Epaper – January 26 ISB 2021

Tuesday, 26 January, 2021 I 12 Jamadi-ul-Sani, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 208 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

Govt assures IHC of revIsItInG soCIal medIa rules g

the rUles, enforced in november, plAced All the internet service providers on pAr with sociAl mediA compAnies And Applied All the reqUirements of the lAtter to the former

Islamabad

t

staff report

he federal government has decided to review the regulations governing the social media platforms after consolations with stakeholders, Attorney general of pakistan (Agp) Khalid Javed Khan informed the islamabad high court (ihc) on monday. the high court resumed hearing in a petition against the social media rules, enforced in november, placed all the internet service providers on par

with social media companies and applied all the requirements of the latter to the former. during the hearing, ihc chief Justice Athar minallah remarked Articles 19 (freedom of speech) and 19-A (right to information) dealt with fundamental human rights. “it seems that stakeholders were not consulted while making the social media rules,” the judge observed.

Agp Khan informed the judge, during the proposed review, petitioners and stakeholders would be consulted on the matter, adding the suspension of a platform was not the solution to the problem.

CoronavIrus In

PakIstan

CONFIRMED CASES:

534,041

“give [the government] some time, ptA [pakistan telecommunication Authority] and stakeholders will review the rules together,” the Agp said. At this, Justice minallah remarked Khan’s response has been positive. “consultation is necessary and appropriate. if they are ready to review the social media rules, give them your suggestions,” he added. the judge further added that the court should have full confidence in them and expected a positive outcome. the counsel for the petitioners, osama Khawar, informed the court their suggestions were turned down when they were presented before the regulatory bodies.

Justice minallah said the court had also appointed a judicial assistant in the case. “pakistan bar council and pfUJ are important stakeholders in this matter,” the judge maintained. “we will not pass any general order on this matter. if an order is passed on the basis of these rules, then it can be challenged in court.” the court adjourned the trial till february 26.

editorial: social media regulation STORY ON PAGE 06

Imran presents 5-point agenda to UN, highlights debt relief, Covid supplies Islamabad staff report

prime minister imran Khan stressed the need for further debt relief and the importance of an equitable supply of covid-19 to developing countries while presenting his 5-point agenda to the United nations conference on trade and development (UnctAd) on monday.

As the keynote speaker at the fourth session of the UnctAd, pm imran observed that developing countries were “trapped between recovering from the pandemic and meeting their debt servicing obligations”. the premier proposed a general allocation of special drawing rights (sdrs) of $500 billion to help alleviate balance-of-payment pressures and further underscored that the expansion of concessional financing through multilateral development banks was also of the utmost importance. he suggested that, in light of the economic and financial burden created by covid-19, debt relief for developing countries be extended till the pandemic ended and “restructuring of the public sector debt under an agreed and inclusive multilateral framework”. “the world today is grappling with a series of interlinked and unprece-

Vaccinators trained for coronavirus immunisation, NCOC told g

All foreign trAvellers, especiAlly those from the United Kingdom And soUth AfricA, Are being tested At the Airports

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

23

RECOVERED:

NEW CASES:

1,629 DEATHS:

488,903 11,318 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

241,200

154,017

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

65,532

18,750

8,825/4,902 40,815

more inside

COAS, ISI DG discuss national security matters with PM Imran U-turn: pml-n chief eats own words, vows to contest senate polls

staff report

the national command and operation centre (ncoc) on monday was apprised that the provinces have almost completed the training of the health staff regarding covid-19 vaccination to ensure the swift inoculation of the vaccine. the training had been given to the staff of teaching hospitals, tehsils and district headquarters hospitals. the ncoc meeting, chaired by national coordinator lieutenant general hamood Uz Zaman Khan, discussed the updates from the provinces on positivity ratio and critical data, non-pharmaceutical interventions (npis), the implementation of any alternative measures to treat covid, preparations for vaccine inoculation and national vaccine strategy. in their briefing to the ncoc, the provincial chiefs and health secretaries, including those from gilgit-baltistan (gb) and Azad

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STORY ON PAGE 02

Islamabad

LAST UPDATED AT 7:48 AM ON JANUARY 25, 2021

dented public health and economic crises. while the coronavirus does not discriminate between the rich and the poor, the most vulnerable people and countries have suffered the most,” he said, adding that there are millions of people around the world at risk of falling below the poverty line. moreover, he said that coverage of the covAX facility must be expanded. “this would enable the developing countries to spend their precious resources on socio-economic development needs,” he explained. “the pandemic also offers an opportunity to address the structural barriers hampering global prosperity and development,” the premier said during his address. terming the economic malaise and recession “highly communicable” like the coronavirus, pm imran Khan said the global policy measures, along his proposed lines, were urgently needed to save lives, revive economies, and build back better. pm imran reiterated his decades old stance on illicit financial flows as well as the return of stolen assets, which he stated had “caused more poverty in the world than any other factor ”.

STORY ON PAGE 03

Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), stated that all necessary measures were being taken prior to the availability of the coronavirus vaccine. the forum also discussed in details the complete procedure of vaccination, the time of expected availability, the distribution process and most demanding areas where it may be used at the earliest. the forum stressed the need for purchasing a high-quality

vaccine to ensure the successful treatment of patients. the chief secretaries also informed the forum about the steps being taken to ensure the implementation of standard operating procedures (sops) and npis. they also presented an update on the positivity ratio in their respective provinces as well as highlighting those cities with higher positive cases.

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Qureshi says political settlement is the only way forward for Afghanistan STORY ON BACK PAGE

indian, chinese troops in new border brawl: reports STORY ON BACK PAGE

02

Tuesday, 26 January, 2021

NEWS

FM QureShI SAyS NO PAkIStANI DIPlOMAt wIll PArtAke IN INDIA’S rePuBlIC DAy

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NEWS DESK

OrEIGN Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, ahead of the republic Day ceremonies in India, has stated that no Pakistan diplomat would participate in the commemorations.

Speaking to media persons in Multan, the foreign minister maintained that no minority is safe within India, placing a particular emphasis on the people of Kashmir. He added that India is now moving towards a Hindutva regime and can no longer place a secular face in front of the global community.

Separately, while addressing a presser in the federal capital, Qureshi said that Pakistan took practical measures to help the world realise that the country wants peace and stability in the region.

He also highlighted that the differences between the leadership directions of Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz’s (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif and Vice President Maryam Nawaz were quite evident.

He added that Jamiat Ulema-e-IslamFazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur rehman and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari could not agree on

FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS INDIA IS NOW MOVING TOWARDS A HINDUTVA REGIME AND CAN NO LONGER PLACE A SECULAR FACE IN FRONT OF THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY

how to lead the movement.

“Maulana Fazlur rehman is bent upon holding a long march [against the government], whereas Bilawal Bhutto wants to head to the assemblies as he feels that his politics of protest has failed to impress the masses,” the senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader said.

“The disputes within the ranks of

Former NAB chief says Broadsheet did nothing to bring back ‘looted’ assets National Accountability Bureau (NAB) former chairman General (r) Syed Amjad has said that Broadsheet LLC did nothing to recover the looted assets and return them to the country, according to a report by Geo News. Broadsheet “did next to nothing concrete to assist NAB in receiving assets outside Pakistan through their investigations”, he said, adding that it had failed to provide “the type of proofs of foreign assets” that Pakistan needed to successfully prosecute targeted individuals. Amjad, who had signed the contract with Broadsheet LLC on behalf of NAB, added that the contract with the firm was signed without necessary approvals being taken from the relevant ministries. Furthermore, Amjad said that the son of the then NAB prosecutor general worked privately with Broadsheet LLC. Hundreds of pages of correspondence between NAB and American asset recovery firm Trouvons (which later set up Broadsheet LLC in the Isle of Man), various court documents, and Gen Amjad’s testimony before Sir Anthony Evans, the arbitration judge at the London High Court, reveal the extent of the follies, mismanagement, and miscommunication involved in the whole saga, Geo reported. News Desk

Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) stand exposed as it is an unnatural and temporary alliance,” he maintained, adding that the PTI and its allies would defeat the no-confidence motion in a parliamentary way.

A day earlier, Qureshi had taken a shot against the PPP chairman and said that as Bilawal had proposed a no-confidence

motion against the premier, Bilawal has accepted Imran Khan has the elected prime minister.

“Now it is clear from this, Bilawal when you say you will bring a noconfidence motion, it means you have constitutionally accepted Imran Khan as prime minister,” the foreign minister had said, adding that the PTI government and its allies were confident that they are “in a position to confront and defeat it in a constitutional and parliamentary manner.”

“He should now start calling Imran Khan an elected prime minister and not selected,” he had said.

The foreign minister had questioned the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s antiIsrael rallies and had said that since Islamabad has made it clear it would not recognise Tel Aviv until the Palestine conflict is resolved, there is no point in holding those demonstrations.

“They [the opposition parties] will scatter and you are seeing that has [already] started.”

Land grabbers enjoyed PML-N patronage: PM ISLAMABAD TLTP

Prime Minister Imran Khan claimed on Monday that people who illegally occupied state land enjoyed the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) patronage.

Chairing a meeting of government spokespersons and party leaders, the prime minister opined: “Nobody can encroach upon state land without political patronage.” He wondered that the operation to clear state land of encroachments is being billed as a political move by opposition leaders. The premier directed the government spokespersons to apprise the nation of the antiencroachment operation. The current political situation, foreign funding case, operation against land grabbers and Broadsheet issue came under discussion during the meeting. PM Imran further said, “Those who tried to embroil us in the foreign funding case have got themselves entangled. Our stance stood vindicated before the Election Commission.” He reiterated the government’s resolve to ensure a fair and just probe into the Broadsheet issue. “We

IMRAN SUMMONS MEETING OF PTI, ALLIED PARLIAMENTARY PARTIES will bring to light every character who inflicted losses on the national exchequer,” he resolved.

Meanwhile, PM Imran has summoned a joint parliamentary party meeting of ruling Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) and its allied parties on Wednesday.

According to the details, the joint parliamentary party meeting of PTI and its allied parties will be held in Parliament House with PM Imran in the chair. The session will begin at 2.00 pm. All the lawmakers of PTI and its allied parties have been asked to ensure their presence in the important meeting. The meeting will formulate a plan for the different legislations and upcoming Senate elections. Prime Minister Imran will take the parliamentary party leaders into confidence regarding different government decisions.

COAS, ISI DG discuss national security matters with PM Imran NEWS DESK Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lieutenant General Faiz Hamid called on Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday to discuss matters of national security, according to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) statement. The meeting took place in Islamabad. A similar meeting had occurred two weeks prior, wherein the army chief, the top spy and the premier had also discussed the then recent Mach incident. Moreover, a meeting had also taken place on December 24 last year, wherein they had discussed professional matters pertaining to the Pakistan Army, and the external and internal security situation.

PM briefed on drone authority ordinance ISLAMABAD sTAFF RePORT

Prime Minister Imran Khan has appreciated the steps taken by Ministry of Science and Technology for promotion of drone technology in the country. The premier was talking to Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry on Monday. He observed that drones can be used for various purposes such as agriculture, urban planning, security, and law and order. During the meeting, the prime minister was given a detailed briefing on the Drone Authority Ordinance. It was briefed that with the establishment of the Drone Authority, drone technology will be used for research purposes in various fields including assistance in maintaining law and order, search and rescue operations, logistics, agriculture and many other areas for peaceful purposes. In addition, the achievements of the Ministry of Science and Technology in the field of health and electric vehicles and their positive impact on local products and exports were informed.

District administration fails to enforce dine-in SOPs in restaurants LAHORE sHAHAB OMeR

Dine-in services could not be shut down by restaurants in the provincial capital and restaurant owners continued to openly violate Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) in spite of the tall claims of district administration.

In the light of the SOPs, restaurants were banned from providing services/food to customers inside the restaurant during the pandemic, and only those restaurants that have open air space can provide services to the people up and until 10 pm.

A survey conducted by Profit found that on the Lahore district administration had constantly made claims about several restaurants being sealed for violations, but in actuality, the restaurants were still open.

Profit further learnt that a Lebanese food restaurant of the Air Force Officers Housing

A SURVEY FOUND THAT ON THE LAHORE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION HAD CONSTANTLY MADE CLAIMS ABOUT SEVERAL RESTAURANTS BEING SEALED FOR VIOLATIONS, BUT IN ACTUALITY, THE RESTAURANTS WERE STILL OPEN Society Club (AFOHS) Club, which is located in the Falcon Complex, Gulberg III, was still doing business inside the restaurant premises. When the restaurant manager was asked, he said that the ventilation system is very good as the restaurant has a large number of windows and doors.

“In such a situation, there is no difference between indoor and open air. However, we regularly enforce the condition of wearing a mask, social distancing and hand sanitiser.

The restaurant has a sitting capacity of 88 people and we close the restaurant between 10:00 to 10:30 pm,” he maintained. A

restaurant owner near the MM Alam road said it was a blatant violation of SOPs. “If this restaurant is allowed to do such things, then everyone should have it. The district administration keeps scaring us all the time that there should not be any kind of indoor gathering, then why it is not being implemented here?” he questioned.

The restaurant owner further said that restaurants located in most parts of the city including MM Alam road, Gulberg, DHA were providing indoor services.

“These restaurants are not checked by the district administration and even if action

is taken against them, they are resuming business the next day,” he said.

When the same matter was discussed with an official of the district administration, he said that the local government can only do so much, adding that the implementation of SOPs is also a social responsibility.

Even when our teams take action against restaurants, many restaurant owners insist that a case be filed against them, so they can ask for bail through a lawyer the next day,” the official said, adding that restaurant owners felt paying a menial lawyer’s fees was cheaper than paying the fines imposed

on them. According to the official, some restaurant owners pay fines by deducting the salaries of their employees. The district administration is trying to seal the restaurants and minimize fines as the administration itself feels that the restaurant sector has been severely damaged by the coronavirus, he added.

“There are many restaurants that are completely closed and may never reopen due to lockdown. In such a situation, it is their [restaurant management] responsibility to take care of the SOPs,” he suggested.

According to Assistant Commissioner Adnan rasheed, dine-in permission has not been allowed to any restaurant and action has to be taken against the violator.

“The district administration cracks down on violators on a daily basis, and more than 100 restaurants and hotels are sealed daily.

According to SOPs, no restaurant can provide indoor services,” rasheed said.

Tuesday, 26 January, 2021

NEWS

u-turN: PMl-N ChIeF eAtS OwN wOrDS, vOwS tO CONteSt SeNAte POllS ISLAMABAD

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MIAN ABRAR

AKING a U-turn on its previous decision to boycott the Senate elections and tender resignations from the assemblies, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the largest opposition party, on Monday decided to contest the Senate elections.

According to well-placed sources, a meeting of the joint parliamentary party of PML-N was held at the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Maryam Nawaz, in which major decisions were taken in the light of the important message sent by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif.

A large number of members of the National Assembly (MNAs) and Senators, including former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Senator raja Zafarul Haq, rana Sanaullah, attended the parliamentary party meeting.

Addressing the meeting, the PML-N Vice President Maryam said that the party will continue to play a full role in

the parliament, adding that the incumbent government is confused.

She conveyed the message of her father Nawaz Sharif to the party leaders, who expressed full solidarity with the Sharif family. She apprised the members of the Parliament (MPs) that the PML-N would participate fully in the Senate elections.

Maryam directed the MPs to continue playing their full role in the upper house and to give a tough time to the government on national and public issues.

The PML-N VP said that there would be no dialogue with the government now and any decision on resignation from the assemblies by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) would be one that is acceptable to all parties.

The PML-N VP aid that the party lawmakers will tender resignations from the assemblies and a long march would also be taken out.

She said the PDM will not bow to any pressure and it will wait for the right time to resign from assemblies.

She also said that the government is begging the opposition for a dialogue

PMl-N seeks end to mortgaging of national assets ISLAMABAD INP

responding to the reports of the government considering to mortgage an Islamabad park to get a loan, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Monday sought to stop the proposed mortgage of a national asset. PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said that while projects were launched in the tenure of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, national assets are being auctioned in the Naya Pakistan of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Marriyum declared the “incompetent” and “thief” government has turned the country into an auction house and claimed the premier was fulfilling the agenda of selling the national properties.

She further said that the national assets were being mortgaged in a foolish manner and added no patriotic person could do such a thing. While there is no official confirmation or denial, reports citing sources claimed that the federal cabinet is considering mortgaging the 759-acre Fatima Jinnah park in the F9 sector to secure a loan of about rs500 billion. The proposal was included in the agenda of the meeting of the federal cabinet.

Durrani moves ShC for pre-arrest bail

but the PML-N would not talk to the government any further.

Later, while talking to media following the PML-N parliamentary party meeting, Maryam said that 2021 is the year of elections. She also termed 2021 as the year of the end of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. However, she refrained from announcing a date for resignations from assemblies or for taking out a long march. She said that the country is suffering from problems due to the incompetent government, claiming that the people know that the ruling party is guilty of bringing the country to this point "I am happy that today the PML-N lawmakers stand by Nawaz Sharif.

Despite the repression and excesses, the members who attended the meeting stand with the statement of Nawaz Sharif,” she added. responding to a question about the government's claims of differences in the PDM, Maryam said that thousands of aspirations had been materialised.

“The rulers have tried every method but they could not break the PML-N and

the PDM. The forces who wanted to get us out of politics and the political arena will fail”.

Asked about Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s statement about no-confidence motion, Maryam said that the proposal of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) would be debated upon in the upcoming meeting of the PDM. Asked to answer the allegations of backchannel diplomacy of PPP, Maryam said that she could not comment over mere assumptions.

“Nawaz Sharif's statement is a statement of national development.

Nawaz Sharif has ordered to inform the people about the incompetence of the government,” she added.

He said that the new NAB ordinance was aimed at targeting the opposition but it would not be allowed to be implemented, she added.

“Now NAB ordinance would be for [the benefit of] the rulers. I will bring pictures of Shehbaz Sharif and Khwaja Asif during the next PML-N parliamentary party meeting,” she observed.

Conflicting narratives hint at division in PDM ranks: Faraz ISLAMABAD sTAFF RePORT

The government on Monday said the opposition alliance out to oust the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from power has started to show signs of discord as it pointed to conflicting signals being sent through the platform of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

In a tweet, Minister for Information and Broadcast Senator Shibli Faraz said: “One PDM and multiple narratives.

Bilawal’s insistence on no-confidence [motion], Ahsan Iqbal’s qualms about it, and Maryam’s persistent calls for a long march [to Islamabad] is clear proof of PDM falling apart.”

“The opposition parties had taken to the roads to mislead the public but are now making their way back to the Parliament after being rejected by them,” he added.

Last week, Pakistan People’s

MINISTER SAYS OPPOSITION PARTIES HAD TAKEN TO THE ROADS TO MISLEAD THE PUBLIC BUT ARE NOW MAKING THEIR WAY BACK TO THE PARLIAMENT AFTER BEING REJECTED BY THEM Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari recommended the opposition should table a noconfidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan in the parliament. The following day, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) secretary general Ahsan Iqbal demanded him to “show numbers” to back up his suggestion.

Iqbal was of the opinion there was “only one way” the PDM must take, and that was a “decisive long march” to Islamabad against the government. For long march, he said, March is an ideal month.

PPP co-chairperson and former president Asif Ali Zardari, in a bid to dispel rumours of division within the PDM’s ranks, said “all options” — including a no-confidence vote, resignations from legislative assemblies, long march and even a nationwide wheel-jam strike — were still on the table.

“The Pakistan Democratic Movement is united and it will continue its onslaught against the government from all directions,” he said while speaking to PPP’s Punjab chapter’s general secretary Chaudhry Manzoor on Sunday.

Four witnesses record statements to NAB in Asif assets case LAHORE sTAFF RePORT

Four witnesses have recorded their statements to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in connection with the assets beyond income case against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Khawaja Muhammad Asif.

According to NAB documents, a bank peon in Lahore had submitted over rs28 million to the bank account of Khawaja Asif following the orders of senior officers. The nephew of Khawaja Asif, Khawaja Sultan, had submitted

rs20 million to his bank account after being told to do so by his paternal uncle. Likewise, a senior political worker rana Abdul Waheed had submitted rs30 million to Asif’s account and told the anti-graft body that the money was given to him by Asif, according to the documents.

Another political activist Sarmad Ijaz had withdrawn rs5 million from Asif’s bank account and handed over the money to him. The documents stated that Asif had failed to respond to the NAB’s query regarding the money from where it was earned. Earlier on Friday last, an accountability court in Lahore had sent Khawaja Asif to jail on 14-day judicial remand in the assets beyond income

03

Zardari, company renew ultimatums every three months: Fawad ISLAMABAD: Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry on Monday said former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and his company keep on renewing ultimatums to government. “Every three months, they say the next three months are important [for the PTI government],” he said in a tweet. “The minister said PPP leadership frequently changes its statements. The time has changed now,” he added.

Fawad further urged Zardari to focus on his business.

Earlier, he had said the opposition parties don’t have any plan or strategy against the government. He had said that the opposition is now thinking about a noconfidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan after facing humiliation on the resignation front. No party has the courage to bring a noconfidence motion against the premier, he had asserted. sTAFF RePORT

No CPeC project put on hold: Bajwa ISLAMABAD: China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority Chairman Lt Gen (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa on Monday rejected the rumors of corridor-related projects being put on hold and said the work on the trade route was never slowed down. Talking to Gwadar Pro, an online portal covering CPEC, Bajwa said that work on the eastern, western and central alignments was in full swing, and the second phase of the project had just started. He said that underdeveloped areas, including southern parts of Balochistan, were being given importance under the project. He also said that a dam and a desalination plant had been built in Gwadar in a bid to resolve chronic water shortages affecting the inhabitants of the port city.

“An airport with the biggest runway of Pakistan worth $230 million is also being built in Gwadar,” he recalled. Speaking to a delegation of senior officials and researchers of the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) at the CPECA secretariat in Islamabad, Bajwa said that Pakistan attached great importance to CPEC, according to an official statement released here. He said that CPEC was a national project, and Pakistan was ready to pay any price for its success. Commenting on the first phase, the chairman said its success depends on the second phase, which involves business-to-business (B2B) and people-to-people (P2P) contacts. He also said that synergy among all stakeholders is required to make CPEC a success. In this regard, the PakistanChina Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry was also being revived, he informed. Gen Bajwa stressed the need for projecting CPEC as a regional connectivity initiative to make Pakistan emerge as an economically galvanising state instead of a security or terror-fighting state on the global spectrum. Afghan transit trade, he added, is also now being facilitated through Gwadar port. sTAFF RePORT case. The court had ordered the authorities to produce Asif on February 7 again. NAB Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal has said that the National Accountability Bureau has solid evidence of money-laundering of billions of rupees by the “big fish”. He said the bureau has filed corruption references on the basis of this evidence.

“NAB is on the right track due to the commitment of its officials. Solid evidence of billions of rupees moneylaundering are available, which were laundered by opening fake accounts in the names of falooda walas, chhabri walas and papar walas,” he said. NAB investigates white-collar mega corruption cases and time is required to probe such cases as some information needs to be collected from abroad, he said, adding that there is a difference between white-collar crime and street crime.

KARACHI sTAFF RePORT

Fearing his arrest on charges of illegal appointments, Sindh Assembly speaker Agha Siraj Durrani Monday approached the Sindh High Court (SHC) to secure pre-arrest bail.

The development comes days after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) issued a call-up notice to Durrani. In his petition, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader pleaded with the high court to approve his bail.

Durrani is accused of making illegal appointments in the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University in Lyari. According to the NAB notice, the appointments were made against the law on Durrani’s recommendations. In July 2019, the NAB had ordered an inquiry against Durrani on charges of corruption. The prosecution named 20 suspects, including Durrani, as accused in the reference filed in an accountability court of Karachi. The NAB Karachi had arrested Durrani from a hotel in Islamabad in February 2019. According to the NAB charge-sheet, the accused were involved in graft to the tune of rs1.6 billion.

Main accused in Pearl case had access to phones in jail, SC learns ISLAMABAD APP

The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday learned that the main accused in the murder case of American journalist Daniel Pearl had access to cell phones while imprisoned.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar, heard the appeals over detention despite the release of accused in the case.

During the course of proceedings, the Sindh advocate general informed the court that the main accused Ahmed Omar Sheikh had maintained links with terrorists from the jail. Seven mobile SIMs were recovered from Sheikh, he added.

SINDH ADVOCATE GENERAL INFORMED THE COURT THAT PRIME ACCUSED AHMED OMAR SHEIKH HAD MAINTAINED LINKS WITH TERRORISTS FROM THE JAIL He said that two of the SIMs allegedly recovered were from the United Kingdom.

Justice Sajjad Ali Shah asked Sheikh had access to mobiles in jail, and to this, the advocate general admitted that it was the Sindh government’s failure.

Sheikh called suspicious people from the jail, he added.

He said that 97 people were arrested in an attempt to break Sheikh out of jail. The lawyer maintained that Sheikh was an agent of enemies.

To this, Justice Munib Akhtar observed that the order to detain Sheikh

did not mention being an enemy agent.

The lawyer replied that the Sindh government wanted the apex court to declare Sheikh as an enemy of the country.

The SC issued notices to the attorney general of Pakistan (AGP) and all advocate generals on the appeal of the Sindh government.

The court rejected the appeal seeking suspension of the Sindh High Court (SHC) order regarding release of Sheikh and other accused.

Justice Sajjad Ali Shah said that the three orders regarding custody of accused

had been expired.

He asked on what grounds the Sindh government was seeking the stay order if there was no order to detain the accused.

No one could be detained for life, he added. He wondered that if the Sindh government had information, then why had it had a case.

The Sindh advocate general responded that there was intelligence material but the provincial government would not be able to prove the case in court.

The hearing was adjourned until Thursday.

Tuesday, 26 January, 2021

04 NEWS

ATC extends physical remand of accused in Osama murder case An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday extended physical remand of the five arrested policemen in the Osama Satti murder case for three more days. The accused were presented before the court of Judge Raja Jawad Abbas as he resumed hearing. The defence counsel informed the court that the investigation officer of the case has been replaced on the complainant’s request. It is noteworthy that the arrested cops have already been in police custody on physical remand for 22 days. The accused include Muddasir, Shakeel, Muhammad Mustafa, Saeed Ahmed and Iftikhar Ahmed. During a previous hearing, the ATC censured the police for its handling of evidence in the Osama Satti murder case, remarking that the police seemed to be siding with the suspects. The judge grilled the police investigating team when he was told that pictures of the seat and bullet exit points were not taken. "What [do you] mean the picture has not been taken, this means you all are involved [together]," the judge said. "You've brought the picture of the car from the back but haven't brought the picture in which the front was hit." The court ordered that all the missing material be made part of the record. Osama was killed on January 2 on Srinagar Highway after police opened fire at his car and he received multiple bullet wounds.

Police said they mistook the 21-year-old student's car for that of a fleeing robber but Osama’s father claimed they intentionally targeted him over a previous verbal altercation. NEWS DESK

Kamal inaugurates work on roads projects in Lasbela

ATTACKs ON LEAs iN 2020 OuTNumbErEd ATTACKs Of PrEviOus 4 yEArs, siNdh APEx COmmiTTEE TOLd KARACHI TLTP

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HE Sindh Apex Committee was informed on Monday that 16 terrorist attacks were conducted to target law enforcement agencies (LEAs) during the last five years in the province while nine of these attacks occurred only in 2020.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah chaired the meeting of the provincial apex committee in order to review the law and order and implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) decisions taken in the previous meetings.

The apex committee meeting was attended by Sindh chief secretary, inspec-

tor general of police (IGP), provincial ministers Nasir Shah, Murtaza Wahab, Corps Commander Karachi, directorgeneral (DG) Rangers Sindh, commissioner, principal secretary, home secretary and other high-level officials.

The IGP told the meeting that 51 terrorist attacks had been carried out in Sindh in 2013 to target law enforcement agencies (LEAs), 34 in 2014, 7 in 2015, 2 in 2016 and no attack took place in 2017. In 2018, four terrorist attacks against LEAs occurred, one in 2019 and nine in 2020, he added.

Overall, 2,789 incidents of murder and target killings have been observed between 2013 and 2019, while 78 abduction cases were recorded. Thirty-eight abduction cases took place in 2020 in Sindh.

From 2013 to 2020, 533 extortion cases were registered including 154 this year. The number of mobile snatching cases was 19,468 cases in 2019 and 21,118 cases took place in 2020.

It was told that 9,394 complaints had been registered regarding mobile snatching in 2019 and 10,004 in 2020. Overall, 1,308 first information reports (FIRs) had been registered in 2019 and 2,319 in 2020.

In 2019, the number of snatched vehicles (four-wheelers) was 251 and 193 in 2020; 27,838 cases of motorcycle theft in 2019 and 33,924 in 2020.

The chief minister Shah said that the apex committee had been established in 2015 and its decisions brought positive results after much efforts by the authorities. He said that law enforcement agen-

PDWP approves five uplift schemes of roads, energy sectors LAHORE

LASBELA

INP

STAFF REPORT

Chief Minister Balochistan Jam Kamal Khan has inaugurated construction work on various roads projects in Bela area of district Lasbela. Addressing on the occasion, the chief minister said that appropriate utilisation of developmental funds will be ensured at all costs. He instructed the concerned officials to ensure quality and timely completion of development projects related to the welfare of masses. He said that the government is utilising all of its resources for the uplift of different areas because it believes in equal development of all districts of the province. He also said that improving the road infrastructure is one of the top priorities of the provincial government. He added that the provincial government is fully aware of the problems of the area’s people and that it is utilising all of its resources to solve them. Later, the chief minister formally laid the foundation stone of two road projects Bela Bypass and Ali Pankha-Khalid Goth link road.

Both roads projects will be completed at a cost of over Rs600 million.

Quake shakes KP districts; no loss reported A moderate earthquake hit Swat, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Upper Dir, Balakot, and Galiyat districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the wee hours of Monday.

Luckily, no loss of life and property happened due to the earthquake. According to the Seismological Centre, the magnitude of the earthquake was 5.2 on the Richter scale. The epicentre was reported in the Hindu Kush Range at a depth of 105km. Tremors were also felt in Muzaffarabad, Kaghan Valley, and nearby districts.

People, after feeling tremors, came out of their homes in panic reciting verses from the Holy Quran. Earlier on January 17, an earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale had jolted Peshawar and different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The tremor was also felt in Swat, Lower and Upper Dir, Hangu, Malakand and their adjoining areas. According to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre, Islamabad, the epicentre of the earthquake was in Afghanistan and its depth was 198 kilometres. NEWS DESK

The Punjab Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) on Monday approved five development schemes of Roads and Energy Sectors with an estimated cost of Rs19,025.715 million.

Planning & Development Board Chairman Abdullah Khan Sunbal chaired the 21st meeting of PDWP of current fiscal year 2020-21 which approved the said schemes.

The meeting was also attended

by P&D Provincial Secretary Imran Sikandar Baloch, all members of the Planning & Development Board, provincial Secretaries of concerned departments, Senior Chief (Coord) Javed Latif, Assistant Chief Coordination Shahid Idrees and other senior representatives of the relevant provincial departments.

The approved development schemes included as Punjab Economic Stimulus Programme (Rural

Accessibility Programme for Civil Divisions Multan, DG Khan & Bahawalpur (Phase-II) at the cost of Rs5,781.627 million, Punjab Economic Stimulus Programme (Rural Accessibility Programme for Civil Divisions Rawalpindi, Sargodha & Gujranwala (Phase-II) at the cost of Rs4,380.632 million, Punjab Economic Stimulus Programme (Rural Accessibility Programme for Civil

Divisions Faisalabad, Lahore & Sahiwal (Phase-II) at the cost of Rs3,909.606 million, Improvement / Rehabilitation of Rawalpindi-Murree-Kashmir (RMK) Road km 66104, length=38 km, District Rawalpindi (Revised) at the cost of Rs2,656.541 million and Design and Construction of Net Zero Energy Building (ACEIP, DLI-8) at the cost of Rs2,297.309 million.

Sindh announces public holiday on Feb 5 The Sindh government has announced a public holiday on February 5 (Friday) throughout the province on the occasion of “Kashmir Solidarity Day”.

According to a notification issued by the provincial chief secretary, “The Sindh government declares 5th of February as a public holiday for observing Kashmir Solidarity Day throughout the province.”

All the educational institutions, offices, autonomous, semi-autonomous bodies, corporations and local councils under the administrative control of the Sindh government

will remain closed on February 5.

It is pertinent to mention here that “Kashmir Solidarity Day” will be observed across the country to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir.

Rallies and public meetings will be held across the country to protest against the brutalities and grave human rights abuses in India-held Kashmir. To mark the day, the people of Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir will form a human chain at the Kohala bridge. NEWS DESK

Private school resumes classes in violation of govt’s instructions LAHORE: Against the directives issued by the government, the management of Allied School (ZN branch -- G Block Rehmanpura) is forcing the students of primary classes to attend their classes. Earlier this month, the school’s management conveyed to the students via WhatsApp that the ‘school will reopen for classes 4 to 7 from Jan 13 (Wednesday)’. It also directed the students to strictly adhere to coronavirus SOPs (masks, sanitisers, lunch, etc.). It may be noted that the government had only allowed the students of classes 9 and 10 to attend the classes this month, whereas decision regarding primary classes was yet to be made. STAFF REPORT

cies have rendered sacrifices for the establishment of peace in the city.

During the meeting, the officials of different institutions gave briefings regarding the law and order. It was told that some groups want to create chaos after being backed by a neighbouring country. Some nationalist groups are ready to be used by the foreign hands, whereas, a targeted operation is underway against the militant outfits, it added.

It was briefed that the law and order situation is under control after a strong coordination and monitoring system of the law enforcement agencies.

The participants of the session also reviewed the implementation of the Karachi Safe City Project, jail reforms as well as other matters.

Pakistan becomes locust free country, NA told The National Assembly (NA) was informed on Monday that Pakistan has become a locust free country as result of effective measures taken by the government. The lower house resumed its session at the Parliament House with Speaker Asad Qaiser in the chair. Replying to a question during Question Hour, Parliamentary Secretary for National Food Security and Research Ameer Sultan said that locust has been eliminated from all 62 affected districts of the country. He said the government has, so far, spent Rs3 billion to eliminate locust. He said one billion out of that amount was provided by the federal government, while the rest of the contribution was made by the provinces.

The parliamentary secretary said that the federal government is considering allocating Rs26.4 billion for undertaking miscellaneous activities for the management of locust, which include procurement of pesticides and equipment.

He said that a proper mechanism is in place to respond to any complaint of the crop munching pest. Responding to another question, Parliamentary Secretary on National Health Services Dr Nousheen Hamid said that the government is enforcing zigzag technology in brick kilns to prevent air pollution. Similarly, electrical vehicle policy is being introduced for four wheelers to overcome air pollution.

Answering a question, Parliamentary Secretary Textile, Commerce, Industries and Production and Board of Investment Aliya Hamza Malik said that five essential items are being provided at subsidised rates through 400 outlets of Utility Stores across Pakistan. She said that the government has allocated Rs71 billion to provide wheat flour, sugar, ghee, rice, and pulses at subsidised prices. Responding to another question Parliamentary Secretary for Railways Farrukh Habib said that operation of Waris Shah and Ravi express trains will be revived soon, which was suspended due to Covid-19 pandemic. The house has now been adjourned to meet again tomorrow at 4:00 pm. NEWS DESK

Pakistan’s vision is of economic security, connectivity, development partnerships: Dr Moeed ISLAMABAD APP

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Security Division and Strategic Policy Planning Dr Moeed Yusuf on Monday said that Pakistan’s vision is of economic security, connectivity, and development partnerships with the key stakeholder nations.

The SAPM delivered opening remarks on an event co-organised by Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) and The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) titled

“Biden Administration and Pakistan," said a press release.

While addressing the participants, the SAPM on national security and strategic policy planning said that Pakistan was looking forward to having bilateral relations with the US, which is built around fresh conversations. He added that the new US Administration will now be faced with a world that has changed completely. “The entire world is in influx, and the world has changed a lot,” he said.

Talking about the future course of action, Dr Moeed said: “We want to

talk about economic partnerships, climate change, global health, co-investing in Afghanistan, regional peace and so on.” He said that he wants to have honest and candid conversations with the new US Administration on what Pakistan and United States can do together and what cannot be done.

Dr Moeed stated that the number one priority of Pakistan is to establish an economic partnership, while other priorities include tackling global challenges, formalising security partnerships, and ensuring regional

peace. He said that Pakistan wants bilateral US-Pak relations that are not clouded by hyphenating the relationship with US policy towards other countries in the region.

Addressing the participants, Dr Moeed said that he aims to create an environment in which think tanks will be able to carry out candid conversations so that ideas can be generated and funneled into policy making.

He commended Islamabad Policy Research Institute’s (IPRI) collaboration with the IISS as a step towards this goal.

Tuesday, 26 January, 2021

NEWS

GOVt rEVOkEs CAbINEt’s POwErs tO ExEmPt GIfts, fUEl frOm ImPOrt dUtIEs iSLamaBad

t

AHMAD AHMADANI

HE government has revoked the Cabinet Division’s powers to grant an exemption over gifts or donations from import duties. According to wellinformed sources, the federal Cabinet has directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to amend the Pakistan Customs Tariff so as to replace the words ‘Cabinet Division’ with the ‘Federal Government’ as an authority to exempt gifts or donations from import duties and taxes.

Similarly, the Cabinet approved the exemption of du-

According to documents, the Pakistan Navy provides professional, operational training to RSNF officers and sailors in Pakistan, conducting on-job-training (OJT) and bilateral exercises on an annual basis.

In reciprocity, RSNF provides gratis fuel to PN which is used for operational purpose and surplus quantity if any is sold through the normal tendering procedure.

Sale proceeds are utilised for maintenance and up-gradation of PN training facilities for RSNF and other friendly countries navies.

In 2018, on receipt of 10,000M/tonne fuel from RSNF, Customs authorities asked for a certificate for payment of Customs duties/taxes on account of import of fuel.

ties and taxes on fuel imported by the Pakistan Navy (PN) from the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF). Sources said that FBR’s Customs Wing, Inland Revenue Policy Wing and Revenue Division had thrown their support behind the exemption on a gratis basis. Earlier, the defence division in a summary had sought the approval of the federal cabinet in terms of Rule 16 (1) (d) and 18 (1) of Rules of Business, 1973 and cabinet approved the proposal.

“During the meeting, the special assistant to the prime minister on revenue had clarified that the exemption may be confined to duties and taxes at import stage only and the surplus quantity of fuel sold in the open market should be subjected to normal taxes,” sources said.

Rs19.1bn approved for 24 development schemes in KP peSHaWar AZIZ BUNERI

The Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday approved 24 schemes at an estimated cost of Rs19.11 billion.

Additional Chief Secretary Shakil Qadir Khan presided over the 15th PDWP meeting, which deliberated and approved schemes pertaining to different sectors including health, education, multi-sector development, roads, agriculture, water, urban development, revenue, and tourism &

sports.

The approved projects included construction and feasibility of different roads in Abbottabad, Buner, Haripur, Swabi, Hangu and Mansehra worth Rs1.59 billion; upgradation of existing nine nursing schools in Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, DI Khan, Mardan, Swat and Abbottabad; expansion of Khyber Girls Medical College in Peshawar to accommodate additional 50 students of merged areas; and water supply schemes in Upper Dir at a cost of Rs152.25 million.

Under the FATA Infrastructure Project (FIP), the

Sindh CM says he’s not answerable to the PM neWS deSK Days after a spat with Federal Minister for Shipping and Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said on Monday that he is not answerable to anyone except the Sindh Assembly, not even the prime minister, because he has been elected to the post by the provincial legislature.

Addressing a ceremony, the provincial chief executive said, "According to the Constitution, I am answerable to the Sindh Provincial Assembly and to no one

else, not [even] to the prime minister.”

"The Sindh Provincial Assembly elected me and I am answerable to them and I will answer them," he added.

On January 16, during a session of the Karachi Transformation Committee, Murad and Zaidi had a tense exchange when CM Murad had allegedly responded to the federal minister’s questioning with “I am not answerable to you” thrice. Both of them sought Prime Minister Imran Khan’s intervention through letters which were later posted on Twitter by Zaidi.

PDWP okayed the reconstruction of 11 fully damaged schools in District Bajaur at a cost of Rs338.044 million and reconstruction of 27 fully damaged schools in District Mohmand at a cost of Rs831.461 million.

Other approved projects included 'purchase of land for Agriculture University in Swat', feasibility study of Command Area Development of small dams, hockey turf in Nowshehra and Abbotabad; upgradation of sports complex at Mohmand and Bajaur; and establishment of resource center & e-stamp introduction in the Board of Revenue in newly merged districts.

Education minister addresses students amid protests neWS deSK Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood on Monday addressed the students' protests against in-person examinations when their education had been completely online.

"Some university students are demanding that their exams should be online as they have been studying online.

This is a decision for the universities to make but I have asked HEC to consult VCs and see if it is possible given spe-

cial circumstances this year," he said on Twitter.

"Universities should also assess whether they have the technical ability to conduct exam for ALL students. No one can be left behind. It is also necessary to ensure that online exam system is not misused to get easy grades," he added as well.

Separately, Punjab Police had allegedly baton-charged students protesting against on-campus exams in Lahore, resulting in many of them being injured.

Of yearnings and yawnings!

By Syed afSarSajid 1. Title: ‘An Aura of Autumn’ Author: Asif Khan Publisher: KitabGhar, Nusrat Road, Multan Cantt.

Pages: 56 – Price: Rs.400/2. Title; ‘Come What May’ Author: Hasnain Ali Syed Publisher: Amazon.com Pages: 117 – Price: Not indicated

‘An Aura of Autumn’ Asif Khan (Dr.) is a member of the English Faculty at Islamia University, Bahawalpur. His maiden verse collectionin English ‘An Aura of Autumn’ (2020)succeedshis first verse collection in Urdu titled ‘MutthiBharKhwab’(A fistful of dreams) (2014). The instant volume carries some 40 poems bearing diverse titles.

The title of the book is markedly symbolic. It would be observed that symbolists admit into poetry concepts which traditionally have been excluded from its purview. They do so in the cause of fidelity to private or abstract experience.

The object or the situation is immaterial to them; what is important is the subjective vision of it. In art, beauty or ugliness rests not in the object or situation portrayed but in the form in which communication is made. Art creates beauty by not only transmuting the sinister, nauseating or selfish in conduct but also their opposites.

Notwithstanding what has been said above, the apparent simplicity of the diction and syntaxbacked by an unaffected expression and graceful style of the poet, arethe striking features of the book, the themes of the poems being workaday though. The poet seems to brood over the inanities intrinsic to ‘the dance of life’ around ‘the round table’ symbolic of what is happening on the globeand the inevitability of the impending doom prognosticated by ‘the stern voices/of relentless, white uni-

forms,/holding infinitely big, black boxes/to carry away all the stuff,/portable or otherwise,/broken or utterly exhausted,/neatly arranged or in a wrong order/placed.’ The juxtaposition of white and black signifies biers being borne by carriers clad in white uniforms. It is like an epiphany of the tumultuous disaster culminating into the extinction of the human race on the planet called earth.

That is one extreme of the poet’s enormous creative verve, bizarre yet evocative. The yawning gap between his yearnings (the ‘ungratifying desires’) and their ultimate fulfillment draws him into a wilderness that could be likened to a wasteland of ‘fear’,‘suspicion’, ‘insensitivity’ and ‘barbarity’.

At the other end, the poet wishes to be purged of his sins by the ‘approaching light’ of eternitybeyond ‘a thick wall of autumn’ meandering into ‘a land they call Spring’ where love would reign supreme: ’Those who worship pure love/never uphold the invalid and insane,/though elected!’ The poems abound in pristine human passions of sympathy, sincerity and love, seeking to mitigate pain and suffering in a world ridden and bitten by want, lust and terror. The ‘aura of autumn’ ironically denotes the paradox inhering in the prevailing socio-cultural and politico-economic global scenario. But there is a ray of hope like a silver lining in a cloud as Shelley would have us believe: ‘If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?’

‘Come What May’ Dr. Hasnain Ali Syed’s is an upcoming but potent poetic voice, with a flair for the twin literary virtues of originality and innovation. His professional pursuits as a surgeon and his amateur or vocationalfollowing of the Muse, though mutually irreconcilable, are homogenized into a vital upsurge of poetic creativity in lines like: My biggest obstacles Are the ones Thatare created By my mind My biggest wars Are the ones That I fight With myself The poems contained in this volume are charged

CMYK

05

Imran presents 5point agenda to UN, highlights debt relief, Covid supplies Continued from page 01 “Reportedly, a staggering amount of 7 trillion dollars is parked in ‘haven’ destinations. And it is also reported that one trillion dollars annually leave the developing countries for these ‘haven’ destinations,” he said on the occasion. Moving on to the issue of climate change, the premier called the global community to meet its target of $100 billion in order to combat the environmental impact. He thanked the UNCTAD Secretary-General (SG) for organising the ‘extremely important’ session and said the world was grappling with a series of interlinked and unprecedented public health and economic crises.

Vaccinators trained for coronavirus immunisation, NCOC told Continued from page 01 The participants of the meeting were told that a large number of fines had been imposed and restaurants, shops and business centres had also been sealed for not complying with the SOPs. Moreover, all foreign travellers, especially those from the United Kingdom and South Africa, were being tested at the airports.

Those tested positive for the coronavirus were being quarantined. The government would keep the record of vaccinated persons and even those who travelled from abroad would have to provide a legal document confirming that they had been vaccinated. The forum also reviewed the overall situation of coronavirus in the county. “Global policy measures along the lines I have outlined are urgently needed to save lives, revive economies and build back better,” he said. Meanwhile, the country Pakistan recorded 1,629 new cases of the coronavirus in a single day with 23 more fatalities, said the NCOC on Monday. According to the latest update, 1,629 new cases emerged after 36,607 samples were tested in the last 24 hours. The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country has soared to 534,041 with the addition of the fresh infections while the countrywide death toll jumped to 11,318. The NCOC said that the positivity ratio of infections was recorded at 4.44 per cent. The total number of recovered patients stands at 488,903. The positivity ratio of coronavirus dropped to one per cent in Balochistan as only 14 cases were reported during the last 24 hours in the province on Monday. The spokesperson of the Balochistan Health Department said that Covid-19 active cases stood at 273, whereas 34 more patients recovered from the virus.

Pakistani workers being overcharged at GCC-approved medical centres: PEOPA iSLamaBad SHAHZAD PARACHA

with intensity of passions hinged on mundane conceits of virtue and vice, hope and despair, love and hate, pleasure and pain, faith and scepticism,memory and oblivion, appearance and reality, truth and falsity, mannerism and vulgarity, valour and cowardice, and so on.

Not only poems but also the three nostalgic epistles, in poetic prose, addressed to an old girl-classmateof the 4th Grade (‘Recognize’), a transgender on the crossroads (‘Accept’), and ‘Amojan’, his grandma (‘Cherish’), respectively. It is a kind of a post-dated ‘realization’ about three different things/in three entirely different ways parenthesized above that he could never tell anyone before.

Thearch-poem in the book ‘Come What May’, which is its title also, symbolizes a life-long struggle on the part of the speaker (presumably the ‘persona’ of its author) against the ‘demons inside and out’ leading to his eventful survival. Like Ulysses, he would fain continue his journey,though across the dark ‘woods’ in his case, in the hope that he will reach the ‘other side’, come what may. His resolve is thus tinged with ‘strength, compassion, dignity and faith’.The ‘winding’ and ‘unwinding’ of the jigsaw of existence coupled with the yearnings and yawnings of the poet’s soul that he could never tell anyone before, would eventually seem to serve as a catharsis to him as well as his thoughtful reader.

The Pakistan Overseas Employment Promoters Association (POEPA) has claimed that the Gulf-cooperation Council (GCC)-approved medical centres were involved in "loot and plunder" in the name of medical tests. In a statement issued on Monday, POEPA informed that the GCC-approved Medical Centres Association (GAMCA), which was administratively managing 45 medical centres in Pakistan, had made it compulsory for Pakistani workers to have their medical tests done from its approved centres before departing to Saudi Arabia. "But the medical centres are charging Rs9,000 for each test, while an additional amount of Rs2,000 is being charged separately in the name of registration... other laboratories are charging half the fee for the same," it stated. "These medical centres are just a source of loot and plunder as their certificates are not even accepted in the Gulf countries; workers again have to go through the (test) process after landing in Saudi Arabia.

Tuesday, 26 January, 2021

06 COMMENT

Zodiac personality traits for beginners

One-sided accountability NAB Chairman’s claims of impartiality are yet to be proven

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AKIStAN’S political history is rife with examples of governments and dictatorships using state institutions to victimize opponents and those who are unwilling to fall into line. Prior to the PtI establishing itself as a prominent political party, it was the PML-N and PPP who took turns at charging each other with corruption and vigorously pursuing cases when either party came to power. But those witch-hunts have nothing on how the PtI through National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has targeted opposition parties, to the extent that it seems like Prime Minister Imran Khan has a personal score to settle with veteran politicians and party leaders like Mian Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari. Numerous cases have been opened by the NAB solely against opposition politicians followed by the latter doing one or multiple stints behind bars for at least ninety-days, if not more, while only at the preliminary stage of investigation. this is exactly why the Supreme Court, in its judgment on the Khwaja Saad Rafique case made some damning observations about NAB’s procedures and conduct, calling its practice of ‘arresting before charging’ a human rights violation. Much of the money NAB ‘recovers’ is through plea bargains, which is the result of an accused being incarcerated in the worst of facilities, tortured mentally and ridiculed publically to the extent that paying for one’s freedom is the only way out. this is not to say that some of those who do settle aren’t guilty of corruption but then there are cases such as ex-CDA official Brig (R) Asad Munir’s and Accountant General (AG) Khurram Hamayun’s, who committed suicide after being hounded by NAB for years.

Recently, Deputy Chairman Senate Salim Mandviwalla, who himself is under investigation by the NAB, called out the accountability watchdog for its relentless harassment of politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen and that the institution should first hold its own officials accountable. this has seemingly forced NAB chairman retired justice Javed Iqbal to issue a statement stating that NAB is ‘an unbiased anti-white collar crime agency, maintaining a balance between cases involving the ruling alliance and the opposition’. Unfortunately he has failed to back up this statement up with any proof or action as none of the many pending investigations against the ruling party have progressed similar to how cases against the opposition have.

Unless that happens, any claims of impartiality are pure fiction.

Because knowledge is power

HASAN AFTAB SAEED

I

t takes decades to master astrology; but there is an aspect of it that can be learned very quickly. So, while you should still defer to the experts when it comes to how your next week (or that of your better half) is likely to pan out, you can easily take your social intelligence up several notches if you are equipped with the knowledge of fundamental personality traits of your bosses, colleagues, potential life partners, and enemies. All you need to do is tactfully ask them their dates of birth. the beginner is advised to digest what follows without doubting its veracity. these are time tested observations, compiled by astrologers after extensive research spanning millennia.

If you happen to know somebody who does not fit the description, he probably told you the wrong DOB. (there is no shortage of those whose parents did not deem their birth a momentous enough occasion to keep a record thereof for posterity.) those who maintain that terrestrial considerations (upbringing, company, environment, etc) are more decisive in the development of one’s personality traits than the position of the sun at the time of one’s birth obviously have no idea what they are talking about. So, without any further ado…

Aquarians (Jan 20 – Feb 18) are ambitious, hardworking, and energetic. Often, they bite off more than they can chew, with unfortunate results. On the rare occasion when they succeed, they become unbearably cocky. they typically start small in life (as babies), which is followed by their growing in all directions (a process that continues till sixty). After which, they start deteriorating again. Height-wise, they adhere to the Gaussian distribution: some of them of average height, some above-average and the rest below-average.

Pisceans (Feb 19 – Mar 20) have the magical ability to make fairy tales come true (in their daydreams). If that process does not occur naturally, they are not averse to using certain chemicals to get the dreams going. their preferred pastime is to save the world but invariably they end up making a bigger mess of the world than there originally was. Some

Social media regulation Government’s decision to review policy is a welcome move

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ttORNEy General of Pakistan Khalid Jawed Khan informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) during a hearing yesterday that the government was ready to review its controversial social media rules announced last year that would give the government sweeping powers to censor any content it deemed ‘unlawful’ and ‘inappropriate’. this broad and vague categorization drew the ire of relevant stakeholders such as the Internet Service Providers of Pakistan (ISPAK), rightly calling the measures “draconian”. Chief Justice Islamabad High Court Athar Manillah also concurred with these objections, saying that the matter of enforcing social media rules involved Article-19 (Freedom of Speech) and Article19A (Right to Information) of the Constitution which were “related to fundamental rights”.

Although the PtI government projects itself as a progressive party that wants to establish a ‘digital Pakistan’, its approach towards this goal has been regressive and frankly embarrassing. Demanding social media giants such as Facebook and twitter to setup their offices in Pakistan and provide access to their user databases as and when required by the government was met with a logical reply by the former saying that they would simply remove their respective platforms from the country if this policy was pursued. While that idea was thankfully dropped soon after, the government introduced a watered down version of the same with its content-regulation plans.

One of the reasons for the severe criticism this move received is the general atmosphere of censorship that has prevails under the PtI government. No matter how many times Prime Minister Imran Khan repeats himself by saying that Pakistan’s media is more free than the UK’s, it does not change the fact that at no point in the past has print and electronic media been made to self-censor as much as under this administration. Social media is harder to regulate due its ubiquity and reach, which irks this government that is incapable of consuming any constructive criticism, something that is essential for a normally functioning democracy. that the government has agreed to take input from stakeholders before formulating and enforcing its social media rules is a welcome move. One hopes it does not turn out to be a redundant exercise with consultations being held just to go through the motions to satisfy the IHC and the government goes ahead with its original plan.

Humanity is our only identity Race and community divides people

WAjEEHA BilAl

M

ANy people connect the origin of racism to slavery, or they believe that racism persists into contemporary times because racist ideas are passed down from one generation to the next. Racism does not demonstrate itself so easily. true racism would require being able to have power over someone else, but a skin colour is not sufficient to help people do that. It shows up in different ways; you can sometimes see it in the energy of people or sense it in their tones or actions.

God created only one race – i.e. the humans. It is the humans who have created racism. As truthfully as we know in our own spirit that we do not think of ourselves as racists, then how come we see and hear about people being treated differently based on colour. If it is not us and there is no such thing as racism, then why are some of us still a victim to this horrible word.

Cultural and ethnic disparities do exist, like the distinction between the shade of my hair and the hue

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

Umar Aziz

Asher John

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Deputy Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

Pisceans are exceptionally attractive, some averagelooking, while some are outright ugly.

Aries’ (Mar 21 – Apr 19) greatest service to humanity, if you ask them, is that they exist. they confidently stride into places where no one dares to go, including places nobody invites them to. they are never indifferent to any conflict in their neighbourhood. Instead, they make it a point to make it worse for all conflicting parties. Many Aries possess chiselled chins and well-defined mouths, whereas the rest have faces that resemble potatoes. taureans (Apr 20 – May 20) are steadfast, resolute, and often outright irritating. they wage fights that are fierce in proportion to the weakness of the rival party. Sophisticated souls among them treasure the finer things of life, such as gossip and intrigue. the steady increase in their weight notwithstanding, they claim they are on perpetual subsistence diet. they attribute the said weight gain to an unusually slow metabolism.

Geminians (May 21 – Jun 20) are the intellectuals of the world – at any rate that is what they think. they are often found in trouble of one kind or another. they are born with a charm and wit that often gets them out of trouble. the problem is that it is the same charm that usually lands them into trouble in the first place. they have great potential to influence and transform others, and only exercise of utmost caution can avert that calamity. they have long limbs, unless of course they have short ones.

Sensitivity is the hallmark of Cancerians (Jun 21 – Jul 20). they can immediately sense real or imaginary slights from anybody, no matter how far removed. they expect attention from everybody, everywhere, and at all times; and show extreme consternation when they fail to get it. As children they are perpetually contemplating problems of existence.

In later life, this takes the form of paranoia. they have a problem for every solution. In a good mood, they are merely irritating; in a bad mood, they are a regular pain in the neck.

Everything about Leos (Jul 21 – Aug 21) is grand, whether it is their ambitions or the messes those ambitions inevitably lead to. they crave the spotlight, and apparently nothing is too silly or asinine for that outcome. they are extremely cute when toddlers, but then they grow up. they have well-proportioned, athletic bodies, until they turn 30; after which everything starts shifting south.

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Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

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of your hair is no more substantial genetically than the tint of my hair and the hue of my children’s hair. Let us all understand that, when we call each other brothers and sisters that is truly real. It is the focus on our similarities not the differences that makes us humans.

While it may still be true that your skin could be fair or dark, your body is eventually bound to go to the grave with that skin one day. We may clear out the notion of races, but racism still exists. And if you are raised in this society as a fair beautiful kid like those Disney characters who are the protagonists for our little generations, it’s hard to believe that you will grow up not thinking that you are superior because everything in society steers towards telling you that. Even if your parents do not emphasize, everything that you see – the magazines, tV ads and even the society places stress on that. there is a strong relationship between pride and superior representation of light skin on social media just as low self-esteem is related to the misrepresentation of coloured skin that can cause confusion about aspects of identity among children of different colour.

While media and society have played some role in imparting the idea of a superior skin, the major reason for racism lies behind the human feelings. Most important of it being due to fear and ego. Fear of differences causes people to form communities and have their own rituals. For such people, whose lives are run by fear and not conscious decisions, that is what makes them form their own groups. As for them community is a good thing, it brings people like them together; people who think

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

Virgos (Aug 22 – Sep 22) are sophisticated, independent souls beholden to nobody. they are visionaries as well – for they often see visions. Although the word means ‘maiden’, not all Virgos answer to that description. they eat healthy and like to keep themselves in shape. they never look for approval or validation from anybody – they are too full of themselves for that.

Libras (Sep 23 – Oct 22) view themselves as the reformers and the peacemakers of the world. Good natured and easy going, they view humanity with extreme benevolence – when inebriated. When sober, they are a little more realistic. So, when push comes to shove, they have all the requisite skills to counter the evil machination of enemies of civilization. Being extremely disciplined in their eating habits, they rarely need to worry about their waistlines. Except when they are single, married, in a relationship, or after a breakup.

Scorpios (Oct 23- Nov 22) are perpetual truthseekers striving to see beyond the veil. Being philosophical, they pass through most tribulations of life unscathed, which cannot be said about people they encounter along the way. Being voracious readers of philosophy tomes, they have answers to all ultimate questions of life barring minor ones like ‘Why are we here?’ Even if they gain weight, they wear it well – at least the mirror always tells them so.

Sagittarians (Nov 23 – Dec 20) are incorrigible optimists. they believe in serendipity, and things turning out all-right in the end. they are great ones for hard-work and an active life, as long it is other people that follow the regimen. So long as they do not have to lift a finger, they see as half-full all glasses that they come across. they hope to win every lottery without ever having bought a ticket.

Capricorns (Dec 21 – Jan 19) know everything.

Furthermore, they are the consummate go-getters. If you are looking for a rebel but you do not (yet) have a cause, a Capricorn is your man (or woman). Once a Capricorn forms an opinion about something, it stays etched in stone forever, unless he changes it (whichever comes first). Capricorns make friends effortlessly and lose them even more effortlessly. Many Capricorns are tall and lean, although an equal number is short and fat too.

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

alike, talk alike or even look alike, it gives them a sense of security. they feel protected against those who do not. this scribe has addressed the effect of human feelings in detail in “The Conscious Ego”, that also talks about the Paris massacre of 1961 with an underlying story: “…One claiming to be superior to the other, though there is no proof of superiority being confined to appearances. If our creator had created us with the intention of love, then why would He make us different in appearances that could become a source of dispute in our lives? I wondered, while taking notes, as my mom’s words echoed in my ears…” the fact is we are much more alike than we are different. I believe that the different colours of human race represent nothing but a work of art by the Creator.

We cannot be threatened by our differences and exclude those who seem to be different than us in any way.

Races and communities do not bring people closer but throw them apart. So how can we heal a nation that is divided along race, class and political lines? If you are only connecting with the people who are like you and people who endanger you the least, you are excluding almost all of God’s creation from your community. As we become more and more conscious, we begin to see the similarities that we could not have imagined before.

A universal community that excludes none, is the community we must address and hope to see. No matter where you are, strive to be a universal human who loves and appreciates all different creations. “Love is a key part of creating communities that work for everyone and not just the few at the expense of the many”, are the resounding words of great Martin Luther King.

If you are only connecting with the people who are like you and people who endanger you the least, you are excluding almost all of God’s creation from your community. As we become more and more conscious, we begin to see the similarities that we could not have imagined before.

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

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Tuesday, 26 January, 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

Domestic Extremism Haunts and Divides USA

PDM’s belligerence View from a distance

MuHAMMAD ZAHiD RiFAT

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CCORDING to the good old parliamentary practices and traditions, which surely and certainly need to be upheld and strengthened, the government of the day and the opposition are like two wheels of a vehicle. Both these wheels have to move together in a smooth manner otherwise the speed of the vehicle will be adversely effected and it may not be able to keep moving straight on the road. If one wheels gets or becomes defective, in any manner, then the people at large suffer more than the government as the ongoing development works speedy and timely implementation is hampered directly and indirectly and fruits of developmental activities do not reach the people as intended and desired by the government.

Furthermore, in a parliamentary system the opposition leader in the National Assembly is regarded as the prime minister –in- waiting. In number of other countries like Britain opposition even has shadow cabinet though the shadow cabinet tradition somehow does not exist in Pakistan.

In a democratic system, which is quite fortunately prevailing in Pakistan for some years, opposition also has the right to criticize the government policies, programmers and developmental activities. Such criticism is good and even welcomed by the government if it is healthy criticism aiming at improving things, here and there with good intentions and objectives. Merely criticism for sake of criticism or for political point scoring is neither liked nor welcomed by the government nor is it productive in any manner.

Needless to mention here that negative criticism by the opposition hampers progress and development of the country both directly and indirectly and in all fairness is not appreciated by the people at large besides the government against whom such negative and hostile criticism is done. Democratic right so given to the opposition in a democratic system is for effecting improvement , pointing out shortcomings and faults in the implementation of development works and procedure adopted for execution of development projects for setting things right timely and in the overall larger interest of the country and the nation. Such criticism should obviously be done for improving things and supporting the government if it is doing something good and not for trying to pull down the government, hampering its developmental activities or obstructing its pro-peo-

ple welfare measures.

Following the last general election, held on July 25, 2018 in a free, fair and transparent manner, Pakistan tehrik-e-Insaaf (PtI), headed by Imran Khan, came to power at the national level for the first time. Former ruling parties and other minor parties were the losers. they did not accept the election results saying these were rigged and a selected prime minister was imposed on the country and its people. the opposition parties and their leaders continued their hostile outbursts against PM Imran Khan and his government for sometime individually calling it inefficient, incompetent, selected and what not calling for him to step down. then out of nowhere the Maulana emerged on the national scene, contacted the opposition parties leadership and as a result of his efforts 11 major and minor opposition parties formed an alliance some months back to exert pressure on the democratically elected peoples government and the prime minister to resign and go home packing . the newly formed opposition alliance apparently had only one item agenda of pulling down the PtI government. the people by and large including this scribe, irrespective of their locations, were and continue to view, per force, the protest activities of the opposition parties alliance as the host of tV channels gave their protest activities by way of public meetings and rallies excessive coverage firstly as live coverage and then prominent coverage in their news headlines bulletins subsequently. What follows here as such is based on distance viewing of the opposition alliance protest activities against the government. the alliance has so far held almost a dozen protest public meetings and rallies in different parts of the country and addressed by 11 major and minor parties thriving on only one item agenda of ouster of the present regime calling the democratically elected Prime Minister by all foul, filthy and non-sense names to say the least.

All the political parties firming the opposition alliance are based in Pakistan. But quite surprisingly, shockingly and regretfully at none of their protest meetings and rallies, national flag was seen at the stage but the people viewing from a distance had viewed only party flags fluttering around. Utterances by some of the alliance leaders were pretty hostile, against the national interests, national security and defence institutions

and what not. these anti-Pakistan utterances were not condemned by other alliance leaders sitting on the stage here, there and everywhere. throughout the opposition leaders have so far failed to tell the people including the participating workers and madrasah students and the people at large viewing and hearing them through tV channels as what they planned to do for the well-being and welfare of the people at large and what policies they would be following once they are “able” to throw out the democratically elected government and the prime minister by persisting and exerting pressure consistently day in and day out. Will the country thus be left in the lurch and vacuum so to say?

While the opposition alliance is clamouring for the early hearing by the Election Commission foreign funding case against the ruling party PtI, they also held a protest demonstration in this regard outside the Election Commission. they however did not ask for also probing foreign funding of the former ruling parties. the Election Commission of Pakistan, according to the reports, has since required all major and minor parties represented in the parliament to submit accounts and details of their foreign funding.

Furthermore and more importantly, number of former ruling parties and other opposition parties are facing corruption, money laundering and other cases in the Superior Courts, Ehtesab Courts and inquiries and investigations before the national watch dog, NAB. It would have been better and advisable if they had utilized their time and energies to get themselves cleared of these cases and inquiries and getting clean slate. then their criticism of the incumbent government would have carried some weight which is missing and lacking presently.

One may ask the opposition parties’ leadership as to who is funding their protest meetings and rallies, lavish lunches and dinners as such huge arrangements of stages and chairs, and gathering and ravelling of workers and madrasahs cannot be made for free. Everything comes by spending little or more money.

One can go on discussing undemocratic activities of the opposition alliance parties and leaders but for want of space this is avoided. More about the opposition alliance leaders and their hostile anti-government activities and utterance and their prevailing indecisiveness in their ranks as how to go about further to exert more pressure and force the prime minister to resign and go home packing at some other time in some details as distance viewing of their protest activities continues per force courtesy tV channels.

The people by and large including this scribe, irrespective of their locations, were and continue to view, per force, the protest activities of the opposition parties alliance as the host of TV channels gave their protest activities by way of public meetings and rallies excessive coverage firstly as live coverage and then prominent coverage in their news headlines bulletins subsequently. What follows here as such is based on distance viewing of the opposition alliance protest activities against the government.

The writer is Lahore-based Freelance Journalist, Columnist and retired Deputy Controller (News), Radio Pakistan, Islamabad and can be reached at zahidriffat@gmail.com

SIR, the USA today suffers from curse of extremism and hate groups, most of them remnants and children of confederates, still hostage to their forefather’s white extremist ideologies and opposition to Abraham Lincoln’s policy to rid the country of slavery. It has survived only because of over 200 years old commitment to uphold their oath to the constitution.

Over the past 40 years these extremists armed themselves, while America was busy in waging wars across the globe, driven by the corporate global interests of the oil and armament industry. Amongst the recruited rank and file were these white extremists, now trained in warfare. On 6th September 2020, these armed extremist groups, motivated by the lies and slander of former President trump, stormed the Federal capital, sending shockwaves around the world. Scenes reminiscent of the ransacking of Saddam Hussain Palace and similar acts of violence staged and instigated by CIA, including attacks on democratically elected governments to be replaced by tinpot dictators for serving their global interests were witnessed with awe. the chickens had come back to roost. the American political establishment had forgotten to tell those living in the former Confederate dominated south, the truth and bitter realities of their not too peaceful history and the need for reconciliation and self- assessment. the dreams of Founding Fathers were dashed, who gave them a Constitution of “We the People and For the People” and the principle that Power Of the People Should Determine the Choice of those Who Hold Power and not the vested interests of few. We suffer from almost the same fate, by not adopting Quaid’s vision, that Pakistan should be a modern democratic welfare state, which he elaborated on 11 August 1947 and 14 June 1948.

Instead, former collaborators of the British Raj, like the Unionists of Punjab, retained lands and titles given for betraying motherland, assumed political power in nexus with remnants of Raj, distorted our history, banning politicians through PRODA or EBDO to make room for those who opposed MAJ and even a slanderous campaign against Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah.

Malik Tariq ali laHorE

Future of IBA Head Teachers IN 2016, Sindh Education And Literacy Department recruited Head Masters/Head Mistresses (BPS-17) against the vacant positions throughout Sindh. the recruitment process was conducted through thrid party SIBA testing service. More than 950 successful candidates were selected and posted in different schools. After completing their three years probational period, their contract was extended for one year. Now as their contract period has come to and end, Sindh Education Literacy Department has decided to re-advertise all these posts through competitive test to be conducted by SPSC. High Court Sindh has also favoured the decision of Sindh Government on the point that from BPS 17 and onwards, all the positions can only be filled through competitive examinations by SPSC as per rules and regulations. the only leniency given to existing Head Masters/Head Mistresses is that they will keep receiving their salaries till the re-advertisement of these posts. Isn’t it joke for the in-service employees? Sindh Education and Literacy Department is already having the issue of shortage of teachers throughout the Province. Six months ago it was admitted by Education Department Sindh that more than 37000 posts are vacant in different schools. If the third party’s test for recruitment of BPS 17 is not valid as per law, then why IBA was chosen for HM’s recruitment process and why not SPSC at that time? SPSC has already lost its reputation in past on the basis of serious allegations regarding transparency then how it can be expected that the pure merit system will be held? Sindh Government should realize the condition and future of in-service Head Masters/Head Mistresses. When a candidate who burns mid night oil, qualifies tests, gets a job on his ability feels job security and works sincerely, when a candidate gets Government job, he leaves his previous job forever because he believes that he will be permanent one day. And in the end, how does he feel when he is told appear in another competitive test to become permanent? His all efforts end into smoke.

It is my humble request to Chief Minister Sindh, Education Minister and Honourable High court to review their decision regarding reappointment of HMs. If SPSC test is the only way for recruitment of these post, it should be conducted in the presence of High Court officials like in recent CCE 2020 to ensure the transparency. ali gul lEgHari-JoHi DaDu

Deforestation in Pakistan FOREStS are the beauty of nature.No place of beauty in the world is complete without forests. Forests play an important role in the development of a country.they are considered as natural resources, but unfortunately, it is hurtening to say that deforestation is increasing day by day in Pakistan and it is putting adverse effects on environment. the trees are being cut. It is become one of the common activities in the environment that increases the carban dioxide, global warming and ecological imbatance which destroy the suspicious circumstances. the forests are being cut down the outcome of such human activities is deforestation. the world most valuable environment is being around plants and animals life is gradually diminishing as the natural habitat is being affected. Pakistan is the second country’s the rate of deforestation in Asia.

According to the experts forests should cover at least 25% of the total area of the country but unfortunately in Pakistan only 5.7 pc of land ,or around 4.54 million heatares under forests cover. Deforestation is a main environmental concern in the world. Deforestation includes the cutting down, burning,and destructing of forests that includes erosion, climatic change, air pollution and the loss of hardwood and fuel wood.the effects of deforestation can be devastating. Deforestation can damage to the environment the life of living organsim on earths.they may loss animals, plants and there are great possibilities for fatal diseases which could severely harm the mankind. the greatest research said that it is one of the highest problems that further does not let the organism to live on earth in balance lives. It makes near them from death.

MaHikan Sarwar kECH

Tuesday, 26 January, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

The DeparTmenT of homelanD SecuriTy’S epic ‘inTelligence enTerpriSe’ failure HOW IS IT THAT THE DHS INTELLIGENCE ENTERPRISE, WITH ITS BILLION-DOLLAR BUDGET AND VARIOUS FEDERAL ASSETS, DID NOT SEE THE FORTHCOMING ATTACK ON THE US CAPITOL AND PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING?

national interest

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Frances BurKe and richard h shultz

HE fBI thwarted a plot by an extremist militia group to kidnap Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer and execute her for “treason” on Oct. 8, 2020. That radical cell had big plans, which included storming the legislature armed with improvised explosive devices codenamed “cupcakes.”

In concert with local law enforcement, the fBI tracked individuals from multiple states who pledged online and at rallies to overthrow the state government. In this instance, the fBI followed leads, conducted investigations, and prevented domestic militia terrorists from achieving their lethal aspirations.

Conversely, little of this sleuthing appears to have taken place prior to Jan. 6, 2021, allowing thousands of “true believers” and violent extremists to attack and occupy the U.S. Capitol. Why didn’t law enforcement carefully connect the dots prior to the worst threat to the safety and security of the U.S. Capitol since it was sacked by the British in 1814?

Almost twenty years ago, the 9/11 Commission Report described the “stove-piping” of information by var-

google pays: follow france, australia on digital copyright times of india The agreement reached by Google with french news publishers, to pay them for use of online content, is a major breakthrough. Credit for wrangling the deal from Google belongs to the 2019 EU copyright rules, which allowed press publications to secure royalties for online use of their content. With france adopting the EU rules, Google stopped displaying news snippets on its search and news aggregator to avoid paying for them. However, the french competition watchdog called the bluff, noting that the unilateral move hurts publishers and constitutes an abuse of market dominance.

The harvesting of news content produced painstakingly by others requires equitable sharing of revenues.

Presently, Google and facebook corner the bulk of online ad revenues leaving a pittance for news producers. Australia too has recognised the struggles of newspapers while framing an elaborate code for revenue sharing negotiations with big tech. The Covid pandemic progressing unnoticed and unreported through China for weeks is the difference in accountability, transparency and positive outcomes for societal and individual wellbeing that a free, independent and thriving journalistic culture brings to a country.

The Indian government, currently drafting a data protection bill even while combating misinformation surrounding anti-Covid vaccines, must shore up the fourth estate for the social benefits it provides. Unlike Google and facebook which don’t spend money on journalism, India’s news outlets also support lakhs of employees – journalists, digital content producers and support staff. India must speedily replicate the EU copyright laws and the Australian code on responsibilities of digital service providers to press publications.

ious agencies within the intelligence community. They found that many of those three-letter agencies were unwilling or unable to communicate with each other about evidence pointing to an imminent threat. Intelligence warning signals, buried in highly classified files and databases prior to the terrorist attacks, were missed or ignored. At that time, the intelligence community did not connect the dots or connect with each other, according to the report.

Intelligence reform, to include the standing-up of a massive Department of Homeland Security (DHS) apparatus, which includes its so-called “DHS Intelligence Enterprise,” sought to create a network of local, state, and federal intelligence organizations to address the causes of the “ignored signals” of 9/11. Ideally, this reform effort was supposed to foster a revolution in information-sharing. Bottlenecks and obstructions were to no longer create blind spots for federal investigators. Yet somehow, another series of threatening signals—this time entirely domestic—were once more missed or ignored. In the bowels of the DHS Intelligence Enterprise, there were those who saw danger from pro-Trump fanatics embedded in the protests and signaled warning. But those responsible for protecting the Capitol and its denizens from harm missed those alerts.

In presenting last year’s budget request, former DHS Secretary Kristjen Nielsen described the funding as “landmark investments to protect America and our way of life . . . by combating terrorism and homeland threats, defending our nation’s networks, and critical infrastructure.” One of DHS’s roles in protecting the country is to assist “fusion centers,” organizations set up after 9/11 at

the state level, to “serve as focal points . . . for receipt, analysis, gathering and sharing of threat-related information” between state, local, tribal, federal, and private sector partners.” fusion Centers are a key part of the DHS Intelligence Enterprise. In fact, the District of Columbia has a fusion center of its own. It’s known as the National Capital Region Threat Intelligence Consortium, which operates twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, in partnership with Virginia, Maryland, and the federal government. Together, they conduct analysis, link homeland threat indicators, and disseminate warnings.

How is it that the DC-based fusion center and the larger DHS Intelligence Enterprise with which it is networked missed the mark? Did public statements from the Proud Boys, members of the “boogaloo” movement, and other fanatical elements calling for a storming the Capitol on Jan. 6 seem like empty noise? The indicators and warnings of what they had in mind were quite clear. And the intelligence enterprise should have connected the dots. The events of Jan. 6 could have been much worse: imagine if they had carried out a terrorist attack on the Capitol mirroring the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

Perhaps even more shocking was the fact that the preponderance of the data pouring out of chat rooms, online forums, rallies, and meetings was open-source. This was not the intelligence collection challenges of the immediate post–9/11 world where members of the National Security Agency and Central Intelligence Agency worked tirelessly to pinpoint and translate terrorist “chatter” and penetrate their secret networks to cripple deadly plots. The siege of the Capitol was planned in open sight, yet the intelligence enterprise tasked to ensure the secu-

rity of the Capitol and protect senior government leaders failed. This insurrection was knowable and preventable.

In february 2020, the Department of Homeland Security’s former assistant secretary for threat prevention and security policy, Elizabeth Neumann, told the House Committee on Homeland Security that “it feels like we are at the doorstep of another 9/11 . . . we can see it building and we don’t quite know how to stop it.” She was discussing the tracking and monitoring of burgeoning “domestic terror” cells across the United States like the one in Michigan. How right she was.

And yet, in spite of the huge DHS security apparatus built in the wake of 9/11, with a fiscal year 2020 budget of over $51 billion dollars, there was a riot inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. To be sure, according to Jan. 12 reports, the fBI’s office in Norfolk, Virginia, produced an assessment that it shared with headquarters, which warned of a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol. It cited as evidence online incitement such as “Go there ready for war,” and “Be ready to fight. Congress needs to hear glass breaking, doors being kicked in, and blood from their BLM . . . slave soldiers being spilled.” And still, the Capital was stormed and occupied.

How is it that $51 billion in tax dollars didn’t enable the DHS Intelligence Enterprise to see the forthcoming attack on the U.S. Capitol and prevent it from happening?

Frances Tilney Burke is a PhD candidate focused on security studies and intelligence at the Fletcher School, Tufts University, where Richard H. Shultz, Jr. is the Lee H. Dirks Professor and Director of the International Security Studies Program.

how to combat disinformation Bush Centre

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William mcKenzie

f there is just one point to glean from Nina Jankowicz’s How to Lose the Information War, it is this: The threats that disinformation campaigns present democracies do not occur in a vacuum. The intentionally false or distorted information flowing out of places like Russia and China, and aimed at nations from North America to Africa to Europe, is part of a larger effort to prey upon divisions, especially within democratic societies. for that reason, whatever strategy a nation employs to counter bots, trolls, and outright lies must go together with a robust civic renewal effort. Otherwise, the Woodrow Wilson Center scholar writes, democracies will play a neverending game of whack-a-mole.

Jankowicz, who previously worked for the National Democratic Institute’s Russia program, offers several examples of how Russian disinformation campaigns have sought to exploit societal fissures. As one example, she reports how Russians in particular seized upon the sharp distrust in the Czech Republic of Muslims as migration expanded across Europe in the last decade.

The disinformation onslaught had an effect. Jankowicz describes how “... a search on the EU’s database of disinformation turns up hundreds of fake or misleading stories from Czech outlets over its three years of data collection.

Some of the most outlandish headlines claim that ‘due to migration, the number of rapes in Sweden has increased by 1000% in two years,’ ‘hundreds of thousands of Arabs are waiting for Czech citizenship and a social benefit of 21,000 CZK (about $1000) per month’ and that ‘pork is disappearing from the German restaurants and school cafeterias to please Muslim refugees.’”

The irony is that the Czech Republic has only about 10,000 Muslims out of a population of 10.7 million people, according to the U.S. State Department. Still, Jankowicz writes, the false posts played upon Czech fears and discriminatory attitudes. (The 2019 Pew Research Global Attitudes Survey revealed that 64 percent of Czech respondents expressed unfavorable opinions of Muslims.)

Websites based in Russia and the Czech Republic used those anxieties to amplify concerns about immigration, terrorism, and Islam. Jankowicz details how a Czech national security audit made clear that Russian disinformation efforts “weaponized” Islamophobia to Russia’s advantage.

The audit, which devoted half of its chapters to this problem within Czech society, led to the creation of the Center for Terrorism and Hybrid Threats.

Jankowicz describes that Center’s work at length, but the short take is that she considers that work a missed opportunity. It focused too much on Russia rather than on the internal fear of Muslims and created consternation among some that the Center would lead to censorship. She contends that greater openness and dialogue about those tensions “are the key to repairing the root divisions that cause disinformation, whether in Prague or far beyond.”

In other words, address why domestic tensions exist, and you can go far in minimizing the influence of foreign and domestic disinformation efforts.

Jankowicz laid the groundwork for this book as a ful-

NINA JANKOWICZ WRITES IN HOW TO LOSE THE INFORMATION WAR THAT DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGNS PREY UPON SOCIETAL FISSURES bright Public Policy fellow in Ukraine. She started there in 2016, which was two years after pro-government forces fired upon Ukrainians who were protesting for their nation to turn away from Vladimir Putin’s Russia and toward the democratic European Union (EU).

She reports how pro-European Ukrainians failed to sway a Dutch referendum that opposed a proposed agreement to allow Ukraine to strengthen economic ties with the EU. Ukrainians lost to a disinformation campaign that was “amplified on the fringes of Dutch politics and the pages of Russian propaganda — the predecessor to Russian involvement in Brexit and the [2016] U.S. presidential election.”

As she explains, “Russian-backed media in the Netherlands, including the Dutch versions of Kremlin-funded propaganda networks RT and Sputnik, began pushing out anti-Ukraine narratives to provide fodder for the campaign.”

Ukraine certainly has been at the epicenter of Russian disinformation efforts. GOP Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio detailed in a Bush Center Democracy Talks interview this fall how when Russia invaded Crimea, the Russians used “ ... a combination of kinetic military and disinformation. And sadly it was effective. They continued to use that on the eastern border of Ukraine and the conflict there and in Ukraine itself and through the Ukrainian community here in Ohio.”

Jankowicz describes this kind of hybrid warfare throughout her book. The strategy includes aggressor nations using traditional weaponry in some places. But it also may employ something like the Internet Research Agency, which is the Russian troll farm that used Ukraine to pioneer its strategy of exploiting societal fissures.

Jankowicz combines an easy storytelling style with indepth reporting in this book. My favorite description is of one figure she met in Prague: “Janda cast himself in his role as activist in the costume of a think-tanker.” And she also includes chapters on disinformation efforts exacerbating tensions in places like Georgia, Poland, Estonia, and, yes, the United States.

As we pivot and think about the world beyond 2020, the lesson we should take from her research is that, in the United States at least, we should double-down with a dual approach.

Let’s renew our bonds of trust while also investing in efforts to shine the light on disinformation campaigns. from my perspective, the best place to start the renewal effort is at the community level. We all know we have divisions. But how do we live respectfully with our differences and not let them destabilize our democracy? fortunately, examples abound of Americans attempting to work out their differences. The Aspen Institute’s Weave program showcases how people across the country are attempting to “weave together” inclusive, strong communi-

ties. James and Deborah fallows report regularly in The Atlantic how cities and towns across the U.S. are working through the difficulties of renewing their communities. And here in Dallas, as is true elsewhere, conversations are taking place about how to understand and overcome our racial divides. (My church is now into its sixth month of hour-long Zoom discussions about racial inequities.)

Civic renewal doesn’t happen easily and certainly doesn’t mean we will lack sharp differences. But the more we can talk through them in our neighborhoods, town halls, and civic associations, the more we can keep disinformation efforts from using those disagreements as a wedge issue.

As far as tools to stem disinformation flows, building up the State Department’s Global Engagement Center is one way to respond. Jankowicz doesn’t seem to think much about its efforts so far. But Sen. Portman, who authored the bipartisan legislation that led to the Center’s creation, noted in his Democracy Talks interview how it is now being built up.

Another important strategy is expanding media literacy courses, including in our K-12 schools. The good news is that courses are emerging that can help consumers of news to discern whether the information they are reading or viewing is true or not.

We will need all these tools and more to counter this modern security threat. As Jankowicz concludes, “Russian deceptions exploit fissures in targeted societies to doubt, distrust, discontent and to further divide populations and their governments. The ultimate goal is to undermine democracy – and in particular, the American variety, that Reagan-era “shining city on a hill” – and drive citizens to disengage.”

Tuesday, 26 January, 2021

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STAFF REPORT

STAFF REPORT

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) started the week on a positive note, with the indices accumulating gains all day long amid improved investor sentiment. Global equity markets, on the other hand, showed a lackluster performance, whereas crude oil prices moved north from the previous close; WTI crude price appreciating 0.99pc to $52.80 while Brent crude price rising 0.87pc to $55.73 (as at 4:04pm PST). "The market turned positive on the first day of the rollover week, adding over 300 during the session. Cement, engineering (steel), power and oil & gas marketing companies contributed positively to the index in anticipation of better financial results for the outgoing quarter," a report issued by Arif Habib Ltd read.

SUMMARY: The benchmark KSE-100 Index remained in the green throughout the day, touching its intraday high at 46,189.02 after gaining 320.98 points. It settled higher by 219.60 points at 46,087.64. Among other indices, the KMI30 Index appreciated 196.22 points to close at 73,046.41, while the KSE All Share Index added 109.54 points, ending at 31,950.46. The overall market volumes increased from 430.53 million shares on Friday to 470.02 million shares (+9pc). Average traded value also increased 33pc, from $98.4 million to $130.9 million. K-Electric Ltd (KEL +0.73pc), Unity Foods Ltd (UNITY +4.16pc) and TRG Pakistan Ltd (TRG +7.49pc) led the volume chart, exchanging 36.61 million shares, 36.26 million shares and 29.80 million shares, respectively. Sectors that painted the benchmark index green included technology & communication (+96.31 points), cement (+48.54 points) and pharmaceuticals (+44.55 points). Among the companies, TRG Pakistan Ltd (TRG +84.95 points), Hub Power Company Ltd (HUBC +20.03 points) and Azgard Nine Ltd (ANL +17.24 points) remained the top contributors. Adding 2.01pc to its cumulative market capitalization, the pharmaceutical sector emerged as the session’s top performer, with The Searle Company Ltd (SEARL 3.10pc), Abbot Laboratories (Pakistan) Ltd (ABOT +3.09pc) and Highnoon Laboratories Ltd (HINOON 1.52pc) posting decent gains. Meanwhile, Fauji Foods Ltd (FFL -1.04pc) announced its financial performance for FY20. The company’s sales appreciated 28pc YoY to Rs7.37 billion, whereas financial cost surged from Rs1.69 billion in FY19 to Rs1.75 billion. FFL’s loss per share was recorded at Rs4.62 as compared to Rs10.74 last year. In a notification to the exchange, Hub Power Company Ltd(HUBC +1.05pc) informed that its wholly owned subsidiary Narowal Energy Ltd and Central Power Purchasing Agency (Guarantee) Limited have initialed an agreement under which the future O&M savings and heat rate efficiency shall be shared between the parties.

CDWP approves two projects worth Rs3.25bn ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Monday approved two projects worth Rs3.25 billion and agreed on one concept clearance proposal worth Rs808 million under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The committee meeting was held with Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan in the chair. According to details, the CDWP approved a project related to water resources, namely 'Construction of Small Storage/Delay Action Dam in District Khuzdar, Balochistan', worth Rs3.05 billion. The project aims to ensure the storage of floodwater, protection of agriculture lands located at the downstream of proposed dams, provide safety against flood damages, and will improve the socio-economic conditions of the people in the area. The scope of this project envisages construction of 10 small dams at different locations in District Khuzdar, Balochistan.

Meanwhile, the CDWP approved a project related to devolution and area development, namely 'Tor Ghar Integrated Development Project', worth Rs202.80 million. The project aims to make the area accessible for the local administration by providing better infrastructure facilities (DWSS, irrigation channels) and alternate sources of income through good agriculture practices and natural resources management, which will improve living standards of the people at grassroots level and also create an environment conducive for economic development. APP

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HE World Bank Group (WBG) has initiated the process of preparing a new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Pakistan that would outline its strategic support in the country for the next five years starting from fiscal year 2022.

This was stated by World Bank Country Director for Pakistan Najy Benhassine during a consultative meeting with Economic Affairs Minister Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar on Monday.

The meeting aimed to discuss the government’s development priorities for the next five years and to seek guidance and views of the minister to appropriately accommodate those priorities in the next World Bank Country Partnership Strategy for the FY202226 period.

The country director shared that WB has started countrywide consultations with key stakeholders, in-

'WORLD BANK'S COUNTRY PARTNERSHIP FRAMEWORK FOR PAKISTAN WILL BROADLY FOCUS ON FOUR STRATEGIC AREAS: EDUCATION, HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT AND IMPROVED GOVERNANCE' cluding government, parliamentarians, private sector, civil society organisations and development partners, to gather diverse views from stakeholders on Pakistan’s economic and social challenges and the ways in which the World Bank Group can support the government in addressing these challenges.

He shared that the next World Bank’s Pakistan CPF would broadly focus on four strategic areas i.e.

Centre, provinces lauded for ensuring steady supply of wheat across country EDIBLE OIL LIKELY TO BE CHEAPER AMID SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN INT'L PRICES OF PALM OIL AND SOYBEAN; SUGAR PRICES TO DROP FURTHER FOLLOWING ARRIVAL OF IMPORTED STOCK

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Finance & Revenue Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh has appreciated the federal and provincial governments for ensuring uninterrupted provision of wheat throughout the country.

He stated this while chairing the National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC) meeting, which was held on Monday to review the price trend of essential commodities, especially wheat, sugar and edible oil, during the week.

The finance secretary briefed the meeting about the Sensitive Price Index (SPI)-based weekly inflation, noting a decline in the prices of wheat flour, vegetables and eggs due to coordinated efforts of all provincial governments. On the whole, prices of eight items registered a decline, whereas that of 24 items remained stable during the week, he added.

Meanwhile, the food secretary

briefed the NPMC that the current stock of wheat was sufficient for domestic consumption, while the average per day release by the provinces was also satisfactory.

The prices of wheat flour registered a continuous decline due to improved release of wheat (per day) and its steady supply across the country, he outlined.

The finance minister lauded the coordinated and consolidated efforts of the federal and provincial governments for uninterrupted provision of wheat throughout the country.

Industries & Production Minister Hammad Azhar on the occasion updated the NPMC about the significant decline in international prices of palm oil and soybean, which would eventually reduce the recent upward pressure on the prices of edible oil in the domestic market. The committee directed the industries ministry to take necessary measures to ensure that the recent reduction in international prices of edible oil was

passed on to the domestic consumers effectively.

Azhar further informed the committee that the retail price of sugar has witnessed a decline during the week under review, and would reduce further as imported sugar would soon be available in the domestic market. The NPMC appreciated the efforts of all relevant authorities to ensure sufficient stock of sugar in the coming months.

Moreover, a member of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics informed the committee that provinces are on board for smooth implementation of the newly developed dashboard of prices of essential items. Steps are being taken to make the system fully functional for monitoring price disparity across the Provinces, he added.

The Finance Minister emphasized a proactive role on behalf of all authorities concerned to ensure the smooth provision of essential items at affordable rates to the general public.

education, health, environment & growth and improved governance as an enabler.

The minister on the occasion highlighted the need to focus more on the basics where Pakistan critically lags e.g. human capital, poverty alleviation, stunting, revenue mobilisation and economic reforms etc. He also emphasised on avoiding thin spreading of resources and focus on concentrating resources on priority areas for achieving greater impact.

The minister also informed the country director that the government desires to enhance the role of the private sector by encouraging it to take a lead in the economic development of the country.

Bakhtyar thanked the WB team for extending their continuous support to the government in achieving sustainable economic development in the country, while the country director WB ensured continuous support to the government in achieving its priority development objectives.

The meeting was also attended by economic affairs secretary and officers of WB and IFC.

1,556 illegal petrol pumps sealed across country As many as 1,556 illegal fuel stations were sealed during an ongoing countrywide crackdown against sale of smuggled petroleum products.

According to media reports on Monday, the campaign, launched on the directives of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, is continuing unabated and showing positive results. Since the launch of the crackdown on January 10, three million litres of petrol and 10.6 million litres of diesel were also seized. On January 24, 28 fuel stations were sealed including 15 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 10 in Sindh and three in Punjab.

Earlier on January 3, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan ordered a crackdown on elements involved in the sale of smuggled petroleum products, inflicting a loss of Rs150 billion per annum to the national exchequer. The prime minister ordered this while chairing a high-level meeting, which was attended by top civil and military officials.

He said that the economy is suffering irreparable loss due to the menace of smuggling and called for final action against elements involved in such illegal acts. He approved an action plan, according to which a crackdown will be launched against illegal petroleum outlets, FIRs will be registered against their owners, their properties will be forfeited, and heavy fines will be imposed. The prime minister resolved that the money recovered from the anti-smuggling drive will be spent on the public. According to FBR’s action plan, the crackdown will start against illegal petroleum outlets in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and Sindh wherein an FIR will be lodged against the owner, and proceedings for forfeiture of oil station and other properties of the owner in favour of the federal government will be initiated. Later, similar action will be taken against corrupt elements in Balochistan, one of the major supply routes of smuggled petroleum products for selling to end consumers. The operation has been divided into two phases. The first of which will comprise simultaneous action against illegal POL retail outlets in Punjab, Sindh, and KP which have already been geo mapped by customs and choking off supply routes of smuggled POL products from Balochistan to the rest of the country whereas the second phase will encompass mapping of requirements of POL products in Balochistan, planning for provision of legal retail outlets to replace the shortfall of smuggled oil and devising a strategy to curb POL smuggling at the international border of Balochistan. NEWS DESK

Urea offtake down 35pc, DAP sales up 6pc YoY in December LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Urea offtake in December 2020 clocked in at 881,000 tonnes, up 65pc month-on-month (MoM) when compared with Nov 2020, but down 35pc year-on-year (YoY) as compared to Dec 2019, according to data released by the National Fertilizer Development Centre.

The monthly increase was due to better farm economics coupled with anticipated urea price increases going forward. On a cumulative basis, however, total urea offtake in the year 2020 decreased 3pc YoY to 6.04 million tonnes.

During the month of December 2020, the offtake of Fauji Fertilizer Company Ltd (FFC),

ON A CUMULATIVE BASIS, UREA OFFTAKE DECREASED 3PC YOY TO 6.04M TONNES IN CY2020 Fauji Fertilizer Bin Qasim Ltd (FFBL) and Engro Fertilizers Ltd (EFERT) decreased 37pc, 52pc, 51pc YoY, mainly due to a high base-effect from December 2019 (pre-buying last year ahead of anticipated price hikes). Combined market share of these producers rose 5ppt YoY to 85pc in CY20 from 80pc in CY19.

In December 2020, urea prices remained flat at Rs1,650 per bag MoM, but declined significantly by Rs350 per bag YoY from Rs2,000 per bag in December 2019. This was

due to almost complete removal of GIDC on both feed and fuel gas, which forced fertilizer producers to reduce urea prices.

However, in January 2021, producers have increased the prices by Rs50 per bag to pass on inflationary pressures.

Industry urea inventory stood at 299,000 tonnes at the end of December 2020, compared to 668,000 tonnes at the beginning of the month. Higher urea offtake was attributed to the inventory drawdown of 55pc MoM.

CMYK

"Inventory levels in CY21 is likely to hover around the same level amid flat offtake YoY and discontinuation of gas to RLNG-based plants since December 2020," a report issued by IMR Research read.

Meanwhile, the offtake of diammonium phosphate (DAP) was recorded at around 205,000 tonnes in December 2020, down 44pc MoM but up 6pc YoY. This took the total DAP offtake in CY20 to 2.17 million tonnes, up 12pc YoY, largely because of lower DAP prices in the initial months of 2020, and better crop prices later in the year.

DAP inventory stood at 112,000 tonnes by end-December, down 77pc YoY. Since August 2020, DAP prices have increased by almost Rs950 per bag to Rs4,400 per bag.

This included the Rs500 per bag increase in January 2021. FFBL was a key beneficiary of this increase. During CY20, urea demand clocked in at 6.0 million tonnes as compared to 6.2 million tonnes in CY19. However, DAP offtake increased because of low baseeffect and better purchasing power of farmers owing to higher commodity prices.

"We maintain our Marketweight stance on the sector, where the recent increase in urea and DAP prices will elevate the sector’s profitability; while the likely increase in duration of GIDC payment from 24 to 48 monthly instalments (including one year grace period) will provide much relief to the cash-flows and profitability of the overall sector," the IMS report added.

Tuesday, 26 January, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

US HoUSe to bring trUMp inCiteMent CHarge to Senate, laUnCHing SeCond iMpeaCHMent trial WASHINGTON

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HE US House of Representatives on Monday will formally charge exPresident Donald Trump with inciting insurrection in a fiery speech to his followers before this month’s deadly attack on the Capitol, signaling the start of his second impeachment trial.

Nine House Democrats who will serve as prosecutors will proceed through the building where hundreds of Trump supporters fought with police, leaving five dead, at about 7:00 pm (GMT-5) on Monday, carrying the article of impeachment to the Senate where Trump will face trial.

A similar ceremony was carried out for Trump’s first impeachment trial last Janu-

ary, when the House clerk and sergeant at arms led a small procession of lawmakers through a hushed Capitol.

It will mark two historic firsts -- Trump is the only US president to have been impeached by the House twice and will be the first to face trial after leaving office. Conviction in the Senate could result in a vote to ban him from holding future office.

Leaders of the Senate, which is divided 50-50 with Democrats holding a majority because of the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris, have agreed not to start the trial until February 9. That gives Trump more time to prepare a defense and allows the chamber to focus on President Joe Biden’s early priorities, including Cabinet appointments.

After a two-month campaign to try to

10 CHina gold MinerS ConfirMed dead after otHerS reSCUed; one Still MiSSing SHANGHAI: Rescuers searching for the remaining workers trapped in a Chinese gold mine after Sunday’s dramatic extraction of 11 survivors found nine bodies, a local official said on Monday, taking the death toll to 10, with one miner still missing. A total of 22 miners working about 600 metres (2,000 feet) underground were trapped after an explosion at the Hushan mine in Qixia, a major gold-producing region in China’s coastal Shandong province, on January 10. Eleven were pulled out alive on Sunday after two weeks underground, including one in a very weak condition whom rescue teams had been unable to send supplies to. Yantai Mayor Chen Fei said rescuers kept searching from Sunday to Monday afternoon and found the bodies of nine miners, state broadcaster CCTV reported. That means a total of 10 miners are confirmed to have died, following the earlier death in the mine of one worker who had lapsed into a coma, and their remains have been lifted to the surface, Chen said, adding that one miner was still missing. The search is difficult and water levels are high, but as long as the missing worker has not been found the work will not stop, the CCTV report added.

SUNDAY SALVATION: The 11 miners freed on Sunday were rescued much earlier than expected after it emerged that steel pipes in a blocked mine shaft had prevented debris from falling lower, according to state media. The air ventilation shaft, which was the most feasible way to bring up the workers, had been cleared to a depth of 368 metres (1,207 feet), Xiao Wenru, chief engineer for the mine rescue, told the Xinhua news agency on Monday. “It is at this location we discovered that there were some steel pipes supporting the blockage [...] there is almost no blockage under the steel pipes,” said Xiao. Xiao told Xinhua on Sunday there had been a breakthrough in rescue efforts after clearing some blockages and finding the “cavities underneath”. The 11 miners were mostly in good condition. Officials had earlier said they may have to wait another 15 days before they could be rescued due to a blockage along their intended escape route. AGENCIES

discredit his election defeat, Trump on January 6 urged his followers to “fight” to overturn the result. A mob later descended on the Capitol, sending lawmakers into hiding and for several hours delaying Congress’ formal certification of Biden’s victory.

Ten House Republicans joined Democrats in voting to impeach Trump, a step akin to an indictment in a criminal trial. Senate Democrats will need the support of 17 Republicans to convict him, a steep climb given Trump’s continued popularity with Republican voters.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll on Friday found that 51 percent of Americans thought the Senate should convict Trump. That largely broke down along party lines, with less than two in 10 Republicans agreeing.

‘A FLAMING FIRE’:

MEXICO CITY: Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Sunday he has tested positive for Covid-19 and that the symptoms are mild. Mexico’s president, who has been criticized for his handling of his country’s pandemic and for not setting an example of prevention in public, said on his official Twitter account that he is under medical treatment. “I regret to inform you that I am infected with Covid-19,” he tweeted. “The symptoms are mild but I am already under medical treatment. As always, I am optimistic. We will all move forward.” José Luis AlomíaZegarra, Mexico’s director of epidemiology, said López Obrador had a “light” case of Covid-19 and was “isolating at home.” Mexico’s president wrote that while he recovered Interior Secretary Olga Sánchez Cordero would be taking over for him in his daily news conferences, at which he usually speaks for two hours without breaks each weekday. López Obrador, 67, has rarely been seen wearing a mask and continued to keep up a busy travel schedule taking commercial flights. He has also resisted locking down the economy, noting the devastating effect it would have on so many Mexicans who live day to day, despite that the country has registered nearly 150,000 Covid-19 deaths and more than 1.7 million infections. Last week, the country registered its highest levels of infections and deaths to date. Early in the pandemic, asked how he was protecting Mexico, López Obrador removed two religious amulets from his wallet and proudly showed them off. “The protective shield is the ‘Get thee behind me, Satan,’” López Obrador said, reading off the inscription on the amulet, “Stop, enemy, for the Heart of Jesus is with me. In November, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, urged Mexico’s leaders be serious about the coronavirus and set examples for its citizens, saying that “Mexico is in bad shape” with the pandemic. AGENCIES

country and it’s like taking a bunch of gasoline and pouring it on top of the fire,” Rubio said.

The case is a simpler one than Trump’s first impeachment, which focused on a phone call with Ukraine’s president that was disclosed by a whistleblower. In this case, the actions in question played out in a public speech and a separate phone call to a Georgia election official that was released to the news media.

Trump was acquitted in his first trial last year, which took nearly three weeks and dealt with charges the president had abused his power and obstructed Congress in relation to his call pressing Ukraine to investigate Biden. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Sunday the second trial would be fairly quick.

Israel opens embassy in UAE: foreign ministry TEL AVIV AGENCIES

Israel opened an embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sunday, its foreign ministry said, in a historic move four months after the Jewish state and the Gulf country normalised ties.

The embassy is the latest in Israel's diplomatic outreach to the Arab world, with a flurry of normalisation agreements and new deals with four countries over recent months.

"Today the Israeli embassy in Abu Dhabi has officially been opened, with the arrival of the mission head Eitan Naeh," the ministry said in a statement.

"The Israeli embassy in the United Arab Emirates will advance relations between the countries on all levels." The UAE, along with Bahrain, signed a USbrokered deal in September to normalise relations with the Jewish state.

The agreements, known as the "Abraham Accords", shattered a longstanding Arab consensus that there should be no normalisation with Israel until it reaches a comprehensive peace deal with the Palestinians. The Palestinians condemned the agreements as a "stab in the back".

The Israeli embassy in Abu Dhabi will be operating from "temporary offices" until locating a permanent facility, the foreign ministry statement said.

The mission will "expand the ties with the Emirati government, financial bodies and the private sector, universities, the media and more," it added.

Israel and the UAE have already signed treaties on direct flights and visa-free travel, along with accords on investment protection, science and technology.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi welcomed the move, saying the embassy would "enable the expansion of bilateral relations between Israel and the Emirates for a swift and maximal implementation of the potential in these ties".

Ashkenazi also thanked the UAE "heir to the throne, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, and my colleague and friend, Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, for their leadership and hospitality towards our representatives".

UAE TO OPEN TEL AVIV MISSION: The foreign ministry announcement came shortly after the UAE said its cabinet had approved the establishment of an embassy in Israel, also a first.

The embassy will be opened in coastal financial centre Tel Aviv. Ashkenazi welcomed the UAE decision, which he said "will advance the warm ties between the states and peoples".

Traditionally, most diplomatic missions in Israel have been in Tel Aviv as countries stayed neutral over the disputed city of Jerusalem until its status could be

settled in an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.

Former US president Donald Trump smashed that taboo in December 2017 by recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital and shifting the US embassy there from Tel Aviv the following year.

Israel considers the city its undivided capital, but Palestinians see the mostly Arab eastern part of Jerusalem, including the Old City with its holy sites, as the illegally occupied capital of their future state.

Earlier this month, Sudan also signed the Abraham Accords, becoming the third Arab country to do so and the fourth to normalise diplomatic relations with the Jewish state in as many months.

Morocco also normalised ties with Israel in December, in a diplomatic quid pro quo that saw Washington back Moroccan rule over the disputed Western Sahara region.

Until last year, Egypt and Jordan were the only Arab countries to have recognised Israel, in bilateral peace deals struck decades ago.

Also Sunday, the Israeli government gave the green light to the agreement with Morocco, ahead of its final approval by parliament.

The foreign ministry said its mission in Rabat, as well as a consulate in the UAE's Dubai, were due to open "in the coming days". An Israeli embassy in Manama, Bahrain, has been operational for a number of weeks, the statement said.

China pushes fringe theories on pandemic origins, virus TAIPEI AGENCIES

Mexico’s president says he’s tested positive for Covid-19

Multiple Republicans, including the party’s Senate leader, Mitch McConnell, have condemned the violence and criticized Trump for inciting it. Republican Senator Mitt Romney told CNN on Sunday that the trial was necessitated by Trump’s inflammatory call to his supporters.

“I believe that what is being alleged and what we saw, which is incitement to insurrection, is an impeachable offense. If not, what is?” said Romney, a frequent Trump critic and the only Republican to vote to convict him at his first impeachment trial.

But a significant number of Republican lawmakers have raised objections to the impeachment. Senator Marco Rubio pronounced the trial “stupid” and “counterproductive” on Fox News Sunday.

“We already have a flaming fire in this

Chinese state media have played up questions about Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine and whether it could be lethal to the very old. A government spokesperson suggests the coronavirus could have emerged from a US military lab.

As the ruling Communist Party faces growing questioning about China’s vaccines and renewed criticism of its early Covid response, it is hitting back by encouraging fringe theories that some experts say could cause harm.

State media and officials are sowing doubts about Western vaccines and the origin of the coronavirus in an apparent bid to deflect the attacks.

Both issues are in the spotlight because of the ongoing rollout of vaccines globally and the recent arrival of a WHO team in Wuhan, China, to investigate the origins of the virus.

While fringe theories may raise eyebrows overseas, the efforts also target a more receptive domestic audience. The social media hashtag “American’s Ft. Detrick,” started by the Communist Youth League, was viewed at least 1.4 billion times last week after a Foreign Ministry spokesperson called for a WHO investigation of the biological weapons lab in Maryland.

“It’s purpose is to shift the blame from mishandling by (the) Chinese government in the pandemic’s early days to conspiracy by the US,” said Fang Shimin, a now-US-based writer known for exposing faked degrees and other fraud in Chinese science.

“The tactic is quite successful because of widespread anti-American sentiment in China.”

Yuan Zeng, an expert on Chinese media at the University of Leeds in Great Britain, said the government’s stories spread so widely that even welleducated Chinese friends have asked her whether they might be true.

Inflaming doubts and spreading conspiracy theories might add to public health risks as governments try to dispel unease about vaccines, she said, saying: “That is super, super dangerous.”

In the latest volley, state media called for an investigation into the deaths of 23 elderly people in Norway after they received the Pfizer vaccine. An anchor at CGTN, the English-language station of state broadcaster CCTV, and the Global Times newspaper accused Western media of ignoring the news.

Health experts say deaths unrelated to the vaccine are possible during mass vaccination campaigns, and a WHO panel has concluded that the vaccine did not play a “contributory role” in the Norway deaths.

The state media coverage followed a report by researchers in Brazil who found the effectiveness of a Chinese vaccine lower than previously announced. Researchers initially said Sinovac’s vaccine is 78% effective, but the scientists revised that to 50.4% after including mildly symptomatic cases.

After the Brazil news, researchers at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a governmentsupported think tank, reported seeing an increase in Chinese media disinformation about vaccines.

Dozens of online articles on popular health and science blogs and elsewhere have explored questions about the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine at length, drawing on an op-ed published this month in the British Medical Journal that raised questions about its clinical trial data.

“It’s very embarrassing” for the government, Fang said in an email. As a result, China is trying to raise doubts about the Pfizer vaccine to save face and promote its vaccines, he said.

Senior Chinese government officials have not been shy in voicing concerns about the mRNA vaccines developed by Western drug companies. They use a newer technology than the more traditional ap-

proach of the Chinese vaccines currently in use.

In December, the director of the Chinese Centers for Disease Control, Gao Fu, said he can’t rule out negative side effects from the mRNA vaccines. Noting this is the first time they are being given to healthy people, he said, “there are safety concerns.”

The arrival of the WHO mission has brought back persistent criticism that China allowed the virus to spread globally by reacting too slowly in the beginning, even reprimanding doctors who tried to warn the public. The visiting researchers will begin fieldwork this week after being released from a 14-day quarantine.

The Communist Party sees the WHO investigation as a political risk because it focuses attention on China’s response, said Jacob Wallis, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

The party wants to “distract domestic and international audiences by pre-emptively distorting the narrative on where responsibility lies for the emergence of Covid-19,” Wallis said.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying got the ball rolling last week by calling for the WHO investigation of the US military lab. The site had been mentioned previously by CGTN and other state-controlled outlets.

“If America respects the truth, then please open up Ft. Detrick and make public more information about the 200 or more bio-labs outside of the US, and please allow the WHO expert group to go to the US to investigate the origins,” Hua said.

Her comments, publicized by state media, became one of the most popular topics on Sina Weibo.

China isn’t the only government to point fingers. Former President Donald Trump, trying to deflect blame for his government’s handling of the pandemic, said last year he had seen evidence the virus came from a Wuhan laboratory. While that theory has not been definitively ruled out, many experts think it is unlikely.

Tuesday, 26 January, 2021

SPORTS 11

azaM hoPeS to counter tough ProteaS in own conditionS THE SKIPPER HAS RECOVERED FROM A THUMB INJURY THAT KEPT HIM OUT OF THE TWO-TEST SERIES IN NEW ZEALAND, WHICH PAKISTAN LOST 2-0 KARACHI

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ABAR AZAM will make his test captaincy debut on Tuesday against a tough South Africa team that is touring Pakistan for the first time in more than 13 years.

Azam has recovered from a thumb injury that kept him out of the two-Test series in New Zealand, which Pakistan lost 2-0.

“I missed the series against New Zealand, but it’s a proud moment for me that I am doing my captaincy debut in my own country,” Azam said Monday. “South Africa is a good team. You can’t take them lightly, but conditions suit us more because most of us have played here.” South Africa last toured Pakistan in 2007 because the country was forced to organise its “home” Test series in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following a terrorist attack on a bus carrying the Sri Lanka team in Lahore in 2009.

The second Test will be played in Rawalpindi from February 4, followed by the three-match T20 series in Lahore from February 11-14. Pakistan is out of the race to qualify for the World Test Championship final at Lord’s in June while South Africa has only a mathematical chance to make it with India, New Zealand, Australia and England among the top contenders.

Azam was well aware of Pakistan’s poor Test record against South Africa, winning only four of 26 against the Proteas.

One of Pakistan’s 15 losses came at the

National Stadium — the venue for the first test — when South Africa toured in 2007.

“We should not think about past, we should focus on what’s ahead of us,” Azam said. “It’s a fact that we don’t have a good record against them, but we have prepared well and we hope to give our best against them this time.” Pakistan has included six uncapped players in a 17-man squad.

Opening batsman Imran Butt and left-arm spinner Nauman Ali could make their Test debuts on Tuesday.

Azam also said Pakistan might go with an additional spinner along with Yasir Shah. “We have practiced here for a week now and the wicket looks a bit slow,” Azam said. South Africa also has left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj to pose problems for the home team. The tourists have been practicing for the last six days to get used to the conditions. Only South Africa coach Mark Boucher has previously played redball cricket in Pakistan, while the experienced Faf du Plessis has twice toured Pakistan over the last four years but played only in the T20 format.

Du Plessis led a World XI team to Pakistan for three T20s in 2017 and then last year represented Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) playoffs.

“I’m sure this Pakistan team is going to be tough,” South Africa captain Quinton de Kock said when the team arrived. “I think our biggest challenge is the conditions that we could face, the unknowing of the things that we have to deal with.”

Bale must battle to earn his Spurs: Mourinho LONDON: Gareth Bale must earn his place in the Tottenham team on the training pitch and will not be picked so he can boost his match fitness, said manager Jose Mourinho.

The 31-year-old Wales international is back at Spurs on a season-long loan deal from Real Madrid. But the forward, hampered by fitness issues, has mostly been confined to Europa League games, playing just 45 minutes of Premier League football since early November. Bale came on in the FA Cup thirdround win over non-league Marine earlier this month and may get more time on the pitch in the fourth-round clash against Championship side Wycombe later on Monday. But Mourinho said playing time was not a gift. “I cannot give players minutes,” said the Portuguese manager. “Minutes on the pitch is not something that I can give. “I am going in this direction. We all know the difficulties he had in the last couple of seasons, we all know that he arrived injured and we all know that even this season a little bit up and down with small things.” Bale is desperate for game time, with Wales involved in the European Championships, due to start in June. “The most important thing for him is to be consistent (in) training without problems,” said Mourinho. “When a player is consistently training at high intensity without any problems then the player is ready — not to be given minutes but is ready to earn minutes and that is a different thing.” AGENCIES

PakiStan retainS Six rookieS in Squad of 17 for firSt teSt vS South africa ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has retained six uncapped players in its squad of 17 for today’s first Test against South Africa in Karachi. Three rookie batsmen — Kamran Ghulam, Abdullah Shafique and Salman Ali Agha — will remain with the team, but the Pakistan Cricket Board said they will not be considered for selection. The selectors had initially announced 20 players for the two-Test series but trimmed the squad to 17 for the first Test at the National Stadium. The second Test will be played at Rawalpindi from February 8 and will be followed by a three-match T20 series at Lahore from February 11-14. The six uncapped players include opening batsman Imran Butt, middle-order batsman Saud Shakeel, spinners Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan and fast bowlers Haris Rauf and Tabish Khan. “We know the home conditions and we have a chance here to play good cricket and win,” Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq said during a virtual press conference. Pakistan has lost only two out of 44 Test matches played at the National Stadium and one of those defeats came against South Africa when it last toured in 2007. England is the only other team that has won in Karachi when it beat Pakistan by six wickets in 2000. Opening batsman Abid Ali, captain Babar Azam and Azhar Ali all scored centuries against Sri Lanka in the last Test match here in December 2019 when Pakistan won by 263 runs. Misbah said Pakistan has to rectify its shortcomings in fielding to beat South Africa. Without the injured Babar, Pakistan lost a recent Test series 2-0 in New Zealand when it dropped more than half a dozen catches. “Of course I am not satisfied [with the performance in New Zealand], we have to improve it,” Misbah said. The head coach and bowling coach Waqar Younis were summoned by the PCB’s cricket committee earlier this month and gave the coaching staff another opportunity to turn around the fortunes of the team in the home series against South Africa. Since Misbah and Waqar took over in 2019, Pakistan won the home Test series against Sri Lanka and also won a Test match at Rawalpindi against Bangladesh. However, they have a poor touring record, losing Test series in Australia, England and New Zealand. But Misbah appeared unconcerned about whether his three-year contract with the PCB would continue if Pakistan struggles against South Africa. “I have played cricket under pressure throughout my life,” Misbah said. “I know only one thing ‘keep concentrating on what’s in your end’ and I am not thinking about what’s going to happen (after the series against South Africa).” AGENCIES

Squad Babar Azam (captain), Abid Ali, Imran Butt, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Saud Shakeel, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Yasir Shah, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Tabish Khan.

Bangladesh whitewash weakened Windies in ODI series CHITTAGONG AGENCIES

Four players hit fifties as Bangladesh made light work of the West Indies to record a 120-run win in the third oneday international in Chittagong Monday to sweep the series 3-0.

The home side bowled out a weakened Windies for 177 runs after halfcenturies from Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah Riyad and Shakib Al Hasan powered them to 2976 in 50 overs. Mohammad Saifuddin claimed 3-51, while Mustafizur Rahman (2-24) and Mehidy Hasan (2-18) chipped in with useful wickets.

The Caribbeans were all out in 44.2 overs with Rovman Powell top-scoring with 47 off 49 balls.

Tamim and Mushfiqur earlier struck 64 runs each, while Shakib made 51 and Mahmudullah Riyad put an unbeaten 64 off 43 balls. “It has been fantastic for us. The hunger that the whole group showed was amazing,” Tamim said after the match.

“Coming to international cricket after 10 months, the effort the boys put

(in) was amazing.”

Sent in to bat first, Bangladesh — which have now won eight consecutive ODIs against the West Indies — suffered an early blow when Liton Das fell leg before wicket to Alzarri Joseph in the first over.

Kyle Mayers dismissed Najmul Hossain in an identical manner after the left-hander made 20 runs.

Tamim and Shakib put on 93 for the third wicket before Joseph ended their partnership, getting Tamim caught by Akeal Hosein at mid-wicket.

Shakib was bowled by Raymon Reifer shortly after his 50, ending a 48run stand with Mushfiqur.

Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah then added 72 for the fifth wicket before Reifer struck again. Joseph took a catch at cover and the wicketkeeper-batsman departed after four fours and two sixes in his 55-ball innings.

Mahmudullah then launched an onslaught, hitting three sixes and three fours. The West Indies never managed to get going with the bat after Mustafizur dismissed two openers Kjorn Ottley (one) and Sunil Ambris

(13) early.

Kyle Mayers (11) fell to Mehidy before Saifuddin who was playing his first match in the series ended the resistance of Nkrumah Bonner (31) and skipper Jason Mohammed (17).

Powell top-scored with 47, but Bangladesh’s patiently waited to complete the win. Taskin Ahmed sealed the contest with a return catch of Raymon Reifer (27) after Soumya Sarkar trapped Powel leg-before.

The hosts won the first two matches of the series in Dhaka, by six wickets and seven wickets respectively.

“We were a bit far away in all the three games. The bowling did OK, today maybe 30 runs too many. The batting didn’t work at all,” said Windies captain Jason Mohammed.

His team came to the tournament short of at least eight players after several of them skipped the matches over coronavirus fears, while one tested positive for the infectious disease.

Shakib was named the man-of-theseries while Mushfiqur was named man-of-the-match. The two teams will play two Test matches in February.

Sibley and Buttler steer england to Sri Lanka test sweep

GALLE: Dom Sibley and Jos Buttler anchored a run chase after a jittery start as England beat Sri Lanka by six wickets Monday in the second Test to sweep the series 2-0. Sibley and Buttler put on an unbeaten 75run stand as England, who were struggling at 89-4, got to their target of 164 in an extended final session on the fourth day in Galle. The result gave England a second successive Test whitewash in Sri Lanka after winning all three matches in the island nation in 2018. “Really proud of how calm we were,” skipper Joe Root said after being named man of the match and series for knocks of 228 and 186 in the first and second Test respectively. “Credit to the bowlers for putting Sri Lanka under pressure. We are on an upward curve as a team and looking to get better.” England were given a deadline to finish after spinners Jack Leach and Dom Bess skittled out Sri Lanka for 126 in their second innings. Left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya claimed three wickets that gave Sri Lanka hope and helped him to his Test-best match figures of 10-200. Debutant spinner Ramesh Mendis got the key wicket of skipper Joe Root, who scored 11 after his second successive ton in England’s first innings total of 344, to add to the scare given to the tourists. Embuldeniya took Zak Crawley for 13 and then ended Jonny Bairstow’s stay after a quickfire 29, putting England’s nerves on edge, but Sibley calmly moved to his third Test half-century. Leach and Sibley took four wickets each to set up England’s win. The hosts started their second innings early in the day with a lead of 37 but it all came to an end in the afternoon session. Number 10 Embuldeniya top-scored with 40, after taking seven wickets with his left-arm spin to end England’s first innings on 344. He was the only batsman to score more than 20 as Sri Lanka collapsed from 29 for one in their second innings.

EMBULDENIYA ‘GOOD ASSET’: Embuldeniya put up some resistance with a ninth-wicket stand of 48 with Suranga Lakmal, who made 11 not out, before Root took the final two wickets with his off-spin.

“He was outstanding throughout the series, doing all the hard work,” stand-in-skipper Dinesh Chandimal said of his 24-year-old spinner. “He always comes and asks how to improve, so I’m sure he’ll be a good asset going forward.” Leach’s left-arm spin got Kusal Perera trapped lbw for 14, and offspinner Bess sent back Oshada Fernando for three in the first session. First-innings centurion Angelo Mathews was then bowled

by Bess for five and Chandimal fell to Leach, with James Anderson taking a superb running catch. Earlier Dilruwan Perera trapped overnight batsman Leach lbw for one on just the 11th ball of the day after England resumed on 339 for nine in Galle. Leach took a single and number 11 Anderson hit a boundary off Embuldeniya, who returned career-best figures of 7-137 in just his ninth Test, to add five runs to the overnight score. Anderson played a key part after his best bowling figures of 6-40 in Asia. The 38-year-old quick has 606 Test wickets in 157 matches. Riding on Root’s double ton, England won the opening Test of the resumed series, which started last March but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. England now head to India for a four-Test series starting February 5 in Chennai. The first two Tests will be played to empty stadiums. “With four more Test matches on this tour it’s really important we don’t stand still, keep looking to improve,” Root said. AGENCIES

Chelsea sack manager Lampard and are linked to Tuchel LONDON AGENCIES

Chelsea sacked manager Frank Lampard on Monday after 18 months in charge, with former Paris Saint-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel reportedly set to replace him at Stamford Bridge.

Sunday’s 3-1 FA Cup fourth-round win against Championship side Luton was not enough to save Lampard, whose team have slumped to ninth place in the Premier League. Chelsea said it had been a “very difficult decision” to part ways with the 42year-old, who replaced Maurizio Sarri in July 2019.

“We are grateful to Frank for what he has achieved in his time as head coach of the club,” Chelsea said in a statement.

“However, recent results and performances have not met the club’s expectations, leaving the club mid-table without any clear path to sustained improvement.”

The club’s Russian owner Roman Abramovich said: “This was a very difficult decision for the club, not least because I have an excellent personal relationship with Frank and I have the utmost respect for him.

“He is a man of great integrity and has the highest of work ethics. However, under current circumstances we believe it is best to change managers.” Former PSG boss

Tuchel, who was abruptly sacked by the French champions in December, is in line to take over, reports said.

Chelsea are struggling in ninth place in the Premier League table, 11 points behind leaders Manchester United. They have lost five of their past eight Premier League matches after a good start to the season.

Lampard signed a three-year deal in 2019 and despite a transfer ban, led them to the FA Cup final and a fourth-place finish in his first managerial campaign at Stamford Bridge.

But a huge outlay of around £220 million ($300 million) on new players including Ben Chilwell and German attackers Kai Havertz and Timo Werner has failed to trans-

CMYK

late into improved results.

Lampard’s points-per-game average of 1.67 is the fourth-lowest of any permanent Chelsea manager in the Premier League.

Tuchel only became available a month ago when he left PSG, less than five months after taking them to the Champions League final, which they lost to Bayern Munich.

The 47-year-old German won back-toback league titles with PSG, but that was not enough to satisfy the club’s Qatari owners, who replaced him with former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino. Prior to PSG, Tuchel impressed at Borussia Dortmund, having started his managerial career with Augsburg and then Mainz.

Lampard is Chelsea’s record goalscorer and won three Premier League titles during his glittering playing career at Stamford Bridge, as well as the Champions and Europa Leagues and other domestic honours.

His first managerial posting was at Championship club Derby. In his one season in charge, they reached the Championship play-off final, where they lost to Aston Villa.

Lampard then became the 10th full-time manager appointed by Abramovich since the billionaire bought the club in 2003. “He is an important icon of this great club and his status here remains undiminished,” said Abramovich. “He will always be warmly welcomed back at Stamford Bridge.”

Tuesday, 26 January, 2021

PRAyER TImINGS

NEWS

QureshI says polItICal settlement Is the only way forward for afghanIstan ISLAMABAD

f

STAFF REPORT

OREIGN Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi made a telephone call to his Afghan counterpart Hanif Atmar on Monday and discussed the matters of mutual interests. FM Qureshi, while highlighting Pakistan’s policy to strengthen trade between the two countries, drew FM Atmar’s attention towards proposed establishment of Border Sustenance Markets. He underlined that it was a special initiative of the Prime Minister Imran Khan to boost local trade and economic activity in the border regions. The foreign minister expressed hope for the earliest finalisation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU).

Reiterating Pakistan’s consistent support to a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan, For-

Indian, Chinese troops in new border brawl: reports

QURESHI SAYS BORDER SUSTENANCE MARKETS WERE A SPECIAL INITIATIVE OF PM IMRAN TO BOOST LOCAL TRADE AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN THE BORDER REGIONS eign Minister Qureshi highlighted that the intraAfghan negotiations provided an historic opportunity for the Afghan leadership to achieve an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement in Afghanistan.

He expressed concerns on the high level of vio-

lence in Afghanistan and emphasised progress in the intra-Afghan negotiations which would also facilitate reduction in violence, leading to a ceasefire.

The intra-Afghan negotiations had provided a window of opportunity for the return of lasting peace in Afghanistan, he said. Pakistan had always held that there was no military solution of the Afghan conflict and a political settlement was the only way forward.

Pakistan would continue to play its positive role in supporting the Afghan peace process and strengthening bilateral relations with Afghanistan, he maintained.

During the call, Foreign Minister Qureshi also raised the issue of Pakistani prisoners who had been languishing in Afghan jails over minor crimes. He expressed the hope that prisoners would be released as per the presidential decree, so they may be provided with an opportunity to return back to their families.

Kashmiris to mark India’s Republic Day as Black Day

REPORTS QUOTE INDIAN MILITARY OFFICIALS AS SAYING THERE WERE CASUALTIES ON BOTH SIDES

MUZAFFARABAD STAFF REPORT

NEW DELHI AGENCIES

Indian and Chinese troops have brawled again on their contested border, leaving injuries on both sides, military sources and media reports said on Monday, barely six months after a deadly clash in the Himalayas.

The incident happened last week at the Naku La pass in Sikkim state, the sources told AFP. Media reports quoted Indian military officials as saying there were casualties on both sides.

Indian and Chinese troops remain locked in a stand-off at the bitterly contested border in the western Himalayas, the most serious military crisis between the nuclear-armed neighbours for decades. Last summer, 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese troops were killed in a deadly combat. Both sides have since said that they are looking to find ways to de-escalate the situation on the border, but talks have made little headway and both sides have maintained a heavy military deployment through the freezing winter months. Last month, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said there had been “no meaningful result” from several rounds of diplomatic and military talks aimed at de-escalating the confrontation. “If the status quo continues, it is obvious that the deployment won’t come down,” Singh had said during an interview with Reuters partner ANI. But, he said, both sides were still exchanging messages over the border situation and another round of military talks was in the offing.

The people of Kashmir on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) and across the world will observe India’s Republic Day on Tuesday as Black Day to remind the international community not to buy New Delhi’s false propaganda of being the largest democracy in view of its treatment of oppressed people of the occupied region and her own citizens from minority communities.

The call for the observance of the Black Day was given by the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC). The day will be marked with a complete shutdown in the Indian-occupied Kashmir, protests and demonstrations in important world capitals.

Kashmiris observe India’s Republic Day as Black Day every year

to mark strong indignation and protest against the prolonged subjugation of the occupied region and to protest and apprise the world of the gross rights violations and custodial killings of the Muslims.

The pro-freedom groups say the Indian government’s celebration of Republic Day is hypocritical as it continues to impose a curfew and communications blackout in the occupied territory to suppress dissent.

The observance of the day is also aimed at apprising the international community of the hostile attitude of India, denying the people of Kashmir their legitimate, UN-acknowledged right to self-determination and running from all international forums.

In Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), protest rallies and demonstrations will be held in all 10 districts.

A major rally to observe Black

Day will be held in Muzaffarabad.

Leaders from various political parties including those in the AJK Parliament will lead the rally.

The protests will also reaffirm solidarity with the pro-freedom people of the held region.

The rallies are organised by various social, political and public organisations representing people of all spheres of life including lawyers, journalists, members of the business community, laborers, students, women and social and political workers.

In Mirpur, a meeting will be held at Shaheed chowk, organisers said. It will be followed by a procession, they added.

“The city’s elders from all segments of the civil society will highlight the importance of the early peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute,” they further said.

FAJR SUNRISE

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Baloch activist buried amid high security ONLY THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY OF 37YEAR-OLD KARIMA BALOCH WERE ALLOWED TO ATTEND HER FUNERAL ON SUNDAY IN THE VILLAGE OF TUMP IN BALOCHISTAN QUETTA STAFF REPORT

A Baloch activist who died in self-exile in Canada in December was brought home and laid to rest in her home village in Balochistan under tight security, activists said Monday. Only the immediate family of 37-year-old Karima Mehrab Baloch were allowed to attend her funeral on Sunday in the village of Tump in Balochistan.

Her supporters claim troops had sealed off the village and prevented them from attending her burial. Her remains were brought to Pakistan from Canada earlier on Sunday. There was no immediate comment from the government, but a video that surfaced on social media shows soldiers turning back several mourners who are heard in the footage saying they wanted to pay their last respects to Karima. Her body was found on December 22 near Toronto’s downtown waterfront, a place that she liked and often visited, a day after she was reported missing. Toronto police have not treated her death as suspicious though there were allegations by her supporters that she was killed. They have offered no evidence to support their claims. A critic of security agencies, Karima secured asylum in Canada in 2016. In December, she received a mention in the EUDisinfoLab report exposing the massive Indian disinformation network in Europe targeting Pakistan. Her death has raised suspicions among rights activists, who on Monday denounced authorities for holding the funeral in near secrecy. “It is not difficult to understand how this will deepen the divide and fuel separatism,” Mohsin Dawar, MP and Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) leader, tweeted. Following her death, Amnesty International South Asia said the incident should be “effectively investigated,” while the Human Rights Council of Balochistan called for the Canadian government to look into the matter. On Sunday, Canadian authorities, in response to a request of the Pakistan High Commission, Ottawa, declared Karima’s death as “non-criminal”.

“After a thorough investigation, officers determined that this was a non-criminal death and that no foul play was suspected,” it said. Angered over the situation, a Baloch nationalist group — the Baloch Solidarity Committee — issued a call for a daylong strike and complete shutdown in Balochistan on Monday.

Oil prices steady as lockdowns curb US stimulus optimism LONDON AGENCIES

Oil prices were steady on Monday as support from US stimulus plans and jitters about supplies competed with worries about the impact on demand from renewed coronavirus lockdowns.

Brent crude futures for March fell 8 cents, or 0.1pc, to $55.33 a barrel by 1336 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude for March was down 7 cents, or 0.1pc, at $52.20.

“Sentiment was buoyed by expectations for a blockbuster coronavirus relief package … (but) the tug of war between stimulus optimism and virus woes is set to continue,” said Stephen Brennock of broker PVM. US lawmakers are set to lock horns over the size of a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package proposed by President Joe Biden. The stimulus would support the economy and fuel demand.

European nations, major consumers, have imposed tough restrictions to halt the

port. Indonesia said its coast guard seized an Iranian-flagged tanker over suspected illegal fuel transfers, raising the prospect of more tensions in the oil-exporting Gulf.

“A development that always benefits prices is the market turbulence that conflicts create,” Tonhaugen added.

Libyan oil guards halted exports from several main ports in a pay dispute on Monday. Output from Kazakhstan’s giant Tengiz field was disrupted by a power outage on Jan. 17.

spread of the virus, while China reported a rise in new Covid-19 cases, casting a pall over demand prospects in the world’s largest energy consumer.

Barclays raised its 2021 oil price forecasts, but said rising cases in China could contribute to near-term pullbacks.

“Even though the pandemic is not yet slowing down, oil prices have good reasons to start the week with gains,” said Bjornar Tonhaugen from Rystad Energy.

Supply concerns have offered some sup-

From factory to faraway village: behind India’s huge vaccination drive KORAPUT AGENCIES

Reena Jani rose early, finished her chores in the crisp January cold and walked uphill to the road skirting her remote tribal hamlet of Pendajam in eastern India.

Riding pillion on a neighbour’s motorcycle for 40 minutes through hillsides dotted with paddy fields, the 34-year-old health worker headed for the Mathalput Community Health Centre.

Jani’s name was on a list of 100 health workers at the centre, making her one of the first Indians to be inoculated against Covid19 earlier this month, as the country rolls out a vaccination programme the government calls the world’s biggest.

But she had heard rumours of serious side effects and worried about what would happen were she to get ill.

“I was frightened because of my son and daughters. If something happens to me, what will they do?” Jani told Reuters, visibly relieved after the injection produced no immediate side effects.

The vaccine she received had travelled much further. It was taken by plane, truck and van some 1,700 km from the factory to the clinic where Jani waited, and it had to be kept cold the whole way.

Its safe arrival in Koraput district, where

leftist guerrillas wage a low-level insurgency amid rolling hills and thick forests, was a testament to detailed planning and groundwork by authorities in the state of Odisha.

But officials acknowledge this is just the tip of the iceberg.

The 1.5 million vaccinated so far, mainly targeting key workers like Jani, are a tiny first phase of a vaccine programme that India hopes will eventually protect its 1.4 billion people from the coronavirus.

Only when the much larger third phase is launched, aimed at 270 million people deemed vulnerable, will the government know if its plan to distribute shots across sometimes hostile terrain and amid high temperatures will succeed.

“The problem will start from the third phase when the public will start coming,” said Madhusudan Mishra, Koraput’s district collector. “That will be a real challenge.”

Supplying vaccines is one thing. Convincing people to take them is another.

Skepticism about the safety and efficacy of Covid-19 shots is high in India, particularly in rural areas, officials say, and misinformation via social media platforms and word-of-mouth could undermine the effort.

The Covid-19 vaccine Jani took was developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. India is also using another developed by Bharat Biotech.

The deployment comes as the number of coronavirus cases in India approached 11 million and deaths exceeded 150,000.

‘MOST AWAITED VACCINE’: Manufactured in the western city of Pune by the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine maker by volume, some 40,800 vials of the AstraZeneca shot were flown on a commercial airline into Odisha’s capital city on January 12.

A fire last week at the Pune plant killed five people but officials said vaccine production would not be affected.

India has distributed 16.5 million doses of the two approved vaccines to its states and territories, which dispersed them using an army of drivers and an infrastructure established for existing vaccination programmes but bolstered for the pandemic.

In Odisha, after a delayed start on January 13, government staff at the vaccine centre pulled out vials from a cavernous refrigerator and carefully counted them, before packing them into insulated boxes with ice packs to keep them at between 2-8 degrees Celsius for up to three days.

Then it was over to veteran health department driver Lalu Porija. He drove his delivery van all night to reach the site, and now had to truck the vaccines 500 km (310 miles) back to Koraput with an armed policeman in plain clothes for company.

“I am feeling a little tired,” said Porija, as he stopped to sip tea late that evening after a traffic jam delayed the trip by several hours.

Negotiating cows, debris, thick fog and hairpin bends, and fighting fatigue, Porija drove nearly 24 hours within three days to collect and deliver the vaccine shots to Koraput town.

On Jan. 15, at Koraput’s main vaccine store, healthcare workers counted, packed and loaded smaller quantities for the district’s five vaccination sites, including the Mathalput Community Health Centre some 30 km away.

A small white van drove out at noon, kicking up dust on narrow countryside roads, for a delivery run to multiple sites. Again, an armed policeman sat inside.

“The most awaited vaccine,” a healthcare worker at Mathalput said to colleagues, as a box of shots was unloaded.

CHALLENGES LOOM: India has mapped out a plan to vaccinate around 300 million people by July-August.

In the first phase, which got underway earlier this month, the target is 10 million healthcare workers, including Jani. Next are 20 million essential services workers, followed by 270 million people deemed susceptible to the coronavirus.

Beyond that there is no clear road map, although the government has said every Indian

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

who wants or needs the vaccine will get it.

In Koraput, a team of officials spent months putting together a local Covid-19 vaccination plan, officials said.

With much of the district lacking internet access, they chose vaccination sites with good connectivity and conducted dry runs, said Koraput’s top health official Dr Makaranda Beura.

And where mobile coverage was patchy, like Jani’s Pendajam village, health workers were called to meetings to inform them of vaccination plans, followed by visits from supervisors to people registered to be inoculated.

Despite initial glitches, particularly with CO-WIN -- a centralised digital platform to roll out and track India’s mammoth vaccination programme -- officials in Koraput said the system would suffice for the first two phases.

For the much bigger third phase, district collector Mishra said he anticipated deploying the entire local police force to manage crowds as well as acquiring additional vehicles to support staff working in far-flung areas.

But moving the vaccine deep into the interiors, where Maoist insurgents are known to operate, also requires police to work with paramilitary troops and special forces, said southwest Odisha’s police chief Rajesh Pandit.