Epaper_22-6-15 ISB

Wednesday, 15 June, 2022 I 15 Dhul-Qadah, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII no 346 I 12 Pages I Islamabad edition

ECL Laws amEndEd to favour ruLing ELitE: top judgE

IsLAMABAd

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staff report

HE Supreme Court directed the government to ensure that people on the Exit Control List (ECL) do not travel abroad without prior permission from the Ministry of Interior, and suggested that “people in influential offices” made amendments to the laws governing the process to take advantage of it.

The top court passed these remarks on Tuesday as it resumed its suo motu hearing into “perceived interference” by “persons in authority” in criminal probes.

Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial headed the five-judge larger

bench comprising Justice Ijaz ulAhsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar.

At the outset of the hearing, Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Ashtar Ausaf Ali appeared before the court.

“Did the cabinet approve amendments in the ECL rules?”

Justice Ahsan inquired. At this, Ali maintained the matter is under review under a Cabinet committee for legislation.

Justice Bandial remarked the accused who wants to travel abroad for official work should get approval from the interior ministry.

“Let the system work. Everyone has to work together,” he said.

He went on to add that legislation without input from the opposition should also be done in line with legal requirements.

“It’s not an opportunity for anyone to take advantage. We will keep an eye that no institution exceeds their authority,” Justice Bandial clarified, adding that no such order will be passed that causes inconvenience to the government.

At one point during the hearing, Justice Bandial brought up the question of people in power benefitting from amendments made to the ECP rules.

He stressed that the rule of law was important and there should be “no compromise” on the usual procedure for people whose cases were pending.

“The current situation is unique … the country is currently suffering from an economic crisis,” the chief justice observed, urging the executive to use their powers in the light of the law and Constitution.

“We will not allow any investigative organisation, agency or state organ to exceed its limits,” he stated.

The chief justice further remarked that for the system to persist, it was important for everyone to work together. “Legislation from a unilateral parliament should be in line with legal requirements,” he pointed out, stressing that it was not the time to seek advantage (out of the situation).

He added that he did not want to pass an order which would put the government in difficulty.

Army leadership endorses Gen Musharraf’s return to Pakistan: DG ISPR IsLAMABAd staff report

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Major General Babar Iftikhar on Tuesday backed return of former military dictator General (R) Pervez Musharraf, saying that the top military leadership’s stance is to bring the ailing former president, who has been living in Dubai since 2106, back to Pakistan in view of his critical medical condition.

Speaking to a local TV channel on Tuesday, the chief military spokesperson said that the family of the former military ruler had been approached but added that the final decision to bring back Musharraf from UAE will be taken by his family and doctors.

“We have contacted his family. Once his family responds, we can make the required arrangements,” the military’s spokesperson said as he prayed for Musharraf’s speedy recovery.

Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif also said last week he believed that no hurdles should be placed if the former dictator wanted to come back to Pakistan.

Musharraf, 78, is critically ill these days as he is suffering from a condition called amyloidosis, his office said Friday.

Last week, the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) — the political party established by Musharraf — said that he was taken back to

Cabinet Committee to unearth money laundering linked to Imran: Sanaullah news desk Minister for Interior Rana Sana Ullah Khan on Tuesday said the Cabinet had set up a sub committee to uncover the mystery of out of court settlement made in over Rs 50 billion in a money laundering case by the previous government as there was no clues who had signed this agreement.

Briefing the media persons after the Cabinet meeting along with Minister for Information and Broadcasting Maryam Aurangzeb, Minister of State for Petroleum Musadiq Malik, Minister for Communication Asad Mahmood and Advisor to PM on Kashmir Affairs Qamar Zaman Kaira, he said the committee would thoroughly investigate the matter and what ever finding, case would be followed accordingly.

He said that the then so called ‘Sadiq’ and ‘Ameen’ Prime Minister Imran Khan took approval of an agreement on December 3, 2019 without allowing the members to read it although some of them sought clarification.

The issue was also widely reported and highlighted in the media, he added.

He said National Crime Agency

of United Kingdom confiscated over Rs 50 billion of Bahria Town which had been transferred against the law.

Under the UK law, it was the property of State of Pakistan, he added.

However, the minister said former SAPM Mirza Shahzad Akbar acted a role of ‘broker’ for the former premier.

Imran Khan’s corruption czar Mirza Shahzad Akbar settled Rs 50 billion and got a Rs 5 billion commission which was tantamount to looting the public money, he said.

Sana Ullah said that the former government led by so called ‘Mr Clean’ settled the said huge amount as liability against Bahria

Town. The former government provided a big relief to the Bahria Town by taking its due share, he added.

He said the Bahria Town donated and transferred 458 Kanals of precious land to Al-Qadir Trust after the agreement. Ironically, the signatories of the agreement were former first lady Bushra Babi and the donor (Bahria Town), he added.

He said there were only two trustees of Al-Qadir Trust namely Bushra Babi and Imran Khan.

Similarly, the minister said that 240 kanals of land was transferred in the name of Farah Shahzadi wife of Ahsan Iqbal Jameel in Banigala.

Farah Shahzadi did not escape because of taking diamond rings rather she ran away to escape questioning on illegal transfer of 240 kanals land in Banigala.

Sana Ullah said that there was no university at the site rather Bahria Town organized all functions held there during visits of Imran Khan. He said Imran Khan received his due share in all such matters and it was a direct plundering of public money.

Meanwhile speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Petroleum, Senator Dr. Musadik Malik said the plundered money that was caught in United Kingdom should have been returned to national exchequer, however it was gifted to one who actually was fined.

He elaborated, the money was caught under Economic Crimes Act and according to this act it should be returned to the country it belongs to. He said out of court settlement was done at a time when this case was being heard.

However, who represented Pakistan in the settlement was still a mystery, he said adding that the country could only be represented

by Attorney general of Pakistan or Ministry of Law.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

his residence after three weeks of being admitted to the hospital, refuting the news of his death or him being on a ventilator.

PAKIStAn-ChInA tIeS holD StRAteGIC IMPoRtAnCe: The military’s spokesperson further highlighted that the Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s visit to China was very important and added that China has played a crucial role in increasing Pakistan’s defence prowess.

Maj Gen Iftikhar emphasised that ties between Islamabad and Beijing held “strategic importance” and were crucial for regional peace.

He also stated that the security of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects has remained unaffected, adding that the work related to the project’s security has been happening round the clock.

DefenCe BuDGet: Maj-Gen Babar also defended the defence budget allocation for the fiscal year 2022-23, contrary to perception, had decreased after factors such as inflation and rupee depreciation were accounted for, and was now 2.2 per cent of the GDP from 2.8pc last year.

In the budget presented by Finance Minister Miftah Ismail on Friday, defence services were allocated Rs1,523 billion, which makes up 17.5pc of the total current expenditure and is 11.16pc higher than last year.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

more inside

Indonesia to fasttrack edible oil supply to Pakistan STORY ON PAGE 03

‘Missing’ Baloch students return home STORY ON PAGE 02

Rupee extends losses against dollar STORY ON BACK PAGE

Bilawal, Raisi vow promoting economic ties STORY ON BACK PAGE

Imran Khan accuses government of ‘destroying’ state institutions to rig next elections STORY ON BACK PAGE

02-03 NEWS 15 JUNE_Layout 1 6/15/2022 12:34 AM Page 1

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Wednesday, 15 June, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

‘MiSSinG’ BAloCh STUDEnTS rETUrn hoME

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NeWS DeSk

ODA Ellahi and Ghamshad Baloch — students of Karachi University’s Philosophy Department allegedly taken away from their house in the city on June 7 — have returned home, Nasarullah Baloch, chairman of non-profit organisation Voice of Balochistan Missing Persons said on Tuesday.

In a brief confirmation, the activist revealed that the students returned to their home near Maskan Chowrangi in Gulshani-Iqbal after 3am. “They both belong to the Kech district of Balochistan,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Shayhaq Ellahi and HudaHair Ellahi, siblings of Doda, had tweeted that their brother and his friend

had been “safely released”. Shayhaq also posted photographs of the pair.

Both of them went on to thank God and all the people who stood with the family during the difficult time.

The development comes a day after relatives, activists and friends of the two students were forcefully dispersed by police, and 28 of them were briefly arrested from outside the main gate of the Sindh Assembly in Karachi.

They were there to protest against the pair’s “arrests”. The demonstrators had camped out outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC) for the last four days.

The police action was widely condemned, as footage emerged of police personnel dragging peaceful protesters and stuffing them in police vans.

Later on Tuesday, senior PPP leader and Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman announced that an inquiry has been ordered into the “disproportionate and unseemly use of force against women protesters in Karachi outside the press club”. She also posted a scan of a document which showed that the Sindh IGP had formed a committee comprising police officers Imran Yaqoob Minhas, Ahmed Nawaz and Dr Farrukh Raza to conduct the enquiry.

Yesterday, South-SSP Asad Raza revealed that the police detained 19 men and nine women as they tried to enter the assembly building. The officer denied that protesters were treated roughly. He added that woman police officers had detained female protesters. The demonstrators were

later released.

The protest organisers had accused the police of manhandling women and children. They said the Sindh police had broke their promise of arranging a meeting of the missing students’ relatives with Counter Terrorism Department officials on Monday. Therefore, they said, they again staged a sit-in near the Sindh Assembly building where the police manhandled and arrested protesters.

Earlier, around 120-130 relatives and members of different organisations, including activists Seemi Din Baloch, Abdul Wahab Baloch, Aamna Baloch, Naghma Sheikh and others, had marched from the KPC towards the assembly building where the budget session was ongoing.

Fresh incidents reported: Eight booked for causing wildfire in Swat SWAT syeD shahabuDDiN

As many as eight suspected arsonists have been booked on charges of allegedly being involved in setting fire to the forests in various parts of district Swat, police officials confirmed. On the other hand, fresh incident of wildfire was successfully brought under control in Marghazar, Teghak and Shoqdara areas of the district.

According to additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Arshad Khan, eight persons have been arrested who were allegedly involved in setting fire to forests, adding that cases have been registered against the accused. “We have registered cases against 24 four persons since the first week of June, who were allegedly involved and they have been arrested. The investigation is underway against the culprits”, he said, adding that some untoward incidents happened due to the negligence of the locals.

He appealed to the local to be vigilant and help the police department in pinpointing the criminals.

According to rescue spokesperson, in the month of May at least 10 cases of wildfire were reported. However, in June another 75 cases were reported which were doused off by the rescuers along with levies and district administration officials. “On Tuesday, fire incidents were reported in Tighak and Shuqdara areas of the valley. The rescue department with the assistance of local community carried out operation and succeeded in extinguishing the fire”, said Shafiqa Gul, Spokesperson for Rescue 1122, Swat. She added that two hundred and fifty persons were taking part in fire-fighting operations.

Ms Khar to lead Pakistan at FATF plenary meeting ISLAMABAD staff rePort

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar will lead the Pakistani delegation at the plenary meeting of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) being held in Berlin, Germany. Ms Khar, also the Chair of Pakistan’s National FATF Coordination Committee, will present a review of Pakistan’s progress under the 2018 and 2021 FATF Action Plans, the Foreign Office said Tuesday.

The plenary will review the recommendations of FATF’s International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG). The Minister of State will also hold meetings with the incoming and outgoing FATF Presidents, Executive Secretary of the FATF, and heads of delegations of FATF member states to apprise them of the tremendous progress made by Pakistan for completing both FATF Action Plans. MoS Khar will underscore the government’s high-level political commitment to further strengthen Pakistan’s domestic AML CFT regime.

During the visit, the MoS will also hold meetings with dignitaries in Germany in the context of PakistanGermany bilateral relations. The MoS is accompanied by a senior-level delegation.

Debt to GDP ratio to reduce to 69.1pc in next fiscal year ShAhzAD PArAchA The government has stated that the debt to GDP ratio will be reduced to 69.1 percent in the next fiscal year from existing 72.4 percent on the back of fiscal consolidation efforts. The Medium-Term Budget Strategy Paper released by the Finance Ministry noted that the primary objective of the strategy paper is to facilitate medium term policyformulation based on reliable projections of revenue and expenditure. The framework also highlights the fiscal balance and primary balance of the federal and general government. In order to project overall fiscal balance, estimated levels of provincial surpluses have also been worked out. Over the medium-term, growth is expected to return to levels even higher than historical trends with average rates of 6.0 percent in fiscal year 2024-25. The debt to GDP ratio will increase and record at around 72.4 percent at the end of ongoing fiscal year (FY22) and is expected to reduce to 69.1 percent in the next fiscal year (FY23) on the back of fiscal consolidation efforts of the government.

LAHORE: US Consul General William K. Makaneole coming out of Punjab Assembly building. Photo by zubair mehfooz

ECP gives ‘last chance’ to Imran, Asad to present arguments against fine ISLAMABAD News Desk

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday gave PTI Chairman Imran Khan and party leader Asad Umar a ‘last chance’ to present arguments on the issue of a fine imposed by a district monitoring officer (DMO).

The assistant counsel for the two leaders appeared before a three-member committee chaired by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja.

During the hearing, the assistant counsel said that the matter is pending in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), to which the CEC replied that “this case has nothing to do with the case of Islamabad High Court” and added that the ECP is merely hearing an appeal filed against a fine imposed by DMO. “The election commission is not punishing you that you would have to refer to the Islamabad High Court. If the appeal is withdrawn today, the election commission will end the matter,” he added.

The law officer of the ECP also read out the decision of the last IHC hearing. Raja further said that in today’s order, it will be mentioned that the case in the IHC and the one in ECP are separate.

The CEC said that if no arguments were given at the

next hearing, the election commission would announce its decision. The election commission has to hear cases of delimitation day and night, he said further. The hearing of the matter was then adjourned till June 21.

It may be noted that despite ECP directives, Imran had on March 15 visited Swat and addressed a gathering while he was still in office ahead of KhyberPakhtunkhwa’s local government elections that were scheduled for March 31. The ECP had, as a result, imposed a fine of Rs50,000 According to the new ECP code of conduct, no public office holder can visit the districts where elections are/about to being/be held.

Earlier that month, Lower Dir District Monitoring Officer Hameedullah had imposed a fine of Rs50,000 on the then premier for violating the electoral code of conduct. The ECP had twice issued notices to Imran for violating the code of conduct.

The last notice was sent on March 21 for addressing a political rally in K-P’s Malakand. It had directed the then prime minister to appear before the Malakand DMO on March 22 at 10am. According to the notice, “The premier had addressed the rally as part of the PTI’s election campaign and had used state resources.”

BoU VC banned as President arrives to attend convocation ISLAMABAD Ghulam abbas

The Skardu administration banned the highly controversial head of University of Baltistan (BoU) in the city on the occasion of President Arif Alvi arrival in Skardu to attend convocation of the university on Tuesday. The decision was taken in view of the strong protest by students and civil society in Gilgit-Baltistan against the VC. University of Baltistan (UoB) ViceChancellor (VC) Dr Naeem Khan, who has been accused of immoral chat (sexual conversation) with students apart from financial corruption, is likely to get another term through his own handpicked senate of the university, which is now being opposed strongly not only by the students but political, religious parties and civil society. Keeping the various protest rallies and sit-ins held in the city against the vice chancellor, Skardu Deputy Commissioner Karim Dad Chughtai has banned the entry VC Prof Dr Naeem Khan to Skardu for two months. As per the notification, the ban on the controversial VC has been imposed to avoid any untoward situation on the 5th convocation of the UOB held on June 14, wherein President Arif Alvi was the chief guest. Last year, a number of female UOB students accused Dr Naeem of sexual harassment, irking the local residents who staged protests for his ouster from the city. However, after a gap of nearly a year, Dr. Naeem recently regained the post using his connections, causing resentment among the locals once again. As per the audit reports of the university the controversial VC has also committed financial irregularities/corruption during his three years long tenure. Surprisingly, the VC in May 2021 had managed to get an indefinite extension after retirement through the varsity Senate in violation of the rules. As per details, Naeem Khan, who completed his term on May 31, 2021, holds the position even after over one year of retirement as he has been given an extension till the appointment of a new VC, which is still awaited.

A faculty member who is part of a group of staff members who have filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against illegal appointments in the university informed this scribe that the VC, who had earlier made a failed attempt of approaching a local court in GB for extension, used the forum of the varsity’s Senate, members of which were all of his choice, to get the unlawful extension. As per normal practice, acting charge is given to the senior most faculty member in absence of the VC. Interestingly, he kept the post while influencing the appointment process of new VC during the past two months. Despite Dr Naeem, being on number 3rd on merritt set by search committee of the university, he managed to jump to number 1st in the recommended list through the senate of the university, where the majority of members were of his choice. The President Arif Alvi, after getting informed about the illegality in the selection process, has reportedly withheld the appointment of VC UoB to date. For the prolonged protest against the controversial VC for the past one year, Dr Naeem has been sitting in Islamabad while running affairs of the university through registrar and social media tools (emails).

Pakistan wins terror financing case against NBP in NY court ISLAMABAD News Desk

What is being described a great success on legal front, the Pakistani government has won a terror-financing case against the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) in a Federal Court in New York.

The victory in the case has helped the NBP ward off the threat of billions of dollars penalty, which would have ultimately rendered the bank gone bankrupt.

It is to be noted that that some years ago, the National Bank was accused of facilitating transfer of funds that were used to plan and execute an attack on a US military base in Afghanistan.

According to media reports quoting sources in AGP office, had the National Bank lost the case, a fined of billions of dollars would have been imposed as a penalty on the bank. The report said that if the National Bank had lost, Pakistan would have faced serious issues in the FATF.

The official said that the case was handled by the International Disputes Unit of the Office of the Attorney General. The team was led by Ahmed Irfan. Moreover, it was the same team that helped produce positive outcomes in the Karkey, Reko Diq, PIA and Tuwairqi cases.

According to the allegation, Pakistani citizen Saeed Khan, who was residing in the US, sent money to his hometown Mangora (Swat). The same was used in terrorist activity in Afghanistan wherein nine soldiers were killed.

Enhancing ties with Pakistan top priority: US envoy ISLAMABAD News Desk

New US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome said on Tuesday that enhancing ties with Pakistan was his “top priority” and that they wanted more American companies to invest in Pakistan.

“Enhancing ties is our top priority.

We welcome US investment in the stock exchange, and we want more and more companies to come to Pakistan,” he said.

Blome expressed the views during a visit to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) where he rang the bourse’s gong to mark the beginning of the trading

session.

The US envoy highlighted the need for measures to “strengthen trade ties with Pakistan” and said that US companies were manufacturing excellent products.

The US envoy said on the occasion that it was his first visit to Karachi and he was pleased to have visited the PSX. “This is my first trip to Karachi and I am feeling really good after arriving here,” he said.

He added this year would mark the completion of 75 years of ties between the US and Pakistan PSX Chairperson Shamshad Akhtar

also spoke on the occasion and said: “We have to work together with developed countries and make the country progress.”

She said the US and Pakistan have good trade ties since 1970.

The US envoy’s visit to the PSX comes after he signalled Washington’s intention to move on from the regime change controversy — which is rooted in former prime minister Imran Khan’s claim of the US orchestrating his ouster from the government — by engaging in a robust two-way communication with the country’s government, political parties and civil society.

Blome — the first full-time American envoy in Islamabad after a gap of almost four years — assumed the charge of his assignment when Afghanistan is apparently no more a dominant issue in the bilateral ties following last year’s withdrawal of US forces from there at the end of the 20year-long war — the longest in American history.

Instead, the heightened antiAmerican sentiment in Pakistan following Imran’s allegations has become the foremost challenge for Washington in executing its foreign policy goals in Pakistan.

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Wednesday, 15 June, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

inDonESiA To FAST-TrACK EDiBlE oil SUPPly To PAKiSTAn

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GhuLAM ABBAS

S the temporary ban on export of palm oil by Indonesia has created a crisis in Pakistan, the third largest importer of the edible oil, the foreign country has agreed to fast track supply of highly consumed kitchen item to Pakistan.

While meeting with the delegation of Pakistan headed by Federal Minister for Industries and Production Makhdoom Syed Murtaza Mahmud, the Indonesian government has promised to make sure that the delivery of Palm Oil to Pakistan is resumed at the earliest.

According to the officials, the concerned authorities in Indonesia have been asked to ensure steady flow to the commodity in the future.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier had directed the ministry to take

up the issue of disruption in oil imports from Indonesia immediately in order to meet the rising demand for the commodity.

According to a statement released by the Prime Ministers’ Office on Tuesday, the premier spoke to the Indonesian President Joko Widod in this regard. Meanwhile, under the direction of PM Shehbaz, a Pakistani delegation visited Jakarta to discuss matters of mutual interest with the government of the island nation.

The notification further mentioned that 10 ships loaded with edible oil will reach Pakistan within two weeks from Indonesia and Malaysia. Oil worth 250,000 metric tonnes is being imported from Indonesia after Minister for Industries and Production Murtaza Mehmood settled all matters related to the import of oil.

The first ship carrying 30 metric tonnes of edible oil will depart for Pakistan on Tuesday.

The shortage of edible oil was seen because of the global crisis due to tensions between Russia and Ukraine. In the next fiscal year, an impact worth $3-4 billion will be seen on the import bill.

It may be added here that on April 28, Indonesia halted shipments of crude palm oil and some derivative products to try to tame soaring prices of domestic cooking oil, surprising markets that were already rattled by earlier government intervention measures.

President Widodo said that the supply of bulk cooking oil had reached a level greater than needed.

The export ban sent soybean oil prices soaring to a record high amid heightened concerns about already

NEWS depleted global supplies of alternative vegetable oils. Indonesia’s export ban was designed to bring down prices in the country and limit shortages, according to authorities.

On May 19, Indonesia lifted its three-week-old palm oil export ban due to improvements in its domestic cooking oil supply, its president said, a move applauded by farmers amid mounting calls for its removal.

As per the officials at Ministry of Industries, Pakistan is the third-largest importer of Indonesian Palm Oil. In 2021, Pakistan had imported 2.78 million tonnes of Palm oil from Indonesia. During the visit the of Pakistani delegation during June 12 to 14, 2022, Minister Syed Murtaza Mahmud met with the Indonesian Minister of Trade Muhammad Lutfi, Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita Coordinating Minister of Maritime and Investment Affairs, Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, and Minister of Industries, Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita. Representatives of the largest Palm oil exporters to Pakistan and the Chairman of the Indonesian Palm Oil Association also called on the Minister.

Court directs sugar mills to deposit 50pc penalty in cartelization case ShAhzAD PArAchA The Sindh High Court has directed the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association and 26 other sugar mills to deposit 50 percent of the respective penalties imposed upon them by the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) in the sugar cartelization case. As per the details, the CCP in 2021 conducted an inquiry against PSMA and its member undertakings for the prima facie violation of Section 4 of the Competition Act, 2010. As part of the enquiry, the CCP also conducted search and inspections at two premises of PSMA and impounded the proofs of their involvement in cartelization. The Enquiry Report concluded that PSMA and its members have breached Section 4(1), 4(2) and 4(2)(c) of the Act, which was followed by the issuance of show cause notices and extensive hearings into the matter. A full four Member Bench of the Commission was constituted in the instant matter, comprising of, namely Rahat Kaunain Hassan (Chairperson) and three Members Shaista Bano, Bushra Naz Malik and Mujtaba Ahmad Lodhi. All the four members of the Commission were unanimous in their view and arrived at an unqualified consensus on background facts, formulation of issues, determination of preliminary/technical objections, the determination of the relevant market and the spill-over effect, and the determination of Issue VI (ceasing of sugarcane crushing) as addressed in the opinion of Rahat Kaunain Hassan and Mujtaba Ahmad Lodhi dated 6 August 2021. However, two members, Shaista Bano and Bushra Naz Malik recorded a different opinion dated 12 August 2021 on other Issues, thus, the Commission was faced with a deadlock situation. Therefore, having duly considered the overall purpose and intent of the Act, the attending public policy framework and consideration and the general public interest that the Act seeks to protect and enforce, the Chairperson exercised her second and casting vote as envisaged under the Act to break the deadlock. This was the first time the Commission passed a split decision.

italy becomes ‘billion dollar’ export market for Pakistan STAff rePorT Italy has become billion dollar export market for Pakistan for the first time ever. As per the details, Italy is among the countries where Pakistan’s exports have been rising phenomenally despite the tough market conditions caused by the COVID health emergency. Italy has become billion dollar export market for Pakistan for the first time ever and in the first 11 months of this year, our exports to Italy increased 46% which is highest growth rate among all of our export destinations in Europe. In this period, Pakistan`s trade surplus with Italy has increased 84% whereas Just three years ago, Pakistan actually had a trade deficit of $148 million with Italy. In the last three years, despite the pandemic driven market disruptions, Pakistani trade with Italy not only recovered from the deficit but has turned around to post a trade surplus of half a billion dollar. This remarkable achievement owes much to the resilience and dynamism of Pakistani entrepreneurs in the export sector, ably supported

by Pakistan embassy in Italy.

03

Govt-opposition deadlock mars budget session in PA LAhore staff rePort

The deadlock between the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz and the Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) supported by Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi entered its second day on Tuesday after both sides failed to reach an agreement. A day earlier, the session was supposed to take up the budget for the next fiscal year, but was adjourned after PML-N did not agree to the demand made by the speaker and PTI for the presence of the Punjab Police chief and chief secretary in the house. The PTI had wanted the IG and the secretary to explain the treatment meted out to PTI workers on May 25 during the long march towards Islamabad. PTI’s Dr Yasmin Rashid had said that her main concerns were about the chief secretary and the IGP. “We will not let the house run until they are called here,” she had said during the budget session. The budget session could not start today (Tuesday) at 1 pm due to the disagreements between the government and the opposition over the issue of the secretary and the IG. Speaking to the media on the assembly premises, the chief minister said the government would present the budget come what may as he called out the speaker and PTI for allegedly disrupting the house proceedings for three months now. The CM said the government wanted to provide relief to 120 million people but the opposition wanted the IG and the chief secretary instead of the budget. Hamza said that Elahi and the PTI would be “taken to the people’s court” along with legal action against them.

Supply to CnG sector can reduce circular debt by rs1,500b per annum: Paracha LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz talks to media while PTI MPAs flashing victory signs amid a deadlock over budget session outside Punjab assembly building. staff Photo

FCA of April: NEPRA scrutinizes Rs5.28 per unit hike for Karachiites AhMAD AhMADANI The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has so far worked out a colossal Rs5.28 per unit increase in the power tariff for the electricity consumers of K-Electric (KE) on account of Fuel Charges Adjustment (FCA) of April 2022.

As per details, Karachiites may bear billion rupees worth additional burden in June’s electricity bills as NEPRA has so far scrutinized Rs5.28 per unit hike in the electricity tariff of the K-Electric under the head FCA of April 2022. On Tuesday, the authority (NEPRA) conducted a hearing on the application of KE to jack up the electricity price by Rs5.30 per unit on account of FCA of April 2022 under the chair Tauseef H. Farooqi wherein NEPRA members Engineer Maqsood Anwar Khan and Engineer Rafique Ahmed Shaikh were present. Earlier, the KE, in its two separate applications, sought Rs5.30 per unit hike under the head FCA of April

2022 and Rs3.89 per unit increase on account of quarterly adjustment for the first quarter (JanuaryMarch 2022).

According to a statement of NEPRA issued on Tuesday, NEPRA will issue its detailed judgement on the above said matter later on after further necessary scrutiny of the data.

It is pertinent to mention that National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) on 9th June 2022 had already approved a colossal Rs7.82 per unit increase in the power tariff for the consumers of K-Electric on account of quarterly adjustment for the quarters ending September 2021 and December 2021. Similarly, NEPRA on May 27 had notified Rs4.8269 per unit for the electricity consumers of K-Electric (KE) on account of Fuel Charges Adjustment (FCA) for the month of March 2022 having an impact of Rs7,862 million, to be recovered in the bills of June 2022 from the power consumers of K-Electric.

Finance committee approves fixed tax regime for small traders STAff rePorT Senate Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs has approved a fixed tax regime for small traders. The meeting was held under the chair of Senator Saleem Mandviwalla to consider and finalize the recommendations on Finance Bill, 2022, containing the Annual Budget Statement laid in the House on 10th June, 2022. Chairman FBR Asim Ahmad informed the committee that a fixed tax regime for small traders is being proposed wherein tax will be collected along with electricity bills.

Small Traders will pay Rs3,000 per month up to

monthly electricity bill of Rs30,000, Rs5,000 per month up to electricity bill of Rs50,000, Rs10,000 per month up to electricity bill of Rs100,000 and this will be a final discharge of tax liability, he added.

Chairman also informed that FBR has data of 2.3 million commercial connections and it is expected that we will collect taxes from small traders.

The committee approved the proposal of FBR after deliberating. Member FBR informed that we have also proposed to collect Rs50,000 per month for special classes including car dealers, precious watches as final tax on the basis of their monthly electricity bill.

STAff rePorT The Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) industry can reduce the rising circular debt by Rs1,500 billion per annum only if it is supplied the required quantity of gas and provided a level playing field to run the business. This was stated

by Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha, a senior leader of the All Pakistan CNG Association, on Tuesday saying, CNG sector can be helpful in decreasing the mushrooming menace of the circular debt by Rs1,500 billion per annum only if the industry (CNG) is supplied the needed gas and provided a level playing field by the government to run the business. He said that currently the CNG sector is getting the gas from the government at an expensive price ranging between $13 per Million British Thermal Unit (MMBTU) to $20 per MMBTU while the government is supplying the gas to all other sectors at the rate ranging between $3 per MMBTU to $8 per MMBTU. He said the government must immediately take policy decision regarding restoration of the gas supply to the CNG sector in order to save the national exchequer from the additional burden of ever-increasing circular debt that had crossed Rs2 trillion in the energy sector and also to save the skin of already burdened public from the mounting oil prices in global oil market, which is causing colossal additional burden on public after every fifteen days. The government is supplying gas to those sectors which are also getting heavy subsidies while the CNG sector is deprived of gas supply despite the fact that this sector has been not taking a single penny as subsidy to run its businesses , said Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha. Requesting the government to restore the gas supply to CNG sector, Paracha asked to immediately open the CNG stations of Punjab which are facing closure from last seven months in a bid to save the public from the impact of rising oil prices in the international oil market. He said that the government can save $2.1 billion per annum of the foreign remittance through the import bill if it facilitates the private sector in liquefied natural gas (LNG) import while a 50% reduction in public transport fares is also possible only if the government restores local gas supply to the CNG sector. He said revival of the CNG sector can generate thousands of new employment/job opportunities while the use of CNG as an alternate fuel for motor vehicles is equivalent to having an environmental benefit of 152.63 million trees per annum.

Pakistan committed to strengthening cooperation with Iran in energy sector: Bilawal APP Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday said Pakistan was committed to strengthening its cooperation with Iran in energy sector through the import of additional electricity.

Addressing a press conference in Tehran with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Bilawal elaborated on their discussion. He said their dialogue took stock of the “entire gauntlet” of bilateral relations and identified ways to enhance them further in order to match their true potential in areas such as trade, investment, connectivity, border management, cultural and education cooperation.

On trade, the foreign minister said he was “glad” that Pakistan and Iran had

come closer to resolving one of the major obstacles in the expansion of bilateral trade through the operationalisation of barter trade mechanism, formalisation of crossborder exchanges through the opening of new border crossings and promotion of trade through border market places.

He said such steps were “measures of our shared commitment to the provision of opportunities for enhanced economic and commercial activities that’ll benefit the people of Iran and Pakistan”, adding that they would help in improving the livelihood and welfare of people at the border areas.

FM Bilawal said he discussed with Amir-Abdollahian the possibility of exchanging prisoners under the existing legal framework so they could complete their sentences in their own countries.

The foreign minister also appreciated Iran’s hospitality and facilitation of Pakistani pilgrims, adding that there were talks on the provision of further services for the pilgrims which formed a “bond of friendship” between the two countries.

On the international front, Bilawal said they discussed the latest developments in Afghanistan and agreed that “Afghans must be supported at this critical juncture, including through access to frozen financial assets.” He said the world expected a move towards “inclusivity and effective counter-terrorism action” from the Afghan authorities.

Bilawal said he had also briefed FM Abdollahian on the human rights situation in Indian-occupied Kashmir and thanked the Iranian leadership for its steadfast support on the Kashmir dispute.

He said they also discussed the rising tide of Islamophobia and the recent derogatory remarks by Indian officials that had “deeply offended” the global Muslim community.

“It’s time for the international community to show a common resolve against xenophobia, islamophobia, intolerance and incitement to violence on basis of religion or belief,” FM Bilawal said. He said Pakistan and Iran had long historic ties and he wanted to take the existing bilateral relationship to new heights. “On behalf of the Government of Pakistan, I convey a message of goodwill and cordiality to Iranian brothers and sisters,” Bilawal said, adding that building close relations with Iran was a high priority for himself and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

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Wednesday, 15 June, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

04 NEWS

KP govt introduced 6 Policy frameworKs to combat environmental challenges during 2021-22

K

News Desk

HYBER Pakhtunkhwa government during 2021-22 has introduced six policy frameworks to combat with many environmental challenges that are considered threat to human well-being, biodiversity, migration from rural to urban areas and weak environmental compliance.

Khudar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – a white paper 2022-23 issued by KP Finance Department stated that the province was among first in the country that has devel-

oped a Provincial Climate Change Policy2017 and now has updated its provincial policy in 2022.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province Climate Change Financing Framework (CCFF) takes the approach of integrating climate change in public economic and financial management. The CCFF assists policymakers in KP to make more informed resource allocation decisions regarding climate financing. It also helps in aligning systems and policies to requirements laid out by development partners and financial institutions for accessing international climate

GDI promotes inclusive, balanced global economic development, says expert ISLAMABAD: The Global Development Initiative (GDI) proposed by China last year will promote inclusive and balanced global economic development, bridging the development divide to help meet the United Nation’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, an economist said. In a recent interview, Aneel Salman, chair of economic security at Islamabad Policy Research Institute, told Xinhua the initiative provides the best solution to pressing challenges for countries worldwide, especially developing countries like Pakistan. Xinhua

finance.

Climate Change Expenditure Tracking System to generate evidence on climate relevant spending enabling governments to make informed decisions for public investment prioritization and support resource mobilization efforts.

Climate Change Finance Unit has been also established in the Finance Department to oversee the implementation of climate related public financial management initiatives.

Climate Budget Review Guide KP Assembly for effective adoption of climate re-

sponsive budgeting. A guide intended as a primer for KP legislators interested in understanding and appraising the budget from a climate change perspective was developed.

Similarly, the Ministry of Climate Change (MCC) undertook a Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Review (CPEIR) to assess the level at which GoP has so far been able to respond to the challenges of climate change, and to identify opportunities for further strengthening its response.

In addition to its KP Climate Change

policy draft of 2022 (CCPD), the KP government has prepared the KP Draft Climate Change Action Plan 2022 that illustrates in detail action plans outlining the strategies and measures that will be implemented in the provincial sectors aligning with National Climate Change Policy (NCCP).

The white paper stated that the policy measures have been outlined in the KP CCPD-2022 to allocate a budget for adoption that would aid in disaster preparedness and also contribute to the efforts of the national government on sustainable development goals.

Swat Valley losing forest cover to intentional fires IsLAMABAD anadolu agency

Swat Valley attracts millions of tourists every year because of its snow-capped peaks, glistening blue lakes, lush green plateaus and thick forests. Known as the “Switzerland of Pakistan” for its matching breathtaking scenery, the valley remained the favourite site visited by nearly 2 million people last year.

Nevertheless, it has lately been in the headlines for massive wildfires that have burned down over 14,000 acres of forest cover during the last three weeks. Aside from dry weather conditions, many of the fires were set intentionally by the locals in order to benefit from a centuries-old law that permits them to share the ownership of forests with the government.

“Shamilat” or the law of joint property, which was introduced by the powerful Yusufzai tribe when they captured the Swat Valley in the 16th century, allows the local communities to share the ownership of forests with the government.

In line with the law, they can harvest the empty swaths of forests and use pastures for grazing their livestock in their respective areas.

However, they cannot chop down the trees except for the branches or decayed ones for firewood. The law, which remained unchanged even during British colonial rule, had also been adopted by Pakistan with some amendments following the incorporation of the former princely state in 1969.

“We have seen an increasing trend of intentional wildfires in recent years in Swat. And the main purpose behind this phenomenon is

to get more lands for agriculture,” said Latif ur-Rahman, a spokesman for the Forest Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Rahman said the local people want to increase their agricultural lands due to the increasing population and food requirements.

“For that, fire is the best way to clear the forest lands of trees. “In their false opinion, trees are less important than agriculture. This is ruining the entire environmental cycle, raising the risks for landslides and flash floods,” he maintained.

TrADITIon TurneD LAw: Mohammad Nafees, who heads the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Peshawar, said Shamilat is actually a centuries-old tribal tradition which had later been given a law status by the British colonial regime and the Pakistani government. According to the original Shamilat tradition, said Nafees, rivers, mountains, streams and forests were the joint properties of a tribe.

But after the 1969 incorporation, the government made some changes, declaring the forest trees state property, while the locals were given the right to harvest forest lands and get tree branches for domestic use. Another unwritten law, he went on to say, allows a farmer whose land touches a mountainous forest to clear the adjoining forest swath and incorporate that into his piece of land. Nafees, who authored a thesis titled “Wildfires in Swat Valley,” told Anadolu Agency that intentional fires and negligence have been the two key factors behind the increasing deforestation in the scenic valley. Swat boasted a robust 30 percent forest

cover at the time of independence in 1947 which has gradually been reduced to less than 15 percent, he said. “Currently, only far-flung and tall mountains are left with thick forest cover. Otherwise, the forests on low-altitude mountains have been converted into agricultural lands,” he added. ruInIng ecoLogy: Currently, 70 percent of the forests in Swat fall under the Shamilat law, whereas the remaining 30 percent are either in the state’s control or privately owned.

Firefighters backed by army helicopters are still struggling to douse the raging fires in the chir pine-laden forests in Swat and adjoining districts of Shangla and Buner.

The wind-whipped blazes, according to the Forest Department, have burned down thousands of trees and killed several rare species of birds and animals. At least four people, including three women, were killed in a wildfire in Shangla district last week.

The latest Forest Department report says that over 200 wildfires have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, mainly in Swat, Shangla and Buner districts.

Out of 210 wildfires, the report said 55 were started intentionally by the local people, while only 12 were due to the dry weather conditions. The causes of the remaining 143 blazes are still being investigated. Nearly two dozen locals, it added, have been arrested on the charge of intentionally setting the forests on fire over the past three weeks. Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Waseem Khan, the chief forest officer of Swat, said 95 percent of the fires that have been reported from the forests either fall under “Shamilat” or are privately owned.

IHC reserves decision on PTI’s appeal in foreign funding case News Desk The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday reserved its judgment on appeal of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) against the orders to Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for deciding the foreign funding case within one month.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Baber Sattar heard the case filed by PTI challenging the verdict of single member bench. At the outset of hearing, PTI’s lawyer Anwar Mansoor argued that his client party was being targeted despite there was clear instructions of the Supreme Court to the ECP for scrutiny of all political parties without discrimination. The ECP was not a court of law instead it was an administrative body, he said, adding that all political parties should be on same page. The chief justice remarked it would be good if all political parties come on same page. The court observed that

the ECP had told it that the case would be heard in a time frame. The lawyer said the ECP had started scrutiny of PTI in March while scrutiny of PPP and PML-N was started in April. The court said the maximum punishment could be just confiscation of funds collected from prohibited sources if it the case proved. The scrutiny committee had submitted its report and it had to be viewed whether the ECP would issue any show-cause notice to PTI on the basis of report or not.

The chief justice remarked that how it could give directions to ECP as it was a constitutional institution. Kamran Mutaza Advocate said that the scrutiny procedure for PTI funding was started before the other parties.

Head of Scrutiny Committee Muhammad Arshad said they were also conducting the scrutiny of other three political parties. The court said when the documents of PTI were clean then what to worry about.

Raising funds from foreign countries not prohibited: PTI counsel News Desk The funding from foreign countries has not been prohibited, PTI’s counsel argued in the election commission hearing. A three-member bench of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) headed by CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja heard the case. “The funding from some specific sources has been banned, ambiguity has been removed in the election law,” PTI counsel Anwar Mansoor said. “The scrutiny committee said it had conducted forensic test of the funds, the case against the PTI has been made on political grounds,” Anwar Mansoor claimed. “I will conclude my arguments tomorrow,” he told the ECP panel. The PTI has produced all its funding record in the election commission, the lawyer earlier said. He said the scrutiny committee decided its jurisdiction. “If it could go beyond the legal perimeters to set its jurisdiction,” he posed question. The committee declared that the PTI funding could not meet its standards, how could the scrutiny committee act beyond the set international rules, Anwar Mansoor further questioned.

The chief justice asked that at this stage how could the court assume that the ECP’s proceeding was not transparent.

The ECP’s lawyer said that the PTI had submitted complaints against 100 political parties. However, the ECP had served notices to 17 parties after the scrutiny. He said the petitioner had objection over one month time which had already been passed. Jamat e Islami’s lawyer Qaiser Imam adopted the stance that the ECP had served no any notice to his party during 2014 to 2018.

The party had no objection if the ECP wanted to conduct its scrutiny but it shouldn’t be clubbed with the PTI’s foreign funding case.

The court observed that JI used hold political gatherings in simple way but the petitioner party had to spent more expenditure on its processions. The court said currently there was no any decision of ECP before it. The bench subsequently reserved its judgment on the case.

Wednesday, 15 June, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS

Cabinet Committee to unearth money laundering linked to Imran: Sanaullah continued from page 01 No one else can sign any agreement, contract or do any other signature at international level, he maintained.

He said, there was no document in the office of Attorney General or Ministry of Law that indicated somebody was given authority to go to England for the settlement.

He said, out of court settlement was done and the money that was to be given to government of Pakistan, was deposited in the account of supreme court registrar.

He said, for saving the out of court settlement cabinet approval was sought in the matter and resultantly cabinet was forced to approve something which was hidden in a letter without allowing the members even to read it.

He said, the letter was given by Special Assistant to Prime Minister, Shahzad Akbar to Imran Khan for cabinet approval he said and added that according to law no SAM could bring summary to the cabinet.

He said, who gave clearance to it, there was nothing available anywhere in ministry of Interior, Finance, Foreign Affairs or Attorney General Office.

Minister for Communication Asad Mahmood said that Imran Khan used religion and slogan of corruption as a tool for coming into power besides personal gains.

The former government committed record corruption during its three and half years tenure, he added.

He said Imran Khan came into to power through some agenda and time has proved our party claim.

He said the government gave a balanced budget in current circumstance in mere two months time.

To a question, the interior minister said fake and political motivated cases were registered against our leadership by the past government. Not a single case of corruption could not proved, he added.

Pakistan receives 10 shiploads of edible oil from Indonesia, Malaysia ISLAMABAD: 10 shiploads of edible oil from Jakarta and Malaysia will arrive in Pakistan in the next two weeks in the wake of a telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indonesia President Joko Widodo held on June 10. Under the direction of the prime minister, a delegation from Pakistan held successful negotiations with Indonesia’s Ministry of Trade for the import. Minister for Commerce and Production Syed Murtaza Mehmood met his Indonesia counterpart, Sharif’s office said in a press statement. The visiting delegation also included Pakistan Vanaspati Manufacturers Association chairman Tariq Ullah Sufi and member Abdul Rasheed Jan Muhammad.

On Tuesday, a shipload of 30,000 metric tons of edible oil would sail for Pakistan. A total of 0.25 million metric tons of edible oil is being supplied to Islamabad from Indonesia. Jakarta, at the request of Pakistan’s delegation, swiftly acted upon all the issues, the statement said. staff report

PPP MPA snatches Dua Bhutto’s cellphone in Sindh Assembly Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) lawmaker snatched the cellphone of PTI MPA Dua Bhutto and ran away from the ongoing budget session of the Sindh Assembly on Tuesday. As per details, PPP MPA Kulsoom Chandio exchanged hot words with opposition lawmaker Dua Bhutto during the presentation of the Sindh budget for Fy2022-23. After a heated debate, Chandio snatched Dua Bhutto’s cellphone and handed it over to her fellow MPA, Munawar Wasan, who ran away from the house. Talking to newsmen outside the Sindh Assembly, PTI MPA Khurram Sher Zaman alleged that Asif Ali Zardari has trained his party MPAs and MNAs on how to snatch valuables from opponents.

While rejecting the Sindh budget for 22-23, the PTI lawmaker alleged that PDM has come into power only to loot the resources of the country.

“Dare to come to Sindh Assembly,” Dua Bhutto was quoted as saying to PPP MPA Kulsoom Chandio. news desk

05

PTI MoveS CourT AgAInST eCP verDICT on reServeD PA SeATS iSLamaBad

T

staff report

HE Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday filed an appeal in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), challenging the verdict of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on notifying new lawmakers on five reserved seats of the Punjab Assembly after they fell vacant following the de-seating of 25 defecting MPs of the party.

On May 23, the commission denotified 25 lawmakers — including five elected on seats reserved for women and minorities — who had defected and voted for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Hamza Shehbaz in the election for the office of Punjab chief minister on April 16.

However, in its verdict on the fate of reserved seats released June 2, the electoral watchdog stayed the notification until the by-polls on the 20 general seats scheduled for July 17, saying the general seats of the assembly had been reduced.

In his petition moved Tuesday, party’s secretary-general Asad Umar said the June 2 decision of ECP is

against the law.

“The ECP issued a verdict to denotify 25 dissidents of PTI. Uzma Kardar, Sajid Yousuf and Aisha Nawaz were also de-notified under the verdict,” the petition read.

It maintained that a notification is supposed to be issued for the reserved seats as per the party’s priority list but the ECP stopped the notification till the by-election. He contended that the commission is responsible for issuing this notification.

The former minister also mentioned the names of PTI members on the party’s priority list for the reserved seats. Batool Zain, Saira Raza and Fauzia Abbas are on the list.

The plea seeks nullification of the verdict.

DE-SEATINg oF DEFECToRS: The de-notification of the MPs came shortly after PTI approached the top electoral body to issue a notification of the latter’s decision to de-seat dissident legislators on charges of crossing

the floor under Article 63-A of the Constitution.

Article 63-A provides that MPs who defect could lose their seats if they then vote against their party, but the government aims to find out whether that also applies before they cast their votes.

It reads that an MP can be disqualified on grounds of defection if they “vote or abstains from voting in the House contrary to any direction issued by the parliamentary party to which he belongs, in relation to the election of the prime minister or chief minister; or a vote of confidence or a vote of noconfidence; or a money bill (budget) or a Constitution (amendment) bill”.

With these 25 lawmakers no longer members of the assembly, Shehbaz, who won for the chief minister with the help of the dissident legislators, has lost his majority in the Punjab Assembly, raising questions about the status of his government.

Shehbaz got 197 votes in the chief minister’s election but is now left with the support of 172 members in the house. A candidate requires the support of at least 186 lawmakers in the 371-member House to be elected as the chief minister.

Donate blood, save lives: President Alvi iSLamaBad staff report

President Dr Arif Alvi said World Blood Donor Day, commemorated on June 14 every year, served to raise awareness of the need to make voluntary donations and to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving donations.

In his message to mark the World Blood Donor Day, the president said: “This year, the day is being celebrated around the theme donating blood is an act of solidarity. Join the effort and save lives.”

“Blood donation is indeed an act of solidarity as it is needed to save the life of women with complications during pregnancy and childbirth, children with severe anaemia, often resulting from malaria or malnutrition, accident victims and surgical and cancer patients.

“On this day we celebrate the enormous contri-

butions of blood donors around the world and appreciate those who have donated blood in the past and pledge to continue doing so in the future,” he added.

He said regular blood donation by a sufficient number of healthy people was needed to ensure that blood will always be available whenever and wherever it is needed.

“A healthy person may donate blood several times of year without any adverse effect on his health with a minimum interval of 12 weeks between two donations whereas the platelet donors may donate more frequently up to 24 times per year.”

The president said according to the World Health Organization since 2016, over 2.5 billion people worldwide were in need of blood and blood products.

“Therefore, we need to continue to find new blood donors and encourage those who are already giving blood to do so more frequently.”

Alvi said: “In Pakistan, the awareness campaign is even more essential as the rate of blood donation in Pakistan is very low compared to the rest of the world. In Pakistan, over 90 percent of total blood transfused is donated by the friends and relatives of patients while the remaining 10 percent is donated by professional donors.”

“Therefore, there is a need to create awareness on all platforms of conventional and social media about voluntary blood donation to dispel misconceptions about blood donation and for creating the necessary infrastructure for making donations, screening the donated blood, and its preservation on internationally accepted standards and norms.”

He called upon the members of the public to donate blood as frequently as possible as an act of piety to save lives and give relief and happiness to the recipients and their family members.

In ‘hottest city’ of Jacobabad, mothers bear brunt of climate change JacoBaBad reuters

Heavily pregnant Sonari toils under the burning sun in fields dotted with bright yellow melons in Jacobabad, which last month became the hottest city on Earth.

Her 17-year-old neighbour Waderi, who gave birth a few weeks ago, is back working in temperatures that can exceed 50 Celsius (122 Fahrenheit), with her newborn lying on a blanket in the shade nearby so she can feed him when he cries.

“When the heat is coming and we’re pregnant, we feel stressed,” said Sonari, who is in her mid-20s.

These women in Pakistan and millions like them around the world are at

the searing edge of climate change.

Pregnant women exposed to heat for prolonged periods of time have a higher risk of suffering complications, an analysis of 70 studies conducted since the mid-1990s on the issue found.

For every 1 degree Celsius in temperature rise, the number of stillbirths and premature deliveries increases by about 5 percent, according to the metaanalysis, which was carried out by several research institutions globally and published in the British Medical Journal in September 2020. Cecilia Sorensen, director of the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education at Columbia University, said the unfolding impact of global warming on the health of women was “highly underdocu-

mented”, partly because extreme heat tended to exacerbate other conditions.

“We’re not associating health impacts on women and oftentimes it’s because we’re not collecting data on it,” she said. “And often women in poverty are not seeking medical care.” “Heat is a super big deal for pregnant women.”

Women are especially vulnerable to rising temperatures in poor countries on the frontlines of climate change because many have little choice but to work through their pregnancies and soon after giving birth, according to interviews with more than a dozen female residents in the Jacobabad area as well as half a dozen development and human rights experts.

Further adding to the risks, women

in socially conservative Pakistan — and many other places — typically cook the family meals over hot stoves or open fires, often in cramped rooms with no ventilation or cooling.

“If you’re inside cooking next to a hot open fire you have that burden of that heat in addition to the ambient heat which makes things that much more dangerous,” Sorensen added.

EXTREME HUMID HEAT EVENTS: South Asia has suffered unseasonably hot temperatures in recent months. An extreme heatwave that scorched Pakistan and India in April was 30 times more likely to happen due to climate change, according to scientists at World Weather Attribution, an international research collaboration.

Army leadership endorses Gen Musharraf’s return to Pakistan: DG ISPR continued from page 01 In terms of expenditure, the defence budget is 16pc of the government’s planned total outlay — exactly the same as it was a year before.

The declared increase in defence budget was in sharp contrast to the cuts in spending on the development sector (11pc), health (31pc), education (1.5pc) and housing (77pc).

The allocation makes up nearly 1.94pc of the GDP and 16pc of the total expenditure planned by the government for the next year. The hike is almost at par with the average inflation calculated for the year ending on June 30.

However, in a TV interview, DG Iftikhar defended the budgetary allocation for defence and denied that it has seen an increase.

He said there was an “annual debate” on army’s allocation when asked about the allocations. He said the defence budget was allocated considering the army’s “threat perception, challenges, deployment and the resources available”.

“So [after] considering at all these things, the army hasn’t had any [net] increase in the budget since 2020,” the DG ISPR claimed.

“When you look at inflation and rupee depreciation, it (defence budget) was actually reduced. It was 2.8pc of GDP last year and now we are at 2.2pc so the budget is continuously going down in GDP terms.”

He said that after factoring in this year’s inflation, the defence budget had actually

taken a hit of Rs100bn. “Despite these challenges, we did not allow any shortcoming in our capabilities,” Iftikhar added.

Elaborating on the measures taken by the army to curb its spending, he said instructions had been passed to conserve fuel and reduce expenditure on utilities, while Friday would be observed as a “dry day” where no official transport would be used except for emergencies.

DG Iftikhar further said the army had returned to the government Rs6bn from Covid allotments and Rs3.5bn from other allotments in last year’s budget.

NSC wAS ToLD No CoNSpIRACy wAS UNEARTHED: The military’s spokesperson lamented that propaganda was initiated against the army and the military

cmYK

leadership on social media.

Speaking about the National Security Committee (NSC) meeting, the DG ISPR said that the military leadership was present in the meeting and the participants were clearly briefed. “[They were] briefed that there was no conspiracy or evidence of any kind [against the then government], nothing like that happened. Participants were told in detail that there was no evidence of any conspiracy,” said the DG ISPR. INDIA LoBBIED To gET pAkISTAN BLACkLISTED: On the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) plan, the DG ISPR avoided commenting on it but maintained that “New Delhi had lobbied to get Pakistan blacklisted”.

On the implementation of FATF’s points, the DG ISPR shared that the government formed a special cell in 2019. In this special cell, a coordination mechanism was formed between different department’s ministries and agencies, he added.

“This special cell formulated a complete action plan and all departments, ministries and agencies implemented it. The cell worked day and night to develop an effective strategy for money laundering and terror financing, which was implemented by all departments,” said Maj Gen Iftikhar.

The DG ISPR said that because of the cell this legislation was done and Pakistan implemented FATF’s 26 points out of 27. He also added that the legislation helped Pakistan recover Rs58 billion.

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Wednesday, 15 June, 2022

06 COMMENT

Palestinians can learn from Irish successes

The US, FATF and IMF And coalition government’s race against time

P

aK-Us relations have passed through ups and downs during the last seven decades and more. at one point Pakistan was designated a “Major nonNato country.” Later during the Us fight against the taliban, common needs kept the two countries close despite mutual doubts and suspicions. More recently, domestic political needs led former PM Imran Khan to accuse the Usa of having conspired to overthrow his government, a claim that few outside the PtI were willing to buy. Us ambassador Donald Blome has now signaled Washington’s intention to engage in a robust two-way communication with Pakistan’s government, political parties and civil society. the announcement needs to be welcomed. While Pakistan may not share the Us strategic plans for the region, it would be beneficial for Pakistan to maintain friendly relations with the Usa as it faces economic challenges.

Pakistan has suffered economically after it was put in the FatF grey list. Grey listing has had adverse impact on foreign direct investment (FDI) and ease of doing business. the country has faced significant GDP losses for being on the list. since March when the country was again kept on grey list for another four months Islamabad has made significant progress in meeting the conditionalities of the FatF’s action plan. It has also launched a major diplomatic effort to get out of the list. a friendly Usa, instead of a hostile one, would be of additional help in passing the FatF’s test Pakistan has withdrawn the bulk of petroleum subsidies. Power and gas regulators have determined an increase of 45-50 percent in electricity and gas rates with effect from July 1. the Finance Ministry has reached a consensus with the IMF on the next fiscal year’s tax proposals and the budget framework. We are told that additional measures will be needed to bring Pakistan’s budget for the year 2022-23 in line with the key objectives of the IMF’s programme. Meanwhile inflation is rising fast. While Finance Minister Miftah Ismail hopes to take two to three months to control inflation, former finance minister shaukat tareen has estimated above 24 percent inflation in coming months. Unless there is a speedy resumption of the IMF programme and the beginning of lending from friendly countries and international financial institutions, the nightmare scenario being painted by PtI’s financial experts could turn out into a reality. It is here that the Usa’s help can make things move apace.

The importance of small steps

washington watch Dr James J Zogby

L

ast week, Mary Lou McDonald, the President of sinn Fein, the Irish republican/socialist party, and leader of the opposition in the Irish Parliament, addressed a European Union conference. When asked how she would direct Irish foreign policy, her remarks were both compelling and instructive. she began by noting: “the Irish experience of colonization, partition, and conflict… that’s where we come from.” she continued, “so Irish foreign policy has to be true to that tradition not in a passive way, in a very active way. We will be very firm on issues of self-determination, in particular on the question of Palestine. It is our firm view that we need international courage and leadership on that matter. It is clear that we have an apartheid regime. that the Israeli state actively confiscates land, actively discriminates and oppresses Palestinian citizens daily. I think Europe needs to be honest about all that and needs to exert maximum international pressure to bring that conflict to a resolution and to reach a two-state solution.”

What I’ve long appreciated about the Irish is not only how grounded they are in their history, but also how they’ve learned positive lessons from it. sinn Fein’s victories in the Republic of Ireland and in recent elections in the North are important on multiple levels not only for what they say about the past and future of Ireland, but also for the message they can

Punjab Saga It isn’t over

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VEN the most unproductive of chambers of legislatures in parliamentary democracies, the sort that don’t do any legislation at all, except maybe ratifying presidential and gubernatorial ordinances, have to do one thing: pass the budget.

Without the finance act of the next fiscal year, money simply runs out. We’re not talking about development programs here, or even the salaries from the current account; we’re talking about running out of even stationery for government offices here. and that is the prospect being faced by Pakistan’s biggest province; more than half of our republic, the twelfth largest nation on the face of the planet had it been an independent country. the strange tug of war between the two Leagues has ensured that the budget isn’t presented, while those of two other provinces have sailed through their respective houses without incident. the other League, of course, has few numbers of its own, but is powered by the erstwhile ruling party of the province. Chaudhry Pervez Elahi’s decision to put all eggs in the PtI basket was strange enough to cause fissures in his own family, but for what it is worth, the PtI have assured him that the CM slot is his to take. a veteran of Punjab assembly maneuvering since the 80s, with a famous, ultimately failed uprising against then CM Nawaz sharif, Elahi has some experience at this whole business. the kerfuffle seen the other day when the sharif administration (if the reader is pedantic about the use of the word ‘government’) was an attempt to deprive them of legitimacy. It seemed to work (explaining why the reader is so pedantic now.) though, to be fair, the biggest blow to the legitimacy of the N-League in the Punjab was from the court, when it gave its decision regarding the errant PtI legislators. the grand pantomime playing out in the Punjab isn’t over yet. hamza shahbaz sharif, for what it is worth, has expressed an approval of the idea of a fresh mandate.

Perhaps that is the only way out of this mess. that, or either, or both, of the two sides showing some maturity for the province’s sake.

Is survival possible in contradictions?

Of loyalty depend on affiliation

mUhammaD aLi aLVi

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ho is loyal in Pakistan? Every individual, group, sect, community, political party, and institution has a certificate of loyalty with it. What that certificate reveals is very interesting. that is, loyalty is a privilege only for them and everyone else, be it a person, group, political party or any institution, is not loyal.

For political parties operating in Pakistan, this even goes further to another level. according to every political party, all other parties not only lack loyalty but also are traitors. If we look closely at the history of political events in Pakistan, we may conclude that every political party or institution has presented itself as the saviour, loyal and inevitable, and every other party or institution as disloyal. the most horrific aspect is that they even don’t hesitate in awarding certificates of loyalty to those they are in favour of and calling all their opponents disloyal.

In every sphere of life, this behaviour has taken over every person, group, sect, community and institution. In the name of loyalty, it is the contradictions that have spoiled social, political and religious transactions.

Let us look at some of these contradictions.

Every person who pretends to be religious, or is religious, considers himself the only one who has the right to be called a virtuous person and is bound to go to heaven while all others are sinful. similarly, every sect considers itself the sole representative of the religion and calls all others fake.

What happens as a result is dreadful. Innocent people

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send to Palestinians about their past and future struggle with Israel. as McDonald recognized, Ireland long suffered under colonial rule, during which the British exploited Ireland’s resources and treated its indigenous Catholic inhabitants with racist contempt. to facilitate their governance, Britain sent thousands of its citizens to colonize and rule over the island and placed the Protestant church in a position of privilege as another display of their dominance on the island. the hardships endured by the Irish Catholics were many, the most notable being the infamous famines which occurred during the middle to the late 19th century. During this period, over one million Irish died of starvation or disease, while more than two million were forced to flee the country. the famines were a British-imposed crime— despite the fact that the island was producing food aplenty, the Irish were forbidden to eat their grains or livestock, or even hunt or fish on their lands. the food from Ireland was reserved for export to Britain. the Irish often rebelled, but it wasn’t until the 1920s that they succeeded in casting off British rule and establishing the Republic of Ireland in all but the six counties of the North which were heavily populated by Protestant settlers and remained under the control of the British.

While the Republic of Ireland went about the business of building their nation, with strong support from the Irish expatriate communities abroad, strife continued in the North between the Protestant majority and the restive Catholic minority culminating in a bloody civil war. this conflict in the North ended with’ an agreement that provided a power sharing arrangement, open borders between the north and south, and a provision that should majorities in the Republic and the North agree, in the future, a referendum would be held on Irish unity.

It was fascinating to observe how in the wake of the agreement the population of the Republic were able to put aside bitterness and focus on building a future of prosperity. During the first two decades following the agreement, the island, for all intents and purposes, became an economic unit. People travelled freely, trade and investment went both ways and bonds were built.

Ideological and political hostilities remained with the Protestant Unionists (those wishing to remain a part of the UK) squaring off against the Irish Republicans (those seeing unity with the Republic of Ireland). then came Boris Johnson and Brexit, keeping the

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are killed, humiliated and degraded in the name of religion. and this gives courage to the perpetrators to use it as a weapon against their rivals. several political parties are operating in Pakistan. supporters of every party consider themselves loyal and all other traitors. When an electable is in their party, he is loyal and when he changes party he is a traitor. But interestingly when he again joins the party he becomes loyal again.

If a party wins the election, the elections are fair but when it loses, the elections are rigged and there is a foreign involvement in it. If a government goes to tjhe IMF, it is justifiable. It is for the betterment of the country. It is the need of the hour. But when any other party reaches the corridor of power and does the same then the sovereignty of the state is compromised.

When prices of goods are increased in one government’s tenure the supporters and representatives of the government term it as inevitable but when the same happens in the tenure of another government all those who termed it inevitable in their government call it a destructive measure and the cycle continues. the current petrol price hike is one such example of many available. all those who were criticizing the petrol price increases in the past as failures of the government now present justification for its increase.

It doesn’t matter who is in power, the focus should not be on criticism or its justification rather it should be on the identification of the reasons for the price hike and its solution. But, sadly it is not so.

If any government passes legislation related to the limits, scope, or media ethics, it is termed a curb on the freedom of speech but when those who criticized that legislation in the past come to power and pass any similar legislation, it becomes the need of the hour. almost every legislation suffers the same fate. the recent case of the use of EVMs and expatriates’ voting rights is one such example. the PtI govt passed legislation for EVMs and voting rights for expatriates, but the opposition resisted. and both sides never said down to solve the problem.

Now, PDM is in power. and it scrapped the EVMs and i-voting law immediately to make sure the next elections are without the EVMs and i-voting.

What will be its effect? the next general elections will be under serious allegations of rigging again. No party, except the winners, will accept the results and it will continue for another term. Both sides have a fair share of justifications for their acts. had the two sides sat down to find the solution to the problem, we might have hoped for a transparent election in future.

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border open but imposing awkward restrictions on commerce that pleased no one. this set the stage for the sinn Fein victories in the North and the Republic.

While no one believes that the path forward will be easy— Protestants in the North will attempt to block sinn Fein’s efforts to govern. and no one should imagine that Irish unity ‘is around the corner— because despite shared economic concerns, the Protestants’ “fear of the other” remains strong. Nevertheless, there can be no doubt that a threshold has been crossed and the Irish can now see a way forward.

For Palestinians, there are lessons to be learned from the experiences of the Irish and these recent developments. First, their Irish allies in the struggle for justice and equality have, after one long and brutal century, taken another step forward to erasing the vestiges of British colonial meddling. In addition, they should note that where there is a vision, a strategy to realize that vision, and a disciplined approach to implement that strategy, progress can be made. there’s also a lesson for Israel. they can settle, annex, deny rights, and brutally impose hardships on a captive people, but, in the end, with Palestinian arabs constituting slightly more than one-half of the population between the Jordan River and Mediterranean sea, they cannot win. With each new settlement and new act of repression, they just keep digging the hole they’re in deeper. the Palestinians should take a page from the sinn Fein playbook, recognizing that there is a one-state reality in the making. this means articulating a vision of a state with equal rights, religious rights, justice, and shared prosperity. It means projecting that vision and developing a plan with partners in Israel who are willing to share that future. It means casting off the corrupt patronage systems that serve no purpose other than to maintain the status quo. It means rebuilding ties with arab states that are making peace with Israel and cooperating with them to advance Palestinian rights and justice. and it means mass non-violent resistance and repudiation of stupid, counterproductive calls to use “axes and knives” or rockets— all of which only make the path forward more difficult. the way forward will not be easy or short. But surely it is clear that the current visionless, strategyless, and discipline-less approach isn’t going anywhere but further into the hole Israel is digging. If nothing else, the lesson of the Irish is that small steps guided by vision and strategy are the only way forward. Just as tiny, once colonized, and oppressed Ireland can lead the way for Europe to develop a values-based foreign policy, so too can Palestinians rise above their justified bitterness and like the Irish revolutionaries learn lessons from their oppression and project a values-based vision that becomes the beacon, lighting the way not only for a truly democratic Israel/Palestine, but also as an inspiration for struggling oppressed peoples everywhere.

The writer is President of the Arab American Institute

similarly, If a judgement of the court is in the favour of a party, the court is neutral. If another decision is against the same party, it is biased. a peaceful protest is a constitutional right and anyone in Pakistan can enjoy that right. the events that took place during PtI ‘azadi March’ towards Islamabad present the sad reality that in the battle of loyalties, it is the innocent people who lose their lives.

In crackdowns, raids and uncontrolled shelling, a couple of PtI workers died and many got injured while a couple of security personnel also lost their lives and several got hurt.

Could those lives have been saved?

PtI organised a long March to show its loyalty to Pakistan. the government retaliated in the form of raids and crackdowns on PtI workers and interestingly that was in the name of loyalty to Pakistan as well. the families of the people from both sides who lost their lives might question whether their martyrs were loyal to the country? has anyone answered?

Maybe not.

Why is this behaviour spoiling us? and why is all this messed up?

It is because no one is ready to listen, give space, and integrate and communicate with others. this stage has not been reached immediately, but rather slowly and gradually it has paralyzed the society.

In the name of loyalty, it is contradictions, resentments, grudges and hate that are letting the system fall apart. the only solution to this mess is in sitting together. and it has to be a top-down approach. those in charge of the affairs, those who lead have to set examples. take the example of political polarization in Pakistan nowadays. It is at its peak. Even the news of a friend killing his friend after a political debate has been heard. It is now toxic polarization. and this toxic polarization can be healed by leaders of political parties when they will sit together and listen to others. When the opposition will credit the government for its positive steps and make them accountable for their wrong acts. and when the government will listen to the opposition and hear its voice. and when all parties and institutions will cooperate in matters of national interest. We are living in contradictions. our peaceful society has fallen into contradictions. and as a nation, we should realize that an individual or a society cannot survive in contradictions. the cure for the existing situation is that everybody should struggle to engulf the differences, remove the contradictions, and develop a society of peace, love, welfare, well-being and patience.

The writer is freelance columnist

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

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Wednesday, 15 June, 2022

COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan.

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

Financing of Overseas Pakistanis thIs refers to ex-Information Minister Ch. Fawad hussain’s remarks were uttered at the Pakistan Film Festival held in the Pakistani Pavilion at Dubai Expo a few months ago.

Mr Fawad Ch. extended gratitude to the UaE-based overseas Pakistanis for their major contribution to the Us$ 31 billion annual remittances derived by Pakistan. he went on to state that “overseas Pakistanis are the precious asset of the country; PM Imran Khan stands with Pakistani expatriates in the same way as they do with him”. a fair enough observation!

If the overseas Pakistanis are a precious asset, how long will they continue to finance, bankroll, and prop up our struggling economy? how long will they continue spoon-feeding the resident Pakistanis, whose performance as conscientious and capable citizens is almost always off the mark, marked by incompetency, insincerity, or inadequacy? therefore, the citizens of Pakistan must rise up and join hands with their overseas brethren in efforts to reform, reformulate, and revitalize Pakistan so that step by step it succeeds in attaining its rightful abode in the “association of developed, respected, and successful nationstates”; this, precisely, is the crying need of the hour.

ABBAS R. SIDDIQI, Lahore.

Water shortage in Sindh

Earlier Elections or Civil War? It takes two to tango

saJJaD shaUkat

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t is due to the undemocratic actions of both the coalition government of Prime Minister shhbaz sharif’s PML(N) amd the PPP, and by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chairman of the PtI, that instead of shrinking, political turmoil in Pakistan is rapidly accelerating.

Ex-PM Khan started a long march he called “haqeeqi azadi March” (Real Freedom March) to get rid of the Us-led ‘imported government’ and other internal entities, as he claimed. It reached Islamabad on May 25, this year. addressing the massive crowd a few yards away from the Red Zone and instead of holding a sit-in, without getting a date for the next general elections from the government, he returned after giving an ultimatum of six days, and if the government did not announce the date of elections by hen, he would return with another long march.

PM shehbaz sharif stated in the National assembly on May 26, that it would decide the date of the next elections and also said: “the doors for talks are open; I can form a committee”.

PtI general secretary asad Umar welcomed this offer for dialogue.

Media disclosed that PtI had decided to resume contacts with the federation. these talks will be behind-the-scenes.

Former foreign minister and PtI Vice Chairman shah Mahmood Qureshi also claimed that his party and the PML(N) were holding backchannel talks, and that all PML(N) leaders including party supremo Nawaz sharif were ready to announce elections in June, 2022, for october 5. he added that later, the PML(N)’s coalition partners did not agree, with the PPP a major obstacle. then PML(N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz said the current regime would complete its tenure up to august 2023. surprisingly, without taking other stakeholders on board, under the supervision of the coalition government, the National assembly on May 26 approved a bill to bar overseas Pakistanis from voting and stop the use of Electronic Voting Machines in the forthcoming elections. the PtI leaders pointed out that the government’s real aim was to deprive overseas Pakistanis from the vote and also to open the doors for rigging.

Besides, under the pretext of draconian powers given to NaB, the regime also amended the law in its favour.

Meanwhile, hearing a suo motu case, a fivejudge supreme Court bench headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mr Justice Umar ata Ban-

dial, restrained the executive authorities from transfers, postings and removal of officials of FIa and NaB involved in the investigation or prosecution of high-profile corruption cases against top government functionaries ordering that there be no government interference in the affairs of prosecution as well as investigation branches. the court ordered that no prosecution case would be withdrawn. the CJP also advised the attorney-General to carefully evaluate the choice of the new NaB chairman.

It is notable that at a public gathering in Fateh Jang, Maryam Nawaz allegedly remarked that former Premier Imran Khan only lasted in office for over three years as he had the support of an ex- intelligence officer [Chief of Inter-services Intelligence (IsI) Lt. Gen. Faiz hamid].

In a statement, the IsPR called it unlawful practice of dragging the armed forces into politics, warning that such unsubstantiated statements were extremely damaging for the country. the statement did not specifically mention any politician or party, but explained that the military leadership was perturbed over remarks given by both the government and opposition parties.

It is mentionable that the supreme Court on May 17, this year in its decision on a presidential reference seeking interpretation of article 63-a of the Constitution clarified that the votes of defecting lawmakers will not be counted. their disqualification period has been left to Parliament. thus, the apex court has eliminated horsetrading permanently.

In this respect, the Election Commission of Pakistan de-seated 25 PtI dissident MPas who had voted for the PML(N)’s hamza shehbaz in the Punjab chief minister’s election.

Notably, regarding the May 25 long march, several undemocratic moves by both the government and PtI led to a brutal crackdown against the PtI protesters— arrests, deployment of containers, acute teargas-shelling and stone-throwing on the police by the PtI activists in various regions, particularly Islamabad, resulted in the martyrdom of 5 persons and 3 policemen, and the injuring of more than 200 people, including policemen.

It is noteworthy that ex-PM Nawaz sharifhead of the PML-N and his daughter Maryam had, continuously, been criticising the supreme Court and the army since 28 July 2017 when the apex court disqualified sharif on corruption charges. thus, they had been misguiding the people and were provoking them against the key institutions. similarly, after his ouster through no-confidence motion, ex-Premier Khan who was earlier targeting the supreme Court, and afterwards started appreciating it when several verdicts came in PtI’s fvaour.

Khan who earlier appreciated the army, but criticised it indirectly, stating: “I knew the match was fixed”—without evidence has been blaming the army for his removal.

In this context, in an interview with a private tV channel, he stated on June 1: “If the establishment doesn’t make the right decisions then… the army will be destroyed because…if it[Country] goes bankrupt…Pakistan would break into three parts. after it [army] is hit, what concession will be taken from us? Denuclearisation”. he added that he had clearly told the “neutrals [a veiled reference to the establishment or army] if this foreign conspiracy to remove my government is successful then our economy will go down…the current defining moment is a trial for the establishment”.

Next day, various mainstream party leaders

such as PPP Chairman asif Zardari, PM shehbaz sharif, and those of other ruling coalition parties unleashed a tempest of criticism against the PtI chairman, explaining that in retaliation to his ouster, Khan had crossed the red line, as his anti-Pakistan and anti-army remarks show. he was creating panic in the country.

In sindh province, PPP staged ‘Pakistan Khappay (We want Pakistan) protest rallies in response to Khan’s statement. the National assembly on June 6 adopted a resolution condemning the statement against the armed forces as well as Pakistan’s security and safety of nuclear weapons.

In fact, Pakistan’s politicians have always claimed that they nourish democratic ideals, but, we could not establish this system on a strong footing, as under the cover of democracy, they prefer their selfish personal interests over the national interest. alliances are formed to win the elections or topple the rival regime. Political leaders also misguide the general masses by forming extreme opinions among them against their opponents. at present, PtI workers have been distorting the army’s image in such a way that general masses should forget the sacrifices and services of the armed forces such as the resettlement of the Internally Displaced Persons during the swat and Malakand military operations, counter-insurgency operations and restoration of law and order on many occasions—during catastrophic periods—floods, earthquakes, coronavirus pandemic, locusts’ attacks and others.—also matching response to Indian forces at the Line of Control and to stop infiltration of terrorists inside Pakistan from afghanistan.

Regrettably, changing their political differences into political enmity, some irresponsible entities of the PtI and the PDM are moving the country towards anarchy or civil war.

Even, PML(N) parliamentarian and Federal Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad asif recently admitted that the coalition partners in the government should move for seeking fresh mandate from masses to avert a civil war. at this crucial hour, Pakistan is facing grave crises and problems like corruption, soaring prices of commodities, energy-shortage, loadshedding, unemployment etc., and dependence upon the Us-led developed countries-IMF and World Bank for financial aid. Particularly, within some days, the federal government twice increased the prices of petroleum products and electricity for the release of $1 billion tranche loan from the IMF. taking note of the present multiple crises, Prime Minister shehbaz sharif emphasised the need for a grand dialogue, involving all stakeholders—for developing a consensus over the national economy. But, it is misfortune of the nation that the PtI has rejected the offer. so, instead of launching a second long march, Imran Khan should accept shahbaz’s offer of grand dialogue, and the ruling alliance must also announce early elections after settling various issues with the PtI, such as the caretaker setup. at this critical hour, armed forces are coping with internal and external challenges— politicians must not tarnish the army’s image as an institute, while the government and the opposition leaders, and all other segments of society, must show selfless national unity to pull the country out of the ongoing serious crises.

The writer can be sajjad_logic@yahoo.com

reached

at:

sINDh government has woken up to the issue of 40 percent water shortage in the province and requested the federal government to look into the matter in the light of the 1991 water accord. the water shortage is expected to aggravate until there are enough monsoon rains to come to the rescue of this water-stressed province. apart from revoking the 1991 water accord and appealing to the time-friendly federal and Punjab governments to release enough water to sindh, the PPP lead sindh government must look at other main underlined causes of the ever-deteriorating irrigation water situation in the province.

No doubt, climate change, and Indian and upstream Punjab factors might have some bearing on the overall decrease in volume of the water in sindh. sindh Province has a fair share in the declining quantity and quality of the water. Water theft by upstream big landlords has rendered the vast land areas of small farmers barren. over the decades these influential have taken (legally and illegally) exclusive water courses to irrigate thousands of their acres and reap bumper crops in a year. hundreds of thousands of lift machines also lift water from canals illegally. secondly, mismanagement and wastage of water have contributed immensely to ever declining water volume, the village and hunting areas have increased in the bed of the Indus. the water canals have high quaintly of silt, wild plants and weeds, hindering the flow of little released water. unchecked deforestation is increasing exponentially contributing to less rain, land erosion and aggravating heat waves. Weak embankments of canals and water courses develop breaches and precious water is lost on the one and standing crops and human dwellings get inundated on the other hand at the time when the tail end area is suffering from an acute shortage of water. thirdly, the population explosion spurring the uncontrolled expansion of towns and cities like wildfire is another reason resulting in the high demand for water for drinking. although the above-mentioned issues are not confined to sindh only, other provinces have some checks and the provincial governments there are taking redressing measures to resolve these issues. however, in the case of the sindh government, no government agency or department is in action and things are left to deteriorate and decay. the sindh government must look inwards and check above-cited issue which falls under its control sooner the better GULSHER PANHWER JOHI

Curbing traffic congestion LahoRE, being the second largest metropolitan of the country, has witnessed an immense increase in its population. according to the last census of 2017, the city’s population was 11.1 million and with an expected increase of 3.23 %, it should be 13.9 million in 2023. these stats make it one of the country’s fastest-growing cities. the main reason in the increase of residents of the city is the escalating number of immigrants from major conurbations of the metropolis. the capital of Punjab has developed as a business hub of the country and has also grown in all directions but not all development is in compliance with the existing plan of the city. this unplanned expansion and urbanization have made traffic load management and uniformity inflow of traffic a big challenge. according to Excise and taxation, there are 3.99 million registered vehicles in the city. an increase in per capita income and easy auto financing has made daily commuting machines affordable. this influx of vehicles with an extra addition of daily commuters from adjoining towns and cities is playing its role in traffic congestion. the highlighted issues call for city re-planning, an effective transport system and infrastructural development. the authorities working on urban development should take the lead in revamping and remodeling the roads especially the main boulevard Gulberg and Ferozepur road as these areas are core economic hubs of the city. the reduction in traffic congestion and smooth dispersal of traffic load requires separate roads or lanes for different types of vehicles to make the traffic flow uniform. traffic management can also help reduce the pressing concerns of environmental degradation in the city. Fuel combustion of vehicles is one of the major contributors to deteriorating air quality. Construction of new flyovers, underpasses and expansions of roads especially in the mentioned economic zones is now essential. although they already have some great masterpieces of engineering which are doing justice to their roles but, the need for infrastructural development is still present and should be addressed at the earliest. Planned urban development and city expansions are a gateway to the economic development of a country. We are fortunate enough that the current government is working on this framework which is a turning point for the development of the country. the revamping of infrastructure is also essential because Lahore will have a business district that will emerge as a new economic zone. as it will be functional it would require swift connectivity and easy mobility with other parts of the cities. so, Gulberg and Ferozepur Road require remodeling of roads to provide a paved gateway to the most anticipated business district of Lahore.

ZORAIN HAIDER LAHORE

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08 WORLD VIEW

IndIa’s punITIve demolITIons bear sTrIkInG resemblance To Israel’s TacTIcs aGaInsT palesTInIans UNDER NARENDRA MODI, THE COUNTRY IS LOOKING MORE LIKE ISRAEL. THE REAL TRAGEDY IS THAT A LARGE CHUNK OF THE MAJORITY IS DELIGHTED ABOUT THIS METAMORPHOSIS

scroll AngshumAn ChOuDhuRy

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home is not merely an upright structure made of soil and steel. It is an oasis of security, stability and privacy. It is an oasis of memories and aspirations, a melting pot of emotions. It is also a complex aggregate of time and space, a stack of many joys and sorrows. In a world of strange absurdities, it is a site of familiarity.

That is why the act of demolishing a home is particularly brutal. It is more than a physical assault on four walls and a roof. It is an emotional offensive against memories, an unsparing strike at the heart of an entire world that is built on top of several layers of hopes and dreams. It is an act of total erasure, of memoricide.

These are realities that both the perpetrator and the victim are aware of during and after the act of demolition. In fact, it is this mutual awareness of the scale and significance of the brutality of razing a house that the perpetrator uses to destroy their victims – they know it is harder, sharper and way more lethal than the spiked edges of a bulldozer’s mechanised arm.

The act of demolition is also theatrical. The perpetrator creates and uses this drama in abundance to conjure a grand spectacle of ruin, which itself becomes punishment for the victim.

What is more humiliating than seeing bulldozers laying waste to your homestead in broad daylight, as neighbours or distant strangers on television sets and smartphones spectate, either helplessly or gleefully?

ISRAELI ‘WAR CRIMES’: In the occupied Palestinian territory, Israel practices something known as “punitive demolitions”. Israeli authorities often bulldoze Palestinian homes as punishment for “terrorism” – a reality well documented by the United nations Human Rights Office and even flagged as a war crime.

What is notable about this policy of punitive demolitions is that it is meant to be a form of collective punish-

ment, designed to punish those related to the accused, instead of the accused themselves. The practice dates back to the period of the British Mandate of Palestine, which began in 1923 and lasted for over two decades, when authorities used it as a “deterrence” against insurgents.

What is happening in India today is strikingly similar. When authorities in Prayagraj bulldozed activist Javed Mohammed’s house on Sunday, he had already been arrested.

But the demolition did what it was meant to do – punish his entire family (wife and two daughters). One of the two siblings, Afreen Fatima, also remains under the police scanner for her vocal activism. The others were punished for the mere “crime” of familial association with Mohammed. But it was not just about Mohammed and his family.

The menacing theatrics of the demolition, backed by heavy machinery and police deployment around the neighbourhood, was carefully designed to intimidate other Muslim activists who might be planning to mobilise against the ruling regime. Much like war, this is politics by other means.

It is not just the policy’s intent that bears uncanny similarity in both India and Israel, but also the bluntness in their official framing.

Israeli authorities have stated on record that the demolitions are meant to send “a severe message of deterrence to terrorists and their accomplices – that they will pay a price if they continue their terrorist activities and harm innocent people.”

In India, senior leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party have been blatant about using house demolitions as punishment.

But, in both Israel and India, lower level executive authorities offer some pretence of legality through instruments such as eviction notices. It is done in a specific manner, just hours prior to the demolition so as to

deny any time to the residents to seek legal recourse.

Writing about house demolitions in Palestine, IsraeliAmerican anthropologist and Director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, Jeff Halper, notes in his book Obstacles to Peace: “In Jerusalem, a favored practice is to deliver an order at night by placing it somewhere near the targeted home, then arriving early in the morning to demolish.”

According to media reports, this is exactly how the events seem to have transpired in the case of the demolition of Mohammed’s house on June 12. Swift action, undertaken with just a tinge of legality, seems to be the tactic of choice.

This loose touch of legality is then used by the proregime media and social media ecosystem as a post-facto justification for the demolition.

SETTING A PRECEDENT: Mohammed’s house is not the first to be arbitrarily bulldozed in recent times. It follows a series of other such demolitions in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Yet, the demolition of Muslim homes is not an entirely new or unique feature of the BJP-ruled Hindi heartland or even the party’s rule in India. It has happened before elsewhere in different forms and degrees.

For instance, the BJP-led state government in Assam has been deploying it with greater frequency and intensity since around 2019. In fact, the practice of bulldozing shanty settlements of mostly Bengal-origin Muslims predates the BJP’s rule in Assam. Although equally violent and dehumanising, these demolitions are somewhat different from the more recent ones in the Hindi heartland.

Unlike the Israeli-style punitive demolitions, the Assam demolitions are primarily meant to physically evict and hence, territorially dislodge a set of people who are seen as “illegal immigrants”, “aliens” and “outsiders” by

anc will be defeated because of its betrayal of south africa’s people

conTinenT AnDILE ZuLu

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n times of despair and scant alternatives, citizens desperate for change are vulnerable to the seduction of political elites masquerading as transformative leaders.

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa once retained that power of seduction. But the potency of his charms has waned as he proves himself ill-equipped to confront the many crises threatening the country’s future.

Ramaphosa has recently been accused of money laundering, kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice. The credibility of these accusations remains in doubt — they were made by someone who is morally bankrupt — and investigations by the police are still under way.

But the political consequences of the allegations are worth contemplating.

In December Ramaphosa’s party, the governing AnC, will hold its national conference in which the party’s president is elected. The winning candidate will run in the 2024 national election.

If investigations show the president did participate in criminal activity, it would, according to the principles of the Constitution, render him unfit to hold office. Opposition parties in parliament possess the constitutional tools to impeach him through a vote or motion of no confidence. Historically the AnC has easily evaded motions of no confidence because it holds the majority of seats in parliament.

But Ramaphosa leads a divided party in which some influential factions perceive his governance as a threat to their material interests and the sustainability of the party at large. Di-

visions in the party are primarily grounded in conflict over accumulation.

Ramaphosa represents a political elite eager to appease corporate South Africa and foreign investment to restore and maintain conditions for accumulating capital. Opposing this faction is a kleptocratic formation keen to amass wealth through the misappropriation and abuse of state funds.

This group may punish him by casting their votes with opposition parties in a motion of no confidence. It is not because of political plots by his enemies that Ramaphosa’s future and presidential legacy have been tarnished, but the destructive outcomes of his own governance.

Elected to lead South Africa in February 2018, Ramaphosa was hailed as the antidote to South Africa’s decay. The tenure of his predecessor, Jacob Zuma, is still defined by the disturbing revelations and disastrous consequences of what is now popularly known as “state capture” — simply put, a kleptocracy rose in the ruling AnC, using state structures in cooperation with private firms, to accumulate wealth and political power.

This project of corruption through networks of patronage has severely weakened the capacity of the state to effectively execute its most basic functions. With the state’s capacities and resources mostly exploited by a parasitic elite obsessed with gathering power, under Zuma’s “nine wasted years”, some of which Ramaphosa served as his deputy, South Africa’s working classes, poor and unemployed fell deeper into destitution as its middle class was introduced to a dizzying level of financial precarity.

Ramaphosa ran on an anti-corruption campaign promising extensive reform. Because of his background as a union leader during the anti-apartheid liberation struggle, his role as a key negotiator in the arduous transition to democracy in the 1990s and a billionaire status from ventures in mining, food franchises and banking, Ramaphosa was initially framed by mainstream media as a benevolent technocrat.

Covid-19 was Ramaphosa’s first and most revealing test. South Africa initially went into a stringent lockdown in March 2020. But the lockdown, which persisted at varying levels into 2022, was not accompanied by substantial government support. Within two months of the

lockdown, food scarcity had soared. Many small businesses, unable to obtain the financial relief promised during the prolonged lockdown, never again opened their doors. As the economy withered, by the end of July 2020, three million people had lost their jobs.

Amid this socioeconomic malaise, Ramaphosa’s successive finance ministers have remained resolute in their commitment to a policy of austerity. As poverty and unemployment soar, the reduction of social spending continues.

This counter-intuitive policy choice captures how the AnC’s inaction functions as a kind of cruelty against the destitute and working class.

Beyond the wreckages of the lockdown, a dysfunctional state and a flailing economy have converged to heighten social divisions and conflict. A scarcity of jobs, especially among young people, has allowed opportunists to spark another wave of Afrophobic sentiment in major cities such as Durban and Johannesburg. Unlike previous explosions of anti-migrant mobilisations, it seemingly has support from political parties and is immensely popular on social media.

If not hyper-nationalism, violent crime undermines the possibility of social cohesion on a daily basis. Confronted with the presence of violence, Ramaphosa has not pursued a reform of the criminal justice system or extracted crime from the root. Beyond attracting investment, there is little evidence of plans to create jobs or policies to tackle the dire conditions which in part compel South Africans to scapegoat migrants.

This is the same Ramaphosa who was implicated in the killing of 34 striking mine workers at Marikana in 2012. Although the bullets were fired by police, the strikes were about a mine in which he had shares and allegedly put pressure on police to protect.

Given this and his history, should we be surprised that a billionaire would consistently elevate the interests of big business over the public good during his presidency?

The recent accusations may taint the perception of his integrity but on numerous fronts the man had already failed. It is a possibility he will be the last AnC president in power after the 2024 general elections, with the party doing disastrously in recent by-elections. Only the AnC, because of its shameless betrayal of its people, will be to blame for its tragic defeat.

the local ethno-religious majority. They are part of a larger ethno-nationalist movement that aims to reclaim “indigenous” land from so-called illegal “occupiers” or “settlers”.

This is a longstanding idea that also features prominently in the state’s core policy literature, such as in the Brahma Committee report of 2017 and a new land policy approved in 2019.

However, even in Assam, the state government has begun to deploy punitive demolitions à la Israel. Last month, local authorities in the state’s nagaon district bulldozed several houses of individuals accused of torching a police station following the alleged custodial death of a fish trader named Safikul Islam.

Thus, the emerging trend of punitive demolitions is not quite a Hindi heartland policy, but one that is being systematically adopted by BJP-led state governments.

The idea seems to be to establish a certain executive precedent by repeated practice.

It is a fact that India and Israel have moved closer under Prime Minister narendra Modi. This resurgent intimacy is as much about two congruent ethno-racial ideologies – Hindutva and Zionism – flirting with each other as about one militaristic nation-state relying on another to build capacity.

It is not surprising that Modi’s India is starting to look more and more like Israel with each passing day.

The real tragedy, however, is that a significant chunk of the majority in India is fine – delighted, rather – about this frightening metamorphosis. They want to embrace the bulldozer as a national leitmotif.

But, as the plight of millions of Palestinians confined in Gaza and the West Bank show, this is a transformation that can only end in a protracted human tragedy and collective schadenfreude.

Angshuman Choudhury is a Senior Research Associate at the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi.

The new Gulf oil boom poses dilemmas for the west Financial Times

I

EDITORIAL BOARD

n his State of the Union address days after Vladimir Putin’s forces invaded Ukraine, President Joe Biden listed measures the US was taking to punish Russia in a “battle between democracy and autocracy”.

Yet as the west has sought to isolate one autocrat, it has been forced to seek help from others: Saudi Arabia and its fellow absolute monarchies in the oil-rich Gulf.

Since Biden’s February speech, oil and gas prices have hit their highest in more than a decade as the west tries to strangle Russian energy exports. This month, the EU approved a plan to ban Russian seaborne oil imports. The bloc also agreed to coordinate with the UK on plans to ban insuring ships carrying Russian crude, which would further stymie Moscow’s ability to export.

Before the war, Russia produced more than 10 per cent of global oil supplies and was a vital source of energy for Europe. The International Energy Agency has forecast its output could now decline by up to 3mn barrels a day. There will be shippers willing to transport Russian crude to China or India. But the level of Moscow’s exports is only heading in one direction, threatening a significant undersupply in the market.

To damp sky-high petrol prices ahead of US midterm elections, Biden is having to turn to a state he pledged to treat as a pariah. Washington has urged Saudi Arabia, Opec’s de facto leader, to raise production.

This month, the kingdom and its allies in Opec+, which includes Russia, finally announced a modest acceleration of output.

The White House credited Saudi Arabia for “achieving this consensus among the group members”. Biden is considering visiting the kingdom.

The energy crisis is increasing

the leverage of MBS and other Gulf leaders. Only Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, another autocratic state, have the spare capacity to significantly boost oil production. neighbouring Qatar, the world’s biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas, is meanwhile being courted by European governments and energy companies. While the world frets about energy supplies and inflation, the Gulf is enjoying a boom as the west’s reliance on its hydrocarbons only deepens.

Yet the US has long worried about over-dependence on such a volatile region. Its relations with Gulf states can be fractious. Tensions with Iran amid fears over its nuclear ambitions mean the threat of a conflagration is never far away. US imports from the Gulf have fallen sharply since the shale boom, but its pump prices are still affected by global market dynamics.

Even as leaders gathered in Glasgow for november’s COP26 meeting to commit to phasing out fossil fuel use, Biden was berating Russia and Saudi Arabia for not pumping more oil as petrol prices rose.

The reality is that western policymakers were wilfully slow in transitioning to alternative energy sources. now they are left with few simple solutions to diversify. It typically takes at least three years and billions of dollars to bring a new oil or gas project online, and energy companies will invest only if assured of a long-term market. So the world either locks itself into more fossil fuel projects that undermine net zero targets, or ends up with stranded assets as nations transition to green energy.

Western democracies’ reliance on oil-rich autocrats was always something of a Faustian pact as they turned a blind eye to rights abuses. In the rush to secure alternative supplies to Russian oil and gas they should avoid replicating the mistakes of the past — and not give the likes of MBS a free ride.

Wednesday, 15 June, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

NEWS corporate corner IG Motorway Police briefs ASPs

As part of the 25th Initial Command Course (ICC), ASPs (UT) from the 49th CTP visited NHMP Central Police Office and was briefed by IG Khalid Mahmood and DIG Saad Akhtar Bharwana on the role and structure of NHMP. IG NHMP reiterated NHMP's commitment to building confidence amongst commuters, ensuring road safety, and equal enforcement of the law.

IG NHMP also briefed probationary ASPs (UT) about new initiatives launched at NHMP, including the #NoMore campaign. Subsequently, ASPs visited the 130- Helpline, the Command and Control Center and the NHMP complex that oversees operations for N-5. pr

Argentinian Chief of Joint Staff calls on Air Chief

ISLAMABAD: Teniente General Juan Martin Paleo, Chief of Joint Staff Argentina Armed Forces called on Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force in his office today. The visiting dignitary appreciated sound professionalism of PAF personnel and also acknowledged the achievements made by PAF over the years, especially through indigenization. The Air Chief highlighted that both countries enjoy cordial relations and reiterated his resolve to further augment the existing bilateral cooperation between the two Air Forces. Both the dignitaries agreed to further revitalize defence ties including training and indigenous production. Various matters of professional interest and regional security also came under discussion during the meeting. pr

Citi Foundation – PPAF honor 37 entrepreneurial champions from across Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: 37 entrepreneurial champions from the rural areas of Pakistan have been honored at the 14th Citi Micro-entrepreneurship Award (CMA) ceremony, jointly hosted by the Citi Foundation and Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF). The recipients of the Awards from all geographical localities of Pakistan have shown remarkable entrepreneurial skills by availing microfinance facility through various Financial Institutions (FIs). They have not only secured a prosperous life for their families but also emerged as role models in their respective communities. Thardeep Microfinance Institution won the award for the most innovative Micro-finance Institution (MFI), while Telenor Microfinance Bank and the Kashf Foundation were the runner-ups in this category. The winner for the national microfinance (female) category is Ms Sumera Arzoo who was a borrower from the CSC Empowerment and Inclusion Programme. Ms Sima Kamil, Deputy Governor, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), on the occasion commended all the community members who have established small businesses with the help of micro loans. In her recorded video message, she exclaimed that she was immensely happy to note that almost 60% of award winners are women. “The State Bank of Pakistan recognizes microfinance as an effective tool for an inclusive financial system as it gives access to those socioeconomic segments, especially enterprises, who are otherwise neglected. pr

09

DIAMER BASHA DAM: How CHInESE StAFF lEAVE PoSItIVE IMPACtS on loCAl CoMMunIty, StAFF ISLAMABAD

A

staff report

Pakistani engineer working on Diamer Basha Dam project lauded Chinese staff’s support in running the project successfully.

According to a report published by Gwadar Pro on Tuesday, Pakistani Engineer Nadeem Ilyas said, since joining the project, his Chinese colleagues have patiently taught him a lot of knowledge including technology, onsite construction management, as well as communication with the consultancy and the client’s representative.

“We never make difference between Pakistani and Chinese. I feel that I am in safe hands working on such a project, “he remarked.

Working as a tunnel construction engineer at the Diamer Basha Dam project, Nadeem Ilyas’s key responsibility is managing all the activities during tunnel construction including the execution and implementation of designs and drawings according to the specification.

He also coordinates with the consultant engineers to achieve working targets timely. “I usually start my work early in the morning, proactively plan my day, and make sure that the most urgent work gets done first like which area needs rock support, drill to blast or excavation. After getting approval from

engineers, I inform relevant workers to assign their tasks,” Nadeem said.

“In my career, I am sure of one thing that I want to build a decent career in my current domain. Before this project, I worked on the Karot Hydropower project as a Tunnel Construction Engineer with PowerChina.

My present job has shown me the path to move and attain what has been my long-term career objectives,” Nadeem told Gwadar Pro. When asked what his family members think of his job, Nadeem said proudly, “I am the first family member to financially support my family. My parents want me to work in Pakistan so I can look after them when they need me. For being a part of Diamer Basha, my family is proud of me.”

“The project has many positive impacts on the local community. At the very beginning, there was no proper source of income for the local people, When PowerChina came here, it provided many jobs for the local people. People are working in different positions such as technical staff, operators, drivers, and labors. PowerChina gave them opportunities to learn different technical skills. By working with Chinese experts many of them will get different skills.”

He is proud of the benefits the project has brought to Pakistan. “After starting of the project, the condition

and environment of the local area have been totally changed. There are thousands of people who got jobs and employment made their lives easier. In addition, the lack of drinking water has been resolved and our company installed many water treatment plants for pure water,” he said, referring to the project’s contribution to raise the water storage capacity of Pakistan.

“Water storage capacity is 56 days currently while it’s only 35 days before. As well as big changes in environmental and climatic conditions, the huge amount of storage capacity of water also makes the land more suitable for the production of crops and our irrigation system has also been improved,” Nadeem added.

Diamer Basha Dam contract was awarded to PowerChina and Frontier Works Organisation (Pakistan) in 2020. Upon completion, the dam would produce 4,800 megawatts of electricity through hydropower generation, store an extra 10.5 cubic kilometers of water for Pakistan that would be used for irrigation and drinking, extend the life of Tarbela Dam located downstream by 35 years, and control flood damage by the River Indus downstream during high floods in Pakistan, according to PowerChina.

However, building such a super project will not be easy. “At the initial stage, we have faced hindrances such as

NHA awards M-8 Motorway construction contract ISLAMABAD staff report

The National Highway Authority (NHA) awarded contract worth Rs8 billion for the construction of 168 kilometres long-missing link in the M-8 Motorway of the central alignment of ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative.

According to a Gwadar Pro’ s report on Tuesday, 250 kilometres Ratodero-Khuzdar and 193 kilometres GwadarHohab sections of M-8 Motor-

way are operational. Similarly, work on 146 kilometres long Hoshab-Awaran section is also underway at a cost of Rs9.12 billion.

The contract for the last missing link between Awaran and Naal (near Khuzdar) has been awarded to a joint venture of Habib Construction Services and Matracon Pakistan for Rs8.08 billion.

After completion of this section, Islamabad, Peshawar and Lahore will be connected with the Gwadar Port through the shortest route, NHA said.

It will also mark the completion of the first-ever accesscontrolled link between the Gwadar Port and northern parts of the country.

The M-8 Motorway starts from Ratodero in Sindh and culminates at the Gwadar Port, passing from Khuzdar, Awaran, Hoshab and Turbat areas of Balochistan.

The east-west motorway will link Sukkur, Sindh with Gwadar. Pakistan has already completed a network of accesscontrolled roads from Peshawar and Islamabad up to Sukkur.

Rs33.7b soft loans disbursed among 21,583 youth in FY 2021-22 The government has disbursed soft loans amounting to Rs 33.7 billion among 21,583 youth under the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme (YES) during the fiscal year 2021-22.

According to the Annual Plan 2022-23, the major chunk of total loan disbursement under YES went to the male budding entrepreneurs who received subsidized loans amounting to Rs 30,963.8 million.

Out of the total disbursement, subsidized loans worth Rs 2,611.5 million were given to 2,703 female entrepreneurs, whereas only seven transgender persons received Rs 20.3 million under the scheme.

The previous government launched the YES with Rs 100 billion allocation in 2018 to help youth start their own businesses by providing them loans up to Rs 25 million.

Likewise, “Skill for All” programme is being implemented country-wide at an estimated cost of Rs 9.9 billion. The major scope of the project covered conventional and high tech/high end training.

An amount of Rs 5,000 million was allocated for the programme in the fiscal year 202122. Out of total allocation, funds amounting to Rs 2,725 million have been spent so far to impart trainings to the youth in different trades .

Among the targets achieved under the scheme included training of 74,737 youth in conventional and high tech/high end trades, skill testing and certification of 23,000 youth under RPL, 100 TVET qualification out of target of 200, specific facilitation centers in 10 cities, apprenticeship training of 2000 youth, 535 TVET institutes accredited nationally and 10 TVET institutes accredited internationally.

An agreement was also signed with Directorate of Religious Education for establishing 70 TVET labs in the seminaries.

27 TVET labs were also established for 15 selected schools in Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.Besides, eight technical qualifications were developed, while a process for hiring 54 TVET Instructors in 15 selected schools was underway. news desk

Argentinian CJS calls on CJCSC General Nadeem Chief of The Joint Staff of the Argentina Armed Forces, Teniente General Juan Martin Paleo on Tuesday, who is on official visit to Pakistan, called on Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Nadeem Raza here at Joint Staff Headquarters. During the meeting matters of bilateral defence cooperation including security, military exchanges, training and prevailing regional environment were discussed, said an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) news release.

Chief of the Joint Staff of the Argentina said that these mutually beneficial interactions have deepened the bilateral defence relationship, strengthened the cooperation and enhanced mutual understanding between the two armies. CJCSC General Nadeem reaffirmed the strong and long-standing bilateral defence relationship between Argentine and Pakistan. Earlier upon arrival at Joint Staff Headquarters, Teniente General Juan Martin Paleo was presented Guard of Honour by a smartly turned out contingent of Pakistan Armed Forces. news desk

raging Covid-19 pandemic and poor geological conditions. Among these risk factors, worker availability, site accessibility, shortage of construction materials, and inadequate epidemic prevention materials caused by the lockdown policy are the most fundamental challenges encountered by the projects.”

“We have resolved almost these problems and the residential area is shifted near the working site, proper rest area for workers has been set aside by local community, facilities have been provided at the working site and the security is also increased,” Nadeem said.

The local employees are the backbone of Diamer Basha Dam, and Nadeem is one of them. As an engineer, Nadeem has grown with the project.

“Diamer Basha dam is the largest dam in the history of Pakistan and will be the tallest roller compacted concrete dam in the world, where I can learn more technical skills to build my career.”

“In 2021, the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan hosted an awarding ceremony to commend outstanding Pakistani staff of CPEC projects. PowerChina nominated me for the prize which was an honor for me and my family. I am sincerely appreciating PowerChina for offering me the opportunity of working here. I have enhanced my capability, improved my work efficiency, and received a higher salary,” he said. “I am proud to work at PowerChina.”

Electrifying Pakistan - Audi EV Charger Inauguration KARAcHI: Audi in collaboration with SIEMENS today unveiled Pakistan’s first and only Ultra-Rapid DC Charging Station equipped with Siemens SICHARGE D series chargers with power up to 160kW in Karachi.

“I am particularly pleased to be present today at the inauguration of this example of brand new German innovation. The future is electric - we are learning that more and more today in times of climate change and global warming. However, electro-based mobility also requires a corresponding infrastructure. I am pleased that another step in this direction is being taken here today.” said Germany’s Ambassador to Pakistan Hon Bernhard Schlagheck. Speaking as the chief guest on the occasion, Barrister Murtaza Wahab, Advisor to CM Sindh for Law, Spokesperson for the Government and Administrator Karachi (KMC), commented: “Karachi must also become a metropolis geared towards the new world of transportation with electric vehicles, which will vastly improve emissions in our city by reducing exhaust fumes from fossile fuels. We need to build up an infrastructure of charging stations. Germany’s innovative technology can lead us in this direction. Let us plug-in Karachi into its electrical future!”

Audi is driving its transformation as a provider of sustainable premium mobility. The brand plans to ramp up its efforts by 2025 with a wide range of more than 20 fully electric models. The key to its success and the crux of this transformation is the availability of charging infrastructure. Together with LIBRA, this Ultra-Rapid DC Charging Hub is the start of significantly expanding charging infrastructure in Pakistan. CEO of Premier Systems Syed Arshad Raza said, “As announced, 2020 marked the start of Audi in Pakistan’s major electric offensive. We successfully launched the e-tron model range and are already following that up with the next model, the dynamic and fascinating e-tron GT. We can proudly say that Audi is the number #1 brand of any car manufacturer in Pakistan leading this transformation. Audi is also making an important contribution to the urgently needed expansion of the charging infrastructure, and the LIBRA Charging Hub is the first step in achieving this goal” Commenting on the launch of LIBRA Charging Hub, CEO of Siemens Pakistan Mr. Markus Strohmeier said “We need significantly more charging points in Pakistan to cater to the growing requirements of electric vehicles.

For that reason, stakeholders including policy makers, investors and power utilities must continue their efforts in the coming years. pr

Int’l HVACR conference, exhibition concludes LAHORE: The three-day international conference and exhibition titled: Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning, Cooling and Refrigeration (HVACR) concluded here at Expo Centre on Tuesday.

Talking to reporters, Chairman HVACR Lahore Chapter Ahmad Naeem Chughtai and President HVACR Ahmad Nawaz said that this expo has connected many countries of the world, and the people associated with this field have benefited greatly by this international conference and exhibition. The owners of various companies who had set up stalls, said that during this expo, they have got a large number of serious customers and people which will add to the growth of their business and economy. Chief Convener Expo Muhammad Amir said that this expo has proved to be a great success then their expectations. This is an exhibition in which both the stalling companies and the people associated with it will have better business and success. pr

Wednesday, 15 June, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

10 FOREIGN NEWS

25PC of UKRainE’S aRaBlE land loSt to waR: Kyiv U

KRAINE has lost a quarter of its arable land since Russia’s invasion, notably in the south and east, the deputy agriculture minister said Monday while insisting that food security is not threatened.

“Despite the loss of 25 percent of arable land, crop planting this year is more than sufficient” to ensure food for the population, Taras Vysotskiy told a news conference.

He said national consumption levels had fallen “due to mass displacement and external migration” as millions fled to escape the fighting.

More than seven million people

are estimated to have been displaced within Ukraine by Russia’s war, figures from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) show.

But another 7.3 million have fled abroad, more than half of them to Poland.

Despite the significant loss of land to the Russians, “the current situation of crop planting areas.. does not pose a threat to Ukraine’s food security,” he said.

“Ukrainian farmers managed to prepare relatively well for sowing before the war started,” he said.

“In February, Ukraine had already

Joe Biden to visit Middle East, meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman WASHINGTON agencies

US President Joe Biden will make history next month with a direct flight between Israel and Saudi Arabia where he will meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, abandoning efforts to ostracise the oil kingdom’s de facto leader over the murder of a dissident. The White House ended weeks of speculation Tuesday, announcing that Biden will travel to Israel, the Palestinian West Bank and Saudi Arabia from July 1316. This will be Biden’s first trip to the Middle East as president and in addition to meetings with individual leaders in all three places, he will attend a regional Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Saudi Arabia. There is widespread expectation that Biden hopes to secure a boost in Saudi oil production, in an attempt to tame spiralling fuel costs and inflation at home ahead of midterm congressional elections in which his Democratic party risks a drubbing. Whatever the outcome, his meeting with the crown prince, often referred to as MBS, will mark a controversial policy shift. As a presidential candidate, Biden said the 2018 murder and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi — a Saudi-born US resident known for writing critical articles about Saudi rulers in The Washington Post — had made the country a “pariah.” US intelligence findings released by the Biden administration identified MBS as the mastermind of the operation. While the White House confirmed that “energy security” will be a topic in Saudi Arabia, officials stressed that the whole trip has broader diplomatic aims. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre emphasised that “this visit to the Middle East region culminates months of diplomacy,” as opposed to being driven by recent domestic political concerns.

imported about 70 percent of necessary fertilisers, 60 percent of disease control products and about a third of the required fuel” for sowing, he said.

However, the invasion of several regions by Russian troops and the ongoing blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, preventing the export of grain, forced Ukrainian farmers “to change what they were sowing and how much,” Vysotskiy said.

Before the war, Ukraine had more than 30 million hectares of arable land, according to the international NGO World Data Center-Ukraine.

Despite Vysotskiy’s reassurances that the war is not threatening

Ukraine’s domestic food supplies, the UN has warned the conflict risks tipping tens of millions around the globe into food insecurity, with the risks of malnutrition, mass hunger and famine.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said about 20-25 million tonnes of grain were currently blocked in Ukrainian ports, a figure which could rise to 70-75 million tonnes by the autumn.

Before the war, Ukraine was the world’s fourth-largest supplier of wheat and maize.

Between them, Russia and Ukraine produce 30 percent of the global wheat supply. agencies

China rejects competition with US in bilateral talks China firmly opposes using competition to define its ties with the U.S., senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi told U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in a nearly five-hour meeting in Luxembourg on Monday.

The meeting – which both sides called “candid, in-depth and productive” – followed a May phone call between the two officials and an in-person meeting in Rome in mid-March.

Yang, who is a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said Washington has “contained and suppressed” Beijing in “an all-round way,” plunging China-U.S. relations into “a very difficult situation” and severely damaging exchanges and cooperation in bilateral areas.

The Chinese diplomat noted that U.S. President Joe Biden has repeatedly told Chinese President Xi Jinping that the United States does not seek a new Cold War or aim to change China’s system, does not oppose China through strengthening alliances, does not support “Taiwan independence,” and does not seek a conflict with China.

“The Chinese side attaches high importance to these statements,” he added.

Yang Jiechi (1st R), a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, meets with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan (1st L) in Luxembourg.

Yang said the three principles proposed by

President Xi – mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation – are the correct approaches for China and the United States in getting along with each other, as the principles conform not only to the fundamental interests of China and the U.S., but also to the common aspiration of the international community.

They ought to be fundamental rules for developing China-U.S. relations, he added. “The Chinese side is ready to work together with the U.S. side to explore ways and methods to realize this vision.”

The Chinese diplomat also said he hopes the U.S. side corrects its strategic perceptions of China, make the right choices, and translates Biden’s commitments into concrete actions, working together with the Chinese side in the same direction and concretely implementing the important consensus reached by the two heads of state. china takes ‘steadfast stand’ in its sovereignty: In the meeting, Yang also stressed that China takes an “unambiguous and steadfast stand” in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

China accepts no interference in its internal affairs from other countries, and any attempts to thwart or undermine China’s national unity are doomed to fail, he said.

The Taiwan question concerns the political foundation of China-U.S. relations which, unless handled properly, will have a subversive impact, Yang said. The risk does not only exist but will escalate as the United States attempts to contain China with the Taiwan question, and as the Taiwan authorities rely on the United States to seek its “independence,” he warned. agencies

China ‘built world’s largest network infrastructure’ in past decade China has built the world’s largest network infrastructure with advanced technology in the past decade, Xin Guobin, vice minister of industry and information technology, said at a press conference on Tuesday. Xin said over the past 10 years, the access bandwidth of the optical fiber network has increased from 10 Mbps to 1000 Mbps, mobile networks have made breakthroughs in 3G, 4G and 5G, and broadband access has been extended to all administrative villages across the country, contributing to achieving the goal of poverty alleviation.

China has also seen deep integration of 5G, industrial internet, big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence within the manufacturing sector, accelerating the digitalization of industries, the vice minister said.

Breakthroughs in information communication: From copper wire to optical fiber, and from the popularization of 3G to the commercial use of 5G, China has seen great improvements in terms of information communication during the past decade. Han Xia, chief engineer at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said at the press conference that 4G base stations in China accounted for more than half of the world’s total. The number of 5G base stations in the country has reached 1.615 million and the number of 5G mobile phone users has exceeded 400 million. Use of innovative applications has expanded from consumption to production in China, forming one of the largest and most active digital service markets in the world, said the chief engineer. agencies

‘How to murder your husband’ writer jailed for life over spouse killing LOS ANGELES afp

A US writer who penned a tract entitled “How to Murder Your Husband” was sentenced to life in prison on Monday for fatally shooting her spouse. Nancy Crampton Brophy, 71, will be eligible to apply for parole in 25 years, a judge in the northwestern state of Oregon told her. Crampton Brophy’s month-long murder trial heard how the author had used a gun barrel bought on eBay to kill her husband in the hope of collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in life insurance. The weapon, which she claimed had been acquired as research for a new novel, has never been found.

Chef Daniel Brophy was found on the floor of a classroom in a now-defunct culinary institute where he worked, in June 2018. He had been shot twice. CCTV footage showed his wife driving in the area at the time. The author, whose “Wrong Never Felt So Right” series of novels include “The Wrong Husband” and “The Wrong Lover,” claimed she had no memory of being there, but surmised that she would have been in the neighbourhood trying to get inspiration for a new work of fiction. Crampton Brophy, whose lawyers said last month they would appeal the verdict, denied the murder, insisting that years of financial struggle were behind the couple and that she had no reason to kill her husband. “Where is the motivation? I would ask you,” Crampton Brophy said as she sparred with the prosecutor during her trial. “An editor would laugh and say, ‘I think you need to work harder on this story, you have a big hole in it.'” Her blog post “How to kill your husband,” which is still readily available online, discusses methods and motivations for dispatching an unwanted spouse. These include financial gain and the use of a firearm, although it notes guns are “loud, messy, require some skill.” “But the thing I know about murder is that every one of us have it in him/her when pushed far enough,” the essay says.

UK to send first asylum seekers to Rwanda LONDON afp

The British government was to send a first plane carrying failed asylum seekers to Rwanda on Tuesday despite lastgasp legal bids and protests against the controversial policy.

A chartered plane was to leave one of London’s airports overnight and land in Kigali on Tuesday, campaigners said, after UK judges rejected an appeal against the deportations.

Claimants had argued that a decision on the policy should have waited until a full hearing on the legality of the policy next month. 31 migrants were due to be sent but one of the claimants, the NGO Care4Calais, tweeted that 23 of them had now had their tickets cancelled. Those due to be deported include Albanians, Iraqis, Iranians and a Syrian, Care4Calais said. Other claimants included the Public and Commercial Services Union, whose members will have to implement the removals, and immigration support group Detention Action.

PCS chief Mark Serwotka said on Sunday it would be “an appalling situation” if Tuesday’s removals were subsequently found to be illegal at the full hearing. Home Secretary Priti Patel should wait for the July hearing if she “had any respect, not just for the desperate people who come to this country, but for the workers she employs”, Serwotka told Sky News.

Protesters gathered outside the Royal Courts of Justice and the Home Office on Monday. In Geneva, UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi called the UK government policy.

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Wednesday, 15 June, 2022 | ISLAMABAD

SPORTS 11

‘KINg’ BABAR AzAm wANTs woRld CUP gloRy To FUlFIl BoyHood dREAms KaRacHI

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AFP

IGH-FLYING skipper Babar Azam hopes that his extraordinary run-scoring can fire Pakistan to World Cup glory — and in the process fulfil a childhood dream.

The 27-year-old is in the form of his life across the three formats of international cricket and last week became the first batsman to hit three consecutive centuries on two separate occasions in ODIs. But Azam told AFP that his prolific form will count for little if it does not bring success at the T20 World Cup in October in Australia and the 50-over showpiece in India

next year.

“No doubt I am enjoying my form,” toporder batsman Azam, who is ranked number one in the world in both ODI cricket and T20 internationals, said in emailed comments.

“But with this form, my prime goal is to win the two World Cups for Pakistan in the next one-and-a-half years and if that happens I will feel that my runs are worth gold.”

The man dubbed “King” featured in two junior World Cups in 2010 and 2012, scoring most runs for his country on both occasions, but Pakistan failed to win the titles.

Azam fired a match-winning hundred against eventual runners-up New Zealand at the 2019 ODI World Cup but Pakistan failed to qualify for the semi-finals.

They fell to eventual champions Australia in last year’s T20 World Cup semi-finals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) despite Azam again excelling with the bat.

Ball Boy to star: Azam learnt the game in the streets and grounds of Lahore at the age of 12.

“When I started playing cricket as a schoolboy, the target was to play international cricket for Pakistan, become the world’s top batsman in such a manner that it helps my team to win all the titles,” he said.

His father Azam Siddique has always been his number one fan and crucial support.

“I was crazy about cricket in my childhood and noticing that passion my father backed me,” recalled Azam.

His grassroots journey to the top included being a ball boy during a Pakistan-South Africa Test in Lahore in 2007, when Azam’s dream came true when he saw his idol AB de Villiers up close.

“When I was a kid, I used to follow AB de Villiers,” said Azam of the South African great regarded as one of the best batters in

modern cricket.

“I liked the way he used to play the ball on the up. It was delightful for me so I developed that and it helps me get even with the bowlers.” Azam attributes extensive preparation and belief to his success.

“Nowadays international cricket is so tough and players are so skilled that if you don’t prepare well, you can’t compete.

“The first and foremost thing is that you have to have belief in yourself and with that mindset I get into the middle and bat with a positive and aggressive intent.

“I always want to dominate the opponents, and that pays off.

“When you score runs, not only the world acknowledges and fans are enraptured, it also motivates the whole team and they also aim to contribute.”

InspIratIonal leader: Azam became an all-format skipper in 2019, but

Australia win sudden death battle with Peru for World Cup place agENcIEs Australia beat Peru in a sudden death penalty shootout on Monday to secure the penultimate free place at the 2022 World Cup finals.

The playoff between the Asian and South American qualifiers had been goalless after 120 minutes and was only decided when Peru’s Alex Valera missed his side’s sixth penalty, giving Australia a 5-4 win at the Ahmad bin Ali stadium in Doha.

The winners, 42nd in the world rankings, claimed their sixth ticket to the World Cup finals and a Group D opening match against defending champions France on November 22.

It was the second time in the past two decades that Australia have beaten South American opponents in a World Cup shootout. They overcame Uruguay to reach the 2006 finals.

Peru, 22nd in FIFA’s list and who beat Australia 20 at the 2018 World Cup group stage, were roared on

by 10,000 fans, most of whom had flown halfway round the globe for the playoff only to see a frustrating encounter between the rivals.

Australia coach Graham Arnold said he was “speechless” at the upset win after seeing Martin Boyle miss his side’s first penalty before successfully converting their next five spot-kicks.

Australia’s substitute goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne danced like a clown on the goal line in a bid to upset the Peru players and Luis Advincula’s shot cannoned off a post while Valera’s miss set off wild celebrations among the Socceroos and their band of a few hundred supporters. Arnold said the move to bring on Redmayne after 119 minutes had been intended to unsettle Peru’s penalty takes, adding that it probably contributed to the penalty misses.

“What we have been through in the last year and a half, not being able to get back into Australia (because of the pandemic), players getting Covid. I could not be more proud,” said Arnold.

“The sacrifices they have made. No-one thought they could do it but they kept on believing.”

Peru’s Argentine coach Ricardo Gareca said the whole side felt “enormous disappointment” to go out after a game in which clear cut chances were few and far between. “It hurts not to make it as we were doing well in the game,” added Gareca.

Gareca made no criticism of Redmayne’s goalkeeping antics. “If what he did is legal then I have nothing to say.” Redmayne, who is known for the same penalty routine at Sydney FC, said the win had been “surreal” but he did not consider himself the hero of the night.

“I played a very small part in what was done,” he said. Peru’s red and white army of supporters gave the conservative Gulf state a taste of what they can expect in November when some 1.4 million visitors are predicted to come to town. Their distinctive red and white shirts dominated the streets. For more than two hours the fans chanted “Come on Peruvians, tonight we must win.”

Dokic says nearly took her own life due to mental health struggles MELBOURNE ReuteRs

Engro, PVF team up for Volleyball Uplift Program pREss RELEasE With a vision to have broad representation of Pakistan in the Olympic Games, Engro has joined hands with Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF) to launch the Engro Volleyball Development Program. To mark the launch of this program, a signing ceremony and press conference were held at a local hotel in Lahore. The occasion was attended

by PVF Chairman Chaudhary Muhammad Yaqoob, and PVF President Ch Iftikhar Ahmed, Engro Corporation President & CEO Ghias Khan, Engro Fertilizers VP Manufacturing Syed Shahzad Nabi, and Engro Corporation Head of Marketing & Communications Umber Ansari, among other officials of Engro and the PVF. As part of the Engro Volleyball Development Program, Engro will assist the PVF in setting up a National Training Camp, including the appointment of qualified foreign coaches. Regional training camps will also be established at different places in the country to facilitate the local talent for its grooming. These training camps & competitions of Pakistan national team with strong foreign team will enable PVF to develop a team of talented athletes who may represent Pakistan in international competitions, such as the Olympics, World Championship, and World League. Speaking at the press conference, Ghias Khan – President & CEO of Engro Corporation, stated that, “Our partnership with the Pakistan Volleyball Federation marks a new chapter in the development and promotion of volleyball in the Country. The Pakistan Volleyball Team has shown its mettle time and again and beaten top ranked teams such as China, Korea, Thailand, India and even Japan. Through the Engro Volleyball Development Program, and access to best-in-class coaches and training practices, we hope the national Pakistan Volleyball Team will cement itself as one of the top teams in the world. We look forward to working hand-in-hand with PVF toward the development of our talented youth, with a view to building Pakistan’s representation in the Olympics.”

Former top 10 tennis player Jelena Dokic nearly took her own life in April during struggles with her mental health, the Australian said on social media.

Dokic, who played her last professional match in 2014 and has worked as a commentator on Australian TV in recent years, said she had been battling “constant feelings of sadness and pain”.

“Such a vicious cycle in my head. The result: almost jumping off my 26th floor balcony on April 28th,” the 39-year-old wrote in a post.

“I just wanted the pain and the suffering to stop. I pulled myself of the edge, don’t even know how I managed to do it.” Dokic has been open about her mental health battles and said in her 2017 book “Unbreakable” that she had suffered years of physical and emotional abuse from her father.

Born in the former Yugoslavia, Dokic said on Instagram that the last six months had been tough but seeking professional help had saved her life.

“From hiding in the bathroom when at work, to wipe away my tears so that nobody sees it, to the unstoppable crying at home within my four walls has been unbearable,” said the former world number four, who won six singles titles on the WTA Tour. “I am writing this because I know I am not the only one struggling.

“Just know that you are not alone.” Dokic said some

days were better than others but she was on the road to recovery and vowed to return “stronger than ever”.

Her post triggered supportive messages from a number of Australian sporting figures.

“You are enough. You are worthy. Your pain will heal,” former Olympic champion cyclist Anna Meares said. “You will find peace. Hang in there.”

Mental health has been in the spotlight in tennis since former world number one Naomi Osaka withdrew from last year’s French Open and said she was battling depression.

Men’s world number two Alex Zverev opened up about his own mental health issues during the recent French Open, saying social media meant current players were subject to “a lot more hatred” than past ones.

rather than weigh on him, he enjoys setting an example.

“As captain, I want to take the challenge because I am at the front. If I am in front, only then my team will follow me and that is the same with run-scoring,” he said.

“If I am scoring runs then other batters will follow and get inspired, but there is always room for improvement so I want to improve my finishing and that is important as captain.” Azam’s baptism at the international level, against Zimbabwe in 2015, coincided with the gradual return of international cricket to Pakistan, having been suspended over terrorist attacks on the Sri Lankan team in 2009. Azam relishes playing before Pakistan’s passionate supporters. “It’s a great feeling playing at your home grounds and before your own fans,” said Azam. “That gives me a double dose of energy and I aspire more and more wins for Pakistan.”

Pakistan beats Nepal 3-0 in ITF Asia U-12 Team Competition app Pakistan got off to a flying start in the ‘ITF Asia 12 & Under Team Competition-South Asia Zone’ as they beat hosts Nepal 3-0 at Kathmandu on Saturday. According to the details shared by Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF), in the Boys Singles competition, Hamza Ali Rizwan thrashed Aadrit Nepal 6-1, 6-0, while Abubakar Talha overcame Brijesh Aryal 6-1, 6-1.

Whereas in Boys Doubles category, the Pakistani duo of Omar Jawad and Abubakar Talha defeated Nepal’s Brijesh Aryal and Asav Samrat Hada in a one-sided affair 6-0, 6-0. Teams from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan are partaking in the event, in which Muhammad Abid is leading the Pakistan team.

Barcelona to sport UNHCR logo in place of UNICEF MaDRID ReuteRs

Barcelona have signed a partnership deal with UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency, whose logo will feature on the Spanish team’s latest shirt in support of refugee children, the LaLiga club said on Tuesday. It will be displayed on the men’s and women’s first team shirts from the 2022-23 season and will serve as a message of solidarity with more than 100 million people who have been forced to flee their homes, Barca added. Barcelona had previously partnered with UNICEF in support of the world’s children in 2006, with their logo present on the first team shirt for the past 15 years. The UNHCR logo will now replace the UNICEF logo. “Our commitment is to make the dreams of the most vulnerable become a reality, based on the belief that all children and young people have the right to the same opportunities,” Barcelona president Joan Laporta said. “It’s a game we need to play and which UNHCR has allowed us play in their league. It’s our Super League and we’re very proud of it.” The new partnership will span the next four seasons during which the club’s foundation will donate 400,000 euros ($417,360) per season towards four UNHCR projects in Colombia, Uganda, Turkey and Malaysia. “Football brings joy to billions of fans around the world,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said. “It also provides a transformational outlet for millions of refugee children each day as it promotes positive mental and physical wellbeing, builds confidence and skills, helps keep children in school, and empowers women and girls.”

Mayweather to face MMA fighter in Japan exhibition TOKYO AFP

Newly enshrined Hall of Fame boxer Floyd Mayweather will fight Japanese mixed martial arts star Mikuru Asakura in a September exhibition in Japan, organisers said Tuesday.

The former welterweight world champion, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on Sunday after retiring with an unbeaten 50-0 record, beat “Dangerous” Don Moore in an exhibition in Abu Dhabi last month.

The date, venue and rules of his fight against 29-yearold featherweight Asakura will be announced later this month.

It will be the 45-year-old Mayweather’s fourth exhibition and his second in Japan, after beating kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa by TKO in just two minutes in Decem-

ber 2018, in a bout that was widely ridiculed.

Mayweather called himself the “pioneer of exhibitions” and promised to “put on a show” for fans when he returns in September.

“We’re going to treat him nice, we’re going to let him go three rounds, we’re going to let him try to land his shot,” Mayweather said of his opponent.

“I may not let him land one punch, it’s all up to me, it’s all on what I want to do,” the American added, describing himself as “the puppet-master”.

Mayweather said his “legacy is already set in stone” after entering the Hall of Fame.

He retired from professional boxing in 2017 after beating UFC star Conor McGregor.

“It’s great to go into the Hall of Fame and the great thing about it is I did everything on my terms,” he said.

“You look at so many champions and they can barely walk, they can barely talk. That’s not cool. The name of the game is to hit and not get hit.”

Asakura said he intends to “use this opportunity to raise my name and my value internationally”.

Wednesday, 15 June, 2022

prayer tiMings

NEWS

BIlAwAl, RAIsI vow to pRomote economIc tIes TEHRAN

F

Mian abrar

OREIGN Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Tuesday called on Iranian President Ayatollah Seyyed Ibrahim Ra’isi and vowed to strengthening Tehran-Islamabad relations to help promote economic prosperity and security in the region.

“I consider myself as an Iranian,” Bilawal was quoted by Iranian state agency, IRNA, as telling the Iranian President.

“We are ready to enhance comprehensive cooperation with Pakistan, and the Islamic Republic of Iran has the necessary capacity to meet Pakistan’s needs in various fields, including oil, gas and electricity,” Raisi said.

Referring to the deep ties between the two nations, Rai’si said these ties are rooted in centuries of cordial and religious ties. He said that the people of Iran and Pakistan are not only neighbors but also relatives.

He added, “Most foreign pilgrims to the shrine of Imam Reza (AS) are Pakistanis and their love for the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) is famous and this is one of the areas of proximity between the two nations”.

“We consider Pakistan’s security to be our own security,” he said.

Emphasizing that there are no re-

Ministers lambast Miftah over further POL price hike Ministers of Petroleum and Energy lambasted Finance Minister Miftah Ismail after he recommended a further price hike in petroleum and electricity prices in the cabinet’s meeting on Tuesday. According to sources, the Finance minister came under fire by Riaz Pirzada who criticized Miftah when he suggested a price hike in petroleum and electricity prices. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday, summoned a meeting of the cabinet to discuss the post-budget scenario of the country where things went south really quickly.

‘The people are already too burdened with inflation, we should not hike the prices further,’ Riaz Prizada said to Miftah Ismail.

Multiple ministers reportedly suggested making adjustments in other fields than increasing the petroleum and electricity prices. Miftah dismissed the suggestion claiming other sectors are already suffering they cannot be adjusted to compensate for the petroleum and electricity prices.

The Prime Minister backed Miftah by saying that he does not want to increase the prices but they are compelled to do it. Only I can tell how difficult it is for me to increase the prices, the PM added. news desk

strictions in the Islamic Republic of Iran for the development of relations with Islamabad, Raisi added: “We are ready to promote comprehensive cooperation with Pakistan. The Islamic Republic of Iran has the necessary capacity to meet Pakistan’s needs in various fields, including oil, gas and electricity.

Ayatollah Ra’isi called the fields of energy, transit cooperation and coordination in regional issues and crises as important aspects of the relations between the two countries and stressed: “negotiations on these issues should become decisions and documents of cooperation.”

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also expressed satisfaction with the visit to Iran, adding: “As much as I am a Pakistani, I am also an Iranian.”

While expressing his gratitude for Iranian electricity exports to Pakistan, the Foreign Minister added: “We are fully prepared to complete and conclude the previous negotiations in the fields of security, trade and energy.”

Zardari also pointed to the depth of Pakistanis ‘devotion to Imam Reza (as) and emphasized on his country’s plan to facilitate the pilgrims’ journey to Mashhad.

The Foreign Minister also praised the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for its assistance in extinguishing the widespread fires in the forests of Balochistan Province, Pakistan.

Sindh presents Rs1.71tr budget for 2022-23 Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, who also holds the portfolio of Finance Minister, on Tuesday presented the budget for the fiscal year 2022-23 in the Sindh Assembly amid ruckus from the opposition benches.

Addressing the budget session of the Sindh Assembly, CM Murad Ali Shah said that the total outlay of the budget for the province is estimated at Rs1,714 billion. “Government has imposed no new tax in the provincial budget for FY2022-23, said Murad, adding that the provincial government took steps for social protection and economic stability in the “people-friendly” Sindh budget.

He went on to say that the government has prepared a budget in consultation with all stakeholders.

Presenting the budget, he announced a 15 per cent increase in salaries of the government employees while pension was jacked up by 5 per cent. “Government is increasing 33 percent hike in salaries of govt employees from grade 1-16,” he added.

Murad Ali Shah said the government has earmarked Rs332billion for the provincial development schemes, while Rs15.4bn has been set aside for social protection.

Rs27 billion has been allocated for the establishment of science museums

at all divisional headquarters of Sindh.

Rs4 billion has been earmarked for procuring hybrid diesel-electric buses while overall Rs13.3 billion has been allocated for the transport sector, an increase of 72.77 percent as compared to previous year.

Key highlights of sindh budget 2022-23 Rs30 billion for Karachi development projects Rs326 billion for the education sector Rs220 billion fixed for health sector The government has allocated Rs115 billion for Sindh police Rs24 billion earmarked for agriculture sector For the transport sector, the govt has allocated Rs13 billion Rs10 billion for SIUT, Rs11.48 for PPHI. Rs6 billion for Gambat Institute of Health Sciences (GIMS).

Rs224 billion for Water and Sewerage Board Rs2.3 billion for livestock Rs1 billion has been allocated for establishment of campuses of public sector universities Rs75mn for degradation of Karachi traffic signals Rs250mn for has been earmarked for differently-abled persons fund. staff report

‘No enmity or animosity’: Nawaz urges govt to facilitate Musharraf’s return ISLAMABAD news desk

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) supremo Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday urged his party-led government to facilitate former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s return to the country.

“I have no personal enmity or animosity towards Pervez Musharraf,” Nawaz said in a Twitter post.

He further said, “I don’t want anyone else to suffer the traumas I have to endure for my loved ones.”

The PML-N top leader went on to say, “I pray to Almighty Allah for his

health. If he wants to return to Pakistan, the government should facilitate him.”

The statement came hours after Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar said that the top military leadership’s stance was to bring the ailing former president, who has been living in Dubai since 2106, back to Pakistan in view of his critical medical condition.

Speaking to a local TV channel today, the chief military spokesperson had said that the family of the ex-president had been approached and added that the final decision on his return will be taken by his family and doctors.

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Imran accuses govt of ‘destroying’ institutions to rig elections islAMAbAd: Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan Tuesday accused the PDM government for “destroying” all state institutions of the county in a bid to rig the next elections and get all corruption cases against them closed. Addressing a ceremony at KP House here, Imran Khan said that the country’s democratic system will be “destroyed” if the coalition government led by PML-N stayed in power any longer. “If they stay in power, the democracy cannot survive because a ‘turncoat’ Raja Riaz has been appointed Leader of Opposition [in National Assembly],” said Imran while While casting doubts on the death of investigating officer Dr Rizwan, the PTI chief said the PML-N government was destroying FIA record pertaining to the corruption cases. “They are destroying the justice system… they will inflict immense damages to the country which even our enemy has failed to achieve.” He also accused the government of muzzling freedom of media, saying TV channels were being pressured not to give coverage to him.

The former premier said the United Sates “installed” the incumbent rulers into power because they can be controlled easily as their assets were stashed abroad.

Speaking about inflation, Imran compared the performance of the incumbent regime with his government, saying the prices of all essential commodities have skyrocketed in only two months. He said his government provided subsidies worth Rs200 billion on fuel and electricity prices despite IMF pressure because they did not want to burden the masses with more inflation. “They don’t care about the people of Pakistan… they only take orders from America… a group of thieves has been imposed upon on us by the US and their local abettors,” he remarked. Moreover, he said his government was the first in the country’s history which provided health cards to the people of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to enable them to avail free treatment at any private or public hospital.

“Entire opposition pressured me to impose a blanket lockdown during Covid-19 pandemic but I refused to do so considering its impact on daily wagers.” Imran said that Pakistan was among the five nations in the world which successfully saved the poor and economy from the pandemic. Likewise, my government was the first in the country’s history which opened shelter homes for labourers, he added. staff report

Rupee extends losses against dollar Exchange rate of Pak Rupee weakened by Rs1.31 against the US Dollar in the interbank trading on Tuesday and closed at Rs 205.16 against the previous day’s closing of Rs 203.85. According to the Forex Association of Pakistan (FAP), the buying and selling rates of dollar in the open market were recorded at Rs 204.5 and Rs 206.5 respectively. The price of Euro appreciated by Rs1.26 and closed at Rs214.86 against the previous day’s closing of Rs213.60. Meanwhile, Japanese Yen gained two paisas to close at Rs1.53, whereas an increase of 62 paisas was witnessed in the exchange rate of British Pound, which was traded at Rs249.82 as compared to its last closing of Rs249.20.

The exchange rates of Emirates Dirham and Saudi Riyal increased by 35 paisas to close at Rs55.85 and Rs54.68 respectively. app

‘Abducted’ Karachi journalist returns home KARAChi: A television journalist, who was apparently taken by force by plainclothes police in Karachi on Monday, “returned home safely” on Tuesday, his employer said. In a statement, Aaj News said it received the confirmation of the return of Nafees Naeem, who works for the Aaj News television as an assignment editor, at 5:00 am. It wasn’t immediately clear who was behind the apprehension of Naeem. But his employer said several men in plainclothes took him into custody at a market near his home, threw him in a police vehicle and sped away.

Naeem’s location after the arrest was unclear. Earlier, the channel’s news director, Kamal Siddiqi, also confirmed the development on Twitter. “Aaj senior assignment editor Nafees Naim has safely returned home. Thank you to all colleagues, well-wishers and media organisations who helped make this happen,” he wrote. Although the government of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) component parties insists it supports freedom of speech, human rights groups often accuse the civil and military-backed security agencies and police of harassing and attacking journalists. staff report

Budget needs additional measures to meet goals: IMF Additional measures will be needed to bring Pakistan’s budget for FY2022-23 in line with the key objectives of its International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, the lender’s resident representative in Islamabad said on Monday.

Pakistan unveiled an Rs9.5 trillion ($47 billion) budget for 2022-23 on Friday aimed

at tight fiscal consolidation in a bid to convince the IMF to restart much-needed bailout payments. read more “Our preliminary estimate is that additional measures will be needed to strengthen the budget and bring it in line with key program objectives,” Esther Perez Ruiz told

Published by Arif Nizami at Plot # 7, Al-Baber Centre, F/8 Markaz, Islamabad, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 051-2204545. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk

Reuters.

Finance Minister Miftah Ismail told Reuters on Saturday that the IMF had expressed concerns about the budget numbers, including fuel subsidies, a widening current account deficit, and the need to raise more direct taxes. reuters