Epaper – June 3 ISB 2020

CMYK

Wednesday, 3 June, 2020 I 11 Shawwal-ul-Mubarak, 1441 I Rs 15.00 I Vol X No 334 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

naB raids shehBaz’s house after he skiPs hearing g

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PMl-n chIeF sAys cAnnot APPeAR beFoRe bUReAU dUe to WeAk IMMUne systeM, sUggests skyPe InteRvIeW

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lhc to tAke UP nA oPP leAdeR’s PRe-ARRest bAIl PleA on WednesdAy

MARRIyUM lAshes oUt At ‘nAb-nIAzI nexUs’, AccUses AccoUntAbIlIty WAtchdog oF conteMPt oF coURt

Petrol shortage in country due to limited supply, panic buying

LAHORE stAff REpORt

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national Accountability bureau (nAb) team on tuesday raided the Model town residence of Pakistan Muslim league-nawaz (PMl-n) President shehbaz sharif to arrest him after he skipped another hearing at the anti-graft watchdog’s lahore headquarters on account of a weak immune system in the wake of coronavirus. the team stayed at shehbaz’s residence for at least two hours, but it left when it learned that the national Assembly opposition leader was not at home. It later left for Jati Umra –the residence of former prime minister nawaz sharif– in search of shehbaz. the four-member team reportedly led by nAb deputy director chaudhry Muhammad Asghar included three female officials. According to nAb sources, the female officials had been taken along to ensure a thorough search of the house. the nAb ‘visit’ came after the PMl-n president skipped a hearing in a case of assets beyond means. Instead, in his response to the anti-graft watchdog, shehbaz said its team could question him via skype because he was a cancer survivor and did not wish to pose a risk to his health amid the coronavirus pandemic. he added that some of the nAb’s officers had tested positive for the deadly respiratory illness as well. on May 4, shehbaz had appeared before nAb— unlike his response to previous summons — in which he had maintained that he couldn’t join the investigation in person due to covid-19.

Responding to the questions, he had

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ISLAMABAD AHmAD AHmADANi

LAHORE: PML-N workers scuffle with police during a NAB raid on the house of Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday. z u bA i R m A H f O O z

said all his assets had been declared and he had already submitted the relevant details to nAb. however, nAb had termed the reply and record submitted by shehbaz unsatisfactory and had summoned him again on June 2, asking him to come along with the required information.

‘NAB-NIAZI NEXUS’: Addressing reporters outside shehbaz’s Model town residence, PMl-n spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the raid was the result of “nAbniazi nexus”.

Aurangzeb said shehbaz had to go to the nAb’s office earlier today and that he had yesterday submitted a petition in the lahore high court (lhc) claiming the operations of nAb were “ill-intentioned and based on political revenge”. “the entire nation is aware of the nefarious agendas of nAb-niazi nexus. A divisional bench of the lhc has scheduled a hearing for the petition for tomorrow,” she said, adding that the PMl-n president

Coronavirus in

Pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

78,475

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

78

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

27,110

1,652

SINDH:

PUNJAB:

31,086

27,850

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

10,897 271/738

body deMAnds PRobe AFteR oMcs delAy IMPoRt oF PetRoleUM PRodUcts, IgnoRe soPs FoR FUel stoRAge

4,740

2,893

wrote to the anti-graft body about how its officers had tested positive for coronavirus and since he’s a cancer survivor, he would not make an appearance. “the cases on shehbaz — from ganda naala, saaf Pani, Ashiana scheme, 56 companies, earthquake funds embezzlement — are false allegations. the entire drama since the past two-and-a-half years is in front of the Pakistani people. “despite all such allegations, shehbaz continued to appear in front of the law and the nAb,” she said, alleging further that the authorities outside the PMl-n president’s residence had beaten up party workers, including women.

“Why isn’t Imran sahab arrested, why isn’t Imran sahab summoned? the chief minister of Punjab who stole the nation’s sugar, who stole Rs3 billion from the people’s pockets and put it into thieves’ pockets… he is not arrested or summoned.

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shortage of petroleum products (Pol) was witnessed on tuesday in major parts of the country due to limited supplies of fuel to retail outlets by oil Marketing companies (oMcs), Pakistan today has observed. sources said that the oMcs failed to maintain stocks of fuel at their depots as per their license terms i.e. 20 days, and also delayed the import of fuel. they said that due to the limited availability of fuel stocks with retail outlets, consumers could not find oil as per their demands, which also led to panic buying. the sources also said that oMcs have reduced lifting fuel from local refineries and the state-owned oil giant (Pso) has been facing the burden of oil requirements. And, petroleum shortage is likely to persist more few days till the supply situation improves, they added.

Meanwhile, the All Pakistan Petroleum Retailers Association (APPRA) demanded a detailed probe into a nationwide fuel short-

SC asks govt to explain how it gathered evidence against Justice Isa g

FUll bench Asks govt’s coUnsel IF ‘IllegAlly collected’ MAteRIAl coUld be RelIed UPon to FIle A ReFeRence AgAInst sc JUdge ISLAMABAD stAff REpORt

the supreme court (sc) on tuesday asked the federal government’s counsel, dr Farogh naseem, to explain the process through which material was gathered to file a reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa. Resuming the hearing of the case, the full court, led by Justice Umar Ata bandial, asked former law minister naseem to explain if the material against the sc judge was collected illegally and whether it could be relied upon to file a reference. the

age and asked the authorities to fix the responsibility.

According to APPRA, all the oil companies except Pso delayed the import of petroleum products and violated the rules regarding maintaining the fuel stock. ghiyas Abdullah Paracha, a leader of APPRA, said that unnecessary delay in the import of petroleum products has inflicted a loss of billions of rupees to the government. he said that presently oil marketing companies have stopped supply to the petrol pumps while some filling stations are getting reduced supplies, which are not enough to satisfy the demand of consumers resulting in serious problems.

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Petro division warns of acute shortage of Pol products in July STORY ON PAGE 09

more inside

Pakistan’s mango exports take huge hit amid Covid-19 restrictions STORY ON PAGE 02

bench also questioned how the complaint was filed before the Assets Recovery Units (ARU) and not before the supreme Judicial council (sJc), that could have initiated suo motu proceedings against the judge. naseem told the bench that Justice Isa did not provide a money trail for the properties owned by his family members abroad. “the apex court judge has admitted that his family owns properties abroad, but he did not provide a money trail to establish how the money was sent abroad to purchase the flats,” said naseem, adding that “a judge should be blameless, keeping in view the judges’ code of conduct”. however, Justice syed Man-

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soor Ali shah asked the counsel to prove that the properties were benami and that the money was provided by Justice Isa. “you have to establish that children and spouse are dependent on Justice Isa,” he said, adding that “if Justice Isa’s son purchases property outside the country as an independent, will he then be answerable everywhere?”

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PM’s aide says ARU didn’t spy on Justice Isa, family STORY ON PAGE 02

sindh minister ghulam Murtaza baloch dies of coronavirus STORY ON PAGE 03

Uzma Khan withdraws case against Malik Riaz’s daughters, relative STORY ON PAGE 05

cabinet approves policy for local manufacturing of mobile phones STORY ON BACK PAGE

02

Wednesday, 3 June, 2020

NEWS

CAbINEt APPRovES ExPoRt of PPE, HANd SANItISERS ISLAMABAD

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STAFF REPORT

HE federal cabinet on Tuesday approved the export of locally manufactured personal protection equipment (PPE) and hand sanitisers, as it was informed that the country’s overall exports fell by 54 per cent in April but a rise of 34 per cent was witnessed in May. The federal cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, also decided that a joint committee comprising members from the ministries of commerce, health, industrial production, and science and technology will have the discretion to ban the export of any item keeping in view the domestic needs.

The cabinet underscored the importance of public awareness so people strictly ob-

EXPORTS RISE BY 34PC IN MAY; CURRENT ACCOUNT DEFICIT DROPS FROM $11.4BN IN FY19 TO $3.3BN serve SOPs issued by the government to safeguard against the spread of coronavirus.

Cabinet members expressed satisfaction over an increase from two to 200 laboratories equipped with testing facilities. They were informed testing capacity has been ramped up to 32,000 tests per day, up from an initial 400. Additionally, the cabinet discussed the progress in the upcoming federal budget for FY2020-21 and a detailed briefing on the current economic indicators was given. The cabinet was told that due to the coronavirus pandemic, the country’s exports

IHC approves main accused’s bail in judge video leak case

fell by 54% in the month of April.

Thereafter, in May, a rise by 34% was witnessed. Foreign remittances worth $18.8 billion were received in FY201920. At end April, foreign exchange reserves of $18.7bn were recorded.

The current account deficit in FY2019-20 was recorded at $3.3bn, equivalent to 1.5 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In FY2018-19, the current account deficit stood at $11.4bn, which was 4.7pc of the GDP. In the current financial year, exports

ISLAMABAD

APP

STAFF REPORT

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday granted bail to Mian Tariq Mehmood, the main accused in the accountability judge Arshad Malik’s video leak and blackmailing case. A two-member IHC bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Amir Farooq allowed bail to the accused against Rs0.1 million surety bonds, saying there was insufficient evidence to substantiate charges against him. During the course of proceedings, Justice Minallah asked the prosecutor about the evidence against the accused to which he was informed that the statements of witnesses were attached with the reply submitted before the court.

The court observed that no solid evidence except the statements of witnesses were available to substantiate the blackmailing charges against the accused, and accepted his bail plea. Mian Tariq Mehmood is accused of recording judge Arshad Malik’s video and then blackmailing him. He is being tried by an anti-terrorism court (ATC), which rejected the bail plea on March 11.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Accountability Shahzad Akbar on Tuesday told Supreme Court that he doesn’t get paid to work at the chief of the Asset Recovery Unit (ARU).

In a reply submitted by Akbar and another official of the ARU to the 10judge full court hearing Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s petition against the reference, the PM’s aide also contested the claims made by the SC judge about the surveillance.

“There has been no surveillance or covert surveillance in relation to

ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad on Tuesday said that the federal cabinet has decided to tighten the noose around the sugar mafia. Talking to reporters after a federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, the minister vowed that the sugar mafia “will not be spared”. “The arrest proceedings of these evil doers will be based on actions dating back to 1985,” he added.

Rasheed said that it was also decided that an investigation based on the sugarcane report will be carried out.

“We will expose everyone’s unlawful deeds.” “We are going to close in on all those who flout the law, the sugar mafia, money launderers, and smugglers. The cabinet has avowed no one will be spared,” he said. “I said that those who present a conflict of interest must not be in attendance during the meeting,” he added.

SECP ordered to register charge of Sharifs’ sugar mills LAHORE STAFF REPORT

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday ordered the Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) for registering charge of Ramzan Sugar Mills of the Sharif family to enable the mills to secure a loan from a bank. Justice Ayesha A Malik passed the orders while allowing a petition filed by the mills against non-registration of charge by SECP. The court had reserved the verdict after hearing arguments of parties and it was announced today in open court. The mills administrator had filed the petition, submitting that all assets of the mills had been frozen following references made by the NAB. He said the mills wanted to obtain a loan from bank and it requested the SECP to register its charge/security interest for the purpose. But, the commission refused to register the same due to NAB references pending against the sugar mills, he added. He asked the court to order the SECP to register charge of the mills so that it could secure loan from the bank.

The briefing also included a discussion on inflation. Whereas inflation stood at 14.5% in January, it was recorded at 8.5% in April.

The FY2019-20 witnessed a total investment of $1.864, whereas in the previous financial year, the figure stood at a mere $403 million, the cabinet was told.

The policy rate has reduced from 13.25% to 8%. The next budget will keep in mind the current economic situation, the cabinet was informed.

The prime minister said that measures for economic stability and improvement will continue.

He stressed on the need for government departments and ministries to reduce their expenses and for a continued focus on an improvement in their performance.

PM’s aide says ARU didn’t spy on Justice Isa, family

ISLAMABAD

Noose to be tightened around sugar mafia, says Rasheed

stood at $16.4bn, whereas imports stood at $19.7bn, marking a balance of trade of $2.6bn. The pandemic also impacted the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) tax collection. Despite a seemingly bleak situation, the primary balance remained positive, the cabinet was informed.

It was told that it was for the first time in the country’s history that the primary balance remained positive and was chalked up to the “government’s policies and financial discipline”.

The cabinet was also briefed on the progress in Public Sector Development Programmes (PSDP) and provincial development programmes. It was also apprised of the cotton, sugarcane, and corn production levels as well as manufacturing output from big industries.

the petitioner or his family. All adverse allegations in this regard are vehemently denied,” said the reply.

About locating the properties, the statement said the detail of those residing in any immovable property in the UK can be accessed through open-source websites, such as 192.com and UK phone book.com. Once the address is determined, the owner of that immovable property can be found through other open sources such as the UK Land Registry It said both ARU officials also filed copies of extract from the UK Land Registry in relation to 40 Oakdale Road London E11, 4DL UK

dated April 5, 2019 which was annexed by Abdul Hameed Dogar along with his original complaint to the ARU dated April 10, 2019. The government had filed the presidential reference in May 2019 on the basis of Dogar’s complaint.

The reply also expounded upon how the ARU was established by the federal government. It said a task force was formed to bring back the looted wealth stashed abroad and it was later converted into the ARU which was also approved by the federal cabinet under rules of business It claimed that the apex court order in a suo motu case had provided impetus to the formation of the unit.

National Savings directorate cuts certificate rates by 1pc ISLAMABAD APP

The Central Directorate of National Savings (CDNS) on Tuesday announced a one per cent cut in the interest rate on savings certificates investment due to lower rates of the Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIB), effective June 2, 2020.

“The CDNS interest rates are linked with the policy of PIB, set by State Bank of Pakistan (SBP),” a senior CDNS official said.

The CDNS official said the rates of return on the Behbood Savings Certificates (BSC), Pensioner Benefit Accounts (PBA), and Shuhada Family Welfare Account were reduced from 10.32pc to 9.84pc.

The official said the profit rates on Defense Savings Certificates (DSC) and Regular Income Certificates were

slashed from 8.54pc to 8.05pc and from 8.28pc to 7.44pc, respectively, as per the current market situation.

The CDNS representative added that the profit rate on Special Savings Certificates (Registered) / Accounts was also cut on all three categories of certificates — 8pc to 7.1pc for first to fifth profit, 8.6pc to 7.4pc for the sixth profit, and 8.1pc to 7.15pc on average.

The official said the Short-Term Savings Certificates profit rates were revised down on different categories on a month-on-month basis; for three- and six-month certificates, the rates were cut from 7.8pc to 7.72pc and 7.5pc to 7.36pc, respectively, but on the 12-month ones, it was raised from 6.95pc to 7.3pc.

The official mentioned that the profit rates on Savings Account (SA) had also been reduced from 7pc to 6.5pc, as decided by the latest meeting held in Finance Ministry.

CAA blames pilot for Karachi plane crash KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The Civil Aviation Authority on Tuesday said the pilot paid no heed to the instructions of the air traffic controller (ATC), resulting in the plane crash near Karachi airport in which 97 people were killed. CAA additional director operation sent a letter to the safety department of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) that claimed the pilot of the Airbus 320 aircraft did not follow the instruction of the ATC. It stated that the altitude of the plane was high at the approach point and the air traffic controller had warned the captain of PK-8303 regarding it. The altitude of the plane was 5,200 feet at the seven nautical miles that’s considered high from the approach profile. The ATC had warned the captain twice and instructed to turn the plane to 180 degrees besides maintaining the required altitude; however, the instructions were completely neglected by the pilot, said the report.

It also stated that the plane fell down to 1,300 feet altitude from 3,500 feet at the four nautical miles, whereas, the speed of the aircraft was more than 250 knots before landing which is also considered high from the required acceleration.

Pakistan’s mango exports take huge hit amid Covid-19 restrictions LAHORE ANADOLU AGENCY

Pakistan’s traditional mango exports have taken a hit from the economic havoc wreaked by the coronavirus pandemic, as exporters fear a huge decline in export of the fruit this year.

Suspension of international flights, closure of borders, rising freight fares, and on top of all, contracting demands altogether are likely to decline the country’s mango exports by 35 to 40 per cent this year.

Last year, Pakistan exported 130,000 metric tonnes of mangoes to the Middle East, Europe, the United States, Japan, Australia and other countries.

This year, however, according to Waheed Ahmed, a leading fruit exporter and president of Pakistan Fruits Exporters Association, the country is not expected to export more than 80,000 metric tonnes of mangoes.

“Pakistan had earned over $90 million through mango exports alone but it will not be more than $50 million this year due to the present coronavirus conditions,” Ahmed told Anadolu Agency.

“Timing is a key factor vis-a-vis mango exports as it’s a perishable commodity. It cannot wait long,” he said, adding: “Suspension of international

flights has badly hit the mango exports to Europe and the US.” “Many exporters are sending mangoes to Europe and the US via cargo flights but their charges have increased four times,” Ahmed said.

Closure of borders with neighboring Iran and Afghanistan have also added to the decline in mango exports. The two countries together import 30,000 to 35,000 metric tons of mangoes annually.

“Mango exports to the Middle East are continuing via sea route but the demands are not that high as tens of thousands of Pakistanis and other South Asians have returned to their countries [from Gulf states], while a large number of people have lost their jobs,” he said.

COST OF PRODUCTION RISES: Mahmood Nawaz Shah, a grower from Sindh, the second largest mango producing province after Punjab, echoed Ahmed’s views.

“The overall mango exports will be lesser this year due to Covid-19-related restrictions, mainly closure of international flights, and a huge increase in freight rates,” Shah told Anadolu Agency.

Cost of production, he went on to say, has also increased due to implementation of Covid-19 safety guidelines.

Pakistan partially lifted a prolonged

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ban on international flights last week, which Shah thought, would give relief to mango exporters.

“This will certainly have a positive impact because at least access will be available,” he observed.

“But, I don’t see a huge difference because airlines are not going to decrease freight rates,” he added. Ahmed too sees little impact on mango exports from resumption of flights.

“I don’t see a major impact on [mango] exports because there is no decrease in freight rates.”

LESS PRODUCTION: Extolled as king of fruits, India and Pakistan recognise mango as their national fruit.

Both often unleash the fruit’s clout in diplomacy and political outreach. Mangoes have also been used by writers and poets in the region over centuries to represent unspoken thoughts and feelings.

Until 2018, Pakistan produced 1.9 million metric tonnes of mangoes annually, thus ranking sixth in the world, followed by India, China, Thailand, Indonesia and Mexico.

There are two dozen mango varieties in the country, notably, Anwar Ratol, Dasheri, Langra, Saroli, Sindhri, Totapari, and others.

But the taste of Pakistan is Chaunsa, which accounts for 60pc of the country’s

total mango exports.

The most famous Pakistani mango is the Anwar Ratol, which has its roots in a village two hours from New Delhi, in the Baghpat district of western Uttar Pradesh in India. Many years before partition in 1947, a mango grower from Ratol in Uttar Pradesh had migrated to Punjab and named a sprig he had transplanted there after his father, Anwar.

Almost every year, Pakistan sends a box of mangoes to the Indian prime minister, and other top functionaries in the Indian capital, New Delhi.

Despite its aroma and taste that makes the Pakistani mango a hot favourite, little attention is being paid to adopt latest harvest practices to improve quality further.

The country’s mango production has declined over the past four years, a phenomenon blamed on global warming.

Actual production capacity of 1.9 million metric tonnes reduced to 1.4 million metric tonnes last year, according to Ahmed.

“Mango crops require hot weather but winters are going longer and longer every passing year, which is gradually affecting production,” he said.

This year, Ahmed said, the mango crop is already two weeks late due to delayed summer.

Wednesday, 3 June, 2020

NEWS

03

SINdH mINIStER GHulAm muRtAzA bAloCH dIES of CoRoNAvIRuS JUI-F MNA MUNIR KHAN ORAKZAI PASSES AWAY AFTER RECOVERING FROM COVID-19 KARACHI/ISLAMABAD

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STAFF REPORT

INDH Minister for Human Settlement Haji Ghulam Murtaza Baloch passed away on Tuesday after battling coronavirus. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader was a member of the Sindh Assembly from PS-88 Malir-II since July 2018. He had contracted the virus during relief activities in his hometown on May 14 and requested for the prayers for a speedy recovery. On

May 23, he was shifted to the ICU of a private hospital in Karachi after his health started to deteriorate.

The news of his death was confirmed by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, who expressed grief over the loss of his colleague. In a statement, he said, “Baloch died due to the coronavirus. He was a brave and diligent member of the PPP. It will be a difficult task to replace him.”

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also expressed grief on the death of the party’s Malir district president.

PtI urges ECP to check if funds scrutiny committee is following toRs

KARACHI

ISLAMABAD

PPI

At least 2,193 frontline healthcare workers have tested positive for coronavirus across Pakistan since the emergence of the highly-infectious disease in the country.

According to the data issued by the National Health Ministry, 1,232 doctors, 333 nurses and 628 support staff members have contracted the virus. Out of these, 23 healthcare workers have lost their lives, 789 have recovered from the disease, 1,185 are currently in isolation and

196 are hospitalised.

A further breakdown of these numbers revealed that 645 healthcare workers contracted the virus in Sindh. These included 503 doctors, 48 nurses and 94 paramedics and support staff. A majority of these cases were reported in public and private sectors hospitals of Karachi.

Around 637 healthcare workers contracted the virus in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), out of which 296 were doctors, 112 nurses and 299 paramedics and support staff.

400 healthcare workers were infected in Punjab. 138 of these were

LAHORE As the world is commemorating 'No Tobacco Week', anti-tobacco campaigners in Pakistan have urged the government to formulate effective measures like increasing the ratio taxes on tobacco products.

On the other hand, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned the public against tobacco companies' deliberate measures of using lethal schemes to lure children into smoking. In a message to the cigarette manufacturing companies, the WHO stated, "If your product kills eight million a year, then you are targeting an entire nation".

In Pakistan, according to a survey, around 1,200 to 1,500 schoolgoing chil-

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday reported a record number of 3,938 new coronavirus cases with 78 deaths over the last 24 hours. The latest surge in cases takes the nationwide tally of reported cases to 78,128 while the death toll has crossed the 1,600 mark. According to statistics provided by NCOC, Pakistan has broken its previous record number of new Covid-19 cases reported over 24 hours, 3,039, on May 31. Earlier on Sunday, Pakistan reported its most number of deaths during 24 hours with 88 new fatalities, however, given the swelling number of coronavirus cases, doctors and health experts have warned that the number of cases will continue to rise unless a strict lockdown is not imposed. Sindh and Islamabad also recorded the highest number of cases reported over 24 hours with 1,402 and 304, respectively, on June 1. However, Punjab reported the most number of deaths and new cases reported over 24 hours with 1,610 cases and 43 new fatalities due to the Covid-19. STAFF REPORT

doctors, 118 nurses and 144 paramedics and support staff.

As many as 248 healthcare workers tested positive for the virus in Balochistan, out of which 184 were doctors, four nurses and 60 paramedics and support staff.

Moreover, 208 healthcare workers in Islamabad contracted the virus.

99 of these were doctors, 48 nurses and 61 paramedics and support staff.

Furthermore, as many as 43 and 12 healthcare workers tested positive for coronavirus in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), respectively.

Chief secretaries to provide implementation plan for NCC’s decisions ISLAMABAD APP

Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar on Tuesday directed the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) to ask the provincial chief secretaries to present the implementation plan for the decisions made by the chief ministers during the meetings of the National Coordination Committee (NCC). The NCOC meeting, which was chaired by Umar, reviewed the way forward for the NCC’s decisions such as reopening tourism sites and the implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Umar said that the chief secretaries would be directed to present the implementation mechanism during the NCOC meetings. While highlighting the risk of contagion, he warned that markets, public transport and industrial units were high-risk areas and SOPs should be focused on these

three areas. Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza informed the forum that 26 SOPs, guidelines and protocols were developed by the Health Ministry in consultation with experts and provincial authorities. He said that the government would also include another guideline to protect the elderly and those at high-risk of developing severe complications from Covid-19. Federal Minister for Interior Brigadier (r) Ijaz Shah advocated strict punishment for the violation of SOPs to ensure strict compliance.

He said that the media should be actively engaged to educate the masses about the risk factors and the need for complying with the SOPs. National Information Technology Board Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shabahat Ali Shah told the meeting that the board had completed population density identification of six major cities, which would help the government identify positive, suspected and normal population during data mapping.

Pakistan urged to enforce strict taxation for tobacco control HASSAN NAQVI

PAKIStAN REPoRtS RECoRd 3,938 NEw CovId-19 CASES, 78 dEAtHS ovER 24 HouRS

2,193 health workers in Pakistan have contracted coronavirus so far

STAFF REPORT

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to check whether the committee formed to scrutinise the accounts of the ruling party was working under the terms of reference (TORs) after the plaintiff expressed concern over the transparency of the body. The development comes as the election commission resumed hearing in the foreign funding case filed against PTI by Akbar S. Babar, one of its founding members. During the hearing, the tribunal heard reservations expressed through a written letter. The defense argued that the committee should be allowed to carry on with its work. It maintained that the ECP should check whether the committee was following the directives of the Supreme Court and the TORs. The defense was of the view that objections on the scrutiny committee at this stage were rather inappropriate. On the other hand, the plaintiff maintained that the scrutiny committee was not working in accordance with the TORs. The counsel stated that the committee works behind closed doors and the records were not being provided to them. He further argued that the committee had not managed to begin identifying illicit funding as yet. The ECP also heard the PTI’s latest application accusing the petitioner of leaking information to the media on the scrutiny process and passing disparaging remarks about its credibility. The commission had last week issued a notice to opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal, asking him to appear before it on June 2 to present evidence against the PTI.

Earlier in the day, Jamiat Ulema-eIslam-Fazl (JUI-F) MNA Munir Khan Orakzai, who had fallen sick during a session of the National Assembly (NA) last month, passed away on Tuesday, his nephew IrfanullahKhan Orakzai confirmed.

According to Irfanullah, when the family tried to wake his uncle up for morning prayers, he did not respond, upon which he was immediately taken to Thal Civil Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

He further said that his uncle had tested positive for the coronavirus in April but made a full recovery and last tested negative on May 8.

Munir, 61, hailed from Kurram district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and was elected to NA-45 in the 2018 elections.

dren are introduced to the menace of smoking every day, said Azhar Saleem, Human Development Foundation head, in a virtual media briefing to mark the 'No Tobacco Week'.

He also underscored the telling impact of tobacco usage on both human health and the country's economy.

Citing a WHO press release, he said that tobacco companies usually target youngsters as their new customers; this is evident from the fact that a vast majority of habitual tobacco users turn to smoking before they turn 18.

He claimed that smoking costs Rs143 billion to Pakistan's economic and healthcare systems.

Saleem also spoke on taxation arrangements for tobacco products in

Pakistan, lamenting that the industry, through one way or another, has been evading taxes for higher profits while playing havoc with human lives.

"If the government increases FED on tobacco products by Rs20 in the coming budget, it will be a great step towards plugging the inflation rate."

According to WHO, companies attract children towards smoking by offering "harmless" flavours, while youngers are lured through smokeless tobacco, shisha or e-cigarettes. Non-stop ad campaigns of tobacco products and the distribution of free cigarette samples at popular events also results in more people taking up smoking, it added.

Similarly, the WHO noted, product placement in movies, TV shows and so-

cial media platforms with paid influencers are on the rise. The industry spends $1 million per hour on an ad campaign.

In all, the industry spends $9 billion on advertisement, mainly to add eight million young users to replace the eight million smokers who die from smokingrelated complications every year.

“It means we are bringing up a whole generation of smokers,” said educationist Syed Hasan Shahzad. “Our education managers should launch a new strategy for school students in order to raise awareness about the tobacco industry tactics that attract them towards addictive products.”

Meanwhile, Dr Javed Khan, Aga Khan University pulmonologist, spoke on multiple impacts of smoking during the Covid-19 times, saying smokers are at a greater risk of coronavirus due to the bad health of their lungs.

He urged the government to increase taxes on tobacco products, including a surcharge of Rs10/pack of cigarette and Rs1/250ml of sugary drinks to generate more funds to tackle the current pandemic.

Nawaz Sharif’s medical tests were conducted at govt hospitals: minister LAHORE: Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid said on Tuesday that all the medical tests of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif were conducted in government hospitals and he was diagnosed with thrombocytopenia. “Fawad Chaudhry should trust us,” Rashid said. She was referring to Chaudhry’s letter to PM Imran Khan, seeking an investigation into Sharif’s medical tests conducted in Pakistan. “I used to see all the reports and doctors as well,” the health minister said, adding that Sharif was given treatment on the basis of those reports. In 2019, the PML-N supremo went to London after acquiring bail on medical grounds in a corruption reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau. Nawaz wanted to get treated abroad after being admitted to different medical facilities across Punjab. In his letter to PM Khan, Chaudhry said the photos of Nawaz that have been circulating on social media indicate that the former premier is in good health. “Nawaz Sharif not sharing details of the tests he underwent in London with the Punjab government gives an impression that he hasn’t been diagnosed with any disease,” Chaudhry wrote in the letter.

The minister also asked the PM to order a probe into the treatment Nawaz received in Pakistan. On the other hand, the Sharif family and Nawaz’s personal physician say that the he’s suffering from heart diseases and is being treated at a hospital in London. STAFF REPORT

‘Hedging of oil price’ among 11 items on ECC’s agenda ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), in its upcoming meeting, would take up an issue pertaining to the "hedging prices" for imported petroleum products. According to details, the upcoming ECC meeting, which would be held under the chair of Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Dr Hafeez Shaikh, would take up 11 agenda items, including the hedging prices for imported petroleum products. Earlier, the petroleum ministry had proposed the ECC to consider two call options with regard to the import of POL products. These included "a call option for 15 million barrels of oil, for one-year divided, in 12 equal monthly at a strike price of $8 above the current Brent, as long as the fee is within the acceptable range", and "a call option for 15 million barrels of oil, for two-year divided, in equal 12 monthly instalments at a strike price of $15 above current Brent, as long as the fee is within the acceptable range". The ministry had also recommended that the Pakistan State Oil shall be approved as the counterparty, given that it submits a performance guarantee to the Ministry of Finance.

"Besides, a committee, led by finance secretary, shall be formed to chalk out financial modalities in this regard with a selected bank. OGRA be given a policy direction to include monthly prices of the option in the cost of LNG (or any other oil product chosen) while announcing the monthly fuel prices." Meanwhile, other ECC agenda items include the Ministry of Interior's proposal for approval of a technical supplementary grant (TSG) amounting to Rs8.844 billion for Western Border Management Phase-II. The agenda also entails a proposal for a TSG of Rs4,410.774 million for National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) international arbitration -- Broadsheet ILC vs Government of Pakistan, as payment for the part final award (quantum) and part final award (costs). SHAHZAD PARACHA

04 ISLAMABAD

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APP

HyBER Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) Mahmood Khan on Tuesday said that in light of the decisions taken in the last meeting of the National Coordination Committee (NCC), it has been decided to keep business activities, markets and shops in KP open from 9 am to 7 pm while the lockdown would remain in place only two days in a week i.e. on Saturday and Sunday.

“This relaxation in lockdown, however, is subject to strict implementation of SOPs

and guidelines issued by the provincial government,” he added. While addressing a press conference here at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, Mahmood Khan said that the provincial government was working on opening inter district public transport subject to implementation of SOPs for which the transporters were being engaged whereas SOPs were also being developed to open tourism industry in the province as well.

He said that government was striving on two different fronts simultaneously adding that we have to protect the people from corona pandemic and on the other hand we have to protect them against poverty and starvation as well. He

made it clear that due to the difficulties faced by people especially the vulnerable segments of society, the government has decided to relax the lockdown, however, he stated that adoption of precautionary measures and implementation of SOPs has become even more important with the relaxation in lockdown.

“Implementation of SOPs will be strictly monitored by the local administration, and in case of violation of SOPs, the business would be closed again,” he warned.

He appealed to the public, traders, business communities, transporters and all other segments of society to strictly follow the SOPs and preventive measures against coro-

trict administration and media fighting the coronavirus pandemic on frontline. Touching upon the government’s efforts to solve the issues of overseas Pakistanis, Mahmood Khan said that result oriented efforts were being made to resolve the issues of the overseas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) stranded in the gulf countries. “Direct flights from Saudi Arabia to Peshawar have been restored to facilitate the early return of these overseas to their homeland whereas special flights of Boeing-777 have also been arranged to bring the dead bodies of the overseas who lost their lives due to corona virus in the gulf countries,” Mahmood Khan stated.

navirus stating that adoption of precautionary measures were the only effective way to be safe from the pandemic.

Paying tribute to the services of doctors and other frontline health workers, the chief minister said that doctors and other health workers who lost their lives in the line of their duties were the real heroes of the nation adding that their sacrifices and valuable services would always be remembered. He assured that the Provincial government would extend all-out support to the families of those martyr doctors and other health workers.

Mahmood Khan also lauded the role of the workers of local government, police, dis-

Violation of Covid-19 SOPs during intercity transport a threat to capital residents ISLAMABAD: Intercity transportation is posing a serious threat for the residents of Islamabad due to noncompliance of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the prevention of coronavirus pandemic. Different means of transportation, including local vans and cabs crammed with passengers without adopting prevention measures can adversely impact the authorities' efforts to contain this deadly virus spread. "The majority of the passengers are not even wearing face masks which are most essential to avoid the risk of catching this virus what to expect about other precautions", Ali Khan, a traveler going to his office through a local van said. "No one was observing social distancing in the local transport and the transporters were just concerned about earning money through accommodating huge number of passengers," he said. Zunaira Aslam, a traveler, said that passengers must sit at a distance of at least three feet in a public wagon in order to avoid coronavirus and passengers and also need to wear a mask and gloves. “But no such measures are being followed by conductors and drivers,” she added. She said sanitizers must available in each public transport through which people can wash their hands. Rizwan Akram, a government employee said that he paid more money to travel in a taxi to reach office but there were no safety measures taken by the taxi driver to avoid the spread of the coronavirus. When contacted, an official of the Islamabad Traffic Police said that they were educating people on the coronavirus. APP

Seven adolescents die, 13 injured as roof of seminary collapses in North Waziristan PESHAWAR: Seven boys, with their ages ranging between 10 to 14 years, died while 13 received injuries as the roof of a religious seminary caved in at North Waziristan district of KP on Tuesday, burying the inmates beneath huge debris. According to Edhi Welfare Organisation, the incident occurred at Sheva Zabar Jan Kot area of Tehsil Mir Ali of North Waziristan District. The seminary’s students were extracted from the rubble by local people on a self-help basis. The injured were rushed to Tall hospital where they were admitted for treatment while the dead bodies were taken to their respective areas for burial in ancestral graveyards. APP

RAWALPINDI: People drink juice from a roadside stall to beat the heat on Tuesday. PPi

Wildlife officials rescue rare Hyena from mob in DI Khan PESHAWAR APP

The Wildlife Department during a joint raid along with local police on Tuesday rescued a rare Hyena from an unruly mob that was using the animal for a dog fight at Kohi Pewar area in Drazinda Tehsil of D.I. Khan district.

“The animal was rescued after a three hour long operation of the Wildlife Department because the location of dog fight was far away from D.I. Khan city near the border of Baluchistan province,” said District Wildlife Officer Khan Malook.

Talking to APP, Malook disclosed that the wild animal would have been killed by dogs if the raiding team had not reached on time and rescued it after being tipped off by an informer.

The Hyena is locally called as

Lagar Bagar and is considered as the second most dangerous predator in the ecosystem after the Lion and Leopard.

The rescued animal is a stripped one, which is rare in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and is usually spotted in the mountain ranges of Sheikh Badin, Koh-e-Bitani and Suleman Ranges in southern region of the province. The injured animal was forthwith shifted to Peshawar Zoo where it is being treated and is recovering fast.

It may be noted here that the Kohi Pewar area is a recently merged area in KP and was out of the jurisdiction of the Wildlife Department.

About the arrest of the culprits, Malook said that since there was a mob involved in the activity, it was impossible to arrest anyone by putting the whole responsibility on one person.

We have rescued the animal, shifted it to Peshawar and are taking care of it. After its complete recovery, the animal may be released in the wild or kept in captivity depending on what the authorities decide to be best for him,” he hastened to add.

Khan Malook also said youngsters who have become idled in the wake of lockdown and movement restrictions are utilising their time in illegal and immoral activities by putting the lives of already endangered wild species in more danger.

He said the Wildlife Department is taking action against illegal hunting and poaching which has spiked during the lockdown period.

During the period from March to April 2020, the D.I.Khan Division has made more than 200 seizures and foiled bid to hunt or smuggle wild animals and birds in the area.

SC seeks assistance regarding jurisdiction of FIA in provinces ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday sought assistance regarding jurisdiction of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the provinces. A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial heard the case regarding forensic audit of housing societies. During the course of proceedings, the FIA submitted the audit report of private housing societies. Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin said if there was a contradiction between the laws of the provinces and the federation, then the federal law would apply and it would be determined after receiving reports from the provinces and the federation. The Punjab additional advocate general (AAG) said issues related to FIA jurisdiction and bail must be determined. He said it also has to be determine that these cases would be heard by the civil court or the special court.

The residents of private housing societies also appeared before the court and one of them raised questions over FIA report, saying that many people were not included in the FIA report. The court directed the FIA to look into the matter and adjourned hearing of the case till date in office. APP

Effective steps being taken to protect 40,000 hectares of land in KP: agri minister PESHAWAR APP

Khyber Pakhtunkwa Minister for Agriculture Mohibullah Khan on Tuesday said the department had taken effective measures to control spread of locust, protecting 40,000 hectares of lands from pest attack and surveying for the locust’ presence over 32 lac hectare of land in the province.

He was chairing a meeting to review situation in wake of locust presence, the minister said the agriculture department would continue serving masses especially farmers and would keep taking measures for their welfare and prosperity

The meeting was attended by Secretary Agriculture Dr Muhammad Israr, CPO Syed Muntazir Shah, Agriculture Department Director General (DG) Abid Kamal, Agriculture Research Director General (DG) Dr Abdul Rauf, Livestock DG Tausi Dr Alam Zab and Livestock Research DG Mirzal Ali Khan besides other officials of relevant departments.

Secretary Israr while briefing the meeting said that swarms of locusts had entered into southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on January 25 from Sherani, Musa Khel and Zhob districts of Balochistan and districts Layyah of the Punjab, prompting the

KP government to declare emergency in southern districts on January 28 to prevent attack of the locust.

Later, he said that emergency was extended to entire province on April 16.

Now, the secretary said large swarms of locust were entering into KP from Afghanistan and the agriculture department was making effective measures to control them.

The minister appreciated the agriculture department for taking effective steps to control spread of the locust, saying that efforts of the teams that were engaged in spraying over the last four consecutive were praise worthy.

Wednesday, 3 June, 2020

Uzma Khan withDRaws case against maliK Riaz’s DaUghteRs, Relative LaHore

m

STAFF REPORT

OdEl and actor Uzma Khan on Tuesday informed the police and a local court that the FIR [First Information Report] she had registered against three women and their armed guards, whom she had accused last week of torturing her and her sister, was based on a “misunderstanding” and that she was withdrawing the case.

On May 27, the actor had registered the FIR against property tycoon Malik Riaz’s daughters Pashmina Malik and Ambar

Malik, Amina Usman Malik (wife of the son of Riaz’s sister-in-law), and 15 unidentified armed men — with whom the three women had stormed a house in defence Housing Authority (dHA) on May 24 and assaulted her and her sister Huma Khan. Video clips showing violence carried out on the two women had sparked outrage and calls for justice on social media earlier this week.

On Tuesday, Uzma submitted an application to defence C Police, saying the case she had gotten registered last week was lodged “on the basis of a misunderstanding” and that she no longer wants to pursue it. She said no challan had so far been submitted in the case. “I don’t want to give any

Dollar continues to gain value, reaches Rs164.08

testimony or deposition in the above-stated case,” Uzma added.

She recorded a similar statement before Judicial Magistrate Nauman Nasir of lahore Cantt Courts under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), saying she wants to withdraw the case. Her sister, Huma, in her separate statement recorded under Section 164 of CrPC said “no such occurrence” — a reference to the violence — had taken place at their house. “[The] accused party has not made any torture upon me,” she submitted, adding that the injuries she was seen to have sustained in social media videos were caused by broken “glass from [a] table”. She fur-

ther said the suspects nominated in the FIR are “innocent”. “My sister namely Uzma Khan got registered the instant FIR due to misunderstanding. Therefore, the same may very kindly be cancelled,” Huma added. On Monday, Uzma’s counsels Khadija Siddiqui and Barrister Hassaan Niazi had also disassociated themselves from the case after reports that the victims and the accused party had reached a settlement.

Earlier on Monday, a session court granted interim bail to the three women and ordered them to furnish surety bonds of Rs50,000 each. The court also issued notices to the SHO concerned and sought the case record on the next date of hearing.

Pakistan condemns extra-judicial killing of 13 Kashmiris by Indian forces

In line with the recent trend, the value of US dollar continued to surge on Tuesday, as the greenback rose by another 81 paisas to close at Rs164.08. According to reports, the greenback has surged by Rs4 in the last four trading sessions. In March, the first full month of lockdown, remittances to Pakistan were down 5pc and it may worsen as global financial institutions have predicted a 20pc dip in foreign remittances. Pakistan’s exports plunged 24pc in April. Exports and remittances are the two main sources of earning dollars for Pakistan and the outlook for both is negative. The investment outlook isn’t good either. NEWS DESK

iSLamaBad APP

Petrol shortage Continued from page 01 Paracha said that the shortage of petroleum products can hit the transport sector and lead to increased fares of public transport; therefore, petroleum products should be imported immediately. Petroleum dealers have already suffered a lot during the lockdown and now a scarcity of fuel is hitting their businesses, he said, adding that the issues of owners of filling stations should be resolved and a new pricing formula for refineries, oil marketing companies and dealers should be introduced. Ghiyas Paracha also said that the oil and gas sector needs a new pricing formula according to the changed local and global situation amid pandemic, as the old formula is no longer workable. Pakistan State Oil (PSO) in a statement informed that it (PSO) has ample fuel reserves to meet the nation’s need.

PSO said that the company has ample reserves in its stocks and it is being dispensed off at all PSO retail outlets across the country. On June 01, 2020, PSO sold more than 48,000 Metric Tons of petroleum products across the country which comes to around a vessel’s quantity. According to PSO, it has received a cargo of around 58,000 MT of Mogas on May 30 to be followed by five more cargoes around 60,000 MT each arriving during the current month to meet the requirements.

Pakistan on Tuesday strongly condemned the extra-judicial killing of 13 Kashmiris in a single day by the Indian forces in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK), which indicated intense brutalisation and continuity of crimes against innocent Kashmiris.

“Pakistan is deeply concerned over unabated extra-judicial killings of Kashmiri youngsters in fake encounters and so-called ‘anti-infiltration’ operations.

While the international community is pre-occupied with fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, India is busy intensifying its brutalisation of the Kashmiri people,” the Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson said in a press release.

She said that the fact that 13 Kashmiris were extra-judicially killed in a single day spoke volumes about the Indian government’s continuing crimes against humanity. To hide these crimes, the Indian authorities use the oft-repeated, unsubstantiated allegations of “training” and “infiltration” of Kashmiri resistance fighters, she added.

“India must realise that its malicious propaganda carries no credibility with the international community. The RSSBJP combine stands exposed before the world for its illegal and inhuman actions and extremist ‘Hindutva’ agenda,” the FO spokesperson further said.

Pakistan once again called upon the international community to take immediate steps to stop India from committing serious crimes against the Kashmiri

NAB raids Shehbaz’s house Continued from page 01 “Shehbaz Sharif remained in the NAB’s custody for 133 days. What questions couldn’t be asked in those 133 days?”

Aurangzeb added that no corruption allegation against Shehbaz had been proven and that today’s development was a “purposeful attempt to divert attention from sugar crisis report and the government’s lack of strategy for coronavirus response”. Addressing NAB Chairperson Justice (r) Javed Iqbal, she said: “If NAB team is here to arrest Shehbaz, then the people of Pakistan will go to Bani Gala to arrest Imran Khan who stole Pakistani people’s sugar!”

LHC TO HEAR PLEA: Meanwhile, a lahore High Court (lHC) division bench has fixed Shehbaz’s plea for prearrest bail in the case for Wednesday.

The bench comprising Justice Muhammad Tariq Abbasi and Justice Farooq Haider will hear the matter.

Shehbaz Sharif filed the petition through Advocate Amjad Pervaiz. He said that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had launched an investigation against him over charges of assets beyond means and money laundering.

He submitted that the investigation was pending for the last 16 months, but the bureau had not filed any reference yet.

Shehbaz submitted that he extended full cooperation to the NAB authorities and appeared before the investigation team on being summoned. He submitted that the instant proceedings were prompted by mala fide intentions.

Shehbaz Sharif submitted that the bureau had thoroughly investigated him about assets during his custody earlier,

people and hold it accountable under international law and relevant human rights Conventions. “India must realise that neither could its brutalisation break the will of the Kashmiri people, nor could its anti-Pakistan propaganda divert attention from India’s state-terrorism and egregious violations of human rights in IOK,” she said. “The martyrdom of each Kashmiri would further fortify the Kashmiris’ resolve for freedom from Indian occupation,” she added.

“Kashmiris will never give up their inalienable right to self-determination as enshrined in the UNSC [United Nations Security Council] resolutions and the leadership and people of Pakistan will never flinch in their commitment of full support for the Kashmiris towards that end,” she stressed. but could not confront him with any evidence to suggest any nexus with misuse of power in amassing assets.

“In the absence of any evidence worth name to suggest any nexus between amassing of assets and abuse or misuse of office, an offence in terms of Section 9(a)(v) of NAO 1999 cannot be attracted,” he contended while terming the investigation illegal and unlawful.

He submitted that the NAB chairman did not have any authority to launch investigations into money laundering allegations under the Anti-Money laundering Act. Shehbaz submitted that the bureau had again summoned him in connection with the investigation on June 2 and it was feared that he might be arrested. He submitted that he extended full cooperation and furnished all record, hence, his intended arrest at this stage was nothing but sheer mala fide. He pleaded with the court for a grant of pre-arrest bail in the case. He also requested for interim bail till the final decision on the petition.

NEWS

05

sc asks govt to explain how it gathered evidence Continued from page 01 Responding to Justice Shah’s observation, Naseem stated that the burden to prove that the properties are benami and that the funds to purchase them came from Justice Isa is not on the federal government, adding that tax record shows that the SC judge’s spouse had no income to purchase flats in london.

Justice Bandial observed that the judge had stated that his spouse is a taxpayer and she should be asked about the source of funds used to purchase properties.

Justice Muneeb Akhtar wondered whether the federal government was deviating from the reference wherein it is only alleged that the SC judge violated the income tax law by not disclosing family members’ properties in his wealth statement. “There was no mention about the money trail in the reference,” he added. The government’s counsel said that after the Supreme Judicial Council issued a show cause notice to Justice Isa, the apex court did not have the jurisdiction to examine the matter under Article 211. He added that the SC had intervened in the matter of former CJP Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry because he had not been issued a show cause notice. Justice Muneeb Akhtar, while referring to a case in the UK, observed that if the foundation of the reference was illegal then the SC may consider declaring the reference “a blank piece of paper”.

Justice Faisal Arab asked whether it was mandatory for the SJC to issue a show cause notice to a judge on a presidential reference.

He said that if something was based on mala fide intentions then the SC can intervene in the matter at any stage, even after completion of the SJC inquiry against the judge. The bench was surprised when Naseem submitted fresh documents regarding collection of evidence against Justice Isa. “Why did the government not present these documents before when defense counsel Munir Malik was questioning the manner wherein the material was being collected against the SC judge,” the court questioned. At the onset of the hearing, Justice Isa’s counsel objected over Naseem’s representation of the federal government. “[I] respect Farogh Naseem, but [I] do object to his representation of the federal government,” said Munir Malik, adding that the former law minister will have to present a certificate from Attorney General of Pakistan Khalid Jawed Khan in order to be deemed appropriate for the representation. In his arguments, Naseem said that he will also represent Special Assistant to PM on Accountability Shahzad Akbar. “I was made a party to the case in a personal capacity, Irfan Qadir will represent me,” he said. Malik said that according to the rules, the federal government is not allowed to hire a private counsel. However, Justice Atta Bandial said that the defense counsel should not raise an objection and let the case proceed further. “The summer vacations are around the corner and we want the case to proceed,” he remarked.

Visit your bank before 1:30pm; timings in June similar to Ramzan OFFICE HOURS FOR ALL BANKS ACROSS PAKISTAN ARE TILL 4:30PM, BUSINESS HOURS FOR PUBLIC DEALINGS ARE TILL 1:30PM FOR SOME BANKS KaraCHi MEIRYUM ALI

When, exactly, are banks open until in June?

If you are unsure about when your nearest bank branch operates till, you are not alone: anecdotal evidence suggests that customers have been inconvenienced or confused about when they can visit their bank branch, as the COVId-19 situation develops in Pakistan, and the government issues different lockdown recommendations as the weeks go by.

The confusion for customers lies in two separate timings: office hours, and banking hours for public dealings. These timings are not set by the government, but are set by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), which banks in Pakistan must follow.

This June, banks are following the latest SBP office hours, and some are also following banking hours for public dealings set by

the SBP during the Islamic month of Ramazan (which occurred between April 24 and May 23 in Pakistan).

In Circular letter No. 20, released by the Banking Policy and Regulations department (BPRd) on April 23, the SBP said that office hours during Ramazan for banks from Monday to Thursday were 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. On Friday, this would be from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

However, the business banking hours for public dealings would be 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, and 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Friday. Then on May 27, the SBP released Circular letter No. 24, which stated that office hours from Monday to Thursday would be 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and on Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This circular did not mention business banking hours for public dealings.

“Banks / dFIs / MFBs are accordingly

advised to ensure compliance of the abovementioned timings in letter and spirit,” the SBP stated.

Interestingly, an Office Order No.136 from May 27, released by the human resources department of the SBP’s Banking Services Corporation (a subsidiary of the SBP) noted the same office hours, but then also specified its internal business banking hours of 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, and 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Friday. Post-Ramazan, some banks in Pakistan have decided to follow more or less the same business banking hours for public dealings ie. 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. from Monday to Thursday.

Profit called and confirmed with phone banking officers on customer helplines, and in some cases, spokespersons of various banks, including Bank Alfalah, MCB Bank, United Bank (UBl), National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and Standard Chartered Bank Pakistan (SCBP), which all maintained that office hours were until 4:30 p.m from Monday to Thursday, while business banking hours for public dealings would be until 1:30 p.m.

The rationale was different across banks.

In the case of NBP, the spokesperson used the example of SBP Banking Services Cor-

poration business banking hours as the guidelines to follow. In the case of Standard Chartered Bank, the spokesperson said that after receiving the circular on revised office hours on May 27, the bank called SBP to check when the business banking hours for public dealings should be.

One bank, Habib Bank ltd. (HBl), was following Circular letter No. 24 to the letter, maintaining both office hours and public dealing hours to 4:30pm. This was confirmed by both checking the customer helpline, and also by the bank’s spokesperson.

The reduced public dealing hours, which have continued post-Ramzan, has resulted in somewhat of a flood of customers, particularly in the time slot between noon and 1:30pm. This is felt more acutely post-Ramazan, as government relaxations continue and markets open at their usual times of 11am. due to the overcrowding, some customers have complained of a lack of SOPs being followed (regardless of the bank).

However, the reduced public dealing hours, and more importantly, the reduced office hours, are part of a general plan by the SBP to reduce footfall at physical branches in Pakistan, to control the COVId-19 pandemic.

The SBP first reduced office hours on March 26, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, and 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Friday.

In that BPRd Circular letter No. 16, the SBP categorically said that the “measures were to contain the spread of Corona Virus (COVId-19)” It continued the same timings in the BPRd Circular letter No. 16 on April 7, and in the BPRd Circular letter No. 17 on April 14.

The SBP has also tried to promote digital payments, such as waiving fees on online fund transactions. In Circular No. 2 released by the Payments Systems department (PSd) on March 18, the SBP said this was to “curtail the risk of spread of Corona Virus (COVId-19) and limit the physical interaction of citizens at branch level”.

When contacted by Profit, the SBP maintained that there had been no update and modification to the latest BPRd Circular letter No. 24, which says that office hours are till 4:30 p.m., and that banks would be informed if there was any such change.

In short: when in doubt, call your bank customer helpline to check when bank branches are open. Chances are you may have to visit before 1:30pm.

Wednesday, 3 June, 2020

06 COMMENT

Pandemic preparedness

The state and the rights of citizens Farmers left to fight the locust on their own?

country should incentivise the production of medical equipment at home first through heavy duties on imports and then through complete ban on imAmitabh Kant, who is chairing the empowered com- port, and through the WtO it should be made the mittee for strategizing ways to tackle the spread of global agenda that every country should be self-sufcoronavirus in India, “India needs to build a manu- ficient and should not rely on complex global supfacturing base for ventilators and personal protec- ply chains for the supply of medical equipment tive equipment (PPEs) not only to contain the spread because at times of war and disaster, disruption of of Covid-19 but for the future pandemic prepardness these supply chains can prove disastrous for any as well.” the coronavirus has reinforced an old idea country relying on it. that in an uncertain world some industries are the world is already familiar with idea of war “strategic”, simply too important for countries to games which test the combat readiness of troops of leave to free markets and any country. But now it so deserve special prois time to promote the tection. First the world idea of germ games, alfaced the shortage of ready being held in the masks because they are In the absence of a vaccine and any USA, which show the not easy to ability of any country to effective medicine, mass testing is produce, Both the masks fight with epidemics and made for medical perpandemics, test the abilithe only weapon available out there, ties sonnel and for consumer of doctors to identify purchase require a oncethe pathogen, its mode of but our country still has not obscure material called transmission and its melt-blown fabric. It’s invested on a large scale to ramp up mode of action in the an extremely fine mesh human body and how the production lines for developing quickly they can identify of synthetic polymer fibers that forms the critthe efficiency of a differPCR machines and for developing ical inner filtration layer ent medical substitute alof a mask, allowing the ready available out there, test kits for coronavirus at a wearer to breath while and the whole exercise massive level, we are still waiting for should somehow culmireducing the inflow of possible infectious partiin designing an efother countries to mass-produce for nate cles. Costing upward of fective vaccine.

3.8 million euros ($4.23 Ideally vaccine rethemselves first and then for us, and million) apiece, the masearch should be funded the easing of lockdown should chine that creates this in such a way that durfabric melts down plastic an outbreak, a vaccoincide with mass testing. It is the ing material and blows it out cine could be designed, in strands, like cotton tested for safety and only exit strategy available out there could candy, into flat sheets of be made ready for melt-blown fabric for manufacture at a masface masks and other filsive scale within a few tration products. Chinese months. the world is engineering firms say they’re struggling. “We need still at least 12 months away from the availability about six months to make the machines, and it takes of a vaccine, and while the lockdown can continue another month to assemble them”. for another month, but what about the remaining 11 China made half the world’s face masks. When months? What is the plan of action, how are we the outbreak took off there, China started to use its going to live with the virus for at least a year? In supply and hoard what remained. this problem has the absence of a vaccine and any effective medionly spread since, as more and more countries hoard cine, mass testing is the only weapon available out whatever medical supplies they can get, banning ex- there, but our country still has not invested on a port of medical equipment at the same time. Simi- large scale to ramp up the production lines for delarly countries which relied on home grown veloping PCR machines and for developing test kits personal protective equipment had necessary know for coronavirus at a massive level, we are still waitto scale up production on a massive scale to fight ing for other countries to mass-produce for themthe virus efficiently but countries like Pakistan have selves first and then for us, and the easing of been left to fend for themselves. lockdown should coincide with mass testing. It is the earth is going to need the addition of a the only exit strategy available out there. whole new chapter in terms of free trade when it comes to trade of medical supplies, in future every Dr Jawad Mushtaq is a freelance columnist

We must prepare for future pandemics

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Dr JawaD MUshtaq

EDERAL Food Security Minister Fakhar Imam says nearly half the country is already under locust attack. Last week the NDMA informed that 61 districts in the four provinces are bearing the brunt of the invasion. the government is expected to provide security of life and property to its citizens. the locust did not attack in the midst of the night like a deceitful enemy. the swarms entered Pakistan last year in broad daylight and after initial attacks settled down in Balochistan and in areas along the Pak-India border where they were allowed to proliferate. the provincial governments claim that they do not possess sufficient stocks of chemicals or aerial platforms to spray the affected areas, though the complaint is unjustified after the mega funds made available to the provinces year after year after the last NFC Award. Had the money been properly utilized the provincial governments would have been in a better position to deal with threats of the sort to their agriculture. the locust attack is fast turning into a national calamity faced by the entire country that could disrupt the federal government’s plans for food autarchy. It thus becomes a federal issue. the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has warned that the number of locusts could grow 20-fold in the coming rainy season in South Asia unless extra measures to counter the swarms are put in place. Last week the NDMA chairman claimed Pakistan had collected enough pesticides and placed orders for more. Further it had arranged nine airplanes for aerial spray. What explains the havoc done by the locust in half the country in the presence of all these arrangements?

Negligence or delay in preparations, or both?

When people are forced to fight the locust through attempts like beating drums or raising smoke, it shows they have concluded that the state has abandoned them. It appears that the NDMA delayed too long to acquire the material for lack of funds, indicating that fighting the locust threat was not among the PtI government’s priorities. that most of the chemicals came through donations also strengthens the perception. Isn’t the ruling elite gradually veering away from the Quaid-e-Azam’s goal of a welfare state?

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N 2015 Bill Gates warned us that the world was not ready for the next pandemic, but viruses were out there mutating waiting for an outbreak. In the past century we have seen the flu pandemics of 1917, 1957, 1968 and 2009.

We have already seen three corona pandemics in the first 20 years of this century alone and do not forget Ebola and Zika virus epidemics. Any new disease transmitted by air will spread like fire in this global village, giving no time for any country to prepare for itself. In desperate times of war when countries are ready to defend themselves with deadly atomic weapons why not just prepare a deadly virus in lab, also prepare a vaccine for immunization of your own country, and then unleash that virus onto the world? to some it still may seem more ethical than using nuclear weapons, whose ionizing radiations can haunt the remaining population for the next century. Rogue nations can entertain this idea easily, and Iran which has been pushed to the corner again and again just to protect the strategic interests of Saudi Arabia and Israel might find this not very expensive solution amusing, to avoid the fate of Iraq nothing seems unethical, but what if this not so expensive weapon becomes a fantasy of some terrorist, whatever the reason.

If this pandemic has taught us one thing, it is to always be ready for the outbreak of a virus, whether once in a 50 years or six times in just 20. Pandemic preparedness should be made a part of strategic doctrine from now on.

We are living in an age of globalization where a humble cup of coffee requires 29 firms to collaborate across 18 countries according to one estimate, where China supplies roughly 10 percent of the world’s intermediate goods, where test kit swabs are produced in Northern Italy, exam gloves in Malaysia, personal protective equipment in Cambodia, face masks in china. But what happens to this efficient global supply chain in a pandemic?

More than 50 governments have so for restricted the export of medical supplies. trump pressed 3M, a US multinational which make masks, to divert more of them home, at the expense of other countries. the EU has curbed the export of medical gear.

India, the world’s biggest maker of generic drugs, has banned the export of hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug that some suggest might treat covid-19. take a look at the statement of US trade advisor Peter Navarro “if we have learnt anything from this crisis, it is that never again should we depend on the rest of the world for our essential medicines and counter measures “.

Also taken a look at the statement of

Falling inflation Yet prices remain rigidly high

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AKIStAN’S inflation rate has eased for the fourth successive month, with the latest figure coming in at 8.2 percent. Inflation had peaked in January, hitting a record 14.56 percent and expectations are that it will further ease during the new financial year. this had also enabled the SBP (State Bank of Pakistan) to reduce the discount rate substantially, bringing it down to 8 percent from a whopping 13.25 perccent, a cut of 525 basis points in a matter of weeks, also necessitated by the coronavirus outbreak. An international oil glut had also brought prices to near zero enabling the PtI government to slash the prices of petroleum products, the latest of these cuts coming this week with the price of petrol being reduced significantly by Rs 7.06. On paper, the lower inflation and discount rate plus the cut in petrol prices, look great; however, the situation on-ground is adversely different for consumers with falling disposable incomes.

Prices of essentials such as wheat and sugar, according to independent market surveys, have gone up exponentially in the past few weeks, by at least Rs120 per 20kg bag and Rs160 per 50kg, respectively. these are by no means small increments and even if they are conservatively discounted for variance, it does not reflect what the inflation report is suggesting. Prices of eggs, pulses, cooking oil and vegetables for example have also not dropped rather increased. Some of the blame for this can be attributed to hoarding, especially in the case of wheat, but nevertheless, prices have still risen.

An SBP report released through twitter has stated that the coronavirus has led to a ‘decline in the purchasing power of people at the local and foreign level’. Yet, at a time when low to medium income groups are facing financial turmoil, the government should be taking tough measures to control and bring down prices. If such a strategy exists, clearly it is not working. Whether the problem lies in the plan, its implementation or both; the government has to fix the problem to provide tangible relief to the people. A falling inflation number does not matter if actual market prices are not going in the same direction.

Halting the upsurge of future pandemics Lessons all can learn Mohsin saleeM Ullah

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t seemed recently, that Africa was confronted with the outbreak of the highly infectious Ebola virus disease in 2014. But the incredible heroism of certain front liners to the commendable efforts of the African governments, rose to the occasion and kept the virus in check. that coupled with efforts from stakeholders, the private sector, and international aid organizations, contributed significantly to how the virus was effectively controlled. the world lauded Africa — its proactive and preventive measures.

It is however not precisely breaking news that Africa, and the world at large, has been hit by another infectious disease, the Coronavirus. All the headlines have been devoted entirely to news about it. And you’re probably not mistaken if you think it is about how Africa, despite having a supposed proud history of dealing with an infectious disease, still can’t boast of containing the pandemic. It seems to appear Africa has not kept up its preparedness enough since the Ebola virus. thus, there is an expedient need to examine the crucial role of the African governments in stemming pandemics. the saying, “prevention is better than cure,” remains true. And it is on this premise that African governments must know no amount of lockdown, total or partial, can ever replace proactive measures. At the top is an efficient healthcare system. they have for years recklessly neglected properly funding their healthcare systems. the current pandemic has revealed an infrastructural health deficit will always come to hunt them.

Since the pandemic began, they have run a shelter for additional hospital beds and isolation centres.

Also, they have had to greatly suffer from much too few ventilators. And consequently, critically ill patients suffering died. this is exacerbated by their hospitals’ unreliable electricity, insufficient equipment to deliver quality healthcare services, and short-

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age of medical supplies and clinical staff. Hence, the most reasonable outcome to stem the surge of future pandemics is an African improved, well-funded healthcare system. the most exciting news of this crisis is that it is offering them a clean slate.

If there is ever any virus they need to kick out against future pandemics, it will be one of misplaced priority. Now, more than ever, it is crystal clear that scientific researches play a huge role in fostering the development of their country. the governments need to heavily invest in infectious disease research and also build state-of-the-art research institutes and laboratories. Besides, adequate resources, both financial and technical, should be offered to local scientists. this will allow them to experience scientific breakthroughs and produce home-grown solutions that will impact health of the citizens and halt the upsurge of future pandemics. Like in Senegal, where local health experts and laboratory technicians developed critical interventions during the pandemic, which led to creating a $1 testing kit and $100 ventilator. It’s high time Africa start diverting budgets from non-pressing sectors to public health. the African governments must indeed be alive to setting priorities right. the current pandemic has again taught them that the autonomy of their local government is non-negotiable. And more importantly, there is a need for decentralization of powers. As seen, the Federal and State governments cannot handle matters alone. In such times, there has been little, or no development orchestrated from the very center. Whether it is the distribution of palliatives and any other essential materials or localizing measures to address the realities of various communities, it all boils down to the need of an efficient local government to facilitate the processes. It cannot simply be stressed enough that the efficiency and autonomy of the local government authorities, prompted by the African governments, have an essential role to play in how well they contain future pandemics. In the bargain, one cannot think of a country that is prosperous without a maximally functioning local government.

Most seriously impacted Western countries have both relatively resilient healthcare systems, and financial and institutional wherewithal to mitigate its

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impact. However, Africa, does not have the required capacity to withstand this. this is why containing the virus by the African governments, must be taken more seriously now than ever. they need concrete plans. the African governments must be able to assure the citizenry that post-pandemic recovery will be entirely different this time.

Consequently, the African governments must be able to follow through the post-COVID recovery with an effective action plan. they should commit to drawing lessons and start doing things differently.

After the current pandemic, they should be able to point out that we critically learned this, they are adopting that, they are implementing this and we are doing away with that. Only then we can safely forge new ways African governments can effectively play a role in future pandemics.

Social distancing and self-isolation are paramount. these protocols are tested in previous pandemics in previous times like the 1918 Spanish flu.

But the measures are often more effective the governments adequately provide social needs and safety nets to mitigate the citizens’ losses. the lockdown has been the most difficult for many Africans who require daily toiling to put food on the table.

Most of the countries where the virus had ravaged, and lockdowns been effective, have in place both credible and practical palliatives to mitigate some of the resulting economic hardship. Even if Africa has the financial wherewithal, her system or her institutions must be strong enough to ensure fair distribution of the food relief items. the African governments need to do much better than the approach of handling cash and food stuff to citizens. But even if they want to do something better, their comatose systems and institutions are an instant let down. An all-encompassing national database is critical for them in halting future pandemics. And it is no longer a question of “if” but “when.” Hopefully, critical lessons would have been learned when the dust of the current pandemic is settled.

Mohsin Saleem Ullah reports for Fox News in Pakistan and is a freelance columnist. He tweets at @MohsinSaleemU

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Wednesday, 3 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

Our packages? tHE British High Commissioner, Dr Christian turner announced a package of £ 2.67 million to Pakistan to combat against the Novel coronavirus concerning the vulnerable situation of health sector.

Besides, the International Monetary Fund ( IMF) has a day earlier endorsed a package of US $ 1.386 billion to Pakistan with reference to economic impact of the coronavirus chaos. I urge the high authorities, for the sake of God, utilize these amounts on the citizens only; keeping the personal interest aside. thus to heal the dire situation emerged due to the Coronavirus menace. And ensure these packages are on good hands. We have experienced many major relief packages went to anonymous in the past. So, not this time please!

ASiF MUrAD UMrANi Karachi

Sugar scam action

The ringing alarm bells The government has done well ing 160 doctors performing duties on the front haviour and adaptation to the emerging realities. there is a greater need in developing counline, contracted the virus and many of them even failed to survive the ordeal. However the re- tries like Pakistan to hammer that message in the deeming factor is that more than 25,954 people minds of the masses. In Pakistan, though the have also recovered. But the stark reality is that government and the media are on the same page and making efforts the available health to create the refacilities, medical quired awareness equipment and the among the people ventilators may not Surely nothing happens without and impress upon be enough to cope them the desirability with the situation if divine will which is also a part of our of social distancing, it gets out of hand.

We as a nation faith. The people, apart from strictly unfortunately the response has not been have to adopt a futurfollowing the social distancing very encouraging as istic approach to deal witnessed since the with the pandemic. guidelines, also need to pray to the relaxation of the Pakistan with its lockdown. fledgling economy Almighty to condone their sins, I was in Lahore and the existing soon last Friday two cial realities is not in secure them from the ravages of the Malik MUhaMMaD ashraf days before Eid and a position to absorb pandemic and crown the efforts of was flabbergasted to the shock waves trigsee people throwing gered by the panthe government with success in HILE it was reassuring to hear demic as even the caution to the winds the claims of the NDMA chair- most affluent nations tackling the pandemic. God save us and behaving as if man during a recent press briefing are finding it difficult nothing has hapall from the snowballing and that the capacity of the country to to save themselves pened. I saw eight to treat coronavirus patients pa- from its adverse ecoten people sharing unprecedented contagion tients, that medical equipment and the number of nomic and social imthe same rickshaw available ventilators in the country both with the plications. From the and other available government and private hospitals had so far been initial response of transport. I also utilized only to the extent of only 20 percent and complete or partial found people within efforts were on the anvil to further expand them lockdown aimed at containment of the virus, the the city sitting together in the streets, shaking in the near future, it is equally worrying to note focus has now shifted to living with the virus hands and even greeting the new arrivals with the that the number of the corona affected persons through creation of balance between keeping the traditional hug. that is indeed suicidal behavior in the country is snowballing at a terrific pace. economic wheel churning and saving human lives. which not only endangers their lives but also As of June 2, the number of confirmed af- that seems a new normal at the global level. poses a grave threat to the lives of their friends fected persons stood at 76,398. the NCOC reIt may be said in earnest that the PtI govern- and near and dear ones, besides aggravating the vealed that during the last 24 hours more than ment has done a remarkable job in dealing with country-wide situation and scuttling the ability 3000 cases have been added to the tally whereas the emerging situation, in conformity with the of the government to effectively deal with the 92 lives were lost in a economic and social pandemic. While the government and the media single day, the highrealities. It has need to persist with their efforts to motivate and est number per day so rightly resorted to pursue the people to adopt the new way of life as far. It may be pertiproviding relief and dictated by the ravages of the pandemic, it is also nent to mention that As of June 2, the number of succour to the vul- important that the community leaders and the the number of the sections of local influential people and the more educated confirmed affected persons stood at nerable confirmed patients the society through ones in different localities also play a role in constood at 37,218 on 15 different initiatives vincing and motivating the people to learn living 76,398. The NCOC revealed that May. So there has under the Ehsas ini- with the pandemic by changing their traditional been an addition of tiative while also approaches to life and socialization. during the last 24 hours more than more than 41,000 to the scientists and medical experts around the taking measures to 3000 cases have been added to the open up the econ- globe are feverishly engaged in developing an apthe list during the last 18 days. By the time unde- propriate vaccine to prevent covid-19 and there are tally whereas 92 lives were lost in a somyi tor avoid this piece is read, the a b l e also some encouraging news about the efficacy of figure would probaconsequences of a their efforts, but the reality is that even if a vaccine single day, the highest number per bly be much higher complete shutdown. is developed by October this year as claimed by day so far. It may be pertinent to indicating the enorthe new ap- Pfizer, things are not going to be the same in the mity of the challenge proach adopted by post-pandemic period as it would leave an indelimention that the number of the that the country the global commu- ble mark on economic, political and social landmight have to connity as well as Pak- scapes across the globe. It is worth mentioning that confirmed patients stood at 37,218 front in the near fuistan— which Prime the CEO of Pfizer, while breaking this news, ture if the rate of on 15 May. So there has been an Minister been advo- linked the hope to things going well and the stars infections is not adecating since the aligning, which alludes to divine will. addition of more than 41,000 to the emergence of the quately contained.

Surely nothing happens without divine will Health SAPM virus—- puts a which is also a part of our faith. the people, list during the last 18 days.

Dr.Zafar Mirza in the greater emphasis on apart from strictly following the social distancmeantime has disthe masses realizing ing guidelines, also need to pray to the Almighty missed the rumours their social and na- to condone their sins, secure them from the ravof a health facilities tional responsibili- ages of the pandemic and crown the efforts of crisis in the country as of today. Let us hope the ties in strengthening efforts of the government to the government with success in tackling the pancountry does not have to face a situation where the contain the virus. In the absence of a vaccine to demic. God save us all from the snowballing and existing health facilities become inadequate. treat the victims of the pandemic, containment unprecedented contagion. the current situation has really set the alarm through precautionary measures and social disbells ringing. the additional cause for anxiety is tancing is the best available option. that would Malik Muhammad Ashraf is an academic. that more than 500 health professionals, includ- of course require a sea change in our social be- He can be contacted at: ashpak10@gmail.com.

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BY making the sugar scam report public the PM has set a great precedent.

After the report was released the burden of taking action lies on the relevant Government organizations. But so far we have seen no action or suggestion on improvement.

I think the Sugar scam report has made it clear that the Sugar mills were underreporting their profits and therefore were not needing any subsidiary for export. therefore the first thing to do is to recover all the subsidiary from the sugar mills of past 20 years.

Secondly the Mills should be asked to pay all their back taxes on undeclared production in one year installments using profits from their other businesses. thirdly, farmers who have still not been paid by the Mills should be asked to register complaints with Cane commissioner.

And most importantly, the Government should ensure sugar is sold at Government set rate. Citizens who purchase at higher rate should send an online complaint with picture of shop receipt. the shop should be heavily fined and asked to supply receipt of their Sugar distributor, who should also be heavily fined by Food authorities. to achieve this the Government might have to create new regulations.

SHAHryAr KHAN BASEEr P ENgr Peshawar Pakistan

Taking the pandemic lightly PAKIStAN is heading toward a coronavirus emergency, yet the response of public has so far been unsatisfactory. Experts say the country could face a huge catastrophe if the public dont act maturely and do precautions.

Experts say the coronavirus cases in Pakistan are steadily increasing, yet the authorities and the common people seem to be taking the issue lightly.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s televised address to the nation on tuesday was a proof of an apparent complacency, analysts say. Khan said the cases were likely to increase further but there was no need to panic. He also refused to impose a partial lockdown in major cities to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, officially called the SARS-COV-2.

Pakistan’s Health Ministry has issued directives for the masses on how to protect themselves from the coronavirus. the government has urged people to avoid public gatherings, wash hands regularly and keep a distance from the virus patients.

Despite these public messages, which are being propagated through mainstream media, many people in Pakistan seem to ignore the instructions. Poverty is rampant in the country, with many people unable to make ends meet. they view the coronavirus as the least of their problems.

ASFANDyAr KHAN Lahore

Exit strategy It was about four months ago when Coronavirus disease forced the world to go under lockdown. Countries like America, Italy and France have faced worst scenarios, even under lock down. the basic science behind lockdown was to curtail the spread of this disease, as being very contagious.

Lockdown has left many people unemployed and even homeless.

Defeating the super economies of the world, Coronavirus is all set to be the permanent resident of this world. Experts believe that we need to accept it by changing our coping strategy. “Exit strategy” is being observed by many countries. Italy and Spain have decided to ease the lockdown in coming week. A slow but increasing hustle is seen on the roads. But this stage is very critical. It is more demanding in terms of precautionary measures. Much more care needs to be practiced. If we put deaf ears to the warnings of our leadership, we will have to face unimaginable miseries.

MAriA ArSHAD islamabad

Augmented reality AUGMENtED Reality is a trending technology in which computergenerated capabilities in terms of sound, display text and other effects maximize the user experience of the real world.It is different and more advance than virtual reality.It does not create any new virtual environment to replace the real one. Rather, it appears in direct view of the existing environment and also adds sounds, videos and graphics to make it more interactive.In AR graphics, sounds and touch effects are more enhanced.It only requires AR-compatible smart device to enjoy the experience. We superimpose virtual content like 3D objects or images over our existing world Which we view through a head-mounted display, pc or mobile devices. For example, we renovate our house by adding virtual furniture to it by using this technology.So we can see how good it looks before buying or changing the colour combinations of paint in a room before painting.

Other technologies might present Augmented reality different liwearing a pair of glasses to see our real world simultaneously together with computer-generated content. But it has some disadvantages as well.Like any other technology, AR is vulnerable to security threats and unauthorized access by hacker attacks. these attacks can lead to a overlay wrong information, denial of service or leading to severe, potentially catastrophic consequences. We should also consider the potential dangers of AR in the early stages to guarantee its successful implementation.

USAMA SArFrAz islamabad

Wednesday, 3 June, 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

The US poliTical SySTem haS failed RONALD REAGAN SPOKE OF AMERICA AS ‘THE SHINING CITY UPON A HILL’. JUST NOW ALL WE CAN SEE IS THE FLAMES REFLECTING AGAINST THE CLOUDS

Sydney Morning Herald

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Peter HartcHer

hina's authoritarian system has been promoting itself as superior to american democracy for more than a decade. The global financial crisis devastated the Us economy while China emerged largely unscathed, and Beijing's propaganda machine seized on the contrast: "The 'China model' has created miracles, opened a unique path of development and superseded belief in a superior 'america model,' marking its demise," proclaimed the People's Daily in 2009. it was around the same time a notable pro-democracy think tank in the Us, Freedom house, declared a "democratic recession". in its latest annual pulse-taking, published in March, it found that the recession of democracy worldwide was entering its 14th consecutive year.

Twice as many countries suffered declines in freedom as enjoyed improvements,

Freedom house reported. it counts the Us among the countries in democratic decline.

Freedom in america had declined in the last 10 years by 8 points on its 100-point scale.

Today the Chinese Communist Party hardly need press its case against the Us. all Beijing need do is sit back and let the daily Us news tell the story. More than 100,000 americans dead from coronavirus. some 40 million americans thrown out of work in the last couple of months. Race riots descending into chaos in america's major cities. While its President promotes yet more division.

The Us is tearing itself apart. The strap on australia's sky news on Monday morning summarised it as "Fire and fury".

That was Donald Trump's threat against north Korea three years ago. Yet today Kim Jong-un continues to build his weapons and it is the Us suffering fire and fury. Entirely self-inflicted.

China's Communist Party need not say a word. But it can't help itself. america is drinking "a glass of bitter wine brewed by the Us itself", China Central TV called it. another state propaganda organ, The Global Times, headlined: "Us double standards on domestic riots and hong Kong turmoil mocked on Chinese internet."

This was supposed to be about the time

when China's dictatorship collapsed, to be replaced by a bright democratic dawn, according to the consensus of elite Us opinion dating from the 1990s until very recently. instead, it's the Us governance model now on the defensive while China's is apparently ascendant. John Keane, a professor of political science at sydney University, says: "i think this is one of the great golden or historical moments for the Chinese empire. We have the Us as a republic and as an empire showing all the signs of a degraded country and an empire in decline." in Keane's latest book, The new Despotism, he says that China is only one of a growing number of despotic states, but it is "the leader of the pack".

Of course, failures of Us governance are not an indictment of liberal democracy itself as a form of governance. Other liberal democratic countries continue to be highly successful. Whether it's Germany, Canada, australia, new Zealand, south Korea or Taiwan, these are all liberal democracies that continue to deliver the highest living standards and greatest liberties available to humanity today. america's problems are not intrinsic to liberal democracy. They are american failures. above and beyond any single Us prob-

How to make this moment the turning point for real change AS A STARTING POINT, THERE’S A REPORT AND TOOLKIT DEVELOPED BY THE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE ON CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS AND BASED ON THE WORK OF THE TASK FORCE ON 21ST CENTURY POLICING THAT I FORMED WHEN I WAS IN THE WHITE HOUSE MediuM.coM Barack oBama

as millions of people across the country take to the streets and raise their voices in response to the killing of George Floyd and the ongoing problem of unequal justice, many people have reached out asking how we can sustain momentum to bring about real change.

Ultimately, it’s going to be up to a new generation of activists to shape strategies that best fit the times. But i believe there are some basic lessons to draw from past efforts that are worth remembering. First, the waves of protests across the country represent a genuine and legitimate frustration over a decadeslong failure to reform police practices and the broader criminal justice system in the United states. The overwhelming majority of participants have been peaceful, courageous, responsible, and inspiring. They deserve our respect and support, not condemnation — something that police in cities like Camden and Flint have commendably understood.

On the other hand, the small minority of folks who’ve resorted to violence in various forms, whether out of genuine anger or mere opportunism, are putting innocent people at risk, compounding the destruction of neighborhoods that are often already short on services and investment and detracting from the larger cause. i saw an elderly black woman being interviewed today in tears because the only grocery store in her neighborhood had been trashed. if history is any guide, that store may take years to come back. so let’s not excuse violence, or rationalize it, or participate in it. if we want our criminal justice system, and american society at large, to operate on a higher ethical code, then we have to model that code ourselves. second, i’ve heard some suggest that the recurrent problem of racial bias in our criminal justice system proves that only protests and direct action can bring about change, and that voting and participation in electoral politics is a waste of time. i

couldn’t disagree more. The point of protest is to raise public awareness, to put a spotlight on injustice, and to make the powers that be uncomfortable; in fact, throughout american history, it’s often only been in response to protests and civil disobedience that the political system has even paid attention to marginalized communities. But eventually, aspirations have to be translated into specific laws and institutional practices — and in a democracy, that only happens when we elect government officials who are responsive to our demands.

Moreover, it’s important for us to understand which levels of government have the biggest impact on our criminal justice system and police practices.

When we think about politics, a lot of us focus only on the presidency and the federal government. and yes, we should be fighting to make sure that we have a president, a Congress, a U.s. Justice Department, and a federal judiciary that actually recognize the ongoing, corrosive role that racism plays in our society and want to do something about it. But the elected officials who matter most in reforming police departments and the criminal justice system work at the state and local levels. it’s mayors and county executives that appoint most police chiefs and negotiate collective bargaining agreements with police unions. it’s district attorneys and state’s attorneys that decide whether or not to investigate and ultimately charge those involved in police misconduct. Those are all elected positions. in some places, police review boards with the power to monitor police conduct are elected as well. Unfortunately, voter turnout in these local races is usually pitifully low, especially among young people — which makes no sense given the direct impact these offices have on social justice issues, not to mention the fact that who wins and who loses those seats is often determined by just a few thousand, or even a few hundred, votes. so the bottom line is this: if we want to bring about real change, then the choice isn’t between protest and politics. We have to do both. We have to mobilize to raise awareness, and we have to organize

and cast our ballots to make sure that we elect candidates who will act on reform.

Finally, the more specific we can make demands for criminal justice and police reform, the harder it will be for elected officials to just offer lip service to the cause and then fall back into business as usual once protests have gone away. The content of that reform agenda will be different for various communities. a big city may need one set of reforms; a rural community may need another. some agencies will require wholesale rehabilitation; others should make minor improvements. Every law enforcement agency should have clear policies, including an independent body that conducts investigations of alleged misconduct. Tailoring reforms for each community will require local activists and organizations to do their research and educate fellow citizens in their community on what strategies work best.

But as a starting point, there’s a report and toolkit developed by the Leadership Conference on Civil and human Rights and based on the work of the Task Force on 21st Century Policing that i formed when i was in the White house. and if you’re interested in taking concrete action, we’ve also created a dedicated site at the Obama Foundation to aggregate and direct you to useful resources and organizations who’ve been fighting the good fight at the local and national levels for years. i recognize that these past few months have been hard and dispiriting — that the fear, sorrow, uncertainty, and hardship of a pandemic have been compounded by tragic reminders that prejudice and inequality still shape so much of american life. But watching the heightened activism of young people in recent weeks, of every race and every station, makes me hopeful. if, going forward, we can channel our justifiable anger into peaceful, sustained, and effective action, then this moment can be a real turning point in our nation’s long journey to live up to our highest ideals.

Let’s get to work.

Barack Obama is a former president of the US.

lem is the system that is supposed to fix problems – its political system.

When a country's political system fails, its problem-solving mechanism fails. The Us today is in such a poor state because its biggest problems never get solved – they just accumulate.

The dry tinder piles up. The dreadful race riots of the 1960s should have been a catalyst for fundamental reform but turned out to a premonition of race-based rage to come. as serena Williams says: "The worst part is this is nothing new, it’s just filmed."

The fact that the Us is the only rich country to suffer declining life expectancy should have led to change in the underlying problems – deep inequality and ramshackle health care. instead, the political system continues to enact tax cuts for the well-off and exploitative working conditions and threadbare social welfare for the poor. and health care? america's unique status as the only rich country without universal health care remains, in spite of Barack Obama's efforts. another problem that america proves incapable of solving is mass gun ownership.

While the rest of the developed world sees free firearms access as a problem, the Us sees it as a solution. The solution to more gun deaths, it keeps telling itself, is more guns. The second amendment, it seems, is incapable ever of being amended. and while the guns get bigger and more numerous, what of the butter? The Us economy does produce strong bursts of growth, but in a convulsive cycle. it has suffered

three recessions to australia's one.

China, of course, was the source of the pandemic and so it's also the source of the global downturn. But the Great Recession of 2008-09 was a result of unchecked risk taking on Wall street, in turn a failure of regulation and prudential supervision. and so the tinder accumulates. Racism, inequality, disadvantage, third-world health care systems, convulsive economic growth.

More guns won't help. Every one of these is a failure of Us politics, often a result of over-politicisation. i was long baffled by the paradox of american competence – how could a nation with such supreme expertise in so many fields of endeavour produce such dismal national outcomes? a wise old australian diplomat solved the puzzle for me quite a few years ago: "The expertise gets crowded out at the top." Donald Trump is a beneficiary of american anger and frustration. a critical mass of angry americans gave up on the conventional political system to solve their problems and turned to a celebrity demagogue out of frustration.

Trump was an alternative but not a solution. Populism is a political style that offers unworkably simple solutions to complex problems. so the problems still won't be solved. instead, the President is cheerleading the anger, stoking the flames, hoping to exploit the conflagration for his re-election. all of this allows the regime of Xi Jinping, which Kevin Rudd has described as "the enemy of liberal democracy", to sit and gloat. Ronald Reagan spoke of america as “the shining city upon a hill”. Just now all we can see is the flames reflecting against the clouds.

Peter Hartcher is international editor.

Between-the-lines horror guardian antHony cummins

in adania shibli’s third novel, a young arab woman is raped and murdered by israeli troops in 1949. The difficulty of portraying the atrocity lies at the heart of a highly sophisticated narrative that pitilessly explores the limits of empathy and the desire to right (or write) historical wrongs by giving voice to the voiceless. shibli, a Palestinian writer based in Berlin, starts with an account of an israeli platoon setting up camp at the desert border with Egypt. Long, uneventful days are broken when a patrol unit stumbles upon a group of nomads and instantly shoots them dead. “The soldiers moved through the spot of green surrounded by endless, barren sand dunes, combing the area for weapons... They found no weapons.”

While the impassivity of the language generates a measure of dark humour, it’s mainly a source of between-the-lines horror.

Focusing on action, with no room for thoughts or feelings, or even names, the novel’s thirdperson narration sticks to the viewpoint of the officer in charge, with barely any speech, and none that isn’t his. The language, as light on judgment as a stage direction, is highly disconcerting. in Elisabeth Jaquette’s translation from the original arabic, events are recorded minutely but without emotion, not least when the officer seizes the only survivor, a young woman, and takes her back to the camp: “he brought his left hand back and held her by the throat, closed his right hand into a fist, and flung it at her face. after that the girl did not move... Then he lifted her shirt above the chest and lay his body on top of hers.” halfway through, the novel loosens up to give us the first-person testimony of a nervy insomniac (also unnamed) in present-day Ramallah. haunted by a newspaper report on the crimes we’ve just read about, she’s unable to shake off the idea of somehow telling the story from the victim’s point of view – a project that leads her to embark on a risky road trip south, through long-razed villages, towards a site well beyond the zone permitted by her iD card.

While this more conversational segment generates suspense about the novel’s wider purpose, interest also lies in its portrait of everyday life under occupation: what it’s like, say, when soldiers blow up the building next to your office to get at targets hiding inside, and you find yourself bothered most of all by the dust blowing on to your desk.

Ultimately, the attempt to restore agency to someone we’ve seen previously described as a “still-moaning black mass”, heard only screaming in a language unknown to her persecutors, proves a dead end. The road trip meanders from detour to false trail before juddering to a shockingly abrupt halt; with a key role played by a pack of chewing gum, the title takes on the air of a cruel joke, in a climax that only underlines further how

AN ATROCITY BY ISRAELI TROOPS BEGINS A SOPHISTICATED, OBLIQUE NOVEL ABOUT EMPATHY AND THE URGE TO RIGHT WRONGS

swiftly and cheaply life can be taken in the name of self-defence.

From one point of view, you might see the narrator’s fate as a lesson in how trying to tell stories of suffering boils down to privilege she doesn’t have. But the novel casts doubt on the enterprise in any case, which even seems quixotic or, at times, plain whimsical. in the end, the only view we have of the story comes from the perspective of the perpetrator, chillingly unmoved, depending on whether or not you’re prepared to get symbolic about the poker-faced descriptions of his ablutions that occupy much of the novel’s first half. at one point, the narrator tries to talk herself out of her search, thinking there’s “no point in me feeling responsible for [the victim], like she’s a nobody, and will forever remain a nobody whose voice nobody will hear”. That isn’t a comfortable place to be left, but Minor Detail suggests anything else might be little more than wish fulfilment.

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli (translated

by Elisabeth Jaquette) is published by Fitzcarraldo Editions (£10.99)

Wednesday, 3 June, 2020

BUSINESS 09

CORPORATE CORNER Zong 4G, SIUT join hands to relay authentic healthcare messages to public LAHORE: To respond and create awareness around Covid-19, Zong 4G, Pakistan’s leading telecommunication network, has partnered with Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), which is at the forefront in Sindh in the battle against the pandemic. As a socially responsible entity, Zong 4G will now extend its network and communication services to relay authentic healthcare messages to the Pakistani public. “This partnership is geared to meet the priority of improving Covid-19 awareness in Pakistan, based on the principle of inclusion and healthcare access for all. According to National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), majority of Pakistan’s total coronavirus cases are now locally transmitted, hence, there is a real need for concerted focus on creating awareness& control the spread of Covid19. ” said the company spokesperson. PrESS rElEASE

Bank of Khyber set to launch mobile app this month PESHAWAR AZIZ BUNErI

The Bank of Khyber (BoK) management has stated that the launch of its mobile phone application is currently in the final stage and will be available to facilitate customers by the end of June. According to banking sources, in view of the situation caused by the coronavirus, more systems are now moving towards e-banking. “At present, most of the transactions around the world are being made online and keeping this mind, BoK has decided to launch an app to facilitate customers and help contain the Covid-19 spread,” an insider said. After the launch of the app, the BoK management expects millions of its customers across 172 branches to be facilitated. According to sources, the new mobile app will initially facilitate interbank transactions, intra-bank transactions, online collection of utility bills, FBR transactions, credit payments, mobile easy load, zakat donation, funds transfer and debit cards facility. The mobile app has already been launched by almost major banks of the country but BoK could not launch the same on time, sources said.

Minister calls for early completion of privatisation process

PeTro DIvISIon warnS of acUTe ShorTaGe of PoL ProDUcTS In JULy

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ISLAMABAD AHMAD AHMADANI

HE Petroleum Division has feared an acute shortage of petroleum products in the country as prices are likely to surge in July, it was learnt on Tuesday.

According to details, the Petroleum Division has asked the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) to direct oil marketing companies (OMCs) to ensure adequate fuel stock at all retail outlets, besides binding OMCs to maintain at least 20-day stock at depots.

The division, in its letter sent recently to the OGRA chairperson,

warned against the hoarding of petroleum products, saying that OMCs may curtail supplies to their retail outlets "in order to acquire financial gain of expected price increase of petroleum products effective from 1st July 2020".

It further asked OGRA to deploy vigilance teams across the country to verify OMCs' stocks at depots/terminals/retail outlets so that uninterrupted suppliers to retail outlets could be ensured.

Earlier, in a letter dated 28th May, OGRA had requested Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP) to physically check and confirm on an urgent basis the availability of petrol and diesel with all OMCs, retail outlets

and refineries. OGRA had also asked the HDIP director general to urgently start inspection and verify petroleum products’ availability at depots of OMCs, retail outlets and refineries storage, and submit a report in this regard latest by June 3, 2020.

According to sources, OGRA had also directed OMCs to provide depotwise sales and stock data of the past three months (March, April, May 2020) and had warned OMCs that in case of failure to provide the above information/confirmation within the stipulated time, legal action would be initiated against them as per law.

In order to provide relief to the consumers amid Covid-19, the government

Covid-19: 1LINK collaborates with Bookme to facilitate online ticketing LAHORE STAFF rEPOrT

E-payment network 1LINK has partnered with online ticketing startup Bookme.pk for 1LINK – 1BILL aggregation services to simplify digital payments for online booking of tickets across Pakistan.

The partnership, which aims to cater to the growing consumer demand for convenient and cost-effective digital payment options, is particularly significant during the Covid-19 outbreak; social distancing has been advised to prevent the spread of the virus. “There is a seismic shift in consumer behaviour towards efficient and secure digital payment platforms during Covid-19 across the country. Customers expect secure and frictionless online experiences and we are trying to build a customercentric platform to cater to their needs,” said Bookme.pk CEO Faizan Aslam.

The partnership is expected to further drive the digital payments landscape in Pakistan and will facilitate customers looking to buy online tickets for

bus, cinema, airline and events.

In its SOPs issued on May 19, the Punjab government had also urged the use of online ticketing for inter-city bus travel.

Users will be able to make real-time online payments for their tickets through 1LINK member banks’ respective digital banking channels including mobile and internet banking channels. Once a customer's payment is confirmed, e-tickets will be issued instantly for further use.

“We are delighted to partner with Pakistan’s largest switch and payment system to simplify digital payments and create a seamless and frictionless online payment experience for our e-ticketing customers,” said Faizan.

1LINK CEO Najeeb Agrawalla commented, “Pakistan is moving towards a digitised society and 1LINK is fully committed to creating avenues for this shift. This collaboration with Bookme for bill aggregation services will fuel the drive towards digitisation of payments, especially in the post-COVID19 environment. We are confident that users will be appreciative of the expediency that 1LINK – 1BILL proposition brings to the payments industry.”

ISLAMABAD APP

The Financial Advisory Consortium (FAC) on Tuesday briefed the Privatisation Commission on the progress made in negotiations with various bidders regarding the sale-purchase agreement (SPA) and other transactionrelated matters. The meeting with FAC on the privatisation of National Power Parks Management Company Limited (NPPMCL) was held under the chairmanship of Privatisation Minister Mohammedmian Soomro, said a press release issued by the privatisation ministry.

Privatisation Secretary Rizwan Malik and NEPRA Chairman Tauseef H. Farooqi also attended the meeting via video link. The FAC informed that comments of potential bidders have been incorporated in SPA regarding implications of tariff determination of the company; further deliberations to this effect would be made in the meeting which would held in NEPRA on 6th June. A complete update on the privatisation timeline considering the Covid-19 pandemic was also presented on the occasion. Minister Soomro remarked, “Since the world as well as our country is emerging from the lockdown, timely completion of the privatization process should be ensured through speed and efficiency. The privatization team also discussed the comments from the various bidders and discussed related transaction matters. The minister reiterated the importance of completing the privatisationrelated transactions on a priority basis in order to generate non-tax revenues for the country.

Oil prices rise ahead of OPEC+ meeting on output cuts LONDON AGENCIES

Oil prices rose on Tuesday to near three-month highs on expectations that major producers will agree to extend output cuts during a video conference likely to be held this week.

Benchmark Brent crude rose 2.1pc, or 79 cents, to $39.11 a barrel as of 1415 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude climbed 1.8pc, or 65 cents, to $36.09 a barrel.

Brent has doubled in the past six weeks helped by supply cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and others including Russia, a grouping known as OPEC+.

But oil prices are still 40pc down this year.

OPEC+ producers are considering extending their production cuts of 9.7 million barrels per day (bpd), equivalent to about 10pc of global production, into July or August, at an online meeting expected to be held on June 4.

“Most likely, OPEC+ could extend current cuts until Sept. 1, with a meeting set before then to decide on next steps,” said Citi’s head of commodities research Edward Morse.

Under the original OPEC+ plan, the cuts were due to run through May and June, scaling back to a reduction of 7.7 million bpd from July to December.

Saudi Arabia has been pushing to keep the deeper cuts in place for longer, sources said.

UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said a continuing oil price rally could unleash more stored oil and prove “self-defeating”.

“The marked price increase in recent weeks is bringing back crude production that was shut-in, triggering the unloading of oil stored on tankers and weighing on refinery margins,” he said.

Price gains have been capped by trade tension between China and the United States over Beijing’s security legislation in Hong Kong, as well as manufacturing data on Monday showing the world’s factories were still struggling.

on Sunday had reduced the price of petrol by Rs7.06 per litre.

Petrol price was slashed from Rs81.58 per litre to Rs74.52 per litre, while that of kerosene oil was reduced from Rs47.44 per litre to Rs35.56 per litre, whereas the price of light diesel oil was lowered from Rs47.51 to Rs38.14.

However, prices of high-speed diesel had witnessed a nominal increase of Rs0.05, from Rs80.10 per litre to Rs80.15 per litre.

As per the finance ministry, the government had decided to extend further relief in petroleum prices to the public "despite the global trend of increasing POL prices".

MARKET DAILY Stocks rally 386 points amid improved sentiments KARACHI: After yesterday's lacklustre performance, indices of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) witnessed bullish movements on Tuesday, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index surging by over 500 points intraday. Foreign investors remained net sellers in the previous session (Monday), registering a net outflow of $1.88 million.

"The market opened on a positive note mainly due to the banking sector stocks, which have gained significant prominence post-Eid," said a report issued by Arif Habib Ltd. Explaining further, it stated that investors' renewed interest in the banking stocks could be attributable to the "gradual increase in secondary market PIB yields from last month" coupled with "diminishing prospects of a rate cut" since average annual inflation for FY20 was in excess of 10pc. "Interestingly, international crude prices surged overnight and also during today's session, however, exploration & production stocks didn't pay heed to the development and remained under selling pressure," the report stated.

"Cement stocks also showed some signs of revival but largely remained range-bound." The KSE-100 Index remained in the green zone throughout the day, registering its intraday high at 34,525.27 after gaining 503.30 points. It settled higher by 386.08 points at 34,408.05. Among other indices, the KMI-30 added 75.54 points to end at 53,305.61, while the KSE All Share Index gathered 202.02 points, closing at 24,668.28. Of the total traded shares, 153 advanced and 147 declined. The overall market volumes increased from 198.1 million shares in the previous session to 220.6 million shares (+11pc). Average traded value also surged by 19pc, from $44.2 million to $52.3 million. Pak Elektron Limited (PAEL -0.86pc), TRG Pakistan Limited (TRG -0.68pc) and Hascol Petroleum Limited (HASCOL -0.48pc) led the volume chart, exchanging 14.22 million, 12.57 million and 12.35 million shares, respectively. Sectors that drove the benchmark index north included banking (+327.64 points), oil & gas exploration (+37.40 points) and automobile assembling (+13.19 points). Among the companies, banking players MCB Bank Limited (MCB +88.30 points), United Bank Limited (UBL +80.90 points) and Habib Bank Limited (HBL +62.13 points) remained the top contributors. The banking sector turned out to be the top gainer of the session, adding 4.41pc in its cumulative market capitalization. As a result, MCB Bank Limited (+6.29pc), Habib Bank Limited (+3.90pc), United Bank Limited (+7.49pc) and Standard Chartered Bank (Pakistan) Limited (+5.45pc) closed with decent gains. STAFF rEPOrT

FBR likely to reinstate tier-III system on tobacco sector ISLAMABAD SHAHZAD PArACHA

Apart from increasing federal excise duty (FED) on tobacco products, the Federal Board of Revenue (PSX) is also considering reinstating the "tier-III system" on the tobacco sector.

This was stated by tax officials during a meeting of the sub-committee on agriculture, which was held under the chair of Member National Assembly (MNA) Shandana Gulzar Khan.

The tax officials shared with the members the FY20 budget proposals they had received from tobacco sector stakeholders.

It was informed that the department is

mulling to increase FED on tobacco products, besides reinstating tier-III as well as track & trace systems.

Two prominent companies on the occasion urged the government to increase the ratio of advance tax from Rs10 per kg to Rs500 per kg in the next budget, as "there is a dire need to increase advance tax to document the sector". Committee member Ahsan Towana termed the imposition of advance tax on the sector as 'unjustified', claiming that it would ultimately hurt the farmers.

On this, tax officials said that the advance tax charged on tobacco is, in fact, collected from manufacturers and is not transferred to farmers. The advance tax on tobacco had been lowered down to Rs10 per

kg from Rs300 per kg with the parliament's approval in 2018, they informed.

It was further revealed that the Federal Board of Revenue is expecting Rs110 billion in taxes from the tobacco sector during the current fiscal year. The department had collected Rs124 billion in 2019, Rs93 billion in 2018, Rs83 billion in 2017, and Rs114 billion in 2014.

The officials claimed that the department is currently facing a shortage of manpower, owing to which meaningful action against illegal tobacco products is not being taken.

They termed the perception that "imposition of levy the tobacco products increases the risk of smuggling" as wrong, adding that around 20pc cigarettes in the country are

smuggled. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tobacco Board chairman objected the imposition of Rs500 per kg advance tax on tobacco products, saying that the step would reap no benefits since good quality tobacco is already available at Rs203 per kg in the market.

Tax expert Dr Ikramul Haq alleged that the FBR officials are not showing the true picture to the members, as the consumption of tobacco had increased with the end of the third-tier system in the country. FBR only looks at this sector for revenue purposes, while nobody cares about the dire health consequences of tobacco, he added.

He also asked the PTB chairman about the tax collected through the imposition of 5pc tax on cigarettes.

On this, the PTB chairman stated that the government had collected Rs462 million in 2018, Rs465 million in 2019 and Rs531 million in 2020. Speaking on the occasion, committee convenor Shandana Gulzar said that farmers' welfare is among the top priorities of the government, "but we will also keep in mind the health aspect".

She assured the members that the government would prepare such proposals that would be acceptable to all stakeholders.

The convenor directed the PTB chairman as well as tax officials to submit within a week tax collection data from the tobacco sector, consumption of cigarettes in the last five years, tobacco production cost, and proposals to document the sector.

Wednesday, 3 June, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS

Facebook In TurmoIl over reFusal To polIce Trump’s posTs SILICON VALLEY

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AGENCIES

He clash between Twitter and donald Trump has thrust rival Facebook into turmoil, with employees rebelling against CeO Mark Zuckerberg’s refusal to sanction false or inflammatory posts by the US president. Some Facebook employees put out word of a “virtual walkout” to take place Monday to protest, according to tweeted messages.

“As allies we must stand in the way of danger, not behind. I will be participating in today’s virtual walkout in solidarity with the black community,” tweeted Sara Zhang, one of the Facebook employees in the action.

Nearly all Facebook employees are working remotely due to the pandemic. “We recognize the pain many of our people are feeling right now, especially our Black community,” Facebook said in response to the AFP request for comment. “We encourage

employees to speak openly when they disagree with leadership.” Facebook was aware some workers planned the virtual walkout and did not plan to dock their pay.

“Mark is wrong, and I will endeavor in

Wuhan doctor at whistleblower's hospital dies from coronavirus A Wuhan doctor who worked with coronavirus whistleblower Li Wenliang died of the virus last week, state media reported Tuesday, becoming China’s first Covid19 fatality in weeks. Hu Weifeng, a urologist at Wuhan Central Hospital, died on Friday after being treated for Covid-19 and allied issues for more than four months, state broadcaster CCTV said. He is the sixth doctor from Wuhan Central Hospital to have died from the virus, which emerged in the central Chinese city late last year. Cases have dwindled dramatically from the peak in mid-February as the country appears to have brought the outbreak largely under control. The official death toll in the country of 1.4 billion people stands at 4,634 — well below the number of fatalities in less populous nations. Wuhan Central Hospital has yet to give a formal statement on Hu’s death. In early February it said some 68 staff members had contracted coronavirus. Hu’s condition became a national concern after Chinese media showed images of him with his skin turned black due to liver damage. Fellow doctor Yi Fan showed similar symptoms, but recovered and has since been discharged from hospital. The death of their colleague Li Wenliang in February triggered a national outpouring of grief and rage against the government as he documented his final days on social media. The 34year-old ophthalmologist was reprimanded by authorities after he warned colleagues about the virus in late december. Beijing has since named him a national martyr, but suppressed much of the dissent and criticism sparked by his death. Other medical whistleblowers at Wuhan Central Hospital — including emergency unit director Ai Fen — have told Chinese media they were punished by authorities for speaking out.

Indian girl's suicide sparks protest over access to online classes NEW DELHI: AGENCIES

Students protested in southern India on Tuesday after the suicide of a teenage girl who was unable to attend online classes because she did not have a television or smartphone. Schools have been shut across India since the country locked down its 1.3 billion people on March 25 to curb the spread of the coronavirus, leaving millions of children whose families cannot afford expensive devices with no access to education. Among them was devika Balakrishnan, the 14-year-old daughter of a daily wage labourer in the southern state of Kerala who was found dead near the family home on Monday, the first day of the new school term, having apparently taken her own life. Student activists in Kerala took to the streets to protest her death, which has highlighted the inequalities of the lockdown, with pupils in poor, rural areas far less likely to be able to learn online. “The government action has put the poor students under stress and pressure,” said Abhijith K M, who heads the Kerala Students Union and was among the protesters. “It should enable the poor students to obtain computers at interest-free loans to avoid similar cases in future,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from Kozhikode district. He said the group had organised protests in all Kerala districts, but limited the number of protesters to 50 in each place so that they could follow social distancing rules. Police said they used batons to disperse protesters in northern Malappuram district, where the victim was from. "One officer was injured when about 28 students tried to enter the district education office," Malappuram superintendent of police Abdul Kareem said.

The message also was posted on Facebook, but Zuckerberg decided to let it stand unchallenged. “I’ve been struggling with how to respond to the President’s tweets and posts all day,” he wrote Friday in a post. “Personally, I have a visceral negative reaction to this kind of divisive and inflammatory rhetoric.”

NETWORK IN REVOLT: Twitter and Facebook both have in place systems to combat disinformation and dangerous content — appeals to hatred, harassment, incitement to violence and the like.

But Facebook exempts political personalities and candidates from these restrictions.

Zuckerberg’s position has not gone down well with many of his employees. “I don’t know what to do, but I know doing nothing is not acceptable,” Jason Stirman, a member of Facebook’s research and development team, wrote on Twitter. Other Facebook employees spoke out on Sunday. david Gillis, a member of the design team who specializes in product safety and integrity, said he

believed Trump’s looting and shooting tweet “encourages extra-judicial violence and racism.” “While I understand why we chose to stay squarely within the four corners of our violence and incitement policy, I think it would have been right for us to make a ‘spirit of the policy’ exception that took more context into account,” he wrote.

Nate Butler, a Facebook product designer, added: “I need to be clear – FB is on the wrong side of this and I can’t support their stance. doing nothing isn’t Being Bold.

Many of us feel this way.”

A PRESIDENTIAL CALL: To make matters worse, US media revealed Sunday that Zuckerberg and Trump spoke by telephone on Friday. The conversation was “productive,” unnamed sources told the Axios news outlet and CNBC. Facebook would neither confirm nor deny the reports. The call “destroys” the idea that Facebook is a “neutral arbiter,” said evelyn douek, a researcher at Harvard Law School.

Indonesia cancels Hajj pilgrimage over coronavirus concerns JAKARTA AGENCIES

WUHAN AGENCIES

the loudest possible way to change his mind,” Ryan Freitas, the design director of Facebook’s News Feed, tweeted Sunday, adding that he was organizing about 50 other employees who share his view.

At the root of the discord is Twitter’s unprecedented intervention last week when it tagged two Trump tweets about mail-in ballots with messages urging people to “get the facts.” Zuckerberg reacted by telling Fox News that private social media platforms “shouldn’t be the arbiter of truth of everything that people say online.” Trump retweeted the interview.

On Friday, Twitter responded once again to a Trump tweet, this time after he used the platform to warn protesters outraged by the death at police hands of an unarmed black man that “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”

Twitter covered up the tweet with a message warning it “violated Twitter Rules about glorifying violence.” Viewers had to click on the message to see the underlying tweet.

Indonesia’s religious affairs ministry on Tuesday announced that the country was pulling out of the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca over the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 220,000 people from the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country were set to take part in this year’s Hajj, which all Muslims must perform at least once in their lives if able.

The global pandemic has plunged the ritual into doubt, but Riyadh has yet to announce a final decision on whether it will go ahead with the end-of-July celebration.

On Tuesday, Indonesia said it was pulling out of the pilgrimage, which last year drew about 2.5 million Muslims to Saudi Arabia from across the globe.

“This was a very bitter and difficult decision,” religious affairs minister Fachrul Razi told a televised press briefing. “But we have a responsibility to protect our pilgrims and Hajj workers.”

Last month, Indonesia pressed Riyadh to announce its decision and President Joko Widodo later held a telephone call with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman on the matter, Razi said.

Jakarta had considered allowing half the usual number of pilgrims to travel in

order to limit the risk, but instead opted to keep them all at home, he added.

The Hajj is a key revenue earner for the kingdom but risks becoming a major source of contagion if millions flock to Mecca’s religious sites.

Indonesia’s decision was a disappointment for some who have been on a pilgrimage waiting list for years.

“I knew this was a possibility, but now that it’s official I can’t help but be heartbroken — I’ve been waiting for

years,” 37-year-old civil servant Ria Taurisnawati told AFP as she sobbed.

“All my preparations were done, the clothes were ready and I got the necessary vaccination. But God has another plan,” she added.

Round Four: UK and EU back in the Brexit ring LONDON

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AGENCIES

RAde negotiators from Britain and the eU embark on a fourth round of post-Brexit negotiations Tuesday but no-one in London or Brussels expects a breakthrough. Instead, once the latest cross-Channel video conferences are over, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and eU chief Ursula von der Leyen will meet to decide how to proceed.

A “high-level” June meeting to take stock of the talks was already foreseen in the political declaration signed by both parties alongside the divorce accord.

But it may take on more urgency now, as talks between eU negotiator Michel Barnier and his UK counterpart david Frost have revealed stark differences in approach.

DEADLY PANDEMIC: Britain is not now expected to ask for any extension to the post-Brexit transition and so is on track to leave the single market and eU customs union on december 31.

If no trade deal is in place by then, experts predict severe disruption to businesses already reeling from a coronavirus pandemic that no-one expected when Britain voted to leave the union in June 2016. Barnier, the Brussels veteran and former French minister tasked by the remaining 27 eU members with negotiating an orderly Brexit, said last week that the talks would be telling.

“I expect that I will find out whether the United Kingdom wants to leave the single market at the end of this year with an agreement or without one,” he told German radio. Later, he told the British weekly The Sunday Times that he and Frost have a “joint responsibility” to head off disaster.

“If we don’t get an agreement then that will have even more consequences. And then of course those will be added to the already very serious consequences of the coronavirus crisis,” he said. But despite the urgency of the matter, there is still profound disagreement in how London and Brussels want to approach the search

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for new arrangements to oversee trade and cooperation.

‘INDEPENDENT STATE’: Barnier has been given the mandate to seek an ambitious overarching agreement to oversee a so-called “level playing field” in manufacturing, labour and environmental standards.

This would give British firms access to most — but not all — of the benefits of the single market, without exposing their european rivals to attempts to undercut standards. Frost and Johnson, however, say they only want a simple trade deal that would preserve UK sovereignty while allowing the vast majority of trade to remain tariff-free.

And, rather than placing this under the aegis of a

unique eU-UK pact, they want to pursue a series of deals in separate sectors such as trade, fisheries, aviation and energy. “We expect the round to be constructive and to keep the process on track ahead of the high-level meeting later this month,” a British spokesman said.

“However, as david set out to Parliament last week, it’s clear that the eU needs to evolve its position to reach an agreement,” he warned. Barnier has complained that Frost’s more aggressive “tone” in pushing the British case in an exchange of open letters last month could disrupt progress. And Brussels officials are annoyed that Britain has, in their eyes, backtracked on a written agreement to accept level-playing-field guarantees as part of a future trade deal.

But London insists the draft UK proposals meet these commitments and complains that the eU is refusing to offer the same kind of trade deal it signed with sovereign powers like Canada or Singapore. “A balanced solution is needed which reflects the political realities on both sides, and we will continue to make sure our position is understood,” the spokesman said. “We won’t agree to any eU demands for us to give up our rights as an independent state.” With the sides camped out in conflicting visions of the way ahead, few experts expect this week’s talks — specialist committees Tuesday to Thursday, then Frost and Barnier on Friday — to bear fruit.

LATE COMPROMISE: But with so much at stake, nobody expects the talks to break down irretrievably either.

“I don’t think much will happen in these talks,” said Anand Menon, academic and director of the think-tank UK in a Changing europe.

“Barnier and Frost are saying the same thing, a nodeal is perfectly plausible. At the same time, both sides would prefer to have a deal,” he said.

Neither does he expect Johnson and von der Leyen to achieve much by the end of the month.

“They will probably say that both sides are willing to continue talking,” he told AFP. “If we get a compromise it will come very late in the talks, in the autumn.”

Wednesday, 3 June, 2020

SPORTS 11

FOrMuLa One unveiLS eight-raCe SCheduLe in eurOpe FrOM JuLy 5 london

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Agencies

HE curtailed Formula One season will start with two races behind closed doors in Austria on July 5 and July 12 followed by six other grands prix in Europe, the organisers said on Tuesday.

Formula One said it hoped to have between 15 and 18 races in total, with the season being completed in December. The F1 season was thrown into chaos with the cancellation of the traditional curtain-raising Australian Grand Prix in March only hours before practice was due to begin as the coronavirus pandemic spread across the world.

Last week, the Austrian government sanctioned the season-opening double-

header at the Spielberg circuit after F1 organisers “presented a complete and professional plan” to combat the COVID-19 outbreak. The Hungarian Grand Prix will be brought forward to July 19 before a twoweek break, followed by consecutive races in Britain and events in Spain, Italy and Belgium. All will likely be run without spectators while participants must adhere to strict safety protocols.

Regular health tests will be conducted with the number of team members and race staff at the venue also reduced.

“While we currently expect the season to commence without fans at our races we hope that over the coming months the situation will allow us to welcome them back once it is safe to do,” said F1 chief executive Chase Carey. “But we know the return of

Werner’s Leipzig ‘back on course’ for Champions League with Cologne win BerLin: RB Leipzig returned to third place in the Bundesliga with an entertaining 4-2 victory at Cologne on Monday. Jhon Cordoba claimed the early advantage for the home side but Leipzig scored four in 37 minutes, including Timo Werner’s 31st in all competitions, to climb back above Borussia Moenchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen in the hunt for a Champions League place. “We wanted the three points, we succeeded. But it is annoying that we fell behind early and wasted a few chances,” Leipzig’s managing director Oliver Mintzlaff told broadcaster DAZN. “We are back on course for the Champions League which is our goal, but the pressure is great.

Everyone has to go all in, be totally focused and focused,” he added. The hosts’ boss Markus Gisdol made four changes from Wednesday’s loss at Hoffenheim, starting Rafael Czichos in place of suspended Sebastian Bournaauw, red carded in the defeat. Leipzig’s Julian Nagelsmann switched both his wingbacks from Wednesday’s draw to Hertha Berlin as Angelino, on loan from Manchester City, and French youth international Nordi Mukiele started. The home side took the early lead as Cordoba poached for his 10th home goal of the campaign. Midfielder Elvis Rexhbecaj’s effort deflected onto the far post and the Colombian finished from the rebound after seven minutes.

The sides were level 13 minutes later as Schick headed home Angelino’s cross to start the flutter of goals. Things went from bad to worse for Gisdol’s men four minutes later as Cordoba was forced off with an injury and replaced by Anthony Modeste. Agencies

Formula 1 will be a welcome boost to sports fans around the world.”

F1 managing director Ross Brawn last month said the Red Bull Ring circuit’s remote location made it a “logical” choice to stage the season’s first two races.

BLUeprinT To FoLLoW: With a local airport, the races can be held in an isolated environment, essential in the fight against the pandemic that has killed less than 700 people in Austria, and more than over 375,000 worldwide. “Red Bull have pulled out all the stops to get the Austrian Grand Prix up and running, in order to support a safe start to the Formula One season,” said team principal Christian Horner.

“It has been a huge effort by all involved and the two events at the Red Bull Ring will be a blueprint for all other races to follow.

He added: “With the first eight races of the calendar now confirmed we have some positive momentum. As a race team and racers, we are excited to get going again and put on a show for our fans.”

Silverstone will host two races in Britain on August 2 and 9, with the Spanish Grand Prix set for Barcelona on August 16. The Belgian and Italian Grands Prix will take place on their original dates of August 30 and September 6, completing the European part of the season. Each event will also include the Formula 2 and Formula 3 categories.

The blueprint for the rehashed season features further races in Asia and the Amer-

icas in September, October and November before finishing in the Gulf in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi in December.

The 2020 season was to have featured a record 22 races, now it is set to be the shortest campaign since 2009 with races in Australia, Monaco, France and the Netherlands cancelled. MotoGP is also expected to release an updated schedule shortly. The first 11 races of the season have been either postponed or cancelled due to the global health crisis. MotoGP organisers Dorna are awaiting Spanish government approval to start the truncated season with back-to-back races at the Jerez circuit in Spain on July 19 and 26.

FIFA calls for ‘common sense’ as German FA investigates Floyd protests

Berlin Agencies

FIFA has called on leagues to use “common sense” when deciding whether to discipline footballers for displaying political messages after several players in the German Bundesliga called for justice for George Floyd during matches.

“FIFA fully understands the depth of sentiment and concerns expressed by many footballers in light of the tragic circumstances of the George Floyd case,” world football’s governing body said in a statement on Tuesday.

After scoring in his team’s win at Paderborn on Sunday, Borussia Dort-

mund’s English winger Jadon Sancho lifted his shirt to reveal the message “Justice for George Floyd”. His team-mate Achraf Hakimi and Schalke’s American midfielder Weston McKennie expressed similar calls for justice, while Borussia Moenchengladbach’s French forward Marcus Thuram took a knee after scoring for his team in memory of Floyd. Floyd died last week after a white policeman in Minneapolis kneeled on the handcuffed man’s neck for several minutes. The incident has sparked days of violent protests across the United States.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB), the sport’s lawmakers, bans players from showing

“any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images”.

However, pointing to its own antiracism campaigns, FIFA intimated that no action should necessarily be taken against Sancho, Hakimi or McKennie.

“The application of the laws of the game approved by the IFAB is left for the competitions organisers which should use common sense and have in consideration the context surrounding the events,” FIFA said. The German Football Association (DFB) is investigating the players in line with IFAB’s laws, although president Fritz Keller said he understood their actions.

“If people are discriminated against because of the colour of their skin, it is unbearable,” said Keller. “If they die as a result of the colour of their skin, then I am deeply disturbed. The victims of racism need all of our solidarity.”

Sancho was booked after revealing the message to mark scoring against Paderborn, although the DFB has said the yellow card was actually because he lifted his shirt over his head.

“This is defined under rule number 12 as behaviour that is clearly against the rules and should be seen as independent of any political message,” said Lutz Michael Froehlich, head of the elite referees unit of the DFB. “For referees it is not possible to make a judgement during a match about political, religious or personal slogans, messages or pictures,” Froehlich added.

What future for sport and sponsors after the coronavirus lockdown?

Paris Agencies

Global sport is facing the “mother of all wake-up calls” as it emerges from the coronavirus lockdown, with uncertainty over what the landscape for participants and sponsors will look like.

Former head of Olympic marketing Michael Payne believes that although “it will be very painful pulling through it”, sport will nevertheless emerge “healthier and stronger”. While a leading advertising industry figure warns it will be “nip and tuck” for the organisers of the rearranged Euro 2021 football championships and the Tokyo Olympics, former Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has told AFP the ordinary fan will just be glad to have the diversion of live sport again.

Apart from a few exceptions — the sideshows of football in Belarus or racing in Hong Kong and Australia — sport has been at a standstill since mid-March as the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe, claiming more than 370,000 lives. Only now is it edging back to action.

Payne, who was widely credited with transforming the finances of the International Olympic Comittee through sponsorship, said such an unexpected crisis had caught sport woefully unprepared.

“Whether it’s international sports federations, football clubs or F1 teams, many were living way beyond their financial means,” he said in an interview with AFP. “Very few bodies or organisations had funds set aside for a rainy day. “This has been the mother of all wake-up

calls.” The 62-year-old Irishman says to learn lessons he always draws on the biggest crisis he experienced — the Olympic Salt Lake City scandal in 1999.

For three months he went to work wondering whether the IOC would see the day out.

“Top business leaders at the time told me a measure of leadership is how you take advantage of a crisis so ultimately you will come through stronger,” he said.

“It was very painful at the time but eventually I look back and say a lot of good came out of that.”

Payne says similar leadership — and tough and unpopular decisions — are required now.

“Major changes can and will need to be driven through that perhaps would not otherwise have been able to be pushed through if everyone was sitting in their comfort zone. “What might have been previously politically unacceptable could now be possible. Sport will be leaner and stronger for it.” Football clubs will need to rein in their spending as money from ticket sales “will take quite a while to come back”. “In the interim, clubs, event organisers and federations are going to require some serious financial engineering to manage the business,” he said. diSTAnCinG: Should spectators be allowed to attend events, one consequence of coronavirus is likely to be strict social-distancing measures being imposed if the Olympics and Euro 2020 take place next year.

Martin Sorrell, the British founder of advertising giant WPP, who sits on the IOC Communications Commission, says the Tokyo organisers are in a race against the clock.

“I think it will be nip and tuck because you have to

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plan it so far ahead, from now really, and make adjustments which is for something very complex.”

“Same thing for Euro 2021,” he added. “Will the organisers be right to play it behind closed doors or reduce audience participation?”

Terrence Burns, a former IOC marketing executive who since leaving his role has been pivotal in five successful Olympic bid city campaigns, says imposing restrictions on spectators would rob major events of “part of their mystique and appeal”. Burns is upbeat about the future for sponsors but expects them to choose projects more carefully.

“Sports will always be a major component of marketing and promotional strategy for brands because of its emotive efficacy,” he said. “Having said that, I expect the ‘sponsor universe’ not necessarily to shrink, but certainly to become more prudent and more exacting as it looks ahead where to spend its money.

“This means sports will have to work harder, in some cases re-invent themselves, to attract sponsorship dollars that in the past were more of a sure thing.”

FAnS deSperATe: Ecclestone, who ran F1 for decades, says the ordinary fan’s wish is rather simpler.

“At the moment what has the family to talk about but coronavirus?” he told AFP. “It is hardly very uplifting and something you want to discuss, but people do discuss how it is affecting them or the best way to avoid getting it.” While “none of us have a clue” about the science of the virus “people do have knowledgeable opinions on sport, who their favourite competitors are or who will win. “As soon as it returns in that respect, the better for people’s morale.”

Liverpool stars take a knee to show support for Black Lives Matter LiverpooL: Liverpool players showed their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement following the death of George Floyd in the United States by taking a knee around the centre circle at Anfield on Monday.

Reds stars including Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold tweeted the same photograph with the words “Unity is strength”, accompanied by the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. Made famous by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling during pre-game renditions of the US national anthem, bending down on one knee has become a symbol in the fight against racial injustice. Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford said he feared society was “more divided than ever” in the violent aftermath of Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. Rashford’s United teammate Paul Pogba said “violent acts of racism can no longer be tolerated.” The French World Cup winner posted on Instagram: “I can’t tolerate, I won’t tolerate, WE WON’T TOLERATE. Racism is ignorance, LOVE is intelligence.” Agencies

Sky Brown, 11, targets Olympic gold despite horror London: Eleven-year-old skateboarder Sky Brown is still targeting Olympic gold for Britain in Tokyo despite a horrific fall during training in the United States. Brown was rushed to hospital by helicopter after falling in training in California on Thursday. She was reportedly unresponsive on arrival at hospital, with her father Stewart saying there were fears for her life after she suffered a fractured skull, but she is now recovering and has posted a video on social media. “I don’t usually post my falls or talk about them because I want people to see the fun in what I do, but this was my worst fall and I just want everyone to know that I’m OK,” Brown said. “It’s OK to fall sometimes. I’m just going to get back up and push even harder. I know there’s a lot going on in the world right now and I want everyone to know that whatever we do we’ve got to do it with love and happiness.” In a message alongside the video, Brown added: “This was my worst fall yet. My helmet and arm saved my life. This will not stop me. I am going for gold in Tokyo 2021. Stay strong. Stay positive.” Skateboarding is making its Olympic debut in Tokyo. Brown is hoping to become Britain’s youngest summer Olympian in Japan, with the Games postponed until next summer because of the coronavirus pandemic. Agencies

wednesday, 3 June, 2020

newS

Cabinet approves poliCy for loCal manufaCturing of mobile phones ISLAMABAD

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GHULAM ABBAS

OLLOWING approval from the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), the federal cabinet on Tuesday gave a go-ahead to the first ever Mobile Device Manufacturing Policy (MDMP), paving way for local assembly and manufacturing of mobile phones.

The Engineering Development Board (EDB), an attached department of the Ministry of Industries and Production had prepared the draft policy to develop and promote mobile phone manufacturing in Pakistan as part of the Electronic Products Manufacturing Initiative (Make in Pakistan). The policy, which was prepared after consultations with local representatives of multinational manufacturers and their market players, was approved by the ECC last month.

The local mobile phone market is said to carry potential of 40 million handsets, which has become a practical possibility after the successful launch of Device Identification, Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS) which helped curb smuggling of mobile phones in the country.

Industry insiders have expressed skepticism over the results of the MDMP as they believe that EDB had performed

poorly in implementing other national policies such as the auto policy. It is worth noting that the most common criticism of EDB is its failure to ensure production of quality vehicles in the country.

Regardless of the criticism, the government’s new policy does have potential to give a boost to local production, as officials believe that it would lead to localisation/indigenisation of the mobile phones parts in a phased manner.

The prominent features of the policy are the removal of regulatory duty for completely knocked down (CKD) and semi knocked down (SKD) manufacturing by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) approved manufacturers under the Input/Output Co-Efficient Organisation (IOCO) approved important authorisation.

The policy also includes the removal of fixed income tax on CKD/SKD manufacturing of mobile devices up to $350, however, it increases fixed income tax on the $351-500 category by Rs2,000 and Rs6,300 on the $500 category. The cabinet also approved the removal of fixed sales tax on CKD/SKD manufacturing of mobile devices.

Under the new policy, the PTA will allow activation of handsets manufactured in a country under important authorisation of IOCO in CKD/SKD kit (8517.1211) and not under HS Code 8517.7000 i.e parts. This will eliminate misdeclaration

in parts category during imports.

Moreover, activation of completely built units (CBU) through notified routes after payment of all levied duties and taxes as fixed by the government from time to time would continue till further amendment.

For items in the category of $30 or below, words “except smartphones” would be inserted for CBU imports under 8517.1219 to avoid misdeclaration.

Under the new policy, research and development allowance of 3 per cent will be given to local manufacturers for exports of mobile devices. Besides, locally assembled or manufactured phones would be exempt from 4 per cent withholding tax on domestic sales.

It has been learnt that the government would maintain tariff differential between CBUs and CKDs/SKDs till the expiry of this policy.

The local industry would ensure localisation of parts and components as per the roadmap included in the draft policy and EBD will act as the secretariat of mobile phone manufacturing policy ad ensure development of allied parts, components and devices.

A total of 16 local companies are manufacturing mobile phone devices in the country, with features phones making up a major part of their production. However, they are now shifting towards new evolving technologies.

Sources told this scribe that 15 mobile phone assembly units were operating in the country – mainly in Punjab and Sindh, however, majority of them were producing analogue sets and only a limited number of smartphones.

A senior official of the EDB said that the inflow of top line smartphones in the country had discouraged local assembling. The official added that PTA’s stern action has curbed smuggling of mobile phones as non-compliant devices are non-functional in the country.

Local manufacturers have also expressed satisfaction on the approval of the mobile phone policy and are expecting investment in their sector.

The EDB official said that at least $8 million would be invested for setting up a small plant for manufacturing mobile phones. He said that since the taxes have been reduced under this policy, he expects to see huge investments in the sector. He said that they would publish the policy soon and its SRO would be issued before July 1.

Commenting on the approval of the policy, Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar congratulated his ministry’s team and acknowledged the support from the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom, PTA, Ministry of Planning, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the ECC.

roadside blast in northern afghanistan leaves seven dead KABUL AGENCIES

Seven civilians were killed by a roadside bomb linked to the Taliban in northern Afghanistan, officials said Tuesday, even as authorities pressed for peace talks with the militants. The blast struck a small truck carrying a group of labourers late Monday in the volatile district of Khan Abad, in the province of Kunduz. No group claimed responsibility, but Kunduz provincial spokesman Esmatullah Muradi pointed the finger at the Taliban. “The Taliban usually plant roadside bombs to target security forces, but their bombs usually kill civilians,” he told AFP. Two of six others wounded in the blast were in critical condition, said district chief Hayatullah Amiri. Earlier this year, a United Nations report said more than 10,000 people were killed or wounded in the war in 2019 alone. Overall violence across much of Afghanistan has dropped, however, since May 24 when the Taliban announced a surprise three-day ceasefire to mark the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday. Violence had surged after the Taliban signed a landmark agreement with the United States in February, which paves the way for the withdrawal of all foreign forces by May next year. President Ashraf Ghani had welcomed the Taliban ceasefire offer and authorities announced around 2,000 Taliban prisoners would be released in a “goodwill gesture” with a view to kickstarting peace talks.

Afghanistan´s former chief executive Abdullah Abdullah, who has been appointed to lead the talks, said his team was ready to begin negotiations “at any moment”. The Taliban have not said when talks might take place.

Five US police officers shot, wounded as protests turn violent WASHINGTON/MINNEAPOLIS AGENCIES

At least five US police officers were shot and wounded on Tuesday as protests against the death of a black man George Floyd in custody turn violent, police and media said.

President Donald Trump deepened outrage on Monday by posing at a church across from the White House clutching a Bible after law enforcement officers used teargas and rubber bullets to clear protesters.

The US Secret Service, charged with protecting the president, on Tuesday closed down until further notice the streets around the White House, media reports said.

Demonstrators set fire to a strip mall in Los Angeles, looted stores in New York City and clashed with police in St Louis, Missouri, where four officers were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

An emotional St. Louis police commissioner, John Hayden, said about 200 protesters were looting and hurling fireworks and rocks at officers.

“They had officers with gas poured on them. What is going on? How can this be?

Mr Floyd was killed somewhere else and they are tearing up cities all across the coun-

try,” he told reporters.

A police officer was shot during protests in Las Vegas, police there said in a statement. Another officer was “involved in a shooting” in the same area, the police said.

Officers were injured in clashes elsewhere, including one who was in critical condition after being hit by a car in the Bronx, police

said.

Trump, a Republican, has condemned the killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American who died after a white policeman pinned his neck under a knee for nearly nine minutes in Minneapolis on May 25, and has promised justice.

But, with marches and rallies for racial

equality and against police brutality having turned violent late each day in the last week, he said rightful protests could not be drowned out by an “angry mob.”

“If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them,” Trump said.

Floyd’s death has reignited simmering racial tensions in a politically divided country that has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with African Americans accounting for a disproportionately high number of cases.

Democratic Illinois Governor JB Pritzker on Tuesday urged patience, saying Americans could work through these tough issues. He pledged to take legal action if Trump carried out his military threat.

“We can bring down the temperature, but not when the president … is standing up calling for troops, and law and order, and domination,” he told MSNBC. “We will fight him, and we will take it to federal court.”

Washington DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser, in a separate MSNBC interview on Tuesday, said there were no signs of active duty US

military in the city overnight.

CRITICISM OF CHURCH VISIT: After his address, Trump posed for pictures with his daughter, Ivanka, and US Attorney General William Barr at St. John’s Episcopal Church near the White House.

The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church diocese in Washington DC, Michael Curry, was among those who criticized Trump’s use of the historic church for a photo opportunity.

“In so doing, he used a church building and the Holy Bible for partisan political purposes,” he said on Twitter. The church suffered minor fire damage during protests on Sunday night.

On Tuesday, Trump was scheduled to visit the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington.

In New York, television images showed crowds smashing windows and looting luxury stores along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan before the city’s 11 pm curfew. Mayor Bill de Blasio said the curfew would be moved to 8 p.m. on Tuesday.

In Hollywood, dozens of people were shown in television images looting a drug store. Windows were shattered at a nearby Starbucks and two restaurants.

Virus deaths reach 375,000 as Latin America struggles SAO PAULO AGENCIES

The global death toll from the coronavirus topped 375,000 on Tuesday as the disease continued to tear through Latin America, but in Europe the return to normality gathered pace with the French heading back to their beloved cafes and restaurants.

Healthcare systems across Latin America risk being overwhelmed by the illness, the World Health Organization said, as fatalities from the disease in hard-hit Brazil neared 30,000.

The warning from the global health body came as a sister UN agency issued new guidelines for pandemic-hit airlines that reveal what flying might look like when passenger planes take to the skies again in earnest.

The march of the illness across the Americas comes as other parts of the world return to relative normality after weeks of restrictions on daily life that have wrecked economies and left millions jobless.

Schools, swimming pools, pubs and tourist sites have begun to open again in Europe as the continent continues easing lockdowns despite the threat of a second wave of infections.

The pandemic has now infected at least 6.2 million since erupting in China in late 2019.

Four of the 10 countries across the globe with the greatest number of new coronavirus infections on Monday were in Latin America, WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan said.

Brazil, Peru, Chile and Mexico are suffering the highest daily increases, but numbers are also on the rise in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia and Haiti.

The region has logged one million cases and recorded more than 50,000 deaths, with Brazil accounting for more than half of those cases and close to 60 percent of the fatalities.

The mayor of Rio de Janeiro said Monday, however, that the popular tourist city would start gradually easing lockdown measures from Tuesday, beginning with the re-opening of places of worship, and water sports.

Mexico also began re-opening on Monday, reactivating the automotive industry, mining and construction even as the country recorded more than 10,000 virus deaths.

Ryan warned that the region faces a tough battle in the weeks ahead.

“I don’t believe we have reached the

peak in that transmission and, at this point, I cannot predict when we will,” he said.

LIGHT AT THE END: In Europe however, countries have started to emerge from lockdowns — cautiously adopting a post-pan-

demic version of normal.

Bars resumed service in Finland and Norway — with social distancing restrictions or shortened hours in place — while some schools in Britain and Greece opened

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

their doors.

Britain reported 111 more virus deaths on Monday, the lowest daily toll since its lockdown started on March 23.

London’s Camden Market cautiously opened for the first time in 10 weeks, with stallholders excited to welcome customers.

“We are starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel,” said Mario Warner, owner of a nearby clothing store that has been given the green light to open in two weeks.

Greece opened some hotels, schools, pools and tattoo parlours, while Italy reopened the Colosseum, although only to Italians. There was also good news from Spain, which on Monday recorded its first 24-hour period without a COVID-19 death since March 3.

France registered 31 deaths over the last 24 hours and on Tuesday re-opened cafes, restaurants and bistros that have been closed since its lockdown began in mid-March.

“Optimism reigns today,” said Herve Becam of the country’s UMIH hospitality union.

The unshackling of eateries came as finance minister Bruno Le Maire said the French economy is set to shrink 11 percent this year, a contraction he called a “brutal” shock.