Epaper – May 19 KHI 2020

CMYK

Tuesday, 19 May, 2020 I 25 Ramzan-ul-Mubarak, 1441 I Rs 15.00 I Vol X No 321 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition

shoPPing malls, markets to remain oPen seven days a week g

SC queSTIonS ‘LoGIC’ beHInD keePInG SHoPPInG MALLS CLoSeD WHen GovT HAS ALLoWeD MARkeTS To ReoPen

ISLAMABAD STaFF rePOrT

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S Pakistan’s death toll crossed 900 and the number of infections rose to 43,000 on Monday, the Supreme Court (SC) has directed the federal government to reopen shopping malls across the country, questioning the “logic” behind keeping the malls closed when the government has already allowed markets to reopen after easing of the lockdown restrictions imposed in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. on Monday, a five-member bench of the apex court, comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed, Justice umar Ata bandial, Justice Mazhar Alam khan Miankhel, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed, took up the suo motu case of the coronavirus crisis.

CJP Gulzar also directed the authori-

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CJP CRITICISeS nDMA oveR exPenDITuRe on CovID-19 MeASuReS, SAYS ‘bILLIonS oF RuPeeS ARe beInG SPenT on TIn CHARPoYS’

ties to allow markets to remain open on Saturday and Sunday, as opposed to the current system in which markets are only open four days a week.

“Coronavirus does not go anywhere on Saturday and Sunday,” he remarked, adding: “What is the reason behind keeping markets closed on Saturday and Sunday?”

The court’s order issued after the hearing stated that the move to keep the markets closed for two days was a “violation of Articles 4, 18 and 25 of the Constitution” and was not “justifiable”.

“We do not find any justifiable rational or reasonable classification on the basis of which these two days are excluded from doing business, for that, all days of the week are the same. It is for the convenience of the human beings that the days have been given names, otherwise, there is no distinction between other days of the week from Saturday and Sunday.”

The order “declared [the decision] to

Coronavirus in

Pakistan

be illegal and accordingly set aside”.

The order went on to say: “We are not suggesting by any means that the governments should not attend to coronavirus but we expect that the governments should not put all its resources for this one disease, nor the country should be made all together dysfunctional, because of this disease, for its consequences will be highly detrimental to the people of Pakistan, and the federal government and all provincial governments should address itself on this point.”

“We find no reason why so much money is being spent on this Coronavirus (Covid-19), for that, Pakistan is not the country which is seriously affected by it. There are other serious ailments prevailing in the country, from which people are dying daily and those ailments are not being catered and the Coronavirus (CovID-19), which apparently is not a pandemic in Pakistan, is swallowing so huge money.

“The Secretary, Ministry of Health has stated that over the years in the ICT almost one thousand people die only on account of pollen allergy. besides, we note that thousands of people die on account of brain haemorrhage, cardiac failure, Hepatitis, Dengue, kidney failure, liver failure, pulmonary and other related ailments and all these deaths goes in hundreds of thousands every year,” the order stated.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05

Govt says economy being reopened with strict adherence to SOPs STORY ON PAGE 03

Govt projects -0.38pc GDP growth in FY20 g

PAkISTAn To WITneSS neGATIve GDP GRoWTH AFTeR 68 YeARS ISLAMABAD Ghulam abbaS

The national Accounts Committee (nAC) has estimated the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate at -0.38pc for the current financial year (FY20).

During the 102nd nAC meeting, which was chaired by Planning Secretary Zafar Hasan, it was formed that the provisional GDP growth for the year 2019-20 has been estimated at -0.38pc, based upon growth estimates of agricultural, industrial and services sectors.

“The provisional estimates of the GDP and Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) for the year 2019-20 were presented on the basis of latest data of 6-9 months, which were annualized by incorporating the impact of Covid-19 for the final quarter,” said a statement issued on Monday. “The smart lockdown policy adopted by the government minimised the impact on economic growth compared to compete lockdown situation.”

It may be noted that following the outbreak of coronavirus in the country, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World bank, finance ministry

Flour millers to continue strike as dialogue with govt remains inconclusive

CONFIRMED CASES:

43,286

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

SINDH:

PUNJAB:

11,922 17,241

924

15,346

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

AJK/GB:

ISLAMABAD:

6,230 112/540

2,820 997

CONTINUED ON PAGE 05 fiqah-e-hanfia

lahore sehr: 3:29 aM iftar: 6:56 PM

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karachi sehr: 4:19 aM iftar: 7:12 PM

fiqah-e-jafaria

LAHORE

lahore sehr: 3:19 aM iftar: 7:06 PM

Shahab Omer

The negotiations between the government and flour mills association on wheat price failed and the latter have decided not to end the ongoing strike, Pakistan Today learnt on Monday.

According to details, the Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA) had increased the price of flour. The government had asked the millers to reduce the price but on the contrary they went on strike.

According to the PFMA Punjab, the Punjab food department and the district administration are continuously raiding the mills due to which they have gone on strike.

Sources in the food department informed this scribe that a dialogue held between the association and the government remained inconclusive. However during the meeting the Secretary Food agreed with the demands that the district administration would not interfere in the flour mills, they added.

The official also agreed that there would be open supply of wheat in the province and mills could buy wheat from open market but there was a dead-

and the State bank of Pakistan had predicted up to -1.5pc economic growth for the current fiscal year.

The nAC was informed that the agriculture sector grew by 2.67pc; growth of important crops during this year was 2.90pc. This increase was due to an uptick in the production of wheat, rice and maize at 2.45pc, 2.89pc and 6.01pc, respectively. However, cotton, and sugarcane crops witnessed a negative growth of 6.92pc and 0.44pc, respectively. other crops (onion, potato, vegetables etc.) showed a positive growth of 4.57pc mainly due to an increase in the production of pulses, oil seeds and vegetables.

Similarly, the livestock sector registered a growth of 2.58pc owing to a lower in demand for dairy and poultry post coronavirus. The sector was earlier projected to register record gains.

Forestry grew 2.29pc due to an increase in the production of timber.

Meanwhile, the country’s industrial sector witnessed a negative growth of 2.64pc mainly because of the imposition of corona-related lockdown.

islaMabad sehr: 3:16 aM iftar: 7:16 PM

karachi sehr: 4:09 aM iftar: 7:22 PM

more inside

Citizen injured as India again violates LoC ceasefire lock on the wheat and flour prices, sources maintained.

Sources further informed that the provincial food department had only procured 3.7 million tonnes of wheat, whereas the target was 4.8 million tonnes.

They claimed that if the targets of procurement were not achieved the Punjab government would be forced to procure one million tonnes of flour to ensure food security.

PFMA Punjab chapter chairman Rauf Mukhtar said the government had allowed to keep wheat in the mills for 72 hours for grinding, but the food department violated and raided mills against wheat stored there.

“The food department and

CMYK

the government have miserably failed to procure required wheat and now they are forcefully taking away the wheat from the mills,” he lamented.

The food department has also imposed a ban on the procurement of wheat from the open markets and we have shut down the mills. In case there is a wheat crisis in future then the government would be responsible for it,” Mukhtar made it clear.

When millers are not getting wheat at a cheaper rate how could they sell flour at reduced price, he questioned?

It is pertinent to mention here that 930 flour mills across Punjab including 67 in Lahore are closed and are on strike.

STORY ON PAGE 02

Govt likely to outsource three major airports STORY ON PAGE 09

Sugar inquiry commission seeks more time to submit report STORY ON BACK PAGE

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Tuesday, 19 May, 2020

News

Dr IShrAt unveIlS govt'S economIc revIvAl PlAn In wAKe oF covID-19 ISLAMABAD

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Dr Ishrat Hussain said the largest cash grant in the history of Pakistan, targeting 16 million household across the country, was being provided to the most vulnerable groups in the wake of the pandemic.

Almost eight million people living below the poverty line had already been facilitated, whereas four million more households, which were feared to slip into the category, besides four million others that had lost the employment during the crisis, would also be provided the cash grant, he added.

"The SMEs are being provided relief through several measures, including the arrangement of subsidies on the loans by the government," he said, adding that the measures were also being taken to revive the agriculture sector.

It was being done through supporting the small farmers and Rs56 billion was being allocated to provide subsidies on agricultural inputs, including seeds and fertilizers, he stated. Dr Ishrat said the jobs creation was another key consideration of

APP

DVISER to Prime Minister on Institutional Reforms and Austerity Dr Ishrat Hussain said on Monday that the government had devised a well-crafted strategy in the wake of Covid-19, enabling the most vulnerable segments of the society to absorb the economic shocks and supporting the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to tackle disruption in economic activities.

He was delivering a keynote speech at an online dialogue "Managing Economy in the aftermath of COVID-19: A keynote session with Dr Ishrat Hussain, Adviser to Prime Minister on Institutional Reforms and Austerity", organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI).

National and international experts on economy, diplomats, academicians and the development experts participated in the webinar, an SDPI press release said.

FDI rises 32pc in April

the government to respond to the growing unemployment which was resulted in the aftermath of coronavirus.

"Therefore, keeping in view the potential of construction sector in the creation of employment opportunities, subsidies and incentives were being announced for the important sector of the economy."

The adviser said a number of measures were in the offing for the performance evaluation of civil servants under the institutional reforms.

"These reforms are directed towards the aspects of induction, recruitment, training, performance management, career planning, promotion, compensation, early retirement and finally retirement," he stated. "It would now be mandatory for the Grade-19 and above officers to produce at least two research papers in their relevant fields for their promotion in the next grade."

He informed the cabinet had already approved the institutional reforms plan, which would be implemented in next promotions.

The e-governance initiatives, he added, were introduced even before the outbreak of the pandemic and would be strengthened further now as an ongoing process.

Regarding microfinance banking institutions, he said they were regulated by the State Bank while the others were regulated by the Security Exchange Commission of Pakistan.

He recommended that the regulatory framework of microfinance institutions should come under the central bank.

SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri earlier said that in the time of uncertainty about the future at every level, it was important for the people to know about the measures and policies being worked upon by the government to meet the challenges posed by COVID-19.

He opined, "Keeping a balance between the lives and livelihoods would be important for the government while responding in the existing crisis. Therefore, it is important for all the stakeholders to remain updated on

Citizen injured as India again violates LoC ceasefire

KARACHI

ISLAMABAD

MEIRYUM ALI

STAFF REPORT

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Pakistan rose 32pc to $133 million in April 2020, compared to $101 million in April last year, according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday. During the first ten months of fiscal year 2020, overall foreign direct investment increased 127pc year-on-year to $2,281million. For comparison, during the same ten-month period a year ago, FDI in the country stood at $1,006 million. April’s FDI figure is considerably lower than the preceding two months’ figures: March’s FDI figure stood at $279 million, or a 92pc increase year-onyear, while February’s FDI figure stood at $289 million or a 151pc increase year-onyear. February’s figure was notable for being the largest percentage increase since October 2017. In fact, April’s figure is an outlier when compared to other months in fiscal year 2020. In particular, monthly FDI has been consistently above the $200 million mark in the preceding four months. One notable month was December 2019, where FDI increased to $487 million, against $319.5 million recorded during the same month in 2019. Country-wide data released by the central bank shows that China remained the largest investor, with net FDI of $878 million during the ten-month period, compared with the net investment of only $45 million during the same period last year.

The second-largest investor was Norway, with a net FDI of $289 million, compared with $12 million during the same period the year before. The highest amount of FDI during the nine-month period was in the power sector, at $776 million. The second highest was communications, at $510 million, followed by the oil and gas sector, at $257 million.

A civilian was injured after Indian troops resorted to unprovoked firing in Khuriatta sector along the Line of Control (LoC), the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Monday. “Indian Army troops resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation in Khuiratta Sector along #LOC. Due to indiscriminate fire of automatics at a house in Jijot village, an innocent citizen sustained serious injuries.”

The statement added that the injured civilian had been evacuated to a nearby health facility for medical treatment.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office (FO) summoned a senior Indian diplomat to register Pakistan’s protest against the ceasefire violation. According to FO Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui, 37-year-old Muhammad Shafi, resident of Jijot village, sustained serious injuries as a result of indiscriminate Indian firing.

FO SUMMONS INDIAN DIPLOMAT OVER LOC CEASEFIRE VIOLATION The Indian forces along the LoC and the Working Boundary have continuously been targeting civilian populated areas with artillery fire, heavy-caliber mortars and automatic weapons. In five months into 2020, India has so far committed 1081 ceasefire violations.

Condemning the targeting of civilians by the Indian forces, Farooqui underscored that such acts are in clear violation of the 2003 ceasefire understanding and are also against all established humanitarian norms and professional military conduct. She said these egregious violations of international law reflect consistent Indian attempts to escalate the situation along the de facto and are a threat to regional peace and security.

HRCP demands NCHR revival LAHORE STAFF REPORT

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed their disappointed in the government’s lack of interest in reviving the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR).

"NCHR has been dysfunctional since its chairperson’s term expired exactly one year ago. Neither the chairperson nor other members of the commission have been given extensions, and no replacements have been instituted either," it said in a statement issued here on Monday.

HRCP said that as a statutory body, the NCHR was mandated to play a key role in ensuring that Pakistan upholds the human rights commitments it had made to its citizens as enshrined in the constitution.

The NCHR is also responsible for monitoring the government’s compliance with the international obligations to

which Pakistan is a state party, it said.

HRCP believed that such long delays in reviving institutions such as the NCHR and the National Commission on the Status of Women—also defunct for several months—reflect the government’s misplaced priorities when it comes to setting up independent institutional human rights mechanisms in line with the Paris Principles.

HRCP demanded that the NCHR be revived immediately. “The National Commission on the Rights of the Child—notified this February—must also be activated as a matter of urgency,” the statement added.

“Moreover, the National Commission for Minorities, which was established recently through an executive order, should be dissolved and steps taken promptly to enact the formation of the independent National Council for Minorities’ Rights envisioned by the 2014 Supreme Court (Jillani) judgement,” HRCP concluded.

Govt committed to resolving media industry’s problems, Faraz assures CPNE ISLAMABAD APP

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz on Monday said that the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) government firmly believed in the fundamental right of freedom of expression and was committed to resolving the issues faced by the journalists and media workers.

Speaking during a meeting with officebearers of the Council of Pakistan Newspapers Editors (CPNE) through video-link on Monday, he said that the payment of outstanding dues to the media houses was being started today, which would provide relief to the media industry and workers.

The payment of dues would be linked to the payment of salaries to the journalists and media workers by the media houses, he added.

Faraz said that the government was planning to evolve a mechanism so that the media workers should not face such problems in future with timely payment of their dues. The quota of government advertisements for regional newspapers was imperative as many eminent journalists had emerged from small newspapers, he added.

The information minister said that transparency would be ensured in the affairs of Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC). He also assured that the problems of news agencies would be resolved.

He said that another meeting with the CPNE would be held after Eidul Fitr to decide the matters with consensus. During the meeting, the CPNE delegation briefed the information minister on the issues related to the media industry.

Secretary Information and Broadcasting Akbar Durrani and Principal Information Officer Shaheera Shahid also

attended the meeting.

The video conference was attended among others by CPNE President Arif

CMYK

Nizami, Secretary General Dr Jabbar Khattak and Vice Presidents Ikram Sehgal and SK Niazi.

various policy initiatives being taken by the government to overcome the challenges."

While responding to a question, Dr Ishrat Hussain said the existing taxpayers would not be burdened further to reduce the revenue shortfall and the focus would be on bringing new potential ones into the tax net.

To another question on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), he said, "We have to watch the situation as it emerges.

Since the United Nations will have to take decision and revisit the SDGs, for instance climate and environment related SDGs could be achieved quicker now due to less emissions while generating employment will take long time."

Shaikh says govt won’t introduce new taxes in budget ISLAMABAD APP

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Economic Affairs Abdul Hafeez Shaikh on Monday said that the government would not introduce any new tax in the coming budget. Talking to a private news channel, he said that the government would have to do work hard in coming days to reduce the budget deficit to nine per cent. He said that the negative impact of coronavirus was also affecting the national economy like other countries, adding that the government was trying to reduce its expenditures by adopting austerity measures. The adviser said that the present government had inherited budget deficit of $20 billion, which had been reduced to $3 billion through government’s prudent policies. He said that basic objective of the government was to provide relief to the people in the next budget, adding that duties would be decreased on many things. He said that due to hectic efforts of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), reserves had increased 12 billion dollars but unfortunately foreign remittances were decreased by six per cent due to the coronavirus pandemic. “In the 72 years’ history of the country, we failed to enhance exports of the country,” he added. Responding to a question, he said that the government would give a package in upcoming budget to those sectors that economic activities and generate employment opportunities for the people in the country. He said that the government was trying to give cash economic aid to the people through the physical stimulus package, adding that Rs12,000 per person was being distributed among the unemployed people under the Ehsaas Programme. To another query, he said that the government would try to maintain petroleum prices at a certain level.

KP reallocates funds of 64 uplift projects PESHAWAR AZIZ BUNERI

Uplift funds of as many as 64 development projects which were to be completed during the current fiscal year have been redistributed to other departments in violation of rules and regulations by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government. The provincial Planning and Development (P&D) department has raised an objection and sought clarification from the concerned departments in this regard. According to the details, 64 projects of 11 administrative departments were scheduled to be completed this year. However, more than Rs1.5 billion allocated funds have been transferred to other departments. According to the KP Finance Department, the projects from which funds were redistributed, include 24 road construction projects, 10 projects in primary and secondary education, six for clean water supply, four for higher education, four for religious endowments and minority affairs, three each for clean water supply and sanitation, one each for agriculture, energy, social welfare and sports and culture, while two each for construction, minerals, food, law, municipalities and multi-sector development.

Tuesday, 19 May, 2020

News

govt SAyS economy BeIng reoPeneD wIth StrIct ADherence to SoPS FARAZ WARNS LOCKDOWN COULD BE RE-IMPOSED IF PEOPLE DON’T SHOW SELF-DISCIPLINE ISLAMABAD

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APP

INISTER for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz on Monday said that the Pakistan Railways, industries, small businesses and shopping malls had been allowed to resume their activities with strict adherence to the standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Addressing a press conference, he welcomed the Supreme Court’s (SC) directives for opening of markets and shopping malls in the suo motu case on coronavirus outbreak, which had vindicated Prime Minister Imran Khan’s stance of simultaneously fighting the pandemic and saving the vulnerable segments of the society from hunger and starvation.

The government was maintaining a balance between economic activities and preventive measures against the coronavirus pandemic, the minister added.

Faraz appealed to the opposition parties not to indulge in political point scoring on

the coronavirus as national unity and cohesion was needed to defeat the contagion.

He said that resumption of the train operations had been allowed from May 20, with Railway Divisional Headquarters bearing the responsibility for implementation of SOPs. Similarly, he said, the industrial sector had also been allowed to operate for facilitation of the business class, however, the industrialists would have to ensure implementation of the preventive measures against the coronavirus.

The industries would be allowed to run even during the Eidul Fitr holidays, he added.

The minister said that a long lockdown was not in the interest of the country as the daily-wage earners could not afford restrictions, however, following precautionary measures was vital to tackle the challenge of coronavirus as well.

He said that the production of protective equipment against the coronavirus had been started in Pakistan and the surplus products would be exported as well.

He asked the masses to ensure social distancing in shopping malls and markets.

The minister said PM Imran had formally

LAHORE: Women shop at a local market without adhering to Covid-19 SOPs. ZUBAIR MAhFOOZ

launched the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme for those rendered jobless due to the coronavirus outbreak. Despite limited resources, the government was taking all possible steps to provide relief to the poor segments of society, he added.

He said that as per the vision of prime minister, there was need to speed up the reforms process in the health sector and the coronavirus pandemic had showed that it

should be carried out on urgent basis.

Replying to the questions of media persons, the minister said that easing the lockdown was aimed at facilitating the people, particularly the weak segments of the society, to earn their livelihood and it was everyone’s responsibility to make it successful.

He warned that restrictions could be reimposed if the public did not adopt self-discipline despite undergoing the painful

Railways to resume passenger trains from 20th: Rasheed ISLAMABAD APP

274 students stranded in wuhan return to Pakistan ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) special flight on Monday brought back students trapped in Wuhan, China due to the coronavirus pandemic to Pakistan. The 274 students have since been put under quarantine for 48 hours. According to details, the returning students were medically examined thrice by the Chinese authorities and 16 students who showed symptoms of fever were off-loaded from the flight. On arriving in Islamabad, the students were re-examined and tested by a medical team at the airport. Even before the flight, all students were checked for fever inside the plane. The returning students have been shifted to two hotels and a quarantine center at Katas College Chakwal for a period of 48 hours. Meanwhile, another special PIA flight carrying Pakistanis stranded in the United States has returned as well. PIA flight PK-8712 brought back 250 passengers to Lahore from the US. STAFF REPORT

Deadlock persists between Balochistan govt and transporters QUETTA: The Balochistan government and transporters failed on Monday to reach an agreement on SOPs for the resumption of public transport in the province. Transporters refused to reduce fares and the number of passengers at the same time. They said the ongoing lockdown has already aggravated their financial woes. On the other hand, the provincial government insists on reduction of fares in accordance with the drop in prices of petroleum products. The government has empowered the commissioners to formulate the SOPs for the resumption of transport. However, the two sides are yet to reach a consensus in this regard. STAFF REPORT

Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed on Monday announced resuming of 15 up and 15 down passenger trains from May 20 to May 31 to facilitate masses on Eidul Fitr with a new timetable.

Addressing a press conference in the federal capital, the minister expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Imran Khan for restoration of passenger train operations in the country.

“No one will be allowed to enter the railway stations without a ticket. Around 7,000 railway police officials have been deployed at the stations in all divisions to ensure only passengers can enter and an emergency would be imposed during the train operation,” he said.

“If there is a violation of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) in any division, the divisional superintendents will be held responsible and stern action will be taken against them,” he added.

Rasheed said that a rehearsal had been scheduled at all trains and stations on May 19 (Tuesday), adding that if the position regarding coronavirus would remain stable in the month of May, all the train services would be restored across the country from June 1.

“I am grateful to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Chairman Lieutenant General Muhammad Afzal, Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar and Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and

Revenue Hafeez Sheikh for their support regarding financial issues of Pakistan Railways,” he remarked.

The minister said that he would visit Peshawar on Tuesday to review the measures taken by the respective division, while day after tomorrow he would see off the Green Line.

Rasheed said that he would also review the situation of other passenger trains and railway stations as well to ensure that SOPs and other safety measures were being adopted completely.

He paid tribute to paramedical staff of the country and Pakistan Railways’ employees for their services during the pandemic. The minister also lauded the role of Supreme Court (SC) for its directions to open public transport which also helped Pakistan Railways easy to restore its operation on the Eidul Fitr.

The minister said that Pakistan Railways connects all provinces, “I do not have any conflict with provinces and I appreciate all provincial governments for their support in the regard,” he added.

The minister said nobody was hatching conspiracy against the government and hoped that the incumbent government would complete its tenure.

He said that those, who were hatching conspiracy against the government, had been blacklisted and soon would see their names on the Exit Control List (ECL).

“I am not seeing any amendment in ordinance of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and I will never support it,” he stated.

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experience previously.

Regarding massive increase in the prices of essential items during the holy month of Ramzan, he expressed disappointment that it had become a tradition in Pakistan to maximise profits, which was not the case in other countries, it was a serious issue.

The government, he said, had ensured uninterrupted supply of the daily use commodities, and moreover, inflation and interest rates had also been already brought down. The business community should cooperate and give relief to the people by taking advantage of the two factors, he emphasised.

About the Sindh government, the minister noted that the provincial government had done too much politics despite having its representation in the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), where no unilateral decisions had ever been made. Despite endorsing the decisions at the NCOC, the Sindh chief minister played politics, he said referring to the apex court’s decisions on that count in support of his statement.

About non-payment of salaries by many companies and institutions, he said that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) had offered loans on minimal interest rate of 3 per cent to such entities to clear such payments. Despite its limited resources, he pointed out, the government had devised a strategy to support the vulnerable segments of the society, he added.

The minister called on the opposition not to spread uncertainty, confusion and anxiety through holding news conferences at the critical juncture when the government and the nation were fighting the challenge of the virus.

He said that there would be acceleration in the distribution of cash among the deserving in the coming days under the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme and other initiatives.

AnP leader ghulam Ahmed Bilour tests positive for covid-19 PESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP) leader Ghulam Ahmed Bilour has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, it emerged on Monday. He is 81 years old.

According to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lawmaker Samar Bilour, the former minister was unwell for the past two days and was tested after showing symptoms. She added that the former minister was feeling better now and has been quarantined at his house. Bilour’s family is considering shifting him to a private hospital. STAFF REPORT

over 140 prisoners infected with covid-19 Over 140 prisoners have tested positive for coronavirus to date in Pakistan, according to the Justice Project Pakistan (JPP). As per the not-for-profit organisation, which keeps a tally of prisoners infected in the country, majority of the inmates who have contracted the virus are in Lahore, 59, followed by Karachi, 40. The JPP also warned that after 40 prisoners tested positive for the deadly virus in Karachi, the city’s central jail could soon become the “new flash point” for the disease. “Urgent mitigating steps need to be taken to prevent its further spread in the facility which is already grossly overcrowded,” the organisation tweeted. The Karachi Central Prison houses 3,527 inmates, while it only has the capacity of 2,400. NEWS DESK

SC order for reopening malls, markets draws mixed reaction NEWS DESK The Supreme Court’s (SC) order for reopening shopping malls and markets across the country amid the coronavirus pandemic received mixed reactions from people as well as politicians.

The top court bench, in its written order, said that it was “not at all satisfied” by the report presented by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), saying that it could “find no reason why so much money is being spent on this coronavirus”.

“There are other serious ailments prevailing in the country, from which people are dying daily and those ailments

are not being catered and the coronavirus, which apparently is not a pandemic in Pakistan, is swallowing huge money,” the court order read.

Hours after the written order was issued, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari took to Twitter to express his views on the court’s decision.

“Hoping sanity prevails in the highest court of our land. I don’t want to believe that the superior judiciary would pass any judgment endangering the health and lives of the people of Pakistan,” he said. “I’m sure all honourable judges will give judgements based on facts & medical realities.”

In another tweet, he asked whether we

are “doing all we can to support our heroes?”, referring to medics.

Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry expressed serious concerns over the government’s decision of prematurely lifting the coronavirus lockdown, saying the Covid-19 cases will peak in Pakistan by mid-June.

The minister, through his official Twitter handle, said that a committee comprising experts at the Ministry of Science and Technology have stressed upon three points related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said the experts have forecast the Covid-19 cases would peak by mid-June and with that, they have rejected the theory of “herd-immunity”, claiming that it could

be too dangerous and risky for the nation.

Experts also believe, he added, that coronavirus is not just a flu but far more complicated than that.

Fawad further that lockdown should not be lifted without prior safety precautions. The only way forward is Prime Minister Imran Khan’s idea of smart lockdown, he maintained.

Najam Ali, another Twitter user wrote, “To be fair to the SC, if govt could not enforce lockdown and all kind of activities were already happening then what was the rationale of keeping shopping malls closed? We do understand that judicial overreach must be resisted but the govt was itself to blame for this confusion.”

Tuesday, 19 May, 2020

04 KARACHI

WEATHER UPDATES TUESDAY

400C

270C

WEDNESDAY

390C

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THURSDAY

370C

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PRAyER TimingS FAJR SUNRISE

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ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

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Shopping mallS to open in Sindh in line with SC’S orderS, SayS govt KARACHI

S

STAFF REPORT

INDH Education Minister Saeed Ghani said on Monday that shopping malls and markets in the province will open after the Supreme Court said it found “no valid reason” for them to continue being closed and directed that they be opened.

Speaking to a private news channel, he said that he was not aware if the Sindh government had contacted the health ministry regarding this. “But since it’s in the SC’s orders, we will open shopping malls and markets, we have no other option.”

Earlier in the day, Chief Justice of Pakistan

Gulzar Ahmed issued directions to reopen shopping malls across the country. During a hearing of the suo motu proceedings regarding measures taken to deal with the coronavirus crisis, Justice Ahmed had questioned the “logic” behind keeping malls closed.

Talking to the channel, Ghani clarified that the decision to close shopping malls and plazas in an effort to curb the spread of the virus was not taken by the Sindh government. The Centre had presented a proposal for closing shopping malls, plazas and large markets during a meeting of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on May 6, he said.

“In a National Coordination Committee (NCC) meeting on May 7, the same proposal

Sindh’S traderS vow to open ShopS after negotiationS with govt failS

was presented. This was an NCC decision for all four provinces which the Sindh government implemented,” he said. He added that even though the Sindh government had formulated standard operating procedures (SOPs) to curb the spread of the virus for opening small markets, people were still flouting rules and putting peoples’ lives at risk.

“You can see what is happening in markets, people are being careless and putting others’ lives at risk. We sealed some markets because they are not implementing SOPs. However, we opened them once again after they assured us that they would follow our directives.”

Ghani added that all the steps taken by authorities to curb the spread of the virus —

that the provincial government will impose restrictions in the space afforded to them under the apex court’s orders.

All the decisions taken by the Sindh government were made in consultation with doctors and medical experts, he said. “I think it will be more appropriate that when the SC calls upon all the provinces and advocate generals, it also calls upon experts who can provide a better picture of the [country’s] coronavirus outbreak,” he concluded.

WB agrees to launch $145m Covid-19 response, locust control projects in Sindh KARACHI

KARACHI

STAFF REPORT

STAFF REPORT

The World Bank (WB) and Sindh government have agreed to launch $145 million Sindh Covid-19 response programme and locust control project in the province.

This decision was taken in a meeting between Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and World Bank Country Director Patchamuthu Illangovan through a video-link. The former participated from CM House Karachi while the latter, along with his team, from his Islamabad office.

The chief minister was assisted by Minister Energy Imtiaz Shaikh, CM Coordinator Haris Gazdar, P&D Chairman Mo-

Sindh’s traders have announced to open businesses after Sindh government refused to open big markets and shopping malls.

However, Sindh government has allowed small businesses to reopen and directed them to strictly follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Traders and provincial ministers failed to reach consensus about reopening of malls and markets during a meeting held at Commissioner House Karachi.

Representatives of traders left the meeting after Sindh government refused accept their demands.

The government said that the malls and markets will only be allowed to open when situation of coronavirus outbreak in the province improves.

On the other hand, traders have announced to open all business from Tuesday and said they would fill jails if government arrests traders.

Traders also urged government to increase business hours and open malls like Punjab.

They also complained that it is hard to do business in government’s specified timing as there are very few customers during those hours.

Businessmen further asked government to allow shops to open for six days a week and said that it is their right to do business till Chand Raat.

The provincial government has refused to allow resumption of public transport and opening of malls and big markets to control the spread of coronavirus in the province.

Sindh is the hardest hit province with over 16,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 250 deaths.

whether taken by the Sindh government, the Centre or the provinces — were difficult decisions. “They were difficult decisions that caused people hardship but they were done with the intention of protecting them from the virus,” he said.

He added that the Sindh government hoped the SC would not take any decision that will endanger the lives of the people.

“Markets will remain open till 5pm as the SC has directed,” he clarified, adding

hammad Waseem, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary Energy Musadiq Khan, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi and Secretary Investment Najam Shah.

At the outset of the meeting, CM Murad said that his government with technical and financial support of the WB wanted to launch the Covid-19 Impact Programme. He added that for the purpose resource mobilisation through diversion of funds/restructuring, repurposing and realigning WB portfolio would be required.

He added that the WB team was also working on the high frequency of Covid-19 impact monitoring system to support government decision-making. The chief minister said that Karachi specific monitoring

system was being developed but he wanted a high impact coronavirus monitoring system to be developed for the entire province.

According to the chief minister, his government has planned to disinfect all the public places, bus stands/stops, offices, proper cleaning of roads and public areas, cleaning of storm water drains and nalas, and the establishment of two garbage transfer stations and two landfill sites in the city.

The WB chief approved the proposal and said that Sindh government could use funds up to $135 million from its different projects by diverting the amount until the project was formally approved from the concerned forums. CM Murad said that the ongoing crisis of coronavirus had badly af-

Health sector to be given top priority in next budget, says minister KARACHI STAFF REPORT

Sindh Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has said that the major focus of the Sindh government in the forthcoming budget would be on the health sector.

The provincial information minister said that in view of the situation emerged after the outbreak of the coronavirus, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had also asked Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to give priority to the health sector in the forthcoming budget. He said that although the Sindh government had done a lot of work in the health sector in the past, but in the aftermath of the spread of the coronavirus, there was a need to focus more on the that sector.

Shah said that there were already a lot of achievements

of Sindh government regarding the improvement in the health sector which included the upgradation of all the basic health units, district health units, as well as the extension in National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in other districts, along with the use of cyber knife technology to treat cancer patients. The provincial information minister said that besides this, the Sindh government was also constantly supporting the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) in which people not only from Sindh but also from all over the country come for treatment.

He said that the Sindh government had always been trying to provide maximum facilities to the poor in the health sector. He further said that it was also wrong to say that the Sindh government focused only on major cities in terms of providing facilities. He said that this was not the case at all, because now the branches of National In-

fected economic activities in the province.

The small and medium enterprises have faced considerably losses, therefore, his government has worked out a plan to extend small loans and financially support the daily wagers, he added.

The bank assured the chief minister that they would support the Sindh government to revive economic activities in the province and rehabilitate the daily wagers through a separate programme and it would be made a part of Covid-19 response programme. The Sindh CM also said that after Covid-19, another threat of locus attacks on the standing crops had emerged. Locust swarms have already damaged one third of the cropping area of the province, he added.

stitute of Cardiovascular Diseases, as well as, SIUT had also been opened in other districts of Sindh besides Karachi. Giving further examples, he said that in Gambit Institute of Medical Sciences, which was located in Gambat, liver transplantation was being performed.

The provincial minister said that he was not claiming that everything was fine with regard to health facilities in rural areas of Sindh, but he said that now things were very different and there had been a lot of improvement in health facilities situated in the rural areas of the province.

Shah said that the Sindh government was of the view that, improving health facilities in rural areas would reduce the pressure on the health facilities in major cities. The provincial minister said that this was the reason why the Sindh government had paid so much attention in improving health facilities in the rural areas, adding that, now people had access to the best treatment facilities in their neighborhood. He said that the recruitment of doctors was also being done with the same thinking that they should be recruited with the condition that they would serve at least for three years in rural areas. Shah said that the doctors who had been recruited on contract basis to look after the patients of coronavirus would be posted at the health facilities in the rural areas of Sindh after seeing their performance.

Karachiites on Eid shopping spree amidst coronavirus threat KARACHI APP

Scorching sun and constant warning about vulnerability to coronavirus did little to dampen the spirit of Karachiites, who were witnessed drifting towards shopping areas on Monday.

Starting early in the morning, people went shopping for clothing and other accessories. Grocery stores were crowded as well as people believed that they would run out of stock ahead of Eid, hence it was necessary to stock up on goods without any delay. Mrs Azhar, a resident of the metropolis, attributed the restlessness on part of people to the fact that shopping had resumed after a closure of three consecutive days and that there is again to be almost week-long holiday in next three to four days.

Many agreeing with the lady expressed their happiness that shopkeepers are starting their business early, providing many a chance to do their shopping in comparatively pleasant times, well before noon.

“In a way compliance of officially announced shopping timings is a blessing in a disguise as now

at least we would learn to start our day early,” commented Akbar Ali. A middle-aged shopkeeper, who was extremely supportive of proposal to start business early, even in normal times and wind it up before sunset, said this was absolutely appropriate in a country with long day hours and also in permanent need of energy conservation. About crowded stores, Ali said that he has also noticed that people were increasingly turning somewhat more conscious about their safety and also of others against the viral infection and therefore masks of all colors and shapes, along with different qualities of hand gloves, were emerging to be the hall mark of the current Covid-19 phase.

“I believe the trend would sustain and gain momentum as a mandatory custom - even a sort of culture,” he observed.

Many citizens who spoke to APP regretted that authorities could not ensure strict implementation of officially fixed rates for food items of varied categories. They also complained that dresses, shoes, accessories along with other consumable goods were being sold at almost three times the price they were sold for prior to the lockdown.

Tuesday, 19 May, 2020

NEWS

ChiNa welComes ouTsTaNdiNG people, Xi Tells pakisTaNi sTudeNTs BEIJING

p

APP

ReSIDeNT Xi Jinping extended welcome to excellent youth from all countries in the world to study in China in his Sunday reply to a letter from all Pakistani students studying in the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB).

In his letter, Xi encouraged the students to communicate more with their Chinese peers and join hands with youth from all countries to contribute to pro-

moting people-to-people connectivity and building a community with a shared future for humanity.

The response comes after Pakistani students had earlier thanked him for the support and help they received from the university. The students had expressed their wish to contribute to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) after completing their studies.

“China welcomes outstanding young people from around the world to study in China, and encourages them to promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and their home coun-

tries,” said Xi according to state-owned broadcaster CGTN. Saying that the Chinese government was concerned about the safety and wellbeing of its overseas students, Xi offered to help meet “students’ needs in their daily lives, epidemic prevention and medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic”. The Chinese government treats foreigners and locals equally, and the focus is on saving lives, he wrote.

There are currently 52 Pakistani students studying at the University of Science and Technology with 49 of them pursuing Ph.D. or post-graduate degrees.

SC seeks NAB’s stance on ex-MPA’s bail plea ISLAMABAD APP

The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday asked the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to give its stance on a bail application filed by former Sindh Assembly member Allah Dino Bhayo, who is accused of involvement in embezzlement of millions of rupees. A three-member bench of the SC headed by Justice Mushir Alam heard the case.

Bhayo’s counsel maintained that de-

spite the passage of one year, no witness had been presented in the case. “NAB again and again sought time in the trial.

If time is granted for trial, we will not push for the [bail] application,” he said.

Justice Alam replied it was not appropriate to listen to the counsel without issuing a notice to the respondent. The accused’s lawyer informed the court that notices had been issued to the respondents earlier.

He remarked it was difficult for the trial to continue as the witnesses and

other persons would not come at the moment. The counsel told the court that they were ready to give an assurance for payment of Rs40 million.

Justice Alam observed the record showed that the accused had been appearing before the court. The accused’s counsel said that the case apparently pertained to alleged illegal transaction and was not even about corruption. The NAB lawyer requested the bench to grant time after which the court adjourned the hearing until Tuesday.

Shopping malls, markets to remain open seven days a week CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01 earlier during the proceedings, the chief justice gave these directions to the Sindh government but later said that the steps should be taken across the country.

While responding to the queries by the bench, Sindh Advocate General Salman Talibuddin said that the province was implementing all decisions made by the National Coordination Committee (NCC), which is headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The court noted that Islamabad and Punjab intended to reopen shopping malls and told the Sindh government to consult the Centre on the matter.

“We don’t see any reason for keeping shopping malls closed in Sindh,” the bench said. “Sindh should consult the federal government regarding opening shopping malls.

“Provinces should not create hurdles in opening shopping malls after getting permission.”

The court said that shopping malls in Punjab will open from today, while Sindh will take approval from the health ministry.

“The court expects that the health ministry will not create any unimportant hurdles and will [allow] businesses to open.” The bench said that it will be the governments’ responsibility to ensure that SOPs are being followed.

The court also restricted Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shallwani, who had appeared before the court, from sealing shops and markets.

“Instead of sealing shops, make sure that SOPs are followed,” the chief justice said and directed the commissioner to reopen the shops that had been sealed. He inquired which “small markets” had been opened in the metropolis. The Sindh advocate general said that all markets, except shopping malls, were open.

“Are Zainab Market and Raja Bazaar small mar-

kets?” the chief justice asked. To which Shallwani responded: “About 70 per cent people go to malls for fun.”

NDMA GRILLED ON EXPENSES: The top court also grilled the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) over the money being spent to deal with the coronavirus crisis. The NDMA had submitted a report over the amount spent on medical equipment and quarantine centres for suspected patients.

“What is the reason behind spending hundreds and thousands of rupees on one patient?” the chief justice asked the NDMA representative.

“Money has been spent on medical equipment, testing kits and quarantine centres,” the NDMA representative explained.

The chief justice expressed concerns over the money allocated to cope with the health crisis and said: “Corona(virus) did not come so that someone can take away Pakistan’s money.”

“Billions of rupees are being spent on tin charpoys,” he added.

Justice Amin expressed similar reservations. “I don’t think money is being spent on corona(virus) with due consideration,” he said.

The NDMA representative said that Rs25 billion had been allocated to the body and all of it had not yet been spent. The chief justice said that apart from the amount allocated to NDMA, the government had also handed out money to provinces. Money had also been allocated for the ehsaas emergency Cash Programme.

“Corona in Pakistan is not as severe as the money being spent on it,” the bench observed.

Justice Ahmed inquired about the steps NDMA has taken to deal with the locust attack and said that crops planted for next year would not be able to grow.

“The agricultural sector will not remain as important if industries become operational,” the chief justice said.

The hearing was adjourned until Tuesday.

Govt projects -0.38pc GDP growth in FY20 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01 The value added mining and quarrying sector declined by 8.82pc, while large scale manufacturing (LSM) sector, which is driven primarily by QIM data (from July 2019 to March 2020), showed a decline of 7.78pc. Major decline was observed in textile (-2.57pc), food, beverage & tobacco (-2.33pc), coke & petroleum products (-17.46pc), pharmaceuticals (-5.38pc), chemicals (-2.30pc), automobiles (36.5pc), iron & steel products (-7.96pc), electronics (-13.54pc), engineering products (-7.05pc), and wood products (-22.11pc). On the other hand, positive growth in LSM was observed in fertilizer (5.81pc), leather products (4.96pc), rubber products (4.31pc) and paper & board (4.23pc). electricity and gas sub sector grew by 17.70pc mainly due to

higher subsidies and better value addition in WAPDA companies, whereas construction activity increased by 8.06pc mainly due to an increase in general government expenditure.

The services sector, which has remained Pakistan’s major growth driver for years, witnessed a rare contraction of 0.59pc in the provisional estimates, while the wholesale and retail trade sector contracted by 3.42pc, and transport, storage and communication sector saw a negative growth of 7.13pc.

Finance and insurance sector showed a modest increase of 0.79pc.

The remaining components of services i.e. housing, general government and other private services witnessed a positive growth of 4.02pc, 3.92pc and 5.39pc, respectively.

According to the planning ministry, GDP at current market prices has been computed and stands at

Rs41,727 billion for 2019-20. This shows a growth of 9.9pc over Rs37,972 billion for 2018-19.

The per capita income for 201920 was calculated at Rs214,539 for 2019-20, showing a growth of 8.3pc over Rs198,028 during 2018-19.

It is pertinent to mention that the country would witness a negative growth in its economy the first time since 1951 largely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The pandemic outbreak has played a havoc with world markets, with the IMF estimating the world economy to contract by 3pc this year – the most severe downturn since the Great Depression in the 1930s. The situation could get much worse if the pandemic lingers into the second half of the year or resurges.

Before the spread of Covid-19 across Pakistan, the finance ministry and the IMF had projected 2.4pc GDP growth in the current fiscal year.

05

Visually-impaired British-Pakistani wows millions at Britain’s Got Talent NEWS DESK A 14-year-old visually-impaired British-Pakistani girl won hearts at Britain’s Got Talent after wowing the crowd and the judges with her soulful vocals.

Sirine Jahangir’s rendition of Gabrielle Aplin’s “My Salvation” not only received a standing ovation from the audience, but also a yes from all four judges, taking her to the next round.

At the start of the performance, a visibly nervous Sirine told the judges that she was visually impaired. “So, it’s pretty obvious that I can’t see. There was a time when I could and now I can’t […] but I guess music is my vision and that’s what I live by. It’s like it’s my thing.”

During the performance, her younger brother and mother were visibly emotional as she played the piano and sang her heart out.

When it came time for the judges’ comments, David Williams said, “Well done Sirine.

What you couldn’t see was the whole of the Palladium on their feet applauding you because they loved that.”

British singer Alesha Dixon congratulated the young singer on her performance. “What a sweet, sweet girl you are, my heart is just melting. You are so nervous but it’s completely un-

derstandable because it’s such a massive deal and you sang beautifully,” she said.

Meanwhile, Amanda Holden simply said, “I just found the entire audition so poignant, so beautiful and you just exude lightness, it was just brilliant.”

Simon Cowell started his feedback by asking the teenager the reason behind her nerves.

“I only do school performances so this is something completely new and being able to sing right now is such a big opportunity and I don’t want to waste it.”

“Good for you,” Cowell said before adding, “I think I should be the first person to say yes.”

According to The Mirror, Sirine lost her eyesight at age nine. Her parents realised their daughter might have a serious eyesight problem was when she was five. Four years later, despite agonising medical procedures, she also lost all vision in her right eye, the publication said.

“When I lost my sight, I like to think I got new gifts. I used to like dancing, but when I became blind, I spent more time singing and playing piano,” the publication quoted her as saying.

Sirine is reported to be the granddaughter of Sahibzada Jahangir, one of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s oldest friends and his spokesperson on trade and investment in UK and europe.

Businesses issued new SOPs by Punjab govt as markets resume operations LAHORE STAFF REPORT

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He Punjab government on Monday issued new standard operating procedures (SOPs) for small and medium enterprises (SMes) as people began heading towards markets after a period of over two months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The latest guidelines, issued by Punjab Healthcare Secretary Captain (r) Muhammad Usman, business owners have to display SOPs issued by the government in a prominent place of their shops, have hand washing facility and sanitisers in their shops at all times, and make sure that the entire staff washes their hands repeatedly.

Similarly, cashiers have been directed to wear polythene gloves while exchanging cash and encourage payments through card. Shop owners must ensure that all surfaces are cleaned with 0.05% chlorine solution and waste bins must also be placed within the shops.

Under the new SOPs, only a specified number of customers would be allowed in, keeping in view that a distance of at least three feet is ensured between them. While dealing with customers, quickness should

Robbers kill two CNG employees, loot Rs1.7m RENALA KHURD APP

Two employees of a CNG station were gunned down by robbers who also looted Rs1.7 million in Habibabad area on Monday. According to the police, cashier Rashed along and employee Khadim were going to deposit Rs1.7 million in a bank when two armed motorcyclists opened indiscriminate fire at their car near Habibabad and looted the cash. Rashed died on the spot while Khadim succumbed to his injuries at a hospital. Later, the heirs of victims put their bodies at the National Highway in protest and blocked the road for five hours. On information, police officers along with a heavy contingent of police reached the spot and pacified the protest on the assurance that the culprits would be arrested.

be kept in mind so that no time is wasted while no one is allowed to be around without reason.

Since older people are more vulnerable to the virus, they have to be dealt with on a priority, the SOPs further outline.

A policy of non-return of goods would be followed, whereas customers are advised to opt for home delivery.

Garments and jewellery shops are to not allow their customers to try on their products, whereas attendants at footwear stores are to wash and sanitise their hands after dealing with every customer.

The SOP guidelines further instruct salespersons at pharmacies and medical stores to wear surgical masks and sanitise their hands after taking prescriptions from patients. Maintenance shops would have to disinfect every product whilst receiving and returning items. Customers are to stand at a distance of one metre while shopping from a wheelbarrow and make sure they do not touch the cart.

It may be noted here that Punjab is the first province to resume market operations while Sindh has taken a different approach on the matter. Business and industry leaders have stressed the need for all provinces to adopt a uniform lockdown policy with equal business opportunities for all.

Quality food basic right of every citizen, says Abdul Aleem Khan LAHORE STAFF REPORT

Punjab Food Minister Abdul Aleem Khan has said that according to the principles of hygiene, quality food is a fundamental right of the citizens and there can be no compromise on the cleanliness and standard of kitchens. He expressed these views while talking to a delegation of the Lahore Restaurants Association (LRA) led by LRA Chairman Mahmood Akbar while LRA President Kamran Sheikh, LRA Secretary Ahmed Shafiq and Finance Secretary Nisar Chaudhry were also present in the meeting. The association appealed for the immediate opening of restaurants like other businesses, to which the senior minister assured sympathetic consideration to open restaurants in the current situation. He said that we have a long way to go in terms of social distances while other conditions must be met to avoid the dangers of local transmissions. Talking to the delegation, Abdul Aleem Khan hinted at forming a new advisory board for restaurants. He said that a body comprising upon representatives of the Food Authority and restaurants would be formed to resolve the issues through mutual understanding, adding that the government cannot allow anyone to play with people’s lives just for meager profit by compromising on hygiene standards. He said that substandard milk and vegetable grown with dirty water are dangerous for human lives as they cause diseases. Officials of the LRA said that their businesses are on the brink of collapse while thousands of employees of the food industry are also jobless. They requested that like other businesses, restaurants should be opened immediately for which all SOPs and government conditions would be complied with. They offered that the capacity of restaurants would be reduced to half and customers would be seated at a distance while following other protocols.

Tuesday, 19 May, 2020

06 COMMENT

On education

After relaxations in the lockdown

Government’s cynical view of human life

There’s a difference between respect and blind agreement

e

PIdeMICS cannot be overcome through subjective notions but only through scientific methods. What is more, they require an early recognition of the immensity of the danger and immediate action. Countries like China, South Korea, Vietnam and New Zealand took instant measures without wasting time by enforcing lockdowns, aggressively testing and firmly implementing SOPs. They succeeded in controlling the spread of the virus, thus saving tens of thousands of lives.

Within weeks they ended the lockdown and emerged as winners. european countries and the uS dilly-dallied, delayed the action and lost the fight.

The leadership in Pakistan flip-flopped, opposed the lockdown, then allowed it, then again opposed it and finally announced the easing of the lockdown.

Consequently after nine days of relaxations, the country had 2,000 new cases in one day. The federal government has announced a number of SOPs but has displayed a bizarre half-heartedness in their enforcement, leading one to doubt if it was really convinced about their need. As a cynical Asad umar put it the current average death rate from Covid-19 is only 720 a month while 4,000 die in a month of traffic accidents. Pooh-poohing the countries that succeeded in stopping the advance of coronavirus and saving many, he said that the disease re-emerged after restrictions were eased. He forgot that this happened on a much smaller scale and at a time when the governments could suppress it in a shorter period.

Thanks to the carefree attitude of the PTI government, soon after the announcement of relaxation, the general public concluded that the danger, if it had ever existed, was over for good. The streets in big cities saw a bumperto-bumper flow of vehicles. The markets were flooded with men, women and children, pushing one another, with only a small percentage wearing masks and none maintaining social distance. Parts of a few markets were sealed for a few hours as ‘punishment’. The overcrowding continued unhindered.

The SC has ordered the provincial governments to open the shopping malls also. The court has also made the provincial governments rather than the business concerns responsible for enforcing the SOPs. It remains to be seen if the governments can manage this through whatever law enforcement agencies are under their control.

haSaN aFTaB SaEED

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HeRe could be many definitions of being educated, but one that often goes unappreciated is the ability to differ with the views of one’s elders and loved ones. Respect is a good thing, but it must be earned. It is rather easy to include in the definition of ‘respecting’ one’s parents agreeing with all their opinions, and constructing one’s worldview (religion, politics, history, social behaviour, etc) identical to theirs. Of course, respect has absolutely nothing to do with that sort of thing. Neither has love. In fact, sometimes love would necessitate telling your loved ones (even if they are your elders) what they need to listen to, and not what they want to hear. It goes without saying that intellectual honesty behoves one to analyse ‘givens’ before accepting them. Can one really be educated without being intellectually honest?

This perception that the youth is always rebellious and non-conforming to the ways of the older generation is a myth. especially in the sub-continent, there is no rebellion to speak of – barring the resolve of many among the younger generation not to take their studies seriously. Being in the profession that he is, the author knows it for a fact that far too many engineering students are studying engineering because they ‘respected’ their parents too much to tell them that their heart wasn’t in engineering. (This is

Another wheat crisis?

Consumers suffer the most

Of Charlie Brown and Snoopy

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LOuR mill owners of Punjab, KP and Balochistan decided to go on a complete strike yesterday due to procurement restrictions being created by their respective provincial governments. That the PTI is in power in all three provinces except for Sindh where no such problems have been reported, speaks to the incompetence and lack of acceptable governance in even the simplest of matters. According to mill owners, district officials had failed to provide adequate amounts of wheat to the millers while not allowing them to purchase from the open market making it uneconomical to continue processing the commodity to meet demand. In Punjab, mills have been raided and sealed and their stocks confiscated by the food department while in Sindh there were no restrictions on buying and storing. With only one week left in the wheat procurement season before a 6-day eid break, the Punjab Food department faces a purchasing shortfall of 1 million tonnes. As provinces attempt to manage the situation, a ban on interprovincial supply of flour has been imposed, further exacerbating shortage of the crucial commodity.

Open market prices of wheat, owing to high demand from millers unable to secure supply from the government, have already risen. None of the mills, at least those who have flour stock ready for market, will sell at a loss or undercut the market as there is significant cartelisation in the industry. In the end it will be the consumer that has to foot the extra bill. The government’s mismanagement and lack of planning causing a price hike amidst the on-going Covid-19 pandemic that has significantly reduced household budgets while people are fasting, is simply criminal. Investigation of last year’s sugar and wheat crisis has not even been concluded and it seems a new flour scandal is already waiting to be probed. With mill owners keeping their operations suspended until an agreement is reached, there will be a sharp reduction of supply in the market across all three provinces, which will drive prices further upwards than they have already gone.

It is crucial that negotiating teams from all provinces reach an immediate understanding with the large flour mills to avoid placing an unnecessary burden on consumers.

Why never-ending disappointments should always fail to defeat us

Shah Nawaz Mohal

W

e all are Charlie Brown. We all bungle up our perfect moments, lose our oncein-a-lifetime opportunity at becoming who we dreamed of becoming and fail at what we do best when it is most needed. We have hearts of gold yet behave like angry, possessed apes from time to time. We all have seen our moment of greatness flicker, knew it’ll never ever return, yet we live and laugh and continue our march forward. Nothing comes close to a lived life which is inundated with disappointments, flooded by failures, harrowed by reversals, and minced by tragic moments.

To live is to never, ever, ever be defeated by our disappointments. To live is to never, ever, ever allow our inadequacies to get the better of ourselves. To live is to err. And err we must. Live we must.

Those who know who Charlie Brown is, howdy there, folks. For those who don’t, Charlie Brown is the central character of Peanuts, a comic strip by Charles M Schulz that ran for decades. Peanuts was published in leisure pages of newspapers, sold in book form, and syndicated all over the world. Charlie Brown is the protagonist of Peanuts who went through all of what you read above and it is his dog Snoopy who basks in the limelight way more than his owner.

We all are Snoopy. Snoopy, since he is a dog, can’t and never talks. He acts. He acts to help Charlie Brown.

He acts to entertain everyone around. He acts on his dreams and delusions. He acts to make the world a bet-

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

Umar Aziz

Asher John

Joint Editor

Executive Editor

Deputy Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

followed by four years of ‘learning’ something they if they are indeed well-founded. The Quran, on many have no interest in, followed in turn by trying to fig- occasions, mentions people whose sole argument for ure out what to do instead.) So much for the rebel- believing in a concept or indulging in some practice lious youth! Ask any youngster his views on is the fact that they found their ancestors before them something, and chances are that he will parrot the doing the same. The Quran clearly points out that views of his father, mother, or his maulvi sahib. Now that is by no means a valid argument. The precious I am not saying those views are necessarily faulty. few that bother to put some effort in understanding They could be well-founded too. The point is, either the Quran pass over such passages thinking that they way one needs to analyse them in the first place to are addressed to non-Muslims. And yet, the reason be able to have any sort of confidence in their sound- why they believe most of the things that they do is ness. Without that, it’s the conviction of a man who precisely the same: they are merely following their parents. They fail to redoesn’t know what he is alize that it’s about a talking about, but who man’s attitude, not about has heard something so which camp he swears many times (in fact that allegiance to, or which is the only thing he has A man is educated in direct label he wears. If an arever heard on the subproportion to his ability to review gument is no good, then ject) that he can’t imagit is no good – whether it ine things could possibly the worldview passed on from his comes from a non-Musbe any different.

It is fashionable to ancestors, subjecting it to impartial lim or a Muslim has no bearing on the matter. blame the less-than-perscrutiny before adopting it as his What’s bad for the goose fect historical worldcan’t be good for the view of fellow own philosophy or otherwise. How gander (and vice versa). countrymen on the fairy Of course, most Mustales found in their Pakmany of us answer to this lims aren’t even interistan Studies textbooks. description? Any wonder then, if ested in understanding This is partially correct; the contents of the and there must be a con‘education’ continually fails to bring Quran, so they can’t scious effort to banish be accused of going as many fairy tales from the change one would expect it to? even against its teachings. the schoolbooks as is A major part of eduhumanly possible. That cation is the capability said, this diagnosis to tell good and bad aroverestimates how seriously the average student takes his textbooks. The guments apart. education cannot be measured by physics texts are free of fairy tales, and yet this fact how many years somebody has spent in school; nor rarely stops students from believing in horoscopes can it be gauged from the long string of alphabets and the like. So, to blame the textbooks alone for after a person’s name on his business card. A man is brainwashing our students regarding their history educated in direct proportion to his ability to review would be to ignore the huge elephant in the room: the worldview passed on from his ancestors, subnamely, the influence of the stories repeated by the jecting it to impartial scrutiny before adopting it as older generation swallowed wholesale by the ‘re- his own philosophy or otherwise. How many of us answer to this description? Any wonder then, if ‘edbellious’ youth.

What is true of historical views is also true of re- ucation’ continually fails to bring the change one ligious opinions. Sure, there are any number of would expect it to? things wrong with the Islamic Studies textbooks too, Hasan Aftab Saeed is a connoisseur of music, but whoever takes those texts seriously? Most people have the same religious views as their elders had be- literature, and food (but not drinks). He can be fore them, without ever having examined them to see reached at www.facebook.com/hasanaftabsaeed

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ter place, most of the time. At other times, just to get a friend-cum-wingman and The Flying Ace’slaugh, he plays the role of a misanthrope whose triumph Snoopy’s alter ego-mechanic. Snoopy and Woodstock try to make sense of every act, utterance and lies in ruining all that is human about us mortals.

Snoopy, the dog, lives in a world he dreamed up. deed of kids who inhabit the world of Peanuts. A He also has an alter ego called The Flying Ace whose world without adults, a world where everyone has nemesis is Red Baron. Snoopy’s Fifi is the ‘love of his their own idiosyncrasies, their own good day, wrong life’. The all wise, suave Snoopy of ours is a complete days and bad days. A world where love, envy, rejecromantic fool when it comes to Fifi. A situation not at tion, novelty, curiosity, delusion, narcissism and other all alien to most of us. The all rational, all sensible, all human emotions coexist not only between characters knowing, all reasonable us, falling for someone so but within a single character as well.

What Peanuts is about is not a group of kids, a dog badly that the world thinks we have lost our marbles. every single character in Peanuts represents us, and a bird waddling through life and giving us a either in part or in entirety. There is Shroeder, the glimpse at their shenanigans. It goes deeper. It goes way deeper into the psyche of Beethoven enthusiast our species. If Charlie who personifies the sinBrown has an endless list gular importance of of insecurities and inademusic in our life. Then there is Pigpen, who is The ultimate lesson one gets, day in quacies turning him into a standing object of ridicule, the stinky, socially casand day out, from Peanuts is that we he is also the one who trated loner wanting to lives through them and become friends, but is have to celebrate the good days, exists despite them. If avoided by all and Lucy is narcissism incarsundry. weather the bad ones, and lumber nate, in her self-obsession Then there is Lucy, a along the wrong ones. Life, be it in we see a glimpse of our narcissistic, utterly deselves. If Snoopy plorable lass whose sole the small world of Peanuts or in our egoistic is the wisest dog you’ve mission in life is to make ever met, you must accept others feel bad about humongous world of flesh and him along with his alter themselves so that she blood, puts a demand on all of us. ego. The ultimate lesson can get a kick out of it. one gets, day in and day Then there is Linus, out, from Peanuts is that Charlie Brown’s best we have to celebrate the friend and trusted advisor, telling Charlie to brace himself, shed his insecu- good days, weather the bad ones, and lumber along the rities and inadequacies so that he can be what he is- wrong ones. Life, be it in the small world of Peanuts or a caring, loving kid who tries his level best to help all in our humongous world of flesh and blood, puts a demand on all of us. And that is to live it to the fullest. his fellows as best and as much as he can.

We meet Peppermint Petty, every now and then, From beginning till end, life is more than a story we tell who adores Charlie Brown and is a happy-go-lucky ourselves, it is also more sacred than a miracle. Also, it girl who breezes through life with no serious qualms is impossibly complex for us to handle its absurdity and or concerns. Also, there is Marcie, the intellectual, our minds can’t fathom its depth.

To conclude, even losers can be lovable, rememwell-read nerd who is the perpetual underdog and since she has neither control over nor confidence in ber the adorable Charlie Brown. And if you think a herself, she is subject to the dictates, fancies and di- dog can’t fly, think of The Flying Ace, and his Fifi. rections of Peppermint Petty. The list of other charShah Nawaz Mohal is a law graduate and acters occupying the Peanuts world is long, this journalist based in Islamabad. He can be reached at column is short. So, let us jump to Woodstock.

Woodstock, last but not least, is Snoopy’s trusted mshahnawazmohal@gmail.com.

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Tuesday, 19 May, 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

Medicine shortages PARTS of the country, especially Sindh and kpk are reported to be facing a shortage of a number of life-saving biological products used to treat cancer, angina, diabetes etc. Apparently, the national control Laboratory has not been processing their certification since March 13. This negligence of government and other related authorities increasing the risk for critically ill patients who number are in the thousands.

Currently, A 9 years old child Zeeahan from larkana suffering from full-blown after bitten by a stray dog. His parents took him to hospital at the same day as Government Hospital Larkana but he couldn’t recovered from rabies due to the shortage of vaccination. So he was brought in Indus Hospital Karachi as Larkana’s doctor concerned. And here, the Indus Hospital Administration said that the child was sent to Indus from another hospital but by that time he had developed full-blown rabies. He added, the child had no signs of being vaccinated.

SAMEEr UMrANI Malir

Covid and climate

The woes of the private sector borrower SMEs must have easier access to credit totally neglected in both ways. When it comes to as a priority sector for lending finance. Furtherborrowing from commercial Banks, SMe’s have more, there are hardly any recognized credit bua stiff competitor in the Government of Pakistan reaus which profile individual credit scores which is the single largest borrower and the fa- keeping in view various financial aspects to proOLICIeS for small and mid-size en- vorite of Pakistani vide a basis for terprises (SMes) have consistently banks, a situation banks to avoid willbeen decided by its literal definition. known as ‘crowding ful defaulters. Credit They have been judged as not having out’ in textbooks. information Bureau any sway on employment and the Banks don’t bother Act 2015 was passed Furthermore, there are hardly any economy of a nation. Its literal definition demar- much with thouin parliament to cates businesses by a certain threshold of rev- sands of enterprises allow establishment recognized credit bureaus which enues or the number of employees. every and individuals in of private credit bucountry has its own definition of what comprises need for financial profile individual credit scores reaus to promote fia small and mid-level enterprises (SMe). In Pak- credit risking too nancial inclusion but keeping in view various financial istan, businesses that employ up to 250 people much paperwork on ground the results and generate sales up to Rs 250 million are con- and potential default are negligible. In deaspects to provide a basis for sidered SMes. The tally of employees and sale when they have the veloped countries a generation is low as contrast with large scale in- Government of Pakgood credit rating banks to avoid willful defaulters. dustry. While these figures appear to be low istan, a risk-free has become a necesCredit information Bureau Act 2015 sity for each individwhen figured independently, the sector repre- borrower securing sents the foundation of an economy at a cumu- good profits for the ual to maintain a was passed in parliament to allow lative level, as SMes constitute nearly 90% of Bottom line of their normal lifestyle and all the enterprises in Pakistan and have a 40% financial statements. something he /she establishment of private credit share of the country’s annual GdP according to Massive Governproactively take care bureaus to promote financial SMedA. These stats show that SMes drive our ment of, whereas in Pakborrowing economy. despite this, an increasing number of from commercial istan this is yet to beinclusion but on ground the issues for the proletariat results from govern- banks takes the income a norm. ment policies, and just one such concern is that centive away from The SMe Sector results are negligible oversupplied labor restricted by inconvenient Banks lending to of Pakistan is relying business policies has resulted in huge rates of private sector. Also, on low and out of unemployment. We can easily curb the increas- financial credit is redate technology. ing numbers by developing policies that will en- stricted to collateralThis is evident from courage ease of doing business for any sector. ized lending in Pakistan, creating a challenge to the fact that 30-40% of harvested crops have been We don’t lack talent but effective policies new startups and SMes who do not own land to lost in Pakistan due to low level of technology in are definitely our Achilles heel. Innovation and provide as collateral as most SMe’s run their fac- storage and transportation equipment. Moreover, creativity in business enterprises diminish the in- tories and offices on rent. Project financing is still textile sector in Pakistan desperately needs energy stitutional voids and hence contribute largely in nonexistent whereas many sectors are simply not and technology to compete with Bangladesh, advancement of society. Innovative personalities on the banks’ radar for lending. High interest India and China. For instance, majority of the ought to be upheld and supported by both finan- rates since the PTI’s Government has also re- power looms and auto looms that are decades old cial and management means. unlike large enter- duced Private sector borrowing, falling to Rs 693 and discarded by most nations are still running in prises in the formal sector, the SMe sector is billion in FY 2018-19 from Rs 775 billion in Pakistan. They should be replaced by advanced constrained mainly by financial issues, espe- 2017-18 whereas in the first half of current fiscal looms like air-jet and waterjet. This journey of recially in terms of acyear it had dropped placing old technology and filling the missing cess to capital 77 percent to Rs link to efficient management can be expedited if which is vital for 117.38 billion. In the banking sector supports the financial needs any business to these declining through lending on easier terms and conditions. grow. Its progress What is missing is that Pakistani banks are The banking sector mostly blames numbers the perhas additionally centage borrowed only lending to a select few sectors which are althe weak and incompetent judicial by SMe’s will be ready established. Majority of the SMe and new been confined by numerous structural startups are starved for financial credit and thus minuscule. system of the country as a major issues. economic The banking their growth has stagnated. until issues of corimpact of SMes sector mostly ruption, incompetence and delays are not rereason for feeling insecure in makes it imperative blames the weak and solved in the judicial setup, banks will not be lending to the SME sector and new incompetent judicial willing to bet on genuine talent and entreprethat there must be a proper mechanism system of the coun- neurship of the SMe sector. Private sector lendstartups. Such cases can take through which it try as a major reason ing is a driver for growth and is an indicator of may get support on feeling insecure expansion of enterprises, but sadly, so far under years before concluding, and there for priority basis in varin lending to the the PTI government, this indicator has tremenious elements of are more than 10,000 cases already SMe sector and new dously worsened. A lot of packages for indusbusiness including startups. Such cases tries have been announced by it during the pending in banking courts. technical advancecan take years be- COVId -19 crisis, but practically these are again ment, financial and fore concluding, and for only those who are already a borrower and human resource there are more than will not be including majority of the SMe sector training & develop10,000 cases already which is in high need of financial credit. ment. pending in banking courts. The uncertainty assoIn Pakistan, large industries are the main ciated with defaults on behalf of the borrowers Ihsaan Afzal Khan is a business executive beneficiaries of either financial credit systems or to lengthy legal procedure and delayed justice with exposure in health, education, power disease of doing business, while the SMe sector is from courts leads to banks avoiding SMe sector tribution and manufacturing.

IhSaaN aFzal KhaN

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CLIMATe change in the world can be caused by various activities. when climate change occurs, the temperature of the earth increases automatically.when temperature rises, it may cause different changes on earth. With dozens of more countries enforcing lockdown in response to the pandemic, a wide range of indicators shows how to transport use, electricity demand and industrial activity are being cut. Yet there have been few attempts, thus far, to quantify the consequences for global CO2 emissions for example in the past few decades in Pakistan the severe change in temperature and result is more drought, or intense rain, as well as more frequent and severe heat values oceans or warming and becoming more acidic, glaciers are melting, and sea levels are rising. But during the current situation, COVId 19 has played an important role to maintain the temperature of the earth.

Because there is no air pollution on the earth, there is a neat and clean environment all over the world, no factory, no industries, are working.so our ozone layer comes to a good position.

ArSLAN KHAN Rawalpindi

Scrolling zombies WITH the ascent of pandemic corona virus. Life has come to a pause, seeming to have worthless days as we all are grudgingly stuck at home. All the people, young to old age don’t fish out any better option than scrolling in the social media sites to push the time ahead. Consequently, time is going in vain. By mutating the routine we can get to the best. It will be far better if we adapt the prior practiced activities. especially, the students have well-thought-out the ongoing situations as holidays. All are active 24 by 7 on Facebook, Insta and WhatsApp. Rather than scrolling all the day, we must add some other fruitful stuffs to our day. “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right” Henry Ford. Just like that, if you live your days with scrolling or you live your days with something efficacious, choice is all yours. Give a 5 minutes heed to the day, you lived yesterday that will answer the question of squandering the time.

JAHANgIr JAMEEL Turbat

Unfounded Indian allegations THe Indian army chief’s recent allegations against Pakistan about its alleged role in terrorist activities and creating unrest in Indian Occupied Kashmir is nothing but a futile attempt to malign Pakistan in the international community. Showing complete disregard to the brutalities and atrocities of the indian army in Indian Occupied Kashmir and the unabated cum unabashed human rights violations_ actually to curb the freedom struggle by the Kashmiri people_by the indian army on behalf of indian government is augur of the Indian incumbent government’s failed policies in the valley and as well as more than ever growing freedom struggle among the Kashmiri people and especially Kashmir young blood.

The world community, thus, must take notice of the blatant indian attitude and its stolid behavior towards kashmiri people.

MUHAMMAd WAqAS KHAN dera Ismail Khan

Afghanistan bleeds in Ramadan IN the last week there have been two major deadly attacks in Afghanistan.

One is a hospital in Kabul by daesh and other at an NdS office in Ghazni by the Taliban. It was hoped the violence would decrease after the peace accord in February and especially in Ramadan but it seems to be static.

The only solution now to lower the intensity of violence in Afghanistan is an Afghan owned inter Afghan dialogue. It is inevitable and important or else another wave of civil war and violence awaits just around the corner. rIMSHA BASHIr Islamabad

Bhasha dam I was confused and little bewildered to read the news that Imran Khan announced that it is time to build the Bhasha dam. This project was first launched by Gen. Pervez Musharraf in 2007. He allocated funds for this project and WAPdA started acquiring land. However, the project never saw the light of the day after this step. After his exit from power, the new government shelved the plan. Later, in 2013, the PMLN government decided to resurrect this project and yet again funds were allocated to build the Bhasha dam. and funds were allocated. The WAPdA once again started work on newly named diamer Bhasha dam, but the government failed in acquiring the land. Now, yet again the current government, which has dismal record of achieving anything, has allocated RS 442 billion for the diamer Bhasha dam. I hope and pray that the third time is a charm and the project move ahead in full force. rAJA SHAFAATULLAH Islamabad

Tuesday, 19 May 2020

08 WORLD VIEW

The sTraTegic implicaTions of indian corrupTion The massive neTwork of corrupTion now being unraveled has major geopoliTical and securiTy implicaTions ThaT reach far beyond india

DiploMAt

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Cleo PaSkal

S a result of COVID-19, heavy hitters in the United States and elsewhere are talking about shifting investments and supply chains out of China. This dovetails with existing strategic concerns about Beijing. When looking around the Indo-Pacific for an alternative democracy-compatible, large market that has the potential to be increasingly strategically useful, India pops to the fore.

The Indian strategic community knows it and is chomping at the bit to “take the tide at the flood” and use the opening to redefine India’s place in the world. There is even talk of floating an Indo-Pacific Charter to replace the Atlantic Charter.

There is enormous potential, and at least one major roadblock. One of the biggest strategic mysteries of the past few decades is why India hasn’t lived up to its vast economic potential. Its relatively lackluster growth has not only affected the lives of a billion Indians, it has stunted Delhi’s geopolitical reach at a time when a strong India could be an effective counter to an expanding China. A series of court cases currently underway in India is starting to decode some of that mystery. What is being alleged is a decades-long complex, sophisticated, high-stakes scheme that led to the multibillion-dollar capture and manipulation of core elements of the Indian economy, masterminded by some of India’s most senior leaders. This is serious.

The highest profile arrest so far is India’s formerly untouchable finance minister, Pallaniappan Chidambaram. The cases against Chidambaram are spearheaded by two investigative agencies, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), a specialized financial investigation agency under India’s Ministry of Finance, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), India’s main police investigative agency.

Corruption allegations have dogged Chidambaram for years. So why lay charges now? India’s two main political parties, Congress (Chidambaram’s party) and the ruling BJP, spar in public but there seemed to be close ties between some individual members of the two parties, especially where large amounts of money are concerned.

Chidambaram was finance minister on and off for over a decade, most recently in 2014. When Congress lost to Narendra Modi’s BJP in that year, Chidambaram’s old friend Arun Jaitley became the BJP finance minister.

In spite of Modi coming in on an anti-corruption vote, there seemed little interest in investigating members of the previous Congress administration and Jaitley continued with many of Chidambaram’s policies.

In 2019 Modi was re-elected and Jaitley was replaced as Finance Minister due to ill-health. As Jaitley’s health waned, so did his influence. Coincidentally or not, Chidambaram was arrested on August 21; Jaitley died August 24. Since then, the increasingly public allegations against Chidambaram have started to sketch out a massive network of corruption that has major geopolitical and security implications that reach far beyond India.

The allegations involve four elements: how money was made illegally in India; how money was moved out of the country; how money was used abroad; and how money was moved back into India. They involve a network of politicians, bureaucrats, bankers, regulators, financial service providers, money launderers, front companies and more. Chidambaram is not alleged to have been involved in all elements, but rather was part of an extended, embedded system that resulted in stifling economic growth and creating security risks such as opening up some of the highest levels of governance to blackmail.

HOW WAS MONEY MADE IN INDIA? It is alleged that Chidambaram and his network used their positions to put in place people, policies, regulations, and regulators that enabled them to funnel money flows through their offices and favorites, while at the same time shutting down any competition from clean alternatives.

For example, Chidambaram and his network seemingly wanted to promote and protect the National Stock Exchange (NSE) as India’s primary exchange. Competing exchanges, especially successful ones such as those run by Jignesh Shah, were targeted, with the powers of the state used to pound competitors into submission through arrest, audits, seizure of assets, and more. By the time the charges made their way through the courts and are dismissed, is it too late; the competition is destroyed.

Meanwhile, the value of the NSE to its patrons was maximized through a range of mechanisms. One currently being investigated is “co-location,” in which favored brokers were allowed to place their servers adjacent to the exchange, giving them millisecond arbitrage advantages over off-site brokerages. That time advantage combines with high-frequency trading algorithms to produce consistent profits.

Often the manipulation wasn’t that sophisticated.

Rumors might be started about problems with the Indian economy; shares drop, are bought low. Then there are statements about corrective measures and shares recover and are sold off. Similar games were allegedly played to manipulate the value of the Indian rupee.

The case that triggered the initial arrest of Chidambaram involved his role as finance minister. His ministry was responsible for approving applications to the Foreign Investment Promotions Board (FIPB), a mechanism for bringing foreign direct investment into India.

When the principals of INX Media made a request to fast-track their FIPB application, they were allegedly told by Chidambaram to consider his son Karti’s consulting business. Subsequently, a substantial amount found its way to Karti and the request was approved.

HOW WAS MONEY MOVED OUT OF INDIA? There is a range of ways to move money out of India, but one of the most concerning is hawala networks.

Hawala trading was pioneered in the Islamic world as a way of transferring money without having to physically move cash. If “Joe” in Delhi wants to transfer $50,000 to his brother “Jack” in London, Joe can go to his local Delhi hawala trader, “Bob,” and give him $50,000 cash.

Bob calls his hawala contact in London and instructs him to give the $50,000 cash (in local currency) to Jack. The two hawala traders settle their books periodically. And that’s it — no paper trail, no tax, no customs.

That is why hawala is so popular with criminal organizations, terrorism financiers, drug dealers, arms traders, and human traffickers. The network works on what INTERPOL calls “trust” – a trust usually backed by the brutal enforcement of criminal or terrorist organizations. As the money of corrupt politicians joins that flow, they become “invested” in protecting the whole system – and are subject to being blackmailed by the people who run the system itself. This means they are more likely to block prosecution of those facilitating their money flows even if they pose a national security risk to the country.

At one point, Congress leader D. K. Shivakumar was in the same jail as Chidambaram, on pending charges of money laundering via hawala transactions. Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi visited them both in jail.

Sometimes the traditional banking system is used as well. One of the most notorious pending money laundering cases is that of politically well-connected Hasan Ali Khan, who reportedly casually moved an estimated $8 billion. In one case, according to investigators, $300 million was transferred from a Chase Manhattan account into a UBS Khan-linked account for a hotel purchase in

Gulf’s megaprojects face delays, reassessment Al-Monitor

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SebaStian CaStelier

eakened by the recent steep oil price decline, Saudi Arabia declared it must “extremely reduce” budget expenditures and thus slashed operational and capital spending by $26.6 billion, according to a May 11 statement by Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s programs and reforms to pivot the economy away from hydrocarbon revenues will suffer significant cuts.

NEOM, a proposed $500 billion futuristic city on the Red Sea coast, might see project implementation “stretched out over a longer period,” said Ali Shihabi, a member of the NEOM advisory board.

Global Data says the diversification drive led by the kingdom will be “severely disrupted” in the short to medium term. Across the region, several economic diversification megaprojects will also take a hit. “At the very least, many are likely to scaled back,” said Jason Tuvey, a senior emerging markets economist at Capital Economics.

As of early 2020, Gulf’s real estate megaprojects represented close to $1 trillion of investment, including Vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia, Silk City (a new metropolis in Kuwait), Lusail City and stadiums for the 2022 World Cup soccer tournament in Qatar, Duqm Port in Oman and so forth.

Experts and economists have long questioned the viability of numerous megaprojects, seen as overambitious. “The chances of NEOM actually materializing are slim. ... This sounds like a costly venture that would eat up a significant chunk of the country’s oil export revenues, in exchange for unclear returns,” reported Jacobin, a New-York based socialist magazine.

“King Abdullah Economic City is a classic example of how the authorities are not the best at undertaking these types of projects,” Tuvey told Al-Monitor, referring to a megacity on the west coast of the kingdom announced in 2005 by the then Saudi king. The analyst said the Saudi government “risks repeating past mistakes” with its futuristic project.

At the forefront of Kuwait Vision 2035, Madinat Al Hareer — also known as Silk City — aimed to attract massive local and foreign investment to turn the sparsely populated narrow northern end of the

Gulf into a trade hub and foster the emirate’s economic diversification.

But Geoffrey Martin, an economic analyst on Kuwait and doctoral degree candidate at the University of Toronto, told Al-Monitor that in the short term, the project “will likely suffer badly for reasons that preceded the pandemic and have little to do with the current crisis.”

Kuwaiti lawmakers raised concern over the prospect of liberal regulations and economic autonomy for the area. Moreover, conservative parliamentarians at the Kuwait National Assembly opposed Chinese investments into Silk City. “At present, there is nothing to invest in for several years,” Martin told Al-Monitor.

In neighboring Qatar, spending on the construction of stadiums, “other ongoing projects” and World Cup 2022 infrastructure continues as the emirate gears up to host the globe’s biggest soccer event in less than 1,000 days. “But they’re reducing capital expenditure elsewhere,” the International Monetary Fund mission chief in Qatar told Bloomberg.

“A TIME FOR REFLECTION” Some senior officials across the region now say the $1.6 trillion Gulf economy might never rebound to pre-crisis levels, and many decision-makers are taking a step back to optimize existing policies.

“This pause will also be a time for reflection on various aspects of the project and its timing,” Shihabi told Al-Monitor. Scott Livermore, the chief economist at Oxford Economics Middle East, told AlMonitor he believes Vision 2030 was “already being reassessed” prior to the 2020 crisis.

And what Gulf economies need more than new public infrastructure are systemic reforms to tackle low innovativeness, weak business environments, local monopolies and segmented labor markets where citizens and foreigners do not enjoy the same rights and privileges.

Involving more nationals into the private sector remains a challenge as wide-reaching social welfare systems have left a large proportion of nationals dependent on attractive public sector jobs, which “distort the private sector labour market,” wrote accounting giant PwC. “An increasingly important goal will be helping the private sector to grow more organically,” Livermore said; Gulf governments have long been the driving force of non-oil economic growth via gener-

ous subsidies, public investments and an invasive top-down approach.

“A major big bang approach would be desirable,” a former chief strategist for the Oman Investment Fund, Fabio Scacciavillani, told Al-Monitor in May. Yet not all Gulf nationals or entities support such reforms; the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently warned against a policy that would allow foreigners to change jobs freely, thus liberalizing the labor market.

In April, a man who opposed the forced displacement of the Huwaiti tribe to build NEOM was killed in shootout with Saudi security forces, raising concerns over human rights violations.

FOREIGN INVESTMENTS: In recent years, ambitious Gulf plans to diversify hydrocarbon-dependent economies have aligned with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s “project of the century”: a network of land and maritime infrastructures to connect more than 60 countries in Asia, Africa and Europe.

Chinese investments have co-funded several key logistics developments, including Saudi Arabia’s Jizan Port, the CSP Abu Dhabi Terminal at Khalifa Port in the United Arab Emirates, Duqm Port in Oman and the extension of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai, among others.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a global recession, China is “likely to face debt crises in several countries where it has invested, which would weigh heavily on its ability to maintain the same pace of investment around the world,” said Camille Lons, a researcher specialist on China’s influence in the region for the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Yet, unlike most countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, Gulf nations remain attractive for China given their ability to “keep jointly investing” in megaprojects, Lons noted. The researcher said the willingness of Gulf states to maintain a steady stream of investments in those megaprojects would be one of China’s conditions to remain committed.

NEOM is a “bold and audacious dream,” its official website assures. Following the double shock of falling oil prices and the COVID-19 pandemic, Gulf states have reached a crossroad where they have a choice to maintain a paternalistic model of governance at all costs or to instead be ambitious and push forward updated diversification policies and lead painful but necessary systemic reforms.

Switzerland. The note attached was tagged “Funds from weapons sales.”

Khan’s case has moved at a glacial pace, and the billions that passed through his accounts have disappeared.

HOW WAS MONEY USED ABROAD? The Enforcement Directorate has identified multiple properties around the world linked to various members of the Chidambaram family. Bank accounts are harder to identify as there are allegations that the Indian government is reluctant to request full lists of illicit accounts held abroad from willing countries.

HOW WAS MONEY MOVED BACK INTO INDIA? There are myriad ways of moving money into India, but a popular one during Chidambaram’s time as finance minister was Participatory Notes (P-Notes) handled by companies such as Goldman Sachs. Foreign investors could use P-Notes (via brokers) to buy shares in India, for example on the NSE. Under Chidambaram, the identity of those individual investors was not diligently pursued.

So, if someone got a bribe in India, moved it abroad via hawala, then brought it back in via P-Notes, that money has now been nicely laundered and, if they happen to be running it through a co-locating broker, their investment has also grown.

Meanwhile, however, honest entrepreneurs and investors have come up against invisible walls, been harassed into oblivion, and had their livelihoods destroyed.

Tata research estimated that Jignesh Shah’s markets were supporting up to a million jobs. When he was shut down, seemingly for being too much competition to a corrupt system, a lot of that potential was shut down as well.

That’s happened all over the Indian economy.

It is remarkable that Chidambaram is awaiting trial.

But the tentacles constricting the Indian economy still reach deep into the system. There are desperate and well-resourced efforts to scupper the cases. This is a crucial inflection point not only for India, but for global balance of power.

If India is freed from the shackles of deep corruption, it could help spread growth and stability beyond its borders. Those fighting corruption in India need all the support they can get: more external media coverage of the issues, cooperation from foreign governments in tracking illegal money flows, more scrutiny of the operations of international financial institutions, and more. If not for India’s sake, then for our own.

Cleo Paskal is Non-Resident Senior Fellow for the Indo-Pacific at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.

The economy needs more sTimulus inviting indian industry into flights to outer space will not create tangible investment in the short term EconoMic tiMEs The stimulus measures announced by the government in five tranches are a mix of immediate relief, regulatory changes and some structural change. These are welcome as they are. However, the economy needs something more: a big step-up in demand. What is the point of throwing a lifeline to a drowning man, if he is to be left tottering on the edge again? The government has left room for more expenditure, making much of the stimulus announced so far by means of leveraging of bank finance through strategic guarantees and subsidies from the exchequer, rather than straight away through budgetary subventions.

That room must be used to invest in large measure —in a massive expansion of the healthcare infrastructure, in building, perhaps, a new town or two. Also developing a corporate bond market brooks no delay. Even before the COVID pandemic hit us and the lockdown killed economic activity, the economy had been slowing, suffering from low levels of capital formation. Also, the banking sector had ceased to mediate capital, constrained by both a pile-up of bad loans and a penal culture attending on banking risk with minimal confidence in GoI’s reported assurances of a cultural change. The stimulus does not address these problems directly. True, the provisions for guaranteed investment in investment-grade bonds of finance companies, and partially guaranteed investments in subprime debt instruments of finance companies and small business has a limited potential to create some tradable debt.

But this is not nearly enough. An RBI-funded, statesponsored vehicle must pick up debt issued by AA- or BBB-rated companies, to create volumes and create a culture of trading, instead of holding the debt to maturity, as happens now.

Inviting Indian industry into flights to outer space will not create tangible investment in the short term. That calls for determined completion of stalled real estate and infrastructure projects, and new large projects. Such investment will create the demand that all levels of industry need, to create jobs, income, taxes and investor confidence.

Tuesday, 19 May, 2020

buSineSS 09

Govt, WB sign $371m pacts for agri and social sectors ISLAMABAD APP

The federal government on Monday struck two agreements worth $371 million with the World Bank to get the latter’s support in executing projects of agriculture and social sectors in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhawa.

Economic Affairs Secretary Noor Ahmed signed the financing agreements on behalf of the government of Pakistan, while representatives of the governments of Punjab and KP signed their respective project agreements online. Economic Affairs Minister Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar witnessed the signing ceremony. WB Country Director Patchamuthu Illangovan signed the project agreements on behalf of the bank, said a press release issued by the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The bank is financing $200 million to support human capital accumulation in Punjab by early investment project. The objective of the project is to increase the utilisation of quality health services, and economic and social inclusion programmes among poor and vulnerable households in the select districts in Punjab. The total approved cost of the project is $330 million including the WB financing of $200 million. The project will strengthen the quality of primary healthcare services to introduce a conditional cash transfer (CCT) programme; support economic inclusion for young parent and strengthen the quality of early childhood education (ECE) and lower primary education. The project would also increase the efficiency and sustainability of Punjab’s pro-poor initiatives would address gaps in human endowments by promoting skilled birth attendance, immunization, school enrollment for early education and addressing constraints for income generating activities and diversification of income sources. The project would also target 11 (out of 36) most vulnerable districts of Punjab. Among the 11 districts, 8 districts are from South Punjab, where poor households are concentrated. The other project the WB is going to finance is Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Irrigated Agriculture Improvement with a cost of $171.0 million. The objective of the project is to improve the performance of irrigated agriculture for farmers in KP. The total cost of the project is $219.30 million. The Bank would finance $171.0 million and the remaining cost would be borne by the KP government. The development objective of the project would be achieved through multiple aspects of performance for improving the performance of on-farm water management by rehabilitating watercourses, introducing advanced irrigation technologies, and strengthening the capacity of communities, farmers and the On-farm Water Management Directorate. The project would cover all districts and tehsils of KP, as well as the newly merged FATA areas. The minister thanked the WB for extending continuous support to the government in its efforts to achieve sustainable economic development in the country. The bank’s county director appreciated the government’s commitment to developing the underprivileged areas and reaffirmed tha, his organisation would continue to cooperate with Pakistan for sustainable economic growth and development projects.

IDWP approves 122 projects worth Rs27.5bn ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

The Islamabad Development Working Party (IDWP) has approved 122 projects pertaining to sanitation, rural roads and water supply at a cost of Rs27.59 billion under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). The IDWP meeting was held under the chair of Islamabad Chief Commissioner Aamir Ali Ahmad on Monday.

Representatives of the planning, interior and finance ministries were also present on the occasion. Of the total approved amount, 12,156 million would be spent on rural roads, Rs12,025 million on sanitation, Rs2,548 million on water supply schemes, and Rs863.819 million on the construction of bridges for NA-52, NA-53 and NA-54 constituencies. These projects are planned to be implemented during the next three years. Speaking on the occasion, the chair directed the department to ensure quality during the execution of construction work, besides timely completion of projects.

PM aSkS InDuStRIalIStS to enSuRe IMPleMentatIon of SoPS ISLAMABAD

P

APP

RIME Minister Imran Khan on Monday urged industrialists to ensure implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs), adding that the government has to maintain a balance between economic activities and preventive measures against coronavirus pandemic.

The prime minister said this while talking to Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) President Mian Anjum Nisar and vice presidents Dr Muhammad Arshad and Qaisar Khan Daudzai in the federal capital.

He said that the government has allowed industries to continue work, however, industrialists should ensure implementation of preventive measures against coronavirus. He asked the FPCCI office-bearers to ensure implementation of SOPs. The president FPCCI presented a cheque of Rs20 million for Corona Relief Fund to the prime minister.

The delegations apprised the PM of the positive results of the government’s impetus package and also suggested

IMRAN LAUNCHES EHSAAS EMERGENNCY CASH PROGRAM FOR UNEMPLOYED some means to further boost the industrial sector on the line of construction industry package. Qaisar Khan highlighted the issues related to industry in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and newly merged tribal districts. The premier welcomed the suggestions.

Separately, PM Imran formally launched Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme for those rendered jobless due to coronavirus.

He visited an Ehsaas cash distribution site set up at the Pakistan Sports Complex and met with the first batch of job-loss/livelihood-loss affectees, who received the emergency cash assistance of Rs12,000 each through the system.

On the occasion, he inquired from different people about the financial impacts in the aftermath of Covid-19 pandemic. A number of affectees apprised him about their issues and expressed gratitude to the prime minister for the financial support through the cash programme.

PM Imran said that the government took various decisions for maintaining continuity in economic activities and

had opened different sectors for the same purpose.

Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar, PM’s Special Assistant on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar and other senior officials also accompanied the prime minister.

Dr Sania briefed the Prime Minister about the whole process. She told the first batch of beneficiaries that the country was passing through difficult times and assured the government’s support to the vulnerable segments of society. She also urged people to adopt precautionary measures.

According to details, the donations under the Corona Relief Fund are being utilised by Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme for the deserving affectees. Rs12,000 is being given to each individual.

As of Monday, as many as 3.4 million applications had been received via Ehsaas Labour Portal since the prime minister launched it on May 2.

More than Rs3 billion have been

Govt likely to outsource three major airports

mobilised so far in the PM’s COVID19 Fund and the pledges continue to be realised. The prime minister had committed that for each rupee donated by the donors, four rupees would be committed by the government.

In the interest of transparency, details about the disbursement and withdrawal would be made public.

Abdul Razzaq, an affected driver of Bara Kahu, told APP that he was jobless for more than two months and expressed his gratitude to the government for the financial support.

Shahida, a tailor from Rawalpindi, also expressed her satisfaction over the cash support and praised the prime minister for the initiative.

On Saturday, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) had approved a Rs75 billion emergency cash assistance package for labourers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, under which they would be provided Rs12,000 a month.

The prime minister had announced on May 3 that funds collected through the PM’s COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Assistance Fund 2020 will be used to assist labourers whose livelihood has been affected due to the lockdown and its impact on the economy.

Stakeholders to be given due weightage in upcoming budget: minister ISLAMABAD APP

ISLAMABAD SHAHZAD PARACHA

The federal government is likely to outsource the management of three major airports of the country, it was learnt on Monday.

Sources informed this scribe that the federal cabinet, in its meeting on Tuesday, would take up six agendas including the outsourcing of major airports of Pakistan.

The Aviation Division has proposed to outsource the management of Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi airports owing to their miserable conditions, especially at international terminals.

Sources claimed that the management outsourcing would improve the facilities at international terminals, which are necessary to promote tourism, investment, as well as the overall

image of the country. The ministry has also proposed separating the regulatory structure for the aviation industry, management, and landing functions under the new aviation policy, they added.

Presently, only one local (private) company is running the affairs of Sialkot International Airport, while all other airports are being looked after by the Civil Aviation Authority.

Sources said that the government could outsource some of the airports’ work to an Arab country, as earlier there were proposals to outsource some specific affairs to UAE or Qatar.

In addition to this, the cabinet would also take an issue pertaining to the appointment of the Securities and Exchange Policy Board chairman. The finance ministry has proposed the name of Masood Naqvi for the post.

It is pertinent to mention that former chairman SECP policy board Khalid Mirza had resigned from the said position during the first week of this month. The government had earlier removed him from the slot but had he moved court against the order.

Meanwhile, the cabinet would also discuss the Ministry of Finance's agenda with regard to the custody and operation of the Federal Consolidated Fund and Public Account.

Also, the Ministry of Water Resources would brief the cabinet on real time water flow measurement through telemetry monitoring by Indus River System Authority.

Similarly, cabinet would take up the health ministry’s summary regarding the nomination of board members under Islamabad Healthcare Regulation Act.

Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh said Monday the government was ready to listen to all stakeholders so that an innovative budget for the upcoming fiscal year (2020-21) could be prepared in accordance with the prevailing economic circumstances. The adviser was chairing a meeting at the Finance Division through video link with Dr Ikram ul Haq to discuss proposals on improving the tax structure of the country with the help of effective data gathering and reconciliation mechanism. Dr Ikram shared with the adviser the important inferences from data gathering exercise and suggested certain techniques for data reconciliation that could improve tax collection in a more effective manner. “The government is ready to listen to all stakeholders to prepare a budget which is according to the need of the prevailing economic circumstances and innovative in providing solutions to the structural problems of the economy,” he said. Shaikh said while preparing the next budget, there was need to be more vigilant, practical and analyze the opportunities and challenges offered by the current environment. The adviser appreciated the work done

by Dr Ikramul Haq for gathering data across the country from selected markets and from different chambers of commerce and industry, asking him to firm up his proposals in concise and doable manner and share the draft as early as possible with the ministry so that these proposals could be well incorporated in the upcoming budget. He also directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to collect data through multiple sources that might be best used for effective budget making exercise. The adviser said the basic purpose of this exercise was to consult experts to seek suggestions and insights so that the fundamental problems of the tax collection system in the country could be effectively addressed.

MARKET DAILY

Stocks lose 203 points on profit-booking KARACHI STAFF REPORT

The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) failed to carry forward positive momentum from the previous week, with the KSE-100 Index closing in the red amid profit booking.

Foreign investors closed the last week (May 11-15, 2020) as net sellers, registering a net outflow of $10.91 million.

According to analysts, the market posted decent gains earlier on Monday but profit booking compelled the benchmark index to

post losses at the end.

"The banking sector primarily led the market plunge, resulting in across the board losses," said a report issued by Arif Hibab Ltd. "Cement sector also couldn't escape selling pressure despite the fact that SBP's rate cut was meant to benefit the leveraged cement players."

The KSE-100 Index marked its intraday high after accumulating 384.79 points in early trade. However, failing to sustain gains, the index slid by 237.65 points to record its intraday low at

33,770.68. It finally settled lower by 203.36 points at 33,804.97.

Among other indices, the KMI-30 Index dropped 141.71 points to end at 55,220.37, whereas the KSE All Share Index added 37.45 points, closing at 24,245.47. Of the total traded shares, 141 advanced and 152 declined.

The overall market volumes increased from 213.3 million shares in the last session to 262 million shares (+23pc). Average traded value also surged by 17pc, from $38.8 million to $45.4 million. TRG Pakistan Limited (TRG +7.49pc), K-Electric Limited

(KEL +1.96pc) and Worldcall Telecom (WTL -3.19pc) topped the volume chart, exchanging 22.53 million, 17.95 million and 17.32 million shares, respectively. Sectors that dragged the index south included banking (-116.78 points), cement (-57.77 points) and miscellaneous (-41.76 points).

The banking sector lost -1.21pc from its cumulative market capitalisation, with MCB Bank Limited (MCB -2.34pc), United Bank Limited (UBL -2.02pc) and Bank AL Habib Limited (BAHL -3.02pc) closing in the red.

Meanwhile, in a notification to the ex-

change, BIPL Securities Limited (BIPLS +3.40pc) informed that it accepted AKD Securities Ltd's request to be provided with access to data room for the purpose of conducting due diligence.

Also, TPL Trakker Limited a subsidiary of TPL Corp Limited (TPL 0.00pc), has received an approval to issue, circulate and publish prospectus for the issuance of 58.3 million ordinary shares with a green shoe option of up to an additional 57.42 million ordinary shares to general public at a fixed price of Rs12 per share.

Tuesday, 19 May, 2020

10 FOREIGN NEWS

EUropEan landmarkS rEopEn bUt virUS HitS Hard ElSEwHErE ROME

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AGENCIES

AJOR landmarks including Saint Peter’s Basilica and the Acropolis in Athens reopened Monday as Europe accelerated its lockdown easing, but mounting coronavirus infections in Brazil, India and South Africa showed the worst is still to come in many countries.

The relaxation of curbs in Europe comes as governments walk the tightrope of struggling to repair the vast economic damage unleashed by the pandemic while preventing new infections that would force another round of restrictions.

The World Health Organization has warned that reopening too quickly without a vaccine could trigger a second devastating wave of infections in the pandemic that has already infected 4.7 million people.

The UN agency on Monday starts a virtual global health assembly to help chart a course out of the crisis, which has seen Japan becoming the latest to slump into a recession while the Fed warned of a severe US downturn.

Once the worst-hit country in the world, Italy on Monday took its latest step in a cautious, gradual return to normality, allowing businesses and churches to reopen after a two-month lockdown. In a live-streamed prayer Sunday, Pope Francis spoke of the “joy” of restarting services, calling it a “sign of hope for all society” as Saint Peter’s Basilica threw its door open to visitors.

NOT READY: The Vatican, an independent enclave in the heart of Rome, has applied the same anti-virus measures as Italy, which imposed strict lockdowns after a dizzying rise in Covid-19 deaths and infections that over-

whelmed hospitals.

While restaurants, bars, cafes, hairdressers, and stores will be allowed to reopen in Italy on Monday, not all proprietors have jumped at the opportunity to receive customers again.

“Either they’re not ready to go or they don’t have the economic strength to do so,” said Mauro, a construction worker sipping a coffee at the only cafe open at Rome’s Pi-

azza Navona. In Greece, President Katerina Sakellaropoulou was among the first to visit the historic Acropolis of Athens as archaeological sites across the country reopened after two months.

Spain is also set to further ease its lockdown measures, while Germany has already taken several steps towards a return to normality, including the resumption of its top football league — but with empty stadiums.

With an eye on dampening the economic storm unleashed by the crisis, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel would present plans to kick-start European Union activity later Monday.

SOUTH AMERICA, AFRICA HIT HARD: Despite the optimism in parts of Europe, the deadly pandemic remains on the march having claimed more than 315,000 lives.

The latest data has focussed fears on South America and Africa.

Deaths in Brazil have risen sharply in recent days, and with more than 241,000 infections reached over the weekend, South America’s largest country now has the fourth-highest caseload in the world.

While President Jair Bolsonaro has been a staunch opponent of lockdowns, claiming they have unnecessarily hurt the Brazilian economy, experts and regional leaders have warned that healthcare infrastructure could collapse.

The far-right leader alongside several ministers greeted hundreds of supporters in the capital Brasilia on Sunday in defiance of social distancing measures, telling the crowd that the virus restrictions were too much.

Latin America and the Caribbean have recorded more than half a million infections, almost half of them in Brazil, and there is growing alarm about the impact of the virus on the least privileged in the region.

Ecuador reported the first Covid-19 case in one of its indigenous Amazon tribes, deepening the crisis in one of South America’s hardest-hit countries.

Nicaraguan hospital staff have said the country’s health system is overwhelmed with patients suffering from respiratory illnesses and relatives say the bodies of loved ones are being carted off in pick-up trucks for “express burials” without their consent.

“Mourners are forced to chase trucks with the coffin to find out where their loved ones are being buried,” the opposition National Coalition said in a statement denouncing government secrecy.

Relatives “are threatened by police or paramilitaries so that they do not tell the truth about the causes of death,” it said.

There was also grim data in Africa, where the number of infections rose rapidly.

South Africa on Sunday reported 1,160 new coronavirus infections, the highest daily number since the first case was recorded in March, taking the total to 15,515 — the highest on the continent.

In Asia, India extended its lockdown covering 1.3 billion people to the end of May as it reported its biggest single-day jump in infections on Sunday.

Japan’s economy slips into recession TOKYO AGENCIES

China warns US of ‘all necessary measures’ over Huawei rules BEIJING: China’s commerce ministry says it will take “all necessary measures” in response to new US restrictions on Chinese tech giant Huawei’s ability to use American technology, calling the measures an abuse of state power and a violation of market principles. An unidentified spokesperson quoted on Sunday in a statement on the ministry’s website said the regulations also threatened the security of the “global industrial and supply chain”. “The US uses state power, under the socalled excuse of national security, and abuses export control measures to continuously oppress and contain specific enterprises of other countries,” the statement said. China will “take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises”, it said. Under the new rules, foreign semiconductor makers who use American technology must obtain a US license to ship Huawei-designed semiconductors to the Chinese company. Chip design and manufacturing equipment used in the world’s semiconductor plants is mostly US-made, so the new rule affects foreign producers that sell to Huawei and affiliates including HiSilicon, which mainly designs chipsets used in smartphones and wireless base stations. The US Commerce Department said foreign foundries would be granted a 120-day grace period for chips already in production. US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Friday that Washington wants to prevent Huawei from evading sanctions imposed earlier on its use of American technology to design and produce semiconductors abroad. Huawei Technologies Ltd, China’s first global tech brand and a maker of network equipment and smartphones, is at the centre of a US-Chinese conflict over Beijing’s technology ambitions. American officials say Huawei is a security risk, which the company denies. It wasn’t clear what form China’s response would take, but the sides are already deep in conflict over US accusations of copyright theft and unfair trading by firms in China’s heavily state-controlled economy.

Canada arrested Huawei’s chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of Huawei’s founder, in December 2018 in a case that sparked a diplomatic furor among the three countries and complicated high-stakes US-China trade talks. China detained two Canadians in apparent retaliation for Meng’s arrest. AGENCIES

Japan dived into its first recession since 2015, according to official data Monday, with the world’s third-largest economy contracting by 0.9 per cent in the first quarter as it wrestles with the fallout from the coronavirus.

The drop in gross domestic product followed a 1.9-per cent decline in the fourth quarter of 2019 as a tax hike and typhoons hit Japan hard — even before the pandemic shut down much of the economy.

A recession is defined as two consec-

utive quarters of negative GDP growth and some analysts predicted the Japanese economy would suffer worse as the effects of the coronavirus become clear.

“We expect the worst is yet to come, with the state of emergency in Japan and the severity of the pandemic among Western nations continuing to derail the Japanese economy,” said Naoya Oshikubo, senior economist at SuMi TRUST. Nevertheless, the first-quarter result was slightly better than economists had forecast, with expectations for a 1.1-per cent decline.

Japan has been hit less hard than most advanced economies by the coron-

avirus, with just over 16,000 cases in the whole country and around 750 deaths.

However, authorities were concerned there could be an explosive spike — especially in the densely populated capital Tokyo — and urged people to stay indoors and businesses to shut down.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a state of emergency that was lifted last week for most of the country but kept in place for economic powerhouse regions Tokyo and Osaka.

“Personal consumption has been the main casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic as consumer spending has been greatly affected by this due to people

staying at home,” Oshikubo said.

“But uncertainty stemming from the spread of the virus has also hit private capital investment as companies curtail their expenditure programmes,” added the expert.

In an attempt to mitigate the worst effects of the crisis, Abe has pledged to give every citizen a cash handout of 100,000 yen ($930).

The handout was part of a package of stimulus measures worth around $1 trillion to protect jobs, bolster the medical sector and ease the pain for working families.

Tourism has dropped by as much as 90 percent, industry and trade have ground to a halt and the virus also forced the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics that was seen as providing a boost to the economy.

Yemen could face ‘catastrophic’ food situation as pandemic worsens: FAO ADEN AGENCIES

Yemen, already pushed to the brink of famine by a fiveyear war, could see a “catastrophic” food security situation due to the coronavirus pandemic and lower remittances from the Gulf, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said on Monday.

The conflict between a Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement has caused what the United Nations describes as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Some 80 per cent of Yemen’s population are reliant on aid and millions face hunger.

“The health system was already under heavy stress and will now be overwhelmed if Covid-19 continues to spread and in addition it will affect the movement of people and the movement of goods,” Abdessalam Ould Ahmed, the FAO’s assistant director-general and regional representative for the Near East and North Africa, told Reuters.

“That situation could be really catastrophic if all the elements of worst case scenarios come to be but let’s hope not and the UN are working on avoiding that.”

Yemen, alongside Syria and Sudan, is one of the most vulnerable states in the Middle East in terms of food security. Lockdowns to prevent the spread of the virus are likely to impact humanitarian supply chains keeping a large part of the population fed, the UN agency said in a report on Monday.

Yemen has been mired in violence since the coalition intervened in 2015 against the Houthi group that ousted the Saudi-backed government in the capital, Sanaa, forcing it to rebase in the south.

The internationally recognised government has reported 128 Covid-19 infections with 20 deaths in areas under its control. The Houthis, who control most large urban centres, have announced four cases with one

CMYK

death, both in Sanaa.

The World Health Organisation said last Monday the virus was circulating undetected in Yemen, increasing the likelihood of a devastating outbreak among a malnourished population that would overwhelm a shattered health system with limited testing capacity.

There are currently 15.9 million Yemenis classified as food insecure out of a population of some 28 million.

The FAO does not currently have an estimate as to how much bigger that number could get if the disease continues to spread but it continues to monitor the situation.

The United States said on May 6 it would provide $225 million to the World Food Programme (WFP) for

Yemen, including for reduced operations in the north.

The WFP had said it would halve aid in Houthi-held areas from mid-April over donor concerns that the group is hindering aid deliveries, a charge it denies.

The FAO said Yemen, the poorest Arabian Peninsula nation, would also be hit by an expected decline in remittances from Yemenis in Gulf countries, which amounted to $3.8 billion in 2019. “This is a significant source of income for the country that may be considerably reduced,” Ould Ahmed said. Many foreign workers in the energy-producing region have lost jobs, been put on unpaid leave or had salaries cut due to the coronavirus and low oil prices.

Tuesday, 19 May, 2020

BaBar azam praying pandemic won't Sink world cup LAHORE

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AGENCIES

ORLD number one Twenty20 batsman Babar Azam said on Monday that he was praying the coronavirus pandemic would not scupper his first T20 World Cup as skipper. Australia are due to host the seventh Twenty20 World Cup in October and November but organisers face challenges of providing appropriate biosecurity and quarantine measures for 15 international teams.

Lingering travel restrictions could also hit the event, where 45 matches are scheduled to be played in seven cities.

“It will be my first World Cup as skipper so I am praying for it and keeping fingers crossed,” Azam said in a virtual press conference. The International Cricket Council (ICC) will discuss the event at its board meeting in Dubai next week. Azam said he would not mind if cricket was played in closed stadiums, without fans.

“It would be tough to play without fans because they cheer along and back you up, but who knows better than [us] how to play without crowds,” said Azam.

Pakistan was forced to play before sparse or no crowds in the United Arab Emirates in the aftermath of the 2009 attack against a visiting Sri Lanka team in Lahore. International cricket returned gradually from 2015 but it was only last year that the country managed to stage a Test at home after a gap of ten years.

The one-day international captain also

vowed to improve Pakistan's rankings.

“We are now fourth in Twenty20, sixth in ODIs and seventh in Tests which is not acceptable and I want to see improvements in that,” Azam said.

Pakistan topped the Twenty20 rankings from January 2018 to until last week.

Azam said he was keeping his 'fingers crossed' that this year's Twenty20 World

Cup would go ahead in Australia Meanwhile, batting great Younis Khan has said that a fair comparison between star batsman Babar Azam and India skipper Virat Kohli could only be possible in five years' time after the former is at the peak of his career, according to Gulf News.

Younis reasoned that Kohli's career numbers are far intimidating as he is an established superstar and has experience across all formats, not to mention the fact that he has already "proved himself”.

"You see, Kohli - who is now 31 and at the peak of his career - has been in international cricket for over a decade now and has proved himself in all conditions.

The 70 international centuries that he has scored is a testimony to his class and abilities," the former Pakistan captain said.

Younis said that Azam has only just begun to show his potential and will need more time to reach his peak.

"Babar Azam made his international debut barely five years back. He already has 16 centuries under his belt and shows very good averages in both Tests and ODIs," Younis said.

He further said that a comparison of the two would be premature but could be possible five years from now.

British government eyes mid-June Premier League return LONDON AGENCIES

Singapore F1 can't be held behind closed doors: organisers SINGAPORE AGENCIES

Singapore F1 organisers Monday said it was "not feasible" to hold the race behind closed doors, threatening further problems for the coronavirus-ravaged season. After 10 races were cancelled or postponed, Formula One bosses are aiming to begin the season with two races in Austria in July, both without fans.

Races in other countries are also expected to go ahead in closed venues. But the Singapore Grand Prix, scheduled for September, is a nighttime street race around the city-state's waterfront, where it would be challenging to keep spectators away. Organisers said they have been in talks with Formula One, the Singapore government and others involved "to assess different possibilities" for holding the race. But a spokesperson added that "as the Singapore F1 race is a street circuit, it is not feasible to conduct the race behind closed doors". Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel won last year's race, which drew 268,000 spectators over three days, a substantial portion of them coming from overseas.

Britain's Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden is hopeful the Premier League can resume by mid-June despite concerns raised by players and coaches over the need for an extended period of training before matches restart.

Premier League clubs are meeting on Monday to sign off on protocols that will allow a return to training this week, whilst maintaining social distancing guidelines.

The last top-flight match in England was on March 9 and Newcastle manager Steve Bruce said on Sunday his players could "fall down like a pack of cards" with injuries if matches return before the end of June.

England international Raheem Sterling also expressed his concern at a quick turnaround between a resumption of training and playing matches.

The Premier League have reportedly been aiming for a return on June 12. Dowden insisted public safety remained the priority, but is also hoping a restart is only around a month away.

"I had some very constructive discussions on Thursday with the FA, the EFL (English Football League) and the Premier League," Dowden told Sky News on Monday.

"We are working hard with them to

try and get it back, aiming for mid-June, but the number one test is public safety.

"They, like a lot of other sports we're looking at returning behind closed doors, have met with Public Health England several times to look at the safety. "If we can sort that out then we will look to resume by mid-June. We're making good progress."

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told parliament last week that the return of sport on TV would "provide a much-needed boost to national morale".

The resumption of Germany's Bundesliga over the weekend has raised expectations that the Premier League can

follow suit despite the drastically different scale of the health crisis in both countries. In the UK, the government's official rolling tally of fatalities is nearing 35,000 compared to just under 8,000 in Germany.

Nevertheless, the Bundesliga is proving a test case for the Premier League's 'Project Restart'.

English clubs who resisted a proposal for the remaining 92 matches of the campaign to be played at neutral venues will have been heartened that there were no significant problems with supporters turning up near stadiums in Germany for the restart.

SPORTS 11

Spanish clubs begin group training as la liga eyes June restart BARCELONA AGENCIES

Spanish clubs began training in groups of 10 players on Monday, in line with health protocols, as La Liga takes another step towards the planned resumption of the coronavirus-hit season next month. Barcelona confirmed that their squad was back on the training ground at 9:30am (0730 GMT), with pictures published on their Twitter account showing several players including Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets taking part in the session.

Real Madrid players also trained at the club's base on the outskirts of the Spanish capital, as clubs begin the last step towards being able to work with their full squads together. Spanish government protocol allows training sessions to be expanded by all clubs, even those belonging to areas that are further behind in the country's programme of de-escalation from a strict lockdown. That means teams like Real, Barcelona and Aletico Madrid are able to train in groups of 10, despite both Madrid and Catalonia remaining in 'phase 0' as two of Spain's worst-hit regions. Spain has been one of the world's hardest-hit countries by COVID-19 with a total of 27,650 reported deaths as of Sunday, and more than 231,000 confirmed cases. "It is a ministerial decision. It was very important that all teams could train in the same way," said Javier Tebas, the president of La Liga, on Sunday. Tebas reiterated La Liga's desire to finish the remaining 11 rounds of matches in a season that has been suspended since mid-March. He has circled June 12 as the ideal date for matches to return but admitted the exact timing will depend on the health authorities in Spain and the trajectory of the virus. "We are working so that (the return of La Liga) will take place from June 11-12, but we are working to be ready regardless of the date," Tebas told Movistar TV. "It is the health authorities who will say when we start. "I would like it to happen as soon as possible, but the truth is that we do not have an ideal date. We have to wait for the green light from the health authorities." According to an official statement by the government on Saturday, professional sports clubs "may carry out complete training sessions" while "complying with the corresponding prevention and hygiene measures". The statement put the maximum number at 14 for group training but La Liga informed clubs the limit would be 10 on Monday. Tebas has estimated that failing to complete the season would cost clubs around 1 billion euros ($1.08 billion).

Five Pak Greats in Sunil Gavaskar’s combined Pakistan-India Test XI ISLAMABAD

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APP

ORMER Indian Batsman Sunil Gavaskar has picked five Pakistani Greats in his Dream Combined Pakistan-India Test XI. He named the squad with Former Pakistani Skipper Rameez Raja on the Sony Ten show Pit Stop, as quoted by crickettimes.com.

His lineup consisted of greats from the two sides, who played in the golden generation predominantly. At the opening slot, he picked Pakistan’s stalwart late Hanif Mohammed and Virender Sehwag. Hanif was the first cricketer from Pakistan to post a triple-century.

Then, he chose Pakistan’s most significant number three batsman Asian Bradman Zaheer Abbas and ‘Master Blaster’ Sachin Tendulkar to complete his top order.

Gavaskar, during his stint at the commentary box, made it very lucid about being an ardent fan of Gundappa Vishwanath’s batting. Therefore, he included Vishwanath at

number five.

It was a no-brainer to include the two greatest all-rounders produced by the archrivals, Imran Khan and Kapil Dev. The wicket-keeping duties were appointed to Gavaskar’s former teammate Syed Kirmani. Bowling great Wasim Akram was the only specialist seamer in the lineup.

Whereas, the two spinners in the side were late Abdul Qadir and B.S. Chandrashekhar.

Sunil Gavaskar’s combined India-Pakistan Test XI: Hanif Mohammad, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Abbas, Sachin Tendulkar, Gundappa Viswanath, Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Syed Kirmani, Wasim Akram, Abdul Qadir, B.S. Chandrasekhar.

Meanwhile Rameez Raja picked a starstudded all-time Pakistan-India ODI XI. While listing the names, Raja revealed how his son’s suggestions had a huge say in reducing the pressures of choosing only XI players from a pool of giant players.

According to his son, the plan of picking some of the legendary Indian batsmen along with the best Pakistani bowlers was an easier

way to assemble a balanced and formidable playing XI. “I briefly discussed this with my son. It’s a massive situation to be in, how to

CMYK

assemble a star cast of some giants of the game. But he said no it’s very simple, you have Pakistan bowlers and Indian batsmen in

the line-up and you get a fantastic India-Pakistan XI,” sportskeeda.com quoted him as saying. The talented pool of XI players starts with Indian cricket team players Virender Sehwag and Sunil Gavaskar at the top of the order, followed by the current Indian cricket team skipper Virat Kohli at number three.

Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni complete the middle-order with being Dhoni handed the wicket-keeping responsibilities as well.

With the Indian batsman taking centrestage, Raja went with the of 1992 World Cup winning captain Imran Khan as his premier all-rounder along with the tried and tested swing-bowling pair of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. Saqlain Mushtaq and Anil Kumble were paired together to form a lethal spin-bowling duo. Ramiz Raja went with Imran Khan as captain.

The ODI XI includes Virender Sehwag, Sunil Gavaskar, Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni (WK), Imran Khan (C), Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Anil Kumble, Saqlain Mushtaq.

Tuesday, 19 May, 2020

NEWS

SUgAr InqUIry coMMISSIon SEEkS MorE TIME To SUbMIT rEporT INVESTIGATION IS REPORTED TO BE IN ITS FINAL STAGES

T

NEWS DESK

HE sugar crisis inquiry commission has once again sought more time to submit its detailed forensic audit report to the prime minister, a private news channel reported on Monday.

Reportedly, the forensic process in the investigation is in its final stages and is expected to be completed in the next few days.

Earlier this year, the country was battling shortages in the supply of both commodities, which had led to a surge in prices, leading to fierce criticism of the government’s policies as an inflation-battered public was left even more burdened.

Amidst allegations his own aides were behind the crises, Prime Minister Imran Khan had announced an inquiry, promising “strict punishment” for anyone found guilty of profiting from these scandals.

Near the end of March, the commission had submitted its preliminary reports on the sugar and wheat crises in the country to the prime minister. The 32-page report was prepared by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director-General Wajid Zia, based on the findings of the inquiry

commission constituted by PM Imran.

Hailing the preliminary reports as “unprecedented”, the premier had said he was now awaiting detailed forensic audit reports by the commission.

On April 4, two probe reports by the FIA were made public which named Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Jahangir Tareen, Khusro Bakhtiar, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) Monis Elahi and their relatives as the beneficiaries of the crises. However, contrary to the expectations, the report did not hold anyone responsible for the artificial shortage.

Subsequently, on April 6, while terming the inquiry reports on sugar and wheat crises in the country “unprecedented”, PM Imran had said he would wait

India should expect befitting response to any possible misadventure, FM warns MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday said that India should expect a befitting response to any possible misadventure it initiates. Speaking to reporters, Qureshi said the situation in occupied Kashmir was not hidden from anyone in the world. It was expected that India would soften its aggressive stance in the Muslim-majority region but unfortunately, that did not happen, he added. The Himalayan region has been under a brutal curfew and communications blackout for more than nine months since August 5, 2019, when India scrapped its special status. “India should expect a befitting response to any possible misadventure,” the minister added.

“Pakistan has been warning the world that there are people who are harming the peace process.” The global powers should take notice, Qureshi appealed, adding that India was “planning an adventure” in the region. The government of Pakistan desired a conducive environment for peace, he mentioned. Qureshi also spoke on the developments taking place in the rest of South Asia and condemned the terrorist attacks in Kabul and Nangarhar. The foreign minister termed the US-Taliban peace agreement “a major development”. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his rival, Abdullah Abdullah, have also struck a power-sharing deal, he added. He said Daesh’s role in the region was not hidden from anyone either and that the terrorist group had to be confronted as well. The foreign minister commented on the ongoing coronavirus crisis as well, saying if there was any sector that could get Pakistan out of the pandemic, it was agriculture. “We hope that the reduction in diesel prices would help the agriculture [sector],” he said. “A package worth Rs65 billion is being introduced to cut down the prices of fertiliser.” He said thousands of Pakistanis stranded abroad due to a suspension of international flights had been brought back home by the government and that another 110,000 Pakistanis wished to return. However, quarantining those who were returning from foreign countries was “a major issue”, Qureshi noted, explaining that the government was trying to increase the capacity. APP

for a detailed forensic report, which was expected to be released on April 25, on the matter before taking action against anyone.

He vowed that no powerful lobby would be able to gain undue profit and create an artificial shortage of essential items in the future.

The same day, the prime minister reshuffled his cabinet for the third time since forming his government in August 2018. Among others, the minister for national food security, Bakhtiar, who was also named as a beneficiary in the FIA reports, was reassigned to t portfolio of economic affairs. Reports from the same day also suggested Tareen was removed from his position as the chairman of the country’s Agriculture Task Force. However,

the sugar baron denied the reports, saying he was never appointed to any position in the first place.

On April 21, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had also announced to begin a “comprehensive” investigation on all aspects of the recent wheat and sugar crises, which witnessed a sharp surge in the prices of the two commodities.

In a statement, the anti-graft watchdog had said that a decision to probe reports of “plunder worth billions of rupees” through smuggling, price gouging, alleged subsidies and other aspects of these crises was taken during a meeting of the bureau’s executive committee, presided by NAB Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal. NAB Rawalpindi Director General Irfan Mangi had been tasked with investigating the case and present his report within a month.

However, on April 26, the commission had sought three more weeks to submit its detailed report which was originally due on April 25.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Mirza Shahzad Akbar had said that the inquiry commission had sought three more weeks for submitting its report.

“Sugar forensic Commission report was due today, however the Commission has requested the federal government for extension of time (3 weeks) for submission of a thorough report and their request will be considered by the federal cabinet on Tuesday,” he had said in a tweet.

G20 debt relief unlikely to change anything for developing countries: Moody’s

Islamophobic posts cost another Indian his job in UAE NEWS DESK An employee of a mining firm in Ras Al Khaimah has become the latest in a long line of UAE-based Indian expatriates to have lost their job because of Islamophobic social media posts. Brajkishore Gupta was fired without notice for calling Indian Muslims coronavirus spreaders and hailing Delhi riots as divine justice in his Facebook posts, Gulf News reported. Over 50 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in the ensuing violence which rocked the walled city in February of this year. Originally from Chapra, in the Indian state of Bihar, Gupta was employed by Stevin Rock, a mining company headquartered in Ras Al Khaimah. “This isolated incident involving a junior employee was investigated and dealt with immediately resulting in the termination without notice of this person’s employment with Stevin Rock,” the company’s business development and exploration manager JeanFrançois Milian said in an email to Gulf News on Sunday. “Our company policy supports the direction of the UAE Government in promoting tolerance and equality and strongly denouncing racism and discrimination and we have sent communications to all of our employees irrespective of their religious or ethnic background reminding them that any such behavior is unacceptable and will lead to immediate dismissal,” said Milian. Both the former and current Indian Ambassadors to the UAE have warned their countrymen about the consequences of violating the UAE’s strict hate speech laws. Similar warnings have been issued by missions in other GCC countries but they appear to have fallen on deaf ears. Of late, several Indians have lost jobs and faced legal action for their offensive posts after being called out by other social media users. In May alone at least three such hate-mongers were fired or suspended in the UAE after many tagged their employers in their complaints, who in turn took swift punitive action.

Taliban claim car bomb that killed at least 7 in east Afghanistan KABUL

KARACHI

AGENCIES

MEIRYUM ALI

The G-20 debt suspension initiative is unlikely to ease credit challenges that the coronavirus pandemic has amplified in some developing countries, according to a report released on Monday by Moody's Investors Service.

The global rating agency’s research arm said in the sector report titled “G-20 debt service freeze supports liquidity, high debt level challenges will intensify”, that frontier market sovereigns, particularly in Africa, would face significant medium to long-term debt issues.

“While debt-service relief will allow some governments to reallocate scarce resources toward health and social spending, it will not have a significant impact on weaker medium-term debt trends,” said Lucie Villa, a Moody's Vice President - Senior Credit Officer, and the report's co-author.

“The coronavirus shock will lead to sharply lower growth this year, wider budget deficits and higher debt burdens for at least the next few years, as well as higher borrowing costs, at least for debt contracted on commercial terms.”

While the report mostly focused on frontier markets in Africa, it did mention Pakistan in two capacities. First, it said that bilateral relief would only cover a fraction of the increased external funding gap resulting from the shock.

“We estimate that Angola, Vietnam, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Kenya have the highest debt-service payments to official creditors as a share of GDP, at between 1pc and 4pc,” the re-

port highlighted.

Second, the report also said that the coronavirus shock and the authorities' associated policy response have opened large fiscal and external imbalances that will take time to unwind.

“The economic downturn will significantly constrain government tax receipts, while health and social spending pressures will persist, constraining debt-service capacity. We expect that some countries such as the Maldives, Kenya, Mongolia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka will continue to register large fiscal deficits in 2021,” the report said.

Moody's estimated that the suspension of debt-service payments could reduce the funding needs of eligible Moody's-rated sovereigns by about $10 billion over the next eight months.

However, this would only cover a fraction of the external gap, leaving an outstanding shortage of around $40 billion. According to Moody’s, new official sector disbursements are expected to help fill the gap, including emergency financing from the IMF.

The Taliban claimed a deadly attack on an Afghan intelligence agency post on Monday, even as they urged the new power-sharing government to accelerate a prisoner swap to pave the way for talks.

At least seven intelligence personnel were killed by a car bomb in the eastern province of Ghazni, Wahidullah Jumazada, spokesman for the province’s governor told AFP. “The terrorists have used a humvee in their attack. They have targeted the National Directorate of Security (NDS) unit in Ghazni city,” he said, adding that 40 people were wounded.

The interior ministry in Kabul and a health official in Ghazni also confirmed the car bomb. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter that its insurgents had carried out the attack. The bombing comes a day after President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah signed a new power-sharing accord in Kabul, ending their bitter months-long feud.

The agreement overcomes one of the hurdles to negotiations with the Taliban, which warned on Monday that talks cannot open until a piecemeal prisoner swap is completed. “That which is taking place in Kabul is only a repetition of the past failed experiences,” Suhail Shaheen, a Taliban spokesman, said on Twitter in what was the group’s first reaction to the Ghani-Abdullah deal. “Afghan sides should focus on [a] real and sincere solution to the issue […] The prisoners’ release process should be completed and the intra-Afghan negotiations should start.” Last week President Ashraf Ghani ordered security forces to switch to an “offensive” position against the militants after two deadly attacks killed dozens of people.

WHO wins praise from many countries, criticism from US GENEVA AGENCIES

The World Health Organisation received praise from many countries but fierce criticism from the United States at its virtual assembly, as members sought to agree a joint response to COVID-19 — and assurances that any vaccine would be available to all.

“COVID-19 must be a wake-up call. It is time for an end to the hubris,” United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the virtual assembly.

“Either we get through this pandemic together, or we fail.”

The annual World Health Assembly (WHA) has this year been trimmed from the usual three weeks to just two days, and is focusing solely on the pandemic, which has

killed over 315,000 people globally.

Speaking by video-link, a wide range of country leaders and health ministers hailed the WHO’s efforts to coordinate the response, and urged more funding and stronger support for the UN agency. But US health secretary Alex Azar blamed the WHO for not obtaining or providing the information needed to stem the pandemic.

WHO ‘FAILURE’: “We must be frank about one of the primary reasons this outbreak spun out of control: there was a failure by this organisation to obtain the information that the world needed, and that failure cost many lives,” he said.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus meanwhile reiterated to the assembly that his organisation had “sounded the alarm early, and we sounded it often”.

And Guterres noted: “Many countries have ignored the recommendations of the World Health Organization.” The world was “paying a heavy price” for the sometimes contradictory strategies, he added.

Washington is locked in an increasingly bitter spat with Beijing, where the pandemic began late last year. But it has also increasingly taken aim at the WHO. US President Donald Trump announced last month that Washington, the WHO’s largest donor, would suspend its funding to the organisation.

Despite the growing tensions between the world’s two largest economies, member states hope the WHA would adopt a resolution aimed at fashioning a joint response, including commitments on equitable access to potential treatments and vaccines.

‘GLOBAL PUBLIC GOOD’: French President Emmanuel Macron said any vaccine must “be a global public good”. German Chancellor Angela Merkel also insisted it “should of course be available and affordable to all”. A WHA resolution tabled by the European Union also calls for an “impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation” of the international response to the coronavirus crisis.

An EU source hailed the draft as “ambitious”, pointing out that if it passed by consensus as expected, it would mark the first time a global forum had achieved unanimous support for a text on the COVID-19 response.

Countries had not shied away from thorny topics, said the source — including a call for more WHO reform after determining that its capacities had “proven insufficient to

prevent a crisis of this magnitude”.

Azar called for an independent review of “every aspect” of the UN health agency’s response to the pandemic.

While Tedros welcomed that call, he stressed there was no need to dramatically overhaul the WHO. The immediate need was to “strengthen, implement and finance the systems and organisations it has — including WHO.” Xi also said Beijing would support a “comprehensive evaluation” of the global response to the pandemic — once the virus had been brought under control.

While diplomats have agreed in principle on the draft resolution, observers voiced concern that in the current politicised atmosphere, some countries might still choose to break the consensus.

Published by Arif Nizami at Plot No 66-C, 1st Floor, 21st Commercial Street, Phase-II (Extension), DHA Karachi and printed at Ibn-e-Hassan Printing Press, Hockey Stadium, Karachi. Ph: 021-35381208-9. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk