Epaper – May 21 ISB 2021 by Pakistan Today

Friday, 21 May, 2021 I 9 Shawwal, 1442 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 320 I 12 Pages I Islamabad Edition

Pakistan holds UnsC resPonsible for failUre in maintaining int’l PeaCe, seCUrity g

says unsc eVen failed to deMand a cessation of hostilities by israel against Palestine

Voice of Palestinians cannot & will not be silenced, says fM Qureshi

ISLAMABAD

Mian abrar

akistan on thursday said that it was “appalling” that the un security council had been “unable to exercise its primary responsibility” of maintaining international peace and security, adding that it had “failed to demand even a cessation of hostilities” committed by israeli forces in Palestine. the views came as foreign Minister shah Mahmood Qureshi addressed an emergency meeting of the united nations general assembly (unga) convened to discuss israel’s devastating violence against the Palestinians in gaza, stressing that the “voice of the Palestinian people cannot and will not be silenced”. Qureshi noted that israel has mounted a “relentless onslaught” against the people of Palestine, resulting in scores of deaths and limited access to food, water, hygiene and health services. hospitals and hygiene services depended on electricity but fuel for the power plants had almost run out, he pointed out. “as we speak, people in Palestine are being killed with impunity. death echoes in every home in gaza. [the enclave] is plunged in darkness literally and metaphorically; the only light is of israeli explosions. “it is time to say enough. the voice of the

Palestinian people cannot and will not be silenced. we, the representatives of the islamic world are here, to speak with them and for them,” said Qureshi. “this is Palestine where, in full view of the world, israeli airstrikes bring down entire buildings to kill and terrorise innocent Palestinians and even silence the media,” he said while referring to israel’s destruction of a high-rise building in gaza city that housed offices of the associated Press, al Jazeera and other media outlets on saturday. the countries preventing the un from putting forth a resolution demanding an end to the violence bore a heavy responsibility, Qureshi said.

“we must not fail the Palestinian people at this critical juncture,” he said and expressed the hope that the unsc would issue a call for the cessation of israeli attacks. “let us be clear, there is no more room for military equivalence between the beleaguered and occupied Palestinian people who have no army, no navy and no airforce, and the israeli war machine — one of the most powerful in the world. “this is a war between a military occupier and an occupied people. it is a war between an illegal occupation and a legitimate struggle for self-determination,” he said, pointing out to unga resolution 2649 which he said affirmed the legitimacy of the struggle of people under colonial and illegal domination to fight for their right to self-determination using any means at their disposal. “we should mobilise all possible humanitarian help for the devastated Palestinian population in gaza and other parts of the occupied territories,” he said, urging the global body to arrange a comprehensive humanitarian assistance programme. Qureshi said that it was necessary to send medical teams, medicines, food and other supplies to Palestine. he called for an international force to be deployed for protection and for israel to open all access points to gaza so aid could reach the enclave.

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Opponents scared of ‘political death’ if I succeed: PM ISLAMABAD staff report

Prime Minister imran khan has said that his political opponents and mafia want to topple his government because they are scared if he succeeds, it will be their “political death.” the prime minister said this while addressing the virtual groundbreaking ceremony of 103 kilometres long naukundiMashkhel road to enhance connectivity in balochistan. he said that all mafias are trying to blackmail the government to get immunity or nro, but he is determined to bring them all under the law. the premier, while recalling the 2018 general elections, said that his opponents

had predicted that Pakistan tehreek-e-insaf would face defeat in the polls. “but we secured the two-thirds majority in khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to our performance and our opponents are wary of the same results in the upcoming elections at the national level,” he maintained. talking about his vision of governance, PM imran said that he wants rule of law and to help the downtrodden. he said that no society can progress without upholding rule of law. in the days to come, he added, his government will unveil another welfare initiative under which the poor segment of society will be given direct subsidy on food, electricity and other essential items.

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Friday, 21 May, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

Sindh to keep Covid-19 reStriCtionS amid Surge in CaSeS KARACHI

inP

InDH’S Coronavirus Task Force on Thursday decided to keep the ongoing restrictions to contain surge in virus cases in the province. A session of the task force chaired by Chief Minister of Sindh decided to hold another meeting on Saturday to reassess the pandemic situation in the province. Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah stated that 20,421 samples were tested for the contagion yesterday, 9000 among them were from Karachi. Overall 2,076 new

cases were diagnosed, indicating a detection rate of 10.2 percent, the Sindh CM said. “The rate of positive cases in Karachi remained 16.82 percent,” Murad Ali Shah said. “On Eid ul Fitr (May 13) total 1232 coronavirus cases were diagnosed, while after the Eid on May 19, total 2076 cases detected in a day,” the chief minister told the meeting. “These numbers showing a rising trend of Covid-19 cases in Sindh,” Shah stated. “It seems difficult to provide relief in restrictions in the province amid rising number of cases,” Sindh chief minister said. The task force will review the

Fire breaks out at pakistan embassy in tokyo TOKYO sTAFF RePORT

A fire broke out at the building housing Pakistan mission in Tokyo, Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said Thursday. no injuries were reported and the staff was evacuated to safer places, said Chaudhri who further announced firefighters were dispatched immediately after the Tokyo Fire Department was informed of the emergency situation at around 2:00 pm (GMT+9). The fire brigade was successful in its efforts to extinguish the blaze, he informed. no major property damage was reported, the embassy tweeted. “The cause of the fire is being ascertained in collaboration with the local police and the fire department,” Chaudhri said. The building is located in the affluent district of Azabu that houses several diplomatic missions.

situation in province in Saturday meeting. “It will soften restrictions if the cases decline but if the cases surge it will further tighten the restrictions,” the task force decided in the meeting. A representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) will also give recommendations to tackle the situation in the Saturday session. A day earlier, the national Command Operation Center announced the lifting of a number of restrictions, including the reopening of educational institutions, in districts where the positivity rate is less than five percent and the resumption of outdoor dining,

imposed to control the spread of the coronavirus in the country. B.1.617 — the highly contagious United Kingdom variant of coronavirus — now accounts for up to 70 percent of nationwide Covid-19 infections, a research centre studying the disease in the country reported earlier this month. “There is a 60 percent to 70 percent prevalence of the UK variant in Pakistan (today),” Professor Dr Muhammad Iqbal Chaudhry, director at the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi, told Reuters, adding that this figure was 2 percent in January.

Auction process of Nawaz Sharif’s properties set into motion SHEIKHUPURA inP

The auction of 88-Kanal land of former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-nawaz supremo nawaz Sharif has been set into motion at Sheikhupura’s Municipal Hall following the order of Islamabad High Court which had thrown out the petitions filed by nawaz and others against the auction on Thursday. However, not a single bidder has arrived at the hall as yet while members of the five-member committee constituted by the Sheikhupura are present at the site and are inviting people to participate in the bidding process. The district administration has fixed the schedule rate

at Rs7 million per acre. If less than three persons participated in the bidding process, the auction would be deemed to have been cancelled. Meanwhile, a person named Muhammad Ashraf has come up with the claim that he had purchased the land from the former prime minister in 2014 but since nawaz went abroad for treatment, he could not get the land transferred in his name and the case was pending at the civil court. The authorities advised Muhammad Ashraf to move the court for relief. Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Asghar Joeya has said that the amount collected from the auction would be deposited in the national exchequer.

Drones to digital: Pakistan joins nations innovating to plug Covid health gaps ISLAMABAD Agencies

As Covid-19 strains Pakistan’s health system, tens of thousands of women doctors are sitting at home, their talents squandered in a country where millions have no access to medical care. Many families encourage their daughters to study medicine not for a career, but to bolster their marriage prospects. The phenomenon even has a name — “doctor-brides”. Appalled by the waste of expertise, entrepreneur Sara Saeed Khurram has set up a telemedicine platform enabling female medics to provide e-consultations from their homes to patients in rural communities.

“Half the population in Pakistan — 100 million people — never get to see a doctor in their lifetime,” Khurram, CEO of Sehat Kahani, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “At the same time, we have another big challenge which is very close to my heart — more than 60 percent of our doctors are women, but most don’t work.” Sehat Kahani is among a myriad of social enterprises — businesses seeking to build a better world — that are innovating to plug healthcare gaps in developing countries, a task given added urgency by the Covid-19 crisis. On Friday, G20 countries, health organisations, and other experts will meet for an online summit to share lessons from the pandemic and brainstorm on how to

bolster health systems. Khurram, who has seen patient numbers increase ten-fold during the pandemic, believes her model could be replicated in other developing countries with doctor shortages. Since launching in 2017, Sehat Kahani has established 35 rural telemedicine clinics across Pakistan where, for a small fee, a patient can see a nurse who will link them via the platform to a doctor. The nurse is trained to carry out examinations guided by the doctor who may be sitting at home hundreds of miles away. Patients with a smartphone can also contact a doctor directly via an app. Khurram, herself a doctor, said the doctor-bride phenomenon, compounded by a brain drain, meant only 90,000 of

200,000 trained doctors were practising in the country. “A female doctor gets the best hand in marriage so everyone wants their daughter to become a doctor, but not everyone wants their daughter-in-law to work,” she said. DOUBLE MISSION: In neighbouring India, where an escalating Covid crisis has left the health system on its knees, entrepreneur Kunaal Dudeja said the country needs about 30 million more healthcare professionals to support doctors and nurses. In 2018, he co-founded Virohan Institute to train young people, many from lower-income backgrounds, in dozens of paramedical roles from laboratory technicians to operating theatre assistants.

kp Cm reshuffles cabinet PESHAWAR inP

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Thursday assigned and reshuffled the portfolios of his ministers, advisers, and special assistants and with immediate effect. According to a notification issued by KP Cabinet Division, Fazle Shakoor Khan has been appointed as minister for law and parliamentary affairs while Atif Khan has been appointed minister for food with an additional portfolio of minister for science and technology and information technology. Shakeel Ahmad Khan has been appointed as minister for public health engineering, Khaliqur Rehman as adviser to chief minister on excise and taxation, Taj Muhammad as special assistant to the chief minister for energy and power while Shafi Ullah is given the post of special assistant to the chief minister on prisons.

pakistan urges unSC to hold israel accountable for war crimes ISLAMABAD sTAFF RePORT

Pakistan has urged the United nations Security Council to initiate steps to hold Israel accountable for its war crimes and crimes against humanity and to implement relevant Un resolutions to resolve the Palestine issue. During his weekly news briefing on Thursday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said that Kashmir and Palestine issues are the longest disputes on the Un Security Council's agenda. He said that Pakistan continues to condemn Israel's deliberate and systematic assault against the people of Palestine, its violation of the sanctity of the holy places, particularly the Al-Aqsa Mosque. He also criticised Israel's continued policy of expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, enforced evictions of Palestinians and demolishing of their houses as well as targeting of journalists and international media outlets. The spokesperson said that Pakistan deplores Israel's indiscriminate and disproportionate force, including aerial bombing, as well as destruction of civilian infrastructure. Regarding Pakistan's Palestine policy, he said, “We have always been at the forefront of the countries supporting the just cause of the Palestinian people.” He said that Pakistan has sponsored, co-sponsored or supported every resolution on Palestine at all international fora, including the United nations and the OIC. He also said that Pakistan co-sponsored the Un General Assembly Resolution, upgrading Palestine to a non-member observer state of the Un in 2012. Responding to another question, Chaudhri said that Pakistan is not shied away of talks with India, but it should be meaningful and result-oriented to resolve the outstanding issues of which Kashmir is the core dispute.

Message from Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong

Ay 21, 2021 is a day of special significance for the People’s Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. As the Chinese old saying goes, “Even mountains and seas cannot distance people with common aspirations.” 70 years ago, China and Pakistan joined hands overpass the Karakoram Mountains to formally establish diplomatic relations. The past 70 years have witnessed the two countries sharing weal and woe. The time-tested China-Pakistan friendship now sets exemplaryfor state-to-state relations, and is strategic asset for both countries, most dearly cherished by the twopeoples. ——Similar histories brought us close to each other. Both China and Pakistan are developing countries and have similar experiences in getting rid of foreign aggression and seeking independence. At such critical times, be it when new China endeavored to break the external blockade and open up a new prospect for diplomacy, or when Pakistan stood up to crises to defend national dignity, we have always been there for each other.

——Similar ideas guide us stand shoulder to shoulder. China and Pakistan are the backbones in maintaining regional peace and stability. The two countries firmly defend multilateralism, free trade and win-win cooperation, commit to improving the global governance system, and support increasingthe

representation and voice of developing countries in international affairs. China and Pakistan always respect the diversity of civilizations, and advocate the vision of exchanges rather than estrangement, mutual learning rather than conflict, and coexistence rather than seeking superiority.

——Common interests deepen our cooperation. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is an important pilot project of the Belt and Road Initiative. 46 projects have been completed or under construction, with a total investment of US$25.4 billion. The CPEC successfully helped Pakistan solve the power shortage that has plagued it for decades, established the main traffic line from north to south, and revitalized Gwadar Port to become a regional trade hub. China has been Pakistan's largest trading partner for six consecutive years and largest source of FDI for seven consecutive years. ——The tests of crisis reconfirms our common choice. The two peoples are always the first to lend a helping hand to each other when the other side is in trouble. When Wenchuan earthquake hit China in 2008, and when flood plagued Pakistan in 2010, both sides supported each other with full efforts. After the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the governments, armies and all walks of life of the two countries have rendered mutual assistance, and carried out close cooperation in fields of emergency supplies,

COVID-19 prevention experiencessharing, vaccine research and development, thus setting a model for international cooperation against the pandemic. 2021 is a year of great significance for both China and Pakistan. China celebrates the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and is implementing the 14th Five-year Plan to embark on a new journey of modernization. Pakistan is making every effort to develop its economy and realize the naya Pakistan vision proposed by Prime Minister Imran Khan, providing us with new opportunities for China-Pakistan cooperation. Standing at a new historic starting point, the two countries should further implement the important consensus reached by our leaders, continue to deepen the iron-clad friendship between China and Pakistan, and jointly build a closer China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future in the new Era. China will continue to put Pakistan on the top agenda of its diplomacy, and firmly support Pakistan to maintain sovereign independence and territorial integrity, and exert a greater

constructive role in international and regional affairs. We will continue to provide Pakistan support of medical supplies and vaccines within our capacity until Pakistan completely defeats the pandemic. Following the principle of mutual benefit, win-win cooperation, opening-up and inclusiveness, China will work with Pakistan to boost high-quality development of the CPEC ,focus more on industry, agriculture, science and technology and people’s livelihood, so as to develop Pakistan’s manufacturing industry and increase employment and income of its people. China will continue to work closely with Pakistan to deepen the friendship between the two peoples, especially the young generation. We will endeavor to carry forward the ChinaPakistan iron-clad friendship for another 70 years, enhancing the allweather friendship and all-dimensional cooperation, and work together to uplift ChinaPakistan bilateral relations to a new level with a brighter future. Last but not the least, on behalf of the Embassy of China in Pakistan, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude and great respect to Pakistani friends from all circles who care about and support the development of our bilateral relations. Chin-Pak Dosti Zindabad！

Friday, 21 May, 2021

ISLAMABAD

imran, china counterPart extol relationshiP as ‘all-weather’ ties turn 70 ISLAMABAD

Staff RepoRt

RIME Minister Imran Khan and his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang on Thursday reaffirmed their resolve to further push cooperation to a higher level, wider range, and greater depth as the two countries celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. In a telephonic conversation, the two leaders stressed the need to continue with the momentum of highlevel exchanges to further diversify and deepen strategic cooperation between the two countries. The two countries kicked off the virtual anniversary celebrations in March with a plan to celebrate it through May 21. This occasion is an opportunity to survey the journey of bilateral relations established in 1951, officials from both countries say. During the call, the anniversary celebrations and cooperation on the Covid-19 vaccine were also discussed, APP reported.

Imran congratulated Keqiang on the special occasion which the state broadcaster said will be celebrated by both sides with traditional zeal. Imran emphasised that with collective and tireless efforts over the years, Pakistan and China had transformed their relationship into an “all-weather strategic co-operative partnership”. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a flagship project of the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative and has generated economic activity, employment and will further enhance bilateral and regional trade. He highlighted joint cooperation in fighting the pandemic and appreciated continued Chinese support to Pakistan in the supply of the vaccine doses. The prime minister also thanked China for providing assistance to the National Institute of Health for establishing a vaccine manufacturing facility in Pakistan which he said would further strengthen Islamabad’s efforts to combat coronavirus. He also congratulated Keqiang and the Chinese leadership for the successful

Pakistan wants to enhance defence cooperation with ukraine: coas

landing of its spacecraft, Tianwen-1, on Mars, which demonstrated the rising technological prowess of China. TIES CORNERSTONE OF PAKISTAN’S FOREIGN POLICY: Separately, Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong said the two countries were tied in deep-rooted relations and the ties will further strengthen with the passage of time. He was addressing the book launching ceremony in Islamabad. “China is fully committed to the development of Pakistan. We should be fully prepared to defeat those who are not happy with the Pakistan-China close friendship and success of the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor project,” said Rong. He further said people-to-people exchanges played an important role in developing bilateral relations. China and Pakistan should encourage people from all walks of life, especially the younger generation, to more actively participate in activities of friendly exchanges, so as to advance mutual understanding and friendship between the two nations, he said. Speaking on the occasion, Foreign

Dr Moeed’s elevation as NSA brings a combo of challenges, opportunities ISLAMABAD

RAWALPINDI

Mian abRaR

Staff RepoRt

Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has said that Pakistan desires to enhance defence cooperation with Ukraine based on the transfer of technology and joint ventures in future as both sides could benefit from each other's experience. The army chief's comments came during his visit to a military test site in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, as General Bajwa is in the country on an official visit, the Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement on Thursday. The army chief took a keen interest in the tests and appreciated the performance of all ranks associated with the projects, the military's media wing said. Before he visited the site, the army chief met Prime Minister of Ukraine Shmyhal Denys and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine Uruskyi Oleh. During the separate meetings, matters of mutual interest, regional security situation, including recent developments in the Afghan peace process, and enhanced bilateral and defence cooperation in various fields were discussed. Pakistan attaches great importance to furthering bilateral relations with Ukraine and believes that both nations would develop meaningful and long-term relationships through enhanced cooperation, the army chief said. "Both dignitaries appreciated Pakistan's contributions to conflict prevention in the region, especially the Afghan peace process," the military's media wing said. Earlier the COAS also called on Minister of Defence of Ukraine Taran Andrii, Minister of Defence and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Lieutenant General Serhii Korniichuk, Commander of the Army of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Lieutenant General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Avakov Arsen. On arrival at Ukraine's Ministry of Defence, COAS was presented a guard of honour by a smartly turned-out military contingent, the ISPR said. Besides mutual and professional interests, matters of defence and security collaboration between both countries and the overall regional security situation were discussed during the meetings.

The elevation of Dr Moeed Yusuf as the national security adviser can be seen as a positive development as the establishment of a permanent Office of the NSA would help deal with challenges in an uncertain global and regional environment that presents myriad challenges but may also throw up new opportunities for Pakistan. It is important to note that unlike many other major countries in the world, Pakistan has appointed NSAs sporadically, even though this function is increasingly seen as vital in ensuring a whole-of-government approach on national security issues. Previously, Pakistan had no dedicated office of the NSA. The last NSA, Lt Gen (r) Nasser Janjua as well as Dr Moeed, in his capacity as special assistant to the prime minister, had been placed in the National Security Division. Placing this office in the chief executive’s office, the prime minister in this case, is the norm for most countries and can help strengthen national security

coordination directly under the leadership of the premier. An official source in the federal government has told Pakistan Today that the NSA’s role will be advisory in nature and it will help in coordinating key policy priorities of the prime minister between ministries as well as between the civilian and military arms of government. “It’s most important function will be to continue providing strategic analysis and policy inputs on both traditional and non-traditional security issues to the prime minister. It will do so in collaboration with the National Security Division, which is also responsible for producing Pakistan’s national security policy,” the official said, adding that the NSA will also advise the PM on national security dialogues with counterparts. Traditionally, the civilian governments in Pakistan lacked an effective institutional mechanism for long-term strategic thinking and policy planning. This affected the decision-making process as well, where key decisions were taken without long-term strategic planning or foresight. “This may also explain the decision to appoint Dr Moeed as NSA as his background is in this field.

FM calls for collective voice of Muslim states to condemn Israel’s violence against Palestinians NEW YORK app

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has asserted that the entire Muslim Ummah is outraged over Israel’s use of indiscriminate force against innocent Palestinians and called for a joint voice to condemn the violence. The foreign minister was speaking at a working dinner hosted at the Pakistan Embassy in New York for the visiting foreign ministers of Organization of Islamic countries, including Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu (Turkey), Riad AlMalki (Palestine), Monsieur Othman Jerandi (Tunisia) and General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir. Permanent Representative of Pakistan at the United Nations Ambassador Munir Akram and Pakistan’s Ambassador in Washington DC Asad Majeed Khan also joined. The foreign ministers discussed the worsening situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and called the need to formulate a unified and unequivocal response from the OIC member states ahead of tomorrow’s UNGA

special meeting on the situation in Palestine. FM Qureshi reiterated Pakistan’s strongest possible condemnation of Israel’s deliberate and systematic assault against Palestinian worshippers in the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the month of Ramadan, violation of the sanctity of the holy sites, its policy of expansion of illegal settlements as well as forced eviction of Palestinians, and demolition of their homes with impunity. He expressed his deep gratitude to all brotherly OIC countries, who along with Pakistan, played a proactive role in convening the special meeting of the UN General Assembly. He expressed the hope that the special meeting of the General Assembly would help send a strong message on behalf of the OIC to the international community to help end the Israeli aggression and to take concrete steps to find a solution to the Palestinian issue. Earlier, the delegation of foreign ministers of Pakistan, Turkey, Palestine and Tunisia arrived at the John F Kennedy Airport in New York.

NCOC permits holding of professional tests even as cases grow ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt

Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood on Thursday announced in-person professional assessments can now take place, even as the nation witnessed an increase of 29 percent in the number of new Covid-19 cases over the last 24 hours. “NCOC has allowed holding of professional exams/tests etc,” the minister announced in a tweet. “Please apply to Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Islamabad with

Secretary Sohail Mahmood said the ties with China are and will continue to remain the cornerstone of Islamabad’s foreign policy. He also recalled Beijing supported Islamabad on the issue of Indianoccupied Kashmir. “The CPEC project will promote the regional connectivity and contribute to the national development as well. The CPEC has entered into the second phase with a focus on industrialization and the agriculture sector to ensure socioeconomic development,” Mahmood added. He further expressed gratitude to China over the provision of the coronavirus vaccine and help saving precious lives. “High-level exchanges are the hallmark of our relations to further solidify the mutual cooperation between the two countries,” he added. Expressing his views on the occasion, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Moinul Haque said the two countries enjoy strong relations as they always supported each other in testing times and played an important role in ensuring regional peace and stability.

details of exam centres, number of students and SOPs [standard operating procedures] to be followed. If all arrangements are satisfactory permission will be given promptly,” he added. In a statement, the National Command and Operation Center said 4,207 cases were registered on Wednesday against the 3,256 cases reported the previous day, bringing the total caseload of confirmed cases to 890,391. The rise in new infections came days after the government started to ease anti-

pandemic restrictions including the resumption of inter-provincial, inter-city, and intra-city public transport. The NCOC also allowed educational institutions, restaurants, and tourist destinations to open from May 24 and issued a timeline for a number of other sectors. However, it announced the educational institutions will open only in districts with less than five percent positivity rate and in a staggered manner, the body announced. However, shrines, indoor dining,

indoor gyms, cinemas, amusement parks, contact sports, festivals, cultural and other events will remain prohibited for an indefinite time. TRAVELLERS TEST POSITIVE: 60 traveller arriving from Dubai tested positive for Covid-19 on arrival at the Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar. NCOC records suggest passengers returning from Gulf countries continue to test positive for Covid-19 despite a mandatory negative RT-PCR test. To date, some 140 samples sent for rapid coronavirus testing have returned positive. The passengers reached Peshawar from Dubai through a Pakistan International Airlines flight.

NEWS

13 killed, over 30 injured in bus crash ISLAMABAD: At least 13 people were killed and over 30 others injured when a passenger bus turned turtle in Sukkur district of Sindh in the wee hours of Thursday, media reported. The bus was on its way to Karachi from Multan, Sukkur Senior Superintendent of Police Irfan Samo told the media. Investigation into the cause of the accident is underway, and some media reports quoted sources as saying that the bus driver lost control over the over-speeding vehicle while negotiating a sharp turn. The injured have been shifted to a hospital in the Rohri area of the district and the medical superintendent of the hospital Pervaiz Akhtar told the media that six people died on the spot while others succumbed to injuries on the way to the hospital or in the hospital. Akhtar added that six of the injured are in critical condition and the hospital is providing the best possible medical treatment to them. Some of them will be shifted to other hospitals in the district. Local reports said all of the killed and injured came from Multan and were on their way back to work in Karachi after spending the Eidul Fitr holiday at home. The government allowed inter-provincial public transport from Sunday, lifting a week-long ban on traveling between the provinces during Eid holidays amid Covid-19. Staff RepoRt

un accepts Pakistan’s request to hold special session on israeli attacks NEW YORK: The UN Human Rights Council said Thursday it would hold a special session on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories as Israeli kept up its bombardment of Gaza despite growing calls to end indiscriminate attacks on civilian neighbourhoods. The session, planned for May 27 (Thursday), will address “the grave human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,” the council said in a statement. The session was requested by Pakistan, which is the coordinator of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the Palestinian authorities, it said. It will be the 30th extraordinary meeting of the UN’s top rights body since its creation 15 years ago. The United Nations did not immediately say how many of the Geneva-based council’s 47 member states had backed the call, but at least a third must come out in support for a special session request to be granted. Thursday’s announcement came as Israelii air strikes continued to hammer Gaza on Thursday and as diplomats stepped up efforts towards a ceasefire to stem the devastating violence that erupted 10 days ago. Israelii strikes on Gaza have killed 230 Palestinians, including 65 children, according to the Gaza health ministry, leaving vast areas in rubble and displacing tens of thousands in the crowded territory. Nearly 450 buildings in Gaza have been destroyed or badly damaged, including six hospitals and nine primary care health centres, the United Nations humanitarian agency has said. More than 52,000 people have fled their homes in Gaza, which is blockaded by Israeli and Egypt. Israeli has meanwhile claimed Hamas and other fighter groups in Gaza have fired 4,070 unguided rockets towards Israeli, the overwhelming majority of them intercepted by its Iron Dome air defences. agencieS

Friday, 21 May, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

PeoPle SeekIng To Travel abroad can now geT vaccInaTed: ncoc ISLAMABAD

STAff RePoRT

HE National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) on Thursday announced that people over the age of 18, including those working abroad on work visas, students studying abroad and seafarers, can now get themselves vaccinated against Covid-19. Such people can simply walk into any coronavirus vaccination centre, show a valid visa, and get vaccinated, the NCOC said. The decision was taken as several countries around the world, incorporations, various employers, universities, shipping

companies have made vaccination mandatory, the NCOC said. The vaccine aspirants will have to carry their valid passport, visa or iqama to the vaccination centre, the statement said, adding that once the vaccine is administered, a certificate for it will be issued on NADRA's website. The NCOC said as per the vaccination guidelines issued by the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation, and Coordination, AstraZeneca would be administered to people above 40-years, while people above 18-years will be inoculated with Sinopharm, Cansino, and Sinovac. The duration between the two doses is 12 weeks for AstraZeneca, 3 weeks for Sinopharm, and 4 weeks for Sinovac.

Punjab and Sindh's health departments also announced that they are starting vaccinations of people above 18 years who were aspiring to travel abroad. In Punjab, citizens can contact 1033 for queries, the provincial health department said. Meanwhile, Sindh's health department said the vaccination centre at Expo Centre Karachi would remain open for 24 hours and seven days a week for people who are unable to get vaccinated during business hours. The country, since the beginning of the vaccination drive in February which first opened for healthcare workers, has inoculated more than 4.7 million people, with 211,986 jabs being administered in the last 24 hours.

Buzdar approves 25pc allowance to remove disparity in salaries LAHORE STAff RePoRT

Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar has approved a 25 percent special allowance for government employees from June to remove disparity in the salaries of government employees. Chairing a meeting on Thursday, the chief minister said more than 721,000 provincial government employees of grade-1 to grade-19 will be given special allowance while those already receiving special/executive allowance will not be included in it. “The government employees are our companions and the government is determined to resolve their genuine issues. The employees will also hear good news in the upcoming budget,” the CM said. Separately, Punjab Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bukht and MPAs Asif Majeed and Muhammad Shafi called on the chief minister and discussed various issues. The chief minister said the wrong tradition of unjustified distribution of funds has been done away with to help

the remote areas, including the district of Rahim Yar Khan, to benefit from the composite development process. The development package will ensure composite development of every district, he added and announced to visit Rahim Yar Khan soon. Meanwhile, the propagandists have no care for the national interest or welfare of the masses and they are following a specific agenda to achieve certain objectives, he continued. He said the PTI is fully united under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan and no conspiracy will ever succeed. The government has never indulged in the politics of accusations because politics is meant for public service. It believes in rule of law, justice, merit and transparency and no discriminatory action has been taken against anyone in Punjab, the CM said.

Shehbaz accuses PTI govt of destroying country's economy CHARSADDA INP

Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz President and Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday blamed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government of destroying the economy of the country. Addressing a press conference in Charsadda, the PML-N leader said that increasing inflation and unemployment are causing problems for the poverty-stricken people. Whenever, we try to raise voice in support of the public, the government labels us as looters and thieves, he added. Talking about the suffering of the Palestinians, Shehbaz said that innocent children and women are being martyred by the Israeli forces. The international community needs to resolve such kind of issues, he urged. Meanwhile, the PML-N president recalled the sacrifices of for Awami National Party's provincial president Begum Naseem Wali, who had passed away on May 16, and called her as a brave woman.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Buzdar chaired the provincial apex committee meeting at his office on Thursday. The meeting was told the health department will recruit 4452 paramedics and vaccinators for corona drive while 10 oxygen generators and 200 oxygen concentrators are being provided to ensure the supply of oxygen in the province. The meeting repeated the commitment to utilise resources for dealing with the third corona wave and the military leadership assured to continue every possible cooperation with the civil government to contain the spread of corona. The apex committee decided to use all administrative actions to enforce the SOPs. It was decided that airports will remain super alert upon arrival of international flights, and effective steps will be taken to ensure the identification of corona-positive international passengers. It was decided to increase the number of

corona vaccination centres along with expediting the vaccination drive. The meeting further decided to implement the decisions through a mutual line of action. It was decided to effectively implement the closure timing of markets and bazaars through administrative measures and it was planned to devise a separate policy for overcoming the spread of coronavirus in Lahore. The chief minister said that the vaccine is being procured with Rs1.5 billion through an accelerated process. More vaccine doses will also be procured as the Punjab government is fully active to save the citizens from this virus, he added. Corps Commander Lahore Lt Gen Muhammad Abdul Aziz reiterated the commitment to continue cooperation with the Punjab government, saying that the provincial government's work is praiseworthy. It is a nationwide challenge and every possible assistance is extended to the civil administration, he added. The joint efforts will be made further effective because the lives of the people are important, he said.

ayub takes charge as nTdc Md

Lahore: The ministry of energy has appointed Engineer Mohammad Ayub as managing director of the National Transmission and Despatch Company as a stopgap arrangement. The NTDC board of directors had recently promoted Ayub as deputy managing director (planning and engineering). The spokesman of NTDC said that Ayub did his Master of Engineering (Power System) from University of Technology, Lahore. Ayub has also completed his Master in Public Administration from Virtual University, Islamabad. Ayub has more than 36 years of local and international engineering experience in high voltage transmission, project management, construction, operation and maintenance of power sector. He has performed his duties in NTDC as general manager technical and general manager (SO) NPCC. The spokesman said that the outgoing MD NTDC Engineer Khawaja Riffat Hassan will continue to perform his duties as general manager technical services group in NTDC. PR

Government decides to vaccinate teachers by June 5 ISLAMABAD TLTP

The federal government has decided to vaccinate all teachers of the country by June 5, said a spokesperson of the health ministry on Thursday. "The federal government has decided to support the education sector through targeted vaccination of its

teaching and support staff." This decision has been taken in consultation with the National Command and Operations Centre to bring an end to the disruption in the education sector and reduce learning losses, said a spokesperson of the ministry in a statement. The official said that the government has also made it mandatory for the ex-

Pakistan, South Korea ink agreement for transfer of sentenced persons ISLAMABAD MIAN ABRAR

Pakistan and the Republic of Korea have signed an agreement on transfer of sentenced persons during a ceremony at the Korean ministry of foreign affairs. The agreement was signed by Ambassador Mumtaz Zahra Baloch on behalf of the government of Pakistan while Second Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Choi Jong-moon signed it on behalf of the Ko-

rean government. Under the agreement, sentenced persons can, through mutual agreement, be transferred to their country where they shall complete the remaining sentence. Mechanisms for such transfers will be agreed after the ratification of the agreement by the two sides. Conclusion of the agreement on transfer of sentenced persons with the Republic of Korea is in line with the government of Pakistan's strong commitment to the welfare of overseas Pakistanis.

amination and invigilation staff to get themselves vaccinated if they wish to take part in the upcoming board exams. "The federal ministry of education is approaching the NCOC to assist respective provincial and area governments for speedy vaccination of teaching and support staff," said that statement. It added that the ministry has sent letters to all the chief secretaries to swiftly imple-

ment the decision. "The intended deadline to get the education sector vaccinated as per the government's laid down policy is June 5," read the statement. The education sector is one of the worst affected by the coronavirus. The government, at multiple times, has opened the education sector but it has been forced to shut down it due to the rising number of cases. Last year, the government had decided to promote students to the next grade without exams, but this year, it has been adamant about holding the exams. Even in its most recent decision, the NCOC allowed the reopening of schools in districts where the Covid-19 positivity ratio is less than 5 percent.

Friday, 21 May, 2021

ISLAMABAD

New AutO pOlicy tO fOcus ON prOmOtiNg electric vehicles ISLAMABAD

GHULAM ABBAS

EDERAL Minister for Industries and Production Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar on Wednesday said the new policy would focus on growth and development of the automotive industry together with affordability, quality, availability and indigenisation. During separate consultative sessions with representatives of Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) and Pakistan Association of Auto Parts and Accessories Manufacturers (PAAPAM) here on Wednesday, the minister said that the government would like to see an increased footprint of electric vehicles to improve the environment and to reduce oil import bill. Advisor to Prime Minister on Commerce, Trade and Investment, Razak Dawood, and Secretary Industries and Production, Sohail Rajput, were present on the occasion. The minister suggested both associations to table suggestions for reducing the prices of locally assembled small cars to make them affordable for the lower middle class. The associations commended the government for support during the pandemic through salary loans, investment loans and slashing interest rates to protect the industry. It was decided to hold the consultative sessions till finalisation of the Auto Industry Development & Export Plan (AIDEP) draft. It is pertinent to mention here that the current Auto Development Policy (ADP 2016-21) will end in June. Meanwhile, the local industry has sought the gov-

LOCAL INDUSTRY SEEKS GOVT SUPPORT, POLICY FOR HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLES ernment’s support and a policy for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). The industry has said that HEVs are a better option for consumers than the electric vehicles (EVs) reasoning that the latter would cause a huge outflow of dollars in case of the estimated import of 20, 000 units per year, in addition to increasing the import bill by 1.5 per cent. Industry officials have said that savings on account of fuel are estimated at $23 million but will be nullified by the imports of $600 million, along with $292 million relief in terms of tax breaks, which translates to a total cost of $869 million. They added that 70 per cent of actual generation is from fossil fuels, including coal, which roughly emits 0.58 kg per kWh so, emissions will be around 120 grams of CO2 per km. The incumbent government has already approved and notified the first-ever EV Policy of the country to facilitate the new transformation in the auto industry, which is aimed at a complete replacement of a conventional internal combustion engine with a battery-backed system. “Up to three per cent EV Battery degradation every year results in more charging cycles. This means there will be more CO2 and less mileage in addition to huge

loss of economic value,” said S. M. Engineering CEO S. M. Ishtiaq. “On the other hand, the HEV’s cost is Rs5 per kilometre and internal combustion engine (ICE) cost is around Rs9.3 per km, which is way much efficient for the consumer in comparison with EVs so a sane choice will be either HEV or ICE,” he added. “The government and policy makers should seriously consider other alternatives to BEVs while formulating or implementing policies in this regard because hybrid remains the most feasible technology as it offers best of both worlds,” he said. Local assemblers of vehicles have suggested the government to look into all available options of technology in the auto industry instead of focusing only on EVs. On the other hand, he said our neighbour, India, offers incentives for both EV and HEV that are linked with battery capacity with a cap on both amounts of incentive, which are also offered for part makers and original equipment manufacturers (OEM) on exports. It may be recalled here that the new auto policy is envisaged targeting a robust electric vehicle market having a 30 per cent share in passenger vehicles and 90 per cent share in heavy duty trucks by 2030 and 2040, respectively. Talking to this scribe, an official at the Engineering Development Board (EDB) said that the new policy was under consultation but nothing has been finalised so far. “However, we may include a policy to provide consumers with options, including one on hybrid vehicles,” he added.

Pakistan holds UNSC responsible for failure in maintaining int’l peace, security contInueD froM pAge 01 “If the Security Council cannot agree to send the protection force, a coalition of the willing can be formed to provide at least civilian observers to monitor a cessation of hostilities and supervise the provision of humanitarian help to the Palestinians.” He also called on the UNGA to “condemn Israel’s forced and illegal eviction of Palestinians, including in the district of Sheikh Jarrah and the construction of Jewish settlements”, stressing Israel’s “crimes against humanity should not escape accountability”. “There should be no immunity for violating international law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention,” he said and asked for the activation of UN Human Rights Council, International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice to ensure that Israel was held accountable for its “war crimes”. Qureshi said that the UN should also revive “concrete efforts to end Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and to dismantle the illegal settlements and apartheid-like regime Israel has imposed in the occupied territories”. “It is imperative to initiate bold steps to secure the implementation of the Secu-

rity Council and General Assembly resolutions calling for a Palestinian state.” The foreign minister termed the Palestine issue as the reason behind the turmoil and conflicts in the Middle East and the “principle root cause of the humiliation and anger in the Arab and Muslim world”. He said that the onus for restoring peace was on Israel which needed to end its occupation of Palestinian land. “This General Assembly session must send a clear message to Israel and the Palestinian people,” he added. UNITED STANCE: The foreign minister arrived in New York on Wednesday evening on a Palestine peace mission and to attend the UNGA emergency meeting, called by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League. Pakistan has joined hands with Palestine, Sudan and Turkey to take a united stance at the UNGA session. This is the first UN meeting that has seen the physical presence of foreign ministers since the Covid-19 pandemic paralysed the world. Prior to this, the UN had been holding virtual meetings in the wake of the pandemic. Soon after his arrival in New York, Qureshi hosted a working dinner of the foreign ministers of OIC member states to discuss the situation in Palestine.

“We hope the UNGA meeting will send a strong message … to end the Israeli aggression and to take concrete steps to find a solution to the Palestine issue,” said the foreign minister while addressing the dinner. A statement issued by Pakistan’s UN mission said that the foreign minister’s visit to New York was part of Pakistan’s intensive diplomatic outreach to mobilise international support for ending the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinians. The UNGA session follows an intensive international effort to secure a ceasefire in the occupied Palestinian territories after a week of deadly cross-border violence. Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed 230 Palestinians, including 65 children, according to the Gaza health ministry, leaving vast areas in rubble and displacing tens of thousands in the crowded territory. Israel’s army has meanwhile said Hamas and other Islamist armed groups in Gaza have fired 4,070 rockets towards Israel, the overwhelming majority of them intercepted by its Iron Dome air defences. The rockets have claimed 12 lives in Israel, including one child, with one Indian and two Thai nationals among those killed, the police said.

NEWS

Omar Ayub discusses further strengthening of economic ties with Nepal, Azerbaijan ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT

Ambassadors to Azerbaijan and Nepal to Pakistan on Thursday called on Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Omar Ayub Khan, to discuss bilateral economic cooperation. According to details, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Pakistan, Ali Alizada, and Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal to Pakistan, Tapas Adhikari, called on the federal minister separately and congratulated him on the assumption of the new portfolio of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Alizada emphasised to enhance business to business contacts between the both countries to boost trade and investment opportunities. He highlighted that Pakistani exporters can benefit from exports of goods, especially textile and rice to Azerbaijani market. He also showed interest in exporting oil products to Pakistan on a deferred payment basis and construction of an LNG terminal. Omar Ayub Khan highlighted that both the countries have huge potential in the areas of trade, investment and tourism. He expressed that Pakistan has vast opportunities for investment in petrochemical industries, light engineering, agriculture and food processing. Both sides also highlighted the importance of Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) and agreed to further enhance the mutual cooperation on a bilateral basis as well as the CAREC platform which will ultimately benefit the entire region to unleash their economic potential.

President urges business community to pay taxes ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday urged traders and businessmen to pay taxes to enhance revenues, emphasising that the business community had an important role in the economic development of the country. Talking to a delegation of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) led by President Mian Nasser Hayatt Maggo here at Aiwan-e-Sadr, the president said tax collection could help allocate more funds for development projects for the benefit of people. Alvi said the government was committed to providing a competitive and fair business environment to entrepreneurs and had undertaken a number of measures to build a sustainable economy. He said that the federal government, despite the financial constraints, had supported the business community by providing them with a Rs1.2 trillion financial stimulus package and added that the government was also focusing on the economic empowerment of women and persons with disability by providing them incentivised loans at five per cent mark up. APP

LAHORE: Protesters demand the rebuilding of demolished holy shrines in Jannat al-Baqi. ZUBAIR MEHFOOZ

Opponents scared of ‘political death’ if I succeed: PM contInueD froM pAge 01 The prime minister said that the NaukundiMashkhel road will be a great facility to the scattered population of Balochistan. He said that this project is of great importance for the development and future of Balochistan and to strengthen the federation of Pakistan. He said, “We can massively benefit from the natural resources by connecting Balochistan with other parts of the country.” The prime minister said that massive road infrastructure will be built in Balochistan during the tenure of his government. Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Communication Murad Saeed said that completion of this road would help promote economic activities in the area. He said that following Prime Minister Imran’s vision of austerity, the National Highway Authority would soon become a self-sustainable institution. He said during PTI’s tenure, the authority’s revenue increased by 105 percent. He said that Rs20 billion were accumulated in various recoveries, Rs1 billion saved through austerity drive while land worth Rs460 billion was also recovered.

The minister said that road infrastructure projects are being launched in the less developed areas of the country to bring them at par with other developed areas. He said that a network of roads is being laid down across the country through public-private partnerships and under a new vision. He said that areas near the GT Road would be connected to the motorway network through Sialkot-Kharian and KharianRawalpindi motorways, to be launched this year. He said, “During our tenure, we constructed around 1,753km of roads that created more than one hundred and thousand jobs in the country while planning for other 6,100km of roads has also been completed.” It is pertinent to mention that the Naukundi-Mashkhel road project will be completed in two years and help generate direct and indirect job opportunities for about four thousand people. Areas adjacent to the Naukundi-Maskhel section in Balochistan will greatly benefit from the construction of this road as it will provide them easy access to the Iranian border in less time. This will promote local trade especially that of dates which will mark a new beginning in the

socio-economic development of these areas. MASTER PLANS FOR BIG CITIES: Separately, Prime Minister Imran has directed to formulate master plans for big cities of the country immediately to avoid growing environmental issues. The prime minister issued this directive while chairing a weekly meeting of the National Coordination Committee for Housing, Construction and Development on Thursday. The prime minister said that rising unorganised and unplanned urbanisation is not only a threat to the environment but also creating food security issues. He also directed that the protection of green areas should be considered as a national emergency as green Pakistan is essential for future generations and to provide them a healthy environment. PM Imran instructed to immediately formulate rules and regulations in utilising the land and implementation strategy. He also directed to engage the general public to protect green areas. The prime minister tasked the finance minister with providing easy and low-interest loans to the weaker segments of society enabling them to build their own houses.

cMYK

The meeting also decided to amend the existing laws regarding utilisation of agricultural, residential and other lands for the protection of green areas. It also decided that the Green Building Code prepared by the Ministry of Climate Change will be implemented in the Naya Pakistan Housing scheme as a pilot project. Meanwhile, the premier emphasised the timely completion of Ravi City and Central Business District projects to boost economic activities and create employment opportunities in the country. Chairing a review meeting on Ravi Urban Development and Central Business District projects on Thursday, he said that these major projects will also reduce the increasing population pressure in the city enabling the metropolitan administration to provide residential facilities on modern standards to the general public. The meeting was briefed in detail on the progress on the Sapphire-Bay, the first phase of the upcoming Ravi City project. It was informed that the government will receive estimated Rs25 billion revenue from this 2,000-acre land project.

It was informed that the project will generate a total of 150 billion rupees in economic activities and two more Ravi City sub-projects including Zones 4, 5, 7, and LB Island will soon be available for investment and the government from these projects will receive expectedly 130 billion rupees. The prime minister was informed that the RAVI City project on 15,000 acres of land will result in economic activity of Rs1,000 billion by December this year which will provide abundant employment opportunities in the country. The meeting was informed that three modern agricultural technology zones will be established in cooperation with a Swiss company in Ravi City to cope with the growing needs of food in the country. Besides, campuses of all leading universities of the country will be opened. It was also informed that the Young Leadership Programme initiated to ensure participation of youth in the Ravi Urban project and so far 25,000 applications have been received in this regard and the first batch of young leaders will start its activities by June this year

Friday, 21 May, 2021

06 COMMENT

Massacring Palestinians

Dealing with the dissidents Making the best of a bad bargain requires political finesse

Tears are still shed but nothing is done

he PTI faces an embarrassing situation. After having being trounced in countrywide bye-elections, the party faces a mini-rebellion that threatens to deprive the Buzdar government of its majority and force it to seek a vote of confidence. The fall of PTI’s Punjab government could lead to destabilization at the centre. With the budget session about to start and the loyalty of a chunk of its lawmakers becoming doubtful, the prospects become all the more worrisome. Members of Jahangir Tareen’s like-minded group appear in the TV talk shows confronting the PTI’s ministers with a litany of complaints, including vindictiveness, against Chief MinisterUsman Buzdar and PM’s Advisor Mirza Shahzad Akbar. What is more, the PTI’s former firefighter Jahangir Tareen endorses the accusations leveled by the group members. While attacking the PTI’s CM, Mr Tareen assures that he along with his like-minded group are still loyal to Prime Minister Imran Khan. Finding himself to be the principal target of the likeminded group, Mr Buzdar reacted impolitically by calling them a powerful mafia engaged in hatching conspiracies against the PTI government. Mr Buzdar was supported by Mr Tareen’s old rival Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi who has warned that the violation of party discipline' may cost the like-minded group their membership of the PTI. Water Minister Sen Faisal Vawda has claimed that the entire like-minded group can be sorted out by a single ShO. Threats of the sort will not help the PTI government. Mr Khan can recall the cases opened by the FIA against Mr Tareen or he can cancel his membership of the party. Both options have consequences. The PM has appointed a one-member enquiry committee to look into the cases against Mr Tareen. In case the committee clears Mr Tareen, the PM can rehabilitate him. This could however intensify the factional strife in the ruling party while the opposition would accuse Mr Khan of giving an NRO to his own party man. For a bighead leader, reinstating a man who had initiated a rebellion, might not be a palatable option. The perception that Mr Tareen might be acting on behalf of the powers that be must be disconcerting to the PM. PM Khan has shown little shrewdness in managing national affairs. Will he act more wisely in dealing with the dissidents?

At Penpoint M A NIAZI

he recent firing of rubber bullets by Israeli police at worshippers in the Masjid Al-Aqsa is not merely the public health measure it purports to be, but is also part of the tussle between the Palestinians of the West Bank and the settlers of the Zionist entity over the two-state solution. The Zionist entity is not only insisting on setting up new settlements, but on retaining roads between those settlements, so that what would be left to the Arabs of the West Bank would be multiple pieces of land cut off from one another. It is already bad enough to have a state consisting of two pieces of land, as the West Bank and Gaza. however, a two-state solution is far into the future. The immediate issue is the day-to-day administration of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, occupied by Israel after the Six-Day War of 1967. Perhaps the prize conquest during the Six-Day War was east Jerusalem. Jews, even those who reject religious belief and regard their Jewishness as a purely ethnic identity, claim a homeland in Palestine on the basis of Biblical claims. Those Biblical claims make the Masjid AlAqsa the holiest place in Judaism, the site of the First and Second Temples, and of the Third Temple, which Jews have vowed to build whenever they ruled Jerusalem again. It was a sort of attempt, by a visiting Australian, to burn down the Masjid Al-Aqsa, which prompted the founding of the OIC in 1969. he wished to facilitate the Second Coming of Christ, which is supposed to take place in the Third Temple. however, there were two attempts by Jews, of Orthodox sects, to demolish Al-Aqsa. Two members of the Gush emunim Underground plotted its destruction. Then the Temple Mount Faithful, in 1990, attempted to lay a foundation-stone, for the Third Temple, and 22 Palestinians were killed, on 8 September 1990. A visit to Al-Aqsa by then Leader of Opposition Ariel Sharon on 28 September 2000, provoked protests which ultimately led to the five-year AlAqsa intifada. Since 1967, Israeli law enforcers had not gone into the mosque itself. That restraint disappeared in 2004, and was not observed this time either. There is a strange pattern, of it being treated as an Arab problem rather than a Muslim one. Arabs are mostly Muslim, and many of them have acquaintance, even closer (Jordan’s King Abdullah has a Palestinian wife), with Palestinian refugees. A lot of Palestinians also found employment in the

Trying to help The government is not failing to lead, but is misstepping, on Palestine

he Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Gaza have touched a raw nerve among the Pakistani public, which has held spontaneous protests in all major cities. The government should not try to brush off this genuine rage by the sort of flippant comments that Interior Minister Sh Rashid Ahmed made, saying that such gatherings violated social distancing requirements, inviting protesters to his native Lal haveli, and saying that there was an officially sanctioned protest on Friday. Not only does he seem to have misread the public mood, but his tone showed that the government is out of sync with the people. They want the government to take action, something that would stop the slaughter of Palestinians now going on. Israel has attacked the Gaza Strip before, but this time it was preceded by a police attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which seems to have crossed limits of tolerance among the Pakistani people. It is not as if they are out of step with the rest of the world. Indeed, if one was to look at US cities and european capitals, one would see a number of protests occurring. The Western governments also seem out of step with that portion of the population demanding an end to Israeli violence, as they continued to support the Israeli claim of being merely victims who exercised their right of self-defence. It seems that the Israeli aggression and atrocities are so blatant that they are causing ordinary people, who had been sympathetic to Israel ever since the holocaust of World War II. The performance of Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on the way to New York illustrated the kind of problems that are to be faced now that traditional allies in the Arab world seem more interested in building their relations with Israel, than in stopping the slaughter of the Palestinians. This creates a problem for the Pakistan government, which sees itself unable to formulate a response. The National Assembly’s condemnatory resolution does not seem to satisfy the people, with the result that the government is left looking hapless. This in turn means the people, who are looking for a lead, will turn to those who can give it.

Human rights must not be used hypocritically ChANgeZI SANdhu

ORe than 2 million Armenians were living in eastern Asia. They had a distinct identity, influence, interests, and approach toward regional events. In World War I, the Ottoman empire joined the alliance of the Austro-hungarian and German empires. however, the Ottoman empire feared the large Arminian population as a threat in the war with the possible assistance to Russia which had long coveted to get control of Constantinople, now Istanbul. The Ottoman authorities started killing Armenians in 1914. It is estimated that from 320,000 to 2 million deaths of Armenians were recorded from 1914 to 1923. Women were raped on a large scale, more than 250 intellectuals and influential people of the community were deported or exterminated in the empire's capital, Constantinople. Later on, the atrocities continued in the Turkish War of Independence at the hands of Turkish nationalists. Due to mass killing and forced deportation, 2 million Armenians fell to 400000 by 1922. There was an “ethnic cleansing” and “systematic” killing of Armenians in World War 1. Mass burnings through torture, gas, poison, diseases, starvation, and drowning were reported by victims. Women were also killed and raped. even, Armenian children were loaded into boats and thrown into the sea. A website armeniangenocide.org shed light on the Armenian massacre in these words “the great bulk of the Armenian population was forcibly removed from Armenia and Anatolia to Syria where the vast majority was sent into the desert to die of thirst and hunger”. Because of the ethnic cleansing and systematic killing of Armenians, April 24 is commemorated as the genocide remembrance day by the Armenian community across the globe. American presidents, most recently both Obama and Trump, remained reluctant to use the term “genocide” for the Armenian massacre to

Arif Nizami Editor Managing Editor

Joint Editor

Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

The writer is a member of staff.

Human Rights and Political Opportunism

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Yousaf Nizami Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

Gulf when oil wealth began to pour in there. however, Muslims all over the world have not just an attachment to the cause of fellow Muslims, but also to that of Al-Aqsa, which is the first Qibla, the direction to which the holy Prophet (PBUh) led his Companions in prayer al through his Meccan years, and the beginning of his Madinan period, until he switched towards the Kaaba in Makkah. It is a historical anomaly that the Khadimul harmain (once the title of the Osmanli Caliph, now of the Saudi King) does not presently rule all the harams. Along with Makkah and Madina, Al-Aqsa is a haram, a sanctuary. No mosque is a sanctuary from arrest. however, the three harams are inviolate. Anyone can worship there, secure from both the wrath of the state, and private revenge. More than anything else, it provides Islam’s link to the other Abrahmic religions. Until 1967, it was part of the hajj. however, since 1967, it has not been part of the hajj package, for most Muslim countries do not have diplomatic relations with Israel, and their citizens cannot go there. It is not the first time since iits being built that Al-Aqsa has been under non-Muslim occupaton. The first episode was in 1098, when the First Crusade took Jerusalem. The historian Amin Mallouf describes it thus, as it was described to the Caliph in Baghdad in August 1099: “Wearing no turban, his head shaved as a sign of mourning, the venerable Qazi Saad al-harawi burst with a loud cry into the spacious diwan of the caliph al-Mustazhir Billah, and then proceeded to lecture all those present. “Shall the valorous.Arabs resign themselves to insult, and the valiant Persians accept dishonour?’ “The entire audience broke out in wails and lamentations. But al-harawi shouted, “Man’s meanest weapon is to shed tears when rapiers stir the coals of war.” “If he had made this trip from Damascus to Baghdad, it was not to plead for pity. All the people travelling with him had fled from towns sacked by the invaders; among them were some of the few survivors of Jerusalem. he had brought them along so that they could relate, in their own words, the tragedy they had suffered just one month earlier. “The Franj had taken the holy city on Friday, after a 40-day siege. The exiles still trembled when they spoke of the fall of the city: they stared into space as though they could still see the fairhaired and heavily armoured warriors spilling through the streets, swords in hand, slaughtering men, women, and children, plundering houses, sacking Mosques. Two days later, when the killing stopped, not a single Muslim was left alive within the city walls. “A few days later, the first refugees from

Palestine arrived in Damascus. Soon afterwards the survivors of Jerusalem duly approached the Syrian capital. “While they were sick at heart at having been forced to abandon their homes, they were determined never to return until the occupiers had departed for ever, and they resolved to awaken the consciences of their brothers in all the lands of Islam. “Why else would they have followed al-harawi to Baghdad? Was it not to the caliph that Muslims must turn in their hour of need? Was it not to the prince of the faithful that they should address their complaints and their tales of woe? “In Baghdad, however, the refugees’ disappointment was to be as great as their hopes had been high. The caliph al Mustazhir Billah began by expressing his profound sympathy and compassion. Then he ordered seven exalted dignitaries to conduct an inquiry into these troublesome events. It is perhaps superfluous to add that nothing was ever heard from that committee of wise men.” It was not until 1198 that Jerusalem was reconquered by Salahuddin Ayyubi. In the meantime AlAqsa was converted into a stable, and later handed over to the Templars. That is a little like the Sikhs who converted the Badshahi Mosque of Lahore into a stable. The world has changed, but some things have not. The tears are still shed, but nothing is done. Then, the Caliph referred the matter to a committee, now there are attempts to convene the UN Security Council, which has met. But without stopping the slaughter. Another development has been that internal Israeli politics is involved. Because of the Israeli attacks on Gaza, the pro-hamas Ra’am Party has had to pull out of the coalition being built against Benjamin Netanyahu. That coalition would have turfed him out and left him to face corruption charges. Though he lacks a Knesset majority, he will survive in office, and go on avoiding arrest. It is almost as if the Israelis are now learning from the hindus after having taught them something. The hindus have learnt how to turn the Muslim majority in Kashmir into a minority, from the Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are similarly converting a Palestinian majority into a minority. Just as the hindus did with the Babri Masjid, with a claim of a Ram Mandir, so will Israel claim Al-Aqsa, first for destruction and then for replacement? The AlAqsa claim is stronger than that of the Ramjanmabhoomii, for while Muslims denied the latter, they admit the former. It is not history that determines claims. The Christian grip over Jerusalem lasted a century, and was ended neither by OIC resolutions or UN condemnations, or even imprecations by the Caliph. It took an Army, commanded by Salahuddin Ayubi, a Kurd who ruled egypt, to do the job for all the Muslims.

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

avoid possible tension between Turkey and the USA but they condemned the Turkish atrocities in soft words. Turkish authorities also expressed poignancy on the massacre but never termed it a “genocide”. however, President Joe Biden used the term “genocide” in the White house first time by expressing his firm commitment to human rights. Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavuroglu termed the statement as political opportunism with the threat of worsening ties between both countries. In international legal perspective, there was no existence of “genocide” word at the time of World War I, nor did any international legal instrument cover such heinous crimes. The term “genocide” was coined in 1944 by Raphael Lamkin. In fact, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in 1948 was passed by UNO. Article 2 of the legal instrument defines the term as genocide means any of the following acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group, as such killing members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group, deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group”. So, Turkey committed genocide following the convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide 1948, and retrospective punishments could be applied by slapping severe sanc-

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

tions under the convention. however, Turkey should accept the reality by putting aside a nationalistic approach for the purpose of humanity that will correct the historical blunder. The official statement of Biden about the Armenian massacre raised questions over previous. American presidents, especially Obama and Trump, who always escaped cleverly about using the term of genocide by passing only generic condemnation statements. This aspect unearths the truth that American role in global politics especially regarding human rights dwindled, especially in the last decades. On the other side, Biden never used the term “genocide” for the Indian atrocities in Indian Occupied Kashmir, the prolonged illegal Israeli occupation and massacre of Palestinians, and the persecution of Muslims in Myanmar. So, the Turkish statements about political opportunism jibe with realities to some extent, but Turkish genocide cannot be put aside. Global leaders should not adopt a dualistic narrative regarding human rights. They ought to remain committed to human rights in the true sense because the prolonged existence of a gap between theory and practice plays havoc with human rights. That is the reason the UNO along with other countries could not reduce violence across the globe. We must be united with one clear narrative for the protection of human rights. There is a dire need of time to build a violence-free world. All countries should become staunch advocates of human rights by setting aside political opportunism and national interests for altruistic pledges.

Mr. Biden never used the term “genocide” for the Indian atrocities in Indian Occupied Kashmir, the prolonged illegal Israeli occupation and massacre of Palestinians, and the persecution of Muslims in Myanmar

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Friday, 21 May, 2021

COMMENT 07 Editor’s mail Send your letters to: Letters to Editor, Pakistan Today, 4-Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore, Pakistan. E-mail: letters@pakistantoday.com.pk Letters should be addressed to Pakistan Today exclusively

Unwise Decision by PIA

Deconstructing Geert Wilders’s hate The Isreli rightwing befriends him AbrAhim ZAkA

EFOrE France, the Netherlands was the focus of the TLP’s protests. An infamous racist politician, Geert Wilders, had announced an islamophobic competition under the garb of a caricature contest. Those familiar with Geert Wilders know that this was not the first time he embroiled himself in such a controversy. He has in the past produced one shoddy anti-Muslim propaganda film (iMDB.com labels it as a documentary). i am sure that when he won no Oscars, acquired no accolades, and gained a mere 4.3/10 on iMDB’s user ratings, Wilders must have been very disappointed. When it comes to his political agenda Wilders is fond of distortion. in his infamous islamophobic film he distorts islamic teachings to paint a negative picture of islam. He then rather idiotically attempts to link islam and terrorism with each other. This is just one example of many of how he uses distortion to demonize islam. Any fair individual would not present an easily falsifiable perspective in a documentary. But this isn’t the first time that he has used flawed logic to propagate his abhorrent views about islam and Muslims. Like many other islamophobic leaders he has attempted to associate islam with political philosophies that have no association with islam. Take fascism, a purely European political philosophy that has caused much pain and destruction in Europe and has never been remotely popular in contemporary islamic countries. Moreover, there is no historic linkage of islam with such a racist movement. However, people such as Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Pipes and Wilders have wrongly associated it with islam, whereas serious scholars such as Tony Judt have criticized its association with islam and Muslims as being “ahistorical” and “simplistic”. But unlike other islamophobic leaders Wilders is not an equal opportunity hater when it comes to other ethnic groups and religions. His hatred is reserved for a few and not all and sundry. And this is where the paradox lies. Classical European racism includes a strong component of antisemitism. Wilders, however, is not antisemitic. But at the same time according to holocaust and genocide studies scholar Evelin Gans he isn’t philosemetic -a lover of the Jewseither and only flirts with this image. Gans justified her position by arguing that Wilders only liked rightwing Jews and didn’t consider leftwing Jews to be truly Jewish. Furthermore, she argued that Wilders takes a stand against one form of antisemitism, and that is antisemitism when it is expressed by some Muslims, and not other groups (except for a 2011 club Ajax football match incident), hence she concludes that this is because of his anti-Muslim political agenda. in addition, she argued that Wilders party has been associated with leaders who have expressed antisemitic opinions. For example, Wilders is associated with other parties who have had a leader mired in antisemitic contro-

versies such as Austrian FPÖ leader Strache. Hence, Wilders’s affinity for Jews is conditional at best. Moreover, Wilders claims he is a defender of freedom and of the Judeo-Christian civilization. He seems to conveniently look over his own country’s sordid past of failing to protect the Dutch Jews during Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. Three out of every four Jews in the Netherlands during World War ii were killed by the Germans. That is the highest proportion of Jews per country killed in Europe during that time. Although there were some protests in the Netherlands, the Nazis quickly suppressed them. On the other hand, take the Moroccans, a group he frequently targets with his hate and has called to have less of them in the Netherlands. The Nazis did not send even one Moroccan Jew to the concentration camps during World War ii. No this was not by accident, the Moroccan king Mohammed V told the representatives of Nazi authorities and their French allies that there were no Muslims and no Jews in his country, but only Moroccans. To keep the Moroccans’ achievement in perspective one needs to realize that the Jewish population of Morocco was greater than the Jewish population of the Netherlands at that time. To be precise there were roughly twice as many Jews in Morocco as there were in the Netherlands at the time of the occupation by the Nazis. Surely, Wilders must realize the Moroccans deserve praise for this feat. Alas, it is too much to expect Wilders to engage in an honest discourse about this topic. Wilders also claims he is a staunch ally of israel. But he is only supported by the right wing in israel, by parties such as Likud. However, the israeli right wing seems to be avoiding making the kind of sweeping generalizations about Muslims as Wilder’s makes. indeed, the right wing in israel is embracing the wider Middle East through peace deals. Hence, the israeli right wing has no problems with islam, and their peace deals with Sudan, Bahrain, UAE and support for Azerbaijan is a testament to that. Albeit they do have a conflict with the Palestinians. Wilders on the other hand is an equal opportunity hater when it comes to Muslims. it would be simple if only Muslims were the object of Wilders’s vilification. However, that is not the case. Some years ago he started to target central and eastern European workers in the Netherlands and opened a website to report nuisance, pollution, labour market competition, and integration and housing problems. This is despite the fact that the Polish army liberated parts of the Netherlands in World War ii. No, Wilders doesn’t care that the Poles risked their lives to liberate his country. The irony is that his own wife is central European. Like US President Trump, he hates immigrants from poorer countries than his but seems to have no problem marrying them. Wilders also speaks of humanistic Dutch values. But he never publicly contemplates the abnormal wealth and prosperity his country historically gained through exploiting others. For example, take the institution of slavery on a racial basis that was a great source of wealth for his nation. There was no mercy in their trade, men, women, children, old, sick, middle aged

and the young were all traded. His country was one of the last countries to abolish slavery. To keep slaves in line they would be handed exemplary punishments. One example of this was the slow burning alive of slaves who attempted to escape or revolt. in one instance in the year 1763, 24 slaves were slowly burned alive for attempting to gain freedom. There are more instances like this in Dutch history. Surely, Wilders must not think that this is the act of a morally superior civilization? Or how a morally superior civilization is built? We will never know as these are topics he fails to address. Wilders needs to read a history book and he will see plenty more that would bring him shame. His professed beliefs of his nation’s historical superiority to others is at best a veneer. Likewise, for a civilized democratic leader he has organized his party like a dictator. There is only one official member of his party and that is himself. This in essence means he runs everything and has no one who can take over his party. Hero Brinkman, a one-time MP from Wilders’s party, eventually quit it because of its lack of democratic structure. As his brother Paul Wilders said about Geert to rTL news, he rules his empire like an emperor. Anyone who seriously contradicts him is done. Family or not. Speaking of his brother, apparently the whole Wilders clan is not rightwing. Paul Wilders has tried to distance himself from Geert’s politics and has faced abuse from Geert’s party and immigrants because of his biological association with Geert. it seems as if Geert cultivated his beliefs by himself and was not the result of being brought up in a racist household. Today, Wilders is facing increasing competition in the Netherlands from other rightwing parties. But he won’t be going out of business soon as his core voter base has very few issues they really care about. This is evident from his short one-page 2017 election manifesto. Some researchers at the London School of Economics say that if he was to expand his party's core issues of interest, he would even poll better. But he might surprise many by his actions if he comes into power. He might embrace multiculturism and diversity through doublespeak if he were ever to become Prime Minister. Why? Because Wilders has proven himself rather shameless when it comes to his own interests and will act in the most unexpected manner. For instance, on April 16, Wilders tweeted to Prime Minister imran Khan to complain about the TLP chief. Firstly, this was quite surprising as Pakistan is a Muslim country and he detests Muslim countries, and secondly, despite lambasting Muslims and islam continuously, he has no issues asking the Prime Minister of an islamic republic for help! Wilders is wrong about many things bhe is correct about one thing, the Netherlands has produced many great people. Anne Frank, Armin van Buuren, Fadil El Ghoul, Lou Ottens, Job Cohen, Johannes Vermeer, robin van Percy, rembrandt H. van rijn and many more. What is conspicuously missing from this list is the name of Geert Wilders. And hopefully history will relegate Geert’s name to the trashcan of racist leaders who are better forgotten than remembered. Dr. M.a.zaka is an academic with an interest in business, new technology and economics.

Sir, The world’s commercial aviation industry is facing a crisis of increasing losses and partial grounding of their fleet because of travel restrictions imposed by COViD19. Airlines all over the world have resorted to voluntary employee Furlough Schemes or Leave Without Pay and in some cases retrenchment of staff. While States with a Welfare System are providing their citizens with basic medical coverage and cash relief dole outs etc. , there is no effective Welfare State Concept in Pakistan, although Quaid promised that it will be a modern democratic welfare state. While PiA has drastically reduced medical coverage etc for both retired and serving employees, it cannot be seen offering additional benefits to others, when its losses are at peak and flight operation drastically reduced. in such times it is in bad taste for the PiA management to offer a flat 15% discount on all domestic and international flights to all “retired Personnel of Armed Forces and their Spouses”. PiA is facing a multi-pronged crisis. it not only faces the backlash of COViD19 travel restrictions but also a ban imposed on operation into European Union airspace and other countries after EASA has in writing stated that “Pakistan, as the State of Operator, is currently not capable to certify and oversee its operators and aircraft in accordance with applicable international standards”. Even if COViD19 restrictions are relaxed, PiA and all other Pakistani registered airlines under the regulatory control of CAA will face this ban till such time Pakistan CAA submits to an extensive Safety Audit by iCAO and EASA, including the competence and capability of inspectors employed to perform their regulatory functions. This verdict of lack of capability by CAA has been imposed by iCAO, after the Aviation Minister, PiA and CAA mishandled the unfortunate tragic crash of Pk8303, an A320 on May 22. MaLik Tariq aLi LahorE

Hydropower A stitch in time saves nine . We have miserably failed to exploit fully the vast hydropower natural potential of our land over the past seventy four years . This is unpardonable and all the successive governments and leaders are held responsible for their inaction and lack of foresight depriving the nation of much needed cheaper clean energy and water storages . if decisions of national importance are not taken on time , the nation has to pay a heavy price , as we are doing today . Out of over sixty th'ousand MW potential , only fifteen percent have been realised . We failed to build large and medium sized hydropower projects when their construction cost was much less and when these could be funded by the World Bank and other international donars at much less interest rates and soft loans . We are in the habit of politicizing national projects of great importance . The example of Kalabagh Dam project is worth mentioning . Had it been built thirty years back , much of our water and power problems would have been solved . The total cost of the project , at that time , was only 2 . 5 billion Dollars and was to be fully funded by the World Bank . Now the cost stands at over 15 billion Dollars. A dam downstream of Tarbela is important also as a replacement when Tarbela gets stilted up . The fate of Basha dam hangs in balance due to inadequate financing . The United States developed all its hydro potential long long time ago by making it their first priority . We have failed to learn from others . Will our polticians and leaders be ever held accountable for not taking the right decisions at the right time ? riaz BhuTTa LahorE

Corruption COrrUPTiON has become a common thing in social and political society. All the individuals of Government or private employees are involved in corruption. They are not doing their duty with honesty. Corruption had gained roots in our society due to bad decisions and weak policies of the successive government. The agencies for checking corruption have failed in their mission. Thus accountability seems non-existent. Corruption damages the integrity of a country. it not only causes loss to the interest of a state but also stops development. Corruption is largely caused by the absence of concern for this nation as a citizen. When an individual starts considering his personal gains prior to national integrity, he descends into corruption. The government should also use all methods to spread awareness in public with regards to corruption. The state is responsible for bettering its citizens morally so as to reduce corruption. Only by understanding the alarming nature of this problem and taking steps to counter it, it is possible to fight corruption. Corruption should be dealt with strictly if we want to save our economy and institutions as a responsible nation. MEhLuB MuhaMMaD akraM karaChi

NAB case THE PML-N president was recently released from jail. recently court have given one-time permission to Shehbaz to travel UK from May 8 to July 5 for medical check-up. Justice Ali Baqar Najafi also directed the government and the Federalist investigation Agency along with the director-general of immigration and Passports to submit a report to the court. Many of the ministers also argued to not allow Shehbaz and should do justice. The president of Pakistan Muslim League Shehbaz Sharif was released on bail who was in prison. However, he was arrested last September by NAB. After LHC issued bail order the former chief minister of Punjab Shehbaz Sharif was allowed to leave prison. Actually, the main case was money laundering. A few people have welcomed Shehbaz and showered rose petals on his car. The court also directed him to submit two surety bonds of rs 5 million each in the trial court against which the bail was granted and his the judge Sheikh Sajjad also accepted it. The bureau also failed to collect any evidence of any corruption case. His brother is already enjoying in abroad and is not being back at all. There is a trouble caused for Shehbaz family too. i request law authorities to take fair action against Shehbaz which is legal. BarkaTuLLah TurBaT

Friday, 21 May, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

Israel Isn’t entItled to ‘self-defence’ aGaInst the people under Its occupatIon BETWEEN 1967 AND 2017, THE UNITED STATES USED ITS VETO IN THE SECURITY COUNCIL 43 TIMES TO PROTECT ISRAEL FROM INTERNATIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT GIVES ISRAEL $3.8 BILLION IN MILITARY AID ANNUALLY. ISRAEL COULD NOT MAINTAIN ITS OCCUPATION OF PALESTINIAN LANDS AND PERSECUTION OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE WITHOUT U.S. ASSISTANCE truthout

maRjoRie Cohn

S Israel continues to pummel the Palestinian people with bombs and artillery shot into Gaza from troops amassed along its borders in preparation for a ground invasion, the Biden administration has reaffirmed its unwavering support for Israel’s war crimes and crimes against humanity against the Palestinians. Israel could not commit its crimes without the overwhelming support of the U.S. government. U.S. officials are aiding and abetting Israel’s crimes with massive military aid and scotching any criticism of Israel in the Un Security Council. President Joe Biden said he didn’t think Israel’s attack on Gaza has been a “significant overreaction.” He expressed his “unwavering support” for Israel’s “right to defend itself” from rocket attacks from Gaza, but he did not condemn Israel’s airstrikes that are killing Palestinian civilians and destroying residential buildings, or the Israeli attacks on worshippers at the al aqsa mosque. “Blanket statements like these with little context or acknowledgement of what precipitated this cycle of violence — namely, the expulsions of Palestinians and attacks on al aqsa — dehumanize Palestinians & imply the U.S. will look the other way at human rights violations,” rep. alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-new York) tweeted, and said Biden was giving Israel a “green light” to continue its onslaught. “By only stepping in to name Hamas’ actions — which are condemnable — and refusing to acknowledge the rights of Palestinians, Biden reinforces the false idea that Palestinians instigated this cycle of violence,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “This is not neutral language. It takes a side — the side of occupation.” Secretary of State antony Blinken declared that there is a “fundamental difference between a terrorist organization in Hamas that is indiscriminately targeting civilians and Israel, which is defending itself.” But as raji Sourani, director of the Palestinian Centre for Human rights, wrote in an email to this writer, claims like Blinken’s obscure the fact that nearly all of Israel’s targets have been civilians. and the vast majority of those killed have been Palestinians. moreover, as an occupying power, Israel cannot use military force against the occupied Palestinian people because under international law, the occupier has a duty to protect the territory it occupies. On may 13, Israeli troops bombed the Gaza Strip with artillery, tanks and war planes, and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) prepared at least three brigades of troops for action. Israeli Defense minister Benny Gantz, who served as chief of general staff for the IDF during Israel’s

2014 massacre of 2,251 Palestinians in Gaza, threatened to commit additional war crimes. Gantz warned that “Gaza will burn” if Israelis have to sleep in shelters. Hamas has fired rockets into Israel in response to the Israeli attack on worshippers at the holy al aqsa mosque in occupied east Jerusalem. Seven Israelis have been killed. But 120 Palestinians have been killed and 900 people wounded, according to Palestinian health officials. “This is the worst I witnessed in my life,” Sourani wrote in his email. “no safe haven in Gaza, so bloody and brutal; all the targets, almost are civilians, the most intention to exert pressure on resistance.” Sourani added: “They are terrorizing the two million in Gaza day and night, the peak this morning. We did not believe we will see the sunshine again. everything is shaking in the house including our bodies. They destroyed the civilian police stations and headquarters, internal security, infrastructure, big building towers, etc. none of these, to the best of our knowledge, has any security significance.” On march 3, 2021, Fatou Bensouda, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), announced that her office was launching a formal investigation into war crimes committed in the West Bank, including east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip since Israel’s 2014 “Operation Protective edge,” in which Israeli forces killed 2,251 Palestinians. Bensouda found a reasonable basis to believe that Israeli forces committed the war crimes of willful killing, willfully causing serious injury, disproportionate use of force, and the transfer of Israelis into Palestinian territory. She also found a reasonable basis to investigate possible war crimes by Palestinians, including intentional attacks against civilians, using civilians as human shields, and torture and willful killing. Seven years after Operation Protective edge, Israeli officials are once again committing war crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories. In its current “Operation Guardian of the Walls,” Israeli leaders are perpetrating the same war crimes as those they committed in 2014. Under the ICC’s rome Statute, “inhumane acts committed in the context of an institutional regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over another racial group, with the intent to maintain that regime” constitutes the crime against humanity of apartheid. In 2001, the national Lawyers Guild (nLG) sent a delegation to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories and subsequently published a report documenting a system of apartheid. richard Falk, former Un special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories and professor emeritus at Princeton University, and Virginia Tilley, professor of political science at Southern Illinois University, co-authored a report for the Un economic and Social Commission for Western asia in 2017. It found “beyond a reasonable doubt” that Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians constitutes “the crime of apartheid.”

In January 2021, the Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem issued a report titled, “a regime of Jewish Supremacy from the Jordan river to the mediterranean Sea: This Is apartheid.” Like B’Tselem, Human rights Watch had long resisted charging that Israeli leaders were committing the crime of apartheid. But on april 27, Human rights Watch issued a detailed report describing Israel’s “intent to maintain the domination of Jewish Israelis over Palestinians across Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” including east Jerusalem. The report added that this Israeli government intent “has been coupled with systematic oppression of Palestinians and inhumane acts committed against them. When these three elements occur together, they amount to the crime of apartheid.” Under international law, the Palestinians have a lawful right to resist Israel’s occupation of their lands, including through armed struggle. In 1982, the Un General assembly “reaffirmed the legitimacy of the struggle of peoples for independence, territorial integrity, national unity and liberation from colonial and foreign domination and foreign occupation by all available means, including armed struggle.” The Biden administration is claiming that Israel is acting in self-defense against the Hamas rockets, but under international law, Israel, as an occupying force, does not have the right to use military force in self-defense against its occupied territory. noura erakat, a human rights attorney and associate professor at rutgers University, wrote in Jadaliyya, “a state cannot simultaneously exercise control over territory it occupies and militarily attack that territory on the claim that it is ‘foreign’ and poses an exogenous national security threat. In doing precisely that, Israel is asserting rights that may be consistent with colonial domination but simply do not exist under international law.” as Falk said in an interview with Truthout, “It is always deceptive to treat the oppressor and the oppressed as if equal.” In the current situation, he added, “the oppressor acts contrary to applicable international law and elementary morality while the oppressed is countering by exercising rights of resistance and suffering the deprivation of basic rights. Of course,” Falk added, “the tactics of resistance should be scrutinized by reference to legal and moral constraints, but without losing sight of overwhelming structures of dominance and the far greater harm done by state violence than by the violence of resistance.” Yet the Biden administration maintains a false equivalency between Palestinian rockets and Israeli bombs. an individual can be convicted of a war crime or a crime against humanity under the rome Statute if he or she “aids, abets or otherwise assists” in the commission or attempted commission of the crime, “including providing the means for its commission.” The U.S. government gives Israel $3.8 billion in military aid annually. Israel could not maintain its occupation of Palestinian lands and persecution of the Palestinian people

without U.S. assistance. moreover, the United States regularly prevents the Un Security Council from issuing resolutions or statements that criticize Israel. The U.S. was the only country on the Security Council to oppose a statement urging Israel to prevent the evictions of Palestinian families from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in east Jerusalem. The proposed statement, endorsed by 14 of the 15 Council members, called on Israel “to cease settlement activities, demolitions and evictions, including in east Jerusalem in line with its obligations under international humanitarian law” and refrain from taking unilateral actions “that exacerbate tensions and undermine the viability of the twostate solution.” Between 1967 and 2017, the United States used its veto in the Security Council 43 times to protect Israel from international accountability. Countries that receive U.S. military aid can only use weapons for legitimate self-defense and internal security, according to the arms export Control act. In addition, the Leahy Law forbids military units that commit human rights abuses from receiving U.S. weapons or training. moreover, the Foreign assistance act of 1961 prohibits U.S. assistance to any country “which engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights.” U.S. military aid to Israel violates all three of these laws. There is growing opposition in Congress to U.S. funding of Israeli violence and human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories. rep. mark Pocan (D-Wisconsin) tweeted, “We cannot just condemn rockets fired by Hamas and ignore Israel’s state-sanctioned police violence against Palestinians — including unlawful evictions, violent attacks on protestors, and the murder of Palestinian children.” Pocan added, “U.S. aid should not be funding this violence.” rep. rashida Tlaib (D-michigan), the first Palestinian american woman to serve in Congress, tweeted, “american taxpayer money is being used to commit human rights violations,” adding, “Congress must condition the aid we send to Israel, and end it altogether if those conditions are not followed. Statements aren’t working, Blinken. enough is enough.” Twenty-three members of Congress joined representatives marie newman (D-Illinois) and Pocan in signing a letter urging the Biden administration to pressure Israeli leaders to “desist from its plans to demolish Palestinian homes in al-Bustan and evict Palestinians from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah,” two neighborhoods in east Jerusalem. On april 13, rep. Betty mcCollum introduced H.r. 2590, “To promote and protect the human rights of Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation and to ensure that United States taxpayer funds are not used by the Government of Israel to support the military detention of Palestinian children, the unlawful seizure, appropriation, and destruction of Palestinian property and forcible transfer of civilians in the West Bank, or further annexation of Palestinian land in violation of international law.” The national Lawyers Guild issued a statement in solidarity with the Palestinian people. It notes that may 15 is the 73–year anniversary of the nakba, the arabic word for catastrophe. “In 1948, the Zionist settler colonial movement with the support of imperialist powers established the state of Israel through the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, waged through massacres and the destruction of over 500 Palestinian villages,” the statement reads. “This colonial project continues today as we are witnessing the forced expulsion of Palestinians in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem by armed settlers, indiscriminate violence against Palestinian protestors, attacks on Palestinian holy sites, and the ongoing devastating closure and indiscriminate bombing of Gaza.” Marjorie Cohn is professor emerita at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, former president of the National Lawyers Guild, deputy secretary general of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers and a member of the advisory board of Veterans for Peace.

Is Annalena Baerbock Germany’s next chancellor? SHE WOULD BE THE MOST LEFT-WING CHANCELLOR GERMANY HAS EVER SEEN

NatioNal iNterest

RaineR Zitelmann

erman voters will be heading to the polls on Sept. 26. With the country’s general election fast approaching, there is every chance that annalena Baerbock could become Germany’s next chancellor at the end of Chancellor angela merkel’s sixteen-year premiership. For several weeks now, Baerbock’s party—the Greens—has been in first place in most opinion polls, ahead of merkel’s CDU/CSU. For a while, it was not clear which of their two leaders—annalena Baerbock and robert Habeck—the Greens would nominate for a run at the chancellorship. Then, on

april 19, the group finally confirmed annalena Baerbock as their candidate. Baerbock, who is forty, would be the youngest chancellor in the history of the Federal republic. She would also be the most left-wing Chancellor Germany has ever seen. She studied politics and international law and has been co-leader of Germany’s Greens since January 2018, a role she shares with robert Habeck. The Greens see themselves as a feminist party, and this may have been the deciding factor behind why Baerbock was selected as the party’s chancellor candidate. In the last federal elections on Sept. 24, 2017, the Greens scored just 8.9 percent of the vote, making them the smallest of the six parties in the German parliament. according to the latest polls, the Greens are set to secure between 24 and 28 percent of the vote this time around. The same poll places the CDU/CSU (the Christian Democrats, angela merkel’s governing party) in second place, behind the Greens, for the very first time. Of course, it is still quite possible that this will change by September. Whatever happens, the Greens will exert a decisive influence on the policies pursued by Germany’s next federal government. after

all, the only conceivable coalition governments after the September elections all involve the Greens either holding the chancellorship or at least taking a very strong second place. It could well be that Germany ends up with a left-wing government led by the Greens in coalition with the SPD and Die Linke. The latest polls suggest that these three parties together would command an overall parliamentary majority. The Social Democrats (SPD) have lurched sharply to the left in recent years—they have more in common with Bernie Sanders than Joe Biden. Die Linke is the latest incarnation of the former communist party that governed east Germany (after several name changes). The party is led by the Trotskyist Janine Wissler. In another scenario, the Greens could form a coalition with the CDU/CSU. Both parties have said they are open to this idea. Less likely, but not entirely out of the question, is a federal government led by the Greens together with the SPD and the pro-market FDP. In terms of european policy, the Greens are committed to moving beyond nationstates to establish a “Federal european republic.” In pursuit of this final goal, the political group wants “the eU to be given an instrument to create a permanent fiscal pol-

icy of its own, the use of which cannot be blocked by individual countries in the event of a crisis.” essentially, this would mean disempowering national parliaments and enforcing minimum wages and high social standards all across europe. When it comes to international relations, Baerbock wants Germany’s foreign policy to be guided almost exclusively by moral principles. economic interests, realpolitik concerns and security policy, on the other hand, play no role whatsoever. For instance, the Greens intend to be tougher in dealing with China and russia. But the political party is also critical of the United States and rejects the idea of spending 2 percent of Gross Domestic Product on defense. On a domestic front, there is also the highly controversial issue of immigration. Since 2015, annalena Baerbock has backed angela merkel’s open borders immigration policy. The Green Party’s election manifesto even goes as far as to advocate a “welcoming immigration policy.” One of the major distinguishing features of the Greens is the way the political party remains detached from the business sector. about 44 percent of party members are civil servants or work in the public sector, and

civil servants also represent the largest group among the party’s supporters. On economic policy, the Greens champion an extremely strong role for the state. as a “last resort,” they have called for real estate companies to be nationalized. Then there is the wealth tax, which was abolished in Germany in 1997. The Greens want to reintroduce it on assets of €2 million or more. Top earners would also be required to pay more than 50 percent income tax. On such issues, the political party shares a lot of ground with the SPD and Die Linke, which have thrown their support behind calls for the reintroduction of the wealth tax and for significant income tax hikes. If Die Linke had its way, then the top income tax rate would be raised as high as 75 percent. entrepreneurs, in particular, have been unsettled by the prospects of a tripartite left-wing government, and many are already considering leaving Germany if that is what Germany ends up with. annalena Baerbock is currently benefiting from the fact that the media—especially Germany’s television broadcasters—appear to be sympathetic to her. Some observers have even claimed that merkel would rather see Baerbock succeed her as chancellor than a man from her own party. Rainer Zitelmann is a German historian and sociologist.

Friday, 21 May, 2021

BUSINESS 09

ISLAMABAD

Upcoming Ecc mEEting likEly to rEviEw oil rEfining policy

corporate corner

ISLAMABAD

KARACHI: A A OPPO, the leading global smart device brand, announces the launch of OPPO F19 F in Pakistan. OPPO F19 F is available starting 20th May 2021 in Pakistan and will come in two colors including Prism Black and Midnight Blue. With the retail price of Rs.39, 999/-, you can buy your ultra slim ultra-powerful OPPO F19 at local retailers. PR

KARACHI: A A Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan (Honda Pakistan) has selected IBM Systems and IBM Storage solutions to run its real-time planning solution, based on SAP S/4HANA. The move was designed to enhance customer experience across Honda Pakistan’s 35 dealerships in the country and boost its after-sales services. Today, Honda Pakistan benefits from an approximately 80 per cent acceleration in spare part planning for its customers. PR

AHMAD AHMADANI

HE Petroleum Division has asked the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Board of Investment (BoI) and secretaries of concerned departments to furnish comments on the proposed new oil refining policy within 15 days for onward submission to the Cabinet Division, Profit learnt on Thursday. According to sources, the next meeting of the federal cabinet’s Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) is likely to take up the summary on the policy. The policy, once approved, will be included in the Finance Bill 2021-22 and will supersede all previous refining policies. However, contractual commitments made by the government to any refinery will supersede any conflicting provision in the new policy until the time that the contract’s expiry. Sources said that an implementation unit will be set up within OGRA to ensure compliance with the undertakings given by existing refineries who wish to upgrade and facilitate local and foreign investors. Approvals from various authorities will be managed through a one-window operation housed in the Ministry of Energy. As per the new policy framework, which has been finalised in consultation

NEW POLICY TO INCLUDE INCENTIVE PACKAGE FOR SETTING UP OF DEEP CONVERSION REFINERIES with the local refining industry, all new deep conversion oil refinery projects of a minimum of 100,000 barrels per day (BPD) refining capacity, to be set up anywhere in the country with government approval latest by Dec 31, 2021, shall be eligible for 20-year income tax holiday from profits and gains from the date of commissioning. The government will not guarantee product off-take and the refineries would be free to market their products through their own or other marketing companies or export after meeting local needs. They would also be entitled to exemption from customs duty, withholding tax or any other levy on import of any equipment to be installed, or material to be used in the refinery without certification by the Engineering Development Board (EDB). They would also avail exemption from general sales tax, or any other ad valorem tax on the import of equipment to be installed or materials to be used in the refinery prior to commissioning. Likewise, the product pricing formula will be based on true import parity price to be derived from Arab Gulf mean FOB spot price, or from the

Singapore mean FOB spot price. All other elements including premium, freight, port charges, incidentals, and import duties will be added to the final consumer price. Additionally, prevalent inland freight of imported crude oil to a refinery will be added for upcountry refineries. The refineries shall be allowed to open and maintain foreign currency accounts besides, retaining a certain portion of export proceeds in foreign currency to meet operational requirements. Furthermore, there will be no restriction on the selection of equipment, technology, or process other than the fact that it must be a deep conversion refinery. No new hydro-skimming refinery will be allowed to be installed in the country. Infrastructure such as Single Point Mooring (SPM), Single Buoy Mooring (SBM), jetties, subsea/land pipelines, oil terminals, and tank farms that are part of the overall refinery design, will be treated as integral to the refinery and will be facilitated in coordination with various concerned ministries and government entities. The government will not provide

any product off-take guarantee and the refineries would be allowed to sell products to any marketing company, including their own facilities in marketing and distribution. However, the import of a finished product will be limited to the projected deficit, ensuring the uplifting of local refined products first. Locally produced crude will be allocated to the closest refinery that can handle crude. Export of surplus petroleum products, or products with specifications that do not have local demand will be allowed. No refinery will be allowed to market petroleum products of specifications with inferior quality than those notified by petroleum division from time to time, unless it has a waiver from the government. If it produces an inferior product and does not have a waiver to sell it locally, it will be free to export. It is pertinent to mention here that the new policy aims to provide the enabling framework that will lead to complete deregulation of the sector in due course. Currently, Pakistan’s oil refining capacity is about 20 million tonnes per annum. About 60pc of the country’s requirements of diesel and 30pc of petrol are met by local refineries. The rest is imported as refined products. Four out of five refineries operating in Pakistan are using mostly old technology and even the fifth one, PARCO, is now more than two decades old.

Roshan Digital Accounts mark upward trend after PM’s visit to KSA KARACHI: A A EFU F Life Assurance and JS Bank have signed an agreement to launch the EFU F Cover Shield Plan which covers debt payments in case of demise of the insured while EFU F Employee Protector Plan provides employed individuals with a salary continuation feature. PR

SBP INTRODUCES ADVANCE CALENDAR OF MONETARY POLICY COMMITTEE MEETINGS ISLAMABAD APP

KARACHI: A A Ufone has introduced a mobile data bundle for as low as Rs100 recharge. The package has been launched for making online streaming easier for all Ufone subscribers across Pakistan. PR

The opening of Roshan Digital Accounts by overseas Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia has witnessed a significant upward trend following Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent visit to the Kingdom. This was informed by State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor, Dr Reza Baqir, who had called on the prime minister here on Thursday. The prime minister expressed confidence in the promotion of Roshan Digital Accounts for a positive impact on the forex reserves.

During his visit to Saudi Arabia, the prime minister had addressed the Pakistani community in Jeddah in connection with a ceremony related to Roshan Digital Accounts. He had acknowledged the contribution of Pakistani expatriates residing in Saudi Arabia for the progress and economic development of Pakistan. Earlier last month, the premier had

thanked the overseas Pakistanis for depositing over $1 billion via Roshan Digital Accounts. He also appreciated the SBP and commercial banks for achieving the “significant milestone in such a short period”. In a separate development, the central bank decided to begin announcing a half-yearly schedule of Monetary Pol-

icy Committee (MPC) meetings on a rolling basis for making the process of monetary policy formulation more predictable and transparent. The dates for the next four meetings were also announced following international practices. The first MPC meeting envisaged would be held on May 28, the next MPC meeting is scheduled on July 27, the third MPC meeting would take place on September 20 whereas the lst meeting would be convened on November 26. “To manage expectations of economic agents, many central banks across the globe release the schedule of Monetary Policy Committee meetings in advance,” said the SBP spokesperson, adding that the practice was consistent with the objective of reducing uncertainty around monetary policy decision making as clear communication helps to make central banks more transparent and thereby, contributes to enhancing accountability.

Bitcoin struggles for footing on worries over China, leverage BEIJING AGENCIES

Bitcoin regained some ground on Thursday from the previous session’s brutal slide to four-month lows but was weighed down by concerns over tighter regulation in China and unease over the extent of leveraged positions in the cryptocurrency world. Bitcoin, the biggest and most popular cryptocurrency, rose 8.75 per cent to touch $40,000, after plunging 14pc on Wednesday to its lowest since late January. Smaller rival ether was up 6.6pc at $2,600 at 0630 GMT, but in extremely volatile trading after its 28pc tumble on Wednesday. Wednesday’s declines in both digital assets were their biggest daily percentage moves in more than a year as investors rushed to exit trades that until recently were heartily outperforming traditional markets such as stocks and bonds. The latest catalyst was a statement by Chinese financial industry groups on Tuesday banning institutions from offering cryptocurrency registration, trading, clearing, and settlement. But bitcoin had been under pressure for almost a week after a series of tweets from carmaker Tesla’s chief Elon Musk — a major cryptocurrency backer — over reversal on Tesla accepting bitcoin as payment.

RETAIL TRADERS SEE CHANCE TO PICK UP DIGITAL ASSETS ON THE CHEAP

While Beijing has taken steps before to block access domestically to cryptocurrency exchanges, its latest directive was broader. It bans the use of cryptocurrencies in payment and settlement, and prohibits institutions from providing crypto-related

products or exchange services between cryptocurrencies and the yuan or foreign currencies. Chris Weston, head of research at brokerage Pepperstone in Melbourne, pointed to how $9.13 billion of cryptocurrency posi-

CMYK

tions had been liquidated across exchanges over 24 hours, and $532 billion in total volume transacted. “It’s too early to say if the rebound we’ve seen off the lows in crypto has legs, but as we roll into Asian trade, I question if we will get a chance to catch our breath or is there more volatility in store?” he said. The slide forced some investors to close out leveraged positions in cryptocurrency derivatives, which caused prices to fall further and knocked digital assets down into a lower trading range, traders said. James Quinn, managing director at Q9 Capital, a Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency private wealth manager, said there wasn’t that much evidence of extended leverage in these cryptos and that the selling reflected huge crowded positions in ether. Ether was up six-fold until the selloff, stealing a march over bitcoin this year after being widely used in non-fungible tokens on digital art platforms. “To me, this is just as much of a spot led selloff as it is a reflection of people deleveraging futures and swaps products,” Quinn said. “Sometimes a market event is looking for a cause. I think this is about positioning. Over the long term, maybe its positive because a very crowded trade from a lot of new entrants means there are a lot of new entrants.”

Bitcoin may fall a little further but is likely to stabilise around $30,000, said Justin d’Anethan, head of exchange sales at Diginex, a Singapore-based digital asset market. Digital assets have been on a wild ride this year as a growing number of retail and institutional investors bet that bitcoin and other crypto currencies will gain mainstream acceptance, but large price swings are common. Bitcoin is up 27pc so far this year, and intra-day volatility has spiked to near 300pc this week. Prominent crypto backers such as MicroStrategy Inc’s CEO Michael Saylor, Ark Invest’s Chief Executive Cathie Wood and Musk indicated their support for bitcoin as it plunged on Wednesday. While some retail traders saw missed opportunities in the slide, others saw the rout as a chance to pick up digital assets on the cheap. “Bitcoin broke down technically,” said Michael Oliveri, an independent New Yorkbased equity trader who was formerly a partner at First New York Securities. “It was an easy short setup actually. I’m annoyed I didn’t short it. I wouldn’t chase it now.” Milko Markov, an independent London-based trader, said he had been buying ether. “Those with a bit more experience in the crypto market know two cardinal rules; don’t leverage and dollar cost average,” he said.

Friday, 21 May, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

ISLAMABAD

Bernie SAnDerS BringS in reSoluTion BloCking SAle of ArmS To iSrAel NEW YORK

Agencies

ORMER US presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders has introduced a resolution in the Senate blocking the sale of $735 million weapons to Israel on Thursday, similar to the symbolic one brought in the House of Representatives in response to Israeli bombing of Gaza. "At a moment when US-made bombs are devastating Gaza, and killing women and children, we cannot simply let another huge

arms sale go through without even a congressional debate," said Sanders, an independent who votes with Democrats. Democratic President Joe Biden's administration approved the potential sale of $735 million in weapons to Israel this year, and sent it to Congress for formal review. The clashes have prompted calls from some lawmakers for a more concerted US effort to stop the violence, including Israeli airstrikes that have killed dozens of civilians, most of them Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip. Sanders, a former candidate for Demo-

BBC tricked princess Diana into 1995 TV interview: inquiry LONDON Agencies

Journalist Martin Bashir tricked princess Diana into giving an explosive BBC television interview where she lifted the lid on her troubled marriage to Prince Charles, an independent report concluded on Thursday. Retired senior judge John Dyson said Bashir commissioned faked bank statements then showed them to the princess' brother to persuade her to appear. "By behaving as described... Mr Bashir acted inappropriately and in serious breach" of the corporation's own editorial guidelines on "straight dealing", he added. Questions have long been asked about how Bashir persuaded Diana to talk on the BBC's flagship "Panorama" programme in November 1995, which was watched by a record 22.8 million people and won a string of television awards. In it, she famously said "there were three people" in her marriage -- her, Charles and his longtime mistress and now wife, Camilla Parker-Bowles, and also admitted adultery. Bashir, now 58, was littleknown at the time of the interview but went on to have a high-profile career on US television networks, interviewing stars such as Michael Jackson. He returned to work for the corporation as religion editor until he stepped down last week, citing ill health, just hours before Dyson's report was submitted to BBC bosses. A previous BBC inquiry had cleared Bashir of wrongdoing. But Dyson called that internal probe "flawed and woefully ineffective". In particular, it did not ask Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, for his version of events, Dyson said, lambasting it for failing to scrutinise Bashir's actions properly. "If they had been able to test Mr Bashir's account by asking him to comment on Earl Spencer's detailed account, it is very unlikely that they would have believed him and concluded that he was an 'honest and an honourable man'," he wrote.

Antarctica gives birth to world’s largest iceberg

cratic presidential nomination, said Americans need to take a "hard look" at whether the weapons sales fuel conflict between Israel and Palestinians. His resolution follows a measure introduced by US Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mark Pocan and Rashida Tlaib, which has at least six other co-sponsors, including some of the most left-leaning Democrats in the House. The measures were unlikely to pass in either the House or Senate, where bipartisan support for arms sales for Israel has traditionally been strong.

China says US warship illegally enters its territory in South China Sea BEIJING Agencies

China said on Thursday a US warship had illegally entered its territorial waters in the South China Sea, the latest salvo in the two nations’ dispute over Beijing’s territorial claims in the busy waterway. In a statement, the Chinese military’s Southern Theater Command said the USS Curtis Wilbur entered the waters near the Paracel Islands without per-

mission, adding that its ships and planes followed the US vessel. It added that China opposed the US action, which it said violated its sovereignty and undermined regional peace and stability. South China Sea has emerged as one of many flashpoints in the testy Sino-US relations, with Washington rejecting what it has called unlawful territorial claims asserted by Beijing in the resourcesrich waters. US warships have passed through the

South China Sea with increasing frequency in recent years, a show of force against the Chinese claims. The US Navy said later on Thursday the USS Curtis Wilbur “asserted navigational rights and freedoms” near the Paracel Islands, over which China, Taiwan and Vietnam all claim sovereignty. “The unilateral imposition of any authorization or advance-notification requirement for innocent passage is not permitted by international law,” the US Navy’s 7th Fleet said in a statement.

Trump says New York criminal probe is in ‘desperate search of a crime’ NEW YORK Agencies

Former US President Donald Trump on Wednesday attacked New York state’s attorney general for launching a criminal probe of his family business, saying he was “being unfairly attacked and abused.” “There is nothing more corrupt than an investigation that is in desperate search of a crime,” Trump said in a statement, adding that “we will overcome” any attempt at prosecution. The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, which has been investigating whether the New York City-based Trump Organisation falsely reported property values to secure loans and obtain economic and tax benefits, said on Tuesday its probe was no longer purely civil. “We are now actively investigat-

ing the Trump Organisation in a criminal capacity, along with the Manhattan DA,” Fabien Levy, a spokesman for James, said in a statement, using the abbreviation for “district attorney.” Trump on Wednesday assailed the investigation as politically motivated. “The attorney general of New York literally campaigned on prosecuting Donald Trump even before she knew anything about me,” the Republican former president said. James is a Democrat.Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance has been investigating Trump’s pre-presidency business dealings for more than two years. Vance’s office has said in court filings it was investigating “possibly extensive and protracted criminal conduct” at the Trump Organisation, including tax and insurance fraud and falsification of business records. Separately, the New York Times reported late on

Wednesday that the office of the New York Attorney General had been criminally investigating Allen Weisselberg, the CFO of the Trump Organisation, for months over tax issues, and had notified the company about it in a January letter. The investigators have examined whether taxes were paid on fringe benefits that Trump gave him, including cars and tens of thousands of dollars in private school tuition for at least one of Weisselberg’s grandchildren, according to the newspaper.

ANTARCTICA Agencies

A giant slab of ice bigger than the Spanish island of Majorca has sheared off from the frozen edge of Antarctica into the Weddell Sea, becoming the largest iceberg afloat in the world, the European Space Agency said on Wednesday. The newly calved berg, designated A-76 by scientists, was spotted in recent satellite images captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission, the space agency said in a statement posted on its website with a photo of the enormous, oblong ice sheet. Its surface area spans 4,320 square km (1,668 square miles) and measures 175 km (106 miles) long by 25 km (15 miles) wide. By comparison, Spain's tourist island of Majorca in the Mediterranean occupies 3,640 square km (1,405 square miles). The US state of Rhode Island is smaller still, with a land mass of just 2,678 square km (1,034 square miles). The enormity of A-76, which broke away from Antarctica's Ronne Ice Shelf, ranks as the largest existing iceberg on the planet, surpassing the now second-place A-23A, about 3,380 square km (1,305 square miles) in size and also floating in the Weddell Sea. Another massive Antarctic iceberg that had threatened a penguin-populated island off the southern tip of South America has since lost much of its mass and broken into pieces, scientists said earlier this year. A-76 was first detected by the British Antarctic Survey and confirmed by the Maryland-based US National Ice Centre using imagery from Copernicus Sentinel-1, consisting of two polarorbiting satellites. The Ronne Ice Shelf near the base of the Antarctic Peninsula is one of the largest of several enormous floating sheets of ice that connect to the continent's landmass and extend out into surrounding seas. Periodic calving of large chunks of those shelves is part of a natural cycle, and the breaking off of A-76, which is likely to split into two or three pieces soon, is not linked to climate change, said Ted Scambos, a research glaciologist at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Scambos said the Ronne and another vast ice shelf, the Ross, have "behaved in a stable, quasi-periodic fashion" over the past century or more.

Status of pregnancies outside marriage still unclear in UAE after law change ABU DHABI Agencies

Seven months after the UAE decriminalised premarital sex, the legal change is not always reflected in how pregnancies outside marriage are treated, according to government guidance, lawyers and hospital staff. While women are no longer jailed for premarital sex, new births require the parents’ marriage certificate, health insurers do not offer maternity cover to unmarried women and in private online chatrooms, unmarried women remain wary of seeking medical help for pregnancy issues. The disconnect underlines the challenge faced by the United Arab Emirates, which includes the holiday and business hub Dubai, as it seeks to become a secular, more socially liberal state and maintain its status as an investment and tourism hub. Two major areas of concern are medical insurance and the registration of births. If a new mother cannot provide a marriage certificate needed to issue a birth notification, hospitals will call the police who refer a file to a Personal Status Court for a judge to issue a decision on how to register the birth, three hospital staff involved in the process and two

lawyers said. A UAE government information website last updated in March reads: “The man and woman must be legally married to each other to get legal recognition for their child.” On health insurance, current Dubai Health Authority (DHA) policy directives state that “females unmarried at time of enrolment and females without child bearing capacity should not be offered [maternity insurance] cover”. When asked whether its policies would be updated to reflect the decriminalisation of sexual relations outside marriage, the DHA said in an email: “At this time we have no intention of changing the policies in this regard.” The DHA gave no further details. UAE’s police, prosecutors and government communications offices declined to comment for this article. Dubai-based lawyer Ludmila Yamalova, who has represented unmarried women who gave birth in the UAE, said there was still “an overarching view” they had committed a crime. “If pregnancies outside of marriage are no longer a violation of the country’s laws, then the issuance of birth certificates should be just an administrative step,” Yamalova told Reuters.

“It should not require either a court process or any other complicated procedures involving judicial authorities, such as the police, for example […] unless there is an actual dispute about parentage.” COURT RULINGS HINT AT CHANGE: The UAE used to penalise consensual premarital sexual relations — most commonly evidenced by a birth. Rights groups criticised that law for discouraging rape reporting, for jailing and deporting women and their children and for depriving children of birth documents needed for travel and schooling when women fled into the shadows to avoid prosecution. But in late September, Article 356 of the UAE Penal Code was amended to decriminalise “indecent assault with mutual consent”, a phrase used for decades to penalise sex outside marriage, co-habitation, extra-marital relationships and same-sex relations. The change is beginning to make its way through the courts. Local media reported that appeal courts in Dubai and Sharjah this year acquitted people from verdicts made previously under Article 356 for consensual premarital sex. In one case Yamalova has dealt with,

she said a UAE resident was charged last year with the crime of unmarried sexual relations after she gave birth. By the time the police criminal file reached the public prosecutor, the law had changed. In March, the case was dismissed on the grounds that the decriminalisation of consensual premarital sex rendered the act “unpunishable”, Yamalova said. But while the woman’s record was cleared, the baby remains without a birth certificate, the lawyer added. “The reforms were an important step in the right direction … but authorities must ensure unmarried pregnant women can access healthcare and birth certificates for their children,” said Rothna Begum of Human Rights Watch. In private social media chatrooms seen by Reuters, women continue to post messages anonymously asking for information on “safe clinics” they can attend for an unmarried pregnancy or miscarriage. One group raises 14 separate topics regarding legal issues and accessing pregnancy-related healthcare outside marriage – a major worry with the coronavirus pandemic reducing options for travelling abroad for birth or abortions, which remain illegal. The responses range between those who say they need not worry and those who advise the opposite, highlighting the confusion on the issue. Last year’s reform of personal and criminal laws included decriminalising alcohol consumption and cancelling provisions for leniency when dealing with so-called “honour killings”.

Friday, 21 May, 2021

ISLAMABAD

PSG BeAt MonAco to win FRencH cuP AnD Set SiGHtS on DoMeStic DouBle PARIS

AGENCIES

ARIS Saint-Germain have a domestic double in their sights after they won the French Cup by beating Monaco 2-0 in Wednesday’s final at the Stade de France. Goals from Mauro Icardi and Kylian Mbappe won a largely uninspiring final for PSG who now go into the weekend’s final round of Ligue 1 fixtures with a recordequalling 10th league title still a possibility. The French champions have now won the French Cup six times in the last seven seasons having reached the final every year since 2015. It was also the second trophy of coach Mauricio Pochettino’s managerial career after he won the Champions Trophy for PSG in January, although this will for many count as his first major honour. “We work every day to experience this kind of feeling, reward and recognition,” said Mbappe. “It’s the work of a whole group, staff, all the people who work every day for us, the club and of course the supporters who couldn’t be there. We think a lot about the fans and this title is for them as well.” Monaco meanwhile continue their wait

to win the French Cup for the first time since 1991, in their first final since 2010 when they were also beaten by PSG. Niko Kovac’s side have however had a positive season and can finish it on a happier note at the weekend by qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since 2018. LOW-KEY OCCASION: Played with no fans present, in contrast to England’s FA

Cup final and the Italian Cup final which was being played on the same evening, the match lacked the sense of occasion that would normally characterise an end-of-season showpiece between two of France’s most famous clubs. It was also jammed in the middle of the denouement to possibly Europe’s most exciting league title race, with PSG trailing leaders Lille by a single point heading into

the final round of fixtures this weekend. Monaco are also not technically out of the running for the league as they sit three points behind Lille, but realistically they have to protect their place in the final Champions League slot from Lyon, who are a point behind them. PSG opened the scoring in the 19th minute thanks to a horrendous error from Monaco defender Axel Disasi, who miscontrolled a pass from goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki and allowed Kylian Mbappe to steal the ball. The France forward was then left with the simple task of squaring the ball to Icardi, who tapped into an open goal. The goal failed to spark the match into life, with the nearest the opening period came to another goal being Alessandro Florenzi’s long-range shot in the 33rd minute which Majecki comfortably tipped over. Monaco did their best to push for an equaliser in the second half but failed to cause much trouble for PSG keeper Keylor Navas, and with the clock ticking on their bid to end a 30-year wait for the cup, they were punished by Mbappe. The 22-year-old was found by a delicate pass into the area by Angel Di Maria, allowing Mbappe to apply the killer touch and ensure that the cup stayed in Paris.

Liverpool ease past Burnley in Premier League LONDON AGENCIES

Liverpool set up a dramatic final-day battle to qualify for the Champions League with a vital 3-0 win at Burnley, while Tottenham’s bid to reach the Europa League suffered a blow in a 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa on Wednesday. Jurgen Klopp’s side moved into fourth place in the Premier League thanks to goals from Roberto Firmino, Nathaniel Phillips and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Liverpool are above fifth-placed Leicester on goal difference, with the Reds on +24 and the Foxes on +20. If Liverpool win their final game at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday, they should finish in the top four and salvage a difficult campaign that saw them tamely surrender the title to Manchester City. Leicester host Tottenham on Sunday, while third-placed Chelsea, one point above Liverpool, travel to Aston Villa. Firmino put Liverpool on course for their fourth consecutive victory with a clinical finish from Andy Robertson’s 43rd minute cross. Phillips got the second goal in the 52nd minute with a header from Sadio Mane’s cross for his first goal for the club. Oxlade-Chamberlain lashed in Liverpool’s third in the 88th minute. “We had to win the ‘semi-final’ and we did. Nothing is decided yet but we improved our position and we have the final,” Klopp said. “That’s what we needed. It’s what we deserve because this was a top performance.” Fifth and sixth place finishes secure a spot in next season’s Europa League, while seventh place brings entry into

a play-off for the new Europa Conference League. Tottenham will have to wait until their last game of the season to discover their European destiny. A second defeat in their last three games left them in seventh place, level on points with eighth-placed Everton and three points behind sixth-placed West Ham. They will have to beat Leicester and hope West Ham lose to Southampton to pip their London rivals on goal difference. Harry Kane was named in Tottenham’s starting line-up just days after reportedly telling the club he wants to leave. The England captain is keen to move on as he chases the first trophies of his career, with Manchester City, Manchester United and Paris Saint Germain among the clubs linked with the striker. Tottenham fans in the 10,000 crowd urged Kane to stay as they chanted “Harry Kane, he’s one of our own” before kick-off. HAMMERS EYE EURO BERTH: Tottenham’s Steven Bergwijn was making his first league start since February and the Dutch winger celebrated his return with a superb strike in the eighth minute. But Tottenham’s lead lasted only 12 minutes as Sergio Reguilon sliced Marvelous Nakamba’s cross into his own net. Villa punished more sloppy Reguilon defending in the 39th minute when Bertrand Traore pressured the defender into surrendering possession, allowing Ollie Watkins to fire home from close-range. Tottenham were booed off at full-time, but Kane applauded fans on all sides of the stadium in a gesture which may have served as his farewell. “He means a lot. He’s a Tottenham player,” caretaker

boss Ryan Mason said. “I’m very disappointed with the result. It wasn’t how we wanted to finish the season in front of our fans.” West Ham are on course to qualify for the Europa League after a 3-1 win at relegated West Bromwich Albion. The Hammers started badly as Declan Rice hit the post with a third minute penalty before Matheus Pereira’s corner was flicked into his own net by Tomas Soucek in the 27th minute. But Soucek equalised in first-half stoppage time, setting the stage for Angelo Ogbonna and Michail Antonio to score in the final eight minutes. David Moyes’ side know a draw in their last game against Southampton will secure European football. After the match, West Brom boss Sam Allardyce confirmed he will leave at the end of the season. Everton remain in the hunt for the Europa Conference League after Richarlison’s 48th minute header sealed a 10 win against Wolves. Arsenal won 3-1 at Crystal Palace and could still qualify for the Europa Conference League as they battle to avoid missing out on European football for the first time since 1995-96. Nicolas Pepe’s 35th minute volley put Arsenal ahead before Christian Benteke equalised in the 62nd minute. Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli netted in stoppage-time before Pepe struck again with virtually the last kick. With their season finale against Brighton to come, ninth placed Arsenal sit one point behind Tottenham and Everton. Newcastle beat relegated Sheffield United 1-0 thanks to Joe Willock’s header just before half-time.

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Descon, BARD wish Haniya luck for int’l competition LAHORE PR

Descon and BARD Foundation organised a farewell for Haniya Minhas on Wednesday. Haniya is a budding tennis star, who has earned 74 titles at the age of 10. She is the first girl in the history of Pakistan to be ranked first against boys in national ranking. She is also the youngest to win a women’s event when she was only 9 years old. She was honoured as the first girl in the history of Pakistan to be selected for Pakistan Sports Awards at the age of 10. Haniya has participated and won number of competitions nationally. Descon, BARD Foundation have continued to support and sponsor Haniya in her tennis journey. The board of directors of Descon and BARD Foundation hosted an event to bid farewell to Haniya as she was scheduled to leave for her first ever international competition in Tajikistan. BARD’s Taimur Dawood said, “It is the objective of the BARD Foundation to support young talent from Pakistan so they can move to international level.” BARD’s Ijaz Ali Khan said, “It is a great honour for Descon and BARD Foundation to support Haniya nationally and internationally. We wish her all the best and we know she will do wonders.” Faisal Dawood, another board member of BARD said, “Haniya is a testament to what BARD believes in. At such a young age, she has achieved so much. Her dedication, hard work and sacrifice have started from this age and we wish her the best of luck.” Haniya also spoke about her achievements and told that she wants to be the top-ranked tennis player in Asia and wishes to win the biggest tournaments in the world. She is also looking forward to playing in Japan and Croatia later this year. Haniya’s father thanked Descon and BARD for supporting Haniya and believing in her. The event ended with the board of directors wishing Haniya luck for her first international tournament and bidding her farewell.

Juventus win Italian Cup to boost tough season ROME AGENCIES

Andrea Pirlo insisted he wanted to continue as Juventus coach after lifting his second trophy this season in the Coppa Italia final. The dethroned league champions beat Atalanta 2-1 to win the Italian Cup for the 14th time after winning the Super Cup in January. Federico Chiesa scored the winner with quarter of an hour to go after Dejan Kulusevski struck after half an hour, in a game played in front of fans for the first time in over a year. “It was a great match, between two beautiful teams who fought to the end, a final worthy of this name, also a big celebration for the public, with everything that has happened this season,” said Pirlo, who turned 42 on Wednesday. “I would really like to sit on the Juventus bench again next year,” he continued. “I think I did my job well day by day, trying to win finals. I would like to continue, I love this club.” Pirlo conceded that his first ever coaching job has seen “many difficulties”. “These victories do not cancel out those ups and downs,” said the 2006 World Cup winner. “It’s a season where I learned a lot.”

Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini, 63, was denied a first trophy of his coaching career, and his club’s second trophy after the 1963 Coppa Italia. “It’s a disappointment,” said Gasperini. “We are happy to be at this level, to be able to play this type of game and to qualify for the Champions League for the third consecutive season.” BUFFON GOES FULL CIRCLE: It was a boost for Juventus who go into the final weekend of the season with their Champions League qualification going down to the wire after Inter Milan ended their nine-year league reign. Gianluigi Buffon was in the Juventus goal for the final time in his career and the veteran keeper was solid on the night winning his sixth Coppa Italia 22 years after his first with Parma, where he played alongside Chiesa’s father Enrico. The veteran pulled off a big save just after kickoff at the Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia. Duvan Zapata had pulled back for Jose Luis Palomino with 43-year-old Buffon using his legs to stop the ball. Zapata pounced on a sloppy Matthijs De Ligt backpass but Buffon again cleared after quarter of an hour and denied Hans Hateboer after 35 minutes.

Despite the Bergamo side’s early domination Juve made the breakthrough after half an hour. Cristiano Ronaldo went down but amid a scramble in front of goal Weston McKennie sent the ball across to Kulusevski who curled into the net. But ten minutes later Ruslan Malinovskyi blasted in the equaliser. Pierluigi Gollini denied Kulusevski a second just before the hour after good work from Chiesa. Chiesa then clipped the post after latching onto a Ronaldo backheel flick. But the former Fiorentina forward made no mistake with quarter of an hour remaining after combining with Kulusevski to beat Gollini. It was Juventus’s first Coppa Italia since 2018, having finished runners-up last year to Napoli. Atalanta also lost the 2019 final to Lazio. Ronaldo failed to score on the night but has now won every trophy in three of Europe’s five major leagues – England, Spain and now Italy. A total of 4,300 fans were allowed into a stadium for the first time since the coronavirus lockdown in March 2020. But the party was short lived with the Italian government ordering an overnight curfew to come into force in Reggio Emilia after the game starting at midnight.

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PAkIStAn’S roLE In AfghAn PEACE ProCESS EChoES In WAShIngton WASHINGTON

staff RepoRt

AKISTAN will decide Afghanistan’s future as, after almost 20 years of uninterrupted military presence, the United States now only has a minor role in the country This claim made by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in the US Congress this week was met with concern by lawmakers of both Republican and Democratic parties about Afghanistan’s future, after the withdrawal of American and Nato forces and they deliberated on the key role that must be played by Pakistan in this. By September 11, the Biden administration plans to withdraw all foreign troops from Afghanistan, almost 20 years after the first US troops arrived in the country. In an interview with German publication Der Spiegel earlier this week, President Ghani had said that getting Pakistan on board was the first and foremost matter in bringing peace to Afghanistan. “The US now plays only a minor role. The question of peace or hostility is now in Pakistani hands,” he claimed, adding that the withdrawal would greatly reduce American influence in Afghanistan.

On Tuesday, Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, a California Democrat, read Ghani’s alarming quote, in the House Foreign Affairs Committee as well, during a hearing on “the US-Afghanistan relationship after the withdrawal.” She described the Afghan president’s claim as “quite a statement” and inquired America’s chief negotiator on Afghan affairs, Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, about the future. “What specifically are you doing to push Pakistan’s leaders and to ensure that they do step up the way we want them to?” she asked. Khalilzad replied that Pakistan’s civilian and military leaderships, he believed, both recognised there was an economic benefit in reaching peace in Afghanistan. “COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and Prime Minister Imran Khan both (also) recognise that this economic benefit is where the future is. Gen Bajwa has said countries do not develop, regions develop,” he added. “And I know there are challenges inside Pakistan, but I believe that Gen Bajwa’s last visit to Kabul was positive. They have discussed some steps that the two sides will take — working with the United Kingdom — in support of the effort to improve relations between these two countries.” He called the Pak-Afghan relation-

Modi’s rating falls to new low as India reels from Covid-19 NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s approval ratings have fallen to a new low, two surveys showed, as the country struggles to contain a devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Modi, who swept to power in 2014 and was re-elected in 2019 with the biggest majority of any Indian politician in three decades, has long fostered the image of a powerful nationalist leader. But India’s Covid-19 caseload surged past 25 million this week, exposing a lack of preparation and eroding Modi’s support base, according to US data intelligence company Morning Consult’s tracker of a dozen global leaders. Modi’s overall ratings this week stand at 63 percent, his lowest since the US firm began tracking his popularity in August 2019. The big decline happened in April when his net approval dropped 22 points. agencies

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ship the Achilles heel of Afghanistan’s recent history that needs to be overcome and he said “we are hopeful, given the recent developments”. The US envoy also underlined the need to view Ghani’s statement in the regional context, adding: “President Ghani is right in the sense that the region is important for a peace agreement to bring lasting stability to Afghanistan. “It needs broad support inside […] Afghanistan and in the region, because part of Afghanistan’s problem has been a […] proxy conflict.” He said the US was trying to build a regional consensus and support for peace and that is why he repeatedly emphasises the importance of this economic dimension of peace. “The potential connectivity and trade between Central Asia, Afghanistan and South Asia is a vital part of the future of that region and for Afghanistan,” Khalilzad said while urging Afghans also to avail this opportunity for peace. “One should not absolve the Afghans of their responsibility. They must accept each other and find a formula that can resolve their differences,” he said. Congressman Ted Lieu, another California Democrat and a former US Air Force colonel, commented that if Pakistan was so crucial to achieving

peace in Afghanistan then why was it not being treated accordingly. “I am just curious about what happened earlier this year when 40 world leaders were invited to the climate summit, including the leaders of India and Bangladesh. And the leader of Pakistan was not invited, even though Pakistan is the fifth most climate vulnerable country. Even though 35 of the 40 countries invited have populations smaller than Pakistan’s,” he said. “It seems to be disrespectful to not have invited the Pakistani leader to this climate summit when the leaders of India and Bangladesh were invited. “And now we are asking Pakistan to help us, a lot, in Afghanistan. So, I am wondering what was the thinking (behind) that sort of exclusion of the Pakistani leader?” Khalilzad replied: “Of course, you are right. Pakistan is an important country. We have had periods of great cooperation with Pakistan. And Pakistan has a critical role to play in Afghanistan going forward and in a number of other issues. “As to the climate summit, I am not in a position to respond as to what decisions were made but Pakistan’s participation, I believe, did occur. If you are interested, we can take that question for a response for the record. But I was not involved in it,” he added.

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PCB gets UAE approval to stage PSL matches in Abu Dhabi ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board said on Thursday it had received approval from the United Arab Emirates government to stage the remaining 20 matches of the suspended Pakistan Super League tournament in Abu Dhabi. The flagship tournament was stopped after 14 games in March after seven individuals, including six players, tested positive for Covid-19. The date and details of the matches will be announced later after consultation with the franchise owners, the PCB said. “We are delighted with this development as the remaining hurdles in the staging of the remaining PSL 6 matches in Abu Dhabi have been overcome and all systems are now good to go,” PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said in a statement. The PCB is expected to conduct a virtual meeting with the franchise owners later today to provide them an update about the progress while finalising the logistical details. “The PCB, in consultation with the team owners, will now work at pace to finalise all event-related arrangements, details of which will be shared in due course,” Khan said. There were talks to conduct the remainder of PSL in Karachi but the proposal couldn’t be materialised due to the coronavirus situation in the country. “We are grateful to the UAE government, National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority, Emirates Cricket Board, and Abu Dhabi Sports Council for their support and patronage in ensuring all final obstacles were removed, which has firmly put us in a position to complete our marquee event,” the statement quoted Khan as saying. “I take this opportunity to thank my staff for their untiring efforts and hard work that included sacrificing their Eid-ul-Fitr holidays in an effort to ensure the PCB honours its commitment to its fans to hold the remaining matches of the tournament in June. The holding of the remaining matches in Abu Dhabi will allow our fans to once again follow and support their favourite players and teams through our high-quality broadcast coverage of one of the most competitive cricket leagues in the world.” s ta f f R e p o Rt

Israel unleashes strikes after vowing to press on in Gaza TEL AVIV agencies

Israel unleashed a wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Thursday, killing at least one civilian and wounding several others. The latest strikes came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back against US pressure to wind down the offensive against Gaza’s Hamas rulers, who Israel claims have fired thousands of rockets at it. Explosions shook Gaza City and orange flares lit up the night sky, with airstrikes also reported in the central town of Deir al-Balah and the southern town of Khan Younis. As the sun rose, residents surveyed the rubble from at least five family homes destroyed in Khan Younis. There were also heavy airstrikes on al-Saftawi Street, a commercial thoroughfare in Gaza City. The Israeli military said it struck at least four homes of Hamas commanders, targeting “military infrastructure,” as well as a weapons storage unit at the home of a Hamas fighter in Gaza City. An Israeli airstrike smashed into the Khawaldi family’s two-story house in Khan Younis, destroying it. The 11 residents, who were sleeping in a separate area out of fear, were all wounded and hospitalised, said Shaker al-Khozondar, a neighbour. Shrapnel hit his family home next door, killing Hoda al-Khozondar, his aunt, and wounding her daughter and two cousins, he said. Weam Fares, a spokesman for a nearby hospital, confirmed her death and said at

least 10 people were wounded in strikes overnight. Netanyahu has pushed back against calls from the Biden administration to wrap up the operation that has left hundreds dead. It marks the first public rift between the two close allies since the fighting began last week and could complicate international efforts to reach a cease-fire. His pushback also poses a difficult early test of the US-Israel relationship. After visiting military headquarters, Netanyahu said Wednesday he appreciated “the support of the American president,” but that Israel would push ahead to return “calm and security” to its citizens. He said he was “determined to continue this operation until its aim is met.” US President Joe Biden had earlier told Netanyahu that he expected “a significant de-escalation today on the path to a cease-fire,” the White House said. Biden had previously avoided pressing Israel more directly and publicly for a cease-fire with Gaza’s Hamas rulers. But pressure has been building for Biden to intervene more forcefully as other diplomatic efforts gather strength. Egyptian negotiators have also been working to halt the fighting, and an Egyptian diplomat said top officials were waiting for Israel’s response to a cease-fire offer. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. Moussa Abu Marzouk, a top Hamas official, told the Lebanese Mayadeen TV that he expected a cease-fire in a day or two. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas was expected in the region Thursday for talks with Israelis and Pales-

tinians. Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the foreign ministers of Slovakia and the Czech Republic would join him after being invited “to express their solidarity and support” for Israel. The current round of fighting between Israel and Hamas began May 10, when the group fired long-range rockets toward Jerusalem after days of Israeli attacks on Palestinian protesters at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a flashpoint site sacred to Jews and Muslims. Heavy-handed police tactics at the compound and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers had inflamed tensions. Since then, Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes that it says have targeted Hamas’ infrastructure, including a vast tunnel network it refers to as the “Metro.” Hamas and other fighter groups embedded in residential areas have fired over 4,000 rockets at Israeli cities, with hundreds falling short and most of the rest intercepted or landing in open areas. At least 227 Palestinians have been killed, including 64 children and 38 women, with 1,620 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Hamas and Islamic Jihad say at least 20 of their fighters have been killed, while Israel says the number is at least 130. Some 58,000 Palestinians have fled their homes. Since the fighting began, Gaza’s infrastructure, already weakened by a 14-year blockade, has rapidly deteriorated. Medical supplies, water, and fuel for electricity are running low in the territory, on which Israel and Egypt imposed the blockade after Hamas seized power in 2007.

CPEC bears fruit amid 70th anniversary of Pakistan-China ties LAST UPDATED AT 7:37 AM ON MAY 20, 2021

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Since the establishment of their diplomatic relations 70 years ago today, Pakistan and China have forged an all-weather friendship and conducted allround cooperation. As an important pilot project of the Belt and Road Initiative and one of the main platforms for deepening bilateral cooperation, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has been bearing fruit. For 32-year-old Zulqarnian Khan, working as a geological engineer in the Suki Kinari hydropower station, only about 10 kilometers away from his home, is what makes him and his family elated. “My parents are happy. They know I will have a bright future as I can learn lots of advanced techniques from my Chinese colleagues with a handsome income here,” he told Xinhua. Located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the 884-megawatt hydropower station is a major CPEC energy project, with construction in full swing. “Our project currently has around 5,000 Pakistani employees, and over 60

percent of them are from nearby areas of the station,” said Deng Siwen, general manager of the project. “Since the start of construction four years ago, I have seen shops and hotels mushroom near our construction site, and many of our Pakistani colleagues began to afford a motorbike for commuting.” Having been working on the project for three years, Khan is joining hands with his Chinese and native colleagues to smoothly reach each milestone in the construction, including the second-stage river closure achieved in late April. When starting commercial operation, the project is expected to generate some 3.21 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually to provide sufficient power supply and further improve Pakistan’s energy structure while a number of CPEC power plants under operation have already made great contributions to solving the electricity shortage in the country. “The CPEC energy projects have added thousands of megawatts of installed capacity to the grid of the country, and the electricity shortage which was there for the last 20-25 years is no more,”

Mushahid Hussain Syed, chairman of the Pakistani Senate’s standing committee on foreign affairs, told Xinhua. The sufficient energy supply has paved the way for the boom of Pakistan’s economic and social activities, enabling the country to embark on a path of clean and green development. In Lahore, the launch of the country’s first-ever metro train service last October has provided a modern, comfortable and eco-friendly way of traveling for over 11 million residents in the city. Adopting the Chinese standard, technology and equipment, the electricity-driven Orange Line metro train under CPEC has become a popular choice among local commuters and is expected to facilitate traffic and reduce air pollution in the city. “Earlier, it used to take me an hour via three different kinds of transport to reach my destination and I had to suffer dust since the rickshaw I used to take was open,” said Tariq Siddiqui. “Now I am just using this one which takes me only 20 minutes. It’s a very good facility for the public.” Meanwhile, CPEC’s other transport

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

infrastructure projects including the Karakoram Highway Phase Two and the Sukkur-Multan Motorway “have connected different provinces of Pakistan in a modern and better way, facilitating transportation, trade, and people’s travel,” Syed said. Facing the Arabian Sea, Gwadar port, one of the pillars of the CPEC, has made a series of achievements including the inauguration of liner services, Afghan transit trade, and liquefied petroleum gas business, and is sailing towards the dream of becoming a “New Dubai” in Pakistan. Launched in 2013, the CPEC is a corridor linking Gwadar port with Kashgar in northwest China’s Xinjiang region, which highlights energy, transport, and industrial cooperation. According to the data recently released by the Chinese Embassy, a total of 46 CPEC projects are under construction or have been completed, and the corridor has brought US25.4 billion in foreign direct investment and created 75,000 jobs for the locals, serving as a focal point for Pakistan and China to drive practical cooperation.