Epaper – April 29 LHR 2020

CMYK

Wednesday, 29 April, 2020 I 5 Ramzan-ul-Mubarak, 1441 I Rs 15.00 I Vol X No 301 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

sugar audit Commission gets three more weeks for Probe

Fate of govt servants appointed without cabinet’s approval hangs in balance

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g Imran approves allocation PM approves ‘Shuhada package’ for health of grant-in-aid for workers in ICT, AJK and ‘deserving’ journalists and Gilgit-Baltistan media bodies g Bans export of all edible items, decision to be reviewed after two weeks

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

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HE federal cabinet on Tuesday approved the request of the inquir y commission, probing into the increase in sugar prices, to extend the time for submission of the report by three weeks on the latter ’s request.

On the directions of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the reports of the inquiry committees tasked to probe sugar and wheat crises in the country were made public on April 4, naming Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) leaders Jahangir Khan Tareen, Khusro Bakhtiar, Pakistan Muslim LeagueQuaid’s Moonis Elahi and their relatives as the beneficiaries of the crises.

The prime minister had further directed the committee on sugar to conduct forensic analysis of sugar mills to further expand the findings. The reports to be presented on April 25 were delayed, with the

commission asking for a three-week extension in the deadline.

Reacting to the commission’s request for an extension in the deadline, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif said that granting the three-week extension to the commission showed a nexus between the prime minister and the sugar mafia aimed at covering up the scandal. In a statement issued on Sunday, he said that the delay in the final report was in fact “validation of the Rs100 robbery made in the national exchequer”.

“The delay is an attempt to save those who are primarily responsible for the robbery and Imran’s crime cannot be concealed by covering up the inquiry report,” the PML-N leader said.

SHUHADA PACKAGE: During the meeting, the PM approved the relief package for healthcare workers performing their duties to contain coronavirus. If any healthcare worker dies in the line of duty, the family shall be entitled to the same package –

Shuhada Package– as government servants in cases of security-related deaths.

The package ranges from provision of Rs3 million to Rs10 million depending on the officer’s grade. It also has other benefits like official residence and 100% pension to the family of the deceased.

The assistance package will be applicable in the domain of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

While approving Rs 75 billion relief package for the labour, the prime minister directed his Special Assistant for Social Welfare and Minister for Industries to devise a comprehensive mechanism for providing relief to the labourers.

The PM directed to ban the export of all edible items in the wake of the current situation. The decision would be reviewed after two weeks, a PM Office press release said. The government had planned to offer state-owned land located in major cities to the overseas Pakistanis in order to generate much need financial resources, said the PM. He also directed all the ministries to expedite setting up of think-tanks comprising area experts and professionals in the ministries in order to bring about qualitative improvement in their overall performance and output.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

PM approves ‘Green Stimulus’ package to boost greenery, employment STORY ON BACK PAGE

Coronavirus in

Pakistan

ISLAMABAD

14,788

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

SINDH:

PUNJAB:

3,233 5,291

322

5,730

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

2,160 65/330

915 297

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz and SAPM on Information Lt Gen (r) Asim Bajwa call on Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday. INP

ISLAMABAD AHMAD AHMADANI

Prime Minister Imran Khan has summoned a list of individuals appointed in government departments without the approval of the federal cabinet since Aug 2016.

PM’s Principal Secretary Azam Khan, in a letter to all federal secretaries and heads of divisions, directed them to send the lists by April 30, and said all these appointments would be declared illegal.

Declaring all such appointments which were made without getting the approval of the federal cabinet/government as illegal, void and without jurisdiction, Azam Khan asked the in-charge of all divisions to share this list with the cabinet secretary who will present it before the federal cabinet on May 5. “ The list shall, inter alia, include all such appointments also which were made pursuant to the delegated powers of the Federal Cabinet to a Federal Minister/Secretary, being illegal, void and without jurisdiction,”

Bilawal calls for equitable distribution of foreign relief between provinces STAFF REPORT

CONFIRMED CASES:

PM Imran summons list of all officers appointed ‘illegally ’ since Aug 2016

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal BhuttoZardari on Sunday asked for fair distribution of benefits from the relief received from various financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank (WB) and G20 countries.

“Federal government should also reduce its expenditures and give extra money to the provinces instead of cuts in their share,” the PPP chief stated this while chairing a meeting of the party’s economic committee through video-link, which was attended by Raza Rabbani, Syed Naveed Qamar, Shazia Marri, Chaudhry Manzoor and others.

The meeting termed the economic relief package of the federal government as inadequate and demanded that the amount for the unemployed be increased from Rs12,000 to Rs17,500 under the minimum wage scheme.

Bilawal said that in an extraordinary situation, it was the duty of the federal government

to extend utmost assistance to the provinces since federal governments across the globe are extensively helping their provincial governments.

He said that the federal government should increase health facilities in all the provinces and conduct fair distribution of international aid in the wake of coro-

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navirus pandemic.

“The federation should reduce its expenditure and give extra money to the provinces instead of cutting their allocated funds. The federal government should also allow the provinces to benefit from the relief received from various International Financial Institutions (IFIs), including the IMF, WB and G20 countries,” Bilawal added.

Earlier, committee member Syed Naveed Qamar briefed the meeting that foreign aid is being disbursed at personal wealth.

Bilawal said that it was not correct to say that under the 18th Amendment health is solely a responsibility of the provinces who are already working beyond their means and resources, adding that in extraordinary situations, central governments are extending support to their provinces the world over.

He demanded that the small traders should be assisted with quick relief packages and through tax relaxations, soft loans on easy terms and other concessions.

reads letter of Secretary to the Prime Minister dated April 24, 2020.

Islamabad High Court, in ICA No.36/2020, vide judgment dated April 23, 2020, has held as follows: “We have no doubt in our minds that the reappointment of Respondent No. 1 as Member and Chairperson and the initial appointments of Respondent No.2 and Respondent No.3 were not made by the Federal Government as explicitly provided under the Act of 2010 and, therefore, they were without jurisdiction, void and non-est.”

It is pertinent to mention that the Supreme Court of Pakistan, in its judgment reported as PLD 2016 SC 808 (Mustafa Impax case) dated 18th August 2016, had declared that the federal government included the Prime Minister and his or her Cabinet.

The PM, or any other minister/secretary, cannot exclusively and solely represent the federal government, and whenever any law requires that a decision be made by the federal government, then it should be the decision of the cabinet.

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more inside

Shujaat opposes devolution of education under 18th Amendment STORY ON PAGE 02

Govt likely to amend NAB laws through new ordinance STORY ON PAGE 03

Govt, development partners weigh economic impact of COVID-19 STORY ON PAGE 09

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Wednesday, 29 April, 2020

NEWS

GB CITIzENS SHOuld GET rIGHTS EquAl TO PAKISTANIS, SAyS CJP ISLAMABAD

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STAFF REPORT

HIEF Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed on Tuesday said that the citizens of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) should get the rights equal to Pakistanis.

A seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court (SC) led by the chief justice took up federal government’s plea seeking amendments in Government of GB Order, 2018, to conduct the upcoming general elections by adopting the Election Act, 2017, as well as setting up of the caretaker government during the interregnum period. The five-year term of the present government of GB is due to expire in the last week of June and the next general election in the area

will take place within 60 days.

“We do not understand why the people of GB cannot enjoy similar protection as guaranteed by the constitution of Pakistan when they are totally connected with Pakistan as they carry same passport and use the same currency,” the chief justice said.

Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan however assured the apex court that in view of the changed scenario especially against the backdrop of the Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), the federal government’s intention was to ensure all rights to the citizens of GB who have always stood with Pakistan.

During the hearing, the apex court issued notice to GB advocate general for Thursday when it was told that the advocate general

‘This is not Kashmir’: IHC gives govt one week in internet suspension case ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday gave oneweek time to satisfy the court over suspension of internet services in the tribal districts, saying this is not [occupied] Kashmir as “basic human rights are provided here”. IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah reiterated the court saw the issue as a matter of human rights. “The tribal areas have gone through a war-like situation, and it will take time for things to normalise,” he added. The petitioner’s counsel informed the court that internet services were provided in Bajaur within two to three days.

Responding to the counsel’s argument, Justice Minallah said, “Bajaur’s matter is separate. A single order of the high court will not fix everything.” He further added that the federal government had not refused to provide the services; concerned authorities should be allowed to work. The Deputy Attorney General was granted a week’s time to submit the reply after he requested the court to be granted two weeks. The hearing was adjourned till May 11. In the previous hearing, the IHC had directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to provide 3G and 4G services in tribal districts for online classes, so that students may not miss their academic year due to the coronavirus-triggered lockdown and submit a report on April 28. The petition has been filed by a student of Namal University, Syed Muhammad, against the lack of internet services in the area for holding online classes.

CPNE welcomes changes in PM’s media team KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) has welcomed the new changes at the Federal Information Ministry with Senator Shibli Faraz taking charge as Information Minster and former ISPR chief Lt Gen (retd) Asim Bajwa being given an honorary position as Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information. In a joint statement issued here on Tuesday, CPNE President Arif Nizami and Secretary General Dr. Jabbar Khattak said that Pakistan’s media industry is currently facing an existential crisis owing to issues related to freedom of the press and unprecedented financial hardship that has been exacerbated by the Coronavirus pandemic, which is currently wreaking havoc across the country. The CPNE President and Secretary General hope that the new team at the Information Ministry, who are quite aware of the problems being faced by the media, will play a decisive role in resolving them by engaging and consulting all stakeholders in frank dialogue. Arif Nizami and Dr. Khattak expressed their concern over the longstanding issue of pending payment of advertising dues to various media outlets and an endemic issue of nonpayment of salaries to media workers that also remains unresolved. They urged the new Information Minister and SAPM on information to ensure that all legitimate dues owed to media houses are cleared expeditiously and that pending salaries owed to media workers are paid by their respective employers immediately as well.

could not make it and was stuck at the airport.

Justice Umar Ata Bandial recalled how the SC had determined the status and rights of the people of GB in the Al-Jehad Trust case two decades ago in which the federal government was directed to give them the status of the citizens of Pakistan.

In the changed international circumstances, the governance in the GB should be so perfect and excellent which should inculcate confidence among the people even across the border, Justice Bandial observed, adding that GB signifies an important part but for some political as well as international reasons, it has not been made part of the structure we have.

Justice Bandial emphasised upon AG to share with the apex court if any interest was

blocking the initiative taken by the court in the interest of the people of GB. The ground realities, Justice Ijazul Ahsan observed, demand that the people of GB should be given all rights like Pakistanis by assuring them complete independence of judiciary, enforcement of the fundamental rights as well as replicating the legislative powers to the GB Assembly.

“But what is preventing the government from taking these steps?” Justice Ahsan wondered, adding that the federal government should have taken all these measures by now like it used to do earlier through the presidential orders. Issues like these are political and strategic and therefore the government is in the best position to decide on these matters, he observed. Although the apex

Shujaat opposes devolution of education under 18th Amendment LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Tuesday opposed giving powers to the provinces for designing own curriculum under the 18th Amendment. Chaudhry Shujaat in a statement said that many political leaders have given statements regarding the 18th Amendment without even going through its content.

Shujaat said PML-Q has always favoured the interest of the country and he will contact party leaders to reject such amendments. The PML-Q leader said that the academic curriculum is unified in all constitutions around the world. The constitutional power of designing a unified academic curriculum is usually possessed by the Centre, he added. Shujaat criticised that the standard of education was destroyed when provinces were given powers to design own curriculums. He announced that PML-Q will oppose amendments regarding the curriculum.

On Monday, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) accused the

federal government of encroaching on the rights of the provinces, as the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said that it had no intention of doing away with the 18th Amendment. In an interview with BBC Urdu, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had said that the federal government was interpreting the 18th Amendment incorrectly.

Talking about the responsibilities of the federal government, Bilawal had said that if the Centre has no role to play after the 18th Amendment, then why is there a National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) in the country and why is there a federal health secretary.

Separately, PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal had said that the 18th Amendment came about as a result of national consensus and any attempts to meddle with it would result in further controversy.

The former planning minister had asked that when the amendment was passed unanimously by all parties, then why is it being disturbed, especially in this time of distress for the country. He said that the government’s priority should be to overcome the coronavirus pandemic, not set its sight on the 18th Amendment.

Jang Group CEO Mir Shakil sent to jail on judicial remand LAHORE STAFF REPORT

An accountability court on Tuesday sent Jang Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mir Shakilur Rahman to jail on two-week judicial remand in a 34-year-old case pertaining to alleged illegal acquiring of property.

Accountability Judge Syed Jawadul Hassan conducted the case proceedings. At the start of the proceedings, an investigation officer told the court that MSR was sick and he was being given treatment at a private hospital. However, the court ordered the investigation officer to produce him immediately while adjourning hearing for a short period of time.

Later, the investigation officer produced MSR before the court. A National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor informed the court that investigation from MSR had been completed and his custody was no longer

required. Subsequently, the court sent him to jail on judicial remand till May 12 and ordered for producing him on expiry of his remand. The NAB prosecutor requested the court to send MSR to the hospital again, however, the court held that it was a responsibility of NAB director general and a permission should be sought from the court for the purpose. In the last hearing on April 18, the court had extended Mir’s physical remand by 10 days, directing the agency to present him again on April 28.

Former prime minister Nawaz

court, in its decision on January 17, 2019, had directed the federal government to implement GB Reforms, 2019, but the federal government had sought twice from the court for implementing its verdict which asked for the rights of the citizens of the GB. Under the judgment. the federal government is required to enact the GB Governance Reforms, 2019, by tabling a bill before the parliament for bringing necessary amendments.

In the fresh application, the federal government has pleaded before the apex court that it would be in the interest of justice that till the promulgation of the proposed reforms in GB, the federal government may be allowed to make necessary amendments in the government of GB Order, 2018, for the caretaker government and the conduct of elections for the GB Assembly. Permission was also sought to adapt the Election Act, 2017, Rules/Regulations thereunder and to do all that is necessary to continue democratic electoral process in the area. The application explained that while different options for meeting the desire of the people of GB were being carefully examined by the government and discussed with the stakeholders which, however, require deliberations at greater length.

Sharif, who is currently in London for treatment after having been granted bail on medical grounds in October last year, is also nominated in the said case.

NAB had announced last week that it would approach the accountability court to declare Sharif a proclaimed offender after he had failed to appear despite being issued summons twice. The anti-graft agency had arrested MSR on March 12 in a case which dates back to 1986 and involves the transfer of 54canal land which, according to the antigraft body, was illegally leased to him by then Punjab chief minister Nawaz Sharif “in violation of the relevant laws and rules”. However, he has maintained that the property in question was bought from a private party “34 years ago and all evidence of this was given to NAB”. Subsequently, on March 13, an accountability court had remanded him into the bureau’s custody for 12 days. The remand duration has been extended multiple times since.

Govt says fuel prices to go down from May 1 ISLAMABAD APP

Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Abdul Hafeez Shaikh on Tuesday that fuel prices across the country would go down from May 1. The finance adviser said that the government has planned to unveil next fiscal year’s budget in first week of June and it would be a coronavirus budget. “We will be exempting the small traders from payment of threemonth electricity dues,” he said adding that the government was already disbursing money among 12 million people in the country. “We will be announcing support for the four million people who got unemployed due to coronavirus,” said Shaikh, adding that dealing with the pandemic and economy side by side was among their top priority. He said that they had faced a difficult financial situation after coming into power and even had to squeeze the armed forces’ budget for overcoming financial constraints. He admitted that country’s exports had declined due to global coronavirus pandemic.

PIA employees to be treated at CMH for corona: COAS RAWALPINDI STAFF REPORT

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa in Tuesday said the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) employees suffering from novel coronavirus will be treated at Combined Military Hospital (CMH). According to details, PIA CEO Air Marshal Arshad Malik thanked the army chief for the offer. He said that cooperation between national institutions during difficult times strengthens national unity. He further said that PIA is operating special flights to repatriate Pakistanis who are stranded abroad and so far more than 24,000 people have reached their homes through PIA. Arshad Malik reiterated that PIA will continue to operate special flights to bring stranded Pakistanis home.

Sindh govt seeks early hearing in Daniel Pearl case KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The Sindh government on Tuesday approached the Supreme Court (SC), requesting it to hear the appeal against the Sindh High Court’s (SHC) verdict in the Daniel Pearl murder case by the next week.

In the petition, Prosecutor General Dr Faiz Shah requested the apex court to fix the appeal against the acquittal of the accused in the next week.

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on April 2 turned the death sentence awarded to Ahmed Omer Saeed Sheikh, the prime suspect in the murder case, in a seven-year jail term in addition to acquitting the other three suspects, earlier handed life sentences.

Subsequently, on April 22, the Sindh government challenged the verdict in the top court. Former Senate chairman Fa-

rooq H. Naek will lead the case on behalf of the provincial government.

Three separate criminal petitions have been filed seeking death penalty for all accused on the same grounds.

THE PETITION: The petitions contend that the “last seen evidence”, “impersonation” and “identification parade” duly proved the crime of the accused and were maintained concurrently by both the lower courts.

Moreover, the videocassette was never challenged which showed the act of murder and the same was verified by a public official.

“In view of these collective proofs together with the clear and categorical confessional statements of respondents and the co-accused, the acquittal and modification of sentence through the impugned judgment is not sustainable and is liable to be set aside.

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“Similarly, the evidence of natural and independent witnesses i.e PW-14 and PW-18 confirmed the demand of ransom made by respondents accused and which fact also stood proven through documentary evidence,” said the criminal petition.

The petition further said the offenses created a sense of fear and terror in the minds of the public at large, both nationally and internationally, and as such, all

the accused were guilty of the charges leveled against them on all counts.

“The SHC has failed to appreciate the aggravating factors involved in the case.

The acquittal of the accused and modification of death sentence in the absence of the mitigating circumstance caused a serious miscarriage of justice and violates the principles settled down by SC,” added the petition.

It said the SHC while giving benefit to the accused relied upon press clippings but the press clippings showing the confession of the accused Ahmed Omer Saeed Sheikh which he had categorically made before the trial court were neither considered nor appreciated.

The petition stated that SHC had failed to consider the cognitive question of the accused’s robust affiliation with a proscribed organization and having a hardened criminal background.

Wednesday, 29 April, 2020

NAdrA TO fACIlITATE vErIfICATION Of EHSAAS BENEfICIArIES ISLAMABAD

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STAFF REPORT

HE Ministry of Interior has decided to reopen at least 600 offices of the National Database and Registration Authority and deploy 200 vans to remove hurdles in the biometric verification of people registered with the Ehsaas programme.

The decision was taken after Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Dr Sania Nishtar requested NADRA offices to be opened for verification of people registered with programme during the meeting of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Tuesday.

The meeting chaired by Planning

Minister Asad Umar also sought presentation from Utility Stores Corporation Managing Director, National Information Technology Board (NITB) MD, and Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar about the food stocks available at the utility stores, in addition to discussion on the status of mobile stores and epidemic-curve projections.

During the meeting, Nishtar apprised the forum that the Ehsaas programme had served around 5.9 million families across the country, while requesting for help in the checking the veracity of people’s claim via NADRA. She highlighted that the tax waive-off was being provided to Ehsaas PoS retailers at the federal level and provincial governments’ compliance was awaited.

The provincial chief secretaries informed

despite contracting corona, Sindh governor advocates for lax lockdown A day after he had tested positive for coronavirus, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail on Tuesday said the provincial government “may have gone overboard with the lockdown”. He said Pakistan’s economic conditions are not such that would withstand a strict lockdown. He said that during Ramzan there were several people who do not ask for help and that the lockdown restrictions were affecting them. “We have to keep in mind their problems as well.” Speaking about coronavirus, he said that he had been experiencing COVID-19 symptoms two or three days ago but does not have symptoms any longer. “All of my staff along with my family have been tested for coronavirus and their results are negative,” Ismail said. Ismail said that Sindh’s testing capacity, as well as that of the country as a whole, is low. The governor said that Pakistanis will have to learn to live along with the virus and that right now, the country needs a national consensus to tackle the pandemic. The PTI-leader is currently in self-isolation after he tested positive for the virus. Before he went into self-isolation, the governor had spent 10 very busy days where he met a host of people and attended important meetings. NEWS DESK

the forum that the tax waive-off was approved by their cabinets and would be implemented consequently.

The Utility Stores Corporation head informed that due to reduced operating hours there was increase in crowding of masses at the stores. He said the stores were facing increase in the per day demand of flour, sugar, rice and other foods.

However, the Corporation was in procurement mode and would procure Rs14 billion worth commodities, he added.

Sindh chief secretary highlighted the shortage of rice and pulses at 56 utility stores in various districts of the province, whereas the chief secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa mentioned that the newly merged districts of the province had very few utility stores.

Minister for National Food and Secu-

rity Fakhar Imam highlighted that Sindh has procured around 0.5 million tonnes of wheat which was 36 percent of the set target and 46 percent of its harvest. He asked the provincial authorities to keep the ministry updated on the matter.

Minister for Economic Affairs Khusroo Bakhtiar, Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar, SAPM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza, SAPM on National Security Dr Moeed Yusuf, Minister for Interior Brig (r) Ejaz Ahmed Shah, SAPM on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Dr Sania Nishtar, the Prime Minister’s Focal person on Anti-Covid-19 Dr Faisal Sultan, National Coordinator NCOC Lieutenant General Hamood Uz Zaman, Chairman NDMA Lieutenant General Muhammad Afzal and others attended the meeting.

376 healthcare workers sickened with COVID-19 in Pakistan: WHO ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Nearly 400 healthcare workers have contracted coronavirus in Pakistan, and five have died, states a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The daily situation report, generated by the WHO on Monday, with information gathered from the ministry of national health services, records 376 healthcare professionals who have been sickened with the novel coronavirus to date. The majority, 181 are doctors and 55 are nurses. The report also notes that five medics have died in Pakistan since the outbreak of the deadly virus in February. Providing a further breakdown, it records that 132 healthcare providers have been hospitalized, while 152 are isolated at home and 87 have recovered.

Dr Osama Riaz, a young physician in Gilgit Baltistan, was the first doctor in the country who lost his life to the virus on March 23. The total confirmed

cases in the country stand at 14,504, with Sindh having 5,291 infections, Punjab 5,730, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 1,984, Balochistan 853, Islamabad 261, Gilgit-Baltistan 320, and 65 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, the country has reported 312 deaths from the pandemic, with most of them, 114, from KP, 95 in Punjab, 92 in Sindh, 14 in Balochistan, three in GB, and four in Islamabad. Separately, the Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza said on Tuesday the government was worried about the frontline doctors and that those taking care of COVID-19 patients will be given the status of a martyr if they die while serving. “The [family of the] doctor who dies during service will be given a package equal to that of a martyr,” he said. “A package worth Rs3-10 million will be provided,” he said, adding: “100% pension will be provided to their families, while their allotted houses will not be taken.” He said that the package will be available for doctors in Islamabad, GB, and AJK.

Govt likely to amend NAB laws through new ordinance NEWS DESK The federal government is likely to amend the law of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) through a new ordinance, a local news outlet reported on Tuesday.

Reportedly, after the new ordinance, special courts will be empowered to decide about the bail of people accused of corruption. The new ordinance would also end NAB chairman’s authority for releasing the arrest warrant of an accused person.

The federal government is also considering to add a

disqualification clause, whereby anyone found guilty of corruption would be disqualified form holding a public position for five years, regardless of whether they voluntarily submit the looted money or not.

Reportedly, Law Minister Farogh Naseem apprised Prime Minister Imran Khan regarding amended laws in making and has asked him to take other political parties into confidence over the matter. A government committee comprising Pervez Khattak and Asad Umar will take political parties and other stakeholders into confidence regarding the new NAB ordinance.

Maulana Tariq Jameel apologises over anti-women remarks NEWS DESK Renowned cleric Maulana Tariq Jameel on Tuesday apologised for attributing the coronavirus outbreak to “wrongdoings” of women.

During the Ehsaas Telethon fundraising event on April 23, Jameel, who was invited to deliver a prayer, said that the epidemic was caused partly because of the “immodesty” of women. He had also called out media houses both in Pakistan and around the globe for “spreading lies”. It is worth mentioning that the occasion also had Prime Minister Imran Khan in attendance.

The comments sparked outrage on social media with leading human rights activists, as well as some of the ruling party’s ministers, demanding Jameel to tender an apology for his “callous” and “demeaning” remarks.

In a series of tweets posted early Tuesday morning, Jameel clarified: “My aim was to point out that we are all to blame for our current state. It was meant to be a

general remark not targeting any specific men, women, persons, or gender, but as a reminder to get closer to

what Allah teaches us.”

The cleric said in a subsequent tweet that his “goal was to remind us all to focus on the spiritual and away from our desires and the materialistic”.

“I am the first to admit as I have taught over the years, that there is no excuse for making any hurtful comments about anyone or making anyone feel uncomfortable.” “… I sincerely apologize to anyone who may [have] been inadvertently hurt.”

Last Friday, Jameel had earlier tendered an apology to media personnel over his statement pertaining to the media houses “spreading lies”.

Speaking as a guest at a talk show, he acknowledged that his “tongue had slipped” towards the end of a telethon the previous day, which was also attended by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“This happens, as I speak a lot,” he said to anchorperson Muhammad Maalik.

NEWS

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Shibli faraz says will play role of bridge between govt and media ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Syed Shibli Faraz on Tuesday said that his preference is to play the role of a bridge between the government and the media. In a tweet, he said he will strive to improve the country s image, promotion of government policies and to develop the Ministry of Information on modern lines with full spirit, dedication and attention in line with the vision of Prime Minister. He said professional innovation will be introduced in traditional role of the ministry, besides making it more credible. Faraz prayed to Allah to assist and guide him in this task so that he could meet the expectations of all as well as fulfilling his professional responsibilities. He thanked Prime Minister Imran Khan for entrusting him for this important responsibility. The minister also lauded all opposition leaders, analysts, columnists, anchors and media friends who sent their messages and prayers to him on assuming the portfolio of Ministry of Information. STAFF REPORT

Corona targets fBr, tax collection to take a hit ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), which has been struggling to achieve the revenue target for FY20, is now faced with a new problem, as the department has observed positive cases of COVID-19 in different formations. According to sources, the Regional Tax Office (RTO)-Quetta has been closed after around 20 of its officials were tested positive for coronavirus. In addition, sources said that the revenue board has also decided to conduct tests of officials working at the Large Taxpayer Unit (LTU), Karachi. "A ban will remain imposed on any outsider entering LTU Karachi till the completion of the test reports," said an insider. "LTU Karachi annually collects around Rs1 trillion in taxes, but owing to COVID-19 outbreak, the collection would surely be affected in the coming days." Meanwhile, the FBR has estimated that April’s collection target would be missed by Rs200 billion. The tax department had collected Rs3,050 billion during the first nine months of the current fiscal year. The International Monetary Fund had also lowered its projection for revenue collection in Pakistan, from Rs4,803 billion to Rs3,908 billion. The government had set Rs5.55 trillion tax target for the current year. However, this has been revised downwards three times in the first three quarters. SHAHZAD PARACHA

Senator Afridi tests positive for coronavirus Independent Senator from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mirza Mohammad Afridi has tested positive for Covid-19, it emerged on Tuesday. Afridi, who hails from erstwhile FATA, said that he had gone to Peshawar last week, where he had distributed ration bags in different areas of the city. He started experiencing high temperature and body pain a few days back and had gotten himself tested “as a precautionary measure”. “I received my results today,” he added. He is currently in isolation at his home in Lahore and has said that he is feeling better, though the symptoms persist. Afridi urged his contacts to get tested as well. PPP Senator Sherry Rehman sent best wishes to Afridi and expressed hope that he will make a complete recovery. “Just spoke to him (Afridi) and he sounded positive. NEWS DESK

04 ISLAMABAD

Wednesday, 29 April, 2020

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SkyroCketIng prICeS of eSSentIal CommodItIeS, eatableS burden CItIzenS In ramzan PESHAWAR

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APP

HE skyrocketing prices of essential commodities have unnerved residents of Peshawar during the month of Ramzan as profiteers continue to disregard the plight of others despite a global pandemic.

Shopkeepers and retailers, particularly those who sell daily use items like fruits and vegetables are almost enjoying a freehand by heavily charging consumers in Ramzan de-

spite fixation of rates of essential commodities by the district administration.

A market survey on Wednesday revealed that a sharp increase has been witnessed in prices of almost all kind of essential commodities including rice, pulses, fruits, vegetables and poultry items in Ramzan.

The shopkeepers, retailers and vendors were refusing to sell these items as per officially declared prices sighting cost of transportation, labour charges, electricity and gas bills besides shops rents.

The vegetable and fruits prices have in-

creased manifolds in the lucrative market of Peshawar as potato, a commonly used item in Ramzan was being sold at Rs60 per kg, onion at Rs80, lemon at Rs400, kacha aloo at Rs180, peas Rs150, lehsan Rs300 and lady finger at Rs80 per kg.

Similarly, Banana is being sold at Rs150 per dozen, orange Rs250 per dozen, melon at Rs100 per kg, watermelon Rs50 per kg, apple 400 per kilogram and strawberry upto 300 per kilogram.

"The prices of vegetable and fruits were sky high this Ramzan and purchase of banana,

apple and others fruits besides vegetables were beyond purchasing power of middle and salary class that needed to be checked," Misal Khan, a buyer at Chamkani fruit market told APP. He said Sasta bazaar, which was the sole hope for poor people of Peshawar to get essential commodities items at affordable rates, was also closed this year due to coronavirus pandemic and people were left at the mercy of hoarders, price hikers and profiteers.He said it was duty of district administration to ensure availability of essential goods to consumers at Government ap-

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proved rate during Ramzan.

The people have requested district administration to ensure all daily use commodities including fruits and vegetables to consumers on Government approved rate and take strict action against violators in the wake of Coronavirus outbreak. To discourage hoarding, an official of district administration said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government has promulgated an ordinance against hoarding under which three years’ imprisonment and 50pc fine of the total auction of confiscated goods would be awarded to hoarders.

He said Assistant Commissioners were mobilized to check prices of daily use commodities in their respective areas besides implementing Government orders regarding containment of coronavirus.

The official said elements involved in price hikes would be sent to jails besides sealing of their shops.

ICCI for deferment of markup on running loans ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) Tuesday called upon the government to defer the banks markup on running finance of businesses/industries for 6 months to one year. President ICCI Muhammad Ahmed Waheed said that due to closure of business activities on account of lockdown caused by COVID-19, it is not possible for businesses and industries to pay mark up on running finance in these tough times. He said that many business and industrial units have obtained loans from banks to meet the needs of running finance and working capital and they are paying markup through revenue generation from business activities. However, most of the business and industrial units are closed these days due to which it has become very difficult for them to pay markup and installments of loans. He said that banks are placing the names of such businesses in the defaulter list of Electronic Credit Information Bureau (ECIB) due to which it would become more difficult for such businesses to obtain bank credit in future. The ICCI president said that SBP has come up with some good relief packages for businesses to retain workers and employees, which is laudable. However, he urged that SBP should also work with commercial banks for the deferment of installments of loans by business and industrial units for running finance and working capital along with markup for at least 6 months to 1 year period that would provide necessary breathing space to business and industrial units for reviving their business activities and pay back loans with markup more easily. STAFF REPORT

ABBOTTABAD: A large number of people gather outside a collection centre to obtain Ehsaas Emergency Cash. PPi

Tough decisions taken to protect lives of people: CM PESHAWAR STAFF REPORT

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan Tuesday said that all the measures of the government including lockdown and social distancing aimed at protecting the lives of the people against coronavirus pandemic.

He was talking to a delegation of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Anjman-e-Tajiran who called on him here at Chief Minister’s Secretariat. The chief minister said the government’s measures would not yield the desired results until people including traders, shopkeepers and all other segments of society did not extend their cooperation.

The delegation led by Sharafat Ali Mubarak, comprised Malik Meher Elahi, Ghazanfar Bilour, Adeel Rauf, Ghulam Javed,

Habibullah Zahid, Ghulam Bilal , Ihtisham Haleem and others.

The delegation apprised the chief minister of the issues faced by traders and shopkeepers due to the lockdown situation, and demanded that some essential shops be allowed to open during the holy month of Ramazan subject to the strict implementation of SoPs. The chief minister said that the government did not want to keep business activities closed but in the prevailing emergency situation some tough decisions were required to be taken to protect the lives of commonman and urged upon all segments of the society to extend cooperation and put their efforts together with the government in this difficult time.

“We are faced with a difficult situation of saving the people from coronavirus as well as from hunger at the same time," Mah-

mood Khan remark and urged upon the public to extend cooperation to the administration in the implementation of social distancing measures.

Mahmood Khan said that he fully realized the difficulties faced by small traders and shopkeepers due to lockdown situation and added that the government was working on resolving the issue of rents of the shops kept closed during the lockdown period.

He further informed the delegation that opening of Pak-Afghan border for exports was also under consideration.

On the demand of delegation regarding relief Package for small

traders, Mahmood Khan said that the provincial government was taking necessary steps to give relief to all sectors within the available resources.

He assured that delegation that their issues related to the federal government would be taken with the federal government on priority for timely resolution.

Expressing his concern over the rapid increase of coronavirus cases in the province and especially the provincial capital, Mahmood Khan urged upon the traders, shop-

keepers as well as the general public to strictly implement the preventive measures.

One lakh families to benefit from KP’s zakat fund, says Ajmal PESHAWAR STAFF REPORT

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Government Spokesman Ajmal Wazir has that said the provincial government has decided to extend the number of deserving families from 29,000 to 100,000 for the disbursement of Rs12,000 through the zakat fund. In a media briefing here on Tuesday, Ajmal added that the provincial government is monitoring the disbursement of funds among destitute.

"The chief minister, chief secretary and provincial government are continuously monitoring the provision of edible items across the province through an online system," he said.

He said that the government has decided to take stern action hoarders and profiteers under the ordinance recently introduced under which the hoarder would face a three year imprisonment and also a penalty equal to 50 per cent amount of total the worth of hoarded items.

Under the ordinance who would identify hoarding would also get 10 per cent cash prize and his/her name would be kept secret, he said adding that crackdown has already started across the province and nobody would be spared under the ordinance. He appealed the general public to cooperate with the government and adopt precautionary measures while purchasing edible items to avert the spread of coronavirus, otherwise, he said the government efforts would not

yield results. "The provincial government is facing the challenge of corona on one hand and hunger and poverty on the other," he said.

Ajmal said that 1987 persons reached Pakistan via Torkham border out of which 972 persons found corona negative. Similarly, 684 persons reached Peshawar via Bacha Khan airport who were being tested for coronavirus.

The CM has nominated a focal person for members of Tableeghi Jammat especially 310 foreigners to coordinate with home department and take care of all needs of these people and make arrangements for their return after being tested negative. Ajmal said so far 104 people died due to infectious coronavirus in the province.

Wednesday, 29 April, 2020

NEWS

YounG PakiStani women ridinG a diGital wave in drive for better jobS LaHore

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AGENCIES

HEN Kainat Naz joined a womenfriendly technology boot camp a year ago, she had no idea it would completely change her life and her views on how women can work in conservative Pakistan.

Naz, 22, had never ventured far from her home in Orangi Town in Karachi, one of the five largest slums of the world, but was feeling dissatisfied with her current teaching job.

So she signed up for a tech programme called TechKaro, an initiative by Circle — a social enterprise that aims to improve women’s economic rights in Pakistan — and is now working full-time for a software company.

Naz said the course was challenging in many ways but she soon found that the women on the training were just as good as the men at tech skills like coding, web development and digital marketing, and also at presenting themselves at interviews.

“From developing our CVs, to giving us tips on dressing for work, to conducting ourselves during an interview and how to battle some sticky questions. We were groomed for everything,” said Naz. Women make up about 25 per cent of Pakistan’s labour force, one of the lowest in the region, according to the World Bank.

It has set a target to increase this to 45pc, calling for more childcare and a crackdown on sexual harassment to encourage more women out to work and boost economic growth.

In Pakistan, women represent only 14pc of the IT workforce, according to a 2012 study by P@SHA, the Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT and IT-enabled services (ITeS).

GAP IN THE MARKET: Sadaffe Abid, chief executive of Circle, set up TechKaro with the help of a few private foundations in 2018 seeing this gender gap, and took on 50 trainees in the first year, of which 62pc were women and 75 in 2019,

Govt bans retail fish trade in harbour premises iSLamaBad

including 66pc women.

Abid, who previously worked for a micro-finance institution, said she was delighted that women like Naz were proving that women could succeed in the tech world.

“I am a firm believer that one of the most powerful uses of technology is to bring it to young women, especially from under-served communities, to unlock their talents, resourcefulness and creativity,” said Abid. “People told me I won’t find women, or women will drop out in high numbers, or after completing the course, women won’t find employment as the industry will not be open to hiring this unique diverse group with no degree in computer science.

But I would say 50pc of the graduates, a majority of whom are women, have found work in software companies,” said Abid, who also brought She Loves Tech to Pakistan, one of the world’s largest women and startup competitions globally.

TechKaro is one of the latest programmes in the country aimed at helping women crack the traditionally male domain.

CodeGirls Pakistan, a Karachi-based boot camp, trains girls from middle and low-income families in coding and business skills.

In 2017, a six-week camp, SheSkills, taught women everything from web development and digital design to social media marketing.

After attending the TechKaro course, Naz found work earlier this year at an IT company earning double the salary she was getting as a teacher but which meant leaving her neighbourhood, using public transport, and working sideby-side with men. “I had never ventured out on my own and I was dead scared the first time I had to do it, but now it is just fine,” she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an interview by telephone from Orangi Town.

“The rest of Karachi is not quite the big bad wolf I’d imagined it to be,” said Naz, who navigated an app-based transit startup to reduce her travel time by two hours a day.

“It gave me a lot of confidence when I asked my employers if they would have a problem with my wearing the niqab (a veil that fully covers the face) and they said they were only interested in my work performance.”

WORK FROM HOME: Naz said women trying to break into new careers in Pakistan could face resistance not just in the workplace but at home.

The youngest of seven, she said she had the full support of her mother, who does not work, and her younger brother. “But we had to hide this from my older brother, who is married and lives separately, as he was unhappy even with my working as a teacher,” she said. She described the course of three-hour sessions held three times a week for eight months as gruelling but worthwhile.

She paid Rs500 a month for the course that involved 75 men and women and another Rs2,400 on bus fares to attend workshops after mornings of teaching, and often spent three to four hours on homework at night.

“I had thought men would be better at this, but when I was in the thick of things, I realised that was not the case. Anyone can learn, if they put their mind to it,” she said. A month since the lockdown was announced due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Naz is working remotely.

“We use Zoom and Google Hangout for meetings and our tasks are put on Trello,” she said, at ease with the technology.

With no travel time or transport costs, she is enjoying working from home.

“For those women whose families do not allow them to step out of their homes, this kind of work would be ideal. All you need is a computer and the internet,” she said. Abid said TechKaro has continued its work during the coronavirus lockdown by going “fully digital” so women can continue to learn tech skills from home.

“We have received applications from all across Pakistan,” she said. “Our aim is to scale this up to thousands of young women for in their success is Pakistan’s prosperity.”

Bank Alfalah profit falls 8.6pc to Rs2.89bn KaraCHi

SHAHZAD PARACHA

MEIRYUM ALI

The federal government has imposed ban on retail fish trade in the premises of the Karachi Fish Harbour.

According to an official document, the Ministry of Maritimes Affairs (MoMA) on the recommendation of the National Command and Operation Centre has framed SOPs after consulting all stakeholders including the Sindh government to ensure smooth operations of fishermen from harbour/jetties in the wake of COVID-19. The ministry has directed all stakeholders including the Fishermen Cooperative Society (FCS), the Sindh Trawlers Owners & Fishermen Association (STOFA) and the processing units to submit an undertaking in writing to the Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA) that they all would strictly follow the SOPs of the Sindh government for social distancing and preventive measures besides providing necessary preventive materials such as masks, gloves and sanitisers to their employees and laborers.

The staff of KFHA and FCS will monitor the operations of KFH and would also control traffic in a manner that doesn’t necessitate people more than the capacity of various spaces in the harbour.

The fish catch will not be offloaded as well as auction of fish will be carried out on boat, while one representative each from FCS, mole holder/beopari and 3-5 purchasers will be allowed during auction.

After the auction, the fish catch will be transported directly to processing plants on vehicles, document reveals.

After every auction, the entire area of market/jetties will be cleaned and sterilised through sanitisers by FCS. Only persons and vehicles authorised by KFHA and FCS will enter the harbour’s premises and entrance in the export zone (market/jetties) will only be allowed through walk-through sanitisers installed by FCS. The crew of fishing boat will be screened for COVID- 19 prior to boarding the boat after the conclusion of the returning journey. In case any fisherman is found positive with COVID19, he will be quarantined as per SOPs. All boat owners will ensure that boats will return from voyage within the period specified in the PC issued by Pakistan Customs, the document concludes.

The Board of Directors of Bank Alfalah met on Sunday to review the bank’s performance and announce its financial statements for the first quarter ending March 31, 2020.

According to the financials, which were released on Monday, the bank’s profit after tax increased to Rs2.89 billion in the quarter ending March 2020, as compared to the Rs3.16 billion in the corresponding period last year, showing a fall of 8.6pc year-on-year.

In a statement, the bank said that the decline in profit was mainly due to a prudent approach towards provisioning against both the credit portfolio and investment impairment.

“On the credit front, certain loans have been subjectively downgraded, while full impairment charge has been taken on equity book instead of availing the relaxation allowed by SBP of deferring charge over the year,” the bank said.

The bank announced no interim cash dividend. The bank’s earnings per share (EPS) clocked in at Rs1.63, which is a decrease from the Rs1.79 during the same period last year.

The net interest income of the bank stood at Rs11.78 billion, which was a 5.5pc year-on-year increase from the Rs11.16 billion during the same period last year. The bank said that last year’s net interest income included recovery of suspended markup on a non-performing loan.

Corporate Corner

KARACHI: UBL recently joined hands with Saylani Welfare International Trust to distribute ration bags to the needy families struggling amid coronavirus outbreak. The bank donated Rs25 million to the trust for the distribution of ration bags in 15 cities across Pakistan. pr

ISLAMABAD: In view of the ensuing challenges being confronted by the country amidst COVID-19, LNG Easy Private Limited CEO and Energy China Engineering Group (CEEC) Country Adviser Yasir Hamid has made a modest donation of 12,000 surgical masks to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). pr

KARACHI: Bahria Town Karachi, which is known for its beautiful landscaping and outstanding parks, was recently awarded positions in 17 different categories in the 69th Pakistan Annual Flower Show 2020 organized by the Horticulture Society of Pakistan. pr

Sugar audit commission Continued from page 01

Meanwhile, the total non-interest income increased 20.9pc year-on-year, from Rs2.37 billion last year to Rs2.86 billion this year. Most of that rise was due to the substantial increase in foreign exchange income, which stood at Rs1.06 billion, an 120.8pc increase from the Rs477 million in the same period last year.

The bank clarified that the non-interest income was impacted by bearish stock market sentiments amid coronavirus fear.

Non-interest expenses jumped by 19.6pc, from Rs6.76 billion in the last period to Rs8.09 billion now. According to the bank, non-interest expenses were driven by higher investment in IT and digital channels, regulatory compliances, the full period impact of 49 new branches opened last year, and the overall impact of inflation and rupee devaluation. The bank’s gross advances were reported at Rs520 billion, while deposits stood at Rs755 billion.

At the quarter end, the bank’s gross advances to deposits ratio stands at 68.9pc, while the CASA ratio was 80.6pc. According to the bank, this is among the highest in the industry.

The bank’s non-performing advances stood at Rs23.5 billion, and the NPL ratio at 4.5pc.

“The shareholders’ equity of the Bank improved marginally despite payment of dividend approved by the shareholders in the AGM held in March 2020. At the close of the first quarter, the Bank remains adequately capitalized with CAR at 17.25pc.” the bank added.

The cabinet ratified the decisions of the Economic Coordination Committee taken in its meetings held on April 22 and 27. The cabinet ratified the recommendations of the CCLC (Cabinet Committee on Legislative Cases) made in its meeting on April 27.

Advisor on Finance Dr Abdul Hafiz Shaikh briefed the cabinet about the progress made in regulating the affairs of Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP). The cabinet approved the appointment of Shaista Bano Gillani as acting chairperson of CPP. It approved, in principle, “Netting of Financial Contracts Bill, 2020” to remove any uncertainty in enforcing the netting rights in case of a termination event, bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings, limit the power of the liquidators to prevent any cherry-picking of qualified financial contracts/transactions, which fall under the ambit of netting provisions, ad allow financial collateral arrangements under such netting rights. Once the law is enforced the qualified financial contracts will always be settled on the basis of “netting” in the presence of the netting arrangement. The cabinet approved a proposal to notify that all the companies supplying electricity or gas through distribution or transmission line be members of a Credit Bureau and to furnish information in accordance with the Credit Bureau Act, 2015.

While approving allocation for a grant-in-aid from the federal government for the journalists and journalistic bodies, especially press clubs, the cabinet tasked Minister for Information Senator Shibli Faraz and Special Assistant to PM for Information Lt. Gen. (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa to finalize procedure / standard operating procedures for disbursement of the grant to the deserving journalists and journalistic bodies. The cabinet approved the restructuring of the Board of Directors of Pak-Arab Refinery Limited (PARCO). Aftab Hussain (Sindh), Abdul Hadi Shah (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), and Bushra Naz Malik (Punjab/ Women Representative) were approved as members on the PARCO Board. It also approved the nomination of director against the casual vacancies of the Board of Directors of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd, Pakistan Petroleum Limited, Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation, and Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority.

Remittances increase 6.2pc to $17bn in nine months iSLamaBad STAFF REPORT

The Ministry of Finance has said that the government’s recently announced measures to boost remittances have paid off, as remittances have already touched $17 billion level during the first nine months of the current fiscal year (Jul-Mar, FY2020) as against $16 billion last year, registering a growth of 6.2pc.

This trend shows that apprehensions and estimates as reported recently in the media with regard to estimates of the World Bank that there will be no inflows of remittances from March onwards are highly unrealistic and on the basis of current trend in

remittances and estimated COVID-19 impact, the figure of remittances inflows is expected to reach $20-$21 billion in FY2020.

The Finance Division noted that in order to encourage and facilitate overseas Pakistanis to send their remittances through official banking channels, various initiatives have already been taken by the government: the prevailing rate of TT charges has been enhanced from SAR 10 to SAR 20 for transactions between $100-$200. It would cost an additional amount of Rs3 billion to the government.

Meanwhile, the existing incentive scheme for the marketing of home remittances i.e. Re1 against $1 of remittance amount beyond 15pc growth over last year

05

may now be based on tiered growth i.e.

Rs.0.50 on 5pc growth, Rs0.75 on 10pc growth and Re1 on 15pc growth. It would cost an additional Rs600 million to the government. To leverage home remittance customers and encourage them to use banking channels, withholding tax will be exempted from Jul 01,2020 on cash withdrawal or on issuance of banking instruments/transfers from a domestic bank account to the extent of remittances amount received from abroad in that account in a year. FBR has been requested for amendment in Income Tax ordinance through finance bill.

A ‘National Remittance Loyalty Program’ will be launched from September 01,2020 with collaboration of major com-

mercial banks and government agencies through which various incentives will be given to remitters through mobile apps and cards. Besides the above measures, the present government has improved its diplomatic relations with the Gulf States which helped restore the confidence of foreign employers in Pakistani workforce. Resultantly, export of manpower has been increased to Rs.491.854 during Jul-Feb, 2020.

The Finance Division has also pointed out that while the media reports quote the World Bank as projecting 23pc decline in remittances, totaling about $17 billion in 2020, compared with $22.5 billion in 2019, due to the economic crisis induced by the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdown as well as decline in oil prices. However, in reality, the remittances inflows during FY2019 stood at $21.7 billion instead of $22.5 billion.

Wednesday, 29 April, 2020

06 COMMENT

Covid-19 and the dilemma of resources

For the new media team No walk in the park

T

HAT sAPM Firdous Ashiq Awan was given the boot was not unexpected, as stories hinting at her removal were already going the rounds. What comes as a big surprise is the choice of senator shibli Faraz as Federal Minister of Information and Lt Gen (rtd) Asim Bajwa as sAPM on Information.

The PTI’s media policy has been centered on three points, which are, building the image of PM Imran Khan as the greatest leader the country has produced, downgrading and damaging the reputation of the opposition leaders and launching a multipronged operation to bankrupt and silence the media. Former sAPM Firdous Ashiq Awan had managed to retain the office for over a year because of her crude methods to damage the opposition and suppress the free media. The policy had on the one hand turned government-opposition differences into animosities, while it had also increasingly embittered the relations between the government and the media. senator shibli Faraz has earned respect as a levelheaded and sophisticated parliamentarian. One does not expect him to resort to crude vocabulary to please the PM or take damaging steps to harm the media. During his tenure as IsPR spokesperson General Bajwa had no problems with politicians while he maintained cordial relations with the print and electronic media, efficiently conveying the military’s concerns to both. One does not expect him to praise the PM every morning and badmouth the opposition in every statement or support measures that amount to strangling the media.

There is no evidence to suggest that Mr Khan has changed his views about the opposition or the media. At the telethon last week, Mr Khan indignantly turned down the suggestion to take the opposition on board in the campaign for funds to fight coronavirus while the PM’s soul mate Maulana Tariq Jameel declared that Pakistani media, like its international counterpart, flourished by spreading lies. One would therefore wonder how the new media team got appointed. Meanwhile one will have to wait to find if the team really attempts to put an end to the increasing political hostility and moves to silence the media.

A bigger stimulus package is needed

rumman Faruqi

P

AKIsTAN’s economic team seems to be constantly behind the curve. Judging by the severity of the crisis, the initial support and stimulus package of Rs 1.2 trillion is proving to be totally inadequate. It is spread rather thinly across 12 different items, and in relative terms is equal to only 0.4 per cent of GDP, so that its stimulus impact is likely to be neither here nor there.

The promised relief is not being delivered to the people quickly enough because of a string of bureaucratic hurdles and cumbersome ‘means’ test rules. One example is the Ehsas programme. An article in the press has laid bare the shocking mishandling of this programme and given constructive suggestions on what could be done to speed it up.

A problem with our current policy is that it is too uncertain. We don’t know from one day to another whether we are in a total lockdown, partial lockdown or some hybrid, which is one of the major reasons for poor compliance. sOPs seem to have taken the place of clear policy statements.

The experience of other countries tells us two things; that delay and dither can be seriously costly and that it is not a binary choice between life and livelihood. We can do both: protect life and livelihood simultaneously. The first by enforcing lockdowns and the second, by using the resources that we have been given recently to come up with a substantial new support and stimulus package that could offer relief to the poor, jobless and sMEs. It is worth noting that the government has just been given nearly $4 billion by the multilateral development institutions, specifically for the purpose of dealing with the devastating economic and social effects of corona pandemic. In terms of breakdown: the IMF has given $1.4 billion, the World Bank $1 billion and the ADB $1.5 billion, with an understanding that

Corruption in cricket Not the first time and not the last

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AKIsTAN cricket once again is in the headlines not for any accolade or achievement, rather another corruption scandal. One of the most talented yet inconsistent batsmen that the country has produced, Umar Akmal, has been handed a three-year ban for not reporting being approached by bookies during this year’s Pakistan super League (PsL). such irregularities were identified and punished in an earlier campaign of the PsL as well. Being brought into disrepute is not uncommon for the one-time Cricket World Cup-winning nation as it has, almost in every era of great cricketers for at least the past three decades, been mired in match-fixing allegations followed by investigations that result in career-ending bans. In the 1990s, it was the Justice Qayyum report that, although it relied heavily on opinion presented as evidence, still found one cricketer, salim Malik, deserving of a life ban for having his fingerprints all over the place, while deeming evidence against other superstars. such as Wasim Akram, insufficient. In 2010 a spot-fixing scandal sent shockwaves through not only Pakistan but international cricket as well, not least because the accused were charged, tried and sentenced by the English Cricket Board (ECB) and International Cricket Council (ICC), but also because it extracted the country’s ace fast bowling pair of the time, Muhammad Amir and Muhammad Asif, from the team. Amir did make a return after serving his ban for he was only a juvenile at the time of his offence, but Asif never played for the international side again.

It seems the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is looking to make an example out of Akmal, since there have been more lenient bans handed out for similar offences before.

His reputation for being a troublemaker who did not always get along with management might be one aspect, but there is a bigger picture here. The PCB perhaps wants to instill in players a realization that concealing information of being approached by corrupt elements is as big an offence as throwing matches. This would help identify and apprehend elements behind fixing of matches while also protecting players’ careers, Pakistan cricket’s respect and the game’s integrity. While it is unlikely that Akmal will play under the PCB’s banner again, young, up and coming cricketers that the PsL has done a great deal in identifying should learn from his mistakes and play cleanly.

Commissions of enquiry They do nothing

Sirajuddin aziz

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s a young adult, many moons back, I had written and kept on my study table, the following words of John Ruskin, “for no human actions ever were intended by the Maker of Men to be guided by balances of expediency, but by balances of justice. He has therefore rendered all endeavors to determine expediency futile forever more. No man ever knew, or can know, what will be the ultimate result to himself, or to others, of any given line of conduct. But every man may know, and most of us do know, what is a just and unjust act”.

In this land of pure, I have grown up with three slogans, firstly, (God Forbid) my religion is in danger (Khatray mein) and has been in danger since 1947; secondly, the country is passing (perpetually!) through a critical and delicate situation (Nazuk daur); and thirdly, the final Royal proclamations (There are many of them I have read and heard), “All that has happened up till now is no good; I ( the new ruler) have arrived, now everything will be good.” The last of the slogans was always to the accompaniments of commitment and promises of pursuing ‘ruthless accountability’, which

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additional funds could be made available if needed.

It is also important to note that IMF financing via its ‘rapid investment facility” (RIF) is in the form of quick disbursing loans, which carry no conditionality and so can be deployed without further delay. Pakistan has also been given debt relief by Paris Club countries for one year, that is, to mid-2021 with the possibility of extending it to 2022. such relief has been given to nearly 70 other countries, primarily as a result of strong lobbying efforts by the IMF and World Bank in Washington DC. It is suggested that Paris Club debt relief could contribute another $1.2 billion to the exchequer, which would raise the total funds available to $5.2 billion.

Further, with the collapse of oil prices in world markets, the government could count on substantial additional revenue. Against these pluses, we have to take into account some minuses. These include some reduction in remittances, the negative effect of hot money outflows on reserves and the exchange rate, and the virtual closure of our export markets with a drop in our export receipts.

Given that the IMF programme negotiated last year is on the ventilator, the economic team must produce a policy paper giving a clear road map on the government’s policy priorities for the next 6 to 12 months and how the resources at its disposal will be deployed.

This is even more important now than at any time before, because the budget has been postponed indefinitely and we are living under high uncertainty.

According to recent IMF forecasts, south Asian economies would experience a GDP contraction of between -1.00 to -2.00 percent in 2020-21. As the Pakistani economy is much weaker than any of the others, the contraction would be much sharper: -2.5 to -4.5 percent have been mentioned. This means that the stimulus required would need to be at least twice to thrice the previous one, when growth was forecast at +1.5 to +2.0 percent.

The sBP has taken a number of positive actions.

The cut in interest rates to 9 percent was the most significant, along with other measures to support employment and provide credit lines to companies, particularly sMEs. However, what the sBP can do through monetary easing is limited and very rarely reaches the poor.

Given the size of the economic shock, and the assumption that the current crisis could last for at least six months, it has been suggested that a new stimulus package would need to be in the range of Rs 3-4 trillion. This is equivalent to about 1.0 to 1.5 percent of GDP. The Prime Minister keeps suggesting that we

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over time converts to “friendly (expedient) acceptance”, of all irregularities of omission and commission.

Add to the above slogans, the fact that I have also grown up with the institution of “commission and enquiries”. since corruption of all types spreads like covid-19, the need for a Commission of enquiry, grows in propensity. Here the word commission is not being used for representation of any financial implications, but, commission, as say a powerful Board of Directors, representing honesty, competence and independence, of its members.

I am not certain, if it is properly archived in Government records, the number of “commissions” that have been enacted, formed by ordinances or otherwise, since the birth of the Nation (1947). It is however, without a doubt, that these must be numerous; in fact may be countless! We have a great propensity to form judicial and non-judicial commissions of enquiry at the drop of the hat. Every person, political or apolitical, makes demand, for its creation, knowing fully well, it will not achieve anything. I believe the pleasure of mud-slinging is more joyous than what Ruskin, thought, about unjust and just acts!

The commission formed to identify the assassins of Liaquat Ali Khan to the more recent sugar and IPPrelated enquiries, have one thing in common, their fates, which are proverbially “sealed”. No action is expected, nor desired. Regardless of the nature or severity of crime, ranging from petty theft (Buffalos are stolen), highway robbery, loot, plunder, financial corruption, rape, sedition, breakup of the country, we have had a “commission” constituted, to undo and unravel the ‘mystery’ of why an “event” of the type and nature, defined earlier, ever took place?

On one end of the spectrum, we had a commission(judicial!) on the ‘Agartala Conspiracy case’ and then later, on the other end, we also had the Hamoodur Rehman Commission to identify and place responsibility, upon those who made for making the Agartala conspiracy a resounding success!

In view of the ever growing political polarization in our beloved land, there have been demands, from all shades of politicians for the establishment of a :”Truth and Reconciliation” commission, on the lines, as successfully done in south Africa. Me, being a thorough-bred compatriot of yours, my dear readers,

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don’t have the resources for dealing with the coronavirus. This is patently incorrect and not based on any serious economic or scientific assessment. Below are some facts and figures.

First, it is expected that the budget deficit this year would climb to about 10.5 percent of GDP. An enhanced support package of Rs 3-4 trillion would add another 1-1.5 percent to this.

How will this be financed? The government has already received nearly $5.2 billion from international financial institutions and Paris Club countries.

There is also money lying idle in the Dam Fund, which could be put to good use at this time.

The interest rate cut will also help greatly reduce pressure on budget deficit and release additional resources. A simple rule of thumb is that if the interest rate of interest falls by 1 per cent, the budget deficit improves by 1 percentage point times the country’s debt to GDP ratio. Given that the debt-to-GDP ratio in Pakistan is about 82 per cent, this would mean the impact of a one percentage point fall in interest rate would be equivalent to a cut in interest cost of about 0.82 per cent of GDP in the long run, and about 0.41 per cent GDP in the short run.

Thus, as a result of a reduction in interest rate of 4.25 per cent, (from 13.25 to 9 pc) over the last six months, we would expect a 1.75 percentage point turn-around in budget deficit─ sufficient on its own to finance the entire cost of an enhanced support and stimulus package.

In times of crisis such as this one we would expect budget deficits and debt levels to rise substantially, as part of Keynesian anti-cyclical measures. Even a conservative institution like thr IMF has come out in favour of running up large deficits to keep the economy afloat, on the ground that if you do nothing to stimulate the economy it would collapse and you would be lumbered with even higher levels of deficits and debt.

This above is meant to show that with the resources we have, as well as resources we have been given by the international community, we can meet the challenge of both saving lives and livelihoods, if we can only organize ourselves better, and ensure that the crisis does not spin out of control, which it threatens to. We are fortunate to have someone as experienced as Hafeez shaikh at the helm of finance at this time, and we trust he will be given the authority to steer the country out of this economic morass.

Rumman Faruqi is an economist, and former Senior Adviser at the World Bank.

I share your doubts and apprehensions. In fact, I will bet that the proceeding of such commission, if it is ever formed , will lead to ‘prevalence of falsehood’, instead of ‘ Truth’ and as a replacement for “reconciliation”, we will, most likely witness, more plantingss of ‘seeds of discord’! We as yet, do not have the mettle for such luxuries of freedom of thought.

Of late, we are being fed with a spate of enquiry reports. These are dissected threadbare on the idiot box, each night, by experts to suit their sense of justice. Who created the wheat and sugar shortage? Who promotes the price hike? Does conflict of interest need corroboration? And of such, the most delicious icing on the cake, we have now is the enquiry report on the Independent Power Projects (IPP)…. legally sanctioned by law has been an ROE of 20 percent in dollars, yes, that’s the currency in which the state has guaranteed the Patriotic producers.

The beauty, however lies in the fact that no commission completes its task according to its TORs(Terms of Reference); or even if it does in a few cases, then its report is sent with no glamour or recognition to the graveyard of files, upon which layers of dust gathers. These reports become the staple diet of vermin, rats, mice and so on; if these remain unconsigned to the furnace. Archaeologists and historians must direct some of their efforts here, instead of belabouring on the ruins of Mohenjodaro and Harrapa!

The ‘Commissions of enquiry ‘ have operated in practice by a rule that contradictions in principles can always be set aside; the ignorance and avoidance of applicability of any principles relating to ethics and morality, actually has ensured the existence of the practical politicians, bureaucrats, teachers, professors, students …… you name it!

In June, 1960 in an article published by The New York Herald Tribune, Richard Harkness wrote, “what is a committee(commission)? A group of the unwilling, picked from the unfit, to do the unnecessary”. The TORs of most commissions formed, not only embraced this thought, but also reverently adhered to it.

We are not as a nation given to learning from yesterday or today’s judgments, for a better tomorrow.

Conscience is always a backbencher, while expediency sits in the first row, reserved for violations of principles of justice, ethics and morality. And over time, we have become accustomed; thoroughly immunized with the thought that practice and its acceptance, adapts so beautifully and conveniently to expediency, of all sorts.

Sirajuddin Aziz is a freelance columnist.

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Wednesday, 29 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

What this means for the world

Criminal indifference to Kashmiris’ plight The coronavirus has not stopped Indian forces slaughtering Kashmiris

malik muhammad aShraF

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s the entire world is focused on fighting the deadly coronavirus, the Indian security forces have taken advantage of the situation and continued the killing spree in Indian-Occupied Kashmir which has been under complete lockdown since 5 August last year when the Modi government repealed Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution and then followed this with the formal annexation of the state through the Promulgation of The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act 2019 which became operative on 31 October 2019.

Reportedly during the current month so far 23 youths have been killed by the Indian security forces. The callousness and the barbarity of the Indian security forces know no limits as they are even refusing to hand over the dead bodies of the martyrs to their relatives and are burying them secretly in the Army-managed graveyards. There is a great resentment among the people of Kashmir against the oppression being perpetrated on them, and the Indian authorities being aware of this fact probably fear that if they hand over the bodies to their relatives, a great majority of people are going to participate in their funerals and protest against their inhuman acts. That is the typical reaction of a guilty conscience. It is also a blatant violation of the international laws and norms of humanitarian behavior. But who cares. Those who can play a role in ending the Indian oppression in Kashmir including the UN by having the dispute resolved amicably through the implementation of UN resolutions, are showing criminal indifference to the plight of the Kashmiris.

The international media has not only been continuously highlighting the Indian atrocities in Indian-Occupied Kashmir but has also refused to buy the Indian narrative in regards to the repeal of Article 370 and the promulgation of the Reorganization Act. The New York Times has been in the forefront in this regard.

A recent report in it makes startling revelations about the state of affairs in Indian-Occupied Kashmir, and perhaps reproducing some excerpts from it would give the readers an idea about the suffering of the Kashmiris fighting for their right of self-determination for the last 72 years-plus.

The report says “Eight months after India re- at 22,192, children orphaned at 107, 784 and voked Kashmir’s semiautonomous status and women gang-raped at 11,179. brought the region fully under its authority, docThe fact of the matter is that the people of tors here say a state of hopelessness has morphed Kashmir, like the people of Palestine, are the vicinto a severe psychological crisis. Mental health tims of the criminal apathy of the world powers workers say Kashmir is witnessing an alarming and their allies, focused on protecting and proincrease in instances of depression, anxiety and moting their strategic and commercial interests. psychotic events. Local medical professionals Humanity has no place in the policies pursued by say they are seeing a rise in suicides and an in- them. Even the UN is helpless in having a myriad crease in already disturbingly high rates of do- of its resolutions implemented. This posturing by mestic abuse in the disturbed area. Doctors and the so-called civilized world has not only encourresearchers say the occupied valley, with its ma- aged India to continue with its killing spree in Injority-Muslim population fighting for its inde- dian-Occupied Kashmir as well as its illegal pendence, has few resources to cope. Before the annexation but also in adopting a belligerent posevents of recent months, decades of violence be- ture towards Pakistan, more so since Narendra tween Indian security forces and the Kashmiri Modi has become Prime Minister of India. people had taken a physical and mental toll on Reportedly, during four months of the current the region and its people. Nearly 1.8 million year India has committed 848 ceasefire violations Kashmiris, or nearly half of all adults, have some and targeted innocent civilians in Azad Jammu form of mental disorder. Doctors without Bor- and Kashmir, while the tally stood at 3000 during ders estimated after surveying 5,600 households 2019. India also resorted to naked aggression reveal that nine of against Pakistan on 10 have experi26 February 2019 enced conflict-rewhen it sent its lated traumas. The planes to bomb a figures are much The powers-that-be need to wake up non-existent camp higher than in India. of the terrorists at to the ground realities in this region. Balakot and had its Thousands of civilians have been artwo planes downed Any confrontation between the two rested or detained by the Pakistan Air by order of the InForce, besides the nuclear neighbours, besides the dian government capture of one likelihood of mutual destruction, after it moved pilot,Wing Comforcefully to cement mander Abhinanwould also undermine their strategic dan. its control over Pakistan not Kashmir.

Police only released the and commercial interests in the have blocked roads pilot soon after but and streets with region. They and the UN need to act also showed recoils of glistening markable restraint to before the situation becomes concertina wire and avoid a military if the residents try to confrontation beunmanageable get out of their tween the two nuhomes they are clear states, thanks abused and beaten to the friendly counup. The clampdown tries which played a has disrupted daily life, with many people feeling role in defusing the situation. Pakistan proved its besieged and afraid to leave their homes. Years peace loving credentials to the world simultaneof strife has left a generation traumatized. Now ously making a statement that it was capable of the battle against the corona virus has further iso- thwarting any aggression by its enemies. lated and scarred a people with little access to The alarming aspect of the developing situahelp. A psychiatrist appointed by the govern- tion is that India is neither willing to abandon its ment, Dr. Majid shafi recalled that he had seen aggressive posture towards Pakistan nor 100 patients a week last year. Now, he sees more amenable to rescind her actions in Indian Occuthan 500”. pied Kashmir to pave the way for resolution of There could not have been a more authentic the dispute. The proponents of the Rss ideology and exhaustive account of the impact of the atroc- of Hindutva, like Hitler, are bent upon jeopardizities by the Indian security forces on the mental ing peace and security of the region and re-enacthealth of eight million people of Kashmir. It is re- ing the cataclysmic events of the Nazi era. The ally regrettable to note that India has been in- Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, has been dulging in killing and torturing the people of IOK warning the world about the likely repercussions with impunity ever since their launch of freedom of the Hindutva ideology for the region and bemovement in 1989. Human Right Organizations yond. The powers-that-be need to wake up to the like Amnesty International as well other interna- ground realities in this region. Any confrontation tional entities have been regularly documenting between the two nuclear neighbours, besides the the violations of human rights in the valley and likelihood of mutual destruction, would also unthe loss of lives at the hands of the Indian security dermine their strategic and commercial interests forces which depict a harrowing scenario. Ac- in the region. They and the UN need to act before cording to these accounts total killing since Jan- the situation becomes unmanageable. uary 1989 to 31st March stand at 95,515, custodial Malik Muhammad Ashraf is an academic. killings at 7139, civilians arrested at 159,450, structures destroyed at 109,462, women widowed He can be contacted at: ashpak10@gmail.com.

THE coronavirus pandemic gives credence to Thomas Malthus. (Thomas Robert Malthus wrote a paper in 1798 titled Principle of Population . He believed that natural forces would correct the imbalance between food supply and population growth in the form of natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes and human-made actions such as wars and famines.)

I remember when I joined Government College Lahore 64 years ago in my first year of Economics class ( Professor Fiza ur Rehman ) we were taught Malthusian Theory of Population which in the last 50 years became very Controversial and labelled as Tool of the white supremacist and Plutocrats Thomas Malthus theorized that populations grew in A geometric progression is a sequence of numbers where each term after the first is found by multiplying the previous one by a fixed, non-zero number called the common ratio. For example, in the sequence 2, 10, 50, 250, 1250, the common ratio is 5.

Additionally, he stated that food production increases in. An arithmetic progression is a sequence of numbers such that the difference between the consecutive terms is constant. For example, in series 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, the common difference of 3. He derived this conclusion due to this, we can conclude that populations will grow faster than the supply of food. This exponential population growth will lead to a shortage of food. Malthus then argued that because there will be a higher population than the availability of food, many people will die from the shortage of food. He theorized that this correction would take place in the form of Positive Checks (or Natural Checks) and Preventative Checks. These checks would lead to the Malthusian catastrophe, which would bring the population level back to a ‘sustainable level.’ He believed that natural forces would correct the imbalance between food supply and population growth in the form of natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes and human-made actions such as wars and famines.To correct the imbalance, Malthus also suggested using preventative measures to control the growth of the population. These measures include family planning, late marriages, and celibacy.

The Malthusian Trap (or “Malthusian Population Trap”) is the idea that higher levels of food production created by more advanced agricultural techniques create higher population levels, which then lead to food shortages because the higher population needs to live on land that would have previously used to grow crops. Even as technological advancement would normally lead to per capita income gains, theorizes Malthus, these gains are not achieved because in practice the advancement also creates population growth. Once the population exceeds what food supplies can support, this supposedly creates a Malthusian crisis with widespread famine as well as rampant disease. This ends up decreasing the population to earlier levels. What Thomas Malthus envisaged 222 years ago should not be ignored and we should recognise that Thomas Malthus was a man capable of an extraordinary farsightedness.

I am not promoting Malthusian philosophy but only saying that coronavirus gives credence to the controversial Malthusian Theory of Population. I personally think when humans cross their boundaries against the nature which are set by Almighty God then the natural forces come into effect such as floods, famine, earthquakes, diseases and harmful developments take place. Although coronavirus is man made but it has God’s blessings to set the Global Imbalance in the Right place for the times to come .

AFTAB A CHAudHRY Lahore

Poverty on the cards POvERTY is one of the major issues faced by pakistan. According to a report published by human development index Pakistan ranks 150 out of 189 countries in poverty. Before the outbreak of coronavirus, upto 29.5 percent people lived below the poverty line that constituted approximately 55 million people. However, the situation is different after the outbreak of covid-19. It is expected that the rate of poverty will become 50 percent and 120 million people will live under the poverty line by the end of this year amid an outbreak of coronavirus.

We have been witnessing the unnecessary debate over whether or not total lockdown is justified. The prime minister Imran Khan already opposed total lockdown because he said if he imposed lockdown across the country, people would run out of food and starve. However, the government of all provinces are already experiencing the lockdown that will result in abject poverty. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), almost 90 percent of pakistan’s workforce are working as security guards, cleaners, raksha drivers, street vendors, garbage collectors and domestic help are suffering from hunger and food shortage due to lockdown in the country. Therefore, there is a dire need to take strong measures by the government to support the poor and implement properly on relief packages given by federal and provincial governments. Otherwise, the situation will be further critical for the country and people will die of hunger not of coronavirus.

BiLAWAL ALi LAKHo Shikarpur

Corona’s ferocity COvID-19 is one of the curses. The skirmish of the virus is disseminating exponentially day by day. Nowadays, it is the most vulnerable subject that people are discussing repeatedly. The scorching virus has changed the beautiful image of the country. Government imposed a lockdown in the country. streets have been godforsaken places. Truly, tranquility of the empty cities are consuming inner-scenery and peace. People are stressed to stay at home because it spreads from person to person instantly. In fact, people are cooperating with the government so far. The frontline fighters are such doctors, paramedics, police officers, and army. They are all heroes of the nation. However, few brave people have lost their lives. Among all, one of them is Waqar Kharal. He is superintendent of police (sP) due to the lockdown he was handling security in Manga village, in Peshawar. In the village, a person died due to Corona-virus. After a few days, he was tested positive for Corona-virus. Additionally, Dr Zafar Mirza, special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan on National Health services said that during last 24 hours a number of suspected cases was 13,324 out of them 1,600 are confirmed cases including 593 from the Punjab, 502 from sindh, 192 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 141 from Balochistan, 123 from GB, six from AJK and 43 from the ICT. He said in the backlash of virus 17 people have lost their precious lives and death toll is increasing. In this regard, he reiterated that everyone should help the government and stay at home.

NAvEEd ABBAS MAiTLo islamabad

Wednesday, 29 April, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

It’s the best of tImes, It's the worst of tImes. make the most of It YOU CAN ENJOY THIS TIME, ALBEIT AT A PACE SOMEWHAT LESS FRENZIED THAN IT WAS WHEN THINGS WERE ‘NORMAL’

Time mAgAzine

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MarGaret atWooD

O you think you remember a movie in which a knight gallops toward a castle just as its drawbridge is going up, and his white horse jumps the moat in one glorious airborne leap? I could picture it too, but when I went looking for this image on the Internet, all I could find was a couple of cars sailing over rivers via lift bridges and the Pink Panther detective flailing around in the murky water, having missed.

Nonetheless, we’re that rider. Chasing us

is the dreaded coronavirus. We’re in midair, hoping we make it to the other side, where life will have returned to what we think of as normal. So what should we do while we’re up there, between now and then?

Think of all the things you hope will still be there in that castle of the future when we get across. Then do what you can, now, to ensure the future existence of those things.

Health care workers go without saying: everyone should be supporting them, because let’s assume we all want a health care system in that Castle Future. But what made your life worth living when you were healthy, apart from friends and family? We each have our own lists. Here are some of mine.

Favorite restaurants and cafés. Strange how we assume these happy places will always be there, so we can step out or drop in whenever we feel like it. To help them over the jump, order takeout and buy gift certificates. You can usually find out online what’s on offer, where.

Your local bookstore. Some offer curbside pickup, some delivery, some mail-

order. Keep them going! In the same department, publishers and authors can use a hand—especially those whose spring book launches have been canceled. All sorts of inventive solutions are popping up: Twitter launches, podcasts, virtual events of various sorts. People are fond of saying “the reading community” and “the writing community,” which is not exactly true—there are many groups and entities, not all of them friendly to the others—but you can make it truer. When I was 25, things were so sparse on the ground in Canadian publishing that it was a truism that writers should help both other writers and their publishers. And we did, mostly, even though some of us hated some others.

(That’s part of “community,” too. Ask anyone from a small town. In face of an emergency you support your local enemies, because though they might be jerks, they’re your jerks, right?)

Your trusted newspapers and magazines. Democracy is increasingly under pressure, since there’s nothing like a crisis to allow an authoritarian regime to toss

Stop the witch-hunt of activists and journalists in Delhi and Indian held Kashmir and repeal the draconian UAPA! CAmpAign AgAinST STATe RepReSSion Counter Currents

Over the last two weeks, across New Delhi, numerous activists and students have been targeted and harassed by the Delhi Police. Operating under an openended FIR, the police are attempting to accuse these persons, many of whom are engaged in providing indispensable relief work to workers and people bereft of food and other supplies due to the illplanned COVID-19 induced lockdown, of instigating and executing the violence that engulfed North East Delhi in late February 2020. Three activists, Meeran Haidar and Safoora Zargar of Jamia Millia Islamia and Umar Khalid, former student of Jawaharlal Nehru University, have now been charged under several sections of the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and Indian Penal Code (IPC).

These charges must not be seen as isolation. Rather, they are continuation of the numerous methods by which the State has sought to crush the vibrant struggle for democratic rights that emerged from the opposition to the communally charged and anti-people Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Registry of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR). It must be noted here that by accusing these persons of orchestrating the violence in North East Delhi, the State is in fact perpetrating an absolute travesty of justice.

That the violence which wracked North East Delhi was orchestrated is indisputable. However, its real perpetrators and planners not only remain free but also bask under the protection of the police and the administration. BJP leaders like Anurag Thakur, Kapil Mishra and Ragini Tiwari who have been recorded making inflammatory and communally charged speeches, urging violence against Muslims and all those opposing the CAA, NRC and NPR have not even been questioned. The numerous RSS and Bajrang Dal karyakartas involved in mobilising and leading the Hindutva mob that ransacked North East Delhi remain unprosecuted. The innumerable police personnel who viciously attacked Muslim youth and actively aided the Hindutva mob, continue to patrol the streets with impunity, and now brutalise the hapless and starving residents of Delhi in search of food and other rations.

While all this happens in the Capital, the situation in Indian held Kashmir is equally dire if not worse. While the lockdown in India commenced on 22nd March 2020, Indian held Kashmir has been under lockdown since the abroga-

IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT DEMOCRATIC AND PROGRESSIVE VOICES SPEAK OUT, ELSE RISK BEING SILENCED FOREVER tion of Article 370 on 5th August 2019, causing immeasurable physical and mental harm to the Kashmiri people.

The lack of mobility, scarcity of resources, restrictions on information, disruptions to work and education that people across the country face today has been a fixture in the lives of Kashmiris for the last 9 months. Furthermore, the country wide dearth of medical facilities is even more pronounced in the Indian held Kashmir where the doctor to patient ratio is drastically below the countrywide average. Journalists like Masrat Zahra, Mushtaq Ganaie and Gowhar Geelani who have attempted to document the difficulties faced by the Kashmiri people, particularly during the spread of the COVID-19 virus, have faced the ire of the State and are charged under sections of UAPA and IPC. Notably, Peerzada Ashiq, a journalist who exposed the diversion of COVID-19 kits from Indian held Kashmir to Jammu has been similarly charged. It is a grave reflection of our times that even the performance of journalistic duties is deemed a terrorist act.

Targeting and marginalising Muslims on the Indian mainland and militarily repressing Kashmiris are nothing new for the Indian State. However, at a time when the material conditions of the broad masses have deteriorated severely and the State has adopted a Brahmanical Hindutva Fascist character, these actions must be viewed as part of the larger narrative of establishing the Hindu Rashtra.

Efforts to degrade Muslims to secondclass citizen status, attempted via the CAA, NRC and NPR, have continued even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The labeling of the Nizamuddin Markaz as part of a “Corona Jihad”, the boycott of Muslim essential service providers and the denial of medical care to Muslims, including pregnant Muslim women, are all part and parcel of these efforts. Mainstream media has drilled this communal narrative into the public discourse feeding prejudice and bigotry with sensationalist headlines and dubious reporting.

Today, a large section of the Indian masses face the dual risk of infection and starvation due to the BJP led Central Government’s refusal to bear responsibility to provide food and other rations during the lockdown. At such a time, when an eruption of popular anger against this complete disregard for the material conditions of the masses is possible, BJP led Central and State Governments and their lackeys

in the mainstream media have made every effort to divert this anger towards the Muslim community. This narrative is being portrayed throughout the country in relation to COVID-19 and additionally in Delhi with regard to the violence in North East Delhi. This is a narrative that all democratic and progressive forces must condemn and combat.

Finally, it must be noted that the branding and targeting activists to demoralise and crush the movements they belong to is a tactic that the State is deploying with increasing frequency and intensity. Be it in the arrest of eleven academics, activists, lawyers, journalists and poets in the Elgaar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case or the incarceration of Akhil Gogoi, Chingiz Khan, Ishrat Jahan, Dr. Kafeel Khan, Khalid Saifi, Sharjeel Imam and now several more, it is evident that the State is becoming more and more intolerant of any dissent or opposition. At such times, it is imperative that democratic and progressive voices speak out, else risk being silenced forever.

Campaign Against State Repression urges democratic and progressive organisations and individuals to condemn these charges against activists, journalists and students, demand that the arrested be released and the witch-hunt be ceased.

• Immediately stop the witch-hunt of activists and journalists in Delhi and Indian held Kashmir under the draconian UAPA. • Immediate release of all arrested activists and political prisoners in fabricated cases particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Immediate action (with restrain in light of COVID-19) against all the perpetrators of violence in North-East Delhi under the garb of cracking down on Anti-CAA protests.

• Repeal of all draconian laws including UAPA, NSA and PSA, among others.

Campaign Against State Repression: (Organising Team: AISA, AISF, APCR, BCM, Bhim Army, Bigul Mazdoor Dasta, BSCEM, CEM, CRPP, CTF, Disha, DISSC, DSU, DTF, IAPL, IMK, Karnataka Janashakti, KYS, Lokpaksh, LSI, Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, Mazdoor Patrika, Mehnatkash Mahila Sangathan, Morcha Patrika, NAPM, NBS, NCHRO, Nowruz, NTUI, People’s Watch, Rihai Manch, Samajwadi Janparishad, Satyashodak Sangh, SFI, United Against Hate, WSS)

civil liberties, democratic freedoms and human rights out the window. Part of this tossing is the always popular move toward a totalitarian shutdown of information and debate. It’s vital to keep the lines of communication both open and independent.

Give subscriptions. Support sites that combat fake news, and others, such as PEN America, that fight for responsible free speech. Donate to publicly supported radio stations. Provide some free ad time by spreading the word via your own social media. Don’t let a virus cut out our tongues.

Arts organizations, of all kinds. Art is how we express our humanity, in all of its dimensions. Through art, we descend to the depths of our human nature, rise to the heights and everything in between. Theater, music, dance, festivals, galleries—all have had to cancel shows, all are hurting. Donations, gift certificates, ticketed online events.

Without an audience there is, eventually, no art. You can be that audience.

Your planet. One you can live on. Short form: kill the ocean, and there goes your oxygen supply. Many have commented on

the fact that during this pandemic, global emissions and global pollution have actually gone down. Will we live differently, to make that a reality in the Castle of the Future? Will we source energy and food in better ways?

Or will we simply revert? Choose an environmental organization or two, or more, and donate. Now’s your chance.

Finally, keep the faith. You can make it across that moat! Yes, this moment is scary and unpleasant. People are dying. People are losing their jobs and the feeling that they’re in control of their lives, however cliff’s-edge that control may have been. But if you aren’t ill—and even if you have small children and feel your brain has been kidnapped—you’re actually in a good place, comparatively speaking.

You can enjoy this time, albeit at a pace somewhat less frenzied than it was when things were “normal.” Many are questioning that pace—What was the hurry?—and deciding to live differently.

It’s the best of times, it’s the worst of times. How you experience this time will be, in part, up to you. If you’re reading this, you’re alive, or so I assume. If you’re not alive, I’m in for a big surprise.

Atwood is the author of more than 50 books, including The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments.

Add days to school year to help parents and kids ADD 20 DAYS TO THE SCHOOL CALENDAR NEXT YEAR AND ONE HOUR TO EACH DAY. THAT WOULD HELP STUDENTS RETAIN INFORMATION AND TAKE A BURDEN OFF PARENTS

USA TodAy Harris Cooper

So, Mom and Dad, have you acquired a new appreciation for the profession of teaching yet?

There are probably several lessons you have learned about teaching in just the past month.

First, teachers for different grades need different temperaments as well as a firm grounding in the science of teaching. You knew your 6year-old was different from your 10-year-old, who was different from your 14-year-old. But now you see the disposition and knowledge base of a successful teacher at each grade level has to complement the developmental level of the children at their chosen grade.

A successful kindergarten teacher is a nurturer, a hugger (in the age before social distancing); a middle school teacher is capable of delivering instruction through a fog of raging hormones; high school teachers need to emit an aura that commands respect, partly through their personal demeanor and partly by their command of their subject areas.

KIDS NEED STRUCTURE TO STAY ENGAGED: And maybe home-schooling isn’t working out so well. Certainly, time spent on academic lessons is way, way down compared with the amount of instruction kids would get in school. When you’re the teacher, you have to jump from one subject to another and even one grade level to another.

Kids are also easily distracted and unproductive when they study by themselves. The instructional material you’re getting from school might be great, but every teacher knows there’s a difference between seat time and engaged learning time.

And even if the teacher is there online, it is harder for kids to stay engaged staring at a screen than sitting in a classroom. What to do to make up for the hours of lost learning time millions of kids are experiencing during the pandemic? Here’s an immodest proposal: Add school days and hours to the next school year. In reviewing the research on summer learning loss, I have found dozens of studies showing all kids lose math skills over summer.

Meanwhile, children from low-wealth homes lose more reading skills than children from wealthier homes. For poor kids, no matter how many materials teachers send home, the words and reading opportunities in their homes simply don’t match those of their better off counterparts.

For many kids, the pandemic has added about two months or so to the summer break. For example, if your state mandates that children go to school for 180 days a year and if schools were closed in mid-March, they probably lost about 50 days of instruction, or nearly a third of the school year.

Another rough calculation: By adding 20 days to the school calendar and one hour to each school day next year, schools could make up about 50 days of instruction. The exact design of such a new calendar could be worked out by the states and school districts, which may increase the required hours of instruction. States and school districts could also consider adjusting the length of holiday breaks in 2020-21.

HOME-SCHOOLING ISN'T WORKING WELL: Let’s get really creative. Here's a possible solution that schools could tailor to meet their local circumstance. Suppose kids started next year in the grade they were in in mid-March.

They start instruction roughly where they left off.

In a month or so, they graduate to the next grade.

New kindergarteners? They don’t start until this year’s 5-year-olds move on to first grade.

High school seniors? Don’t bother to bring them back, but hold prom and graduation during fall break, maybe during Thanksgiving weekend. It’s too important an event for adolescents and their families to just let it disappear. True, the logistics for pulling this off would be difficult. Teachers would need to cooperate, perhaps for extra pay.

Adding time to the school day would require adjustments to lesson plans. Bus schedules would need to be adjusted. Noninstructional employees would need to agree to the new schedule.

Yet the current “solution” we are using to compensate for our children’s lost instruction also comes at a cost. It’s a quick fix that isn’t really working well for anyone. But it will certainly work better for some than for others. And when the new school year starts, teachers will face even greater disparities in students’ skills and knowledge levels than ever before.

Parents are already adjusting to a new family routine, economic concerns and worries about their aging parents. Instead of pressuring parents to do a near impossible task, let’s not let a thirdof-a-year of our kids’ education be yet more collateral damage of the coronavirus. Let’s help moms and dads maintain what their children have already learned. But let’s leave teaching new things to the experts. There’s too much to lose.

Harris Cooper is the Hugo L. Blomquist Distinguished Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience at Duke University.

Wednesday, 29 April, 2020

BUSINESS 09

ADB to provide $15m loan for urban development in Punjab ISLAMABAD PPI

Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide Pakistan with a concessional loan worth $15 million for urban development projects in Punjab. A signing ceremony to this effect was held in Islamabad wherein Economic Affairs Division Secretary Dr Syed Pervaiz Abbas and ADB Country Director Xiaohong Yang inked the document. Both sides expressed their strong commitment to further the cooperation for socioeconomic development in Pakistan. The concessional loan is a 'Project Readiness Financing Facility' for engineering and designing urban development projects in seven major cities across the province, as identified by the provincial government. The provincial Local Government and Community Development Department is the executing agency for the subject project which is expected to be completed by October 31, 2022. The PRF shall prepare readiness to ensue projects across seven major cities including Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan, Rawalpindi, and Sargodha.

IHC questions ‘relegation’ of ZTBL vice presidents ISLAMABAD

GOVT, DEVELOPmENT PArTNErS wEIGH ECONOmIC ImPACT Of COVID-19 MANUFACTURING AND SERVICE SECTORS TO TAKE A SIGNIFICANT HIT IN 2020 ISLAMABAD

A

STAFF REPORT

HIGH-level meeting, chaired

by Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, on Tuesday underlined several challenges the country was likely to face on the economic front due to the impact of COVID-19 on the national, regional and global economy.

The meeting was attended by leading development partners, including World Bank, Asian Development Bank, UK’s Department for International Development and United Nations Development Programme, according to statement issued by the finance ministry. During the meeting, the participants agreed that it was too early to predict the impact of COVID-19, but if the crisis persisted, then the manufacturing and service sectors as well as the

exports were likely to be severely affected in the year 2020 while agriculture growth was likely to remain intact in Pakistan.

The participants of the meeting also predicted that due to an extended economic crisis, the fiscal deficit could rise to 9.6 per cent of the GDP while the impact on the poverty figures could also be higher due to closure of businesses and restricted economic activity due to the lockdown situation.

In a worst-case scenario, the growth rate could remain at -1.57 per cent of the GDP. During the meeting, it was pointed out that the corona crisis had drastically affected the global economy, which could shrink by 3pc.

Similarly, it was also felt that there would be a negative growth throughout 2020 and the chances of recovery were expected from the start of 2021.

The meeting underlined the need to

'FISCAL DEFICIT COULD RISE TO 9.6PC OF GDP, WHILE POVERTY FIGURES COULD ALSO INCREASE DUE TO BUSINESS CLOSURES AND RESTRICTED MOVEMENTS' pursue a clear, transparent and unified plan of action combining a “whole of the country” approach backed by necessary constitutional measures to sail out of the crisis.

Expenditure rationalization, particularly reduction of low-impact spending, and revenue generation were also emphasized as key areas of focus in coming months. It was felt that the construction sector could provide the key for resurgence of economic activity.

The meeting also warned against the relaxation of the lockdown which could further increase the infection rate and put unbearable burden on the healthcare system which was already finding it hard to provide regular healthcare services due to increased focus on dealing with the Covid-19.

It was suggested that Pakistan

MARKET DAILY

TLTP

While extending a stay order in a matter pertaining to recovery of salaries from 21 vice presidents of Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) in the wake of their alleged wrong promotions, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday asked the bank’s counsel to come up with response whether petitioners were given a hearing opportunity before relegation.

Advocate Umer Ijaz Gilani had filed the petition before the IHC, challenging an office memorandum relating to the relegation of 21 vice presidents of the country's largest agriculture sector financial institution on the grounds that "demotion of an employee is subject to the approval of the Board of Directors". He further claimed that the bank’s management has cancelled promotions of as many as 150 employees including 21 vice presidents without following due process of law alleging the management failed to provide hearing opportunity and issued an office memorandum in the matter at once. Opposing the petition before a single-member bench of Chief Justice Athar Minallah in the matter, counsel for the bank counsel made a point that representations of all total 21 petitioners were pending before the bank in the current case the counsel urged the court to dismiss the plea. However, the bank’s counsel remained unable to respond to the court’s query whether the aggrieved employees were given a hearing before issuing the office memorandum in question.

VEON appoints Erwan Gelebart as JazzCash CEO BUSINESS DESK VEON Ltd and Euronext have announced the appointment of Erwan Gelebart as the Chief Executive Officer of JazzCash, effective from May 18 this year. He will report to VEON's co-CEO Sergi Herrero. Erwan has more than 15 years' experience, including the launch and scale-up of digital financial services in Bangladesh, Ghana, Madagascar and Mali and while at EY Parthenon, Orange Money and Grameenphone. Commenting on the appointment, Sergi said, "With 7.3 million active digital wallets, JazzCash has enormous potential in Pakistan - a country with a young, fast-growing population of more than 200 million. Erwan's background of success and entrepreneurial spirit will play a crucial part in our growth plans for JazzCash over the coming period." Erwan stated, "I am excited to join VEON as it executes on a strategy of growing its connectivity business while building out digital services across all ten operating companies. JazzCash has never been more important in addressing Pakistan's unbanked population and encouraging greater financial inclusion in an increasingly cashless world." Erwan holds an MBA degree from the Asian Institute of Technology as well as a Masters’ degree in Management from the SKEMA Business School.

Stocks rebound amid improved market sentiments KARACHI STAFF REPORT

After a disappointing close to the previous session, the Pakistan Stock Exchang e (PSX) turned its direction on Tuesday, with the indices securing modest gains before closing in the green.

Foreign investors ended the previous session (Monday) as net sellers, registering a net outflow of $1.27 million.

"The upcoming data on inflation and rumours of a possible rate cut helped the investors take a positive view on equities," said an analyst at Arif Habib Ltd. "International crude oil prices edged lower on Tuesday (WTI slipping below $11/bbl), which kept the E&P stocks under pressure. However, the cement sector rebounded as the concerns over cement price/bag dissipated."

Adding 321.34 points, the KSE100 Index marked its intraday high at 32,635.91. It closed higher by 238.82 points at 32,553.39. Among

other indices, the KMI-30 Index accumulated 561.99 points to close at 51,890.72, while the KSE All Share Index gained 124.41 points, settling at 22,977.71. Of the total traded shares, 151 advanced while 117 declined.

The overall volumes increased from 122.28 million in the previous session to 157.76 million. Maple Leaf Cement Factory Limited (MLCF +2.97pc) topped the volume chart for the second consecutive session, followed by Unity Foods Limited (UNITY +3.56pc) and DG Khan Cement Company Limited (DGKC +4.15pc). The scrips had exchanged 36.19 million, 20.56 million and 6.65 million shares, respectively.

Sectors that brought positivity to the KSE-100 Index included cement (+93.13 points), power generation & distribution (+46.11 points) and food & personal care products (+45.48 points). Among the companies, Hub Power Company Limited (HUBC +50.06 points), Engro Corporation Limited (ENGRO +36.53

points) and Lucky Cement Limited (LUCK +33.25 points) remained the top contributors to the index.

On the financial side, Pakistan Stock Exchange Limited (PSX 0.00pc) announced earnings per share (EPS) of Rs0.08 for the third quarter of FY20 (Rs0.01 last year), Hub Power Company Limited (HUBC +3.21pc) declared an EPS of Rs3.06 for 3QFY20 (Rs2.35 in 3QFY19), Cherat Cement Company Limited (CHCC +4.80pc) posted an EPS of Rs3.23 for 3QFY20 (Rs6.29 last year), Ghandhara brothers Ghandhara Nissan Limited (GHNL -0.70pc) recorded an EPS of Rs-0.55 for 3QFY20 (Rs0.12 last year), while Ghandhara Industries Limited (GHNI +0.72pc) recorded an EPS of -8.43 for 3QFY20 (Rs0.28 last year). Similarly, Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MARI +2.46pc) published an EPS of Rs63.54 for 3QFY20 (Rs43.11 last year), whereas Saif Power Limited (SPWL -3.28pc) declared an EPS of Rs2.32 for 1QFY20 (Rs2.22 in 1QFY19).

In a notification to the exchange, Avanceon Limited (AVN +4.01pc) announced that it has entered into a partnership with Parksol to offer "Smart Parking Management Solution" in Pakistan.

Moreover, TPL Properties Limited (TPLP +9.56) informed that the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has approved "form-35" filed by TPLP for amalgamation of Centrepoint Management Services (Pvt) Ltd with and into TPLP as approved by BoDs of both companies.

would be required to “reset and reboot” its economy to come out of the red zone. It was felt that the second tranche of cash grants to those vulnerable segments who were adversely affected by the lockdown and closure of businesses would be required to further the relief efforts.

Asian Development Bank informed the meeting that they were interested in giving local currency loan to Small and Medium Enterprises adversely affected by this crisis.

It was also noted in the meeting that the speed, efficiency, and transparency with which Pakistan has already disbursed more than Rs75 billions to its millions of vulnerable population is unprecedented not only in Pakistan but in the entire region and such a thing was unimaginable in recent past of the country.

Swabi farmers seek financial aid as hailstorm destroys standing crops PESHAWAR AZIZ BUNERI

Farmers from Swabi district on Tuesday demanded the federal government to provide them with a financial package as recent rain and hailstorm has severely damaged their tobacco, wheat, vegetable and fruit orchards.Two days ago, a severe hailstorm had lashed the tobacco-producing district and flattened standing crops. According to sources in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the reduction in tobacco crop would mean a direct reduction in the government’s revenue in term of taxes. Last year, various companies purchased tobacco worth Rs8.5 billion from the farmers of Swabi, resulting in millions of rupees worth revenue for the FBR. Liaqat Yousafzai, General Secretary of the Farmers Coordination Council, told this scribe that tobacco crop, which grows in 30 of 56 union councils of Swabi district, has been “completely destroyed” by the hailstorm. He informed that the cost of Virginia tobacco crop is more than Rs300,000 per hectare, which also includes labour cost.

“Majority farmers have obtained loans from the cigarette companies and now it will be difficult for them to pay back,” Yousafzai said, adding that the farmers had a meeting with the deputy commissioner, who had assured them that he would talk to the government for a compensation package for affected farmers. At present, the wheat crop is ready in Mardan division along with various varieties of vegetables that are too affected due to hailstorm, he said and demanded the government to immediately conduct a survey of the affected area and provide relief to farmers as soon as possible. Tobacco crops and products fall under the jurisdiction of the central government, which earns Rs150 billion annually from this crop, Yousafzai said.

EMPG, OLX Group announce merger of MENA and South Asia businesses DEAL INCLUDES OLX GROUP'S BUSINESSES IN PAKISTAN, EGYPT, THE UAE AND LEBANON LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Emerging Markets Property Group (EMPG), a leading property portal group in emerging markets, and OLX Group, Prosus’ global classifieds business, have announced their merger in Pakistan, Egypt, Lebanon and the UAE. The agreement includes a $150 million investment round, led by OLX Group along with existing EMPG shareholders, which values EMPG at $1 billion after the transaction. As part of the deal, OLX Group will

contribute its operations in the four countries into EMPG and will become EMPG's largest single shareholder, owning 39pc of the company.

EMPG will use the new capital to develop a range of new services, creating a more seamless user experience, enhancing data transparency, and deepening market intelligence for both consumers and business users. In Egypt and Lebanon, EMPG will operate the existing OLX platforms, rolling out new services for the real estate community, as well as offering consumers a superior experience across all categories.

In Pakistan and the UAE, both groups’ platforms will be operated by EMPG and will continue to operate through their wellknown local brands.

The aggregated value of properties sold in these markets is estimated at $90 billion, providing a commission pool for real estate agencies of over $2 billion per annum. This presents a great opportunity for EMPG to enhance their real estate services in these markets.

“EMPG has grown at a tremendous pace since its inception,” said CEO Imran Ali Khan. “Our unique ability to scale using our

proprietary tech has aided and enabled this expansion. This deal puts us one step further in our journey towards providing solutions in multiple markets to over a billion consumers around the world, expanding our classifieds offering significantly."

Martin Scheepbouwer, CEO of OLX Group, stated, "I'm proud of what we have built in these four markets. Our brands are household names, and currently help tens of millions of people to exchange goods and services every month. The next phase is an exciting one, with EMPG’s real estate industry expertise helping deepen the customer experience. As EMPG’s largest shareholder, we'll have a front seat to explore how we can scale their services model further - taking our ambition to shape the future of classi-

fieds into its next stage."

EMPG is currently present in the GCC region with Bayut, Pakistan with Zameen, Bangladesh with Bproperty, Morocco and Tunisia with Mubawab, and Thailand with Kaidee. After this deal, besides expanding to Egypt and Lebanon, EMPG will also operate OLX's platforms in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman, and the dubizzle platform in the UAE.

Wednesday, 29 April, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS

asian markeTs mosTly up as lockdowns eased buT oil plunges again BEIJING

a

AGENCIES

SIAN stocks mostly rose Tuesday as investors track government moves to ease lockdown measures around the world, helping extend the previous day’s rally, but US oil prices suffered another collapse.

While data is beginning to highlight the impact coronavirus has had on economies, markets have been buoyed in recent days by news that some of the worst-hit countries are finally seeing infection and death rates slow to levels not seen for a month.

However, profit-taking and concern that some containment measures could be lifted too soon — leading to a possible second wave of infections — are tempering any

surge across markets.

Those concerns were highlighted by data out of Germany Tuesday showing a slight pick-up in transmission just as the country was beginning to open up.

Focus this week is on policy decisions by the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank, after the Bank of Japan said it would lift the limit on its bond-buying programme to provide liquidity to financial markets. Equities in Asia started weakly but picked up through the day.

Hong Kong added more than one per cent, Seoul gained 0.6 per cent and Taipei put on 0.5 per cent. Manila put on more than two per cent while Jakarta climbed 0.3 per cent, Singapore gained 0.2 per cent and Mumbai was up 0.8 per cent.

Wellington surged more than three per

SK says North Korea's Kim may be trying to avoid coronavirus SEOUL: Kim Jong Un may have missed a key holiday on April 15 because of concerns over the coronavirus, not because he is ill, South Korea’s minister for North Korean affairs said on Tuesday. North Korean leader Kim’s absence from public ceremonies on the birth anniversary of his grandfather and founder of the country, Kim Il Sung, was unprecedented, and he has not been seen in public since.

That has led to days of speculation over his health. South Korean officials emphasise they have detected no unusual movements in North Korea and have cautioned against reports that Kim may be ill. North Korea has said it has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus, but given the fact that the country has taken stringent steps to head off an outbreak, Kim’s absence from the ceremonies is not particularly unusual, Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul, who oversees North Korea engagement, told lawmakers. “It is true that he had never missed the anniversary for Kim Il Sung’s birthday since he took power, but many anniversary events including celebrations and a banquet had been cancelled because of coronavirus concerns,”. AGENCIES

cent as investors returned from a long weekend when New Zealand declared victory in its battle against the virus and considered lifting restrictions.

But Tokyo, Sydney and Shanghai ended slightly lower. In early trade, London, Paris and Frankfurt posted healthy gains.

CRUDE TUMBLES: Stephen Innes at AxiCorp said the general mood for now was positive.

“Investors continue to play off the bullish-for-growth narrative as several economies around the world set to re-open to the timely central bank week, where guidance will pledge to expand existing assetpurchase schemes if conditions deteriorate,” he wrote in a note.

But CMC Markets’ Michael Hewson warned that while massive central bank and

government support had been providing a boost to stocks, “the economic data has gone from bad to worse and unlikely to get better in the short term, which means that investors appear to be banking on a quick return to normal as governments slowly relax restrictions”.

Despite tentative reopenings in some countries, crude continues to be mauled by concerns over collapsed demand and storage facilities filling up.

WTI plunged more than 18 percent below $11 a barrel Tuesday, a day after it lost a quarter of its value, after a major exchange-

traded fund started selling its short-term contracts of the commodity. The United States Oil Fund — a massive, oil-backed exchangetraded vehicle — said it would sell all its holdings in the June delivery and would buy into longer-dated contracts. The move highlighted fears that storage is filling up and that when futures contracts do expire, buyers may find there is little space to put the oil they have purchased. The Oil Fund’s move “is causing a massive price distortion between June and July”, Innes said. WTI for July was changing hands at more than $18 Tuesday.

Trump angers China by warning US may seek damages over coronavirus BEIJING AGENCIES

US President Donald Trump suggested he may seek damages from China over the coronavirus pandemic which began in the Chinese city of Wuhan and spread around the world, prompting a furious response from Beijing on Tuesday.

Beijing and Washington have clashed repeatedly over the outbreak as tensions have soared between the world's two biggest economic powers. "We are not happy with China," Trump said at a White House briefing Monday. "We are not happy with that whole situation because we believe it could have been stopped at the source.

"It could have been stopped quickly and it wouldn't have spread all over the world," he said, saying there were many options to "hold them accountable".

Trump was asked about a recent German newspaper editorial which called on China to pay Germany $165 billion in reparations because of economic damage due to the virus. Asked if the US would consider doing the same, Trump said "we can do something much easier than that."

"Germany is looking at things, we are looking at things," he said. "We haven't determined the final amount yet," Trump said. In Beijing, a foreign ministry spokesman on Tuesday accused US politicians of "telling barefaced lies", without naming Trump specifically, and of ignoring their "own serious problems".

Trump warned abouT virus repeaTedly in January and February: washingTon posT WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump was repeatedly warned about the dangers of the novel coronavirus in intelligence briefings in January and February, The Washington Post reported late Monday. The warnings — more than a dozen included in classified briefings known as the President’s Daily Brief — came during a time the president was mostly downplaying the threat of a COVID-19 pandemic. The Post, citing unnamed current and former US officials, said the warnings were contained in the daily classified summary of the most important global issues and security threats. For weeks, the Daily Briefs traced the spread of the virus, said that China was suppressing information about the virus’s lethality and ease of transmission, and mentioned the frightful political and economic consequences, the Post said. The president, who officials told the Post often does not read the briefings and bristles at having to listen to oral summaries, failed to mobilize for a major pandemic. Trump did restrict travel between the United States and China in late January, but he spent most of the following month downplaying the threat. He did not declare a national emergency over the coronavirus pandemic until March 13, as the stock market plummeted and virus cases were on the rise in New York. AGENCIES

"American politicians have repeatedly ignored the truth and have been telling barefaced lies," Geng Shuang told reporters at a regular press briefing.

"They have only one objective: shirk their responsibility for their own poor epidemic prevention and control measures, and divert public attention." Geng said US politicians should "reflect on their own problems and find ways to contain the outbreak as quickly as possible."

TENSIONS AND DOUBT: There have been nearly a million infections with more than 56,000 coronavirus-related

deaths in the United States and the pandemic has shut down huge swathes of the economy.

In China, the outbreak seems to be under control with no new deaths reported for 13 straight days and the toll standing at 4,633 — although several countries have cast doubt over whether the numbers are accurate.

Trump and his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo angered Beijing last month by repeatedly referring to "the Chinese virus" when discussing the COVID-19 outbreak — although they

later appeared to drop the term.

But a foreign ministry spokesman in Beijing later suggested that it was the US military which brought the virus to Wuhan — prompting angry claims from Trump that China was spreading misinformation. Since then the US president has repeatedly attacked China´s lack of transparency and the slowness of its initial response to the outbreak. Claims from the US that the virus actually originated in a virology institute in Wuhan with a high-security biosafety laboratory have also been angrily refuted in China.

Mysterious blood clots are COVID-19's latest lethal surprise NEW YORK CITY AGENCIES

After he had spent nearly three weeks in an intensive care unit being treated for COVID-19, Broadway and TV actor Nick Cordero’s doctors were forced to amputate his right leg.

The 41-year-old’s blood flow had been impeded by a clot: yet another dangerous complication of the disease that has been bubbling up in frontline reports from China, Europe and the United States.

To be sure, so-called “thrombotic events” occur for a variety of reasons among intensive care patients, but the rates among COVID-19 patients are far higher than would be otherwise expected.

“I have had 40-year-olds in my ICU who have clots in their fingers that look like they’ll lose the finger, but there’s no other reason to lose the finger than the virus,” Shari Brosnahan, a critical care doctor at NYU Langone told AFP. One of these patients is suffering from a lack of blood flow to both feet and both hands, and she predicts an amputation may be necessary, or the blood ves-

sels may get so damaged that an extremity could drop off by itself.

Blood clots aren’t just dangerous for our limbs, but can make their way to the lungs, heart or brain, where they may cause lethal pulmonary embolisms, heart attacks, and strokes.

A recent paper from the Netherlands in the journal Thrombosis Research found that 31 percent of 184 patients suffered thrombotic complications, a figure that the researchers called “remarkably high” — even if extreme consequences like amputation are rare.

WHY IS IT HAPPENING? Behnood Bikdeli, a doctor at New York–Presbyterian Hospital, assembled an international consortium of experts to study the issue. Their findings were published in the Journal of The American College of Cardiology. The experts found the risks were so great that COVID-19 patients “may need to receive blood thinners, preventively, prophylactically,” even before imaging tests are ordered, said Bikdeli.

What exactly is causing it? The reasons aren’t fully understood, but he offered several possible explanations.

CMYK

People with severe forms of COVID19 often have underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease — which are themselves linked to higher rates of clotting.

Next, being in intensive care makes a person likelier to develop a clot because they are staying still for so long.

That’s why for example people are encouraged to stretch and move around on long haul flights.

It’s also now clear the COVID-19 illness is associated with an abnormal immune reaction called “cytokine storm” — and some research has indicated this too is linked to higher rates of clotting.

There could also be something about the virus itself that is causing coagulation, which has some precedent in other viral illnesses.

A paper in the journal The Lancet last week showed that the virus can infect the inner cell layer of organs and of blood vessels, called the endothelium. This, in theory, could interfere with the clotting process.

MICROCLOTS: According to Brosnahan, while thinners like Heparin are effective in some patients, they don’t work for

all patients because the clots are at times too small. “There are too many microclots,” she said. “We’re not sure exactly where they are.” Autopsies have in fact shown some people’s lungs filled with hundreds of microclots. The arrival of a new mystery however helps solve a slightly older one. Cecilia Mirant-Borde, an intensive care doctor at a military veterans hospital in Manhattan, told AFP that lungs filled with microclots helped explain why ventilators work poorly for patients with low blood oxygen.

Earlier in the pandemic doctors were treating these patients according to protocols developed for acute respiratory distress syndrome, sometimes known as “wet lung.” But in some cases, “it’s not because the lungs are occupied with water” — rather, it’s that the microclotting is blocking circulation and blood is leaving the lungs with less oxygen than it should. It has just been a little under five months since the virus emerged in Wuhan, China, and researchers are learning more about its impact every day. “While we react surprised, we shouldn’t be as surprised as we were. Viruses tend to do weird things,” said Brosnahan.

Wednesday, 29 April, 2020

Next year’s Olympics will be caNcelled if paNdemic NOt Over: Games chief Tokyo

t

Agencies

HE postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics will have to be cancelled if the coronavirus pandemic isn’t brought under control by next year, the organising committee’s president warned, ruling out further delays.

The comments, in an interview with a Japanese sports daily published Tuesday, come as medical experts doubted whether the pandemic can be sufficiently contained by next year to hold an event drawing participants and spectators from around the world. The pandemic has already forced a year-long delay of the Games, which are now scheduled to open on July 23, 2021.

But Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori was categorical when asked by the Nikkan Sports daily whether the Games could be delayed until 2022 if the pandemic remains a threat next year, replying: “No.” “In that case, it’s cancelled,” Mori said.

Mori noted the Games had been cancelled previously only during wartime, and compared the battle against coronavirus to “fighting an invisible enemy”.

If the virus is successfully contained, “we’ll hold the Olympics in peace next summer”, he added. “Mankind is betting on it.” Masa Takaya, a Tokyo 2020 spokesman, declined to comment on a pos-

sible cancellation of the Games and told reporters that Mori’s remarks were based on “the chairman’s own thoughts”.

But the comments will add to growing questions about the postponement, decided last month after heavy pressure on the organisers and the International Olympic Committee from athletes and sports federations.

On Tuesday, the head of Japan Medical Association warned it would be “exceedingly difficult” to hold the Games next year if a vaccine has not been found.

“I would not say that they should not be held, but it would be exceedingly difficult,” Yoshitake Yokokura told reporters.

- ‘Very pessimistic’ And last week a Japanese medical expert who has criticised the country’s response to the coronavirus warned that he was “very pessimistic” that the postponed Olympics can be held in 2021.

“To be honest with you I don’t think the Olympics is likely to be held next year,” said Kentaro Iwata, a professor of infectious diseases at Kobe University.

“Japan might be able to control this disease by next summer, I wish we could, but I don’t think that would happen everywhere on Earth, so in this regard I’m very pessimistic about holding the Olympic Games next summer,” he said.

But Tokyo 2020 spokesman Takaya countered that even medical experts said it was too early to make a judgement on such a possibility.

Japanese officials and the IOC have said the Games will be a chance to celebrate victory over the virus, with some suggestions that the pandemic fight could even be incorporated into the opening ceremony.

Postponing the Games is an enormous logistical and financial challenge, with the final pricetag for the delay still unclear.

In the interview, Mori said organisers were considering holding joint opening and closing ceremonies for the Olympics and the Paralympics in an effort to cut costs. Under the plan, the Paralympics would join the Olympic opening ceremony on July 23, and the Olympic closing ceremony would be integrated into the Paralympics closing event in September.

But Mori admitted that Tokyo organisers had not yet obtained the consent of the IOC and their Paralympic counterparts.

“It’s going to be a considerable cut in costs and a big message of victory against the global crisis, but it’s not easy,” Mori said. Organisers have said the question of who will shoulder the additional costs is yet to be resolved, though Mori said the IOC should pay a share.

“We should make a decision after both sides examine and fully understand them,” he added.

Fate of Hundred in balance as English cricket chiefs meet London Agencies

England cricket chief Tom Harrison says the controversial Hundred has become “even more important” due to the economic damage from coronavirus ahead of a meeting that will decide the fate of the new competition.

Last week, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) further delayed the start of the 2020 season until July 1 at the earliest but said the inaugural Hundred would be on the agenda this Wednesday.

The new 100-balls-per-side format, to be played by eight franchises rather than English cricket’s established 18 first-class counties, is meant to start in July.

ECB officials have long insisted it will attract a new audience vital to safeguarding cricket’s future, with some matches set to be broadcast live on terrestrial television.

But public health restrictions, the problems of bringing in overseas stars and the issue of launch costs at a time of economic crisis mean a delay appears inevitable.

“We’ll look at how the situation impacts the Hundred, which was envisaged as being a tournament that enabled us to widen the audience for the game,” said Harrison.

“With an in-stadia environment, with international players, it’s going to be very, very difficult.” oPPosiTion VoiCes Many voices within English cricket have been opposed to the Hundred from the outset, arguing there is no space for a new format in an already congested calendar. They say many of the ECB’s aims could be achieved with better support for the existing Twenty20 Blast. But Harrison, one of the key movers behind the competition, said current conditions made it more important than ever.

SPORTS 11

french football mourns robert herbin, ‘who made the impossible possible’ Paris: French football is mourning Robert Herbin, the inspirational coach of the flamboyant Saint-Etienne team that was narrowly defeated in the 1976 European Cup final. Herbin died on Monday aged 81 after being taken to hospital last week with heart and lung problems unrelated to coronavirus.

He played more than 400 matches for SaintEtienne and later brought a cerebral approach to coaching, earning the nickname the “The Sphinx” as he dragged French football back into the international spotlight. France’s national team slumped in the early 1970s, failing to reach the 1970 and 1974 World Cup finals, so the European run of Herbin’s SaintEtienne side caught the nation’s attention. The green-shirted team from central France that featured future France and Tottenham Hotspur manager Jacques Santini, midfielder creator Jean-Michel Larque and the talented Dominique Rocheteau as a substitute were beaten 1-0 by Bayern Munich at Hampden Park in Glasgow. Herbin recalled that he was convinced everything conspired against his team that night. “It left a deep impression on me. I have never got over it. I still think about it today. I think the good Lord wasn’t with us, neither were the goalposts or the crossbar,” he told AFP in 2015. St Etienne board member Bernard Caiazzo paid tribute to Herbin, saying: “We will always remember a great international player but also an exceptional coach who brought the pride back to French football at a time when we were at a low.”

“He showed us that ‘impossible’ doesn’t exist in football,” St Etienne chairman Roland Romeyer said. Agencies

argentine football season declared over due to virus

“If anything this crisis and the implications, long-term or medium-term, mean the case for the Hundred is even more important,” he said.

“So I don’t think this in any way dilutes the case for the Hundred, it absolutely accelerates it and makes it something cricket needs to get behind.”

Even before the pandemic, the ECB had itself forecast the Hundred would make a loss in its first five seasons.

Costs in the first year, including the 1.3 million pounds ($1.6 million) paid to each county, were estimated at 58 million pounds, against an income of 51 million pounds.

Not playing the Hundred could potentially save the ECB millions at a time when it has launched a 61 million pounds virus aid package for the domestic game.

But Harrison is convinced it will make money in the long run — and help preserve the existing county set-up.

“It will help us achieve one of our priorities, which is keeping the lights on through the network — making sure county cricket is really healthy and strong long, long into the future,” he said. “And it will help broaden the audience for the game. There will be a huge clamour for audience coming out of this crisis, for all sport.”

Buenos aires: The Argentine football association will put an end to the 2019-20 season which has been interrupted since midMarch due to the coronavirus pandemic, its president Claudio Tapia said on Monday. “We are going to end the tournaments so we can designate the teams qualified for continental competitions next year,” Tapia told a local news channel. The Argentine FA also said there will be no relegation this season or next due to the disruption caused by the health crisis. Gimnasia, the club coached by Diego Maradona, will remain in the top division as a result. Relegation is calculated by a complicated system of points taken over a three-year period. Boca Juniors won the league championship with a 1-0 victory over Gimnasia on the final day at the start of March. Agencies

Should the Premier League season be cancelled?

London Agencies

Will Liverpool get the chance to end their long wait for the Premier League title or will there forever be an asterisk against a season that remains unfinished due to coronavirus?

Premier League stakeholders are meeting on Friday to discuss the way forward, with widespread speculation over a potential June 8 restart.

With the Dutch Eredivisie already called off and the Belgian season in the balance, there have been calls for the English topflight to draw a line under the season.

But the clubs remain committed to ending the 2019/20 campaign and there are compelling financial and legal ramifications to playing the remaining 92 games.

AFP Sport looks at both sides of the debate: FinD a WaY To FinisH: Since the Premier League was suspended on March 13, English clubs have endured a torrid time, with controversies over pay cuts and players breaking social-distancing rules tarnishing the brand. Getting the focus back on football

would be a welcome boost for the league, as well as fans who would embrace the diversion offered by the return of matches.

European football’s governing body UEFA last week said completing seasons remained the “ideal scenario”. If that is not possible, leagues were urged to find ways of restarting “with a different format”, which could mean play-offs in some cases. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has reportedly been briefed on a potential plan for fixtures to be played behind closed doors.

And in a sign that Premier League teams are gearing up for a potential return to action, Arsenal, Tottenham, West Ham and Brighton have allowed players to return to individual training. “I believe the Premier League can finish,” Wolves winger Diogo Jota told BBC Sport. “Although some leagues can end right away, others can start sooner. I know almost every country in the world has the Premier League as one of the leagues to watch so it is major that we can finish the season.”

As manager of Dutch club Den Haag, who were spared relegation, former Newcastle and Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew has a unique perspective on the issue. He be-

lieves the English top tier will be played to a finish to avoid costly court battles.

“The TV rights situation is much more problematic in the Premier League. If you bring in the same model (as the Netherlands) you will end up with huge court cases,” Pardew told the Daily Mail.

“From the managers, chairmen and chief executives I’ve spoken to in the Premier League, it seems they are determined to finish the season, subject to that being allowed by the government.”

CaLL iT oFF: Given the devastating loss of life and economic damage caused by the virus, making sport a priority is a controversial move. Clubs cannot guarantee players’ safety and fears have been voiced that even if matches take place behind closed doors, fans could gather outside stadiums, breaking social-distancing rules.

Former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp said he did not see much sense in playing into July or August and delaying the next campaign.

“If the season’s not completed by the end of June we need to look at the options and just look forward to next season,” he said.

CMYK

If this season cannot be finished, then the thorny subject of how to decide the issues of the title, European places and relegation will have to be resolved.

The null-and-void option would be doomsday scenario and is certain to enrage clubs and fans, with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool on the brink of their first league title since 1990.

Manchester United, Wolves, Sheffield United and Tottenham, all currently outside the top four, would surely claim they had been unfairly been denied a chance of Champions League qualification. Aston Villa would be relegated along with Norwich and Bournemouth, but Dean Smith’s Villa could point to the game in hand that could have lifted them above Watford to safety.

Wednesday, 29 April, 2020

NEWS

PM aPProves ‘Green stiMulus’ PackaGe to boost Greenery, eMPloyMent

P

APP

He added the programme would enable daily wagers to earn their living with dignity during the recent situations arising out of COVID-19. The prime minister directed that all the stakeholders, including provincial governments and international bodies, must be engaged to enhance the scope of the programme and create additional jobs.

He also directed the Ministry of Climate Change to prepare a plan of action for engaging the international community under the Debt for Nature Swap programme to convert part of the country’s debt into a grant for greater plantation and environment protection activities.

The prime minister said transparency and community participation must be en-

sured for the success of the programme that promised a better future for the coming generations.

Imran Khan emphasized that areas must be demarcated, in collaboration with the provinces, for establishing national parks all over the country as a step towards the promotion of green economy.

India pushing ‘Hindutva’ agenda in IHK amid corona crisis, says FO PAKISTAN REJECTS INDIAN ALLEGATIONS OF ‘INFILTRATION ATTEMPTS’, TARGETTING OF ‘LAUNCHING PADS’ ACROSS LOC ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) on Tuesday said that India has sought to take advantage of the world’s preoccupation with the coronavirus crisis to further push its “Hindutva” agenda in Indian-occupied Kashmir including by attempting to alter the region’s demography.

Referring to India’s new domicile law, under which an Indian citizen who has lived in occupied Jammu and Kashmir for 15 years can call the territory their place of domicile, FO Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui in a statement said the changes “represent another opportunistic move by the RSS-BJP dispensation to advance their sinister aim of effecting a demographic change in the occupied territory”.

“Pakistan and the Kashmiris have firmly rejected these Indian machinations in the past and will continue to do so in the future,” she added.

The FO also categorically rejected what it termed “baseless” Indian allegations of “infiltration attempts” by Pak-

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

ISLAMABAD RIME Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday approved the “Green Stimulus” package as part of the government’s efforts to extend green cover in the county and to create job opportunities for the youth especially in the wake of COVID-19 crisis.

The Green Stimulus package, as part of the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami project, aims to promote plantation, setting up nurseries, natural forests, and promotion of honey, fruit, and olive plantation in the country. Under the package, a “Green Nigehabaan” initiative would also be launched to provide job opportunities to initially 65,000 youth / daily wagers making them part of the plantation campaign.

The prime minister, in his remarks, said addressing climatic issues and enhancing the green cover of the country was among the foremost priorities of the present government. He said the Green Stimulus package, especially the Green Nigehbaan initiative, would offer employment opportunities to the youth and help in promoting the objectives of clean and green Pakistan.

FM seeks oic intervention over ‘islamophobia’ in india

istan and “unfounded claims” that Indian troops have targeted “launching pads” across the Line of Control (LoC).

The statement also rejected the “provocative statements” of Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, including his recent claim that India is “dominating the enemy”.

“There is nothing new about Mr Rajnath Singh’s delusions; nor about his belligerent anti-Pakistan rhetoric,” the statement said, adding that it was obvious that the “Indian propaganda machine is in over-drive”.

According to the handout, the repeated Indian allegations were aimed at diverting the world’s attention from India’s “state-terrorism and grave human rights violations” in occupied Kashmir. It said India also seeks to use these allegations as a pretext for “false flag” operations which Pakistan has been sensitising the international community about.

“India’s belligerence continues to imperil peace in the region,” the statement said, noting that India had committed 882 ceasefire violations in 2020 alone and “deliberately targeted innocent civilians”

living close to the LoC in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Meanwhile in occupied Kashmir, Indian forces have been targeting the youth in the garb of “so-called cordon-andsearch operations”, the FO said, adding that in April alone, 29 Kashmiris have been martyred, including seven since the onset of Ramazan.

The statement also criticised India for the harassment and intimidation of Kashmiri journalists, saying it has further intensified under the notorious “Unlawful Activities Prevention Act”, while Indian forces continue to operate with “complete impunity”.

“On the other hand, continued communications restrictions and lack of unfettered access to medical and other essential supplies are compounding the Covid-19 situation for the Kashmiris in IOJ&K,” the statement noted.

The FO asked India not to underestimate “the resolve of the people and the armed forces of Pakistan to thwart any aggressive design”.

“Our immediate and effective response to India’s Balakot misadventure

clearly demonstrated Pakistan’s will, capacity and preparedness,” the statement said.

The statement stressed that Pakistan will continue to extend its moral, political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people till the realisation of their right to self-determination as enshrined in the UN Security Council resolutions.

The FO statement comes days after Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar had called out India for “promoting Hindutva and saffron terrorism”, saying its attempt to “link coronavirus with Muslims and Pakistanis has failed badly”.

Recently, Indian army chief General MM Naravane had alleged that Pakistan was “exporting terror” during the Covid19 crisis while India was helping others and its own people. “It is very unfortunate that at a time when the whole world and India is fighting the menace of this pandemic, our neighbour continues to foment trouble for us,” The Hindustan Times had quoted Navarane as saying.

The allegation was rejected by both the FO and the military’s media wing.

Virus cases top three million as nations plan lockdown exit NEW YORK AGENCIES

Confirmed coronavirus cases have now topped three million worldwide, as hard-hit France and Spain on Tuesday detailed their exit strategies from lockdowns imposed to stem the spread of the deadly disease.

As countries begin to chart their path out of shutdowns, US President Donald Trump said the devastating pandemic could have been “stopped at the source” by China, suggesting the United States may seek damages.

More than 209,000 people have been killed around the world by COVID-19, a quarter of them in the US. “We are not happy with China… we believe it could have been stopped at the source. It could have been stopped quickly and it wouldn’t have spread all over the world,” Trump said of the disease that emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.

The three-million figure probably reflects only a fraction of the actual number of infections, as many countries are testing only the most serious cases.

When asked about a German newspaper editorial that called on China to pay Germany $165 billion in reparations for economic damage done by the virus, Trump said the US could take its own action to hold China accountable.

“We are talking about a lot more money than Germany’s talking about,” he said. “We haven’t determined the final amount yet. It’s very substantial.”

Forecasts warn of the worst global recession in a century, with oil prices tumbling and the travel and tourism sector badly hammered.

For parts of the US, the lockdown has begun to ease — despite criticism from health experts — much to the delight of some citizens.

“We need the human touch, human contact,” said 64-year-old Kim Kaseta, as she tucked into breakfast in the US state of Georgia.

With a handful of US states taking steps to revive their shuttered economies, schools and shops in some parts of Europe also opened up as the rate of people dying slowed in the worst-hit European nations.

Italy — the first European country to go into lockdown seven weeks ago — began allowing some construction and factory workers to go back to work on Monday.

From next week, Italians will be able to exercise outdoors and visit relatives — but only if they wear masks and refrain from hugs and handshakes.

Spain has already begun easing its tight lockdown and was set to announce more detailed plans on Tuesday, as was France, which has said it will begin to ease confinement on May 11.

Florists, dentists and others went back to work in Switzerland in the first stage of a three-phase plan.

“I’m delighted that we’re starting up again. If we don’t work, things are dead,” Geneva hairdresser Anita Ayma said.

But British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who emerged from his own battle with the virus, called for patience in the UK, saying it was too early to follow suit.

Looking thinner and with his blond hair longer after his hospital stay, the 55-year-old said he could not “throw away all the effort and the sacrifice of the British people and to risk a second major outbreak.”

His comments stood in stark contrast to those made the previous day by New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Arden, who said the nation had won the battle against “widespread, undetected community transmission”.

New Zealanders indulged in fast food and coffeeshop treats for the first time in five weeks as the country eased its strict lockdown that banned any form of takeaway.

“We see the difference in other countries and I don’t envy them, that’s for sure,” said Wellington resident Cheryl Robertson, who planned to celebrate with a curry.

Surfers and swimmers also returned to catch the waves at Australia’s Bondi Beach, which was closed in late March, but the white sands remained off-limits to sunbathers, joggers and families.

Most US states do not yet have sufficient COVID19 testing to consider relaxing stay-at-home orders, according to an analysis by Harvard researchers and the health news site Stat.

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

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that growing state crimes against Muslims in India have become a serious threat to Muslims living in the country. He said this in his recent letter written to Secretary General of organization of Islamic Cooperation and Foreign Ministers of OIC countries, to draw attention of the Muslim Ummah towards rising intolerance in India against minorities, especially Muslims.The foreign minister said Muslims of India are being held responsible for spreading coronavirus in India is the latest incident of hate based on Hindutva ideology of RSS and ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

He said and organized malicious campaign against Muslims is going on. He said the character assassination of Muslims by holding them responsible for spread of coronavirus and declaring them as human bombs are few bright examples of this malicious propaganda. He said social media has been flooded with anti-Islam content. “Terminologies like Corona-Jihad, Jihad-COVID-19 and Islamic rebellion are being spread through specific trolls, being run by social media cell of the ruling BJP,” he added. The foreign minister said hate campaigns against Muslims are being run at mass level. He said international and local media houses are showing attacks on Muslims in streets, shops, and mosques. He said overseas Indian citizens living in the Middle East and other countries are also involved in spreading this venomous campaign against Muslims, where millions of Indian Citizens are doing jobs in these countries.

The foreign minister said we welcome concerns of OIC against biases of Indian government against Muslims. He called upon OIC to highlight this issue on International forums, including the human rights commissions.

us says would recognise israel annexation WASHINGTON AGENCIES

The United States on Monday said that it was ready to recognise Israel’s annexation of much of the West Bank but asked the new unity government also to negotiate with the Palestinians.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has reached a power-sharing deal to remain in office after three inconclusive elections, has vowed to press ahead with annexations that the Palestinians say will shut the door to a two-state solution. A Middle East “vision” unveiled in January by US President Donald Trump gave a green light to annexations, but Netanyahu’s coalition deal with centrist Benny Gantz said the cabinet would consult Washington before moving forward. Netanyahu on Sunday hoped that Washington would give Israel the nod within two months to move ahead with de facto annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank, Reuters had reported.“As we have made consistently clear, we are prepared to recognise Israeli actions to extend Israeli sovereignty and the application of Israeli law to areas of the West Bank that the vision foresees as being part of the State of Israel,” a State Department spokesperson said. The step would be “in the context of the Government of Israel agreeing to negotiate with the Palestinians along the lines set forth in President Trump’s Vision,” she said. Trump, whose evangelical Christian base is staunchly pro-Israel, has granted a wish-list to Netanyahu over the past three years. His Middle East plan would let Israel annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank — which the rest of the world considers illegal — and exert sovereignty all the way to Jordan. The Palestinians would be granted a sovereign but demilitarised state along with promises of major investment. The Palestinian state’s capital would be on the outskirts of Jerusalem, the contested holy city which would remain fully under Israeli sovereignty. “This is an unprecedented and highly beneficial opportunity for the Palestinians,” the State Department spokesperson said. The comments expand on remarks to reporters on Wednesday by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who said annexation was ultimately “an Israeli decision.” Palestinians have flatly rejected the Trump proposal, partly because it awards Israel most of what it has sought during decades of conflict, including nearly all the occupied land on which it has built settlements. The Palestinians have already threatened to cancel existing peace agreements if Netanyahu moves forward with his plan, while the European Union foreign policy chief said annexation would be a violation of international law and force the bloc to “act accordingly”. The UN’s Middle East envoy said such a step would “ignite” the region. The Arab League plans to hold a virtual meeting this week to discuss the annexation plan, which under the Israeli coalition deal could happen as soon as July.