Issuu

Wednesday, 19 August, 2020 I 28 Dhul-Hijjah, 1441 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 50 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

imran terms two years in offiCe as ‘toughest Challenge’ of his life g

PreMIer reITeraTes resolve To KeeP fIghTIng agaInsT carTels and MafIas

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

s the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government completed its two years in power on Tuesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan reiterated his resolve to continue fighting against corrupt cartels in the country, saying that fighting against mafias was the mission of his life. In an interview with a private news channel, the prime minister said that his tenure as prime minister was the ‘biggest struggle of his life filled with challenges’, including crashed economy, foreign debts

Pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

289,831

LAST UPDATED AT 09:46 AM ON AUGUST 18, 2020 DAY'S DEATH TOLL: NEW CASES:

617

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

270,009 6,190 SINDH:

126,425

PUNJAB:

95,611

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

35,337

says PaKIsTan’s dIrecTIon seT Towards welfare sTaTe In lasT Two years

and power crisis. “from sports to politics, my entire life is all about struggle. even in government, I confronted the challenges with a spirit to never give up,” he added. “If someone asks me what I did for the country during my tenure, I will say that I have set its direction right to realise the dream of its forefathers,” Imran said. “If you have to prosper, you have to adopt policies of Madina-like welfare state and my government is struggling to make this country a welfare state,” he added, blaming the “elite capture” for the country’s woes. “They [elite] do not accept supremacy of law… they consider themselves privileged and they want to

Coronavirus in

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2,199/2,538 15,401

topple my government because I am working against their interest,” he further said while hinting towards his opponents. The premier said that when he took over power in 2018 all institutions of the country was in disarray and the country’s economy was on verge of collapse. “we were going to default on debts, our fiscal deficit was huge and there were a lot irregularities on power sector due to which we are unable to provide cheap electricity to industry.” The prime minister maintained that due to his government’s successful policies the country’s primary budget have been balanced, saying “if you exclude loan payments there is no deficit in the budget anymore”. speaking about the hike in the prices of sugar and wheat, the premier acknowledged that the people are forced to pay higher prices for the basic commodities due to monopoly of cartels in these sectors. But I can assure that I am not part of any cartel like past rulers who had their own sugar mills and formulated policies which favoured them instead of the masses,” he added. he further said that no matter what his government will succumb to the blackmailing of cartels and will take them to the task. Imran said that his dream of a ‘new Pakistan’ would not be complete unless the mafias and cartels were eliminated. “It is the government’s responsibility to protect the interests of public and it is my mission to fight the mafias,” he said when asked to comment on unchecked price of sugar in the country.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

PTI govt recalls its achievements on second anniversary g

QureshI credITs PM IMran for ‘InTernaTIonalIsIng’ KashMIr Issue, says PaKIsTan ouT of InTernaTIonal IsolaTIon ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government entered into its third year, adviser to the Prime Minister on finance abdul hafeez shaikh on Tuesday said that neutral international observers have acknowledged economic progress made by Pakistan during the two years of the federal government despite the coronavirus crisis. shaikh was speaking at a press conference alongside federal ministers and special assistants to highlight progress made during the past two years of the incumbent government. Talking about the ehsaas cash assistance initiative, under which the government handed out rs12,000 a month cash to lowerincome families hit by the pandemic, sheikh said that it was the first time that a government had introduced a relief programme to support the masses. he said that millions of people had benefitted from the programme. The government also introduced cheap loans to assist small

Opp accuses PTI regime of causing ‘unmitigated disaster’ ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The main opposition parties, the Pakistan Muslim league-nawaz (PMl-n) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), on Tuesday censured Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for its performance in its two years of power, terming it an “unmitigated disaster”. PMl-n president and national assembly opposition leader shehbaz sharif tweeted that “Imran Khan’s mismanagement of national affairs has increased the woes of the masses manifold”. “People continue to pay [a] heavy price for this failed experiment in political engineering,” he added. shortly afterward, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari took to Twitter to lambast the prime minister’s performance as well. “[Two] years in power and Imran Khan has given us the worst economy in our country’s history, foreign policy failures from Kashmir to saudi, democracy and human rights suffering, unemployment at an all time, transparency international has said corruPTIon is higher than before,” he tweeted. Talking to the media later in

traders so that they would not have to fire their staff due to lack of funds. The government also provided relief to traders by paying their bills for three months, he said. due to the government’s policies, economic observers and organisations like Moody’s, fitch and Bloomberg had improved Pakistan’s rating, he added. foreign Minister shah Mahmood Qureshi, who spoke before shaikh, shed light on the initiatives taken up by the government on an international stage. he said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has “internationalised” the Kashmir issue and now, the world is talking about the violation of rights of the residents of Indian occupied Kashmir. he said that the country’s foreign policy achievements should be seen in the context of the objectives of its “eternal enemy” India and the objectives set by the PTI. Qureshi recalled the country did not have a foreign minister for a long period of time during the past government’s tenure, due to which the country’s stance could not be conveyed to the world.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 02

more inside

Gen Bajwa, Saudi deputy defence minister discuss security ties STORY ON BACK PAGE

the day, PPP Information secretary nafisa shah criticised the PTI government for increasing inflation and national debt. “I challenge PTI to tell the people how much was one child indebted [to the IMf] when it came into power and how much is one child indebted now.” she added that the PTI government had dropped a “bomb of inflation” on the people. “There has been a 102 per cent increase in wheat prices from when we were in government and 7080pc increase in sugar prices. The price of oil in our government was 40pc less than it is today. “The tsunami of inflation has broken the [people’s] backs,” she said. she criticised the gov-

ernment for “giving in” to the financial action Task force (faTf), saying that after the “PTI-IMf government, now the PTI-IMf-faTf government would rule [over people]”. she added that they would enact laws which would force businesses to shut down. she also lashed out at the government for what she termed the “destruction of the Pakistan International airlines (PIa)”. “The damage they have caused to PIa, we repeatedly say it counts as treason. They have caused rs90-100bn loss to PIa so far and it was [because of] one statement that the minister made in the assembly. we have not been told [to] date who these pilots were,” she added.

senate body approves faTfrelated amendments in companies and llP laws STORY ON BACK PAGE

Federal cabinet allows sugar import, PPE export: Faraz STORY ON PAGE 02

13 die, dozens injured as vehicles plunge in ravines STORY ON PAGE 03

Wednesday, 19 August, 2020

NEWS

CAbInet AllOwS SuGAr ImPOrt, PPe exPOrt: FArAz ISLAMABAD

TLTP

EDERAL Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Senator Shibli Faraz has said that the federal cabinet has approved import of sugar and export of personal protective equipment (PPE). The information minister was addressing a press conference after the cabinet meeting on Tuesday. He said that steps are being taken by the government to overcome the artificial shortage of sugar and flour. He said that the cabinet has given the approval for import of sugar which will start arriving in Pakistan from the 7th of the next month. He said that the prime minister is very concerned over the prices of flour and sugar

and the meeting of the concerned committee on prices of daily commodities is being held regularly. He said the cabinet members presented a standing ovation to Prime Minister Imran Khan over successful completion of two parliamentary years. He said that PM Imran raised the Kashmir issue with courage and bravery in the United Nations (UN). He said that Pakistan under the PM’s leadership, played an exemplary role in tackling Covid-19 and the NCOC is playing a key role in anti-coronavirus fight. He said that the cabinet has given the approval to export masks and indigenously made PPE. He said that the country’s economy, which was hit by the outbreak of pandemic, is gradually improving. The information minister said that the way the premier steered the troubled country

Govt received $2.66bn under coronavirus commitments, Senate told ISLAMABAD: The upper house of the parliament was informed on Tuesday that 15 countries and international organizations have committed to provide an amount of over $3,302 million to Pakistan as loans, grants and technical assistance in the wake of Covid19 pandemic. Replying to a question during the question hour in the house, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said that out of total committed amount over $2,660 million have been disbursed so far. He said despite financial constraints, the government launched a massive relief package under Ehsaas Programme on a non-political basis to help the poor in the wake of Covid-19. Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar told the House that the government has been making continuous efforts for the revival of Pakistan Steel Mills. He said at present PSM is facing liabilities of Rs236 billion. He said that all options are being considered to revive the mill. The Senate also passed two bills relating to Financial Action Task Force (FATF) obligations to bring Pakistan out of FATF’s grey list. The bills were moved by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Ali Muhammad Khan and Minister for Narcotics Control Azam Khan Swati respectively. The House will now meet on Wednesday at 5:00 pm. TLTP

Anti-coronavirus SOPs issued for KP schools PESHAWAR: The education ministry of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) to be adopted by schools in the province during the academic session, that is most likely to resume from September 15, for the safety of students against coronavirus pandemic. According to the SOPs, all schools are directed to make arrangements for checking the temperature of students at the entrance gate. Students showing fever symptoms will not be allowed to enter the school premises, it said, adding that any student who shows other coronavirus symptoms will be granted a seven-day leave. Further, in case of any student testing positive for coronavirus, the entire class will be sent on a 14-day leave. Wearing masks and maintaining social distancing during the academic activities will be mandatory for all students and teachers, the guideline said. The educational institutes shall avoid arranging an assembly session and any other sort of gatherings. The students will be asked to refrain from having a meal in the same utensil and they will be urged to bring their separate lunch boxes from their homes. It is pertinent to mention here that the provincial cabinet of KP had endorsed the decisions of NCOC regarding the opening of schools from September 15. TLTP

out of crises is highly commendable. Faraz said that the federal cabinet has approved the enforcement of the Pakistan Essential Services Act, 1953, on the employees of the Pakistan Television. He said that making PTV a dynamic entity, the government is bringing a new plan for the betterment of the Pakistan Television and under which, the problems of PTV pensioners will also be solved. He also said that a decision was also taken in the cabinet meeting to set up Hajj and Pension Fund. He added that payment of pension to the pensioners is a big issue and the Prime Minister has directed to consult the best experts of the world to resolve this issue. The information minister said the total pension amount of Rs470 billion is being paid to the retirees of the federal government. He said that the management of public

universities is facing a serious issue in payments of pension. He said that the boards of directors of some companies have been changed whose details will be released soon. Later, answering a question, Shibli Faraz said that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has adopted a step-motherly attitude towards

IHC rejects millers’ appeal against sugar inquiry commission ISLAMABAD TLTP

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday dismissed an intra-court appeal moved by the Sugar Mills Association, terming the Sugar Inquiry Commission’s report legally valid. A two-judge bench comprising Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb and Justice Aamer Farooq announced a 52page long verdict on the intra-court appeal, weeks after reserving its judgement following conclusion arguments in the case on July 24. “We find no merit in this appeal, which is dismissed with no order as to costs,” reads the concluding paragraph of the verdict, calling for “expeditious compliance” directions given by an IHC single bench’s June 6 verdict which was challenged in the appeal. A day earlier, terming the Sugar Inquiry Commission report null and void on Monday, the Sindh High Court (SHC) has ordered the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and National Ac-

countability Bureau (NAB) to launch a fresh investigation into the matter. A division bench of the SHC comprising Justice KK Agha and Justice Omar Sial announced the reserved verdict on a petition filed by the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) against an inquiry commission formed by the government to probe into a sugar crisis that hit the country earlier this year. The report highlighted the increase in sugar prices across the country. The court also directed the FBR, FIA, and NAB to include in the investigation people who had knowledge about the sugar industry. The bench urged the institutions to find out if anyone was given illegal or unjust subsidy. The court directed NAB, the FIA, and FBR to carry out fresh investigations as per the law. The court ordered NAB to carry out an independent investigation according to line with the NAB Ordinance. “If any government official has misused his powers, it should be investigated,” said the SHC. It also asked the FBR to investigate the matter according to the country’s tax laws.

BJP validating Jinnah’s two-nation theory: Mehbooba Mufti SrInAgAr TLTP

Former chief minister of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), Mehbooba Mufti, on Tuesday said that Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) India has no place for minorities, hence it is validating Jinnah’s Two-Nation Theory. In a tweet, Mehbooba Mufti highlighted that states like Nagaland and Madhya Pradesh are moving towards semi-autonomous status and have exclusive rights for locals, whereas the IOK entitled to all of this constitutionally has been robbed because of being a Muslim-dominant state. “While states like Nagaland & MP are moving towards semi autonomous status & exclusive rights for locals, J&K entitled to all of this constitutionally has been robbed be-

cause it is Muslim dominant.BJPs’ India has no place for minorities, hence validating Jinnah’s two nation theory,” she tweeted. Tensions reached a new high be-

tween India and Pakistan after August 5, 2019, when India scrapped the special status of IOK. It has been almost over a year and the curfew remains imposed on the disputed territory.

PTI govt recalls its achievements on second anniversary ContInueD froM pAge 01 The PTI government made efforts to end its “diplomatic isolation” by reaching out to friendly countries and improving ties with the international community, he asserted. “A dramatic shift can be seen from diplomatic isolation to effective representation,” he said. He also pointed out that more than one countries in the region, including China, Nepal and Bangladesh were now unhappy with New Delhi’s policies. The premier took up several important issues, including increasing Islamophobia and the Afghan peace process, Qureshi said. He said that two years ago, the US had declared Pakistan as “part of the problem”.

However, due to Pakistan’s role in the Afghan peace process, “there was a narrative shift from part of the problem to part of the solution,” the foreign minister said. Pakistan also made efforts to develop an “economic partnership” with African countries, that have a population of 1.3 billion people, and the Engage Africa Initiative has been launched to increase trade and investment in the continent. To cope with the financial setback faced by developing countries due to the Covid-19 health crisis, PM Imran asked developed countries and financial bodies to provide debt relief. The initiative not only benefitted Pakistan but all developing countries, he said. Speaking about further initiatives taken

by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Qureshi revealed that an app had been introduced through which ambassadors and Foreign Office officials across the world could contact the minister without having to deal with the bureaucratic red tape. UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES: Discussing the “unprecedented” challenges posed by coronavirus to Pakistan’s economy and the health sector, Planning Minister Asad Umar explained how the government dealt with them. “Covid-19 is the biggest challenge not only for Pakistan but the entire world in the last century,” he said. “A lot of pressure built on the health sectors and the economy. It was a unique challenge after the Spanish flu. The

disruption caused by it in health and economic sectors is unprecedented.” Asad said that the world’s leading economies were reeling from the impact of the novel coronavirus. But the world had acknowledged Pakistan’s success against the pandemic, he added. “Not only people in Pakistan but elsewhere in the world too now say that Pakistan is among those countries who can be said to have tackled the pandemic successfully,” the planning minister said. He claimed that “philanthropist Bill Gates while comparing the coronavirus situation in India and Pakistan, had said that the latter had dealt with the pandemic in a comparatively better manner”.

Karachi because the people of Karachi had given full mandate to the Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI). He said that all possible steps are afoot to solve the problems of Karachi. He said the solution of the problems of the people of Karachi is the prime responsibility of the present government and PM Imran will visit Karachi soon.

Another Congo virus case surfaces in Quetta QUETTA: A patient was diagnosed with Congo virus in the provincial capital on Tuesday. According to details, a patient, whose name remains undisclosed was brought to Fatima Jinnah Hospital over symptoms of the Congo fever. The administration of the hospital confirmed Congo virus in the patient after blood test reports. As many as 14 suspected people were brought to hospital, from which five were discharged, while six were confirmed with the Congo virus after tests. The disease is caused when a tick attaches itself to the skin of cattle and when that infected tick or animal comes in contact with people, the highly contagious virus is transmitted into the human body and the person falls ill. The initial symptoms of Congo fever include headache, high fever, rashes, back pain, joint pain, stomach pain and vomiting. TLTP

3 Kashmiris martyred, 5 troops killed in IOK SRINAGAR: Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred three Kashmiri youth in Baramulla district of Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK). According to details, the troops martyred the youth during a cordon and search operation in Baramulla district. The operation was going on till the last reports came in. Meanwhile, the death toll of Indian forces’ personnel who came under attack during a two-day cordon and search operation in Baramulla district has reached five. The troops came under attack during a search operation in the Kreeri area of the district. A senior police officer claimed that the martyred youth were Mujahideen who were killed during a gunfight with the troops. Last week, Pakistan had strongly condemned the extrajudicial killings of three Kashmiri laborers from Rajouri by the Indian occupation forces in a fake encounter in the Shopian region of IOK. Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said that over 200 innocent Kashmiris have been martyred by the Indian occupation forces since the beginning of this year in fake encounters and so-called ‘cordon-and-search’ operations. The condemnable crimes against Kashmiri youth by the Indian forces are being perpetrated with complete impunity, under the cover of draconian laws such as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), Public Safety Act (PSA), and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), he added.

Earlier this month, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) president-elect Volkan Bozkir also said in his meeting with the foreign minister that the world can learn from Pakistan, Asad said and added that The Wall Street Journal, which does not report “too positively” on Pakistan acknowledged that the country was a bright spot in the world when it comes to coronavirus. The reason behind Pakistan’s “successful” response to coronavirus, through which the government not only curbed the spread of the disease but also saved the country’s economy from collapsing, was because the prime minister prioritised the welfare of the people, the planning minister insisted. “All the steps taken by Imran Khan reflect [his focus on the weakest sections]. So when all the political leaders were saying we should lock down the country […] they did not think how it would impact the poor.

Wednesday, 19 August, 2020

NEWS

Pm ImrAn mAy tAKe AwAy CAbInet'S POwerS tO APPOInt heAdS OF SOeS ISLAMABAD

AHMAD AHMADANI

HE federal government is allegedly trying to handover the powers of the federal cabinet regarding the appointment of heads of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to the prime minister, concerned ministers and secretaries. According to sources privy to this development, the government has been striving hard to secure appointments of its "favourites" on lucrative positions of SOEs and their subsidiaries by handing over the powers of the federal cabinet to

the PM and others concerned. The Cabinet Division, on the directions of the federal cabinet, has already asked all ministries/divisions to remove bottlenecks in this regard and furnish a report that includes the details of actions taken so far, and submit it to the federal cabinet on or before the 15th September 2020. At present, the federal cabinet approves SOE appointments based on some statutory rules and regulations made under different legislations. This practice often results in the submission of trivial matters of routine nature to the federal cabinet, much to the dismay of the PM.

Pm orders indiscriminate action against hoarders ISLAMABAD: Chairing a meeting to review prices of basic commodities on Tuesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan directed an indiscriminate action against hoarders and ordered strict measures to bring down the prices of consumer goods. Earlier, the meeting was briefed about the availability of basic commodities and action against hoarders nationwide. It was informed that under the initiative by the federal government to tackle the wheat crisis, two wheat-laden ships would arrive on August 24 and 28, bringing up to 130,000 metric tonnes of wheat, while nine more ships would reach the country by the end of September, bringing 500,000 metric tonnes to the country. The meeting was also attended by federal ministers, advisers, special assistants and chief secretaries of all four provinces. It is pertinent to mention that in order to ensure the availability of wheat and flour in the country throughout the year at affordable prices, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on July 15 had directed the Ministry of National Food Security and Research to accelerate efforts for wheat imports. TLTP

ministry working for participation of overseas Pakistanis in electoral process ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs is working to ensure participation of overseas Pakistanis in the electoral process and convened a number of meetings regarding biometric and electronic machines voting in the election. According to the ‘Two-Year Performance Report’ of the government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from August 2018 to 2020, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs was the first defence line of the government in any query, motion, question, policy debate as well as official legislative business in line with the government policy, in the parliament. As the adviser to the prime minister on parliamentary affairs assumed the charge, all ministries and divisions were asked to speed up legislative process of the government business. The key objectives behind the vision was to ensure transparent governance through objectively exercising and upholding best parliamentary practices, which led to raise the level of the Parliament in accordance with the wishes of the people. Legislative work had been processed in the light of the Article 70 of the constitution of Pakistan, 1973, and Parliamentary Rules of Procedure and Rules of Business, 1973, and secretariat instructions. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs was mandated to spearhead the legislative and policy initiatives of the government in both houses of the parliament, which also include training of young parliamentarians and facilitation for preparation of legislative business. To effectively translate the vision into reality, attachment of Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services with the ministry was highly desirable. Because of the austerity measures announced by the prime minister, cost effective steps had been adopted in the ministry. The Press Information Department (PID) and print and electronic media were providing awareness to the general public regarding the parliamentary practices and legislation. APP

As per documents available with this scribe, the federal cabinet, vide its decision No.419/19/2017, had decided that all ministries/divisions should, in consultation with the Law & Justice Division, make amendments in the respective statutory rules and replace the word federal government with appropriate authorities. Similarly, the directives of the PM on the above lines were conveyed again by the secretary to PM on November 19, 2018. It was directed that all ministries/divisions shall go through the rules and regulations made under different federal legislations being administered by them and move the

cases for requisite amendments if deemed appropriate on priority basis in the prescribed manner. The PM's directive was followed by regular reminders from the Cabinet Division. During the cabinet meeting held on 11th August, 2020, the PM expressed displeasure that despite explicit directions of the federal cabinet, the process of requisite amendments in the statutory rules and regulations framed under different legislation remained slow. It was further noted that this state of affairs was resulting in submission of trivial cases of routine nature to the federal cabinet, which was absolutely undesirable.

CM Buzdar answers all NAB questions, denies role in liquor licence issuance ISLAMABAD INP

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Tuesday furnished the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) with his response to the questionnaire handed to him by the bureau in a liquor licence case. The chief minister, through the advocate general, submitted a four-page reply to the bureau, which was prepared in light of 17 questions put to him by the national graft buster in connection with its ongoing inquiry against him for allegedly receiving Rs50 million to get a liquor license issued to a hotel. CM Buzdar stated that he played no role in the issuance of the liquor license in question, nor did he do anything wrong in this regard. He said that the Excise

and Taxation director-general has powers to issue liquor licences. A total of eleven licences were issued, out which nine were issued by the director-general himself, he said, adding the then Punjab governor issued licenses in 2000 and 2001. He also said that he had rejected a summary sent to him by Excise and Taxation Director General Akram Gondal for issuance of a licence over the want of powers. Gondal sent another summary to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat after issuing the licence but the chief minister’s principal secretary sent back the summary for having been sent to an irrelevant forum, he said, adding the excise and taxation minister then suspended the liquor licence of the hotel but a single bench of Lahore High Court (LHC) later ordered the restoration of the license in 2019.

27 acts, 39 ordinances promulgated in two years: ministry ISLAMABAD TLTP

27 acts of parliament and 39 ordinances were promulgated during the last two years of the government, the Ministry of Law said in its performance report on Tuesday. In a statement, the ministry said that it has prepared ‘e-office software’ but is lacking funds and computers for utilisation of this software. The ministry appointed judges and law officers at administrative tribunals and special courts in the past two years, the ministry said in its report. Moreover, setting up of new special courts across the country is also on the cards.

The ministry provided legal advice to various ministries and government departments over 600 legal matters in the last two years, according to the report. The ministry also reviewed 641 international agreements and memorandum of understanding. The ministry also tackled 4,699 applications for review of the rules of various institutions and departments, the ministry said. The ministry also received 345 private members’ bills from the parliament for review and opinion. The law ministry also handled 9450 cases related to the federal government, according to the report. The ministry of law also oversees extension work at Karachi Registry of the Supreme Court (SC), according to the report.

13 dIe, dOzenS Injured AS vehICleS PlunGe In rAvIneS BUNER/NOWSHERA: At least 13 people died and dozens of others got injured when two vehicles plunged into ravines in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Tuesday. In the first incident, eight people died and 12 others got injured when a passenger vehicle fell into a deep ravine in Chagharzai area of district Buner on Tuesday. According to police, the dreadful road accident occurred when the victims were returning after attending a marriage ceremony. Two women and two children are also among the dead. The bodies and injured were shifted to DHQ Hospital Dagar and RHC Dewana Baba. Earlier in the day, at least five persons were killed and several others sustained injuries when a passenger bus plunged into a ravine near Akbarpura village of Nowshera district. According to rescue sources, the bus was on way from Lahore to Peshawar when it skidded off the road near Akbarpura, and fell into a ravine. According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred after the driver lost control of the vehicle, due to which it veered off the course and plunged into the ravine. According to police, the vehicle was on its way to Buner from Shangla. The injured have been shifted to district headquarter hospital Buner. INP

nAb files supplementary reference against zardari in Park lane scam ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday moved a supplementary reference to the accountability court against former president Asif Ali Zardari and 19 other accused in Park Lane corruption case connected with fake accounts scam. The NAB had alleged the accused to embezzle Rs3.74 billion through a fraudulent practice. It stated that all approvers had confessed that they had been working on the directions of Park Lane Company’s directions. The reference stated that former president Zardari and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had admitted that they had 25 per cent shares each in Park Lane Company. It alleged that additional registrar and officers of Security Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) had assisted the accused in agreements of Park Lane and preparation of fake documents. The loan was taken on the basis of fake documents from National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and later, the company refused to pay back the money. It may be mentioned here that the NAB had mentioned Rs1.5 billion embezzled amount in its interim reference and the amount had increased to Rs3.74 billion in supplementary reference. Similarly, the number of approvers had also increased in fresh reference. The accountability court had earlier summoned former president Zardari and other accused on September 1, and directed NAB to produce its evidence after the accused denied charges. APP

Pakistan-born astrophysicist announced dean of MIT School of Science neWS DeSK Pakistan-born quantum astrophysicist Nergis Mavalvala has been named the new dean of the MIT School of Science, one of the five schools of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), it emerged on Tuesday. According to MIT News, she will become the new dean from September 1 and will succeed Michael Sipser, who will return to the faculty as the Donner Professor of Mathematics after six years of service. Mavalvala is renowned for her pioneering work in gravitational-wave detection, which she conducted as a leading member of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), the report said. “She has received numerous awards and honours for her research and teaching, and since 2015 has been the associate head of the Department of Physics. Mavalvala will be the first woman to serve as dean in the School of Science.” It added that Mavalvala was “energised and optimistic” about the role ahead, even as she acknowledged the unprecedented challenges the school and the institute as a whole were facing during this difficult time. “We’re in this moment where enormous changes are afoot,” she said. “We’re in the middle of a global pan-

demic and economic challenge, and we’re also in a moment, at least in US history, where the imperative for racial and social justice is really strong. “As someone in a leadership position, that means you have opportunities to make an important and hopefully lasting impact,” she said. Meanwhile, MIT President L. Rafael Reif stated that Mavalvala’s “brilliance as a researcher and educator speaks eloquently for itself”. “What excites me equally about her appointment as dean are the qualities I have seen in her as a leader: She is a deft, collaborative problem-solver, a wise and generous colleague, an incomparable mentor, and a champion for inclusive excellence. “As we prepare for the start of this most unusual academic year, it gives me great comfort to know that the School of Science will remain in such capable hands.” The report added that the news was announced by Provost Martin Schmidt via a letter emailed to the MIT community in which he said: “I very much look forward to working with her and to benefiting from her unerring sense of scientific opportunity, infectious curiosity, down-to-earth manner and practical wisdom. “I hope you will join me in congratulating her as

she brings her great gifts as a leader to this new role.” Born to a Parsi family in Karachi, Mavalvala received her early education from the Convent of Jesus and Mary school. She later moved to the United States as a teenager to attend Wellesley College in Massachusetts, where she is said to have a natural gift for being comfortable in her own skin, according to an article published on the sciencemag.org website. Mavalvala did her BA at Wellesley College in Physics and Astronomy in 1990 and a Ph.D. in physics in 1997 from MIT. Before that, she was a postdoctoral associate and then a research scientist at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), working with LIGO. She also received the prestigious MacArthur Foundation Award in 2010. Later in 2016, Mavalvala was part of a team of scientists credited with the discovery of gravitational waves, a new window for studying the cosmos. “We are really witnessing the opening of a new tool for doing astronomy,” Mavalvala had said in an interview at the time. “We have turned on a new sense. We have been able to see and now we will be able to hear as well.”

Wednesday, 19 August, 2020

NEWS

BaloChisTan fEaRs sEConD wavE of CoviD-19 QUETTA

TLTP

HE government of Balochistan on Tuesday said that the tally of novel coronavirus cases seems to be increasing in the province. According to the latest statistics issued by NCOC, the total active Covid-19 cases in the country are now 13,633. A total of 617 new cases surfaced during the past 24 hours, taking the total number of reported cases to 289,832. According to the NCOC, 15 people died of Covid-19 during this period, raising the death toll from the disease in the country to 6,190. During the past 24 hours, as many as

ACTIVE CORONAVIRUS CASES ACROSS COUNTRY FALL TO 13,633 17,612 more samples were tested, taking the total number of tests conducted across the country thus far to 289832. So far, 126,182 cases have been detected in Sindh, 95,447 in Punjab, 35,215 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 12,295 in Balochistan, 15,390 in Islamabad, 2,184 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and 2,502 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). The spokesperson of Balochistan government, Liaquat Shahwani, in a press conference said that during the past six days, the detection rate has reached eight per cent, while in the

Czech Republic mountaineering team arrive to ascend Muchu Chhish peak ISLAMABAD: A three-member expedition team from Czech Republic arrived on Tuesday to climb 7,452 metres-high Muchu Chhish peak, located in Hassanabad, Hunza Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). Also known as Batura V, the peak has a modest prominence, rising only 263 metres above the nearest col or pass, Secretary Alpine Club of Pakistan, Karrar Haidri told APP. Haidri said that the foreign team had been given briefing about the peak, which had never been climbed in the past. “This is a good sign for our tourism industry as more and more foreign teams are showing keen interest to visit Pakistan even in the current situation due to its beautiful landscape and high mountain,” he said. Leader of the expedition, Pavel Korinec, said that he was happy to embark on the voyage. He said that the number of coronavirus cases had registered a significant decline in Pakistan, which was a good sign for mountaineering. “We are thankful to the government of Pakistan for opening tourism for foreigners and easing the visa policy,” he added. APP

Trained professional force can offset limitations of number, equipment: air chief ISLAMABAD: Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan has said that a close look at the historic accounts of Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) role during wars stands testimony to the fact that a better-trained professional force with high morale can offset the limitations of numbers and equipment. He said this while addressing as chief guest the graduation ceremony of No 53 Combat Commanders' Course held at Airpower Centre of Excellence (ACE), on Tuesday. The Air Chief said, "Combat training in PAF can be maintained at the highest pedestal of realism and responsiveness, only if we are cognizant of the contemporary challenges and ready with evolved tactics and strategies." He further said, "along with tactics and professional skills, selfless dedication combined with high sense of discipline and comradeship are the key to effective and safe accomplishment of PAF's mission." Air Chief Khan also awarded certificates and trophies to the graduating officers who underwent a strenuous and professionally demanding course. The Chief of the Air Staff Trophy for overall best performance amongst combat pilots was awarded to Squadron Leader Muhammad Shafaat, while Air Officer Commanding Air Defence Trophy for overall best performance amongst combat controllers was awarded to Squadron Leader Julius Joseph. The ceremony was attended by principal staff officers and field commanders of PAF. INP

CTD arrests terror suspect LAHORE: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on Tuesday said to have arrested a member of a proscribed militant organisation near Lahore railway station. CTD officials said the suspect, later identified as Liaquat, was allegedly attempting to target sensitive installations. A suicide vest and hand grenade were recovered from the suspect. Police moved him to an unidentified location for further investigation. Authorities added that search is underway for the suspect’s accomplice, whom they fear is also a suicide bomber. APP

previous 45 days the ratio of infections was at lower than five per cent. He said that pandemic was on a downward trajectory during the past one-and-half month; however, the situation at present was changing. Doctors and disease experts have also expressed apprehension about a fresh wave of the disease, he said. “The government has advised in a statement for strict implementation of the precautionary measures,” he said. “In recent days 355 new cases of Covid19 have been reported,” the government

Memon summoned in liquor recovery case KARACHI APP

spokesman said. He advised people to observe caution to be protected from the infection of novel coronavirus. He said that 90 per cent of patients in Balochistan have recuperated and total 138 deaths have been reported from coronavirus disease. “The province has presently 1,030 active cases,” he further said. Talking on the provincial government’s performance he claimed a definite improvement in the province with the steps taken by the administration of Chief Minister Jam Kamal. The government has removed 2,500 unnecessary development projects from the provincial special development programme (PSDP), he added.

ECP completes process for reviewing delimitation in KP

KP plans to start safari train, bus service to promote tourism PESHAWAR TLTP

The provincial government has decided to launch a safari train project and a bus service for tourists in Peshawar for promotion of tourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). In this regard, the KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has accorded approval for the revival of the steam safari train project. The safari train will run on two routes, one from Peshawar to Attock while the other from Peshawar to Takht-Bhai area of district Mardan. Meanwhile, the KP government has also decided to launch a bus service for tourists to visit the walled city areas of Peshawar.

Moreover, the KP government has decided to set up a 14-kilometrelong cable car between Upper Dir and Chitral to connect the scenic tourist resorts in the area. It is pertinent to mention here that as many as 105,207 people flocked to various tourist sites in KP over the past five days following the government reopened tourism after a fivemonth hiatus in view of declining coronavirus cases. According to the KP tourism department, most of the tourists from across the country headed up to Abbottabad that witnessed 80,650 visitors during the last five days. Swat was the second most visited place by tourists during this period. Chitral received 800 tourists and Dir 364

A district and session court Tuesday directed Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Sharjeel Memon to appear before it on Sept 5 after he skipped today’s hearing in a case pertaining to the recovery of alcohol from his possession. Memon skipped Tuesday’s hearing and submitted a plea for exemption from appearance. However, the court only granted a single day exemption and directed him to ensure his appearance on Sept 5. The court has also summoned witnesses on the same date. Former chief justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar had in September 2018 found three bottles of liquor in the hospital room of then incarcerated Memon at Karachi’s Ziauddin Hospital. Following the incident, the PPP leader was parcelled off to Karachi’s Central Jail.

tourists. Soon after the announcement by the government to reopen tourist spots from August 8, tourists started heading to Abottabad, Swat, Murree, Nathia Gali, and Thandiani, among other tourist destinations, to make the most of their summer vacations. The KP government has issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) for travel enthusiasts heading to the province’s tourist destinations to avoid resurgence of coronavirus cases. According to the SOPs, tourists will be required to carry face masks and sanitisers with them and have their body temperatures checked at all entry points of tourist spots. The availability of sanitisers at all such places has been made mandatory.

PESHAWAR TLTP

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has completed monitoring process for reviewing delimitation of constituencies in village and neighborhood councils ahead of local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). According to a press release, the commission had formed seven monitoring teams for all divisions under supervision of senior officers. The monitoring teams have sent their district-wise reports to the provincial election commissioner. The lists of initial delimitation of constituencies for public objections and suggestions will be published on Friday. The people will be able to submit objections and suggestions to the delimitation authority by 4th of next month.

Buzdar vows to transform Punjab into tourism hub RAWALPINDI TLTP

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has expressed the commitment to transform the province into a tourism hub. The chief minister said this while addressing the launching ceremony of double-decker bus service in Rawalpindi on Tuesday. The chief minister pointed out that there is great potential for tourism in the province which will be exploited. He said a project is on the cards to exploit the tourism potential of Kotli Sattian. Similarly, tourism will be promoted in the Potohar region including Jhelum and Chakwal. Referring to the double-decker bus service, he said it will facilitate the people visiting the tourist spots both in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. He said the service will also be started in Bahawalpur. The chief minister said the development projects of Rawalpindi are very close to his heart and the people will soon hear good news regarding the Ring Road project and Nullah Leh Expressway. Buzdar said development of backward areas is the priority of the government. Thirty-three percent funds have been allocated for South Punjab where a separate

secretariat has also been made functional. He said that some time back he visited Murree and directed to solve its problems. He said that funds will be provided on priority basis for solving the problems of water in Murree. He said that Kohsar University has been approved. Tourist spots including Murree will be further beautified by improving the facilities. He said the government rest houses have been open for people for the promotion of tourism. Murree hospital is being upgraded. He said that a new police station

would be constructed and the sub-division of Murree will be upgraded. He said the journey of development will continue under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan and the nation will soon reach its destination. Later answering the queries of media persons, the Punjab chief minister said that the government will soon launch a safe city project in Rawalpindi to ensure the security of the city. He said the government will soon initiate work on the Ring Road project to resolve the traffic problems in the city, besides expansion of Ammar Chowk, Kohsar University Murree, and Institute of Urology Rawalpindi. Earlier, the chief minister also inspected the bus. He was briefed about the route of the bus which will be from Allama Iqbal Park to Pakistan Monument. The chief minister also planted a sapling in the park on the occasion of National Day for Tree Plantation and prayed for the success of the plantation campaign. Special Assistant to PM Syed Zulfiqar Bukhari, provincial ministers Fayyazul Hassan Chohan and Raja Rashid Hafeez, Advisor Asif Mehmood, assembly members, Punjab Investment Board Chairman Sardar Tanvir Ilyas, secretary tourism, secretary information and others were present on the occasion.

Punjab minister for facilitating investors setting up cement plants LAHORE TLTP

Punjab Industries & Trade Minister, Mian Aslam Iqbal has directed departments concerned to facilitate investors to set up new cement plants in Punjab. The provincial minister chaired an important meeting at Civil Secretariat on Tuesday wherein matters pertaining to investment in the cement industry and progress on establishing new cement plants came under review. The minister expressed his severe indignation on the matter of making delay

in the issuance of NOC for setting up new cement plants. He remarked that he would not tolerate red-tapism with regard to making investment in the cement industry and warned that departments failing to complete the work within the stipulated period of time will have to be answerable. The minister stressed that bringing new investment is the issue of dignity and respect of the country and added that provision of facilities to the investors is the responsibility of the related departments. He disclosed that investment worth billions of rupees will be made and new employment opportu-

nities will be generated with the establishment of one cement plant. He directed that concerned department instead of creating hurdles for the investors should provide them ease and facilitation. Aslam Iqbal directed that concerned departments should work in a coordinated manner and provide one window facilities to the investors. He emphasised that if there is any need for law-making then it should be done for setting up new cement plants. The minister directed the concerned departments to timely complete their work. Secretary I&T Captain (r) Zafar Iqbal

briefed the participants in the meeting that 23 applications have been submitted to the Industries & Trade Department for establishing new cement plants. He informed that all applications after going through scrutiny have been sent to the concerned departments. Secretary I&T, DG industries, DG environment, DG mines and officers of other concerned departments attended the meeting.

Wednesday, 19 August, 2020

Senate body aSkS MiniStry to SuSpend corrupt officialS ISLAMABAD

GHULAM ABBAS

LMOST after a year, a Senate committee is forced again to strictly direct the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) to suspend all officials facing inquiries under corruption charges in various departments of the ministry. Reiterating its earlier remarks that the MoST was not doing anything against the officials facing inquiries at National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for years, the Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology took strict notice of officers not being suspended during investigations. As the committee had given repeated directions to the ministry in 2019 to at least remove the high officials from their posts till the investigations are complete, the Senate body again asked the ministry to at least sus-

pend the officials as the corrupt officials would impact the inquiry outcome. For ensuring transparency they should be removed from key posts, Senator Mushtaq Ahmed, who chaired the committee on Tuesday, said. During the meeting, the committee took up various issues of importance including irregularities in the seniority list of Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR), details of on-going corruption cases at Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), and pending promotion cases at both organizations. In addition to this development of an ecosystem for the promotion and glamorisation of science and technology and the status of ongoing projects were discussed in detail. The meeting commenced with details of the fact-finding committee regarding irregularities in the seniority list of the officers of PCSIR. Members were informed that the matter was resolved as per the recommendations of the committee. A final seniority list

will be submitted to the ministry at the earliest. The committee was also informed that a list of all eligible promotion cases has been submitted to the ministry. Committee Chairman Senator Mushtaq Ahmad was of the view that organizations under the MoST must ensure that the system is formulated to ensure promotions on time so that such disputes do not arise. While discussing details of corruption cases at PSQCA, the committee took strict notice of officers not being suspended during investigations. In an earlier meeting of the committee, it was disclosed that at least 33 inquiries were pending against the ministry officials in the department, at FIA and NAB for years. According to documents, apart from other officials, PSQCA Secretary Ghulam Umar Kazi, who is enjoying the post for around 10 years was facing at least five different inquiries at NAB and FIA. As per the documents these cases are re-

lated “to corruption, malpractice, misuse of authority/illegal appointments/ promotion/violation, recruitment process/irregularities/illegal promotion without DPC in BPS-19 holding two posts, manipulating/tempering of records, illegal/irrelevant training abroad and also assets beyond known source of income”. As per the list of MoST, Kalid Ahmed Bablani, presently serving as a director import/export, is also facing at least five inquiries at NAB, FIA. He is also facing departmental inquiries related to corruption, misappropriation of fund in PSDP, Project ‘Purchase of Laboratory, Equipment Provision of Furniture for PSQCA Complex at Karachi’, and also Illegally issuance of TRC for clearance of consignment in the import exports section of PSQCA, and also holding assets beyond known source of income. Another PSQCA Director, Ali Bux Soomro, is facing three inquiries at NAB,

NEWS

FIA related to irregularities for issuance of a license for the sub-standards product, illegally issuing TRC for clearance of consignment for import and exports, etc. Besides, Deputy Director (F&A) Syed Ali Muhammad Bukhari is also facing two inquires at FIA and NAB. Apart from the serving high officials of PSQCA, former director-general Pir Bakhsh Khan Jamali (BS21) is facing three inquiries related to corruption, illegal use of authority and violations of rules, etc. Barkat Saeed Memon (BS-21), a former director-general, is being investigated by FIA and NAB in three cases. Besides, many other serving and retired officials of the authority including former director AIjaz Ali Panhwar, Director Finance Nazir Hussain, ex-director Khalid Hussain Langah are also undergoing various inquires at FIA and NAB. According to sources in NAB and FIA, the inquiries mentioned in the list were in the process while in a number of cases the PSQCA officials were not cooperating for the provision of documents and other evidence. The meeting of the senate committee on Tuesday was also attended by Senator Hidayatullah, Senator Muhammad Asad Ali Khan Junejo, Senator Kamran Michael, and senior officers from the Ministry of Science and Technology, HEC, PSQCA, PCSIR, COMSATS along with all concerned.

Imran terms two years in oﬃce as ‘toughest challenge’ of his life coNtINuED froM pAgE 01 He regretted that the elite culture prevailed in the country, where the rich avoided taxes and the businessmen got rebates in the name of exports. When asked about the involvement of Jehangir Tareen in the sugar crisis being the owner of mills, the prime minister said he was hurt to see his name in the Sugar Inquiry Commission’s report, as he was very close to him and in the forefront of his struggle against the mafias. It was a difficult decision for him since “a leader is always supposed to be Sadiq and Ameen (truthful and trustworthy)”, he added. Making profit by a business was not bad, but profiteering by cartels was not acceptable, he further said.

The prime minister pointed out that during the forensic investigation, the team led by Wajid Zia was threatened by the Sugar Mills Association. He said that it was found that the frontmen of brokers gave very little to the farmers of their produce while maintaining duplicate account books. Imran said that the mafias had the clout and power as they even tried to get a court stay on the Commission’s report. “When you take on cartels, they fight back,” he said, adding, “It is the mission of my life to fight the mafias, who do not pay taxes, yet make huge profits.” He said it was discovered that a huge quantity of sugar was being exported to Afghanistan, which did not have such a high demand. There were also reports of sugar

being hoarded in Punjab, against which strict action would be taken, he added. Talking about the opposition, Imran said that when the government moved the bills related to Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to curb money laundering, the opposition started talking about amending the laws of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to pressurise the government. Regarding economic instability, the prime minister said that the current account deficit of $20 billion was the biggest challenge as it caused currency devaluation. Corrective measures were taken to bring it down to $3 billion, he added. One of the steps was to squeeze the expenditures for economic stability, he said, adding that currently the government had achieved the balance of primary budget. Regarding the energy crisis, Imran Khan said Pakistan was generating the most expensive electricity due to the power contracts inked by the previous governments for kickbacks. The recent agreement of his government with Independent Power Producers (IPPs), he said, would help overcome the problems of power sector. The future of industries in the country was linked with cheap electricity generation, he added. He said that the government was also working on public sector power plants and a

comprehensive power policy would be revealed in two weeks. About the coronavirus pandemic, the prime minister said that the strategy of smart lockdown had helped overcome the challenge. “When the vision is to uplift the poor, then there are special blessings from Allah Almighty,” he said, adding many countries, including the neighbouring India, had opted for a complete lockdown that increased poverty. He mentioned that his Special Assistant on Social Welfare Dr Sania Nishtar launched the Ehsaas programme under which financial assistance was given to the poor and deserving regardless of their political affiliations. Even the concept behind opening of the construction sector during the pandemic was to provide a window of earning to labourers and daily wagers, he added. When asked about the possibility of diplomatic relations with Israel, the premier said that Pakistan will never accept Israel until a two-state solution is achieved and the Palestinians are given a sovereign state. Regarding Pakistan’s ties with Saudi Arabia, he said that Pakistan’s relations with Saudi Arabia are intact and every country has its own foreign police, therefore, it is not necessary that the kingdom would abide by Pakistan’s vision. When asked about Punjab Chief Minis-

ter Usman Buzdar, Imran said that when Nawaz became the chief minister of Punjab in 1985, he could not address a press conference smoothly. The prime minister rejected the recent reports of corruption against the Punjab chief minister about allegedly granting liqour permits for a bribe, saying he had got the matter investigated by an intelligence agency. “I got reports from IB (Intelligence Bureau) on Usman Buzdar. I wonder as to why NAB is investigating. There is nothing in it,” he said. “If I don’t involve in corruption, how can I let any one else in my party or government to mint money illegally,” he added. He said that allegations were one-sided as Buzdar was not a media savvy person and did not defend himself at public platforms. “A long list of contenders for the post of chief minister even from within the party” were behind it, he regretted. The prime minister said the performance of Punjab government was ahead of all, citing ease of doing business and construction projects. Regarding the condition of Karachi, the prime minister said that large cities need local governments and unless a functional local government is in place, things cannot improve. He said that he has submitted a petition in the Supreme Court (SC) in this regard as well.

TA responds to VRG's 'misleading' allegations, says committed to early launch of AMA scheme NEWS DESK The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said on Tuesday that it remains committed to ensuring the early commercial launch of the Asaan Mobile Account (AMA) scheme, subject to fulfilment of all technical parameters as defined in TPSP license, related IM and subsequent clarifications. Earlier this month, Virtual Remittance Gateway Pvt Ltd (VRG), through advertisements in the press, had claimed that it is "commercially operational for AMA scheme with Jazz and SCO". Reacting on the ad campaign, PTA had last week issued a clarification on its official Twitter handle, stating that it has not yet issued any commencement certificate to VRG for commercial operations of AMA scheme in Pakistan. On this, VRG issued a statement claiming that ad was only to create awareness among the masses on the occasion of 'Independence Day'. "As this day will not come until the next year, we thought, in all good faith, that it is appropriate to take people of Pakistan on board on our preparedness and 'readiness to launch' the commercial services soon and to give them the gift of AMA scheme, but this gift will not be given until PTA allows us to give them, for which they have been waiting for since many years. "In the advertisement, we have not in any

CMYK

manner mentioned that we have launched commercial services (in Pakistan or in AJK & GB or Pakistan) without PTA’s commencement certificate. We have intentionally avoided the words ‘launch’ and ‘commencement of operations’ and only talked about readiness and being commercially operational," the company maintained. 'AN ATTEMPT TO MALIGN THE REGULATOR': Meanwhile, as per the PTA clarification issued on Tuesday, "PTA and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) issued two Third Party Service Provider (TPSP) licences in 2018 to Virtual Remittance Gateway (Pvt) Ltd and Digital Bridge (Pvt) Ltd (DBL) aimed at bringing the unbanked population into formal banking services. However, it has been noted that VRG, while violating the legal framework and licence conditions, has started an illintended campaign in a section of media, to malign the regulator and influence regulatory decisions. "To expedite the availability of AMA scheme for the general public, PTA provided all facilitation to TPSP licensees, through series of meetings and discussion spanned over several months in order to resolve the technical and financial issues between all stakeholders. But VRG, instead of recognising the efforts of PTA, tried to malign the regulator by publishing twisted facts." In fact, it continued, VRG tried to put the burden of its own failures on the part of

regulator. VRG has alleged in the media that PTA has delayed issuance of commencement certificate for commercial operations since Jan 2020, whereas SBP issued authorization to VRG for commercial launch on 9th April 2020. As a consequence of SBP authorization and completing the commercial agreement with the mobile operator, VRG applied to PTA for commencement certificate on 4th August 2020. PTA clarified that issuance of commencement certificate requires submission of commercial agreements by a TPSP licencee with all cellular mobile operators. Since completion of pilot launch and inspection of VRG system in Jan 2020, PTA has repeatedly been urging VRG to expedite and submit commercial agreements for issuance of commencement certificate. "However, VRG was unable to submit any commercial agreement for 6 months until 4th August 2020, and that too with only one operator i.e. Jazz. Even the agreement with Jazz is conditional on VRG’s agreements with other operators. "Under VRG's licence conditions, a 30day prior notice is required by VRG for commencement. Hence, there is no delay on part of PTA in issuance of commencement certificate and the same will be issued after fulfilment of Quality of Service conditions and evaluation of the commercial agreement," the statement read.

Wednesday, 19 August, 2020

06 COMMENT

US Foreign Policy in Post-Election Era

Nexus between NAB and government And the wave of cases against opposition leaders

Which way will it settle?

ORMER Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s name was removed from the ECL by the federal cabinet and he was allowed to proceed abroad for treatment on the basis of a medical report prepared by a doctors’ committee appointed by the Punjab government. The PML-N maintains that Mr Sharif’s doctors in London have been regularly sending reports about his condition as required. Suddenly a move has been initiated by the government to declare him an absconder, for all intents and purposes to defame him. NAB has filed yet another reference against PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif, his wife, sons, relatives and others for money laundering. Remembering the outcome of earlier cases filed by NAB against him one is forced to conclude that this too is an exercise to demonise him and his family. A civil court has summoned PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz on August 20 on a suit over illegal occupation of 4,000 acres of land at Jati Umra, Raiwind. Earlier this month NAB had summoned her for questioning about the same case. On Monday former President Asif Zardari appeared before an accountability case in Islamabad in the Toshakhana reference case prepared by NAB. A sudden upsurge in cases against opposition leaders initiated by NAB which is supervised by the government raises questions about Prime Minister Imran Khan’s motives. The verdict on Monday by the Sindh High Court on Sugar Inquiry Commission report lays bare the way the PTI government manipulates the accountability body. The verdict raises questions about the role played by the PM’s Advisor on Accountability Shehzad Akbar in the ongoing one-sided accountability. The court noted the Mr Akbar regularly uses media to lambast opponents of the government for corruption, keeping mum about government leaders. This undermines the credibility of the accountability in the eyes of the public at large. The perception that the Adviser on Accountability, who acts as a party loyalist, is influencing NAB’s decisions raises questions about the independence of NAB and gives birth to a perception that NAB is working hand in glove with the government. Corruption must not be tolerated. But one-sided accountability which leaves out the corrupt elements in the government creates a perception of political vendetta.

SOHAIL AHMED SOOMRO

OUNTRIES across the globe are increasingly become curious about who is going to assume the USA’s highest office as the world’s longest election process is inching towards its destination, since the US presidential election is directly or indirectly concerned with the future of global politics. Will the election outcome in November foster more of the same norms or a change in policy? Whether US electoral history is going to repeat itself, for mostly presidents had won second terms in the USA’s electoral history or is the Democrat Biden going to get through to the White House? Will nationalist sentiments continue to perpetuate in US politics or will liberal internationalism will become the dominant force in the post-election era? Will the future of the USA be more inclined to proMonroe isolationism or pro-Wilson internationalism? With the election merely three months away, Democratic candidate Joe Biden, having significant lead over Republican President Trump whose approval rating has been dropped considerably due to mismanagement during the covid-19 pandemic and loss of control over the declining US economy, but the unusual election amidst continuing the covid19 pandemic means there would be high unpredictability in the outcome. Nevertheless, it becomes imperative to analyze how different would be the foreign policy outlook of these two contenders based on what they have said and done so far. Trump is expected to stay on a ‘USA- First’ unilateralist policy, with despite for international organizations and treaties and paying no heed to US traditional alliances including NATO, as well alienating allies. Biden, on other hand, has not been new to foreign policy, and calls himself a “liberal internationalist.” He is expected to revive the multilateral identity of the USA, re-establish partnerships in Europe and Asia, rejoin international bodies and redefine ties with allies and strengthen NATO, as expressing enduring supporter for the alliance.

CPEC moving ahead

Splinter groups rejoin TTP Pakistan should be cautious

On towards a prosperous future for all

POKESMAN for the US-designated terrorist organization Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has confirmed that both the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JUA) and Hizbul Ahrar, two breakaway factions of the TTP, have dissolved their respective groups and have pledged allegiance to TTP chief Abu Asim Mansoor. The JUA split from the TTP in 2014 and is responsible for some of the deadliest and heinous acts of terrorism in Pakistan, including the Easter holiday suicide bombing at a park in Lahore that claimed 70 lives, mostly women and children. The Hizbul Ahrar broke away from JUA in 2017 and focused most of its attacks on police officers and army men relying mainly on IED blasts. The TTP carried out the 2014 Jinnah Airport Attack that proved to be the final trigger that started a large-scale military offensive against the militant organization. The operation however could not stop the TTP from executing the APS massacre that claimed 141 lives, 132 of them schoolchildren. The incident proved to be a watershed moment for the country with a renewed focus on the elimination of terrorist groups along the PakAfghan border while domestically ramping up anti-terrorism operations that eventually led to a significant drop in terrorist attacks in the country. While the frequency and scale of attacks may have reduced, the threat posed by such terrorist outfits still remains quite potent and this regrouping of TTP factions has to be taken seriously by the state. Attacks on personnel of law enforcement agencies and the Army are on the rise, particularly in Balochistan. North and South Waziristan have also witnessed a similar uptick in the number of incidents as well. A lot of lives have been lost to get to this point where one can at least cautiously claim that the worst wave of terrorism is behind us. But at the same time it must not be forgotten that a lack of vigilance and a severely delayed response a decade ago was part of the reason why that particular brand of horrific violence, with attacks on an almost daily basis, began in the first place. TTP’s reformation and a UN report warning of the presence of 6000 Pakistani militants baying for blood in Afghanistan is a recipe for disaster. The PTI government must pay attention to these developments and take necessary action to eliminate any threat emanating from within or across its borders in a timely manner.

MuHAMMAD ZAHID RIfAt

HE great gamechanger, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, whose abbreviation CPEC has since become a household term in the country, is a long term programme of the two all-weather, most trustworthy, friendly countries, China and Pakistan. The overall aim of CPEC is to act as a “Gateway of Prosperity” for both countries as well as the region, and even beyond. The Corridor as such focuses to open various doors of prosperity in trade and marketing access, industrial development and global value chains, socio-economic development and poverty alleviation, agriculture modernization and marketing, Gwadar Oil City and blue economy, regional connectivity and third-party participation. This will help in enhancing livelihood sources of the people, especially in the deprived regions of both countries. The CPEC will connect Gwadar Port of Pakistan to China’s north western region of Xinjiang through a network of highways and railways. Undoubtedly, the economic corridor is considered to be central to China-Pakistan relations, stretching over 2700 km from Gwadar to Kashghar. On the whole, the entire programme is expected to be completed in 15 years, in the short term 2015 to 2020, medium term 202125 and long term 2026 to 2030. Under the CPEC, China is investing as much as $62 billion in various sectors in Pakistan in a phased manner. The Corridor, as is generally as well as internationally already known, is an extension of China’s proposed 21st century Silk Route initiative or in other words the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which is a strategic initiative by the great country of China for the entire region, that aims to make Pakistan an economically viable and business-friendly country. Investments under the CPEC in the infrastructure and energy sectors, through implementation of early-harvest projects, have filled in the voids and accelerated the pace of economic growth of the country that will ultimately provide a momentous boost to the economy. In the first phase of implementation of CPEC, better known as early-harvest projects, priority was given to develop prerequisites of CPEC to initiate the economic activities , more in Pakistan than in China. To this end, infrastructure development was the main focus. In order to realize the vision of CPEC in letter

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Arif Nizami Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

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Undoubtedly, China is the most important country around which both the candidates have to contest the election. Either Biden or Trump, or rather both, would have to come hard upon China, as the US public bears highly unfavorable sentiments when it comes to China. However, US-China relations have been highly strained under the Trump Administration, mainly due to the concerns ranging from the Chinese biggest tech communication Huawei’a involvement in US espionage to Beijing’s claim on disputed territory in the South China Sea. Although Biden criticizes Trump for historic blunder in handling pandemic even though he was informed by US intelligence agencies about the severity of the Wuhan virus. Moreover, Biden considers Trump’s confused administration as a pleasure for China particularly due to his alienation from US traditional allies and abandonment of the USA’s global leadership role in international organization such as the World Health Organization. Trump’s retention of the White House means a similar policy for China; in contrast, a Biden Administration would try to keep multilateral pressure on China through renewed relations with US allies. He has certainly justification to expand restrictions on China over increasing human rights abuse in Xinjiang province. Likewise, Biden is more obvious on how US foreign policy is likely to be in Middle East under his Administration. Trump’s withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has increased tensions between the USA and Iran, and this pushed both countries to the brink of war and a greater influx of US forces in the region which diverted them from the purpose of carrying counterterrorism strikes in the region. Biden is more inclined to re-enter into the JCPOA deal with Iran through diplomacy, only if Iran would show strict compliance with the stipulated terms. On the contrary, Trump’s counterpart wants to give up Riyadh’s support for war in Yemen. Additionally, Trump has not proved to be effective in rolling back the North Korean nuclear programme even though he met North Korea’s supreme leader, Kim Jong-il, three times in 2018 and 2019. This is what caused harsh criticism for Trump for setting US prestige at stakes for little cause. Quite the opposite, the Democratic contestant has ruled out any possible meeting with Kim without preconditions.

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and spirit, the Corridor now is emphasizing on areas which directly or indirectly contribute to the socioeconomic uplift for the people of all regions without any discrimination throughout Pakistan. Industrialization and agriculture modernization are thus the preferred areas to bring about employment, enhance trade and earn foreign exchange. According To information gathered by this scribe from official quarters concerned, it is a matter of satisfaction as well as appreciation by one and all to note that quite significant progress under the overall umbrella of CPEC has been achieved during the just ended financial year, 2019-20. The Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC), comprising the officials concerned at the appropriate high level of both the countries, meets periodically in rotation in China and Pakistan to review the progress of ongoing projects and to include new ones as suggested by either side. The 9th meeting of Joint Cooperation Committee was held on 5 November 2019. Prior to JCC meeting, Prime Minister Imran Khan had paid a very fruitful and productive visit to China in October to expand the scope of CPEC. Projects mainly in the petroleum sector were identified and shared with the Chinese side for inclusion in CPEC. The same was later deliberated upon in the 9th JCC meeting. Moreover, two more joint working groups, on Science and Technology and Agriculture, were formed and duly notified in the second half of the last financial year. Energy projects under CPEC have made progress in 2019-20. Two energy sector projects, namely the Engro Thar Power and Mine project (660 MW) and HUBCO Coal Power Project (1320 MW), were commissioned on 10 July 2019 and 14 August 2019 respectively. Accordingly, ground breaking ceremony of Gwadar 300 MW Coal Power project was held on 4 November 2019. Moreover, financial close was also achieved for HUBCO Thar Coal Power Project (Thar Energy) on 30 January 2020. Work on the other energy projects, such as Sukki Kinnari (870 MW), Karot Hydropower Project (720 MW), HVDC and 660 KV Matiari–Lahore HVDC Transmission Line projects, among others, are in progress in a satisfying manner as per their schedule. Substantial progress was also reported to have been made on Tripartite Agreements of 1124 MW Kohala and 700 MW Azad Pattan Power Projects were other key milestones achieved during the period under report. Infrastructure sector projects have also achieved significant progress during 2019-20. PeshawarKarachi Motorway (Multan-Sukkur Section) was in-

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Additionally, Trump has been quite clear on US foreign policy in Afghanistan during his Presidency; and his Administration left no stone unturned to bring back US forces home from the country’s longest war. His Administration made the historical US-Taliban deal in February 2020 in Doha. However, the complete withdrawal of foreign forces depends more upon intra-Afghan talks and the Taliban’s commitment to repel other banned Islamist outfits, mainly ISIS. The former vice president holds much the same notion of bringing back US forces to home from Afghanistan, but for the sake of combating terrorism, he feels a small number of Special Forces and intelligence assets should be ensured in Afghanistan. However, the fate of Afghanistan is more or less the same after the presidential election. Undeniably, Trump has come soft upon Russia since his succession to White House and he mostly avoids discussing Russia explicitly; however Russia has been making every possible effort to uproot the democratic values of the West. Biden has been holding a grudge against Russia. While addressing the public during his election campaign, Biden blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for weakening NATO, dividing the European Union and undermining the US electoral system. Thus post-election era, if the Democratic candidate succeeds, it would be more straining for US-Russian relations. South Asia would not be of much importance for both candidates, but they would like to reinforce ties with India so as to make a balance of power with China in the region. However, Biden would recognize the problem of dealing with India due to growing concerns over its authoritarian regime and increasing human rights violation predominantly in Kashmir; besides his vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, who is of Indian origin, has become a hot subject in the media and among the Indian Diaspora during these days, and most of them consider such a gesture as pro-Indian. A Biden Administration thus may prove to be a positive sign for Delhi. Moreover, Biden has visited to Pakistan plenty of times however he would be more inclined to be engaged with Islamabad more predictably than his counterpart Trump. Much of it will depend upon how bold and creative Islamabad is in engaging his administration. Sohail Ahmed Soomro is a freelance columnist

augurated on 5 November 2019.Of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) Phase II Havelian-Thakot (118.5 KM) project, the Havelian-Mansehra section was inaugurated on 18 November 2019 by Prime Minister Imran Khan. From Mansehra onward to Thakot, the section has been completed and is likely to be inaugurated soon. Work also commenced on the New Gwadar International Airport in October 2019. The Orange Line Metro Train Project in Lahore is another key project and is ready for its formal inauguration. Remarkable progress has also been achieved on the ML-1 Project. A Financing Committee from both countries has already been notified and it has held several meetings to finalize the concessional financial modalities for the mega project. Regarding cooperation on the industrial front, the ground-breaking of Allama Iqbal Industrial City in Faisalabad was held on 3 January 2020. Request for Proposal has also been floated for Dhabeji Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and its bidding process was reported to be in the final stages. Concession Agreement and Development Agreement for Rashakai SEZ was also finalized during the first half of 2019-20, whereas Bostan SEZ has also been notified as yet another CPEC Special Economic Zone. Under the Socio-Economic framework in CPEC, four projects, namely Provision of Cold Chain Vaccine Storage Equipment, Poverty Alleviation Training Project, Provision of Emergency Relief Supplies for Enhancing National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Disaster Preparedness Capacity at Islamabad and Karachi and Pakistan Vocational and Training Education Capacity Building Project, have since been completed during 2019-20. Another six projects, including Smart Classroom projects for Higher Education, Maintenance and Renovation of 50 schools in newly merged districts of Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa, upgradation of Gwadar Hospital, Vocational and Technical Institute and 1.2 MGD Desalination Plant at Gwadar and Overseas Scholarship Programme are under implementation and at various stages of completion. This will give an overview of progress and development being made under the overall CPEC umbrella in different sectors, ushering in an era of prosperity and alleviating poverty and unemployment in Pakistan in a satisfying manner despite obstructions and criticism by some regional and international countries against this great economic project in furtherance of their persistent hostile attitude and containment of increasing influence of China in the region. This is despite the fact that the top leadership of both China and Pakistan have persistently and emphatically been saying that CPEC is not against any country whatsoever. Muhammad Zahid Rifat is Lahore-based Freelance Journalist, Columnist and retired Deputy Controller (News) Radio Pakistan Islamabad and can be reached at zahidriffat@gmail.com

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Wednesday, 19 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

Frequent power failure RESPECTED Sir, Little space in your esteem newspaper could be useful enough to direct the attention of authorities concerned towards prolong hours of load shedding. No one can imagine life without electricity in modern days lying. However, this is one of the most pressing problems of our area. Every day we experience prolonged hours of electricity failure and despite bringing into the attention of concerned authorities but no improvement has emerged. Unannounced Power Failure bothers a great deal because it not only disturbs industrial growth but also domestic life. Students cannot concentrate on their studies and at night antisocial elements like snatchers take advantage of this situation. We request higher authorities to take serious note of it and look into the matter by shortening the period of power failure of our area. ISBAH SIDDIQUI KARACHI

Anti-Covid plan for Muharram

Hypocrisy in global politics The world ignores Kashmir at its own peril

MALIk MuHAMMAD ASHRAf

OTWITHSTANDING the fact that the nations signatory to the UN Charter─ particularly the powerful ones─ never tire of pronouncing their adherence to the principles enshrined in it, the reality is that they invariably are guided by their own self-defined national and strategic interests in firming up their responses to the bilateral and global issues. Their selective application of the principles of UN Charter is the real cause of the inability of the UN to end wars and conflicts and deal effectively with other challenges like terrorism in an indiscriminate manner. The Palestinian and Kashmir issue are classic examples of hypocrisy permeating the global politics. It is because of the global politics that the UN resolutions on both these issues remain un-implemented, and the perpetrators of oppression and usurpers of the respective lands are at liberty to continue with their inhuman pursuits. However, the conscience of these self-styled champions of human rights, democratic values and right to self-determination─ who never tire of crying hoarse from every convenient roof-top to announce their credentials in that regard─ makes a vociferous appearance when they feel the need to malign and denigrate their political opponents on the world stage in regards to the perceived violation of human rights and threats to democratic values. It is undoubtedly a hypocritical world. The US and its western allies reacted angrily over the promulgation of the National Security Bill for Hong Kong by China in May 2020, which they said was a threat to fundamental political freedoms and civil liberties. They supported the movement against the bill and prompted the international community to re-evaluate their policies towards Hong Kong which they deemed was no longer autonomous. They are also showing grave concern about the situation in Belarus in the aftermath of the allegedly rigged elections and condemning the crackdown on the protesters, saying it was a threat to the democratic values and basic human rights. However, they do not feel concerned and motivated to act against extra-judicial killings in Indian-Occupied Kashmir and the humanitarian crisis unfurling in the Valley after 5 August 2019. They are not bothered about more than 100,000 lives which have been lost during the freedom struggle since 1989, gangrapes of thou-

sands of women and the existence of mass- Kashmir and its involvement in sponsoring tergraves in the Valley. It is not that they are not rorism within Pakistan, which is an irrefutable aware of it. But the fact is that they are not pre- reality in view of the confessions made by Cdr pared to annoy India, which is not only a lucra- Kalbhushan Jhadav, an Indian naval officer who tive market for them but also their strategic was arrested in Pakistan and his subsequent conpartner and an important player in pursuing for- viction for espionage. It is pertinent to point out that the International Court of Justice where ward their ‘Contain-China’ policy. The USA is a country which claims to be India filed a case for having his conviction leading the fight against the global war on ter- quashed and his repatriation to India, did not rorism, and has even spent billions of dollars and challenge the grounds on which he was consacrificed lives in the fight against it, but regret- victed but only asked Pakistan to accord contably the effort has a selective hue. While it has sular access to India and completion of the legal kept continuously pressurizing Pakistan to do formalities in regards to appeal against the senmore in spite her efforts and indiscriminate ac- tence in consonance with its own laws. It clearly tion against all the terrorist entities bases on its indicated that the grounds on which he was consoil─ dictated by her own geo-strategic interests victed were not objected to by the ICJ and Pakistan stood vindicated to the quell terrorism─ in that regard. it has never condemned The indifference the Indian involvement shown by the USA to in incidents of terrorAny aggressive action against the snowballing deteriism in Pakistan. in the regional The USA and India Pakistan by India would surely oration security situation due to are strategic partners, the Indian actions in and in obedience to her provoke a matching response Occupied Kashmir and strategic and commerits continued belligerent cial interests, the former like the one on 26 February posture against Pakis prepared to cast aside last year. One never knows istan, is actually enall the principles encouraging India to shrined in the UN Charwhat could transpire continue its oppressive ter, international treaties actions in the Valley and conventions. Paksubsequently. Pakistan and and also persist with her istan has been under India are nuclear powers and aggressive designs tremendous pressure by against Pakistan. India the USA to proscribe any clash between them could under Modi, an adhercertain organizations for their alleged involveprove disastrous for the region ent of the supremacist RSS ideology, is a real ment in terrorism and and beyond. The situation threat to the security of even used its influence this region. Pakistan has on the UN to have them warrants immediate attention repeatedly warned the declared terrorist entiworld about the dangers ties. The USA also acby the United Nations as a lurking on the horizon. cepts the Indian Pakistan has also narrative of cross-border peace-promoting world body been warning the world terrorism which encourbefore it is too late. The USA about yet another falseages India to continue flag operation. Indian with its state terrorism in and its allies also need to look aggressive designs Indian Occupied Kashagainst Pakistan are mir. The repeal of article beyond their strategic amply visible from con370 of the Indian Coninterests and fulfill their tinued violations of the stitution that ended the ceasefire agreement bespecial status of Indianobligations with regard to tween the two countries Occupied Kashmir and which is also a deliberits subsequent amalgapromoting world peace. ate attempt to divert the mation in the Indian world attention from union through the what it is doing in OcJammu and Kashmir cupied Kashmir. ReRe-organization Act 2019, in blatant violation of the UN resolutions, portedly India has violated the ceasefire line also has not invoked any condemnation by the agreement 1595 times during the current year. Any aggressive action against Pakistan by USA, except for muffled concern on the deteriorating situation in the Valley. The US media re- India would surely provoke a matching response ported that India did take the USA into confidence like the one on 26 February last year. One never before going ahead with her actions in Occupied knows what could transpire subsequently. PakKashmir. The proposition is not surprising in view istan and India are nuclear powers and any clash between them could prove disastrous for the reof the hypocritical posture of the USA. US double standards are also reflected in gion and beyond. The situation warrants immesigning the deal with India for transfer of civil diate attention by the United Nations as a nuclear technology to her in violation of the pro- peace-promoting world body before it is too late. visions of Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, the The USA and its allies also need to look beyond push to make India a member of the NSG and their strategic interests and fulfill their obligathe support that it is extending to make India a tions with regard to promoting world peace. permanent member of the UNSC. Malik Muhammad Ashraf is an academic. The USA and its western allies look the other way to the Indian oppression in Occupied He can be contacted at: ashpak10@gmail.com

NCOC on Monday discussed a detailed plan of action for management of the holy month and compliance of SOP’s to contain the outbreak of covid19 pandemic. While emphasising the use of face masks and maintaining social distancing MINISTER ASAD UMAR directed the stake-holders, especially the provincial chief secretaries to take all the necessary measures including action over violations of SOP’s in order to contain the spread of pandemic. The special assistant to prime minister on health Dr Faisal Sultan said that our country was reporting a steady decline in covid19 cases for the past few weeks but warned that the cases might increase if negligence was shown towards preventive measures. The slightest carelessness can lead to the re-emergence of pandemic, he said. “We should not undermine the use of masks and implementation of safety precautions to avoid the second wave” he stressed. “It is up to us to increase or decrease the number of cases in Pakistan”. Remembering these statements given by Dr Faisal we all should follow SOPs more strictly in the upcoming holy month of Muharram only in this way we can combat ovid-19 and spend this Holy month peacefully. KAnwAl AlI KARACHI

Are we losing the night? AS the sun goes down in urban areas.the light go on .that night -time is growing brighter and more extensive. All this artificial light has an impact on the environment satellite image have revealed that earth’s artificially lit area is growing by more than 2℅ everyyear.it varies country to country but overall our night-time world is brightening. Research expected the wealthiest brightest nation to fade as they switched from sodium lamps to LEDs which do not appear as bright on the satellite view.instead from 2012 to 2016 many rich nation remained just as bright and urban bright spots in the UK And Europe grew evenbrighter.in some developing nations brightness in created dramatically from 2012 to 2016 .night- time especially bluer light from LEDs can affect our sleep and health.in environment it can change the behaviour of nocturnal animal.it could shift some of our planet’s seasonal patterns. AttAH AnD AzAD noDIzI lAHoRE

Running Karachi… AS reported, a meeting was held on Saturday night at Governor House under the watchful gaze of the security establishment, where representatives of the PPP, PTI and MQM apparently all agreed to form a committee for the metropolis’s betterment. ▪ But on Sunday, Sindh’s information minister issued a cautious statement saying that running Karachi is “the responsibility of the provincial government”. ▪ And on Monday, in an apparent reference to efforts by the federal government to play a greater role in Karachi’s affairs, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah was far more blunt: “under no condition would Sindh share powers with anyone.” While the federal government should by all means offer support to Sindh in order to run Karachi, there should be no effort by the centre to take over the city and micromanage it. The federal government and other institutions have apparently spoken up because the Sindh administration has miserably neglected Karachi over its decade-plus rule over the province. By taking over nearly all civic functions, the Sindh government tends to act like a glorified municipality while leaving the MQM-dominated KMC with few powers. However, it is also true that KMC makes very little effort to exercise whatever powers are available with it The fact is that no committee, pressure group or NGO can run Karachi. This is a task only an elected, empowered local government can do, with the provincial and federal governments offering substantial support. K AlI KARACHI

Helping the disabled ANOTHER largely marginalised community in Pakistan that anyome hardly seems to talk about is the disabled community. However, with the increasing awareness, people try more and more to destigmatise the word, of its implication; that people with physical and mental disabilities are somehow less human, or are ‘abnormal’ when in reality anything becomes normal the moment we start accepting it, beyond the status quo. To do so, ASL and Braille should be introduced in public places. Sign language should also be taught in households that do not have people who need it. Elevators should also be built to cater the physically handicapped. To further normalise this, rather than making special needs school that are scarce in resources, and not as common, which further alienates the already marginalised people. Rather, the teachers should be better equipped to include disabled children. Another stigma that needs to be sorted is that, mental illnesses like autism, and ADHD etc. Which should be treated as such. An emotion inducing hashtag would be #mazoorhainlachaar nahi, it implies that yes while there is a disablity, that does not make them weak, and powerless. A tagline to assist it can be ‘our differences, should not hinder our lives’ which is what dissabled people go through everyday a physicality they cannot change, hindering their lives every turn, and it needs to change for the better. SAKInA RIzvI lAHoRE

Wednesday, 19 August, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

Saudi arabia and PakiStan: a PartnerShiP too imPortant to fail IF FOREIGN MINISTER QURESHI’S VEILED REFERENCE IS TOWARDS ANOTHER KUALA LUMPUR-STYLE GATHERING, THEN IT IS A DANGEROUS PROPOSITION THAT COULD BE LEAST EXPECTED FROM A BROTHERLY COUNTRY

arab newS

WILL PM IMRAN KHAN REMIND HIM TO BE CAREFUL IN FUTURE, AS ANY DAMAGE TO OUR BROTHERLY TIES GOES AGAINST OUR RESPECTIVE NATIONAL INTERESTS AND PUBLIC ASPIRATIONS?

DR ALI AWADH ASSERI

n recent days, disturbing reports have appeared in Pakistani media and then picked up by foreign media that aim to sabotage the historic partnership between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Their apparent motivation is to create a rift in the Muslim Ummah, by questioning the principled position of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) on Kashmir and linking it with Saudi Arabia’s economic support to Pakistan. Even more worrisome is the fact that these damaging reports draw upon the remarks made by Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Pakistan’s foreign minister, in an interview to a local news channel on August 5. In that interview, he warned that if the OIC failed to meet Pakistan’s expectation for calling a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, he would be “compelled to ask Prime Minister Imran Khan to call a meeting of the Islamic countries that are ready to stand with us on the issue of Kashmir and support the oppressed Kashmiris.” FM Qureshi’s remarks have been followed up by speculative media accounts about Saudi Arabia suspending its emergency economic support to Pakistan. So much so that the OIC and, by implication, founder Saudi Arabia were blamed for not doing enough for the Kashmir cause. Sadly, no one has yet bothered to seek the Saudi perspective on the two issues, which are neither remotely connected nor are they factually correct. So, a clarification is very much in order to set the record straight. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have always enjoyed an incomparable level of understanding and friendship based on common religious, cultural and social values. Their unique relations are rooted in the mutual love of the people and, hence, have historically been immune from any changes in government or leadership in the two great nations. That is why, with each passing decade, the Saudi-Pak cooperation in political, security and economic spheres has grown by leaps and bounds. In February 2019, the strategic relationship assumed added significance when Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman paid a state visit to Pakistan, where he was graciously driven by Prime Minister Imran Khan from the Islamabad airport to the Prime Minister House. Their personal chemistry, developed through frequent interactions in the year before, paid its dividends, as the Crown Prince signed on the emergency economic relief package worth $6.2 billion for Pakistan, including $3 billion in loan and $3.2 oil credit facility on annual basis for the next three years, to shore up its foreign exchange reserves and avert a balance-of-payments crisis. This emergency relief package conformed to a familiar pattern persisting in the past over two decades, whereby Saudi Arabia would provide oil on deferred payments to Pakistan whenever it ran into economic difficulty. However, the economic crisis was much worse this time, as Pakistan faced the risk of defaulting on its foreign debt obliga-

tions. Hence, Saudi Arabia was the first to come to its rescue in november 2018 by offering the $6.2 billion relief package. The UAE also joined hands later. This was several months before the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved its $6 billion bailout for Pakistan in July 2019. However, a far more important development during the Crown Prince’s visit was the conclusion of the largest-ever Saudi investment deals worth $20 billion in Pakistan, including an oil refinery in Gwadar worth $10 billion and the remaining investments in petrochemical complex, mining and renewable energy sectors. It signified that Saudi Arabia was now interested in Pakistan’s long-term economic development, as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that ends at the strategic Gwadar port. It is worth mentioning here that China is the largest importer of Saudi oil, and Saudi Arabia is also diversifying its global economic links through participation in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and by expanding trade ties with the rest of Asia’s emerging economies. Thus, while the recent expansion in Saudi-Pak economic cooperation is mutually inclusive and not at cross purposes with the BRI or CPEC, it is also important to state that the two brotherly Muslim nations have always stood shoulder to shoulder with each other in difficult times. For instance, in 1990, Pakistan sent its ground forces to defend Saudi Arabia against Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. Three decades later, Pakistan’s former army chief General Raheel Sharif leads the Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism, which is comprised of 41 Muslim nations. From defending the sanctity of Haramain Sharifain to defeating the scourge of terrorism, Pakistan has always been a key Saudi partner and a major Muslim player. Having served as the Saudi ambassador to Pakistan during the tumultuous period from 2001 to 2009, I vividly remember the gravity of terrorism that both nations faced post-9/11 and how we confronted this menace together in the heyday of the War on Terror. I maintained close interaction with the civilian and military leadership to ensure Pakistan remains secure and stable. I also remember the fateful days when a devastating earthquake hit the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Saudi Arabia instantly established an air corridor to provide emergency relief to its victims. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have also closely cooperated to achieve the common goals of regional peace and stability in Afghanistan and Kashmir. Thus, out of my personal conviction, on August 5, when Pakistan officially observed Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir to express solidarity with the suffering Kashmiris, I penned a piece in these columns to highlight the plight of the Kashmiri Muslims and the urgency of resolving the longstanding Kashmir dispute. However, the very next morning, I was saddened to come across FM Qureshi’s comments on the OIC’s role in Kashmir, which

are far from reality. The fact is that the OIC’s Contact Group on Kashmir, led by Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador Yousef M. Aldobeay, had visited the AJK, including the Line of Control, for almost a week in March this year. The Contact Group subsequently held a virtual meeting in June, inaugurated by OIC Secretary General Dr. Yousef A. AlOthaimeen, who reiterated the “OIC's commitment to finding a peaceful settlement for the Jammu and Kashmir issue as per the relevant resolutions of the Islamic Summit, the Council of Foreign Ministers, and the international legitimacy.” Also, deferring to Pakistani sensitivities on Kashmir post-August 5, the statement issued after the Contact Group’s meeting rejected the ‘Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Order 2020’ and the ‘Jammu and Kashmir Grant of Domicile Certificate Rules 2020’ aimed at changing the demographic structure of the disputed territory. It “reaffirmed the OIC’s continued support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and called on the Un Secretary General to use his good offices to make India abide by the Un Security Council resolutions.” Such a resolute response to the evolving Kashmir tragedy by the OIC Secretary General and the Contact Group on Kashmir, preceded by its fact-finding mission to the AJK, left little scope for yet another declaration by the Council of Foreign Ministers on Kashmir. Moreover, the global pandemic had limited the scope of holding major diplomatic gatherings. Yet, FM Qureshi has chosen to tarnish the OIC’s credibility by insisting on the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting. A year ago, Pakistan had, indeed, achieved a major success by managing to convene an emergency consultative session of the Un Security Council immediately after India’s annexation of Jammu and Kashmir and imposition of lockdown in the disputed territory. Unfortunately, since then, the Foreign Ministry under Mr. Qureshi has been unable to build upon this initial success in international diplomacy on Kashmir. So, one plausible explanation for his frustrating bid to blame the OIC is to cover up his own failure in Kashmir. However, from the Saudi standpoint, FM Qureshi’s threat to organize “a meeting of the Islamic countries” on Kashmir without the OIC mandate is more worrying. Saudi Arabia is the citadel of Islam, for being the location of Islam’s holiest places of worship at Makkah and Madinah. Therefore, it has always struggled against any effort or instance aimed at dividing the Muslim Ummah. Last December, Pakistan had acted wisely by boycotting one such gathering in Kuala Lumpur, which was an attempt orchestrated primarily by Turkey and Iran to challenge the leadership of the OIC. If FM Qureshi’s veiled reference is towards any such gathering, then it is a dangerous proposition that could be least expected from a brotherly country whose people, like those of Turkey and Iran, have always craved the unity of Ummah. Such a step would benefit

the current Turkish and Iranian regimes and leaders, who thrive on dividing the Ummah. From Iraq and Syria to Lebanon and Libya, their hands are soaked in the blood of suffering Muslim populations. They support terrorist proxies, and have created mess and mayhem in Muslim lands. For 40 years, Iran has intruded into Arab affairs for heinous ends. As Un Secretary General Antonio Guterres has confirmed in his June report to the Security Council, it is arming the rebellious Houthis in Yemen, and sponsoring their missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia. Last month, FM Qureshi was himself talking on phone with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud to share Pakistan’s deep concern on the armed attacks against Saudi Arabia. Then, how come he now contemplates an option sponsored by Tehran? It is quite unfortunate for Turkey that it is led by a megalomaniac neo-Ottoman whose insatiable quest for domestic control and regional hegemony knows no bounds. For almost two decades, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has invoked old wounds to upset domestic peace and regional geopolitics. His personal spree for dividing the Islamic world has gained momentum more recently. WHY SHOULD PAKISTAN FALL INTO THIS TRAP? Strategic partnerships between two nation states take years of patient hard work to build. Hence, they are unlikely to founder with the baseless rhetoric of a misguided individual that became the basis of the alleged rift in Saudi-Pak ties. An exemplary spirit of reciprocity characterizes these ties, whereby both Riyadh and Islamabad understand each other’s national sensitivities and limitations. For this reason, Saudi Arabia did not raise an eyebrow when the Pakistani parliament in 2015 decided not to support its military effort to restore an internationally recognized government in Yemen. The irony in Kashmir’s case is that neither Saudi Arabia nor its Gulf allies intend any ill-will that goes against Pakistani interests or Kashmiri aspirations. Then, how can anyone even think of blaming them for not doing enough on Kashmir? Even if any differences have emerged over any issue due to some misunderstanding, the standard practice is to resolve them mutually through political and diplomatic channels available to both nations. Of course, it is a reality that Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in India as part of its growing economic engagement with Asia. India also has as many workers in Saudi Arabia, if not more, as Pakistan does, numbering close to 3 million and contributing billions of dollars in remittances back home. Does such a deepening economic engagement or interlocking dependence not provide Saudi Arabia with a realistic clout to influence India’s policy for Kashmir peace? Also, has Pakistan itself ever unilaterally given up the bilateral process for Kashmir settlement with India while simultaneously pressing for the implementation of the Un Security Council resolutions on Kashmir?

As for the reported issues in Saudi emergency economic relief package for Pakistan, first of all, the media has not verified them from official Saudi sources. Like those of its Gulf allies, Saudi Arabia’s economy has come under severe strain due to the coronavirus pandemic and consequent slide in global oil prices. Both the people and foreign workers are bearing its brunt. Then, Pakistan, despite the pandemic, does not face the sort of economic crisis it did prior to its economic deal with the IMF. However, even if any differences have emerged over this issue due to some misunderstanding, the standard practice is to resolve them mutually through a multitude or political and diplomatic channels available to both nations. By bringing such differences into the public domain, as FM Qureshi did through his emotional outburst over OIC’s position on Kashmir or the unverified media reports did on the Saudi economic support to Pakistan, we allow the forces inimical to the interests of both nations to sabotage their historic partnership. Fortunately, the Saudi-Pak ties are so exceptionally rooted in the deep religious, political and social aspirations of the people that they tend to survive untoward instances such as the current one. In fact, the level of Saudi-Pak defense cooperation is so deep and wide that the present conspiracy to jeopardize our timetested ties seems to be fizzling out as quickly as it surfaced on the scene. Little surprise that on the eve of the current visit of Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa to Riyadh, Major-General Babar Iftikhar, Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations, has categorically said: Saudi-Pak “relations are historic, very important, have always been excellent and will remain so. There should be no doubt of this … nobody should doubt the centrality of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Muslim world. Our hearts beat with the people of Saudi Arabia. So, there is no need to raise any questions on our relations with one another.” Where does FM Qureshi’s diatribe stand after this? Will PM Imran Khan remind him to be careful in future, as any damage to our brotherly ties goes against our respective national interests and public aspirations? As Saudi Arabia diversifies its economy away from oil under its Vision 2030, a strategic plan that is the brainchild of our young Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, we expect millions of more Pakistanis to contribute to Saudi infrastructure and technological development. The Saudi government has already extended scores of scholarships to educate and train Pakistani youth for this great opportunity. We have long-term political and economic stakes in Pakistan and are gratified to see greater interaction between the businessmen and traders of the two countries in the past couple of years. Is it not wonderful to note that even amid the current pandemic, Pakistani exports to Saudi Arabia were reported to have increased by 34 percent in June? Let me conclude by saying that the Saudi-Pak historic partnership is too important to fail. It will blossom in future, just as it did in history, defeating any attempt to sabotage it along the way, with the love and devotion of our two peoples. Dr. Ali Awadh Asseri is a former senior Saudi diplomat who served as ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan from 2001 to 2009. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Beirut Arab University and has written a book titled “Combating Terrorism: Saudi Arabia’s Role in the War on Terror.”

Intelligence agencies made the right call in not banning TikTok Sydney Morning Herald Fighting cybercrime is a crucial area for national security policy but the challenge will be balancing the risks against the costs of protecting our networks. The risks which were detailed in a new federal cyber security strategy released on Thursday range from malignant attacks by foreign powers on infrastructure, such as power stations and airports, to data theft and so-called “ransomware” which inserts destructive viruses on networks. Terrorists and organised crime groups, such as paedophile rings, can also use encrypted software or the so-called dark web to operate worldwide without detection. The Federal government’s strategy has committed $1.6 billion over the next four

years, about 10 times more than previously, to help businesses, individuals and government departments fight these threats. That will pay for more cyber security experts, public awareness campaigns, better software design and the like. Yet on the other side of the ledger the global software industry and privacy advocates are concerned that in the name of protecting Australia, the government could overstep. Big Tech has complained about a 2018 law which gives federal investigators the power to hack into encrypted messages on networks run by official service providers. They argue that if federal investigators are allowed to hack in, then bad guys could exploit the same holes in the system. Journalists fear that the law will compromise confidential communications with their sources.

The new strategy could annoy both groups even more because it promises to give officials the legal power to peer into technologies known as the dark web, which fall outside the current laws. The Herald in general accepts the need for new powers to deal with cyber crime, but they must be subject to rigid external scrutiny, just like any police search warrant. While the Federal government is stressing the importance of cyber security, it has surprised some by a separate decision announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison earlier this week not to ban TikTok, a Chinese-owned social media app which has become hugely popular around the world. It appears to contrast with the tough stance Australia took in its world-leading decision to ban the use of equipment made by

Chinese firm Huawei in our national 5G communications network. The decision could also lead to conflict with the US, where President Donald Trump says he will ban TikTok and other Chinese social media apps. Yet it is welcome that Australia is making its own decisions based on its own intelligence, not blindly following the anti-China hysteria emanating from the US presidential election campaign. In fact, the risks posed by TikTok and Huawei are very different. Using Huawei hardware in our 5G network could have given Chinese spies access to some of our most critical infrastructure such as the “internet of things” where machines are operated by networked artificial intelligence. In theory, it could allow hackers to short out power stations or shut down the air traffic network. TikTok, on the other hand, is about

teenagers sharing goofy 15-second videos. Certainly they risk being snooped on and theoretically China could try to moderate the content on the app for political purposes. But these are threats which sensible individuals can manage as they do with other social media. They can choose not to share personal information and balance TikTok with information from other sources. Morrison’s decision was based on advice from Australian security agencies that TikTok did not present a serious national security risk – the same security agencies which recommended barring Huawei from next-generation networks. The decisions show Australia’s intelligence assessments and policy responses working as they should – unlike in the US where the intelligence community has been politicised under Donald Trump.

Wednesday, 19 August, 2020

buSinESS 09

CORPORATE CORNER

Khushhali Microfinance Bank celebrates 20 years of excellence ISLAMABAD: Khushhali Microfinance Bank celebrated its 20th anniversary on August 11th, 2020. This anniversary was unique in its nature as 5,000+ employees across the entire network of KMB, participated in the celebrations digitally, through a zoom meeting. The event marked two decades of its foundation while setting up a network of 195+ branches and 30+ service centres across Pakistan. Having serviced over 5 million customers to date, Khushhalibank takes pride in its legacy of providing access to finance to a marginalized segment of the population, males and females alike, to invest in microenterprises for a better future and realize their economic potential. Khushhali Microfinance Bank President Ghalib Nishtar acknowledged the hard work that the entire team making Khushhali the number one microfinance bank in Pakistan.

Engro Fertilizers launches free Mobile Soil Testing Laboratory in Sindh KARACHI: Engro Fertilizers launched its second Mobile Soil Sampling Laboratory on Pakistan’s 73rd Independence Day, a move that comes to the aid of the country’s battle against food insecurity amid low agriproductivity and a bulging population expected to double in less than 30 years. The launch ceremony took place on 14th August in Tando Muhammad Khan, in the heartlands of Indus Valley. Speaking on the occasion, Nadir Salar Qureshi, CEO of Engro Fertilizers, said, “We are a purpose-driven organization that aims to do well while doing good. We have remained a trusted partner of Pakistani farmers for over 50 years through such initiatives that promote their well-being. The mobile soil testing lab is a unique service that will put the focus on understanding soil health and the role of nutrients to improve the output of our farmers.” He also updated the audience on initiatives of the Rs1 billion Hussain Dawood Pledge made by Hussain Dawood, Chairman of Engro Corporation and Dawood Hercules Corporation, to support Covid-19 relief efforts in Pakistan.

Mastercard enhances security capabilities as e-commerce accelerates in MENA LAHORE: As e-commerce continues to accelerate owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, Mastercard is leading the way in fostering cybersecurity and combating fraud. With online shopping playing an integral role in the region’s economic recovery, ensuring transaction approval rates remain robust while countering fraud attempts has taken a completely new focus. Magdy Hassan, Country Manager, Egypt & Pakistan, Mastercard, said, “As online shopping gains a stronger foothold in the region, it is integral that businesses ensure the trust of consumers and protect their financial data. At Mastercard, we continue to work with merchants across MENA to introduce new solutions that ensure frictionless shopping experience with no compromise on security.”

TPL Insurance partners with Pak Suzuki to offer convenient auto insurance services LAHORE: TPL Insurance has signed a strategic partnership with Pak Suzuki, the country’s largest car manufacturing company. Following the partnership, Pak Suzuki customers can avail TPL Insurance’s services at any of the 168 Pak Suzuki authorized dealerships operating nationwide. Customers will have access to One Window Auto Insurance Solution offering tailored coverage backed by the fastest claim settlement ever offered in Pakistan, online policy issuance, services and repair facilities at Pak Suzuki authorized 3S dealerships along with value-added services like self-survey using the TPL Insurance Mobile App – all at extremely competitive rates for Pak Suzuki Customers. This partnership is in line with TPL Insurance’s strategy to evolve as a dominant player by exploring profitable niches through the deployment of cutting-edge technology.

PSO BEcOMES FIrST OMc TO LAuNch EurO-V FuEL

BUSINESS DESK

AKISTAN State Oil (PSO) has become the first oil marketing company (OMC) to upgrade the country’s fuel standard from Euro 2 to Euro 5, said a statement issued by the company on Tuesday. PSO’s Hi-Octane 97 Euro 5 was launched in a grand ceremony held at PSO Service Station-2, Islamabad. Power & Petroleum Minister Omar Ayub Khan and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Petroleum Nadeem Babar graced the occasion chief guests. “PSO’s Euro 5 standard Hi-Octane 97 RON fuel is available at PSO retail outlets in all major cities across the country,” the statement read. Speaking on the occasion, Omar Ayub Khan lauded the flagship OMC to introduce Euro 5 standard fuels in Pakistan, saying, “Prime Minister Imran

PETROLEUM MINISTER SAYS IMPROVED FUEL STANDARDS WILL HELP REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION, BESIDES ENABLING THE COUNTRY MOVE TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE Khan is keen on addressing the challenges related to climate change and introduction of Euro 5 standard fuels in such a short period of time shows our commitment to cut down air pollution for a clean environment.” He said it was high time the country adopted upgraded fuel standards that could reduce the negative impact on the environment and help the country move towards a sustainable future. “Improvement in fuel quality will ultimately benefit the consumer and will help enable a cleaner environment with reduced pollution.” Also appreciating PSO’s initiative, SAPM Nadeem Babar said, “We owe it

to our future generations to bequeath to them a planet worth living in. We are headed in the right direction and have taken key initiatives to overcome the challenges posed by climate change. Upgrading fuel standards is a major step towards a cleaner, greener Pakistan. PSO must be applauded for moving the country towards a better future.” PSO Board of Management Chairman Zafar I Usmani on the occasion expressed his views through a message, “As Pakistan’s largest energy supplier, PSO is leading the sustainable energy revolution and exploring new ways to serve customers with a greater diversity

SBP increases loan limit for women entrepreneurs KARACHI MEIRYUM ALI

In order to encourage women to participate in the economy, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has enhanced the financing limit under its Refinance and Credit Guarantee Scheme for Women Entrepreneurs from Rs1.5 million to Rs5 million, according to a statement released on Tuesday. According to the SBP, the decision was taken in light of feedback received from various stakeholders about the current financing limits being insufficient to cover the financing needs of women entrepreneurs. In August 2017, State Bank had introduced the Refinance and Credit Guarantee Scheme for Women Entrepreneurs in underserved areas to promote financial inclusion and access to finance for women entrepreneurs in the country.

Subsequently, the scope of the scheme was enhanced to cover the whole of Pakistan. Under this scheme, SBP provides refinance to participating financial institutions at 0pc on their financing to women entrepreneurs at maximum end user rate of 5pc. Moreover, 60pc risk coverage is also available to the participating institutions. “The enhancement in financing limit under SBP scheme is expected to increase financial inclusion of women since more women entrepreneurs are likely to be attracted for setting up of new businesses or for expanding the scope of their existing businesses by availing concessional financing under SBP scheme,” the SBP explained. The SBP said this decision is in line with the government’s policy to support and revive economic activities in the country and SBP’s key objective of improving access to finance for priority segments including women entrepreneurs.

Lack of border facilities hampering Pak-Afghan trade PESHAWAR AZIZ BUNERI

Pakistan is gradually losing its trade share in Afghanistan, mainly because of administrative issues related to commerce, consignment handling facilities and closures of crossing points due to political issues as well as lack of facilities at the borders. According to a report released last month by the International Organization for Trading Economics, Pakistan's export volume with Afghanistan during the first 11 months of the last fiscal year (FY2019-20) declined by 33.40pc to $8.82 billion, as against $10.11 billion during the same period of last year. On the other hand, Pakistan's imports from Afghanistan were recorded at $579.53 million during the period under review, of which the share of fruits and vegetables was $175.25 million and $155.14 million, respectively. Besides, Pakistan had spent $91.14

million on minerals' import, $57.87 million on cotton and $32.78 million on iron and steel products. Talking to this scribe, Wafa Jan, an Afghan trader, said in line with the rest of the world, Pak-Afghan trade was also dented badly by coronavirus outbreak and subsequent lockdowns. Although Pak-Afghan border points have now been opened, trade activities remain very slow, mainly due to the lack of facilities at the crossing points, he added. "Lack of arrangements and regular delays in the clearance of goods have forced the Afghan traders to shift to Iranians ports," he said. "However, if proper facilities are provided and bottlenecks are removed, trade between the two countries could be enhanced up to $5 billion." He urged Pakistani authorities to reduce goods’ clearance time by improving border management. "The biggest problem currently being faced by Afghan importers is that they are not receiving their goods on time, which is why they are being forced to look towards alternative options."

of environment-friendly fuel choices. I can proudly say that PSO is one of the pioneers in steering the country towards a sustainable future. The process of reforming PSO and preparing it for the next 15 years is already underway - this will make PSO a very resilient and profitably sustainable company.” Expressing his views during the ceremony, PSO MD & CEO Syed Muhammad Taha said, “With the launch of Euro 5 standard fuels, we aim to further strengthen the trust that millions of Pakistanis put in us every day. As the new product range brings us at par with international standard fuels, PSO takes pride in becoming the first OMC to lead the country into an era of premium quality, environmentfriendly and high-performance fuels. The Euro 5 standard fuels significantly reduce emissions and contribute towards a healthy environment for our future generations.”

PBA encourages banks to finance housing sector despite ‘unresolved issues’ KARACHI MEIRYUM ALI

Pakistan Banks Association (PBA), a business lobbying group, has given its support for housing and construction finance by banks, according to a statement released on Tuesday. “Given its widespread benefits for the economic development of Pakistan, PBA supports the growth of Housing and Construction Finance and encourages its member banks to view it as a sound business proposition,” the statement read. In its reasoning, the PBA said that it believed the sector was a critical contributor to the overall economy, because of its multiple linkages to other avenues of economic development. However, the PBA noted finance for the housing and construction is very low in Pakistan, and contributes less than 1pc of the country’s GDP; it is also one of the lowest in the region and comparable countries. This is accurate: Pakistan’s outstanding housing finance is only 0.5pc of GDP, which is also known as mortgage depth. Both Bangladesh and India have a higher mortgage depth, at 3pc and 10pc respectively. The PBA welcomed steps taken by the government and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to grow the housing and finance sector. These steps include low interest rates, more effective foreclosure laws and construction being accorded an ‘Industry’ status. “While there are still a few unresolved issues which are being actively worked upon, PBA believes it is a good time for its member banks to see this as a growth area for future lending on a secured basis, with reasonable spreads.” When asked to comment on what those “few unresolved issues” are, PBA declined to comment, saying that it regards internal sectoral matters still under discussion.

MARKET DAILY

KSE-100 ends flat as profit-taking caps early gains KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) succumbed to selling pressure on Tuesday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index losing all gains accumulated in early trade to close the session flat. Global equity markets, on the other hand, remained positive, whereas crude oil prices slipped lower from the previous close; WTI crude price fell 0.37pc to $42.73 while Brent crude oil price dipped 0.22pc to $45.27. "The stock market remained in the green most the most part of the session, mainly on the back of a strong rally witnessed in cement and exploration & production sectors," said a report issued

by AHL Ltd. "Banks and fertiliser sectors, the latter particularly struggling to hold ground since GIDC repayment news, contributed to selling pressure later in the day." MARKET SUMMARYL: The benchmark KSE-100 Index started the positive note, touching its intraday high at 40,434.60 after gaining 312.10 points. It, however, failed to sustain its flight and sunk back its morning position, marking its intraday low at 40,113.29 (-10 points). The index finally settled higher by 61.51 points at 40,184.01. Among other indices, the KMI-30 index gathered 332.69 points to end at 64,886.88, while the KSE All Share Index added 33.70 points, closing at 28,232.90. The overall market volumes con-

CMYK

tracted from 522.61 million shares in the previous session to 458.80 million shares (-12pc). Average traded value also declined by 8pc, from $133.7 million to $123.2 million. Pakistan International Bulk Terminal Limited (PIBTL +3.73pc), Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL +2.51pc) and DG Khan Cement Company Ltd (DGKC +5.87pc) led the volume chart, exchanging 35.58 million, 27.57 million and 26.78 million shares, respectively. Sectors which helped the benchmark index close in green included cement (119.95 points), oil & gas exploration (21.33 points) and pharmaceutical (11.86 points). Among the companies, Lucky Cement Ltd (LUCK 32.85 points), DG Khan Cement Com-

pany (DGKC 30.63 points) and Cherat Cement Company (CHCC 23.44 pts) remained the top contributors to the index. Adding 2.84pc to its cumulative market capitalisation, the cement sector ended the session as its top gainer, with Bestway Cement Ltd (BWCL 3.90pc), Maple Leaf Cement Factory (MLCF 2.94pc) and Fauji Cement (FCCL 2.59pc) posting decent gains. Meanwhile, Meezan Bank Limited (MEBL -1.29pc) declared its financial performance for the second quarter of FY20. The bank's total income appreciated by 35pc YoY, while its earnings per share improved from Rs3.27 last year to Rs4.80. MEBL's cumulative EPS for half-year was recorded at Rs9.08, as compared to Rs5.44 last year.

Wednesday, 19 August, 2020

10 fOreign neWs Afghan presidential compound hit in rocket attack on capital KABUL APP

Six members of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's honour guard were wounded Tuesday when a rocket struck his palace compound, two officials told AFP. The rocket was one of a salvo launched into central Kabul just as officials were gathering in the capital to commemorate Afghanistan's 101st independence day. Ghani had finished speaking outside the famous Arg Palace to mark the event when a rocket landed in the sprawling compound and wounded six members of his honour guard, palace officials told AFP on condition of anonymity. The president had already wrapped up his ceremonial duties and was not affected. The interior ministry did not immediately comment on the incident, but spokesman Tareq Arian earlier said 14 rockets were fired out of two vehicles in the capital, mostly hitting civilian homes. "Unfortunately, 10 civilians including four children and one woman have been wounded," Arian said. Two suspects were arrested, he added. The Arg Palace is located in a highly fortified area of the capital that also houses several embassies, and "incoming fire" alarms could be heard blaring from the US embassy.

India's home minister back in hospital after recovering from Covid-19 MUMBAI/NEW DELHI AGENCIES

India’s interior minister Amit Shah was hospitalised again on Tuesday after complaining of fatigue and body ache, four days after he said he had recovered from Covid-19, as cases in the country surged to more than 2.7 million. Shah, a close aide of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the virtual number-two in his cabinet, was admitted to the government-run All India Institute for Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the capital New Delhi, the hospital said in a statement. “He is comfortable and continuing his work from the hospital,” it said, adding he had now tested negative for Covid-19. Shah is the highest-profile Indian politician to have been infected with the coronavirus. On Monday, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, the head of pharmaceutical company Biocon Ltd that makes Covid-19 medicines, said she too had tested positive. India has reported the world’s third-largest number of infections after the United States and Brazil, with cases topping 50,000 every day since July 30. India’s cases jumped by 55,079 on Tuesday, while deaths rose by 876 to a total of 51,797. Cases have largely stabilised in Mumbai and Delhi, but there has been a steady rise in smaller cities such as Pune and Bengaluru. Authorities in the education and autos hub of Pune, to the south of Mumbai and home to 3.5 million people, said late on Monday that 51.5 percent of the people surveyed in five of its worst-affected areas had shown the presence of antibodies, indicating that the spread of the virus was higher than reported. “This is the only reliable information about the magnitude of [the] infection in the country,” said T. Jacob John, a retired professor of clinical virology at Christian Medical College in Tamil Nadu state.

Post-blAst lebAnon sAys hosPItAls neArly At CovId-19 CAPACIty BEIRUT

AGENCIES

OSPITALS in Lebanon are reaching maximum capacity to treat coronavirus patients, the health minister said after a deadly blast earlier this month overwhelmed clinics and triggered a spike in virus cases. "Public and private hospitals in the capital in particular have a very limited capacity, whether in terms of beds in intensive care units or respirators," the minister, Hamad Hassan, told a press conference. "We are on the brink, we don't have the luxury to take our time," he warned, urging authorities to take the "hard decision" to impose a new two-week lockdown to stem the spread of the virus. Lebanon has seen a spike in coronavirus-related cases and deaths in recent weeks, and they have hit new records in the aftermath of the massive explosion

that ripped through large parts of Beirut on August 4. The disaster killed 177 people and wounded more than 6,500, many hit by falling debris and flying glass as windows shattered. That sparked pandemonium in the capital's already pandemic-stricken hospitals. Lebanon reported a one-day record of 456 new infections on Monday, bringing the total number of infections to 9,337, including 105 deaths since the start of the outbreak in February. A previously planned lockdown was scrapped in the wake of the explosion, which flattened neighbourhoods near the port and left thousands homeless. "In the capital, the intensive care units and the departments set up for the coronavirus in public hospitals are full," the minister told Voice of Lebanon radio. "In most private hospitals that receive coronavirus patients, intensive care unit beds are (already) occupied" by

Covid-19 patients, he added. 'OUT OF SERVICE': The minister said the situation was exacerbated after several Beirut hospitals were hit by the colossal port explosion and left "out of service". The World Health Organisation on August 12 said more than half of 55 healthcare facilities evaluated by the agency were "non-functional", three major hospitals were out of operation and another three were running at well below normal capacity. The minister said chaos in Beirut after the blast, Lebanon's worst peacetime disaster, made it difficult to enforce compliance with pandemic precautionary and preventive measures. "Our ability to control behaviour in the face of the virus is more limited," the minister said. He cited "families going to hospitals to look for the wounded or missing," but also the mobilisation of healthcare workers and citizens to seek or provide aid

Former CIA officer arrested and charged with spying for China

Israel warns Hamas of war as Egypt seeks to ease tensions TEL AVIV APP

Israel warned Hamas Tuesday it was risking "war" by failing to stop incendiary balloon attacks from Gaza, as fuel shortages in the Palestinian enclave caused by Israel's blockade caused widespread blackouts. Israel's army earlier on Tuesday said its fighter jets had hit underground Hamas infrastructure, and linked the strikes to "explosive and arson balloons launched" from Gaza. The strikes came as visiting Egyptian security officials strove to defuse more than a week of heightened unrest that has included rocket and incendiary device attacks from Gaza and daily Israeli reprisals. Israel's President Reuven Rivlin issued a warning to Hamas during a visit to communities near the Gaza border hit by the unrest. "Terrorism using incendiary kites and balloons is terrorism just like any other," Rivlin said in a statement. "Hamas should know that this is not a game. The time will come when they have to decide... if they want war they will get war," said Rivlin, who holds a largely ceremonial post in the Jewish state. Israeli defence minister and alternate prime minister Benny Gantz said "Hamas is playing with fire," and vowed to "make certain the fire is turned back on them." No casualties were reported in the latest Israeli airstrikes. Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since 2008. Despite a truce last year backed by Egypt, the UN and Qatar, Hamas and Israel clash sporadically, with Palestinian incendiary balloons or rocket or mortar fire drawing retaliatory Israeli strikes and civil sanctions. A Hamas source told AFP talks were held with the

after the blast. The explosion was caused by a fire in a warehouse where, according to authorities, a huge amount of ammonium nitrate had been stored for years. A judge leading investigations into the blast issued a preliminary arrest warrant Monday against customs directorgeneral Badri Daher, a judicial source told AFP. Since the explosion, thousands of volunteers have helped clean up rubblestrewn streets and distribute aid, while protesters have taken to the streets against a government widely blamed for the negligence that led to the disaster. Health officials have warned that the chaos following the blast risked creating a further spike in infections. The head of a major public hospital, Firass Abiad, has cautioned that, as attention has shifted away from the pandemic after the explosion disaster, "we cannot afford to allow the virus to go unchecked".

WASHINGTON AGENCIES

Egyptian delegation in Gaza on Monday before it left the territory for meetings with the Israelis and the West Bankbased Palestinian Authority. The delegation was expected to return to Gaza after those talks were concluded, the source added. COMPLETE SHUTDOWN: In response to persistent balloon attacks, Israel has banned fishing off Gaza's coast and closed the Kerem Shalom goods crossing, cutting off deliveries of fuel to the territory's sole power plant. The plant's spokesman Mohammed Thabet announced its "complete shutdown" on Tuesday after its fuel ran out. Power had been in short supply even before the shutdown, with consumers having access to mains electricity for only around eight hours a day. That will now be cut to just four hours a day using power supplied from the Israeli grid. For the rest of the time, those Gazans who can afford it rely on solar panels, or generators, which also need fuel. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said the electricity crisis was a "crime against humanity," for which Israel must answer. "We will work with all our force to break the siege," he said. Gaza security sources and witnesses said Tuesday's strikes hit Hamas lookout posts at Rafah in the south of the territory and Beit Lahia in the north. Israeli police said Tuesday that a balloon came down in the yard of a home in the town of Sderot, which is within walking distance of the Gaza border and a frequent target for attack. It caused some damage but no casualties, a police statement said.

A former Central Intelligence Agency officer was arrested and charged with spying for China in a scheme that involved a relative who had also worked for the CIA, the US Justice Department said on Monday. It said in a statement that Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, 67, was arrested on Friday on a charge that he conspired with a relative, also a former CIA officer, to communicate classified information to Chinese intelligence officials. The criminal complaint was unsealed on Monday. A naturalized American, Ma started working for the CIA in 1982, with Top Secret security clearance. Prosecutors said Ma left the CIA in 1989 and lived and worked in Shanghai, China, before arriving in Hawaii in 2001. Prosecutors said the unnamed relative with whom Ma conspired also worked as a CIA spy but resigned from the agency in 1983 following allegations they used their official position to help Chinese citizens enter the United States. Prosecutors said around 1998, Ma’s relative was convicted of making false statements to a lending institution but said the relative, now 85, was not being charged in the current case due to an “advanced and debilitating cognitive disease.” Prosecutors say Ma’s spying began in March 2001, during which the two former CIA officers provided information to China about the agency’s personnel, operations and methods of concealing communications. Prosecutors said some of a meeting was recorded on a videotape in which Ma can be seen counting $50,000 in cash he received for secrets.

Michelle Obama presses fight for Biden with scathing attack on Trump WASHINGTON AGENCIES

Former first lady Michelle Obama launched a blistering attack on President Donald Trump on Monday and urged Americans to elect Democrat Joe Biden in November to end the chaos she said had been created during the four years of Trump’s presidency. In an impassioned speech capping the first night of the Democratic National Convention, Obama said the Republican Trump “has had enough time to prove that he can do the job” but had failed to meet the moment in a country reeling from the coronavirus pandemic, economic turmoil and racial injustice. “Whenever we look to this White House for some leadership or consolation or any semblance of steadiness, what we get instead is chaos, division, and a total and utter lack of empathy,” she said, calling him “the wrong president” for the United States. “He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is,” Obama said. “If you think things cannot possibly get worse, trust me, they can; and they will if we don’t make a change in this election. If we have any hope of ending this chaos, we have got to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it.” Obama, whose husband, Barack Obama, was in the White House when Biden was vice president from 20092017, capped a long parade of speakers, including some of Trump’s fellow Republicans, who gathered online to make the case for Biden at the start of his four-day nominating convention. The harsh takedown by Michelle Obama, regularly

cited in polls as one of the most popular figures in the Democratic Party, could generate the sort of voter enthusiasm some Democrats thought a virtual convention might lack. The convention opened amid widespread worries about the safety of voting in November because of the pandemic. Democrats have pushed voting by mail as a safe alternative, but Trump without evidence has proclaimed it is prone to fraud and blocked emergency aid for the US Postal Service to limit mail-in voting. Obama referred to these concerns, saying those who could not win a fair election were trying to stop people from voting by closing polling places in minority neighborhoods, purging voter rolls and lying about the security of mail-in ballots. “We have to vote for Joe Biden in numbers that cannot be ignored,” she said. “We have got to grab our comfortable shoes, put on our masks, pack a brown bag dinner and maybe breakfast too because we’ve got to be willing to stand in line all night if we have to.” Showcasing the broad spectrum of supporters united against defeating Trump, former Democratic presidential candidate and progressive Senator Bernie Sanders and prominent Republican John Kasich joined in with Obama. “Joe Biden will end the hate and division Trump has created. He will stop the demonization of immigrants, the coddling of white nationalists, the racist dogwhistling, the religious bigotry and the ugly attacks on women,” Sanders said. The pandemic forced Democrats to overhaul the convention, largely eliminating the in-person gathering planned for Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and turning it into

two-hour, prime-time packages of virtual speeches and events from around the country. It featured discussions with voters who described their struggles confronting the virus and coping with the slumping economy and healthcare. Kristin Urquiza, who lost her father to Covid-19, blamed Trump’s mismanagement of the pandemic for his death. “My dad was a healthy 65-year-old. His only pre-existing condition was trusting Donald Trump, and for that, he paid with his life,” she said. “When I cast my vote for Joe Biden, I will do it for my Dad.” In a break with tradition by which candidates limit their activities during their opponents’ conventions, Trump campaigned cross-country. He posted more than two dozen tweets and retweets after the convention program, primarily targeting New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a critic of Trump’s handling of the coronavirus. Trump steered clear of mentioning the popular former first lady. MOMENT OF SILENCE: The convention also highlighted a call for a broad reckoning over systemic racism and police brutality amid protests that broke out after the death of African American George Floyd in Minnesota under the knee of a white policeman. Speaking from Houston, Floyd’s brother Philonise Floyd introduced a moment of silence and honored other Black victims of police violence. “So, it’s up to us to carry on the fight for justice. Our actions will be their legacies,” Floyd said. Jim Clyburn, the influential US representative from South Carolina whose endorsement of Biden was critical to his breakthrough primary victory in that state in Feb-

ruary, said Biden understood the need to unify people was part of presidential leadership. Kasich, a former Ohio governor and frequent Trump critic who lost to Trump in the 2016 Republican primary, described his opposition to Trump as a patriotic duty and said the country was at a crossroads. Standing literally at a fork in a road, he called Biden “a man who can help us see the humanity in each other.” Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said Kasich “was a loser as a Republican and he’ll be a loser as a Democrat.” Other Republicans on the speakers list included former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman and former Hewlett Packard Enterprise Chief Executive Meg Whitman. “Donald Trump has no clue how to run a business, let alone an economy,” Meg Whitman said. The inclusion of Republican speakers angered some Democrats who voiced concern it would take time away from progressive speakers like Sanders of Vermont and US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. But Cedric Richmond, a Louisiana congressman and Biden campaign co-chair, pushed back against that idea, telling reporters earlier in the day, “Remember tonight’s theme is ‘We the People,’ not ‘We the Democrats.’” Biden, 77, leads Trump, 74, in national opinion polls heading into back-to-back convention weeks for the two political parties. Trump will be formally nominated for a second term at next week’s Republican National Convention, which also has been scaled back due to coronavirus concerns.

Wednesday, 19 August, 2020

SPORTS 11

'TeRRIBle ATMoSPheRe' To PlAy BIlATeRAl CRICkeT SeRIeS wITh InDIA: IMRAn ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

RIME MINISTER Imran Khan has said it would be a "terrible atmosphere" to play a bilateral cricket series with India given the current tense relations between the two countries. Speaking on a Sky Sports documentary, the 1992 World Cup-winning captain, said it will not be conducive to play bilateral cricket at present. "I just think playing cricket in this atmosphere with India with the sort of government they have in power, I would say it would be a terrible atmosphere to play bilateral cricket in," he said. India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral

ICC Test Rankings: Babar Azam back at career-best spot SPORTS DESK Batsman Babar Azam has moved to the 5th spot in ICC Test Rankings updated on Teusday, after England's 2nd Test against Pakistan in Southampton. Babar, who scored a fifty in Manchester and fighting 47 in the drawn Test at the Ageas Bowl has moved up a spot. Babar Azam, who is back at his career-best spot, is the only batsman to be in the top 5 of ICC Rankings across all 3 formats. Babar is No. 1 in T20I rankings and No. 3 in ODI rankings behind Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Meanwhile, India's Jasprit Bumrah, who has not played a Test since India's tour of New Zealand, has dropped a spot to 9th in ICC Test Bowler Rankings. Formerly top-ranked fast bowlers Stuart Broad and James Anderson of England have advanced the Bowler Rankings. Broad has moved up one slot to the second position in the bowlers' list after a haul of 4/56 while Anderson has moved up two slots to 14th with figures of 3/60, as the pair helped dismiss Pakistan for 236 in their only innings of the match. Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Abbas took 2/28 in England's score of 110/4 declared, gaining two places to reach eighth position, but is still away from his career-best ranking of third in October 2018. In the batsmen's list, Babar's compatriots Abid Ali (up to 49th) and Mohammad Rizwan (up to 75th) have also attained career-best rankings after knocking up half-centuries. For England, Zak Crawley has moved to a career-best 81st place after a score of 53, even as all-rounder Ben Stokes and captain Joe Root have retained their seventh and ninth positions, respectively.

Doncic’s debut good enough for history, but not for a win Nobody had ever scored as much as Luka Doncic in an NBA playoff debut. His evaluation of his historic performance? “Terrible,” he said. Doncic is out for wins, not stats, and the Dallas Mavericks weren’t good enough to get one in the opener of their series against the Los Angeles Clippers. They climbed back from a dismal start caused in part by Doncic’s carelessness, but ended up losing 118-110 on Monday night. So while his 42 points were the number that drew the most attention, Doncic was focused on another number in the box score. “I should never have 11 turnovers,” he said. “That’s 11 more possessions I can have. The thing about this game is I’ve got to be way better than that for sure.” Three of the turnovers came in the opening minutes, when the Clippers raced to a 10-0 lead. They seemed intent on banging the 21-year-old guard around whenever they could and it appeared early that Doncic might not be able to handle it. But he kept picking himself up and in the end almost knocked the No. 2-seeded Clippers off. “He’s a fighter. He’s always going to battle. He will never get discouraged,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “I thought his performance was spectacular when you factor in everything and how often he’s getting hit fouled, held and everything else.” It was one of the turnovers that led to the pivotal play in the game. Doncic was whistled for a palming violation with Dallas holding a five-point lead early in the third quarter, having played well after its rocky start. AGENCIES

Test series since 2008 after the Mumbai terror attacks though Pakistan did undertake a short tour to India in the winter of 2012 to play white-ball cricket. Imran recalled that he had played two series in India in 1979 and in 1987 and the atmosphere had been good for cricket between the two countries then. "They were big crowds and the governments were also trying to remove barriers and come close and it meant the atmosphere on the field was great with the crowds appreciating both teams for good cricket in 1979," Imran said. "But in 1987, when I captained Pakistan to India the atmosphere was not very good and there was a lot of hostility from the crowds as well because there were tensions between the two governments."

Michael Vaughan wants Pakistan to play Shadab in third Test

England captain Root says he 'would love' to tour Pakistan AGENCIES England captain Joe Root has said he “would love” to play in Pakistan but is unsure when the space could be found in a crowded schedule ahead of a planned tour in 2022. England have not played in Pakistan since 2005-2006. An attack by armed militants on Sri Lanka's team bus in Lahore in 2009 ended major cricket tours for a decade, with Pakistan playing the majority of their subsequent 'home' matches in the United Arab Emirates. But Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, West Indies and Bangladesh have all since made the trip to Pakistan. Pakistan are 1-0 down in a threeTest series in England after a weatheraffected drawn second Test at Southampton on Monday followed a three-wicket loss at Old Trafford earlier this month. “I'd love to go and visit Pakistan,” Root told reporters after stumps at the Ageas Bowl in an echo of recent comments made by England coach Chris Silverwood. “It would be a great opportunity to go and play there personally. Unfortunately, it's not my decision to make but it looks a wonderful country to go and play cricket in. “The wickets look nice and flat, which will be a nice change to what we have just played on here,” the top-order batsman added. 'EMOTION': Test cricket returned to Pakistan in December, when Sri Lanka were the visitors.

“You see could see the emotion of everyone back in Pakistan when Test cricket was there at the back end of last year,” said Root. “Also, speaking to a few of the players, how much it meant to them as well and they really appreciated being able to play back in Pakistan too.” Earlier this month, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief executive Wasim Khan, voiced the hope that England could tour before 2022. “We'd love to have them coming over well before then for a shorter tour,” said Khan, a Birmingham-born former batsman in English county cricket. “It's something that we'll speak to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) about.” But Root was wary about how ad-

Imran said when India made a tour of Pakistan in 2005, his team lost and the crowd cheered the visiting side. The prime minister also made it clear that the Indo-Pakistan series was a bigger cricket contest than even the Ashes. "I think obviously the Ashes series has its importance but nothing can match an Indo-Pakistan bilateral series because it is played in a different league and the atmosphere is filled with tension, pressure and enjoyment." He noted that in an Indo-Pakistan series performers became heroes and those who did not do well came under pressure. Imran also considers Test matches as the best form of cricket but said he was fascinated by the variety of strokes in T20 cricket.

ditional fixtures could be added to an international programme still struggling with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.“We've such a busy schedule already with backlogging due to Covid, it will be interesting to see how that would work,” he said. The current campaign, which sees the third Test, also at Southampton, start on Friday, follows last month's England-West Indies series that marked international cricket's return from lockdown.Both the West Indies and Pakistan have been praised for travelling to Britain, which has been hit hard by the Covid-19 outbreak, and helping spare the ECB an estimated 280 million ($366 million) loss if their scheduled matches were wiped out by the health crisis.

ISLAMABAD: Former English cricketer Michael Vaughan believed that Pakistani allrounder Shadab Khan should be played in place of batsman Fawad Alam in the third Test against England. He said, green-shirts would have an extra spin option for the game to be played at the ageas Bowl in Southampton from Friday (August 21). “Pakistan team has surprised me this week by getting that score in the first innings. Realistically they should have been bowled out for 150 or 170. Rizwan played beautifully, reading the conditions nicely. Babar Azam is in a decent run of form and Abid Ali got a nice 60 at the top of the order," Vaughan said in a Cricbuzz interview as quoted by cricketpakistan.com.pk. "I would just make one change and bring Shadab in for Fawad, just because we saw some spin in the last match. Also, I think they will use the same pitch, as the last Test match, because of lack of time to prepare a new one due to bad weather. So, you would want that extra spinning option and a player who has shown that he can bat in these English conditions,” he said. Vaughan said Pakistani pacer Mohammad Abbas was a major threat because of his phenomenal record in English conditions. “He loves bowling with the Dukes ball. You can look to his record when he played for Leicestershire in the county championship. He has a phenomenal record. England were trying to play him by walking out and getting the pads outside off stump. They were trying to take out the LBW and bowled options with that. He still had the outside edge to aim for. He is a wonderful bowler. You can tell when an opposition team has meetings on how to play him, you know he is a real threat,” he said. APP

Upstarts Leipzig stand in way of PSG’s maiden Champions League final SPORTS DESK Paris Saint-Germain resume their laborious quest for Champions League glory on Tuesday when they take on knockout stage debutants RB Leipzig in a battle of the unloved nouveaux riches. Big-spending PSG will be hoping to put to rest their reputation as the ultimate Champions League chokers — a tag cemented by their humiliating collapses against Barcelona in 2017 and Manchester United last year. Having flattered to deceive year after year, the Parisians survived an almighty scare in their quarter-final against Atalanta, scoring two late goals to snatch a 2-1 win over the unheralded Italians. Their next opponents are equally untested. Founded in 2009, Red Bull-owned Leipzig have risen from German regional leagues to Europe's elite in just 11 years. Like PSG, they have become highly unpopular at home because of their rapid rise financed by Red Bull, prompting rivals fans to often protest at games. However, the East Germans have invested wisely in promising young talent instead of splashing billions on superstars like their Qatar-owned opponents. 'WE ARE HUNGRY': Leipzig have proved they are no pushovers on only their second Champions League appearance. The German outfit unceremoniously dumped out the 2019 runners-up Tottenham Hotspur in the round of 16 with a 4-0 aggregate win. They went on to defeat three-time finalists Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals, despite having lost their top

scorer Timo Werner, who left for Chelsea. Perhaps most impressively, Leipzig are the only German club this season to have to have kept a clean sheet against mighty Bayern Munich, who put a whopping eight goals past Barcelona on Friday and face Lyon in the other semi-final. RB Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann is counting on his rock-solid defence to subdue PSG's counter-attacking game, inspired by Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, and pull off another upset on Tuesday. "We have to avoid losing the ball, because PSG are very strong on the counter-attack, but we'll try to take the game by the scruff of the neck," said the 33-year-old German coach, the youngest to reach this stage of the tournament. "We are a team that can take our chances against the top teams in Europe. We saw that against Atletico," Nagelsmann told reporters. "The players really have the will to win, we are hungry and I can see that in their faces.” BATTLE OF GERMAN COACHES: Nagelsmann will try to outfox opposite number Thomas Tuchel for a place in Sunday's final, 12 years after the pair worked together in Augsburg's reserves. When a persistent knee injury forced Nagelsmann to retire barely out of his teens, Tuchel offered the chance to scout for him. More than a decade later, Tuchel is keenly aware of his protege's qualities as a coach. "We know Leipzig change their tactics from game to game and can also adapt mid-match," said Tuchel. "It's going to be a tough game to prepare for. We just need to focus on ourselves, our tactics, structure and qualities, and look to impose our game."

CMYK

PSG’s German coach has been buoyed by the return to fitness of his talismanic striker Mbappé, who suffered an ankle injury last month. The World Cup-winning Frenchman came off the bench for the last half hour against Atalanta last week to set up the winning goal. His introduction shifted the momentum against the Italians, injecting speed and invention into Parisians’ left side. Argentinian midfielder Angel Di Maria will also return to the fold after his one-match suspension, further boosting PSG’s hopes as they seek to finally break their duck in Europe’s top competition. “We don’t talk about history, we live at the moment,” Tuchel said ahead of the game. “If it’s a historic moment, it's because we worked very hard for many, many months. We are hungry for success and we are here to win and to make all that hard work pay off.”

Wednesday, 19 August, 2020

PRAyER TImINGS

NEWS

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

4:03

12:11

4:55

5:33

6:49

8:19

Gen Bajwa, saudI deputy defence mInIster dIscuss securIty tIes RIYADH/ISLAMABAD

STAFF REPORT

HIEF of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Tuesday called on Saudi Deputy Minister of Defence Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz in Riyadh and discussed military and defense ties. Bajwa’s visit was “primarily military-affairs oriented,” Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had said last week. “We discussed bilateral relations, mili-

tary cooperation, and our common vision for preserving regional security,” the Saudi deputy defense minister wrote in a tweet about his meeting with Bajwa. The Saudi SPA news agency said military and defense ties and ways to strengthen joint cooperation for better security and stability in the region were discussed. Bajwa arrived in Riyadh on Monday, accompanied by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, and met Saudi army chief Gen Fayyad bin Hamid Al-Ruwaili in Riyadh.

“Military to military ties including training exchanges were focus of the meetings,” Pakistan military media wing ISPR said. Gen Bajwa is visiting Saudi Arabia at a time when statements by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi over the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) being lukewarm on the Kashmir dispute created controversy. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are long-time allies, with the Kingdom being one of Pakistan’s main sources of foreign remittances. In 2018, the Kingdom gave Pakistan a

$3 billion loan and a $3.2 billion oil credit facility to help stave off its balance of payments crisis. On Saturday, Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Malki said the Kingdom had always stood by Pakistan and

Trump's Mideast adviser urges Saudi to normalise ties with Israel WASHINGTON AGENCIES

US President Donald Trump’s son-inlaw and White House advisor Jared Kushner said Monday it would be in Saudi Arabia’s interest to normalize ties with Israel as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has agreed to do. It would also weaken their common foe Iran’s influence in the region and ultimately help the Palestinians, Kushner told reporters during a telephone briefing. “It would be very good for Saudi business, it would very good for Saudi’s defense, and, quite frankly, I think it would also help the Palestinian people,” Kushner said. Saudi Arabia, the Arab world’s biggest economy, has been silent on Trump’s surprise announcement last Thursday that the UAE, a close US and Saudi ally, and Israel had decided to normalize relations. In return, Israel reportedly agreed to delay the annexation of occupied West Bank territories, although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the plan was “not off the table” in the long run. Saudi King Salman and his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, had repeatedly expressed their desire for an independent Palestinian state with economic opportunities, Kushner said. “What they basically said is that

they […] want to see the Palestinian people have a state and economic opportunities,” said Kushner, the architect of Trump’s Middle East peace plan, which was wholly rejected by the Palestinians. The landmark UAE-Israel deal is only the third such accord the Jewish state has struck with an Arab country and raises the prospect of similar deals

with other pro-Western Gulf states. Trump said leaders from the two countries would sign the agreement at the White House in the coming weeks. COMMON ENEMY IRAN: Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) Bahrain and Oman have welcomed the deal, while Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar have yet to comment. Home to Islam’s holiest sites,

Israel's mOssad cHIef vIsIts uae fOr securIty talks: state medIa Israel’s Mossad spy agency chief Yossi Cohen visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for security talks, Emirati state media reported on Tuesday, days after the two countries agreed to establish diplomatic ties. Cohen discussed “cooperation in the fields of security” and regional developments with the UAE’s national security adviser, Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi, reported the official WAM news agency. The United States, IIsrael and UAE, along with some other Gulf states, have a common foe in IIran. Cohen’s trip marked the first visit to the UAE by an IIsraeli official after the announcement last week by US President Donald Trump that the two countries had agreed to normalise relations. As part of the deal, the Jewish state agreed to suspend the annexation of occupied West Bank territories, although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the plan was not off the table in the long run. The IIsrael-UAE deal is only the third such accord IIsrael has struck with an Arab country and raises the prospect of similar deals with other pro-Western Gulf states. Trump said leaders from the two countries would sign the agreement at the White House in the coming weeks. Speaking to reporters later, Trump suggested that more diplomatic breakthroughs between IIsrael and its Muslim neighbours in the region were expected. “Things are happening that I can’t talk about,” he said. AGENCIES

Saudi Arabia would face sensitive political calculations before a formal recognition of the Jewish state. “It is in the interest of a lot of these countries from a security point of view and from an economic point of view to have relations with Israel,” Kushner said. “A lot of GCC countries want to have breakthroughs. “The more that countries come together like Israel and the UAE… the harder it will be for Iran to divide and conquer.” Saudi Arabia and Israel have a common enemy in Iran, which most Gulf countries have accused of supporting militant groups in the region. “If you think about the people who don’t want Saudi Arabia and Israel to make a peace agreement, the number one opponent for that is going to be Iran,” said Kushner. “That shows that is probably the right thing to do.” Last week, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the UAE’s decision to normalize ties with the Jewish state was a “big mistake” and warned “against opening the path of Israel to the region”. On Monday, Vice Admiral Jim Malloy, commander of US Naval Forces in the Middle East, said he did not believe the recent UAE-Israel deal “heightens tension”. “I think it is a tense region where partners need to operate closely together,” Malloy said in a telephone briefing.

would “never abandon it in its time of need.” “We have not left Pakistan before, and we will never leave it in difficult circumstances in the future as well,” he said during a meeting with Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar in Lahore.

Oman, Israel dIscuss 'recent develOpments' after uae deal Oman’s foreign minister spoke to his Israeli counterpart on Monday, Muscat said, the first contact since Israel normalised ties with the United Arab Emirates last week. Yusuf bin Alawi subsequently spoke with a top Palestinian official, Oman added. The Israel-UAE deal, announced by United States President Donald Trump on Thursday, is only the third such accord Israel has struck with an Arab country, and raises the prospect of similar deals with other pro-Western Gulf states. Bin Alawi and Israel’s Gabi Ashkenazi spoke via telephone about “recent developments in the region”, Oman’s foreign ministry said on Twitter. Bin Alawi told Ashkenazi that Oman “clearly reaffirms its position calling for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace” in the Middle East. Bin Alawi also called for a “resumption of the peace process in order to satisfy the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people who aspire to an independent state”. While Oman and Israel do not have formal diplomatic relations, there have been several contacts between the two states, including in 2018, when the late sultan Qaboos received Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Muscat. Also on Monday, bin Alawi spoke with senior Fatah official Jibril Rajub, who expressed his “appreciation of the role of the sultanate and its balanced and wise policy towards Arab issues and, foremost, the Palestinian question”, according to Oman’s foreign ministry. The Palestinian Authority has voiced its “strong rejection and condemnation” of the Israeli-Emirati deal. Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) Bahrain and Oman have welcomed the deal, while Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar have yet to comment. Saudi Arabia would face sensitive political calculations before a formal recognition of Israel. AGENCIES

mushahid Hussain condemns fBr’s treatment of palestinian envoy

Senate body approves FATF-related amendments in companies and LLP laws ISLAMABAD SHAHZAD PARACHA

The Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue has approved the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)-related two bills — the Limited Liability Partnership (Amendment) Bill, 2020, and the Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2020, with three alterations during its meeting on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Senator Farooq H Naik. It was agreed that committee members, Senator Musadiq Malik, Senator Imam-ud-Din and Senator Sherry Rehman will present their proposed amendments in Senate on Wednesday when the bill will be tabled in the upper house. The proposed amendments will be related to information of Ultimate Beneficial Ownership. Committee Chairman Farooq Naik said that the FATF related amendments are the need of the hour and in favor of country but the government should maintain the standards of justice in the proposed laws. Earlier, Financial Monitoring Unit Director General Khawaja Adnan Zaheer and Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) Chairman Aamir Khan briefed the subcommittee of Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue on the same amendments, which were later discussed in the Senate committee. The SECP has proposed amendments in the Companies Act, 2017, and Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2017, to address gaps identified by Asia Pacific Group on money laundering against FATF recommendation No 24, relating to transparency of legal persons. The proposed amendments in both Acts have been vetted by the Ministry of Law and Justice and

proposed changes have been incorporated. The new proposed provision will be called 60 Aprohibition on the issuance of bearer shares or bearer share warrants etc. (1) The provisions relating to the prohibition on the issuance of bearer shares, bearer share warrants and similar equity or debt securities of bearer nature, as well as the manner of registration and cancellation in case any such bearer securities have been issued, are being introduced in order to prevent the misuse of companies from money laundering or terrorist financing abuses in line with the recommendations issued by the FATF. It is further proposed to insert that. (2) All existing bearer sales or bearer share warrants, if any, shall be registered or cancelled, in such manner and period, as may be specified. (3) No civil proceedings shall be instituted or maintainable in any court in respect of bearer share, share warrant or any other equity or debt security or a bearer nature, by whatever name called, allotted, issued, sold, transferred, assigned or disposed of any by a company. (4) In case of any violation of the provisions of this section, the company and every director and officer of the company shall be liable to a fine which may extend to one million rupees. The SECP chairman told the committee that these amendments are being introduced in order to prevent the misuse of companies from money laundering or terrorist financing abuses in line with the recommendations issued by the FATF. Recommendation 24 of FATF related to (transparency and beneficial ownership of legal persons) is the relevant standard for the

purpose. The proposed section 60 A is meant to comply with this recommendation. Pakistan's Mutual Evaluation report issued in October 2019 by the Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering also highlighted certain deficiencies in the regulatory framework relating to the misuse of bearer shares and bearer share warrants, etc. Further, in the Companies Act, after section 123, the following section 123A shall be inserted, namely:- 123A. Information and Maintenance of Record of Ultimate Beneficial Owner:-(1) A company shall maintain information of its ultimate beneficial owners in such form and manner, within such period, and obtain such declaration from its members as may be specified. Any person who fails to comply with any provision of this section shall be liable to a fine that may extend to Rs 1 million and the company shall also withhold payment of dividend till complete information of documents as specified are provided to the company. Amendments of Section 413, in the said Act, in section 413 (a) in sub-section (2) for the phrases "three years", the phrase "such period as may be specified" shall be omitted; (b) for sub-section (3), the following shall be substituted, namely:- the Commission may by regulations, prevent the destruction of the books and papers of a company which has been wound up. Similarly, in the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2017, which shall be called the Limited Liability Partnership (Amendment) Act, 2020, SECP has proposed similar amendment related to maintenance of Ultimate Beneficial Ownership information by LLPs.

ISLAMABAD: Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed on Tuesday lashed out on the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for violating international laws and diplomatic norms. He said that FBR directly sent a notice to a friendly, foreign ambassador of the State of Palestine, summoned him and, detained two of his vehicles. He further added that these acts are directly against the Vienna Convention and the international law. He lauded the efforts of minister Ali Muhammad Khan on the recognition of Palestine but said that FBR’s act is clear mistreatment of the envoy. He said that a lot of political leaders including Quaid-eAzam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Shareef have taken a stand for Palestine in the past, and FBR’s actions go directly against what those past leaders stood for. He asked the government why the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not take an action against the FBR. “Is this the incompetence of the concerned authorities or simply bad faith?” he asked. He further said that the FBR apologised earlier but this was not acceptable, especially at this moment when Israel is being recognised as a nation internationally. Meanwhile, the senator also appreciated that Pakistan government rejected the recognition of Israel. He said that this recognition would legitimise the oppression of Palestinians and undermine the Kashmir issue. He also said that accepting the recognition of Israel would mean toeing the line of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as the leader of Israel and Modi are “cousins”. He said that FBR stepped out of their domain to target the Palestinian ambassador and demanded a full-scale enquiry against FBR’s actions. STAFF REPORT

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