Epaper – February 28 ISB 2021

28 February, 2021 I 15 Rajab, 1442 I Rs 25.00 I Vol XI No 241 I 36 Pages I Islamabad Edition

sC to announCe verdiCt on senate oPen ballot referenCe on Monday

Army vows to respond to ‘adventures’ with ‘full might’ as nation marks 2nd anniversary of ‘Operation Swift Retort’ RAWALPINDI/KARACHI staff report

IsLAmAbAD staff report

t

He Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan will issue its verdict over the presidential reference on the matter of holding the upcoming Senate elections through an open ballot method on Monday.

On Wednesday, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed had noted that the parliament is the forum that must decide the method of voting for Senate elections, including the degree of secrecy to be allowed.

According to local media reports, lawyers for both sides were sent messages regarding the date being fixed for Monday

whereas the opinion is likely to be announced in an open court. earlier on Thursday, the SC had reserved its decision in the presidential reference on the matter of holding the upcoming Senate elections through an open ballot method after the aforementioned reference sought the apex court’s insight into the matter.

During the hearing, Pakistan Bar Council’s (PBC) lawyer Mansoor Usman Awan had argued that holding elections through an open-ballot system has been unprecedented in Pakistan, adding that the secrecy of casting votes is the essence of elections.

The CJP had maintained that the passing of resolutions to ensure transparency was the prerogative of the parliament and that the

Coronavirus in

Pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

578,797

LAST UPDATED AT 8:33 AM ON FEBRUARY 27, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

33

1,315

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

544,406 12,563 SINDH:

257,730 KP:

72,003

PUNJAB:

170,817 BALOCHISTAN:

19,038

AJK/GB: ISLAMABAD: 10,147/4,956 44,106

top court would only offer its opinion of the application of Article 226 in the matter.

The chief justice had also reminded the court that the presidential reference inquired only into the matter of Article 226, which deals with the declaration that all elections but those of the premier and chief ministers would be held through a secret ballot. He had maintained that the court would not go out of the bounds of the reference.

The presidential ordinance, which amends sections 33, 86 and 122 of the election Act 2017, was announced with immediate effect. It has been strongly opposed by the opposition. Its enforcement will be subject to the outcome of the apex court’s decision.

Pakistan Army on Saturday said it will respond with “full might” to any challenge to the country’s security and integrity.

The statement comes on the second anniversary of “Operation Swift Retort”, which resulted in the downing of two Indian fighter jets that had violated Pakistan’s airspace on February 27, 2019.

“It is not numbers but courage & will of a resilient nation that triumphs in the end,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a tweet.

“27th Feb, 2019 is [a] testament that Pak AF, with [the] support of the nation, will always defend the motherland against all threats.”

In a dogfight, Pakistan shot down two Indian warplanes, including a MiG-21, and captured a pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. He was released on March 1 in a peace gesture.

Later in the day, the Indian

Hamza released from prison after 20 months LAHORE staff report

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President and Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Hamza Shehbaz was released from prison on Saturday, three days after the Lahore High Court (LHC) granted him bail in a case pertaining to money laundering to the tune of Rs7 billion.

A two-judge bench of the high court had directed the prison authorities to release the politician after the submission of surety bonds. District and Sessions Judge Akmal Khan issued the release orders after verification of the surety bonds submitted by Hamza’s guarantors.

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz arrived outside Kot Lakhpat prison to receive her cousin whereas PML-N workers had gathered outside the jail to celebrate the release. Carrying flower petals for Hamza’s welcome, they danced and chanted slogans in his favour and against the government.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had arrested Hamza in June 2019 from the LHC premises after the high court rejected his request for an extension in pre-arrest bail in the

Air Force (IAF), in a statement, claimed it, too, have shot down an F-16 aircraft of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and displayed pieces of a missile that it said had been fired by the plane before it went down.

However, a Foreign Policy article, citing Pentagon officials, reported US personnel had done a count of F-16s and found none missing. The report was also carried by Time magazine and The Washington Post.

‘SURPRISE DAY’: To mark the successful downing of the Indian warplanes, the PAF celebrated “Surprise Day” to pay tribute to “valiant fighters for their brave defence of the motherland”, APP reported.

The celebration ceremony was held at PAF Headquarters in Islamabad.

Addressing the ceremony, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan cautioned that Pakistan’s desire for peace should not be misunderstood.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

more inside

Abhinandan seeks peace between Pakistan, India STORY ON PAGE 02

US imposes sanctions, visa bans on Saudis for journalist Khashoggi’s killing STORY ON BACK PAGE

Ramzan Sugar Mills and the money laundering cases.

The Ramzan Sugar Mills reference claims that Sharif, in his capacity as Punjab chief minister, used public funds for the construction of a bridge to facilitate his family-owned sugar mills.

On February 2, he had filed his second petition before the LHC for bail on merit in the case which involves charges of assets beyond means.

The bail had also been sought on an additional ground of hardship and inordinate delay in the trial proceedings as the

Supreme Court (SC) in January denied relief to him with a direction to approach the LHC with fresh grounds for bail.

The petition, filed through advocates Azam Nazir Tarar and Amjad Pervaiz, adopted the stance that the reference was filed 14 months after his arrest in June 2019. Keeping an accused in jail for this long is equivalent to sentencing them before the trial, it had stated.

It further argued that the petitioner was entitled to bail on this ground of delay alone without touching the merits of the case.

Pakistan stands united against any misadventure: FO STORY ON BACK PAGE in today’s issue

attention Some readers have complained that they are not getting the magazine with their newspaper copy. Please call or WhatsApp us at the following number to register a complaint.

Contact: 0307-7338168 irfan.farooq@pakistantoday.com.pk

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Sunday, 28 February, 2021

ISLAMABAD

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AbhiNANdAN seeks PeAce beTweeN PAkisTAN, iNdiA ISLAMABAD

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STAFF REPORT

HE Pakistan Army on Saturday published a new video of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, the Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot who was captured in February, 2019 after his intruding MiG-21 fighter was shot down by Pakistan Air Force (PAF) during a dogfight, on the second anniversary of “Operation Swift Retort”, the codename given to the military job.

The video shows the pilot conversing with military officials (not shown) in a congenial environment and acknowledging that he has been treated well. He also showers praise on the “chivalrous” and “professional” Pakistan Army.

Abhinandan’s MiG-21 Bison aircraft was shot down over Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) along with another Indian aircraft after they violated the Line of Control (LoC). While the other plane

crashed in Indian territory, Abhinandan was not so lucky.

Recounting the fateful day, Varthaman said, “When I realised that I was not in my own country, I tried to run away. But I was injured quite badly and unable to move.

Locals, whose passion was quite high, wanted to “catch me.” However, two Pakistan Army soldiers reached the location just in time and saved me.”

“A captain of the Pakistani Army came and saved me from the locals. He took me to his unit where I was given first aid and after that, I was taken to a hospital where I was checked and given more aid. Since then, I am here [at the place] I am right now […] with your hospitality.”

Abhinandan also touched on the Kashmir dispute, saying “neither you nor I know” what is happening in the occupied region.

The Indian officer also praised the Pakistan Army, saying he found it to be “very fine, professional force and very

chivalrous.”

“I am very impressed by the chivalry which has been displayed by the Pakistani Army,” he added.

He said there is “no reason” for Pakistan and India to continue with animosity and called for peace between the arch-rivals. “I see no reason for us to continue with any kind of hostilities.”

Tensions between the two countries had escalated rapidly following an explosion on February 14, 2019, that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police in Indianoccupied Kashmir. India accused Pakistan of harbouring militants behind the attack, a charge Islamabad dismissed.

The United States, China, European Union (EU), and other powers had urged restraint from the two nations, as tensions escalated.

Later that year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi went into the general elections, benefitting immensely from nationalist pride unleashed by the standoff.

ECP rejects Shehbaz’s plea to cast Senate vote from Lahore ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday rejected Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif’s plea, seeking permission to cast his vote for the Senate elections in Lahore.

The ECP, while rejecting the plea, stated that a vote cannot be cast anywhere other than the National Assembly (NA), adding that production orders for arrested parliamentarians have been issued.

Shehbaz and the other arrested members can cast their votes in the NA hall but cannot be facilitated to cast their votes anywhere else, added the ECP. The Senate elections will take place on March 3 while Shehbaz remains in custody in Lahore. Just a few days ago, Yousaf Raza Gillani, a joint candidate of the

Missing ANP leader's body recovered near airport CHAMAN TLTP

The body of abducted Awami National Party (ANP) Press Secretary Asad Khan Achakzai has been recovered, local police claimed on Saturday. According to reports, Achakzai’s body was recovered near the Quetta airport on the indication of the kidnapper. A team of police officials, headed by a magistrate, identified the body and shifted it to Civil Hospital, Quetta. The press secretary was abducted from Quetta Airport Road by some unidentified individuals, prompting the ANP provincial leaders to block the Chaman-Quetta highway that had resulted in a food shortage in the city. However, the highway was later reopened on humanitarian grounds and protests were shifted outside the Chaman deputy commissioner’s office.

Following the recovery, the authorities revealed that the ANP leader was shot and killed on the day of his abduction. The Quetta police had caught the kidnapper a few days ago, who during interrogation had confirmed the killing of Achakzai. The killing was also confirmed by the party's Central Joint Secretary Rashid Khan Nasir. ANP President Asfandyar Wali Khan had previously condemned the abduction. According to Wali, Achakzai was on his way from Chaman to attend a provincial council meeting when all contact with him was lost near the town of Kuchlak. Holding the government responsible, Wali had said it is the responsibility of the state to protect its citizens and called on the authorities for Achakzai's prompt recovery. Achakzai was the cousin of ANP Balochistan President Asghar Khan Achakzai.

Police kill two TTP terrorists MULTAN STAFF REPORT

Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Sindh police and secret service officials raided a militant hideout Saturday, killing two militants accused of involvement in attacks on security forces, an official said. Shahid Solangi, a CTD officer, said the early morning raid took place in the Patni area of the city of Sukkur in Sindh. He said the militants attempted to escape and opened fire on officers, triggering a shootout. Solangi said two militants belonging to the Noor-e-Islam group of proscribed Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were killed. He said the slain militants were involved in attacks on police and security forces in South Waziristan and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said the two men entered Sindh in recent days and had been under the surveillance of security agencies. The Afghanistan-based militant group has in recent months stepped up attacks on security forces in the former tribal regions and in Balochistan.

anti-government alliance–Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)–for the Senate chairmanship slot, conveyed messages of former president Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to Shehbaz and apprised him on the Senate election strategy, besides asserting that the PDM would be the success of democracy.

The ECP has directed all the political parties and candidates to halt their campaigns regarding the elections by midnight on Monday and notified a code of conduct for the upcoming polls.

According to the code of conduct, the political parties, candidates, voters and election agents shall abide by all the directions and instructions issued by the ECP from time to time relating to smooth conduct of elections. The participants shall not indulge in any kind of corrupt or illegal practice.

Shibli concerned over opposition’s ‘dubious’ role in Senate polls ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz has expressed serious concerns over the “dubious role” of opposition parties, saying it is strange that the parties are opposing an open ballot system in the Senate elections.

In an interview with a private television channel, the information minister said that introducing an open ballot system would ensure transparency in the

elections.

Faraz said the so-called leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have no political background, while Prime Minister Imran Khan made a long struggle in politics of the country.

The minister said the government is filing a petition against the verdict of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for fresh elections in National Assembly constituency, NA-75 Daska.

Separately in a series of tweets in connection with

the release of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) leader Hamza Shehbaz, Faraz said that those who mercilessly looted the national exchequer in the past are stubbornly claiming that no corruption has been proven against them.

He said that these elements filled their pockets at the cost of the people of the country, adding that the elders of Hamza and Maryam Nawaz promoted the culture of corruption in the country and destroyed the nation's morality. He further said that Hamza has been released on bail and not acquitted.

Ministry says new variant less deadly as Covid-19 kills 33 more ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Ministry of National Health Services on Saturday confirmed the presence of a new coronavirus variant in Pakistan and said the authorities are closely monitoring the virus cases by using a modern surveillance system.

In a declaration, the ministry said that the new SARS-CoV-2 variant is less deadly, however, it is fast-spreading. It stated that the health authorities are using a modern surveillance system to hold close monitoring of the developments of the new variant of the coronavirus.

The nationals have been asked to strictly follow the guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) against Covid-19. The health authorities also instructed citizens to ensure vaccination in accordance with the prescribed time.

Earlier in January, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) had confirmed that two cases of the highly contagious coronavirus

variant that first emerged in the United Kingdom (UK) have been detected in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, the NCOC said coronavirus has claimed 33 more lives in the past 24 hours, surging the overall death toll to 12,837.

According to the NCOC, 1,315 fresh cases were reported during the period, lifting up the national tally of cases to 578,797. The total count of active cases is 21,554 and out of them, 1,538 patients were stated to be in critical condition.

In the past 24 hours, as many as 2,013 patients recovered from the virus while total recoveries have been 544,406 so far. A total of 39,086 tests were conducted across the country during the past 24 hours, while so far 8,912,918 samples have been tested.

Punjab recorded the highest number of Covid-19 deaths over the last 24 hours, followed by Sindh, the NCOC said. Out of 33 fatalities, 14 occurred in Punjab, 13 in Sindh, five in KP and one in AJK. Out of the total number of deaths so

far, 5,337 deaths have occurred in Punjab, 4,335 in Sindh, 2,070 in KP, 496 in Islamabad, 200 in Balochistan, 297 in AJK and 102 in G-B. On the other hand, the Punjab government notified withdrawal of all restrictions after a decreasing curve of coronavirus cases in the province.

The Primary and Secondary Healthcare secretary notified the withdrawal of the restrictions under the

Punjab Infectious Diseases (Prevention and Control) Ordinance 2020.

The restriction of limited working hours for business activities and leisure places was withdrawn under the notification. Moreover, the restriction of 50 per cent staff in offices has also been withdrawn, according to the notification.

“The shrines will also open their doors in the province from March 15,” the secretary said.

Sunday, 28 February, 2021

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MasOOd pays glOwing tributes tO defenders Of cOuntry MUZAFFARABAD

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TLTP

HILe paying glowing tributes to the Pakistan armed forces for effectively defending the frontiers of the country, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan has said that courage, combat skills and professionalism displayed by the defenders on February 27, 2019 are an ample proof of their capability to teach a lesson to the aggressors.

The AJK president made these remarks in a message on the occasion of the second anniversary of 'Operation Swift Retort' conducted by Pakistan Air Force to retaliate against the Indian Air Force’s violation of the country’s sovereign territories on this day two years back.

“We salute our defenders, who on this

day two years ago delivered a telling blow against the aggressors and thwarted the enemy’s evil designs against the beloved country. We are proud of the bravery, combat skills, patriotism and professionalism of our armed forces,” he said.

The AJK president went on to say that the shooting down of two Indian Air Force fighter jets and targeting of military installations after India violated the airspace of Pakistan was the most befitting response to the enemy for such an act of aggression.

This exceptional performance of the Pakistan Air Force, its combat prowess and higher professionalism against the enemy will not only be remembered in history but the enemy will also never forget it.

He said that the ruling extremist gang of India is still in a war frenzy. They, on one hand, are committing inhuman atrocities against innocent and unarmed civilians in occupied Jammu and Kashmir and on the

other threatening to invade AJK and Pakistan.

"We want to make it clear to the Indian rulers that from Neelam to Karachi and from Gilgit to Gwadar, the entire Pakistani nation and the people of AJK are one and united to foil India's evil intentions and protect every inch of their beloved motherland. If India ever tries to commit aggression by miscalculation, the whole nation and the armed forces of the country will give the same answer that they had given to it in 1965 and 27 February, 2019,” he added.

Describing AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan as Pakistan's first defensive rampart, Masood said that if India ever tries to cross this defence line, it would have to fight the four million people of AJK and the brave and courageous people of Gilgit-Baltistan, who had liberated these areas by defeating the combined Indian and Dogra forces in 1947 despite being unarmed.

Electioneering geared up in Balochistan as Senate polls near QUETTA TLTP

Balochistan National Party (BNP-Mengal) Chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal on Saturday met with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Balochistan Assembly Parliamentary Leader Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind and other allies of the

provincial government ahead of the Senate polls. The political activity has gained momentum ahead of the March 3 polling in the province. According to sources, the two discussed cooperation in the Senate elections in the province. Other than this, Mengal also met with BNP-Awami Chief Mir Israrullah Zehri and discussed the upcoming polls. Zehri later said that the BNP-Mengal has offered their two votes to him during the Senate elections.

He thanked Mengal for the offer and said that he does not want to waste these votes and would take a decision in this regard after consultation with the party. Moreover, the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) leadership also met with the Rind.

The BAP was represented by Saeed Hashmi and Jan Muhammad Jamali in the meeting, which mulled over Senate elections strategy and other political developments. It is pertinent to mention here that a total of 41 candidates had filed their nomination papers to the election commission for 12 Senate seats from Balochistan.

Scottish Labour party elects Anas Sarwar as new leader EDinBURgh AGENCIES

Scottish Labour named Anas Sarwar as their new leader on Saturday, ahead of an election for the country’s devolved parliament in May. Anas, a Glasgow member of the Scottish parliament, succeeds Richard Leonard who resigned in January.

He is the son of Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar, who was the UK's firstever Muslim MP and held the Glasgow Central seat for Labour between 1997 and 2010 — until his

son Anas succeeded him, according to the BBC. Chaudhry Sarwar relinquished his British citizenship in 2013 before moving to Pakistan and joining the PML-N and later the PTI. Opposition Labour’s fortunes have flagged in Scotland with the Scottish National Party (SNP) the dominant force. Labour has 23 out of 129 seats in the parliament. “I want to say directly to the people of Scotland — I know Labour has a lot of work to do to win back your trust because if we’re brutally honest you haven’t had the Scottish Labour party you

deserve,” said Sarwar.

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon wants a strong showing for her party in the election on May 6 to hand her a mandate to hold a second referendum on independence — something British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he will not approve. Opinion polls indicate a majority back a second referendum.

But the SNP is in the midst of a bitter row between Sturgeon and her predecessor, Alex Salmond, that could eventually put pressure on her to resign and threatens to damage the independence movement.

ATC reserves verdict in cases against Mirza, others KARAChi TLTP

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday reserved verdict in cases against former Sindh home minister Zulfiqar Mirza and other co-accused, which is likely to be announced on March 6.

The ATC conducted the hearing of cases against Zulfiqar Mirza and others, including terrorism, vandalism and attacks on a police station and a shop owned by a provincial lawmaker in Badin.

The accused persons appeared in the hearing. During the hearing, witnesses recorded their testimonies.

The court later reserved verdict in cases related to an attack on the police station and a shop of MPA Taju Mallah in Badin.

It is likely that the ATC will announce the verdicts of two more cases against Mirza and his aides in the next hearing to be held on March 6.

The former Sindh home minister and his aides are facing different cases of terrorism, vandalism and others registered at different police stations of Badin.

Mirza, a disgruntled and disowned leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), along with his associates was initially booked in three cases on charges of attempted murder, attacking a police station

and forcible closure of shops in a market of Badin district under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Later, two more cases were registered against him on charges of attempted murder and obstructing public servants from performing their duties. earlier on February 10, the witnesses in the hearing of two cases against Mirza and others had failed to identify the accused. During the hearing at an anti-terrorism court, seven witnesses had claimed that the police took statements from them under the duress.

“Do you identify the accused?” the public prosecutor had asked the prosecution witnesses. “We don’t know them,” all seven eyewitnesses

had denied identifying Mirza and other accused in their statements.

“We are workers and were working in the bazaar in Badin,” they had said. “You told the police about the attack,” the prosecutor had asked. “We didn’t say anything or give any statement. The police took our signatures forcefully,” the witnesses had said.

“Some people made arson attacks in the marketplace, but not the accused present in the courtroom,” the witnesses had stated.

A police official Tariq had also failed to identify Mirza and other accused, adding that the incident took place five years ago and he doesn't even remember the accused.

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Sunday, 28 February, 2021

ISLAMABAD

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Govt to turn DreAm of DiGitAl PAkistAn into reAlity: firDous LahOre

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TLTP

PECIAl Assistant to Punjab Chief Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that the government is committed to materialising the dream of a digital Pakistan into a reality.

Addressing a press conference along with Punjab Board of Revenue Senior Member Babar Hayat Tarar on Saturday, Firdous said that the institutions are being redesigned with modern technology for creating ease in the lives of the people.

She said that Punjab Chief Minister Sar-

dar Usman Buzdar is making serious efforts to implement the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan and his efforts are yielding positive results. She added the government has created ease in the lives of the citizens by providing easy access to them about land record and other revenue matters. The government is determined to provide the due rights of the people at their doorstep, she said.

The special assistant further said that in order to change the system, it is necessary to change the laws and only a bold and brave leadership like PM Imran can take such decisions and introduce historical reforms. The government is taking practical measures on

a war footing basis to change the corrupt system and introduce a transparent system, she said.

The people were hoodwinked in the name of politics and the former rulers remained busy flourishing their businesses; however, relief is being provided to the people by introducing new reforms and legislation, she further said.

Firdous said the PTI government is committed to fulfilling its promise of transfer of power to the grassroots level through the local government system as it will ensure resolution of peoples’ problems at their doorstep.

The SAPCM said that a few ‘numbar-

dars’ from Jati Umrah paralysed the whole service delivery system. These elements used to dictate others for their vested political and personal interests. However, the incumbent government is committed to getting the country rid of such corrupt people.

She alleged that both PPP and PML-N have joined hands over the Senate election in Punjab and the horse-trading has been transferred to Islamabad where [former president] Asif Zardari will engineer the Senate election results.

The PTI believes that transparent election is the need of the hour and the ruling party will make every effort to restore the respect of vote. The Senate is a sacred institu-

tion and it should not be polluted with corruption, she said.

Speaking on the occasion, Babar said that the Board of Revenue is reviving the old traditions of revenue services by introducing historical institutional reforms based on information technology and is committed to providing transparent and prompt delivery of basic services to the people.

He further stated that open-courts are being held on the first working day of every month to provide prompt services to the people at tehsil and district level. He informed that so far 144,439 acres of land, worth more than Rs425 billion, have been retrieved from squatters.

Govt conducts interprovincial police transfers under new rotation policy The government has introduced a new rotation policy under which senior officers of the Sindh police were transferred to Lahore, according to a notification issued on Saturday. These officers, who have previously served in Sindh with a domicile of the province, will not be able to get posted back for the next two years.

According to the notification, DIG Special Branch Irfan Baloch has been transferred to Islamabad and the services of DIG Munir Sheikh Senior have been handed over to Punjab, while DIG Munir Sheikh Jr has also been transferred to Punjab. Similarly, the services of DIG Fida Hussain Mastoi have been handed over to the Motorway Police and DIG Qamar Zaman and DIG Traffic Karachi Iqbal Dara have also been transferred to Punjab. It may be mentioned here that the PTI government had notified a new rotation policy for the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) in August last year. NEWS DESK

AC, top cops in Daska removed over by-poll rigging ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government has taken action against the assistant commissioner (AC) and top cops of Daska over rigging in NA-75 by-polls, following the orders of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). According to details, AC Daska Asif Hussain was removed from the post on Saturday and asked to report to the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD). SDPO Ramzan Kamboh and DSP Zulfiqar Virk have been suspended by the government. The notification in line with the ECP orders has been issued by the Punjab government. The ECP had ordered the removal of the deputy commissioner, district police officer (DPO) and AC Daska over rigging during the by-polls in NA-75 constituency. The ECP has also summoned the Punjab chief secretary and inspector general of police (IGP) on March 4 for an explanation. Terming the polling null and void in the NA75 Daska, the ECP had ordered re-polling in the constituency on March 18. Riots were reported during the polling day and the masses were not provided the right to vote in a true manner. TLTP

LAHORE: Lawyers gather to cast their votes during the election of Lahore High Court Bar Association in the provincial capital. Zubair MEhfooZ

Covid-19 vaccines in Pakistan and cancer patients

Dr MuhaMMeD aasiM Yusuf “Nobody is safe until everyone is safe” has become a mantra that reminds us of the importance of equitable access to vaccines.

It is estimated that between 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the population has to be vaccinated in order to achieve herd immunity and break the chain of transmission of Covid-19. However, since only limited doses of vaccines are currently available worldwide, the vaccination strategies devised have tended to prioritise key groups and the most vulnerable population groups, such as the elderly and those with co-morbid conditions such as cancer.

Patients with cancer as a group are at a higher risk of severe infection caused by SARS-Cov-2 which may increase the risk of cancer-related morbidity and mortality.

At the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centres (SKMCH&RC), in Lahore and in Peshawar, while disruptions in cancer management caused by the pandemic were kept to a minimum, some treatments had to be modified so as to protect these vulnerable patients as far as possible.

The availability of vaccines for cancer patients and

caregivers will allow specialised cancer hospitals such as SKMCH&RC to continue the fight against cancer in Pakistan while ensuring the safety of its patients and healthcare workers, free of the fear of future disruption caused by this pandemic.

Experts at the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centres, Pakistan’s only tertiary care cancer centres, recommend that cancer patients should receive the Covid-19 vaccine, so long as the vaccine used does not contain live virus.

For patients on active therapy, the Covid vaccine could be given at least two weeks prior to chemotherapy, or in between cycles. The optimal timing of vaccination should always be discussed with the treating oncologist prior to administration. This is also supported by many international expert medical groups including the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and Cancer Research UK. These organisations also recommend that those with cancer or a history of cancer should be offered priority access to the vaccine.

It is important to remember that each patient’s situation is unique and each patient undergoing cancer treatment must discuss the risks and benefits of Covid19 vaccination with their cancer care team.

As of February 15, 2021, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan has approved the Sinopharm, Oxford Astra-Zeneca, CanSino and Sputnik V vaccines for emergency use in our country. None of these vaccines are based on the live-attenuated virus and therefore, can all be given to cancer patients.

Caregivers play an essential role in the cancer journey of people fighting cancer. Experts at SKMCH&RC advise that caregivers of cancer patients should also be vaccinated against Covid-19, while again avoiding vaccines containing live viruses.

Healthcare workers caring for patients with cancer with increased risk should also be prioritised in receiving vaccination to minimise hospital-acquired transmission. For this reason, SKMCH&RC has al-

ready begun the process of vaccinating its front-line healthcare workers.

More information about the availability of these vaccines for cancer patients in Pakistan is expected in the next few days and weeks. It seems that the supply of vaccines in Pakistan may be limited for some time, but that this will be distributed via both public and private sectors. Through the Government’s free vaccination drive, citizens will be vaccinated in three main phases beginning with frontline healthcare workers, followed by the elderly and then the remaining population. Pakistan has also allowed sales of vaccines by the private sector and it is understood that rules and regulations governing this process have now been published. We are fortunate that the federal government has arranged for the supply of sufficient quantities of vaccine to ensure that a significant proportion of the population, including underprivileged patients, will be able to receive the vaccination in the coming few months.

The Covid-19 pandemic continues, and we must continue to keep our guard up. Vaccination will not automatically obviate the need to continue to follow Covid-19 safety protocols. It is also important to remember that, although vaccination will prevent infection, we do not yet know if it also prevents an individual from carrying the infection and infecting others. For this reason, health experts recommend that those who get the vaccine still wear a mask and continue to follow safety measures, including physical distancing and practising hand hygiene.

Regardless of individual efficacy, all vaccines approved against Covid-19 are 100 per cent effective in preventing severe disease and for this reason, vulnerable groups including cancer patients must be given priority access to the vaccination.

The writer is the chief medical officer (CMO) and acting chief executive officer (CEO) at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust.

Sunday, 28 February, 2021

ISLAMABAD

Biden scores leGislative win as House passes $1.9tr covid-19 relief plan WASHINGTON

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NEWS

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G20 promises no letup in stimulus, sees tax deal by summer

AGENCIES

RESIDEnT Joe Biden scored his first legislative win as the House of Representatives passed his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package early Saturday, though Democrats faced challenges to their hopes of using the bill to raise the minimum wage.

Democrats who control the chamber passed the sweeping measure by a mostly party-line vote of 219 to 212 and sent it on to the Senate, where Democrats planned a legislative maneuver to allow them to pass it without the support of Republicans.

The American Rescue Plan would pay for vaccines and medical supplies and send a new round of emergency financial aid to households, small businesses and state and local governments.

Democrats said the package was needed to fight a pandemic that has killed more than 500,000 Americans and thrown millions out of work.

“The American people need to know that their government is there for them,” House Speaker nancy Pelosi said in debate on the House floor.

Republicans, who have broadly backed previous Covid-19 spending, said much of the current package was not necessary, highlighting elements like a subway near Pelosi’s San Francisco district. Only 9pc of the total would go directly toward fighting the virus, they said.

“It just throws out money without accountability,” House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said.

The House vote amounted to a successful first test for Democrats, who hold a narrow 221-211 majority in the chamber. Progressives and moderates in the party who are often at odds will face tougher battles ahead on immigration and climate change initiatives that Biden wants to push.

The president has focused his first weeks in office on tackling the greatest US public health crisis in a century, which has upended most aspects of American life.

Democrats aim to get the bill to him to sign into law before mid-March, when enhanced unemployment benefits and some other types of aid are due to expire.

ROME/BRUSSELS AGENCIES

The bill’s big-ticket items include $1,400 direct payments to individuals, a $400-per-week federal unemployment benefit through Aug. 29, and help for those in difficulty paying rents and home mortgages during the pandemic.

The action now moves to the Senate, where Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris may have to cast a tiebreaking vote in a chamber where Republicans control 50 seats and Democrats and their allies control the other 50.

FATE OF MINIMUM WAGE HIKE UNCLEAR: Democrats will have to sort out how to handle a proposed minimum-wage increase, which may have to be stripped from the bill due to the complicated rules that govern the Senate.

The House-passed bill would raise the national hourly minimum wage for the first time since 2009, to $15 from $7.25. The increase is a top priority for progressive Democrats.

However, the Senate’s rules expert said on Thursday

that the wage hike did not qualify for special treatment that allows the rest of the bill to be passed with a simple majority, rather than the 60 votes needed to advance most legislation in the 100-seat chamber.

Pelosi predicted the relief bill will pass Congress with or without the increase, and said Democrats would not give up on the matter.

It is not clear whether the minimum-wage hike would have survived the Senate even if it were to be kept in the bill. At least two Senate Democrats oppose it, along with most Republicans.

Some senators are floating a smaller increase, to the range of $10 to $12 per hour, while Democrats are considering a penalty for large corporations that do not voluntarily pay a $15 wage, according to a Democratic aide.

Efforts to craft a bipartisan coronavirus aid bill fizzled early on, shortly after Biden was sworn in as president on Jan. 20, following a series of bipartisan bills enacted in 2020.

India's Reliance partners with Google, Facebook for digital payment network bid NEW DELHI AGENCIES

India’s conglomerate Reliance Industries has partnered with Facebook Inc, Google and fintech player Infibeam to set up a national digital payment network, Economic Times newspaper reported on Saturday, citing unnamed sources.

Last year, India’s central bank invited companies to forge new umbrella entities (nUEs) to create a payments network that would rival the system operated by the national Payments Council of India (nPCI), as it seeks to reduce concentration risks in the space.

Set up in 2008, nPCI is a not-forprofit company, which as of March 2019 counted dozens of banks as its shareholders, including the State Bank of India, Citibank and HSBC. It processes billions of dollars in payments daily via services that include inter-bank fund transfers, ATM transactions and digital payments.

Citing three unnamed sources, India’s leading business daily Economic Times said that the group led by Reliance and Infibeam was in the advanced stages of submitting their proposal to the Reserve Bank of India.

A spokesperson for Infibeam declined comment on the report, saying the com-

pany was bound by the confidentiality of process, while Reliance, Google and Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Digital payments in India could rise to $135.2 billion in 2023, according to an Assocham-PWC India study in 2019.

Facebook and Google are already

partnered with Reliance and own stakes in Jio Platforms - the unit which houses Reliance’s music, movie apps and telecoms venture.

The RBI this week extended the deadline for all parties to submit nUE applications until March 31 from February 26.

The report said RBI is expected to take another six months to study all the proposals being submitted and that it is not expected to give more than two new “for-profit” nUE licences.

The RBI did not respond to a request for comment.

Earlier media reports have said other parties in the fray include a group led by Amazon and ICICI Bank; another combination led by the country’s salt-to-software conglomerate Tata Group and private lender HDFC Bank; and a venture involving India’s largest mobile payment platform, Paytm, domestic ride-sharing company Ola and IndusInd Bank.

The world’s financial leaders have agreed to maintain expansionary policies to help economies survive the effects of COVID-19, and committed to a more multilateral approach to the twin coronavirus and economic crises. The Italian presidency of the G20 group of the world’s top economies said the gathering of finance chiefs had pledged to work more closely to accelerate a still fragile and uneven recovery. “We agreed that any premature withdrawal of fiscal and monetary support should be avoided,” Daniele Franco, Italy’s finance minister, told a news conference after the video linked meeting held by the G20 finance ministers and central bankers. The United States is readying $1.9 trillion in fiscal stimulus and the European Union has already put together more than 3 trillion euros ($3.63 trillion) to keep its economies through lockdowns. But despite the large sums, problems with the global rollout of vaccines and the emergence of new coronavirus variants mean the future path of the recovery remains uncertain. The G20 is “committed to scaling up international coordination to tackle current global challenges by adopting a stronger multilateral approach and focusing on a set of core priorities,” the Italian presidency said in a statement. The meeting was the first since Joe Biden - who pledged to rebuild US cooperation in international bodies - US president, and significant progress appeared to have been made on the thorny issue of taxation of multinational companies, particularly web giants like Google, Amazon and Facebook. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told the G20 Washington had dropped the Trump administration’s proposal to let some companies opt out of new global digital tax rules, raising hopes for an agreement by summer.

“GIANT STEP FORWARD” The move was hailed as a major breakthrough by Germany’s Finance Minister Olaf Scholz and his French counterpart Bruno Le Maire. Scholz said Yellen told the G20 officials that Washington also planned to reform U.S. minimum tax regulations in line with an OECD proposal for a global effective minimum tax. “This is a giant step forward,” Scholz said. Italy’s Franco said the new U.S. stance should pave the way to an overarching deal on taxation of multinationals at a G20 meeting of finance chiefs in Venice in July. The G20 also discussed how to help the world’s poorest countries, whose economies are being disproportionately hit by the crisis. On this front there was broad support for boosting the capital of the International Monetary Fund to help it provide more loans, but no concrete numbers were proposed. To give itself more firepower, the Fund proposed last year to increase its war chest by $500 billion in the IMF’s own currency called the Special Drawing Rights (SDR), but the idea was blocked by Trump. “There was no discussion on specific amounts of SDRs,” Franco said, adding that the issue would be looked at again on the basis of a proposal prepared by the IMF for April. While the IMF sees the U.S. economy returning to pre-crisis levels at the end of this year, it may take Europe until the middle of 2022 to reach that point. The recovery is fragile elsewhere too. Factory activity in China grew at the slowest pace in five months in January, and in Japan fourth quarter growth slowed from the previous quarter. Some countries had expressed hopes the G20 may extend a suspension of debt servicing costs for the poorest countries beyond June, but no decision was taken. The issue will be discussed at the next meeting, Franco said.

Army vows to respond to ‘adventures’ with ‘full might’ as nation marks 2nd anniversary of ‘Operation Swift Retort’ cONTINUED fROM pAGE 01 Terming February 27 as a significant day not just for the PAF but for the whole of the nation, he said on that day “PAF once again upheld its glorious legacy and deterred the aggressor who gravely miscalculated and challenged our sovereignty.”

The force, he said, would thwart any misadventure by the enemy and is ready to respond with full force as per the aspirations of the nation.

He reiterated that Pakistan was a responsible and peace-loving country and its efforts for international peace, especially in Afghanistan, the Middle East and in Un peacekeeping missions were being acknowl-

edged by the international community.

One such manifestation of peace was witnessed by the world through the unconditional return of captured Indian pilot by the government, he recalled.

“However, let me make it very clear that our desire for peace should not be misunderstood. In case of any misadventure, our response would be swift, resolute and unwavering.”

Khan said Pakistan had responded to the violation of the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border separating Indian-occupied Kashmir and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K), by intruding planes in a manner that “made our nation proud”.

The country’s air force “proved equal

to the Quaid’s vision of being second to none and established our supremacy in the air,” he observed.

The air chief further observed Pakistan stood with the people of occupied Kashmir in their just struggle for right to self-determination.

He said it was time to end the atrocities being inflicted on innocent people of Kashmir.

Earlier in the day, Air Chief Marshal Khan inspected a guard of honour and a flypast, at the ceremony.

IMRAN CONGRATULATES NATION, ARMY: Prime Minister Imran Khan also congratulated the nation and the armed forces on the occasion of “our response to India’s illegal, reckless military adventure of

airstrikes against Pakistan”.

In a series of tweets, he recalled how the country had responded “with determined resolve at a time [and] place of our choosing.”

“We also demonstrated to the world Pakistan’s responsible behaviour in the face of India’s irresponsible military brinkmanship, by returning the captured Indian pilot.

We have always stood for peace and remain ready to move forward to resolve all outstanding issues through dialogue.”

Khan also welcomed the restoration of the 2003 ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and India and renewed his stance that the “onus of creating an enabling environment for further progress rests with India.”

“India must take necessary steps to meet

the long-standing demand & right of the Kashmiri people to self determination [according] to UnSC resolutions,” he said.

On the occasion, President Dr Arif Alvi said that Pakistan’s desire to maintain peace in the region must not be taken as its weakness.

In a tweet, he said, “By shooting down an Indian plane in our territory, we showed our resolve and superiority against all aggressors.”

He added that Pakistan wants peace but not at the cost of sacrificing the brutalised people of Kashmir.” Minister for Information Senator Shibli Faraz said the day marked the country’s “honour and prestige”.

“The shaheens of the air force [made] the enemy see stars during the day and lifted the entire nation’s head with pride,” he tweeted.

Sunday, 28 February, 2021

06 COMMENT

Working from home?

LoC agreement Giving peace a chance

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Is working from home inevitable? Will it become the norm?

FTer a number of years, a significant step has been taken to stem further deterioration in PakIndia relations. The DGMOs of the two armies have agreed to undertake a strict observance of all agreements, understandings and ceasefires along the LoC and all other sectors, with effect from midnight 24/25 February 2021. This would end the ongoing bloodletting of the Kashmiris living on both sides of the LoC, thus providing them an occasion to heave a sigh of relief.

The AJK population located in the vicinity of the LoC have expressed satisfaction at the announcement while expressing reservations about the sustenance of truce in view of their past experience. So have a number of leaders in Occupied Kashmir. The White House Press Secretary has called the agreement a positive step towards greater peace and stability in South Asia while encouraging both countries to keep building upon this progress.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called the development a positive step, and hoped that it would lead to more talks between the two countries.

The agreement opens the way for resolving the contentious disputes between the two countries, particularly the Kashmir issue that has led to wars. There are factors that encourage one to hope that more steps would be taken to strengthen peace in South Asia. India has already reached an understanding with China leading to withdrawal of thousands of troops from the frontline positions. The Biden Administration has been encouraging both sides to hold talks on the Kashmir issue. In Pakistan, COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has underlined the need to extend a hand of peace in all directions. Prime Minister Imran Khan has also underscored the need for peaceful resolution of all outstanding disputes through constructive dialogue.

What is needed to push the peace move further is a goodwill gesture on Kashmir from Indian PM Narendra Modi. The least that one expects from India is to put an end to the brutal human rights violations in occupied Kashmir and withdraw a major chunk of its 600,000-plus force from the region. Only after this would it be possible to take measures like opening the Wagah border and the trade between the two countries, or reactivating the now moribund SAArC.

Rabia ahmed

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IFe appears to have turned itself upside down as a result of the pandemic. In Pakistan this applies to the urban setting more than the rural. Life in the villages goes on as usual, and predictably so, since there is yet little automation there, let alone electronic change. Agriculture proceeds by hand as it must have done in Harappa and Mohenjodaro times, except for the odd tractor and cell phones. The farm worker is unable to change his work practice, nor have his life experiences taught him to accept change and innovation. elsewhere, society has moved indoors wherever possible, and that is probably the biggest change this pandemic era has seen as compared to previous ones: it is now possible to work from home in many sectors of life. even in the medical field where our front line heroes expose themselves in ways that make us supremely grateful to them, radiologists for example are able to work from home to some extent, although not always. In other professions there are many where a worker’s physical presence is required, but many others where it can be dispensed with. Some have taken to it like a duck to water, but the international financial sector does not seem to be unanimous in its approval.

Goldman Sachs operated last year with less than 10 percent of its employees physically present. According to a report in the BBC, David Solomon, the

Engaging the governors Battle intensifies for the Upper House

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S Senate elections near, the political temperature is rising by the day with all major political parties fiercely campaigning to ensure that their respective parliamentarians vote for the correct candidate. The PTI has gone one step further to practically eliminate the possibility of one party’s votes going to another by calling for the ballot to be open rather than secret as it has been for so many elections previously. While it cannot gather the numbers in the lower House to pass the necessary constitutional amendment, it has gone the oft-frequented presidential ordinance route and has also approached the Supreme Court for its seal of approval through a reference.

Therefore, in the absence of any guarantees, the government is pulling out all the stops, engaging in activity that is detrimental to unity even within its own ranks. Apart from awarding tickets to undeserving candidates who are close to the Prime Minister, provincial governors, who by virtue of being representatives of the federation are supposed to play a bipartisan role, have engaged in behaviour not appropriate for the office they hold, which has angered party loyalists. PTI Sindh leaders have demanded that the province’s Governor Imran Ismail be removed as he has been pushing for his “blue-eyed” new entrants for Senate seats while ignoring those who have stuck by the party for much longer. Last week both PTI candidates from Islamabad, Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh and Fauzia Arshad, met with The Punjab Governor at his Lahore residence to get assurances that PTI and allied parties’ National Assembly members would vote for them.

It is understandable why the ruling party lacks confidence in its parliamentarians, to contest Senate elections in a conventional manner. Over the past two and a half years there have been several instances where its own and allied parties’ MNAs and MPAs have expressed their severe displeasure over promises being broken, development funds not released and a general indefensible underperformance and incompetence that has made it difficult for them to visit their constituencies without facing some backlash as a consequence. Prime Minister Imran Khan can market his pre-Senate election moves as an effort to make them ‘corruption free’ but it is obvious that it is aimed at getting a majority in the Upper House come what may, by hook or by crook.

India has not changed since Independence

muhammad Zahid Rifat

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ver since the creation of Pakistan following partition of the sub-continent, political leadership of India somehow has not reconciled with the new independent state. right from the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawahir Lal Nehru, down to the present incumbent, the mass killer of Gujerat Narendra Modi, all have been harbouring hostilities and enmities towards Pakistan in their brutal attempts to destabilize it one way or the other. In all fairness, the fascist rSS-minded Modi has taken the lead over all former Prime Ministers in fostering enmity against Pakistan, promoting the rSS philosophy of Hindutva by resorting to all tactics and measures. relations between the neighbouring countries over the years have been marred by fighting three wars, except for brief interludes as when Morarji Desai took over the reigns as PM in 1977, or with Atal Bihari vajpayee’s bus trip to Lahore, New Delhi throughout has been persistently and constantly trying to foment trouble in Pakistan through sponsoring terrorist attacks from the soil of Afghanistan and using all other means to destabilize its neighbouring country.

As briefly mentioned earlier, New Delhi’s hostile

Arif Nizami Editor Managing Editor

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Umar Aziz Executive Editor

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But while that happens, the world is making a few intriguing changes which make these times an interesting study if it were not for the untold tragedy that is the death toll

Strict Vigilance Against Devilish Designs of India

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Yousaf Nizami Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

man at the head of Goldman Sachs rejected remote working as a “new normal” and labelled it an “aberration.” JP Morgan and Barclays agree with him. The Lloyds Banking Group and HSBC however appear to have accepted the inevitable and made adjustments accordingly to their future plans.

Is working from home inevitable? Will it become the norm?

There is a lot going for it, while some factors appear to be against it. Over the years more and more people have been working from home, particularly in the IT industry which is likely to remain the torchbearer in coming years. Yet the impact on people working completely from home is very mixed.

Humans are social animals, even those who claim to be otherwise. They need a degree of diverse human contact, more than the family at home, some more than others. If working from home becomes the norm there is likely to be a much greater incidence of depression and an increase in obesity.

The impact on families is also likely to be mixed.

While it can give families more time together, there is no doubt that absence makes the heart grow fonder.

There has been an increase in divorce rates around the world during the pandemic. Once again according to a BBC report, a leading British law firm says it logged a 122 percent increase in enquiries concerning divorce. The strain on finances with many people losing their jobs definitely does not help.

With children at home, since the cost of childcare can perhaps no longer be met, or with schools closed at this time, working from home for parents can also be very difficult. How do you work with a demanding toddler requiring attention every minute? Such conditions might increase a couple’s ability to communicate, to work out options and solutions, but it is as likely to increase tensions. Yet there is little doubt that the ability to stay home where needed is a valuable one. It is already available in countries like england,

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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Australia, Canada and Sweden, but the USA is known to be niggardly in this matter.

The result may be a modification in home design.

Homes in future may have greater facilities for a parent requiring a quiet, separate work environment, so that while one parent looks after the children the other can work, (and hopefully the couple can work out an arrangement where they switch around!) There may also be more attention to electronic communications in houses, better wiring, more power outlets and so on, so that people can work efficiently online.

One of the most positive impacts is likely to be upon the environment. In Pakistan the two major sources of urban air pollution are cars and industries that get their fuel from all sorts of sources including burning plastic, mind boggling as that may be . While the government appears to be doing nothing about either, when schools are closed and there are fewer cars on the road, the amount of pollution does drop dramatically: fewer people rushing to and from work means fewer cars, fewer emissions, less noise, fewer accidents.

One of the major impacts around the world is likely to be on the real estate sector. Microsoft, Facebook and Twitter all seem to be amenable to allow their staff to carry on working from home, permanently, and there will be others. What will this do to property rates?

And how, if they fall, is it likely to affect economies?

While the pandemic has been responsible for many businesses to close down, it has also been responsible for many new ones starting up, and is likely to be responsible for many more either way. The big winner for sure is and will be the IT industry, which holds this ‘remote future’ in its hands. “Mera beta doctor banay ga” (“my son will grow up to be a doctor”) is likely to be replaced by “Mera beta woh banay ga” (“my son will be…that”) though no one is clear just what it is that software engineers do, and it will be a while before anyone does in Pakistan. . May those families who have lost loved ones find strength to bear their loss. And may the world see fit to implement changes necessary to cope with other pandemics that may arise in future, because there can be little doubt that there will be more.

attitude towards Pakistan has assumed new dimensions following the coming into power of extremist Narendra Modi with the cooperation of rSS as coalition partners trying to emulate Hitler in hostilities, but against Musims rather than Jews.

Modi-led India is involved in promoting an antiPakistan agenda in many domains including state sponsored terrorism, targeting its economy, using diplomacy , fomenting chaos, Kashmir and social issues, as well as resorting to water aggression. european Union based DisinformLab has fully exposed the planned propaganda against Pakistan on the behest of the state of India. recently, european Union parliamentarians were invited to visit India’s Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) in a sponsored visit to create the impression that all is well in its occupied territory even though the whole population is living under prolonged complete lockdown since 5 August 2019. The parliamentarians, some of whom declined to undertake the state-organized visit, were invited in their personal capacities but were falsely portrayed as european Union representatives. Modi staged the Pulwama attack, killing 40 of his own CrPF jawans, and blamed Pakistan for this act, which was staged by him as an election stunt. The Indian devilish designs against Pakistan have been clear in a brute attempt to check its capability of countering the India threat.

Besides frequently sending spy drones for gathering information, which were downed by the Pakistan Army, it was in the last week of February 2019 when the Indian Air Force tried to launch air strikes.

But the Pakistan Air Force very strongly retaliated shooting down two intruding Indian MIGs on 27 February 2019, one of which fell in Pakistan and its pilot was taken into custody and the other in Indian-Occupied Kashmir. This was more than enough humiliation for Modi and his team of advisors soon after the utter failure at Pulwama. The Indian media trumpeted it as India’s success, but Pakistan had provided proof of the failure of the Indian plans to the foreign military observers based in Islamabad.

According to facts and figures available from official sources, the country has lost more than 70,000 precious lives of civilians, including women and children and officers and jawans of the Armed Forces of Pakistan and security institutions, in the fight against

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Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

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Rabia Ahmed is a freelance columnist. Read more by her at http://rabia-ahmed.blogspot.com

terrorism, extremism and militancy besides suffering heavy economic losses also. Pakistan has successfully won the war against terrorism during last 20 years as more than 18,000 terrorists were killed and more than 1200 operations were carried out against terrorists outfits, and a large number of al-Qaeda terrorists have also been captured or killed for ensuring global peace. Official sources emphatically maintained that we are on the right path and will always be, the writ of the State is everywhere, no terrorist stronghold is found in the country, there are small unorganized groups here and there but there is no evidence of an organized infrastructure.

In order to chase, kill and eliminate terrorists from the sacred soil of Pakistan, operation raddulul-Fasaad was launched with a two-pronged strategy involving both counter-terrorism and counter-extremism, and it has successfully completed four years securing significant achievements through massive operations regularly and persistently being carried out, the tribal areas now form part of Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa province and the rate of terrorist incidents was reported to have been reduced by up to 45 percent in 2020 as compared to the previous year.

As India persists with its proxy war against Pakistan, minimizing Muslims and other minorities in India, resorting to measures for turning predominantly the Muslim majority into a minority in its occupied territory of Jammu and Kashmir and so interpreting the Indus Basin Treaty so as to suit its evil designs of turning Pakistan into barren land by building dams on Pakistani rivers, and persistent violation of the Line of Control, the civil and military leadership of Pakistan has been ensuring, and continues to ensure, the strictest vigilance over the devilish designs of India and effectively to counter Modi’s hostile activities on all fronts. At the same time, Pakistan is also apprising the world powers, the international community at large, human rights organizations and all international forums, about India’s false and fake propaganda against it, pointing out New Delhi’s intentions endangering the region’s peace and stability and dangers and threats which are looming large on the horizon if the Indian fascist ruler Modi is not checked, pressurized and stopped from indulging in hostile acts against Pakistan, ignoring the fact that both neighbouring countries are nuclear powers.

Pakistan continues to exercise restraint to ensure that peace here and beyond the borders is not threatened, despite Indian hostilities and people of Pakistan continue their march onwards on the path of progress and prosperity by remaining vigilant and determined to ensure national security, stability and peace at all costs by remaining vigilant as they have always been along with those treading the corridors of power.

The writer can zahidriffat@gmail.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

be

reached

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Sunday, 28 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

Unequal salaries SIR, this is with the reference of the letter ‘ Unequal salaries’ by Faheem Hussain, published in Dawn. The salaries of the government servants in different departments is 30 per cent higher than the same grade government schools teacher and its well known to all of us that the teachers play a vital role in a society and, still they lack encouragement like increasing their salaries and so on from the government side. If the government cannot afford to increase their salaries then make the salaries equal of the same grade servants and I hope my this short message will proof that the government can do something better for the teachers.

MuhaMMad Nawaz KellKour

Global effort

The way of the devil When democracy starts hurting itself

Candid Corner Raoof Hasan “It can be frustrating and even frightening to observe the success which sometimes comes to outlaws and rogues who seem to refute notions of universal justice. Every time we see a villain enjoying the fruits of dishonourable acts, we find ourselves doubting the value of character and the validity of the virtues we have been taught. Thus, it takes character to believe in character, but that belief is always rewarded, often by material success, but always by the esteem it earns from those who matter.”

–Michael Josephson

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ne is struck by the intense and belligerent confrontations which typify the world around us. It is as if we have lost the art of conversation and have mastered one of abuse and invective. even more worrisome is the presence of an increasing number of people who actually believe in the benefits of a life shorn of character and honour. This wickedness is accompanied by a strong urge to not only practice the way of the devil, but also promote it vigorously among others to follow. The dramas enacted in the name of evening shows on television screens bear testament to how much degradation has set in and how it has entrapped people in its tentacles. The dread is that if this is allowed to perpetuate unchecked, it would damn the national character irretrievably.

The approach adopted by various political parties regarding the holding of the forthcoming Senate elections presents a picture of contrasts.

In the past, virtually all of them were sworn to conduct the elections through open ballot – a demand which is contained in the much-trumpeted Charter of Democracy signed by leaders of the PML(n) and PPP. But when it comes to the present election, the conglomerate of the opposition parties has backed off from their long-standing position. They are now insisting on holding the election through the traditional secret ballot which has been the cause of much anguish in the past with bags of money exchanging hands to buy votes, thus casting a dark shadow over the institution of democracy itself.

The Senate election is different from any other election in the sense that the number of seats each party can win is known in advance because it is directly proportionate to the number of members they have in the provincial assemblies and the national Assembly. A number which is at variance with this calculation can either be attributed to a prick of the conscience, or

a sell-out in exchange for coins of silver. While instances of the former are quite unknown, the history of elections in Pakistan is replete with occurrence of the latter. It is this gruesome phenomenon which must be put to an end and it is here that the proposal put forth by the PTI assumes its relevance as it safeguards the legitimate interests of all political parties.

Why is it then that the opposition parties are opposing it in every possible manner and at every conceivable forum? ever since coming into power, the PTI government’s attempts to legislate for implementing its programme of reform have been thwarted because it did not have a majority in the Upper House of Parliament. If these elections are conducted and seats won as per the respective parliamentary strength of each party, PTI will emerge as the single largest party and, together with its allies, the majority party in the Senate.

It is then that it would actually be able to execute its broad-based agenda of reform for the country. That means that it would not only be able to obliterate the setbacks linked to the wreck that it had inherited from the previous government, it would also be able to erect a sound foundation to fight the next election for a larger representation in Parliament to genuinely usher in an era of multifaceted and broad-based development.

That is a harrowing thought for the opposition to contend with.

Some of its stalwarts are already sitting out of the assemblies. If things work out as they should, the rest are also likely to meet a similar fate. That would mean not just the elimination of some leaders from mainstream politics of Pakistan, but that their kind of politics will also be consigned to the bin.

Fully abreast of this possibility, the parties of the opposition ,who have been threatening to drag the dead bodies of their opponents on the roads and hang them from the lamp-posts, are now perched in their laps fighting for their combined political survival. In the process, they are sworn to frustrate the PTI move to get the seats which, as per the Constitution, is its democratic right.

The PTI is doing it from a high moral ground as it is the only party which has taken action against its own assembly members who were accused of having sold their votes. During the last Senate elections in 2018, it kicked out 20 of its KP legislators and also made its sitting ministers resign. no other political party has ever had the courage to take similar action against its members. On the contrary, they have not only defended their conduct, they have nur-

tured and patronised such elements within their respective parties, thus breeding a culture of corruption that the country is so devastatingly afflicted with at present.

Take the case of the vote of no-confidence moved by the parties of the opposition against the Senate Chairman a few months ago. Before the vote, 63 of their senators lined up to swear allegiance to their respective parties. But, they lost in the final count with some of them having decided to change sides. It was a source of immense embarrassment for the opposition parties and they vowed to punish their errant members. nothing came out of it. They all stayed within their respective parties. The culture of deceit and deception runs really deep in these parties.

But, may be, the all-powerful oligarchs don’t want to do anything because they are all joined together in corruption. From top to bottom, this scourge is rampant across their party ranks. The leaders have skinned the country hollow, but they could not do it alone. They also had to give license to others in the party to do likewise– an opportunity which they indulged to the hilt. Senate election is an occasion when millions can be minted in a matter of days. May be this is an opportunity they would not be able to deny to their legislators irrespective of what they may say in public. That is possibly why, in spite of past proclamations to the contrary, the opposition leaders are insisting on holding the election through secret ballot to escape being paraded red-faced through the political alleys of the country.

But this is no recipe for strengthening democracy. The practice of buying and selling of votes has weakened the institution. PTI has made a strong and earnest bid to drive this malpractice out of the electoral maelstrom to give strength and credence to democratic practices, but the opposition is going overboard in its attempt to sabotage the prospect.

Parliament remains the best place for enacting changes in laws and processes. But, under the special circumstances which exist in the current times, there is yet hope that the apex court may come to the rescue of democracy and the sanctity of the vote could be guarded for the forthcoming Senate election. That may well pave the way for enacting wholesome changes in the electoral laws for making the system more transparent and accountable. It is time to finally banish the way of the devil.

Parliament remains the best place for enacting changes in laws and processes.

But, under the special circumstances which exist in the current times, there is yet hope that the apex court may come to the rescue of democracy and the sanctity of the vote could be guarded for the forthcoming Senate election. That may well pave the way for enacting wholesome changes in the electoral laws for making the system more transparent and accountable. It is time to finally banish the way of the devil

The writer is a political and security strategist, and heads the Regional Peace Institute – an Islamabad-based think tank. email: raoofhasan@hotmail.com.

Twitter: @RaoofHasan

THe world’s scientists are working hard for a vaccine research as soon as possible. Since the virus is widely spreading. Very recently, The Minister for Planning, Development and Special activities, Asad Umar said ,” Pakistan will start the corona vaccination next week firstly for frontline workers and the age under 65 will receive in March. We have heard a very great news if it comes true. For a long time, the world was under this pandemic which has weakened the economic sectors and was a challenge for all. According to the data shared by the nCOC 1,563 cases and 74 deaths were reported in a single day. So you can imagine how the virus is dangerous. We are waiting for the vaccine. I request the health authorities to prepare vaccine for every citizens.

BarKatullah turBat

Discrimination in schools PAKISTAn is a country where favoritism and nepotism mostly rely in the educational departments. This is when a person is treated unfairly or unequally because the victim is from another group, cast, religion and class. This is fair to explain that mostly teachers favor those students in classes who belong to rich families and poor ones are ignored on the other hand. A school is the place where all students are equal and teachers need to pay attention to everyone equally. Because of such things, a student always lags behind without focusing on his career which is involved in favoritism and nepotism at an early age. Thus, I request all of the school teachers to treat each student equally so that they must not keep negative thoughts for their teachers and education.

MaliKJaN turBat

Opposition bashing Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Senator Shibli Faraz on Friday said that Maryam nawaz and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari have zero credibility in politics. "So called leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-n and Pakistan Peoples Party, have no political background while Imran Khan holds a long struggle in politics of Pakistan." said the minister in an interview with a private television channel. expressing serious concerns over dubious role of opposition, he said it was strange that opposition benches are opposing open balloting system in Senate elections. The PML-n, he said had promoted the culture of gun fire during elections. The ruling party, he said was well aware of all such tactics being played by PML-n for halting open balloting. To a question about awarding less tickets to PTI workers, he said it was common phenomena that we had limited number of seats in elections. It was not possible to facilitate all party workers with tickets, he added. Defending the PTI's position in Daska by elections, he said it was unfortunate that PML-n leaders are creating 'hue and cry' over election results. Senator Shibli Faraz said that PTI leadership had already offered fresh elections to settle matter of 20 polling stations. He, however said a petition would be filed against the verdict of election commission against fresh elections for nA-75. To another question, the minister said that PTI workers had lost life in a firing incident that occurred in Daska by elections. He said Rana Sana ullah and other PML-n leaders are responsible for mishandling the situation.

Sohail ali KhaN iSlaMaBad

Global Climate Concerns THeRe have been various pop-up messages one can easily get from Google about the ongoing climate crisis fight. The various sources have just confirmed bundles of issues awaiting to take place due to this crisis like flooding, drought, wildfire and increased temperature. But in the midst of all the climate crisis hullabaloo, all/what we should do first is to protect the farming and agriculture sectors from all those crises in order to keep our world food production safe and sound. now here comes one more important voice to fight the climate disaster. And that is of Bill Gates, Microsoft Corporation Co-Founder. A benevolent and humble philanthropist, Gates has come up with his pen and pencil literally. He has written a book titled "How To Avoid A Climate Disaster." This new book release has been deeply discussed by most media houses from the West. In fact Bill Gates had been our enduring inspiration during our college days in the years like 1998 in Tiruchendur in Tamil nadu. Since he has been inspiring many generations at the world stage through his knowledge and simplicity, Bill Gates is going to be heard in the climate fight. His sincere efforts at releasing a book on the climate disaster deserve mass adulation and are noteworthy because the books are the best way to carry forward such serious messages. A passionate person for newspapers, books and magazines, I have been largely encouraging others in my native areas like Korkai, Tuticorin,Tiruchendur and Tirunelveli in Tamil nadu and peers in my workstations like Coimbatore, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai to buy magazines and books for the happy feeling and global knowledge. Let us end this topic with one more piece of positive news. Quite interestingly, the US envoy for Climate Mr. John Kerry has successfully completed his "climate talks" with Russia. For sure, there will be many more positive results largely up ahead especially in the wake of such series of sincere efforts to end the climate crisis.

P SeNthil SaravaNa durai MuMBai

Sunday, 28 February, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

AfghAnistAn: Will Biden cAve to the forever WAr pArty?

THERE IS NO MILITARY SOLUTION IN AFGHANISTAN, AND MORE YEARS OF BLOODSHED AND WAR SERVE NO ONE

natIonal IntErEst Cheryl Benard

A

S is customary when a new administration takes the reins in Washington, policies of the previous administration are now under review, among them the Afghan Peace Talks. All such reviews must examine whether a policy makes sense for the U.S. national interest; whether it is in accord with the values of the party just elected; if no, what better alternatives exist; and if yes, whether the current implementation approach is solid.

As the future of the Afghan peace talks hangs in the balance, many experts and would-be experts from think tanks, media, and academia are seeking to influence the decision. however, their recommendations reveal two major and astonishing blind spots. First, they seem to be dismissing the lessons of the last twenty years. And second, they listen to and interact with only one of the sides in this conflict, the Afghan government side. in accord with our agreement on the cessation of conflict, reached with the Taliban in early 2020, we are on a path to bring home almost all of our troops by May 1. But many “experts” are now suggesting that we should void that agreement to instead maintain or even increase our military presence. Do they know what they are saying? if we don’t honor our agreement with the Taliban, there is only one outcome: the war resumes and, since they will somewhat justifiably feel tricked, it is likely to intensify. how is that a good idea? Where have these people been for the past twenty years? it can hardly be said that we haven’t tried a military solution, and in every possible variant. We had not one, but two military surges. We disarmed the local militias. That didn’t help, so we rebuilt and re-armed them. We focused on areas where things were going comparatively better, on the theory that success could spread out from there. When that failed, we focused instead on the most difficult areas,

on the theory that if we could handle those the rest would follow. We studied the lessons of other counterinsurgencies. We sent out teams of soldiers who had medical or farming skills, to combine community engagement with military presence. Under General David Petraeus, we dispatched the so-called human terrain experts, until some of them were tortured and killed.

By 2018, we had spent $68 billion training and building an Afghan military.

Whereas the Taliban, despite no billions at all, have no problem with recruitment and motivation, the Afghan army continues to struggle with problems of retention and loyalty. Their soldiers desert in significant numbers, or they don’t exist at all but collect pay checks (the so-called “ghost soldier” problem) or they turn on their American partners and shoot them in the back (known as “green on blue” attacks). There is no realistic scenario in which “just a little while longer” is a promising strategy. There were several years when we maintained a troop level of 100,000 soldiers. even with that, the Taliban were able not only to stand their ground but to extend their hold on their country, until today they control about 50 percent of the terrain. if 100,000 American soldiers couldn’t win this war, then 3,000 or 4,000 certainly won’t. There is no military solution here, and more years of bloodshed and war serve no one. To recommend otherwise, as journalists and desk warriors now are doing, is worse than cynical; it proposes to sacrifice American lives to no purpose.

This does not mean that the United States is indifferent to the circumstances of the outcome. We and our european allies are not prepared to sacrifice values that we consider universal, among them human rights, women’s rights, minority rights, and the basics of democracy. For that reason, our agreement with the Taliban was only the first step, with the second being a direct negotiation between the Afghan parties to the conflict, with each other, to agree on how to end the fighting and on what kind of society to put in place thereafter. The Peace Talks detractors among the experts and the journalists get their information solely from the

Peace Talk detractors in Kabul, which hardly qualifies as due diligence. Can the two sides reach an acceptable outcome? has the Taliban changed from their harsh initial rule? have they truly forsworn the alliance with terrorist extremists, the unholy alliance that led to 9/11? in seeking to determine this, they are talking only to one of the two sides.

And that’s irresponsible.

Detractors of the peace process say there is no point in talking to or listening to the Taliban, because you can’t believe them anyway. But the fact is that in diplomacy, you can never believe anyone, ally or adversary, because inevitably, they are guided by their own national, group, and often personal selfinterest. it’s true that we can’t just believe what the Taliban say—but neither can we just believe what the Afghan government says. And we don’t have to, as any self-respecting analyst or diplomat should know.

There are well-developed ways to measure statements against behavior and to read between the lines, not to mention the information derived from intelligence sources.

This is a well-established branch of analysis and i am baffled by the negligence of my colleagues who are failing to engage in the most basic intelligence task of all: reading the adversary. The Taliban claim they have changed. They say they are patriots and nationalists who want the foreign occupation to end but have no interest in attacking Americans or Westerners and regret having allowed themselves to be pulled into Al Qaeda’s projects. They say they understand that Afghanistan has changed during the past twenty years, and that they have changed as well, and are prepared to be more open to the world. is that just self-serving propaganda intended to fool us? Maybe, but patterns are important, and that has not been their mode of operating in the past. Generally, they have been blunt to the point of provocation. A charm offensive isn’t really in their DNA. Recently, the Taliban issued an Open letter to the American People. i could not find anyone in the relevant organizations or the media who had bothered to read, let alone parse it. Yet it touches on the exact is-

sues of main concern: the level of violence, the rights of women, the protection of minorities. Just hollow words? Maybe—but even if that were the case, it would not reduce its value to a trained analyst. in counterterrorism, my profession for over a decade when i was program director in the National Security Research Division at the RAND Corporation, a basic tool is the analysis, interpretation, and weighing of messages.

What are the radicals saying, to whom, when, on what platform, with what likely intended effect? how does it compare to what they say to other audiences, to their own followers, or to what they said in the past?

Much can be gleaned from this, and there is a reason why think tanks and intelligence agencies maintain entire staffs to read and interpret the speeches, intercepted communications, sermons, and other utterances of influential radicals. So, let’s take an experimental little stab at text analysis. in my post-counterterrorism life, i am now the director of a cultural heritage organization. We have been nervous about the prospect of a Taliban return to power, given their previous destruction of one of the world’s most precious and iconic treasures, the Bamiyan Buddhas. We, therefore, sent a letter to both sides of the peace negotiations—the Afghan government and the Taliban—asking them to commit to responsible stewardship of their country’s historic treasures and requesting that this topic be added to the agenda for the peace talks. The Afghan government soon agreed. To my surprise, shortly thereafter, so did the Taliban. in fact, they did more than that. They also issued a directive to their commanders in the field, ordering them to take measures for the protection of historic sites in their respective areas, and instructing them to forbid looting, because these are “treasures that belong to the Afghan people.” As a professional weigher and parser of radical language and messaging, i submit that the Taliban’s statement on cultural heritage is especially telling just because this is so marginal a topic. i and my colleagues love and care about this, but let’s be realistic, this is a niche issue. The Taliban have nothing to gain from this state-

ment, and therefore, this is likely to be their actual view. Underscoring this, we also found some local Afghan radio interviews in which Taliban representatives regretted their part in Al Qaeda’s destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas. Further, in another interesting development completely ignored by Western analysts and journalists, their leader issued a directive to the leadership telling them to refrain from polygamous marriages unless the new wife was a destitute widow taken in as an act of charity. The explanation was that while allowed in islam, additional wives represented an inappropriate luxury and indulgence and made the Taliban look bad to outsiders.

This is very interesting. it tells us that the Taliban care about their image and that economic opportunities are a priority for them. They are separately on record saying that they don’t wish to again be international pariahs but understand that their country will need help and commercial relationships with the rest of the world if it is to emerge from its stark poverty. For the United States, this means that we have soft power, and the option of sanctions, to keep a Taliban-included Afghanistan on the right track. We are hardly without our means of pressure or influence; it’s not a matter of war or nothing.

Still, the question remains, can we trust the Taliban to honor their agreements? Can they even deliver on their promises, or do rogue commanders do whatever they want?

The detractors insist that a deal with the Taliban negotiators won’t hold. But there’s a metric for this. in the year since they signed the cessation of hostilities agreement with the U.S. military, not one single American soldier has been killed in combat with the Taliban. Our financial costs have declined accordingly, certainly a welcome development in light of our many other national burdens. it’s time for this war to end.

Dr. Cheryl Benard was program director in the RAND National Security Research Division. She is the author of Veiled Courage, Inside the Afghan Women’s Resistance; Afghanistan: State and Society; Democracy and Islam in the Constitution of Afghanistan; and Securing Health, Lessons from Nationbuilding Missions. Currently, she is the Director of ARCH International, an organization that protects cultural heritage sites in crisis zones.

Who gets to decide what is legitimate free speech — Big Government or Big Tech?

WE NOW LIVE IN A NEW ERA OF GLOBAL DIPLOMACY. IT ISN’T JUST STATES BUTTING HEADS WITH OTHER STATES; THERE ARE GIGANTIC TECH COMPANIES THAT HAVE THROWN THEIR HATS INTO THE GEOPOLITICAL RING

IndIan ExprEss Bhaskar Chakravorti

W

hile American lawmakers in Washington DC were preparing for a fresh round of tongue-lashings for the social media giants on Thursday, their counterparts in New Delhi were not wasting any time. The indian government announced a sweeping array of rules reiningin social media. Specifically, social media platforms are required to become “more responsible and more accountable” for the content they carry. There is now a list of stuff deemed offensive. in case you are unsure of whether your last hilarious post on that family WhatsApp group met the criteria, you ought to look it up; the list is quite long. And be forewarned that even if your post is not outright fake news, pornography or celebrates Greta

Thunberg, you may be kicked off the platform if your post threatens “the unity, integrity, defence, security or Sovereignty of india, friendly relations with foreign states, or public order, or causes incitement to the commission of any cognisable offence or prevents investigation of any offence or is insulting any foreign States”. in other words, the government is giving itself plenty of room to cut Big Tech down to size. The timing of the announcement is, indeed, intriguing. You will recall, of course, the indian government’s recent scuffle with Twitter. The government had ordered some accounts and tweets in support of the farmer protests to be blocked. Twitter initially refused, saying that it wouldn’t comply with orders inconsistent with indian law and eventually relented. The beauty of the new regulations is that, in principle, it could make such a blocking order a legal demand — a far more graceful way of controlling pesky tweets.

To be fair, Big Tech needs reining in for many reasons and india is by no means alone in taking a big swing at Big Tech. The recent showdown with Twitter may have only accelerated getting to that inevitable reckoning. india joins other governments around the world that have found a common adversary: Companies with hundreds of millions — and even billions — in their thrall and the power to control the three most critical levers of modern times, data, attention and the popular narrative.

Big Tech has seen the writing on the wall. Motivated by the harms done by the

“infodemic” of COViD untruths, misinformation during elections and the fallout from the siege of the US Capitol on January 6, the major platforms have tightened their rules.

Their message: even US presidents can be de-platformed for bad behaviour: exhibit A: Donald Trump, banished from Twitter and Facebook. The social media companies would argue that they are self-regulating.

The problem is that their actions are ad hoc, inconsistent and reactive — and seem far too much like they are lining up the sandbags before the antitrust barbarians arrive at their gates.

Regardless of whether india’s actions are motivated by its recent frustrations with Twitter or part of a wider global trend, we must ask a fundamental question: Who gets to decide what is legitimate free speech — Big Government or Big Tech?

One argument for government intervention rests on the presumption that it is never in the commercial interest of Big Tech to remove offensive speech as this content goes viral more readily, bringing in more eyeballs, more data and more advertising revenue. To counter this argument, Big Tech proponents would contend that the companies are getting smarter about the risks of allowing such content on their systems and will inevitably find it in their self-interest to pre-emptively kill it.

A second argument in favour of government would be as follows: States are the guardians of the public interest. in democratic societies, governments are elected to represent the will of the people. So if there

is a hard choice to be made about curtailing speech or permitting it, it seems only natural to turn to the public guardian. The counter to this theory would be that, in practice, even democratically elected governments are far from perfect; in fact according to The economist intelligence Unit’s Democracy index, both india (ranked 53rd) and the US (ranked 25th) are “flawed democracies”. An implication of this is that we might question how reliable a guardian a government can be under such circumstances. To make matters worse, a government’s agenda is set by prominent personalities, many with large social media followings — so they have too much power to create their own viral narratives while shutting down competing ones. in parallel, the argument for Big Tech to be the upholder of the public interest could rest on the theory that well-functioning markets are superior to flawed democracies in optimising social welfare. in such market settings, there is “voting” with one’s wallet and one’s attention. The counter-argument to this view would be that the tech industry is itself deeply flawed: There is a lack of sufficient choice of platforms; there are asymmetries in power between the companies and users and Big Tech is amassing data on the citizens and using this information for its own purposes, which makes the disparity even greater. Besides, the industry has been utterly inconsistent in governing what speech is allowed and what ought to be blocked.

A third perspective is to acknowledge it

doesn’t matter who is the “true” upholder of the public interest; for all practical purposes, the outcome of the struggle between Big Government and Big Tech will be determined by relative bargaining power. While governments technically have the ability to take entire platforms offline within the borders of their countries, these platforms are now so enormous that their users would revolt. This is why we witnessed the audacity, recently, of Google and Facebook, threatening to de-platform Australia.

All said and done, i would say we now live in a new era of global diplomacy. it isn’t just states butting heads with other states; there are gigantic tech companies that have thrown their hats into the geopolitical ring.

Any government, india’s included, that believes it can force these companies to do their bidding arbitrarily must reckon with this new dynamic of bargaining power between Big Government and Big Tech. india can impose a ban on TikTok and the politician’s children are deprived of endless hours of entertaining video. But if it turns the lights out on Twitter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi would instantaneously deprive himself of 66 million followers. Twitter knows that and the negotiators within the government know that as well.

The writer is dean of Global Business at The Fletcher School at Tufts University, the founding executive director of Fletcher’s Institute for Business in the Global Context and a non-resident senior fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress.

Sunday, 28 February, 2021

BUSINESS 09

ISLAMABAD CORPORATE CORNER Zong receives ‘Leader in digital Innovation’ award at 4th consumer It and telecom conference KARACHI: Zong 4G, Pakistan’s digital services frontrunner, has received the coveted ‘Leader in Digital Innovation’ award at the 4th Consumer IT and Telecom Conference. The annual conference was organized by the Consumer Association of Pakistan, with support from Ministry for Information Technology and Telecommunication and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority. The event was attended by Federal Minister of IT Syed Amin ul Haque, Federal IT & Telecom Secretary Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, PTA Chairman Maj General (r) Amir Azeem Bajwa, Zong CEO & Chairman Wang Hua along with other dignitaries. Zong 4G was recognized as Pakistan’s No. 1 network for its Digital Innovation in Pakistan. Zong 4G was the first network to launch 4G services in the country in 2013 and was also the first network in South Asia to successfully conduct 5G tests in 2020. PrESS rELEaSE

Utility stores run out of sugar ISLAMABAD TLTP

Sugar is in short supply at most outlets of the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) in the country, with consumers being forced to pay extra to purchase the commodity from the open market. According to sources, sugar has disappeared from utility stores across the country during the past two days, and that consumers are being forced to pay an extra Rs30Rs35 for the sweetener. Utility store operators have been told by suppliers that sugar would not be available for the next seven days. Sources claimed that the USC currently lack the required stock of sugar, due to which six tenders have been issued to purchase the commodity. However, only 20,000 metric tonnes of sugar were bought on the last tender. Sources confirmed that it may take one or two weeks for local sugar to be available in stores.

The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP), on the other hand, will issue sugar tenders on March 2.

Even after a deal is signed to import the commodity, it may take up to two weeks for the commodity to land in Pakistan.

SIndh UPLIft PAckAge to be fInALISed Soon: ASAd UmAR HYDERABAD

f

STaFF rEPOrT

EDERAL Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar has said the government is committed to finalising the development package for Sindh at the earliest.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, the minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan will personally visit Sindh to announce the package, which will meet the development needs of different areas of the province. He maintained that the government's focus is to serve the masses.

"Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has emerged as popular party of the country after recent elections held in Sindh and Punjab, as Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) won their own seats with lower margins as compared to 2018 general elections, while PTI secured more votes despite losing these seats in the last general elections," he stated.

Replying to a question, he said that PTI and its

allies Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) are democratic parties; therefore, their members and leaders always raised questions related to party and political affairs. He said Liaquat Ali Jatoi had been summoned by party leadership to clarify his statement.

Asad Umar said in order to streamline performance of government institutions like NADRA, WAPDA, National Highway Authority, power distribution companies and other federal organisations, meetings with stakeholders are being held to deliberate on different proposals to pave way for betterment of these institutions.

He said that rumours about toppling of the PTI government have been spread by opposition since day one of the incumbent government and first of all they had set a deadline of December 2019 and Maulana Fazlur Rehman had organised long march and staged sitin at Islamabad but he had returned back after failing to achieve his goals, he said.

Asad Umar said meeting of Council of Common Interests (CCI) has been postponed due to the Senate

Ex-PSM chief, others acquitted in canteen contract reference An accountability court on Saturday acquitted all accused, including former chairman of the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) Moeen Aftab Sheikh, in a reference against alleged corruption in the canteen contract.

The persons nominated in the canteen contract’s corruption reference were acquitted by an accountability court in Karachi.

According to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the accused were involved in alleged corruption which led PSM to suffer a financial loss worth Rs80 million following the suspicious contract of 19 canteens.

The accused persons included former PSM chairman Moeen Aftab Sheikh, Rafiq Khan, Imtiazul Haq, Asghar, Zahid Ali and others.

Earlier in February last year, an accountability

court had acquitted former PSM chairman Moeen Aftab Sheikh over lack of evidence in a corruption reference worth Rs490 million.

Shaikh along with ex-director (commercial) Sameen Asghar had been accused of misuse of authority which caused a massive financial loss to the national exchequer.

Moreover, the accountability court had also acquitted three accused, including Moeen Aftab Sheikh, over lack of evidence in a corruption reference worth Rs900 million in January last year.

PSM ex-chairman Moeen Aftab, director of commercial Sameen Asghar and contractor Abdul Rasheed were nominated in the reference.

It is pertinent to mention that NAB had filed nine corruption references against Moeen Aftab Sheikh. NEWS DESK

PPL’s half-year profit rises 7pc to Rs26bn The consolidated profit of Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) increased almost 7pc to Rs26.10 billion in the half-year period ended December 31, 2020, mainly due to drastic cut in the cost of oil and gas exploration activities, according to a financial report submitted with the Pakistan Stock Exchange. Accordingly, the earnings per share improved to Rs9.59 during the period under review compared to Rs8.98 in the corresponding period of the last year. The board of directors approved an interim cash dividend for the year ending June 30, 2021, of Rs1.50 per share on ordinary shares and Rs1.50 per share on convertible preference shares. The dividend will be distributed to those members whose names appear in the register of members of the company at the close of business on April 12, 2021. The oil and gas exploration cost dropped over four-folds to Rs3.26 billion compared to Rs14.26 billion. On a cumulative basis, net sales declined 12pc, settling at Rs75.54 billion during the half year under review due to drop in Sui wellhead price by 8pc, 1pc drop in gas production and 32pc fall in oil prices. NEWS DESK

election activities, adding that Imran Khan "is the first prime minister who has regularly been holding CCI meetings and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah is the one who has been given most of the time to present his point of view in these meetings".

Setting aside rumours about rifts between the government and its allies, Asad Umar said elections in Pakistan have become dirty business where rates for the conscience are being fixed for purchasing their votes therefore, such rumours are being circulated by opposition parties.

Replying to a query regarding arrest of opposition leader in Sindh Assembly, Asad Umar said Haleem Adil’s arrest is the worst example of victimisation as Shaikh is the one who has exposed corruption of the PPP’s provincial government. He said not only PTI but those who are not part of the PPP government in Sindh have been under victimisation and the government machinery is being used against them.

Earlier, Asad Umar held meetings with PTI leaders, MQM-P and GDA leaders at HESCO’s conference hall and reviewed political and development related matters.

KARACHI: Tailors stitching clothes on sewing machines at their workshop. PPI

PIA cuts fares for domestic flights to promote tourism Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Saturday announced discounted fares for domestic flights after the arrival of the spring season to promote tourism. The national carrier unveiled discounted fares for flights to Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore. The passengers have been offered reduced fares to travel through PIA while carrying 20-kilogram luggage at the price of Rs7,500 for one side, whereas, Rs8,500 will be charged for travelling with 40-kg luggage.

According to the PIA spokesperson, the new fares will come into effect immediately. The spokesperson said that the fares have been reduced to facilitate tourists and nationals during the spring season. Earlier in December last year, PIA had introduced special fares to facilitate travellers willing to visit the highest global peaks in Gilgit Baltistan’s Skardu and Gilgit. The national flag carrier had announced that it would now be charging a minimum one-way fare of Rs6,915 from passengers travelling from Islamabad to Skardu and Gilgit areas of the federally-administered region. The special fare had been announced keeping in view the weather conditions and providing a convenient, accessible and affordable air travel facility, especially to the people of northern areas and other PIA travellers. NEWS DESK

Widening trade deficit can be restrained through ‘import deletion’ under public-private partnership: PAAPAM The Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufacturers (PAAPAM) has asked the government to give the export industry status to the local vending industry, which is fully capable of bridging the huge gap of ever-rising trade deficit not only through enhancing exports but also controlling unbridled imports through ‘import deletion’ of industrial replacement parts.

In a letter, written to the Federal Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar, the association has asked the government that there is a huge possibility of ‘import deletion’ of industrial replacement parts, in addition to the automotive parts, through public-private partnership (PPP). “Through ‘import deletion’ we can minimize our dependence on imported goods by using reverse engineering technology in Pakistan under public–private partnership in line with the Chinese model, preventing the rapid outflow of billions of

PAAPAM WANTS EXPORT SECTORS’ INCENTIVES FOR VENDORS INDUSTRY TO CONTROL RISING TRADE DEFICIT dollars spent on imported merchandize,” said Convenor Business Development Committee PAAPAM MR Mirza Sikander Baig in the letter.

He observed that the government would have to consider this vending industry at par with the export industry in terms of support and concessions, providing it the same export sector’s incentives of concessional power and gas tariffs along with soft loans on zero interest rate. “With a view to lessen the import bill of the country, the government, in collaboration with the vending industry, will itself have to take the ownership under a long-term public-private partnership, sharing both cost and obligation for the successful imple-

mentation of ‘import deletion’ plan. For this the government will have to amend the PPRA rules too, incorporating new clauses of taking full responsibility and risk sharing under the joint venture with the vendor industry,” Sikander Baig suggested.

PAAPAM Chairman Abdul Rehman Aizaz pointed out that concept of import deletion is, that in addition to focusing on exports to earn foreign exchange, the focus should also be made on local production of such goods which consume our major chunk of import bill. He said that the manufacturing of such items at local level would ultimately delete these products from our import bill, leading to a significant drop in eversoaring trade deficit of the country, which is

the foundation of prosperity and economic development of a nation.

PAAPAM Senior Vice Chairman Abdur Razzaq Gauhar was of the view that major chunk of our import bill consists of engineering goods and machinery parts, as Pakistan imports billions of dollars worth industrial machinery and other spare parts and if they are produced locally and deleted from the import bill along with increase in exports the country can achieve the target of trade surplus like the developed countries.

Abdur Razzaq Gauhar observed that the PAAPAM, having more than 600 SME units and involved in production of automotive parts, can do this by implementing reverse engineering technology. The primary role of this vendor industry is import deletion in line with the government vision and policies. Additionally, our members also cater to the needs of the domestic and foreign after market sectors. The collective

product range of our vendors is an impressive mix of metal, rubber, plastics (TPR, TPE, PPE etc., etc.) parts. “Over the years this vendor industry, besides serving the automotive OEM sector in Pakistan, has acquired the invaluable capabilities of reverse engineering. This is a great national resource for import deletion when put to use for other sectors in addition to the automotive sector including Defence, Railways, SSGPL, SNGPL, WAPDA and OGDC etc.” he pointed out. “This may give our members an opportunity to save some valuable foreign exchange for the country and also put their excess capacities to a valuable end, as “a dollar saved is a dollar earned”.

Vice chairman PAAPAM Irfan Qureshi added that Pakistan Railways has also a long list of critical parts that is on their import list which can easily be replaced by local vending industry saving millions of dollars to the exchequer. NEWS DESK

Sunday, 28 February, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

ISLAMABAD

BaNgladesh uNder 'No oBligaTioN' To aCCepT sTraNded rohiNgya reFugees: MiNisTer DHAKA

B

AGENCIES

ANGLADESH is under “no obligation” to shelter 81 Rohingya Muslim refugees adrift for almost two weeks on the Andaman Sea and being assisted by neighbouring India, said Bangladesh foreign minister A.K. Abdul Momen.

India’s coast guard found the 81 survivors and eight dead crammed onto a crippled fishing boat and were trying to arrange for Bangladesh to take them, Indian officials said on Friday.

But Momen told Reuters late on Friday that Bangladesh expects India, the closest country, or Myanmar, the Rohingyas’ country of origin, to accept them.

“They are not Bangladesh nationals and in

One senior Indian official, who declined to be named as he was not authorized to discuss the matter with media, said India planned to help the refugees with food and water, but it was not planning to take them ashore.

New Delhi did not sign the 1951 Refugee Convention, which spells out refugee rights and state responsibilities to protect them. Nor does it have a law protecting refugees, though it currently hosts more than 200,000, including some Rohingya.

More than 1 million Rohingya refugees from predominantly Buddhist Myanmar are living in teeming camps in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, including tens of thousands who fled after Myanmar’s military conducted a deadly crackdown in 2017.

Traffickers often lure Rohingya refugees with promises of work in Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia.

fact, they are Myanmar nationals. They were found 1,700 km (1,100 miles) away from the Bangladesh maritime territory and therefore, we have no obligation to take them,” said Momen, who is in the United States.

“They were located 147 km (91 miles) away from Indian territory, 324 km (201 miles) away from Myanmar,” he said by phone, adding other countries and organisations should take care of the refugees.

Indian foreign ministry officials did not respond to requests for comment.

External Affairs Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said on Thursday that India was “in discussions with the Government of Bangladesh to ensure their safe and secure repatriation.”

India’s foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment on whether it would accept the refugees onto Indian soil.

Britain says farewell to pandemic hero Captain Tom Moore LONDON: Britain bid farewell on Saturday to Captain Tom Moore with a nationally televised funeral for the 100year-old war veteran who became a global hero for his extraordinary fundraising efforts during the pandemic.

Soldiers formed a guard of honour at the small ceremony held by Moore's family at a crematorium in Bedford in central England. Six soldiers from the Yorkshire Regiment, the successor to the one Moore served in during World War II, carried his coffin, draped with the Union Jack and his military cap and sword as 14 soldiers gave a firing salute.

Later a World War II plane was to perform a fly-past.

Moore died on February 2 after being treated for pneumonia and testing positive for Covid-19. He raised nearly £33 million ($45 million, 37.4 million euros) for healthcare charities by completing 100 lengths of his garden before his 100th birthday in April last year. The image of the stooped but dapper veteran, leaning on his walking frame and rarely seen without shining military service medals pinned to his blazer, and a regimental tie, was a rare good news story in a gloomy year. Queen Elizabeth II knighted him in the summer of 2020. His death was marked by a nationwide clap with Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part and MPs bowing their heads in parliament. His funeral was a more private affair, reflecting his family's wishes and the anti-virus restrictions in place. Only his two daughters Hannah Ingram-Moore and Lucy Teixeira, four grandchildren and his sons-in-law attended. Moore's performance of "You'll Never Walk Alone," a charity single that he recorded with Michael Ball, was played at the start of the ceremony. He had asked for his epitaph to be "I told you I was old," inspired by comedian Spike Milligan whose gravestone says "I told you I was ill." His ashes were later to be interred in a family plot in his native Yorkshire in northern England, with his parents and grandparents. The family set up an online book of condolences that gathered thousands of messages. "RIP Captain Sir Tom. Truly a life well lived and an inspiration to us all -- shining a light in very dark days," wrote Debbie Mather "Your courage and determination to reach your goal and the money you raised for the NHS was unbelievable," wrote Sandra Norbrun. AGENCIES

Victims of mid-February Nigeria school abduction freed LAGOS: Kidnappers have freed 42 people, including 27 children, snatched from a school in central Nigeria 10 days ago, officials said Saturday, a day after gunmen abducted more than 300 schoolgirls in the northwest. "The abducted students, staff and relatives of Government Science College Kagara have regained their freedom and have been received by the Niger state government," Niger state governor Abubakar Sani Bello said on Twitter. In mid-February, gunmen in military uniforms raided the college, killing one student and taking 42 others. They included 27 schoolboys, three teachers and other relatives of school staff, officials said. Northwest and central Nigeria have seen a surge in attacks by heavily armed criminal gangs raiding villages, killing and abducting residents after looting and torching homes. On Friday, in the Jangebe, a village in Zamfara state, a gang attacked the Government Girls Science Secondary School. It was the country's third school attack in less than three months -- a series that has revived traumatic memories of the "Chibok girls" kidnapped nearly seven years ago. Zamfara State Police Command, working with the military, "commenced a joint search and rescue operations with a view to rescuing the 317 students", police spokesman Mohammed Shehu said. AGENCIES

The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, expressed alarm this week over the missing boat.

India on Thursday said around 47 of the occupants of the boat are in possession of ID cards issued to them by the UNHCR office in Bangladesh, stating that they are displaced Myanmar nationals.

NO ‘GLOBAL CONTRACT’ TO AID REFUGEES: The refugees have been drifting in international waters after leaving southern Bangladesh on Feb. 11 in the hope of reaching Malaysia.

On Saturday, they were under the aid and surveillance of India as officials were holding talks to return them to Bangladesh, said the senior Indian official who is not authorised to speak to the media.

The boat, which sailed from the massive Cox’s Bazar refugee camp, was carrying 56

women, eight girls, 21 men and five boys.

Many of the survivors, according to Indian officials, were sick and suffering from extreme dehydration, having run out of food and water after the boat’s engine failed four days into their journey.

“Has Bangladesh been given the global contract and responsibility to take and rehabilitate all the Rohingya or boat people of the world?” Momen said. “No, not at all.”

Momen said the UNHCR should also take responsibility as many people on the boat hold ID cards from the UNHCR office in Bangladesh.

“If (the refugees) are UNHCR card holders, why did they allow traffickers to take their card holders to adrift on the high sea leading to death?”

UNHCR officials were not immediately reachable for comment.

Russians mark sixth anniversary of Kremlin critic's murder MOSCOW AGENCIES

Several thousand Russians along with Western diplomats gathered in Moscow on Saturday to mark the sixth anniversary of the assassination of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov.

Nemtsov was one of President Vladimir Putin's loudest critics until he was shot and killed on a Moscow bridge near the Kremlin on February 27, 2015.

The sixth anniversary of his death comes after Putin's current most prominent critic Alexei Navalny was sent to a penal colony this week to serve a nearly three-year term he denounces as politically motivated.

Beginning Saturday morning, a steady stream of Russians and Western diplomats took turns laying flowers at a makeshift memorial at the spot where Nemtsov was felled with four bullets.

"We come together in this place on this day every year to show the authorities that we have not forgotten and will not forget," former prime minister and opposition politician Mikhail Kasyanov told journalists at the rally.

"I am sure that what Boris fought for -- freedom for Russians, their well-

being and a dignified life -- will soon come about," he added.

Usually marked by a march through central Moscow, the opposition this year rallied instead at the makeshift memorial at the spot of his death that is regularly dismantled by the authorities, as restrictions on mass

gatherings are still in place due to the pandemic.

The White Counter monitor, which tallies attendance at rallies, said 3,700 people had gathered by 15:00 (1200 GMT). Also laying flowers Saturday were the US, UK and EU ambassadors to Russia, among other Western repre-

sentatives.

'INSPIRATION TO MANY': US Embassy spokeswoman Rebecca Ross wrote on Twitter that US Ambassador John Sullivan had marked the "brutal murder" of Nemtsov, whom she described as having been "dedicated to pursuing a better future for his country". "He remains an inspiration to many who strive for justice, transparency, freedom," she tweeted.

In 2017, a court found a former security force officer from Chechnya guilty of Nemtsov's murder and sentenced him to 20 years in prison. Four other men were found guilty of involvement in the killing. But the slain opposition politician's family and supporters insist the authorities have failed to bring the masterminds to justice.

"He spoke the truth and for this in our country you get killed," Irina Drozdova, a 44-year-old lawyer, told AFP before laying flowers at the memorial.

More than five years after Nemtsov's death, Navalny in August suffered a near fatal poisoning attack with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok that he blames on Putin. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied the claim. After spending months in Germany recovering from the poisoning, the 44-year-old opposition politician was arrested upon his return to Russia last month, sparking mass protests that resulted in some 11,500 demonstrators being detained. The European Union has agreed to sanction four Russian officials over the crackdown on Navalny and his supporters.

Myanmar police launch most extensive crackdown; one woman shot and wounded YANGON AGENCIES

Police launched their most sweeping crackdown in three weeks of protests against military rule on Saturday in towns and cities across Myanmar, and one woman was shot and wounded and dozens of people were detained.

Three domestic media outlets said earlier that the woman shot in the central town of Monwya had died but an ambulance service official said she was in hospital. The circumstances of the shooting were not clear and police were not available for comment.

The violence came after Myanmar’s UN envoy, saying he was speaking for the ousted civilian government, urged the United Nations to use “any means necessary” to reverse the Feb. 1 coup. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the army seized power and detained elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and much of her party leadership, alleging fraud in a November election her party won in a landslide.

The coup, which stalled Myanmar’s progress toward democracy, has brought hundreds of thousands of protesters onto the streets and drawn condemnation from Western countries, with some imposing limited sanctions. Police were out in force in cities and towns from early on Saturday in their most determined effort yet to stamp out the protests.

In the main city of Yangon, police took up positions at usual protest sites and detained people as they congregated, witnesses said. Several journalists were detained, their media organisations and colleagues said. Confrontations developed as more people came out despite the police operation.

Crowds chanted and sang then scattered into side streets and buildings as police advanced, firing tear gas, setting off stun grenades and shooting guns into the air, witnesses said.

“People are protesting peacefully but they’re threatening us with weapons,” youth activist SharYamone told Reuters.

“We’re fighting to end to this military bullying which has been going on for generation after generation.” Some protesters threw up barricades across streets. Crowds eventually thinned but police in Yangon were still chasing groups and firing into the air in the late afternoon, witnesses said. Police detained numerous people through the day and set upon some with clubs. Similar scenes played out in the second city of Mandalay and other towns, witnesses and media said. Among those detained in Mandalay was Win Mya Mya, one of two Muslim members of parliament for Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), media said. Aye Aye Tint, a protester in the central town of Monwya said police had fired water cannon as they surrounded a crowd.

Junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing has said authorities have been using minimal force. Nevertheless, at least three protesters have died over the days of turmoil. The army says a policeman was killed in earlier violence.

Uncertainty has grown over Suu Kyi’s whereabouts, as an independent media website on Friday quoted officials of her party as saying she had been moved this week from house arrest to an undisclosed location. Activists called for another day of protests on Sunday.

‘PREVAIL’ At the U.N. General Assembly on Friday, Myanmar’s Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun said he was speaking on behalf of Suu Kyi’s government and appealed for help.

“We need further strongest possible action from the international community to immediately end the military coup,” he said.

Reuters was not immediately able to contact the army for comment.

U.N. Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews said he was overwhelmed by the ambassador’s “act of courage”, adding on Twitter “It’s time for the world to answer that courageous call with action”.

China’s envoy did not criticise the coup and said the situation was an internal Myanmar affair, adding that China supported a diplomatic effort by southeast Asian countries to find a solution.

The Myanmar generals have traditionally shrugged off diplomatic pressure. Australia’s Woodside Petroleum Ltd said it was cutting its presence in Myanmar over concern about rights violations and violence. Suu Kyi, 75, spent nearly 15 years under house arrest during military rule. She faces charges of illegally importing six walkie-talkie radios and of violating a natural disaster law by breaching coronavirus protocols. A lawyer for her, KhinMaungZaw, told Reuters he had also heard that she had been moved from her home in the capital, Naypyitaw, but could not confirm it. Authorities did not respond to a request for comment. The lawyer said he had been given no access to Suu Kyi ahead of her next hearing on Monday and he was concerned about her access to justice and legal counsel.

Sunday, 28 February, 2021

SPORTS 11

ISLAMABAD

BaBar aZam'S 90 hElPS KaraChI KINgS TrouNCE mulTaN SulTaNS KARACHI

K

APP

ARACHI Kings made its top place in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) sixth edition’s points table by defeating Multan Sultans by 7 wickets in the National Stadium Karachi here on Saturday. They have won two out of their three games and have four points each with Islamabad United, Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi, but with improved net run-rate they are at the top of the table.

For Kings’, the foundation of the 196-run chase was laid by the opening partnership of 56 between left-handed Sharjeel Khan (27 off 14) and player-ofthe-match Babar Azam. After the departure of Sharjeel, Babar was joined by Joe Clarke. The pair added 97 runs stand for the second-wicket.

The right-handed Clarke contributed 54 off 26, smashing three fours and four sixes –his first half century in the HBL PSL 6. Kings were helped past the target by an unbroken 36-run partnership between Babar (90 not out, 60 balls, 13 fours, one six) and Mohammad Nabi (13 not out, eight balls, two fours) with seven balls to spare.

Shahnawaz Dhani with two wickets for 28 runs in three overs was the pick of the Sultans’ bowlers.

Earlier, after being put into bat by Kings’ captain Imad Wasim, the Sultans got off to a flying start. The opening pair of Chris Lynn and Mohammad Rizwan

combined for a 50-run partnership in just 4.1 overs. The very next ball, Lynn fell to Imad after scoring 32 off 14 balls (six fours, one six), his highest so far in HBL PSL 6.

Rizwan was joined by James Vince with scoreboard reading at 53 for one. Both batsmen continued to dominate the Kings bowling attack as they contributed 70 runs for the second-wicket before Rizwan

Trott urges England to avoid 'desperate' approach against India spinners LONDON AGENCIES

Jonathan Trott has warned England's batsmen to maintain their patience and not become "too desperate" when facing in-form India spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel. The pair have been key figures in India establishing a 2-1 lead in a four-match Test series, taking 42 wickets at a collective average of 13.02. England, after winning the first Test in Chennai, have been unable to cope with the tourists bundled out for totals of 134, 164, 112 and 81 on spin-friendly surfaces in the next two matches To make matters worse, Joe Root's men must now return to Ahmedabad, the venue of their embarrassing loss inside two days in the day/night third Test, as they look to level the series. Former England batsman Trott, now the team's batting consultant, was renowned for his measured style and he believes a drastic change in style would hinder, rather than help, the tourists' top-order. "Of course it's disappointing the way the last two Tests have gone, but you don't become a bad side over two Tests," Trott told a conference call on Saturday. "It's about being clear in how they want to go about it and not being too desperate.

Sometimes you can want it too much.

So getting the right kind of mentality is important."

England have been leaning heavily on the likes of captain Root and all-rounder Ben Stokes, with a clutch of young batsmen having to learn on the job when it comes to playing on Indian pitches. "Ollie Pope, Zak Crawley and Dom Sibley have played 44 Tests all together and a combined 11 in Asia, so it is tricky for those younger guys," said Trott.

"You'd like to be able to learn and still win Test matches but unfortunately that wasn't the case in the previous two. "All out batters, I think, have a pretty good method so it's about going out there and executing it and not perhaps trying to change too much mid-series," added Trott, who scored nearly 4,000 runs in 52 Tests from 2009-15. It now appears unlikely that England will pursue a formal complaint about the Ahmedabad pitch as they try to clear their minds for the finale. But former fast bowler Darren Gough, England's spearhead when they beat the West Indies inside two days in a Test at his Headingley home ground in 2000, fears India may be on an unstoppable roll just as his side were more than 20 years ago. "The momentum was with us, there's no hiding from it," Gough told Britain's Press Association. "This England team have been battered in back-to-back games now and it's going to be very difficult to come back from that. You can imagine the mentality of some of the lads will be quite fragile. "The mentality of this India now is like Australia in the 90s: get a team by the throat and win, win, win."

became right-arm fast Arshad Iqbal’s first victim of the day. Rizwan scored 43 off 32 balls. He struck five boundaries.

After the departure of Rizwan, the flow of runs dropped considerably for Sultans, and they ended up scoring 195 for six in 20 overs. Vince top-scored with a 29ball 45, striking five fours and a six. Sohaib Maqsood contributed an unbeaten 34 off 27, which included two fours and a six.

SCORES IN BRIEF: Multan Sultans 195-6, 20 overs (James Vince 45, Mohammad Rizwan 43, Sohaib Maqsood 34, Chris Lynn 32; Arshad Iqbal 2-36).

Karachi Kings 198-3, 18.5 overs (Babar Azam 90 not out, Joe Clarke 54, Sharjeel Khan 27; Shahnawaz Dhani 2-28).

Babar Azam of Karachi Kings was declared as player of the match.

Riaz, Mahmood and Kohler-Cadmore hand Islamabad United first defeat NEWS DESK On Saturday night in Karachi, the formula of winning the toss, choosing to bowl and winning the match worked for the tenth time out of ten this season, as Peshawar Zalmi won their third game in a row by bowling Islamabad United out for 118 and chasing the target down with 17 balls to spare.

United's deep batting line-up had worked perfectly in their first two games, as they successfully chased targets of 151 and 197, but they struggled against Zalmi's quicks Wahab Riaz and Saqib Mahmood and only briefly threatened to post a worthwhile total on a decent batting pitch. They raced to 38 for 1 after 4.2 overs thanks to a bright start from Alex Hales, and recovered from three quick wickets to reach 81 for 4 after 10, but they lost wickets too regularly and were bowled out at the start of the 18th over.

Zalmi started horribly in their run chase, losing both openers inside the first two overs and struggling to score against the new ball, but Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Shoaib Malik steadied them before Haider Ali's cameo including an 89-metre straight six off his first ball - put the game to bed.

STAR OF THE DAY: Riaz had returned figures of 2 for 105 across his eight overs in Zalmi's previous two games, with head coach Daren Sammy suggesting that he had been struggling with the burden of the captaincy. But things clicked for him on Saturday night, as he struck the first blow before returning to clean up the lower-middle

order. With Lewis Gregory managing an injury, Paul Stirling was brought in for his first game in the PSL less than 24 hours after being named as Ireland's men's player of the decade 2011-2020. But his stay lasted only two balls, as he was foxed by extra bounce from a length and chopped Riaz onto his own stumps.

He returned when Iftikhar Ahmed and Asif Ali were looking to take the innings deep, and removed both in the space of six balls: Iftikhar holed out to deep midwicket, and Asif picked out long-on. His final wicket came in the 17th over, as he pinned the dangerous Hasan Ali lbw. Riaz's method was fairly uncomplicated, hitting the pitch hard on a good length outside off stump, but the simplicity brought him his rewards.

New Zealand's Covid-19 lockdown hits cricket, yachting WELLINGTON AGENCIES

A community coronavirus outbreak in Auckland has forced New Zealand cricket bosses to hastily reschedule two Twenty20 matches against Australia as other affected sports assessed their options. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has ordered Auckland, New Zealand's largest city and the centre of the outbreak, into a seven-day lockdown from Sunday, requiring people to stay at home except for essential shopping and work. The remainder of the country faces Level Two restrictions which limit the size of public gatherings. A New Zealand Cricket spokesman said the third match in the current T20 series, to be played in Wellington on Wednesday, will go ahead but without spectators. Game four, scheduled for Auckland on Friday, has been moved to Wellington and, again, will be played behind closed doors. The spokesman said they would wait for governme t advice on whether crowd restrictions are to be lifted before deciding if there will be spectators at the final game of the series in Tauranga on Sunday, March 7. Sport is not allowed under Level Three and Ardern's snap decision meant it was unlikely the start of the America's Cup final between holders Team New Zealand and Italian challengers Luna Rossa would go ahead on March 6. In Super Rugby Aotearoa, the Waikato Chiefs play the Otago Highlanders in Hamilton on Friday, while the Canterbury Crusaders host the Wellington Hurricanes on Saturday with both matches presumably in empty stadiums. The Auckland Blues celebrated beating the Wellington Hurricanes in Wellington on Saturday and then faced the prospect of finding a new short-term home. Although they have a bye next week, coach Leon MacDonald said if they returned to Auckland, they would not be allowed to train.

Popyrin crushes Cilic's Singapore title hopes SINGAPORE AGENCIES

Australia's Alexei Popyrin took out third seed Marin Cilic in an absorbing contest at the Singapore Tennis Open on Saturday, prevailing 7-6 (5),7-6 (2) over the Croat to make it to his first ATP Tour final. Popyrin let out a huge roar after sealing his victory in front of 250 fans, who were allowed to attend the tournament after passing Covid-19 tests. "I worked my whole life to get into an ATP final and I'm finally in one tomorrow.

It's definitely an amazing feeling but I got one more match to go and I want to focus on that," said the world number 114. After taking the second set to a tiebreak, Popyrin raced to a 5-0 lead with his huge serves, helped no less by two unforced errors from Cilic. The former world number three managed to stage a fightback to 2-5 but another ace from Popyrin swung the advantage back to the Australian, giving him four match points. A powerful serve followed by a forehand winner eventually saw Popyrin winning in just under two hours.

"Only 250 fans are allowed but they were loud and it felt like the stadium was full. There were some Aussies I heard from the accent and they were screaming: 'Come on Popy'. That's always an amazing feeling when you're not playing in your home country," said Popyrin. Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik sent Moldova's Radu Albot packing in the day's other semi-final match with a 2-6, 6-3, 64 victory to head into his fourth ATP final, where he will take on Popyrin.

Stones sends Man City 13 points clear MANCHESTER AGENCIES

Manchester City moved 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League as John Stones sealed a 2-1 win against West Ham that made it 20 successive victories in all competitions for the leaders.

Pep Guardiola's side are closing in on their third Premier League in four seasons thanks to priceless contributions from their in-form centre-backs.

Ruben Dias, imperious since signing from Benfica in September, put City ahead with his first goal for the club.

Michail Antonio equalised for West Ham just before half-time, but the revitalised Stones bagged the winner with a fine strike after the break.

City are enjoying the longest ever winning streak by an English top-flight team, with 14 of those 20 victories coming in the league to leave their title rivals trailing in their wake.

They are unbeaten in 27 games across all competitions, one match shy of their longest run without defeat under Guardiola in 2017.

Second placed Manchester United and third placed Leicester can close the gap back to 10 points if they beat Chelsea and Arsenal respectively on Sunday.

But it is hard to imagine anyone catching City over the last 12 games of the season.

They survived a stern test from fourth placed West Ham and home games against Wolves and Manchester United next week offer a chance to put the title within touching distance.

Ominously for the rest of the league, Sergio Aguero returned to the City starting line-up for the first time in four months, making just his 11th appearance this season due to injury and illness.

Once he gets his sharpness back, City's record goalscorer will provide a boost to their bid to win an unprecedented

quadruple. West Ham had won seven of their previous nine league games, but even they couldn't halt City's relentless march to the title.

TASTY DISH: Hammers boss David Moyes compared Guardiola to celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal this week for the way City's manager successfully cooks up winning teams from unlikely ingredients.

Guardiola was at it again as he concocted a tasty dish with seven changes to the team that beat Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League last 16 first leg.

After half an hour without a single shot, Dias put City in front from their first incisive attack. Kevin De Bruyne was the catalyst with a sublime driven cross that picked out Dias's run to the far post, where the centre-back powered his header past Darren Randolph.

There was an unusual lack of cohesion in the City defence at times and Antonio nearly exploited their vulnerability

when he met Jesse Lingard's cross with a shot that clipped the outside of the post.

It was a warning that City failed to heed and they were punished in the 43rd minute. Aguero surrendered possession in midfield, leaving City's back four exposed, and the ball was quickly worked wide to Vladimir Coufal as he surged away from the out of position Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Coufal's cross was diverted goalwards by Lingard before Antonio applied the finishing touch from virtually on the line. Having conceded a league goal at home for the first time since December, City took a while to shake off the shock.

But Guardiola's men have too much quality to be subdued for long and they sealed the points in the 68th minute.

Zinchenko found Riyad Mahrez on the left and the Algerian's dazzling footwork left Ben Johnson bewildered as he flashed over a cross that Stones met with a superb finish from 12 yards.

Sunday, 28 February, 2021

prayer timings

NEWS

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

5:36

12:14

3:07

7:01

5:27

Bilawal claims PTi mPs in conTacT wiTh PPP KOHAT

V

staff report

owing to give a tough time to Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTi) government during the Senate elections, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday claimed ruling MPs were in contact with his party.

Addressing a public meeting in Kohat city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Bilawal said it was “too late for the PTi to hold a dialogue with its aides (for the Senate elections) as they are already in contact with PPP (to form an alliance).” “it is an opportunity for them (coalition parties) to prove if they are with the public or with the puppet government,” he added.

He said the government was upset about the nomination of former prime minister and PPP leader Yousaf Raza gillani as a joint candidate of PDM parties from islamabad. if Minister of Finance Abdul Hafeez

Shaikh is elected to Senate, it would increase inflation and further tough measures by the international Monetary Fund (iMF). “gillani’s success would add to the prestige of the House,” he said.

Bilawal said the PDM parties will hold a long march to islamabad following the Senate elections which will end only after the resignation of “puppet” Prime Minister imran Khan. “whether it is politicians, the judiciary, the army or government employees, the only way to eradicate the scourge of corruption is to ensure the implementation of the law, equally on all,” he said.

He claimed the PTi government has been at the forefront of corruption and has broken all previous records. “inflation in Pakistan today is higher than in Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The celebrated Eighteenth amendment and the nFC award will be protected from this rigged government and will not be allowed to end,” Bilawal said.

Meanwhile, PPP leaders including,

6:52

nasir Hussain Shah, Sharjeel Memon, Murtaza wahab, and waqar Mehdi, in a joint press conference on Saturday, announced that the party will withdraw two of its candidates in the upcoming Senate election in favour of MQM-P. However, they added, MQM-P would also have to provide support in getting Yousuf Raza gilani elected as the new Senate chairman. information Minister Sindh nasir Hussain Shah revealed that the delegation had met MQM-P on party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s directives. “Muttahida Qaumi Movement has said that they will forward our requests to their Raabta Committee,” Shah said. in response, MQM-P leader Amir Khan, who was present on the occasion, lauded the PPP for extending an olive branch; however, he stressed the issue of partnership and local bodies is also a problem.

“The interest around Senate elections will wane eventually, but the problems will still need to be resolved,” he conlcuded.

US imposes sanctions, visa bans on Saudis for journalist Khashoggi’s killing

Pakistan stands united against any misadventure: Fo ISLAMABAD tLtp

WASHINGTON agencies

The Biden administration announced sanctions and visa bans on Friday targeting Saudi Arabian citizens over the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but stopped short of imposing sanctions on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman himself.

US President Joe Biden’s actions in the first weeks of his administration appear aimed at fulfilling campaign promises to realign Saudi ties after critics accused his predecessor, Donald Trump, of giving the Arab ally and major oil producer a pass on gross human rights violations.

A senior Biden administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the approach aims to create a new launching-off point for ties with the kingdom without breaking a core relationship in the Middle East. Relations have been severely strained for years by the war in Yemen and the killing inside a Saudi consulate of Khashoggi, a US resident who wrote columns for the washington Post critical of the crown prince’s policies. importantly, the decisions appear designed to preserve a working relationship with the crown prince, the kingdom’s de facto leader, even though US intelligence concluded that he approved the operation to capture or kill Khashoggi.

“The aim is a recalibration (in ties) — not a rupture. That’s because of the important interests that we do share,” the senior Biden administration official said.

The 59-year old Saudi journalist was lured to the Saudi consulate in istanbul on october 2, 2018 and killed by a team of operatives linked to the crown prince. They then dismembered his body. His remains have never been found.

The US Treasury Department placed sanctions on the former deputy Saudi intelligence chief, Ahmed alAsiri, and announced a sanctions designation on the Saudi Royal guard’s rapid intervention force, or RiF. The RiF was singled out in the declassified US intelligence report for its role in Khashoggi’s killing.

The move freezes any US assets that the Saudi individuals held and generally bars Americans from dealing with them.

“Those involved in the abhorrent killing of Jamal Khashoggi must be held accountable,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement.

The United States also announced visa restrictions against 76 Saudi citizens as part of a new policy aimed at nations that carry out activities against journalists and dissidents beyond their borders. Such activities include efforts to suppress, harass, surveil, threaten or harm them.

The visa ban will also be selectively applied to family members, officials said.

“As a matter of safety for all within our borders, perpetrators targeting perceived dissidents on behalf of any foreign government should not be permitted to reach American soil,” Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in a statement.

A second US official noted that, although Saudi

citizens were named in the first use of what the State Department called the “Khashoggi Ban” on visas, “it’s really a new global tool.”

Additionally, the US State Department said it will start documenting in its annual human rights report any programs by Saudi Arabia and other countries that monitor, harass or target dissidents and journalists.

Riyadh eventually admitted that Khashoggi was killed in a “rogue” extradition operation gone wrong, but it denied any involvement by the crown prince.

Five men given the death penalty for the murder had their sentences commuted to 20 years in prison after being forgiven by Khashoggi’s family.

Biden administration officials say the decisions on sanctions and visa bans will send a clear message about how the United States wants to see the future US-Saudi relationship.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has already held talks with the 35-year-old crown prince.

Asked about any debate about applying sanctions against the crown prince, the first US official said that the United States has not generally applied sanctions “on the highest leadership of countries.” “we really (came to) the unanimous conclusion that there’s just other, more effective means to dealing with these issues going forward,” the official said.

Biden earlier this month declared a halt to US support for a Saudi Arabia-led military campaign in Yemen, demanding that the more than six-year war, widely seen as a proxy conflict between Saudi Arabia and iran, had to end.

The Foreign office on Saturday said that the Pakistan government, armed forces and people, who stand united against any threat or misadventure, will always act with an iron resolve to protect and preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. "Today [Saturday], the entire Pakistani nation remembers with great pride Pakistan’s befitting response to india’s irresponsible military misadventure two years ago," Fo Spokesperson Zahid Chaudhry said in a statement. on February 26, 2019, india had violated Pakistani airspace and conducted a botched airstrike inside Pakistan in complete violation of the United nations (Un) Charter and international law. The Pakistan armed forces had swiftly responded and displayed exemplary professionalism. on the very next day, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) had shot down two indian fighter jets and captured an indian pilot. Adding insult to the injury, india’s air defence system had shot down its own helicopter in the “fog of war”. "The whole world had witnessed that Pakistan once again had not only resolutely safeguarded its territorial sovereignty but also acted with tremendous restraint and responsibility. The captured indian pilot was returned as a gesture of peace," the spokesperson added. "As this day is commemorated, we once again make clear to the world community that Pakistan remains committed to peaceful coexistence and resolution of the long outstanding Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant Un Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people," he added.

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