efforts as ravaGes of flood continue Monday, 29 august, 2022 I 30 Muharram, 1444 I rs 40.00 I Vol XIII no 60 I 44 Pages I lahore edition
Govt steps up rescue, relief
The prime minister regretted that false statements by certain political figures could not mislead the nation. “I will speak the truth. For the last 73 years, Pakistan could not stand on its feet,” he regretted. The prime minister also expressed gratitude to the Presidents of the united Arab emirates and Turkey for expressing their grief over loss of lives in Pakistan and their concerns over the distressed Pakistanis who were facing ordeals due to floods. he said that they were thankful to the friendly countries who were extending flood relief and assistance to the flood victims, adding two planeloads of relief assistance from Turkey would land in Karachi while another from the uAe would arrive Islamabad. “we are grateful to the friendly countries for their support and solidarity. The uK government and other countries have announced their support in this hour of distress for which we express our thankfulness,” he added. The prime minister also appealed to the wealthy people of the country to support the millions affected people with their generous donations who had been in dire need of immediate relief and assistance. he said in the past, the people had supported the calamity hit populace, adding that they were receiving donations in the PM Relief Fund, and cited a donation of worth Rs45 million by a group while another significant contribution by an individual. Acting Governor Balochistan Mir Jan Muhammad Jamali, Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo and Chief Secretary Abdul Aziz Aqeeli, NDMA and PDMA authorities were also accompanied the prime minister. The prime minister said during his aerial view, he had witnessed huge chunks of land inundated by the flood water including Kachi, and Sobatpur, and likened the situation to an overflowing ocean. Flood water had submerged Rajanpur, Rahimyar Khan and Ghotki areas.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif announced a grant of Rs10 billion for Balochistan province to cope with the situation and assist the flood victims in the aftermath of recent heavy rainfall and floods.
Meanwhile, President Dr Arif Alvi reinforced the Government of Pakistan’s appeal for international assistance and relief to support the flood affectees.
Chasing 148 for victory, Ravindra Jadeja, who hit 35, and Pandya, unbeaten on 33, put on a key fifth-wicket stand of 52 as India achieved the target with two balls to spare. Pace bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Pandya shared seven wickets to set up victory for India in their opening match as they bowled out Pakistan for 147. Pandya, who returned figures of 3-25 with his medium-pace bowling, then stood calm to hit the winning six in a tense chase in the six-nation tournament which acts as a tune-up for the T20 world Cup in october-November in Australia. India, who lost their previous match with to Pakistan by 10 wickets in last year’s T20 world Cup at the same venue, improved their win-loss record to 8-2 against the arch-rivals in Virat Kohli’s 100th T20 international. Debutant pace bowler Naseem Shah stood out for Pakistan with figures of 2-27 but a foot injury in the last few overs had him limping as India took control with the right-left batting pair of Pandya and Jadeja. Pakistan kept chipping away with wickets as Naseem bowled Suryakumar yadav for 18 and Mohammad Nawaz rattled the stumps of Jadeja in the final over. Virat Kohli scored 35 before falling to Nawaz’s left-arm spin that also claimed skipper Rohit Sharma for 12. Naseem struck early with the wicket of Kl Rahul for nought as the opener dragged an express delivery on to hisThestumps.19-year-old Naseem nearly got Kohli out two balls later only for Fakhar Zaman to drop a catch at second slip. earlier Kumar set the tone for India’s dominance as he dismissed skipper Babar Azam for 10 in the second over and returned figures of 4-26. Pandya rattled Pakistan’s middle-order with his three wickets including the dangerman wicketkeeperbatsman Mohammad Rizwan who had hit 43 off 42 balls.
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g NDMA SAyS ANoTheR 119 PeoPle DeAD wITh FlooD AFFeCTeD 15PC oF ToTAl PoPulATIoN g FlooD hIT 110 DISTRICTS oF whICh 72 DISTRICTS DeClAReD AS CAlAMITy hIT
Besides provincial departments and Rescue 1122, officials of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National highway Authority (NhA), troops of Pakistan Army, Pakistan Air Force and Frontier Corps expedited rescue and rehabilitation operations in the flood-hit areas, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the worst-affected Balochistan.
heFederal government sped up the rescue and relief operations in floodaffected areas across the country, while stranded people were also being shifted to the camps and safer places on Sunday. Relief camps were being established across all calamity-hit areas of the country, whereas food, medical aid and other relief items were being provided to affected people in the Provincialcamps.Disaster Management Authority and other relevant stakeholders continued distributing tents among the affected people.
DUBAI staff report hardik Pandya starred with bat and ball to lead India to a five-wicket win over Pakistan in a last-over T20 thriller in the Asia Cup on Sunday at the Dubai Cricket Stadium in the united Arab emirates (uAe).
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that two aircraft from Turkiye carrying relief goods would arrive in Karachi on Monday (today). “The Consul General of Turkiye in Karachi will hand over the relief goods to the Pakistani authorities at the airport tomorrow morning,” she said in a series of tweets. Marriyum Aurangzeb also said that fifteen more planeloads of relief goods from the united Arab emirates (uAe) would arrive in Pakistan in the coming days.
ISLAMABAD staff report Pakistan has contacted the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a clarification of a letter written by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Finance Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra to Finance Minister Miftah Ismail. According to an announcement by the federal finance ministry, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail and officials of the ministry gave an explanation to the IMF, media reports said. It said the province and the Centre had ensured that all points of the agreement would be implemented and they still stood by their commitment. The ministry said the IMF agreement would be implemented at all costs and the international lender had responded positively to Pakistan’s explanationTheKPgovernment had refused to comply with the requirement of the IMF before the final agreement. KP Minister for Finance Taimur Saleem Jhagra had written a letter to Federal Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, saying that the province could not leave a surplus budget as desired by the IMF. Miftah Ismail had expressed outrage at the letter. PM Shehbaz crItIcISeS PtI For jeoPardISInG IMF deal: Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that self-centred politics can cause irreparable damage to Pakistan as unfortunately, a party is playing politics over the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) when the lender’s board meeting is around the corner, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said, without naming the PTI. “I have never seen such self-centered politics; it will be a huge injustice with Pakistan and a big conspiracy against the country,” the premier said while referring to PTI on his visit to the flood victims in Sujawl, Sindh. PM Shehbaz said that the federal government had allocated Rs38 billion in grant to support the flood-affected families with the disbursement of Rs25,000 to each of them.
Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa made a visit to flood-hit areas of Sindh and also interacted with ground troops busy in relief activities.
Pakistan goes down fighting in first of three contests against India
Govt reaches out to IMF for clarifying on KP govt’s letter
The prime minister stressed that in the hour of trial, they had to work collectively, instead of playing politics.
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Speaking to the flood victims, the prime minister said he had already announced Rs15 billion in grant to Sindh while the distribution of flood relief amount among the affected families had commenced in the province after Balochistan under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). “The BISP has complete data, ensuring prompt and fair distribution among the deserving families,” he added.
Assuring the provincial governments of the federal government’s support, the prime minister said other provinces would also be provided with grants. The prime minister was accompanied by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, federal ministers and relevant authorities. The prime minister said the federal government had continued it efforts to support the provincial governments in rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts with the support of the National Disaster Management Authority and other relevant departments. “A survey will be launched soon to assess the damages and losses caused by floods across the country,” he added.
JAFFARABAD app Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday announced a grant of Rs10 billion for Balochistan province to cope with the situation and assist the flood victims in the aftermath of recent heavy rainfall and floods. Speaking to media after visiting the flood-affected areas including haji Allah Dino village, the prime minister said that he had never witnessed in his lifetime such massive destruction wrecked by unprecedented floods and rainfalls across the country. he said the impacts of natural calamities could not be overcome with mere raising slogans, making of statements and hurling of allegations. he stressed that they would have to work hard, and shed sweat and blood to overcome the flood situation in the country, adding that different countries had devised technical mechanisms by making investments to overcome the natural catastrophes.
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ISLAMABAD/SWAT/PESHAWAR/ID KHAN staff report
Additionally, FCAs increased almost 10 times in a year; the average FCA amount last year was around PKR1/kWh which is now aroundThroughPKR10/kWh.theletter, PALSP has lamented that electricity is becoming increasingly unaffordable for the steel industry. “One of the major causes of higher FCAs are increased input cost of oil and RLNG, however, the fact is that KE’s FCAs are higher due to RLNG cost charges on central power plants which should be partially charged at indigenous gas rates that will give relief to all domestic, commercial and industrial consumers of Karachi.”
LAHORE: A parked carry pick-up van has been turned into a waste bin near Metro Bus Kamahan Station on Ferozepur Road. photo by zubaiR mehfooz
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LNG is approximately three to four times expensive than normal gas at the moment. According to the gas management and allocation policy 2005, the power sector is mandated as second priority to receive indigenous gas after domestic and commercial consumers, the letter stated, noting that a select number of blue-eyed industries are being prioritised against evidenced government orders as corrupt elements keep up mafia like activities. According to Bukhari, Secretary General PALSP, businesses have to pay for FCA on goods that were already sold into the market months ago. During the manufacturing process, they have no clarity on what FCA they will receive in the future for products already sold. Unjust policies will lead to a massive decline in much needed industrialization for our Nation. At present, the share of industrial sector in GDP stood at 21%, while it paid almost 70% of the total taxes collected. Shutting industries down today makes zero sense when our country needs maximum tax collection and jobs creation. The long steel manufacturers of Pakistan save our Nation with 3.8B USD import substitution through local manufacturing of rebars, a much needed saving for our dwindling reserves.
Rescue floodscontinueeffortsasfiercerravageKPtowns
Bilawal says help needed for flood victims after overwhelming floods
The ongoing monsoon rains have incurred heavy loss to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) economy. According to initial estimates, Rs3.66 billion have been lost due to the destruction of standing crops while livestock worth Rs2bn have washed away.
RelIef donatIon
Director General Livestock Dr Alamzeb said that several districts, including South Waziristan, Dera Ismail Khan, Jandola, Swabi, Mohmand, Bajaur, Tank, Darazandah and Karak have been affected due to the unusually long spell of monsoon rains. The official data shows that so far, 1,261 cows, 36 buffaloes, 296 sheep and 547 goats have washed away in flash bloods, while a poultry farm with 3,711 chickens completely destroyed and five other poultry farms were partially damaged. Moreover, a total 65 animal sheds have been completely destroyed while 84 partially damaged. According to the Department of Agriculture, rains have incurred over Rs3.66bn loss to farmers and tons of dates have also been wasted in Southern districts of the province.
“I haven’t seen destruction of this scale, I find it very difficult to put into words … it is overwhelming,” said Bilawal in an interview with Reuters, adding many crops that provided much of the population’s livelihoods had been wiped “Obviouslyout.this will have an effect on the overall economic situation,” he said. The South Asian nation was already in an economic crisis, facing high inflation, a depreciating currency and a current account deficit. The IMF board will decide this week on whether to release $1.2 billion as part of the seventh and eighth tranches of Pakistan’s bailout programme, which it entered in 2019. The foreign minister said that the board was expected to approve the release given an agreement between Pakistani officials and IMF staff had already been reached and he hoped in coming months the IMF would recognise the impact of the floods.“Going forward, I would expect not only the IMF, but the international community and international agencies to truly grasp the level of devastation,” he said.
“Pakistan Army has so far established 212 relief collection centres nationwide including 81 in Sindh, 73 in Punjab, 41 in Balochistan, and 17 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” the ISPR said. According to ISPR, some more camps will be established for the victim families in line with circumstances. In Lahore division, 10 relief camps have been established. Similarly, 12 in Multan division, 17 in Gujjranwala and 19 in Bahawalpur division were established to help the victim families. On the instruction of Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the relief activities are being carried out by Pakistan Army in different flood-hit areas. Corps Commander Lahore Muhammad Abdul Aziz visited various camps established in Lahore division. He inspected the food items and other arrangements.
ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI/MULTAN staff RepoRt P AKISTANArmy has established flood relief donation account after government authorisation to help assist flood victims, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a Sharingstatement.details of the account, the ISPR said title of Account is “Army Relief for Flood Affectees,” Askari Bank GHQ Branch and account Number is 00280100620583.
The release stated that collected food, shelter blankets and other items are being distributed to flood victims in Balochistan, Sindh, KPK and South Punjab. A large number of citizens are actively participating in the donation process to help the flood affectedApartpeople.from this, Pakistan Army conducted air relief operations in Dera Ghazi Khan, and Rajanpur districts and provided relief in terms of ration bags and tents. Pakistan army also carried out rescue and relief operations. Stranded people in DG Khan, Rajanpur, Layyah were also rescued by the Army. The flood hit families are also being given cooked food, medicines and other items of daily use. Pakistan army is employing all possible resources for the affectees. A Helpline 1135 has been set up by the Army for guidance of the public regarding donations. On the other hand, the rescue, relief and rehabilitation operation by Pakistan Air Force was underway at brisk pace in floodaffected areas of Sindh, Balochistan and South Punjab. In the last 24 hours relief goods including ration packs, 3,100 cooked food packs and 1,100 water bottles were distributed to the needy families in various areas of Sindh including: Hala, Mitiari, Talhar, Machi, Bolani, Lashari, Norwah, Sehwan Sharif, Gharo, Jati, Kodario, Hajipur, Chuhar Jamali, Mirpur Khas, Saindad Village, Village Balu, Jhaal Magsi, Hajipur, Basti Sher Muhammad, Lakhra, Matyari, Shahdadkot, Soh At Pur, Basti Jageer Gabool, Fazilpur and Allah Waraio Jamal, a PAF news release said. The PAF Bases in the North zone were also geared up to respond to the call of nation in the aftermath of devastation caused by recent torrential rains in Khyber PakhtunkhwaMoreover,(KP).free medical camps established by PAF were continuously working in flood affected areas to provide free medical facilities to the locals. Some 721 patients were also attended by medical teams of the PAF deployed in field hospitals. account, camPs set uP as amy, Paf oPeRatIons undeRway at bRIsK Pace
Pakistan’s central bank had already flagged the record monsoon rainfall as a threat to economic output given its impact on agriculture.Pakistanwould this week launch an appeal asking United Nations member states to contribute to relief efforts, Bilawal said, and the country needed to look at how it would handle the longer term impacts of climate change. “In the next phase, when we look towards rehabilitation and reconstruction, we will have conversations not only with the IMF, but with the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank,” the foreign ministerBilawalsaid.said that after relief efforts, the country would have to look at how to develop infrastructure that was more resistant to both floods and droughts and address the huge changes faced by the agriculture“Despitesector.the fact that Pakistan contributes negligible amounts to the overall carbon footprint … we are devastated by climate disasters such as these time and time again, and we have to adapt within our limited resources, however we can, to live in this new environment,” he said.
PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt The Kohistan region in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was still reeling on Sunday as raging flood-waters trapped the mountainous district and authorities continued to ask for help in rescuing stranded people in several cities across the province. Many areas are “completely cut off” due to the deadly floods which began in June and continue to wreak havoc in Pakistan, the provincial administration said. The chairman of Kandia in Upper Kohistan, Anwar ul-Haq, said the administrative unit has been “completely cut-off” from the rest of Kohistan and there is no mobile phone coverage. He said people made their way through perilous conditions on foot — with some travelling for two days — and informed him that an estimated 2,000 houses have been swept away in the floods. Haq added there is an acute need for food and medicine in his unit as cases of diarrhoea have surged. Flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains across much of Pakistan have killed more than 1,000 people and injured and displaced millions since mid-June, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said. The monsoon season, which began earlier than normal this year, has lashed the country with particularly heavy rains and rescuers have struggled to evacuate thousands of marooned people from flood-hit areas.
Massive hike in power tariff spells trouble for steel industry
Climate Change: Bilawal, the son of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, said the economic impact was still being assessed, but that some estimates had put it at $4 billion. Given the impact on infrastructure and people’s livelihoods, he said he expected the total figure would be much higher.
ISLAMABAD Ghulam abbas Massive hikes in the electricity tariff have affected all segments of the society with the steel sector in Sindh’s provincial capital reporting a crisis-like situation due to rapidly rising input costs, Profit learnt on Sunday. According to a letter written by the Pakistan Association of Large Steel Producers (PALSP) to a ministry concerned with the matter, NEPRA’s decision of issuing a Rs11.10 per unit hike in the energy tariff of June for K-Electric consumers under the head of Fuel Charges Adjustment (FCA) has created a crisis like situation for the sector. The letter states that the recent hikes have dealt another blow to the steel industry which was already burdened by decade-high interest rates. “The industry has been receiving record high energy prices for material that was sold months ago under the garb of unjustified FCA surcharges,” it adds. As per details, the overall electricity tariff has increased by 53.68% in a year from PKR18.20/kWh to PKR27.97/kWh and 39.16% in comparison to the past six months during which it increased from PKR20.10/kWh to PKR27.97/kWh.
Initial estimates: Heavy rains incur Rs5.5b loss to KP’s economy PESHAWAR aziz buneRi
Monday, 29 August, 2022 LAHORE 02 NEWS
KARACHI staff RepoRt Pakistan needs financial help to deal with “overwhelming” floods, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Sunday, adding that he hoped financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund would take the economic fallout into account.Unusually heavy monsoon rains have caused devastating floods in both the north and south of the country, affecting more than 30 million people and killing more than 1,000.
PESHAWAR staff RepoRt a LLthe provincial ministers were actively participating in relief activities in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while Chief Minister Mahmood Khan himself was monitoring relief operations. Labour Minister Shaukat Yousufzai said his during his visit to the flood affected areas in Charssadda district on Sunday. He said that as many as 34,000 houses have been destroyed in the floods while 230 deaths have been reported in the province. He said that KP Chief Minister has increased the compensation amount from Rs300,000 to Rs800,000 for each dead, while the amount for each damaged house has been increased from Rs100,000 to Rs 300,000 per house. The minister inspected all the relief camps and met with flood-victims. He also inquired about the ongoing relief activities of the provincialSpeakinggovernment.ontheoccasion, he said that all the Deputy Commissioners of the province had been directed to conduct surveys for damages caused by the recent floods, so that people could get compensation money in time. Meanwhile, KP Provincial Minister for Relief Mohammad Iqbal Wazir said that the employees of KP Irrigation Department and all its bodies including Rescue 1122 and Civil Defense were actively involved in relief activities. He said that several relief teams have been sent to the southern districts including Swat and Kohistan where relief operations were in progress. He said that Chief Minister was personally monitoring all the arrangements and has taken pragmatic steps for restoration of damaged infrastructure. He said that in this regard, a control room has also been established in CM’s Secretariat. Similarly, Provincial Irrigation Minister Arshad Ayub Khan has directed all the employees to remain in touch with the flood cell and district administration and utilize their energies to provide maximum relief to the flood victims.Hesaid that emergency has been imposed in flood affected areas including Charssadda and Nowshera and all the government machinery were deployed to provide necessary assistance to flood affectees. He said that availability of ration and medicines in the affected areas have been assured. The minister also visited Munda Headworks and reviewed water inflow in different areas of Nowshera, and Khaiabad. He said that the head-works has maximum capacity of 225,000 cusec water and its little part has been damaged due to excessive water inflow up to 260,000 cusec water.
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The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that Pakistan Army had also established 212 Relief Collection points to support flood affectees. The Pakistan Army conducted an aerial relief operation in Rajanpur District and provided aid by distributing ration bags, whereas tents were provided to the affectees. The Pakistan Army Aviation Pilots in an extremely dangerous and challenging situation rescued a stranded individual surrounded in flood in Kohistan. An emergency call was made by Kohistan administration for rescue, said the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a news release. The rescue, relief and rehabilitation operation by Pakistan Air Force was also underway at brisk pace in flood affected areas of Sindh, Balochistan and South Punjab. However, Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has disbursed over six billion rupees among 255,946 families under the Flood Relief Cash Assistance initiative.
catastrophe’‘climate
PESHAWAR staff RepoRt Pakistan Army evacuated 110 people stranded in Swat by timely providing its helicopters after a fierce flood in the area washed away many houses and structures built along the river banks, said Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). Four military aviation helicopters were used in the effort to evacuate people from Khwazakhela, a sub-division of Swat, and shifted them to the cantonment area of the picturesque city. “These people are being provided food and necessary medical care,” the military’s media wing said. The statement further said the people who were struck at the mountain top in Kumrat will also be evacuated through helicopters as soon as the weather situation improved. Pakistan Army has expedited its rescue efforts in flood-hit towns and on Saturday, its troops rescued families stranded in Kumrat. It said the troops established contact to search for a few families from Islamabad who were stranded in Kumrat due to a sudden flash flood wave. “Some 22 people were evacuated through helicopter whereas some families went on hills and could not be evacuated due to bad weather,” the statement read. The military urged the people not to travel towards Swat and adjoining areas due to the risk of flash floods.
ISLAMABAD the associated pRess Deaths from widespread flooding topped 1,000 since mid-June, officials said Sunday, as the climate minister called the deadly monsoon season “a serious climate catastrophe.” Flash flooding from the heavy rains has washed away villages and crops as soldiers and rescue workers evacuated stranded residents to the safety of relief camps and provided food to thousands of displaced Pakistanis. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reported the death toll since the monsoon season began earlier than normal this year — in mid-June — reached 1,033 people after new fatalities were reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh. Sherry Rehman, a senator and the nation’s top climate official, said in a video posted on Twitter that Pakistan is experiencing a “serious climate catastrophe, one of the hardest in the decade.” “We are at the moment at the ground zero of the front line of extreme weather events, in an unrelenting cascade of heatwaves, forest fires, flash floods, multiple glacial lake outbursts, flood events and now the monster monsoon of the decade is wreaking non-stop havoc throughout the country,” she said. The on-camera statement was retweeted by the nation’s ambassador to the European Union. Flooding from the Swat River overnight affected Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where tens of thousands of people — especially in the Charsadda and Nowshehra districts — have been evacuated from their homes to relief camps set up in government buildings. Many have also taken shelter on roadsides, said Kamran Bangash, a spokesperson for the provincial government. Bangash said some 180,000 people have been evacuated from Charsadda and 150,000 from Nowshehra district villages. Khaista Rehman, 55, no relation to the climate minister, took shelter with his wife and three children on the side of the IslamabadPeshawar highway after his home in Charsadda was submerged overnight.
River Kabul likely to continue flow in very high flood: FFC CoNTINUED fRoM PAgE 01
A plane carrying first batch of relief assistance from the United Arab Emirates, for the flood affectees of Pakistan, arrived here on Sunday. The relief goods are sent by the UAE leadership upon an appeal of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. The World Health Organization has also dispatched tents, medicines and other items for the flood affectees.
Govt steps up rescue, relief efforts as ravages of flood continue
flooding deaths pass 1,000 in
KP cm suPeRvIsIng RelIef oPeRatIon wItH all mInIsteRs In fIeld
Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) also appealed that the people should donate safe drinking water and shelters which are urgently required for flood survivors and assured that all possible assistance was being provided to the flood victims. The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has established a relief camp for floodvictims in district Charsadda and urged the people to participate in post-flood welfare activities throughout the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
On special Instructions of Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety/ Chairperson BISP Ms. Shazia Marri and with special coordination of State Bank of Pakistan, BISP’s partner banks payment centers are kept open on Sunday(holiday) for the smooth disbursement of payment to flood affectees in Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. As per Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) discussion over twitter space, millions of people hit by the worst floods in Pakistan’s history of six decades need huge humanitarian aid in terms of food and non-food items, tents, toilets, hygiene kits, sanitary pads, and cash for quick response, rescue and recovery. Pakistan also needs trained humanitarian workers with global expertise to bring people out of trauma and flood waters and help them rebuild, it added.
Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Chaudhary Tariq Bashir Cheema appealed to all the philanthropists at home and abroad to step forward and help the government for rehabilitation of flood victims.
03NEWS Monday, 29 August, 2022 | LAHORE IsPR: army chopper rescued 110 people stranded in swat
ISLAMABAD staff RepoRt The Federal Flood Commission (FFC) has said very high and above level flooding is likely to continue in River Kabul at Nowshera during next 24 hours. According to daily FFC report on Sunday, River Indus at Kalabagh is likely to attain high flood level, while Chashma is likely to remain in high flood level during the said period. The flood flows in River Swat (Khwazakhela, Chakdara & Munda Head Works) are gradually receding. Currently it is flowing in low flood at Khwazakhela (the flow has receded from 246,000 cusecs to 32,000 cusecs), medium flood at Chakdara (the flow has receded from 275,000 cusecs to 56,000 cusecs) and medium flood at Munda Head Works (the flow has receded from 260,000 cusecs to 72,000 cusecs), as reported by the Irrigation Department, Government of KhyberRiverPakhtunkhwa.Kabulisflowing in “very high flood” at Nowshera with discharge of 309,000 cusecs at 1300 hours. At Warsak (Upstream of Nowshera) it is also flowing in “high flood” (120,000 cusecs at 1300 hours. River Indus at Khairabad (junction point after merging River Kabul in Indus) is also flowing in “high flood” with discharge of 531,000 cusecs. It has experienced a peak discharge of 602,400 cusecs on August 27, 2022 (from 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM). Further to above, River Indus is flowing in high flood at Chashma –Taunsa Reach and at Sukkur, in “medium flood” at Kalabagh, Guddu & Kotri respectively. It is in “low flood” at Tarbela. Other main Rivers of Indus River System i.e Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi & Sutlej continue to flow in normal flow conditions.Present combined live storage of Tarbela, Chashma & Mangla Reservoirs is 9.209 MAF (i.e. 68.41 % of 13.461 MAF).Yesterday’s trough of Westerly Wave over Northern parts Pakistan lies over Kashmir and adjoining areas, whereas “weak seasonal low” still persists over Western Balochistan. At present, weak moist currents from Arabian Sea are penetrating into Northeastern Punjab up to 3,000 feet. Mainly dry weather has been predicted by FFD, Lahore, over most parts of the country, however Isolated thunderstorm/rain is expected over D.G. Khan & Rawalpindi Divisions of Punjab, D.I. Khan Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Northeastern Balochistan and upper catchments of all the major Rivers of Indus River System during the next 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Communications Maulana Asad Mehmood has visited several flood affected areas and distributed about 2,000 food packages among the flood victims
French President Emmanuel Macron while expressing solidarity with the flood victims of Pakistan said that his country was ready to provide help. Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Sunday said that Telenor, Zong, and Ufone and all internet services have been restored in Quetta city. “Efforts are underway to restore the services in other flood-hit areas, PTA added”. Commissioner Benazirabad Division, Rasheed Ahmed Zardari has imposed Section 144 and barred giving cut to all canals and saline drains and flowing rain water to city population. AC Jatoe Shoaib Bosan on Sunday said that low lying areas of tehsil Jatoe along bank of River Indus have been vacated as precautionary measure against possible flood threat. The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has released an additional fund of Rs.2.5 billion for provision of relief to the flood affected people of the province. As besides colossal humans and material losses, the devastative floods have brought havoc to communication infrastructure including roads and bridges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where several upper areas of Swat and Dir districts were cut off from rest of the country, hampering relief operations. All educational institutions including schools and colleges (both public and private sector) in district will The River Kabul was experiencing a high flood with 307,000 cusecs of water flowing at Nowshera since Sunday morning and by noon the water submerged GT Road, while another massive flood torrent was heading towards the district from Swat Valley. Nowshera district administration, which first evacuated low-lying areas on Friday, said that a new flood wave could with a magnitude of up to 130,000 cusecs was expected in the area. The flood torrent has already arrived at Charsadda – around 35 kilometers upstream from Nowshera where River Swat merges into RiverTheKabul.authorities have sounded alert in Nowshera city, Nowshera Kalan, Banda Sheikh Ismail, and other areas. Earlier on Saturday, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) sounded an alarm for a ‘high’ to ‘very high and above’ flood in the River Kabul at Nowshera over the next 24 hours, with the River Indus at Kalabagh set to attain ‘high to very high’ flood over the next 48 hours and directed to evacuate people from flood-prone areas with the country having already declared a national emergency and acute humanitarian crisis. Due to flood torrents, water level at Kalabagh, Taunsa, Guddu and Sukkur in Sindh is also on the rise. The NDMA warned that River Indus at Kalabagh and Chashma was likely to attain a high to very high flooding level. By Sunday afternoon, Kalabagh recorded a 425,000 cusecs flow while water level had increased to 500,000 cusecs at Taunsa. A high flood situation is not expected in Rivers Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej, according to NDMA. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecasted mostly dry weather over most parts of the country. Still, isolated thunderstorms and rain is expected over the upper catchments of all major rivers and in northeast Balochistan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Dera Ismail Khan, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala and Lahore divisions. Next 48 hours crucial for ID Khan, Tank and other areas Commissioner Dera Ismail Khan Division, Amir Afaq on Sunday said the next 48 hours were very crucial in view the passage of a torrent having 600,000 to 700,000 cusecs water through Indus River. He stated this while chairing a meeting in his office regarding the flood situation, rescue and relief activities, measures taken in this regard, especially arrangements related to 6 to 7 lac cusecs of water passing through Indus River. The meeting was attended by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Faisal Amin Gandapur, former Federal Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Regional Police Officer Shaukat Abbas, Station Commander Brig Muhammad Rashid, MPA Ahmed Karim Kundi, Deputy Commissioner Nasrullah Khan, Additional Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Iqbal Wazir, SE Irregation, District Police Officer Najmul Hasnain Liaquat, District Health Officer, District Emergency Officer Rescue 1122 Kamal Shah, Assistant Commissioners, TMOs, WSSC, District Director Live stock, Project Director Gomal Zam Dam and representatives of other relevant departments. During the meeting, the commissioner directed for increasing the number of relief camps immediately as the number of victims was high. All the facilities including food, drinking water and medical should be ensured at these camps. He directed the WSSC to remove the obstructions in the flow of drainage immediately.Addressing the meeting, Provincial Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Faisal Amin Gandapur said that all the expenses of relief activities including provision of shelter would be provided by the provincial government, adding that a blank check has been received from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan for the purpose. 800,000 CUSeCS FlOODWateR mOVing tOWaRDS gUDDU BaRRage: The Flood Forecasting Division (FFD) has said 800,000 cusecs of floodwater is moving towards Guddu Barrage from Rajanpur in River Indus. The administration is on high-alert following the passage of 800,000 cusecs of water from Rajanpur. The people living at the embankments and low-lying areas near Indus River have been asked to leave their houses and shift in camps.
Modi regime has stooped so low to present a mentally unsound person as a ‘terrorist’ to smear Pakistan, said a report released by the Kashmir Media Service, today. It said India is using the arrest of insane Tabarak Hussain from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, who inadvertently crossed Line of Control (LoC) recently, to unleash malicious propaganda against Pakistan. Tabarak Hussain, a resident of Sabzkot village of Kotli in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and mentally unsound, was shot at and arrested in injured condition by Indian troops after he inadvertently crossed the Line of Control in Naushera area of Rajouri district of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir a few days ago, the report said. It deplored that Indian troops were killing Kashmiris in fake encounters near the LoC and later dub them as Pakistani militants to defame Pakistan and the Kashmir freedom movement. India through its pliant media is trying to paint Pakistan, the Kashmiris’ freedom movement in a bad light, it added. The report maintained that India had a habit of unleashing unsubstantiated propaganda against Pakistan and the Kashmiris’ freedom movement and had escalated its anti-Pakistan campaign marked by false narratives, concocted evidence and orchestration of fake encounters. It said India is a known state-sponsor of terrorism, promoter of anti-Pakistan propaganda but will definitely fail in its machinations to defame Pakistan and the Kashmir freedom struggle as Pakistanis and the Kashmiris are determined to foil India’s hybrid war tactics against them.
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ISLAMABAD app President Dr Arif Alvi in a tweet on Sunday reminded the nation of the courage and valour of war veteran Sepoy Maqbool Hussain on his 4th death anniversary. In a tweet on social media platform Twitter, he said, “While we are working for flood relief, let us remind ourselves of our heroes too. Today is the 4th death anniversary of war veteran Sep Maqbool Hussain (SJ). Taken prisoner in 1965 by Indian Army who could not break him down despite mental & physical torture. His tongue was also cut.” “After spending 40 years in Indian jails, having never uttered a word against his country, Sipahi Maqbool Hussain SJ was released in 2005 at the Wagah border. Such is the soil and sentiment of Pakistan. Such spirit ensures that we can rise & overcome all our trials & tribulations,” he added.
President remembers war veteran sepoy Maqbool hussain
KARACHI Staff RepoRt f ORMeRPresident of Pakistan and President Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians, Asif Ali Zardari has said that it is a painful situation due to rains and floods. He himself would have been present with the victims in such a situation if his health had permitted.
Balochistan govt extend holidays of educational institutions till september 3
moonsafar-ul-Muzaffarsighted ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Syed Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad on Sunday evening announced that the moon of Safar-ul-Muzaffar had sighted and Safar 1, 1444 AH, shall commence from Monday, August 29, 2022. He said the weather condition was cloudy at most of the areas of the country, however, it remain clear at some places. He said the Ruet-eHilal Committee had received many a solid testimony from various areas of the country about the Safar-ul-Muzaffar’s moon sighting. He said the decision about Safar-ul-Muzaffar moon sighting was made after building a consensus among all the members of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee. On this occasion, Abdul Khabir Azad appealed the entire nation to help the flood affected people through all possible means. He also paid tributes to the incumbent government, Pakistan Army and other entities for helping the marooned people at this hour of trials and tribulations. At the end, he prayed for the stability, security and sovereignty of the country.
Assad Chaudhry, an APPAC board member, said that donations are pouring in, and the money raised t would be deposited in Pakistan government’s accounts devoted to floodMeanwhile,relief.
India plotting to defame Pakistan through its malicious propaganda More planes with relief goods from UAE, Turkiye to reach soon: Marriyum
The media is focusing on the relief work done in difficult situations across the country by government agencies and humanitarian organizations and pointing out that the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government has appealed for international help to deal with the crisis.Meanwhile, the Pakistan-American community is busy raising funds and the American-Pakistani Political Action Committee (APPAC), which is headed by Dr. Ijaz Ahmad, has already collected more than half a million dollars.On Friday, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Masood Khan, made an impassioned appeal to the Pakistani-American community to step forward and help the flood affectees in Pakistan. To date, 66 districts in Southern Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan have been declared calamity hit, and officials said the rainfall in coming days is likely to wreak havoc in other areas.
Tahir remarked that lack of punitive actions had emboldened the hoarders and profiteers who charge exorbitant prices and try to create artificial supply issues. He suggested that for rehabilitation of flood affectees all political parties, their members, federal and provincial governments to collectively work together shunning differences.Tahir Ashrafi has called the affluent people to play their role by paying their respective zakats for flood victims, also urging the elites and NGOs to come forward and contributein this testing time.
US media flashing flood devastation in Pakistan
Bilawal won’t leave flood affectees in lurch, says Zardari
QUETTA Staff RepoRt Balochistan government on Sunday announced to extend the holidays of all government educational institutions till September 3, 2022. Balochistan education Minister Mir Naseebullah Marree said that the decision has been taken due to the recent disaster caused by floods and rains. He said flood water had entered most of the government schools due to which the educational institutions were damaged. “In many districts, including Quetta, flood-affected people are being sheltered in government schools and colleges”, he added.
President Zardari in a statement said that Chairman PPP, Bilawl Bhutto Zardari will not leave the people alone. 'We believe in the Almighty Allah and will succeed in helping people emerge from this difficult situation. The government will definitely fulfil the responsibility of rehabilitating the rain and flood victims. President Zardari instructed all PPP ministers and assembly members to stay among the people of their constituencies. The Benazir Income Support Program should be further expanded and all possible assistance should be given to the poor victims of floods. He asked the government of Pakistan to help the poor by mobilizing Baitul-Mal. He said that the political paradise is under the feet of theAsifpeople.AliZardari promised the victims of flood that the PPP will not rest until their rehabilitation. Politics can wait as this is the time to serve the people, he added. Universities- Relief Camps Sindh govt directs to establish flood relief camps in varsities Sindh Universities Minister Ismail Rahu has issued a letter to the Vice Chancellors of 27 universities while directing all the government and private universities of the province to set up flood relief camps to collect funds, clothes, food and required things for rain-fllood-affectees. Ismail Rahu said that the funds, clothes, food and other goods collected from the universities should be distributed among the affectees, said a communique here on Saturday. He further advised that if any Faculty member who wants to help the affectees can help them because It is our national duty to stand by our sisters and brothers in this trying time. Ismail Rahu also advised to establish medical camps on the premises of universities, so that rain and flood affectees can be helped.
ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt India is trying to defame Pakistan and the Kashmiris’ freedom struggle by resorting to malicious propaganda as the fascist Modi can resort to any wicked tactic to malign Pakistan and the Kashmiris’ indigenous resistance movement.
ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Sunday said fifteen more planeloads of relief goods from the United Arab emirates (UAe) would arrive in Pakistan in the coming days. She, in a series of tweets, said the first consignment of relief goods from the UAe would arrive at Nur Khan Airbase on Sunday. Marriyum said the first consignment from UAe for flood affectees is being sent on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s appeal to the UAe authorities in the wake of sever flood in the country. The relief goods included tents, food, medicine and other items, she added. Two aircrafts with relief goods from Turkiye arriveMinistertoday for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said that two aircrafts from Turkiye carrying relief goods would arrive in Karachi on Monday (today). “The Consul General of Turkiye in Karachi will hand over the relief goods to the Pakistani authorities at the airport,” she said in a series of tweets on Sunday.
NEW YORK Staff RepoRt American print and electronic media is giving wide coverage to the devastation caused by fast-flowing flood waters in Pakistan that Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman has called a “climate-induced humanitarian disaster” of “epic proportions.”
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Religious Harmony Maulana Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi on Sunday said that hoarding and Illegal profiteering is haram (unfair) and people would be held accountable on the day of judgment. Talking to a private news channel, he said that price hike in days of calamity and disaster was illegal and a very shameful act, slamming the mafias for spearheading this act. He urged the government to take strict actions against those raising prices of essential items.
Monday, 29 August, 2022 | LAHORe 04 newS
The Chinese spokesman mentioned that the “statement shared by the Chinese Mission in Islamabad reminded us that China and Pakistan are true friends who shared weal and woes and had a fine tradition of helping each other in major natural disasters. Since the floods in Pakistan, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed condolences to Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto.”
PM Praises Pakistan arMY, officials for evacuation of PeoPle froM kuMrat: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday praised the Pakistan Army and government officials for evacuating the people, stranded in the Kumrat valley due to floods. In a tweet on his Twitter handle, the prime minister said he received the information about the successful evacuation of people including students, while he was on a visit to the flood affected areas in Balochistan.
“People are in difficulty as many parts of the country are submerged in rainwater. Standing crops over thousands of acres have been destroyed,” he said in a video address from London on Sunday. “Certainly this is a natural disaster but this is also a time for soul searching and repentance as this might be a result of our deeds,” the PML-N chief added. Nawaz, who has been living in London since 2019 on medical grounds, appealed all people including ruling PML-N lawmakers and wealthy individuals to use all resources at their disposal to help the flood victims.
The prime minister also appreciated Balochistan chief minister and his team for the rescue and relief activities as the camps for the affectees were set up and their needs had been catered to. He stressed upon making of safe drinking water arrangements and informed that he had already directed the federal minister of energy to supervise restoration of suspended power supply in the affected areas. The prime minister said about 50,000 stranded people, trapped in floods, had been rescued through the assistance provided by the Pakistan army and Navy helicopters. He further informed that on Monday, they would be holding a meeting in Islamabad to review the situation and take further decisions.Earlier, the prime minister was given a detailed briefing by Balochistan chief secretary who apprised that 20 districts in the provinces were badly affected including Killa Saifullah and Killa Abdullah and about 1.3 million population braced the wort situation.
“In my political and personal life, I had never witnessed such widespread destruction caused by floods, as scores of villages were effaced, hundreds of lives were lost and millions of homes swept away,” he expressed his grief. The prime minister said the federal government was providing Rs25,000 to each flood affected family out of allocated grant of Rs38 billion through the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), so that the deserving were not deprived of the assistance package. In Sindh, he said, he had already announced a grant of Rs15 billion. The provincial chief ministers and their teams in assistance with the relevant departments had been making untiring efforts day and night, the prime minister said.
Nawaz asks party lawmakers, well off people to donate for flood victims
ISLAMABAD staff report C HINAstands solidly behind Pakistan amid floods, as the Chinese Embassy is highly active these days to support Pakistan at this hour of Accordingdistress.to a report published by Gwadar Pro on Sunday, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong held several meetings over the weekend to discuss the flood situation with the Pakistani leaders and hand over Chinese donations to the Pakistani government. The Chinese envoy held meetings among others with federal ministers Shazain Bugti and Ahsan Iqbal to assure China’s unwavering support during this difficult time. “Had a fruitful discussion with Shahzain Bugti, Minister for Narcotic’s Control. He highly appreciated the emergency humanitarian assistance from the Chinese government for flood relief, including to Balochistan. We are with Pak in times of difficulties,” Ambassador Nong Rong tweeted after a meeting on Saturday afternoon. Earlier, the envoy held a meeting with Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Minister of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives). He tweeted as he handed over the Pakistani Rs 15 million donation to PM Relief Fund by Chinese“Chinacompanies.isalways together with Pakistan to overcome the flood disaster and pull through at an early date,” Ambassador Nong Rong added. A few days earlier, China expressed deep condolences and sympathies with the victims of flash floods in Balochistan and Sindh and announced the provision of emergency humanitarian aid, including tents and urgently-needed relief material. A spokesman of the Chinese government said the emergency humanitarian aid, including 25,000 tents and relief materials, was dispatched forthwith, while 4,000 tents, 50,000 blankets, 50,000 tarpaulins and other reserves provided by China under the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’s (CPEC) social and people’s livelihood cooperation had been put into the frontline for relief.
First UAE flight with 3,000 tons relief goods reaches Nur Khan Air Base
ISLAMABAD staff report
Taliban airspaceUSPakistanaccuseofallowingdronestouseits
Besides, working tirelessly to maintain uninterrupted connectivity for continuation of rescue and relief activities, PTCL Group’s decision to leverage its physical infrastructure will facilitate the people in the affected areas and share some burden of the stressed public health infrastructure of the country.
pr PTCL Group opens doors of its Medical Centers for flood affected people
“I will also request all PMLN MNAs and MPAs to cancel your all political and other engagements and put your all energies into helping the flood victims,” he remarked. He also appreciated his brother, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, saying he was entirely focusing on relief efforts and making all-out efforts to help the distressed people. The former premier said her daughter and party senior leader Nawaz Maryam Nawaz was also set to visit the flood affected area “where she will review the relief efforts and inquire after the wellbeing of the victims”. Floods continued to devastate the country on Sunday, particularly the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Balochistan leaving at least 119 people dead and more than 70 injured in the past 24 hours.
ISLAMABAD/LODON staff report Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has called upon people belonging to all walks of life including wealthy individuals and party lawmakers to come forward and help the flood victims.
05news Monday, 29 August, 2022 | lAhoRe
PM announces Rs10b to assist flood victims in Balochistan
The first flight from United Arab Emirates (UAE), carrying over 3,000 tons of relief goods including tents, food, medicines and other items of basic needs reached Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan on Sunday. UAE Ambassador in Pakistan Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Al-Zaabi handed over the relief goods to Minister for Planning Development and Reforms Prof Ahsan Iqbal at the Base. Meanwhile talking to media, Minister for Planning and Development said that international community has expressed solidarity with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and assured their full support for the relief and rehabilitation of the people, effected by flash floods. He said that many other countries including Europe are being sending relief goods to Pakistan to strengthen government’s efforts of rescue, relief and rehabilitation, adding that a consignment carrying tents from friendly country China will also reaching soon, which would immediately to be provided to flood effected people. The country was facing swear challenges due to devastating flash floods, he said adding that government in collaboration with international organizations and people would soon overcome this natural calamity and will use all resources for the rehabilitation of the people. The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to make all efforts for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of all houses and other basic infrastructure damaged due to floods and said the efforts would be continued till the rebuilding of the last house and enabling last effected people to stand its own feet.
corporate corner U Microfinance Bank receives global recognition with three prestigious Asian Banking & Finance Awards, 2022 Islamabad: U Microfinance Bank (U Bank), Pakistan’s fastest growing microfinance bank, has added another victory to its long list of achievements by bagging three internationally recognized awards by Asian Banking & Finance (ABF) Awards, 2022. For its performance in 20212022, U Microfinance Bank has won the Asian Banking &Finance Wholesale Banking Award 2022 for Domestic Initiative of the Year – Pakistan, and the Asian Banking &Finance Retail Banking Award 2022 for Microfinance Bank of the Year - Pakistan (from the Domestic Retail Bank entry)and Islamic Banking Initiative of the Year – Pakistan. These accolades pay tribute to U Microfinance Bank’s tireless endeavors over the past seven years towards increasing financial inclusion in the country and serving the unbanked population. Establishing itself as the fastest growing microfinance bank in the industry, U Bank is expanding its network this year by an additional 100 branches nationwide, warranting it to be awarded as the Microfinance Bank of the Year, 2022 – Pakistan by ABF. U Bank is also one of the microfinance banks in Pakistan to introduce Islamic banking services providing its clients with tailor-made, Shariah-compliant solutions for their financing needs, for which U Bank has won the award for Islamic Initiative of the Year – Pakistan. Broadening it avenues, U Bank has successfully issued its first ever Social Impact Bond, to be used to finance loans for renewable energy, private schooling, low cost housing, and Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs), primarily in rural Pakistan. This innovative social initiative was widely applauded by ABF, for which U Bank has been awarded with the Asian Banking & Finance Wholesale Banking Award 2022 for Domestic Initiative of the Year – Pakistan. Upon receiving global appreciation, U Microfinance Bank’s President & CEO, Mr. Kabeer Naqvi, expressed his gratitude and stated, “The three prestigious ABF awards rewarded to U Bank bears testament to our efforts over the past year in achieving improved financial inclusion for the masses, and it gives us great honor to have received this recognition. At U Bank, we take pride in being a mission-driven, customer-centric banking institution aimed at providing the best experiences for our wide spectrum of customers. Keeping this in mind, and despite economic instability in the country, we have incorporated six canvases into our core business model –significantly expanding ourunique and innovative banking services- categorized as Rural Retail Banking, Urban Retail Banking, Islamic Banking, Digital Banking.
He said during 2010, Pakistan faced a huge deluge, but it was restricted to Sindh river, but the recent devastation had been widespread, Sindh and Balochistan provinces were badly battered. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the heavy downpours had led to swollen rivers and water channels in Swat and Kalam, sweeping away hotels and homes within the winks of eyes, he said, adding hundreds of people lost their lives, crops were damaged while the stagnant water would create problems.
PM arrives sukkur en route to flood-affected areas of Jaffarabad: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif being briefed by Chief Secretary Balochistan on relief and rehabilitation activities for the flood victims in Village Haji Allah Dino He said a total of 65,000 houses were completed destroyed whereas the QuettaSukkkur road link had been cut off due to collapse of bridges. A total of 25 small dams in the province were breached and 78 others had developed cracks. A total of 450 solar tube wells were damaged while millions of acres of agriculture land had been affected. Cash assistance through BISP was generated besides, arrangements were made to provide food stuff to more than 1 million people, it was added.
KABUL reuters
“Red Cross Society of China has already provided emergency cash assistance of (US) $300,000 to the Pakistan Red Crescent Society,” the spokesman informed. He further stated: “China has noticed that severe floods in Pakistan recently caused heavy casualties and property losses. We would like to express our deep sympathies to the victims and offer our sincere condolences to the families of the victims, the injured and the people hit in the disaster.”
Speaking on the initiative, Shoaib Baig, Group Chief People Officer, PTCL & Ufone said: “Being Pakistani companies, PTCL and Ufone feel great responsibility to stand by our people during this hour of great anguish caused by the recent floods. We are taking all possible measures within our reach to bring some comfort and solace to our distressed brethren.”
“Our thoughts go out to the Pakistani people facing terrible floods, to the families of the countless people missing and to the populations affected. France stands ready to provide help,” he posted.
pr cONtINUeD frOM pAge 01
Islamabad: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) Group has opened the doors of its medical centers for flood affected people in Swat, Dera Ismail Khan, Sukkur, Mirpur Khas, Larkana, Hyderabad, Malir-Karachi and Quetta. The centers will operate to facilitate and treat people injured in flood related accidents or fallen ill due to water-borne diseases. Heavy rains and flooding have caused irreparable losses to life and property across the length and breadth of the country, laying waste to large swathes of settlements, bazars, standing crops and urban centers in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh. The government of Pakistan has declared emergency across dozens of districts in all four provinces, prompting emergency response to the floods. Responding to the emergency, PTCL Group in an endeavor to support the disaster struck communities is extending its medical facilities to the communities affected.
“Yesterday when I was informed about the stranded people in the Kumrat valley, I directed for utilization of all available resources for their rescue. Pakistan Army and officials deserve praise for this,” he added. france readY to suPPort flood victiMs of Pakistan: Macron: French President Emmanuel Macron while expressing solidarity with the flood victims of Pakistan has said that his country was ready to provide help. On his Twitter handle, the French president said that their thought went to the people in Pakistan who had been facing terrible floods with countless people missing.
The prime minister also met and interacted with the flood victims.
Ahsan Iqbal said that provinces of Sindh and Balochistan were badly effected due to recent torrential rains and flash floods making devastation on a large scale as many links of roads, houses, bridges and railways infrastructure destroyed.
ChinA STAndS SoLidLy Behind PAkiSTAn AMid FLoodS: nonG RonG
The Taliban’s acting defence minister on Sunday said Pakistan had allowed American drones to use its airspace to access Afghanistan, a charge Pakistan has recently denied following a US air strike in Kabul. Acting Minister of Defence Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob told reporters at a news conference in Kabul that American drones have been entering Afghanistan via “AccordingPakistan.to our information the drones are entering through Pakistan to Afghanistan, they use Pakistan’s airspace, we ask Pakistan, don’t use your airspace against us,” he said. Pakistan did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Islamabad has denied involvement in or advanced knowledge of a drone strike the United States said it carried out in Kabul in July that killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. Yaqoob’s comments could exacerbate tension between the neighbouring nations at a time when the Afghan Taliban is mediating talks between Pakistan and the Afghanistan-based Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group. Afghanistan also relies heavily on trade with Pakistan as the country experiences an economic crisis. The Taliban said it is investigating the July air strike and that it has not found the al-Qaeda leader’s body.
A recent article in the press, ‘Over 30m people affected by floods: govt’ pointed out in this regard ‘Historic monsoon rains and flooding in country have affected more than 30 million people over the last few weeks, the country’s climate change minister Sherry Rehman said on Thursday, calling the situation a “climate-induced humanitarian disaster of epicPakistanproportions”.’isalready suffering from a serious balance of payments crisis, mainly due to high food and oil import costs feeding into the high import bill, which on the other hand, has also significantly contributed to a high level of imported and cost-push inflation in the country. Added with this has come severe flooding, which has not only seriously affected the life and property of people in many parts of the country, but also comes on top of the pandemic and global supply shock causing high inflation and increasing poverty levels.
A recent Bloomberg published article ‘Pakistan seeks help as deadly floods threaten fragile economy’ pointed out in this regard ‘Pakistanhas appealed to international donors for help as unprecedented rains trigger a humanitarian crisis and threaten the economy of the South Asian nation. Flash floods from heavy monsoon showers have killed 913 people since June and inundated crops across the country, according to climate change Minister Sherry Rehman. She said thousands are now without shelter and food and the nation is short on relief goods.’ Having said, reportedly the initial response in terms of multilateral pledged assistance at half a billion dollars is indeed lukewarm.
Power
There must be planning for the future, based on it happening again M. A. Niazi ExecutiveAzizEditor P AkISTAn is among the top ten countries, which are most vulnerable to the consequences of climate change crisis. This year saw severe heat waves for the country that resulted in pre-monsoon rains, and together with impact from greater and quicker melting of glaciers in the country’s north, and heavy rains that have continued rather frequently and in a widespread manner, both meant that many parts of the country are suffering severe flooding.
The writer holds PhD in Economics degree from the University of Barcelona, and previously worked at International Monetary Fund.Prior to this, he did MSc. in Economics from the University of York (United Kingdom), and worked at the Ministry of Economic Affairs & Statistics (Pakistan), among other places. He is author of Springer published book (2016) ‘The economic impact of International Monetary Fund programmes: institutional quality, macroeconomic stabilization and economic growth’.He tweets @omerjaved7
An onlooker in political cases can never tell whether the accused has actually committed a crime and is being tried according to the law, or is being punished for his ot her political beliefs. This all leads to more confusion, polarization, conspiracies, and lastly, becomes a breeding ground for populism. Populism has taken all this to another level; by finding defects and problems in the democratic system (like a political killing spree) they show themselves as false victims and gain electoral sympathies. They get the advantage over regular politicians by reinforcing their ‘messianic’ personalities through social media and exploiting young minds. And once this happens the end result is a complete deterioration ofthedemocratic structure. Take the USA as an example; former President Donald Trump, a political outsider, made his way to the White House by making use of a generic populist arsenal, condemning the flaws in the system and the wide definition of American liberty. He gained sympathy by presenting himself as the victim of the Mueller report and his dispute with James comey (Former Director of the FBI). He made severe allegations that the elections were stolen from him and incited the 6 January 2021 attack on capitol Hill. In modern times, nearly every democracy is facing such challenges; traditional coup d’etats have been taken over by the electoral wins of demagogues. Trump is once again eyeing 2024, unsurprisingly using the same tactics, the way he has played the Mar a Lago raid and the subsequent attempt to attack the FBI building in cincinnati is just a start. All eyes are currently peeled on the upcoming Senate elections, and the defeat of anti-Trump Republicans such as Liz cheneyin the primaries is alarming; although this seems very legitimate yet it is Thedestructive.USA,which is believed to be the strongest
H IgH electricity bills, boosted by record fuel adjustment charges, are driving the consumer from pillar to post. The blame is being placed squarely on the government, and though there have been no power riots yet, the ordinary man is not sure in which direction he is being pushed. Is he supposed to come out on the streets and riot? The government’s insistence on keeping the fuel adjustment charges where they are is based on commitments made with the IMF, which is scheduled to approve the long-delayed tranche in Pakistan’s eFF. The Prime Minister’s promise to exclude fuel adjustment charges from bills for poorer consumers has apparently not been fulfilled, with the result that he is now among the targets of the consumer’s wrath, along with Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, who had announced the relief. Dr Ismail has got credibility problems, it seems, for he had announced that the new SBP governor would be appointed in three days, and then took more than a month to do so. Another problem has been that Dr Ismail has become a divisive figure within the party. Because of him, antagonism between the brothers, nawaz and Shahbaz, has begun to crystallize. Those who see themselves primarily as nawaz supporters, like khwaja Asif or Saad Rafiq, while members of Shehbaz’s cabinet, feel free to indulge in public sniping at their colleague. Dr Ismail’s biggest backer is apparently the PM, who does not seem to share Mian nawaz’s fear that the party will lose support.Is Mian Shehbaz willing to back Dr Ismail to the point that Mian nawaz is obliged to distance himself from the government and its economic measures? The choices are obviously not easy. The main problem seems to be that Mian nawaz’s favourite economic manager, Ishaq Dar, has got legal reasons to stay away, and it is not clear what magic wand he is supposed to wave to provide relief to the common man. Relief would have been particularly welcome because the bills coming in were for the height ofthe summer, when fan and air-conditioner use was at a peak. It may well be too late. Dr Ismail missed the chance to dicker with the IMF over the details, which would have allowed the government to provide some sort of cushion to the common man. It might still be possible to make such a renegotiation, but it will be that much more difficult, after the readiness of Dr Ismail, to agree to any condition the IMF placed, because the government was so desperate to get a deal. to the party?
Watery hell T He images are still coming through despite the breakdown of rail and road links. And they are harrowing. The kind of death and destruction meted out by the current floods is above that expected because of the monsoon. What has perhaps enhanced the awareness of the fortunate, who have not experienced such a catastrophe, has been the availability of social media, and the readiness of citizen journalists, themselves at risk, to record the horror and destruction. However, it would be to live in a fool’s paradise to assume that such rains, such flooding, will not be repeated next year, or in subsequent years. climate change is no longer something nebulous a long way down the road. Its harmful effects are occurring now, It must also be understood that it will not be enough to throw bricks and mortar at the problem, because all the dykes and dams on which reliance was being placed have failed to work. There must be an effective evacuation plan, so that lives at least can be saved, if not livelihoods. For that, rehabilitation plans have got to be put in place, not just for this year, but the future as well. These floods could not have come at a worse time, when the country is already facing political instability, the effects of the covid-19 epidemic and economic turmoil because of the Russo-Ukraine war, even as it tries to keep on an IMF programme. That makes it creditable to the government that it has been able to line up foreign aid already. However, it should remember that such donations will be more difficult to get as crises are repeated in succeeding years. Apart from donor fatigue, climate change will be causing crises in those donor countries.
Climate change and floods in Pakistan
Harvard Professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, in the book How Democracies Di’ say that there are two pillars for the smooth functioning of an effective democracy. Firstly, political parties must observe tolerance for their political opponents and recognize their political legitimacy in terms of the votes they receive from the public. The second pillar is institutional forbearance, which means that when in power they must avoid using state institutions against their political opponents. This all seems to be a very ideal situation, especially due to our chequered political history and the current political environment in Pakistan. But after 75 years of independence, it must be clear to every Pakistani that there isn’t anyone coming to save us; it is we who can save ourselves by not getting influenced by Twitter trends and fan cams, but supporting those who stand by democratic values and respect the institutions. Let us not get swayed away by fancy speeches and conferences, but allow the law to make its own way. The Writer is a student at the Lahore University of Management Sciences and serves as the Director of the Law and Politics Society. The views expressed are his own.
YousafEditorNizami Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor
Revanchisme
06-07 Comments - 29th August 2022_Layout 1 8/28/2022 11:41 PM Page 1
dr OMer Javed MuhaMMad hayat
Joint Editor Umar
High electricity bills seem to be ripping the PML(N) apart
06 Monday, 29 August, 2022 COMMENT 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
O nce again, the tires of vengeance and hatred have started to spin, and this time the chief of staff of a former Prime Minister finds himself in harm’s way. Whether the doctor had it coming, due to the ‘prescriptions’ he gave, is a different debate but is it all worth it when there are dozens of other problems lying unattended, like the floods, across the country? even 70 years after independence, we are daily being exposed to petty politics, witch-hunts, and accusations of beingAlthoughtraitors. this all seems to be very Pakistani, butin reality, countries (especially democratic nations) across the world have been facing this. Wherever a particular political party enjoys a hold of power, be it in terms of a legislative majority in the House or an executive hammer, a witch-hunt is inevitable. Although the degree and volatility of such practices vary according to the intent of the aggressor and the independence and internal control of an institution. But the main purpose, to undermine the opponent, remains the same. All of this not only tries to destroy the prevalent democratic norms and principles but also hampers the administration of justice in its true essence, as Lord chief Justice Hewart put it, that “Justice must not only be done but must manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done.”
After 75 years of independence, it must be clear to every Pakistani that there isn’t anyone coming to save us; it is we who can save ourselves by not getting influenced by Twitter trends and fan cams, but supporting those who stand by democratic values and respect the institutions. Damage to crops, like rice and cotton, will not only add to already very serious challenge of food shortage, both domestically and globally, but in the case of Pakistan, fall in exports of cotton likely due to fall in crop output, will also lower put further pressure to already low foreign exchange reserves situation that the country finds itself in. Lak
A recent article in the press, ‘International institutions announce $500m assistance’ pointed out ‘The international organisations and financial institutions Thursday announced an immediate assistance of more than 500 million dollars for the flood victims on the appeal of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The PM chaired an important meeting with the international donors here for providing relief to the flood victims. The representatives of the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, international financial institutions, development partners and donors attended the meeting.’Hence,given the extent of devastation, this is indeed very low, and it is hoped that much greater assistance will be provided with regard to flood assistance. It also needs to be pointed out here that the climate finance-related commitment will be fulfilled by rich, advanced countries, which they made at the 2015 Paris climate meetings. Moreover, there is a need for developed countries to make quicker progress on transitioning their economies away from fossil fuel usage, among other steps that need to be taken to reduce the significant carbon footprint that developed countries make. This is also indeed very important for developing countries like Pakistan that have little contribution in creating the climate change crisis, but are suffering so much due to the rising global temperature.Moreover, given the overall difficult balance of payments, and debt situation, it is also hoped that greater IMF’s special drawing rights (SDRs) assistance will be provided, so that developing countries like Pakistan use this to reduce imported inflation, and can have greater fiscal space for the welfare of the people, especially those suffering from the flood crisis. The impact of floods in terms of damage to crops has also been significant. Therefore, it is indeed exceedingly important, once again, that the climate change crisis is taken all the more seriously in policy globally. A recent Financial Times (FT) published article ‘climate is a supply chain problem that can’t be ignored’ pointed out ‘The Intergovernmental Panel on climate change is clear that extreme weather events, like drought, flooding or powerful storms, will becomemore common and more severeas the climate changes. The implications for the production, manufacture and distribution of food and goods around the world are almost bafflingly wide-ranging and complex.’ Damage to crops, like rice and cotton, will not only add to already very serious challenge of food shortage, both domestically and globally, but in the case of Pakistan, fall in exports of cotton likely due to fall in crop output, will also lower put further pressure to already low foreign exchange reserves situation that the country finds itself in. Shortage of cotton output will also likely negatively impact the already difficult global cotton supply situation.Arecent Bloombergpublished article ‘The world’s cotton supply keeps shrinking, hit by drought, heat’ pointed out in this regard ‘extreme weather is wreaking havoc upon virtually all of the world’s largest cotton suppliers.In India, the top-producing country, heavy rains and pests have cut into cotton crops so much that the nation is importing supplies. A heat wave in china is raising concerns about the upcoming harvest there. In the US, the largest exporter of the commodity, a worsening drought is ravaging farms and is set to drag production to the lowest level in more than a decade. And now Brazil, the secondlargest exporter, is battling extreme heat and drought that have already cut yields by nearly 30%.’ Hence, added to this cotton supply shortage, as a result of climate change crisis, is in the shape of loss in output in Pakistan due to floods.’
democracy, currently finds itself sharply divided and covered inthepopulist dust. Our democracy on the other hand is very fragile but rather than making it weaker, our political parties, who are now in power must realize thattheirevery step which is taken in the way of political revenge can never be beneficial for them or the country. It will only lead to more chaos and will give more political space to those who consider themselves above the law and do not respect the institutions of this country.
Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad Joint Editor
Those who caused the disaster don’t want to pay for it
It is time to stop using state power against opponents
MUHSINPESHAWARKHAN
MUBARAKISLAMABADQAZI
Fiction IMPROvIng writing skills has been a great challenge for many students. People often ask how they can polish their english language skills. My strategy in this regard is quite simple and effective. Whenever someone comes to me with such a question, I advise them to read fiction. There are several reasons behind this advice. Firstly, there is no shortcut to improving english or any language. However, fiction helps you subconsciously absorb and learn different writing styles, grammar rules and to infuse a smooth flow to your writing. Also, reading fiction is the best way to improve linguistic capacity, develop a personalised writing style, and learn sentence structuring. It keeps the rules of grammar and usage refreshed in your mind while increasing your vocabulary at the same time. Rules pertaining to grammar are amazingly and pertinently expounded in fiction books. Besides, fiction can render your expressions more powerful.
IMANCHAKWALHAFEEZ Stadium at stake
THe national game is already in the doldrums, moving from one crisis to another and from one embarrassment to another, and the recent political gathering at the national Stadium in Lahore for which the artificial playing surface was removed by the authorities was a symbolic representation of how much we care about our national game. The rally was held on a single day, but the disruption in training will linger on for several days, which will be the actual loss caused by the incident.
07 Monday, 29 August, 2022 COMMENT
First, it is because of the rather long recruitment process. The complete recruitment process of FPSc on average takes two whole years or even more. One can easily estimate the long recruitment period by simply visiting FPSc website and clicking the ‘recommendations’ section where all dates from advertisement until the final selection of candidates are clearly mentioned. This delay is highly discouraging for many candidates. Second, and the most recent flaw that pertains to FPSc, is not following the prescribed syllabus and the issuance of certain wrong answer keys in the recent screening tests held for the posts in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) carrying case nos. F.4.140/2021.R and F.4.148/2021.R. Many candidates complain that extremely tough questions from chemistry were included in the everyday Science portion, which is a total violation of the syllabus and against the basic rights of the candidates. They further observe that only a few questions were included from the Islamiat section, while it carries 10 per cent weightage as per the syllabus. A majority of candidates claim that the FPSc provided wrong answer keys for 12 questions in the english portion, and a few questions in the Math portion, in the IB screening test for batch three, and wrong answer keys for 10 questions in the english portion and seven in the Math portion for batch four. Many candidates claim that several other answer keys were wrong in general knowledge and current Affairs sections. They argue that they can justify their claims if original question papers are provided to them for solution in the presence of independent subject specialists or examiners. They demand that the answer keys should be prepared by independent subject specialists so that the wrong answer keys, provided by the FPSc already, be identified and rectified. The candidates have already raised this issue with the FPSc. Their grievances should be addressed without delay in order to revive their trust in the commission.
A set of strategies for advancing business through computerised support systems, including data-driven systems, was launched in the 1980s. Due to its power in optimisation ability, it has since grown in popularity. By using organised procedures, business intelligence enables managers to gather, analyse and disseminate information that is essential for company activity and decision-making at all levels. Additionally, business intelligence consists of methods and solutions that help managers in bridging the information and communication gaps that exist between top and middle management. Business intelligence makes it easier to gather, carefully combine, and manage data. Increased processing power is made available to end-users, enabling them to learn new information for qualitative and quantitative analysis and forecasting. A data warehouse, one of the technologies included in business intelligence systems, collects specific data from numerous sources for in-depth analysis. Online analytical processing, on the other hand, aids in customer and product research. The dashboard provides users with useful visualisations that help decision-makers identify the key performance metrics. To increase utilisation, business intelligence needs to be adaptable and help staff members at all levels to deal with unforeseen circumstances. In the last few years, business intelli-gence has gained popularity because of the technical solutions offered to both traditional and internet enterprises. It has aided businesses in enhancing both their operational procedures and their output. In terms of business and organisational architecture, business intelligence is still a relatively new concept. In emerging nations like ours, we must find and internalise obscure ideas that are crucial to judgments, as well as raise our level of business environment knowledge. A number of educational and social organisations can increase their resource usage and open up new opportunities by intelligently using business intelligence.
THe Federal Public Service commission (FPSc) is a prestigious and credible testing agency responsible for recruiting bureaucrats and other government servants in BPS-16 and above. It has always upheld merit and transparency during the recruitment process. However, the commission has been gradually losing its credibility due to certain flaws.
Editor’s mail
Business Intelligence
W Hen I am writing this letter, Pakistan is already under massive flood waters and facing a much bigger catastrophe than it faced during the 2010 floods. This is not the first time that flood waters are playing havoc with Pakistan and of course, it would not be the last time. Living without any planning and facing the worst kind of impact of climate change, Pakistan always welcomes natural disasters and is always prepared to host calamities. Almost 30 years ago when I came back after attending the earth Summit (Un conference on environment and Development) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992, I wrote a series of articles in which I shared what international experts warned humanity about environmental changes and forthcoming global warming. The Rio de Janeiro earth Summit cautioned all nations that floods would be one of the reasons for mass killing and mass displacement of humans. I shared my viewpoint about cataclysms we could face in the future and they were of the view that such predictions were nothing new and were part of a greater “international conspiracy” against religions and developing countries. even they claimed such summits are sponsored by the capitalist world to inject fear among poor countries. Since then, the time and events have testified that neither the idea of natural calamities brought by environmental changes was an international conspiracy nor was it anti-religion thought. In May 2011, I presented my paper at the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism (IIPT) conference held in Lusaka, Zambia under the title of “Meeting the challenges of climate change to Tourism”.I raised the issue that mass tourism had been playing havoc with environments, predominantly in former nWFP (now kPk) where massive structural mass (constructions) had been built inside rivers by re-molding the width of Blockingrivers.natural courses of water in the Swat River, kabul River, kunhar River and thousands of nullahs (mountain torrents) resulted in an aggravated situation during the massive floods of 2010 because the natural course of water was choked by heavy illegal constructions under heavy rains and then water wiped out these structures (constructions) and brought them down the hills and destroyed every bridge that came in front of its hydro-force. Since then, four massive floods in Swat had wiped out illegal constructions in kalam, Bahrain, Midyan, and Mingora bazaars but massive illegal structures always came back after floods receded. I believe that there is virtually nobody in kPk that can ensure the implementation of environmental laws and the situation has become quite dangerous in the last 10 years of the PTI government in kPk because the majority of kPk parliamentarians belong to the hotel and tourism business and encroaching river land is not a big issue for them. We still remember that 2010 floods damaged civic structures estimated at $4 billion, and wheat crop damages were estimated to be over $500 million. The total economic impact on Pakistan was estimated at over $43 billion while the original figures were much higher than the estimated figures. corresponding reports that appeared in 2012-13 indicated a total impact on the Pakistani economy was over $60 billion.For long, encroaching rivers, nullahs, and water channels have become a norm in Pakistan and one can see this practice even in the capital territory of Pakistan where korang nullah and Soan River (also known as the Swan river) have been eaten up by posh and powerful housing societies, and even areas in the foothills of Murree has been converted into housing schemes and farmhouses and construction of their road network has filled the natural courses of water in theOnearea.can remember e-11/2 urban floods of 2021 but no action was taken against encroachers who remolded nullahs and no demolition was done to clear the area from unnatural remodelling of water channels. Interestingly, the Punjab government had planned a new city by remodelling River Ravi to mint money and land has already been given to the private sector to play havoc with the natural course of River Ravi. Some of my friends living in karachi claim that over 30 percent of karachi spread after 1985 by encroaching sea paths, creeks, rivers, and nullahs. I have every reason to believe we as a nation give a damn to every law, including the law of nature, and we do not wish to learn any lesson from history. Human history tells thousands of stories of the “Wrath of nature’’ when humans
did not stop manipulating nature more than it couldAlmostbear. all religions connect massive floods that human history faced with the “curse of divine power” to punish mankind for its wrongdoings. We remember the prophet noah and the great Flood. noah’s mission was to warn his people, who were plunged into depravity and sin. As a prophet of god he preached the Message of Allah with zeal but his people refused to leave their bad habits and then they faced the greatgreekFlood.mythology explains floods in a very fascinating way and links floods with the idea of the “beginning of rebirth” indicating that floods come to destroy nations that are no more acceptable by greeknature.mythology interprets floods as the cleansing of earth from enemies of Mother nature and says that great floods are usually sent by a deity or deities for destroying civilization, often in an act of divine retribution. greek philosophers, while explaining such myths, said that flood waters are described as a measure for the cleansing of humanity, in preparation for rebirth. The greek god of water is Deucalion who was assigned to keep clean the earth. no doubt there are 3000 river gods, in greek mythology and they are known as “Potamoi” but the most popular Potamoi was Achelous who was chief among his 3,000 brothers. Achelous was also responsible to maintain balance on earth, a balance that can comfort nature.We should remember that myths are crafted through experiences and then get the blending of storytelling therefore, one should learn also from myths and mythological characters.Do we remember the global climate Risk Index has placed Pakistan in the fifth spot on the list of countries most vulnerable to climate change in its annual report for the year 2020? According to the report, Pakistan witnessed 152 extreme weather events from 1999 to 2018.The living situation in Pakistan is aggravating day by day due to massive growth in population, squeezing of forest and wildlife reserves, changing weather patterns, and lack of storage of drinking water.How long would we survive in depleting environments? is a question I am asking myself without finding a reasonable answer. The writer is an international award winning journalist who has been in the field since 1988 and appears in national and international media as analyst and political scientist.
FPSC
HAMZA ISLAMABADALI
Floods are the ‘beginning of rebirth’
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
a Letter from Prometheus agha Iqrar harOOn
The living situation in Pakistan is aggravating day by day due to massive growth in population, squeezing of forest and wildlife reserves, changing weather patterns, and lack of storage of drinking water. How long would we survive in depleting environments? is a question I am asking myself without finding a reasonable answer.
Pakistanis apparently ignore all laws, those of nature even
06-07 Comments - 29th August 2022_Layout 1 8/28/2022 11:41 PM Page 2
THE REAL PROBLEM HAS BEEN CREATED BY BJP ‘INTELLECTUALS’ WHO APPEAR NOT TO NOTICE HOW THEY DEMEAN INDIA AND THE INDIAN IDEA OF FAITH WITH THEIR HYSTERICAL DIATRIBES AGAINST ISLAM IndIan ExprEss Tavleen Singh T he sight of Muslim mobs in hyderabad last week threatening publicly to behead the BJP politician who they believe insulted the Prophet (PBUh) of Islam was horrifying and disturbing. Whatever the wretched man said he was immediately arrested for it and suspended by his party. That should have been the end of it. Cries of ‘sar tan se juda’ have no place in India. This is not an Islamic country and we do not have blasphemy laws so in more ways than one, the fanatics in that mob are as guilty of a crime as the politician they want to behead. Disrespecting the rule of law is as bad as disrespecting someone’s faith. More importantly, the Islamists who believe that their Prophet (PBUh) demands the beheading of those who cast aspersions on him must be reminded that they cannot impose barbaric Islamic punishments in a country populated with infidels and idolators. Most of us proud to be unbelievers. The problem is that in the ‘new India’ there is not a single political leader who has the moral authority to control Islamist fanatics. This is because of too much indulgence of hindutva fanatics and because of allowing an atmosphere of hatred founded on grievances from medieval times. This atmosphere has been created not by hindutva lowlifes who vomit out their bile daily on social media against Muslims, liberals, leftists and (mysteriously) George Soros. The real problem has been created by BJP ‘intellectuals’ who appear not to notice how they demean India and the Indian idea of faith with their hysterical diatribes against Islam. The other culprits are rabid, hindutva-minded TV anchors who use their primetime shows to openly exhibit their hatred of Islam and Muslims. In doing this they add fuel to a fire that is already showing signs of burning deep holes in the social fabric of India. It is not about the ‘ganga-jamuni sanskriti’ they so revile but about trying to save this country from being torn apart by ancient hatreds. Why is it so hard for them to see that the Muslims who live in India today are not responsible for the horrors wreaked upon this land by barbarous Muslim invaders? Why is it so hard for them to see that Muslims in India are not a small minority that can be cowed into submission by lynchings, campaigns against ‘love jihad’ or the erasure of Muslim names of cities and streets. Turning mosques back into temples and insulting the Prophet Mohammad (PBUh) has not intimidated Muslim communities across India. It has emboldened them to fight harder for equal rights. The more that they are kept out of playing their rightful role in the political and cultural life of a country that belongs as much to them as to hindus, the more they are likely to turn to insane jihadism. In the twenty years since 9/11, when Islamist violence spread across the world, Indian Muslims have kept away from joining the armies of Al Qaeda and ISIS. This indicates that they have felt safe in India. Some of the extreme positions that we see today, like the demand for girls to wear ‘hijab’ in schools and colleges are because of the hostility that has been directed at them simply because they are Muslims. In recent weeks, after bulldozers came to be the weapon that the Indian state has started using to crush dissent, Muslims would be right to feel more insecure than they ever have before. It is no secret that the bulldozers seem to find mostly Muslim houses to demolish whenever there has been violence or rioting. It does not help that every time there is violence senior ministers and BJP spokesmen openly declare that Muslim jihadists are traitors who want to destroy India. They find links between the protests against the Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) and the public rage that has been caused by perceived insults to the Prophet (PBUh). If there is a consistent link, it is in the systematic way Muslims have been made to feel like lesser citizens in the past eight years. In Narendra Modi’s first tenure there were the lynchings and the attacks on cattle farmers and meat traders by cow vigilantes. Only once did the Prime Minister speak out against these attacks and that was after Dalit youths were tied to a car in Gujarat and beaten publicly by upper caste hindus for the ‘crime’ of skinning a dead cow. After winning his second term the Prime Minister remained silent until Nupur Sharma’s reckless comment caused the whole Islamic world to erupt in collective rage. Indian officials then went out of their way to assuage the hurt sentiments of the leaders of Islamic countries but so far there has been no attempt by the Prime Minister to assure Indian Muslims that they will always be equal citizens in India. It is time that he did speak up so that his hindutva followers start calming down. he must know that his dream of making India into a developed country will not come true if this communal cauldron boils over. I have repeated ad nauseum, that it is time for a Truth Commission, at which hindus and Muslims can come together to settle their differences. Is it because the BJP benefits more at election time from dividing hindus and Muslims than bringing them together that this has not happened? It certainly seems that way.
08 WORLD VIEW 29th August 22_Layout 1 8/28/2022 10:05 PM Page 1
Cnn DaviD a anDelman T hOUGh Napoleon Bonaparte, horatio Nelson and the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar are long-ago history, France and the United Kingdom are apparently still doing battle. In fact, Boris Johnson’s likely successor as UK prime minister and assorted French politicos have recently been exchanging shots. While Russia is launching accelerating salvos at neighboring Ukraine, even threatening nuclear Armageddon, it seems the UK and France — both NATO members — have somehow still not managed to patch things up. UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who is in the middle of a bitter intra-party battle against Rishi Sunak for leadership of the ruling Conservative party, was recently asked whether French President emmanuel Macron is “friend or foe?” her response, offered to applause from her clearly partisan audience, was simple and direct. “The jury’s out.” Then she continued, in a hardly more conciliatory fashion, “But if I become Prime Minister, I’ll judge him on deeds not words.” These remarks reached Macron when he was on a delicate fence-mending visit of his own to Algeria, the former French colony across the Mediterranean. The relationship between France and Algeria has been especially prickly since Macron’s comments last year accusing the Algerian government of “exploiting memory” of the colonial past and “rewriting of history” based on “hatred of France.” For his own efforts, Macron has taken along a 90-person delegation — including his ministers of finance, interior, defense and foreign affairs. So, Macron didn’t seem to have much patience for the other swirling rhetorical storm that Truss seemed to be conjuring. If the two countries “cannot say whether they are friends or enemies — and that is not a neutral term — then we are headed for serious problems,” the French President said. “The British people, the United Kingdom, is a friendly, strong and allied nation, regardless of its leaders, and sometimes in spite of its leaders or the little mistakes they may make in grandstanding,” he told reporters. Of course, Johnson could hardly pass up a good opportunity to insert himself into the tempest, with or without a teapot. In an apparent effort to ease tensions, he said Macron was “a great fan of our country,” or to make sure he was not misunderstood across the Channel, “un très bon ‘buddy’ de notre pays.” elaborating, he saw relations between the UK and France “of huge importance ... They have been very
NATIONS SEE THEIR CURRENCIES WEAKEN WHEN THE REST OF THE WORLD NO LONGER TRUSTS THAT THEY CAN PAY THEIR BILLS. THE US CURRENTLY OWES THE WORLD A NET $18TN, OR 73 PER CENT OF US GDP, FAR BEYOND THE 50 PER CENT THRESHOLD THAT HAS OFTEN FORETOLD PAST CURRENCY CRISES
A posT-dollAr world is coming
good for a long time, ever since the Napoleonic era basically, and I think we should celebrate that.” This is a particularly inauspicious moment for such tension to build between two anchor nations of the NATO alliance — especially when they are on the same side of the biggest war in europe since World War II. While both countries, along with the rest of the continent, the United States and a host of other democratically inclined nations, are facing down Russia and its escalating threats, the UK and France should perhaps find some way to get along — at least with a veneer of amicability. Dominic Cummings, Johnson’s former adviser, has dubbed Truss, not without some considerable evidence, “the human hand grenade.” The problem is that, lately, there have been voluble grenades lobbed in both directions across a body of water that the British persist in calling “the english Channel” and the French simply “La Manche” — translated literally as “The Sleeve,” or, if pressed, “The Channel.”
Enough of religious hatred
Monday, 29 August, 2022 08 WORLD VIEW 200 years after napoleon’s defeat, the French and British are still exchanging shots
FInanCIal TImEs RUChiR ShaRma T hIS month, as the dollar surged to levels last seen nearly 20 years ago, analysts invoked the old Tina (there is no alternative) argument to predict more gains ahead for the mighty greenback. What happened two decades ago suggests the dollar is closer to peaking than rallying further. even as US stocks fell in thedotcom bust, the dollar continued rising, before entering a decline that started in 2002 and lasted six years. A similar turning point may be near. And this time, the US currency’s decline could last even longer. Adjusted for inflation or not, the value of the dollar against other major currencies is now 20 per cent above its long-term trend, and above the peak reached in 2001. Since the 1970s, the typical upswing in a dollar cycle has lasted about seven years; the current upswing is in its 11thyear. Moreover, fundamental imbalances bode ill for theWhendollar.acurrent account deficit runs persistently above 5 per cent of gross domestic product, it is a reliable signal of financial trouble to come. That is most true in developed countries, where these episodes are rare, and concentrated in crisis-prone nations such as Spain, Portugal and Ireland. The US current account deficit is now close to that 5 per cent threshold, which it has broken only once since 1960. That was during the dollar’s downswing after 2001. Nations see their currencies weaken when the rest of the world no longer trusts that they can pay their bills. The US currently owes the world a net $18tn, or 73 per cent of US GDP, far beyond the 50 per cent threshold that has often foretold past currency crises. Finally, investors tend to move away from the dollar when the US economy is slowing relative to the rest of the world. In recent years, the US has been growing significantly faster than the median rate for other developed economies, but it is poised to grow slower than its peers in coming years. If the dollar is close to entering a downswing, the question is whether that period lasts long enough, and goes deep enough, to threaten its status as the world’s most trusted currency. Since the 15thcentury, the last five global empires have issued the world’s reserve currency — the one most often used by other countries — for 94 years on average. The dollar has held reserve status for more than 100 years, so its reign is already older than most. The dollar has been bolstered by the weaknesses of its rivals. The euro has been repeatedly undermined by financial crises, while the renminbi is heavily managed by an authoritarian regime. Nonetheless, alternatives are gainingBeyondground.the Big Four currencies — of the US, europe, Japan and the UK — lies the category of “other currencies” that includes the Canadian and Australian dollar, the Swiss franc and the renminbi. They now account for 10 per cent of global reserves, up from 2 per cent in 2001. Their gains, which accelerated during the pandemic, have come mainly at the expense of the US dollar. The dollar share of foreign exchange reserves is currently at 59 per cent — the lowest since 1995. Digital currencies may look battered now, but they remain a long-run alternative as Meanwhile,thewell. impact of US sanctions on Russia is demonstrating how much influence theUSwieldsovera dollar-driven world,inspiring many countries to speed up their search for options. It’s possible that the next step is not towards a single reserve currency, but to currency blocs. South-east Asia’s largest economies are increasingly settling payments to one another directly, avoiding the dollar. Malaysia and Singapore are among the countries making similar arrangements with China, which is also extending offers of renminbi support to nations in financial distress. Central banks from Asia to the Middle east are setting up bilateral currency swap lines, also with the intention of reducing dependence on the dollar. Today, as in the dotcom era, the dollar appears to be benefiting from its safe-haven status, with most of the world’s markets selling off. But investors are not rushing to buy US assets. They are reducing their risk everywhere and holding the resulting cash in dollars. This is not a vote of confidence in the US economy, and it is worth recalling that bullish analysts offered the same reason for buying tech stocks at their recent peak valuations: there is no alternative. That ended badly. Tina is never a viable investment strategy, especially not when the fundamentals are deteriorating. So don’t be fooled by the strong dollar. The post-dollar world is coming. The writer is chair of Rockefeller International.
This week, French members of the european Parliament petitioned the european Commission to take legal action against Britain for “dirtying” the Channel and the adjacent North Sea with sewage. This stemmed from pollution warnings that British officials had themselves issued for dozens of beaches in england and Wales, as water firms began discharging raw sewage after a string of heavy rainfalls.
“We cannot put up with the environment, the economic activities of our trawlermen and citizens’ health being seriously endangered by the repeated negligence of the UK in wastewater management,” fumed Stéphanie Yon-Courtin, one of the MePs who signed a letter calling for legal action. “The english Channel and the North Sea are not dumping grounds.” Steve Double, Britain’s water minister, branded the French comments “unhelpful and ill-informed.” The Times, in its initial reporting on the matter, did not attribute blame in this matter to Brexit. (The UK’s exit agreement could be invoked if it were found to be fouling these waters.)
“Britain’s beaches ranked badly even before it left the eU,” the paper’s Paris correspondent Adam Sage admitted.There is, of course, a long history between these two countries that share such a strategic waterway — back to the time in 1066 when William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, crossed the Channel, defeated the Anglo-Saxons at the Battle of hastings and claimed the throne of england. Since 1805, the two countries have more or less managed to keep matters on an even keel — at least until the UK opted for Brexit, withdrawing from the european Union — which the French had been instrumental in building and which Macron served as president of on a rotating basis this year. What’s followed have been a succession of contretemps. Matters nearly came to blows four years ago when fishing trawlers of both countries claimed valuable scallop fishingNowwaters.thecritical question is whether matters can be restored to pre-Brexit levels — and whether Truss even wants that to happen. She should, for the sake of the UK, the Atlantic Alliance and certainly Ukraine’s war against Russia. There is no more vital a moment than now for a truly united front. David A. Andelman, a contributor to CNN, twice winner of the Deadline Club Award, is a chevalier of the French Legion of Honor, author of “A Red Line in the Sand: Diplomacy, Strategy, and the History of Wars That Might Still Happen” and blogs at Andelman Unleashed.
Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman stressed that the numbers of flood-affected population may rise from 33 million as the monster flood continues. “The humanitarian action is right now being led by the Government and supported by United Nations and other humanitarian agencies. 1033 people have lost their lives and more than 1500 have been injured. Kabul River is still at VERY HIGH Flood level at Nowshera as the water has crossed 300,000 cusecs which is why residents in some areas have not been allowed to come back to their homes. Water levels in River Indus at Taunsa, Sukkur and Chashma are at HIGH Flood level as it crossed 500,000 cusecs while Guddu and Kotri are in Medium Flood level. Rains have disrupted the essential communications systems which are now being rebuilt by NHA and others. Kalam has received most rains at 41.5mm and Bagrot in Gilgit Baltistan has received up to 21mm. More rains are expected in the northern part of AJK, KP and Balochistan. As the rain has abated in some areas, the NDMA and Pak Army have increased their helicopter sorties for rescue. Pak Navy has also been deployed on a terrain it would not normally operate its boats.” EAD and other Ministries are working around the clock with about 35 multilateral and bilateral donors to assess needs and bridge gaps in relief efforts. Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) has started rolling out PKR 25,000 relief tranches of PKR 35 billion for the most vulnerable. 218,112 beneficiaries have been provided with immediate cash assistance. The Government is providing PKR 1 million (US$4,615) in ex-gratia compensation to the next of kin of families who have lost their loved ones and PKR 250,000 (US$1,154) to those who have been injured. PKR 500,000 (US$2,308) is being provided for fully destroyed houses and PKR 250,000 (US$1,154) for partially destroyed houses. However, hygiene kits, waterproof tents are still short on the ground for stranded families. Many are being housed in empty schools as the ground is too wet. Just as we battled with relentless rains in the South of Pakistan in over 72 calamity-hit districts, the Indus river flooding from the north has increased the number of calamity-hit districts as reports of floods in Gilgit Baltistan have come in as well. It’s really a perfect storm”, Minister Rehman said. “It is unfortunate that a time of national emergency the opposition leadership and rank and file is busy scoring points instead of helping those in need. From social media activists who are urging local and international donors to not assist Pakistan’s vulnerable people and over 33 million affected, the toxic discourse of the PTI continues to compromise Pakistan’s relief efforts. This is highly irresponsible behaviour at a time when the country is reeling from shocks like never seen before." pr
The spokesman further explained that Mohammad Umar Abrar of Multan and Ghulam Ali of Jhang have been employed as naib qasid in the office of the director of agriculture water management and district council Jhang, Ali Khan of Bhakkar as cattle attendant in the livestock department and Ehtsham Ahmad of Faisalabad has been employed as patwari in the revenueAsdepartment.aresultofthe action of the Office of Ombudsman on another request, the secondary health department has posted paramedical staff in the trauma centre of Wazirabad to ensure medical facilities for the locals.
In the meantime, Adnan Hussain of Jhelum has been recruited as a water carrier in BPS-1 in the police department while the son of another applicant from Gujranwala, Hameedan Bibi, has been hired as a naib qasid in the education department along with payment of Rs0.8 million as pension arrears.
AssUrEs All-oUt
KARACHI pr Pakistan Navy rescue and relief operation is underway in coastal & creeks areas and it has further extended its teams to different areas of Sanghar, Qambar Shahdad Kot, Sukkur, Bakrani, Larkana, Mirpur Khas and Dadu on special request from Sindh government.Pakistan Navy personnel rescued the locals stranded inside flooded homes and shifted them to safer locations by using helicopters and boats. Population of an entire village of district Dadu naming Goth Muhammad Hassan Chandio was evacuated through Seaking Helicopter. These people took shelter on roof tops of their houses as they cut off from land access due to 56 feet water around them. Pakistan Navy troops distributed dry ration, cooked food, fresh drinking water, tents and other household items to affected populace through land and aerial means especially to the people stuck at their homes and not willing to leave. Moreover, medical camps established by Pakistan Navy are also working in these areas to provide first aid and free medical facilities to aggrieved populace. Pakistan Navy is determined to continue the rescue and relief operation till the rehabilitation of distressed countrymen.
pr PtA & nhMP implement travel Advisory sMs service
LAHORE staff report 14 applicants from across Punjab have been provided with employment in government departments under Rule 17-A of Punjab Civil Servants (Appointment and Conditions of Employment) Rules, 1974 after the involvement of the Office of Punjab Ombudsman.Inastatement
pr numbers of affectees may rise as calamity extends: sherry
Jazz pledges Rs1 billion for flood relief efforts
Pakistan Navy rescue & relief operation underway in flood-hit areas
Railways set to receive first batch of 230 passenger coaches in Dec: Saad
corporate corner
pr iEsco shutdown schedule Maintenance/Development Work is in process. Therefore power supply of below mentioned feeders/areas will be temporary suspended as per given schedule: On 29th August, From 06:00 AM to 02:00 PM, City.II Feeder, From 07:00 AM to 12:00 Noon, Miani, Manara, PAF Kaler Kahar, Istiqlal Camp, Kaler Kahar, Anguri, Bohi Ghar, Salar Gah, Haru, Ghori, Amanpur, Khaklian, Sanghui, Chotala, Bhara Kahu, NIH, T&T, Golf City, Treat, Athal, Westridge, Rajahabad, Golra, Dhok Chowdhury, New Race Course, Charing Cross, Modern Floor. Mill feeders, From 08:00 AM to 12:00 Noon, Muslimabad, Gulzar Shaheed, Quaidabad, Ahsanabad, Perwadhai, Dhok Hasu feeders and surroundings will be closed. IESCO management apologizes to its esteemed customers for the power outage. If the work is completed ahead of time, the power supply can be restored even before the scheduled time.
issued on Sunday, a spokesman for the office mentioned that Aqsa Naz of Nankana Sahib has been recruited as a data entry operator in BPS-12 in Punjab Employees Social Security Institutions in Lahore while Syed Mohsin Qurban from Lahore has been recruited as accounts assistant in Punjab Workers Welfare Fund in BPS-11 after the involvement of the agency. As a result of the intervention of the office, Anam Ali of Lahore has been appointed to the forests department, Aoun Muhammad of Bahawalpur to the metropolitan corporation Bahawalpur, Muhammad Asad of Mianwali to the deputy commissioner’s office, Osama Akram of Gujranwala to the local government and community development department, Shahbaz Jabbar Khan to the district education authority Rajanpur and Muhammad Aftab of Vehari has been hired in BPS-11 as a junior clerk in the highways department, the spokesman added.
KARACHI staff report P RESIDENTof the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed called Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and assured his full assistance to alleviate the suffering of flood victims in the country. He also conveyed his condolences over the loss of precious lives due to torrential rains and flash floods. In exchange, Prime Minster Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif thanked the UAE President for the rapid relief and humanitarian aid that His Highness offered for DuringPakistan.theconversation, Sheikh Mohamed emphasised the UAE’s solidarity with the government and people of Pakistan in facing the repercussions of these difficult climatic conditions and its keenness to provide all possible forms of support to it. The purpose of UAE aid is to increase international peace development and stability, while guaranteeing improvements in the living standards of individuals regardless of their religion, language, identity, and race. UAE Aid is continually provided to ensure the establishment of an effective better living for the humanity. In addition to tents and shelter materials, the UAE relief aid consists of 3,000 tons of food, medical and pharmaceutical supplies. Furthermore, the UAE aid teams will provide humanitarian assistance to Pakistani institutions and cadres responsible for ensuring the safety of the victims and satisfying their dietary, medical, and logistical needs. His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed wished a speedy recovery for the injured and quick return of the displaced to their areas, praying to Allah Almighty to protect Pakistan.
ISLAMABAD staff report
09NEWS Monday 29 August, 2022 | LAHORE
Federal Minister for Railways and Aviation Saad Rafique said that Pakistan Railways will start receiving the first batch of 230 new passenger coaches from China in December this year. According to Pakistan Railways, these coaches are equipped with the latest facilities and are comfortable and suitable for running at a speed of 160 kilometres per hour. In November 2020, Pakistan Railways decided to procure 230 highspeed passenger coaches and 820 freight vans to modernize its Accordingsystem.toaspokesperson for Pakistan Railways, in the first phase, 46 modern passenger coaches will be procured, while, in the second phase, 184 such coaches will be prepared at Carriage Factory Islamabad. The spokesperson said that passenger coaches will include 80 compartments each for economy and air-conditioned class, 30 parlour cars, and 20 vans each for luggage and brake. Two hundred freight vans will be imported, while 620 of such bogies will be prepared at the factory, he added.
pr turkiye trade minister grieved over losses caused by floods Trade Minister of Turkiye Mehmet Mus on Sunday telephoned the Federal Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar to express sorrows and condolences over losses caused by rains and flash floods in Pakistan. Mehmet Mus firmly resolved that the Turkiye will actively contribute their noble part as it always stands with Pakistan in every crisis. Federal Minister Syed Naveed Qamar appreciated the spirit of Turkish Trade Minister for the help of the flood affectees, in this hour of agony. Syed Naveed informed the trade minister that unusual situation has arisen due to unusual rains and floods and the damages as well as the destruction cannot be expressed in words. Rehabilitation the flood affected families along with provision of food and medicines to them is out government priority, he added Again Syed Naveed thanked the Turkish Trade Minister for showing his deep concerns on the prevailing situation in country.
ISLAMABAD: Jazz, jointly with its digital financial services JazzCash and sister concern Mobilink Microfinance Bank, has pledged PKR 1 billion towards flood relief efforts through much needed emergency supplies and more significantly in kind telecom services. The support will include short to mid-term initiatives extending over 12 months. As part of this immediate rollout, Jazz will work closely with NGOs and the government for distribution of emergency supplies including shelter, food items, and medical supplies.
boP announces financial results for 1h-2022 lahore: A meeting of the Board of Directors of The Bank of Punjab was held on August 17, 2022 to consider and approve the un-audited Financial Statements for the 1st Half of year ended on June 30, 2022. The Board reviewed Bank’s performance for 1st half of the year 2022 and noted with satisfaction that all financial indicators are well aligned with Bank’s strategic goals and current positive momentum shall lead the Bank to desired annual business targets. During 1st Half of the year, the Bank posted before tax profit of Rs. 8.36 billion as against Rs. 7.37 billion earned during 1st Half 2021 with a growth of 13%. Bank’s Net Interest Margin (NIM) improved to Rs. 15.86 billion as against Rs. 13.88 billion during 1st Half 2021 registering a growth of 14%. Similarly, Non-Markup/ Interest Income (excluding gains on securities) increased to Rs. 4.46 billion as against Rs. 2.77 billion during 1st Half 2021 showing an increase of 61%. Profit after tax remained at Rs. 5.42 billion as against Rs. 5.60 billion during 1st half 2021. Earnings per Share (EPS) remained at Rs. 1.82 per share as against Rs. 1.88 per share for 1st Half 2021. Bank’s Total Assets as at June 30, 2022 improved to Rs. 1,254.4 billion as against Rs. 1,197.0 billion as of December 31, 2021. The Deposits of the Bank also improved to Rs. 1,032.0 billion as against Rs. 1,003.0 billion as on December 31, 2021. Investments and Gross Advances were recorded at Rs. 524.2 billion and Rs. 571.2 billion, respectively.
UAE PrEsidEnt PhonEs PM
The relief response also facilitates Jazz customers to direct their charitable donations via SMS and JazzCash. Jazz employees will also be voluntarily contributing to the nationwide relief effort. Aamir Ibrahim, CEO, Jazz said, "During this unprecedented time, while our thoughts and prayers are with the flood-affectees.pr
Islamabad: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in collaboration with National Highways & Motorway Police has started travel advisory SMS service for mobile subscribers to exercise caution while travelling on highways and motorways to flood affected areas. The objective is to give awareness to the public to avoid unnecessary travel in such areas where flood warnings have been issued.
14 get jobs against vacant posts on Punjab ombudsman’s order shEhbAz; sUPPort for flood victiMs
Fragile
A large number of people from all walks of life, including women’s organisations, workers’ unions, student unions, lawyers and artists, gathered at the Freedom Park in Bengaluru and demanding justice for gang rape victim, Bilkis Bano. The protesters condemned the remission of sentence demanding that the same be invalidated and the culprits be immediately sent back to prison to continue their full life term. Similar protests simultaneously took place in 15 districts across the state. The 11 convicts were serving a life sentence for the brutal gang rape of Bilkis Bano and several other women of her family along with the murder of her family members, including her three-year-old daughter, during the antiMusim riots in Gujarat in 2002. Speaking during the protest, K S Vimala of All India Democratic Women Association asked why rapists were welcomed back as war heroes and why the government released them. Nandini, an activist and member of Slum Mahila Sanghatane, said, “The remission again shows how we have not yet received social independence”. She stressed how real independence will be won only if communalism is fought and caste is annihilated. Dr K Mohanraj, state convener, Dalit Sangharsh Samiti, attacked the government for playing the religion and caste cards when there were serious problems, like unemployment facing the country. “The Dalit community stands strongly with Bilkis”, he said.
TORONTO sTAff rePorT
Silverstone Auctions said there was “fierce bidding” for the black Ford Escort RS Turbo before the sale closed. The UK buyer, whose name was not disclosed, paid a 12.5 percent buyer’s premium on top of the selling price, according to the classic car auction house. Britain and Diana’s admirers worldwide are preparing to mark a quarter century since her death. She died in a highspeed car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997. Diana drove the Escort from 1985 to 1988. She was photographed with it outside boutique shops in Chelsea and restaurants in Kensington. She preferred to drive her own car, with a member of her security team in the passenger seat. The RS Turbo Series 1 was typically manufactured in white, but she got it in black to be more discreet. Ford also added features for her security, such as a second rear-view mirror for the protection officer. The car has just under 25,000 miles on it. Last year, another Ford Escort that Diana used sold at auction for 52,000 pounds ($61,100).
10 FOREIGN NEWS Monday, 29 August, 2022 | LAHORE
Flights resumed and shops re-opened in Libya’s capital Tripoli on Sunday after clashes between backers of rival governments killed at least 32 people and sparked fears of major new conflict. Armed groups had exchanged fire that damaged several hospitals and set buildings on fire starting Friday evening, the worst fighting in the Libyan capital since a landmark 2020 ceasefire. A cautious calm had set in by Saturday evening, an AFP correspondent reported, and the health ministry said Sunday morning that 32 people had been killed and 159 wounded during the clashes. The fighting came after months of mounting tensions between backers of Abdulhamid Dbeibah and Fathi Bashagha, whose rival administrations are vying for control of the North African country which has seen more than a decade of violence since a 2011 uprising. Dbeibah’s administration, installed in the capital as part of a United Nations-led peace process last year, has so far prevented Bashagha from taking office there, arguing that the next administration should be the product of elections. Bashagha was appointed by Libya’s easternbased parliament earlier this year and is backed by powerful eastern military chief Khalifa Haftar, whose 2019 attempt to seize the capital by force turned into a year-long civil war. Bashagha, a former interior minister, had initially ruled out the use of violence to take power in Tripoli but subsequently hinted that he could resort to force.Libya plunged into chaos following the 2011 overthrow and killing of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in a NATO-backed uprising, with myriad armed groups and foreign powers moving to fill the power vacuum. Certain armed groups seen as neutral in the latest crisis moved to back Dbeibah this weekend to push back Bashagha’s second attempt to enter the capital. Both sides exchanged blame on Saturday while world powers appealed for calm. The UN’s Libya mission called for “an immediate cessation of hostilities”, deploring “indiscriminate medium and heavy shelling in civilian-populated neighbourhoods”. On Saturday evening, Dbeibah posted a video of himself surrounded by bodyguards and greeting fighters supporting his administration. Wearing a blue shirt and accompanied by his personal guard, he shook hands and took selfies with supporters. “We won’t leave this country to the scoundrels,” he said in the video posted on his Twitter account under the title “end of the aggression”. He said on Sunday he would create two committees to survey the damage from the fighting.
LONDON The AssociATed Press A car driven by Princess Diana in the 1980s sold for 650,000 pounds ($764,000) at auction Saturday, just days before the 25th anniversary of her death.
InDIAn
TRiPOLi Agencies
Dbeibah’s Government of National Unity said fighting had broken out after negotiations to avoid bloodshed in the western city collapsed. Bashagha denied such talks had taken place, and accused Dbeibah’s “illegitimate” administration of “clinging to power”. Local media reported late Saturday that a group of pro-Bashagha militias that had been making their way to the capital from Misrata later turned back. The fighting prompted several airlines to cancel flights in and out of the only working airport in the capital, and high school examinations set for the end of August were postponed. But flights resumed and shops reopened on Sunday morning, while the University of Tripoli announced that exams set for Monday would go ahead as originally planned, annulling an earlier postponement.On Saturday evening Dbeibah ordered the arrest of anyone involved in the “attack on Tripoli”, both civilian and military. A pro-GNU force from Misrata — the hometown of both Dbeibah and Bashagha — said Sunday it had arrested several involved in the attack. But analysts said the crisis was far from resolved, with the capital controlled by a multitude of armed groups with shifting alliances described by analyst Wolfram Lacher as “a never-ending story”. “The armed groups that found themselves on the same side in yesterday’s Tripoli fighting will tomorrow clash over turf, positions and budgets,” he wrote on Twitter.“Thefactions that were pro-Dbeibah yesterday will challenge him tomorrow.”
NEW DELHi Agencies
The Punjab Referendum Commission (PRC), a panel of non-aligned experts on referendums and direct democracy, is supervising the voting procedure to ensure transparency and compliance with international standards of balloting. The September 18 voting centre for Khalistan Referendum in Toronto, Canada is named after Shaheed Harjinder Singh Parha to honour the young pro-Khalistan Sikh who went back to India from Canada to participate in the then ongoing armed struggle for Khalistan in the wake of the Indian Army’s June 1984 attack on the Golden Temple. In a staged police encounter, Indian forces extra-judicially killed Parha in 1988. calm prevails in Libyan capital after clashes kill 32 wrIte to cJ on BIlkIS BAno cASe
A group of as many as 134 former civil servants have written an open letter to the Chief Justice of India, Uday Umesh Lalit, asking him to quash the Gujarat government’s order granting premature release to 11 persons convicted for the murder of 14 persons and gang rape of Bilkis Bano, during 2002 anti-Muslim riots in the state. The seven-page letter by the Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG) says that the members are particularly puzzled by the manner in which the Apex Court asked the Gujarat government to urgently take a decision on a plea by one of the convicts for remission as per Gujarat’s 1992 policy, and not its current one.
134 ex-IAS offIcerS
Khalistan Referendum campaign shakes Canadian politics
The letter said surely the Supreme Court could not be unaware of the major changes in the punishment for rape and murder and the policy for remission which were made much more severe in 2014 after the Nirbhaya case, wondering, “Can persons who committed rape and murder in 2002 be less liable than persons who rape and murder at the present time?” The group had pleaded to the CJI and requested him to rectify this horrendously wrong decision. “Like the overwhelming majority of people in our country, we are aghast at what happened in Gujarat a few days ago, on the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence. The premature release has outraged the nation. We write to you because we are deeply distressed by this decision,” they said. The group contended that it was only the Supreme Court that had the prime jurisdiction, and hence the responsibility, to rectify this “horrendously wrong decision”. The retired bureaucrats who signed the letter included Harsh Mander, Aruna Roy, T K A Nair, Amitabha Pande, K Sujatha Rao and Wajahat Habibullah.
After creating strong waves in the United Kingdom in November 2021, the Khalistan Referendum — a community-sponsored plebiscite of an international advocacy group, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) — is now rocking Canadian politics where the voting is going to start on September 18. Khalistan Referendum campaign — in which Sikhs are asked to answer the question “Should Indian governed Punjab be an independent country?” — has drawn fierce opposition from New Delhi, Indian media and pro-India segments of Non-Resident IndiansWhile(NRIs).Indian media and NRIs have been voicing their opposition, the Indian government has been pro-actively labelling and equating the unofficial referendum on Khalistan as “terrorism” and has declared SFJ — the proponent of the referendum — as an illegal organisation under the controversial Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) of India. Khalistan mega billboards are being put up across Canada ahead of voting on September 18. — Photo by autho Ahead of September 18, Khalistan Referendum voting in Toronto, pro-Khalistan activists are actively holding truck rallies with Khalistan banners, plastering mega billboards, signs and distributing the promotional material at Gurdwaras in Brampton — the heavily Sikh town around Greater Toronto Area. The voting will take place in the government-owned and operated facility The Gore Meadow Community Centre, Brampton. Just as it happened in the UK, Khalistan Referendum activities in Canada have similarly irked the pro-India factions in Canada who, following the Indian government’s stance, are labelling the referendum as antiIndia terrorism and wish a ban on Sikh secessionist activities from Canadian soil, despite the fact that Canadian Charter of Freedoms and Rights protects the non-violent expression of all political opinions including seeking secession through a referendum. So far, the voting in Khalistan Referendum which started on October 31, 2021 from London, UK, has taken place in several towns across UK, Switzerland and Italy and approximately 450,000 Sikhs have cast their votes.
Protesters in Bengaluru demand justice for Bilkis Bano BHOPAL Agencies
Diana’s car auctioned as 25th anniversary of her death nears
The PGA Inter Club Golf Championship of Punjab 2022, organised by the Punjab Golf Association, concluded here on Sunday at Lahore Gymkhana golf course. The two days of rivalry-loaded golfing clash involved 20 member teams of Lahore Gymkhana, Defence Raya Golf Club, Lahore Garrison Greens Golf Club and Rawalpindi Golf Club. As per the competition format, each club team comprised four amateur golfers, four senior amateurs, three ladies, three girls below 21 years of age, three boys falling in age bracket 15-18 years and three boys aged 15 years and below. This team mix represented an unusual combination and clubs had to initiate and set in motion a selection process that paved the way for bringing to the fore players of merit especially in the categories of junior girls and junior boys. Painstaking effort on the part of the golf clubs brought forth talented little ones who are likely to emerge as champions of future. Flow of competitive play in the two rounds of this championship was aligned by the Lahore Garrison Team players in a way that they appeared as the dominant ones in this encounter of glory and achievement. Their combination of four amateurs, four senior amateurs and three ladies played marvelously well and completely out golfed their opponents from Lahore Gymkhana, Defence Raya and Rawalpindi.
Serena Williams prepares for final curtain call at US Open
RAWALPINDI Staff RepoRt
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Sunday that the gate earnings from the first T20I against England would be donated to Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Fund 2022. The match will be played on September 20, at National Stadium Karachi and will begin at 7:30pm (local time).The PCB urged cricket fans and followers to purchase tickets in big numbers once they are made available online for sale next week to show unity with all those affected by the calamity, help with rehabilitation of the affected population and support the local and federal governments in their relief and rescue operations.
LAHORE Staff RepoRt
PCb to donate gate proceeds from 1st t20 against england to Pm’s Flood relief Fund
titleis likely to remain beyond her next week, Williams has nevertheless produced a collection of records that in all probability will never be broken. RecoRd collection: With seven Australian Open singles titles, seven Wimbledon titles and six US Open titles, Williams is the only player, male or female to win three different Grand Slams six times or more. In total, she has won 39 Grand Slam titles — with 14 women’s doubles crowns and two mixed doubles titles to go alongside her 23 singles victories. Her longevity is also unmatched. She was first ranked world number one in 2002, and last held the position in 2017 — an interval of just under 15 years. Williams also holds the record for the longest gap between her first and last Grand Slam wins: 17 years and 139 days between her 1999 US Open win and the 2017 Australian Open in Melbourne, when she was pregnant with daughter Olympia. Williams has also collected four Olympic gold medals -– three as a doubles partner with sister Venus in 2000, 2008 and 2012, and one singles gold at the 2012 London Games, staged at Wimbledon. Only three other players — Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal — have completed the career “Golden Slam” of all four major championships with an OlympicWilliams’gold.farewell to tennis in New York has become the hottest ticket in town. Her retirement announcement triggered a stampede among fans, with the first three nights of the tournament sold out. Secondary ticket markets have reported a surge in ticket prices, up 34% since early August. Whether or not Williams is able to extend her Grand Slam career much further than Monday’s first round remains to be seen.
over 600 cops to guard matches during national t20 Cup
LAHORE Staff RepoRt
Aggregate wise the Lahore Garrison amateurs Damil Ataullah, Ahmed Sultan Kayani, Nouman Ilyas and Capt Zainur Rehman ,managed a team score of 461which was similar to the score achieved by Gymkhana amateurs while Defence Raya had a score of 485 and Rawalpindi had 504.As for the contribution by senior amateurs, Col Ikram, Tariq Mehmood, Col Muhammed Shafi and Col Raja Asif Mehdi of Lahore Garrison ,their aggregate score was 488 while Rawalpindi seniors aggregated 493, Gymkhana seniors aggregated 518 and Raya compiled 541.As for ladies ,the team members of Lahore Garrison, Suneya Osama, Zahida Durrani and Ghazala Yasmin aggregated 322 as against 368 by Defence Raya, 407 by Gymkhana and 407 also by Rawalpindi. In this way the efforts of the Lahore Garrison amateurs ,senior amateurs and ladies lent a huge advantage to their quest for honors by providing huge strokes advantage over the other competing teams .
Overall Lahore Garrison Greens Team achieved victory by aggregating a team score of 2342 and were declared the Punjab Province Club Champions for 2022.The runners up team was Defence Raya with a team score of 2403 and lost to Lahore Garrison by a margin of 61 strokes. At the conclusion of PGA Inter Club Golf Competition ,Brig (r) Shahid Wahab Rao, former Secretary, Punjab Golf Association handed over the champion team trophy to Garrison Golf Team and their Captain, Col(r) Asif Mehdi plus a winners cheque of Rs500,000 and gold medals to team members.
NEW YORK afp
DURBAN DRAMA TO DUBAI DRUBBING 11 Sports 25 August 2022_Layout 1 8/28/2022 9:39 PM Page 1
PsF Combaxx international squash tournament 2022 concludes at mushaf squash Complex
Lahore Garrison Greens Golf Team wins PGA Golf Championship
Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) in collaboration with Pakistan Air Force organized PSF Combaxx International Squash Tournament for Men at Mushaf Squash Complex, Islamabad between 2428 August, 2022. The event had a prize money of USD 12000. 24 squash players from Egypt, Malaysia, Iran and Pakistan participated in the mega event. The final of the event was played today. Air Marshal Zulfiqar Ahmed Qureshi, HI(M), Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Training), Pakistan Air Force, graced the closing ceremony as Chief Guest and awarded trophies & prize money to the finalists. While lauding the PSF efforts for providing international-standard training and coaching facilities to the players, the Chief Guest reiterated that the PAF and the PSF would continue to sponsor talented young players besides making concerted efforts to help the country regain its glory in world squash. The final was played between both Pakistani players Nasir Iqbal and Noor Zaman in which Nasir Iqbal clinched the title of PSF Combaxx International Squash Tournament for Men. He defeated Noor Zaman with a game score of 3-0 (11-7, 11-7 and 11-6) in 33 minutes and won the championship finals. departmental sports restoration to bring youth in mainstream sports: awn Chaudry IsLAmABAD pReSS ReleaSe Advisor to Prime Minister on Sports and Tourism, Awn Chaudry on Sunday said that restoration of Departmental Sports by Prime of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif is a big step towards the future of youth in the country as it will bring them in mainstream sports besides polishing their talent. Recently, in a ceremony held in honor of athletes who won medals in the Commonwealth games and Islamic Solidarity Games, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered all government departments to restore their sports department (departmental sports) which the former Prime Minister Imran Khan had banned creating uncertainty and disappointment among the young sportsmen, Awn Chaudry said adding the ban deprived the youth of the healthier activities and continuing their passion as profession. The medal winning athletes proved that Pakistani youth is full of talent and all they need is the support which is restored by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to project soft image of the country as well as opening doors of new opportunities for the young players. The ban on departmental sports almost three years back had left hundreds of sportsmen jobless and resulted in closing down of sports sections of major departments, corporations and autonomous bodies that were serving as grooming grounds for athletes resulting in dearth of emerging talent.
PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja said: “We at the PCB express our grief and sorrow for all those affected by the extreme monsoon rainfall and floods, which has resulted in havoc and devastation beyond imagination, killing over 1,000 and leaving around a million homeless. As cricket unites our proud nation, we stand firmly with the victims and all those involved in the flood relief and rescue operations. “As a responsible and caring organisation, the PCB has always stood with its fans and public in tough, challenging and testing times. In this regard, we have decided to donate gate proceeds from the first T20I against England next month to the Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Fund. “I encourage all spectators to participate in this initiative by purchasing tickets for the first T20I and turning up in big numbers so that we as a cricket family can donate a substantial amount to the fund and show solidarity with those affected by the catastrophe. “We have already sent trucks full of food, medicines and other commodities to the affected areas and will continue to support our nation and rescue operational teams in any way we can. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the people of Pakistan.” England will play seven T20Is on their first tour of Pakistan in 17 years. Karachi will stage matches on 20, 22, 23 and 25 September, while Lahore will be the venue for the remaining three matches on 28 and 30 September, and 2 October. England will return in late November for three Tests, which will be played in Rawalpindi (1-5 December), Multan (9-13 December) and Karachi (17-21 December).
DUBAI afp F IERCErivals Pakistan and India will clash in the Asia Cup T20 tournament in Dubai later on Sunday for only the 10th time in cricket’s shortest format. Political tensions mean they now only face each other in international tournaments, with their last meeting a 2021 T20 World Cup encounter at the same venue, when Pakistan romped to victory. AFP Sport recalls five memorable IndiaPakistan matches in the shortest format. dazed in duRban: India and Pakistan’s first T20 encounter at Durban in 2007 ended in a dramatic tie before being decided in a bowl-out — cricket’s equivalent of football’s penalty shoot-out. Pakistan elected to field in the inaugural T20 World Cup league match and restricted India to 141-9. With the scores level at the end of Pakistan’s reply, India skipper MS Dhoni then outfoxed the opposition with his choice of bowlers in the hit-the-wicket decider. Part-time bowlers Virender Sehwag, Robin Uthappa and premier spinner Harbhajan Singh all hit the stumps, while Pakistan’s Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul and Shahid Afridi all missed. unlucky 13: The 2007 final in Johannesburg saw them meet again and chasing 158 for victory, Pakistan’s reply was hampered by the regular fall of wickets. But Misbah ul-Haq kept the target in sight with his gritty batting and took the game into the final over with Pakistan needing 13 against an unlikely Indian bowling option in Joginder Sharma. Misbah hit a six after a wide and a dot ball, only to opt for a scoop shot that got more height than distance and landed in the hands of S. Sreesanth at short fine-leg to trigger wild Indian celebrations as they won the World Cup by five runs. chRistmas pRofessoR: Pakistan beat India for the first time in T20s on Christmas Day 2012 in the opener of a twomatch series with skipper Mohammad Hafeez standing tall in Bangalore. Hafeez, nicknamed “professor” by teammates for his understanding of the game, hit 61 to guide Pakistan’s chase of 134 as he put on a 106-run stand with Shoaib Malik, who was unbeaten on 57. Hafeez smashed the Indian bowlers all around in his 44-ball blitz before falling to pace bowler Ishant Sharma in the 18th over but Malik stood firm to complete the victory with a six. miRpuR mauling: India came out allguns-blazing in an Asia Cup league match at Mirpur, Bangladesh, in 2016 to reaffirm their domination of Pakistan. Pace bowler Hardik Pandya stood out with figures of 3-8 to help skittle out Pakistan for 83 in 17.3 overs with only two batsmen getting into double figures, including Sarfaraz Ahmed who scored 25. Star batsman Virat Kohli powered the chase with his 49 as India withstood an inspired Pakistan bowling attack to win by five wickets and 27 balls to spare. shaheen’s Revenge: India started as favourites in the hotly-anticipated league match of the 2021 T20 World Cup in Dubai but Pakistan pace ace Shaheen Shah Afridi soon upset the predictions. Tall left-arm quick Shaheen sent back opener Rohit Sharma for a first-ball duck as he rattled the Indian top-order. Kohli attempted to rebuild with 57 before falling to Shaheen in the penultimate over. Mohammad Rizwan made 79 and skipper Babar Azam 68 as they took apart the India bowling attack to cruise to a 10-wicket win — their first in a World Cup against their fiercest rivals.
The Rawalpindi Police has completed arrangements for security of the upcoming National T20 Cricket Cup as more than 600 officers would perform to ensure foolproof security for the tournament. According to details, under the directives of City Police Officer (CPO) Syed Shahzad Nadeem Bukhari, security personnel would be deployed around and inside the stadium, 200 traffic police officers would perform traffic duties to maintain the flow of traffic during the matches. SSP Operations Waseem Riaz Khan said all the officers and personnel posted on security duty would be obliged to report at the duty point before the scheduled time. The supervisory officers would check and brief the duty from time to time, the spectators would be given a walk-through gate, and entry into the stadium would be allowed after metal detector and physical checking.
Monday, 29 August, 2022 | LAHOrE 11SpOrtS
After a glittering 27-year professional career in which she became one of the greatest players of all time, Serena Williams is preparing to bid farewell to tennis at the major where it all began. The 40-year-old sporting icon ended the guessing game surrounding her future earlier this month by revealing that the “countdown” to her retirement had started, with her final Grand Slam appearance expected at the US Open in New York starting on Monday. “There comes a time in life when we have to decide to move in a different direction,” Williams wrote. “That time is always hard when you love something so much.”The announcement sets the stage for what will be an emotional farewell for Williams, who faces unheralded world number 80 Danka Kovinic in Monday’s first round at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Williams won the first of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles as a 17-year-old at the 1999 US Open, beating Martina Hingis in the final. That breakthrough victory confirmed what had become apparent ever since her professional debut four years earlier: that Williams, alongside sister Venus, was a rising force in women’s tennis. While 1999 marked her first singles Slam, by then Williams had already won mixed doubles titles at Wimbledon and the US Open in 1998. Her win in the 1999 singles final would light the touchpaper for the most dominant career of any female player in the Open era, her 23 Grand Slam titles second only to Margaret Court’s 24. While a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles
Five memorable Pakistan-india t20s
Sources said that the Finance Ministry will soon shortlist three to four candidates including Rehmat Ali Hasni whose name was not included in the original list and then a panel of officials will conduct their interviews.
ISLAMABAD ShahzaD paRacha
“According to our information the drones are entering through Pakistan to Afghanistan, they use Pakistan’s airspace, we ask Pakistan, don’t use your airspace against us,” he said.
“Flood victims in Khairpur and Qambar-Shahdadkot thanked the COAS for reaching out to them and sharing their problems and discomfort due to floods,” the statement said. It added that Gen Bajwa also met troops on ground and appreciated their efforts for bringing comfort to the people awaiting their support. On Saturday, COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa visited flood-affected areas of Balochistan where he inquired about the well-being of people affected due to devastating floods caused by heavy rains.
ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chair Imran Khan will conduct a live telethon on Monday (August 29) at 9:30 pm to generate money for victims of arguably the fiercest floods in Pakistan’s history. In a tweet, Fawad Chaudhry, senior vice president of his party, shared that Khan will hold the telethon between 9:30 pm (5:30 pm GMT+1) and 12:00 am to address members of the overseas Pakistani community.
Sources said that the finance minister and PPP are lobbying for their respective candidates for the position. They informed that PPP is adamant to get its way this time, after losing a similar battle to the finance minister when the latter got his preferred candidate appointed as governor SBP.
PMLN, fightiNg to get owN bLue-eyed As PresideNt NbP
Contact: irfan.farooq@pakistantoday.com.pk0307-7338168
Assistance begins to pour into Pakistan as death toll from floods tops 1,000 ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
A tug of war is going on between coalition partners, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People Party (PPP), over the appointment of president National Bank of Pakistan (NBP).
The first consignment of assistance from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to cope with the aftermath of torrential rains that triggered massive floods will arrive at Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi at 4:30 pm, the minister for information and broadcasting said. Marriyum Aurangzeb said the consignment for victims of the catastrophic floods is being sent at the request of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who during his recent visit to the sheikhdom appealed to its leadership for assistance. The goods included disaster tents, edibles, medicines and other items. A further 15 aircraft carrying relief items are expected to arrive from UAE in the coming days, Aurangzeb added. Her statement came days after the prime minister asked for international help in battling deadly flood damage in the nation. Flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains across much of the country have killed nearly 1,000 people and injured and displaced thousands more since mid-June. The monsoon season, which began earlier than normal this year, has lashed Pakistan with particularly heavy rains and rescuers have struggled to evacuate thousands of marooned people from flood-hit areas. The crisis forced the government to declare a state of emergency. In a separate statement, she said two planeloads of relief and medical supplies from Turkey will land in Karachi on Monday. “The consul general of Turkey in Karachi will hand over the relief goods to the host nation at the airport tomorrow morning,” the minister said in a series of tweets. She added that Sharif informed Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish president, about the scale of devastation caused by the floods in a telephonic conversation held on Saturday. Meanwhile, Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, expressed solidarity with the flood victims and offered help. In a tweet, the president said: “Our thoughts go out to the Pakistani people facing terrible floods, to the families of the countless people missing and to the populations affected. France stands ready to provide help.”
Sources said that NBP’s acting president commenced his career at Taurus Securities Limited. He was Group Head (Pair Investment Limited) in January 2010 when he joined NBP as SVP. After joining on January 25, 2010, as SVP, he was promoted to executive vice president on December 18, 2012, with effect from January 25, 2013, for a period of three years. Hasni was promoted as SEVP on 10-102016 allegedly in violation of President Office Circular No 07/12 dated 31-05-2012 as no interviews for elevation were conducted, sourcesSinceadded.2019 till November 2021, he has been heading the Inclusive Development Group at National Bank of Pakistan, which is a business group focussed on lending to priority sectors in Pakistan (SME, Agriculture, and various government sponsored subsidised lending schemes focussed on promoting entrepreneurship). NBP has become the largest lender to SMEs and Agriculture and through these efforts has played an instrumental role in promoting financial inclusion and promoting gender equality. He also has senior management level exposure in various financial institutions ranging from investment banks, full service brokerage houses, asset management companies, and stock exchanges. It is pertinent to note that FIA is also investigating a case against an NBP official including the acting President in the Hascol scandal.
Imran to hold telethon to raise funds for flood relief efforts
According to the military’s media wing, the army chief visited flood relief and medical camps established at Goth Sadoori, Lakhra and Lasbela. The army chief also met troops busy in relief operations and lauded their efforts.
Acting Minister of Defence Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob told reporters at a news conference in Kabul that American drones have been entering Afghanistan via Pakistan.
Another source on condition of anonymity claimed that Omni Group, which is close to the top leadership of PPP, has vast exposure with NBP and has applied for a complete restructuring.
Afghan conduct’:responsibledefy‘conjecturalminister’sallegations’‘normsofdiplomaticPakistan
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Pakistan has denied involvement in or advanced knowledge of a drone strike the United States said it carried out in Kabul in July that killed al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.
“The chief ministers of Punjab [Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi] and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [Mahmood Khan] will also accompany him during the telethon,” he Chaudhrysaid.added the telethon would also be broadcast on television if the court suspends a Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) ban on live coverage of Khan. “Otherwise, it will be broadcast live on more than 500 accounts on digital platforms,” he said. On Saturday, Khan, while addressing a public gathering in Jhelum, said he would help the flood-hit people but would not stop his campaign for real freedom. He also announced the establishment of a relief fund to collect donations, adding that Sania Nishtar, a party leader who led the Ehsaas social welfare programme during Covid-19, would head the effort. Khan said these were testing times and he believed Pakistan will come out of this crisis as a strong nation. “Overseas Pakistanis have always stepped up, may it be the floods of 2010 or the Kashmir earthquake in 2005,” said Khan, while calling for the country’s vibrant diaspora to help their nation.
Pak Suzuki Motors bounces back after loss in Q2CY22
in today’s issue
RAWALPINDI/SINDH Staff RepoRt Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Sunday declared that serving the people of Pakistan in need is a noble cause and “we must take pride to serve them to the best of our abilities,” an ISPR statement quoted the COAS as saying during a visit to flood-hit areas of Sindh. The military’s media wing said in a statement that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Sunday visited flood-affected areas of Sindh where he met affected people and reviewed the rescue and relief operations being carried out by army personnel. According to a statement issued by the ISPR, the army chief visited army troops engaged in relief activities in the farflung flood-affected areas of Khairpur and Qambar-ShahdadkotThedistricts.statement said the COAS spent the whole day with flood victims in relief and medical camps in the Jilani village, Khairpur and Qambar-Shahdadkot.
Published by Arif Nizami at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk
Serving people of Pakistan in need a noble cause: Gen Bajwa
LAHORE Daniyal ahmaD Pak Suzuki Motor Company (PSMC) released its half yearly financials on Thursday, according to which the company ended the second quarter of 2022 with a profit of PKR443 million compared to its loss of PKR460 million in the last quarter. Its cumulative loss for this year now stands at PKR17 million. The most notable quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) gain for PSMC was its 36% increase in sales revenue and an increase in its gross profit margin (GPM) to 4.41% from the previous 2.83%. These increases can be attributed to the greater sales volume PSMC experienced across all product segments. PSMC’s overall sales increased by 10% from 46,379 units to 51,013 units QoQ based on figures released by the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA).
“We urge the Afghan interim authorities to ensure the fulfilment of international commitments made by Afghanistan not to allow the use of its territory for terrorism against any country,” said the spokesperson. Earlier today, Taliban’s acting defence minister claimed Pakistan had allowed American drones to use its airspace to access Afghanistan, a charge Pakistan has recently denied following a US air strike in Kabul.
APPoiNted
They said that PPP has floated the name of acting president Rehmat Ali Hasnie who has been assigned “look after charge” by the Finance Ministry from 12.05.2022 after it emerged that the Cabinet’s approval is mandatory for the acting charge of the slot. Officials sitting in State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and former directors of policy board NBP have also pitched a few names before Miftah for the appointment. Meanwhile, State Minister for Finance Ayesha Ghous Pasha is also lobbying for her candidate. Earlier on August 13, the Ministry of Finance had postponed interviews at the last moment due to differences between the finance minister, high ups of PML-N and the ruling PDM alliance. Initially, the shortlisted names included ten senior bankers including ex-CEO Allied Bank Tahir Qureshi, senior retired Citi Banker Javed Kureshi, present COO of Askari Bank Khurshid Zafar, current Head Wholesale Banking at Silk Bank Hassan Raza who has also worked at senior most positions with UBL and HBL, present Corporate Head at Meezan Bank Mohammad Abdullah and CRO UBL Imran Sarwar amongst a few others.
PPP
ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt Pakistan on Sunday called the accusations made by Afghanistan’s Acting Defence Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob “conjectural allegations” and said the statement was “highly regrettable” and defied the “norms of responsible diplomatic conduct”. “In the absence of any evidence, as acknowledged by the Afghan minister himself, such conjectural allegations are highly regrettable and defy the norms of responsible diplomatic conduct,” said the Foreign Office spokesperson in a statement. The spokesperson reaffirmed Islamabad’s “belief in the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states” and condemnation of “terrorism in all its forms and manifestations”.
AKD Securities attributes the increase in the GPM to PSMC’s launch of the new Suzuki Swift which AKD believes yielded higher margins than the rest of PSMC’sFurthermore,portfolio. the higher sales revenue and the higher gpm may be attributed to the two price increases that PSMC introduced for both its automobiles and motorcycles. Automobile prices, with the exception of the air conditioned variant of the Suzuki Bolan and the Deckless variant of the Suzuki Ravi, were on average 15% higher in the second quarter than they were in the first quarter of the year. The prices for PSMC’s motorcycles were on average 7.35% higher in the second quarter than they were in the first quarter of the year. These price increases were aimed to hedge against the PKR’s depreciation, which lost 11% of its value over the course of the second quarter. PSMC’s other income also rose by 97% from PKR 527 million to PKR 1 billion. This increase is likely a result of PSMC benefitting from the progressive interest rate hikes as the majority of their other income, based on their financial reports, is centered on short-term deposits. Finally, PSMC’s financials indicate the ramifications of the imposition of the Super Tax with its effective tax rate coming in at 68% in the second quarter in comparison to the first quarter’s 29%.
“Safety and well-being of our citizens come first and we won’t rest until each flood affectee is not only reached but rehabilitated,” said COAS. “People of Pakistan are our priority & we won’t spare any effort to assist them in this difficult time, “the ISPR quoted COAS as saying.
pRayeR timingS FAJR SUNRISE ZUHR ASR MAGHRIB ISHA 4:10 5:00 1:30 5:15 7:08 9:15 Monday, 29 August, 2022 NEWS
