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Opposition should be brought to negotiating table

Denying it the right to hold rallies won’t help

ToDAY the top leadership of the PDM meets to consider its strategy after the December 13 rally. The address to PML-N’s media team by former PM Nawaz Sharif and PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz was meant to prepare party activists for the struggle ahead.

Ms Maryam Nawaz again hinted at PDM parliamentarians tendering resignations en masse. The decision will only be taken if other parties in the alliance also agree to the move.Another important PPP leader maintained that even resignations by over 100 MNAs would force the government to hold general elections instead of going for disputed by-elections. This shows that PDM could call on its MNAs alone to resign not requiring this from its provincial assembly members as was done by the PTI in 2014.Another proposal is to march on Islamabad and then hold a prolonged sit-in. Presumably the ongoing nearly two week long dharna by Indian formers outside New Delhi has inspired some of the PDM components. There has also been talk about a ‘jail bharo movement’in PDM’s ranks.

Today marks exactly the beginning of the third month of PDM agitation. Those who matter need to realize the dangerous implications of a prolonged and increasingly heightened confrontation in the country. on Monday the NCoC was told that the national positivity rate had been recorded at 9.71 per cent as Covid-19 cases across the country continue to soar. Within 24 hours 3,795 cases had been reported in the country— the highest since July 2 with thirty seven mortalities from the virus in the same period. The national economy is already in bad shape as shown among other indicators by the number of return filers declining by 23pc for the tax year 2020. The increase this year in cross LoC hostilities reveals increased Indian aggressiveness. PTI government has repeatedly insisted that it will not enter into a dialogue on an NRo which it claims is all that the opposition wants despite vehement denials by the latter. The situation on all the three fronts-health, economy and security- could worsen if the opposition is forced into further confrontation.Away out needs to be found to resolve the issues raised by the opposition through talks.

Criminal negligence

KP hospital deaths should not go unpunished

WINTERS tend to overwhelm hospitals even in the most common of circumstances with the flu season leading to complicated respiratory diseases that affect the most vulnerable, leading to a higher than usual demand for oxygen.Apart from this, the country is currently facing a destructive second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic at the moment, a virus which violently attacks the lungs causing severe pneumonia and as such hospitals would ideally be expected to maintain a more than adequate supply of oxygen. The death of seven patients, six of whom were suffering from the coronavirus, at Khyber Teaching hospital (KTh) in KP due to the unavailability of oxygen is therefore an unforgivable case of criminal negligence. That a government is on one hand advising the public to observe Covid-19 protocols and on the other cannot even guarantee an uninterrupted supply of oxygen at a public hospital that could save a critical patient’s life, is quite shameful.As is typical in such instances, the administrative staff of the hospital has been suspended with no action at the ministerial level.

Prime Minister Imran Khan is on record, speaking after a train crash back when he was in the opposition, demanding the resignation of then Railways Minister Saad Rafique, stating how had it been the UK, the minister would resign and an inquiry would be launched. By this standard, shouldn’t the KP CM demand the resignation of the province’s health Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra for such an avoidable tragedy? Rampant hypocrisy across the board will of course not allow that to happen. The oftrepeated excuse that the government has not been in power in the province for long enough to bring about considerable change does not apply here as the PTI has been running KP for seven and a half years straight, which is longer than any other party in the history of the province. The role of the PM’s cousin Dr Nausherwan Burki, tasked with reforming KP’s health system comes into question.Apart from the obvious nepotism, there is clearly a level of incompetence that has become a trademark of the PTI.Although an inquiry has been ordered, it remains to be seen if any meaningful action is taken against those at the top who should also be held accountable.

DedicatedtothelegacyofthelateHameedNizami Arif Nizami Editor

Who am I? we are. That trying to take them off, one by one, with the intention of seeing the real ‘I’ is akin to peeling away the layers of an onion to try and view the ‘real’ onion inside, because there is no onion left after all the layers have been removed. This makes a lot of sense, but so many of the things usu-

Some thoughts on identity pu sti zzling ll very man muc f h ro a m cu the e rrent arlies issue t t p o hilo day, sop at hers, least i a s s ally have thoug more h t t o to do be wi as th sociated happenst wit anc h e: one’s langu i a d g e e n , t t ity rafar as thoughtful men are concerned. It is not at ditions, ancestry, etc. When we refer to identity in all easy to answer. An anecdote will best illustrate a narrow sense (as we are doing here) it implies the difficulty: something unique to the person, and which is not a A friend (let us call him Z) who works for a chance occurrence. You do not inherit or chance major media corporation (let us call it G) was intro- upon your identity. Moreover, identity is certainly duced by one of his friends to a group of guests in not the same thing as celebrity or public recognition these words: ‘This is Z. he (as is often thought). Alworks for G. ’ Being a per- though your identity infect gentleman, Z was ci- cludes how others see you, vility itself while the guests it is more about how you we he r t e ol there d his ; f but rien a d fte in rwards no unI have a feeling many of see y I ou ha rself ve a . feeling many of certain terms that he was you will feel that I have you will feel that I have said not impressed with the way a lot about what your idenhe had been introduced to said a lot about what your tity is not and not nearly t i he ati s o tr n anger with s. t Wa his s his orga a n ffil iza - identity is not and not enough it is not on what my plac i e t t is o . Well, decide t t ion hink all of his by w fr ay iend of hi could s idennearly enough on what it for ide an ntit y y body is, or els ou e g wha ht to t b hi e. s I tity, ‘Wh h at e if w I anted to quit my j kn ob ow. tois. Well, it is not my place am tion afrai you d thi mus s t is gr one quesapple with morrow? Would that leave to decide for anybody else and answer for yourself. me with no identity?’ he And no, ‘borrowing’it from HASAN AFTAB SAEED demanded. The hapless what his identity is, or the guy seated next to you fr a iend phil (who osoph i e s not r) ha muc d no h a o n f - ought to be. I am afraid this will not The do eit most he th r. at can gen-

This is the manuscript for a lecture originally swe on rs a to diff t e hese rent question occasion s. a is one question you must er in al g ly y be our sug id ge en sted tity re is gard tha t prepared engineeri to ng kicksta sophom rt an ores a i s nterac part o t f ive the session ir comm with unity f f ew m riend onths (who later, was an pr oth ese er nt grapple with and answer w is hatever inexor els abl e y it may be; it intertwined service course. The session could not be held during the earlier episode) for yourself. And no, with your creativity, for because of scheduling difficulties. had the onerous task of in- your creativity makes you troducing Z to somebody. ‘borrowing’ it from the unique. It is a common

Who this am ran I? ks As rig a ht fundamental up there wit question, h Shakeh is e h Z. ad alr he… e ’ ady sai before d, he ‘This real- guy seated next to you error with to ge as ni socia uses te al c o reat ne. ivity one speare’s Descartes ‘To ’s co be gito or ass not ures to on b e e’ . of ized empl that oyer mentionin would be g a t b he ad will not do either. doe ton s t n o ot b n e eed t able o t b o e e a x Newercise one’s existence, but it gives no clue as idea. After hesitating for a one’s creativity. Each one to what one is. Bulleh Shah’s ‘Ki jaanan main kaun ’ moment, he completed the of us is creative by birth, raises the same question, but Bullah then proceeds to sentence: ‘ … he skips and every field of vocation list all the things he is not. Being a poet, he can get lunch and does not believe in God, ’ regaining con- as well as avocation offers plenty of opportunities away with being rhetorical. This is a luxury the ordi- trol in spectacular fashion. The person to whom for most everybody to express his creativity. Failnary mortal does not have. these immortal lines were said apparently had a ing to be creative, then, is surrendering a major

So which aspect – your work, your body, your sense of humour. ‘I get the not-believing-in-God part of one’s identity. Iqbal probably had this in thoughts, your associations – is your ‘I’ , your iden- part, but what do you have against lunch, sir?’ he mind when in Javid Nama he goes as far as tity? This ‘ you ’ is not something static; it is con- quipped. The day was saved thanks to some quick labeling as unappreciative ingrates those who stantly changing. heraclitus informs us that you thinking, but the story illustrates the difficulties one choose not to lay claim to their share in man’s can never step in the same river twice, because it encounters while thinking of identity. What are we creative potential. is not the same ‘ you ’ on the second occasion. So, really, stripped of all these sundry layers corresponwho is this ‘ you ’ that continually keeps evolving ding to the different aspects of our lives (occupation, The author is a connoisseur of music, literature, into something else? associations, etc.)? and food (but not drinks). He can be reached at

This question about identity, which has been According to one view, these layers are all that www.facebook.com/hasanaftabsaeed

A juvenile love story white teeth (all milk teeth of course). Another possibility was that her mother (also a huge crush of mine), might be giving her the finishing touches for her big day. All the delightful scenarios made me euphoric and I went on with the regular classes.

Avoid falling in love ribbo class n and unifo I r ado m). rne Bu d t a re for d u ti s, e i ( t both was were just par one t of of t t h h e e we T nt he for bell rang and lunch. Being along raised wit the h g all ent o le f the man boys, I was, I I many traits that we shared. I lived in street 5 and she went to the cafeteria (it was more of a canteen) and MoHAMMAD KHAliD BHATTi was in street 15. I always brought an extra pencil for bought the crisps and biscuits with my pocket money her and she had the habit of bringing an eraser for and began to wait at the selected spot which both of me. Even while playing with other girls in the play- us had chosen. I was a stone bench under an old orground, she always kept an eye on me to check if I ange tree, right in front of the lawn. But, she was

WhAT makes me sick more than talk of was flirting with the other girls. missing. The seconds turned to minutes and the minstudies, exams, passing and failing is To put it succinctly, she was very possessive. At utes passed swiftly. She was nowhere to be found. the talk of falling in love...Fortunately least that’s was what I liked to think... half of the time I was looking at the clock and the there is no dearth of heartbreaks in the So, one day we decided other half, I was glancing at world, so, I rejoice when I get to know to step things up a bit and the gate. She never came. that I’m not the only one who has this disposition of bring our classroom ro- optimism turned to pesavoiding Love this subject at all is such a popular costs. subject for debate that aumanc Both e of to us the dec play ided grou that nd. we Love is like a cool breeze simis form m of and rag thi e. I s e soon too ven had k a thors and playwrights never find length about two lovers destined it difficult to fail, or to talk at about the wou one ld da m y. ee T t h d e u t ring hing rece abo ss ut that can come out of brawl that d wi ay. th T a c hat lass bra 3 w s l tudent ended society able wr that is etches’ hell life bent more on making miserable. these two miser- lov get e e i n s o tha ugh t o of ne j the ust oth ca er. n’t As nowhere and hit you hard. when each ot bot her h th us at w threatened e’ll inform nee T d h a e deplora mention ble as lives both of ult Romeo imately and die J d uliet whe h n ardly their Friday (by 10 had a lon minutes), ger we recess agreed It could reach you when the our elder then take brother care of s t who he m will atter families wouldn’t allow them to live as one. Not try- that Friday was the day that sun is at its zenith or (both the brothers were ing to sional sou ly, nd sar societ ca y stic, bu pushes t th a e c y h actuall aracter y t d o ied! the occapoint suited brains us ch best. erishe o d ur e t v in er y y during the wee hours of imagi If na I ry) had had access to a where ‘anti-h he ero turns ’ . hea into thcli wh ff fr at i om s now Emily referred Bronte’s to as Wuth an erminute hence, we we spen deci t d t e o d get th he at r. I dawn. It could hit you g h ood ave b sp a e r nt at th t e hat enti t r ime, e mel I’d aning mor heights e books ’ o is f f another ailed lov fail ers ed tha lover. n actu T al he su re cc are fa ess sto r woul cuits d be and the c she risps wou an ld d b bisring during your job or while choly Instea w d, eek I end gul ove ped r there. down ries brar that ies; fill just th a e n dilap other idated ‘ reason Rom why ance one ’section in lishould avoid the me) drinks and or ( a g n rape ge fo j r uice her. for you’re a student. chocolate lot of Nest ic le e-cream cerelac. and a this stingy genre. The next few days were When I returned to

Before I proceed, one should keep in mind that the longest days of my life. school, I was a changed there is no age of falling in love. one can be quite Everydayweusedtolookat man (still 9 years old). With young, in the bloom of youth, or even on the each other across the aisle and blush like aWorcester- the characteristic slow gait of a Byronic hero, I endeathbed when he confesses his desire for a signifi- shire orchard before harvest.Then there is this flutter- tered the classroom and expected everyone to steer cant other (Adolf hitler got married some 12 hours ing sensation called butterflies in one’s tummy. Thus, clear of my way. I had grown sulky, learnt a few before his planned death!). Love is like a cool breeze those few days were very long for both of us. good English curses (one rhymes with duck), and that can come out of nowhere and hit you hard. It Again, that’s what I thought. had adopted an indifferent demeanor. When I ficould reach you when the sun is at its zenith or dur- Come Friday, it was D-Day. I walk very confi- nally sat on my desk, a friend of hers came over ing the wee hours of dawn. It could hit you during dently to my class and eagerly looked around for and in a consoling fashion, whispered in my ear, your job or while you ’re a student. For me, it was the her. She’s not there. She’s nowhere for that matter! ‘She has left the school, and has shifted permalatter. I was in Class 4 and was burgeoning with en- The first thought that ran across my optimistic mind nently to the US. ’ thusiasm at the ripe age of 9. was that maybe she’s getting ready for the big day Since then, I have developed the propensity to

I was part of the student council and she was the and would join me later. Giggling to myself and stay away from love and I abhor, disdain and view class monitor; ideal match. We used to gossip about wreaking of half a bottle of perfume and one quarter with contempt any remote insinuation or even referDisney characters when we weren’t discussing our of my father’s aftershave, I haughtily went towards ence to love. homework. Unlike my good grade in English, her my chair and sat down calmly. grammar wasn’t very good. Needless to say, this Maybe she was getting her hair dyed. She The writer is a fourth year MBBS student and can grammar deficit brought us closer. She wore a red looked amazing with a golden streak and her pearly be reached at mohammadkhalid1099@gmail.com

Food & shelter for the needy

PTI’s welfare initiatives must be appreciated plans sible, to provide roof ensuring food s to as many and shelter people as to them a post the cost of the federal or provincial governments. bility and obligation of the government. The federal government has allocated Rs 49 MuHAMMAD ZAHiD RiFAT This is a bitter fact that the resource-less 5 million per annum for each Shelter home. people have been spending their nights on foot- There is no dearth of philanthropists and generpaths or in open parks even in harsh weather ous people and donations are also being acconditions. cepted from them towards provision of facilities

ThE social protection system refers to For the first time in the history of the coun- to the Shelter homes inmates. designing and implementing targeted try, a democratically elected government is tak- These Shelter homes (Panah Gahs), whose social and economic policies aimed at ing measures for taking care its people to the number is gradually increasing, are being run on reducing poverty and income inequal- maximum extent possible, like the shelter homes build, run and handover basis in collaboration ity by providing relief to the most vul- which are serving a large number of non-resi- and association with charity organizations as nerable and marginalized sections of the society. dent daily wage earners, workers and their de- well as the private sector for sponsoring under Social protection aims to enhance the capacity pendents with dignity and honour by providing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). In this of the poor and vulnerable people to manage them residential facilities and two meals services regard, transparent and simple procedures have economic and social risks, such as unemploy- daily that are at par with any one-star hotel free been devised for accepting donations. ment, exclusion, sickness, disability and old age. of cost. According to the

AccordingtoWorldBank’s recentestimates, This great virtuous latest data, more than 10 per cent of the world’s population or 734 mil- initiative is in all fair- 150, 000 poor, needy lion lived on less than $ 1.90 a day. .In the wake ness one of the best and destitute people of the CoVID-19 epidemic, World Bank has es- step forward taken by These steps should have so far benefitted tima will ted t also hat fall 40 to into 60 milli extreme on addit poverty ional p during eople 2020 the incumbent government in federal compli- and must be appreciated from From the S Panah eptemb G er ahs. to compared to 2019 depending on assumptions themagnitudeoftheeconomicshocks.Under on the ance its r and realization esponsibility t of oby one and all; irrespective end 2020, of m No ore vember than pandemic, wave mor which e griev has ous hit ly, the the world global in si its tua second tion of wards These s the teps s peo hould ple. and of political affiliation as 1 p 7,000 rovide p d ersons sh were elter, povertyislikelytoworsen rising prices, disruptions furtherduetojob in supply chains, loss, loss must be one and appreciated by all; irrespective this is generating hope 13 in 0 t ,00 he 0 S serve helter d meal home s s ofremittances,educationandhealthservicesetc. of political affiliation among the needy and poor (Panah Gahs) which In Pakistan, government’s w owing elfare to or the incumbent federal ientation and commitas ho this pe am is on generatin g the need g y people that someone is por the trays Prim a e nd Mi re ni flec ster ts ’s ment Deve towards lopment the Goa ac ls hievemen (SDGs) , t s of oci S al ustainable protection and poo someone r people t is there at hat the there at the helm of affairs phil tion osop and hy car o e f to aff wa ecrds has gained determined high priority to formulate and and the government is implement all –inhelm trying of to affairs that is facilitate them that is trying to facilitate the and v underp ulnerabl ri e v p ileged opulaclusive social protection parent and manageable policies that targeting sys have tem. transIn the and taking care as much as pos of them sible. them and taking care of tion o It f i t s he al co so untry. appreciapost devolution scenario, both federal and It is also worth them as much as possible. ble and good to note provincial governments are jointly working to- mentioning that PM that Pakistan Baitul wards the achievement of optimal social protec- Imran Khan, besides Maal has been tasked tion and minimum social exclusion. tackling the internal to remodel, rehabilitate

Providing food to the poor, needy and desti- and external chal- the existing Shelter tute people is a great virtue.And to provide shel- lenges and putting the national economy back homes and also establish new ones for providter besides the food also is a greater virtue. on the right track and taking the country for- ing temporary/overnight stay with two time

PTI’s federal government headed by Prime ward in the right direction, also finds time oc- meals to the needy individuals seeking bed and Minister Imran Khan, ever since it came into casionally to visit the Shelter homes, spend breakfast while in pursuit of exploring employpower after securing peoples mandate in 2018’s some time with the people there to ensure they ment opportunities. free and fair General Elections, is endeavouring are served reasonably good food and being In the first phase, the official sources have hard for taking all possible initiatives within the looking after by the officials concerned. The informed that the existing and new Shelter available resources for socio-economic uplift of PM also joins them i at meals here and there homes in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) are the people at large with maximum focus on the thus reassuring them that he is all out for their being renovated. needy,pooranddestitutepeople.Quiteobviously, welfare and well-being. Pakistan Baitul Maal has also finalized a plan theperformanceofademocraticallyelectedgov- During his visit to the Shelter home (Panah tosetup26newShelterhomesincludingfiveeach ernmentcanandshouldonlybejudgedandmeas- Gah) in Tarlai area of the Federal Government, inSindhandBalochistanprovincesandeighteach uredthroughitsmeasuresandprogrammesforthe PM Imran Khan said that the civilized nations in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces by welfare and the well-being of the poor. are recognized not by the luxurious lifestyle of January 31, 2021, which is indeed appreciable. It

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s quite appre- the elite class but through the living conditions should be ensured that these new Panah Gahs are ciable and welcome initiative to set up Shelter of the poor. in place as scheduled to accommodate more and homes (Panah Gahs) for providing essential According to information gathered from dif- more poor, needy and destitute people. basic facilities to low income labourers, workers ferent official sources, there are about 20 million is a positive step forward towards establishment people living without houses across the country The writer is Lahore based Freelance Jourof the state of Medina, a model of perfection and a majority of them are living in big cities. nalist, Columnist and retired Deputy Controller where protection of the rights of the vulnerable Through its flagship initiative of Shelter (News) , Radio Pakistan, Islamabad and can be segments of the society is the primary responsi- homes (Panah Gahs), the federal government reached at zahidriffat@gmail.com

Editor’s mail

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PM’s war on drugs

PRIME MINISTER Imran Khan on Monday terming corruption and narcotics a “cancer of society ” said the government would devise a strategy to check drug abuse among youth and save the future generations. Addressing at an event here atAnti-Narcotics Force (ANF) headquarters in Chaklala, the Prime Minister said relevant ministries including of education and health would be taken onboard to chalk-out the policy in view of growing trend of drug abuse at educational institutes. The Prime Minister said he would call a meeting next week to discuss ways to address the challenge of narcotics on urgent basis. “The government will run an anti-drug campaign across the country and the entire nation will fight this menace as a united force, ” he said. he stressed the need for raising awareness among masses, particularly youth, about the negative impacts of drugs in personal and social lives. “We have to save our next generations from the shackles of drug abuse, ” said Khan, expressing concern over high number of cases of drug addicts reported at schools and universities. he said as informed by Inspector General of Police, the situation of the use of synthetic drug ‘ice’by schoolchildren besides university students was alarming as it could leave a disastrous impact on their education and health. Imran Khan said narcotics acted like a “silent killer” due to its damage inflicted upon the addicts and the society. he said seven million drug addicts in the country in fact meant suffering and misery of the same number of families. he said society had a significant role in promotion of negative trends by accepting earning of money through illegal ways and corruption. The Prime Minister said the government would enhance the flow of resources required to counter menace of drug abuse in the country. he lauded the services ofANF in eradicating drug abuse, however said the efforts of an institution alone could not produce results unless the efforts put in by society itself as the biggest deterrent. Federal Minister for Narcotics Control and senior officials ofANF attended the event. Raza Ijaz ISlamabad

Jinnah’s visions lost

IN 1947, sub-continent was divided into two independent states Pakistan and India. Quaid-e-Azam in his very first speech after independence said, “You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this state of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the State” . From this it is clear that Pakistan is a Muslim state but minorities possess par rights and privileges. Jinnah believed in equality and equity for all, he craved for sameness and oneness among all irrespective of cultural and religious differences. he intended all of us to worked under a single banner of Pakistan with passion and patriotism.

Quaid eAzam was a man of qualities.After independence majorities as well as minorities were getting matched rights. But after his death, his doctrine faded away with a pace because our politicians never understood Pakistan as their their own nation but looted it ruthlessly as if it totally lacked ownership. Injustice, corruption and tranny became common in the country. Resultantly, Bangladesh then called east Pakistan separated from west Pakistan due to continuous injustices and suppressions of Pakistan army. This would never happened, if we have kept Quaid eAzam’s principals and statements.According to the constitution of Pakistan, army is servant of the country but now they have been rulers of the country due to defects and flaws in our system.Accept it or not Pakistan government is ruled by the army.

Recently, a Christian girl was murdered in Rawalpindi for she refused to marry a Muslim man named Shehzad. Leave minorities, even majorities are not getting their rights in Pakistan. Look at Zainab’s case, moterway incident and many more heart breaking happenings which can’t be mentioned in a little space, the criminals aren’t still arrested even after passing of a great time. The culprits are living wantonly as if they hadn’t did anything. It’s sad to admit that Quaid eAzam’s vision of Pakistan is lost that’s why we are all suffering in every walk of our lives and such nations who have forgotten their history, traditions and leader’s sacrifices can’t stand as a building can’t stand without pillars.And they called it Riysat e Madina, is Riysat e Madina lawless? If not, then why laws are not being implemented? muzaffaR KhoSo SuKKuR

Load shedding

ThE current age can be really called the time of power as our day by day life is reliant on it is each way. Without power life will turn out to be hard, inconvenient, and uncomfortable. Pakistan is confronting intense lack of electric force.As per a gauge, there are 10,000 manufacturing plants in Karachi, among which roughly 30 _ 40 percent industrial facilities have been shut due to stack shedding. These production lines were using power and Sui gas in an immense amount.in these plants, plastic, forming, elastic article, calfskin pieces of clothing, cotton iron-made merchandise, and numerous different things were being produced.According to the work office sources, roughly 800,000 Work have been dissipated from their jobs.while 400,000 to 800,000 workers were getting less wage.The proprietors have completed the additional time office in view of burden shedding and this was expanding our difficulties. Marriage corridors will no longer to have the entire evening wedding gatherings. The deficiency of power has become a cerebral pain for individuals of Pakistan. on the off chance that this danger of loadshedding isn’t controlled, individuals will rampage and there will be a bad situation for the rulers to stow away. The Public authority is needed to plane thoroughly to beat the heap shedding. Individuals hit by load shedding have Now turned vicious because of disappointment. The arrangement of this difficult lies in giving the individuals enough power in their homes, shops and Manufacturing plants. EhtISham ahmad lahoRE

08 WORLDVIEW KASHMIRIS INTERROGATED AND TORTURED BY CYBER POLICE FOR TWEETING

Intercept AAkAsh hAssAn

Ahmed was nervous as he approached the fortified police station, its walls covered with barbed wire and gun-toting cops guarding the entrances. The college student had received a phone call the previous day from Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s cyber police, asking him to report to the station with no reason given. Ahmed, whose name has been changed for fear of retaliation, had never been summoned by the police before. Upon his arrival, police immediately took Ahmed to another station nearby; his cellphone was confiscated at the gate. he was brought to a holding room where he noticed four other young people. After exchanging a few nervous glances and hushed whispers, the five youths realized they knew each other — not in person, but through social media. They were meeting for the first time at Cargo, a counterinsurgency police complex known for its history as a torture site. Since August, the facility in Srinagar, the capital of IndianOccupiedKashmir,hasallegedlybeen used to interrogate and torture young Kashmirisocialmediauserswhohavebeencritical oftheIndiangovernment’srepressivepolicies implemented in the region since last year. Indian Occupied Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society, a group of human rights organizations, reported inAugust that police had made complaints against more than 200 users of social media platforms and virtual private networks, deploying surveillance technology to trace and summon them to police stations under anti-terror and detention laws. Ahmed and the young people he met at Cargo are among the more than two-dozen Al JAzeerA RAjisouRAni

IT took International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor FatouBensouda five years to conclude her preliminary examination of the situation in Palestine, which found “a reasonable or are being committed in the West Bank, including east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, ” and thus to initiate an investigation. her statement on december 20, 2019 announcing the end of the inquiry was met with widespread enthusiasm by victims and human rights organisations alike. But the celebrations came too soon. The prosecutor found that the standard of proof for the commission of war crimes was met, and that opening the investigation was appropriate and in the interest of jus-

THE CRACKDOWN ON SOCIAL MEDIA USERS IN INDIAN OCCUPIED KASHMIR IS PART OF A SHARP ESCALATION OF THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT’S CENSORSHIP EFFORTS “THEY YELLED AND SHOUTED, ‘WHO IS GIVING YOU MONEY TO POST ALL THIS?’ ONE OFFICER SLAPPED AND KICKED ME”

men and women, mostly students, who spoke to The Intercept about their experiences in police custody for their social media posts. Some of them had been contacted by the cyber unit and asked to sign a nonbinding agreement at a local police station to refrain from criticizing civil authorities or the armed forces on social media. Others recounted that they were sent to Cargo, where they were thrashed, verbally abused, and threatened with imprisonment or death. The recent police crackdown on social media is part of a sharp escalation of censorship efforts under India’s hindu nationalist Prime minister Narendra modi sinceAugust 2019, when the government unilaterally decided to revoke Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s semiautonomous status previously guaranteed under the Indian Constitution and divide the state into union territories under its direct control. The posts under police scrutiny, mostly shared on Twitter and Facebook, were explicitly political:They questioned India’s actions against Kashmiris leading up to and following the dissolution of the region’s special status, as well as human rights violations perpetrated by Indian security forces and the media’s silence on such abuses. Twitter did not respond to a request for comment. The victims said that police confiscated their phones and returned them days later, after officers had used login information extracted during interrogations to access their social media accounts. Since being released from custody, many of the victims said they no longer post political content online or they have deactivated their accounts to avoid being summoned again. There have been few reports outside Kashmiri and Indian media about the recent crackdown. After publishing a story on the issue for Indian news site Article 14, Kashmiri journalistAuqibJaveed was summoned in late September to the cyber police headquarters. he later claimed that he had been assaulted and detained at Cargo for five tice. Nevertheless, instead of proceeding, she sought confirmation on the scope of the ICC’s territorial jurisdiction from the Pre-Trial Chamber. She asked the chamber to take a decision within 120 days. Nearly a year later, victims are still waiting for that decision. spent 30 years representing victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity across the occupied Palestinian territory. Since tims of Israeli crimes in Gaza before the ous crimes of concern to the international Today, I am increasingly frustrated by that international criminal proceedings are typically longer than domestic cases, but it vestigations into the crimes committed in The prosecutor’s decision to ask the Pre-Trial Chamber to confirm territorial jurisdiction in Palestine and consequent delays risk jeopardising the effectiveness of hours — a treatment similar to what the social media users described. The intimidation of social media users and journalists is meant to silence criticism, said GowharGeelani, a journalist and author who himself has been booked by the cyber police under the UnlawfulActivities Prevention Act, a controversial Indian anti-terror law. “It is part of a larger crackdown and criminalizing of opinions. ” INSIDE THE INTERROGATION ROOM: Consideredtheworld’smostheavily militarized zone, Indian Occupied Kashmir wasputunderanunprecedentedmilitarylockdown by the Indian government last August. Cellular services and digital communication lineswereblockedwithoutanypriornotice— resultinginthelongestinternetshutdownever recorded in a democracy. The Indian governmentrestoredinternetaccess,includingtosocial media sites that were previously banned, in march, but only at slow 2G speed. The restrictions on internet access have come in tandem with increased surveillance in the region, said devduttamukhopadhyay, associate counsel at the Internet Freedom Foundation, an internet advocacy group based in India. “Some examples we have seen in the past year are WhatsApp group administrators being made to register with district authorities, ban on VPN services, and additional verification requirements for prepaid mobile internet users, ” she said. Some Kashmiris, in the spirit of the decadeslong rebellion against Indian rule, have taken to social media to air their frustrations with the government — but not without consequences. After spending more than three hours in the holding room, getting fingerprinted and photographed, and handing over his banking information and other personal details, Ahmed was taken to an interrogation room where several officers were waiting for him. “They yelled and shouted, ‘Who is giving you money to post all this?’” he said. “One officer slapped and kicked me. ” One of the officers pushed a file toward him containing screenshots of his posts from Twitter. “I was asked to unlock my phone and the investigation. This wasted time has played into the hands of certain political actors who have attempted to detract from the seriousness of the court’s preliminary findings of war crimes. most notably, the Israeli ministry of Foreign Affairs has published a position paper which attempts to divert attention away from the gravity of the crimes, and direct it towards the old question: is Palestine even a state? This argument champions a legal and moral absurdity: there can be no victims of war crimes in Palestine if Palestine is not a state. In January, the Pre-Trial Chamber issued a call for the submission of observations on the question of jurisdiction. In response, 43 amici curiae legal opinions were submitted from third states, international organisations, legal scholars and civil society by the march 16 deadline. most submissions did not limit themselves to the technical question of territorial jurisdiction, as requested, but interpreted this moment as an opportunity to make claims about the statehood of Palestine, the legitimacy of the proceedings and their political appropriateness. The chamber, however, did not follow up with a timely one officer started scanning it, ”Ahmed said. “Another officer asked for the passwords of my email and social media accounts. ” The officers pulled up Ahmed’s Twitter account on a desktop computer and started questioning him about his more recent tweets. Some of the posts sought accountability from the police and the Indian army for human rights violations, such as extrajudicial killings of civilians in staged gunfights, while others seemed more benign. “One officer asked me why I had congratulated Kashmiri photographers who won the Pulitzer Prize this year, ” said Ahmed. “They asked me why I quote selective poets and poetry in my tweets. ” Another college student who spoke to The Intercept also said that a police officer confiscated his phone while he was detained at Cargo and looked through photos of his mother and siblings. “he abused them and threatened that they will also be treated like me, ” said Bilal, whose name has also been changed for fear of retaliation. Bilal and two other victims told The Interceptthatofficershadproposedtheybecome informants and snitch on other social media userspoliceweremonitoring,inexchangefor their release. They were told that they would otherwise be jailed or killed in a staged gunfight. Bilal was baffled by the offer to become an informant, saying that he never thought his tweets would land him in a situation in which thepolicewould ask himto becomeaspy. “They would leave me alone for hours to decide, ” he said. however, he was eventually let go with a warning that next time he would be booked under the UnlawfulActivities PreventionAct. TRACK AND TRACE: Indian Occupied Kashmir’s cyber police force was expanded shortly after the August lockdown last year, with the intention of curbing cybercrimes. Since then, the unit has grown into a sophisticated surveillance operation, equipped with advanced technology for tracking down Kashmiris, including more recent monitordelivery of its judgement. The politicisation of this case engulfed the ICC proceedings from the very beginning, echoing the fate of previous attempts law in Palestine through legal mechanisms and forums. A delegitimisation campaign Reaffirming its unwavering support to Israel, the United States took radical steps to reject ICC authority over its citizens and territory, suspend visas to ICC personnel and their families, and condemn the Palestine investigation and “any other action that seeks to target Israel unfairly ” . Secretary of State mike Pompeo has repeatedly referred to the court as an embarrassing, political, renegade, unlawful, “so-called” court and a “ vehicle for political vendettas” , “masquerading as a legal body ” . donald Trump even issued an executive have expressed doubt that US Presidentelect Joe Biden will be willing and able to ing of those who contracted Covid-19 during the pandemic. Tahir Ashraf Bhatti, the head of Cargo who is also in charge of the cyber force, was awarded a medal from the Indian government on Independence day for his department’s work. Bhatti told The Intercept that the cyber unit opens cases mostly for complaints regarding financial fraud and “cyberbullying” — the latter of which has been used as justification to summon social media users for anti-governmentposts.hedeniedthatpeople were being summoned or tortured for expressing their political views online.Bhatti himselfhasbeenaccusedofassaultingatleast one social media user in custody. The victim told The Intercept that he was summoned to thecyberpolicestationinAugustafterhehad mocked Bhatti on Twitter. he was taken to CargowhereBhattiusedaleatherbelttobeat himrepeatedlyforthreedaysonthesamepart of his body. “If I tell you the spot they hit, theywouldgettoknowmyidentity, ”hesaid. Bhatti denied this incident took place. Bhatti declined to go into detail about what kind of surveillance technology the cyber force uses to collect information on Kashmiris who live both in the region and abroad. multiple people told The Intercept that despite using VPNs to stay anonymous on social media, the police were still able to find out who they were. “It takes us half an hour to pinpoint location and details of a user, ” Bhatti said. he showed The Intercept aWhatsApp conversation, in which a senior officer had asked him about an individual’s location and address, and if they had a past record. “my team did it in minutes, ” he said.That team is composed of 40 tech-savvy cops, Bhatti said, while the more challenging cases are outsourced to private companies, which he did not specify. GONE QUIET: While much of the cyber unit’s internal operations remain shrouded in secrecy, its actions have had a noticeable chilling effect on social media activity in Indian Occupied Kashmir. many accounts have vanished, while others have gone silent or no longer post political content. ShefaliRafiq, a 22-year-old journalism student who is active on social media, said she has become more cautious about what she posts. “There were some profiles I would eagerly follow, ” she said, “but they they no longer write critical posts. ” Three social media users said they have noticed suspicious activity on their accounts since being released from police custody, such as likes or retweets they did not make, orfollowingandunfollowingotheraccounts. Thosewhohadbeensummonedsaidthey have lived in fear since their encounters with the cyber police.After being called in for interrogationfourdaysinarow,Ahmedsaidhe was finally let go on the condition that he would stop criticizing the Indian government and security forces online, and report to the station whenever he was called in. Since his release,Ahmedsaidhehasexperiencedpanic attacksandalackofappetite.hehasnotbeen able to bring himself to post on social media like he used to. “At times I write a long post and at the end, I delete it and cry, ” he said. “my phone haunts me. ”

THE PALESTINIAN CASE AT THE ICC IS LEGAL, NOT POLITICAL

basis” to believe that “ war crimes have been

SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO HAS REPEATEDLY REFERRED TO THE COURT AS AN EMBARRASSING, POLITICAL, RENEGADE, UNLAWFUL, “SO-CALLED” COURT AND A “VEHICLE FOR POLITICAL VENDETTAS” , “MASQUERADING AS A LEGAL BODY”

As a Palestinian lawyer in Gaza, I have 2009, I have represented the Palestinian vicICC, our last resort to ensure the most sericommunity do not go unpunished. the court’s painfully slow progress. It is true is hard to understand why the substantive inPalestine have not commenced, despite the evidence uncovered in the prosecutor’s preliminary examination. to seek redress for violations of international was launched against the court, with accusations ranging from taking a political stand to espousing anti-Semitic positions. In order to shield US and Israeli nationals who committed war crimes, US President order, imposing sanctions on the ICC prosecutor and investigators. Some commentators have either deactivated their accounts or reverse this course of action and hostility towards international justice. Confronted by a deluge of politicallymotivated accusations, the ICC need not sink to the level of its detractors. Its founding treaty, the Rome Statute, requires the court to stand for justice, “determined to put an end to impunity for the perpetrators” of international crimes. The only valid approach is for the court to tackle the question as a strictly legal one. In this sense, in concluding her preliminary examination satisfactorily, the prosecutor could have opened the investigation directly. There was no legal requirement to submit a request to clarify the territorial jurisdiction of the court. her request, therefore, has brought a heated political debate into the courtroom; resolving it once and for all, at the preliminary stage of the proceedings, will avoid incertitude and more unbearable delays in the decision. This strictly judicial approach is not divorced from the reality on the ground. Instead, it acknowledges the critical situation of the victims of the Israeli occupation, for whom this court represents the only and last resort.Abandoned by the international community, unable to access any Israeli, foreign or international tribunal, and subjected to a cruel occupation, the fate of the Palestinian people is now more than ever tied to that of the ICC.Now the court is at a crossroads: it can yield and collapse under Israeli and US pressure or choose to act upon its object and purpose to ensure that international crimes committed on Palestinian territory do not go unpunished.

CORPORATE CORNER

Meezan Bank partners with Telenor to provide greater accessibility to customers

KARACHI: In continuation of its efforts to provide greater ease and accessibility to its customers, Meezan Bank, Pakistan’s first and largest Islamic bank, has announced partnership with Telenor Pakistan. Umair Mohsin, Chief Marketing Officer - Telenor Pakistan, and Faizur Rehman, Group Head IT & Digital Banking Meezan Bank, signed the MoU at Meezan Bank’s head office in Karachi. Speaking on the occasion, Faizur Rehman said, “We are delighted to partner with Telenor Pakistan to create great benefit for our customers. With this alliance, Meezan Bank and Telenor Pakistan are aiming towards the creation of unified solutions that are not only easy to deploy but will also enable the Bank to expand its digital outreach. ”

Jubilee Life signs agreement with Domino’s Pizza

KARACHI: Jubilee Life Insurance, Pakistan’s leading life insurance provider in the private sector, has signed an agreement with the top food chain, Domino’s Pizza to offer an exclusive discount to Saffron Loyalty Program members. The offer will be live in nine cities across Pakistan from December 2020. Saffron is a one of its kind loyalty program of Jubilee Life Insurance, which provides its members with the privilege and opportunity of availing exclusive discounts at restaurants, apparel, lifestyle brands, medical, insurance, and lots more, across Pakistan. Syed Usman Qaiser, Head of Marketing & Brand Management, Jubilee Life Insurance, stated, “We are proud to announce this collaboration with Domino’s Pizza, which gives our customers added value for having a life insurance policy from Jubilee Life. We aim to continue this effort of providing the best for our customers, and this collaboration is a testament to it. ”

Nestlé redoubles efforts to combat climate change

KARACHI: As a signatory of the UN ‘Business Ambition for 1.5°C’pledge, Nestlé is one of the first companies to share its detailed, time-bound plan and to do so ahead of schedule. The company is taking measures to halve its emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050 – even as the company grows. Actions focus on supporting farmers and suppliers to advance regenerative agriculture, planting hundreds of millions of trees within the next 10 years and completing the company ’s transition to 100 percent renewable electricity by 2025. Nestlé Chairman Paul Bulcke said, “The Board recognizes the strategic importance of taking decisive measures to address climate change. It supports accelerating and scaling up our work to ensure the long-term success of the company and to contribute to a sustainable future for generations to come. ”

ISLAMABAD: A global virtual fundraiser was held over the past weekend at Bani Gala to support the construction of Pakistan’s third and largest Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH&RC) in Karachi. Prime Minister Imran Khan graced the occasion as its special guest.

KARACHI: Toshikazu Isomura, Dean of the Diplomatic Corp and Consul General of Japan, met Eng Najeeb Haroon, MNA and PM’s Focal Person on Karachi Mega Projects, at Japan CG official residence to discuss federal government’s projects for Karachi. PTI young leaders Mustafa Karani and Yousuf Karani were also present on the occasion.

BUSINESS 09 IHC BArs fINANCE ADvIsEr froM HEADINg CCoP

COURT ANNULS FORMATION OF CABINET COMMITTEE ON PRIVATISATION, DECLARES INCLUSION OF ADVISERS ON COMMERCE, FINANCE AND INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS AS ILLEGAL

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

THE Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday barredAdviser to Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh from heading the Cabinet Committee on Privatisation, besides declaring the formation of the said cabinet body as illegal. The plea against the constitution of the cabinet committee was submitted by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). Challenging the inclusion of advisers Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh,Abdul Razak Dawood and Dr Ishrat Hussain in the cabinet committee, the petition, moved through Barrister Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha, had argued that only elected representatives of the people had the right to govern the country.

The IHC bench, headed by Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice GhulamAzam Qambrani, while announcing the verdict, which was reserved earlier, approved plea of the PML-N against the constitution of the federal cabinet committee.

The IHC annulled the notification issued on 25 April 2019 for the formation of the committee and declared the inclusion of advisers on commerce, finance and institutional reforms as illegal.

Meanwhile, in another decision earlier in the day, the IHC dismissed a plea challenging appointments of advisers and special assistants.

Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Ghulam Azam Qambrani released the reserved verdict in the open court. The verdict was reserved on September 9, after the completion of arguments from both sides.

The order read, "It is pursuant to the said powers that the Federal Government has made the Rules of 1973 and has described the ‘Organizations of Divisions’ in rule 4 ibid. Sub-rule 6 of rule 4 enables the prime minister to appoint special assistant or special assistants and to determine their status and functions. "

It added that the premier is answerable to the nationals and the parliament and he is authorised to appoint officials and other persons for assistance. “There is no restriction regarding the number of special assistants by the prime minister. ”

Regional connectivity vital to unleash trade, tourism potential: Bakhtiar

ISLAMABAD STAFF RPEORT

Economic Affairs Minister Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar has stressed the importance of regional connectivity to unleash the country ’s trade and tourism potential.

The minister expressed these views while participating in the 19th Ministerial Conference of Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) held virtually on Monday. Bakhtiar said that forums such as CAREC are important for Pakistan to achieve shared goals of sustainable development and economic growth. Endorsing the framework, he emphasised, “By setting specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound (SMART) targets along with active monitoringandannualreporting,we can effectively monitor the progress

MARKET DAILY

leading to implementation of CAREC's Vision 2030. "

The minister maintained that tourism is part of the national development policy of the government and that this sector contained immense untapped potential. He recommended the development of a regional tourism corridor, establishment of CAREC Business Council and increased involvement of the private sector for promotion of tourism. Bakhtiar said that the incumbent government was focusing on facilitating the private sector for increased investment. He also suggested an enhanced visa facilitation regime in the form of "CAREC Sticker" for certain categories within the region. "In order to expand trade among CAREC countries, transit trade agreements among member countries leading to the regional free trade agreement (RFTA) may be considered. "

He endorsed long-term CAREC strategies to promote regional tourism and gender mainstreaming, and suggested the CAREC institute to conduct comprehensive studies identifying underlying gaps and including roadmaps on mutually beneficial topics. "Pakistan attaches high importance to CAREC as it is aligned with our national priorities of regional integration and cooperation, " the minister stated.

CAREC Programme is a partnership of 11 countries and six developmentpartnersworkingtogether topromotedevelopmentthroughcooperation, leading to accelerated economicgrowthandpovertyreduction. It is guided by the overarching vision of “good neighbours, good partners, and good prospects. ”

Stocks inch down in range-bound trade

KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Investors of the Pakistan Stock Exchange witnessed a range-bound session on Monday, with the indices swaying both ways in search of a clear direction before closing in the red.

Equity markets around the globe showed a mixed performance, whereas crude oil prices slipped lower from the previous close; WTI crude price declining 0.82pc to $45.86 while Brent crude oil price falling 0.75pc to $48.88. "The market traded in a narrow range today after opening on a positive note, which depicted investors' general lack of interest due to concerns over political uncertainty, " a report issued by Arif Habib Limited read. "Selling pressure was most evident in cement sector stocks; however, E&Ps also failed to perform amid dwindling oil prices in the international market. " SUMMARY:ThebenchmarkKSE-100Indexendureda volatile start to the week, touching its intraday high at 42,321.37(+114.37points)andlowat42,047.00(-160.00 points). It settled lower by 91.69 points at 42,115.31. Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index dropped 282.26 pointstoendat68,014.35,whiletheKSEAllShareIndex lost 66.93 points, closing at 29,482.48.

The overall market volumes declined from 427.9 million shares in the previous session to 380.5 million shares (-11pc).Average traded value also fell 2pc, from $113.3 million to $111.6 million. TRG Pakistan Ltd (TRG +2.07pc), Unity Foods Ltd (UNITY+2.02pc) and Ghani Global Holdings Right Shares (GGLR1 -3.57pc) led the volume chart, exchanging 41.31 million, 33.26 million and 18.04 million shares, respectively.

Sectors that dragged the benchmark index lower included oil & gas exploration (-53.60 points), cement (25.67 points) and oil & gas marketing (-13.94 points). Among the companies, Oil and Gas Development Company Ltd (OGDC -26.95 points), Pak Petroleum Ltd (PPL -25.09 points) and MCB Bank Ltd (MCB -14.86 points) dented the index the most.

Shedding 1.29pc from its total market capitalization, the oil & gas exploration sector ended as the session's worst performer, with OGDC (-1.71pc), PPL (-1.79pc) and Mari Petroleum Company Ltd (MARI 0.27pc) ending in the negative.

Meanwhile, in a notification to the exchange, The Organic Meat Company Limited (TOMCL +2.56pc) announced that it has secured a contract for supply of frozen boneless meat with a multinational customer in SaudiArabia. The 12-month project is expected to cost approximately $3.90 million.

Export-oriented industry to get uninterrupted gas: Dawood

ISLAMABAD TLTP

Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce and InvestmentAbdul Razak Dawood has said that the export-oriented industry will be supplied uninterrupted gas this winter. In a tweet on Monday,Abdul Razak Dawood said, "We are now heading into the winter and there may be gas shortages. The government has decided that for the export-oriented industry, there will be no outages of gas supply. " Dawood asked industries to report any disruption in gas supply to the Ministry of Commerce so that it could be brought to the attention of the concerned body to take corrective action. Earlier on November 21, Sindh Energy Minister ImtiazAhmed Shaikh had informed that the domestic gas crisis in the province had intensified with the advent of winter, blaming the federal government for "doing nothing about the situation" . "Winter has barely arrived and domestic consumers are already experiencing gas shortage; the province is being compelled to buy expensive gas regardless of the fact that Sindh is the biggest producer of local gas, " he had maintained.

PIA introduces voluntary separation scheme for employees

BUSINESS DESK

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Monday introduced a 14-day voluntary separation scheme (VSS) for its employees. As per details, employees under the age of 58 are eligible for the VSS. The estimate of the scheme would be calculated based on the salary drawn by [interested] on November 30, 2020. Employees interested in the scheme have been asked to submit their application to PIA latest by Dec 22. PIA employees aged 58 or above as well as contractual workers are not eligible for the VSS. Those seeking departure under the scheme would be paid his or her dues on January 31, 2021. The PIA administration has already sought a fund of Rs12 billion from the federal government to make the voluntary separation scheme a success.

FPCCI lauds govt for removing 5pc duty on cotton yarn import

KARACHI PPI

The Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has appreciated Prime Minister Imran Khan for considering the chamber's recommendations by removing 5pc regulatory duty on the import of cotton yarn. "The decision to withdraw 5pc regulatory duty on the import of cotton yarn will greatly support the country ’s textile sector, besides contributing to economic stability, " said FPCCI President Mian Anjum Nisar in a statement on Monday.

The FPCCI had earlier pointed out that the country would not be able to achieve its textile export potential due to limited access to raw material. It had suggested the government to remove regulatory duty on cotton yarn so that exporters could be able to achieve price competitiveness and product diversification.

According to the FPCCI chief, local production of cotton was not sufficient to meet the demand of the textile industry, which was currently receiving huge orders. Cotton was not available at competitive prices due to the imposition of regulatory duty and hectic procedures, while Covid-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdowns had also worsened the situation, he informed.

As per the data released by the Pakistan Cotton Ginners’ Association, around 4.6 million bales of cotton arrived in the industry as on 1st Dec 2020, as against 7.4 million on 1st Dec 2019. The unsold stock of this year is 0.9 million bales as compared to last year's 1.4 million. The significant decline cotton cultivation area and production could be attributed to multiple factors, including torrential rains, Covid impact and growers shifting from cotton to sugarcane and maize crops.

As per the chamber, main reasons for low cotton production were reduction in per acre yield, lack of interest in cotton crop, uncertified seeds, pesticides etc.Anjum noted that there was a gap of five million bales between production and domestic consumption in the country.

Ethiopia denies insurgency brewing up in Tigray IrANIAN ScIENTIST kIllED wITh hElp oF SATEllITE-coNTrollED hArDwArE: IrGc

ADDIS ABABA AGENCIES

Ethiopian Prime MinisterAbiyAhmed has denied a rebellious northern force his troops have been battling for over a month would have the capacity to mount an armed offensive from the mountains of Tigray. Federal troops have captured the regional capital Mekelle from the former local ruling party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), and declared an end to their offensive. But TPLF leaders say they are fighting back on various fronts around Mekelle. Ethiopian experts fear a drawn-out armed campaign with a destabilising effect around eastAfrica. “The criminal clique pushed a patently false narrative that its fighters and supporters are battle-hardened and well-armed, posing the risk of protracted insurgency in the rugged mountains of Tigray, ”Abiy said in a statement. “It also claimed that it has managed to undertake strategic retreat with all its capability and regional government apparatus intact. The reality is the criminal clique is thoroughly defeated and in disarray, with insignificant capability to mount a protracted insurgency. ” The United Nations and aid agencies are pressing for safe access to Tigray, which is home to more than five million people and where 600,000 relied on food aid even before the war.

Denmark to end oil production from North Sea in 2050

COPENHAGEN AGENCIES

Denmark will stop extracting oil from the North Sea in 2050, the Danish government has said, adding it would cancel its eighth licensing round, announced earlier this year. The round failed to attract much attention, anyway, with just one applicant expressing interest after French Total withdrew. Denmark is not a particularly large producer of oil and gas, with its average daily output this year estimated at 83,000 bpd of oil and 21,000 of oil equivalent. Yet it is the largest in the European Union, which excludes Norway and, from next year, the UK. The small Scandinavian country is also one of the most ambitious climate goal-setters. Copenhagen plans to reduce emissions by 70 percent from 1990 levels by 2030 and become carbon-neutral by 2050. “We are now putting an end to the fossil era, and drawing a straight line between our activities in the North Sea and the Climate Act's goal of climate neutrality in 2050, ” said climate minister Dan Jørgensen in comments on the official statement regarding the suspension of oil and gas exploration in the North Sea. The minister added that oil and gas industry employees whose jobs will become redundant under the plan will receive help through continuing education to find new employment. The oil and gas fields will be used for carbon storage, Jørgensen also said. The end of fossil fuel extraction from the North Sea, including the cancelled eighth licensing round, will cost Denmark some $2.1 billion. Denmark has been at the forefront of the renewable energy transition, with 30 percent of the energy the country uses coming from renewable sources, notably wind power and biomass. It is the country with the highest wind power production per capita in the OECD, but most of its renewable energy output—some two-thirds—comes from biomass.

Foreign investment to UAE set to surge by 35pc after legal reforms

DUBAI AGENCIES

Foreign investment to the UAE is expected to increase by 35 percent after an overhaul of the commercial companies' law, said Dubai Economy. The changes will “have [a] farreaching impact on the flow and quality of foreign and domestic investments, as well as overall economic growth of the country ” , said Sami Al Qamzi, director general of Dubai Economy. The UAE reformed its commercial companies' law last month and annulled the requirement for onshore companies to have an Emirati shareholder. It also introduced other measures to improve the ease of doing business. The move is intended to boost the country ’s competitive advantage and attract foreign capital to the Arab world’s second-largest economy. “Allowing foreign nationals 100 per cent ownership of commercial companies will lead to a significant increase not only in foreign and domestic investment, as these amendments allow full freedom for investors to manage and operate their businesses, ” Mr Al Qamzi said. The amendments are also expected to encourage individual investors and residents to invest in the small and medium enterprises, “ which is a critical link in production chains” . Sectors such as manufacturing, hightech industries, digital economy, entertainment, engineering and legal consulting services are expected to attract longterm investment that will enhance “competition, partnerships and acquisitions among existing local and foreign companies” . Demand for high-skilled, high-wage jobs is set to increase due to improvement in the flow and quality of investment, according to the DED. TEHRAN AGENCIES

The assassination of senior Iranian military researcher Mohsen Fakhrizadeh involved sophisticated electronic equipment controlled via satellite link, a senior official said. The scientist was gunned down in an ambush last week. This piece of information comes from General Ramezan Sharif, spokesman for the powerful Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), whose remarks during an event commemorating Fakhrizadeh were reported by Iranian media. “The assassination of a scientist on the street with a satellite device can not undermine our security, ” he was cited as saying. Last week the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, said a remotely controlled weapon was used in the ambush that claimed the scientist’s life. The operation was “ very complicated” and didn’t require human presence on the site at the time of the attack. Iranian officials believe that Fakhrizadeh’s assassination was masterminded by Israel. Iranian media reported that the remains of the weapon that killed him, which was recovered from the scene, indicated that it originated from the Israeli military. Israeli Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen said his government had no idea who killed Fakhrizadeh, but added that whoever did made the world a safer place because the Iranian physicist took “an active part in creating a nuclear weapon. ” Iran denies ever trying to militarize its nuclear research, saying it’s purely civilian in purpose.

EUtoconsidersanctions againstTurkeyastensionsgrow

BRUSSELS AGENCIES

The European Union (EU) foreign ministers will evaluate grounds for sanctions against Turkey over a Mediterranean gas dispute before the bloc's leaders decide whether to make good on their threat to impose sanctions. Ministers will not make decisions at their meeting on Monday, leavingthattoThursday'ssummitof EU leaders, who in October told Turkeytostopexploringindisputed watersintheEasternMediterranean or face consequences. Turkey's move in late November to return a seismic exploration vessel to port hascalmedtension,butEUofficials and diplomats said broader issues over Libya, Syria, Russia and Ankara's authoritarian stance at homehavehardenedtheirpositions. "I'm not aware of any EU government challenging the view that the situation is worse than October and that leaders should consider the consequences, " a senior EU official said. "We have been requesting a change that has not come. " The EU says Turkish drill and survey ships have continued to work in waters contested by Greece and Cyprus, which Greece says makes formal talks with Turkey over maritime claims impossible. European Council President Charles Michel, who chairs EU summits, called on Turkey last week to stop playing a "cat-andmouse" game by offering concessions only to reverse them. Germany, holder of the EU's six-month presidency, holds the key to whether sanctions go ahead. It hoped to mediate between Athens and Ankara, but was angered whenTurkey resumed exploration for gas off Cyprus in October after a pause. "Putting the [Oruc Reis] exploration ship back to sea straight after the summit was not taken kindly by member states that put a lot of effort in with Turkey and Greece, " an EU diplomat said. "There are limits even to German patience. " France and the European Parliament say it is time to punish Turkey, a Nato ally and candidate to join the EU, which is seen in Brussels as fuelling the gas dispute for domestic politics. Turkey rejects the EU talk of sanctions, saying it is not constructive. The EU parliament called for sanctions on November 26, but the return of the Oruc Reis to port and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's call for dialogue may give it reasons to hold off for now. "Sanctions are on the table but they're not automatic, " the diplomat said.

Venezuela’s Maduro gets two-thirds votes in opposition-boycotted polls

CARACAS AGENCIES

Asocialist alliance, led byVenezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, has scored a major win in parliamentary elections, getting over two thirds of the vote.The polls have been boycotted by opposition and faced allegations of fraud. The United Socialist Party of Venezuela and its allies took more than 67 percent of votes in the election, the country ’s electoral board’s president, Indira Alfonzo, said early on Monday. The result was hailed as a major win by Maduro, who said the socialist were able to “recover” the rebellious NationalAssembly. Election turnout, however, appeared to be rather modest as only 31 percent of some 20 million eligible voters cast their ballots, official figures indicate. “We have recovered the National Assembly with the majority vote of the Venezuelan people, ” Maduro said in a televised speech. “It’s a great victory without a doubt for democracy. ” The National Assembly has been led by USbacked Juan Guaido, who proclaimed himself ‘interim president’in 2019. Despite broad support fromWashington and repeated attempts to oust Maduro, that even allegedly included a botched military coup, Guaido has failed to snatch power from the socialist president.The polls have been boycotted by the country ’s major opposition parties, that accused the government of fixing them well before election day. Guaido himself called the election a “fraud” and urged his supporters not to participate in it. The allegations have been further reinforced by pro-Guaido foreign players, with the US and many of its allies refusing to accept any results of the election. The US secretary of state Mike Pompeo denounced the polls as a “sham” , insisting that the election “ will not reflect the will of the Venezuelan people” . Venezuelan authorities, however, have flatly denied all the allegations of somehow fixing the polls and blasted the critics over their concerns for the country ’s “democracy ” and simultaneous rejection of any election it holds. Responding to Canada’s statement for instance,Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza mocked the mixed message it sent. “The ridicule syndrome under the Trump era is contagious. Now Canada also thinks its Venezuela’s electoral tribunal. They despise International Law. They don’t support elections and they want to restore democracy, ”Arreaza tweeted.

Sudan rejects further filling of Ethiopia's Nile dam

KHARTOUM AGENCIES

Sudan said it will not accept a second filling of the reservoir behind the Nile dam being built by Ethiopia until Addis Ababa enters a legally binding agreement on operating it. Sudanese Irrigation and Water Resources Minister Yasser Abbas said a second filling without an agreement would pose a threat to Sudan’s security. On Sudanese state TV, Abbas and acting foreign minister Omar Qamar El Deen ruled out military action. Ethiopia's dam on the Blue Nile, which originates in its highlands, was built near the border with Sudan. The Blue Nile meets the White Nile north of Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, and accounts for 85 per cent of the River Nile’s waters as it flows north through Egypt to the Mediterranean. Egypt is deeply alarmed that the dam, officially known as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, could cut deeply into its crucial share of the Nile waters. Sudan wants Ethiopia to agree on close cooperation on running the nearly completed hydroelectric dam to avoid flooding or damage to its own power-generating dams on the Blue Nile. A decade of negotiations between the three nations has yet to produce an agreement on the dam’s operation, a mechanism for resolving future disputes or dealing with persistent drought. Sudan last month pulled out of the negotiations after Egypt and Ethiopia rejected its proposal that African water and river experts be given a more proactive role in the negotiations. Abbas said Ethiopia was planning to store 13.5 billion cubic metres during the months of July and August next year, the peak of the annual flood season. A first filling that took place this year was carried out without Addis Ababa giving Khartoum and Cairo notice. It involved five billion cubic metres but temporarily affected the volume of water flowing into eastern Sudan from Ethiopia. “We will not accept from Ethiopia that it goes ahead and starts a second filling in the Renaissance dam without first reaching a binding agreement, and consequently poses a threat to the security of Sudan, ” Abbas said. Qamareldeen said: “The use of force is rejected by Sudan. We will take the option of arbitration if we reach the end of the line without an agreement. ” Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi also said the dispute would be resolved through negotiations, not force. But El Sisi never categorically ruled out the use of force, describing the dispute as existential to Egypt, which depends on the Nile for 90 per cent of its water needs.

China’s $268bn exports in November set new record

BEIJING AGENCIES

November has become the most lucrative month for China’s exports, driven by strong demand for pandemic-related items such as electronics and protective gear. China shipped $268 billion worth of goods last month, posting a 21 percent growth year-on-year, customs data showed on Monday. This was the highest monthly sum ever for the country ’s exports and the highest growth rate since February 2018. “China’s export performance once again beat the market expectations, mainly due to the holiday demand surge from the developed markets. Consumer income and spending are supported sufficiently by furlough schemes in the US and Western Europe, ” Wang Dan, chief economist at Hang Seng Bank (China), told Chinese state-run media CGTN. Inbound shipments rose for the third consecutive month to reach $192.6 billion in November, although at slightly slower pace than the month before. Imports rose by 4.5 percent in November from a year earlier, compared to a 4.7 percent growth in October, and were below the six percent expected by analysts. Slower imports growth and the export boom only widened China’s trade surplus that amounted to $75.4 billion last month. The gap between exports and imports was the largest on record in Refinitiv data going back to 1981. The widening trade surplus could reflect disproportionate recovery between industry and domestic consumption in the world’s second largest economy. This could also create hurdles for the China-US trade deal, as the US trade deficit with China has widened to $37.4 billion to reach a new monthly high in November. Last month, the US became the top market for Chinese goods, and it was China's third largest trading partner for 11 months this year. “China-US trade surplus continued to grow, exerting additional pressure on yuan valuation. We now expect the end-year RMB exchange rate to breach 6.5, which will put significant pressure on the export sector, ” Wang told CGTN. Some analysts still caution that booming exports are temporary as they are mainly driven by growing shipments of pandemic-related goods as well as seasonal holiday demand. Exports of electronics in November jumped 25 percent compared to the same period last year, while medical equipment exports soared 38 percent. At the same time, many countries are still struggling to cope with the rising number of coronavirus infections and are forced to impose restrictions, and that could add pressure on their purchases from China.

SPORTS

pakistansEttotraininnEwZEalandaftErEntirE squadfoundcovidnEgativEinfinalroundoftEsting

AGENCIES

pAKISTAN’S jumbo contingent of 44 players have all tested negative for Covid-19 during the fifth and final round of testing on Sunday. This allows them to start training, subject to a final clearance from New Zealand’s Ministry of Health.

The squad is expected to leave their managed isolation facility in Christchurch and fly to Queenstown on Tuesday, where they will train in the lead-up to the threematch T20I series that begins in Auckland on December 18.

Prior to the T20Is, Pakistan A, who are on a shadow tour, will feature in two fourday games against New Zealand A in the build-up to the two-Test series, which is part of the World Test Championship. The first four-day game begins on December 10 in Queenstown, with the second one from December 17 in Whangarei.

Both squads - the T20I and PakistanAwill be staying in separate hotels in Queenstown and training at different times according to their match requirements.

“The member of the Pakistan squad who tested positive on day six will remain in managed isolation until departing - negative tests permitting, ” a New Zealand Cricket release said. “Additionally, the member of the squad who was taken into quarantine in Auckland after arriving from Dubai feeling unwell - but subsequently testing negative has also been cleared to leave the facility. ”

The news comes as a relief to the Pakistan camp, with many of the players having already spent extended periods in a bubble at different times since July, when they resumed playing cricket during the England tour after a coronavirus-induced lockdown. Subsequently, they also conducted their domestic season under a bio-bubble at home, followed by a short limited-overs series against Zimbabwe and the PSL playoffs.

Pakistan were to start training in New Zealand on December 5, but were sent into extended quarantine after six members returned positive tests upon arrival. When a number of players were found to have mingled in groups at their isolation facility, Wasim Khan, the PCB CEO, had spoken to the players, asking them to refrain from such acts that could put the tour in jeopardy.

On Sunday, head coach Misbah-ul-Haq praised his players for making sacrifices, while also stating how spending time in isolation without being given the concession to train was both “mentally and physically ” draining. “I want to compliment my players and the management team for their patience, sacrifices and the hardships they have endured to ensure they not only lead the safe resumption of international cricket during the Covid-19 pandemic since the series in England, but also try to give their best every time they step on the field, ” Misbah said in a PCB release.

“Top professional athletes require a certain environment to prepare so that they can perform at the minimum expected levels every time they represent their countries. While we completely respect and understand the New Zealand Government Laws which have been put in place for the health and safety of their public, there is no denying the fact that the implementation of certain regulations has affected our athletes, both mentally and physically prior to an international series.

“Nonetheless, when we will leave the isolation facility in the next day or two, we will try to put all this behind us and focus on the challenge of facing New Zealand in both the formats. ”

The three-match T20I series between New Zealand and Pakistan is followed by two Tests, starting December 26 in Mount Maunganui.

England’s South Africa tour called off after Covid-19 outbreak

AGENCIES

England’s tour of SouthAfrica has been called off following the outbreak of Covid-19 among both teams’ camps and staff at their hotel. The three ODIs have officially been postponed, with a possibility they could be played at a later date.

The decision came after the opening ODI of the series was pushed back three times in four days, having originally been scheduled to take place at Newlands on Friday, before failed attempts to stage games at Paarl on Sunday, and at Newlands again on Monday.

With England due to fly home on a chartered flight on Thursday, and with the squad still awaiting the ratification of two unconfirmed positive tests within the camp, CSA had hoped to be able to host back-to-back ODIs on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, news that the tour would be abandoned out of consideration for the “mental and physical health and welfare of players from both teams” came on Monday afternoon. The announcement was made via a joint statement from CSA and the ECB, although ESPNcricinfo understands that the decision to pull out came at the behest of the English board.

Earlier on Monday, an England team spokesman hit back at suggestions that the players had breached Covid protocols during an unsanctioned practice session at Newlands on the eve of the scheduled first ODI, claiming that they had been given permission to set up a secure cordon around the nets, in spite of their proximity to a construction site, due to the “ unacceptable” standards of the pitches they had been provided on the Newlands square.

The chief executives of both boards cited player welfare as a primary concern in the decision to curtail the tour, with players understood to be uneasy about recent developments and the fact that the bio-secure bubble had been breached. The three-match ODI series forms part of the qualification process for the 2023 World Cup via the ICC’s new Super League, and the boards signalled their intention to stage the series at a later date.With England due to tour Bangladesh, Pakistan, Australia and West Indies next winter, on top of the T20 World Cup in India, it will be a challenge to find a suitable window.

“The decision was taken jointly by the two boards to ensure the mental and physical health and welfare of players from both teams, ” the statement said. “CSA and the ECB will now work together to determine when the threematch series, which forms part of the ICC Cricket Men’s Super League, can take place in the future. ”

Kugandrie Govender, CSA’s acting CEO, said: “The concern over the mental health impact of recent events on all involved is not one that we as CSA or the ECB take lightly and the decision to postpone the tour is the most responsible and reasonable course of action for us.

“I would like to thank the ECB for the continued positive relations and we look forward to hosting the England team in the near future. ”

Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive, said: “We have always maintained that the welfare of our players and management is paramount. We were concerned about the potential impact that recent developments might have on the wellbeing of the touring party, and so after consultation with Cricket South Africa we have jointly made the decision to postpone the remaining matches in this series, in [the] best interest of the players’ welfare.

“I would like to thank Cricket South Africa for their support and understanding on this matter and look forward to working with them to identify a time when we can return to play these fixtures in the future. ”

The postponement of the series will cast further doubt on the viability of South Africa’s scheduled home series against Sri Lanka, Australia and Pakistan this season, not least with the number of infections rising by 43% in the Western Cape last week.

It is understood that CSA will lose in the region of US$2 million in broadcast revenue from the postponement of the three ODIs, and any further cancellations would have significant financial ramifications.

EnglandblamE‘unaccEptablE’ nEwlandsfacilitiEsaftErclaims ofcovid-19protocolsbrEach

The use of a previously off-limits nets facility at Newlands has emerged as a possible source of the Covid-19 infection within the England camp, as the ECB hit back at claims from officials at Western Province that its players had breached the teams’ biosecure environment for a practice session on the eve of Friday’s scheduled first ODI. In an email sent on Thursday, December 3, and seen by ESPNcricinfo, WP informed CSA, ECB and the Claremont Police, who are in charge of maintaining the teams’ bio-bubble, that they could not be held liable for the safety or health of the England team, who opted to practice in a nets facility adjoining a construction site at the Kelvin Grove End of the ground. “Please be advised that the England cricket team has not adhered to the arrangements as agreed by all in the ESSPC [Event Security and Safety Planning Committee] meetings, ” the email read. “The practice nets next to the construction site is not allowed to be used on practice days. Three cages of nets was set up on the square on the field. This serves to inform you that the England Cricket Team has accessed and used the nets today (3 December 2020) at their own risk. WPCA and the ESSPC will not be held liable or responsible for the safety and health of the England Cricket Team. ” In response, an ECB spokesman told ESPNcricinfo that the session had arisen due to the “unacceptable” standard of the three practice pitches provided on the square at Newlands, and that CSA had accepted England’s request to put up a security cordon to facilitate the use of the nets as per similar arrangements during the T20I series on November 28. “On arrival at Newlands on 3 December, we advised the venue that the three nets provided on the main pitch were not of a standard for conducive practice, as per the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the respective boards, ” an ECB statement said. “Batsmen were unable to face seam bowlers on the nets on the main pitch as the surfaces were rendered and unacceptable. “We requested with CSA that we would like to use the practice nets and that we would create a security cordon to ensure the players and coaches could enter the facility safely, as done previously on 28 November. This was confirmed by England’s Security Team, the Team Operations Manager and the Team Doctor. We were satisfied with this outcome and we were able to practice in the net facility safely. “The team also used the main outfield for fielding drills, a seam bowlers bowl through pitch and a number of nets were used for range-hitting against spin bowlers and coaches throws. “As far as the England touring party are concerned, the safety and health of our players and coaches was not compromised. ” The nets at Newlands are currently out of bounds due to the construction of an office block at the Kelvin Grove End of the ground. The building site is attended to by several workers throughout the day. When South African players, including Andile Phehlukwayo and David Miller, who missed the T20 series, and some support staff attempted to have a net after Friday’s postponed first ODI, they were sent back and instructed to return to their hotel rooms. At the time, a third South African player had just tested positive for the coronavirus, causing the first ODI to be pushed back. On Saturday, two members of the Vineyard Hotel staff, who do not work in the same area and have not left the premises since November 16, also tested positive, prompting the entire England touring party to be retested. England returned two “unconfirmed” positive results, but have sought to get the tests analysed by doctors in London. The two England cases meant Sunday’s ODI in Paarl was abandoned. AGENCIES

Is England’s use of signals from the balcony a big deal?

AGENCIES

In the third T20I between England and South Africa last week, England’s analyst Nathan Leamon trialled a signal system for communicating with players, by propping up pairs of placards bearing a letter and a number each on the balcony. It was done, England explained afterwards, with permission from match officials but almost immediately, a broader question arose. Does this kind of real-time support from the coaching staff represent an evolution, or does it constitute too much tinkering with the game?

CapeTown wasn’t the first instance (England actually used it through the series). Earlier this year Leamon and his team at the Multan Sultans used a similar signal strategy. More controversially, during the 1999World Cup, BobWoolmer communicated with Hansie Cronje on-field through an earpiece.

Information has traditionally been passed from coaches to players on the field during designated drinks breaks, strategic time outs, or when bats or gloves are sent out to the field. In some cases, the 12th man or the coach talk to the captain boundary side. All of that still happens but what England did could spark a change in how this is done, eventually bringing it up to the level of such sports as the NFL or the NBA. Of course, one of the fundamental differences between those sports and cricket is that the manager or coach are the primary decision-makers there, while in cricket the captain is.As a result, historically, the involvement of coaches and support staff in real-time decision making has been limited in cricket.

Cricket has predominantly been played out on skills and technique. But T20 has allowed data-based strategy and tactics to come to the forefront. For example, data-based decisions can lead to your weakest bowler bowling the first over of an innings, knowing that the particular opening batsman up against them takes some time to settle; or not sending out your best batsman in his usual position because he has a belowpar average against legspin.You would never see this happen in the longer format.

Thanks to franchise cricket around the world, there is also a greater amount of data to work with in T20, compared to Tests and ODIs, for which teams tour a country once every three or four years - so much can change in that period that it leaves a fair amount of data irrelevant.

Most cricketers have grown up without data, though, so the ability to understand, filter and use it correctly needs time, education and experience. That is why the relationship between the captain and the analyst is crucial. Both need to understand that data-based decisions should not be judged on outcome alone. What data does is help provide logical justification for decisionmaking, and in many cases validates the instincts of the captain.

The format is still young enough to have teams at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to use of data. At one end you have MS Dhoni and the Chennai Super Kings making the IPL playoffs ten years out of 11 using instincts and experience, and at the other are Rohit Sharma and the Mumbai Indians winning five titles with data underpinning heavy research and meticulous planning. But as the format evolves and grows, it will be important for captains to adapt and remain open to tools and techniques that can give them an advantage over their peers.

At the moment most of the use of data in T20s is to do with match-ups and venue-related information. Neither of these really requires signals from off the field. Venue details are easy to understand, while a captain can easily remember match-ups, since it is just six to seven batsmen to plan for. And anyway, you have time outs and water breaks to send the message across if needed.

However, signals could be useful to remind the captain of plans if bowlers drift away from them. For example, if the strategy is to bowl wide yorkers to Hardik Pandya at the death and the first two balls of an over are short and hit for six, it makes sense for a signal to be sent out immediately to correct course. You might think this is something captain and bowler should be able to do by themselves on the field but you ’d be surprised how many still don’t orchestrate execution to such a specific degree. Waiting for an over to finish might make it too late. An alphanumeric code grid used to communicate details of line and length can be a simple and powerful way to minimise damage and remind a captain of plans.

Another potential instance where signals could help is to make sure not only that the right field is set, but that the right fielders are in the right positions.

Think about the possibilities that open up if wearabletechnologiessuchasRFIDchipsorsmart watches are allowed, which can provide real-time data on performance and movements in the field. Oncethesetechnologiestricklein,wecouldseeinvolvement from specialised coaches and analysts inrealtime,leadingtostrategicfieldchangesinthe middleofanover.Iftherearereal-timestatstrackingplayerfatigue,informeddecisionscanbemade whether they can continue or be taken out of the attack, if they are a bowler; or whether to hit out andgetout,orretireout,iftheyareabatsman.Potentially, you could change a game as a coach on the back of a finding in real time.

Although there is a lot of noise and interest around data analytics in T20 at the moment, its use is at a nascent stage. Compared to sports like football and basketball, where thousands of data points are collected, cricket is still far behind.The first step towards catching up is to capture as much data as possible: more data on fielding, on tracking player movements through the day, on real-time health parameters, on players’ speeds. None of this is collected currently, let alone organised coherently.

Cricket needs more investment, but also regulatory support from the ICC in allowing wearable technologies, or in-stadia cameras to capture relevant data. As data collection evolves and league cricket flourishes, such signals will add new dimensions not only in the aspect of high performance but also for broadcasting and fan engagement. For instance, after an IPLseason or a Test series, a team could potentially release recordings of the interactions that the support staff and captain had during the season to fans. We’re still far from that, but for now England have started something. It is only a matter of time before others get better at it.

NEWS

New roads growth of pave way for massive israeli settlemeNts

TEL AVIV AGENCIES

iN the coming years, Israelis will be able to commute into Jerusalem and TelAviv from settlements deep inside the West Bank via highways, tunnels and overpasses that cut a wide berth that fear, ” said Kyle Rodda, market strategist at IG

around Palestinian towns.

Rights groups say the new roads will set the stage for explosive settlement growth, even if the incoming US administration somehow convinces Israel to curb housing construction. The costly infrastructure projects signal that Israel intends to keep large swaths of the occupied territory in any peace deal and would make it even harder to establish a viable Palestinian state.

“This is not another hundred housing units there or here, ” said Yehuda Shaul, an Israeli activist who has spent months researching and mapping out the new projects. “This is de facto annexation on steroids. ”

Construction already is underway on a huge tunnel that Shaul says will one day allow settlers from Maale Adumim, a sprawling settlement east of Jerusalem, to

Costly infrastruCture projeCts signal israel’s intention to keep large swaths of annexed land, further diminishing prospeCts of a palestinian state

drive into the city and onward to Tel Aviv without passing through a military checkpoint or even hitting a traffic light.

South of Jerusalem, work is underway to expand the main highway leading to the Gush Etzion settlement bloc and settlements farther south, with tunnels and overpasses designed to bypass Palestinian villages and refugee camps. Palestinians will be allowed to drive on many of the new roads, but the infrastructure will be of limited use to them because they need permits to enter Israel or annexed east Jerusalem.

Israel seized the West Bank and east Jerusalem in the 1967 war and has since built a far-flung network of settlements that house nearly 700,000 Jewish settlers. The Palestinians want both territories for their future state and view the settlements as a violation of international law and an obstacle to peace — a position with wide international support. Supporters of settlements view the West Bank and Jerusalem as the historical and biblical heart of Israel, seeing the settlements as a way of preventing any partition of the Holy Land.

But most Israelis live and work in the main cities. Except for an ideological minority, most Israelis would be uncomfortable living deep inside the West Bank, where two-lane roads pass through military checkpoints and Palestinian villages, and where clashes and rock-throwing can erupt at any time. The new roads promise to change all that, transforming settlements into affordable suburban communities with safe, easy access to cities and public transportation. Shaul estimates the new infrastructure could facilitate plans for more than 50,000 settler housing units in theWest Bank and another 6,000 in east Jerusalem.

“People don’t bring roads, roads bring people, ” he said. Shaul, an army conscript during the Israeli military ’s suppression of the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s, is a co-founder of Breaking the Silence, a group of former Israeli soldiers who document human rights abuses in the occupied territories. In recent months, he has turned his attention to Israeli planning.

His findings are based on minutes from several meetings held in recent years by parliamentary subcommittees charged with improving West Bank infrastructure. He also cites a strategic plan presented by Transportation Minister Miri Regev, a hard-line supporter of settlements, to a group of settlement mayors last month.

In a statement after the meeting, Regev called it “an exciting day for the settlements and for the state of Israel, which builds and is building in all areas of the homeland. ” She said it provided a “holistic vision” for “a future development plan for the region. ”

The ministry did not respond to requests for comment. Oded Revivi, the mayor of the Efrat settlement in the West Bank who attended the meeting, said the draft plan was “ very thorough, ” and that the ministry was open to suggestions, “taking into account the needs of both populations, both the Jews and the Arabs. ” He said US President Donald Trump’s Mideast plan, which would allow Israel to annex about a third of the West Bank, including all its settlements, had proven that the settlements are not an obstacle to peace.

That plan was immediately rejected by the Palestinians and is likely to be scrapped by President-elect Joe Biden, who opposes annexation. Alon Cohen Lifshitz, an expert at Bimkom, an Israeli rights group that focuses on urban planning, said the main aim of the road projects is to create a “matrix of control” that ensures the free movement of Israelis while further fragmenting the areas governed by the PalestinianAuthority.

cal). They are looking for options to live the dream in affordable housing, ” he said. “This is the main obstacle for the expansion of settlements. ”

US blocking Covid-19 vaccine purchase: Iran’s central bank chief

TEHRAN AGENCIES

The UnitedStates isactivelytryingtopreventIran’sefforts to buy a Covid-19 vaccine through COVAX, a globalinitiativeundertakenbytheWorldHealthOrganisation, according to the chief of Iran’s central bank.

Abdolnasser Hemmati on Monday said it must be “recorded in historical memory ” that Iranian efforts to buy a vaccine through COVAX have been hampered due to money transfer issues arising due to the sanctions imposed by the US against Iran.

“So far, anymethods to makepayment and transfer the required currency have faced obstacles due to the inhumanesanctionsoftheUSgovernmentandtheneed to obtain permits from OFAC, ” Hemmati wrote in an Instagrampost,referringtotheOfficeofForeignAssets Control of the USTreasury. Iran, which is dealing with the largest and deadliest Covid-19 pandemic in the Middle East, announcedmonthsagothatithadbecome a member of COVAX in order to secure vaccines.

The WHO touts COVAX as “the world’s best hope” for tackling the pandemic in a coordinated and timely manner, and says the international initiative’s aim is to “guarantee rapid, fair and equitable access to vaccines for people in all countries” .

Iran’s official Covid-19 death toll surpassed 50,000 on Saturday as the country battles the third wave of the virus with more than a million reported cases. Iranian health authorities say the real numbers are likely to be more than twice the official figures. After unilaterally reneging on Iran’s 2015 nuclear accord with world powers in May 2018, US President Donald Trump has imposed waves of economic sanctions on Iran.

The Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran has since seen the blacklisting of the entire Iranian financial sector.The sanctions, which have also targeted the Iranian central bank, have had a documented impact on Iran’s access to vital medicine in the past three years.

Iranian authorities have repeatedly said they consider the sanctions an instance of “economic and medical terrorism” against the Iranian people.

The US has refused requests by its traditional allies in Europe and human rights groups to lift the sanctions during the coronavirus pandemic.

us preparing new sanctions on Chinese officials over hong kong crackdown: report

WASHINGTON AGENCIES

The United States is preparing to impose sanctions on at least a dozen Chinese officials over their purported role in Beijing’s disqualification of elected opposition legislators in Hong Kong, according to three sources, including a US official familiar with the matter.

The move, which could come as soon as Monday, will target officials from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as President Donald Trump’s administration keepsuppressureonBeijinginhisfinalweeksinoffice. President-elect Joe Biden takes over on January 20.

The State Department and the White House did not immediatelyrespondtorequestsforcomment.Upto14 people,includingofficialsofChina’sparliament,orNational People’s Congress, and members of the CCP, would likely be targeted by measures such as asset freezes and financial sanctions, two sources said. The US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, saidmultipleindividualswouldbesanctioned.Aperson familiar with the matter said the group would likely includeofficialsfromHongKongaswellasthemainland. Thesourcesdidnotprovidenamesorpositionsofthose being targeted for sanctions. Two sources cautioned an announcement could still be delayed until later in the week. China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Beijing has previously condemnedUSsanctionsrelatedtoHongKong,calling it interference in China’s internal affairs.

Stock markets inAsia gave up early gains on worries the move may signal a further deterioration in relations between the world’s two largest economies.

“One thing that the market has been concerned about is that on his ‘Out of office’Trump would look for some retribution on China. So this news speaks to “Most of the settlers are not (ideologi-

Markets in Melbourne. Chinese financial stocks traded in Hong Kong fell 2.3 percent in morning trade, their sharpest drop in six months amid worries sanctions could be extended to banks. STAND-OFFGROWS: In October, the US State Department warned international financial institutions doing business with individuals deemed responsible for China’s crackdown in the Asian financial hub that they could soon face tough sanctions.

Washington has already put sanctions on Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, the territory ’s current and former police chiefs and other top officials in August for what it said was their role in curtailing freedoms in a crackdown on the territory ’s pro-democracy movement. Hong Kong’s Beijing-backed government last month expelled four opposition members from its legislatureafterChina’sparliamentgavecityauthorities new powers to curb dissent. The move triggered mass resignations by pro-democracy opposition lawmakers in theformer Britishcolony. It also raised further alarm in the West. The Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group —madeupofAustralia,Britain,Canada,NewZealand and the United States — said last month the move appeared to be part of a campaign to silence critics and called on Beijing to reverse course. White House national security adviser Robert O’Brien said in November the expulsion showed the “One Country, Two Systems” formula, under which Hong Kong’s autonomy had been promised since Britain handed the territorybacktoChinain1997,wasnow “merelyafigleaf” and promised further US action.