ISLAMABAD staff report P Rimeminister shehbaz sharif saturday saluted the innumerable Pakistanis who sacrificed their lives for Pakistan and felicitated Pakistanis across the world on the 75th independence Day of Pakistan. in a televised address to the nation on the eve of independence Day, Pm shehbaz said history was witness that Pakistan was created after millions of muslims sacrificed their lives. “but today mere felicitation is not enough. in the past we just celebrated the independence Day but did not make enough efforts to achieve the goals of independence so that souls of the Quaid and martyrs are satisfied and in comfort.” he said Pakistanis enthusiastically and with great joy celebrate the independence Day of their country and the anniversaries of Quaid-i-azam and allama muhammad iqbal, adding, “today we have to accept the truth with open heart that we cannot give to our younger generation, what it truly deserved.” he said Pakistani nation was bestowed with great blessings of allah and it was guided by the life of Quaid-i-azam and thoughts of allama iqbal. he asked why such a nation was still striving to find its destination. Pakistan was faced with multiple challenges and the biggest of it was the economic challenge, he pointed out. the Pm said today’s crisis was wavering of the self-dignity and self-confidence of the nation. the prime minister said the Pakistanis were known for their passion, character and hard work and the best manifestation of these characteristics was the creation of Pakistan. Pakistan was created with passion aroused by allama iqbal in the nation. then Quaid-i-azam changed the dream into a reality of Pakistan, he added.shehbaz sharif said development of the nation was carried out by the democratic leadership of Pakistan through political and constitutional struggle by facing the facts and acting with sagacity. the leadership overcame the economic and multiple challenges with patience, steadfastness and wisdom, he remarked. he said the political leadership gave to the nation a unanimous constitution and brought it together on a united agenda, built institutions and developed the economy, agriculture and industry. the prime minister said the democratic leadership created job opportunities for people and made the nation respectable in the world. “this is the nation which initiated Pakistan’s nuclear programme under the leadership of shaheed Zulfikar ali bhutto.” then under the leadership of muhammad nawaz sharif, despite all the incentives and pressures, completed the nuclear programme and made defence of the nation unconquerable for all times to come, he asserted.hesaid Pakistani nation countered horrid earthquakes and devastating floods but did not lose heart and continued to move“theahead.sonsand daughters of this nation raised the flag of the nation in international sports competitions.”inthecurrent month, during the commonwealth games, sons and daughters of the nation including arshad nadeem and nooh butt achieved successes and made the Pakistani nation proud, he observed. he said the nation resoundingly defeated terrorism and this happened due to our nation’s determination, strength and confidence.“thisresilience proved that our nation is fully capable to achieve every objective.”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 03 g Renews call foR ‘chaRteR of economy’ foR bRight futuRe of next geneRations PM salutes Martyrs on 75th IndePendence day Sunday, 14 August, 2022 I 15 Muharram, 1444 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XIII No 45 18 Pages I Islamabad Edition
“The ongoing political instability has added fuel to the fire in terms of the economy,” said Shahid Hasan Siddiqui, a Karachi-based economist. “New investments — both local and foreign — are shying away along with an increasing flight of capital, including smuggling of dollars,” Siddiqui told Anadolu Agency, adding that multinational companies are also adopting a “wait-and-see” approach due to the ongoing political uncertainty. Supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan, who was ousted through a no-confidence vote in April, have threatened to hit the streets again if his demand for early elections is not met within a month. “If the simmering uncertainty continues, it will further hit the overall state of the economy, as the government won’t be able to fully concentrate on the revival of the economy,” Siddiqui maintained.Echoing a similar view, Waqar Masood Khan, a former finance secretary, said the political uncertainty shook the nation’s stock and forex markets, which triggered a wave of speculation.“Panic” and “speculation” were the key agents behind a 20 percent devaluation of the rupee, which could have been avoided, Masood told Anadolu Agency. “It could be gauged by the fact that even with few signs of a recovery, the rupee has regained significant ground against the dollar over the past two weeks,” he observed, foreseeing a further increase in the rupee’s value after the release of the long-pending loan tranche by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in late August. Khaqan Najeeb, an Islamabad-based economist, said “political certainty is the necessary condition for economic certainty in a country.” ChAnCe for StruCturAL reforMS: The nation carved out of the subcontinent as a homeland for Muslims began its journey in 1947 amid tensions with India over the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, fears of survival due to economic hardships, the rush of refugees and raging communal riots. In one of the world’s largest displacements so far according to historians, over 6.5 million Muslims from different parts of India migrated to Pakistan.Now the only Muslim nation with a nuclear arsenal and a population of over 229 million, Pakistan began its voyage with no official secretariat or housing. Historians believe that despite challenges, the country has accomplished many feats over the past 75 years in science and technology, medicine and sports. The economy, however, has long been a thorny issue, with economists continuously calling for short- and longterm structural reforms. The state of the economy further plummeted as terror attacks and suicide bombings in the country inflicted a whopping $140 billion worth of financial and infrastructural losses since 2002, according to official statistics. A devastating coronavirus pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict have brought the country’s sputtering economy to its knees. The IMF, which announced a $6 billion bailout package for Islamabad in 2019, has agreed to extend the program until June 2023 with an additional loan of $1 billion.
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Pakistan celebrates Independence Day amid deepening political crisis Pakistan solidarityexpresseswithSaudi govt over suicide bombing
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday condemned a suicide bomb blast in the Saudi port city of Jeddah in which four people, one of them from Pakistan, were wounded. The man, later identified as Abdullah bin Zayed al-Shehri, wanted by security agencies, killed himself with an explosive belt to avoid arrest, the kingdom said a day earlier. The state-run Saudi Press Agency said as security forces moved in on him Wednesday in f Jeddah, al-Shehri detonated the bomb belt. It identified the wounded as a Pakistan national and three security officials. “The government and people of Pakistan reiterate their full support for and deep solidarity with the leadership, government and brotherly people of Saudi Arabia against any threats to the Kingdom’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the Foreign Office said in a statement. Seperately, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also condemned the bombing and praised Riyadh’s “firm action” against any threat that undermines its security. Staff RepoRt LAHORE: PTI Chief Imran Khan addresses a huge public meeting at National Hockey Stadium. photo by zubaiR Mehfooz ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday expressed his deep grief and sorrow over the human and financial losses caused by recent flash floods in Qila Abdullah after another heavy monsoon rain spell lashed Balochistan province. Seeking an immediate report over the affected areas, the prime minister also directed the National and Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (NDMA) to expedite the rescue and relief operations in the flood-hit areas. A directive was also issued for the submission of a complete report regarding breaches in two dams and the subsequent damages caused by flood water.The prime minister is soon expected to visit the flood-affected areas of Qila Abdullah, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release. The prime minister also desired that people trapped in floods should be shifted immediately to the safer areas, besides ensuring arrangements for food and tents for the affectees.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will launch the re-recorded national anthem composed with modern technology on the occasion of Independence Day on Sunday (today). He is the second elected Prime Minister after Liaquat Ali Khan who will have this unique honor. The National Anthem has been re-recorded after 68 years, with the participation of 155 singers, 48 musicians and 6 bandmasters.Theproject has been completed in collaboration with various departments including Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR). The brass bands of all three armed forces also participated in this national effort. The new compositions, recorded with excellent imaging carry a rainbow of all the cultural and regional colours of Pakistan. The re-recording of the national anthem began in August 2017 during the previous tenure of PML-N. After assuming the portfolio of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in April this year, Marriyum Aurangzeb started the work of completing the project quickly.
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Grieved over fresh losses, PM Shehbaz seeks report on flood-hit areas of Balochistan
Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry inaugurated 2nd season of the Kashmir Premier League. The colorful opening ceremony of the Kashmir Premier League was held at the Narul Stadium in the State metropolis on Saturday. On the occasion, Ministers including Chaudhry Muhammad Rasheed, Nisar Ansar Abdali, Chaudhry Muhammad Akhlaq, Special Assistant for IT Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal, Asim Sharif Butt, Chief Secretary Muhammad Usman Chachar, Premier League President Arif Malik, Tuqeer Subhan, Hiday Hussain Shahid secretaries and others were also present. Addressing the opening ceremony, President Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry said that Kashmir Premier League was watched by 45 million people. He said, “linking the inaugural function of this league with Independence Day is a great development which would strengthen the Kashmir issue.” He added that while no local events could be held in Srinagar, the management of KPL held this event in Azad Jammu and Kashmir for which the Kashmir government would fully cooperate with the Premier League management. Chief Secretary Muhammad Usman Chachar said that the KPL would be broadcasted live in most countries. He added 37 Kashmiri players were also included in KPL and 2 Kashmiri players were playing in each match. “This event will further strengthen the unbreakable bond of the Kashmiri people with Pakistan and the players of Azad Kashmir will get an opportunity to play with the big players of the world,” he said.
ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt m INISTERfor Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Sunday said there was no need to politicize the re-recorded national anthem which truly reflected unity, brotherhood, minorities, and regional and cultural identities in the country. “This is no one’s credit as the national anthem is for all and re-recorded with joint efforts of the Information Ministry, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), 155 singers and brass bands of the armed forces,” she said while announcing its launch by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday (tomorrow) at the at the national flag hoistingAddressingceremony.anews conference, she said the first national anthem was launched by the country’s first Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan in 1954 and Shehbaz Sharif would be the second PM who would re-launch its updated version recorded with modern technology and instruments after 68 years. Recalling the release of the first national anthem, she said after independence of Pakistan, the then government formed a committee, headed by Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar, for the creation of the national anthem in 1948. The musical composition of national anthem made by Ahmed Chagla was presented before the committee and PM Liaquat Ali Khan for approval. She said it was imperative for the young generation to know that the national anthem musical composition was approved on August 10, 1950 by the committee and released it in August,Divulging1954. details about the re-recorded anthem, she said ads and letters of interest were floated in the newspapers for its rerecording during 2017 when the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in the power. She said a steering committee was formed on June 8, 2021 by the previous government, which was headed by Javed Jabbar and comprised of many other experts including head of National Council of Performing Arts ArshadMarriyumMahmood.said the re-recorded national anthem was sung by 155 singers representing all the provinces, as well as, minorities, while 48 composers and six bands contributed in its creation. “This is the best reflection of Pakistan’s culture, provinces, ethnicities and the colours of different civilizations,” she said, adding its launch on Sunday would be a proud moment and gift for the entire nation. The promo of re-recorded anthem was also played during the press conference as well. The minister said the promo of the rerecorded anthem, which shared on the social media, received encouraging feedback from across the country. She paid tribute to all the contributors of re-recorded national anthem including ISPR, Information Ministry, brass bands of armed forces and Marriyumothers.thanked the Almighty that she was heading the information ministry at the time of its launch. “We all are united under the flag of Pakistan and I think, politics over this (re-recorded anthem) is a crime,” she said, adding there was no need to give it a political colour. She said the nation reaped dividends and fruits whenever there was a democracy in the country during the last 75 years. The country became nuclear power during the democratic rule of PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif who connected all federating units by establishing network of the motorway across the country. She said it was Nawaz Sharif who completed the nuclear programme initiated by Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in 1970s. He (Nawaz Sharif) made the country’s defence impregnable despite the external pressure. The minister said the entire nation was happy and celebrating the 75th independence day of Pakistan with enthusiasm and fervor. She said the government, information ministry, Parliament and other state institutions were actively participating in the celebrations of Diamond Jubilee by arranging multiple events in thisTheregard.Pakistan Television (PTV) was telecasting all the festivities of Diamond Jubilee around the clock. She said the fireworks and laser show at D-chowk had been arranged for tonight which would be broadcast live on the Pakistan Television. To a query, she said there were some 364 days in a year to do politics, however, there was only one day which needed to be spared for celebrating the independence day of the country. Dialogue or political consultation could not be held with a mindset of abuse and confrontation, the minister said while responding to another query. As regards the legal action against the ARY, she said seditious remarks were aired by the channel and currently, the FIA was investigating a case in this regard.
POLITIcS OveR nATIOnAL AnThem A ‘cRIme’: mARRIyum
ISLAMABAD anadolu agency Pakistan is celebrating its 75th Independence Day on Sunday amid a deepening political crisis, which is taking a further toll on its already struggling economy. The country, which attained independence following the end of British colonial rule in the sub-continent in 1947, is mired in escalating tensions between the government and the opposition, with the latter demanding snap elections which the former has rejected.With the rupee hitting an all-time low against the dollar, the country’s already strained economy is facing skyrocketing inflation, increasing debts and a depreciation of its foreign reserves. Although the economy has shown signs of a recovery in recent weeks, political and economic analysts nevertheless see the developments as “temporary” if the ongoing political instability continues.
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Reports on presence of TTP operatives in Swat ‘exaggerated’: ISPR RAWALPINDI Staff RepoRt Pakistan Army on Saturday dismissed reports regarding the presence of a large number of banned Tehreek-eTaliban (TTP) armed members in Swat Valley. The military’s media wing the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement on Saturday: “During the past few days, a misperception about the alleged presence of large number of proscribed organisation TTP’s armed members in Swat Valley has been created on social media.” After confirmation on the ground, it added, the reports have been found as “grossly exaggerated and misleading”. “Presence of small number of armed men on few mountain tops between Swat and Dir has been observed, located far away from population,” it added. The ISPR said that apparently, these individuals sneaked in from Afghanistan to resettle in their native areas. “A close watch is being maintained on their limited presence and movement in mountains.” The statement further said that required measures are in place by all lawenforcement agencies (LEAs) for the safety and security of people of adjoining areas. “Presence of militants anywhere will not be tolerated and they will be dealt with full use of force if required,” it further said. On I-Day, AJK President kicks off KPL season II MIRPUR (AJK) Staff RepoRt
Imran said Pakistan suffered huge human and economic losses after the former military ruler, Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf bowed before the US and joined it’s so called war on terror. “They [US] carried out drone strikes on Pakistan but Sharif and Zardari never raised their voice against this oppression,” he said, adding that he was not anti-American but will never compromise on national interest. He also reiterated his allegations that US official Donald Lu threatened that Pakistan would suffer consequences if he was not removed from power through vote of no-confidence. “I visited Russia because I wanted cheaper gas for my country. I went there to help my nation. But they (US) became upset because I didn’t listen to their orders.” Imran said he will never let his nation to become “slave of any superpower” and will walk through difficult path to achieve“Thisfreedom.movement for real freedom will continue until we topple this ‘imported government’,” he added.
Speaking to the reporters at the rally’s venue earlier today, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said ex-PM Imran would reveal the future course of action as the party’s “movement for real freedom has entered its final Commentingstage”.onthe raid on PML-N leader Ataullah Tarar’s house, he said the Punjab government would declare Tarar and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah “wanted” if they did not appear before the investigation team formed to probe the crackdown launched against PTI leaders during the May 25 long march.
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pervAIz eLAhI: Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi while addressing the rally said he will not rest until he “takes revenge from those involved in inflicting violence” on the PTI workers during their May 25 long march. The PML-Q leader also warned Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, saying soon he will be put behind bars and “handed over death sentence” in the Model Town case. Elahi said PTI Chairman Imran and army have cordial ties and added that opponents have failed to create rifts between the two. The former ruling party is staging a “grand power show” on Friday to celebrate Pakistan’s “haqeeqi (real) freedom”. Screens have been setup in major cities across the country to live telecast the speech of former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan. Last week, the party had shifted the venue of its August 13 power show from Parade Ground in Islamabad to Lahore’s hockey stadium, hours after the TLP announced its “Nazriya Pakistan March” and conference at Faizabad Interchange in the federal capital. Since his ouster back in April, Imran has upped the ante against the ruling coalition and has repeatedly alleged that the United States through the incumbent rulers removed him from the office of the primeThisminister.willbe his first power show since the PTI secured a resounding victory in Punjab by-polls held in July and formed a government in the province.
RAWALPINDI Staff RepoRt President Dr Arif Alvi on the occasion of 75th Independence Day celebrations conferred Military awards on the officers and soldiers of Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force. He gave two Sitara-i-Basalat, 68 Tamghai-Basalat, 33 Imtiazi Asnad, 68 COAS Commendation Cards, 22 Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military), 102 Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Military) and 130 Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (Military), an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release said.Following officers have been conferred with Sitara-i-Basalat: Maj Shujaat Hussain (Shaheed), Baloch and Capt Muhammad Bilal Khalil (Shaheed), AMC GDMO. Following officers and men have been conferred with Tamgha-i-Basalat: Local Brig Aamir Naveed Hussain,T.Bt & Bar SI(M), CMI, Capt Syed Haider Abbas (Shaheed), SSG, Capt Muhammad Saad Bin Amir (Shaheed), Arty, SM Sher Muhammad (Shaheed), Sind, SM Muhammad Aslam (Shaheed), FC Bln (N), Sub Safdar Hayat (Shaheed), FF, N/Sub Zubaid Ali (Shaheed), Sind, N/Sub Shahid Ullah (Shaheed), FC Bln (S), Hav Zahid Gul (Shaheed), FC KP (S) and Hav Muhammad Nazir Khan(Shaheed), FC Bln (S). Hav Ayat Ullah (Shaheed), FF, Hav Muhammad Munawar (Shaheed), FF, Hav Muhammad Ishaq (Shaheed), FC KP (S), Hav Sohail Iqbal (Shaheed), Sind, L/Hav Abdul Hanan (Shaheed), NLI, Nk Zain Ul Abadin (Shaheed), FC Bln (S), Nk Noor Mar Jan (Shaheed), FC KP (S), Nk Khalil Ullah (Shaheed), FC KP (S), Nk Sona Khan (Shaheed), Punjab, Nk Rehman Ullah (Shaheed), FC KP (S), Nk Tahir Rasool (Shaheed), FC Bln (S), Nk Inayat Ullah (Shaheed), FC Bln (S), Lnk Arif Ullah (Shaheed), FC KP (S), Lnk Wahid Ali (Shaheed), FC Bln (S), Lnk Riaz Khan (Shaheed), FC KP (S), Lnk Zahid Ahmad (Shaheed), Punjab, Lnk Ali Ghulam (Shaheed), Sind, Lnk Muhammad Aslam (Shaheed), FC Bln, Lnk Wali Rahman (Shaheed), FC KP (S), Lnk Babar Hafeez Asim (Shaheed), FC Bln (S), Lnk Abdul Majeed (Shaheed), FC KP (S), Lnk Liaqat Iqbal (Shaheed), FC Bln (S), Lnk Muhammad Fahad (Shaheed), FC KP (S), Sep Tanveer Ahmed (Shaheed), FC KP (S), Sep Muhammad Sohail (Shaheed), FC KP (S), Sep Muhammad Khalid (Shaheed), FC KP (S), Sep Saif Ullah (Shaheed), FC KP (S), Sep Ilyas Khan (Shaheed), FC KP (S), Sep Muhammad Ramzan (Shaheed), FC KP (S), Spr Shabeer Ali (Shaheed), Engrs, Sep Shakir Ullah (Shaheed), FC KP (S), Sep Muhammad Khudadad (Shaheed), Punjab, Sep Nisar Ahmed (Shaheed), SSG, Sep Zafar Mahmood Khan (Shaheed), FF, Sep Qaisar (Shaheed), FF, Sep Farhan (Shaheed), FF, Sep Zaka Ullah (Shaheed), FF, Sep Shoukat Ali (Shaheed), FF, Sep Farid Ullah (Shaheed), FF, Sep Shuaib Hassan (Shaheed), FF, Sep Muhammad Sheraz (Shaheed), FF, Sep Waqas Ahmed (Shaheed), FF, Sep Miskeen Ali (Shaheed), Sind, Sep Meer (Shaheed), Sind, Sep Muhammad Ilyas (Shaheed), Sind, Sep Muhammad Qaiser (Shaheed), Baloch, Sep Imran Khan (Shaheed), Baloch, Sep Muhammad Aamir Iqbal (Shaheed), AK, Sep Umer Yaqoob (Shaheed), SSG, Sep Rohail Hussain Ali (Shaheed), AK, Sep Muhammad Naveed Umar (Shaheed), FC Bln (S), Sep Ghafoor Jan (Shaheed), FC KP (S), Sep Mudassir Muhammad (Shaheed), FC KP (N), Sep Jamshid (Shaheed), FC KP (N), Sep Hidayat Ullah (Shaheed), FC KP (N), Sep Muhammad Ramzan (Shaheed), FC Bln (S), Sep Farzand Ali(Shaheed), FC Bln (S) and Soldier Clk Sabir Iqbal, FC Bln (S).
President confers military awards on armed forces officers, soldiers
Pakistan to world: Pressure India to implement un resolutions on Kashmir ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt Pakistan Friday called upon the international community to build pressure on India for implementation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions for granting Kashmiris the right to self-determination. Speaking at a weekly press conference, the foreign office spokesperson said, “Pressure needs to be built upon India in order to have the Security Council resolutions implemented which provided for the right to selfdetermination of the Kashmiri people.” “This is our message, a very clear message and we continue to push this, and we continue to extend our full support to the Kashmiri people on the basis of this principled position.” “Kashmir issue has been long outstanding, and this is what we have been saying. It has serious implications for the peace and security of the region. This is a major outstanding dispute between India and Pakistan and it has serious implications for peace and security,” he added. He said, “Since 5th August 2019 in particular, this has assumed greater dimensions in terms of human rights violations and the humanitarian situation that has developed in IIOJK in the wake of India’s illegal and unilateral actions.” “So, these are important aspects apart from the legal dimensions of this dispute that we have been highlighting, that we have been raising before the international community, at the UN and other fora, bilaterally with member states, and this is our demand from the international community, including the UN, and if you look at the joint letter that the Foreign Minister has addressed to the UN Security Council President, the President of the UNGA, UN Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, he has clearly articulated Pakistan’s position and our expectations with what the international community needs to do to resolve this outstanding dispute between India and Pakistan,” he added.
LAHORE afp Tears of joy rolled down his wizened cheeks when Indian Sika Khan met his brother from Pakistan for the first time since being separated by Partition in 1947. Sikh labourer Sika was just six months old when he and his elder brother Sadiq Khan were torn apart as Britain split the subcontinent at the end of colonial rule. This year marks the 75th anniversary of Partition, during which sectarian bloodshed killed possibly more than one million people, families like Sika’s were cleaved apart and two independent nations — Pakistan and India — were created. Sika’s father and sister were killed in communal massacres, but Sadiq, just 10 years old, managed to flee to Pakistan. “My mother could not bear the trauma and jumped into the river and killed herself,” Sika said at his simple brick house in Bhatinda, a district in the western Indian state of Punjab, which bore the brunt of Partition violence. “I was left at the mercy of villagers and some relatives who brought me up.” Ever since he was a child, Sika yearned to find out about his brother, the only surviving member of his family. But he failed to make headway until a doctor in the neighbourhood offered to help three years ago. After numerous phone calls and the assistance of Pakistan YouTuber Nasir Dhillon, Sika was able to be reunited with Sadiq. The brothers finally met in January at Kartarpur corridor, a rare, visa-free crossing that allows Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit a temple in Pakistan. The corridor, which opened in 2019, has become a symbol of unity and reconciliation for separated families, despite the lingering hostilities between the two nations.
Pakistan, India siblings reunite 75 years after Partition
Hindus and Sikhs fled to India, while Muslims fled in the opposite direction. Tens of thousands of women and girls were raped and trains carrying refugees between the two new nations arrived full of corpses. Love trAnSCenDS: The legacy of Partition has endured to this day, resulting in a bitter rivalry between the nuclear-armed neighbours despite their cultural and linguistic links. However, there is hope of love transcending boundaries. For Sikhs Baldev and Gurmukh Singh, there was no hesitation in embracing their half-sister Mumtaz Bibi, who was raised Muslim in Pakistan. As an infant, she was found alongside her dead mother during the riots and was adopted by a Muslim couple. Their father, assuming his wife and daughter were dead, married his wife’s sister, as was the norm. The Singh brothers learned their sister was alive with the help of Dhillon’s channel and a chance phone call to a shopkeeper in Pakistan. The siblings finally met in the Kartarpur corridor earlier this year, breaking down at being able to see each other for the first time in their lives.
“I dedicate this beautiful production and historic moments to the Pakistani nation. I congratulate the Ministry of Information, Steering Committee, Inter Services Public Relations and the whole team for their endeavour,” he added. Earlier, in a televised address to the nation on the eve of Independence Day, PM Shehbaz said history was witness that Pakistan was created after millions of Muslims sacrificed their lives. “But today mere felicitation is not enough. In the past we just celebrated the Independence Day but did not make enough efforts to achieve the goals of independence so that souls of the Quaid and martyrs are satisfied and in comfort.” He said Pakistanis enthusiastically and with great joy celebrate the Independence Day of their country and the anniversaries of Quaid-i-Azam and Allama Muhammad Iqbal, adding, “today we have to accept the truth with open heart that we cannot give to our younger generation, what it truly deserved.”
Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan has said that a plot was being hatched to disqualify him in Toshakhana and prohibited funding cases to pave way for PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s return from London. “They have made a new plan to register new cases and disqualify Imran Khan in Toshakhana, and prohibited funding cases,” he said on Saturday while addressing a mammoth rally at National Hockey Stadium in Lahore. Imran said the purpose to disqualify him was to strike a deal with him to nullify Nawaz’s lifetime disqualification so that both can compete in political arena. “Under the conspiracy Nawaz will be brought back to the country by the end of September… and a character assassination campaign will be launched to malign“Don’tme.”compare me with a dacoit… listen to me conspirators, no matter what you do I will not strike any deal,” he remarked. The former prime minister said pitting the PTI against the army was part of a “foreign conspiracy” to cause harm to the“Imrancountry.Khan will never want the army of this country to be weak… those who run movement for real freedom always want strong army and my criticism is always positive.”
Plots on to corner me, bring back Nawaz: Imran
Pm salutes martyrs on 75th Independence Day
LAHORE Staff RepoRt
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Imran also announced launching a mass contact campaign under which he said he will stage rallies in various cities of the country including Karachi, Rawalpindi and others. He said his movement for “real freedom” has entered into its decisive and final stage. “When they toppled my government they thought people would distribute sweets but millions of people took to the streets to protest against my ouster.” Imran said the incumbent rulers were trying to instill fear among the masses through intimidation and asked people not to be scared of their intimidation tactics in order to achieve “real freedom”. Earlier, Imran arrived at the venue to an enormous crowd of ardent supporters, eagerly awaiting what the former premier has to relay on the eve of Pakistan’s 75th Independence anniversary. “Today you have to listen to my address patiently. I will give you roadmap to achieve ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ [real freedom],” Imran told the crowd in his opening remarks. Imran while explaining his strategy to achieve “real freedom” said fear was the most dangerous idol which enslaved human beings. “A slave nation can never prosper.” “We got an independent country by giving millions of sacrifices… respect cannot be earned through wealth… those who fear death can never achieve anything big.” Imran said since joining politics he had been speaking about turning Pakistan into an independent and sovereign country, maintaining that his narrative of “real freedom” was not aimed at wooing the voters. Referring to PML-N leaders’ statements on economic crisis, Imran said the two families — Sharifs and Zardaris — are responsible for destroying the country’s economy. “They have been plundering for the last 30 years, made offshore assets worth billions of rupees and now they are asking who is responsible for this mess.”
ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt O Nthe eve of the unveiling of the newly recorded national anthem, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Saturday said the magnificent words of the national anthem would become voice of the nation in a new way. In a tweet on social media platform Twitter, he said, “after 68 years, the magnificent words of our national anthem would become voice of the nation in a new way and with new musical arrangement.”
newLy RecORDeD nATIOnAL AnThem TO becOme vOIce Of nATIOn: Pm
He said today the nation faced another crisis and the seeds of chaos and hate were being sown, nation was being divided in different ways and a nefarious attempt was made to torn apart the national unity. The last government created an economic crisis which was unimaginable in the past. He informed that the present government had made strenuous efforts to take the country out of the economic crisis and successfully saved the country from economic default. He said the last government left the trade deficit of $ 48 billion and his government had to take loans from the international monetary fund and friendly countries to meet financial needs. The previous government took loans of Rs 2000 billion loans in its four years and due to criminal negligence of the previous regime the government was forced to import wheat, he elaborated. He said the previous government did not buy gas on time from the international market, neglected the energy supplies and damaged the project of China Pakistan Economic Corridor. “My government strengthened the rupee against the dollar.” “We have decided to produce thousands of megawatts of solar energy to save billions of dollars spent on imports of oil and gas.” Shehbaz said independence was unimaginable without achieving economic freedom. He invited the opposition to sit with the government for formulating the charter of economy.
trAInS fuLL of CorpSeS: Pakistan farmer and real estate agent Dhillon, 38, a Muslim, says he has helped reunite about 300 families through his YouTube channel together with his friend Bhupinder Singh, a Pakistan Sikh. “This is not my source of income. It’s my inner affection and passion,” Dhillon told AFP. “I feel like these stories are my own stories or stories of my grandparents, so helping these elders I feel like I am fulfilling the wishes of my own grandparents.” He said he was deeply moved by the Khan brothers and did everything possible to ensure their reunion. “When they were reunited at the Kartarpur, not only me but some 600 people at the compound wept so much seeing the brothers being reunited,” he told AFP in Faisalabad.Millions of Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims are believed to have fled when British administrators began dismantling their empire in 1947. One million people are estimated to have been killed, though some put the toll at double this figure.
Date expired for filing nominations for by-polls to NA seats 14 fresh cases of dengue reportedvirusinPunjab
app President Dr Arif Alvi on Saturday call the bereaved families of martyrs of North Waziristan suicide attack of August 8 and expressed his condolences. The president, on the occasion, paid tribute to the sacrifices of Shuhada and expressed sympathies with the bereaved families.Helauded the services and sacrifices of shuhada for the motherland and said that the entire nation was indebted to its martyrs and expressed solidarity with their families, President Secretariat Press Wing said in a press release. He talked to the father of martyred sepoy Muhammad Umair to express his condolence. Shaheed sepoy has left behind a two and half-year-old son. The father of late sepoy expressed his desire to meet the president. The president also phoned uncle of sepoy Shahzaib Aslam shaheed, who had also served in Pakistan army and took the responsibility of looking after his nephew late Shahzaib Aslam when he was six-month-old after the death of his father.He told the president that it was his cherished desire to embrace shahadat but it could not be fulfilled during his 32 years of service, but his nephew had made him proud with his shahadat.
The president also talked to the brother of late Khurram Shahzad, a sweeper in the Pakistan army. The late employee belonged to the Christian community and laid down his life for the motherland upon which the president expressed his gratitude to his bereaved family and the bishop of the church. The president also held a telephonic conversation with the father of sepoy Sajjad Ali shaheed to express his condolence, besides talked to the father of sepoy Ansar Ali who embraced shahadat in Miran Shah.
Staff RepoRt Imran Khan’s chief of staff and prominent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shahbaz Gill has sought a post-arrest bail on Saturday by submitting a petition to a sessions court in Islamabad. It is pertinent to note that Gill filed his petition through PTI lawyers Faisal Chaudhry and Ali Bukhari. As per the details, in his petition, he said that the government registered a case against him to settle political scores with the PTI. He stated that the police could not prove any allegation against him during investigation. A false First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged for political gain, the petitioner said pleading with the court to accept his post-arrest bail. On the request of Gill, the court has issued a notice to the police for August 15 and has also asked for a reply by Monday. The district and sessions court on Friday rejected a plea by the police to extend the physical remand of Shahbaz Gill and sent him to jail on judicial remand. Islamabad police on Tuesday arrested Gill from Banigala Chowk on charges of sedition and inciting public against state institutions and their heads.
NewS DeSk
Staff RepoRt
President Alvi speaks to families of martyrs of North Waziristan attack
KaracHi to ExPEriENcE HEavy raiNS till auguSt 15: PMD
Another new food unit become operational in Hattar Special Economic Zone as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development and Management Company (KP-EZDMC), Javed Iqbal Khattak formally inaugurated the industrial unit, said a press release issued here on Saturday. M/s Raaz Food Industries Pvt. Ltd is a modern technology firm for food and beverages productions. The unit was established with an investment of 300 million rupees and will provide job opportunities to around 60 employees. Besides, Chairman Hattar Industrial Association, Atta Ur Rehman, Chairman ZFC Faisal Attique, Chief Zone Management Fakher-i-Alam and Zone Manager HEZ/ HSEZ along with ZFC members were also present on the occasion. The CEO KP-EZDMC also inaugurated plantation campaign 2022 for Green Pakistan, from Hattar, while rest of the zones to follow soon. The CEO participated in the meeting of the Zone Facilitation Committee at Hattar Economic Zone, to address various issues faced by the Zone Enterprises. ZFC members appreciated efforts made by KPEZDMC for ease of doing business. He also visited M/s Horizon Paper Board, which has successfully started an inhouse trial production of 5 Megawatt electricity through state of the art Trivini steam turbine and high pressure multifuel boiler. The production of electricity will be done through recycling of waste materials without affecting the environment. The CEO KP-EZDMC also held a meeting with Hattar Industrial Association (HIA). In his welcome address the Chairman HIA appreciated efforts made for promotion of industrialization by the management of KP-EZDMC.
Staff RepoRt Lahore Police have deployed over 5,000 personnel across the provincial capital on Saturday to guard the metropolis during the Independence Day celebrations. Lahore CCPO Ghulam Mehmood Dogar said that the police will take strict action against one-wheelers and those involved in aerial firing and hooliganism. Dogar said that six SPs, 35 DSPs, and 84 SHOs along with lady Police, and Anti-Riot Force personnel will perform duty tonight and on August 14th. He said that over 100 teams comprising the Dolphin squad and Peru Force are also performing duties. The CCPO warned the youth that they must celebrate the Independence Day spirit while upholding their moral values. He said that there would be zero tolerance against harassment at any place in the city and especially families in public spaces and parks would be given strict security so they could celebrate Independence Day.Lahore Police have beefed up security at the entry and exit points of the city and also performed search and combing operations.
Sunday, 14 August, 2022 ISLAMABAD 04 NEWS Staff RepoRt t HEPakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Saturday said that till 15th August, torrential rainfall to be triggered in Karachi as a low pressure in the Arabian Sea has intensified into a depression. The sea conditions are expected to remain very rough. Accordingly, it mentioned that sea conditions would remain very rough during the next two days and advised fishermen of Sindh and Balochistan not to venture into the open sea till tomorrow night.It highlighted the risks of urban flooding in low-lying areas while directing all authorities concerned to remainAnotheralert.weather system is expected to enter from August 16, which could also trigger heavy rains that would last till August 19. The PMD, in its Alert-III, stated that the depression (intense lowpressure area) over the North Arabian Sea has moved in a west-southwest direction during the last 12 hours and is now located at a distance of about 450km southwest of Karachi. The Met Office said that the system is likely to move further westwards till today evening and then recurve northeastwards and weakenMaximumgradually.sustained surface winds are 45km per hour gusting to 55km per hour around the system centre.“Currently none of Pakistan’s coastal area is under any threat from this weather system,” the Met Office alert said, adding that PMD Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre, Karachi is closely monitoring the system and updates will be issued accordingly.Heavy showers lashed the provincial capital early Saturday, leaving roads flooded, cars submerged and commuters struggling to reach their destinations. No casualties were immediately reported in the latest spell that began last night and disrupted life across the city in a matter of a few hours.Due to the current wet spell in the metropolis, the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi ((BIEK) has postponed the examinations scheduled for today (August 13).
New food unit becomes operational in Hattar Special Economic Zone
Another 14 cases of dengue virus with no death were reported in Punjab on Saturday. According to the Health department, a total 388 cases of dengue virus were reported during the current year while 2 people died of the virus and 53 patients were under treatment in different hospitals of the province. All suspected cases of dengue have been kept in surveillance and their tests are being conducted. The anti-dengue squad under the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD) destroyed dengue larvae at 2024 places in the province during the continuous daily-based surveillance. The anti-dengue squad conducted surveillance at 390,783 indoor and 109,057 outdoor places to detect dengue larvae during the last 24 hours in different places. The P&SHD urged the people to adopt precautionary measures and keep their environment clean and dry to protect themselves from dengue. Snakes found in Karachi’s housing society after heavy rain
04 NEWS 14 ISLAMABAD_Layout 1 8/14/2022 12:02 AM Page 1
5,000 cops guarding Independence Day celebrations in Lahore app Election Commission Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Saturday announced August 13 fixed for nomination papers submission for the vacant seats of four National Assembly seats from the province. Polling would be held on September 25, 2022 in the constituencies included NA-22 Mardan, NA-24 Charsadda, NA-31 Peshawar and NA-45 Kurram. According to the election schedule, the returning officers had issued a public notice that nomination papers would be submitted from August 10 to August 13. The names of the candidates would be published on 14 August and the nomination papers would be scrutinized till August 17. Appeals against acceptance or rejection of documents by the returning officers would be submitted till August 20 and the tribunal will decide on these appeals by August 25. The revised list of candidates would be released on August 26 and candidates will be able to withdraw their papers by August 27. The election symbols would be allotted to candidates on August 29. Returning Officer (Provincial Election Commissioner) has fixed the date of August 13 for PTI’s preferred list of candidates for women’s reserved seat and the final list would be issued on August 29. It is worth mentioning here that the Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had accepted the resignations of 11 MNAs out of a total 131. It is to be recalled the PTI lawmakers had resigned en masse on April 11, two days after former prime minister Imran Khan was ousted from the top office after the noconfidence motion moved by the joint opposition in the parliament against him succeeded.
Shahbaz Gill seeks post-arrest bail
NewS DeSk Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and Federal Minister Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah has expressed his desire to become a ‘hero’ in a movie. According to details, the federal minister expressed his desire while addressing an inaugural ceremony at University of Sukkur. Sukkur University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Samreen Siddiqui informed the federal minister that the varsity was signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Media mogul Sultana Siddiqui to introduce Film Making course. In response, Khursheed Shah expressed his desire to become a ‘hero’ in the movie. To this, Dr Samreen Siddiqui said: “In such a situation, I will become the heroine.” However, the federal minister refused and sarcastically said PPP leader Dr Asim Hussain – who is the husband of Samreen Siddiqui – would kill him.
PPP’s Khursheed Shah wishes to become a ‘film hero’
Staff RepoRt Two snakes have been found in water accumulated outside a housing society in Karachi after heavy rain, creating fear among the residents. According to details, the serpents were found in a housing society in KDA Scheme 33 near Jamali Bridge at Super highway. They were initially spotted near the water accumulated outside the housing society after heavy rainfall in the city. However, the administration of the society managed to kill the snakes on their own. It is pertinent to mention here that incidents of reptiles popping up in the city have been reported occasionally and in one such unfortunate incident, a staffer of Airport Security Force (ASF) died of snakebite on the runway of Karachi Airport. The victim of snake sting was shifted to hospital for medical attendance but he succumbed to the injury.
PMD alerts authorities to torrential rains next week
29 officers of KP Prisons’ transferred,Deptposted in major reshuffle In light of a major reshuffle in the Prisons’ Department, twenty-nine (29) officers of the department have been transferred and posted in a major reshuffle throughout the province, said an official notification issued here by Home & Tribal Affairs Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Saturday. According to the notification, Mohammad Hamid (BPS-18), Deputy Superintendent Central Jail Haripur has been transferred and posted as Superintendent District Jail Abbottabad while Muhammad Riaz (BPS-18) has been transferred from District Jail Buner at Daggar to Central Prison Mardan against the post of the Superintendent BPS-19 (OPS). Samiullah Khan Superintendent District Jail Kohat to Central Prison (D.I. Khan against the vacant post of Superintendent Jail BPS-19 (OPS), Sahibzada Muhammad Qaiser AIG (BPS-18) from Central Prison Office Peshawar to Regional Prison Office Peshawar as AIG Prisons, Siyar Ahmad, Deputy Superintendent Jail from Central Prison Bann to Regional Prison Office Peshawar as AIG Prisons. Abdul Bari AIG Prisons from Regional Prison Office Mardan to District Jail Kohat against the vacant post of the Superintendent Jail, Mohammad Naeem AIG Prisons from Regional Prison Office Swat Regional Prison Office Abbottabad against the vacant post, Mohammad Waseem Superintendent Jail from District Jail Abbottabad to Central Prison Karak against the vacant post, Mst Fauzia Taj Deputy Superintendent from Central Prison Haripur to Prison Staff Training Academy Haripur against the vacant post of the Commandant (BPS-19) (OPS). Similarly, Syed Muhammad Junaid Deputy Superintendent from Sub Jail Malakand to District Jail Buner, Mst Nagina Mehsud Deputy Superintendent Jail (BPS-17) who was posted as Incharge District Jail Lakki Marwat to Central Prison D.I. Khan while Abdul Nasir Deputy Superintendent Jail (BPS-17) from Central Prison Karak to District Jail Lakki Marwat as Incharge. app
Aap Jaisa Koi: ‘Queen of Pop’ Nazia anniversaryrememberedHassanondeath
ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt t HEMinistry of Finance and Revenue on Saturday released a report titled “75 Years Economic Journey of Pakistan” in order to present the details of economic advancement of the country since emerging on the global map. The report also aiming at to highlight the major events occurred since independence, which significantly shaped the economic contours of the country. In his message, Minister for Finance and Revenue Miftah Ismail said that the dearth of resources to meet the local needs after independence was not a secret as India refused to give due share of its wealth to Pakistan soon after its birth. The severely disrupted country’s economic system along with settlement of the refugees were major challenges faced by the newly born country, he said adding that however Pakistan’s economy quickly revitalized with the hard work and determination of its people. He said that a country with 30 million population in 1947 could not feed its population and had to import most of its food requirements from abroad, adding that today, local agriculture production has risen significantly and Pakistan was producing over 26.4 million metric tons of wheat annually as compared the total output of 3.4 million tonnes in 1948, besides cotton attaining a level of more than 8.3 million bales in 2022 compared to 1.2 million bales in 1948. The sugarcane production, he said has reached to 88.7 million tonnes in 2022 as compared to 5.5 million tonnes in 1948 and rice output was recorded at 9.3 million tonnes during 2022 as against the total production of 0.7 million tonnes in 1948, the minister added. Finance Minister said that Pakistan constructed both large and small dams like Tarbela Dam and Mangla Dam, which increased the water storage and availability to 131.0 MAF in 2022 from 63.9 MAF in 1965-66, adding that it helped in achieving sustain agriculture sector growth in the country. He said that Pakistan emerged as one of the leading world exporter of textiles, pharmaceutical goods and food related items and economic policies of the successive governments have promoted industry, agriculture and services sectors. The perseverance of its people made Pakistan the world’s 24th largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity and 44th in terms of Nominal GDP, he said adding that in fiscal year 1950, the Nominal GDP was Rs10.1 billion about $3.0 billion whereas, GDP per-capita was Rs286 with a population of 35.3 million. In Fiscal Year 2022, Nominal GDP stands at Rs66,950 billion or $383 billion whereas, per-capita income has reached at $1,798 in 2022, he said adding that the country successfully established its trade and economic ties with different countries and entered into several global trading arrangements like WTO, SCO, WCO, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, China Pakistan Economic Corridor, bilateral and multilateral agreements including EU-GSP Plus scheme. Miftah Ismail said that all these successes were possible due to dedication, hard work and resilience of people of Pakistan, adding that enhanced economic governance have paved the way for a prosperous and strong Pakistan. He further said that given the current economic fundamentals and sound economic policies being adopted by the present government, country was all set to become an economic power house of the world.Meanwhile, Federal Secretary Ministry of Finance Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh said that the 75 years journey of Pakistan was a story of economic, political, social and regional events that has shaped the country that we live today. He said that several boom-bust cycle, political crises and myriad geostrategic challenges have guided our policies and program. Today, he said Pakistan was ranked among 50 leading economies of the world with GDP amounting $383 billion, adding that it also established its vibrant banking system that supported economic development over the years .
Sindh and Balochistan from August 16-18 with occasional gaps. About the possible impacts, the met office said that the heavy rains may generate urban flooding in Karachi, Thatta, Badin, Hyderabad, Dadu, Jamshoro, Sukkur, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad and Mirpurkhas from AugustFlash14-18.flooding is expected in Qilla Saifullah, Loralai, Barkhan, Kohlu, Mosa Khel, Sherani, Sibbi, Bolan, Kalat, Khuzdar, Lasbela, Awaran, Turbat, Panjgur, Pasni, Jiwani, Ormara, Gwadar and hill torrents of Dera Ghazi Khan during the forecast period from August 14-18. Heavy rains may generate urban flooding in Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Peshawar, Nowshera, Mardan, Faisalabad, Lahore and Gujranwala from August 14 (night) to August 16. Flash flooding is expected in local Nullahs of Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Shakargarh, Sialkot, Narowal, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Dir, Karak, Lakki Marwat, Bannu and Kashmir on August 15 and August 16.
‘Pakistani Adab kay Me’maar: Tauseef Tabassum, Shakhsiyat aur Fun’
LAHORE Staff RepoRt August 13 marks the death anniversary of Nazia Hassan, one of the most iconic figures in the history of Pakistan pop music who passed away 22 years ago today at the tender age of 35 following a prolonged battle with lung cancer. The ultimate pop queen of the ’80s and ’90s, she was Pakistan’s, as well as the subcontinent’s, sweetheart whose songs were on everyone’s playlist. Born on April 3, 1965, into a well-to-do Karachi family, the “Queen of Pop”, as she was called, started her career at the age of 10 as a child artist. She rose to prominence through the popular Pakistan Television programme Sung Sung. Aap Jaisa Koi (If Someone Like You Comes Into My Life), a song she sang — as a 15-year-old schoolgirl — in Qurbani (1980), was one of the biggest hits in Bollywood film music. Young Asians in the sub-continent and the United Kingdom took to the dance floors to its tune. She arrived as a teenager to London, where the song was recorded after she had met Bollywood filmmaker Feroz Khan at a party. She was not a trained singer, but Khan, and the London-based composer Biddu, liked the nasal quality of her voice. Hassan’s association with Biddu brought her into the limelight on the British Asian pop scene. Together, they brought out Disco Deewane which, with its racy songs and harmonious blend of eastern rhythms and western beats, was number one for more than a year. Overnight, Hassan became the queen of Asian pop. Her immensely successful debut album, Disco Deewane, released in 1981, charted in 14 countries worldwide, and became the best-selling Asian pop record at the time. Later, she and her brother, Zohaib Hassan, sang in another Bollywood film, Star. They returned to Pakistan in the early 1980s and released their first album, Young Tarang. Another album, Hotline, followed in 1987. Hassan’s last solo album, Camera Camera, came out in London in 1992. Though some of these later albums lacked her early expressiveness, they still revealed her joie de vivre. Hassan enjoyed widespread popularity across South and Southeast Asia. Along with her brother, she went on to sell over 65 million records worldwide. Her English language single Dreamer Deewane made her the first Pakistan singer to make it to the British musical charts. She was also a recipient of the country’s highest civilian award, Pride of Performance. In addition to singing in films, Hassan was also a philanthropist and was appointed by UNICEF as its cultural ambassador in 1991. Hassan, who had a law degree from the University of London, lived most of her life in Britain, but always returned to her roots in Pakistan. She was independent and was never afraid to speak her mind.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast more torrential rains in Sindh, Balochistan and South Punjab from August 14-18 under a vigorous monsoon activity. The PMD informed that a depression has developed in Arabian Sea which is likely to move towards west along Makran Coast. Due to this weather system monsoon currents are continuously penetrating in southern parts of the Anothercountry.lowpressure (LPA) is likely to approach Sindh on AugustUnder16. the influence of this weather todershowerssionalfromGilgitlamabad,inwithRain-wind/thundershowersystem:fewheavyfallsareexpectedSindh,Balochistan,Punjab,Is-KhyberPakhtunkhwa,BaltistanandKashmirAugust14-16withocca-gaps.Widespreadrain-wind/thun-withscatteredheavyveryheavyfallsareexpectedin
05NEWS Sunday, 14 August, 2022 | ISLAMABAD
ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
SyED AfSAR SAjID Dr. Tauseef Tabassum is an eminent Urdu literary scholar, researcher, critic, poet, and teacher. Noted researcher, critic, and educationist Dr. Sher Ali has authored Dr. Tauseef Tabassum’s biography titled ‘Tauseef Tabassum: Shakhsiyat aur Fun’ which has been lately published by the Pakistan Academy of Letters in their ‘Pakistani Adab kay Me’maar’ series of publications.Thebook is preambled by a ‘Pesh Nama’ contributed by renowned scholar and meritorious professor Dr. Yusuf Khushk, Chairman of Pakistan Academy of Letters. He has concisely but lucidly commented on the literary stature of the learned biographee vis-à-vis his career, publications and creative capability. He has also commended biographer Dr. Sher Ali’s attempt to document the life and art of a literary personage of the class and calibre of Dr. Tauseef Tabassum. In his foreword, the author has summarily elaborated the dynamics of his book in the context of the rich profile of his versatile protagonist. The book has been divided into four larger chapters. The first chapter is intended to cover the personal biography of Dr. Tauseef Tabassum, his early life, education, professional career, matrimonial affairs, and literary voyage. The next chapter relates to his verse including ghazal, nazm, hamd, na’at, manqabat, salam, and poetry for children. The third chapter deals with research and criticism incorporating an appraisal of a classical Urdu poet Muneer Shikohabadi (aka Syed Ismail Hussain: 1814-1880) who is also the subject of Dr. Tauseef Tabassum’s PhD thesis. Born in Shikohabad, UP, Muneer is regarded as ‘the last representative poet of Nasikh’s school’ which also speaks for the impact of Nasikh on his poetry. He has written lengthy ghazals in difficult metres and styles. His ghazals bear a distinct linguistic exuberance with a tone and tenor purportedly proximate to that of the qasida. Tauseef Tabassum’s thesis tends to highlight the person and art of Muneer in the decadent politico-cultural milieu of the 18th century British India. He has thus sought to rediscover the latter poet, almost reduced to an anonymity, with a view to determining his true relative merit in the annals of Urdu poetry, to the benefit of the discreet students of its age-long vibrant tradition. In the same chapter the author has discussed the contextual implications of Dr. Tauseef Tabassum’s classic ‘Yahi Akhir ko Thahra Fun Hamara’, an illuminating prose work on the concept and mechanics of poetry. The other work of Dr. Tabassum processed by Dr. Sher Ali in the current chapter is ‘Khaka Nigari and Iqrar Hussain Sheikh’ — a critique of Iqrar Hussain’s art as a ‘khaka nigar’, i.e. a word painter of human characters. The last chapter, the fourth one, deals with Dr. Tabassum’s personal memoirs titled ‘Bund Gali may Shaam’ and ‘Kahavat Kahani’, which contains interesting stories relating to different Urdu maxims and adages. This chapter also contains a broad selection of Dr.Tabassum’s poetry besides eulogistic opinions of some (thirty) of his distinguished contemporaries, on his person and art. The book ends with the writer’s concluding remarks and a detailed bibliography. Biographers are often quite lavish in praising their subject; the present book is no exception to this practice. But here one would observe that the author has restrained himself from stretching his narrative beyond the limits of credibility. Dr. Tabassum is a veritable man of parts. His marathon journey from an ordinary socio-economic origin to an elitist socioliterary position, graphically described in the book, would serve as a beacon to many an aspiring soul grappling with the rough and tumble of his/her dull and dreary diurnal Concluding,existence.itwould be worthwhile to quote a few lines from his ghazals in order to evaluate the quasi-metaphysical stylistics of Dr. Tauseef Tabassum’s poetics: Zakhm-e-mizraab say rista hai lahu poroN ka (Blood oozes out of the finger joints while strumming the string/s of a musical instrument with a plectrum) Kitna dushwar hai aawaaz ko naghma karna (How difficult it is to transmute the voice into a melody!)
FiNANce MiNistry lAuNcHes ’75 yeArs ecoNoMic JourNey oF PAKistAN’
T HE taiwan crisis will be a flashpoint between China and the Usa. China considers taiwan its territorial part, while the Usa has long maintained a policy of “strategic ambiguity” and has contended with the ‘One China’ policy for more than a couple of decades. But Us President Joe Biden asserted that the Usa would protect taiwan militarily in the face of Chinese invasion. However, the Us state Department clarified this later that the Usa has not changed its policy, yet Us House speaker nancy Pelosi’s visit has added insult to injury, provoking China to demonstrate its military prowess in the taiwanese waters. With growing concern about confrontation, the Usa and China will play chicken in the taiwan strait. any strategic miscalculation can cause escalation. the collision of two great powers, with gigantic economies and militaries, shifts global tectonic plates in such a way that will smash everything off for good. War between the Us and China will be different from those of the previous big powers. it will not only be costly, but abominably horrific! it is obvious that the Usa cannot stomach taking the bull by the horns, so it will provoke China through pulling its tail now and then. the Usa has created a ring of regional alliances— Quad and aUkUs— around the periphery of China to strategically harass it, but these alliances lack proficiency to contain China or browbeat it. therefore, the Usa tries to irritate China through meddling into taiwan affair, which is China’s achilles’ heel.
We have forgotten Pakistan was created for the welfare of the masses. Pakistan’s constitutional history is marred by egotistic clashes between power claimants. The US-China tensions have economycovid-19peaceramificationsabominableonglobalandstability.TheUkrainecrisisandthepandemichavealreadysenttheworldinshambles,andanothercrisisintheTaiwanstraitwillaggravatethesituation.
P akistan came into being on 14 august 1947, despite incessant opposition by indian national Congress and her allies. at its birth Pakistan was faced with apparently insurmountable problems. the immediate worry was rehabilitation of millions of refugees and restoration of industrial and agricultural infrastructure. the national exchequer was empty. india refused to transfer Pakistan’s financial share. Pakistan overcame insurmountable problems of influx of 1947 refugees, skimpy finances and myriad other problems to emerge as a viable entity. Fanatic Hindus in the indian national Congress thought that Pakistan would, at best, be a still-born baby. But, Pakistan was able to survive all hurdles. it proved its viability despite severe politico-economic jolts. While we celebrate our independence anniversary, let us refresh what its founder, the Quaid-eazam, visualised Pakistan to be.Doubtless, the Quaid envisioned Pakistan to be a democracy, not a theocracy. in a broadcast addressed to the people of the Usa, he said, ‘in any case Pakistan is not going to be a theocratic state to be ruled by priests [mullahs] with a divine mission. We have many non-Muslims, Hindus, Christians, and Parsees– but they are all Pakistanis. they will enjoy the same rights and privileges as any other citizen and will play their rightful part in the affairs of Pakistan’. When an overebullient admirer addressed him as `Maulana Jinnah’, he snubbed him. Jinnah retorted, ‘i am not a Maulana, just plain Mr Jinnah’. about minorities, the Quaid often reminded Muslim zealots ‘Our own history and our and our Prophet (PBUH) have given the clearest proof that non-Muslims have been treated not only justly and fairly but generously. He added, ‘i am going to constitute myself the Protector-general of the Hindu minority in Pakistan’. till his last breath, the Quaid remained an ardent supporter of rights of minorities as equal citizens of Pakistan. the Quaid participated in Christmas celebrations in December 1947 as a guest of the Christian community. the Quaid selected his cabinet on the basis of merit. One member was a Hindu. a Jewish scholar, Mohammad asad, who embraced islam, held important positions in Pakistan. the following extracts from the Quaid’s speeches and statements as Governor General of Pakistan epitomise his vision: “You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques, or to any other place of worship in this state of Pakistan…you may belong to any religion, caste or creed, that has nothing to do with the business of the state… We are starting in the days when there is no discrimination, no distinction between one community and another, no discrimination between one caste or creed or another. We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of the one state”.the Quaid visualised that `in course of time Hindus would cease to be Hindus and Muslims would cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense, because that is the personal faith of each individual, but in the political sense as citizens of the state”. a. k. Brohi, in his The Fundamental Law of Pakistan, explains that Pakistan is an islamic state, but not aHetheocracy.hopedindia and Pakistan would live in peace after Partition. in his Will and Hetestamentbequeathed a part of his fortune to educational institutions in aligarh, Bombay and Delhi. He never changed his will as he hoped to visit india again. Lord ismay, Chief of staff to the Viceroy, recorded an interview with the Quaid: ‘Mr. Jinnah said with the greatest earnestness that once Partition has been decided upon, everyone would know exactly all troubles would cease, and they would live happily ever after where they were’. ayesha Jalal, in her paper Why Jinnah Matters, recalls `Just before his own death, Jinnah proposed a joint defence with india as the Cold War started to shape the world and the two power blocs began to form. Jinnah was still thinking as a south asian nationalist. Before his final flight (7 august 1947) from Delhi to Pakistan, the Quaid sent a message to the indian government: “the past must be buried and let us start as two independent sovereign states of Hindustan and Pakistan, i wish Hindustan prosperity and peace.” But, Vallabhbhai Patel replied from Delhi: “the poison has been removed from the body of india.” Even nehru, an ostensibly liberal leader, regarded the creation of Pakistan as a blunder. His rancour against Pakistan reaches a crescendo in his remarks: “i shall not have that carbuncle on my back.” (D. H. Bhutani, The Future of Pakistan, page 14). the Quaidwanted Pakistan to be a welfare state, not a plutocracy. in his speech at the 30th session of the Muslim League during the freedom struggle, he said, “it will be a people’s government. i should like to give a warning to the landlords and capitalists who have flourished at our expense by a system which is so vicious, which is so wicked and which makes them so selfish that it is difficult to reason with them. the exploitation of the masses has gone into their blood. they’ve forgotten the lesson of islam. Greed and selfishness have made these people subordinate to the interests of others in order to fatten themselves…if they’re wise they’ll have to adjust themselves to the new modern conditions of life. if they don’t, God help them; we shall not help them.” We have forgotten Pakistan was created for the welfare of the masses. Pakistan’s constitutional history is marred by egotistic clashes between power claimants. Our judiciary is submerged in a plethora of political cases. We forgot that just before pronouncing the verdict in the Dosso case, then Chief Justice Muneer declared that ‘when politics enters the portals of the palace of Justice, democracy, its cherished inmate, walks out by the backdoor’. the kingpins in various institutions tend to forget French jurist Jean Bodin’s dictum ‘majesta est summa in civas ac subditoes legibusque salute potestas, that is ‘highest power over citizens and subjects, [is] unrestrained by law’. Bodin explained power resides with whosoever has ‘power to coerce’. it does not reside with the electorate, Parliament, the judiciary or even the Constitution. in the past, Pakistan’s bureaucrats, judges, politicians, and even praetorian rulers fought tooth and nail to prove ‘i’m the locus in quo of ultimate power..” Dicey said, “no Constitution can be absolutely safe from a Revolution or a coup d’état”. 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
After
06
P ti’s 13 august gathering was originally billed as an “impressive” show of power where imran khan would announce his party’s future strategy. With the hopes of early elections fading, and the party made to confront both the establishment and the PDM alliance, there was all the more need for clarification of Pti’s future policy. after the shocking social media comments following the army helicopter crash and shehbaz Gill’s highly inappropriate remarks on the aRY, the relations between the Pti andarmy have further worsened. Meanwhile Fia has directed imran khan to present details of party’s foreign accounts over the last quarter century. this creates perception of the party chief having been caught in a nut cracker between the army and ruling alliance. imran khan’s remark that a conspiracy is afoot to create confrontation between army and Pti provides little comfort to party’s rank and file. till recently imran khan had termed every political development as party’s success and claimed that he had answers for every contingency. He would find it increasingly difficult to convince people with stock answers of the sort. imran khan’s answer to any threat was to issue a call for a million march. Pti’s azadi March was supposd to bring out three million. With the PDM’s interior Minister determined to call the bluff, Pti could manage to bring together only thousands. the Pti’s social media was supposed to spread panic in opponents ranks. in the new situation, it ended up widening the differences between Pti and the army. shehbaz Gill’s rant added fuel to`the fire. imran khan’s speech indicates that he has learnt little over all these years. the speech was no different from the speeches he has been delivering all those years. He has the same mind set. He knows Us better than others. He will not compromise on Pakistan’s interests He praises trump for he ‘respected’ imran khan. He still uses Raiste Madina to confirm his credential as a good Muslim. He has no plans to end the ongoing co confrontation in the country. End of Imran Khan’s tether Keep it on air
The writer is a strategic affairs and foreign policy Sunday, 14 August, Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965 I Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9 I Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545 I Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk I Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk
Independence Day:
t HE kerfuffle over the revocation of the nOC to the aRY news network - and the subsequent move against it by Pemra - might be testing the values of defenders of the free media, but there is no way any of them can, in good conscience, oppose this rather unilateral and arbitrary decision taken, seemingly by the deep state, against one of the nation’s largest news organisations. Why is it testing those aforementioned values? Well, in the not so distant past, the same channel wasn’t quite so keen on press freedom itself. it had giddily cheered on the blocking of its bête noire channel across many cities throughout the country. it had even played its role in the pillorying of one of the nation’s leading English daily newspapers when it had run a story that had rubbed the powers that be the wrong way. Furthermore, the channel was also quite economical with the truth. the libel and slander laws of the country are processed at a glacial pace by the nation’s judicial system, but in the Uk, where a sister channel that rebroadcasts much of the same content, has been slapped several times by that country’s media regulator with some rather hefty fines. Having said all this, the antidote to a channel with a penchant for lying, is a swift application of slander laws. and as far as it’s behaviour against its fellow members of the news media is concerned, it should be remembered that the rights of free media also apply to those who don’t believe in them, much like how even terrorists deserve a fair Barringtrial. a clear cut incitement to violence, there can be no ground to shut down a channel. in fact, even in that situation, there should be a heavy fine, and the individuals on the shift should be prosecuted. this summary shutting down of an entire organisation, based on a report by “the agencies”, as the interior ministry’s own notification reads, is absolutely unfair.
YousafEditorNizami Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor M. A. Niazi Joint Editor Umar ExecutiveAzizEditorAziz-ud-Din Ahmad Joint Editor
What are the strategic objectives of the Usa in taiwan? Protecting democracy in taiwan is not the rationale behind the Us changing policy, but to control the south China sea and to be the dominant power of the Pacific waters through alliances, which consider China as a rival power. Moreover, the Usa intends to get China embroiled into a war that should shatter its economy. as a result, the Us breaks the resistance of the enemy even without fighting. similarly, war will ignite a domestic chaos in China that may cause the fall of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) rule, which is a thorn in the Usa’s flesh. it will be a repeat of the tragedy that is afoot in Ukraine. after the Ukraine war, Russia will be a declining great power as this war consumes its energy considerably. Russia will not compete with the Usa in the long run because the Ukraine war not only shatters its economy, but its manpower, its national morale, institutions, military, and industries, which are some elements of national power. in the same way, China will pay a heavy price if it attempts to occupy taiwan by force. its economy will receive a major blow by the dint of war. switching economic power to military prowess will have horrendous repercussions on its growing might. though the Usa will not engage in direct military confrontation, it maneuvers to get rival powers engaged in costly wars to prevent its own decline through arresting the rise of other potential peers. as an illustration, it happened during the World Wars of the 20th century as the Usa maintained a policy of isolation for sometime, but it provided belligerent powers with arms and ammunition to fight. Hence, the Usa preserved its energy that enabled it to be the global dominant power after the wars. similarly, the twin crises— Ukraine and taiwan— will be a blessing in disguise for the Usa. the Usa will not protect taiwan militarily, but supply arms and ammunition to the taiwanese army to fight its own battle as the Ukrainian army is doing against Russia. it is a deliberate Us policy to provoke China to use force against taiwan and the Usa will help taiwan to get independence. it will be a fool’s errand for taiwan if it tries to clash with China just for the strategic objectives of the Usa. However, geopolitical tensions of great powers are sometimes opportunities for smaller powers to cash in on the opportunity of great power rivalry to attain their national interests. But such a chance strikes only once in a bluethemoon.Us-China tensions have abominable ramifications on global peace and stability. the Ukraine crisis and the covid-19 pandemic have already sent the world economy in shambles, and another crisis in the taiwan strait will aggravate the situation. in addition to this, cooperation on ecological degradation, nuclear proliferation, pandemics, and global inequality will be unattainable in a confrontational environment. Both powers should resolve their differences through deft diplomacy and dialogue.
amjeD jaaveD Taiwan—a flashpoint Ukraine, Taiwan? back to our roots A day of introspection
Dr Shoaib baloch 06-07 Comments 14th August 2022_Layout 1 8/14/2022 1:25 AM Page 1
2022 COMMENT
Arbitrary bans on the media can’t be defended Nothing new in speech
“If you don’t stick to your values when they’re being tested, they’re not values; they’re hobbies.”
Going
Courting the Dragon
07 Sunday, 14 August, 2022 COMMENT
Given the apprehension of the opposition leader in his presser against the arrest of his confidante; about the rise of Taliban in the tribal belt, the state needs to come clean during these trying times Fast forward to 2008 when in the aftermath of the Lal Masjid fiasco in July 2007, the Pakistani security forces came under the hardest onslaught ever from any group militant or otherwise in its 75 years history. To refresh readers; enough resources on the web can point out how the Pakistan Air Force Mirages strafed the Baloch tribal rebels in the 1973 to 1977 period; while the reprisals were almost nil.
DOLAT CHANDANIMITHI
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
Poor internet speed in Tharparkar tHaRPaRkaR district is spread over 19,638 square kilometres with a population of approximately one million. it has seven talukas; Chachro, Diplo, Mithi, nagarparkar, Dhali, islamkot and kaloi, together having about 2,500 small and large villages. High-speed and quality internet service is no more a luxury in a highpaced globalised and digitalised world where today most of our tasks are done in the virtual domain. the developing countries have been progressing in the field of science and technology. Embarrassingly, when the world community is exploring and deliberating about possibility of life on Mars, we are still struggling to provide quality and equitable education, and fast and smooth internet service. after learning information technology (it) and other such skills, freelancers in tharparkar are selling their skills in the international market via various online marketplaces while using the internet. Woefully, despite having potential to grow, these emerging freelancers and other people often feel frustrated when they face poor internet service. Owing to this situation, it takes 5-10 minutes to send even messages and downloading stuff on Whatsapp, voice and video calls are interrupted, while it takes several minutes to make a simple search on Google. While people in this part of the country have been facing a myriad of issues for long, and freelancing has given them hope in this frustrating environment, slow internet has been compounding their problems. although two cellular service providers in the area are offering packages at high rates to their customers, they provide poor quality internet service across tharparkar. as a result, subscribed packages go in vain, while telecommunication companies earn windfall profits. in these testing times when there are hardly any job opportunities, selling skills online is a ray of hope for the freelancers. On the other hand, the government can also bring in foreign currency into the country by facilitating tharparkar’s freelance community when the country is already short of foreign reserves.
Sufferings of the honest DaDU used to be famous for its political and social activism. But, like rest of sindh and the whole of Pakistan, this social and political activism has gradually waned, and has been replaced by opportunism and greed. the marginalised people’s rights were protected by politically conscious and socially active workers and groups from the powerful nexus of the feudals and the official machinery. since the 1990s, power politics has been impacting upon central leadership of political parties and trickling down to the local leadership and workers. With rare exceptions, everybody wants position, power and wealth. the masses have suffered, and this suffering has been intensifying with the passage of time. in this milieu, different corrupt and criminal mafias emerged and they have now become movers and shakers of the system. these mafias have strong political links and backing, and they fiercely resist any public servant’s action to perform his/her duty honestly. transfer of government officers is common and considered normal practice all around the world, including sindh and the other parts of the country. But, the frequency of transfers is almost alarming in Dadu. two kinds of officers get transferred. there are those who do the biding of the powerful political and feudal quarters and when the situation deteriorates to unmanageable levels due to public discontent, these mafiafriendly officers are transferred to assuage public anger. But the officers transferred to other districts get rewarded with promotions and perks. the other category is of those who resist all temptations and pressure, and work according to the rules of the game. they take on the mafia and make their lives difficult. this kind of officers become popular among the public. But when the same officers are punished for their public service and honesty, the poor working class is unable to protect them from the wrath of the powerful status quo, as working people have no organised setup or time to stand up in support of such officers. One such officer is senior superintendent of police who became a victim of the criminal mafia. Before he was posted in Dadu, crime of every nature was rampant. However, within months of his posting, he brought normality and restored public confidence in law. Perhaps the reason behind his purported transfer might be the mafia and criminal gangs that were finding it hard to continue with their nefarious activities. thus, it is strongly speculated that those powerful political masters of the criminal mafia might have been behind the transfer of the said police officer. What is missing is an active and responsible citizenry which in the past used to strongly protest against the transfer of public-friendly officers. Only a few posts in his support on social media would hardly develop a level of public pressure that might compel the powers that be to rethink and stop transferring honest officers simply for being honest.
06-07 Comments 14th August 2022_Layout 1 8/14/2022 1:25 AM Page 2
KHAULAKARACHIOWAIS
Naqi akbar The TTP returns to Swat
Editor’s mail
GULSHER PANHWERJOHI Artificial crisis BaCk in the day when karachi was the capital of Pakistan, broad and tidy roads used to snake across the city. as time passed, things deteriorated, and, today, karachi is an entirely different city. it seems that the city’s well-wishers have gone. Vanishing pavements, roads with potholes, dug-up streets and garbage everywhere are some of the trademark characteristics of today’s karachi where the number of road accidents are increasing all the time, but hardly anyone in a position of authority seems to be bothered by it all. Close to where i live, a number of roads have been dug up for some time. at first, everybody was excited about some kind of renovation as gigantic white pipes were placed by the roadside. However, after more than two weeks, people were tired of taking long jumps over the ditches into their buildings, and, of course, the car-owners were tired of parking their cars in other societies. a few days later, the labourers also vanished. a nearby street that carries immense importance to everyone was also tunnelled. there is a clinic, a rickshaw stand, a general store and a roadside vendor. the street is a busy one and cars are usually parked on both sides. i appreciate this project of renewing the sewerage lines, but it needs to proceed at some decent pace. Why is it so hard for the authorities to realise that one street should be dug at a time. all we can do now is to hope that the labourers would come back and, instead of digging new holes, would fill up holes and level the streets.
P akistan’s history is witness to the hard fact that whenever the political processes are animated; it is the civil society which suffers at the hand of the state and the state institutions. When such a vacuum is created by pushing out of the scene a select band of political forces which do not seem to agree with the managers of the state; than it is natural that forces which are pressure groups are given more weightage. Research into the historical developments suggests that even the so-called “home rule” category civilian set-ups tolerated by the dominant powers, it has been the pressure groups which have stolen the show due to the nod from the real powers.as the Pakistani media, intelligentsia and the civil society see with helplessness the emergence of taliban in swat under the banner of the tehrik taliban Pakistan; one must not lose sight of the fact that it was the PPP under Benazir Bhutto in 1993, which gave the tehrik nifaz shariat Muhammadi (tnsM) under sufi Muhammad the required legitimacy by accepting its demands for the enforcement of shariat in the specific areas of then nWFP. that arrangement continued till 9/11. it was in fact the developments post 9/11, specifically the Us campaign in afghanistan against the then taliban government; when the tnsM issued a Fatwa and encouraged people to cross over the Durand line to aid the crumbling taliban regime; which prompted the then military government to reverse that movement’s fortunes. sufi was arrested and released only when he had supposedly renounced violence. However, it should be a matter of inquiry for the students of political science and history that while the Musharraf regime had hard stances against the political forces of that time; it was tolerating before 9/11 not just the afghan taliban; but also, tnsM. Despite the famous volte face of allowing airspace access to the Usa, it was still tolerating that local outfit; until it proved to be an utter embarrassment for the Pakistani state after 7 October 2001, the start of the Us campaign in Fastafghanistan.forward to 2008 when in the aftermath of the Lal Masjid fiasco in July 2007, the Pakistani security forces came under the hardest onslaught ever from any group militant or otherwise in its 75 years history. to refresh readers; enough resources on the web can point out how the Pakistan air Force Mirages strafed the Baloch tribal rebels in the 1973 to 1977 period; while the reprisals were almost nil. similarly, in the follow-up of akbar Bugti unceremonious killing, again by involving the aviation resources, the outcome were not retaliatory attacks, rather the security forces, in a bid to preempt, resorted to extrajudicial killings. the ttP onslaught post-Lal Masjid was indiscriminate; with the religious group showing utter disregard of the very dictates of islam tha they claimed to represent; attacking civilian targets along with security itforces.isequally ironic that in 2009; talks again started with the ttP people under the socalled will to mainstream them. it was not before that the military establishment rightly thought that time for negotiations was up; a full-fledged operation with air and ground resources was launched. Without doubt it was a carefully planned operation where hand-to-hand combat with militants was planned meticulously.Withsuch operations undertaken, the danger of retaliation was always there. the fall of 2014 and the aPs attack convinced the key decision makers within the power corridors in Rawalpindi that the idea of mainstreaming them was in fact an exercise in futility.the military campaigns of 2009 and 2014 were helpful in cleansing the areas of the scourge of extremist militancy. there were sporadic attacks which are part and parcel of the “cooling” period after neutralization of militant movements. During the same period; the rise of isis the world over did gave Muslim societies around the globe, few uncomfortable moments. Pakistan had its taste in the form of ismaili shias massacred in karachi.However, the intelligence-based efforts were fruitful in avoidance of any similar massacre hitting the asna ashari shia Muslims; whom incidentally the international militant group was battling in the syrian and iraqi hand-to-hand combat theatres during much of the 2014 to 2018Givenperiod.the fact that the situation was very much under control in the tribal belts since then, the rise of the taliban and their almost walk-over into many places in swat has raised alarm with the civil society circles as well as the inhabitants of the area. the ttP presence in Matta in swat, there arresting the Pakistani security forces and the tribal Jirga facilitating the release of these men is a development, which has the potential to send shivers into the spines of any concerned Pakistani. the biggest question mark here is, whether these incursions are part of the give and take between the ttP and the established order. Just a week ago Mufti taqi Usmani was in afghanistan meeting the ttP and specifically khorasani. though the state was silent on the outcome of the dialogue, the drone attack killing khorasani and the return of taliban in swat and their accommodation into the Jirga setup raises questions as well as skepticism.itwouldnot be out of context to suspect; or fear that the regime of “good” and “bad” taliban is again gaining currency in Pakistan. the episode; the way it is treated by the established order with complete repulsion to explain to the bewildered public, what is actually happening in Dir and thereswat.can be two logical explanations. Either the state is too weak or preoccupied with political war gaming to look into that aspect. the other can be the silent mainstreaming of the group without any political debate or discourse at the parliamentary level. in the past, despite the dominance of the established order in the ‘home’ rule category political governments, Parliament has been kept in the loop in one way or another, especially under the banner of the special committee on Defence. the political chaos has in fact exposed the state to a threat which can plunge the country into a crisis which is ill affordable in the current circumstances. the accommodation of taliban in a phased manner by the Usa, the changed body language of taliban with groups in afghanistan; whom they suppressed during their last rule in 19962001 period, and the renewed vigour in the somewhat half-dead ttP are not good omens for the already shaken polity and society of Pakistan. another point of concern is while the rabid militant groups have been accommodated a number of times in the post 1971 Pakistan, the state was shy in talking to East Pakistanis, or the other federating units when there was any point of contest between the centre and the unit in question. Given the political history of the country, where such pressure groups are manipulated by the state to neutralize the political opposition to the system, such groups with their singular strategy of threat can help the establishment neutralize any political group, which dares to violate the lines drawn by the established order. Given the apprehension of the opposition leader in his presser against the arrest of his confidante; about the rise of taliban in the tribal belt, the state needs to come clean during these trying times. Failure to do the needful can only help widen the gulf between the public on the street which is already alienated. any unabashed accommodation of the group which has blood of so many Pakistanis on their hands is nothing short on an insult to the countless martyrs and their aggrieved dear ones. The writer is a freelance columnist
Sunday, 14 August, 2022 08 WORLD VIEW
Like most major crises, the war is shedding stark light on our era, and India’s response to it is particularly illuminating. India’s current foreign policy does more than just exemplify how the conflict has intensified deglobalisation trends. It also highlights the paradox inherent in the country’s increasing emphasis on “strategic autonomy” as the world fragments into rival power centers: the United States and its alliance system versus China and its major satellite, Russia. The essence of this paradox is that India’s quest for self-reliance – keeping its distance from the principals of Cold War 2.0 and seeking advantage from diverse relationships – entails multidimensional international engagement. For example, European politicians painfully weaning their countries off imported Russian energy have criticised India for buying more Russian oil – after Western sanctions reduced its price by about a third relative to the world market price. Indian purchases of Russian crude increased to 1.1 million barrels per day (mbpd) by late July and now account for over one-fifth of Indian oil consumption, compared to just 2% last year. The standard official Indian response is that, despite Europe’s extensive sanctions, the continent’s energy trade with Russia still dwarfs India’s. More tellingly, however, India’s purchases of discounted Russian oil are not only cushioning the blow to itself as a poor energyimporting country, but also helping to prevent even more economic pain for Europe. If the 4.3 mbpd of crude oil that Russia sold to the West last year (or six mbpd including oil products) had no alternative markets like India, the world oil price would be even higher. Recognising the importance of keeping Russian oil on the market, the G7 has now come up with an alternative sanctions strategy that could present India with its next big test. The West’s Plan A was to combine, by the end of 2022, a partial embargo on direct imports of Russian oil with an attempt to choke off Russian oil exports to third countries by leveraging Western (and especially British) dominance of the global marine insurance market. Plan B is the so-called “price cap” mechanism. This would allow Russia to continue exporting oil but set a maximum price just sufficient to cover its production costs, thereby depriving the Russian state of any war-financing rent. When the price cap scheme was first officially aired at the G7 summit in June, several leaders, notably German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, publicly questioned its viability – especially regarding compliance by third-party buyers of Russian oil. Even if Russia agreed to the cap, who would get access to its deeply discounted oil, and who would pay the full market rate? Russia would be much more likely simply to reduce output, hoping to offset its losses with the resulting further price surge for whatever residual oil exports evaded the Western insurance net. Either way, India will be in a pivotal position. While Russia’s opaque oil sales to China will continue regardless, India can look forward to various arbitrage opportunities. It will continue importing substantial quantities of Russian oil at ever cheaper prices. And in the event that such imports weakened Western measures to squeeze Russia’s oil rents, the US would be unlikely to threaten – much less impose – secondary sanctions on India. After all, successive US administrations – under Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden – have refrained from using their legal powers under existing legislation to place secondary sanctions on India for continuing to buy Russian weapons. The reason for this is clear: A closer security partnership with India has become a vital part of America’s China policy. Specifically, the Quad –an informal security grouping comprising the US, Japan, Australia, and India – has emerged as a cornerstone of US Indo-Pacific strategy, and would not survive the US sanctioning one of its members. Of course, the US-India security relationship is mutual, given the live Chinese threat to Indian territory along the Himalayan Line of Actual Control – as the deadly June 2020 border skirmish showed. But India’s fear of China also implies a strategic dimension to its ties with Russia that goes well beyond opportunistic oil and arms purchases. India has an interest in keeping Russia close and not allowing a monolithic and estranged Russia-China Eurasian axis to loom over the Indian subcontinent.India is playing this multifaceted game adroitly. In defense procurement, it has acquired advanced Russian S-400 air-defense systems and agreed to extend until 2031 the licensed local production of Russian weapons. But it has also increased arms purchases from NATO members, notably France. Moreover, India has ample options for managing broader US sensitivities vis-à-vis Russia. For example, Russia urgently needs to replace industrial inputs that it previously imported from the West. This could provide further opportunities for Indian exports, which are already a third higher than their pre-pandemic level, owing in part to the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat (“selfreliant India”) stimulus program for manufacturing. Increased Indian pharmaceutical and automotive exports to Russia need not involve military support of the kind that has already led the US to sanction various Chinese electronics manufacturers, as announced on June 28. India’s relations with Russia are part of its nuanced and multidimensional foreign policy. This approach means that the upcoming 75th anniversary of Indian independence will coincide with the country achieving significant – and advantageous – geopolitical autonomy.
08 WORLD VIEW 14th August 22_Layout 1 8/13/2022 11:01 PM Page 1
Sushanta Mallick is Professor of International Finance at Queen Mary University of London. Brigitte Granville is Professor of International Economics and Economic Policy at Queen Mary University of London and the author of What Ails France? (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2021).
Kolkata and partition: Between remembering and forgetting PROJecT SynDicaTe sushanta MallIck and BrIgItte granvIlle
SUCCESSIVE US ADMINISTRATIONS – UNDER PRESIDENTS DONALD TRUMP AND JOE BIDEN – HAVE REFRAINED FROM USING THEIR LEGAL POWERS UNDER EXISTING LEGISLATION TO PLACE SECONDARY SANCTIONS ON INDIA FOR CONTINUING TO BUY RUSSIAN WEAPONS
Daily JSTOR IstI Bhattacharya
What does IndIa Want from russIa?
IN WEST BENGAL’S CAPITAL CITY, SUPPRESSING THE PAINFUL HISTORY OF THE 1947 PARTITION ALLOWS FOR THE CELEBRATION OF MOMENTS OF ENDURANCE AND SUCCESS
I F there was a prize for the most quotable comment on international relations so far in 2022, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar would be in the running. Responding to criticism of his country’s neutral stance on the RussiaUkraine war at a security forum in Slovakia in June, Jaishankar said that “Europe has to grow out of the mindset that Europe’s problems are the world’s problems, but the world’s problems are not Europe’s problems.”
I n Netaji Nagar, a neighborhood in South Kolkata, stands a sculpture of three striding figures clutching possessions. One of them carries a child on a shoulder. Below the figures is a plaque bearing these words in Bangla, “Bastur tagide srishtir karigor, tomaderi srishti ajker ei nogor” (Compelled to create a home you became the creators of today’s city). Netaji Nagar was one of the many refugee colonies that came up in Kolkata after India was partitioned in 1947. Based on religion, the so-called Radcliffe line divided the Indian subcontinent into Muslim-majority Pakistan and Hindu-majority India, creating two independent nations. India retained the central part of the subcontinent, its mass dividing Pakistan into two provinces, West and East, separated by some 1,000 miles. The former (Indian) State of Bengal was partitioned in the process as well. The eastern part became the province of East Pakistan (which then became the independent nation of Bangladesh in 1971); Bengal’s western region remained with India, forming the state of West Bengal, with Calcutta (now Kolkata) as its capital city. What followed the 1947 Partition(s) was one of the biggest migrations in history as entire communities, suddenly finding themselves a minority, fled across borders— Muslims in India left for both provinces of Pakistan and Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan moved to India. Communal violence in the nascent countries forced many families to leave their homes and belongings overnight to face an uncertain future in a new nation. In India, the states of West Bengal, Assam, and Punjab witnessed people crossing the border in large numbers. In all, more than 15 million people were displaced due to the division. Stoked by its depiction in movies and books, interest in Partition has gradually grown. More recently, efforts by organizations such as the 1947 Partition Archive, Museum of Shadows of Partition, and Partition Museum, Amritsar have involved youth and first-generation migrants in documenting the event and its aftermath. Through their exploration of individual narratives and material culture, these organizations have shaped how we remember the past. In Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal, certain segments of the complex history and layered trauma of the partition are overlooked while others are celebrated. After 1947, Kolkata grew rapidly along its northern and southern fringes to accommodate the population rise caused by migration from East Pakistan. The second phase of struggle began for immigrants as they attempted to secure a place for themselves in the crowded city. Many refugees settled illegally, occupying fallow lands and empty buildings overnight and resisting police attempts to dislodge them. Scuffles broke out between squatters and thugs hired by local landlords to oust the former from their properties. The state government, which favored the landlord’s right to the land, overlooked these conflicts and claimed that West Bengal was already overcrowded, with no space to re-home refugees. In a letter to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Bidhan Roy, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, rued that the money allocated for refugee rehabilitation in West Bengal was “‘insignificant’ compared to what has been spent for refugees from West Pakistan.” Hence, refugees took it upon themselves to find shelter in the city. Refugees had literally filled up every empty space in and around the big towns, particularly in the great metropolis of Kolkata, occupying every tiny piece of vacant land they could find, whether on pavements or the ‘set-asides’ along the runways of airfields, in empty houses, on snakeinfested marsh and scrubland, and even on the unsanitary verges of sewers and railway tracks. This consolidated metropolitan Kolkata, previously a cluster of discrete urban settlements, into a single, gigantic, and chaotic megalopolis. Prafulla Chakrabarti posits that the lack of food and shelter drove refugees to conduct satyagraha (nonviolent resistance) at prominent locations in the city. Their hope was to get arrested so that they could receive two square meals a day in jail.
MEMORIALIZING PARTITION: Seventy-five years after Partition, the struggles of refugees after arriving in Kolkata remain absent from memorializing acts in popular culture. What is also forgotten is that many Muslim farmers and landowners were ousted from their homes in South Kolkata by refugees. Nehru was apprehensive that the economy of West Bengal would collapse if refugees continued to trickle in. On August 25, 1948, he wrote to Bidhan Roy, stating that “everything should be done to prevent Hindus in East Bengal from migrating to West Bengal. If that happened on a mass scale it would be a disaster of the first magnitude.” Nehru was also concerned that mass migration would prompt Muslims to leave the country, undermining the new nation’s efforts at secularity. The Inter-Dominion Agreement, signed between India and Pakistan in 1948, set up minority boards and evacuee property management boards to reassure minority communities to stay back in their homes or return if they had already migrated. A provision in the Delhi Pact of 1950 denied Hindu East Bengali refugees the right to claim ownership of properties left by Muslim evacuees in West Bengal. Refugees could temporarily live on these sites until the owners returned. Many Muslim evacuees did return to West Bengal only to find their homes occupied by refugees. Historian Romola Sanyal points out that lands on the southern fringes of Kolkata, where a large number of East Bengali refugees settled, belonged to Muslim landowners and poor peasants. From Sanyal’s interviews with immigrants, it emerges that there was a constant negotiation for space between refugees and Muslim landowners which in some cases resulted in Muslims being forced to leave their homes. One interviewee mentions that Muslims were “chased” out of their homes by refugees, and he had a friend who would loot Muslim homes. Sanyal notes that the history of forced occupation of land is not widely known because the illegal possession by refugees was legitimized by the anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan feelings raging high at the time. The reluctance of Sanyal’s interviewees to speak on the topic also points out the unease in acknowledging a past mired in the twilight zone of legality-illegality and victim-perpetrator. Memorialization of Partition has a specific character in Kolkata. There is a sense of loss prompted by the permanent estrangement from the desh, or homeland. At the same time, an underlying pride prevails in immigrants’ successes in consolidating their presence and shaping the city’s topography. The sculpture at Netaji Nagar echoes this sentiment. South Kolkata owes its rapid urbanization to the refugee population that settled there. Journalist and photographer Nazes Afroz’s 2018 photo exhibition, “Uncertain Landscape: Refugee Memories of Kolkata,” depicts the fastpaced urban development in that part of the city. The photographs, showing a then-and-now juxtaposition of streets and people, reveal how the economic conditions of refugees have improved as thatch-roofed homes have transformed into concrete multi-storied houses and shops have replaced empty lots and trees. Today, property rates in South Kolkata are the highest in the city. Areas like Jodhpur Park and Bijoygarh, which were vacant US Army barracks after World War II, are now studded with renowned educational institutions, boutiques, and shopping malls. Sanyal’s interviewees speak of converting jungles and empty lands into habitable spaces. Notions of illegal occupation of land undermine the legitimacy of living in the city and serve as a reminder of a time when refugees were unwanted in a space that they eventually contributed toward immensely. Yet, the tumultuous years following Partition have organically lingered on in the city’s present. Names of places such as Azadgarh (Fort of Freedom), Bijoygarh (Fort of Victory), and Bikramgarh (Fort of Glory) in South Kolkata hearken back to the skirmishes of refugees against the police and local goons (garh means “fort” in Bangla and Hindi). Following Partition, parts of the city became metaphorical forts that refugees needed to protect and claim as their own. Refugee colonies such as Bagha Jatin Colony, Gandhi Colony, and Netaji Nagar, named after revered Indian freedom fighters Jatindranath Mukherjee, Mahatma Gandhi, and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose respectively, emphasized refugee participation in the freedom struggle and a history of attachment to the country. The urban landscape of Kolkata reflects refugee aspirations to memorialize fragments from a ruptured past in a new place. The numerous shops that bear names of places in Bangladesh, such as Comilla Optic House, Faridpur Stores, Khulna Stationary Mart, Dhaka Biriyani House, and Restaurant, East Bengal Sweets, reflect an attempt to commemorate the desh. Food is a major element of East Bengali identity, expressing the nostalgia for the desh. East Bengali immigrants and indigenous residents of West Bengal, popularly called “Bangals” and “Ghotis” respectively, have distinct cooking styles that have been a topic of frequent discussions in parlors, books, and newspapers. Jovial rivalry over cooking skills has replaced the once fierce competition between the two communities over jobs. In The Hour of the Goddess, Chitrita Banerji aptly summarizes these tiffs, noting The Ghoti trademark was the discernible sweet undertaste in the complex vegetable preparations that Bengal is famed for. To most Bangals, however, it was anathema. Ghotis, they said, were sissies, sweetening dishes that were meant to be hot, spicy, salty. If you want a sweet taste, why not eat dessert? In return, the Ghotis would sneer at the Bangals predilection for chillies and rich, oily sauces that deadened the palate and left no room for subtle tastes. Food businesses in Kolkata have been quick to comprehend that nostalgia creates its own market. In 2019, 6 Ballygunge Place, a renowned restaurant in the city, hosted a Bangladeshi Fish Festival for three weeks. Most of the dishes on offer bore names of places in Bangladesh, such as Sylheti Shorshe Ilish (Sylhet Mustard Hilsa), Chattogrami Chingri (Chattogram Prawn), Mymonsinghi Magur (Mymensingh Catfish), and Pabnai Puti Bhaja (Pabna Fried Barb), reinforcing the distinct cooking styles of the land. Choturdoshpodi, a familyowned business opened during the COVID-19 pandemic, cooks and delivers fourteen types of bhortas, a spicy Bangladeshi dish made with mashed vegetables and meat, to customers’ homes. A conscious remembrance of the desh is accompanied by a simultaneous process of suppressing harrowing memories of Partition. Oral narratives of East Bengali refugees expose the intense communal violence that tore apart the fabric of social relations as neighbors and friends turned against one another, and families watched family members get killed. In this context of collective suffering, the act of forgetting helps to deal with memories that are too painful to remember. Manas Ray, a second-generation immigrant, reminisced about his neighborhood in Netaji Nagar that became an education or “shiksha factory” at night as voices of children loudly reading emanated from every other household. Refugees perceived knowledge and hard work as a gateway to eking out a respectable living and life in Kolkata. While palpable ties to the desh remain suspended in the past, the city still forms an integral part of the everyday life of immigrants. Memories of a time when refugees were unwanted outsiders in competition with locals over land, jobs, and other necessities have a greater continuity with the present and are, therefore, forgotten in favor of nostalgia for a utopic homeland frozen in time.
On Friday, August 12, State Bank, in collaboration with the PTA and UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), formally unveiled the mass media campaign for the AMA. The mass media campaign is expected to play a crucial role in spreading digital financial inclusion among all, especially among the low-income segments and women with mobile phones who may not have access to the internet and wish to have a simpler way to avail financial services. Moreover, AMA Scheme will be a perfect conduit to onboard women customer segments as Pakistani women face distinct obstacles in accessing formal financial services due to mobility and documentation hassles. Currently, there are 13 branchless banking (BB) provider banks available on AMA platform. Customers can open bank accounts instantaneously in any of the given bank and conduct transactions available on the AMA Platform.
“I am grateful to eU and the ITC for investing in the region to improve the business environment and strengthen agricultural value chains in the target districts,” Mr Barech said and added further that it will improve access to finance for agri-based SMes and boost the trend of entrepreneurship in the far-flung areas in Balochistan. Ms Roshan Khursheed Bharucha, Chairperson PPAF, termed GRASP a unique intervention and said that it would not only bring a positive change in the respective communities but also expected to usher in an era of broader development of the province through bringing revolution in the agricultureMr.sector.Jahanzeb Khan GRASP Provincial Lead Balochistan highlighting the significance of GRASP project said that Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMes) make up the bulk of businesses in Pakistan. To achieve broad, sustainable economic growth, these firms must grow and create jobs for the increasing workforce. he further added that these Matching Grants are part of a strategic approach aimed to uplift the SMes through gender mainstreaming, policy shift, access to finance, networking, capacity building and product improvement programs.
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) had after completing the mandatory requirements to be eligible for WFME recognition of its Accreditation Program applied to WFME to initiate the process. In the first step WFME after assessing the PMC’s application has approved its eligibility for WFME recognition of PMC as an accrediting body and its Accreditation program. PMC and WFME will now coordinate to schedule the visit of WFME’s international assessors who will undertake a site visit of Pakistan to inspect the PMC and its entire regulatory systems as well as physically inspecting multiple colleges recognized by PMC. The entire process including physical site assessment and inspection is expected to be completed within 12 months and certainly before 2024. WFME recognition of PMC and its Accreditation Program will enable all colleges recognized and accredited by PMC to be considered as WFME accredited and graduates of these colleges licensed by PMC would have the ability to train and work in the USA and internationally without any restriction. Currently Pakistan Medical Commission and the Sri Lankan Medical Council are the only two medical regulators in South Asia who have been found eligible by WFME for its recognition process. PMC will be launching next week an extensive National Recognition Program for the WFME recognition focusing on assisting all medical colleges in capacity building so as to ensure every college meets the new 2022 Accreditation Standards which are key to the WFME recognition. In addition Pakistani doctors association in the USA, APPNA, has agreed to provide its continued support to PMC to achieve the WFME recognition with its members providing their time and resources to assist in the national program being launched by PMC. PMC has been striving to complete the mandatory requirements and develop the standards as per not only WFME standards but also on international best practices and ensuring that medical education is put on a path of constant improvement and attaining internationally recognized quality as well as ensuring that Pakistan’s medical education and doctors are duly recognized internationally.
SBP allowS oPening of moBile account
12 outlaws pickpocketsincludinggangbusted
Rs27m handed out to 42 SMEs for lifting business potential
Pakistan exported $610m agricultural products to China in 1H22 wfme declares Pakistan medical commission eligible for recognition
The solution has been developed through collaboration of SBP, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), 13 Branchless Banking (BB) Providers, all Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) and Virtual Remittance Gateway (VRG), a financial technology company. For AMA, the branchless banking providers and cellular mobile operators are collaborating under the Third Party Service Provider (TPSP) regulations to deliver an interoperable platform, allowing any Pakistani to open an account with a bank. VRG, which is the only company dually licensed by the PTA and SBP, created its own USSD platform under the license aimed at providing access to the financial services to millions of unbanked Pakistanis, enabling them to reach banking services from any type of phone, without 3G, 4G, WiFi or Internet. During its extended pilot phase, VRG had more than 1 million people open their AMA accounts, and conducted over 11 million bank transactions worth over Rs6 billion through this channel. VRG now has approval for a commercial launch. The launch of AMA means that the customers would be able to open and operate their accounts in the comfort of their homes, without having to visit the branches, with any of the participating branchless banking providers, the central said.
09NEWS Sunday 14 August, 2022 | ISLAMABAD corporate corner
pr PPaf releases Rs250m for flood emergency response
ISLAMABAD: With over 50,000 households affected by the intense floods in the ongoing season, the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) allocated Rs250 million for Flood Emergency Relief Programme to provide immediate life-saving assistance in the worst affected districts. An estimated 115,000 people in need will benefit across 8 districts in all four provinces from the humanitarian response. The relief package will include a diversity of need-based interventions including temporary shelters, food ration packs, hygiene kits, water purification tablets, medical supplies, livestock vaccination and other items of need for the flood victims. PPAF will work with its local partners organisations already present in the affected areas to deliver the emergency response. Explaining rationale of the response, PPAF Chief Operating Officer Nadir Gul Barech said, “PPAF has always been at the forefront of relief and rehabilitation efforts and has benefited over 11.6 million people over the years during the 2005 earthquake, the 2010 floods and COVID-19 pandemic. Recongising the immediacy of the challenge of intense floods and staying true to our mission, we are now responding to this crisis in worst-hit areas of Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by releasing immediate assistance through our network of partner organisations in the field. “I urge the donor community to support us in scaling up the response and reaching more families with immediate life-saving assistance. Working together and playing on our mutual strengths, we have the potential to overcome this difficult situation and restore lives and livelihoods for those most vulnerable.”
While addressing the ceremony which coincided with 75th Independence Day celebrations of Pakistan, Mir Jan Muhammad Jamali said that Balochistan Government was committed to uplift the living standards of the people across the province. "The Provincial government believes that efforts that are aimed to contribute to this cause need to be encouraged at every level," he Jamaliadded.further said that the grants issued to beneficiaries under GRASP would play a pivotal role to promote agri-businesses and thus lead to overall socio-economic development of Balochistan. he appreciated the european Union for funding the GRASP project which was a unique initiative for sustainable ruralNadirdevelopment.GulBarech, PPAF COO, while talking about PPAF’s mission to serve the underserved regions of the country said, “I’m confident that GRASP project will be a game-changer as we work in 10 districts of Balochistan to enable market growth in the most vulnerable areas and generate employment opportunities for the poorest communities.”
Mr. Abdullah Khan, Secretary Planning and Development Balochistan, lauded eU and implementing partners including ITC, PPAF, and FAO, especially to establish and maintain excellent coordination with the government’s line departments during the implementation on the project. DG livestock Dr Kamran Akhter, Secretary Women Development Sikandar Shah, Director environment Balochistan were also present on the Shortlistingoccasion.ofthe grantees included partnership with the UN agencies, including UN-ITC and UN-FAO, and PPAF through leveraging upon their organisational resources to support the beneficiaries. Preference was given to progressive businesses which pitched innovative, smart, and competitive proposals.
The project is governed by three steering committees: One at the national level led by the Government of Pakistan and two at the provincial level led by the governments of Balochistan and Sindh. Key stakeholders include producers, agricultural service providers, small and medium-sized enterprises, policy makers and consumers.
The SBP launched Asaan Mobile Account scheme in December 2021 in collaboration with PTA. As per SBP statistics, since the soft launch of the scheme, more than 3.3 million accounts have been opened, while 6.1 million financial transactions worth Rs40.5 billion have been conducted so far.
Chinese customs statistics, she said Chinese investors are also investing more and more in Pakistan's agricultural sector. Both countries are conducting agricultural cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative. To further enhance agricultural cooperation and food security, “We should make the most of the complementary factors of production in agriculture of both countries,” Rabbia Nasir said. For example, she added, Pakistan can contribute a friendly policy of affordable production factors, abundant agricultural products and investment in food processing. And China can share experience with Pakistan in training, agricultural modernization, cold chain technology, logistics, seed technology, agricultural demonstration areas, etc. As per data from World economic Forum, the global food security challenge is straightforward: by 2050, the world must feed 9 billion people. The demand for food will be much greater than it is today. The United Nations has set “ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture” as the second of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the year 2030. To achieve these objectives, as Rabbia Nasir put it, requires addressing a host of issues, from gender parity and ageing demographics to skills development and global warming. “Agriculture sectors have to become more productive by adopting efficient business models and forging public-private partnerships.Andthey need to become sustainable by addressing greenhouse gas emissions, water use and waste,” she explained. Moreover, countries must work together through bilateral and multilateral cooperation. The 2022 China Seed Congress and the Nanfan Agricultural Silicon Valley Forum held in Sanya, hainan, China has brought together more than 2,000 scientists, experts and field workers from different countries to discuss challenges and breakthrough solutions for high quality and green development of the seed Factorsindustry.ofproduction in agriculture of Pakistan and China can be complementary to each other, said Rabbia Nasir. “Both countries need to strengthen cooperation in agriculture and food security to achieve a win-win solution,” Rabbia Nasir added. As good neighbors and all-weather strategic cooperative partners, Pakistan and China have been working together to ensure food security with food as one of the major sources of trade between the two countries.
QUETTA staff report
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Capital Police apprehended 12 criminals including five members of a pickpockets gang and recovered two stolen motorbikes, cellphone, cash, hashish, heroin and weapons from their possession, a police public relations officer said. He said that Islamabad capital police had categorically started a crackdown against criminal elements in order to save the precious life and property of citizens. According to the details, the Shalimar police team under the supervision of SP Saddar used the latest technology and human resources and arrested five members of the pickpocket gang. Police team also recovered stolen cash and mobile phones from their possession. The accused were identified as gang indentified as Muhammad Asif, Akram Ullah, Sulman, Abdul Ghafar and Ali Muhammad and recovered stolen cashs and mobile phone from their possession. Cases against nominated accused have been registered and further investigation is underway.Similarly, Secretariat police team arrested an accused namely Muhammad Kasar and recovered 115 gram heroin from his possession. Likewise, Aabpara police arrested a drug peddler namely Danyal and recovered 1110 gram heroin from his possession. Lohi Bher police team arrested an accused namely Akhter Muneer Khan and recovered one 32 bore revolver along with ammunition from his possession. Moreover, Khanna police team arrested a bike lifter namely Muhammad Ibrahim and recovered a stolen motorbike from his possession. The Industrial Area police team arrested two bike lifters namely Nadeem Akhter and Jahangir Khan and recovered stolen motorbike and bike lifting tools from their possession. Noon Police team apprehended a drug peddler namely Lal Zamana and recovered 5005 gram hashish from his possession. pr 425 ictP cops to regulate traffic on i-Day
Latest figures released by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) indicate that 580 people have died and 939 have been injured and approximately 50,145 houses have been damaged by the rains and subsequent flashfloods.
Acting Governor Balochistan and Speaker Balochistan Assembly Mir Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali distributed Matching Grants worth PKR27 million for lifting the business potential of 42 small and medium enterprises (SMes) at a ceremony organized by Growth for Rural Advancement and Sustainable Progress (GRASP). The beneficiary SMes were based in Quetta, Pishin, Nushki, Kharan, Khuzdar, Lasbela, Panjgur, Kech, Zhob, and Musakhel.Thedistribution was held under the european Union (eU) funded Growth for Rural Advancement and Sustainable Progress (GRASP) project which was implemented by International Trade Centre (ITC) in partnership with Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) and Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO), on Saturday. The size of the grant varies from PKR 0.5 to 2.5 million based on the business plans shared by the SMes and robust evaluation carried out under the project.
BEIJING agencies Pakistan exported $610 million of agricultural products to China in the first half of 2022, showing an increase of 30.85 percent year on year. Among them, rice exports to China amounted to $345 million. This was stated here by a diplomat in Pakistan embassy Rabbia Nasir, while attending the 2022 China Seed Congress and the Nanfan Agricultural Silicon Valley Forum, according a report carried by GwadarQuotingPro.
pr
ISLAMABAD staff report t heState Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has allowed the opening of Asaan Mobile Account (AMA) for which the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) will provide technical assistance. The AMA platform has been launched under the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) that aims to facilitate general masses, especially the low income segments, to digitally open their BB accounts and use the available financial services in a swift, easy and affordable manner. The AMA aims to address financial exclusion challenges faced by the unbanked segments by providing them an easy, affordable, and digital access to financial services. The AMA can be opened by simply dialing the USSD code *2262# from any mobile phone (smart or simple feature phone) through any mobile network, without the need for internet connectivity. Customers can choose their preferred bank from a list of branchless banking providers and avail of several banking services including fund transfer, deposit, bill payments, mobile top-up, balance inquiry, etc.
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Capital Police (ICTP) has devised a comprehensive plan for traffic arrangements on Independence Day and a total of 425 officers and officials will be deployed for ensuring a smooth flow of traffic in the capital. Following directives of ICT IGP Dr Akbar Nasir Khan, a special plan has been chalked out for smooth traffic flow and safe road environment in the city on Independence Day. A total of 425 officers and officials including SSP, SP, four DSPs and 19 Inspectors will perform their duties on different roads of the city to guide the people as per devised traffic plan. Moreover, 55 police posts would be erected on various avenues including the Srinagar Highway, Islamabad Expressway, Faisal Avenue, Murree Road, 7th & 9th Avenues and Park Road. Special police squads would perform duties at these posts and to ensure strict action against those involved in risky driving or driving vehicles or bikes without silencers and onewheelers. SSP (Traffic) Dr Syed Mustafa Tanweer appealed to the parents to monitor activities of their children and do not allow them for one-wheeling. He said those involved in road stunts would have to face strict action and their vehicles to be also impounded. The officials of ICTP, for guidance of the citizens, would be deployed. Besides this, ICTP radio FM 92.4 would also update the citizens with real time traffic situation. pr
Volunteer firefighters key in France’s fight against wildfires
Labelled by ATS as IS man, family of Azamgarh youth calls it frame-up
INDIA/ VARANASI Agencies
Get pics of homes not hoisting national flag, BJP chief tells supporters DHERADUN, UTTARAKHAND Agencies
He said when there was a food crisis in Afghanistan with a “very extreme demand for wheat,” India supplied them 40,000 tonne of the food grain. Transporting wheat to Afghanistan “was also a very complex diplomatic exercise because we had to persuade the Pakistanis to allow them to go through Pakistan, which we did”, the minister added. The Afghan interim government welcomed the Indian move. “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan welcomes Indian’s step to upgrade its diplomatic representation in Kabul. Besides ensuring security, we will play close attention to the immunity of the diplomats and cooperate well in endeavour,” the spokesperson of Afghan External Affairs Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
PARIS Agencies Volunteer firefighters have been called up from their day jobs all over France this summer to help battle wildfires. “It’s the first year we’ve been summoned so much to help outside” our region, said 23-year-old Victorien Pottier. Volunteer firefighters make up more than threequarters of all the nearly 252,000 firefighters in the country, according to official figures. They have been on the frontline dousing flames this summer as the country tackles a historic drought and a series heatwaves that experts say are being driven by climate change. These have included a huge blaze in the southwestern region of Gironde, which erupted in July and destroyed 14,000 hectares before it was contained. But it continued to smoulder in the tinder-dry pine forests and peat-rich soil, and flared up again this week, burning a further 7,400 hectares. When he is not on duty once every five weeks in the northwestern village of Quelaines-Saint-Gault, Pottier works preparing orders for a large dairy products manufacturer. In southwest France, Alisson Mendes, 36, a sales assistant for a prominent supermarket group, said she went to help fight the massive blaze in Gironde for two days. She said she would be prepared to go back, but thought her chances were slim as she had heard there was a long waiting list of other volunteers hoping to go and help out. “They prioritise those who’ve never been,” she said. France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin on Wednesday called on private companies to free up their volunteer firefighters so they could come and help.
10 FOREIGN NEWS Sunday, 14 August, 2022 ISLAMABAD
DOCUMENTARIES ON PAKISTAN INDEPENDENCE: Four in a series of seven mini-documentaries were released this week on Chinese social media platforms by the Pakistani embassy in China to celebrate the diamond jubilee of Pakistan’s independence, China Economic Net (CEN) reported on Saturday. About two minutes each in duration, the videos explore the rich repertoire of Pakistani foods, handicrafts, festivals and architecture, juxtaposing artistic cooking and handmaking processes with a presentation of culinary delights and hand-made rarities, ranging from basmati rice to carpets and markhor-themed sculptures. Launched on the three popular platforms of Kuaishou, Douyin and Weibo in China, the three clips have grabbed favourable comments and responses from Chinese netizens. “The delicacies make my mouth water! I’d like to visit our brotherly Pakistan when the pandemic ends,” read one comment. “Where can we get those handicrafts? Please share a link for purchase,” said an audience. Another three clips will also be released to equip the Chinese audience with a better understanding of Pakistan, as per an online statement issued by the embassy. Over the years, the Pakistani embassy has organised a wide range of activities to enhance people-to-people bonds between Pakistan and China. Starting from July 2021, the embassy has produced the Discover Batie (or Discover Pakistan) series on Chinese social media platforms, with seven episodes out as of July 2022.
The chief of Bharatiya Janata Party’s Uttarakhand state unit has asked his supporters to click pictures of homes where the Indian flags are not displayed on the occasion of the 75th Independence Day of the country on August Last15. month, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the “Har Ghar Tiranga” campaign asking the citizens to display the Indian flag at their homes from August 13 to August 15. BJP Uttarakhand chief, Mahendra Bhatt, addressing an event in Haldwani said India cannot trust those who do not hoist the national flag. “People won’t see owners of those houses with trust where the tricolour (Indian flag) is not hoisted this Independence Day… Get me photographs of those houses where the tricolour is not hoisted. People would like to see who is a nationalist and who isn’t,” he said. The BJP leader’s remarks triggered sharp condemnation from Opposition parties. Slamming Bhatt’s “silly remark”, Congress leader Ganesh Godiyal said, “Being the state president of a national party, he should think twice before saying something. Currently, I am on a tour to the hills and can see many homes not hoisting the tricolour, maybe due to their difficult financial conditions under the BJP rule.”
President of China-Pakistan Friendship Association, Ambassador Sha Zukang said that Pakistan and China have a long history of friendly relations and both the countries have been helping each other at difficult times. He expressed the confidence that the allweather friendship between the two people would further deepen in future. CEO of Ennova Culture Group, Ms Li Xiaofei welcomed the audience and threw light on the importance of the festival. A number of activities were being organized as a part of this festival, including cultural performances, display of Pakistani products and handicrafts, photo exhibition, children games, and famous Pakistani dishes. A special children art activity to make a large painting symbolizing China-Pakistan friendship was held on the occasion. A Virtual Reality Booth offered virtual tours of Lahore Fort and Lake Saif ul Malook . Two famous movies ‘Parvaz hai Janoon’ and animated movie ‘Allahyar’ and legends of ‘Markhor’ are also being shown at the festival.
India at 75: Dreams of a Hindu nation leave minorities sleepless
Family members of 25-year-old Sabahuddin, who was arrested by India’s Anti-Terror Squad (ATS), has rejected the allegations of terror activities levelled against him saying that he was implicated. A delegation of civil rights group Rihai Manch met Sabahuddin’s brothers Salahuddin and Nuruddin at his residence in Azamagarh’s Amilo town. They told the delegation that their brother is innocent. The ATS claimed that Sabahuddin was working for the terror group IS and was planning to carry out a blast during Indian Independence Day. It also said that he was also planning to target RSS members. Talking about Sabahuddin’s arrests, his family members said that a team of 12-13 people in plainclothes along with a constable came to their house around 9 O’clock on August 3. They inquired about their family members for a long time while Sabahuddin was busy making preparations to contest local elections. The team talked about making Sabahuddin a member of the peace committee in view of the TheMuharram-ul-Haram.familymembersaid that the team interrogated Sabahuddin and carried out searches at his home. Then, they said that one of Sabahuddin’s friends talked with a girl. We are taking Sabahuddin for the interrogation in this regard and will leave him after an hour. Then on 9 August, the family came to know that he was arrested. As per the family, the ATS has taken away the screwdriver, tester, wire-cutter, wire and the nails from his house. The ATS also confiscated the mobile phone of three family members along with Sabahuddin. In its press note on the arrest, the ATS claimed, “We found evidence that Sabahuddin was linked to Telegram channel, AL-SAQR media, which is used by the IS to brainwash Muslim youth for terror and jihad.”
Pakistan Food and Cultural Festival held at Langfang, China
TALIBAn-Led AFGhAn GoVT GeTS de FAcTo recoGnITIon From IndIA
The Hindu priest on the banks of the holy river Ganges spoke softly, but had a threatening message 75 years after the birth of independent India: his religion must be the heart of Indian“Weidentity.must change with time,” said Jairam Mishra. “Now we must cut every hand that is raised against Hinduism.” Hindus make up the overwhelming majority of India’s 1.4 billion people but when Mahatma Gandhi secured its independence from Britain in 1947 it was as a secular, multiculturalNowstate.right-wing calls for the country to be declared a Hindu nation and Hindu supremacy to be enshrined in law are growing rapidly louder, making its 210-million-odd Muslims increasingly anxious about their future. Those demands are at the core of Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity, and his government has backed policies and projects across the country — including a grand new temple corridor in the holy city of Varanasi — that reinforce and symbolise the Gandhitrend.was a devout Hindu but was adamant that in India “every man enjoys equality of status, whatever his religion“Theis”.state is bound to be wholly secular,” he said. He was assassinated less than a year after India and Pakistan’s independence and partition in 1947, by a Hindu fanatic who considered him too tolerant towards Muslims. And Mishra believes Gandhi’s ideals are now out of date. “If someone slaps you on one cheek,” he told AFP, “Gandhi said we must offer the other one. Hindus are generally peaceful and quiet compared to other religions. “They even hesitate in killing a mosquito but other communities are exploiting this mindset and will keep dominating us unless we change.”
NEW DELHI Agencies
BEIJING Agencies Pakistan Embassy Beijing on Saturday organized a Food and Cultural Festival at the state-of-the-art Silk Road Art and Cultural Centre in the city of Langfang, an hour drive from Beijing, to celebrate the 75th Independence Anniversary of Pakistan. The two-day festival is aimed to showcase Pakistan’s rich history, beautiful landscapes, cultural heritage, products, arts and crafts, literature, and traditional food. The opening ceremony was attended by over 300 people including Chinese dignitaries, government officials, business executives, members of the diplomatic corps, media representatives and Pakistani community. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Pakistan Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque stated that 75th Anniversary of Pakistan’s Independence was a historic milestone for Pakistan which stands today the 5th largest nation of 220 million hard working, talented people. He highlighted the strengths of Pakistan as an investment and tourist destination and invited people of China to visit Pakistan next year being celebrated as Year of Tourism Exchanges. The ambassador also spoke at length about the special friendship and iron brotherhood between China and Pakistan which is time tested. He hoped this festival would help in promoting cultural cooperation and people to people exchanges between the two countries.
TEMPlES AND STATUES: To many, that change is already under way, emphasised by the rhetoric of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and symbolised by the bigticket Hinduism-related projects with which it has enthused his sectarian base during its eight years in power. A grand temple is under construction in the holy Hindu city of Ayodhya, where Hindu zealots destroyed a Mughalera mosque three decades ago, triggering widespread sectarian violence that killed more than 1,000 people nationwide and was a catalyst for the stunning rise of right-wing politics. The BJP has backed a $300 million, 210-metre statue off the Mumbai coast of Hindu warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji, who successfully challenged the Islamic Mughal Empire.
KABUL Agencies I NDIAhas sent back a batch of diplomats to Kabul in a significant shift seen as giving a de facto recognition to the Afghan Taliban government. In June, India first sent a technical team to its mission in Kabul after behind the scenes talks with the Afghan Taliban. The technical team arrived in Kabul after a senior Indian diplomat visited the Afghan capital and met the interim Afghan foreign minister. This was the first public meeting between the Afghan Taliban government and the Indian officials highlighting the pragmatic approach adopted by NewIndiaDelhi.in the past staunchly opposed the Afghan Taliban and despite insistence by the US it refused to engage with the group while negotiations were underway in Doha. India invested massively in the previous Afghan administration led by first Hamid Karazai and then Ashraf Ghani. The close Indian ties with those administrations had been the cause of friction between New Delhi and Islamabad. Pakistan often suspected that India had been using the Afghan soil to undermine its security interests. After the Taliban takeover in Kabul, India shut its embassy and other diplomatic missions as well as abandoned work on the development projects it was undertaking in the wartornObserverscountry. believe that since many other countries including the US have remained engaged with the Afghan Taliban hence New Delhi was left with no other option but to accept the new reality. Indian External Affairs minister S Jaishankar on Friday confirmed that a batch of diplomats except the ambassador was sent back to Kabul. “What we decided was that we would send the Indian diplomats back to the embassy, not the ambassador, and make sure that they are able to function and able to address a lot of these issues — humanitarian assistance, the medical assistance, the vaccine, the development projects, etc.,” Jaishankar told reporters in Bengaluru during an interaction programme. “So at the moment, what we have is a team of Indian diplomats who have gone there,” he added. According to the NDTC the Indian foreign minister said: “We have taken a very considered deliberated view that our relationship at the end of the day is with the people of Afghanistan, to the society and that it is a relationship which is deep enough and in a sense, historically long enough for us to actually find ways of factoring in these political changes and continuing that people-topeople, so like a relationship.”
Bangladesh Cricket Board unveils squad for Asia Cup 2022
How can this already great rivalry be even further strengthened? India and Pakistan haven’t played each other at Test level since they fought out a high-scoring draw in Bengaluru in 2007, with Sourav Ganguly’s 239 making headlines. There is still an outside chance the two nations could meet again in the final of the ICC World Test Championship next year and Ponting would love to see the rivalry grow even further with the addition of more red-ball cricket. “When I think about rivalries, Australia and England and Ashes cricket is the pinnacle I’ve always thought of for our Test match game,” Ponting“I’mnoted.sure India and Pakistanis will say the same about that and the actual rivalry would be the pinnacle of Test match cricket for those two countries as well.” Who wins between india and Pakistan at the asia cup? While Pakistan hold the edge overall in head-to-head meetings, it’s a different story at the Asia Cup with India currently clinging to a slender 7-5 advantage (one no result) from 13 Whilematches.Ponting expects a tight tussle between the rivals, he believes India have the depth to prevail. “I’ll stick with India to win that clash against Pakistan,” Ponting predicted will happen in the August 28 match. “That’s taking nothing away from Pakistan because they are an incredible cricket nation that continue to present out-and-out superstar players. squad balance and Ponting’s Predictions: Ponting has seen many of India’s T20 stars during his time coaching in the IPL and has kept an eye on how they are preparing ahead of the T20 World Cup. India have won 17 of their 21 T20 matches this calendar year despite heavy rotation of players by Rahul Dravid and the selection panel. One absentee despite the changes is fast-bowler Mohammed Shami, who has not featured for India in T20 cricket since the last T20 World Cup. Time looks to be running out for him to make an impact in Australia, having also been left out of the Asia Cup squad. While acknowledging the shortest format is Shami’s weakest, the Australian legend stresses the 31year-old could certainly do a job should he make the squad.
Phillips, bowlers propel New Zealand to thrash West Indies in second T20
sunday, 14 August, 2022 | IsLAMABAD 11sporTs AGENcIES R ICKYPonting has used the latest episode of The ICC Review to reveal what he thinks would make the rivalry between India and Pakistan even bigger – and declared who he thinks will claim bragging rights and win the Asia Cup. The rivalry between India and Pakistan is one of cricket’s biggest and all eyes will be on Dubai on August 28 when the two foes go head-tohead.What makes the rivalry between India and Pakistan so great? Ponting played in a lot of big matches at major tournaments during his career, with the rivalry between Australia and England during the Ashes the greatest he experienced. The Australia captain relished the extra demands that went with those clashes and says the anticipation and pressure to perform must be further amplified when India take on Pakistan. “To be totally honest it’s one that we’ve been starved of, haven’t we … looking back the last 15 or 20 years,” Ponting told Sanjana Ganesan on The ICC Review. “As a cricket lover like I am and a cricket observer, any time those sorts of battles come up it’s almost always nice to sit back and watch because everything just goes up a notch, doesn’t it?”
LAHORE Afp When Pakistan and India were forged out of violent partition 75 years ago, the split also created one of the sport’s greatest rivalries. Today, any cricket match between the two nations is one of the most watched events on the global sporting calendar — and victory is used to promote their respective nationalism. So strong is the rivalry between the countries that they can’t even share the date of the partition which gave them independence, with Pakistan celebrating it on August 14 and India a day later. “India playing Pakistan involves the sentiments of millions,” said Wasim Akram, one of cricket’s all-time greats and now a commentator. “You become a hero if you perform well […] you are portrayed as a villain if your team loses,” said the former skipper. Matches ignite great fervour but they have also defused military tensions between the two nations, which have fought four wars since independence from Britain in 1947. During one period of sabre rattling in 1987, as troops massed along their frontier, military ruler Zia ul-Haq showed up unannounced in New Delhi — ostensibly to watch a match between the two. The move, as crafty as any a cricket captain could conjure up on the field, led to a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, and tensions eased. ‘Mother of all Matches’: Still, the on-field rivalry has spilled off the cricket pitch for now. The neighbours have not played a Test since 2007, instead meeting only in the shorter versions of the game and at multi-team competitions on foreign soil, rather than head-to-head series at home. When they do play — as they will at the Asia Cup later this month in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — cricket fans around the world are glued to their TV screens, a multi-billion-dollar bonanza for broadcasters. The 2019 50-over World Cup clash between India and Pakistan drew 273 million viewers, while 167 million watched them in last year’s T20 World Cup. “Nothing can match an Indo-Pakistan bilateral series because it is played in a different league,” former prime minister and cricket captain Imran Khan, who led Pakistan to World Cup glory in 1992, said in a Sky Sports documentary. “The atmosphere is filled with tension, pressure and enjoyment.” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief executive Faisal Hasnain called games against India the “mother of all cricket matches”. “Fans want these two countries to play each other on a regular basis but resumption is only likely when there is a thaw in relations,” he told AFP. “We can only wait and hope that happens.”
KINGSTON Agencies
New Zealand middle-order batter Glenn Phillips impressed with a magnificent 76 before the bowlers decimated the West Indian batting line-up to bolster the touring side to seal a comprehensive 90-run victory in the second T20I. Phillips-led New Zealand posted a mammoth 215 in the allotted as right-handed batter Daryl Mitchell also chipped in with a quickfire 48. The touring bowlers then displayed dominance over the hosts batters and restricted the latter on 125/9 in 20 overs. Batting first, New Zealand were off to an unwanted start as the side lost two wickets for a mere 36 runs in four overs. Devon Conway then anchored the inning with an important 69 runs partnership with Phillips and solidify the team’s position in the match before Obed McCoy struck his second to break the stand. Conway scored 42 off 34 balls, laced with two boundaries and three sixes. Following his departure, Phillips then joined hands with Mitchell and the pair added 83 runs for the fourth wicket at an astonishingly quick rate before the former fell after a brilliant knock of 76 runs. He faced 41 balls and smashed 10 boundaries including six sixes. On the other hand, Mitchell fell two runs short of his well-deserved fifty in the 20th over. He scored 48 runs off a mere 20 deliveries, laced with two boundaries and four sixes. For West Indies, McCoy led the way with three wickets while Odean Smith and Romario Shepherd made one scalp each. Set to chase a humongous 216, the West Indian batting line failed entirely and could score 125/9 in the allotted 20 overs, thus losing the match by 90 runs. The hosts had a forgetful start to their run chase as they lost half of their side at a combined score of 28. McCoy led the way with the bat too as he scored a gritty 23 down the order.
“He’s been a very, very good bowler for India for a long time now. If you look at his strengths, his Test cricket is probably where he thrives the most,” said Ponting. “I think there are better fast bowlers in Indian T20 cricket than Shami and they’ve only named three (for the Asia Cup). So if there’s potentially four named in the squad he might be the fourth man in. “I would think they’ll probably only have the four quicks coming to Australia. They’ll still want to bring a lot of spin here even though the wickets are probably not that conducive.” Irrespective of who is picked though, Ponting is strong on India’s chances. “It’s always hard to go past India in any tournament, not just an Asia Cup, but I think every time we talk about the T20 World Cup which is coming up, I think that India will be right in the thick of it there,” Ponting added. “Their depth is definitely better than the other teams and I think India will win the Asia Cup.”
INdIA hAve dePTh To BeAT PAkISTAN IN ASIA CuP: PoNTINg
TORONTO Agencies Simona Halep served twice for her match against Coco Gauff without success on Friday before finally securing a 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) quarter-final victory at the WTA Toronto Masters. The former number one, a two-time winner in Canada, made hard work of her triumph over the rising American teenager who just missed a chance at cracking the world ranking top-10 for the first time. Halep needed a second-set tiebreaker to advance into the semi-finals in just under two hours, lining up a meeting with seventh-seeded American Jessica Pegula. Double Grand Slam champion Halep earned her 183rd match win at the Masters 1000 level. In other quarter-final action, Brazil’s giant-killer Beatriz Haddad Maia claimed another victim as she upset Olympic champion Belinda Bencic with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 comeback win. The South American, who stunned world number one Iga Swiatek in the third round, won her 16th match since June, the month in which she claimed back-to-back grass titles in Nottingham and Birmingham. Bencic, the 2015 Toronto champion who beat soon-to-retire Serena Williams in an emotional second-round clash, was broken four times and coughed up five“I’mdouble-faults.feelinghappy, for sure, it’s a special moment,” Haddad Maia said. “I’ve worked a lot every day for a few years to live this moment. “I didn’t start the match playing as I wanted. I was missing more than normal in the first set. “But I pushed myself to stay positive, to stay in the game – a tennis match can change very fast.” The Brazilian will aim for the final against 2021 finalist Karolina Pliskova, a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 winner over Chinese teenager Zheng Qinwen. Double Grand Slam champion Halep earned her leading 183rd match win at the Masters 1000 level. She now owns 36 match victories in 2022. Gauff fired a backhand into the net on Halep’s first match point to end the encounter and lose her eighth straight set against the 30-year-old Romanian. “I’m really pleased with the way I stayed strong mentally,” Halep said. “I fought for every point. “That was really important because she was doing the same thing. It’s never easy against her. On Saturday, Halep will play her 29th Masters semi-final against Pegula, who defeated Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan 6-3, 6-3. Halep and Roland Garros quarter-finalist Pegula will meet for the first time. “It’s going to be a big challenge to face a new opponent. It’s always like that,” Halep said. “But it’s a semi-final. So for sure she’s going to play good tennis. She’s solid. “I will focus on myself and I will just fight for the match as I do here every time.”
DHAKA Agencies Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2022, scheduled to commence on August 27 in United Arab Emirates (UAE). Following Shakib Al Hasan’s appointment as the new T20I captain, the BCB has also revealed their squad for the forthcoming Asian event. Right-handed middle-order batter Sabbir Rahman made his way back into the national contingent after almost three years of absence. Pakistan and India have already announced their squads for the continental event, while Afghanistan and Sri Lanka are yet to name their contingent. It is pertinent to mention here that the 15th edition of the Asia Cup will kick start on August 27 as the hosts Sri Lanka square off against Afghanistan in the curtain-raiser. Bangladesh Squad: Shakib al Hasan (c), Anamul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain, Mahmudullah, Mahedi Hasan, Saifuddin, Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman, Nasum Ahmed, Sabbir Rahman, Mahedi Hasan Miraz, Ebadat Hossain, Parvez Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Taskin Ahmed Pakistan’s Team Sultan wins Sultan Int’l Tent Pegging contest
Pak players move in next round of WSF Mens’ World Jr Squash C’ship ISLAMABAD stAff RepoRt Pakistani players move into the next round of the WSF Mens’ World Junior Individual Squash Championship at Nancy (France). In the 3rd round of Individual event, Noor Zaman from Pakistan beat David Bernet of Switzerland by 8-11, 11-9, 12-10, 4-11,11-4. In the 4th round, Muhammad Hamza Khan (Pak) defeated Ameeshenraj Chandran of Malaysia by 11-8, 11-6, 116. Noor Zaman (Pak) would play against Brice Nicolas of France. The Senior Vice President, Pakistan Squash Federation Air Marshal Aamir Masood who also visited Nancy had a couple of meetings with William Louis Marie, CEO World Squash Federation and Juilan Muller, President of French Squash Federation. During his meetings, detailed discussion was held on progression of squash in Pakistan. Aamir Masood also conveyed a message to the world squash bodies that Pakistan was one of safest countries for all sports activities and the game of squash in particular.
Practice fodder: Introduced to the sub-continent in the 18th century, cricket was played mostly by its white colonial rulers, but locals learned the game by being used as bowling or batting fodder in the practice nets. India won Test status in 1932, but after partition, most Muslim players — including three who had played for the national team — migrated to Pakistan which had to build from scratch. Pakistan’s first Test, appropriately, was against India, in 1952 — and they were led by Abdul Hafeez Kardar, one of the three double internationals. Since then Pakistan and India have played 59 Tests, with Pakistan winning 12, India nine, and the rest drawn. In ODIs, Pakistan also have the edge, but India have won seven of their nine T20Inencounters.thewomen’s game, India have won all 11 of their ODIs and 10 of their 12 T20s since first meeting in 2005. The advent of one-day cricket has only boosted the rivalry with one commentator calling their clashes “war minus shooting”. In 1991, Aaqib Javed’s sevenwicket haul, including a hat-trick, helped Pakistan win the Wills Trophy in Sharjah in a match that ended in near-darkness, sparking outrage from the losing Indian side and fans.
11 Sports 14 AUGUST_Layout 1 8/13/2022 10:47 PM Page 1
DUBAI Agencies Pakistani Tent pegging riders shone at the recently concluded Sultan International Tent Pegging competition as the national club Team Sultan won the inter-club competition on Friday. The 10-club competition, featuring clubs from United Arab Emirates (UAE), Pakistan, Oman, and England, remained majorly dominated by Pakistan as the country’s club Sultan lifted the trophy. Besides Team Sultan, Al Rehman Ghazi and Hussaini Awan clubs from Pakistan also participated in the competition. Pakistani players Sultan Bahadur Umair and Sagheer Zargar were declared the best riders of the competition.
‘War minus shooting’: Partition created fierce cricket rivalry
Hard work for Halep in Toronto win over Gauff
Sunday, 14 August, 2022 Published by Arif Nizami at Plot # 7, Al-Baber Centre, F/8 Markaz, Islamabad, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 051-2204545. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk
CMYK Sunday, 14 August, 2022 ISLAMABADi Ramish sultan S inceits inception, Pakistan has faced several crises - both man-made as well as natural disasters - and has shown remarkable resilience in countering them. From the refugee crises in 1947 and 1979 to super floods; from earthquakes to war against terror, and displacement of people; from the financial crises of 2008 to the onset of the cOViD-19 pandemic last year. The nation has confronted more than its fair share of catastrophes that have left serious and protracted socio-economic and human development challenges in their wake. The Pakistani people have persevered against all odds and today look forward to continually developing their state on the 21st century model of peace through prosperity. cnergyico firmly believes that in times of difficulties, we must not lose sight of our achievements of the past. everyone must play their part in making Pakistan prosperous by spreading joy during these dark times. The company is highlighting this message in its latest marketing campaign, called Azm-e-Pakistan. cnergyico runs Pakistan’s largest oil refinery, located in Hub, Balochistan that can process up to 156,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The company distributes fuel through its network of more than 450 petrol pumps situated in all of the major cities, towns, and highways. cnergyico is also the only company in Pakistan that owns a dedicated crude oil terminal called the SPM (“Single Point Mooring”) located in the deep sea off the coast of Balochistan. The company is driven to deliver significant societal and economic benefits to a vast number of communities, and regions that rely on the vital and reliable energy that it supplies. Last year, cnergyico ran the “Pyara Pakistan, Hamara Pakistan” campaign that highlighted the country’s vibrant culture, breathtaking landscapes, and delicious cuisines. This year, the company aims to spread a message of hope and compassion. Small acts of kindness, even a smile or a thoughtful gesture, can go a long way and make someone’s day much better. These acts of kindness and compassion can lift our spirits, inspire hope for a better future, and make us stronger as a nation.if we look around, we will see that so many people show generosity, selfless spirit, offer a helping hand, and support each other whenever any aid is required. if a car breaks down in the middle of a road, numerous pedestrians would stop to offer help without asking. if someone falls while walking, strangers would pick them back up. if a relative gets sick or goes to a hospital, then their entire network of families and friends swings into action to offer assistance. We see the generosity of our people during the holy month of Ramzan when free iftari meals are given to hundreds of thousands and people ensure that no one goes home on an emptyOnstomach.thisindependence Day, let’s vow to take the spirit of love, compassion, and selfless service forward, and let’s promise to do at least one act of kindness every day. For example, we can greet the person standing next to us at a bus stop or an elevator with a smile, we can help a delivery rider or someone who is lost on a road by explaining to them the right directions, we can help the elderly during grocery shopping, we can provide food and water to the needy, we can observe patience during driving and let others merge into our lane, and we can give a call to our school teachers to thank them for everything that they’ve done. There are virtually countless opportunities to do good deeds and spread joy. All we have to do is open our hearts. There is no doubt Pakistan is going through a difficult patch, but through simple acts of kindness, love, and compassion, we can spread joy and positivity. This way, everyone can play their part in making Pakistan prosperous.
THE CNERGYICO PARADIGM SPREADING POSITIVITY
II Sunday, 14 August, 2022 | SUPPLEMENTISLAMABAD
CMYK
S unridgehas always came up with creative campaigns that are “actually” meaningful , giving back to the country and uniting its people for a singular cause to eradicate Malnutrition. This is a place where no brand has gone before and is an effort that must be applauded and encouraged. This year again Sunridge has came up with one such campaign that gives us all an opportunity to contribute towards Taqatwar Pakistan by eradicating malnutrition.According to World Food Program, 43% of Pakistanis are food insecure and every 1 in 3 children suffers from malnutrition. Affordability is the largest barrier to achieving a nutritious diet, which a large part of the population is unable to afford. COVid-19, inflation, political instability & layoffs have only aggravated this problem. When 155 million children won’t have access to proper nutrition – how will the country develop for the better?That’s where the brands like Sunridge comes in. Sunridge over the years, has been successfully producing high-quality product range with all its natural fiber, vitamins, and minerals, fulfilling a major portion of every household’s nutritional needs. Sunridge’s core belief is to provide nutritious life for everyone, which highlights in their promise to provide ‘ghizaiyat bharpoor zindagi”. Sunridge Fortified Chakki Atta has, since its inception, been a socially responsible brand . it introduced its campaign #SunridgeTaqatwarPakistan featuring Fahad Mustafa as the lead . The idea of #SunridgeTaqatwarPakistan was how we could come together, regardless of age, gender or class, to help eradicate this problem especially among children. #SunridgeTaqatwarPakistan campaign was very well received and there were 27,000 mentions on social media. Subsequently the brand donated 27000 kgs of Sunridge Fortified Chakki Atta . This successful launch was reinforced through another such noble act with the same brand ambassador. Sunridge teamed up with renowned Foundation and arranged meals at various orphanages across the country. This follow-up campaign had a profound impact on the lives it touched. This year Sunridge has converted the #SunridgeTaqatwarPakistan campaign to an even bigger platform rather a Mission by announcing eradication of malnutrition as the brand credo. A befitting resolve to fight malnutrition and to make Pakistan stronger as the country celebrates its diamond jubilee of independence. Sunridge continues to fight malnutrition amidst inflation, political instability & layoffs. This independence day while we’ll be scrolling down our screens with green and white posts, Sunridge’s Taqatwar Pakistan campaign focuses on something where you can make a difference in someone’s life. Sunridge is on the mission to cater this problem and have made their customers their allys to fight against this cause. This independence day, Sunridge brings up a simple question for the nation to define Taqat (strength). While we might think strength is to do heavy lifting, doing something which requires immense courage & confidence - Sunridge asks to look for strength in small moments and in the power of community. They reminded us that small acts are often big enough to strengthen our spirit, which we as a nation need at this Sunridgepoint.intheir recent dVC about “Taqat kiya hai?” show the little steps you can take to ease someone’s life, be it making way for someone, sharing food, having good intentions to choose for others the same thing as for yourself, or fighting malnutrition by clicking a picture. They have not only taken an initiative to fight malnutrition but have also created an opportunity to come together as a nation for something which needs our urgent attention. There is a simple way to show your patriotism this independence by supporting Sunridge’s cause to fight malnutrition. All you must do is to buy any Sunridge Atta pack, take its picture and upload it using #SunridgeTaqatwarPakistan on your social media profile. For every mention and post uploaded, Sunridge will be donating 1kg Fortified atta to the malnourished families across Pakistan. They are reaching out to the most remote areas to provide fortified atta packs. Sunridge products are fortified with all the essential nutrients like iron, zinc, folic acid & vitamin B-12 which are important for proper growth & strength. in addition to that, they take special care to keep a quality check from sourcing to delivering in market. Sunridge products are manufactured at the PeSA mill with zerohuman contact, which ensures that their products are hygienic and safe. it is appalling to see such an initiative by Sunridge which not only caters to a serious problem but also builds the sense of community to people where they can come together to join a movement which creates an impact – and how beautifully they have made us realize that the biggest change starts with one simple step – as simple as taking a picture with your phone. #SunridgeTaqatwarPakistan.
Sunridge’S reSolve to make a taqatwar PakiStan iS Stronger than ever
CMYK Sunday, 14 August, 2022 | ISLAMABAD III
CMYK IV Sunday, 14 August, 2022 | SUPPLEMENTISLAMABAD
REHMAN ANWER “Look into the eyes of Muslims that live in India and you truly see the pain with which they live. We treat them as aliens.’’ t hepartition – the inconceivable division of Indian subcontinent into two separate and sovereign countries is normally associated with tragedies of mass murder, looting, plundering and forced migration of hundreds of thousands of people in the name of religion and identity politics. Such stories are substantially based on factual events and it is estimated that about 2 Million people killed and over 10 Million displaced during partition. From Karachi to Bengal and from Amritsar to Peshawar, millions suffered and had to flee the lands where they had been living for centuries. The tales of ferocity are spine chilling ranging from countless incidents of savage sexual violence to setting off villages aflame. Witnesses of those dreadful crimes describe how neighbours who coexisted peacefully for decades suddenly turned into sadistic enemies based on their politicoreligious differences. As much as these stories are heartwrenching, the assessments that suggest that the idea of Pakistan and an unprecedented struggle of All India Muslim League under the leadership of Quaid-e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah to protect the rights of Indian Muslims was somehow to be blamed for all the bloodshed and mayhem during partition are absurd and misleading. Mr Jinnah was surely the architect of Pakistan and led the Pakistan movement on ideological grounds; however, he was strenuously against the partition of Bengal and Punjab. On several occasions before the partition he warned the Congress leaders and the British authorities that dividing these provinces could lead to anarchy but his advice was always ignored. Renowned historian, Stanley Wolpert describes that when Lord Mountbatten met Mr Jinnah in April, 1947 to discuss partition, Jinnah furiously responded ‘’Bengalis and Punjabis were united by their common languages and Moreover,history.’’inMay, 1947, Jinnah again tried to clarify his idea of Pakistan and opposed the partition of Bengal and Punjab in strongest terms. ” I should like to point out that there is a great deal of confusion created on purpose. The question of a division of India, as proposed by the Muslim League, is based on the fundamental fact that there are two nations- hindus and Muslims- and the underlying principle is that we want a national home and a national state in our homelands which are predominately Muslim and compromise the six units of the Punjab, the N.W.F.P., Sind, Baluchistan, Bengal and Assam.
Understanding partition this independence day
CMYK V Sunday, 14 August, 2022 | SUPPLEMENTISLAMABAD
DR RAjKUMAR SIngH a MONGMuslim stalwarts Sir Syed Ahmed was first to look into the problems of the Muslim society and strive hard for a solution. he led the attack on hindu domination and asked the Muslims not to identify themselves with the hindus, to keep aloof from the Congress movement and instead to seek their salvation through cooperation with the British and through modern education. he had to fight on two fronts, to convince his own people to change, and against the British to adopt a more liberal attitude towards the Muslims. he clearly laid down his principles distinctly, which were two in number; to the Muslims he said that they should take to Western education, and to the British he said that the Muslims were not opposed to them; that they were not their enemies no longer; a review in their policy was called for; a reconciliation with the Muslims would be in their own interests; it would win the gratitude of the largest minority in the country who could play a balancing part in politics. Theme of his vision: Sir Syed gave new life to a dead society which, within a short period, regained its vigour and self-confidence. he urged the Muslims to believe that there was only one way left for survival, namely loyalism in politics and modernism in institutions. The Muslims were, in general, not aware how progressive the West was in intellectual pursuits in the economic sector, in military might and political shrewdness, and he urged them to know, learn, understand and then practice these arts. he went further and said that Christianity and Islam are both good religions, although Islam is better. he believed that there could be a reconciliation between Islam and other faiths, and was convinced that Muslims must study the modern world, including the physical sciences. For the interest of Indian Muslims, he formulated an educational scheme on the Western model and combined this with the basic teachings of Islam, more or less rationalistically interpreted. With the financial aid of the Muslim middle classes and support of the government he founded the Anglo-Oriental College in 1877, which later became Aligarh Muslim University. The educational movements of Sir Syed had its impact on Bengali Muslims. It made them conscious of their backwardness compared to hindus. Towards the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, Muslims in Bengal also began to send their children to english schools and colleges, because they could at last realise that unless their children were educated in english, they would have no opening in government employment or other professions. Impact on British post-Mutiny: In the post-Mutiny phase it was due to his efforts that the British adopted a pro-Muslim attitude or rather became in favour of those elements among the Muslims who were opposed to the national movement. British policy towards them underwent a gradual change and became more favourable. This change was essentially due to the policy of balance and counterpoise which the British Government had consistently pursued. Sir Syed discouraged the Muslims in joining the national movement through the Indian National Congress, formed in 1885. Although he was not opposed to Congress because he considered it predominantly a hindu organisation; he opposed it because he thought it was politically too aggressive, and he wanted British help and cooperation. he was in no way anti-hindu or communally separatist. Repeatedly he emphasised that religious differences should have no political or national significance. Later he also supported thw Muslim League, which was founded in 1906 to divert the attention of the younger generation of the Muslims. This new political party initially had two principal objects: loyalty to the British Government and the safeguarding of Muslim interests. The frustration of the Muslim masses, and social as well as political experience of Sir Syed, found a new meaning in Dr Mohammed Iqbal, a poet, an intellectual and a philosopher. The actual credit for conceiving the idea of Pakistan goes not to Sir Syed but to Sir Mohammed Iqbal in the true sense of the term. Sir Syed had laid the foundation and Iqbal raised the structure which was finally finished by Mohammed Ali Jinnah. Iqbal was popular especially in the younger generation, and began by writing powerful nationalist poems in Urdu and Persian. his popularity was no doubt due to the quality of his poetry, but even more so it was due to his having fulfilled a need when the Muslim mind was searching for some anchor to hold on to. The sensitive heart of the poet was much touched by the despicable conditions of the Muslims after the First World War. his intense love of Islam and the failure of the Muslims to catch the right spirit of Islam made him reflect deeply in order to reconstruct the true Islamic thought.Vision guided Iqbal and Jinnah: Thus, the idea of a separate Muslim State flashed, for the first time, in Iqbal’s vision, was the by-product of his sensitivity as a poet, discerning mind as a philosopher and his passionate love of Islam as a mystic. Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the chief architect of Pakistan, had traced the idea to Iqbal and said, “The idea of Pakistan it is well known, originated in the brain of the late hazrat Allma Iqbal. he was the mouthpiece of the highest aspirations of his people.” In the then prevailing situation, the dilemma for the Muslims was that if they went too far in cooperating with the hindus their distinctive way of life might be undermined. But if they did not participate fully in the building of the new nation, they ran the danger of remaining an isolated segment of the population which might be left behind as the hindus moved toward a modernised society and an industrialised economy. Iqbal drew the Muslim community from this dilemma and in his Presidential address to the Muslim League convention held in Allahabad in 1930, pleaded for a separate state for Muslims and said, “I would like to see the Punjab, North-West Frontier Province, Sind and Baluchistan, amalgamated into a single state Self-government within the British empire or without the British empire, the formation of a consolidated North-West Indian Muslim State appears to me to be the final destiny of the Muslims at least the North-Westhowever,India.”withthe change in the political situation, the increasing power of the Congress and the humiliation of the League leadership on the electoral front in which Congress governments were formed in a number of provinces, the idea of Pakistan was revived and made the basis of a new movement. Meanwhile, the currents of modernisation– education, concentration in urban areas, development of indigenous literature– had influenced the Muslims, raised their self-awareness as a community, and, frustrated as they became with democratic politics, accentuated their sense of isolation and separate identity. The writer is head of the Politcal Science department, BNMU< Saharsa, Bihar, India. He can be reached at: rajkumarsinghpg@gmail.com
While celebrating the independence those who have brought Pakistan to where it stands now, need to introspect their conduct with a view to retrace their steps to the path chartered by the Quaid and take inspiration from the ideological strands that wove Pakistan into reality. It is also probably the right occasion to apprise the younger generation about Pakistan ideology and the struggle that went into making Pakistan, to instill in them the right spirit behind the Independence Movement and the path they are supposed to tread as future architects of this God gifted country.Perhaps a brief insight into the history of co-existence of hindus and Muslims in the sub-continent is justified to make the concept of Pakistan Ideology and the Two-Nation theory more clear. All historic accounts in this regard ungrudgingly concede that the differences between hindus and Muslims were not confined to the struggle for political supremacy, but were also manifested in the clash of two social orders as enunciated by Jinnah in his 1937 speech highlighting differences between the two nationalities. The ideology of Pakistan took shape through an evolutionary process. historical experiences helped sharpen its footprints making it a discernible political reality.
How the Pakistan Movement began
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan began the period of Muslim self-awakening; Allama Iqbal provided the philosophical explanation and Quaid-iAzam translated it into reality. The Muslims of South Asia believed that they were a nation in the modern sense of the word. The basis of their nationhood was neither territorial, racial, linguistic nor ethnic, rather they were a nation because they belonged to the same faith, Islam. The Muslims and hindus being poles apart from each other having distinct identities was highlighted by Al-Biruni as early as at the beginning of the 11th Century, a fact mentioned by Jinnah in his speeches of 1937 and 22nd March, 1940, before the passing of the Pakistan Resolution. In this speech, he reiterated that hindus and Muslims belonged to two different religious philosophies, with different social customs and literature. They neither intermarried, nor ate together and indeed belonged to two different civilisations whose very foundations were based on conflicting ideas and concepts. The Ideology of Pakistan has its roots deep in the history. The history of South Asia is largely a history of rivalry and conflict between the hindus and Muslims of the region. Both communities have been living together in the same area since the early 8th century yet the two failed to develop harmonious relations. In the beginning, one could find the Muslims and hindus struggling for supremacy in the battlefield. Starting with the war between Muhammad bin Qasim and Raja Dahir in 712, armed conflicts between hindus and Muslims run in thousands. Clashes between Mahmud of Ghazni and Jaypal, Muhammad Ghuri and Prithvi Raj, Babur and Rana Sanga and Aurangzeb and Shivaji are cases in point. When the hindus of South Asia failed to establish hindu rule through force, they opted for backdoor conspiracies. Bhakti Movement with the desire to merge Islam and hinduism was one of the biggest attacks on the faith of the Muslims of the region. Akbar’s diversion from the mainstream Islamic ideology was one of the greatest success stories of hindus. however, due to the immediate counterattack by Mujaddid Alf Sani and Sufis belonging to Chishtia and Suharwardia sects, this era proved to be short-lived. Muslims once again proved their separate identity during the regimes of Jehangir, Shah Jehan and particularly Aurangzeb. The attempts to bring the two communities close could not succeed because the differences between the two were fundamental and had no meeting point. At the root of the problem were the differences between the two religions. So long as the two people wanted to lead their lives according to their respective faith, they could not be one. With the advent of the British rule in India in 1858, hindu-Muslim relations entered a new phase. The British brought with them a new political philosophy commonly known as ‘territorial nationalism’. Before the coming of the British, there was no concept of a ‘nation’ in South Asia and the region had never been a single political unit. The British attempt to weld the two communities into a ‘nation’ also failed. The British concept of a nation did not fit the religio-social system of South Asia. Similarly, the British political system did not suite the political culture of South Asia. The British political system, commonly known as ‘democracy’, gave majority the right to rule. But unlike Britain, the basis of majority and minority in South Asia was not political but religious and ethnic. The attempt to enforce the British political model in South Asia, instead of solving the political problems, only served to make the situation more complex. The hindus supported the idea while it was strongly opposed by the Muslims.TheMuslims knew that the implementation of the new order would mean the end of their separate identity and endless rule of the hindu majority in the name of nationalism and democracy. The Muslims refused to go the British way. They claimed that they were a separate nation and the basis of their nation was the common religion Islam. They refused to accept a political system that would reduce them to a permanent minority. They first demanded separate electorates and later a separate state. Religious and cultural differences between hindus and Muslims increased due to political rivalry under the British rule. The Muslim ideology formed the basis of the Two-Nation theory. As is evident the Muslim desire for a separate homeland was dictated by the historic events as well as their inner voice to fashion their lives in accordance with the teachings of their great religion. Quaid-iAzam wanted Pakistan as a democratic entity inspired and spurred by Islamic teachings but not as a theocracy ruled by priests. Our salvation, peace and progress, are therefore inextricably linked to the realisation of the vision of its founding father maintaining strong connection to the ideological moorings of the Pakistan Movement.Thejourney must begin without further delay if we want to see Pakistan to become an eternal reality enjoying a respectable place in the comity of nations. The celebrations and rejoicing on the Independence Day would be meaningless rituals without the changing of our ways.
MALIK MUHAMMAD ASHRAF T heIndependence Movement for the creation of Pakistan was arguably the shortest ever struggle to throw off the yolk of subservience to a colonial power. What made that miracle to happen owes it to the fact that despite a thousand years of co-existence with hindus in the sub-continent, the Muslims ever since their arrival in India either as conqueror or traders, maintained their distinct identity culturally and politically and were already a homogenous nationality in India before the movement to end the colonial rule in IndiaMuhammadstarted. Ali Jinnah who initially was a staunch supporter of hindu-Muslim Unity and believed in peaceful co-existence with hindus under a constitutional arrangement that protected the political rights of the Muslims and gave them their due share in governance — after his disillusionment with the designs of the hindus who only wanted India for hindus and did not acknowledge the Muslims as a separate entity — used this factor to rally around the Muslims to the cause of an independent state for the Muslims.Theprocess of his transformation into a supporter and leader of the Independence Movement began with his statement in 1937 that asserted “India is not a national state. India is not a state but a sub-continent composed of nationalities, the two major nations being hindus and Muslims whose culture, art, architecture, names and nomenclature, sense of value and proportion, laws and jurisprudence, social moral codes, customs and calendar, history and traditions, aptitudes and ambitions, outlook on life and of life are fundamentally different. By all cannons of international law we are a nation”. The vision given by Allama Muhammad Iqbal provided a clear direction to this thought process. Pakistan Resolution was finally adopted on 23rd March, 1940, and within a span of seven years Pakistan became a reality on 14th August, 1947, notwithstanding the fact that the hindus and British did not want partition of the sub-continent and made several overt and covert attempts to sabotage Muslim claims to a separate statehood. It is said that achieving independence is not as difficult as the consolidation of the gains of independence and maintaining strong connection with the ideological moorings that guide a nation towards a right path to achieve its cherished goals. Unfortunately Pakistan has failed in both these areas and consequently finds itself at the crossroads even after nearly seven decades of its independence due to the shenanigans of the political leaders and the military dictators. There was never ever a greater need to go back to the drawing board and rediscover the contours of Pakistan envisioned by its founding father and the ideology that spurred the Independence Movement.
Genesis of Two-naTion Theory
CMYK Sunday, 14 August, 2022 | ISLAMABAD VI
