Epaper – April 23 ISB 2020

CMYK

Thursday, 23 April, 2020 I 29 Shaban, 1441 I Rs 15.00 I Vol X No 295 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

Govt fearful, masses fearless as corona tally crosses 10,000 g

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SInDh rEPortS 320 nEw CaSES, g Dr MIrza SayS PrECautIonary thE hIghESt rECorDED In thE guIDElInES BEIng nEglECtED, ProvInCE In onE Day; DEath warnS of grEatEr toll rEaChES 220 IMPlICatIonS In CoMIng wEEkS DoCtorS aSSoCIatIon DEManDS ‘StrICt anD CoMPlEtE’ loCkDown

KARACHI: A view of the rush of people at the fruit and vegetable market on Super Highway on Wednesday after the government eased the lockdown restrictions. P P I

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

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hE number of coronavirus patients in Pakistan crossed the 10,000mark on wednesday with Sindh recording the highest number of new cases in one day — 320 –as the government’s repeated warnings to maintain social distancing and taking necessary precautions while going out of homes amid a relaxation in the lockdown has seemingly fallen on deaf ears in the general populace. at least 10,503 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus across the country so far. Punjab has 4,590 cases, the highest among all provinces and autonomous areas, while Sindh has 3,373 cases, khyber Pakthunkhwa (kP) 1,453 cases, Balochistan 552 cases, gilgitBaltistan (gB) 290 cases, Islamabad Capital territory (ICt) 194 cases, and azad Jammu and kashmir (aJk) 51 cases.

2,156 people have completely recov-

ered so far whereas 220 have lost their lives due to the virus.

Pakistan today’s reporters have observed that despite the imposition of Section 144 in all major cities, shops and bazaars are still not completely following guidelines regarding social distancing and other safety protocols. Most shops continue accommodating more than five people at a time in violation of Section 144 while not checking for personal protective equipment.

Stores in lahore, including both highend retail stores located in posh areas like gulberg, Dha, Johar town, governmentrun bazaars and utility stores and neighbourhood stores, are following no safety precautions whatsoever. the situation is similar in karachi where people were observed carrying on their routine businesses without following the standard operating procedures (SoPs) issued by the Sindh government. the situation in Sindh is likely to further aggravate after the business community

coronavirus in

Pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

10,503

RECOVERED:

2,156 SINDH:

3,373

DEATHS:

220

PUNJAB:

4,590

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

1,453 51/290

552 194

in karachi and other major cities threatened to launch a jail bharo (fill the jails) movement if their demand to resume businesses during the CovID-19 lockdown is not accepted.

“If our demands are not accepted, we will be launching a jail bharo (fill the jails) movement,” said Sindh tajir Ittehad leader Jameel Paracha during a joint presser of different trade organisations. he said that the traders would reopen their shops from the first day of ramzan. “we will not meet any negotiating team or minister of the provincial government,” he said. another trade leader Illyas Memon claimed that both the federal and provincial governments want to cripple the businesses. “thousands of labourers have become unemployed due to closure of shops,” he said, adding that they were in no position to pay their utility bills and taxes.

Meanwhile, Sindh health Minister Dr azra Pechuho said that the coronavirus cases reported in the province would reach their peak by the middle or end of May. “we will have to stick to social distancing and lockdown rules. If the lockdown is eased, the number of cases will increase,” she said in a video message.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

army reaffirms support for institutions in fight against CovID-19 STORY ON PAGE 03

Trump reassures Imran of support in corona fight g

uS PrESIDEnt SayS wIll ProvIDE PakIStan ‘vEntIlatorS anD EConoMIC hElP’ ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

uS President Donald trump on wednesday reassured Pakistan of support during the coronavirus crisis and said that the uS would provide “ventilators and economic help”.

Prime Minister Imran khan and President trump in a telephone conversation discussed challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, its effect on the global economy and ways to mitigate its impact, according to an official statement from the Prime Minister house. the call was an extension of the premier’s diplomatic outreach efforts related to his global Debt relief Initiative. the initiative aims to bring together leaders from different countries “notably from the Paris Club, highly Indebted Poor Countries (hIPC) and heads of international organisations” to push for a more coordinated response to the pandemic.

Based on the premier’s belief that “enhanced fiscal capacity is fundamental to recovery from the ongoing pandemic” the initiative seeks to lay the ground for urgent debt relief for developing countries without “onerous conditionalities”. the premier thanked the uS president for american support in international forums, particularly the International Monetary fund. the uS president offered to send

FIA officer suspended for compromising sugar probe on minister’s behalf: report MONITORING REPORT the federal Investigation agency has suspended additional Director Sajjad Bajwa, also a member of the sugar inquiry commission, for allegedly leaking information of the investigation to a federal minister, reported Dunya news on wednesday. according to the channel, it was discovered after initial investigation that the additional director was acting as an informant for some sugar mill owners. he was reporting details about the ongoing inquiry to federal Minister Makhdoom khusro Bakhtiar, it alleged.

Moreover, the fIa officer reportedly also misled the inquiry commission by reporting false details about the sugar mill of khusro Bakhtiar’s family. Inquiry against the officer began after contradictions were found between information given by Bajwa and other officers, the report added. fIa officials have apprised Prime Minister Imran khan of this development and monitoring of other officers in the inquiry commission has been heightened, it added. the channel’s report did not contain khusro Bakhtiar’s com-

ment on the issue. the commission formed to finalise forensic reports on sugar and wheat crises sought more time to complete the investigation into the scam, a local media outlet had reported on tuesday. according to reports, the government was likely to give commission two to four more weeks to complete the investigation. the government was giving more time to the commission to clear the confusion in the report. the commission will now present the report in May instead of april 25. following the reports that had named several Pakistan tehreek-e-Insaf (PtI) leaders, Prime Minister Imran khan had said that he was waiting for the detailed forensic reports, slated to come out on april 25, before taking any action against those responsible.

In a twitter thread, he had said, “I await the detailed forensic reports now by the high-powered commission, which will come out on 25 april, before taking action. god willing, after these reports come out no powerful lobby will be able to profiteer at the expense of our public.”

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“after these reports come out no powerful lobby will be able to profiteer at the expense of our public,” he said, adding that the initial reports into sudden price hikes of sugar and wheat have been released immediately without and “alteration or tampering”. “this is unprecedented in Pakistan’s history. Previous political leaderships because of their vested interests and compromises lacked the moral courage to order and release such reports,” the prime minister had added. the inquiry report on sugar crisis had named senior PtI leader Jahangir tareen, Pakistan Muslim league-Quaid’s (PMl-Q) Moonis Elahi and the relatives of Minister for national food Security khusro Bakhtiar as the beneficiaries of the price hike. according to Special assistant to Prime Minister on accountability Mirza Shahzad akbar, Imran had ordered “stern action” against those found involved in the crises “irrespective of their status and party affiliation”. a local media house claimed that the prime minister and members of the inquiry commission had been ‘threatened’ with “dire consequences” if the reports were made public.

a rapid testing machine for Covid-19 to the prime minister after learning that he would get tested for the virus.

During the telephone call, the premier conveyed “his condolences to President trump on the loss of so many precious lives” in the uS because of the coronavirus.

Prime Minister Imran also informed the uS president of Pakistan’s efforts to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, emphasising that the country was “facing a dual challenge” — to control the spread of the virus and to protect people, particularly the weakest sector of society from dying of hunger amid the lockdown. he added that the government had recently introduced an $8 billion package to support those affected by the pandemic. the prime minister also reiterated Pakistan’s support for “facilitation of the afghan peace process and underscored the importance of next steps leading to the earliest commencement of Intra-afghan negotiations,” the statement added.

Imran tests negative for coronavirus STORY ON PAGE 03

more inside

Shehbaz again skips NAB hearing, resummoned on May 4 STORY ON PAGE 02

SBP relaxes its loan scheme to facilitate small businesses STORY ON PAGE 09

ECC approves release of Rs75bn for labourers STORY ON PAGE 09

PM Imran launches Ehsaas Emergency Cash Information Portal STORY ON BACK PAGE

02

Thursday, 23 April, 2020

NEWS

SHEHBAz SHArIf AGAIN SKIPS NAB HEArING, rE-SuMMONEd ON MAy 4

NAB to challenge release of beneficiaries of amended law

PML-N INFO SECRETARY SAYS NAB CAN INVESTIGATE SHEHBAZ VIA VIDEO LINK LAHORE

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STAFF REPORT

AKISTAN Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) President and Opposition Leader in National Assembly (NA) Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday skipped the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) hearing in an assets case due to coronavirus fear.

PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Shehbaz Sharif has provided the required documents to the anti-corruption watchdog. The investigation officers can hold video conference if they want to interrogate the PML-N president, she added.

On the other hand, NAB has expressed

dissatisfaction over Shehbaz Sharif’s reply and re-summoned him on May 4.

It is to be mentioned here that NAB had directed Shehbaz Sharif to appear in assets beyond means on Wednesday and warned of using a legal way if he does not cooperate in the probe.

On February 18, Accountability Judge Syed Najmul Hassan had indicted 10 suspects, including Shehbaz Sharif, in the Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing scam case. All the accused rejected the charges. The PML-N president had sworn to the Almighty that the case against him was false and affirmed to bring facts in front of the nation.

Fawad Hassan Fawad, in his statement before the accountability watchdog, had claimed that he had awarded a contract to

SC voids IHC verdict in cellular services suspension case ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) Wednesday annulled the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) verdict in a case regarding the suspension of cellular phone services.A two-member bench of the apex court comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed heard the case. During the course of proceedings, the court directed the mobile phone service providers to contact the federal government if they had concerns regarding the duration of service suspension, scope and area. The court said that mobile phone service was shut down to prevent unpleasant and terrorist incidents. The court observed that the IHC did not take these facts into account while issuing the verdict. The court also observed that the mobile phone companies had not challenged the high court decision for many years. The bench said that mobile phone companies had expressed their concerns in the high court and not before the federal government.

The counsel for Zong company said that Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had issued instructions to shut down mobile phone service at specific occasions. If there was a security problem, there should be instructions to stop the service in a specific area, but instead of that the PTA had instructed the companies to shut down the service throughout the city, the counsel added. Justice Umar Ata Bandial said that mobile service suspension instructions must be valid and transparent. Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin said that if there was peace in the country, everyone should be benefited from the service. APP

MQM-P’s Haque takes oath as federal minister ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday administered the oath of federal minister for information and technology to Muttahida Qaumi MovementPakistan (MQM-P) lawmaker Syed Aminul Haque.

Haque, who bagged the NA-251 (Karachi West-IV) in the 2018 General Election, is also a member of his party’s Rabita Committee. The decision to induct a third leader of the MQM-P – an ally of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) at Centre – into the cabinet was taken in March this year when the two parties reached an understanding following a two-month-long period of political impasse after the resignation of former federal minister for information and technology Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui in January. Dr Siddiqui had cited “unfulfilled promises” on part of PTI as the reason behind his resignation. STAFF REPORT

SHC rejects Khursheed Shah’s bail plea in assets case SUKKUR: A special bench of the Sindh High Court’s Sukkur division on Wednesday rejected the bail plea of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Syed Khursheed Shah and his son in an assets beyond means case. The two-member bench, comprising Justice Amjad Hussain Sahito and Justice Shamsuddin Abbasi, also turned down the bail plea of Shah’s son, Farrukh Ahmed Shah.

However, other accused in the reference have been granted bails. Shah’s two wives and 12 other people have secured bails. Abdul Razzaq Barhani, a government contractor who was arrested in the case in November last year, has been ordered to submit a surety bond worth Rs2.5 million. NAB had arrested Shah from Islamabad in September last year. According to the reference against him, Shah, his two wives, two sons and his son-in-law have been accused of owning assets beyond their sources of income. STAFF REPORT

a “favourite firm” in the Ashiana Housing project at the behest of Shehbaz Sharif.

On October 5, 2018, the NAB had arrested Shehbaz Sharif in the scam and was charged with awarding illegal contracts to his favorite firm.

He was apprehended during his appearance before NAB in Saaf Pani Com-

pany scam. Sources told that three files were tabled before him. The bureau quizzed Sharif regarding a tender awarded to a private consultancy company for a survey of the Saaf Pani company.

On February 15, LHC had ordered to release Shehbaz Sharif after approving his bail plea.

Govt likely to miss annual wheat procurement target ISLAMABAD SHAHZAD PARACHA

The federal government is unlikely to meet the wheat procurement target of the current year. Sources said the government has set wheat procurement target of 8.250 million metric tonnes in the wake of wheat flour scam. The public sector has so far procured 431,531 million metric tonnes of wheat from fresh harvest till the last week.

Sources said the provinces as well as PASSCO have procured 0.854MMT wheat since the harvesting of crop, whereas the wheat stock in April 2019 was 3.782MMT. The government has set 4.5MMT wheat target for Punjab, 1.4MMT for Sindh, 0.45MMT for KP and 1.8MMT for PASSCO. Sources said Punjab has so far procured 0.140MMT, Sindh 0.205MM, KP 1,200MMT and PASSCO 84,799MMT metric ton. However, the Balochistan government did not procure any wheat so far.

Sources said wheat consumption at the national level is estimated at 26.91MMT, whereas the current wheat

stock of 0.872MMT is sufficient to cater the national consumption for 12 days. Sources further said international wheat price of Hard Red Winter (HRW) is at the level of $228 per tonne equal to Rs1,520 per 40 Kg as compared to value of the local wheat at $210 per tonne (Rs1,400 per 40 Kg) so there is still a price differential of $ 18 per tonne of Rs 120 per 40 Kg. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) in its report on April 16 had reported Rs415.54 per 10kg wheat price for old stock or Rs1662.16 per 40kg, whereas wheat price of fresh harvest in the local market is reported in the range of Rs1,300-1330 per 40kg.

It is pertinent to mention here that the wheat crop during the current season has witnessed harsh weather conditions and locust attack due to which production has been affected. In addition, the government has set Rs1,400 support price for wheat due to which farmers remained reluctant to cultivate this crop.

Currently, wheat is selling in local markets around the Rs1,600 that is negating the PBS statistics.

Sindh govt moves SC against acquittals in Daniel Pearl murder case KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The Sindh government on Wednesday filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the Sindh High Court (SHC) verdict that overturned sentences of four convicts, including Omar Saeed Sheikh, in American journalist Daniel Pearl murder case. The government requested the top court to reinstate the death sentence of the prime suspect, Sheikh, whose sentence was reduced to seven years. The provincial government in its three pleas has made all accused respondents involved in Daniel Pearl’s murder case.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Sindh High Court (SHC) in its verdict on April 2 had overturned the sentences of four convicts in the case of the slain American journalist Daniel Pearl. A two-judge SHC bench headed by Justice Mohammad Karim Khan Agha had pronounced three of the four accused ‘not guilty’. In the detailed verdict, the bench declared that the prosecution had failed to prove the case

against the suspects. However, it said, the judges found Sheikh guilty of being involved in abduction-for-ransom of the slain journalist and sentenced him seven years in jail.

The US denounced the court acquittal of the four, with the top US diplomat for South Asia writing on Twitter that it was “an affront to victims of terrorism everywhere”.

Subsequently, the Sindh Home Department had issued an order to arrest and detain the four suspects before they were released. “The government of Sindh has sufficient reason that Ahmed Omar Sheikh and Fahad Nasim Ahmed, Syed Salman Saqib, Sheikh Muhammad Adil be arrested and detained for a period of three months from the date of arrest (April 2, 2020),” a top official of the department had said in the order.

Pearl, the South Asia bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal, was abducted on January 23, 2002, in Karachi and beheaded the next month, reportedly by Al-Qaeda. His murder sent shock waves throughout the world and was covered extensively in the Western media.

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has decided to challenge release of all accused who benefited from NAB Amendment Ordinance, 2019. The prosecution wing of NAB will file appeals against exoneration of accused who benefited from the amended law. According to sources, former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, officials accused in Trust Investment Bank case, Hafiz Nouman and others are among beneficiaries of the amendment ordinance. It is pertinent to mention here that NAB has already challenged the bail of Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. According to amendment ordinance, the anti-graft body can only proceed in corruption cases of Rs500 million and more it cannot seize property of government officials without the orders of the court. Moreover, if the accountability watchdog cannot complete an investigation against a suspect within three months, the accused will be entitled to bail. In addition, NAB’s jurisdiction over matters relating to tax, stock exchange and IPOs has been curtailed. INP

NAB moves LHC against GEPCO case acquittals LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the acquittal of former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and others in Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO) illegal appointments case. In its appeal, the bureau stated that the trial court acquitted the accused in violation of the law and submitted that the trial court did not give due consideration to the record presented by it. The court was requested to set aside the acquittal orders of the accused. In February, an accountability court acquitted Ashraf, ex-PEPCO MD Tahir Basharat Cheema, GEPCO ex-CEO Muhammad Ibrahim Majoka, former admin director Hashmat Ali Kazmi, Muhammad Razi Abbas, Saleem Arif, Wazir Ali, and Shahid Rafi. The NAB had filed the reference against Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and others in 2016. It was alleged that the accused disregarded, disobeyed and deviated from the recruitment rules and made 437 illegal appointments in the company. STAFF REPORT

Science Ministry member included in moon-sighting committee ISLAMABAD: A member of the Ministry of Science and Technology has been included in the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee for the first time. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Joint Secretary Dr Tariq Masood has been appointed to the moon-sighting committee as a technical expert. Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry took to Twitter to express his happiness at the decision. “For the first time in history of Pakistan, the Ministry of Science and Technology has been included in the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee,” he wrote. “This is a step in the right direction. Religious events are based on unity and blessings and we want to move forward with the same sentiments,” he added. The development comes a day before the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is to convene to sight the moon for the holy month of Ramzan.

The development was confirmed by the Ministry of Religious Affairs as well. APP

Community mobility in Pakistan down 65pc: Google report NEWS DESK Pakistan’s lockdown has been in place now for over four weeks, with the government having eased some restrictions recently, saying that if a complete lockdown was extended, the poor would be badly affected and there would be mass unemployment.

During this time, all educational institutions remain closed, workplaces switched to working remotely and all non-essential movement was restricted in a bid to control the spread of the coronavirus through the local transmission. This had a big impact on mobility trends as observed in a report released by tech giant Google.

In its report, titled Covid-19 Community Mobility Report, Google has analysed movement trends during the lockdown by using location data from smartphone users who had opted to share location history through their Google accounts.

According to Google, the company included data for categories that “would be useful for social distancing efforts as well as access to essential services”. The report

used a baseline value — data collected over five weeks from Jan 3 to Feb 6, before the lockdown was enforced.

By comparing mobility during the lockdown to activity during a corresponding day in those five weeks, Google analysed mobility trends for six categories — retail and recreation, grocery and pharmacy, parks, tran-

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sit stations, workplaces and residential areas.

According to the report, mobility in Pakistan went down by 65 per cent in retail and recreational spots as the lockdown forced all shopping malls, restaurants and cafes to close.

The report revealed that mobility-related to travel and commute such as bus and train stations decreased by 55pc which was not surprising as public transport has been banned during the lockdown and while operations for all passenger trains has been suspended.

Mobility trends for places of work decreased by 48pc as companies switched to working from home.

The report observed that people reduced visits to essential items stores such as grocery shops and pharmacies with the mobility trend decreasing by 47pc.

However, mobility around residential places increased by 19pc as people stayed at home during the government-enforced lockdown.

Pakistan has reported almost 9,600 cases of the coronavirus so far while there have been more than 200 deaths.

Thursday, 23 April, 2020

ARmy ReAffIRmS SuPPORt fOR InStItutIOnS In fIght AgAInSt COVID-19

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NEWS

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nCOC consults provinces to devise uniform future strategy ISLAMABAD

RAWALPINDI

APP

STAFF REPORT

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Tuesday held consultation with the provincial governments on issues related to the revival of construction activities, resumption of domestic travelling, enhancing testing capacity and overall media strategy to mobilise the masses for preventing the contagion’s spread during the holy month of Ramzan. The NCOC meeting was chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives Asad Umar. Speaking on the occasion, the planning minister said it had been decided through the NCOC forum to have uniformity in lifting restrictions from the construction industry. The associated industries in other provinces were facing unfair competition from the KP industry, which had managed sufficient supplies so the latter should halt its units, he added.

“The construction industry will be revived under a unanimous policy decision in the second phase as now is the first phase of lifting the restrictions,” he added.

SAPM on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq said that her ministry had prepared strategic and technical messages for public awareness to contain COVID-19.

Pakistan Television (PTV), Radio Pakistan and Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) would be the official media portals for disseminating public information messages on COVID-19 during Ramzan, she added.

She said that in a meeting with Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) Chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz the procedure for live telecast of Taraweeh prayer had been decided. The prayer would be broadcast on PTV. Umar suggested that public awareness messages of political leaders, including the prime minister, leader of the opposition and others should be recorded and telecast during Ramzan to educate the masses for observing safety guidelines. The industries minister, while briefing the meeting, said that industries related to the construction, including sanitaryware, pipes and aluminum had been opened in KP. In Sindh, it was decided that industries having labour in its premises would initiate their operations after complying with the SOPs, however, the remaining provinces raised reservations on the process due to the absence of a level playing field in the prevailing scenario, he added. “It has been decided to launch the second phase of easing lockdown after April 15 or at the end of the month whereas this is the first phase,” he told the meeting. The industries minister supported the decision made by the planning minister and urged the KP authorities to accept it. The KP additional chief secretary responded that only two industries related to the construction sector were allowed to carry out their operations. The Punjab chief secretary said the authorities in Punjab were very clear on reviving the industries linked with the construction sector and allowed only the units decided at the forum. “If any further relaxation is being made then it will lead to commencement of all the market operations across the province and it will increase the risk of the corona outbreak,” he added. The Sindh chief secretary informed the meeting that a committee was formed to allow the construction industry to resume its operations after following SOPs. Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar briefed the meeting on the issue of resumption of domestic travel. He said that the inbound and outbound air traffic was going on whereas pressure was being built up to open domestic flights as well. He suggested that limited flights should be allowed at domestic level as partial domestic flights for GilgitBaltistan (GB) were operational and chartered flights were also going on. “Private local airlines should be allowed along with the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to operate on alternate days whereas SOPs for international and domestic flights in GB are already in place and both should be enforced separately,” he said.

HIEF of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday said that Pakistan Army will continue to cooperate with civil institutions in the country’s fight against the coronavirus outbreak.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army chief visited the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) where he was received by Commander Army Air Defence Command and NCOC National Coordinator Lieutenant General Hamood Uz Zaman Khan.

NCOC Operations and Planning Director General Major General Asif Mehmood Goraya briefed the COAS in detail about coronavirus-related multisectorial situation, implementation of National Coordination Committee’s (NCC)

decision, projections about the likely spread of the disease and support being extended to the civil administration against the outbreak.

The army chief was also apprised about the national strategy of testing, tracing and quarantining (TTQ) suspected cases to identity disease spread, focused clusters and hotspots to enable

Pakistan set to host SAARC video conference on COVID-19 ISLAMABAD APP

Pakistan is set to host the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) video conference on coronavirus that is scheduled for April 23, a statement from the Foreign Office said Wednesday. “Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Health Dr Zafar Mirza will lead the Pakistan delegation. Besides Ministers/ Senior Officials, the meeting will be attended by Secretary General SAARC, His Excellency Esala Ruwan Weerakon,” said the statement The virtual meeting takes forward Pakistan’s earlier initiative to host the SAARC Health Ministers meeting, which has assumed urgency in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the statement read. “In addition to exchanging updates on the status of national containment efforts, the conference will deliberate on ways to promote deeper cooperation to combat the crisis, including inter alia through strengthening disease surveillance, sharing best practices, building national capacities, coordinating research efforts and promoting regional and international linkages,” the statement said. High population densities and fragile health systems render South Asia, which is home to one-fifth of humanity, vulnerable to the pandemic.

Closer coordination among regional countries through utilisation of all available institutional mechanisms, including the SAARC platform, remains important for combating the disease.

“The video conference is part of Pakistan’s efforts to foster greater cooperation at the regional level to effectively overcome the public health crisis, and mitigate its socio-economic impact,” the statement added.

targeted lockdowns and need-driven resource optimisation at all levels.

He lauded the remarkable efforts of NCOC in formulating and implementing COVID-19 response despite resource and time constraints. While complimenting civil-military components of NCOC, General Bajwa emphasised the need for continued stratified risk assessment,

managing trinity of health crisis, economic slide and psycho-social impact through efficient resource management.

“Pakistan Army in collaboration with other national institutions should take all possible measures to bring comfort to the nation in these challenging times particularly during the holy month of Ramzan,” he said.

PM Imran tests negative for coronavirus ISLAMABAD APP

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Wednesday announced that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s coronavirus test report was negative. In a tweet, she said Prime Minister Imran Khan was tested today for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus strain that causes coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]). The test used was a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). ” I am happy to report that his test is negative,” she said.

Earlier in the day, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Zulfi Bukhari said that Imran Khan has tested negative for coronavirus. “Khan sahab has tested negative, thank God. I don’t need to

give him any suggestions […] He knows exactly who to meet and who not to meet,” said Bukhari in a video shared by PTI’s official Instagram account. The video was later removed.

The prime minister was tested for the infection a day earlier after it emerged that Edhi Foundation chief Faisal Edhi, who had called on the premier last week to donate Rs10 million for the coronavirus relief fund, has contracted the virus.

“Prime minister will undergo

Covid-19 test as he met philanthropist Faisal Edhi who later tested positive for the deadly virus,” Dr Faisal Sultan, Imran’s personal physician had said on Tuesday. An official of the National Institute of Health (NIH) had said yesterday that as per the Standard Operating Procedure, all contacts of a confirmed Covid-19 patient should be tested. When asked about the definition of contact, he said any person who had talked to a confirmed patient for 15 minutes in a closed room or stood at a distance of fewer than six feet was called a contact. “Though according to Faisal Edhi, he spent just a few minutes with the premier, the picture we have seen in newspapers showed that the distance between the two personalities was less than six feet. Though they did not shake hands, the virus can be transferred through cheque,” the official had said.

COVID-19: Justice Faez Isa seeks ban on congregational prayers on SC premises ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Supreme Court judge Qazi Faez Isa has urged Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed to impose a temporary ban on congregational prayers on the top court’s premises in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

This was the second time that the SC judge had asked the CJP for the action. Previously, the CJP had asked him to back his proposal with a religious argument.

In the second letter, Justice Isa said he has yet not read any contrary view based on Quranic references which stated that irrespective of the danger to life, prayers in mosques should continue. The matter should be decided as per the opinions of experts, he said, adding that “this

community is also unanimous in stating that people should not congregate and should not attend places of worship”.

Giving reasons for his request to ban the gathering, he said the virus spreads from one person to another due to proximity and “in mosques, during prayer, we often touch strangers and do repeatedly touch our forehead to the floor, which many before have touched and breathed upon, and may after will do so”. “Experts say that physical distancing has proven to keep people safe, avoid the spread of the virus and defeats it… experts inform us that the virus may survive on clothing and on all surfaces for days,” Justice Isa said adding that one is obligated to keep oneself safe too. He added that one must not stop praying during the pandemic but only stop congregational prayers in mosques to minimize the danger.

President rules out possibility of online parliamentary session ALVI SAYS COUNTRY HAS NOT ONLY BEEN ‘RAPED BUT GANG-RAPED’ BY MAFIAS ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

President Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of holding an online session of the parliament and said that a session can be held with social distancing measures in place. He said this in an interview with a private television channel.

When asked if the rules of procedure could allow holding an online session, the president said that rules can be changed. He said that he is personally in favour of digitisation and recalled that when he was a member of the

lower house, he had proposed the digitisation of parliament in order to give all members access to documents related to legislation and other matters.

When asked about Taraweeh prayer during the holy month of Ramzan, the president said that despite the 20point agreement reached with the religious scholars, he would urge the people to offer prayers at home for their own safety. President Alvi has termed the 20-point formula agreed upon with the country’s religious scholars to open up the mosques amid the coronavirus pandemic as a consensus of the Muslim community in Pakistan. He said that the agreement with the religious scholars was Ijma-

e-Ummat [consensus of the Muslim community] and that its violation would “be categorised as a sin”. Regarding his recent meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan and the inquiry report on Independent Power Producers (IPPs), he said that report was unilateral and did not comprise input of stakeholders. He added that he had advised the prime minister to hire companies of international repute for forensic audit of the report and to also seek legal advice before proceeding against those involved in corruption.

The president said that as the IPPs were established as a result of the energy policies and agreements reached in 1994, 2002 and 2014, the government would have to deal with the issue carefully keeping in view the past experiences such as the Reko Diq. He said that if the forensic audit verified the inquiry report on IPPs, it would help the government in proceeding against the companies involved

in actions beyond the agreement as well as creating an opportunity for renegotiation on terms and conditions of the agreements with them. “I have read the investigative report on power companies,” said the president, referring to a probe into corruption in the power sector, which has been reportedly incurring a loss of Rs1 billion per day.

He said that the way mafias looted the country was “not rape but gang-rape”. Responding to a question about the inquiry report on sugar and wheat shortage, and the alleged involvement of some political figures, the president said that as far as he knows PM Imran, he has a strong will to deal with such situations. About the human rights situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) and the ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC), President Alvi said that the Indian forces were targeting innocent civilians. He condemned the Indian atrocities against innocent Kashmiris in IOK and said that as the people of IOK had been isolated and locked since August 5, 2019 the world should take notice of the situation.

04 ISLAMABAD Kp coronavirus testing capacity reached 1,200 per day: Jhagra PESHAWAR: Provincial Minister for health, Taimur Salim Jhagra here on Wednesday said the testing capacity of coronavirus of Khyber Pakthunkhwa (KP) has increased to 1,200 per day, with a major share of public sector diagnostic laboratories. In a statement here, the minister said coronavirus testing facilities have been started in different government-certified laboratories, including Khyber Medical University (KMU) hayatabad, Ayub Teaching hospital Abbottabad and Saidu Group Teaching hospital Swat. he said around one month ago, KP's coronavirus testing capacity was zero and now it has increased to 1,200 per day. he said efforts were underway to extend this service to Mardan, DI Khan, Bannu, Lady Reading hospital and Khyber Teaching hospital Peshawar. The Minister said KP was the only province, which gave regular breakup of the conducted tests for the convenience of masses. On April 21, he said 833 tests were conducted including 631 at Khyber Medical University hayatabad, 58 at other public sector laboratories, 77 by NIh Islamabad for KP and 67 by private labs. he said a total of 10,837 tests were conducted so far with an average of 701 over the last five days. The minister said coronavirus was a pandemic and support of masses was imperative to become safe from this invisible killer. APP

Thursday, 23 April, 2020

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Capital to get modern waste management system MCI WORKERS LETTING GARBAGE OVERFLOW FOR LONG PERIOD BEFORE CLEANING ISLAMABAD

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he Metropolitan Corporation of Islamabad (MCI) has geared up its efforts to install modern solid waste management system in the city which will ensure scientific handling of the total garbage, generated by its urban and rural areas.

“The initiative which is meant to ensure a clean and green environment in Islamabad has entered into an advance stage as the corporation is all set to hire a consultant for carrying out its feasibility study,” a top official in the MCI Sanitation Wing told APP on Wednesday. The MCI would open a technical bid of Rs300 million on April 30 to get the consultancy advisory on the scope modern solid waste management system, he added.

he said the consultant was being hired to devise the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to streamline the process of garbage collection and its disposal. The expert would chalk out a comprehensive plan which included financial model and survey of rural areas for household waste collection, he added. The official said the entire process of materialising the project would take several months.

To a query, he said the establishment of a permanent landfill site in the federal capital was also part of this project for which land near Sangjani had been selected after carrying out an environment Impact Assessment report of the area. “The eAI has been submitted a request to the Pakistan environmental Protection Agency (PePA)to obtain the No Objection Certificate,” he added. “If this whole project got materialized, the issue of

garbage disposal would be resolved for once and all,” he remarked.

Presently, the federal capital illustrates a bleak picture when it comes to the handling of tonnes of garbage.

The authorities concerned still rely on archaic methods of solid waste collection which not only poses a serious threat to the environment but also creates a health risk for the residents of the federal capital. A former employee of the IMC, requesting anonymity said the capital’s garbage has been testing the nerves of its citizens for the last couple of decades.

“Islamabad is the face of Pakistan but it has been lacking a permanent dumping site since its inception.”

A long ago, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has placed dumpsters of various sizes at the corner of each street of Islamabad to collect the household garbage, he said, terming the method as an outdated in the present times. “These waste trolleys without a proper cover can easily be seen as overflowing in every street of Islamabad as IMC sanitary workers are least bothered to clean the bins on time.”

ptV will live telecast taraweeh prayers: dr Firdous ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that Pakistan Television (PTV) will live telecast taraweeh prayers in Ramzan.

She said this while briefing Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan here on Wednesday about Information Ministry's public awareness campaign and strategy to persuade people to adopt precautionary measures against coronavirus, especially during Ramzan. She appraised the prime minister that sufficient publicity of 20 points agenda agreed with ulema is being ensured so that people can observe precautionary measures before coming to mosques. Steps to ensure the protection of media workers in the context of coronavirus pandemic also came under discussion. The SAPM informed the prime minister about the provision of protection kits and gowns to media workers deputed to cover coronavirus hospitals and isolation centres. The prime minister directed to ensure public awareness campaign regarding observing precautionary measures. APP

Hoarders of specific commodities to be arrested without warrants PESHAWAR APP

Advisor to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) on Information Ajmal Wazir on Wednesday stated that government has finalised a list of 30 items of essential use and decided to arrested hoarders of these commodities without warrants.

In a statement issued by the Information Department, he said the provincial government has promulgated an ordinance for the smooth supply of daily commodities besides discouraging hoarding across the province. he said the government was well aware of the problems being faced by the general public during the current scenario as people were by threats of the spread of COVID-19 and the government will not leave its people on the mercy of hoarders.

The government has categorically decided to discourage hoarding and elements involved in this practice would be arrested without any warrants and sent behind bars for at least three years,” the advisor said.

Ajmal Wazir informed that the ordinance empowered deputy commissioners to conducted surprise raids at go-downs and take action against hoarders. he said 10% of the recovered hoarded commodities

would be awarded to the informer and his or her name would be kept secret.

Talking about COVID-19, the advisor updated that with seven persons who lost their lives during last 24 hours, the total number of deaths in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa stood at 74 whereas, the total number of infected persons were 1276 including 39 cases confirmed during the last 24 hours.

“I appeal everyone to please stay at home and avoid unnecessary movement since cases are being reported on a daily basis showing a constant rise,” Wazir appealed during the press briefing.

Talking about ongoing efforts against COVID-19 in KP, the adviser said around 520 Pakistanis travelled from Afghanistan to Pakistan and later shifted to quarantines established at Landi Kotal Degree College and Shah Kas. he also informed that quarantines were equipped with all necessary facilities adding those tested negative would be sent homes. Clarifying a statement issued by Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah on three patients who came from KP and tested positive in Sindh, Ajmal Wazir said it was not a time for point scoring and those three persons could have contacted the virus on their way to Sindh.

Corona testing capacity being enhanced in KP, CM says PESHAWAR APP

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan said the testing capacity of coronavirus is being enhanced in the province. Talking to media after inaugurating COVID-19 testing laboratory at Ayub Medical Complex in Abbottabad on Wednesday, he stressed the need to adopt precautionary measures including social distancing to contain the corona pandemic.

Mahmood Khan said transparent provision of amount to the deserving families under ehsas Cash Programme is among the priorities of the government. he lauded the services of doctors, nurses and paramedics as frontline workers to contain the pandemic effectively.

The CM Chief Minister said collective efforts are being taken to cope with coronavirus outbreak across the province. he said the government has devised a comprehensive strategy to meet the challenges of coronavirus for which all available resources are being utilized.

On this occasion, Commissioner hazara Division briefed the Chief Minister about the updates of corona situation and steps being taken by district administer in this regard. he said that 854 COVID-19 suspected cases were reported from hazara division out of which 119 were found positive while

seven people died of the disease and 25 got recovered. he informed that 16 ventilators at Ayub Medical Complex are specified for corona patients. Regarding ehsas Programme, he said so far over Rs 1 billion has been distributed among deserving people.

Refering to availability of edible items, the commissioner said that stock of more than one month is available in hazara division and there would be no shortage in the division. Speaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani, provincial ministers Akbar Ayub and Qalander Lodhi, Chief Secretary and KP IGP accompanied the Chief Minister.

Later the CM inaugurated academic block of Police School of Intelligence and appreciated it's performance adding that its importance would increase in coming days.

On the occasion, the CM was told that so far 4656 police officials of different ranks and different provinces were given training at the school.

pHC issues show cause notices to 22 Bisp beneficiaries PESHAWAR: Peshawar high Court has taken strict action against the employees of its establishments and the district Judiciary who were getting benefits from Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). Upon the receipt the list of the beneficiaries from the Government there were total (221) employees of the establishment of Peshawar high Court & its benches, District Judiciary, Anti-Terrorism Courts and Labour Courts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. PhC issued show cause notices to its (22) employees who are serving under its establishment for their act and omissions. All the District & Sessions Judges of KP are also directed to proceed strict disciplinary actions against the employees of their establishments. APP

iHC reserves judgment in afghan national's CniC cancellation case ISLAMABAD: Islamabad high Court (IhC) Wednesday reserved its judgment on the petition of an Afghan citizen challenging cancellation of his computerised national identity card (CNIC) by National Database Regulatory Authority (NADRA). IhC Chief Justice Athar Minallah conducted the hearing on the petition filed by a citizen Abdul Raheem against cancellation of CNIC by NADRA. he expressed displeasure with NADRA official and said the department had no authority to cancel the CNIC of any citizen. At the outset of hearing, the chief justice asked the NADRA official to quote any law under which the authority could cancel the CNIC of any citizen. Who had given powers to NADRA to take decision regarding the citizenship of anybody, he said and added the court had repeatedly directed NADRA to change its attitude. APP

iHC suspends climate ministry's show cause notice served to iwmB chairman ISLAMABAD: Islamabad high Court (IhC) Wednesday suspended a show cause notice issued by Ministry of Climate Change to the chairman of Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) on taking charge of Muragzar Zoo. The court directed the ministry to submit a written reply till Friday and to explain that under which law the notice had been served to the IWMB chairman. IhC Chief Justice Athar Minallah conducted the hearing on a petition moved by the IWMB chairman Aneesur Rehman regarding the matter. During the course of proceeding, the court noted that the IWMB chairman had taken the responsibility of Muragzar Zoo in the presence of climate change ministry secretary. The court sought reply from the ministry and adjourned hearing of the case. APP

Thursday, 23 April, 2020

Saudi arabia to extend viSaS of PakiStani labourerS till december PM’S AIDE SAYS SAUDI COMPANIES WON’T FIRE PAKISTANI WORKERS FOR NEXT THREE MONTHS iSLamaBad

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MIAN ABRAR

PECIAl Assistant to Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistan Zulfi Bukhari on Wednesday told a parliamentary body that in wake of coronavirus outbreak, Pakistan has convinced Saudi authorities to extend visas of Pakistanis till the end of December.

Briefing the Functional Committee of the Parliament on COVID-19, Zulfi said that he had held talks with Saudi Minister Abdullah bin Naseer through video-link who assured him that visas of Pakistanis would be extended.

He said that Saudi companies would also not lay off Pakistanis for the next three

months. He said that Pakistan was in talks with the UAE government and all possible measures are being taken to facilitate the stranded Pakistanis.

He said that Pakistan has also requested the UAE authorities to arrange payment for repatriation of labourers and payment of their dues.

“We are also negotiating with Qatar government and trying to negotiate for payment of dues of the Pakistani workers. PTI government has sent 1 million workers abroad while the figure of laid-off people is not more than 10,000,” he added. He said that Pakistan has also asked Qatar Airways to transport stranded Overseas Pakistanis from the US, adding that three flights would be allowed every week.

banks to suspend dividends for march and June quarters: SbP KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan has advised all banks, development finance institutions (DFIs) and microfinance banks to suspend dividends for March and June quarters, according to a circular issued by the SBP on Wednesday. As per the circular, the institutions have been advised to suspend distribution of profits by way of declaring dividends in any manner (cash or stock) for the quarter ending March 31, 2020 and half year ending June 30, 2020. However, these instructions will not be applicable on dividend declared for the year ended December 2019. This decision was taken in order to conserve capital, and further enhance the lending and loss absorption capacity, to help mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a separate statement on the matter released later in the day, the SBP clarified: “The banks/DFIs in Pakistan have much higher capital levels than prescribed globally or minimum levels advised by the State Bank of Pakistan. Accordingly, SBP sees no immediate signs of systemic capital fragility across the banking industry”. “This important decision has been taken keeping in view uncertainty arising out of COVID 19 pandemic and probability of higher infections in loan portfolios of banks as a result of that,” the central bank further added. The State Bank has advised all institutions to place the letter before the Board of Directors to discuss any possible issues pertaining to an institution’s specific circumstances. If the Board of Directors of any financial institution considers it necessary to declare the dividend, it can approach SBP to reconsider, based on merit. The SBP will review the distribution of dividends after June 30, 2020, keeping in view the severity and impact of the COVID-19, and economic dynamics on the safety and soundness of the banking system, noted the circular.

This unusual decision is within the SBP’s mandate, as the regulator. In its statement, the central bank said that a number of other jurisdictions across the globe have also placed moratorium on dividend distribution, and payment of cash bonuses to executive officers and material risk takers. STAFF REPORT

Chairing the session, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar directed all stranded Tableeghis, Zaireen and Overseas Pakistanis who have tested negative or have completed quarantine period must be immediately repatriated to their homes by federal and provincial governments due to advent of Ramzan.

Briefing the committee, Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi briefed the committee on measures being taken to facilitate the return of stranded Pakistanis and foreigners. He said that around 46,743 stranded Pakistanis have registered themselves with Pakistani missions abroad, out of which 2,054 are tableeghis mostly in Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, Uganda and Chad.

He said that 5629 Overseas Pakistanis have repatriated while 428 inmates have also been brought home from jails abroad.

“We need to devise a national strategy to deal with the issue of laid-off Pakistanis abroad. We are repatriating people in a regulated manner. Our foreign missions are being directed to facilitate the return of overseas Pakistanis,” he added.

He said that during Ramzan, Sehri and Iftar for stranded Pakistanis would be a major challenge which the MoFA is trying to facilitate. Religious Affairs Minister Noorul Haq Qadri said that SoPs need to be followed by returning Tableeghis and Zaireen. Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan said that over 7313 overseas Pakistanis have been repatriated through 17 flights. He said another 20 flights would bring home another 3370 stranded overseas Pakistanis soon. PIA has given a major contribution in this regard, he concluded.

Govt fearful, masses fearless as corona tally crosses 10,000 Continued From Page 01 In a related development, Dr Atif Hafeez Siddiqui of the Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) said at a press conference in Karachi that the medical community demands a “strict and complete” lockdown and prevention of congregations of all sorts to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

He said that although such restrictions might cause hardship to the poor, “we have not seen anyone dying of hunger” since the virus entered Pakistan.

Through philanthropy and NGOs’ efforts, people could be saved from hunger even during a lockdown, the doctor suggested.

‘COMING WEEKS CRITICAL’:

Briefing the media in Islamabad about the continuing impact of the coronavirus outbreak in the country, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza said, “In the last 24 hours, we have received the highest number of deaths from COVID-19, 17, for the third time in Pakistan.”Dr Mirza warned that the next three to four weeks are very critical for the country.

He said that that the spread of communicable diseases in Pakistan was high due to ignorance on the matter. “We do not pay attention to the fact that communicable diseases are preventable,” he said. “Diseases spread despite efforts but a lot of things are under our control but since we do not invest in it, we [ulti-

mately] let diseases spread,” he added.

He said that guidelines are “notoriously neglected” in Pakistan. Dr Mirza said that standard operating procedures (SOPs) and protocols “are like words to us and not concepts”. “I think for the whole of the world, especially the developing world, the health sector will never be the same,” he said, adding that there had never been a moment in human history when there was so much focus on public health and disease prevention.

Dr Mirza said that Pakistan, including the world, was reeling from the economic impact of an infection. “Do not take it as a mere infection only. It will have implications on our generation and the generations to come,” he said.

CCP to prepare rules for online businesses iSLamaBad GHULAM ABBAS

Keeping in view the rapid growth of digital businesses and to address issues pertaining to competition, data protection and transparency in the e-commerce sector, the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) would be preparing necessary rules and regulations for digital platforms.

This was revealed in a report submitted to the cabinet by Prime Minister’s Adviser on Institutional Reforms and Austerity Dr Ishrat Hussain, wherein key challenges faced by the CCP were highlighted.

The adviser noted that apart from major challenges like failure of government policies, lack of financial autonomy, judicial hiccups and officials' competency, the CCP was also "in need of moving towards ensuring fair competition and protection of consumers' rights in online businesses".

The report stated that the

government's ‘Digital Pakistan’ initiative required a strong legal ecosystem to protect electronic data transactions and personal data, and that the CCP would have to play an important role in this regard.

It further highlighted that competition as well as consumer concerns, particularly with regard to personal data (online transactions), were rising with the expansion of e-commerce sector.

"The National e-Commerce Policy Framework was approved by the government in 2019 and the CCP had prepared an addendum to the framework highlighting its role in addressing competition and

consumer protections in online environments,” the report acknowledged. It added that as Pakistan moves towards online economic transactions, driven by mobile applications and e-commerce, the role of platforms would grow.

NEWS

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SbP receives $1.4bn emergency fund from imf KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has received $1.39 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). “SBP has received $1.39bn under Rapid Financing Instrument by the IMF,” the central bank said in a tweet earlier on Wednesday. Earlier, on April 17, the Executive Board of the IMF had approved the disbursement of $1.386 billion to help Pakistan address the economic impact of COVID-19 shock. Then in a tweet on April 18, the IMF clarified that the RFI money was in addition to the existing Extended Fund Facility (EFF) of $6 billion. According to a press statement, the IMF projected the nearterm economic impact of COVID-19 to be significant, as it would give rise to large fiscal and external financing needs. “The IMF remains closely engaged with the Pakistani authorities and as the impact of the COVID-19 shock subsides, it will resume discussions as part of the current Extended Fund Facility (EFF),” it added. Geoffrey Okamoto, First Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair, said that the outbreak of COVID-19 was having a significant impact on the Pakistani economy. “In this context of heightened uncertainty, IMF emergency financing under the Rapid Financing Instrument provides strong support to the authorities’ emergency policy response, preserving fiscal space for essential health spending, shoring up confidence, and catalyzing additional donor support,” he added. STAFF REPORT

SbP raises rs435.5bn from t-bill auction KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has reported that the government raised Rs435.5 billion through T-bills, against the auction target of Rs500 billion. The SBP conducted the auction for the sale of 3month, 6-month and 12-month Government of Pakistan Market Treasury Bills (MTBs) and received bids amounting to over Rs1,450 billion. Bids worth Rs455.4 billion were received for 3-month T-bills, Rs418.9 billion for 6-month T-bills, while 12-month government papers fetched bids amounting to Rs576.7 billion. Out of the received bids, the federal government raised Rs164 billion for 3-months, Rs126.5 billion for 6-months and Rs145 billion for 12-months. STAFF REPORT

Thursday, 23 April, 2020

06 COMMENT

Smeared with Communal Colour

Coronavirus and democracy Social distancing in the National Assembly

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He need to convene the National assembly session is being felt by all political parties. National consensus is needed to deal effectively with the coronavirus issue; important Ordinances would lapse if the National assembly fails to extend their life and the government cannot function if the budget is not passed by Parliament. The pandemic has however given birth to questions about convening the National assembly session in the normal way. These include difficulties in maintaining the prescribed social distancing in the House and ensuring the attendance of the legislators from distant places at a time when airlines have been debarred from operating domestic flights.

The National assembly speaker had set up a multiparty parliamentary committee to evaluate the proposal to hold a virtual session of the House. The committee has reportedly failed to reach a consensus and decided to invite all parliamentary leaders to discuss the mechanics of convening the session. a prominent PPP Senator had earlier supported the idea of holding a virtual session. The PPP’s representative in the committee formed by the Speaker has however rejected the idea on the ground that the video link technology in the country is not up to the mark and has in the past caused listening problems.

The PMl(N) has meanwhile rejected outright the idea of holding a virtual House session accusing the government of wanting to lock down Parliament while opening the entire country. Kh asif termed the proposal a grand conspiracy to violate the constitutional rights of the people of Pakistan, their representatives and the democratic institutions. He maintained that there was no problem with holding the House session with the prescribed distance between the seated legislators as its Hall has a seating capacity of 450 people and if the ground floor galleries are also included, the capacity can increase to 800. With the average attendance being 200, safe distance protocols can easily be observed during the session.

The government has allowed international flights to bring back expatriates. It can similarly allow domestic flights to help lawmakers attend the House session and fly back to their hometowns. While the session can begin right away, trials should be held meanwhile for holding hasslefree virtual or hybrid sessions in case the going gets tough.

MuhaMMad Tahir iqbal

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S the novel coronavirus keeps striking the denizens of this globe with no discrimination of race, wealth and creed, it is saddening to observe that India malevolently looks at the problem through an anti-Muslim lens. a general perception has been made to develop that the main source of the virus was the religious congregation of the Indian Muslims– that happened in early March in Nizamuddin area of Delhi– thus piling all the blame for the spread of Covid-19 on the Muslims, wilfully ignoring many such accumulations of Indians on many other spots.

Such biased charges have reignited the already burning anti-Muslim embers. Politicians belonging to the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) never flinch from venting their prejudice against the Muslims.

Journalists have become salesmen, selling proudly and gleefully the hate-ideology with as much verve as the ultra-nationalist Hindus are executing Muslimsin the streets of India. as a result, in some areas, the Muslims were beaten with bats by a xenophobic crowd, lynched and socially boycotted. announcements were made through loudspeakers exhorting Hindus not to buy milk from the Muslim dairy men. Muslim vendors selling vegetables were also boycotted.

Fake stories about the Muslims spitting, coughing and sneezing on the non-Muslims have started making rounds on social media, stirring the ire of many smeared with anti-Muslim angst. expressions like ‘corona-jihad ’, ‘bio-jihad ’, ‘tablighi jamat viruses’ have become trends against the Muslims with the result that the Muslims are feeling increasingly threatened. equality labs, a digital human rights group, says that the accounts sharing anti-Muslim material on social media are of the supporters of the BJP and the rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (rSS), a Hindu extremist paramilitary organization.

Just lately, a video went viral, in which a Muslim man was shown to spit on others ostensibly in an effort to transfer the disease to others. The video cre-

IPPs report Will the investigation be a whitewash?

Changing profile of Indian politics in post-Covid-19

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He Cabinet has decided to make public the enquiry commission report on Independent Power Projects (IPPs) and ordered their forensic audits. The absence of two ministers for the agenda item concerned, because they wanted to keep themselves away from the process indicates that they were involved with the IPPs. The two are unelected, PM’s adviser razak Dawood and SaPM Nadeem Babar, and it is now to be seen how they are dealt with. The Cabinet overrode objections by the energy Ministry that publication of the report would affect relations with such foreign countries as China, whose companies might be shown in a bad light. If the wheat and sugar shortage investigation is anything to go by, the National accountability Bureau (NaB) is very likely to involve itself by opening an investigation into the affair under its domain.

It remains to be seen how vigorously NaB involves itself in this affair, and how it deals with the persons involved. NaB has the power of obtaining a 90-day remand against a suspect, and then using this period to try and work up the evidence. How good it is at doing this can be seen from the way in which leading oppositions party figures, particularly from the PMl-N, have been arrested, kept in prison, only to be released after NaB failed to produce any evidence. all the while, the PTI government has claimed it had not influenced NaB. It has not commented on how NaB has proved a revolving door through which PTI leading lights have obtained clean chits. One of the many PM’s advisors, Dr Babar awan, was under investigation for his role as law Minister in a PPP government in the grant of contracts to IPPs, and resigned. However, he made a comeback in the course of the Cabinet reshuffle over the wheat and sugar shortages, as did another PPP stalwart, abdul aleem Khan who returned as Punjab Senior Minister after having been jailed by NaB over a housing scheme of his.

It is all very well to dismiss the IPP charges as just charges, as the Prime Minister has done. Those against whom an accusation is made should be treated the same, no matter what party they belong to. The precedent has already been set for those who belong to the opposition.

If PTI men get any less harsh treatment, another bad precedent will have been set.

Opportunity for both the government and opposition dr. rajkuMar Sing

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learly, the coronavirus pandemic has the potential of redefining the rules and the balance of power in the international system and national politics. The scale of the pandemic, the national lockdown, the economic crisis it has already generated, and the fact that every citizen — irrespective of class, caste, geography, gender, age, religion — is affected, admittedly to varying degrees, makes Covid-19 the most significant event in recent Indian history. If society is affected, and if the economic structure is altered, it cannot but have an impact on the way political competition takes place, and on the political choices people make in the months and years ahead. This crisis may force both the political system and citizens to recognise that issues such as health cannot be marginal, but are central. The Covid-19 has now shown the indispensability of public health systems and the need to invest in a more healthy society and prepare better. No national election in India has been fought on education or health or social safety; voters have not decided their choices based on which party promises to invest more funds in building State capacity.

But it is hard to imagine that in the future, political parties can go to voters without an agenda on health — or that citizens will not demand better services.

However, the entire episode will strengthen Indian federalism. The role of state governments has been critical in the battle against Covid-19. The constitutional division of powers has meant that not all decisions happen at the same time, slowing down responses in different geographies. Some states have done better than others. There have been coordination issues between the Centre and states and among states. But the crisis has brought home the indispensability of India’s federal compact. a centralised, unitary structure would have struggled even more to deal with the emerging realities, given India’s spread, and specific local realities. The fact that there is an administrative apparatus that percolates down to grassroots, through state governments and Panchayats, has helped and will be an asset in this long battle.

Challenges and opportunities in Indian politics

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

Umar Aziz

Asher John

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Deputy Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is quite disturbing, given the havoc being played by the novel corona.

Sam Brownback, the US ambassador for internaated huge fuss in India adding a great amount of ha- tional religious freedom, says in this context, “We tred against the Muslims. later, it transpired that the know it’s a pandemic the whole world is being subjected to. It’s not something from religious minorities. video was filmed in Thailand, and not in India.

But the clarification could not abate the smoul- But unfortunately we are seeing that sort of blame dering wrath of the super-nationalists. Moreover, game getting started up in different places around the such a social media campaign by the feigned army of world.”

Hate-related issues have redoubled since Modi beuber-nationalists leaves grave impact on the sociocultural lives of the inhabitants. recently, a person, came the Prime Minister for a second term last year. The named Dilshad Muhammad, came back home from revoking of the special status of Indian Occupied Kashhospital gleefully because he didn’t have coronavirus mir and the subsequent lockdown of the Valley, the juas was suspected. Hours later, he committed suicide; dicial verdict to build the ram temple on the site where the reason being, his Hindu neighbours believed that the Babri Masjid once stood, and the recent legislation he had the disease and taunted him for the spread of of the Citizenship amendment act categorically show that only Muslims are the the same in the village. butt of a bigoted ideology In Meerut district, a promoted by the state. group of men went to a Communal violence police station to lodge a complaint against their The harsh question is that while the is not new to India. Hate lurked there but it was Muslim fellow for spitcoronavirus will die as the saner never so much toxic as it ting on them. To the has turned now. The deutter dismay of investibrains are struggling in their labs to sire in India for bolstering gation team, the allegation was false as the grapple it, but who will fight with this the pluralistic, secular, democratic and diverse group wanted to settle intractable communal virus in India socio-cultural values old scores with their seems to lose the battle in Muslim neighbour. and kill it for the ease of Muslims? the face of the imperious The hate campaign norm of ultra-sentimenhas penetrated so deep talism steeped in the poiand wide that it does not son of chauvinistic spare the hospitals and intolerance. doctors that are supThere does not seem to be any sigh of relief for posed to save lives with the least inclination to rancour or prejudice. a newborn child died in the the Muslims of India as long as the politicians like ambulance as the hospital refused to admit the family anurag Thakur keep spewing the orders to attack the Muslims, anchors like arnab Goswami keep fabricatfor being Muslim.

In the daily briefings about covid-19, the govern- ing realities, and the intelligentsias keep crafting arment spokespersons, notwithstanding talking of the guments to support the oppressors.

The harsh question is that while the coronavirus shortages of surgical masks, personal protective equipment’s and other medical paraphernalia, start will die as the saner brains are struggling in their labs bashing the ‘tablighis’, even though the World Health to grapple it, but who will fight with this intractable Organization’s emergency Programme director has communal virus in India and kill it for the ease of Muslims? disapproved of India’s religious profiling. recently, top BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, The writer can be contacted at while giving an interview, said that the Muslims tahiriqbalstars@gmail.com, and tweets at could not be termed equal citizens in India.

Such bigotry by the close associates of Indian @TahirIqbal87

Trying to clame the pandemic on Muslims

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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Nobody knows better than Narendra Modi that crisis is opportunity. Covid-19 is similarly a political opportunity for Narendra Modi. and luck often favours him. If he can bring India out of this crisis relatively less affected than the West, he will be even stronger than he became after 23rd May. He will have a lot more political capital to pursue the Hindutva agenda and ignore the economic slump. But it’s early days. It won’t be until a few weeks that we can get a sense about whether India ducked the coronavirus or whether the inevitable happens. Meanwhile, the Modi propaganda machinery is already doing its best to keep his voters assured that he’s using his supernatural powers to defeat the virus: In addition, how India manages Covid-19 will be the defining legacy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is no longer Kashmir or the ram temple or the Citizenship (amendment) act or welfare measures or demonetisation or Goods and Services Tax that will be the dominant element in how Modi is remembered in history. To be sure, these issues matter — and may even play a partial role in electoral outcomes and have long-term consequences. But it is whether India manages to minimise the fallout of the pandemic, with limited cases and casualties, or succumbs to it on a mass scale, with a devastating loss of lives, that will be the central element of Modi’s prime ministership. It is whether India manages to, in the wake of the health crisis, reduce the economic consequences, provide social security support and rebuild its core sectors — or whether it enters a long period not just of contracted growth but perhaps even sustained recession that will define Modi’s governance record. If he manages to lead India out of this pandemic relatively successfully, Modi will have sealed not just the 2024 election — but etched his name as a heroic, almost war-time, Prime Minister.

Changing significance of State and politics The crisis will strengthen the power of the Indian State. It has shown that at a time of grave public emergency, the government is essential. Many fervent supporters of free markets have often argued for the retreat of the State and confining it to essential law and order functions, while leaving the private sector to take over other functions. This never happened in India, even though liberalisation opened up key sectors, rightly, for private sector participation. and pri-

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vate sector firms, including in health care, have a role in battling Covid-19. But above all, it is the government that is at the heart of the response. From getting Indians from abroad back home to determining the duration of a lockdown and implementing it, from deciding on the testing strategy for Covid-19 to embarking on extensive contact tracing of all those possibly infected, from allocating funds to ramp up health infrastructure to announcing relief measures for the economically disadvantaged, from leveraging private sector support to representing India’s point of view internationally, it is the State which is responding to the crisis. all these measures are legal and necessary, but they will enhance its power and role beyond the crisis. The era of big government is set to return. also an opening opportunity for Opposition In comparison to Modi the crisis of Covid-19 is an even greater opportunity for the opposition. To begin with, the crisis has turned the page on Hindutva, at least for now. The opposition no longer has the excuse that it is unable to appeal to a majority of voters just because they are being given a regular dose of intoxicating Hindutva. The public will now test Narendra Modi on three counts: response to the pandemic, the health infrastructure at large, and the state of the Indian economy. On all three fronts, the opposition has a big window of opportunity, which will last at least a few weeks if not a few months. For the most part, the Congress party’s response to the Covid-19 crisis has come across as mature, its opposition constructive. It is criticising the Modi government’s follies and yet not appearing to be Pavlovian in its criticism. It is coming across as trying to solve a grave problem rather than score political brownie points and bring down Narendra Modi. This is unlike how we have seen the Congress party — and indeed, the wider opposition — respond since Narendra Modi became prime minister in 2014. From demonetisation and lynching to GST and NrC, the opposition came across as unsure of its own position, attacking Modi but unable to find a voice that would appeal to the people. That cognitive dissonance could change if the opposition continues its mature response and remembers that its focus is to convince the masses that it can do a better job of governance than the current dispensation. While the Congress old guard may think their party’s former president needs to go easy on low-level Modi-bashing at a time of national crisis, it is a sign of rahul Gandhi’s maturity that he welcomes an economic package by the government like a constructive opposition leader. Modi’s ratings now depend heavily on his managing the health crisis, but as the Hindutva agenda is side-stepped, the opposition has a new opening.

The author is a professor at and head of the department of Political Science at B.N.Mandal University, Madhepura. He can be reached at rajkumarsinghpg@gmail.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Thursday, 23 April, 2020

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

Ordinance against wheat stockers IN yesterday’s prime minister Imran Khan’s press conference he addressed the nation about the government’s future steps in regards to the coronavirus pandemic in the country. He mentioned his government will soon pass an ordinance against factories who will stock wheat to increase the price of wheat to gain unjust profit. This is one of the best steps government is taking in the interest of the low class poor people because wheat is one of the basic necessity for every household. He said the actions will be taken directly against wheat factory owners. we all must support and appreciate the government for taking a good decision but let’s see if Imran Khan is capable of implementing it properly or not.

MuhaMMad aSiM Khan islamabad

PM’s Relief Package is highly appreciated

Papers strive on novel corona virus menace Not just the virus, but also rumours Nava Thakuria

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ewsPaPers in assam face an uphill task to maintain their readership index as India goes for a complete lockdown till the middle of april because of the covid-19 outbreak. a shutdown that prevents the vendors from delivering newspapers at the doorsteps of buyers and the rumour that the paper itself can carry the novel coronavirus have forced the publishers to drastically reduce their circulations. as the deadly virus spread from China and started smashing almost all the countries on the planet resulting in infecting so far over two million people and killing over 170,000, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to front to lead the fight against the deadly virus. Modi, in a televised address to the billion-plus nation on 24 March, declared a total shutdown to break the chain of infection so that the spreading of covid19 could be prevented. as the pandemic infected over 600 Indians (by now nearly 19,000) with nearly 15 casualties (by now nearly 600), its immediate impact was observed over the circulation of newspapers in Mumbai as the vendors ceased to work because of the covid-19 outbreak. Brihanmumbai Vruttapatra Vikreta sangh had a formal meeting with the managements of all print media houses and finally they resolved to suspend publications. The decision resulted in nonewspaper day for the residents of Mumbai as well as Navi Mumbai and Thane. However, thr managements of The Times of India, The Indian express, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, Mid-Day among others made it clear that even though no physical editions would hit the stands on account of the new-found restrictions their newspapers would be thoroughly available on the internet. acclaimed news magazine Outlook also suspended its print edition, making the digital edition available to meet the need of readers. after Mumbai, it was the turn of a hundred thousand residents of Guwahati, Imphal, agartala, and aizawl in northeast India to miss their favourite morning newspapers as the local distributors decided to suspend their works because of the virus outbreak. The Guwahati newspaper-hawkers’ association, the Manipur hawkers’ association, the Tripura and Mizoram-based newspaper vendors separately came out with the resolution that they would not distribute the newspapers fearing the virus infection.

The region witnesses the publication of over 50 morning dailies in different languages including english, Hindi, assamese, Bengali, Boro, Meitei, Karbi, Khasi, Mizo, Nagamese, Nepali, etc. a recent message that went viral on the social media indicating the newspapers as a potential carrier of the coronavirus created panic among the newspaper agents and hawkers along with other media employees.

The world Health Organization (wHO) has however asserted that newspapers are still safe to touch by anybody even though the coron-

avirus can live on some surfaces for several forms rather than paying for newspapers or days. The papers used in print media outlets are even news channels. so the advertisers have produced in highly automated mills and the also substantially shifted their focus to the digprocess hardly needs human hands. Moreover, ital media space.

It needs not to be reminded that a newspathe likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low and the risk of per in India is sold in the market at a lower catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from price than its actual cost. The deficit (or profit) a package that has been moved, travelled, and is managed by the advertisers. They want a exposed to different conditions and temperature newspaper to reach more people (with a price or even without it) so that their products get is also low, it added.

But reports relating to suspended publication necessary visibility. Minus circulation, the adof physical editions because of covid-19 started vertisers would not support the newspapers pouring from different parts of the globe. From anymore. so no distribution of newspapers sylhet (Bangladesh) to Colombo (sri Lanka), (even it is duly published) simply means nil rabat (Morocco) to rome (Italy), Vatican City advertisement (read financial support) for the to Jordan, Oman, Yemen capitals along with print media outlets.

The situation can become alarming for reamerican cities like Pittsburgh, seattle, Missouri, west Virginia, Lewisburg and so on wit- gional newspapers like those in Guwahati, Imphal, agartala, ness the temporary aizawl and so on, suspension of as the owners may newspaper producnot be able to sustion. Those media tain their media outlets have already But countering it, many social media houses for a longer committed for enperiod. It would ditering into the digiusers put a dramatic question to rectly impact the tal platforms employees includcompletely. those media houses if at all they ing thousands of The largest could assure their valued readers of scribes in the democracy in the a numworld today supauthenticated, credible and balanced ber ofregion. media bodies ports over 82,000 came out with stateregistered newspanews items! Covid-19 is a timements against the pers with a cumulabound disaster and the world would rumour that newstive daily papers can carry the circulation of 110 probably return to normalcy after coronavirus. They million, estimated also appealed to the to be a rs 320 bilsome months, but whether the governments to liob ($5 billion) intraditional media houses would ever support the media dustry. as India has in this time been improving its get its dedicated readers back in the houses of crisis. literacy rate up to Lately, a host of 75 percent, more post-corona era, is a difficult Guwahati-based citizens are now media houses indeveloping the caquestion to be answered at this cluding asomiya pacity and remoment Pratidin, The sources to access assam Tribune, newspapers and Dainik Janambdigital forums. humi, Niyomiya More middle-class Barta, Dainik Indian families asom, amar asom, Purbanchal Prahari, have now started using the Internet for various sadin, The North east Times, The Meghalaya activities for the first time in their lives.

Prior to declaring the 21-day nationwide Guardian, among others, made a collective statelockdown to fight against covid-19, Modi in- ment that there is no scientific proof for newsteracted with some selected media barons and papers carrying the coronavirus to the readers. received suggestions from them over the issue. The managements also asserted that a section of electronic and social media outlets spread the It is quite. amazing that Modi did not organize such in- unauthenticated news.

But countering it, many social media users teractions with news media owners prior to the shocking announcement of demonetisation put a dramatic question to those media houses if (2016), abrogation of article 370 from Jammu at all they could assure their valued readers of & Kashmir (2019) and paving ways for the Cit- authenticated, credible and balanced news items! Covid-19 is a time-bound disaster and the izenship amendment act 2019.

Understanding the heat of changing social world would probably return to normalcy after engineering, various print media houses opted some months, but whether the traditional media for boosting their presences in the digital houses would ever get its dedicated readers back media. as millions of Indians now start using in the post-corona era, is a difficult question to smart phones with Internet connectivity, the be answered at this moment. media owners come to the realization that they The author is a Guwahati based media would now prefer to get all necessary and almost free news contents from the digital plat- activist

PrIMe Minister Imran Khan unveiled a financial relief package worth around rs1.2 trillion to ward off the negative impact of corona virus on the country. The package included reducing prices of petrol, diesel and kerosene by rs15 per liter, providing rs 3, 000 monthly stipends for daily wagers, and improving liquidity crunch for exporters and industrialists. addressing the nation over radio and television, he urged people including the Overseas Pakistanis to contribute generously in the PM’s relief Fund for COVID-19 for which an account “NBPaPKKaMBr-4162786786” had been opened at the main branch of National Bank of Pakistan Karachi and would be operative from april 1.

It is a very good step for poor and needy people that the money raised through this fund would be used for giving financial assistance to the poor people hit by the COVID-19 at their doorsteps, through ehsas Programme.

The another step which is highly appreciated is Corona Tiger Force which is here to help the government and institutions to reach out to the poor people affected by the lock down in the wake of COVID-19 and provide them with food and other essential items.Youth from all segments of society including young doctors, nurses and others could join the Corona Tiger Force. The whole operation of the force would be organized and coordinated by a data cell from the PM Office. This will be very helpful for those people who are facing financial problems now days due to COVID. as in Pakistan 25 per cent of our population is living below the poverty line with further 20 per cent population hovering around this line, which means a total of 80-90 million population can head towards complete hunger in that case. relief package worth Us$8 billion which PM announced as the biggest one in the country’s history, the prime minister also compared it with that of Us government which had committed a huge sum of Us$2000 billion because they had rich resources. Through these steps the poor and needy people of Pakistan will easily overcome from these hardships.

SibGha arShad islamabad

Alarm bells falling on deaf ears THe alarming bells start to ring for an unprecedented situation.Pakistan's Covid-19 cases have surpassed 10,000 and death tally crossed 200 hundred.The government's decision to ease restrictions is whether a good decision or not is a big question mark.Not surprisingly,partial lockdown is completely diluted.It is often observed that people are going against precautionary measures and non-essential movements are escalating countrywide.Furthermore,the decision of continuation of congressional prayers in mosques with special precautionary measures was a collective decision of both clerics and PTI government.whether people will follow the given instructions in mosques or not will been seen in upcoming days.No doubt,upcoming weeks are very critical for us as we are marching towards the peak of infections.when it comes to human lives,then no room for compromise is left.It is therefore imperative to the take matter seriously rather taking it lightly will probably bring a heavy cost.

QaSiM Jan Turbat

Student workload IN foreign countries, it’s a thing that most students do part-time jobs during their studies. students, over there are self-supporting and hard-headed. The reasons are the experiences and lessons they got from their jobs. They even take part in their home expenses instead of depending on their families.

But here in Pakistan, only a small number of students follow this pattern.

Most of the students after their university and college timings spend their valuable time in futile activities even at nights they use social sites like Facebook etc. all these junk activities affect their health and life. They depend on their parents for their pocket money and other expenses and it makes them irresponsible and dependent. we should encourage our students for part-time jobs. Part-time jobs will not only make them responsible and self-dependent but also give them experiences and make their approach more practical towards their lives that will help them in their future. students will also get rid of unhealthy habits or routines. Their creativity will increase and they will be able to support their families and live more healthy and practical lives. nahEEd Jahan islamabad

Inflation THe IMF had projected that inflation would decelerate slightly to 11.8% in the ongoing fiscal year (2020). Inflation is on the higher side due to the impact of government’s economic policies of increasing electricity and gas prices imposing duties on imported commodities and enhancing oil prices.

Pakistan’s inflation rate has touched 14.56%, the highest rate in more than 10 years. Most economists were of the opinion that the state bank should reduce the discount rate to at least two base points in order to promote domestic investment, necessary to achieve economic growth.

MahnOOr TanVir islamabad

Thursday, 23 April, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

Are we overreActing to the coronAvirus?

IS THE ECONOMIC COST OF COVID-19 $150 BILLION? OR $5.6 TRILLION?

MarkEt Watch

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GEoffrEy JoyCE

S coronavirus deaths and infections plateau in many parts of the country, and as the economic damage of stay-at-home orders mounts, a question is gaining ground: Are we overreacting?

Some economists and business leaders believe the costs of constraining the virus

have exceeded the benefits. They point to unemployment totals not seen since the Depression and entire industries shut down, compared to virus death totals that may reach only the numbers from a bad flu season (55,000).

As more data become available, the epidemiological trajectory of the virus is becoming clearer, allowing us to estimate the costs of COVID-19 and whether government restrictions are worth the price we are paying.

Serology results suggest that about 3% of the U.S. population is infected, 1 in 10 of whom will be hospitalized (based on New York City data), and 1 in 200 of the infected dying (0.5% mortality rate or about 5 times the flu). Economists can use those numbers as part of a cold-eyed calculation that includes the economic value of a life year.

By looking at what we are willing to

pay to reduce the risk of death—for example, how much will we pay for a smoke detector at home or air bags in the car— economists assign a dollar figure to a life year, now typically measured at $150,000.

Applying that measure to the age distribution of the deceased, and adding the costs of treating the infected population, the total cost of COVID-19 in the U.S. under current restrictions appears to be about $150 billion. This estimate pales in comparison to the $2.3 trillion stimulus package alone and seems to support Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson’s recent concern that “the cure is worse than the disease”.

But what would the cost be if governments had not imposed restrictions and simply let the virus run its course? Suppose, if unchecked, 30% of Americans became infected, far below most estimates, including California Gov. Gavin New-

som’s projection that 56% of his state’s residents would be infected without mitigation. Applying the same rates of hospitalizations and mortality to this higher rate of prevalence increases the cost of COVID-19 to nearly $3 trillion. And if we assume, quite reasonably, that mortality rates would rise from 0.5% to 1.5% as hospitals become increasingly overrun, the estimated cost of COVID-19 increases to $5.6 trillion, by my calculations.

Just like a pandemic, the economic toll is not linear. Small additional increases in prevalence and mortality rates lead to spiraling cost estimates that quickly reach tens of trillions of dollars.

Given the country’s delayed response to the virus that allowed it to spread unchecked in February and into March, the government had no choice but to restrict social interaction and close down nonessential activity.

The costs of not doing so would very likely have been far greater than the economic toll we’re experiencing. Certainly the risk of a catastrophe was mounting by the day.

Coronavirus-related restrictions have

worked, as the number of new cases and deaths begin to recede and the debate shifts toward finding an appropriate balance between continued mitigation and restarting the economy. Americans’ ambivalence over how to proceed was on full display over the past week, as impatience with prolonged stay-at-home orders led to protests in several capitals, while the newly formed task force led by banking and financial services executives told President Trump that the public would not return to work, eat at restaurants and shop like before unless testing for the virus was dramatically increased.

When the virus threat is over, the second-guessing on every policy step and misstep will be cacophonous. But we should remember that when the risk is extreme, such as it is for global warming or COVID19, public policies should be based on credible worst-case scenarios. Too much is at stake to act otherwise.

Geoffrey Joyce is Director of Health Policy at the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics.

Google sees state-sponsored Reopening schools: safety must come first hackers ramping up coronavirus attacks EdItorIal GuardIan

MORE THAN 12 GOVERNMENT-BACKED GROUPS ARE USING THE PANDEMIC AS COVER FOR DIGITAL RECONNAISSANCE AND ESPIONAGE, ACCORDING TO A NEW REPORT WIrEd MagazInE LILy hay nEWMan

Digital scams and phishing campaigns related to Covid-19 have been exploding since January, and it isn't just criminal fraudsters driving the trend. As researchers predicted, government-backed hackers around the world are exploiting the pandemic as cover for digital reconnaissance and espionage. Now Google says it has detected more than 12 state-sponsored hacking groups using the coronavirus to craft phishing emails and attempt to distribute malware.

On Wednesday, Google's Threat Analysis Group published findings about two of the statesponsored campaigns it's been tracking. One "notable" effort, according to the researchers, targeted US government employees through their personal email accounts with phishing messages posing as coronavirus-related updates from fast food chains.

TAG says that some of the emails included coupons or free meal offers framed as pandemic specials, and others promoted malicious links as portals to order food online. If victims clicked the links, they were taken to phishing pages aimed at collecting their Google login credentials.

TAG says that Gmail automatically marked the vast majority of these emails as spam and blocked the malicious links.

"Hackers frequently look at crises as an opportunity, and COVID-19 is no different," TAG director Shane Huntley wrote in a blog post about the findings.

"Across Google products, we’re seeing bad actors use COVID-related themes to create urgency so that people respond to phishing attacks and scams.… TAG has specifically identified over a dozen government-backed attacker groups using COVID-19 themes as lure for phishing and malware attempts— trying to get their targets to click malicious links and download files."

TAG says it isn't aware of any accounts that were compromised as a result of the fast food campaign, and Google notified all the targeted users with its standard "government-backed attacker" warning.

The company said last Thursday that it has been identifying more than 240 million Covid-related spam messages per day and that the previous week it had detected 18 million phishing and malware emails related to the pandemic each day. Overall, Gmail blocks more than 100 million

phishing emails daily.

In addition to the effort focused on US government workers, TAG also said it has been seeing new campaigns targeted at international health organizations, public health agencies, and the individuals who work for them. Some of the activity lines up with reporting from Reuters at the beginning of April that the Iran-linked hacking group Charming Kitten targeted the personal email accounts of World Health Organization staffers.

Attackers take advantage of major news events and other topical issues to generate phishing campaigns and other scams that feel relevant and have a sense of urgency.

Anything from the holiday shopping season to a natural disaster like a hurricane can spawn such attacks, but the pandemic has offered a unique climate for both criminal activity and nation state operations.

The threat intelligence firm FireEye published research on Wednesday, for example, that said the Vietnamese statesponsored hacking group known as APT 32 was conducting digital attacks against Chinese targets—including the Wuhan government and Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management—for intelligence gathering.

"There’s arguably never been a better time to be a government hacker," says Peter Singer, a cybersecurity-focused strategist at the New America Foundation. "This is beyond the wildest dreams of the attacker in terms of the scale of remote work, in terms of all the ad hoc systems that have had to be put into place. The target might be a government or corporate system, or it’s a personal account, it’s just such an incredibly open environment."

TAG says that Google hasn't seen an increase in phishing attacks overall as a result of the pandemic. There was actually a slight decrease in total volume for March, compared to January and February. Such fluctuations are normal. They could even indicate that attackers are facing the same logistical challenges and productivity issues as most organizations dealing with the impacts of Covid-19. It seems inevitable that the coronavirus will continue to provide excellent cover—and fodder—for statesponsored hackers for months to come.

Lily Hay Newman is a senior writer at WIRED focused on information security, digital privacy, and hacking.

The spring holidays have ended, but children are not going back to school. For at least three more weeks, the vast majority of the 10 million British children aged between four and 18 will be spending their days at home.

There are powerful reasons to wish that this was not the case. The economic argument for trying to reopen schools, associated with a faction in the government including the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, is that the damage caused by a nationwide shutdown of more than a few weeks could be so severe as to effectively cancel out the benefits of the lockdown. But there are also social reasons to push for a return to normal. Children miss their friends, teachers, routines. Their education is suffering. While schools remain open to families where parents are key workers, or children have special educational needs or social workers, it is generally accepted that the impact of closures is uneven and hitting those who are already disadvantaged hardest.

If schools were to remain closed until September, children would then have been away from their classrooms and peers for almost six months. Politicians and others rightly

regard this as a scenario to be avoided. But while moves towards reopening schools in Germany and Denmark have understandably led parents, as well as the education secretary, Gavin Williamson, to hope for similar steps in England (and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland), much work remains to make this a realistic prospect.

For now, the more urgent questions than when schools will reopen are why and how.

That is, not why people want children to return to school (which is clear enough), but why schools in May, June or September will be any safer – for pupils, their families and teachers – than they are now. The feasibility of physical distancing measures is already the subject of debate, with experts tending towards the view that they won’t work for the youngest children. How to make it possible for teachers and older children to keep their distance – and to what extent it is worthwhile spacing out desks, given the narrowness of corridors and other factors – is under discussion. Other countries plan to shrink class sizes by teaching part-time.

Confidence is key. Whenever schools reopen, their leaders will need clearly presented information to share with staff and parents. The five tests set by ministers in-

clude sufficient testing capacity and supplies of personal protective equipment. Given difficulties in the health and care sectors, it is reasonable to assume that adequate resources for schools, colleges and nurseries are some way off. The voucher system for free school meals is not working smoothly.

Whatever is agreed in outline, there will be sticking points: older and vulnerable teachers; pupils living with grandparents or other ill relatives; challenges around discipline in relation to distancing; parents who may be reluctant to send children back; how to make up for all the lost lessons, particularly for GCSE students and younger primary children who have missed chunks of literacy and numeracy learning. Mr Williamson’s apology to children, in Sunday’s press conference, was well judged. Though he did not spell this out, better decision-making by politicians at the start of the year could have spared them – and their teachers – this disruption. Next, he should postpone the new baseline tests for four-yearolds which were due to start in September.

They are an unnecessary distraction at a time when what is needed is for Mr Williamson to go beyond the letter of his role as cabinet minister for education, and advocate vigorously for teachers, parents and children.

FIRs against Indian held Kashmiri journalists sends message that media exists at the mercy of security agencies

Scroll.In IpsIta Chakravarty

Four recent cases against journalists reveal how the press in Indian held Kashmir continues to be shackled. The well-worn argument of national security has now been coupled with the constraints imposed by the coronavirus lockdown to target and harass journalists. A troubling aspect of the recent police action is the absence of a credible case against any of the journalists. The message sent out is this: the media in Indian held Kashmir exists at the mercy of security agencies.

AN ANTI-TERROR LAW: On April 18, freelance photojournalist Masrat Zahra was charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, a law normally used against those allegedly involved in acts of terror. The police statement identified her as a “Facebook user”, not a journalist, guilty of “frequently uploading anti-national posts with criminal intention”. The UAPA, a draconian law which has historically been used to silence dissent, was amended last year to make it even more sweeping and arbitrary.

Individuals, not just organisations, may now be branded “terrorist”, a label used liberally by state agencies. Earlier this year, the cyber cell of the Indian held Kashmir police filed an FIR against unknown persons who

were booked under the UAPA for the alleged misuse of social media.

Even within this repressive institutional framework, the case against Zahra is mystifying. Her social media feed consists largely of photographs taken by her, meticulously recording Indian held Kashmir’s descent into violence and the effect of this on ordinary lives. Many of these have been published in news outlets across the world. According to reports, the police took exception to a post shared by Zahra a few days ago, one from 2008 and the other from 2018, showing civilians being manhandled by the police. It was “fake news” because the incident had happened much before the photographs were posted, was the police’s baffling logic.

PLAYING EDITOR: Over the same weekend, the police filed an FIR against an alleged “fake news item” about a gunfight between police and militants in South Indian held Kashmir and subsequent developments published in the Hindu. Details of the report were “factually incorrect”, could “cause fear or alarm” and had not been confirmed with district authorities. What law was violated by the report has not been revealed.

The reporter, Peerzada Ashiq, told the Committee to Protect Journalist that he had records to show he had reached out to the authorities for comment. If facts in the story were incorrect, it is not clear why the authorities did not issue a strongly worded denial instead of filing an FIR and subjecting the journalist to an interrogation. It is not, after all, the remit of security agencies to correct editorial errors.

‘UNLAWFUL ACTIVITIES’: On April 21, the cyber police also issued a statement that it had filed a case against freelance journalist Gowhar Geelani for “unlawful activities” on social media, threatening national security and sovereignty, “glorifying terrorism”, “causing disaffection against the country”. It also claimed to have received complaints accusing

Geelani of threat and intimidation. Geelani has been critical of the government’s policies in Indian held Kashmir and was also stopped from leaving the country after August 5, when the Centre unilaterally stripped Indian held Kashmir of special status under Article 370 and split it into two Union Territories. His most recent posts on Twitter are in support of Zahra and Ashiq. It is not immediately apparent which law this violates and the police statement did not care to elaborate.

LOCKDOWN ARREST: Last week, Mushtaq Ganaie, a journalist for the Kashmir Observer in Central Indian Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, was detained for two days and booked for “creating hurdles in a police officer’s duty”. His offence: travelling around and trying to report during the coronavirus lockdown. The Centre has explicitly exempt the media from restrictions on movement.

Ganaie reportedly showed his identity papers, explained his reason for travelling and had a press sticker on his car. Even if there was additional protocol to be followed, two days of detention cannot be justified.

These cases are part of a long and disturbing trend in Indian Kashmir, where journalists have been routinely harassed for doing their job. It has intensified after August 5, when the local press was decimated by an interminable internet blockade and censorship.

At least 10 incidents of intimidation and outright violence against journalists have been reported in the Valley since then.

India has steadily fallen on the World Press Freedom Index, dropping to 142nd place in the latest 2020 survey. Indian held Kashmir’s long “electronic curfew” is cited as one of the reasons for this deterioration.

But the crackdown on the media continues despite worsening rankings and growing international concern. In Indian Kashmir, it seems, the government and other state institutions are quite happy to drop even the pretence of democratic processes.

Thursday, 23 April, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS

INdIa suspeNds coroNavIrus aNtIbody tests after questIoNs over relIabIlIty

NEW DELHI

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AGENCIES

NDIA has ordered a pause in testing for antibodies to the coronavirus because of concerns over the accuracy, the country’s health officials said on Wednesday, complicating the fight against the pandemic as its tally of cases nears 20,000.

India trails many countries in conducting the standard swab tests to determine the presence of the novel coron-

avirus because of limited testing equipment and protective gear for medical workers. Early this month, health authorities approved blood tests for coronavirus antibodies as a faster way to bolster the screening effort and they ordered more than a half billion testing kits from China. But the chief of epidemiology at the Indian Council of Medical Research, Dr RR Gangakhedkar, said he had asked health authorities to temporarily stop the tests for antibodies because of conflicting results. “This is a first generation test developed in just three-and-a-half months and needs re-

finement, the variations cannot be ignored,” he said.

Federal health experts have been sent to help authorities in states to validate the equipment.

“We have advised the states not to use them for the next two days until we come out with an advisory,” he said. The antibody tests do not always pick up early stage infections but show whether a person had the virus in the past, even if the person had no symptoms of Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. In comparison, the swab test, known as the RT-PCR-technology swab test, determines whether a person has the virus at that moment by looking for it in nose or throat secretions.

The health minister of the western state of Rajasthan said the two tests were in some cases producing conflicting results, raising doubts reliability.

“The kits were used for testing of patients who have already tested positive for coronavirus,” the state minister, Raghu Sharma, said. “But the rapid test kits found them negative, which raised questions about the credibility of these kits.” Both tests are seen as critical in the coronavirus fight, but antibody tests are a relatively cheap, fast means to sort populations into risk groups and measure the spread of the virus. India has detected 19,983 cases of the coronavirus, after an increase of nearly 1,000 cases in one day, according to the government data. There have been 640 deaths, still a small number compared with tolls in many other countries but officials say the infections could rise once a nearly sixweek lockdown is lifted on May 3.

Big cities of Delhi and Mumbai and their adjoining areas have taken the brunt of the infection, leaving the countryside less affected.

N. Korea media silent on Kim's whereabouts as speculation on health rages PYONGYANG AGENCIES

North Korean state media on Wednesday made no mention of leader Kim Jong Un’s health or whereabouts, a day after intense international speculation over his health was sparked by media reports he was gravely ill after a cardiovascular procedure. North Korean media presented a business as usual image, carrying routine reporting of Kim’s achievements and publishing some of his older, or undated, comments on issues like the economy. South Korean and Chinese officials and sources familiar with US intelligence have cast doubt on South Korean and US media reports that he was seriously sick, while the White House said it was closely monitoring the matter. US President Donald Trump, who held unprecedented summits with Kim in 2018 and 2019 in an attempt to persuade him to give up his nuclear weapons, said the reports had not been confirmed and he did not put much credence in them. “We’ll see how he does,” Trump told a White House news conference on Tuesday. “We don’t know if the reports are true.” Speculation about Kim’s health first arose due to his absence from the anniversary of the birthday of North Korea’s founding father and Kim’s grandfather, Kim Il Sung, on April 15. On Wednesday, the main headlines from the North’s state news agency, KCNA, included pieces on sports equipment, mulberry picking, and a meeting in Bangladesh to study North Korea’s “juche” or self-reliance ideology.

Europe races to shield virus-hit firms from bargain hunters BRUSSELS AGENCIES

Fears that cash-rich corporate raiders could use the coronavirus crisis to swoop on weakened European firms were perhaps best exemplified by Donald Trump’s alleged bid for a German biotech firm working on a vaccine.

The outrage that followed has spurred fresh action by European Union nations to bolster their defences against hostile takeovers that could see key technologies and know-how being lost to countries like China and the United States. Although Germany’s CureVac company denied last month’s reports that Trump had offered a billion dollars for exclusive rights to any coronavirus vaccine, the furore nevertheless prompted Economy Minister Peter Altmaier to declare that “Germany is not for sale”.

Days later, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen urged the bloc’s 27 members to “use all options to protect critical European companies” from unwanted foreign takeovers at a time when many firms are hit hard by the pandemic-induced downturn.

Some listed companies have seen their share price plummet as they grapple with the economic fallout, making them prime targets for bargain hunters, while previously-niche firms in health technology or medical research are catching investors’ eyes.

The EU last year agreed on regulations for screening foreign investments and although member states have until the autumn of 2020 to adjust their national laws, the coronavirus has given the matter fresh urgency.

BIG SELL-OUT: The EU is especially wary of “countries, like China, which operate differently economically

and are not security partners”, said Mikko Huotari, director of the Mercator Institute for Chinese Studies.

Although Chinese investments in the EU have diminished over the past three years following a years-long buying spree, “the interest in accessing strategic technology remains”, he added. Chinese conglomerate CITIC raised eyebrows last week after increasing its stake in Medea, one of the largest Czech media companies, from 30 to 57 per cent. Expressing concern, MEP and former Belgian premier Guy Verhofstadt tweeted: “We have to be careful that this crisis will not lead to a big sell-out of our companies to the Chinese.” But China is far from alone in eyeing up a European company going cheap. According to the Financial Times, Gulf sovereign wealth funds like Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund are looking to snap up EU companies that are hurting now but expected to bounce back after the crisis, particularly in the areas of healthcare, technology and logistics.

US failed to block UN virus vaccine resolution NEW YORK AGENCIES

The UN General Assembly has demanded equal access for any future COVID-19 vaccine but its seeming unanimity was a fluke. The United States in fact opposed the resolution but acted too late to stop it, diplomats say.

The 193 members of the General Assembly adopted by consensus Monday a resolution led by Mexico that calls for “equitable, efficient and timely” access to any vaccine developed to fight the pandemic.

But the non-binding resolution irked the United States for another reason. It highlighted the “crucial leading role” of the World Health Organization, which President Donald Trump has strongly criticized for not doing more to halt the virus after it was detected in China. The adoption of the text was announced three hours after the vote, an unusually long gap.

The reason for the delay, diplomats told AFP, was that the United States had tried unsuccessfully to block it after the fact. There is no veto at the General Assembly, which includes every UN member state, unlike the more powerful Security Council where five powers — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — can stop any resolution.

In ordinary times, the General Assembly adopts resolutions either by consensus or by majority votes — displayed openly on an electronic board or held secretly in the case of elections. But faced with the coronavirus pandemic, the General Assembly has changed its way of

CMYK

doing business until at least late May to avoid physical meetings at the UN headquarters in New York. Under the temporary setup, a country puts forward a text which is adopted after a “period of silence” of several days in which any member can voice objections — effectively a veto. The United States did not “break the silence” before Monday’s deadline for the resolution — but, according to diplomats, tried to voice objections just afterward.

“One delegation wanted to break the silence after the silence,” a diplomat told AFP, with another diplomat confirming the United States was the country. The US mission at the United Nations did not respond to requests for comment. Trump has ramped up his broadsides against the WHO amid criticism at home over his handling of the crisis.

Thursday, 23 April, 2020

SPORTS 11

WesT Ham, PaLaCe CanCeL ausTraLIa Pre-season TrIP London

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Agencies

EST Ham and Crystal Palace have announced they will not be travelling to Australia after the preseason Queensland Champions Cup in July was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Premier League clubs had been set

to travel to Australia as part of their preparations for the 2020/21 season, with ALeague side Brisbane Roar also involved in the three-team tournament.

But global sport is currently in turmoil, with no clear indication of when the English football season will end.

A statement from West Ham said: "West Ham United regret to confirm that, due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the inau-

gural EVA Air Queensland Champions Cup has been postponed."

Manager David Moyes said: "It is a real shame that we will no longer be able to make it over to Queensland this summer. However, it is the right decision to postpone given the circumstances."

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish described it as "bitterly disappointing" but said football was of secondary importance during the global crisis.

Federer suggests merger of women's and men's governing bodies StockhoLM Agencies

Roger Federer called on Wednesday for a merger between the men’s ATP Tour and the WTA, which runs the women’s circuit, as tennis wades through a lengthy coronavirus shutdown with lower-level professionals in deep financial crisis.

The tennis season was suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the hiatus will continue at least until mid-July, depriving lower-level players, who depend solely on tournament winnings, of the chance to earn a living.

“Just wondering ... am I the only one thinking that now is the time for men’s and women’s tennis to be united and come together as one?” the winner of 20 Grand Slam singles titles said on Twitter.

“I am picturing a merger between the WTA and ATP. “I am not talking about merging competition on the court, but merging the 2 governing bodies (ATP and WTA) that oversee the men’s and women’s professional tours ...”

Tennis enjoys a massive worldwide following but its governance remains fractious with as many as seven associations running different parts the game.

Besides the ATP and the WTA Tours, the sport is also controlled by the International Tennis Federation and the boards of the four Grand Slam tournaments.

“It’s too confusing for the fans when there are different ranking systems, different logos, different websites, different tournament categories,” the 38-year-old Swiss continued. “It probably should have happened a long time ago, but maybe now is really the time.

“These are tough times in every sport and we can come out of this with 2 weakened bodies or 1 stronger body.”

Federer’s comments on the social media were ‘liked’ by both men and

women players within minutes.

“I agree, and have been saying so since the early 1970s. One voice, women and men together, has long been my vision for tennis,” American great Billie Jean King, who created the WTA in 1973, said on Twitter.

“The WTA on its own was always Plan B. I’m glad we are on the same page. Let’s make it happen.”

While tennis is a lucrative sport for those at the top, those in the lower eche-

lons often struggle to make ends meet and with no signs of when the sport can resume again, they face a bleak future.

The ATP Tour, the WTA, along with the ITF and organisers of the four Grand Slams, have in recent weeks joined forces to create a relief fund to help the lower-level players affected by the shutdown.

Novak Djokovic, the head of the ATP player council, said he feared many in the lower tier will give up the sport and called on fellow professionals to help them.

ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi recently said it was extremely important that his organisation works closely with its women’s counterparts.

“The most difficult (part), is actually to align the stakeholders,” the Italian, formerly a top-20 singles player, said in an ATP podcast.

“Players and tournaments currently, in the past, have been spending most of their time trying to solve internal conflicts. That is where most of the time, energy and resources were spent, while in reality, our competition lays outside.

“We compete with other sports, we compete with other entertainment platforms. We need to invest in technology and we need to work more closely with the other organisations, specifically the WTA, the ITF and the other Grand Slams ...”

The WTA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

County cricketers play waiting game during virus lockdown London Agencies

County cricketer Tom Alsop is kicking his heels because of the coronavirus pandemic but says his mother's job on the front line in a British hospital puts his frustrations into perspective.

Global cricket is on hold, including the start of the English season and the lucrative Twenty20 Indian Premier League, with dire warnings sounded over the potential financial fallout from a prolonged shutdown.

Hampshire player Alsop has been placed on the furlough scheme -- which sees 80 percent of wages up to a certain level covered by the British government.

The players are in talks with the club about the remaining 20 percent. The 24-year-old, who says county cricketers' wages are "very good for what we do", said the issue pales into insignificance compared with the work his mother and other National Health Service staff are doing.

"My morale is as positive as it can be during these uncertain times. With my mother's job in intensive care (working as a senior critical care nurse) at RUH (Royal United Hospitals) Bath, it really puts things in perspective," the wicketkeeperbatsman told AFP. Alsop, who has represented England at Under-19 and Lions (England's secondtier) level, says he is fortunate as a professional sportsman.

"At the end of the day it's a game. I

don't drive into work every day wondering how many lives I might need to save or are there going to be enough beds for everyone," he said.

He hopes one positive outcome of the coronavirus will be that it will make people rethink their priorities.

"What really matters in life is family and loved ones," he said. "Not being upset over not having the newest Mercedes or that your stock portfolio has fallen by a few points."

Alsop's father was responsible, along with his older brother Owen, for sparking

his interest in cricket, with fiercely fought games in their back garden.

"That often ended in argument, mostly down to me only wanting to bat and not bowl," he said.

He has gone on to enjoy "exhilarating highs" including his maiden first-class century and seeing different cultures on tour, including Sri Lanka.

TRAINING IN ISOLATION Alsop said county players, being on 12-month contracts, were required to continue training and take part in strength and conditioning during the off-season, making

CMYK

it a "full-time job".

The relative monotony of that has been alleviated with two spells playing in Durban, South Africa, and one training in Perth, Australia.

County cricketers in England and Wales are now being forced to work out alone as they wait to see if and when the season starts due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

"Training is difficult at the moment in respects to batting and 'keeping," said Alsop, who is currently living with his parents.

"At Hampshire we've all been given home fitness programmes so I've been following mine so far," he said. "The club's WhatsApp has been very busy, everyone is staying in touch.

"There's been lots of quizzes, pictures and videos shared, all aimed at making each other laugh and to keep each other sane."

He and his team-mates would love to be playing the sport they are paid for but like everyone else they are in the dark over when or whether the season might start.

"Cricket is restricted by the elements unlike other sports so that certainly puts some pressure on," he said.

"I think it's highly likely the Twenty20 tournament will be prioritised as it's most if not all clubs' biggest money-earner compared with the other two formats (four-day first-class cricket and 50-over cricket).

"Especially with the financial effect that COVID-19 is having on businesses and the economy."

Klopp says Liverpool are not finished article London Agencies

Jurgen Klopp believes there is still room for improvement from Liverpool despite their incredible Premier League campaign, which is on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Reds were 25 points clear of second-placed Manchester City and on the verge of their first top-flight title since 1990 when football was halted last month. But Klopp said Liverpool, who won the Champions League last year and have only lost one Premier League match all season, could get even better. "We will not change, that's the first thing, but whether we will be successful depends on what other clubs are doing as well because they have all the chance to improve things, do things better," he told Sky Sports. "So I have no clue what the future will hold for us. But we will not change, this team is not the finished article, and we have a lot of space for improvement, and we work on that. "We have fresh blood internally coming through. We can improve with this team, which is great." Klopp does not believe football should be "forced back" after the COVID-19 shutdown but admitted it could have a positive impact on the mood of the country. There is no end in sight to the football lockdown in England but German football authorities are set to announce plans for Bundesliga matches to restart in empty stadiums on May 9. "We are all at home, all isolated, we have no cases or stuff like this," said Klopp.

Gavaskar says India could host T20 World Cup MuMbai Agencies

Batting great Sunil Gavaskar said India could host this year's Twenty20 World Cup instead of Australia if the coronavirus crisis eases in the subcontinent. With India set to host the 2021 edition, Gavaskar suggested swapping with Australia -- which has indefinitely barred almost all non-residents from entering the country -- and holding this year's tournament instead. Australia is scheduled to stage the World Cup from October 18 to November 15, but the International Cricket Council has said it is "exploring all options" for the tournament. "As we all know, Australia has barred foreigners from entering the country... The tournament starts mid-October so it is looking difficult at the moment," Gavaskar told India Today. "Next year's T20 World Cup is in India. If India and Australia come to an agreement and in case the (COVID-19) curve in India flattens out, they can swap.

Thursday, 23 April, 2020

NEWS

SBP, gOvt wOrkiNg tOgether tO Shield ecONOmy: reza Baqir SAYS CENTRAL BANK STOPPED LENDING DIRECTLY TO GOVT IN AN ATTEMPT TO PLUG ITS BUDGET DEFICIT

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NEWS DESK

TATE Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Reza Baqir said the central bank and the federal government had been working together to shield the economy since the novel coronavirus hit the country, reported Bloomberg.

In an interview on Tuesday, Reza Baqir said Pakistan was ready to do more to shield the country’s economy.

He said the central bank stopped lending directly to the government in an attempt to plug its budget deficit.

Moreover, it switched to a marketbased exchange rate and took other meas-

ures to improve external and fiscal imbalances to improve the economy’s defences in 2019.

“The policy response during Covid has been prudent. We are absolutely ready to take more actions if there is a need,” he said.

By June of 2020, the central bank expects the South Asian economy to shrink

Oil plunges again as virus ravages energy markets

1.5 per cent. This is the first time in 68 years that the global economy will reach the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression in the late 1930s.

Baqir has already delivered 425 basis points of rate cut this year, along with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s $2.5 billion plus spending plan to cushion the impact on the economy.

“For emerging markets, the great global lockdown has been the mother of all external shocks,” he added.

“Among EM, the problem is particularly exasperated for high debt emerging markets because they have limited policy space to undertake expansionary policies.”

The government’s loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will help support part of Pakistan’s fiscal measures.

The IMF seeks the setback of the virus outbreak as ‘temporary’ and expects the economy’s debt to increase to at least 90% of gross domestic product by June, compared to 85% estimated before the pandemic.

Pakistan is on lockdown for six weeks to mitigate the spread of the virus, which increased to 10,069 as of Wednesday.

The central bank offered support to businesses by allowing up to a one-year moratorium on some loans.

“We have several areas we are working on, and refining them in light of development,” Baqir added. “It is more appropriate to talk about them once we feel the situation is such that we need to do more.”

PM Imran launches Ehsaas Emergency Cash Information Portal

NEW YORK AGENCIES

Brent crude plunged more than 12 percent to below $17 a barrel Wednesday while US oil erased early gains and fell, as the coronavirus strangles demand and ravages energy markets, while storage facilities approach full capacity. In another day of volatile trading, US benchmark WTI surged in early Asian deals while Brent also edged up on news that top producers had held talks — only for prices to suddenly change course.Brent dropped 12.31 percent to $16.98 a barrel, extending heavy losses from a day earlier. WTI for June delivery, which had rebounded about 20 percent at the open, was down around five percent at $11 a barrel in the afternoon. On Monday, WTI for May delivery collapsed to an unprecedented low of minus $40.32 as traders scrambled to sell it before the contract expired Tuesday, but could find few buyers with storage capacity fast filling up. The negative prices meant that traders were forced to pay to have the crude taken off their hands.

Analysts said the morning bounce was driven by news that members of exporting group OPEC, as well as some allies in the OPEC+ grouping, held a teleconference Tuesday — but grim reality soon returned to the markets. Prices have plunged as lockdowns and travel restrictions introduced worldwide to stem the spread of the virus hammer demand, and observers believe there is little way out for oil except bringing an end to the pandemic. “The overtly bearish sentiment may well keep prices suppressed in the near-term until we find the light at the end of the tunnel with progressive resumption of halted economic activities across the globe,” said Jingyi Pan, a market strategist with IG. US crude has been particularly hard-hit because of storage problems, as WTI is delivered at a single, inland point, although the sell-off has now spread to Brent. The crisis was worsened by a price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia. They drew a line under the dispute earlier this month and, along with other top producers, agreed to slash output by almost 10 million barrels a day to shore up virus-hit markets. But that has had little effect, with prices continuing to plummet, as analysts predict it will not make up for the massive hit to demand.

ISLAMABAD APP

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday launched Ehsaas Emergency Cash Information Portal, making public the details of disbursements.

While chairing a meeting, the premier said the government is making utmost efforts to provide “financial assistance to those affected by the situation of coronavirus”.

The Ehsaas Cash Emergency Programme, he said, is transparent and merit-based and lauded the efforts of his Special Assistant on

Social Welfare Dr Sania Nishtar for leading an effective initiative.

Dr Nishtar in a briefing to the prime minister said the programme covered the registered persons of Ehsaas Programme, those who joined through SMS, new registrations from provinces and labourers and deserving persons recommended by the commerce ministry.

Under the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme, the operations have been ongoing since April 9.

To-date, overall disbursements of Rs65.249 billion have been made to 5.437 million beneficiaries across the country in cate-

gories 1 and 2.

The dashboard of the launched portal will give details about the number of beneficiaries served in each of the three categories with provincial-, district- and tehsilwise breakdowns.

With great transparency, it will outline the amount given to partnering banks for disbursements to beneficiaries, and the number of beneficiaries who have taken out money.

The portal will enable people to access information in real-time and its electronic link will be made available on Thursday morning.

No benefit, higher death rate for malaria drug in coronavirus study NEWS DESK A malaria drug widely touted as a potential cure for COVID-19 showed no benefit against the disease over standard care — and was in fact associated with more deaths, the biggest study of its kind showed Tuesday. The US government funded analysis of how American military veterans fared on hydroxychloroquine was posted on a medical preprint site and has not yet been peer reviewed. The experiment had several important limitations, but adds to a growing body of doubt over the efficacy of the medicine that counts President Donald Trump and right wing news channel Fox News among its biggest backers. Researchers looked at the medical records of 368 veterans hospitalized nationwide who either died or were discharged by April 11. Death rates for patients on hydroxychloroquine were 28 percent, compared to 22 percent when it was taken with the anti-biotic azithromycin — a combination favored by French scientist Didier Raoult, whose study on the subject in March triggered a surge of global interest in the drug. The death rate for those receiving only standard care was 11 percent.

Hydroxychloroquine, with or without azithromycin, was more likely to be prescribed to patients with more severe illness, but the authors found that increased mortality persisted even after they statistically adjusted for higher rates of use. Other drawbacks include the fact that the study did not assign people randomly to groups, because it was a retrospective analysis meaning it looked back on what had already happened. In addition, the results are hard to generalize because the population was highly specific: most of the patients were male, with a median age over 65, and black, a group that is disproportionately affected by underlying illnesses like diabetes and heart disease. There was no added risk of being on ventilator among the hydroxychloroquine only group, leading the authors to suggest that increased mortality among this group might be attributable to side-effects outside the respiratory system. Previous research has found that the medicine is risky for patients with certain heart rhythm issues and can cause blackouts, seizures or at times cardiac arrest in this group.

Hydroxychloroquine and a related compound chloroquine have been used for decades to treat malaria, as well as the autoimmune disorders lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. They have received significant attention during the novel coronavirus pandemic and have been shown in lab settings to block the virus from entering cells and prevent it replicating — but in the pharmaceutical world, “in vitro” promise often fails to translate into “in vivo” success. The true answer can only be determined through very large, randomized clinical trials that assign patients to receive either the drug under investigation or a placebo. Several of these are underway, including notably in the United States, Europe, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Trump curbs immigration as UN warns of humanitarian ‘catastrophe’ WASHINGTON AGENCIES

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday partially blocked immigration to the United States “to protect American workers” from the economic shock of the coronavirus, as the United Nations warned the world was facing “a humanitarian catastrophe”.

The UN alarm bell came as nations scrambled to not only fight the virus — which has killed 177,000 people and infected more than 2.5 million — but also desperately seek ways to limit the vast damage unleashed on the global economy.

With more than half of humanity under some form of lockdown, businesses shuttered and millions of jobs lost, the world is facing its worst economic downturn since

the Great Depression and the UN’s World Food Programme said it would hit the least privileged the hardest.

“I want to stress that we are not only facing a global health pandemic, but also a global humanitarian catastrophe,” the WFP executive director David Beasley told the UN Security Council on Tuesday.

“Millions of civilians living in conflictscarred nations […] face being pushed to the brink of starvation.”

The WFP warned the number of people suffering from acute hunger was projected to nearly double to 265 million this year.

In the United States, where the economy is reeling and 22 million people have lost their jobs, Trump said he would stop the issuing of green cards for 60 days, but exempt temporary workers such as seasonal farm laborers.

“In order to protect American workers, I will be issuing a temporary suspension of immigration into the United States,” he said.

“It will help put unemployed Americans first in line for jobs as America reopens. It would be wrong and unjust for Americans to be replaced with immigrant labor flown in from abroad.”

The US is the hardest-hit country in the world, with nearly 45,000 deaths and more than 800,000 coronavirus infections, and healthcare infrastructure in major hotspots like New York City has struggled to cope.

The huge patient numbers are also taking a toll on the mental health of doctors and nurses.

“The same thing every day […] is draining,” said Heather Isola, a physician assistant.

“What is it going to do to us? The anxieties, the PTSD, the experience of death and

dying. Most people haven’t seen death and dying like this.”

OKTOBER FEST CANCELLED: In Europe, some countries have started easing lockdowns as the spread of the virus is slowly brought under control, but the cancellation of some of the world’s best known events served as a reminder that the pandemic is far from over.

In Germany, where small shops have been allowed to reopen, authorities cancelled this year’s Oktoberfest, the beloved beer swilling festival in southern Bavaria, for the first time since World War II. The German government’s restrictions on large gatherings also mean the Berlin Marathon will not go ahead as planned this year in September, organisers said.

Spain, which is set to allow children some

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

movement in a week, said it was scrapping the annual bul running festival in Pamplona.

The pandemic has ripped apart the global sports calendar, forcing most notably the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics to next year.

German football authorities are expected to announce plans on Thursday for its top level league to restart matches in empty stadiums on May 9.

But the Dutch football federation said it intended to end its season because of the extension of a ban on large gatherings.

Across the Atlantic in the United States, the NFL draft — a three-day annual glitzy marketplace to choose the top collegiate talent — will be held virtually from Thursday, with teams making their picks from remote locations across the country.