral watchdog also declared that 13 ‘unknown’ accounts have been found linked to the party and the submissions by PTI chief Imran Khan were “inaccurate and wrong.” The former premier had personally issued certificates to the ECP in regards to Article 13(2) of the PPO to the effect that PTI “does not receive funds from prohibited sources”, meaning thereby that the PTI is not a foreign-aided political party. In its verdict, the Election Commission of Pakistan stated the party violated Article 17(3) (3) of the Constitution as the PTI failed to declare three bank accounts operated by the party’s senior leadership and the concealment of 16 bank accounts by the party was a “serious lapse”. Staff report

IMF BOARD MEETING SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 24, 2022 ONCE ADEQUATE FINANCING ASSURANCES ARE CONFIRMED

PTI to challenge ECP’s verdict on foreign funding case ISLAMABAD Staff report

Former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Tuesday said that the party will challenge the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP’s) verdict in court, using political and legal means. The ECP, in a unanimous verdict, said that the PTI received foreign funds from 34 individuals and 351 businesses. The donations were sent from America, Australia, Canada, and the UAE. In addition, PTI took funds from an American businessman, the ECP said, issuing a show-cause notice to the party. The PTI leader said that the party met all the criteria and submitted all the evidence to come clean. “Today’s verdict proved that there was no foreign funding case. The media trial going on for years has finally come to an end today.” Qureshi said that his party has objections against the election commission for not being impartial. “We provided everything that the commission asked us to, however, it did not seek any evidence from the other parties,” he added.

“We demand action against those parties that received funding from former Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden and Libya. They should also be held accountable,” he said. The former foreign minister added that the coalition government had wished that the PTI should be nullified. However, “God once again made Imran Khan victorious and the government had once embarrassed itself”, he said. Former planning minister Asad Umar dared the commission to upload the account details of PTI on its website, including those of PML-N and PPP. Taking a swipe at the coalition government, Umar said that he wants to offer his condolences to those who were hoping that the PTI would be banned and who were waiting for the PTI’s politics to end. “We have revealed all the accounts mentioned by the ECP,” said the former minister. “The commission has mentioned Khan’s false affidavit. The Political Parties Act 2002 mentions a certificate and not an affidavit,” he said, adding that the ECP has violated the Supreme Court’s verdict.”

Rupee uptRend against dollaR continues foR thiRd consecutive session Local currency closes at 238.38 in interbank after making minor gain of Rs0.46 The Pakistani rupee continued to register gains against the US dollar for the third consecutive session in the interbank market on Tuesday — as the market remained stable after the government’s surety of tackling the uphill economic task. The dollar started losing ground on Friday after the rupee plunged for 10 straight sessions during the last days of July — and depreciated around 5% just last week. At the close of Tuesday’s interbank trade, the rupee registered another meagre gain of Rs0.46 or 0.19% and reached 238.38, up from 238.84 in the last trading session. Meanwhile, the currency value remained unchanged at 241 in the open market. The local unit — which is currently ranked among the worst performing currencies globally — took a battering in July in the interbank and open markets. In the last four months, the rupee has depreciated by about Rs60. Monitoring report

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prohibited funding: legal opinions, discussions galore ISLAMABAD: With the ECP announced its verdict in prohibited funding case against PTI on Tuesday, Legal experts and political pundits started discussing its possible legal and political repercussions on PTI as political party and its chairman. The coalition government has started mulling over three legal options against the PTI after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced its verdict in the prohibited funding case. According to sources the coalition government received the ECP verdict regarding the PTI prohibited funding case which was sent to the interior and law ministries. The government started consultations for the enforcement of the decision came against the PTI. They said that the federal ministers held consultations with the constitutional and legal experts besides mulling over three legal options including the filing of a reference to the Supreme Court (SC) under Article (3)17, declaring PTI a foreign funded political party and moving the top court for action on Imran Khan’s affidavit. It was learnt that the government is expected to approach the top court on the basis of the election commission’s recent verdict. The government may also seek the constitution of a full bench by the Supreme Court (SC). The ECP announced the much-awaited verdict in the PTI prohibited funding case. The ECP, in its unanimous verdict, ruled that the party received funds from business tycoon Arif Naqvi and from 34 foreign nationals. A threemember bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja, comprising Nisar Ahmed Durrani and Shah Muhammad Jatoi announced the reserved verdict. The ECP also said that former prime minister Imran Khan submitted misdeclaration in the PTI prohibited funding case. The electoral watchdog also decided to issue a show-cause notice to the PTI to explain why the commission should not seize the funds it received. Meanwhile, Legal experts said that the ECP finally decided what should have been an open and shut case, after several years of delays caused by various interventions, both legal and political. They say in the ECP verdict, there is the necessary corollary — because as per law, a party leader must promise that his books are in order every year, and because the PTI’s books are so clearly not in order, its leader has promised falsely. They pointed out there is already no uniform standard, which the Khwaja Asif case proves. After the Islamabad High Court said it was bound to follow the Supreme Court’s precedence in the Nawaz Sharif case and disqualified Khwaja Asif for a procedural error of mis-declaration, the Supreme Court reversed track and applied a newer standard where immaterial errors were now not automatic disqualifiers. A legalpolitical analyst said that Article 6 of the Political Parties Order (PPO) 2002, elaborates who can be a donor/contributor to a political party, what is prohibited funding, and what happens to prohibited funding. In short, no foreign national, government or agency can fund a political party in Pakistan. If prohibited funding is proven as per PPO Article 6(4), the said funds are to be confiscated by the state. He, however, declared the ECP judgment against PTI is the weakest it could have been. Staff report

Nawaz Sharif asks govt to take ‘immediate legal action’ against Imran LONDON

imRan ‘launched’ to impede countRy’s development, sabotage cpec: maRyam

agencieS

Former prime minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday urged the federal government to take “immediate legal action” against PTI chairman Imran Khan following the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) verdict against his party in the prohibited funding case. “It has been proven today […] and the entire nation knows now that Imran Khan is the biggest thief in [the country’s] history,” he alleged. Earlier today, the ECP, in its verdict, ruled that the PTI had did indeed receive prohibited funds. The ECP said the party had only owned eight accounts before the commission and declared 13 accounts to be unknown. In its order, the commission also said that it was “constrained to hold that Imran Khan failed to discharge his obligations as mandated under the Pakistani statutes.” Talking to reporters outside his residence in London today, Nawaz said that Imran used to give “lectures” to people about honesty. “Today, the ECP’s verdict has shown that it is actually him who is the biggest thief in history. “He knew that he had committed the

biggest money laundering. This is the reason he kept demanding the chief election commissioner’s resignation,” he said. “The way Imran took money from foreign nationals proves that he was the person who brought foreign agenda into the country,” Nawaz claimed. He recalled that the PML-N had been leading the country towards progress, regretting that all the efforts went in vain because of Imran’s actions. “He has ruined the economy and broken our backs.

“And he did all this for a foreign agenda,” the PML-N leader said, demanding that people such as former justice Saqib Nisar — who termed Imran sadiq and ameen and initiated proceedings in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against the PML-N — should also be punished. “All these things are present on the record. And there will be a time where all these questions will need to be answered.” Nawaz reiterated that these people, along with Imran, were responsible for

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday said former prime minister Imran Khan was “launched” to impede the country’s development and sabotage the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Maryam Nawaz, in posts on her Twitter handle, said Imran Khan, who used to “deliver lectures” of liberating the nation of slavery, had himself proved to be a “slave of foreign powers” (after the ECP verdict in his party’s prohibited foreign funding case). The whole nation felt ashamed after hearing the decision of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), which proved “the self-proclaimed righteous person a money launderer and liar”. Imran Khan, she alleged, “used to get money from his foreign masters for creating anarchy and unrest in the country”. She said Imran Khan was the only politician of country, who had been proved “corrupt” with irrefutable evidence. Staff report

bringing Pakistan to the point where it was today and urged all the political parties to take action against them. “This man Imran is extremely dangerous for Pakistan,” he stated, adding that he should be punished as soon as possible. Separately, in a tweet earlier today, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb

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vowed that the government will implement ECP’s verdict in the case as per the law. The commission’s ruling, she claimed, had confirmed the crimes of Imran Khan and demanded that he should immediately resign from the chairmanship of his party. “Imran Khan stoked anarchy in Pakistan through illegal foreign funding,” Aurangzeb added.