Epaper_22-12-04 ISB

Govt bins imran Khan's snap polls offer

g MINISTER CLAIM GOVT ALLIES HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT HOLDING TALKS WITH PTI

Gen Munir, Centcom chief discuss security cooperation

held at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi on November 29.

staff report

tHEgovernment of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance Saturday turned down former prime minister Imran Khan’s invitation to parleys to hold early elections, arguing that “talks don’t come with conditions”.

The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party should “sit with us” if it was “serious” and “sincerely” wanted negotiations, insisted Khawaja Saad Rafique, minister for railways, as he addressed a joint press conference with Rana Sanaullah Khan, minister for interior.

“Talks are never conditional anywhere in the world,” Rafique said. “If you put forward your demands first, on what basis will you hold the dialogue,” he asked.

Khan was ousted in April following a protracted political drama that saw Shehbaz

“The only way forward from here is to hold early, and free and fair elections,” the former prime minister told the government. “Any other path will only lead to greater political uncertainty and further economic chaos.”

“It’s them [PTI], who need talks, not us,” insisted Rafique. “They start the talk of talks and then shy away from even talking about it. Negotiations are part of the political process and complex problems are resolved when two sides hear each other out.”

H said that for the central government, the dissolution of provincial assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was not

something to be proud of. “We want the assemblies to complete their constitutional term,” he said.

“If Imran Khan is serious then he should understand threats and negotiations are mutually exclusive,” he said.

The minister further said their allies in the government had severe concerns about holding talks with PTI. The government would nevertheless talk — unofficially — with PTI, but the party has been told the PDM would ultimately decide if the government wanted a dialogue.

Speaking on the occasion, the interior minister said: “He [Khan] wanted to get a date for the elections by threatening and hurling abuses at the establishment. He couldn’t.”

“If he wants to get a date from us in a similar manner after having talks, he cannot,” he said.

Newly appointed Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir conducted a video teleconference with US Central Command (Centcom) General Michael Erik Kurilla.

According to a press statement issued by Centcom on Friday, Gen Kurilla felicitated the army chief on his new position and the two leaders discussed US-Pakistan security cooperation efforts as well as strengthening the bilateral relationship.

Gen Munir and Gen Kurilla have previously established relationship from Gen Kurilla’s time as Centcom Chief of Staff, the statement further added.

Gen Munir took charge as the 17th Army chief of Pakistan at a ceremony

Imran says will dissolve Punjab, KP assemblies this month

LAHORE staff report

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan said on Saturday that he will dissolve Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies this month.

Addressing PTI KP lawmakers via video link from his Zaman Town mansion in Lahore, Imran Khan said that his dialogue offer to PDM was just meant to emphasize gravity of the situation.

The former premier lamented that the ruling coalition had rebuffed his offer for talks, adding that PTI will dissolve Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies in the current month and go for polls.

He once again reiterated that PTI has the full backing of CM Punjab Chaudhry Pervez Elahi and CM KP Mahmood Khan and both will dissolve the provincial assemblies on his first call.

“My offer was in good faith for sake of nation,” Imran said, reiterating that the government does not want to hold elections.

PTI SIndh MPAS SubMIT reSIGnATIonS To IMrAn KhAn: All 26 MPAs of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Sindh Assembly have submitted their resignations to for-

mer prime minister and party Chairman Imran Khan.

According to details, a delegation of PTI Sindh MPAs –headed by Ali Zaidi – called on the former premier at his residence in Lahore’s Zaman Park. Haleem Adil Sheikh, Khurram Sher Zaman and other members were present on the occasion.

During the meeting, all 26 MPAs of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Sindh Assembly have submitted their resignations to Imran Khan.

The parliamentary party reaffirmed their support to PTI Chairman’s Haqeeqi Azadi, saying that the provincial assembly seats belonged to Imran. “We will support Imran’s every decision,” he added.

It is pertinent to mention here that former prime minister Imran Khan had announced that his party would quit all the assemblies.

IMrAn CAllS for releASInG SwATI, dISASSoCIATInG froM bAjwA’S ‘fASCIST ACTIonS’: PTI chief Imran Khan said on Saturday that he had hoped the new military leadership, after the retirement of former army chief Gen Qamar Bajwa, would have “disassociated from the eight months of Bajwa’s fascist actions against [the] PTI, the media and

critical journalists”.

In a series of tweets, the former premier claimed that the “entire nation was shocked at the vindictive cruelty” PTI Senator Azam Swati was being subjected to and questioned what his crimes were.

“For intemperate language and asking questions which is the right of anyone in a democracy?” Imran asked.

He further stated that internationally, Pakistan and its military were being perceived “increasingly negatively” because the incumbent federal government was “seen as a mere puppet government”.

Imran said that “74-year-old Senator Swati must be released immediately, not only because he committed no crime to deserve this mental and physical torture”, but because the “petulant and vengeful targeting” was undermining the military’s credibility.

He maintained the military’s credibility was “critical for a strong Pakistan”.

Last week, Senator Azam Swati was taken into custody for the second time after a raid at his farmhouse in Chak Shahzad by the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing Islamabad for allegedly tweeting

against senior military officials.

He was later produced before a judicial magistrate, who handed him over to the FIA on a two-day physical remand.

Moreover, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) prohibited the broadcast and rebroadcast of Swati’s speeches, news conferences and his media coverage, including as a guest at a talk show, statements

or tickers, on all satellite TV channels with immediate effect.

TAKen To KuChlAK jAIl: A day earlier, Swati was allegedly transferred to Kuchlak Jail on Friday morning by the Balochistan police.

The Senator’s daughter Farah Swati said he suffered “chest pains” and “breathing issues” on Thursday night and was shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) early this morn-

The change of command ceremony took place after a gap of six years, as General Qamar Javed Bajwa, now retired, was given a three-year extension in 2019.

The change of command in the army came at a time when the country faces multiple challenges, including deepening political crises, resurgence of militancy. However, for Gen Asim, many observers believe, the single biggest challenge is to restore public image of the security establishment.

Under General Bajwa’s six-year extended tenure, the army faced criticism first from the PML-N, when it was in the opposition and now from the party of former prime minister Imran Khan.

ing, in Islamabad.

However, she added that he was later discharged “before his lab results came back” and was taken into custody by Quetta police.

She also revealed that the family had been informed that Swati had been taken to Quetta as she pleaded with the nation for its support and “raise a voice” for her father.

ISLAMABAD

Sharif take over as prime minister. Since then, Khan has held massive public rallies demanding the country head to the ballot ahead of the scheduled October 2023 dates, underscoring the risks the government faces as it seeks a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

g SAAD SAyS TALKS PART OF POLITICS AND PROBLEMS ARE RESOLVED WHEN TWO SIDES HEAR EACH OTHER OUT

ISLAMABAD staff report

Imran agaIn urges CJP for JudICIal Probe Into arshad sharIf’s murder

LAHORE Staff RepoRt

PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday penned a letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, asking him to conduct an independent judicial inquiryinto the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif, who was shot dead in Kenya on Oct 24.

In the letter, the former premier said, “Please constitute a judicial commission and take suo motu notice on the assassination of Arshad Sharif Shaheed. This is the demand of the entire nation.”

Sherry slams Imran for anti-parliamentary democracy remarks

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman on Saturday slammed Imran Khan for his anti-parliamentary democracy remarks and said Khan’s statement against parliamentary democracy was condemnable. In a series of tweets, the Federal Minister expressed that Imran Khan and his party had always railed against parliamentary democracy. Senator Sherry Rehman said in his (Imran Khan) eyes, the system in which he gets power is correct, then be it the presidential system. “He is a dictator in the guise of a politician himself,” she alleged. Staff RepoRt

The party’s Twitter account shared a video of Imran writing the letter and stated, “In this movement initiated by Pakistani citizens, thousands of Pakistanis have written a letter to the chief justice until now.”

The party said that PTI parliamentarians had also filed petitions to the Supreme Court for “clear investigations regarding the Shaheed Arshad Sharif case, Imran Khan assassination attempt case and Senator Azam Swati case”.

Imran and other PTI leaders have been demanding an investigation into the “targeted killing” of the renowned journalist, claiming that he was forced to leave Pakistan and eventually the United Arab Emirates

as well — where he had stayed for a short time before heading to Kenya.

Initially, Kenyan media quoted the local police as saying Sharif was shot dead by police in a case of “mistaken identity”.

The PTI’s parliamentarians have also been holding protests for fair investigation and justice regarding the alleged torture, “violation of privacy of home” through a purported video leak and the “illegal arrest” of Swati on Nov 27.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had last month announced that a judicial commission would be formed to probe the matter and subsequently wrote to the CJP

about his request.

The journalist’s mother had also penned a letter to the CJP on November 2 requesting the formation of a high-powered judicial commission to investigate the murder.

Govt ensuring equal rights, opportunities to PWDs: PM

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that the government was ensuring equal rights and opportunities to the persons with disabilities (PWDs) in every walk of life.

No country and society could achieve progress without the inclusion of PWDs in all sectors of life, the prime minister said in a message on the observance of

‘International Day of Persons with Disabilities’ on December 3. The prime minister said the government was also ensuring that the PWDs should get all rights including health, education, jobs, transport and voting and get access to all facilities of life.

He said today, the world was observing the Day of PWDs and they appreciated the efforts of all persons with disabilities who had been striving to improve their lives and their families by facing different challenges.

These efforts by the persons with disabilities were

precedent for others to follow, a press release of the PM Office Media wing quoted the prime minister as saying.

The prime minister stressed upon the public and private sectors to strive for the betterment of PWDs with joint efforts, adding the media should also spread awareness about the rights and needs of PWDs.

Reiterating resolve, the prime minister urged the people to play their role for making the PWDs as effective members of the society and for their inclusion in the national mainstream.

1.16 mln voters use theIr rIght of franChIse In 2nd Phase of aJK lg Polls

MIRPUR (AJK) Staff RepoRt

tHEsecond phase of the AJK local government elections was completed on Saturday after a mammoth chunk of over 1.16 million registered voters used their right of franchise to elect their representatives to the civic institutions in all four districts of the Poonch division including Rawalakot, Sudhanoti, Bagh and Haveili.

At least 3,500 armed troops of civil forces, including Punjab and KP police, were made available to assist local civil administration and AJK police to ensure the holding

of the civic polls in a free, fair and peaceful manner.

The LG elections in Azad Jammu Kashmir are being held in three phases on a political party basis. However, independent candidates are also in the run to contest the polls to get into the civic bodies of all categories across the liberated territory.

Adequate arrangements have been made for holding the LG polls in AJK in a due free, fair, and transparent manner after a long pause of over three decades.

It may be mentioned that in the first phase, the LG elections were held in the Muzaffarabad division on November 27.

In the second phase of the polls held in the Poonch

division on Saturday, a total of 1,016,889 registered voters took part in the polling in their respective union councils, besides the district councils and municipalities of their respective areas.

Polling started at 8:00 in the morning and continued till 5:00 pm without any pause.

A total of 1,859 polling stations containing 2,697 polling booths were set up in all four districts of the Poonch division wherein 558 polling stations for males, 542 for female voters, and 762 joint polling stations were set up to facilitate the registered voters.

Polling all over the Poonch division mostly remained peaceful, according to the reports. Counting

Istanbul summit focuses on media in post-truth era

ANKARA anadolu agency

An international summit in Turkey’s largest city Istanbul focused on technology, social media, and how news spreads in the post-truth era.

Among the participants in the Stratcom Summit 2022 panel “Media in the Post-Truth Age” was Saadet Oruc, an advisor to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who thanked Turkish Communications Director Fahrettin Altun and his team “for organising this important summit.” Journalist-turned-political advisor Oruc said that the traditional media can play a crucial role against the parallel universe of post-truth “just by fact-

checking or defending the truth.”

With the help of modern technology, a social media user “can just create his own, let’s say, media,” she explained. “One can create his own truth because, for example, a social media user sits at home and tweets something or just shares his view.” Pointing to the “distance” between the source of the information and reality, Oruc highlighted the importance of the work of traditional journalists.

Showing a notorious recent cover of French satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaine for the Qatar World Cup showing Qatari footballers as terrorists with guns, she called this “an example of the Islamophobic side of Western media.” She also criticized the

In Brussels, Pakistani visual artist highlights urban landscape

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

A solo art exhibition of a young Pakistani visual artist Mina Arham was launched in Brussels with main focus on rapid global urbanization and its profound transformation of the urban landscape, especially in Lahore, the cultural capital of Pakistan. A Solo Art exhibition, of a young Pakistani visual artist Mina Arham, was launched with a main focus on the rapid global urbanization and its profound transformation of the urban landscape, especially in Lahore, the cultural capital of Pakistan. The exhibition was held at the Red Moon Art Incubator Brussels in collaboration with the Embassy of Pakistan in Brussels, said a press release received here Saturday. The Red Moon Art Incubator is a not-for-profit organization promoting young female artists from under-represented countries by providing them residency and an opportunity to exhibit their art in Europe.

terminology in numerous headlines on last month’s terrorist attack in Istanbul and how they mischaracterized the Kurds and the terrorist group PKK.

“The PKK is a terrorist group but Kurds are part of Turkey and they enjoy their rights in this country,” she said.

Other speakers at the panel included Frank Melloul, the CEO of the Israeli i24news; Nadav Eyal, senior columnist for Israel daily Yediot Achronot; Borzou Daragahi of Britain’s Independent; and Adesewa Josh of English-language news channel TRT World.

In an earlier panel “How to Make Truth Louder in World Politics,” panelists discussed how societies and institutions fight disinformation and black

propaganda. Among the speakers were Caitlin Chin, a fellow at Washingtonbased CSIS Strategic Technologies; Radu Magdin, former communication advisor to the Romanian prime minister; Fahd Hussain, special assistant to the prime minister on public policy and strategic communication; and Andrii Shapovalov, the head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) under the National Security Council.

Participants at the two-day summit are addressing global topics in the field of strategic communication. Gathered under the theme of “Strategic Communication in the Age of Uncertainty,” the platform features 52 speakers from more than 24 countries and an audience of over 3,000.

bIsP okays transgenders inclusion as beneficiaries of benazir Kafalat Programme

ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

The 56th board meeting of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) approved the inclusion of transgender community as beneficiaries of the Benazir Kafalat Programme (BKP).

The Board of Directors meeting was held with Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety and BISP Chairman Shazia Marri in the chair. On the occasion, the board members urged the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) to simplify a system for updating the transgender community’s CNICs. Speaking on the occasion, Marri termed the transgender policy as a “landmark achievement” and urged the board members to use their “good offices and influence” to mobilise the marginalized community so that maximum number of transgender persons could benefit from the policy. The federal minister outlined the process for the members of the transgender community to register themselves with BKP, adding that they would receive Rs7,000 upon successful registration.

The board also acknowledged that organisations like BISP, Nadra and partner banks have “worked tremendously” to extend financial support to flood affectees in a short span of time.

The board decided that BISP was going to adopt a new payment system under which the beneficiaries would be able to get funding directly through the bank of their own choice, thus ensuring a transparent cash disbursement mechanism.

Marri also informed the board that under the prime minister’s cash relief assistance for flood-affected people, Rs70 billion were disbursed among 2.8 million families. However, she said that there was a “lot more” that still needed to be done for the flood victims’ relief and rehabilitation.

The board meeting further approved the autonomous working of procurement and the cybercrime section, and took decisions for BISP’s structural improvement, including the upgradation of five districts of Balochistan with a large number of beneficiaries. The members also approved structural reforms for Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.

of votes started soon after the completion of the polling process under the auspices of the returning officers of the concerned constituencies in all four above districts.

Polling in the 3rd and last phase of the elections will be held in all three districts of Mirpur division, including Mirpur, Kotli, and Bhimber on December 8. A total of 1,232,079 registered voters will go to exercise their right of franchise. Kotli district has 563,016 registered voters, Mirpur district 366,043, while Bhimber district has a total of 303,020 registered voters.

A total of 1,026 polling stations would be set up in Kotli district, 625 in Mirpur district, and 538 in Bhimber district respectively with 1,602, 924, and 850 polling booths in the three above districts respectively to facilitate both male and female registered voters.

Muzaffarabad division is comprising three districts: Muzaffarabad, Neelam Valley, and Jhelum Valley while it has a total of 695,049 registered male and female voters – wherein the civic polls have been held in the first phase on November 27.

operation continues to rescue six colliers trapped in harnai coalmine

0 QUETTA Staff RepoRt

Rescue operation is being carried out to rescue six colliers trapped in a coal mine after it caved when an explosion occurred in Shahrag area of Harnai district on Saturday. After the incident, Balochistan Government directed the departments concerned to take measures for the victims on an immediate basis. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA)’s team reached the site and started a rescue operation to take out trapped miners from the coal mine. According to reports, the rescue operation is being carried out so far. The blast was reported to have been occurred due to accumulation of poisonous gas in the mine of Tarkh Tangi area of Harnai. The coalminers including Sarfraz, Ghani, Rehman, Bacha Kha, Rehmanullah, Najeeb and Nasib Gull were trapped in the coalmine and all of them belonged to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. As per the private media report, Levies officials said at least six miners were trapped in the coal mine that collapsed after an explosion in the Harnai district. According to Levies officials, as soon as the incident was reported, Rescue and District Administration rushed to the spot to initiate the rescue operation. Levies officials further said that the accident took place in the mine of contractor Haji Dilawar Khan in Shahrg Tarkh Tung, where coal was being extracted.

DaR uNDeRsCORes Pak-uzBekIsTaN ROle

fOR RegIONal eCONOMIC INTegRaTION

ISLAMABAD staff report

fEDERALMinister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Saturday said that Pakistan and Uzbekistan could play a key role in regional economic integration.

This, he said, in a meeting with Ambassador of Republic of Uzbekistan to Pakistan, Oybek Usmanov, who called on the federal minister here at Finance Division on Saturday.

Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar welcomed the ambassador and highlighted profound fraternal relations and deep-rooted cultural and historic linkages between Pakistan and Uzbekistan. The finance minister and the Ambassador of Republic of Uzbekistan discussed

the enhancement of trade, investment

The ambassador also invited the finance minister on behalf of his government to visit Tashkent in January 2023 for co-chairing a joint ministerial meeting.

The finance minister shared that the government of Pakistan attaches great importance to strengthening bilateral relations and mutual interests to enhance and cooperate in multiple sectors including trade, energy, education, science and technology, and cultural exchanges with Uzbekistan.

He apprised the Uzbek Ambassador about the potential investment avenues present in Pakistan.

Later, the finance minister thanked the Ambassador and extended full support to enhance bilateral relations between both countries in various sectors.

Saudi Arabia condemns assassination attempt on Pakistan’s envoy in Kabul

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Saturday strongly condemned the armed attack on Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul and the assassination attempt on Charge d’affaires Ubaid Nizamani.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia strongly condemns the armed attack on the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in the Afghan capital Kabul, and the failed assassination attempt on the Charge d’affaires of the Embassy of Pakistan,” the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement.

Three found dead, one unconscious in Murree hotel

RAWALPINDI/MUREE staff report

Three tourists were found dead and another fainted in a room of private hotel in the remits of Patriata Police on Saturday, informed a police spokesman.

According to the police spokesman, the hotel administration informed the Rescue officials about the state of the four persons who were semi-conscious in their room. When the Rescue 1122 officials reached the spot, they found the persons in a state of semiconsciousness in the hotel room. The officials took them to a hospital where three of them were pronounced as dead while condition of the fourth one was also critical.

The deceased were identified as: Muhammad Owais, Faisal Ayaz and Muhammad Shahrukh, while the semi-unconscious person was identified as Muhammad. After getting information about the incident, police reached the scene and shifted the bodies to hospital for post-mortem. They said that cause of death could only be ascertained after the post mortem report.

The incident is being investigated and evidence is being collected from the scene, the spokesman said. He added that the cause of death could be determined in the light of post-mortem reports and other forensic evidence. Meanwhile, City Police Officer (CPO) Syed Shehzad Nadeem Bukhari took notice of the incident and sought a detail report of the incident.

The ministry reaffirmed the Kingdom’s “firm and conscious” position to renounce violence and terrorism wherever it is.

PPP’s Waqar Mehdi elected senator unopposed

Memon, while congratulating Mehdi, said the election was a continuation of former president and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s reconciliation policy.

Memon said that his party had a majority in the Sindh Assembly and Mehdi could have won easily but PPP’s vision is to take everyone forward together.

He said that PPP today again brought another political worker to the upper house which is a success of the party’s ideology.

Talking to the media, Sindh Minister for Local Government (LG) Syed Nasir Hussain said that the name of MQM-P’s Abdul Waseem is being considered for the position of Karachi Administrator.

Two muggers killed; CTD nicks four ‘suspects’ in IBO

LAHORE/FAISALABAD staff report

The Faisalabad Police on Saturday claimed to have killed two robbers in a shootout while the CounterTerrorism Department (CTD) arrested four suspects during an intelligence-based operation (IBO).

According to a spokesman, the CTD detained suspects identified as: Ali Raza, Ali Akbar Zahir, and Mehmood Naik Muhammad. He said that during the IBO, as many nine suspected people were also quizzed. Officials seized banned literature and other items from the arrested suspects.

The spokesman further said the CTD teams conducted 327 IBOs in different parts of the province in a week, frisked and checked 14,000 people, detained 42 suspects, and registered cases.

Two muggers killed: On the other hand, the Faisalabad Police on Saturday claimed to have killed two robbers in a shootout.

According to police, the two robbers committed a robbery in Hajiabad area and holed up in a shop after fleeing. On information, a police team led by Millat Town Police SHO Rana Mugfoor, chased the fleeing accused and spotted them at a shop in the area. When police reached there, a shootout took place and in crossfire, two robbers were killed. The police have started further probe into the incident.

Nawaz to return soon, claims Balighur Rehman

Pakistan

KARACHI staff report

All the MQM-P candidates withdrew from the Senate election under an agreement, while PPP candidate Aziz Dhamra also withdrew his nomination papers, after which Mehdi was elected unopposed.

This is the first time that a senator has been elected uncontested from a Sindh seat. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has also issued a notification in this regard.

Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam

He also said that negotiations were underway to include MQM-P in the Sindh government.

A day earlier, a delegation of the PPP, led by Nasir Hussain Shah, reached the MQM-P headquarters in Bahadurabad.

After the meeting, while talking to the media, MQM-P Deputy Convener Waseem Akhtar said, “Following a request from our friends from PPP, the Rabita Committee has decided after consultation to withdraw MQM-P candidate from the Senate election.”

Shah thanked the MQM-P leadership and said that the administrator of MQM-P will also be appointed in Karachi in a few days while the discussion on constituencies is also going on and soon there will be progress in this matter too.

Punjab Governor Balighur Rehman said on Saturday that women had always played an important role in the development of nations.

While talking to local PML-N leader Sarwat Khan here, Balighur Rehman observed that the PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif would soon return to the country and would be among the party members. Balighur Rehman maintained that he was the representative of the federal government. He added that the incumbent government under the vibrant leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was paying immense focus on the provision of maximum relief to the masses. He said the government would take all-out measures to ameliorate sufferings of the common man, adding that the PDM government had accepted the government as challenge to provide relief to the masses.

‘India uses brutal torture techniques to disable Kashmiris’

ISLAMABAD staff report

Brutal and inhuman torture techniques employed by Indian troops, paramilitary forces and police personnel like the torture in custody, firing on peaceful protesters in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, have left thousands of Kashmiris disabled for life, including over 200 losing eyesight in one or both eyes.

A report released by Kashmir Media Service on the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Saturday, stated that among the most brutal tactics used in the territory by Indian troops to disable and maim the Kashmiris include firing of bullets, pellets, teargas and PAVA (made of pelargonic

acid vanillylamide, an organic compound found in natural chilli pepper) shells on peaceful protesters as well as resorting to severe beatings, electric shock, crushing the leg muscles with a wooden roller, burning with heated objects and hanging upside down in interrogation centres.

Besides, booby traps, landmines and mine blasts are also used against the hapless Kashmiris which have caused thousands of deaths and disabled innocent people of Kashmir since 1947, the report said. Cases of disabilities have increased manifold since India started using deadly pellets as over three thousand Kashmiris are at the verge of losing vision in one or both eyes, it added.

The report urged the international community to take notice of Indian government’s inhuman act of disabling the

Kashmiris under a systematic torture mechanism in IIOJK.

Meanwhile, All Parties Hurriyat Conference leaders including Zamruda Habib, Yasmeen Raja, Farida Bahenji, Dr Musaib, Chaudhry Shaheen Iqbal, Ghulam Nabi War, Hakeem Abdur Rasheed and Muhammad Aaqib as well as Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Political Movement and Jammu and Kashmir Islami Tanzeem-e-Azadi in their separate statements said, the Indian troops and police personnel are arresting innocent youth and children in the territory and subjecting them to torture, rendering them physically disabled.

They said that many international organisations, including Human Rights Watch, had released eye-opening reports regarding Indian brutalities on the Kash-

miri people but despite that the Indian oppression in IIOJK was increasing day-byday. They appealed to the UN and world powers to play their role in halting the Indian state terrorism in IIOJK.

measures to strengthen the relationship between the two countries.

The ambassador of Republic of

Uzbekistan shared their government’s keen interest to enhance relations with Pakistan on multiple fronts through

and business.

MULTAN staff report

ISLAMABAD agencies

It also reiterated the Kingdom’s full solidarity and its standing by Pakistan and its brotherly people in the face of terrorism.

Peoples Party (PPP) leader Waqar Mehdi was elected senator unopposed on a vacant seat on Saturday.

PM Saddened by death of forMer PML-n Senator

ISLAMABAD StAff RePoRt

SHEHBAZSharif said he was saddened by the death of Najma Hameed, a former member of the Senate and president of the women’s wing of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), who passed

away late on Friday. She was 78.

In a tweet, the prime minister said her contributions to the supremacy of the Constitution, democracy, nation and the party were “unforgettable”.

Hameed was an embodiment of the party’s ideals, and her courage and integrity will be an inspiration for generations to come, Sharif said, declaring that

her death was a loss to the ruling party.

The prime minister further said Hameed was a close confidant and companion of the party’s supreme leader Nawaz Sharif and his wife Kalsoom Nawaz. Hameed remained steadfast during Nawaz’s struggle against the government of then-chief executive Pervez Musharraf.

Another sedition case registered against Shahbaz Gill in Balochistan

CHAMAN StAff RePoRt

Another casewas registered on Saturday against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shahbaz Gill in Qila Abdullah area of Balochistan on charges of using foul language against state institutions.

According to the police, the first information report (FIR) was registered against the senior PTI leader Shahbaz Gill on the complaint of one Aziz Ullah for sedition and inciting violence against state institutions.

Earlier, a district and sessions court in Islamabad adjourned the proceeding to indict PTI leader Shahbaz Gill in a sedition case. The public prosecutor told the court that he is ready to give argu-

ments on both petitions today but Gill’s lawyer said that for a fair trial “we need to know who are the suspects.”

It is important to mention here that a case was registered against Gill at the Kohsar Police Station in Islamabad on August 9. He was accused of creating a divide in the state institution.

The Islamabad police arrested the leader for inciting violence against state institutions. According to a spokesperson of the Islamabad police, the PTI leader was taken into custody for making statements against the state institutions and inciting the people to rebellion.

The spokesperson added that a case had been registered against the PTI leader at the Banigala Police Station.

Imran’s party responsible for damaging economic sector, says Khaqan

ISLAMABAD APP

Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) senior leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Saturday said that Imran’s party is responsible for damaging economic sector of the country.

During four years period of ruling, Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) chairman had "created trouble for all national institutions including judiciary, election commission and national accountability bureau", he said this while talking to television channel programs.

Imran Khan, he said had provided subsidy on petroleum products and made serious flaws for Pakistan’s gas and power sectors. Giving example, he said PTI's government had purchased oil by spending

three billion rupees and sold it on one billion rupees. It was a strange story that media has reported, he said.

The PTI leaders are purchasing oil products by spending huge national amount but selling it to the consumers with low rates, to gain political mileage, he added. We should have permanent solution of load-shedding besides a comprehensive system to avoid wastage of gas and electricity in the country, he said. All the companies generating gas and electricity through different resources should take responsibility for selling all such products on market rate, he opined. Three percent residents of Pakistan are utilizing 37 per cent gas resources, he said adding that maximum gas and electricity were being stolen during high season.

In summer season, he said we have reports of power theft while in winter, media started highlight-

Three policemen martyred in Nowshera

PESHAWAR StAff RePoRt

Three police personnel were martyred when unidentified gunmen attacked a police check post in Akora Khattak area of Nowshera district in KhyberPakhtunkhwa on Saturday, Rescue 1122 said. It said that the rescue teams rushed to the crime scene as soon as they received the information about the incident. The martyred policemen were identified as Manzoor, Constable Amanullah and van driver Ayaz.

The rescue teams shifted all the martyred police personnel to District Headquarter Hospital in ambulances.

The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has accepted responsibility for the attack.

Meanwhile, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has taken notice of the incident

He expressed his condolence and sympathies with her family, including Marriyum Aurangzeb, the minister for information, and her mother and Hameed’s sister Tahira Aurangzeb.

Sharif also prayed for the forgiveness of the departed soul and for Hameed’s family to bear the loss with fortitude.

Meanwhile, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and

Zahid Akram Durrani, speaker and deputy speaker of the National Assembly, also extended their “deepest condolences” over Hameed’s death.

They said her untimely death deprived the country of the services of a principled, intelligent and brave politician. “Her political and social services will be remembered forever.”

KP struck by 4.5 magnitude earthquake

ISLAMABAD StAff RePoRt

A 4.5 magnitude earthquake struck parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Saturday morning, government officials said. The quake hit just after 6:21 am at 94 kilometres deep, the US Geological Survey said. The epicentre was at Asmar, a city in the northeast of Kunar province of Afghanistan. The media reported no injuries or damage from the quake, which was also felt in other cities near the capital. Pakistan straddles the boundary where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, making the country susceptible to earthquakes. In October 2015, a 7.5magnitude quake in Pakistan and Afghanistan killed almost 400 people across rugged terrain that impeded relief efforts. The country was also hit by a 7.6-magnitude quake on October 8, 2005, that killed almost 80,000 people and left about 3.5 million homeless, mainly in Azad Kashmir.

LWMC launches zero waste drive in provincial capital

LAHORE APP

ing load-shedding problems in the country. Some people had habit to use illegal way for gas sucking during high season, he said.

The government, he said is committed to control gas and power stealing in the country. He said that every government had policies for taking action against power and gas thieves but we need to amend laws to implement it in letter and spirit, he added.

About early elections demanded by Imran Khan, he said next elections would be held in August 2023. He said that two provinces are badly suffering from flood devastation. We need to have heavy amount for preparation of early elections including preparing staff for election commission and ballot papers, he added. Imran Khan should wait for next elections, he said adding that all the political parties should play role and work together for the progress and prosperity of Pakistan.

check-post attack

martyrs and expressed his heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the bereaved families.

‘Bloody year for K-P Police’

The year 2022 has been a bloody year for K-P police as they have remained the primary target of militants.

K-P Inspector General of Police Moazzam Jah Ansari said that a total of 105 police personnel embraced martyrdom in 151 attacks across the province since January 2022.

According to a report issued by the Central Police Office (CPO), a total of 109 policemen sustained injuries during these attacks.

The Lahore Waste Management Company on Saturday launched a zero waste drive in the provincial capital. According to LWMC sources here, the company had also issued a 15 days working plan according to which special cleanliness arrangements would be made across the city. Zero waste operation would be carried out in nine towns of the city. LWMC management had taken an initiative to ensure “Zero Waste” at the hotspots of the city. During the Zero Waste Drive, special cleanliness activities, besides routine waste collection activities would be ensured. Special focus would be on cleaning open plot, garbage heaps, roadsides scrapping, gully grating cleanliness and sprinkling on roads. In order to reduce the smog, scraping of the accumulated soil layers on road side would be ensured in environmental friendly manners with sprinkling of water. Waste containers placed in city would be repaired or painted as per requirement to ensure proper disposal of waste, sources added.

infection

ISLAMABAD APP

and sought report from IG Police. “The incident is very tragic. The sacrifice of the martyrs will not go in vain,” he added.

He prayed for the elevation of the ranks of the

The report said the weapons left behind by NATO forces in Afghanistan were used against K-P police including thermal imaging devices which enabled them to stage surprise attacks under the cover of darkness.

Surgical masks are not inferior to N95 masks for stopping the spread of Covid-19 among health-care providers at hospitals, according to researchers. According to a study led by researchers at McMaster University in Canada who tracked 1,009 health-care workers at 29 sites in Canada, Egypt and Pakistan between May 2020 and March 2022, surgical masks are indeed effective against Covid. "The surgical masks were not statistically less effective than N95s in preventing infections in health-care providers looking after patients with Covid-19," said lead author Mark Loeb, professor of McMaster's Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine and a Hamilton infectious disease physician. The major thrust of this study is that there have been no other rigorous comparisons of surgical masks to N95 respirators. "This was also the only randomised clinical trial - offering the highest standards of evidence - relating to this question throughout the pandemic," said the study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

India takes over as UN Security Council president

NEW YORK

APP

India assumed the rotating presidency of the Security Council for the month of December on Thursday, the month New Delhi will also complete its two-year term as a non-permanent member of the 15-nation United Nations body.

It is the second time India has held the chair, which rotates on a monthly basis in alphabetical order. In August last year, the then-Indian ambassador to the body, T. S. Tirumurti, was reported having misused his powers as president to deny Pakistan its right to participate in a

debate to discuss the evolving situation in Afghanistan in the midst of the withdrawal of American troops from the war-torn country.

Ambassador Munir Akram, reacting sharply to the move, said: “India’s partisan and obstructionist action is a manifestation of its hatred for Pakistan.”

At a press conference to outline the programme of work for the month, Ruchira Kamboj, India’s current permanent representative to the United Nations, said her country will host “signature events” on countering terrorism and renewed orientation for reformed multilateralism.

She said S. Jaishankar, foreign minister of India, will travel to New York to preside over the debates in the third week of December.

In her remarks to reporters, Kamboj highlighted India’s “democratic credential” and its role as a “bridge builder” in international affairs, but appeared irritated when a journalist questioned about the decline in democracy and press freedom under the far-right government of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“We don’t need to be told what to do on democracy,” she retorted.

In India, she claimed, democracy had roots going back 2,500 years. “Coming down to very recent

times, we have all the pillars of democracy that are intact — legislature, executive, judiciary and the fourth estate, the press. And a very vibrant social media. So the country is the world’s largest democracy.”

“Every five years we conduct the world’s largest democratic exercise,” she said.

“Everyone is free to say as they wish and please and that is how our country functions. It’s rapidly reforming, transforming and changing. And the trajectory has been very impressive. And I don’t have to say this, you don’t have to listen to me. Others are saying this,” Kamboj added.

Surgical masks equally effective for protection against Covid

As options run out

PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s offer for talks, made at the meeting of the Punjab parliamentary party on Friday, was rejected out of hand by the PDM coalition, which was perhaps to be expected. It should not be forgotten that Mr Khan had last made such an offer before his Long March on Islamabad, with the implication being that he would cancel it. The Long March failed to force the PDM’s hand, but his present offer carries the implication that he might reconsider his decision to dissolve the KP and Punjab Assemblies. The PDM is clearly uncomfortable about the idea that the talks would only finalize a close enough election date, rather than discuss, as the PDM would prefer, all Assemblies going to full term.

The PDM should not ignore a number of factors. First, it should think carefully about the implications of holding provincial elections in more than half the country, and having to live with the results. By agreeing to earlier national Assembly elections, they would ha\ve an input into the date of provincial elections they do not presently enjoy. It should also realize that this is the last move on the political chessboard that Mr Khan has. That means that he will be more inclined to take radical and desperate action. It therefore makes sense to give him a way out, if that is what he seeks.

It is not as if the PTI and the PDM are that far apart. This is perhaps one effect of the passage of time. By next August, the PDM will have to concede an election date in October. no matter if the government dissolved tomorrow, the Election Commission is obliged by law to give an election schedule of a minimum 45 days. Thus no election is possible before mid-January. Splitting the difference would give a date in May, which would be hot, but there has been one election held in summer, so a May date is not as unthinkable as it once was. It is true that there is nothing but custom to make it necessary to hold elections on the same day, but there is also nothing sacred about the assemblies’ tenure, and the constitutional provisions for an early dissolution, do not have to be used, but they are there to give politicians what they need at present, greater leeway in handling political crises.

Emerging Geopolitical Framework

The world is changing

its position. Presently, India seems to gradually decouple itself from Russia, its historical friend, and major energy and arms supplier, while realigning itself with the USA and Western nations such as France and Israel.

Inthe contemporary era, a consistent transformation in the geopolitical landscape has been quite evident. Traditionally dedicated to its role as the forebearer of geopolitical order, the USA at present seems to be more focused on its internal policy issues than on foreign policy. This disengagement of the USA has made room for the rise of other global powers, notably China and Russia, who are struggling to share the role of global leadership with the USA.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has accelerated the evolution of the existing geopolitical framework, where the USA continues to be a global hegemon possessing the “deep power”, that is, the military, economic, and political power in an appropriate amount. Conversely, China has its eye on a peaceful economic rise and is also cautiously flexing its military muscle. India, at present, is carefully watching the changing geopolitical dynamics and is drifting away from Russia, while simultaneously coming closer to the USA and the West, whereas Sino-Russian ties are blooming. In these dynamics, Pakistan is in a catch-22 situation.

Today, the global competition for influence between the USA and China is bounded by the technological dimension, and its predominance in the digital age creating global competitive advantage and securing the basis for military superiority. The tech rivalry is the main arena for competition between the two global powers as both have achieved remarkable advancement in biotech, IT, cyberspace, AI, and other spheres.

China has replaced the USA as the top global high-tech manufacturer, generating 250 million computers, 1.5 billion smartphones, and 25 million automobiles in 2020. Moreover, besides being a manufacturing powerhouse, China, in the 21st century has also emerged as a stern competitor in producing the foundational technologies namely, 5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), quantum information science (QIS), biotechnology, semiconductors, and green energy.

It is widely speculated that China will overtake the USA within the next decade. This strategic rivalry between the two states continues to accelerate the polarization of the international system, setting in motion de-globalization and ultimately leading to two parallel orders, one dominated by the USA and the other by China.

As the Russia-Ukraine war continues to reorient the geopolitical landscape, Asia watchers are largely engrossed in the upshots of the strategic competition among the global powers in their respective regions.

Russia’s break from the West, given its invasion of Ukraine, has made it align with China. Ever since the 2020 border clashes between China and India that strained the relations between the two countries, Russia’s ties to China have become stronger.

While on one hand, China is concerned about the USA rebalancing strategy in Asia suffocating its strategic space, it, on the other hand, also has its eyes on Russia in East Europe due to nATO’s expansion. As a result of the international setup, China and Russia are almost on the same page. Moreover, as a reaction to the efforts of the West to isolate Russia, it is also revving up its own “Pivot to the East” strategy. Under this strategy, Russia is improving its ties with China, Turkiye, Iran, UAE, and Pakistan.

Another factor that contributes to better SinoRussian ties is Russia’s cold behaviour towards the Indo-Pacific concept, viewing it as a Western design to contain China. From this point of view, the two seem to be united in their animosity toward the West. Internal security concerns, as well as internal ideological factors, are also driving this alignment.

Pakistan, combating the political and economic instability, has taken a neutral stance in the Russia-Ukraine crisis. The conventionally troubled relationship of the country with the USA has been further worsened by the US allegations that the Pakistan military has covertly helped the Taliban government to re-take power in Afghanistan.

Thus, the frosty ties between the two countries have made way for improved PakRussian relations notably in trade, defence, economy, and energy sectors. In the shifting geo-political order, Pakistan continues to be one of China’s closest allies and strategic partners and Beijing is the first stop on Islamabad’s route to Moscow.

Yousaf Nizami Editor

M. A. Niazi Joint Editor Umar Aziz Executive Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad Joint Editor

Given this, India, an Asian economic giant, is cautiously navigating between the clashing geopolitical powers, as the USA and Russia happen to be its two most important trade partners. India’s consistent economic rise, though less remarkable than China’s, is sufficient to be regarded as a key trend, and India tends to look beyond South Asia to specify

lateral relations between Moscow and Islamabad, opening avenues for potential and economic opportunities for both countries.

Moreover, the RussianUkraine crisis has accelerated a realignment in the power dynamics among the major actors such as the USA, China, Russia, India, and Pakistan, thereby, reshaping and reconstructing the contemporary economic construct and geopolitical order

Over the last decade, Moscow has shown increased interest in the CPEC, the BRI’s centrepiece project. Russia’s anticipated future participation in CPEC will strengthen the nexus and strategic cooperation between Beijing, Moscow, and Islamabad, increasing Moscow’s influence in Southeast Asia. As a result of the involvement in CPEC, China, Russia, and Pakistan will have more opportunities to strengthen their trilateral cooperation. If Russia formally joins CPEC, it will be a significant development in bi-

The traditional Western dominant world order, once pivoting around the USA and led by its liberal values and economic policies ever since the end of World War II, no longer seems to be a realistic parameter to determine future global events. Presently, in the backdrop of the RussiaUkraine crisis, a paradigm shift in the geopolitical landscape from unilateralism to multilateralism is underway. We face a future, where multilateralism, the power distribution among two or more states, seems to be the utmost reality, and any prevalent risk equally impacts the increasingly globalized world. Given this, the snowball effect of the Russian unprovoked war is also immense, impacting regional and global security, trade, and energy supply, an increase in oil and electricity prices, a surge in interest rates by central banks, and a rise in living expenses and unemployment.

Moreover, the RussianUkraine crisis has accelerated a realignment in the power dynamics among the major actors such as the USA, China, Russia, India, and Pakistan, thereby, reshaping and reconstructing the contemporary economic construct and geopolitical order.

The writer is working as a researcher with ChinaPakistan Study Centre at Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad. She also writes for various media outlets. She can be reached at saherliaqat2000@gmail.com

HEC Policy Guidelines Regarding Paper-marking for HEIs

InPakistan, overall 99 Private and 145 Public universities are registered with the Higher Education Commission (HEC). All these universities are following the "Policy Guidelines for Implementation of Uniform Semester System in HEIs of Pakistan".

Section 11.1 of the guidelines read as "in each semester, students may be required to appear in quizzes, tests, midterms, final examinations, presentations (individual/group), group discussion, and submit projects/assignments/lab reports etc. These assignment marks (to be determined by the teacher concerned) will have different weightage contributing towards the overall assessment in per cent…" Some teachers use this authority and ask the senior students to mark the papers of the juniors and it has happened at Islamia College University and The Islamia University of Bahawalpur according to their enrolled students. So, how should a paper be made and marked? It depends on the teacher. To whom should be given grace marks? It also depends on the teacher. Who should be the failure? To a greater extent, it also depends on the teacher.

These guidelines make the male students in general and the female students in particular, vulnerable. Every student needs good marks for their bright future and to get good marks, first, they need to work hard and then they need to have good relations with the teachers. On the very first day when a student gets admission to a university, his seniors advise him to remain calm and keep good relations with his subject teachers to get good grades throughout his degree. In their whole degree, students need to compromise on certain things if they want to have good grades on their papers.

The male students compromise on their manliness and the female students on their chastity, sometimes. They are exposed to sexual assault. As we have some unreported and reported cases from different universities of various intensities. First of all, I want to talk about a case at the University of Gujrat, though the case is unreported and the accused is not proven guilty. On my visit, the students of the University explained the case by saying that an engaged girl and her fiancé had been studying at the University. The girl was blackmailed by her male teacher that if she didn’t agree to his demands; he wold destroy the educational career of her fiancée.

Then, there was a case at The Islamia University of Bahawalpur. According to some students of the University, they revealed, their story. According to them, an exHOD was accused by a girl of trying to blackmail her by failing her if she resisted accepting his "offer". Similarly, two years ago, in a programme of a private TV- channel, a blackmailing case came to the surface from Gomal University. A professor blackmailed a girl of his department and sexually assaulted her. She then revealed that the professor was warning her about failing.

It is because of these guidelines that university students can’t say a word against their teachers even when

the teachers are not present. These guidelines bind students to obey and surrender before their teachers. They can’t complain against their subject teacher even if he is not teaching well. And on the other side, the teacher teaches following the method he likes, especially, when the teacher has a permanent job.

Before moving further, I want to include one example here from my own experience. Being a Class Representative (CR), a day ago, I tried to know the views of my class fellows. I asked all of them with the help of the Poll Feature on WhatsApp to cast their votes in favour of the teacher whose lecture they liked the most. Out of 26, hardly 10 students took part. Most of them cast their votes for more than one teacher and most of the votes went to the teacher who was a member of that group. And when I asked some of the classmates personally who didn’t take part in the polling, why they liked to keep silent. The answer was, "we don't want to be a failure”.

To mark the papers by a third party is a great option we have. The third-party could be of two types. They could be the other teachers of the University with similar expertise to that of the concerned ones and the third party could also be the teachers of the nearby universities. By adopting such a policy, we may save our teachers from such kinds of blame and false allegations; and the students from the blackmailing either discussed or of any other type. It could also make all the higher education institutions corruption-free

floor of the House and asked the federal minister for education to change the policy guidelines. According to him, with the help of these guidelines, teachers might blackmail their students (male/female).

The policy guidelines could also lead to financial and moral corruption and favouritism.

Moreover, he gave the example of a reported victim student from the Bahauddin Zakaria University. As a solution, he asked the federal minister to include a third party to mark the papers.

To mark the papers by a third party is a great option we have. The third-party could be of two types. They could be the other teachers of the University with similar expertise to that of the concerned ones and the third party could also be the teachers of the nearby universities. By adopting such a policy, we may save our teachers from such kinds of blame and false allegations; and the students from the blackmailing either discussed or of any other type. It could also make all the higher education institutions corruption-free.

On June 3, in a question/answer session of the Senate, Bahramand Tangi, a PPP senator, raised this issue on the

The writer is a freelance columnist

The PTI and PDM have only stubborn-ness keeping them apart

Abdul SAlAm

An Obituary Too Early

It’s an intermission, not the end of hybrid

the civilian order had somewhat dominant control. The period was soon to be followed by civilian strife, which resulted in a chain of events; which precipitated the 1977 military takeover, followed by 11 years of dictatorship.

TWITTER, a sanctuary of all types of political handles, is flooded with obituaries of what people say is the hybrid system of governing Pakistan. For Pakistani handles, it seems that an era has ended and there is going to be a new beginning, regretfully with the same old faces, arrangements and basic ground realities. The hybrid arrangement, which was conceived through actions during the Zia years (1982-88), graduated into a well thought out plan during the Musharraf years (2002-2008) and was practiced on a trial run during the 2009-2018 period.

However, the hard fact is that the system has not retreated. It has only changed its form and faces. As the article goes into the press, many changes in the command structure might have taken place. The sorry aspect of that is that the media is projecting the change in an institution as if the new king has been put on the throne or things are actually changing for the ‘good’. Given the mindset of the media, the society and the powers who matter, it is just an intermission or semblance of the same. nothing has changed for good or bad.

To have a historical retrospect of what happened during the last one decade and before; the PTI’s four years’ rule was a formal launch of the system. The most dangerous aspect of that arrangement was that apparently, there were no changes in the constitution of 1973, or any changes in the rules of business. Articles of constitution which safeguard the basic human rights of the average Pakistani and specifically direct the system as well as the institutions involved to explain in detail when even a single person is bothered through law enforcement agency abduction. Apparently, it was a civilian rule in the front; but actually, there were too many ‘shadow commanders’ at work; to borrow the phrase coined by Iranian diaspora journalist Arash Azizi for his book Shadow Commander. Earlier than the PTI rule, there was still some decency across the divide, which evaporated altogether after August 2018.

Looking at history, such intermissions as claims of ‘withdrawal from active politics’ have been part of the responses, which have been guided by events. The events, international and domestic, have been instrumental in sometimes someone taking a step back or going onto the back foot.

The 1971 debacle, whose 51st anniversary is just weeks away, was the time when such a retreat, rather a tactical retreat, was undertaken. The rationale of that retreat was that after accruing so much embarrassment through the physical dismemberment of the country, there was no moral high ground left to insist on legitimacy of control. Consequently, the civilian order was allowed the space, where it could sit down and formulate the first and the only agreed upon constitution, the 1973 constitution.

That was practically the only moment when

The international event in the form of THE USSR’S invasion of Afghanistan, was enough to legitimize the then military interference as both a dominant partner as well as the dictating authority.

Consequently, the death of the President, HIS inner circle and a number of generals in the 17 August 1988 C-130 crash was another moment of retreat for the established order. At that point of time, the order retreated, but was not out of sight. The succeeding popular political order had no blank cheque then; as many on 2 December 1988 might have thought over in a misplaced hope as is now. In A few words, the established order was very much in control then, as now, despite the cries of A new era. The events in December 1988, forced the then PPP government under Benazir Bhutto to accept the IMF-nominated central bank chiefs, economic managers, Afghan policy and the other legacies of THE Zia period as such, if IT wanted to continue with its rule in Pakistan and Sindh.

The reasons for that pessimism now emanate from the fact that the ground realities have not changed.

Every political group, including the PTI, has found ‘courting the powerful’ as the recipe of power sharing. none of the radicals or the political groups ever wanted to dismantle the old order, rather TO have their share to survive.

drills in major AFBs, foreign office positions as well as ground level marginalization of the groups suspected to be against the established order; because of ‘race and ethnicity’ or based on ‘belief’, there was simply no reason for any Cypher. It was an intimate ‘blackmailing’ to force the ‘estranged’ to ‘follow the line’. To market that ‘all within the family’ dispute asa battle of truth and falsehood was even more objectionable; to say the least.

The analysis undertaken above cautiously points out to the stark reality that the current lull in the meddling is a temporary phase; not to be mistaken with a change of heart or a change of ground realities; or for that matter a “regime change of minds”. Regretfully, Pakistan remains the same old one with a few cosmetic changes in faces.

As expected, the current honeymoon of no political role will soon give way to the same old routine; another hybrid in the development stage; God forbid; with the people fed on diversionary storytelling to keep their attentions away. The pathetic show must go on as the powerful and their hangerson desire so… Long live the King; and people at the mercy of God…

If that has not been the case, the hybrid model could not have been born in the first place. The willingness of the civilian order to have a piece only of the cake allowed the established order to transgress the previously undefined domains or rather add more to that.

It is a hard fact that when the ‘neutrals’, as the ‘feeling-cheated’ PTI coined the term for its original ‘coalition partners’, parted ways with the latter political group, everything from foreign policy, human rights issues, economic policy and day-to-day management of the country was influenced by the established order. With such infection of the system which had the support of the western order led by the USA, sometimes in the form of Air Force

The last eight months’ political circus has proven the pathetic low-level political discourse of the Pakistani political scene. Pakistan’s only silver lining is the slow human development taking place now and possibly a politically vibrant middle income leadership which will replace the incumbent societal cadres; not the ‘fast food joint’ type, but the one embedded in local realities and willing to take on the state. Decades ago in a Toronto-based periodical Crescent International the exiled political ideologue of the 1950s diaspora;,lthe ate Dr. Kalim Siddiqui, prophesied that the “established order needs to be defeated on the streets of Pakistan” is the only solution available.

As expected, the current honeymoon of no political role will soon give way to the same old routine; another hybrid in the development stage; God forbid; with the people fed on diversionary storytelling to keep their attentions away. The pathetic show must go on as the powerful and their hangers-on desire so… Long live the King; and people at the mercy of God…

The writer is a freelance columnist

Editor’s mail

Better visit Hunza before it’s all gone

THEarea of Karimabad in Hunza Valley is becoming the ‘new Murree’. About 685km from Islamabad and two-and-a-half hours from Gilgit airport, the area is fast becoming the most popular tourist spot in the country. The valley offers exotic views and attracts both international and local tourists, just like Murree once did.

Karimabad has a road similar to the popular Mall Road of Murree, just a bit narrower. Lined on both sides with shops, the road remains choked with traffic because apparently the act of walking is frowned upon in this 2km stretch. Tourist-laden coasters and cars make their way up, down and sideways on the road to reach their destinations. While we wait for the traffic to move, we do get to see narrow, almost hairline glimpses of the valley between the buildings on either side. The visual periphery is being filled with buildings as, of course, one would want in any mountainous area. What is life in the mountains without concrete structures, huh?

With so many people coming to the area, it is only natural that there are hotels and restaurants aplenty. Most of the branded outlets you see in the cities have their presence here, ensuring that one does not miss out on one’s branded burgers. What is life in the mountains without the burgers, huh?

The region now has a double skyline; one with mountain range, and the other with bed-and-breakfast structures. The number of hotels goes up every season because the number of tourists is increasing every season, and, of course, controlling the influx of people or vehicles in such an area is an awful idea. Let us not even think of such steps.

All the new structures are not built by the locals. A number of people from other areas of the country are doing the honours by opening up hotels and guest houses here not because they see an opportunity to capitalise on, but rather to help the local community. Of course.

Also, the existing hotels are expanding vertically to accommodate the increasing number of tourists because that, as you know, is the only strategy to deal with such a situation. One step off the road, and you find yourself standing in the lobby of some hotel. One hotel chain particularly decided to expand so much that it now sits like a Godzilla, hawking a major chunk of the valley views. Don’t we all love to pay a fee to enter this hotel, give an additional Rs40,000 per night for a view which the management has claimed as its property? Of course, we do. That is what we live for. Just as is the case with the rest of Pakistan, there is no issue with electricity supply in the area … thanks to backup generators. The sound of running generators is music to ears, and a scent that reminds one of getting stuck behind a truck on G.T. Road. Contrary to what you might imagine, nothing of it has been done for commercial purposes. All these arrangements have been done to protect people against the menace of home-sickness. Further, finding one’s way around the town used to be a tedious task for the non-locals. That is no more the case. There are huge signboards and neon plates on every building, even if it is as narrow as the strand of a hair. The signs can be read even if one is kilometres away. Walking up that narrow road, one reaches a popular café through the traffic of honking coasters, cars and jeeps, awful pedestrians and amidst the jungle of concrete hotels. To do what? To have a walnut cake. not too far is the time when one will be taking an elevator to the 10th floor of that café to enjoy the view of the valley below because nothing would be visible standing on the ground except concretised eyesores. Since adapting to local culture and indigeneity is an overrated idea, we opt for standardisation and call it progress. Every city and spot should look and feel similar, with infrastructure even more similar, and food options especially more similar than diverse. Even in this raw mountainous area, we are going for rapid infrastructure in the name of development because, you see, planning is too clichéd a concept and such a colonial thing to do. We are an independent country and every one of us is independent to take a route of choice to commercial success. If there is a negative fallout of our ‘independent’ endeavours, that is nothing but collateral damage.

S. SUNDAS RAWALPINDI

Ugly structures

SHARInGan incident that happened last month. On the night of Oct 1, a truck came to the area from which bricks were unloaded. I thought it was for the nearby girls school as some repair work was going on there. The next morning, I was aghast to see a wall in place, separating G-6/1-3 sector from G-6/1-4 in Islamabad. The beauty of vastness has been blocked by this ghastly wall which has been built without proper foundations or any proper piece of work. It was like popping up construction without any aesthetic sense, and extending the municipal office on public land while destroying the original blueprint. A while ago, someone in the single-storey quarters of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) had the commercial sense to build a first floor and then to rent it out to make money. The trend caught on, and CDA employees one after the other had additional structures built without bothering about whteher the foundation of those singlestorey structures could carry the excess weight.

Islamabad’s openness and greenery need to be salvaged, not destroyed. The old residents of Islamabad have fond memories of G-6 sector as it is the oldest sector in the capital. It is our duty to preserve it.

We should plant trees and flowers instead of raising ugly, distasteful constructions.

FARAH GUL ISLAMABAD

Mugged twice

WEhave often heard of people getting robbed of their belongings during mugging incidents, including driving licences and CnICs. After reporting the incident to local police and having lodged an FIR, the victims approach the national Database Registration Authority (nadra) and the driving licence branch of traffic police. All government offices, including these two, charge the customers full fee as if they are issuing the documents for the first time. Why? The person concerned has been through a trauma and has lost the original documents in a mugging incident for which one has computerised receipt of FIR issued by a police station. Charging fresh fee in full suggests the departments are penalising the person for getting mugged. This is like adding insult to injury. Actually, this is nothing short of black comedy in which people are first mugged by the urchins roaming the streets and then by officials sitting in offices. The spike in crimes is an indication of failure of government and its agencies. Yet, hapless victims are made to pay for their collective failure by this government department or that. How does that work?

M. NADEEM NADIR KASUR

NAqi AkbAr

How BritisH colonialism killEd 100 million indians in 40 yEars

Al JAzeerA JASoN HIckel ANd dYlAN SUllIvAN

reCenTyears have seen a resurgence in nostalgia for the British empire. High-profile books such as niall Ferguson’s empire: How Britain Made the Modern World, and Bruce Gilley’s The Last Imperialist, have claimed that British colonialism brought prosperity and development to India and other colonies. Two years ago, a YouGov poll found that 32 percent of people in Britain are actively proud of the nation’s colonial history.

This rosy picture of colonialism conflicts dramatically with the historical record. According to research by the economic historian Robert C Allen, extreme poverty in India increased under British rule, from 23 percent in 1810 to more than 50 percent in the mid-20th century. Real wages declined during the British colonial period, reaching a nadir in the 19th century, while famines became more frequent and more deadly. Far from benefitting the Indian people, colonialism was a human tragedy with few parallels in recorded history.

experts agree that the period from 1880 to 1920 – the height of Britain’s imperial power – was particularly devastating for India. Comprehensive population censuses carried out by the colonial regime beginning in the 1880s reveal that the death rate increased considerably during this period, from 37.2 deaths per 1,000 people in the 1880s to 44.2 in the 1910s. Life expectancy declined from 26.7 years to 21.9 years.

In a recent paper in the journal World Development, we used census data to estimate the number of people killed by British imperial policies during these four brutal decades. Robust data on mortality rates in India only exists from the 1880s. If we use this as the baseline for “normal” mortality,

BRITAIN TAXED THE INDIAN POPULATION AND THEN USED THE REVENUES TO BUY INDIAN PRODUCTS – INDIGO, GRAIN, COTTON, AND OPIUM – THUS OBTAINING THESE GOODS FOR FREE

we find that some 50 million excess deaths occurred under the aegis of British colonialism during the period from 1891 to 1920.

Fifty million deaths is a staggering figure, and yet this is a conservative estimate. Data on real wages indicates that by 1880, living standards in colonial India had already declined dramatically from their previous levels. Allen and other scholars argue that prior to colonialism, Indian living standards may have been “on a par with the developing parts of Western europe.” We do not know for sure what India’s pre-colonial mortality rate was, but if we assume it was similar to that of england in the 16th and 17th centuries (27.18 deaths per 1,000 people), we find that 165 million excess deaths occurred in India during the period from 1881 to 1920.

While the precise number of deaths is sensitive to the assumptions we make about baseline mortality, it is clear that somewhere in the vicinity of 100 million people died prematurely at the height of British colonialism. This is among the largest policy-induced mortality crises in human history. It is larger than the combined number of deaths that occurred during all famines in the Soviet Union, Maoist

China, north Korea, Pol Pot’s Cambodia, and Mengistu’s ethiopia.

How did British rule cause this tremendous loss of life? There were several mechanisms. For one, Britain effectively destroyed India’s manufacturing sector. Prior to colonisation, India was one of the largest industrial producers in the world, exporting high-quality textiles to all corners of the globe. The tawdry cloth produced in england simply could not compete. This began to change, however, when the British east India Company assumed control of Bengal in 1757.

According to the historian Madhusree Mukerjee, the colonial regime practically eliminated Indian tariffs, allowing British goods to flood the domestic market, but created a system of exorbitant taxes and internal duties that prevented Indians from selling cloth within their own country, let alone exporting it.

This unequal trade regime crushed Indian manufacturers and effectively de-industrialised the country. As the chairman of east India and China Association boasted to the english parliament in 1840: “This company has succeeded in converting India from a manufacturing country into a country export-

ACCORDING TO RESEARCH BY THE ECONOMIC HISTORIAN ROBERT C ALLEN, EXTREME POVERTY IN INDIA INCREASED UNDER BRITISH RULE, FROM 23 PERCENT IN 1810 TO MORE THAN 50 PERCENT IN THE MID-20TH CENTURY

ing raw produce.” english manufacturers gained a tremendous advantage, while India was reduced to poverty and its people were made vulnerable to hunger and disease.

To make matters worse, British colonisers established a system of legal plunder, known to contemporaries as the “drain of wealth.” Britain taxed the Indian population and then used the revenues to buy Indian products – indigo, grain, cotton, and opium – thus obtaining these goods for free. These goods were then either consumed within Britain or re-exported abroad, with the revenues pocketed by the British state and used to finance the industrial development of Britain and its settler colonies – the United States, Canada and Australia.

This system drained India of goods worth trillions of dollars in today’s money. The British were merciless in imposing the drain, forcing India to export food even when drought or floods threatened local food security. Historians have established that tens of millions of Indians died of starvation during several considerable policy-induced famines in the late 19th century, as their resources were syphoned off to Britain and its settler colonies.

Colonial administrators were fully aware of the consequences of their policies. They watched as millions starved and yet they did not change course. They continued to knowingly deprive people of resources necessary for survival. The extraordinary mortality crisis of the late victorian period was no acci-

dent. The historian Mike Davis argues that Britain’s imperial policies “were often the exact moral equivalents of bombs dropped from 18,000 feet.”

Our research finds that Britain’s exploitative policies were associated with approximately 100 million excess deaths during the 1881-1920 period. This is a straightforward case for reparations, with strong precedent in international law. Following World War II, Germany signed reparations agreements to compensate the victims of the Holocaust and more recently agreed to pay reparations to namibia for colonial crimes perpetrated there in the early 1900s. In the wake of apartheid, South Africa paid reparations to people who had been terrorised by the white-minority government.

History cannot be changed, and the crimes of the British empire cannot be erased. But reparations can help address the legacy of deprivation and inequity that colonialism produced. It is a critical step towards justice and healing.

Dr Jason Hickel is a Professor at the Institute for environmental Science and Technology (ICTA-UAB), visiting Senior Fellow at the London School of economics, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He is the author of The Divide and Less is More.

Dylan Sullivan is the graduate student in the Department of Political Economy at the University of Sydney.

Pakistan demands debt cancellation and climate justice

“WE WENT TO THE IMF FOR $1.1 BILLION, MEANWHILE, THE DAMAGE TO PAKISTAN’S ECONOMY IS AT LEAST $11 BILLION”

TANUPRIYA SINGH

Evenas the floodwaters have receded, the people of Pakistan are still trying to grapple with the death and devastation the floods have left in their wake. The floods that swept across the country between June and September have killed more than 1,700 people, injured more than 12,800, and displaced millions as of november 18.

The scale of the destruction in Pakistan was still making itself apparent as the world headed to the United nations climate conference COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, egypt, in november. Pakistan was one of two countries invited to co-chair the summit. It also served as chair of the Group of 77 (G77) and China for 2022, playing a critical role in ensuring that the establishment of a loss and damage fund was finally on the summit’s agenda, after decades of resistance by the Global north.

“The dystopia has already come to our doorstep,” Pakistan’s Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman told Reuters. By the first week of September, pleas for help were giving way to protests as survivors, living under open skies and on the sides of highways, were dying of hunger, illness, and lack of shelter.

Parts of the Sindh province, which was hit the hardest, including the districts of Dadu and Khairpur remained inundated until the middle of november. Meanwhile, certain areas of impoverished and predominantly rural Balochistan, where communities have been calling for help since July, waited months for assistance.

“Initially the floods hit Lasbela, closer to Karachi [in Sindh], so people were able to provide help, but as the flooding spread to other parts of Balochistan the situation became dire,” Khurram Ali, general secretary of the Awami Workers Party (AWP), told Peoples Dispatch. “The infrastructure of Balochistan has been neglected, the roads are damaged, and dams and bridges have not been repaired.”

The floods precipitated a massive infrastructural collapse that continues to impede

IN A JULY REPORT BY THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAM, 5.9 MILLION PEOPLE IN BALOCHISTAN, KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, AND SINDH PROVINCES WERE ALREADY ESTIMATED TO BE IN THE “CRISIS” AND “EMERGENCY” PHASES OF FOOD INSECURITY BETWEEN JULY AND NOVEMBER 2022

rescue and relief efforts—more than 13,000 kilometers of roads and 439 bridges have been destroyed, according to a november 18 report by the national Disaster Management Authority (nDMA), Pakistan.

Speaking to Peoples Dispatch in September, Taimur Rahman, secretary-general of the Mazdoor Kissan Party (PMKP), said that the government had been “unable to effectively provide aid on any large scale, or to ensure that it reached where it was supposed to go.” This has also led to the emergence of profiteering, as gangs seize aid from trucks and sell it, Rahman added.

In these circumstances, left and progressive organizations such as the AWP and PKMP have attempted to fill the gaps by trying to provide people with basic amenities to survive the aftermath of this disaster.

CASCADING CRISES

On September 17, the WHO warned of a “second disaster” in Pakistan—“a wave of disease and death following this catastrophe, linked to climate change.”

The WHO has estimated that “more than 2,000 health facilities have been fully or partially damaged” or destroyed across the country, at a time when diseases such as COvID-19, malaria, dengue, cholera, dysentery, and respiratory illnesses are affecting a growing share of the population. More than 130,000 pregnant women are in need of urgent health care services in Pakistan, which already had a high maternal mortality rate even prior to the floods. Damage to the agricultural sector, with 4.4 million acres of crops having been destroyed, has stoked fears of impending mass hunger. In a July report by the World Food Program, 5.9 million people in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh provinces were already estimated to be in the “crisis” and “emergency” phases of food insecurity between July and november 2022. At present, an estimated 14.6 million people will be in need of emergency food assistance from December 2022 to March 2023, according to the United nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Malnutrition has already exceeded emergency threshold levels in some districts, especially in Sindh and Balochistan.

not only was the summer harvest destroyed but the rabi or winter crops like wheat are also at risk, as standing water might take months to recede in some areas, like Sindh. Approximately 1.1 million livestock have perished so far due to the floods.

This loss of life and livelihood has taken place against the backdrop of an economic crisis, characterized by a current account deficit and dwindling foreign exchange reserves. Then came the International Monetary Fund (IMF). As part of its attempt to resume a stalled $6 billion bailout program with the fund, Pakistan’s government imposed a hike in fuel prices and a rollback on subsidies in mid-June.

“The conditions that the IMF placed on us exacerbated the inflation and cost of living crisis,” explained Rahman. “They imposed on Pakistan tax policies that would try to balance the government’s budget on the one hand, but on the other really undermine the welfare of the people and cause such a catastrophic rise in the cost of living that it would condemn millions of people to poverty and starvation.”

By the end of August, the IMF had approved a bailout of more than $1.1 billion. By then, Pakistan’s consumer price index had soared to 27.3 percent, the highest in nearly 50 years, and food inflation increased to 29.5 percent year-on-year. By September, prices of vegetables were up by 500 percent.

“We went to the IMF for $1.1 billion, meanwhile, the damage to Pakistan’s economy is at least $11 billion,” said Rahman. The figure for the damages caused due to the floods now stands at $40 billion, according to the World Bank. “The IMF keeps telling us to lower tariff barriers, to take away subsidies, to liberalize trade, make the state bank autonomous, to deregulate private capital and banking, and to balance the budget,” he added. “The ax always falls on the most vulnerable,” Rahman said. “Over half of the budget, which in itself is a small portion of the GDP, goes toward debt repayment, another quarter goes to the military and then there’s nothing left. The government is basically bankrupt.”

“The advice of the IMF is always the same—take the state out, let the private mar-

THE FUND HAS NOW IMPOSED EVEN TOUGHER CONDITIONS ON PAKISTAN TO FREE UP $3.5 BILLION IN RESPONSE TO THE FLOODS, NOT NEARLY LARGE ENOUGH TO ADDRESS $30 BILLION WORTH OF ECONOMIC DAMAGE. THE CONDITIONS INCLUDE A HIKE IN GAS AND ELECTRICITY PRICES AS WELL AS CUTS IN DEVELOPMENT SPENDING

ket do what it does. Well, look at what it has done: it has destroyed Pakistan’s economy. … Imposing austerity at a time when Pakistan is coping with such massive floods and the economy is in freefall is the equivalent of what the British colonial state did during the Bengal famine—it took food away.”

Pakistan will be forced to borrow more money to pay back its mounting debt, all while IMF conditions hinder any meaningful recovery for the poor and marginalized. The fund has now imposed even tougher conditions on Pakistan to free up $3.5 billion in response to the floods, not nearly large enough to address $30 billion worth of economic damage. The conditions include a hike in gas and electricity prices as well as cuts in development spending.

It is in this context that activists are demanding a total cancellation of debt, and climate reparations for Pakistan.

THe GLOBAL nORTH MUST PAY

Between 2010 and 2019, 15.5 million Pakistanis were displaced by natural disasters. Pakistan has contributed less than 1 percent to global greenhouse gas emissions, but remains at the forefront of the climate crisis.

Delivering the G77 and China’s opening statement at COP27, Pakistan’s Ambassador Munir Akram emphasized, “We are living in an era where many developing countries are already witnessing unprecedented devastating impacts of climate change, though they have contributed very little to it…” “enhanced solidarity and cooperation to address loss and damage is not charity—it is climate justice.” In its February report, the Un Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change acknowledged that “historical and ongoing patterns of inequity such as colonialism” have exacerbated vulnerability to climate change. Yet, even as the Global South faces an existential threat, the Global north actively impedes efforts toward redressal.

“Reparations are about taking back [what] is owed to you,” environmental lawyer Ahmad Rafay Alam told Peoples Dispatch. “As the climate crisis grows… this discourse [of reparations] is going to get stronger. It’s not just going to come from Pakistan, we will hear it from places like Afghanistan where people don’t have the in-

frastructure and are freezing in the winter… We’ll hear it as the Maldives and the Seychelles start sinking.” While this struggle plays out globally, there is also justifiable anger within Pakistan over the government’s failure to prepare for the crisis, especially in the aftermath of the deadly floods of 2010.

“everyone anticipated that this monsoon would be disastrous, and the national Disaster Management Authority had enough time to prepare,” Ali said. “However, there is nothing you can find that [shows what] the nDMA did to prepare for these monsoons. In fact, they do not even have a division to take precautionary measures.”

Holding the government accountable for its lack of preparedness, which might have contained the damage, is crucial, Alam said. However, given the sheer scale of the impact of the climate crisis on the Global South, talking about adaptation has its limitations. As Alam stressed—“There is just no way you can adapt to a 100-kilometer lake that forms in the middle of a province.”

Activists are drawing attention to infrastructure projects the state is pursuing, and how they put the environment and communities at risk. “As reconstruction takes place it is important not to repeat the mistakes of the past,” Alam said. “The projects that are affecting riverbeds and other sensitive areas are the development projects themselves,” Ali said. He pointed out that development often takes place on agricultural or ecologically sensitive land such as forests, adding to the severity of future crises.

“It is a very dangerous situation now because imperialist profit-making is devastating the climate, affecting regions that are already maldeveloped. We are living under semi-feudal, semi-colonial conditions in Pakistan, with a strong nexus between the imperialist powers and the capitalists, all making money off our misery,” Ali stressed.

“We have no other option but to fight these forces; there is no other option but a people’s revolution.”

This article was produced in partnership by Peoples Dispatch and Globetrotter.

Tanupriya Singh is a writer at Peoples Dispatch and is based in Delhi.

BETWEEN 1880 TO 1920, BRITISH COLONIAL POLICIES IN INDIA CLAIMED MORE LIVES THAN ALL FAMINES IN THE SOVIET UNION, MAOIST CHINA AND NORTH KOREA COMBINED

CounterPunCh

corporate corner

Naval Chief visits turkiye, GermaNy, azerbaijaN

KARACHI Staff RePoRt

PAKISTANNavy informed on Saturday that Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi visited Turkiye, Germany and Azerbaijan.

OGDCL-sponsored students graduated from IBA Karachi

According to PN information, during the visits the Naval Chief called on military and naval leadership of host countries. Matters of bilateral naval collaboration and regional maritime security were deliberated during the meetings.

iSLaMaBaD: Under the Oil & Gas Development Company's National Talent Hunt Program another batch of students have completed their graduate studies at the Institute of Business administration (IBA) Karachi. Studies of these students were sponsored by the Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL). The batch which was consist of 15 students were awarded degrees in the disciplines of Business Administration, Accounting & Finance, Mathematics, Economics, Computer Science, Economics, and Mathematics. MD/CEO OGDCL Mr. Khalid Siraj Subhani along with Executive Director Services OGDCL met the OGDCL-sponsored graduating students ahead of the graduation ceremony and congratulated them for their hard work and success at IBA. Several OGDCL-sponsored graduate students are currently serving at high positions at prominent public, private and social sector organizations such as Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), Philip Morris, Daraz, In-driver, and IRD Pakistan. Similarly, some of the graduated students are self-employed and earning a handsome livelihood for their families. In 2016, OGDCL and IBA Karachi signed an agreement for the OGDCL Talent Hunt Program to offer an opportunity to needy and underprivileged students with rural backgrounds for three batches. Since then, 205 students have attended orientation sessions under the supervision of highly qualified Faculty of IBA resulting in the admission of 27 students at IBA Karachi in four-year undergraduate programs. Along with hundreds of other students, students graduated under OGDCL sponsored talent hunt program were also awarded degrees during the IBA Karachi convocation ceremony on Saturday. PR

Beach Cleaning Campaign 2022

Under CSR, and Suzuki Motor Corporation “Clean-up the World Campaign” ‘Beach Cleaning Campaign’ is carried out on Friday 02nd December, 2022 at Seaview Clifton, the purpose was to create awareness about the importance of environment protection and Marine Life conservation among public. Beach Cleaning Activity by Pak Suzuki has started back in 2012 and here today, this is our 7th attempt at Clifton Beach in collaboration with Cantonment Board Clifton. While addressing the media, Mr. Masafumi Harano, MD & CEO of Pak Suzuki said, Pollution at our beaches is a serious concern as garbage endangers the marine life and our beaches; we should not throw garbage openly. He further deliver the message to all that “Don’t trash, then you do not need to clean”. PR

CSR, a program organized by Rashid Valley Gallery and Movenpick Hotel

During visit to Turkiye, Naval Chief attended the launching ceremony of Pakistan Navy MILGEM Class Corvette PNS KHAIBAR, held at Istanbul Naval Shipyard Turkiye. Prime Minister of Islamic Republic of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif and President Republic of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan graced the ceremonies as Chief Guest. During the ceremony, Begum Chief of the Naval Staff,

Begum Amira Amjad had the honour to launch state of the art PNS KHAIBAR.

Upon arrival at German Federal Ministry of Defence, Chief of the Naval Staff received a warm welcome and Guard of Honour by German Navy. Naval Chief called on Inspector of German Navy wherein matters of mutual interest were brought into discussion. Later, Naval Chief visited Wilhemshaven Naval Base where he was given briefing on German Navy Flotilla followed by visit of German Navy Ship.

Later on arrival at Baku, Naval Chief received Guard of Honour from host Navy. Naval Chief called on Cdr Azerbaijan Naval Forces and Minster of Defence Colonel General ZakirHasanov. The Naval Chief invited host navy to participate in Ex AMAN23 and Pakistan International Maritime Expo and Conference (PIMEC-23) to promote Blue Economy and open vistas of cooperation among the countires. Later, Chief of the Naval Staff visited Military Unit & Azerbaijan Higher

Probiotics are a safe cure for many gastrointestinal diseases: Medical Experts

LAHoRe PR

Pakistan’s leading paediatricians say probiotics are useful in the treatment of rotavirus and in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. The medical professionals were speaking at Sanofi Probiotics Summit 2022.

Probiotics are healthy bacteria that help relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and alleviate digestive discomfort and other related complications. The human body contains about one kilogram of both good and bad bacteria. Probiotics help good bacteria to develop a strong immune system to fight the bad bacteria.

Pakistan’s leading paediatricians Dr Abdul Ghaffar Billoo, Professor Dr Huma Arshad Cheema, Professor Dr Iqbal Memon and Professor Dr Sajid Maqbool gave comprehensive presentations on the uses and benefits of probiotics.

Dr Abdul Ghaffar Billoo (Sitara-e-Imtiaz) Paediatric Endocrinologist said, “Probiotics are safe and help in curing jaundice and preventing child mortal-

ity. It can be used to destroy microflora by using probiotics, which is a constellation of harmful microorganisms living in a human body.”

Dr Iqbal Memon, Head and Professor of Pediatric Dept. Sir Syed College of Medical Sciences, Karachi. President APPA [Asia Pacific Pediatric Association] said, “Probiotics help replace the good bacteria if healthy bacteria are lost due to antibiotics’ usage. The quality of probiotics is extremely important to ensure the adequate number of viable bacteria are present throughout the

product’s shelf life.”

Probiotics occur in food and are often considered a nutrient. Once they enter the gut, Probiotics consume food in the human body and deny the same for bad bacteria. Some fibres and yogurt are good examples of probiotics and have been most effective in controlling diarrheal disorders. Specific probiotics should be prescribed for different diseases.”

Prof. Emeritus Huma Arshad Cheema, Chairperson Pakistan Pediatric Association Gastroenterology and Hepatology Group, Member Task force on genetic diseases in Pakistansaid, “Probiotics are beneficial in boosting immunity in adults and children alike and should be maintained to fight the bad bacteria and are beneficial in curing diarrhoea.”

The day and a half long discussions focussed on the benefits of quality probiotics and the importance of choosing the right probiotic for the right patient. The benefits of probiotics were discussed at length, but the speakers and participants agreed that daily use was unnecessary, and its usage must be monitored by the doctor.

Sharjeel congratulates Waqar Mehdi on election as Senator unopposed

KARACHI PR

Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has congratulated Waqar Mehdi for being elected as senator unopposed and also thanked MQM Pakistan for withdrawing its candidates. In his statement, he said that it is the continuation of the reconciliation policy of President Asif Ali Zardari.

' Pakistan People's Party has majority in Sindh

Assembly and Waqar Mehdi could have won easily,' he said , But the vision of the leadership of Pakistan People's Party is to take everyone together. The provincial minister said that the Pakistan People's Party has brought it's another political worker to the Upper House of Parliament today.

He called it the victory of Pakistan People's Party workers. He said that Pakistan People's Party is a party of workers, laborers and marginalized segment of society.

Pirzada emphasizes incorporating technological advancement in field of disability

Staff RePoRt

Karachi: The respective management of Rashid Valley Gallery and Movenpick Hotel hosted a CSR reception to hand over a check of Rs 715,000 to Dr. Abdul Bari Khan, the CEO of Indus Hospital. General Manager Khurram Raman Awan, Artist Abdul Rasheed, CEO of Indus Hospital Colonel (Rtd) Dr. Abdul Bari Khan also spoke, while Hotel Deputy General Manager Jahangir Baig, Director Sales, and Marketing Mansoor Ahmed, and others are also present. Well-known calligraphic artist Abdul Rasheed held an exhibition of his painting at Movenpeak Hotel, all the proceeds will be spent on the welfare of the Indus flood victims under the CSR program. Said, artist Abdul Rasheed, however, I was offered by the hotel management that why not organize the exhibition under the (CSR) project, so I supported this good work, and all my paintings sold here. It was decided to give the income which was Rs 7 lakh 15 thousand to Indus Hospital. Management of Movenpick Hotel. Khurram Rahman, the general manager of the hotel said that the hotel management continues to carry out pre-social responsibility programs with various organizations so that we can also contribute to humanity and today's event is a link in this chain and the hotel The administration will continue to participate fully in such programs in the future. PR

Directorate General of Special Education, Ministry of Human Rights, celebrated the International Day for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) here at National Library, Islamabad on Saturday.

Federal Minister forHuman Rights Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada graced the occasion as Chief Guest. The event was glorified with the active participation of Persons/Children with Disabilities, teachers and therapists working for the disability, NGOs, Social Workers, Religious scholars, Civil Society and representatives of Ministry of Human Rights.

The Federal Minister was delighted at celebrating this day by Directorate General Special Education and appreciated the performance of PWDs. He talked about on the current year theme of international day for PWD’s, “Transformative solutions for inclusive development: The role of innovation in fueling an accessible and equitable world”.

Due to the current technological advancements in the 21st century, every field of life has changed which has equally swap the life of PWD’s. The

Minister emphasized on the incorporation of technological advancement in the field of disability to make a PWDs and CWDs inclusive and participative society.

He said Persons with Disabilities, that make 10 to 15 percent of our total population, are the pre-

cious asset of this country, if they are provided with better opportunities of education and rehabilitation; they can prove themselves even better than the persons without disability.

They have proved in every field of life from sports to professional skills and have brought pride to the nation and Pakistan in the world. Government of Pakistan is facilitating the Persons with Disabilities and will further enhance the resources for the improvements in the disability related issues.

At the end of the event, the Chief Guest commingled with the special children and other participants of event. Sheikh Azhar Sajjad, Director General of Special Education, in his welcome address, said that the Directorate General of Special Education and its affiliated Institutes are engaged in rehabilitation, education and trainingof Persons/Children with Disabilities.

The graduates of these prestigious institutes are giving their due contribution in all fields of life. The Director General said that, this institution is contributing in the training and capacity building of the professionals, teachers and supporting staff in the field of Special Education.

He emphasized the need of technological advancements and their incorporation for educational and rehabilitative needs of Children with Disabilities (CWDs). At the event, Children with Disabilities showed their hidden and special talent by performing the different tableaus/plays, delivered speeches and entertained the participants with their performance.

Military School and interacted with the concerned faculty. The visit of Naval Chief is ex-

pected to augment and expand defence ties between the two countries in general and Armed Forces in particular.

ISLAMABAD

Malik Aamir Salam, Chairman Corporate Relations Committee

MAP Lahore, being presented souvenir by Rana Suhail and others of SA Corporation at IGATEX. PR

RussIa Rejects oIl PRIce caP agReed By eu, g7

KYIV, UKRAINE Agencies

RUSSIAon Saturday rejected a $60 price cap on its oil agreed by the EU, G7, and Australia, which Ukraine said would contribute to the destruction of Russia’s economy.

“We will not accept this price cap,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told domestic news agencies, adding that Russia, the world’s second-largest crude exporter, was “analyzing” the move.

The $60 oil price cap will come into effect on Monday or soon after, alongside an EU embargo on maritime deliveries of Russian crude oil.

The embargo will prevent seaborne shipments of Russian crude to the European Union, which account for twothirds of the bloc’s oil imports, potentially depriving Russia’s war chest of billions of euros.

Kyiv welcomes the price cap, which stops countries from paying more than $60 a barrel for Russian oil deliveries by tanker vessel and is designed to make it harder for Russia to bypass EU sanctions by selling beyond the European Union at market prices.

“We always achieve our goal and the economy of Russia will be destroyed, and Russia itself will pay and be responsible for all crimes,” Ukraine’s presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak said on Saturday.

The Kremlin also said Russian President Vladimir Putin would “in due time” visit the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, which he claims to have annexed. But Peskov gave no indication of when this could happen.

Israeli police kill Palestinian as violence surges in West Bank

WEST BANK AFP

Israeli police shot dead a Palestinian Friday in the occupied West Bank, in an incident described by the force as a stabbing and by a Palestinian official as a quarrel. Israeli police said its border guards were approached by several suspects in the town of Huwara when one “pulled out a knife and stabbed one of them”. The guards “responded by shooting one suspect and neutralising him,” police said in a statement, before confirming to AFP the Palestinian was killed.

There are regular patrols by Israeli forces through the town of Huwara, which straddles the main road south of Nablus in the northern West Bank.

A member of the Huwara municipality, Wajeh Odeh, told AFP the shooting followed “a quarrel”.

“An Israeli soldier pushed the Palestinian to the floor and shot him from zero distance,” Odeh said. Heavily-armed border guards were deployed along the street following the incident, according to an AFP journalist at the scene. The Palestinian Red Crescent told AFP its medics “were prevented from dealing with a wounded person who was later declared dead”.

Israeli police said one of its officers suffered minor injuries. The shooting marks the ninth Palestinian killed since Tuesday in the West Bank, mostly in clashes with or raids by Israeli forces. In one incident, a man was shot dead after running over a soldier in an alleged car ramming. The recent surge in violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has alarmed the international community.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Ned Price reiterated that the United States was “deeply concerned” by the violence in the West Bank.

– Limit funds for the ‘war machine’ –

Poland had earlier refused to back the price cap over concerns the $60 ceiling was too high but confirmed its agreement on Friday evening.

Yermak noted a cap of “$30 would have destroyed it (the Russian economy) more quickly”.

The market price of a barrel of Russian Urals crude is currently around $65 dollars, just slightly higher than the $60 cap, indicating the measure may have

only a limited impact in the short term.

The G7 said it was delivering on its vow “to prevent Russia from profiting from its war of aggression against Ukraine, to support stability in global energy markets and to minimise negative economic spillovers of Russia’s war of aggression”.

The White House described the cap as “welcome news” that would help limit Putin’s ability to fund the Kremlin’s “war machine”. Russia has threatened not to deliver to countries that adopted the measure. The G7 and Australia said they were prepared to ajust the price ceiling if necessary.

Russia has earned 67 billion euros ($71 billion) from the sale of oil to the European Union since the start of the war in February.

Its annual military budget amounts to around 60 billion, noted Phuc-Vinh Nguyen, an energy expert at the Institut Jacques-Delors in Paris.

The EU embargo on seaborne deliveries follows a decision by Germany and Poland to stop taking Russian oil via pipeline by the end of 2022.

In all, more than 90 percent of Russian deliveries to the European Union will be affected, according to the bloc.

US unveils high-tech B-21 stealth bomber

PALMDALE AFP

The United States on Friday unveiled the B-21 Raider, a hightech stealth bomber that can carry nuclear and conventional weapons and is designed to be able to fly without a crew on board.

The slickly choreographed ceremony at B-21 manufacturer Northrop Grumman’s facility in Palmdale, California opened with the US national anthem as older bombers roared over a crowd that included top US officials.

Dramatic music played and lights flashed as the doors of a hanger holding the new aircraft slowly opened, and the crowd applauded as the cloth covering it was pulled away to reveal a sleek grey bomber that is on track to cost nearly $700 million per plane.

“The B-21 Raider is the first strategic bomber in more than three decades. It is a testament to America’s enduring advantages in ingenuity and innovation,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in remarks at the ceremony.

Many specifics of the aircraft are being kept under wraps, but the plane will offer significant

advances over existing bombers in the US fleet, which Austin highlighted in his remarks.

He hailed its range — “no other long-range bomber can match its efficiency” — and its durability, saying it is “designed to be the most maintainable bomber ever built.”

Like the F-22 and F-35 warplanes, the B-21 features stealth technology, which minimizes an aircraft’s signature through both its shape and the materials it is constructed from, making it harder for adversaries to detect.

“50 years of advances in lowobservable technology have gone into this aircraft,” Austin said. “Even the most sophisticated air defense systems will struggle to detect the B-21 in the sky.”

The plane is also built with an “open system architecture,” which allows for the incorporation of “new weapons that haven’t even been invented yet,” he said. Amy Nelson, a fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank, told AFP ahead of the unveiling that the B-21 is “designed to evolve.”

‘American air power’

“The ‘open architecture’ allows for the future integration of

improved software (including for autonomy) so the aircraft doesn’t become obsolete as quickly,” she said.

“The B-21 is much fancier than its predecessors — truly modern. Not only is it dual-capable (unlike the B-2), which means it can launch nuclear or conventionally armed missiles, it can launch long- and short-range missiles,” Nelson said.

Not mentioned during the ceremony was the plane’s potential for uncrewed flight. US Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek told AFP the aircraft is “provisioned for the possibility, but there has been no decision to fly without a crew.”

The first flight by a B-21 — “the backbone of our future bomber force” — is expected to take place next year, and the Air Force plans to buy at least 100 of the aircraft, Stefanek said.

Northrop Grumman said six of the planes are currently in different stages of assembly and testing at its facility in Palmdale.

The bomber will be a key part of the US “nuclear triad,” which consists of weapons that can be launched from the land, air and sea.

Iran state body reports 200 dead in protests as President Raisi hails ‘freedoms’

TEHRAN Agencies

President Ebrahim Raisi on Saturday hailed Iran’s Islamic Republic as a guarantor of rights and freedoms, defending the ruling system amid a crackdown on antigovernment protests that the United Nations says has cost more than 300 lives.

A top state security body, meanwhile, said that 200 people, including members of the security forces, had lost their lives in the unrest, a figure significantly lower than that given by the world body and rights groups.

The protests, in their third month, were ignited by the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini in the custody of morality police enforcing strict mandatory hijab rules.

The demonstrations have turned into a popular revolt by furious Iranians from all layers of society, posing one of the boldest challenges to the clerical leadership since the 1979 revolution.

Unfazed by the brutal crackdown, protesters have raised slogans against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and repeatedly demanded an end to the Islamic government.

The authorities blame the revolt on foreign enemies, including the United States, Saudi Arabia and Israel.

“Iran has the most progressive constitution in the world” because it marries “ideals with democracy”, Raisi said in a speech to parliamentarians, quoting an unidentified African lawyer he said he met several years ago.

“The constitution guarantees the [existence] of the Islamic system,” he said, adding that it also “guarantees fundamental rights and legitimate freedoms.”

The judiciary’s Mizan news agency quoted the interior ministry’s state security council as saying 200 people lost their lives in the recent “riots”.

Amirali Hajizadeh, a senior Revolutionary Guards commander was quoted as saying on Monday that 300 people, including security force members, had been killed in the recent unrest.

Javaid Rehman, an UN-appointed independent expert on Iran, said on Tuesday that more than 300 people had been killed in the protests, including more than 40 children.

Rights group HRANA said that as of Friday, 469 protesters had been killed, including 64 minors. It said 61 government security forces had also been killed. As many as 18,210 protesters are believed to have been arrested.

A prominent Baluch Sunni Muslim cleric, Molavi Abdolhamid, has called for an end to the repression of protests through arrests and killings, and a referendum on changing Iran’s government system.

“The people’s protest has shown that the policies of the last 43 years have reached a dead end,” he said in late November.

China-Japan defense hotline to start next spring; expected to benefit regional stability

MiAn AbrAr

A defense hotline between China and Japan is expected to be launched next spring, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi revealed on Tuesday. Chinese observers said the move can avoid escalation of tensions if miscalculation or other frictions happen between the two sides in their maritime and air relations.

Given that the two Asian powers have been at odds over some hot-button issues involving the East China Sea, the Diaoyu Islands and the South China Sea, Hayashi told a press conference that operating the hotline between Japanese and Chinese defense authorities will “play an extremely important role in building confidence and avoiding unexpected contingencies,” Kyodo News reported.

“We will continue discussions with the Chinese side toward the realization” of the hotline, Hayashi said, according to Kyodo.

The Kyodo News noted that Hayashi’s

remarks came after a meeting of leaders of state in Bangkok earlier this month in which an early start of the hotline was agreed upon.

On November 22, China and Japan held the 14th round of consultations under the highlevel consultation mechanism on maritime affairs, during which the two sides acclaimed the performance of the defense sector’s maritime and air liaison mechanism and the important progress in the launch of a direct telephone line under the mechanism. They also confirmed that they would follow up on the subsequent work at a faster pace for early completion and launch of the telephone line, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Japan and China launched the maritime and aerial communication mechanism in 2018, which aimed to increase mutual trust, manage differences and maintain peace and stability in the East China Sea area, according to the Xinhua News Agency. Despite the launch of the mechanism, the two sides have made little progress on the hotline during the past years, Kyodo News noted.

With the hotline, possible frictions and escalation of tension between the two sides in maritime and air affairs are expected to be avoided in a timely manner, which would also ease the tensions and warm the ties between China and Japan, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Since the first summit between the two Asian countries in almost three years took place on the fringes of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit earlier this month, the two countries have seen a series of positive signals in bilateral ties despite long-term differences on some sensitive issues.

Song also suggested that in the next step the two sides can strengthen exchanges in various fields, especially in non-traditional security fields, such as humanitarian relief, disaster prevention and mitigation, counterterrorism, and anti-piracy efforts.

If the two militaries can deepen their cooperation, it can stabilize the situation in the

Asian region and ease the tensions between the two countries, which would be in both countries’ interests, Song noted.

The expert urged Japan to adhere to the consensus reached during the meeting between the two leaders of state, adhere to the one-China principle, refrain from provoking

China on the Taiwan question and South China Sea issues, manage differences on the Diaoyu Islands issue, and stop colluding with the US under the so-called “Indo-Pacific Strategy” to contain China’s peaceful development, so as to push forward healthy and mutually beneficial ties with China.

ISLAMABAD

Pakistan 499-7 as England

kEEP hoPEs alivE for victory

RAWALPINDI staff report

Englandkept their hopes alive to pull off a win against Pakistan in the first Test as some late wickets on day three put them in a commanding position at Pindi Cricket Stadium Rawalpindi on Saturday. at stumps Pakistan was 499-7, still trailing by 158 in reply to England’s mammoth total of 657 all out.

There were three centurions for Pakistan as captain Babar azam (136), Imam-ul-Haq (121) and abdullah Shafique (114) hammered tons.

abdullah and Imam scored their third Test centuries off 177 (13 4s and 3 6s) and 180 (15 4s and 2 6s) balls respectively, taking their overnight opening stand from 181 to 225.

abdullah continued exhibiting his superb class as the right-hander now has scored three centuries and four fifties from eight matches, averaging 76.

Rawalpindi is also turning into a great venue for left-hander Imam as he has now scored each of his three Test hundreds to date on this ground.

The morning session belonged to England as they picked up three Pakistan wickets, including two openers and onedown batter azhar ali.

England got the breakthrough just under an hour into day three with abdullah attempting to cut a wide ball from Jacks leach away and edging it behind to wicketkeeper. Five overs later, Imam holed out off left-arm off-spinner Jacks leach just to find Ollie Robinson taking

lloris ‘honoured’ to equal thuram as france’s mostcapped player

DOHA afp

Hugo lloris said Saturday he was “honoured and very proud” at the prospect of equalling lilian Thuram as France’s most-capped player in the World Cup last-16 clash with Poland in doha. “It is no small achievement. I am really honoured at the figures and very proud, even if it is very much secondary to the fact that we are on the eve of the last 16 of the World Cup,” the France captain told reporters.

lloris is set to win his 142nd cap for his country and will therefore match the record held by former right-back Thuram whose own international career spanned 14 years and who was part of the France team that won the 1998 World Cup. The Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper, who turns 36 later this month, made his France debut in november 2008, just a few months after Thuram went into international retirement.

“In my eyes, this competition comes before anything else,” lloris insisted as the French team prepare to face Poland at al-Thumama Stadium. “I want to conserve all my energy for tomorrow (Sunday) because it’s going to be another battle.

“The record is something I will appreciate more once the competition is finished, and I hope it finishes in the best way possible.” lloris, who skippered France to victory at the 2018 World Cup, will return to the starting lineup against Poland after being rested for Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat by Tunisia in their final group game.

his catch at long-on. azhar was also pinned lbw by leach at 27. Close to lunch, Pakistan were 290-3. Babar, who was in excellent touch shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 123 with Saud Shakeel (37) as England endured a barren middle session. He then added 60 from 75 balls with Mohammad Rizwan, taking Pakistan away from the follow-on mark. He smashed 19 boundaries and a huge six.

around 40 minutes to stumps, Babar chopped Jacks to backward point. after that James anderson had Rizwan snared by Stokes at midwicket, while naseem Shah also handed over his catch at the same position as three wickets tumbled for 24 runs. at the end of the third day agha Salman and Zahid Mehmood were unbeaten on 10 and 1 respectively.

The match is the first Test in history where both opening partnerships shared double century stands (abdullah and Imam for Pakistan, Ben duckett and Zak Crawley for England), and four players scored tons. later in a post-match press conference, Imam said the pitch was wearing now. “It is keeping slightly low now and there will definitely be change in the last two days,” he said.

“We’ve have been going through such situations before so a lot will depend on the first session tomorrow,” he added.

Jacks, who picked up abdullah and Babar’s wickets said: “That wicket (Babar’s) was the game-changing moment.” He believed it was a great day for England bowlers as they grabbed seven wickets. “The match is in progress and the pitch will get more turn”, he added.

Argentina, Netherlands eye quarters as World Cup last 16 kicks off

on Saturday, with the americans aiming to advance to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2002.

australia takes on lionel Messi’s argentina in a david v goliath World Cup showdown while the United States look to ambush the netherlands as the World Cup knockout rounds get underway on Saturday.

after a group stage full of twists and turns, the business end of the tournament kicks off with 16 teams dreaming of plotting a path to the final in doha on december 18. The USa and the netherlands open the second round at the Khalifa Stadium

Coach gregg Berhalter’s USa squad booked their spot in the last 16 with a 1-0 win over Iran to secure second place in group B behind England. While the dutch possess the greater historical pedigree, reaching three previous World Cup finals, the USa head into the knockout rounds brimming with confidence.

“It’s a great opportunity, but it’s not something that we’re going into it thinking it’s an honour,” Berhalter said. “We deserve to be in the posi-

tion we’re in.”

The US face a dutch team who finished first in group a ahead of Senegal, Ecuador and Qatar without really showing their best form.

The netherlands’ veteran coach louis van gaal is wary of the threat posed by the energetic americans, describing Berhalter’s team as one of the best in the tournament.

“They have an excellent team, I would say even one of the best teams,” said Van gaal. “It’ll be a tough match but it’s nothing we can’t overcome. We also have a good team.

Improved Bangladesh ‘no cakewalk’, says India’s Rohit

DHAKA

agencies

India skipper Rohit Sharma said on Saturday his side’s month-long tour of Bangladesh will be “no cakewalk”, with several veterans returning to bolster the tourists’ ranks after a lacklustre run abroad. The three-match OdI series begins in dhaka on Sunday, with India also playing two Tests during their month-long visit.

all-format captain Rohit, 35, is returning after being rested for last month’s 50-over series in new Zealand, which they lost 1-0. “It’s going to be an exciting series,” Rohit told reporters in dhaka.

“They are playing in their own backyard so we expect them to challenge us in every bit — batting, bowling and fielding,” he said. “So we have to be at our best.”

India have a lifetime 30-5 lead over the hosts in 50overs matches but lost their last series tour of Bangladesh 2-1 in 2015. Rohit said Bangladesh have evolved into a “different team” since then and could be expected to put up a strong fight. “They are a very challenging team and we have not had easy wins against them,” he said. “By no means do we come here thinking it’s going to be a cakewalk for us.” Injuries have taken a toll on the hosts, with regular skipper Tamim Iqbal and in-form fast bowler Taskin ahmed both out.

West indian skipper kraigg Braithwaite stands in way of australia’s victory

PERTH agencies

australia need just seven wickets to claim victory in the first Test, but defiant West Indian skipper Kraigg Braithwaite stands in their way heading into the final day. With his team down and almost out as australia set the visitors an improbable 497 for victory in Perth, Braithwaite (101*) stepped up for the fight.

The opener survived a tense session after lunch with debutant Tagenarine Chanderpaul, frustrating an australian attack that took the field without injured skipper Pat Cummins due to a quad complaint.

“This has been fantastic for the West Indies,” Fox Cricket’s Michael Hussey said of the second session.

“I think the australians would have been cock-a-hoop at lunch time, declared, they were thinking: ‘let’s blast the West Indies away here, get a couple of early ones, put them under pressure’ but this opening pair –they are made of some serious stuff.

“great defence, great temperament. They just wear the bowling down – it’s brilliant to watch.” Brathwaite then brought up his first ever Test century against australia minutes out from stumps in jubilant scenes. aussie all rounder Cameron green had tried to step up in Cummins’ absence after lunch, and could have had Chanderpaul for 42 – but he was dropped by Mitchell Starc. The aussies didn’t have to wait long for Starc’s redemption after he got through Chanderpaul’s defences three runs later.

“They hatched a plan the australians and they reap the reward immediately,” Fox Cricket’s adam gilchrist said. “It’s been a wonderful start to his Test career … but the australians can regather and refocus. He couldn’t rein in that little aggressive streak he does possess.” Medical sub Shamarh Brooks, who came into the match after nkrumah Bonner was concussed while batting in the first innings, could only manage 11 before nathan lyon drew the edge. lyon took the last wicket just before stumps with Jermaine Blackwood (24) brilliant dismissed by a one-handed catch by Marnus labuschagne and short leg.

Josh Hazlewood was unlucky not to get on the scorecard, after he clipped the bails but they failed to dislodge and he had an lBW decision overturned on review. The paceman beat the edge repeatedly but couldn’t nab a wicket before the end of play.

“He’s in the middle of an outstanding spell, but he just hasn’t got the rewards just yet,” Hussey lamented.

“On another day, he could have picked up two or three really quickly. “It’s crazy how this game works sometimes – you can bowl beautifully and get no reward and other days you don’t bowl very well at all and you pick up wickets for fun.”

In good signs for australia, Cummins was able to return to the field late in the day but not eligible to bowl given the time he spent in the dugout. Whether he is able to bowl on Sunday remains to be determined.

Braithwaite (101*) and Kyle Mayers (0*) guided the visitors to stumps but still face another full day to bat to save the Test match. The West Indies have injury concerns of their own, with Kemar Roach, Kyle Mayers and Jayden Seales all restricted – with Roach even heading for scans on Saturday after pulling up lame.

Best still to come from World Cup favourites after shocks galore

DOHA afp

The World Cup in Qatar has already delivered plenty of major shocks but as it moves into the knockout phase the top contenders including Brazil and France have plenty to prove.

This is the first World Cup since the South africa tournament in 2010 in which teams from asia, africa and north america have all been represented in the last 16.

Brazil remain the favourites to claim a sixth World Cup and end Europe’s recent dominance on the global stage.

Tite’s side surely need neymar back from the ankle injury he suffered in the opening win over Serbia but they have a dazzling array of attacking talent beyond the world’s most expensive footballer.

They are usually rock-solid defensively, even though a side with nine changes to the starting line-up lost their final group game against Cameroon.

Brazil have not yet faced top opposition and will expect to cruise past South Korea on Monday, with Croatia or Japan then awaiting them in the quarter-finals.

a mouthwatering showdown with argentina in the semi-finals remains a possibility, with lionel Messi and his teammates recovering from their shock loss to Saudi arabia to beat Mexico and Poland.

If Messi’s team get past australia, they could find themselves up against the netherlands in the last eight, although the dutch must first overcome a tough United States team.

argentina came into the World Cup unbeaten in 36 games and with expectations high that they could win the trophy for a third time but coach lionel Scaloni has played down their chances.

“We are not favourites,” he insisted. “We are a difficult team to beat, a team that will fight, but to think that because we won (against Poland) we are going to be champions would be totally mistaken.”

and in Kylian Mbappe they have the most excit-

ing player in the competition.

didier deschamps’ side eased through their group, even fielding an unrecognisable line-up in their final defeat by Tunisia as regulars were rested. “We fulfilled our objective,” he said. “now we will recuperate because a second competition is about to begin.”

History is not on the side of a France team looking to become the first since 1962 to successfully defend the World Cup, and they are on a possible collision course in the last eight with England.

Spain, the joint-top scorers in the group stage with England on nine goals, are also on their side of the draw. Semi-finalists in 2018 and Euro 2020 runners-up, England are quietly growing in confidence.

“In Russia, we were just thinking, ‘Can we win a knockout game?’ now there is more confidence and more experience of knockout matches,” said England manager gareth Southgate.

Global Game: It was german great

Jurgen Klinsmann, part of FIFa’s technical study group analysing the tournament, who predicted that Qatar would produce shocks.

“If some of the kind of underdogs — maybe if it’s an african nation, if it’s an asian team — if they are courageous I think you can go far in this tournament,” he said.

The last-16 line-up does at least reflect the global nature of football.

Japan, who have never gone further than the first knockout stage, stunned germany and Spain and now have 2018 finalists Croatia in their sights.

South Korea have also qualified after a last-gasp winner against Portugal.

Qatar has also already been a good World Cup for africa, with two teams in the last 16, compared with none four years ago.

Senegal, who have overcome the loss of Sadio Mane, will face England, while a talented Morocco side are living up to their billing and will have the backing of many across the arab world when they play Spain.

DOHA agencies

The other side of the draw is weighted towards Europe, despite elimination for germany and Belgium.

Holders France are the team to beat

Pakistan demands increased security at kabul embassy after gun attack

ISLAMABAD/KABUL staff RePoRt

PAKISTANhas demanded the Taliban government of Afghanistan to “beef up the security of our embassy and its personnel” after Friday’s attack on the building in the capital of Kabul in which a senior diplomat escaped unhurt but one of his guards was critically wounded.

In a series of tweets, Muhammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, said: “Our top most priority is the security of members of our mission. First and foremost, the Afghan interim government will need to beef up the security of our embassy and its personnel.”

He assured the “government of Pakistan will also provide necessary resources to further enhance the security of our diplomats to ensure continued and effective discharge of duties by them in the most important foreign Capital for Pakistan”.

The attack on Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul comes at a time of rising tensions between the neighbouring countries. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif called the shooting an “assassination at-

tempt” against Pakistan’s representative in the country, in a tweet he posted.

The Foreign Office said in a statement that the assailants had failed to harm the head of mission, Ubaid ur-Rehman Nizamani, but shot and “critically injured” a Pakistan Army security guard, Israr Muhammad.

Sadiq said Muhammad “who took bullets on the chest” was “evacuated to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Peshawar last night by a special plane”.

He saluted Muhammad’s “extraordinary courage and devotion to duty” and wished him a speedy recovery.

Meanwhile, the United States also condemned the attack, telling reporters “we offer our sympathies and wish a quick recovery to those affected by the violence”.

The United States is “deeply concerned by the attack on a foreign diplomat and we call for a full and transparent investigation,” Price said.

The US chargé d’affaires for Afghanistan, Karen Decker, also condemned the attack on Nizamani in a tweet Saturday.

“Outraged at the attack on my diplomatic counterpart @PakinAfg, Ubaid Nizamani; I am grateful he is safe [and] wish a quick recovery to the brave

security guard who was injured. I join the call for a swift, thorough and transparent investigation,” Decker tweeted.

‘LONE ATTACKER’: An embassy official told AFP a lone attacker “came behind the cover of houses and started firing”.

Meanwhile, Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for Kabul police, said one suspect was arrested after security forces rushed to the embassy and stopped the ongoing firing.

He said details of the clearance operation would be shared later, disclosing that weapons were recovered.

Nizamani arrived in Kabul last month to take up the role at one of the few embassies that had remained operational throughout the period after the Taliban took over the country in August 2021.

The shooting comes a day after Pakistan demanded the Taliban prevent terrorist attacks being organised from their soil. Proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group, who are allied with their namesakes across the border and shelter in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing earlier in the week in Quetta that sent a wave of shock and anger across the nation.

Nelson Paint slapped with fine for deceptive claim of ‘anti-COVID-19’ paint

leading information.

Paint that keeps you safe from COVID-19? That may sound farfetched to you now, but at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, people were willing to try anything to keep themselves safe – including sterilising their groceries.

With little information and lots of panic there were all sorts of outlandish claims made – including by corporations and manufacturers. Many of them turned out to be false. One of them, according to a ruling in Pakistan, was the claim of Nelson Paint Pakistan Limited (Private) Limited which claimed that their product provided protection against COVID-19.

The ruling was made by the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) in an order on December 1st, which noted in its order that “The marketing practices of the respondent [Nelson Paint], when taken holistically, are to the prejudice and injury, not only of the consumers, but also to other businesses.” It had, hence, violated section Section 10 of the Competition Act, 2010, which protects the business interests of other undertakings, as well as, consumers from mis-

A two-member comprising the CCP Chairperson, Ms Rahat Kaunain Hassan and Mr Mujtaba Ahmad Lodhi, passed the order.

Nelson Paint was imposed with a token fine of Rs 10 million, with the bench saying it was keeping in view commitments made by the company that it has discontinued deceptive marketing practices and would not repeat any such activity in the future.

The order was to deter companies from engaging in deceptive marketing practices, most importantly where it relates to health or safety claims.

The bench also directed Nelson Paint to withdraw batches of the products that may have been sold or are still available in stock with distributors and to inform distributors or buyers regarding the inefficacy of its claims. Nelson Paint was strongly reprimanded to avoid deceptive marketing practices in the future.

Some of the facts in the case are startling.

The saga began when M/s Nippon Paints Pakistan (Private) Limited, a competitor of Nelson Paints, sent a formal complaint that the company was distributing false and misleading information to consumers through social media about their products.

The complainant cited two major claims that were allegedly violative of Section 10, i.e. “Nelson Extra Stainless (COVID-19 Protection)” and “Nelson Extra Klick Special Matt Enamel (COVID-19 Protection).”

Nelson Paint was alleged to have taken undue advantage of the prevalent health concerns at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and attempted to increase its sales through false slogans, it said.

Some question why it took a competitor to uncover this information, and where consumer protection groups and government authorities were on the matter. Indeed, the complainant was able to move against the alleged deceptive marketing practice by Nelson Paint because Section 10 of the Competition Act, 2010, protects the business interests of other undertakings, as well as consumers, from misleading information.

CCP initiated an inquiry to investigate the complaint.

During the inquiry, M/s. Nelson Paint contended that it manufactured the impugned anti-bacterial paint, which contains a substance called Benzalkonium Chloride (BKC) that provides protection against microbes and bacteria and the Products are duly checked by the Pakistan Coun-

cil of Scientific & Industrial Research Laboratories Complex (PCSIR). It further claimed that the antibacterial efficiency of its product was 99.9% and it has performed all necessary tests after the development of the products.

After analysing the findings of the inquiry and hearing the arguments of parties involved, the bench said in its order that BKC protects only against bacteria and microbes, not against viruses, in particular COVID19. Furthermore, the documents relied upon do not adequately mention the effective role of BKC in paint products, hence, it does not substantiate the alleged claim, i.e., protection from COVID-19.

The bench observed that there is a higher bar on undertakings making health claims and that they must substantiate their claims using competent and reliable scientific evidence.

This was not all. According to the order, it was found that a significant portion of the sale of the “protective paint” was made to a “hospital located in Karachi”. The sale of onethird of the quantity – about 100 gallons – was sold to the hospital on a 50% discount and purportedly as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.

US targets Pakistan over religious freedom, India escapes

ReuteRs

The United States has designated Pakistan, China, and Russia, among others, as countries of particular concern under the Religious Freedom Act over severe violations, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

Blinken in a statement said those designated as countries of particular concern — which also include North Korea and Myanmar — engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom.

Algeria, the Central African Republic, Comoros and Vietnam were placed on the watch list.

Several groups, including the Kremlin-aligned Wagner Group, a private paramilitary organization that is active in Syria, Africa and Ukraine, were also designated as entities of particular concern. The Wagner group was designated over its activities in the Central African Republic, Blinken said.

“Around the world, governments and non-state actors harass, threaten, jail, and even kill individuals on account of their beliefs,” Blinken said in the statement.

“The United States will not stand by in the face of these abuses.”

He added that Washington would welcome the opportunity to meet with all governments to outline concrete steps for removal from the lists.

Washington has increased pressure on Iran over the brutal crackdown on protesters. Women have waved and burned headscarves –mandatory under Iran’s conservative dress codes – during the demonstrations that mark one of the boldest challenges to the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution.

The United Nations says more than 300 people have been killed so far and 14,000 arrested in protests that began after the Sept. 16 death in custody of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini after she was detained for “inappropriate attire.”

United Nations experts have also called on majority Shi’ite Muslim Iran to stop persecution and harassment of religious minorities and end the use of religion to curtail the exercise of fundamental rights.

The Baha’i community is among the most severely persecuted religious minorities in Iran, with a marked increase in arrests and targeting this year, part of what the UN experts called a broader policy of targeting dissenting beliefs or religious practices, including Christian converts and atheists.

The United States has expressed grave concerns about human rights in the western Chinese region of Xinjiang, which is home to 10 million Uyghurs.

Rights groups and Western governments have long accused Beijing of abuses against the mainly Muslim ethnic minority, including forced labour in internment camps.

The United States has accused China of genocide. Beijing vigor-

ously denies any abuses. The other countries designated as countries of particular concern were Cuba, Eritrea, Nicaragua, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

army ready to fight back enemy if war imposed: cOas

rAWALpINDI staff RePoRt

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir Saturday said Pakistan’s armed forces are ever ready, not only to defend every inch of our motherland but to take the fight back to the enemy if ever, war is imposed on us.

According to the military’s media wing Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir visited frontline troops in Rakhchikri Sector of Line of Control (LOC). On the occasion, the COAS was briefed on the latest situation along with LoC and operational preparedness of the formation. The COAS interacted with officers and soldiers and appreciated their high morale, professional competence and combat readiness while performing their duties in challenging conditions.

Gen Asim Munir said: “We have noticed highly irresponsible statements from Indian leadership on GB & AJK recently. Let me make it categorically clear, Pakistan’s armed forces are ever ready, not only to defend every inch of our motherland but to take the fight back to the enemy, if ever, war is imposed on us.” The COAS said any misconception resulting in a misadventure would always be met with the full might of Pakistani armed forces backed by a resilient nation.

“Indian state will never be able to achieve her nefarious designs.” The world must ensure justice and deliver what is promised to the Kashmiri people as per UN resolutions, COAS concluded. Earlier, on arrival, Lieutenant General Shahid Imtiaz, Corps Commander Rawalpindi received the COAS.

dutch masters end american dream to reach World cup quarter-finals

staff RePoRt

A clinical Netherlands ended the United States’ World Cup dream on Saturday, sweeping into the quarter-finals with a ruthless 3-1 victory. First-half goals from Memphis Depay and Daley Blind and a late strike from Denzel Dumfries sealed a deserved victory as the Dutch handed out a painful lesson in finishing to their American opponents. The Netherlands, bidding to win their first World Cup after losing in three previous finals, will face Argentina or Australia in the last eight. “We always want to improve and, since the start of the tournament, it’s been getting better and better with each game,” Dutch manager Louis van Gaal said. “I was very critical at half-time. We were in the lead 2-0… However we suffered in the first half, we were dispossessed so often and that’s not acceptable at a World Cup.

“If you play like that against top countries you won’t make it.” Van Gaal’s men were worthy victors in Saturday’s last-16 clash at the Khalifa International Stadium.

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The US Religious Freedom Act of 1998 requires the president — who assigns the function to the secretary of State — to designate as countries of particular concern states that are

deemed to violate religious freedom on a systematic and ongoing basis. The act gives Blinken a range of policy responses, including sanctions or waivers, but they are not automatic.

DOHA

prOfIT repOrT shahzad PaRacha

WASHINGTON