Epaper_22-11-04 LHR

Friday, 4 November, 2022 I 8 Rabi us Sani, 1444 I Rs 15.00 | Vol XIII No 125 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition

assassInatIon bId

Imran Khan names three persons for ‘attempt on hIs lIfe’ g

SayS ready tO Sacrifice life fOr ‘real freedOm’

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One killed, 7 hurt in attack On lOng march cOntainer

LAHORE/GUJRANWALA

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Staff RepoRt

ecretary general of Pakistan tehreek-e-insaf asad umar said the doctors have said that imran khan got injured but his condition is out of danger and quoted imran khan as saying “three persons including Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, interior minister rana Sanaullah and maj-gen faisal naseer are responsible for the attack on him.” imran khan is undergoing treatment at Shaukat khanum hospital where he was brought from Wazirabad.

“We are going to file application for registration of fir against these three persons to the ig Police”, asad umar said in a video message released on social media after meeting with imran khan along with aslam iqbal at Shaukat khanum hospital in lahore. he said that imran khan called him and aslam iqbal for a meeting in the hospital. according to asad umar, “imran khan has given a message to the nation that three people, including Shehbaz Sharif, rana Sanaullah and major-gen faisal did all this and an fir is going to be filed against these three persons.” “the Pti chief said that he already had some information about a possible attack on his life and today’s unfortunate incident corroborated his suspicion,” asad umer quoted his party chief. asad umar citied imran khan as repeatedly saying, “he was ready to give his life for the real freedom of the country.” “no one should doubt imran khan’s sacrifice for the country after this accident,” umar added.

the Pti stalwart said two days ago imran khan was told that there was danger to his life but he said that they were out for “Jihad.” “the three named persons should be removed from their respective offices immediately, otherwise there will be a nationwide protest”, the Pti secretary general said. in the video message aslam iqbal said the Punjab chief minister Pervaiz ellahi has ordered formation of a Jit for thorough probe into the incident. he said they were waiting for the next call of iman khan. they also quoted the Pti chief as saying that “the party would never stop the long march and would resume their journey towards islamabad from Wazirabad on friday (today).”

the attack, characterised by the Pti as “targeted”, triggered widespread condemnation from across the political divide.

ImRaN’S coNdItIoN IS StabLE: dr faisal Sultan said that Pakistan tehreek-e-insaf (Pti) chairman imran khan was admitted to Shaukat khanum hospital for medical treatment after being injured in a firing incident during Pti’s long march in Wazirabad, on thursday. talking to media here, dr faisal Sultan, head of medical team constituted for treatment of imran khan, said the Pti chief’s condition was stable, adding that his blood pressure and other vital signs were normal. he said that imran khan went through emergency evaluation which included x-rays and scans, adding that some fragments of bullet were present in his legs and his ‘tibia’ bone of one leg was slightly chipped from right side. he further told that imran khan had been taken to operation theatre where his detailed evaluation would be carried out. dr faisal said that after detailed evaluation, imran khan would be given surgical treatment for chipped tibia bone and removal of bullet fragments. to a question, he said that another

two injured were also shifted to Shaukat khanum hospital and they were being given medical treatment. he said that a detailed statement about imran khan’s condition would be issued later. to another question, dr faisal said that surgeons, orthopedics and other relevant specialists were part of the medical team.

How INcIdENt occuRREd: it is to be noted that Pti chairman and former prime minister imran khan survived “an assassination attempt” with gunshot wounds in his thigh and leg on 7th day of the party march towards islamabad at allah Wala chowk in Wazirabad thursday afternoon.

Six other leaders of the party including Senator faisal Javed, ahmed chattha, chaudhry yousuf, and workers Omer meyer and rashid also sustained gunshot wounds while a party worker identified as muazzam was killed in what is being described by the party as “targeted attack” on the Pti chief’s container

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

PM, ministers condemn firing at PTI Chief ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday sought a report of the firing incident on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march container which left one person dead and eight others including former prime minister and PTI Chief Imran Khan injured.

The firing took place at Imran Khan’s container in which the PTI chief including Faisal Javed, Ahmed Nasir Chattha and other party leaders were injured at Allahwala Chowk in Wazirabad. They were immediately shifted to local hospital for medical assistance. On the other hand, the prime minister strongly condemned the firing incident and also sought a report. PM Shehbaz also directed Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Punjab IG Police Faisal Shahkar and the Punjab Chief Secretary to immediately report. Later, in a tweet, Rana Sanaullah also condemned the attack on the PTI chairman and directed the chief secretary and IGP Punjab to submit a report of the incident. “A report of the firing incident has also been sought from the federal security agencies,” the tweet read further.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for planning and development Ahsan Iqbal has also condemned the incident. In his tweet, the minister said, “Thank God Imran Niazi is safe,” adding that there is no room for violence in politics. He also urged the Punjab government to review the security arrangements. Staff RepoRt

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Friday, 4 November, 2022 | LAHORE

NEWS

ClImAte-drIveN floods fuel CAlls for weAlthy NAtIoNs to pAy ISLAMABAD

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Staff RepoRt

INISTer for Climate Change Senator Sherry rehman said the country — being worst impacted due to unprecedented natural calamities — would flag the urgent need to mobilise the unmet global pledge of climate finance and a dedicated loss and damage funding stream at the forthcoming climate change conference.

Addressing a hybrid media briefing carried out in-person and virtual, the minister briefed the journalists on the preparations of the Ministry of Climate Change to plead the

case of the country at the 27th COP27 to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) taking place at Sharm el-Sheikh, egypt.

At the onset, the minister presented a three-minute video titled “A Century Breaking Year” highlighting the scale and impact of climate disasters faced by the country with unprecedented frequency and risk to the environment, habitat, ecology, human life and property.

The video depicted prolonged droughts, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), floods, recurrent heatwaves and present monsoon torrential rains’ devastation that affected 33 million population.

IhC seeks assurance from ptI on maintaining peace during rally ISLAMABAD INp

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday directed Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to assure the administration it will maintain peace regardless of whatever place they get permission to hold the sit-ins and rallies. The observation came during the hearing of PTI’s plea seeking permission to hold a political gathering in the federal capital and contesting the delay in the issuance of a noobjection certificate for holding the protest. As the PTI’s long march continues its journey toward the federal capital, the party on October 31 filed a petition, seeking permission to conduct its jalsa and sit-in in addition to providing security to marchers. On Wednesday, the IHC issued notices to the federal capital’s administration for not issuing PTI a no-objection certificate for its sit-in, directing them to appear before it today. During the hearing, the court expressed annoyance as the relevant official of the Islamabad administration had not appeared despite summoning. “Is this a civil court? It is a high court,” Justice Aamer Farooq showed ire, while summoning the officials of district administration in the court immediately.

Later, Islamabad Advocate General Barrister Jahangir Jadoon and Islamabad deputy commissioner appeared in the court. Meanwhile, Jahangir read Imran Khan’s response submitted in the Supreme Court regarding the PTI’s long march of May 25, 2022. Jadoon maintained that losses occurred in PTI’s previous long march and police personnel were injured. At the court’s inquiry, the advocate general told that the PTI is seeking permission to hold the rally at the same spot they had asked to hold the rally in the previous march.

“They [PTI] have always violated the terms and conditions that’s why we don’t trust them. The PTI leadership refused to admit the assurance by two senior lawyers,” Jadoon said, informing the court that PTI can hold the rally at T-chowk if they want.

Meanwhile, PTI lawyer Babar Awan maintained that Ali Awan has filed this plea so he is responsible for it. “The matter is already in the SC, we shouldn’t argue on it,” he said. Justice Farooq asked Awan’s opinion on what he thinks that the same as before wouldn’t happen at the place government allots to PTI for rally. He directed the PTI to assure that peace and security will be maintained regardless of the place allotted for the rally and make sure that the roads are not blocked to cause inconvenience to the people. “Holding protest is your right but the citizen’s rights should also be taken care of,” Justice Farooq remarked.

The court later reserved the verdict after hearing the arguments from the parties in the case.

Sherry underlined that for the past two decades, 162 extreme events occurred in the country whereas a 300 percent increase in GLOF events was noticed within just one year. Moreover, she said the country also witnessed high-intensity heatwaves spiking up the temperatures to 53.7-degree centigrade in Jacobabad and other cities as the country hosted the hottest cities in the world for the past 3 years.

The minister said there was also serious projections highlighting the food insecurity crisis because of crop damage to rise by 40 to 60 percent by 2050 whereas sea level rise was increasing rapidly threatening Thatta, Badin and Karachi to be submerged in the

future due to sea intrusion.

She noted that there would also be a threefold increase in climate-induced migration from 0.7 to 2 million by 2050 whereas the country’s Post Disaster Need Assessment report noted that some 8,330 km of roads and 3,127 km of railway tracks were damaged whereas one million livestock perished which was the income of an entire community in the flood affected areas.

“There have been 1,739 deaths, 12,867 injuries, and over 2 million houses destroyed with 70 percent of it in Sindh in the recent monsoon floods. However, the World Bank has estimated cumulative losses of $30 billion which will have a direct impact on our GDP.” The Minister underscored that poverty to rise from 8.9 percent in Sindh, to 7.5-7.7 percent in Balochistan and multidimensional poverty to rise at an alarming rate. “15 million people to get impacted through nonmonetary poverty whereas the most impacted is the agriculture sector with a 0.9 percent GDP loss.” Sherry informed that the estimation for reconstruction was underway

and would be completed by the next week.

Commenting on the preparation for COP-27, the Minister briefed that the Loss and Damage issue was placed on the provisional agenda of the COP after rigorously fighting Pakistan’s case. “Our priority is an adaptation for long-term measures to ward off climate change impacts.

Pakistan is in the front line for advocacy and played a proactive role for highlighting climate finance. Our efforts will be focused on seeking $100 bln per year as promised in 2009 for climate finance and do the advocacy to increase the pledge three times.”

She added that Pakistan would be suggesting developing a transparent mechanism clearly defining climate finance needs with an easy access to funding for the developed countries most impacted due to climate change. At the moment, she said there were three climate funding facilities namely Green Climate Fund (GCF), Global environment Facility (GeF) and Adaptation Fund whereas the last one had no funds available.

PTI denied permission to hold sit-in at Islamabad’s H-9 park ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The Islamabad administration has refused to give permission to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to hold a sit-in at H-9 Park of Islamabad, people familiar with the development said on Thursday.

Sources said the capital administration has offered the party to hold its sit-in/rally at rawat or T-Chowk instead of Islamabad’s H-9 park.

The district administration has also informed Islamabad High Court (IHC) about allowing or denying permission for PTI’s long march to enter Islamabad.

The final decision regarding the venue for PTI’s sitin would be taken after a court order, according to

interior ministry sources.

Islamabad High Court (IHC) had reserved its verdict on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) plea seeking a no objection certificate (NOC) for the Islamabad sit-in. Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking permission to hold a political gathering/sit-in in the federal capital to mark the conclusion of its long march.

As per details, IHC Justice Aamir Farooq heard the petition filed by PTI against the federal government for delaying NOC issuance for the party’s Islamabad sit-in.

The petition filed by PTI stated that the party applied for NOC for November 6 and 7 to the Islamabad administration for the ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ march but the issuance was delayed instead.

Swati appers before SC’s human rights cell, speaks of ‘custodial torture’ ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Speaking of his ‘custodial torture’, Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) Senator Azam Swati appeared before the Supreme Court’s (SC) human rights cell on Thursday, and stated his honor had been ripped apart and he was living like a “breathing corpse”.

Talking to media outside the apex court, Swati said, “I live and die everyday. Arshad Sharif has been martyred, why was I left alive?”

The senator got emotionally overwhelmed during the talk, stating that he has been unable to sleep. “every time I fall asleep, I wake up 15 minutes later,” the PTI senator said, adding that he will not give up until those who did wrong to him are brought to justice.

“My honour was shattered in a blow. I ask, is a tweet my only crime?” he said.

Swati submitted a written reply in the SC including medical reports as well as other documents and also met the director general of the human rights cell.

In his written reply, the PTI leader stated that three masked men took him from his home to an unknown location, stripped him naked and made videos of him.

“When I regained

consciousness, one person was asking the other to tell the sector commander and General Faisal that Swati is half dead,” the senator further wrote.

Swati further mentioned that he offered the concerned judge to show the torture marks on his sensitive parts, but the honorable judge did not mention the marks anywhere in his judgment.

The senator pleaded that the medical board before which he was presented gave a misleading report. He also maintained that the silence regarding his physical condition in the report is a question mark.

Swati, in his written reply, has also demanded strict action against violators of fundamental rights.

Swati was taken into custody by the Federal Investigation Authority’s

(FIA) cybercrime unit on October 13 for allegedly making ‘controversial claims’ against state institutions, including the army chief.

Almost 10 days later, a district and sessions court in Islamabad granted Swati postarrest bail against surety bond worth rs1 million.

On November 1, the PTI senator detailed the “torture” he was allegedly subjected to in the custody of FIA and called on Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial to investigate the incident.

Meanwhile, the FIA rejected the allegations on October 18 that said that the PTI senator was subjected to torture and humiliation in custody, saying the “dignity of the lawmaker was ensured during the entire legal process”.

NA session: Govt allies denounce attack on Imran Khan ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Thursday while condemning the firing incident on PTI Chief Imran Khan’s container near Wazirabad said the politicians must believe in dialogue and should refrain from resorting violence for political point scoring.

Addressing the National Assembly he said, politics is a name of dialogue through which issues are resolved but it turns out to be violent if hate speech against political opponents are made. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s judicial murder gave birth to violent political culture and later after 90’s the political environment of brotherhood gradually declined, said Khawaja Asif adding that the firing incident on Imran Khan is evidence that the political workers do not hesitate in killing their opponents for their political ideology. When the political leaders promote violence or make hate speeches against their political opponents, their followers naturally become violent, he said. The minister said the political trend of using state operates for personal vendetta or political point scoring must be discouraged otherwise the bullet will rule in future. He said the whole nation is condemning the firing incident on Imran Khan’s container but at the same time all political parties and leaders should promote the culture of dialogue at every level. He said the whole house must condemn the attack on Imran Khan because he has been the Prime Minster of country and member national assembly as well. Addressing on the floor of the House, Member National Assembly (MNA) and Chairman Public Accounts Committee Noor Alam Khan condemning the incident inquired from the federal and Punjab government about the compromised security of Imran Khan. He said the country is going through a tough time but its enemy is busy creating anarchy therefore all politicians must sit together across the table for amicable solutions to their problems. He also condemned the arrest of former deputy speaker of Punjab Assembly Sardar dost Muhammad mazari and said that such incidents promote political intolerance. MNA Ghous Bux Mehar demanded an investigation of the firing incident. MNA Ghulam Mustafa Shah suggested to constitute a commission to inquire from the Punjab government about the security provided to the PTI chief Imran Khan. Sardar Akhtar Mengal condemned the incident said that if the doors for dialogue are closed abusing language is used against political opponents then the decisions are made with bullet not through ballet.

He said democratic parties have only option which is a dialogue.

IHC reserves verdict in PTI’s plea against delay in issuance of NOC for long march ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday reserved its judgment on a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) plea against the government’s delay in issuing a no objection certificate (NOC) to the party for a sit-in and long march in the federal capital.

Justice Aamer Farooq heard the case filed by PTI against the district administration.

During the course of proceeding, Advocate General Islamabad Jahangir Khan

Jadoon read the Supreme Court (SC) judgment of May 25 and the reply submitted

by PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the case. The government did not trust PTI because it retract statement within half an hour, he added. The court then inquired about the general procedure for granting permission to rallies, to which the advocate general said that as per routine, it was usually assured by the party.

He said infrastructure was damaged and policemen were injured during the previous long march held on May 25.

Justice Aamer Faroooq said whatever the lawyer stated, he did it on behalf of the client.

He asked if it was the same place where the PTI had sought permission earlier?

The advocate general replied in affirmative and said that the PTI had always violated terms and conditions adding that was why the administration did not trust PTI. PTI’s counsel Babar Awan said that the area of D-Chowk mentioned by the government’s counsel was the red zone of the federal capital which had been further extended.

Justice Aamer Farooq asked from Babar Awan about the assurance that similar events of protest would not be repeated. He asked

who would take responsibility if the PTI was allowed to protest at the spot. Babar Awan replied that the PTI would be responsible as the petition was filed by a party representative Ali Awan.

The advocate general said that the government could not trust Ali Awan until they contact PTI Chief Imran Khan. The district administration needed a fixed date of the party’s long march entering the capital, he added. Babar Awan said the PTI rally would arrive around November 10.

Upon this, Justice Aamer Farooq expressed displeasure and said that the PTI’s

counsel needed to make it clear. He asked the PTI to ensure that law and order was maintained at the site alloted for the protest.

Justice Aamer Farooq said measures should be taken to ensure that roads were not blocked and people do not face difficulties.

He said holding protests was PTI’s right but at the same time the rights of citizens must also be ensured. He said that the Supreme Court in its orders had set the limits and restrictions of the protest rally, which was for the protection of the people.

Subsequently, the court after hearing arguments reserved its decision in the case.

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Friday, 4 November, 2022 | LAHORE

NEWS

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mooNIs ChAlleNGes NAB INquIry IN lhC LAHORE

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Staff RepoRt

AKISTAN Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Moonis elahi on Thursday challenged a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) investigation into assets of a family-owned company in the Lahore High Court (LHC).

A two-judge bench comprising Justice Ali Baqer Najafi and Justice Asjad Javed Ghural will hear elahi’s plea on Thursday. Amjad Pervez will appear before the court on behalf of the petitioner.

The petitioner has requested the court to declare

the October 20 notice of the agency null and void. The court has also been requested to order NAB to halt any kind of illegal activity. As per the petition, the chairman and DG of NAB and others have been made respondents.

The petitioner said: “NAB initiated an inquiry against elahi’s family in 2000 due to political grudges.” “even after 20 years of investigation, NAB could not find any evidence against any member of his family,” he added.

The petitioner adopted that NAB closed the investigation following a challenge before the Lahore High Court.

FIA has registered a case against him and others by alleging assets of Hayat Khan Private Limited, as stated by the petitioner.

The petitioner also stated that NAB has already investigated these assets and there is no point to summon elahi for this case. As per details, NAB has issued a call-up notice to Company Secretary and launched a re-inquiry against the assets of the elahi family’s company.

The court ordered to suspend the notices issued by NAB, pleaded the petitioner. The court should also order NAB to refrain from taking any adverse action against them, the petitioner further pleaded.

Imran seems to have given up demand for snap polls: Marriyum ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb on Thursday said Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan had finally understood that the elections would be held on time and the coalition government would complete its constitutional term.

“His announcement for continuing his Tehreek (movement) for 10 months shows that Imran Khan has realized the elections will be held when the government completes its tenure,” she said while addressing a news conference.

Condemning the death of a female reporter, a child, policeman and an elderly man during the long march, she said the government would ensure protection to the lives and property of the people at all cost.

She said the husband of reporter was coerced for not initiating legal action against the death of his wife during the long march. The Punjab government should hold thorough investigation into the incident, she demanded.

The minister said Imran Khan had nothing to do with the appointment of new army chief as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had legal and constitutional right to appoint the new chief.

She said only one news channel was trying to give Imran Khan a facesaving by claiming in every evening that he had to leave for “important talks” but it was the PTI chief who, himself, refuted such dialogues.

The minister said the matter of fact was that Imran’s politics and long march was based on nothing but threats, abuses and beseeching.

She said the real story of Imran’s long march was exposed by the apex court which was also misled by the PTI legal team. replying to media queries, she said the government had nothing to do with the long march if it marched towards Gilglt Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

However, the federal government was fully prepared to deal with the long march if it entered in Islamabad.

She said Imran was trying to create rift between KPK, Punjab police and the federal one, utilising resources of both the provincial governments on the long march.

The constitution clearly stated for requisite measures if any unconstitutional step was taken anywhere in the country, she added.

The minister said nobody could even imagine that a lady (Tayyba Gul) could be “abducted” in the Prime Minister house to blackmail the NAB chairman. The head of FIA was also “locked up” in the Prime Minister’s Office washroom when he refused to register false cases against the opposition.

She said Imran did all this by using his power and used all the state resources to victimize his political opponents, but he could not produce a single evidence in the court to prove false cases of corruption against them.

“If rana Sana Ullah is a murderer then why did your government arrest him on the fake charges of carrying drugs,” she said, adding the PTI government failed to produce a single piece of evidence before the court of law to prove the false cases against the PML-N leadership.

She said he would have dissolved the provincial assemblies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab if he had a

desire for election. He could have dissolved the National Assembly on knowing about the so-called regime change conspiracy in March, but the election was never among his priorities.

He only wanted to cling to his throne that was why he made offer to the army chief for the lifetime extension.

She said the country was stabilizing as the impact of the fouryear rule of Imran Khan, which was marred with incompetency, inflation, unemployment, loot and plunder, was receding.

Marriyum said the country was put on the path of development and progress with the same vision and spirit followed by Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif who brought peace and prosperity by reducing prices of essential commodities, electricity and gas during his previous government’s tenure.

Soon after the ouster of Imran Khan from power, she said the PTI started politicking over the difficult decisions taken by the coalition government due to the violation of the IMF agreement by him (Imran) to save his government.

She said the coalition government had to implement the IMF agreement, which was signed by Imran Khan, to save the country from the default.

Imran Khan was responsible for the extreme inflation in the country during the previous months, she added.

The minister said the inflation was decreasing, foreign exchange reserves were increasing and the rupee had been strengthened due to the extra ordinary efforts of the coalition government which ushered in the country’s stability.

The relief had been passed on to

the masses despite the revival of the IMF agreement, she said while citing free and smooth transfer of flood relief assistance to the affectees and historic Kissan package as testimony of the government’s remarkable performance.

She said the Kissan package of around rs 600 billion launched by PM Shehbaz was of sheer importance and would ensure bumper crops in the upcoming season as it was witnessed during the previous tenure of PML-N government.

The minister said the package included soft loans for the farmers, small and medium enterprises and fixation of electricity price at rs. 13 per unit for them.

She said wheat had been imported with heavy heart, but at an affordable prices with best quality.

She recalled that the previous government exported the sugar first and then created artificial shortage to benefit the wheat and sugar mafias who increased the sweetener prices on the pretext of its import.

Marriyum said the nation had witnessed the prime minister’s whirlwind visits to the flood-affected areas. He had been on forefront in working out the initiatives for the welfare of flood victims.

The PM also made extra ordinary efforts to reverse the damage inflicted by the Imran led government on the country’s relations with the friendly states. She said the entire world was reviving its investment in the country which was either halted or withdrawn during the four-year rule of Imran Khan. She also gave credit to the prime minister for revival of the China Pakistan economic Corridor (CPeC) which halted and made controversial during the four-year rule of Imran Khan.

Sindh to give cash assistance to build 700,000 houses in flood-hit areas KARACHI Staff RepoRt

The Sindh government has announced to give cash assistance to build 700,000 houses in flood-affected areas of the province. As per details, the provincial government with the assistance of the World Bank will give rs300,000 each to the owners of fully destroyed houses and rs50,000 for the partially destroyed in recent catastrophic floods.

During the cabinet meeting, several ministers questioned how will the government ensure that the

money is given to deserving people. They suggested that instead of providing cash the government should build these houses for the flood-affected families.

In response to this suggestion, the ministers were told that currently, the Sindh government doesn’t have the capacity to build houses from its capacity.

To ensure transparency, the cash will be disbursed in installments after carrying out proper verification and meeting the legal requirements.

Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah said it will be a huge challenge for the government to disburse the amount and make sure that the amount is spent

in the right place but the administration is ready for the uphill task.

Furthermore, a committee was also constituted for people housing society.

The World Health Organisation’s Country representative in Pakistan Dr Palitha Gunarathna Mahipala said the WHO is working on a plan to assist in future preparedness for having effective healthcare systems. He said the recent devastating floods have caused serious damage to health service delivery in the affected areas which has resulted in various health risks.

Alvi okays regularisation of additional lhC judges ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

President Dr Arif Alvi Thursday gave the approval to make 11 additional judges of the Lahore High Court (LHC) permanent.

After the president’s approval, the Ministry of Law and Justice issued a notification in this regard. Justice Shakeel Ahmed, Justice Safdar Saleem Shahid and Justice Ahmed Nadeem Arshad are among the additional judges who have been made permanent. Justice Tariq Nadeem, Justice Amjad rafiq, Justice Abid Hussain, Justice Anwar Hussain and Justice Ali Zia Bajwa have also been made permanent. Justice Sultan Tanveer Ahmed, Justice Muhammad raza Qureshi and Justice raheel Kamran are also among the judges who have been made permanent. The LHC chief justice will administer the oath to them. The oathtaking ceremony will be held on Friday, at 10:45 am.

Kp to switch tubewells on solar energy in peshawar, Kohat districts PESHAWAR azIz BuNeRI

Due to the continuous increase in electricity cost, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government decided to switch tube wells to solar energy in Peshawar and Kohat districts. The official sources said that the WSSP [Water and Sanitation Services Company] pays rs800 million to rs1 billion in electricity bills annually, however, there is continuously hike in electricity cost. Similarly, the electricity costs of tubewells in Kohat is also being paid in millions, forcing the provincial government to device a plan for the transfer tube wells to solar energy. For this purpose, a proposal has been made to convert tubewells in both districts to solar power at the cost of rs1.23 billion. A consultant will be hired for this project who will conduct a survey to identify tubewells that have space for solar conversion and could be converted to solar power.

However, work on survey would started after the approval of the project from the relevant forum.

Court extends physical remand of dost mazari LAHORE Staff RepoRt

A judicial magistrate on Thursday extended the physical remand of former deputy speaker of Punjab Assembly Dost Muhammad Mazari in a case of alleged illegal allotment of 2,500 kanal lands in rajanpur district. The Anti-Corruption establishment (ACe) team produced Mazari before the magistrate on expiry of his two-day remand. At the outset of the hearing, the ACe officials demanded 10-physical remand of former Punjab Assembly deputy speaker Mazari. The Prosecutor of the ACe told court that further custody of the suspect was required to complete the investigation.

Signing ceremony of Pak-China agricultural machinery training program held BEIJING Staff RepoRt

An online signing ceremony of agricultural machinery training program was held simultaneously at Tianjin Modern Vocational Technology College (TMVTC) and MNS University of Agriculture Multan through Internet cloud technology.

Initiated by the Pakistani Luban Workshop, the program aims to promote China-Pakistan vocational education cooperation and serve international agricultural capacity cooperation under China-Pakistan economic Corridor.

The training course pinpoints the huge demand for corn cultivation and harvesting in Punjab province. With the theme of “Application and Maintenance Technology of Self-propelled Corn Harvester”, 8 lectures and 2 seminars will be held within around

one month.

Those online courses focus on topics such as Tianjin’s advantageous agriculture going global, development trend of agricultural machinery, application of UAV technology in agriculture and introduction of Luban Workshop project.

The organizers invited experts and senior engineers from several teaching and research institutes and enterprises in Tianjin to give lectures.

Through the “cloud classroom”, Chinese personnel provided targeted training to teachers and students of MNS University of Agriculture Multan, senior engineers of the Punjab Agricultural Mechanization Institute and advanced agricultural machinery users in Pakistan.

Prof. Sun Deling, former Vice President of Tianjin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and Prof. Zhang Baoqian,

agricultural machinery expert at Tianjin Agricultural Development Service Center, delivered keynote speeches on “Tianjin’s Agricultural Advantages and Scientific research Achievements” and “Technology and equipment for Full-scale Mechanization of Maize Production” respectively.

The organizers also invited staff from Tianjin Tailai Import and export Co., Ltd to

share their experience of agricultural machinery going abroad, and give a keynote speech on “Serving CPeC, Cultivating Agricultural Skills Talents”, introducing the practical experience of school-enterprise cooperation in improving agricultural capacity.

According to TMVTC, training equipment used for this online teaching is maize harvester produced by Yongmeng Machinery Co., Ltd. The company will donate relevant equipment to Pakistan, and those equipment will arrive at MNS Agricultural University in December for offline practice.

Luban Workshop, launched and run by Tianjin, represents a win-win model for international vocational education cooperation, sharing China’s educational achievements and resources with countries in need.

In April 2017, TMVTC and MNS University of Agriculture signed an MoU of cooperation to establish a Luban Workshop in Pakistan.

Since its operation in Pakistan in 2018, TMVTC has been continuously promoting the construction of projects in Pakistan.

Focusing on academic education and vocational training respectively, the college has established two Luban workshops in Lahore and Multan in collaboration with its Pakistani partners.

Those workshops will explore the development of whole-process mechanization training for one or two kinds of crops, provide high-quality vocational skills training for Pakistani youths under the mode of international industry-education cooperation, and facilitate cooperation between Chinese and Pakistani agriculturerelated enterprises.

04 NEWS 4 LAHORE_Layout 1 11/3/2022 11:27 PM Page 1

Friday, 4 november, 2022 | LAHORe

04 news

Jemima, other prominent personalities send prayers for imran Khan following assassination attempt

p

Staff RepoRt

TI Chairman Imran Khan, Faisal Javed and Ahmed Chattha were injured in an assassination attempt on Thursday evening during the party’s long march in Wazirabad. Imran, the former prime minister, was shot in the leg, according to two party leaders. Celebrities across the country have been sending their prayers to Imran and condemning the attack.

Jemima Goldsmith, former wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, on Thursday while reacting to the assassination attempt on the life the former prime minister expressed gratitude to almighty God that he is safe.

In her latest Tweet, she said, “The news we dread… Thank God he’s okay.

And thank you from his sons to the heroic man in the crowd who tackled the gun-

man.”

She also tweeted the picture of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) worker Ibtisam, who confronted the attacker to save the life of the former PM, terming him a hero.

Taking to Twitter, Osman Khalid Butt made a prayer for the entire PTI convoy.

Zimbabwean Islamic scholar Mufti Ismail Menk also tweeted, wishing Imran well and a speedy recovery.

Singer-actor Haroon Shahid informed his followers that Imran is out of danger and is safe.

Actor Adnan Siddiqui wrote that he is “shocked beyond words” and prayed for the speedy recovery of everyone “injured in this violence.”

TV show host Fakhr-e-Alam and singer Rohail Hyatt also prayed for their safety.

Actor Veena Malik tweeted that the

bullets were not fired at Imran but the hearts of 220 million Pakistanis.

“Assassination attempt on Imran Khan! heard he is safe but injured,” comedian and actor Arslan Naseer tweeted with

a prayer for him.

Actor Hira Tareen prayed for Khan’s recovery and said she hopes the culprit is found.

Actor Armeena Khan questioned if

Gujranwala will emerge as PML-N fortress in general elections: minister ISLaMaBaD Staff RepoRt

Gujranwala will emerge as a fortress of disgraced former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the upcoming general elections as it chose Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in 2018 by securing all seats, Minister for Energy Khurram Dastgir claimed.

Speaking to a TV station, the minister called the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) protest a “killer march” as at least three people, including a reporter, lost their lives while participating in the march.

“The much-hyped march to Islamabad is not being held to bring a revolution, but to trigger unrest in the country,” he declared.

He claimed that Imran Khan, who has been calling government leaders thieves, has proven to be the biggest thief in the nation’s history with evidence of foreign funding and foreign gifts cases.

“That is a furlong march, not a long march, as their march travels a furlong in a day and march will not arrive in Islamabad before August 12 next year”.

Replying to a question, the minister accused that Khan’s claims in the previous long march were wrong that his party march would be peaceful and PTI has a record of violence-based incidents in Islamabad.

He further said that the PTI leadership only wanted to fulfil its vested interests, adding Khan has planned to cause clashes between the law enforcement agencies and his workers.

“Federal law enforcement agencies are on alert and they will take action against those trying to take law in their hands”, he said, adding the government is well prepared to deal with any situation.

To another question, he said the general election would be held on its time despite the “threats, abuses and intimidation attempts” to hold it earlier.

Terrorist of banned outfit held with arms KHaIRpUR Staff RepoRt

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) on Thursday arrested a terrorist of a banned outfit, recovered arms and ammunition. According to details, the CTD Sukkur on an intelligence tip-off regarding present of extremist launched operation in Khairpur. During operation, terrorist of a defunct organization identified as Riaz Pirzada was held with automatic rifle, bullets, detonators and ball bearings. The nabbed terrorist was involved in exploding gas pipeline on Sanghar-Nawabshah Road in 2019 and carrying out blasts on directives of his commanders. The detainee was shifted to an undisclosed location for investigation.

anyone could get away with this in today’s world and Frieha Altaf sent prayers for the former cricketer.

Imran’s former teammate and cricketer Wasim Akram said he was “deeply disturbed: by the events and said his prayers were with Imran and everyone there.

Actors Sana Javed and Dananeer Mobeen and designer Maheen Kardar took to their Instagram stories to pray for Imran and the PTI leaders’ recovery.

Singer Ali Zafar likened the moment to Benazir Bhutto assassination and praised Imran’s spirit.

Actor Maya Ali said she was praying hard for Imran and everyone injured and called this a moment of “history repeating itself”.

Imran and other members of his party are being taken to a hospital in Lahore for treatment.

islamabad hospitals put on high alert ahead of pti’s long march ISLaMaBaD Staff RepoRt

The hospitals in the federal capital Islamabad have been put on high alert by the higher authorities ahead of the arrival of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) long march. The district administration has put the state-owned Poly Clinic, PIMS and CDA hospitals on high alert and sent written instructions to the private medical facilities also. A communiqué sent to all District Health Officers (DHOs) stated that hospitals must ensure all medical facilities and increasing the number of beds. The capital administration has cancelled leaves of all paramedical staff and directed senior doctors of government-run hospitals to remain available online in case of any emergency. Moreover, the doctors of federalrun hospitals have been barred from leaving Islamabad.

The former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan is leading the anti-government long march that started from Lahore’s Liberty Chowk on October 28. The long march is likely to enter federal capital on November 11.

Women play vital role in development of country: Ahsan Iqbal ISLaMaBaD Staff RepoRt

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal said that women play a vital role in the development of any country and the development process remains slow where women are not given equal opportunities.

The Minister made these remarks while addressing at 19th Inter-Provincial Ministerial Group (IPMG) meeting organized by the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) in collaboration with UN Women, and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) of the US Department of State, said a press release issued here.

Speaking at the occasion, the minister said that Islam has given equal rights to women but unfortunately, these rights were misinterpreted.

Ahsan Iqbal said the Planning Commission has established a Gender Unit in the min-

istry in which all development projects would be planned according to principles of gender responsiveness so that the projects should not be approved without ensuring the interests of the women.

According to the minister, in vision 2025 several projects were added to empower women. Similarly, in recent floods, several initiatives were taken during their rehabilitation.

The planning minister assured the NCSW to entertain their recommendations in order to implement them.

The objective of the 19th IPMG meeting was to understand the data architecture at the national and provincial levels and finalize the data collection mechanisms for the National Gender Data Portal (NGDP).

While welcoming the participants, Chairperson, NCSW Nilofar Bakhtiar said, “The Global Gender Gap Report states Pakistan has closed the gender gap by 56.4 % but still ranks us at second lowest from the bottom. It is important to know our ground reality to

form law, legislation, and quotas to bring change.”

The NGDP was developed in 2021 to collect high-quality data and evidence on gender statistics from across Pakistan.

The Country Representative, UN Women Pakistan Country Office, Sharmeela Rassool emphasized the importance of credible data for the development of the country and for gender equality and said, “IPMG is an innovative platform for identifying solutions that are tailor-made for Pakistan. NGDP is one such example of such solution. Data is important as it helps in identifying gaps in the policy along with helping officials to make informed decisions.”

The IPMG was established in 2009 to enhance inter-provincial coordination on gender equality and women’s empowerment in Pakistan. Eighteen meetings have been conducted so far, to facilitate the exchange of experiences and insights between national and provincial women’s machinery.

Friday, 4 November, 2022 | LAHORE

NEWS

CJP vISItS LJCP for offICIAL LAuNChINg of doCuMeNtAry ‘AdLIA KA SAfAr-75 SAAL’ iSLamaBad

C

staff report

HIEF Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial on Thursday visited the Secretariat of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP) to chair the official launching ceremony of the documentary titled “Adlia Ka Safar-75 Saal.”

The documentary was made for the 9th International Judicial Conference held in September 2022. The Chief Justice was accompanied by his colleagues including Justice Amin-udDin Khan, Justice Muhammad Ali

Mazhar, and Justice Ayesha A. Malik who supervised the activities of the conference as Members of the Organizing Committee.

On this occasion, the Chief Justice of Pakistan appreciated the efforts of the Secretariat of LJCP and the Pakistan Television (PTV) team for coming up with such a wonderful documentary that covers the judicial history of 75 years since the independence of Pakistan.

The Chief Justice also expressed his hope that the PTV would continue to support the LJCP Secretariat in other similar efforts to create awareness amongst the general public about the

constitution, law and access to justice.

The Chief Justice of Pakistan also applauded the LJCP team for organizing a successful conference and hoped that the Secretariat would continue to organize such events with equal spirit, dedication and commitment. He also emphasized upon the need for research to promote balancing the rights of the citizen and the rights of society.

He also emphasized the need to activate the Alternate Dispute Resolution mechanisms at all levels of the judiciary for the dispensation of justice for the people of Pakistan.

The Secretary of LJCP expressed gratitude to the Chief Justice of Pak-

istan and the members of the Organizing Committee for gracing the occasion and providing the opportunity to formally launch the documentary.

She said that the documentary was a joint effort of the PTV team and the LJCP team.

The documentary formally launched on Thursday gives a brief account of the establishment of the judiciary in Pakistan, its infrastructural development and its expansion. The documentary also reflects upon the future track and the endeavours in modernizing the judicial system in Pakistan for the efficient administration of justice with the aid of technology.

Imran Khan names three persons for ‘attempt on his life’ continued from page 01 The Punjab police said the deceased has been identified as Muazzam Nawaz.

“It was a clear assassination attempt. Khan was hit but he’s stable. There was a lot of bleeding,” Fawad Chaudhry told Reuters. “If the shooter had not been stopped by people there, the entire PTI leadership would have been wiped out.”

The Punjab police confirmed that a party worker, who was in the city to welcome the caravan — which was there for the party’s second iteration of its “Azadi” march — was killed in the attack.

Meanwhile, a suspect was also taken into custody from the site.

SHO amOng all OfficialS Of pOlice StatiOn SuSpended: Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi took strong exception to leaking of the suspected attacker’s confessional statement after the gun attack on PTI chief during the long march.

Following Ch Pervaiz Elahi orders, the Punjab Inspector General (IG) of Police suspended the SHO along with all other officials of the respective police station. He also ordered disciplinary action against the irresponsible officials after the leaking of the suspect’s confessional statement. The chief minister said in a statement that all mobile phones of the police station’s staffers were confiscated and they will be sent for forensic audit.

Pervaiz Elahi issued directives to hold an inquiry into the incident of the video leak of the suspected attacker. He directed the Punjab IGP to launch a probe to ascertain motives behind the gun attack. The directives were issued in an emergency session chaired by the Punjab CM after the incident. attacker’S videO Statement: The assailant, who fired bullets at PTI Chairman Imran Khan during the party’s long march, has confessed to the crime, saying that the former premier was his only target.

In a video statement went viral on social media, the attacker said he was planning the assassination attempt ever since Imran left Lahore. “I tried my best to kill him. I wanted to kill Imran Khan only and no one else,” he added. The attacker further said he reached Wazirabad on his motorbike alone, adding that he tried killing Imran because he was ‘misleading the people’ “I could not bear watching it so I tried to kill him,” the suspect said in the video statement. However, it is interesting to note that the attack was made in Waziriabad while the confessional statement was recorded immediately and was released to media from a police station in Gujrat.

When asked if he had any accomplices, he said nobody was behind him and he performed the act at his own behest. The suspect said he had parked his bike at the shop of his maternal uncle. Senator Javed, who was also wounded and had blood stains on his clothes, told the media from the hospital: “Several of our colleagues are wounded. We heard that one of them is dead.”

“It was a clear assassination attempt. Khan was hit but he’s stable. There was a lot of bleeding,” Fawad

Chaudhry told Reuters. “If the shooter had not been stopped by people there, the entire PTI leadership would have been wiped out.”

Following the incident, Imran Khan was immediately shifted to a vehicle and evacuated to a hospital — in Lahore, according to Reuters — while other injured people were taken by ambulances to the nearby Wazirabad Institute of Cardiology. According to rescue officials and PTI, ten people were injured due to the firing, including the PTI officials.

Reports also said that one child was included in the injured people.

Footage on television showed an injured Imran Khan waving to supporters after reportedly being shot and then being carried to his bulletproof pickup truck.

According to details, the Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf (PTI) Chairman was “slightly injured” in the attack which occurred on the seventh day of the protest march on Islamabad. His party said he was being shifted to Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital in Lahore.

Khan with later seen with a bandage on his foot.

He was moved to another vehicle from his container truck, from where announcements were being made that he was safe. Some of the supporters from his party were also wounded, according to an announcement.

However, Imran Ismail, former Sindh governor, himself hurt, told Bol TV Khan has been shot “three to four times” in the leg. He said he was standing next to Khan when the incident took place. Ismail further said the suspected attacker was directly in front of the container and wielding an AK-47 assault rifle.

Fawad Chaudhry, senior vice president of the party, called the incident “100 percent an assassination attempt.” pm, miniSterS cOndemn firing On imran’S cOntainer; Seek repOrt: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday sought a report of the firing incident on Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) long march container which left one person dead and eight others including former prime minister and PTI Chief Imran Khan injured.

The firing took place at Imran Khan’s container in which the PTI chief including Faisal Javed, Ahmed Nasir Chattha and other party leaders were injured at Allahwala Chowk in Wazirabad.

They were immediately shifted to local hospital for medical assistance.

On the other hand, the prime minister strongly condemned the firing incident and also sought a report. PM Shehbaz also directed Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Punjab IG Police Faisal Shahkar and the Punjab Chief Secretary to immediately report.

Later, in a tweet, Rana Sanaullah also condemned the attack on the PTI chairman and directed the chief secretary and IGP Punjab to submit a report of the incident.

“A report of the firing incident has also been sought from the federal security agencies,” the tweet read further.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for planning and development Ahsan Iqbal has also condemned the incident. In his tweet, the minister said, “Thank God Imran Niazi is safe,” adding that there is no room for

violence in politics.

He also urged the Punjab government to review the security arrangements. marriyum flayS firing On imran kHan: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb condemned firing at PTI Chairman Imran Khan in Gujranwala and demanded a thorough investigation into the incident.

“The incident is very unfortunate and condemnable. It should not be politicized and speculations on the incident must be avoided,” she said in a news statement.

Marriyum said the Punjab police as well as administration and other relevant departments should bring forth the facts after investigating the incident which occurred within the jurisdiction of Punjab government.

“We are waiting for the report of Punjab government over the incident,” she added.

Marriyum also prayed for early recovery of Senator Faisal Javed who also got injured during the incident. pml-n SupremO, maryam nawaz cOndemn attack: Several political leaders, including PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and vicepresident Maryam Nawaz, condemned the attack on PTI chairman Imran Khan during party’s long march.

Taking to his official Twitter account, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif condemned the firing incident on Imran Khan and his companions. He also prayed for the recovery of those injured.

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz also condemned the attack and prayed for the speedy recovery of the former premier and others injured.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for planning and development Ahsan Iqbal has also condemned the incident. In his tweet, the minister said, “Thank God Imran Niazi is safe,” adding that there is no room for violence in politics.

PML-N MPA Hina Pervez Butt also called for the suspect’s arrest and immediate investigation.

Meanwhile, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) coChairman Asif Ali Zardari urged the authorities concerned to conduct a full investigation. He also prayed for the speedy recovery of the PTI Chairman.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also took to his to condemn the incident. “Praying for his swift recovery,” he wrote on Twitter.

In a statement, Chief Minister Balochistan Abdul Quddus Bizenjo denounced the firing on PTI leadership during the long march.

Wishing for the fast recovery of the injured, Bizenjo said the perpetrators would be brought to justice without delay.

Meanwhile, Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of Pakistan Army, said: “Firing incident during Long March near Gujranwala is highly condemnable. Sincere prayers for precious life lost and speedy recovery and well being of Chairman PTI Mr Imran Khan and all those injured in this unfortunate incident.”

Pak-China cooperation in finance sector to be enhanced after PM’s visit BeiJing staff report

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to China would help the finance sector of Pakistan to boost cooperation with China and improve the balance of trade, said Shaikh Muhammad Shariq, Gwadar Pro reported on Thursday quoting Chief Representative of the National Bank of Pakistan in China.

“China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) serves as an important platform for internationalising the RMB, boosting its use both as a trade and financing currency.

Modernising the trading routes along

B&R should not only increase RMB crossborder trade with these countries, but also further promote the currency in the offshore market, and will increase liquidity in those countries thereby enabling further RMB business”, he added. He further said that ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor, commonly known as CPEC, being one of BRI’s main elements, offers a textbook example of how China and BRI partner countries can advance cooperation over the use of RMB. “With existing and potential trade volumes between China and Pakistan on the rise, the internationalisation of RMB is one of the keys to cost-efficient economic growth for

both countries and more cooperation in the banking sector is expected”, Shariq mentioned. He said that the increased bilateral trade between Pakistan and China and the volume of investments under CPEC have opened up possibilities for replacing US dollars with RMB in bilateral trade.

“China and Pakistan signed a bilateral free trade agreement in 2007 and bilateral trade grew rapidly over the following decade.

As trade links grew, central banks agreed on currency swaps, and the first currency swap agreement was signed in 2011,” he stated, adding that “in 2018, both countries also agreed to extend the currency.

05

corporate corner MMBL’s 9-Point Agenda 2.0 delivers Impactful and Sustainable Policy Interventions

islamabad: Pakistan’s largest digital bank, Mobilink Microfinance Bank Limited (MMBL), has recently launched the 2nd edition of its 9 Point Agenda for Financial Inclusion, a policy document aimed at fostering digital financial inclusion through meaningful regulatory interventions in nine key areas. Mobilink Microfinance Bank is part of the VEON group, a global digital operator that provides converged connectivity and online services across seven countries. As part of its digital operator strategy, VEON is transforming people's lives by creating opportunities for greater digital inclusion and driving economic growth across countries that are home to more than 8% of the global population. pr

NBP honored as Best Bank at World’s Best Bank Awards 2022

Karachi: The National Bank of Pakistan has won the Best Bank Award in Asia-Pacific for 2022 as Global Finance announced its 29th Annual Best Bank Awards. Global Finance regularly selects the top performers among banks and other financial services providers. These awards have become a trusted standard of excellence for the global financial community. NBP is the only bank from Pakistan that won the award for its efforts as a bank that attended carefully to its customers’ needs in difficult markets and accomplished strong results while laying the foundations for future success. The Awards Ceremony honoring the Winners took place at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, during the IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings. President Joseph Giarraputo, Global Finance presented the Best Bank Award in Pakistan to Mr. Syed Farhan Ahmad, (Country Head, USA), NBP. Expressing his views, Mr. Ahmad said, ‘We are truly honored to win this prestigious award. This reflects our commitment, innovation in products, strategic relationships, and dynamic approach as the nation’s bank. pr

06-07 Comments - 4th November 2022_Layout 1 11/4/2022 12:41 AM Page 1

Friday, 4 November, 2022

06 COMMENT

Road to nowhere?

Attempt on Imran Hopefully, the Long March will now see an end to violence

The Long March may not achieve what its organizers want

T

HE PTi’s long March has been surrounded by a miasma of violence from its inception, when it was preceded by the killing in Kenya of journalist Arshad Sharif, and by a press conference by Senator Azam Swati where he graphically described police torture. This continued when a journalist was crushed under the wheels of PTi chief imran Khan’s container, and with the release of an audio by the government, allegedly showing ex-minister Ali Amin gandapur as planning for arms to be brought into islamabad, vot to forget KP Minister Kamran Bangash saying that the KP PTi contingent would bring arms to protect themselves. it was thus as if the public had been prepared for the horrific news that someone had fired upon Mr Khan. Though he was injured in the attack, which took place in gujranwala, before his departure onward for islamabad, he has been reported out of danger. The long March had been extended for a week, to nomber 11, only the day before; now it seems the prolonging is open-ended.

The possibility annot be ruled out. The assassin claims he has no links to anyone or any organization, and was acting independently because Mr Khan was misleading people.

That is hardly a reason for shooting anyone, let alone a former Prime Minister. The attacker should realise that that sort of justification for violence is not provided by any political party. The initial reaction by PTi workers is perhaps understandable, but it also shows that this goes beyond politics. True, Mr Khan has named Prime Minister Shehbaz SAharif and interior Minister Rana Sanaullah as being behind the event, but it is not likely that these men, who have grown old in parliamentary politics, would bother with the politics of assassination. The Dg iSi and the Dg ‘C’ iSi was perhaps likelier suspects, being military men more liable to violent solutions, but the failure of the attempt shows how amateurish it was, unworthy of professional soldiers. Though it should remain clear that Mr Khan is the victim here, but at the same time it should not be ignored that his party has played a major role in using extreme language and preaching violence, even practising it in the shape of shoutring names at individuals when they had gone out in public.

Mr Khjan has survived the attack, which is something for which not only the PTi, but the whole country, should be grateful. However, there should be a thorough investigation into the security measures provided the former Prime Minister. The desire of a politician to bee untramelled in his contact with the public will always conflict with security needs, but it should be remembered that the nation cannot afford the trauma it has undergone before.

At Penpoint M A NIAZI

T

HE press conference by the Dg iSPR was routine. what was not routine was his companion, a fellow lieutenant-general, the Dg iSi. officers of that rank shy away from the press, more so the Dg iSi, with the current incumbent having ordered that he did not want even his image to appear in the media, perhaps in the tradition of British heads of Mi5 and Mi6, whose names even never disappeared in the press, and who were only identified by an initial. when any official, outside of press relations or public relations, holds a press conference, questions are bound to be raised. Either the official concerned is hungry for publicity, or does not trust the press department to handle the messaging properly. As the present Dg is quite the opposite of a publicity hound, suspicion of the second arises. However, the Dg iSi was able to bear personal witness to one of his claims, which the Dg iSPR could not, and if he had made the claim, he would not have been speaking from personal experience.

This was the assertion that imran Khan, while still PM, had offered CoAS gen Qamar Javed Bajwa a lifetime extension in office, just before the vote of no-confidence against him, if he helped him avert it.

The Dg iSi claimed to have been present at this meeting. Apart from this, there was nothing which required his presence, which could not have been competently handled by the Dg iSPR. indeed, the briefing could have conceivably been carried out by the federal information Minister, but then the press conference might have been dismissed as a pre-long March tirade. As a matter of fact, though the long March had already started, and though it was the interior Minister, not the information Minister, who held the press conference, the audio clip of former federal minister Ali Amin gandapur, in which he planned to bring weapons into islamabad on the long March’s arrival, was taken as a partisan claim.

The presence of the Dg iSi, and the timing of the press conference, was meant to serve as a comment on the long March. Short of the CoAS personally appearing, there was little that could be done further. This was clearly an expression of support to the government, and message to imran, that the military would not support the goal of the long March, which are fresh elections.

The offer of a lifetime extension was unheard-of anywhere in the last century, the only possible parallel being Field Marshal Helmut von Moltke, who remained Chief of the general Staff of germany for 30 years, from 1857 to 1888. But then, he did achieve the victory of the Franco-Prussian war in 1871. like Pakistan’s CoAS, the german CgS commanded the german Army.

At another level, the press conference could be seen as a mea culpa, an addition of guilt and an apology. it was as if the military had realised that meddling in politics was a bad idea, and had decided to stay out.

Dedicated to the legacy of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami M. A. Niazi

Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

Umar Aziz

Joint Editor

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

it seems that the military has taken imran as a cautionary tale. He was the best that the establishment could get. And all he did was earn a bad name for the institutions. And he wanted to interfere in postings, something which the military has never tolerated. it is worth noting that imran’s ire, which had been concentrated on the military, has further narrowed down to the iSi, and even individual iSi officers. going by the press conference, it almost appears as if the military had ralized that interfering was a mistake. However, the history of the iSi in politics goes back to the Bhutto era, though its really big break came in the Zia era. not only did the iSi expand hugely to handle the Afghan jihad, but the military needed a political tool which would keep the PPP under control. nawaz Sharif was initially patronized, but fell out of favour. gen Ziaul Haq had taken the military back into politics, from which it had withdrawn because of the loss of East Pakistan. However, it came back because of the mess that politicians were making. And under |Zia, memories were revived of the glory days of the Ayub era.

The Ayub era produced Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the Zia era nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto, and the Musharraf era imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri. imran was not just popular but obedient, and so was chosen to head a hybrid regime.

The senior echelons of the establishment. Some constituents, both senior and junior, developed the belief that imran was the real thing, who would allow the establishment to rule, while maintaining a civilian facade. However, the economic collapse he was presiding over had brought about great blame for the establishment. Because the PDM consists of parties which have established themselves, it is possible that the establishment realised that its attempts to interfere were self-defeating. whoever was chosen, ultimately rebelled. was it worth the obloquy to get a few plums? The establishment may have realised that politicians are bound to attempt to get the power of appointing anyone who controls their majority. if the iSi determines their fate, they will not be happy until they appoint its head. if the CoAS insists that he make the appointment, then they will want to appoint the CoAS. Actually, that is the corner into which the establishment has painted itself. it wants the sort of independence of the political leadership that the judiciary has. There is no chance of a politician picking a Chief Justice out of turn; even

though it cannot claim to lack input into the appointment process, and it is only by foresight and planning that the government might be able to get its own CJP in after a couple of decades. Politicians on a five-year election cycle do not have that sort of patience.

The Dg iSi let slip something significant: that the move to withdraw from politics had the support of the Army’s future leadership for the next 15 years. in other words, the decision had been approved by the formation commanders’ conference. it is true that the future CoAS to be appointed in 2040, was at the formation commanders’ conference, a recently promoted major-general. one of the things that should have greeted the long March would have been the publicising of a new round of audio and video clips, including the compromising videos of imran. However, so far they have been held back, and rightly so. That such videos exist is widely assumed to be the case, but non-publication has left it to the prurience of the individual imagination rather than confronting the public with the reality of sound and images. imran had prepared for these videos by claiming in advance that they were the product of ‘deep fake’ technology. while committed supporters will buy that explanation, the PTi would fear the effect on the PTileaning-but-still-uncommitted voter.

Perhaps what saved the nation from that particular trauma was the mediocre reviews the long March has been getting, and the fact that after those videos, the establishment would have nothing to threaten him with, so as to stop a sit-in for example, or for violence in the capital. it had already been noted that, compared to the 2014 dharna, imran lacked institutions’ support and money. The Dgs’ press conference showed that he faced active opposition from the establishment, not just because he had been bad for it, but because he tried to divide the institution.

It had already been noted that, compared to the 2014 dharna, Imran lacked institutions’ support and money. The DGs’ press conference showed that he faced active opposition from the establishment, not just because he had been bad for it, but because he tried to divide the institution.

The writer is a member of staff

The Karnaphuli Tunnel: A flagship symbol of ties between China and Bangladesh China’s good-neighbour policy at work

KAMAl UddIN MAZUMder

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ollowing the opening of the Padma Bridge, 170 million people in Bangladesh are eagerly waiting with joy and excitement for the inauguration of the Bangabandhu Tunnel, another mega project. Time is counting to traverse the dream tunnel.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will open the door to this dream in December. By making the Padma Bridge a reality on June 25 the PM took Bangladesh to new heights on the international stage. The first tunnel in South Asia, which is now being constructed near Chittagong under the Karnaphuli River, has now come to represent Bangladesh’s pride, dignity, and ability to complnmete a megastructure.

An investment-friendly environment drives the economy. Hence, there has been

an uptick in the trend of developing infrastructure that is conducive to investment.

The government of Bangladesh has therefore boosted investment in the road and rail infrastructure sectors for more than a decade. The Bangabandhu Tunnel will bring a fresh perspective on this area. implementing a tunnel project for the first time in Bangladesh makes the country more confident. noteworthy, Bangladesh is now known as the source of wonder in terms of development in many countries of the world.

The plan to construct a tunnel under the Karnaphuli River was unveiled as a project in 2010. The feasibility study report was finalized in 2012 at a cost of Tk 120 million. in December 2014, the Chinese firm CCCC and the Bangladesh Bridge Authority signed a Memorandum of Understanding.

The agreement between the two countries was signed on november 24, 2015. on october 14, 2016, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina jointly laid the cornerstone for six projects, including the construction of the Karnaphuli Tunnel. on 24 February 2019, PM Sheikh Hasina formally opened the tunnel’s construction. Despite two years of corona attacks and other difficulties, the tunnel construction is proceeding as planned. According to the project’s director, Harunur Rashid Chowdhury, the project is roughly 91 percent finished, and by the end of next December, 100 percent of the work will be finished.

Starting from the naval Academy end of Patenga in Chittagong, the tunnel goes under the river between Chittagong Urea

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

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Fertilizer limited and Karnaphuli Fertilizer limited factories in Anwara. The main tunnel is 3.32 km long and has two tubes, each with two lanes. There is a 5.35 km connecting road to the west and east of the main tunnel that will allow Cars to run at a maximum speed of 80 km.

Chinese enterprises have carried out a number of significant infrastructure projects in Bangladesh in the transportation, energy, power, and communications sectors, which have helped the country’s economy and society flourish. in this journey, the “Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel” represents a milestone in the field of ChinaBangladesh cooperation. As this tunnel is built, the port city of Chittagong will be modeled like the Chinese city of Shanghai based on the “one City, Two Towns” design. on either side of the river, there will be two towns.

The tunnel project is being implemented with the joint funding of the governments of Bangladesh and China (g2g). The total cost of the project is BDT 10.375 billion. The Exim Bank of China is providing BDT 5.913 bilolion, leaving the Bangladeshi government to contribute BDT 4.461 billion. Bangladesh is required to pay this sum plus a two percent interest charge. China Communication Construction Company (CCCC) is carrying out the project under the supervision of the

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

Bangladesh Bridge Authority. About 350 Chinese employees, among the 1200 local and foreign workers, are working here regularly day and night. it is noteworthy that Chinese companies also constructed the country’s multibillion-dollar Padma Dream Bridge. whenthis project is implemented, the financial and economic iRRs will be 6.19 percent and 12.49 percent respectively.

Additionally, the “Benefit Cost Ratio” (BCR) for the financial and economic sectors will be 1.05 and 1.50 percent, respectively. The tunnel will have a positive impact on gDP. The economy will take on a new dimension as a result of massive employment, tourism, and industrialization. At the tunnel’s Anwara end, there are Perki Beach, CUFl, and Korean and Chinese EPZs. with the tunnel, a better and easy communication system will be developed with the Chittagong metropolis, Chittagong port, and airport located on the western end. it will take less time and cost to carry produced goods and raw materials from the eastern industry to Chittagong port and airport.

The southern part of Bangladesh’s road network will undergo a revolutionary change due to the tunnel. A modern communication system will be developed with Cox’s Bazar, Banshkhali, and Matarbari power plants and Matarbari deep sea port via Anwara crossing through the Karna-

Building infrastructure is the only option available for Bangladesh’s economic development.

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Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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phuli tunnel. Through it, a connection will also be made to the Asian highway. The tunnel will be used by 7.6 million cars annually after three years of operation.

Another thing that makes us optimistic is the large-scale initiative to construct industrial establishments on both sides of the tunnel. The tunnel will turn the port city into a business hub. Thanks to the media, we have learned that numerous industries are already being established in Chittagong on a massive scale since the start of the tunnel construction. inactive industrial facilities are being renovated. Fresh initiatives have been taken to build 80 industrial factories including garments, shipbuilding, edible oil, fish processing, steel, and cement on the bank of the Karnaphuli River.

The wheels of the economy in the southern region will experience faster growth. Both the standard of living and employment will increase. “This tunnel will play a significant role in improving the economy in the long run,” economist Professor Mainul islam stated.

Building infrastructure is the only option available for Bangladesh’s economic development. As a result, it is anticipated that this mega project will contribute significantly to the country’s growth in terms of commerce, tourism, and communication. in this case, it is hoped China would continue to stand firmly with the people of Bangladesh as good neighbours, good friends, and good partners. in short, China’s support is expected in the form of economic and technological collaboration in the areas of climate change, poverty alleviation, public health, human resource development, and other related areas.

The writer is a freelance columnist

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

06-07 Comments - 4th November 2022_Layout 1 11/4/2022 12:41 AM Page 2

Friday, 4 November, 2022

COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail

Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan.

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

Tax on Profits PAKiSTAn is among the countries that have low savings rate. one of the reasons is over-taxation. At present, the government is charging up to 30 per cent tax on the profits given by the banks and national Savings; 15pc is withholding tax which is charged on the spot.

At present, the inflation rate is over 25pc, which means that even a person getting 13pc from the bank on deposits will lose 12pc on the principal amount annually. Then why is it being taxed? it has been seen that mostly savings with banks are kept by people who cannot physically invest in business. They can, and do, invest in property or purchase dollars or gold.

All such investments are basically dead investments for the country because they do not create jobs etc., whereas the money deposited in banks and national Savings is invested by the government or private industrialists to create proper economic activity. Speculative trading in dollar is actually harmful to the country as we have seen in recent times.

This creates inflation in the country. The relevant authorities should look into the matter and eliminate all taxes on profits on deposits to encourage the national savings ratio. it is also suggested that the limit of investment be enhanced to Rs10 million in Behbood Certificates and pensioners’ accounts in national Savings, which has not been enhanced for at least the last five years. These steps will curb inflation and increase productivity.

HUMAYUN IQBAL SHAMI ISLAMABAD

The Russo-Ukrainian conflict rages on The path to peace is not easy eMAN MUdAssAr TArAr

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HE war between Russia and Ukraine is one of the most important issues to come to the United nations Security Council’s agenda in recent years. it poses a serious threat to regional and international stability and escalates humanitarian crises.

Since February 2014, there has been a war between Russia and Ukraine. Russia started hostilities soon after Ukraine’s Revolution for Dignity, and they were centered on the political status of Crimea and the Donbas, which are still seen as being a part of Ukraine internationally.

The annexation of Crimea in 2014 by Russia was quickly followed by the start of the Donbas conflict between separatists backed by Russia against Ukrainian state forces. Fighting also included naval incidents, cyber attacks, and heightened political tensions.

Due to a Russian military buildup encircling Ukrainian territory, bilateral tensions increased in 2021. on February 24, the war significantly escalated when Russia invaded mainland Ukraine. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine is having a significant influence on the world’s supply chain, obstructing the movement of commodities, causing severe food shortages, sharp price hikes and product shortages globally.

The core of the Russia-Ukraine conflict lies in three issues: Ukraine’s nATo membership, . territorial disputes in Crimea and the eastern part of Ukraine, and Russia’s security claims. But there is a list of long-simmering disputes and grievances that both countries have towards each other.

The conflict in Ukraine is a concentrated manifestation of the development and worsening of the contradictions in bilateral relations between Russia and Ukraine since the crisis in Ukraine in 2014. with the collapse of the USSR, Ukraine declared its independence in 1991 along with 15 other newly founded Republics. But this separation did not change the geostrategic importance of Ukraine for Russia. Both Russia and Ukraine were still at odds with each other, particularly over the control of the Black Sea and the Crimean Peninsula on the Black Sea. on the east side of Ukraine was the Russian giant and on its west were the three states namely, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary; all of them post-communist states which joined the European Union.

Being pro-Russian or pro-European became a defining line in Ukrainian politics.

By 1997, Russia recognized Ukrainian borders with the aid of a pro-Russian leader in Kyiv, leonid Kuchma. However, he did not last long and a pro-western candidate, Victor Yushchenko, won elections in 2001 and again in 2004 as a result of Ukraine’s orange Revolution. However, an economic crisis, the gradual disintegration of the opposition, and Russian-induced natural gas pressure led to protests and eventually Yushchenko’s demise. in 2010, Victor Yanukovych was elected to power, as a proRussian. And soon in 2013, he made a decision of utmost impact; he did not sign the Ukrainian association agreement with the EU*under Russia’s pressure. it was followed by another revolution. More than a hundred protestors were killed and Yanukovych fled to Russia. The interim government after this pro-western revolution signed a trade agreement with the EU seen as the first step toward membership. in March 2014, a month after this, Russia annexed Crimea. in April 2014 secessionists in eastern Ukraine, backed by Russia, later declared themselves independent, as the Donetsk People’s Republic and luhansk People’s Republic. They went to war against Ukraine. The se-

cessionist war continues in the Donbas. Roughly 13,000 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians eventually died in the conflict. The front lines have barely shifted for years.

By February 2015 Russia, Ukraine, France and germany signed a series of cease-fire agreements known as the Minsk Accords or Minsk Agreements (i and ii). They were frail agreements and remained unimplemented from both sides. Again in 2017, a pro-western party headed

by Petro Poroshenko won the elections and thus Ukraine resigned from an association agreement with the European Union in the same year. later in April 2019, a former comedian, Volodymyr Zelensky, was elected by a large majority as president of Ukraine on a promise to make peace with Russia and win back the Donbas.

President Vladimir Putin of Russia sought to prevent Ukraine’s drift toward the USA and its allies. Mr. Putin demands “security guarantees,” including an assurance by nATo that Ukraine will never join the group and that the alliance pulls back troops stationed in countries that joined after 1997.

“If Russia Stops fighting, the war ends. But if Ukraine stops fighting, Ukraine ends”, is the stance of the US and its allies on the RussianUkraine Conflict.

Putin, who gave a speech laying out a long list of grievances as justification for the special military operation, feels “war can only stop if Ukraine stops fighting”. He continues calling this war a special military operation as a counteroffensive to nATo’s eastward expansion.

By incorporating the four areas of luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia into Russia, Moscow could portray attempts to retake them as attacks on Russia itself, a warning to Kyiv and its western allies. The Russian annexations raise the risk of a direct military confrontation between Russia and the nATo military alliance as western arms are being used

by Ukrainian troops. The schism keeps getting deeper with the probability of a new world war and nuclear entanglements being openly discussed. on February 26, Russia blocked a Security Council Resolution that would have demanded that Moscow immediately stop its attack on Ukraine and withdraw all troops from Ukraine. on March 3, the Un general Assembly demanded Russia stop its offensive in Ukraine, voting 141 to five with 35 abstentions. Member nations voted during the 11th emergency special session of the 193-member Un general Assembly on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. it condemned the February 24 ‘special military operation’ by Russia over Ukraine. on April 7, the Un general Assembly adopted a resolution calling for Russia to be suspended from the Human Rights Council. The resolution received a two-thirds majority of those voting. in the 193-member Assembly, 93 nations voted in favor and 24 against.

“Russia has no choice but to launch special military operations in Ukraine.” Foreign Minister Sergey V. lavrov of the Russian Federation addresses the general Assembly on September 7.

Russia vetoed the UnSC resolution condemning Russia’s proclaimed annexation of regions of Ukraine on September 30.

The USA, the EU, and allies have imposed

various sanctions against Russia. They are aimed to hit Russia’s financial, energy and transport sectors, and include export controls and trade financing bans.

The US has targeted over 1000 Russians, including 278 Duma members for enabling the referendums to annex the regions of Ukraine and 14 people connected to its defense industries. These include financial sanctions such as removing major Russian banks from the international Financial Messaging System Swift, and the USA holding foreign money from Russia in US banks.

By doing so, it has barred Russia from making its debt payments using foreign money and has delayed its payments for oil and gas exports.

The EU is taking measures to stop importing Russian oil, and refined oil products soon and has already stopped importing Russian coal. The US is banning all Russian oil and gas imports.

EU and g7 countries also want to cap the prices of Russian oil.

A ban has been imposed on all Russian flights from US, UK, EU, and Canadian airspace. The UK has stopped selling “golden visas” which allowed wealthy Russians to get British residency rights in exchange for an investment. it has also introduced strict financial sanctions on Russia as well. But it has not imposed any ban on Russian gas because it relies on it for about 40 percent of its gas needs.

The export of dual-use goods and high-tech components to Russia has also been banned as has the import of Russian gold. Russia exported $15.4 billion worth of gold in 2021.

Russian flights have been banned in most European airspace.

Japan has imposed an unprecedented level of economic sanctions against Russia. germany, being a g7 member, has also imposed strict sanctions on Russia but being the biggest importer of Russian gas in Europe, has its own reservations. nonetheless, it has frozen plans for the opening of the nordstrom 2 gas pipeline from Russia. But it is against the EU’s and g7’s aims to cap Russian oil and gas prices.

Although the ideas for solutions will be parallel with the policies of those submitting them, there must be a common topic: peace in the region. There are numerous ways to accomplish this. First, there has been much debate on the potential involvement of Un peacekeepers for a long time. However, Un peacekeepers have historically been contentious, therefore those who include them should come up with solid arguments in support.

The protracted crisis has severely harmed Ukraine’s economy, which is actually the main driver behind most people’s desire to join the EU. The prosperity of the nation’s economy may be a theme. Cyber-attacks are a major problem that Ukraine also faces. Despite the Russian Federation’s repeated denials of these allegations, this problem needs to be resolved. instead of making broad allegations or condemnations, there should be provisions addressing cyber-attacks and cyber terrorism in general. Finally, as there have been thousands of deaths since the crisis began, Un institutions, particularly those concentrating on human rights, should be involved.

The protracted crisis has severely harmed Ukraine’s economy, which is actually the main driver behind most people’s desire to join the EU. The prosperity of the nation’s economy may be a theme.

The writer can be emantarar26@gmail.com.

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Tribal realities AREAS along a country’s international border often face instability, chaos and uncertainty if there is a lack of peace in the country that happens to be on the other side of the border. Pakistan’s tribal districts, while being the first line of defence against threats emanating from Afghanistan, have been the first receivers of destruction.

The seven agencies — Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, orakzai, Kurram, north and South waziristan — were merged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) under the 25th Amendment on May 31, 2018, marking the end to the draconian Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR). However, the fate of the areas has not seen any meaningful improvement in the last four years.

A population of over five million in these areas still does not have a university. Many are forced to migrate to the other cities for higher education, but not all can do so for various reasons, and this severely limits their ability to contribute to the larger national good. Besides, a few cadet colleges in the region were established as part of the rehabilitation effort, but the women of tribal areas do not have any option even today. in 2016, Fata University was set up in Darra Adam Khel, which is too far away from, say, Miran Shah or wana, to serve the purpose. in the last over seven decades, Pakistan has failed to provide a single institution of higher education for those living in the tribal areas. They represent the first line of defence and have rendered sacrifices without getting even basic facilities in return. why? The development of tribal regions in terms of social services should be prioritised by national and provincial governments on an emergency basis. There can be no doubt that the citizens of tribal areas deserve every opportunity that people in other parts of Pakistan have.

SUMMAN ZIA RAWALPINDI

NEPRA’s injustice THE decision by the national Electric Power Regulatory Authority (nepra) to cut down the income from solar power is alarming. instead of paying Rs19 per unit, the small roof-top solar power producers (RSPPs) are now being paid Rs9 per unit. The irony is that the power company would be buying the same electricity unit from independent power producers (iPPs) at Rs19 and from the RSPPs at Rs9. May we ask, why?

Most of these iPPs have secured massive loans on facilitated terms to install machines that produce electricity from imported fossil fuels, and then sell their produce to the government on heavy and secured-for-years rates. From their establishment to the production and sale of energy, they depend on the government, yet they are called iPPs. on the other hand, when small investors install solar panels from their own pockets on their rooftops, produce electricity from the free sunshine, and sell it to nepra, it pays them less than what it pays to the iPPs. May we ask, why?

Currently, Pakistan produces less than two per cent of its total electricity through solar energy. To encourage the production of solar and wind energy and to bring it to at least 30pc of the total consumption by 2030, the RSPPs should be offered a double unit rate, at least, till 2030, in addition to subsidies on the import of solar panels, their related technology, and loans for domestic production of solar and wind power.

DR IRFAN AZIZ KARACHI

Unhealthy Practice wAlK along the streets of Karachi, and you will find none without a fastfood restaurant. These outlets are easily accessible and appealing to young people, but what they get after paying a hefty amount is a mixture of oil, salt, preservatives, colours, sugar and flavours. These burgers, pizzas, broasts, shawarmas, and rolls are becoming an addiction that builds the pathway to diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, obesity and heart diseases.

That being so, the food regulatory authorities and restaurants can collaborate to modify their practices to satisfy the bud-sensitising cravings while still keeping the meals nutritionally sufficient. The authorities must keep a check and make it mandatory for restaurants to have dieticians and nutritionists on their team. with their expertise in nutritional sciences, such professionals can help prepare tasty yet healthy food. Furthermore, airfrying, grilling, and baking can replace deep frying. instead of potato being the only vegetable available, more vegetables, like carrots, beets and eggplant, can be added. They can even include colourful fruits and yogurtbased desserts or sweet treats with plant-based sweeteners.

Children can be attracted by bright-coloured packaging and bonus toys for healthy meals. Besides, customers who choose more nutritious alternatives on the menu must be given discounts, appreciation and bonuses to encourage them to choose healthy food more often than they do. it would help restaurants move their business forward, give consumers a chance to eat healthy when outside, and reduce the risk of diseases.

DUA ARIF KARACHI

08 WORLD VIEW 4th November 22_Layout 1 11/3/2022 7:38 PM Page 1

Friday, 4 November, 2022

08 WORLD VIEW

fAr-right triumph threAtens isrAel’s future RELIGIOUS ZIONISM IS AN AVOWEDLY KAHANIST ALLIANCE, EXPLICITLY ENDORSING VIOLENCE AGAINST PALESTINIANS AND SEEKING NOT ONLY TO EXPAND THE SETTLEMENT ENTERPRISE, BUT TO REBUILD THE HOLY TEMPLE IF EVERY DEMOCRACY IN THE WORLD WERE TO SHUT ITS DOOR, THIS WOULD BE A POWERFUL STATEMENT OF RESISTANCE TO TYRANNY far more important: self-preservation. He is like the shark who will die if he stops moving. Above all else, he must be at the top of the pyramid looking down.

middle easT eye ricHard SilvErStEin

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far-right coalition led by Benjamin netanyahu has triumphed in Israel’s national election. As ballots were being counted on Wednesday, his alliance of ultra-Orthodox and ultra-nationalist parties was on track to secure 65 seats. This gives them a majority of the Knesset’s 120 seats and offers netanyahu, already the country’s longest-serving leader, a sixth term as prime minister.

The road to victory took some twists and turns.

One of netanyahu’s most masterful strokes was to unite a previously fractured far-right political field.

The Religious Zionism alliance, led by Itamar BenGvir and Bezalel Smotrich, provided the biggest shock of the election cycle, doubling its vote total from the last round and confirming the ascendancy of its firebrand Zionism.

Religious Zionism is an avowedly Kahanist alliance, explicitly endorsing violence against Palestinians and seeking not only to expand the settlement enterprise, but to rebuild the Holy Temple. While Meir Kahane, who was assassinated in new York in 1990, never lived to see the triumph of his Judeofascist ideas, his disciples have completed the task.

Still, netanyahu’s majority is fairly tenuous. He will need to keep all of his allies in check and horsetrade over ministerial seats, a process that involves back-scratching, sycophancy and greased palms.

Likud’s leader has a special knack for this sort of political jockeying; he is the ultimate inside player. But if he fails at this process, his government could fall, as the centre-right coalition that preceded him did.

And just because netanyahu is an expert at political poker doesn’t mean he’s a consummate politician. That stature is reserved for leaders who possess a vision and seek to implement it. For netanyahu, taking a position on an issue is not important, unless it serves his personal interest of maintaining power.

His slogan might as well be: “L’etat, c’est moi.”

While that might suffice in a monarchy such as that of Louis XIV, it’s an unusual phenomenon in an ostensible democracy.

Among western liberals, democracy is an end in itself. But in netanyahu’s case, it is a means to something

SERIOUS BLOW TO PALESTINIANS: Beyond the ruling coalition’s loss, this week’s election had one major loser: Palestinian parties. In 2020, when four Arab-majority parties united as the Joint List, they won 15 seats, making them the second-largest opposition grouping. But this time, they could not agree on a candidate list, and the alliance fractured.

The Hadash-Taal faction was projected to win just five seats in this week’s vote, striking a serious blow to the Palestinian community.

Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, on the other hand, have come out on top. A former Shin Bet deputy chief once said that Smotrich, who was protesting against the evacuation of Israeli settlements in Gaza, had plotted to blow up vehicles on a major highway in 2005, but he was arrested before he could carry out the attack. Smotrich has denied the allegations.

Ben-Gvir, meanwhile, might be considered the “spiritual leader” of the so-called hilltop youth illegal settlers, who are known to terrorise Palestinians. One of these youths once accused Ben-Gvir of condoning such attacks, while being extremely careful to keep his fingerprints off of them - allegations that BenGvir has denied. A decade ago, Ben-Gvir told a TV interviewer that he fervently believed not only in rebuilding the Holy Temple, but in destroying al-Aqsa Mosque to do so. His home featured a memorial image of Baruch Goldstein, the perpetrator of the 1994 Ibrahimi mosque massacre, in which 29 Palestinians were killed.

Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, or their designated appointees, will likely take up senior cabinet posts in the new government, angling for positions in which they could dominate internal security affairs. There, they would have the capacity to lobby for mass expulsions of Palestinians and major military operations sowing fear, hatred and death. Palestinians would become, as former Israeli army chief Rafael Eitan once mused, like “drugged cockroaches in a bottle”.

The ideology driving Smotrich and Ben-Gvir does not seek stability. It seeks conflict, because this brings closer the decisive moment when Israel triumphs and Palestinians face abject defeat. Then, right-wing extremists can either force them into exile, or permit them to remain only if they accept the status of virtual peonage.

COLD STATUS QUO: Much of the world is under the mistaken impression that Israel is a democracy.

It is not, and it never really has been. But any last vestige of it disappeared during the 15 years netanyahu was prime minister. netanyahu abhors real democracy, because it permits his rivals to exercise the power he arrogates to himself alone. Taking a page from the Trump/Maga playbook, ahead of the vote, Likud designed social media and political messaging to cast doubt on the integrity of the electoral system. Thus, in the event of victory, netanyahu could cast himself as the leader to save Israel from catastrophe; in the event of defeat, he could rail against the corruption and fraudulence of Israel’s entire political system.

As another French king, Louis XV, said: “Apres moi, le deluge.” netanyahu wants to sow chaos during his rule, allowing him to step forward as the nation’s saviour. But the election results do not bode well for Israel’s relations with the US, where Congress members have expressed misgivings about the extremist composition of netanyahu’s coalition. One way to circumvent such opposition would be to appoint less-objectionable far-right figures to key posts, avoiding the lightning rod of Smotrich and Ben-Gvir. netanyahu has not had good relations with Democratic presidents, including Joe Biden, who is famously pro-Israel, and who has said: “If Israel did not exist, we would have to invent it.” I don’t expect we’ll hear those sorts of Hosannas in future. And I wouldn’t expect any invitations to the White House.

This new Israeli government will depress American Jewish support for Israel and embolden progressive Democrats, already restive over attacks by the Israel lobby. We can expect increased calls to limit or end the $3.8bn annual US aid package to Israel. Congressional weapons packages may encounter even stronger opposition. A cold status quo suits Israel just fine. It preserves frigid relations with the Palestinian Authority, refusal of negotiations, and continued settlement-building and theft of Palestinian lands.

Western nations, including the US and UK governments, must respond to this outrage. They must denounce the entry of outright fascists into government, and declare Smotrich and Ben-Gvir to be personae non grata, refusing them entry into their countries. If every democracy in the world were to shut its door, this would be a powerful statement of resistance to tyranny.

Richard Silverstein writes the Tikun Olam blog, devoted to exposing the excesses of the Israeli national security state. His work has appeared in Haaretz, the Forward, the Seattle Times and the Los Angeles Times.

A frightening dAy for democrAcy in isrAel The triumph of the far right, alarming enough in itself, could also see the destruction of judicial checks upon political power Guardian Editorial

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n some ways, Tuesday’s election looked drearily familiar to voters in Israel – inevitably so, as the fifth in less than four years. Once again, it was fought to a large degree on whether Benjamin netanyahu, still on trial for corruption, is fit for office. The official results will not be declared until next week, and tiny shifts in votes could push smaller parties over the threshold for representation, which can be critical in the usually drawn out process of coalition-building. nonetheless, it seems extremely likely that Mr netanyahu will be back as prime minister once more, with a small majority in the 120-seat Knesset, after a brief interregnum.

Yet the results so far are also deeply shocking. They mark the triumph of the racist far right, in the form of Mr netanyahu’s Religious Zionist allies, who want the deportation of “disloyal” Palestinian citizens of Israel and the annexation of the occupied West Bank. They are not only Mr netanyahu’s partners, but his creation: he brought three far-right parties on to the same slate, welcoming them into the mainstream. Itamar Ben-Gvir, second on the list, is an anti-Arab former follower of the banned Kach terrorist group, with a conviction for inciting racism. Until his 2019 Knesset run, he had a picture of Baruch Goldstein – who massacred 29 Muslim worshippers in Hebron – in his living room. For years he was politically untouchable. Thanks to Mr netanyahu, he now dominates the third-largest political force in Israel, and is expected to become a senior minister.

The Biden administration has rightly made it clear that it wants nothing to do with Mr Ben-Gvir. Mr netanyahu appears unfazed, doubtless counting on a Republican resurgence and Donald Trump’s return in 2024, and the unlikelihood of Washington taking the kind of action that might make Likud think again in the meantime.

“The results confirm that we have no partner in Israel for peace,” said Mohammad Shtayyeh, prime minister of the Palestinian Authority. The choice between the right and the “government of change” led by the centrist incumbent Yair Lapid – an unwieldy anti-netanyahu coalition, which replaced him for a year before collapsing – was like that between Pepsi and Coca-Cola, he suggested.

That view may not last. This could mark a turning point for Israel’s democracy, and especially its judiciary, with grim and dramatic repercussions. The Religious Zionists and Likud share one key interest: to rein in the supreme court and other democratic safeguards, such as the attorney general’s power and independence. Mr netanyahu wants his legal problems to vanish. Allowing the legislature to select supreme court justices and override the judiciary, so that unconstitutional laws can be passed, also opens the door to an extreme agenda of land grabs, changes to the rules of engagement for soldiers, and other abuses.

Mr Ben-Gvir’s very popularity, however necessary to Likud’s leader, is likely to alarm him too. Mr netanyahu may not be able to restrain the force he created. His political partners have always lived to regret their dealings. But for that very reason, he is out of other options. And a more ideologically cohesive government should be easier to manage than his previous incoherent coalitions. This is a truly frightening moment. The country’s increasingly rightwing electorate has picked a government likely to pursue an extreme and authoritarian trajectory, trampling over the lives of Palestinians and the democratic safeguards of Israel.

norway’s russian spy scandal should be a warning to all universities THE SUSPECTED INFILTRATION OF TROMSØ’S ARCTIC RESEARCH CENTRE HIGHLIGHTS THE HOSTILE STATE THREAT TO ACADEMIA

Financial Times EliSaBEtH BraW

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nTIL last month, not many people were aware of the political warfare programme at norway’s Arctic University in the northern city of Tromsø. But then, officers at the norwegian Police Security Service arrested one of the researchers, claiming he was a Russian spy.

There is a striking irony in the fact that Moscow may have successfully infiltrated the very programme that investigates so-called “greyzone” activity — subversive actions by hostile states that fall below the threshold of formal conflict. But this arrest should also serve as a warn-

ing for academics across the world, whose work across borders and collaborative instincts make them particularly vulnerable at a time of rising geopolitical tensions.

José Assis Giammaria, purportedly a Brazilian citizen who has a master’s degree in strategic studies from the University of Calgary, had specifically requested to work on the greyzone programme. It is also likely that he was interested in Tromsø as a centre of research on the High north, an increasingly contested region on Russia’s doorstep where melting Arctic ice is opening new sea routes and allowing access to rare minerals.

Giammaria gained a position in much the same way academics usually find employment: he was recommended to Gunhild Hoogensen Gjørv, professor of security studies who leads the greyzone programme, by colleagues in Canada. She scrutinised his references and his University of Calgary credentials, which all seemed entirely in order.

“He got a lot of praise when I checked references,” Gjørv told norwegian media. “He expressed an interest in the security policy situation in the north”. She described him as a quiet and slightly shy man who did not share much information about himself. now Giammaria is being held by norwegian security services, who say he’s a Russian illegal

— a spy operating under deep cover, rather than posing as a diplomat. The investigative network Bellingcat has already alleged that he is actually Colonel Mikhail Mikhushin of the GRU, Russia’s foreign intelligence service. He has denied all the accusations against him.

If fellow academics consider this a rude awakening, they would do well to take the threat seriously. “The academic world is suitable for espionage, both because of its cross-border collaboration and because it allows you to be legitimately interested in all sorts of things,” retired Major General Gunnar Karlson, a former chief of Sweden’s military intelligence agency, told me. “Espionage by illegals doesn’t happen extremely often because it’s an extremely expensive form of espionage. But it does occur.”

Academics are also at risk in the cyber sphere, where hackers working on behalf of China and Russia have been repeatedly called out for stealing intellectual property across a spectrum of targets ranging from military technology to Covid vaccine research.

Even though this subversion is extremely concerning, universities do not need to conduct national security screening of all their staff, Karlson says. Instead, he suggests it is better to protect the secrets themselves: in theory, even if

an institution is infiltrated by a rogue researcher, they should not be able to access any sensitive material. For example, academics could introduce classification levels for sensitive material like the ones used by governments.

Professor Michael Clarke, a former director-general of London’s Royal United Services Institute defence and security think-tank, took exactly that approach. “We used to assume that there had to be special reasons if someone from north Korea wanted to come to Rusi as a fellow, but we made special arrangements,” he told me. “We welcomed them, but we didn’t trust them.”

Academic institutions that are active in defence and security will now have to become even more judicious in their hiring. “There’s always going to be a degree of risk, but we do have to be more careful scrutinising the people coming to work at our institutes,” Clarke said. Indeed, the harm done by suspects such as Giammaria may not be limited to gathering sensitive information. Undercover intelligence officers are often most active in directing a network of agents, for which academia is a useful base. The norwegian security services will now have to thoroughly investigate Giammaria’s activities beyond his work at Tromsø University. In most cases, of course, academia will remain blessedly free of geopolitical subversion. But as Karlson advises, “the first rule is not to be naive”.

The writer is senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and advisory board member at Gallos Technologies.

Friday, 4 November, 2022 | LAHORE

NEWS

corporate corner

FIrST HEAT, THEN FLooDS WIPE oUT FArMS IN PAkISTAN’S CHILLI CAPITAL KUNRI

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Niazi exchanging views with H.E. Mr Nicolas Galey, Ambassador of France to Pakistan at Naval Headquarters. pr

islamabad: Inspector General National Highways and Motorway Police, Khalid Mahmood directed officers to take all possible measures to prevent loss of precious lives by enhancing commuter safety and confidence. To this effect, a special campaign was launched that focused on Motorway M-1 from Oct 15 to 31. The campaign aimed at reducing accidents by raising traffic awareness among motorway users. During the special campaign, NHMP conducted 56,710 safety briefings to drivers of all categories of vehicles.Additional Inspector General Motorway North Region, Zubair Hashmi showed special interest to make the campaign successful. During this time, 35,513 challans were issued to violators. IG Motorway Police Khalid Mahmood, while appreciating the performance of the officers, said enhanced commuter safety and confidence is NHMP's first priority. pr

German ambassador calls on Air Chief

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reuters

ear Kunri, a town in the Umarkot district of Sindh known as asia’s chilli capital, 40-year old farmer Leman raj rustles through dried plants looking for any of the bright red chillis in his largely destroyed crop which may have survived.

“My crops suffered heavily from the heat, then the rains started, and the weather changed completely. Now, because of the heavy rains we have suffered heavy losses in our crops, and this is what has happened to the chillies,” he said, holding up desiccated, rotten plants. “all the chillies have rotted away.”

Floods that wrecked havoc across Pakistan in august and September, on the back of several years of high temperatures, have left chilli farmers strug-

gling to cope. In a country heavily dependent on agriculture, the more extreme climate conditions are hitting rural economies hard, farmers and experts say, underscoring the vulnerability of swathes of South asia’s population to changing weather patterns.

Officials have already estimated damages from the floods at over $40 billion. Pakistan is ranked fourth in the world for chilli production, with 150,000 acres (60,700 hectares) of farms producing 143,000 tonnes annually. agriculture forms the backbone of the economy, leaving it vulnerable to climate change.

Before the floods, hot temperatures made it harder to grow chilli, which needs more moderate conditions.

“When I was a child (…) the heat was never so intense. We used to have a plentiful crop, but now it has become so hot, and the rains are so scarce that

Faysal Bank unveils donation payments feature via WhatsApp

our yields have dwindled,” raj said.

Dr attaullah Khan, director of the arid Zone research Centre at the agricultural research Council, told reuters that heatwaves over the past three years had affected the growth of chilli crops in the area, causing diseases that curled their leaves and stunted their growth.

Now the floods pose a whole new set of challenges.

“Coming to climate change: how do we overcome that?” he said. “Planning has to be done on a very large scale. Four waterways that used to carry (excess) water to the ocean have to be revived. For that, we will have to take some very hard decisions (…) but we don’t have any other choice.”

Many farmers say they have already faced tough decisions. as flooding inundated his farm a few months ago, Kunri farmer Faisal Gill decided to sacrifice his cotton

Imran extends ‘Tehreek-e-Intishar’ for 10 months in frustration: Memon Karachi: Sindh Minister for Information, Transport and Mass Transit Sharjeel Inam Memon has said that Imran Khan has announced to extend his Tehreek Intishar for 10 months after being disappointed with the foreign funded long march. The provincial minister said in his press statement on Thursday that Imran Khan has admitted by making such announcement that his long march has failed . He added that: Khan and PTI have put themselves into trouble by taking out the so-called Azadi March and they are now searching excuses for face saving. He said that Imran Khan's long march will keep revovling around Grand Trunk Road. 'The false, hypocritical person has been misleading the innocent Pakistanis,' he said and added that Imran Khan misled Election Commission, High Courts, Lower Courts by submitting false statements and undertakings, but no one took action against this person.

Sharjeel Inam Memon said that the Chief Justice of Pakistan has also made strong observation regarding misleading the court in contempt case hearing against PTI held yesterday. Sindh Information Minister appealed chief justice of Pakistan to take action against Imran Khan who is working to destabilize Pakistan on the agenda of enemies. pr

SSGC supports WANG to facilitate young people of Bela

Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, H.E. Mr. Alfred Grannas, called on Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force in his office today. Several key areas of mutual interest along with regional developments were discussed. Chief of the Air Staff shared broad contours of PAF's modernization plan of smart acquisitions from allied countries, upgradation of infrastructure and revamping of training.

The Air Chief also highlighted that both the countries enjoy unprecedented strategic partnership and reiterated his resolve to further enhance the existing bilateral ties in the military to military cooperation. CAS further said, "Pakistan values its strong diplomatic, economic and defence relationship with Germany which is based on convergence on all important issues relating to regional peace, security and stability”. pr

09

Sui Southern Gas Company alongside its core activities of transmission and distribution of natural gas, has a rich history of executing vibrant Corporate Social Responsibility program with a sole objective of improving quality of lives of lesser privileged people spread over its franchise provinces of Sindh and Balochistan. As a part of its CSR academic initiatives, SSGC partnered with Welfare Association for New Generation (WANG), a leading not-for-profit organization based in Bela, Balochistan for setting up a solar-powered computer laboratory in a family park in Ahmedabad, Bela. This digital lab has been named as WALI, abbreviated for WANG Laboratory of Innovation. pr

Invest in youth for better tomorrow Invest in Our Youth, Now. Naveed Gilani From the wisdom of the sages of the world to the collective sense of the world body, the United Nations, we know that if we want to build the future of the world we must invest in the youth. Ahh, the hapless youth of Pakistan. Pakistan has one of the largest populations of young people ever recorded in its history. A whopping 64% are under the age of 30, with some 29% between the ages of 15 and 29. For at least the next three decades, Pakistan will continue to be a younger country. Notwithstanding the statistics showing us at the bottom of the list of all the development and social indicators the ‘glass half full’ view of this youth bulge presents us with a unique opportunity to bring about phenomenal progress in the country. Their ideas and energy can lead the way for social. pr

Hefazat Tech partners with Pak-Qatar Takaful and Salaam Takaful for customer purchase protection Karachi: Insurance is a mechanism that can facilitate social mobility by allowing individuals and families to overcome shocks that can affect their wealth and future income-generating capacities. The possibility of accessing insurance products and services may be the difference between individuals or families achieving the goal of social mobility or remaining in a situation of economic vulnerability. According to damage estimations by Karandaaz chief risk officer Ammar Habib Khan and The Asia Group vice president Uzair Younus, Pakistan experienced $13 billion in economic loss and infrastructure damage due to the floods. Without financial inclusion tools such as insurance, Pakistani citizens bore the consequences of the floods. pr

crops to try to save chilli.

“We constructed dikes around cotton fields and installed pumps, and dug up tranches in the chilli crop to accumulate water and pump it out into the cotton crop fields, as both crops are planted side by side,” Gill said.

Destroying his cotton enabled him to save just 30 percent of his chilli crop, he said, but that was better than nothing.

In Kunri’s bustling wholesale chilli market, Mirch Mandi, the effect is also being felt. Though mounds of bright red chilli dot the market, traders said there is a huge drop in previous years.

“Last year, at this time, there used to be around 8,000 to 10,000 bags of chillies in the market,” trader raja Daim said. “This year, now you can see that there are barely 2,000 bags here, and it is the first day of the week. By tomorrow, and the day after, it will become even less,” he said.

Pakistan ready to showcase tourism potential at WTM in London from Nov 7 islamabad: Pakistan is in the final stages of preparation to showcase its rich tourism potential at World Travel Market (WTM) which is scheduled to be held from 7th – 9th November 2022 at Excel London. Managing Director PTDC, Aftab ur Rehman Rana informed that PTDC after the interval of almost 14 years is going to setup an impressive Pakistan Pavilion in WTM London in collaboration with provincial tourism departments and private sector companies. He said, Promotion of Pakistan as a top tourist destination is the prime focus of government of Pakistan. Pakistan is blessed with breathtaking natural beauty, rich culture and heritage and great diversity of landscape offering an un-matched tourism potential. pr

Students’ delegation from Saudi School visits IIU

A group of 24 Students delegation from Saudi School, Islamabad visited International Islamic University Islamabad on Thursday. The Students delegation was headed by Mr. Yahya Bajvi. On this occasion the student delegation visited Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Science (SACIRBS), Faculty of Basic and Applied Sciences (FBAS), International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI) and labs of Faculty of Engineering and Technology, FET, IIUI. Mr. Zahid Abdul Shahid, translator from Protocol & Public Relations Section accompanied the Saudi students delegation.The objective of the visit was to inform the students about the available scientific laboratories at university. During the visit of science laboratories Mr. Shoaib Aalam and Mr. Amjad briefed the delegation comprehensively. pr

Pakistan's Future lies in Elevating Standards of Technology Education: NTC

Dawlance staff donates to Indus Hospital for flood victims Karachi: Faysal Bank Limited as part of its digital transformation journey has introduced a new innovative feature of Donation Payments via its WhatsApp banking channel. Faysal Islami WhatsApp Banking enables its subscribers to make real-time donation payments to over 25 reputable charitable organizations such as SKMT, TCF, SIUT, Indus Hospital, Alamgir Welfare Trust and Pink Ribbon to mention only a few. The launch of the Donations Payments services through WhatsApp banking channel of Faysal Bank could not have come at a more opportune time as October is the month of breast cancer awareness and major donation drives towards this cause. Speaking on the occasion of the launch, Mr. Shaheryar Saeed Khan, Chief Digital Officer, Faysal Bank Limited said, “With the wide-spread use of the Faysal Islami WhatsApp channel, the Bank intends to better serve its diverse customers by introducing more and more innovative features to it”. pr

Karachi: Dawlance is an industry-leading enterprise in Pakistan with a generous Corporate Social Responsibility doctrine, to sponsor resourceful initiatives for socio-economic development. Inspired to contribute towards humanitarian well-being, the company’s employees have also collected and donated a generous amount to Indus Hospital Karachi, recently, for providing quality healthcare to the large population impacted by devastating rainstorms and super-floods, this year. Every employee at Dawlance donated passionately to provide funds and enable relief and rehabilitation for unfortunate flood victims. This initiative will help large segments of the Pakistani population, after the natural disaster, which has left millions of people suffering without food, shelter, healthcare and other necessities of life. The Dawlance brand has always been at the forefront to support society in overcoming major challenges, while it also conducted a large-scale relief programme during the Covid-19 pandemic, as millions of people had lost their livelihoods during that unprecedented global crisis. pr

The survival of nations across the globe, including Pakistan, depends on adopting emerging technologies and learning corroborating skills. There is a need for continued evaluation of technologies programs falling under the ambit of the National Technology Council Pakistan (NTC). This was jointly stated by members of the 4th meeting of the Accreditation Committee of the NTC chaired by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Mukhtar, Vice Chairman of the NTC and Vice Chancellor of the National Skills University Islamabad. Other members of the meeting included Prof. Dr. Tanveer Hussain, Rector, National Textile University, Faisalabad (Convener Subcommittee on All Engineering Technologies); Prof. Dr. Anwar Khitab, Dean, MUST; Prof. Dr. Umair Abdullah, former Dean, Northern University Nowshera, and Mr. Muhammad Fahd Amin, Acting Director NTC. pr

Friday, 4 November, 2022 | LAHORE

10 FOREIGN NEWS

Wang YI haIls specIal bond WIth pakIstan In MeetIng WIth FM bIlaWal BEIJING

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stAFF RePoRt

HINESE State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday met with Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who is accompanying Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan to visit China.

Wang said Sharif is the first foreign head of government to visit China since the successful convening of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which fully reflects the special friendship between the two countries and the important position Pakistan holds in China’s overall diplomacy.

China’s development is a growing force for world peace and a strong fac-

Man’s dead body travels 900km undetected in Indian train toilet

tor for global stability. In the process of this development, China-Pakistan rela-

tions will gain new impetus and will be elevated to a new stage, Wang noted.

He said that China will continue to provide assistance to Pakistan in its post-disaster reconstruction work, and that China is ready to work with Pakistan to promote the high-quality development of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

For his part, Zardari congratulated China on the success of the 20th CPC National Congress, saying the blueprint for China’s development drawn at the congress will inject strong positive energy into the promotion of world peace and development.

Pakistan is committed to continuously injecting new impetus into Pakistan-China relations and pushing bilateral ties to a new height, he said.

Iran denies WSJ report it’s planning attack on Saudi Arabia DUBAI the AssociAted PRess

NEW DELHI AFP

Police said Thursday they discovered the dead body of a man that had travelled undetected for 900 kilometres (560 miles) across northern India locked inside a train toilet.

They believe the man boarded the train days before it set off from Bihar state and died inside the lavatory after locking the door.

Railway police officer Ram Sahay told AFP they forced the door open on Sunday after passengers complained of the smell.

The Saharsa–Amritsar Jan Sewa Express had by then travelled for nearly 24 hours from its starting point. The entire journey takes 35 hours.

Indian media said the train was delayed for almost five hours while officers tried to check the dead man’s identity with other travellers before the journey to Amritsar was resumed.

“We still don’t know anything about the man,” said Sahay, who is posted in Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh state where the grisly discovery was made. “He likely entered the train when it was still parked in the yard and died on his own two or three days before the body was discovered,” he said.

Sanjay Rai, a doctor at the railway hospital, told The Times of India that the man “died after he slipped into a possible coma”. The authorities have since distributed missing posters of the man around railway stations in Bihar.

Tens of thousands of dead bodies go unclaimed and unidentified in India each year. They are generally cremated by the police after three days, following efforts to identify any friends or relatives of the deceased.

Iran denied on Wednesday it posed a threat to Saudi Arabia, a day after the Wall Street Journal reported that Riyadh had shared intelligence with the United States warning of an imminent attack from Iran on targets in the kingdom.

Nasser Kanaani, spokesperson at Iran’s Foreign Ministry, did not identify the Journal but said reports had appeared in Western media of an Iranian threat against Saudi Arabia that were “baseless accusations”.

Citing sources, the Journal reported Saudi Arabia has shared intelligence with Washington that suggests Iran could be preparing for an imminent attack on the kingdom.

The heightened concerns about a potential attack on Saudi Arabia come as the Biden administration is criticizing Tehran for its crackdown on widespread protests and condemning it for sending hundreds of drones — as well as technical support — to Russia for use in its war in Ukraine.

“We are concerned about the threat picture, and we remain in constant contact through military and intelligence channels with the Saudis,” the National Security Council said in a statement.

“We will not hesitate to act in the defense of our interests and partners in the region.”

Saudi Arabia did not respond to requests for comment. Iran’s mission to the United Nations told The Associated Press on Wednesday the US claims are “baseless.”

“Western and Zionist regimes spread biased news aimed at creating a negative mood towards the Islamic Republic of Iran and destroying the

current positive trends with regional countries,” the mission said in a statement.

One of the officials who confirmed the intelligence sharing described it as a credible threat of an attack “soon or within 48 hours.” No US embassy or consulate in the region has issued alerts or guidance to Americans in Saudi Arabia or elsewhere in the Middle East based on the intelligence. Asked about reports of the intelligence shared by the Saudis, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said US military officials “are concerned about the threat situation in the region.”

“We’re in regular contact with our Saudi partners, in terms of what information they may have to provide on that front,” Ryder said. “But what we’ve said before, and I’ll repeat it, is that we will reserve the right to protect and defend ourselves no matter where our forces are serving, whether in Iraq or elsewhere.”

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said America was “concerned about the threat picture,” without elaborating.

The Journal first reported

on the Saudis sharing the intelligence earlier on Tuesday. Iran has alleged without providing evidence that Saudi Arabia and other rivals are fomenting the dissent on its streets by ordinary Iranians.

Of particular ire is protest coverage by Iran International, a London-based, Farsi-language satellite news channel once majority-owned by a Saudi national.

The US and Saudis blamed Iran in 2019 of being behind a major attack in eastern Saudi Arabia, which halved the oil-rich kingdom’s production and caused energy prices to spike. The Iranians denied they were behind the attack, but the same triangleshaped, bomb-carrying drones used in that attack are now being deployed by Russian forces in their war on Ukraine.

The Saudis have also been hit repeatedly in recent years by drones, missiles and mortars launched by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Saudi Arabia formed a coalition to battle the Houthis in 2015 and has been internationally criticized for its airstrikes in the war, which have killed scores of civilians.

delhi’s air a ‘crime against humanity’, spurs calls to close schools NEW DELHI ReuteRs

Delhi’s 20 million residents were effectively breathing smoke on Thursday as the air quality index (AQI) breached the “severe” and “hazardous” categories in nearly all monitoring stations of the Indian capital, raising calls to close schools. The AQI exceeded 450 at many places early in the day, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board. A reading over 400 affects healthy people, with serious impacts on those with existing diseases, the federal government says.

The index was over 800 in some pockets of the city, according to data from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee. “What is happening with air pollution in Delhi is nothing short of a crime against humanity!” author and socialite Suhel Seth wrote on Twitter. “There’s a total collapse of accountability!”

The world’s most polluted capital is blanketed in smog every winter as cold, heavy air traps construction dust, vehicle emissions and smoke from the burning of crop stubble in the neighbouring states to clear the fields for the next crop. Lower temperatures, calmer winds and their changing direction worsen the air quality from time to time.

Parents and environmentalists on social media demanded schools to be closed. “I know children don’t vote for you, but still, requesting all the chief ministers of Delhi (capital region) to immediately SHUTDOWN all the schools,” environmental activist Vimlendu Jha wrote on Twitter.

“It’s not NORMAL to breathe 500+ AQI, not for our children, where every third child already has some pulmonary challenge.” Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, whose party also rules Punjab where crop burning is rampant, said on Twitter that the “people of Punjab and Delhi are taking all steps at their level” to tackle pollution.

The capital this week stopped most construction and demolition work to curb dust pollution and appealed to residents to share the car and motorcycle journeys, work from home when possible and reduce the use of coal and firewood at home.

Russia warns Uk of ‘dangerous consequences’ after black sea drone attack MoscoW AFP

Russia on Thursday summoned the UK ambassador and warned London of “dangerous consequences” after accusing Britain of helping Kyiv carry out an attack on Moscow’s Black Sea fleet in Crimea last week. “Such confrontational actions of the English carry a threat of escalation of the situation and could lead to unpredictable and dangerous consequences,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. Moscow said it had delivered a “strong protest” to UK ambassador Deborah Bronnert. It claimed British forces were training Ukrainian special services, including for “sabotage operations at sea”. On Saturday, Russia accused the UK of helping Kyiv orchestrate a drone attack on its ships in the port of Sevastopol in Moscow-annexed Crimea.

Pope visits Bahrain for interfaith talks with rights in spotlight VATIcAN cITY AFP

Pope Francis, leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics, flies Thursday to the Gulf state of Bahrain to foster ties with Islam in a voyage overshadowed by criticism of human rights abuses.

The second voyage by a pope to the Arabian Peninsula after Francis’ 2019 trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is similarly aimed at encouraging interfaith dialogue between Muslims and Christians, and will include the pontiff leading a prayer for peace at a vast modern cathedral opened last year.

But criticism of Bahrain’s human rights record has already erupted ahead of Francis’ voyage, which lasts through Sunday, as international rights groups urge him to speak out against alleged abuses against Shiites, activists and opposition figures in the Sunni-led monar-

chy. The 85-year-old Francis, who will likely be mostly confined to a wheelchair due to recurring knee pain, is scheduled to arrive at 4:45 pm local time (1345 GMT) and conduct a “courtesy visit” with King Hamad bin Isa AlKhalifa following a welcoming ceremony.

He will then give a speech to authorities, diplomats and members of civil society, according to his official schedule.

On Friday, Francis will address the “Bahrain Dialogue Forum: East and West for Human Coexistence”, organised by the UAE-based Muslim Council of Elders, followed by a private meeting with Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, grand imam of the prestigious Cairo-based Al-Azhar, Egypt’s highest Sunni institution.

The two religious leaders signed a joint document pledging interfaith coexistence during Francis’ UAE trip in 2019.

The Argentine pope has made outreach

to Muslim communities a priority during his papacy, visiting major Muslim countries such as Egypt, Turkey and Iraq, and most recently in September, Kazakhstan.

On Tuesday, Francis asked the faithful assembled on Saint Peter’s Square to pray for his upcoming trip, calling it “a journey under the banner of dialogue”.

Ahead of the voyage, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told journalists he would not guess whether Francis would broach the topic of human rights.

But the pope’s view “concerning religious freedom and liberty is clear and known”, Bruni said.

Public Pressure: Francis’ visit to Bahrain comes amid recent scrutiny of the rights record of neighbour Qatar — particularly the treatment of low-income migrant workers, women and the LBGTQ community — ahead of the World Cup later this

month, which it is hosting.

But on Tuesday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) and eight other rights groups called on Francis to publicly press Bahrain to “halt all executions, abolish the death penalty, and seriously investigate torture allegations and violations of the right to a fair trial”.

They also called on Francis to demand better protections for migrant workers and the release of opposition figures, journalists and others still imprisoned since a crackdown that followed pro-democracy protests in 2011.

A government spokesman rejected the groups’ allegations, stating Tuesday that Bahrain “does not tolerate discrimination” and no one is prosecuted for their religious or political beliefs.

Friday’s “prayer for peace” will be held at the cavernous Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral in Awali, which seats over 2,000 people and opened in December. It was built to

serve Bahrain’s approximately 80,000 Catholics, mainly workers from southern Asia, including India and the Philippines.

On Saturday, Francis will lead mass at Bahrain’s national stadium before a crowd of nearly 30,000 people, where workers on Wednesday were adding finishing touches, including a giant gold cross above Francis’ chair.

About 2,000 spots will be saved for Catholics arriving from Saudi Arabia, Bishop Paul Hinder, the apostolic administrator for the vicariate of Northern Arabia, told Vatican News.

Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia, the cradle of Islam, is an absolute monarchy repeatedly accused of abuses by rights groups.

Riyadh does not recognise freedom of religion and bans all non-Muslim places of worship.

Francis will preside over a prayer meeting with Catholic clergy and others on Sunday before his return to Rome.

11 Sports 4 NOVEMBER_Layout 1 11/3/2022 10:09 PM Page 1

Friday, 4 November, 2022 | LAHORE

SPORTS 11

PaKistan KeeP slim World CuP hoPes alive With south afriCa Win SyDnEy

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StAFF report

AKISTAN kept their slim Twenty20 World Cup hopes alive with a 33-run win over South Africa in a dramatic rain-affected match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday. South Africa, who are still on course for the semi-finals, came out blazing after a rain delay saw their initial target of 186 adjusted down to 142, meaning they needed 73 runs in five overs.

But the asking rate was too much and they finished on 108-9 at the end of a captivating match that had a bit of everything, from bad weather to good bowling and

dropped catches.

Their win means Pakistan can still reach the World Cup semi-finals if they win their last match against Bangladesh and other results go their way.

But they must rely on both India and South Africa losing their final games. Earlier, Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan rescued Pakistan with the bat with a superb 82-run partnership.

Iftikhar, who came to the crease with Pakistan in big trouble at 43-4, scored 51 off 35 balls and Shadab blazed 52 from 22 as Pakistan finished their innings at 185-9.

Pakistan had looked headed for a certain early exit from the tournament as the South African seam attack tore through the top order.

But Iftikhar stayed firm, sharing a 52-run partnership with Mohammad Nawaz before he and Shadab took the much-vaunted South African attack apart, taking the score from 95-5 to 177-6.

After finishing strongly with the bat, the Pakistanis began well with the ball, Quinton de Kock chipping Shaheen Afridi to Mohammad Haris at midwicket for a duck on the last ball of the first over.

Afridi then removed the dangerous Rilee Rossouw for seven in his second over, caught by Naseem Shah on the third man boundary, leaving South Africa 16-2.

South African captain Temba Bavuma has been struggling for form this tournament but he looked in great touch as he cruised to 36. He and Aiden Markram

took the score to 65.

But Shadab changed the game in his first over, the leg-spinner having Bavuma caught behind then bowling Markram through the gate one run later, leaving South Africa 66-4.

The rain, which had been falling lightly on and off for much of the match, then began to come down more heavily, forcing the players from the field with nine overs down. When they returned South Africa needed 73 runs in five overs, a target that proved too high to achieve.

Williamson wants to hit top gear with T20 WC semi-final in sight PERTH AFp

shoaib akthar praises Pakistan team for a great comeback ISLAMABAD StAFF report

Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akthar has lauded Pakistan team for a great comeback in the Twenty20 World Cup game against South Africa saying he hoped the Green-shirts qualify for the semifinals.

Pakistan downed South Africa by 33-runs in a rainreduced Super 12 match on Thursday keeping hopes alive for reaching the World Cup semis. “What a great comeback from Pakistan team! Well done, I wish Pakistan qualifies for the semifinals,” he said in a video on is YouTube channel. The Rawalpindi Express praised Shadab Khan (52 off 22 balls) and Iftikhar Ahmed (51 off 35 balls) for their top performances in the game. “Well done Shadab and Iftikhar, you have proven many people wrong by your performance. You did an amazing job,” he said.

Akthar said Pakistan played wonderful against South Africans. “It was a good batting wicket but I was surprised to see South Africans dropping so many catches,” he said. He was of the view that whenever Pakistan team was down in any tournament, they comeback with a boom. “I never give up on Pakistan as we are a nation having a lot of resilience.

We will make a comeback in this World Cup. I hope we don’t get out from the first round,” he said.

“Pakistan will have a problem in the run-rate but let’s hope for the best. We should have scored quick runs against the Netherlands and must have sent Fakhar Zaman up in the order.” Akthar said Pakistan needs to stay in this World Cup to take revenge from India. However the former pacer feels it’s not the time to talk about it but Pakistan took two unfit players for the world cup Fakhar and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Mohammad Haris was approved as a replacement for Fakhar Zaman in the Pakistan squad who was ruled out after sustaining a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury to his right knee.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said Thursday he was staying patient and working to hit top gear as the Black Caps look to clinch a Twenty20 World Cup semifinal berth against Ireland.

New Zealand are in pole position on the net run rate in Group 1 but level on points with England and Australia with one game remaining, meaning victory against Ireland in Adelaide should guarantee a semi-final spot.

Williamson is one of the world’s leading batsmen in Test cricket, but has often struggled with the demands of the shorter format where he bats at the key number three position. He has struggled to convert starts into bigger scores or to accelerate, with his strike rate at a modest 122.51 runs per 100 balls.

He was at the crease for almost 13 overs, taking 40 balls and 57 minutes to make 40 on Tuesday as New Zealand failed to chase down 180 to beat England.

“You’re always wanting to get better, and cricket is a pretty fickle game by its nature,” Williamson told reporters. “You sort of do go through different periods where there’s better rhythm and then other times where you’re working harder and you’re trying to make sure that you’re making a valuable contribution.

“So that’s the focus… and staying a little bit patient with it, as well. The game forever challenges us.”

Williamson’s 23 in 23 balls in his team’s opening win against hosts Australia contrasted with teammate Devon Conway’s 92 off 58 balls as New Zealand smacked 200 in their 20 overs. ‘exceptional’ phillips: He scratched around for eight off 13 balls in the previous match against Sri Lanka. “With the bat, there’s a number of, I guess, phases or gears to go through,” he said. “I definitely want to keep touching on those third and fourth gears where you are exploring some different areas of the ground.”

Other New Zealand batsmen have stepped up, with Glenn Phillips hitting 104 off 64 balls against Sri Lanka

in Sydney to rescue the team from 15-3 and a 36-ball 62 against England in Brisbane.

“He’s been absolutely on fire in all facets of the game,” Williamson said of Phillips.

“That hundred that he got in Sydney on a difficult surface was exceptional, one of the best T20 knocks that I’ve seen, and he’s a real power dynamic player, and we see that in the field, as well.”

Ireland’s semi-final hopes are all but over but they would love to put in one final giant-killing act having already beaten the West Indies and England in the tournament.

Ireland pace bowler Josh Little said they were looking for nothing less than a win against New Zealand.

“I think if you just look at the tournament so far, you’ve seen upsets nearly every day or every second day, if you can even call them upsets anymore,” he said.

“Everyone is pretty competitive. It’s a World Cup. Anything can happen. Yeah, we’re going out there fully confident and hoping to get a win tomorrow.”

No bigger satisfaction than to lift country’s flag high: Ali Salman ISLAMABAD StAFF report

World Youth Scrabble Cup Champion Pakistan’s top player Ali Salman believed there was no bigger satisfaction then to help lift your country’s flag high in front of the whole word.

Ali bagged the Pharm-Evo World Youth Scrabble Cup, 2022 held virtually and hosted by Pakistan.

Madhav Kamath of India and Hasham Hadi Khan also of Pakistan grabbed the second and third positions, respectively.

“It is by far the biggest achievement of my life and hopefully many more to come. This year too, Pakistan had the privilege of organising the World Youth Scrabble Championship virtually after two extremely successful stints in 2020 & 2021,” he told APP. Ali, who was a student of grade X, said this year’s Championship was also a huge success thanks to the young and talented Pakistan team under the able guidance of Director Youth Programme Pakistan Scrabble Association (PSA) Tariq Pervez.

“My journey in this year’s World Youth Scrabble Championship was a roller coaster ride with its ups and downs. The competition was tough and I managed to sneak into the top 10. In fact I needed my compatriot Syed

Imaad Ali to win his last game to get through to the final round.

He said in the finals, 10 players from India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia and Pakistan played 14 games each.

“I needed to win all my 6 matches on the last day and hopefully I managed to win all my games and stood victorious. I can’t thank the Almighty enough for this achievement. It was by far the biggest achievement of my life and hopefully many more to come,” he said.

Meanwhile, another top player Hasham Hadi Khan who made the nation proud said Youth Scrabble Cup was the most prestigious event for the under 18 scrabble players all around the world.

“Being 17 year old, this year’s WYC was my last chance to participate in this event so I really worked very hard to clinch this title. I played very well in the Group Stages, finished 3rd and qualified for the finals,” he said.

“I was leading by a good margin at the end of Day 1.

With just three games to go I had a lead of two games against the 2nd position and had to win just one game to take the title.

“But my luck fell a little short and I lost 3 straight games to my compatriot Ali Salman, which demoted me to 3rd position. I look forward to working harder and win upcoming titles in the world of Scrabble,” he said.

Kohli accused of ‘fake fielding’ during tense Bangladesh victory PERTH Monitoring report

Not for the first time in this tournament, Virat Kohli’s class was on display as the Indian supremo hit another unbeaten half-century to lead his nation to a crucial World Cup group match win. In the end, his 64 not out off 44 deliveries was the difference, as India, who earlier smashed 6-184, won by five runs via the Duckworth Lewis System with Bangladesh 6145 from the rain-reduced 16 overs. But India — and Kohli — could well count themselves a tad fortunate for an early incident in the seventh over of Bangladesh’s run-chase. Opener Litos Das, who has been in dashing form this year, was flying on 56 from 24 when he gave himself room and cut to the sweeper boundary from Axar Patel’s second delivery. Commentator Harsha Bhogle said he “doesn’t know what danger is as they’re coming back for two” when Kohli, standing inside the ring, turned and delivered a fake throw to the non-striker’s end as the Tigers openers scampered back to complete their second run with the ball sent back to the wicket-keeper.

Nadal stunned by Paul at Paris Masters as Alcaraz cruises PARIS AFp

Rafael Nadal crashed out of the Paris Masters in the second round on Wednesday after losing in three sets to American Tommy Paul, boosting Carlos Alcaraz’s hopes of finishing the year as world number one.

Nadal was playing his first singles match in two months after a short break at home in Mallorca with his wife and newborn son.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion shook off an early break in the opening set by winning five of the next six games.

But Paul recovered from dropping serve in the third game of the second set to win a tie-break, having failed to convert a set point with Nadal serving at 4-5.

The Spaniard’s lack of match practice told as Paul dominated the final set, breaking three times to seal the biggest win of his career.

His reward is a meeting with Pablo Carreno Busta for a place in the quarter-finals.

Alcaraz, the reigning US Open cham-

pion, will play Grigor Dimitrov in the last 16 after defeating Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka 64, 6-4. The 19-year-old smacked 30 winners including nine aces despite a heavily-taped left knee, an issue he had downplayed on Monday.

“I tried to find my best level. I think I played really well. I don’t think about the pressure of being world number one,” said Alcaraz.

The Spaniard was presented with the world number one trophy earlier in the week, having become the youngest player to top the ATP rankings in September.

“I felt number one before getting the trophy, but of course with the trophy, is amazing. It was an amazing feeling when I had the trophy in my hands.”

Alcaraz admitted there is a target on his back now as the world’s top-ranked player.

“Probably the difference, the way the players play against me, probably I felt that difference, but not too much,” he said.

“I would say the players play better or more aggressive with me.”

Medvedev beaten: Nadal’s early exit

was preceded by that of Daniil Medvedev, the 2020 Paris champion who was knocked out by Australia’s Alex de Minaur 6-4, 2-6, 7-5.

De Minaur, who had not previously beaten a top-five player, will now face US Open semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe, who

eased past Jack Draper 6-3, 7-5.

Felix Auger-Aliassime qualified for the season-ending Tour finals for the first time, with Andrey Rublev completing the eightman field in Turin after Taylor Fritz and Hubert Hurkacz both lost.

Auger-Aliassime began his bid for a

fourth title in four weeks by battling back from the brink to beat Mikael Ymer in three hours and 30 minutes.

The Canadian eighth seed scraped through 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) to extend his winning streak to 14 matches.

Auger-Aliassime saved two break points at 1-4 in the second set just as Ymer looked poised to end his unbeaten run.

“Somehow I found a second wind after saving those break points at 4-1,” said Auger-Aliassime. “It was pretty epic. Definitely a win to remember.”

Fritz was upset 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 by the 37year-old Gilles Simon, who is retiring after the tournament.

Hurkacz’s qualification hopes ended with his 7-5, 6-1 loss to Danish teenager Holger Rune.

Fifth-ranked Stefanos Tsitsipas had no problem in seeing off Britain’s Dan Evans 63, 6-4 to book his place in the last 16.

Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti beat Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia 6-4, 6-2 to set up a last-16 meeting with third seed Casper Ruud.

Friday, 4 November, 2022

prayer timingS

NEWS

China attaChes great importanCe to pm shehbaz sharif’s visit: zhao Lijian bEiJiNG

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HINESE Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Zhao Lijian Thursday said that China attached great importance to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s two-day official visit to Beijing. “China attaches great importance to it and gives high-level reception,” he made these remarks in response to a question asked by APP regarding the visit. Zhao Lijian said that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was invited to pay an official visit to China from November 1 to 2.

This visit was Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s first visit to China since he took office.

“It is also the first foreign head of government to visit China after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China,” he added.

He said during the visit, President Xi Jinping held a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and held a welcome banquet for him.

Chinese Premier, Li Keqiang held a welcoming ceremony and talks for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif while Chairman, National Peoples Congress (NPC) Li Zhanshu also held a meeting with the distinguished guest.

The spokesperson said that President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for the second time in less than two months, providing strategic guidance for the development of China-Pakistan relations in the next stage, fully reflecting the particularity and high level of China-Pakistan cooperative strategic partnership.

“President Xi Jinping introduced the important achievements of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, pointing out that China will continue to adhere to the basic na-

Yamaha increases motorcycle prices for seventh time in 2022

tional policy of opening up to the outside world and continue to provide new opportunities for all countries in the world, including Pakistan, with China’s new development,” he added.

He said that on behalf of the Pakistani government and people, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif once again warmly congratulated President Xi Jinping on his re-election as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

“He believes that President Xi Jinping’s vision will not only continue to lead China to create more brilliant achievements, but also lead the world to a brighter future,” the spokesperson added. Zhao Lijian said that the leaders of the two countries had an in-depth exchange of views on China-Pakistan relations and the international and regional situation. “The two sides agreed that China and Pakistan are good friends, good partners and good broth-

ers, and the friendship between China and Pakistan has been tested and unbreakable. In the face of endless global challenges, the cooperative strategic partnership between China and Pakistan is of great significance,” he added.

He said that the two sides reaffirmed their firm mutual support on issues involving each other’s core interests, and will work together to deal with the chaos and accelerate the construction of a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era,” he added. He said that the two sides agreed to deepen strategic docking, share development opportunities, promote the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor more efficiently, and create a “Belt and Road” demonstration project.

Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to fully protect the security of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan, he added.

SINOVAC plans investment in Punjab’s health, livestock sectors LAHORE

LAHORE

Shahab omer

Daniyal ahmaD

The price hikes have led to Yamaha experiencing a lower year-on-year (YoY) sales volume. It’s current nine month sales of 14,822 trails 525 units behind the 15,347 it had achieved over the same period last year. The company’s monthly average sales have also contracted from 1,705 units to 1,647 units.

Going forward, a further depreciation in the PKR may lead to Yamaha introducing a final price increase towards the end of the year. However, irrespective of whether Yamaha does as predicted, inflationary pressure alone is likely to compound the negative multiplier that these price increases will have on Atlas Honda’s sales in the months to come. However, the silver lining to Yamaha’s woes may be the various financing schemes introduced recently, either directly or indirectly through a partner. The popularity of these schemes will likely increase on account of both the increase in motorcycle prices, and because of the nature of Yamaha’s target market.

Yamaha, unlike Chinese manufacturers and Honda Atlas, targets upmarket customers who are more likely to have higher monthly salaries in comparison to those targeted by other motor companies. The financing schemes can therefore reduce the cost of the purchase by spreading it out over a certain period. This will allow Yamaha to enjoy a regular stream of income and better enable prospective customers to absorb any future price increases.

In most cases, the problem with these financing models is the risk that a customer may default on the payments. This risk subsequently translates to the sales team rationing their supply across those individuals that they perceive to have better repayment capacities. Targeting the upmarket category, however, reduces the search cost associated with this task. The success of this model will be clear in the months to come

The Chinese biotech company SINOVAC which gave the first Covid-19 vaccinations shots to Pakistan has expressed an interest in investing in the health and livestock sector in Punjab. Informed sources have told Profit the investment may be worth as much as $200 million.

According to the details, the company’s delegation held an elaborate meeting with the Secretary Industries, Commerce, Investment & Skills Development Department (ICI&SDD) Ahmed Javed Qazi regarding the investment and discussed potential investment in the medical sector also rather than just in health and livestock.

In a brief sidebar chat, Qazi told Profit that the delegation was interested in investment in Punjab and for that they were given options of various Special Economic Zones (SEZs). “Our SEZs under CPEC are very lucrative for foreign investors and we also gave the Chinese delegation the option of different SEZs. Our SEZs offer one-window facilitation services to investors in terms of providing information/facilitating and authorizing investment. SEZs reduce the cost of doing business, enhance productivity and encourage investments,” he said.

“The Chinese company wants to manufacture vaccinations here. We asked them to work for vaccination of livestock as well. Apart from this, the delegation told us that they were also doing detailed research on dengue cure.”

Qazi added that Punjab has emerged as an investment destination in the South Asian region mainly due to Pakistan’s most liberal investment policy.

“All sectors of our economy are open for investment unless specifically prohibited or restricted for reasons of national security and public safety. Similarly, foreign equity investment is allowed up to 100% whereas there is no need for permission from the government to start a business,” he added.

Secretary ICCI&SDD further informed that the Arbitration Act of 2011 gives the right to all investors to approach High Courts for recognition.

“Our Protection of Economic Reforms Act, 1992, that prohibits the government from compulsorily acquiring any foreign, industrial or commercial enterprise established or owned in any form by a foreign or Pakistani investor for private gain in accordance with law. Foreign Investment Protection and Promotion Act, 1976 allows foreign investors in an industrial undertaking at any time repatriate in the currency of the country from which the investment originated including profits & any additional amount.”

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textile industry, global brands discuss achieving net-zero LAHORE profit

A delegation of Pakistani textile manufacturers met global brands like H&M and Gap to explore solutions to boost supply chain resilience in Pakistan. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition Annual Meeting 2022 currently being held in Singapore.

The session was hosted by Net Zero Pakistan, which is an initiative of the Pakistan Environment Trust (PET). The Net Zero Pakistan programme aims to form a national coalition of pioneering companies, public institutions, and sectoral experts that are banding together to deliver the goal of net zero carbon for Pakistan by 2050.

The meetings come just a few days before a Pakistani delegation is set to travel to Egypt for the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27). Given this year’s devastating climate related floods in Pakistan, COP27 may be the most important climate conference in Pakistan’s history. The delegation to COP27 will be fighting for immediate climate assistance, and will make the case for climate reparations to third world countries, and Pakistan’s recent climate disaster will be a central talking point.

In this context, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition Annual Meeting is a significant indicator of how far private industry in Pakistan is willing to commit to the idea of net-zero. While world leaders are expected to be sympathetic to Pakistan’s plight at COP27, they will also demand that Pakistan cut down emissions. The textile industry will also be looking closely given the floods also resulted in a large segment of Pakistan’s cotton crop suffering earlier in the year.

About 30% of Pakistan’s textile production capacity for exports has been hampered because of cotton and energy shortages. Pakistan’s textile sector, which exports about 60% of its production, is also facing poor demand in the domestic market due to fragile economic conditions.

“Pakistan only contributes 1% to the global carbon emissions and key stakeholders from the developing world must engage with Pakistani manufacturers at this stage to brainstorm avenues for mitigating the ongoing risk of removing Pakistan from the global supply-chain as a result of their carbon footprint,” reads a recent press release issued by PET. The discourse at the talk was moderated by Talha Khan, CEO of Pakistan Environment Trust on 2nd November 2022 in Singapore. Speaking on the occasion, Khan said, “When the whole world moves towards net zero, there is a risk of Pakistan being left behind in the global supplychain. An example of that is we are losing cotton crops as a result of climate devastation. For Pakistan, the spend is in the range of billions of dollars. Finding those interesting solutions or ideas that can help us mobilise that kind of capital to support economies is why we are here today.”

Dialogues process with taliban comes to halt: barrister saif PesHawar: Special Assistant of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif has said that dialogues process with Taliban has come to a halt.

Talking to media in Peshawar on Thursday, he said that proceeding on dialogues with Taliban is expected by end of ongoing month. Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif said that the provincial government was facing financial issues and if its dues were cleared, it could lessen its economic hardships.

He said that the federal government has stopped 25 million rupees of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The Special Assistant to PM said that they have no urgency to reach Islamabad, were enjoying long march and on direction of Imran Khan they could continue sit-in for 10 years rather 10 months. Staff report

Rift between govt, fertiliser industry grows after scathing letter AbduLLAH NiAzi & SHAHzAd PARAcHA A rift is growing between the federal government and fertiliser manufacturers after the industry banded together to write a scathing letter to the finance minister over the state of the recently imposed track-and-trace system for fertiliser bags.

In the letter, members of the Fertilizer Manufacturers of Pakistan Advisory Council (FMPAC) lamented the inefficiency and infeasibility of the government’s track-andtrace system. The letter claimed that the government had imported the system without conducting a feasibility study, and that it was proving to be a failure with many technical glitches. Meanwhile, the Federabl Board for Revenue (FBR) has said that the fertiliser industry is making baseless claims for their own benefit.

Is track-and-trace needed? : The idea for a track-and-trace system for the fertiliser industry was introduced back in April this year, when the FBR announced that it would confiscate fertiliser bags being cleared from production sites, factory premises or manufacturing plants without affixa-

tion of tax stamps. The government wanted each bag of urea to be digitally tagged so that they could follow and keep track of every single bag as it went through the supply chain.

The concept of these tax stamps was proposed as a solution to the serious issue of urea smuggling that has been going on for years, but which reached a high-point earlier this year. Farmers all over the country had been hit by a fertiliser shortage from November 2021 to February 2022, after which the agriculture sector was on the verge of disaster due to urea smuggling. In March this year, farmer unions had demanded the government take immediate action against the smuggling of urea from Pakistan to the bordering countries.

Urea smuggling is a major issue in Pakistan. Not only does Pakistan have a fully set-up fertiliser industry, it is also provided a subsidy by the federal government to maintain low costs of essential fertilisers like urea and DAP. Neighbouring countries like Afghanistan, however, have a high demand for these fertilisers as well and many bags get smuggled to neighbouring countries, reducing supply in Pakistan and increasing the

price of fertilise in Pakistan.

It was because of this growing problem that the government announced the trackand-trace system. By this system, the FBR would be able to keep an eye on all bags of fertiliser in the country through technology.

A track-and-trace system is a software-based solution to track products throughout the entire supply chain, from supplier to consumer.

It has recently been used to great advantage in sugar mills across the country after the sugar industry faced similar problems of supply being lost to the black-market.

Is It workIng?: However, the fertiliser industry is now claiming that only did the government make them invest heavily in this system by threatening to confiscate any bags of urea that were not tagged and registered with the FBR, but that those systems they made them spend money on do not work. The industry has raised serious concerns about the suitability of the system for fertiliser production facilities after facing multiple technical issues during, and post implementation of T&T system project.

The letter states that the system and its hardware is incompatible with the harsh and

humid outdoor environment of the fertiliser industry, rendering it ineffective and unfit for continuous use. Essentially, they claim that the government imported technology without a proper feasibility study and that the technology is now proving to not be adaptable to Pakistani conditions. The way the system works is that as fertiliser is bagged in factories, each bag is tagged with a stamp. These stamps are then supposed to be scanned, after which the data is sent ahead to the FBR. However, the industry’s letter claims that stamp detection efficiency is as low as 50%, even though the industry was given the guarantee that it would be more than 99%.

Stamps reconciliation also generates error with actual production reporting, etc.

Meanwhile, sources within the FBR close to the project have told Profit that the industry is raising a hue-and-cry for no reason. “All of the demos that were given showed that the track-and-trace system works and there are no technical glitches,” said the board source. “We saw this with the sugar industry as well, that they were not happy with the track-and-trace system because once their actual production was on-

record prices dropped in the markets. The fertiliser manufacturers fear the same thing.”

Commenting on the matter, Executive Director FMPAC, Brig (r) Sher Shah Malik said that the fertiliser industry is one of the most compliant sectors of Pakistan and has always supported the government’s efforts on documentation of the economy. “The track-and-trace system is neither considered suitable for the fertiliser industry nor is serving any of its stated objectives of enhancing tax revenue, reducing counterfeiting, and preventing smuggling of illicit goods.

The government is yet to respond to the letter, but it is becoming increasingly clear that it has been written out of great frustration. Fertiliser manufacturers have been facing serious technical difficulties implementing a system that they were not in favour of in the first place. While a trackand-trace system may go a long way in preventing the smuggling of urea, the government must at the very least provide an answer regarding whether or not a feasibility study was conducted before the system was imported. If not, explanations will be required.

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