Epaper – February 20 LHR 2021

Saturday, 20 February, 2021 I 7 Rajab, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 233 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition

NA-75: Two killed, AT leAsT eighT iNjured As pArTy workers clAsh g

UNIdENTIFIEd SUSPECTS OPENEd FIRE NEAR FIvE POllING STATIONS

IsLAmAbAD staff report

c

lASHES between the workers of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim league-Nawaz (PMl-N) in Sialkot’s NA-75 constituency on Friday has led to the death of at least two, while eight others were reported as injured, it emerged.

Unidentified suspects opened fire near five polling stations, including Main Bazar, Gondka polling station and Rangeela Chowk in daska, during the NA-75 by-elections. voting at five polling stations has been halted.

Three critical patients have been moved to a hospital in Gujranwala. The dead have been identified as Majid and Zeeshan and belong to the PTI and the PMl-N, respectively.

The incident created panic among voters, however, the situation was brought under control after the arrival of police. A clash also erupted between the two parties at Sohdra polling station in Wazirabad during PP-51 poll. The clash caused a worsening of the traffic situation in the area.

Speaking to a local news outlet on the incident, Sialkot district Police Officer (dPO)

Hassan Asad Alvi confirmed that, along with the martyred PTI and PMl-N members, a PTI polling agent was also among the injured. This has been corroborated by eyewitnesses and local media.

According to Alvi, the main suspect, Javed, who is a PMl-N worker, had visited the Goindke polling station in the morning, where he had a verbal altercation with one of the deceased.

He returned to the polling station later and when the PTI workers exited the building, he opened fire on them before fleeing from the scene. The official added that

police were conducting raids to apprehend him.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister of Pakistan on Political Communication dr Shahbaz Gill on Twitter alleged that the PMl-N was behind the death of one of the PTI workers.

“According to reports, PMl-N goon Javed Butt Bay shot dead PTI activist Majid and seriously injured Sajid. The PMl-N is a party of thugs like Glue Butt and Javed Butt. These are criminals. Politics is just a cloak – every drop of blood will be counted,” he said on the popular microblogging site.

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has taken notice of the shooting in daska and ordered the inspector general of Punjab (IGP) to submit a report of the incident, and has also ordered the immediate arrest of the perpetrators, stating that no violation of the law shall be allowed.

The government will take indiscriminate action against those found guilty, he added.

In this regard, IGP Inam Ghani has directed the regional police officer (RPO) to arrest the suspects immediately and initiate legal action against them.

Similarly, the Punjab CM’s special aide, dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, blamed PMl-N Punjab president Rana Sanaullah for the clash, alleging that PMl-N was resorting to its “traditional thuggery” under Sanaullah’s supervision.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

MARYAM SHARES ‘EVIDENCE’ OF RIGGING AT POLLING STATION SIALKOT: Pakistan Muslim league-Nawaz (PMl-N) vice President Maryam Nawaz on Twitter shared videos of the supposed rigging of the polls in four different constituencies, purporting that these videos were the proof of the Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) stealing votes. “I request the PMl-N workers, especially from daska, Wazirabad and Nowshera that the way they cast their votes with courage and determination amid thuggery by PTI government representatives and police, to display the same resolve and guard their votes,” she wrote soon after polls closed at 5 pm. “PTI people caught red handed stealing bagfuls of votes by PMlN MPA Adil Chatta and Ataa Tarar. Seal was also broken. Police was a part of the plan to steal votes for PTI,” she wrote on Twitter while sharing a series of videos. She claimed that rangers were present when the PTI workers were caught “red-handed”.

coroNAvirus iN

pAkisTAN

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

‘No one would dare to support secret ballot’ in respectable society: PM HAZRO staff report

Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the attempts by the opposition to sweep away the Pakistan Tehreek-e-lnsaf (PTI) members was their latest endeavour to secure seats in the Senate, adding that “no one would dare to support secret ballot when it is a known fact that bribes are given in the Senate elections”.

Addressing a ceremony for the launch of a tree plantation campaign near the Ghazi Barotha dam, the premier said the opposition’s stance against the open was due to their intentions on “buying” PTI voters.

He said that a market has been set up, with fixed rates for the buying and selling of votes, adding that the secret ballot had destroyed the morals of the society. “This has gone on for 30 years; not all [politicians] get sold but many do,” he said.

The prime minister recalled that in 2018, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) despite having only six members in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly secured two Senate seats. “What kind of democracy is it?”

“They created such an impression that corruption is not a bad thing,” he remarked and questioned can anybody cite an example of a country that achieved

COAS, US Centcom chief discuss Afghan peace process

CONFIRMED CASES:

568,506

progress and development in the atmosphere of corruption.

The premier stressed that the country was at a decisive juncture wherein it would finally rid itself of these “dacoits” and secure a “victory for Pakistan”.

He noted that there was a time when the opposition parties advocated for an open ballot in the Senate elections but were today calling for the use of a secret ballot. He said that the reason for their change of stance was due to the repeated failures of the Pakistan democratic Movement (PdM).

“First their [power show] at Minar-e-Pakistan flopped, then they failed to blackmail us over FATF legislation, then they were thinking the government would fall due to corona but Allah blessed us; now they are planning to somehow bring more of their senators by through buying our people,” he said.

He said that a senator that is elected through money would never serve the people, rather, he would “suck the nation’s blood”.

The federal government has also sought the Supreme Court’s (SC) opinion on whether the Senate elections could be held through open ballot by amending the Election Act 2017 that requires simple legislation.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

MORE INSIDE

Pakistan warns Afghanistan of ‘spoilers’ that may harm Afghan peace process STORY ON BACK PAGE

UN experts condemn India for ending Kashmir’s autonomy, weakening minority rights

LAST UPDATED AT 8:15 AM ON FEBRUARY 18, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

40

RECOVERED:

NEW CASES:

1,245 DEATHS:

531,840 12,527 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

255,039 166,242 KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

70,493

18,967

9,673/4,947 43,145

RAWALPINDI staff report

US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Gen Kenneth F McKenzie Jr has acknowledged Pakistan’s commendable efforts in fight against terrorism and ensuring regional stability.

According to a press statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Friday, General McKenzie called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa at General Headquarters (GHQ) on Friday.

Matters of mutual interest, regional security situation with particular reference to the ongoing Afghanistan reconciliation process were discussed during the meeting, the ISPR said. Both expressed unanimity of views on the importance of political resolution of the ongoing Afghan situation.

The COAS said that Pakistan is committed to efforts for peace in Afghanistan as it is important for peace in Pakistan.

The visiting dignitary acknowledged Pakistan’s commendable efforts in the fight against terrorism as well as for

regional stability.

The meeting took place hours after Russian Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan Ambassador Zamir Kabulov called on the army chief in Rawalpindi.

The development comes a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan reiterated his conviction that there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and that a negotiated political settlement is the only way forward. He expressed these views during a meeting with Ahmad Wali Massoud, head of Massoud Foundation, Afghanistan, who called on him in Islamabad on Thursday.

STORY ON BACK PAGE

Ruckus erupts as opposition raises issue of food and power crises in NA

STORY ON PAGE 03

Tributes pour in as missing mountaineers declared dead STORY ON PAGE 03

02

Saturday, 20 February, 2021

LAHORE

NEWS

FM QuResHI CALLs oN INT’L CoMMuNITy To TACkLe RACIsM, ReLIgIous DIsCRIMINATIoN

F

NewS DeSk

OREIGN Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi urged the international community on Thursday to address the drivers of structural discrimination, including those rooted in the history of colonialism in South Asia.

Speaking at a virtual special meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNESC) titled ‘Reimagining Equality: Eliminating Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination for all in the Decade of Action for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),’ the FM maintained that the elimination of racism and religious discrimination were at the core of the UN 2030 agenda.

“The SDGs are visionary in their stated commitment to ‘leave no one behind’. They aim to bring an end to all forms of discrimination and inequality, including racism. Yet, racial equality is under attack globally. Expressions of racial hatred, religious supremacy and violent nationalism have moved from the fringe to political mainstream,” he said on the occasion.

While drawing attention towards a “deadly pandemic of hate”, he listed out a four-point roadmap, wherein the foreign minister proposed the inclusion of objectives of promoting racial, ethnic and religious equality, redressing historic inequalities and injustices of the past, as part of the concept of “building back better” from Covid-19 and achieving the SDGs. He called for adoption of action plans by all concerned states to ensure equality and

FOREIGN MINISTER PROPOSES THE INCLUSION OF OBJECTIVES OF PROMOTING RACIAL, ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS EQUALITY improve the economic situation of people of African descent and other oppressed ethnic and religious groups facing discrimination.

Besides emphasising increase in the representation of people of African descent in global institutions and leadership positions, as well as building a global alliance against the rise and spread of Islamophobic, anti-sematic and other violent nationalist and racist groups.

He pointed out that the assault on the human dignity of millions around the world had reached alarming proportions – from the resurgence of neo-Nazi and other violent nationalist groups, to the racist and xenophobic attitudes of politicians; from pervasive Islamophobia and racial profiling of Muslims, to excessive use of force by law enforcement agencies against people of African descent.

With reference to Pakistan’s neighbourhood, the foreign minister highlighted that the hateful political rhetoric and incitement to violence against vulnerable ethnic and religious groups had resulted in discriminatory citizenship laws, attacks on places of worship and repeated state-sponsored pogroms against minorities, in addition to the brutal occupation and suppression of peoples struggling for their right to self-determination.

ATC orders to block CNICs of PTM’s Pashteen, Dawar KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday ordered to block computerised national identity cards (CNICs) of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) leaders Manzoor Pashteen and Mohsin Dawar in a case related to provocative speech and treason. Both Pashteen and Dawar were declared fugitives in the case, after their continued non-appearance before the court. The ATC has ordered authorities concerned to block CNICs of both the fugitives and present the report in the court.

Further hearing of the case was adjourned until March 9.

Both PTM chief Pashteen and Dawar are named in a treason case and provoking the masses against the state through their hate speeches. The PTM gained momentum following the extra-judicial murder of Naqeebullah Mehsud in Karachi. It sought capital punishment for the prime suspect in the Naqeebullah murder case, former SSP Malir Rao Anwar, recovery of missing persons and removal of landmines in tribal areas. Before adjourning the hearing till March 9, the court ordered the identity cards of the accused to be blocked and a report submitted regarding it. Late last year, an ATC sent another PTM leader MNA Ali Wazir, and others to jail on a judicial remand. Police produced Wazir and others before the ATC in Karachi. The court sent all the accused to jail on judicial remand. The court further directed the investigating officer to submit the challan before the court till the next hearing. TLTP

Pervaiz Rashid challenges rejection of his nomination papers in LHC ISLAMABAD: Dejected at the rejection of his nomination papers for the Senate election by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Pervaiz Rashid on Friday challenged the ECP’s decision in the Lahore High Court (LHC). In the petition, filed through Advocate Azam Nazir Tarar, the veteran PML-N leader argued that he was ready to deposit Rs9.5 million for the purpose, and for that, he had approached Punjab House administration, but the latter did not provide bank details. He also said that he even talked to the returning officer (RO), but he did not give any details either. “The government is deliberately not receiving the money,” Rashid alleged in the petition.

He prayed to the court to order the ECP to receive the amount from him so that his nomination papers could be accepted. “Please declare me eligible to contest the Senate elections,” the PML-N leader implored. A day earlier, the ECP had rejected the nomination of PML-N leader Pervaiz Rashid for Senate. On Wednesday, a petition submitted by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Zainab Umair to the governing body had contended that Rashid was a defaulter of the Punjab House, Islamabad, and owed in excess of Rs7 million to the Punjab government. Later in the day, a returning officer had informed Rashid his nomination would be accepted only after he cleared the dues. INP

He also proposed, inter alia, the forging of a global alliance against the rise and spread of Islamophobia as well as other violent nationalist and racist groups.

Foreign Minister Qureshi said that the Covid-19 pandemic had further intensified the divisions and reinforced racial discrimination and aggravated existing inequalities besides disproportionately impacting racial minorities.

The racial minorities had also been subjected to harsh treatment by law enforcement in the context of emergency measures and to unequal access to health care and social protection.

The minister said that the pandemic also amplified racist and xenophobic sentiments, with popular calls to deport, quarantine and segregate migrant workers, most of whom belong to developing countries.

In some instances, people belonging to racial, religious or ethnic minorities have been subjected to hate speech and vile conspiracy theories accusing them of spreading the virus, he added.

“All this has happened in our region as well,” he admitted.

He said the people of African descent continue to endure intolerable discrimination in many parts of the world.

It is vital for the international

community to address the structural drivers of racial inequality including those rooted in the history and legacy of colonialism, Qureshi said.

Referring the UN Secretary General’s words against colonialism creating vast inequalities, within and among nations during his annual Nelson Mandela lecture, the foreign minister said while the wave of decolonization swept the world in the aftermath of the Second World, the legacy of colonialism was still reflected in international economic and political system.

“We continue to witness this in the discriminatory global trade and financial structure. It is also visible in the economic and social injustices and non-inclusive nature of global financial institutions.

Discriminatory migration and employment policies, fueled by xenophobia and racism, continue to be tolerated in many societies,” he said.

Qureshi said that two decades after the Durban Conference, the recognized nexus between racism, xenophobia, and related intolerance and timely achievement of SDGs has to be acknowledged and addressed.

Pakistan’s Ambassador at UN Munir Akram opened the meeting as the council’s current president, reminding the participants that the Covid-19 crisis had revealed existing

inequalities in unequal access to food, education, health, housing, as well as access to justice. “It has also incited xenophobia and discrimination,” he added.

The special meeting was convened under Pakistan’s presidency of ECOSOC, and was aimed at addressing the linkage between structural racism, discrimination, inequalities and the pursuit of the SDGs – with a special focus on building those interlinkages that help in a better response to the pandemic and its impacts, according to the Foreign Office (FO).

During the meeting, UN SG António Guterres said that with the Covid-19 pandemic exposing social and economic inequalities rooted in racism, discrimination and xenophobia, recovery must lead to more inclusive societies.

The UN chief added that the global crisis “represents a damning indictment of systematic prejudice and discrimination”, with Covid-19 mortality rates up to three times higher for some marginalised groups.

“As we strive to recover from the pandemic and build a better world, we need to forge a new social contract based on inclusivity and sustainability. That means investing in social cohesion,” the secretary-general said.

“All groups need to see that their individual identities are respected while feeling that they belong as valued members of society as a whole.”In addition to the UN SG, other speakers at the meeting included President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa and the vice-president of Costa Rica.

ECP directs to ensure presence of parliamentarians in custody on Senate elections day ISLAMABAD APP

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday directed all the chief secretaries and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman to ensure the presence of any member of National or provincial assemblies in custody at their designated polling stations for casting their votes on the Senate polling day on March 3 (Wednesday).

According to the ECP order, the chief secretaries of governments of Sindh and Punjab, and the NAB chairman have been directed to ensure the presence of MNAs Ali Wazir, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and Pakistan Muslim League-

COMISSION ORDERS TO ENSURE THE PRESENCE OF SHEHBAZ SHARIF, KHAWAJA ASIF, AND OTHERS Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif, Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah and PML-N leader Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Punjab MPA Hamza Shehbaz Sharif at their designated polling stations for casting their votes on the polling day.

It added, “It has been informed that Ali Wazir, MNA, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, MNA, Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, MNA, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, MNA and Hamza Shehbaz Sharif, MPA are currently in the custody of provincial governments of Sindh and Punjab, and

National Accountability Bureau (NAB), respectively.”

The ECP said that it had issued its order while exercising its powers under the Articles of the Constitution as Article 220 of the Constitution read with Section 5 of the Elections Act, 2017, which “provides that it shall be the duty of all executive authorities in the Federation and in the provinces to assist the Chief Election Commissioner and the Election Commission in the discharge of his or their functions”.

It said that the ECP issued a notification to conduct the Senate Elections 2021 on February 11, 2021. “It is the duty of the Election Commission to organise and conduct the election and to make such arrangements as are necessary to ensure that the election is conducted honestly, justly, fairly and in accordance with the law and that corrupt practices are a guard against,” it added.

The commission said that the Supreme Court (SC) vide its judgment report in PLD 2012 SC page-681 in Workers Party Pakistan and others vs.

Federation of Pakistan and others and PLD 2014 SC page-72 had held that right of the vote was a fundamental right in terms of Article 17 (2) at the Constitution.

Tributes pour in as missing climbers declared dead ISLAMABAD TLTP

Tributes poured in for climber Muhammad Ali Sadpara on Friday, a day after his son announced the end of a search operation for his father and two other missing climbers who had been attempting a winter ascent of the K2 mountain.

Pakistan’s Sadpara, Iceland’s John

Snorri and Chile’s JP Mohr were last sighted on February 5, at around 10:00 am, at what is considered the most difficult part of the climb: the Bottleneck, a steep and narrow gully just 300 meters shy of the 8,611 meter (28,251 ft) high K2.

Addressing a news briefing with the mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Tourism Minister Raja Nasir Ali Khan,

Sajid Sadpara, who last saw his father at about 8,200 meters, announced that he was “no more.” “Rest in peace @ali_sadpara, @john_snorri & #JPMohr,” Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi tweeted. “Your spirit, passion, grit & determination in the face of every kind of hardship leaves behind a rich legacy, inspiring generations.”

Britain’s High Commissioner in

Pakistan, Christian Turner wrote a message of tribute for Sadpara with the Urdu lyrics of the song: “Tum Chalay aao paharon ki kasam” (Please come back for the sake of the mountains).

Senior leader of the ruling PTI party, Jahangir Khan Tareen, said: “Deeply saddened at the death of Ali Sadpara. He was a real hero of Pakistan. My heart goes out to his family.”

Pakistan considered as influential country worldwide: Masood HARIPUR TLTP

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan has said that in spite of numerous odds and challenges, Pakistan is considered among the biggest countries of the world and no decision can be made on the international level without the assent of Pakistan.

“The Pakistanis must not consider themselves to be inferior as India fears only Pakistan in the region and its proof is that on the one hand, India is engaged in plots to weaken and destabilise Pakistan while on the other, it has deployed a big chunk of its army on our eastern border and in occupied Kashmir,” he asserted.

The president questioned if India had not faced any danger from Pakistan, why had it made such a large military concentration around the country.

Addressing a gathering of teachers and students at the University of Haripur on Friday in connection with the Kashmir Solidarity Week, the state president said that India is scared of Pakistan’s potential to become a powerful country.

He said that “if we are determined to safeguard not only the geographical boundaries but the ideological borders of our country, we would be able to liberate Kashmir from India without which Pakistan would remain incomplete”.

“The people of occupied Kashmir have been offering unprecedented sacrifices since 1947 to become

part of Pakistan, and they are still giving their blood by holding the Pakistani flag in their hands.

“A similar spirit for Kashmir is visible among the Pakistani youth right from Karachi to Khyber and Gwadar to Khunjerab,” he said.

Addressing the students directly, Khan urged them to not only get an education, but also to expose India’s false narrative, and promote their own objective narrative by reaching out to their international peers.

About the latest situation of occupied Kashmir, the AJK president said that India had illegally settled in the disputed territory more than two million of its Hindu citizens within a short span of eight months in order to change the demography of occupied Kashmir and to turn it into a Hindu majority state.

Saturday, 20 February, 2021

LAHORE

RePReseNTATIoN oF PoLITICAL PARTIes IN seNATe MusT be PRoPoRTIoNAL To voTes: sC

A

NewS DeSk

five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court (SC) while hearing the presidential reference on Senate open balloting on Friday, said that representation of every political party in the elections must be proportional to its votes.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed, conducted the hearing and remarked that members of a political party in any provincial assembly can vote for the candidates of their allied parties.

The CJP inquired about the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) answer, to which its lawyer replied that the answer has been submitted which is similar to the first one. Justice Gulzar Ahmed said the apex court will examine the details.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) counsel Raza Rabbani said that the purpose to constitute the Senate was to provide equal representation to all provinces, and consensus between both houses in the parliamentarian system is not possible.

He stated that the purpose of the

PM to visit sri Lanka on Tuesday NewS DeSk On the invitation of Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Imran Khan will embark on two-day official visit to Sri Lanka on Tuesday. According to the Prime Minister Office, this will be Imran's first visit to Sri Lanka after assuming the office. The premier will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including members of the federal cabinet and some senior officials. The schedule includes meetings with Rajapaksa and Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The premier will lead the delegation-level talks, covering all areas of cooperation between the two countries, including trade and investment, health and education, agriculture and science and technology, defence and security, and culture and tourism. During the visit, the reconstitution of the Sri Lanka-Pakistan Parliamentary Friendship Association will also be announced to further promote parliamentary exchanges between the two countries. Imran will also participate in a joint ‘Trade and Investment Conference’ aimed at promoting trade and investment between the two countries. A number of agreements to enhance bilateral cooperation will be signed during the visit. It merits mentioning here that the two countries have maintained close, cordial and mutually supportive relations since 1948.

A POLITICAL ALLIANCE IS USUALLY A SECRET ALLIANCE, SAYS PPP'S RABBANI Senate was to give equal representation to all political matters, adding that the two houses of the parliament do not run in agreement in a parliamentary system.

“It isn’t necessary for a party forming its government in the federation may also have a majority in the province too,” he explained, further stating that the opposition can change the proportion of seats in the Senate.

Rabbani said that he would submit a detailed response on proportionate representation, to which Justice Ahsan remarked that the term ‘proportionate representation’ is mentioned in both Articles 51 and 59 of the Constitution.

A political alliance also cannot affect proportionate representation, he said occasion, adding that parties may form alliances freely.

In reply, the PPP leader said that the court’s definition of proportionate representation would only apply in ideal circumstances and did not reflect the

reality of political affairs.

He pointed out that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) have their alliance in Punjab, while the PTI has given the PML-Q a seat in the Senate.

Justice Umar Ata Bandial, at this point, inquired why it was necessary to keep it a secret even in the case of an inter-provincial alliance. Rabbani responded by saying: “there’s a difference between ‘horse-trading’ and a political alliance.”

The hearing was adjourned till Monday. The issue of proportionate representation has been the lynchpin pin of discourse within the apex court throughout this week.

Previously, during the hearing, Justice Ahsan had inquired how ECP would maintain proportional representation and if the votes could ever truly be secret.

Referring to electronic voting, he had pointed out that anything on the Internet could be traced. Regarding proportionate representation, he had said that the ECP itself would be responsible if the party “does not get [a number of seats] in relation to its seats in the provincial assemblies”.

The ECP in a response submitted to the SC on Wednesday had maintained that the Senate elections should always be held through a secret ballot. The ECP’s counsel, citing Article 226 of the Constitution, had said that votes for the Senate elections would “always remain secret” and the votes that were cast could “not be shown to anyone”.

The chief justice, on the occasion, had asked what steps the ECP would take to rectify a lack of proportional representation if it comes to pass, and if the election results should then be declared illegal.

“Vote-selling will result in tatters of proportional representation,” Justice Ahsan had remarked. “If any party gets seats [not in accordance] with its representation, the system will be destroyed,” he had added.

Ruckus erupts as opposition raises issue of food and power crises in NA ISLAMABAD STAff RePoRT

The members of opposition parties on Friday have staged a protest in front of National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser’s rostrum during an important session in the Parliament. The heated debate arose on the issue of food inflation and hike in electricity and gas prices. Speaking on the motion that this house may discuss the aforementioned prices, MNA Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh said that the people had voted the parliamentarians to discuss and redress their issues.

He said that the people had a lot of expectations from the incumbent government, adding the opposition leaders Shehbaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had offered the government a charter of economy to resolve these issues.

He maintained that the issues could only be resolved through joint and collective efforts and added that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government came to power with the slogan of rooting out corruption and controlling inflation. He passionately called for focusing on these specific issues. Taking part in the discussion, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said that inflation was the real issue for common people.

He agreed that the PTI had contested the general elections on the major issues of elimination of corruption, inflation and unemployment, adding that the government should now move forward. He called for taking drastic measures to redress these issues for ensuring proper relief to people.

Addressing the lower house, Federal Minister for Power, Petroleum and Natural Resources Omar Ayub Khan said that former governments had signed expensive agreements, due to which, Pakistan is facing challenges.

Energy Minister Omer Ayub Khan said that the present government was clearing the liabilities of the previous regimes in the power sector, which had been incurring huge losses to the national exchequer.

Taking part in the debate in the National Assembly (NA) regarding inflation, he said that the previous government had somehow planted “landmines” in the foundation of the economy.

He informed that the annual capacity payment to the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) was Rs185 billion in 2013, Rs468 billion in 2018 and Rs860 billion in 2020, and it would surpass Rs1,455 billion in 2023. He raised a question as to why the common people were put at stake.

He maintained that corrupt practices had been detected in every single contract signed by the previous government, adding that the present government had now eliminated corrupt practices in contracts.

The minister pointed out that there were only two weeks of foreign exchange reserve by the end of PML-N tenure, adding when the PPP completed its term, there were two months of forex reserves.

He further said that exports declined during past regimes, and had only now started to show an upward trend, thanks to the vibrant policies of the present government.

The minister said that the government was pursuing probusiness policies and these were being appreciated by the business community. He maintained the large scale manufacturing was now witnessing a growth of 14.50 per cent. The minister lamented the previous government allowed the setting up of expensive power plants, ignoring indigenous resources of energy.

He stressed the present government was focusing on utilising the potential of renewable energy to produce inexpensive electricity. He said the agreement signed with the IPPs would help save Rs800 billion.

Speaking on the occasion, Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives Asad Umar, appreciating NA speaker for conducting the session as amicably as possible, adding that the opposition should avoid following a double standard.

Haleem Adil Sheikh sent to jail on judicial remand by ATC kARACHI INP

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Karachi has sent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and the Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh to jail on judicial remand till February 25 on Friday. The ATC heard a case related to aerial firing and creating a disturbance in by-elections in Karachi’s PS88 constituency on February 16.

Haleem Adil Sheikh and other accused have been produced before the court by jail officials today.

The prosecutor told the court that the accused had attempted to intervene in the polling process during the PS-88 by-elections. The prosecutor also sought remand of Haleem Adil till March 3.

The counsels representing the accused apprised the ATC judge regarding the recovery of a poisonous snake from the room of Sheikh. The lawyer argued that the case

was the result of political revenge but not a terrorism case. He said that firing was resorted to on the vehicle of Haleem Adil Sheikh. The PTI leader’s spokesperson Muhammad Ali Baloch said earlier a snake came out of Sheikh’s room and was reported by an employee carrying breakfast for Sheikh.

Baloch added that the Sindh government will be responsible if anything happened to the PTI leader.

During the hearing, the opposition leader said that the snake was deliberately left in his room and it was a conspiracy to murder him.

Haleem Adil Sheikh said the police later killed the snake and made its video, which is sent to AIG Ghulam Nabi. He said in this city the chief justice himself recovered wine from the room of Sharjeel Memon and the Sindh government converted this wine into honey.

However, now these people would say it was not a snake but a rope. He maintained we are not afraid of these dirty tactics. He added that a day earlier, Sumair Sheikh was

arrested under the same political vendetta. He informed that Sumair is the son of former advocate general Mir Muhammad Sheikh, who had told Benazir Bhutto that Abdullah Shah had gotten Murtaza Bhutto killed.

He remarked that the PTI workers are united and no member would vote to thieves in Senate election.

To this, the judge remarked that he should not deliver such political statements outside the courtroom. “We are sending you to jail and you will be safe there.”

Later, the court sent Sheikh to jail on judicial remand till February 25. The ATC ordered authorities to produce the accused again on February 25. Moreover, the court issued notice to the prosecutor regarding the bail plea of Sheikh and sought arguments on February 22. Aleem Adil Sheikh, Naeem Adil Sheikh and Jansher Junejo talking to media outside Malir court condemned adding sections of anti-terrorism act to the case of Haleem Adil and said that the Sindh police is being politicized.

After the hearing, it emerged that Sindh Governor

NEWS

03

THRee CoPs kILLeD kILLeD IN Iok; THRee youNgsTeRs MARTyReD NewS DeSk Three cops were killed while an equal number of freedom fighters embraced martyrdom in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) in separate incidents on Friday. According to details, two police officers were killed in an attack on Friday in the disputed region’s main city, Srinagar, officials said.

Elsewhere in the Himalayan region, three youngsters and a policeman were killed in two gunbattles. The violence came a day after diplomats from more than 20 countries stationed in India’s capital concluded a two-day visit to the region. Police said that freedom fighters sprayed bullets at two policemen near a police station in Srinagar city. Both died later at a hospital. Police and soldiers searched the area and later detained a young man for questioning. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

In a separate incident, a gunfight erupted shortly after scores of counterinsurgency police and soldiers launched an operation late Thursday in a village in southern Shopian district following a tip that three freedom fighters were there, InspectorGeneral Vijay Kumar said. All three were killed in an exchange of gunfire early Friday, Kumar said.

He said that police recovered two rifles and a pistol. Residents said that government forces used explosives to blast a civilian house during the fighting, a common tactic by Indian troops in Kashmir. In another gunbattle, freedom fighters killed a policeman and injured another in western Beerwah area early Friday, Kumar said.

Both India and Pakistan claim the divided territory of Kashmir in its entirety. Many Muslim Kashmiris support the goal that the territory be united either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country. Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed in the conflict.

MQM ex-leader Muhammad Anwar passes away in London LONDON INP

Veteran Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Mohammad Anwar passed away in London on Friday morning after a brief battle against cancer, his family said in a statement. “Our beloved dad, Mohammad Anwar, passed away peacefully early this morning at 3:45 am,” said the family. Anwar’s family said he was diagnosed with cancer four months ago and was being treated at London’s Royal Free Hospital. They added that Anwar had passed away at the hospital.

“He was the most loving husband, father, grandfather and father-in-law. He was always full of love, affection and was a pillar of strength for our entire family,” said the statement. Anwar leaves behind a wife and three daughters. Anwar lived in London and was part of the MQM since 1989. His association with party chief Altaf Hussain spans two decades. He was also a member of the MQM’s coordination committee, also known as Rabita Committee. Anwar was nominated in several cases including the Imran Farooq murder case. He was also probed in a money laundering case by the London Metropolitan Police.

In 2015, he was sacked from the MQM Rabita Committee due to his continued illness, which had often caused him to “remain absent from crucial meetings”. In the same year, Anwar was named in a sedition case lodged in Karachi. The case was registered a day after an anti-terrorism court declared MQM chief Altaf Hussain a proclaimed offender in a case of criminal intimidation.

Imran Ismail on Friday apprised Prime Minister Imran Khan regarding the registration of a terrorism case against Opposition Leader in Sindh Assembly Sheikh.

According to sources, the governor Sindh also informed Prime Minister Imran about the details of the snake which was recovered from the prison cell of the opposition leader.

To this effect, PTI lawmakers demanded the DIG to launch a probe into the matter and take action against those found guilty of negligence.

A day earlier, PTI leader and Sindh Assembly Member Khurram Sher Zaman – who had been confident of Sheikh receiving bail during today’s hearing – had led a delegation to register a case against firing on the opposition leader and assaulting PTI workers during the by-election.

Khurram Sher Zaman, while talking to media, had stated that the people to be held accountable should be Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah or Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, a PTI press release said. He asserted that the provincial police should be answerable to the people, not the rulers.

04

Saturday, 20 February, 2021

LAHORE

NEWS

LDA GIves APProvAL to stArt 23 new busInesses LAHORE

t

SHAHAB OMER

He Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has given approval to start 23 new businesses within the limits of Lahore division, Pakistan Today learnt on Friday. A meeting of the LDA’s planning and design committee was held under the chairmanship of Director General (DG) Ahmad Aziz Tararr.

The meeting approved to start new businesses and recommended to send a case to the authority’s governing body for approval to start area development projects at six different places in Lahore division.

During the meeting, the DG warned that the permission of new businesses can only be used for the intended purposes and in case of deviation from the purposes, the permission for commercialisation will be revoked.

“The LDA has begun implementing land use regulations, designed to promote business activities, and ap-

proving applications, pending for two years, of starting new businesses,” Tarrar said.

The spokesperson of LDA informed that permissions are also being sought from the citizens to start some modern style businesses, including indoor sports complexes in residential areas and restaurants in industrial areas.

The spokesperson further informed that during the meeting of the committee, changes in land use within the limits of Lahore division for setting up three schools,

eight petrol pumps or filling stations, an LPG storage site, a university, two indoor sports complexes, two rehabilitation centres, a community centre and a restaurant were also approved.

“In addition, the LDA officials are also conducting massive operations against illegal occupants. The staff members of the State Management Directorate II have conducted an operation against illegal occupants in Garden Town and Sabzazar Scheme, and retrieved two plots worth billions of rupees,” he said.

Providing relief to masses top priority: Islamabad IGP ISLAMABAD INP

RAWALPINDI: Youth fly kites to celebrate Basant festival as the law enforcement agencies remain inactive to implement ban on the event. PPI

History has been made after the provision of free healthcare: KP minister PESHAWAR APP

Provincial Minister for Finance and Health Taimur Khan Jhagra has said history has been made after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) become the first province to provide free healthcare services to its entire population.

“Health insurance has been provided to 100 per cent population in record three months as per the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan of ‘free health services to all,” he said.

Taimur Jhagra said, besides free health coverage, anti-corona vaccination facilities have formally been started and vaccination centres in 280 hospitals have been established in the province.

“KP has initially received 16,000 anti coronavirus vaccines from the federal government that was being administered to frontline health workers.” He said that around 2,500 health workers have been imparted the relevant training for anti-corona vaccination and over 64,000 healthcare

workers were already registered for the administration of the vaccine. Prior to the implementation of free healthcare facilities to millions of its people in KP, the poor people in the province had been bearing the brunt of healthcare expenditures with thousands among them unable to get proper medical facilities. As such, the poor and downtrodden segment of society had to choose between bread and butter and healthcare. Consequently, they were often compelled to borrow money for treatment on high-interest rates to cover the expenditure on healthcare.

With the Health Insaf Card, KP has become the first-ever province in Pakistan to initiate free of charge treatment facilities to its people under Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. Similarly, PM Imran Khan, while addressing a function after the inauguration of tree plantation drive in Ghazi Barotha under his initiative of 10 Billion Tree Tsunami, said that like KP, the whole of Punjab population would get health insurance of Rs1 million by the end of the current year.

Cabinet directs to operationalise Islamabad Metro bus service ISLAMABAD AHMAD AHMADANI

The federal cabinet has directed the interior and communication ministries to devise a plan to operationalise Islamabad Metro bus service on priority basis, Pakistan Today learnt on Friday.

According to sources, the federal cabinet directed the ministries to devise a plan to operationalise the Metro bus service from Peshawar Morr to New International Islamabad Airport (NIIA) to provide smooth bus ride to passengers, travelling within the capital. Sources said that the infrastructure work and installations of electro mechanical components of the project were completed one year ago but the project could not be handed over to the Capital Development Authority

(CDA) as certain formalities were not fulfilled. They said that currently one of the major problems is the lack of buses and the CDA has proposed to use the surplus buses of Rawalpindi-Islamabad bus service for the use of Islamabad Metro bus project.

The CDA will assume the possession of the project after the required formalities, including the availability of buses, are fulfilled, they added. Prime Minister Imran Khan has taken serious notice of the delay in the operationalisation of the project and directed to take measures to start the service to provide smooth bus ride to passengers, sources informed, adding, “The project can be operationalised with the provision of only ten buses while 20 additional buses are available in the depot of Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro project.”

Islamabad Police is organising ‘Open Kacheries’ in the city to resolve public grievances and to provide justice to the people at their doorsteps, a police spokesperson said.

Following the directions of Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Qazi Jameelur-Rehman, he said that 10 open kutcheries have been held so far in which a large number of local dignitaries, civil society members and business community have participated.

He added that such interactions with the public will continue in future. During the previous interactions, the officers listened to the issues of citizens and resolved them on the spot while pending matters are being addressed on merit. These open kutcheries are very popular in the public and the initiative of the police is being appreciated. The IGP, in his message, said that the purpose of holding these interactions is to solve the problems faced by the citizens on priority, promote the positive image of the police, ensure friendly police ecology and give access to the common man to senior police officers. He said that such steps would help to eliminate the menace of corruption and to ensure justice. The IGP said that true justice to the people at their doorstep would enhance the honour and dignity of the police, which will remove barriers between the police and the public, as well as create an atmosphere of trust. When public issues will be resolved automatically, citizens will be happy to help the police in curbing crime, he added. The police chief directed all senior officers that they must listen to the complaints of citizens and welcome them in open kutcheries with open arms so they police can provide maximum relief to them.

Saturday, 20 February, 2021

lAhoRe

newS

na-75: two killed, at least eight injured as party workers clash contInueD froM pAge 01

ECC apprOvEs rEvOCatiOn Of nEEluMJhEluM surChargE with iMMEdiatE EffECt ISLAMABAD

Lending his own insight into this allegation, PTI leader Usman Dar while speaking to a local news outlet questioned Sanaullah’s presence in the constituency, remarking that it was a clear violation of the ECP’s code of conduct. “We will register an FIR against Rana Sanaullah. He brought armed men with him and resorted to firing,” he accused. “If these people thing NA-75 is their stronghold, what are PML-N MPAs and Maryam Safdar doing holding jalsas in the area?” he asked. On the other side of the board, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz spoke out against the authorities and shared a video of the party’s supporters breaking doors of a polling station after they were purportedly made to wait outside for hours. “PML-N voters in Daska lose patience, protest & break down doors of a polling station after being made to wait for hours as polling time draws to an end. Sharam kero,” she tweeted. “This vote-stealing government will use every tactic to steal your vote. PML-N’s victory is worse than death for them. You have to stop these thieves at all costs and keep a close eye on them,” she added. PML-N’s media cell and VP Maryam also shared videos of police baton charging party supporters, as they condemned the move. Moreover, PML-N leader Marriyum Aurangzeb held the ruling party responsible for the violence and asked the election commission to extend the time frame for voting in the affected polling stations. While both Aurangzeb and the PML-N president had appealed to the ECP for an extension in the time for polling, this request was denied by the top election body. Aurangzeb, during a press conference after the incident, said that both PTI and the PML-N workers had been martyred in the incident. “Two people are dead and four persons are severely injured,” she said, blaming the whole provincial government and the administration for being in cohorts with the culprits who had opened firing. “Where is the chief minister of Punjab? He says an FIR [first information report] will be registered. You should be booked in the FIR,” she lashed out. “This provincial government can’t hold one by-election.” Taking immediate notice of the incident, the provincial election commissioner directed the RPO and Punjab police chief to immediately arrest the persons responsible and bring them to book. According to a statement issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the vacant seats on which by-polls are being held include NA-45 Kurram, NA-75 Sialkot, PP51 Gujranwala and PK-63 Nowshera. The seat of NA-75 Tehsil Daska, District Sialkot was vacated after the death of PML-N’s MNA Syed Iftikharud Din in August 2020. Provincial Assembly seat PP-51 Wazirabad was vacated due to the death of PML-N MPA Chaudhry Shaukat Manzoor Cheema in June 2020 due to coronavirus. PML-N has fielded women candidates for both the seats in the by-elections. Noshin Iftikhar, daughter of late Syed Iftikharud Din, has been given a party ticket in the NA-75 constituency. Ali Asjad is the PTI coalition’s candidate for the seat. PMLN leader Noshin Iftikhar has alleged police officers of rigging in the polls. In Daska, around 360 polling stations have been set up and the total number of voters is 44,003. The contest is between Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar of PML-N and Ali Asjad of PTI. In Kurram, 27 candidates are contesting with the main competition expected among PTI’s Fakharuzzaman Bangash, JUIF’s Jamil Khan and independent candidate Haji Syed Jamal. The constituency has 134 polling stations for 180,931 voters. The voting in by-elections in two National Assembly and two provincial assembly constituencies got underway at 08:00 am and it had been initially slated to continue till 05:00 pm without any interval. With additional input from APP and INP

t

SHAHZAD PARACHA

HE Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the federal cabinet has approved the revocation of Neelum-Jhelum (NJ) surcharge of Re0.10 per unit in power bills with immediate effect.

Federal Finance and Revenue Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh chaired the ECC meeting on Friday. National Food Security and Research Minister Syed Fakhar Imam, Industries and Production Minister Hammad Azhar, Adviser to PM on Institutional Reforms and Austerity Dr Ishrat Hussain, SAPM on Revenue Dr Waqar Masood, SAPM on Power Tabish Gauhar, SAPM on Petroleum Nadeem Babar and Board of Investment (BOI) Chairman Atif Bokhari were also present on the occasion.

The Ministry of Energy had presented the summary about revocation of NJ surcharge.

The surcharge was imposed in the year 2007 for part financing of NeelumJhelum Hydropower Project with a sunset clause of Dec 31, 2015 — the completion target of the project started at the time with an estimated cost of Rs130 billion.Meanwhile, the ECC considered

COMMITTEE OKAYS GRADUAL ABOLISHMENT OF ADVANCE INCOME TAX ON TELECOM SECTOR; APPROVES INCREASE IN GHEE PRICE AT USC OUTLETS BY RS30 PER KG another summary by the Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division) regarding tax on payments to the offshore supply contractor to meet the contractual obligation.

The ECC established a sub-committee comprising SAPM on petroleum, secretary law, secretary power and chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) with a direction to evaluate the proposal and present workable recommendations before the forum for consideration.

The Ministry of Industries & Production presented a summary before ECC regarding revision of subsidised prices of essential commodities by the Utility Stores Corporation (USC), in accordance with the earlier directive of ECC, dated 28 January 2021.

The secretary industries & production presented various proposals to rationalise prices of wheat flour, sugar and ghee in view of continuous fluctuations in international commodity prices. After detailed discussion, the ECC approved only partial rationalisation and directed

to provide maximum relief to the consumers despite significant price differential between subsidised price offered by the USC and the prevailing prices in the domestic markets.

However, according to sources, the ECC increased the price of ghee at utility stores by up to Rs30 per kg.The ECC also approved another summary by the Ministry of Industries and Production for outstanding payment to M/s Ocean Wide Shipping Services, amounting to $0.58 million, from Pakistan Steel Mills to fulfil a contractual obligation for transportation of coal during the year 2010.

Secretary information technology and telecommunication presented a summary regarding taxation issues of the telecom sector. The ECC had earlier constituted a sub-committee dated 20th Oct 2020, under the chairmanship of Adviser to PM Dr Ishrat Hussain, for due deliberation in this regard. The sub-committee presented its recommendations for gradual abolishment of 12.5pc advance in-

Bank of Punjab posts Rs12bn profit before tax for 2020 The Bank of Punjab (BOP) Board of Directors met on Friday to review and approve its annual audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020.

The BOP board expressed satisfaction over the bank’s overall financial performance and noted with pleasure that despite economic slowdown in the country due to Covid-19 pandemic, the bank has been able to post commendable financial results with Rs12 billion profit before tax.

During the year 2020, balance sheet grew by 26pc and crossed level of Rs1.0 trillion. The board appreciated the efforts of BOP team for remarkable performance and also announced and recommended a cash dividend of 10.00pc for shareholders for 2020, as against 7.50pc for 2019.

Owing to global recession witnessed in all sectors of economy due to Covid-19, the bank during the year opted for a long-term investment strategy, resulting into piling up of substantial capital gains on books of the bank. Consequently, non-markup/interest income increased to Rs13.0 billion as against

Rs3.9 billion, showing a substantial increase of 233pc. Net Interest Margin (NIM) remained a little subdued and was recorded at Rs23.3 billion.

During the year 2020, pre-provision profit improved to Rs18.9 billion as against Rs15.8 billion last year, thereby registering a rise of 20pc.

However, in view of risks of shocks in the Covid-19 aftermath, in addition to subjective assessment, the bank also opted to create general provision against loans and advances on prudent basis. During the year, provision against advances amounting to Rs1.7 billion has been recorded on account of subjective classification on self-assessment basis for the first time in the history of the bank. Further, general provision of Rs3.3 billion has also been made.

Despite above mentioned provisioning, the bank posted an aftertax profit of Rs6.9 billion as against Rs8.2 billion in 2019. Had the subjective and general provisions not been recorded, the profit after tax for year 2020 would have been higher by Rs1.7 billion (20pc) over 2019.

Earnings per Share (EPS) for year 2020 remained at the level of

Rs2.63 per share.

On deposits side, the bank registered a growth of 21pc and reached the level of Rs835.1 billion as against Rs691.0 billion on December 31, 2019. Investments and gross advances were recorded at Rs567.8 billion and Rs442.8 billion, respectively. Book Value per share (excluding surplus on assets) improved to Rs17.52 as against Rs15.63 on December 31, 2019.

As on December 31, 2020, the equity remained at Rs52.3 billion and the bank's Capital Adequacy Ratio improved to 16.23pc as against 14.80pc as on December 31, 2019. Current level of CAR is 41pc higher than the required level of 11.50pc as prescribed by SBP. The Bank has been assigned long term entity rating of “AA” by the Pakistan Credit Rating Agency (PACRA) with short term rating being at the highest rank of “A1+”.

The bank currently has a countrywide branch network of 636 online branches, including 104 Taqwa Islamic banking branches. Further, the bank also has a vast network of 588 ATMs providing 24/7 banking services to the customers. NEWS DESK

Apple seeks engineers to develop 6G connectivity ISLAMABAD AGENCIES

Apple launched its first iPhones with 5G wireless speeds just a few months ago and now it’s looking to start work on sixth-generation cellular connectivity (6G), indicating it wants to be a leader in the technology rather than relying on other companies.

The California-based company this week posted job ads seeking wireless system research engineers for current and next-generation networks. The listings are for positions at Apple’s offices in Silicon Valley and San Diego, where the company works on wireless technology development and chip design.

05

“You will have the unique and rewarding opportunity to craft next generation wireless technology that will have deep impact on future Apple products,” according to the job announcement.

“In this role you will be at the centre of a cutting-edge research group responsible for creating next generation disruptive radio access technologies over the next decade.”

People hired for the positions will “research and design next generation [6G] wireless communication systems for radio access networks” and “participate in industry/academic forums passionate about 6G technology”.

Industry watchers don’t expect 6G to roll out until about 2030, but the job listings indicate Apple wants to be involved at the earliest stages in the development of

the new technology.

Last year, Apple joined an alliance of companies working on standards for 6G and other next-generation cellular technologies. The standards and timing for 6G are still loosely defined, but some analysts say the technology could enable speeds more than 100 times faster than 5G. The job listings are another signal of Apple’s continued push into developing more technology in-house. The company has designed main processors for the iPhone and iPad and last year expanded that effort to the Mac. It has also ramped up work on its own custom screens and camera technologies, in addition to wireless chips for AirPods, Apple Watch and precise location data.

come tax on the telecom sector before the ECC. The committee approved these recommendations as endorsed by FBR. Moreover, secretary national food security and research placed a summary before the ECC regarding the mechanism for disbursement of subsidies in line with the Prime Minister’s Fiscal Package for Agriculture in the backdrop of Covid-19 pandemic. The summary was approved by the ECC for timely disbursements of subsidies to the provinces by the M/o NFS&R, subject to clearance by the Finance Division.

The ECC also considered and approved a summary regarding the government’s sovereign guarantee for a PSDP project titled National Electronics Complex of Pakistan (NECOP) being executed by the National Engineering and Scientific Commission.

Among other agenda items, the ECC approved a technical supplementary grant of Rs550 million for Special Communications Organization (SCO) from Ministry of IT during FY21; Rs200 million (out of total allocation of Rs362.239 million) for Special Technology Zones (STZA) during the current financial year; and Rs109 million to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to clear outstanding bills related to media campaigns on behalf of Ehsaas Programme during FY20.

Maryam shares ‘evidence’ of rigging at polling station contInueD froM pAge 01 She congratulated PML-N’s Attaullah Tarar and Adil Chatta while asserting that the presiding officer of the polling station in Wazirabad was captured while running away with bag of votes. In the end of her series of tweet, she maintained that what happened in the 2018 elections would not be allowed to happen again, referring to the opposition narrative of rigging in the previous general elections. By-polls were held today in four constituencies: NA-45 Kurram-I, NA75 Sialkot-IV, PP-51 Gujranwala-I and PK-63 Nowshera-III. Citing the unofficial results of PK-63, wherein PML-N won against the PTI, Maryam said on Twitter: “Pti’s stronghold and Pervez Khattak’s home. A lesson for IK. Even in KP, Nawaz Sharif’s bayania is working. Better for IK to accept the people’s verdict and leave”. PML-N’s Ikhtiar Wali won the by-election with 21,122 votes while PTI’s Mian Umar was able to secure 17,023 votes. The counting of votes is underway in Sialkot, Gujranwala and Kurram. However, Maryam pointed out that the results of NA-75 and PP-51 stopped coming in shortly after the unofficial victory in Nowshera. She termed this a “replay of 2018”. According to the preliminary results of 36 polling stations of PP-51 constituency in Wazirabad, PTI candidate Chaudhry Muhammad Yousuf is trailinging with 12,311 votes while PML-N candidate Begum Talat Shaukat is leading with 13,107 votes. As for the NA-75 Daska by-election, Ali Asjad of PTI is trailing with 8,826 votes while Noshin Iftikhar of PML-N is leading with 11,751 votes.

Oil imports fall 20.9pc to $5.64bn in seven months ISLAMABAD: The oil import bill witnessed a reduction of 20.90pc during the first seven months of the current fiscal year on a year-on-year (YoY) basis. Oil imports during July-January 2020-21 were recorded at $5,640.751 million against the imports of $7,131.451 million during July-January 2019-20, according to latest data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). The commodities that contributed to the decline of the oil import bill included petroleum products, the imports of which decreased by 15.33pc, from $3,011.154 million last year to $2,549.674 million during the current fiscal year. TLTP

oil extends losses as Texas prepares to ramp up output LonDon AGENCIES

Oil prices fell from recent highs for a second day on Friday as Texas energy firms began to prepare for restarting oil and gas fields shuttered by freezing weather.

Brent crude futures were down $1.16, or 1.8pc, to $62.77 per barrel, by 1150 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI)

crude futures fell $1.42, or 2.4pc, to $59.10 a barrel.

Unusually cold weather in Texas and the Plains states curtailed up to 4 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil production and 21 billion cubic feet of natural gas, according to analysts.

Texas refiners halted about a fifth of the nation’s oil processing amid power outages and severe cold.

However, firms in the region on Friday were expected to prepare for production restarts as electric power and water services slowly resume, sources said.

“The market was ripe for a correction and signs of the power and overall energy situation starting to normalise in Texas provided the necessary trigger,” said Vandana Hari, energy analyst at Vanda Insights.

Oil fell despite a surprise fall in US

crude stockpiles in the week to Feb 12, before the freeze. Inventories fell by 7.3 million barrels to 461.8 million barrels, their lowest since March, the Energy Information Administration reported on Thursday.

The United States on Thursday said it was ready to talk to Iran about both nations returning to a 2015 agreement that aimed to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

While the thawing relations could raise

the prospect of reversing sanctions imposed by the previous US administration, analysts did not expect Iranian oil sanctions to be lifted anytime soon.

“This breakthrough increases the probability that we may see Iran returning to the oil market soon, although there is much to be discussed and a new deal will not be a carbon-copy of the 2015 nuclear deal,” StoneX analyst Kevin Solomon said.

Saturday, 20 February, 2021

06 COMMENT

The open secret why health is poor

Spring offensive or peace?

Need to continue Doha process

A

LL major stakeholders in the Afghan peace face tough challenges ahead. nATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has rejected early pullout from Afghanistan as agreed between the Trump Administration and the Afghan Taliban. The Afghan Taliban have warned of a possible restart of their attacks against the foreign forces in case they delay their departure. Pakistan has asked the Afghan warring sides to reduce violence in order have a ceasefire. Despite demands from various quarters the Afghan President is unwilling to accept the proposal for an inclusive interim government.

Former US President Donald Trump wanted an early resolution of the Afghan civil war allowing him to withdraw US troops and present this as a trophy during last year’s election campaign. The intra-Afghan talks that began in September last year had been painstakingly slow.

The Afghan government’s negotiating team insisted on a ceasefire as a priority in the talks. The Taliban wanted an urgent agreement on the shape of a future government. neither side was willing to compromise. In December the talks were postponed till January.

President Biden faces a dilemma. As vice president throughout President Obama’s term, he consistently supported a minimal US presence in Afghanistan. But a withdrawal followed by a collapse of the elected Afghan government would be as traumatic for the Americans as the defeat in Vietnam. The Taliban are stronger now in Afghanistan than at any point since 2001. With an estimated 60,000 full-time fighters, they control one-fifth of the country. But the USA, russia and China, besides many neighbouring countries, would not feel comfortable with an Islamic Emirate in Kabul.

Despite being elected, President Ghani’s government faces internal challenges and is unable to enforce its writ all over the country. A sudden exit of US troops without a settlement in Afghanistan does not suit Islamabad. While persuading the Taliban to accept the delay, it should continue to develop friendly ties with all important sections in Afghanistan, both inside and outside the government, promoting its image as an honest broker. It should meanwhile press upon the USA, the Afghan Taliban and the Afghan government the need to weed out terrorist networks using Afghan territory to launch attacks in Pakistan, especially in its Balochistan province.

Corruption in Health Department

AttiyA MunAwer

O

n the one hand, the people of Pakistan are in dire need of adequate medical facilities while on the other hand, due to rising inflation, there is no food to feed them or shelter to cover their heads, but if you look at the lifestyle of the country’s elite, it feels like that this country is made only for the elite, and there are no such facilities available to the people in this country from education to health and there is a shameful situation in terms of health across the country while hospitals in Punjab are becoming a hotbed of problems. not only do patients face difficulties due to lack of facilities, but many patients also lose their lives. Despite the announcements and claims of billions of rupees worth of projects by the provincial government, government hospitals seem to be deprived of basic services.

There is no doubt that health is a basic right of the people of any state and the government strives for a healthy society. However, despite all the efforts, the

Going for Green Banking

Quick justice?

The policy and system pitfalls

Instead of making it charge, the government must fund the KMU

T

HAT the Khyber Medical University is not only considering charges for medico-legal tests, but has even chalked out a rate list, indicates how short of funds it is. However, it should not be left to view these tests, whether autopsies or DnA testing, as financial burdens, because to do so, would be to put justice on sale.

A victim should not have to depend on how much money he or she has, to get a medical report, which is frequently a requirement of the trial court in rendering judgement. It is bad enough prosecuting the case, what with the police perennially with hands out in search of a bribe, without having to pay for medico-legal tests. The University is also considering a daily fee for storing corpses. That will mainly place the burden on the police in the case of unidentified and unclaimed corpses.

It is not difficult to see how abuses can spread. With a police force which doesn’t get funds for stationery, it is not likely that the government will spring for the police to have tests conducted. It would leave the police to pressure the victim to find the money for tests, not to mention a handsome facilitation fee for itself.

While the tests are a public good, they must also be paid for. However, instead of the proposed user charges, the government would find it more people-friendly to fund the University more thoroughly, to the point where the expenses are met. It is a little surprising that the PTI has allowed matters to reach this pass. It would have been expected of a government of such an avowedly populist bent to act in a fashion that would facilitate the people rather than place additional burdens on them, and that too in a matter that causes pain among persons who have already got serious problems. After all, medico-legal tests have to be performed only when people are victims of some heinous crime. They should not have to pay for justice. The argument can be extended to charging for trials, or for police investigations. Does the PTI really want to go down that path?

Syed ASiM Ali BukhAri

P

rIME Minister Imran Khan has time and again shared his vision of achieving environmental sustainability in Pakistan. However, with each passing year we wonder if the ‘Clean and Green Pakistan’ is a vision or a dream, the realization of which depends on Pakistan’s fate rather than government policies and system transformation. Based upon the Global Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2020, Pakistan stands at the 142nd position out of a total of 180 countries in environmental health and eco-system vitality. Denmark is the country that tops the EPI 2020. The green transformation journey of Denmark is based on the principles of Circular Economy and Public-Private Partnership (PPP). Their green transformation is based on holistic collaboration across all economic sectors for the development of integrated, affordable and sustainable environmental solutions. An example of this synergistic philosophy is the joint renewable energy initiatives between Denmark’s water and electricity sector, where sludge from wastewater treatment plants is used to produce energy. Similarly, the waste collected by the waste management companies is used to produce heat and electricity. These green initiatives depict a circular economy through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for the attainment of environmental sustainability. In order to move forward in the journey of economic and environmental sustainability, Pakistan needs to focus on the potential pitfalls in the current policies and systems that may be hindering its green transformation.

Pakistan’s banking industry can play a pivotal

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Yousaf Nizami Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad Managing Editor

Joint Editor

Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

condition of hospitals in Punjab, especially in Lahore, remains the same. In particular, the machinery and valuable biomedical equipment of pathology laboratories in hospitals and health centres run by the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department have become inoperable due to administrative negligence and untrained staff.

The provincial government HAS BEEn significantly increasing the budget of the Health Department every year but due to corruption and bureaucratic negligence, the fruits of the budget increase are not reaching the general public. Corruption and administrative negligence in the Health Department has led to the receipt of 2,106 complaints against it in 2020. Even if medicines are procured for the public, complaints of their being substandard and delayed are common. It is the result of administrative negligence and corruption that the Health Department has failed to run even the primary health centres through private individuals. With the unfair use of government vehicles, there have been cases of misappropriation of budget and now in government hospitals, the issue of dilapidated equipment and inexperienced staff is coming to the fore.

It is unfortunate that in our country claims are made to the following of merit, but even the merits are blown by the claimants. The Health Department is full of recommendationS and political recruitment, corruption is common and all attempts to prevent it have failed. This is because the talented people are being pushed into private hospitals while incompetent people are holding high positions in government hospitals.

The provincial government has spent hundreds of millions of rupees in the name of upgrading hospitals.

Many steps have been taken to clean up the hospitals with open spaces but no significant results have been achieved. However, the provincial government is not ready to give up its claims to improve the health sector.

All the claims of the Punjab government to improve the lives of the people have their place, but the people are right in showing the mirror to the Punjab government, whether it has really succeeded in providing basic health facilities to the poor through the health card. Is the guarantee of standard treatment only in brick buildings or does it require modern equipment and hardworking staff recruited and posted on merit? There is no doubt about the goodwill of

I

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

I

role in this journey through the ideology of Green Banking. It is the elixir required for the development and growth of green industrialization and urbanization in Pakistan. Unfortunately, Green Banking adoption faces a number of adoption challenges including the lack of awareness among the concerned stakeholders, lack of Green Banking trainers, experts, or Green Banking consultants that can guide the banking industry, absence of local industry best practices, shortage of third-party green vendors or contractors, insufficient regulatory reforms, and low level of green capability among bank staff.

The SBP launched the Green Banking Guidelines in 2017 as a set of voluntary initiatives for the banks and DFIs. In the Green Banking guidelines, the SBP has directed the banks to set up Green Banking Offices.

The guidelines suggest that the designation of the Chief Green Banking Manager can be assigned as an additional charge to an existing bank official. A person given an additional charge may not be fully focused on Green Banking adoption due to other official duties.

At this stage, the SBP should move towards mandating that Green Banking should be adopted through a full-fledged Green Banking department with dedicated staff having expertise and knowledge in the area.

The Pakistan banking industry is also moving forward in the Green Banking adoption journey, but requires additional policies and frameworks from the SBP, especially in the area of Green Financing. Green finance is moving into the mainstream of finance as policy, regulation and market forces combine to align financial institutions, activities and operations with the aims and objectives of the Paris Agreement and UnSDGs 2030. Zmong our neighboring countries, China launched the mandatory Green Credit policy in 2007 and Bangladesh launched mandatory Green Banking regulations in 2011. The Central Bank of Bangladesh has made it mandatory for 2 percent of all financing by the banks to be dedicated to green projects, such as vrenewable energy schemes. In addition, banks have been instructed to dedicate 15 percent of their loan portfolios to wider sustainable finance projects.

Currently, the majority of the banks in Pakistan have large environmentally friendly financing portfolios but do not have the regulatory guidelines for reporting it under the Green Banking umbrella. They

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar but his Minister of Health and the courtiers are proud to show that everything is fine by making false statements. Has any courtier ever bothered to think how many health professionals are needed for a certain number of patients?

Why is it necessary to put four patients on one bed in government hospitals? Are the wards sterile? Even health professionals travelling abroad at government expense will never be able to come back to Pakistan and tell us what the infection control system is like in hospitals abroad. Our government hospitals do not have a regular infection control system. Many patients suffer from secondary infections after surgery but no such report has ever been made public.

Unfortunately, from the wards of our government hospitals to the operating rooms and medical laboratories, they are still in a state of 35 years ago, and also the number of health professionals and related staff is the same and there is no worthwhile effort being made to innovate, nor is there any such plan in the Health Department’s manifesto.

How long will the verbal claims to improve the Health Department continue? The government will have to take some practical steps to build new thirdtier hospitals in cities to reduce the burden of providing quality treatment to patients on existing hospitals, as well as update existing government hospitals, medical colleges and government medical laboratories. infection control systems attached to these medical laboratories should also be set up, as well as the diagnostic system for the public be improved, so that patients do not have to wait for six months to a year for A diagnosis and any test. The Health Department is ranked fourth in the country in terms of mismanagement and corruption, and health department contractors desperately need to consider this. It is better that the government pays attention to the state of the Health Department and appoints competent and honest people to important posts, so that corruption in the department can be eradicated and better medical facilities can be provided to the people. This is the basic right of the poor people and the need of the hour according to the requirements of the present time, but it remains to be seen how seriously the present government will take practical steps to meet this need.

The writers tweets @AttiyaMunawer

do not have knowledge of how to embed their existing environmentally friendly financing portfolios into green financing.

The SBP should guide the banks about the reporting of green financing so as to improve the collective KPIs of the banking industry, such as financing of zigzag technology, blue financing, alternate energy generation, organic farming or green construction projects. SBP should develop a system/framework for the reporting of a bank’s financing portfolio according to the United nations-Sustainable Development Goals (Un-SDGs) 2030. This can greatly benefit Pakistan’s environmental KPI compliance status and accurately report the Green Finance potential in Pakistan. The SBP should setup a Green Banking advisory portal or dedicated department for guidance of banks. Banks should also be guided for the development of digital/Smart bank branches, augmenting the digitalization of Pakistan’s banking industry. Green Banking facilitation counters may be set up in bank branches for creating customer awareness. Currently, the Pakistan banking industry is confused about the implementation of various Green Banking initiatives and thus the issuance of additional Green Banking policies, including Green Financing regulations or Green product development policy and framework, from the SBP may help the industry move forward.

It is the responsibility of both the policy makers and the banking industry to adopt and implement this ideology as the precursor to the creation of a sustainable economic system in Pakistan. Government policies should be centered on the synergistic and simultaneous achievement of economic and environmental sustainability through Public-Private Partnership. If the government connects its various developmental projects like the naya Pakistan Housing Scheme, CPEC projects or E-vehicle with Green Banking, it can simultaneously increase economic and environmental sustainability.

The usage of the country’s pension funds on green bonds or investment in green projects can also revitalize the country’s green growth plan. Green Banking can help Pakistan in the attainment of UnSDGs 2030 and greatly improve the global environmental KPI reporting and green brand image. It is time that SBP leads the way with concrete, measurable, and time-frame bounded strategies for Green Banking adoption.

It is the responsibility of both the policy makers and the banking industry to adopt and implement this ideology as the precursor to the creation of a sustainable economic system in Pakistan.

I

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

I

Syed Asim Ali Bukhari is a columnist and also pursuing his PhD in Green Banking from the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang, Malaysia. He can be contacted at aasimalibukhari@yahoo.com.

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Saturday, 20 February, 2021

COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan.

E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively

Judge’s remarks JUSTICE Qazi Faiz Isa remarked during a supreme court hearing that media is not free in the nation while journalists are being thrown out of the country.

He also said that the media in the court should raise their hands if they think they are free. Speaking on the report by Transparency International ( TI) in which Pakistan fell four places in the corruption Perception Index (CPI). And rehman even said that Imran, who once lauded the agency has now himself been declared as the most corrupt man. Justice Isa that Punjab had killed democracy by dissolving the local government. And he also pointed out that local bodies have been dissolving during martial law.

BArkATullAh TurBAT

Blatant abuse of power

Kashmir and the higher Game of Thrones And meanwhile, the children suffer…

wAjeehA BilAl

I

T can be quite irksome to watch television these days. news and media revolve around civil wars or natural disasters.

Movies depict terrible scenarios to keep the viewers engaged. Children are living with or witnessing violent environments, which is an endless emotional and psychological harassment. In the disputed lands of Kashmir, children are profoundly affected by situations of crisis they do not understand. The Culture of Violence prevails in their daily lives with damaging consequences.

Children’s well-being should be the concern of the entire society but why is it always the children who have no part to play in the politics of power, suffer the most?

The wounds of every war are deep and intimate and trying to be comfortable can spark the hidden gashes and the trapped doors in the consciousness. Unlike physical wounds, the countless effects of war on the mind are unaddressed.

An armed revolt has been going on against Indian rule in the region of Kashmir for decades, claiming tens of thousands of lives. Even before India and Pakistan won their independence from Britain the area was bitterly contested. The accord to align Kashmir with India resulted in decades of rivalry in the debated region, including two wars and a long-standing insurgency.

The underlying reasons of conflict among two states remain the moving force of international relations, and have led to a great deal of diplomatic activity. They are disputed with the suspicion of an escalation, that might lead to a nuclear strike between two nuclear powers. After years of debates and resolutions, none of these efforts have shown any significant results, and the cost of war is heavy on the Kashmiri children both mentally and physically. Lack of food, malnutrition, and illness are part of their daily lives.

Mistreatment is their daily routine, whch is a violation of basic human rights and a violation of family rights.

“Children in Jammu and Kashmir are living in the most militarized zone of the world, with the presence of 700,000 troops, which exposes

them to the risk of all six grave violations against children as laid out in the United nations Convention on the rights of the Child,” according to a report.

The children in Kashmir are experiencing violence both directly and indirectly as their lives are shaped by a sense of injustice, and the susceptibility to accept violence increases with time. All these things have a negative impact on their mental health.

The future of any society is its youth; they are supposed to be protected by the society and not used by it. The Convention on the rights of the Child asserts that: “The child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth.”

Even though many resolutions have been approved at the United nations to protect children in a situation of crisis, these laws prove difficult to be applied and the physical and emotional suffering experienced by these children has lasting repercussions for them.

The Kashmir problem is a mixture of state terrorism, revolution and general horror that has continued for decades in history. Indians and Pakistanis have lived with the ramifications for years, but currently blame each other, rather than an impaired partition process. Consequentially, Kashmir came to play a huge role in the respective politics of both states as the Kashmir issue has outlived a cold war status, and the old debate that Kashmir is not self-sufficient unless it accedes to a major state, has lost value. The leadership in both countries aggravated the original problem when they turned Kashmir into a symbol of their separate national identities.

If we are unable to solve the issues that hace a direct impact on the psychology of our children, then how can we cope with bigger emerging issues that define our truth? We do not want to be a part of the faction that does not want to negotiate Kashmir and seems to be content with the bleeding souls of a suffering land. We cannot be cautious in a massive war by calculating and concluding its uncertain outcomes, while the psychological damage that is done everyday rips

our children from their rightful childhood.

History cannot be undone, and Kashmir may have ceased to be the only cause of bad relations between two states, but it remains a cause. It is also a symbol of their failure to compose their differences and live-in peace. Over the years, several proposals have suggested the possibility of putting an end to this major dispute, but it is important to recognize the crucial role of time in resolving the Kashmir problem. History has been a testament to the fact that time is not on our side as the Kashmir problem has been mismanaged by two generations for decades.

People take distinct views about the inevitability of war, but everyone is affected by the ways in which the war comes. They say everything will change and a new world is bound to evolve yet even after generations of wars, children still suffer at the hands of the empowered. After the confrontations have closed, after the speeches have been given, the sermons concluded, the smoke dies down and the danger moves from outside to inside. The war continues to ring in the hearts of the little souls who experience it. In the higher play of the game of thrones, it is always the faultless and the children who suffer the most. The ongoing wars between the authorities have proven that it is the fight to be in power, and power it always is; power to destroy the societies and psyches of children more swiftly than has ever been done by any human activity before.

It is not our intelligence or our knowledge of the past that defines us, but instead our lessons that we have derived from them. So basically, our identity is not what we have come to know, but what we stand for. The responsibility for standing up for the future generation of Kashmir lies on all of us, when we think, write or speak, we do it to raise awareness for the suffering souls. In the hopes that those higher authorities who have the power to make amends may take the right actions. A nation’s integrity is based on the realization that it needs to raise a voice against corrupted powers not on reminiscing about the past. It’s the only way to acknowledge that the power to heal the young wounds lies within each one of us.

People take distinct views about the inevitability of war, but everyone is affected by the ways in which the war comes. They say everything will change and a new world is bound to evolve yet even after generations of wars, children still suffer at the hands of the empowered.

After the confrontations have closed, after the speeches have been given, the sermons concluded, the smoke dies down and the danger moves from outside to inside. The war continues to ring in the hearts of the little souls who experience it.

In the higher play of the game of thrones, it is always the faultless and the children who suffer the most.

The writer is a published author. Her work includes “The Conscious Ego” and “The Beautiful Present”

SIr, It is the constitutional responsibility of the State to regulate and ensure, without any fear or favor, that quality education and health services are offered to all citizens at an affordable cost. When the State fails to perform its constitutional regulatory functions, institutions collapse and the nation suffers. Foundations of a modern state are built on rule of laws, importance of education and the constitution and not whims of individuals. This is what Quaid-e-Azam stressed upon in his 11 August 1947 address to the First Constituent Assembly. rules and regulations need to be enforced through the writ of state. People pay taxes to the state to put in place regulatory institutions like the Higher Education Department to ensure that laws are followed in letter and spirit. Vice Chancellors are appointed on merit with a syndicate and a Chancellor who in our country also happens to be the Governor of the province where the education institution is located.

Unfortunately, when the Chancellor, who is supposed to be the guardian with responsibility to ensure that all private and government universities adhere to laws, becomes the instrument of violating that trust, then education suffers and so does the state. The media has reported that the Chancellor in Punjab has given approval in principle to an illegal sub-campus of a Lahore based private university in Pakpattan. This is despite HED having declared 23 subcampuses of 6 private universities as illegal on January 10, 2020. Education should never be allowed to become a business venture, nor should cartels be allowed to emerge which exert pressures to mold and bend laws, compromise educational standards to achieve commercial targets.

MAlik TAriq Ali lAhorE

Worrying situation THE current situation in Myanmar after a military coup is a matter of great concern. There have been daily reports of the ongoing Myanmar protests. The clashes between the protesters and the military personnel have been reported from there. On top of all, a series of Internet shutdowns, complete unrest across the region and the fear of living in bizarre condition have just added up to the whole crisis situation out there in Myanmar. nowadays, those protests have almost become the order of the day internationally. Though such protests can be validated in a democratic setup, continuous protests will only lead to more confusion and much more unrest. During the college days in Korkai, Tuticorin, Tiruchendur and Tirunelveli in Tamil nadu in the late 1990s, we students had witnessed a lot of student protests. Only because of administrative failure could such protests take place. I hope here in Myanmar, not only have no proper messages come from the military leaders but also no promising things have been reassured to the protesters so far. Apart from the international voice, more serious efforts are needed to urge the military dictators to get serious about the future and overall growth of Myanmar.

P SEnThil SArAvAnA DurAi MuMBAi

Micro-aggressions MICrO-AGGrESSIOn is defined as the trivial, unintended and undirected action that may cause an offence, even though the action is not intended at the offence in first place or at all. Micro-aggression involves two key concepts that are pervasive in our society now-a-days:1) “Liability to take an offence” and; 2) “Safe space.” In the former case, in most of the cases the offence is traditionally being taken in the manner of ‘honor’ as we normally come across the horrific stories of men succumbing his woman of the house to death on the trivial charges of providing a fateful blow to his/culprit’s ‘honor’/reputation in the society, and in some cases the offence is being taken in the manner of ‘dignity’. Again, our society is overflowed with many examples in which offence is being taken in such a manner—in the manner of ‘dignity.’ One recent example is the mass mobilization, raising hues and cries for the expulsion of French ambassador from the country on the charges, well known to the public. There is a fundamental difference between the offence being taken as an ‘Honor’ and/or ‘dignity.’ In ‘honor’ culture, just the person involved in the offence is being incorporated whereas in ‘dignity’ culture, the offence is taken collectively by the community and the community collectively strive for its justification. The second key concept in the aegis of micro-aggression is ‘Safe Space’—a space to which a person often a victim can resort to in the hours of great distress/emotional trauma or a space where one will not have to hear the arguments or stories that are distressing or run contrary to his/her views.

MuhAMMAD TAyyAB rAWAlPinDi

Two more dengue cases WITH two more fresh cases of dengue, the total number of dengue fever in both public and private sector in Punjab raised to 151 this year so far. According to a report these two new cases have been confirmed in Lahore. The news report further disclosed that eight dengue fever patients are under treatment in hospitals, while all other patients have recovered and no death due to dengue fever has occurred in Punjab this year so far. The government should take immediate measures for the eradication of the life-threatening disease which is spreading rapidly and affecting a large number of people. So this is the demand of time to create awareness about the dangerous virus and there should be serious action to prevent the disease before it goes out of hand.

BAkhTiyAr PhullAn ABSor

Saturday, 20 February, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

Can ameriCa restore its Credibility in asia?

Foreign AFFAirs

P

Michael Green and evan Medeiros

resident Joe Biden entered the White House determined to restore the world’s confidence in the United states. that task is particularly important in the indo-Pacific, a region that has become as central to geopolitics as europe was during the Cold War. the United states’ presence, influence, and credibility in the region are flagging, and restoring them will require Biden to climb out of a deep hole. north Korea’s nuclear and missile programs have continued to grow despite President donald trump’s reality-show summitry. southeast Asia is looking past Washington to forge new trade agreements within Asia and with europe. And China is pushing the boundaries on myriad fronts: crackdowns in Hong Kong, tibet, and Xinjiang; a targeted economic embargo on Australia; and military efforts to advance its territorial claims on water and land. the United states’ domestic difficulties, including the trump administration’s bungling of the pandemic response and the recent insurrection at the U.s. Capitol, have further damaged U.s. prestige among Asian policymakers and publics alike. the Biden administration will need a bold and farsighted strategy if it is to restore confidence in U.s. competence and staying power in the indo-Pacific. secretary of state George shultz once compared diplomacy to gardening, with security and prosperity preserved through the patient nurturing of relationships and the pulling of weeds. But in the indo-Pacific today, good gardening will simply not be enough, given the intensity of competition and the deep anxieties about U.s. capability and commitment. Biden will need more than just good gardening to shake the region out of its post-trump anxiety and restore confidence in U.s. leadership. the United states has faced this challenge in Asia before. Washington managed to achieve and preserve U.s. prominence in the region in large part because, at key junctures, it reversed perceptions of decline with unexpected demonstrations of strategic ambition and ability. during World War ii, Franklin roosevelt burst the image of Japanese invincibility with the April 1942 doolittle air raid on tokyo. in the 1970s, richard nixon reversed American disadvantage with his opening to China. ronald reagan turned the tide on the soviets after the invasions of Afghanistan and Cambodia by linking arms with Japan to bottle up the soviet Fleet and prevent it from expanding further into the Pacific. these were bold and somewhat risky moves that confirmed American strength, decisiveness, and leadership.

Biden will have to show similar ambition. He may not have the chance to make strategic moves on the scale of those made by roosevelt and nixon. But there are at least four major plays—on economics, infrastructure, alliances, and defense—that can help restore confidence in the United states’ commitment and competence in the indo-Pacific.

IT’S THE ECONOMY, STUPID: in economic competition, Washington is on its back foot. the United states can no longer rely on the size and gravitational pull of its economy or the vibrancy of its private sector to persuade countries to work within the international rules and systems it has championed. China is rapidly replacing the United states as the top source of investment and final demand for Asian exports, thus becoming the economic reference point for Asian governments. (that is even true for China: as of 2020, southeast Asia, rather than the United states or europe, is its larger trading partner.) in recent years, the region has concluded two sweeping trade agreements—the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for trans-Pacific Partnership (CPtPP) and the regional Comprehensive economic Partnership (rCeP)—neither of which includes the United states. the United states desperately needs to get back into the economic game in the indo-Pacific. Biden could best regain momentum by signaling that he will rejoin the transPacific Partnership (tPP) or its successor, but domestic politics won’t allow him to do so. instead, the administration should articulate an ambitious vision for working with Asian economies based on the principles of shared growth, sustainable prosperity, and responsible innovation. Washington cannot offer an agenda that focuses exclusively on countering China’s economic footprint, but it must show that it aims to boost the economic wellbeing of the middle classes across the indo-Pacific. to that end, Biden should address matters of broad regional concern, such as public health, income inequality, and climate change. the United states can make a powerful case for its economic leadership by stressing fairness, transparency, and accountability. Many of China’s practices that conflict with such values compromise the interests of indoPacific economies. these include the tight control that China exerts over information flows and the digital economy; its disrespect for both personal privacy and intel-

lectual property rights; its excessive subsidization of its state-owned businesses; and its blurring of lines between military and commercial activities. Bringing American economic values into the picture will not only serve U.s. commercial interests but also help counter malign influence from China. the United states can take practical steps to advance this vision. the Biden administration should negotiate a digital trade agreement that shapes the regional approach to the responsible use of private data and artificial intelligence. it should push for a government-private sector alliance focused on boosting U.s. investment in Asian infrastructure and clean energy projects and organize an Asia-specific initiative to set rules on state competition that would also provide momentum for parallel efforts in the World trade Organization. it must work closely with tokyo, fostering U.s.-Japanese economic policy initiatives to bring fairness and transparency to regional economic activities, such as clean energy and infrastructure financing. And to jump-start leadership in economic affairs, Biden should immediately raise his hand to host the Asia-Pacific economic Cooperation in 2023, working with the 2021 and 2022 chairs, new Zealand and thailand, to build a set of strong substantive breakthroughs.

BUILD, BUILD, BUILD: infrastructure investment has become another arena for competition. Beijing has effectively used the Belt and road initiative (Bri) to extend its influence, investing more than $100 billion in transportation, power, and digital projects to integrate Asia and link it up with europe. From a subway system in Jakarta to a port in Cambodia, fiber-optic cables across Pakistan to a power plant in Bangladesh, Chinese infrastructure muscle is felt across the region.

Washington has neither the resources nor the capabilities to compete head-on. the trump administration tried to counter China’s presence directly with programs that were creative but far from sufficient. the United states does, however, have its own relevant strengths. Washington is at its best when it sets high standards for the design and execution of large projects, provides high-quality project financing and management, and creates reliable mechanisms to monitor the quality of contracts and projects. Applying these advantages to Asian infrastructure will mean building frameworks and agreements rather than ports and railroads. Australia and Japan have already begun working with the United states on these efforts, and those partnerships should be broadened to include india, south Korea, europe, and others. the Biden administration should convene a biannual global infrastructure summit modeled on President Barack Obama’s nuclear security summit and Global Health security Agenda summit. these meetings— which could include China—would allow the United states to create and then drive a global conversation about infrastructure that focuses on financing and debt sustainability, project design, labor and environmental rights, and multinational cooperation. As an incentive to participate, the United states could consider inviting foreign investors to contribute to funding U.s. infrastructure projects. the idea is not to compete directly with China but to go bigger, creating frameworks and incentives that raise the bar on Bri projects and allow the United states to get into the game in a meaningful and sustainable way. Much as the United states intended to do with the tPP, the goal is to create a body that encourages China to raise its standards in order to gain or retain access to projects in Asia and around the world.

block. the deal is far from complete—it still requires approval from the european Council and the european Parliament—and in any case, it offers little in terms of substantial concessions and lacks credible enforcement provisions, already a source of disagreement within the eU. now is in fact a good time for the Biden administration to make the case for a common agenda and credible collective action.

At the core of efforts between the United states and the eU should be economics, technology, human rights, and climate. Given the diversity of views across europe and the complexity of cooperating with the eU itself, the most effective approach would be to focus on building coalitions of the willing on specific issues, dispensing with the desire to forge eU-wide unity before taking action and instead generating alternating groups of countries focused on specific problems. Well-publicized joint initiatives on these issues (such as 5G communications or data-privacy rules) would signal to Beijing that the United states and european powers are united around the principles of free markets, democratic governance, and the peaceful resolution of disputes. the more effective these efforts are, the more the United states and its allies must be prepared for blowback from Beijing, both rhetorical and economic. Holding coalitions together under such circumstances will require statesmanship from Biden and mutual assistance among the participating countries in the face of Chinese economic pressure.

Washington should also quietly explore the expansion of Chinese-focused military and intelligence cooperation with europe. Most european countries do not see significant security interests of their own in the indo-Pacific, but they do share an interest in maintaining freedom of navigation and respect for international law. (Just in the last year, the navies of France and the United Kingdom conducted transits through the south China sea to signal their rejection of Beijing’s vague sovereignty claims.) european governments should also recognize that a deteriorating security situation in Asia will eventually mean fewer U.s. resources devoted to europe’s defense. the Biden administration needs to persuade europeans that China’s boycotts against Australia and south Korea have a direct bearing on the security of Germany or the United Kingdom, even if the coercion is happening on the other side of the world.

SECRETARY OF STATE GEORGE SHULTZ ONCE COMPARED DIPLOMACY TO GARDENING, WITH SECURITY AND PROSPERITY PRESERVED THROUGH THE PATIENT NURTURING OF RELATIONSHIPS AND THE PULLING OF WEEDS

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION SHOULD ALSO BE AMBITIOUS ABOUT BUILDING A NETWORK OF SECURITY PARTNERSHIPS IN THE INDO-PACIFIC: ENHANCING EXISTING “HUB-AND-SPOKE” TIES BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND ITS FORMAL ALLIES AND “SPOKE-TOSPOKE” TIES AMONG PARTNERS SUCH AS AUSTRALIA AND VIETNAM

A DIRE SITUATION DEMANDS AN AMBITIOUS NEW STRATEGY

WEST MEETS EAST: the time has also come for the United states and its european allies and partners to build a shared China strategy. european views of China have hardened during these past four years, with the eU calling China a “systemic rival” and major players such as France and Germany adopting their own indoPacific strategies. the United states and europe broadly share the same concerns about the Chinese approaches to economics, human rights, and climate change. And both U.s. and european firms wish to gain greater access to Chinese markets and to achieve a more level playing field there. the recently concluded Comprehensive Agreement on investment between the eU and China is not a great start. the eU’s willingness to sign a modest deal in december 2020, after seven years of delays by Beijing, undoubtedly hands China a major diplomatic victory. But it is more of a speed bump than a road-

control relationships (for example, establishing a joint operational task force for U.s. and Japanese forces headquartered in Japan) so that U.s. and Japanese forces plan, train, and equip as they would be required to do in a real contingency. Although the Biden administration cannot end political tensions between seoul and tokyo, it can encourage greater U.s.-south Korean-Japanese cooperation—on infrastructure lending and the building of military capacity, for example—to reaffirm common values and reduce vulnerability to Chinese coercion. the Quad alliance among Australia, india, Japan, and the United states rests on an increasingly tight trilateral security relationship among Canberra, tokyo, and Washington, but delhi is becoming more ambitious now about security cooperation. the Biden administration should signal early support for the arrangement by convening defense ministers to follow up on the foreign ministers’ meeting this past november. intelligence sharing among Quad members is a logical step, as well.

Alliances and partnerships represent the United states’ strongest card in Asia, which is why Beijing has been targeting allies such as Australia and south Korea with economic boycotts as a means of softening political support for working with the United states to balance Chinese power. A bold move for the Quad would be to announce a coordination mechanism to assist countries such as Australia that come under Chinese boycotts: a commitment, modeled on nAtO’s Article 5, to respond collectively to economic aggression. this could involve a reserve fund or a quick response mechanism among U.s. allies to condemn Chinese actions, provide financial relief, and prepare cases for the World trade Organization. if successful, this initiative could grow, as Asian nations may welcome being part of an agreement that protects them from Chinese coercion. the Biden administration should further reinforce international support for a democratic taiwan, free from all types of coercion. the trump administration’s lastminute elimination of restrictions on U.s. diplomatic interaction with taiwan was more of a political gesture designed to trap Biden than a principled policy reform. real support will mean working with others in the indoPacific (and in europe) to create an ecosystem of cooperation that helps taipei minimize its vulnerabilities to China and contribute to regional problem solving, while affording taiwan the dignity and respect it deserves. the new U.s. administration should seek economic and other nonmilitary options for allies and partners to help taipei weather Beijing’s intimidation tactics and encourage others in Asia and europe to recognize taiwan’s contributions to global affairs.

CORE COMPETENCY: Although a sustainable U.s. strategy in the indo-Pacific needs to be about more than security, Washington cannot ignore its unique role as the central provider of regional security—a role that the Biden administration must double down on to highlight U.s. capability and resolve. Congress has provided an excellent instrument in the form of the Pacific deterrence initiative, which it passed in december 2020. the Pdi funds weapons and defense infrastructure programs that help deter aggression and underwrites efforts to improve security cooperation with allies and partners.

Among the diverse priorities included in the Pdi, the Biden administration should focus on a few that will immediately send strong signals to both China and the region.

One of the greatest benefits of the Pdi is that it forces the defense department to invest in developing and improving its own capabilities, such as hardening U.s. defense facilities and enhancing missile defenses to protect the U.s. forward military presence on Guam and in Japan and south Korea. (these are precisely the kinds of investments that otherwise have no natural constituency in debates over U.s. defense spending.) But in addition to enhancing U.s. defense capabilities, the Biden administration should also be ambitious about building a network of security partnerships in the indo-Pacific: enhancing existing “huband-spoke” ties between the United states and its formal allies and “spoke-to-spoke” ties among partners such as Australia and Vietnam. U.s. allies are not about to sign up for an Asian nAtO, but increasing connectivity among them will signal to Beijing the high costs of coercion and better prepare U.s. partners to respond.

With Japan, this means upgrading command-and-

GETTING BACK TO GARDENING: the indo-Pacific is at a turning point. Many countries in the region are struggling to reconcile their desire to resist Chinese domination with their aversion to choosing between Washington and Beijing. For four years under trump, the United states overweighted the former and underappreciated the latter and further marginalized Washington at the very time Beijing’s pressure was growing.

As a new administration takes the reins in Washington, U.s. allies and partners in the indo-Pacific have made clear that they want the United states to compete with China but not in a manner that forces the costs onto them—even as they question the United states’ ability and willingness to do so. to demonstrate its seriousness, the United states needs to make big moves in Asia—moves that will shape the regional environment around China and loudly signal the return of U.s. capability, activism, and creativity. Past administrations have tried to begin their Asia policies by building “positive, cooperative, and constructive” relationships with China. the time for such an approach has passed. instead, the United states must focus on building up a new position of strength and advantage in the surrounding region—taking bold moves now and turning to shultz’s gardening to sustain them over the long term.

IN THE INDOPACIFIC TODAY, GOOD GARDENING WILL SIMPLY NOT BE ENOUGH, GIVEN THE DEEP ANXIETIES ABOUT US CAPABILITY.

MICHAEL GREEN is Professor of Asian Studies at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and Senior Vice President for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He served as Senior Director for Asian Affairs at the National Security Council from 2004 to 2005.

EVAN MEDEIROS is Professor of Asian Studies at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and a Senior Adviser with the Asia Group. He served as Senior Director for Asian Affairs at the National Security Council from 2013 to 2015.

Saturday, 20 February, 2021

BUSINESS 09

LAHORE CORPORATE CORNER SadaPay, IDEMIA join hands to expand digital payment services in Pakistan ISLAMABAD: SadaPay and IDEMIA have joined forces to expand digital payment services in Pakistan. With IDEMIA’s Global Fintech Accelerator Card Program, the Pakistan-based fintech firm can now effectively scale-up its operations and offer a superior payment experience, powered by state of the art technology. “We are pleased to work with IDEMIA to commence and eventually scaleup our operations. With IDEMIA’s knowledge of the local market and capability to rapidly respond to our needs, it allows us to focus on our mission of delivering financial services to the wider public that are sada (simple) and inclusive, ” said Brandon Timinsky, CEO and Founder, SadaPa. PRESS RElEASE

Winners of huawei Developer Competition 2020 announced LAHORE: Huawei has announced the Pakistan winners of its 2020 edition of Huawei Developer Competition in the Middle East and Africa region, during a virtual awards event. The yearly contest has been held from September to December 2020 across twelve countries in the Middle East and Africa. In Pakistan, a total of 269 Applications registered for the HDC and 66 Applications have completed the Integration out of which twenty winners have been selected across all categories. Two Apps Easy Urdu Keyboard and Golootlo have received the Gold Award with a cash prize worth PKR 840,000/each. Seven Apps Mjunoon.tv, Tez Financial Services, Bike Stunt Trick Master, Modern Car Drive Parking 3D Game, Scary Teacher 3D and Advance English Dictionary have received the Silver Award with a cash prize of PKR 500,000/- each. PRESS RElEASE

MINSK: The Embassy of Pakistan, Minsk, in collaboration with Belarusian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BelCCI) organized a business interactive event at the BelCCI, which was attended by businessmen/representatives from more than 100 Belarusian companies. PR

ThrEE MObIlE PhOnE COMPAnIES TO SET uP MAnufACTurInG PlAnTS In PAKISTAn ISLAMABAD

A

GHUlAM ABBAS

S the government has introduced tax incentives for assembling/manufacturing of mobile phones through the recently issued presidential order, at least three new mobile phone companies have shown interest in setting up their plants in Pakistan.

The government had recently promulgated an ordinance abolishing withholding tax on locally manufactured mobile sets. The step was taken to encourage the assembling and manufacturing of mobile phone parts in the country.

"Three new entrants have submitted applications for establishment of manufacturing units in the country," said an official of the Engineering Development Board (EDB), which is an attached department of the Ministry of Industries and Production. "Vivo plans to

Govt plans $500m green bond to fund hydropower projects The government is planning to issue a $500 million green bond in the next few months to help boost the development of hydroelectric power.

The bond, denominated in euros, will be the government’s first to fund environmental goals, Malik Amin Aslam, Adviser to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Climate Change, said in an interview with Bloomberg.

It is set to be issued through the country’s stateowned Water & Power Development Authority, with JPMorgan Chase & Co. advising, he said.

“We’ve got a lot of hydro potential in Pakistan.

The bonds are there to accelerate this.”

The government is investing in renewable energy to ramp up its economic stimulus in the wake of the pandemic. It’s also promised to ban new coal power plants and is looking to plant 10 billion trees.

The nation’s cities rank among the worst globally for air pollution, according to IQAir. The South Asian nation has a fragile economy that goes through regular boom and bust cycles. It received debt relief during the pandemic, restoring its $6 billion bailout program that it secured from the International Mon-

ISLAMABAD

LAHORE: Punjab Group of Colleges on Friday organized a prize distribution ceremony for its high achievers. Raja Yasir Hamayun Sarfraz, Punjab Education Minister for Higher Education, graced the ceremony as Chief Guest. PR

etary Fund in 2019 to avoid bankruptcy.

Issuance of green bonds globally is seen surging to $375 billion in 2021 by Moody’s Investors Service, after record sales last year. While Europe has led the way, countries from Singapore to Brazil plan to sell their first to tap buoyant investor demand.

In August last, the government set in motion a plan to boost the share of its electric power that comes from renewables to 30 percent by 2030, up from about 4 percent.

With boosts in hydropower capacity expected, the shift could bring the share of clean energy in Pakistan’s electricity mix to 65 percent by 2030, Nadeem Babar, head of a task force on energy reforms in Pakistan, has said.

The new national renewables policy, approved by the prime minister’s cabinet in December 2019, was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic and as negotiators tried to resolve disputes with individual provinces.

But Asad Umar, federal minister for planning and development, has said on social media the resolution of those disputes now opened the way to “unleash Pakistan’s full potential” for renewables. NEWS DESK

Pakistan, Tajikistan sign customs cooperation agreement STAFF REPORT

Pakistan and Tajikistan have signed a customs cooperation agreement to enhance mutual assistance, a statement issued on Friday read.

According to details, Ambassador of Pakistan to Tajikistan Imran Haider and Tajikistan Customs Service Chairman Karimzoda signed the said agreement in Dushanbe on behalf of their respective governments.

The provisions of this agreement were finalised after the exchange of information/comments between Pakistan Customs and Tajikistan Customs and subsequent approvals by both governments.

In order to ensure prompt implementation of the said provisions, Pakistan Customs authorized (through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) the country's ambas-

sador to Tajikistan to sign this agreement on behalf of the Federal Board of Revenue, the statement read.

The said agreement would promote cooperation between the Customs authorities of the two countries through the exchange of customs-related information. Important information that would be exchanged between both countries pertains to goods and passengers; prevention and investigation of offences against Customs legislation; illicit traffic of narcotic drugs; enforcement of customs laws; research & development; enhanced/mutual foreign direct investments; and promotion of exports between both countries.

"This will go a long way in ensuring optimum trade facilitation/security for the bilateral/transit trade between both countries and will tangibly reduce the cost of doing business for the importers/exporters from both countries."

President Alvi for enhanced trade ties with Vietnam LAHORE: The Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF) has launched Digital Verification and Validation (DVV) system deployed by Jazz to offer an end-to-end digitalized attendance system and a comprehensive stipend disbursement solution. PR

quent new entrants in the sector would create a healthy competition in the market.

The Ministry of Industries and Production, being the policymaking authority, would facilitate the new entrants, whereas Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), being the regulator, would supervise implementation of the mobile phone manufacturing policy, they added.

Interestingly, PTA had recently issued its Mobile Device Manufacturing Regulations 2021, wherein the requirements to establish a manufacturing/assembly plant included "details of land, finances, nationality of investors etc". However, EDB contested that details related to establishment of a production unit fell under the ministry and not PTA. Market sources believe that in case of confusion and clashes between EDB and PTA regarding the regulation and policy on mobile phones, investors may face problems at approval stage.

setup its unit in Faisalabad; Airlink has applied for a unit in Lahore; whereas Advance Telecom wants to establish one in Karachi."

He said that EDB was the policy secretariat for the manufacturing of mobile sets in the country, adding that tax incentives introduced in the ordinance were originally proposed by EDB after due deliberation.

Meanwhile, investors have lauded the government's move for abolishment of WHT, as imported sets were cheaper than locally assembled sets under the previous tax regime.

"Now after tax relaxations, there is a difference of around Rs1,900 per $100 devise between a locally assembled phone and an imported set," said Amir Allahwala, chief executive of a company manufacturing Infinix and Techno mobile sets.

According to market sources, although the manufacturing/assembly of mobile phones has already started in the country, new tax incentives and subse-

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday called for enhanced trade and investment cooperation between Pakistan and Vietnam. The president said this while talking to Ambassador-designate to Vietnam Samina Mehtab, according to a statement issued on Friday. Dr Alvi emphasised the need for more political and cultural exchanges between the two countries, saying that cooperation between Pakistan and Vietnam in different fields will further strengthen their bilateral relationship. The president asked the ambassadordesignate to promote trade and commercial relations with Vietnam, as Pakistan offered immense investment opportunities under the incumbent investor-friendly environment. He further asked the ambassador to promote the positive image of the country as well as highlight its tourism potential, keeping in view Buddhist Gandhara civilization could be a destination of interest for Vietnamese tourists. STAFF REPORT

Glaxo supplier Citi plans Pakistan's largest pharma IPO Citi Pharma Ltd plans to raise as much as Rs2.85 billion ($18 million) in potentially the biggest initial share sale by a drugmaker in Pakistan, Bloomberg reported on Friday. The Lahore-based company, which supplies raw material to the Pakistani units of GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Abbott Laboratories, plans to sell shares within the next six weeks, according to Chief Executive Officer Rizwan Ahmad. The initial public offering may exceed the Rs2.8 billion raised by AGP Ltd in 2017, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. "The company will use about two-third of the IPO funds to build a 50-bed hospital in Lahore.

The balance will be used to help construct two new plants, which will start operations by the end of this year," said Finance Director Amir Zia. Citi Pharma, which makes active pharmaceutical ingredients, or APIs, is joining a global rush to raise capital as equity markets surge. Pakistan’s benchmark KSE-100 Index has gained about 70pc since March 25 when countries across the world began lockdowns, helping revive the nation’s IPO market, which is poised for a record year.

The expansion will allow the company to start manufacturing branded drugs. It will also make medicines for other companies. It is already in talks with Glaxo, Searle Co., and Martin Dow, said Ahmad.

The company’s production facility near Lahore that spans 47 acres – about 24 soccer fields -- was acquired from the Army Welfare Trust in 2012. The latest expansion will give it capacity to produce over 10 million tablets and capsules a day. The company’s revenue has increased 36pc annually on average, while gross margins have remained at about 13pc in the past five years. That measure will rise as the company begins selling branded generics, Zia said. The company forecasts revenue will increase more than three times to 12 billion rupees by the year ending June 2023. Citi Pharma plans to offer 35pc of its equity by selling 72.7 million shares at Rs28 a share with an upper limit of 40pc, according to its financial adviser Topline Securities Pakistan Ltd. NEWS DESK

KP govt introduces online system to monitor tribal districts’ development PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has introduced an online system to actively monitor tribal districts’ development programme. As per officials, each project under the programme will now be assessed through the online system by the officials of Planning and Development department (P&D). The online system, developed by P&D in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, is dubbed as the “Program Approaches, Analytics and Mayor Framework”, which covers online projects from PC1 to its completion. AZIZ BUNERI

MARKET DAILY

Stocks recover 84 points in range-bound trading KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) remained range bound on Friday with the KSE-100 Index closing marginally in the positive amid selling pressure.

Equity markets around the world continued to display a mixed performance, whereas crude oil prices headed south from the previous close; WTI crude price declining 2.38pc to $59.08 while Brent crude oil price falling

1.83pc to $62.75 (as at 4:57pm PST).

"The market opened on a positive note today, but saw continuation of selling pressure in line with the last two sessions. Selling pressure was mainly observed in banks, cement and steel sectors, whereas technology sector maintained an uptrend, with TRG hitting upper circuit upon announcement of its board meeting," a report issued by Arif Habib Ltd read.

SUMMARY: The benchmark KSE-100 Index moved in a narrow range on Friday, posting its intraday high at 46,378.35 after

gaining 235.61 points. It settled higher by 84.91 points at 46,378.35.

Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index lost 69.88 points to close at 76,623.00, whereas the KSE All Share Index added 91.36 points, ending at 31,851.18.

The overall market volumes improved from 577.84 million shares in the previous session to 694.80 million shares (+20pc). Average traded value also increased by 7pc, from $145.8 million to $156 million. Byco Petroleum Pakistan Ltd (BYCO +9.57pc), World-

call Telecom Ltd (WTL +6.00pc) and Hum Network Ltd (HUMNL +8.56pc). The scrips had exchanged 89.84 million, 62.28 million and 60.25 million shares, respectively.

Sectors that kept the benchmark index afloat included technology & communication (+113.41 points), automobile assembling (+38.44 pts) and refinery (+12.31 points). Among the companies, TRG Pakistan Ltd (TRG 102.27 pts), Millat Tractors Ltd (MTL +46.81 points) and Byco Petroleum Pakistan Limited (BYCO 12.29) were

top points contributors.

Adding 4.07pc) to its cumulative market cap, the refinery sector ended as the session’s top performer, with Byco Petroleum Pakistan Ltd (BYCO +9.57pc) and National Refinery Ltd (NRL +2.02pc) posting decent gains.

As per a PSX notice, trading in the shares of Panther Tyres Limited would commence from Monday, February 22nd.

NCCPL has assigned the company "PTL" as the company code/security symbol. The opening price will be Rs65.80 per share.

Saturday, 20 February, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

LAHORE

ChINese fIghters bUzz taIwaN's aIr zoNe as It appoINts New DefeNCe mINIster TAIPEI

t

AGENCIES

AIWAN’S air force scrambled on Friday after eight Chinese fighter aircraft flew into the southwestern part of its air defence zone in another display of stepped-up military activity around the democratic island.

Beijing, which claims Taiwan as Chinese territory, says it is responding to what it calls “collusion” between Taipei and Washington, Taiwan’s main international backer and weapons supplier.

The Taiwanese Defence Ministry said four Chinese J-16s and four JH-7s as well as an electronic warfare aircraft flew near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the top part of the South China Sea. The air force scrambled, with “radio warnings issued and air defence missile systems deployed to monitor the activity,” the ministry said.

Chinese aircraft fly in the southwestern corner of the zone on an almost daily basis,

though the last such large-scale incursion was on January 24 when 12 Chinese fighters were involved.

There was no immediate comment from China. Shortly before the ministry’s statement, Taiwan announced a reshuffle of senior security officials including a new, US-trained defence minister, to help bolster military modernisation and intelligence efforts.

President Tsai Ing-wen has pledged to defend the island and has made modernising its armed forces a priority, including developing a fleet of new submarines, buying new F-16 fighters from the United States and upgrading its warships.

National Security Bureau Director-General Chiu Kuo-cheng, who graduated from the US Army War College in 1999, would replace Yen De-fa as defence minister, Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang told reporters.

The president expected Chiu to complete the next stage of military reforms, including planning for “asymmetric warfare”, focusing on high-tech, mobile weapons designed to

make any Chinese attack as difficult as possible, Chang said.

Chiu’s old job as intelligence chief will be taken by Taiwan’s top China policymaker, Chen Ming-tong, now head of the Mainland Affairs Council.

“The most important task of the National Security Bureau is to understand and have a grasp on China,” Chang said.

They will take up their posts next week.

China announces its 2021 military budget next month at the annual meeting of parliament, a figure closely watched as an indication of its strategic intentions. Last year it set a rate of increase at a three-decade low as the economy wilted during the Covid19 pandemic.

Chinese military expert Ni Lexiong, a retired professor at the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, said this year it would likely get a big boost, partly due to the increased tensions over Taiwan.

“If the mainland wants to liberate Taiwan it needs to make preparations for war, so we need to pump up our equipment,” he said.

China reveals four soldiers killed in June 2020 border clash with India BEIJING AGENCIES

China for the first time on Friday gave its detailed account of a bloody Himalayan border clash with Indian troops in June 2020, including how four of its soldiers died.

China and India have blamed each other for the clash. India has previously said 20 of its soldiers died in the clash, while Beijing had acknowledged casualties but had not disclosed details before.

When asked why China was only revealing details now, a foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a news briefing it is because there had been too many “rumours, lies and fake news” since.

Asked if this means no other Chinese soldiers died during the whole standoff that stretched for eight months after the June clash, Hua said: “Yes, I understand that’s the case.”

A Chinese defence ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang told media on Friday that while China had

remained restrained to calm the situation, India had repeatedly “hyped about the casualties, misled international opinion and slandered Chinese border troops”. There was no immediate response from the Indian military.

But a top military commander overseeing the negotiations with the Chinese to disengage from the disputed areas told Indian media earlier in the week that their assessment was the number of Chinese casualties was much higher during the hand-to-hand combat in the Galwan Valley.

“We were able to count a large number of casualties, which were being picked up on stretchers and taken back. More than 60 actually, but whether they were fatal or non-fatal, we can’t say with authority so I will not give a figure,” lieutenant general Y.K.Joshi told CNNNews18 in an interview.

A report by PLA Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese military, said that Indian troops had been trying to unilaterally change the status quo at the border since April 2020 by building bridges and roads and crossing over the line of control.

When Qi Fabao, a regimental commander, brought a few soldiers to negotiate with the Indian troops in June, he was “violently attacked with steel pipes, clubs and stones”, state television CCTV said.

Chinese troops reinforced Qi and forced Indian troops to retreat, who “held their heads as they escape, left behind many wounded soldiers behind the line, and paid a heavy price”, said the PLA Daily.

Chinese soldiers Chen Hongjun, Chen Xiangrong, Xiao Siyuan died in combat. Another soldier Wang Zhuoran drowned while crossing a river. The men were given posthumous awards.

The two countries have sought to de-escalate the situation at the border, though there was another “minor face-off” between Indian and Chinese troops in January along the disputed borders.

China and India began to pull back troops, tanks and other equipment from the banks of Pangong Tso, a glacial lake in the Ladakh region, that became a flashpoint in the prolonged border dispute after reaching an agreement to do so this month.

Italy's Draghi easily wins lower house confidence vote, now fully empowered ROME AGENCIES

Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi easily won a vote of confidence in the lower house of parliament on Thursday, the final step needed for his new government to exercise its full powers. The Chamber of Deputies approved the confidence motion by 535 votes to 56 in the 629-seat chamber, with the far-right Brothers of Italy being the only major party to oppose the former European Central Bank president. Draghi was sworn into office last week after a drawn-out political crisis which saw his predecessor Giuseppe Conte forced out over a coalition rupture. He already won a confidence vote on Wednesday in the upper house Senate, where he gave his maiden speech as premier setting out his policy priorities, starting with tackling the twin coronavirus and economic crises.

The decision to support Draghi has lacerated the 5Star Movement, the largest party in parliament, which was formed in 2009 as an anti-establishment protest group. It has joined Draghi’s multi-party government but many of its voters and politicians still baulk at the idea of supporting a former ECB chief. On Thursday 16 of 5-Star’s 189 deputies defied the party line by voting against Draghi. Fifteen of its 92 senators did the same thing in the upper house vote the day before.

Smaller numbers in both houses abstained or did not show up for the vote.

UN rights watchdog raises concerns about Dubai princess ZURICH AGENCIES

The UN human rights watchdog said on Friday it has asked the United Arab Emirates for more information about the status of Dubai’s Sheikha Latifa and proof that she is alive. The BBC’s investigative news programme Panorama on Tuesday published a video it said was of Latifa, one of the ruler of Dubai’s daughters, saying that she was being held against her will in a barricaded villa. “We raised our concerns about the situation in light of the disturbing video evidence that emerged this week. We requested more information and clarification about SheikhaLatifa’s current situation”, Liz Throssell, spokeswoman for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, told an online briefing in Geneva. The OHCHR agency had approached the country’s permanent mission in Geneva on Thursday, she said. “Given the serious concerns about SheikhaLatifa, we have requested that the government’s response comes as a matter of priority....We did ask for proof of life,” she added, adding the agency would continue to monitor the situation closely. The UAE Foreign Ministry referred all enquiries to the Dubai government’s media office, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. Sheikh Mohammed’s law firm in London, to whom the Dubai Media Office referred enquiries earlier this week, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Saturday, 20 February, 2021

SPORTS 11

LAHORE

auStraLIan oPen: MedVedeV outPLayS tSItSIPaS to Set uP fInaL aGaInSt djokoVIc MELBOURNE

r

AGENCIES

USSIA’S Daniil Medvedev overpowered Stefanos Tsitsipas to make his first Australian Open final Friday, where he will bid to stop world number one Novak Djokovic from clinching an unprecedented ninth title.

The fourth seed proved far too strong for Greece’s Tsitsipas, crushing him 6-4, 6-2, 75 in front of more than 7,000 noisy fans at Rod Laver Arena to extend his win streak to 20. The 25-year-old, ultra-confident on the back of his unbeaten run, which includes three titles, has been knocking on the door of Grand Slam success for some time, but has yet to win a title. To finally get over the line he must on Sunday beat top seed Djokovic, who has won all eight finals he has played at Melbourne Park.

But nobody on tour has more momentum than Medvedev, whose tricky game has stymied all opponents since November, and

he has won three of his last four against the 17-time Grand Slam-winning Serb.

“It definitely wasn’t easy,” said Medvedev, only the third Russian after Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin to reach the Australian Open final.

“I got a little bit scared and tight (in the third set) because it’s a semi-final of a Slam... but happy I was able to turn my game on, especially in some tight moments on my serve.” Medvedev came into the showdown boasting a 5-1 edge in their head-to-heads and a frosty relationship stemming from Shanghai in 2019, when the popular Greek blasted his slugfest playing style as “boring”.

FLAG-WAVING FANS: Fifth seed Tsitsipas was backing up from a stunning five-set upset of 20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal, but it was an energy-sapping four-hour epic and he appeared to feel the effects.

In front of vocal, flag-waving Greek fans, the servers controlled the points as they moved to 2-2 in the opening set before the Russian, anchored to the baseline, drew first

blood. Until then, Tsitsipas had only faced eight break points in the entire tournament, but Medvedev earned two and converted on the second when the Greek sent a return long. Medvedev, who also reached the 2019 US Open final, stayed focused and worked two set points at 5-4. But Tsitsipas defended both successfully with deep, aggressive returns as the crowd lifted their volume.

He sent down his first double-fault of the match on his third before blasting an ace and a

winner to take a one-set lead. Medvedev dominated the long rallies, with Tsitsipas needing to fight hard for every point, and he was broken again after a seven-minute marathon game when the Russian blasted a sizzling forehand down the line for 2-1 second-set advantage.

Frustrated, Tsitsipas slammed his water bottle to the ground at the changeover, with the ballkids forced to mop up the mess after it burst and sprayed everywhere.

Medvedev was commanding on serve

and a glum Tsitsipas unravelled, broken again, to love, on his next game as the Russian raced through the set in 36 minutes.

He was broken again early in the third set and appeared spent, but roared on by the crowd he found new reserves to break back for 3-3. For the first time in the match, Medvedev was under pressure but held his nerve with a glorious passing shot giving him another break for 6-5 before he calmly served out to win.

SaBaLenka-MertenS WIn WoMen’S douBLeS for Second Grand SLaM toGether MELBOURNE: Second seeded Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka swept past Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova to clinch their first Australian Open and second Grand Slam doubles title on Friday. The Belgian-Belarusian combination proved too strong for the third-seeded Czech pair, winning 6-2, 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena after sealing the match on their fourth championship point. “It’s been a tough couple of weeks so thank you to everyone involved. Glad to have fans back,” said Mertens. It was their second Grand Slam success as a team after the 2019 US Open and sixth title overall as they both bounced back from fourth-round defeats in singles at Melbourne Park. They pair made their debut together at the 2019 Australian Open and have since established themselves as one the tour’s top teams, along with two-time Grand Slam winners Krejcikova and Siniakova. AGENCIES

Fernandes double helps Man United thrash Sociedad; Bales stars for Spurs TURIN AGENCIES

Bruno Fernandes scored twice as Manchester United romped to a 4-0 victory over Real Sociedad in their Europa League last-32 first leg on Thursday, while Gareth Bale impressed for Tottenham Hotspur in a 4-1 thrashing of Austrian side Wolfsberg.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United are all but into the last 16, with four ‘away’ goals to take into the return game in a week’s time, after the first leg was played in Turin due to coronavirus travel restrictions. “We know 4-0 is a good result but we have to be aware of what they can do,” Fernandes told BT Sport. “My target is to score the most goals I can, that is my position. The only target is to win trophies.”

The Premier League outfit grabbed the lead in the 27th minute when Fernandes pounced on a defensive mix-up to slot in from Marcus Rashford’s clipped pass.

Solskjaer’s men doubled their advantage 12 minutes into the second period as Fernandes stroked home his 21st goal of the season.

The effort was initially ruled out for offside before the linesman’s decision was overruled by VAR. United continued to play at a pace Sociedad could not deal with and Rashford finally got his goal in the 65th minute following a blistering counter-attack started by goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

The tie was surely put to bed in the final minute of normal time as Daniel James raced clear and fired into the bottom corner.

BALE STRIKES: Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett had said on Wednesday the Wales winger was “towards the end of his career”, after Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho had questioned the player’s Instagram post suggesting he was in good health despite being unavailable for Spurs’ FA Cup defeat at Everton last week.

But Bale notched his first Tottenham assist since April 2013 to tee up Son Heung-min for the

opening goal in Budapest against Wolfsberg, before drilling in the second before the half-hour mark.

A wonderful individual strike from Lucas Moura extended Spurs’ first-half lead, and although Michael Liendl pulled one back for the Austrians with a second-half penalty, the English club have one foot in the next round after Carlos Vinicius’ 88th-minute goal.

“I have a really close relationship with him (Bale),” said Son. “I’m very happy he’s getting game time and scored a goal and got an assist. I really enjoy playing with him.”

Mourinho has never lost a knockout tie in the competition, which he won with Porto in 2003 and Man United in 2017.

MILAN, ARSENAL HELD: AC Milan, who have not reached the quarter-finals of any European competition since the 2011-12 Champions League, had to settle for a 2-2 draw at Red Star Belgrade.

Milan, who face Inter in a top-of-the-table Serie A derby on Sunday, were pegged back as Milan Pavkov netted a dramatic 93rd-minute leveller for Red Star, who played the closing stages with 10 men. Arsenal youngster Bukayo Saka continued his excellent season as his sixth goal of the campaign cancelled out Pizzi’s penalty in a 1-1 draw against Benfica at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

“I feel like I’m improving every game. I’m trying to impress, trying to learn,” said Saka. “I just want to keep progressing.”

Ligue 1 leaders Lille conceded twice in the final three minutes to lose 2-1 at home to Ajax.

Timothy Weah, son of former Ballon d’Or winner George, put the French team ahead with 18 minutes to play, but Dusan Tadic’s penalty and a goal from teenager Brian Brobbey put the Dutch champions on top after the first leg.

“It’s good that I scored but I’m not happy because we didn’t win,” Weah told RMC Sport.

Leicester, sitting third in the Premier League, were held to a goalless draw at Slavia Prague, but there was plenty of excitement elsewhere.

Bayer Leverkusen fought back from three goals down only to lose 4-3 to Young Boys in Bern, while Olympiakos beat PSV Eindhoven 4-2 in Piraeus.

Borna Barisic netted two penalties, including the winning goal in the last minute, as Steven Gerrard’s Rangers snatched a thrilling 4-3 victory at Royal Antwerp.

Molde came back from 3-1 down to draw with Hoffenheim, while Edin Dzeko’s early goal helped Roma to a 2-0 win at 10-man Braga and Napoli lost 2-0 to Granada.

CMYK

Bangladesh clear Shakib to play in IPL DHAKA AGENCIES

Bangladesh have allowed all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan to skip a Test and one-day international series against Sri Lanka to play in the big-bucks Indian Premier League (IPL), their cricket board said Friday. "Shakib gave us a letter stating that he would like to skip the series against Sri Lanka to play in the IPL. We accepted his plea as we don't want to force someone who is reluctant," BCB operations chairman Akram Khan said. Shakib was picked

by Kolkata Knight Riders for 32 million rupees ($441,304 dollars) in an auction held in Chennai on Thursday for the next IPL beginning in April. It has become increasingly common for players to miss international duties to play in the lucrative IPL Twenty20 tournament. England for example could be without Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Jos Buttler and others for the start of New Zealand's tour of England in June. Bangladesh are expected to travel to Sri Lanka in April and May for a Test series, before playing them again at home in a three-match one-day international series shortly afterwards. The series was originally scheduled for late 2020 in Sri Lanka, but was delayed after both sides failed to agree on the duration of the quarantine period for the visiting players. Bangladesh have already granted Shakib leave to skip next month's forthcoming one-day international and Twenty20 series in New Zealand to be with his expectant wife in the United States. In January, Shakib returned to international cricket to face the visiting West Indies, after serving out a oneyear ban for his failure to report multiple corrupt approaches. He became player of the series in his comeback one-day international series but could play only part of the Test series due to a thigh injury he picked up during the first Test in Chittagong.

Vaas appointed Sri Lanka fast bowling coach for WI tour COLOMBO AGENCIES

Former Sri Lanka seamer Chaminda Vaas has been appointed as the national team's fast bowling coach for their upcoming tour to the West Indies. He replaces Australian David Sekar, who resigned as the fast bowling coach on Thursday for personal reasons. Vaas has previously coached the Sri Lankan team on three occasions, in 2013, 2015, and temporarily in 2017. Vaas, Sri Lanka's most successful fast bowler with 355 Test wickets 400 ODI wickets, has been part of SLC's development program and holds the post of fast bowling coach at their highperformance centre, where he works with emerging and national team players. He has also previously held coaching roles with Ireland and New Zealand. Sri Lanka's West Indies tour begins in under two weeks, with a three-match T20I series starting on March 4, followed by three ODIs and two Tests.

Saturday, 20 February, 2021

prayer tiMings

NEWS

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

5:36

12:14

3:07

7:01

5:27

6:52

Zardari, FaZl discuss senate polls, long march KARACHI

F

staff report

ormer president Asif Ali Zardari and Jamiat Ulema-eIslam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief and Pakistan Democratic movement (PDm) President maulana Fazlur rehman discussed the country’s overall situation and strategy for upcoming Senate polls, INP reported on Friday.

In a telephonic conversation, Zardari and Fazl exchanged views on the upcoming Senate polls and the antigovernment long march.

The consultation was also made on the Senate candidates from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and other provinces, it emerged. matters pertaining to the campaign for former prime minister

file photo

Yousuf raza Gilani for the upcoming Senate elections also came under dis-

cussion.

Last week, Fazl had also discussed

the country’s political situation including long march with the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. earlier this month, Federal minister for Defence Pervez Khan Khattak had said that Fazl, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former president Zardari would be behind bars soon.

Khattak had said that Fazl was running a protest movement to save Nawaz and Zardari, adding that protest by opposition had not justification and that government would not be blackmailed through such tactics.

He had said that opposition should initiate long march to fulfil its wish. He had said that leaders of opposition parties could stay in Islamabad as long as they wished. He had added that government would come in action if they took law in their hand.

Pakistan warns Afghanistan of ‘spoilers’ that may harm Afghan peace process RAWAlPINdI Mian abrar

Foreign minister Shah mahmood Qureshi has said that there is a need to keep an eye on the foreign elements which are active to spoil the Afghan peace process.

The foreign minister said this while talking to the Head of massoud Foundation of Afghanistan, Ahmad Wali massoud, who called on him on Friday.

The foreign minister emphasised the need for a reduction of violence in Afghanistan. Qureshi said that all the stakeholders need to make joint efforts for a peaceful, prosperous and stable Afghanistan.

The foreign minister said that Pakistan desires peace in Afghanistan and has been playing the role of facilitator in the Afghan peace process. He said that peace in the neighbouring country is important for peace in the whole region.

Qureshi stressed intra-Afghan dialogue is an important opportunity for a durable political solution to the Afghan issue. The foreign minister said that Pakistan desires a dignified return of Afghan refugees to their homeland. He added that Pakistan allocated about one billion dollars for various development projects in Afghanistan. earlier on Thursday, Prime minister Imran Khan had said that the return of peace to Afghanistan will have lasting benefits for the region and beyond, through economic development, regional trade and improved connectivity.

Talking to Ahmad Wali massoud, the prime minister had reiterated his conviction that there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and that a negotiated political settlement is the only way forward.

He had said that after Afghanistan, Pakistan is the most desirous to see the return of peace in Afghanistan as it is deeply affected by the conflict. In the context of the Afghan peace process, the prime minister had highlighted that Pakistan has extended full support to facilitate the US-Taliban peace agreement and the initiation of intra-Afghan negotiations.

He had stressed that the intra-Afghan negotiations provide a historic opportunity that must be seized by the Afghan leadership to achieve an inclusive, broadbased and comprehensive political settlement.

RUSSIAN ENVOY CALLS ON COAS: Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday had

a meeting with the russian Presidential envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov at the General Headquarters in rawalpindi, a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public relations (ISPr) said.

Per the statement, the two leaders discussed matters of mutual interest and the regional security situation, with a particular focus on the developments in the Afghan peace process.

The CoAS said that peace in both countries is in the greater interest of the region.

The visiting dignitary appreciated the positive role being played by Pakistan for the Afghan Peace Process and expressed that Pakistan-russia relations will continue to prosper manifolds.

Both sides reiterated their commitment to enhancing bilateral relations.

BORDER FENCING WITH AFGHANISTAN: Federal minister for Interior Sheikh rasheed Ahmad on Friday said the fencing of the boundary separating Pakistan from Iran and Afghanistan would be com-

pleted by June this year as most of the work has already been completed.

After visiting the Pak-Iran border, he said in a press release that the border management was being modernized by ensuring the internal security of the country. The fencing of 90 per cent of the border along Afghanistan and 40 per cent of the 928 km long border with Iran has already been completed.

The minister also got an aerial view of border areas including Gwadar, Turbat, mand and radaig. The interior minister visited the newly established ramadanGabbad Pakistan-Iran Trade Gateway in Balochistan and reviewed trade facilities between Iran and Pakistan.

Balochistan Frontier Corps (FC) Inspector General (IG) major General Ayman Bilal Safdar accompanied the minister during the visit. earlier the minister arrived in Balochistan on a four-day visit.

During the visit, he will also inspect Gwadar Port and Taftan Border. with additional input from APP

un experts condemn india for ending Kashmir’s autonomy, weakening minority rights IslAmAbAd staff report

Two UN human rights experts have expressed concern over India’s decision to end Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomy and enact new laws that could curtail the previous level of political participation of muslim and other minorities in the country, as well as potentially discriminate against them in important matters, including employment and land ownership. “The loss of autonomy and the imposition of direct rule by the Government in New Delhi suggest the people of Jammu and Kashmir as no longer have their own government and have lost power to legislate or amend laws in the region to ensure the protection of their rights as minorities,” said Fernand de Varennes, special rapporteur on minority issues and Ahmed Shaheed, special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief. “The number of successful applicants for domicile certificates that appear to be from outside Jammu and Kashmir raises concerns about demographic change on a linguistic, religious and ethnic basis is already underway,” the experts said in a joint statement.

The new legislation overrides previous laws which granted the Kashmiri muslim, Dogri, Gojri, Pahari, Sikh, Ladhaki and other established minorities rights to buy property, own land, and access certain state jobs, it was pointed out. “These legislative changes may have the potential to pave the way for people from outside the former state of Jammu and Kashmir to settle in the region, alter the demographics of the region and undermine the minorities’ ability to exercise effectively their human rights,” the experts said. They urged the Government of India to ensure that the economic, social and cultural rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir are protected, and that they are able to express their political opinions and participate meaningfully in matters affecting them.

The experts said they were in contact with the Indian government on this matter. more than 50,000 people have died in an uprising against New Delhi’s rule in Kashmir that began in 1989, by government count. others put the toll at well over 100,000. The UN experts said that the new laws could pave the way for outsiders to settle in Kashmir and alter the demographics of the region.

INDIA CRITICISES UN EXPERTS OVER KASHMIR CONCERNS: India criticised the UN rights experts for their concerns about constitutional changes made in the muslim-majority territory of Kashmir, where militants have been fighting for independence for three decades, and said the officials lacked neutrality. Indian Foreign ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India and the changes made in its status were enacted by parliament. one of the changes was that laws that were in force in the rest of India would also apply to the people of Kashmir, allowing them the same legal rights as the rest of India, he said. read more: India’s 15-year information warfare operation to internationally malign Pakistan “This press release calls into question the larger principles of objectivity and neutrality that the Srs (Special rapporteurs) are mandated by the Human rights Council to adhere to,” he said in a statement late on Thursday night. Prime minister Narendra modi’s government has maintained it revoked Kashmir’s special status in an effort to integrate the revolt-torn region in India and open it up for faster economic growth. Srivastava said the UN experts had issued their statement just when India was hosting a group of ambassadors in Kashmir to show them the ground situation and did not wait for a response from the Indian government to their questionnaire.

WHO seeks $1.96bn for 2021 plan for Covid-19 response IslAmAbAd staff report

The World Health organisation (WHo) is seeking nearly $2 billion to fund its 2021 Strategic Preparedness and response Plan (SPrP) for CoVID-19 response which was launched on Thursday in Geneva.

The strategy follows the initial plan last year that outlined the path countries should take to suppress transmission of the new coronavirus, said a statement issued on Friday.

“Fully funding the SPrP is not just an investment in responding to Covid-19, it’s an investment in the global recovery and in building the architecture to prepare for, prevent and mitigate future health emergencies”, said WHo chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking during his routine

press conference.

The 2021 plan will have six objectives: suppressing transmission, reducing exposure, countering misinformation and disinformation, protecting vulnerable people, reducing death and illness, and accelerating equitable access to new tools against Covid-19 such as vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.

WHo is looking to raise $1.96 billion to fund the SPrP. Tedros said $1.2 billion will go to the agency’s component of the Access to Covid-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, a landmark global collaboration to make these medicines accessible to people everywhere.

Another $643 million will go towards supporting people who require humanitarian assistance due to conflict, insecurity or other crises. The WHo chief also provided details about the first SPrP, which raised $1.58 mil-

lion. Some 90 per cent of the funding was allocated to countries and regions, supporting those on the frontlines of the pandemic.

“It also enabled WHo and our partners to ship millions of tests and items of personal protective equipment, and to support thousands of ICU beds around the world”, Tedros said.

The funding was also used to deploy some 191 emergency medical Teams, support sero-epidemiological studies in 58 countries, and provide online training that reached nearly five million people.

Tedros also announced that WHo will launch a new declaration on Friday focused on the equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, which calls for action from several groups, such as political leaders, manufacturers and governments.

“Vaccine equity is especially important for

fragile and vulnerable groups, and for small island states like those in the Pacific and Caribbean with small populations who can

miss out on vaccines because they have less bargaining power than big countries”, he said, stressing that no country should be left behind.

Published by Arif Nizami at Qandeel Printing Press, 4 Queens Road, Lahore, for PT Print (Pvt) Limited. Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk