Epaper – December 04 ISB 2020

Friday, 4 December, 2020 I 17 Rabi al-Akhir, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 155 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

Pakistan to take dossier of indian state terrorism to int'l forums: isPr dG

ISLAMABAD staff report

i

NTER Services Public Relation (ISPR) Director General Major General Babar Iftikhar has said that the dossier which provided proof of Indian state in terrorism in Pakistan would be taken to every possible forum in the international community.

“The world is now talking about India’s state-sponsored terrorism after the dossier was released,” he said during an interview with Global Village Space (GVS). “The international community has taken the matter very seriously.”

“Pakistan presented the dossier at the UN to let the world know about India’s activities in Pakistan. We will not stop here and will take this issue further across the globe,” he added.

The chief spokesperson for the military said that India is in a weakened position globally after the August 5, 2019 move and has received a lot of negative press.

When asked about the nature of the threat from anti-China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) cell which reports directly to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, “Pakistan is fully prepared to deal with these threats. We are tackling all the challenges”.

Coronavirus in

Pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

406,810

LAST UPDATED AT 7:40 AM ON DECEMBER 3, 2020

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

39

RECOVERED:

NEW CASES:

3,499 DEATHS:

346,951 8,205 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

177,625

121,083

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

47,919

17,268

7,067/4,683 31,165

He stressed that India has failed to halt or harm the progress of this project.

“India has been using the Afghan territory to launch terrorist activities in Pakistan.

We keep talking to the Afghan leadership regarding the issue, but we do not blame them because we recognise Afghanistan’s lack of capacity to deal with the problem,” Major General Iftikhar said, adding that India has in multiple instances targeted local and Chinese workers engaged in CPEC projects.

Shedding light on security surrounding the project, the ISPR DG said that two special division forces have been formed, along with the deployment of nine regular regiments to look after the corridor.

When asked about the increase in ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC), Major General Iftikhar said New Delhi is “always looking for some kind of an excuse to raise the temperature”. He added that false flag operations, where India tries to pin the blame on Pakistan, is a norm.

Referring to fake news and propaganda originating out of India, the military spokesperson said it is a “major challenge”. “[These social media tactics and disinformation campaign to malign Pakistan] is a major onslaught. It is a major part of the fifth-generation warfare against Pakistan and we are aware of that,” he said, adding that it was another way in which India was attempting to slow down Pakistan’s progress.

“Only recently they have unearthed a major effort by the Indians in the form of EU Disinformation lab and the way they’ve been trying to prop up different issues across the world,” he added.

Talking about the Afghan peace process, he said that Pakistan’s role is of a facilitator and ever yone, including the United States and Afghanistan, acknowledge it.

Covid-19 positivity ratio shoots past 8pc, daily tally at five-month high ISLAMABAD staff report

The number of active Covid-19 cases in the country surged the grave mark of 50,000 during the last 24 hours, said the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) on Thursday.

According to the NCOC, 3,499 new infections were reported in the last 24 hours, raising the number of active cases to 51,654, while the total tally climbed to 406,810. 39 people lost their lives to the virus in the last 24 hours and now the country’s death toll stands at 8,205.

The NCOC data shows that the pace of pandemic in the country has quickened as around 29,881 new cases have been reported in the last 10 days only. At least 346,951 people have recovered from the virus so far. A total of 42,904 tests were conducted across the country during the last twenty-four hours, while 5,627,539 samples have been tested so far.

Sindh reported the highest number of coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours with 1,983 infections. Punjab reported 727 new cases, Islamabad 417, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) 218, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) 85, Balochistan 53, and GilgitBaltistan (GB) 16.

The highest positivity ratio of

IHC rejects request to ban large public meetings during Covid-19 ISLAMABAD staff report

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday dismissed a petition seeking a ban on large public meetings due to the coronavirus pandemic, saying the enforcement of restrictions was the executive’s job and hence the court could not intervene in the matter.

The petition, while citing an earlier high court judgment calling for the implementation of virus restrictions to curtail the spread of the contagious disease, noted public gatherings were going on unhindered.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah rejected the petition and directed the petitioner to approach the Parliament to get the issue resolved.

In the written verdict, Justice Minallah said the order to implement guidelines had already been given and thus the “court is not inclined to exercise its extraordinary constitutional jurisdiction” if the executive is unable to enforce it.

“Judgments rendered by judicial forums become meaningless and ineffective in times of crisis when it appears that the executive authorities lack the

Covid-19 cases in the current season 8.16 per cent was recorded in Pakistan on Wednesday as the country continues to reel under the impact of the pandemic.

A meeting of the NCOC mulled over the Covid-19 situation and implementation of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) in the country. The meeting, attended by concerned federal and provincial officials, was informed that 2,469 patients of the coronavirus are in critical condition.

The session was informed that Sindh has a 14.1 per cent positivity rate, while the ratio of positive cases in Azad Kashmir has been 11.9 per cent. Positive cases of the novel coronavirus in Balochistan reached 12.5 per cent, KP 5.6 per cent, Punjab 4.2 per cent, Islamabad 6.6 per cent, and GB saw a positive rate of 4.7 per cent.

Karachi emerged as the city with the highest ratio of coronavirus positive cases with a positivity rate of 20.12 per cent, followed by Hyderabad at 18.43 per cent, Abbottabad, 14.53 per cent, Muzaffarabad, 11.48 per cent, Mirpur, 10.57 per cent, Peshawar at 9.17 per cent and the ratio of coronavirus positive cases in Quetta remained 09.91 per cent.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

more inside

UNGA adopts Pakistan-sponsored resolution on interfaith harmony STORY ON PAGE 02

India imperilling regional peace, disturbing strategic balance: FO STORY ON PAGE 03 capacity to implement them in letter and spirit,” the court noted.

“Judgments, unless respected by the citizens, state institutions and political leadership, remain unenforced and thus rule of law is undermined and consequently, it profoundly impacts the confidence of the people in the judiciary.”

He also dismissed a part of the petition seeking to restrict the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) from covering individuals who violate restrictions because it involves elements of freedom of speech.

Such a decision, the court said, also carries “likely implications in the context of the guar-

anteed fundamental rights under Articles 19 and 19-A of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973”.

The court said it was up to all members of society to collectively ensure that everyone takes appropriate action in their capacities to ensure the threat of Covid-19 is contained.

Justice Minallah said he understood the concerns of the petitioner since the incidence of the virus had surged within the past few weeks and left the most marginalised vulnerable to harm while aggravating health and economic crises.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

Ulema agree with govt regarding rallies postponement STORY ON PAGE 02

UK reaffirms support to renewable energy initiatives in Pakistan STORY ON PAGE 03

02

Friday, 4 December, 2020

NEWS

UNGA ADoPtS PAkiStAN-SPoNSoreD reSoLUtioN oN iNterfAitH HArMoNy ISLAMABAD

D

APP

ESPITE opposition from the European Union (EU) and India, the United Nations General Assembly Wednesday adopted a Pakistan and Philippines sponsored resolution on interreligious dialogue that emphasized the need to respect sacred religious symbols.

The resolution received a majority of 90 votes, none against, with 52 abstentions, APP said. Protests broke out in several Muslim countries, including Pakistan, last month over French response to a deadly

attack in October on a teacher who showed blasphemous caricatures of Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) to pupils during a civics lesson.

Pakistan condemned the recent reprinting of the blasphemous caricatures.

The French president paid tribute to the murdered teacher, fueling further anger in the Muslim world.

“Facing strong opposition from the powerful western bloc mainly based on freedom of expression, the Pakistan Mission worked hard to rally the OIC [Organisation of Islamic Cooperation] and other developing countries to garner support for the inclusion of new elements

LDA approves construction of 4,000 apartments for Naya Pakistan Housing Project LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has approved the construction of 4,000 residential units as part of phase one of the LDA City ‘Naya Pakistan’ Apartments project at a cost of approximately Rs10 billion, Pakistan Today learnt on Thursday. The LDA spokesperson said that all the citizens who will be provided facilities by Bank Mortgage Financing and Naya Pakistan Housing Authority will be eligible to buy apartments. “The apartments will be constructed on 563 kanals of land in Mouza Haloki within a year. As many as 125 blocks of four-storey apartments will be constructed on the said land and each block will consist of 32 residential units while numerous mosques will also be built here,” he said. The spokesperson also informed that the 7th meeting of the LDA was headed by LDA ViceChairman S. M. Imran, in which the LDA Director-General Ahmed Aziz Tarar briefed the participants about the agenda. The meeting also decided to construct roads, water supply and sewerage system, sidewalks, water treatment plants and other infrastructure on 8,500 kanals of land allotted for construction of 35,000 apartments and for this purpose, a PC-1 form of about Rs20 billion was also approved. “The meeting also approved the financial model proposed by Aslam Malik & Co., a financial consultant to be appointed for the LDA City Naya Pakistan Apartments Project, to make the construction of these apartments a viable project,” he said.

According to the spokesperson, the meeting was also briefed on the details of provision of mortgage financing facility by banks in the Naya Pakistan Housing Authority for those wishing to purchase apartments. SHAHAB OMER

NAB shouldn't misuse its powers, says SC judge The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday observed that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had been misusing its power and harassing those accused in cases, particularly those involved in white-collar crimes. Justice Umar Ata Bandial, heading the bench at the apex court, said: “NAB should not harass the suspects, nor misuse its powers.” The bench observed that those charged in white-collar crimes had been detained for 90 days in every reference, whereas even in military cases, no more than a 40-day remand is granted. “Why does it not then complete its investigation and file a single reference?” questioned Justice Mazahir Ali Akbar. NAB’s counsel therein replied that lack of cooperation from suspects necessitates the filing of supplementary references. In response to a follow-up question, the lawyer explained that these references are filed through criminal procedure code’s supplementary challan law. The lawyer added that an ongoing case against a certain politician in London had already extended to nearly three years. Four days ago, NAB Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal took notice of allegations levelled by Senate Deputy Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla against the anticorruption watchdog and sought complete record of the graft case against him. Senate Deputy Chairman Saleem Mandiwalla had alleged earlier this week that NAB was violating human rights by blackmailing people. Days after the NAB had submitted a report accusing Mandviwalla of being involved in a fake accounts case, the deputy chairman had said that NAB resorts to “blackmailing people” during closed-door investigations. NEWS DESK

in the resolution,” APP said.

Islamabad’s Ambassador to the UN Munir Akram referred to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s repeated calls to the international community and the UN to counter Islamophobia and promote respect for religious sensitivities.

“Ambassador Akram also emphasised that the deliberate “vilification and negative stereotyping of adherents of one of the largest religions in the world – Islam — only perpetuates dangerous self-fulfilling prophecies such as the ‘clash of civilisations’ and must be addressed on an urgent basis,” APP quoted the ambassador as saying.

“After some intensive lobbying, the

Court grants Shehbaz, son exemption from appearance

resolution acknowledges — for the first time — the significance and respect for religious symbols,” the state news agency added. “It also stressed that the exercise of the right to freedom of expression carries with it special duties and responsibilities, and must therefore be subjected to legitimate restrictions.”

“The resolution condemned any advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to violence or discrimination,” APP said, “and underlines the importance of interreligious and intercultural dialogue as a valuable tool for promoting social cohesion, and peace and development in the world.”

Ulema agree with govt regarding rallies postponement NEWS DESK In light of the growing number of Covid-19 cases in the country, the religious scholars have unanimously agreed with the government that all public rallies should be postponed.

“All religious scholars have unanimously agreed that people should combine precautions and prayers in order to achieve success, just like they did during the first wave,” President Alvi said.

The above was announced by the president during a press conference after a virtual meeting of the religious scholars to discuss the standard operating procedures (SOPs) regarding the virus.

President Alvi said, “The Ulema have also urged people to be careful when they are going to markets and other crowded places.”

The premier also remarked that the support of the Ulema in April had helped curb the spread of coronavirus, and said that they once again agree with the government’s decisions, which is why the scholars are now appealing to the opposition to cease their insistence on holding rallies for their Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

“On behalf of the state, I would like to recognise religious scholars’ efforts in spreading the message of discipline without which we would not have been able to control the spread of the virus during the first wave,” the president said.

The president appealed to masses to strictly adhere to the standard operating procedures to check surge of the pandemic. He said that the Ulema have an important role for spreading awareness about precautionary measures. He added that they have also agreed to play their effective role in this regard.

Reportedly, governors and prominent religious clerics from all four provinces were directed to prepare precautionary measures for mosques and present them in the virtual meeting.

According to the latest figures by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 3,499 persons tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hours.

Pakistan has reported 39 deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of positive cases has surged to 406,810. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 8,205 today.

LAHORE: An accountability court in Lahore on Thursday granted exemption from personal appearance to PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and his son Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Hamza Shahbaz in a money laundering and assets beyond means case. As accountability judge Jawadul Hassan resumed the hearing, the defense filed an application requesting the court to grant the two exemption from personal appearance for Thursday. He recalled the father-son were released from prison on five-day parole to join the final rites of Begum Shamim Akhtar, the mother of Sharif and his brother deposed premier Nawaz Sharif, who passed away on November 22. Upon request, the Punjab government extended the parole period by a day that ended Thursday. The defense said party leaders, workers and other people were visiting the PML-N leaders at their residence to offer condolences. “Their plea for exemption from personal appearance may be accepted,” he said. Granting the request, the court adjourned the hearing until December 8 and directed the NAB to produce its witnesses at the next hearing to record their statements. APP

BBC interview was Dar's 'personal choice', PML-N says ISLAMABAD: Days after self-exiled former finance minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ishaq Dar’s appearance on BBC‘s HARDtalk caused a stir back home, Muhammad Zubair, spokesperson to PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz, said Dar’s decision to take the interview was his “personal choice”. Zubair’s statement comes after multiple posts making rounds on social media suggested the BBC approached the former premier, who is also in London for medical treatment, for an interview. However, Maryam instead asked Dar to take the interview to “expose” the government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Zubair, however, refuted the idea. Speaking to a private channel, he said: “It is his [Dar] right to give an interview.” STAFF REPORT

PPP accuses Centre of attempting to give PSM land to 'ATMs' KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Days after the federal government fired than 4,500 staffers of the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) overnight, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani on Thursday accused the Centre of wanting to “hand over” the prime land to “one of their ATMs”.

After an emergency meeting chaired by PSM Chief Executive Officer General (r) Zaheer Ahmed Khan on Friday, the staffers belonging to category 2,3, and 4 pay groups were dismissed from their jobs. An earlier plan

of revival also announced the provision of gratuity and provident funds which worked out at Rs19.657 billion.

In a press conference the following day, Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar censured the PPP for turning the organisation “from a profitmaking entity with billions in [its] bank account to a heavy loss-making and bankrupt entity” after the latter lambasted the “heartless” layoffs.

In his presser, Ghani claimed “several elements, including mafias, were eyeing” the organisation’s land.

Due to the poor financial condition of the Mills, the federal government had been paying net monthly salaries to its employees since 2013. The PSM stopped

its commercial operations in June 2015 without formulating any human resource plan of its 14,753 employees. Ghani, however, insisted the reason behind shuttering down of PSM was not the financial loss, but the value of the land it was built on, adding that “some people wanted to usurp it”.

“An incapable, selected cabinet cannot make decisions regarding steel mills and its employees,” he declared and said that the Sindh government will stand by the PSM employees who were recently axed.

He said that the land, on which PSM was built, belonged to the Sindh government which can retrieve it any time it wanted to.

China acknowledges major progress in CPEC infrastructure, energy projects BEIJING APP

China on Thursday acknowledged a major progress, especially in the infrastructure and energy projects, being completed under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework.

“CPEC is an important pilot programme in China and Pakistan joint efforts to build the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and there has been a major progress recently especially in infrastructure and energy projects,” Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Hua Chunying said in response to a question about the speech of CPEC Authority Chairman Lieutenant General (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa at the 11th International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum (IIICF) in Macao Special Administrative Region.

“Many roads were built creating job opportunities and boosting economic development in the relevant area and benefiting the people there. It has been applauded by people in Pakistan,” she added.

Hua Chunying said that after Covid-19 broke out, the CPEC projects went on, as usual, playing an important role in Pakistan’s presumption of economic growth. The recent meeting of 14th Five-Year Plan blueprinted future development. “The two sides attach importance to this project and work together to implement our leaders’ consensus and vow to carry out good jobs with existing projects, focus more on livelihood, industrial and agriculture cooperation,” she added. The spokesperson remarked that both China and Pakistan were committed to turn the CPEC into a demonstration project for the BRI and bring greater benefits to both countries and the region.

Speaking at the forum, the CPEC Authority chief said

that the CPEC was a major pilot project of the BRI. Over the past five years, there were 22 construction projects under the framework of CPEC, covering roads, railways, airports, thermal power, hydropower, renewable energy, Gwadar Port, special economic zones (SEZs) and other areas. “In face of the novel coronavirus, all CPEC projects have been moving forward, bringing hope for a future of peace and economic growth,” he added. He said that infrastructure investment and construction would be a key to reviving the jobs market and national economies.

“Under CPEC, no project has been suspended for construction, and no worker has been laid off,” he told the gathering via video from Islamabad. Later at the forum, Moinul Haque, Pakistan’s ambassador to China, invited members of the audience to applaud Chinese officials who made it possible for projects such as Lahore’s Orange Metro Line subway system to be completed.

Friday, 4 December, 2020

iNDiA iMPeriLLiNG reGioNAL PeACe, DiStUrBiNG StrAteGiC BALANCe: fo URGES UN TO ACT ON PAKISTAN’S DOSSIER ON INDIAN TERRORISM ISLAMABAD

P

STAFF REPORT

AKISTAN has said that India is disturbing strategic balance in the region through acquisition of arms and military capabilities beyond its legitimate needs.

At his weekly news briefing on Thursday, Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez said that Indian actions are imperilling peace and stability of the region and the world community must take notice of it.

On the other hand, the spokesperson said that the Pakistan and China relationship is contributing to the regional peace and stability.

Highlighting grave human rights situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir

PAKISTAN CONDEMNS IRANIAN SCIENTIST’S KILLING, URGES RESTRAINT

(IOK), the spokesperson called upon the international community to take cognisance of brutal suppression of the Kashmiri people's rights and freedoms in utter violation of international laws and conventions. He said that the world community must use all tools at its disposal to hold India accountable for its serious crimes against the Kashmiri people.

He urged the international community, particularly the United Nations counter-terrorism mechanisms, to act on the Pakistani dossier providing irrefutable evidence of Indian state sponsorship of terrorism.

The spokesperson condemned the assassination of Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in Tehran. He said Pakistan strongly urges all sides to exercise maximum restraint and avoid further

Govt taking steps to cope with Covid-19: faraz ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Syed Shibli Faraz has said that the government is taking effective steps to cope with the second wave of Covid-19. In a series of tweets on Thursday, the information minister said that the world acknowledged the successful strategy adopted

by Prime Minister Imran Khan to protect the lives and livelihoods of the people during the first wave of the pandemic. Referring to the intensity of the second wave and rising positive cases, the information minister appealed to the people to strictly adhere to the standard operating procedures (SOPs). He said that precautions must be taken seriously so that the lives and livelihoods of the people do not get affected. STAFF REPORT

turkey confers military honour on Pakistan naval chief ANKARA: Turkey on Thursday honoured Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Amjad Niazi with “Legion of Merit” for making contributions to friendly relations between the two nations and their armed forces, Radio Pakistan reported. The medal was awarded by Turkish naval chief Adnan Özbal at an “impressive ceremony” in capital Ankara.

Admiral Niazi is currently on an official trip to Turkey. Upon arrival, he was presented a guard of honour at Turkey Naval Forces Headquarters, the Pakistan Navy said through its Twitter account. The naval chief met with Minister of National Defence Hulusi Akar and army chief Gen Yasar Guler at General Staff Headquarters in Ankara. He also called on Defence Industries president Ismail Demir at his office. During these meetings, “matters related to regional security, bilateral collab [and] mutual interest were discussed,” the navy said. “The dignitaries commended contributions of each other in maintaining peace [and] stability in [the] region.” Earlier, Admiral Niazi laid a floral wreath at Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Turkey founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and signed the honour book. STAFF REPORT

escalation of tensions in the region. He said that the country extends sincere condolences to the family members of Fakhrizadeh and the Iranian people.

Welcoming the recent agreement between the Afghan parties on rules and procedures for negotiations, the FO spokesperson hoped all the parties will build on it and take the process forward towards a peaceful settlement which is inclusive and broad based.

Terming it another significant step forward, Zahid said that the agreement reflects a common resolve of the parties to secure a negotiated settlement. He added that it is an important development contributing towards a successful outcome of the intra-Afghan negotiations.

The spokesperson said that Pakistan will continue to support intra-Afghan

negotiations, culminating in an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political solution paving the way for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan.

To a question, the spokesperson noted with concerns Israeli plans to build new settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. Terming it illegal and contrary to international laws, he said that Pakistan steadfastly supports the right of selfdetermination of Palestinian people. He added that it is imperative to have a twostate solution in accordance with the UN and OIC resolutions with the pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al Sharif as the capital of Palestinian state. To a question, the spokesperson said that Pakistan and the US enjoy close cooperative relationships.

He said, “We look forward to working with the new US administration.”

PTI claims talks continuing with Mengal’s party; BNP-M contradicts ISLAMABAD

was no chance.

“We believe that this government is comprised of non-serious people who have no say in decision-making.

They have failed in resolving the public issues. They cannot resolve [complex] issues of Balochistan,” he said and added that there was no use of any talks with the government of incapable people.

Despite repeated efforts, Suri could not be contacted for his rejoinder on Jamaldini’s statement. However, secretary-information of PTI Balochistan’s central region, Asif Tareen, confirmed to Pakistan Today that Qasim Khan Suri had spoken about the dialogue between the BNP-M and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

He said that Suri had actually said that the federal government’s delegation led by Asad Umar was carrying on talks with the BNP-M. “The dialogue continues but it had been stalled after the recent developments. Qasim Suri said that talks would continue again. He said that PTI wanted to bring the BNP back to the government’s fold and for this, the PTI would continue talks as Prime Minister Imran Khan believed in policy of political engagements and dialogue,” he added.

It is worth mentioning that a few weeks ago, the BNPM leader had announced to part ways with the federal government and the party’s lawmakers did not even attend the dinner hosted by the prime minister. Mengal had said that the BNP could not attend the dinner as it was no longer part of the government and an ally. Later, the BNP chief joined the opposition alliance – Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – and also addressed recent public gatherings in Peshawar and Multan.

MIAN ABRAR

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Qasim Khan Suri on Thursday said that the federal government has resumed talks with Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) to persuade the disgruntled ally into becoming part of the coalition government once again.

However, BNP-M Secretary-General Senator Jahanzeb Jamaldini has contradicted the claim, saying that there were no talks between the two parties.

National Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri told media in Quetta that talks were underway with Sardar Akhtar Mengal’s party to address the concerns of the Baloch people, and hoped that the BNP-M would join the federal government once again. Suri said that the PTI government wanted BNP-M to re-join the coalition government. Senator Jamaldini said that there were no talks. “There are no formal talks underway.

However, I cannot rule out if the federal government had spoken to any of our lawmaker in personal capacity,” he said. Asked to elaborate, Jamaldini said that lawmakers meet occasionally and there may be a possibility that any PTI lawmaker had spoken to the BNP lawmaker.

“But there is no dialogue at the leadership level. I am secretary general of the party while Akhtar Mengal is the president. We are not contacted by the government for talks,” he added.

Asekd whether there was a possibility of a breakthrough in any such dialogue between the federal government and the BNP-M, Jamaldini said that there

PDM endangering people’s lives to save looted money: Firdous LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Special Assistant to Punjab Chief Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that alliance of opposition parties – Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – is endangering the lives of the people to save its looted money.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Firdous said that the situation is deteriorating day by day as the number of confirmed cases is increasing with each passing day. She said that coronavirus is a bitter reality and the opposition needs to realise this fact. The public meetings of PDM are resulting in increasing Covid-19 cases, she claimed.

While giving details of the latest coronavirus situation in the province, she said that 727 confirmed cases have been reported and 25 patients have died during the last 24 hours. The number of active Covid-19 patients is 19,000 and a total of 3,091 patients have died in Punjab, she added. She said that holding public meetings in this situation is sheer enmity with the people. The opposition should refrain from putting the lives of innocent people in danger, she further said.

Coming down hard on the opposition, Firdous said, “The queen of Jati Umra and her political bondwomen are unnerved after the mini Multan meeting. The queen and her slaves are in a state of self-deception and fear while the darling prince is sitting-pretty.

NEWS

03

PM imran to speak at landmark UN session on coronavirus today UNITED NATIONS APP

Nearly 100 world leaders, including Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, are set to address the United Nations General Assembly’s two-day special session, which opens Thursday, on the response to the deadly coronavirus pandemic and forge a united path forward to better recovery, including access to a vaccine. The pandemic has claimed 1.5 million live worldwide, shattered economies, and left tens of millions of people unemployed in developed and developing countries. According to the speakers’ list, there are 141 speakers inscribed, including 53 heads of state, 39 heads of government, 4 deputy prime ministers and 38 ministers. They will address the session through pre-recorded videos. Among the leaders slated to address the session on December 3 and 4 are German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, French President Emmanuel Macron, and European Union chief Charles Michel.

The United States will be represented by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. PM Imran’s will speech will be broadcast on Thursday around 5 pm (New York time– 3 a.m PST Friday).

Uk reaffirms support to renewable energy initiatives in Pakistan ISLAMABAD TLTP

Britain's Prince Charles on Thursday telephoned Prime Minister Imran Khan and reaffirmed the United Kingdom's support to promote renewable energy initiatives in Pakistan. According to an official statement issued by the British High Commission, the Prince of Wales appreciated Pakistan's commitment to tackle global warming.

Both leaders agreed on the need for global cooperation to tackle issues related to climate change. They also discussed bilateral relations and reiterated their commitment to further strengthen the existing ties. The Prince of Wales expressed sorrow over Covid-19 fatalities in Pakistan and reaffirmed his country's assistance to Pakistan to cope with coronavirus challenges. "Britain is hosting the United Nations' climate change summit, known as COP26," the prince told the premier. Meanwhile, in a tweet from his official handle, British High Commissioner Christian Turner conformed, "HRH The Prince of Wales champions the bond between #Commonwealth nations. Today he spoke to @ImranKhanPTI to reaffirm UK and Pakistan ties." In addition, the official Facebook page of the PM also confirmed that Imran Khan had a telephonic conversation with the Prince of Wales. PM's aide Zulfikar Bukhari was also present on the occasion.

1 dead, several injured in gas leakage blast KARACHI APP

At least one person died and several received wounds when a portion of a residential building collapsed at Dua Chowk in New Karachi. The incident occurred due to gas leakage resulting in a powerful blast that razed the portion to the ground, according to the initial police inquiries. The explosion was so severe that the windowpanes of the nearby buildings also broke. Rescue teams reached the spot after getting information about the incident and started the relief work. The injured were taken to a nearby hospital, they said.

Pakistani project wins international award for shielding villages from natural disasters AGENCIES A project that combines satellite images, mapping technologies and the local knowledge of villagers to help build climate-proof settlements in disaster-prone areas of Pakistan won an international award on Thursday.

More than one million people have benefited from the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) Pakistan project, which was a gold prize winner at the World Habitat Awards that are organised with the United Nations housing agency (UN-Habitat).

AKAH has trained about 50,000 residents to better protect their villages from disasters in the mountainous northern areas which are vulnerable to earthquakes,

floods and environmental degradation, and are home to some of the poorest communities.

“It’s not just responding to the effects of the climate emergency, but being proactive in protecting people from its effects, using technology and the knowledge of communities,” said David Ireland, chief executive of World Habitat, a charity.

“It provides communities with the knowledge of where and how to live in safety in a changing world. The potential for this approach to be adapted and used in similar areas in Pakistan and elsewhere is absolutely huge,” he said in a statement.

Since 1980, more than 2m people have been killed by natural disasters, according to the World Bank.

Worsening climate change impacts threaten to push an additional 100m people into extreme poverty within the next decade.

Pakistan is among the most disaster-prone countries in South Asia, according to the World Bank, and the remoteness of the northern mountainous areas makes response efforts difficult.

Launched in 2006, the AKAH project includes mapping and monitoring hazards using satellite images and drones, and creating disaster risk management plans with the involvement of local residents.

It enables communities to build in safer areas, and better prepare for and respond to disasters, AKAH said.

By combining local knowledge, community

involvement and technology, the project develops “resilient, sustainable communities capable of living in dignity” amidst the threat of climate-induced disasters, said Leilani Farha, a former UN expert on housing, and one of the judges for the award.

AKAH plans to extend the model to other rural parts of the country, while its projects in Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Syria and India are also using this approach and have completed risk assessments in nearly 2,500 villages covering 3m people.

A key focus for AKAH Pakistan is the involvement of women, who make up about half the volunteers trained for disaster response, and who also participate in weather monitoring and mapping of high-risk areas.

Friday, 4 December, 2020

04 NEWS

LHC iMPoSES RS50,000 FiNE oN StuBBLE BuRNiNg iN PuNjAB LAHORE

t

TLTP

HE Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday slapped a fine of Rs50,000 over stubble burning in the province. The report of the Judicial Environmental Commission was submitted with the LHC. Around 476 industries and kilns were inspected in a bid to control the smog problem in the province, the report stated.

Some 122 units were found operating without protective measures and 170 were sealed over discharging too much smoke.

Furthermore, 66 cases were registered over

SUMMONS BUZDAR ON 15TH IN JOB REGULARISATION CASE violations of the Provincial Disaster Management’s (PDM) guidelines and 1,108 vehicles were impounded.

Some farmers clear their agricultural fields by burning the residue that is left on the land after harvesting to prepare the land for the next round of seeding. It is one of the biggest contributors to air pollution, said the report.

Justice Shahid Karim, while ordering a fine of Rs50,000 over stubble burning in the province, has instructed authorities to

Sanaullah, family own 24 properties, NAB tells LHC

take action against people who set fire to the crops.

The Ministry of Climate Change has established a smog control room in Lahore to ensure regular monitoring of smog that causes health hazards to people in different areas of the province during the winter season.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam said that the process to combat smog has been started.

In a separate hearing on Thursday, the

SC adjourns Daniel Pearl case hearing till 8th as Sindh presents more arguments ISLAMABAD TLTP

LAHORE STAFF REPORT

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday submitted asset details of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah in the Lahore High Court (LHC). According to the report, three different complaints were received against Rana Sanaullah by the NAB and an inquiry against him was initiated on December 3, last year. The report states that the former Punjab minister and his family members own 24 properties including plazas, companies, farmhouses and agricultural land. He also has a private limited company RS under his ownership. The properties are located in Lahore and Faisalabad. The PML-N stalwart owns assets of billions of rupees but he did not disclose them. The inquiry found that assets owned by Sanaullah are not matching with this income. NAB had upgraded inquiry related to assets beyond income against the PML-N leader and former Punjab law minister. The watchdog had unearthed properties worth more than Rs400 million owned by the PML-N leader.

LHC summoned Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar in a case related to delay in regularisation of service of an assistant director in the land record department. Justice Shujaat Ali Khan heard the petition of an assistant director of the Punjab Land Records Authority who moved to the LHC for not making him a permanent employee.

A senior member of the Punjab Board of Revenue also appeared in the hearing.

The petitioner said that the provincial government has not issued to him job regularisation orders despite the court orders.

The LHC judge directed the Punjab CM and the provincial chief secretary to appear at the next hearing.

The Supreme Court on Thursday continued hearing an appeal of the Sindh government in the Daniel Pearl murder case.

A three-judge bench of the apex court headed by Justice Mushir Alam, is hearing appeals filed by the Sindh government and parents of Daniel Pearl challenging the April 2 Sindh High Court (SHC) verdict that overturned the sentences of four convicts in the case.

Farooq H Naik representing the Sindh government continued his arguments on the third day of the hearing.

Naik spelled out the statements of taxi driver Nasir Abbas, Hayat Ali and Citizens Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) chief Jameel Yousuf before the court.

The Sindh’s counsel argued that in the light of the incidents Ahmed Omer Saeed Shaikh has been the main accused. “This is not a case in which the dead body or the weapon of the crime is expected to be recovered. It is a blind murder, we have to keep the sequence of incidents to reach to a result,” the counsel said.

“Taxi driver’s testimony is the final constitutional evidence of this case,” Naik argued. “The taxi driver had last seen Daniel Pearl with Ahmed Omer Shaikh,” Sindh government’s lawyer said in his arguments.

The court adjourned further hearing of the case till

Tuesday (December 8) when Naik will resume his arguments.

Earlier on Wednesday, Naik informed the court that a man met Daniel Pearl at a hotel in Rawalpindi. The man had booked the hotel room with the name of Muzaffar Farooqi but he met with Pearl introducing himself as Bashir, the counsel said.

Another man, Arif, who is absconding, had led the US reporter for a meeting with Farooqi. Arif asked at the hotel reception for meeting with Farooqi, which proves that Arif knew that Shaikh was staying in the hotel with the name of Farooqi, the counsel argued. “Omer Shaikh’s hiding his identity is a proof of the conspiracy,” Naik said.

“When was the identification parade held?” Justice Sardar Tariq Masood questioned. “The identification parade was held in the presence of a magistrate in the court,” the counsel replied.

“Daniel Pearl’s murder was a part of the international terrorism and Omar Shaikh himself had stated that he will be handed over to the United States,” the lawyer said.

Naik said that four accused, including Sheikh, were arrested, while seven others were at large. The accused had hatched the kidnapping plot of Pearl in a Rawalpindi hotel, Naik said. “They sent an email to the victim’s wife after kidnapping and demanded ransom money,” the counsel further said. The accused brutally killed Pearl after their demand was not met, Sindh’s counsel said.

Sanitation workers honoured with ‘Dignity Awards’

LAHORE STAFF REPORT

An award ceremony was organised on Thursday to acknowledge the services of sanitation workers and to recognize the efforts of volunteers associated with a campaign to bring dignity to this work.

The event, held under the aegis of the Centre for Law and Justice (CLJ), is the second time such “Dignity Awards” are given to sanitary workers to mark the Punta del Este Declaration on Human Dignity for Everyone Everywhere 2018. Workers from all four provinces participated in the ceremony.

"Sanitation is essential for any group of humans living in a fixed habitat - but no one wants to do this labor. Our study finds that sanitation workers find challenges in occupational safety and health and employment security. Social stigma and discrimination attached with sanitation is further rearticulated in religious overtones which are unchecked in government policies, unnoticed in academic writings and not picked up by civil society organisations," said CLJ Founding Director Mary James Gill while addressing the ceremony. She added that they started the Sweepers Are Superheroes campaign three years ago to remove the stigma associated with sanitation work and to improve their overall working conditions.

“Sanitation work is an essential service but these workers are disrespected to

the level of dehumanizing. Deaths are routinely taking place in the sanitation sector but because these workers are dehumanized; hence, their death does not matter to most of us in society,” she said.

The Indian caste stigma attached to sanitation labor still survives in Pakistan and is recast as work for “non-Muslims”, particularly Christians in the Punjab region. There are various menial work categories, but it is only the janitorial work where Christians are overwhelmingly represented and “locked”; the very phenomenon begs for an explanation.

Discussing the overlapping of caste based hatred in religious overtones, Pakistan Ulema Council Vice-Chairman Allama Zubair Abid said there was a need to acknowledge the hard work of sanitary workers and give them due respect. He said Islam attached dignity with cleanliness and hard work. “Who is more civilized? The one who is spreading garbage, or the one who is collecting and cleaning it. We stand with sanitation workers because our religion also preaches promotion of cleanliness,” he said.

Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Vice-Chairman Shaikh Imtiaz said that sanitation workers were facing a challenge of hatred during their work and the agency was also working to deal with this challenge. He said the Sweepers Are Superheroes campaign is a unique contribution and would go a long way in bringing dignity to the workers.

Ehsaas policy for special persons to benefit 2m families: PM ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that two million families will be benefited under the new Ehsaas Kafalat Policy for Special Persons. In a tweet on Thursday, the prime minister announced the new Ehsaas Kafalat Policy for Special Persons. He stated that the families will be eligible for a monthly stipend of Rs2,000, adding that this move will be a step towards a disability-inclusive and sustainable world post Covid-19. International Day of Persons with Disabilities was observed on Thursday in solidarity with disabled persons.

The theme this year is “Building Back Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 World”.

Pakistan desires strong economic partnership with Kuwait: FM ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that Pakistan desires to transform its excellent political contacts with Kuwait into a strong economic partnership. Talking to Ambassador of Kuwait to Pakistan Nassar Al-Mutairi in Islamabad on Thursday, the foreign minister said that the two countries have tremendous opportunities to enhance bilateral cooperation in diverse areas, including agriculture, food security, and infrastructure development. He said that both countries can benefit from these opportunities. The minister said that Pakistan and Kuwait have deep historical brotherly relations.

The two sides exchanged views on bilateral relations and ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in various areas. Earlier on November 28 in a meeting held with the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Dr Ahmad Nasser Al Mohammed Al Sabah in Niamey on the sidelines of the 47th Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, Qureshi said that Pakistan and Kuwait enjoy close historical and fraternal relations.

Qureshi underscored Pakistan’s desire to transform close political relations into a robust economic partnership with Kuwait. In the meeting, the two foreign ministers agreed to enhance Pakistan-Kuwait cooperation in various fields including agriculture and food security.

Friday, 4 December, 2020

PM dIrECtS faCIlItatIon of InduStrIES lInKEd wItH ConStruCtIon SECtor iSLamaBad

P

STAFF REPORT

RIME Minister Imran Khan has directed the authorities concerned to ensure provision of facilities to allied industries connected with the construction sector to keep the wheel of economy moving.

The prime minister issued these directions while chairing the weekly meeting of the National Coordination Committee for Housing, Construction and Development in the federal capital on Thursday.

The PM noted that Islamabad was the only planned city of Pakistan, but

now its outlook was getting worse. He directed the concerned officials to ensure measures to protect green areas in the federal capital.

State Bank of Pakistan Governor Reza Baqir on the occasion informed the meeting that banks have almost achieved the quarterly targets regarding housing and construction sector, adding that banks have been instructed to provide more facilities to the consumers.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman briefed the meeting that work on authority's automation was continuing at full pace and will be completed by the end of this month. He said the automation will save people from unnecessarily visiting CDA offices, adding that

Covid-19 positivity ratio shoots past 8pc, daily tally at five-month high continued from page 01 According to the briefing, Pakistan has overall 301 Covid19 patients on ventilators. Eighty patients in Lahore and 40 in Multan are on ventilators, while in Rawalpindi and Islamabad 41 and 40 Covid patients respectively are on ventilators. Karachi has 75 patients on ventilators. In Punjab, coronavirus claimed 25 more lives during the past 24 hours, taking the provincial death toll from the disease to 3,091. According to a spokesperson for the Primary and Secondary Health Department, 727 fresh infections detected during this period, pushing the total number of cases thus far reported across the province to 1,21,083. The tally of patients recovered from the disease in the province stands at 98,992, health department spokesperson stated. Meanwhile, more localities in Karachi’s Central district were put under “smart lockdowns” on Thursday after they reported a spike in Covid-19 positive cases. The neighbourhoods where smart lockdowns have been imposed include Gulberg (Karimabad and FB Area’s Block-7, 10, 12, 14 and 15), Liaquatabad (Azam Nagar and Block-3 of Nazimabad), North Karachi (Sector 10 and 11-A) and North Nazimabad (Block A, B, C, H, N, J, I and Sector 14-B, Sector 15-A1, Sector-15-A-2, Sector 15-B,). The streets and houses identified as Covid-19 hotspots in these areas will remain sealed for a period of two weeks. Moreover, the Punjab jail authorities decided to make it mandatory for new inmates to complete a 14-day quarantine period in all jails across the province. Moreover, it has been directed for jail employees to go through the virus test alongside the inmates. The jail officials said that it is also made compulsory to produce inmates before the court while wearing face masks.

VACCINE IN FIRST QUARTER OF 2021: The government is hoping to procure a vaccine in the first three months of 2021, with the vaccination process to proceed in phases, State Minister for Health Dr Faisal Sultan has said. Addressing a press conference, Dr Sultan stressed this target was not set in stone, adding that the cabinet had approved the Economic Coordination Committee’s (ECC) recommendation to allocate $150 million for the vaccine’s acquirement. He said that the vaccine would be administered in stages, with frontline healthcare workers given the highest priority, followed by the elderly and at-risk populations; and finally the general population. To a question, the minister said that the government wanted to provide the vaccine to the entire population for free. He also clarified that the federal cabinet had decided to form a committee of four to five members to oversee the procurement of the vaccine to ensure transparency. It is worth mentioning here that the Punjab government on Wednesday issued a notification suspending indoor dining in a bid to curb the spread of the contagious disease. The notification from the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department said that outdoor dining can continue but must have socially distanced seating and require customers to wear face masks when they are not eating.

IHC rejects request to ban large public meetings during Covid-19 continued from page 01 Expressing displeasure over the executive’s inability to implement the court’s decision, Justice Minallah wrote: “If the Majlis-e-Shoora [Parliament], the supreme forum which represents every citizen, has opted not to play its role nor the elected executive and other political leadership appear to have the will to rise above their differences and unite the nation, then a judgment rendered by this court relating to the emergency and crisis situation due to Covid-19 is likely to remain unenforced.”

CDA has so far received maps of four out of 12 commercial plots on which construction will commence soon.

Meanwhile, in a separate meeting, PM Imran said that Ravi City Lahore and Bundle Island projects will help resolve economic and environmental problems, besides creating job opportunities and contributing in reducing pollution.

Chairing a meeting of Pakistan Island Development Authority and Ravi Urban Development Authority in Islamabad on Thursday, the PM emphasised on ensuring provision of opportunities to overseas Pakistanis to become partners in these projects. He also stressed the need to highlight the positive impact of these projects and directed to frame a

timeline to complete various phases of these projects.

The meeting was informed that Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) and National Logistic Cell (NLC) have started work on Ravi Urban Development project, and that the timeline for the completion of various phases of the project has been determined.

Moreover, Prime Minister Imran Khan, while talking to Housing and Works Minister Tariq Bashir Cheema on Thursday, said the government is committed to providing affordable housing to the people, for which practical steps were being taken. During the meeting, views were exchanged regarding ongoing construction projects in the country.

Meredith and Condé Nast deny connection to People and Vogue in Pakistan BaBar KHan JaVed Across LinkedIn, Facebook, WhatsApp, Reddit, and Instagram this week, career pages advertised editorial and sales roles for the launch of Vogue in Pakistan.

“One of the most famous magazines of the world is being launched in Pakistan with its print and digital edition,” said a job ad on both the Instagram and the Facebook pages of Vogue Pakistan, which advertised the roles of assistant editor, digital manager, and writer.

According to DNS Coffee, the domain of voguepakistan.online was recently registered in November 2020 to FHM Pakistan Publications, which the Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan database lists is owned by Faisal Shahjahan and Adnan Faisal.

According to the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) member directory, Faisal Shahjahan and Adnan Faisal established Monthly

Brands magazine in June 2007, For Her Magazine in November 2014, and People magazine in October 2017. FHM was recently nominated by Facebook for the Hum Social Media Awards Globally, the publishers for People and Vogue are the Meredith Corporation and Condé Nast respectively. Speaking to Profit, representatives from both American mass media companies said that they have no connection to the Pakistan-oriented sites registered by FHM Pakistan Publications for People and Vogue respectively, adding that the company is doing so without permission or paying a licensing fee.

“I checked with our global team here at [Condé Nast] and can confirm that this [Vogue Pakistan] site is unauthorized,” said Jill Weiskopf, the executive director of communications for Vogue at Condé Nast.

This is yet another example of the utter disregard for intellectual property in Pakistan. What is even more alarming is that ad-

vertisers and agencies in Pakistan, with as much access to the internet as this scribe, have poured media budgets into both these fraudulent publications without verifying them.

On the website of People magazine, advertising inventory is currently occupied by digital banner ads for Cadbury Dairy Milk by Mondelēz Pakistan and for The Body Shop by L'Oreal Pakistan, the digital media buying of which is managed by Brainchild Communications Pakistan and Adcom Media respectively.

Representatives from both media agencies said that they take domain spoofing seriously and will investigate the matter.

Shortly after being contacted

by Profit, FHM Pakistan Publications took down both the Facebook page and the Instagram page for Vogue Pakistan they had created. The APNS has been notified of the scam and no disciplinary actions have been taken against the offending company as of yet.

Hafeez Shaikh stresses evaluation of customs clearance time ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh has stressed the need to evaluate the clearance time with reference to regional trading partners in order to make Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) more competitive.

The adviser issued this direction while chairing the fourth meeting of the FBR Policy Board at the Federal Board of Revenue headquarters on Thursday.

The customs (operations) member made a de-

tailed presentation on customs valuation (under-invoicing) and highlighted measures to be taken to plug in gaps and enhance customs' revenues in future. He said that FBR has issued valuation rulings and entered into Electronic Data Exchange (EDE) agreements with China, Iran and Afghanistan, etc, to address the issue of under-invoicing on imports effectively. These agreements have yielded positive results, he maintained. STAFF REPORT

NEWS

05

corporate corner

Diamond Paint Industries Pvt Ltd organised an event yesterday to celebrate their becoming Pakistan's No 1 paint company. The event took place at one of Lahore's premier five-star hotels. While addressing the audience, the CEO, Mir Shoaib Ahmed stated, that his father, Mir Allauddin, with the grace of Allah Almighty, laid the foundations for Diamond Paints almost four decades ago. Since its inception, the organization has developed a wide range of products which include Industrial, Decorative, Powder Coatings, Automotive Paints, Road Marking and Heavy Duty Coatings. Diamond Paints has become the No 1 paint company in Pakistan with the trust of the nation and the efforts of the company. PRESS RElEASE

PKM demands indiscriminate action against sugar mafia across Punjab It appears that the jurisdiction of the Punjab cane commissioner was only limited to Rahim Yar Khan and Rajanpur, said Pakistan Kissan Movement (PKM) Secretary General Hanif Gujjar while commenting on the Punjab cane commissioner’s statement. He reminded that a PKM delegation had earlier in a press statement raised voice against the middlemen who were making huge money in Rahim Yar Khan. On the statement of PSM, the Punjab cane commissioner took an immediate action by writing to deputy commissioner for action against the middlemen, which PKM appreciated. “However, after reading today’s statement of Punjab cane commissioner, we are all surprised and get the impression that the commissioner is only for Rahim Yar Khan and Rajanpur, while his jurisdiction is not to the entire province.” Hanif Gujjar said, “I wish to draw the attention of commissioner Zaman Watto towards middlemen who are scattered all over Punjab and are exploiting sugarcane growers and making huge profits of Rs20 – 25 per maund from the sugar mills in Sindh but farmers in Punjab are getting rates less than Rs.200 per maund (support price announced by the punjab government) whereas neither CPR is being issued nor payment is going through banking channelas per Cane Ordinance and emphasized by the Cane Commissioner Punjab, but getting payment in cash. PSM appealed to the Punjab chief minister to take action against this sugarcane mafia who with the support of districts administration in Punjab are hand in glove with this mafia. NEWS DESK

SCCI calls for simplifying bank loan process to facilitate SMEs peSHaWar AZIZ BUNERI

The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has urged commercial banks to simplify the procedures to apply for a bank loan and further reduce the interest on loans for the development of the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) sector.

OPEC and allies to meet to thrash out cuts deal London AGENCIES

The members of the OPEC group of oil producers are meeting with their allies on Thursday to see if they can reach an accord on extending production cuts over the coming months.

The video-conference meeting of the OPEC+ grouping was pushed back from Tuesday and comes after three days of inconclusive discussions among the 13 members of OPEC proper.

Observers say the postponement points to an agreement being harder to reach than initially thought.

The meeting was originally scheduled for 1300 GMT but eventually started almost two hours later.

The first wave of the coronavirus pandemic sent oil demand -- and prices -- plummeting in the spring, with the benchmark American contract even going into negative territory for the first time in history.

After tough negotiations in April,

OPEC+ -- which includes Russia -agreed on drastic production cuts in order to try to put a floor under oil prices.

Despite hitting producers' revenues hard, those cuts did help drag prices back up again.

However, the second wave of the pandemic has dashed hopes of a rapid "V-shaped" recovery for the economy and for oil demand.

Most producers, including OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia, therefore favour an extension of the current agreement, which entails a cut of 7.7 million barrels per day (bpd) and was scheduled to be eased to 5.8 million bpd on January 1.

"OPEC and allies are said to be leaning towards a rollover of current cuts with a gradual increase in output," according to analyst Neil Wilson from Markets.com.

"Whether the easing would begin in January or after the three-month delay discussed before the meeting is unclear," wrote Stephen Innes of Axi. After falling slightly in early Thurs-

CMYK

day trading, prices for both the US crude oil benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Europe's Brent North Sea were holding steady just after the start of the OPEC+ meeting, at $45.30 and $48.36 respectively.

THORNY SUBJECTS: Markets were expecting producers to be able to agree on an extension of three to six months, with many viewing Monday's meeting as a formality to sign it off.

But a recent surge in crude prices - up by 25 percent over the course of November -- together with positive news from several companies on coronavirus vaccines means some countries may need more convincing of the need for further sacrifices.

Meanwhile, the perennially thorny subject of whether all members are respecting production quotas laid down in previous agreements seems to once again be on the table.

Some insist that those who are currently overproducing be made to comply before further restrictions

are imposed.

"It is unlikely that the strict implementation of the agreed cuts... will be achieved, which will undermine their effectiveness and confidence in the group," according to Eugen Weinberg of Commerzbank.

The cartel will also have to pay attention to developments in the three members which have been granted exemptions from quotas -- Libya, Iran and Venezuela.

Libya's production had been almost wiped out by civil conflict but has spiked since October and now stands at over one million bpd, according to the country's National Oil Corporation (NOC).

In the longer term, Iran's offer on the oil market may also increase if the incoming US administration pursues a policy of detente with Tehran and relaxes sanctions.

That would lead hundreds of thousands of barrels coming on to the market, exerting a fresh downward pressure on prices.

Friday, 4 December, 2020

06 COMMENT

Blasé about bugs

After Trump, Biden An altogether different President

P

AKiSTAN-US relations have always been complicated, but vital for both. With President Trump handing over power to President-elect Joe Biden next month, Pakistan needs to make a realistic assessment of where the two countries’ interests converge and where they differ. Pakistan is also required to decide how to deepen the understanding and reduce the differences. The sooner the government changes the facile views on relations with the US under Biden, as expressed

by Foreign minister Shah mahmood Qureshi, the better.

According to mr Qureshi, Pakistan had good ties with the USA during mr Trump’s tenure and islamabad was optimistic about friendly relations with the Biden Administration. The change in Presidency will not affect the ties. mr Biden would discard mr Trump’s policy of ‘USA first’. He would instead try to regain world leadership with China emerging as a serious contender. mr Biden is likely to boost india as a regional counterbalance to China. it suits Pakistan economically and strategically to remain committed to strong friendship with China and implement the CPeC, but also to strive for good relations with the USA. Unlike his predecessor, mr Biden would insist during the ongoing intra-Afghan talks on ensuring human rights, particularly equal rights for women and an end to terrorism. He will like Pakistan to support it in letter and spirit. it was during the Obama administration, with mr Biden as Vice President, that Pakistan faced the worst drone attacks conducted to take out terrorist groups in Pakistan, leading mr imran Khan to block NATO traffic in KP. The attacks however continued till the USA took out Taliban chief mullah mansour in the last year of the Obama Administration. The Abbottabad attack that killed Osama Bin laden is a grim reminder of the US commitment to end terrorism. if conditions attached to the Kerry-lugar Bill are an indicator, the Biden Administration is likely to remain committed to democracy in Pakistan with civilian supremacy ensured. The conditions are likely to be attached to any assistance─ military, financial or political ─ provided to Pakistan. The way former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently defined ‘deep state’ with special reference to Pakistan leaves much for mr Khan to ponder.

President-elect Biden would like to have good relations with Pakistan which suits both the countries, but would require certain actions by Pakistan that remain to be taken.

Tapping phones needs a warrant At Penpoint M A NIAZI

P

rime minister imran Khan probably did not intend to shed the light he did on the operations of the intelligence Bureau or the inter-Services intelligence when he said that “The iSi and iB know whatever i do and whoever i talk to on telephone.” However, he did, telling the intelligence communities of the world that these organisations were dealing with domestic politics, in addition to, or to the exclusion of, their original mandates. it will be of some interest to learn that intelligence agencies usually observe a strict distinction between domestic and foreign operations. The USSr’s mVD (later NKVD) operated abroad, and the mGB (later the notorious KGB) operated at home. Similarly, in the USA, the CiA is forbidden by law from operating in the USA, while the FBi is forbidden from operating abroad.

Operations should not be confused with intelligence or information. The CiA, for example, might get information about foreign spies in the USA, but it would not arrest them. it would pass on the information to the FBi, which would mount the operation to prevent the espionage, down to tapping telephones or bugging any conversations. imran’s justification, that even the CiA listened in on the US President, for security reasons, is thus incorrect (not that his word can be taken on anything, not after the way he once put Japan on the German border). The CiA would be unable to get a warrant for a wiretap for the Presidency, as it is not allowed to operate within the USA. As a matter of fact, the FBi would not do this. The responsibility for the President’s security (as with that of former presidents, serving and past vice-presidents, presidential and vice-presidential candidates, and their families) is with the Secret Service. The Secret Service is still formally on the books of the Treasury Department. (Originally, it was set up in 1865 to trace and capture counterfeiters, and was detailed to guard the President as well only in 1901, after the assassination of President William mcKinley. it’s still responsible for tracing counterfeiters and investigating financial cybercrimes).

However, that example does highlight an important point. The Secret Service can also tap phones, for security purposes, but it can only do so by obtaining a warrant. That means convincing a judge that there is reasonable cause to presume that the tap will lead to evidence about an offence. The applicant must also show that he is legally authorized to investigate, which means that the tap would require that the application be made by someone from the

Provincial status for Gilgit-Baltistan PM should only make promises he can keep

P

rime minister imran Khan has promised the Gilgit-Baltistan Cabinet that the federal government will begin work on granting it provisional provincial status for its uplift on par with other provinces. He was addressing its members after their having taken oath of office. Provincial status was a major issue during the recent campaign, and figured along with development issues during the recent election which mr Khan’s party won handily. mr Khan did make a gesture to welfare by announcing that health coverage would extend to Gilgit-Baltistan.

Though Gilgit-Baltistan is still officially a federally administered area, the very existence of an elected government shows that the movement to full provincial status was underway. However, full provincial status, even provisional, would entail participation in both Houses of Parliament. That would require constitutional amendments. That would mean obtaining the cooperation of the opposition. Why that should be given, with mian Nawaz Sharif being declared a proclaimed offender, apart from other opposition figures in custody, and the only tangible result being to give Gilgit-Baltistan Senate seats at a time when the PTi has a majority in the Gilgit-Baltistan legislative Assembly, which will elect them, is something that mr Khan may know, but no one else. if it is only a matter of giving the Gilgit-Baltistan government greater powers, that is easily done by issuing another presidential order, the means used to set it up in the first place.

The status of Gilgit-Baltistan is of deep concern to its people. However, no one should raise their hopes only to dash them with a failure to keep promises. it is one thing for a Prime minister to say that he thinks Gilgit-Baltistan deserves provisional provincial status, and another to say his government will work for this. The former will represent a target, the latter a commitment. mr Khan has said that a committee would be set up to work on this, within a timeframe. He did not mention the timeframe, indicating that he himself may not have set a target. Now that mr Khan has made a commitment, he has assigned himself the duty of ensuring that the opposition will join in support of this measure.

The question of prosperity What makes a country prosperous?

ZubAIr AlI SooMro

G

AllOPiNG economic woes, prejudice, injustice, poverty, low literacy rate, gender disparity and poor women’s rights, deteriorating health system, corruption, nepotism, terrorism, political instability, insecure property rights, looming energy crisis and various other similar hindrances constrain any state or country to be considered retrograde. Here questions arise that how do these obstacles arise? How do they affect the prosperity of any country? No history, geography, or culture spawns them. Simply the answer is institutions that a country possesses. institutions fall into two types: inclusive and extractive. inclusive political institutions make power broadly distributed in the country or state and constrain its arbitrary exercise. Such political institutions also make it harder for others to usurp rights and undermine the cornerstone of inclusive institutions, which create inclusive economic institutions that feature secure property rights, an unbiased system of law, and a provision of public services that provide a level playing field in which people can exchange and contract; it also permits the entry of new businesses and allows people to choose their career. On the contrary, extractive political institutions accord clout in the hands of a narrow elite and they have few constraints to exert their clout and engineer extractive economic institutions that can specifically benefit a few people of the ruling elite or a few people in the country. inclusive institutions are proportional to the prosperity and social and economic development. many countries in the world are great examples of this. Taking North and South Korea; both countries gained their sovereignty in same year, 1945, but they adopted different ways to govern themselves. North Korea, under the stewardship of Kim il-Sung, established a

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

Umar Aziz

Asher John

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Deputy Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

Though those recordings formed part of the evidence in the Watergate impeachment proceedings, there were no CiA recordings summoned in the recent Trump impeachment proceedings, which were based on a phone call to the Ukrainian President.

The only recording of the call was made by the Secret Service. This naturally raises the question of White House, and stored there. who gave permission for the Pm House phones to However, in Pakistan, the intelligence agencies be bugged. it also raises the question of how anyone have got involved in political monitoring. in the is allowed to tap any phone. Or do we have a sepa- 1970s, all agencies were tasked with estimating rerate law for the Third World, with certain organisa- sults. That meant monitoring political figures. it may tions allowed to tap anyone’s phone? also be remembered that Ayub Khan used the iB, Apart from that, tapping is an invasion of privacy. where his brother had become DG. The question further arises as to who else is tapped.

There is a problem with the admission. Both oris it a fair estimate that other Cabinet ministers are ganisations report to the Pm. So who do they report being tapped? imran seems to know more than he dis- the results of their tapping? Who else do they tap? it closed, because he had earlier remarked that mian transpired during the judges’ crisis caused by Pervez Nawaz Sharif had reason to musharraf’s dismissal of fear the iSi because the latter Chief Justice iftikhar knew about his corruption. muhammad Chaudhry, that Thus, in imran’s world, the the phones of Supreme Pm’s phone is routinely The problem is that Mian Court judges’ residences tapped, and mian Nawaz’s tapped. This was Nawaz Sharif, desperate and were corruption was caught, but strongly resented by both his wasn’t, because of his Bench and Bar, even though, with nothing more to lose, squeaky clean and honest. to adopt imran’s argument, has been attacking the However, the tapping contheir honesty could thereby tinues, which he is OK with. be proved. agencies directly, and it seems that the practice The only Pm said to is a holdover from Benazir’s mentioned the DG ISI by have been a spy on his own 1988 assumption of the ofcountry was Australia’s name. Imran has ended up fice. The establishment asHarold Holt, whose mystesumed she was a security rious drowning in 1967 playing Nawaz’s game, for risk. However, there is a was alleged by some to his rebuttals are doing clear assumption that the Pm have been faked, to cover does not control either the iB him being picked up by a something that intelligence or the iSi, though both are Chinese submarine and supposed to report to him. agencies hate: have a taken to Beijing. None of However, the iSi is not only the allegations against Bespotlight shined on them. He nazir Bhutto accused her of headed by a serving lieutenant-general, but has a has also been making public spying for any country. The large number of officers idea of the Pm being monmore of their tradecraft than itored is mind-boggling, from the armed forces on deputation there. Though the but can be seen to fit in they are comfortable with.

DG iSi may control the with the suspicions of inACrs these officers take telligence agencies, defrom the organization, it is scribed by the legendary the services which decide on chief of CiA Counterinteltheir promotions. Officers will also be repatriated to ligence from 1954 to 1975, James Jesus Angleton, their services after their tour of duty in the iSi. The iB as a wilderness of mirrors’. intelligence outfits do is usually manned at the senior levels by PSP officers, not trust anyone. However, they are not meant to which makes it more civilian, but it should be noted prevent the government from carrying out its own that the PSP is a uniformed service, and though not secret initiatives. military, provides an interface. it gained a more miliThe problem is that mian Nawaz Sharif, despertary colour in the 1970s, when numerous field-grade ate and with nothing more to lose, has been attacking military officers were inducted into the PSP to provide the agencies directly, and mentioned the DG iSi by the manpower that would combat the Baloch insur- name. imran has ended up playing Nawaz’s game, for gency of that era. his rebuttals are doing something that intelligence The Watergate scandal in the Nixon years re- agencies hate: have a spotlight shined on them. He vealed that Presidents themselves had begun has also been making public more of their tradecraft recording not just phone calls, but live conversa- than they are comfortable with. He should also realize tions. This was not supposed to be for any agency, that the comfort he shows at having his phones but because the President himself wanted those tapped is confirmation of the opposition narrative that tapes, which were to be stored in his presidential li- the establishment backs him. brary. Those tapes proved an embarrassment for Nixon, and his successors ended the practice.

The writer is a member of staff.

I

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

I

dictatorship by 1947, and rolled out a rigid form of centrally planned economy as part of the so-called Juche idea; private property was outlawed, markets were banned, and freedoms were curtailed not only in marketplace but also in every sphere of North Korea’s life- apart from those who used to be part of the very small ruling elite around Kim il-Sung and later his son and his successor Kim Jong-il, and now his grandson Kim Jong-Un. Contrariwise, South Korea was led and its preliminary politico-economic institutions were orchestrated by the Harvard and Princeton-educated and staunchly anti-Communist Synghman rhee and his successor General Park Chung-Hee secured their places in history as authoritarian presidents, but both governed a market economy where private property was recognised. After 1961, Park effectively took measures that caused the state to be behind rapid economic growth; he established inclusive institutions which encouraged investment and trade. South Korean politicians prioritised to invest in most crucial segment of advancement, that is education. South Korean companies were quick to take advantage of the educated population; the policies encouraged investment and industrialisation, exports and the transfer of technology.

South Korea quickly became a “miracle economy” and one of the most rapidly growing nations of the world. Just in 50 years there was conspicuous distinction between both countries, not because of their culture, geography, or history but only due to the institutions both countries had adopted. moreover, another model to gauge role of institutions in prosperity is comparison of Nogales, bordering cities in the USA and mexico. The citizens of the Nogales in Arizona, the USA, earn a handsome annual income; they are highly educated; they possess an upto-the-mark health system with life expectancy high by global standards; they are facilitated with better infrastructure, a low crime rate, the privilege to vote and safety of life. By contrast, people in the mexican Nogales earn one-third of the annual income of their counterparts in the US Nogales; they have a low literacy rate, high rate of infant mortality; they have roads

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

I

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

I

in bad condition, law and order in worse condition, a high crime rate and corruption. Here also the institutions formed by the Nogales of both countries are the main reason for the differences in economic prosperity on the two sides of the border.

Similarly, Pakistan tackles with issues of institutions. mostly, pro-colonial countries are predominantly inheritors of extractive politico-economic institutions, and colonialism is perhaps germane to Pakistan’s tailoring of institutions. regretfully, Pakistan is inherited with colossally extractive institutions at birth. The new elite, comprising the civilian-military complex and a handful of aristocrats, has managed to prolong the colonial-era institutional legacy, which has led Pakistan to political instability; consequently, political instability begot inadequacy of incentives which are proportional to the retrogradation of the country.

A recent research on economic Freedom of the World (WeF) by the Fraser institute depicts that the countries with inclusive institutions and most economic freedom are more developed and prosperous than the least economic free countries; countries were divided into four groups. Comparing most free quartile and least free quartile of the countries, the research showed that the most free quartile earns even nine times more than the least free quartile; has double the political and civil rights; has three times less gender disparity than least free quartile; and a mximum life expectancy of 79. 40 years, compared to 65.20. To conclude this, the economic freedom is sine quo non for any country to be prosperous, and economic freedom comes from inclusive institutions. Pakistan has managed to get a place in the least free quartile. in a nutshell, institutions play a pivotal role in prosperity and advancement, and are a game-changer for any country. Thereby, our current government should focus on institutions rather than other issues, so that Pakistan can shine among the world’s better economies.

For accomplishing this highly necessary task government should take conducive measures right now.

The writer is a freelance columnist.

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Friday, 4 December, 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

The flaws in our education system

What Biden can do about the Israeli-Palestinian mess Steps have to be taken

Washington Watch Dr JAMeS J Zogby

I

F finding a resolution to the israeli-Palestinian conflict weren’t difficult enough, the Trump Administration and the Netanyahu government seem hell bent on making this already bad situation even worse. Sensing that the Trump era will soon be over, members of his team and the israelis are racing against the clock to implement new “facts on the ground” that will, they hope, permanently alter the political landscape in israel’s favor. in just the last month, israel: -announced plans to add 1,257 settlement housing units– located on Palestinian land in an area that would permanently severe Bethlehem from Jerusalem; -announced another 4,948 settlement units, most between ramallah and Nablus, thickening the settler presence in the heart of the West Bank, further impeding Palestinian movement northward; - demolished entire Palestinian villages and seized Palestinian homes and properties in areas israel covets for expansion and control– in Jerusalem, the Jordan Valley, and the northern West Bank; -stepped up demolition of european Unionfunded projects (schools, field hospitals, etc.) serving Palestinians; and -announced a plan to “legalize” 1700 settlement units that were previously built without permits, while proceeding to demolish Palestinian homes that were also built without permits.

During this same period, the Trump Administration: -took steps to further legitimize the israeli occupation by announcing that henceforth US assistance to israel could be earmarked for West Bank settlements. This announcement came during the US Ambassador to israel’s visit to Ariel – a controversial colony in the heart of the West Bank; - had Secretary of State mike Pompeo make a formal visit to a West Bank settlement– a first for a US Secretary of State, at which time he announced that products made in israeli settlements could be sold in the US labeled “made in israel;” and - in an effort to silence critics of israel, Pompeo also announced plans to designate the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement anti-Semitic and to call respected human rights groups “anti-Semitic”– since both have been critical of israel’s violations of Palestinian human rights.

All of these moves combined serve to

deepen israeli control over the occupied territories - a form of “creeping annexation.” And the Trump Administration’s changes in policy toward Jerusalem, israel’s entire settlement enterprise, and the changed nomenclature now used describe the occupied lands amount to recognizing israeli sovereignty in those territories thereby implementing the underpinnings of the “Deal of the Century.”

All of this puts the incoming Biden Administration in a bind because the damage now being done is real and will make their pledge to return to the status quo ante more difficult to achieve. Additionally, while Joe Biden, most of the US Congress, and much of the world community continue to pledge allegiance to the “two-state solution,” that hill has now become significantly harder to climb.

Blame for this state of affairs belongs to successive US Administrations, all of whom have been, in varying degrees, complicit in israel’s acquisitiveness. For decades, the USA turned a blind eye or neglected to take effective measures to restrain israel’s settlement expansion in Palestinian lands. They sinned by omission. The prosettlement agenda pursued by the Trump Administration, however, has amounted to a more grievous sin of commission.

The past two decades of failed policies created a number of deformities that make the future of a two-state solution difficult to even envision. The territories that were to have been dedicated to the future Palestinian State have been cut into pieces by settlements, infrastructure, and Jewish-only roads connecting them to each other and israel proper.

Years of enabling and coddling settlement enterprise has so emboldened israeli hardliners that politics in that country have moved dramatically rightward while shrinking the size of the peace camp to a tiny fraction of israel’s political map. As a result, it is impossible to see how any coalition government could emerge in coming years that would be willing to make peace with Palestinians that would include a sovereign, contiguous, and viable Palestinian State.

At the same time, the USA’s acquiescence to israel’s disgraceful, abusive treatment of the Palestinians weakened the credibility of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, while empowering and emboldening Hamas’ consolidation of power in the Gaza Strip. And finally, the erratic, often incoherent, and always pro-israel US policies toward the israeli-Palestinian conflict discredited the US role as the main party responsible for achieving a just peace. This is true not only for the Palestinians, but for much of the world community, as well.

These, then, are the main challenges to a resolution of the israeli-Palestinian conflict that will confront the incoming Biden Administration. They must address: the territorial, political, and economic issues created by israel’s massive settlement expansion; the consolidation of power by the far right in israel; the dysfunctiontrust in the USA’s discredited “go it alone” approach to peacemaking.

What follows are some steps the Biden Administration could take to begin to set things right. As a first step, it must put muscle behind the Democratic party platform pledges to oppose israeli settlement construction and any moves toward annexation. To ensure that the US opposition is seen as credible, the new Administration will need to revisit the country’s reluctance to hold israel accountable for any violations. This

will inevitably require a reassessment of the platform’s rejection of conditioning US assistance that is used in any expansionist activities.

The Biden team must rescind the Trump Administration’s refusal to call the territories “occupied.” This must include not only the West Bank and Gaza Strip, but what israel refers to as east Jerusalem. They must also reverse Secretary Pompeo’s recent changes in long-standing US policy by rejecting that notion that US assistance to israel can be spent in the occupied lands or that settlement products can be labeled “made in israel.” And, in line with their platform pledge to protect free speech, the Biden team must rescind the blanket designation of BDS as anti-Semitic.

The Biden platform also calls for several steps that will be supportive of Palestinians which should be enacted as soon as possible. These include pledges to restart aid to the Palestinians and UNWrA, to take the steps needed to reopen the Palestinian mission in Washington, and to reopen the USA’s east Jerusalem Consulate. This reopening would best be coupled with the insistence that Palestinians from across the West Bank be allowed unimpeded access to the Consulate’s services and that it is the US intention that the Consulate will one day serve as its embassy to the future State of Palestine. And the Biden Administration should make it clear that it will apply internationally recognized human rights standards to israeli behaviour in the occupied territories, calling out israel for home demolitions, land seizures, acts of collective punishment, and other violations of individual and communal rights.

Finally, given the Biden Administration’s intention to reengage in multinational efforts to address the environment, health, nuclear weapons, and trade, it would be wise to take a multilateral approach to israeli-Palestinian peace-making. it could, for example, use the 30th anniversary of the madrid Peace Conference to restart israeliPalestinian peace talks. The support of the four Arab countries that now have peace agreements with israel should be enlisted to assist. The Biden effort should also work to empower the Quartet approach to mediation - but without the USA dominating the process. if such actions were taken by the Biden Administration, it might begin to alter the dynamics on the ground in the israeli-Palestinian arena by helping end the current sense of impunity in israel, while breathing new life into the dormant israeli peace camp, thus creating a much-needed debate about the future of peace with the Palestinians.

Positive Biden moves toward the Palestinians would also serve to rebuild the credibility of the Palestinian Authority and give hope to the Palestinian people that the USA will stand with them in defense of their political and human rights. And by taking a multilateral approach, the Biden Administration would help to restore confidence both in peace-making efforts and in the role of the US as a trusted partner in international affairs.

We should, however, have no illusion that the road forward will be swift and easy, even with all of the steps outlined here. Cleaning up the mess left by decades of neglect and four years of Trump will not happen overnight. it will take time for attitudes to change and hope to be rekindled. But we can be certain that if bold steps are not taken, then we are, for sure, on the downward slope to consolidating an Apartheid reality and continued oppression that will inevitably lead to bloodshed.

Dr James J Zogby is President, Arab American Institute.

eDUCATiON is a tool which provides people with knowledge, skills, techniques, informations, enables them to know their rights and duties towards the globe. Unfortunately, the current education system is deeply flawed and spoiled. Today’s educational system’s strive to approach lack of awareness towards the students, where life is causing more mental damage than good. mainly, governmental schools are failed away from the true focus of education. Besides this, if one over glances the foriegn countries, are replacing great teaching methods with magnificent assignments for their students and sublime expertise of knowledge. But here students are not given possibilities to explore their interest deeply, as they are forced to follow an extremely structured course. lack of proper educational systems considered nothing. No doubt, the weakened students satisfied for the unprofessionalized techniques. The second phase of coronavirus more scared everyone where Federal minister of education announced that institutions stay closed from 11th January. Students are pleased the closure of institutions. in fact, they are not focusing their careers which sign of impairment. it is humble request to the government of Balochistan, to take a serious action with solution.

SaghEEr ahmEd LaL TurbaT

Restrictions with online learning WiTH the advent of the second wave of COViD-19 pandemic the government and concerned authorities decided closure of the educational institutions and pushed to the new avenues of learning. Unfortunately, in countries like Pakistan online classes cannot be alternatives to the physical ones due to various factors like low internet connectivity and power load shedding.

The education system of the whole country has been moved to digital learning. High speed internet connectivity is must to meet the requirements of online classes. many of the backward areas of Pakistan especially Balochistan and Sindh’s villages are deprived of internet service. And where there are good internet connections, there are excruciating problems of electricity. Days are gone when pen and books were thought to be necessary tools for learning, nowadays internet and electricity are imperative for studying and schooling. electricity is the basic necessity for online classes.

Without it we can’t use Wi-Fi and charge our devices—so how can we take online classes with out the elementary facility of electricity?

Before taking such decisions the government should have thought of the backward areas as well. At the time, the high class students were taking online classes easily whereas the students of primitive areas are confronting many troubles and difficulties. either the government should put a stop to online classes or ensure the connectivity of internet and electricity and in all retrograde areas.Technology is challenging and destruction for children. its hard to control yourself when you got addicted to it. Students are non-serious, they use social media and play games while online classes i had seen myself. instead of digital learning, we can call students physically in terms of groups. One group one day other group other day, wouldn’t it be a perfect solution? muzaffar KhoSo SuKKur

Afghanistan car bombing A car bombing in the Afghanistan’s central province of ghazni killed at least 30 Afghan security force members on Sunday , officials said, and casualties could increase given the intensity and location of the blast. and Baz mohammad Hemat, director of the province hospital in Ghazi said30 bodies and 24 injured people had been transported there. it damaged civilian residences around the compound. At least30 policemen were killed and over 20 others injured in a suicide car bomb blast was there Sunday.

Terrorists have no religion. Pakistan and Afghanistan must work together to eradicate Terrorist from their roots. raziq baLoch abSor

India unmasked We have unmasked india umpteen times, we have told the international community about the terrorist activities which india has been engaging against us through different means from time to time without any abetment. Although the adversary’s principle objective is axiomatic, yet its identity and tactics are not clear. When Pakistan successfully shields its fault lines, the enemy creates another. in this kind of war, nation’s morale is hurt, nation’s narrative is impaired and sensitivities are injured. Such methods of war work like a poison and result in losses of all interests of the target nation. Now, from the diplomatic perspective, amid all the turbulence one aspect that has retained the stamp of permanence has been its unrelenting hostility towards Pakistan and its tasteful desire to form a trouble across the western border.

The image able conclusion that can be drawn is the ill will of india for Pakistan, especially of the Bharatiya Janata Party not being transformed into a good will, not possible until india is under Narendra modi, whenever india can generate throes for us it has done so and continued to do so.

The situation is very problematic and india definitely will not stop its black aims in Pakistan in fact they will try more adventurous and tricks therefore we have to think what strategy should be. let’s talk about another player in the region, everything is transpired in United States there is change of guard and new secretary has been picked by Joe Biden, there is sense in Pakistan that the new administration could be a little frank towards Pakistan and that could lead to some adventurism in india held Kashmir, there is degree of positive expectation that the Biden administration might be frank with us than Trump was in the beginning, whether it is Biden administration or Trump’s US will go by what they see as American interest on that particular day.

Shafi ahmEd Khowaja jaTi SujawaL

Friday, 4 December, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

The CovId vaCCIne arrIved quICkly – buT There's every reason To TrusT IT Guardian

M

CHarlotte SuMMerS

OsT of us have had endured some very dark days in 2020, whether trying to juggle working from home alongside schooling children, worrying about how to pay the bills as a consequence of unemployment or, like me, attempting to balance scientific research alongside clinical work in the fight against Covid-19. as a scientist, I firmly believe that scientific progress will provide the exit strategy from this pandemic. But I’ve often worried that we may not be able to achieve what’s needed to prevent the spread of this virus, or that doing so would take a very long time. never have I been happier to be proved wrong.

Britain is the first country to authorise emergency use of a vaccine for sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. so how did we get here so quickly? To gain the seal of approval from the Medicines and Healthcare Products regulatory agency, the UK body that makes sure medicines are safe, the vaccine, developed by Pfizer and BionTech, has been through three phases of clinical trials. In the third phase, it was administered to more than 43,000 volunteers with no serious safety concern.

The data shows that the vaccine is 95% effective at preventing the development of Covid, with similar efficacy observed across age, gender, race and ethnicity groups, including older adults.

The vaccine is a messenger rna (mrna) vaccine,

which stands for “messenger ribonucleic acid”. Messenger rna is essentially the blueprint that living cells use to turn gene sequences into the proteins that form their fundamental structures. Once injected, the mrna in the vaccine is translated into a viral protein, which our immune systems detect. The body generates an immune response in reaction to these viral proteins, which can’t by themselves cause disease, and this provides protection against developing Covid-19.

In the field of vaccine research, this kind of technology is entirely new. some scientists were sceptical that mrna vaccines could provide the key to controlling this pandemic. But mrna vaccines are surprisingly straightforward: they’re just a smart way of getting a viral protein to generate an immune response, and after a few days the mrna is degraded by the body, leaving behind only immunity to Covid.

To generate a good immune response, two doses of the vaccine will be given 21 days apart, with recipients protected from about a week after their second dose. To avoid unnecessary delays the MHra, with advice from the Commission on Human Medicines, the government’s independent expert scientific advisory body, has undertaken a rigorous “rolling review” of data about the vaccine as it became available from continuing studies. This showed the vaccine was safe, and it has been approved for use in the UK population as of next week.

The European commission had recommended that member states wait for approval from the European Medicines agency (EMa) before authorising the vaccine, which is expected to arrive later in December. But despite the claims of some ministers that Brexit played a role in the UK’s ability to quickly approve the vaccine, this isn’t true: under EU law, national agencies in Europe are permitted to use emergency procedures allowing them to domestically distribute a vaccine for temporary

use. The MHra, which is considered the world leader in the regulation of medicines and vaccines, confirmed this in a recent statement.

The UK has already purchased 40m doses of the vaccine, with 800,000 due to be rolled out to some of the most vulnerable people in our society through a network of more than 50 hospitals. The nHs and government departments have been working on the logistics of the programme for some time. First in line to receive the vaccine are people most at risk of mortality and morbidity from Covid-19.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) issued a revised vaccine priority list on 2 December, based on the phase of the pandemic we’re in. The JCVI has determined that the best strategy is for older adults – especially those in care homes and their carers, as well as frontline health and social care workers – to be the top priority in the first phase of the vaccination programme. Clinically extremely vulnerable adults, many of whom have spent this year shielding indoors, have been moved higher up this list since the JCVI’s last guidance was published, and will now be fourth in line to receive the vaccine.

Once the most vulnerable people have been vaccinated, the plan is to vaccinate those who are at increased risk of exposure to Covid-19 because of their jobs, such as first responders, teachers, transport workers and the military. This phase of the programme may alter over time as more data and information becomes available about the impact of the pandemic and the vaccine.

The greatest remaining challenge is whether we are all willing to accept and trust the vaccine. some worry that, in order to have made a vaccine so fast, corners must have been cut. But they really haven’t been. Others have been concerned that mrna vaccines represent a new technology that could potentially alter the Dna of the recipient – again, this is untrue.

It’s certainly the case that vaccines have taken years

to develop in the past, but most of that time was often not spent undertaking clinical trials, but raising the money for trials to take place, negotiating contracts and applying for regulatory approval. Historic vaccine trials have rarely taken place during a pandemic like this one, while millions of people are being exposed to infection on a daily basis and thousands of them are keen to participate in trials.

Despite the many horrors of 2020, there have been benefits – we have learned that if you divert an almost limitless amount of funding and focus a large proportion of the world’s scientists, regulatory bodies and other critical infrastructure towards a single endeavour, you can achieve extraordinary things very fast. For me, the question is not how have we managed to achieve a vaccination for Covid-19 in such a short period of time, but rather: why have we not yet managed to make the same impact on diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV and malaria, which have been killing millions of people for many years? and what could happen if we turned this urgent global effort towards the other challenges we face – such as environmental breakdown, or the insidious creep of antimicrobial resistance?

Much as we hate to admit it, humans are not entirely rational creatures. Many of our fears about vaccines will not be abated by people presenting us with scientific data.

We make decisions like this based largely on whether we trust the advice we are being given. I could deluge you with research data about why the vaccine is safe, but I suspect the most useful thing that medics and scientists can do is to urge people to say yes to the vaccine when it is offered. and when my turn comes, you will find me waiting impatiently in the queue for my vaccination.

Dr Charlotte Summers is a lecturer in intensive care medicine at the University of Cambridge.

How Biden can avoid traps laid by opponents of the Iran nuclear deal BIDEN NEEDS TO REVIVE THE JCPOA, REMOVE IRAN’S REVOLUTIONARY GUARD FROM THE US TERROR LIST, AND LIFT THE SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN’S HIGH OFFICIALS

Middle east eye

I

Seyed HoSSein MouSavian

ran’s top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, was assassinated last week. Three unidentified american officials told the new York Times that Israel was behind Fakhrizadeh's assassination during an ambush near Iran’s capital, Tehran.

Just a few days prior to the assassination, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin netanyahu, the crown prince of saudi arabia, Mohammed bin salman, and Us secretary of state Mike Pompeo held a secret nighttime rendezvous in the middle of the arabian desert to push for covert operations and tightening of economic sanctions during President Donald Trump’s final weeks in office, the Israeli sources revealed.

In the years before the Joint Comprehensive Plan of action (JCPOa) was signed, Israel engaged in gruesome acts of terror, assassinating five Iranian nuclear scientists who are now Iran’s revered martyrs. Those included: ardeshir Hosseinpour, Masoud alimohammadi, Majid shahriari, Darioush rezaeinejad, and Mostafa ahmadi roshan. Israel also attempted to assassinate Fereydon abbassi, Iran’s head of the atomic agency, but it failed. second to the assassination of Major-General Qassem soleimani last January, this latest killing is the most grotesque and inhumane use of violence against Iranian officials in the post-JCPOa era. not only was Fakhrizadeh a major nuclear scientist, but he also played a crucial role in developing domestic Covid-19 test kits and vaccines to help the country deal with the pandemic.

The timing of this assassination is not coincidental. Us President-elect Joe Biden has announced that his administration would return to the JCPOa. "I will offer Tehran a credible path back to diplomacy. If Iran returns to strict compliance with the nuclear deal, the United states would rejoin the agreement as a starting point for follow-on negotiations," Biden stated. The goal of the attack was to stymie this policy. Equally importantly, Iranian President Hasan rouhani said that solving the problems between Iran and

the Us "will be very easy" if the Biden administration makes efforts to return to the situation that existed prior to 20 January 2017, when Trump was sworn in as the new Us president. rouhani added that "Iran's policy has been to meet obligations with obligations, actions with actions and de-escalation with de-escalation."

Iran’s supreme Leader ayatollah Khamenei, however, has taken a different position: "by negotiating for a few years, we tried but to no use". This statement clearly demonstrates that the supreme leader is extremely suspicious that negotiations will ever bode well for Iran. The Trump administration’s withdrawal from the JCPOa and crimes such as the assassination of soleimani and Fakhrizadeh are further testament that the supreme leader’s views on this matter are more realistic than those of rouhani. While both the United states and Iran face tremendous domestic obstacles in reviving the JCPOa, the "return to Iran deal" policy as proposed by Biden has terrified both netanyahu and MBs to the effect that they had to get together in an unprecedented meeting in saudi arabia.

To be sure, they have done what they could and will continue to do so to prevent the Biden administration from rejoining the JCPOa. Fakhrizadeh's assassination was aimed at blocking Biden's stated intention of offering Iran "a credible path back to diplomacy" as a step toward the United states rejoining the nuclear accord.

It seems that Biden views the return to the JCPOa as a prelude to the broader process of negotiations with Iran on other issues such as ballistic missile capability and its role in the region. But Biden must pay attention to the realities of the Iranian political scene.

The Trump administration’s ill-advised policy of maximum pressure followed by the imposition of the toughest economic sanctions in modern history has left the Iranian people in the worst economic situation since the 1979 revolution. The upshot was an outright disappointment of the moderate forces with respect to negotiations with the United states. In the 2020 parliamentary elections, the Principalists (conservative) faction achieved an unprecedented victory by winning 221 out of 291 seats in the Iranian parliament.

Many reformist candidates were excluded by the Guardian Council. Hence, it is predictable that the next Iranian president is likely to be from the Principalist faction in the upcoming 2021 election.

While in Tehran, I got a chance to talk to some of the Principalists politicians about the Us election. They believe that republicans and Democrats are both after regime change in Iran; a Democratic administration is more complex and dangerous at the same time because, unlike Trump, it takes a multilateral approach to pressure Iran.

This makes it more challenging to work with such an administration. as a result, they believe Iran should eschew negotiating with the Biden administration on a whole host of issues including the JCPOa, ballistic missiles, regional issues and more. The inauguration of the new Us president

will coincide with the launch of candidates' presidential campaigning for Iran's upcoming election in June. It seems clear that by the time Biden is sworn into office, President rouhani will be in his final months of office. Expecting his administration to achieve any big deal with respect to UsIran relations is unrealistic, other than moving to revive the JCPOa. For the rouhani administration, reviving the JCPOa is as important as it is for Biden and his team. Let’s not forget that like Biden, his likely secretary of state Tony Blinken and national security chief Jake sullivan have been and remain strong supporters of the JCPOa, and even participated in its formation. Here, Biden should not lose sight of three key points.

SUSPEND THE SANCTIONS: First, for the remaining period of the rouhani administration, the Us return to the JCPOa should not be with pre-conditions and contingent on extending it to issues beyond Iran’s nuclear issue. such an approach will set back the negotiation process to revive the JCPOa, since containing the anti-american feelings among Iranians in the aftermath of the assassination of soleimani and Fakhrizadeh is no easy task. second, the JCPOa should be implemented comprehensively. When the JCPOa was signed, the Us primary sanctions hindered its correct implementation and precluded the full delivery of economic benefits to Iran.

Hence, in order for Iran, the Us and other world powers to fully comply with the terms and conditions of the JCPOa, the Us's primary sanctions should be suspended.

Third, regional issues such as conventional and unconventional arms should be addressed regionally, collectively through a multilateral approach. saudi arabia has Chinesemade missiles with a range of up to 5,000 kilometres in addition to a secret nuclear programme. Israel has its Jericho missile with a 5,000-kilometer range that can carry a oneton nuclear warhead and hundreds of nuclear weapons.

Western hue and cry is about the Iranian missiles with a maximum range of 2000 km and a nuclear programme with zero nuclear bombs.

WHAT SHOULD BIDEN DO? It is very likely that Iran’s next president-elect will be from the Principalists faction, which will then have a chance to create a unified government in Iran, given that the parliament is also dominated by the Principalists.

This united government led by Principalists will certainly have more decision-making autonomy because it is more trusted by Iran’s supreme leader. Moreover, the supreme leader is the ultimate decision-maker on foreign policy, and like the Us Central Command, the revolutionary Guard plays a key role on regional issues.

To open doors for engaging with the next Iranian administration on other issues beyond the nuclear question, Biden needs to revive the JCPOa, remove Iran’s revolutionary Guard Corps from the list of terrorist organisations, and abolish the sanctions against Iran’s high officials including Iran's supreme leader.

Seyed Hossein Mousavian is Middle East security and nuclear policy specialist at Princeton University and a former chief of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Relations Committee.

At pandemic speed

T

tiMes of india

HE UK has become the first country in the world to approve a fully tested Covid-19 vaccine, made jointly by the american pharma giant Pfizer and a smaller German firm BionTech, with inoculations expected to become available there from “next week”.

Pfizer has also applied for emergency authorisation in the Us, as has Moderna, another american company, which has co-developed its candidate with nIH. and in India sII, which has been testing the Oxford-astraZeneca vaccine, has said it will apply for an emergency approval in two weeks. This truly is vaccine development at “pandemic speed”, highlighting how governments and other stakeholders have indeed made fighting Covid the top priority. It is the lives and livelihoods being lost every hour every day that are pushing this warp speed. When the world is set for the worst recession since the Depression and the children are beginning to forget what school felt like, and the vaccine is the brahmastra to return us to normality, crunching everything from funding to regulatory approvals into almost unimaginable timelines is very sensible, perhaps even heroic. It must also be underlined that unlike China and russia which authorised the use of some vaccines without waiting for the results of phase-3 trials, the above mentioned projects have not skipped any of the necessary steps, and their findings have also been opened to independent verification. On adverse events, which are unexpected medical problems that occur during drug treatment, it must be understood that they are an unavoidable part of vaccine science. What is important is to identify whether there is a causal relationship between the vaccine agent and the adverse event, and to do this as per objective criteria. Of course even if the adverse event is found to be unconnected to the vaccine, it is important to fully take care of the concerned patient. This is basic bioethics. This is also essential to safeguard citizens’ faith in clinical trials, as well as continued participation in them. On all these complex issues, governments, regulators and vaccine makers must recognise the utmost importance of effective communication with the public.

Don’t let misinformation and distrust undermine the good work of science. Vaccine rollouts will of course usher in a new set of challenges. To make the best of the warp speed labours of the scientists, different levels of government in India must work together on businesslike plans to distribute vaccines right up to the panchayat level.

Friday, 4 December, 2020

BUSINESS 09

ECC aBoliShES PEak-hour ElECtriCity tariFF For induStry

corporate corner

ISLAMABAD

t

LAHORE: The new cohort of innovators and problem solvers join National Incubation Centre at LUMS in Lahore and BUITEMS in Quetta to reinforce startup ecosystem of Pakistan. PRESS RElEASE

STAFF REPORT

HE Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on Thursday approved the abolishment of Time-of-Use (ToU) tariff scheme for industrial consumers. The ECC meeting was chaired by Adviser to Prime Minister (PM) on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh in Islamabad, according a statement issued by the finance ministry.

Privatisation Minister Muhammadmian Soomro, Economic Affairs Minister Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, Adviser to PM on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, SAPM on Revenue Dr Waqar Masood, SAPM on Power Tabish Gauhar and Adviser to PM on Institu-

tional Reforms and Austerity Dr Ishrat Hussain were also present on the occasion. State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Dr Reza Baqir joined the meeting via video link.

During the meeting, the Power Division presented the case for abolishment of tariff scheme to spur industrial activity amid Covid-19 pandemic "by removing the distinction between the current system of peak and off-peak hours as part of the government industrial support package".

The underlying rationale is to incentivise industrial units to operate round the clock and produce greater output during testing times.

Consequently, the ECC accorded in-principle approval to a proposal regarding an amendment in the respective SROs, both for the XWDISCOS and KElectric, to charge off-peak rates against peak hours.

Fortnightly cotton output falls 37.6pc

market daily

PSX falls flat after range-bound session

LAHORE HASAAN NAQVI

KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Investors of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) endured a volatile session on Thursday, with the indices moving both ways in search of clear direction before closing flat.

Global equity markets also showed a mixed performance, whereas crude oil prices slipped lower from the previous close; WTI crude price falling 0.80pc to $44.92 while Brent crude price dropping 0.70pc to $47.92. "In contrast to this week's trend, the stock market moved within a narrow range on Thursday, as investors seemed confused over the worsening coronavirus situation in the country," a report issued by Arif Habib Ltd read. "Although cement and steel sectors saw cautious buying activity, selling pressure later in the day kept their movement in check."

SUMMARY: The benchmark KSE-100 Index started the day on a positive note, registering its intraday high at 42,412.51 (+385.13 points). However, it succumbed to selling pressure post afternoon, touching its day low at 42,009.30 (-18.08 points). The index finally settled higher by 20.34 points at 42,047.72. Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index gained 172.83 points to close at 68,022.37, while the KSE All Share Index ended flat (+1.72 points) at 29,409.49. The overall market volumes declined from 476.85 million shares in the previous session to 420.19 million shares (-12pc). Average traded value also dipped by 12pc, from $127.4 million to $112.5 million. TRG Pakistan Ltd (TRG -1.66pc), Maple Leaf Cement Factory Ltd (MLCF +1.00pc) and Aisha Steel Mills Ltd (ASL +5.75pc) topped the volume chart, exchanging 35.24 million shares, 30.97 million and 29.69 million shares, respectively. Sectors that kept the benchmark index afloat included fertilizer (+17.27 points), cement (+12.99 points) and technology & communication (+12.33 points). Among the companies, Systems Ltd (SYS +26.55 pts), Lucky Cement Ltd (LUCK +17.42 points) and MCB Bank Ltd (MCB +15.31 points) remained the top contributors. Adding 1.26pc to its cumulative market capitalization, the refinery sector ended as the session's top performer, with Attock Refinery Ltd (ATRL 1.24pc), National Refinery Ltd (NRL 7.50pc) and Pakistan Refinery Ltd (PRL 0.05pc) posting decent gains. Meanwhile, in a notification to the exchange, Agritech Ltd (AGL 3.19pc) informed that the company's urea plant has been shut down due to gas curtailment by the government for "winter load management". Also, Tri-Pack Films Ltd (TRIPF +3.69pc) announced that its Board of Directors has approved investment in a new Biaxially Oriented Poly Propylene (BOPP) film manufacturing line. "The project is estimated to cost Rs9 billion and will be financed with a mix of debt and internal cash generation with commercial production targeted in 2023."

The abolishment of peak and off-peak tariff structure would be implemented with effect from November 1 till April 30, 2021.

On Wednesday, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) had decreased industrial tariff by Rs4.96 per unit.

“NEPRA has ratified the government’s package for industrial consumers by deciding to decrease the electricity price for industries,” an insider had informed this scribe. “The government will grant Rs14 billion worth subsidy against this facility.”

However, electricity tariff for big industries will remain at Rs12.96 per unit.

It is pertinent to mention that Prime Minister Imran Khan had earlier announced to give 50pc concession to small industries over usage of additional electricity from November 1, 2020.

HYDERABAD: A potter arranges earthen pots after storing them in a clay oven at a factory in Hyderabad.

SECP approves framework for digital onboarding of investors ISLAMABAD TAIMOOR HASSAN

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has approved a framework to enable all Pakistani resident and non-resident investors to open online accounts in the capital market.

The new regime, that is part of SECP’s digital transformation agenda, allows investors to seamlessly open his or her account with a broker from anywhere in the country without the requirement of submitting any physical documents or visiting a broker.

The new hassle-free process will enable investors to carry out trade activities smoothly. However, to ensure maximum investor protection, an alternate online customer verification process has been introduced for opening online accounts. The verification will be conducted independently by the Centralised Know Your Customer (KYC) Organisation.

Profit has learnt that some bro-

kers are already taking investors onboard via digital accounts while many others are in the process.

In addition, the account opening process has also been made simpler by reducing the number of pages that investors need to sign.

The new account opening system, which can be opened for all types of accounts that brokers open, is a continuation of SECP’s reform agenda that aims at enhancing investor outreach, introducing digitisation and ensuring robust growth of the capital markets.

A sizable investor base is a crucial stepping stone for the development of any capital market and is, therefore, part of the major objectives of the SECP. It is expected that the new regime would revolutionise Pakistan’s capital markets and contribute significantly towards economic growth in the country by channelling investments and savings through the market.

Earlier on November 11, the SECP had acknowledged the criti-

cal need to formulate regulatory measures for the virtual industry.

According to the regulatory watchdog, a virtual asset is a digital representation of value that can be digitally traded, or transferred, and can be used for payment or investment purposes.

It said that even though the full-scale misuse of virtual currencies, provided the reluctance to regulate it, is unknown; however, its market value has been reported to exceed €7 billion worldwide.

After comparing the proposed framework for crypto assets in other countries, SECP was of the view that regulating this regime of digital finance will hike capacity in financial markets while allowing more liquidity flow in secondary markets of the country.

The SECP noted that whatever innovation it can bring to the financial sector can only be assessed if regulatory frameworks to protect investors and make larger financial inclusion a possibility are in place.

As many as 4.648 million cotton bales reached ginning factories across the country between November 16 and December 1, as compared to 7.448 million bales that reached the industries during the same period last year. According to figures shared by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners' Association (PCGA), a shortfall of 2.799 million cotton bales was recorded during the period under review, which was equivalent to a decrease of 37.59pc. In Punjab, 2.634 million bales had reached ginning factories as of December 1, which was 36.38pc less than last year's 4.141 million bales. Similarly, during the period under review, as many as 2.014 million bales reached ginning factories of Sindh against 3.364 million bales last year, registering a decline of 39.10pc. A total of 4.290 million knots of cotton reached factories across the country as of Dec 1, PCGA data showed. Out of 4.290 million cotton knots, the textile sector purchased 3.794 million, while exporters bought 0.045 million. It was further revealed that around 302 ginning factories remained operational in Punjab during the period under review, producing 2.418 million cotton knots, whereas 0.893 million cotton knots are still lying with ginners as unsold stock.

DISTRICT-WISE BREAKUP: As of Dec 1, ginners belonging to Multan district received 0.049 million cotton bales. Similarly, Lodhran received 0.027 million bales, Khanewal 0.291 million bales, Muzaffargarh 0.076 million, Dera Ghazi Khan 0.245 million, Rajanpur 0.077 million, Layyah 0.081 million, Vehari 0.1603 million, Sahiwal 0.147 million, Rahim Yar Khan 0.544 million, Bahawalpur 0.320 million and Bahawalnagar 0.670 million. In Sindh, Sanghar ginners received 0.776 million bales, Mirpur Khas 0.029 million, Nawab Shah 0.06 million, Noshero Feroze 0.181 million, Khairpur 0.198 million, Sukkur 0.326 million, Jamshoro 0.048 million and Hyderabad 0.147 million bales.

SBP reserves drop $305m to $13.1bn Foreign exchange reserves held by the central bank fell $305 million on a weekly basis, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Thursday. As per details, forex reserves held by the SBP were recorded at $13,110.9 million as on Nov 27, down 2.27pc compared with $13,415.5 million in the previous week. BUSINESS DESK

SBP sees significant growth in online transactions during July-Sept quarter KARACHI PPI

The State Bank of Pakistan on Thursday released its Quarterly Payment System Review (QPSR) report for the first quarter (July-September) of the current fiscal year (2020-21), depicting a strong growth in digital financial transactions across the country.

According to the report, digital payment transactions in Pakistan increased significantly during Q1FY21, largely due to facilitative measures taken by SBP. Growth in digital payment infrastructure as well as emergence of new payment aggregators also contributed to this growth.

Moreover, the increase reflected the changes in consumer’s preference for digital

CENTRAL BANK RELEASES QUARTERLY PAYMENT SYSTEM REVIEW, REPORTS 211PC YOY INCREASE IN MOBILE TRANSACTIONS AND 89PC YOY INCREASE IN INTERNET BANKING transactions amid Covid-19 outbreak.

As per the report, as many as 253.7 million e-banking transactions (Rs19 trillion) were made by customers during the period under review.

E-banking transactions comprise realtime online branches (RTOBs) transactions, ATM transactions, internet banking transactions, mobile phone banking transactions, ecommerce, point of sale, and call center/IVR

banking. Although RTOB transactions had a major share of e-banking transactions in terms of value, about 80pc, other types of transactions remained more than 83pc of the e-banking transactions in terms of volume.

During Q1FY21, the most promising uptake was seen in internet banking and mobile banking transactions, as the number of registered mobile phone banking users reached 8.9 million (41pc YoY) while the number of

CMYK

internet users touched 4.3 million (+26pc YoY). Accordingly, mobile banking transactions increased to 36.4 million, amounting to Rs908.7 billion (+139pc YoY in volume and +211pc YoY in value). Similarly, internet banking transactions increased to 18.9 million, amounting to Rs1.1 trillion during Q1FY21 (+55pc YoY in volume and +89pc YoY in value).

Another major avenue of e-banking transactions was through Point of Sale (POS), whereby people make transactions using credit or debit cards typically for shopping at markets. The number of transactions through POS machines that had declined sharply during Q3 and Q4 of FY20, owing to the closure of markets amid Covid19, recovered significantly in Q1FY21.

The number of transactions through POS were recorded at 16.8 million, amounting to Rs92.3 billion (+47pc in volume and +49pc YoY in value when compared with Q4FY20).

In addition to POS-based transactions, card-based transactions on e-commerce portals also followed a similar trend – a fall during Q3 and Q4 of FY20 due to Covid19 related decline in economic activity, and a recovery in Q1FY21. Such transactions were recorded at 3.9 million, amounting to Rs11.9 billion (+70pc YoY in volume and 27pc in value over Q4FY20).

Another reason behind this growth was the increase in the number of e-commerce transactions and their value, which grew by 77pc and 47pc, respectively, when compared with Q1FY20.

Friday, 4 December, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS

US to PUll StAff from BAghdAd EmBASSy AS gEnErAl SolEimAni’S dEAth AnnivErSAry nEArS WASHINGTON

Azerbaijan says 2,783 of its soldiers killed in Karabakh conflict MOSCOW AGENCIES

Azerbaijan said on Thursday that 2,783 of its soldiers were killed during its conflict with ethnic Armenian forces over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, and that more than 100 of its troops were still missing. Azerbaijan had until now not disclosed any of its military losses in the conflict that erupted on Sept. 27 and came to a halt on Nov. 10 when a Russian-brokered peace deal ushered in a ceasefire. Swathes of territory in Nagorno-Karabakh previously controlled by ethnic Armenians were handed over to Azerbaijan, whose forces had captured territory including areas that Baku lost in an earlier war in the 1990s. Armenia has not yet disclosed a final death toll for its military, but a health ministry official confirmed on Nov. 14 that 2,317 soldiers had been killed.

EU envoys hope for a Brexit trade deal in days, UK sees progress BRUSSELS

W

AGENCIES

ASHINGTON is set to pull diplomatic staff from its embassy in Baghdad in an effort to “minimise risk” as the oneyear anniversary of the US strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani approaches, according to several reports.

The drawdown comes amid heightened security concerns in Iraq, namely fears of upcoming attacks from militant groups looking to avenge Soleimani’s assassination last year, AFP, CNN and the Washington Post reported independently on Wednesday, citing American and Iraqi officials familiar with the move.

The officials offered few details about the partial withdrawal, saying only that it would be “slight” and “temporary,” with one indicating staff would return only after the death anniversary of the Iranian general.

Of the hundreds of diplomatic staff members stationed at the embassy, it is unclear how many will leave for the rollback.

“It's a minor drawdown based on security reservations from the US side. They could come back – it's just a security blip,” a senior Iraqi official told AFP on condition of anonymity, adding that the move did not signal any blow to the relationship between Baghdad

and Washington.

The State Department declined to confirm the reported “de-risking” operation, instead stating that it “continually adjusts its diplomatic presence at embassies and consulates throughout the world in line with its mission, the local security environment, the health situation, and even the holidays.” However, a spokesperson added that Ambassador Matthew Tueller remains in the country, and that the embassy would continue to operate.

US President Donald Trump has overseen a dramatic spike in hostilities with Iran since he took office

Moldova's incoming president stages protests in tussle over control of intelligence service

AGENCIES

European Union diplomats said on Thursday they hoped a Brexit trade deal with Britain could be agreed by Friday or at the weekend, and EU officials said negotiators were likely to review progress in the next two days. A British minister said he believed “good progress” was being made at talks but cautioned that London would not sign up to a deal that was not in its interest. Britain leaves the EU’s orbit on Dec. 31, when a transition period of informal membership ends following its official departure last January, and the sides are trying to secure a deal to govern nearly $1 trillion in annual trade. The suggestion by several officials in the EU that the negotiators will soon review overall progress is widely seen as a positive sign after weeks of impasse over three main issues -- fisheries, economic fair play and settling disputes. Three EU diplomats said they hoped the negotiators - the EU’s Michel Barnier and Britain’s David Frost - could seal a deal as soon as on Friday or at the weekend, signalling the next 24-48 hours will be crucial. The negotiators are seeking a deal to uphold free trade between Britain and the 27-nation EU from the start of 2021, but there have been several false dawns in recent months when talk of progress failed to lead to a deal. Failure to secure a deal would clog borders, worry financial markets and disrupt supply chains as the world tries to cope with the vast economic cost of the Covid-19 pandemic. “It’s the time to hold our nerve and trust (Barnier). And I believe if we do that, there’s a good chance that we can get a deal across the line in the next few days,” Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney told Ireland’s Newstalk Radio. “There will be no further extensions. There will be no extra time.”

DIFFERENCES: British Education Secretary Gavin Williamson mixed optimism and caution in comments to Sky. “I’m confident from what I hear that progress, good progress is being made but we’re going to do a deal that is right for Britain, if such a deal is available,” he said. “If such a deal isn’t available then we’re not going to sign up to something that is to our detriment.” Each side blames the other for the failure to secure a deal yet after months of talks. Coveney said he believed Britain wanted a deal but said Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government did not always act as if it did, citing planned finance legislation that would allow Britain to undercut parts of the 2020 Brexit divorce treaty. “That’s hardly consistent with a government that’s looking to build a positive partnership and a future relationship with its close neighbour in the EU,” Coveney said. An agreement means “finding a way to get a fair deal for both sides on fisheries, which has proven really, really difficult,” he said.

Thousands of supporters of Moldova’s incoming president Maia Sandu protested on Thursday against a move by parliament to rid her of control of the intelligence service weeks before she takes office.

Sandu, a former World Bank economist who favours closer ties with the European Union, defeated the pro-Moscow incumbent Igor Dodon in last month’s presidential election, but parliament is still dominated by Socialist party lawmakers aligned with Dodon.

The eastern European country of 3.5 million, where the West and Russia vie for influence, has been rocked in recent years by instability and corruption scandals, including the disappearance of $1 billion from the banking system.

Sandu has described the move to rid her office of control of the Information and Security Service as “an attempt to usurp power” and hobble her presidency.

“We got the vote of the people in the elections to punish the thieves, to return the stolen money to people,” she said at the protest rally.

“But the thieves got scared, they want to keep the old corruption schemes, they want to throw the voice of the people into a landfill.”

The Socialists argued that, since Moldova was a parliamentary republic, control over the intelligence service should be handed to parliament.

The Socialists have also drafted legislation that would give special status to the Russian language, which is widely spoken

alongside Romanian in the country that borders Ukraine and EU member state Romania.

Sandu’s supporters shouted “down with the mafia” and “down with Dodon”. Many wore masks due to the coronavirus pandemic. Inside parliament, proceedings were suspended after lawmakers from Sandu’s party, supported by others, blocked the central rostrum.

Sandu struck a conciliatory tone following her election victory and addressed supporters in Russian at the rally. But her call for Russian peacekeepers to withdraw from the breakaway region of Transdniestria prompted the Kremlin to warn it could lead to “serious destabilisation” this week. AGENCIES

in 2017, keeping up a steady stream of sanctions and warlike rhetoric which culminated in the General Soleimani assassination last year. Regional tensions spiked again on Friday after the murder of a prominent Iranian nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was targeted in an ambush by unknown assailants.

While Tehran has yet to formally pin blame on any foreign actor, Iranian officials have suggested American and Israeli involvement in the attack.

In retaliation for the US drone strike that killed General Soleimani – a beloved figure in Iran who led the country’s elite Quds Force – Tehran launched a barrage of rockets at two bases housing US troops in Iraq, reportedly inflicting brain injuries on dozens of soldiers. In the time since, Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have vowed further revenge, while the US military has repeatedly warned that Iraqi militias supported by Iran could carry out reprisals.

Washington threatened to pack up and close the Baghdad embassy following a string of rocket attacks near the mission earlier this year, blaming the blasts on Kataib Hezbollah, whose commander was killed alongside General Soleimani in the January 3 drone strike. Though the diplomatic pull-out never materialized, the Trump administration has continued to pressure the Iraqi government to rein in the groups since.

‘English health service looking at ways to deploy Pfizer vaccine in care homes’ LONDON AGENCIES

England’s National Health Service (NHS) is looking at ways to deploy Pfizer/BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine in care homes with the medical regulator, but there is no guarantee that it will happen, deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van-Tam said. “The NHS, the (medicine regulator) MHRA are working really hard, right now, to try and find a solution, so that we can get this into care homes if we possibly can,” Van-Tam told ITV’s “This Morning” programme in an interview on Thursday. “At this point, there is no absolute assurance of that, because... one thing we can’t do is... end up with a vaccine that’s been handled incorrectly, and then isn’t properly viable at the end of the distribution chain.”

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai denied bail after fraud charge HONG KONG AGENCIES

Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai was denied bail on Thursday on a charge of fraud related to the lease of a building that houses his Apple Daily, an anti-government tabloid.

Hong Kong authorities have intensified a crackdown on key opposition figures in the Chinese-ruled city since Beijing circumvented the local legislature and imposed sweeping national security legislation on the global financial centre on June 30.

While Lai’s fraud charge did not fall under the national security law, it marks the latest crackdown on pro-democracy figures in the former British colony, which was handed back to Beijing in 1997 with a promise of keeping its free-wheeling way of life for 50 years.

Critics say the law crushes freedoms enshrined under the “one country, two systems” formula, while supporters say it will bring stability after prolonged anti-China, pro-democracy protests last year.

Lai, an ardent critic of Beijing, was detained on Wednesday and the case has been adjourned until April, according to media.

On Wednesday, one of Hong Kong’s most prominent democracy activists, Joshua Wong, was jailed for more than 13 months for his role in an anti-government rally in 2019, the toughest and most high-profile sentencing of an opposition figure this year.

Lai, 73, and two senior executives of his company Next Digital, were charged on Wednesday on suspicion of concealing from and falsely representing the use of their office to their landlord, a public corporation set up by the Hong Kong government.

The charge stated they were not using the office space as permitted under the lease between 2016 to 2020, and had sub-let part of the premises, resulting in benefits to Apple Daily.

Reuters was not able to reach Lai or his lawyers for comment.

Next Digital, which suspended trading on Thursday morning, said in a statement it did not expect the charges to have an immediate impact on daily operations, as the

company is operated by a team of management personnel. Its shares will resume trading on Friday.

“This is about dirtying Jimmy up. It’s Beijing’s policing brought to Hong Kong,” Mark Simon, an associate of Lai, told Reuters.

Lai was arrested in August when about 200 police officers swooped on his offices. Hong Kong police later said they had arrested nine men and one woman for suspected offences including “collusion with a foreign country/external elements to endanger national security, conspiracy to defraud” and others.

Suspicion of colluding with foreign forces carries a maximum sentence of life in jail under the new security law. Lai has been a frequent visitor to Washington, where he has met officials, including U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to rally support for Hong Kong democracy, prompting Beijing to label him a “traitor”.

The security law was introduced on June 30 and punishes anything China considers subversion, secession, terrorism or collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison.

United States toughens visa rules for 'malign' Chinese Communist Party members: report U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has restricted travel to the United States by Chinese Communist Party members and their families, the New York Times newspaper reported on Thursday, a move China condemned as political oppression.

New rules issued on Wednesday limit the validity of travel visas for party members and families to one month and a single entry,

the paper reported here, citing people familiar with the matter.

Previously, party members, like other Chinese citizens, could obtain U.S. visitor visas of up to 10 years’ duration, it said.

“This clearly is an escalated form of political oppression towards China by some extreme anti-China forces in the U.S. who act out of intense ideological bias and a deeprooted Cold War mentality,” Chinese foreign

ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying responded at a news briefing on Thursday.

The NYT quoted a spokesman for the U.S. State Department as saying the move was a part of ongoing action to protect the United States from the Chinese Communist Party’s “malign influence”. The Department did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The Trump administration has sought to

cement the outgoing president’s tough-onChina legacy; relations between the world’s two largest economies have sunk to their lowest point in decades.

Washington and Beijing have clashed over China’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak, its tightening grip on Hong Kong, its disputed claims in the South China Sea, trade and accusations of human rights crimes in Xinjiang.

Last week, Reuters reported the United States was poised to add China’s top chipmaker SMIC and national offshore oil and gas producer CNOOC to a blacklist of alleged Chinese military companies, curbing their access to U.S. investors.

The new visa guidelines allow American officials to determine someone’s party status based on their application and interview, the paper reported. AGENCIES

Friday, 4 December, 2020

KanE WILLIaMson, ToM LaThaM PuT nEW ZEaLand In conTroL NEW ZEALAND 243 FOR 2 (LATHAM 86, WILLIAMSON 97*) VS WEST INDIES HAmILton

K

AGENCIES

ANE Williamson made smooth progress and Tom Latham was assured, as New Zealand ended a dominant first day on 243 for 2, having been put in to bat by Jason Holder on a pitch whose colour was indistinguishable from the outfield. The bowlers, particularly seamers, were expected to dominate. But the fans who came to the Seddon Park in Hamilton got to see a masterclass

from their national captain. It's a good thing New Zealand have managed their Covid-19 situation well enough to have mask-free attendances at the stadiums - properly appreciating a Williamson masterclass needs a free range of facial expressions. On losing the toss, Williamson said he would have bowled first. He then proceeded to show how Jason Holder's decision to bowl could be made irrelevant.

Williamson was within touching distance of a 22nd Test match century, having batted from the time he came in the middle as if he had been on a steady red-ball diet for months, instead of taking part in the most intense T20 competition in the world. He was batting on a serene 97 at stumps, having come in as early as the fifth over. That was the only period of play when West Indies were at parity with New Zealand. Debutant Will Young had been trapped in front by Shannon Gabriel a

Premier League, EFL agree £250-million virus rescue deal London AGENCIES

The Premier League and the English Football League on Thursday agreed a £250-million rescue package to ease the financial pressure on lower-league clubs during the coronavirus pandemic. The EFL said clubs in League One and League Two — the third and fourth tiers — would receive grants worth £50 million ($67 million). The Premier League will provide a further financial commitment to help the EFL secure a £200-million loan facility for clubs in the second-tier Championship. It follows months of negotiations between the two governing bodies. “Our over-arching aim throughout this process has been to ensure that all EFL clubs survive the financial impact of the pandemic,” said EFL chairman Rick Parry.

“I am pleased that we have now reached a resolution on behalf of our clubs and as we have maintained throughout this will provide much-needed support and clarity following months of uncertainty.”

IPL looks to add two new teams for 2021 nEW dELHI AGENCIES

The Indian cricket board will discuss adding two new teams to the Indian Premier League, the world’s richest T20 event, at its annual meeting this month, officials said Thursday.

Delayed three times this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, the latest IPL was finally played behind closed doors in the United Arab Emirates but still drew record television and digital viewer numbers. Arun Dhumal, treasurer of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), confirmed to AFP that adding two teams to the eight-team league was on the agenda for the December 24 annual meeting. “We will discuss it with the members and see what their views are and then take a call,” said Dhumal. The IPL has an estimated brand value of $6.8 billion and some of the games this year drew more than 200 million viewers in India alone. The teams spend huge amounts to bring the world’s best players for the tournament traditionally held between March and May. India captain Virat Kohli is said to have earned $2.3 million playing in 15 matches for Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Australian bowler Pat Cummins was the most expensive foreign player, costing Kolkata Knight Riders $2.1 million. According to reports, Indian conglomerates Adani Group and RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, which entered Rising Pune Supergiant for two IPL seasons, have shown interest in the new teams. Also on the agenda, seen by AFP, will be the BCCI’s stand on including cricket in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The International Cricket Council favours pushing for cricket to be an Olympic sport but the Indian board, the most powerful as it is the wealthiest, has been reluctant. Cricket featured at the 1900 Olympics and was part of the 1998 Commonwealth Games. Women’s Cricket will be part of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

ball after being reprieved with a dropped catch behind the stumps courtesy Shane Dowrich, and New Zealand were 14 for 1 in four overs. Thereafter, Latham and Williamson put on 154 runs for the second wicket to grind West Indies down. When Latham fell, bowled by a peach from Kemar Roach, Ross Taylor joined Williamson and the runs kept coming. The unbroken thirdwicket stand was already worth 75, and West Indies were reduced to bowling Kraigg Brathwaite in the last over of the day to just finish the day's play quickly.

Early rains meant the first session was washed out, with the remaining two sessions elongated, but although 85 overs had been budgeted for, a pace-heavy West Indies bowled only 77 despite another extra half hour being tacked on at the end of the day.

Latham and Williamson ensured most of those overs went New Zealand's way, al-

though a somewhat tardy West Indies bowling attack made their jobs easier. They had to negotiate potentially tough conditions, against an attack that should have fancied itself to make the most of getting first use a lush green pitch. But, a combination of poor lines by the West Indies bowlers and exemplary control by Williamson and Latham, meant West Indies' advantage on winning the toss was negated entirely.

Latham was compact, content to leave deliveries all day long if needed but pouncing on any errors in length. Williamson was a bit more adventurous in terms of getting bat on ball, but every bit as controlled in his shot-making.

Williamson leaned into his drives with trademark elegance, and on the rare occasions when a delivery spit at him or did something unexpected, his hands and wristwork were nimble enough to negotiate the ball.

Latham had a stroke of luck when he

Rossi would have stopped racing without Yamaha MotoGP return AGEnCIES Valentino Rossi admits he would have stopped racing had Yamaha not offered him a deal to return to the factory MotoGP squad in 2013 following his disastrous Ducati stint.

Rossi joined an unfancied Yamaha from Honda in 2004 and went on to win four premier class titles to add to the three he secured with HRC from 20012003. He left Yamaha for Ducati in 2011, but endured the worst spell of his MotoGP career, scoring just three podiums across both seasons on difficult machinery. He returned to the works Yamaha team in 2013, where he remained until the end of the 2020 season, with Rossi switching to the satellite Petronas SRT squad on a works-supported M1.

Asked to reflect on his 15 years with the factory Yamaha team, Rossi admits his “best memory” is of team boss Lin Jarvis offering him a return for

2013. “There have been so many beautiful moments,” Rossi said during the Portuguese Grand Prix weekend.

“Since 2004, when we brought our team and [crew chief] Jeremy Burgess worked with Masao Furusawa.

“But the thing I remember most is when I talked to Lin Jarvis and they said they would give me another chance to return to the official team at the end of 2012.

“For that I will always be grateful to him and to all of Yamaha, because at that moment I was desperate and probably if I hadn’t returned to the factory team I would have even stopped racing.

“That’s my best memory.”

Rossi repaid the favour from Yamaha by returning to the top step of the podium at Assen in 2013.

He went on to win a further seven races for Yamaha, mounting an ultimately futile charge for the title against team-mate Jorge Lorenzo in MotoGP’s most controversial campaign in 2015.

Rossi has not won a grand prix since the 2017 Dutch TT, with his final season in factory Yamaha colours featuring just one rostrum visit in a crashfilled year.

The 41-year-old also missed the Aragon double-header due to contracting COVID-19. As a result, he ended the year 15th in the championship.

Picking out a highlight of his 2020 season, Rossi cited the San Marino weekend where he narrowly missed out on joining proteges Franco Morbidelli and Francesco Bagnaia on the podium as a high point.

“There were also some good moments [in 2020], like the Misano 1 race, in which unfortunately [Joan] Mir beat me on the last lap,” he added.

“But I just missed the podium. I had a good race and Franco won ahead of Pecco. Then Luca [Marini] and [Marco] Bezzecchi finished first and second in Moto2. “So, it was a great day for the Academy.”

SPORTS 11 flashed at a short and wide one to the keeper, off Holder in the penultimate over of the first session. There was an audible noise as the ball went past bat, but only Darren Bravo at first slip half-appealed and the rest of the West Indies fielders, including the bowler and captain, were silent. Replays showed a spike on Ultraedge as the ball passed the bat, but Latham went on to double his then score of 43, eventually out for 86 when Roach got a full ball that was angled into him to straighten and cannon into the stumps via an inside edge.

At the start, West Indies' seamers couldn't find the right length, and allowed Latham and Williamson to gauge the pitch better with several balls they didn't have to get their bats near to. Holder's natural back of length was such that balls from there would carry over the stumps. Roach mixed some testing deliveries with a whole bunch that were too far outside off to threaten the stumps, while Gabriel offered scoring opportunities in between his on-target deliveries.

After the first session, the bowlers attacked the stumps a lot more, but by then, New Zealand's second-wicket pair were well set. The only moment of cheer for the rest of the day arrived via Latham's wicket. And it was not so much cheer as solemnity, with Roach - recently bereaved due to the death of his father - sinking on one knee and staring at the pitch when he broke through Latham's defences.

Pele pens heartfelt message for Maradona “I love you, Diego” Pele has written on social media, a week after the death of his “great friend” Diego Maradona, a “genius who enchanted the world”. In Brazil, it is common to pay homage to the deceased a week after their death, when a “seventh-day mass” is celebrated by Catholics like Pele. The two players are often rated against each other in discussions about who was the greatest of all time but Pele insisted in his Instgram post on Wednesday night that the Argentinian was second to none. “The world would be much better if we could compare each other less and start admiring each other more. So, I want to say that you are beyond comparison,” said the three-time World Cup winner. The post is illustrated with a series of photos of the two legends together, including one showing a young Maradona all smiles next to Pele playing the guitar. “Your journey was marked by honesty. You have always declared your loves and dislikes to the four winds. “And in your unique and particular way, you taught us that we have to love and say “I love you” a lot more often. “Your quick departure didn’t let me say it to you, so I will just write: I love you, Diego.” AGENCIES

How did so many Pakistan players test Covid-positive?

AGEnCIES Two weeks ago, all 54 members - players and support staff - of the Pakistan squad tested negative for Covid19 and were cleared to fly out to New Zealand. There were supposed to be 55 travellers, but Fakhar Zaman had symptoms similar to Covid-19, and was thus left behind; he would return a negative test the following day. The rest of the squad departed, apparently, with no cases of Covid-19 among them.

However, after testing upon arrival the following day, the New Zealand health ministry found half-a-dozen players had tested positive, and four players who had what was called historic infections. With this many of the travel contingent found to be carrying Covid-19 at some point since arriving in New Zealand, questions arise about whether the PCB’s procedures and processes before the squad departed were rigorous enough.

The same processes weren’t in place, before the New Zealand tour, as there had been before the England tour earlier in the year. Ahead of that tour, the PCB carried out two tests, including an antibody test. To comply with their stated policy for the England tour, players had to test negative twice before being cleared for travel. They were together in a hotel for seven days. For the New Zealand tour, the PCB carried out just one test, keeping players in the hotel pre-departure for only two days.

The entire squad of 35 players and 20 coaching staff and officials assembled in a Lahore hotel on the afternoon of November 20. They were tested for Covid-19 the next day and all returned negative tests. The team then departed for Dubai on a connecting flight to Auckland via Kuala Lumpur. A chartered plane then took the squad to Christchurch to begin what should have been a 14-day quarantine period.

Before flying out, the players had been part of a hectic home season in which many of them would have played in the National T20 Cup, the Quaid-e-Azam trophy in Karachi (first and second XI), the white-ball series against Zimbabwe in Rawalpindi and four PSL matches in Karachi. Though the PCB had created bio-secure bubbles

for players during these matches, there were breaches, leading to a PCB reprimand for certain players during the National T20 Cup. Earlier this week, left-arm spinner Raza Hasan was sent home from the Quaid-e-Azam trophy and banned for the rest of the season for a serious Covid-19 breach, which involved him leaving the bio-secure premises without prior clearance.

This has coincided with a time when Covid-19 has seen an alarming spike in Pakistan over the past two months. After a first peak died down in July, bringing official cases down to as low as under 500 a day in August, cases and deaths from the virus began to creep up again in October. Pakistan averages over 3,000 cases a day over the past fortnight, with the state acknowledging further precautions needed to be taken. Notably, however, a second lockdown has not been imposed, and while regional lockdowns are officially in place, enforcement remains feeble.

Between the second and third round of games in the QeA Trophy, nine Sindh players, including captain Sarfraz Ahmed, experienced flu-like symptoms. But because their results came back negative, they all remained in the bubble and only fast bowler Mir Hamza returned home after being declared unwell. Balochistan’s wicketkeeper-batsman Bismillah Khan had tested positive for Covid-19 during the second round match against Southern Punjab in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy, but hadn’t been tested until the

CMYK

fourth day, after which he was substituted on the field by Adnan Akmal - who himself would test positive a round later and is presently in quarantine in Lahore.

Six members of the Multan Sultans squad have either tested positive post the PSL, or are currently the part of the Pakistan squad who are being investigated for a historic Covid-19 infection, meaning an infection that is no longer contagious. Sohail Tanvir, part of the franchise, played the PSL, but then tested positive on arrival in Sri Lanka for the Lanka Premier League.

Zaman, who was pulled out a day before the departure for New Zealand, tested negative but his Lahore Qalandars team-mate Dilbar Hussain tested positive after landing in Australia to play in the BBL. Hussain had tested negative before leaving Pakistan, and is now in quarantine in Perth.

And before playing the PSL, Shaheen Afridi underwent various tests which threw up what are believed to be inconclusive results. He was ultimately cleared to play after two negative tests, but it is understood he is one of the four players in New Zealand who are being investigated for historic infection.

The historic infection cases, in particular, throw up questions about testing in Pakistan. The four players repeatedly returned negative results during the many tests conducted over the course of the domestic season. All four were also part of the squad to England which means that they are now throwing up historic signs of an infection, despite having tested negative repeatedly since June.

The PCB is confident they did what was required of them before the departure for New Zealand. It is worth noting the PCB do not carry out the testing themselves, but outsource it to certified laboratories. And it is not as if the PCB has not tested enough: across the domestic season so far, they have conducted nearly 3000 tests.

“During the nine tournaments/series to date, as many as 2,830 Covid-19 tests have been conducted on players, players support personnel and match officials as the PCB has strictly followed and implemented its strict protocols, which were designed in-house, and have been put together for the health and safety of all participants,” the board said in a statement.

Friday, 4 December, 2020

PrAyEr TImINGS

NEWS

Iran ready tO sHOW gOOdWIll If Us, eUrOpe abIde by nUClear deal: ZarIf IRAN

I

AGENCIES

RAN will fully comply with a 2015 deal aimed at preventing it from developing nuclear weapons if both the United States and Europe honour their original commitments, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Thursday.

US President Donald Trump quit the pact in 2018, saying it did not do enough to curb Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs or its militant influence in the Middle East. However, president-elect Joe Biden has said he will rejoin it if Tehran first resumes strict compliance. He has

also said he would work with allies “to strengthen and extend it”. Addressing a Rome conference via video-link, Zarif said the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) could not be renegotiated but it could be resurrected.

“The United States has commitments.

It is not in a position to set conditions,” he said. Iran’s Guardian Council watchdog body approved a law on Wednesday that obliges the government to halt UN inspections of its nuclear sites and step up uranium enrichment beyond the limit set under the 2015 deal if sanctions are not eased within two months.

Zarif said that although the government did not like the law, it would

India resumes talks with protesting farmers over agriculture reforms

nonetheless implement it.

“But it is not irreversible,” he said. “The Europeans and USA can come back into compliance with the JCPOA and not only this law will not be implemented, but in fact the actions we have taken ... will be rescinded. We will go back to full compliance.” Zarif said economic sanctions imposed by the Trump administration had cost Iranians $250 billion and made it impossible to buy medicines and vaccines needed to combat the coronavirus, which has taken a particularly heavy toll on his country.

“It is a crime against humanity,” he said, adding that the U.S. measures were preventing European companies from doing business in Iran, dashing hopes of a

massive upswing in trade after the 2015 deal was signed. “Europeans say they are in full compliance (with the deal) but they simply are not. ... We don’t see any European companies in Iran, we do not see any European country buying oil from Iran, we do not see any European banks send us our money,” Zarif said.

The foreign minister said he hoped that neighbouring Arab states, some of which have recently forged ties with Iran’s arch-enemy Israel, would seek dialogue with Tehran once Trump left office.

“We are their neighbours. We will be in this region together. I do not believe that they want to allow Israel to bring the fight to Iran,” Zarif said.

Rights groups urge Bangladesh not to ship Rohingya to island

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI

DHAKA

AGENCIES

AGENCIES

Indian government ministers began talks with farmers’ leaders on Thursday to try and break a deadlock over laws passed earlier this year seeking to deregulate the agriculture sector that has ignited the country’s biggest farm protests in years. Tens of thousands of growers have camped out at the entrance to capital Delhi in protest against the laws seeking to rid the sector of antiquated procurement procedures and to allow farmers to sell to institutional buyers and big international retailers. The farmers, who form a powerful political constituency, fear the laws passed in September could pave the way for the government to stop buying grains at guaranteed prices, leaving them at the mercy of private buyers. The protests pose a crucial test for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ability to reform India’s vast agriculture sector. Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Trade Minister Piyush Goyal have started discussion with nearly three-dozen farmers’ representatives, a government official said. “We expect the government to pay heed to o r demands to repeal the laws detrimental to India’s farming community,” said Joginder Singh Ugrahan, a prominent farmers’ leader. Modi’s government has defended the bill and several hours of talks between farmers’ leaders and the government on Tuesday failed to break the impasse. India’s vast farm sector makes up nearly 15% of the country’s $2.9 trillion economy and employs around half of its 1.3 billion people. “We humbly request you to pay heed to the voice of farmers and withdraw completely the implementation of these Acts,” Avik Saha, another farmers’ leader said in a letter written to the agriculture minister on Thursday.

“The issue is not about one particular clause, but about the direction in which the government of India is pushing farming in India,” Saha wrote.

Farm groups say the government is trying to end a decades-old policy of providing them with an assured minimum price for producing staples, such as wheat and rice.

Human rights groups urged Bangladesh on Thursday to stop its plan to ship thousands of Rohingya refugees to a remote island as officials said the first group of 400 could leave later in the day.

Police escorted the refugees in 10 buses from Ukhiya in Cox’s Bazar for the journey to Chittagong port and then on to Bhasan Char – a flood-prone Bay of Bengal island that emerged from the sea 20 years ago.

Bangladesh says moving refugees who agree to go to the island will ease chronic overcrowding in its camps which are home to more than 1 million Rohingya, members of a Muslim minority who have fled neighbouring Myanmar. “The authorities should immediately halt relocation of more refugees to Bhashan Char,” Amnesty International’s South Asia Campaigner Saad Hammadi said in a statement. U.S.-based advocacy group Refugees International said the plan was “short-sighted and inhumane” while the Fortify Rights Group said the relocations may be “coerced and involuntary” and should cease immediately. Mohammed Shamsud Douza, the deputy Bangladesh government official in charge of refugees, said the relocation was voluntary.

“They are going there happily. No one is forced. The government has taken all measures to deal with disasters, including their comfortable living and livelihood.”

A senior foreign ministry official said the refugees were being moved because there was little prospect of repatriating them to Myanmar.

Bangladeshi officials said the first 400 of 2,500 refugees would leave on Thursday evening, depending on the tide. The journey takes several hours.

More than 730,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar in 2017 following a military-led crackdown that the United Nations has said was executed with genocidal intent. Myanmar denies genocide and says its forces were targeting Rohingya militants who attacked police posts. A senior Bangladeshi official has said housing was built for 100,000 people on the island and authorities want to relocate them during the November to April dry season when the sea is calm. The United Nations said in a statement it had been given “limited information” about the relocations and was not involved in preparations.

Omar Faruq, one Rohingya leader who had been on a government trip, said the island was “truly beautiful”, with better facilities than in the refugee camps and that he would be ready to go, but that most people did not want to go there.

US military to keep two larger Afghan bases after drawdown to 2,500 WASHINGTON AGENCIES

The Pentagon has approved drawdown plans in Afghanistan that will still keep two larger bases in the country as officials carry out President Donald Trump’s orders to slash troop levels to 2,500 by Jan. 15, the top U.S. general said on Wednesday.

Trump’s post-election decision last month to cut nearly half of the roughly 4,500 troops currently in

Afghanistan came before military leaders could devise plans to execute a drawdown, leaving many questions unanswered about the future U.S. military mission after Trump leaves office on Jan. 20. Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, offered the first details about the drawdown at an event hosted by the Brookings Institution think tank.

He said that in addition to the two larger bases, the United States would also keep “several satellite bases.”

He said the U.S. military will also continue its two core missions: aiding Afghan security forces who are locked in a grinding conflict with Taliban insurgents and carrying out counterterrorism operations against Islamic State and al Qaeda militants. However, Milley did not disclose which bases in Afghanistan would be shuttered or say what capabilities would be lost as the United States removes 2,000 troops from the country.

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

5:28

11:58

3:21

6:56

4:59

6:27

India hopes to resume oil imports from Iran & Venezuela NEW DELHI AGENCIES

New Delhi expects the new US administration to stop blocking the exports of Iranian crude oil, according to India’s oil minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, who hopes to diversify his country’s energy purchases. “As a buyer, I would like to have more buying places. I should have more destinations to go for purchasing,” Pradhan told India’s Economic Times in response to a question about the potential restart of oil imports from Iran and Venezuela under Joe Biden’s presidency.

India, the world’s third-largest energy consumer, halted crude purchases from the Islamic Republic in May 2019, after US temporary waivers allowing the country to bypass earlier-introduced sanctions expired. The White House reimposed sanctions on Iran’s energy, shipbuilding and banking sectors in late 2018 in order to deprive Tehran of its main sources of revenue. Iran was the secondbiggest supplier of crude to India after Saudi Arabia until its Western allies put an economic blockade on the country following pressure from Washington. Venezuela was India’s fourth-biggest oil supplier before New Delhi had to dramatically decrease crude imports from there because of US restrictions. In 2019, Washington imposed sanctions on Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA, stripping the country of its key source of cash. Pradhan hopes the Biden administration will ease sanctions on Iran and Venezuela since India is 85 percent dependent on oil imports to meet its domestic market needs.

Vaccine supply not enough to stem Covid cases over next 3-6 months: WHO NEW YORK AGENCIES

There may not be enough doses of coronavirus vaccines until May 2021, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned, amid a flurry of activity among drug-makers and governments to get various jabs authorized and distributed.

"We are not going to have sufficient vaccination in place to prevent another surge of cases for at least another three-to-six months," the chief of the WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, Michael Ryan, said during a livestreamed Q&A event on Wednesday. Before mass inoculation is possible, Ryan said that the number of cases will "bounce back up," even in countries that are currently "winning the battle" against Covid-19. The comments were made soon after the UK became the first country in the world to authorize the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine on Wednesday as an emergency measure, with the jab set to be rolled out next week. President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia would launch its mass vaccination program by the end of next week, with teachers and medics first in line for the country's Sputnik V jab. There are currently 51 vaccine candidates undergoing clinical trials on humans and a further 163 in preclinical evaluation, according to WHO data.

Biden promises help to US workers hit by pandemic, Trump hints at 2024 run WILMINGTON AGNECIES

President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday promised a group of workers hit by the raging Covid-19 pandemic that more aid would be on the way, while President Donald Trump hinted he may be ready to begin planning another run for the White House in 2024. Biden, who has pledged to act quickly to provide more resources to fight the health crisis after he is inaugurated on Jan. 20, told a group of workers and business owners that any emergency aid approved by Congress before he takes office would be only a “down payment.”

Republicans and Democrats are trying to resolve a months-long standoff in Congress over a stimulus package for businesses affected by coronavirus shutdowns as well as the millions who have lost jobs.

“My transition team is already working on what I will put forward to the next Congress to address the multiple crises we’re facing, especially the economic crisis and

Covid,” Biden told the workers at a roundtable in his home state of Delaware.

More than 270,000 people in the United States have died of Covid-19, which is resurgent across the country. The United States leads the world in the number of infections as well as the number of deaths reported every day. “I don’t want you to give up hope,” Biden told the workers. “Hang on, we’ll get through this.”

Trump has refused to concede the Nov. 3 election and his lawyers continue to file legal challenges to the outcome, alleging electoral fraud without providing evidence.

State and federal election officials have repeatedly said there is no such evidence. Most of the lawsuits have been rejected by judges.

Trump’s campaign said on Wednesday he had filed suit against the Wisconsin Election Commission and several local officials in the state asking a U.S. District Court to find “constitutional violations” and send the matter to the state legislature to override the state’s results and select Republican electors.

At a White House holiday reception on

Tuesday night, Trump appeared to acknowledge that his legal efforts could fail and in that case he would run again.

“We are trying to do another four years,” he told the assembled group, according to a Republican source who was at the event.

“Otherwise, I’ll see you in four years.”

A source familiar with the internal debate says Trump has been discussing with advisers not attending the inauguration ceremony on Jan. 20 but instead announcing his 2024 bid that day. The source said there had been no decision. Only a handful of outgoing U.S. presidents have chosen to miss the swearing-in of their successors.

Trump also tweeted a video on Wednesday in which he repeated unfounded accusations about the election being rigged and said he would keep up the fight against the outcome. Trump, who spoke from behind a lectern with the presidential seal, posted a two-minute version of the message on Twitter with a link to a 46-minute version on Facebook. A day earlier, Attorney General William Barr, who has long been seen as a

Trump ally, said the Justice Department has found no evidence of widespread fraud.

Trump’s claims have gained traction among his followers, however, helping to raise as much as $170 million for an “Election Defense Fund” that can be used for a wide variety of future political activities, including another run for the presidency, according to media reports.

‘VIOLENT RHETORIC’: Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said Biden was headed for victory after the state’s second recount and criticized Trump for fomenting false claims.

“Even after this office request that President Trump try and quell the violent rhetoric being born out of his continuing claims of winning the states where he obviously lost, he tweeted out ‘expose the massive voter fraud in Georgia,’” said Raffensperger, a Republican.

“This is exactly the kind of language that is at the base of a growing threat environment for election workers who are simply doing their jobs.” Biden has already selected

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

many of his top national security and economic advisers, although it is unclear how many will win confirmation in a closely divided Senate, control of which will be determined by a pair of January runoff elections in Georgia. Biden told the New York Times in an interview on Tuesday evening that he would try to help resolve the standoff in Congress over the coronavirus aid.

“You have over 10 million people out there who are worried (how) they can pay their next mortgage payment,” Biden said in the interview, and “you have a significantly higher number of people who have no ability to pay their rent.”

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has begun circulating new draft legislation after a bipartisan group of lawmakers unveiled a $908 billion package.

Britain approved Pfizer Inc ‘s Covid19 vaccine on Wednesday, the first country to do so. Once similar approval is granted

by U.S. regulators, health officials plan to begin vaccinating Americans as soon as mid-December.