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Thursday, 11 August, 2022 I 12 Muharram, 1444 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XIII No 42 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition

Imran nIazI can’t befool natIon: Pm Shehbaz ISLAMABAD

staff report

RIME Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan Niazi could only befool himself, but not the nation. On Twitter handle, he said during the last four months, the entire nation witnessed what kind of remarks were made by the PTI chief about the leadership of Pakistan Armed Forces. He said that the PTI’s social media trolls ran trends packed with hatred against the armed forces, he said and questioned whether the bereaved families of Shuhada would forget all this? Meanwhile, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed the coalition government’s resolve for the betterment and welfare of the minorities and their fullest inclusion in the national life and development. “I will also avail myself of this opportunity to call upon our brothers and sisters from all minority communities to keep playing their role for the promotion of an atmosphere of tolerance and mutual accommodation,” he said in a message on the National Day of Minorities being observed on August 11. The prime minister stressed that it was the only course which led to the achievement of their shared objective of promoting interfaith harmony and peace in our society. “Pakistan belongs to its people without any discrimination of caste, creed, and

PM seeks early report on power projects suspended during past four years ISLAMABAD app

colour,” he added. He said the National Day of Minorities, which was being celebrated on the 11th August every year, served to highlight the contributions that the non-Muslim Pakistani citizens were making to the national development. “This day we express our gratitude to our minority communities for their meritorious services for the uplift of the motherland. The day also reminds us of our constitutional, religious and political responsibility to protect their rights and freedoms,” he added.

The prime minister said Islam was a religion of peace, harmony and tolerance and according to the Holy Quran, there was no compulsion in the matters of religion. He said this Quranic precept coupled with the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) provided a basis for the principle enunciated by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in his historic address to the nation on August 11, 1948.

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Terrorism has potential to destabilise region, says COAS RAWALPINDI staff report

Lieutenant General Ahmed Jasim Maarij Abdullah Al Zayid, Commander Iraqi Navy called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday. On the occasion, COAS Gen Bajwa said that Pakistan values its brotherly relationship with Iraq and acknowledged sacrifices rendered by Iraqi nation in fighting terrorism. The COAS also said that terrorism is a global threat, which has the potential of destabilising

the region that needs a well coordinated response. During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional security issues and measures to further enhance bilateral defence collaboration were discussed. The Iraqi Naval chief acknowledged the professionalism of Pakistan Armed Forces and also offered his condolence on the loss of precious lives during helicopter crash in Balochistan. He appreciated Pakistan’s role in regional stability and also pledged to enhance military cooperation between the two forces.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday asked the inquiry commission for an early submission of the report on the suspension of power projects during the past four years. As per details, while chairing a meeting to review measures for promotion of solar energy in the country, the PM also sought a detailed report on the amount received as fuel price adjustment through the electricity bills. The meeting was briefed in detail on the solar projects as an alternate to costly power projects. It was told that the government will launch solarisation projects of around 14,000 megawatts within the next few months. Out of these, solar projects of around 9000 MW will be executed on priority. Under the initiative, solar systems will not only be provided on reduced prices but also be given tax incentives. PM Shehbaz told the meeting that the people will be provided with solar systems as an alternate to the costly electricity being generated using imported fuel whereas Balochistan must be prioritised during the provision of the systems. He said that the alternate energy policy of Imran Khan’s government introduced in 2020 did not only fail to produce required results but also to attract investment in the sector. He said that said that solarisation will not only reduce the import bill of costly fuel but also help generate low-cost and environment friendly electricity. The prime minister also directed the authorities concerned to carry out comprehensive planning for an early execution of the solar projects.

Rupee continues gains against dollar In view to improving economic fundamentals, the Pakistani rupee kept on appreciating against the dollar on Wednesday. The US dollar today shed Rs2.55 in the interbank and traded at Rs221.49 while the banks were selling the dollar at Rs222.50. The export proceeds have played a vital role in easing the dollar demand along with better-performing macros. The interbank closing rate for rupee is 221.91 against the US dollar, showing an appreciation of 0.96%. news desk

Imran trolled Army highups, martyrs to divert attention from foreign funding: Marriyum ISLAMABAD app

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Wednesday said both Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi tasked the Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf’s (PTI) social media teams to troll the Army top brass and its martyrs for diverting public attention away from its foreign (prohibited) funding which had been proved after eight years. “PTI did trolling of the Army’s martyrs. Bushra Bibi would have asked ‘Arslan Beta (son)’ to run malicious campaign on ‘Shuhda’ (martyrs) when the party foreign funding came under discussion on public platforms. These directives directly came from Bani Gala,” she said while addressing a news conference here. Referring to the PTI’s leader Shehbaz Gill statement in the media, she said Imran Khan was playing a “dangerous game” as call for mutiny in the Army’s rank and file was a red line which nobody would be allowed to cross at any cost. The minister said Imran Khan’s spokesman and chief of staff had started admitting that a script of his in-

terview with ARY news channel was given by the PTI’s chief. “He (Gill) will become an approver in this (sedition) case,” she added. She said those who trolled the Army officers and its martyrs had also got caught and started admitting that the campaign was run on the directives of PTI leadership. The joint investigation team probing a “malicious campaign” against the Army martyrs on social media will soon bring facts before the public to prove who is the architect of this entire saga,” she added. “Enough is enough,” she said while announcing zero tolerance against those who would try to incite division within the state institution, and make efforts to spread chaos and anarchy in the country. She, on the occasion, played some clips of Imran Khan’s interviews with various local and international media channels in which he spewed venom against the state institutions, to assert that the PTI’s chief was a “fascist person” who hell bent upon destroying the country in exchange of the funding re-

ceived by his party from foreign nationals and firms. “These are a few statements of Imran Khan, rest is the history,” she said, adding the current campaign against the Army martyrs reflected his fascism and the “dirty politics” which entirely based on hatred, deception, lies and anarchy. Marriyum said Imran Khan was reaping what he had sown in the politics i.e. hatred and animosity. “No patriot can even think of trolling the Pakistan Army soldiers and officers who sacrificed their lives while carrying out rescue and relief activities in the flood-hit areas,” she remarked. She regretted that Imran Khan could use the KPK’s government helicopter for creating chaos and anarchy in the country, but not to visit the flood-affected areas and people in Balochistan and South Punjab on instructions of his wife who barred him from attending a funeral or a place where deaths occurred. The minister lashed out at Imran Khan for claiming that an “illusionary” media cell of Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz in collaboration with the government was involved in running a

campaign against the state institutions. She said Imran Khan got scared by the reaction came from the families of the Army martyrs and his body language suggested that he was frightened by the decision in the prohibited funding case by the Election Commission of Pakistan. Marriyum said it had been proved

that Imran Khan did receive prohibited funding and spent even donations for the political and personal purposes. Imran Khan tried to sabotage democracy, China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and the national economy in exchange of the foreign funding, she added.

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02-03 NEWS 11 Auguat 2022_Layout 1 8/11/2022 12:58 AM Page 1

Thursday, 11 August, 2022 | LAHORE

NEWS

AshurA observed with religious fervour ISLAMABAD/KARACHI/LAHORE

Staff RepoRt

USLIMS belonging to the Shi’ite faith chanted, paraded and beat their chests across the country on Tuesday as they marked Ashura, one of the most important dates on the religious calendar, commemorating the 7th-century martyrdom of Hussain ibn Ali (RA). The symbols of Shi’ite piety and penitence blanketed major cities in Iraq, where Hussain (RA) was martyred at the Battle of Karbala, south of Baghdad, in 680 A.D. Shi’ites see Hussain (RA) and his descendants as the rightful heirs to the prophet. His martyrdom at the hands of a rival faction embodies the rift between the Sunni and Shi’ite sects of Islam and continues to shape the identity of the minority branch of Islam today. Mourning processions were taken out in all major cities and towns. Hundreds of religious gatherings, called Majalis, and processions were also held across the country. The Ministry of Interior warned militants could target the Ashura commemorations. Under stepped-up security measures, mass rallies continued for a second day in Islamabad and major cities across Pakistan, where participants rhythmically beat their bodies with knife-

edged chains. Men staggered through the streets, blood dripping down their backs. “Imam Hussain (RA) taught us to fight against oppression,” said Syed Muhammad Haider Naqvi, a Shi’ite scholar at a procession in Karachi. “He taught us not to let anyone usurp others’ rights.” Clerics highlighted the bright and candid teachings of Hussain (RA) and various aspects of the tragedy. Medical camps and stalls were also provided drinking water and food items to the participants. Strict security measures were ensured by the local management of different cities and some road closures were also in place to avoid any untoward incidents. Law enforcers, including police and Rangers, had been deployed along the procession routes. Mobile phone services were partially suspended as a security measure in different cities. ‘SYMBOL OF COURAGE’ The mourning processions were taken out in all the cities and towns of the country. The mourners paid glowing tribute to sacrifices offered by Hussain (RA) and his companions for the supremacy of Islam. President Dr Arif Alvi, in his message, said the supreme sacrifice was a beacon of light for the Muslims and it carried the message that against the apparatus of oppression and tyranny one should be the flag-bearer of truth and righteousness.

ihC rejects Pti plea for suspension of by-polls schedule on 9 NA seats ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) plea seeking immediate suspension of by-elections’ schedule announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan on nine vacant National Assembly seats. The PTI had moved the IHC asking the court to suspend the election schedule on nine NA seats. Justice Aamer Farooq heard the case and asked if there’s any legal ground for suspending the election schedule. The commission was told that the seats have fallen vacant so they have issued a schedule, it said. The lawyer representing the PTI said that we have been asking for byelections since day 1. But we want by-elections to be held on all 123 seats that the party MNAs have resigned from, he said.The court, however, rejected the PTI’s request to immediately suspend the schedule for by-elections and issued notice to the ECP. It adjourned the hearing till August 16 and asked the election commission to submit a reply by then.

development schemes approved LAHORE Staff RepoRt

The Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) approved two development schemes for various sectors with an estimated cost of Rs3,299 million. These schemes were approved in the second meeting of the body in the current fiscal year, presided over by Planning and Development Board chairman Abdullah Khan Sumbal. The approved schemes included the construction of Mohra Shera Dam Rawalpindi at the cost of Rs1,128 million, and the provision of PET scan and cyclotron machines at Nishtar Hospital in Multan at the cost of Rs2,170 million. P&D secretary Sohail Anwar Chaudhary, members of the Board, provincial secretaries of concerned departments, and other senior representatives of the relevant provincial departments also attended the meeting.

electricity shortfall reaches 5,944 Mw ISLAMABAD inp

Pakistan’s electricity shortfall on Wednesday reached 5,944 megawatts (MW). According to the details released by the Power Division, total power generation capacity has dropped to 23,556 MW against the demand of 29,500 MW. As of Wednesday, 7,520 MW was being generated from water, 10,950 MW from Independent Power Producers (IPPs), 970 MW from government thermal plants, 3,001 MW from nuclear plants, 886 MW and 141 MW from wind and solar plants, respectively, whereas 7MW of electricity was being generated from bagasse power plants.

Punjab govt moves to avenge crackdown on PTI march LAHORE inp

Following the arrest of Shahbaz Gill, chief of staff to former prime minister Imran Khan, the Punjab government ordered the immediate arrest of those from the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition involved in the May 25 crackdown on the leaders and activists of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

It may be recalled that after the noconfidence motion against Khan was successful, the former prime minister held successive public rallies across the country and announced a long march on May 25. However, before the long march could begin, then-government of Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz arrested dozens of workers and leaders of PTI in midnight raids. At that time, Khan ended the march

after reaching Islamabad, accusing the federal government of violence against its workers and planning a bloodbath. The party’s leadership said that Shahbaz, Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah Khan and his counterpart in Punjab Ataullah Tarar were involved in the violence. In the latest development, after the arrest of Gill, Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi ordered the arrest of those

Over 43pc surplus witnessed in Pak-Bangladesh trade: SBP OVERALL EXPORTS TO ALL COUNTRIES WITNESSED INCREASE OF 26.6PC IN FY22 ISLAMABAD app

Pakistan’s goods and services trade with Bangladesh witnessed surplus of 43.14 percent during twelve months of fiscal year (FY22) as compared to the corresponding period of last year. The overall exports to Bangladesh were recorded at $870.604 million during July-June (2021-22) against exports of $616.202 million during July-June (202021), showing growth of 41.28 percent, SBP data revealed. Meanwhile, on year-to-year basis, exports to Bangladesh during June 2022 also increased by 35.11 percent, from US $ 64.490 million to US $87.135 million. Similarly on month-on-month basis, exports of Bangladesh were also increased by 39.15 percent during June 2022 in comparison with exports of US $62.615 million in May 2022, SBP data said. Overall, Pakistan’s exports to all countries also

witnessed an increase of 26.56 percent in twelve months, from US $25638.974 million to US $32450.087 million, the SBP data said. On the other hand, the imports from Bangladesh during the period under review were recorded at $ 97.500 million against $76.134 million last year, showing an increase of 28.06 percent. Meanwhile, year-to-year basis, imports from Bangladesh during June 2022, also rose by 363.95 percent from US $3.082 million last year to US $14.299 million. On month-on-month basis, the import from Bangladesh increased by 129.26 percent during June 2022 when compared to the import of US $6.237 million in January 2022, SBP data said. The overall imports increased by 32.75 percent, from US $54272.920 million to US $72.048 million during the period under review. The trade surplus during the period under review was recorded at $773.104 million against $540.068 million during same period of last year, showing 43.14 percent growth.

involved in the crackdown. On the other hand, Punjab Home Minister Hashim Dogar said action will be taken if May 25 violence was found to be carried out on the orders of political leadership or the police. He also hoped he will receive the report on the crackdown “in a day or two”. Dogar also alleged the federal government of trying to drag the country toward civil war.

KP witnesses record hike in flour prices PESHAWAR aziz BuneRi

There has been a record increase in wheat and flour prices since the Punjab government has stopped supply to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Profit learnt on Wednesday. According to flour traders, the price of flour has increased to over 100 per kilogram in Peshawar and other parts of the province while consumers are struggling due to the inefficiency of the KP government’s subsidised flour supply scheme. The provincial government claims of supplying 2,850 metric tonnes of flour daily across the province. However, sources said that the subsidised flour is being sold in markets at a high price due to the lack of check and balance on government officials. Provincial Chairman Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Flour Mills Association (KPFMA) Sabir Bangash said that the supply of wheat and flour to KP from Punjab has been halted for the past several months which has led to a constant rise in prices in the province. He added that despite the claims, the government has failed to rise the issue with the PTI government in Punjab. Bangash informed that KP needs five million tonnes of wheat and flour annually. He said KP provides 12 million tonnes annually to flour mills, of which the province keeps two million tonnes in its own stock while the rest of the demand of flour and wheat is fulfilled through Punjab.

Boss booked, deputy arrested hours after ARY News taken off air ISLAMABAD/KARACHI Staff RepoRt

Freedom of the press once again came under attack when the chief executive officer (CEO) of ARY News was booked and his deputy was arrested from Karachi in the early hours of Wednesday, hours after the television station was taken off air in much of the country for being critical of the government and airing “seditious” content against the military. According to ARY News, Ammad Yousaf was arrested without a warrant from his residence located in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) neighbourhood of Karachi. “Police officers, along with plainclothed personnel, forcibly entered the house of Ammad Yousaf. The raiding team diverted the CCTV cameras of

Yousaf’s house, and jumped into the house from the top of the main entrance,” the channel said. Prior to his arrest, Yousaf was taken away from his residence, according to Salman Iqbal, the CEO, who tweeted about the incident. “@ARYNEWSOFFICIAL news head @AmmadYousaf picked up by unknown people from his house,” he said. Iqbal was nominated in the same first information report (FIR) deployed by the state and the secret agencies to arrest Yousaf. According to a copy of the complaint posted on the ARY News website, Yousaf, producer Adeel Raja, and anchorpersons Arshad Sharif and Khawar Ghuman have also been nominated in the case registered on August 8. The FIR was filed under Sections 121 (waging war against Pakistan), 506

(criminal intimidation), 505 (statements conducive to public mischief), 153 (wantonly provoking with the intent to cause riot), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups), 131 (abetting mutiny or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty), 124-A (sedition), 120 (concealing the design to commit an offence punishable with imprisonment), 34 (common intention) and 109 (abetment) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). ‘SEDITIOUS’ CONTENT: ARY News received Monday a notice from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) which said it was taken off the air “for airing objectionable, hateful, seditious [content], based on absolute disinformation with a clear and present threat to national sec by instigating rebellion within the armed forces with

malafide intent to cause a rift between [government] and [armed] forces”. On August 8, the channel invited a senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader, Shehbaz Gill, to comment on a story during a broadcast on Monday wherein he advised civil servants not to follow orders of their top officials if they were “against the sentiments of the public.” Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) said Gill was “abducted” in Islamabad on Tuesday afternoon and the party was unable to locate him. PEMRA has also directed Iqbal, the CEO, to appear in person for a hearing on Wednesday. On Wednesday, ARY News was broadcasting as normal in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, ruled by the PTI, but appeared to be off the air in other provinces — or was not being carried by local cable operators.

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Thursday, 11 August, 2022 | LAHORE

NEWS

MORE RAINS IN BALOCHISTAN

ffC foreCAsts flAsh floods till 14th ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

EDERAL Flood Commission (FFC) on Wednesday issued an alert that flash floods were expected in different areas due to heavy rainfall from August 11 to 14 in various cities. “There is a likelihood of intense monsoon activity over Punjab (DG Khan, Multan and Bahawalpur Divisions), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Kohat, Bannu and DI Khan Divisions), Sindh and Balochistan, which may result in widespread rainfall from heavy to very heavy intensity over Suleman Range including Sindh and Balochistan from 11th to 14th August 2022,” said the FFC its flood situation report.

Moreover, widespread thunderstorm and heavy rainfalls may also occur over the rest of country including at scattered rainfall of moderate with isolated heavy falls over the catchments of all the major rivers. Additionally, widespread thunderstorm/rain with “heavy to very heavy falls is expected at the scattered places over catchments of rivers Kabul, Indus and Jhelum during August 15 to 16. Flash flooding is expected in the rivers and nullahs of Mianwali district of Punjab, Kohat, Bannu and DI Khan divisions of KP during August 11 to 12, 2022. Flash Flooding is also expected in rivers and nullahs of Balochistan & Hill Torrents of D.G. Khan Division from August 11 to 14, 2022. Similarly, urban flooding is expected in

Minus imran will result in minus all, warns sh rashid

Sindh from August 11 to 14, 2022. The FFC advised all department concerned to remain fully alert and vigilant and take timely actions to ensure safety of communities living in low lying areas, public and private property, besides irrigation, drainage & flood protection infrastructure etc. At present, the commission said there was no river in flood situation in the country as all main rivers of the Indus River System were discharging normal flows. Meanwhile, Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) is monitoring the present weather system especially with reference to the well-marked monsoon low (presently over Chhattisgarh and adjoining areas of East Madhya Pradesh, India), its further

movement and likely impact over Pakistan on round-the-clock basis and keeping all concerned informed through FFD, Lahore. MORE RAINS LIKELY IN BALOCHISTAN: The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Wednesday predicted more rains in different parts of Balochistan till August 14. According to a report issued by PDMA, flooding is expected in different areas of Balochistan as heavy rains are expected from August 10-14. PDMA has issued a flooding alert for Qila Saifullah, Loralai, Sherani, Sibbi, Dera Bugti, Bolan, Mosa Khel, Barkhan, Kalat, Khuzdar, Lasbela, Awaran, Kharan, Tubat, Panjgor, Harnai and Sorab. According to PDMA, 176 persons

including 77 men, 44 women and 55 children have been killed so far from the recent monsoon rains and flooding in Balochistan. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) reported that the heavy rains caused loss of 23,013 livestock and damaged 198,461 acres of crops in Balochistan. According to data shared by the PDMA, 75 people, including 48 men, 11 women, and 16 children were injured due to floods, while over 1500 people were displaced. The report informed that the deaths in rain-related incidents were reported from Chaman, Kech, Barkhan, Dera Bugti, Zhob, Duki, Pishin, Panjgur, Kohlu, Harnai, Qila Saifullah, Sibi, Lasbela, Loralai, Jaffarabad, Kalat, Khuzdar and other districts.

President stresses enhancing quality, outreach of AIOU distance learning programs

RAWALPINDI Staff RepoRt

ISLAMABAD

Awami Muslim League (AML) Chief Sheikh Rashid on Wednesday while warning the incumbent government of the consequences if they try to exclude the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan from the country’s politics said that it will not be minus one but minus all. In a statement on twitter, Sheikh Rashid said that the country is rapidly moving towards political confrontation. He bashed the coalition government over the deteriorating political and economic condition of the country saying that the incumbent government lacks the political sense and also they are incapable of any performance. “They vouch for the institutions when they are in power,” he added. The AML Chief clearly stated that if the coalition government schemed to minus Imran Khan from politics then they will make sure to reciprocate and it will result in ‘minus all’ for their political careers as well. He also announced to hold a press conference at Lal Haveli on August 12 at 3pm and a rally on August 13 at 11pm.

Staff RepoRt

NA speaker declares soomro’s seat vacant over ‘continuous absence’

President Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday emphasized the need for further enhancing the quality and outreach of Open Distance Learning (ODL) Programmes of the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), saying use of blended learning tools to increase the enrollment of students in different academic disciplines. The president expressed the views during a follow-up briefing on AIOU here at Aiwan-e-Sadr, said press release issued h by the President House’s Media Wing. Dr Arif Alvi said that educating and imparting skills to students according to the market dynamics would help ensure their early employment besides helping in their career progression. AIOU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Ziaul Qayyum, Dean Prof Dr Nasir Mahmood and senior officials along with representatives of the High Education Commission (HEC) and the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training attended the briefing. Addressing the meeting, the president

emphasized the need for investment in the formal and ODL modes of education which were the most important platforms for providing education to the masses. He said that ODL and hybrid modes of education could be extended to the primary and middle school levels after coordination with the relevant stakeholders from the public and private sectors. This, he added, would help in educating the Out-of-School-Children (OOSC), who could not attend regular schools due to financial or other

constraints. He said that Malaysia was far ahead in all forms of education than Pakistan due to heavy investment in this sector although Pakistan had helped Malaysia in setting up its institutes of higher learning. During the meeting, the president proposed that the mosques, which normally remain vacant from Fajr to Zohr could be used as schools and “Pesh Imams” could be trained as teachers to provide free of cost education to OOSC of the under-served areas.

Steps on to revive book reading habit among public

ISLAMABAD

app

Staff RepoRt

National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Wednesday declared the seat of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member National Assembly Muhammad Mian Soomro NA-196, Jacobabad as vacant due to his forty consecutive days absence from the sittings of the House. The motion to de-seat Soomro was moved by Ms Shahida Rehmani in the House on August 2. On the notice, Soomro submitted a leave application that he could not attend the meetings of the House due to his certain engagements, his leave should be granted till September, but instead of accepting the request, Speaker Pervez Ashraf placed the matter in the House. The Speaker took a plea that Soomro did not submit the request in time and the application was made on the lapse of time and not granted within forty days. The House unanimously approved the motion to de-seat Muhammad Mian Soomro. Veteran politician Soomro was elected from NA-196, Jacobabad as a MNA on PTI ticket in 2018. It should be noted that earlier the resignations of 11 PTI MNAs were accepted for which the by-election schedule had already been issued.

The government has been taking steps for revival of habit of book reading among the general public as it is not only part of the heritage but also the best possible way to build connection with the past. Federal Information and Broadcasting Secretary Shahera Shahid stated on Wednesday while addressing the launching of Book Fair being held in connection with 75th year celebrations of Pakistan’s creation here. She said that

unfortunately the educated people had almost given up the book reading habit. The Book Mela was organized by Directorate of Electronic Media and Publications. The secretary Information said there was a need to inculcate this habit among the young generation so that they could learn about the glorious past of their investors. She appreciated the management of a leading book shop chain for sponsorship of the event and expressed the hope that the visitors would not only enjoy the book fair but they would not return empty handed from

here.Shahera announced that tomorrow a digital exhibition would be organised by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in which Pakistan’s 75 years would be depicted digitally. She said that Pakistan Television Corporation and Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation would arrange special events to pay tributes to legendary actors and performers. Moreover, she said that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had arranged rerecording of the national anthem which would be unveiled by the Prime Minister on August 14.

Senate Chairman reiterates Pakistan’s stance on ‘One-China’ policy BEIJING agencieS

Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani has reiterated Pakistan’s strong commitment to the One-China policy and reaffirmed Parliament and the people of Pakistan’s unflinching support for China’s sovereignty and

territorial integrity. Pakistan is deeply concerned over the evolving situation in the Taiwan Strait, and Parliament of Pakistan believes that it has serious implications for regional peace and stability, he said in a statement issued here on Wednesday. The Chairman Senate remarked that the world is already reeling through a critical

security situation due to conflicts, with destabilising implications for international food and energy security. The parliamentarians in Pakistan are of the view that the world cannot afford another crisis after the ongoing conflict in Ukraine that has negative consequences for global peace, security and economy, he added.

He also called upon the Ministry of Education and Professional training to play a leading role in bringing all stakeholders from the public and private sectors on one platform to devise a vision and strategy for extending educational services to hitherto neglected areas of the country by pooling their resources. The president appreciated the performance of AIOU in providing quality education to those who could not afford expensive private schools or full-time schooling. He further advised the university to establish its own marketing and public relations department headed by a qualified professional to market its products not only in Pakistan but to rest of the world. He also urged the need to double up efforts to market and highlight the 24,000 licenses available under the Digital Learning and Skills Enrich Initiatives of HEC and COURSERA – a US-based massive open online course provider – to maximize the use of this important educational resource which provided over 1000 ready-made courses in various disciplines.

fertilizer industry offers support for implemention of subsidy scheme for farmers SHAHzAD PARACHA The Fertilizer Manufacturers of Pakistan advisory council, in a letter to Finance Minister Miftah Ismail on Wednesday, has offered the federal government its support to formulate a workable direct subsidy scheme for farmers. It may be noted here that a direct targeted subsidy mechanism to ensure that certain benefits are passed on to small farmers has been under consideration for the past two years. To this end, a voucher-based SMSenabled direct subsidy mechanism was introduced by the government of Punjab considering high prices of phosphatic fertilizers. However, despite making all-out efforts, the government has not yet been able to pass on this subsidy on expensive phosphatic fertilizers to farmers across the country. While farmers in Sindh, KP and Balochistan are not being offered the subsidy at all, Punjab’s long standing issue of a shortage of funds means that farmers there cannot even encash issued coupons. Resultantly, the lack of disbursement of a subsidy on phosphatic fertilizers during the last Rabi season led to less consumption of DAP in wheat that became one of the reasons ultimately impacting its yield.

Govt to strengthen democracy, combat fascist attitudes: Dastgir ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Minister for Power Khurram Dastgir on Wednesday reiterated his government’s resolve to strengthen democracy and combat fascist attitudes in the country. Addressing a press conference here, the minister said Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chief Imran Khan started fascism in 2014 and promoted hatred in the country. Imran Khan not only promoted undemocratic attitudes

but also openly invited people for civil disobedience through torching electricity bills, he added. He said the people were asked not to deposit utility bills besides encouraging overseas Pakistani to send money through ‘Hundi’ in 2014 rather than banks. He went on to say that PTI Chief not only leveled allegations of traitors against patriotic Pakistani but also launched smear campaign after tragic army chopper’s incident in Balochistan. No one would be

allowed to play card of traitor, he added. He said later history had proved all those who were dubbed as traitors either for raising voice for provincial autonomy and minority or for supremacy of the constitution as most patriotic people of the country. He said it was imperative to save the country from ‘Imrani Fitna’ as he (Imran) had already destroyed the national economy but also ruined foreign policy. Imran badly damaged diplomatic image of the country and efforts were made to vitiate our

relations with conventional friendly countries which always support Pakistan in time of odd, he said. The minister said the coalition government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has not only ensured supremacy of the constitution but also untiring efforts were being made to provide maximum relief to the masses. The government concrete measures have put the national economy on right track and soon, inflation would plunge in the coming

days, he added. He said Pakistani currency has been gradually strengthening and Pakistan Stock Exchange also witnessed a bullish trend. Replying to a question, the minister said there was a clear difference between freedom of expression and maligning national institutions through baseless allegation. To another question, he said people were instigated for civil disobedience besides motivating people for sending money through ‘Hundi’.

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Thursday, 11 August, 2022 | LAHORe

04 news

Border dispute Between Kp, GB triBes resurfaCes after land demarCation ISLAMABAD ghulAm AbbAs

The longstanding border dispute between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and GilgitBaltistan (GB), has resurfaced six months after it was resolved following demarcation of the land by local administration and Jirga. The Thor tribe, belongs to Diamer district of GB, which is one of the two parties to thes dispute, has come forward rejecting the demarcation of dispute land with the plea that the Jirga and local administration of Kohistan (KP) have unilaterally demarcated the land without taking the Thor Tribe into confidence. The tribe claimed the demarcation has been carried out in contradiction of the agreed terms. A press statement issued by the Thor tribe, the demarcation of land in Gandlo Nala area was made in the absence of the tribe and its representatives (members of the Jirga from Thor) on August 4, 2022. “ We not only reject the unilateral demarcation but also register a strong protest against the act

of Jirga,” said the representatives of Thor Tribe in Diamer (GB), adding that the tribe would forcibly stop work on Diamer-Basha Dam project in the second phase of their protest. “As third and last option of protest, we would block the KKH and protest till the assurance of implementation of the agreement reached on January 11, 2022 in its true spirit,” said the statement. As per the Thor tribe, in respect of the holy month of Muharram, the series of protests would start after August 12, 2022. Earlier on August 4, 2022, Deputy Commissioner of Upper Kohistan Mohammad Asif claimed that the district administrations have demarcated disputed land of Thor (Diamer) and Harban (Upper Kohistan) in accordance with the decree issued by the grand Jirga and settled this dispute between tribes of both sides once and for all. The Karakoram Highway was blocked earlier this week by those affected by the Diamer-Bhasha Dam in the Harban region of Upper Kohistan, forcing the grand Jirga to carry out the ruling it had made in January.

ulema resolve to counter disinformation campaign against pak army: ashrafi ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Interfaith Harmony and Middle East Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi on Wednesday said Ulema had resolved to counter disinformation campaign against Pakistan Army through thick and thin. Addressing a press conference here, Ashrafi who is also the chairman of Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC), said Ulema and Mashaikh from all schools of thought in collaboration with PUC, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Muttahida Jamiat Ahlehadis, Jamiat Ulema Pakistan and Jaferia were observing ‘Youm-e-Dua’ on Friday for the departed souls of Pakistan Army officers who lost their precious lives in the helicopter crash in Balochistan while performing beyond the call of duty in the flood affected areas of the province. He said they will express solidarity with Pakistan Army and counter the negative propaganda drive being run by some miscreants with malafide intentions against them from Mehrab-o-Mimber. App

Committee formed to probe missing boxers’ case KARACHI Agencies

The Pakistan Olympic Association has formed a fourmember committee to investigate how two boxers — Suleman Baloch and Nazeerullah Khan — part of Pakistan’s contingent went missing at the conclusion of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. An official of the Pakistan Boxing Federation, without sharing any further information, confirmed the formation of the committee. The four-member committee will be headed by Mohammad Shafiq, who is the president of the Pakistan Handball Federation. Other members of the committee include a member of the Pakistan Sports Board (to be nominated by PSB), Colonel Sadaf Akram, secretary of the Army Sports Directorate and Lt Col Muhammad Nasir Ejaz Tung, and secretary of the PBF. The committee will initiate the inquiry upon the return of the boxing contingent to Pakistan. The source, while narrating the incident at Birmingham, told Geo that the team bus from Birmingham to London Heathrow was scheduled to depart at 11:45am with the flight scheduled to fly at 9:55pm. The two boxers — Suleman and Nazeerullah — were seen for in-house breakfast at 10am but they never reported to the coach for departure. The team coach requested the hotel management to check players’ hotel rooms where they found the luggage but the players were missing.

According to the Deputy Commissioner, the demarcation process was carried out by the Revenue Department in front of a 24member Jirga, comprising 12 elders and clerics from each side. The procedure for acquiring land for the Diamer-Bhasha dam may now be started within a day or two after the resolution of land issues between tribesmen of the Diamer and Kohistan districts. In January, 2022, the government had formally announced that the longstanding dispute over the multi-billion-dollar DiamerBhasha dam land site between two major tribes of KP and GB had finally been resolved by a local Jirga in coordination with Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and local administrations. The announcement was made by the Thor-Herban grand jirga during a ceremony organized at the dam’s site. The issue was resolved after numerous sittings of a 26-member jirga that was constituted in December 2020 to resolve the territorial dispute between the Harban tribe of Kohistan and the Thor tribe of Diamer.

Along with the members of the grand jirga, WAPDA officials, GB ministers and MLAs from the Diamer district, local elders and locals from both tribes were present in the ceremony. According to officials, in line with the decisions made by the Thor-Herban Grand Jirga, WAPDA chairman, FCNA commander, and jirga members presented cheques worth Rs400 million to the affectees who had suffered loss of lives and property in a 2014 clash.

The Thor-Herban grand jirga was constituted back in late 2019 to resolve the issue of the boundary dispute between the two tribes. The 26-member jirga comprising 13 members each from Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan and Upper Kohistan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had a series of detailed deliberations during the last two years. The grand jirga was fully facilitated by the civil administrations of Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and WAPDA during the course of their deliberations.

Elahi announces relief steps for trading community LAHORE stAff RepoRt

Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi on Wednesday announced major steps to provide relief to the traders community in the province. In a meeting with representatives of traders community of Punjab here, he announced to lift the ban on the business timings across Punjab, adding that all the business centres, markets and shops would remain open on Sunday in the whole of Punjab. He disclosed that the 9 pm business timing restriction on the business centres, markets and shops had also been lifted and there would be no timing restriction on the business centres, markets and the shops. The CM vowed to resolve parking problems so as to give relief to the

traders community and assured to do away with the parking mafia. He informed that the 30 percent income earned from parking would be spent to provide facilities to the traders. Chaudhry Parvez Elahi announced to set

up Rescue 1122 centres in the markets. A committee under the leadership of Provincial Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal and the trader leader Nasir Salman had been constituted to resolve the problems of the traders community. “We adhere to the vision of Prosperous Traders and Punjab,” he maintained. On this occasion, PTI Secretary General Asad Omer lauded that Chaudhry Parvez Elahi during his tenure of Chief Ministership did a lot of commendable work and he was highly praised in Pakistan due to his appreciable performance. He said, “The traders community had to face difficulties due to the corona disease and other problems in the past few years and it is our responsibility to resolve the problems of the traders community.” Focal Person of PTI Chairman for traders Nasir Salman said, “We intend to

Diamond Jubilee celebrations of constituent assembly kicked oﬀ ISLAMABAD stAff RepoRt

National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Wednesday officially kicked off five-day Diamond Jubilee celebrations of country’s first constituent assembly at Parliament House. The speaker inaugurated three Photography Exhibitions themed as “Tarjuman-i-Mazi Shan-i-Hall.” The speaker visited the rare and historical photos displayed at Parliament’s lobby and evinced keen interest in the displays there. Rare photos of country’s top parliamentary leadership right from 1947 to date have been displayed in the lobby. The rare photos of former leaders of the House, leaders of the

Opposition, Foreign State heads’ visits to Parliament House and their historical addresses to the joint sitting of the parliament have been displayed at the venue. Speaking on the occasion, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said the first session of constituent assembly was held on August 10, 1947. Independence Day was being celebrated this year in a special way. The photos depicting parliament’s history would be compiled and published as a book. He said he was astonished to see the rare pictures of country’s leadership including Quaid-i-Azam, Liaquat Ali Khan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. He was happy to see the photos of former Prime Minister Zulfikar

Ali Bhutto groundbreaking existing Parliament House building. While former Prime Minister Muhammad Khan Junejo inaugurated the existing building of Parliament House after completion. The speaker urged all and sundry to work for the betterment of the country by keeping aside their differences. All parties should join hands to steer the country out of crisis. Sharing the details of golden jubilee celebrations, he said the members of minority community, govt and private school children and women would visit Parliament House and coalition government members would answer their queries. Parliamentarians, senior officials of National Assembly were also present on the occasion.

Four bills sail through National Assembly ISLAMABAD stAff RepoRt

National Assembly on Wednesday passed four bills and witnessed introduction of three bills which were referred to the relevant committees for further consideration. Minister of State for Law and Justice Shahadat Awan moved the National Metrology Institute of Pakistan Bill, 2022 and the Public Private Partnership Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2022 which were passed by the House. Likewise, the House passed two bills, including the Iqbal Academy Pakistan Bill, 2022 and the Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2022. Both bills were tabled by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Javed Abbassi. Earlier, Minister of State for Law and Justice Shahadat Awan introduced the Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2022, the Qanun-e-Shahadat (Amendment) Bill, 2022, and the Control of Narcotics Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2022. All these there bills were referred to the relevant committees for further consideration and presentation of reports on them.

PML-N lawmaker Ch. Mahmood Bashir Virk presented the reports of standing committees on Interior on the Pakistan Coast Guards (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and the North-West Frontier Constabulary (Amendment) Bill, 2022. He also presented one reports each of Standing Committees on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development; Finance and Revenue and National Food Security and Research.

present the idea of Downtown and Kiosk in the markets.” He added that markets of all cities including Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Gujranwala were necessary to be brought equal to the world so that the buyer could be persuaded for shopping and the shopkeeper as well as the trader could be provided facilities. He vowed to resolve the problems of the traders on the priority basis. Former federal minister Shafqat Mehmood, Provincial Ministers Yasmin Rashid, Mian Muhammad Aslam Iqbal, Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed, Muhammad Mohsin Leghari, Hanif Patafi, Inspector General of Police Faisal Shahkar, Principal Secretary to CM Muhammad Khan Bhatti, Chairman P&D, ACS (Home) secretaries of concerned departments and senior officials were also present.

afghan muslim arrested for killings that shook new mexico’s islamic community ALBUQUERQUE ReuteRs

A Muslim immigrant from Afghanistan has been arrested as the prime suspect in the serial killings of four Muslim men that rattled the Islamic community of New Mexico’s largest city, police said on Tuesday. After days of bolstering security around Albuquerque-area mosques, seeking to allay fears of a shooter driven by anti-Muslim hate, police said on Tuesday they had arrested 51-year-old Muhammad Syed, one among the city’s Islamic immigrant community. Authorities said the killings may have been rooted in a personal grudge, possibly with intra-Muslim sectarian overtones. All four victims were of Afghan or Pakistani descent. One was killed in November, and the other three in the last two weeks. A search of the suspect’s Albuquerque home uncovered “evidence that shows the offender knew the victims to some extent, and an inter-personal conflict may have led to the shootings,” police said in a statement announcing the arrest. Investigators are still piecing together motives for the killings of the four men, Deputy Commander Kyle Hartsock of the Albuquerque Police Department said at a news conference. In response to reporters’ questions, Hartsock said sectarian animus by the suspect toward his fellow Muslim victims may have played a role in the violence. “But we’re not really clear if that was the actual motive, or if it was part of a motive, or if there is just a bigger picture that we’re missing,” he said. Syed has a record of criminal misdemeanours in the United States, including a case of domestic violence, over the last three or four years, Hartsock said. Police credited scores of tips from the public in helping investigators locate a car that detectives believed was used in at least one of the killings and ultimately track down the man they called their “primary suspect” in all four slayings. Syed was formally charged with two of the homicides: those of Aftab Hussein, 41, and Muhammed Afzaal Hussain, 27, killed on July 26 and August 1, respectively, Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina told the briefing.

Thursday, 11 August, 2022 | LAHORE

NEWS

Imran Niazi can’t befool nation: PM Shehbaz continued from page 01 “The freedom of religion and sanctity of the person and property of our minorities have further been statutorily formalized in our constitution,” he added. The government, the prime minister said, stood committed to these obligations and officially celebrated August 11 to reiterate its resolve towards the achievement of the noble objective of building an inclusive society in line with the vision of the Quaid-e-Azam. “The eradication of the causes and the mending of fault lines, which may lead to socio-religious exploitation, remain the corner stone of the government’s policies. The idea here is to enable and facilitate all segments of society, particularly our non-Muslim citizens, to take a full part in the national life,” he stressed. The prime minister said the government was making efforts to make up for socio-economic deficiencies and ensure a level playing field for the minorities by such means as allocation of special quota at representative fora, in educational institutions and services. Besides, he said, dedicated financial support for the promotion and uplift of poorest segments of the minorities were also part of these measures.

Pakistan denounces India’s move to mark Aug 14 as ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’ iSLamaBad Staff RepoRt

Pakistan on Wednesday strongly denounced the BJP government’s mischievous move of observing “Partition Horrors Remembrance Day” on 14 August. In a press statement issued here, the spokesperson for Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that true to its characteristic revisionist agenda, the BJP-RSS led dispensation has again sought to hypocritically and onesidedly invoke the tragic events and mass migration that occurred in the wake of Independence in 1947. It is deplorable that the BJP government, as part of its divisive political agenda, is wantonly attempting to play with the sentiments of the people through distorted interpretation of history. If the Indian leaders genuinely care about agony, suffering and pain, they must work to improve the conditions of the Muslims and other minorities in India. The last seven decades have been replete with undeniable proof that India’s espousal of secularism was a sham. The fact is that today’s India is an undeclared ‘Hindu Rashtra’ that has no place or tolerance for other religious minorities, especially Muslims who are faced with discrimination, persecution and political and socio-economic exclusion, the statement said. The Government of India is advised to desist from politicizing the events related to Independence and instead sincerely honour the memories of all those who sacrificed for a better future for all, the statement added.

Lahore zoo cancels lion auction, plans expansion instead LaHore afp

A zoo in Lahore has called off plans to auction 12 lions from its ever-growing pride to private buyers, saying it would instead create new enclosures for the big cats. The auction planned for Thursday had drawn condemnation from the WWF, which urged authorities at Lahore Safari Zoo to instead rehome them with other government wildlife facilities. “The main reason behind the auction was the lack of space,” deputy director Tanvir Ahmed Janjua told AFP, adding officials had decided to speed up work on building two new enclosures. “Now that this issue is to be resolved soon, there is no need for the auction to take place.

INDIA PARtItIoN: AfteR 75 yeARS, tecH oPeNS A wINDow INto tHe PASt LaHore/neW deLHi

ReuteRS

ROWING up, Guneeta Singh Bhalla heard her grandmother describe how she crossed into newly-independent India from Pakistan in 1947 with her young children, witnessing horrific scenes of carnage and violence that haunted her for the rest of her life. Those stories were not in Singh Bhalla’s school textbooks, so she decided to create an online history — The 1947 Partition Archive, which contains about 10,500 oral histories, the biggest collection of Partition memories in South Asia. “I didn’t want my grandmother’s story to be forgotten, nor the stories of others who experienced Partition,” said Singh Bhalla, who moved to the United States from India at age 10. “With all its faults, Facebook is an incredibly powerful tool: the archive was built off of people finding us on Facebook and sharing our posts, which brought much more awareness,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The partition of colonial India into two states, Muslim Pakistan and Hindu India, at the end of British rule triggered one of the biggest mass migrations in history. About 15 million Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs swapped countries in the political upheaval, marred by violence and bloodshed that cost more than a million lives. Pakistan and India have fought three wars since then, and relations remain tense. They rarely grant visas to

each others’ citizens, making visits nearly impossible — but social media has helped people on either side of the border connect. There are dozens of groups on Facebook and Instagram, as well as YouTube channels that tell the stories of Partition survivors and their occasional visits to ancestral homes, that rack up millions of shares and views, and emotional comments. “Such initiatives that help document the experiences of Partition serve as an antidote to the charged political narratives of the two states,” said Ayesha Jalal, a South Asian history professor at Tufts University in the United States. “They help to alleviate the tensions between the two sides, and open up channels for a much-needed people-topeople dialogue.” VIRTUAL REALITY TAKES SURVIVORS HOME: As the number of those displaced from their homes has swelled worldwide, technology helps monitor abandoned homes from afar and records human rights abuses, while digital archives preserve cultural heritage. Project Dastaan — meaning story in Urdu — uses virtual reality (VR) to document accounts of Partition survivors and enable them to revisit their place of birth. “VR isn’t like film — there is a level of immersion and engagement that creates empathy and has a powerful impact,” said founder Sparsh Ahuja, whose grandfather migrated to India as a seven-year-old during the Partition. “People really feel like they are transported to the place.” Using volunteers in India and Pak-

istan to locate and film places — which have often changed dramatically over the decades — Project Dastaan had aimed to connect 75 Partition survivors with their ancestral homes by the 75th anniversary this year. But pandemic restrictions meant that they only completed 30 interviews since they began filming in 2019, said Ahuja. “When visa policies were more friendly, people could physically go and see places and people,” he said. “Now, these connections wouldn’t happen without technology, and VR has brought a whole new audience to the Partition experience.” Among the most popular YouTube channels on Partition is Punjabi Lehar — or Punjabi wave — with about 600,000 subscribers. Founder Lovely Singh, 30, part of the minority Sikh community in Pakistan, estimates that the channel has helped 200 to 300 individuals reconnect with family and friends. Earlier this year, Punjabi Lehar’s video of an emotional reunion between two elderly brothers separated during Partition quickly went viral, drawing widespread praise. “If we can help connect more people, maybe there will be less tension between the two countries,” said Singh. “This is how my children are learning about the Partition.” TENSIONS IN THE DIGITAL WORLD: Pakistan and India are among the biggest social media markets in the world, with more than 500 million YouTube and nearly 300 million Facebook users, according to research firms Global Media Insight and Statista.

Imran trolled Army highups, martyrs to divert attention from foreign funding: Marriyum continued from page 01 “The party of a foreign agent has been declared a “foreign-aided party” under the Political Party Ordinance, 2002 and the Election Act, 2017,” she remarked. The minister said Imran Khan was trying to mislead the nation by consistently telling lies over a case that was investigated by the ECP for eight years. Marriyum said Imran Khan blamed others for corruption whenever his robbery came to the fore. The PTI received funds from Wootton Cricket Limited, Bristol engineering services, Eplanet Trustees and Romita Shetty (an Indian businesswoman) from 2013, she said, adding the companies set up in the United States included 34 foreign nationals. She said Imran Khan was now afraid that his party would be banned, but it was him who destroyed the party and it was high time for the workers to ask him as to why he disgraced the PTI and himself by receiving the foreign

funding. The minister said the nation including youth and overseas Pakistanis would be informed as to where these foreign funds were spent by Imran Khan. Marriyum said Imran Khan had no comparison with Nawaz Sharif who became prime minister thrice but never compromised over the Constitution. From the first day, the Constitutional supremacy was the mainstay of PML-N and Nawaz Sharif’s ideology. Despite his illegal ouster from the power, Nawaz Sharif did not give calls for mutiny and division within the state institutions. He only served the country with dedication and gave country the motorways, and CPEC projects, and made the country loadshedding free. On the contrary, Imran Khan tried to disintegrate the country by attacking the federating units, sold the Kashmir and ruined the economy. Youth were rendered jobless, poverty increased massively and, above all severe restrictions were imposed on the

media, she added. She said Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz were always on the forefront to pay tributes to the martyrs of Army who sacrificed their lives for protecting the borders. The minister advised youth not to become part of the PTI’s chief grand conspiracy against the country and refrain from participating in the social media campaign against the state institutions. To a question, she said Imran Khan sold gifts from Toshakhana by revising the policy to benefit himself and his courtiers. He did violate the law in Toshakhana issue and would be held accountable in this regard. There were court orders which barred the government from off airing any TV channels, she said while responding to another query. She added that the PEMRA acted independently and issued a show-cause notice to the ARY for violating different Articles of Constitution and media rules. It should not be linked with democracy and freedom of expression, she added.

ANOTHER FIR REGISTERED

Court remands Gill in police custody for 2 days iSLamaBad Staff RepoRt

A lower court here on Wednesday granted the police a two-day physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Leader Shahbaz Gill in a case pertaining to charges of sedition and inciting the public against the state institutions. In a written order, the court said it was necessary to grant the physical remand of the accused due to the seriousness of the allegations. The court further said that it was also mandatory to conduct forensic test of the recorded voice of the accused.

The judge also ordered the police to conduct a medical analysis of Shahbaz Gill. The court instructed the police to produce the accused again after completing investigation within two days. Earlier, the Islamabad Police produced the accused in the court of duty magistrate Umar Bashir and requested for a 14 days physical remand. The police adopted the stance that it had to recover the relevant draft from the accused and investigate the matter pertaining to his controversial statement. However, Gill’s advocate Faisal Chaudhry opposed the request of physical remand.

He said that his client had not spoken during the TV program on the consent of anyone else. The court, however, granted the police a two day physical remand of Shahbaz Gill. It may be mentioned here that the Kohsar Police Station had registered cases against Shahbaz Gill on charges of allegedly giving controversial remarks against sensitive institutions of the country. The case has been registered under Sections 124-A (sedition), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief), and of the Pakistan Penal Code. Gill has been accused of spreading chaos, inciting people against the state along with

other serious allegations. The accused was arrested on Tuesday by the Islamabad Police. ANOTHER CASE REGISTERED IN KARACHI: Another case was registered in Karachi against PTI leader Shahbaz Gill. The second case against was registered on late Tuesday night at Malir Memon Goth Police Station. Provision of sedition, inciting the public against the state institutions, spreading anarchy and hatred are included in the case. The first FIR was registered against the PTI leader Shahbaz Gill at the Malir Memon Goth Police Station on behalf of the state.

History professor Jalal noted that these online spaces can also host misinformation, and added a note of caution about the limits of social media projects. “While immensely useful, these initiatives surrounding the Partition should not be seen as a replacement to historical understandings of the causes of Partition,” she said. Political tensions between India and Pakistan frequently spill over on to social media. Last year, one Indian state said people who celebrated Pakistan’s win over India in a cricket match on social media could be charged with sedition, which carries a penalty of up to life in prison. Indians — particularly Muslims — who criticise the government online are often told to “go to Pakistan”. But for 90-year-old Reena Varma, social media has done more than make a virtual connection — it has enabled her to visit her old home in Rawalpindi 75 years after she left it. When her Pakistan visa application was rejected earlier this year, the news went viral on Facebook. Islamabad intervened to give a visa to Varma, who migrated to India as a teenager weeks before the Partition. When Varma visited Pakistan last month, Imran William, founder of the Facebook group the India Pakistan Heritage, was on hand to welcome her. Residents beat drums and showered her with flowers as she danced on the street, then looked around her old home. “It was very emotional, but I am so happy I could fulfil my dream of visiting my home,” Varma said.

PM pays tributes to late Dr Ruth Pfau on her death anniversary iSLamaBad Staff RepoRt

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday paid tributes to late German-born Dr Ruth Pfau on her 5th death anniversary for spending her life to treat leprosy patients in Pakistan and said that role models like her reinforced faith in humanity. On Twitter handle, he said a life spent in the service of others was a life well lived. Dr Ruth Pfau made Pakistan her home and served the people with heart and soul. “A life spent in the service of others is a life well lived. Dr Ruth Pfau made Pakistan her home & served the people with heart and soul. Role models like her reinforce our faith in humanity,” the prime minister said. Dr Ruth Katherina Martha Pfau, MD was born on September 9, 1929 in Leipzig, Germany. She studied medicine in 1957 and subsequently joined the Order of the Daughters of the Heart of Mary, whose motherhouse is in Paris. She was hailed as the “Mother Teresa of Pakistan” for her pivotal role in containing leprosy. She died in a hospital in Karachi on this day during 2017. She was 87. She was honoured with Hilal-i-Pakistan-, Hilal-iImtiaz-, Nishan-i-Quaid-i-Azam-, and the Sitara-i-Quaid-i-Azam award as acknowledgment of her services for the ailing humanity in Pakistan. Dr. Pfau had joined the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Center, opened in 1956 in Karachi slums. Later, she soon transformed it into the hub of a network of 157 medical centers that treated tens of thousands of Pakistanis infected with leprosy. Funded mostly by German, Austrian and Pakistani donors, the center and its satellite clinics also treated victims of the 2000 drought in Balochistan, the 2005 earthquake in Kashmir and devastating floods in 2010.

06-07 Comments - 11th August 2022_Layout 1 8/10/2022 11:57 PM Page 1

Thursday, 11 August, 2022

06 COMMENT

Understanding Sisi’s Rise to Power

Army may be criticized for staging coups But never for becoming apolitical

OlItICAl parties in Pakistan have criticized military rulers for launching coups and overthrowing elected governments. they have pointed out the challenges posed to the unity and integrity of the country due to the military rulers’ shortsighted policies like media control, curbs imposed on freedoms granted in the Constitution, strengthening the centre at the expense of the provinces and for corruption and nepotism. Political parties have joined hands to launch struggles for the restoration of democracy. every military ruler from Ayub Khan to Ziaul Haq and Pervez Musharraf had to face opposition from politicians agitating for restoration of democracy. the movements against authoritarian rule and for the restoration of democracy gave birth to a rich culture of resistance in Pakistan. Poems by Faiz and Habib Jalib became a major part of resistance literature not only in Pakistan, but all over South Asia. A large section of the media stood by the fight for democracy, bearing a heavy price in the form of fines, arrests and suspension of declarations. while political parties and civil society organizations opposed military rule in the strongest terms, none ever issued a call for mutiny in the armed forces. they didn’t do this because what they wanted was a genuinely democratic, prosperous and strong country rather than one facing anarchy and civil war. Democratic parties have no beef with the army if it remains apolitical. Imran Khan on the other hand opposes a neutral Army, wanting instead one which is loyal to him personally. As the Army seems to be no more willing to oblige Mr Khan, he is presumably keen to create a rift in it. Claims that 80 percent to 90 percent of the Army supports Mr Khan and a call to juniors not to obey orders from seniors can be interpreted as a call for a mutiny. the evidence against Mr Khan’ s chief of staff Shehbaz Gill should be put before the court. Anyone who has broken the law must face the consequences. none of the federal government’s actions however should be seen to be based on vindictiveness. It should avoid the temptation to disqualify Imran Khan or the PtI on the basis of a far-fetched conspiracy theory. PeMRA acted in indecent haste by shutting down ARy at places while it should have first taken the matter to the Council of Complaints.

The similarities to Pakistan’s situation are unmistakable

Dr FariD a malik

eneRAl Abdel Fattah el-Sisi finally managed to become President of egypt, and he landed straight from the Army House to the Presidency of one of the most important countries in the Middle east. He is the sixth head of state of the country that borders Israel. Before him Col Gamal Abdel nasser, the second President, led the resistance against the Jewish state. His support for the Palestinians was unflinching. After his defeat in the Six Day war with Israel in 1967, he resigned from office. After the widespread protests in his favour, he continued to lead his country till his death in 1970. nasser was an honest and upright leader who led a simple life, and did not build personal empires. He left a rich legacy, and till today he is revered by the people of the region as a great nationalist. He had the vision of creating the United Arab Republic (UAR ) by merging with Syria. Sisi emerged out of the mass uprising in 2010 called the Arab Spring. Protesters demanded; democracy, free and fair elections, economic freedom, human rights, employment and regime change. As Commander of the Armed Forces, he was called to quash the movement. Hosni Mubarak had been the President of egypt for over three decades. Under him corruption was rampant. He was a friend of Israel and acted as an ‘American Poodle’ in the region, a role that was earlier assigned to the Shah of Iran after the ouster of the elected Prime Minister Muhammad Mossadegh in

1953. the siege had started with the murder of liaquat Ali Khan followed by the ouster of the Iranian PM. while Pakistan was the first Islamic republic, Iran was second. Pakistan came under the boots while Iran had to endure third-rate royalty who declared himself the Arya Mehr (light of the Aryans ), but who in reality proved to be their night. elections were held in 2012 in which Muhammad Morsi Al-Ayat was elected President. In July 2013 he was removed and replaced by Sisi after staged street protests. Morsi held his ground. He was imprisoned for his resistance and died under detention in June 2019. It did not end here; his son Abdullah Morsi died of heart attack a year later at the age of 25. today egypt remains under Sisi’s boots who gets elected like his predecessor Honi Mubarak by manipulating the ballot process. today there are only two democratic states in the region, Islamic Republic of Iran ( IRI ) which is fiercely Anti-US and Israel that behaves like a superpower riding on the shoulders of the USA. today the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( IRP ) faces maneuvered political instability similar to egypt’s. the coalition in power stands fully exposed. Imran Khan has emerged as the national force of resistance with solid public support which Morsi had lost during his short rule. IK too had a dip in his popularity but placing the thugs into

power through the Vote of no-Confidence resulted in public anger and uproar which Sisi did not have to face. today IK stands tall with the masses solidly behind him. Free and fair elections are the only way forward. there is no room for adventurism of any kind. Resistance is building up against the Sisis of the Islamic world as the people continue to suffer. this continuous decline has to be reversed. while egypt faced the first Arab Spring in 2010 which had started in tunisia, Paqkistan has seen several such movements. In the words of Bhutto, the Indian Subcontinent has long traditions of resistance which started with the arrival of the Colonists. the demands remain the same; democracy, free and fair elections, economic freedom, human rights, employment and regime change for which Sisi stands in the way of their emancipation. As the first-born free generation of Pakistan, we have already toppled four ‘ Sisi Rulers’, there is no chance for the fifth to succeed. Pakistan was envisioned as a republic and is destined to be the same. while PDM and its leaders will perish, democracy will survive and flourish. IK is right, in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan there is no room for such adventurism in the 21st century.

As the first-born free generation of Pakistan, we have already toppled four ‘ Sisi Rulers’, there is no chance for the fifth to succeed. Pakistan was envisioned as a republic and is destined to be the same. While PDM and its leaders will perish, democracy will survive and flourish.

The writer is ex-Chairman, Pakistan Science Foundation. He can be contacted at: fmaliks@hotmail.com.

Dark money is killing open debate and free elections

Economy turning the corner

No just anti-Israel candidates are being targeted, but progressives whose loyalty is suspect

Rises in the stock market and of the rupee indicate that things are looking up

He gain by the rupee against the dollar was Rs 2.13 on wednesday closing at Rs 221.94, down a whopping Rs18 from the low of Rs 239.9, reached on July 28. the stock market was following the currency, reaching 41,425 points, a rise of 356 points. this was partly fuelled by a global equity recovery, but there was sufficient domestic news to justify this increase. One of the factors in this recovery was clearly the meeting held by the State Bank of Pakistan with the heads of banks and with foreign exchange dealers. However, one aspect has been the improvement in the trade deficit, which went down to $2.6 billion in July, a massive reduction both from the previous month of June, but year-on-year. At the same time, there is a definite contribution by the development of some form of political stability. One of the most pertinent settlements has been that of the Punjab, which has got a government that looks as if it will go the distance. For the first time, the government does not seem to be one judicial verdict away from falling. At the same time, the central government, though no doubt damaged by the loss of Punjab, does not seem in as imminent danger of falling as it once was. If the central government can resist the temptation to celebrate, it can turn to the next phase, which will be that of consolidation. If it can continue to do so, such as pass on the cuts that will come as international fuel prices start coming down, it can hope to reap the political benefit at the next general election.

Washington Watch Dr James J Zogby

wenty years ago when Congress passed the bipartisan McCain-Feingold bill on campaign finance reform, many celebrated what they hoped would be a new era in US politics. there were limits set for individual contributions and those of political action committees. All contributions in federal elections were to be reported to the Federal election Commission and made available for public scrutiny. there was also a taxpayer fund established that would allow presidential candidates, if they wished, to secure matching funds for lower-level contributions to their campaigns, if they accepted a limit on their overall spending. what we feared was that big money would ultimately find a way to subvert McCain-Feingold and once again insert itself into the electoral process. After the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Citizens United case found that money was a form of free speech and therefore its use in politics could not be limited, the floodgates were again opened to financial abuse of the electoral process. what followed were massive “independent expenditures” from both the left and right, by corporations and interest groups supporting or opposing campaigns. Groups representing banks, big pharma, women’s rights, the gun lobby and others spent millions to advance their interests. the funds they poured into campaigns— “dark money expenditures”— were considered private and therefore not subject to FeC reporting or public disclosure. Supporters of Israel have a long history of bundling large contributions to support or oppose candidates. Before and after McCain-Feingold there

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were scores of pro-Israel PACs that would routinely bundle donations from PACs and individual donors, raising millions of dollars in each election cycle. As intimidating as their tactics may have been, the funds they raised were duly reported to the FeC and were available to the public. this year is different. Fearful that Israel is losing support among Democrats, especially progressive Democrats, elements of the pro-Israel community have developed a number of “dark money” entities with the express purpose of defeating “progressive Democrats” even if those progressives haven’t yet been outspoken critics of Israel or Israeli policies. Interestingly, much of their expenditures haven’t been in support of candidates, but against those whom they oppose. And the massive costly advertising campaigns they have waged haven’t focused on Israel. they have been devoted to tearing down the reputations of the progressive candidates they want to see defeated. this year, millions of dollars have been spent in efforts to smear and defeat candidates in Ohio, Pennsylvania, north Carolina, texas, Maryland, and now Michigan and Missouri. Despite the obscene amounts spent, this effort operated without much notice until a few weeks ago, when a former Maryland congresswoman running to regain her seat was subjected to a $6,000,000 negative advertising blitz that sought to discredit her years of public service. As has been the case in a number of these races, the amount of funds expended by these pro-Israel groups exceeded the amounts raised by the campaigns they were opposing and/or supporting. A few investigative reporters have succeeded in uncovering the sources of some of the funds, much of them coming from a handful of billionaires—from energy companies, investment firms, and high-tech industries. Many of the donors are Republicans who have found a way to advance a pro-Israel agenda by helping to defeat progressive Democrats.

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this past week’s primaries featured four of these contests, three in Michigan and one in Missouri. In Michigan, a Palestinian American incumbent was targeted by more than $2,000,000; a Jewish American incumbent faced a barrage of negative advertising funded by in excess of $4,300,000—though he is proIsrael, apparently he wasn’t pro-Israel enough; and an Indian American running for an open seat was confronted by an expenditure in excess of $4,200,000. In Missouri, an African American congresswoman, who rose to national prominence during the racial justice protests in Ferguson, Missouri, and in 2020 was able to unseat a long-standing pro-Israel member of Congress, was confronted with millions of dollars in negative advertising that sought to discredit her service to her district. when the results were tabulated, “dark money” was defeated in three of these contests. they were only successful in defeating the Jewish American incumbent in Michigan. that’s what “dark money” can do. thus far, in 2022, the pro-Israel “dark money” groups and PACs have spent in excess of $30 million with a mixed record of wins and losses. But the real losers go beyond the candidates themselves— both those who’ve lost and the winners whose reputations have been tarnished. what’s at stake is the integrity and openness of our elections and the political process that can be so distorted by excessive amounts of “dark money.” the outcome of an election in a democracy shouldn’t go to the highest bidders, free to spend unlimited amounts to destroy someone deemed an opponent. Also at risk, and of equal importance, is the ability of candidates to freely debate a critical issue of importance without fear of having their political careers ended by a handful of big money donors willing to ruin their reputations if they dare to speak out.

The outcome of an election in a democracy shouldn’t go to the highest bidders, free to spend unlimited amounts to destroy someone deemed an opponent. Also at risk, and of equal importance, is the ability of candidates to freely debate a critical issue of importance without fear of having their political careers ended by a handful of big money donors willing to ruin their reputations if they dare to speak out

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06-07 Comments - 11th August 2022_Layout 1 8/10/2022 11:57 PM Page 2

Thursday, 11 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

Bags not tools ACCORDInG to wikipedia,“Child labour refers to the exploitation of children through any form of work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and is mentally, physically, socially or morally harmful.” Knowing the consequences of child labour, UnICeF declared 12 June as “world day against child labour” Still, in our country child labour is quite common. Children, who are the future of Pakistan, are holding tools instead of bags. According to a survey conducted by the Federal Bureau of Statistics and the national Child labour, approximately 19 million children below 14 years of age are working as child labourers in Pakistan due to poverty. they are deprived of their due rights along with education. If our youth is going to be uneducated and engaged in work, how will the country progress? the government must make sure that every child must be a student rather than a labour. Afroz MJ TurbAT

WHO warning

India’s so-called secularism? The constitution declares India secular, but the government persecuted

amJeD JaaveD

lORetS International School in Kanpur’s Gandhinagar area is owned by Hindu owners. It is viewed as a paragon of quality education and interfaith harmony. the school had a long established tradition of beginning its morning session by reciting prayers of four religious faiths (Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Christian). when the school reopened in 2003 after closure due to covid-19, the interfaith prayers were recited, as usual, to the morning assembly. no-one ever objected to the practice. But some extremist Hindu outfits (Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad) and BJP’s leaders got inkling of the practice. On August 2, they forced a few parents to register a First Information es non-HindusReport against the school’s administration. the FIR inter alia accused school’s managing director, Sumeet Makhija of ‘sowing the seeds of conversion’ and indulging in “shiksha jihad” (jihad teaching). He has been booked under Section 295A (outraging religious feelings and infringing Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021). the police hastily sealed the school. the complainants said that it was never their intention to get the school closed down. they have no intention to move their wards to any other school. the Preamble to the Indian Constitution turned India into a secular state through the Constitution (42nd Amendment) Act, 1976. the underlying objective was to provide for the unity of the people of India, professing numerous faiths. the state was bound to protect all religions equally and did not itself uphold any religion as the state religion. the secular objective of the state was specifically expressed by inserting the word ‘secular’ in the Preamble .Besides, the liberty of ‘belief, faith and worship’ promised in the Preamble was censured by incorporating the fundamental rights of all citizens relating to ‘freedom of religion’ in Articles. 2529. these articles guarantee to each individual freedom to profess, practice and propagate religion, assure strict impartiality on the part of the state and its institutions towards all religions. A Christian preacher was burnt alive right in front of his two minor kids in Orissa by a serial killer Dara Singh. Several Indian states have passed anti-conversion laws. they are aimed at restricting the right to propagate religion, which is guaranteed by Article 25 of the Indian Constitution.

India claims to be a secular country but unfortunately, the country’s legislative history, relating to the issue of conversion, underscores the reality that the government always harboured a grudge against conversion. Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Arunachal Pradesh and tamil nadu have passed Freedom of Religion Acts. A common feature of these anti-conversion laws is that they made so-called ‘forced conversion’ a cognizable offence under Sections 295 A and 298 of the Indian Penal Code. Several Indian states have passed anti-conversion laws. Cognisability of the offence allowed police to harass missionaries and converts under the influence of Hindu fanatics or government functionaries. Some Indian courts intervened to stop the persecution of converts or Christian preachers. For instance, Chief Justice A.n. Ray in Reverend Stanislaus v. State of Madhya Pradesh (AIR 1977 SC 908), and yulitha v. State of Orissa and others, ruled that propagation is different from conversion. Ray observed adoption of a new religion is freedom of conscience, while conversion would impinge on ‘freedom of choice’ granted to all citizens alike. But the state governments remained nonchalant to the courts’ observations. to discourage Dalits from converting to Christianity, not only the Centre but also the Indian states have deprived ‘Dalit Christians’ of minority-status privileges. the courts’ decisions being declaratory (certiorari), not mandatory (mandamus), remained unimplemented. Interestingly, India’s Ministry of Home Affairs (February 1981) advised the state government and union territories to enact laws to regulate change of religion on the lines of the existing Acts in Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Arunachal Pradesh. Such legislations violate the Un Charter of Human Rights which gives a person the right to change his or her religion. Since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took power in 2014, religious intolerance and antiChristian violence has surged across India. Six women at Kilipala village in Jagatsinghpur district (Orissa) had their heads tonsured by influential Hindus. their offence was abandoning the Hindu faith of their own free will. Christian missionaries are harassed, deported and even killed. the Indian government ordered ‘deportation of three Ameri-

can preachers from the Church of Christ in north Carolina on the first available flight to the USA.’ to insult them even further, the preachers were even attacked by Hindu fanatics. not only Muslims but also the other minorities have a miserable plight. Article 25A of India’s Constitution provides for religious freedom. yet, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom called for putting it on the religious freedom blacklist. the report noticed: ‘In 2019, religious freedom conditions in India experienced a drastic turn downward, with religious minorities under increasing assault’. not only Muslims but also Christians, Dalit (downtrodden) and other minorities are persecuted communities. Fourteen US Senators sent a letter to the Secretary of State reminding him of the recommendation by the US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to designate India a country of particular concern. the Senators went on to demand that “targeted sanctions” be imposed against Indian agencies and officials responsible for escalating religious intolerance and violence. According to USCIRF, violations of the religious freedom rights of minorities have reached a point where India should be considered amongst the world’s worst violators. the Senators went on to request the Secretary of State to provide Congress with reasons as to why the USCIRF recommendations are not being followed and why India is not designated “a country of particular concern.” Persecution of minorities distorts India’s secular face. the fanatic Hindus view Muslims as anti-national, terrorists, and enemies of the Hindu nation. love jihad, “ghar wapsi” (reconversion), and cow vigilantism are tools to persecute Muslims. Indian prime minister narendra Modi refused to condemn the lynching of the 55-year-old Muhammad Akhlaq at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh by a mob and about a hundred guards. Muslim are treated as second-class citizens. Sikhs are treated, legally, as Hindus. they have petitioned the British parliament against this juggernaut.

Fourteen US Senators sent a letter to the Secretary of State reminding him of the recommendation by the US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to designate India a country of particular concern. The Senators went on to demand that “targeted sanctions” be imposed against Indian agencies and officials responsible for escalating religious intolerance and violence. According to USCIRF, violations of the religious freedom rights of minorities have reached a point where India should be considered amongst the world’s worst violators.

The writer is a freelance journalist, has served in the Pakistan government for 39 years and holds degrees in economics, business administration, and law. He can be reached at amjedjaaved@gmail.com

It’S an horrifying fact that the sheesha smokers are not well perceived about the damaging effects of “sheesha” to the health.It is proved that smoking of sheesha is worse than cigrattes. In a hour long session of smoking sheesha contain 200 puffs while cigrattes contain only 20. when one smokes it, it not only effect him but also the people around him gets terribly effected without even smoking it.the world health organisation (wHO) had published a report in 2005 mentioning that smoking of sheesha is hazardous for health. Sheesha cafes must have been banned but still there’s no action took regarding this. But now one must understand that a health is above all and sheesha is a silent killer. fizA NASir TurbAT

What a day in Karachi AFteR meeting and touching situation of Karachi, A sudden accident or natural disaster wreaked havoc the whole joints of Karachi. there is a multitude of people who faced the music. especially those penury people who unable to survive their live in this hot and heavy issue. I may say, a natural disaster is a benediction from Almught Allah, but to sort out this dilemma is responsibility of All people, whether they are in the government sector or private sector.. the whole political leaders as well as ministers of Sindh have carte blanche to overcome this hit potato which has been hocked a person of Karachi. this terrifying gloom is not only faces of middle-class neighbourhood, but also elite class. Furthermore, this monstrous world already as been faced the music DUe tO COVID-19, A DOZen OF PeOPle has lOSt tHeIR lIVeS At tHe DROP OF HAt. It was a setback to this world. Most of the sudden, an incident can be occurred to you at any time. SAMe AS natural disaster which is an inevitable. Recently, I have seen the whole enchidela of the of cities where Rainwater was stagnant on road of each city of Pakistan especially, lahore and Karachi. Regarding this natural occurrence, everyone has arisen heap of cinders regarding CM Sahab. Some of them, defamed his reputation in writing words servely. we know that, CM is final and absolute authority to wipe out all daunting tasks from the city, but It is a not only dilemma of Karachi to spick and span the water from the roads but also the others cities are still remaining. this monstrous society is plenary of pompous ass people. we always see our interests and benefits. we take up-turned and some time, we depart from our right principles. So we’re being selfish and rapacious regarding our monetary interest and other one. . A hallmark mark quoted can be stated here. this maxim can be infallible at some angles, but not completely top-notch to sigh. So to mock at others, or musterjocular expression, or your facial expression toward personality personality which feels a vestige of degrading our authority concerned who fought with this pandemic situation and tried to prevent us from this baneful disease. who took such miraculous and effective steps to desist this disease from occurring again and again, but this society still opposed against him in lieu of extolling. In the nutshell. there is a sophist who depicts that. Same situation happens above given sweeping statement; try to Change, tRy tO use creativity to your life, try to be mature, do not change your paths, where you feel under the weather, try to stand at one’s feet, try to love choose loved ones leader and proponent him inwardly and outwardly. Because of Public. they are nothing, but you must take action or protest regarding any illicit act and you do not allow to defame charming personality at any cost. NirMAl oAd ShikArpur

Punishment and discipline DISCIPlIne is the practice of training to obey rules or using punishments to correct disobedience. It is the teaching of the boundaries. the teaching of what is right and what is wrong. Discipline can be both “positive and negative” For example the positive discipline is admiring children for doing something “Good”, or stopping them for doing wrong by counseling. negatives can be like smacking and threatening them for doing something inappropriate. Some Parents and most of the teachers in school believe that they do well by punishing them or “safe smacking”, whereas the actual discipline is helping them to understand why certain behaviour is unacceptable. Sometimes after getting smacked children (students) get impinge and start to think that it is alright to beat others. Punishment is not the way to motivate them in order to behave more properly. yes! Sometimes somewhere it is right to punish but many times the best way is to understand what was the reason behind the aggressive reaction, behaving in an inappropriate way or doing an offence . After this if they are wrong, the better way is admonishing them to make them stop from doing something unacceptable! not using corporal punishments. ArifA SAEEd lArkANA

08 WORLD VIEW 11th August 22_Layout 1 8/10/2022 10:10 PM Page 1

Thursday, 11 August, 2022

08 WORLD VIEW

us, Iran may Be close To sealIng new nuclear deal

If fBI goons can crucIfy a former presIdenT, no-one Is safe

THE IRANIAN REGIME HAD BEEN SENDING SIGNALS THAT WASHINGTON SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THE UPCOMING HOURS IN VIENNA COULD BE DECISIVE

ArAb news DALIA AL-AQIDI

hE escalation of global tensions as a result of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, China-Taiwan stand-off, the medical and economic crises, and the exchanges between the israeli state and the militant Palestinian islamic Jihad movement has overshadowed the iran nuclear deal talks. is reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action still on the table? Maybe it is no longer a breaking news story, but the iranian regime and the Us administration are definitely still trying to resurrect the 2015 agreement. On Thursday, a sudden call was made to all the international negotiating parties to resume the nuclear talks with iran. in fact, the indirect Vienna talks between Tehran and Washington had already begun, with a meeting between iran’s top nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani and the EU’s European External Action service Deputy secretary-General Enrique Mora. The latter returned to his shuttling between Bagheri Kani and Us special envoy to iran Robert Malley. in an op-ed published by the Financial Times late last month, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell revealed that he had presented a new framework to relaunch the JCPOA. it may indeed be the happy ending that the leaders of iran and the Us wish for if what the BBC published is proven true. it reported that an anonymous European official stated that Tehran’s demand for Washington to remove the islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from its official blacklist of “foreign terrorist organizations” had been dropped from the discussions and would instead be dealt with “in the future.” The

source also revealed to the BBC that Washington would guarantee that no future Us president could withdraw from the new deal. however, the government in Tehran must realize that the Us is a democratic country whose president is elected by its citizens. Therefore, no law obliges any future president not to cancel any agreement reached by a former leader. The iranians are clever enough to be well aware of this fact, but it does not matter what happens in the future, as long as it receives billions of dollars once the sanctions against it are lifted. As long as the Democrats are in power, nothing terrible will ever happen to them. During a meeting in Tehran on saturday, iRGC head Maj. Gen. hossein salami told Ziad Nakhaleh, the Palestinian islamic Jihad’s general-secretary, that his country was committed to supporting the movement until the end. salami said that “all the anti-Zionist” capabilities “are on the scene in a united formation working to liberate Jerusalem and uphold the rights of the Palestinian people.” how can Biden turn a blind eye to all the strategic threats of the iranian regime unless there are reasons directly related to his unsecure position inside the Us? Prior to his departure to the Austrian capital, Malley posted on Twitter that he was preparing to resume the talks. “Our expectations are in check, but the United states welcomes EU efforts and is prepared for a good faith attempt to reach a deal. it will shortly be clear if iran is prepared for the same,” his post read. Meanwhile, the iranian regime had been sending signals through various channels that Washington should be aware that the upcoming hours in Vienna could be decisive. The Tehran Times quoted an anonymous iranian diplomat as saying that the stability of an agreement lies in its balance. “Confidence for confidence. The alleged safeguards-related issues were created and had been continuing with political pressure and are political in nature. They must not be a pretext for future abuse against iran,” the source said. iran gave Biden a deadline to increase the builtin pressure before the midterm elections, while the White house has been facing challenges left and right. if Malley’s team acquiesces to iran’s demands, the gates of hell will be opened in the region. The result will harm many of Biden’s allies, while Tehran and its proxy militias will be the biggest winners. Dalia Al-Aqidi is a senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy.

DAILY MAIL RICHARD LITTLEJOHN

his is how democracy ends. Or maybe, just maybe, how civil war starts. After the surgically-embalmed octogenarian Nancy Pelosi jetted into Taiwan to proclaim America’s enduring commitment to freedom, back home FBi goons were staging a politically-motivated, prime-time raid on the home of her sworn enemy Donald Trump. As events unfolded on live television, it was like watching one of those old conspiracy-theory movies, starring Robert Redford or Gene hackman. in the latest hollywood-inspired version, Trump is this year’s Enemy of the state. The FBi’s stormtrooper tactics at Bad Orange Man’s gaudy Mar-a-Lago compound in Palm Beach, Florida, could have come straight from the playbook of the Chinese Communist Party. Their risible excuse for this outrageous abuse of Trump’s privacy and civil rights was a warrant issued by a federal judge in search of classified documents allegedly taken by the former President when he was evicted from the White house, screaming and kicking about a stolen election. But then again, that makes it sound like a big deal, rather than a technical breach of protocol. And a warrant from a federal judge is easier to obtain than a rubbery 99-cent cheeseburger from a 24hour gas station fast food outlet. Whenever the Feds fancy kicking someone’s door down on the most spurious of grounds, there is always a tame judge happy to oblige. These days, they don’t have to rouse some drunken jurist from his Jack Danielssoaked pit in Gopher’s Gulch, somewhere in Middle America. They’ve got a judge in Washington D.C on speed dial, eager to do their bidding. The Clintonian Democrats pull all the strings in Washington. The Feds, and the Justice Department, are their own private army. so it was no real surprise when shock troops from the nation’s capital swarmed into the reclaimed Mar-a-Lago swamp. Missing documents were merely the pretext for a highprofile embarrassment of the ex-Commander-in-Chief. After all, the FBi couldn’t have cared less when the ghastly hillary Clinton - then secretary of state and Democrat Presidential candidate - took a Black and Decker drill to 33,000 allegedly confidential emails on her own laptop. if the Feds wanted sight of whatever The Donald kept on his iPad they could always have asked his lawyers. Not that i imagine Trump has many secrets. he suffers

from serious social media incontinence. Too much information, rather than too little. Let’s it all hang out. Nope, this was another shocking example of the process becoming the punishment. The intention was to portray Trump as guilty of something, anything - and divert attention away from Creepy Uncle Joe and his dodgy business dealings with nefarious foreign actors, via his son hunter. The Dems are desperate to stop Trump running again, after polls showed him trouncing not just Biden but any other opponent. They want to shoo-in California ‘liberal’ Gavin Newsom, a toothy, vacuous left-wing poster boy who has let crime and illegal immigration rip in the once ‘Golden state’. For the record, this isn’t a pro-Trump column. More than a year ago, i wrote that he should stand aside and give Florida’s impressive 42-year old Republican governor Ron Desantis a free run at the White house. Trump’s greatest quality was that he managed to annoy all the right people. Otherwise, he’s a megalomaniac fantasist. The terrifying fact here is that if the Deep state can crucify a former President, then no-one is safe. Curiously, if this ham-fisted raid was intended to destroy what was left of Trump’s credibility, it has backfired spectacularly. As of today, it looks like Trump stands more chance of getting re-elected, not less. Even those who are by no means Trump fans have been horrified by the over-reach of the FBi, the Justice Department and the Democrat Establishment. Within about half an hour of the news breaking, the usual Make America Great Again suspects were picketing Mar-a-Lago. Yet apart from Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News channel, currently in the throes of distancing themselves from Trump, the mainstream American media went out of their way to downplay the raid. hilariously, the absurdly leftwing CNN network led their main morning bulletin not on the Trump story, but on the news that prices in the shops were falling. Allegedly. You couldn’t make it up. still, it helps the fantasy being peddled by the White house that America isn’t in recession, despite the economy going into freefall for the past two quarters. The Democrats have adopted Meghan Markle’s interpretation of what amounts to the ‘truth’. i’ve always believed that America is the world’s last best hope. And despite what’s going on right now, i still cling to that belief. Otherwise, the game’s up and Putin and the Chinese have won. Call me an optimist, but for as long as i can remember i’ve bought in to Ronald Reagan’s vision of the U.s as a shining city on a hill. But having watched the raid on Mara-Lago unfold on TV last night, to borrow a phrase from Paul simon...Michigan seems like a dream to me now. American friends i’ve caught up with recently are deeply depressed about the state of their nation. somehow America, like Britain, has spawned a political class which holds the people who pay their wages in utter contempt and are prepared to go to any lengths to destroy those who threatened their hegemony. For America, in particular, to heal, the future demands the retreat of the CCP-style Deep state and magnanimity on the behalf of Trump, who should accept that he has the Establishment rattled and then graciously withdraws from the fray in favour of someone like Desantis. it’s the greatest service he could do his country. sadly, i’m not convinced that’s going to happen. But the alternative is civil war. And that’s too horrible to contemplate.

why normalisation with Israel will fail

www.rAMzYbArouD.net RAmzy BAROuD

T seemed all but a done deal: israel is finally managing to bend the Arabs to its will, and Palestine is becoming a marginal issue that no longer defines israel’s relations with Arab countries. indeed, normalisation with israel is afoot, and the Arabs, so it seems, have been finally tamed. Not so fast. Many events continue to demonstrate the opposite. Take, for example, the Arab League twoday meeting in Cairo on July 31 — August 1. The meeting was largely dominated by discussions on Palestine and concluded with statements that called on Arab countries to reactivate the Arab boycott of israel, until the latter abides by international law. The strongest language came from the ‘eague’s assistant secretary general who called for solidarity with the Palestinian people by boycotting companies that support the israeli occupation. The two-day Conference of the Liaison Officers of the Arab Regional Offices on the Boycott of israel praised the Boycott, Divestment and sanctions (BDs) movement, which has been under intense western pressures for its unrelenting advocacy of international action against israel. One of the recommendations by Arab officials was to support Arab boycott initiatives in accordance with the Tunis Arab summit in March 2019, which resolved that “boycott of the israeli occupation and its colonial regime

THE LATEST ARAB CENTER WASHINGTON DC PUBLIC OPINION POLL EXAMINED THE VIEWS OF 28,288 ARABS IN 13 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. MAJORITY OF THE 350 MILLION ARABS CONTINUE TO HOLD THE SAME VIEW AS PREVIOUS GENERATIONS OF ARABS DID: PALESTINE IS AN ARAB CAUSE AND ISRAEL IS THE MAIN THREAT is one of the effective and legitimate means to resist”. Though one may rightly cast doubts on the significance of such statements in terms of dissuading israel from its ongoing colonisation schemes in Palestine, at least, it demonstrates that in terms of political discourse, the collective Arab position remains unchanged. This was also expressed clearly to Us President Joe Biden during his latest visit to the Middle East. Biden may have expected to leave the region with major Arab concession to israel, which would be considered a significant political victory for the pro-israel members of his Democratic Party prior to the defining November midterm elections, but he received none. What American officials do not understand is that Palestine is a deeply rooted emotional, cultural and spiritual issue for Arabs, and Muslims. Neither Biden, nor Donald Trump and Jared Kushner before him, could easily, or possibly, alter that. indeed, anyone who is familiar with the history of the centrality of Palestine in the Arab discourse understands that Palestine is not a mere political question that is governed by opportunism, and immediate political or geopolitical interests. Modern Arab history is a testament to the fact that no matter how great Us-Western-israeli pressures and however weak or divided the Arabs are, Palestine will continue to reign supreme as the cause of all Arabs. Political platitudes aside, the Palestinian struggle for freedom remains a recurring theme in Arab poetry, art, sports, religion and culture in all its manifestations.

This is not an opinion, but a demonstrable fact. The latest Arab Center Washington DC public opinion poll examined the views of 28,288 Arabs in 13 different countries. Majority of the 350 million Arabs continue to hold the same view as previous generations of Arabs did: Palestine is an Arab cause and israel is the main threat. The Arab Opinion index (AOi) of late 2020 is not the first of its kind. in fact, it is the seventh such study to be conducted since 2011. The trend remains stable. All the Us-israeli plots, and bribes, to sideline Palestine and the Palestinians have failed and, despite purported diplomatic “successes”, they will continue to fail. According to the poll: Vast majority of Arabs — 81 per cent — oppose Us policy towards Palestine; 89 per cent and 81 per cent believe that israel and the Us respectively are “the largest threat” to their individual countries’ national security. Particularly important, majority of Arab respondents insist that the “Palestinian cause concerns all Arabs and not simply the Palestinians”. This includes 89 per cent of saudis and 88 per cent of Qataris. Arabs may disagree on many issues and they do. They might stand at opposite sides of regional and international conflicts, and they do. They might even go to war against one another and, sadly, they often do. But Palestine remains the exception. historically, it has been the Arabs’ most compelling case for unity. When governments forget that, and they often do, the Arab streets constantly remind them of why Palestine is not for sale

and is not a subject for self-serving compromises. For Arabs, Palestine is also a personal and intimate subject. Numerous Arab households have framed photos of Arab martyrs who were killed by israel during previous wars or were killed fighting for Palestine. This means that no amount of normalisation or even outright recognition of israel by an Arab country can wash away israel’s sordid past or menacing image in the eyes of ordinary Arabs. A most telling example of this is how Egyptians and Jordanians answered the AOi question “Would you support or oppose diplomatic recognition of israel by your country?” The interesting thing about this question is that both Cairo and Amman already recognised israel and have diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv since 1979 and 1994, respectively. still, to this day, 93 per cent of Jordanians and 85 per cent of Egyptians still oppose that recognition as if it never took place. The argument that Arab public opinion carries no weight in non-democratic societies neglects the fact that every form of government is predicated on some form of legitimacy, if not through a direct vote, it is through other means. Considering the degree of involvement, the cause of Palestine carries in every aspect of Arab societies — on the street, in the mosque and church, in universities, sports, civil society organisations and much more — disowning Palestine would be a major de-legitimising factor and a risky political move. American politicians, who are constantly angling for quick political victories on behalf of israel in the Middle East do not understand, or simply do not care that marginalising Palestine and incorporating israel into the Arab body politic is not simply unethical, but also a major de-stabilising factor in an already unstable region. historically, such attempts have failed, and often miserably so, as apartheid israel remains as hated by those who normalised as much as it is hated by those who have not. Nothing will ever change that, as long as Palestine remains an occupied country. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of six books.

Thursday, 11 August, 2022 | LAHORE

NEWS

Miftah assures resolution of issues faced by hosiery Manufacturers on priority

corporate corner

Islamabad staff report

Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Khalid Khurshid and Managing Director Pakistan Baitul Mal, Amir Fida Paracha meeting in CM House, H Gilgit Baltistan. pr

commander iraqi navy Visits naval headquarters

Islamabad: Commander of Iraqi Navy Lt General Ahmed Jasim Maarij Abdullah Al Zayid called on Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi at Naval H Headquarters, Islamabad. Upon arrival at Naval Headquarters, Commander of Iraqi Navy was received by the Naval Chief and was presented Guard of H Honour. Afterwards, the H Honorable Guest was introduced to Principal Staff Officers at Naval H Headquarters. Commander of Iraqi Navy called on Chief of the Naval Staff in his office. During the meeting, matters of mutual interest including bilateral collaborations and regional maritime security milieu were discussed. The Naval Chief highlighted Pakistan Navy initiative of Regional Maritime Security Patrols for ensuring maritime security and peace in the region. The visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan Navy’s efforts and initiatives in support of collaborative maritime security in the region. Later, Commander of Iraqi Navy was given detailed briefing on Pakistan Navy roles and operational capabilities. It is expected that the recent visit of Commander of Iraqi Navy will further enhance bilateral collaboration between the two countries. pr

ptcl, nokia successfully trial 1-terabit live optical network Islamabad: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has successfully conducted country’s first trial of 1-Terabit transport capacity per wavelength, in collaboration with Nokia. The trial was conducted in a live network environment, where PTCL Metro Transport Network was upgraded to 1Terabit per channel, extending its capacity to extreme speeds of 32-Terabit per fiber. The trial was based on Nokia’s Photonic Service Engine Transport Technology, designed to maximize network capacity and provide better customer experience, with faster and higher bandwidth. This pilot transformation will lead to transport network enablement for future technologies, while creating new opportunities for industries as well as individuals. This is yet another step on PTCL’s roadmap and resolve to prepare its network infrastructure for embracing the growing data traffic demands of high-speed services and bandwidth intensive applications, including Ultra H HD Video Streaming, Industrial Automation, Smart Cities and e-learning platforms for its subscribers and enterprise customers. From a consumer point of view, 1 Terabit-per-second capacity is enough bandwidth to download the entire Game of Thrones video series in H HD in less than 2 seconds, and can support 300,000 HD H video zoom calls simultaneously. Jafar Khalid, Chief Technology Officer, PTCL Group, said, "We are committed to digitizing our customer experience by providing state-of-the-art solutions. Keeping this in view, we tested the scalability and evolution of our optical transport network by enhancing the existing capacity to 1-Terabit per channel, to facilitate the ever-growing data traffic demand of our corporate and consumer segments. Nokia’s modern technology and expertise has helped us to test bandwidths up-to 1-Terabit, that will help provide a superior customer experience and enable seamless future expansion of our transport network capacity across Pakistan.” Imran Durrani, Customer Team H Head for PTCL Group at Nokia, said, “This new trial with PTCL is yet another testimony to further strengthening long-term partnership between us. Our industry-leading optical solutions including Photonic Service Switch and Photonic Service Engine are empowering PTCL to cost-effectively enhance network capacity as data consumption continues to rapidly increase. Our pathbreaking Flexgrid architecture allows PTCL to modernize and upgrade its optical network to provide individuals and enterprises with a fast and reliable network connectivity." pr

Federal Minister on Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail held a meeting with a delegation of Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers & Exporters Association (PHMA) headed by its chairman Mian Kashif Zia, at the Finance Division, today. Deputy Governor SBP, Member FBR and senior officers from Finance and Commerce Ministries attended the meeting. While Mian Farrukh Iqbal, Dr. Khurram Tariq, Rana Altaf Ahmed, Hafiz Rashid Mehmood and Mr. Tahir Rehman participated in the delegation. The delegation highlighted the contribution of the hosiery and

knitwear industry in accelerating and providing growth in all sectors of the

economy. The delegation apprised the chair about issues related to taxation,

AIOU holds national songs competition

Islamabad pr

Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) organized a national song competition among 55 students of Rawalpindi and Islamabad region in light of Independence Month celebrations. During the national songs, the audience kept waving Pakistani flags. Dr. Abdul Sattar, Dr. Mohammad Qasim and Dr. Asad Munir were the judges of this event. Four best participants were selected and the final round will be held at the end of the Independence month Celebrations. Cash prizes of 7,000, 5,000 and 3,000 will be given respectively to the students who get first, second and third positions in the competition Certificates of participation will be given to all the students who participated in the competition. The

four participants selected for the national song competition include Usman Malik, Maimoona Mushtaq, Shahana Islam, and Ameer Haider. Director Student Affairs, Rana Tariq Javed said that the main objective of the national song competition was to awaken the spirit of patriotism in the young generation. He said that the children expressed their love for Pakistan through national songs and highlighted the spirit of love for the country and soil. He added that the Vice Chancellor, AIOU, Prof. Dr. Zia Ul-Qayyum, had given instructions to celebrate August as Independence Month to explain the meaning of freedom to the new generation. Different events and competitions including bait-baazi, painting, speeches and national song competitions are arranged under the supervision and consultation of the Registrar, Raja Umar Younis.

Commander Iraqi Navy calls on Air Chief

Lieutenant General Ahmed Jasim Maarij Abdullah Al Zayid, Commander Iraqi Navy called on Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force in his office today.

During the meeting, both the dignitaries discussed matters of professional and mutual interest. While appreciating professionalism of Pakistan Air Force, Lieutenant General Ahmed Jasim Maarij Abdullah

Al Zayid acknowledged PAF’s rising indigenous capacity in aviation industry. The Air Chief said that Pakistan and Iraq have longstanding religious, cultural and historical bonds which were manifested through strong military ties between the two countries. The Air Chief further said, “Pakistan values its deeprooted relations with Iraq, which are based on convergence on all important issues relating to operations & training, evolving paradigm of warfare, emerging technological challenges, counter security measures and regional peace & stability”. pr

refund of Sales Tax, electricity & gas tariff etc. Issues pertaining to the response of commercial banks in opening of LCs, DLTL and PSW were also discussed in the meeting. Finance Minister Miftah Ismail expressed the resolve of the present government to promote the business activities and facilitate the business community to attain sustainable growth in the country. He assured the delegation to resolve their issues at priority and also stressed the delegation to enhance exports base. The Finance Minister also directed the relevant authorities to resolve the issues of the hosiery and knitwear industry. The delegation thanked the Finance Minister for addressing their issues.

tax ombudsman inaugurates taxpayers facilitation desk at fto secretariat islamabad In order to facilitate the taxpayers, the Federal Tax Ombudsman Secretairat has set up a Facilitation Desk of the FTO in its premises, which was formally inaugurated by Tax Ombudsman Dr .Jah. Director General FTO Secretariat , Mr. Khaldun ul Haq ,President ICCI Mr.Mohammad Shakeel Munir, Senior advisor Ms. Sarwat Tahira Habib, Senior advisor customs Dr .Arslan Subuctageen, Senior Advisor Media, Mr.Majid Qureshi were also present on the occasion. Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Dr Jah said that , “Our major objective is to show respect to taxpayers ,with the establishment of Facilitation Desk, taxpayers would now be able to avail all Customs/tax related services and get their issues resolved within the FTO’s premises at Islamabad. Protecting the interests of taxpayers is the key priority of this organisation and we are constantly providing relief to the taxpayers by carrying out independent investigations about the maladministration by functionaries administering the federal taxes. He said the FTO would work with the FBR for setting timelines for tax cases to ensure their timely disposal. Dr. Asif Mehmood Jah while giving briefing to media at the occasion said that the performance has been good in six months. About 3,000 complaints were received, out of which 2,650 have been redressed. The time for redressal of complaints has been reduced from 68 days to 40 days, he added. He said that the FTO office was not only handling taxpayers’ complaints but was also checking maladministration in tax matters through own motion investigations and inspections. More than 75 own motion cases have been taken up during the last sixth months, he further added. To provide quick and cheap justice to taxpayers, FTO is also contacting the taxpayers through social media. pr

chairman cda inspects rawal dam construction work Islamabad: The chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) Amer Ali Ahmed today inspected the on going wok on Rawal Dam fly over. During the visit it was briefed that major part of the Rawal dam bridge/ flyover has been completed According to the details Asphalt work has been completed on fly over and now uplift of the surrounding is being carried out. Moreover ,lane marking has been started and will be completed in a couple of days lane and art work will also be completed. New Jersey barriers are being completed in next two to three days and then this bridge/ flyover will be opened for public. Meanwhile remaining works on underpass will continue and will be completed in next 20-30 days, depending on the weather. Meanwhile apart from the flyover ,it is also planned that 7the avenue interchange will also be substantially completed by 14th august. The under pass on suhrwardy road will be completed with in a few weeks time .Due to continuous efforts of CDA management Two major landmark projects are nearing completion with in stipulated time .These projects will reduce traffic congestion in the capital city. pr

Philip Morris (Pakistan) Ltd announces financial results for half year ended on June 2022 KarachI pr

Philip Morris (Pakistan) Limited (PMPKL) posted a Profit after Tax of PKR 1,533 million for the half year ended June 2022 showing a decline of 11% from the corresponding period last year due to higher taxation reflecting recording of super tax imposed at 10% during Jun’22 Finance Bill for the Financial Year ended Dec 31, 2021 (The tax

Year 2022). For the six months ended June 30, 2022, PMPKL recorded a Net Turnover of PKR 10,166 million, reflecting an increase of 10.2% vs. the same period last year (SPLY), this includes a Domestic Net Turnover of PKR 9,175 million, an increase of 1.5% vs. SPLY, coupled with Exports Turnover of PKR 991 million, an increase of over 100% vs. SPLY, reflecting the delayed exports at the end of 2021 on account

of external supply chain constraints and were materialized in the first quarter of 2022. PMPKL’s contribution to the National Exchequer, in the form of excise duty, sales tax, and other government levies, during the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022, (July 2021 to June 2022) stood at PKR 26,492 million, reflecting an increase of 5.22% vs. prior fiscal year. Expressing his views on PMPKL’s financial performance, Roman Yazbeck,

Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director at PMPKL said, “Pakistan’s economy is going through an unprecedented economic downturn due to the global and local economic crisis, coupled with the political instability in the country. The historical rupee devaluation, inflation and record hike in the policy rate is making the operating environment extremely difficult for all businesses” “However, we would like to thank and

congratulate the Government of Pakistan on the implementation of the Track & Trace System for the tobacco industry. With the effective enforcement and across-the-board implementation, we are hopeful that this initiative will go a long way in combatting the illicit cigarette trade (i.e., 38% of the total market as per Oxford Economics) which is causing an estimated annual loss of PKR 80 billion (approx.) to the National Exchequer” he added.

Thursday, 11 August, 2022 | LAHORE

10 FOREIGN NEWS

Up To 50 Missing aFTer MigranT BoaT sinks oFF greece ATHENS

Agencies

N air and sea rescue operation was underway Wednesday after around 50 people went missing when a migrant boat sank in the Aegean Sea, the Greek coastguard said. The vessel foundered at dawn off the islands of Karpathos and Rhodes after setting sail on Tuesday from Antalya, southern Turkey, heading for Italy. “According to the statements of 29 rescued people, there were 80 people on the boat, so up to 50 people are missing,” a coastguard press office official told AFP. But state television channel ERT said the number of people on board had been between 30 and 60. Coastguard spokesman Nikos Kokalas told the channel: “It’s not possible that the boat could have been transferring 80 migrants. We are talking about a lower number.” The rescue effort, ordered by merchant shipping minister Yannis Plakiotakis, according to a coastguard statement, included four vessels already sailing in the southern Aegean, two coast-

guard patrol boats and a Greek air force helicopter. Strong winds of up to 50 kilometres per hour (30 mph) were hampering the operation, Kokalas told Skai radio. “Many of those shipwrecked were not wearing life-jackets,” Kokalas said. A video posted by the coastguard showed an army helicopter rescuing two survivors from the sea and transferring them to Karpathos.

Four Muslims tortured to death in police custody in West Bengal

Another 27 people were transferred to land aboard a tanker that joined the search off the island of Kos, said the coastguard. – Dozens of deaths – Although the migrant boat appears to have been trying to get to Italy, Greece is often the country of choice for people fleeing Africa and the Middle East to try to reach a better life in the European Union. Thousands come to Greece via

Turkey over the narrow and perilous sea crossing separating the traditional enemies. Sixty-four people have perished in the eastern Mediterranean since January, the International Organization for Migration says. Eight people died off the Greek island of Mykonos on June 19 when 108 more were rescued, according to the UN migration body. The Greek coastguard on Sunday said 122 migrants were rescued near Rhodes after their vessel ran into trouble after sailing from Turkey. Athens says migrant arrival numbers have climbed this year and accuses Ankara of not doing enough to stop smugglers from sending them across the border — often in flimsy boats that make for dangerous journeys. Turkey pledged under a 2016 deal to cut migrant numbers leaving its shores in return for financial aid from the European Union. At the end of June, the EU urged Ankara to halt “violent and illegal expulsions” from its territory. Charity groups and media accuse Athens of illegally turning back migrants, a charge Greece’s conservative Greek government has denied.

13 killed in Russian strikes near nuclear plant KYIV, UKRAINE Agencies

KOLKATA Agencies

Four Muslim men died in judicial custody in the last 10 days in the Indian state West Bengal. The victim Abdul Rajjak, Jiyaul Laskar, Akbar Khan and Saidul Munsi who were arrested by the West Bengal police in separate cases in last week of July were killed in police custody in Baruipur police station in Parganas district of the state. The families of the four victims have said that these men were tortured to death by the police. The lawyers of the victims said that their clients were subjected to severe torture before they died and demanded an independent probe into the deaths. HINDUTVA MOB LYNCHES MUSLIM MAN IN BIHAR A Hindutva mob lynched a 35-year-old Muslim man to death in the Indian state of Bihar. The members of Hindu communal group beat Mohammad Mustaqim to death at Chakhabi in Samastipur district of the state while three other men accompanying him managed to run away. The incident came to light after a video of the lynching went viral, prompting the police to deploy additional forces in Chakhabi area. The police said Mohammad Mustaqim, a resident of Begusarai, died during treatment and that three other men accompanying him managed to run away from the spot.

Ukraine on Wednesday accused Russia of carrying out rocket strikes that killed 13 civilians in areas near a nuclear power plant, as the G7 warned that Russian control of the facility “endangers the region”. The overnight strikes in the Dnipropetrovsk region in central Ukraine also injured 11 people, with five reported to be in a serious condition. “It was a terrible night,” regional governor Valentin Reznichenko wrote on Telegram, urging residents to shelter when they hear air raid sirens. “I am asking and begging you… Don’t let the Russians kill you,” he wrote, adding that Russia had fired a total of 80 rockets at the area. Most of the casualties were in the town of Marganets, just across the Dnieper River from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s biggest. Regional council head Mykola Lukashuk said the strikes had hit a local power line, leaving thousands of people without electricity. – G7 call over nuclear plant –Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of recent shelling around the plant, which

has six reactors. Ukraine says Russia has stationed hundreds of troops and stored ammunition at the facility since taking it over on March 4, shortly after starting its invasion. The tensions have brought back memories of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in then Soviet Ukraine, which killed hundreds of people and spread radioactive contamination over much of Europe. The Group of Seven industrialised nations condemned Russia’s occupation and called on Moscow to immediately hand

back full control of the plant. Ukrainian staff operating the plant “must be able to carry out their duties without threats or pressure. It is Russia’s continued control of the plant that endangers the region,” the G7 foreign ministers said in a statement. The strikes came a day after major blasts at the Saki airfield, a key military base on the Russianannexed Crimea peninsula. Moscow insisted that the explosions were caused by detonating ammunition rather than Ukrainian fire and Ukraine has not claimed responsibility.

Taliban torn over reforms one year after seizing power KABUL AFP

One year on from the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, some cracks are opening within their ranks over the crucial question of just how much reform their leaders can tolerate. Infamous during their first reign for their brutal crackdowns on rights and freedoms, the group vowed to rule differently this time. On a superficial level at least, they appear to have changed in some respects. Officials in Kabul have embraced technology, while cricket matches are cheered in full stadiums. Televisions were banned under the Taliban government’s first incarnation, while Afghans now have access to the internet and social media. Girls are allowed to attend primary school and women journalists are interviewing government officials — unthinkable during the Taliban’s first stint in power in the 1990s. The group’s hardline core, composed of battlehardened veteran fighters, is against any significant ideological change that could be viewed as a sign of capitulation to their enemies in the West. “You have one (Taliban) camp, which is pushing ahead with what they’re seeing as reforms, and another camp that seems to think even these meagre reforms are too much,” said Ibraheem Bahiss, an Afghanistan analyst with International Crisis Group. The United States and its allies — which had bankrolled Afghanistan for 20 years — have locked the country out of the global banking system and billions in frozen assets abroad, as they hold out for reforms from the Taliban. Without significant progress, it is the Afghan people who suffer as the country reels under a massive economic crisis that has seen some families choose between selling their organs or their infant daughters. ‘Retrograde dogmatic views’ On whether the Taliban are even capable of reform, analysts are wary that recent policy changes amount to little more than “tokenism”. “There are some cases where we could point to an evolution in policy, but let’s be very clear […] We’re still looking at an organisation that has refused to move beyond very retrograde, dogmatic views,” said Michael Kugelman, an Afghanistan specialist with the Washington-based Wilson Center think tank. Most secondary schools for girls remain closed. Many women have been forced out of government work, while many fear venturing out and being chastised by the Taliban. Simple joys such as music, shisha and card games are strictly controlled in the most conservative areas, while protests have been crushed and journalists regularly threatened or detained. Demands from the West for an inclusive government were ignored, and the assassination of Al-Qaeda’s leader in Kabul last week underlined the Taliban’s ongoing ties with jihadist groups. Reform as capitulation It is from the Taliban’s power base of southern Kandahar that the secretive supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada gathers his powerful inner circle of veteran fighters and religious clerics to impose a harsh interpretation of sharia. And for them, ideological concerns outweigh any political or economic drivers to effect change. “The needs of the Afghans remain the same as 20 years ago,” Mohammad Omar Khitabi, a member of a council of clerics who advise Akhundzada in Kandahar, told AFP.

China vows to fight back if the U.S. maintains provocation BEIJING Agencies

China will resolutely fight back should the U.S. make one more provocation, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday at a daily press conference. “The U.S. side should ditch the idea of ‘Using Taiwan to contain China’ before it’s too late,” he said. The spokesperson reiterated that U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s recent Taiwan visit violates the oneChina principle and is a serious provocation. He also defended Chinese countermeasures in wake of the visit, saying the measures are “fully reasonable, appropriate and moderate” and were imposed after U.S. provocations. CHINA RELEASES wHITE pApER ON TAIwAN qUESTION: Meanwhile, China published a white paper titled “The Taiwan Question and China’s Reunification in the New Era” on Wednesday, elaborating the

fact that Taiwan is part of China and stressing that realizing China’s complete reunification is a shared aspiration of the Chinese nation. The white paper was released amid high tension across the Taiwan Straits. U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently made a provocative visit to China’s Taiwan region in disregard of China’s strong opposition and serious representations. TAIwAN IS pART Of CHINA: The white paper begins by reaffirming that “Taiwan is part of China” as an “indisputable fact.” Taiwan has belonged to China since ancient times. This statement has a sound basis in history and jurisprudence, according to the white paper. The UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 is a political document encapsulating the one-China principle whose legal authority leaves no room for doubt and is acknowledged worldwide, says the white paper. It says the one-China principle repre-

sents the universal consensus of the international community; it is consistent with the basic norms of international relations. CHINA’S NATIONAL REjUVENATION, A HISTORICAL INEVITABILITY: The white paper also gives a comprehensive summary of the CPC’s resolute efforts, major achievements and precious experience in promoting China’s complete reunification. It also gives a systematic elaboration on the CPC and the Chinese government’s principles and policies in advancing national reunification in the new era and portrayed the bright prospects after the peaceful reunification is achieved under “One Country, Two Systems.” NATIONAL REUNIfICATION IN THE NEw ERA: Noting that national reunification is an essential step toward national rejuvenation, the white paper highlights that the future of Taiwan lies in China’s reunification, and the well-being of

the people in Taiwan hinges on the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. National reunification by peaceful means is the first choice of the CPC and the Chinese government in resolving the Taiwan

question, as it best serves the interests of the Chinese nation as a whole, including the compatriots in Taiwan, and it works best for the long-term stability and development of China, says the white paper.

11 Sports 11 August 2022_Layout 1 8/10/2022 10:44 PM Page 1

Thursday, 11 August, 2022 | LAHORE

SPORTS 11

BaBar azam retains top spot in t20 rankings p

STAff REPoRT

akistan captain Babar Azam has managed to hang on to his mantle as the No.1 ranked T20I batter despite the fact a host of India stars made giant strides on the latest ICC Men’s Player Rankings. India cruised to a 4-1 series triumph in the recently-completed T20I series against the West Indies and a bevy of their best performers cut into Babar’s lead at the top of the batter rankings. The ICC released the latest set of rankings on Wednesday and Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant were among the biggest movers as the race for the top ranking hots up ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia later this year. Iyer hit an impressive half-century during the fifth and final match of the series in Florida and was duly rewarded by jumping six places to 19th overall on the batter rankings.

Pant finished the series as the equal second leading run-scorer on 115 runs, with his quickfire 44 in the fourth match seeing the left-hander jump seven places to 59th. Emerging opener Suryakumar Yadav was the leading run-scorer during the series with 135 runs, but the decision to rest him for the final match meant he missed out on the chance to overtake Babar at the head of proceedings. Yadav remains in second place on the T20I rankings, with Babar now holding a lead of 13 rating points ahead of the eagerly awaited meeting between India and Pakistan at the Asia Cup in Dubai later this month. The series against West Indies also saw a group of India’s bowlers rewarded with big moves up the latest T20I rankings for bowlers. Young spinner Ravi Bishnoi was India’s leading wicket-taker during the series with eight scalps and that helped the 21year-old jump 50 places to 44th overall on the most recent list for bowlers. Team-mates Avesh Khan, Axar Patel,

and Kuldeep Yadav were also big movers, while veteran quick Bhuvneshwar Kumar dropped one place to ninth after just three wickets during the West Indies series. South Africa’s recent 2-0 series triumph over Ireland away from home also saw a host of their players rewarded on the latest set of T20I rankings, with in-form opener Reeza Hendricks moving up two spots to 13th on the list for batters. Spinner Keshav Maharaj moves up 10 spots to 18th overall on the bowler rankings, while South Africa team-mate Dwaine Pretorius jumps seven places to 26th on the list for all-rounders. There were no changes to the Test rankings with no red-ball matches held over the last week, while there were some minor movements in the ODI ranks following the opening two matches of the series between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. In-form all-rounder Sikandar Raza has been a shining light for Zimbabwe in recent times and the experienced 36-year-old has

made some eye-catching moves on the latest ODI rankings. Raza has scored consecutive unbeaten centuries against Bangladesh and that has

Raza out for golden duck as Zimbabwe lose ODI to Bangladesh HARARE Staff RepoRt

Sikandar Raza’s golden run ended with a golden duck as his Zimbabwe side lost by 105 runs to Bangladesh on Wednesday in a dead-rubber third one-day international in Harare. An unbeaten 85 by Afif Hossain lifted Bangladesh to 256-9 in 50 overs when put in to bat and Mustafizur Rahman then took 4-17 as Zimbabwe were all out for just 151 in 32.2 overs. Pakistan-born Raza batted superbly in guiding Zimbabwe to a winning 2-0 lead in the series last weekend, hitting unbeaten knocks of 135 and 117 in superb

run chases for two five-wicket victories. But the 36-year-old, whose childhood dream to be a fighter pilot in the Pakistan Air Force was dashed by an eyesight glitch, finally met his match in ODI debutant Ebadot Hossain. Facing his first ball with Zimbabwe reeling at 17-3, Raza fell victim to an inswinging yorker that flattened the middle and off stumps. Zimbabwe were heading for a hiding as subsequent wickets fell cheaply until tail-enders Richard Ngarava and Victor Nyauchi came together and put on 68 for the final wicket. Unbeaten top scorer Ngarava made 34, including a six and six fours, while

Nyauchi contributed 26. Apart from the four wickets of Mustafizur, Ebadot and Taijal Islam captured two each for the tourists. Hossain faced 81 balls and struck two sixes and six fours as seventh-ranked Bangladesh — eight places above Zimbabwe — regained some pride at the end of the six-match visit to southern Africa. Opener Anamul Haque was the other visiting batsman to post a half-century, scoring 76 before edging a Luke Jongwe delivery outside off stump to debutant wicketkeeper Clive Madande. Like Afif, Anamul scored quicker than a run a ball in his innings, which included four sixes and six fours.

A cautious 39 from Mahmudullah Riyad was the other significant Bangladeshi knock as they reached their lowest total in the series having scored 303 runs in the first ODI and 290 in the second. Jongwe and Brad Evans took two wickets each for Zimbabwe, who have won nine of 11 ODI and T20 matches since former captain Dave Houghton began a second stint as coach in June. Before the ODI matches, Zimbabwe edged Bangladesh 2-1 in a T20 series after winning a thrilling final match by 10 runs. After a brief break, Zimbabwe will host India in a three ODI series from August 18, also at Harare Sports Club.

Tennis star Aisam launches country’s first ever talent hunt program in Peshawar PESHAWAR Staff RepoRt

Qatar World Cup to begin one day earlier than planned: sources MANCHESTER ReuteRS

The World Cup in Qatar will kick off a day earlier than scheduled if FIFA’s ruling bureau agree to a plan to hold the opening ceremony and the host nation’s first match on November 20, a source close to the discussions told Reuters. The original plan was for the opening ceremony to be held before Qatar’s game on November 21 against Ecuador — which created the unusual situation of two matches being held before the ceremony. Normally the ceremony is conducted before the kick-off of the first game of the tournament. The Group A match between Senegal v Netherlands and the Group B match between England and Iran were scheduled to take place before the ceremony on Monday. The plan has to be voted on by the heads of FIFA’s six regional confederations and president Gianni Infantino but, despite the late notice, is expected to win support. The switch to a November 20 opening ceremony and the game would allow the Senegal-Netherlands match, scheduled for 1300 local time on November 21, to kick off later in the day. The Group B matches on that day, which also include the United States v Wales, would be unaffected. Another source close to the proposal said the switch could be confirmed as early as Thursday and that the plan was to ensure that fans did not have to pay for any changes to flights or accommodation. “The financial impact to fans has been assessed and that any additional costs to fans will be absorbed by organisers, but it is unclear who will bear these costs, whether it is FIFA, Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy or another entity,” said the source.

Legendary Tennis star Aisam Ul Haq along with country’s most Davis Cupper Aqeel Khan has launched Nationwide Tennis Talent Hunt Program in four different cities including Peshawar wherein 52 players in different age groups turned up here at Pakistan Tennis Club on Wednesday. Soon after reaching the provincial metropolis, the two legendary Tennis stars Aisam and Aqeel with their team members Shahid Afridi (coach) and Haroon (trainer) conducted first day trials-cum-physical tests to hunt players in different age groups. Chairman KP Tennis Association Dr. Tahir, Secretary Umar Ayaz Khalil, coaches Janan Khan, level-II qualified coaches Zakir Ullah, Nouman Khan, Shaharyar Khan, and more than 52 players were also present during the colourful opening ceremony. Addressing a press conference, Aisam said, “The players would be short-listed through a properly planned structure by giving each and every one in age group U12, U14, U16 and U18 a due chance to come and show their worth to ensure their selection.” He said they came to Peshawar for two days after conducting trials and physical tests in Lahore, Islamabad and would go to Karachi to select four players in all four groups who would be handed over to qualified coaches and trainers to get them ready for representing Pakistan internationally. “My own coach and trainer will help out the selected players,” Aisam disclosed. The very positive outcome of the initiative, taken with the help of sponsorship, was receiving more than 300 online registrations nationwide, he said, adding that “yet we are expecting more tennis kids to join this program during the trials in all cities.” “We’ve finalized the assessment program with our team of coaches and fitness trainers and good numbers of players turned up in Peshawar, which has a good tennis talent,” Aisam said. He said that he would sponsor 16 of the most talented youngsters to be selected from the trials and he would be taking care of their coaching, and training and other needs besides enabling them to participate in the national and international events. The first-of-its-kind talent hunt program will help Pakistan to be part of the international circuit in future, he added. “The aim of the talent hunt program is to identify

seen the right-hander jump 10 spots to 29th on the batter rankings and an impressive seven places to fourth on the list of all-rounders.

new zealand fast bowler Boult takes ‘significantly reduced’ role WELLINGToN afp

Trent Boult will have “a significantly reduced role” with the Black Caps after the fast bowler asked to be released from his central contract, New Zealand Cricket said on Wednesday. The 33year-old wants to spend more time with his family and make himself available to play in the domestic leagues. Boult has taken 317 wickets for New Zealand in 78 Test matches since 2011, 169 at the one-day international level and 62 in T20 cricket. “This has been a really tough decision for me and I’d like to thank NZC for their support in getting to this point,” said Boult, currently on New Zealand’s tour of the West Indies. “Playing cricket for my country was a childhood dream and I’m so proud of everything I’ve been able to achieve with the Black Caps over the past 12 years. “Ultimately, this decision is about my wife Gert and our three young boys.” Boult said that he understood the move would reduce his chances of playing international cricket. “I still have a big desire to represent my country,” he said. “However, I respect the fact that not having a national contract will affect my chances of selection. “As a fast bowler I know I have a limited career span and I feel the time is right to move into this next phase.” Boult is fourth on the list of New Zealand’s all-time Test wicket-takers behind Richard Hadlee, Daniel Vettori and his new-ball partner Tim Southee.

manchester City star Benjamin mendy to stand trial Wednesday LoNDoN afp

youngsters who can go on to represent Pakistan in international events and also set a base at the grassroots level for tennis to prosper in the country,” Aqeel Khan said. The Ace-Academy Tennis Talent Hunt Program would help in the coaching and provide mentorship to the selected youngsters for a period of 12 months where they would be provided with the tools to accelerate their professional careers, he informed. “I am super excited for launching the Ace Tennis Talent Hunt Program in Pakistan with 16 budding juniors from Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi that will be selected and sponsored for one year, and for this, we are working hard to find out sponsorship at least for a cause to boost Pakistan’s tennis only,” said Aisam. Earlier, the selection of the players through playing tennis and physical fitness started in the morning and continued up to 5:00 pm wherein players in the age of U16 and U18 participated on the first day and similarly for players in the age group U12 and U14 will be organized on Thursday [August 11] before finalizing four names from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for Talent Hunt Program.

Manchester City and France footballer Benjamin Mendy stands trial Wednesday for the alleged rape and assault of seven women, which could see his playing career end in jail if convicted. Mendy, 28, is due at Chester Crown Court in northwest England to face eight counts of rape, one count of sexual assault and one count of attempted rape, relating to seven young women. He pleaded not guilty in May to nine of the 10 charges, but was subsequently hit with the further rape count which has not yet been put to him in a court. All the alleged offences are said to have taken place at Mendy’s home address in Prestbury near Macclesfield, also in northwest England, between October 2018 and August last year. He is standing trial before a jury along with his co-defendant Louis Saha Matturie, 40, who has also pleaded not guilty. Matturie denies eight counts of rape and four counts of sexual assault, relating to eight young women. His alleged offences span from July 2012 to August last year. Both the defendants are on bail, with Mendy subject to what a judge previously called “stringent” conditions, including the surrender of his passport. After his arrest last August he was initially held at Altcourse prison in Liverpool, and then a prison in Manchester, before being freed on bail in January.

Thursday, 11 August, 2022

prayer tiMings

NEWS

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

4:10

1:30

5:15

5:00

7:08

9:15

Tough measures helped pakisTan averT sri lanka-like siTuaTion: mifTah ismail ISLAMABAD

agencies

ederal Minister for Finance and revenue Miftah Ismail claimed that Pakistan has successfully averted Sri lanka-like situation and the economy of the country “was now heading in the right direction”. Miftah, in an interview with CNBC, said: “There were serious worries about Pakistan heading Sri lanka’s way and Pakistan getting into a default-like situation but thankfully, we made some significant changes…… I think we averted that situation.” The finance minister further added that country was now in International

The finance minister said the international fuel prices increased while the commodity and edible oil prices also surged, creating a challenging environment at the international level. He went on to say the Pakistani economy was not in a position to absorb the international price-hike shocks and which is why the government had to pass on the price increase to the people to avert Sri lanka-like situation in the country. “Pakistan was passing through difficult times,” he said, expressing the hope that the prices in the international market would come down within a couple of months and would help reduce domestic inflation. The minister said that although the headline inflation was touching 25% it would come down as fuel and commod-

Monetary Fund’s (IMF) programme and a staff-level agreement has already been signed and approval from the IMF board for the release of funds under the extended Fund Facility is expected to be given by end of august. “The country was headed in the right direction,” he said, adding that due to the reduction in demand, the interest rates have been increased. “The imports have also gone down whereas the Pakistani rupee has appreciated by around 7% against the dollar since last week,” he mentioned. replying to a question, he said that the tough decision and measures taken by the government had affected the people of the country, however, the government had no other option but to save the economy from collapsing.

pTi moves ihC against funding case verdict ISLAMABAD Monitoring report

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday challenged the verdict of the election Commission of Pakistan (eCP) in the prohibited funding case in the Islamabad High Court (IHC). Omar ayub Khan, additional secretary general of the party, challenged the verdict, pleading with the court to strike down the verdict. eCP has been made respondent in the case. Former Minister for Planning asad Umar had said that there is no threat to Khan’s politics. The election Commission of Pakistan has violated the Supreme Court’s verdict because the commission mentioned PTI Chief Imran Khan’s false affidavit. “The Political Parties act, 2002, mentions a certificate and not an affidavit,” he said. “Bilawal himself said that Nawaz Sharif had taken money to overthrow the government. The economy of the country is standing only because of the remittance of money from overseas, the election Commission has become a biased and political opponent,” he added. On august 2, eCP, in its unanimous verdict, ruled that the party received funds from 351 businesses including business tycoon arif Naqvi and from 34 foreign nationals. The donations were sent from america, australia, Canada, and the Uae. The eCP observed the “unknown accounts” and said that hiding accounts are a “violation of the Constitution”. The eCP bench in its reserved verdict said prohibited funding against PTI had been proven. a three-member bench headed by Chief election Commissioner (CeC) Sikander Sultan raja, comprising Nisar ahmed durrani and Shah Muhammad Jatoi announced the reserved verdict. Moreover, it found that PTI Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan submitted a false nomination form. The eCP decided to issue a show-cause notice to the PTI to explain why the commission should not seize the funds it received. Notably, akbar S Babar, the man who blew the lid off the scam involving the inflow of dubious funds into PTI formally approached the FIa to initiate a probe against the party. Babar told the FIa that the PTI’s financial board 2011 illegally authorised four employees of the party’s central secretariat to collect donations in their personal accounts from within Pakistan and abroad. Following this, the Federal Investigation agency of Pakistan constituted a six-member team to probe the matter. The FIa has summoned 10 leaders of PTI including former National assembly Speaker asad Qaiser, former Sindh governor Imran Ismail, Mian Mahmood-ur-rashid, former MPa Seema Zia and others to address questions during the probe. The probe agency has also identified four employees of the PTI secretariat, whose personal and salary accounts were used for receiving foreign funding. The agency said funds were received in the bank accounts of Muhammad arshad, Tahir Iqbal, Muhammad rafique, and Nauman afzal. In the statements, the PTI employees said that they used to give the money received in their accounts to PTI’s finance manager, according to a report in a local Pakistan newspaper.

ity prices decline, expecting that the inflation would remain around 12%. In reply to a question about rising interest rates, the minister said that it was the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) that decides changes in markup rates after taking into account several economic indicators. Commenting on China-Pakistan economic Corridor (CPeC), the minister said: “It was a flagship project and Pakistan welcomed other countries including afghanistan, Iran, Central asian countries, Saudi arabia, United arab emirates and Oman to join it.” He added that the regional countries could also benefit from it as the project could be of great benefit to the people of the region.

Imran accuses govt of conspiring to ‘pit PTI against army’ ISLAMABAD staff report

Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Wednesday accused the coalition government for hatching a conspiracy to pit his party against the military. addressing his party workers and supporters via a video link on Wednesday, Imran said that the coalition government is conspiring that the country’s biggest party fights its own army. “It is being done under a plan and they want to give an impression that the PTI is anti-army,” he added. The former premier said that when his government was ousted, India, Israel and many western countries were the happiest. “India used to say Imran Khan is a puppet of the army but during our tenure army and government were on the same page.” He said that PTI workers unearthed the disinformation campaign against the country. “after the Mumbai attacks, asif ali Zardari said the dG ISPr should be sent to India. On

other hand, we have Nawaz Sharif who, in dawn leaks, said the ISI was involved in terrorism in India,” he added. Imran said that Nawaz Sharif even invited Indian prime minister Narendra Modi to the family wedding. “These people are calling us traitors. all their money is abroad and they have numerous corruption cases but still, they call themselves patriotic.” “What they are trying to do now is that they are campaigning against the army and us so we get into a fight. They want to break the party and the eCP’s prohibited funding case was its first step.” The PTI chairman said that his party is the only one in Pakistan which initiated political funding in the country. “around 40,000 people funded us but they declared them foreigners. We have audit reports. We provided each and everything to the eCP but it compiled a report full of lies. If the court properly investigates, it will be proven that the PTI is the only party which got its funding legitimately,” he said and added that there are elements who are trying

to get him disqualified. Talking about the Toshakhana case, Imran said that all people who are in significant government positions get gifts. “asif ali Zardari got three cars from Toshakhana whereas Nawaz Sharif got one but all of it is illegal. all cases should be investigated.” Now the coalition government, the PTI leader said, will try character assassination of him. “They know which media houses will support them. They will try to humiliate me in public. They will try to use muscle to crush us. This will damage the country because of their own interests. The ones who ousted us … do they want a strong Pakistan? They want to keep Pakistan on life support.” The ousted prime minister said that the conspiracy against his party is very serious and dangerous. “When you put the country’s biggest party against the army, no other thing can be as dangerous. I was 18 when I went to east Pakistan. I learnt how the hatred against the army spread. It is very unfortunate for us but it is being repeated today.”

TV channels warned against airing content critical of ‘state institutions’ ISLAMABAD staff report

The Pakistan electronic Media regulatory authority (PeMra) reiterated a warning to private broadcasters, directing them against spreading “propaganda, misinformation and disinformation” against state institutions, particularly the army. In a statement shared on Twitter, the regulatory body said it was compelled to issue the warning after seeing a “trend” of anchors, guests and analysts spreading “misinformation and disinformation against state institutions without any cogent justification.” It said the trend suggested a “planned propaganda campaign” against state institutions and was in violation of provisions of the PeMra electronic Media (Programs and advertisements) Code of Conduct, 2015 and the principles laid down by the supe-

rior courts. “It is pertinent to mention here that freedom of speech and expression is the fundamental right of every citizen as per article 19 of the Constitution [of Pakistan], however, this right is subject to restrictions imposed by law in the interest of glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defense of Pakistan, or any part thereof, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to the contempt of court or incitement to an offense,” read the statement. Urging all holders of satellite TV channel licenses to follow the principles laid down in the Constitution as well as the judgments of the Supreme Court passed in 2018 and the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in 2019, respectively, it said they should ensure strict compliance to the relevant provisions of PeMra laws.

pm shehbaz, Zardari discuss political situation LAHORE staff report

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and former president asif Zardari on Wednesday made telephonic contact and discussed situation in the aftermath of the arrest of PTI leader Shahbaz Gill. according to sources privy to the matter, the two top leaders of the ruling coalition, Shehbaz Sharif and asif Zardari, discussed the overall political situation in the country. It is pertinent to mention here that the PTI senior leader and chief of staff of former prime minister Imran Khan, dr Shahbaz Gill was arrested from Islamabad. INTERIOR MINISTER, LEAS LAUDED: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appreciated Interior Minister rana Sanaullah, Ministry of Interior, provincial governments and all law enforcement agencies over maintaining peace on Youm-e-ashur. Shehbaz Sharif thanked allah almighty as the Youm-e-ashur passed peacefully without any untoward incident happening anywhere. He lauded the officers and the personnel of rangers, law enforcement agencies, particularly the police who faced the scorching heat and tough conditions to protect people’s lives and properties. The prime minister also paid tribute to the volunteer youths who also served to maintain discipline and made this day peaceful with team work and dedication. “This day passed peacefully just because of your teamwork. I am proud of you all,” the prime minister remarked.

sC adjourns pTi plea against new delimitation of constituencies ISLAMABAD staff report

The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned hearing in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s petition against new delimitation of constituencies in the country till date in office. a three-member SC bench comprising Justice Ijazul ahsan, Justice Sayyed Mazahar ali akbar Naqvi and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail heard the petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf through General Secretary regarding conducting elections on the basis of delimitation dated 03.05.2018 made on the Basis Census 2017. during the course of proceedings, Justice Ijaz Ul ahsan addressing PTI counsel Faisal Chaudhry said that his client had submitted petition to stop the delimitation of constituencies but new delimitation had been done. The counsel said that the election Commission had also issued the final notification on august 3. Justice Ijaz asked the counsel whether he would submit a new application or amend this one. advocate Faisal Ch said that new delimitation of constituencies were not according to the constitution and law. a notification contrary to the constitution had no meaning, he added. He said that he would challenge new delimitation of constituencies and notifications issued in this regard. He pleaded the court to allow time to file fresh application or amendment to challenge delimitation. Subsequently, the court accepted his request and adjourned hearing of the case till date in office. FULL COURT REFERENCE IN HONOUR OF JUSTICE SYED SAJJAD ALI SHAH CANCELLED: The Supreme Court on Wednesday canceled the full court reference scheduled in honour of Justice Syed Sajjad ali Shah on august 11 (Thursday) had been canceled on the request of Hon’ble Judge. Moreover, farewell dinner in honour of the Hon’ble Judge has also been scaled down which shall now be held in Judges Colony on the request of Hon’ble Mr. Justice Syed Sajjad ali Shah, said a notification issued by SC Pr cell.

North Waziristan suicide attack kills four soldiers: ISPR ISLAMABAD reuters

a suicide bomber attacked a military convoy in a former Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) stronghold in the tribal region along the afghanistan border, killing four soldiers, the army said on Tuesday. The incident took place in Mir ali town of North Waziristan district, according to an InterServices Public relations (ISPr) statement. Police and intelligence officials told

reuters the bomber rammed a three-wheeler into the convoy late on Monday in the remote district, which has seen a rise in militant violence in recent weeks. The region was once a hotbed of local and foreign militants but they have mostly been driven out by various military operations. No one has claimed the responsibility for the bombing, which came a day after a senior TTP militant with a $3 million bounty on his head, abdul Wali, also known as Omar

Khalid Khurasani, was killed in an explosion in afghanistan. Khurasani’s Jamat-ul-ahrar (Jua), designated as a terrorist group by the United States and the United Nations, had claimed responsibility for multiple attacks against police, military, minority Shi’ite Muslims and Christians, which killed hundreds of people in Pakistan. TTP, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, an umbrella group of militant groups which includes the Jua, confirmed

Khurasani’s death. Khurasani along with three other commanders was killed in an “enemy attack”, the TTP said in a statement sent to reuters without giving the mode of the attack or the place of its happening. Khurasani’s death was a heavy blow to the TTP, which is in talks with Islamabad amid an ongoing cease-fire, announced in May. Isolated militant attacks have continued, though the TTP has not claimed responsibility for any of them since the truce first

went into effect. The talks are being hosted by the afghan Taliban. Two Pakistan intelligence officials told The associated Press that Monday’s suicide bombing in the town of Mir ali also wounded an unspecified number of civilians and soldiers. The officials would not elaborate and spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media on the record.

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