Epaper_22-12-10 KHI

T I P s u r v e y r e v e a ls P o l I c e r e m a I n m o s T c o r r u P T d e P T I n Pa k I s Ta n

g EDUCATION CLIMBS TO 4TH RUNG OF CORRUPTION LADDER SINCE 2021

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE s ta f f r e p o r t

THE National Corruption Perception Sur vey (NCPS) 2022 on Fr day revealed that po ice rema ned top of the corruption chart n Pakistan folowed by tender ng & contracting judiciar y, and education which cl mbed to 4th s nce the last poll carried out in 2021 These are the find ngs of Transparency International Pakistan’s (TIP) Nat onal Corruption Perception Sur vey (NCPS) 2022

The NCPS 2022 released on Friday also showed no confidence in ant -corruption entities including National Accountability Bureau (NAB) At the national leve , ma or ty of people considered anti-corruption watchdogs ro e as ineffective in curbing the menace n the countr y, the report said key FiNdiNgs oF The NCPs 2022:

The provinc al breakdown of the three most corrupt sectors reveals the following:

In Sindh education rema ned the most corrupt sector, po ice was seen as the 2nd most corrupt, while tendering and contract-

ing was the 3rd most corrupt In Punjab, pol ce remained the most corrupt sector tendering and contracting were seen as the 2nd most corrupt, while the judic ar y was the 3rd most corrupt

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the judic ar y remained the most corrupt sector, tendering and contracting was seen as the 2nd most corrupt, while the police department was the 3rd most corrupt In Baloch stan tendering and contracting remained the most corrupt sector, police

were seen as the 2nd most corrupt, wh le the judiciar y was the 3rd most corrupt

At the national eve the majority of 45% of people considered anti-corrupt on institutions’ ro e as ineffect ve n curbing corruption in Pakistan In Sindh 35% of Pak stan s cons dered the NAB’s role as effect ve in curb ng corrupt on In Punjab (31%) KP (61%) and Ba ochistan (58%) Pakistanis cons dered the role of “ none of the anti-corruption inst tutions” to be effective n curbing corruption in Pakistan Pakistanis continued to be ieve that corruption in public ser vice del ver y is high Acc o r d i n g t o t h e c i t i z e n s t h e t h r e e m o s t c o r r u p t p u b l i c s e r v i c e s f o r w h i c h p e o p l e h a v e t o p a y b r i b e s a r e c o n t r a c t s o f r o a d s ( 4 0 % ) , a c c e s s t o u n i n t e r r u p t e d e l e c t r i c i t y ( 2 8 % ) a n d a c c e s s t o c l e a n d r i n k i n g w a t e r ( 1 7 % ) I n S i n d h Pu n j a b a n d B a l o c h i s t a n maintenance of roads tops the list of public ser vice de iver y perceived by the citizens to be the most corrupt While n KP the major ty of citizens (47%) consider access to uninterr u p t e d e l e c t r i c i t y t o b e t h e m o s t c o r r u p t publ c ser vice deliver y

F T o j u m p s i n t o o i l s e e d s a g a ; r e c o m m e n d s s h i p s b e r e l e a s e d

PR OfIt REPORt a h m a d a h m a da n i

In the latest twist in the saga of soybean seeds stuck at Port Qasim the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has thrown their hat into the ring, recommend ng that the nine ships stuck in Karachi be released within the next week because of the problems being faced by the poultr y sector

Nine consignments of soyabean seeds have been stuckup at Port Qasim for a few days now, with the f rst two of the consignments arriving back on the 20th of October The FTO had taken suo-moto not ce of the issue after the Directorate of nteligence and Investigation (I&I) Customs, Karachi and Depart-

ment of Plant Protection (DPP) held the sh pments In early November, a reliable source in the the Plant Protect on Department (DPP) of the Ministr y of Food Secur ty and Research said the shipment had been stopped over the issuance of a certif cate by the ministr y of c imate change As time went on more shipments joined the two original shipments As the shipments continued to languish, the confus on between the food secur ty min str y and the m n str y of c imate change reached a crescendo near the end of November At least six vessels containing va uable o lseeds important for Pak stan’s food secur ty cont nue to be stuck at Port Qasim amid amb gu ty and confusion Three more have now arr ved tying up oilseeds vital to

edible oi and pou tr y feed worth nearly $300 million

On Thursday, the FTO office held a detailed hear ng on the case at the FTO Secretariat wherein off cials of the Revenue Div s on; Ministr y of Food Security and Research; secretar y M n str y of Climate Change; director general Directorate General of Intell gence and Investigation-Customs; Chief Customs (F&C) Federal Board of Revenue, and Pakistan Poultr y Association were in attendance The FTO heard the v ewpoint of al the stakeholders and issued a release order in this regard on Friday and sought a compliance report within seven days

During the course of hearing the D rectorate of Intelligence and Investigation (l&l) Customs categorica y conveyed to the

FTO that the agency has not stopped the imported consignments but only passed on the information to the concerned Department of Plant Protection (DPP) and asked DPP to ensure that any hea th hazard materia should not be c eared under the name of imported soybeans And the poultr y industr y advocated consequences of nonavailability of imported feed i-e soybean seeds, say ng there is no a ternative of soybean or soybean meal for the poultr y feed and further delay in clearance of the imported consignments would resu t in a severe shortage of chicken and eggs in the countr y while the pou tr y farms wil have to shut down their operations across the countr y

ISLAMABAD

s ta f f r e p o r t

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday appreciated the fabulous teamwork by the National Flood Response and Coordinat on Center (NFRCC) and other institutions for relief and rehabi itation of mil ions of distressed flood-hit people across the countr y, by ut lizing all avai able resources

The prime min ster address ng a ceremony held to acknowledge the efforts by the NFRCC and others during the flood rel ef operations apprec ated the leadership of Planning M nister Ahsan Iqbal and NFRCC head Major General Zafar Iqbal

He said the Center had made efforts for the suffering flood-h t people who had ost around 1700 of their dear ones, houses and crops to the floods which also damaged the road and power supply infrastructure

He sa d many villages had lost road connectivity but the Pak stan Army, Pakistan Navy Pak stan Air Force National Disaster Management Authority, provincial authorit es and governments carried out the uphill task of supplying ration to the stranded people and restoring their access

The prime minister partic-

ularly appreciated the ro e of former NDMA Chairman LtGen Akhtar Nawaz, Climate Change Minister Sherr y Rehman, Poverty A leviat on Minister Shazia Marri F nance M nister Ishaq Dar and provincial chief ministers

He also spoke high of the remarkable ob by Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb for high ghting the catastrophic situation within Pakistan as well as internat ona y by capturing the “critical moments ” which impacted nternationa viewers

The pr me minister said as the government had a model before it which required mmed ate imp ementation to save Pakistan as much as possib e from any future catastrophic s tuat on and enhance the countr y ’s preparedness to cope with the disasters

He told the gathering that Pakistan was r ch w th mmense natural resources like Reko Diq and others n Northern Areas Sindh and Pun ab

He said Reko Diq had huge reser voirs of copper and gold to the tune of billions of do lars but despite the passage of severa years, the countr y could not dig out even a “ k lo” of gold or copper and instead lost bi lions of do lars in terms pena ties fees and tribunal expenses

As a sa d Bilawal

SINGAPORE ag e n c i e s

Foreign M nister B lawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday urged the world to develop a fresh look towards Pakistan and move away from its stereotypical image “As a young po it cal leader, I strongly fee that the wor d needs to have a fresh look at Pakistan, away from its stereotypical mage B lawal told The Strait Times before h s maiden trip to Singapore Pak stan’s top diplomat told the Singapore-based publication that there are many opportunities n Pakistan await ng the world ” However, he sa d that the f rst step for mak ng use of those opportunities is to ift the travel advisories against Pakistan

I strongly feel that the wor d needs to look at us more ob ect vely, as a prom sing emerging market said the Bilawal He highlighted Pakistan s young popu at on and the countr y ’s fastestgrowing midd e class Ties WiTh A seAN

One of the industries that were mentioned by the foreign minister was the

Pakistani e-commerce market He to d the publ cation that based on data from German research firm Stat sta, the countr y s e-commerce market is pro ected to generate US$7 67 billion in revenue in 2022 Along with this he highlighted that Pakistan has multiple freelancers who are providing ser vices in IT, telecom, ecommerce data analytics financ al ser vices, music, and health

“ Singapore and other A SEAN countries outsource many IT-re ated activities and financial ser v ces and can benefit immensely from our young talent

On the vis t Pak stan s top d p omat stressed that ties with A SEAN countries are a prior ty for Islamabad He added that Islamabad s seeking to upgrade its partnership w th the regional b oc into a full dialogue partnership “ Some recent nitiat ves of A SEAN are of great interest to Pak stan which we believe are bound to un ock immense trade and investment opportunities for emerg ng economies inc uding Pakistan We be ieve our start-up and fintech ecosystem can contr bute a great deal by connecting with South-east

The foreign m nister told the Singapore publication that in the context of A SEAN Pakistan p aces great importance on ts relations with Singapore

He h ghlighted that Pak stan was among the first countries to recogn se S ngapore after independence, and how the Pakistan expatr ates have contributed to the countr y ’s development in its ear y years Bi awal pointed out how the two nations have exchanged highleve visits in the past, inc uding former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew s visits to Pakistan in 1988 and 1992 and former premier Benazir Bhutto’s v sit n 1995

Over time we lost the momentum in our bilateral relations said B lawal adding that he was coming to Singapore to rev ve that momentum and intensify our bilatera exchanges Pakistan is keen to strengthen this relationship in all dimensions

MeeTiNg WiTh PResideNT hAliMAh

During h s visit Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called on President Halimah Yacob today

In the meeting enhanced en-

gagement and mutually benefic a cooperation were discussed while the foreign min ster shared Pak stan’s desire to intensify cooperation with A SEAN the Foreign Office said in a statement

TioN iN PAkisTAN

In the meanwhile, Foreign Minister Biawa Bhutto Zardari on Friday visited the Asia Pacif c headquarters of Meta (Facebook), based in Singapore, where he launched the Stars Programme for monetization in Pakistan

This will contribute to the capacity build ng of young entrepreneurs as a va uable tool for Pakistan’s growing number of Meta content developers

g P M S H E H B A Z S AY S P R O S P E R I T Y N OT

P O S S I B L E W I T H O U T E R A D I C AT I O N O F C O R R U P T I O N I N A L L F O R M S

P T I g o v T M o s T T r A n s PA r E n T I n c o u n T r y ’ s H I s T o r y : FAw A d

iSLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

PA K I S TA N Tehreek-e-Insaf

(PTI) Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry said that the PTI government was the most transparent government in the history of Pakistan, as the imported government imposed on the nation through “regime change operation” exercised all options to find any corruption scandal but all these efforts proved

Mammoth-sized eagle ‘Queen of Eastern Hemisphere’ dies

LAHore

S ta f f R e p o R t

The South Asian region s mammoth-sized female imperial eagle ‘Queen of the Eastern Hemisphere’ expired at the East Continental Falconry Pakistan on Friday Dr Fraz Mian, a spokesperson for the Falconry, told APP on Friday that the three to four years old prime-sized bird held top scores of falconry genera, prominence, figure celebs and aesthetics to its credit He said that royal bird s illustrious sized tarsus farflung wing span, outlying wing chord, excellent talon, preeminent head size, far stretching hallux claw and far pervasive were the features that distinguished it from its contemporary birds He claimed that no bird of its size was currently found in falconries of the region including Afghanistan India Sri Lanka Nepal etc He said the outstanding bird, titled ‘Queen of the Eastern Hemisphere’, was a captive imperial, which died at the aviary of East Continental Falconry Dr Fraz Mian said that the East Continental Falconry is dedicated to retaining the rare species the unusual bloodlines and the distinct heritage of eagles falcons hawks and harriers It is one of the prime falconries of the region, dreamt up and maintained by Prof Dr Aurangzeb Hafi of Gujranwala, who is a multi-disciplinary researcher of postdoctoral studies in Asia East Continental Falconry & Aviary Pakistan is part of Aurangzeb Hafi’s Ornithology Research Initiative It is the prime and foremost explorative observatory of ornithology in South Asian region Last year, Prof Hafi was chronicled amongst ‘Top of the Top 10 extravagantly towering silhouettes, who were shortlisted out of 1 6 million notables from over 190 countries by the ‘Impact Hallmarks [IH]’

Ashrafi urges world to do justice to Palestine, Kashmir

iSLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Minister ’s Special Representative for Interfaith Harmony and Middle East Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi has urged the world to do justice to Palestinians and Kashmiris Addressing the World Islamic Forum in Moscow the other day Ashrafi who is also the chairman of Pakistan Ulema Council said Islam commanded interfaith dialogue which was needed by the world at this time He said Pakistan s Ulema Mashaykh and religious scholars were giving the message of peace, security and moderation in the light of ‘Message of Pakistan and Charter of Makkah-tul-Mukarrama to the world He said extremism and terrorism were being associated with Islam in order to mislead the Muslim young generation on the globe adding that Islam was free from all such crimes He said the way oppression was being done with the innocent people of Kashmir and Palestine it invited the Muslims to spread the message of Islam with more force and power to let the world know that Islam was the religion of peace Ashrafi said Ulama, Mashaykh and government of Pakistan supported interreligious dialogue at all levels and they had given the message to the entire world through ‘Message of Pakistan that peace and security could be achieved through mutual dialogue

Lucky

in exercise of futilities

PTI Senior Vice President said on Friday that the regime change operation went wrong as it caused no good but mayhem and destruction He said that PTI’s workers should be proud of their party’s government, which was one of the best and most transparent government in the history of the country

Fawad Chaudhry said that after four years, the opponents used all force but only found two scandals against PTI Chairman Imran Khan one was that he sold

his watch, while the other that he traveled in helicopter along with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) He stated that the even PTI Chairman built a road on the amount received from the sale of the watch

Talking about the Riko Diq settlement, Fawad said that granting stamp of approval by SC to the Riko Diq was another milestone of PTI government after FATF Reacting to Rana Sanaullah’s outbursts, Fawad Chaudhry mocked that Rana was facing a rat like situation” who fell into a drum of wine and when he came

out and screamed Where is the cat? He said that they would also come to Islamabad, but they made a deliberate decision to avoid Colombo like situation in Islamabad He said that they wanted to impose martial law but Imran took a prudent decision and adopted peace

L a s h i n g o u t a t t h e ‘ R e g i m e C h a n g e O p e r a t i o n ’ F a w a d C h a u d h a r y s a i d t h a t t h e P I D s u r v e y c l e a r l y r e f l e c t e d t h a t t h e i m p o r t e d g o v e r n m e n t r u i n e d t h e c o u n t r y a s t h e s u r v e y s h o w e d t h a t 4 0 p e r c e n t o f people living in urban areas of Pakistan were willing to go abroad

Similarly Fawad Chaudhry said that 36 percent of people from rural areas wanted to leave the country and go to a good country

He said that if the leadership of the institutions woke up, they would come to know that the distance between the people and the institutions has increased so much that people preferred to leave the country PTI Senior Vice President said that the decisions made in the closed rooms were not acceptable to the public

CPEC a strategic projec t having economic, logistics, connec tivity value, says President

security needs of the buying countries

President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday said that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor was a strategic project having economic, financial logistics and connectivity value for Pakistan and China as well as regional and other countries

The president in a meeting with Chinese Ambassador in Pakistan Nong Rong, who called on him, at Aiwan-eSadr said Pakistan would welcome other countries to partner and benefit from this project

He said that full operationalization of CPEC and the planned Special Economic Zones (SEZs) was an important milestone and urged the Chinese IT sector to invest in SEZs and benefit from Pakistan’s cost-effective human resources, liberal investment regime, cyber data protection policy and tax incentives

During the meeting, the president emphasized the need to fully operationalize road linkages between China and Gwadar port in all weather conditions, around the year, to fully utilize their capacity and achieve their fullest potential

He further said that Pakistan had taken tangible steps to ensure the safety and security of Chinese workers and nationals who were contributing to the

development of various strategic projects

President Alvi said that Pakistan was learning from the steps taken by the Chinese leadership to bring millions of people out of poverty and provide health facilities at the grassroots level by adopting out-of-box solutions which multiplied the quality and efficiency of human resources and led China towards progress and prosperity

He also made a special reference to the Chinese Barefoot doctors who were trained and equipped with the necessary skills and tools in a record period of six months and played a pivotal role in improving the health indicators of China

While referring to the meeting of the higher leadership, the president said that during these meetings, the friendship and

cooperation in the economic, financial, communication, trade and investments were further strengthened

He appreciated that sizeable progress had been made to complete the already commissioned projects, launch new projects and move forward the ML-1 project to put the country on a fast trajectory of development

The president said that in the current changing world scenario, China had assumed great importance in the region where Pakistan was a close partner of China to pursue peace and stability in the region

He said that close cooperation between the two countries in marketing JF-17 Aircraft in the world market would help in expediting the export of state-ofthe-art fighter aircraft and meet the

The president appreciated the investment by the Chinese company in a garment factory in Lahore, which was producing garments for internationally reputed brands The factory was established in a record period of 5 to 6 months and had started the exports of value-added products and is earning substantial foreign exchange

He also emphasized the need for scaling up this facility and copying the project in other regions of the country as well President Alvi encouraged the Chinese companies to set up their outlets and manufacturing plans for semiconductors in Pakistan and benefit from the trained and cost-effective human resources tax incentives and other benefits offered by the Government of Pakistan

The president also appreciated the continuous financial and economic support and assurances of President Xi Jinping and said that it would help bring financial stability to the country

He also appreciated the project undertaken by the Chinese company to launch the Safe City Project in Lahore which would provide the city with a much-needed secure environment

The Chinese ambassador conveyed greetings of the Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang to the president

D ar for robust roadmap to c urb cross-border smuggling

iSLAMABAD

S ta f f R e p o R t

The Inter-Ministerial meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar here Friday, reviewed the economic situation; current mechanism of foreign currency and wheat and urea smuggling Various measures were discussed in order to strengthen antismuggling regime during the meeting said a press statement issued by the Finance Ministry

The meeting was attended by Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar; Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Finance, Tariq Bajwa, SAPM on Revenue, Tariq Pasha, Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Secretaries of Finance and Interior Chairman Federal Board of Revenue, DG FIA, DG I&I Customs Senior officers from finance division and intelligence agencies also participated in the meeting On the occasion, the finance minister highlighting the economic situation in the country stressed upon the need of coordination among all the necessary platforms for this purpose He further emphasized the relevant authorities to devise a robust and proactive road map to

buyback to improve the Earnings Per Share (EPS) of the company C o m pa n y b a C k g r o u n d

The

buyback

mentioned,

The

Extraordinary General

(EGM)

LUCK has bought back a total of 1,588,000 or 15 8% of its intended 10 million ordinary shares

The share buyback period started on September 29 and will go on till March 27, 2023 LUCK expects the

Lucky Cement Limited was formed in 1993 and is the star company of the Yunus Brothers Group (YBG), one of the biggest business conglomerates in Pakistan The YBF also has diversified interests in textiles, building materials, real estate, power generation, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, electronics, FMCG, and philanthropy

Lucky Cement is the largest producer of Cement in Pakistan and remains one of the country s leading exporters of cement W h at a r e s h a r e b u y b a C k s

Share buybacks are one of the ways for companies to use their excess cash As a previous Profit article

According

their

reserves

At the time of the buyback approval given in the EGM on September 20, LUCK was trading at Rs 492

The share price touched a high of Rs 517 on October 5th but since then, in spite of regular buybacks starting October 11th, the share price has only kept on falling

A t t h e t i m e o f c l o s i n g o n D e c e m b e r 9 t h , L U C K was trading at Rs 453 This suggests that the market has not yet responded to the share buyback of LUCK Nevertheless, since almost 85% of the share buyback is yet to happen, we might see LUCK rebound in the next few months

curb the cross-border smuggling of various items in order to bring economic and financial stability in the country

participants thanked and appreciated the minister for taking appropriate and active measures for tackling the current economic situation and ensured

support for ensuring smooth and sustainable economic growth, the statement added The participants appreciated the Finance Minister for taking appropriate and active measures to tackle the current economic situation and ensured their support for ensuring smooth and sustainable growth

Prime

iSLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

s A n A u l l A H A s Ks I M r A n , s H A H z A d A K b A r

T o A P o lo g I z E T o n AT I o n

He said that Imran Khan was not even in a position of giving clarification about the accusations he was facing He said that Farah Gogi was facing corruption allegations of Rs12 billion, adding that Al-Qadir Trust and Toshakhana were big stories of corruption

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, he said that negative tactics were used to harm the Sharif family’s repute He also called upon people to recognize such faces which go to any extent for their vested interest, adding that the PTI chairman caused an irreparable loss to the country through his actions

Rana Sanaullah said that negative propaganda was created over moneylaundering issue, but no charges were proven

against any member of the Sharif family He said that even Britain s National Crime Agency (NCA) closed the investigation against Shehbaz Sharif after failing to find any evidence He said that Imran Khan had been exposed fully in Toshakhana case adding that all receipts submitted to the courts by him proved to be fake

He said that the National Accountability Ordinance 1999 law had been improved, so that it might not be used in future for political victimisation The interior minister claimed a decision had been taken at the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Punjab level to actively contest the Punjab Assembly election, and preparations in this regard had been launched

With regard to the party’s election campaign, Rana Sanaullah said the party had divided the nine divisions of Punjab into three regions, adding that committees had been formed to meet the party leaders and nominate two candidates in each

constituency within two weeks

He said, “The committees will consist of senior PML-N parliamentarians They will meet the sitting MPAs and those interested in contesting the election They will visit every constituency and finalise two candidates from each constituency within two weeks ”

He said that then the committees would forward their recommendations to the party leadership, who would make a decision on the candidacies

He said that Imran Khan tried his best i n t h e l a s t s e v e n m o n t h s t o c r e a t e i n s t a b i l i t y i n t h e c o u n t r y a n d c h a l l e n g e d the PTI chief to implement his decision of dissolving the [Punjab and KP] assemblies and stop giving dates He said the PML-N w a s r e a d y t o d e a l w i t h a n y p o l i t i c a l situation The interior minister said that the n e x t e l e c t i o n s i n P u n j a b w o u l d c l e a r a l l doubts of Imran Khan

TIP sur vey reveals Police remain most corrupt dept in Pakistan

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The three most important causes of corruption, according to NCPS 2022 are delayed decisions in corruption cases (31%), use of state institutions by governments for their gain (26%) and incompetence of the government (19%) In Sindh (43%) and Punjab (29%), citizens consider the “use of state institutions by governments for their personal gain as the most potent reason for corruption in Pakistan While KP (43%) and Balochistan (32%) consider delay in decisions of corruption cases” as the main reason for corruption in Pakistan

05: As measures to curb corruption 33% of Pakistanis at the national level say corruption should be punishable by life imprisonment and 28% of Pakistanis say all government officials, politicians, military officers, judges etc should disclose their assets to the public, and 25% say corruption cases should be heard in NAB, FIA and anticorruption courts on daily basis and decided in 6 months

In Sindh, 39% of citizens believe that to curb corruption, corruption cases should be heard in NAB, FIA and anticorruption courts daily and decided in 6 months In Punjab (32%) and KP (38%) citizens feel that corruption

should be punishable by lifetime imprisonment to combat corruption While in Balochistan, 33% of citizens opine that to control corruption, the government should immediately make it mandatory for all government officials, politicians, military officers, judges, etc, to disclose their assets to the public

The survey also sheds light on the devastating floods of 2022 and the need for transparency and accountability in the utilisation of funds and response to floods At the national level, about 62% of Pakistanis considered the role of local NGOs as effective and better during the recent floods in 2022

Large population of Pakistanis (70%) believes that the funds/aid were not distributed transparently during the recent floods in Pakistan and 60 % of Pakistanis believe that the donations and relief operations of the NGOs working in flood relief activities should be more transparent Overwhelming population 88% of the population believes that details of donations and expenditures of all NGOs should be publicly available on their websites

Significant portion of the population (77%) finds it difficult to obtain public information from public bodies under Right to Information laws The

Pakistan determined to uphold shared objectives of sco: Tarar

iSLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar Friday called for joint action by Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states to ensure rule of law for a peaceful stable and prosperous region “Pakistan remains committed to uphold the shared objectives of SCO for promotion of cooperation in the field of law and justice ” He was addressing the 9th Ministers of Justice meeting of the SCO held virtually here in Islamabad on Friday The Minister said adherence to the principles of supremacy of law and accountability are inevitable for sustainable economic growth Azam Nazeer said Pakistan is also determined to achieve the objectives of the SCO Development Strategy until 2025 including strengthening of regional and bilateral cooperation Mentioning Pakistan’s progress in the area of forensic science activities, the Law Minister highlighted the formation of State of the Art, Punjab Forensic Science Agency and several prefabricated satellite forensic evidence collection units in the country He said Lahore Garrison University has started building first of its kind Digital Forensic Research and Service Centre He said this conference provides us a platform for sharing our knowledge and experiences in the field of Forensic Science for the development of our legal and justice system Azam Nazeer Tarar vowed that Pakistan will continue to extend its full support and cooperation in achieving the objectives of the SCO in the field of law and Justice The conference was addressed by the Justice Ministers of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan Uzbekistan India and Pakistan

provincial breakdown reveals that in Sindh (87%), Punjab (83%), KP (71%) and Balochistan (68%) citizens face difficulty when it comes to accessing public information from government departments Majority of Pakistanis (64%) say that Pakistan has not benefited from the IMF agreement dated 12th May 2019

At the national level, 54% of citizens believe that the news channel’s reporting is biased p m u r g e s n e e d t o r e m o v e C o r r u p t i o n : Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif tied the country s turnaround to the eradication of corruption in all its forms, calling the menace a major cause of instability as it was not only undermining the economy but also the administrative structure

The premier also underscored the need for doing away with the practice of using corruption as a tool for political victimisation He said that the previous government jailed political opponents on the basis of frivolous corruption allegations

“This practice should be ended so that anti-corruption institutions may strengthen by performing truly for the elimination of corruption without being misused,” he commented

He said the deterioration of social

values also gave way to corruption in any society

PM Shehbaz said the corruption not only risked the flow of money into the hands of miscreants to disrupt the country s peace but also led to the weakening of national institutions creating public mistrust in governance

He said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government always took practical steps to eradicate corruption The ratio of corruption witnessed a downward trend during the party’s government from 2013-18 Moreover, no one could prove the corruption of a single penny by the PML-N government which executed projects of billions of dollars under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

He also urged all the political circles to prepare a clear roadmap to get rid of corruption He said in light of Islamic principles, efforts should be made for strengthening the institutions to do away with the scourge “We will have to ensure rule of law besides social protection as well as social values

“All of us will have to work collectively for a corruption-free Pakistan Only this way, Pakistan will be able to achieve progress On this International Anti-Corruption Day, let us pledge to realise this dream,” he urged

FTO jumps into oilseed saga, recommends ships be released

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According to the FTO s five recommendations, the federal government should give immediate written directions to the Secretary, M/o Climate Change under Rule 27 of the Biosafety Rules, 2005, to issue approval of deliberate release on one time basis as a special case under the provisions of Rules 20(2) of ibid on provision of assurance and undertakings from the importers/complainant and relevant stakeholders Similarly, on issuance of a one-time deliberate release order from M/o Climate Change, under Rule 20(2) of the Biosafety Rules 2005 the DG DPP Karachi to issue release orders of the nine stuck-up consignments of soybeans seeds at Port M Qasim, Karachi Likewise, Collector Collectorate of Customs Port M Bin Qasim Karachi, on receipt of Release Order from DPP,

Karachi, immediately processed the GDs (goods declarations) of the stuck-up consignment of soyabean and issued out of charge orders on a one-time basis, securing the stuck-up revenue as per law AS per FTO findings, this situation needs to be immediately resolved inter alia to save the much precious foreign exchange paid by Pakistani importers to the tune of millions of US$ as 110 million has already been remitted while the remainder US$ 335 million is committed through established LCs, in addition to the cost of cargo, the delay is causing the importers around US$ 40,000 per day vessel, which totals to amount US$ 360,000 per day in vessel demurrage, to avoid poultry products shortage and to avoid an apparent immense escalation of eggs and poultry products prices which are used by the people of Pakistan as economical but good quality protein source in their diet

He said that preparations had been launched to give a warm welcome to Mian Nawaz Sharif on his return in the country He said that committees would be formed at the union council level to welcome Nawaz Sharif “The PML-N workers, under the union council name and banner would reach Lahore to welcome Nawaz Sharif,” he added He said, “We want assemblies to complete their constitutional tenure as we believe in democracy ”

To a question, he said that general election would be held on time but if assemblies of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab were dissolved, election would be held in 90 days

He said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had talked about charter of economy in the larger interest of the country but the PTI chief had never taken it seriously He said when Imran Khan was levelling baseless corruption allegations against PMLN leadership, he himself was also committing corruption at that time

To a query he said that FIRs [first information reports] against Azam Swati and Shahbaz Gill were not registered on political basis To another question he said if Suleman Shehbaz extended his support to the PML-N in politics, it would be a good addition for the party

securit y plan finalized for Pak-England test match in Karachi

KArACHi

The security arrangements for the third cricket test match between Pakistan and England to be played in Karachi were finalized in a meeting held at the Pakistan Rangers Sindh headquarters on Friday The meeting was presided over by Director General Pakistan Rangers Sindh Major General Azhar Waqas according to spokesman for Sindh Rangers The meeting reviewed and finalized the security plan for the cricket match and overall security situation of the megalopolis was also discussed in the meeting The Additional Commissioner Karachi, Joint Director General Intelligence Bureau, Additional Inspector General of Police – Karachi, Additional IGP Special Branch, Deputy IGPs of Counter Terrorism Department and all zones, security and anti-corruption officials of Pakistan Cricket Board, senior officials of Rangers, Police and other agencies attended the meeting

of flood sur vivors

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He said the country would not be able to get rid of poverty unless it pursued the course as advised by founder Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the recent floods were the biggest climate disaster of modern history which affected the poorest of the poor regions He said Prime Minister Shehbaz himself visited the flood-ravaged areas and the relevant institutions made coordinated efforts from the top to the city administrations He said the hard work and collaborative efforts enabled the country to contain the scale of destruction like deaths consequent to the feared outbreak of diseases due to stagnant water Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has appealed to the people to support the government which is working on priority basis to rehabilitate the flood victims In a tweet on Friday, he said winter season has added to the miseries of flood hit people and providing shelter to them has become a huge challenge The Prime Minister said we must not leave our sisters, brothers, children and elders alone in this difficult time He thanked Menzies Aviation Group and SPARS Group for their donation of 100 houses for the victims in Tank

Tanveer lauds PM’s initiatives for tolerance in society in line with Islamic teachings

iSLAMABAD

Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Rana Tanveer Hussain praised the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on his initiatives towards creating a tolerant society in line with the teachings of Islam

He was chairing the launching ceremony of addition of supplementary reading material on animal rights module in curriculum for young children here on Friday

The Minister said this material would help young children adopt respectful behaviour towards animals He said awareness about animal rights at such a young age would foster animal rights champions in our society

He said the purpose of this initiative is to inculcate moderation in our society He said it is in line with the teachings of Islam as well

The Minister said the book covers basic concepts of animal rights, different forms of abuse and neglect,

Islamic principles of animal care and legal aspects of animal rights

It also includes strategies to ensure the protection of animals He emphasized that animal rights have been previously neglected in our society and like climate change it is of imperative importance that its awareness amongst the children of our nation is incorporated as they are the leaders of tomorrow

On the instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training has developed a Supplementary Reading Material (SRM) highlighting basic information on animal rights for young children

In anticipation of World Animal Rights Day, that is celebrated on 10″ December every year, material on Animal Rights for children was launched on Friday by the Federal Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Rana Tanveer Hussain

In the ceremony Rana Tanveer Hussain was briefed

that National Curriculum Council (NCC) has developed Supplementary Reading Material (SRM) on Animal Rights to be printed by the National Book Foundation (NBF)

Initially one thousand (1000) copies are to be printed immediately for sharing among the primary school students from selected schools of Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), Islamabad

At the end, Rana Tanveer Hussain praised the Prime Minister of Pakistan on his initiatives towards creating a tolerant society in line with the teachings of Islam Furthermore, Secretaries of all the provinces were taken on board to implement the same curriculum at provincial level as well Secretary Federal Education and Professional Training Aamir Ashraf Khawaja, Additional Secretary Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry, Dr Mariam Chughtai Director NCC, Salman Sufi, Head Prime Ministers Strategic Reforms Unit and Secretaries Education of all provinces also attended the ceremony

LAHore S ta f f R e p o R t

IN T E R I O R Minister Rana Sanaullah on Friday demanded Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Shahzad Akbar to apologise to the nation for using negative tactics to facilitate the British newspaper Daily Mail for publishing an article against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

PM speaks highly of nFrcc, others role in relief, rehab

P O l I t I C A l , e C O n O m I C S tA B I l I t y l I n K t O

I n S t I t u t I O n S W O R K I n g W I t H I n l I m I t S : FA z l

JA M I AT Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said Friday that a [reasonable] political and economic situation in the country was possible if all the institutions worked within their constitutional limits

Any change in the attitude of institutions should be in line with the Constitution It shouldn’t be like ‘I’m neutral and I’m not neutral’,” he stated while addressing a reception held in his honour by Balochistan High Court (BHC) in Quetta

“Everyone has to work together to restore peace in the country so that economic goals could be achieved The JUI as per its manifesto, considers every province the owner of its resources,” he pointed out

“In order to save the state of Pak-

istan the rights of small provinces have to be accepted Peace is indispensable for national stability A comprehensive policy has to be formulated to make Pakistan stand on its own feet,” he stressed It is practically impossible to create

World should stop India from HR abuses in IIOJK: Pirzada

ISLAMABAD

Minister for Human Rights Riaz Pirzada on Friday reiterated Pakistan’s call to the world community to stop India from its blatant human rights violations in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) Addressing a news conference along with PM Advisor on Kashmir Affairs Qamar Zaman Kaira regarding the International Human Rights Day on 10th December, the minister said that India should immediately stop gross human rights violations while withdrawing its troops from IIOJK and lift all restrictions imposed here He expressed the resolve that Pakistan would continue its support with the Kashmiri people who are facing Indian atrocities

Addressing the news conference Qamar Zaman Kaira said that the world must fulfill its responsibility to uphold the sanctity of law and human rights in the Indian Occupied Kashmir and Palestine He said Pakistan stands steadfast with its Kashmiri brethren and will raise voice at all international forums

Federal Board unveils HSSC Par t-I results of second annual exams

ISLAMABAD s ta f f r e p o r t

F e d e r a l B o a r d o f I n t e r m e d i a t e a n d S e c o n d a r y E d u c a t i o n ( F B I S E ) o n F r i d a y a n n o u n c e d t h e r e s u l t s o f t h e s e c o n d a n n u a l e x a m i n a t i o n s o f I n t e r m e d i a t e P a r t - 1 f o r t h e y e a r 2 0 2 1 - 2 2 A c c o r d i n g t o t h e d e t a i l s , t h e o v e r a l l s u c c e s s r a t e w a s 7 3 4 5 p e r c e n t C h i e f g u e s t , C h a i r m a n F e d e r a l B o a r d o f I n t e r m e d i a t e Q a i s e r A l a m , c o n g r a t u l a t e d a l l t h e s u c c e s s f u l s t u d e n t s I n t h e y e a r 2 0 2 1 - 2 2 , t h e e l e v e n t h c l a s s r e g u l a r e n r o l l m e n t i n t h e b o a r d w a s 4 3 , 1 9 7 , o u t o f w h i c h 3 1 2 5 7 p a s s e d t h e e x a m s w i t h a r a t i o o f 7 3 8 7 p e r c e n t

H o w e v e r, t h e e n r o l m e n t o f e x - p r i v a t e s t u d e n t s w a s 9 3 8 , o u t o f w h i c h 2 0 9 s t u d e n t s p a s s e d t h e e x a m s , w i t h a s u c c e s s r a t i o o f 2 3 3 0 %

S i m i l a r l y, t h e t o t a l a n n u a l e n r o l l m e n t o f t h e b o a r d w a s 4 4 , 1 3 5 i n t h e 11 t h c l a s s o u t o f w h i c h 3 1 , 4 6 6 s t u d e n t s p a s s e d e x a m s

T h e r e s u l t i s a v a i l a b l e o n F B I S E w e b s i t e a n d s t u d e n t s c a n a l s o c h e c k t h e i r r e s u l t s b y s e n d i n g t h e i r r o l l n u m b e r s b y S M S t o 5 0 5 0

a new social contract The international institutions have taken away the political and economic liberties of the people The Holy Quran is the greatest guarantor of human rights The world powers have set the standard of democracy according

to their own likings,” he emphasised We had already decided the apolitical role of the army In our opinion, all citizens of Pakistan are equal The announcement of becoming neutral is good to feel, but it needs implementation he said

“In the past, India’s attitude was cooperative, but that is not the case anymore Pakistan is economically weak and therefore, it is not capable of fighting a war,” he maintained

“The army is an institution of the country, [and] we do not have a fight with it Neutrality can be maintained if there is a balance between the institutions,” he pointed out

The Pakistan-China friendship was sabotaged in 2014 when it turned into an economic partnership At that time, Pakistan had become isolated We also need to review our relations with Iran and Afghanistan, he added

C i t i e s i m p r o ve m e n t p r o j e c t t o co s t o ve r R s 1 0 0 b : K P C M

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan has said that Cities Improvement Project (KP-CIP) is a more than Rs 100 billion project and aimed at streamlining the overall system of municipal services in accordance with contemporary needs

In a statement issued here on Friday the chief minister said that the provincial government which on completion would provide an all time solution to the issues related to municipal services particularly provision of clean drinking water, sanitation and solid waste management in the major cities of the province This mega project would also prove to be an innovative approach towards uplifting the cities and providing recreational facilities to locals

He said that under the first phase of the project, physical work

on various development projects has been initiated and would be completed on priority basis

The chief minister maintained that despite multiple challenges like corona pandemic floods and fiscal constraints, the provincial government did not compromise on the welfare and development of its people Development activities are in full swing in all the regions including newly merged tribal areas

All available resources are being utilized to ensure that the ongoing development projects are completed within the stipulated timelines, he added

It is pertinent to mention here that the chief minister during his recent visits to districts Abbottabad and Kohat has performed the groundbreaking of seven different projects under KP-CIP which would be completed at an estimated cost of Rs 23 00 billion

P D M A a d v i s e s d r i ve r s t o u s e l o w b e a m , f o g l i g h t s i n f o g g y we a t h e r

and morning hours during the next 24 hours, says spokesman for Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said on Friday

All-out facilities for 385,000 Afghans crossing into Pakistan through border points monthly

ISLAMABAD

s

Pakistan has taken all-out facilitative measures at all five Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossing points to ensure smooth processing of Afghan people, despite a heavy inflow of around 385,000 people a month Currently, Pakistan has five crossing points operational with Afghanistan, which include Chaman, Torkham Kharlachi Ghulam Khan and Angoor Ada

Around 13,000 people move to and from Afghanistan through these crossing points that include pedestrians, patients traders tourists and transporters In addition to hundreds of trade convoys, around 385,000 Afghan travel through the crossing point a month

Despite limited resources and workforce, Pakistan is manning over 100 counters at the crossing points to ensure the smooth processing of a heavy inflow of cross-border movement

No other bordering country has such an exodus at their border crossings a security official commented Around 79 counters have been placed at Chaman and Torkham, the busiest crossing points

Though Pakistan has an Integrated Border Management System (IBMS) in place at main crossings, which supports One Document Regime (valid visa/ passport) However, to facilitate their Afghan brethren, Pakistan also allows a large number of Afghans especially patients journalists women and traders to cross the border on Tazkera (non-valid) documents, on humanitarian grounds

The security official said that exclusive counters at crossing points have been operational for Afghan patients and women only

Afghans entering Pakistan either on valid or invalid documents are allowed to extend or renew their status to stay in Pakistan

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has informed that the foggy conditions are likely to persist over plain areas of Punjab due to dry winter at night

According to an advisory issued by PDMA, the traffic was likely to be affected across Punjab due to fog Air pollution can be unhealthy for sensitive people It was also recommended to patients with asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) should carry an inhaler with them at all times

Drivers should never use high beam lights, they were advised to make sure to use low beam and fog lights in foggy weather The PDMA advised passengers should avoid unnecessary travel in case of fog, make sure to travel in daylight In case of heavy fog park the vehicle in the last line and use indicating lights only

In case of emergency call PDMA helpline 1129, highway or motorway helpline, District Emergency Operation Centres across Punjab including PDMA s Provincial Control Room, were operational 24/7, PDMA spokesman said

M u s l i m g e n o c i d e u n d e r w ay i n I n d i a

With rising number of Islamophobia cases

surfacing in India under Modi Muslims in the country and in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir are facing impending genocide with some experts saying that this extermination has already begun

A report released by Kashmir Media Service on the occasion of International Day of Commemoration & Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide & of the Pre-

vention of this Crime being observed every year on Dec 09 (today) said that India is a dangerous country for Muslims It said that frequency of hate crimes against Muslims has increased manifold since Modi came to power in India, adding videos of Hindu religious leaders calling for mass killings against Muslims are surfacing on social media every now and then

The report said that IIOJK has already witnessed a sudden surge in killings of Muslim youth following BJP-led Indian government’s 5 August 2019 illegal actions It

added that Sangh Parivar leaders are calling for a Mynamar-like anti-Muslim pogrom in India and IIOJK

The report maintained that international experts have already warned of impending danger genocide of Muslims in India & IIOJK

It said that Genocide Watch Founder Dr Gregory Stanton, who had predicted the genocide in Rwanda years before it took place in 1994, has also issued an alert for a directed Muslim extermination campaign in the light of rising intolerance in Modi-led India Among the 20 genocide warnings listed on

Border crossing for Afghan people even without passports to earn a livelihood, visit a relative, address any medical emergency or get an education is an exclusive offer extended by Pakistan, which no other neighbor offers

However, despite all the said facilitations, the Afghan and Indian media keeps maligning Pakistan by reporting incidents of perceived mistreatment of Afghans by Pakistani authorities at Pak-Afghan border crossing points, causing resentment among Afghan masses towards Pakistan

The fact is that, as per official data, around 6,000 Afghan nationals are refused entry into Pakistan every month due to the obvious reasons of having insufficient documents or even no documents

A few Afghans facing refusal falsely create a nuisance about mistreatment by Pakistani authorities at border crossing points, the official commented

I I O J K u d e r B J P r u l e’

his organization s website, Dr Gregory has predicted that genocide is in the making in IIOJK as well as in Indian state of Assam

Pertinently Dr Stanton is well-known for his ‘Ten Stages of Genocide’ prepared for the US Department of State during his employment in 1996

The report quoted Maung Zarni, a researcher at the Genocide Documentation Center in Cambodia, as having said, “I believe that India is not only on the brink but is already in the process of an unfolding genocide

The killers portray vulnerable populations as

a security threat to their religion When this dehumanisation begins, the country is already deep in the genocidal process even though the killings may not have started Maung Zarni had made the remarks earlier this year during a three-day global summit titled ‘India on the Brink: Preventing Genocide

The report urged the world community to take notice of imminent genocide of Muslims in India and IIOJK very seriously, adding it is time to tell Modi regime, clearly and forcefully to stop its policy of exterminating the Muslim community

PESHAWAR s ta f f r e p o r t

ISLAMABAD

,

L i v i n g i n d u s i n i t i At i v e t o H e L P r e c H A r g e

L i F e L i n e o F PA k i s tA n , s Ay s s H e r r y

ber Pakhtunkhwa Baluchistan Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan

“The Living Indus Initiative is an ambitious project that has the full support of the Federal Cabinet, and we look forward to working together with all the relevant stakeholders to fulfill this dream of ours through this Steering Committee The Committee will guide this Initiative to recharge this lifeline of Pakistan, the Indus River, which is responsible for the livelihoods of 80% the Pakistani population,” said Minister Rehman in a

here

I s l a m i c a rc h i te c t u re, c u l t u r a l va l u e s we l l p ro te c te d i n H u n g a r y: A m b a s s a d o r

i m p r e s s i v e

The purpose of the Steering Committee is to set guidelines from all the stakeholders and formulate the way forward The Committee discussed next steps on how financing can be unlocked for the projects under the Initiative, building teams to monitor and support implementation and exploring communication strategies for advocacy of the Living Indus Initiative, highlighting the story of the Indus River, and urgency of this Initiative It was also discussed how the stakeholders can share feedback by proposing additional and improving existing interventions Minister Rehman thanked the members for joining and said 80% of Pakistan s agriculture and more than three quarter of our economy resides near the Indus and Pakistan’s history topography and culture is defined by this River It has been sustaining life for 5000

years – but will it sustain life for the next 100 years? This is now our responsibility to work together and across the federal, provincial, and local levels to rejuvenate the Indus River because we don’t have the luxury to wait ”

The Living Indus Initiative was launched in September 2022 with its Secretariat at the Ministry of Climate Change It is an umbrella initiative and a call for action to lead and consolidate initiatives to restore the ecological health of the Indus within the boundaries of Pakistan It has a ‘living menu of 25 interventions which are in line with global best practices with a focus on green infrastructure nature-based solutions flood-risk management, and ecosystembased adaptation approaches to protect conserve and restore natural, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems The initiative is being undertaken in partnership with the United Nations and FAO

corporate corner

He said that in 2013, the Turkish and Hungarian governments started projects to secure Islamic buildings He said that Hungary, Turkey and Pakistan were developing excellent relations He said t h a t E r t u g r u l G h a z i ’s d r a m a s e r i a l w a s a l s o v e r y popular in Hungary

at College of Art & Design s

s i t y a n d Hungarian

HBL wins Pakistan’s Best Bank 2022, Bank in Agriculture Financing Awards

Karachi p r

HBL wins Pakistan’s Best Bank award 2022 at the Pakistan Banking Awards held in Karachi on 9 December 2022 The Best Bank award recognizes the bank that has demonstrated the most significant contribution to national development and the most effective management of its resources including their employees, clients, franchise, community, and financials The Institute of Bankers Pakistan (IBP) in partnership with The DAWN Media and A F Ferguson & Co annually come together to conduct the Pakistan Banking Awards This year the Awards were adjudged by a 5member jury of experts comprising of Syed Salim Raza, Former Governor - State Bank of Pakistan, Naved A Khan Former President / CEO - Faysal Bank Limited Dr Zeelaf Munir, MD & CEO - English Biscuit Manufacturers (Pvt ) Ltd Javed Kureishi – Former MD Citibankand Shehzad Naqvi, Former Regional Head - Citibank Middle East and Pakistan Jameel Ahmad, Governor - State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) was the Chief Guest at the ceremony Key stakeholders of Pakistan’s banking and financial fraternities were also present on the occasion Commenting on the occasion, Muhammad Aurangzeb, President & CEO - HBL said, “The Best Bank Award 2022 is a testament to the trust and confidence that our clients repose in us

A d d r e s s i n g t h e e v e n t , A m b a s s a d o r B é l a F a z e k a s , w e l c o m e d t h e p a r t i c i p a n t s o f t h e e x h ib i t i o n a n d s a i d t h a t w e w a n t e d p e o p l e h e r e t o k n o w a b o u t I s l a m i c h e r i t a g e i n H u n g a r y H e s a i d t h a t t h e a r c h i t e c t u r e o f t h e O t t o m a n E m p i r e w a s

The Hungarian Ambassador said that we will celebrate the joint cultural year next year together with Turkey He said that the first two principals of P U O r i e n t a l C o l l e g e , G W L e i t n e r a n d S i r M a r c Aural Stein came from Hungary

64th ‘Gwadar D ay ’ celebrated to mark merger of Gwadar

iSLaMaBaD

S ta f f r e p o r t

The 64th “Gwadar Day”, an epic memory of the transfer of Gwadar from Oman to Pakistan, was celebrated with traditional fervor, offering people to refresh the watershed moment that is now changing the physical layout of Gwadar from a small fishing town to a rising logistic hub in the region, Gwadar Pro reported on Friday People commemorate Gwadar Day every year on 8th December to mark the merger of Gwadar with Pakistan by holding various functions and events in Gwadar

In the historical context Gwadar was formally handed over to Pakistan in 1958 by Oman Initially, a naval platoon led by then Lt Iftikhar Ahmed Sirohey of the Pakistan Navy landed at Gwadar and unfurled Pakistan’s flag Various activities were held at Gwadar under the auspices of the Pakistan Navy and Commander Coast (COMCOAST) Earlier, the day began with an impressive flag-hoisting ceremony held at PNS Akram Gwadar

The Gwadar Day celebrations were aimed at rekindling awareness about the history of Gwadar among the masses A large audience including civil dignitaries, military officials, and local notables, also witnessed the activities Gwadar is a Balochi word that means The Door of Wind’ Though located on the southwestern coast of Balochistan, the area is on the convergence of three strategically important zones of the world which are oil-rich Middle East, Central Asia with surplus natural resources, and South Asia having greater economic potential

Gwadar is situated on a natural hammer-head shape tombolo peninsula forming two almost perfect, but naturally curved, semi-circular bays on either side Historically before Gwadar was recognized as part of Pakistan, the area was in possession of Oman from 1783 to 1958

The strategic value of this location as a deep water port was identified by the United States Geological Survey when the territory was still under Omani rule Pakistan bought the area of Gwadar from Oman while Oman previously was also under British rule British had concluded an agreement with the Sultan of Oman on March 20 1891, in which the final pledge was, “never to cede, sell, mortgage or otherwise give in occupation any of his dominions or dependencies to the British government”

However, the Pakistani Government continued to raise the issue with the British In 1958 after learning that the Indians are also trying to acquire Gwadar land, the Government of Pakistan intensified its efforts and succeeded in concluding an agreement with the British Government on August 1, 1958

At this time the British Government was already under pressure in a move by UNSC where it was blamed for armed aggression by the UK against the independence sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Imamate of Oman The Sultan of Muscat was also in dire need of funds to continue his campaign against the Imam According to the agreement, the Pakistani Government had to pay an amount of £3 million ($10m) along with some concessions to the Muscat Government Hence in 1958, Gwadar was transferred to Pakistan, through a British representative

Rs200m being spent on identific ation of ear thquake, landslide ‘hotspots ’

The government would spend funds amounting to Rs 200 million to advance an ongoing project, during the current fiscal year, to identify and compile data on the country’s ‘active faults’ and possible landslide ‘hotspot’ zones aimed at minimizing the disaster risk activities

The project initiated with Rs40 million allocations under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP 2021-22), would be completed at an estimated total cost of Rs412 769 million in a three-

year period, according to an official document available with APP The main focus of the project titled “Pakistan National Research Programme on Geological Hazards (Earthquakes and Landslides) – Data Acquisition along Active Faults and Identification of Potential Landslides Hotspot Zones,” would help in identifying the earthquake-prone areas and landslide hotspots in the country

Besides, the establishment of a new network of Global Navigation Satellite Stations (GNSS – permanent as well as periodic) and a countrywide landslide inventory database would be carried out

“The outcome will lay a solid foundation for a

reliable hazard assessment and hazard zonation related to earthquakes and landslides It will also pave the way for more detailed hazard assessment studies specific to particular areas During the first year of the project the departments concerned were tasked to fill the posts by assignments from regular strength, purchase durable goods, establish the project office, collect and review technical data

In addition, the desk work for selection of potential sites, fieldwork for acquiring fault data and landslide inventory data processing and analysis besides preliminary report compilation had to be carried out during the last fiscal year

Govt urged to set up Housing Bank to promote low- cost housing

I

I s l a m a b a d: Many dignitaries visited the 1st International Housing EXPO 22 on its second day being organized by the Ministry of Housing & Works in collaboration with Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry PML-N leader and former MNA Capt (r) Safdar H E Chakkrid Kraichaiwong Ambassador of Thailand, H E Nguyen Tien Phong, Ambassador of Vietnam, H E H E Khazar Farhadov Ambassador of Azerbaijan and H E Ms Dilshad Senor Ambassador of Northern Cyprus Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Iftikhar Ali Shallwani Secretary Ministry of Housing & Works took the visiting dignitaries to various stalls put up for display in the EXPO The visiting guests took great interest in the products and projects displayed in the EXPO and highly appreciated the Ministry of Housing & Works and ICCI for organizing such a wonderful EXPO Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari briefed the Capt (Retd) Muhammad Safdar about the importance of establishing a new industrial estate in the region to promote industrialization and investment and he assured that ICCI should give him a proposal and he would try to get its approval from the Prime Minister of Pakistan p r

Centre of Excellence Inaugurated to Improve S kills S ec tor in Punjab

s l a m a b a d: To improve the skills sector in Punjab, the European Union, Germany, and Norway handed over a modernized Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to the Government of Punjab in a ceremony on Friday, Dec 09 The new facility is the result of an upgradation of an existing TVET centre which has been supported by a TVET Sector Support Programme and funded by the European Union (EU), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Norwegian government Opening the handover ceremony, Chief Operating Officer TEVTA Punjab, Akhtar Abbas Bharwana said that The provincial government and TEVTA Punjab will responsibly utilize the resources and modern machinery This facility opens new corridors of opportunities for learning, not only for youth but also for the teachers in Punjab ” He also appreciated the efforts of the development partners and donors for upgrading the technical training institute into a state of the art Centre of Excellence p r

iSLaMaBaD S ta f f r e p o r t

FE D E R A L Minister for Climate

Change Senator Sherry Rehman on Friday chaired the first meeting of the Steering Committee of the Living Indus Initiative (LII) at the Ministry of Climate Change

news release

received Senator Sherry Rehman was joined by

Minister for Economic Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq Minister for Industries & Production Syed Murtaza Mahmud, Sindh Environment, Climate Change and Coastal Development Minister Muhammad Ismail Rahoo UN Resident Coordinator Julien Harneis, FAO

Representative in Pakistan Florence Rolle, secretaries from the Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of National Food Security & Research, Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives and officials from the Environment Ministries of Punjab, Khy-

Embassy

Grand Hall on Friday Federal Secretary Investments Asad-ur-Rahman Gillani, former Provincial Minister for Minority Affairs Ijaz Alam Augustine, CAD Principal Dr Sumera Jawad, External Linkages Director Prof Dr Shobia Khuram, deans of various faculties, faculty members and students were present on the occasion

iSLaMaBaD S ta f f r e p o r t

Group photo of Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi with 5th Maritime Security Workshop (MARSEW) participants during visit to Naval Headquarters Islamabad pr

A crashing

Falling reser ves amid economic crisis leaves par ties’ politicking looking irrelevant

freefall Forex reserves have fallen to a foutr-year low, and the problem is that of the $6 72 billion remaining, about $3 billion are a Saudi deposit which cannot be used to pay for imports, and has been parked in Pakistan merely to make the reserves look better than they are Even including that Saudi deposit, only a month s i m p o r t s a r e c o v e r e d , w h i c h i s w o e f u l l y i n a d e q u a t e / P a k i s t a n h a s a l r e a d y a s k e d f o r $ 3 b i l l i o n f r o m S a u d i Arabia, the request being passed on by Finance Minister Ihaq Dar in his meeting with the Saudi ambassador on Thursday This is in addition to the rollover of the d e p o s i t , D o u b t l e s s M r D a r w i l l h a v e e x p l a i n e d w h y Saudi Arabia should throw good money after bad, and w h y, a s S a u d i F i n a n c e M i n i s t e r A b d u l l a h A l - J a l d a n said while announcing the year ’s budget Saudi Arabia w o u l d s u p p o r t t h e r e g i o n ’s e c o n o m i e s a g a i n s t t h e e ffects of inflation

One problem is seen in Mr Dar ’s activities Last time Pakistan had to make a payment on a commercial loan, on December 2, he said at a press conference that Pakistan was not in danger of default now he has left the job of talking up the economy to State Bank Governor Jamil Babar Mr Dar was brought out of exile by the Shehbaz government because he was an expert at righting an economy Well, it hasn’t worked True, he does not seem to have done much harm, but he does not seem to have done much good He is busy politicking, with his recent meeting with President Arif Alvi devoted to ending the political crisis caused by the President’s party the PTI insisting on fresh elections While the PTI leads the cries of default, the PDM government is now giving up focus on the economy as it prepares to bring party supremo nawaz Sharif home

The parties need to realize that a default means that Pakistan will mo longer be able to import fuel, lifesaving medicines or such staple foods as edible oil wheat or sugar They need to come together, not because they can stave off a default, but because the country must put on a show of unity in the event of one happening All parties must realize that if the country goes under, their politics will not survive

A failing state, really?

The military was the first to fathom the failure, disrupt the triad and run away The rest are following suit with desperation and discomfiture Allegations and counter-allegations are being hurled– a consequence of the dying scheme

Interestingly technocrats who have never been democrats ridicule politicians Further, in an effort to scoff at politicians, technocrats, as education, health or economic experts demand the presidential system of democracy The point is simple; the parliamentary form of government has worked satisfactorily so far in England and nowhere else, the presidential form of government has worked satisfactorily so far in the USA only

EVERY crisis lays open opportunities for decriers to revile democracy and the parliamentary system of government in Pakistan The solution is offered promptly in the same trite formula: a technocrat government under a presidential system of democracy Unfortunately the collection of censurers includes Dr Attaur Rahman, who was the former Minister for Science and Technology and who was the former founding Chairman of the Higher Education Commission Regrettably, the time is selected when the baton is passed to the next Chief of Army Staff (COAS) The criticism remains pregnant with the provocation: “the time for a radical change in the system is now or never ”

It is not only the office of the COAS that yearns for a gap in the democratic dispensation to cash in on, but it is also the agencies of the minions that induce the COAS to be an agent of change the most alluring prescription on the earth after prophet-hood From the word go, the mind of the newly appointed COAS is infested with the idea of changing the system now or never Critics artfully tout the narrative as bait through op-eds claiming that Pakistan is a failing state under the parliamentary system of democracy Further, Pakistan needs to shun the government of democrats and, instead, Pakistan should adopt the government of technocrats A cause is sought in the statement: “as a result of massive corruption, Pakistan today is virtually in a state of economic bankruptcy, although this has not been officially admitted With that, disparagers present their services gratis to ensure their appointments as tailor-made technocrats in the new anticipated system

Both systems stipulate and ensure the separation of power Developing countries, which were mostly former colonies are borrowers of these systems to practice democracy and revel in freedom Both systems have their own pros and cons which need to be adjusted to the local needs That is, ills of a system need repairs and not replacement of the whole system with the other one which is also not free of ills In the context of Pakistan, if dangers of the parliamentary form of government come from feudal lords, who watch their vested interests, the dangers of the presidential form of government also spring from the same class Further, it is not only corrupt feudal lords who prevent democracy from functioning, but there are also other players Included on the list, “pirs” (priests) who are controlling spiritualism and business tycoons who are hogging industries, sugar and textile

The main reason why technocrats aspire for the presidential system in their opeds is because this system offers the spoils (patronage) scheme to technocrats, who as campaign workers are rewarded with favours such as posts in the government. The spoils system can make them federal ministers without their being elected democratically. Unfortunately, for this narrowed and personal advantage, technocrats keep on launching propaganda campaigns against the parliamentary system, make like-for-unlike comparisons

Technocrats from the field of science make a blunder While making a comparison, they violate the basic scientific principle: like for like That is, Pakistan has to be compared with a country which has similar (if not identical) realities and circumstances For instance, Pakistan cannot be compared with Singapore On its shoulders Pakistan carries the burden of history and bears the realities of geography in South Asia Both factors elude Singapore, which is an island acting as a city-state in maritime Southeast Asia In the context of like for like, Pakistan’s nearest comparison is possible with India and then with Bangladesh Even the latter avoids several realities that Pakistan is faced with Singapore’s population was only about 1 6 million in 1959 when Lee Kuan Yew was appointed (not elected) as prime minister, and subsequently he developed Singapore Around that time, Pakistan had entered the western defence alliance against the spread of communism– the quagmire which kept Pakistan entangled till the end of 1991 Further Singapore has a unitary, unicameral parliamentary government whereas Pakistan has a federal bicameral parliamentary government Hardly do these facts permit any sense of comparison

The point is simple: technocrats deceive listeners (or readers) by ingeniously applying the formula of like for unlike Pakistan can be compared with neither Singapore nor Switzerland Singapore s total area is around 733 square kms inhabited by 5,637, 000 people In comparison, Karachi’s total area is around 3,780 square kms inhabited by around 19, 000,000 people (in 2016) That is Singapore is a maritime emporium which may be compared with Karachi in terms of economy and development, but not with the whole of Pakistan not feudal lords it is the virtue of being expert on the paper that has ruined Pakistan By the way, Singapore s Yew was a practising lawyer, and not a technocrat

M A Niazi Joint Editor

Aziz Executive Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad Joint Editor

Contentions of corruption– now garnished with the word “massive” to graduate it to “massive corruption – has been a contrived invitation to interference in the democratic system Hitherto, the meddling has come in two forms: martial laws and a hybrid system The latest intrusion in the name of the hybrid system entailed a troika: the military, the judiciary and a political party (the hodgepodge) All were three equal partners until they failed to deliver as a cohort

To the dismay of technocrats, neither the All India Muslim League (AIML) nor Pakistan was founded by any technocrat It was the feudal class that made both tasks possible In 1905 in the form of the AIML the feudal class provided the Muslims with a political platform alternative to the Indian national Congress Post-1906 feudal lords funded the assemblies of the AIML and spent money to mobilize the Muslim masses to attend political gatherings throughout united India The feudal money published newspapers, books and pamphlets for free distribution amongst the Muslim masses to make the recipients aware of their democratic rights vis-à-vis the Hindus In 1913, Mohammad Ali Jinnah joined the AIML, which had been founded by feudal lords

F r o m 1 s t t o 1 6 t h S i p a h - e - S a l a r

Students in Karachi took to the streets From the very beginning the city of the Quaid, the first capital of the new land was uneasy with the dictator and his faulty approach After assuming control of the republic, the General lacked courage to enter the city He landed in Malir Cantonment and under the protective cover of the men in uniform he entered the Presidential Mansion to assume charge as Chief Martial Law Administrator (CMLA) He then decided to move the capital in the vicinity of his Military Headquarters ( GHQ ) in Rawalpindi which was also in close proximity to his village in Hazara

With the surrender in East Pakistan in December 1971, the siege of the republic ended but at a heavy cost of dismemberment Civilian authority was restored in what was left of the country The elected legislators worked hard to formulate the unanimous 1973 Constitution In August that year Pakistan emerged as a constitutional democracy

In Pakistan, the main reason why technocrats aspire for the presidential system in their op-eds is because this system offers the spoils (patronage) scheme to technocrats, who as campaign workers are rewarded with favours such as posts in the government

The spoils system can make them federal ministers without their being elected democratically Unfortunately, for this narrowed and personal advantage, technocrats keep on launching propaganda campaigns against the parliamentary system, make like-for-unlike comparisons, and keep on deluding people with the advantages of the presidential system

The writer can be reached at qaisarrashid@yahoo com

of supporting their corrupt friends in the political arena the khakis decided to throw their weight behind Imran Khan and his party In the 2013 electoral contest The PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) was robbed of victory

On november 29, the 17th Sipah-e-Salar assumed command of the Armed Forces The big question is; Will the siege of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan continue? It was on 27 October 1958 that the first Desi Sipah-e-Salar decided to take control of the republic after abrogating the 1956 constitution

For an Army to move it has to mark its enemy which in this case was Civilian Authority Those who came in the way were crushed To stay in power the 'Friends and Foes' have to be determined by the invaders Unfortunately, the friends were the most unscrupulous elements of the society of the likes of the Chaudhrys of Gujrat, the Sharifs of Lahore, the Zardaris of nawabshah, and so on, and later the Hussains of Karachi

After ten years of misrule Ayub Khan the first usurper, decided to celebrate his decade of progress Those who were left out decided to voice their protest

The protests continued in Karachi Finally bangles were sent to the student leadership in Lahore Islamia College was the first to respond followed by MAO and finally Government College joined the movement As late entrants, a novel approach was adopted by the Lahoris; a stray dog was intoxicated and ' Ayub was painted on him With loud chants of Ayub Kutta' (Ayub Dog ) the students came on the Mall Road on the way to the Governor's House the symbol of 'colonial power' To stop the march, a heavy contigent of police was sent to baton-charge them After a pitched battle outside the historic GPO ( General Post Office ) the marchers dispersed but the chants of 'Ayub Kutta' spread like a wild forest fire

Voices of protest were heard all over the country The dictator, who had surrounded himself with sycophants, was assured of his continued popularity A public gathering was arranged for the Field Marshal in Peshawar which was considered his home constituency During his address an attempt was made on his life Bewildered, he returned to Rawalpindi but finally it dawned on him that his days were now numbered The protests gained steam, Labour Unions also joined the protesting students

Finally on 25 March 1969 the dicatator had to step down He lacked the courage to follow his own constitution and handed over power to the Army Chief, Gen Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan, instead of the speaker of the national Assembly, who then presided over the break-up of the Quaid-e-Azam’s Pakistan

Unfortunately the period of freedom was short lived On 5 July 1977, Gen Ziaul Haq crossed the line and the republic came under siege again which has continued unabated since then In October 1999 when Gen Parvez Musharraf took control, he promised to fight the prevalent corruption While nawaz Sharif was allowed to go to Saudi Arabia after an agreement with the usurper, Benazir Bhutto decided to live in self-exile in London 2007 under presuure from the Lawyers Movement, the iron-fisted dictator caved in and issued a national Reconciliation Ordinance ( nRO ) to grant clemency to the corrupt

The scrutiny of the four test constituencies proved that rigging had taken place Three stalwarts of the ruling PML(n) were disqualified while the fourth one (Khawaja Asif) survived on a technical flaw In the 2018 contest, the establishment decided to blunt the influence of the corrupt which resulted in IK's favour As Prime Minister, IK could not be blackmailed as there were no files of his corruption

General Bajwa, the 16th Sipah-e-Salar, deserves the same disgraced exit as did the first who crossed the line The 17th is urged to take his troops back to the barracks where they rightfully belong, thereby letting democracy, the constitution and the will of the people to prevail again, thus ending the unholy siege started on 5 July 1977. Another credible free and fair election is the only way forward

With the return of the unscrupulous to the corridors of power corruption was back with a bang The loot and plunder continued unabated As Prime Minister nawaz Sharif appointed Qamar Javed Bajwa as the 16th Sipahe-Salar His appointment was conditional to a certain hidden relief to escape conviction from corrupt practiscs After the trial of the fourth usurper under Article 6 of the Constitution, General Bajwa knew he could not cross the line so he decided to operate behind the scenes

Under pressure from the rank and file of his institution, he went along with the operation clean-up Instead

When the PM decided to be his own man, Bajwa connived with our external foes to topple the elected government of IK He helped his old unscrupulous friends to team up to take control of the country Through nRO-2, the corrupt were given a new lease of life Bajwa has gone but his coattailers remain who have to be pushed out of the arena Instead of Gumnami ( Isolation ) there has to be Badnami (Bad name) to block all such adventurism in the future In order to end the siege for all times to come, and the youth of the republic have an important role to play General Bajwa, the 16th Sipah-e-Salar, deserves the same disgraced exit as did the first who crossed the line The 17th is urged to take his troops back to the barracks where they rightfully belong thereby letting democracy, the constitution and the will of the people to prevail again, thus ending the unholy siege started on 5 July 1977 Another credible free and fair election is the only way forward

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

D r Fa r i D a M a l i k

Ca l l s fo r te c h n o c rat ru l e a c t u a l l y m e a n t r y i n g to by p a s s d e m o c ra c y

Yousaf Nizami Editor

Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late) Founding Editor

Umar

The Potential Role of Football in Socio-Economic Development of Pakistan

forms in the PFF administration The Federation should abide by the rules and regulations and elections mandate of FIFA

Preventing depression

MAnY people fall into depression due to sedentary lifestyle and lack of healthy, physical activities Research has shown that exercise can be a great way to boost mood and to overcome depression Unfor-tunately, youngsters in Pakistan have become addicted to mobile phones, social media and online games They spend a lot of time with their gadgets, television and computers, and give little attention to physical activities As a result, they are easily affected by negative thoughts, are unable to express their emotions, often feel down and lonely, and sometimes harm themselves According to research, 1520 minutes of daily physical activity can uplift the mood, reduce anxiety and offer other health benefits Those doing physical exercises once a day will remain fresh and happy for the whole day Furthermore, regular exercise may reduce depression from 16 8 per cent to 8 3pc All people, especially youngsters, should try to take time out and spend 15-20 minutes doing exercises as part of their daily routines so that they may lead a happy and healthy life

Life beyond grades

as of the 2020 report The craze for cricket among Pakistanis overshadows football and people as well as concerned authorities show less interest in this sport The irony is that the country that has been supplying footballs to the FIFA tournament for many years now has not taken advantage to make its name in the sport by playing it themselves

Additionally, corruption and mismanagement are among the reasons for lagging far behind in getting close to participating in the CUP For that, FIFA should ensure that there is a transparent system of accountability to make sure that the money is being utilized legitimately to support football players and facilities

THE International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) has launched the Football World Cup 2022 in Qatar using Pakistan-made footballs named Al-Rihla Pakistan’s military is also helping Qatar to provide security to the football participants and the audiences But unfortunately, the Pakistan football team and Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) are not part of the tournament More unfortunate is that FIFA canceled Pakistan’s membership three times in 2017, 2018, and 2021, because it interfered with FIFA’s decisions The following aims to discuss the causes and impacts of FIFA’s ban on Pakistan football teams, specifically the Balochistan team and those associated with it also the role of football in the socio-economic development of the country, and how to bring the national football team to such global championships

Recently, Qatar has spent almost $220 billion on the FIFA World Cup It is the first-ever FIFA tournament held in the Middle East The stadiums built in Qatar were made with the help of many Pakistani workers The footballs in Cup are handmade ones produced by the Pakistani company Forward Sports In addition, Pakistan’s military personnel were sent to help Qatar in providing security to the players and tourists

But the football team of Pakistan is not playing in the FIFA tournament Although Pakistan joined FIFA in 1948 Pakistan football has fallen far behind, as in 74 years d the country did not qualify for any match to participate in the Cup

According to the FIFA 2006 survey Pakistan has three million football players, bringing the country to the top 20 with the most players Although the country has rich football talent and has won gold four times in the South Asian Games, the football team of Pakistan is 194 on the FIFA ranking The reasons for such low ranking could be poor-quality soccer grounds and less investment on football and the coaching of its players in and across Pakistan It is the only team in Asia that did not qualify for any FIFA tournament Among the Asian nations, Pakistan is the only country without a winning record in the FIFA World Cup qualifying games

FIFA has suspended Pakistan thrice over its interference in FIFA s elections to appoint the PFF President, which is against FIFA’s protocols, rules and regulations In March 2017, a team of officials headed by Ashfaq Hussain Shah assumed control of the PFF s head office despite not being authorized by FIFA and having been chosen by the Supreme Court to lead the organization in 2018 It was considered thirdparty interference by FIFA and it suspended the football team of Pakistan After this FIFA suspension, the national team did not get international recognition and was also not allowed to play with any international team

Such occurrences decrease players morale; their future becomes at stake and their talent stands vulnerable to being wasted Moreover the PFF has committed significant corruption with money that FIFA sent to conduct football games and build football stadiums FIFA has given funds for the construction of “Goal Projects” in eight cities to build their own football houses, but only one was constructed and the rest fell prey to corruption Corrupt elements could be held responsible for these setbacks

F u r t h e r m o r e , t h e s p o r t s i n d u s t r y h a s made the name of Paki s t a n f a m o u s a n d a l s o c o n t r i b u t e s t o a r o u n d 1 5 2 p e r c e n t o f t h e G D P I t p r o v i d e s 7 0 p e r c e n t o f t h e f o o tb a l l s u s e d a l l o v e r t h e w o r l d T h e i n d u s t r y s e l l s i t s f o o t b a l l s a n d o t h e r s p o r t s g o o d s t o w o r l d - t o p b r a n d s l i k e A d i d a s , n i k e , P u m a , a n d Wi l s o n T h e i nc o m e o f m a n y i n d i v i du a l s i s c o n n e c t e d t o t h i s s e c t o r a n d s p o r t s

In Pakistan football is played with more passion in its Balochistan province, slthough the province is the least developed among all the provinces Because of unemployment and lack of healthy activities, the youth move toward drugs and could easily fall into the hands of extremists who can exploit them to create instability in the region and pursue their interests Sports, including football, is one of the tools to engage the youth and keep them from falling into the depression of unemployment Involvement in healthy activities could lead to a productive and constructive environment as well as contribute to the social development of society Moreover, providing opportunities in the sports sector for both coaching and playing can also aid in countering terrorism extremism and drug addiction in the region

W e a r e p r i v i l e g e d t o l i v e i n a d i v e r s e n a t i o n , a n d i f w e e m p h a s i z e t h e f a c t o r s m e n t i o n e d , w e c a n a c h i e v e g r e a t s u c c e s s i n t h i s i n t e r n a t i o n a l c h a m p i o n s h i p t h a t i s s e e n b y b i l l i o n s o f p e o p l e w o r l d w i d e M o s t o f u s h a v e w i t n e s s e d m u c h o f t h e f r e s h f o o t b a l l t a l e n t p r e s e n t i n o u r y o u t h o f C h i t r a l , T r i b a l a r e a s , L y a r i , a n d m a n y r e g i o n s o f P u n j a b , S o u t h K P , a n d B a l o c h i s t a n . T h e o n l y p r o b l e m i s t h a t w e l a c k w i l l a n d c o m m i t m e n t

In Europe, football is considered a second religion and we also need to have football back in Pakistan The country needs a yearly football league at a national level on the pattern of the cricket league which includes teams from all over the nation, specifically from Balochistan Updating all football institutions, replacing old underperformers with young professionals who are passionate and energetic about the game, suitable media exposure for the league nationwide investment in brand-new football stadiums with the help of FIFA funds connecting colleges, universities, and even schools with football clubs and academies We are privileged to live in a diverse nation, and if we emphasize the factors

D u r i n g f o o t b a l l m a t c h e s , t h e s t r e e t v e n d o r s sell their goods, and the restaurants and hotels also benefit from the local people and tourists w h i c h a l s o c o n t r i b u t e s t o t h e t o u r i s m s e c t o r H o w e v e r, a l l t h i s s e t u p g e t s a ff e c t e d b e c a u s e o f t h i r d - p a r t y i n t e r f e r e n c e c o r r u p t p r a c t i c e s a n d p o l i t i c i z a t i o n o f t h e P a k i s t a n F o o t b a l l F e d e r a t i o n

Although FIFA has removed the ban from Pakistan, still there is a need to rebuild the image of Pakistan, its Football Federation and its Football team For that there is a requirement for re-

mentioned we can achieve great success in this international championship that is seen by billions of people worldwide Most of us have witnessed much of the fresh football talent present in our youth of Chitral, Tribal areas, Lyari, and many regions of Punjab, South KP, and Balochistan The only problem is that we lack will and commitment

The writer is Assistant Research Fellow Balochistan Think Tank Network Quetta

ABDUL JABBAR GOLA QUETTA

IROnICALLY, we do not talk about psychosocial health as often and as seriously as we should, keeping in view the high prevalence of related issues in our society If neglected they can cause severe emotional and longterm mental health problems Parents, elders and teachers should give more importance to mental health than high scores in examinations and material success They should keep a friendly relationship with children especially with those in their teens, and talk to them on a range of topics instead of just talking about studies, exams and grades Many a time, youngsters suffer silently because of a problem that they think they cannot discuss with their elders, and subsequently go into depression Parents should be there for their children regardless of any set of circumstances They should comfort them hold intimate discussions and engage them in healthy activities, sports or creative hobbies, like painting, drawing, theatre, writing or reading so that they may express themselves fully I hope the new generation will grow up understanding the importance of mental health and what it can do to a person If that happens, they will surely be better parents than most of us are today

SAFIA ARIF KARACHI

Who is responsible for the mess?

THERE have been several railway accidents over the years in which people lost their lives while trying to cross the tracks at unmanned gates But neither the authorities have changed their lackadaisical attitude in this regard nor have the people in general learnt any lesson Such unmanned crossings remain a common entity in the country especially in smaller cities and towns The railway crossing in Padidan is one such spot and deserves the attention of the authorities concerned rather urgently Whenever there is a train passing through people including those in their vehicles of various descriptions, try to rush their way across the tracks People often get stuck right on the tracks rather precariously, as can be seen in the accompanying picture but what one can also see in the picture is the casual nature of the entire activity This surely is the lull before the storm

There are gates on both sides of the track, but there is no official assigned to pull the barriers down when a train is approaching, and to release them when it is all clear Many an accident has taken lives at this very crossing, but that has not alerted anybody anywhere to do something about it One wonders what the officials of Pakistan Railways are up to Maybe some other government department should intervene by planning an underpass at the crossing so that both the train and the traffic may move freely without risking any life in the process

FARHAN ALI SIYAL PADIDAN

Pakistani missing in Saudi Arabia

IT has been almost 18 months since I last heard anything about my son who was working with a private company in Jeddah Saudi Arabia I have tried all possible channels to have him located, but all paths have led me to a blind alley with a dead end

I had been working in Saudi Arabia along with my 36-year-old son Syed Mohammad Ali, until my service contract ended last year For the preceding few months, I had been observing some signs of mental disturbance in my son and as my departure came close the frequency and intensity of his symptoms increased To avoid any legal action, I had to leave before March 27 As the day came closer, I realised that my son’s condition was deteriorating and he was showing signs and symptoms of some serious psychiatric ailment I tried to convince him to have a medical check-up, but, as is characteristic of such patients, he refused point blank, and stuck to his stance that everything was just fine However I explored the matter and found his symptoms being similar to those of schizophrenia

As time was running out for me, I tried my best to somehow convince him to return to Pakistan with me but he was adamant not to Upon his stubborn behaviour, I wrote to his employer, SMSA Express, and to the consulate general of Pakistan in Jeddah to inform them about his symptoms and the potential harm he could pose to himself and to the employer Upon receiving no word from either party till my departure, I left Saudi Arabia alone After my departure, the consulate contacted the police in Jeddah and informed the officials about my son and his health issues requesting them to deport him immediately Sitting in Pakistan, I helped the police to locate and get hold of him He spent about 10 days in jail, but Pakistani authorities in Saudi Arabia failed to have him shifted to Pakistan Seeing the lack of interest shown by the Pakistani officials, Saudi police, I have been told, released him from custody Since his release, my son, my only son, has gone missing I have done everything that I possibly could to have even a remote trace of his presence somewhere, but have found none I have written letters to the highest authorities both in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and to all the officials who have any relevance to this case but all my efforts seem to have hit some invisible wall How hard it can be for anyone to imagine the agony I and my family are going through We do not even know if our son is alive All we have requested the authorities to do, and are continuing to request, is to send him back to Pakistan; to us We will arrange for his travel expenses and everything Will someone somewhere in a position of authority have mercy on us? Please

SYED NASIR ALI KARACHI

sakina ahMeD khan

The World Cup is played with Pakistan-made balls, but no Pakistan team

The US CAn’T AFFord To leT SAUdi ArAbiA FAll inTo ChinA’S orbiT

THE UNITED STATES REELED UNDER THE T WO ARAB OIL EMBARGOES OF THE 1970S; IT WOULD BE SEVERELY SHAKEN BY A CHINESE-BACKED EFFORT TODAY

Xi's Saudi Arabia trip sends a message to US

Post h E n r y o l s E n

THe Biden administration is justifiably upset about Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s state visit to Saudi Arabia this week Combating China’s rising influence in the kingdom and throughout the Middle east will force the administration to do something it would much rather avoid: emphasize our material security interests over our moral interests

The United States has always approached foreign policy differently than other nations because of its founding principles It was one of the first nations in the world to explicitly dedicate themselves to ideas of democracy and human rights While it took more than a century for the United States to really start pushing those values on other nations it never hid its belief that American principles were human principles, applicable to all people everywhere

The United States has also maintained a keen sense of its core material

security interests In the nation s early days, that was to prevent european monarchies from using colonies in the Western Hemisphere to threaten U S territory That’s the reasoning behind the Monroe Doctrine which stated that the United States would view any attempt by european monarchies to reestablish control over former colonies in the Western Hemisphere as a threat It s also why, more recently, the United States built a network of global alliances to bottle up aggressive autocracies far away from American shores

This has always meant cooperating with undemocratic powers to some extent The Monroe Doctrine gained its initial power because Britain’s monarchy also favored the independence of former Spanish colonies And during the Cold War, the United States recruited allies among dictatorships to contain and defeat the Soviet Union These regimes might have been tyrannical to their peoples, but the United States turned a blind eye so long as they were anti-communist Biden should view the Middle east through that historical lens China cannot be permitted to become the dominant global power in the region, which is a global supplier of oil and natural gas Should China usurp the United States’ influence there, it could coerce the re-

gion s kingdoms and dictatorships to use their production of fossil fuels against the West The United States reeled under the two Arab oil embargoes of the 1970s; it would be severely shaken by a Chinese-backed effort today

Our allies in the region know this, which is why they are using China as a wedge against U S actions they oppose Our Middle eastern allies, for example, greatly fear Iran and do not want it to develop a nuclear weapon They strongly oppose Biden s ongoing pursuit of a new nuclear deal with Iran, and they know China has strong ties to Iran For them, that s an opening: If the Americans won t protect them, perhaps the Chinese will especially if they offer something the Chinese greatly desire, such as a naval base in the region or longtime contracts for oil and gas at favorable rates Playing footsie with China gets Washington s attention Some human rights activists have urged the administration to pull back from our Middle eastern allies because of their poor human rights records And to some extent, they have a point: every country in the area except for Israel is either undemocratic or seriously flawed (In fact many activists say that Israel, despite being the lone beacon of democracy in the region is unworthy of U S support because incoming prime minister Benjamin

Netanyahu s government will include ministers with arguably racist pasts who are hostile to Palestinian claims ) Supping with authoritarians they argue only diminishes our country’s standing But while it is unseemly to ignore the human rights abus es of our allies , B i d e n h a s n o r e a s o n a b l e a l t e r n a t i v e China does not care about human rights and will happily step into any vacuum to expand its spheres of influence All o w i n g t h a t t o h a p p e n i n t h e M i d d l e east would hurt the United States push for global freedom much more than any concessions Biden might make with the region s leaders

Biden also surely recalls that President Jimmy Carter put moral interests over national security in 1978 when he refused to back the despotic Shah of Iran against internal dissent That’s how the ayatollahs who run Iran came to power They’re still there spreading mayhem throughout the region Imagine what a Chinese puppet on the Saudi throne could do

Freedom at home and abroad depends on the United States maintaining its globally dominant position in the face of Chinese competition That, unfortunately, means holding our collective noses and staying engaged with rulers we would prefer to ignore

to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia Here, he is set to attend a number of summits including a China-Saudi Summit, an unprecedented China-Arab States Summit and a China-Gulf Cooperation Council (China-GCC) summit The meetings will involve 14 other heads of states from the region including Saudi Arabia the United Arab emirates, Qatar, Oman, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, and more To describe the visit as a “milestone” in China’s relations with the Middle east, as one Arab diplomat apparently did, is accurate It is a sign of a strategic shift towards a multipolar world The sides come together in merging a shared set of economic, strategic and security objectives showing the United States that it cannot dictate to Middle east states who they should and should not have partnerships with

For most of recent history, the states of the Arab world have been understood to be divided in two groups On the one hand, there are “clients” of the West, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab emirates Kuwait Bahrain Oman and Qatar On the other hand, there are outright enemies, including Bashar Assad’s Syria and the Iraq of Saddam Hussein This is because, in the early 20th century, Western nations designed a Middle east that would supplement their hegemony over itself Their goal was to create a series of client states who served their in-

terests in terms of access to energy and military, while supressing any revolutionary states that sought to oppose Western dominance in the region

With this arrangement, the states of the Persian Gulf grew tremendously wealthy through a mutual agreement to provide energy to Western nations in exchange for projecting their military influence across the Middle east Saudi Arabia has been a critical partner of the United States, while the United Arab emirates gives air-base access to several Western countries The West preserves the independence of these countries, while helping them contain revisionist neighbors such as Ba’athist-era Iraq and contemporary Iran But the world is changing The partnership between the West and Arab states is borne out of mutual strategic interests, not ideology or fraternity They are business partners, not allies, and throughout the past several decades the United States has demonstrated its penchant for causing enormous upheaval, devastation and destruction across the Middle east which has been disadvantageous to all While the US may have supported its partners in the Gulf it has always been an obvious and pressing factor that Washington is only really interested in its own hegemony and has no true respect for the sovereignty, culture or interests of the countries of the region What happens after all when the world

moves away from oil? Saudi Arabia and similar states may have been tacitly supportive of many things the US has done throughout the Middle east but we should remember, they are monarchic states based on a conservative rendering of Islam and do not share the American concept of “human rights ” Therefore, the rise of China has proven to be critically important for Arab states Beijing s emergence as a superpower is prompting countries in the Middle east to diversify their strategic objectives and balance themselves away from a decades-long Western dependency, which can incur many liabilities down the road China is different to the United States – not only is it a much larger consumer of oil and gas (because of its population size and sparse resources), but also wields a diplomatic position of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries and a respect for national sovereignty For Middle east countries, faced with decades of US-led campaigns and interference around them, this is extremely valuable

As a result, as the geopolitical picture of the world has turned towards multipolarity and competition between the US, China and others, Arab countries have embraced China as a new benefactor which can bring substantial economic, diplomatic, and strategic benefits over the previous arrangements they had While this does not signify “hostility” to

the West and we should expect Arab countries to keep dealing with their current partners, it nonetheless signals a move away from Western dominance over the region and a belief that “the best of both worlds” is ultimately better The US previously sought to impose many demands regarding China on Arab countries, such as trying to coerce the UAe to ban Huawei from its 5G networks Abu Dhabi told Washington where to go Beyond the China matter, the issue of the Russia-Ukraine conflict has also been a growing sore point between the US and Arab states, especially on the issue of oil production The common theme between both instances? The US believed it could force its unilateral will on Arab countries, only to be rebuffed The ChinaArab summits thus reflect the shift in mood – the Arab states are ready to diversify and expand their partnerships to entrench their positions, so that countries such as America may ultimately be forced to accept them as equals

The Arab states were only ever partners, not allies to the US, and had no fundamental loyalty beyond the factor of who could provide their states with the most benefits, turning a blind eye to decades of US-led wars and destruction across the region Now the rise of China has signaled a new source of wealth, opportunity, and security for the Arab World leading them to hedge their bets

FIVe months after his frosty fist-bump with President Joe Biden Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is rolling out the red carpet for Chinese President Xi Jinping, who arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday evening for a three-day trip underscoring Beijing s growing role in the Persian Gulf Xi, who last visited Saudi Arabia in 2016 will take part in summits with the leaders of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council and other Arab states, where the Chinese delegation is expected to sign a flurry of deals The visit comes as relations between Washington and Riyadh are in disarray following the OPeC+ decision in October to slash oil production by 2 million barrels per day despite US warnings that the cuts would benefit Russia A fuming Biden administration vowed to re-evaluate the decades-long US partnership with Saudi Arabia already strained over the kingdom’s rights record, military campaign in Yemen and murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi Congressional Democrats responded to the OPeC+ cuts with calls to restrict arms sales and security cooperation with Riyadh For China, the latest friction in the US-Saudi relationship has created an opening Robert Mogielnicki, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, described the trip to Al-Monitor as providing an opportunity for President Xi to display a different state of relations that doesn’t have visible tensions and obvious barriers to closer ties Chinese-Saudi economic relations have deepened in recent decades, with China considered Saudi Arabia’s largest trading partner and biggest purchaser of Saudi oil Ahead of Xi s visit, the official Saudi Press Agency reported that Riyadh and Beijing would ink preliminary agreements this week worth more than $29 billion In defending his muchcriticized visit to the Saudi city of Jeddah this July, Biden said engaging Saudi leaders would put the United States in the best possible position to outcompete China ” But as Salim A essaid reports the GCC is increasingly looking eastward for economic alternatives Chinese bilateral trade with Iran and the GCC states totaled $248 billion in 2021 four times those countries’ trade with the United States China has also made inroads into the region s armed drone market, raising alarm bells in Washington “The administration is warning countries not to have a strong relationship with China, but what is the US offering? a high-level Arab diplomat told Al-Monitor “China is offering us concrete things ” Despite its flourishing trade relationship with Saudi Arabia and its neighbors, China s security role in the region remains limited when compared to the United States “They don t have the huge military bases in the region, a permanent deployment of troops and materiel and a long history of selling and training and equipping these countries,” Bernard Haykel, a professor of Near eastern studies at Princeton University, said in an interview with Al-Monitor It s clear that the Chinese are trying to expand their reach beyond trade into politics and into security,” Haykel added So they will be opportunistic and take advantage of where the US seems to fail to deliver on its promises ” Asked about China’s expanding ties with Gulf partners, State Department spokesperson Ned Price told AlMonitor that the administration seeks to “make the United States the most attractive choice in terms of what we bring to the table " The US has encouraged its partners to see China for what it is: as a transactional power out for its own interests,” said Michael Singh a former senior director for Middle east affairs at the National Security Council and managing director at the Washington Institute for Near east Policy “The difficulty for Washington is that the United States is increasingly seen as a transactional rather than strategic partner as well,” Singh said

We feel confident in saying that not a single prediction of global warming catastrophe has occurred The alarmists know their forecasts of doom have been comically wrong But rather than admit their errors, they point to natural events as evidence that they’re not wrong and keep warning us that the end is near There must be something wrong with them It was David Viner, a senior research scientist at the University of east Anglia s climatic research unit, who told the Independent in 2000 that within just a few years, winter snow was going to become a very rare and exciting event ”

“Children just aren’t going to know what

snow is, he said, 22 years before snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere reached a record high Retired meteorologist Anthony Watts called Viner s foolish statement likely one of the most cited articles ever that illustrates the chutzpah and sheer hubris on display from a climate scientist who was so certain he could predict the future with certainty ” So has Viner since taken a lower profile within the alarmist community? Or decided he is better suited to be a greeter at Walmart?

Not a chance He’s continued to be a part of the United Nations Climate Scare Team (not its official name but that s what it should be called), and earlier this year he was named

head of environmental science for CGG, which calls itself “a global geoscience technology leader ”

Viner is of course only one of many climate doomsday prophets who have made forecasts that seemed more like the rantings of a mental hospital patient Their miserable record has been covered by esteemed columnists, reputable think tanks, and occasionally the media There’s even a Facebook page dedicated to climate change predictions

At this point it’s fair to ask: What is the difference, if any, between the climate alarmists and the religious cults that predict the end of the world, and rather than humbly

rethink their premises after their predictions fail, claim that they just got the day wrong and double down on the loco?

Our answer: The only real difference is that while the doomsday cults have no political power and are routinely skewered by the media, the climate alarmists have nearly unchallenged political clout, deep and wide institutional patronage, and the uncritical support of a press that is not merely sympathetic but actively promotes a deception agenda

Just as a religious cult has zero tolerance for questions or critical inquiry (one of the warning signs that a group or a leader is potentially unsafe) the climate alarmist com-

munity has tried to keep its research safe from scientific scrutiny Another warning sign of cult activity, according to the Cult education Institute, is “uncharacteristically stilted and seemingly programmed conversation ” This is a hallmark of climate alarmists, from researchers who keep making claims as if they re reading from a script, to protesters who constantly repeat meaningless phrases found on the bumper sticker of a 2007 Prius We re not saying the climate alarmists are insane But we feel it is our duty to point out that they do say the same things over and over and expect that this time

WAshIngton

Rt t m u r F o m E n ko

CHINeSe leader Xi Jinping has undertaken an official visit

Issues & InsIghts

Study ShowS benefitS of 5G ServiceS in PakiStan amonG emerGinG marketS

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aS T U D Y conducted by a multinational networking and telecommunications company, Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), has suggested that there existed great economic potential, consumer and environmental benefits of 5G connectivity in 15 national emerging markets including Pakistan

With regulatory and government support all fifteen countries could benefit from GDP growth between 0 3 and 0 46 percent through 2035, with an estimated three-to-seven-fold cost-tobenefit ratio,” the company said in a news release here on Friday

Titled the “Future Value of Mobile in Emerging Markets,” the report examined the impact of multiple 5G

spectrum deployment options to facilitate enhanced mobile broadband and fixed wireless access (FWA) across consumer, industry, logistics, rural and public services clusters, and spanning several business case options including verticals The detailed methodology included using national government statistics and reports based on population density distribution and existing national infrastructure such as road and rail networks and agriculture to create a cost-to-benefit model across the different deployment options

“Deployment options are based on the starting assumption of having 5G baseline rollout added to existing mobile radio network sites ” the report added Additional options explored the extra benefits of adding Low-Band 5G spectrum coverage beyond the baseline (delivering wider geographical cover-

WBN paves way for gender inclusion in corporate sec tor

ISLAMABAD: The Women Business Network (WBN) has paved the way for delivering gender inclusion agenda for Pakistan at their recent event of WOMENBIZ2022 meetup in Islamabad club The WOMENBIZ2022 was held on 7th December 2022 as part of their efforts for policy advocacy and women empowerment series of networking events held throughout the year The main event brought together from Corporate, Government sector, Embassies and Women Chambers across Pakistan, to discuss the challenges and opportunities of Gender Inclusion in Pakistan and move from dialogues and talks to definitive actions and initiatives taken by government, various corporates, and women networks and building the future based on these initiatives to improve the representation and inclusion of women in economic growth of Pakistan The event was convened by WBN in partnership with the Dunya Foundation, Euro Petroleum, Bima and Coca Cola Speaking at the event Ms Sam Dada, Founder of WBN said WBN is active in advocating for gender inclusion and mainstreaming the gender in business, facilitating women to network, policy advocacy and bringing together all stakeholders to collectively further the agenda of improving the Pakistan’s image and ranking on the global index for gender parity p r

ICCIA’s 5th BoE event on Green Entrepreneurship held at KSBL

KARACHI: The Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture (ICCIA) organized its 5th “Best of Entrepreneurship Pakistan (BOE) round in partnership with Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD), Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry, FPCCI and hosted by Karachi School of Business and Leadership (KSBL) Under the theme of “Green Entrepreneurship in Pakistan: Challenges, and opportunities , the event aimed to highlight the opportunities the green economy presents for the future entrepreneurs as well as existing businesses and hear their challenges in realizing their plans 21 speakers, representing national and international entities, shared their experiences, best practices, and highlighted challenges along their journey to enrich the discussion These will provide a strong basis to develop policy recommendations that are needed to support the growth and investment in this extremely important area in Pakistan as well as within the intergovernmental bodies to contribute to the voice of the global south private sector that is the most affected area within the climate crisis p r

EBM honored with Gender D iversity at Workplace Award 2022

Workplace

has won the

2022Local Corporates in 19th

age at the lower end of 5G capabilities and suited to agriculture or logistics deployments) or Mid-Band 5G spectrum coverage The study said expanded Mid-Band 5G coverage was identified as the key success factor - with the potential to deliver about 80 percent of the economic benefits Benefits from the Smart Industry and Smart Rural clusters account for 85-90 percent of the total economic benefits in each emerging market ”

It observed that agriculture was significant sector in all 15 countries, including Bangladesh Brazil Chile Colombia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan South Africa Thailand and Turkey, accounting for up to 10 percent of GDP in some markets

The report estimated that enhanced rural 5G coverage could deliver up to

inDrive opens first Driver Care Center in Islamabad

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inDrive Pakistan’s most downloaded ride-hailing app of 2022, opens its first office for drivers' welfare The oneof-a-kind Pitstop has been equipped with various facilities including free Wi-Fi airconditioned rest areas, a cell phone charging facility, toilets and drinks and amenities that can feel like a breath of fresh air during an exhausting day Not only will drivers be able to take a deserved break, but they will also be able to participate in free training programs every week, where they will receive tips on safety rating system payment, and service policies, as well as on how to get more positive ratings and reviews

"I believe Pakistan is a great country with hard-working people and a bright future at inDrive we always strive to support people whether it’s passengers or drivers inDrive

so we implemented

tive here to

by providing jobs and solving the public transportation problem simultaneously and we’re glad that our effort is going in the right direction in terms of our company mission and values ” stated by Afanasiy Petrov - SA Business Development Manager

“We are really excited about this project, it was in our plan since the very beginning to give back to our drivers' community which is vital for us We really appreciate the work being done by our Champions and want to help

Elena Gotovtseva- Marketing Manager - South Asia

Driver Acquisition Manager - Pakistan; Rao Zaryab said that the opening of the Pit stop is a part of the company's efforts to improve drivers' welfare and ensure they offer high-quality services for our customers

NAV T TC chief opens centre of excellence in GT TI Mughalpura L ahore

1 8 percent uplift in long-term GDP from agriculture The 5G will also promote sustainable farming methods, increase efficiency and reduce agricultural waste It said baseline 5G deployment cost was estimated between USD 3-8 billion per country An additional 20-35 percent investment is required to extend coverage

Andrew Lloyd, Head of Government and Policy Advocacy, Ericsson said the report provided “a detailed breakdown, based on comprehensive research into realistic and achievable scenarios in each of the 15 countries of the potential economic, social, environmental and national benefits of 5G in these markets With the backing of governments, regulators and policy makers, each of these 15 countries, and their citizens stand to benefit significantly from 5G connectivity ”

Int ’l Mountain Day celebrations begin today

ISLAMABAD:

l a n d a r b y S a l m a n A d i l C o n c e r t a l s o i n c l u d e d d i ff e r e n t m u s i c a l p e rformances

Ceremony

Pakistan The prestigious accolade is a testament to EBM s commitment to empower and promote gender diversity at the workplace The Annual Excellence Awards recognize the efforts of companies in fostering an environment that empowers women while inculcating strong leadership qualities in them EBM stands at the forefront in upholding a gender diverse workplace, with one-third of their senior leadership positions occupied by women Earlier this year EBM was recognized as an Employer of Choice at the Gender Diversity Awards 2022, organized jointly by International Finance Corporation and Pakistan Business Council as well as the award for Best Place to Work both by the Employers Federation Pakistan and PSHRM & Engage Consulting p r

jointly organized “ChinaPakistan Folk Music Concert to highlight the bilateral ironclad friendship The folk music concert featured performances by Chinese Orchestra of Hebei Song & Dance Theater and Pakistani Folk Band of Salman Adil /National Performing Arts Group of Pakistan National Council of the Arts It is supported by China News Network CNS Hebei Branch and Hebei Arts Center (Hebei Foreign Cultural Exchange Center) In this 80 minutes Live online concert, artists from Chinese Orchestra of Hebei Song and Dan c e

a t t l i n g A g a i n s t Ty p h o o n ” p l a y e d o n G u z h e n g b y Z h a n g P e i m u s i c a l D a t e H a r v e s t ” b y Z h a n g G u o m i n g , Wu Ya h u i , Wa n g H a i y u n u s i n g S u o n a , w h i c h i s a t r a d i t i o n a l C h in e s e m u s i c a l i n s t r u m e n t w i t h d o u b l e - r e e d h o r n a s w e l l a s M u s i c a l p e r f o r m a n c e b y P a k i s t a n i a r t i s t s u c h a s P a k i s t a n i F o l k t u n e o f R u b a b a n d Ta b l a , M a n e d i m a u j v i c h b y s a n t o o r a r t i s t A l i R a z a a n d F l u t e p e r f o r m a n c e “ H e e r R a n j h a & M a s t Q a -

KARACHI: English Biscuit Manufacturers (Pvt ) Ltd (EBM)

Gender Diversity at

Award

Annual Excellence Awards

held by the CFA Society

by other well-known artists from China and Pakistan

Hebei Provincial Song and Dance Theater Nat i o n a l O r c h e s t r a i s a ff i l i a t e d t o H e b e i P r o v i n c i a l Song and Dance Theater Performing Arts Co , Ltd , e s t a b l i s h e d i n 1 9 6 0 i s t h e o n l y p r o f e s s i o n a l n ational orchestra in Hebei Province After years of practice

LAHORE: SACM Omer Sarfraz Cheema in a group photo with participants of a media workshop for women journalists The five-day workshop titled: Freedom of Expression, Election Reporting and Morality’ was organized by the Women Media Centre Staff photo

Awn Chaudhry, Advisor to PM on Tourism and Sports talks to Governor Gilgit-Baltistan Syed Mehdi Shah about promotion of tourism and issues regarding reinstatement of ex-employees pr

Group photo of PTCL officials along with representativers from office of Islamabad Deputy Commissioner, Islamabad Police, Capital Development Authority Disaster Management, Islamabad Traffic Police and Rescue 1122 following the conclusion of a fire drill at Ufone Tower in Islamabad The activity was in line with PTCL Group’s Health, Safety & Environmental (HSE) protocols on workplace and employee safety pr

launched in Pakistan during the pandemic when many people lost their jobs

our brand mo-

support societies

them in any way possible We have started with a designated area for our drivers to rest, communicate with us and with each other and improve their skills to become even better in their job and earn more with us This is only the beginning and we plan to scale a number of activities and programs for our drivers in the next year, said

The Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) in collaboration with Alpine Club of Pakistan and other partner organization is going to organize a two-day event to celebrate International Mountain Day designated by United Nations in 2002 The theme of International Mountain Day 2022 is “Women Move Mountain” The event will begin on Saturday (today) with a conference on Sustainable Tourism Mountain at Legend Hotel Islamabad which will be followed by an Eco-hike on Saturday at Trail 5 of Margalla Hills National Park Over 300 students from Riphah University will participate in the eco-hike p r

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Chairman, National Vocational and Technical Education Commission (NAVTTC) Shahid Khan inaugurated the Centre of Excellence (COE) in Government Technical Training Institute (GTTI) Mughalpura Lahore

The Chairman NAVTTC handed over the key of COE to Mr Akhtar Abbas Bharwana, Senior Director General TEVTA Punjab in the presence Mr Sebastian Paust Counsellor Head of Development Cooperation Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany Islamabad Dr Mansoor Zaib Khan, Deputy Head of Programme TVETSSP and the distinguished

guests The participants expressed that the Technical Education is only the key for development of country by engaging the youth of the Pakistan It has been established by NAVTTC with the cooperation of GIZ, European Union, Norway and Germany

China’s Xi promises seCurit y, energy Cooperation at saudi summits

However, few details were released despite a Saudi state media report on Thursday that about $30 billion in deals would be signed during Xi s visit Riyadh and Beijing stressed “deepening relations within the framework of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries and reaching new and promising horizons”, the statement said Xi’s visit comes during tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United States, its long-time partner and security guarantor, over oil production, human rights issues and regional security

It follows US President Joe Biden’s trip to Jeddah in July, before midterm elections, when he failed to persuade the Saudis to pump more oil to calm prices – ‘Prestige’ trade deals –

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s 37-year-old de facto ruler, addressed both summits on Friday, promising “continuing Arab-Chinese cooperation to serve our common goals and aspirations of our peoples”

iran hit with new sanctions over first protester execution

Tehran

Ag e n c e s

countries in maintaining their own security and build a collective security framework for the Gulf,” Xi said at the start of the China-GCC summit

CH I N E S E President Xi Jinping on Friday touted close security and energy ties with Gulf nations during summit meetings in Saudi Arabia that have highlighted tensions with Washington

On the third and final day of his visit Xi attended summits of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council and a broader China-Arab leaders’ meeting

This is only Xi s third journey outside China since the coronavirus pandemic began The discussions came one day after bilateral sit-downs with Saudi royals yielded a joint statement stressing “the importance of stability” in oil markets a point of friction with the United States Washington has urged the Saudis to raise production

“China will continue to firmly support the GCC

“China will continue to import large quantities of crude oil from GCC countries on an ongoing basis,” he said, also vowing to expand other areas of energy cooperation including liquefied natural gas imports Oil from Saudi Arabia alone accounted for 17 percent of China’s imports last year, and last month Qatar announced a 27-year natural gas deal with China

Earlier on Friday a joint Chinese-Saudi statement spoke of “focusing on emissions rather than sources” in tackling climate change, the approach championed by the resource-rich Gulf monarchies

Both sides are seeking economic and strategic benefits by deepening cooperation

The Gulf countries, strategic partners of Washington are bolstering ties with China as part of an eastward turn that involves diversifying their fossil fuel-reliant economies At the same time China, hit hard by its Covid lockdowns, is trying to revive its economy and widen its sphere of influence, notably through its Belt and Road Initiative which provides funding for infrastructure projects around the world

Officials provided few details about the agenda for Friday s talks but one potential area of focus was a China-GCC free trade agreement under discussion for nearly two decades

Drawing those negotiations to a close would be a matter of prestige for Beijing,” said Robert Mogielnicki of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington

“It’s not as simple for the GCC states, which seem to be more invested in advancing bilateral ties and are engaged in varying degrees of regional economic competition with their neighbouring member states ”

A breakthrough on the trade pact could help Saudi Arabia the Middle East s biggest economy diversify its economy in line with the Vision 2030 reform agenda championed by Prince Mohammed

He a d s c a r f d e b ate re a c h e s Tu rk i s h p a rl i a m e nt a h e a d o f e l e c t i o n s

veiled women hostage”

Turkey s ruling party on Friday submitted a constitutional amendment to parliament enshrining women’s right to wear headscarves at work and in daily life, reviving a hugely divisive issue in the officially secular state

The highly-politicised decision by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AKP party comes six months before the next election one that promises to be a heated and tight race

The overwhelmingly Muslim country’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk had sought to settle the issue when he forged a more European-focused Turkey out of the Ottoman Empire’s ashes a century ago

But headscarves still polarise the nation of 85 million, and a coalition of conservative lawmakers led by Erdogan’s party submitted the constitutional amendment to the parliamentary speaker after collecting 336 lawmakers’

signatures

Parliamentary debates are expected to begin in the second half of the month, turning headscarves into a headline issue of the upcoming election campaign

Erdogan’s 20-year stint as prime minister and the president saw him champion the rights of conservative Muslims including veiled women

after decades of more secular rule

But it was his likely presidential rival from Ataturk’s secular CHP party who appeared to push Erdogan to mull constitutional changes that could be up for a referendum

Kemal Kilicdaroglu trying to woo Erdogan’s core supporters and strip away some of the AKP s vote accused the president of trying to “hold

He conceded the CHP had “made mistakes in the past by imposing headscarf curbs and now wanted to write women’s right to cover themselves in schools and at work into law l i f t i n g r e s t r i C t i o n s

Erdogan immediately went on the offensive

“Is there discrimination against veiled or unveiled women in schools or in public service? No!” Erdogan said

“We were the ones who achieved this

Discouraged in the name of modernity when Ataturk formed contemporary Turkey in 1923, headscarves were gradually banned from schools and offices

The AKP began to change that in 2008, lifting the ban at universities, colleges, and then in the civil service, parliament and the police

Turkish women overwhelmingly hailed these measures, said historian Berrin Sonmez, who is also an ardent defender of women’s rights

Iran was slapped with fresh sanctions on Friday after carrying out its first execution over demonstrations that have shaken the regime for nearly three months, as activists called for fresh protests

Mohsen Shekari, 23, was hanged on Thursday after being found guilty of “moharebeh”, or “enmity against God”, following what rights groups denounced as a show trial sparking international outcry and warnings that more hangings were imminent

The judiciary said Shekari was arrested after blocking a Tehran street and striking a member of the Basij paramilitary force linked to the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with a machete a wound that required 13 stitches

The Islamic republic said late on Thursday it was exercising utmost restraint in the face of the protests that flared over the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini, after her arrest for an alleged breach of the country s strict dress code for women

Britain on Friday announced wide-ranging sanctions against 30 targets worldwide, including officials in Iran whom it accused of pursuing “egregious sentences” against protesters

European diplomats said the EU was also set to impose more sanctions on Iran for drone supplies to Russia and the protest crackdown

The sanctions are expected to be formally signed off by foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday Amnesty International said on Thursday it was “horrified” by Shekari’s execution, which followed a “grossly unfair sham trial”

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights (IHR), said “Shekari was executed after a hasty and unfair trial without a lawyer ” C a l l s f o r m o r e p r o t e s t s

Shekari’s body was buried 24 hours after his execution in the presence of a few family members and security forces in Tehran’s Behesht-i-Zahra cemetery, the 1500tasvir social media monitor reported

Overnight, protesters took to the street where he was first arrested, shouting, “They took away our Mohsen and brought back his body,” in a video shared by 1500tasvir

Elsewhere, chants of “Death to the dictator” and “Death to Sepah” were heard at a demonstration in Tehran’s Chitgar district in reference to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards 1500tasvir said Shekari’s execution happened with such haste that his family had still been waiting to hear the outcome of his appeal

It posted harrowing footage of what it said was the moment his family learnt the news outside their home in Tehran, with a woman doubled up in pain and grief, repeatedly screaming the name Mohsen!

Hamed Esmaeilion, an Iranian-Canadian activist who has organised mass protests in Berlin, Paris and other cities, said more demonstrations would be held at the weekend

Regardless of belief and ideology let s join these gatherings in protest against the brutal execution of #MohsenShekari,” he tweeted

t i n s e c t p e s t s

Dozens of scientists, experts and campaigners called for a ban on the release of genetically-edited organisms into the wild, in a statement Friday warning of potentially severe risks to the world s pollinators

The appeal was launched at crunch biodiversity talks in Montreal, where delegates from almost all the world’s countries were meeting to negotiate a strategy to halt human environmental destruction, which threatens the natural life support systems of the planet

A host of new genome-editing tools that modify the genetic material of living beings have emerged in recent years, and are being researched and developed largely to target insects and plants in agriculture

Supporters argue that they could help human health, agriculture and even species conservation But their use in the wild carries “understudied risks which could accelerate

the decline of pollinator populations and put entire food webs at risk,” according to the letter drafted by the French non-governmental organisation Pollinis

The signatories including researchers specialising in insects, pollinators and agroecology called for countries party to the UN biodiversity talks to oppose the deployment of genetic biotechnologies in nature

They said current scientific research was unable to provide “reliable and robust” risk assessments for potential harms to other species including pollinators and the plants, animals and whole ecosystems that rely on them

Pollinating insects are already facing an alarming decline due to external stressors, adding hazardous and unassessed genetic biotechnologies to this fatal mix will aggravate the stress on pollinators and may precipitate their extinction,” the statement said

The UN talks in Montreal are tasked with laying out an ambitious plan for how people can live in harmony with nature in

the coming decades, as scientists warn a million species are threatened with extinction

One of the targets up for negotiation looks specifically at the potential risks of genetic biotechnology and the decision on this point could lead either to greater regulation or help facilitate their use

Engineered eradication –

–

Unlike genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which introduce an external gene into a plant or animal, new gene editing techniques directly modify the genome of a living being, without adding external elements

One example is so-called gene drive technology which uses tools such as CRISPR-Cas9 DNA snipping “scissors” that can insert, delete or otherwise edit genes

This can push an engineered trait so it is passed down to a higher proportion of offspring than would have occurred naturally, across many generations A flagship project, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has developed the technology to try to eradicate

rIYaDh Ag e n c i e s

ParIS

malaria In 2018 researchers were able to wipe out an entire population of malaria-carrying mosquitos in the lab using a gene editing tool to programme their extinction

The Pollinis letter said companies have filed patent applications describing the use of gene drive technology to target “hundreds of agricultural pests

anKara Ag e n c e s

Mystery spinner AbrAr destroys engl And bAtting line up on debut

My s t e ry leg spinner Abrar Ahmed shone on his debut to destroy an aggressive-looking england batting line up with a seven-wicket haul restricting visitors to a modest 281 in the first inning of the second test match at Multan Cricket stadium on day one Friday england entered the second test at Multan in a confident mode backed by their victory in rawalpindi test, however, the mystery spinner Abrar emerged as spin maestro to frustrate the aggressive plans of english batters and inflicted first blow early when he bowled opener Zak Crawley on a delivery that came in and went through the bat and pads to hit stumps when england had put just 38 on the board

From then on, the young spinmaster never looked back and went on to trim

the english batting one by one He conceded 114 runs for his seven wickets in 22 overs he bowled the second test match of the threematch test series between Pakistan and england was being played at Multan Cricket stadium where england won the

toss and elected to bat first with ambitions to script another big score like the previous rawalpindi test where they had scored a mammoth 657 in the first innings and won that test decisively by 74 runs in a remarkable display of the game of cricket

young Abrar made the difference in Multan test After claiming the wicket of opener Zak Crawley he got Ben Ducket Will Jacks and Joe root pinned before stumps, made Ollie Pope and Harry Brook play misjudged strokes to be caught by fielders, and bowled the captain Ben stokes england team went under pressure soon after the fall of first wicket at 38 runs the debutante spinner kept piling up pressure and took his second wicket when england total reached 117, third at 145, fourth at 164, fifth at 167, sixth at 228 and seventh by Abrar Ahmed at 231 remaining three wickets were claimed by spinner Zahid Mahmood conceding Ben Ducket remained top scorer with 63 runs and Ollie Pope with 60 runs the 24-year-old – nicknamed “Harry Potter” by friends because he wears glasses similar to those of the fictional boy wizard – spun magic of his own after england decided to bat on a turning pitch

Master Paints Black, Remington Pharma qualify for final of Corps Commander Polo Cup

LAHORE s ta f f r e p o r t

neymar equals legend pele’s record of 7 7 brazil goals

DOHA ag e n c i e s

Neymar equalled Pele’s record of 77 Brazil goals after scoring against Croatia in the World Cup quarter-finals on Friday the forward fired home from close range in extra-time to put Brazil ahead and match Pele’s tally achieved between 1957 and 1971 Neymar ’s strike, which saw him beat Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic and convert from a tight angle, put Brazil 1-0 ahead in stoppage time after the first additional period With a victory, Brazil will face Argentina or the Netherlands in the semi-final Neymar was not at his vintage best against Croatia but kept a cool head at the vital moment to give his team the advantage Pele, who was recently hospitalised amid ongoing treatment for colon cancer, is the only player in history to win three World Cups the 82-year-old triumphed in 1958, 1962 and 1970 with the selecao and said earlier this week he was watching his country play in Qatar from hospital Neymar is still chasing his first with record five-time winners Brazil last lifting the trophy in 2002, eight years before he made his international debut

M a s t e r P a i n t s B l a c k a n d r e m i n gt o n P h a r m a q u a l i f i e d f o r t h e m a i n f i n a l o f t h e C o r p s C o m m a n d e r P o l o C u p s p o n s o r e d b y D i a m o n d P a i n t s a f t e r w i n n i n g t h e i r r e s p e ct i v e s e m i f i n a l s h e r e a t t h e J i n n a h P o l o F i e l d s o n F r i d a y I n t h e f i r s t s e m i f i n a l o f t h e d a y, M a s t e r P a i n t s B l a c k b e a t F G / D i n P o l o b y a c l o s e m a rg i n o f 8 - 7 ½ M a n u e l C a r r a n z a w a s t h e h e r o f r o m t h e w i n n i n g s i d e a s h e d i s p l a y e d o u t s t a n d i n g p o l o s k i l l s a n d t e c h n i q u e s a n d c o n t r i b u t e d w i t h s u p e r b s i x g o a l s s u b s t i t u t e p l a y e r A g h a M u s a A l i K h a n a l s o p l a y e d w e l l a n d b a n g e d i n a b e a u t i f u l b r a c e to m a s M a r i n

M o r e n o p l a y e d w e l l b y s m a s h i n g i n s i x g o a l s a n d F a r h a d M u h a mm a d s h a i k h c o n v e r t e d o n e f o r F G / D i n P o l o , w h i c h h a d a h a l f g o a l h a n d i c a p a d v a n t a g e t h e s e c o n d s e m i f i n a l o f t h e d a y a l s o p r o v e d a t h r i l l i n g e nc o u n t e r w h e r e r e m i n g t o n P h a r m a f a c e d t o u g h f i g h t f r o m t h e i r o p p o n e n t s – D i a m o n d P a i n t s / s h e i k h o o s t e e l – b e f o r e w i n n i n g t h e c r u c i a l m a t c h 6 ½ - 6 t h e w i n n i n g t e a m s t a r t e d t h e m a t c h h a v i n g a h a l f g o a l h a n d ic a p a d v a n t a g e H a m z a M u w a z K h a n d i d t h e m a g i c w i t h m a l l e t a n d p o l o p o n y a n d f i r e d i n f a b ul o u s f o u r g o a l s a n d h i s t e a mm a t e s A h m e d Z u b a i r B u t t a n d A h m e d B i l a l r i a z c o n t r i b u t e d w i t h o n e g o a l a p i e c e

F r o m t h e l o s i n g s i d e , N i c o l a s A n t i n o r i a l s o p l a y e d w e l l a n d p u m p e d i n f i v e g o a l s a n d M i r H u z a i f a A h m e d s t r u c k o n e g o a l b u t t h e i r e f f o r t s c o u l d n ’ t b e a r f r u i t f o r t h e i r s i d e w h i c h l o s t t h e t h r i l l e r b y m a r g i n o f j u s t a h a l f g o a l A l a rg e n u m b e r o f s p e c t a t o r s w e r e p r e s e n t a t t h e J i n n a h P o l o F i e l d s t o w i t n e s s t h e s e m i f i n a l s o f t h e o n g o i n g C o r p s C o mm a n d e r C u p b e i n g s p o n s o r e d b y D i a m o n d P a i n t s C e O D i a m o n d P a i n t s M i r s h o a i b A h m e d , D i r e ct o r M i r H u z a i f a A h m e d , J P F P r e s i d e n t L t C o l s h o a i b A f t a b ( r ) , M a j o r B a b a r M e h b o o b Aw a n ( r ) a n d a l a r g e n u m b e r o f f a m il i e s w e r e p r e s e n t o n t h i s o c c as i o n

Waqar, Nasir, Noor, Z ainab into finals of COMBA X X 1st CNS S quash C ’ship

KARACHI

f f r e p o r

the semi-Finals of COMBAXX 1st CNs All Pakistan squash Championship 2022 were played here at Pakistan Navy roshan Khan Jahangir Khan squash Complex, Fleet Club, saddar Karachi the following are the result of the semi Final matches: (Prefix numbers denotes seeding, Q “Qualifier”) R e s u lt: M e n’s s e M i-F i n a l

[8] Waqar Mehboob (KP) bt [6] Naveed rehman (sindh) 4-11, 11-8, 11-13, 11-9, 11-9 (56 mins)

[2] Nasir Iqbal (Wapda) bt Q- sadam Ul Haq (Army) 11-6, 11-9, 11-5 (34 mins)

result: Women s semi-Final (Prefix numbers denote seeding, Q “Qualifier”)

[1] Zainab Khan (Army) Vs [4] Komal Khan (Wapda) 11-5 11-4 11-7 (17 mins)

Q-Noor Ul Ain (sNGPL) bt Maryam Malik (Army) 6-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-6, 11-8 (40 mins)

Fixture (saturday): Women s Final (Prefix numbers denote seeding, Q “Qualifier”)

[1] Zainab Khan (Army) Vs Q- Noor Ul Ain (sNGPL) at 1200 hours

Fixture (saturday): Men’s Final (Prefix numbers denote seeding)

[8] Waqar Mehboob (KP) Vs [2] Nasir Iqbal (Wapda) at 1400 hours

West indies struggle after Head, labuschagne heroics for Australia

ADELAIDE AUSTRALIA

Australia took four wickets to leave the West Indies reeling on Friday in the day-night second test after travis Head crunched 175 and Marnus Labuschagne became the second-fastest man to 3 000 test runs behind Donald Bradman

At stumps in Adelaide on day two, the visitors were 102-4 still 409 runs behind after Australia declared their first innings at 511-7

Opener tagenarine Chanderpaul remained defiant on 47 alongside nightwatchman Anderson Phillip on one skipper steve smith’s declaration gave his bowlers just over a full session to inflict maximum damage with the pink ball under lights, which is usually the most treacherous time to bat in day-night tests And they grabbed the opportunity as the home side look to sweep the two-test series after winning in Perth by 164 runs

Michael Neser, in the team for an injured Josh Hazlewood, bagged the key wicket of Perth centurymaker Kraigg Brathwaite for 19, with wicketkeeper Alex Carey taking a regulation catch after the West Indies skipper got a feather-edge as he tried to defend Neser found movement and removed shamarh Brooks for eight in a mirror dismissal Nathan Lyon then held a caught-and-bowled to send Jermaine Blackwood packing for three, making the veteran spinner the most successful bowler ever at Adelaide Oval with 57 wickets, surpassing shane Warne s 56

Cameron Green capped a good day for the hosts by bowling Devon thomas for 19 Head earlier made a sparkling career-high 175 before a brain fade with Green deprived him of a maiden double century Green nudged to fine leg and was pushing for two, but then sent Head back He dived for the crease but fell just short

It was a waste and even more so with Green out for nine soon after Alex Carey (41 not out) and Neser (18) consolidated ahead of the declaration 30 minutes before tea Labuschagne compiled 163, to go with his 204 and 104 not out in the first test, before the West Indies made their first breakthrough of the day with wicketkeeper Joshua da silva holding a catch off thomas’s bowling

It snapped a 297-run stand between Head and Labuschagne and ended another stylish performance from the left-hander In the process he passed 3 000 test runs in his 51st innings, matching West Indies great everton Weekes as the second-quickest to the milestone

But they were still considerably slower than Australian legend Bradman, who accomplished the feat in 33 innings Australia resumed on 330-3 after dominating on thursday Labuschagne began on 120 and Head 114, with an injury-hit West Indies again faced with a flat pitch offering little help Alzarri Joseph extracted some early bounce but the Australians were largely untroubled with Head impressive, pouncing on anything short or wide the West Indies bowling stocks were diminished with allrounder Kyle Mayers and pacemen Kemar roach and Jayden seales out injured

C roatia stun Brazil in penalty shoot- out to reach World Cup semi-finals

Croatia battled past tournament favourites

Brazil 4-2 on penalties on Friday to reach the World Cup semi-finals following a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes the 2018 runners-up came through their second consecutive shootout after beating Japan also on penalties in the last 16 and will now face either the Netherlands or Argentina who play each other later

In an evening filled with tension and drama, Brazil superstar Neymar thought he had won the game when he rifled in an extratime goal for the five-time world champions Croatia substitute Bruno Petkovic s leftfooted equaliser three minutes from the end of extra time drew his side level, breaking Brazilian hearts in Doha’s education City stadium the Croats kept their composure from the penalty spot as Brazil s Marquinhos and rodrygo failed to convert

Croatia initially refused to be intimidated by their more illustrious opponents and in the first half successfully stifled most of Brazil’s moves early

Apart from a weak Vinicius Jr shot Brazil had little else to offer in terms of attack with Neymar off the pace and shut out by a hard-working backline

It was Croatia who looked sharper, more skilled in their passing game and with a precise game plan, and by the end of the first half, they had the upper hand in terms of possession

A Neymar free kick just before the break did not trouble Croatia keeper Dominik Livakovic as the Brazilians, whose last win over a european opponent in the knockout phase came in their 2002 final victory over Germany, struggled to find any space they did, however, almost take the lead three minutes after the restart when Josko Gvardiol tried to clear the ball but almost turned it into his own goal seconds later, claims for a handball by

defender Josip Juranovic were shot down following a video assistant referee review before Neymar was sent through by richarlison in the 55th minute only to have his close-range effort blocked by Livakovic the Brazilians, who have now lost four of their last five World Cup quarter-finals all to european opposition enjoyed a much better start to the second half and came close again in the 66th when Lucas Paqueta was denied by Livakovic the Croatia keeper was kept busy and stopped Neymar in the 76th and by that time had more saves in the match (seven) than his Brazil counterpart, Alisson, had in the entire tournament (five)

Livakovic parried another Paqueta shot five minutes later as the few hundred Brazil fans in the stands grew louder and more impatient and the game trickled over to extra time with Brazil coach tite visibly nervous

In stoppage time of the first period, Neymar, largely lacklustre until then, launched

ag e n c i e s

DOHA ag e n c i e s

an attack outside the box, played two consecutive one-twos to bamboozle the tired Croatian defence and then rounded the keeper to equal Brazil great Pele’s record of 77 international goals

But the Croats refused to surrender with Petkovic’s equaliser forcing penalties and coming out on top in the shootout with Livakovic saving rodrygo’s spot kick and Marquinos hitting the post

MULTAN

s ta f f r e p o r t

Pa k i s ta n f i r m t o a d o P t h u m a n r i g h t s s t r at e g y b a s e d o n j u s t i c e , e q u a l i t y : P m

iSLAMABAD S ta f f r e p o r t

PR I M E Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to adopt a strategy centered on human rights in addressing the growing humanitarian needs and in enhancing the response to human rights violations

Today and every day the government of Pakistan will continue to work for justice, equality, dignity and human rights for all,” the prime minister said in his message on International Human Rights Day The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 74 years ago today

The prime minister said the ideas outlined in this Declaration remain the essential to achieving civil economic cultural, social, and political prosperity for everyone, everywhere

He mentioned that the theme for this year is ‘Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for Everyone and said that accordingly, we must not forget the vision of our founder, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah who wanted for us a free nation, where we all could be equal citizens of one State”

Shehbaz Sharif said the Constitution of Pakistan truly translates this vision into reality by enshrining these values as fundamental rights applicable to all citizens of Pakistan

He said the current year had been

of particular difficulty for Pakistan, adding that from economic instability to flood disasters worsened by growing threats of terrorism, the people of Pakistan have suffered a lot

“We must work together in solidarity to realize a society devoid of inequality and injustice guided by the overarching principles of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,”he said The prime minister stressed that on this day it was also imperative to take a closer look at the human rights situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir, where Kashmiris have been kept deprived of their right to selfdetermination

“The right to self-determination is the collective and individual freedom of a people to freely select their politi-

cal status and pursue economic, social, and cultural growth,” he said

The prime minister said the right to self-determination has been trampled upon by “terrorist/counter-terrorist” rhetoric, burdened by military operations across the Line of Control, and buried while the world s attention concentrates on other issues

“We must continue our collective efforts to ensure that the people of Kashmir are able to enjoy the same rights and freedoms as are available to any citizen of a free State,” he said

He said Pakistan also commits itself to continue extending moral, political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiris in achieving their legitimate right to self-determination

Pakistan Refiner y Limited shuts shop for weeks amidst high demand

pr ofit report

The reason behind this is the reduced orders from its clientele, original equipment manufacturer (OEMS) The reduced orders have impacted the overall automotive industry resulting in reduced demand BWHL is a manufacturer of steel disc wheels for automobiles based out of Hub Balochistan

The company’s clientele includes both domestic and international passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and tractor OEMS In a conversation with Profit, Muhammad Asad Saeed, Company Secretary of BWHL, stated that the decision was purely due to the depressed demand in the automotive sector The decision of NDPs seems like the logical consequence of the current demand destruction that’s occurred in Pakistan’s automotive industry Other parts manufacturers are likely to take similar decisions in what Abdul Waheed Khan, Director General of the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA), has described as an “unprecedented situation” across Pakistan’s automotive industry Although the monthly sales rose by 14% in October, but the yearly sales still plateaued at 37% lower than the last year Furthermore, the first four months of the current fiscal year have only seen a cumulative automotive demand of 59 402 units sold This is 46% lower than the 109,238 units sold over the same period in the previous year based on the data provided by PAMA

According to its latest notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange, Pakistan Refineries Limited has intimated that it will remain shut for approximately 20 days, starting December 10th The cause for this is the regeneration shutdown of the company’s refining units Pakistan Refineries Limited is a daughter company of PSO and is one of Pakistan’s state owned oil refineries Between its 2 refining units, PRL has the capacity of processing 50,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil

According to media reports, the Oil and Gas regulatory Authority (OGRA), instructed the PRL to hold off the shutting down of its operations till February 2023 Due to high demands of diesel in the current winter ’s months, OGRA maintained that the company should shut down operations after the demand surge slows down The decision was made after OGRA’S Oil Supply Chain Department examined the company s request of shutting down

Regeneration is an essential part of the life cycle of any refinery Not only does it improve extraction, it also has positive impacts on the environment

However, it is an event that can be put off Earlier last month, OCAC informed OGRA of a possible shortage of diesel in the coming months, a claim that was refuted by OGRA and the Petroleum Ministry However, closing operations of PRL means a decline of almost 40 000 metric tonnes of diesel that would have otherwise been added in the stream

While Pakistan faces a foreign reserves shortage and the state bank is adamant on not providing LCs to local importers It would be imperative to see what strategy is adopted to import diesel if this shortfall becomes significant As of now, the petroleum ministry is confident that Pakistan’s reserves are more than sufficient to go through the winter season

Mari Petroleum signs with major fer tiliser producers for gas produc tion

M a r i P e t r o l e u m C o m p a n y L i m i t e d ( M P C L ) h a s e n t e r e d i n t o a n a g r e e m e n t w i t h t h r e e m a j o r f e r t i l i s e r c o m p a n i e s i n P a k i s t a n t o m a i n t a i n M P C L’s H a b i b R a h i L i m e s t o n e ( H R L ) g a s p r o d u c t i o n t o t h e t h r e e b i g F e r t i l i s e r m a n u f a c t u r e r s i n c l u d i n g F a u j i F e r t i l i z e r C o m p a n y ( F F C ) , F a t i m a F e r t i l i z e r C o m p a n y L i m i t e d ( FAT I M A ) , a n d E n g r o F e r t i l i z e r s L i m i t e d ( E F E RT ) A l l t h e f o u r p a r t i e s i n v o l v e d m a d e i n d i v i d u a l a n n o u n c e m e n t s t o t h e P a k i s t a n S t o c k E x c h a n g e ( P S X ) o n F r i d a y M A R I ’s n o t i c e r e a d , “ M a r i P e t r o l e u m C o m p a n y L i m i t e d ( M P C L ) h a s e x e c u t e d a F r a m e w o r k A g r e e m e n t f o r t h e i n s t a l l a t i o n o f P r e s s u r e E n h a n c e m e n t F a c i l i t i e s ( P E F ) a t M a r i G a s F i e l d , D a h a r k i , S i n d h w i t h F F C , E N G R O , a n d FAT I M A ” T h e P r o j e c t w i l l i n v o l v e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f p i p e l i n e i n f r a s t r u c t u r e , o p t i m i s i n g s u r f a c e p i p e l i n e n e t w o r k , a n d i n s t a l l a t i o n o f c o m p r e s s o r s w i t h i n t h e M a r i F i e l d A c c o r d i n g t o i n d u s t r y i n s i d e r s , t h e g a s p r e s s u r e i n M a r i ’s g a s f i e l d i n D a h a r k i h a s b e e n d e c r e a s i n g f o r s o m e t i m e I n o r d e r t o e n s u r e t h e u n i n t e r r u p t e d s u p p l y o f g a s , t h e b i g f e r t i l i s e r b u s i n e s s e s a g r e e d t o i n s t a l l c o m p r e s s o r s w h i c h w o u l d h e l p m a i n t a i n t h e i r g a s n e e d s f o r t h e n e x t f e w y e a r s a t l e a s t T h e p r o j e c t i s e x p e c t e d t o b e d o n e o v e r a p e r i o d o f t i m e a n d i t w o u l d n e e d c a p i t a l i n v e s t m e n t s f r o m a l l t h e p a r t i e s i n v o l v e d A l t h o u g h a n e x a c t c o s t i s h a r d t o p r e d i c t , i t c a n c o s t o v e r R S 1 0 b i l l i o n T h e s h a r e p r i c e o f t h e f o u r c o m p a n i e s r e m a i n e d r e l a t i v e l y s t a b l e o n t h e P S X o n F r i d a y M a r i h i s t o r y M a r i P e t r o l e u m h a s s e v e n o i l a n d g a s f i e l d s o f w h i c h M a r i F i e l d D a h a r k i i n S i n d h i s t h e i r o n e a n d o n l y g a s f i e l d I t c u r r e n t l y h a s 1 5 2 w e l l s T h e M a r i G a s F i e l d i n D a h a r k i , D i s t r i c t G h o t k i , S i n d h i s a p p r o x i m a t e l y 9 6 k i l o m e t r e s N o r t h o f S u k k u r I t w a s f i r s t d i s c o v e r e d i n 1 9 5 7 b y E S S O E a s t e r n a n d g a s w a s f o u n d a t a d e p t h o f 7 0 1 m e t r e s ( 2 3 0 0 f e e t ) i n L o w e r K i r t h a r L i m e s t o n e f o r m a t i o n w h i c h c a m e t o b e k n o w n a s H a b i b R a h i L i m e s t o n e a s w e k n o w o f i t t o d a y P r o d u c t i o n o f n a t u r a l g a s c o m m e n c e d i n 1 9 6 7 I n 1 9 8 3 , F a u j i F o u n d a t i o n , G o v e r n m e n t o f P a k i s t a n ( G o P ) , a n d O i l a n d G a s D e v e l o p m e n t C o m p a n y L i m i t e d ( O G D C L ) a c q u i r e d t h e e n t i r e o p e r a t i o n s o f E S S O i n c l u d i n g t h e G a s F i e l d T h e n e w c o m p a n y w a s c a l l e d M a r i G a s C o m p a n y L i m i t e d w h i c h w a s r e n a m e d t o M a r i P e t r o l e u m C o m p a n y L i m i t e d ( M P C L ) i n 2 0 1 2 D i s c o v e r y o f g a s b y M P C L i n K P E a r l i e r t h i s y e a r i n J u n e , M P C L a n n o u n c e d a h u g e g a s d i s c o v e r y a t t h e B a n n u We s t - 1 w e l l , l o c a t e d i n N o r t h Wa z i r i s t a n d i s t r i c t , K h y b e r P a k h t u n k h w a T h e d i s c o v e r y o f g a s w a s o n e o f t h e l a rg e s t s u c h d i s c o v e r i e s i n t h e c o u n t r y ’s h i s t o r y a n d t h e f i r s t e v e r i n N o r t h Wa z i r i s t a n I t i s e x p e c t e d t o g o a l o n g w a y i n m e e t i n g t h e c o u n t r y s e n e rg y d e m a n d s f r o m l o c a l r e s o u r c e s r e s u l t i n g i n m a j o r d o l l a r s a v i n g s i n t h e c o u n t r y ’s e v e r- i n c r e a s i n g i m p o r t b i l l

Babar stressed on the need for banks to revisit their traditional approach to service delivery and adapt quickly as digitalization shifts the balance of power from banks to tech savvy entities

Babar adds that banks need to reimagine the term know your customer and expand its scope, from just the due diligence requirement to developing deeper insights about customers’ habits, preferences and spending choices

In this regard, data will be the new currency and would be pivotal in attaining a sustainable competitive advantage in the industry The banks investing in capabilities

to aggregate customer data, and leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Bigdata for analysis to effectively anticipate customer needs, will be more likely to deliver a superior customer journey and ensure customer loyalty ”

Leveraging of digital technology is essential not only to promote financial inclusion, but also to ensure that the industry keeps pace with emerging global trends opines Babar

Speaking on the importance of technology, Babar quotes M-Pesa a Kenyan fintech “An often-cited success story is that of M-Pesa in Kenya, where it single-handedly drove mobile financial services availability and successfully raised financial services access in Kenya

Babar pointed out that a number of factors already exist in Pakistan than can help drive digital financial innovation and proliferation of a tech-based financial ecosystem These include a fully functional digital ID system, ubiquity of mobile devices, penetration of mobile and broadband services, availability of faster payment rails remote account opening process, and facilitative reg-

ulatory environment for enabling the entry of non-bank entities into the financial arena

He also points out that while fintech have brought competition, it also presents the sector with an opportunity to create synergies and mutually beneficial partnerships Banks and Fintechs can partner with each other to provide innovative products for customers that are otherwise not viable on standalone basis For banks such partnerships can help with penetration in untapped segments like retail businesses and Micro and Small Medium Enterprises, yielding beneficial outcomes for all stakeholders, he said

Encouraging the banks that are yet to m a k e c o n s i s t e n a n d s u s t a i n e d m o v e t oward technological transformation Babar told them to make used of the digital bank frameworks and the instant payment system RAAST to position themselves for the future

However with growing technological advances, the need for cyber security grows Babar said, “A loss of customers funds or data by even one institution tarnishes trust in the entire banking industry

W h i l e f i n a n c i a l i n c l u s i o n r e m a i n s a p a i n p o i n t f o r P a k i s t a n B a b a r p o i n t e d o u t t h e p r o g r e s s a n d t h e n e e d f o r m o r e “ To g e t h e r w i t h b a n k s , w e h a v e m a d e g r e a t s t r i d e s t o w a r d s i m p r o v i n g u n i q u e a n d a c t i v e b a n k a c c o u n t s D e s p i t e t h i s , b a n k a c c o u n t s i n P a k i s t a n , e s p e c i a l l y o f f e m a l e s , a r e s t i l l q u i t e l o w c o m p a r e d t o o u r p e e r c o u n t r i e s ”

Babar says that for every three men with a bank account, only one woman has a bank account and it eis even more challenging when trying to access other financial services such as credit provision

“More importantly, we must not be content with just raising the number of unique bank accounts, but aim to integrate the use of financial services by individuals entrepreneurs, SMEs and large businesses in

their day-to-day transactions,” he adds

The governor also called on banks to transition to greener and sustainable business practices, which he said “cannot be delayed any longer ”

He said the banking sector can take a lead role and start by conducting a thorough assessment of the key climate-related risks and exposures impacting the sector in particular and the economy in general

Babar pointed out that shifting to a low carbon greener economy would require a shift in production and consumption patterns; which would require investment For such investment the private and public sector would look to banks for funding “the financial industry can play an important role by mobilizing financial resources needed for the transition I would urge the banking industry to review its potentially pivotal role and increasingly channel credit towards climatesmart and sustainability-friendly businesses ”

Babar encouraged the banking sector players to take a holistic view and incorporate climate considerations into their financial inclusion and digital transformation initiatives going forward

Governor SBP, Jameel Babar, stressed upon the need for financial inclusion, digital transformation of financial services, and climate change and climate change as important areas that will be vital in shaping the Pakistani banking system during his speech at the Institute of Banking Pakistan Annual Award Ceremony

There is an urgent need to embrace advanced technologies such as analytics and artificial intelligence to improve threat visibility and deter fraud effectively These risks are best addressed through a concerted response by all stakeholders - a fact that the industry must acknowledge and act upon in a timely manner ”

Baluchistan Wheels Limited (BWHL) notified the Pakistan Stock Exchange that it will be observing non-production days (NDPs) from December 12 till December 23

B A N K S S H O U L D LO O K I N TO PA R T N E R I N G W I T H F I N T E C H TO I N C R E A S E F I N A N C I A L I N C LU S I O N , E N H A N C E D I G I TA L I Z AT I O N