Epaper – August 12 KHI 2020

Wednesday, 12 August, 2020 I 21 Dhul-Hijjah, 1441 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 43 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition

naB PostPones hearing against MaryaM aFter PoliCe, PMl-n workers Clash g

PML-N VP claims anti-corruption body wanted to harm her

LAHORE SHAHAB OMER

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OLLOwINg a clash between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) workers and police officials outside the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Lahore office over PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz’s appearance, the former premier’s daughter said that what happened earlier in the day was a moment of concern for the government.

The PML-N VP was personally summoned by the NAB on Tuesday in a 180acre land purchase case but her appearance was postponed after a clash ensued between the party workers and the police. However, according to the sources in NAB, she is likely to be sent a recall notice next week.

A large number of PML-N workers showed up at their leader’ appearance before the anti-graft body. The police had set up barricades alongside other security measures outside NAB office, but suddenly

Pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

282,655

15

RECOVERED:

NEW CASES:

539

DEATHS:

261,246 6,120 SINDH:

124,556

PUNJAB:

94,586

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

34,755

Sources say NAB will summon Mar yam again next week

a clash took place between the police and the PML-N workers with both sides pelting stones at each other. Reportedly, PMLN workers and the police clashed after the former attacked the security officials with stones upon the arrival of their leader. In response, the police started firing into the air to disperse the crowd. Several protestors were also arrested, reports suggest.

Television footage revealed men in plain clothes pelting stones at the police, who were also seen attacking some PMLN workers with batons, water cannons and tear gas. Numerous television channels also displayed footage and photographs of cars, purportedly part of the PML-N caravan, loaded with bags full of stones.

Meanwhile, the front screen of Maryam’s car broke, and she said, “Police threw stones at my car breaking its windscreen. I came here [to the NAB office] to cooperate with you. Now, why did you summon me if you were so scared [of me]? Muster courage to listen to me.”

Addressing reporters, Maryam said that she would not leave without getting her

Coronavirus in

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

g

11,956

2,150/2,371 15,281

statement recorded and that NAB should not have summoned her if they did not have the courage to listen to her replies.

“If you do not have the courage, you should have thought it through before calling me here. After calling me, you turn to shelling and pelting stones on innocent PML-N workers. If I did not have a bullet proof car, think of how much damage would have been caused.”

Later, she left after NAB revealed in a press release that her hearing had been postponed.

PML-N CRITICISES NAB, POLICE: Responding to the incident, the party’s central spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb censured the bureau and police, saying the authorities cannot shatter the courage of party workers by torturing them. According to a PML-N spokesperson, at least 50 workers were arrested by police during the incident.

Maryam condemned police brutality against PML-N party workers in a tweet saying, “I strongly condemn police shelling, use of tear gas and lathi charge on peaceful party workers who came to show solidarity with me”.

She also shared pictures of party workers who were injured in the clash.

PML-N Punjab president Rana Sanaullah accused police of thrashing party workers and throwing “chemical water” at them.

Later, addressing a press conference after the incident, Maryam said that “state terrorism” and repression were displayed in front of NAB office and unarmed workers were tortured. “Today, state terrorism was demonstrated, peaceful and unarmed workers were pelted with stones, tear gas and stones were hurled at the workers. I received the call up letter from NAB the day before yesterday. It was said that I may have bought some land. No allegation was made against me in the call up letter.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

Pakistan on road to recovery but danger still lurks, minister says g

Asad Umar urges compliance with SOPs, says govt planning on imposing ‘micro smart lockdowns’ ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

A day after provinces rolled back quarantine restrictions amid a decline in new infections, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, while comparing country’s coronavirus situation to that of its neighbours, expressed satisfaction as he said the country was on the path to recovery. Observing Pakistan’s infection rate and the death toll was much lower than its neighbours, the minister, however, warned that the situation could worsen if people stopped following precautions.

People flocked to gyms, salons and restaurants that opened on Monday for the first time in five months after being shut to curtail the pandemic. The country has recorded more than 285,000 cases and nearly 6,110 deaths but has seen a slowing of numbers since June, when it recorded nearly 7,000 infections and 118 deaths in a single day. Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Asad said, “Look at the regional situation. The positivity rate in Pakistan is around three whereas

Country heading towards economic stability: Faraz ISLAMABAD TLTP

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz has said that State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) foreign reserves have increased to $12.5 billion from $8 billion due to prudent economic policies of the government, adding that the country is heading toward economic stability.

Briefing the media about the decisions taken in the federal cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the information minister said when the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) government came into power, the current account deficit was $20 billion and in two years the government has brought it to $3 billion.

He maintained that the fiscal deficit stands at 8.1 per cent, saying due to effective economic policies, Moody’s confirmed Pakistan’s B3 credit rating with a stable outlook.

The minister said that under the Ehsaas programme, the government has distributed financial assistance to 15 million families. He said that the government adopted the policy of reducing imports and increasing

the positivity rate is 9.4 in Iran and 9.8 in India — almost three times higher. The positivity rate in Bangladesh in 23/24 which is eight times higher than Pakistan’s.

“If we compare deaths over the last 10-12 days according to population, Iran has seen 20 times the number of deaths as Pakistan while India has recorded around four to five times the number of fatalities. If we compare Pakistan’s deaths to India’s for yesterday, [the neighbouring country] has seen 10 times more fatalities.”

The minister said the difference was “quite big and increasing [with time]”. He pointed out that the same could happen to Pakistan if the people here were not careful. “If we don’t improve, if we are not careful, the spread of the virus which has reduced because of [the people’s] efforts can increase again.” Asad said that the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) had observed that people were not following standard operating procedures (SOPs), especially in tourist spots and urged them to do so.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

more inside

Nawaz phones daughter Maryam after violent NAB appearance STORY ON PAGE 03

Supreme Court orders complete audit of K-Electric STORY ON PAGE 02

exports, which resulted in the strengthening of the country’s economy.

Faraz said that the cabinet was apprised of the historical relief package for the construction sector, saying resumption of construction activities will create jobs. He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was informed that Rs891 million have been paid to the media for their outstanding due on the account of advertisements.

He said that under the antiencroachment drive of the government, illegal constructions on

Srinagar Highway were retrieved and trees were planted.

The minister said the world is giving examples of Pakistan the way it dealt with the coronavirus pandemic. Faraz said that those who chanted the slogan of strict lockdown are not visible at present. “By the grace of Allah Almighty, coronavirus pandemic caused less damage to our country than other countries,” he said.

He said that the federal cabinet also decided to celebrate Independence Day on 14th of August in a befitting manner.

Corps Commanders Conference appreciates progress of Afghan peace process STORY ON PAGE 02

Russia becomes first country to approve Covid-19 vaccine, says Putin STORY ON BACK PAGE

02

Wednesday, 12 August, 2020

NEWS

SuPREmE COuRt ORDERS COmPlEtE AuDit Of K-ElECtRiC ISLAMABAD

t

NEWS DESK

HE Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday ordered a complete audit of KElectric, power distribution monopoly in Karachi, following their dissatisfaction with the unannounced power breaks within the city.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed, entrusted with the responsibility of Karachi registry in the apex court, heard the case and held the power company accountable for prolonged power failures and deaths by electrocution.

As the hearing proceeded, CJP placed

K-Electric Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Monis Alvi on Exit Control List (ECL) as he expressed disappointment with the company’s late dismal performance.

The apex court also ordered to register a First Information Report (FIR) of electrocution deaths in the port city against KElectric officials.

“From now on, the case of electrocution deaths in the mega-city will be registered against K-Electric officials,” the CJP remarked. “You do not have right for power cuts in the city,” Justice Aijazul Ahsan tells K-Electric CEO and asked to overcome electricity shortage.

K-Electric CEO responded by saying

Court order followed as billboards removed from Karachi Saddar mobile market A city-wide anti-encroachment drive led by the actions of the government adhering to court orders has initiated with the removal of billboards from Karachi Saddar’s mobile market. The anti-encroachment drive was made possible with the use of gas welding tools to detach the billboards and a crane to lift them. These were provided by the District Municipal Corporation (DMC) South, Anti-Encroachment Director Bashir Siddiqui said. The operation caused a fire to break out in a building’s second floor, destroying 40 per cent of the goods stored within as per the claims of Electronics Dealers Association Chairman Gulfam Minhaj.

Speaking to a local news outlet, Assistant Commissioner President Asif Raja said that not only the advertisements but also the frames of the billboards would be removed as per court orders. Bashir Siddiqui further added that the people who put up illegal billboards will be penalized as per the instructions of Karachi commissioner. NEWS DESK

Rs50bn allocated to provide subsidy to farmers, NA told ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed on Tuesday that Rs50 billion have been allocated to provide subsidy to farmers on different agriculture-related inputs. Responding to a Calling Attention Notice in the House, National Food Security Parliamentary Secretary Muhammad Ameer Sultan said the federal and provincial governments are holding consultations to formulate a uniformed policy to grant a subsidy of Rs37 billion to farmers on the prices of fertilisers, especially DAP. He said the provinces are willing to provide subsidies to farmers on fertilisers from the Rabi season, adding that the development of the agriculture sector is the priority of the incumbent government. PPI

that they do not have the right to set up a power plant on their own.

The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) chairman said

IHC adjourns case pertaining to cabinet committee on privatisation ISLAMABAD APP

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday adjourned the hearing till September 9, on a petition challenging the inclusion of special assistants to the prime minister in the cabinet committee on privatisation.

A division bench, including Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Ghulam Azam Qambrani, conducted a hearing on the case pertaining to the above matter filed by Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N).

During the course of proceeding, the deputy attorney general adopted

the stance that Additional Attorney General Tariq Khokher would give arguments in the case after his return from abroad. He requested the court to adjourn the hearing till the AAG get back to which Justice Farooq remarked that whether the federation had no lawyer to present before the court and give arguments. When the tenure of special assistants was going to complete, the bench remarked that unnecessary delay was made by the respondents.

The petitioner’s lawyer, Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha, pleaded that his case was not against the special assistants rather it was challenging the

APP

Pakistan Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Marketers Association (PLPGMA) on Tuesday urged the government to ensure uniform rate of General Sales Tax (GST), petroleum levy and regulatory duty on both domestic and imported LPG. They said that a uniform rate of GST, petroleum levy and regulatory duty will lead to lower price of LPG for the end consumers.

"Domestically produced LPG is subject to 17 per cent GST and a petroleum levy of Rs4,669 per Metric Tonne

participation of un-elected people in the cabinet committee on privatisation.

Meanwhile, the lawyer of Dr Zafar Mirza produced a copy of his client’s resignation before the bench. While the National Accountability Bureau (NAB)’s prosecutor objected over making his department as a respondent in this case and said that there was no such inquiry pending with NAB pertaining to the above matter.

The court, however, granted time to the federation to give arguments and adjourned the hearing of the case till the next date.

Corps Commanders Conference appreciates progress of Afghan peace process RAWALPINDI INP

The Corps Commanders Conference appreciated the progress of the Afghan Reconciliation Process and hoped for the early commencement of the intra-Afghan dialogue.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Tuesday presided over a Corps Commanders Conference at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.

According to a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the meeting reviewed geo-strategic and national security issues of the country.

The forum reviewed the situation at Line of Control (LoC), Pak-Afghan Border, and internal security environ-

Govt urged to ensure uniform rates for domestic, imported LPG LAHORE

that K-Electric did not have any fuel storage facility nor they have an agreement with Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and Pakistan States Oil (PSO).

K-Electric CEO claimed that the power company has reduced load shedding by 73 per cent in the city. At which, the CJP reprimanded K-Electric CEO and remarked that his area is facing power cuts on a daily basis. The hearing of the case was then adjourned till Thursday.

Earlier on July 29, NEPRA had taken “serious notice” of electrocution deaths during recent rains in Karachi and encouraged citizens to report such incidents to the regulatory body.

(MT), whereas imported LPG is subject to only 10 per cent GST and is exempt from petroleum levy and regulatory duty," PLPGMA Chairman Farooq Iftikhar said.

He highlighted that LPG is being used by people living in rural and far flung areas which lack access to natural gas adding that most consumers of LPG have meagre incomes.

Approximately 70 per cent of Pakistan's LPG requirements are being met through indigenous LPG production from refineries and gas fields, whereas the remaining 30 per cent LPG requirements are being met through imports. “The price for indigenous production is indexed to the highest international price benchmark of Saudi Aramco Contract

ment. The COAS expressed satisfaction on operational preparedness of formations and appreciated efforts in aid of civil administration to contain Covid-19 pandemic and Locust threat.

He directed commanders to ensure necessary measures for public safety and security during Muharram-ulHaram in cooperation with civil administration with due cognisance to Covid-19 guidelines and protocols.

General Bajwa also lauded timely and effective response of troops to recent floods in Balochistan and Sindh especially, the mitigation efforts against urban flooding in Karachi. He emphasised to exercise vigilance and take proactive measures in the wake of the ongoing flood situation.

Price (CP), whereas most of the imported LPG in Pakistan is available at a discount to Saudi Aramco CP,” the PLPGMA chairman said. He said that LPG producing fields had previously had to shut down their operations or curtail production on several occasions as they were unable to compete with cheaper imports. He added that the closure of LPG fields leads to loss of revenue from LPG, natural gas and crude oil as production of all of the three commodities is integrated. "Incentives need to be provided to encourage investment and enhancement of local production, rather than facilitating imports,” Farooq Iftikhar concluded stressing that the government needs to apply a uniform rate of GST, petroleum levy and regulatory duty on both domestic and imported LPG so that the end user can benefit from a lower price of LPG.

Case registered against K-Electric CEO after youth dies of electrocution A case has been filed against K-Electric's chief executive after a youth died of electrocution in the city's upscale Defence Phase VII area. The case, filed at the Defence Police Station names four people, including KE CEO Moonis Alvi.

The FIR was filed by the boy's uncle, who told police that the 22-year-old was in Karachi for a visit from Mansehra. It includes provisions for murder. The deceased's uncle has claimed that he, along with the boy, had gone out for a walk when they saw that there was no door fixed at a substation of the power utility. "Faizan went inside and got electrocuted," he said, adding that after the incident took place, KE accused his nephew of theft. The power utility, while expressing grief over the incident, said that the youngster had entered the substation without permission. "K-Electric continues to run awareness campaigns in order to inform people to stay away from power installations," the spokesperson said.

K-ELECTRIC RESPONDS: KE spokesperson stated that the incident was caused due to unauthorised tampering and trespassing inside a live KE substation, which is highly dangerous, while another incident reported in Quaidabad, occurred inside a house which should not be attributed to KE but because of internal wiring at the premise. The spokesperson reiterated that the safety of human life remains the topmost priority of the company and on this account the power utility has been urging citizens to maintain a safe distance from power infrastructure through safety awareness messages. “Unauthorised tampering and encroachment of sensitive electrical infrastructure damages equipment and can cause fatal electrocutions,” the statement added. NEWS DESK

KP Social Welfare Dept ‘illegally’ transfers Rs105.6m to bank accounts: AGP report PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Social Welfare Department has transferred Rs105.6 million to different bank accounts without the permission of the KP Finance Department. According to a report released by the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP), the KP Social Welfare Department ‘illegally’ opened accounts in different banks and transferred a total of Rs105.6 million into them from government accounts. However, the report does not state the exact purpose for which the funds were transferred by the KP Social Welfare Department. The report recommends the initiation of a formal inquiry on the matter, urging all those responsible for the transfer of funds should be held accountable.According to the report, of the total Rs105.6 million, Rs2 million were transferred from the government account to another account in a bank in Peshawar. The Rs2million was initially allocated by the KP government as stipend for elderly people.

Similarly, three more accounts were opened in other banks where an amount totalling Rs93.6 million was deposited. The said amount was a grant from the KP Finance Department. According to sources, the KP Social Welfare Department did not obtain permission from the KP Finance Department to open additional accounts, due to which the KP government has refused to release further funds to the department. The AGP report said that meetings with KP Social Welfare Department were convened in May 2016 in order to resolve issues pertaining to opening of additional accounts. However, the report adds that no satisfactory reply has been submitted by the department so far. AZIZ BUNERI

Covid-19 waiver down to 25pc by Dolmen REIT KARACHI ARIBA SHAHID

In view of the decline in Covid-19 cases, though the disease is still prevalent and likely to increase if not adequate precautions are taken, the businesses have been allowed to open subject to a strict following of precautions to lessen the economic burden on the population to the maximum extent possible.

This was stated by Dolmen City REIT in a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange on Tuesday.

As per decisions made by the subcommittee of the Board of Dolmen City REIT, "It has been decided that the company will waive 25pc rentals of tenants having retail outlets in Dolmen Mall Clifton, and 25pc for tenants of the Harbor Front for August 2020."

In addition, tenants of Dolmen Mall Clifton that have closed or limited operations on government directives, such as entertainment, food outlets, and children’s playing area will not be charged the minimum rent.

However, this decision will not impact operational tenants that are providing essential services such as banks and supermarkets considering that they are fully functional.

Previously, on August 6, the board had decided on a 35pc waiver for tenants of the Dolmen Mall, and 25pc for tenants of Harbor Front for August 2020, but revised that down to 25pc considering the likely footfall that will rise.

As per the financial accounts of the third quarter ended March 2020, the mall had an occupancy rate of 98.25pc, whereas the Harbor Front had occupancy of 94.46pc, bringing

the total occupancy to 97.04pc.

Considering how fear of Covid-19 began spreading in March and the subsequent lockdown towards the end of the month, the daily average of footfall fell from 33,586 in January and 31,906 in February to 15,771 in March.

The mall has decided to take back age restrictions allowing all age groups into the mall, which will likely increase the footfall.

However, shops in the mall are to maintain a limit to the number of individuals allowed inside and adhere to the SOPs. As of June 2019, the total rental value of Dolmen Mall per month was Rs2.42 million, whereas the total rental value of Harbor Front Multistory building per month was Rs 71 million This means that the total rental value of the mall per annum is Rs2.9 billion, whereas it is Rs855 million for Harbor Front.

Wednesday, 12 August, 2020

NEWS

QuREShi DEmANDS PROBE iNtO ClASh OutSiDE NAB OffiCE ISLAMABAD

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INP

OREIGN Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Tuesday demanded a thorough investigation of the incident of a clash between Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) workers and police teams outside the office of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Lahore.

Chaos was witnessed outside the NAB office on Tuesday afternoon after PML-N workers clashed with police personnel ahead of party leader Maryam Nawaz’s appearance before the bureau.

Reacting over the statement of PMLN lawmaker Khawaja Asif, Qureshi said that a thorough investigation must be launched to ascertain the motives behind

the incident.

While speaking on the floor of the National Assembly (NA), the foreign minister questioned the reason for the hooliganism as it did not happen in the past during the appearance of other PML-N leaders like Asif before NAB. “This kind of foolish act can be made by anyone but a sensible person would never commit such mistakes,” he said.

Qureshi continued that the Punjab government would not get any benefit from the incident. He urged scrutinising the facts to avoid facing such occurrences in the future. “The police department always tries to avoid such circumstances,” he added.

“It would be a misunderstanding of PML-N if its leadership thinks for getting any advantage from such incidents.

Pm to inaugurate Peshawar BRt on thursday: Yousafzai PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Labour and Culture Shaukat Yousafzai has said that Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project has been completed and it will be formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday. Yousafzai expressed these views while talking to the media on the occasion of his visit to the BRT project on Tuesday. He said that despite Covid-19 pandemic, Chief Minister Mehmood Khan supervised and ensured work on BRT day and night, due to which the project has been completed. “This is a big project that has been completed with transparency,” he said.

No one can prove corruption in this project and if the opposition has any evidence of corruption in this project, it should bring it forth and CM Khan will himself punish those involved in corruption. The first 200,000 BRT ZU cards are being distributed free to the public. TLTP

PML-N leaders should advise their workers to show patience,” Qureshi said.

Earlier, while speaking on the floor of the House during the question hour, Asif launched criticism against the government for alleged mishandling of PML-N workers and said that the tradition of violence will affect the political traditions.

He also demanded that the authorities release the detained PML-N workers immediately.

Separately, Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat, while taking notice of the clash, said that Maryam misused the court’s concession.

Addressing a press conference along with Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Fayyazul Hassan Chohan in Lahore, he said that the number of plates for

Nawaz phones daughter Maryam after violent NAB appearance SHEHBAZ CONDEMNS MANHANDLING OF PML-N WORKERS ON MARYAM’S NAB APPEARANCE LAHORE INP

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday telephoned his daughter Maryam Nawaz and discussed the unrest and violence that took place on her appearance before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

According to sources, Maryam informed her father about the violence against the workers and narrated the entire incident during their telephonic conversation.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, while condemning the incident, deplored “NAB-Niazi nexus” and accused

them of being behind the mishap. The government is taking political revenge from PML-N, he added.

On the other hand, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman also contacted Maryam by telephone and inquired about her well-being.

He strongly condemned the attack on the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader’s car and violence against party workers, saying that the government wants to corner the opposition through NAB.

PM to decide on OGRA chief’s appointment soon

ISLAMABAD AHMAD AHMADANI

A selection committee constituted to hire the chairman of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) will soon forward the shortlisted names to the prime minister for approval.

However, according to sources, state-owned gas utilities — Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) — have

several vehicles carrying stones were fake.

He said that action would be taken against those who would be identified as the offenders through video footage.

The provincial minister said that media footage has exposed the hooliganism of PML-N as its workers threw stones to pressurise NAB during Maryam’s appearance before NAB. Basharat said that media footage showed that it was planned hooliganism by the PML-N so that it was inappropriate for Maryam to say that she was targeted.

He went on to say that cases would be registered against those involved in injuring the policemen, stone pelting, causing damage to state buildings and other violations.

been striving hard to place a “blueeyed official”, among the shortlisted candidates, at the helm of affairs at OGRA. As per details, a committee constituted by Prime Minister Imran Khan under his Special Assistant Shahzad Akbar had shortlisted a panel of five candidates after conducting interviews of more than 24 candidates for the lucrative position of OGRA chairman.

Among the five shortlisted can-

didates, three belonged to OGRA while remaining to National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) and Frontier Works Organization (FWO). The three candidates that belonged to OGRA included Dr Abdullah Malik (former OGRA member oil), Senior Executive Director (Appeals) Zainul Abideen Qureshi, and SED (Gas) Shehzad Iqbal, whereas other candidates were NEPRA CFO Salman Amin and FWO DDG Salman Qaiserani.

According to sources, the gas utilities have so far remained successful in lobbying for Shehzad Iqbal among the shortlisted candidates for final nomination.

They alleged that Iqbal, while working with OGRA, had provided undue to the gas utilities under the head Unaccounted for Gas (UfG) and he was also recently transferred from the gas department of OGRA to another department ostensibly due to his poor performance.

Sources said if the PM gives approval regarding the appointment of OGRA chairman, then this matter would be brought before the federal cabinet for formal approval.

03

Cabinet approves appointment of Shahid mahmood Khan as PARCO mD ISLAMABAD AHMAD AHMADANI

Opposing the recommendations of the Petroleum Division, the federal cabinet has approved the appointment of Shahid Mahmood Khan as the Managing Director of Pak Arab Refinery Limited (PARCO). Shahid Mahmood Khan is a Chartered Accountant with an experience of around 30 years in the fields of finance, general management, supply chain, government liaison, corporate planning, business development in petroleum, automobile and accountancy services. Khan is currently engaged with PARCO Coastal Refinery (PCR) Ltd as its project director. PCR is a proposed Pakistani oil refinery situated at Khalifa Point in Lasbela, Balochistan. It was established by PARCO through a joint venture between the governments of Pakistan and Abu Dhabi. Earlier, this scribe had learnt that the Petroleum Division had allegedly paved the way for the appointment of a "blue-eyed official" to the top position of PARCO. The Petroleum Division, in an apparent bid to declare favourite candidates "suitable" for PARCO's top slot, had also constituted a four-member committee, sources had informed.

"Ahsan Khan, a favourite candidate for the PARCO top slot, has relations with a federal minister and the Petroleum Division is going all out to ensure his appointment as next PARCO MD," said an official source on the condition of anonymity. It may be noted that a consultancy firm, Sidat Hyder Morshed Associates (Pvt) Limited, had earlier placed the names of Ahsan Khan and two others in the "not considered suitable" category as per their own method for shortlisting candidates. Regardless, sources said, the Petroleum Division had constituted a high-powered interview committee (HPIC), comprising Energy Minister Omar Ayub Khan as chairman and Special Assistant to PM on Petroleum as its member, to do the needful in this regard.

Sharing details of the federal cabinet meeting, sources said that the prime minister and cabinet members were not happy with the inclusion of "not suitable candidates" in the final list of shortlisted candidates, expressing their anger to the Petroleum Division officials.

04

Wednesday, 12 August, 2020

NEWS

Rs85bn to be spent on Lai expRessway pRoject: buzdaR LAHORE

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TLTP

UNJAB Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has said that Rs85 billion will be spent on Lai Nullah and Expressway project in Rawalpindi.

The chief minister said this on Tuesday during a meeting with assembly members of Rawalpindi district who, led by Federal Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan, called on him here at his office and discussed matters of mutual interest.

The chief minister said that problems faced by Rawalpindi city will be resolved and pointed out the reconstruction of Lai Nullah will help to overcome floodrelated damages. A total of Rs85 billion will be spent on Lai Nullah and expressway project, he added.

This project will be completed through public-private partnership and four interchanges will be constructed along with setting up a plant to separate rainwater from sewage. The dream of the expressway is the right of locals which will be materialised by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, he further said.

CM SAYS 10,000 PEOPLE TO BE RECRUITED IN POLICE FORCE The CM mentioned that tree plantation will help overcome environmental degradation around Lai Nullah expressway and road movement of the locals will also be improved. Meanwhile, various online services have also been provided to the citizens through police application, besides setting up protection centres for the transgender community in Rawalpindi. On the other side, 10,000 people will be recruited to fulfil shortage of staff in police, the CM added.

The chief minister claimed that the journey of public service will continue and conspiracies of opponents of development will be foiled. He said that the government will continue to respond to the negative politics of propagandists through public service and advised the critics to look into their own inner self.

He said that overcoming corona is a big achieve-

ment of the government as business activities have been resumed in Punjab and anti-coronavirus strategy of Prime Minister Imran Khan has been acknowledged everywhere.

He regretted that the opposition tried to politicise the corona issue, saying those who levelled allegations will be left behind and new Pakistan will move forward under the leadership of PM Imran Khan.

Amjad Mahmood Chaudhary, Muhammad Latasab

Satti, Raja Saghir Ahmed, Javed Kauser, Chaudhary Sajid Mehmood, Chaudhary Muhammad Adnan, Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi, Ejaz Khan, Amaar Siddiq Kiyani and Umer Tanvir were included in the delegation.

Separately, CM Buzdar has directed the administration and WASAs to remain alert round-the-clock to cope with the situation resulting due to monsoon rains. The weather situation should be continuously monitored and implementation of rainwater's drainage plan should be ensured, he said.

He also said that necessary machinery should be fully functional and drainage of rainwater should be completed in the minimum of time. The CM reiterated that citizens should not face any difficulty during rains and added that no negligence will be tolerated in this regard.

Similarly, the flow of traffic should remain smooth and the concerned officials of the line departments should be present in the field instead of their offices during rain. The report about the drainage of rainwater should be sent to the CM Office along with the timeline, he added.

Lions’ death: Contempt notices issued to Zartaj Gul, wildlife department ISLAMABAD INP

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued contempt notices to State Minister for Climate Change Zartaj Gul and members of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board on Tuesday in the case pertaining to the death of animals at the capital’s zoo.

Two lions died while being transferred from Islamabad’s Marghazar Zoo to a farmhouse in Lahore, it was reported on July 30. They were being shifted on the May 22 orders of the IHC. A man filed a petition in the court over the negligence of the

wildlife authority in the case.

The case was heard by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah.

During the hearing, Climate Change Secretary Naheed Durrani took responsibility for the lion’s death and said that the federal cabinet had nothing to do with it.

To this, Justice Minallah replied that since the government had given approval for the wildlife boards, it was also responsible.

The chief justice asked whether the climate change department wanted notices to be issued to the prime minister. “The prime minister does not even know what has un-

folded here,” he said.

“This case is an example of the tyranny humans have enforced upon animals,” Justice Minallah said, adding that people have been keeping wild animals as pets and the government should completely ban the import of any such animals.

He demanded that the investigation report and First Information Report (FIR) of the lions’ deaths be presented before the court. The court issued show-cause notices for contempt of court to the climate change minister, adviser and secretary, and members of the board. The hearing was adjourned till August 27.

Feasibility study of Quetta-Taftan railway track completed: Sheikh Rasheed ISLAMABAD INP

Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said on Tuesday that Pakistan Railways has completed the feasibility study of up-gradation of Quetta-Taftan railway track. Sheikh Rasheed said this while talking to Iranian Ambassador Syed Mohammad Ali Hussaini who called on him in Islamabad. During the meeting, matters pertaining to mutual interests were discussed.

On the occasion, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said that Quetta-Taftan rail track will be upgraded at a cost of Rs112 billion and it will increase trade and movement of passen-

gers between Pakistan and Iran.

The railways’ minister expressed the desire for fast enhanced cooperation in railways between Pakistan and Iran under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

He said ML-1 project, approved under CPEC between Pakistan and China, will revolutionise railways in Pakistan. The Iranian envoy stressed the need for expediting efforts regarding Pakistan-Iran-Turkey freight train under Economic Coordination Organisation.

The project will increase the speed limit of the passenger and freight trains up to 160 km and 120 km respectively besides hiking the number of passenger trains from 34 to 137 and 171 in the last phase.

Rain with windthundershowers expected in Lahore LAHORE APP

Rain coupled with wind-thundershowers is expected in most parts of the province, including the provincial capital, during the next 24 hours. Maximum and minimum temperature was recorded in the city as 34 and 27 degrees Celsius respectively, on Tuesday with 76 percent humidity. According to Meteorological department, hot and humid weather is expected in most parts of the province. However, Rain-thundershowers are expected in Pothohar region, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Narowal, Lahore, Faisalabad, T. T Singh, Mianwali, Sargodha and Khusab. While, isolated rain/thunderstorm is also expected in Bhakkar, Layyah, Multan, Bahawlapur, Bahawalnagar and DG Khan. During the past 24 hours, rain occurred in some districts of the province including Rawalpindi (Shamsabad 54mm, Chaklala 25mm), Chakwal (Bhoun 47mm, Murid 22mm), Lahore (Airport 35mm, City 26mm) , Islamabad (Zero Point 32mm, Airport 27mm, Saidpur 13mm, Bokra 8mm), Bhawalnagar 15mm, Multan (Airport 12mm), Sargodha 8mm, Narowal 7mm, Okara 4mm, T.T Singh 3mm, Bahawalpur 1mm. According to synoptic situation, monsoon currents are penetrating in upper parts of the country. Westerly wave is also affecting upper parts of the country.

Business portal for waste management in Lahore on the cards LAHORE TLTP

A business portal for better waste management in Lahore would be launched soon that will provide waste management facilities at doorsteps.

This was stated by Punjab Secretary Finance Abdullah Sumbal while co-chairing a meeting with Secretary

Local Government & Community Development Punjab Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi here on Tuesday. The meeting reviewed all aspects of the business portal.

The secretary finance directed that work on all parameters of the proposed business portal should be completed as early as possible.

“All details regarding the business portal would be presented before the Punjab Local Government Board

for further deliberations,” said the secretary LG&CD. He said that with the help of a business portal every citizen would be benefited through various services while sitting at homes.

Dr Qazi hoped that LWMC’s business portal will become an important milestone towards the destination of e-government. He appreciated the initiatives taken by LWMC during Eid days for waste management.

Polio vaccination campaigns resumes in Pakistan, Afghanistan ISLAMABAD PPI

Polio immunisation campaigns have resumed in Pakistan and Afghanistan months after Covid-19 left 50 million children without their polio vaccine.

In Pakistan, the initial round of vaccinations took place at the end of July, covering about 780,000 children. A nationwide vaccination campaign is slated to start later this month. In Afghanistan, polio immunisation programmes restarted in three provinces in July. A second campaign covering almost half of the country will start this month.

“These life-saving vaccina-

tions are critical if children are to avoid yet another health emergency,” said Jean Gough, UNICEF regional director for South Asia. “As the world has come to see only too well, viruses know no borders and no child is safe from polio until every child is safe.”

Polio is a highly-infectious, crippling and sometimes fatal disease that can be avoided with a vaccine. Children under the age of five are particularly vulnerable.

Child vaccination drives, including polio campaigns, were halted in both Pakistan and Afghanistan in March 2020 to avoid the risk of Covid-19 transmission to children, caregivers

and vaccinators themselves. As a result, reported polio cases have reached 34 in Afghanistan and 63 in Pakistan, including in some previously polio-free parts of the country.

The application of new vaccination guidelines and the use of protective equipment by frontline health workers will help ensure that vaccination campaigns resume safely.

However, while every effort will be made to reach children nationwide in both countries, UNICEF is concerned that that up to 1 million children in Afghanistan could miss out as door-to-door vaccinations are not possible in some areas and parents will have to make their

way to health clinics to have their child vaccinated. In Pakistan, the suspension of vaccination drives has also resulted in the expansion and introduction of the disease into new areas of the country.

“Although we have experienced new challenges and a setback in the fight against polio because of Covid-19, the eradication of this contagious disease will get back on track and is

firmly within our reach,” said Jean Gough. “Together with the respective Governments and other partners including the WHO, Rotary, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and with the dedicated work by frontline health workers, we are committed to reaching every child.”

Wednesday, 12 August, 2020

NEWS

New Lahore to rIse froM reMaINs of rIver ravI LaHore

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APP

IKE the mythological phoenix, the dying river Ravi is set to rise from its remains and give birth to a new Lahore on the largest 46 kilometers long riverfront to compete with any modern city in the world.

An ambitious urban development project initiated by the Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government to build a new Pakistan, Ravi River Front Urban Development (RRFUD) project will uplift the dying river Ravi that is almost reduced to a nullah by the unlawful construction of dams by the Indian government.

The construction of a 46-kilometer long lake from Ravi Siphon to Hudiara, laying of a complex network of roads, and construction of 12 new high-tech cities would be the hallmark of this project, started under the vision of the prime minister for building ‘Naya Pakistan.’

Provincial Minister for Housing, Urban Development, and Public Health

Engineering (HUD&PHE) Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed described it as a novel project that would benefit the communities and the investors and help improve the environment of the city.“The RRFUD project is a reflection of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision to build a new Pakistan,” the minister said. “PTI [Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf] government is fulfilling another promise made to people.”

He said that the Ravi Riverfront will be developed in three phases. In the first phase, a lake covering 46 kilometers area, six wastewater treatment plants, three barrages, and an urban forest would be developed during the first three years, he added.

The minister said that a total land area of 103,271 acres will be acquired for the project that would also include building of wastewater and surface water treatment plants, a network of roads, and 12 new cities, including medical city, residential city, downtown, commercial hub, urban farms and miscellaneous use city, would be built. Lahore city once known for its beautiful gardens, historic buildings, and a cul-

The Punjab government has issued guidelines for educational institutions, including schools, to follow as well as safeguards for all of the school administration, staff, and students.

According to a notification issued by the Department of Primary and Secondary

Healthcare, there would be a complete ban on indoor games, swings, slides and sports activities. In addition, seminars, speech competitions, sports competitions and tournaments will be banned in educational institutions.

The notification stated that it would be mandatory to wear masks in educational institutions while holding morning assembly will also be banned. Only 50 per cent of the total capacity will be used in the buses of educational institutions and only 30 per cent will be used for hostel facilities.

The notification directed that students and

Pakistan on road to recovery but danger still lurks, minister says Continued from page 01

ture loved by everyone, had suffered the unchecked populace migration, pollution, and groundwater adulteration.

“Innovation City spanning over 1370 acres will be developed in the second phase while the third phase will see the completion of Knowledge City, Sports City and Eco-City on a land area of 14000 acres”, the minister said. He said that the development of the lake will purge the Ravi from domestic and industrial waste and provide 271 billion liters of water, adding that the wastewater treatment plants would help treat 2.4 billion literes of water that would

irrigate 75000 acres of land. Elaborating the importance of ‘Surface Water Treatment Plants’, he said that the plant will decrease the dependency of the Lahoris on groundwater by 50 per cent as 2.4 billion liters of safe drinking water will be produced from the canal water after treatment.

Rasheed said the project will be completed with an estimated cost of Rs2 trillion with financing to be met through publicprivate partnerships (PPPs), joint ventures (JVs), private finance initiative (PFI), multilateral loan and grants, and budgetary grants and developer financing.

Punjab government issues SOPs for reopening schools neWS deSK

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staff suffering from shortness of breath should be confined to their homes. “Institutions should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected 3 days before the commencement of educational activities, while this process should be repeated on daily basis,” the notification said.

Under the guidelines, a social distance of six feet will be maintained in educational institutions and students will not be allowed to shake hands with other classmates.

Teachers will observe social distancing when lecturing in educational institutions, while the students have been directed to bring their lunch from home in the educational institutions.

The temperature of each student and other staff members will be checked while entering the school premises.

It is pertinent to mention here that on July 9, the Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood had announced to reopen educational institutions from September 15 with strict implementation of the SOPs. While addressing a press conference in the federal capital of Islamabad, the federal minister said that the government of Pakistan has decided to resume educational activities from September 15 and all the provinces had been asked to prepare the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the reopening of the schools.

NAB postpones hearing against Maryam after police, PML-N workers clash Continued from page 01 Maryam said that the purpose behind summoning her was to harm her. “If I had not been in a bulletproof vehicle, I would have been hit by stones. People in police uniforms threw stones at me. I could have been hit in the head by a stone. I received messages to go back and I was told to go back. NAB did not open the door and remained in hiding. When they called, they should take answers from me.”

NAB RESPONDS: NAB also issued a statement after the incident, saying that Maryam had been summoned in a ‘personal capacity’ to record her statement but instead of coming alone, “she displayed hooliganism in an organised manner through PML-N workers by pelting stones and creating disorder”.

“Such an attitude has been seen against a constitutional and national institution for the first time in 20 years in which not only windows of the building were broken by throwing stones, but employees were also injured,” the statement read.

NAB said that it was “immediately suspending Maryam’s appearance”, and that it “strongly condemned that PML-N workers and various miscreants had tried to

interfere in legal proceedings in an organised manner”.

The anti-graft body stated that under NAB Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal’s instructions, it has been decided that a First Information Report (FIR) will be filed against PML-N leaders and workers for “interfering with the state’s work”.

“NAB is a national institution and it is only affiliated with the country and the people. NAB does not have connections with any political party or group and all its activities are conducted according to the Constitution and the law,” the statement added.

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar also took immediate notice of the commotion outside the NAB office and demanded a report of the incident from the Punjab chief secretary and inspector general of police (IGP).

Buzdar, while ordering action against those responsible for rioting outside NAB office, said that no one can be allowed to take the law into their hands, legal action should be taken against those who take the law into their hands. “Rule of law will be ensured. The law would be enacted against the rioters,” he said.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari tweeted in favour of Maryam, criticising the “use of force” against her and PML-N party workers.

He said that the pandemic was “not just a health issue”, adding that it had an effect on trade and people’s livelihoods. “When we had to close the country, we saw more than 40 per cent decrease in our exports. Remittances also decreased around 40pc. This is equal to 40pc employment in the country. This [figure] represents millions of people who work daily and then their families eat. Even for the middle class, conditions became difficult after four to five weeks. “If these remittances do not come, how will dams and motorways be built?” Asad questioned. Emphasising the importance of taking precautions, he said that they were “not so difficult”. “Wear a mask and maintain distance.

The most important thing is your attitude; if you take precautions, we will see [further] improvement.” He said the NCOC had directed the provincial chief secretaries to ensure that SOPs were followed and cases did not increase.

Asad said that Pakistan’s cases and deaths were not as high as projected earlier. “There were very fearsome projections. [Imperial College London simulation] projected that most deaths would happen on August 10 and 78,000 Pakistanis would be infected. [On the contrary,] yesterday, 15 people died.” He credited the government’s “concrete” tra e, test and quarantine (TTQ) strategy for the fewer cases and fatalities. “Till now, we have traced 1.1 million people through this system and tested more than one million. More than 100,000 cases of the country’s positive cases were identified through it. These people benefited from early treatment and took precautions so [the virus] did not spread”. He added that the government managed to reach 10.8 people from one contact, saying that Pakistan’s contact tracing system was comparable to South Korea’s and a “worldclass system”. He also credited the government’s smart lockdown strategy for the reduction in cases. “[The government] enforced more than 2,350 smart lockdowns. At least 85 smart lockdowns in 20 districts are still in place. We are [now] going towards micro smart lockdowns,” he said, explaining that this meant that only groups of houses would be placed under lockdown instead of entire areas. Asad thanked the people for cooperating with the government. “The most important factor behind all of this is you, the people. A big section of society helped the government and took precautions. I also want to thank the media for the historic way in which they informed people and people then followed precautions. “The improvement you see is because the government and people together took decisions and followed them,” he said, adding that he was “confident that people will not let this victory they have achieved turn into a loss”.

PM Imran, Bill Gates discuss resumption of polio campaigns in Pakistan ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke to Bill Gates, the co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, on Tuesday and discussed the latest situation on Covid-19 response and resumption of polio vaccination campaigns in Pakistan. During the conversation, the premier apprised the philanthropist about the improved Covid-19 situation in Pakistan with considerable reduction in new cases and the fatality rate. The prime minister shared that the ‘smart lockdowns’ policy of the government had proved very effective as the timely and prudent interventions enabled the government to mitigate the effects of Covid19 on health and economy successfully averted a larger catastrophe. He also acknowledged the continued support of Gates Foundation to Pakistan which includes Covid-19 response. APP

Pakistani minorities enjoying equal rights, minister tells moot AFRIDI SLAMS INDIA FOR UNLEASHING TERROR AGAINST ITS MINORITIES, ESPECIALLY MUSLIMS iSLamaBad MIAN ABRAR

Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Chairman Shehryar Khan Afridi on Tuesday said that the world should learn from Pakistan’s model of equal treatment of its minorities.

Addressing participants of a seminar held here at the Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services (PIPS) with regard

to the World Minorities Day, Afridi said that the sole objective to observe this day was to make the whole world realise the significance of the rights of minorities.

Afridi said that the Indian government has unleashed a reign of terror on Indian minorities and Muslims are specifically being targeted. “In February this year, 36 Muslims were butchered, some even burned to death by Hindu mobs in New Delhi while scores of

CMYK

mosques were also razed to the ground.

Indian atrocities on minority communities in general and Kashmiris in particular are on the rise,” he added.

“It’s not just Muslims, but Dalits and Christians are also being exterminated systematically,” he said.

He said that the world community carries a responsibility to provide right of self-determination to the people of Indian Jammu Kashmir (IOK). “It’s about time that the developed world must intervene before it’s too late,” he added.

Addressing the moot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan said that Kashmiri soci-

ety was very compassionate and there was full religious freedom for minorities in AJK. He said that the RSS regime was propagating and practicing fascism. He said that unlike Pakistan which was created in the name of Islam, India was created in the name of secularism. However, he said the BJP government had unleashed a reign of terror towards Indian Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Dalits.

He said that Kashmiris have been killed, maimed and incarcerated under a plan to turn the Muslim-majority state of Kashmir into a minority. “The world community needs to take notice of the systematic cleansing of Kashmiris: there would be no Kashmiri to defend in next two or three years.”

Wednesday, 12 August, 2020

06 COMMENT

Is Pakistan's political map really “absurd”?

Diplomacy on Kashmir And the myth of Muslim Ummah

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RiME Minister imran Khan betrayed his ignorance about the BJP’s politics when he wished narendra Modi to be re-elected indian PM, hoping that this would pave the way for peace talks between Pakistan and india. This is despite the revocation of article 370 enjoying a prominent place in BJP’s election manifesto.

Thanks to China, the Kashmir dispute came under discussion in three UnSC meetings in the last 12 months. By including aksai Chin in india’s map the BJP government made China an active player in Ladakh.

Mr Khan was enthusiastic about a summit of Muslim majority countries in Kuala Lumpur called last year by then Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohammad which could become a platform to project the Palestine and Kashmir issues. However, under pressure from “friends”, Mr Khan excused himself from attendance at the eleventh hour. The sudden about-turn did not help the Kashmir cause. in the final analysis the battle for Kashmir is to be waged by the Kashmiri people themselves. Pakistan has fought wars with india over the issue without any meaningful outcome. Pakistan is however a party to the Kashmir dispute. Besides close historical and ethnic ties with the Kashmiri people, the rivers that constitute Pakistan’s lifeline come from the Valley and Ladakh. Kashmir is thus Pakistan’s jugular vein.

Kashmir does not however hit a nerve with all Muslim countries. Under the circumstances, whatever little any country can do for the cause should be welcomed.

The PTi’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has acted like a bull in a china shop by making undiplomatic remarks about Saudi arabia. The task of a diplomat is to turn an enemy into a neutral person, and a neutral person into a friend. What Mr Qureshi has done is the opposite.

Pakistan had declined to help Saudi arabia militarily when the latter launched its war against Yemen, and rightly so. if Saudi arabia thinks that the convening of OiC’s Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) on Kashmir does not suit its national interest, there is no need to fulminate against Riyadh. Meanwhile, if a number of other countries are willing to do more, and bringing them into a closer union with Pakistan would help the Kashmir cause, let us go ahead without adopting a hostile attitude against those who are unwilling to go beyond a certain point on the issue.

Behind Pakistan’s new map

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Amjed jAAved

ndia used all expletives in its not-so-diplomatic lexicon to point out that revision of Pakistan's political map was an “absurdity”. it does not seem so. The revision is in sync with the Muslim Conference's resolution of 19 July 1947, when the all Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference passed a resolution for Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan The historic resolution, passed at the residence of Sardar Muhammad ibrahim Khan in Srinagar, recalled that the future of Kashmir was inextricably linked with Pakistan because of geographical, cultural and economic relations with Pakistan. The resolution epitomized the ethos of millions of Kashmiri Muslims whose hearts throbbed with people of Pakistan.

This resolution is unequivocal, unlike the Maharaja's so-called `instrument of accession'. The spirit of the resolution is enshrined in article 7(3) of the aJK interim Constitution. it provides ‘7. Freedom of association… (3) no person or political party in azad Jammu and Kashmir shall be permitted to propagate against, or take part in activities prejudicial or detrimental to, the ideology of the State’s accession to Pakistan.’ The oath for the aJK President, PM and ministers provides `i will remain loyal to the country and to the cause of accession of the State of Jammu and Kashmir to Pakistan'. Besides, article 11 provides for a Plebiscite adviser appointed by the President.

Unlike aJ&K and Pakistan, india had harboured a perfidious and perfunctory commitment to holding the plebiscite, as per the United nations' resolutions.

By scrapping the disputed state’s special status, india itself tore the `instrument’, if it existed at all, to shreds. The cartographic annexation of the state (august 5) by india not only violates the terms of ‘accession’ in the so-called ‘instrument’, but also violates the Un resolutions and Simla accord. any state that flouts international treaties is a rogue state. aware of india’s intention to get the ‘instrument of accession’ rubberstamped by the puppet occupiedKashmir assembly, the Security Council passed two resolutions to outlaw accession or any other action to

NAB and the opposition

change status of the Jammu and Kashmir state. So, the ‘accession’ resolution, passed by occupied Kashmir’s ‘constituent assembly’, is void. Then in 1995, the india claimed the original instrument of accession was lost or stolen. Renowned historian alastair Lamb regards the instrument as fraudulent. india regards the Kashmiri as a chattel. Congress ex-minister and Kashmiri politician Saifuddin Soz said that Home Minister Vallabhbhai Patel was happy to let Kashmir go to Pakistan in exchange for Hyderabad. Lord Mountbatten took Patel’s offer to Pakistan on the exact day the indian army landed in Srinagar. abrogation of articles 370 and 35-a was not narendra Modi’s overnight exploit. all indian leaders were perfidious.

On 2 november 1947, nehru declared in a radio broadcast that the government of india was “prepared, when peace and order have been established in Kashmir, to have a referendum held under international auspices like the United nations.” avtar Singh Bhasin says in india and Pakistan: neighbours at Odd, `On 7 august a day before his arrest, BBC reported a significant passage from his [Sheikh abdullah’s] speech on the Martyrs’ day in the previous month, which had been blacked out in the indian press: `if i felt that by remaining independent, Kashmir would be well off, i would not hesitate to raise my voice in favour of complete freedom for Kashmir. if i felt that Kashmir’s betterment lay in it accession to Pakistan, no power in the world could silence my voice’.

Bhasin tells, on basis of nehruvian diaries, nehru was baffled by abdullah's pro-independence views.

Bhasin tells `nehru addressed a lengthy letter to him [Sheikh abdullah] on 25 august 1952 from Sonamarg, where he was then camping. after narrating the events since the accession of the State in October 1947, he went on to assure him of his commitment to the people of the State that the future would be decided by them alone, and if they wanted india to be put out of Kashmir, there would be no hesitation. He wrote, if the people of Kashmir clearly and definitely wish to part company from india, there the matter ends, however we may dislike it or however disadvantageous it may to india. ...if the Constituent assembly told india to get out of Kashmir, we would get out, because under no circumstances can we remain here against the expressed will of the people'.

The year-long down lockdown has made people's lives miserable. Winter would exacerbate their mis-

ery. Suspension of 4G internet made E -commerce and online education a farce. apple orchards stands destroyed as also wood-carving tradesmen. a december report of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and industry, reported successive losses of Rs. 14,296.10 crore and Rs 17,800 crore, besides loss of 4.9 lakh jobs between august and december. in July 2020, it reported revenue loss of Rs 40,000 crore.

The new domiciliary policy would change Kashmir's demography. Currently, at least 1.7 million migrants have applied for a domicile certificate. also, with a nudge from the Centre, the underprivileged from other states like Bihar could rush to the Valley seeking a better life. according to the Centre for Monitoring indian Economy, the unemployment rate in Jammu and Kashmir is currently 17.9 percent, far higher than the national average of eight percent. The domicile law has come at a time when, according to the Union Home Ministry, there are 84,000 government vacancies to be filled. That would reduce job chances of real Kashmiris.

Like nepal, Pakistan should get its political map enacted through its parliament. it should be widely circulated. nepal distributed 65,000 maps throughout the country, besides selling them at Rs. 50 per piece. Copies of the enacted map were immediately sent to india, Un and Google. about india's cartographic aggression, aG noorani sarcastically comments, ‘Maps are not documents of title. ... if they conflict with the state’s claims, they can constitute an admission. Published to create evidence, they are worthless. You cannot claim Mexico by showing it as indian territory on our maps. The value of foreign maps depends on their provenance, whether in a work of learning or otherwise. Maps in periodicals or books published after a dispute has arisen do not affect either side’s case; only the mental balance of some indian officials, which is precarious even at the best of times. it is puerile to stamp warnings on issues of foreign magazines. Readers abroad do not enjoy the benefit of the warning, anyway.’ Pakistan should stress revision of J&K political map is consistent with Muslim Conference’s resolution, aJ&K’s constitution, and Un resolutions. But, india’s cartographic annexation amounts to violations of Un resolutions, and is a real absurdity.

The writer is a freelance journalist, has served in the Pakistan government for 39 years and holds degrees in economics, business administration, and law.

He can be reached at amjedjaaved@gmail.com.

Tuesday’s clash was inevitable

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Parliament, Oversight Effectiveness and Political Will

VEnTS that transpired on in front of naB Lahore’s headquarters, where PML(n) Vice President Maryam nawaz was present following a summons issued by the accountability watchdog for questioning her in a fresh investigation related to “illegal” acquisition of land in Raiwand, are unfortunate. The clash between workers of the PML(n) and the Punjab Police that saw stones being pelted from both sides resulted in injuries, damage to property and arrests.

Maryam nawaz alleges, rather outlandishly, that she was made to appear at naB’s premises to be attacked even though there are clear visuals of PML(n) workers’ cars packed with stones, suggesting that what happened was premeditated. But for the police to resort to the same hooliganism rather than attempting to diffuse the situation through more conventional means is regrettable and demands an inquiry. That this is the third investigation against Maryam nawaz while the previous two cases against her remain open, is perhaps one reason for the frustration that resulted in her party workers acting out the way they did; naB’s highhanded style of investigating and preparing multiple cases, exclusively against her party’s leaders, is another. in this backdrop, considering the animosity between the PTi and opposition, it seems yesterday’s events were inevitable.

For over two decades naB has been used exactly for what it was created by General Pervez Musharraf– political victimization. The former dictator used it to keep dissenting voices in check, allowing engineering of political parties. Both civilian governments that followed used it to keep each other embroiled in legal troubles. Prime Minister imran Khan has however taken it a step further, running an ineffective anti-corruption drive that is heavily reliant on the naB to keep piling on cases and pressures on opposition leaders while ignoring ongoing investigations into the PTi’s questionable projects such as the BRT and Malam Jabba. although there was some hope recently with regards to discussing reform of the naB law, negotiations fell through as soon as they began with neither the PTi nor the opposition leadership willing to meet the other halfway. The bureau’s shoddy investigation methods, abysmal conviction rate and the propensity to detain an accused without justification, make this form of socalled accountability simply untenable. as history has shown time and again, when the chips are down and the shoe is on the other foot, the same treatment could be meted out to those currently in power and enjoying virtual immunity.

Parliamentary oversight will only occur if members get something out of it dilAwAr HussAin

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HERE is more transparency, less corruption and better working of political system where a parliament performs its oversight functions effectively. The consequences of an effective parliamentary oversight are generally agreed upon, but there is, however, much less consensus on what are causes of its effectiveness and what is the relationship between the effectiveness of the parliamentary oversight, and the oversight tools a parliament has at its disposal.

There are two theoretical contexts that comprehensively explain oversight process and its effectiveness in Pakistan. The first is that the impact of oversight tools on the effectiveness of the oversight process is conditional. The second is that ‘political will’ is a required pre-condition for ensuring that parliament performs its oversight function effectively.

That is to say, a parliament or a legislator uses oversight tools only when they have a political will to act. The willingness to perform the oversight functions is motivated by the benefits (material, electoral or symbolic). in other words, a legislator performs effectively when he orshe believes that he or may receive benefits, and that provides the political will to become an effective overseer.

There are two positions on how the oversight capacity affects the effectiveness of oversight. The first position is that a simple increase in the oversight capacity automatically translates into oversight effectiveness. according to the second position, the relationship between oversight capacity and oversight effectiveness is mediated by three elements: mandate of a parliament (powers of a parliament), resources (staff and information) available to it and, political will.

Regardless of how oversight mandate and resources are important, they are not more important than the political will of a legislator with which he or she is endowed to use the mandate and these resources effectively. This argument is echoed in and supported by the numerous evidences of executivelegislative relationship in Pakistan. For instance, parliament’s inability to scrutinize the defense expenditures effectively, to hold government accountable, to scrutinize the executive’s legislative plans or to amend these proposals, and to scrutinize the public money and budget implementation, is attributed to the lack of legislators’ political will to do.

The parliament of Pakistan can be criticized for the way it fails to perform its functions effectively, for instance, for becoming a house of applause by rat-

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

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Joint Editor

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ifying the executive’s legislative projects, and, for re- case might what prevent the legislator to perform efnouncing the performing of functions assigned to it fectively in other cases. Third, whenever the parliaby the Constitution effectively for the promotion of mentarians refrain from performing their functions pluralist democracy and good governance. it is not a effectively, it is because they lack the will to act. This place of people’s power and representation but it has is to say that parliamentarians believe that costs asbecome an instrument of power and an element of sociated with being an effective overseer greatly outdecorum only. The Parliament of Pakistan has been weigh the benefits. There are broadly four strategies often unable to perform effectively due to the absence for promoting political will. These four approaches of political will of the legislators. However, this prob- consist of explaining to parliamentarians the imporlem is not new. in Pakistan, the legislators have his- tance of oversight, explaining to voters why the overtorically been unwilling to perform effectively as sight is important, engaging international organizations for oversight counterweights to the execprocess support, and introutive. it is due to a number ducing adequate institutional of factors, namely the prereforms within. dominance of the executive, Building on the line of the periodic military interIf we wish to make parliament these arguments, it is sugventions, the judicial acan effective overseer of the gested that a popular demand tivism and the bureaucratic for oversight effectiveness is culture of power, that preexecutive, we need to change the most important prerequivents or discourages the legour approach; that is to say site for oversight effectiveislature from performing its ness. it is argued that functions effectively. that we should be less institutional reforms and parThere has been great concerned with the oversight liamentarians’ will to underchange in the role and powthe importance of ers of the parliament and sigtools and mandate Parliament stand oversight both are demandnificant variations in how driven. if there is a certain executive-legislature relahas at its disposal and more number of citizens demandtions have evolved in Pakconcerned with ensuring the ing oversight, there is a callistan where the legislature is ing for the parliamentarians to controlled by the head of political will of have rewards; if there is reparty in power having occuparliamentarians to use these ward, in the shape of reelecpied the office of the chief tion, for performing executive, and has yet not tools effectively in a effectively for parliamentarifound political will to permeaningful way for the ans, then it is in the self-interform its role as an effective est of parliamentarians to overseer of the executive promotion of the quality of perform effectively. it is to branch. The parliamentary say that popular demand for reforms and emergence of a democracy and level of good oversight effectiveness stimupluralist parliamentary party governance in the country lates the parliamentarians to system have generally conperform effectively, to favour tributed to favourable condithe conditions for institutional tions for oversight reforms, and, eventually, to effectiveness. The relationship, however, between the oversight effectiveness ensure that oversight functions are performed effecand each of these conditions is certainly not determin- tively by a parliament. Thus, in Pakistan, if we wish to istic but more complex and non-linear. To reinforce make parliament an effective overseer of the executive, the argument, three considerations are suggested to we need to change our approach; that is to say that we should be less concerned with the oversight tools and make legislators perform their functions effectively.

First, the use of oversight tools effectively is con- mandate Parliament has at its disposal and more conditional; it depends on the mandate and resources a cerned with ensuring the political will of parliamenparliament has at its disposal and on the political will tarians to use these tools effectively in a meaningful to use these resources and tools to effectively perform way for the promotion of the quality of democracy and the given functions. Second, the effectiveness of par- level of good governance in the country. liamentary oversight is relative. The conditions that Dilawar Hussain is a freelance columnist encourage a legislator to perform effectively in one

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Wednesday, 12 August, 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

Preparing for independence day

Ml-1 finally ready to take off With the ML-1 project, the whole country will prosper

mAlik muHAmmAd AsHrAf

T

HE Executive Committee of the national Economic Council (ECnEC) has approved the project for dualisation and upgradation of the 1872-km railway track from Peshawar to Karachi, also known as ML-1, at a rationalized cost of $6.8 billion, allowing the government to go ahead with negotiations with Beijing for loans covering 90 percent of the cost.

With approval from ECnEC, the ML-1 finally is ready to take off. it is the only strategic project of Phase-ii of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor being implemented as part of the initial $46 billion deal. The project was initially conceived to be completed at a cost of $9.2 billion. The Central development Working Party had cleared the ML-1 project in June this year and recommended it to ECnEC for approval.

The credit for almost 25.7 % reduction in cost rightly goes to the efforts of Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid ahmed who, after taking charge of the Railway ministry in 2018, had stated that he was the biggest supporter of the CPEC and the ML-1, but he felt that the cost of the project needed to be curtailed. accordingly, the Ministry of Planning and development excluded the ancillary cost like project management fee of one percent of total construction cost, insurance cost of half percent of total cost, the 0.6 percent cost of detailed design and construction drawings, security measures cost of 0.75 percent and contingencies equivalent to four percent, or $367 million. Similarly, $477.5 million worth of price escalation has also been excluded from the project scope, as the contract will be awarded in the engineering, procurement and construction mode. Rolling stocks worth $398 million have also been excluded from the project scope, which helped bringing the cost down to $6.8 billion.

Engineering, procurement, and construction will go to Chinese contractors, for which a request for exemption from international competitive bidding will be sent to the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet. despite the contracts essentially being a nobidding undertaking, Pakistan expects fair prices, because the estimates have all been vetted by third parties.

There was apparently some haggling in-

volved because of the separate negotiations countries which are part of the initiative worldwith the iMF, which had its own concerns wide, in the Belt and Road initiative. Even the about debt sustainability. Pakistan has ad- Un has recognized its economic potential and a dressed these concerns by drawing up an collateral outcome of promoting peace through elaborate phased construction plan. in the economic independence. it is universally recognized and estabfirst of three phases, Pakistan will commit to around $2.4 billion worth of construction lished fact that no nation can leapfrog into the work to stay compliant with an iMF commit- elite club of developed nations unless it inment that created a spending limit of $2.5 bil- vests in all elements of the infrastructure comlion during the same period. The second ponents, as there are no short cuts to economic phase will start a year after phase one and progress. all modern growth models invariwill cost $2.7 billion as the iMF spending ably rely on development of infrastructure and ceiling will not apply. The final phase will the resultant industrialization as imperative inbegin two years after “package one” and will gredients and catalysts for a sustained ecocost $1.7 billion. The Chinese loan will be in nomic growth of a country.

The phenomenal economic prosperity and programmatic mode and only the amount required for the particular phase would be con- industrial development in the East asian countracted so that unnecessary commitment tries such as China, South Korea, Singapore charges are avoided. it is pertinent to mention and Malaysia, during the last three decades is a ranting testimony to that China has shown this modern reality. great flexibility in the attainment of highre-negotiation of the level growth is project as always. unimaginable without Phase 1 will be Unfortunately Pakistan has infrastructure developcompleted between ment leading to indusJanuary 2021 to defailed to achieve rapid trialization and a cember 2024, coverindustrialization due to the gradual lessening of ing the construction of dependence on the 527 km of track bewrong approaches and policies agriculture sector. tween Peshawar, are often heard Rawalpindi and Laof the successive governments, People wondering why some hore. Phase 2 will be of the countries are completed from Janudivorced from the emerging more developed than ary 2022 to december others and why the 2026 for upgrading economic compulsions. countries in asia the 521-km track from However by becoming part of which attained their Lahore to Hyderabad. independence at just Phase 3 will upgrade the CPEC, Pakistan is poised about the same time as the 740-km us have gone far ahead Rawalpindi-Peshawar not only to make up for the lost in terms of economic and Hyderabad-Mulprosperity. The simple tan tracks. opportunities but also to and straight answer is The Peshawarthat their secret lies in Karachi track serves become an economic the development of as the main passenger powerhouse within the next two physical infrastrucand freight line of the including roads country. it carries 75 decades. Apart from radically ture, and railway lines. percent of the counUnfortunately try's cargo and passenchanging the dynamics of Pakistan has failed to ger traffic. after the completion of the regional connectivity and trade, achieve rapid industrialization due to the project passenger wrong approaches trains will run at a the ML-1 is going to act as a and policies of the speed of 160 km per catalyst in the process of successive governhour while freight ments, divorced from trains will ply at a transition from an agricultural the emerging ecospeed of 120 km per nomic compulsions. hour, significantly reeconomy to an industrial However by becomducing traveling time ing part of the CPEC, for the passengers and economy Pakistan is poised the movement of not only to make up goods, respectively. for the lost opportuThe project will prove nities but also to beto be a great propeller of economic activity, development and em- come an economic powerhouse within the ployment generation. it is indeed a game- next two decades. apart from radically changing the dynamics of regional connecchanging undertaking.

The CPEC is a mix of infrastructure proj- tivity and trade, the ML-1 is going to act as ects, energy-producing units and industrial zones a catalyst in the process of transition from along the corridor routes. The development of an agricultural economy to an industrial infrastructure under the CPEC, like ML-1, will economy. lay a firm foundation for industrialization. The Malik Muhammad Ashraf is an academic.

CPEC has been acknowledged as a perfect recipe for lifting the economic profile of the He can be contacted at: ashpak10@gmail.com

indEPEndEnCE day on august 14th is celebrated every year across the nation. The moment will not only be celebrated in governmental offices, but also in schools and colleges as well. The national day is followed since 1947. This time it is 74th year of celebration. independence day Celebration in Educational institutions Flag hoisting ceremonies and cultural programs take place in governmental and non-governmental institutions throughout the country. Schools and colleges conduct flag hoisting ceremonies and cultural events. Major government buildings are often adorned with strings of lights. a week before the day of celebration, children enjoy the time of preparation they spend in schools. Skipping classes during practice may be a part of their happiness, but they are over excited in preparing themselves for the performances too. They spend more than half-a-day in school practicing for marchpast, speech, dance, sports, cultural activities and more. independence day Speech Tips and ideas for Teachers Well, below are few slides which shows how schools celebrate independence day. Remembrance of our freedom fighters it is the 74th year, Pakistan is celebrating its independence. it is the day when we all get together to thank and remember our great freedom fighters who brought us a free country. Schools celebrate independence day all schools and colleges celebrate the independence day every year. The program starts off with the flag hoisting, by the Head of the institute/School. Marchpast Students in school perform March-past with the drill playing loud and tri-colour flag, flying high. College Students Students of colleges do take part in the celebration. They do march-past with the pakistan flag paying tribute to the motherland 'PaKiSTan'. Children gather together after the hoisting of flag and the march-past students are gathered together for a small speech given by the head of the School/ institution. Cultural dance Following the speech, there are dance programs and other cultural events performed by students. Students perform acts on Pakistani history Students take part in several activities. They perform acts related to the British rule and stories related to our Pakistani history. Children perform dance in tri-colour Children dress up in tri-colour and perform dances giving tribute to the Motherland. Children dress like great leaders Children dress up like great freedom fighters of pakistan and give a short speech regarding their tributes and sacrifices to make Pakistan a independent nation. Children in the attire of great leaders On this day all the great personalities, leaders and those who played a major role in bringing independence to pakistan are remembered. Children form Pakistan map Children dressed up in traditional attire form the outline look of the Pakistan map. Celebration of independence day Teachers provide students with sweets and gifts at the end of the program. Students enjoy the whole day of celebration with their parents and friends at school. independence day is something special. We all are OnE. Come, lets get together and celebrate the 'indEPEndEnCE daY'.

YAMEEMAH YouSuF, KArAcHi.

Towards Knowledge-Economy! “in a time of drastic change, it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.”

Knowledge-economy can be defined as an economy in which growth is dependent on the quantity, quality, and accessibility of the information available rather than means of production. an economy in which competitiveness and comparative advantage are dependent on research and development rather than abundant cheap labor force and natural resources.

The recent trend of the developed countries is evidence of the fact that antiquated ways of lifting the country’s economy and living standards aren’t helping.

Singapore an asian country with nearly nill resources has been ranked 1st in the global competitive index. another example is of MiT university who’s graduates have registered 1100 companies employing nearly 3 million people and their sales are around two (2) trillion, a manifestation of the true power of knowledge.

On the other hand, africa is replete with natural resources and labor force but the living standards and life of its inhabitants are miserable. Similarly, a country only dependent on agriculture and its textile industry cannot reach the pinnacle of prosperity. Pakistan needs to rethink and act simultaneously on its education base, innovation system, information, and communication technology infrastructure.

Robust collaboration between academia and industry will help us achieve our goals and lift us from the crisis. in a nutshell, the country must act with alacrity to introduce technology hubs, science parks, joint ventures under CPEC, invite tech giants, and invest more in research and development.

SALAL AMJAD cHArSAADDA

Kashmir woes aLTHOUGH we got freedom from the colonial power in 1947, yet the masses suffer under tyrannical power under different guises. Their lives have not changed much, rather gone worse sighing under the weight of crushing poverty. at the time of partition, the princely states could join either india or Pakistan. india however, in total disregard of the laid down principles took over many states by force with no regard for the will of the people. in connivance with Maharaja Hari Singh, india entered the Kashmir valley. The local population revolted to this action and Pakistan tried to support the locals as much as it could. india at this point went to the Un, where a resolution was passed which called both india and Pakistan to stop the fighting. The resolution recommended that people of the Kashmir be asked to decide whether they wanted to join india or Pakistan. This resolution has been sitting idle at the Un since 1948. There have been three wars between Pakistan and india, but the issue remains unresolved. While much of the blame of this issue not being resolved lies on the stubborn and sleazy behavior of india, our political and the ruling class has not helped the cause either. although all parties and other stakeholders at home claim that Kashmir is their priority and they all stand united, the reality seems far from that. it seems that the issue is used more as a bargaining chip and to gain power. Once the leaders get their clutches on power, Kashmir does not seem their concern beyond lip service. For example, on august 05, all political parties, those in power and in opposition seemingly took a united stand for Kashmir. However, the speeches of the PM and the leader of the opposition in the aJK assembly on two different days clearly reflect that a consensus is just an illusion. tell a different story. Similarly, their stance in political gatherings also shows that they are using the issue more for point scoring and maligning each other than being united against india. Maybe, india realizes that and hence never budges from its stubborn stance. We will never be able to force india to a negotiating table until we really have OnE strong clear policy on the Kashmir issue that is towed by every party and individual irrespective of who is in power. Shifts in policy and blaming opponents for petty political gains will not take us anywhere in this case. rAJA SHAFAATuLLAH iSLAMAbAD

Wednesday, 12 August, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW War on truth: hoW IndIan occupIed KashmIr struggles for freedom of press INDIA CONTINUES TO PROCLAIM THE FALSEHOOD THAT IT SERVES AS A RULER OR ADMINISTRATOR OF IOK, WHEN IT IS, IN FACT, A BRUTAL OCCUPIER

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roberT FanTina

N the first anniversary of the Indian crackdown on occupied Kashmir, the repercussions for the Kashmiri people are dire. It is said that in time of war, the first casualty is truth. And while India has not declared war on Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), it’s brutal repression of that country and its people has caused that ‘first casualty’ to occur.

A free press and free speech are two hallmarks of any democracy and are the major way for people to peacefully initiate governmental change. Thanks to the Indian government, both are in short supply for Kashmiris.

Journalists within IOK have a very difficult time reporting. They are often summoned by the police and asked about their work. This tactic of intimidation can’t help but dampen news reported both within and outside of IOK. David Walmsley, editor-in-chief of The Globe and Mail, commented in 2019 that “Press freedom is often taken for granted in countries where it exists, and is often not

considered a priority in countries where it has never existed.” While it did exist in IOK, it clearly no longer does, due to the Indian oppression. Ironically, at the 2019 World News Day, an annual event convened by Canada to celebrate “… the positive impact of professional journalism on their communities”, eight of the forty outlets participating were from India. And World News Day occurred nearly two months after India revoked the ‘special status’ of IOK and began its brutal suppression of the people of that country.

India continues to proclaim the falsehood that it serves as a ruler or administrator of IOK, when it is, in fact, a brutal occupier.

It has become so difficult and dangerous for journalists that often they publish articles under an assumed name. That is the situation for journalists already in the country. For those seeking to enter, they must obtain permission and, if granted, will be continuously monitored while there. And they are not exempt from the frequent police summonsing that those already based their experience.

This, of course, does not include Indian journalists who can freely enter and leave as long as they agree to publish the party line, overlooking atrocities committed against the Kashmiri people, and presenting life in Kashmir as very positive, thanks to Indian benevolence. Truth continues to be a main casualty of the brutal occupation.

For any journalist covering what is happening on the ground in any location, a

main source of information is the people who are living through the situation. Kashmiris are hesitant to speak to journalists unless they know exactly what organization they write for; the possibility of saying the ‘wrong’ thing to a pro-India journalist is very real, and the consequences can be swift and deadly. This represses the ability of journalists to write the kind of news stories that relate the extent of the dire situation in the country. Added to that is the feeling among much of the population, certainly justified, that whatever they do or say will not bring them justice. The Indian government is brutally occupying the nation, and the international community is ignoring the situation.

Censorship has become a way of life, preventing the outside world from knowing the horrors that the Kashmiri people are experiencing. Kashmiris themselves, suffering under this brutal occupation, may not know the extent of the suffering throughout their own country due to censorship. For the Indian government, this censorship is required to oppress the people; prevent, or at least minimize, global condemnation, and proceed with its imperial goals.

Like the rest of the world, IOK has been impacted by coronavirus, and a lockdown of the nation may occur at any time. How that will look different from life in IOK under Indian occupation can only be imagined. An Indian government-support pro-

gram did not include IOK, leaving the people there to deal with the pandemic by themselves while suffering from brutal oppression. By providing no aid, the Indian government seems to want to make things so difficult for the Kashmiris that their focus is on survival, diverting attention from the theft of their nation and their rights. The economic situation, and the survival of Kashmiris, are both at risk, because employment that had previously been restricted only to Kashmiris is now open to Indians entering the country. Additionally, the harsh and brutal repression by the Indian soldiers occupying IOK produces great fear among the people. All this is causing a feeling of betrayal and despair among the people of IOK. Coronavirus itself is getting a lot of media exposure in IOK, along with local issues such as water shortages and the conditions of roads. This prevents exposure and discussion of the main issues facing IOK, which are many, all of which are caused by the current brutal occupation and India’s colonial plans for the country. One Indian official proclaimed that India would follow the Israeli model in stealing Palestine from the Palestinians to steal IOK from the Kashmiris.

So many issues need to be addressed, but are being ignored, including the following: + More and more educated youths are arming themselves as protection from, and aggression toward, the occupation. This is

Outrage over US play about Afghan ‘’dancing boys’’ 'BACHA BAZI' OUTRAGE AFTER PANDEMIC TAKES PLAY TO THE SMALL SCREEN

BBC Sodaba Haidare

When it comes to theatre and filmmaking in the West, portrayals of Afghanistan often don't go beyond women in blue burqas and men carrying AK-47s.

But in 2017, two Americans attempted something unconventional. Lyricist Charlie Sohne and composer Tim Rosser created a musical about a subject even Afghans would consider too sensitive and unsettling - "bacha bazi" or "boy play".

Bacha bazi is a practice whereby wealthy, powerful older men buy and keep adolescent boys - known as dancing boys - for entertainment and sex. The boys are trained to dance seductively at male-only parties and often sexually abused.

The Boy Who Danced on Air told a love story between a 16-year-old boy, Paiman, and another young boy caught in the same bacha bazi practice.

The musical mostly made a good impression on theatre critics; it was called "courageous, thoughtful and beautiful". One review, in the New York Times, called the subject matter "troubling" and said Sohne and Rosser had "taken the challenge of difficult source material too far".

Fast-forward to 2020, after the coronavirus pandemic forced theatres to close, and The Boy Who Danced on Air joined many other productions on online streaming services instead. But, unexpectedly, the move provoked a wave of outrage and criticism from Afghans living around the world, who, learning of the musical for the first time, accused it of romanticising child sexual abuse and child rape.

Madina Wardak, an Afghan clinical social worker based in the US, said she watched 40 minutes of the musical and had to turn it off.

"I felt uncomfortable, misunderstood, frantic and anxious all at the same time," she said. "I cringed every time the actors tried to be believable and every time the audience had a laugh at the expense of real Afghan pain." The show has also faced criticism for promoting bacha bazi as a tradition that is accepted in Afghanistan. "Bacha bazi is a harmful practice that should not in any way be romanticised," said the Afghan actress and founder of Mena Arts, Azita Ghanizada. "To have an-

other piece of art focused on Afghanistan completely through the white lens shook up our community." As the criticism spread on social media, Troy Iwata, the Japanese-American actor who plays Paiman in the musical, posted an apology on his Instagram account.

"A while ago I did a show where I played someone of Afghan descent, which I am not," he said. "The show romanticised sexual assault and misconstrued an entire culture and its people. I am so sorry."

Despite bacha bazi being illegal under Afghan law, authorities are unable to end the practice because many of those involved are influential men. To these men, keeping a "bacha baireesh", or "boy without beard", is a sign of power and high social status. In the 1990s, bacha bazi was outlawed by the Taliban, with sodomy, dancing and music carrying the death penalty - although the militant group have been accused of participating in the practice themselves. The lack of Afghans or their input in the production of The Boy Who Danced on Air was another reason the musical came under fire.

Ms Ghanizada said: "Had Charlie and Tim centred Afghan voices during the process they would have been more cautious and thoughtful. Perhaps they would have even known that it wasn't their story to turn into a musical, but alas, Afghanistan was just a tool in their story. "The writers poured gasoline and lit a match on many of the wounds we are working hard to heal," added Ms Ghanizada.

The Afghan LGBTQ community in particular has expressed discontent with the orientalist nature of the story and many have said the show harmed sexual assault survivors.

Dr Qais Munhazim, a queer Afghan scholar and Assistant Professor at Thomas Jefferson University said: "The musical is not only an orientalist depiction of Afghans as a whole, but it is also painfully damaging to the queer and trans Afghans. The musical wrongfully associates paedophilia with queerness.

"Since the early days of the US military invasion of Afghanistan, from occupying forces to foreign journalists, travel bloggers and researchers have attempted to associate bacha bazi with Afghan queerness, damaging queer liberation in Afghanistan and in its diasporas.

"The queer and trans Afghans are tired of the white gaze into their lives and experiences.

They rather tell their own stories, in their own voices and with their own imaginations for a queer future," he said.

When the show moved to online streaming, it became accessible to people around the world. And according to Wazina Zondon, a queer sexuality educator, it "triggered discussions of rape and child sexual assault that span across sexual and gender identity". "I

have heard from many allies, cis, gender queer, trans, heterosexual, LGBQI and nonAfghans who have shared their intimate and real stories with me as a result. For some, the first time ever saying this aloud," said Ms Zondon, who is the co-creator of a storytelling performance Coming Out Muslim: Radical Acts of Love. "As a queer Afghan, I understand my experiences raised in the West are different from the realities of those in Afghanistan. However, the narrative this musical is telling dismisses, erases and co-opts the experiences and stories of LGBTQI Afghans."

Following the outrage over their musical, the makers were quick to issue an apology to the Afghan diaspora, but it was met with more anger from Afghans who demanded the production be cancelled and its proceeds donated to the victims of bacha bazi. The wider discontent forced the show's makers and Diversionary Theatre - an LGBTQ company that streamed the musical online - to involve Afghan activists and scholars in a discussion to resolve the issue. After the consultation with members of the Afghan community, including Ms Azita, Dr Munhazim, Ms Zondon and Ms Wardak, Sohne and Rosser issued a second apology, this time deciding to take down the production along with Youtube videos from the show, ending the sale of the album and removing it from streaming services.

In a joint statement they said their musical "created a world of pain for people in the Afghan community - specifically, LGBT Afghans who are particularly marginalised".

They apologised to the victims of bacha bazi who were disturbed by the show and the posts promoting it and said the practice was "illegal and brutal and abusive". "We also now realise that it was not our place as privileged white writers to tell stories about communities that are already underrepresented and under attack in this country," their statement read.

Diversionary Theatre, which was streaming the show online until July, has now removed it from its website and apologised for using the word "tradition" to market the production.

The makers have said they will donate proceeds to Afghan charities "to mitigate the harm done as much as possible" and have acknowledged that "no Afghan voices were empowered in the creation of the show".

The decision has been welcomed by Afghan diasporas, although moving forward Ms Ghanizada believes the creative arts must stop capitalising from Afghan stories. "Writers specifically have to learn to stop occupying our stories and profiting from our pain, without consulting us, hiring us, centring us," she said.

seen as necessary, since the world community seems content to allow India to destroy IOK and its people. + The drug problem, rampant in many parts of the world, seems to be taking a strong hold within IOK. + The tensions between India and China that could have far-reaching, devastating impacts on IOK, are not being discussed.

Should those tension erupt into armed conflict, IOK, bordering both nations, will experience even greater suffering. + And why the world is ignoring the unspeakable suffering of the Kashmiri people at the hands of their Indian overlords remains a mystery. Many governments pay lip service to criticizing Israel’s brutal occupation of Palestine, but even that is lacking for IOK. It is no secret that India plans to change the demography of IOK; that is part of the brutal, racist ‘Israeli model’ that India is emulating. Kashmiris worry that, as more Hindus are allowed in IOK, any future referendum about the future of the country will not be left to the Kashmiris alone.

The people of Kashmir have waited far too long, and India must not be allowed to establish ‘facts on the ground’ as Israel has tried to do in Palestine. The Kashmiri people, like everyone else on the planet, are entitled to the basic right of self-determination; the global community must demand that they be granted that right.

Robert Fantina is an activist and journalist, working for peace and social justice.

He serves on the boards of Canadians for Palestinian Rights, and Canadians for Justice in Kashmir, and is the former Canadian Coordinator of World Beyond War.

Young Indians deserve far more than what Modi’s government is offering us WITH 33 PER CENT YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT, THE MAJORITY OF THE YOUNG POPULATION BELIEVES THAT INDIA’S ECONOMY IS GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION

Independent Peony Hirwani

My beloved nation of India has been on a rollercoaster ride since the beginning of the last decade. When the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a parliamentary majority for the first time ever in 2014, the whole country, including the young population, was quite hopeful. “The youth of the nation has its finger on the mouse of computers and is changing the world.

India’s journey has gone from snake charmers to mouse charmers!” said prime minister Narendra Modi during a keynote address at a top college in 2013. That particular speech was so powerful that it became Modi’s oneway ticket to winning the young hearts and their votes. However, the charm didn’t last.

Six years into the Modi government, India’s youth appears to be amazingly baffled and disappointed.

Honestly, why wouldn’t they be? In the last 12 months alone, India has encountered the most ruthless type of riots in New Delhi where Hindu and Muslim mobs demonstrated their wrath, and innocent college students were beaten up mercilessly by the police. While Indian Occupied Kashmir is still using 2G network, the rest of the country is planning for 5G, police brutality is at a record high, the country’s transgender rights bill has majorly disappointed the LGBT+ community, and multiple minority groups like Dalits are constantly being let down by the government.

India’s economy is breaking down at the speed of light, with 33 per cent youth unemployment. There are

insufficient opportunities after graduation and the youngsters are being forced to work below minimum wage positions – and they only get that if they’re lucky. What young Indians want is pretty simple. They want the government to update the old law and enactments and utilise all the funds available in all the right places like healthcare, and education. Instead of spending over £25m on building statues, Gen Z and millennials want the government to invest in worthwhile areas, like the northeastern region of India that encounters dangerous floods every year, or the infrastructure and sanitation facilities of millions of hospitals, government schools and colleges all over the country.

It almost feels like the government doesn’t want to help build the country up and move us in the right direction. Such a significant number of assets have been invested in initiatives that weren’t even needed. The government’s decisions of answering to wants before needs are getting tiring and so many assets have likewise gone MIA because of corrupt officials. No one can blame the youngsters for taking to the streets and starting social media revolutions every now and then. An official YouGov-Mint-CPR Millennial Survey also states that the majority of the young population believes that India’s economy is going in the wrong direction and I can’t help but concur.

As we enter a new decade, the main hope I have for my country is to truly push ahead, united, while making decisions that benefit more people. I wish for the administrative authorities to stop hiding information, and let the media and press carry out their responsibility of revealing what’s truly going on.

It’s high time that the ruling body starts listening to all the young Indians because not only are they the ones who have genuinely taken a stand about the vast majority of the pressing issues that need consideration, but they also have established that they are the future. The old ways and ideologies don’t work anymore, and it’s time to concede that reality.

Wednesday, 12 August, 2020

BUSINESS 09

DESPiTE CoviD ouTBrEAK, PAKiSTAN SEES 12.5PC groWTH iN FruiT AND vEgETABLE ExPorTS

CORPORATE CORNER

ISLAMABAD

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KARACHI: Bahria Town has reopened Bahria Adventure Land theme park, Danzoo, Double Decker bus tour and Carnival. All necessary arrangements are being made in order to strictly implement SOPs and other preventive measures.

Qatar Airways increases its operations in Pakistan DOHA: Qatar Airways has announced to increase its services to Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar. The airline now operates 49 weekly flights to four gateways in Pakistan with its Boeing 787 and A350 aircraft. Flights to Islamabad have increased from 11 to 14 weekly flights, to Karachi from 10 to 14 weekly flights, to Lahore from 11 to 14 weekly flights, and to Peshawar from five to seven weekly flights. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency Akbar Al Baker said, “We are excited to increase our services to Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar, offering our passengers travelling to and from Pakistan connectivity to the largest networks in Europe, UK and the US via the Best Airport in the Middle East.

TPL Trakker’s location-based services to power Bykea’s App KARACHI: TPL Trakker has partnered with the country’s leading on-demand ride-hailing and logistics service, Bykea, to power its all-in-one mobile app. Following the partnership, Bykea is going to use Location Based Service (LBS) APIs powered by TPL Maps, the mapping arm of TPL Trakker, to power their all-in-one mobile App for transportation, deliveries and cash on delivery payments. Speaking on the collaboration, Sarwar Ali Khan, CEO, TPL Trakker, said, “Location based Services are the backbone of the On-Demand Services economy. We have seen Bykea grow and succeed over the years and we are proud to support their continued growth through our Location Based Service [LBS] APIs. Our strengths in data, technological performance, cost-efficiency and overall customer support services are driving leading international and domestic brands to choose us as their preferred LBS provider.”

GHULAM ABBAS

ESPITE the global outbreak of coronavirus pandemic, Pakistan has managed to register a record 12.5pc growth in the export of fruits and vegetables, amounting to $730 million in FY20.

This is also the highest revenue in terms of foreign exchange generation.

During the last year, the export of fruits was enhanced by 3.8pc while the vegetables reflected an increase in export by 28pc. Export of fruits fetched $431.27 million while export of the vegetables generated $30 million.

As per the horticulture exporters, at the time when the global trade was facing stiff challenges timely delivery of Pakistani fruits and vegetables to importing countries was almost impossible to ensure due to the pandemic and resulting lock downs, the exporters translated these challenges into oppor-

tunity by enhancing exports of this sector and adopting realistic strategies.

Sharing data of the exports, All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association (PFVA) has claimed that apart from the efforts on the part of growers and traders, the support extended by the federal government, and timely decisions in removal of trade barriers were also imperative in this considerable jump in exports.

Pakistan sensing difficulties in export by air adopted an alternative strategy to export by land routes and sea.

Special attention was given to the International markets of Iran and Afghanistan and the Federal Govt. promptly resolved the issues related to this sector in export to Iran and Afghanistan leading to enhancement of exports, Waheed Ahmed of PFVA claimed.

He said that due to the coronavirus global pandemic, the entire world was in desperate need of fruits and vegeta-

bles containing vitamins to minimize ill-effects of this pandemic, and Pakistan grabbed this unique opportunity and enhanced export of Kinnow, Potato and Onion despite serious issues of transportation and logistics arising of the pandemic. During the peak of the pandemic, Pakistan exported delicious and highly nutrient mangoes to many countries of the World. Extensive efforts by the PFVA also resulted in reduction of Air freight charges by P.I.A to Gulf countries and International market of U.A.E facilitating exporters to compete in these highly demanding and competitive markets. Likewise, after ban on export of Onion by India, the PFVA convinced the Federal Govt. to lift the temporary restriction on export of Pakistani onion thus leading to increase in exports while price of onion and Potato remained stable in the local market as well and the growers got benefit of this stability.

Besides maintaining consistency in exports’ enhancement of fruits and veg-

Cars sales up 8pc YoY in July BUSINESS DESK The sale of cars increased by 8pc year-on-year to 11,501 units in July 2020, as compared to the sale of 10,968 units in the same month of the last fiscal.

According to data released by the Pakistan Automobile Manufacturers Association (PAMA), the sales of Indus Motor Company (INDU) and Honda Atlas Cars (HCAL) registered growths of 68pc YoY and 46pc YoY, respectively. However, Pak Suzuki Motor Company (PSMC) sales declined by 40pc on a yearly basis.

Meanwhile, Kia Lucky Motors, a nonmember of PAMA, continued to perform well. As per Topline Securities’ estimates, the company recorded sales of 1,500 units in July 2020.

On a month-on-month basis, the overall sale of cars across Pakistan surged by 36pc in July 2020, as compared to June 2020. This

was due to the easing of the Covid-19 lockdowns, coupled with car assemblers ramping up production levels to meet pent-up demand of consumers.

All three main car assemblers reported monthly increases, with INDU reporting the highest increase of 60pc, followed by PSMC 28pc and HCAR 23pc.

Atlas Honda (ATLH) recorded motorbike sales of 94,003 units in July 2020, up 17pc YoY and 4pc MoM. Moreover, tractor sales (excluding Orient) in July 2020 increased 17pc YoY, while they declined 32pc MoM. Millat Tractors (MTL) and Al Ghazi Tractors (AGTL) sales increased by 14pc YoY and 25pc YoY, respectively.

According to Topline Securities, the demand for cars is expected to grow stronger in the coming months as lower interest rates for auto financing has revived the demand for new cars.

etables, it’s also imperative to take necessary steps to further boost the export of this sector. To attain this objective, the PFVA has presented a comprehensive road map titled – “Horticulture Vision – 2030” to the Federal Govt. which has been developed with extensive consultation with all concerned stakeholders of the Horticulture sector of all the provinces and it spells out issues of the sector along with realistic solutions.

This policy document highlights short, medium and long term solutions of the issues and barriers, the sector is confronted with. By effective implementation of the horticulture vision, Pakistan can easily enhance export of fruits and vegetables to $1 billion within a period of two years, $2 billion in five years and to $6 billion in a decade. Another encouraging aspect of this vision is provision of employment opportunities to 1.8 million people directly engaged in this sector within five years, and to create employment upto 3 million people in a period of ten years.

SECP initiates consultative process to revamp NBFC regime ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has issued a draft of amendments in the Non-Banking Finance Companies (Establishment and Regulation) Rules, 2003, for public consultation. "In order to promote an enabling business environment and provide ease of doing business, the SECP, through these amendments, has proposed to introduce a perpetual licence for non-banking finance companies by replacing the existing requirement of renewal of licence after every three years," said a statement issued by the commission. The SECP has also proposed to allow a single NBFC to undertake different licenced activities. Moreover, the lending NBFCs will be required to obtain the Private Equity and Venture Capital (PE&VC) licence while the investment advisors will be allowed to manage and launch exchange-traded funds and listed collective investment schemes. Also, to encourage the formation of new NBFCs, a more rationalized procedure to seek the commission’s permission to form an NBFC and obtain relevant NBFC licence has been proposed.

MARKET DAILY

Bulls stage comeback as benchmark index gains 644 points

Winners of Nestlé for Healthier Kids essay contest announced

KARACHI STAFF REPORT

LAHORE: Nestlé Pakistan announced the winners of the Nestlé for Healthier Kids (N4HK) essay competition, a first of its kind writing contest for primary and secondary school students. This unique activity by Nestlé Pakistan was organized for the youth to engage their creative capacities resulting in 1,100 entries from across Pakistan as well as from Pakistani expatriate families living in Philippines, Qatar, Jordan, the UAE and US. The competition was geared towards two age groups (10-12 years and 13-16 years) in each essay category. One winner and one runner-up were selected from each age group. N4HK would like to congratulate the winners, who will be awarded a certificate and their entries will be proudly published on Nestlé Pakistan’s website.

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) recovered all losses suffered in the previous session and managed to post decent gains on Tuesday on the back of improved market sentiments.

"Banking, exploration & production, oil marketing companies, cement and fertiliser stocks helped the index recover from the selling activity that was observed in the last couple of sessions," said a report issued by AHL Ltd. "The real head turners today were HUBC and KAPCO, both of which hit the upper circuit in anticipation of resolution of issues with the government."

According to the report, E&P stocks posted price gains on the back of a rise in international crude prices, whereas buying activity was witnessed in the fertiliser sector following an increase in fertilizer prices.

MARKET SUMMARY: The benchmark KSE-100

Index remained in the green zone throughout the day, registering its intraday at 40,706.08 after accumulating 791.32 points. It settled higher by 644.39 points at 40,559.15.

Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index gained 1,175.98 points to close at 65,072.13, while the KSE All Share Index added 354.33 points, ending at 28,347.69. Of the total traded shares, 210 advanced and 131 declined.

The overall market volumes improved from 576.54 million shares in the previous session to 600.01 million shares (+4pc). Average traded value, however, surged by 42pc, from $104.1 million to $147.7 million. Hascol Petroleum Ltd (HASCOL +7.46pc), KElectric Ltd (KEL +6.79pc) and TRG Pakistan Ltd (TRG -3.62pc) led the volume chart, exchanging 65.45 million, 36.02 million and 31.21 million shares, respectively.

Sectors that drove the benchmark index north included power generation & distribution (164.28

points), oil & gas exploration (139.78 points) and banking (120.69 points). Among the companies, Hub Power Company Ltd (HUBC 127.41 points), Pak Petroleum Ltd (PPL 70.81 points) and United Bank Ltd (UBL 44.52 points) remained the top contributors.

Based on cumulative market capitalization, the power generation & distribution sector (+6.94pc) ended as the session’s top gainer, with Hub Power Company (HUBC 7.50pc), K-Electric Ltd (KEL 6.79pc), Kot Addu Power Company (KAPCO 7.47pc) and Nishat Power Ltd (NPL 7.18pc) posting decent gains.

Meanwhile, in a notification to the exchange, Dolmen City REIT (DCR +0.36pc) informed that its management has decided to waive 25pc rents of tenants having retail outlets in ‘Dolmen Mall Clifton’, adding that no minimum rent for August will be charged from tenants who remained closed or had limited operations.

According to DCR, 25pc rental of tenants of ‘Harbor Front’ will also be waived for August 2020.

China’s total ad spending will decrease by 2.8pc in 2020: GroupM SINGAPORE BABAR KHAN JAVED

By the end of 2020, the total advertising spend in China will exceed RMB 626.2 billion ($90 billion), with the Sleeping Giant entering a resumption stage, due to stimulus policies gradually taking effect.

According to the latest China Mid-Year Forecast Report from GroupM, ad spends in China will shrink by 2.8pc, faring better than the US at a 7.6pc decline and the world at a 11. 8pc decline. For context, advertisers and agencies connected to WPP and Publicis told Profit that in the best-case scenario, the total advertising spend in Pakistan would be $440 million.

“From another point of view, even though this black swan event brought an enormous negative effect; however, from the upgrading of practitioners to products, from the reshuffle of business operations and management philosophies, the epidemic is also a catalyst that unexpectedly accelerates industrial change and innovation,” said Sarah Zhang, a director in the

THE MARGINAL DECREASE IN TOTAL ADVERTISING SPENDING BY CHINA IS A THIRD OF THE 7.6PC EXPERIENCED BY THE US AND 11.8PC EXPERIENCED BY THE WORLD knowledge team at GroupM. “Never waste a good crisis. There is no making without breaking, thus there will be a power of integration generated by the market to improve efficiency.”

The report projects that 79.4% of total advertising spends in China will go to internet mediums such as search, mobile, social, video, and publishers. The remaining 20.6 percent of the total advertising spend in China will go to TV, outdoor advertising, radio, newspapers, and magazines, at 10.7pc, 7.4pc, 1.5pc, 0.7pc, and 0.4pc, respectively. This means that the number of money advertisers and media agencies spend on magazines in China is $360 million, which is roughly double what the equivalent stakeholder groups in Pakistan will spend on TV advertising.

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In the report, Zhang says that during the outbreak of C19, e-commerce, long and short-form video, and social media platforms achieved higher growth, adding that there is still room for top digital media to increase their ad revenues. She said that eCommerce companies, especially fresh food e-commerce and daily life service apps, penetrate all aspects of life such as online purchase and home delivery services for daily necessaries, and pharmaceuticals. She added that takeout, remote working, cloud conference, and online education are in hot pursuit, and the service supply-side has become digitized.

“Online shopping has accelerated to become the predominant purchase channel, leading online and offline to speed up to integrate,” she said. “Meanwhile, the epidemic keeps bubbling up and anti-epidemic require-

ments compel people to change their way of living and working. It makes the scenarios of home economy and cloud application become more abundant, and new demands will motivate the creation of new tools and new business models.” According to a Monthly Financial Statistics Report from The People’s Bank of China for January 2020 to May 2020, monthly bank savings increased 8% year on year, reaching a height of 10.4 percent in May. Zhang said that after experiencing different antiepidemic measures domestically and abroad, most consumers enhanced their confidence in domestic brands.

Especially time-honored brands proactively chose to leverage this advantage to do marketing with elements of nostalgia and crossover.

“The higher brand perception and experience, the higher acceptance consumers will have, bringing the greater conversion rate into actual sales,” said Zhang.

“Therefore, brands need to demonstrate their core value and deliver their brand concept sustainably by advertising, PR events, services, and so on; this is still the solid foundation to gain rapid growth during the recovery period.

Wednesday, 12 August, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS

leBanon's leaders Were Warned in JUly aBoUt explosives at port, docUments reveal BEIRUT

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AGENCIES

EBANESE security officials warned the prime minister and president last month that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored in Beirut’s port posed a security risk and could destroy the capital if it exploded, according to documents seen by Reuters and senior security sources.

Just over two weeks later, the industrial chemicals went up in a massive blast that obliterated most of the port and swathes of the capital, killed at least 163 people, injured 6,000 and destroyed 6,000 buildings, according to municipal authorities.

A report by the General Directorate of State Security on events leading up to the explosion included a reference to a private letter sent to President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Hassan Diab on July 20.

While the content of the letter was not in the report seen by Reuters, a senior security official said it summed up the findings of a judicial investigation launched in January which concluded the chemicals needed to be secured immediately.

The state security report, which confirmed the correspondence to the president and the prime minister, has not previously been reported. “There was a danger that this material, if stolen, could be used in a terrorist attack,” the official told Reuters.

“At the end of the investigation, Prosecutor General (Ghassan) Oweidat prepared a final report which was sent to the authorities,” he said, referring to the letter sent to the prime minister and president by the General Directorate of State Security, which oversees port security.

“I warned them that this could destroy

Beirut if it exploded,” said the official, who was involved in writing the letter and declined to be named.

Reuters could not independently confirm his description of the letter. The presidency did not respond to requests for comment about the July 20 letter.

A representative for Diab, whose government resigned on Monday following the blast, said the PM received the letter on July 20 and it was sent to the Supreme Defence Council for advice within 48 hours.

“The current cabinet received the file 14 days prior to the explosion and acted on it in a matter of days. Previous administrations had over six years and did nothing.”

The prosecutor general did not respond to requests for comment.

‘DO WHAT IS NECESSARY’: The correspondence could fuel further criticism and public fury that the explosion is just the latest, if not most dramatic, example of the government negligence and corruption that have already pushed Lebanon to economic collapse. As protests over the blast raged in Lebanon on Monday, Diab’s government resigned, though it will remain as a caretaker administration until a new cabinet is formed. The rebuilding of Beirut alone is expected to cost up to $15 billion, in a country already effectively bankrupt with total banking system losses exceeding $100 billion. Aoun confirmed last week that he had been informed about the material. He told reporters he had directed the secretary general of the Supreme Defence Council, an umbrella group of security and military agencies chaired by the president, to “do what is necessary”. “(The state security service) said it is dangerous. I am not responsible! I don’t know where it was put and I didn’t know

iran arrests five iranians for spying for foreign states DUBAI: Iranian authorities have arrested five Iranians on charges of spying for Israel, Britain and Germany, convicting and handing down prison sentences on at least two of them, the judiciary said on Tuesday. “In recent months, five Iranians who were spying for foreign intelligence services have been arrested,” judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said in a virtual news conference. Shahram Shirkhani spied for British intelligence services and tried to recruit some Iranian officials for Britain’s MI6 agency, Esmali said. Shirkhani had passed on classified information about Iran’s Central Bank and Defence Ministry contracts, he said. Shirkhani has been convicted and received a prison sentence. Masoud Mosaheb, who was secretary-general of the Iran-Austria friendship association, also has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for spying for Israel’s Mossad and the German intelligence services, the spokesman said. He gave no details on the other three detainees, but indicated that they were working in state bodies. AGENCIES

over 5,800 americans renounce citizenship in 6 months: report NEW YORK: Americans are ditching their US citizenship in droves, mainly due to an unbearable political atmosphere and the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, new research shows, indicating that both residents and expats are cutting ties in record numbers. More than 5,800 Americans renounced their citizenship in the first half of 2020, according to a report by Bambridge Accountants New York, a firm that specializes in US expat tax compliance, a dramatic 1,210percent spike compared to the last six months of 2019. “There has been a huge turnaround during coronavirus of US expats renouncing [citizenship], where the figures have been in steep decline since 2017,” said Alistair Bambridge, a partner at the New York-based accounting firm, pointing to a contentious political landscape, the coronavirus pandemic, and onerous tax regulations. The number of Americans who gave up their citizenship in the first six months of 2020 was more than double the figure for all of 2019, in which a mere 2,072 citizens cut ties to the US. The recent wave of renunciations has made the first quarter of 2020 the highest on record, the firm said, with 2020’s second quarter taking the number-two spot. TLTP

how dangerous it was. I have no authority to deal with the port directly. There is a hierarchy and all those who knew should have known their duties to do the necessary,” Aoun said. Many questions remain over why the shipment of ammonium nitrate docked in Beirut in late 2013. Even more baffling is why such a huge stash of dangerous material, used in bombs and fertilisers, was allowed to remain there for so long. The letter sent to Lebanon’s president and prime minister followed a string of memos and letters sent to the country’s courts over the previous six years by port, customs and security officials, repeatedly urging judges to order the removal of the ammonium nitrate from its position so close to the city centre.

The General Directorate of State Security’s report seen by Reuters said many requests had been submitted, without giving an exact number. It said the port’s manifest department sent several written requests to the customs directorate up until 2016 asking them to call on a judge to order the material be re-exported immediately.

“But until now, no decision has been issued over this matter. After consulting one of our chemical specialists, the expert confirmed that this material is dangerous and is used to produce explosives,” the General Directorate of State Security report said.

HAZARDOUS MATERIAL: The road to last week’s tragedy began seven years ago, when the Rhosus, a Russian-chartered, Moldovan-flagged vessel carrying ammonium nitrate from Georgia to Mozambique, docked in Beirut to try to take on extra cargo to cover the fees for passage through the Suez Canal, according to the ship’s captain. Port authorities im-

pounded the Rhosus in December 2013 by judicial order 2013/1031 due to outstanding debts owed to two companies that filed claims in Beirut courts, the state security report showed.

In May 2014, the ship was deemed unseaworthy and its cargo was unloaded in October 2014 and warehoused in what was known as Hangar 12. The ship sank near the port’s breakwater on Feb. 18, 2018, the security report showed.

Moldova lists the owner of the ship as Panama-based Briarwood Corp. Briarwood could not immediately be reached for comment. In February 2015, Nadim Zwain, a judge from the Summary Affairs Court, which deals with urgent issues, appointed an expert to inspect the cargo, according to the security report.

The report said the expert concluded that the material was hazardous and, through the port authorities, requested it be transferred to the army. Reuters could not independently confirm the expert’s account. Lebanese army command rejected the request and recommended the chemicals be transferred or sold to the privately owned Lebanese Explosives Company, the state security report said.

The report did not say why the army had refused to accept the cargo. A security official told Reuters it was because they didn’t need it. The army declined to comment. The explosives company’s management told Reuters it had not been interested in purchasing confiscated material and the firm had its own suppliers and government import licences. From then on, customs and security officials wrote to judges roughly every six months asking for the removal of the material, according to the requests seen by Reuters.

Turkey to issue Mediterranean exploration licences, raising tensions with Greece ANKARA/ATHENS AGENCIES

Turkey will issue gas exploration and drilling licences in the eastern Mediterranean, its foreign minister said on Tuesday, further raising tensions with Greece which said it would seek an emergency EU meeting to address the issue.

The two NATO allies vehemently disagree about their overlapping claims for hydrocarbon resources in the eastern Mediterranean, based on conflicting views of how far their continental shelves extend in waters dotted with islands. On Monday Turkey sent an exploration vessel into a disputed area, ending a brief period of calm brokered

by Germany. Ankara said a maritime deal Greece signed with Egypt last week showed it could not trust Athens, and vowed to continue surveying waters that are also claimed by Greece and Cyprus.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey’s Oruc Reis exploration vessel would continue its work, which Greece has decried as illegal, and Ankara would issue new seismic exploration and drilling licenses by the end of

August. “Our determination is unfaltering here,” he told reporters in Ankara.

“We will not compromise in any way from this.” Backing up Cavusoglu’s unyielding tone, Turkey’s communications director Fahrettin Altun tweeted on Tuesday video footage of Turkish fighter jets, warships and exploration vessels deployed at sea. “Every drop of our blue homeland is sacred,” Altun tweeted, referring to a doctrine championed by recent Turkish naval commanders calling for Ankara to adopt a more muscular approach in its coastal waters.

Turkey says it has the longest coastline in the eastern Mediterranean but is penned in to a narrow strip of coastal

water by the presence of numerous small Greek islands close to its shore.

Greece and other regional states cite a United Nations accord to support their maritime demarcations.

ATHENS SEEKS EMERGENCY EU MEETING: Greece said it would request an emergency meeting of the European Union foreign affairs council, the prime minister’s office said on Tuesday.

The European Union, which has imposed an entry ban and asset freeze on two Turkish energy executives, called for dialogue. “The latest developments are extremely worrying,” European Commission foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano said.

Blast hits Us coalition convoy north of Baghdad, no casUalties BAGHDAD: A blast from a planted explosive device hit a convoy of the U.S.-led coalition near the Taji base north of Baghdad on Tuesday, the Iraqi military said in a statement. The explosion caused a fire to a container on one of the vehicles but the military did not report any casualties. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast. AGENCIES

egypt says supporting lebanon in humanitarian, reconstruction fields BEIRUT: Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Tuesday that Egypt is investing great efforts in helping Lebanon after Beirut's blasts, the National News Agency reported.

Egypt is sending humanitarian assistance by air and support for the reconstruction by sea, Shoukry said after meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun at Baabda Palace in Lebanon. Shoukry emphasized the need to work on priorities of the Lebanese reconstruction efforts following the huge explosions. Earlier in the day, Lebanon's Secretary General of the Higher Relief Council Mohammad Kheir said that 70,000 houses were affected by the explosions that hit Beirut's port, Elnashra news website reported. Two huge explosions rocked Port of Beirut on Aug. 4, shaking buildings all over Lebanon's capital and killing at least 160 people while wounding about 6,000 others. TLTP

netanyahu blames Washington for stalled WB annexation TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed frustration over stalled plans to annex the West Bank, blaming the hold-up on Washington’s reluctance to approve the move. “It was clear from the start that the application of sovereignty would be done only with agreement from the United States. Otherwise, I would have already done it a while ago,” Netanyahu told Israel’s Channel 20. He claimed that US President Donald Trump was now “busy with other things” and that “issues of importance to Israel” were not a top priority for Washington at the moment. The annexation, which is part of Trump’s ‘peace plan’ for the region, was originally slated to begin in July. Under the White House plan, Israel would absorb 30 percent of the occupied territory that it captured from Jordan during the 1967 Six Day War. The rest of the West Bank would be governed by Palestinians, but security and border policy would be decided by Israel.

More than 460,000 Israelis live in these settlements, built in violation of international laws, and the annexation will strip the Palestinians of a significant chunk of their territory. Palestinian factions denounced the proposal as dead on arrival. However, the Trump administration has reportedly been unwilling to give final approval to push forward with annexation. Netanyahu said at the start of August that he was waiting for Washington’s signal to “apply sovereignty” to the West Bank. Although the White House was initially supportive of annexation, the plan has received near-unanimous opposition in the international community. If the annexation doesn’t occur in the coming weeks, it’s possible that it could be halted indefinitely.

Netanyahu is currently in a budget battle with Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz. TLTP

ECW reaches out to 3.5m crisis-hit children since 2016 NEW YORK TLTP

Education Cannot Wait (ECW), a UNhosted global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, has reached out to nearly 3.5 million children and youth in many of the world's worst humanitarian crises since its inception in 2016, an ECW report published on Tuesday shows.

The report, "Stronger Together in Crises -- Annual Results Report 2019," provides evidence that ECW's partnership model is spurring progress in delivering inclusive, equitable quality education for children and youth caught in emergencies and protracted crises.

The report shows that ECW is providing the impetus for quicker education re-

sponses in face of sudden-onset crises, and is strengthening coherence between humanitarian and development aid interventions. It also captures encouraging trends in terms of strengthening national and local capacities to respond, as well as improving data, evidence and accountability for the sector.

"ECW works to serve the 75 million children and youth -- 39 million of whom are girls -- whose education has been disrupted by armed conflicts, forced displacement, climate-change induced disasters and protracted crises. This new annual results report shows ECW advancing from strength to strength, just three years into its operations," said Gordon Brown, UN special envoy for Global Education and Chair of the ECW High-Level Steering Group.

CMYK

"The report comes at an unprecedented time when the global education crisis is exacerbated by Covid-19. The pandemic has swept across the world, threatening decades of hard-won development gains: 90 percent of the world's school-age children and youth have had their education disrupted," Brown noted.

"As an innovative fund, ECW is breaking new ground, but more needs to be done. Financing is absolutely essential," he added. "ECW champions the inherent human right to an education for children and youth left furthest behind in humanitarian emergencies and protracted crises," said ECW Director Yasmine Sherif.

"To answer the UN secretary general's recent call to avoid a generational catastrophe that could waste untold human poten-

tial, undermine decades of progress, and exacerbate entrenched inequalities, ECW and its partners are working to urgently mobilize an additional 310 million dollars to support the emergency education response to the Covid-19 pandemic and other ongoing crises. Together with in-country resource mobilization, this will allow us to reach close to 9 million children annually," Sherif said.

ECW, hosted by the United Nations Children's Fund, is the first global fund dedicated to education in emergencies.

It was launched by international humanitarian and development aid actors, along with public and private donors, to address the urgent education needs of 75 million children and youth in conflict and crisis settings.

Wednesday, 12 August, 2020

SPORTS 11

New ZeAlANd to host PAKIstAN, AUstrAlIA, BANglAdesh ANd west INdIes thIs seAsoN

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SPORTS DESK

EW ZEALAND Cricket (NZC) on Tuesday announced that Pakistan, Australia, Bangladesh and the West Indies will tour New Zealand for their home season, despite the Covid-19 pandemic. David White, Chief Executive of NZC, confirmed the upcoming tours while adding that isolation arrangements are currently being worked out for the visiting teams.

"We are making tremendous progress. I was just on the phone to the West Indies, they're confirmed, Pakistan is confirmed, Australia and Bangladesh... so 37 days of international cricket," White told reporters in Auckland.

"The White Ferns will tour Australia in September and then the Australia Women's team will tour New Zealand in February. We are just working through the content but probably five ODIs and three T20Is.

Even though White didn’t confirm the schedules of the mentioned tours but announced that they would follow the bio-secure bubble model deployed in England.

"We'll just be held up for a week or two while we work with the government agencies on the managed isolation but they've been extremely supportive."

Whereas the White Ferns will tour Australia in September, with a return tour to New Zealand in February.

While international cricket resumed back in July with England hosting the West Indies for a three-match Test series, New Zealand are yet to play an international match since their ODI series in Australia, that was called off in March in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak.

New Zealand are scheduled to host West Indies and Pakistan for Test and T20I series and Bangladesh for ODIs and T20Is, and Australia for a short series as per the current FTP.

Sarfaraz Ahmed should retire from Tests, focus on white-ball cricket: Ramiz Raja An India-Pakistan clash building up in the ICC boardroom MUMBAI: An India versus Pakistan contest appears to be building up at the International Cricket Council as the governing body takes one step forward and two steps back to put an election process in place. A section of the ICC's members, aided by participants in their ecosystem and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), insist that the ICC's new chairperson should be elected on basis of a 2/3rd majority while most member boards - including India, England and Australia - believe election should take place through a simple majority.

The ICC's board meeting to come to a decision in this regard took place via a teleconference on Monday. However, once again, there was no outcome. "There are 17 votes in the ICC. A 2/3rd majority to elect the new chair will mean any potential contender will require 12 votes whereas in a simple majority, anybody who gets nine votes will win," say sources. The governing body stands divided with 11 members, including India, England, Australia, South Africa and seven others on one side and interim chairman Imran Khwaja, independent director Indra Nooyi, three associated members and PCB on the other. "Essentially, this is an India vs Pakistan game playing out there in the ICC. Now, it's for the BCCI to take a call on what they should be doing," say those in the know. The ICC has no clear definition on how the election process should work. "In such a scenario, the board will have to pass a resolution and that can happen by way of a simple majority. That's part of ICC's constitution. So, they can certainly resolve it if they want to," add sources. AGENCIES

KARACHI AGENCIES

Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja believes wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfaraz Ahmed should retire from Tests and focus on white ball cricket.

Sarfaraz, a former captain, was seen performing the duties of 12th man in the series opener between England and Pakistan in Manchester.

"In my book I am clear once you have been captain and remained on a pedestal then it is very difficult to come down and be on the bench," Raja, who is also a well-known commentator, said on the Youtube channel, 'Cricket Baaz'.

"I would advise Sarfaraz to think about it and retire from Test cricket and just focus on white ball cricket, a format in which he is very good and known for his aggression," he added.

Raja, who featured in 57 Tests, said a former captain and senior player of Sarfaraz's stature carrying drinks, although not rare in cricket, is frowned upon in Pakistan.

"There is nothing wrong with that because even James Anderson carried drinks when he didn't play in the second Test against West Indies. But in our cricket culture these things are not looked upon nicely and if they involve a former captain," Raja said.

"I don't see him getting a chance in the Test format soon so he should focus on white ball cricket where he will play and be respected as well," he added.

Raja feels the presence of Sarfaraz in the squad also adds pressure on Muhammad Rizwan, who kept the wickets for Pakistan in the first Test.

"He being in the Test squad also adds pressure on Muhammad Rizwan

who knows there is a former captain keeper breathing down his neck and that is not good for him. I think Sarfaraz should not be on the bench. He should call it a day from Test cricket."

Sarfaraz was removed as captain from all three formats last year in a sudden move by the Pakistan Cricket Board but made a comeback to the national squad for the tour of England due to the unusual circumstances arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 33-year-old, who has appeared in 49 Tests, 116 ODIs and 58 T20Is, led Pakistan to the 2017 Champions Trophy title against India. Under his captaincy Pakistan reached the number one position in the shortest format of the game.Raja feels Pakistan has a good chance of bouncing back in the threeTest series as England will be missing the services of its star all-rounder Ben Stokes for family reasons.

"Stokes is the world's top allrounder with bat and ball and a game changer. I think Pakistan can definitely take advantage of the situation."

Talking about the match, Raja said he was disappointed to see Pakistan pacers not bowling short pitched balls to Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes.

"It is frustrating to digest the defeat after having dominated the Test for majority sessions," he said.

"I was surprised that Jos Butler, who was under pressure to get runs, to keep his place in the England team and Chris Woakes,who is primarily a tailender, were not tested by short pitched balls and the fast bowlers.

"Even the field settings for them when Yasir (Shah) was bowling were not good enough."

Is this Neymar's time in the Champions League? Injury-hit PSG hope so LISBON AGENCIES

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have once again been hit by a flood of injuries going into a crunch Champions League knockout tie, but this time Neymar is fit and seemingly ready to live up to his status as the world's most expensive player.

PSG face Atalanta in Lisbon on Wednesday in the first quarter-final of the 'Final Eight', after UEFA turned the latter stages of Europe's elite club competition into something akin to a World Cup after the long coronavirus shutdown. There will be no fans in the Estadio da Luz, but the French champions coped just fine behind closed doors when they beat Borussia Dortmund in their last 16, second leg in March. That night Neymar scored the opener in a 2-0 win as they overturned a first-leg deficit.

After the game, the Brazilian sat on a step high up in the stands at the Parc des Princes and cried tears of joy.

After all, his first two seasons in Paris following his 222 million-euro ($264 million) transfer from Barcelona were marred by injuries at the worst possible moments.

First there was the broken metatarsal that saw him miss the last 16, second leg against Real Madrid in 2018 as PSG were knocked out by the reigning champions.

And history repeated itself a year later, as another

metatarsal injury forced him to miss the defeat against a mediocre Manchester United, when they contrived to throw away a 2-0 first-leg advantage.

Since then, the much talked about move back to Barcelona has not happened and does not look likely to happen in the post-pandemic market.

Wednesday's game comes a day short of three years after Neymar made his debut for PSG following that stunning, 222 million euros transfer from Spain.

Aged 28, Neymar now finally seems settled in Paris and is in fine shape to lead his team against Atalanta as they look to progress to the Champions League semi-finals

CMYK

for the first time since the Qatari takeover in 2011.

"I think I'm having my best time since I came to Paris," he said in an interview with the club's website last week. And how PSG -- in the week they celebrate the 50th anniversary of the club's founding -- need him as coach Thomas Tuchel has all sorts of selection concerns elsewhere. His other superstar forward, Kylian Mbappe, is expected to be on the bench at best as he battles to shake off an ankle injury suffered in last month's French Cup final against Saint-Etienne. Angel Di Maria is suspended, while the club's all-time record goal-scorer, Edinson Cavani, left at the end of June when his contract expired. Ironically, he has been tipped to move to Lisbon to sign for Benfica.

Perhaps most worryingly of all, midfield maestro Marco Verratti is out with a calf injury and reports claim the Italian would possibly not even be fit for the final should PSG make it. To top it all, Tuchel is on crutches too, the German coach breaking his fifth metatarsal and spraining his left ankle during a workout.

But as long as Neymar is fit, PSG will remain hopeful of progressing to a semi-final next week against Atletico Madrid or RB Leipzig. "We're a very strong team together, we've won four titles already this season, and I'm very happy to be the Paris Saint-Germain manager," Tuchel told PSG TV this week. "It's a gift for me."

Kamran criticises PCB for deciding to challenge Umar's ban reduction KARACHI: Pakistan batsman Kamran Akmal has lashed out at the PCB for its decision to challenge the reduction of the ban imposed on his younger brother, Umar Akmal for not reporting spot-fixing approaches.

An independent adjudicator of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Justice (retd) Faqir Muhammad Khokar reduced Umar's ban from three years to 18 months, hearing his appeal. Justice Khokar also gave Umar and the PCB the option of filing an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for International Sports (CAS) against his decision. On Monday the PCB announced it would file the appeal. Kamran said in the past players had been banned for short terms of three to six months and even had their fines reduced for the same offence but in Umar's case the PCB is not even satisfied with the 18 months ban on him. "Umar is being treated unjustly because in the past he has always cooperated with the authorities in such cases and this time also he admitted the mistake of not reporting the matter to the authorities.

Even the reduced 18 months ban is hard on him," he said.

PCB said it has taken the decision following a review of the detailed order of the independent adjudicator, whereby the length of Umar's ban has been reduced from 36 months to 18 months (running concurrently) on grounds of taking a compassionate view.

"The PCB takes matters relating to anticorruption very seriously and firmly maintains a zero-tolerance approach. "The PCB believes a senior cricketer like Umar Akmal was aware of the consequences when, after having attended a number of anti-corruption lectures at domestic and international level, having witnessed the consequences of indulging in corrupt conduct, still failed to report the approaches to the relevant authorities," the PCB said in a press release.

"The PCB doesn't take any pride in seeing a cricketer of Umar's stature being banned for corruption, but as a credible and respectable institution, we need to send out a loud and clear message to all our stakeholders that there will be no sympathy whatsoever for anyone who breaches the regulations."

The three-year ban was initially imposed in April by the PCB's Disciplinary Panel under the Anti-Corruption laws.

Justice (retd) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan imposed the ban on Umar on April 27 after finding him guilty of breaching the PCB anti-corruption code by not reporting approaches made to him in Lahore at two separate parties to spot fix matches in the Pakistan Super League.

The PCB had suspended Umar on February 20 this year.

Kamran said that his brother is being treated unfairly and already his career had suffered a lot due to unjust selection decisions.

The Judge who headed the Disciplinary Panel noted in his final decision that Umar had failed to show any remorse or explain why he had not reported the approaches to the PCB and neither had he divulged details of the discussions he had with the suspected bookmakers at two meetings in Lahore. AGENCIES

Wednesday, 12 August, 2020

PrAyEr TImINGS

NEWS

FAJR SUNRISE

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ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

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RUSSIa becoMeS FIRSt coUntRy to appRove covId-19 vaccIne: pUtIn MOsCOw

p

AGENCIES

RESIDENT Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia had become the first country in the world to grant regulatory approval to a Covid-19 vaccine after less than two months of human testing, a move hailed by Moscow as evidence of its scientific prowess.

The development paves the way for the mass inoculation of the Russian population, even as the final stage of clinical trials to test safety and efficacy continue.

The speed at which Russia is moving to

roll out its vaccine highlights its determination to win the global race for an effective product but has stirred concerns that it may be putting national prestige before sound science and safety.

Speaking at a government meeting on state television, Putin said the vaccine, developed by Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute, was safe and that it had even been administered to one of his daughters.

“I know that it works quite effectively, forms strong immunity, and I repeat, it has passed all the needed checks,” said Putin.

He said he hoped the country would soon start mass-producing the vaccine.

IMF urges US to resolve trade tensions with partner countries WASHINGTON: The US economy is expected to contract by around 6.5 percent in 2020 as the unemployment rate stands at 11.1 percent and 15 million Americans have lost their job over the past four months.

The International Monetary Fund said this in a statement on Tuesday after its executive board concluded the article-iv consultation with the United States. The IMF said that the economic outlook has shifted dramatically with the rapid spread of Covid-19. The sudden-stop in activity, arising from the shutdown, has caused an abrupt contraction in activity and a surge in unemployment. The economy is expected to contract by around 6.5 percent in 2020 and expand by around 4 percent in 2021.

The directors encouraged the US authorities to reverse trade restrictions and to work constructively with partner countries to resolve trade tensions and modernize the multilateral trading system. Many directors noted that the planned introduction of currency-based countervailing duties could increase policy uncertainty, have negative spillovers, and undermine the multilateral trading and international monetary systems.

The IMF said that the federal government’s primary deficit is expected to rise from around 3 percent of GDP in FY2019 to 16 percent of GDP in FY2020 and the federal debt is expected to approach 100 percent of GDP by end-2020. State and local government deficits are also expected to more-than-double in size this year.

The IMF said that the Federal Reserve also reacted quickly as the scale of the burgeoning pandemic became clear. In an unscheduled meeting on March 15, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) lowered the federal funds target range to 0 to 0.25 percent and indicated it would maintain rates at this level until it is confident that the economy has weathered recent events and is on track to achieve the Fed’s maximum employment and price stability goals. There was a significant increase in Fed purchases of Treasury and agency mortgage backed securities, new credit facilities were launched to backstop institutions and ensure the smooth functioning of a range of financial markets, and the Fed expanded bilateral swaps with a range of central banks to normalize conditions in dollar funding markets. The executive directors broadly agreed with the thrust of the staff appraisal. They commended the authorities for their swift, extraordinary policy response to protect livelihoods and vulnerable sectors of the economy. Directors noted that the recovery will likely be gradual and subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Amid the resurgence in Covid-19 cases, a deep economic recession, and surging unemployment, the directors underscored the need to deepen public health efforts while continuing to use all policy tools to support the recovery and mitigate the scarring effects of the pandemic on the U.S. economy and society. Directors recognized that, once the pandemic is fully contained, medium-term fiscal adjustment will be necessary to put debt on a downward path.

They recommended gearing fiscal policy toward strengthening the social safety net, incentivizing work, expanding healthcare coverage, and broadening access to quality education. TLTP

Its approval by the health ministry foreshadows the start of a larger trial involving thousands of participants, commonly known as a Phase III trial.

Such trials, which require a certain rate of participants catching the virus to observe the vaccine’s effect, are normally considered essential precursors for a vaccine to receive regulatory approval. Regulators around the world have insisted that the rush to develop Covid-19 vaccines will not compromise safety. But recent surveys show growing public distrust in governments’ efforts to rapidly-produce such a vaccine.

Russian health workers treating Covid-

19 patients will be offered the chance of volunteering to be vaccinated soon after the vaccine’s approval, a source told Reuters last month. More than 100 possible vaccines are

Police in held Kashmir probe claims of staged army gun battle

sRInAGAR AGENCIES

Police in Indian-occupied Kashmir said on Tuesday that they are investigating allegations from three families who say their relatives were killed by the military in a staged gun battle and buried as unidentified militants.

Police are taking “all necessary steps to ascertain facts” in the case, said Amritpal Singh, the police chief in the Shopian district, where the Indian army said the gunbattle took place on July 18. The three young men aged 18, 21 and 25 years are cousins who their families say had gone to Shopian to work as labourers. They were last heard from

on July 17.

On Sunday, the families said they were shown photographs that circulated on social media of three bodies that, according to the Indian army, were “unidentified terrorists” killed during the Shopian gun battle. They recognised the bodies as their missing relatives and filed a report with the police.

“They had not even a remote connection with militancy,” said Mohammed Yousuf, the father of one of the men. He said his son last spoke to his wife on July 17 and from the next day the mobile phones of all three cousins were switched off.

He called for “a probe, verification of their call records and background

checks” to prove their innocence.

A police statement on July 18 said soldiers killed three unidentified militants during a counterinsurgency operation in Shopian and buried their bodies in a remote graveyard.

An Indian army spokesman, Col Rajesh Kalia, said in a statement late on Monday that “the three terrorists killed during the operation have not been identified and the bodies were buried based on established protocols.” He said the army had “noted social media inputs linked to the operation at Shopian” and was investigating the matter.

The incident could further ratchet up anti-India anger in the disputed region, where Indian forces have repeatedly been accused of targeting civilians.

In 2010, a massive uprising erupted in occupied Kashmir after a police investigation found Indian soldiers had killed three civilians in a staged gun battle and then claimed their victims were militants in order to claim a reward. The army responded by suspending two officers.

Rebel groups have fought since 1989 in occupied Kashmir and demand that the territory be united either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country.

A slew of emergency laws grant Indian forces in occupied Kashmir sweeping powers to search homes and make arrests without warrants and to shoot suspects on sight without fear of prosecution.

being developed around the world to try to stop the Covid-19 pandemic. At least four are in final Phase III human trials, according to WHO data.

Gold price falls Rs2,900 to Rs126,100 per tola news DesK The price of 24 karat gold decreased by Rs2,900 per tola on Tuesday to Rs126,100 per tola, compared to its price of Rs129,000 on Monday. Similarly, the price of 10 grams of gold also decreased by Rs2,487 to Rs108,110 compared to its price of Rs110,597 on Monday, Karachi Sarafa Association reported. Moreover, on Tuesday, the price of silver remained stable at Rs1,670 per tola and Rs1,431.75 per 10 grams. In the international market, Gold fell more than 1 per cent on Tuesday, breaking below the $2,000 level for the first time in a week, as the dollar’s relative value against other currencies strengthened and spurred investors to lock in profits following a record run. Spot gold was down 1.1 per cent at $2,004.61 per ounce by 0727 GMT after falling as much as 1.9 per cent earlier, accelerating a retreat from a record high of $2,072.50 hit last week. US gold futures fell 1.3 per cent to $2,013.10 per ounce. “A stronger dollar and favourable risk sentiment are weighing on gold. Prices are undergoing a period of consolidation after rising more than 14 per cent in three weeks,” said DailyFx strategist Margaret Yang. Making gold more expensive for holders of other currencies, the dollar gained and US bond yields rebounded from multi-month lows.

Asian stocks, meanwhile, shrugged off the latest flare-ups between Washington and Beijing. China on Monday had imposed sanctions on 11 US citizens, including lawmakers from President Donald Trump’s Republican Party, after Washington’s sanctions on Hong Kong and Chinese officials last week. Analysts said gold’s overall appeal was still intact, with prices up over 33 per cent this year.

Iran nuclear deal at risk as UN council prepares to vote on arms embargo new YORK AGENCIES

The UN Security Council is preparing to vote this week on a US proposal to extend an arms embargo on Iran, a move that some diplomats say is bound to fail and put the fate of a nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers further at risk.

A last-minute attempt by Britain, France and Germany to broker a compromise with Russia and China on an arms embargo extension appeared unsuccessful so far, diplomats said. Russia and China, allies of Iran, have long-signaled opposition to the US measure.

A Chinese diplomat at the United Nations, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that “extending the arms embargo on Iran in whatever form lacks legal basis and will undermine efforts to preserve” the nuclear deal, adding that there is “no chance” the US text will be adopted.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft said Russia and China wanted to benefit from the end of the arms embargo. “Russia and China are waiting to be able to sell arms to Iran,” Craft told Fox

News. The embargo is due to expire in October under a 2015 deal among Iran, Russia, China, Germany, Britain, France and the United States that prevents Tehran from developing nuclear weapons in return for sanctions relief.

Even though US President Donald Trump’s administration quit the accord in 2018 – with Trump dubbing it “the worst deal ever” – Washington has threatened to use a provision in the agreement to trigger a return of all UN sanctions on Iran if the Security Council does not extend the arms embargo indefinitely.

Renewed sanctions — a move known as snapback — would likely kill the nuclear deal because Iran would lose a major incentive for limiting its nuclear activities.

Iran has already breached parts of the nuclear deal in response to the US withdrawal from the pact and Washington’s imposing strong unilateral sanctions.

“This US administration’s goal is to terminate the Iran nuclear deal,” said a European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook alluded to the United States wanting to reimpose all UN sanc-

tions when he said last week, “We need to restore the UN Security Council standard of no enrichment.”

A snapback of UN sanctions would require Iran to suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development, and ban imports of anything that could contribute to those activities or to the development of nuclear weapon delivery systems. It would reimpose the arms embargo, ban Iran from developing ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons and reimpose targeted sanctions on dozens of individuals and entities. States would also be urged to inspect shipments to and from Iran and authorized to seize any banned cargo.

‘ZERO CHANCE’: Richard Gowan, UN director for conflict prevention advocacy body the International Crisis Group, said there was “zero chance” the US attempt to extend the arms embargo would be adopted and that it was “a ploy to get to snapback.”

The council is operating virtually so once a vote is called the 15 members would have 24 hours to submit their decision and the result would be announced at a public meeting, but diplomats say there is little

support for the current US text.

The draft resolution needs at least nine votes in favor to force Russia and China to use their vetoes, but some diplomats question whether Washington can even secure those nine votes. “Everyone at the UN understands that this resolution is just the curtain-raiser for a much bigger fight over the Iranian nuclear deal,” said Gowan.

Washington argues it can trigger the sanctions because a Security Council resolution enshrining the nuclear deal names it as a participant. But the remaining parties to the agreement are opposed to such a move, and diplomats say the United States would face a tough, messy battle.

“It’s highly likely […] a number of countries will be saying they have no intention of implementing further sanctions, until the UN Security Council decides whether or not snapback has been carried out legally,” said a senior council diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“I don’t see how the council can decide that given the divisions that will be within it,” the diplomat said. “I don’t see any rush to re-establish sanctions regimes therefore around the world.”

Published by Arif Nizami at Plot No 66-C, 1st Floor, 21st Commercial Street, Phase-II (Extension), DHA Karachi and printed at Ibn-e-Hassan Printing Press, Hockey Stadium, Karachi. Ph: 021-35381208-9. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk