Epaper – February 2 ISB 2021

Tuesday, 2 February, 2021 I 19 Jamadi-ul-Sani, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 215 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

InfluentIal, corrupt people to be held accountable: pM g

Imran responds to Pakistanis' questions directly via public telephone line

ISLAMABAD

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Staff report

RIMe Minister Imran Khan has stressed that holding influential and powerful people accountable is important to uplift the country, Radio Pakistan reported. Interacting with the general public on the telephone in a program titled ‘Aap Ka Wazir-e-Azam, Aap Kay Sath’ in Islamabad on Monday, he said that the country cannot be taken forward and achieve prosperity without effective rule of law.

He also said that the alliance of opposition parties has come together and has been pressurizing the government over the last two and a half years to get an NRO. However, PM Imran maintained that giving an NRO to the corrupt elements would be tantamount to treason with the country. He said that the nation is already paying the price of the NRO given by former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf to the corrupt leaders.

PM Imran explained that the Broadsheet scandal exposes the whole saga

of corruption. He said that the former judge of Supreme Court, Justice (r) Azmat Saeed, has the relevant expertise and has been entrusted the responsibility to probe into the matter and bring the facts before the public.

The premier said that a crackdown has also been started against the land grabbers to recover the official and private lands from this mafia. Laws will also be enacted to wage a war against the land mafia, he added Responding to a question about the lack of civic amenities in Hyderabad district of Sindh, Prime Minister Imran said that all the powers have been delegated to the provinces after the passage of 18th Amendment and it is now their responsibility to look after the development work.

Regretting the malpractices in the Senate elections, the PM said that the government is bringing a constitutional amendment in the National Assembly (NA) this week to hold the elections of the upper house through an open ballot.

He further said that the nation will itself witness as to who does not want to put an end to the buying and selling of

coronavIrus In

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CONFIRMED CASES:

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votes in the elections. He recalled that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had previously to hold the Senate polls through an open ballot committed through the Charter of Democracy.

Responding to a caller, Prime Minister Imran said that the election Commission of Pakistan (eCP) should take the case of foreign funding of political parties to its logical conclusion. He said that the opposition parties have no record of donors.

He also said that these parties themselves stand trapped as Nawaz Sharif cannot deny receiving money from Osama Bin Laden and Jamiat Ulema-eIslam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman from Libya. He further said that the PTI is the only party which has a transparent record of its donations.

When asked about the inflation, the premier replied that the government is fully cognisant of the problems being faced by the people due to the price hike. He went on to explain that he is regularly holding meetings on the issue, and the consumer price index has now started witnessing a decline due to the policies of the government.

Prime Minister Imran stated the exports and remittances have also witnessed a major boost in recent months.

As a result, the country has managed to balance the current account surplus for the last five months. He said that the flow of dollars in the country will stabilize the local currency and also help address the issue of inflation. He expressed the commitment to overcome the issue of the price hike.

Highlighting the great potential of edible oil production in the country, the prime minister said that a major olive plantation drive will be launched this month to bolster domestic production of this fruit.

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First tranche of China’s coronavirus vaccine arrives in Pakistan g

Chinese envoy says vaccines are a new manifestation of Sino-Pak iron brotherhood ISLAMABAD Mian abrar

A special Pakistan Air Force (PAF) plane that left for Beijing a day earlier to bring back the first batch of half a million shots of the state-owned Sinopharm’s coronavirus vaccine returned to Islamabad early Monday morning.

“Grateful to China and everyone who made this happen,” Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan said in a tweet while confirming the development. “NCOC & provinces played an instrumental role in tackling COVID. I salute our frontline healthcare workers for their efforts & they’ll be first to get vaccinated.”

The development follows a January 21 telephone conversation between Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, wherein the latter announced Beijing’s initiative to “gift” 500,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine to Pakistan “free of cost.”

Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong received the shipment and handed it

SC extends detention of accused in Pearl case g

The decision was announced on an appeal from the Sindh government, requesting the top court to review its order of acquitting the suspects

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

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1,615 DEATHS:

501,252 11,683 SINDH:

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BALOCHISTAN:

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9,019/4,909 41,418

Sindh govt lying about vaccine procurement: Asad Umar STORY ON PAGE 03

COAS, ISI DG discuss security matters with PM STORY ON BACK PAGE

Qureshi invites opposition parties for discussion on foreign affairs

ISLAMABAD The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday extended for 24 hours the detention period of the principal suspect in the 2002 murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.

On Thursday, a three-judge panel quashed 18-year-old murder convictions against the four suspects, including British-born Ahmad Omar Saeed Sheikh.

However, kidnapping convictions were left in place, but the men were ordered freed as they had already served out sentences for the kidnapping charges.

The Monday’s decision was announced on an appeal from the Sindh government, requesting the court to review its decision. During the proceedings, the court sought the case record from the Sindh High Court (SHC) and served a notice on Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan.

Khan, during the course of the hearing, informed the court

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MORE INSIDE

Staff report

LAST UPDATED AT 8:07 AM ON FEBRUARY 1, 2021

over to Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi at Noor Khan Airbase. Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan was also present on the occasion. Foreign Minister Qureshi told Pakistan Today at the airport that he was delighted to receive the shipment. He said that China has once again demonstrated its ‘eternal friendship’ with Pakistan.

“This occasion is more significant because both the countries will be completing seven decades of their diplomatic relations this year. We will fully celebrate this landmark occasion and add new chapters of friendship,” Qureshi said.

STORY ON PAGE 02

that the high court had ordered the release of the suspects without considering a petition of the federal government.

In December, the SHC set aside the Sindh government’s detention orders for the men set free in April by its order.

“The federal government has not been made a party in the Sindh High Court [case involving Pearl],” Khan said.

He requested the apex court to suspend the high court’s de-

cision so that he could argue the case in detail. But the court refused to entertain the request.

“Let’s hear the government’s position [in the case] tomorrow,” the bench said. “It [the government] should tell the court how can a citizen be detained [in violation of court order of his release].”

The hearing was subsequently adjourned for a day.

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Party will tender resignations when PDM leaders decide: JUI-F STORY ON PAGE 02

Military takes control of Myanmar, detains Suu Kyi STORY ON BACK PAGE

02

Tuesday, 2 February, 2021

NEWS

cpec aUthority bill sails throUgh na ISLAMABAD

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TLTP

HE National Assembly (NA) on Monday passed the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority Bill 2020. The lower house of the parliament met under the chairmanship of Speaker Asad Qaiser.

The house passed three bills in the session. These were the CPEC Authority Bill, 2020, the Public-Private Partnership Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2020 and the Pakistan Single Window Bill, 2020.

The National Metrology Institute of Pakistan Bill, 2021 and the Pakistan Ordnance Factories Board (Amendment) Bill, 2021, were also introduced in the house. Furthermore, “The Federal Medical Teaching Institutes, Ordinances, 2020, and the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Ordinance, 2020, were laid before the House.

Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Dr Babar

Awan introduced the CPEC Authority Bill, 2020, and the Public-Private Partnership Authority Bill, 2020, while Parliamentary Secretary for Finance Zain Qureshi tabled the Pakistan One-Window Bill, 2020.

According to the CPEC Authority Bill, 2020, the CPEC Authority will comprise a chairperson, executive director operations, and six other members. The chairperson would be appointed for a period of four years and the time duration of the job could be extended for another four-year term.

The CPEC Authority Bill, 2020, was tabled in the NA in October 2020 by Adviser to PM on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan.

The bill was referred to the relevant standing committees of the lower house of parliament. Later the speaker allowed initiation of the debate on the presidential address to the parliament.

Earlier during the Question Hour, the house was informed that the total debt of Pakistan was Rs21,400 billion in 2016-17 which increased to Rs36,900 billion by September 2020. After the Question Hour,

the legislative process began, but the opposition members rose from their seats and started raising slogans.

Treasury bench member Alia Hamza said that a non-political honourable woman was criticised and ridiculed by an occupation mafia belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). She added that the privilege of the house was violated by the occupation mafia. While she was speaking, the speaker adjourned the sitting till Tuesday. Due to the opposition’s protest, debate on the Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) adjournment motion on electricity tariff hike could not take place.

It is pertinent to mention here that in October 2019, President Dr Arif Alvi promulgated an ordinance for the establishment of the CPEC Authority, which later expired after completing its threemonth tenure. It aimed at accelerating the pace of CPEC related activities, finding new drivers of growth, unlocking the potential of the interlinked production network and global value chains through regional and

global connectivity.

The government decided to issue an ordinance as both the houses of the Parliament, the National Assembly and the Senate, were not in session. According to the text of the ordinance, the Prime Minister will appoint the chairperson, executive directors and members of the CPEC authority for a tenure of four years. The authority will comprise 10 members.

The chief executive of the authority will be a grade-20 government officer. The CPEC body having the office in the federal capital will determine further cooperation between Pakistan and China in various sectors. It will also coordinate in the Joint Working Group, according to the text of the legislation.

The body will also coordinate between provinces and ministries for the CPEC projects and will take decisions with the majority of the members, the text said. The CPEC authority will work in accordance with the memorandum of understanding signed between Pakistan and China.

mQm founder in Arabic language bill sails through Senate british icU after contracting covid ISLAMABAD APP

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain is said to be in the intensive care unit of a British hospital after reportedly contracting Covid-19.

"I have been in the ICU in hospital for the last 20 days," he said in an audio message shared on his party's social media channels. "It is due to your (supporters') prayers that I have been able to record this message on this day of Saturday, Jan 30, 2021".

The messaged was shared by London-based reporter, Murtaza Ali Shah. He urged his followers to keep praying for him and warned them to take proper precautions against the novel disease. There has been no official word from the MQM to confirm whether or not Altaf is indeed suffering from the coronavirus.

Altaf has been living in the UK in self-imposed exile since 1991. On October 11, 2019, he was formally charged by the Crown Prosecution Service under Section 1(2) of the Terrorism Act 2006 for encouraging terrorism during a speech he made in August 2016.

Last year, London High Court’s Deputy High Court Judge Peter Knox has issued freezing orders on the six properties controlled by the party founder following an application for their takeover by MQM-Pakistan.

Earlier in November 2020, reports emerged that Altaf, who requested asylum in the 1990s and later gained UK citizenship, was facing a financial crisis and was unable to pay his utility bills. He was allowed by the London court to use social media to a limited extent and he has been also allowed to speak to his followers but on social terms only. NEWS DESK

3 terrorists killed as forces thwart infiltration attempt near pak-afghan border in lower dir Three terrorists were killed after security forces thwarted an infiltration attempt near the PakistanAfghanistan border in Lower Dir, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Monday. The ISPR, in a statement, said that the terrorists that were killed during the exchange of fire were identified as: Abid and Yousaf Khan — both residents of Swat Abdul Sattar — resident of Mardan Moreover, the ISPR said that a large stash of weapons, ammunition, and grenades was recovered. "These terrorists [were] involved in several target-killing incidents in Swat in 2019." The military's media wing said that the terrorists had planned on infiltrating and targeting several "notables" in Pakistan, however, they were timely engaged and killed. "Locals of the area appreciated the operation and vowed their full support to defeat [the] menace of terrorism from the area," the military's media wing added. NEWS DESK

The Senate on Monday passed the ‘Compulsory Teaching of Arabic Language Bill, 2020’, which aims at making the teaching of Arabic compulsory for the students of all educational institutions both in public and private sectors in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

The bill was piloted by Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi in the upper house of the parliament. The bill was approved near-unanimously by members of the Senate, with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Raza Rabbani offering the sole dissenting note.

On the other hand, Senators Mushtaq Ahmed, Maulana Ghafoor Haideri, Sirajul Haq and others also

appreciated Abbasi for bringing the bill in the house and supported the bill.

Similarly, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan categorically supported the bill and said this step should have been taken 70 years ago. He added that Arabic should be taught as a compulsory language in all educational institutions and it would also help address many issues faced by the people. According to Khan, learning Arabic was crucial to “become a good Muslim […] and understand God’s message”. The text of the bill says that Arabic should be taught from the first to the fifth grade and Arabic grammar should be taught from the sixth grade to the eleventh grade.

According to the statement of objects and reasons of the bill, besides having religious importance for the

pm imran forms pti’s parliamentary board for senate elections ISLAMABAD: In the run up to the Senate elections, the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has formed an 11-member parliamentary board to shortlist its candidates for the Senate elections. The parliamentary board would be headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan who also heads the board as party chairman. Other members include party's Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Asad Umar while the governors of Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces are also members.

Chief ministers of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) are also members of the board. The parliamentary board was formed

by PTI chairman Imran Khan which includes Imran Ismail, Shah Farman, Chaudhry Sarwar, Pervez Khattak and Asad. Shafqat Mehmood, Usman Bazdar, Mehmood Khan, Amir Kayani and Qureshi will also be part of the parliamentary board. The board would shortlist the party's candidates for the upcoming Senate elections. MIAN ABRAR

Muslims, Arabic is among the top five spoken languages of the world.

Arabic was also an official language of 25 countries, Abbassi pointed out. He added that he was in favour of multiple languages being taught such as Russian, Spanish and English. “No one objected to this [teaching of English] and said that English shouldn’t be taught.”

A large number of people from around the world seek to do business and obtain employment in the rich Arab states. Thus, knowledge of Arabic language will not only enlighten the understanding of Islam and the message of Holy Quran, it will also broaden the employment and business opportunities for the citizens of the Pakistan.

The bill will help the students to understand the divine message enshrined in the Holy Quran and also Hadith of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) besides widening their employment and business opportunities in the future.

Qureshi invites opposition parties for discussion on foreign affairs ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Monday invited the opposition parties for a discussion with the government on the foreign policy issues facing the country.

Speaking on the floor of the Senate, he said the political parties should pursue a bipartisan approach in foreign affairs in line with the national interest.

The minister said that the parties, which were in government multiple times, were very much responsible for the present state of foreign affairs.

Despite the attempts of India, Pakistan had the support of the global community now, which had became evident from the backing it received at different international forums, he remarked.

Qureshi recalled that the friendly countries came to the rescue of Pakistan in its hour of need and gave timely financial assistance. He criticised the opposition for ignoring the Kashmir issue, while pursuing its vested political interests.

He said that the government was focused on

economic diplomacy and it was engaging Africa – a continent of 57 countries – adding that exports to the continent has increased by seven per cent.

In the next stage, the countries of Europe will be engaged to boost mutual economic interests, he added.

The foreign minister stated that good relations with neighbouring countries were a pillar of Pakistan's foreign policy.

He further informed the House that the relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan had improved and both countries had signed a document on their shared vision, adding the Pakistani government made contacts with all ethnic groups in Afghanistan.

He said that he had held talks with United States Secretary of State Antony J Blinken on foreign policy imperatives and shared Pakistan's vision for Afghanistan. Pakistan had also undertaken border fencing and the establishment of markets at the borders of Iran and Afghanistan, he added.

Qureshi conveyed to the House that Pakistan and China had good ties and they had started the second phase of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), aimed at relocation of industrial units.

He said that Pakistan desired peace with India but India was ruled by an extremist government which wanted the rule of Hindutva and was not ready for talks. He added that Saudi Arabia gave a credit facility to Pakistan and, as the loan was given for a limited period, the amount had also returned.

He further said the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had categorically stated that its relations with India would not be at the cost of Pakistan.

The government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had forcefully raised the Kashmir issue at different international forums, he continued.

The minister said that terrorists were targeting innocent people in Balochistan and the government had irrefutable evidence that India was fomenting trouble in the province.

He said that he had informed the United Nations and the world leaders about the violations of Line of Control (LoC) by the Indian troops which was killing civilian population in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Qureshi concluded that Kashmiris wanted the solution of Kashmir issue according to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

Party will tender resignations when PDM leaders decide: JUI-F NEWS DESK Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) senior leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri on Monday has said that the party has its resignations at the ready and would tender them when the leadership of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) asks them to do so.

He stressed that the JUI-F is in an alliance, which is why they would not be taking any solo moves. "One has to support other parties because in an alliance, one cannot undertake solo flights or take lone decisions," he said.

Boasting on the power of the PDM, Haideri said that "Whenever the PDM holds its rallies, the government screams", further claiming that the ruling party would assign ministers in a bid to fail the PDM rallies.

While Prime Minister Imran Khan had not abided by the PDM's arbitrary January 31 deadline for resigning from public office, the JUI-F leader said that they were not going to throw in the towel.

"The government is afraid of the PDM hence if not today, it must go home tomorrow," said Haideri.

"Whatever decision the PDM leadership takes on Senate election, we will stand with it," he added. The

JUI-F senior leader also explained that his party could not support an in-house change unless the chances of victory were 100 per cent.

"If Bilawal has come up with an estimate [of number needed to bring about an in-house change in government] then he should put it forth in the next PDM meeting," said Haideri. "If Bilawal Bhutto can convince other parties on the matter, then we have no reservations."

On the occasion, Haideri also reiterated that his party's stance had remained unchanged from day one that opposition parties should not have taken oath of the parliament, after general elections 2018.

NEWS

it is time for opp to be held accoUntable by ecp, says premier

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NEWS DESK

RIME Minister Imran Khan on Monday said that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has provided sufficient evidence of its funding sources to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), and it is now time for the opposition parties to to be held accountable by the top election body.

While chairing a meeting of his

party's leaders and spokespersons in the federal capital, the premier stressed that the PTI "submitted the details of more than 40,000 donors, adding that the Opposition failed to submit the details of donors during their tenures."

He maintained that the PTI had received no funds from abroad, but now the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) must explain the sources of their own funding.

PM Imran added that former prime minister and PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif was the one to "bring money into politics". A day earlier, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States Abida Hussain had said during an interview that Osama Bin Laden had supported and funded the former prime minister.

During the meeting, Prime Minster Imran also discussed the upcoming Senate elections and action taken against

the land-grabbing mafia.

"Nawaz Sharif built his ATM through the land-grabbing mafia and the Khokhar brothers are the ATMs of the PML-N," the PM said.

Regardlng the Senate elections, PM Imran reiterated that the PTI was making amendments to make the electoral process more transparent. He added that opposing open ballot method, the opposition parties were exposing themselves.

lhc moved against hike in petroleum prices LAHORE INP

A petition challenging the increase in prices of petroleum products was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday. Reflecting rising global oil prices, the government on Sunday increased by 2.5 percent to 4.6 percent the prices of all petroleum products for the next 15 days.

The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on Friday proposed Rs12 per litre increase in the price of petrol from February 1. It had also proposed an Rs10 per litre hike on high-speed diesel price. The petitioner, Judicial Activism Panel, requested the court to declare the move to jack up fuel prices as "illegal". It said more burden has been put on a public already reeling from rising inflation. This hike comes against the backdrop of a rally in global crude oil prices, with Brent trading at $55.41 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) trading at $52.38 per barrel at the time of writing this story. The increased fuel costs will keep the pressure on consumer price inflation, which was running at an annual 5.65 percent in January, easing from 8 percent the previous month.

dragging court into political matters harms it: ihc NEWS DESK Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah on Monday said that "the court abstains from interfering in cases of political nature" as "dragging the court into political matters causes harm to it". The IHC CJ made these remarks during a hearing regarding a petition seeking disqualification of Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhary. In this regard, Justice Minallah observed that declaring a public office holder ineligible would also cause harm to the Constitution. "[Even] if people elect the wrong representatives, matters relating to the eligibility and ineligibility should be decided outside the court." In his defence, the federal minster stated that this was a case of blackmail and needs to be dismissed. Moreover, he asserted that the petitioner should be fined.

KHYBER DISTRICT: SAPM Dr Sania Nishtar briefs international development partners delegation on Ehsaas Nashonuma at the recently opened Nashonuma centre in Jamrud Civil Hospital. The high-level delegation comprised British High Commissioner Christian Turner, World Bank Country Director Najy Benhassine, Asian Development Country Director Xiaohong Yang, UN Resident Coordinator Julien Harneis, Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan Androulla Kaminara and Lire Ersado from the World Bank.

Sindh govt lying about vaccine procurement: Asad Umar NEWS DESK Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, while announcing a large development package for Karachi, said that the provincial government was "lying" in press conferences about its procurement and delivery of vaccines.

"They don't have a single vaccine [dose]," he said on Monday while expressing his dismay over a lack of development in Sindh for over a decade. He added that the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) had completely failed to develop the Shikarpur district.

He was addressing a public gathering in Shikarpur on a two day visit to Jaccababad, Shikarpur and Sukkur districts, wherein he also said that similar development packages would also be given to all districts of Sindh.

The federal minister stated that the PPP should be "ashamed" for politicising an "issue pertaining to people's health" and added that while the federal government would provide the vaccine doses for the inoculation campaign, the Sindh government would be "standing in lines for the vaccine [saying] that the federal government should give it".

Asad said that the federal government would still provide vaccines to the Sindh government, because the people of Sindh are as precious to the Centre as people

of other areas.

The minister said that when the injustices against the people of Sindh are discussed with the Sindh government then they “remember the 18th amendment”.

The minister maintained that he would raise the matter to Prime Minister Imran Khan so that the he may "take responsibility" for the lives and livelihoods of the people of Sindh.

He said that in just two months after the onset of coronavirus, Rs200 billion were distributed among the people of Pakistan, out of which Rs65bn were spent on the people of Sindh.

On the occasion, he also said that Pakistan's Covid19 policy has been appreciated globally.

He recalled that when PPP Chairman Bilawal BhuttoZardari called out for lockdowns “and when Sindh chief minister said that no one dies from hunger, the prime minister knew what poverty could do and the Centre announced the biggest welfare project for the help of the people in Pakistan’s history”.

On the occasion, he reiterated that, prior to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government formation in July 2018, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 5.8 per cent while core was 7.6 per cent, indicating that the rate of inflation is lower today than prior to the PTI government.

Imran lauds KP for providing universal healthcare to residents ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Prime Minister Imran Khan has congratulated the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) for providing free healthcare coverage to people of the province.

In a tweet on Monday, Imran said about 40 million people will receive free healthcare worth Rs1 million every year in more than 400 public and private hospitals across the province under the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government's flagship Sehat Sahulat Programme introduced in August last.

Congratulations to KP govt for making KP first province in Pak with Universal Health Coverage for all KPdomiciled citizens. 40,000,000 residents

covered with free health insurance. Free treatment upto Rs1,000,000 per family per year in over 400 govt/private hospitals across Pak. He noted KP was the first province in the country to provide universal health coverage for its residents.

In addition, State Life Insurance Corporation (STIC), which has been selected after a competitive bidding process, will be paid Rs2,849 per family annually. The first phase of the project was launched in 2015, covering three per cent of the population (100,000 families in four districts) of the province.

It was extended to 51 per cent of the population (1,791,930 people in all districts) in the second phase in 2016.

The third phase of the programme was started in 2017, covering 64 per cent of

the population (3,200,000 families).

So far, the government has spent more than Rs10 billion on free treatment of 250,000 people.

RS18 BILLION ALLOCATED FOR PROGRAMME: Seperately, KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, while addressing a gathering in Dera Ismail Khan, said when he had pitched the idea of providing free healthcare to the entire province to Prime Minister Imran, the latter had supported him and hoped other provinces will also follow suit.

Khan noted that a similar programme was being introduced in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K) and the prime minister had given the Punjab government a deadline as well.

"Today, big provinces are following a small province. I feel that credit [for

this] goes to all of us, to myself, to the [KP] cabinet ministers and to you, the people of the province," he said.

He said that a budget of Rs18 billion will be allocated to the programme.

Khan recalled the prime minister had also announced a package of Rs600,000 per family for the people of erstwhile Fata which will be raised to Rs1 million in the next budget.

He urged the people who are not registered with the National Database & Registration Authority (Nadra) to do so in order to avail free healthcare.

The chief minister further said he has directed provincial Health Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra to include snake bite and dog bite injections to the healthcare package as well since they are expensive.

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azhar self-isolates after contracting coronavirus NEWS DESK Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar went into isolation on Monday after contracting coronavirus. "I have tested positive for Covid19 and self-isolating at home.

Requesting everyone for prayers," Azhar said in a tweet. A number of high-profile politicians, including ministers, have tested positive for the contagious disease since it was first detected in the country in February last. Minister for Planning Asad Umar, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif and PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari are among the politicians contracted the disease so far. The nation on Monday recorded 1,615 new infections of the coronavirus after conducting 34,785 tests, receiving a transmission rate of 4.64 percent. Reports suggest Pakistan is yet to fully utilise its testing capacity of 57,531, with daily testing significantly below numbers proposed by global health experts. World Health Organisation (WHO) claims the country's testing policies only record the most symptomatic patients while ignoring the spread among asymptomatic carriers, which studies suggest comprise the majority of infections nationwide.

tariq fawad malik ready to appear before commission in broadsheet case NEWS DESK Former Pakistan Air Force (PAF) pilot officer Tariq Fawad Malik, considered as one of the main players in the Broadsheet LLC scandal, has agreed to appear before the Broadsheet Inquiry Commission if the federal government requires him to. Malik told a local news outlet that he had nothing to hide and would appear before the inquiry commission. "The agreement between NAB and Broadsheet LLC was mutual and the accountability watchdog duly signed it," Malik said. "The NAB is answerable for signing the agreement." Malik maintained that he has done "nothing wrong" and that it was Broadsheet which failed to meet its goals. He also claimed that Pakistan's lawyers had followed the "wrong advice", which is why they "failed at every front" and ended up losing the case in the London High Court. Reportedly, Malik is the person who convinced the then National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman, General (r) Muhammad Amjad, that he could utilise the UK-based firm to return looted wealth to the country.

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NEWS

ParLiamEnTarianS diSCuSS dEvELoPmEnT SCHEmES wiTH Cm Buzdar LaHoRE

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STAFF rEPOrT

IFFERENT parliamentarians called on Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and discussed matters of mutual interest including the pace of development schemes and solution of problems of their constituencies.

Speaking on the occasion, the CM maintained that the so-called politics of holding long marches and resignations has ended in a fiasco. "I have already pointed out that these elements have no courage to resign or to hold a long march as those involved in the quagmire of corruption could raise only hollow slogans," he maintained.

The opposition cannot materialise its claims as this cabal has only learnt about looting the country. But, he emphasised,

there is no room for corrupt politicians in the new Pakistan. The rejected elements have no political future and disappointment is evident on their faces, he said.

The CM regretted that these elements intended to fulfil the agenda of the enemy by spreading turmoil in the country. On the other side, the incumbent government is burning the midnight oil to resolve public problems, he added. The PTI-led government is in constant contact with the parliamentarians and public problems are being solved in consultation with public representatives, he added.

Buzdar reiterated that all are united under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan and the nation has full confidence over the leadership of the prime minister. The CM lamented that the critics are trying to block the development journey adding that the development process

Shaukat Khanum Hospital, Lahore inaugurates its 2nd PET-CT imaging machine

will not be stopped while the critics will continue to face defeat on every occasion.

Those involved in the politics of chaos should realize sense, he suggested.

The parliamentarians stated that the amount of respect and honour, given to the parliamentarians, was unimaginable in the past. The contacts with the parliamentarians help to solve problems at the grassroots, they added.

Those who called on the CM included Muhammad Afzal Khan Dhandhla MNA, provincial assembly members namely Makhdom Syed Iftikhar hussain Gillani, Muhammad Amir Nawaz Khan, Muhammad Ejaz hussain Bandesha, Rai Zahoor Ahmad, Muhammad Waris Aziz, Ghazanfar Abbas Cheena, Taimoor Ali Lali and Nawabzada Mansoor Ahmad Khan.

Women MPAs including Sania Kamran, Shehwana Bashir, Neelam hayat

PHC allows trial of man held under official secrets act by military court PEsHaWaR TLTP

Shaukat Khanum Cancer hospital and Research Centre, Lahore inaugurates its 2nd PET-CT imaging machine.The induction of PET-CT with 128-slice CTmakes Shaukat Khanum Lahore the first facility in the country to have two scanners at one site, backed by an onsite radiopharmacy and Cyclotron. This is in keeping with SKMT’s pioneering status of introducing PET hybrid molecular imaging in Pakistan in 2009. At this occasion, Dr humayun Bashir, consultant Nuclear Medicine at SKMCh&RC told that, “with two scanners, the Nuclear medicine department Shaukat Khanum hospital, Lahore has an enhanced capacity to meetmolecular imaging needs of today and preparefor tomorrow’s advances. There will be a definite decrease in waiting time for the patients. New scanner is placed in a dedicated new building with easy access, which results in limited contact with the usual hospital environment.” Describing the features of the new PET CT machine, he further added that “The enhanced CT features of the machine deliver high quality images faster with less radiation dose. The AstonishTF technology boosts PET images with swift acquisition and reconstruction. Collectively these features result in clinical outcomes that matter and support the clinicians in making appropriate treatment decisions timely.” Shaukat Khanum Cancer hospital and Research Centre has been serving and helping the suffering cancer patients for more thantwenty-five years now. Pr

Malik, Umm-al-Banin Ali and Farhat Farooq also met with the Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.

On this occasion, the CM repeated that provision of equal rights to the womenfolk is a key mission of the PTI government as women are half of the population. The women parliamentarians will be given their due rights and their problem of stay will be solved on a priority basis, he assured.

No one will be allowed to hold the genuine issues of assembly members, he assured and pointed out the government has included women assembly members in district-level committees and advice of women parliamentarians will also be given importance in development schemes as women’s role in composite socio-economic development cannot be neglected, he further said.

The Peshawar high Court (PhC) on Monday allowed rights activist Idris Khattak to be tried by the field general court martial (FGCM).

Rejecting Khattak’s plea against the arrest and trial of the case in FGCM, the PhC remarked that security forces had arrested Khattak under the Official Secrets Act. “It is evident from the record that Muhammad Idris Khattak is arrested by the respondents for allegedly being committed offences under the Official Secret Act, 1923 (The Act of 1923),” the verdict stated.

“Moving on to the arguments of the learned Deputy Attorney General regarding the territorial jurisdiction of this Court,” the verdict added, “Suffice it to mention that the accused was admittedly arrested in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) for the alleged offences which he has committed in KP, thus, the said objection that the place of trial of detenue being out of the province has not impressed us, therefore, the said objection is overruled,” the court

man gETS CaPiTaL PuniSHmEnT for raPing Six-yEar-oLd girL KARACHI: A Karachi court on Monday sentenced a man to death for sexually abusing a six-year-old girl. Additional District and Sessions Judge (West) Gadda hussain Abro found Zainul Abdin guilty of raping the minor girl in Karachi’s Saeedabad neighbourhood in 2015. he also directed the convict to pay a fine of Rs500,000 to the victim family. The court observed that the convict’s heinous act played havoc with the victim’s physical and mental health. This act of the convict was abhorrent, horrible, painful and disastrous, which not only affected the girl and her family but also the entire society, the judge noted in his verdict. he stressed the need for harsher punishment to prevent such incidents. Last week, a sessions court had sentenced a man to death in a 2018 rape case. The court found Wali Muhammad guilty of sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl in a Karachi neighbourhood and handed him death sentence. The court also directed the convict to pay a fine of Rs500,000. According to the police, the convict had sexually assaulted his daughter’s friend within the jurisdiction of Manghopir police station in 2018. The victim had gone to her friend’s house for studies. TLTP

further maintained in his judgment.

The high court also rejected the government's plea against hearing the petition in the PhC. “The court can hear this appeal,” the PhC remarked. Last year, the PhC had ordered the immediate release of military court convicts, saying that they were not given fair trial or chance to defend themselves and were convicted on over confessional statements. A two-member bench, comprising Chief Justice Waqar Ahmed Seth and Justice Muhammad Naeem Anwar, issued a 426-pages detailed judgement on the appeals of the convicts. The court allowed their release if they were not involved in any other case. The judgement said that the convicted persons were neither allowed to meet their relatives nor given a chance to defend themselves. It also pointed out that there were no direct first information reports (FIRs) or complaints registered and no investigation was carried out to prove allegations against them.

The judgement added that the convicts were not given the right to file appeal on their own. hence, the judgement described the entire proceedings against them as violation of relevant laws and human rights.

AJK PM urges UN to take steps for settlement of Kashmir issue MUZaFFaRaBaD STAFF rEPOrT

Prime Minister of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) Raja Muhammad Farooq haider has appealed the United Nations to take practical steps to implement the Security Council's resolutions for settlement of Kashmir issue to establish durable peace in the region.

In a statement on Monday, the AJK prime minister also urged the international community to fulfil its obligations to help secure the Kashmiri people's right to selfdetermination in accordance with the United Nations’

relevant resolutions. he said that despite being under Indian military siege for the last 545 days, Kashmiris have been determined to continue their struggle till the achievement of their objective of liberation. The AJK prime minister said that India has given license to the Indian forces for genocide of innocent Kashmiri people to crush the freedom movement. he said that the Indian government is also attempting to change the demography of the state by settling the non-state actors, RSS extremists and retired soldiers in occupied Kashmir to turn the Muslims majority into a minority in their homeland.

SC summons Punjab’s reply on local govts’ premature dissolution ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday summoned reply from the Punjab government over premature dissolution of local governments in the province. The apex court in a written order over the proceedings of the local government election case on January 28, ordered the provincial authorities to submit a reply over the matter by February 4. A bench of the apex court also issued notices to the governments of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan over their failure to hold local councils’ polls.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government and the federal government have already been issued notices, according to the court ruling.

“The chief election commissioner said that in Punjab local councils were dissolved before the end of their term and he also declared it an unlawful act,” according to the court order. The ape court ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to submit deliberations of its session with regard to the local government elections. The court also ordered the ECP and KP government to submit the progress report over the matter in the court. “The court in its ruling on November 8 had ruled that the process of depriving the people from democracy should now come to an end,” the bench said in its written order. “In a previous order it has also declared that the election commissioner, KP chief minister and the cabinet were contravening the command of the constitution.

Every constitutional official takes oath for the implementation of the constitution and the law,” the court observed. TLTP

73rd Independence Day of Sri Lanka

T

Yasin JoYia

hE Independence Day in Sri Lanka is celebrated annually on the 4th February. Sri Lanka gained Independence from the British on February 4, 1948. The day is a national holiday in Sri Lanka.It is celebrated all over the country with flag-hoisting ceremonies, dances, parades and cultural performances. The main celebrations take place in Colombo. here the President raises the national flag and delivers a speech at a nationally televised event.

Many struggles were made in the history of Sri Lanka for the cause of freedom. And on the Independence Day all of those who fought for this are remembered and celebrated. But the independence movement against the British is especially recalled.

In the President’s speech, he highlights the achievements of the government during the past year, raises important issues and requests the people to join together in commemorating this historic day. The President also pays tribute to the national heroes of Sri Lanka, observing two minutes of silence in their memory.

A great military parade is also performed. In recent years, it displays the power of the army, navy, air force, police and the

civil defense force. In addition, the commitment, bravery, national unity and determination to achieve peace is recollected in the minds of the Sri Lankan people.

Moreover, the national flag is hoisted and the national anthem sung, the traditional lamp is lit and the processions begin, complete with meticulously coordinated military parades, firing of canons and various religious and cultural performances, all to paying tribute to the ancestors of the land for their glorious feat. Sri Lanka celebrates the

gaining of her independence from Colonial rule with magnificent pomp and pageantry and the spirit of patriotism resonating in every street corner.

Sri Lanka is a mesmerizing island nation, South of India. Surrounded by the blue Indian Ocean from all sides, the island covers an area of 65,610 sq.kms. Blessed with a diverse landscape ranging from lush green tropical forests to highlands, arid plains and pristine sandy beaches, this county has something for everyone.

The capital city Colombo is a modern hub exhibiting urbane life. Moving on from the polished city life, Sri Lanka’s exotic attractions are a paradise for animal and nature lovers. The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage sanctuary is home to 60 abandoned wild elephant babies who are cared for. Revel as you watch the elephants enjoying their river soak. NuwaraEliya is the country’s lush green hill station, once a summer retreat of colonizers; it is now home to verdant tea plantations, Sri Lanka’s best golf course and the beautiful hakgala Botanical Gardens. Kandy is another gorgeous hill city that is built around an attractive man-made lake, the town is famous for the EsalaPerahera Festival in August.

Kandy is also known for housing a scared artifact in a guarded coffer in DaladaMaligawa or in the Temple of The Tooth.

For art and history lovers, Polonnuaruwa is an absolute delight. This place apart from housing the ancient ruins of palaces and friezes also features the 12-century stone sculptures of Buddha. Three statues of the Buddha, one sitting, one standing and the last reclining are the most revered monuments in Sri Lanka. Another exciting attraction is Sigiriya. This place is famed for housing the ancient ruins of the 5th century lion rock fortress of King Kashyapa. It is also renowned for having a 1500-year-old

painted frescoes located at the top of a spiral staircase and has been declared a UNESCO World heritage Site.

It is interesting to note that many attractions of Sri Lanka are located in a cultural triangle at the Centre of the country encompassing other amazing attractions like the Dambulla Cave Temples and the ancient city of Ceylonese in Anuradhapura.

The country has been classified as 'middle-income economy' by the IMF since 2010. The unemployment rate in the country was 4.9% in 2019, against 4.4% in 2018. The IMF expects however this trend to be affected by the negative economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate being currently estimated to increase to 6.3% in 2020 and decrease to 5% in 2021. Sri Lanka’s record of poverty reduction has been encouraging. The poverty headcount rate fell from about 22.7% in 2002 to 4.1% in 2016 (Asia Development Bank, latest data available). however, living standards remain low and pockets of severe poverty persist. Addition-

ally, poverty rates are disproportionately high for vulnerable groups such as youth and ethnic minorities; and unemployment is high for youth and women. Still, the country’s 21 million inhabitants have achieved some of the best human development results in South Asia. The literacy rate in 2019 was close to 100% and the country’s life expectancy is the highest in the region. high literacy rates, low mortality rates and the steadily declining population growth, reflect the country’s progress in the sphere of social development.

The present Sri Lankan high Commissioner to Pakistan, Vice Admiral Mohan Wijiwickramahaving a military and a strong political background.Being the exgovernor of two provinces in Sri Lanka.he has been playing an important part in uplifting the status of his Country. he is very keen to promote trade, tourism and cultural relations between both countries. he carries positive concepts to improve bilateral relations and multilateral relations between both countries.

Tuesday, 2 February, 2021

NEWS

ExPOrtS JuMP 8PC tO $2.14bn In January ISLAMABAD

P

GHULAM ABBAS

AKISTAN'S exports grew 8pc to $2.14 billion in January 2021, as compared to $1.98 billion in the corresponding month of 2020, data released by the commerce ministry on Monday showed. The increase in overall exports are mainly driven by double-digit growth in proceeds from textile and clothing sectors as well as few other products like engineering, surgical instruments and value-added leather products.

In a statement issued by the commerce ministry, Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood said that the country's exports have maintained a steady trend in the current fiscal year, as they crossed the $2-billion mark for the fifth consecutive month (first time in eight years) in January.

According to provisional figures, the exports for Jul-Jan FY21 increased 5.5pc to $14.24 billion as compared to $13.50 billion during the corresponding months of FY20.

Dawood noted that Pakistani exporters had achieved this feat despite difficulties created by Covid19 pandemic, regional export situation and contraction in major markets. He urged the exporters to go all-out in exporting their products under the government's friendly regime.

It is pertinent to mention that the country's exports

OVERALL, PAKISTAN'S EXPORTS RISE 5.5PC TO $14.2BN IN JUL-JAN FY21, AS AGAINST $13.5BN IN THE SAME PERIOD OF FY20 had witnessed a steep decline of 19pc in August 2020 before rebounding in September, October, and November. According to an FBR report, the spread of Covid19 had impacted the flows of containers from the country to the lowest level of around 12,000 in April 2020. Since then, a gradual improvement was seen in container shipment from the country.

Measures announced under the export facilitation measures led to an increase in the number of exports Goods Declarations (GDs) from 71,190 in July 2020 to 79,756 in December 2020, posting an increase of 11pc.

Also, under the 'Make in Pakistan' initiative, duty drawback rates for at least eight sectors were revised upwards by FBR. During the whole exercise, more than 434,000 claims were disposed of with approximately 7,800 exporters benefitting from this initiative.

VISIT TO UZBEKISTA: Meanwhile, in a separate statement issued on Monday, the Ministry of Commerce informed that Razak Dawood was leading a delegation to the Republic of Uzbekistan. The visit was a followup to the visit of Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Dr Sardor Umurzakov to Pakistan on 10th September 2020.

"The first meeting of Joint Working Group on Trade

SC extends detention of accused in Pearl case ContIueD froM pAge 01 Pearl, 38, was abducted on January 23, 2002, in Karachi and beheaded the next month, reportedly by Al-Qaeda. Sheikh had been convicted of helping lure Pearl to a meeting in Karachi in which he was kidnapped. Prior to his kidnapping, the journalist had been investigating the link between reportedly Pakistan-based militants and Richard Reid, the notorious “Shoe Bomber” who attempted to blow up a flight from Paris to Miami with explosives hidden in his shoes. In July 2002, following the hearings, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Hyderabad had sentenced to death Sheikh and life term to other co-accused. However, all four convicts had moved the SHC in 2002 challenging their convictions. In his autobiography, In the Line of Fire: A Memoir, former president Pervaiz Musharraf had claimed that Sheikh, a student at the London School of Economics (reports suggest he did not graduate), was hired by MI6 to engage in “jihadi operations”, adding that “at some point, he probably became a rogue or a double agent”.

and Economic Affairs and the meeting of Tripartite Working Group on the Implementation of the TransAfghan Railway Project would be held between Pakistan and Uzbekistan from 1st till 4th February, 2021," the statement read.

On Monday, the Advisor called on Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and discussed with him matters related to economic cooperation between the two countries. He also met Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Adkham Ikramov to deliberate upon cooperation in textile, leather and engineering sector.

During the 1st meeting of the Joint Working Group on Monday, both sides expressed desire to enhance bilateral trade relations. In this regard, they discussed streamlining bilateral phytosanitary standards, enhancing banking cooperation, working on rail & road connectivity and establishment of off-dock terminal.

The two sides also expressed resolve to enter into Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA).

The Uzbek side invited the Pakistani business delegation to organize a joint exhibition in Tashkent in June this year.

Govt likely to appoint former Engro president as OGDCL board chairman ISLAMABAD: The federal government is considering the appointment of Syed Khalid Siraj Subhani, former president of the Engro Corporation, as chairman of the Board of Directors (BoD) of Oil and Gas Development Company Ltd (OGDCL), it was learnt on Monday. According to sources, an important personality within the ruling elite has allegedly been striving hard to ensure the inclusion of the former Engro head as chairman of the OGDCL board. “Syed Khalid Siraj Subhani is the first choice for the OGDCL chairman slot, while Bank of Punjab President Zafar Masud is the second choice among five independent directors of OGDCL board,” an insider informed. “It is strange that Muhammad Riaz Khan, who is a senior E&P professional and has vast experience with OGDCL on senior management position, has been ignored while ex-president of Engro and incumbent BoP president have been considered as first and second choice to chair OGDCL board.” AHMAd AHMAdAni

First tranche of China’s coronavirus vaccine arrives in Pakistan ContInueD froM pAge 01 The foreign minister thanked the Chinese government, especially President Xi Jinping, on behalf of the government, Prime Minister Imran Khan and people of Pakistan for initially announcing that the vaccine would be used for public good and to save peoples’ lives and now practically proving his words by action.

“China has started (delivery of vaccine) from Pakistan. This is the proof of ever-lasting friendship between Pakistan and China,” Qureshi said, adding, “I want to thank Chinese president from the core of my heart. Qureshi said that he also wanted to thank his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, with whom he held talks regarding the vaccine.

Qureshi said that he had discussed the matter with Wang Yi subsequently in December 2020 and January this year.

He added that Wang Yi had shared the good news last week with him, telling him that China would gift 500,000 doses of vaccine to Pakistan.

He lauded Chinese ambassador’s efforts as well, saying selecting Pakistan as the first country to receive the vaccine is a proof of ever-lasting friendship between the two countries.

Qureshi said that China stood by Pakistan and extended supported since the country started its fighting against Covid-19. He also thanked the Chinese medical teams, who provided medical training to Pakistani doctors. He appreciated Pakistani pilots who did not take rest for a single minute in Beijing and immediately brought back the vaccine.

“Pak-China friendship is not just between the two governments; the friendship is people-centric and this is the beauty of it,” Qureshi concluded.

Ambassador Rong said that everyone agrees that it is not only the vaccine to help the needy people in Pakistan but more importantly a new manifestation of the iron brotherhood between China and Pakistan. He said that as the vaccine donated by the Chinese government arrived in Pakistan, he felt pride to announce that

Pakistan is the first country in the world to receive the Chinese government donated vaccine.

He also said that President Xi Jinping has repeatedly said that the Chinese Covid-19 vaccines, once developed and put into use, will be for global public goods.

“China has honored its commitment,” Ambassador Rong said, adding, “keeping the huge global need for vaccine in mind, China has lived to its best to offer assistance and support. Pakistan, as our closest friend, is the priority of our cooperation.”

The envoy appreciated the Pakistan government for its facilitation and cooperation in the approval of the Emergency Use Authorisation for SinoPharm’s vaccine and the phase-III trial with the CanSino company of China.

The Chinese ambassador said that he expects more cooperation to follow and more Paistani people to benefit from the vaccine. “This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Pakistan.

We are proud of this friendship that is higher than the mountains, deeper than the seas and sweeter than the honey,” said the envoy. Ambassador Rong said that joint fight against Covid-19 with the great solidarity and support has brought “our hearts grow closer” for each other, expressing that the steady progress in bilateral cooperation, including the CPEC, will enhanced in future.

“China is ready to contribute to Pakistan’s pandemic prevention drive, economic recovery and social development,” he said, adding that China is committed to the building of ChinaPakistan Community of Shared Future.

Following the speech, he handed over the vaccines to FM Qureshi.

The government had approved the Sinopharm vaccine for emergency use on January 18, two days after AstraZeneca’s vaccine co-developed with the University of Oxford received a similar authorisation from the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).

“I thanked them and also told them we need more than this, and in the future, we will need 1.1 million doses, and they reassured us and said by the end of February we plan to meet this requirement for you as well,” Qureshi had said.

STEPS IN PLACE TO STORE SHOTS: In an earlier statement, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said that necessary steps had been taken to store the doses in Islamabad. “All necessary measures have been put in place for vaccine storage at Islamabad and [transportation] of vaccine to various federating units particularly to Sindh and Balochistan through [the] air,” the statement issued Sunday said. An official of the Ministry of National Health Services, requesting not to be named, had told a private publication that arrangements were in place to maintain the cold chain management of the vaccine, right from storing it in a warehouse to its administration to healthcare workers. “There is a warehouse of the Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI) which will be used to store the vaccine,” he said.

“Besides, we have developed the National Immunisation Management System (NIMS) through which we will monitor from Islamabad the doses utilised in each province and district and how many more were required. We will ensure that the new stocks are available before the existing ones run out.”

The health authorities have already decided on a “comprehensive strategy” for the administration of the shots and other administrative measures.

COVAX SHOTS BY JUNE: Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, who also heads the NCOC, confirmed on Saturday that COVAX, a global initiative to ensure rapid and equitable access to coronavirus vaccines for all countries, has indicated a supply of up to 17 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Pakistan by the end of June. “Good news on Covid-19 vaccine front. Received a letter from COVAX of indicative supply of up to 17

million doses of AstraZeneca in 1st half 2021,” he tweeted.

According to him, six million of the total 17 million doses will be received by March with delivery starting in February.

He, however, did not specify any dates.

“We signed with COVAX nearly eight months back to ensure availability,” he added.

HOW TO GET VACCINATED: A step-by-step guide of NCOC’s plan to get the coronavirus vaccine is given below: In the first step, at-risk citizens, including frontline healthcare workers, will send their Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) numbers to 1166 through SMS or use National Immunisation Management System (NIMS) website for registration.

After necessary verification, designated AVC (Adult Vaccine Centre) (based on “Present Address” and PIN Code will be sent to the citizen through SMS). If the designated AVC is outside the current tehsil of the citizen, he/she can change the designated health facility by visiting NIMS web portal or by calling the 1166 helpline within 5 days of receipt of the first SMS. Upon availability of vaccine at the designated vaccination centre, SMS will be sent to the citizen to obtain an appointment date for vaccine administration. After successful registration, the citizen will visit AVC on the date of appointment along with the original CNIC and received PIB Code. The vaccination staff will verify the CNIC and PIN code.

After successful verification, the citizen will be vaccinated. Upon vaccine administration, vaccination staff will enter the details in NIMS and a confirmation message will be sent to the citizen through SMS. The citizen will stay in AVC for 30 minutes for the post-inoculation monitoring.

In the last step, a real-time dashboard for the federal, provincial and district health departments will be generated automatically. In this regard, Dr Faisal has said that so far 400,000 health workers have been registered for vaccination.

05

Influential, corrupt people to be held accountable: PM froM pAge 01 He was confident there will be an olive revolution in the country which will not only promote healthy food but also help save precious foreign exchange currently being spent on its import. The premier said that a boom is being witnessed in the construction and industrial sectors which are providing job opportunities to the people. He added that the textile industry is operating at its full capacity. Alluding to the losses of StateOwned Enterprises (SOEs), Prime Minister Imran said that the current government is determined to revamp them and run on modern lines. He said that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will be turned into a professional and profitable entity.

Prime Minister Imran said that it is the priority of the government to administer the coronavirus vaccine to the whole population during the current year. He said that the vaccine has arrived in Pakistan. He converted that the federal policy is to administer the vaccine to the frontline health workers in the first phase. In the next phase, the vaccine will be given to those above sixty years of age or faced with some serious illness, he added. He assured the vaccine will be administered as per the laid down criterion without any discrimination. PM Imran said that the State of Medina was based on modern concepts such as rule of law, meritocracy and protection of human rights. He said that the last sermon delivered by Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) is the charter of humanity. He then expressed a commitment to build Pakistan on the principles of State of Medina. He said that Pakistan is on the course of becoming a great nation by pursuing this path. PM Imran said that the subject of Seerat-un-Nabi (Peace Be Upon Him) will now be taught in the classes of seven, eight and nine in order to show students of the life and teachings of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him).

Prime Minister Imran Khan was appreciative of the fact that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has expanded the health insurance scheme to the whole population. He said that the Punjab government is also working to provide universal health coverage to the whole of the province by the end of this year. On the Kashmir dispute, the prime minister voiced concerns over the grave human rights situation in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) and the Line of Control (LoC) violations in which a number of innocent people have been martyred and injured. He further stated that he has raised the issue at every international forum to sensitize the world community about the gravity of the situation. He maintained that he will also talk to the newly-elected US President Joe Biden to urge him to pressurise India to stop its campaign of oppression in the occupied territory. On Kashmir Solidarity Day being observed on Friday, PM Imran said that he will address a public gathering in Kotli to express solidarity with the oppressed Kashmiri people.

When asked about Islamophobia, Prime Minister Imran stressed that all the Muslim countries will have to unitedly raise voice to address the issue.

He said that he has also written letters to the heads of Muslim countries in the wake of France incident. He said, under the garb of freedom of expression, the western countries are hurting the sentiments of Muslims.

Pakistan's inflation rate slows to 5.7pc in January ISLAMABAD GHULAM ABBAS

The Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based monthly inflation decelerated to 5.7pc in January 2021, from 8pc in the previous month, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported on Monday. A decrease in the prices of vegetables, pulses, eggs, spices and chicken helped bring down the consumer price index (CPI), the bureau said. "Our efforts to reduce inflation are now showing results," Prime Minister Imran Khan had tweeted on Sunday. "Consumer price index and core inflation are both now lower than when our government was formed," he said. Planning Minister Asad Umar also said on Twitter that inflation during January was down to 5.7pc, while core inflation was at 5.4pc, both lower than when the PTI government took over. In may be noted that with shortages in domestic production, inflation at the beginning of the current fiscal year stood at 9.3pc in July, easing down to 8.2pc in August before rebounding to 9pc in September. Since September, inflation is on a downward trajectory, giving some relief to the end consumers. The average CPI in the seven months-- July-January FY21 -- eased from last year’s 11.60pc to 8.19pc. The decline in January inflation indicates that prices of essential food items will see a further decline in the next months. The government has imported wheat and sugar to bridge shortfalls and improve its supplies in the market, whereas with the arrival of tomatoes and onions in the domestic market, their prices also posted a decline during the month under review.

Tuesday, 2 February, 2021

06 COMMENT

On soothsaying and soothsayers

Politics is the art of the possible First stage of PDM’s movement nears its end

And their patrons

T

HE final date given by the PdM to PM Imran Khan to resign has passed. The opposition leadership is set to meet on Thursday to decide whether it wants to wrap up the ongoing agitation with a final long march or a no confidence move in the NA. Keeping in view the PPP’s reservations and with all opposition parties contesting the bye-elections, resignations at this stage are no more a realistic option.

There is no reason for PTI leaders to be overjoyed over the failure of the PdM to achieve its target. The PTI leadership’s incompetence in meeting the economic challenges is enough to create insurmountable problems for its government in days to come. The revenue collection remains lower than under the PML(N). The circular debt has surpassed the limit reached under the previous government. The prices of essential commodities have escalated 50pc-80pc in the retail market as compared to prices in 2017-18. Whether the Senate elections are held with or without secret ballot, careful estimates show the PTI would manage to get less than 30 seats in a House of 104. Thus, even for carrying out simple legislation the government will have to seek the support of both its allies and the opposition.

The PTI won the 2018 election on the basis of its promises and that too with a wafer-thin margin. It has little to show as its achievement as it reaches the middle of its tenure. The opposition will have opportunities in coming months and years to expose the government’s failures and even initiate yet another wave of protests when the time is ripe. Meanwhile there is a need on the part of the opposition to work together with the government to pass the badly needed laws, electoral reforms being high on the list. For this the opposition has to return to Parliament from the streets.

In order to perform, the government needs to legislate.

For this it has to develop working relations with the opposition and create a conducive environment in Parliament. Instead of confronting the establishment, the opposition now only complains about its interventions in the political sphere. Time for those who matter to meditate stepping back from an arena where mudslinging is all too common.

HASAN AFTAB SAEED

G

od works in mysterious ways. one of those ways is how crystal gazers of various kinds, sizes and numbers earn their oftensubstantial incomes. It is baffling why their clientele keeps parting with its hard-earned money to ensure a constant stream of revenue going their way, but there you are. Aristotle is said to have bestowed upon homo sapiens the epithet of ‘rational’ animals. The label has stuck, and to our day there have always been those who dutifully repeat the cliché on a weekly basis. An infinitely more fruitful avenue for their energies would have been the quest to discover the chemical Aristotle was under the influence of when he coined the term.

The clairvoyant community is not complaining, for even a fortune teller is obliged to put food on the table. our subcontinent has always been a fertile ground for these practitioners. Numerologists and astrologers appearing on TV may be a recent phenomenon, and foretelling election results (as opposed to personal fortunes) more recent still; but the profession itself has been going strong for centuries. That said, the fixation with knowing the future is by no means just a desi thing. during a visit to Pulao Penang back in 2001, I observed that the hotel management had thought it a good idea to have a resident palm-reader (who rendered his services for a reasonable RM 40), a decision that was fully justified by the substantial number of patrons of the establishment eager to get their fortunes told.

It was 1999 when I first witnessed the popularity

Vaccinating the nation Procurement is only a small part of the battle

A sorry state of affairs

SAlmAN muNir

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had given my house in Karachi on lease to a well-to-do and well-educated family. The Lease gave us the option to terminate by giving one month’s notice on either side (unlike NAB and Broadsheet Agreement). After over one and one half year, sometime in mid-February 2020, I gave the Lessee notice to vacate by end March. Then came CoVId-19 and everything slowed down and eventually reached a standstill for a few months until June.

After things started opening up in July, I again pursued this matter and finally in end November 2020 the possession of my house was given to me. A one-month notice became almost nine months’ notice. during this period of uncertainty I naturally harboured doubts if they really meant to vacate the house after all. during these nine months not even once did I consider approaching the courts or discussing the matter with lawyers. I knew that the Civil Courts will take ages to deal with as simple a matter as this—a Lease Agreement signed by both parties agreeing to one month’s notice period. The entry of lawyers will complicate things to no end and ultimately it will cost me a fortune both in terms of time and money apart from anxiety and stress. I am a tax paying, law abid-

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the occasion to meet another palm-reader doubling as a portraitist. Legend has it that he had been shown a print of General Zia’s palm (without telling him whose hand it was); and he had predicted, as early as 1980, that the man was going to perish in a plane crash. The source of this legend is none other than the legend himself. Be that as it may, he appears to have quite a following in London and Islamabad (I can vouch for his popularity in the latter). At a gathering in a friend’s house, I was the only one not itching for my palm to be read; and this seemed to bother him no end. Consequently, he became very anxious to read it. He started by doing a mean impersonation of a pretty lady accustomed to getting attention from all quarters, but who one odd day fails to trigger the curiosity of a man. He then tried to ‘reason’ with me; and became decidedly morose when it became obvious that I was not likely to be won over. Finally, he said: ‘do visit my home someday to see my paintings. Wear gloves if that is what it takes.’

For folks who possess powers of knowing the future, these clairvoyants can be awfully insecure. Not content with possessing superhuman skills, they want everybody to acknowledge their unsurpassed genius. But weird that these seers are, could anybody be stranger than their own clients who happily squander their resources on this lot? on the art or craft of prognostication, people range from believers to sceptics, with everything in between.

The whole debate on the reliability (or impossibility) of precognition is misplaced. The relevant questions, which nobody seems to ask, are these: What exactly is the point of it all? If something good is bound to happen, it will happen. If, on the other hand, something bad is ‘written’, how exactly does it help to know it in advance?

For folks who possess powers of knowing the future, these clairvoyants can be awfully insecure. Not content with possessing superhuman skills, they want everybody to acknowledge their unsurpassed genius. But weird that these seers are, could anybody be stranger than their own clients who happily squander their resources on this lot?

The fall of the law

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AKISTAN has received its first batch of a Covid19 vaccine, 500,000 doses of China’s Sinopharm vaccine, as a gift, which landed in the country yesterday after being airlifted by the Pakistan Air Force from Beijing. The government has rightly decided that this first batch will be administered to frontline healthcare workers as not only do they have to take care of sick patients, their risk to exposure is the highest. However, the next stage of the inoculation exercise where the general population starting with the eldest (age 65+) and so on, will be the most important as its logistics are quite complex. Currently, the only suitable storage facility for the Covid-19 vaccine is in Islamabad and therefore anyone not living in the capital will either have to make a trip there or the government will have to take the vaccine to them. The former will be difficult for those living in the more far flung areas of the country, the latter requires a cold chain to be maintained throughout the journey, which is easier said than done and any break in that chain would waste the vaccine as its efficacy would be compromised.

According to Minister for Planning and development Asad Umar the World Health organisation’s Covax platform has sent a letter to the government ‘indicating’ supply of up to 17 million doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine in the first half of 2021, 6 million of which could be received as early as the end of this month.

This is a commendable achievement as the government had timely signed on with Covax nearly eight months back to ensure availability. However, there is a lot that has to happen between procurement and administration of the vaccine. The government has claimed that it has set up a registration model through which citizens can get in line for the jab. However, if certain reports are to be believed, so far, there is no infrastructure in place whereby anyone can be registered and verified, let alone the provision of facilities where the dose would be administered. one hopes that this is not the case and the government is fully prepared to undertake this mammoth task of vaccinating an entire nation in order to get back to normal, albeit a new normal.

Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

of palmists. The event was an iftaar party – of all occasions! The star of the evening, a middle-aged palmist referred to as ‘Uncle’, was mobbed by guests (especially girls) desirous of getting their palms read. He was basking in glory as anyone would under the circumstances. Half-way into the evening the hostess introduced me to him adding for good measure that I thought all this fortune telling business was balderdash (or words to that effect). I immediately raised my hand to state my precise, nuanced take on the subject but just at that moment two ladies vying for his attention intervened; and that was the end of that as far as I was concerned.

A few minutes later, it was ‘Uncle’ who sought me out. I noticed that by now he had well and truly stopped basking. At first, I thought it had something to do with the fact that all the ladies had kept calling him ‘Uncle’.

Then it dawned upon me that he had not taken kindly to my reservations about his vocation. For he went out of his way to assure me that he agreed with my point of view (which I had yet to disclose – probably he was a mind reader as well); and that he made no claims of infallibility in his knowledge.

His was a probabilistic kind of knowledge; and only God knew the future with certainty; etc. one line is still fresh in the memory: ‘We merely claim that it usually rains when clouds gather from this [randomly pointing his finger] direction.’

(The ‘we’ was apparently a reference to the collective Nostradamus community.)

Having thus satisfactorily laid my concerns to rest (in his opinion), he expressed the hope that I would now let him read my palm. I told him then what I had wanted to earlier: That while I did not doubt his expertise, I failed to see any benefit in knowing the future even if – especially if – it was an accurate picture I was going to get. ‘Uncle’ smiled and made all the right noises (‘of course, it’s a free world or words to that effect) but I could see he was far from happy.

Flash forward twenty years to 2019, when I had

ing, well educated in the field of law, senior citizen who would rather avoid our judicial system than approach it for resolution. What a sorry state of affairs the law and the courts have become?

So when I read recently that straightforward matters like Succession Certificates were being taken away from the Courts of law and assigned to NAdRA a department under the control of the Executive, for swift and trouble free handling, I naturally rejoiced.

The country should rejoice and support such moves by the Executive. of course the Bar associations objected to it. I expect them to object to any such move of the Executive because it will limit their earning potential and simplify things where you do not need lawyers’ help. NAdRA is by far the most efficient and corruption free of all the departments under the control of the Executive and will no doubt do a good job.

This one small step will free ordinary people of the misery they face in courts after the sudden death of a loved one. It beats me that when all record is available at the touch of a finger why should the process be so complicated and cumbersome? This will help people to avoid both lawyers and the courts. Courts, especially civil courts are known for taking the longest route to a resolution and sometimes it covers generations. our judiciary comprises judges who are like long distance runners with lawyers as pace makers on either side of the track. one lawyer urges on the judge to run fast while the other lawyer pulls him back. It is always in the interest of one party to prolong the proceedings and the poor judicial officer already overburdened with cases has little choice not to accede to the demands for delay. That is one reason their daily cause list is a mile long and the backlog is getting legendary.

Former Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, with background in criminal law tried his best to resolve the backlog in criminal litigation, and the delays and injustices meted out to the poor and uneducated litigants at the hands of the incompetent lower judiciary and corrupt police. I have no doubt that had he two or three years more at the helm, he would have reformed the criminal justice system in the country. Former Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, with stellar background in civil law and humble orientation could have done the same in the field of civil litigation had he not tried to emulate another former Chief Justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, and made forays into the Ex-

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Hasan Aftab Saeed is a connoisseur of music, literature, and food (but not drinks). He can be reached at hasanas@live.jp.

ecutive’s domain. At times it appeared that he could do everybody’s job except his own. In fact, if someone had told me in the early 80’s when we had law chambers side by side that Mr. Saqib Nisar, Advocate will behave the way he did as Chief Justice, I would have never believed that person. Such is the thrill of power. democracy, a Greek word meaning “rule by the people” now has come to be largely known as “rule by the majority of the people.” This rule is exercised by people either directly or indirectly through their representatives and is distinguished from other forms of governments. democracy is considered the best form of government and even dictators like to call their governments as democratic. We all know that a democracy has three pillars—Legislature, Executive and Judiciary. All are equally important in that they carry out the will of the people. The will of the people demands speedy, cheap and fair justice. This is the reason Jirga system is still prevalent in rural areas because it largely provides speedy, cheap and fair justice.

While the criminal justice system depends on police investigations and evidence of witnesses to a crime, the civil justice system is mostly dependent upon contracts or agreements between two or more parties.

However, our laws and the courts have made these matters complicated and dependent upon lawyers’ interpretations which delays matters to no end. Judiciary as a pillar of democracy needs to do more to deliver justice to the people. This is the case in all democracies. The Courts must take a position of leadership and must strive to assert itself. We should not look too much towards the Legislature as we know in Pakistan it comprises semi-educated people, if at all. They are not interested in the wellbeing of people and frankly have never been since the inception of the country.

And if the Judiciary fails to deliver relief to people through it’s chain of command leading down to the civil courts, a vacuum takes place. In this vacuum, people look towards the Executive. Nature has a way of doing things. A vacuum is always filled one way or the other. Just like in the case of Succession Certificates the Executive is trying to fill the vacuum created by the Judiciary. It might also endeavor to solve people’s problems in contracts like marriage, property leases and all other simple contracts prima facie not requiring the help of lawyers or courts. A simple mechanism or appointment of divisional Arbitrators with just one appeal to the High Court of the province (if at all) with no stay of any kind might solve a lot of people’s problems.

The writer is a management consultant and innocence lawyer. He can be reached at as1236m@gmail.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Tuesday, 2 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

Kashmir conundrum THE war that we are in the middle of is not a war between Pakistan and India. It is a war being fought in Kashmir which has expanded itself into another war between two states. Kashmir is the real theatre of unspeakable violence that can push us into violence and nuclear war at any moment. To prevent this from happening, atrocities in Kashmir have to be addressed and resolved. That can only be done if Kashmiris are given a chance to freely and fearlessly tell the world what they are fighting for and what they really want.

Kashmir is the most militarized zone in the world, with an estimated half a million Indian soldiers posted there to counter what the army itself admits is now just a handful of jihadists for them the real enemy is Kashmiri people.

Thousands have been disappeared and tortured that label the valley like a network of small scale Abu Ghraibs. The abrogation of Kashmir’s special status was the front burner of BJP and RSS kitchen, to reignite their flagging passions, all they need to do is to pick the villain from their gallery and unleash the dogs of war. For them there are several villains, Pakistani and Kashmiris Jihadists and 200 million Indian Muslims who are always accused of being Pakistani lovers and anti-national traitors. Home Minister Amit Shah demonstrated the siege only existed in people’s imagination saying that telephone lines in the valley were only used by terrorists, normal life has not been affected, people are doing their necessary works. Further said, those who feel that life has been affected are once whose survival depends on terrorism. It is hard to work out who exactly Indian government sees as terrorists. Why should they want to be a part of India? For what reason? If freedom is what they want, freedom is what they should have. Kashmir may not defeat India, but it will consume it and in many ways it already has.

Shafi ahmEd Khowaja jati Sujawal

Kashmir Solidarity Day Kashmirs’ struggle continues

SAjjAD SHAukAT

S

INCE 1990, the 5th of February is being observed by the Kashmiris on both side of the Line of Control (LoC) and worldwide, including their Pakistani brethren as Kashmir Solidarity day to pay homage to Kahsmiri martyrs and to show solidarity with the freedom fighters who are demanding their legitimate right of self-determination, as recognized by the UN resolution.

The day is marked by public processions, seminars and protests which are carried out against the Indian oppression in the disputed territory of Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIoJK).

Indian Parliament revoked articles 35A and 370 of the Constitution on August 5, 2019, which gave a special status to the IIoJK. The act split the IIoJK into two territories to be ruled directly by New delhi.

Thus, implementing the Hindutva ideology, the leader of the extremist ruling party BJP-the fanatic Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government unilaterally annexed the IIoJK to turn Muslim majority into minority.

New delhi also amended a law, allowing Indian citizens to buy land in the IIoJK. And issued domicile certificates to more than 500,000 non-Kashmiris.

Now, more than 18 months have been passed. But, Indian strict military lockdown in the IIoJK continues. In order to conceal India’s state terrorism, Kashmir has been cut off from rest of the world. despite the deployment of more than 900,000 military troops in the IIoJK, who have martyred thousands of the innocent Kashmiris through brutal tactics-fake encounters—closure of mosques, shortage of foods, medicines for the patients and coronavirus-affected persons, the use of pellet guns and phosphorus bombs, Kashmiris’ struggle continues.

In fact, during the partition of the Sub-continent, the people of the state of Jammu and

Kashmir (J&K) which comprised Muslim majority decided to join Pakistan. But, dogra Raja, Sir Hari Singh, a Hindu who was ruling over the J&K in collusion with the Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Governor General Lord Mountbatten joined India.

The Radcliffe Boundary Award gave the Gurdaspur district—a majority Muslim area to India to provide a land route to the Indian forces to move into the J&K. Indian forces invaded Srinagar on october, 27 1947 and forcibly occupied the J&K in utter violation of the partition plan.

When Pakistan responded militarily, on december 31, 1947, India made an appeal to the UN Security Council to intervene and a ceasefire ultimately came into effect on January 01, 1949, following UN resolutions calling for a plebiscite in Kashmir.

The Security Council adopted resolution of April 21, 1948, which promised a plebiscite under UN auspices to enable the people of to determine whether they wish to join Pakistan or India. on February 5, 1964, India backed out of its commitment of holding plebiscite. Instead, Indian Parliament declared Kashmir-an integral part of the Indian union.

Since 1989, Kashmiris have already been enduring various forms of state terrorism; no Indian soldier has ever been taken to task.

Hence, since the military clampdown started, Indian armed forces have accelerated the employment of cruel tactics. Almost, 100,000 Kashmiris have died in the past 30 years.

In this regard, UN human rights experts on August 4, 2020 called on India and the international community to take urgent action to address the “alarming” human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir—“to investigate all cases of human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture and arbitrary detentions.”

Amnesty International said last year that it is “stopping its work in India because the government has frozen its bank accounts for highlighting rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir…the government had sought to punish it for that”.

In the recent past, the UNSC in its meetings has thrice reiterated that the Kashmir issue requires to be settled in accordance with the related Security Council resolutions.

Recently, several British parliamentarians

strongly agreed with Pakistan’s positions on the Modi government’s brutal treatment of the residents of the Indian occupied territory and gross human rights violations.

The European Parliament has repeatedly indicated that the people of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir had been subject to intolerable suppression of their freedom and fundamental rights.

Notably, in a latest statement, the UN Charter, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the resolution of Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN resolutions warned that any military confrontation between two nuclear powers-Pakistan and India would be a disaster for both countries and the whole world. He added: “his good offices are always available for mediation.”

And Indian prejudiced rulers are escalating tensions with Pakistan to divert attention from the drastic situation of the IIoJK and Indian internal issues.

Therefore, Indian forces have also accelerated shelling inside Pakistani side of Kashmir.

In a recent statement, ISPR said that Indian troops deployed along Line of Control in Charikot sector specifically targeted a United Nations vehicle carrying two officers of the United Nations Military observer Group in India and Pakistan.

India is also planning false flag operation-Pulwama-II against Pakistan, as Islamabad has repeatedly pointed out.

In the recent revelations, the EU disinfoLab disclosed the leaked WhatsApp chats between an anchorperson of Indian Channel Republic TV Arnab Goswami and Partho dasgupta, the former CEo of the Broadcast Audience Research Council, exposing the sinister designs hatched by Modi’s government to blame Pakistan for the false Pulwama attack, followed by a botched air strike on Balakot in 2019. Goswami was aware of the Indian government’s plans well in advance.

However, 5th of February is being celebrated as the Kashmir Solidarity day to pay homage to Kahsmiri martyrs and to display solidarity with the freedom fighters who continue their legitimate struggle, demanding their legitimate right of self-determination.

Despite the deployment of more than 900,000 military troops in the IIOJK, who have martyred thousands of the innocent Kashmiris through brutal tactics-fake encounters—closure of mosques, shortage of foods, medicines for the patients and coronavirus-affected persons, the use of pellet guns and phosphorus bombs, Kashmiris’ struggle continues.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

Deforestation FoRESTS cover more than a quarter of Earth’s land surface. These forests areas provide food, medicine, shelter and so on. A 2017 report by scientists at the University of Maryland showed that the tropics lost about 61.000 square miles of forests in 2017_ an area the size of Bangladesh. The Guardian reported that every second, a chunk of forest equivalent to the size of a soccer field is lost. The mentioned amounts are pretty shocking that need proper attention before it is too late. Trees also absorb corbon dioxide and provide oxygen for living creatures. Tropic trees alone are estimated to provide about 23% of the climate change. There are different factors that cause deforestation. Mostly forests are found in rural areas because near cities forests have already been cleared for construction works. The forest areas that exist in rural areas, their residents chop down trees to meet their daily needs because of not having access to natural gas.

Everyone can do their part to curb deforestation. Cleared areas of land must be planted again. It should be the responsibility of every state to implement strict laws on cutting down trees and the people that cut down trees for cooking and shelter must be provided alternatives. mEEr afzal hub

Land grabbing AdVISoR to the Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior, Mirza Shahzad Akbar on Sunday unveiled that the government had recovered Rs 210 billion from land grabbers, 36 of which belonged to the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N). Illegally occupied state land worth billions of rupees had been retrieved from PMLN’s stalwarts including Khuram dastagir, Senator Chaudhary Taveer, Javed Hashmi, Khawaja Asif, Abid Sher Ali, Malik Saif ul Malook Khokhar, daniyal Aziz, Jave Latif and others, he said. Addressing a press conference here at Press information department (PId), he said that these people had been using political influences to occupy the government property, which caused huge financial loss to the national exchequer. PML-N’s Chief Nawaz Sharif, he said, had introduced the politics of ‘changa manga’ and use of money in it to get personal benefits. Through a rapid anti corruption drive, the incumbent government succeeded to make these recoveries from the thieves who had been looting and plundering the national kitty during previous regimes. Shahzad Akbar said that the government would utilize this money to introduce universal health insurance in Punjab to provide free health facilities to citizens. Punjab government and its anti corruption department had made outstanding role in anti corruption drive which would continue in future efficiently, he said. Speaking about the narrative of parties included in Pakistan democratic Movement (PdM), he said that the purpose of their protests was just to defend their looted money and get NRos. Talking on senate elections, he said that the government had tabled a constitutional amendment bill in national assembly for open balloting, adding, the opposition parties had the opportunity to vote in its favor if they were sincere in transparency of the electoral process otherwise they should present their logic to the people for opposing it.

Sohail ali Khan iSlamabad

Corruption galore UNBRIdLEd corruption seems to have been gaining its ground in Pakistan. Corruption-free-Pakistan now appears to be a pipedream. “ Say No To Corruption” is meant to perhaps say nothing to corruption here—let it grow by leaps and bounds.

Claiming to put an end to rampant corruption in Pakistan within 90 days and bring back the looted money siphoned off in foreign bank accounts, the PTI government has failed miserably from its start to make any dent in rife curroption in the country. Mentioning in its current report of 2020, The Transparency International has said that corruption has increased four times in Pakistan. And out of 180 nations, Pakistan is ranked at 124 and its score is 31, despite the extraordinary efforts of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) claiming to have recovered Rs363billion in the last two years and the Public Account Committee which has also claimed to have recovered Rs 300bn in last two years.

To end corruption in Pakistan, PTI government should shun from cosmetic or perfunctory measures and take some serious and concrete efforts in this regard. riaz ahmad Soomro ShiKarpur

Tuesday, 2 February, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

Why MyanMar’s MiliTary sTaged a coup despiTe already MainTaining a TighT grip over The counTry THERE WAS ONE KEY POINT OF CONTENTION BETWEEN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY AND MILITARY: THE CONSTITUTIONAL PROHIBITIONS THAT MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR SUU KYI TO OFFICIALLY TAKE THE PRESIDENCY. SOME NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY FIGURES HAVE ALSO VOICED DEEP CONCERNS ABOUT THE PERMANENT ROLE CLAIMED BY THE ARMED FORCES AS AN ARBITER OF ALL LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS IN THE COUNTRY

ConverSation

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AdAm SimpSon & nicholAS FArrelly

UST before the newly elected members of Myanmar’s parliament were due to be sworn in on February 1, the military detained the country’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar President Win Myint and other key figures from the elected ruling party, the National League for Democracy.

The military later announced it had taken control of the country for 12 months and declared a state of emergency. This is a coup d’etat, whether the military calls it that or not.

A DISPUTED ELECTION AND CLAIMS OF FRAUD: In November, the National League for Democracy and Suu Kyi won a landslide victory in national elections, with the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party faring poorly in its key strongholds. humiliated by the result, the Union Solidarity and Development Party alleged the election was subject to widespread fraud. however, international observers, including the Carter Center, the Asian Network for Free elections and the european Union’s election Observation Mission, all declared the elections a success. The eU’s preliminary statement noted that 95% of observers had rated the process “good” or “very good”.

Reputable local organisations, such as the People’s Alliance for Credible elections, agreed. These groups issued a joint statement on January 21 saying, “the results of the elections were credible and reflected the will of the majority voters”.

Yet, taking a page out of former United States President Donald Trump’s book, the Union Solidarity and Development Party pressed its claims of fraud despite the absence of any substantial evidence – a move designed to undermine the legitimacy of the elections.

The military did not initially back the Union Solidarity and Development Party’s claims, but it has gradually begun to provide the party with more support, with the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, General Min Aung hlaing, refusing to rule out a coup last week. The following day, the country’s election authorities broke weeks of silence and firmly rejected the Union Solidarity and Development Party’s claims of widespread fraud – setting the stage for what Myanmar historian Thant Myint-U called “[Myanmar’s] most acute constitutional crisis since the abolition of the old junta in 2010”.

POWER-SHARING ARRANGEMENT: It is difficult to see how the military will benefit from its current actions since the power-sharing arrangement it had struck with the National League for Democracy under the 2008 constitution had already allowed it to expand its influence and economic interests in the country.

The military had previously ruled Myanmar for half a century after General Ne Win launched a coup in 1962.

A so-called internal “self-coup” in 1988 brought a new batch of military generals to power. That junta, led by Senior General Than Shwe, allowed elections in 1990 that were won in a landslide by Suu Kyi’s party. The military leaders, however, refused to acknowledge the results.

In 2008, a new constitution was drawn up by the junta which reserved 25% of the national parliament seats for the military and allowed it to appoint the ministers of defence, border affairs and home affairs, as well as a vice president. elections in 2010 were boycotted by the National League for Democracy, but the party won a resounding victory in the next elections in 2015.

Since early 2016, Suu Kyi has been de facto leader of Myanmar, even though there is still no civilian oversight of the military. Until this past week, the relationship between civilian and military authorities was tense at times but overall largely cordial. It was based on mutual recognition of overlapping interests in key areas of national policy.

Indeed, this power-sharing arrangement has been extremely comfortable for the military, as it has had full autonomy over security matters and maintained lucrative economic interests. The partnership allowed the military’s “clearance operations” in Rakhine State in 2017 that re-

sulted in the exodus of 740,000 mostly Muslim Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh. In the wake of that pogrom, Suu Kyi vigorously defended both the country and its military at the International Court of Justice. Myanmar’s global reputation – and Suu Kyi’s once-esteemed personal standing – suffered deeply and never recovered.

Nonetheless, there was one key point of contention between the National League for Democracy and military: the constitutional prohibitions that made it impossible for Suu Kyi to officially take the presidency. Some National League for Democracy figures have also voiced deep concerns about the permanent role claimed by the armed forces as an arbiter of all legal and constitutional matters in the country.

A BACKWARDS STEP FOR MYANMAR: Regardless of how events unfold this week and beyond, Myanmar’s fragile democracy has been severely undermined by the military’s actions.

The National League for Democracy government has certainly had its shortcomings, but a military coup is a significant backwards step for Myanmar – and is bad news for democracy in the region. It is difficult to see this action as anything other than a way for General Min Aung hlaing to retain his prominent position in national politics,

What’s next for Afghanistan?

THE GEOPOLITICAL VITALITY OF AFGHANISTAN IS ROOTED IN THE COUNTRY’S GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION AS A HUB OF CONNECTIVITY. THE MOST FEASIBLE WAY THAT AFGHANISTAN CAN BE SAVED AS A POTENTIALLY STABLE AND FUNCTIONING STATE IS FOR THE US TO MAKE A RESPONSIBLE WITHDRAWAL StrategiSt (aSPi)

T

Amin SAikAl

he fate of Afghanistan has been a perennial issue, decided often by outside powers rather than by the Afghan people. As far back as 1908, British conservative statesman George Curzon declared at the annual dinner of the Central Asian Society in London that, in his estimation, ‘in fifty or a hundred years hence, Afghanistan will be as vital and important a question as it is now’. Curzon’s prediction rang as true then as it does today.

When Curzon uttered his words, Great Britain was grappling with the question of how to tame Afghanistan as a vital geographic entity according to its geopolitical preferences in support of its South Asian colonial layout in rivalry with Tsarist Russia. The British failed, as did the Tsarists’ Soviet successors in invading and occupying Afghanistan for a decade in the 1980s.

Today, the United States—the third major power of the last two centuries—is struggling with what to do with Afghanistan. After fighting in the country for two decades, the U.S., backed by NATO and non-NATO allies, wants a military exit but, if it can help it, without the humiliation that the British and Soviets faced and, indeed, the United States itself had to weather over Vietnam.

In September 2018, the U.S. commenced a serious effort to achieve its objective through a political settlement of the Afghanistan conflict. Its machinations enabled President Donald Trump—a longstanding critic of America’s involvement in Afghanistan—to reduce the U.S. troop deployment from 14,000 to the current level of 2,500. But so far there has been little progress towards a workable and lasting political settlement, for several reasons.

For a start, the whole Trump approach, conducted by his Afghan-American envoy for Afghanistan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, has proved to be misguided.

After some 18 months of dialogue with America’s erstwhile terrorist enemy, the Taliban, and shuttle diplomacy to build regional and international consensus in support of his mission, Khalilzad could only secure the U.S.–Taliban peace agreement of February 2020. The agreement was badly flawed. It essentially provided for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Afghanistan by May 2021 and the immediate release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners from Afghan jails. This was in return for a Taliban pledge not to allow any hostile actions emanating from Afghanistan against the U.S. and its allies and to free 1,000 Afghan soldiers in the militia’s captivity.

The deal was publicly touted as a pathway to a political settlement to be hammered out among the Afghan parties.

It elevated the Taliban as America’s partner in peace, but did not conditionally require the group to declare a universal ceasefire and negotiate in good faith with the Afghan government (which was not a party to the agreement and was rejected by the Taliban as a ‘puppet’) and other concerned Afghan parties for a lasting political settlement.

Second, the U.S. side wrongly assumed that the Taliban had sufficient territorial control to prevent any hostile actions. It also placed too much trust in the Taliban to sever its longstanding intimate links with al-Qaeda and, for that matter, with a number of other destructive and criminal groups, including the rival Khorasan branch of Islamic State (IS-K) and narcotics producers and traffickers, from whose activities the Taliban derive significant benefits. Since the signing of the peace deal, the U.S. intelligence services and the United Nations have confirmed the Taliban’s continued camaraderie with most of these entities, al-Qaeda in particular.

Finally, in concluding the deal, Washington paid little attention to the conditions on the ground in Afghanistan.

The political, economic and security situation in the country had been declining steadily, especially since the withdrawal of most U.S. and NATO allied troops by the end of 2014. The government in Kabul has remained weak,

divided and kleptocratic, while its security forces, suffering from increased desertion and fatalities, can’t hold back the dam for too long without support from foreign forces and American air cover when needed.

The socially mosaicked Afghanistan has historically been a land of strongmen and personalised politics and this has not substantially changed, robbing the country of the potential for national unity and consensus on the form and functions of the government. It continues to be a weak state with strong societies.

The U.S.–Taliban peace deal obliged the Taliban not to fight the American and allied forces but gave them carte blanche to escalate their operations against government forces and strategic targets, resulting in higher military and civilian fatalities over the past year. Instability, insecurity, kidnapping and the targeted assassinations of enlightened religious figures, journalists and civil activists (most of whom have been critical of the Taliban and the government of President Ashraf Ghani) have lately become the order of the day. The Taliban have denied targeted assassinations, but the suspicion has fallen on them and IS-K as well as the government. Today, Afghanistan is one of the most corrupt and dangerous countries in which to live.

U.S. President Joe Biden has inherited a terrible Afghan legacy. While he also wants to see the end of America’s entanglement in the unwinnable and costly war—the longest in U.S. history—he is conscious of not tarnishing the image of the U.S. and NATO as ostensibly a formidable military alliance. his administration has said that it will review the U.S.–Taliban peace agreement to ensure that the Taliban meet their end of the bargain. however, the Taliban have made it clear that they feel they have fulfilled their commitment under the agreement by not fighting the U.S. and allied troops, and that they would view a delay in the total foreign troop withdrawal by May as a violation of the deal, obliging them to resume fighting those troops. At least three scenarios are possible in the foreseeable future.

The first is that the Biden team stays on course with

given he is mandated to retire this year when he turns 65.

With the poor electoral performance of the Union Solidarity and Development Party, there are no other conceivable political routes to power, such as through the presidency.

A coup will be counterproductive for the military in many ways. Governments around the world will likely now apply or extend sanctions on members of the military. Indeed, the US has released a statement saying it would “take action” against those responsible. Foreign investment in the country – except perhaps from China – is also likely to plummet. As Myanmar’s people have already enjoyed a decade of increased political freedoms, they are also likely to be uncooperative subjects as a military rule is re-imposed. The 2020 general election demonstrated, once again, the distaste in Myanmar for the political role of the armed forces and the enduring popularity of Suu Kyi. her detention undermines the fragile coalition that was steering Myanmar through a perilous period and could prove a messy end to the profitable détente between civilian and military forces.

Adam Simpson is a Senior Lecturer at the University of South Australia. Nicholas Farrelly is a Professor and Head of Social Sciences at the University of Tasmania.

the troop withdrawal, retaining a residual force to protect the U.S. mission in Kabul and conduct counterterrorism operations to prevent hostile actions from Afghanistan.

The U.S. and its allies would have to continue funding the Afghan forces to the tune of billions of dollars to enable them to rebuff a unilateral Taliban takeover. But this picture underestimates the psychological, economic and security impact of the withdrawal, overestimates the capacity of Afghan forces, and overlooks the weaknesses of the Afghan government as a cohesive, inclusive, effective and popular force.

In the second scenario, the Afghan government could collapse and the country could plunge into an internecine conflict, with Afghanistan’s neighbours backing different client groups—something that occurred in the wake of the disintegration of the Soviet surrogate government of Najibullah in 1992. There are non-governmental forces that would seek to deter a victory by the Taliban. In the process, the Taliban might gain the upper hand but wouldn’t be able to acquire more than a limited writ over the country. The conflict would continue, with the international community facing serious dilemmas in providing assistance to a Taliban-run government.

The third is that the Biden administration is able to strike a deal with Pakistan to cajole the Taliban to reach an agreement in the Doha talks for a power-sharing arrangement. This scenario is likely, provided it enjoys regional consensus, involving a reduction in U.S.–Iranian hostility with Washington’s return to the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement. however, the resultant governing system would be tenuous, rendering Afghanistan a feeble actor prone to the influence of regional players, and of Pakistan in particular.

All of these scenarios are deeply troublesome. each one points to the survival of Afghanistan as a seriously disrupted state. The geopolitical vitality of Afghanistan is rooted in the country’s geographical location as a hub of connectivity. The most feasible way that Afghanistan can be saved as a potentially stable and functioning state is for the U.S. to make a responsible withdrawal. That would require a universal ceasefire and a comprehensive political settlement under a transitional technocratic government, made up of non-partisan, talented, dedicated and clean personalities from the ranks of the younger generation of Afghans. Such figures don’t carry the excess baggage that has paralysed the current crop of power holders. Otherwise, Curzon’s concerns about the Afghanistan question stand to haunt the Afghan people and outside actors for years to come.

Amin Saikal, is an adjunct professor of social sciences at the University of Western Australia and the author of Modern Afghanistan: a history of struggle and survival.

buSiNESS 09 CORPORATE CORNER

CaBInEt lIkEly tO fOrM 'panEl Of nEutralS' tO rESOlvE dISputES WItH IppS ISLAMABAD

KARACHI: Hysab Kytab, a technology company that provides digital solutions through a suite of financial management and consumer products, has signed a partnership with NdcTech. This partnership will allow NdcTech customers smarter money management and an improved bank-user engagement for a greater share of the wallet.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Institute of Management (PIM) on Monday hosted the first-ever meeting of the newly constituted Fire Protection Industry of Pakistan (FPIP) in the provincial capital.

t

AHAMAD AHMADANI

HE federal cabinet is likely to approve the constitution of a 'panel of neutrals' to address controversies related to Independent Power Producers (IPPs). According to sources, the Ministry of Law & Justice has requested the federal cabinet to issue a notification with regard to the constitution of a seven-member panel of neutrals to resolve disputes with IPPs in accordance with Alternative Dispute Resolution Rules, 2018, read with Section 4 (1) of the Act, 2017.

As per the law ministry, the panel comprises of Justice (r) Moulvi Anwarul Haq, along with Supreme

LPG price increased

by Rs10.3 per kg ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

ISLAMABAD: With Pakistan’s largest sporting event just around the corner, electronics giant TCL Pakistan once again renewed their partnership with Peshawar Zalmi. The partnership was formally signed by Zalmi Chairman Javed Afridi and TCL Pakistan’s General Manager Sunny Yang.

KARACHI: National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD), in collaboration with the Sindh government, has established its 29th centre at “Airports Security Force (ASF), Medical Centre, near Pehlwan Goth, Gulistan-e-Johar” to facilitate patients with chest pain with easy access and free of cost services.

After back-to-back increases in fuel prices, the poor consumers are now faced with another setback, as Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has increased the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by Rs10.37 per kilogramme for the month of February.

According to ORGA notification, the price of domestic 11.8-kg LPG cylinder has gone up

by Rs122, while that of commercial cylinder by Rs471. Resultantly, the domestic cylinder will now be available at Rs1,863 instead of Rs1,741, and commercial cylinder at Rs7,168 instead of Rs6,697.

“OGRA hiked the LPG price by Rs8,870 per tonne for LPG producer companies,” the notification read. “LPG price in the international market jumped to $574 against $536, causing an increase in domestic prices of LPG.” Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Monday, LPG Industries Association of Pakistan Chairman Irfan Khokhar informed that the local LPG production stood at 735,460 metric tonnes whereas

ISLAMABAD

ISLAMABAD: Bank Alfalah and The Beaconhouse Group have signed a memorandum of understanding to facilitate personal loan financing solutions for the employees of the Beaconhouse School System.

Indus Motor renews pledge to educate less privileged children KARACHI: Indus Motor Company (IMC) has signed a memorandum of understanding with The Citizens Foundation (TCF), renewing its pledge for the 13th running year to provide quality education from grass root level to the country’s less privileged children. This collaboration will entail managing the company’s flagship Toyota Goth Education Program (T-GEP) through TCF schools as well as TCF campuses built and supported by IMC in multiple cities. Speaking on the collaboration, IMC CEO Ali Asghar Jamali observed, “Pakistan has the world’s secondhighest number of out-of-school children aged between 5-16 years. IMC is committed to play its role in making a difference by supporting to educate the less privileged children of our country.” PR

the industry imported 473,900 metric tonnes to meet its requirements in 2020.

Annoyed with imposition of levy and high rates of other taxes, Khokhar demanded the government to waive these taxes in order to provide cheap LPG to the masses in the winter season.

He stressed that the country is already facing a severe gas supply crisis as the shortfall has hit nine million cubic feet. "Insane policies and exorbitant taxes are negatively impacting the LPG industry; distributors are paying over Rs6 billion in taxes."

Noting that the government is mulling to impose taxes on LPG imported via Taftan border, he said such an illogical move would make LPG unaffordable for the masses.

It may be noted that the federal government on Sunday had approved Rs2.70 per litre increase in the price of petrol. The price of diesel was hiked by Rs2.88 per litre; kerosene oil Rs3.54 per litre; and light diesel by Rs3 per litre for the first 15 days of February. This was the third consecutive hike in fuel prices since Dec 31st 2020.

CDNS offers less tax to customers receiving up to Rs0.5m profit STAFF REPORT

KARACHI: Hashmanis Group of Hospitals Chairman Dr Sharif Hashmani inaugurates the hospital’s newly established diagnosing centre, with vaccination and laboratory facilities, in Clifton's Zamzama area.

Court advocates Tahir Abbasi, Shireen Imran, Tahir Abbasi, Humaira Masihuddin, Hafiz Arfat Ahmed, Hadiya Aziz, and Natalya Kamal.

Sources said that the cabinet meeting, be held on Tuesday, is likely to allow the issuance of a notification regarding the formation of the panel, which would help resolve issues related to the controversial Rs60 billion payments to IPPs. They said that the decision to constitute a panel of neutrals was taken to avoid investigation of IPPs by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as well as international courts.

Earlier, Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice had approved the constitution of a panel of nine members, comprising retired judges and advocates, to resolve IPP-related disputes. However, the law ministry

People deriving profit less than Rs500,000 on national saving schemes are required to provide a certificate in order to get reduced income tax rate at 10pc, said officials at the Central Directorate of National Savings (CDNS).

At present, the rate of income tax on profit from the national savings scheme is 15pc. However, the rate shall be 10pc in case annual profit is up to Rs500,000 and the person receiving the profit provides a certificate that his return on saving schemes shall not be above the threshold.

Officials said that the rate of tax shall be 15pc in case the annual profit is above Rs500,000 in the said schemes. However, the rate at 15pc is available only to persons on the Active Taxpayers List (ATL). In other cases

where a person is not on the ATL, the tax rate shall be 30pc.

Sources said the CDNS had circulated the information about amendments to the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001, through a letter issued early this fiscal year to all zonal heads and other concerned stakeholders. Through the Finance Act, 2020, an amendment related to profit on debt was introduced to Section 151 of Income Tax Ordinance, 2001.

Section 151 (1)(a) explained that for yield on profit (profit on debt) on account, deposit or a certificate under the National Saving Schemes or Post Office Savings Account, the rate of tax shall be 10pc of the gross yield/profit paid on amount up to Rs500,000.

The rate of tax exceeding Rs500,000 shall be 15pc of the gross yield/profit paid. For persons not appearing in the ATL, the applicable tax rate is to be increased by 100pc.

had sought approval for a seven-member panel, as Justice (r) Sardar Muhammad Aslam had expired due to Covid-19 while advocate Fayayz Ahmed Anjum Jandran was elevated as an IHC judge.

According to documents, the section 4 of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Act, 2017, provides that the federal government, after consultation with the high court, will notify in the official gazette a panel of neutrals from among lawyers with at least seven years practicing experience, retired judges, retired civil servants, Ulema, jurists, technocrats and experts and such other persons of repute and integrity having such qualifications and experience as may prescribed.

In this regard, Alternative Dispute Resolution Rules, 2018, were prescribed.

Meezan Bank's Irfan Siddiqui elected as OICCI president LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Meezan Bank Limited President and CEO Irfan Siddiqui has taken over as the president of the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) for 2021. This was announced during the 161st Annual General Meeting of the OICCI held at the chamber on Monday. Engro Corporation Ltd President & CEO Ghiasuddin Khan was elected as the vice president of the chamber. Other elected members of the OICCI Managing Committee included Erum Shakir Rahim from Glaxosmithkline Pakistan Ltd, Ali Asghar Jamali from Indus Motor Company Ltd, Atsushi Fujii from Mitsubishi Corporation, Aamir Hafeez from Ibrahim Pakistan Mobile Communications Ltd, Sami Ahmed from Procter & Gamble Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd, Markus Strohmeier from Siemens Pakistan Engineering Co Ltd, Mehmet Celepoglu from Total Parco Pakistan Ltd, and Amir Rasool Paracha from Unilever Pakistan Ltd. The incoming OICCI president, in his message to members, said that he strongly believes that Pakistan offers considerable growth potential for existing foreign investors and attractive opportunities for new investors. He said his conviction is supported by OICCI members who invested over $16 billion in new capital expenditure in the last eight years. Irfan Siddiqui is a chartered accountant from England and Wales and is the founding president of Meezan Bank. Prior to joining Meezan Bank, he has held several senior management positions including CEO at Al-Meezan Investment Bank Limited, general manager at Pakistan Kuwait Investment Company, and senior executive positions at Kuwait Investment Authority.

Waves submits EOI to purchase Heavy Electrical Complex NEWS DESK Waves Singer Pakistan Limited has shown an interest in acquiring 96.6pc shares of Heavy Electrical Complex (Private) Limited (HEC). According to a statement received by the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Monday, the board of directors of Waves Singer Pakistan Limited has "approved the submission of an expression of interest (EOI) for the acquisition of 96.6pc shares of HEC from the government by way of privatisation process". The EOI will be followed by a detailed due diligence process (if the company is shortlisted) and completion of other necessary formalities, the statement read. The results of the due diligence shall be placed before the board for review and discussion and to resolve/approve further course of action in respect of the transaction. In November last, the Cabinet Committee on Privatisation (CCoP) approved the transaction structure for the divestment of 96.6pc shares of HEC.

MARKET DAILY

KSE-100 fails to sustain early gains, ends 137 points lower KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) endured a volatile session on Monday, with the benchmark index failing to sustain gains accumulated in early trade to close in the red.

Global equity markets displayed mixed sentiments, whereas crude oil prices inched up from the previous close; WTI crude price appreciating 1.00pc to $52.72 while Brent crude oil price rising 1.29pc to $55.73 (as at 4:28pm PST).

"The stock market opened on a positive note, gaining almost 400 points intraday mainly on the back of buying activity witnessed in refinery, fertilizer and chemical sectors. However, the rally was halted in the latter half of the day, as in-

vestors resorted to profit booking, particularly in banks, exploration & production, oil & gas marketing and cement sectors," a report issued by Arif Habib Ltd read.

SUMMARY: The benchmark KSE-100 Index swayed both ways on Monday, registering its intraday high at 46,762.64 (+377.10 points) and low at 46,188.25 (-197.29 points). It finally settled lower by 137.09 points at 46,248.45.

Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index added 15.64 points to end at 74,238.40, whereas the KSE All Share Index dropped 60.46 points, closing at 32,001.08. The overall market volumes declined from 840.2 million shares in the previous session to 693.6 million shares (-18pc). Average traded value also dropped 6pc, from $203.4 million to $190.6 million.

Refinery Ltd (PRL +0.59pc), K-Electric Ltd (KEL

+2.96pc) and Pakistan International Bulk Terminal Ltd (PIBTL +3.22pc) led the volume chart, exchanging 81.62 million, 65.11 million and 62.07 million shares, respectively.

Sectors that dragged the benchmark index lower included cement (-84.90 points), banking (-74.07 points) and technology & communication (-50.98 points). Among the companies, TRG Pakistan Ltd (TRG -58.01 points), Lucky Cement Ltd (LUCK 46.25 points) and United Bank Ltd (UBL -19.16 points) dented the index the most.

Shedding 1.65pc from its cumulative market capitalization, the cement sector ended as the session's worst performer, with Maple Leaf Cement Factory Ltd (MLCF -1.72pc), DG Khan Cement Company Ltd (DGKC -1.73pc) and Lucky Cement Ltd (LUCK 2.15pc) closing in the negative.

Meanwhile, in a notification to the exchange, Lucky Cement Limited (LUCK -2.15pc) announced that it would enhance its cement production capacity at the 'Pezu Plant' by 3.15MT per annum to meet the increasing demand. The construction will begin in the current financial year with an expected construction period of 1.5 to 2 years.

10 FOREIGN NEWS

OxfORd Kept COvid-19 vaCCiNe tRial vOlUNteeRS iN daRK abOUt dOSiNg eRROR, letteR ShOwS LONDON

a

AGENCIES

BOUT 1,500 of the initial volunteers in a late-stage clinical trial of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine were given the wrong dose, but weren’t informed that a mistake had been made after the blunder was discovered, documents obtained by Reuters show.

Instead, the dosing mishap was presented to the trial participants in a letter dated June 8 as an opportunity for University of Oxford researchers to learn how well the vaccine works at different doses. The letter was signed by the trial’s chief investigator, Oxford professor Andrew J. Pollard, and sent

to the trial subjects.

As Reuters reported on Dec. 24, participants were given about a half dose due to a measuring mistake by Oxford researchers.

The Pollard letter didn’t acknowledge any error. Nor did it disclose that researchers had reported the issue to British medical regulators, who then told Oxford to add another test group to receive the full dose, in line with the trial’s original plan.

There is no suggestion there was any risk to the health of trial participants.

Much is riding on the British-developed vaccine, which is being rolled out across the UK and has been touted as a low-cost weapon against the pandemic. The jab has come under scrutiny because of the dosing

error in the Oxford trial and a paucity of data about its efficacy in older people who are most vulnerable to the virus.

Reuters shared the letter – which it obtained from the university through a Freedom of Information request – with three different experts in medical ethics. The ethicists all said it indicates the researchers may not have been transparent with trial participants. Volunteers in clinical trials are supposed to be kept fully informed about any changes.

“They are not clear at all about what they need to be clear about – what’s going on, what they knew, the rationale for undertaking further research,” said Arthur L. Caplan, founding head of the Division of Medical

Ethics at New York University Grossman School of Medicine. “It is lost in a snowstorm of verbiage.”

Steve Pritchard, a spokesman for Oxford, told Reuters: “The half-dose group was unplanned, but we did know in advance that there was a discrepancy in the dose measurements and discussed this with the regulators before dosing and when the dosing was revised.” Pritchard also said, “We have not stated that a dosing error occurred.”

Pollard didn’t respond to a request for comment. The spokesman’s suggestion that no error was made is contradicted by documents produced last year by Oxford and its vaccine partner, drugs giant AstraZeneca PLC. In December, Reuters reported that a

“Global Statistical Analysis Plan” by Oxford/AstraZeneca, dated Nov. 17 and later published in the scientific journal The Lancet, called the dosing discrepancy “a potency miscalculation.”

A spokesman for AstraZeneca declined to comment. The Health Research Authority, a British government agency responsible for approving medical research and ensuring it is ethical, said in a statement that changes to the study design and the letter sent to participants were approved by one of its ethics committees. The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine recently has received authorization for use in a growing number of countries, including the United Kingdom, the European Union and India. The UK became the first country to approve it, and began rolling out the vaccine on January 4. But questions surrounding the clinical trials continue to plague the vaccine. Last week, Germany’s vaccine committee recommended it should only be given to people aged under 65, while the EU, which authorized it on Friday for people aged 18 and over, lowered its reported efficacy rate from 70.4% to 60%.

Dozens of former Bush officials leave Republican Party, calling it 'Trump cult' AGENCIES

Russian prosecutors seek Navalny jail term as Kremlin tells US to back off MOSCOW AGENCIES

Russian state prosecutors said they would back an effort to jail opposition politician Alexei Navalny for up to three and a half years at a court hearing on Tuesday, as the Kremlin said it would not heed U.S. complaints about his case. Riot police used forced to break up protests across Russia on Sunday calling for Navalny, a prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin, to be freed. More than 5,300 people were detained in a massive show of force.

That prompted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to condemn what he said was the persistent use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists, and to call for Navalny’s release. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Moscow would ignore Blinken’s comments about what he said were illegal protests inside Russia and warned against Washington imposing any new sanctions. “...We are not prepared to accept or heed American statements about this,” said Peskov. A court on Tuesday is set to consider a request from Moscow’s prison service to hand Navalny a jail term of up to three and a half years for alleged parole violations which he calls trumped up.

The Prosecutor General’s office said on Monday that the request was legal and justified and that state prosecutors would ask a court to grant the prison service’s request.

Navalny, 44, is serving a 30 day stint in jail after being immediately arrested upon arrival in Russia from Germany where he had been recovering from a nerve agent attack in Russia. He says Putin ordered his murder, something the Kremlin denies. Sunday’s nationwide rallies, held for a second straight weekend, drew an angry response from the Kremlin. Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, on Monday said a large number of “hooligans and provocateurs” had been present who he accused of acting aggressively towards the police. “There can be no conversation with hooligans and provocateurs, the law should be applied with the utmost severity,” Peskov told reporters. Pavel Chikov, a lawyer and rights advocate, said police had opened 40 criminal cases in 18 different regions related to the two weekends of protests. Navalny’s allies have called on supporters to gather outside the Moscow court on Tuesday during his hearing, something the authorities are certain to characterise as an illegal protest.

Dozens of Republicans in former President George W. Bush’s administration are leaving the party, dismayed by a failure of many elected Republicans to disown Donald Trump after his false claims of election fraud sparked a deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol last month.

These officials, some who served in the highest echelons of the Bush administration, said they had hoped that a Trump defeat would lead party leaders to move on from the former president and denounce his baseless claims that the November presidential election was stolen.

But with most Republican lawmakers sticking to Trump, these officials say they no longer recognize the party they served. Some have ended their membership, others are letting it lapse while a few are newly registered as independents, according to a dozen former Bush officials who spoke with Reuters.

“The Republican Party as I knew it no longer exists. I’d call it the cult of Trump,” said Jimmy Gurulé, who was Undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence in the Bush administration.

Kristopher Purcell, who worked in the Bush White House’s communications office for six years, said roughly 60 to 70 former Bush officials have decided to leave the party or are cutting ties with it, from conversations he has been having. “The number is growing every day,” Purcell said.

Their defection from the Republican Party after a lifetime of service for many is another clear sign of how a growing intraparty conflict over Trump and his legacy is fracturing it.

The party is currently caught between disaffected moderate Republicans and independents disgusted by the hold Trump still has over elected officials, and Trump’s fervently loyal base. Without the enthusiastic support of both groups, the party will struggle to win national elections, according to polling, Republican officials and strategists.

The Republican National Committee referred Reuters to a recent interview its chair Ronna McDaniel gave to the Fox Business channel.

“We’re having a little bit of a spat right now. But we are going to come together. We have to,” McDaniel said, predicting the party will unite against the agenda of President Joe Biden, a Democrat.

Representatives for Trump did not respond to a request for comment.

A representative of former President Bush did not respond to a request for comment. During the Trump presidency Bush made clear he had “retired from politics.”

‘IT’S APPALLING’: More than half of the Republicans in Congress - eight senators and 139 House representatives - voted to block certification of the election just hours after the Capitol siege.

Most Republican Senators have also indicated they would not support the impeachment of Trump, making it almost certain that the former president won’t be convicted in his Senate trial.

Trump was impeached on Jan. 13 by the Democratic-led House of Representatives on charges of “incitement of insurrection,” the only president to be impeached twice.

The unwillingness by party leaders to disavow Trump was the final straw for some former Republican officials.

“If it continues to be the party of Trump, many of us are not going back,” Rosario Marin, a former Treasurer of the U.S. under Bush, told Reuters. “Unless the Senate convicts him, and rids themselves of the Trump cancer, many of us will not be going

Israel and Kosovo establish diplomatic relations in virtual ceremony TEL AVIV AGENCIES

Israel and Kosovo established diplomatic relations on Monday, via online links due to the coronavirus crisis, under a U.S.-brokered deal that includes a pledge by the Muslim-majority country to open an embassy in Jerusalem.

Israel sees its new ties with the tiny Balkan country as part of its broader normalisation with Arab and Muslim countries under agreements sponsored by former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump announced the two countries’ ties in September as a side deal to an economic agreement between Kosovo and Serbia. As part of the deal, Serbia, which has ties with Israel, also agreed to open an em-

bassy in Jerusalem.

During a signing ceremony held via Zoom video conference, Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said the new ties were “historic” and “reflect a change in the region, and in the Arab (and) Muslim world’s relationship with Israel”.

Ashkenazi said he had received an official request from Kosovo to establish a Jerusalem embassy, which Israeli officials hope will open by end-March.

Only two countries - the United States and Guatemala - have embassies in Jerusalem. Others, including Malawi and Honduras, have pledged to make the move. The status of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest obstacles to forging a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, who with broad international backing want East Jerusalem, captured by Israel in

the 1967 Middle East war, as their capital.

The ceremony included the unveiling of a commemorative plaque that will be placed at the entrance to Kosovo’s embassy in Jerusalem upon opening, Israel’s foreign ministry said.

Kosovo Foreign Minister Meliza HaradinajStublla said Kosovo and Israel share a “historic bond” and had both “witnessed a long and challenging path to existing as a people and becoming states”.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, almost a decade after a guerrilla uprising by its ethnic Albanian majority. Haradinaj-Stublla said she had spoken in recent days with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who she said voiced President Joe Biden’s support for Kosovo’s new relations with Israel and economic agreement with Serbia.

'Gamestonk' retail fever cools as silver grabs attention LONDON AGENCIES

Silver broke above $30 an ounce for the first time since 2013 on Monday as an army of retail traders stormed into the metal, switching their focus from mission “Gamestonk” and triggering fears of a multi-asset melt-up in global markets.

As traders turned their attention to silver - a bigger and more liquid market than the individual stocks targeted until last week -

back to vote for Republican leaders.”

Two former Bush officials who spoke to Reuters said they believe it is important to stay in the party to rid it of Trump’s influence.

One of those, Suzy DeFrancis, a veteran of the Republican Party who served in administrations including those of former presidents Richard Nixon and George W. Bush, said she voted for Biden in November but that breaking the party apart now will only benefit Democrats.

“I totally understand why people are frustrated and want to leave the party. I’ve had that feeling for 4 years,” DeFrancis said.

But she said it’s critical the party unite around Republican principles such as limited government, personal responsibility, free enterprise and a strong national defense.

Purcell said many felt they have no choice, however. He referred to Marjorie Taylor Greene, a freshman Republican congresswoman from Georgia who promotes the QAnon conspiracy theory. Another newly elected Representative, Lauren Boebert from Colorado, has also made supportive statements about QAnon. “We have QAnon members of Congress. It’s appalling,” Purcell said.

shares in video game retailer GameStop slipped 4% in premarket trade, after closing Friday at $325.

Shares in the company, whose intentionally misspelled name earned the trend the social media moniker of ‘Gamestonk’, have soared 1,600% this year as small-time investors scooped up assets big fund managers had bet against, or ‘shorted’.

Another retail favourite, AMC Entertainment, was up 18%, having risen more than 500% this year.

But these are relatively small moves compared to multi-fold swings last week when small-time traders, who organised in online forums and traded with fee-free brokers such as Robinhood, saddled several powerful hedge funds with losses on their short positions.

Instead the frenzy was more apparent in spot silver, which headed for its biggest one-day rise since 2008 with an 11% gain.

Silver’s almost 20% increase since Wednesday has ignited a rally in silver-

mining stocks globally, with Fresnillo shares soaring 20.5% to top the UK bluechip FTSE 100 index.

Shares Silver Trust ETF, the largest silver-backed ETF, was up 9% in U.S. premarket trading.

The rise in physical silver prices, which follows thousands of Reddit posts and hundreds of YouTube videos, suggests investors bearish on silver could be about to take a hit.

“I would look at the silver rally the

same way as I would the GameStop saga from the point of view of market stability, for now it’s not an immediate concern, but if we see sharp moves we could see some deleveraging in markets,” said Antoine Bouvet, a strategist at ING. “This reducing of risk through deleveraging could potentially boost demand for bonds if it is causing excess volatility.”

Already, Goldman Sachs said the amount of position-covering last week by U.S. hedge funds, buying and selling, was the highest since the financial crisis more than a decade ago.

The trend has drawn the ire of hedge funds, with global industry body AIMA calling it “dangerous”

Tuesday, 2 February, 2021

MiSbah waRnS aGainSt coMPlacency in Second teSt aGainSt South afRica RAWALPINDI

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AGENCIES

EAD coach Misbahul Haq doesn’t want his team to get complacent ahead of this week’s second Test match against South Africa.

The home side fought back from 27-4 in its first innings at Karachi to beat the Proteas by seven wickets and take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. The second Test starts at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Yasir Shah and 34-year-old left-arm spinner Nauman Ali, playing in his first Test match, shared 14 wickets between them against a struggling South Africa batting line-up. “It was a much-needed victory,” Misbah said. “The team came back from a difficult position, but we don’t want to be complacent. South Africa is a tough team and we know they will come back hard at us.”

Since taking over as head coach in 2019, Misbah has lost three away Test series — against Australia, England and New Zealand — but his Pakistan side has beaten less formidable teams like Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at home.

THE SECOND TEST STARTS AT RAWALPINDI CRICKET STADIUM ON THURSDAY

Misbah and bowling coach Waqar Younis were summoned by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after the team lost a Test series 2-0 in New Zealand in January.

PSG suffer first defeat under Pochettino PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain suffered their first defeat under Mauricio Pochettino as lowly Lorient fought back to claim a dramatic 3-2 victory on Sunday, allowing Lille to go top of Ligue 1. Neymar scored two penalties but the visitors collapsed late on at the Stade du Moustoir, as Nigerian Terem Moffi netted an injury-time winner. PSG drop to third, one point behind second-placed Lyon, with Lille a further two points ahead after their 1-0 win over Dijon. “We have to keep the positive aspects and move forward,” said former Tottenham manager Pochettino. “Accidents happen in football. We have to keep working.

It makes us realise that it can happen if we don’t play at 100 percent.” It was the first defeat in six games as PSG coach for Pochettino since he took over from the sacked Thomas Tuchel. The win takes struggling Lorient into the relegation play-off spot. “(Moffi’s goal) was magical. Against PSG, it’s even crazier,” said Lorient’s Laurent Abergel, who scored the opening goal. “For a Marseille fan like me, the first dream is perhaps to play for OM and the second to beat PSG.” Lorient started brightly and had the first real shot in anger in the 30th minute, as Adrian Grbic’s long-range strike had to be pushed away by PSG goalkeeper Sergio Rico. The hosts did take the lead six minutes later, though, as PSG failed several times to clear and Abergel picked out the top corner with the outside of his left boot. Neymar levelled on the stroke of half-time from the penalty spot with his fifth league goal of the season.

PSG improved after the break and took the lead in the 57th minute as Houboulang Mendes, who also conceded the first penalty, brought down Mauro Icardi and Neymar again made no mistake. It was the first time since Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2015 that a PSG player had netted two spot-kicks in a Ligue 1 match. AGENCIES

LONDON AGENCIES

Liverpool stayed in touch with Premier League leaders Manchester City as Mohamed Salah’s double earned them a comfortable 3-1 win at West Ham United but Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur both suffered disappointing defeats on Sunday.

Chelsea’s new manager Thomas Tuchel enjoyed his first victory as his side eased to a 2-0 win at home to Burnley.

For the second time in four days Liverpool enjoyed a visit to the capital as they followed Thursday’s 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur with another dominant display.

After five league games without a win had considerably weakened Liverpool’s grip on their title, they are suddenly ticking over again and with Manchester City visiting Anfield next weekend their hopes of defending their crown are intact.

“We spoke a lot in the last few weeks, as

Both coaches were given another chance, but their longer-term futures were tied to the outcome of the current home series against South Africa.

“My focus is on this series,” Misbah said. “We will put all our energies in this Test match and see how we can win. Other things are uncontrollable and there is no point in thinking about it.”

Middle-order batsman Fawad Alam’s dream return to Test cricket played a key role in Pakistan putting up a formidable total of 378 in the first innings after South Africa was bowled out for 220 inside two sessions on the first day. Left-handed Alam, playing in only his eighth Test match in 11 years, made a gritty 109 and revived Pakistan after a top-order collapse with Faheem Ashraf and Azhar Ali also scoring useful half-centuries.

But the conditions in Rawalpindi will be much cooler than they were in Karachi and Misbah said the team may change its bowling lineup to include four fast bowlers and only one spinner. The dry pitch in Karachi gave the two spinners plenty of assistance, but Misbah was not sure if he could get a similar type of wicket and conditions in Rawalpindi. If Pakistan opts for a fourth fast bowler, Haris Rauf is a possible option to make his Test debut in his hometown. “Haris is bowling well with the old ball,” Misbah said. “If the need arises, we will see him.”

Lionel Messi shows his worth for Barcelona ARGENTINE STAR SCORES SUPERB FREE-KICK TO HELP TEAM BEAT ATHLETIC BILBAO 2-1 MADRID AGENCIES

Lionel Messi underlined his worth to Barcelona by scoring a sensational free-kick on Sunday but Atletico Madrid are in charge of La Liga after beating Cadiz to stand 10 points clear at the top of the table.

Messi’s stunning effort in a 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao had been matched by the Argentinian’s friend and former team-mate Luis Suarez, who earlier curled in a superb free-kick of his own in Atletico’s 4-2 victory over Cadiz.

Atletico end the weekend even further ahead after Real Madrid’s defeat by Levante on Saturday, which means Zinedine Zidane’s side are now level with Barca on points, both of them struggling to keep pace in the title race.

“Every game is an important step towards reaching the goal we set ourselves at the start of the season,” said Diego Simeone. “We have to keep pushing each other.”

Barca’s win at least maintains their momentum while Messi’s 650th club goal may have carried extra satisfaction for the Argentinian, who had the details of his contract published in the Spanish newspaper El Mundo on Saturday

night. El Mundo claimed the deal signed by Messi in 2017 shows he could earn up to 555 million euros over its four years, describing it as “the colossal contract that ruined Barcelona”.

“Someone has done it with bad intentions to cause problems,” said Ronald Koeman. “You have to respect a player who has given so much to Spanish football and to this club. I didn’t have any doubts that it wouldn’t affect him on the pitch.” Few can argue with Messi’s contribution in that regard, with the 33-year-old showing against Bilbao why the club have gone to such lengths to keep him.

Bilbao briefly drew level through a Jordi Alba own-goal early in the second half but Antoine Griezmann’s strike secured Barca their third consecutive victory, with Ousmane Dembele and Frenkie de Jong both impressive again.

Asked what Messi worth is to the team, Griezmann said: “What a question, we are enjoying him, he is a legend. I hope we can keep enjoying him for many more years.”

But Barcelona continue to be haunted by the spectre of Suarez, whose tremendous free-kick and then a penalty helped Atletico push their advantage

into double figures.

While Messi’s free-kick was closer and bent perfectly into the top righthand corner, Suarez’s shot was further out and hit harder, a fizzing effort that curled into the left side of the net.

“The other day they were practising free-kicks,” said Simeone. “I told him we had not seen him score many goals from free-kicks so that’s why I smiled when I saw him score this one.”

“After spending so long at Barca with Messi, it was difficult,” added Suarez.

He was the driving force again, his two goals making it nine in his last eight games and 14 now for the season.

His goals and assists have now earned Atletico 12 extra points in the league, with Barcelona’s decision to let him leave, especially for title rivals, seeming more misjudged by the week.

It could get even worse for them and Real Madrid, given Simeone’s side still have a game in hand over each of them. Both would have been given hope by a rousing display from newlypromoted Cadiz, who were inspired by the relentless Alvaro Negredo.

The 35-year-old scored twice, could have had a hat-trick and certainly did not deserve to be on the losing side.

But Suarez’s double, between goals from Saul Niguez and Koke late on, sealed another three points for Atletico, who now have the La Liga crown within reach, even with half of the season left to play.

Liverpool back in groove, rivals slip up REDS, LEEDS RECORD IDENTICAL 3-1 WINS OVER WEST HAM, LEICESTER RESPECTIVELY; SPURS FALL TO BRIGHTON 1-0 you can imagine,” Klopp said. “These boys are a really good group. They are not happy with not being successful.

“They always have the right attitude. But they need the right information as well. Now we have a found a way again to be uncomfortable for other teams.”

Salah, who had not registered in the league since December, scored two majestic goals after the break before Gini Wijnaldum added a third. Craig Dawson’s late goal was little consolation for West Ham whose four-

game winning league run ended abruptly.

“The players have been excellent. Even today, it’s a lesson for them — the levels we have to get to,” fifth-placed West Ham’s manager David Moyes said.

Leeds United have been hit or miss this season but were in the groove as they beat Leicester City 3-1 away despite going behind to a Harvey Barnes goal.

Patrick Bamford scored one and created two for Leeds to end Leicester’s sevenmatch unbeaten run, denying Brendan

CMYK

Rodgers’ side a move up to second in the Premier League.

“We were cheap with the ball today and then we give away disappointing goals, from our perspective,” Rodgers said.

Tottenham became the first side to lose at Brighton and Hove Albion in the league this season as they went down 1-0.

It was a dreadfully disappointing display

by Jose Mourinho’s side who rarely looked like avoiding defeat after Leandro Trossard put the hosts ahead in the 17th minute.

SPORTS 11

Rivals upset Reed violated spirit of golf

CALIFORNIA: Rivals were upset at Patrick Reed over a rules controversy after his US PGA victory Sunday, many feeling he violated the spirit of golf if not the letter of the law.

Reed fired a four-under par 68 on Sunday at Torrey Pines to complete a five-stroke victory at the Farmers Insurance Open, but his actions over an embedded ball at the par-4 10th hole in Saturday’s third round left a cloud over the triumph. His second shot bounced and landed in deep rough, but neither Reed, his playing partners and caddies or a nearby volunteer saw the bounce that television cameras clearly showed. Reed lifted the ball, checking to see if it was embedded, then called a rules official who checked and confirmed an indention in the ground, ruled the ball embedded and allowed Reed a drop with no penalty. “I think the rule is if you’re in doubt on something that’s going to give you an advantage and it’s not 100%, then you kind of go the other way,” 2019 Houston Open winner Lanto Griffin said.

“So it’s tough to see, it’s sad, kind of pisses us off, but it’s the way it is. Hopefully something changes and come to a conclusion.” Reed said he had put the controversy out of his mind Sunday once told by officials his actions were proper. “The biggest thing is I was allowed to kind of put it behind me when the head rules official comes up and says you did everything you were supposed to do,” Reed said. “When you do everything you’re supposed to do, at the end of the day that’s all you can control.”

Social media critics accused Reed of cheating but rules officials after the round and the PGA Tour on Sunday ruled Reed did nothing improper. “He did everything by the book according to the official and everyone stood by there,” said four-time US PGA Tour winner Xander Schauffele. “Obviously the talk amongst the boys isn’t great, I guess, but he’s protected by the tour and that’s all that matters, I guess.” Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, who was involved in his own embedded ball situation at 18 on Saturday and found to have acted properly, gave Reed the benefit of the doubt. “It seemed to me like it was a bit of a storm in a teacup,” McIlroy said. But in a sport where players are expected to call penalties on themselves, obeying the rules and being fair to the field can be different things. “It’s tough,” Griffin said. “Golf’s a game of sportsmanship and it’s tough to put us in the spot to call him out because we weren’t there. “But at the end of the day I think 99% of the golfers out here, if it’s in question one way or the other, they’re going to go the other way.”

‘GAME ABOUT INTEGRITY’: McIlroy said he avoided taking the best possible lie he could on a free drop at last year’s PGA Championship. “I gave myself a worse lie to just try to be fair to the field and the tournament in general. I’ve never tried to get away with anything out here,” McIlroy said.

“Our game is about integrity and it’s about doing the right thing. I always try to do the right thing and hopefully people see that.” It’s not the first rules issue to hit Reed, who was penalized two strokes at the 2019 Hero World Challenge for moving sand behind his ball to improve his lie, something he said he did not see because his angle was different from that of TV cameras. “It’s the worst thing in golf to be labelled as someone that tries to get away with something or labelled a cheater,” McIlroy said. “That’s just not how you want your reputation to be.” Asked what he had to say to those who thought he cheated, Reed replied, “I’ve already said anything I need to say about what happened yesterday. “All I can really do is focus on today and just listen to what the rules officials said and they said that I didn’t do anything incorrect.” AGENCIES

Seventeenth-placed Brighton’s win was dreadful news for the bottom three clubs as they are put seven points between themselves and the relegation zone.

Tottenham remain in sixth place but after leading the table in December they are now 11 points adrift of Manchester City and six points off the top four.

“Not good in the first half, better in the second. We didn’t start well, we started with some mistakes that led to a ball that hit the post and then the goal,” Mourinho said.

“The team showed in the first half that it was too sad to play football. When you are too sad, you have no energy, enthusiasm or confidence, and that was what the team showed in the first half.”

Chelsea moved up to seventh as goals by Spanish defenders Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso were enough to beat Burnley.

“Well the performance itself, for me it was very complete, both defensively and offensively,” Tuchel said..

Tuesday, 2 February, 2021

PRAyER TImINGS

NEWS

MIlItAry tAKeS coNtrol of MyANMAr, detAINS Suu KyI PAKISTAN HOPES ALL SIDES IN MYANMAR WILL SHOW RESTRAINT AND WORK FOR PEACE NAYPYITAW

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AGENCIES

yANMAR military television said Monday that the military was taking control of the country for one year, while reports said many of the country’s senior politicians, including Aung San Suu Kyi, had been detained.

A presenter on military-owned Myawaddy TV announced the takeover and cited a section of the military-drafted constitution that allows the military to take control in times of national emergency.

He said the reason for the takeover was in part due to the government’s failure to act on the military’s claims of voter fraud in last November’s election and its failure to postpone the election because of the coronavirus crisis.

The announcement follows days of concern about the threat of a military coup — and military denials that it would stage one — and came on the morning the country’s new Parliament session was to begin.

The takeover is a sharp reversal of the partial yet significant progress toward democracy Myanmar made in recent years following five decades of military rule and international isolation that began in 1962. It would also be a shocking fall from power for Suu Kyi, who led the democracy struggle despite years under house arrest and won a Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts.

The military’s actions were already receiving widespread international condemnation.

New US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken issued a statement expressing

“grave concern and alarm” over the reported detentions.

“We call on Burmese military leaders to release all government officials and civil society leaders and respect the will of the people of Burma as expressed in democratic elections,” he wrote, using Myanmar’s former name. “The United States stands with the people of Burma in their aspirations for democracy, freedom, peace, and development.”

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne issued a similar statement, also calling on the military to respect the rule of law and release the leaders it had detained.

The detention of the politicians and cuts in television signals and communication services on Monday were the first signs that plans to seize power were in motion. Phone and internet access to Naypyitaw was lost and Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party could not be reached. Phone service in other parts of the country was also reported down, though people were still able to use the internet.

The Irrawaddy, an established online news service, reported that Suu Kyi, who as state counsellor is the nation’s top leader, and the country’s president, Win Myint, were both detained in the pre-dawn hours.

The news service cited Myo Nyunt, a spokesman for the NLD. Its report said that the party’s Central Executive Committee members, lawmakers and regional Cabinet members had also been taken into custody.

A list of other people believed to have been detained, compiled by political activists who asked not to be named for security reasons, included filmmaker Min Htin

PIA issues new instructions for flight crew after two stewards disappear KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has introduced a fresh code of conduct for its crewmembers following the disappearance of two flight stewards in Canada. According to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the office of flight services’ general manager, cabin crew is required to deposit their passports with a station manager after immigration and customs formalities. The passports will be returned at the time of checkin on departing flights. In addition, the management of the hotel booked for crewmembers’ accommodation will ensure timely check-in of the crew and report immediately to the airlines in case of the absence of a member. The crewmembers have been further directed to restrict their movement due to the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, the crew will not be allowed to stay out of the hotel at night.

Kushner, Berkowitz nominated for Nobel peace prize for Israel deals WASHINGTON AGENCIES

Ko Ko Gyi, writer Maung Thar Cho, and prominent veterans of the country’s 1988 student protest movement, such as Ko Ko Gyi and Min Ko Naing. Their detention could not immediately be confirmed.

In yangon, the country’s biggest city, life on the street appeared mostly as usual, as people carried out their normal morning activities, including exercising at a popular park.

Monday’s parliamentary session was to be the first since last year’s election, as tension lingered over recent comments by the military that were widely seen as threatening a coup. The military, however, maintains its actions are legally justified, though Suu Kyi’s party spokesman as well as many international observers have said it is in effect a coup.

The 2008 constitution, drafted and implemented during military rule, has a clause that says in case there is a national emergency, the president in coordination with the military-dominated National Defense and Security Council can issue an emergency decree to hand over the government’s executive, legislative and judicial powers to the military’s commander-in-chief.

The clause had been described by New york-based Human Rights Watch as a “coup mechanism in waiting.”

It is just one of many parts of the charter that ensured the military could maintain ultimate control over the country at the expense of elected politicians. The military also was guaranteed 25% of seats in Parliament and control of several key ministries, especially those involved in security and defense.

The 75-year-old Suu Kyi is by far the

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Senior Afghan official survives bomb attack in Kabul, police say KABUL

country’s most popular politician and became the country’s de facto leader after her party won the 2015 elections, though the constitution barred her from being president. She had been a fierce antagonist of the army during her time under house arrest.

Nevertheless, once in power Suu Kyi had to balance her relationship with the country’s generals and even went on the international stage to defend their crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in the country’s west, a campaign the US and others have labeled genocide. That has left her reputation internationally in tatters.

She remains wildly popular at home, where most supported the campaign against the Rohingya. Suu Kyi’s party captured 396 out of 476 seats in the combined lower and upper houses of Parliament in last November’s polls.

The military, known as the Tatmadaw, has charged that there was massive voting fraud in the election, though it has failed to provide proof. The state Union Election Commission last week rejected its allegations.

Amid the bickering over the allegations, the military last Tuesday ramped up political tension when a spokesman at its weekly news conference, responding to a reporter’s question, declined to rule out the possibility of a coup. Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun elaborated by saying the military would “follow the laws in accordance with the constitution.”

Using similar language, the military Commander-in-Chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing told senior officers in a speech Wednesday that the constitution could be revoked if the laws were not being properly enforced. Adding to the concern was the unusual deployment of armored vehicles in the streets of several large cities.

AGENCIES

An Afghan peace ministry official suffered light injuries in a bomb blast in the capital Kabul on Monday, police said, the latest in a recent series of attacks on civilian targets. Killings by small, magnetic bombs attached to the undercarriages of vehicles, as well as shootings, are unnerving Afghan officials, activists and journalists, and they are on the rise despite negotiations to end two decades of war.

The latest explosion occurred near an armoured vehicle that was taking Khoshnood Nabizada, a peace ministry official who is also editor in chief of the local Khaama Press agency, to work, Kabul police said. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) condemned the attack. “Today’s targeted attack in Kabul against a senior official involved in the peace process is another deplorable incident, akin to an attack on the peace process itself,” UNAMA said on Twitter. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

Government officials generally blame Taliban insurgents for all targeted killings, a tactic senior security officials and Western diplomats say is meant to instil fear while avoiding large-scale civilian casualties. In a separate attack in Kabul on Monday, a bom attached to an army vehicle in a western district of the city killed one officer and a civilian, police said. Bombings in recent weeks have targeted politicians, security officials, human rights activists and journalists.

The Taliban and the Afghan government have been negotiating in Qatar to reach a peace deal. Those talks resumed in January after an almost month-long break, but negotiators and diplomats say there has since been little progress.

COAS, ISI DG discuss security matters with PM THIS MEETING FOLLOWS ONE HELD BETWEEN THE THREE LAST MONDAY ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa called on Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday. Matters pertaining to internal and external security were discussed during the meeting, which was also attended by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt General Faiz Hamid, a PM Office press release said.

This meeting follows one held between the three last Monday, wherein matters related to national security were discussed.

Indian police block roads into Delhi to stop farmers disrupting budget day NEW DELHI

Former White House senior adviser Jared Kushner and his deputy, Avi Berkowitz, were nominated on Sunday for the Nobel Peace Prize for their role in negotiating four normalisation deals between Israel and Arab nations known as the “Abraham Accords.” The deals were announced in a four-month span between mid-August and mid-December and were the most significant diplomatic breakthroughs in the Middle East in 25 years as the region girds for a prolonged confrontation with Iran.

Nominating the pair of former deputies to then-President Donald Trump was American attorney Alan Dershowitz, who was eligible to do so in his capacity as a professor emeritus of Harvard Law School. Dershowitz had defended Trump in his first impeachment trial last year and said in a Jan. 20 comment in the Wall Street Journal that the Senate should dismiss the article of impeachment against Trump over the January 6 storming of the US Capitol as he is no longer president. Kushner, who is Trump’s son-in-law, and Berkowitz, who was the Middle East envoy, were key figures in negotiating deals between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. In a statement, Kushner said he was honored to be nominated for the prize, which will be awarded in October.

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AGENCIES

Indian police and paramilitary dug ditches and spread razor wire across main roads into New Delhi on Monday to prevent protesting farmers from entering the capital as the finance minister prepared to deliver the government’s annual budget in parliament.

Internet and messaging services were blocked in several neighbourhoods on the outskirts where protests turned violent week, and security was stepped up around parliament and other important government offices in the central district.

“The government has increased security to avoid any clash or violence when parliament is in session,” said a senior official who didn’t wish to be named in line with official policy. “The idea is to keep everyone safe and avoid any escalation in tensions.” A farmers’ procession turned violent on January 26, when India celebrated its Republic Day

with a military parade, as some protesters broke away from a rally of tractors to storm into the historic Red Fort complex after breaking through barricades and clashing with police. On Friday, authorities used tear gas and batons to break up clashes at one of the protest sites near the city. And in the past few days, more farmers have arrived along with their tractors to join their protesting colleagues at the three major protest sites near New Delhi.

“The country was saddened by the insult to the Tricolor (Indian flag) on the 26th of January in Delhi,” Modi said in a radio address on Sunday, making his first public comments on last week’s violence. “The government is committed to modernizing agriculture and is also taking many steps in that direction.”

The farmers want the government to withdraw three new reforms — introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in September — that they say will hurt their livelihoods and benefit large private produce buyers.

Indian journalists accused of sedition over protest reporting NEW DELHI AGENCIES

Several senior Indian journalists are facing charges of sedition over their reporting and online posts about a protest by farmers last week, sparking criticism of the legal action from media associations. The cases have been filed with police in at least five states against the journalists including Rajdeep Sardesai, a prominent anchor on the India Today television channel, and Vinod Jose, executive editor of the Caravan magazine. The cases, filed by residents of the states, allege that the journalists provoked violence during protests by farmers at New Delhi’s Red Fort on January 26 through incorrect posts on Twitter and reports that police had killed a protester. Tens of thousands of farmers have camped out on the outskirts of the capital for more than two months, demanding the withdrawal of new agricultural laws that they say benefit private buyers at the expense of growers. The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi says reform of the agriculture sector will bring opportunities for farmers. The protests turned violent on January 26, when farmers broke into the historic Red Fort complex, with one protester killed and hundreds injured At the time, a witness told Reuters the protester

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