Epaper – June 17 ISB 2020

CMYK

Wednesday, 17 June, 2020 I 25 Shawwal-ul-Mubarak, 1441 I Rs 15.00 I Vol X No 348 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

20 IndIan soldIers kIlled In vIolent border clash wIth chIna g

Chinese official says Indian forces twice crossed border illegally on Monday and attacked troops

g

UK paper says four Indian soldiers are currently missing while another 32 ‘ were handed back after being captured’

CJCSC, services chiefs visit ISI HQs, review regional security

AGENCIES NEW DELHI

a

T least 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh after a “violent face-off” with Chinese troops ensued, ANI reported on Tuesday, quoting the Indian Army.

The Indian publication said that both sides “have disengaged” after 17 Indian troops were injured.

The injured troops “exposed to subzero temperatures in the high altitude terrain have succumbed to their injuries”, added ANI. This brought the death toll, from the earlier reported three to 20.

During the de-escalation process underway in the Galwan Valley, a violent face-off took place yesterday night with casualties. The loss of lives on the Indian side includes an officer and two soldiers.

Senior military officials of the two sides are currently meeting at the venue to defuse the situation,” an official statement said.

Meanwhile, British news outlet The Telegraph, quoting Indian army sources, reported that four soldiers are currently missing and a further 32 “were handed back after being captured”.

Indian media also reported that 40 Chinese soldiers were killed in the clash, however, the news was soon retracted.

India and China have been locked in a standoff in the western Himalayas for weeks, though there had been no casualties on either side.

In Beijing, Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry,

STAFF REPORT ISLAMABAD

said that Indian forces had twice crossed the border illegally on Monday and attacked Chinese personnel. He said the Chinese side had “lodged strong protests” but continued to work toward resolving the tensions between the two countries.

According to the Hindustan Times, Beijing accused the Indian army of provoking and attacking Chinese soldiers after a border meeting to de-escalate the ongoing tension led to a “physical conflict” between the two sides.

Reuters’ report suggested that Beijing warned New Delhi not to take unilateral action or stir up trouble.

coronavIrus In

PakIstan

CONFIRMED CASES:

151,843

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

111

5,090

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

SINDH:

PUNJAB:

56,390 2,896 57,868

55,878

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

19,107 663/1,141

8,327

8,857

The Asian giants have rival claims to vast swathes of territory along their 3,500 kilometers Himalayan border, but the disputes have remained largely peaceful since a border war in 1962.

India’s main stock indexes, gave up earlier gains after the news, and were last up about 0.4 per cent each at 07:40 GMT, while the rupee weakened to 76.04 to the dollar.

Tensions along the China-India border high in the Himalayas have flared again in recent weeks, leading defense experts in New Delhi to fear that the jostling could turn into an unintended full-blown

military action.

Indian officials say the latest row began in early May, when Chinese soldiers entered the disputed territory of Ladakh at three different points, erecting tents and guard posts. They said the Chinese soldiers ignored repeated verbal warnings to depart, triggering shouting matches, stone-throwing and fistfights.

China has sought to downplay the confrontation while providing little information.

Observers, however, believe that the face-off was triggered by India’s construction of roads and airstrips in the region.

All three services chiefs of Pakistan’s armed forces, including Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Nadeem Raza, visited the InterServices Intelligence (ISI) headquarters here on Tuesday. “Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Zafar Mehmood Abbasi and Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan visited HQs ISI,” Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj-Gen Babar Iftikhar said in a tweet on Tuesday. ISI DG Lt Gen Faiz Hameed received the CJCSC and head of armed forces at Directorate General ISI, it added. A comprehensive briefing was given to military leadership on the regional security issues with special focus on situation of Line of Control (LoC) and Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K). Gen Nadeem and the services chiefs appreciated the tireless efforts of ISI for national security and expressed satisfaction over professional preparedness, the military ’s media wing said.

Justice Isa turns the tables on govt leaders in SC Tells SC PM Imran, SAPMs Shahzad Akbar, Zulfi Bukhari, Usman Dar, PTI leaders Jahangir Tareen and Firdous Ashiq also own UK properties g Calls for probing any violation of relevant laws before levelling allegations against persons concerned g

STAFF REPORT ISLAMABAD

Supreme Court (SC) Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who is facing a presidential reference for not disclosing his family’s assets, on Tuesday put the federal government in a tight spot before a full bench of the apex court by pointing out key leaders of the ruling party who owned properties in the UK, including Prime Minister Imran Khan and his special assistant on accountability Shahzad Akbar.

As a 10-judge full court, headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, continued hearing the petitions against the reference, Justice Isa in a written statement informed the bench that PM Imran owned six properties, Akbar (five), Special Assistant to the PM on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfiqar Bukhari (seven) and Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Usman Dar have three to his name.

Former federal information minister Firdous Ashiq Awan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) stalwart Jahangir Tareen each owned a property there as well. In addition, the judge submitted be-

fore the court that former military ruler Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf owned two properties in the UK. Justice Isa submitted the statement in response to SAPM Akbar telling the court that he did not receive any salary or benefit as the head of the Asset Recovery Unit (ARU).

“Taking a cue from what is stated to have transpired in the case of the petitioner’s family, the search engine 192.com was used to search a few known public figures,” the statement read.

The judge clarified that he was “not saying or suggesting, let alone allege” that the people he had identified had illegally acquired any property in the UK in violation of the income tax, the foreign exchange and/or money laundering laws. “Before an allegation of non-compliance with income tax law is made, the Federal Board of Revenue must check its records [of these individuals] and consider how much taxable income was declared and income-tax paid and whether they had non-taxable income, such as from agricultural land, which the Constitution exempts from payment of income tax.”

CMYK

CONTINUED ON PAGE 03

more inside

Pakistan reports 111 Covid-19 deaths in 24 hours STORY ON PAGE 03

Massive hike in gas tariff on the cards STORY ON PAGE 09

Steroid reduces death risk in severe virus cases STORY ON BACK PAGE

Initial report terms OMCs responsible for petrol crisis STORY ON PAGE 02

Senate body approves free air travel privilege for parliamentarians' families STORY ON BACK PAGE

02

Wednesday, 17 June, 2020

NEWS

Govt vows action aGainst illeGal sale of life-savinG druGs ISLAMABAD

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STAFF REPORT

HE government has warned that strict action would be taken against elements involved in overcharging or black marketing of life-saving drugs used by coronavirus patients.

In a statement on Tuesday, Special Assistant on National Health Services, Dr Zafar Mirza said the Drugs Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has been directed to ensure availability of

medicines used for management of Covid-19 patients.

He said Tocilizumab (Actemra) and Remedesivir injections used for COVID19 patients will be distributed to critically ill patients through a robust mechanism to meet the needs of various hospitals. Mirza said public are encouraged to inform DRAP on its Toll-Free number 080003727 in case they have been over-charged for the injections.

The special assistant said the government is providing all health facilities, equipments and enhancing the capacity

building of hospitals. He urged people to act according to the Standard Operating Procedures issued by government; otherwise, problems would be faced by the government as well as the people. He said that the government would increase the capacity of 1,000 ventilation beds in different hospitals across the country.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Health Services has decided to take strict action against all the people who have been selling plasma in the country.

The health authorities have issued guidelines about plasma therapy treatment

for Covid-19, urging people not to pay donors as the treatment was still “an experimental therapy”.

The illegal trade of plasma started after the government allowed it to be used for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.

It was disclosed that mafia in Punjab doing business with the blood plasma of recovered patients of Covid-19, minting millions of rupees from the immoral business.

Dr Shamsi had disclosed that the blood plasma being sold at the price of up to Rs0.1 million for each donation.

PM urges stronger partnership of D-8 countries in vital areas ISLAMABAD TLTP

tremors jolt islamabad, parts of KP ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Earthquake tremors were felt in Islamabad and areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday, preliminary reports said. It was the second time tremors hit KP during the day. The first one took place in the morning when a quake of 5.7 magnitude was recorded in several areas of KP, including the provincial capital Peshawar.

Mansehra, Swat, Upper and Lower Dir, Shangla, Swabi, Malakand, Nowshera, Charsadda, Kohat, Dera Ismail Khan and Bannu were also among the areas where tremors were felt in the morning. However, no loss of life or property was reported. The Met Office said that the depth of the quake was 112 kilometres and its epicentre was in Tajikistan. According to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre, an earthquake of magnitude 5.1 was recorded in the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region.

it minister tests positive for coronavirus

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday extended felicitations to member states of D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation (OEC) on its 23rd anniversary.

In his message, Imran Khan said the organization has made significant contribution in promoting solidarity, and strengthening cooperation among the brotherly countries since its inception in Istanbul in 1997.

"I would like to extend warmest felicitations, on behalf of the government and people of Pakistan and my own behalf, the people of D-8 Members States," Khan said.

D-8, representing over one billion population with a combined GDP of $4 trillion, has tremendous potential while progress has been achieved in several areas, so it is important to further accelerate the process and forge a stronger partnership in vital areas, especially the

intra D-8 trade, the Premier suggested. The establishment of the organization, also known as Developing-8, was officially announced through the Istanbul Declaration of Summit of Heads of State/Government on June 15, 1997.

The bloc comprises Bangladesh, Egypt, Nigeria, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan and Turkey.

In the context of the ongoing

Indian police harass Pakistani diplomats amid tensions

KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Syed Aminul Haque tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday. Haque confirmed he had been suffering from fever for the past one week which had turned into typhoid. He later underwent a coronavirus test which came back positive. The minister said that as soon as he became aware of his infection, he isolated himself at home.

coronavirus pandemic, PM Khan emphasized on the need to work together, and confront the challenge in a holistic manner to save lives and regenerate economies.

He reiterated Pakistan's commitment to vision and objectives of D-8 for the welfare and prosperity of the people of members states, and reaffirmed full support and cooperation in advancing shared goals.

NEWS DESK Tensions between India and Pakistan continued to rise after reports emerged on Tuesday of Pakistani diplomats being harassed in New Delhi, according to media reports.

A heavy contingent of police officials surrounded the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi in an apparent attempt to harass the Pakistani diplomats.

The development came in the wake of Islamabad Police arresting two employees of the Indian High Commission on Monday for attempting to flee after running over a man and critically injuring him.

Eyewitnesses had said a BMW vehicle hit a pedestrian who was walking on the Embassy Road and attempted to flee. The pedestrian was critically injured and shifted to a hospital for treatment. A huge crowd of people stopped the car and handed over the two men to Islamabad Police.

Eyewitnesses said the car was being driven irresponsibly and had gotten out of control due to speeding. The victim was walking on the footpath at the road when he was run over by the car.

The two officials had later been released due to their diplomatic status. Islamabad police said both Indian High Commission officials were released due to their diplomatic immunity and had been handed over in the presence of Pakistani ministry’s officials.

PM imran reaches Karachi, likely to meet MQM, Gda leaders KARACHI: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday reached Karachi on a two-day visit during which he is also expected to meet the leaderships of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA). The prime minister was accompanied

by Minister for Shipping and Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi, Privatisation Minister Muhammad Mian Soomro, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar, Special Assistant to the PM on Information retired LtGen Asim Saleem Bajwa and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) chairman. PM Imran is also expected to visit the Ehsaas Centre in Larkana during his visit.

Shortly after arriving in Karachi, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail called on the prime minister.

The premier also met members of the PTI Core Committee Sindh at the Governor’s House. During the meeting, matters related to party affairs and issues of the province were discussed in detail. STAFF REPORT

civilian injured in indian ceasefire violation along loc RAWALPINDI: Indian troops resorted to unprovoked firing on a civilian population along the Line of Control (LoC) on Tuesday, leaving one person injured. “Indian Army troops initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation in #Bagsar Sector along #LOC targeting civil population. Due to indiscriminate fire of Indian troops, an innocent civilian Babar Hussain, resident of Mehtika village got injured,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a tweet. Indian ceasefire violations have witnessed a surge since August 5 last year when New Delhi abrogated the special status of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K). In 2020, India has so far committed over 1,102 truce violations. In response to Indian allegations of targeting “launch pads” across the LoC, last month Pakistan had formally asked the United Nations to obtain information from New Delhi over its allegations. STAFF REPORT

india's Hindutva policies threaten regional peace: fM ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that India's Hindutva policies are a threat to regional peace and stability and the international community should take notice of this tendency. Chairing a high-level meeting on national security here on Tuesday, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that irresponsible statements from the Indian officials show New Delhi's bewilderment. He said that Indian government is using negative tactics to divert world attention from its internal situation. He said Pakistan wants peace and stability in the region, while on the other hand, India is continuously committing ceasefire violations on the Line of Control and targeting civilian population in sheer violation of international laws and fundamental human rights. TLTP

Initial report terms OMCs responsible for petrol crisis ISLAMABAD TLTP

The preliminary report on the petrol crisis has held oil marketing companies (OMCs) responsible for black marketing and hoarding of petroleum products, recommending strict action against them.

In its initial findings, the joint investigation committee has recommended that strict action be taken against oil companies for installing dangerous storage tanks for petroleum products near private oil terminals, according to media reports.

The report states that Pakistan State Oil (PSO) oil terminals were operating 24 hours a day during the crisis, adding that its market shares before the shortage in supply ranged between 32 percent and 36 percent.

However, the increase in supply of oil

CMYK

during the petroleum crisis enhanced its market share to 54 percent. The report added that the three private companies against whom cases have been filed had a large piece of the market share which declined during the petroleum crisis.

Last week, the government fined six oil marketing companies (OMCs) with Rs40 million for their non-compliance with storage requirements, bringing to an end a month-long blame game after an adverse shortage of petrol and diesel amid the lockdown in the country. Shell Pakistan and Total Parco were each fined Rs10 million, while Attock Petroleum, Puma, Gas and Oil Pakistan and Hascol were imposed a penalty of Rs5 million each, according to the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA). Three show-cause notices were also issued to OMCs, including Byco and BE Energy.

The OGRA said these OMCs were found involved in a violation of their licenses and directed to pay the penalty within a month. The OMCs could file review petition only after paying half of the penalty, the regulator said.

The authority warned OMCs of further penalties if they could not improve the supplies at their outlets. The Oil Companies Advisory Council, an informal body representing the downstream oil industry, declined to comment on the next line of action. The OGRA’s decision followed show-cause notices issued on June 3 to the OMCs to explain their position regarding the availability of petroleum products at their retail outlets. The Petroleum Division of the Energy Ministry also constituted a committee to probe into the shortage of petrol and diesel.

Wednesday, 17 June, 2020

NEWS

Bilawal lasHes out at Govt over ‘criMinal neGliGence’ in HandlinG covid-19 crisis ISLAMABAD

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STAFF REPORT

AKISTAN People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday lashed out at the government over its response towards the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking during the debate on federal government’s budget proposal in the National Assembly (NA), he said that Covid-19 is a challenge, and in the past, such pandemics destroyed ancient civilizations and broke nations apart. “Every 15 minutes, a Pakistani succumbs to the Covid-19 and passes away.

The other challenge facing us is the locust attack which is the most severe locust attack in 25 years; there is a threat of floods and economic depression in the country,” he said.

“This budget is not a budget for the current situation. This budget is not a budget for current times and that too, of a country battling the Covid-19 and locust attacks. This is a budget for another country, another situation and from another time. Nearly 150,000 people are suffering from Covid-19 and ap-

PPP CHIEF REJECTS ‘ANTI-POOR’ BUDGET, DEMANDS AN INCREASE IN SALARIES AND PENSIONS proximately 3,000 have passed away. 2000 doctors and paramedics have been infected and 40 have passed away but the government has no policy,” he said.

Referring to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s previous statement, the PPP chief said that someone had said that Covid-19 is just like a cold or flu, it is not lethal, it would end on its own in the summer and that it is not a pandemic, he said.

“How dare you blame the Pakistani people for your criminal negligence? The people will surely give you an answer in the elections. We were hoping that this budget would tackle those problems and challenges. The federal government only 'promised' better steps, but we did not increase our budget for health,” he added.

Bilawal said that Pakistan has not allotted enough money for provincial govern-

ments to battle the Covid-19. “We did not increase the salaries of our health workers, the risk allowance. PPP always warned you of these challenges, about terrorism as well.

The past year, President Zardari and Akhtar Mengal had highlighted the locust issue in the parliament,” he said.

“Until children were not martyred in the APS incident, no one believed that there is a threat of terrorism. Our people are threatened by the locust attack, but the government has done nothing to tackle the issue. This issue is the most dangerous after Covid-19. Till today, an airplane is parked in Sukkur without a pilot. When will we take action?” he asked.

“We have been trying to make them understand since February, you are yourself putting food security in danger. Who is responsible for the loss that our federation is suffering? The federal government of

Pakistan reports 111 Covid-19 deaths in 24 hours ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

With 4,443 new coronavirus cases reported in Pakistan during last 24 hours, the national tally of the cases jumped to 148,921 on Tuesday.

According to the latest figures released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), 55,878 coronavirus cases surfaced in Punjab, 55,581 in Sindh, 18,472 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 8,327 in Balochistan, 8,857 in Islamabad, 1,143 in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and 663 cases have been detected in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) so far.

The death toll from the virus stands at 2,839 with 111 deaths reported over the last 24 hours. 25,015 coronavirus tests were also carried out during this period.

Meanwhile, the provinces and autonomous regions apprised the NCOC about smart lockdowns and enforcement measures in various areas across the country based on “Trace, Test and Quarantine (TTQ)” strategy.

According to NCOC, more than 1,512 markets and shops, 14 industries and 1,466 transport vehicles were warned, fined and sealed. It said that during the past 24 hours more than 12,400 violations of health guidelines and instructions were observed across the country.

In line with the prime minister’s instructions for compliance to health guidelines and instructions particularly working places, industrial sector, transport, markets and shops whereas NCOC daily morning situational brief was in progress where the provincial chief secretaries of all the provinces and AJK, GB and ICT representatives were participating through video link.

To ensure the implementation of the health guidelines and instructions and preventive measures including wearing of face mask in public as per the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) new guidelines on the subject particular special teams were operating all across the

Punjab government seals parts of lahore as covid-19 cases surge LAHORE: The Punjab government on Tuesday midnight sealed parts of Lahore with the most coronavirus cases to curb the spread of the virus.

According to a notification issued in this regard, all markets, shopping malls, restaurants and offices (public and private) would remain closed in these areas, and there would be a complete ban of movement of people into and from these areas by public and private transport except for limited movement of one person per vehicle to and from the exempted localities. The notification also stated that there would be a complete ban on gatherings of all kinds at both public and private places throughout these areas. Grocery stores, fruit and vegetable shops, general/karyana stores, atta chakkisi, tandoors, petrol pumps would be allowed to operate between 9 am and 7 pm. Milk shops, chicken and meat/fish shops and bakeries would be allowed to operate between 7 am and 7pm. Hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and laboratories would be allowed to operate 24/7. There would also be some exemptions on the basis of their importance and necessity. STAFF REPORT

country to ensure that the standard operating procedures (SOPs) were being implemented. The details of violations of health guidelines across the country and enforcement measures as under as in AJK, 865 violations were noted and around 153 shops and markets sealed and 321 transport vehicles were fined.

course,” he added.

The PPP chief said that his party asked them to adopt the WHO guidelines, had requested a lockdown. “We could have prepared by imposing a lockdown, we had to improve our healthcare capacity, we were listening to the voices of our doctors and nurses, and we were listening to our experts and scientists. The prime minister was listening to the businessmen and the ATMs. The time during Ramzan and Eid was very dangerous. Had we imposed a lockdown until after Eid, we could have stopped the spread of the virus and it would have been limited to big cities only.

We are the only country which protected our right to shop, but did not protect our right to life,” he said.

“We had an example of Germany. We had examples like New Zealand and Australia before us. Italy used to ask others to learn from their experience. Poor countries are also combating the Covid-19, there is not a single death in Vietnam, and it is because they faced the pandemic with unity and harmony. They saved their life and economy.

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

A petition has been filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) challenging the “out of turn” allotment of plots to nine senior civil servants, including Muhammad Azam Khan, principal secretary to Prime Minister Imran Khan, in D-12 sector of Islamabad.

The petitioner — Syed Abu Ahmad Akif, a retired BPS-22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS)

— submitted that the allotments were made “in grave violation of Rule 5(1) of Islamabad Land Disposal Regulations 2005”. In fact, the plots were created by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) at its first-ever meeting in 2020.

The petition reads: “On March 3, nine tailor-made plots in the prime and developed sector D-12 of Islamabad were offered/allotted, out of turn by the respondent No 1 [Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation] to re-

We were being given Sweden as an example, but today, Sweden's leaders are apologising because the most deaths and economic loss has occurred there. Today, Sweden has it worse than any of its neighbours,” he added.

“How many business and industrialist did they meet during the lockdown? How many doctors, nurses and labourers did they meet? This tells us who our prime minister is worried about,” he asked.

Bilawal said that Benazir Income Support Programme's (BISP) four months’ worth of money was distributed at a time.

“The rich were given relief. The poor people were not provided with any sort of relief.

There should have been a 40 per cent increase in BISP. You have to transfer cash to our poor and middle-class people as well.

This budget is a traditional ‘PTIMF’ budget, our finance minister agrees. He says that they are more worried for IMF [International Monetary Fund] more than for our people.

They have appeased the IMF by crushing the poor,” he said.

He also said that it is said that the GDP will face a -0.4 per cent growth, the World Bank (WB) states it will be -2.5 per cent.

They said that they would not obtain a loan from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) but during 2019-2020, Rs. 1,720 million were obtained from the central bank, he added.

“They claim that Rs5,000 billion were returned as a loan payment, when you have taken a new loan just to pay the old one. This government has faced the least growth but has obtained the most loans,” he added.

Justice Isa turns the tables on govt leaders in SC CoNtINuED fRoM pAgE 01 Justice Isa further stated that before making an allegation with regard to the illegal transfer of money abroad, the State Bank “must check to determine whether the said individuals had foreign exchange accounts and whether through these accounts money was remitted abroad, to exclude the possibility of it sent to the UK through Hawala, Hundi or by any other illegal means”.

“And, before making an allegation of money laundering the competent authority must first check if the said individuals had committed a crime and the properties were purchased from the proceeds of crime,” he added.

“Assuming that the said individuals had failed in respect of all or any one of the above, they would still be entitled to be asked and given the opportunity to provide an explanation. Without first seeking an explanation and without a shred of evidence an allegation must not be made that the spouses of the said individuals were the real owners of the properties. What surely should never be done is to call upon the said individuals to do the impossible – disprove that the allegation is not true.”

On the PM’s aide claiming that

he received no salary or benefit, the judge wondered as to “how he [Akbar] survives”.

“Is he [Akbar] his working wife and/or working children’s dependent? And did they also pay for the services of a renowned lawyer.

Or does Mirza Shahzad Akbar make do with the money generated by the, ‘successful recovery including a reward of up to 20% of the ‘recovered amount,” Justice Isa pointed out.

He further noted that a document dated August 20, 2018 that appointed Akbar as the SAPM did not disclose the terms of his appointment.

“The ARU is completely unrestrained and unaccountable, ironically at its head is the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Accountability. This has no parallel in any civilised country of the world.

The fact that this was done without legislation, whilst bypassing the elected representatives of the people, subverts democracy and the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” he added.

The judge maintained that the documents setting up the ARU took away a number of fundamental rights which are guaranteed in the Constitution. “Not a single one of the fundamental rights can be curtailed or abridged. The documents

IHC moved against ‘out-of-turn’ allotment of plots to nine civil servants PM’S PRINCIPAL SECRETARY AZAM KHAN IS AMONG THOSE OFFICERS ALLOTED PLOTS IN SECTOR D-12

03

spondents 5 to 13 who are serving and retired civil servants/officers promoted to BS-22 in 2018, 2019.”

According to the petition, the CDA created the plots while exercising power under Section 19 read with Section 21 of the CDA Ordinance, 1960, on the pretext of an amendment to the layout plan of D-12, and FGEHF allotted these to the Azam Khan, Aviation Division Secretary Hasan Nasir Jamy, States and Frontier Regions Secretary Mohammad Aslam, Petroleum Division Secretary Mian Asad Hayauddin, Planning Division Secretary Zafar Hassan, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) custom policy member Mohammad Javed Ghani, FBR legal and accounting member Fazal Yazdani Khan, Syed Ejaz Ali Shah

Wasti, presently posted in the establishment division and former information secretary Shafqat Jalil.

The petition claimed that the allotment of plots to the above-mentioned officers is “not only illegal but also unreasonable, tainted with mala fides and involves procedural impropriety. Hence, the entire process of creation and allotment of plots under challenge is liable to set aside.”

The petition pointed out that since D12 was an already developed sector, under the ILD regulations 2005, the CDA cannot allot a plot in this sector to any serving or retired officer.

It said the CDA made a decision to amend the layout plan of the sector and has given one month to aggrieved persons to file objections.

which purport to set up ARU are, as the Constitution says, void, that is literally blank spaces (Article 8 of the Constitution),” he added.

“The citizens of Pakistan are governed by laws and have rights, fundamental rights, which no one, not even Parliament, can take away.

The federal cabinet does not have legislative power; it cannot change a single punctuation mark in a single law. Members of the federal cabinet take oath to ‘preserve, protect and defend’ the Constitution, not to subvert, violate and destroy it. Parliamentary democracy is a defining feature of the Constitution. To bypass Parliament and make ‘laws’ by executive diktat is a gross transgression of the Constitution.”

MULTIPLE LOOPHOLES: Meanwhile during the hearing, the full court remarked that the case against Justice Isa can be thrown out if dishonesty is found.

Justice Bandial remarked that they agree on the accountability of judges, adding that the applicant has contended that the evidence was collected illegally and dishonestly. “Reference is replete with legal loopholes and generally such cases are disposed of on such mistakes. If dishonesty is found in the reference then it can be disposed of,” said Justice Bandial.

Wednesday, 17 June, 2020

04 IsLaMaBad

WEathEr UpdatEs TUESDAY

400C

230C

WEDNESDAY

410C

250C

THURSDAY

410C

260C

IHC oRdeRs goVT To ReMoVe LgC CHIeF ISLAMABAD

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STAFF REPORT

HE Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday directed the federal government to remove Ali Nawaz Khan, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member of parliament (MP) and the chairman of the Local Government Commission (LGC), from his post.

The verdict was announced on a contempt of court petition filed against the federal government by Islamabad Mayor Sheikh Ansar Aziz who the government had suspended on May 17 for a period of 90 days on the recommendation of the said commission. Aziz was however reinstated by the IHC on May 22.

Observing that Khan’s appointment against the post was made against the rules of business, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani declared his selection as null and void. The

judge also directed authorities to define the role of the chairman within six months.

TUG-OF-WAR BETWEEN PMLN, PTI: In May, the federal government had suspended Aziz, a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stalwart who was elected to the post and as the head of Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) in 2016, to “ensure a fair trial against him” in connection with the intercity bus terminals’ (five bus stations in various parts of the city) contract worth Rs42 million, which the MCI had awarded last year.

In its meeting on May 14, the LGC had recommended to the government to suspend the mayor so that an inquiry could be initiated against him for alleged irregularities in the awarding of the aforementioned contract.

Subsequently, the cabinet headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan, through a cir-

VCs express concern over cut in higher education budget ISLAMABAD APP

INP

The economic experts have said that declining state of governance affairs has been evident from the government’s tackling of Covid-19 whereas the recent crises of petrol, wheat and sugar have exposed its deficiencies even further. They said that the present budget was an opportunity in the wake of the pandemic to address the country’s chronic problems, but the non-innovative routine exercised by the government has failed to pacify even much-curtailed expectations.

The economic experts unanimously reflected these views while partaking in a webinar titled ‘Federal Budget 2020-21: My Impression and Takeaways' which was organized by Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Islamabad on Tuesday. The online event, which was chaired by Executive President IPS Khalid Rahman, was addressed by Zafar-ul-Hassan Almas, chief macroeconomics, Planning Commission of Pakistan, Dr Atiquzzafar Khan, acting director general, International Institute of Islamic Economics (IIIE), Dr. Anwar Shah, assistant professor, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Zaheeruddin Dar, executive consultant

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ICT admin reduces local transport fares up to Rs6 stop-to-stop APP

culation, got the approval of the decision to suspend the mayor and the Ministry of Interior issued a notification on May 17.

The move elicited a strong reaction from the main opposition PML-N who had termed the decision as “coup d’état”.

ICCI urges for reducing electricity tariff to promote industry and exports APP

President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Muhammad Ahmed Waheed on Tuesday urged the government to reduce the price of electricity for promoting industrialization, investment and exports.

He said industrial development was essential to stabilize the fragile economy of Pakistan but the high cost of electricity was a major stumbling block in the way of business and industrial development.

He said there was a need to reduce the electricity tariff in proportion to the reduction made in the prices of petroleum products.

Waheed said despite significant cut in Pakistan Oilfields Limited prices, the government has increased the price of furnace oil from Rs. 40,000 per metric tonne to Rs. 61,000 per metric tonne within two months.

He said most of the electricity in Pakistan was generated from furnace oil but it was strange that price of furnace oil has been further enhanced despite the record decline in oil prices in the global market.

He said the government has significantly reduced the price of kerosene but the kerosene was being sold in the market up to Rs.140 per litre.

The ICCI President urged that the government to immediately investigate this matter. Muhammad Ahmed Waheed said due to Covid-19 pandemic, business and industrial activities in the country have been affected badly which has further weakened our fragile economy.

He said that the best solution to overcome economic challenges was to promote industrial activities. "Reducing electricity price would reduce production cost, which will help boost business activities," he said.

He said that the coronavirus has hit the whole world

and expert, Center for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries, Mirza Hamid Hasan, former secretary, Water and Power, Amanullah Khan, former president, Rawalpindi Chambers of Commerce and Industries, and Senior Research Fellows at IPS Ambassador (r) Tajammul Altaf and Syed Muhammad Ali. Shedding light on the financial constraints faced by the government in managing its businesses, Almas said that the federal government’s revenue - after paying the due share of provinces - was around 3.7 billion, which is not even enough to pay interests and principal amounts of loans, and hence, the government will start its business with a deficit of Rs 1 trillion. In addition, he said, the provinces, despite having autonomous powers of managing most of their issues post 18th amendment and getting major share of revenues from federal collections, still look towards the federal government in dealing with the calamities like pandemic.

He said that the exports at present were showing a very grim situation and remittances too were declining due to the pandemic. The bankruptcy of various small entities due to the outbreak of pandemic also needed immediate intervention of the gov-

The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration has reduced the local transport fares to pass on benefit of decrease in petroleum products' prices to commuters, in line with the government efforts to provide maximum relief to the common man. According to the notification issued here by the ICT admin, fares for non-air-conditioned diesel buses have been decreased up to Rs6 per stop, whereas non-airconditioned intra-city mini-buses/wagons plying on the capital’s roads would charge one rupee less than the previously approved fares structure per stop. As per revised fares structure, the non-AC intra-city diesel buses would charge Rs10 for one kilometer (km) to four km, while fares for 4km to 8km has been brought down to Rs16 from Rs19. Similarly, Rs19 would be charged for 8km to 14km and fares of 14km (stage) to 22km are fixed as Rs23. The ICT admin set Rs27 fare for 22Km to 30km, whereas Rs32 would be charged for 30km and above. The fares of intra-city minibuses/wagons have been brought to Rs14, Rs15, Rs19, Rs23, Rs27 and Rs34 for 1-4km, 4-8km, 8-14km, 14-22km, 22-30km, and 30km and above, respectively.

Federal educational institutions donate Rs11m to PM’s Corona Fund ISLAMABAD APP

and big importers of our products were demanding discounts.

However, it was impossible to give discounts to importers without reducing the production cost and this situation could lead to further fall in our exports. He said that the best way to cope with such challenges was to reduce cost of doing business and increase exports.

He said these objectives could be achieved only by reducing the price of electricity.

The ICCI President further said hydropower generation increased in the summer season so it was a good opportunity for the government to take advantage of this and reduce power tariffs.

He said cheap electricity would bring multiple benefits to the economy as it would reduce cost of doing business, make our products more competitive in the global market, increase exports, reduce inflation and help in reviving the overall economy.

Economic experts deplore lack of innovation in federal budget for FY21 ISLAMABAD

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Vice Chancellors (VCs) of all public sector universities have expressed their strong concern of the recent cuts imposed by the Finance Ministry on the budget of higher education. The universities head passed a resolution, after Vice Chancellors Committee meeting held online, stating that Pakistani universities are already under enormous financial stress because of the squeezing of their budgets since last three years.

Currently, the COVID-19 crisis has further exacerbated the situation, both by increasing costs, and by reducing the inflows of tuition fees. The Vice Chancellors appealed to the Prime Minister, the Education Minister, and the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Finance to immediately reverse the cuts, and enhance the higher education budget to the levels needed by universities, said a news release issued by HEC her on Tuesday. The resolution emphasized that future of the country depends critically on the future of education, especially higher education. If the funding cuts are not reversed, few universities will not be able to survive. It will force few universities to raise tuition fees at a time when students are unable and unwilling to pay regular tuition because of the virus pandemic. The VCs urged Chairman HEC to arrange a meeting of a delegation of Vice Chancellors to call upon the prime minister to apprise him of the difficulties faced by universities because of the repeated budget cuts over the last three years. The Vice Chancellors also expressed their unequivocal opposition to the actions of some elements to change legal provisions and undermine the autonomy of universities, especially draft changes in the Punjab Universities (Amendment) Act, 2020. Nowhere the world has improved quality of education without full autonomy of universities, they said.

PRAyER TImINgS

ernment. One of the positive developments however compared to the previous year was a significant increase in FDI (Foreign Direct Investment), whereas the declining trends in inflation and low policy rate may also provide some relief to the public, he stated.

Criticizing the non-innovative approach adopted by the government in preparing the budget, Hamid Hasan ruled that though the budget is being presented in exceptional times, the priorities of the government in dealing with the pandemic were not portrayed in it very well. The tax target was very ambitious in the current economic circumstances, the reduced subsidy on the power sector will cause increased power tariffs, whereas the increase in petroleum levy means the government does not intend to pass the benefits of low international oil prices to the general public. The loss of 2 million tons of wheat crops due to the locust attack signals that the country is going to import wheat to fulfill its domestic demand, whereas the budget also does not address climate change, despite the fears of high floods in the Monsoon season.

Dar highlighted chronic issues which were hindering the growth in taxes. One of the major issues, according to Dar, was that

most of the FBR taxes were related to consumption whereas in order to increase the tax revenues, consumption patterns were needed to be changed. The pattern of expenditure on non-revenue yielding sectors was pointed to as another area by the speaker that needed attention. He also emphasized on the need of reallocation of budget on education and health sectors since both of them play a significant role in generating economic activity.

He said that the budget exercise is considered to be the biggest activity of the economy but the current budget was posed as a mere fulfillment of a constitutional responsibility. Foreseeing high inflation of double figures in the upcoming fiscal year, the speaker feared a major shortfall in tax growth, especially considering the current economic condition and unrealistic government policies.

Dr Atiquzzafar Khan pointed out that the government has increased the share of higher education in current budget slightly but it is not enough to compensate the damages done by the financial cut in previous year’s budget. The outbreak of pandemic halted the provision of education services which is bringing a severe financial crunch for the academic institutes. The role of HEC has also

Director General, Federal Government Educational Institutions (FGEI), Major General Muhammad Asghar has donated the cheque of PKR 11million for Prime Minister’s Corona Relief Fund. The cheque was handed over to the Federal Minster for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood, said a news release here on Tuesday. The amount was collected by the employees of Federal Government Educational Institutions Cantonments/Garrisons to support the dignified cause of government for helping poor segments of the society in this hour of need. The Minister acknowledged the valuable efforts of FGEI for the country and the nation stating that relationship between the Ministry of Education and FGEI would further strengthen. He remarked that they would learn from experiences of each other and keep sharing good practices in future as well. Mahmood noted that there is intense pressure from Private Schools and Religious Seminaries for re-opening of schools and seminaries, so keeping in view the emerging situation, minister has advised to convene the Inter Provincial Education Ministers Conference, mainly to discuss this agenda on July 2, and to prepare recommendations for the next National Coordination Committee’s (NCC) meeting.

become controversial due to its illogical policies whereas the involvement of political pressures in its hiring process has complicated the matter even further, he added.

Dr Shah said that the increase in unemployment due to pandemic has reduced the incomes which subsequently impact the spending of the general public. He suggested that the government should work on war footings to develop comprehensive policies regarding epidemic and pandemic diseases.

Ali emphasized on the need for the budget making process to be aligned with the changing paradigms in international political scenario in which the efficacy of international financial institutions (IMF, WB etc.) were questioned. He emphasized on the need of identification of economic models which should be followed in changing international political dynamics.

Rahman concluded the session stressing on the need of out of the box solutions to address the country’s longstanding inherent issues. He was of the view that a lack of seriousness in preparing the current budget is hinting at the probability of various mini budgets being brought throughout the upcoming fiscal year. He was of the view that social security programs were not a longterm solution, instead steps should be taken to promote self-sufficiency of individuals through proper capacity building programs.

In addition, he also advised the government to encourage private sector charity organizations especially following their proactive and efficient role in providing relief activities in the time of pandemic.

Wednesday, 17 June, 2020

NEWS

05

No compromise oN developmeNt despite covid-19 challeNges, says puNjab fiNaNce miNister LAHORE

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STAFF REPORT

UNjAB Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim jawan Bakhat said on Tuesday that despite all odds and difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the government has managed to present a "business-friendly and progressive budget" for the fiscal year 2020-21.

In his post-budget press conference, the minister highlighted some key points of the next fiscal year's budget, including a tax relief package; cut in government expenditure; economic stability and development; social protection and facilitation of deserving segments; human capital development; agriculture and food security, and public-private partnership.

"Like the federal government, the Punjab government also lowered its tax revenue targets, but it did not compromise on the pace of development, as development expenditures for FY21 will somehow be equal to the current year's Annual Development Programme (ADP)," he stated.

The minister said that a tax relief package of more than Rs56 billion would be ensured in FY21 to facilitate the business sector and the people at large.

"Since we are still fighting the pandemic, the government has allocated an accumulative amount of Rs106 billion under various heads for measures pertaining to corona control," he informed, adding that world economies were contracting rapidly due the adverse impact of the deadly virus.

Hashim jawan claimed that the government had

given equal weightage to the stakeholders’ budgetary proposals/suggestions, and that budgetary allocations were made only after considering the public opinion.

He said another pertinent factor of FY21 was the Framework for Rolling Expenditures (FRE) for distribution of funds/resources as per their 'actual demand' instead of traditional supply. "We have named it FRE as the expenditures will be reviewed on a monthly basis. The step has been taken after considering the fact that Covid-19 is still eating up more funds on various counts, and funds will be released accordingly after assessing the need and then situation."

Responding to reporters’ queries, he said the PTI government was following the policy of austerity and in this connection, supplementary grants worth Rs61 billion were rejected during FY20 alone, while the austerity committee also helped save Rs1.5 billion by reducing demands for grants from various departments.

Keeping in view the meagre resources in the presence of coronavirus challenges, the government has decided to involve the private sector through innovative financing to fulfil development needs, he said.

For this purpose, he added, Punjab Public-Private Partnership Authority has identified 165 mega projects, including the Lahore Ring Road (SL-4), for FY21.

Of the total Rs337 billion development budget, Rs97.66 billion would be spent on social sector, Rs77.86 billion on infrastructure development, Rs17.35 billion on production sector, Rs45.38 billion on services sector, Rs51.24 billion on miscellaneous sectors, Rs47.5 billion special programme and Rs25 billion on public-private partnership.

Premier and first lady’s regard should be foremost priority, Zulfi tells PTI workers ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Imran Khan and First Lady Bushra Bibi’s regard should be the foremost priority of the workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

In a tweet, he referred to the alleged ‘inappropriate’ remarks of PTI’s Member of Punjab Assembly Uzma Kardar about the first lady.

Criticising the party member for her remarks, the SAPM said that “one can’t expect her to understand the caliber of the first lady but it is extremely shameful of Uzma Kar-

dar to be talking behind her back”.

“PM & First Lady’s respect comes foremost for all of us. Embarrassing behaviour from anyone who claims to be associated with the party,” he added. Meanwhile, in a video message released on social media, Uzma reiterated her loyalty to the prime minister. “I will stand with the prime minister till my death,” she said. “I do not want a post. I just want to serve the people.”

She said that the premier taught all party workers to work for the people and nobody could question her loyalty towards him. “The prime minister had struggled for 22 years and he taught us to stand our ground as well,” she added. On Monday, Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan removed

Uzma from his ministry’s media strategy committee and the slot of the Punjab government’s spokesperson allegedly over an audio leak of hers that could harm the prime minister politically. The audio recording, apparently of a phone call, went viral on social media where the woman identified as Uzma was heard saying that the establishment had increased its role in the government and managed to change (matters in relation to the) the whole media.

The woman in the audio also remarks how an individual close to PM Imran was influential in deciding important matters such as postings of senior officials. “The establishment, the government and Prime Minister Imran Khan are going hand-in-hand,” the recording said.

MoF shortlists nine candidates for appointment as CCP members ISLAMABAD SHAHZAD PARACHA

The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has shortlisted nine candidates for the membership of Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) and will present the summary of appointment in the next meeting of the federal cabinet.

According to sources, the shortlisted candidates include CCP former chairperson Rahat Kaunain, CCP former member Moin Batley and Shumalia Lone.

According to sources Rahat Kaunain, who currently works as a practicing lawyer and a partner in Hassan Kaunain Nafees law firm, has previously served twice as a member of CCP, including one term from 2010 to 2013, as the chairperson of CCP. Sources also revealed that Rahat Kaunain is a favourite candidate to head the regulatory body once again.

Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Hafeez Shaikh was the federal minister for finance during Rahat Kaunain’s tenure as CCP chairperson.

According to sources, during her tenure as the chairperson Rahat Kaunain was accused of favoring her husband’s law firm as well as facilitating telecom companies in preparation of replies while the regulator had initiated probes against them.

According to reports the MoF received more than 100 applications including applications from recently retired Pakistan Administrative Services (PAS) officers for positions at CCP. Subsequently a panel consisting of Adviser to Prime Minister on Institutional Reforms Dr Ishrat Hussain, advisor to prime minister on commerce and secretary finance conducted the interviews of candidates.

According to sources Dr Ishrat Hussain raised questions on the selection criteria mentioned in the advertisement, pointing out that candidates should have regulatory experience, hence rejecting several applicants.

Currently, CCP is working with two members, the acting chairperson Shaista Bano and Bushra Naz Malik, however, five members are needed to fill the quorum in CCP.

Dawood Foundation and The British Asian Trust join hands to promote mental health amid COVID-19 pandemic KARACHI: As part of the PKR 1 billion Hussain Dawood Pledge, Dawood Foundation - the charitable arm of the Dawood Hercules Group - has entered into a strategic partnership with The British Asian Trust to promote mental health support among frontline workers and the general population directly affected by COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the program, outreach services will be developed to provide mental health support and referral for frontline workers, patients screened and tested for COVID-19 through the Indus Health Network and other partner hospitals, and the public in general as well. The program will be executed in collaboration with IRD Pakistan, a health delivery and research organization that has devised specific mental health in-

terventions catered to healthcare providers and population affected by COVID-19. According to Shahzada Dawood, Vice Chairman of Dawood Hercules Corporation, “While the effects of COVID-19 on our physical health have come increasingly under focus, the issue of mental health and psychological distress cannot be ignored in terms of the overall health and wellbeing. The COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated the mental health crisis in Pakistan, highlighting an urgent need to make support services more widely accessible.

By leveraging the expertise and experience of British Asian Trust, we aim to create a meaningful impact by improving accessibility of mental health services and changing community attitudes towards this important topic.” PRESS RELEASE

HASHIM JAWAN SAYS GOVT WILL ENSURE PRIVATE SECTOR’S INVOLVEMENT IN DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS; VOWS RS56BN TAX RELIEF FOR BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN FY21

Wednesday, 17 June, 2020

06 COMMENT

Is this the end of globalization?

A belated realisation While on the brink of the precipice

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Or three months the people were continuously told that the strain of corona in Pakistan was milder than the one in other parts of the world and there would therefore be far fewer infections and deaths. a complacent administration announced the SOPs without making any effort to enforce them. Meanwhile the government first eased the lockdown and then lifted it entirely. this led the public to take the virus lightly and the people continued the festivities after the eid. the chickens are now coming home to roost.

Dr atta-ur-rehman maintains that the coronavirus fatality figures are being under-reported while the actual deaths could be thrice or four times the number being announced. Further, that by the second week of august these could go as high as 10-15 thousand a day if urgent measures to control the pandemic are not taken. according to him a strict lockdown enforced during the first two to three weeks could have reduced the infection rate. He thinks the government should have used the coercive state apparatus at its disposal to enforce the SOPs, but failed to do so.

One wonders if the government has really cast away its rose-coloured glasses and realised the need for the tough measures it has avoided all along on account of political exigencies. the nCOC has now identified 20 cities all over the country with potential covid-19 hotspots. In Punjab, which is currently the worst hit province, nine cities have been chosen for action. In these cities a number of areas with the largest coronavirus cases would be locked down for two weeks. One would wait to see what measures are taken to weed out the virus from these areas and whether these succeed in reducing the spread of the pandemic. the government’s seriousness would also be gauged from its attitude towards the opposition. So far despite the onslaught of the pandemic, the PtI leadership continues to waste its energies in an untimely offensive against the opposition. unless the PM stops his calls of the no-holds barred confrontation with political rivals, and takes the latter on board to jointly fight the pandemic, his government’s determination about fighting the pandemic would be open to question.

Covid19 and a new economic order MAryAM KhAn

O

n March 11, when the World Health Organization announced the outbreak of the novel virus, COVID-19, as a pandemic– economists around the world hinted at yet another round of devastating demand and supply shocks. By mid-May, the statistics showed that COVID-19 had infected over 7.9 million people worldwide in 215 countries, with over 432,000 deaths. With a continuous burden on the governments and overwhelmed health-care systems around the globe, there has been an implementation of strict public health measures to respond to an outbreak as huge as the coronavirus. ranging from social distancing to a complete lockdown, the measures have been perpetually constraining the socio-economic activities of countries with serious repercussions.

But interestingly, while most ongoing debates centre on finding adequate measures to balance out public health efforts` that would curb the virus, and neutralize the economic impact of the virus– both simultaneously, what is being missed by analysts around the globe is the imminent threat, the pandemic seems to be posing to the global order. no financial crisis in the past can be an adequate guide for a post-pandemic economy. However, at the same time, it’s also true that financial crises in the past have underlined significant changes in economic thinking and policy formulation. For instance, the post-world-war II economic thinking was largely inspired by John Keynes’ general theory. Likewise, by the looks of it, a post-pandemic economic thinking may have to undergo a relevant metamorphosis.

I say this because there has never been a pandemic outbreak before in a world such as ours– globalized, integrated and economically interdependent. With the significant drop in global consumption patterns, what we see is a direct hit at the global value chains (gVCs). From research and development to final product, the stages of production are scattered around the world. If China is the hub of manufacturing, Sub-Saharan countries are the cornerstone to supplying resource-based goods like oils and minerals. With such complex economic interdependence, the effect of a shutdown in Wuhan,

Deteriorating diplomatic relations Latest addition to crises makes Indo-Pak harmony more unlikely

Ali GAuhAr

O

utrage continues in the uSa over the gruesome murder of george Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis. the africanamerican experience is unique, to say the least. Dehumanized and subjugated for centuries, no matter how much progress has been made, and it has, racism still lingers. the heartbreaking video of Floyd’s murder was a reminder of that. the anger and frustration of american citizens is being projected across the world by their mainstream media. While some of the protests descended into looting and violence, the overarching message of what these protests truly represent hasn’t been forgotten. the conversation continues to be had. Many at this point will disagree as passions are running high, but the american people need to be lauded for consistently highlighting the systematic racism against african-americans. Let’s forget the aberration that is Donald trump. His inflammatory remarks do not represent the uSa’s conscience. the Democrats are already in the process of drafting new legislation aimed at police reform. tech billionaires are putting millions into criminal justice efforts, along with top american athletes. People with a platform are coming to the fore when it matters most. the uSa made significant progress after the Civil rights Movement. While it didn’t end racism and white privilege, the strides made should be recognized. One cannot escape the coverage of Floyd’s death. It is the lead story, even during a pandemic. this says a lot. People are deeply concerned that african-americans are still victims of the criminal justice system, policy brutality, unemployment, and inherent discrimination. the majority of americans are appalled that african-americans do not have the same access to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness due to deep-rooted institutionalized racism. these issues are constantly being discussed and dissected in the media in order to improve the situation.

Hundreds of books, movies, and television shows tell stories of the horrors of what Black americans had, and still have, to go through, which helps in shedding prejudices and creating awareness.

Arif Nizami Editor Umar Aziz

Asher John

Executive Editor

Deputy Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

Maryam Khan is a freelance columnist

Why can’t Pakistan have the conversation the USA is having?

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Joint Editor

changes. analyzing policy responses in the most accurate and definite way may not be possible, but stipulations can be made as a potential economist.

Curbing of globalization may result in more stringent protectionist policies. Such as the case with the ongoing uS-China trade war.

Moreover, with the diminishing consumer demand for global chains and brands as a result of pandemic, many countries such as Hong Kong and South Korea, seem to be showcasing autocratic tendencies resulting in policies that inhibit trade and foreign investment. the result of such stringent protectionist policies can strengthen internal oligopolies and vested interests. a diminishing export markets will cause losses to countries from their natural and human endowments. Workers will have lesser opportunities to move up the value chain by earning, spending and saving more. thus, overall – with the changing spending behavior of consumers and long-term risks to value chains, we may be moving from globalization to de-globalization.

We might not be able to save globalization from its impending doom, but there is, however, still room for making a smooth transition towards a new socioeconomic order.

Policy-makers need to adopt policies that enhance domestic production and industries, to move and revert towards more self-sustaining methods of economic growth in order to tackle growing protectionism and autocratic behavior of states. next, the need for strong socialist frameworks is becoming dire─ to propel and practice sustainable means of production and consumption in the society, we may need to move towards less resource intensive methods of consumption. this has been the most compelling debate over the years between the Democrats and republicans in the uSa. With covid-19 expediting the need to adapt to more sustainable economic practices, it has become inevitable for global businesses in large economies (such as the uSa) to overlook the ecological side to further their profit-maximization.

Lastly, it’s time to rethink economic institutions! restrictions on trade openness, changing political systems– with globalization bidding us farewell, we need to underpin a new economic theory that withstands the burden of this changing economic order.

Making sure hate loses

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IPLOMatIC relations between India and Pakistan are quite possibly at their lowest ebb in years. the attack last year by a home-grown Kashmiri terrorist in Pulwama against Indian security personnel resulted in an operation by the IaF in Balakot that was paid back in kind by Pakistan. It was the closest that both countries have come to another war in over a decade. Later, the elimination of Indian Occupied Kashmir’s special status dealt another blow to any chance at normalization of relations. Most recently two Pakistan high commission officials were expelled by India on accusations of espionage. the latest in a spate of unfortunate diplomatic incidents involves two Indian High Commission staffers who were booked for a hit-andrun in Islamabad, temporarily detained and later released.

India has of course given a different spin to this, with its media first reporting incorrectly that the two men had gone missing and then suggesting that it was a tit-for-tat move by Pakistan for what happened in India a few weeks back with the spying accusations and resulting expulsions.

It is no secret that both India and Pakistan, through their high commission staff and other diplomatic setup in the other’s country, will engage in some level of intelligence gathering. this does not however mean that accusations of spying are made willy-nilly without any proof. these are serious allegations and have far reaching implications. there is a need to establish better cordial relations and ease tensions, especially since both countries are nuclear-armed. Multiple crises that have transpired over the course of a year and half have brought both countries to a stage where any further escalation would result in a conflict that neither affords, nor does the region or the world. Prime Minister Imran Khan was optimistic that once Indian PM narendra Modi won a second term, there was a likelihood of him ramping down the antiMuslim anti-Pakistan demagoguery. Modi instead has doubled down and does not seem to be in any mood to stop. Pakistan has made offers to talk things out but India refuses. Something will have to give from across the border before things start to normalize.

Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

China, seems to reverberate in the international value chain even before covid-19 caused lockdowns in other parts of the world.

While the uS-China trade-war has already caused disruption in the smooth functioning of global value chains, covid-19 has seemed to only expedite it. With the curtailing of demand and consumption, national economies will have to rethink models with a reduced reliance on gVCs. the novel pandemic has seemingly made us realize that markets cannot work and run on the single motive of ‘profit maximization’ at the cost of human life. these global corporates rely on community for operation, and the novel pandemic has affected the community in such adverse ways that it has consequently affected business operations. not to forget that the novel pandemic has seemingly curtailed the adverse implications of Climate Change, signifying the need to be environmentally conscious outside a pandemic world too– this has made the consumers revisit their current consumption patterns, putting more value on sustainability, pressuring businesses, especially MnCs, around the world to account for ecological concerns in their businesses. the pandemic might force businesses to look beyond the maxim of profit maximization and towards social responsibility.

Pritim Sorokin, a russian-american sociologist, once stated that “society is never the same as the one that existed before the calamity. For good or ill, calamities are unquestionably the supreme disruptors and transformers of social organization and institutions.”

With the turmoil in the world market due to covid-19, it may seem insolvent, but covid-19 seems to an opportunity to reduce in the long term the prevalence of lifestyles based on large volumes of energy and material throughput. However, at the same time, imperatives such as social distancing to lower the risk of community transmission, seem to be reinforcing commitments to individualized rather than public and shared modes of consumption, posing serious threats to globalization.

It could be said that with consumption patterns undergoing alterations due to economic and social offshoots of this pandemic, there could be a need to rethink economic institutions. these changes in consumerism are forcing us to reimagine the role of the market and states, challenging policy-makers to navigate policy responses that inherit all these

I

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

I

Perhaps it’s unfair to draw comparisons, but upon in the uSa. the Islamic revolution was brought sometimes it’s hard to ignore blatant hypocrisy. the about by the Prophet Muhammad (PBuH) on the uSa is not alone in harboring hatred for a people. Quraish that ruled Mecca, suddenly. He shook up the Many countries have had problems with racism, in- status quo and heralded in a new and more equitable cluding Pakistan. Some won’t admit it, but West order. Let’s always believe that the time to do right is Pakistanis saw the Bengalis of east Pakistan as be- always now. the time for justice is always now.

One of the reasons why race relations improved neath them because of their skin colour, and look how that ended up. Pakistan has a deplorable track in the uSa was because there were enough people at record when it comes to the treatment of minority the helm that cared. the media put pressure on elected officials to make communities. the worst a difference. It took great part is, we cannot even self-reflection and humilhave the conversation. ity for america to get to Forget having it publicly, Rather than only banging on about this level, and it’s still far it’s difficult to have it from perfect and willing privately. the institua country’s shortcomings, we to acknowledge it. For a tions of democracy and should also look at what it’s doing country as large and disociety continually let as the uSa, their Pakistan’s minority comright, and how we can learn from it. verse progress and dedication munities down. Why is to achieving equality Pakistan not ready to acThere is no doubt that USA has a over the last 50 years has cept minorities as to be admired. In conequals? It’s because selflot to answer for, within and trast, a country like India appointed clerics of orwithout. However, it’s important to worked to create this ganized religion false aura of diversity continue to hold sway. recognize that unlike many and tolerance, but no one are we ready to change is buying it now because the narrative? Is the countries, Americans of all hues of the acute anti-minorimedia ready to take this are able to come out in droves and ties and Muslim-hating on? Doubtful.

People talk of impledemand justice. So before we start crusade. rather than only menting stronger legislation, but how can a attacking and hash tagging others, banging on about a country’s shortcomings, we country legislate on lets look within first should also look at what something that it doesn’t it’s doing right, and how believe in? Conversation we can learn from it. has to happen before legthere is no doubt that the islation. Pakistan hasn’t uSa has a lot to answer even crossed the first hurdle, as we are fueled with ignorance and arrogance. for, within and without. However, it’s important to even marching for a girl who was shot in the face was recognize that unlike many countries, americans of all hues are able to come out in droves and demand spun into controversy.

Many will say that it is too soon for a young coun- justice. So before we start attacking and hash tagging try like Pakistan to change. they will argue that a shift others, lets look within first. in mindset is a gradual process, and should not be Ali Gauhar is a sports anchor on PTV World forced upon people that aren’t ready for it. But if we look back, all great change has been forced. Slavery English where he hosts “Sports Extra”. He can be would not have been abolished if it were not forced reached at aligauhar41@gmail.com

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

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Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Wednesday, 17 June, 2020

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

Fuel shortages: incompetence and failed governance eVen a roadside hawker selling vegetables would know that a fixed monthly pricing mechanism is prone to price fluctuation shocks and is utterly inefficient. and yet, our governments, previous and new, hold on to a monthly fixed pricing mechanism for petroleum products leading to chronic fuel shortages like the one being faced currently. the world uses a dynamic pricing model for its petroleum products where prices are determined by demand and supply factors. Has the government not learnt from past mistakes? announcing a price reduction prior to June 1st just led every individual in the country to rush to fuel stations to fill their tanks to the brim. Of course there’d be a shortage. Like many others before me, I appeal to the government authorities to deregulate the petroleum prices.

Spare yourself the agony and let the markets decide the prices of fuel.

ZUHAIR ALI KHAN Karachi

NUML mid pandemic

Lockdown and online learning Higher education has to adapt Dr rAjKuMAr SinGh

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He outbreak of the c+ovid-19 pandemic, to begin with in China in December 2019, and its spread to europe, the uSa and India in subsequent weeks, has thrown normal activity into total disarray, leading to governments imposing lockdown in their respective countries. as a follow up the government and higher educational institutions (HeIs) quickly announced that online teaching would be conducted by the faculty.

While some of the rich private universities promptly announced online teaching, the staterun public universities have faced immense practical problems in implementing the decision.

It is possible for a few, but most of the institutions have not been able to implement online teaching due to the poorly-equipped facilities at their disposal. even assuming that the faculty have the facilities and intellectual capability to do online teaching, students have complained about the lack of facilities in their rural homes where they have gone back to, following the closure of colleges. especially in disciplines like languages, humanities and social sciences, good quality reading material has not been prepared by a large number of teachers who still rely on traditional methods of classroom teaching. the situation may be true in many science-related disciplines too, barring technical education. How would meaningful online teaching be carried out in such situations if the closure of institutions continues for a longer spell?

Online methods are also difficult for the conduct of practical classes in disciplines where it is absolutely necessary, when students have moved out of the campus? In the absence of the conduct of practical classes, the conduct of online education would fall flat. In the case of technical courses, as well as in commerce and management disciplines, students have to do internships with industry as part of the course requirements. How would students be fruitfully able to undergo internship when academic institutions and industries are closed due to lockdown? Some industries may reopen in the course of time, but would they be able to comply with internship requirements, concerned as they are with productivity and sales? another important issue which is faced by HeIs is how would they make up for the loss of time on account of closure of institutions due to covid-19. assuming the mandatory 75 percent attendance requirement of classes is waived, what would happen to the internal assessment tests and viva voce examinations which are part of the requirements under the semester system in operation? these apart, are the plans drawn up for the conduct of semester examinations, evaluation of answer scripts and the announcement of results, all of which will require at least six weeks of time after the completion of the term? that

Many colleges that have used online platwould throw the next year’s academic calendar out of gear, with the 2020-21 academic year forms in the past have made a smooth transition post-covid-19. this is a unique situation in destarting probably in September.

In the new situation, students open their sign education, and the World university Design learning with Whatsapp, download the PDF (WuD) was the first to take the lead so that studfile, listen to the audio lecture, and then move ies are not compromised and students do not fall on to the video chat with their professor to dis- back on their curriculum. the coronavirus outcuss the lesson. It is the fate of more than 60 break has just hastened the process. We were the million students worldwide who are attending first to switch to an online mode, which is not some form of online lectures in a post-coron- only benefitting the students in India, but also overseas students. Other major universities in avirus world.

In this context we also use many online tools the country including Jawahar Lal nehru unilike Youtube, google Classroom and others. versity, Jamia Millia Islamia, amity, Sharda, IP the students understand the importance of con- university, Lovely Professional university and tinuing education. a new name, education 4.0, Mumbai university are offering online classes is here to stay, until another significant disrup- across different subjects. Sharda university has tion in technology takes place. India is not new put together a contingency plan in which the facto online education. Many private and govern- ulty and staff are working towards ensuring a ment colleges in the country had been conduct- seamless transformation to digital/online learning online classes. Very small aperture terminals ing via technology solutions like Zoom, Big (VSats) are still used by top Business schools Blue Button and google Classroom. Online in the country to create a closed user group learning has a lot of potential and even though (Cugs), which offers online classes globally. it has been thrust into the spotlight under unfortunate circumHowever, covid-19 stances, it is time has hastened the onthat universities and line education seceducational institutor, and mobile tions utilize this tool networks have beOnline learning has a lot of effectively. come the preferred potential and even though it has Last but by no platform. means the least imOnline educabeen thrust into the spotlight portant issue is the tion depends on likely possibility of several factors and under unfortunate circumstances, budgetary allocarobust connectivity it is time that universities and tions made to higher is at the top of that being relist. Covid-19 has educational institutions utilize this education duced and transled to a successful ferred to areas collaboration betool effectively which are more imtween telecom firms portant for the govand streaming comernment as a result panies like netflix of the health panand Youtube, in lowering the transmission bit rate from high def- demic becoming an economic pandemic. While inition to standard definition, which was done to reduction in spending on higher education may maintain the network capacity. It made more be justified by the powers be, the government, bandwidth available for a large number of users. in the long-run, should earmark the muchgoing forward, learning app firms could work promised six percent of the gDP for higher edtogether with technology providers and telecom ucation and equally importantly, increase the service providers to develop tools that make budgetary allocation for healthcare. One shudlearning truly enjoyable. they could also ex- ders to think of a situation where the virus plore providing students with the real-time ex- would be airborne and the consequent damage perience of managing chemicals and operating it can cause to humanity. Priority should be to machines. all this is only possible with optimum encourage research on finding medical solutions to future pandemics rather than simply exutilisation of network capacity. to ensure that learning never stops, teachers tending lockdowns.

India, along with the world, is fighting the are preparing lessons using distance learning tools, and parents are learning new teaching covid-19 virus while ensuring education in techniques at home. Following the government’s schools and colleges does not suffer. the fight, long lockdown, there has been a surge in online it seems, will be a long one, and the way we ededucation by schools and colleges across the ucate our next generation has undoubtedly country. Such an exercise requires the availabil- changed. ity of high bandwidth and the telecom industry Dr Rajkumar Singh is head of the political is fully prepared with 99.9 per cent network capacity. telecom companies have taken appropri- science department, B.N. Mandal Unversity, ate measures to meet the surge in traffic due to Madhepura, Bihar, India. He can be reached at: rajkumarsinghpg@gmail.com online education and other online activities

aS we all know, the Corona epidemic has spread all over the world, including Pakistan, and where it has affected the rest of the world, the education system has also been badly affected. Changed. In order to continue the process of education in Pakistan, at the direction of HeC, the universities introduced online education system to save the children from wasting their academic year. teachers are another form of respected parents. a parent is what creates. and the one who takes this child from the earth to the sky. I am a mass media student at numl university. Our teachers continued the education system keeping in view the difficulties of the students in this difficult time and the students who could not access online education were sent to their homes. y the Head of Mass Communication Department Prof. Dr. Khalid Sultan Coordinator aqeel and respected teacher Dr. atif Iftikhar raja Kamran. the reflection of the father can be seen in the teacher Moazzam ali Sir Kashif and the respected teacher Mateen Haider who always took special care of the students. the role of all teachers in the promotion of education is important and their role in this difficult time is commendable. May allah protect all our teachers and eradicate this epidemic from the world as soon as possible amen.to be continued as before.

BILAL SHABBIR Islamabad

Taking care of each other SInCe the outbreak of corona virus people are waken missteps,due to their fallacy,other people also be congeal from this pandemic. this is time that we should have to stay away from one another to keep our country safe & secure,but not,people wants to freedom from this pandemic and they will be enforced to govt to re-open the country and involuntary govt unbolt the country,they don’t know how much this could be dustructive for our country. they are thinking about to get profit from their business in this stance,but they will vitiating oneself and also others. now the circumstance is in the front of you,in our country cases has been crossed 144,478 and numbers of deaths are 2729. I will supplicate to people be sensible،don’t bunting the country into deficit and now i will aslo suggest to govt to commit lockdown again for some time,it will be better for everyone.

MIAN HAMID ALI TUNIo Shadakot

A Psychological war tHe day, when this pandemic entered the premises of Pakistan, it did not only go viral in people, but on social media and news channels too.

Watching memes on any social media application or turning on the tV, the virus news was everywhere. a virus having a recovery ratio of 98% has caused a lot of psychological issues than any other thing. Where the news anchors are shouting out the increasing numbers of cases from different provinces of Pakistan, no one focuses on the news of recovered people, and that’s where the Covid-19 wins. Who so ever infected with this virus, having all the negative thoughts, and false knowledge he fed himself, falls victim to a psychological War. the Infected one feeling the waves of depression, can’t only be cured by the medicine. the solution to fight this not so deadly virus is having some authentic knowledge, following the SOP’s mentioned by govt and avoid feeding ourselves all the time with pandemic news.

Counting all the number of cases will not defeat this virus but what is going to defeat it, is your willpower and the precautions you will take.

MIAN AIZAZ AHMED Shadakot

What if it doesn’t end?

It’S still too soon to say when this coronavirus nightmare will be over, what kind of changes the world would leave behind if it lasts too long. But it is already abundantly clear that governments around the world will have to redefine their priorities. How could it be, really, that the world suddenly faces an existential threat in the form of a virus that nobody can understand despite all the technological advances in the field of medicine? and, even in the 21st century, we live in a world where there aren’t enough ventilators, hospital beds, or even mortuaries to face a real, full blown crisis; even though the coronavirus threat, for all its damage, is still not quite as full blown as it can get. If only such things could be handled with bombs, bullets and super-rich shareholder bailouts, things wouldn’t be nearly as dark.

Coming out of the virus, there is a clear need to reorient popular funding towards protecting and saving the world and its inhabitants. all the expensive weaponry produced by some of the world’s wealthiest, and politically most connected, firms will amount to nothing if much of the planet’s population is suddenly wiped out by a freak pandemic. and this is another thing that the super-rich just wouldn’t have thought of in ordinary times – the coronavirus is least impressed by one’s bank balance, financial worth or pedigree. and not all the people lying on hospital beds, not sure whether they’ll live or die, are from the lowest sections of society.

SAqIB ISHAq AJK

Wednesday, 17 June, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

A new grAnd strAtegy for AsiA THE NEBULOUS CONCEPT OF ‘GRAND STRATEGY,’ ESPOUSED BY A HANDFUL OF ÉMINENCES GRISES IN UNIVERSITY HISTORY DEPARTMENTS AND D.C. THINK TANKS, HAS BEEN LOST ON THE CURRENT CROP OF AMERICAN POLICYMAKERS

NatioNal Review

s

DANIEL TENREIRO

ince World War ii, more American soldiers have perished in east Asia than anywhere else.

The twin imperatives of containing communism and maintaining the regional balance of power drew U.S. forces into wars in Korea and Vietnam, with casualties far exceeding those of later conflicts in the Middle east.

Yet for all the American blood shed in the region, Washington’s policy goals in Asia never faced a serious threat during the cold War. in the U.S.–Soviet rivalry, east Asia played a peripheral role to the competition for europe. Meanwhile, for Mao’s china, international relations took a back-seat to the development of communism domestically. Land wars notwithstanding, the U.S. comfortably maintained control of Asia’s seas and skies throughout the period; the “hot” conflicts were ancillary to the “cold” competition. “it is not misleading to conclude that for half a century after World War ii, strategy in Asia was relatively easy for Washington,” writes Michael Auslin in his new book, Asia’s new Geopolitics. “not so today.” china’s rise presents the U.S. with a near-peer competitor in the region for the first time since the fall of the Japanese empire. A fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover institution, Auslin presents a wide-ranging analysis of the implications of this new great-power rivalry. The eight essays collected in Asia’s new Geopolitics — running the gamut from feminism in india to militarism in china — paint a variegated portrait of a region whose stability depends on a renewed American grand strategy.

Since the fall of the USSR, American strategy in Asia has been wanting. Rather than conceiving of the indo-Pacific as an interconnected whole, policymakers have tended to focus on subregions. Auslin argues that a failure “to conceptualize the area in its totality, including the various linkages that cross ethnic, cultural, and linguistic lines,” has rendered U.S. policy haphazard, focused on tactics at the expense of strategy. This limitation was manifest in the Obama administration’s much-heralded “pivot to Asia,” which at times appeared to entail military deterrence of china while at other times appearing to entail friendly cooperation. The Obama team never chose between the competing goals of strengthening trade with china and maintaining the regional balance of power. Because chinese businesses cooperate with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), economic engagement with Beijing directly undermined American defense objectives. As a result, the Obama years saw the expansion of chinese ter-

ritory in the east and South china Seas, the doubling of north Korea’s nuclear arsenal, and the deterioration of U.S. relations with the Philippines.

The 2019 national Security Strategy to achieve a “free and open indo-Pacific” represents a partial correction of this strategic myopia. By expanding the Asian-Pacific theater to include the indian Ocean and the eastern Pacific, the Trump administration has adopted a mental map more conducive to a holistic strategy. But, Auslin points out, the sheer immensity of the indo-Pacific calls for strategic focus — not through the subregional specialization of the Obama State Department, but through the delineation of clear, attainable objectives.

To that end, Auslin invokes Yale geopolitical theorist nicholas Spykman’s concept of the “Asiatic Mediterranean.” expanding on Halford Mackinder’s theory of the eurasian “heartland” as the locus of global power, Spykman emphasized the importance of controlling the coastal territories, or “rimlands,” which permit access to the heartland. The struggle for the heavily populated, economically productive rimlands would play out in their littoral waters or “inner seas.” Thus did Spykman depart from Alfred Thayer Mahan’s theory that control of the high seas was strategically paramount.

The invocation of Spykman — who died during the Second World War and subscribed to the old-fashioned German method of geopolitics — will strike some as dated. Since the end of the cold War, high politics and statecraft have given way to a technical political science segmented by region and discipline. it is this serialized political-scientific approach that leads some to see chinese regional hegemony as having only local consequences. History says otherwise: The Asiatic Mediterranean — comprising the east and South china Seas, the Yellow Sea, and the Sea of Japan — and its adjacent rimlands have been a major venue of great-power competition since the 1895 Sino–Japanese War. As Spykman put it, “who controls the rimland, rules eurasia; who rules eurasia controls the destinies of the world.” china has accordingly been willing to part with various land claims, compromising on a territorial dispute with india as recently as 2005, while rapidly militarizing islands in its coastal waters.

Auslin’s elucidation of the stakes of this conflict exposes the insufficiency of the serialized approach. As he explains, a chinese military in control of the Asiatic Mediterranean would effectively control the entirety of Asia: its many billions of people and its immense productive capacity. Just as U.S. control of the Mariana islands made it possible for the enola Gay to make the six-hour flight to Hiroshima, so china’s control of the islands in the east and South china Seas would provide a foothold for a host of offensive measures. indeed, china may have already won that foothold: A 2019 study from the University of Sydney found that the PLA could disable American bases in the Western Pacific in the opening hours of a con-

flict.

But Beijing’s ambitions are not limited to the sea. its “One Belt, One Road” (OBOR) initiative attempts a feat that would undo carl Schmitt’s theory of world history as a battle between land powers and sea powers by building dominance in both realms. Through OBOR and the supporting Asian infrastructure investment Bank, the chinese communist Party (ccP) has begun building a transnational nexus of trade routes with china at its center. This 21st-century Silk Road includes Mediterranean ports purchased by the ccP as well as east African maritime assets foreclosed on by chinese state lenders. Beijing’s “debttrap diplomacy,” i.e., its practice of extending loans to insolvent governments and seizing strategic infrastructure after an inevitable default, is a sign of what’s to come in a global economy shaped by china, as Auslin outlines in an essay titled “The new china Rules.”

“Whether through economic pressure, political and military intimidation, espionage, or propaganda,” Auslin writes, “Beijing is actively trying to reshape the world to fit its interests, picking and choosing which Western norms it adopts and which it ignores.” Following its “peaceful rise,” during which ccP leaders denied having hegemonic ambitions, the new china is reshaping the global economy by disregarding intellectual-property protections and steadfastly prohibiting dissent from its party line. chinese leaders routinely intimidate foreign businesses eager for access to the country’s massive domestic market, as demonstrated by the cancellation of nBA broadcasts in china after Houston Rockets manager Daryl Morey voiced support for prodemocracy protests in Hong Kong.

When it cannot coax foreign companies into surrendering their property, the ccP steals it. PLA cyber-theft costs U.S. businesses $400 billion a year, according to the Office of the Director of national intelligence. The spoils accrue not only to chinese businesses but also to the PLA, which has been the beneficiary of a slew of military technologies stolen from the U.S. china’s policy of “civil-military fusion” has undone the traditional distinction between commerce and defense, undermining the Westphalian state system at the heart of the world order.

So successful is chinese espionage that the PLA now has the firepower to compete with the U.S. military. The final, most vivid chapter of Asia’s new Geopolitics imagines a future war between the U.S. and china. in the year 2025, an accidental collision between a chinese frigate and a Philippine fishing boat off the Scarborough Shoal ignites a conflagration that ends with the sinking of the USS Gerald R. Ford, America’s largest and newest aircraft carrier. china’s steady fortification of the South china Sea gives it a leg up against U.S. forces, which must travel from the distant east china Sea and indian Ocean to reach the area of hostilities. And neglect of its naval fleet leaves the U.S. to rely on aircraft carriers and manned jets rather than nimbler seacraft and unmanned drones.

Meanwhile, diplomacy falters. A mainland-friendly

Record unemployment looms in the UK. Here’s what the government must do

GuaRdiaN TONy WILsON

The figures released on Tuesday morning by the Office for national Statistics (OnS) paint a bleak picture of the state of the labour market. After Friday’s news that we are on course for the largest recession in three centuries, today we have learned that the number of people unemployed and claiming benefits is rising faster than at any point in our history. Three key things stand out from the data.

First, claimant unemployment – a measure of all of those who are unemployed and claiming social security benefits – has risen by 1.6 million in two months, to 2.8 million. This is the highest level since 1993, 1.2 million higher than the last recession and the largest increase since unemployment benefits were created nearly 100 years ago. even in the first year of the Great Depression,

unemployment only rose by one million. Furthermore, we estimate that based on applications for benefits in May, claimant unemployment likely stands at about 3.1 million as of 9 June – probably beating the previous highest ever level, set in 1986.

Rising unemployment has also been accompanied by a collapse in job vacancies – from about 800,000 before the coronavirus crisis to just 320,000 in the single-month estimate for May. Putting this together with the unemployment data, this means that there are now 8.5 unemployed people competing for every job opening, compared with just 1.5 before this crisis began.

This picture also varies hugely across the country – with our analysis of online job adverts for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation suggesting that in many ex-industrial, inner city and coastal areas the picture is far worse.

Finally, these large rises in claimant unemployment are not (yet) appearing in the official survey-based measures of the labour market. This Labour Force Survey (LFS) data covers February to April, so it lags behind the claimant count, and is only showing relatively smaller falls in employment in the single-month estimate for April (down by 300,000), which appears to be almost entirely explained by falling self-employment. instead, the LFS is reporting very large reductions in working hours (down by 8% on the quarterly average, which is equivalent to 25% in a single month).

The OnS suggests that part of the difference between the survey measures and the claimant measure may be explained by people who are working a small number of hours but who have applied for universal credit and are being counted as unemployed. Undoubtedly this explains part of the difference. However, “real time” tax data also published on Tuesday suggests that the number of employees has fallen by 600,000 between March and May – which, added to the fall in self-employment, would mean at least a million more people out of work in May than in March.

All told, with at least a million more people out of work and nine million workers furloughed through the job retention scheme, it is likely that right now less than half of the working-age population are actually working.

So what will the next few months hold? in some respects, today’s data has added to the uncertainty around what is actually going on in the labour market. i think that we can say for sure that next month we will be reporting that claimant unemployment has passed three million and may well be at its highest ever level. i also think that the LFS data will start to catch up with this claimant data and will start rising towards three million in the coming months.

Looking further ahead, new claims for universal credit appear to have fallen back to close to pre-crisis levels, while data that we will publish on Friday will show that the number of new vacancies

has doubled in the last fortnight (albeit from a very low base). Both of these are positive signs.

However, unless people are confident to start spending again, and businesses are able to reopen, then there is a very real risk that a “second wave” of unemployment could hit us as the job retention scheme starts to unwind. This could push unemployment up by at least a further two million, and see it rising inexorably towards four or even five million by the end of year. As with everything in this crisis, all roads lead back to successfully suppressing the virus. in the meantime though, we need to act now to deal with this jobs crisis. As we at the institute for employment Studies set out over the weekend with over more than business leaders, politicians and charities, we think that this response needs three parts. First, an urgent and temporary stimulus to kick-start hiring and support job retention over the summer, ideally by cutting employer national insurance. Second, a doubling of the size of our employment services, so that everyone gets the help that they need to find new work. And finally, investment now so that we are ready for record long-term unemployment next year – and in particular so that we can guarantee that all young unemployed people will have the opportunity of an education place, apprenticeship or job.

Tony Wilson is director of the Institute for Employment Studies.

Taiwanese president opts for neutrality in the Sino– American Littoral War, while an increasingly antiAmerican Philippine public protests the American presence on its island. Losing key bases in the Asiatic Mediterranean, the U.S. effectively cedes the Western Pacific, its alliance with Japan the last vestige of its decades-long dominance in the region. Though the two sides avoid total war, china is the clear victor.

This future history would be strengthened by a more complete assessment of the new technology of war. While Auslin gives a nod to cyberwarfare, his portrayal looks much like the wars of the last century, fought with aircraft carriers and fighter jets. Assessing Asia’s new geopolitics requires grappling with the “asymmetric warfare” of the ccP. indeed, the year 2025, when this theoretical battle takes place, coincides with the culmination of the “Made in china 2025” initiative, a program to bolster china’s capacity in artificial intelligence and quantum computing, among other dual-use technologies that will almost certainly change the landscape of war in the years to come. nonetheless, Auslin succeeds in his aim of reviving an older method of geopolitical thinking. The nebulous concept of “grand strategy,” espoused by a handful of éminences grises in university history departments and D.c. think tanks, has been lost on the current crop of American policymakers. But a grand strategy — one that aligns ends and means to advance the national interest — is precisely what the emerging Sino–American rivalry requires.

Asia’s new Geopolitics: essays on Reshaping the indo-Pacific, by Michael R. Auslin (Hoover institution Press, 262 pp., $29.95) DANIEL TENREIRO is the Thomas L. Rhodes Journalism Fellow at the National Review Institute.

give nepal a long rope, but a firm one ecoNomic times nepal’s formal declaration of some parts of Uttarakhand as its territory is a gauntlet thrown at new Delhi. india must not deign to duel with someone throwing teenage tantrums. india has made it clear that this “artificial enlargement of claims” is “not tenable”, and it “violates the bilateral understanding to hold talks on outstanding boundary issues”. Tough as it may be, new Delhi needs to keep its eye firmly on the big picture in dealing with nepal. At the same time, it must convey to Kathmandu that there are limits to new Delhi’s willingness to turn a blind eye to the whipping up of anti-india sentiments. new Delhi must not use strong-arm tactics against nepal, whose nationals work in india, including in the army, in large numbers, and with whom india has a shared history and cultural similarity, apart from a long and mostly tranquil border. india should not give more ammunition to anti-india forces in nepal. Yet, it must make it clear that nepal has more to gain from a friendly relationship with india than by acting on behalf of other interests or playing india off against china. it must make it clear that Kathmandu’s game of whipping up anti-india sentiments at will or as a distraction will not secure its long-term interests.

Overt indian backing for any faction within nepalese politics will only undermine its credibility. india must step up its economic diplomacy with nepal, for mutual gain. nepal’s vast hydroelectricity potential yet remains untapped. india must invest in realising that potential and help nepal make a fortune from exporting power to india. Only in active collaboration with nepal can the regular floods in north Bihar be managed to minimise damage. indian film and television must scout for more nepalese talent to be deployed in Bollywood.

Wednesday, 17 June, 2020

MassIvE hIkE In Gas tarIff On thE Cards ISLAMABAD

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SNGPL SEEKS RS622 PER MMBTU HIKE, WHILE SSGC WANTS RS85 PER MMBTU INCREASE IN GAS PRICE TO MEET FY21 REVENUE REQUIREMENTS

AHMAD AHMADANI

HE Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) is set to take a decision regarding the requested "gas price hike" so that the financial requirements of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) for the fiscal year 2020-21 (FY21) are met without any constraint.

Earlier, SNGPL had sought Rs622 per Million British Thermal Unit (mmbtu) hike, while SSGC had asked for a Rs85 per mmbtu increase in gas price for FY21.

According to sources, OGRA is likely

to conduct a hearing on the SNGPL application on 24th June while a hearing on the request of SSGC is expected to be held on 25th June.

If OGRA approves the requested hikes, then SNGPL would collect approximately Rs73 billion from its gas consumers while SSGC would amass around Rs37 billion to meet its financial requirements during the upcoming fiscal year.

The new prices, if approved, will be ef-

Groundbreaking of ML-I project likely in March next year ISLAMABAD APP

fective from July 1, 2020.

Sources informed that besides the above, SSGC has further sought from OGRA an increase of Rs6.67 billion or Rs13.64 per mmbtu in the revenue requirement of its Regasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) business. On the other hand, SNGPL has estimated RLNG service cost at Rs102.08 per mmbtu, while the cost of RLNG diverted towards the domestic sector has also been claimed

Oil prices up 4pc on supply cuts, improving demand LONDON AGENCIES

Oil prices jumped around 4pc on Tuesday after the International Energy Agency (IEA) increased its oil demand forecast for 2020 and as record supply cuts provided support. Brent crude LCOc1 prices were up $1.62, or 4.08pc, to $41.34 a barrel at 1347 GMT. US oil CLc1 rose $1.67, or 4.5pc to $38.79 a barrel. In its monthly report, the IEA forecast oil demand at 91.7 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2020, 500,000 bpd higher than its estimate in May’s report, citing higher than expected consumption during coronavirus lockdowns. But the agency said a fall in flying because of the virus outbreak meant the world would not return to pre-pandemic demand levels before 2022. Oil supplies in May plunged by nearly 12 million bpd, the IEA said, with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies including Russia - a grouping known as OPEC+ - reducing their output by 9.4 million bpd. That means OPEC+ hit 89pc compliance with agreed cuts in May, the IEA said.

OPEC+ agreed this month to extend production cuts of 9.7 million bpd through July. It also called on members that have not been complying to make up commitments with extra cuts later. Iraq, which had one of the worst compliance rates among the major producers, has already made deep cuts to its crude supplies to Asia in July.

at Rs73,890 million.

Both SNGPL and SSGC had earlier filed a petition before OGRA under Section 8 (1) of the OGRA Ordinance, 2002, read with Rule 4 (2) of the Natural gas Tariff Rules, 2002, for determination of the estimated revenue requirements/prescribed prices for FY21.

According to OGRA, owing to the massive outbreak of Covid-19 throughout the country and the subsequent imposition of Section 144 since March 20, a public hearing in this regard could not be held.

"However, Section 9 of OGRA Ordinance, 2002, read with Rule 10(3) & (13) of Natural gas Tariff Rules, 2002, provides an option to the OGRA to decide the revenue requirement petitions without holding the hearings on the basis of pleading/evidence by the petitioners and general public," it stated.

It is pertinent to mention that OGRA, through a notification, has already invited all interested/affected persons, including gas consumers and general public, to furnish their comments, objections, suggestions and interventions in order to reach a just and fair determination.

Govt urged to reduce power tariff to boost industrialisation, exports ISLAMABAD APP

After the Central Development Working Party's approval regarding the upgradation of the Karachi-Peshawar Main-Line (ML-1) Project, the government is expecting the groundbreaking of the project around March 2021.

According to the budgetary documents, the concessional financing agreement for the landmark ML-1 Project (estimated to be $7.2 billion) is expected to be finalised in 2020, and subsequently, an arrangement will be made for the commencement of physical work. The strategic railway project of ML-1 has been planned as part of the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The implementation period of the project is nine years -- to be executed in three phases.

The project, which aims to upgrade and dualise 1,872-km rail track from Peshawar to Karachi, has the potential to create 174,000 direct jobs. According to documents, "The government has so far remarkable progress on the ML-1 project, with the financing committee, which has participation from both countries, successfully holding several meetings to finalize the concessional financial modalities for the project." Meanwhile, the government has allocated a total of Rs6 billion for the ML-1 Project under its Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2020-21. A planning ministry official informed that the project allocation would be increased in the coming years when physical work on the project would start gaining momentum. He said that 90pc of the total project would be funded by China. In total, the government has allocated Rs77 billion for various development projects under CPEC for the year 2020-21.

BUSINESS 09

Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Muhammad Ahmed Waheed on Tuesday urged the government to reduce the price of electricity which he said will lead to industrialisation, higher investment and an increase in exports from Pakistan.

He said that industrial development is essential to stabilise the country’s economy but high cost of electricity currently acts as a major deterrent. He further demanded that electricity tariffs should be reduced by the same proportion of reduction in prices of petroleum products.

According to the ICCI president, due to Covid-19 foreign importers are

currently demanding discounts on products being exported from Pakistan.

“It is impossible to give discounts to importers without reducing production costs. The best way to increase exports is to reduce the cost of doing business by reducing electricity costs,” he said.

He said cheap electricity would bring multiple benefits to the economy as it would reduce cost of doing business, increase exports by making Pakistani products more competitive in the global market, reduce inflation and help revive the overall economy.

He said that the government has increased the price of furnace oil from Rs40,000 per metric tonne to Rs61,000 per metric tonne within two months, while Pakistan Oilfields Limited’s prices have significantly gone down.

“Most of the electricity in Pakistan is generated from furnace oil. The price of furnace oil has been further increased despite a record decline in oil prices in the global market,” he added.

The ICCI president further added that despite the government granting a significant reduction in the price of kerosene, the product is being sold in the market at around Rs140 per litre.

He urged the government to investigate the increase in prices of petroleum products and reduce electricity tariffs. "Reducing electricity price would reduce production cost, which will help boost business activities," he said. Muhammad Ahmed Waheed also urged the government to focus on cheaper sources of electricity including hydro-power electricity generation.

Global FDI to contract by 40pc this year: UNCTAD report GENEVA APP

Global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows are forecast to decrease by up to 40pc in 2020, and further by 5pc to 10pc in 2021, before recovering in 2022, said a United Nations report Tuesday.

According to the World Investment Report 2020 drawn by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), FDI flows this year would stay below $1 trillion for the first time in 15 years.

Although the impact is severe everywhere, developing economies are projected to see the biggest fall in FDI, said James Zhan, UNCTAD's director of investment and enterprise, as developing economies rely more on investment in global-value-chainintensive and extractive industries which have been severely hit, and are unable to carry out the same eco-

nomic support measures as developed economies.

The report showed that the global FDI flows rose moderately in 2019, 3pc up to $1.54 trillion, after the sizable declines documented in 2017 and 2018.

In 2019, as the impact of the 2017 tax reforms in the United States abated, the FDI flows to developed

economies increased 5pc, at $800 billion. Although at a 3pc decline, the US remains the largest recipient of FDI flows, receiving $246 billion.

Despite 5pc decline in FDI flows to developing Asian economies to $474 billion, Asia absorbed more than 30pc of global FDI in 2019.

Facing trade tensions, China still received an all-time high FDI inflow of $141 billion, remaining the second largest FDI recipient.

The report predicted with the global value chain heading toward resilience, capital stock increasing and the global economy regaining, global FDI would experience a gradual Ushape recovery.

UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi alerted the outlook of global FDI is highly uncertain, which depends on the duration of the health crisis and the effectiveness of policies mitigating the pandemic's economic effects.

Locust control among nine items on ECC’s agenda ISLAMABAD SHAHZAD PARACHA

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) would take up nine agenda items in its upcoming meeting, scheduled to be held today (Wednesday).

The ECC meeting, which would be held under the chair of Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, would deliberate upon the National Disaster Management Authority's request for the provision of funds amounting to Rs100 million to combat the outbreak of locusts in Punjab.

Besides, the NDMA has also sought an ex-post facto approval of $50 million on account of Pakistan National Emergency Preparedness and Response for Covid-19 (Procurement of Equipment and Transfer of Funds). Meanwhile, the committee is likely to approve a Technical Supplementary Grant (TSG) in favour of Pakistan Academy for Rural Development (PARD), Peshawar, under its budget for FY20. In addition, a TSG of Rs1,300 million for Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, and a TSG of Rs235 million for Pakistan Rangers is also likely to be approved. On the request of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the ECC is likely to allocate funds for media campaigns on Covid-19. The forum would also take up the agenda of Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) regarding the approval of book value adjustment of the overdue amount of loans and conversion of loans into federal government loans.

Plastic imports fall 11.6pc to $1.63bn ISLAMABAD APP

The import of plastic material into the country witnessed a decline of 11.64pc during the first ten months of the current financial year (FY20) as compared to the corresponding period of last year.

Pakistan imported plastic worth $1.63 billion during July-April FY20 as compared to the imports of $1.85 billion during July-April FY19, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). In terms of quantity, however, plastic imports witnessed an increase of 2.62pc, as the country imported 1,318,942 metric tonnes of plastic during the period under review as compared to the imports of 1,285,229 metric tonnes last year. Meanwhile, on a year-on-year basis, plastic imports into the country during April 2020 dipped by 34.89pc, from $223.307 million in April 2019 to $145.405 million. Similarly, on a monthly basis, plastic imports during April 2020 declined by 11.44pc when compared to the imports of $164.194 million in March 2020.

It is pertinent to mention that the country's trade deficit witnessed a 27.77pc reduction in the first 11 months (July-May) of FY20. The country's exports witnessed a decrease of 6.87pc to $19.796 billion in 11MFY20, as against the exports of $21.256 billion during the same period of last year.

On the other hand, imports plunged by 18.96pc to $40.854 billion, as against the imports of $50.410 billion during the same period of last year.

mArkeT DAIly

Stocks rally 194 points to cross 34,000 mark KARACHI STAFF REPORT

After a lacklustre start to the week, the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) changed its path on Tuesday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index managing to cross the 34,000-mark barrier.

Foreign investors ended the previous session (Monday) as net buyers, registering a net inflow of $1.09 million.

"International crude prices improved overnight and helped exploration & production, oil marketing companies and refineries to stage recovery," said a market

report issued by Arif Habib Ltd. "Cement and steel sectors also saw renewed buying interest, however, overall stock prices did not cross yesterday's high."

The KSE-100 Index remained in the positive territory throughout the day, recording its intraday high at 34,138.30 after gaining 313.79 points. It closed higher by 194.61 points at 34,019.12.

Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index accumulated 469.93 points to end at 54,098.05, whereas the KSE All Share Index gathered 150.06 points, settling at 24,373.34. Of the total traded shares, 228 advanced and 86 declined.

The overall market volumes declined from 262.37 million shares in the previous session to 217.92 million shares (-17pc).

Average traded value also fell by 21pc, from $50.2 million to $39.5 million. Unity Foods Limited (UNITY +0.39pc), Agritech Limited (AGL +18.82pc) and TPL Corp Limited (TPL +24.57pc) led the volume chart, exchanging 20.63 million, 11.03 million and 8.06 million shares, respectively.

Sectors that painted the KSE-100 Index green included oil & gas exploration (+64.61 points), banking (+31.43 points) and power generation & distribution (+22.69 points). Among the compa-

nies, Hub Power Company Limited (HUBC +19.02 points), Pakistan Oilfields Limited (POL +17.65 points) and Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (+17.29 points) remained the top contributors.

With the addition of 3.59pc in its cumulative market capitalization, the refinery sector turned out to be the top gainer of the day; Byco Petroleum Pakistan Limited (BYCO +4.77pc), Attock Refinery Limited (ATRL +2.67pc), National Refinery Limited (NRL +1.39pc) and Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL +1.14pc) closing with decent gains.

Wednesday, 17 June, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS

EURopE RElAxES BoRDER ContRolS to CUt toURiSm fAlloUt BRUSELLS

A

AGENCiES

NUMBER of European countries on Monday started exiting border controls cautiously at different paces while striving to reduce tourism fallout and pushing vaccine development.

Lots of European nations, including Germany, France, Belgium and Denmark, began to relax their border controls on Monday.

German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer announced last week that controls along Germany's land borders with Switzerland, France, Austria, and Denmark would be lifted from Monday, adding that the government would reconsider its plans

if the Covid-19 situation worsens.

From June 16, EU citizens and Swiss nationals can enter Germany again unhindered, without controls and without quarantine regulations, according to the federal government's decision. The decision is with a few exceptions. For example, controls for foreigners arriving by plane from Spain will not end until June 21.

The German government on Monday lifted its travel warnings for the European Union (EU) members, the Schengen-associated states and Britain, except Spain, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The warnings were replaced by individual travel advice.

According to the German Federal Foreign Office, travel warnings would remain in force or would be issued again if there

were a high number of newly infected people, as currently applied to Sweden. The benchmark was a number of more than 50 newly infected persons per 100,000 inhabitants over the last seven days.

In neighboring France, travelers from countries outside the Schengen area will have to wait until July 1.

In Belgium, the authorities reopened its border to other EU members, non-EU Schengen countries -- Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway -- as well as Britain.

While Belgium gives the green light to other European countries, the same does not necessarily apply in the other direction. According to the information posted online by the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Belgians can currently only visit Germany, France,

Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Liechtenstein and Switzerland without restrictions. Non-essential travel outside the EU and Schengen area is still prohibited.

The development came after the European Commission requested member states to have their borders reopened by July 1.

Spain planned to reopen its frontiers with the EU countries -- with the exception of Portugal -- on June 21. But a pilot scheme of tourism was kicked off on Monday.

The first group of an estimated 10,900 German tourists expected to visit the Balearic Islands of Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza between now and July 1 landed at Palma de Mallorca Airport on Monday morning.

They are the first tourists allowed to enter Spain since the declaration of the State

Crash of US dollar imminent, warns veteran economist NEW YORK: While the coronavirus pandemic may become the last nail in the coffin of the US dollar’s status as the primary reserve currency, the seeds of its inevitable decline were sown long ago, a former Morgan Stanley economist believes. The greenback is set to decline due to a shortfall in domestic US savings and a massive budget deficit, according to Stephen Roach.

“The US economy has been afflicted with some significant macro imbalances for a long time, namely a very low domestic savings rate and a chronic current account deficit,” Roach, who is also a Yale University senior fellow, told a local media outlet. Despite the current strength of the US dollar as investors seek safety, it is set to drop “very sharply,” losing up to 35 percent in value against the currencies of a broad basket of America’s trading partners. Roach had earlier warned that this will result in inflation and wider trade deficits, along with increased prices for US consumers. According to his forecast, this could happen in just a couple of years. “At the same time, America is walking away from globalization and is focused on decoupling itself from the rest of the world,” Roach said. “That’s a lethal combination.” In an earlier opinion piece for Bloomberg, Roach noted that the dollar’s share in official foreign-exchange reserves has declined by around 10 percent over two decades and this could further “gather momentum in the years ahead.” He also believes that the weakening of the greenback is set to coincide with the rise of the euro and the yuan. “With China and the eurozone accounting for 40 percent of US trade, I would be the first to concede that the math of a dollar crash won’t add up unless those two currencies rise significantly, as I expect,” he said. AGENCiES

Global Covid-19 cases top 8m; 435,619 dead ISLAMABAD: Global confirmed Covid-19 cases have topped 8 million mark, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. A total of 435,619 people worldwide have died of the disease, the data showed.

The United States suffered the most from the pandemic, with 2,110,791 cases and a death toll of 116,090. Countries with over 200,000 cases also include Brazil, Russia, India, Britain, Spain, Italy and Peru, according to the Johns Hopkins tally. AGENCiES

Russian jets intercept US strategic bombers over Baltic Sea MOSCOW: The US B-52H strategic bombers have again been spotted near Russian borders, forcing its Baltic Sea Fleet's Su-27 fighter jets to take to the skies and monitor their actions, the Russian Defense Ministry has said. Video released by Moscow showed all stages of the 'intercept' – from the pilot in full gear rushing towards his jet to the Su-27s gaining on the American nuclear-capable bombers and “foreign surveillance planes” above the neutral waters. NATO aircraft have frequently been spotted close to Russian airspace above Baltic and Black Sea frontiers in recent years. The flights, which Moscow deems provocative, have intensified since 2014, when Russia reabsorbed Crimea and a military conflict broke out in eastern Ukraine. “The violation of the state border was prevented,” the statement by the Defense Ministry read, adding that the Russian planes carried out their mission in strict accordance with international rules on the use of airspace. The US and NATO aircraft which approached Russia's airspace were taking part in the Baltops 2020 exercise, the ministry pointed out. The drills in the Baltic gathered 28 vessels, 28 planes and up to 3,000 personnel from 19 NATO member-states, including the US, UK, France, Germany and Canada. AGENCiES

of Alarm and the subsequent lockdown.

All the tourists had to undergo a safety and security check, which included filling in a form still in flight to give details of where they would be staying during their visit, which must last a minimum of five nights.

They also had their temperature checked on arrival. The pilot scheme is considered a trial for a wider opening of the tourist sector both in the Balearic Islands and in the rest of Spain in the coming weeks.

In addition, Greece reopened its gates to tourists on Monday, with protecting the health of visitors and locals being its top priority, as Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has announced. International flights for tourists to Athens and Thessaloniki airports have resumed from Monday.

ADB approves $20m Covid-19 package for Kyrgyzstan

BEIJING: Members of the Beijing Blue Sky Rescue (BSR) team disinfect the Yuegezhuang wholesale market in Beijing, China, June 16, 2020. Beijing has disinfected 276 farm produce markets and closed 11 such underground and semi-underground markets as of 6 am Tuesday to curb the spread of coronavirus. iNP

US to resume federal executions after 17 years WASHINGTON AGENCiES

The United States will resume federal executions on July 13, after a 17-year stay, the Justice Department said Monday. There have been just three federal execution since the death penalty was reinstated by the US government in 1988.

Attorney General Bill Barr announced a year ago he intended to resume the use of the death penalty for federal crimes. Five convicted murderers were scheduled to undergo lethal injections in December 2019 and January of this year at the federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana.

But at the last minute, the US Supreme Court refused to lift a stay on federal executions, saying that — “in light of what is at stake” — the block on executions should be reviewed by an appeals court.

In April, an appeals court in Washington approved the use of pentobarbital for lethal injections, and Barr ordered that new execution dates be set for four of the five convicts.

“We owe it to the victims of these horrific crimes,” Barr said in a statement.

Following his order, the Bureau of Prisons scheduled the executions to take place between July 13 and August 28.

Among the four is Daniel Lewis Lee, an avowed white supremacist, who was sentenced to death for the 1996 murder of a family of three, including an eight-year-old girl.

The mother of one of his victims, Earlene Peterson, opposes Lee’s execution due to her religious convictions and appealed to US President Donald Trump to grant Lee clemency.

“I can’t see how executing Daniel Lee will honor my daughter

in any way,” Peterson said in a video posted online. “In fact, kind of like it dirties her name because she wouldn’t want it and I don’t want it.”

Trump, who is a fervent advocate of the death penalty and has even said it should be applied against drug dealers, did not grant her appeal.

According to opinion polls, support for the death penalty has declined in recent years and is down to around 54 percent from 80 percent in the early 1990s.

Only a handful of states, mainly in the US south, still carry out executions. Twenty-two people were executed in 2019.

Most crimes in the United States are heard in state courts, but some are handled by federal prosecutors, such as hate crimes, some particularly heinous crimes, or those that take place on military installations or Native American reservations.

MANILA: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Tuesday approved $20 million in assistance to help the government of the Kyrgyz Republic strengthen its health sector to deal with the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

“As one of the most open and integrated economies in Central Asia, the Kyrgyz Republic is at high risk of the impact of the Coid-19 pandemic,” said ADB Vice-President Shixin Chen in a press statement. “We are fully committed to supporting the Kyrgyz Republic. In tandem with the recently approved $50 million budget support, ADB’s finance will strengthen the country’s response and improve its resilience to deal with Covid-19 and future pandemics,” added Chen. The ADB’s finance consists of a $10 million emergency loan and a $10 million grant.

The project will improve facilities at hospitals designated as Covid-19 treatment centers in the country. These hospitals will benefit from an additional 80 ICU beds, ambulances, and other medical supplies. Health workers at these hospitals will benefit from personal protective equipment (PPE), specialist training, and additional hardship allowances. “This project will help the Kyrgyz Republic improve testing, diagnosis, and treatment of Covid-19 cases to reduce transmission and improve clinical management of patients,” said ADB Health Specialist Cebele Wong. AGENCiES

Washington allows US firms to work with Huawei on 5G standards WASHINGTON: The US Commerce Department has issued a change to its sweeping Huawei ban, saying that it will allow American companies to cooperate with the Chinese tech firm on setting standards for next-generation 5G networks. Washington had little choice, as the Chinese telecom giant is the global leader in 5G technology, having filed more than 3,000 patent applications. Ban or no ban, US companies have to pay Huawei for the use of those patents. However, without such cooperation on 5G, American tech firms risk being left behind.

The amendment is meant to ensure that Huawei’s placement on the entity list “does not prevent American companies from contributing to important standards-developing activities despite Huawei’s pervasive participation in standards-development organizations,” said the department. According to the Commerce Department’s Secretary Wilbur Ross, the action “recognizes the importance of harnessing American ingenuity to advance and protect our economic and national security.” AGENCiES

Children caught in conflict face brutality, fear: report UN OFFICIAL SAYS MOST WORRYING SITUATIONS EXIST IN YEMEN, MALI, SYRIA, ISRAEL, PALESTINE NEW YORK AGENCiES

Boys and girls used and abused in armed conflict have had their childhoods replaced by “pain, brutality and fear while the world watches”, said the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict.

Launching the Secretary-General’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict on Monday, Virginia Gamba

maintained that parties to conflict often “neglect to protect children in the conduct of hostilities and deny them the vital aid they desperately need”.

The tragedy children face continued unabated throughout 2019, the report highlighted, disclosing that the UN had verified over 25,000 grave violations against children.

The overall number of grave violations, which remains similar to 2018, translates into some 70 recorded

CMYK

abuses per day. “By violating the rules of war, parties endanger their own children”, she spelled out.

Citing 4,400 verified incidents, the report revealed a shocking 400 per cent jump in the denial of humanitarian access to children last year, which Gamba called “by far most worrisome trend in 2019”.

It also painted a picture of frequent violence against humanitarian workers, along with aggressions to impede their work in providing basic assistance to children, such as looting supplies and restricting movements, among many other disruptions.

The document spotlighted Yemen, Mali, the Central African Republic

(CAR), Syria, Israel and Palestine as the most worrying situations.

Disrespect shown to fundamental rights within schools and hospitals is also extremely concerning, particularly in Afghanistan, Israel, Palestine and Syria where some 927 verified incidents of attacks were reported.

Throughout 2019, boys and girls continued to endure sexual violence and although 735 cases had been verified, according to the brief, these violations are vastly underreported. “I call on Member States to facilitate the voluntary repatriation of children stranded in camps in Iraq and Syria to their countries of origin or to the countries of origin of their parents”, she concluded.

Wednesday, 17 June, 2020

NEWS

11

COVID-19

Pakistani advertisers exPected to cut sPending by $55m in Fy21 KARACHI

e

BABAR KHAN JAVED

ver since the world went into lockdown to flatten the curve, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) satellites noted that the sharp decline of humans and mobility has resulted in significant reductions in air pollution in major cities around the world. Additional news reports suggest that the venice canals have clear water, wildlife has ventured into locked down cities, and an environmental economist foresaw that improved air quality in China could save thousands of lives.

On the opposite spectrum, the lockdowns meant companies had to rapidly adapt to work from home workflows, a shrinking top line resulted in layoffs and furloughs across industries, bailout packages were drafted, nonessential brick and mortar businesses were shuttered, creditors were bullied into extending payment terms, and transformation initiatives took off to offset the concerns over in-store shopping. The recession caused by Covid-19 will have lasting effects on consumption, business models and marketing expenditure.

“The current situation is totally unprecedented, but the closest historical equivalent would be a combination of the Great recession and 9/11; a brutal economic downturn and a “black swan” national disaster,” said vincent Létang, evP of global market intelligence at Magna. “Its effects on supply, demand, and media consumption are more complex and widespread than in any ‘normal’ economic recession in the past, and some of them will outlast the current crisis.”

According to the latest Magna Advertising Forecast, media owner linear advertising sales will decrease by 16 per cent globally.

Linear refers to spending across national Tv, local Tv, print, radio, Out of Home (OOH), cinema, and direct mail. The report prognosticates that before convalescing by 6.1 per cent in 2021, total media owner advertising revenues will dwindle 7.2 per cent by $42 billion for linear and digital formats.

“Beyond the short-term v-shaped recession/recovery impact on the economy and the advertising market, the COvID crisis will have global and long-term effects on society, business models, consumption habits, mobility and media usage, all factors pointing to a more subdued economic growth and advertising spend than previously forecast for the 2022-2024 period,” said Létang. “[We] thus reduced [the] global advertising growth forecast for these three years, from +4.5 per cent per year to +3.5 per cent per year. The global ad market will reach $647 billion by 2021 compared to $745 billion in our previous long-term scenario (a -14 per cent decrease).”

The forecast notes that while net advertising revenues in the APAC region will shrink by 8.5 per cent, emerging markets - which Pakistan is classified under - will see a 6.3 per cent reduction in spending. For Pakistan’s advertising industry, the change in Above the Line (ATL), Below the Line (BTL), and digital (search, mobile, online video, social media) was quick and decisive. In the media mix landscape, there were winners and losers, coinciding with a shift in content consumption behavior, both in-home and OOH. According to a post Covid-19 forecast from a senior media practitioner, advertisers in Pakistan are expected to spend $440 million (a drop of almost $55 million) on ATL, BTL, and digital mediums during the 20202021 fiscal year. The media spend is split across Tv, digital, print, OOH advertising, brand activations, and radio, with a share of 39 per cent, 26 per cent, 14 per cent, 11 per cent, 6.3 per cent, and 2.1 per cent respectively. Without Covid-19 and the lockdown, the expenditure was expected to be $495 million with a similar spread.

Television: When the current government decided to pause Tv advertising in 2018 and 2019 - due to an audit into rate inflation - the news channel industry responded with mass layoffs and deep inventory discounting. As expected, when the Covid-19 lockdown went into effect in March 2020, the first response from adver-

tisers was to go dark while Pakistanis grappled with the essential information and measures for disease prevention. For news channels, this resulted in further layoffs, payment delays, and deeper discounting - more so for upfront cash.

According to Ahsen Idris, CeO of Blitz Advertising, clients spent 35 per cent less during ramadan 2020 than during ramadan 2019. The reasons for doing so were a mixed bag, with fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies doing so because the demand for staples rose organically due to the pandemic, which meant that advertising for demand generation was no longer a priority.

With hand sanitisers, liquid soaps, and face masks quickly becoming must-haves, personal hygiene brands fought for a share of voice and share of mind, continuing to do so today.

Covering up the decline in Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) advertising spending were spikes from the telecommunications industry, due to the rise in video streaming on YouTube, Netflix, iflix, Amazon Prime, and pirated services. This was verified from senior media practitioners from Z2C - the holding company with CMPak Ltd, Pakistan Mobile Communications Ltd, and Telenor Pakistan (Pvt.) Limited as clients. It was cross verified by a senior media practitioner at GroupM, the media agency that leads ATL buying for Pak Telecom Mobile Ltd and Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd. Digital banking also increased Tv advertising as urban audiences sought to avoid visiting bank branches and ATMs, exacerbated by the strict lockdowns in major cities and the fear that physical notes transmit the virus. Brands in the real estate, consumer durables, automotive, insurance, apparel, batteries, construction, and allied categories saw a sharp decline in spending as well due to the uncertainty caused by the pandemic.

PrinT and radio: Idris estimated that clients’ media budgets for radio went from 5 per cent to 3.5 per cent due to the decline in commuting - referred to as drive time at media agencies - adding that those that do commute leave their homes in such a mission-based state that listening to the radio has lessened in importance. He added that radio as an advertising medium has been troubled by plummeting listenership since the ban on Indian content following the 2019 Pulwama attack, with current content restricted to Pakistani songs which have been listened to ad nauseum.

Several respondents on the brand side, who asked to remain anonymous, shared that while print advertising was down, due to the perception that the virus can be transferred through paper, the decline could not be quantified due to expenditure tracking needing at least 90 days from various sources.

Tariq Hameed Siddiqui, brand head for the digital business unit at Team A ventures, shared that media spending on print ads and radio spots went down, owing to the drop in print readership and radio listenership created by Covid-19. He instead redirected

budgets towards performance marketing to facilitate eCommerce channels. ooH adverTising, brand acTivaTions, and sHoPPer markeTing: According to Idris, 80 per cent of client OOH budgets were allocated towards the largest 20 cities in Pakistan. ever since the pandemic lockdown went into effect, OOH advertising has taken a substantial hit in light of the sharp decline in motorists and traffic. He added that other areas of BTL such as brand activations - have also taken a hit due to social distancing measures. While the lockdown impeded buyers from entering malls, audience participation activations were impeded altogether. This has resulted in a severe hit in revenue for BTL agencies around the country, save for Bullseye which diversified in 2018 with the acquisition of Symmetry Group.

“The lockdown has had a massive impact on the BTL industry which has taken a massive free fall and the future is also looking vague,” said Sidra Jung, CeO of Team reactivate. “even if today, everything comes back to normal the BTL industry will only be 30 per cent of what it was before COvID19 started.”

In a surprising twist, respondents shared that shopper marketing expenditure is down due to retail business booming, with locally owned businesses viewing in-store advertising as a sales generation avenue instead of a brand-building tool. People familiar with instore marketing tactics shared that traditional business owners see no reason to expend extra effort during the pandemic as buying frenzies are emptying shelves across International Modern Trade (IMT) and Local Modern Trade (LMT). social media, digiTal markeTing, and e-commerce: respondents across specialties - ATL, BTL, and digital - shared that the initial reaction from clients was to go dark, followed by reframing campaigns as Corporate Social responsibility (CSr), and then directing budgets towards digital maintenance so as not to go completely dark - without overextending and further straining an already struggling supply chain.

Faizan Syed, CeO of east river, said initially spending was down in April and quickly recovered in the month of May, with greater improvements expected in June.

Since the pandemic shifted buying behaviors, he said clients began to prioritize social and digital media spending towards performance marketing in the wake of Covid-19.

“Greater focus on return on ad spend,” he said. “[Clients] want to see revenue and are interested in ways to get it through digital.” raza Faisal, Transformation Lead at Team reactivate, said that the perceived inability to shoot TvCs and DvCs safely has prompted his clients to turn to influencers on Instagram using them as both a content creation avenue and a digital Pr channel. This workaround has been the go-to fix for brand marketers worldwide.

“It’s a sensitive period right now, so

brands want to subtly infuse brand messaging through digital public relations,” he said.

“Since they can’t shoot TvC’s and DvCs, content creators help make fresh very Covid19 relevant content and it’s a comparatively cost-effective medium compared to television so that works too. So high relevance smaller audience.”

He estimated that FMCG client media spending across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube has risen by 30 to 40 per cent, primarily aimed at identifying shoppers and sending them to marketplace listings - such as Daraz, Bagallery, HumMart - with the intent to convert traffic into buyers.

Adeeqa Nazir, Head of Influencer Marketing and Pr at Digitz, has also seen a spike in client interest towards influencer marketing, with clients telling her that Tv advertising is risky because messages are getting lost among heated arguments and gruesome images on the poorly regulated medium. She shared that clients, such as L’Oreal, invested in influencer marketing campaigns that integrated with storylines and delivered commercial results during ramadan.

“Two types of campaigns have been done - awareness and sales,” she said. “Sales were driven via influencer experiences for brands like L’Oreal. Make-up is a very cult category, you believe the influencers you follow. TikTok was engaged for Coca-Cola, easyPaisa for mainly tapping into the platform, being relevant, and penetrating the target segment.

Snapchat I feel like is old news now.”

She added that the effectiveness of the medium is measured quantitatively by the Click-Through rate (CTr) to the targeted landing page and qualitatively by looking at conversations that the content drove and audience sentiment. For the eid Shopping Festival on Daraz, Digitz ran an Instagram story for L’Oreal featuring an influencer who seemingly had never used Maybelline before - with the creator trying out the foundations, making comparisons to high-end brands, and educating audiences on the price point - key messages which Digitz resulted in direct conversions.

“In [the] current world of saturated advertising, Influencer marketing has been an unexplored territory by most of the brands,” said Muhammad Ammar Hassan, Chief Marketing Officer at Daraz. “We are currently working with more than 1000 top influencers including celebrities, micro/macro-influencers, and content seeders from all over the country across various product categories and topic expertise, with a total of more than 30 million followers across multiple social media platforms.”

He added that the influencers are engaged for native and sponsored campaigns to influence consumer behavior, with fashion being the leading category at Daraz. The aim of this tactic is to make the Alibaba-owned store the top of mind choice for fashion products and accessories.

Several respondents in the BTL space said that they were diversifying into influencer marketing, making up for the lost time by working with established influencer market-

places such as Ishtehari Influence - which launched Unilever’s Cleanipedia - and niche platforms such as Amplifyd, which connects digital media planners to macro, micro, and nano content creators from multiple platforms.

“There has been a hard stop on BTL briefs and an increase in digital briefs,” said Umair Kazi, partner at Ishtehari. “In the last two months, we’ve picked up digital work from Castrol, Unilever, Facebook. We launched Unilever’s cleaning-focused platform in Pakistan focused on Influencers who integrate Unilever products in their ‘now I’m a home cleaner’ narrative.” eisha Salim, Senior Associate, Planning and Strategy, at Mediavest said that during the second quarter of 2020, marketers saw digital Pr as a quick and easy solution to stay active, relevant and keep the audiences engaged by seeking local faces to endorse their products or keep talking to the audience on a day to day basis.

“Quickly we saw this trend rise with competition brands jumping on the bandwagon to utilise Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and push their message to the audiences who were now stranded at home and anxiously looking for everyday solutions on digital platforms,” she said. “So while digital media spends may or may not reflect the shift in ad spends - since our digital spends do not account for digital Pr campaigns - especially for Small and Medium Sized enterprises (SMes), the unregulated digital Pr market benefitted from this unprecedented situation offering quick and easy solutions to the brands to remain active by leaps and bounds.” blunT HonesTy: A source at one of the largest media agencies in Pakistan shared that, due to vested interests and backdoor deals with media agencies and Tv channels, no efforts are being made to track the shift in viewership patterns between December 2019 to date. Had these efforts been made, media budgets would have substantially shifted away from Tv channels and towards online mediums.

“If you average digital spending of traditional brands in Pakistan, they are between 610 per cent of total brands budget,” the source shared. “Tv has been the brand and marketing managers kingmaker figuratively and literally. Most agencies are saying that people are sitting at home eating Tv so you should be spending on Tv. Digital savvy brands have bumped their digital spending markedly particularly if their service is online.”

Several respondents in the ATL space agreed, adding that due to established economics between Tv channels and decisionmakers - media planners and brand managers - any data that suggests that Tv viewership is declining is ignored or suppressed. The rebates in ATL are far greater than those in the BTL and digital space, benefiting agencies, and sometimes trickling down to clients directly.

Another reason posited has been the established Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and targets given to media agencies at the start of 2020, which have to be met in order to retain the account. With little to no room for scenario planning - such as blacklisting a Tv channel for insensitively covering a plane crash - media agencies are tasked to maintain relationships with the largest ATL channels. respondents in the digital space shared that even though it takes two days to set up a branded store on a marketplace such as Daraz, brand teams at Multinational Companies (MNCs) continue to tell their head office that digital and e-commerce lacks potential. respondents posit this is due to brand teams at MNCs hankering for services at the cheapest possible cost, with no skin in the game to deliver tangible impact. In the pursuit of cheaper services, agency partners secure rebates from the duopoly and hoard the gains for themselves.

When looking at the volume of media spending versus the growth or decline across mediums, the bigger picture shows what we already know - that there has been a reduction in overall spending. even with price reductions across ATL mediums, marketers are hesitant in these times of uncertainty over the lockdown being lifted and the inevitable second wave.

Wednesday, 17 June, 2020

NEWS

GuterreS ASkS IndIA to end torture, uSe of pellet GunS AGAInSt cHIldren In Iok NEW YORK

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AGENCIES

N Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has voiced deep concerns over the continued use of pellet guns against children by the Indian forces in occupied Kashmir, and called on New Delhi to “immediately end” such practices. The call was made by Guterres in the annual report on Children and Armed Conflict, which was launched on Monday by his special representative on the subject, Virginia Gamba.

The UN chief also urged India to stop torture and illegal detention of minors in the occupied valley.

“I am concerned by the detention of children, including their arrest during night raids, internment at army camps, torture in detention and detention without charge or due process, and urge the (In-

UN CHIEF URGES NEW DELHI TO STOP TORTURE AND ILLEGAL DETENTION OF MINORS IN OCCUPIED VALLEY dian) Government to immediately end this practice,” the secretary-general said.

With respect to atrocities committed against children in Kashmir, the report said that “the United Nations verified the killing (8) and maiming (7) of 15 children (13 boys, 2 girls), between the ages of 1 and 17, by or during joint operations of the Central Reserve Police Force, the Indian Army (Rashtriya Rifles) and the Special Operations Group of the Jammu and Kashmir Police”.

“Most of the casualties that occurred in Jammu and Kashmir were mainly caused by torture in detention, shootings, including from pellet guns.”

The report particularly cites 68 instances where children between the ages

of 9 and 17 have been detained by Indian security services in Jammu and Kashmir on national security-related charges, for alleged association with armed groups.

“I remain concerned by child casualties in Jammu and Kashmir and call upon the Government to take preventive measures to protect children, including by ending the use of pellets against children,” the secretary-general said.

The diplomats noted that the secretary-general’s report has dented India’s false narrative of normalcy in held Jammu and Kashmir, and exposed its grave violations of international humanitarian laws in the disputed region.

The report also notes with appreciation the overall decrease in the number of attacks against children in the country.

Guterres also welcomed and acknowledged in the same report the Pakistani government’s efforts to protect the polio workers from attacks.

Senate body approves free air travel privilege for parliamentarians' families THE PRIVILEGE, WHICH WAS EARLIER RESTRICTED TO PARLIAMENTARIANS ONLY, INCLUDES FREE ACCESS TO 25 BUSINESS CLASS AIR TICKETS, BESIDES ANNUAL TRAVEL VOUCHERS WORTH RS300,000 ISLAMABAD GHULAM ABBAS

At a time when the government could not increase its employees' salaries for the next fiscal year, the Senate's Standing Committee on Finance & Revenue on Tuesday unanimously approved a bill that allowed the family members of parliamentarians to avail 25 business class domestic air tickets, besides Rs300,000 annual travel vouchers.

Justifying the facilities for parliamentarians, committee chairman Senator Farooq Hamid Naek remarked, "All parliamentarians are not rich," claiming that Members of Parliament (Salaries and

Allowances) Amendment Bill 2020, would not have an additional burden on the national exchequer since "changes were only made in the procedures".

According to the Parliamentary Affairs Division, the free travel privilege for parliamentarians was regulated under Section 10 of the Members of Parliament (Salary & Allowances) Act 1974, wherein members were entitled to 25 business class open return air tickets per annum from the airport nearest to their constituencies to Islamabad.

In addition, yearly vouchers of Rs300,000 were also provided to parliamentarians as well as their family members for travelling by air or train.

The division stated that there had been persistent demand by the parliamentarians to extend the utility of 25 air tickets to their family members as well, adding that National Assembly's Standing Committee on Rules of Procedures had also supported this demand.

"Therefore, vouchers of equal value in lieu of admissible 25 business class open return air tickets would now be issued to the members of the parliament, which could also be utilized by the family members of the parliament as well," the division stated. "Also, the 25 open business class air tickets and vouchers issued for a year would not expire and would be allowed to be utilized by spouses or chil-

dren under 18 years of age anytime."

The bill was moved by Adviser to Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan in the Senate. Under the amended law, a member not interested to be given vouchers shall be paid an allowance, equivalent to the entitled value of the vouchers.

Later, the Senate body deferred a discussion on another bill, wherein the Federal Board Revenue had sought amendments in Customs Act 1969 to empower the FBR's Board to change the HS Code of imported items so that tax slabs could be changed. The committee would discuss the related rules in its upcoming meetings.

Saudi Arabia faces perilous Hajj call as virus spikes MECCA AGENCIES

Saudi Arabia is expected to scale back or call off this year’s Hajj pilgrimage for the first time in its modern history, observers say, a perilous decision as coronavirus cases spike.

Muslim nations are pressing Riyadh to give its much-delayed decision on whether the annual ritual will go ahead as scheduled in late July. But as the Kingdom negotiates a call fraught with political and economic risks in a tinderbox region, time is running out to organise logistics for one of the world’s largest mass gatherings. A full-scale Hajj, which last year drew about 2.5 million pilgrims, appears increasingly unlikely after authorities advised Muslims in late March to defer preparations due to the fast-spreading disease.

“It’s a toss-up between holding a nominal Hajj and scrapping it entirely,” a South Asian official in contact with Saudi Hajj authorities told AFP. A Saudi official told AFP: “The decision will soon be made and announced.”

Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, withdrew from the pilgrimage this month after pressing Riyadh for clarity, with a minister calling it a “very bitter and difficult decision”. Malaysia, Senegal and Singapore followed suit with similar announcements. Many other countries with Muslim populations — from Egypt and Morocco to Turkey, Lebanon and Bulgaria — have said they are still awaiting Riyadh’s decision. In countries like France, faith leaders have urged Muslims to “postpone” their pilgrimage plans until next year due to the prevailing risks. The Hajj, a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime, represents a major potential source of contagion as it packs millions of pilgrims into congested religious sites. But any decision to limit or cancel the event risks annoying Muslim worshippers who attach significant importance to the annual pilgrimage. It could also trigger renewed scrutiny of the Saudi custodianship of Islam’s holiest sites — the kingdom’s most powerful source of political legitimacy. A series of deadly disasters over the years, including a 2015 stampede that killed up to 2,300 worshippers, has prompted criticism of the kingdom’s management of the Hajj.

Rs4.9tr revenue target Steroid reduces death achievable if Covid-19 spread risk in severe virus cases declines: Hafeez Shaikh LONDON

AGENCIES

ISLAMABAD APP

Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue, Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh said on Tuesday that the revenue collection target of Rs4,900 billion, set for the fiscal year 2020-21 can be achieved if the spread of Covid-19 is controlled.

Addressing a webinar, organised by Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP), titled “Pakistan PostCovid-19 Budget and Economic Measures” in Islamabad, the adviser said that if the coronavirus begins to recede and the economy picks up, the government can achieve the revenue target.

The adviser said that the country’s economy was progressing well before the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic as indicated by economic indicators. However, he added that Covid-19 has inflicted a loss of Rs3,000 billion on the economy and nothing could be predicted about its eventual impact. He further added that the rationale behind the budget was not to impose new taxes at a time of economic contraction but to save the business community from further burden and to facilitate common citizens who are bearing the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hafeez Shaikh expressed the hope to achieve the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth target of over 2 per cent set for the upcoming fiscal year 2020-21, adding that if corona affected countries

recover from the pandemic, exports will pick up which would have a positive impact on the economy of Pakistan.

The advisor added that around 1,600 tariff lines were brought down in the Budget 2020-21 to facilitate the business and import sector whereas there has been reduction in federal excise duty on many products to facilitate businesses.

He said that the hard decisions taken by the government had brought fruitful results and the current account deficit has been reduced from a historic high of $20

billion to just $3 billion.

Meanwhile, speaking on the occasion, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairperson Nausheen Javaid said that the 17 per cent growth in revenue collection was unprecedented in decades.

She said that the tax collection by June end is expected to grow only by about 4 per cent due to the impact of Covid-19, hence it would have a negative impact on overall growth percentage of 17 per cent achieved before the spread of pandemic.

The steroid dexamethasone has been found to reduce the risk deaths in serious coronavirus cases by a third, according to trial results hailed on Tuesday as a "major breakthrough".

Researchers led by a team from the University of Oxford administered the widely available drug to more than 2,000 severely ill COVID-19 patients.

Among those who could only breathe with the help of a ventilator, dexamethasone reduced deaths by 35 percent, and by one-fifth in other patients receiving oxygen only, according to preliminary results.

Normally used to treat a range of allergic reactions as well as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma, dexamethasone is an anti-inflammatory.

Daily doses of the steroid could prevent one in eight ventilated patient deaths and save one out of every 25 patients requiring oxygen alone, the team said.

The trial included a control group of 4,000 patients who did not receive the treatment.

"Dexamethasone is the first drug to be shown to improve survival in COVID-19. This is an extremely welcome result," said Peter Horby, professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford. "Dexamethasone is inexpensive, on the shelf, and can be used immediately to save lives worldwide."

Britain's Health Secretary Matt Hancock said patients would start to receive the drug immediately. Hancock said the government had started stockpiling dexamethasone back in March after preliminary trials showed "early signs" of the drug's potential.

'REMARKABLE' POTENTIAL: The trial

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

results are particularly promising as around 40 percent of COVID-19 patients who require a ventilator end up dying, often because of the body's uncontrolled inflammatory response to the virus.

"This is a major breakthrough: dexamethasone is the first and only drug that has made a significant difference to patient mortality for COVID-19," said Nick Cammack, COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator Lead at the Wellcome Trust health charity.

"Potentially preventing one death in every eight ventilated patients would be remarkable."

The trial showed dexamethasone to be ineffective in treating patients with milder forms of COVID-19, however.

A number of existing drugs have been trialled as a treatment against the novel coronavirus, with mixed results.

Trials of treatment of anti-arthritis drug hydroxychloroquine were halted in several countries after a major study in The Lancet medical journal suggested it showed no benefit among COVID-19 patients and even increased the risk of death.

That study has since been retracted.

Remdesivir, an anti-viral that appears to reduce the length of treatment in some patients is already being used in Britain, but one study in April showed it had "no clinical benefit".

The fact that an existing, cheap and largely side-effect free medication has been shown to be effective in severe COVID-19 cases is "of tremendous importance", according to Stephen Griffin, associate professor in the School of Medicine, University of Leeds.

"There is (now) realistic scope for further improving the clinical management of this devastating disease," said Griffin, who was not involved in the study.