Issuu

CMYK

23 May, 2021 I 11 Shawwal, 1442 I Rs 25.00 I Vol XI No 322 I 32 Pages I Islamabad Edition

We Will move forWard as a family: faWad after meeting tareen group g

'We are all united under imran Khan's leadership'

LAHORE staff report

ederal minister for information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said on saturday that the pti and members of the Jehangir Khan tareen (JKt) group had decided to ‘move forward as a family’ and a united political party, opting to resolve any and all problems through dialogue. during the press conference held after the meeting, Fawad Ch, along with members of the JKt group said that he and pti leader aamir mehmood Kiani had been directed by prime minister imran Khan to meet with the group and understand their grievances. “We have decided that we will sit and have talks to solve personal or collective problems. We are all united under pm imran Khan’s leadership,” Chaudhry said. Chaudhry admitted that there organisa-

tional and administrative issues within the pti that have led to misunderstandings and improvement on that front was necessary. CM BUZDAR MEETING: this meeting comes a day after a seven-member delegation of the Jahangir tareen group met punjab Chief minister sardar usman Buzdar in lahore on Friday and reposed their complete trust in his leadership. the delegation comprised saeed akbar Khan nawani, ajmal Cheema, nauman ahmad langrial, Zawar hussain Warraich, nazeer Chauhan, umar aftab, and awn Chaudhry. mpa saeed akbar Khan nawani said: “We are one and will remain so.” “We have complete trust in your leadership. You are our chief minister and we have come to you for resolution of our issues,” the lawmaker said, pointing to the Cm. “the pti is our party with whom our unconditional association will continue.”

Coronavirus in

pakistan

CONFIRMED CASES:

897,468

LAST UPDATED AT 8:06 AM ON MAY 22, 2021

DAY'S DEATH TOLL:

NEW CASES:

4,007

RECOVERED:

DEATHS:

813,855 20,177 SINDH:

PUNJAB:

306,707

333,057

KP:

BALOCHISTAN:

129,013

24,413

AJK/GB: ISLAMABAD: 18,651/5,471 80,156

Cm Buzdar said that “we are united under the leadership of prime minister imran Khan”. “We have never meted out injustice to anybody and will never do so. politics of vengeance is not our thing.” assuring the mpas of addressing their legitimate grievances, the chief minister said that the party’s name is pakistan tehreek-e-insaf and “we believe in the dispensation of justice”. speaking to the media after the meeting, langrial said that they believed that the prime minister would not allow any injustice to be meted out to them. “Our meeting with Cm usman Buzdar remained productive,” he said. “the chief minister listened to our grievances and issued directives for their redressal,” the mpa said. FIA INVESTIGATION: Fawad Chaudhry said that he fully believed Jehangir tareen did not expect any illegal favours from the prime minster and the latter was not inclined to provide anything of the sort either. he said the report by the committee headed by senator Barrister ali Zafar, who had been tasked by the prime minister to oversee the sugar scam probe, was awaited by the pti and the tareen group and both had trust in it. tareen group member mpa nazir Chohan thanked the government delegation for visiting them and said the existing small grievances had been resolved. he also requested for the report to be made public when it came out so everyone could see what was in it, adding that it would be fully accepted. JKT GROUP: On tuesday Jehangir tareen formally announced the formation of a separate ‘like-minded’ group of mpas and mnas from within the pti. the group leaders were chosen at the residence of pti leader Jahangir tareen as the group formally announced its separation from the ruling party. Following the meeting at tareen’s residence, punjab assembly members salman naeem and aun Chaudhry told the media that the tareen group had chosen raja riaz as parliamentary leader in the na while saeed akbar niwani has been appointed parliamentary leader in the punjab assembly.

Govt, ECP come face to face over EVMs ISLAMABAD staff report

the election Commission of pakistan (eCp) and the pakistan tehreek-e-insaf (pti) government have come face to face over the matter of using electronic voting machines (eVms) in the upcoming general elections. the eCp’s concerns over eVms came to fore on saturday after it posted a video of a journalist on its official twitter handle titled, “Voting machine an expensive fraud formula”. soon after the video was posted, the ruling party leaders and others lashed out at the eCp, accusing it of supporting the opposition parties that oppose the government’s move to introduce eVms in the elections. the backlash forced the eCp to delete its tweet later. minister of state for information and Broadcasting Farrukh habib said that the eCp

Pakistan seeks broad-based partnership with US: Qureshi NEW YORK staff report

Foreign minister shah mahmood Qureshi on saturday emphasised the need for expanded bilateral ties and cooperation with the united states. his remarks came during a virtual meeting with the leadership of the us house Foreign affairs subcommittee on asia, the pacific, Central asia, and nonproliferation. during the meeting, Qureshi spoke about the impact of the strategic partnership between the two nations as well. “this partnership will promote the common interests of both countries in bilateral and regional aspects,” said he. the foreign minister emphasised the need importance of promoting regional connectivity between pakistan and the us, adding that economic cooperation and bilateral trade were key to achieving that. he also highlighted islamabad’s efforts for a peaceful, political settlement in afghanistan. a statement issued by Foreign Office quoted Qureshi as saying that pakistan wanted to forge closer economic and trade ties with the us. he had expressed these

is a constitutional body and it cannot do anything outside its ambit. he criticised the eCp’s tweet, saying the matter of eVms is pending to be debated in parliament, adding that “how come eCp call it a fraud” before that. Farrukh demanded the chief election commissioner to explain as to how the controversial video was shared from its official twitter handle. On thursday, the eCp had constituted a committee for the procurement of eVms and to enable the overseas pakistanis to exercise their right to vote while staying in their country of residence. the committee under the supervision of the eCp secretary will forward its recommendations in the next meeting. the election supervisor, which met on thursday under the chairmanship of chief election commissioner (CeC), had reviewed the presidential ordinance on eVms and overseas pakistanis’ right to vote.

more inside

PML-N, PPP reject govt’s GDP growth estimates STORY ON BACK PAGE

Ceasefire holding in Gaza as international aid arrives STORY ON BACK PAGE

views while meeting senator lindsey Graham on the sidelines of the united nations General assembly (unGa) session convened in new York to discuss the palestine crisis. QURESHI ADDITION OF PAKISTAN TO AMAZON LIST: separately, he appreciated the diplomatic mission in the us after virtual retail giant amazon added pakistan to its list of approved sellers. “pakistan has been added to amazon’s seller registered Countries list, empowering our businesses to sell online,” he said on twitter. he also commended the team of the Consulate General in los angeles for “forging new areas and opportunities for pakistan in the global business arena”, with the support of the

pakistan embassy in Washington and the civilian leadership. ambassador asad majeed Khan thanked the foreign minister for the support and encouragement. “We are now determined to make it work for our entrepreneurs to be able to market their products,” Khan said on twitter. Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid hafeez Chadhri also took to twitter saying the listing would “create new opportunities for pakistan’s dynamic entrepreneurs, especially small and medium enterprises, create new jobs for youth and help the international expansion of businesses. he said Consulate General in los angeles worked hard for access to the platform.

NCOC orders extended closure of educational institutions in Covid hotspots STORY ON PAGE 02 in today’s issue

attention Some readers have complained that they are not getting the magazine with their newspaper copy. Please call or WhatsApp us at the following number to register a complaint. Contact: 0307-7338168 irfan.farooq@pakistantoday.com.pk

Sunday, 23 May, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

NCOC OrderS exteNded ClOSure Of eduCAtIONAl INStItutIONS IN COvId HOtSPOtS ISLAMABAD

INp

ATIONAL Command and Operation Centre has issued fresh directives regarding the reopening of educational institutions in areas with over five percent positivity rate, reports said Saturday. According to a communique issued to the federal and provincial governments, the NCOC directed to avoid reopening of educational institutes in such areas on May 24 as scheduled. “The concerned authorities should be issued directives in this regard by the provinces,” it said while clarifying that schools, colleges, and universities will only be opened in areas with less than five percent contagion rate as decided during an NCOC meeting. The educational institutes in hotspots will remain shut until June 6 and a meeting to review the decision and reopening of schools and colleges will be held on June 3, the letter read. Some 52 districts including federal and provincial capitals of the country have been reporting over five percent of positivity ratio, a report read. In Punjab, 20 districts registered an over five percent positivity rate, followed by 14 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 12 of Sindh, four in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and one in Balochistan. Islamabad has also reported a positivity ratio of over five percent, a benchmark set by the NCOC to be achieved before lifting Covid-related restrictions.

SC delists Zardari’s plea for transfer of cases ISLAMABAD tLtp

All districts of Karachi have witnessed over five percent positivity rate, followed by Hyderabad, Badin, Dadu, Jamshoro, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur and other districts.

In Punjab, Lahore, Dera Ghazi Khan, Faisalabad, Gujrat, Multan, Lodhran, Rahim Yar Khan, Okara, Sargodha, and other districts have reported higher positivity rate.

Peshawar, Abbottabad, Buner, Charsadda, Dir, Mardan, Nowshera, Swat are among the key districts of KP that have reported a higher ratio of Covid-19 cases.

Coronavirus kills 88, infects 4,007 in a day ISLAMABAD NeWS DeSK

Over the past 24 hours Pakistan reported 4,007 new Covid-19 cases, a step closer to the 900,000 mark. Data provided by the NCOC showed that at least 88 more people succumbed to the virus, pushing the total number of death to 20,177. The national positivity rate stood at 6.43% while the number of active cases was

reported at 63,436. Additionally, 813,855 people have recovered from the virus so far. Pakistan is currently battling through a deadly third wave of the coronavirus and restrictions put in place two weeks ago have been mostly lifted. Sindh and Punjab remain the largest contributors to the caseload and death toll in the country. Provincial numbers show that Sindh has reached 306,707 positive cases to date

Pakistani soldier embraces martyrdom in Afghan cross border firing A soldier was martyred on Saturday after terrorists opened fire from the Afghanistan border near North Waziristan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) was quoted as saying by a news outlet. According to the report, the ISPR said that the Pakistani troops responded to the firing on a military post in a befitting manner, but Sepoy Umar Daraz, 32, resident of Jhang, received a bullet injury and embraced martyrdom. "Pakistan has consistently asked Afghanistan to ensure effective management and control on their side of the Pak-Afghan Border. Pakistan strongly condemns terrorists' continuous use of Afghan soil for activities against Pakistan,” the report quoted the ISPR as saying. NeWS DeSK

IHC to take up cases against Sharifs ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court has fixed the hearing of requests filed by deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz and her husband retired Capt. Safdar Awan for May 25. According to the cause list released by the IHC registrar office on Saturday, the court will take up the petitions in Al-Azizia Steel Mills, Avenfield House, and Flagship Investment (Pvt.) Ltd. references. IHC Chief Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar will hear the cases. It will be decided in the hearing who will be the pleader for PML-N supreme leader who has been declared absconder in the said references. Sharif, Maryam and Safdar have challenged their convictions in the Avenfield reference while Sharif has also appealed his conviction in the Al-Azizia case. The National Accountability Bureau has submitted an appeal for an increase in the prison terms for the guilty in the two references. The anti-graft body also appealed for the release of those involved in Flagship reference. INp

with 4,891 dead. Punjab’s total number of Covid-19 patients to date stands at 333,057 with 9,739 dead. . VAccInAtIon DrIVe: Inoculation against Covid-19 of people aged 30 years and above is set to start from Saturday (today) as the National Assembly was informed that local production of the anticoronavirus vaccine has begun. In a tweet, Minister for Planning,

Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, who also heads the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), said: “In today’s (Friday) NCOC meeting it has been decided to open up vaccination for 30 years and older starting tomorrow. The messages for those who are being scheduled will go out today.” So far 1,193,441 people have been fully vaccinated, 2,631,873 partially with 4,956,853 total doses administered.

Shehbaz withdraws contempt plea against govt from LHC LAHORE Staff RepoRt

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif has withdrawn his contempt of court petition filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) to get its order implemented regarding the permission to go abroad for one-time for medical treatment. The opposition leader on Saturday filed a petition through his counsels Azam Nazir Tarar and Amjad Pervez, seeking withdrawal of his earlier petition. The counsels implored that the name of their client was placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) on May 17. “Due to the issuance of the memorandum, the instant petition may not proceed in its present form,” the petition added. They said that the petitioner intends to challenge

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has delisted a case, filed by former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur for transfer of graft cases against them to Sindh from Islamabad, owing to the non-availability of a judge in the bench, it was learnt on Saturday. The apex court had fixed the hearing for the case on May 25. However, the court has delisted the case due to the reason that a judge in the bench, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, is not available on the date. The case was to be heard by a three-member special bench headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah on May 25. Both leaders of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have reached out to the apex court to get their cases transferred to the province from Islamabad as the latter is facing a single reference against her while the former is facing trial in five NAB references. The SC had issued notices for the hearing to the NAB and other respondents in the case. On November 3, Zardari had approached the top court, requesting the court to transfer the graft cases filed against him by the NAB from Islamabad’s courts to similar courts in Karachi where he lives. He had stated in his plea that he cannot appear in accountability courts in Islamabad due to his illness as he was suffering from various ailments and had been critically ill. He had said the cases were being heard in Islamabad courts despite the fact that all the accused persons, witnesses and documents were from Karachi. During a previous hearing, Asif Zardari’s lawyer Farooq H Naek had contended that it is his client’s right to file a plea for transfer of a case under the NAB law, which could not be taken away by the court through the verdict. Justice Bandial had noted that the cases were filed in Islamabad by the NAB on the basis of various accusations. He had said the corruption watchdog filed the references in Islamabad on the court order.

Suspected Indian spy arrested in lahore LAHORE tLtp

and seek appropriate remedy against the aforesaid memorandum by reserving his right to seek initiation of contempt proceedings against the delinquents. “In view of the submissions made above, it is humbly prayed that the above noted main petition along with all Civil Miscellaneous Applications be kindly allowed to be withdrawn with the permission to the petitioner to challenge and seek appropriate remedy in accordance with the law.” Earlier this month, LHC’s Justice Syed Ali Baqar Najafi had ordered to remove the name of Shehbaz Sharif from the blacklist and allowed him to go abroad before the federal government challenged the decision in Supreme Court. During a press conference, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed had also announced that the name of Shehbaz Sharif had been added to the ECL.

A suspected Indian spy has been arrested from Nishtar Colony of the provincial capital as he claimed that he had crossed the border to enter Pakistan after a family dispute. According to details provided by police, the authorities intercepted a suspected man in Lahore, and during interrogation, he divulged that his name is Nadeem, son of Jinmand, and he had crossed the border to enter Pakistan from India. The alleged Indian spy during the police probe said that he had entered Pakistan from the Ahmedpur Sharqia area of Punjab and crossed the border after a dispute with his family. “Three Indian newspapers, matchbox, and clothes were recovered from his possession,” the police said, adding that Nadeem has been handed over to Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) for further investigation.

Altaf Hussain hate speech trial to begin next year NEwS DESk Self-exiled Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain will be going to trial in the UK at the beginning of next year for hate speech charges, as reported by local media outlet GEO News. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed that Hussain’s trial will start on January 31, 2022 and last for about three weeks. The MQM founder had asked for an indefinite delay his trial , citing serious health issues and COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, sources said. The CPS confirmed that Hussain’s trial had already been postponed twice before because of the pandemic and his own health issues. The MQM leader spent nearly a month in Hospital

from mid-December last year to January 12, 2021 after being taken in an ambulance for suffering “serious”

COVID-19 symptoms. After returning home, Hussain fell ill again a week later and spent another week in the hospital. His doctors had told the court he suffered from a severe form of infection in multiple organs along with pneumonia. Since the last three months, the MQM founder has been doing well and has made several live speeches to his followers on social media. the cASe: Hussain, 67, has been charged under the Terrorism Act, 2006 on suspicion of intentionally encouraging or assisting offences contrary to Section 44 of the Serious Crime Act, 2007. UK authorities launched the investigations into the matter after an FIR was lodged in Karachi naming the MQM leader as the instigator.

Sunday, 23 May, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

ImRan won’t ComPRomIse on IndIsCRImInate aCCountaBIlIty: shehRyaR ISLAMABAD

App

ASHMIR Committee Chairman Shehryar Afridi Saturday said Prime Minister Imran Khan is a man of principles and he won’t compromise on his strict principled stand on “accountability

of all” at any cost. Talking to a news channel, Afridi said that all stakeholders are on the same page with regard to national interest and working for the strengthening of the country. He said Imran’s does not do politics of blackmailing and added the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government is facing no foreign threats.

Afridi said the corrupt have joined hands and demanded NRO when they were offered a dialogue related to the national interest. He said Imran would never bow down to them “under any circumstances”. He once again invited the opposition parties to come forward and raise the same voice against the mafia. Due to government’s efforts,

the country is moving on the right track to achieve its destiny, he said. Afridi also regretted that mafia is engaged in hatching conspiracies against the prime minister but they would never succeed in their drama. He said the opposition was also backing the mafia but his government would go to every length to nab the corrupt.

He said the government is ever ready to hear every parliamentarian’s and political party’s reservations but they should behave and utilize forums accordingly. Replying to a query, he said there was a dire need to amend NAB and judicial laws to dispose of corruption cases within the

stipulated time frame and ensured a speedy justice system for every citizen of the country. He stressed that rule of law, justice, investment in human resources and people’s socioeconomic empowerment, was imperative to ensure robust progress and steady economic development in the country.

Covid-19 vaccination for people over 30 begins ISLAMABAD INp

Vaccination against Covid-19 of people 30 and above started Saturday, the National Command and Operation Centre said. “Vaccination for 30-40 years begins today! Register yourself by sending CNIC to 1166. On receiving SMS, visit the mentioned vaccination center on given date [or afterward] and get vaccinated,” the NCOC tweeted. Taking to his Twitter earlier, Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, who also heads the NCOC, announced that, “In today’s National Command Operation Center meeting it has been decided to open up vaccination for 30 years and older starting tomorrow.” “The messages for those who are being scheduled will go out today.” The NCOC said a total of 1,193,441 people have been fully inoculated against Covid-19 while 2,631,873 partially vaccinated. As many as 176,907 citizens got vaccinated in the past 24 hours. A total of 4,956,853 doses have been administered as of May 22.

Rare Persian leopard pair spotted in Balochistan QUETTA

LAHORE: Members of civil society protest against Israel’s brutal use of force against Palestinians at Liberty Chowk. ZUBAIR MeHFOOZ

AgeNcIes

Rawalpindi Ring Road should be launched this year: Ghulam Sarwar RAWALPINDI

‘INSTITUTIONS SHOULD COMPLETE THEIR INVESTIGATIONS AND CHARGE THOSE RESPONSIBLE’

News Desk

Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan on Saturday said the Rawalpindi Ring Road (RRR) project shouldn’t be abandoned as it held “national importance” and one of PTI’s flagship projects. Speaking to the media in Rawalpindi, he expressed how he still hold that the project should be finished. Referring to the ongoing investigations into alleged corruption in the RRR project he said the relevant institutions such as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Federal investigation Agency should do their work, carry out a thorough investigation and whoever is found guilty as as result should face the consequences. Realignments in the RRR project had forced Prime Minister Imran Khan to launch an inquiry into the motives behind them that had added around Rs25 billion to the cost and would allegedly benefit certain housing society developers. “I want to repeat that we

don’t have any relation with its alignment or any financial interests associated with societies nor is any of our land part of the Ring Road project”, the aviation minister added. He said that the premier had even told him that his name was nowhere in the reports submitted and there was no need for the press conference held earlier by the latter on the issue. On Monday Sarwar clarified that there was no political involvement in finalizing the alignment of RawalpindiIslamabad Ring Road project. “If there is any change in the road alignment, it is purely due to technical reasons that can be explained by relevant experts,” he said while addressing a news conference. The minister viewed that the inquiry report about the project should be

revisited as some members of the investigation committee had attached their separate dissenting notes with it. He regretted that although there was no mention of his or any of his family members’ name in the inquiry report, yet some elements were attempting to involve him in the scandal. He asked such elements to prove his involvement with documentary evidence, or otherwise get ready to face legal action. Sarwar said that an alignment of the Ring Road from Rawat to Thalian Interchange connecting it with the motorway, was discussed in 2017, but it was not approved. “Onward it was directionless,” he added. The invesTigaTion: Last Saturday, Prime Minister Imran ordered a full-fledged inquiry into the RRR project scam after which the Punjab

government decided to send the case to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) or the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for a thorough investigation. The decisions were taken as two fact-finding reports — one by the Rawalpindi commissioner and the other by the deputy commissioner — landed at the prime minister office, with the second report hinting that the project had been realigned with the approval of Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and his finance adviser Dr Salman Shah. However, the PML-N demanded action against the relevant authorities for approving the ring road’s realignment, asserting that neither Chief Minister Buzdar and Prime Minister Imran nor “direct beneficiaries” such as cabinet members Ghulam Sarwar Khan and Bukhari should be exempted. PML-N Deputy Secretary-General Attaullah Tarar had alleged that both Bukhari and Khan had received huge financial benefits through the ring road project because their lands were near the project.

A pair of rare Persian leopards sighted in Pakistan for the first time last year have been filmed and photographed in the wild, officials said. Sharifuddin Baloch, a senior conservation official in Balochistan, said the pair were first spotted by rangers in the Hazarganji Wildlife Park six months ago. Adult leopards are solitary in the wild and pair only to mate. “We equipped our staff with cameras and binoculars to film the pair and take photos,” Baloch said. “This month our staff succeeded.” Persian leopards are a panther sub-species native to Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and the Caucasus. They are extremely rare, however, and listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as endangered. Fewer than 1,000 are believed to exist in the wild, with another 200 in captivity. “We are taking steps to protect the rare species,” Baloch told AFP, adding officials were sharing data with the IUCN. Video shot by park officials shows one of the leopards beautifully camouflaged on a rugged, rocky hillside until it stands up and pads away. Baloch said there was no previous record of the creature ever being sighted in Pakistan. Panthera tilliana is bigger and has a different spot pattern to the more common Indian leopard (panthera fusca) found across Pakistan. Pakistan is also home to vulnerable snow leopards (panthera uncia) in the northern Himalayas.

Father of murdered Pakistan-British woman demands justice LAHORE stAFF RepORt

The father of a British woman of Pakistan origin who was found dead at a home in Lahore said he was dissatisfied with a police probe into the murder, but investigators said they were on the right track. Muhammad Zulfiqar appealed for help to Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, who was shot by the Taliban in 2012 for her work as an advocate for women’s education. He asked Yousafazai, to advocate for justice on behalf of his 24-

year-old daughter Mayra Zulfiqar. “My dear daughter Malala, I appeal to you for God’s sake please raise your voice for my daughter. She was like your sister,” he told The Associated Press, sobbing. “Your voice is heard. The only difference is that you have gone abroad after studying here and my daughter came to Pakistan to serve humanity.” In the interview, he also asked for help from Prime Minister Imran Khan. Mohammad Amin, who is investigating the case, said Friday that police were questioning two key suspects.

“It is a complicated case, but we are on the right track and God willing those who are involved in this crime will not go unpunished,” Amin told the AP, reporting “significant progress” in the investigation. Zulfiqar’s daughter arrived in Pakistan earlier this year to attend a wedding. She was staying at home with a friend when she was found dead with two bullet wounds and signs of torture on her body. Police at the time arrested two men who had proposed to her to determine whether they had any involvement in the murder. Police in Pakistan were also seeking the

arrest of more suspects. However, police have not yet disclosed any major breakthrough into the murder. The slain woman’s father said he was not satisfied. Zulfiqar was a law school graduate from London who wanted to work as a lawyer in Pakistan to give free legal assistance to poor people, her father said. Zulfiqar said he wants an example made of those linked to his daughter’s murder. “I have been made a shuttlecock between different departments of the police but still, there is no headway in the investigations,” he said, as he hoped

Malala could play a role in highlighting his ordeal. Yousafzai won international renown after she was shot by the Taliban in Pakistan, where she received initial treatment and later was taken to England for further care. She stayed on in the United Kingdom, where she recently completed her education. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. Zulfiqar said Mayra was his only daughter. “I will continue raising my voice until I get justice and her murderers are publicly hanged,” he said.

Sunday, 23 May, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

Sindh extendS Covid-19 reStriCtionS aS CaSeS riSe KARACHI

STAff RePoRT

HE Sindh government on Saturday decided to extend the coronavirus restrictions for another two weeks as it struggles to contain a third peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. In the last 24 hours, confirmed coronavirus infections climbed to 306,707 after

authorities reported 2,136 new cases. Testing 24,299 samples, the health department received back a positivity ratio of 8.79 percent. The province also registered 22 deaths, raising the toll to 4,891. While the recoveries rose by 979 to 280,167. Overall, Sindh now has 21,649 active cases of the coronavirus. A meeting of the provincial coronavirus body was held under the chairman-

Power supply to Karachi restored after major breakdown KARACHI STAff RePoRT

The transmission lines supplying power to Karachi have been restored and the load is being increased gradually, a spokesperson of the Power Division said Saturday. The official said that NK Baldia-1 and Baldia-2 transmission lines were restored at 2:41pm. Earlier, the metropolis suffered a major power breakdown due to the tripping of high tension lines at Jamshoro-Karachi link multiplying the miseries of the Karachi residents in the hot weather. The power supply was suspended in Defence Phase-I, Malir Model Colony, Lyari Kharadar, Khada Market, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, KDA Scheme 33, and several other areas for at least a couple of hours. According to sources, over 45 grid stations in Karachi got affected due to the tripping of transmission lines after which the power supply to a major part of the city was suspended. Earlier in a statement, the power utility had said that the supply to parts of Karachi was interrupted due to tripping of

ease in the last 30 days, out of which 164 were on ventilators. The meeting decided that tourist attractions, beaches and amusement parks will remain closed for another two weeks. Walking tracks, however, will remain open. Starting Monday, shops will remain open until 6:00 pm under the revised guidelines and department stores will also remain open until 6 pm.

ship of Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and attended by ministers, health experts, and police officials. Briefing the meeting, the health secretary said that 13.97 percent of cases in Sindh were reported from Karachi between May 15 and 21, 10.83 percent from Hyderabad, and 5.40 percent from other districts. The meeting was further informed some 213 people have died from the dis-

NADRA cannot block, cancel CNICs without judicial order: IHC ISLAMABAD

IHC CJ Issues detaIled 29-Page verdICt, orderIng restoratIon of IdentIty Cards of 10 CItIzens

STAff RePoRT

a KE’s 220 kv high tension line. “Restoration efforts have already begun and are expected to be completed within one hour and the availability of generation supply is enabling restoration to progress swiftly,” it had added. The ministry of energy had said that the power outage in the city was caused by the tripping of the NKI Baldia-1 and Baldia-2 lines. “The teams of KE and NTDC are working to restore the supply and investigations are underway to ascertain the cause of tripping.” The statement had further added that the system is normal in the rest of the country.

However, the wedding halls will remain closed. Indoor and outdoor dining in hotels will remain suspended but takeaways are allowed. Intercity transport will run with 50 percent passenger capacity and any violation of restrictions will be punished. According to a spokesperson, the decision to open schools in the province will be taken after the situation improves.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ruled that National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) does not have the power to deprive any Pakistani of the right to citizenship by blocking, suspending or cancelling national identity card, and NADRA’s functions are only limited to registering citizens and maintaining the population’s database. IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah issued a detailed 29-page verdict on Saturday, ordering the restoration of identity cards of 10 citizens, including that of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Hafiz Hamdullah. In the detailed verdict, the IHC stated that NADRA on its own cannot block, suspend or cancel an identity card. “The matter of citizenship can be taken up only by the concerned authority under the Citizenship Act. A judicial order is required to suspend or block the identity card,” read the

Macroeconomic indicators positive despite Covid-19: Asim

court’s verdict. Justice Minallah announced the decision on a petition filed by Hamdullah, who had challenged NADRA’s decision. The authority had revoked his citizenship in October 2019, declaring him an “alien”. The NADRA had claimed that Hamdullah had obtained a Pakistani ID card via fraud, adding that he was an Afghan citizen and was not born in Pakistan. The JUI-F leader had rejected the allegations and said the decision was taken on political grounds against him. Dismissing the allegations against Hamdullah, the court stated in its detailed verdict that not only was Hamdullah born in Pakistan, his son is also serving in the Pakistan Army. The high court said there is no record or evi-

dence to prove he was not born in Pakistan, wondering how it was concluded that Hamdullah and the others were not Pakistani citizens. The court said NADRA cannot revoke people’s citizenship based on an intelligence report alone. Expanding upon the rights of an individual that came with Pakistani citizenship, the court reminded all parties that it is a fundamental right of every person. Without citizenship, an individual is not entitled to any political or social rights, stated the verdict. The court said that any person who is born in Pakistan becomes a Pakistani citizen automatically. The IHC reprimanded PEMRA for banning Hamdullah from appearing on TV, saying that the regulatory body’s decision violates the rights of a citizen as enshrined in Article 19 of the Constitution.

Pakistan Railways to improve services

NEWS DESK China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority Chairman Lt Gen (R) Asim Saleem Bajwa has said that all the major macroeconomic indicators are moving towards a positive trajectory due to immense hard work by the government. In a tweet on Saturday, he said, “Not without an immense hard work, Pakistan’s economy performed beyond expectations with all major macroeconomic indicators showing positive trend amid Covid-19 pandemic.” Asim Bajwa said the hard work resulted in 3.94 percent economic growth during the outgoing fiscal year. Earlier on Friday, the provisional growth of the gross domestic product (GDP) for the year 2020-21 was estimated at 3.94 percent during a meeting of the National Accounts Committee. The provisional growth

ISLAMABAD STAff RePoRT

of GDP for the year 2020-21 is based upon growth estimates of the agricultural, industrial, and services sectors at 2.77 percent, 3.57 percent, and 4.43 percent, respectively.

Chairman Pakistan Railways (PR), Habib-ur-Rehman Gilani, has ordered the concerned authorities to improve the punctuality of trains and facilities being provided to passengers. Presiding over a monthly meeting to review the performance of the railways held at the PR headquarters here on Saturday, he appreciated the performance of the workers and officers for a visible improvement in the revenue despite the impact of coronavirus pandemic. The meeting also

discussed the matters related to information technology and court. PR Chief Executive Officer Nisar Ahmad Memon, Additional Secretary Arif Anwar Baloch, AGM Traffic Syed Mazhar Ali Shah, AGM Infrastructure Asif Mateen Zaidi, AGM Mechanical Salman Sadiq, member Finance Barkat Ali Memon , Public Relations Director Nazia Jabeen and other officers of concerned departments attended the meeting. Gilani directed to ensure cleanliness in the trains besides disinfectant spray in the trains to provide comfort-

able traveling to the passengers. The chairman expressed satisfaction over the efforts of the officers and workers to reduce the rail accidents. He directed the chief operating superintendent (COS) to ensure safety and security of the track and trespassing should be blocked which caused the accidents. The chairman constituted several committees of the officers for the timely completion of different projects. Earlier, the chairman was given briefing about the land, freight, passengers, trains income, railway accidents and several other departments.

Govt urged to extend business timings ISLAMABAD APP

The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) on Saturday urged the government to extend the business timings in markets as well as food businesses. According to the details, traders have requested the government to extend business hours to 10pm instead of 8pm and up to midnight for food outlets and restaurants so that business activities can be revived and contribute to with the economy. ICCI President Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan said that with the increase in vaccination of people, the average positivity rate of the Covid-19 virus has now come down to 5.9 per cent, reflecting an improvement. Similarly, he added that it was important to give customers time for shopping to avoid overcrowding in commercial areas while shopping malls across Pakistan should be allowed to operate as per normal working hours all week.

He said that cinemas worldwide had opened while maintaining social distancing between seats and urged the government to alos open them in Pakistan with 60 to 70 per cent capacity of viewers as these businesses have been closed for more than a year and are now on the verge of bankruptcy. He further said that Pakistan has already suffered an estimated economic loss of Rs.2.5 trillion in 2020 and was anticipated to suffer an additional loss of over Rs.1 trillion this year due to restrictions on businesses while the livelihoods of over 18 million workers have been badly affected. Meanwhile, ICCI Senior Vice President, Fatma Azim, along with a delegation of the restaurants association held a meeting with NCOC authorities and urged them to allow indoor dining with precautions similar to the Middle East and most of Europe, which were using acrylic or glass partitions between each table.

Punjab notifies markets’ closure at 8pm LAHORE TLTP

The Punjab government has imposed a complete ban on all commercial activities after 8:00pm as markets will not be allowed to stay open after the notified time. The Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department of Punjab notified a set of restrictions to stem the spread of coronavirus. According to a press statement, essential services, including pharmacies, medical facilities, petrol pumps, bakeries, and dairy shops, have been exempted from the ban. Saturdays and Sundays (Fridays and Saturdays in four notified districts) will be observed as “closed days” when markets will remain shut.

Sunday, 23 May, 2021

ISLAMABAD

NEWS

GDP outlooK wIll Grow PASt SPeCulAteD 4PC, SAyS HAMMAD

EDERAL Energy Minister, Hammad Azhar, on Saturday said that Pakistan’s GDP outlook will grow past speculated 4 per cent, referring to the forecast of this year despite the IMF programme-led restrictions and contractions that were feared to mitigate the activity. Speaking about on the tax regime, he said that the set annual target is being closed in and the tax growth has been 15 pc at present. “We are expecting further economic growth from July 1,” he said, stressing

IMF proposes $50bn plan to end Covid-19 pandemic

that the growth we are anticipating is not at the cost of huge losses being run to support it artificially. “We are keeping a close eye on imports as well and how our industry is performing,” Azhar noted. The federal minister said that the economic and GDP growth will translate into the benefit of a layman, said the minister, noting that despite the fact that internationally prices of wheat and edible oil have surged but Pakistan has been able to not transfer the entire burden of this cost hike to people.

India faces antifungal drug shortage as rare complication adds to Covid-19 woes

WASHINGTON AGENCIES

The IMF on Friday proposed $50 billion plan to end the Covid-19 pandemic, with a target of vaccinating at least 40 percent of the world’s population by the end of 2021. “Our proposal sets targets, estimates financing requirements, and lays out pragmatic action,” said Kristalina Georgieva, head of the International Monetary Fund, at the Global Health Summit held in Rome as part of the G20. Looking ahead to a long-term sustainable global economic recovery, the plan then aims to have at least 60 percent of the world’s population vaccinated by the end of 2022. The authors of the report point out that it is now recognized that there will be no real end to the economic crisis without an end to the health crisis. It is therefore in the interest of all countries to put a definitive end to the pandemic, it argues. “For some time we have been warning of dangerous divergence of economic fortunes,” said Georgieva. “It will only worsen as the gap widens between wealthy countries that have access to vaccines and poor countries that do not.” At the end of April, less than two percent of the population of Africa had been vaccinated while more than 40 percent of the population in the United States and more than 20 percent in Europe had received at least one dose of vaccine against Covid, the IMF said. The fund is prioritizing closing the vaccine gap to put the world back on the path to growth. The goal is to “help bring the pandemic substantially under control everywhere for everyone’s benefit,” Georgieva said. To get there, the IMF stressed the need for additional subsidies for the international Covax scheme — which was set up to try to prevent rich countries from hoarding vaccine, but is proving ineffective so far. Those subsidies would come through donations of surplus doses and ensuring the free cross-border flow of raw materials and vaccine. The estimate of $50 billion is a combination of at least $35 billion in subsidies, plus resources from governments and other funding, the IMF said.

Karachi Arts Council provides vaccination facility for media workers KARACHI StAff rEport

The Karachi Arts Council on Saturday announced that it has established a Covid-19 vaccination facility for the members of Karachi Press Club (KPC), according to a news outlet. Arts Council President Mohammad Ahmed Shah said, “Journalists along with their families can get vaccinated in the Arts Council’s vaccination centre.” According to the report, the KPC members above 30 years, employed within the electronic and print media, can avail the facility along with their family members. The members can get themselves vaccinated between 10 am till 4 pm from Monday to Saturday as the centre will remain closed on Sundays. The president further said that the vaccination centre was set up only for the members of Arts Council but now it has been decided to provide this facility to the journalist community as well so that they can easily get themselves vaccinated along with their family members.

Made in Pakistan items exhibited in Shanghai NEW DELHI AGENCIES

India said on Friday it was working to alleviate a shortage of a medicine used to treat a rare fungal disease hitting Covid-19 patients as its healthcare system reels under a massive wave of coronavirus infections. Cases of mucormycosis, or “black fungus,” a potentially serious condition that causes blurred or double vision, chest pain and breathing difficulties, have surged in India, mostly among Covid-19 patients. At least 7,250 such cases have been found across the country as of May 19, local media reported. “In this battle of ours, another new challenge of black fungus has also emerged these days,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted on Friday. India has the second-highest tally of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the world and has been reporting some 250,000 infections and 4,000 deaths daily. With mucormycosis cases rising, India’s health ministry said it was looking for more companies to produce the antifungal drug amphotericin B used to treat it and also increase imports of the medication.

That would lead to a nearly 250 percent increase in supply to around 570,000 vials in June, the ministry said on Friday. Some Indian states like Maharashtra, home to the financial capital Mumbai, said they were running low on amphotericin B as black fungus cases spiked and had asked federal authorities to provide more. “One patient needs 60 to 100 injections (of amphotericin B) depending on severity of illness. With current case load, we need more than 150,000 injections,” Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope told reporters. The western state has reported 1,500 cases of mucormycosis so far, and 850 patients are undergoing treatment. The state governments in the two southern states of Kerala and Karnataka have extended lockdowns to try to keep the Covid-19 related infection from spreading further. The lockdown in Kerala is likely to last until the end of this month, while it has been extended to June 7 in Karnataka. After several other states, New Delhi will also halt vaccinations for people in the age group of 18-44 years due to supply shortage, the

state government said in a statement on Friday evening. RURAL TESTING: Overall, India’s Covid-19 infection tally stands at more than 26 million, with a death toll of 291,331, health ministry data showed on Friday. The country conducted roughly two million tests on Thursday, but experts have said infections and deaths could be between five-to-10 times higher than official estimates as the virus spreads to the vast hinterland. India aims to double its testing capacity to 4.5 million per day by the end of June, of which 60% would be through rapid antigen tests, according to the government. As part of the effort, the staterun Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) this week approved home testing for Covid-19, using rapid antigen tests. These tests, less accurate than the RT-PCR method, are advised only for symptomatic cases and immediate contacts of laboratory-confirmed positive cases, according to the state-run ICMR. “In rural areas or in field level areas, rapid antigen test is the backbone of testing and that should be encouraged,” Balram Bhargava, head of ICMR, told reporters.

BEIJING App

Made in Pakistan showpieces featuring Pakistani textiles, costumes, carpets, jewelry, gemstones, handicrafts are being displayed for Chinese visitors at an exhibition held in Shanghai. The exhibition titled “Threads of Pakistan – Pakistan National Costume Culture Exhibition” was kicked off to celebrate the 70th anniversary of establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties between Pakistan and China. The exhibition – featuring Pakistani textiles, costumes, carpets, jewelry, gemstones, handicrafts – witnessed the participation of many Chinese visitors who had heaped praise on the gorgeous Pakistani showpieces. Scheduled from May 18 to June 17, the exhibition has been organised by Ita National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage – Lok Virsa, Consulate General of Pakistan in Shanghai, Shanghai Textile Museum, co-organised by Atlantis Co., Ltd. and Pakpersian Carpets Shanghai Co., Ltd.

Turkey bans most plastic imports ANKARA AGENCIES

Greenpeace welcomed a ban by Ankara on imports of most plastic waste after the environmental group said it uncovered exports, some possibly illegal, from Britain and Germany that created “mountains” of trash in southern Turkey. The environmental group said its teams visited ten sites in Adana province and found plastic waste – most either burned or on fire – mainly from the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland and other EU countries. The plastics were left on roadsides, in fields, or spilling into water sources, it said in a report published on Monday, with waste from UK supermarkets and German retailers found at all sites. Turkey’s trade ministry said on Tuesday it removed polyethylene plastic – used in shopping bags and many forms of packaging

– from the list of polymers allowed into the country as of July 3, formalising a ban it had been planning to introduce. Environment and Urbanisation Minister Murat Kurum said customs would conduct constant checks to enforce the ban, which follows a block on mixed plastics imports. While welcoming the ban, Murat Bakan, a lawmaker from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), told Reuters it was imposed because the government could not properly supervise recycling. Exporting plastic waste is illegal unless it is destined for recycling or incineration in an energy conversion plant. Goods made out of polyethylene – including plastic shopping bags – must be recycled quickly, usually within a month, otherwise they become non-recyclable, making them illegal if they are exported mixed with standard non-recyclable materials, Greenpeace said.

The group said the Turkish ban marked a milestone. Nihan Temiz Atas, biodiversity projects lead from Greenpeace Mediterranean, told Reuters it would cover 74% of the plastic Turkey imported last year – some 660,000 tonnes of waste – including 95% of UK imports, “That means they (Britain) have to take responsibility… and recycle their own materials,” she said. A spokesman for Defra, Britain’s environmental department, acknowledged the country should handle more of its waste at home. “We are committed to banning the export of plastic waste to non-OECD countries and clamping down on illegal waste exports – including to countries such as Turkey – through tougher controls,” he said in a statement. Turkey is the UK’s top destination for plastic waste exports, taking around 210,000 tonnes, or 30% of the total, in 2020, accord-

CMYK

ing to official data. Manfred Santen, a chemist at Greenpeace Germany, said it was “appalling” to see German plastic waste burning on Turkish road-

sides, and called on Berlin to take it back. There was no immediate response from the German government to a Reuters request for comment.

Sunday, 23 May, 2021

06 COMMENT

Not in his name

Pak-China ties Celebrating 70 years of good neighborly relations

Pakistan has not treated any of its minorities fairly

hINa being a large and populous neighbouring country, its importance was realized by Founding FatherMuhammad ali Jinnah. Weeks before the creation of Pakistan the Quaid directed his office to initiate correspondence for the exchange of ambassadors with the Republic of China. It was announced on august 15 1947 that both sides had agreed to establish diplomatic relations. three years later Pakistan recognized the People’s Republic of China soon after the revolution led by Mao Zedong. Despite Pakistan’s increasing cooperation with the USa, relations with China remained amicable. China recognized that the newly created Pakistan was facing pressure from India and needed american weapons. Pakistan ensured that its membership of the US-led military pacts did not affect its ties with China. Despite close relations with India at the time China didn’t side with New Delhi against Pakistan. the 1955 Bandung Conference brought together Prime Minister Bogra and Chinese Prime Minister Zhou Enlai. By now India’s hegemonic tendencies were becoming clear. Zhou’s visit to Pakistan in 1956 led to further development of bilateral understanding. In 1962 Pakistan and China signed the boundary agreement which precluded any controversy between the two countries. throughout the early 1960s Washington concentrated on isolating China while pulling India into its orbit. Despite attempts to bring Pakistan into line, Washington could not achieve the aim. Pakistan-China relations continued to deepen despite changes of administrations. among the factors that contributed to the strengthening of ties was China’s implicit respect for Pakistan’s sovereignty. During the China-India war and after, Pakistan continued to enhance cooperation with China defying US pressures and sanctions. In March 1965 President ayub visited China. the joint communiqué issued at the end of the visit reaffirmed that the Kashmir dispute should be resolved in accordance with the wishes of the people of Kashmir as pledged to them by India and Pakistan. What endeared China to the common man in Pakistan was its moral and political support in the 1965 war with India. the 70 years of Pak-China relations are marked by exemplary good neighborliness. For years PIa provided China an opening to the outside world and Pakistan played a key role in the Sino-US secret breakthrough in 1971. among the outstanding monuments of Pak-China friendship is the Karakoram highway (KKh) jointly built by the governments of Pakistan and China. the gigantic CPEC worth $62 billion promises to be a gamechanger for Pakistan.

Rabia ahmed “No Arab is superior to a non-Arab, no coloured person to a white person, nor a white person to a coloured person, except by piety.” Muhammad (PBUH) the Prophet of Islam

hat do you say about a country in which 20 percent of the population feels threatened? the plight of the Palestinians of Gaza is heart wrenching. the Israeli attacks began more than ten days ago, since when the Israelis have subjected the people of Gaza to hundreds of air attacks. Buildings have been razed to the ground and almost three hundred men, women and children killed. It is good to see the support Pakistanis have shown the people of Gaza, despite this country’s own track record which might have made its people hold back in shame, in keeping with the Urdu saying: hum kis moun say uhhain bura kahain (what right does our own behaviour give us to condemn them?) Or let’s put it this way, it’s great that we are protesting, but other than the handful of people who over time have brought attention to the matter, where is the justice and similar protests for our own people, our own sufferers of discrimination? according to a report published in 2018 by the

Foot-in-mouth agaian

F Foreign Minister Shah mehmood Qureshi has somehow formed the impression that his job is best done by committing gaffes, that being the face of Naya Pakistan means offending anyone he wants, his remarks on Friday while being interviewed by CNN on Friday about the Israel-hamas truce should be proof enough. By saying that the favourable coverasge for Israel was due to its ‘deep pockets’, he merely built on racialist tropes of the moneygrubbing Jewish usrer, going back to Marlowe’s Jew of Malta and Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice. a few pointed references to the Illuminati and the Freemasons were all that needed to be thrown in to complete the picture Mr Qureshi was trying to paint. his casual denial of antisemitism will not absolve him of the crime. Indeed, his last questionable statement was the one absolving India for having abolished Kashmir’s special status. this had left him scrambling for damage control. however, his taking on Saudi arabia for not letting the Kashmir issue be raised at the OIC not only laid him open to the charge of antisemitism, but left the country in need of personal diplomacy from both the Prime Miniister and the COaS to mend Pakistan’s fences with a strong ally. that episode should have taught Mr Qureshi that his job is to mend fences, not to tear them down personally. his portfolio does not give him license to commit gaffes against all comers, but to make sure that the blunders of others are covered effectively. Mr Qureshi’s ministry officials have been under fire from no one less than the Prime Minister. Mr Qureshi should get down to sorting out that particular issue first, rather than kicking up more dust that will need to be settled by diplomacy. to take the latest example, Mr Qurshi’s point, that the coverage of the IsraeliPakistani conflict was biased, could well have been made without using stereotypes long abandoned. he should remember that his purpose should not be to preen himself before the domestic PtI base, but to represent Pakistan to uncaring and casually hostile audiences abroad.

Shazia anweR Cheema

hE European Union has drafted the Digital Services act (DSa) that is considered a document that is contrary to the basic right of freedom of expression ensured by democratic norms because this act will empower social media operators to choose what content they deem permissible or not through notice-and-action mechanisms. the DSa is a legislative proposal by the European Commission submitted to the European Parliament and the European Council on 15 December 2020. European Digital Rights fears that the DSa's strong illegal content removal requirements will create a chilling effect by incentivizing companies to remove all content flagged as illegal, whether or not it actually is illegal. Europe is going through a changed period where France introduced a law to compel social media operators to take down hateful content flagged by users within 24 hours. however, the French Constitutional Council a month later struck down most provisions of the law as they were deemed unconstitutional, for violating freedom of speech. Famous European writer David hutt said that the Network Enforcement act of Germany requires social networks to remove content that infringes on hate and defamatory speech. What is defamatory? that is of course would be decided by the government. Such laws can blur the right of freedom of speech and expression in Europe. When EU countries are thinking to impose indirect bans on the right of expression, the Czech Republic is an exception where the debate is opposite because Czechs consider that controlling social media is an act disrespecting EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights and an act compromising the future of democracy. We should remember that global monitoring agency vpnMentor in the year 2017 said that the Czech Republic had one of the lowest rates of internet censorship in the world. this fact creates a desire to understand that why do Czechs respect the right of expression so much and why they are interested to know and respect “the Opposite”. the independence of the Czech Republic was not

Dedicated to the legacy of the late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami Editor Managing Editor

Joint Editor

Umar Aziz Executive Editor

Lahore – Ph: 042-36300938, 042-36375965

Rabia Ahmed is a freelance columnist. Read more by her at http://rabia-ahmed.blogspot.com

New Social Media laws in Europe and reaction of Czech Society

Mr Qureshi makes yet another gaffe

Yousaf Nizami Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad

tony Blair Institute for Global Change, ‘Pakistan is one of the countries most affected by violent religious extremism, despite lying outside the major conflict zones.’ a major newspaper reports that ‘as many as 247 civilians were killed in sectarian terrorist attacks in Pakistan in 2017’ alone. the groups that most often suffer at the hands of extremists in Pakistan are the hazaras, the Shias, the ahmadis, and the Christians. although women should be included in this list, this column is not about gender bias. Shias constitute about 20% percent of this country’s population. Shias, if you remember are the people who hold the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)’s daughter, grandson and their family in particular reverence. as many as 4,000 Shias have been killed in sectarian riots since 1987 in Pakistan, over a period of just 30 years. Just outside Karachi is a graveyard with hundreds of graves. Many of the Shias whose lives ended violently are laid to rest here. Five of these graves belong to members of the same family. al-Jazeera reports that one belongs to a four-year-old child who was killed in one of the many sectarian riots. his mother is buried next to him. the mother apparently died when she saw her dead son’s body. the graveyard is surrounded by metal fences and high walls. Even in death… Most hazara people live in afghanistan. the hazaras also form a significant minority in Pakistan. they live mostly in Quetta. the hazara community made a contribution to Pakistan via Qazi Muhammad Essa who was a close friend of Muhammad ali Jinnah. he came from Baluchistan and he helped Jinnah set up the Muslim League in that part of the subcontinent. Yet, because most hazara happen to be Shia, after the taliban came into being, this community was greatly persecuted by that group, and later also persecuted by the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and other militant groups. Despite all this, and throughout Pakistan’s existence the hazara community has made significant contributions to Pakistan. Genl Musa Khan, commander in chief of the Pakistan army for ten years could trace ancestry to this community as could several other persons in public life today. the hazara community has long been persecuted in Pakistan, but since 2001 more than 550 hazaras have been killed in Pakistan and many more injured. among these were those men and boys shot in Mastung near Pakistan’s border with Iran as they were traveling in a bus in 2011; their bus was stopped and specifically these men were asked to come out (the driver who was not hazara and the women were left

in the bus), the men were told to lie by the roadside and were shot dead. the Pakistan Constitution may have been amended in 1974 so that people of the ahmadiyya community could be declared non-Muslim, but Pakistan is also signatory to the International Covenant to Civil and Political Rights, and to clamp down on its people’s religious beliefs and practices is a violation of its obligations under this Covenant. It is time that the government and the ‘mainstream’ people of Pakistan understood their obligations, and lived according to them, regardless of what India or Israel do. Since the amendment mentioned above, hundreds of members of the ahmadiyya community were killed in Pakistan, and in 2010, 86 of them were killed while at worship in Lahore. Many mosques belonging to the community, on land legally owned by it, have been taken over or demolished with no legal sanction. they are discriminated against in education as well as in other fields. In 2008 in the Punjab Medical College, 23 ahmadiyya students were suspended, three years later and elsewhere, ten more were expelled and five years later, yet elsewhere, two more. Last year alone, five ahmadi’s were killed in Pakistan only because of their beliefs. In 2011, mullahs declared ahmadis ‘deserving of death’ and published leaflets with names and addresses of prominent community members and their businesses. access to ahmadiyya websites has been blocked in Pakistan. Christians constitute a large minority group in Pakistan and there have been times when they have been targeted like the other minorities, particularly with accusations of blasphemy as a result of which riots break out and people die. One of the best known of those was asia Bibi who was accused of blasphemy and sentenced to death, although her sentence was later overturned. the then Governor of Punjab Salman taseer who criticised the blasphemy law was murdered by his own security guard Mumtaz Qadri. although Qadri was later executed on the charge of murder (he murdered the Governor, didn’t he? Other murderers in such cases are never apprehended and the acts continue), his burial place is now a shrine for his many admirers. So to return to the criticism of Israel’s actions, that criticism is absolutely justified and very necessary. any person, group of country with half a conscience must condemn their despicable move against the Palestinians. Yet, given the treatment of minorities in this country, Pakistan’s criticism of Israel is pretty ironic, don’t you think? there is a saying, an anonymous one, that says that when we point a finger at someone else, our other three fingers are pointing the other way at ourselves. and when we look at ourself, just what do we see?

Karachi – Ph: 021-35381208-9

the outcome of only the Velvet Revolution, rather resilient Czechs had been fighting for their identity and freedom for many centuries and used the theatre and Literature as two major tools to keep their language and culture alive, and they know that freedom of expression is the most important gift one enjoys under independence and democracy. Czechs respect democracy because they had been fighting against subjugation for centuries, first under the austro-hungarian Empire and then under the former USSR. Czechs love democracy and the right to freedom of expression and believe that democracy is not achievable without freedom of expression. If someone reads the history of Czech theatre and culture, one can understand the freedom of expression is very important for every citizen of the Czech Republic. Even under the extreme subjugation of austro-hungarian and Soviet rules, Czechs did not stop fighting back for expressing their dissatisfaction against the foreign rules and used the theatre of the absurd, mimes, and other techniques to express themselves. On the night of august 21-22, 1968, the former USSR invaded Czechoslovakia when 200,000 troops and 2,000 tanks entered the country and Czechoslovak forces were confined to their barracks, which were surrounded until the threat of a counterattack was over. In april 1969, the USSR started a phase of "Normalization" that was actually a reversal of all reforms and freedom of the press and retrogressive for the Czech land to 1948 Soviet invasion. however, the resistance movement did not die and former students from Prague, intellectuals, and theatre practitioners who were able to escape outside the country continued to advocate for human rights, freedom of speech. Since Czech theatre had been matured under subjugation but never bowed down in front of invaders therefore it found unique ways to survive post-Prague Spring repression and for the next two decades, it operated in the provisional spaces of culture houses, studios, gymnasiums, bars, trade union halls, art galleries, and living rooms. Strategies were devised and implemented to bring freedom back to the theatre and society. a strong sense of justice and ethics intensified the mutual commitment of theatres and audiences, lead-

Islamabad – Ph: 051-2204545

Web: www.pakistantoday.com.pk

ing the way to the Velvet Revolution of 1989 and the installation of a playwright as the first President of the independent Czech Republic. the underlying need to explore the peculiar realities of Czech character and Czech history formed the single most consistently present element in all these plays. Such realities included the memories of repeated defeats, humiliations, or simply mistaken choices, all of which led to life under various forms of subjugation including the loss of the First Republic at Munich, 1938, and the years of Nazi occupation; the Communist takeover of the postwar Republic, 1948, and the subsequent Stalinist era; the Soviet intervention and suppression of Socialism with a human Face, in 1968, and the following bleak era. One can say that Czech theatre kept on survival mode during a slow revival of theatre by performing those Soviet plays that were critical of problems in their society, in effect prepared the way for the Czechs themselves to initiate tentative modifications of their play-itsafe repertoires. In the 1980s, the technique of “irregular” dramaturgy was opted by theatre practitioners as a tactical move for creating difficulties for authorities in monitoring their vague and informal communication with the audience remained an important feature of the performance, whether that communication was verbalized or not. Music became a significant component of theatre, often performed by the actors themselves, as did mime and dance, or sheer physical byplay among the performers or with the audience. Czechs gave a very cost for freedom of expression therefore they hate words like “Censor” or “Ban”. there is a popular proverb in the Czech language that says: Critical views and opposite thoughts are healthy approaches for society because the absence of criticism is like a situation when the cat is not home, the mice have a party. The writer Shazia Cheema is an analyst writing for national and international media outlets. She heads the DND Thought Center. She did her MA in Cognitive Semiotics from Aarhus University Denmark and is a Ph.D. Scholar of Semiotics and Philosophy of Communication at Charles University Prague. She can be reached at her: Twitter @ShaziaAnwerCh Email: shaziaanwer@yahoo.com

Email: editorial@pakistantoday.com.pk

Sunday, 23 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

Honour killings

Of conspiracies and carnivals Extricating the country from the tentacles of the beneficiary elite has been a miracle

Candid Corner Raoof Hasan “And we know that the hills and the trees, the distant panorama And the bold imposing façade are all being rolled away – Or as, when an underground train, in the tube, stops too long between stations And the conversation rises and slowly fades into silence And you see behind every face the mental emptiness deepen Leaving only the growing terror of nothing to think about” – T. S. Eliot

he sense of expectancy associated with every little happening is only growing more desperate with the passage of time. Doomsday scenarios are enacted around every voice raised to express a grievance. And if a few of them join in a chorus, predictions go rolling out for the fall of the government and other equally alarming eventualities. This feature has assumed venomous pungency since the induction into office of the current government. The reason is not difficult to fathom. This is not a government in the traditional mould. In the past, only parties would change. Nothing else did. The core objectives remained defiling the state and its interests to fill some pockets. even the methods did not change. Imran Khan assumed charge as Prime Minister with accountability as his foundational ethos. Much is said about the failure of the drive, but that cannot be attributed either to any lack of effort or sincerity. The reasons why there have been no speedy convictions in spite of ample evidence being available are contained in the kind of system we have structured in the country and how it has been corrupted over decades of flagrant misuse by everyone who assumed power, both of the civilian and military brands. They used it not to cleanse the country of corruption and rampant malpractices and put it on an upward trajectory to bring relief to the people. Their singular objective was to perpetuate their hold on the levers of power so that they could not only prolong their tenure indefinitely, but also make sure that their next generations would ascend the throne when they would leave. Instead of transparent and accountable political parties which are essential to the sustenance and strengthening of democracies, our leaders bred family dynasties to give continuity to their exclusive control of the country. This meant that the institutions which are so essential for cultivating transparency and effi-

cient governance were literally steamrolled into abject surrender. In order to do so, dishonourable lackeys and bootleggers were packed into every institution to take command from the leaders, or their chosen cronies. So, we were left with a country that did not bank on its institutional framework for induction of merit into various administrative echelons. Instead, it depended solely on the whims and largesse of its rulers regarding how it would function and who would be involved in doing it. Though we talk much about democracy and its centrality to the progress of the country, over time, hidden behind a thin veneer, all antecedents of autocracy were put in place: a despotic mindset, dysfunctional institutions, an absence of transparency, and rank patronage of corruption and plunder of the state. So, a country that was rapidly taking off back in the 1960s and was looked upon as a role model by the developing world to emulate, took a plunge into despair and despondency. It was with Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto that the journey of regression started which later blossomed under the patronage of the dictator Zia. We remain buried under the growing weight of this divided polity. It was obvious that the plunge could not be allowed to continue. But there was no one, in uniform or in civvies, who had the brain to understand the malady and the courage to initiate steps to remedy it. The slogans were raised aplenty, but they remained mere slogans. At a concrete level, their policies only aggravated the plunge into the pit till there was no space left to fall further. We were resting at the bottom. Rot had set in through a combination of debilitating reasons, not the least an abject absence of sincerity with the state and the effort to unhook it from corruption and its attendant ills. That is where it stood when Imran Khan took over with a promise to bring about a change But even he could not fully understand how deep the roots of corruption were dug and how powerful and connected the mafias were who had been uprooted through the vote in 2018. In this battle, and true to his own prediction, all of them joined hands against his person. They knew that the change would mean their political obliteration and that of their coming generations. It could not be allowed. In this effort, they had the unstinted support of their bootleggers who had been injected systematically into various institutions to serve their cause. They were present in the bureaucracy, in the police, in the judiciary, in the NAB and all other institutions which mattered. The job assigned to them was to sabotage from within all the corrective measures taken by the government. They set about their task in a clinical man-

ner by thwarting the varied initiatives to put things right .So, what we really have at this juncture comprises a system rotten to the core through decades of grave afflictions, economic woes inherited from ancestors, a non-functional institutional framework infested with cronies and bootleggers on the take from their masters whose whims they are still beholden to, a ballistic media which is not fed the crumbs it has been used to in the past, a defeated beneficiary leadership conspiring to revive its erstwhile hold, and a non-conducive national, regional and international environment making it difficult for the country to take quick steps to recover from the pit. In addition to that, Imran Khan also has to tackle the frustrations which have accumulated in the last three years by not being able to implement the reform and regeneration policy that he had envisioned. This has been principally because of the devilish machinations of the past ruling mafias by exploiting their people placed at all key positions in the institutional hierarchy of the country, a situation further aggravated by a razor-thin majorities with which Khan rules the centre and the province of Punjab. This does not leave any space for him to enact constitutional changes to facilitate his reform programme. With a little over two years left to the next elections, there is a dearth of time to put long-term policies in place. Immediate steps are needed to stem the rot and salvage a country that was envisioned by Imran Khan at the beginning of his tenure in the government. In spite of dogged and dug-in resistance, a lot has been achieved in terms of transforming the face of the country and putting a transparent institutional framework in place. What is needed is to direct the focus towards the shape of policies and the people entrusted with the task of carrying them through. extricating the country from the poisonous tentacles of the former beneficiary elite has been nothing short of a miracle. Though the struggle is ongoing, the foundations of a genuine welfare state have been laid. The indicators, all around, are turning positive. The priorities are right. The spirit is alive. The country is regaining its rightful place in the international comity fighting for causes which really matter. The pillars are in place to sustain the edifice of a new Pakistan. having waded through a river of fire, there is a carnival of hope beckoning.

Extricating the country from the poisonous tentacles of the former beneficiary elite has been nothing short of a miracle. Though the struggle is ongoing, the foundations of a genuine welfare state have been laid. The indicators, all around, are turning positive. The priorities are right. The spirit is alive. The country is regaining its rightful place in the international comity fighting for causes which really matter

The writer is a political and security strategist, and heads the Regional Peace Institute – an Islamabad-based think tank. Email: raoofhasan@hotmail.com. Twitter: @RaoofHasan

PAKISTAN has one of the highest rates of honour killing, reporting 1000 cases each year. On paper, that may be nothing more than a number, but in actuality, it is the lives of countless young women, snuffed out each year. Their crime? Being born in this wretched patriarchal society. Burdened with protecting the honour of a man who would not think twice before murdering her for desecrating that honour. each day brings new horrific cases of women killed in the name of honour. Losing their lives for the crime of challenging patriarchal structures. What's worse is that there is a sick acceptance of this crime prevalent in our society. Somehow the honour of a man is more valuable than a woman's life. The number of reported cases is only a fraction of the actual numbers. Mainly because the perpetrators are families themselves, most cases do not get to see the light of the day and are often dubbed as suicide or natural death. Moreover, loopholes in honour killing laws have been providing impunity to the perpetrators for decades. Only recently, the clause for the victim's family pardoning the murderer was eliminated, in the aftermath of Qandeel Balouch’s death. We need to actively work on eradicating this practice from its roots through educational campaigns, ensuring strict implementation of the law at all levels, and setting up shelters for people at risk. We have to strive for the elimination of this practice so that innocent lives may be spared. Shifa Karachi

Injustices Galore SIR, Numerous countries have suffered internal unrest and even disintegrated when powerful groups, including those affiliated with the state, get involved in institutionalized corruption, land grabbing, profiteering, extra judicial killings and citizens missing without judicial process. It is precisely for this reason that they say “It Is Not the Business of The Government to Do Business” and this includes commercial ventures by state institutions funded by the exchequer to perform their constitutional functions. A state must perform the role of an adjudicator, regulator and protector of the rights of its citizens, including their right to dissent. It should never be seen as an abettor of criminals involved in land grabbing or facilitating criminals. Unfortunately, we have witnessed powerful individuals, such as Musharraf aiding and abetting criminals affiliated with Altaf hussain making kidnapping for ransom an industry, because of political exigencies. A state that cannot protect its forests, public amenity plots from illegal takeover by land mafia is a state on the verge of chaos and unrest from within. The manner in which Kidney hill was allowed to be taken over by criminals in Karachi was shameful. Recently social media showed video clips of thousands of acres of land belonging to poor harris of Sindh being forcibly occupied in the presence of police and armed guards during holy month of Ramadan Kareem. We can understand such forcible occupation of land belonging to Palestinians who have lived there for centuries by Zionist’s occupation force. Thousands of citizens of Pakistan who have paid all installments for plots in DhA Valley Islamabad have been waiting for over a decade to get justice. Such injustices perpetrated with tacit complicity of state institutions whose hesitation to protect citizens does not bode well for the country, because it weakens the bonds of trust and credibility between the state and citizens. MaliK Tariq ali lahorE

The dilemma of Identity Politics in Pakistan: Nationalism vs. Patriotism

According to Francis Fukuyama, two elements give rise to identity politics in a state: religion and nationalism. In Pakistan, nationalism has given rise to identity politics. For us, it is more important to be associated with our ethnicity and caste than nationality. Our pride lies in being Punjabi, Sindhi, Balochi, or Pathan. In Sindh, nationalism can be traced back to the 1950s when Sindhis raised their voices against one unit. however, this sentiment gained strength after the partition of Bangladesh in 1971 when G.M. Syed founded the JST in 1972, seeding the idea of Sindhudesh- a separate homeland for Sindhis. Soon after the demise of Mr. Bhutto, Pakistan People’s Party gained sympathy votes by playing the nationalism card, giving birth to identity politics. In the case of KPK, it was the state’s dirty strategic policy that used Pashtuns as cannon fodder in anti-soviet resistance in Afghanistan during General Zia’s era, cultivating the seeds of Jihad which led to radicalism and nationalism in KPK. After 9/11, the anti-state sentiment gained more popularity in KPK when the cost of the War on Terror was mainly paid through the blood of 70,000 Pashtuns residing in the tribal districts of Pakistan. Pashtuns paid the price of terrorism and were also named as the perpetrators of terrorism in Pakistan. Pashtun Tahafuz Movement formerly known as Mehsud Tahafuz Movement (From May 2014 until January 2018) was mainly created to promote Pashtun nationalism. The Pashtun neo-nationalists want their fundamental rights under the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973. They want justice against the atrocities cracked down on them during the war on terror. In the words of former IG of Balochistan Police Tariq Khosa, “Balochistan suffers from many missed opportunities and unfulfilled promises.” For Balochistan, the grievances are based on elite capture, lack of political autonomy and participation, unequal economic rights, and misuse of resources by the federal. Nationalist movements in Balochistan can be traced back to the subcontinent. In 1929, the foundations of a secular, non-tribal nationalist movement were laid down by Mir Muhammad Yusuf Ali Khan Magsi and Abdul Aziz Kurd were the founders of Anjuman-i-Ittihad-i-Balochistan. however, the recent nationalist movements were strengthened in 2006 after the death of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, who was assassinated by the then military dictator General Pervaiz Musharaf. These nationalist forces in Balochistan gave rise to various separatist groups such as BLA and BLF that demand a separate homeland for the Balochis and have been held responsible for crimes against locals and other provinces too. These separatist groups are now being funded by rival states such as India. evidence of India’s support in stirring separatists movements in Balochistan was found when an Indian officer, Kulbhushan Jadhav was arrested in Balochistan on 3 March 2016 on espionage charges. MaryaM Tariq islamabad

Sunday, 23 May, 2021

08 WORLD VIEW

According to KhAmenei's prediction isrAel hAs 19 yeArs left, for Kissinger it's next yeAr

Middle east MoNitor

OmAr Ahmed

rAN'S Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei first claimed back in 2015 that Israel won't see the next 25 years, "firstly, you [Israel] will not see the next 25 years," Khamenei said. "God willing, there will be no such thing as a Zionist regime in 25 years. Until then, struggling, heroic and jihadi morale will leave no moment of serenity for Zionists." this was stated in relation to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) which was signed earlier that year between tehran and the P5+1 which in theory was to expire in 25 years' time. It was in this context that the remarks were made. Such rhetoric has been made in the past by the Islamic republic, for instance, former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said 10 years prior that, "this regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time." this was popularly mistranslated and misquoted in Western media at the time to "Israel must be wiped off the map." the original quote itself was attributed to the Islamic republic's founder Ayatollah ruhollah Khomeini. the "25 years" has in some ways become a mantra, it was reposted officially on Khamenei's website the following year in 2016 and the head of Iran's army, MajorGeneral Abdolrahim Mousavi repeated the claim in 2017 during an event commemorating the fallen during the Iran-Iraq War. Mousavi was also quoted recently by Iranian news outlets, commenting on the unrest in occupied Palestine that "the signs of downfall of the child-killing and illegitimate Zionist regime has become evident." "there are also promising indications of a change in the balance of power in favour of Palestine," he added. "these all show the truth of the prediction that the Zionist regime will not see the next 25 years." However, in light of the current political situation between Israel and the Palestinians, centred on the state's assault and desecration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and the forced evictions in Sheikh Jarrah and the conflict verging ever closer to a third intifada (uprising), it seems that Khamenei's prediction might actually materialise, rhetoric aside. In fact, Iran's head of state wouldn't be the first to

foretell the future fall of the State of Israel. Veteran American statesman Henry Kissinger, who is of Jewish origin and almost a centenarian, was less generous in his own prediction about the fate of the Jewish state. He is alleged to have stated in 2012 that "In 10 years there will be no more Israel." Although this was even acknowledged by Haaretz, the times of Israel quoting a staffer of Kissinger denied he ever made the statement. Presupposing the former secretary of state did make the statement, then his projection of Israel's collapse would be sometime next year. Such ideas of the state's ability to survive are closer to home than Israel and its supporters would like to believe. In a february opinion piece on Yedioth Ahronot former chief of Shin Bet, Yuval Diskin, lamented that Israel won't remain for the next generation. He was not speaking figuratively. Diskin elaborated, "I am not talking about the Iranian nuclear threat, Hezbollah missiles, or extremist fundamentalist Islam. I am talking about the demographic, social and economic trends that are already changing the essence of the state and are destined to endanger its existence in one generation." "In about 40 years, about half of the country's citizens will be ultra-Orthodox and Arabs," he wrote. this is an obvious security concern for the state, especially as both are exempt from the military and as Diskin acknowledged, "both are prevalent in anti-Zionist tendencies." the demographic time bomb theory has been discussed aplenty over the years, particularly when one takes into consideration the combined populations of Gaza and the occupied West Bank, together with the so-called Arab Israeli population, who account for some 20 per cent of the country. therefore, Israel cannot be both a Jewish-majority state and a democracy at the same time, "if it can't be both, the Zionist dream on which Israel is founded will end," so argued journalist Michael Petrou back in 2008. As the latest images and footage spreading rapidly online have shown, the Arab Israeli youth joining in unprecedented protests across northern and central Israeli cities have embraced their unfiltered Palestinian national identities in unity with their brethren in the occupied territories. Withstanding the argument of demographics, the immediate threat to Israel does indeed come in the form of armed conflict. the realisation of Palestinian, or in fact any statehood, ultimately rests on a military solution preceding a political one, just as

Israel was established in 1948. As part of his nine-step plan to "eliminate" Israel, following the 2014 War against Gaza, Khamenei theorised that in the likely absence of a referendum by the native inhabitants to resolve the conflict, "powerful confrontation and resolute and armed resistance" is the only viable option available. this echoes the sentiments of AfricanAmerican civil rights activist, Malcolm X who explained in 1963 that any real revolution inevitably involves "bloodshed," pitting the landless against the landlord. As those following the conflict unfold in real-time on social media have witnessed, the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has unleashed its largest and most widespread retaliatory attacks to date. the Palestinian Information Centre reported that the massive rocket launch saw as many as 137 projectiles being flown towards Israeli cities in just five minutes. footage has also emerged of strikes targeting tel Aviv, however following deadly Israeli air strikes in Gaza, Hamas has vowed that targeting civilian buildings will result in further larger-scale attacks on the city. What has also come into question is Israel's famed Iron Dome defence system which has been exposed throughout this campaign; of the very first initial seven rockets fired from Gaza, only one was intercepted. Ilan Goldenberg, the Middle east Security Director at the Washington DC-based CNAS noted that, "Hamas appears to be having more success than in the past in overwhelming Iron Dome with bigger barrages." the Jerusalem Post's Senior Middle east Correspondent, Seth frantzman, meanwhile commenting on the escalating "clashes" in the cities was critical of the fact that "most politicians and authorities seem to be just letting this happen, hoping it will just play itself out and go away." "No leadership in Israel today on this issue," he remarked. What is clear is that Israel is already losing the Pr and information war with the workload of the hasbara cut out for them. even in the build-up to the escalations, videos surfaced of brazen settlers taking over Palestinian homes in Sheikh Jarrah. In one such video a Brooklyn-accented man justified his theft by nonchalantly stating that if he didn't steal it, someone else would. Such blatant criminal behaviour becomes increasingly difficult to defend and rationalise, especially when the offenders are not in denial. Most humiliating of all though for the Zionist state, was the suspension of the "Chariots of fire" military ex-

I am not talking about the Iranian nuclear threat, Hezbollah missiles, or extremist fundamentalist Islam. I am talking about the demographic, social and economic trends that are already changing the essence of the state and are destined to endanger its existence in one generation

ercise aimed at confronting a hypothetical multi-front war, said to be the biggest drill for the Israeli army in 30 years. A military statement said that it was called off "to focus all efforts on preparations and readiness for escalation scenarios." Yet if angry protesters were sufficient to halt the brakes so to speak, it poses serious questions about Israel's preparedness in handling Hamas rockets, let alone the more powerful and versatile foe on the northern border – Hezbollah, who have thus far yet to become involved, although this could change. further proof of the coordination and cooperation of the Axis of resistance has been the announcement by the leader of the Ansarallah movement, Abdulmalik Al-Houthi, that they stand "shoulder to shoulder" with the Palestinians in their struggle and offer their full support. It is also worth reminding ourselves that despite Israel being a nuclear-armed state, any actual usage of such weapons represents the failure of deterrence, seeing as the use of nuclear weapons are their "non-use." Interestingly an "errant" Syrian missile landed close to the Dimona nuclear reactor site despite travelling through protected airspace last month. A side discussion is the economic angle of Israel's survival, while it has made inroads as a world-leading tech powerhouse, it still relies heavily on the US for its sustained existence as a state. Israel's very dependence on the US has been described as "existential" by Chuck freilich, a former deputy Israeli national security adviser: "the bitter truth is that without the United States, the IDf would be an empty shell." the US took an enduring special interest in Israel following the impressive and spectacular defeat of the combined Arab armies in the Six-Day War in 1967. Yet faced with its own financial woes, US-taxpayer funded military aid is facing growing scrutiny and calls for this aid to be conditional on adherence to human rights. However, a bipartisan letter signed last month indicates that the majority of lawmakers nevertheless insist that the $3.8 billion in annual military aid to Israel must remain unconditional based on their perceived strategic benefits. regardless, the US realising the changing balances of power on the international stage is keen to shift its focus and resources to east Asia at the possible detriment to its interests in the Middle east. If a generation is defined as roughly 20-30 years, and the first and second Intifada were in the 1980s and 2000s, respectively, then it makes sense that we are witnessing another generation of Palestinians determined to fight for their rights in the form of a third intifada. If this is indeed the case, then as I posited last year, we can expect far greater support from Iran compared to the previous uprising. Signifying this, a video has circulated of a spokesperson for the AlQuds Brigade, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad which has closer ties with tehran compared to Hamas, who has also expressed gratitude to the Islamic republic for providing them with Badr-3 missiles. Ahead of Israel's 73rd anniversary since it was established as a nation-state on 14 May 1948, the predominant Jewish majority of the country is at greater risk than ever before in its relatively short history, as demographics is no longer on the side of the Zionist project. the current political and social unrest amid the prospects of an unsurpassed armed uprising by the Palestinian people also suggests that time isn't either.

Don't forget: Israel is the aggressor IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THE RECENT VIOLENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST IS BETWEEN AN OPPRESSOR AND THE VICTIMS OF OPPRESSION. WHEN CALLING FOR ISRAEL'S RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF, IT IS VITAL TO RECOGNIZE THAT ISRAEL HAS BEEN THE AGGRESSOR Newsweek

Ahmed TwAij

fter nearly two weeks of violence between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in Gaza, a ceasefire agreement has finally been reached. But the duration of the ceasefire remains questionable, especially given that the grievances that led up to the most recent conflict persist, and without addressing them, it's only a matter of time before the next wave of violence begins. Indeed, less than a day after the ceasefire was announced, violent clashes began again between Palestinian worshippers and Israeli police at Al-Aqsa mosque in east Jerusalem, reproducing the same conflagration that led to the armed conflict with Gaza. Because the truth is, though U.S. President Joe Biden has continued to read from the tired U.S. hymnbook, insisting over and over on "his unwavering support for Israel's security and Israel's legitimate right to defend itself," the violence in the Middle east did not start with Hamas firing rockets from Gaza. It began with police brutality, and it ended with Israeli attacks on Gaza that killed 103 Palestinians, 27 of whom were children. And therein lies the simple truth: Israeli airstrikes over Gaza cannot simply be con-

sidered defense when Israel was the initiator of violence. Nor did Israel's provocation begin 11 days ago at al-Aqsa. Israel's military occupation in the West Bank and its blockade of the Gaza Strip put Israel in the perpetual position of being the oppressor. there is simply no denying that Israel is present in the Palestinian territories by force; in the West Bank, Israel has implemented a system that Human rights Watch recently declared apartheid, and it continues to treat Palestinians as second class citizens in their own neighborhoods. Moreover, the never-ending siege over Gaza is an act of violence in itself. the Strip is often referred to as the world's largest open air prison. the 15-year blockade of Gaza's near 2 million civilians has made life inside the Strip unbearable. Years of restrictions, which most recently prevented COVID-19 vaccines from entering the Gaza Strip per Palestinian officials, have caused devastation to Gaza's economy. A U.N. report has estimated the land, sea and air blockade has cost the region $16.7 billion and sent poverty sky rocketing. As of 2018, the shattered infrastructure had led to the deaths of more than 1,000 Palestinians, a collective of charitable organizations found.

regular Israeli airstrikes targeting Gaza's infrastructure—including power plants, the sewage system, the water supply and cement plants—send the Strip back decades each time some semblance of normality is found. Worse, in the years following Israeli attacks, efforts to rebuild are hampered given Israel's limits on cement entering Gaza. Moreover, due to Israel's restrictions on who can enter and who can leave Gaza through the border with Israel, civilians can-

not flee during war. this means that as Israeli airstrikes bombard what is one of the world's most densely populated cities on earth, its civilians are stuck; massive loss of innocent Palestinian life is inevitable. then there's the disproportion of power. Backed by U.S. funding of $3.8 billion a year, only one side in this so-called conflict has access to fighter jets, control of borders and advanced weaponry. Given all of this, it's clear that contrary to what Biden seems to think, the

current wave of violence did not start with rockets being fired by Hamas. this is not to justify Hamas's attacks. the loss of ten innocent Israeli lives is tragic, and Hamas's deliberate targeting of civilians is abhorrent. But you simply cannot compare it to the (U.S. backed) military might of Israel; as the Daily Show host trevor Noah put it, this is akin to "bringing a knife to a gunfight." Given its strength, Israel has a responsibility; it cannot perpetually crush Gaza or repeatedly attack the Strip's struggling hospitals. But the suggestion that Israel is merely defending itself erases more than just structural differences in Israel's and Hamas's power. It elides attempts to force Palestinian families in east Jerusalem out of their homes, which triggered violent scenes across the region that just ended. Moreover, the rockets fired by Hamas were in response to Israel's violent attack on AlAqsa mosque, one of Islam's holiest sites, during Islam's holiest moth. the violence left hundreds of Palestinians injured as Israeli forces targeted Palestinian worshippers with grenades and steel bullets coated in rubber. It's important to remember that the recent violence in the Middle east is between an oppressor and the victims of oppression. When calling for Israel's right to defend itself, it is vital to recognize that Israel has been the aggressor. Israel must be held to account for the violence against Palestinians. We cannot only call for peace when Hamas fires rockets. Should Israel's oppression of Palestinian rights be allowed to persist, such one-sided calls for peace will only lead to the deepening the blight of Palestinians and further episodes of conflict. Ahmed Twaij is a freelance journalist focusing mainly on U.S. politics, social justice and the Middle East. He is also a photographer and filmmaker.

Sunday, 23 May, 2021

BUSINESS 09

KARACHI corporate corner Bank of Punjab CEO Zafar Masud pens eulogy on crash anniversary of PK8303 KARACHI: One year on, the single biggest facet that keeps me traumatized about the crash is the fact that this entire fateful ordeal resulted in the loss of 97 innocent lives. 22nd May 2020 was one of the saddest days in our lives and will remain so forever. God has been very kind on me and I have been managing my recovery well, including psychiatric counseling, medical treatment, etc., with the unwavering support of my employer & colleagues, and my family & friends. I am extremely thankful for the prayers of all known and unknown well wishers during the past one year. However, as I worked towards my recuperation, particularly mental, let me share with you that I discovered other complications of sufferings. I realized that I have been immersed with “survivor’s guilt”. I could not bring myself to meet with the other survivor or the families of victims. I struggled to attend funerals without thinking that the family of the deceased must be wondering why I was given a miracle, when their loved ones were not. This is probably the most difficult phase of my life which I am still struggling to get over with great deal of endeavor. Unfortunately, even after the lapse of 12-months of this crash, which was the 6th Pakistani plane to crash in a decade, nothing soberly changed at the national level to improve passenger safety. I believe that we at least need to bring domestic flight standards at par with international ones, and enforce standardized procedures to handle crashes and their aftermath. I believe that the entire eco-system needs to be reviewed and revamped to ensure better safety and security standards. This is why I have decided to set-up a not-for-profit organization which would be dedicated to work on passenger safety and security. The foundation will have two main functions - firstly, work on raising awareness about passenger safety and their rights within the civil society; and secondly, work with policy makers to improve standards & regulations, push for legislative change & their implementation, and ensuring better legal assistance & coverage for affectees. On the first anniversary of this tragic incident, may God rest the departed souls in peace and give strength to their families to bear their irreparable loss. Aameen!. Press release

KP gOvt lifts Ban On intErdEPartMEnt fund transfErs PESHAWAR

aZIZ BUNerI

HE Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has decided to lift the ban on the transfer of funds from slow spending provincial departments to departments which are more efficient. According to the details, the provincial government has decided that departments with a slow rate of spending will have their funds deducted, which will be transferred to departments which are efficient in spending. In this regard, sources in the Planning and Development (P&D) department told Profit that the provincial government had banned the transfer of funds from one department to another and from one project to another within the same department. However, due to this ban, most of the funds could not be utilised while the financial year is near its end. Therefore, the planning and development department

has reverted to the old method to ensure the speedy utilisation of uplift funds. According to sources, the P&D has sought details from the departments which have used more funds, on the basis of which the funds will be withdrawn from underperforming departments and transferred to the former.

Similarly, the ban on the transfer of funds from one project to another within departments will also be lifted, after which any department will be able to transfer funds from one of its slow-moving projects to a fast-moving project. However, the department will have to seek permission from the P&D department.

It may be mentioned here that the ban may result in the non-utilisation of more than 35 per cent of development funds. Earlier on Friday, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has expressed grave concerns over a recent audit by the KP auditor general that highlighted irregularities in the ADB-funded projects of the provincial government. The auditor general has raised objections over Rs260.84 million expended on the ongoing projects of urban development. The ADB has requested the KP Local Government Department to contact the auditor general to resolve the issues. ADB Urban Development and Water Division Director Yong Yi has written a letter to the project director, asking him to immediately contact the Local Government Department and convene a joint meeting to resolve objections. The ADB has sought the progress report from the project director by May 31 through the Local Government secretary.

FDI tumbles 32.5pc in 10MFY21 Foreign direct investment (FDI) fell by over 32 per cent during the 10 months of the current fiscal year compared to the same period in the previous financial year. However, data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Friday showed the country received $1.553 billion FDI during July-April FY21 against the inflows of $2.301bn in the same period last financial year — a decline of $748 million, or 32.5pc. Foreign private investment, including portfolio investment, stood at $1.273bn, showing a decline of 40pc compared to last year. The outflow of portfolio investment during the 10 months of the current fiscal year was $280m compared to an outflow of $182m during the same period last year.

The inflows from China during the 10-month period also fell to $708m compared to $865.3m FDI from Beijing during the same period last year. The second biggest inflow of $127.6m the country received was from Hong Kong. However, the FDI from the same country in the same period last financial year was $163.5m. The FDI from the UAE, which is the second largest trade partner of Pakistan, sharply increased this year to $86.6m. During the same period last year, there was a net outflow of $31m from Pakistan. The FDI witnessed slight improvement in April as it was higher than the same month of the last fiscal year. The inflow in April 2021 was $158m compared to $151m in the same month last year. The country’s external account is

in a much better shape compared to the previous two years and this could

boost the confidence of the foreign investors. MONITOrING rePOrT

Oil drillers and Bitcoin miners bond over natural gas NEW YORK aGeNCIes

On US oil patches stretching along the Rockies and Great Plains, trailers hitched to trucks back up toward well pads to capture natural gas and convert it on the spot into electricity. The trailers – carrying pipes, generators and computers – are called “mining rigs.” But their owners aren’t there to drill for oil. They are using stray natural gas unwanted by oil companies to power their search for another treasure: cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Cryptocurrencies are virtual coins exchanged without middlemen, such as central banks, to purchase goods and services. Extracting the currency from cyberspace, however, requires vast amounts of often-expensive electricity. Supercomputers must run constantly in a race against other “miners” to solve complex math problems in order to unlock digital vaults holding the currency. Placed in mobile trailers, these supercomputers run as hot as 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Celsius), and in the cold of western North Dakota, people stay warm just by sitting near them, cryptocurrency miners say. The miners are increasingly sending these rigs out to oil fields because it’s one of the cheapest ways to obtain the energy they need. Oil and natural gas come from the same wells, but at these sites, drillers are seeking crude oil and have no pipelines to get the gas to market. That typically forces them to burn it off in a process called flaring – creating carbon dioxide emissions – or to vent it into the atmosphere directly as methane. “The sweet spot for us is stranded, low volumes of gas that don’t justify a pipeline,” said Steve Degenfelder, land manager at Wyoming-based producer Kirkwood Oil and Gas LLC, which has formed an alliance with Bitcoin miners. Oil companies face pressure from investors and government officials to reduce emissions that lead to global warming. Sometimes they give the gas away for free

to cryptocurrency miners; other times they sell it. “Oil and gas companies don’t like to flare their gas – that’s money that’s burning away,” said Degenfelder, which works with miners connected to EZ Blockchain, a Chicago-based energy and technology company, to cut flaring at some of its 600 oil wells across the Rocky Mountains. HIGHLY UNCERTAIN: Some environmental advocates and investors say cryptocurrencies are not a long-term solution to unwanted natural gas emissions, both because the currency’s future is highly uncertain and because Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency companies produce their own emissions. The global Bitcoin industry’s overall C02 emissions have risen to 60 million tons, equal to the exhaust from about 9 million cars. That’s up from 20 million tons from two years ago, according to a March report by Bank of America analysts. Values of Bitcoin, the best known cryp-

tocurrency, plunged from record highs after billionaire Elon Musk tweeted that his electric car company Tesla Inc would no longer take the virtual coins as payment, citing concerns over “rapidly increasing use of fossil fuels for Bitcoin mining and transactions.” The currency plunged in value over two weeks before starting to recover Thursday. Andrew Logan, senior director of oil and gas at Ceres, the Boston-based clean-energy investor group, said there are better ways to use stranded gas, including to power hospitals and schools. However, that would require building pipelines to carry the product out of the oil patch, he said. “I think we need much more durable and long-term solutions that really bring that gas to market and let it be used for whatever its highest purpose is,” he said. Proponents say the new oil-cryptocurrency alliances in North America move mining for virtual coins away from Asia, home to more than 60% of such operations, which largely rely on coal-powered electricity. Coal

CMYK

combustion produces roughly twice as much C02 as natural gas. “It helps cut emissions at (an oil) producer level, but also globally by reducing mining in parts of the world where coal is likely the power source,” said Mark Le Dain, vice president of strategy at oil and gas software company Validere Technologies Inc, which tracks energy molecules and their use. Environmental advocates and some investors note, however, that the harmful emissions don’t disappear – they are transferred from one industry to another. “It’s not like you’re eliminating the emissions, it’s that you’re turning them into this other thing, Bitcoin,” Logan said. CATCHING IMAGINATIONS: The allure of Bitcoin remains for miners despite the challenges of cryptocurrency markets. Even after the recent price crash, a single Bitcoin was worth more than $40,000 on Thursday – almost 90 times its value five years ago, according to Refinitiv Eikon data. Some cryptocurrency mining companies say the mobility of their natural gas-fueled operations is key, giving them flexibility to draw natural gas from different sites as it becomes available. “The idea that you could plug in these (computers) and then take them somewhere else just really caught my imagination,” said Haley Thomson, a former electricity trader and president of new cryptocurrency mining company Imperium Digital. A variety of business models have been born. In some cases, cryptocurrency miners pay the oil firms for their natural gas wholly or in part using the coins they mine. In the case of Kirkwood, EZ Blockchain uses stranded natural gas to make Bitcoin, giving it all to Kirkwood. EZ Blockchain makes money by supplying equipment and mining services for a fee. Industry experts and academics who study energy uses say there are fewer than 10 large-scale Bitcoin mining companies in North America that run on stranded natural

gas. Many cryptocurrency miners run smaller operations in the United States and Canada – some fueled by a single well. But some major oil companies have signed on. In North Dakota, a top oil-producing state, Norway’s Equinor and Canada’s Enerplus are among those that have used such mining to reduce flaring, company spokespeople confirmed to Reuters. Denver-based Crusoe Energy Systems Inc is one of the continent’s largest Bitcoin mining companies using otherwise stranded gas. It expects to double its current staff of 55 this year, said Cully Cavness, co-founder and a former oil and gas engineer. Crusoe has about 40 mobile containers in oil shale basins. It plans on increasing that number to 100 after receiving $128 million in financing last month from investors including Chicago-based firm Valor Equity Partners LP and Lowercarbon Capital. Crusoe’s partners have included Kraken Oil & Gas Partners, which produces about 10,000 bpd of oil, making the company the largest oil producer in Montana. “We’re going to need a lot more people,” Cavness said. Meanwhile, government regulations and incentives are in the offing that could benefit oil and cryptocurrency companies. The U.S. Senate passed a measure in April to reverse former President Donald Trump’s weakening of methane emission regulations. That could fuel the use of Bitcoin mining to cut flaring, academic experts said. Lawmakers in Texas and New Mexico also are looking to crack down on emissions. North Dakota and Wyoming this year passed laws that give tax breaks to oil producers that provide gas to cryptocurrency and other data miners that would otherwise have been flared. “I think it’s gonna be a big chunk at what we look at for the future in North Dakota,” said state Senator Dale Patten, who authored North Dakota’s bill.

Sunday, 23 May, 2021

10 FOREIGN NEWS

KARACHI

ANALYSIS

In MIdeast turMoIl, PalestInIans fInd rare unIty JERUSALEM

Agencies

VER the past weeks, as stun grenades echoed off Jerusalem’s walls, rockets streaked out of Gaza, West Bank protesters burned tires and Israeli cities erupted in violence, the frail boundaries separating Israel and the Palestinians seemed to vanish in smoke and flames. Israelis saw the chaos ripple out of Jerusalem, not only igniting another Gaza war, but days of ethnic violence in mixed cities they had long held up as models of coexistence, bringing the conflict home in ways unseen since the 2000 Palestinian uprising. But Palestinians, whether in blockaded Gaza, the occupied West Bank, annexed East Jerusalem or Israel itself, made a striking show of unity after decades of forced separation. And the porous frontiers between Israel and the lands it occupied in 1967 — so central to decades of failed peace efforts — seemed to disappear. On Tuesday, Palestinians from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River observed a general strike, not only against the Gaza war but other aspects of Israeli rule. Protesters from Lebanon and Jordan, both home to large numbers of Palestinian refugees, stormed border fences. “It highlighted the common destiny,” said Nijmeh Ali, a Palestinian academic and activist who is a citizen of Israel. “Palestinians are leading their struggle against one regime. It’s using different policies of control, but it’s the same apartheid system.” There’s always been a certain degree of solidarity among Palestinians, she said, but a new generation is coordinating activities online and sharing videos from across Israel and the occupied territories, further binding them together in a shared struggle. Israel’s leaders blame the unrest on Hamas, a political fighter which is branded a terrorist group by Western countries. They say the fighters seized on protests in Jerusalem to incite war and unrest across the region. “It’s a great success for Hamas, but I’m not sure that it has to do with the popularity of Hamas,” said Ofer Shelah, a former parliament member from a centrist party. “Something like this, when it happens, it ig-

nites fumes that have already been there.” Still, he said grievances within Israel’s Arab community and the conflict with the Palestinians are “two different stories.” He noted that before the fighting broke out a small Arab party was poised to play a key role in forming the next Israeli government. Over the years, Palestinian citizens of Israel, while facing discrimination in many aspects of their lives, have also made inroads in others, building successful careers in law,

community, the two sides were never able to reach an agreement or resolve the power imbalance favoring Israel. The last substantive talks broke down more than a decade ago. And lines which were always arbitrary faded away. Jewish settlers — who never wanted to divide the land to begin with — pushed into east Jerusalem and the West Bank, and their supporters came to dominate Israeli politics. Today, there are more than 700,000 settlers

rael, the opposite is also true. Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up 20 percent of the population, face widespread discrimination, especially when it comes to land and housing. Israel has spent decades establishing new communities on lands seized in 1948 that are intended for Jewish “settlement” — a descriptor used by Israelis and Palestinians alike. In recent years, Jews with close ties to the settler movement have moved into predomi-

academia, entertainment, and medicine. The peace process launched in the early 1990s was based on the idea that a centuryold territorial dispute between Jews and Arabs could be resolved by dividing the land along the armistice lines from the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation. The state of Palestine would include most of east Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, lands Israel captured in a later war, in 1967. But even with the cajoling of five U.S. presidents and much of the international

in both territories, the vast majority living in built-up residential areas connected to Israeli cities by rapidly expanding highways. The Palestinian Authority, once seen as a state-in-waiting, has only limited autonomy in scattered enclaves making up less than 40 percent of the occupied West Bank. Its close security ties with Israel, and its decision last month to cancel the first elections in 15 years, have led many Palestinians to view it as an extension of the occupation. If the West Bank is looking more like Is-

nantly Arab neighborhoods, not only in east Jerusalem, where they are trying to evict dozens of Palestinian families, but in mixed cities across Israel. Palestinians have cited that as one of the underlying causes of the recent ethnic violence. The Jews say they have the right to live anywhere in their country. When the riots broke out, Israel redeployed hundreds of paramilitary Border Police — normally used to quell violent demonstrations in the West Bank — into its own cities.

Some of Israel’s traditional allies are taking notice, with left-leaning Americans increasingly drawing parallels to racial injustice in the United States. “For years, most of the world, including liberals and progressives, believed that there was a good democratic Israel that was separate from a bad, Israeli-run apartheid regime in the occupied territories,” says Nathan Thrall, a writer living in Jerusalem who authored a book about the conflict. “That argument is collapsing before our eyes.” That leaves Gaza, from which Israel withdrew all its troops and settlers in 2005, and where Hamas seized power from the Palestinian Authority two years later. Israel and Hamas have fought four wars in a little over a decade, and Israelis routinely speak of the territory as though it is a hostile neighboring country. But more than half of the 2 million Palestinians living in Gaza are the descendants of refugees who fled or were driven from their homes in what is now Israel in 1948. Israel controls Gaza’s airspace, coastal waters, population registry and commercial crossings. All of this together, according to the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem and the New York-based Human Rights Watch, amounts to a single apartheid regime in which the roughly 7 million Jews living between the river and the sea dominate the roughly 7 million Palestinians — just in different ways depending on where they live. Israel adamantly rejects the apartheid label and bristles at talk of a single state, which it views as an assault on its very legitimacy, even though its political system is dominated by leaders opposed to Palestinian independence. Tareq Baconi, an analyst with the Crisis Group, an international think tank, says the question of whether there should be one or two states has been rendered largely irrelevant. “Partition was something Palestinians and Israelis tried to do, backed by the international community, and it failed,” Baconi said. “There might be some form of partition in the future. Who knows? Right now… the issue is that the single state that controls these territories is constitutionally committed only to Jews, not to Palestinians,” he said.

US seizes $90,000 from man who sold footage of Capitol riot WASHINGTON Agencies

US authorities have confiscated roughly $90,000 from a Utah man who sold footage of a woman being fatally shot during the January 6 attack on the US Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump, according to court filings. Prosecutors also have filed additional criminal charges against the man, John Earle Sullivan, a self-described political activist who is accused of entering the Capitol building and participating in the riot, the filings unsealed on Thursday showed. Sullivan now faces a total of eight criminal counts, including weapons charges, related

to the riot. Sullivan’s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Prosecutors have charged more than 440 people in connection with the attack in which Trump supporters stormed the Capitol after he gave a speech to them repeating his false claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him through widespread voting fraud. The mob smashed windows, fought police, and sent lawmakers into hiding. Five people died. Many participants, including Sullivan, posted their actions on social media. According to the court filings, Sullivan portrayed himself as an independent journalist who was reporting on the chaos, but actually encouraged other participants to

“burn” the building and engage in violence. Sullivan recorded a video of the confrontation between rioters and police just outside the US House of Representatives chamber that included the shooting of protester Ashli Babbitt and, according to court filings, boasted to an unnamed witness that “my footage is worth like a million of dollars, millions of dollars.” Sullivan sold that footage to several news outlets for a total of $90,000, according to a seizure warrant. The news outlets were redacted from the warrant. According to media reports, Sullivan participated in Black Lives Matter protests last year. Other Black Lives Matter activists in his home state have disavowed him.

BBC under pressure over Diana interview after princes launch scathing attack LONDON Agencies

The British government vowed on Friday to examine how the BBC was run, after a damning inquiry into how the broadcaster got its bombshell 1995 interview with Princess Diana and unprecedented criticism from her son Prince William. An independent investigation concluded on Thursday that journalist Martin Bashir lied and deceived to persuade Diana to agree to the interview in which she disclosed intimate details of her failed marriage to heir to the throne Prince Charles. It also lambasted the BBC for its “woefully ineffective” investigation into Bashir’s actions the following year and for covering up his wrongdoing. Bashir tricked Diana’s

brother into thinking her staff were spying on her, and could not be trusted. In a scathing statement, Diana’s eldest son William, now 38, called the way interview was secured “deceitful”. “It brings indescribable sadness to know that the BBC‘s failures contributed significantly to her fear, paranoia, and isolation that I remember from those final years with her.” His younger brother Prince Harry said the interview was part of a series of unethical practices that ultimately cost his mother her life. “Our mother lost her life because of this, and nothing has changed,” he said. Diana died aged 36 in a Paris car crash in 1997 having become an effective outcast from the royal family, which she suspected

of trying to undermine her as her relationship with Charles, William’s father, collapsed. The BBC has apologised for its failings, but ministers, newspapers, critics, and some supporters said the episode raised questions for the publicly-funded broadcaster. DOING NOTHING NOT AN OPTION: Britain’s justice minister, Robert Buckland, said “doing nothing” was not an option in light of the inquiry by former UK Supreme Court judge John Dyson. Media minister Oliver Dowden said they would consider whether further reforms were needed during a review of the BBC‘s royal charter, which sets the 98year-old broadcaster’s mission, due in 2022 before it needs to be renewed in 2027.

“I am obviously concerned by the findings of Lord Dyson’s report,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson told broadcasters. “I can only imagine the feelings of the Royal Family and I hope very much that the BBC will be taking every possible step to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again.” Some in his Conservative government, including Johnson himself, have voiced scepticism about the BBC‘s funding model — a licence fee levied on all households with a TV — while many accuse it of being politically biased. “There’s got to be a serious governance structural change inside the BBC,” former BBC chairman Michael Grade told BBC radio. Some newspapers were damning in

their assessment of the report, likening the BBC‘s failures to a phone-hacking scandal involving tabloid reporters a decade ago. “Ten years ago, when the phone-hacking scandal closed the News of the World, BBC journalists were among the loudest of those baying for blood and desperate to see The Sun engulfed too,” The Sun newspaper, the twin tabloid of Rupert Murdoch’s defunct News of the World, wrote in its editorial. “Their stinking hypocrisy is not lost on us.” However, some critics of print media said the issue was merely being used as revenge. “Amid the orgy of hypocrisy generated by William’s statement in the press, worth reflecting just how different is the BBC reporting of its own failings today than the lack of such reporting by newspapers […] on their own failings,” said Alastair Campbell, former prime minister Tony Blair’s communications chief. London police said officers would assess the contents of Dyson’s report to see if there was any significant new evidence having previously ruled out a criminal investigation.

Sunday, 23 May, 2021

KARACHI

PCB PlanS JunE 5 Start of PSl aS PlayErS to SErvE 10-day quarantinE in uaE KARACHI

news Desk

he Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning to start the PSL-6 in Abu Dhabi from June 5 and all the participating players will undergo a 10-day quarantine period before they start training. Karachi Kings owner Salman Iqbal said the terms and conditions agreed between the PCB and the UAE authorities entail a mandatory 10-day quarantine period for players, officials and broadcasting crew members. “In between, there will be regular Covid-19 tests during the quarantine period as well,” Iqbal said. A source in the PCB said plans were being made to fly the foreign and local players to Abu Dhabi by May 25 so that they can start their quarantine period and the tournament can begin from June 5. The foreign and local players and officials will also have to undergo a three-day quarantine in Pakistan before boarding their chartered flights to Abu Dhabi. The Board has also hired the services of an international company, Restrata, to manage the Covid-19 bio-bubble in Abu Dhabi where the six teams will be put up at three different hotels. The PCB has managed to get clearance from the authorities in the UAE to hold the remaining 20 matches of the PSL 6 in Abu Dhabi.

The confirmation to hold the matches came after days of suspense over whether the PCB would get clearance from the UAE government which has suspended all flights from Pakistan due to the current Covid-19 situation.

A high-powered delegation of the PCB has been in Abu Dhabi since last week to get the necessary clearances. The PSL 6 was suspended on March 4 in Karachi after just 14 matches due to a rapid rise in Covid-19 cases among players

British athletes, staﬀ to be vaccinated before Tokyo Games

and officials. The board had decided to hold the remaining matches in the UAE after the National Command and Operations Authority had advised it against hosting the games again in Karachi.

KATHMANDU Agencies

Team GB athletes and staff travelling to the Olympic and Paralympic Games will receive COVID-19 vaccine shots before they travel to Tokyo, the British Olympic Association (BOA) said. The BOA said the vaccines will be obtained through an agreement between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Pfizer which will not hit current supplies for the British public. “The UK Government has confirmed that […] Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes and support staff will be fully vaccinated ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, based on the unique position of having to travel to Japan to go about their work,” a BOA spokesperson told Reuters via email. IOC Vice President John Coates said on Friday

that more than 80 percent of residents of the Olympic Village would be vaccinated ahead of the July 23-August 8 Games. The Paralympic Games run from Aug. 24-September 5.

Manny Pacquiao announces fight against Errol Spence Jr. MANILA Agencies

Manny Pacquiao will face Errol Spence Jr. on August 21, according to social media announcements from both boxers late on Friday. The bout will be offered on Fox pay per view. The venue is expected to be the MGM Grand, according to The Athletic, though Pacquiao told the website he hoped the fight would be at the Raiders’ home, Allegiant Stadium, which features a 70,000-seat capacity. Spence, 31, the WBC and IBF welterweight world champ, is 27-0 with 21 knockouts. Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) has won titles in eight divisions. “I love to challenge the top guy,” Pacquiao, 42, told The Athletic in an interview from the Philippines. Manny Pacquiao Promotions president Sean Gibbons told ESPN: “Many people believe Spence is the best welterweight in the world and one of the best poundfor-pound fighters in the world, and Pacquiao has never shied away from fighting real fights.” “He’s not going to make a fool of himself fighting YouTubers or social media guys like Floyd Mayweather is, and he wants to continue his legacy. He’s always fought the best, and he doesn’t want to change now.” Mayweather has agreed to a June 6 exhibition bout with YouTuber Logan Paul. Mayweather and Pacquiao fought in 2015, with Mayweather taking the victory. In his most recent fight, in July 2019, Pacquiao beat Keith Thurman in a split decision to win his since-vacated WBA super welterweight title belt.

Climbing guide says at least 100 virus cases on Everest

LONDON Agencies

SPORTS 11

An expert climbing guide said Saturday that a coronavirus outbreak on Mount Everest has infected at least 100 climbers and support staff, giving the first comprehensive estimate amid official Nepalese denials of a Covid-19 cluster on the world’s highest peak. Lukas Furtenbach of Austria, who last week became the only prominent outfitter to halt his Everest expedition due to virus fears, said one of his foreign guides and six Nepali Sherpa guides have tested positive. “I think with all the confirmed cases we know now — confirmed from (rescue) pilots, from insurance, from doctors, from expedition leaders — I have the positive tests so we can prove this,” Furtenbach told The Associated Press in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu. “We have at least 100 people minimum positive

for Covid in base camp, and then the numbers might be something like 150 or 200,” he said. He said it was obvious there were many cases at the Everest base camp because he could visibly see people were sick, and could hear people coughing in their tents. A total of 408 foreign climbers were issued permits to climb Everest this season, aided by several hundred Sherpa guides and support staff who’ve been stationed at base camp since April. Nepalese mountaineering officials have denied there are any active cases this season among climbers and support staff at all base camps for the country’s Himalayan mountains. Mountaineering was closed last year due to the pandemic. Nepalese officials could not immediately be reached for comment Saturday. Other climbing teams have not announced any Covid-19 infections among their members or staff. Several climbers have reported testing positive after they were brought down from the Everest base camp.

Cricket gear donation brings joy to migrants stuck in Bosnia SARAJEVO Agencies

Joyful cheers echoed through an asylumseekers camp in Bosnia this week as dozens of teenagers and young men put their daily struggles aside for a game of cricket. Players absorbed in the match ran over an improvised pitch clutching wooden bats or throwing balls. Others supported the teams by clapping from the side, their faces radiant. “It was a good game!” Sifet, an asylumseeker from Afghanistan, said. “Tomorrow we have the final tournament!” Mohammad Jahanzeb, who is from Pakistan, chimed in. The opportunity for relaxation and fun at the Blazuj camp in Bosnia’s capital, Sarajevo, was made possible by a Rome-based humanitarian group that brought in donated cricket gear for refugees and migrants in the Balkan country. Andrea Costa, president of the Baobab Experience association, told the Associated Press that activists got the idea from the asylum-seekers themselves, particularly those

coming from Pakistan, Bangladesh or India, where cricket is a national sport. Thousands of people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Africa or Asia have been stranded for months, if not years, in Bosnia while waiting for a chance to move toward Western Europe. From Bosnia, migrants try first to cross to neighboring European Union nation Croatia, before continuing on toward wealthier EU countries. “Speaking with many young people [… ] it came naturally to ask them what they were missing the most, what would they want,” Costa said. “Exactly as an Italian boy would ask for a football, to play some football, they say they are missing cricket.” Costa and his team drove to Bosnia after collecting donations from the U.K., Indian and Pakistani embassies in Rome and those countries’ communities in Italy, Costa said. Along with Sarajevo, gear was delivered to the central Bosnian town of Tuzla. “Our next step with the cricket will be going back to Italy, going back to Europe, and saying that the migrants were very happy,” Costa said.

Among those who waited eagerly for the packages to arrive was Ali Cheema, who said he started playing cricket when he was

7 and used to play for several clubs in his native Pakistan. Now 24, Cheema has been in Bosnia for

two years. As the car carrying the cricket equipment pulled over in Tuzla, he was there to open the bags filled with bats, poles, gloves, jerseys and caps. “We are going to play a cricket match as soon as possible,” he said, explaining that previously “we cut some wood” to make bats. A day later, Cheema and his friends could be seen practicing on a playground in Tuzla. “I decided to go from Pakistan to follow my dreams,” Cheema said. “I would like to go to England and continue to play cricket, because I was a cricket player in Pakistan and I didn’t get enough opportunity.” Costa said his organisation plans to do more to help the young foreigners in Bosnia migrants get engaged in sports and “pass the day with the things that they like.” “First of all, we believe it is their right to reach their goal, that it is their right to reach Europe,” Costa said. “And second of all, our organisation thinks that since while they are transiting these countries, every effort has to be done to help them feel welcome and stay in good condition.”

Sunday, 23 May, 2021

PrAyer Timings

NEWS

PML-N, PPP reJect Govt’s GDP GroWth estiMAtes ISLAMABAD

TLTP

HE opposition leaders on Saturday criticised the government’s announcement of the country’s expected gross domestic product (GDP) growth, which it estimated to remain 3.94 percent during the fiscal year 2020-21. Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, in a series of tweets, said the country’s growth rate was 5.8 percent during the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) tenure but now the premier is claiming a mere 3.9 percent growth rate. “An SBP (State Bank of Pakistan) representative objected to the figure being overstated. PTI, in its first year, had increased the original figure from 1.9pc to 3.3pc. This year too, they lied,” he said. The PML-N president said that independent economists had predicted a decline in real incomes for Pakistanis this year. “Therefore, the growth rate — put forward by PTI — this year is also unrealistic, which will be lower when it will be reviewed.” Shahbaz said every week since February 5, prices have been showing a 13 percent increase. “Prices have increased by 17pc this week compared to last year,”

he tweeted. The PML-N president said middleclass households had faced a severe setback as the inflation rate was so high that the food prices had witnessed an increase of 14 percent. “Imran is running the country only for his friends,” he alleged. The PTI has left five million people unemployed and 20 million in extreme poverty, he said, adding, “In a successful economy, inflation is low, employment is high, the government plans schools, hospitals, and infrastructure. Where does our

economy stand?” Meanwhile, Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the PTI-led government has a unique talent in being “absolutely shameless when it boldly and brazenly misleads the people”. The federal government has, since its first day in office, been fudging numbers and stacking statistics in their favour, Bilawal said in a statement. “Fudging economic figures may feed the large egos in the government, but it does not feed the people. These alleged

facts and figures are tantamount to gaslighting the lived experience of the people who are being crushed under the economic failures of Imran Khan,” he said. The PPP chairman claimed that since the PTI formed government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa nearly a decade ago, poverty levels had increased exponentially, with figures showing that poverty has gone up from 9 percent to a whopping 27 percent. In contrast, under PPP, the province of Sindh had managed to slash the poverty rate by 7.6 percent, he further claimed. He added that the PPP government in Sindh has also overseen “Sindh’s rise in per capita income”, with the province now “leading in both rural and urban figures”. “Despite soul crushing inflation and rapidly increasing poverty levels, the PTIled federal government is preparing to levy taxes on the pensions of the retired employees,” he said. Bilawal said that PPP is determined to protect the rights of pensioners and that it rejects any scheme that would seek to tax them. The proposed 10 percent tax on pensions in the next budget would only push people further to the brink. “The powers that foisted an incredibly inept government and prime minister on the country have done a great disservice to the country and its future,” he added.

Ceasefire holding in Gaza as international aid arrives JERUSALEM Agencies

The ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian fighters in Gaza was holding on Saturday, as humanitarian aid began to enter the Israeli-blockaded enclave ravaged by 11 days of aerial bombardment by the Israeli military. As thousands of displaced Palestinians returned to their homes, international focus turned to the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, shattered by Israeli air strikes. In Jerusalem, however, Israeli police fired stun grenades on protesters at the highly sensitive Al-Aqsa mosque compound, in a sign of how volatile the situation remains, two weeks after similar violence sparked the worst Israeli assault on Gaza in years. Clashes also broke out in several other parts of Israelioccupied East Jerusalem, and at the crossing point between Jerusalem and the West Bank, Israeli police said, adding that hundreds of officers and border guards had been mobilised. US President Joe Biden said he had told the Israelis to stop “inter-communal fighting” in Jerusalem, and pledged to help organise efforts to rebuild Gaza. He also stressed “we still need a two-state solution. It is the only answer, the only answer.” AID ARRIVES: Convoys of lorries carrying aid began passing into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing after it was reopened by Israel, bringing much-needed

medicine, food and fuel. The UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund said it had released $18.5 million for humanitarian efforts. Tens of thousands of Gaza residents ventured out on Friday for the first time in days, checking on neighbours, examining devastated buildings, visiting the sea and burying their dead. Rescuers there said they were working with meagre resources to reach any survivors still trapped under the rubble. Nazmi Dahdouh, 70, said an Israeli strike had destroyed his home in Gaza City. “We don’t have another home. I’ll live in a tent on top of the rubble of my home until it’s rebuilt,” the father of five said. In total, Israeli air strikes have killed 248 people including 66 children since May 10, and wounded 1,948 others, the health ministry has said. Fighters are also among those killed. Large areas have been flattened and some 120,000 people have been displaced, according to Hamas, the group that rules Gaza. The Israeli army said Gaza fighters fired more than 4,300 rockets towards Israel, of which 90 per cent were intercepted by its air defences. The rockets claimed 12 lives in Israel, including one child, a teenager and an Israeli soldier, with one Indian and two Thai nationals among those killed, Israeli authorities say. Some 357 people in Israel were wounded.

“Our message to the enemy is clear — if you come back, we’ll come back too,” a spokesperson for the armed groups in Gaza said at a press conference, while Israeli defence minister Benny Gantz warned that “the enemy” had no immunity. BOTH SIDES CLAIM VICTORY: Both sides claimed victory after the Egypt-brokered truce. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s bombing campaign had killed “more than 200 terrorists” in Gaza, including 25 senior commanders — an “exceptional success”. For its part, Hamas’ political chief Ismail Haniyeh said they had “dealt a painful and severe blow that will leave its deep marks” on Israel. He also thanked Iran for “providing funds and weapons”. Iran itself praised a “historic victory” and reaffirmed Tehran’s support for the Palestinian cause, while there were demonstrations in support of Palestinians in Jordan, Libya and elsewhere. Egyptian state media said two Egyptian security delegations had arrived to monitor the deal from either side. ‘GENUINE OPPORTUNITY’: World leaders welcomed the truce. “I believe we have a genuine opportunity to make progress and I’m committed to working towards it,” Biden said. The European Union echoed his call for a two-state solution to the conflict.

FAJR SUNRISE

ZUHR

ASR MAGHRIB ISHA

3:54

12:00

4:44

5:21

6:39

8:07

Pakistan, Argentina agree to form JWGs to expand bilateral trade ISLAMABAD TLTP

Pakistan and Argentina have agreed to form joint working groups (JWGs) in agriculture, pharmaceutical, information technology and industrial sectors to guide future trade and economic cooperation, besides setting up a Joint Business Council for Business-toBusiness interaction. This was agreed upon in the third session of the Pakistan-Argentina Joint Commission (JC) held in a virtual format in Islamabad and Buenos Aires on Saturday. Pakistani delegation was headed by Secretary Economic Affairs Noor Ahmed, while the Argentine side was led by Ambassador Carola Ramon. The experts from all relevant technical departments of Pakistan and Argentina along with ambassadors of both countries participated in the meeting. The talks focused on specific areas of cooperation, including bilateral trade and investment, agriculture, textile, pharmaceutical sector, science and information technology, industry, maritime, tourism, and forestry. Noor Ahmed underscored the need for enhancing cooperation between the two countries on the basis of reciprocity, fairness and equity. The Argentine side also expressed its keenness to expand economic relations with Pakistan. The two sides made candid discussions on the matters of bilateral trade and economic relations and decided to take measures for enhancement of bilateral trade to next higher level. It was also agreed to establish a Joint Business Council for B2B interaction between businessmen of both sides. The sides also decided to sign MoUs in the fields of trade, promotion of investment, agriculture, cooperation in science and information technology, pharmaceutical, maritime, and tourism. Both sides decided to have annual follow-up meetings to pursue these avenues. Earlier, a preliminary meeting of technical experts was also held on Thursday last. It is worth mentioning that Pakistani Basmati rice, sports goods, textile products and bed sheets have a strong demand in Argentina. Total volume of trade between the two countries stood at around $140 million in 2019. The balance of trade was in favour of Argentina as Pakistan’s imports from Argentina were around $108 million, while exports were merely $31 million. Considering the size of global imports of Argentina, which are around $50 billion, concerted efforts are needed to break the jinx of such a low level of exports. Pakistan’s average exports to Argentina have remained below $50 million over the last 10 years.

3m refugees, immigrants lacking identity may miss out on Covid-19 jabs KARACHI AnAdoLu Agency

A prove-your-identity condition may leave 3 million people in Pakistan without coronavirus vaccines, including mainly unregistered refugees, jeopardising the country’s fight against the pandemic. Currently, only nationals or immigrants who have either computerised national identification cards or official refugee status can receive the jabs. The country of over 210 million people has so far vaccinated nearly 3 million people, a ratio well below that of India. Over 1.5 million unregistered refugees living in Pakistan, particularly from Afghanistan, will miss out on the vaccination for not having identity documents. Besides, thousands of CNIC have been blocked in recent years by National Database Registration Authority for different reasons. There are around 2.8 million documented and undocumented Afghan refugees in Pakistan, making it the world’s second-largest refugee population after Syrians in Turkey. Only around half of the refugees are registered, with the rest living undocumented, mostly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and

Balochistan, which border the war-torn Afghanistan. Sindh also hosts nearly 500,000 Afghan refugees. UN suggest that more than 3.8 million refugees have been repatriated to Afghanistan since 2002. However, many have returned to Pakistan due to ongoing violence, unemployment, and lack of education and medical facilities. Apart from Afghan refugees, the country, and mainly Karachi, has a sizable population of unregistered Bengali, Nepali, and Rohingya immigrants. As per the current procedure, citizens before being vaccinated must register themselves by sending their CNIC numbers to a designated official portal. When asked about any alternative ways to get vaccinated for unregistered refugees or citizens who do not have the CNIC, Minister of State for National Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan told Anadolu Agency that the refugees with “Proof of Registration” cards issued by the government were allowed to get vaccinated. In the brief message, he did not respond to a query about an alternative way for unregistered refugees. DANGEROUS MOVE: Pakistan Medical

Association (PMA) has demanded that the registration process be halted because it “may deprive millions of people” of Covid19 vaccines. “We have long been demanding that unnecessary conditions for vaccination will discourage millions to get vaccinated,” PMA’s Secretary General Dr. Qaisar Sajjad told Anadolu Agency. According to Qaisar, around 3 million locals and refugees would not be eligible to receive vaccinations under the current system. The large numbers of Afghan, Bengali, Nepali, and Rohingya refugees will not be the only ones unable to get vaccinated against the highly contagious Covid-19. So will a significant number of the country’s own citizens, mostly those living in rural areas and who have not yet obtained a CNIC, he said. “It will simply tatter the benefits of the large-scale vaccination and the relentless efforts of the health professionals if such a huge portion of the population is not vaccinated just because they do not have identity cards,” Sajjad opined. “To achieve the goal, we have to vaccinate every single adult. The government must remove this [identity card] condition and simply let everyone get vaccinated,” he

maintained. CNIC CONDITION BE REVOKED: Zahir Pashtun, who works for a non-governmental organisation dedicated to refugee welfare, supported the call to remove the identification card requirement for vaccinations. “The government has included the Afghan refugees with PoRs in the vaccination program […] a welcome step. However, nearly half of the refugees in Pakistan are unregistered. They should be vaccinated,” Pashtun told Anadolu Agency. Echoing Pashtun’s views, Noor Mohammad Arakani, the head of the Rohingya Solidarity Forum that works for the welfare of the group displaced from Myanmar, said: “A large number of Rohingyas still don’t have refugee identification cards. The government should either remove this condition or announce an alternative vaccination program.” “Even among those who have identification cards, the vaccination rate is still very low. The card condition will further sink this ratio,” he told Anadolu Agency. Karachi is home to more than 400,000 Rohingya Muslims — often referred to as Burmese — the highest number after Myanmar and now Bangladesh — unofficial estimates suggest.

The Chief Commissioner for Afghan Refugees Saleem Khan said the government could not do anything for “faceless” refugees. He told Anadolu Agency that the problem would have been resolved automatically if the refugees had registered with the government. They can still register with the government, but the “problem is that they are faceless,” according to Khan. However, he underlined that nearly 850,000 Afghans with Afghan citizen cards have been included in the ongoing vaccination drive. UNHCR Spokesman Qaiser Khan Afridi said the inclusion of registered Afghan refugees in the country’s vaccination program was a “positive step.” In some parts of the country, he added, Afghan refugees who meet the criteria for receiving the jab have already started to register themselves and some of have received their first vaccine dose. Nonetheless, unregistered refugees are not covered by the UNHCR’s mandate, he added. “The virus doesn’t know whether an individual is a refugee or a local. It is a challenge to everyone. Nobody is safe until all of us are safe,” Afridi told Anadolu Agency.

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